9. Fire and Ice

Amidst the complex machinery, wires and pipes of the basement of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, clanging and swishing sounds can be heard.

Then there was a crash.

Moments later a thud.

And the clanging and the swishing returned.

"Daga!" This was chanted by Nigel Smith, an American who claimed to be from the Immigrations Office, as he threw a dagger bearing symbols on its blade and pommel when he lost one of his axes to his Chinese opponent, Quan Tie.

Quan jumped over the flying dagger, twisting in mid air just as Lucas Jorgen, an African-American associate of Nigel, held both his hands in front of him as if holding a basket ball, thrust them and chanting "Magliyab" to release a fireball toward the still descending Chinese.

The Chinaman was himself forming a ball in his left hand and as he finished his 360 degree twist in mid air pushed it toward the fireball chanting, "Nyebe!" A snowball flew to the fireball liquefying on contact and extinguishing the flames while JJ Junco, a Filipino that is being accosted by Nigel and Lucas watched the battle in horror.

When Quan Tie landed, he was met by a right hook from Nigel that avoided by twisting his body by almost a quarter. He then pushed his upper body forward, left hand striking toward Nigel's right deltoid muscle are with palms open, fingers extended and joined, its tips thrust like a cutting knife to the American's muscles soliciting pain in the process.

Quan followed this move by a punch in Nigel's solar plexus kicking the air out of his opponent. He then stepped back to avoid a drop kick from Lucas.

Lucas, now standing between the pained Nigel and Quan swung his right hand to drive a right backhand punch at the Chinese.

Quan blocked the strike with his right arm with a backhand block. He then turned his hand to seize Lucas by the wrist, pulled his enemy's hand to the right while he pushed his left hand, palms up toward Lucas' elbow breaking the joint with the heel of his hand. Letting go of the now injured right hand of the American, Quan pushed his right hand to the right side of Lucas cracking some ribs. He then repeated the left hand attack hitting Lucas by the jaw with the heel of his left hand.

Lucas went down on one knee from the pain. His movement cleared the way for Nigel who delivered a flying side kick toward Quan, hitting the Chinese square on the chest pushing him backward.

As he swung his arms around to regain his balance, Quan chanted "Shuriken" as he released one throwing star after another from each hand as he continued to swing them alternately.

Three of the stars hit Nigel in the chest and arms while he was able to avoid the rest.

Quan then move his arms in a circle in front of him ending with his right hand pointing upward, palms open, fingers extended and joined over his left hand with palms up assuming a Buddhist praying pose. He then chanted "Bomba." This chant blew up the shurikens he released causing sever physical damage and shock to his American opponent.

Just as the blast reverberated on the basement walls, Quan and JJ heard what appeared to be a hand slapping the floor and the injured Lucas chanting "Alon." A wave of concrete flooring then began to form rushing toward the Chinese. Concrete rubbles flew toward Quan including pieces of steel as they break up from the flooring.

Quan again moved his arms in a circle in front of him but instead of ending in a praying pose, he ended with both hands in front of him, palms open, facing the flying projectiles from the debris.

"Kalasag," Quan chanted as a circular shield with symbols and drawings materialized in thin air blocking the deadly debris.

JJ, still trembling from shock jumped back when he heard Quan Tie saying, "I believe we should leave."

"What," asked JJ. "Who are you? Who are these people? What have I got to do with you?"

"In time Mr. Junco," Quan said assuringly. "All in good time. But for now, it is time for us to leave. The explosion could have caught the attention of airport security and they are probably on their way down. And besides, you don't want to be here when their friends arrive," pointing to the now unconscious Lucas and Nigel.

"What about my wife and son," protested JJ. "I have to get back to them," he said as he started to rise.

"They have already been taken cared of," said Quan stopping JJ from standing,

"Taken cared of," said JJ worried for his wife and young son. "What do you mean taken cared of?"

"So many questions, so little time," mused Quan.

They hear footsteps and commotion outside the door above them.

"We must be going," urged Quan. "Like I said, all in good time and our time here is not going to be good."

JJ looked up at the door to the airport lobby and contemplated on what he should do. He then looked at Quan who is waiting for him and urging him to come along with him.

"If those security personnel catch you, they will think you are a terrorist and put you in jail," explained Quan and then turned his back on JJ as he walked toward the dark.

JJ needed to decide fast and he decided to try and trust the Chinese. He walked down the steps and followed the Chinese disappearing in the in the dark amidst the machinery, wires, and pipes in the basement of the JFK International Airport.

3. The Alley

It was night.

Elena tried to walk faster. She willed herself to run but the load she is caring plus the fact that she is pregnant stopped her from walking any faster. Her heart is pounding so hard it reverberates to her ear. It is as if she had her ear against her chest.

Then she heard the flapping of cloth... She turned... And what she saw made her scream...

Standing in front of her is a cloaked man. The hood and the dark obscuring her vision. She can't see his face.

Her scream caught the attention of some bystanders who tried to see where the scream was coming from. On the other side of the street, four topless men drinking some gin stopped momentarily and turned to look at the direction where the scream came from. At the corner, three students waiting for a cab turned to Elena's direction.

Elena was shaking. Almost loosing her grip on the bayong she is carrying. She willed herself to move. She was able to take one step back when the hooded figure slowly raised his head. Ambient light slowly creeping she can now see the person's jaw. It looks fiery red. It has some black markings like a tattoo.

She held her bayong tighter not knowing what to do. A lot of things raced through her mind. "Is this Mang Andoy's killer," she asked herself. "What could he want from me? I never saw him before. I was never even a witness to the murder!"

As Elena continued on these thoughts, the hooded figure's head continued to raise. Now she can see his cheeks, riddled with tattoo. His head stopped moving. Light does not penetrate enough to allow her to see the figure's whole face. But she notices that his eyes seem to glow.

"Miss! Are you okay?" shouted one of the drinkers from the other side who stood up to have a better look. Then seeming to notice the figure standing in front of the woman, they felt alarmed. They took steps toward the street.

"Hoy! Who are you?" asked the other man to the hooded figure they can barely see in the dark as he moved ahead of his buddies. Some of them picked up iron pipes or wooden planks.

The students waiting for the cab got scared at the shouting. They huddled together and tried to cross the street towards the fast food chain.

The four drinkers began their way across the street when the figure turned his head toward them. They can see his yellow glowing eyes. And it made them stop and rethink if they will go and help the woman or not.

"Puta, aswang!" shouted the thinnest of the four holding his wooden stick tighter.

"Let's get him!" shouted the braver one who was also the one who asked Elena if she is okay.

"Let's go!" shouted the big bellied one holding an iron pipe.

As they moved forward towards the island that separates the two opposing lanes, the figure whipped his left arm toward their direction shouting "Daga!"

In an instant, a bolt of light came out from the sleeve end of the figure's cloak. The light materialized to a knife before it disappeared into the neck-high island.

The brave one among the drinkers stopped dead on his tracks. Clutching his neck as he fall backwards from the impact of something that hit him. Blood came out of his mouth and seeped through his fingers. His eyes wide in shock. He hit the ground with a thud.

The others looked at him, got mad and angrily looked at the hooded figure.

When the hooded figure released that bolt of light, Elene got to her senses and turned toward an alley to her left.

With deadly swiftness, the hooded figure flicked his other arm toward the direction of Elena. A bolt of light flew out and struck the wall behind her. Missing her by inches.

The assailant then moved to follow Elena in the alley but stopped when an iron pipe flew in front of him. He turned to see that the big bellied iron pipe bearer was no across the island. The two others just over the top.

Elene moved faster across the tight alley barely two persons wide. Boxes and crates were piled on either side. She tipped some of them and a few fell crashing on the ground. She heard screams as the four drinkers sparred with her assailant. As she turned her head back to take a look, she saw lights flash, heard more screams, and thought she faintly heard skin tear as if opening a zipper.

As the screaming stopped, she stopped and turned towards the end of the alley hoping that she will see one of the men who tried to help her. Her heart stopped when she heard the eerie fluttering she heard before. But no one emerged at the end of the alley. Trembling, she raised her gaze. In the ambient light of the new moon, she saw a figure descend from above. Her knees felt weak and she fell sitting on the ground.

"This is it for me," she thought. "I am sorry for my baby. He hasn't even come out yet to see the world and now he will die with me."

Tears trailed down her cheek as the fluttering figure landed a few feet in front of her.

"What do you want from me!" she screamed at the figure.

"You," the figure replied. His voice seem to come from the depths of the earth. "I have no business with you."