14. Blue light

The drizzle seems to grow heavy, turning into a full pledged rain, light but none the less, rain.

RD is nearly exhausted. He has been running away for his pursuers for almost an hour now. With several near misses, he is thankful he is still alive.

He heard a sword slash through the air. It is coming from the cloaked man in front of him. He blocked the strike, parried the sword away and turned his head to get a glimpse of another cloaked person, a woman. She is completing her turn and ready to jab her spear at his mid section.

RD stepped back, turned toward the katana weilding attacker, lunged with a downward semi-circle slash, pulled back and parried the spear.

The rain is getting heavy now. RD is getting wet. He is feeling cold.

The male attacker is thinking of the very same thing. Except for him and his companion, their cloaks are being soaked. A little while longer and they will become both a hindrance and an advantage. Sprinkles of water from the cloak will distract their prey, but they will be meeting that same effect.

It must end now, thought the female attacker. She too realizes the problems their wet cloaks will pose. Killing their target is going to be very easy. Except that they are not there to kill him but instead to capture him. They need some information from him. Something that they must have to ensure the success of their mission and their cause. And they must not fail.

Both cloaked assailants are now walking around RD, looking for an opening. Their weapons menacingly pointed at his direction.

Standing at the center of the circle, RD extends both swords in his hands. Each kampilan pointed at its intended target. Whether to defend from an attack or strike a lethal blow, both swords moving with the targets as if sensing their presence and tracking them, keeping them at the end of its deadly two prong-shaped points.

Rain starts to fall in heavier.

Suddenly, the menacing dance stops.

With all their strenght both attackers pounced at their prey. The spear bearer thursting the ge while spinning the staff to flailed the lion hair decoration of her weapon sputtering water at her intended victim.

On the other side of the circle, the swordsman swings his katana for an upward slash. His intention, to cut off RDs hands and relieve him of one of his swords. He may die of sever bleeding from this cut but they may be able to pull out the information they need before it happens.

Thanks to years of practice in college, RD was able to think of a move to avoid the cuts about to be inflicted on him. RD makes a half counter-clockwise, lifting the sword to his left while dropping his right, twisting his wrist as he goes. This brought the attacker from his right to his left side and the one from his left to his right side. When he finished his turn, he began to drop his left arm to katana that is swing upward. His twisting right-hand sword succeeded in parrying the spear. He was no longer in the line of attack of both assasins but his position now puts both weapons inches from him. Their movements are once again locked.

RD need to do something or he will loose time to react to any movements the assailants might make.

At first, he did not notice it but the rain seemed to have stopped. RD's first thought is that it did stop. But he noticed that his hands and kampilans are still getting wet. Then he caught a glimpse of his attackers beginning to gaze upwards. He wanted to look but it may give them an opening. He must get away from this position. He must muster enough strength to push them back. Slowly he pulled in his kampilans to prepare for the push.

As he did, the push from both enemy weapons suddenly slackened.

This allowed him to look up to see something dropping along with rainwater. It began to glow. It has a blue glow. And it's headed toward him.

Too late, he thought. This is the end.

The ground suddenly shook from the impact of the blue light. It did not hit RD but it landed directly in front of him. The blue light is not some sort of a fireball as it blew off from the hand of another cloaked person.

As fast as the sound of the impact vibrated through the rainy street, a concentric ring of blue fire rippled off from the point of impact causing the two attackers to jump back.

Two against one is hard enough, now a third one came, RD's mind is racing. He now truly believes that this is his end.

13. Crowded streets

The ge is an ancient Chinese weapon. Ge means "fighting" in Chinese. To the simple observer, it can be described as a spear. But the ge uses a bronze blade tied to the end of a long staff. The blade is almost as long as a one-handed sword.

RD had survived the explosion caused by two converging fireballs shot at him by his attackers. He was able to run away hoping to loose them in this rainy night. Again, he is caught between the two, in a crowded city street full of young professionals partying in the rain. One of his adversaries is in the air, dropping down on him with a dagger in hand. The other, on the ground, a ge in hand, about to strike him. He needs to act fast to survive this. He needs to make his move at just the right moment.

The spear thrust is coming in first, he lifted his body up with his two hands, both toes pushed down on the streat. He then used his right hand to push himself further up while keeping his right hand planted on the ground for support and balance. He twisted his body rightward avoiding the ge from slicing him from the right neck down to his heart, slicing droplets instead from the sky.

As he cleared the spear, RD bent his left arm using his elbow now for support. He laid on the street as the dagger wielding attacker is within a few feet from him. He then pulled his knees toward his chest, placed his two hands on the ground beside his head and kicked off upward as the dagger strike missed his legs by inches.

RD used the strength of his arms to push his body upward, lifting himself feet first off the ground. As he pushed up, he pulled swung his feet forward making a reverse tumble landing on the concrete pavement facing the two attackers.

By now, the crowd had recovered from the initial shock of seeing three people jump down a five story building making perfect landings that only movie stunt men and some post production editing can do. Some pulled out their camera phones to try and take a picture of the scene.

One of the attackers noticed the photo taking and clapped his hands together, the dagger no longer in his hands.

"Magneto!" chanted the clapper.

Mobile phones and some exterior lights burst starting near where the three fighters stood moving outward as if an invisible concentric wave washed over them.

Recognizing the opportunity, RD crossed his arms in front of him, the middle of the 'X' right in front of his face, and pulled them diagonally downward.

"Dos Kampilan!" he chanted.

A stream of light crawling through his forearm revealed hidden symbols flashing out of his almost fair complexion that he got for staying indoors in an air-conditioned office most of the day. As the light continues its travel, now in RDs elbows, a rod of straight light emanated from RDs hands. When his hands reached his side, the lights have now vanished and in each hand, a broad sword typical of those used by early Filipinos.

"Now, we can have a real fight," said the ge wielding attacker.

He is a she, thought RD when he heard the voice. "What is it that you want with me," asked RD the strain of the chase and the fighting now evident in his breathing.

"We only want the information that you have," answered the dagger striking attacker now holding a katana.

"What information," RD asked, puzzled what is happening. He was supposed to go home after buying some tikoy in Binondo. Now the tikoy is left drenched in the street near Quezon Bridge. He dropped it when he was attacked.

"You may not remember it," said the katana wielding assailant, "but you have it. You hid it from everyone even from yourself. That old man you talked to knew about you possessing it but he does not know what it is."

"We share the same powers," said the woman stepping sidewards to RDs right. "That is a good enough clue for you."

"And this information must not come out," the man said as he took his position to RDs left.

"How can it come out if I can't even remember it," protested RD keeping watch on the movements of the two attackers, readying himself.

"Even if you can't remember it," explained the man, "someone can make you."

"And we don't want that," finished the woman lunging forward, the long ge pointed at RDs neck.

RD bent his body to the left to avoid the strike. He then twisted his right wrist to hit the staff with his sword. At the same time, the man on his left took a step forward made a horizontal slash toward his midsection. RD blocked this with the sword on his left.

"This is insane," grunted RD as he parried the sword slash and made a slash to the man's neck slicing the cloak.

The woman pulled at the spear and pushed it toward RDs chest. RD blocked it with his sword, turned counterclockwise swinging his sword to the woman's head. The woman kept the spear in place, bent her neck putting it in between her arms avoiding RDs strike, twisted the spear so that the sharpened edge faced RD, pulled it back while swinging it toward his back.

RD completed his turn brought the swing of the heavy sword, lifted his left arm to avoid the spear slash, and pushed forward the sword on his right to push off the spear. At the same time, he placed his right hand behind his head, the sword diagonally protecting his back from sword slash from behind.

Having blocked the spear slash and the sword strike, RD quickly twisted the sword in his right keeping in contact with the spear staff to point it downward while he twisted his sword behind him to point it toward his left securing the katana.

In a swift movement, he pushed the katana sidewards away from his back as he guided the spear over his head to his right, rain water splashing from the lion's beard decoration of the spear. This is a form of distraction that did not bother RD. He continued the pushing motion of both arms, his left hand changing it to a swing, again, toward the woman's head. His right arm also changed from pushing the staff to swinging, this one toward the man's neck.

Both attackers jumped back to avoid the slash and give some distance between themselves and RD.

RD now assumed an attack-defend position, his body in a 45 degree angle with the straight line represented by the two attackers on both sides. His kampilan on both hands ready to strike or to block.

12. Street Fight

While the party lovers wet themselves in the streets of Nakpil, one of the favorite gimmick places in Malate, Manila, a loud explosion was heard over the loud music. As if it was rehearsed, the people stopped dancing and talking at the same time. Their heads turned to where the direction seemed to have come from. As a fireball rose from the distance, whispered questions came out from those present. Questions like what was that, where did it come from, is this another coup d'etat, or are being attacked by terrorists came out. Some started looking for their friends to see where they are. Some began opening their phones bunched under available cover from the rain and call up their parents, friends, or anyone they think might be glued on the television to know what is happening.

As the smoke rises and debris fell from the damaged roof of the apartment, its residents began stirring from inside. Footsteps and clamoring can be heard from outside. Activities also began from nearby buildings and houses. Some are trying to call on house-mates, children, parents, and house helps. A baby can be heard crying because its sleep was disturbed. Several upper floor windows, ground floor doors and street gates began opening and people began looking for the cause of the loud sound and vibrations that woke them from their peaceful cold rainy night sleep. Flashlight beams scanned the streets, most converged either on the singed roof or the sparking transformer. Those who knew what to do began dialing the police, the fire department and the power company while others shouted instructions to their house helps to make similar calls.

Almost invisible from the crowd are two cloaked figures. One standing on the large branch of an acacia tree inside the walls of the building opposite the damaged apartment and the other, on top of a concrete post of the neighboring house.

Rain continued to fall preventing those without umbrella from wandering outside.

The two cloaked figures continued to wait and see what happens to their quarry. Did he escape or is he dead. They looked at each other and around them. People are still near or on the streets while the others poked their heads through the now open windows and stayed there. Two or three people from different buildings lighted cigarettes. Even with the surgeon general's warning that smoking kills, these people don't care at all.

A police car began to turn from Taft Avenue toward the scene of the incident. Other sirens can be heard be it from the police or from the fire trucks. Another vehicle with flashing lights came from Roxas Boulevard. It seemed unusual for them to be responding this fast. The city's mayor, after all, is a former police officer and wants their law enforcers and providers of basic to be able to respond to incidents immediately.

Time is running out for the two mystery men. They need to confirm their kill fast. And one of them was able to think fast.

The man perched on the concrete post bent down on his knees and placed his hand near the wire suspended a few inches from the top of the post. Seeing this, the man on the tree prepared himself for the long jump.

Just as the police car was nearing the post with the crackling transformer and people's heads turned to that direction, an electric bolt was released by the post-perched assailant. Quickly, current flowed to on the wires and run through both directions. One to the house that draws power from it and the other to the transformer where it is connected.

Lights went on inside the house but because of the voltage of the burst of electricity some burst and popped creating a commotion inside. The same thing happened to the transformer. This second burst completely messed up its interior and blew up. The force of the explosion dislodged the braces that attached it to the post. The transformer went down, along with it the wires still attached to its contacts. The barrel shaped electrical component crashed on the concrete street prompting the police man driving the patrol car to swerve to avoid being tangled in the wires.

Both cloaked men used this distraction to leap toward the apartment opposite them. Since he is already crouched, the post-perched man jump across first followed by his companion from the tree.

To their surprise, their target is not where he is supposed to be. One of them looked over the roof to the garden below. He saw nothing. Then his comrade quickly started running. When he turned, he saw that his accomplice is running after their mark who had survived the explosion and is now running away from them toward what seemed to be a crowded street. The lights are still on on that side. They must have a separate transformer, he thought. He went after his associate.

Roberto Damasco thought he just got lucky. He is still puzzled how he was located. Only a handful of people knew where he is. And one of them is Mang Poldo. Mang Poldo is a trusted friend of his father. He had seen Mang Poldo visit their house in the province when he was a child.

But how can Mang Poldo do this to me? RD asked himself as he prepared to jump down the crowded street when he reaches the end of the five floor building he is running on top of. Did he have bad blood with my father?

Then, as he is about to jump, a ball of fire passed by him, missing him and blowing up the edge of the roof throwing debris onto the partying yuppies below. They have caught up with me, he thought and primed himself take a leap.

As RD propelled himself from the roof's edge, turned while throwing one dagger after another at the two figures he can barely discern in the dark. His throws were not really intended to hit his targets but merely to distract them, put them off balance. RD completed his 360 degree turn in time to prepare for his landing through the cleared patch amid the street dancers and on the pavement. The explosion caused many to step aside. Some started to leave the area while the rest continued looking up the smoking portion of the building.

All eyes are glued on RD as landed and rolled on the ground to break his fall. Now, down on one knee, he began to look around for a way out. The crowd is so thick all he can do now is dash toward the direction he is now facing.

He pushed himself off the ground and started running. As he neared the wall of people who had stepped back when he landed, one of the cloaks landed in front of him, his back on RD.

Instead of rolling to break his fall, this cloak used both feet and both knees to act as shock absorbers. His hands are spread for balance, the cloak sprang back up and backward toward RD, twisting counter clockwise in mid air, his right leg bent for a kick.

RD stopped on his tracks pulled his body back avoiding the kick.

The cloak continued his turn, both feet now on the ground as his pivot, his left arm bent for a palm edge strike on RD's neck, his back again toward him. RD blocked the strike with both arms, the force pushing him a bit to side. This made the attacker reverse his turn, step forward away from RD, right arm swinging for another attack. This time, his right hand is holding a dagger bearing markings from the blade to the hilt. The dagger nicked RD in his right ear and cheek.

While he staggered backward he turned away to escape, the other cloak landed in front of him in the same manner as the other one but facing RD. Instead of the jumping twisting turn and kick, this one jumped up, somersaulted on the air and kicked RD with both feet. The assailant's feet caught RD on the chin. The force of the kick lifted him up while his own momentum caused him to tumble in the air. RD landed flat on his chest.

RD recovered, pushed himself off the ground. He can see the somersaulting attacker in front of him, that fixed his location. He now turned his head to locate the first attacker. He is not there. RD looked up. The attacker is now dropping from a leap, right arm pulled back for a knife strike. RD looked at the second attacker who has landed and is now starting toward him with a marked 'ge.' Once again, he is cornered.

11. City Run

Julio Nakpil is a revolutionary leader during the Filipino-Spanish war. He has been recognized more as a musician, an artist, than as a commander of guerrilla forces who fought against Spanish rule under Andres Bonifacio. He once composed a national anthem for the Philippines in 1896 bearing the title "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan." He is recognized for his works that a street in one of the party places of Manila was named after him.

Every night from 10:00pm to the wee hours of the morning, Manila's youth party along J. Nakpil Street bordering Ermita and Malate on the City of Manila. [map]

This night is different from the other nights. This night, yuppies and party goers are in the night of their lives.

It was raining that night. Scattered rain showers were brought in by Typhoon Mina (local designation) bathed the patrons of many bars and restaurants lining up the street. But the rains or the typhoon did not scare away the eager customers. The in fact reveled at the chance of cooling off in the streets.

Music were fed out of Nakpil establishments to provide appropriate dance rhythms to the young party-goers. They were from different genres spanning from the 80s, 90s, to the new millennium.

Away from all the noise and lights and drinks, rapid steps splash on puddles and bodies break through falling rain, cloaks drenched and heavy.

The man running from two others is Roberto Damasco. Running along the apex of a roof, he looked back at the two chasing him. On of them, a few meters behind and the other closely following to his left.

Roberto, or RD to his friends, works as an information technology specialist of Hewlett Packard in Makati. RD is about to reach to end of the roof.

I need to get away, he thought. I need to loose them. How did they find out where I will be tonight? That old man. I knew I could not trust him.

He primed himself to lead to the next one. A flat roof deck of a 2 story apartment building. He increases speed, times his step for the lunge.

As he is about to take the last three steps, he noticed a light flash from his left. The second pursuer stopped atop an elevated water tank and fired a fire ball at him. He lost footing and fell to his side, hitting the ridge of the rooftop with his side, almost cracking a rib. The fireball passed overhead, missing him by a few inches yet he felt the heat radiated from it as rain was immediately transformed to steam upon contact.

RD is just 24 years old and lives with his wife and one year old son in Guagua, Pampanga. He turned on his stomach and tried to grab the ridge but he was to late. He struggled to stop himself slipping toward the edge an onto the concrete pavement below the three-story building. He continued to slip. The rain waters lubricating his progress.

The pursuer behind him is now running along the length of the roofs ridge. He raised his hand and a marked spear formed from thin air and threw it at RD.

RD rolled to his left as he continued to slip, the spear boring on the galvanized iron sheet roof. As he rolled, he swung his right hand at the spear-wielding assailant, releasing three daggers in his three rolls. His aim was good but so was the attacker who was able to avoid the sharp edges of the spinning dagger bearing ancient markings.

This time, the spear-wielder stepped on the GI sheet roof, running diagonally toward RD using his momentum and the downward slope of the roof to get to RD fast. He produced a bolo. His intent: to kill.

RD was able to push himself up and used the same technique running toward the edge of the roof to the gutter and away from the boloman. He jumped, caught a suspended electrical cable and used it to swing in a 360 degree somersault across the street to another cable. He swung again, releasing his grip from the wire just before a ball of electricity reached it. RD landed on the sill of the apartment next to the aerial wires, holding the window's caulk for support.

With rain waters drenching the cables acting as conductor adding to the conductive properties of the wire, the electric charge from the ball run through the powerline on both directions, some charge transferring to the other wires through the rain droplet. A transformer at the electrical post on one end blew up due to the overloading causing a blackout.

Turning around, RD saw the boloman swing his hand. A shuriken four times larger the normal spin towards him. To his right, the other pursuer who fired the electric ball produced a spear and threw it at RD.

RD swung his left arm horizontally in front of him, releasing a similar shuriken aimed at the attacker on his right. This was followed by his right arm that released another shuriken spinning toward the attacker on his left. Leaning forward, he bent his knees, swing his arms back and propelled himself forward while making a quarter left turn. He lifted he left leg just above the spinning shuriken from his attacker on the left. The shuriken missed his leg but shredded his cloak.

His right hand caught the runner of the roof just below the gutter, this time turning the opposite direction. RD gripped the runner with his right hand and swung his legs forward, missing the spear by centimeters.

As the shuriken shattered the window while embedding itself on the wall, the spear bore a hole on the outer wall of the house.

RD used the momentum of his body to swing his legs further up, keeping a tight grip on the runner. His years of doing crunches and sit-ups helped him curl his body as his feet neared 270 degrees in its swing. His fingers are in pain, but he could not let go. He pulled himself up as he continued to swing. In the last moment, he let go, landing on his belly at the inclined GI roof. This time, the impact of his body on the roof dented it preventing him from sliding down head first to the spiked walls of the apartment compound.

He pushed himself up and searched for his attackers only to find two balls of fire coming toward him. He is in a very awkward position and had trouble getting up.

Is this the end, he asked himself.

The two fireballs converged. One from across a tree where the target of his first shuriken jumped to to avoid being cut in two and the other one from the concrete post where the other attacker perched who avoided the first shuriken by somersaulting.

A loud explosion was heard by the people partying two blocks away.

10. Rain of Fire

Kamay-Kainan is a restaurant located along the southbound lane of the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue or EDSA in Metro Manila. It boasts of buffets with Filipino, Japanese, and Western dishes. They offer eat-all-you-can buffet discounts to their customers.

It was a bright sunny day in the Philippines and JJ and his family are having a mixed meal of Asian and Western cuisines.

"So," JJ asked his six-year old son Albert, "did you have a nice chat with lola today?"

"Yeah dad," Albert replied before taking a bite at the tempura he got from the Japanese foods area of the restaurant with his mother, Katrina. "She told me about you joining the ROTC and was worried so much because you were as thin as a stick."

"Well, he was brave enough to put himself to such punishment, he thought he can get through my father's barrier when he courted me," added Katrina.

JJ smiled and helped himself to his bowl of dinuguan when an explosion suddenly rocked the building.

People stopped what their doing and looked at each other. Some asking what was happening or where the explosion occurred. While most began to check on their belongings and their companions, a few stood up to look at the window facing the wide street. One of them is JJ. A shadow that appears to be caused by smoke blocking the summer sun began to descend upon the street blown northward from where the explosion seem to have come from.

"What is that hon," inquired Katrina clutching Albert.

"Wait here," answered JJ asking his wife to sit tight as he began to walk toward the large window walls along with several others. People can be seen running from the direction of the flyovers less than a kilometer southward from the restaurant. They are running for Cubao, away from something that terrifies them. Cars, jeepneys, and buses have stopped, occupants and passengers getting out running northward. Some tried to turn back but could not move out of the deadlock.

JJ was about to walk through the glass doors to take a look at what is happening when a burning car, a Toyota VIOS, suddenly dropped in the middle of the four lane southbound side of EDSA. The car crashed on a Honda CRV rolling off to settle on top of a taxi. Two more cars, a bus and a truck, all burning, dropped down on the stopped vehicles and running men as if . Some of the people died instantly from the impact while others ran around, their clothes burning from the fuel coming out of the vehicles and die from heat, shock, and suffocation.

Several explosions followed from vehicles the burning ones fell or had rolled on shattering the window walls and the glass door. A shard of glass nicked JJ on his cheeks and arms. The rest flying toward the ducking patrons of this popular restaurant. Then they heard a roar.

JJ stepped out of building just to run back to the safety of its canopy when a military helicopter, a UH-1H Huey being used by the Philippine army, its crew dying from sever burns, cooking off ammunition, and suffocation.

JJ looked inside the restaurant looking for his family. He found them near the back wall, Katrina holding Albert against her.

When JJ stepped out again, he looked for the source of the explosion. He saw smoke rising from buildings half way to Shaw Boulevard. The building of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is burning. So is Robinson's Galleria in front of it, the Lourdes school behind the mall, several building behind POEA as well as one of the branches of the local mall chain, SM. His gaze was suddenly turned towards the UnionBank Plaza tower that appears to be the target of several OV-10 Broncos and three Huey helicopters. He strained to see their target. Suddenly his vision focused on what appears to be a lone figure near the top of the building. It seems that his eyes have zoomed in on the figure, a circular area around where his gaze focused blurred as if looking though a spy glass. Then what he saw horrified him.

The figure JJ saw was not standing on top of the building but was floating in front of it near the top. He can see tracer bullets ricochet around the person who seems to be covered by an invisible shield. The man is half naked wearing only a pair of dark blue cargo pants and black rubber shoes. His body is covered with tattoos up to his head. Only the area around his eyes, his cheeks, and his chin are without tattoo. His eyes are fiery red.

JJ tried to zoom in some more and saw that there appears to be markings around the pupils of the man.

Then JJ saw the red eyes lock on his. Taken a back, his vision zoomed out a little. Now the floating man seems to be looking at him. The man moved his right arm forward. His fingers closed except for the index finger as his arms raised. And it stopped. The man was pointing at JJ. Then he said something JJ could not understand.

A load roar made JJ close his eyes. Then he heard wings flapping. When he looked at the direction of the man again, jets of green flame came from either side of the building. Alternating as it moved up. The flames engulfed the slower Hueys and missing the much faster Broncos. The helos spun and fell. Soldiers on board surely dead.

Suddenly, wings flapped over the building as a huge red dragon emerged from behind, nesting on the top of the tower. It let out an ear shattering roar then turned its head toward the direction the floating man pointed to. Toward JJ.

The red dragon bore marks around its body almost similar to the marks borne by the man. JJ stood frozen on the pavement.

The dragons shrieked. It flapped its wings, pushed him self up from the tower with its powerful hind legs and gave a roar. The dragon dropped, gliding towards the direction its master ordered it to go to.

JJ suddenly got pulled out of his trance when the dragon roared yet anew. He suddenly realized that the dragon was going for him. He has to move, he told himself. He willed his body to move as the dragon flew toward him, turning his head from time to time toward the direction of the attacking aircrafts and shoot off jets of green flames. One Bronco caught the flames on its starboard wing and began to descend. Then it focused all its attention to its target, the immobilized JJ.

His heart pounding, beads of sweat trailing down his face, JJ was suddenly able to move his legs. He turned and ran. He did not run toward the restaurant as his wife and son may get caught in the flames but instead run toward the direction of the dragon. He then turned right into a nearby street.

The dragon shrieked then shot green flame toward the ground, burning the vehicles on the streets as it traced a flaming line toward JJ.

JJ ran as fast has he could. The flame and the dragon right behind him. He has got to reach the corner several meters away and try to duck somewhere. He hoped. He tried. He can save himself from the flame. At the dragon's speed, it and the flame will overshoot JJ once he makes a quick right.

And it did when JJ made a quick right, the heat searing through his clothes while the flame barely grazing him. He saw a door. He turned the knob. It's locked. Horror gripping him JJ turned to look for another way in only to find out that one of his assumptions was wrong. The dragon was able to make a sudden stop. It is now hovering in front of him, large wings flapping.

The dragon with its long neck, moved its head near JJ and shrieked. At first, JJ smelled the foul odor of sulfur from the dragon's breath blow at him. Then everything grew bright green as a blast of flame engulfed him.

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.

8. Eagle vs Dragon

The John F. Kennedy International Airport located in New York City caters to more than 19 million passengers a year. Its service areas provide its guests with conveniences while waiting for their scheduled flight. The passenger terminals are located in circular arrangement in the middle of the airport. Below grounds, machines work round the clock to provide support to the massive structure. In its bowels, three men stood frozen. Their gaze directed upon a small glow on their right amidst the concrete pillars, pipes, and metal structures.

The sound of something whipping through the air broke their silence. From the direction where the sound came from are two large curved swords spinning in the air like boomerangs. An ax thrown by a white American wearing a dark pin striped suit stopped one of the swords. The other one was diagonally parried by another American, an African-American, and spun towards the wall only to vanish in thin air much like the ax and the first sword.

The white American known as Nigel crossed his hands in front of him and drew two axes from thin air. His comrade, Lucas took a step to stand beside him holding his saber ready.

"Who the hell are you," demanded Nigel. "Show yourself!"

The soft steps of Kung Fu shoes can be heard as a man in black traditional Kung Fu uniform emerges from the dark holding two Chinese swords.

"I am Quan Tie," he introduced, "and I claim Mr. Junco."

"Like hell you are," said Lucas, advancing on the Chinese.

Quan stopped with his right foot leading his left, feet on 90 degree angles and shoulder width apart. His right hand holding the dao in front of him as his left hand held the other dao upright behind him, his left fist level and pressed against his lower back.

Lucas swung his right hand, palms up, horizontally to strike Quan in the chest.

Quan bent back while twisting his body to his right to avoid the strike while maintaining his stance. With fluidity, he raised the sword in his right then thrust at Lucas, his trailing left leg pushing his body forward while he bent his leading right leg.

Lucas' recovers the strike and parried the thrust with his saber while side stepping to his left. Once he had pushed the sword some distance away from him, he reversed his hand movement to strike Quan in the neck.

Quan bent his head to his left while Lucas' saber whizzed through barely grazing his ear. He then moved his trailing left foot wide diagonally to his left assuming a crouching position while reversing the blade of his sword to face his black opponent and swing it toward his opponent's abdominal area.

Nigel saw and opening and stepped forward, his right hand raised to slam his ax on the Chinaman's neck.

Quan recovered from his strike and pulled his body with his left foot while sliding his right along the floor just in time for the ax to pass inches from his heard. He continued his movement sliding his right foot behind his left foot as Nigel turned to swing his ax-wielding left hand horizontally to the Chinese.

The Chinese bent his body on his waist to avoid the ax while twisting his right hand by the wrist to move his sword blade from his right hand side toward his left, the face of the blade resting on his left shoulder, cutting edge pointed leftward. He then swung his right hand toward Nigel who jumped back away from him toward his right.

As Nigel moved, Lucas came into view. His hand no longer holding a saber but held in front of him, his fingers extended and apart. His other hand is held in the same way as if holding a battering ram pushed against him. Light flowed from both his arms towards his hands.

"Shockwave," yelled Lucas and pushed his hands forward as a ripple of air escaped from them and hurtled toward the Chinese.

Caught off-guard, Quan only had time to cross his arms in front of him and braced for impact. The impact threw him off toward the pipes and machinery behind him. The Chinese crashed through them, his head banging on a pipe running horizontally.

The two Americans paused and observed. Waiting for something to happen. Then they heard footsteps scurrying up the steps.

Nigel and Lucas both looked at the direction of the noise saw their target, JJ Junco clambering up the stairs.

"Stop him," Nigel shouted toward Lucas who as nearer to the escaping Filipino.

Lucas took a step forward with his left foot, held his hands together, fingers curled close, his left hand palms down while his right hand was held palms up. Both hands were held together, his left index finger and thumb next to his right pinkie. He then pulled his right hand toward his back while pushing his left hand a few inches forward. Light crawled from his arms as a rod of light formed between the separating hands. A spear with metal edge and iron rod materialized from the rod of light. As his right hand reached its farthest point backward, Lucas released the hold of his left hand on the spear, slid his left foot about four inches forward and heaved the spear toward the fleeing JJ.

Just then, a sai flew through the air, catching the spear between its main center prong and its tsuba -- one of the two unsharpened shorter prongs. The force the sai was thrown was so great that the spear was pushed away from its trajectory. Both weapons vanished in thin air.

"As you Americans say," a voice from the dark said. "It is not over until the fat lady sings," Quan continued as he emerged from the dark patting dirt from his clothes.

"The hell with the fat lady," Nigel sighed as he rushed toward the Chinese. Behind him, Lucas produced another saber and started after Nigel.