Matthew and Maria
"You what?" Mark Burton straightens to stare at his friend. Matthew continues the stretch leaning down over his knees to plant his hands flat on the practice floor.
"Continue with the stretching, Mark. You need to warm up."
Mark complies, but his eyes don't leave his somewhat nonchalant companion. "You're telling me you went on a date with the Silver Avenger and she wants to spar with you, too?"
Matthew sighs. Mark was concentrating on the wrong points. "No, you've got it a bit wrong. It wasn't actually a date..."
"You toured Chinatown with her and stayed out until 2am! If that wasn't a date..."
"Yes, but my grandfather tricked us both into it."
"So what?! Make the most of it Matt..." Matthew grimaces at the shortened form of his name, but Mark is on a roll. "She's one of the most capable, eligible, and pursued women in the city - and she likes you." Mark shakes his head grinning. "Your grandfather... what a guy!"
"I don't know, Mark." She's the Silver Avenger of San Francisco, thinks Matthew. And I'm a vigilante as far as the law's concerned. Not a good situation. But I do like her, and she's fun to be with. If I could only figure out how to handle the paranormal aspects of...
"Hey guys!" Mark interrupts his thoughts as the grad student bounds to his feet and addresses the other members of the class. "Guess what? Matthew is going to spar with the Silver Avenger - Maria Chow!"
Matthew glares at his friend as the others come crowding around shouting questions. "Thanks," he says wryly.
"What are friends for? Besides, this is payback for all those times you pushed me at Sarah."
OK, here it goes. Matthew takes a deep breath as the PRIMUS agent transfers him over to Avenger Chow's line.
"Chow," she answers.
"Hello, Maria, it's Matthew."
"Oh -- hello," she says. "How are things going with your grandfather? He hasn't fallen in front of any more dancers, has he?" she teases.
"No, no" he laughs back. "He only does that when there are beautiful Silver Avengers to come to his rescue - a quirk he doesn't get to indulge often. Remember offering to spar with me?" Matthew asks. "Well, my friend Mark Burton - do you remember him? - was very impressed when I told him about meeting you two days ago. He took it into his head, however, to announce to our Kung Fu class that you and I would spar. They were also very enthusiastic."
"So," he continues, and the grin is audible in his voice, "I'd like to take you up on that offer."
"Oh, really?" she says, grin also audible in hers. "That wouldn't be Cassie Salvatore's secretary, Mark Burton, would it? Tall guy, gangly, makes a mean cup of coffee?"
"Yes, that's him all right. I hear he's the only secretary who's made it this long with Cassandra. When would be good for you?"
"Hmm…let's see. " Matthew can hear papers being shuffled. "I can't today or tomorrow, and I have meetings on Friday and Saturday morning…how about Saturday afternoon?"
"Saturday's perfect." Matthew continues, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner that evening as well. I know an excellent restaurant; the food is spectacular, and there's dancing..."
"That sounds nice," she says. Mental note: pick up dry cleaning on way home, she thinks. "Where do I need to go?"
"I figured we could meet at the school at four." Matthew gives her directions, then continues, "Parking's a bit difficult, since it's in Chinatown, but I'll make sure there's a space open for you. I'd guess we'd spend about 40 minutes at the school. We'll probably want to go home to clean up and change before dinner. I'll pick you up at your place at...say... six thirty?"
"Sounds good," she answers.
Matthew waits patiently on the practice floor, running through mental and physical exercises in preparation for the upcoming spar. This will take all his skill, for he must not seem too fast, too strong, lest he give away his paranormal nature. However, to be true to his honor, he must fight to the best of his ability. It would be a fine and difficult line to walk.
The other students gather across the padded floor, covertly watching the best of their number. Many are more than slightly awed that Matthew would actually be sparring with THE Silver Avenger. There aren't too many of the students gathered today. The sifu, their teacher, had limited the number of students to a manageable group, and mercifully, no reporters appear to have heard of the "event".
The sifu sends the gawking students back to their lessons; officially, they are simply there to practice. He walks across the room to where his premier student stands and addresses Matthew in hushed Chinese.
"Are you certain you wish to go through with this?"
"Yes, sifu, I am."
"It will be risky, you understand. If she was to suspect your nature, her reaction could be unpleasant."
Matthew smiles slightly. "Yes, sifu, I know. But, so many things pull me in other directions - honor and duty can narrow one's choices." And so can love, even the barest stirrings of a beginning. Is that what I feel? Attraction, yes; admiration, yes; love? Perhaps the potential.
"What does our scaly friend think of all this?" asks the sifu, breaking Matthew's reverie.
"He is angry with me, and isn't speaking to me anymore. Unlike before, I can still sense his presence." Matthew sighs. "I haven't had time to really talk with him yet."
Matthew's teacher puts a sympathetic hand on his student's shoulder. "You have many things throwing you out of balance, young Matthew. Make peace with your other half and seek balance inside yourself. All will be well."
They both look up as a speeding Honda Del Sol zooms into a parking spot just outside the glass-fronted studio. Maria Chow has arrived.
The Silver Avenger is wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, with her hair up in an uncharacteristic bun. A gym bag is slung over one arm, and, as she enters the studio, she removes both sunglasses and shoes. "Hi, Matthew," she smiles, then bows slightly to the sifu. "It's an honor to be here." Looking up, she says, "Where can I change?"
Matthew winks at her. That's a different look for Maria, he thinks.
The sifu returns Maria's bow. "It is our honor that you have come," says the teacher. He continues, pointing to a set of doors along the rear wall, "There are changing rooms in the back. If there is anything you need, let us know and we shall see that you get it."
A few moments later, she emerges, quickly braiding her hair, and letting it fall to her back.
The sifu claps his hands once, and the students rush to form up along the practice floor. Matthew moves into his position and motions Maria to join him. The teacher bows once to the students, who return his bow, speaking the ritual greeting in Chinese.
"We are honored to have a guest with us this afternoon," begins the sifu, "I trust you will all accord her the same respect you give to me. Now for lessons: Mark Burton will take the beginning students. Mark, work them through the basic elemental forms. The more advanced students will divide into groups of three. Spar each other with one acting as referee."
The sifu claps his hands once more, and the students break to go about their lessons, giving the Silver Avenger more than just a cursory glance. "You told them about my fencing stories, didn't you?" Maria whispers, giving Matthew a mock accusatory look with her hands on her hips. "Hence the low turnout." She sits on the mat, to stretch her legs.
"Oh, look who's here," she says, as the door opens and closes again. Matthew has to suppress a groan as his grandfather gives him a quick wave, and seats himself along a wall. "I hope he doesn't throw himself into the middle of a spar!" Maria waves to Grandfather, who grins at her, then pointedly winks at Matthew.
Matthew rolls his eyes dramatically. "I think he hopes to see me fall flat on my face again."
"He is SO cute," she says to Matthew. "You have no idea how lucky you are. My Chinese grandfather was the most incredibly strict person I've ever seen. He made the nuns at Our Lady look like bag ladies." As she switches position, to stretch her other leg, Matthew notices a small tattoo -- the PRIMUS logo -- over her right ankle.
"I've got a lot to be thankful for in him. He's taken care of me ever since I was five." Matthew twists to stretch his back. "Except for some distant relatives in China who we haven't heard from in decades, he's the only family I have."
"I've heard about those nuns from some Catholic friends," he says, grinning and with a mock shudder. "Are they really that bad? My roommate in college used to call his fourth grade teacher 'Sister Mary Battleaxe'."
She looks up from the ungodly position she's twisted herself into and makes a face. "Oh, it's worse. I was in the loving care of nuns my entire life." She shudders, then gives a self-deprecating smile. "No wonder I went into law enforcement!"
She sighs as she stands up. "I shouldn't really say that -- my oldest sister is a nun, and now my youngest is planning on it, too. Guess it can't be all that bad."
Matthew's eyes widen somewhat at this revelation as he too finishes stretching. Two nuns and an Avenger, he thinks. Wow. Talk about commitment.
"Well, are we ready?" she smiles. "I know no one asks to spar with a Silver Avenger unless they either have a death wish or know they can kick my butt, so let's get it over with." She adopts a defense stance, and waits.
This will be amusing, Matthew hears from the Dragon, completely unbidden, and in a more…malevolent tone than he's ever heard before.
Matthew silently chastises himself for not confronting the Dragon earlier. Something has been definitely bothering the creature and Matthew has avoided dealing with it. The phenomenon of it speaking to him only recently reappeared, and it unsettles Matthew. This latest comment however is worrisome.
Matthew drops into a "cat" stance, rolling forward onto the balls of his feet in a position that facilitates quick action. He nods his "ready" to the sifu, who had remained near to supervise. The teacher nods back. "Begin."
The two move around each other, jockeying for position. Maria keeps her stance defensive, and Matthew realizes she will probably wait for him to make the opening move. So he does. Matthew smoothly glides forward, feet apart for balance, although dropping the "cat" stance. One hand comes up to a guard position while the other reaches out, deceptively fast, to test Maria's defenses. As he moves, Matthew can hear the Dragon…humming -- a low, deep rumbling -- as he moves.
The other students watch, frozen amid the motions of their own lessons or spar. They all were rooting for their fellow student, but had expected the Avenger to politely wipe the floor with him. They know that Matthew was smooth and fast, but never has he exhibited such fluidity of motion. He might actually have a chance, and this fact holds them as if spellbound.
A quick block by the Silver Avenger foils his initial attack, but Matthew hadn't really expected it to succeed. He blocks Maria's counter, again with that deceptive speed. Although he doesn't appear to be reacting quickly, somehow his hand moves in the way of the blow. He completes the circular motion, batting the attack aside and moving away at an angle. Matthew realizes that Maria's fencing training is probably something of a hindrance -- while agile and capable, she has a tendency to move predictably. Her style is a mish-mash of techniques, not of any particular discipline.
Matthew decides to take advantage of his position, and his hand suddenly clamps down on the deflected arm. Moving with Maria's motion, Matthew redirects the energy of her blow into a circle, turning it back on her, locking the joint, and shifting Maria's balance.
Matthew's foot taps at a pressure point on the leg that now bears Maria's weight. The leg suddenly moves out from under the surprised Avenger, and Matthew twists on her arm, flipping her through the air to land on her back. At the last moment, he adjusts his strength so that the full force of the blow will be stolen -- but instead of the soft landing he'd envisioned, Matthew throws her to the ground with the full force of his strength.
The look the Silver Avenger gives him is shocked, but she reacts quickly. While Matthew is caught off-guard by the sudden laughter in his head, the Silver Avenger's foot snakes out and connects with Matthew's stomach, sending him flying several feet over the mat before he rights himself in mid-air and lands on his feet. Though her attack was obviously pulled, Matthew can tell she's removed the kid gloves.
For a moment, Matthew stands still, frozen in shock by what has just happened. Then, he drops into a defensive crouch and waits on Maria. She seems surprised, badly surprised, but otherwise all right. Caught between an Dragon turned vicious and an upset Silver Avenger, Matthew finds himself in a dangerous dilemma.
Does he stop the spar - _can_ he stop the spar? What will the Dragon do, and how did he ever take control? How does he explain the incident to Maria?
The sifu, who watches the spar from the sidelines, notes the harshness of Matthew's attack on Maria, and her response. He is suddenly aware that the atmosphere between the two has turned decidedly unfriendly, and he sees that his student is upset - something he hasn't seen since Matthew's childhood.
I need her help, Matthew realizes. We've got to stop this fight before the Dragon does anything more. But how do we do that? Matthew waits for Maria to rise, taking a defensive position. He racks his brain trying to figure a way out of this situation, without throwing away every secret he holds. He shoots a quick and worried glance at his teacher.
When Maria closes, he again blocks her attack, this time, arranging the maneuver so that a following grab is not possible. He still moves quickly, but the smoothness has been stolen from his motions. Matthew is shaken enough that his fighting has been affected.
The sifu, now alarmed, moves forward and claps his hands again. "Break!" he orders. Maria and Matthew move apart as the teacher walks closer to his student. "What happened?" he asks, "This is a spar, not a fight. I do not allow fights in my classroom."
"I do not know," Matthew says in almost a whisper, "HE is moving in ways he never has before. He laughed at me." Inside his mind, the Dragon's voice becomes more deafening as he laughs. Shocked at the further excesses of his inner companion, Matthew freezes in place, and lowers his hands to his sides. He stands utterly motionless to the surprise of all who watch.
"I can not continue this," he says softly to Maria, and his voice takes on a decidedly fierce note, "I WILL NOT permit that to happen again, so I must concede."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. What is going on here? Who is this 'he?' Are you OK, Matthew? Who are you?" The Silver Avenger, who looked somewhat irritated a few minutes ago, now is all concern. "What is going on here?" she asks the sifu. Matthew's grandfather steps forward.
"I need your help, Maria," he tells the Avenger in a soft voice that carries notes of shock, confusion, pleading, and even fear. "And... I need to talk to you, privately." Matthew wears a look completely out of character for him: he wears the betrayed and confused look of a lost child.
Maria takes Matthew's arm, and leads him out of the building. "Why don't we head upstairs?" she says. "I'll make you some tea, and you can tell me what's going on." Grandfather tosses her a set of keys, which she catches. For the moment, the Dragon's voice has subsided.
Matthew begins to regain some of his composure as he follows Maria up the street to the apartment over the restaurant. The sheer brutality of the Dragon's thoughts - and actions - have hit him as a betrayal of a most vicious kind. The Dragon, his companion and ally since childhood, has inexplicably turned on Matthew and the principals he holds dear. Matthew is emotionally carried back to the deaths of his parents, when it seemed that they too had abandoned him in a quick flurry of violence. The fact that their lives had been taken by a drunk driver mattered little to the five year-old child.
Matthew drops woodenly into a seat as the Silver Avenger gets tea together in the kitchen. Grandfather sits next to Matthew and talks to him softly in Chinese. The kettle is whistling shortly, and the Silver Avenger comes in with two steaming mugs. Matthew nods to Grandfather, and the older man gets up, gives Maria a reassuring look. She softly calls, "Mr. Chu – would you mind calling the school and having our things brought up?" He nods at her and silently slips from the room as Matthew stares at the floor.
Maria sits down across from Matthew, setting his mug of tea in front of him. The look she gives him is concerned, but inquisitive. "What is going on here, Matthew?"
Matthew laughs somewhat hollowly. "I guess we found your icky monster of the day." His voice holds a bleak sort of humor. When he looks up, she sees that his eyes are no longer brown; instead, they are a brilliant green. Matthew opens his other hand revealing the colored contact lenses that he had removed.
The Silver Avenger opens her mouth, as though she was going to speak, but she closes it again, with a slight smile.
I was never really comfortable withholding this from you," he says, "I thought I would wait until we knew each other better, but that doesn't make it right. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You see, I'm Dragon Fist."
Maria throws back her head and laughs, then sighs. "And to think I thought you were the first normal guy I’d dated!" She shakes her head and looks somewhat contrite. "I’m sorry -- please continue."
"I don't know what rumors you've heard, but at least some of them are true," Matthew continues. "I can turn into a dragon - actually, I guess I'm almost part-dragon. It’s a long story..."
She nods and says under her breath, "Well, that would certainly be consistent with Kestler’s theory about the Chinatown dragon sightings."
"I've been this way since birth, and evidently it’s been in my family for thousands of years. We're an old family. My parents, particularly my father, wanted to deny my heritage, so I initially grew up with no knowledge of my abilities. Then, they were killed in an auto accident, and everything changed. I guess it was the sense of being so alone, and the yearning for a friend that made it possible. The voice of the Dragon, which had been dormant until then, began to speak to me. It was my only friend, and it was a great comfort in the months after I lost my parents. My grandfather, whom I went to live with, taught me a bit about the Dragon. I found it wasn't imaginary, but very real, and it gave me some unusual powers."
The Silver Avenger nods, and Matthew continues, "I grew up learning to use these, and eventually also learned to change into the Dragon. Over a few years, the Dragon's voice faded back into dormancy, a condition that my grandfather assured me was normal."
Maria looks up, towards the direction that Grandfather has disappeared to, her brow slightly furrowed.
Matthew adds, "A couple of weeks ago it began speaking to me again. I thought it was simply curious about my career as a hero, but the character of its remarks began to change. Today, it sounded... malevolent, and it somehow managed to take control of my body briefly."
Matthew grimaces ruefully. "That's why you hit the mat so hard - I had intended to set you down gently. I don't understand what's happening," he says. "It used to be my friend. Now it’s... attacking things." Matthew shakes his head, "I've been avoiding dealing with it, but its never done anything like this before.
"What do you mean by attacking things, Matthew? Has it tried anything other than slamming me down?"
"No, it hasn't taken any actions besides that," he answers. "But... it’s been behaving disrespectfully and acting more like a rival than an ally. I guess its more accurate to say its been subtly attacking me - or my control."
The Silver Avenger looks worried. "Do you think you will be able to retain your control in this form?"
Matthew sighs unhappily. "A week ago I would have said yes. Now…I just don't know."
She adds, "Does your grandfather, or anyone else that you know of, also have the ability to change into a dragon, by any chance? There have been sightings of a red dragon in Chinatown over the past two weeks –your dragon is green, is it not?"
"No, no one that I... yes he's green... did you say a RED Dragon?" All trace of confusion and bewilderment vanishes from Matthew as if wiped away. Now he seems quite collected, except that a jade fire burns in his eyes - eyes that now show the slitted pupils of a reptile.
The Silver Avenger smiles, and idly hums the theme to "Puff the Magic Dragon," but says nothing until Matthew’s eyes return to normal. She waits a full minute, then says, "Well, yes. There have been two sightings, though in both cases the Dragon vanished before PRIMUS teams could arrive. We have two grainy images taken by SFPD, though – maybe we can go and take a look at them in a bit, when you’re feeling a bit better?"
Grandfather comes into the room at this point, with a vile smelling bag. "I will make a tea that will help," he says. When he brings it over to Matthew, it takes all of his will to gulp the mixture down, but the pounding in his head immediately subsides. "The effects should last for about half a day," he says, "But you will be unable to call on the Dragon during the duration."
"I don't know whether to be relieved or worried," Matthew comments, looking and feeling much better. "With my luck, I'll get jumped by that other Dragon, or a band of ninja who got confused and thought they were in Japantown, or some other icky monster or freaky villain." He grins at Maria as he says this.
Matthew falls silent for a bit, then looks directly into Maria's eyes. "I don't know how you feel about me now that this has all happened. I'm truly sorry about the spar - and for not telling you about myself sooner. I'd hate for all this to drive you away, and I hope you still want to go to dinner with me this evening."
"Sure," she says. "But just remember – the two of us being together double our chances of running into that icky monster." She sniffs at the tea and makes a face.
Waiting for Maria to change clothes, Matthew has a chance to look around her apartment. Given the state of her office, he’d almost expected the same disaster area, but the spacious apartment is meticulously neat, and decorated simply – a mishmash of Asian and European styles, which work nicely together. On one wall is a picture that looks like it dates from the late eighties, of Golden Avenger Johnson, Maria, and a pretty Japanese woman – other than one other picture of a young woman that Maria had briefly identified as "Rachel, the one who’s becoming a nun," there are no other personal touches to the room.
She emerges several minutes later, wearing a short, clingy burgundy dress (though from the shots Matthew’s seen in the Chronicle society pages over the past few years, it’s bordering on conservative for the Silver Avenger.) "Hey," she says softly. "Are you sure you’re up to this? You look really beat. We could just order in, if you’d prefer."
"I feel like I've been through an emotional meatgrinder," he admits, fingering his tie. "I'd hate to disappoint you... maybe I could take a raincheck on dinner and dancing?" He grins, though he looks weary. "I can't guarantee an icky-monster-free evening, but I'll do my best to make certain _I'm_ not one."
"Why don't we make something instead or ordering. I'm not quite as good a cook as Grandfather, but I'm still fairly decent."
"Let me call for Thai food," she says. "I’ve been craving it all day, actually. I didn’t get lunch because the meetings ran long." She smiles as she walks over to the phone. "I’ll let you set the table, though."
"Its a deal." Matthew smiles back. "Where do you keep the silverware?"
This is more than a little humbling, he thinks. I didn't think something could hit me so hard. So much for all that vaunted training I supposedly mastered. Nothing to do but regroup and tackle it all. I just hope I figure this out before I lose control again.
Matthew's thoughts change track as his attention turns to watching Maria speaking into the phone. I must be making a great impression: manipulated by Grandfather, nearly hijacked by the Dragon, and revealed to be one of the "infamous" Golden Gate uardians. Add to that copping out of this evening's plans. Strange, but I find myself really wanting things to work out with Maria.
He turns to glance around the apartment, still thinking to himself. Not much here to really show who she is - nothing very personal but those pictures. For some reason I get the impression that she doesn't spend much time here. I wonder if she thinks of this place as "her apartment" instead of "her home."
Matthew is looking at the picture of Maria, the Golden Avenger, and an unknown woman when Maria finishes ordering.
"That’s Kim," she says quietly, watching Matthew look at the picture. "She was my best friend – and DJ’s fiancée." Matthew suddenly realizes who she is, beyond that – the Deputy District Attorney who was shot to death several years ago.
"You know," she says sitting on the couch and putting her feet up on the end table. "Since you revealed your big secret – I’ll share mine. I never really wanted to join PRIMUS – Kim thought it was a good idea, since she thought I’d hate being a lawyer. Which is true," she admits. "I would have hated it. So she forged my application and sent it off to PRIMUS, and since she’d convinced DJ that I’d be good at this, he called me at work one day and told me that I’d been issued a special invitation to join." She shakes her head and smiles. "And so I ended up with this job by mistake."
Matthew also sits down. "A mistake?" He chuckles a bit. "I bet San Francisco wishes for more mistakes like that one." San Francisco maybe.. what about her? Hmmm.."What about you, though," he asks more seriously, perhaps unconsciously echoing Rachel, "Are you happy with PRIMUS?" He grins self-consciously, "That sounded a bit like a psychologist didn't it? I didn't mean to come across so analytical."
She snorts. "I know what you mean," she says. "I like my job. There are problems – today we had disciplinary hearings for an agent who was a little too excited about her work, if you know what I mean, but it’s always entertaining. I think I’m getting used to it, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. There isn’t anywhere to go or to shoot for now, though – you know?" she looks at Matthew. "I never even thought I’d end up as Silver Avenger, and it’ll be three years in a few months." She looks at the picture. "I guess I just thought I’d be happier with what I’m doing. But I find myself getting bored with it."
Matthew cocks his head to the side and studies Maria briefly. While undoubtedly true, her story comes as a surprise. But, it’s not unfamiliar to him. He had similar feelings after graduating from MIT with high honors. When you hit the top, where do you go from there? Matthew had been lucky and discovered new direction in founding his own business.
"So what now, if not Silver Avenger?" he asks, but continues, "If you could walk out of here tomorrow and change jobs to anything - anything in the world - what would you do?"
She shrugs, and says honestly, "I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently, but I can’t think of anything else that would be as interesting. Part of the attraction of this job was the danger, and nothing other than very heavy weapons or a supervillain is even potentially dangerous anymore. Hitting the ground at terminal velocity wouldn’t even kill me," she adds. "I don’t know why, but that’s been bugging me." She smiles as the security buzzer rings. "DJ – the Golden Avenger – thinks I just need a vacation. He’s probably right." She buzzes the delivery person in, and a few minutes later the food arrives.
"I should have known something was up when you took up my offer to spar," says Maria. "To think I'd be up against Dragon Fist!"
The conversation has drifted onto more "safe" topics now that the food has arrived.
Matthew grins mischievously. "Well.. You did offer..."
The phone rings, interrupting him. "Excuse me a minute," says Maria. She gets up and grabs for the phone in the kitchen. "And it was your grandfather’s idea, not mine," she mouths.
"Hello? Uh huh. Yes. OK, I'll be right there." The more relaxed demeanor she's been wearing vanishes, and suddenly she seems to be all Silver Avenger. She hangs up the phone, and looks briefly and wistfully at the half eaten dinner on the table. Then, she moves towards the bedroom.
"Sorry, but we'll have to cut this short. Something's going on in Berkeley, and they need me there." Suddenly she stops and turns towards Matthew. "Don't even think it," she tells him, "Especially with what happened earlier today." Matthew gives her a "who me?" look, and she disappears into the other room, already kicking off her shoes.
Shortly, she returns dressed in the blue uniform, the black leather jacked under her arm. She smiles apologetically at Matthew as the two head for their respective cars. "We didn't have much luck today, did we? Maybe we should try something more simple next time."
"I'd like that," replies Matthew, and then more softly, "Take care of yourself, Maria." She gives him a devil-may-care grin, climbs into her car, and is gone in a squeal of rubber on asphalt.
Matthew walks into the martial arts studio later that evening. The place is empty, for all the students have gone home, however, the sifu sits meditating in the center of the sparring mat.
"Come," he says to Matthew. "Sit." The older man's eyes open and he gestures to a spot in front of him. Dutifully, Matthew walks over and sits down. "I knew you would be back," says the sifu. "You were never one to run from a problem for long."
Matthew nods. "I'm worried, sifu," he says. "This has never happened before this.... rebellion? What can I do?"
The techer thinks about this for some time. Matthew waits in silence until the older man is ready to respond.
"Tomorrow," says the teacher, "I will begin to instruct you in meditative techniques. these may help you find your inner balance once again." The older man looks like he is about to add something else, but he continues on a different track, "Ultimately, you must work this out with the Dragon. Remember, he is as much a person as you, and deserved to be treated so."
"What about the other students? What do I tell them?" Matthew asks.
"That is a question you must answer for yourself, Matthew."
Matthew thanks his teacher and is dismissed. While not easy answers, they give him a place to begin. He slips his shoes back on, leaves the studio, and is promptly accosted by Mark Burton.
"I thought I'd catch you coming home," his friend says, "But luckily this place was also in eyeshot of where I parked." Matthew stops to stare at his friend. "This is the time when you tell me what went on back there," Mark prompts.
Matthew sighs. "Come on up to the apartment and I'll get us a couple of beers - its a long story." I can't... won't lie to Mark, he thinks, And I'm sick of deceiving everyone I care about too. If Cassie and Maria know about me, well Mark should too.
Matthew's grandfather is not in. He left a note for Matthew saying he was out shopping for some herbs. Probably for that 'wonderful' tea, thinks Matthew with a suppressed shudder. Matthew and Mark crash on the couch with bottles of Sam Adams.
"It's somewhat complex..." Matthew starts.
"Well," comments Mark, "If it has anything to do with you being Dragon Fist, it’s bound to be."
Matthew's mouth neatly drops open as Mark calmly pronounces this and takes a sip from his beer. This had been a night of surprises, and this latest one was just the latest.
"I've suspected for a while," continues Mark, "but I wasn't certain until that night at the museum. After that, well, I gathered some more evidence to prove it to my satisfaction. That reverse disguise thing works well, by the way, but not for anyone who spars with you regularly. A wig can't disguise your fighting style."
"Who else knows?" Matthew's voice is a bit strained.
"Oh, no one," replies Mark. "And don't worry about the other students. I'll cover for you. Of course, I'll have to make the story embarrassing so as to explain why you won't talk about it."
"Of course," Matthew says wryly, "Just stick close to the truth."
Mark grins. "Which I believe you were about to explain..."
Matthew speaks for some time, relating the disturbing incidents of the past few weeks. Mark nods his understanding all the way through.
"Sounds like you have some talking to do with the big green guy," he says. "Tell you what, you handle him, and I'll handle the other students." Matthew can already see the gears turning in his friend's head. This is going to rival that dog incident, he thinks. Wonderful.
"My help comes at a price, however," Mark announces. Matthew raises an eyebrow and gestures for his friend to continue. "With all these VIPER mechs, red dragons, and other things liable to pop up around you, its going to get to be a dangerous neighborhood. I want you to start teaching me those advanced techniques the sifu won't teach to the rest of us. If I'm going to be around to help, I want to be able to handle myself."
Matthew stares at his friend for a moment. Mark looks dead serious, but then breaks the mood with a characteristic jibe. "After all, even Batman had Robin. Just don't even think about calling me 'Boy' or 'Lad' anything."
Matthew nods slowly. "All right," he reluctantly agrees, "We'll begin tomorrow. However, there are some rules..."
"First, you don't start leaping into things until I say you are ready. You've got a lot to catch up on before then, and it'll be hard work."
"Second, you practice. Constantly. There's no other way to do this but that.
"Third, and most important... Not all knights wear shiny armor, Mark, but we all follow a code. Mine - Ours - is thousands of years old...."