Chapter 15
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 15
After Missy's mother finally came to collect an exhausted Missy, Michelle asks, "Why do I have two paint brushes in my ring? And how are they in my ring?"
Dakala smiles and looks at the Empress, "You were the one that sorted out the rings. I have no idea."
The Empress nods, "When a new student joins a sect they are traditionally given some cultivation resources, a cultivation art, and a Dao to follow. I don't have any cultivation resources that are suitable for mortals, so I instead gave you a weapon that is also a tool. There is also an initiates level guide to formations, a martial art for your weapon, and a Dao. The ring is a self contained pocket dimension that can only be accessed with qi. Don't put anything living in there, as there's no air. We shall also be opening a bank account on Thursday, so it would probably be best if Dakala delays her demonstration until fifth bell after noon."
Michelle nods, "I'll let people know if they pop in early."
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Missy drags herself through the door to the Wards common room. As the door closes behind her, Aegis looks up from the console, "Hey Missy, you ok?"
Missy yawns as grabs a coke from the fridge, "Yeah, I… Sorry what did you ask?"
"You look like shit, are you ok?"
Missy nods as she chugs the can, "Yes."
"What happened to you then?"
Missy reaches out and drops the can in a bin while the caffeine does its job, "I got what I asked for and more. I feel like I've just done an afternoon with Sgt Jones."
Aegis' eyes widen behind his mask, "What were you doing?"
Missy groans, "Learning how to make tea at the other end of Main Street."
"Really? I've seen the video of her preparing the leaves."
Missy nods, as she collapses on the couch and drags her homework out of her bag, "The videos don't do it justice. But it's…"
Aegis waits for a few moments before grabbing a blanket and walks over to lay it over his teammate. She's still got an hour before her console shift.
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Dakala and the Empress are sitting in the bank managers office as he goes through the process of opening a bank account for them. Something that has been slowed down somewhat by the Empress' inability to read, and even more by his constant glances at the pile of 20 palm sized gold coins sitting on the end of his desk. The stack of $100 bills doesn't even warrant a glance in comparison.
"…the bank can offer two methods to store your gold. The first is a safety deposit box which will cost a small amount a year depending on the size of the box. The second is as Gold Certificates, which state that you own a certain weight of gold and can then be…"
The bank manager trails off as a large man in black biker leathers, wearing a black motorcycle helmet with a white skull painted on the front, opens the door.
Darkness billows into the room and spreads around an invisible dome. From her seat the Empress says, "If you steal any of my money or gold, I will find you and the rest of the undersiders. I will then retrieve my property before punishing you according to the Laws of Heaven. If you survive I will leave you with the local law enforcement. I would also rather not have opening a bank account delayed, as the next English literacy class starts on Monday."
To Dalaka, the man sounds muffled as he shouts, "Tattletale, we have a problem!"
Almost conversationally, the Empress says to Dakala, "I think I pity parahumans. They have been granted power without understanding. If Grue had even a teaspoon of comprehension in the Dao of Darkness, he would have ignored the flimsy barrier I erected. And Tattletale has insight with no comprehension of what that actually means. Isn't that right Tattletale?"
Dakala turns around again to see a young woman in a form fitting purple and black bodysuit take a step back before steadying herself. "They're harmless, they can't do anything as long as we don't attack them. Reginald, give me your keys and you won't be harmed."
Grue says, "Tattletale, you really need to let the rest of us in on these things."
At the same time the Empress speaks in the language of Heaven, "The Mandate of Heaven only applies to immortals, and there is only one immortal on this planet. I will also remind you of the proclamations of Song and Instruction."
Dakala blinks at the Empress for a second before standing up and withdrawing her fans as her face drops into an expressionless mask. At the same time Tattletale looks poleaxed for a second before shouting, "Grue, we have a problem."
Grue raises his hand to block an incoming an incoming strike as he sends out a rabbit punch in return the blow catching Dakala on the shoulder as she tries to duck out the way as darkness floods the room and corridor again.
As it does, Dakala stumbles slightly as she's left not only blinded, but also deafened too. As someone grabs her wrist, she belatedly starts to cycle qi, and jabs her other fan towards the life that she can feel. As the hand pulls back she almost stumbles as she imagines she can feel her soul expanding as she realizes that she can feel Grue.
As her now leading fan tracks Grue's position, she carefully steps forward as he takes a boxing stance. The two of them stand like that for a few seconds before Grue dances to the left and she adjusts herself to follow his movements.
As she does, her hand bumps into the door frame, and Grue dances with a lightning fast punch to her right shoulder. Dropping down she brings the edge of her fan up block as she steps carefully to the right. As she gets further away from the fountain of life that is the Empress, she absently notes that she can feel other lives moving around her.
After fighting for several minutes, she can tell that Grue is starting to slow down, as he becomes more cautious, and her fans slowly turn from being an equaliser against his clearly superior experience and reach to being able to offset her inability to see her surroundings.
As she's about to put weight on her leading leg in order to step around a punch and bring the blunt edge of her fan down on Grue's wrist it collapses, and she goes stumbling into a wall. In return, Grue strikes out with a couple of quick punches to her side and she starts to use some of her qi reserves to reinforce her body against the impacts and strengthen her limbs.
While it puts a limit on how much longer the fight can last, it does mean she's able to feel when something tries to affect her limbs and counter it with her meager understanding of life and qi.
A few seconds later, she feels someone walking up to the fight and stop outside striking distance. A moment later Grue takes up all her concentration as he starts a blistering attack against her. Half way through the attack something jabs her in the back and the person behind her has their arm outstretched.
Having learned her lesson against the thugs, Dakala immediately responds to the escalation of force. In a move that she's only practiced a few times at the pagoda, she drops her fans at the same time she pulls qi from her reserves to move faster. Pulling her spear from the ring, she immediately jabs backwards with the butt at the person that attacked her from behind. As they start to double over she turns to face them and swipes the butt against the side of their head with maybe too much force as they fall to the floor and don't move.
As Grue steps forward she turns back to face him and levels the sharp end of the spear towards his chest. Slowly he raises his hands to either side of his head.
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After her encounter on Monday, Kayden spent far too much time debating whether to go back to the tea class on Thursday while she studied the Mandate of Heaven between clients.
When she got the text message from Michelle last night to let her know that the lesson was going to start at five rather than four she thought she felt relief at the fact and resolved to get her banking and shopping done early. Then she could either face Dakala or go home.
As she sat against the counter between Panacea and a black woman whose stroller was parked next to Asters on the other side of the bank while Villains robbed it to the sound of a fight in a corridor. She wondered why she wasn't more bothered by it.
As the whole world seems to slow down as she reaches for her power as the large plate window shatters as it comes down towards her baby, she knows that she's not going to be in time to save Aster.
As she floats off the ground surrounded by light Glory Girl follows the glass through the window as it lands on the floor with a loud crash at the same time she , Kayden feels her heart breaking in two and she starts building a massive blast on her hands in order to kill Aster's murderer.
"Kayden!" The Empress's voices hits Kayden like a whip crack.
Kayden snarls as she looks towards the voice as the Empress continues, "I can't interfere, but that doesn't mean I can't choose where I observe from."
Kayden stares stupidly as the cries of two babies rise above the sound of the shocked screams of the other hostages. On the other side of the bank Foyer Tattletale calls out, "Grue, I need an exit!"
At the same time Glory Girl stands up and turns towards Panacea as she backhands a marble and oak table, sending rubble and splinters across the room behind her, scattering off the floor and the Empress as she steps around the strollers. "Hey sis, you ok?"
As the room floods with fear and awe, Kayden slowly turns towards Glory Girl and carefully enunciates, "Glory Girl, you nearly murdered my baby. I am giving you one chance to surrender before I take you down."
To emphasize her point she fires a weak blast between Tattletale and Glory Girl, where it splashes harmlessly off a wall.
With a shaking hand, Panacea points towards the Empress and the two strollers that are surrounded by glass and marble. "Vicki, you should do as she said."
Glory Girl sneers as she turns to look at where Panacea is pointing, "Why should I listen to Empire scum. She was pro…" the blood drains from her face as she registers the strollers and crying babies.
Tattletale takes the opportunity to leg it down the corridor, only to stumble to a halt when she sees Dakala holding the pointy end of a spear in her direction.
Kayden watches with grim satisfaction as Glory Girl raises her hands at the same time Grue and Tattletale both walk backwards out of the corridor with Dakala walking towards them.
Suddenly, Tattletale shouts, "Bitch, don't!"
Almost at the same time, a woman's voice calls out, "Angelica, kill."
Kayden starts to fly up to get an angle on whatever's coming as a slavering monster barrels down the corridor and leaps at a turning Dakala. An instant later there is an explosion of blood and Tattletale doubles over as she vomits.
A few seconds later the Empress walks back into view carrying a head with a cheap paper dog mask on it. As she reaches Dakala she pauses, "Well done with holding your own there. We'll work on improving your qi sense."
Kayden watches as Dakala swallows hard before bowing and saying, "Thank you for saving my life."
The Empress smiles, "You are my personal student, of course I'd save your life. I believe at this point someone should call the local militia to take the criminals in hand."
As Glory Girl whispers, "I didn't even see her move." Kayden collapses to the floor in hysterical laughter as she releases her power. A minute later the black woman places Aster in her arms and she starts to cry.
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Half an hour later, after the police and PRT have swarmed the bank, Kayden is sitting on a fold out chair with a mylar blanket draped around her shoulders as she feeds Aster while she waits to be interviewed.
Dakala walks over with a chair and sits beside her, "Hey Kayden, how are you doing?"
Numbly, Kayden says, "The paramedics say I'm in shock. You?"
"It's not as bad as when I had to defend myself against some bikers. Cycling qi helps."
Kayden nods, "Maybe once Aster's finished feeding. Where's the Empress?"
Dakala points at a PRT mobile command truck, "They're trying to arrest her."
Kayden chuckles, "Good luck with that."
Dakala takes a jade slip, with Kayden's name on it, and the sect seal from her ring, "Right. I was originally going to offer this during the tea ceremony. But I guess that's not happening today. Anyway, you've come a long way over the last few weeks, and we made the White Moon Sect official on Monday. I'd like to offer you membership. It is a righteous and orthodox sect, so we expect you to continue to grow and do better as a person. This is also a purely cultivator thing, not a parahuman thing, so we're not going to be doing the whole heroes and villains thing. That doesn't mean you can't, just that if you do it's not as a member of the White Moon Sect. At the same time, we're not going to expect our members to turn a blind eye to problems in the city." She gestures towards the bank, "I'd have to turn in my own membership if that was the case."
Kayden looks down at Aster as she says, "Aster would be dead if it wasn't for the Empress. I wonder if she was thinking of her own daughter when she stood in front of the window."
Dakala shrugs, "I don't know. I know I've caught her crying at some of the things she can see happening in the city. Then she'll tell me a story of some sect or other that she destroyed, and what they were doing."
The two of them look up as dark clouds begin to gather over the city. As Dakala shivers, Kayden says, "I'd like to join your sect."
Dakala nods and tears her eyes away from the clouds, "You'll need to hold this and push some qi into it. Then I'll touch it with the sect seal and it will make a jade coin. That's proof of your membership, and will allow you safe access to the Pagoda. We're working on the library that you'll be able to access."
Kayden takes the jade slip, "How do I push qi into it?"
Dakala shrugs, "How do you move your arm? You just do. Your reserves are empty at the moment, so you'll need to cycle to fill them first."
As Kayden's trying to push qi into the jade slip, lightning starts to fall mainly over the Docks, but a few fall in East Downtown.
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The Empress sits mildly in a small cubical office in the back of a truck as a Sgt Roberts tries to loom over her.
"So, let me get this straight. After you stood in front of glass and marble shrapnel unscathed. You then proceeded to kill a monstrous hound and beheaded the master controlling it."
The Empress nods, "That is what I said."
"I don't get it. Why do that and not just capture the whole group?"
The Empress cocks her head, "The mandate of heaven forbids me from interfering unless the life of my personal student is in danger. Bitch gave her dog the command to kill, and my student isn't yet at the level where she could survive that after a prolonged fight. That freed me from the constraints of the Mandate."
"Right, that's it. I don't care anymore. Nobody is above the law, Stellar Empress you are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of the villain known as Bitch by the use of Excessive Force. You have the right to remain silent…"
The Empress starts chuckling, "Thank you Sargent Roberts. You have just brought the city of Brockton Bay under the Mandate of Heaven. Are you sure you want to arrest me?"
"Damn right I do. The courts may decide that you were only acting in urk!"
Sgt Roberts cuts off and shudders as a red jade coin appears on his forehead and begins to glow brightly. After a few minutes, the coin falls away and Sgt Roberts collapses to the floor.
After clarity comes back to his eyes, the Empress looks around the table at him, "Sgt Roberts. I ask again, are you sure you want to arrest me? I hope you say yes as there are a number of individuals I wish to personally visit in Brockton Bay, and I believe I can make my opinions of them known before the sun rises tomorrow."
Sgt Roberts shakes his head and croaks, "No, I think you should be arrested. But not by me, I'm not going to release a monster on the city."
The Empress stands up and walks around the interview desk before crouching down beside the Sgt, "Richard, you are one of the few good cops in this city. You should learn to cultivate and challenge the heavens before other people get there first. You know the restrictions I've volunteered to live by. If you choose to cultivate I have a jade slip with the Dao of Justice on it. It's a borderline unorthodox Dao and cultivation manual, but in the right hands it's a righteous Dao. Don't lose that coin, it's your only warning and it will vibrate in the presence of those that have descended from a higher realm. Can I leave now?"
Sgt Roberts waves his hand, "I'm not stopping you."
