Bat's in the Belfry Webcomic

Akuma: Tales of the Fox-Demon #36
"Into the Jade Dragon"
by Heather Alexander

John and Jerome had shown Roy the basics of being a stagehand all that day. Roy was a bright boy and seemed to be very excited about the job. Jerome even tested the boy's skills at knife-throwing and to John and Jerome’s surprise the boy was indeed on his way to being a great knife-thrower. He matched almost all of the large, black man’s throws, only missing a few times. John was very pleased, it took great skill to do stage performances like this, he couldn’t wait to teach the boy some of the more subtle skills.

It took the rest of the day for the magician to work out the kinks in his new cabinet act. Roy was watching the rehearsals intently as he had been put to work helping the other stage hands to set up the props for the next performance. The boy dreamt about it being himself picking the locks, and loosing himself from the shackles.

Jerome later drove John and the boy home in time to meet Yumiko for dinner. Jerome’s mother, the magician’s house keeper Louise, had set the table for dinner and made just as much fuss over the boy as Yumi was. After dinner Yumi showed Roy all the new clothes she had bought him, she even surprised him with an Erector Set. The boy’s eyes went wide when he saw the elaborate toy. He had only seen them in department store windows. No one had bought him a toy since his parents died when he was eight. He had run out on his drunken aunt and joined a passing carnival, leaving what few toys she hadn’t broken behind. Roy burst into tears and buried his face in Yumiko’s shoulder, thanking her profusely. Yumiko smiled down at the boy.

John stood at the door watching with a smile of his own. The kitsune could feel a weight lifting from the boy and prayed that the boy would be happy living in his house. Jenochi could hardly bring himself to break up the touching scene, but the dark would be on them soon and it was almost time to set about on the night's escapade.

Louise had come up the stairs to stand behind John. He knew she was there, but for her sake pretended to be caught off guard.

“Ohh dear, Louise,” he smiled pretending to be surprised, “Yumiko and I will be going out to meet Jack and another friend at the Blue Swan. Roy will need to be in bed by a decent hour after he gets to play a bit. We have a big day to morrow. We have to prepare for the show that night.”

Roy made to protest the bedtime at first, then became distracted by the mention of the show.

“Will I get to help?” He asked forgetting about the bedtime.

“Yes! It’s essential to your training, you will be shadowing one of the men. I will have to ask that you not give Louise any trouble and do as she says, when she asks you to go to bed make sure you do. I can’t have you sleeping on the job.” John ruffled the boy's hair smiling, and gave him a wink.

Roy grinned. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.” The boy said brimming with confidence. He then turned and went to tear into the box for the Erector Set.

John smiled as he took Yumi’s hand and led her from the room. “ Now, let’s go find Jerome and discuss our plans for this evening.” John led the way down the stairs to the den where they found Jerome listening to the radio and cleaning his guns. The news commentator was telling the events of they day: Italy had invaded Albania, Marian Anderson sang at the Lincoln Memorial, and Hungary is threatening to leave the League of Nations.

“It’s never good news is it?” Yumiko said as she shut and locked the doors to the den. She and John took seats across the coffee table from the large black man.

“Nope, and if it was we wouldn’t be out doing what we do.” Jerome smiled wryly as he finished off the last gun. “I just wonder when they are gonna do something about that Hitler guy. That guy bothers me.”

“Me as well, you would think something would have been done by now.” John said, “ So on to business. I think I have come up with a better plan for tonight.”

“Oh really, do tell.” The large black bodyguard said with raised eyebrows.

“I think you will like this,” John said with a very amused smile on his lips.

“Ohhh no, I know what this means.” Jerome said rolling his eyes with a laugh, “You have some hair brained idea don’t you? Will this shame my momma if she ever finds out?”

“No,” John said the smile widening, “but I decided that I shouldn’t have all the fun being on the inside. I want you to be the distraction while I snoop around the place.”

“Me? What is it that you have in mind?” Jerome looked at the kitsune, doubtful.

“It’s simple you are going to go in and get a massage.” John said getting up to pour himself a drink, asking the others if they would like one.

“A massage? That’s it?” The black man said taking the tumbler from the magician. John sat down as he handed another to Yumi.

“That’s right, simple enough, yes? While you are doing that you can do what ever you want to cause the disruption. Fake a Charlie Horse, pretend they hit a funny spot, be creative.” John said while tipping his drink up.

“All the while the two of you are inside, Dr. Twilight and I will be outside ready to cover you if things get out of hand.” Yumiko said taking a sip of her drink.

Jerome heaved a sigh, “We are going to get shot at again, aren’t we?” He said downing the rest of the brandy.

“Most likely, but then again that is practically every night.” John said with a wink as he finished his drink.

***

Later at the Jade Dragon….

The trio had met up with Dr. Twilight at a dive called Salty Sal’s, near the water front. As usual Dr. Twilight smelled of cigarettes, with a slight hint of beer. He and Yumi took their positions on the roof across the street from the building. Yumi kept a bolt knocked in her crossbow as they waited for the operation to start.

Akuma had taken his place in the alleyway of the building in his smallest fox form. It was the easiest way for him to avoid being seen. The pads of his small feet made no sound as he waited to hear the ruckus that Jerome was going to cause.

The bell of the front door tinkled as it opened and shut behind the tall black man who entered. He was dressed as a dockworker and seemed to be rather taken with the lavish interior of the Jade Dragon. He eyed some of the pretty ladies sitting in a parlor and gave one a wink. She giggled and whispered to her friend who sat fanning herself opposite her.

An older Chinese lady stepped forward from another room and greeted him, “ Good evening sir, what can we do for you this evening?” Her accent spoke of exotic places far east of here.

“Well ma’am I was jus wonder’n if you could help me get this kink out uh ma shoulder.” He winced as he painfully rotated his arm at the shoulder. “See I was lift’n some boxes and I think I got some’thin out uh place.”

“Well sir you have come to the right place. Our, well trained, ladies all know just how to handle such things. It seems that you have caught the eye of, Xi se, she is one of our best. I will have her show you to one of our rooms. Would you like a drink from the bar? We offer a number of healthful teas, tonics, or spirits.”

“I’ll have a scotch with ice, please.” Jerome said as Xi se took his arm and began to lead him to a room. Jerome kept thinking in the back of his mind, ma is gonna kill me.

“I am Sha nóng. I am the hostess and if you require anything please, feel free to call on me. I will have your drink brought to you.” Sha nóng bowed in typical Asian fashion.

Out behind the building a small red fox with a mystical third eye listened to the goings on in the building. Everyone seemed to be milling about their business, he could hear giggling coming from inside and soft music from a gramophone. No sound of the diversion yet. He could also hear what sounded like muffled crying, but was not sure. Akuma couldn’t decide whether to risk fazing through the wall or not. He had been practicing and was sure he almost had the hang of it, but still felt uncomfortable with it. What if he got stuck? It had happened before while he was training, and it was not the most special feeling. It was almost as bad as getting worked over by Oni. Ohh well, no time to worry about it. The kitsune snapped his attention back to listening for the distraction, he wanted to be ready when it came.

Xi se told Jerome where he could put his clothes and instructed him to wrap himself in a towel. She then left the room to go get her tray of massage oils and acupuncture needles ready. He noticed the towels that had been left for him, and blushed at the notion that it would be all that was between him and the world. He then thought, how in the world does that fox do this at that fancy place he goes to? Jerome began to take things off and neatly fold them laying them on the chair. He then girded the towel around himself praying that it would stay firmly around him, he was glad the room was warm. He then sat on the odd looking table and waited.

Soon the girl was back with a wheeled trolley that had several strange implements on it and she handed him his drink. He took it thanking her.

“Please, lay down this way,” Xi se said as she motioned him to flatten himself on the table.

Jerome tossed back the drink quickly. He thought he needed it for what was about to happen. He almost felt guilty, the girl seemed so nice. He did as she commanded. He watched her dip her hands in a bowl of sweet smelling oil, and then he felt her hands on his back. It was very ticklish at first and he twitched with the first few movements of her hands on him. She continued to kneed out the tension in his muscles, and he almost forgot what he was there for. That is until she brought out a small lacquered box and took off the lid. Jerome recognized them quickly, acupuncture needles. This was just the sort of thing he was waiting for.

“Say what are them for?” he asked as Xi se too one from the box.

“This will help your shoulder. I will show you.” She said reaching for him.

“Ohh no you don’t.” He jumped down across the table from her as she reached for him.

“B-but sir this help you.” She said as she made to come round the massage table after him. Jerome let out a wide-eyed yelp, and kept the table between them as she circled it after him. “I won’t hurt you! Come back!” She yelled at Jerome’s back as he got to the door of the room and bolted down the hallway yelling.

“Ahhhhhh Lawdy! Don’t hurt meh!” Jerome turned into the bar area of the spa with Xi se running down the hall after him.

Akuma heard the ruckus from inside and began to concentrate. He became intangible and passed trough the wall of the building and into the office. Sha nóng had left the room closing the door to see what all the fuss was. Akuma chuckled to himself silently as he transformed and took out a note pad and pencil. He started flipping through the file cabinet for anything he could find taking notes as quickly as he could using the eye to help him spot clues. He kept his ears alert listening for footsteps coming his way. The fox demon began to search the desk drawers finding even more information. He quickly jotted down even more notes, but something caught his ears. His ears turned to the direction of the noise, it was the click of a hammer being cocked. The third eye went quickly to the door and saw the shadow of a man with a gun. Akuma quickly tucked the note book and pencil in his sash transformed to his smallest form and made to dart through the wall between the filing cabinet and a small pigeon hole mail sorter. The kitsune was well through the wall then something snagged him. It was his hind legs! He was in such a rush he did not properly concentrate and was stuck. He could hear the door of the room opening. The fox closed his eyes and did his best to focus, he could feel himself tugging free and with a jolt he went rolling head over heels into the next room.

On the rooftop, Yumiko and Dr. Twilight could hear crashing coming from inside the building. It was the sound of a table being turned over.

“Sounds like the fun has started.” Dr. Twilight said, as Yumiko put the binoculars to her eyes.

“Yes it looks like it’s going quite we….” Yumiko let out an amused giggle. She had spotted Jerome in nothing but a towel through some curtains. “Oh my I think we need to get the car ready!” She handed the binoculars to Dr. Twilight who cracked a wide grin.

“Yeah looks like it. Let’s get off this perch,” He said handing the device back to the lovely girl who was still blushing.

“Do all of Akuma’s plans work like this?” Yumiko asked as they climbed down the fire escape.

“Not sure, but ain’t it a hoot!” the goggled man said as he slipped behind the wheel of the car.

Jerome flipped over a table and got behind it with is back against the wall arm splayed, and eyes wide.

“Ahhhh ahhh ahhhhh!!!!! Don’t you come near me!” The large black man said as he cringed in terror against the wall. Sha nóng came running in to the room to find Xi se trying to calm the man. The hostess exchanged some quick words in Chinese with the young woman, and then turned to the terrified man.

“Sir I don’t believe you understand some of our treatments. The needles are nothing harmful, it is simply acupuncture. The needles will help relieve the pain in your shoulder. It is a very old Chinese secret.” Sha nóng explained, trying to soothe the big man. Jerome didn’t reply he stood clinging to the wall breathing heavily. Sha nóng gave some orders to the girl and she left the room. “Sir I am sorry that all this has upset you. I have sent Xi se to retrieve your garments. I think it would be best if you went for a walk.”

The girl soon returned and tried to hand Jerome his clothes, he made no attempt to take them from her. With a sad look the girl lay the clothing on a chair beside him. He snatched his pants up and put them on under cover of the table. Then he put on his shoes. Two large men, who were no were to be seen before, were standing beside the doorway waiting for him to finish dressing.

Akuma sat on the floor and shook his head to clear it. The tumble had turned his world upside down for the moment. The room swam into view and the fox saw three young women bound hand and foot gagged, in the stark emptiness. They were crying silently huddled together for comfort and hadn’t noticed him yet. The fox transformed to a kitsune and moved silently across the floor to them. The girls started with terror upon seeing him.

“Shhh,” he whispered, “ I am Akuma the Devil, I can get you out of here, but you need to be quiet.” The kistune pulled a knife from his sash and began to cut the young women lose. He then opened the window and looked down the alley both ways. No one was in sight. One by one he helped to lower the young women to the street below, then he jumped down himself. He instructed them to follow him and led them to the rendezvous point.

Jerome had barely gotten his other shoe on before the goon squad had grabbed him up by his arms and was dragging him out. They tossed him out on to the sidewalk so roughly he dropped the shirt and coat he was holding. He then felt a winding blow to his stomach, and was shoved roughly to the street. Several racial slurs were made as the thugs left him doubled over kneeling on the sidewalk. Jerome got up grabbing up what he had dropped and ran down the street a ways. A large black car pulled up and he dove in to the back seat when the door swung open for him.

As Akuma directed the girls down the street telling them which way to turn, something behind them had changed. He hurried the girls on as he heard on coming footsteps. Again the familiar click of a gun jerked at his fox like ears. He turned and pulled his swords. The bullets sang out as the men pulled the triggers. Bullets struck the walls of the narrow alleyway. Blades flashed and bullets went zipping back at their owners down the alleyway. Two of the returned shots struck home and cries of pain could be heard as Akuma turned and ran down the alleyway after the girls, who squealed in terror from the gun shots. A black car pulled up at the end of the alleyway and the back door of the car swung wide. Akuma shoved the girls into the back seat of the car and then dove in after them changing into his smallest form landing in their laps, as the door shut. The tires of the car peeled rubber, as it took off at a killing speed leaving the alleyway far behind. Akuma jumped in to the front seat between Dr. Twilight and Yumiko, transforming into his more human form, and told Dr. Twilight to drive to the temple.

“Where did they come from?” Yumiko asked as she looked at the girls in the back seat with Jerome.

“They were tied up in a room inside the Jade Dragon.” Akuma said as he began the introductions around the car. The kitsune shook his head he felt a bit sleepy all of a sudden. Yumiko noticed his dizzied look and touched his arm closest to her.

“Are you alright?” She asked then she noticed the sticky feeling on her hand. “You’re bleeding!” She gasped. “Dr. Twilight may I have your tie?”

“Sure thing.” The goggled man said as he pulled it off and handed it to her, while keeping track of the road. She took it and looked at the fox demon's arm. There was a seared gash bleeding profusely on the upholstery of the car. She wrapped the tie tightly to stop the bleeding. “Between you and Black Angel the monks will have their hands full trying to heal you.”

“I take it you are a bit worse for wear too, eh?” The kitsune asked beginning to feeling a bit like he needed to barrow Yumiko’s shoulder. Jerome smiled.

“I’m a bit beaten up, but I’m fine. Hey hey don’t do that! Come one you can’t close your eyes right now.” Jerome grabbed one of the fox’s ears and pinched pulling him up right in the seat. “If you go to sleep you may not wake up for a while.”

“Yes this is true darling, try to keep your eyes open.” Yumiko laid a soft kiss on his mask. The kitsune felt a warmth rise in him he hadn’t felt since Paris one hundred years ago. He stiffened in the seat beside her and slumped no more till they reached the temple.

The girls were spirited inside and away from prying eyes quickly. Dr. Twilight helped Yumiko get Akuma out of the car. His knees were wobbly from the blood loss. Once inside the monks were able to get Jerome and Akuma patched up.

“Not a bad night’s work.” Akuma said on their way home. “The plan worked great. I got a lot of good leads. I may go back tomorrow night and see what I can lift from their minds.”

“Yes and we got those girls away from the slave traders.” Jerome added as they drove into the night.

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