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***
-Control the flow, don't let it slacken.-I know, it just hurts.
-That's the way it should be. Let the dragon's Qi wash away all the filth you've brought into your temple.....
-Oh, God, please stop.
Raising an eyebrow questioningly, Rand gave me a displeased look.
-These abstruse phrases, comparisons, and high-minded speeches. You used to make jokes, but when you say it with a serious face, it's worse. If there's a cat between us, just shut up and don't shower me with these words.
-Oh, Sean.
-Oh, fuck. You remembered my name!
-Get into meditation.
Before I could respond, Danny moved in close to me and slammed his open palm right into my chest. The sensations were mixed, from fear and terror to elation as I left my own body and flew around like fucking Casper.
-Here?! How are you?! Master?
-Wait, wait," Rand left his body on his own and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. His image kept blinking and pulling back to his body, especially his hands, which were full of light and looked more like two light bulbs. I'm always up for punching people in the face, but all these spiritual stories... No way.
-How long have you been doing that?
-How long have you been doing this? -Now I've been kicking other people's but it's a little hard to leave my own. I didn't really need this skill before," Danny sat down on the ground tiredly, showing his glowing hands full of Qi, "I'm too attached to my body, so we don't have much time. About forty seconds, I think.
-And you didn't say anything?
-Why? Should I have shouted it on every corner? As soon as I got out of the body, I talked to you," Rand mirrored my wry smile with an understanding grin as he poked his fingers into the corners of the hangar, "This place is bugged. Every conversation we have is probably on tape, so don't be surprised.
-Couldn't you have signalled or something?
-Well, I just figured you'd be smarter than that. -Yeah.
Danny threw his arms out to the sides, almost getting sucked back into his body, but Iron Fist managed to keep himself in that otherworldly state.
-How long will this last?
-Till the observation period passes," Rand grumbled and looked away, but I couldn't make out what it was, "your job is to just act like you normally do. The weird German doctor is easily leading the Feds around by the nose, buying us time so I can finish.
-And then what?
-Well, you'll be on the books, and in case of global problems, when there's no one else in sight, they'll probably bring you in. -What then?
-It's kind of a shame.
-Be happy and stay out of trouble. Don't believe anything your guards tell you. They can lie, embellish, make up stories out of thin air just to get you in their net.
Overpowering the call of my own body, Danny's spirit moved closer, putting his hands on my shoulders.
-Don't believe a word of it. There are lies hidden behind lies everywhere. You might think they're being sincere with you. Sincere with you, or hate you, or give you a barb, but it's a lie. They don't care about you. You're a lucky asset. And by playing good cop/bad cop, they want to recruit you to get into this shit for themselves. It won't be long before they let you out of that golden cage. Just don't get yourself in trouble and you'll be fine," Rand's arm went around the university and he rolled a couple more centimetres across the floor, pulling himself into his body, "or are you so excited by the idea of being a national hero?
-No. It's one thing to help bobbies do their jobs and another to be a doormat for the U.S.," my answer was immediate, "and I'd get shit-faced at home for that. The feds, for all their skills, have a bad habit of coming home in suits and expensive cars. I doubt my neighbours won't know who that is. I just thought I'd be more appreciated, so to speak.
The "gild the hand" gesture came out all by itself, eliciting a smirk.
-You've been watching too many Hollywood films, Shawn," Rand suppressed a heavy sigh as he looked around our new dojo, "despite your abilities and millions of dollars worth of equipment damage, you're still a teenager. You don't even have an education, just a high school degree! Understand, in the eyes of S.H.I.E.L.D. you are an unknown element that can explode at any moment. If you didn't co-operate with the police, it would be even worse.
-But it's the mask, what's that got to do with me? -What about me?
-Once it's happened once, there's always a chance it could happen again. Besides, they're waiting for their own magic expert to make sure your chi is pure. And until that "disinterested specialist," - Danny mimicked someone else's mockery - Danny's hands rested on the ground again as his spirit began to be pulled slowly into his body, "until he arrives, be a good boy and just live your life. Work with Otto, train and tighten up your skills. And don't get involved or agree to anything, and definitely don't sign anything!
-Sounds a little naive. I've got explosives in my spine.
Fuck, Shawn, who do you think put it in a high-tech prosthetic that's packed with a bunch of new, obscure technology?
-О... Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!-Daaaaaaaaaaaah," Rand shook his head with a goofy grin, clearly mocking me, glancing at his body and shaking his head, "I didn't want to tell you ahead of time so that your emotions would remain genuine. But your German friend is very rich and can afford more than one of these labs. And I'm not a pauper either.
Danny's body twitched one last time, and then his spirit returned to its place with a clap, and Iron Fist opened his eyes. Following his example, he crawled into his own shell just the same, and with a ragged sigh he opened his eyelids, looking at the stern face of his mentor with both eyes.
-We're done for the day.
Folding his hands in a ritualistic gesture, Rand rose to his feet in one smooth motion, then strode away with a proud gait.
"That's how it is."
A lot of things were becoming clearer now. I struggled to keep a mask of impartiality on my face as Clint walked me back to my room.
***
The last shot of the spider's web set the stage for another fight for the city.
Jumping down from a pile of crates stacked in a heap in the middle of the huge warehouse, Gwen leaned back against the pile, slumping down with exhaustion.
All around, like Christmas decorations, dangled the criminals. Feeling their grip on her throat loosen, the little filth poured out into the streets, once again doing their nasty business.
They were no longer intimidated by the horrible psychological test pattern, and they flooded the streets again, rejoicing and enjoying their freedom and success.
That, too, was one of the reasons why she was angry and felt like a broken vase, barely reassembled by the shards.
Her heart whimpered painfully and her mind was a shambles. Hundreds and thousands of emotions, worries, and thoughts were constantly assaulting her head, throwing up one stupid idea worse than the last.
She was angry at Sean and pitying him, wanting to see him again, to kiss him, to yell at him, to hug him, to just be near him in silence.
Through the mask, she felt the tears building in the corners of her eyes again.
-Damn it.
Shaking her head to ward off another obsession that was slowly turning into an addiction, Stacy dragged herself sluggishly towards the exit, ignoring the outraged mooing of the criminals watching her leave.
Her legs shifted with difficulty and each step seemed like an eternity, while her head was assaulted again and again by images of her boyfriend ripping off the bloody mask, collapsing on his side, bleeding, screaming a gruesome last scream.
She didn't want to see him like that again. She didn't want to feel that horrible, gut-wrenching feeling lingering in her chest again.
Only work and the hunt for criminals helped her distract herself, briefly saving her from the nightmarish scenes of devastation and pain.
-We should get some sleep... Or a drink. Or both.
-I would choose only the first option.
Turning round sharply, cursing herself, Gwen prepared for battle, inwardly dreading the event. After all, if it was already so easy to get to her undetected, the chances of victory plummeted.
-Hey, mate, can you hear me?
-А? What?
But all these thoughts were interrupted by a familiar smile that had become almost familiar. Her tense muscles relaxed, and her wobbling legs almost pulled her to the side, but she was given a shoulder to lean on.
-Thanks, Fel.
-No problem," Hardy shot her whip at her, lifting them to the roof of a neighbouring building, away from prying eyes, "but I'm not going back on my word, you'd better get some sleep, darling.
-I know, but... There's always something in the way.
-Are you having nightmares again? -Yes.
-Yes. One more beautiful than the other, and panic attacks sometimes, - Gwen hugged herself by the shoulders and squeezed herself into a lump, pulling her legs closer to her chest, - Dad, Sean, myself.... So many options, and each one scarier than the last.
-Maybe it's worth talking to him, just one phone call.
Shrugging innocently, Hardy sat down next to her, leaning back, showing off her wide neckline on her chest, revealing her virtues to the world.
-No, definitely not... I don't know how to act. What do I say to him? Should I apologise? Or demand it? Or maybe both? Or should I just forget the whole thing and move on? Maybe we should break up altogether.
-You're too impulsive, darling. Don't be too impulsive, talk, go for a walk, and most importantly - just don't fight," the painful reminder burned through her brain like a hot nail. She'd let her fear and nervousness get the best of her on Sean's last visit, throwing herself at the guy with fists and tears, which only made things worse. From what I understand, he's a normal guy.
Gwen didn't notice how her friend's breathing had changed. Her chest heaved more frequently, and her fingers scrabbled frustratedly at the drawer, leaving claw marks. For a few seconds, Felicia couldn't pull herself together before she finally calmed down.
-Maybe... But first I need to sort myself out.
-Don't pull too hard, or they'll take your boy-hero away," Hardy's intonation had a strange note in it, and even the tired and exhausted Gwen could notice it. She raised her head questioningly and looked through the mask at her embarrassed friend hiding her eyes, -Don't look at me like that, it's scary.
-I'm sorry, I just... Gwen rubbed her face thoroughly, feeling a rush of energy and emotion, -So he has someone?
-I wouldn't say that, but you know," Hardy shrugged nonchalantly, as if talking about the weather, and jumped off the crate, clearly not wanting to continue the topic, "it's been so long, so...
-Shit. We should talk to him... No, I don't want to talk to him now, and I can't. I'll do something wrong again. How long does he have left on probation?
-Two months, darling," Stacey couldn't see, but her friend was smiling in anticipation as she turned away from her. Biting her lower lip, she struggled to keep herself from falling into her fantasy world, but thankfully she had the sense to stop herself from doing that right now, -Dr Octavius said he could carefully remove the implant... He's such a funny old man, you should meet him, darling.
-As soon as I can. I've got more important things to do.
Muttering to herself, Gwen got up from the crate, feeling energised. The small step forward in clarifying her and Sean's relationship had brought some calm to her floundering feelings. That realisation alone nearly sent her into a knockout.
Instantly she wanted to sleep, and a wave of fatigue swept through her entire body. Only now did she realise that she'd been tirelessly defending the city for the past month since Sean had left.
-Oh, I don't feel good...
-Give me your hand, I'll take you home, you fool," Felicia gave her shoulder and began to fly deftly between the houses, wielding her whip with envy, "you need more rest. Make sure you get some sleep before you meet your brave boy, or you'll say something because of sleep deprivation.
But Gwen wasn't listening to her. She rocked back and forth, lulled by her friend's kind voice, and resting her head on Felicia's shoulder, she drifted off to sleep, feeling calm for the first time in days.
-Oh, you're so cute, Gwen," Felicia ran her fingers over Stacy's face a couple of hours later, helping her out of her suit and into bed, her nails hooking her hair and tucking it aside, "no wonder he fell for you.
Knowing the unfairness of fate, Hardy didn't say the rest of it out loud, afraid her friend might have heard it through her sleep. But as the Black Cat left her friend's house, she thought of Machiavelli and his famous phrases.
***
-So he was like a ghost? Or was it a spirit body, like in the Chinese games?
-More like the latter. He kicked my body into the astral or whatever that shit's called.
-You need to brush up on your chi, cos every time I ask you, you name everything from games.
-Oh, shut up. What's the difference? It's working, all right?
-Barbarian and savage. Whatever, pass me the soap.
-Here.
Without looking, I slipped my hand into the next stall, enjoying the streams of warm water running from my head down my body. It was just the two of us with Parker now, having snuck into the university pool at night while a disgruntled Clint dozed on the bleachers.
I didn't get to chat with Pete very often, so, my 'kind' policeman made it easy to make concessions, agreeing to escort me to the site of our future 'date'.
With the sound of the water, our quiet conversation didn't even go beyond the shower cubicles. The perfect place to have a quiet chat.
-I knew Otto was a top bloke. He wouldn't put explosives in you, that sounds too dickish.
-No, he didn't. He'd stick it in, but he wouldn't rig a fuse or anything. Then when we get a chance and the feds back off, we'll pull it out. The important thing is I can't get blown up any second.
-That's the bread," Pete rinsed his face with cold water and leaned against the shower wall, "it even made my heart feel better. I was afraid I'd have to learn explosives and robotics to get her out.
-Yeah, I'm feeling a little wobbly myself from the ephemeral sense of freedom. If we didn't switch off the manipulators all the time, life would be a fairy tale.
-Your arse is gonna crack after what you've done.
That was a--
-Mask. Yeah, I know. All right, forget it. Tell me, what are you gonna do now?
-Like there's a choice. Sit around and not fart so they don't pay any more attention.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just not even gonna shit on them in return?
I had a look of genuine incomprehension on my face, but I guess Parker knew me too well.
-Sullivan. You evil, racist, Irish bastard. Erin Go Bragh...
-Erin go Braugh.
-You see," ignoring my disgruntled face, Parker threw the towel over his shoulder with a happy smile, stepping back from the flow of water and turning off the shower. Thereby cutting off our secret conversation and preventing me from responding properly," Come on, "teddy," wipe your arse, my ears and let's go. We've got a swim ahead of us. Don't drop the soap.
-You arsehole.Erin Go Bragh, Erin go Braugh.
***
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