A bustling sub-section of the city, filled with shops that sold various items imported from Asia, as well as various apothocaries, dojos, and restaurants.

There is a garden with a bridge over a small pond and a waterfall, which has been used as a place for centering oneself and finding peace.

Ju-Long sat cross-legged in the garden, meditating deeply. The last few weeks had been stressful, with his pupil Penny having been kidnapped by The Builder, and then the man meeting his poetic end.

He had also concentrated on his own failure, falling as Champion when Lecarde tricked him. And now hearing that Lecarde was in fact no more, in spite of carrying the penalty of that failure with his own unique blindness.

But something was wrong today. Something had everyone's chi on edge. Something was coming....and yet it was elusive. Unseen. For the moment.

Leo arrived in china town thirty minutes later after his interview. He glanced around being cautious and slightly nervous he leaned in towards lightstrike.

whispering "um how would I act right now..in this kinda situation?"

Renee looked at Leo in an odd manner. It was weird for Leo to be asking that kind of question.

"Well.....the way I remember is that once you set your mind on something, you pursue it with all of your might. Bordering on obsession, I daresay."

he nodded and stretched.

"okay...will do I wonder how i was in relationships.... probably scared them all away."

He glanced around the area.

Renee shook her head, and frowned slightly.

"Well....it's that same obsessive nature that caused some of them to walk away. Of course, there were a few people who cared about you....but nothing came of it."

Leo turned to her and stared confused.

"Well I am different now...slightly lost but new and reborn..i hope they see that and take advantage of the situation."

Leo carried on his conversation but kept his awareness to a maximum keeping his alertness to the area around them.

Renee nodded, then looked ahead and around, which was customary for her when she was doing a stakeout of an area. Aside from the Shaolin Priest, there wasn't much threatening around.

Leo could briefly spot a package out of the corner of his eye.

Leo motioned for Lightstrike to move back as he moved slowly towards the package he was unsure of what to expect.

"well here goes...."

He used his shadow powers to open the package afraid it was a bomb of some sort.

Leo found what appeared to be extensive plans for construction of the city, in fine detail from utilities to housing assortments. He also found a letter.

Leo felt a rush of emotion and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"see..Renee many want my vision to become true...we can do this...with out the violence."

Leo picked up the package and took Renee's hand and went down the street. He was walking fast not sure of where to go and what to do he was full of joy.

[From: The Streets]

Mr. Fade had taken the time to acquire a small force of ten or so of his basic attack drones armed with his Charged rifles that could harm those immune to normal bullets. Mr. Fade and his robotic thralls moved down the street towards a known Yakuza restraint. Mr. Fade grabbed hold of one of his plasma grenades before throwing it into one of the restraint's windows before signaling his drones to open fire on the building. "Erase this filth from my city... its about time someone put these disrespectful curs down..." Mr. Fade readied his own personal rifle which fired his own custom tooled 50 Cal. Charged rounds for taking down the more... stubborn insects. It was time the crime syndicates saw what his weapons were capable of... revenge and free advertisement.

Leo stopped in his tracks hearing the gun fire he turned around to see a man with several robots shooting down a  building.

"what the hell... Lightstrike if this man is doing justice or not this is not right this is reckless he is going to hurt innocent people..we must stop him."

Leo turned towards the mad man and shifted into his true form.

"I don't know who or what this person is, but he can't just go randomly shooting up at places in the street," Lightstrike said, her hands beginning to glow with light.

"So it begins...the peace that I have sought and found has been snatched away in a matter of mere moments," Ju-Long muttered to himself, taking off his priest robe, revealing the Shaoling uniform he had underneath, and making his way to the coming conflict.

The woman's chi he saw was balanced, but the man's (Leo) was....off....a veritable shade of gray that was a true dichotomy of order and chaos.

"YOU STOP THIS MADNESS!" Shadow shouted and lifted his left hand engulfing the robots in shadows and pulling them into the darkness.

Shadow moved forward the shadows he passed were pulled to him and the lights grew brighter several light bulbs burst from to much energy.

"Good... the Yakuza's dogs have come out to play... I'm sorry good sir but while you enjoy clinging to the shadows I myself enjoy shining in my own brilliance!" Two ultra-violet flood lights turned on to blind Leo as Mr. Fade took aim at Leo's head before firing several rounds. "

The shadows rose up and engulfed the gun flooding the barrel of the gun as Leo melted into the shadows rising up behind Mr. Fade.

"I dare say I hide in the shadows sir...for I stand before you in the light..and my brilliance sir is far greater then yours."

"Then you admit that you've caused the most evil in this world... for the brightest of lights cast the greatest of shadows." Mr. Fade pressed a button on his rifle before casually throwing it aside having prepared a special surprised for any who'd dare touch the weapon or that of his drones later on. "How about it... I won't use my gun you don't use your demonic powers lets settle this like men." Mr. Fade cracked his knuckles before starting towards Leo.

Suddenly, a mist began to surround the two combatants, swirling around them.

"You both have brought violence to this place. You both have upended the balance that had been preserved here. I will only ask once...take your hostility elsewhere. The Yakuza nor the Tong have no presence here. Take your weapons and go."

Seeing Mist Dragon sent flashes through Leo's head he stumbled back falling to a knee his shadow demonic form faded he returned normal. He held his head hoping Lightstrike would protect him in his time of weakness.


"ahh...damn it not now..."

"Well mayhap dogs do learn new tricks..." Fade cackled as Leo fell to his knee. "It is good that common trash bows before a God." Fade turned towards Mist Dragon. "So... they both have a presence... because double negatives create a positive... Well I believe I proved my point here. I bid both of you vagrants Good Day." With that Mr. Fade began to walk away leaving behind his rifle. Once he was far enough out he pressed a button on his wrist guard activating the explosive charge within the rifle which would finish off the restaurant and maybe the two closest buildings to it as well.

Leo's eyes turned red as something came over him he shifted into his demonic shadow form and faded appearing in front of Mr. Fade with shadow tentacles encircling him.

"God you say....you damn....mortals and your feeble attempts at Godhood are pathetic with your toys and gadgets...pitiful..."

With that said he began to engulf Mr. Fade in an orb of black energy cutting off any electrical devices Mr. Fade had on his being.

"Hmmm you turned off my electrical components... how bothersome. Though it doesn't matter after all my suit has a failsafe manual hydraulic control. Can't be to careful when in a world where Hell drops its rejects." Mr. Fade lashed out with inhuman force driven by his suit's strength drivers. "Your piety parlor tricks won't beat me coward."

"I do not believe in tricks, neither of yours," Mist Dragon said angrily, his form shimmering into that of the blind Shaolin monk, his hands both glowing with energy. "You both have caused enough destruction for one day, and I suggest you leave. NOW."

"Leo....I don't know who this other guy is...but I think that the monk on the level. And our friend...with that much hardware running around he won't be hard to track down," Renee said to him.

Leo laughed and clenched his fist forcing the shadows to rip his suit apart and slither into the suit to get at mr. fade.

"...parlor tricks...stupid human...my power is not a trick."

Leo would find not so much as a single seam in the armor that would allow him to reach Fade within his air-tight suit. "Yes... Parlor Tricks." He turned his gaze to Mist Dragon. "I tried to leave my good friend but this rabbel decided to strike when my back was turned. After all I have no reason to waste my energy on slaves to the Yakuza, there is not point to beat a broken dog."

Mist Dragon replied "I am no slave to the Yakuza. You however are a force of destruction with no regards to the innocents that reside in this area. The time for speech is over....the time for action is now."

His hand glowing with chi, he struck the ground around Leo and Mr. Fade, shaking both of the combatants.

Soon all of the combatants could hear sirens, signalling the imminent arrival of Weston's Finest.

Leo soon collapsed blacking out and instead of falling out of his shadow form he did not change back to his human form.

Mr. Fade mumbled under his breath as the ground began to quake. "Why do heroes have to be so stupid..." //I'm not sure how strong this 'shaking' was so...// Mr. Fade stumbled across the earthquake of Chi barely keeping his balance solely due to his suit. Though once he reached the side of the road he smashed his way through a wall and made his escape from these crazy and arrogant fools.

Meanwhile, in downtown Chinatown

Vaan walked through china-town, unlit cigarette in her mouth and chains wrapped around her wrists. She looked all the world like a typical criminal enforcer...specifically one unaffiliated with any organized criminal organizations, which was sure to attract the attention of any local chapters. It also helped that any passersby were given her a wide berth as she walked.

Vaan took a look at the restaurant she was supposed to check out, pulling up schematics with a few eye movements. Her father had checked, or will check, this place out before, though Vaan didn't know what the outcome was.

Vaan took a breath, then opened the door and walked in. "I'm here to see Mr. Yang," she said to the Waitress, looking the waitress in the eye, a grimace on her face. Records had shown that he arrived today, so she had the element of surprise on her side, as well as one of resourcefulness.

In reply to Mr. Fade (msg # 32):

Mist Dragon came over to Renee and the fallen Leo.

"I think it best if we made our exit...now.."

In reply to Edge (msg # 33):

The slender Asian woman looked at Vaan closely.

"And who might you be...? Not just anyone comes in here looking for Mr. Yang.."

Vaan grinned. "Just call me... Edge. And let us say that it's in Mr. Yang's best interests that I speak with him," she told the waitress, withdrawing a zippo lighter from her coat and lighting her cigarette, "I know he's arrived today, so you know I have a wide array of resources at my disposal. Let us also say that being the people I represent's enemy is hazardous to his health."

The woman eyed Edge suspiciously. "And who might they be?"

'Edge' grimaced. "I'm afraid I can tell Mr. Yang only. My employers are very secretive, and you'll have to take me at my word when I say they can be his best friends," She took a long drag, then breathed out the smoke in the waitress' face, "Or his worst, depending on whether or not I talk to him."

The woman pressed a button on her intercom having a short conversation in Japanese before the woman stood to open the door two tough looking asian men stepped out. "We'll bring you to Mr. Yang but first we need to check you for weapons." One of the men stepped forward to pat Edge down

Edge couldn't resist a wide grin. Sure, she had enough weapons to take down a small army and then some...but she wasn't too keen on giving them up. She casually reached into her trench-coat, pulling out two hand-guns and handing them to the man.

"These are all I'm qualified to give up," she told them, tapping her sunglasses, "My employers are watching. Every organization has it's own code, does it not? I'm only allowed to give up weapons I can kill people at a distance with."

Edge gave the man a slightly crazed grin, her eyes daring him to try and cross her. She may have been in the tiger's den, but she sure as heck acted like a Dragon.

The man attempted   a stare down but he just nodded and took the guns after a moment. "We'll be watching you. This way"

Edge smiled and followed the goon, careful to make sure she knew where each and every weapon was. Knives, daggers, push-blades, a few retractable batons at her belt and Escrima sticks lining her legs.

She was a walking armory, and was deadly with every single armament.

The gangsters eventually led Edge to her destination. Smiling as they opened the door, but did not deem it safe to leave their leader, Edge took a seat opposite the man. They were right, of course. Edge could kill Mr. Yang on the spot if she wanted to.

"Konichiwa, Yang-san. I trust your flight went well?" Edge said, smiling as she lit another cigarette. The man looked of Chinese descent, not Japanese, and most-likely wouldn't realize that she was setting herself on his level. Even if he did, it was to her advantage. Even with his power within the Yakuza, Edge was easily above him.

Not a peep. The man just stared at her as Edge waited for an answer. It was obvious he was pressed for time, and the slight hint of surprise at such a swift welcome didn't go unnoticed.

She looked like a pusher for the mob, so she needed just as good a cover organization. Flipping through a few quickly in her head, she chose one that early Para-criminals had created before the advent of the empire. They most likely wouldn't have heard of it, and if they did, they would be sufficiently scared.

"I shall be quick, then, Yang-san," she said, leaning forward as she did so, "I represent an organization known as the White Lotus. We are very, very powerful, and Weston is somewhat of a. . .Home away from home, if you will. We keep tabs on every crime syndicate withing a thousand square miles of Weston, including the Yakuza. Our people are everywhere, and we see...everything." She smiled, "But with your arrival, things have gotten...complicated. So I offer you a deal: You give us all information regarding your visit here, and we let this organization operate in Weston. Do not comply, and the team you sent before your arrival gets exterminated, along with any ties the Yakuza have with Weston..."

She stood up, offering a hand, "Is that agreeable, Yang-san?"