Rabid *HF* Chapter 12

By Gene

Alice leapt up from her desk and ran to them as Grover laid Gene on on of the couches in the waiting area.

"You're back! Are you all all right? How's Gene?" she gasped.

"We're fine," Grover said. "The team didn't need me. They stopped Gene on their own. With his help. He mananged to shock the demon-thing with his ring, then take it off and give it to Shaman before the demon could recover. Then Chastity and Grandmaster Pan kept Gene busy while Gomurr and Shaman stipped the demon out of him."

Alice looked at Gene and gasped. Blood ran from puncture wounds around his mouth where the demon's teeth had curved bac, into his face. His hands also bled from cuts made by the talons he once had.

Pan put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not so bad. He has some bruises from the fighting. He's had worse. You are Alice."

Alice nodded. "Yes. You're Grandmaster Pan. Gene talks about you all the time. As much as the kids he teaches love him, he says he'll never be as good as you."

"He may be right," Pan said, smiling. "He loves you very much. I'm sure you are part of the reason he fought so hard against the demon within him."

"Thank you," Alice said, smiling.

The phone one her desk rang and Alice went to answer it.

"Grover, take him down to medical, let the doctor take a look at him. You and Shaman look him over, too. I want him patched up and assessed asap. Then the two of you get up here for a briefing."

Gomurr and Shaman each put an arm around Gene and the three of them teleported away. Alice returned.

"Grover, it's for you. It's important."

"I'll take it in my office."

Grover walked into his office, closed the door and picked up the phone that was on his desk.

"This is Grover."

"Grover, this is Hawkeye, the Grey King." Hawkeye sounded irritated.

"Hello Hawkeye, what's on your mind?"

"Florida and New Jersey, actually. I was wondering if you'd cleaned up the mess you people had with the Bastard. The media is starting to get wise to the number of shootings. They think terrorists may be about. That could be, since the Cherry Hill mall is now missing a store. And then Brownland, Florida looks exciting today. Every cop killed, the reports are saying. Some wacko went postal. Did you guys catch the wacko?"

Grover's temper flared, but he concentrated on not letting it show.

"The situation is under control, Hawkeye. We've left the scene and taken care of the threat."

"Good," Hawkeye said. "Because this 'threat' as you call it cost me two operatives. Scrib has a concussion and a skull fracture and Echo has a problem with the dark. It seems they'll both recover, but I really don't want this to go on. If there was further trouble, my Court would take it upon itself to end this threat by any means necessary to protect the public and itself. I'm glad we don't have to do that."

Grover gripped the phone tighter and the reinforced plastic started to crack in his hand.

"Look, Hawkeye. I appreciate the bond of friendship that exists between our two Courts. I value the interaction that occurs between some of your members and mine. They can be very close. But you will never, ever tell me what to do with my Court or how to handle my affairs. I'm sorry Echo and Scrib were hurt. I'm glad they came to help. I lost operatives as well, one dead, two missing, one critically injured. But I'm not complaining. Such is the nature of our business, Hawkeye, and if you and you're people can't handle it - the good AND the bad - consider something else. I value the friendship between our Courts and want to continue to interact as friends and allies. But don't ever think you have a right to tell us what to do or how to handle our affairs. And don't ever think you can step in and take over an operation involving one of my operatives, because that will be overstepping your bounds. Once more, I like and value your members. I respect them and your organization, but don't ever step on our toes or stand against us because as much as I and the others may like you, you will lose. Badly."

"If you think I..."

"I'm sorry Hawkeye, I have to go brief my Court now and tend to our 'wacko.' It was nice talking to you."

Grover slammed the phone down, clenched his fists and counted to ten. It didn't help.

"Of all the NERVE!" he yelled. His eyes glowed and power shot forth, bursting the phone into flame. He walked out his office door.

"New phone, Grover?" Alice asked.

"Please," he replied.

***
A half-hour later, the White Court was assembled in the main meeting room. Gene was among them, as were Grandmaster Pan and Shaman.

"Grandmaster Pan, while we are grateful for your assistance today and have the utmost respect for you, you really shouldn't be at this meeting," Grover said.

"I will stay. Last year my student joined you though I warned against it. He has been injured, he has gone to war, he has been controlled by a demon you needed Pan to fight. I will now see those who order him this way."

"I want him here," Gene said.

"Me,too," said Shaman.

"Don't you two only get one vote combined?" said SlashR.

"Funny!" said Shaman seriously.

"I don't see any harm in him being here," Mufasa said. "And he helped us a lot. Plus he's familiar with the Club anyway, from being a guest teacher."

Grover and Nebula exchanged a glance and Grover waved his hand. "Fine, it's not that important. Gomurr, you're sure Gene is all right? No traces of anything?"

Gomurr nodded. "The doctor says he's fine, except for some cuts and things. He might have some minor scarring on his face, but if he grows his beard a little thicker, no one will notice. Mystically, Shaman and I seem to have done an excellent job. We even had Malachi take a look at him. The boy doesn't have discipline for a full scan yet, but his instincts are excellent. IF there was anything wrong with Gene, Malachi would have known instantly."

"But wasn't the demon able to hide from all of us before?" Nebula asked. "He could be doing it now as well."

Gomurr shook his head. "Doubtful. Now we're looking for him. And there isn't a trace of him in there. Our man is wiped clean."

Grover nodded, then looked at Gene. "I guess that leaves the question of how you feel, Gene. It's been a long month. What's going on inside you?"

Gene twitched and shuffled in his seat. "A lot of guilt," he said. "That thing used me, paraded me around like a doll but used me as a weapon. And now a lot of people are hurt or dead because of it. I know it wasn't really me, but in a way it was. They were my skills, my body. And he often used my mind as a guide for things to hate. Traffic, bureaucrats, stupid people. That was the key linking them all. They were all people I hated, however briefly. He used that hate as a guide for who to kill. I think he wanted to kill everybody eventually, but my thoughts and feelings gave him the map of where to begin."

Grover cleared his throat. "But you DID fight him, correct? You didn't let any of this happen?"

Gene spoke earnestly. "Right, I didn't want any of this to happen. But I was only able to control the thing so much. If the thing had posessed a raving sports fan, the rival team would now be dead, and he would start picking off rival fans, whether the guy wanted to or not."

"I think we understand, Gene," Nebula said. "You were brought to this court because of your abilities. They were used against you, as were your own natural likes and dislikes. You were obviously holding the demon back somewhat, given the messages you were sending us and the restraint you showed in combat with members of this and the Grey Court."

"What restraint?" SlashR said. "Look at Mufasa! And Toby! And what about Rune and Strider?"

"Mufasa and Toby are alive," Shaman said. "And Strider is only dead because of Rune. They could have easily been killed."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Mufasa grumbled.

"You were blinded and startled," Gomurr said. "Highly vulnerable."

"Enough with the pissing contest," Grover said. "I'm already short on nerves today, don't get on those I have left. The important thing is, Gene is purged and the demon destroyed. Queen Nebula has some news."

Nebula rose. "I'm sure you've all noticed the new face at this table. This is Chastity Darkholme, our new Queen's Pawn and Assassin. She has a history with the Red Court and helped found the late Crimson Court. Most recently, she played a significant role with the team Shaman led to capture Gene in Florida. I'm very pleased to have her with us, I'm sure she'll be a valuable addition to the Court."

There was a round of applause. When it subsided, Nebula spoke again.

"There's more good news. Toby awoke from her coma earlier this week. She will need a bit more recovery time from her physical injuries, but doctors say she's mentally fine. At least as fine as Toby can be. The sad news is, as many of you would expect, she resigned from the White Hellfire Club effective immediately. She has no immediate plans, but she's considering an entire identity change and an affiliation with the Purple Court. She holds no hard feelings toward us and hopes we will understand her situation. I'm sure you all wish her well."

"Her 'situation'. So I'm a situation now?" Gene said. "I nearly killed her. Or that thing did, using my hands, my tools. Now she can't stand to be here because she's afraid. I remember the fight. I tore her apart. No wonder she's afraid."

"That brings up the question of what to do now," Grover said. "Gene, this Court has felt a direct impact as a result of your actions over the past several weeks. The Queen's Pawn resigned after being nearly killed. Strider was killed, though not directly by you, Diablo and Rune are both missing, and Mufasa was injured. In normal circumstances, you would be at least evicted from the Court, if not dead. However, it's more than evident these were not normal circumstances. You were being controlled by another being, which you played a large role in containing and defeating. Because of your assistance, Nebula and I have ruled, with the agreement of the rest of the Court, that you should be suspended from field service until further notice and that your teaching of the Club's martial arts students should only continue under supervision. You will continue to select the lesson plan and lead the class, but only with another teacher there."

"I will teach with him," Gomurr said. He smiled and looked at Gene. "Ironic isn't it, given the events after the Crimson Dawn?"

"Hilarious," Gene said. "What about Club priveleges?"

"You'll have full priveleges, with some control," Nebula said. "We've signed off on vehicles, weapons and supplies in the past with barely a glance. Those will require a reason now. You will still be able to refurbish your quarters as you wish, use the facilities, and collect pay and benefits."

"The main idea, Gene, is to make sure beyond a doubt that you're okay. WE don't want to put you in the field and find out you're not ready, or find out there's some fragment of that thing still in you. We want to be sure. Too many lives were lost this time," Grover said.

Gene nodded. "I understand. Speaking of which, how are you guys going to handle that? It's one thing when I go to war or get in a bar fight and pound on some thugs. Even wiping out Illuminati in some cave is no big deal, who cares about them? But this was serious, high-profile stuff."

Grover smiled and put his hand on Cyclops' shoulder. "WE'll let our Bishop do what he does best. Cover stories, denials, media seeding. He's on a constant watch to make sure the activities of us and other Courts never reflects back on us. We can only function as long as the world at large has no idea who we are. To most, we're not even a rumor."

Cyclops smirked. "Not the most fun job, but vitally important. Alice plays a big part in it, too. She definitely knows how to pull strings and talk to people."

Gene shook his head. "Wow. No wonder people go nuts and start militias in Montana."

"Some of those people are ours, too," Cyclops said. "Get them raving about the wrong thing, so there's no attention put on the real story." He smiled. "We learned a lot from the Clinton administration. Too bad we can't bomb Iraq."

"So I'm going on vacation, eh?" Gene said.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Grover said. "You'll still have your duties at Lyonspaw and your teaching responsibilities though, so don't go far."

***
The meeting adjourned, Shaman, Alice, Gene and Grandmaster Pan met in Gene's office, where Pan also got to meet Malachi. Pan grouped Gene and Shaman next to each other and looked at the two of them. He shook his head.

"You were one of my greatest students," he said to Gene. "Now I had to stop you. All these secrets. All of this around you. You have strayed again."

"I know, Teacher Pan. Much has happened that..."

"No! There is no excuse! You will learn the way of Shao Lin or you will turn from it. There is no middle, no change! And you..." he turned toward Shaman. "What are you? You are my student, but someone else."

"I will always be your student, Teacher Pan," Shaman said, bowing slightly. "But I am more than the man you once knew. I am now 5000 years old. I have the power to travel to the past, the future, to other worlds. I am the greatest sorceror of our time. But as you say, it is all kung fu. Everything is kung fu. Even sorcery."

"You may have dishonored me most of all," Pan said to Shaman. "But you fought bravely and have used your skills well. There can be redemption."

"Through what means?" Gene asked. "Do you want me to return to the school?"

Pan smiled. "No. Not my school." He pointed at Shaman. "You say you can travel through time. You are a great sorceror. Can you take others through time, and return?"

Shaman nodded. "Yes. It's not that hard."

Pan smiled again. "Good. You will take Gene...and me...to the Shaolin Temple. When it was at its peak. Three hundred years ago. There we will learn the way of SHao Lin directly from those who formed it. We will return when you have learned enough and become centered again."

Gene stroked his chin, avoiding contact with the stitches around his mouth. "Okay. But on one condition. We bring Alice and Malachi. Malachi should learn as well, and I'm not leaving Alice."

"Naturally," Pan said. "A boy should learn beside his father, and his mother."

"I'll tell Grover we're going," Alice said.

"Don't bother," Shaman said. "I'll sink a time anchor here in the office. We can leave for as long as we want, go where we want, and come right back here, right now. Even Gene could do it if he uses the ring."

"Don't we want to pack anything?" Alice asked.

"No point," Shaman said. "Anything we have on is going to be out of place in that time, except for Master Pan's outfit. And we'll get our weapons, food and clothing at the temple. Let's go."

There was a flash, and they were gone.

***
Epilogue:

Five minutes later, chronological time:
A portal appeared in the middle of the room. Gene and Shaman stepped out and dropped a satchel on the floor, as well as a large sword, wrapped in oil cloth. They stepped back through the portal and disappeared.

Two minutes later, Gene and Alice stepped through a portal, dressed in traditional Chinese garb. Gene's head was shaven in traditional monk style, and there was grey in the hair on his chest, but his body was solid, streamlined muscle. Alice's hair was in a bun, and she showed no additonal signs of age, though her body was considerably more muscular as well, even compared to her athletic figure before the trip.

They placed wicker baskets on the floor and Gene closed his office door. He and Alice stripped out of their Chinese clothing and opened his wardrobe. Pushing aside his battle gear, he pulled out a kilt, a peasant shirt, and a highland dress, then a dirk and a belt pouch.

"Glad we kept this stuff from the Renaissance Faire here at my office," Gene said. "Can't dress in a Chinese robe in the Highlands."

"Especially not on your wedding day," Alice said, smiling as she laced up her shirt. "Do you think Malachi will be all right?"

"Yeah. He loves being at the temple, and he's absolutely safe with Pan and Shaman. I still love the name they gave him at the temple after his growth spurt, 'Young Giant'. I think he likes it, too."

"I just want to be sure they make it to the wedding on time," Alice said. "It's bad enough under normal circumstance. But to come from China to Scotland in space and time is a long trip."

Gene shrugged. "Don't worry. They only have to come forward two years, and we put things in synch. THey'll make it. Let's enjoy our time alone in the Highlands and plan our day. Things are bound to be busy when we get back."

-END-

Gene
Original and Longest-Running Editor
White Bastard/King's Pawn--HellFire Club
Knight of the Long-Necked Bottle
Forbidden by Law to Eat Onion Rings
Selectively Sterile
Wielder of Unbridled Contempt for Humanity