Interlude: The Girl and the Dragon Eat Lunch

Reina ached. She’d been fighting. But not with her power. She’d barely used her power.

“If you are to have a covert identity,” Lung had told her. “You cannot rely on your power when out of uniform. So you must learn to fight without it.”

And she was. The ABB had many fighters in its ranks, ranging from formally trained martial artists to street fighters, and Lung had chosen several of them to show Reina how to fight.

Normally, Reina preferred to fight with her words and mind, but now… Now she would learn.

But right now, she was with Lung, in a restaurant. Reina had seen Lung eat before, but never…

A hamburger, French Fries, salad(!) and coke. It was…

Stupid. You might as well ask why he has not erected a Japanese style castle or walk around wearing Samurai armor.

“It is odd, how chance can change our plans,” Lung said. The TV on the wall was full of news about the explosion, even a few days later, the zone still being checked, the city government providing hotel rooms for the homeless.  “None of us expected this. But how should we take advantage of this?”

Another test.   Reina paused. The command had been given to her yesterday, just before her combat training.

And she had her answer. She hoped it would be one Lung would approve of.

“The time has come to reach out to the other non-white and non-E88 anglo gangs of the city,” she said. “Offer them protection and aid, should they give us submission, and also offer to protect their families from the Empire, not informally, as we have done, but formally.”

Lung paused, bit into his hamburger, and finished it.

The diner was clearly an ABB front, and there were none around them to hear. But even so, Reina found herself worried.

“Why should I do that? For that matter, will Latinos join with Asians?”

“Why not? Koreans joined with Japanese and didn’t kill each—“ Reina’s mouth snapped shut, as her mind caught up with the words. The ABB was about Asian unity, and it was unwise…

Lung chuckled. “So you say. Very well. But why?”

“The Empire is wounded. Kaiser is seeking to take advantage of this disaster, pointing his fingers at rich Jews, and poor Hispanics.”  Most of the workers had been white, but that hadn’t stopped the Empire from talking about the ones who weren’t. “They will not strike at us—they are too weak to risk it, and the PRT continues to pressure them. So they will attack the smaller groups, move into those neighborhoods.”  She took a deep breath. “By assisting them, we gain their allegiance. Not simply their gangs, but their civilian members. By showing that we are not simply here to protect the Asians… we will gain… legitimacy.”

“Hmm… And what do I gain? Reina?”

Reina swallowed.  Even here, talking about Lung’s power, especially his hidden power, was not done openly. And she didn’t know how he would react. But…

“Great Lung,”  She said in Japanese. “If old battlefields do not stretch you, do not challenge that which makes you Lung, perhaps you could seek  a new battlefield? It is said that politics is war by other names, after all.”

Lung said nothing for a moment, finishing his Hamburger. Then he nodded. “A challenge. You know to directly challenge the government would see my death. A nation may tolerate many things, but never a would-be king.” He frowned, and Reina could feel a little heat come off of him. “And yet… So long as one does not claim to be a king, a nation may tolerate… much, if order can be maintained. A fine line. But it will require you to play a role.”

“Great Lung?” 

“I run Brothels, my name is an object of fear, none would believe me…”  He looked at Reina. “Perhaps this plan needs another.”  Now there was heat rolling off of him, and he looked a few inches taller. But that wasn’t the only thing…

Reina could see his mind working, faster and faster.

What would it be like to have a mind like that?  What kind of curse would it be to know that the day you achieved all of your goals, you would lose it?  There were stories of cursed wishes, and in the early days of Parahumanity, Reina had read some churches claimed powers were just that—cursed.

She had laughed. Now… she wasn’t entirely certain.

“I am Lung, and none disobey me. All know this. And so,” he paused. “You will disobey me. First we will unveil you to the masses, and you will work, but you will also work to protect others against the Empire. And I… I will be angry and only reluctantly persuaded by you, Reina.  And so these groups, these followers, will join in confidence that they are not submitting to me.”

“But they will work for you, Lung,” Reina said.

“Of course,” he replied in Japanese. “And when they find out they have been, it will be in a city without the Empire, where the ABB is the unquestioned defender of the people.” He chuckled. “And I expect as Kaiser becomes more desperate, he will provide us with abundant fodder to show the ABB is the true protector of the Bay. Very well. I will have more instructions for you.”

“Very well.”

“Reina?”

“Yes, Great Lung?”

“I have worked you hard,” he said. “But I expect nothing less than Honor from my followers. You achieved a B in your math class exam.”

Wait. How did he—

“Do not do so again. I expect more of you.”

“Of course, Great Lung.”

After that, they finished lunch. Lung bought Reina dessert, something no adult had done since her mother had died.

It tasted good.