Chapter Text
Wind whistled through green-orange trees as the warm glow of the fading sun illuminated the shallow slope of a forest hill. A winding road snaked up the incline to a bend, where a lonely diner sat on the perch of the hill. A beat-up pickup truck sat in the cramped gravel parking lot, next to a faded brick wall and low-humming air conditioning unit. Mountain Vista Diner, read the sign of the building, the blinking neon letters faintly illuminating the darkening sky.
Heavy footsteps cracked through the worn pavement and gravel until they reached the dusted glass door of the establishment. It swung open and the shopkeeper’s bell rang hollowly across the empty seats and checkered tiles. The only occupant was an elderly mustached man who stood behind the front counter, licking his thumb as he counted and straightened a thin stack of bills. The scarlet paint of his name tag was almost completely faded but just visible enough to spell out two letters: Ed. He didn’t bother to look up at the sound of the new patron. Must’ve been an out-of-towner; everyone knew the diner closed at sunset.
“Just lettin’ ya know we’re closin’ soon.” Ed said absentmindedly as the sound of footsteps neared closer to the counter.
“This won’t take much time then.” A voice replied from in front of him.
Ed glanced up, a puzzled look on his face, as he wasn’t met with the light southern drawl of his usual customers. The accent he heard was some mix between Chinese and British – a rare sight for his neck of the woods. A tall, built man stood in front of him at the counter with a smug look of impatience on his face. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail, and a thin, perfectly trimmed beard framed his age-hardened face. A simple red leather jacket covered his broad shoulders and dark cargo pants ran from his waist to the bulky combat boots that left splotches of dirt on the dusty wooden floor. From his waistband held a short but sturdy sheath, the polished blade handle protruding in front of the jacket and into plain sight. Not an uncommon sight by any means, but threatening, nonetheless.
“You uh… needin’ directions or somethin’?” Ed asked hesitantly as he slowly set the bills down on the counter. The man’s narrow eyes only narrowed further, his gaze seeming to pierce straight inro Ed’s soul.
“Do I look lost?” The man said sharply, the freezing tone of his gruff voice instantly putting Ed on edge.
“Uh, no… I guess.” Ed mumbled in embarrassment. “It’s just that we’re closing now, that’s all.”
“Your sign says open.” The man said, his voice growing sharper.
“Right, I should probably flip that.” Ed said with a gulp. “Is there anythin’ else I can help with, then?”
“I’m looking for a friend.” The man said sternly, approaching the counter until his large, calloused hands were pressed on the worn wood, his gaze never leaving Ed’s nervously wandering eyes. Tight bandages had been hastily wrapped around the man’s wrist, but they didn’t seem to bother him as he gripped the counter’s surface.
“We uh… had a slow day today. Nobody’s stopped by in a while.” Ed said meekly. “Ranger station’s just up the hill… might I suggest you check that?”
“If it’s all the same, I think I’ll look around here.” The man replied annoyedly, his eyes darting around the empty dining room.
“Uh, yeah you’re free to do that.” Ed said nervously. “I just gotta ask ya not to go 'round the counter but everythin’ else’s all yours.”
The man eyed Ed suspiciously before slowly treading across the tiled floor, his eyes darting across the ceiling. Ed heard the creak of the bathroom door and the rattling of the exhaust fan before the sound of heavy footsteps once again reached the counter.
“The kitchen?” The man asked, the frustration heightened in his voice.
“I uh… we normally don’t take people back there.” Ed said hesitantly.
The man’s gaze only narrowed menacingly, forcing another gulp out of the elderly employee.
“Just make it quick, sir.” Ed finally said shakily, his hands fumbling in his pocket as he pulled out a set of lightly rusted keys.
He cautiously made his way to the kitchen door, heart pounding in his chest, and turned the bolt with a loud click. The door swung open, and Ed pointed the man inside. Ed followed a couple steps behind, positioning himself close to a wooden emergency box encasing a rusted, barely usable fire axe. The man peered over his shoulder, lightly smirking as Ed glanced away, his foot bouncing apprehensively on the creaky floorboards. The next 2 minutes felt like an eternity as the man meticulously pulled open cabinets and doors as he inspected every inch of the narrow kitchen. Despite his imposing frame, Ed was impressed at how the man managed to avoid bumping into any counters or loose utensils cluttered around the packed surfaces. The man reached the back corner of the kitchen where a heavy metal door stood in front of him.
“What’s behind this?” The man asked.
“Back exit.” Ed replied matter-of-factly. “Nothin’ but the woods.”
“Would you open it?” The man insisted.
“Uhh… like I said, nothin’ but—” Ed began.
“Open it!”
Ed could hear feel his blood pumping in his ears as he anxiously approached the door. The man had barely raised his voice, but it still nearly scared Ed shitless. He struggled with the keys under the poring gaze of the towering man but managed to fit the grooves through the lock. He twisted the knob slowly and pushed the door open. The man peered through and looked around for a second, confirming that the old shopkeeper wasn’t bluffing. He then let out a huff and began walking towards the diner entrance. Ed followed timidly, a bead of sweat slowly trailing down his forehead.
“You mentioned a ranger’s post?” The man said gruffly as he reached the door.
“Yeah… yeah it’s just up the road.” Ed repeated. “Keep followin’ it and you’ll see a sign on your left. Should take ya there no problem.”
The man gave a slight nod and turned to the door. He stopped for a moment and looked at the open sign that hung from the front window. He flipped it over with a scoff before pushing open the door, the bell once again ringing through the diner. The door clanged shut as the man’s silhouette disappeared along the road. Ed let out a deep sigh of relief as he collapsed at a stool behind the counter and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead. He cleared his throat before looking down at a cabinet below the register. He tapped it twice before swinging open the door.
“Coast is clear, Tommy.”
From the dark cabinet space flowed a deep gray vapor that trailed uniformly into the open floor behind the counter. It swirled until it was thick hovering ball and the color began to lighten as a humanoid shape began to emerge from the cloud. Lightly tanned arms and gloved hands were the first to appear. Torn pants and a shredded gray uniform took form, above which revealed a gaunt, mask-covered face and mess of ashen gray hair. The fully re-formed figure of Tomas Vrbada immediately collapsed to his knees in a panting heap as the last of the vapor disappeared from the diner. Sweat dripped down his bruised forehead and he clutched at his chest as his heavy, frantic breaths turned to exhausted coughs.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Ed said, his eyes wide in amazement, stuck in place watching the display before him. Tomas, meanwhile, looked up at the elderly man with desperate eyes.
“Water… please.” The assassin said weakly.
“Oh shoot, of course.” Ed said, embarrassment washing over his face as he grabbed a glass from the counter and frantically filled it from a nearby soda fountain. He handed the glass to Tomas, which was emptied greedily before being handed back to Ed. It must have been refilled 5 times before Tomas’s panting finally subsided.
An hour later, the pair sat quietly at one of the booths, a single bulb overhead providing dim lighting amidst the closed diner. Tomas sat quietly, eating from a bag of chips while Ed watched amusedly.
“So that’s the bastard your runnin’ from?” Ed asked, finally breaking the silence.
Tomas nodded in response.
“Hmmph, don’t blame ya.” Ed said. “Seemed like a mean ol’ bugger alright.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Tomas said through his chewing, frustration flashing across his face.
“If you don’t mind me askin’, what the hell’d he do to ya anyway?” Ed prodded.
Tomas hesitated. He knew better than to reveal his business, least of all to a civilian, but he at least owed the man some sort of explanation for helping him. It was the least he could do.
“He tricked me into a lie. A dangerous one.” Tomas replied grimly. “Had I not recognized it sooner… it may have cost me my life.”
“Golly.” Ed said worriedly. “I don’t even wanna know what kinda shit y’all get up to. I just hope you’ll hold up alright here.”
“No, I’ve already overstayed.” Tomas said nervously. “I must get moving soon… Sektor won’t be fooled for long.”
“Sektor?” Ed said with perplexed expression. “Can’t say I’ve met another one of those.”
Tomas only looked away, clearly disturbed by any thoughts of his Lin Kuei pursuer.
“Now I gotta ask.” Ed began. “Your little… ya know… cloud trick. How on Earth did ya pull that off?”
“A blessing from my ancestors, I guess.” Tomas said with a faint smile and Ed scoffed in bewilderment.
“Some blessin'… wish my mom and pop were that cool.” Ed said yearningly. “If I could just turn into thin air last thing I’d be worryin’ about is some fella chasin’ me. I mean, how the hell’s he even supposed to find ya?”
“Staying in place is one thing.” Tomas replied. “But moving around… even a few moments will drain my stamina tenfold.”
Ed nodded thoughtfully, trying to process everything he had seen in the last few hours. He was no stranger to hearing about supernatural beings on the news but to see one in person was nothing the TV could have prepared him for. He was even more surprised that the man in front of him carried himself, for the most part, like an everyday person. If it weren’t for the ninja costume and faint vapor trails drifting from his arms, he might have easily passed him on the street without a second glance. It was mind-blowing stuff, certainly terrifying, but exhilarating at the same time. He didn’t know how wise it was to trust a strange man he’d only met that day, but he’d been nothing but gracious, and this felt like an opportunity not worth passing up on.
“Lemme tell you what.” Ed began. “I was planning on closin’ up shop tomorrow anyway. Headin’ down to Asheville to visit the in-laws. It’s only about an hour away, but I wouldn’t mind some company on the drive. They’ve got a big police station too, I’m sure they can help ya out.”
“The police are useless against a man like Sektor.” Tomas scoffed.
“Well in that case, it’s a big city so you can blend in I guess.” Ed reasoned.
Tomas pondered for a moment, wondering whether to trust the elderly diner worker and if it was fair to expose him to that level of risk. Admittedly, there weren’t many options, and this was shaping up to be one of the better ones. If nothing else, Ed had been a generous host, even without a reason to be so trusting. Tomas let out a sigh, figuring that Ed’s offer was a chance worth taking. He just hoped he’d be able to keep the nice old man out of harm’s way.
“Alright… I’ll come with you.” Tomas said.
“Good man.” Ed said with a toothy grin. “We leave now we might get there before midnight.”
With that, the pair headed out of the diner and towards the clunker of a truck parked in the gravel. The sputtering engine interrupted the symphony of crickets and owls in the woods, though it eventually settled to a low hum as the rusted vehicle rumbled down the winding mountain road. Tomas peered out the window, keeping his eyes open for any sign of movement. Though the urge to close his eyelids and drift into his thoughts tempted him beyond imagination, he knew that vigilance was the only difference between life and whatever hell awaited him with Sektor. Still, as Ed began to hum a soft tune as they drifted along the road, Tomas couldn’t help but finally lean back in his seat and finally relax. The last several days had been a whirlwind of chaos, from Sektor randomly pulling him from the Lin Kuei temple to the nightmarish hole filled with surgical tools and buzzsaws that he woke up in. Running through the woods, away from that mysterious place, made him feel like an orphan again. He wondered if Bi-Han and Kuai Liang knew about it. They were the closest thing he had to brothers, but he wasn’t sure they’d believe him. Part of him still didn’t believe what happened. He’d worry about finding them later, though, and he returned his gaze to the road ahead, the low hum of Ed’s song putting him in a trance as the yellow lines continued to pass by.
As the car continued to drive down the hill and towards the open road, a man watched from the top of the peak, a pair of highly advanced binoculars held tightly in front of his face. He removed them to reveal narrowed eyes and a tight scowl, wind rustling his long, tied-back hair and trimmed beard. He raised his hand to reveal a watch-like device on his wrist and typed in several commands, before turning back and swiftly heading down the hill.