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Tigerman II and Amazon

“Annual Renewal” by Martin Maenza

The air shimmered as a powerful beam of energy, originating from high above in the Earth’s orbit, reassembled the molecules of two individuals. In mere seconds, a couple in plain clothes were standing on the brown soil, thousands of miles from where they had just been moments before.

The man in his mid thirties with black hair took a moment to breathe in the cool, crisp air. “So, this is your surprise?”

“Yes,” the similar aged but slightly more muscular blonde woman said. She hadn’t let him see the coordinates she entered into the satellite’s teleportation system.

“And where exactly are we?”

“The Greater Khingan Range. It’s in the northeastern part of China.”

The man nodded and pointed. “So, that puts the Mongolian Plateau in that direction, right?”

The woman smiled. “Very good, Mr. Brandon. You get an A plus in geography. And here I thought I was going to have to educate you on a few things.”

“Well, Miss Kane,” Stephen smiled back, “if I had teachers as pretty as you in school, I wouldn’t have been such an honors student.”

Diana pushed him away playfully. “You’re so full of it. I’ve seen your yearbook, remember?   You were a geek, albeit a good looking one.”

“I chalk that up to good genes,” the man laughed. “So, seriously,” he said, “why did you set the coordinates to teleport us down here? I thought we were going on a retreat.”

“We are,” the woman replied as she adjusted the pack on her back. “I just thought it would be distracting to show up suddenly out of thin air on the doorstep of our destination. And that’s the same reason we left the costumes behind as well. Come on.” She started on a broken stone path that proceeded up a slope.

“I see…,” Stephen said as he adjusted his pack. Then he saw where his partner was going. “Wait! We’re going that way?”

Diana smiled. “Yup. Nothing starts off the morning like a vigorous hike.”

“Up the mountain?” He glanced behind her and noticed the path quickly deteriorated into slight openings between the rocks and the brush. “I don’t even see a well marked path.”

“I know. It keeps out the riff raff. Race you!” And the woman took off like a shot.

“Hey! Wait!” The man started after her. “No fair!”

And so their trek began.

An hour and a few thousand feet in elevation later, the end of the journey was in sight. Rising ahead of them on a large plateau were two large doors, formed together by various tree trunks bound together. A small brass bell hung from atop the ten-foot high door frame with a long string attached that swayed gently in breeze.

Diana Kane reached the door way first, reached up and gave the string a good, solid tug. The bell clapper swung and made a loud clanging sound when it struck the inside of the instrument.

Stephen Brandon arrived right behind her, breathing a bit heavy.

“Out of shape, old man?” she asked playfully.

“You’re only a few months younger than me,” he reminded her.

“But you’re still older. For someone who went toe-to-toe with Taurus awhile back, I expected you would have been able to keep up without any problem.”

“I’m not the one with super-strength and stamina.”

“We’ll have to work on that.” She gave him a wink.

He could tell she was just being playful now. He liked seeing that side of her. “So,” he said after taking in a deep breath, “I take it you’ve been here before?”

“A number of times. I think you’ll find it very rewarding and relaxing.”

“After that extreme climb, I could use a little relaxation.”

There was a scraping sound on the other side of the door; a long wooden cross-bar was slid back and out of the way. Then, one of the doors creaked open.

A young Chinese woman, barely twenty, with short black hair and dressed in a beige robe peered out. Her usual somber expression that she wore for visitors brightened greatly when she saw who had rung the bell. “Diana!” the young woman exclaimed. She rushed forward to greet the blonde.

“Lie Tung!” Diana cried. She hurried forward and embraced the young woman who was a good bit shorter in height and smaller in build. “So good to see you again. I didn’t know you were still here.”

“Oh, yes,” Lie Tung replied. “I still have so much to learn before my path leads elsewhere. Please, come in.” She stepped inside the gate and motioned for them to follow.

Stephen and Diana did so.

The young woman then began to close the gate.

“Allow me to help,” Stephen offered as he reached past her and began closing the giant door. He then grabbed the handle on the large wooden bar and began to slide it into place. From the sheer weight of it and how difficult it was to move, it was easy to see how it kept the two wooden doors more secure. How did she move this herself? he thought. Contrary to Diana’s teasing, Stephen Brandon was in top physical shape and certainly much stronger than most men his age, thanks to a dedicated routine of conditioning. Clearly there was more to the young woman than met the eye.

The two women stood a few feet away as he worked. “He is very nice,” Lie Tung whispered to Diana.

“And he’s cute too,” Diana replied with a wink.

Lie Tung blushed at the comment.

Stephen brushed his hands together briskly to wipe away any dirt from his hands. He noticed the two females conversing quietly. “So, what’d I miss?”

“Nothing,” Diana said with a smile. “Just catching up.”

Lie Tung tried not to giggle.

“Where are my manners?” Diana said. “Lie Tung, this is Stephen Brandon. Stephen, this is Lie Tung.”

“So nice to meet you,” the young Chinese woman said with a slight bow.

“Same here,” the American male responded with a similar bow, out of respect for her culture.

“Come,” the young woman said, “before the sun sets in the west.” She started down a stone walkway. A few stone buildings could be seen in the distance, a few thousand yards away.

“Your English has improved greatly since my last visit,” Diana remarked.

“You are most kind to notice,” Lei replied. “The master has been helping me greatly with that. He said it helps remind him of home when we can converse in such a way.”

The master? Stephen thought. Where are we going to?

“How long have you been here, Lei Tung?” he asked aloud.

“My parents were killed when I was six years old,” she replied. “I had no family to go to. The master took me in and let me study with the others. It has been my home since then.” She smiled as they approached the cluster of buildings. Clearly she was proud to call the place home.

The buildings were simple structures, built from bricks no doubt made individually by hand. The roofs were thatched, made from branches and such from trees found on the mountain. The few windows seemed to have curtains behind them made from bamboo. There was a large structure in the center, with a number of smaller structures serving as a perimeter around it. In-between was a thriving garden. Stephen was hard pressed to figure out the age of the buildings. They seemed to be quite old, easily decades if not centuries old.

Lie Tung led them to one of the side buildings and entered the structure. Inside, a number of smaller rooms came off of the main hall. She gestured to a pair of rooms at the near end. “Your accommodations,” she said. “Inside you will find uniforms to wear during your visit.” She turned to the blonde woman. “Diana, you are familiar with the system, yes?”

Diana nodded. “One bell for meal time, two bells for meditation and three bells for training.”

“Very good,” Lie Tung said. “I must go to help prepare the evening meal.” She bowed and left them.

Stephen reached for the bamboo screen that served as the door to one of the rooms. “So, separate accommodations, eh?”

Diana reached for hers. “When in Rome…”

“It’ll be a change from the norm,” he said.

“Relax, tiger, you can survive a week,” she said.

The two disappeared into their rooms.

Stephen found the room to be sparsely decorated. The walls were smooth and bare. There was a small open chest in one corner of the room. He found he could place his belongings in there. A beige uniform, similar to the one Lie Tung wore, hung from a hook above the chest. He took it down and began to change into it. There were simple leather sandals waiting as well for him to wear.

The rest of the room consisted of a thick straw mat atop a small wooden platform. A simple brown blanket was fold up at the foot of it. Nearby was a small white porcelain bowl on a wooden pillar. Charming, he thought. Once dressed, he closed the small chest and exited the room.

Diana was waiting in the hall for him, now dressed in similar fashion.  “Ready?”

“I am,” he said. They started to walk. “So, you come here often?”

“I try to visit once a year,” she explained. “I consider it sort of a revitalization program. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.”

“If it makes you happy, how can I not?”

She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I think you’ll find it very enlightening.”

He nodded. I’m sure I will.

There was a single bell toll that came from the main structure. “Meal time,” Diana noted. “We should hurry.”

They moved towards the main building and saw others dressed in similar beige uniforms approaching as well. Three males and a female, all Asian in appearance, acknowledged the newcomers with a silent nod and entered the structure.

Inside, Stephen and Diana found a number of small mats placed around very short tables. On the tables were set bowls of rice and soup, and cups of drink. About twenty students in all were setting down on the mats. “We should take a spot,” Diana was saying to Stephen when she noticed Lie Tung at the front of the room gesturing to them. They walked up to the front.

“Please sit here,” she said as she indicated two spots at the head table. “The master has requested your company for the meal.”

“Thank you,” Diana said with a nod. She began to squat down on her mat.

Stephen did the same. He glanced about the room and realized some of the other students were staring. When he caught their glances, they looked down. He leaned closer to Diana and whispered, “I guess this is some kind of honor,” he said. “I wonder why we deserve it.”

The blonde just smiled. “You’ll see soon enough,” she whispered back.

Lie Tung sounded a small hand gong once sharply. The students all rose to their feet quickly, standing at full attention. Stephen followed Diana’s lead and did the same.

A brown haired male figure emerged through a set of bamboo curtains. He was about 5’10” in height, medium build and his clean-shaven face showed the wisdom of a man who had lived a bit more than half a century. He wore black pants, made from the same material as the uniform the students wore. His tunic however was red in color, and a black belt tied it snuggly about his waist.

The students all bowed upon his arrival.

He bowed back, an acknowledgement to their sign of respect. He then walked barefoot across the room to the open mat as his table. There was a twinkle in his brown eyes as he smiled at the pair waiting to dine with him. “My friends, welcome to the Kwoon,” the master said. He sat down upon his mat and gestured for them to do the same.

“Thank you, Sifu,” Diana said before sitting. “Good to see you again.”

Stephen paused for a moment before sitting; his eyes were focused as he studied the man’s face while piecing together information. “Hold on a second,” he said as a light bulb went off in his head. “The Kwoon. That face.” He created circles with his thumbs and forefingers, and then held up his hands so that they obscured part of the man’s face. “Karate Master!”

The older man smiled and nodded. “It has been a long time since I went by that name regularly, Stephen,” Aaron Brannett replied.

“Diana, why didn’t you tell me?” Stephen asked.

“You’re the detective,” she said with a smile. “I thought you’d enjoy figuring it all out for yourself.”

“I was very pleased to hear you’d be joining Diana,” Aaron said. “I never got an opportunity to speak with you the last time we were together.” The man recalled the solemn occasion, the funeral for their mutual friend Frederick Genz – their colleague Rubberman. “How are your mother and father, Stephen?” He took a taste of the rice before him.

“They’re good, real good,” Stephen replied. “They are thinking about taking time to go on a world cruise, now that Dad’s left political office.”

“That’s right,” Aaron said. “He was the mayor of Newark, right?”

Stephen nodded as he had a mouthful of rice.

“Maybe they should pay a visit here while they’re out and about,” Diana suggested.

“That would be nice,” Aaron said. “I would much rather see old friends during more positive times. That is why I so enjoy your visits, Diana.” He reached out and gave the woman’s left hand a gentle squeeze.

Stephen caught a glimpse of the action as he took a sip of tea. Once he swallowed, he said, “Diana tells me she tries to visit once a year. How long has that been going on?”

“What has it been, my dear?” Aaron asked, “Ten or twelve?”

“This year makes the fourteenth retreat,” the blonde replied. “The first time was back in 1987.”

“1987?” Stephen repeated. “Wasn’t that when…?”

“Yes,” she interjected. “I had lost most of my powers during the invasion by the Destroyer’s forces.”

“I do remember that. We shared some time in the infirmary together.”

“Exactly. And right after that, I was kidnapped by some old enemies of mine, brainwashed and then used as part of plan for revenge against my teammates. Once I got my head cleared out, I went for a check up with Dr. Speed. He suggested I pay a visit to the Kwoon to kind of put things back in focus. So I did.”

“And she was such a quick study,” Aaron added. “She took the various martial forms quite well. She’s a born warrior.”

“Thank you, Sifu,” she said with a slight blush.

“Yes, she’s a warrior all right,” Stephen said. “I guess that explains where she gets some of those moves from.”

“She is a good student,” the teacher replied. He took a moment to sip some tea. “Since you mentioned him, how is the good doctor?”

“Retired,” Stephen said.

Aaron nodded. “And Rexx?”

“Also retired,” Stephen replied.

Again, another nod. “And I suppose Sandy has retired as well?”

“Yes,” Stephen pointed out. “Though her daughter has taken up the cloak and serves on the team now.”

Aaron nodded. “Ah, yes,” he said solemnly. “The Gang was always a bit of a family affair, especially after you and Jonah joined the roster. It is always good to see that.”

“Diana and some of her teammates joined as well,” Stephen explained, “helping to fill in when so many of the founders left.”

“We’re both looking forward to the next few days,” Diana said. “It will be a good chance to sharpen our existing skills and perhaps pick up a few new maneuvers.”

“Hmmm, yes,” Aaron said as he pondered a moment. “I do have something that you might find interesting.”

“Promise you won’t go easy on us,” she said with a bit of insistence in her voice.

“You come here with a purpose,” the teacher responded. “I would not have it any other way.”

As Stephen continued with the meal, he wondered what the martial master had in store for them.

***

“Haiyah!” Lie Tung let out a loud cry as she lunged forward with a closed fist punch.

Stephen Brandon skillfully dodged the attack, pivoted on his left foot and grabbed the young woman’s forearm with both hands. With a smooth motion, he pulled her forward and flipped her over onto the mat. Her body made a loud slap when it met the padding.

His pride faded slightly as he realized how hard he tossed her over. “Lie Tung! I’m sorry,” he apologized and offered her a hand. “I hope I didn’t…”

The young woman grabbed his arm suddenly with both hands and, using her legs and back for leverage, yanked him downward.

Stephen lost his footing and tumbled forward. He was forced to execute an acrobatic roll, which was pretty much second nature to him anyway, to avoid falling down directly onto the woman. When he rolled to his feet, he saw Lie Tung was now standing as well.

“You cannot let your guard down for a second,” she said plainly. There was no hint of arrogance in her voice; she merely appeared to be reciting a lesson she no doubt heard so many times from the master.

Stephen smiled. “Yeah, I know that. I just kind of forgot.”

“Shall we continue our sparing?” she asked.

Stephen’s attention was diverted though as he looked over the young woman’s shoulder.

Across the way, Diana was working with Aaron on some battle-staff techniques. The two had been going at it quite loudly minutes before; the sounds of the wooden staffs crashing together filled the practice hall. But now the brown haired man was standing behind her, his arms reaching about her waist as she held the staff out in front of her. His hands guided her hips as she worked through a particular sequence of swings; his head was close to her ear so he could offer further instruction.

Stephen was fixated, mesmerized, by the exchange. Did she just laugh at something he said?

“Mr. Brandon?”

The black haired male was snapped back to the moment when Lie Tung called out his name once more. “Mr. Brandon, are you all right?”

Stephen blinked and adjusted his eyes to face the young woman. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Did you ask me something?”

Lie Tung was not offended that he had not been listening to her. The tone in her voice remained even and calm. “I asked if you wished to continue our sparring.”

“No,” Stephen said, and then he added “thank you. I think perhaps I’d like to see if your master would like to spar with me.” He gave her a slight bow and then proceeded to make his way around the training area along the perimeter of the mats. As he did so, he watched carefully too as Diana and Aaron got back to the execution of their staff training.

The two staffs clashed together loudly. Whack.

“Good block!” the instructor said.

Another swing and another crash. Whack.

“Excellent.”

Diana watched Aaron’s movements, waiting for an opening to strike. “My guard won’t drop with…” Whack. “…compliments alone.”

The older man smiled. “I wouldn’t expect it to.” He swung high; she countered it with a swing of her own. Whack. He then took another swing, this one low.

Diana leapt into the air, letting the staff edge sweep beneath her bare feet. At the same time, she brought her staff around and down in a solid swing. The weapon nailed Aaron squarely in the left shoulder.

Aaron tumbled to the mats, his staff trailing behind him. He performed a roll and tried to get to his feet, all the while keeping his staff under control. Before he could bring his weapon back up, the point of Diana’s staff touched his chest squarely and firmly. He looked up to see the blonde woman smiling confidently.

“I’ve got you right where I want you,” she said.

The master nodded. “It would appear you do.” He rose to his feet. “Shall we go again?”

“I’m game,” Diana said eagerly.

“Hey, lady,” Stephen called from the sidelines. “How’s about sharing our esteemed host? You can’t keep hogging his time all to yourself now.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied. “Did you want to do staff training as well?”

“Nah,” Stephen said as he placed his right hand into his left and cracked his knuckles loudly. “I was thinking more along the lines of some hand to hand combat.”

Aaron nodded. “I would be most happy to do some application training with you, Stephen,” he said. He handed his battle staff to Diana who proceeded to take the weapons over to the sidelines.

“Good luck, tiger,” Diana said softly to Stephen as she passed him.

“No luck needed,” Stephen confidently replied as he stepped onto the mat. He approached the older man and bowed. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Aaron bowed back. “Then let us begin.”

The two men went at it for the better part of a half hour, throwing martial strikes and punches as well as dodging. Very few hits from either man actually connected. Their demonstration in martial prowess attracted the attention of the other students in the training room, many of whom stopped their own exercises to observe the intense interaction.

Lie Tung stood next to Diana Kane. “He is good,” she remarked softly to her friend.

The blonde nodded. “He certainly is driven,” she said as she watched Stephen try to land another blow. Aaron dodged it skillfully. As if he has something to prove.

“You fight very well,” Aaron said as he threw a punch of his own.

Stephen pivoted to the side, avoiding the blow. “I learned from the best,” he said as he threw a punch of his own, this one barely grazing his opponent’s arm, “my father.” He took a step back, sweat running down his brow. “He taught me everything he knew.”

Aaron smiled as he was clearly enjoying the vigorous workout himself. He lunged forward to his left. “And I taught him much of what he knew.”

Stephen pivoted out of the way.

Aaron then swept his right foot beneath Stephen’s feet, causing the younger man to lose his balance. He then followed through with a grab to Stephen’s arm, pulling him forward even more so. The brown haired man then sent the black haired man falling to the mat. “But, I did not teach him everything that I knew. And there in lies the distinction.” Aaron offered his hand to help the young man rise.

Stephen glared at the gesture and did not accept it. He rose to his feet on his own. “Good work out,” he admitted.

“And to you,” Aaron replied. “I hope you found it as beneficial as did I.”

“I need some air,” Stephen said abruptly as he turned and walked towards the exit of the training room.

Lie Tung and the other students noticed and were shocked that he had not bowed before leaving the master’s presence. They too were a bit surprised when their The master did not call him on this clear gesture of disrespect. “Diana, is Mr. Brandon okay?” she asked.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” she replied.A bruised ego is nothing to get overly concerned about.

Still, after about a half hour of taolu, a series of movement techniques, Diana noted that Stephen still hadn’t returned to the training center. She excused herself and set out to look for him.

Her first stop was the meditation gardens that were situated in the area between the buildings. She often spent time there on her past visits; the slow flowing jade fountains and the tranquility of being among nature were conducive to focusing one’s chi or inner energy. He certainly could have used that, she thought. But, a quick survey of the area revealed he was not there.

Diana’s next guess was back at their temporary living quarters, so she quickly headed there. She knocked on the door frame before pushing aside the bamboo curtain to his room. “Stephen?” There he was, lying on his back on the straw mat and staring at the ceiling. “Are you okay?” She reached down to feel his forehead.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” he asked sternly.

Diana paused and frowned at his tone. “You should be too,” she said. “I was concerned when you didn’t come back.”

“Hmmph,” Steven said. “I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know.”

Diana looked at him with quizzically. “What are you talking about?”

Steven sat up. “Look, why don’t you just go back to your master? He’s the reason you came here anyway. Though I still can’t figure out why you wanted me tagging along on this trip, all things considered.”

“I thought you would enjoy it and get something out of it.”

“Oh, I got something out of it all right!”

“Oh, come on, now. So the sifu got the best of you in a little sparring match. That’s to be expected. After all, he is the master at most known forms of martial arts. Believe me; I’ve been on the receiving end from him quite a few times over the years.”

“I bet you have.”

There was that tone again. “Stephen, what is wrong with you? First you walk out after the sparring match without respecting the sifu and now…”

“Respecting him?” Stephen burst. “Are you serious? How can you seriously think I’m going to respect a guy who’s hitting on my girlfriend?”

“What?” Diana blinked. “Whoa! Wait a second…back up. You think he was hitting on me?”

“I’m not blind, Diana.”

The blonde woman started to chuckle at the idea. “No, but you are dumb. There is no way he was hitting on me. His passion and his interest are all in this school and in passing along knowledge to his students. That’s what he’s committed his life to. Why do you think he left behind a life back at home, where he had good friends and colleagues who care about him, to come here? This place and what it represents mean so much to him that he was willing to give up everything else.”

“Perhaps,” Steven said, “but he is only human.”

“That’s right,” Diana said. “He’s only human. And unlike some of the others in the Gang, he had no special super-powers or gadgets or artifacts to help him. He did it all by honing his body and mind to be the best martial artist he could be. And now he tries to impart some of that knowledge and skill on those who are willing to be taught. I would think you of all people could appreciate that.”

“I do,” Steven said. He paused and looked Diana in the eyes. And all the frustration he had been feeling just started to melt away. “I…I guess I overreacted, huh?”

“Gee, you think?” Diana said as she playfully punched him in the upper arm.

Stephen rubbed his arm a bit. Even when she was pulling her punches, it still stung a little. “Sorry if I got a little jealous.”

“No problem,” she said as she threw her arms about his neck. “In fact, it’s kind of a little flattering. So, you actually thought there was something between Aaron and me? Seriously?”

Stephen just shrugged his shoulders. “Well…”

“Come on, tiger,” she said. “I mean, really, he’s almost old enough to be my father.”

“Old enough to be my father too.”

Diana smiled. “Now your father is another matter entirely…”

“Hey!” Steven exclaimed.

Diana laughed. “Just kidding.” She planted a kiss on his lips. “We so have to work on your sense of humor.”