Officer?...Officer? Officer, Officer, Officer!?

  Of course! Why didn’t Martial Kim realize it before!? The men in the elevator! He’s fought them before!

  Back at Keekee’s cabin, in the mountains! The memories of him fighting off a full police raid on his own came flooding back to him. He recalled one of them had a particular scream whenever his arm was twisted in the other direction.

  It all started to make sense...but did it really?

  --- Impossible. Why would the police be behind Keekee’s disappearance... Don’t tell me, they’ve been bribed? Or is someone else posing as the authorities?... Could this is this a kidnapping in disguise?

  Courtesan Fae Fae. Something about her case occupied the young master’s mind.

  He then recalled how people in power had been paying off both police and criminal underworld to clean up their mess, wipe off evidence, and push the blame on others to steer away suspicion.

  --- To think, even in this world full of heavenly technology and common convenience, such petty evil still persists. Shameful, most shameful!

  To be honest, he didn’t have much time to think of those details. The important thing was finding Keekee...but where? Surely the Stout Nurse would have told him, right? There’s no way she was on their side in all this, right?

  --- Clever. Not telling the nurse exactly where Keekee is going. If it were me, I would have likely told a similar nurse another location in the opposite direction, to divert my attention even more!

  So, essentially this was a needle in a haystack. Or in this case, a needle inside of a big hospital. Martial Kim was confident he could snuff out every floor and corner...alas, this modern hospital was like a maze in its own – even if he had a map in his hand would still get lost and end up in the cafeteria. Or worse: underground parking.

  If only he he had a friend. A familiar face to help him out! At this point, he can’t trust any ‘officers’ stationed in the hospital, not after what was going on.

  “...Hmm?...Why, Officer Tanner! What a coincidence! I beseech your aide!”

  “Huh?—Oh crap.”

  “Officer Tanner? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost. It’s me! Teacher’s disciple: Martial—Oh sorry, Officer Tanner. Are you on duty? Is that a prisoner you’re transporting.”

  “Oh shyeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.”

  “What? Why are you sweating? Is the patient really that dangerous? To have them restrained to the bed like that? Who exactly is this...vi...llain?......”

  Good news: the prisoner Martial Kim was staring at was not a serial killer in a ‘WANTED’ posters.

  Bad news: the young master found Keekee.

  Worse news: Martial Kim found his friend hand cuffed to her bed, a frail arm dangling at the hangman’s noose of stainless steel.

  “...Officer Tanner.”

  “NopeTotallyWrongGuy—RUUUUUUUUN!”

  Officer Tanner wasn’t alone. He had several other men in police uniform escorting Keekee’s bed. And he thanked god for those numbers, because he had enough horse power to make a run for it. The bed may be running on wheels, but it’s mass was a complication on its own. As if this thing can turn on a dime, this wasn’t built for drifting or street races!

  “Don’t look back! Just keep moving! Don’t you dare stop!”

  They bolted, like rabbits! Scattering off into the winds and no turning back! What they failed to realize, the one chasing after them wasn’t a sneaky fox, or a violent viper.

  It was a god damn flying tiger!

  “HOLY SHYET! IS KIM TELEPORTING!?”

  Officer Tanner swore, every time he glanced over his shoulder, the young master was gaining on their heels with every leap he made in the hallway. He felt two more glances, and the flying tiger would bite him on the shoulder.

  What to do? What to do? Even if he emptied a full clip of his gun, it won’t be enough to shoot this tiger dead!

  “OFFICER TANNER!” Martial Kim howled as he moved on his flying skills, “STOP RIGHT NOW AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”

  “DON’T HATE ME FOR THIS KIM BOY!” The officer screeched, nearly wetting himself right there, “I’M JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS!”

  “WHO!? WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR—Ah!”

  What was that? A hospital blanket? Leaping out of the middle of nowhere like a ghost? Who threw that? Why?

  Questions stunned the young master as it was enough for the blanket to grapple onto his face and block his vision. Just as he yanked it off, something melted through the cloth like a ghostly face.

  Make that, a ghostly fist!

  Out of instinct, the young master swung his own fist to counter it and they knuckle to knuckle!

  The next thing he knew, he was throwing hands with the hospital blanket! Or rather, someone who was on the other side of that cover!

  A battle of shadow puppets across the canvas, throwing jabs and strikes at one another as their silhouette glided across the blanket surface. And the lunge, of a burrowing spider throwing it’s spider web to catch its prey!

  The young master then used Coiling Tail of the Moon Snake, to turn the flying blanket into a flailing whip. A few snaps here and there and he forced his adversary to get some distance from this strikes.

  Just when he wanted to take advantage and follow up with a counter attack...he felt his soul leaving his body.

  “No...it can’t be...Why? Why you of all people!? Why you!? Aren’t you Keekee’s Friend!?”

  Detective Fraulein rubbed at her bruised knuckle, shaking the sting off her hand.

  There was a lot of things to say right now, but she felt there was either no time nor room for discussion. This argument has to be one sided. There was no other way. That was what she believed.

  “You didn’t need to see all that,” She tried not to spit in the young master’s face as she hissed, “I planned everything out perfectly. But no, you had to feel something was off and ruin it all! To think, I wasted an entire SWAT unit just to keep you in check. Damn it Kung-Fu Boy!”

  “Detective Fraulein! Explain yourself! What is going on!? What are you doing to Keekee!?”

  “Relax, Kung-Fu Boy. She’s fine. She’s safe, just...” The detective felt hot coal welling up in her throat, “we’re moving her to the prison ward in the hospital.”

  “...P...prison ward? Prison ward!?” The young master’s heart sank to his feet, “Those are for criminals! What right do you have, to force Keekee to live amongst them!? You’re putting her in danger!”

  “Just shut up, for a god damn minute! There’s been a murder and—”

  “What does this have to do with Keekee!?”

  “THE DEAD GUY IS HER BOSS, THE DIRECTOR, DAMMIT!”

  “..............................................”

  “Keekee...K...She’s our primary suspect.”

  Martial Kim felt his knees buckled, but he drew on the strength from tomorrow to keep his wits together. “I-impossible! Keekee has been in the hospital for days, completely unconsciou!. Surely even your common sense can tell you: she is physically incapable of murder, let alone get out of her bed!”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Detective Fraulein sucked in the air between her clenched teeth, “The victim was killed roughly around the same time when Keekee got into the accident. We also found her belongings at the crime scene. Surely even your common sense can tell you: she was involved somehow.”

  --- How dare you! How dare you use my own words against me! And to push the blame on Keekee, just like that? What is the matter with you!?

  “...Teacher! Where is Teacher!?” Martial Kim demanded, “You should have consulted with him first! Surely with his intellect and forensic experience he can tell you otherwise! This has to be a mistake!”

  “Kim.” Detective Fraulein gritted her teeth, “If Stone didn’t prove this was Keekee, I wouldn’t be making this move at all.”

  “...Wh...what?”

  “Keekee’s finger prints, the victim’s blood on her belongings, even the shoe prints left at the crime scene. If he hadn’t been 100% sure, do you think I would be stupid enough to face you like this?”

  --- No. It can’t be. T-Teacher? Teacher believes Keekee is the one? Impossible, what happened to the power of forensic? How could such truths be twisted like this? Th-this isn’t Teacher at all!

  “.........................................................”

  “Come on Kung-Fu Boy. Put the blanky down and—HEY! LET GO OF MY HAND! THAT’S A CHEAP MOVE YOU BASTARD!”

  Words were meaningless, only action can turn the wheels of fate right now.

  Martial Kim whipped the hospital blanket as swift as a frog’s tongue. With one flick, he was able to snatch the fly straight out of the air – in this case, Detective Fraulein’s hand.

  With a yank, he reeled her aside like a sea bass out of water to clear his way to reach Keekee. He did, however, regret not knocking out or tying up the detective when he had the split second chance. Now that karma was coming to bite him in the ass like a wolf.

  “Now I’m REALLY pissed, you jackass!!”

  Detective Fraulein stripped down. She lobbed her heavy jacket at the young master to make him flinch, followed by kicking off her two shoes as projectiles to try and stun him. With a quick roll of her sleeves and hopping on each leg to peel off her socks, she charged at the young master like a bare footed madwoman.

  And stole a doctor’s stethoscope off the nursing station to arm herself!

  “HIYAAAAH! WOTCHAAA!”

  --- Wh-why is she making such a strange noise—OOF!

  Martial Kim’s mind was split between wanting to save Keekee and why would Prof. Stone approve of such a dastard plan. Somehow, Detective Fraulein took advantage of this and swung out with her stethoscope nunchakus to try and beat the young master down!

  ...That or slow him down, enough for Officer Tanner and his men to move the patient/prisoner to the right floor without interruptions.

  “HYAAAA! WAPPAAAAA! HYOOOO!”

  “...........”

  Martial Kim gave the detective her 10 seconds of fame, before he ended it all with a whip of his blanket. One slash and he wounded it around her leg, to ‘pull the carpet’ from under her.

  Only he failed to realized, that was exactly what she wanted!

  Detective Fraulein took advantage of her forced somersault, and landed three karate style kicks into the young master’s chest and the last heel into his chin!

  Wow! It’s been a while since anyone landed a bare handed, or bare footed, blow to him like that! He was, after all, the owner of Moon Tavern that recruited hundreds of martial talents. If the leader didn’t stand above them all, like the master of a martial arts sect, how would anyone take him seriously!?

  So, the young master started to question if the sword in his heart had been dulled – or did this dagger he was facing sharpened her blade since they last met!?

  “Aaaagh! Detective! Please, let me help Keekee!”

  “Sorry buddy, but your definition of help sounds like running away with her! That, or you’re going to make this more of a mess than the Belt Rapist Case!”

  “Honestly! Is cracking a swift case all you care about!? Are you that willing to use the corpse of your friend to rise up the ranks!?”

  “You asshole! You think I’m doing this to get a promotion!? HYAAAAAAAAAH!”

  Detective Fraulein thought she had the lead in the fight, but the moment she realized her stethoscope nunchaku went missing, her gut dropped. Wh-when did the young master disarm her? Was it the third, fourth, or even seventh palm strike?...Damn! Well if she can’t have a weapon, NEITHER CAN HE!

  With flip and yank, she grabbed onto the bed sheet and countered with a couple of kicks to the knee and shin. It happened to be enough for Martial Kim to lose his grip on it.

  But he wasn’t exactly weaponless

  “Forgive me, Miss Nurse. I need to borrow this!”

  “Wait. Kim! YOU CAN’T WEAPONIZE A COMPUTER! THAT’S AN ILLEGAL MOVE!”

  Martial Kim used a C.O.W. (Computer on wheels) and swung it around like a M.O.W. (mace on wheels). The sheer mass of the equipment bashed into the detective and sent her stumbling a good 10 paces across the floor. Not giving up, Detective Fraulein brought her back to her feet with a kip up and braced herself for the second swing!

  Only to anticipate the movements and leap up into the air, shrinking her body to be as small as a fleeting mantis. Barely dodging another bludgeoning, she expanded herself to land a flying kick!

  “OOOF!” The young master was caught off guard and ended up flipping backwards over the nursing station. His fall sent bodies and staff scattering like birds as he crumpled in a heap on the floor. Just as he brought himself to his knees, he clenched, “DETECTIVE! WAIT!”

  “BANZAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!”

  Then Detective Fraulein used humankind’s ultimate move – the classic body slam! WHAP! It was a sight even professional wrestlers would shed a tear of pride for!

  The next thing anyone knew, everyone was staring at two fighting snakes tangled up with each other!

  “You can’t do this, not to Keekee!” Martial Kim hissed as he failed to control his anger. “How can you be certain, she is the murderer!? She has yet to wake up and testify! It must be all a big mistake!”

  “Damn it all, you just don’t get it, do you!?!” Detective Fraulein screeched as she tried to ‘strangle’ the young master to ‘death’ in a headlock “HNNNNG! WE HAVE AN EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT!”

  “..........”

  “Night of the murder—hnnnnng—someone in the neighborhood—hnnnng—came past the victim’s house! Th-they ran into—hnnnng—Keekee, who was noted to be heading into the house! The timing—hnnnnng—was right within the time of death! So that’s why—Hnnnng—I have no choice but to detain her! Standard procedure!”

  “...........”

  “Yeah! Of course I’m not happy about this! This is my friend we’re talking about! She’s a kind gal, I know! But I’m a policewoman! This is my job! If I lax my hand right now, someone else would take it over and make it more of a hell for her! I rather be the one to pull the trigger on her, at least, I know I can make it painless!”

  “............”

  “Hnnnnng! You shut your ass mouth, Kim! This is all your fault! If only you stayed off the floor a little while longer, then we wouldn’t be in this mess! I didn’t want you to see any of this! I swear, we were going to tell you later! So stop fighting and....Kim?....Kim?....Hey Kung-Fu Boy say something...Oh shit—ARE YOU DEAD!?”

  O-h good god. Oh lord almighty. Detective Fraulein didn’t mean to commit homicide on the young master. She just wanted to strangle—er, put him in a submission lock to calm him down. She never wanted to make him stone cold dead... Wait, wait, wait.

  ...When could Martial Kim transform into a portable oxygen tank? A ninja switch!?

  “...KIM! GET BACK HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

  The moment Detective Fraulein spotted Martial Kim racing down the hallway, there was nothing she could do. She lost, completely defeated, even when neither of them were knocked out. So there was nothing else she could do...

  ...Except throw a computer keyboard at him.

  Essentially, a temper tantrum attack.

  The moment Professor Stone saw the unconscious SWAT officers stuffed in the elevator, he knew he was too late.

  Man, hospital parking can be a bitch at times. So he blamed wasting his time on that.

  “Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.”

  With no other choice, the forensic chemist raced up the stairs. He was never a fan of running marathons, but the 15 flights of stairs broke an all time record. However, instead of receiving a medal when he reached the goal, he got a tongue lashing instead from the nursing station.

  “STONE! WHERE WERE YOU!? YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE DESIGNATED NEGOTIATOR!”

  “I...ah...haa...haa...ooooh....”

  Prof. Stone tried to say ‘It was your fault for locking all the elevators and hogging the only one left!’ but he felt his heart would give out when he reached ‘your’. So he saved his strength to reach his friend, stumbling over a body or two.

  “Fraulein! What did you do? Please tell me you didn’t throw a grenade at Kim!”

  “Sh-shut up and give me a hand dammit! I can’t feel my legs! Help me up! Up!”

  “Wh-what the hell are you wearing under your shirt? I...is that Kevlar?”

  “I—cough—had a feeling Kim would freak out like this. Community school karate can only do so much. So I had to come prepare just...Fuuuu...My back.”

  With a pained wheeze, Detective Fraulein ripped open her top to let her burning skin and bruises fresh air, revealing the bullet proof vest and tank top she was wearing under it all. Why, she even had a couple of hospital magazines falling out from under her clothing. Each of them crushed with fist shaped holes right through their pages.

  “Relax, Stone. It’s, ack! It’s just a scratch. Don’t be such a bab—ack—baby!”

  “Body scratch my ass, your arm is dislocated! And where’s Kim!?”

  “Where do you think!? He’s probably ran off saving his damsel in the...Wait, is...is that him?”

  Why was Detective Fraulein pointing at the ground? There was no stairs or elevator in that direction. Just a long hallway with a lot of...or rather just one body. Why it happened to be the exact same one Prof. Stone tripped over.

  Odd. Why does this person unconscious on the floor look so familiar? Like a tiger shot down from the sky.

  “KIM!? KIM!” Prof. Stone raced over to check on his protege, panic in his voice, “For god’s sake, Fraulein! What did you do to the poor boy? Why does he have a bruise the size of Mount Everest on the back of his head!?”

  “...Ah...” The crippled detective made a noise of realization with an ‘o’ shaped mouth, “Keyboard.”

  Dayum...Good throw, detective. Hole in one.

  “FRAULEIN! I TOLD YOU TO PERSUADE KIM, NOT MURDER HIM!”

  “THE BASTARD WAS A FREAKING BEAR! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO, DIE!?”

  Quick! Quick! Is there a doctor in the house!?