Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
It was a cold November day. The sky was part clear with a crisp icy wind blowing on the hilltop. Shelly was to be buried next to her parents at the Yeung Memorial. Guests arrived in black out of respect and a beautiful ceremony was served in the tiny chapel. It was filled with mourning for the loss of a friend or loved one.
Ryan looked tired, like he hadn’t slept for day. He approached the podium to do a final speech before they took her away forever “I want to thank you all for coming. Shelly would be very happy to know this many people care for her.” He looked down at his empty hands, he wanted to speak from the heart. A few sniffles in the crowd caused him to close his eyes “She was a very gentle soul, always laughing, so naďve and that was why I was drawn to her. Most of you don’t know how we met. She thought I was a thief and accidentally sprayed glass cleaner in my eye and instead of panicking, she took me straight to the hospital. Silly as it may sound, but I knew she would be the one at that very moment when I pretended to be blinded by the spray and she bawled at my feet.” The memory only brought tears to his eyes but he continued, “I will never forget her for she lives in my heart and I know we all will still be missing her years from now. Once again, thank you all for coming.” His voice was quivering as he thanked them quietly and walked down to let the priest take over.
The burial was in slow motion. Flowers were overfilling her gravesite with tons of white lily casablancas set at her grave after the burial was finished. Slowly the guests began to leave while the team stayed behind with their fellow agent. Ryan knelt down in front of her grave, silent tears crept from his eyes and dripped onto the lilies underneath him.
Erin was drained from tears as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder “Don’t be so sad. She wouldn’t want you to be like this.” He nodded slowly “Maybe you should take a break from the team.”
Matt quickly agreed, “Yes, it’s best. Joe will not mind.”
Ah Bat was forced to come along and he was not feeling safe, squirming he began to complain “Are you sure this is safe? They could be watching me right now…Ah!!” he jumped back “Did you see that? It was a red target laser beam…on my arm.” Spinning in circles, he looked like a paranoid lunatic between a group of well dressed people.
Erin’s eyes darkened “Becca.” She only needed to say her name.
“I’m on it.” Becca replied as she pushed Ah Bat harshly “Come on! No one asked for you opinion.”
“Hey, your superiors said to treat me with respect!” Ah Bat complained when he almost tripped over his own foot.
She raised a brow at him “I’ll give you something to respect…” muttering under her breath, she led him far away from the group.
Ryan sighed, “Can I be alone with her?”
Erin turned to her teammates “Come on guys.”
One by one, they left him alone but it was Jenna that paused and returned to his side with one last word of motivation “If I was Shelly, I would not want to see you sad. I would want to figure out who the killer is and take revenge. Everyone needs a goal in life to continue living. Make that yours.” He turned to her with a slow smile as she returned the grin and left him be.
**********
At the bottom of the hill, they reached the vans as the group separated. Ah Bat settled in his seat in the back comfortably “This is the life.” He sighed.
Jenna pushed his crossed leg down roughly “Yes, enjoy it while you are still alive.”
He widened his eyes at her “Don’t curse me!”
Chuck snickered “She doesn’t have to. If you continue to drag out this case, then you’re giving them a bigger chance to find you .”
“You…you people don’t scare me!” he said in a shaky voice.
Leah smiled “Then why do you sound like a stuttering chicken?”
“I…I…don’t…” he stammered. Ah Bat began to sweat as Chuck’s words sank into his head “I need a drink…I want to go out tonight.”
“No.” Chuck replied shortly.
“Why not? Joe agreed that I would not lose my regular lifestyle. I have cut down a lot for you people, why can’t you just let me do this one thing—”
Jenna was tired of his whining, “It’s okay Chuck. We’ll take him out.”
Chuck knew it would be good experience for his young team “Okay. Jenna, you’re in charge. Bring Riley along too, he’ll be dropping by headquarters to pick up his tag. Mark and Leah, you two be on the lookout.” He pointed at Ah Bat warningly “And you, no funny business. Don’t make it harder for us to protect you. That means, no going anywhere by yourself.”
Ah Bat rolled his eyes “Yes…yes…”
**********
That night after Ah Bat had a delicious steak dinner while the four watched him savor his food like a hungry animal. They headed off to his favorite bar ‘Monet’, supposedly an upperclass bar but Jenna couldn’t tell a difference with the motorcycles and gangsters loitering at the door. Ah Bat greeted them with a nod, smugly turning to his bodyguards “I am well known here.” He commented to them.
“I see.” Jenna snickered while rolling her eyes at Leah who laughed at the expression.
Ah Bat started off at the bar as he ordered himself a drink. Turning to his left, he found a beautiful girl in a red mini skirt and a low cut black top “Hey.” He greeted coolly.
The four turned their backs to Ah Bat and kept a semi circle to make sure no one could come near him. The girl did not look interested “What do you want?” she asked rudely.
Ah Bat took his beer and drank it slowly, his eyes still plastered on her bosoms “Nothing… just wondering if you want to dance.” He suddenly snapped his fingers as if remembering something “Wait, I can’t. My bodyguards won’t allow me to.”
Mark snickered “Lame.”
Jenna grinned as she threw him a smile. Suddenly, her face fell “Huge guy three o’clock, coming at us.”
Riley turned to Ah Bat “Pstt!!” he hissed.
But Ah Bat was too into himself and flirting with the girl that he didn’t hear the warning “So, where are you from?” he grazed her thigh lightly while she smiled, knowing what he was going to get for touching her.
“It doesn’t matter, but my boyfriend is from the Tiger Gang. You want to meet him?” the girl smiled evilly as she got up and walked towards the muscle bound guy.
“You had to flirt with her?” Leah barked at Ah Bat “There were so many girls but you had to chose her?”
Ah Bat stepped behind Jenna, who was in her ready stance “Your father said that I will be protected, he said that I will not have a scratch on me…and your fat leader agreed—”
“Shut up!” Jenna snapped.
Riley placed his hand behind his back coolly “Is there a problem?” he asked the Dai Lou.
“Yes.” He pointed viciously at Ah Bat “That thing touched my girl. I want a fair trade.”
Leah relaxed her ready hands “Is that all? You can touch him back in return. Pick your favorite place. We don’t mind.” She said casually.
“HEY!” Ah Bat cried in disagreement.
“Actually, I was thinking of his hand. I want to chop it off.” He replied with a smirk.
“Sorry, we can’t let you do that.” Mark replied.
The buff man nodded as he raised a hand and snapped it. Everyone in the bar besides the bartender rushed up behind him “Dai Lou!!” they answered his beck.
“Then I’m forced to do this.” He turned his head slightly and stepped back while his boys began attacking the young team.
Ah Bat began shrieking like a cat in heat as he cowered below the bar stool and watched the team beat up one guy after another. Jenna was fighting with two huge guys as she used the bar to help her kick them away only to have five more guys after her. Sliding over the bar, she grabbed two bottles of vodka “Can I borrow this?” she asked the bartender quickly and slammed it against one another. Returning to the fight, she used it carefully as a weapon.
Riley was the most trained as he circled from one fight to another, with tough punches to the enemy’s stomach causing them to fall to their knees. He caught one guy trying to yank Ah Bat from his hiding place as he rushed over and grabbed the guy from his shoulder “I wouldn’t do that.” He commented and beat him up with ease.
Leah was the not as experienced as she was in trouble with a group of ten guys ganging up on her. Her arm twisted to the back as one guy pulled out a pocket knife, ready to stab her when a beer bottle came flying at his forehead and crushed at the impact of the scull. The guy quickly let go of Leah, where Riley rushed to her side “Are you okay?” She didn’t have the breath to answer, “You want to pick on someone your own size?” he asked the guy in a ready stance.
Mark on the other hand was enjoying his drink in one hand. The three were doing fine without him. Taking a seat at the stool under Ah Bat, he watched Jenna with special interest “A little help here!!” she cried tiredly.
He only laughed “You’re doing fine!” he put his cup down and gave her an applause.
“Mark!!” Jenna pointed to a broken beer bottle flying at his face. He quickly swerved to the side, his face twisted with anger.
“That’s not cool.” Mark growled as he quickly attacked the guy that tried to scar him. Fighting came easy to him and he was ruthless, beating each guy until he was unconscious.
The four grew weary with each fight and soon, they had defeated a great amount but there were still more. Gathering up together, Riley asked “What now?”
“Call for backup?” Leah asked.
“No, we can handle it.” Mark said with confidence.
Jenna laughed nervously “Yeah.”
Ah Bat crawled from his hiding place as he suddenly stood up tall and moved Riley aside so he could see the group in front of him “Okay, fun’s over. We can do this some other time.” He snapped his finger “Come on.” He commanded the four, who exchanged strange glances.
“In your dreams!” one of the guys growled as they stepped closer to them.
Jenna pulled Ah Bat behind her “What the hell are you doing?”
“You’re afraid?” he asked wide eyed “I’m not.”
“Yes, that’s why you were hiding under that stool for the past fifteen minutes!” Leah pointed out.
Ah Bat laughed with his head thrown back “Oh that…I was only playing along. Come on, we can walk out…right…about…now.”
“Hi!” A bright female voice called from the doorway. The six stood coolly in their places while Mia smiled “Is there a problem?”
Jenna spun around at Ah Bat “You called the team?!!” she was offended, he didn’t think they could do the job.
The Dai Lou of the triad crossed his arms “Yes, I want to cut off his hand.” He pointed dangerously at Ah Bat, who was not at all scared with the six of them there.
Becca laughed as she stepped inside first, walking around the unconscious body “Is that all? You can have it…”
“What?!” Ah Bat’s voice squeaked.
“Over our dead bodies.” Mia finished.
The troublesome witness sighed, “That’s more like it.”
Ted stepped closer to the guy “Look, we know how this is going to turn out, so why don’t you just let them go?”
“The winner is not determined through words.” The gang boss snickered, ready to punch Ted in the face, his fists balled up.
Doug smiled with a nod “Very well.” Swiftly pulling out his gun, he pointed it at his head.
Erin crossed her arms with a tilted head “I believe the rule is, whoever has the gun…wins.”
“Come on.” Darren waved for the younger team.
Ah Bat could not help himself as he walked by the still leader “Next time, find out who you’re messing with!” he said through gritted teeth and added a few slaps on his face.
“Ah Bat!” Becca barked.
“Coming!!” he called and laughed like he had just won a war. The team slowly backed away until they were completely out of the bar. Leaving the gang in wonder who they were.