Episode 3 - The Jade Dragon’s Subjugation - The Jade Dragon and her companions continue their never-ending fight against the forces of evil.  But this time they are up against two new villains.  In addition an old nemesis sets a deadly trap for the heroines.  However, a mysterious new heroine arrives on the scene.  Will the collective forces of good be able to overcome the forces of adversity or will they meet ignominious and brutal defeat?

 

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The Adventures of the Jade Dragon

Episode 3

The Jade Dragon’s Subjugation

 

Chapter 1  Xiao Hong

Yunnan Province, China, 1924

 

Xiao Hong, sat in the lotus position overlooking the clear blue of the lake.  Below her birds swooped and soared and a soft breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees.  It was a perfect spot for meditation, but today for some reason she was having trouble concentrating.  Perhaps it was the fact that it was her eighteenth birthday.  Birthdays always reminded her of her past and a time when she had not been training as a nun in a Shaolin monastery. 

 

If she thought back far enough she could remember when she had not even been in China.  That seemed so long ago.  The memories seemed like some sort of horrible dream.  For some reason they surged to the surface of her mind, forcing her to relive them. 

 

“Twelve years old,” she thought.  “I was just twelve years old.”  But that was old enough to foolishly venture into the Chinese area of Metro City after dark.  She had gone there on a dare from one of her schoolmates and had sneaked away from her dormitory after lights out.  It had turned out to be much more of an adventure than she had planned.  She remembered that night of terror as if it were yesterday.  She had lost her way, and stumbling down a deserted side street had run into “the Mole.”  Lost and frightened she had been easily taken in by the low level thug. 

 

He must have figured out at once what she was.  How could she have hidden it?  She was wearing her school blazer.  “A little out of your way aren’t you?” the small time crook had asked.  He stood directly in her path, his pockmarked face, trenchcoat, and slouch hat giving him a most ominous appearance.  He was not a big man, but to the slender girl he was infinitely menacing. 

 

“Please Mr.,” she had stammered, “can you help me?  I’m lost and it’s past curfew.  I need to get back to Highland Academy.” 

 

The Mole had grinned, attempting his friendliest manner.  “Sorry,” he said.  “I hope I didn’t frighten you.  Of course I can help.”  He paused as if considering something.      “The Academy, huh?  That the rich girl’s school?”  He didn’t wait for an answer.  “Sure I can get you back.  You got a name?”

 

Relieved, but still worried, she had blurted out everything the criminal needed to know.  “I’m Natassia Green.  My father’s the Police Commissioner.”

 

“The Commissioner!”  The Mole could barely hide his astonishment.  A henchman of Boss Crunch, Metro City’s most ruthless crimelord, he had stumbled by pure accident on the perfect victim.  “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?  Of course I’ll help the daughter of the Commissioner.  You just come with me.”

 

“Where are we going?” asked Natassia.  Her parents had warned her about going anywhere with strangers, but she couldn’t see that she had any other choice. 

 

“I got a car,” answered the Mole.  “I can take you right to the gate.  You’ll be home in no time.”

 

Smiling in relief, Natassia followed the little man.  As promised he led her to a rather beaten up old Model A Ford.  “Don’t look like much,” he said.  “But it’ll get us where we need to go.”

 

The undisguised cheeriness in his voice fooled Natassia.  There was no way she could know that his good humour was due to the fact that he had in his clutches the one prize that his boss would value above all else.  He held open the door and bowed in mock gallantry.  “After you, my lady.”

 

Natassia giggled.  A few minutes ago she had been lost and frightened.  Now this funny little man was helping her home. 

 

Jeb Molson, “the Mole” or “Moley” to his friends, hopped into the driver’s seat beside the girl.  He could hardly believe his luck.  This would really get him in good with the boss.  It might even lead to a promotion.  He stole a look at the dark-haired girl beside him.  She was pretty enough, if a bit young.  Long dark hair, gorgeous gray eyes, and already as tall as most adult women.  He guessed that in a few years she’d be a real stunner.  No tits yet, but given a few hot summers…

 

“Are you sure this is the way?”  the girl’s voice startled him out of his lecherous thoughts. 

 

“Oh sure.  I always go this way.  Avoids the traffic in the centre of the city.”

 

“But it’s late.  There is no traffic.”

 

“You drive, kid?”  Molson countered.  Natassia shook her head.  “Then let me figure out the best way.  Don’t worry we’ll get there.”

 

Natassia sat back in her seat.  She felt a faint twinge of fear.  The man’s friendly manner had disappeared, and she was sure that the car was going the wrong way.  She looked out the window watching for landmarks.  Another minute of driving, and she was sure that she was being taken away from the school, not toward it.  By this time, however, the car was moving quite fast.  Too fast for her to jump, even if she had the courage to do it.  Any minute now the man was sure to realize his mistake and turn the car in the right direction. 

 

But the man did not turn back.  Instead, he turned toward the waterfront area.  By now Natassia was quite frightened, but she forced herself to sit quietly.  Sooner or later the car would have to slow down, and when it did she would make her break.  She hoped that she would not get her school uniform too dirty. 

 

“Now!” she thought.  The car had slowed down to turn a corner.  She pushed down on the door latch, but nothing happened. 

 

Beside her the little man laughed.  “Forgot to tell you.  That door don’t work too good.  You’ll have wait until I let you out.”

 

Desperately Natassia worked the handle.  “Let me out,” she protested.  “You have no right to take me where I don’t want to go.”

 

“Shut your mouth, kid.  I didn’t force you into the car.  You’ll get out when I say you get out.”

 

Natassia scrambled into the back seat.  Before the man could grab her she had opened the back door and jumped out into the street.

 

“God damned bitch,” Molson yelled.  He slammed the brakes on and vaulted from the front seat.

 

Natassia hit the pavement hard.  Too hard.  The breath was knocked from her body and she bounced and rolled a good twenty feet before coming to a dazed halt in the middle of the road.  She tried to scramble to her feet, but before she could move the thug was upon her.  “You little twat,” he yelled, dragging her to her feet by her hair.  Natassia yowled in pain.  Molson raised his hand to strike her and then seemed to think better of it.  Hauling her back to the car by her hair, he opened the trunk and threw her in. 

 

“Let me out!” screamed the frightened girl as the trunk lid closed on her.  She kicked frantically at the inside of the lid, but gave it up after hurting her foot.  Huddled in the darkness of the trunk she waited helplessly as the car continued through the streets.  Her fear intensified as the car screeched to a halt. 

 

The trunk opened.  Before she could move her abductor grabbed her arm and jerked her out of the trunk, twisting her arm behind her.  “Please,” she cried, “let me go.  I didn’t do anything to you.”  Terrified, the stories of what happened to girls who were kidnapped flashed through her mind.  He knees shook with fear as she was propelled toward the back door of a large warehouse.

 

Two large men stood in front of the door.  “Hey Molie,” grinned one of them.  “What cha got there?  Picking them kind of young ain’t you?”

 

“I got something good here,” Molson replied.  “You’ll never guess who this little bitch is.”  He paused for effect.  “She's the goddamned Police Commissioner’s daughter.”

 

The other man whistled.  “Better take her to the Boss right away.  He’ll be quite interested I’m sure.”

 

“Let me go,” Natassia begged.  “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

 

Molson and the other two men laughed.  The two big thugs stepped aside and Molson pushed her into the warehouse.  Inside, she was directed down a long hallway and then up several flights of stairs, all the while held by the arm pinned behind her back.  She had stopped complaining and instead looked desperately for a chance to escape.  Unfortunately, her captor kept her arm tightly twisted up behind her.  One the fourth floor Molson finally left the stairwell, and pushing her into a long corridor moved her toward a set of doors at the end.  These too were guarded, but the guards, recognizing Molson let them pass with the usual comments about his prisoner.  The door opened and Natassia found herself in the presence of Boss Crunch, Metro City’s most feared crimelord. 

 

“The Commissioner’s daughter?  You’ve got to be kidding,” exclaimed the powerfully built crime boss.  “What a stroke of luck.  If she is who you say she is, you’re in for a reward.”

 

Molson grinned.  “Oh, she’s the genuine article, alright.  Just look at her.  Prep school blazer and all.”

 

“Yes,” said Crunch slowly.  He got up from his chair and stepped toward the trembling girl, who by now was too terrified even to speak.  “Molie telling the truth, darling?  You the Police Commissioner’s daughter?

 

“Yes,” Natassia stammered.  She was almost wetting herself.  “Please take me back to the school.  I won’t tell anyone about this.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure that’s true,” replied Crunch.  “Maybe I’ll send you back to your father and maybe I won’t.”  He looked at the Mole.  “Lock her up.  I want a little time to think about what to do with her.”

 

“Please no,” Natassia pleaded.  “I want to go home.”  She burst into tears.  Molson grabbed her arm again and dragged her from the room.  He took her a few doors down and pushed her into a small room.  It was almost bare, resembling very much a prison cell, and containing only a toilet, sink, and a bed.  Natassia stood trembling in the middle of the room. 

 

“Well kid, thanks a lot,” the Molson said.  “I guess this is where we part.”  He took a step toward her and grabbed her arm again, twisting it so that she was forced to her knees.  “I just want a quick look at what you’re hiding under that blouse.” 

 

“No, please don’t,” quavered Natassia, but Molson’s hand was already unbuttoning the front of her blouse.  She struggled, trying to rise, but he easily held her where she was.

 

“No!” Natassia screamed as her blouse was opened.  Molson’s hand settled on her budding right breast.  He rubbed his hand over the tiny nipple. 

 

“You’re really gonna be something when you’re older, kid.  I’d really like to be around to see what these look like in a few years.”

 

Natassia sobbed in fear and humiliation as the thug squeezed and pinched her immature breasts, but after a minute of playing with her the thug stopped and let her go.  “Time for me to go,” he said, “before I get much more of a woody.”  Turning, he left the room.  Natassia heard the bolt being drawn, locking her in.  Falling face down on the floor, she burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

 

The thugs left her alone for an entire day.  No one visited her, not even to bring her food.  Fortunately, she was able to get water from the sink, but she was ravenous by the time the door opened.  When it did, she cowered back into a corner.

 

Crunch entered, and with him was a man Natassia had not yet seen.  He was small, not even as tall as she was and clearly of oriental ancestry.  His dark eyes seemed to burn into her.  “What do you think?” asked Crunch.

 

“Yes,’ said the oriental, in heavily accented English.  “She shows promise.  But I would like to see more.”  He gestured toward Natassia.  She noticed that his fingernails were several inches long.   “Remove your clothes, child.”

 

Terrified, Natassia pressed even farther back into the corner.  “Would you rather I asked my friend to remove them for you? “ he asked, motioning to Crunch.  The huge man took a step forward, a cruel grin on his face.

 

Weeping, Natassia began to remove her clothing, trying hard to control her trembling.  When she was finished she stood before the two men, one arm across her barely visible breasts, and the other attempting to hide her nether region. 

 

“Yes,” said the oriental.  She has potential.  Very good potential.  But she is still just a child.  She doesn’t even have pubic hair.”

 

“What do you want for nothing.  She’s white, pretty, and probably still a virgin.  She should be worth something.”

 

“Ah yes.  A virgin,” the oriental mused.  That is an important point.  He looked piercingly at Natassia.    “You are a virgin aren’t you child?”

 

In spite of her terror, Natassia blushed at the question.  Dumbly she nodded.  Crunch grinned.  “Pure as the day she was born.  What do you say?”

 

The oriental nodded.  “Agreed.  I will take her off your hands, and for the price you asked.”

 

“Good,” sad Crunch.  “But before you take her, there is just one more thing.”  He opened the door and yelled into the corridor.  “Bring in the camera.”

 

One of Crunch’s henchmen entered carrying a bulky camera.  He set it up and clicked off a photo of Natassia, still trying to hide her nakedness.  Crunch chuckled.  “A gift for your father.  He’ll be happy to know you are well.”

 

Mortified, Natassia wept openly.  The oriental waited while she dressed, and then she was led from the room.

 

 

 

The next few weeks of her life were a nightmare.  Mr. Hu, as the oriental insisted Natassia call him, did not treated her badly.  She was considered too valuable for that.  But for a twelve year old girl, and one who had led a privileged and sheltered life, what she was forced to do was truly horrifying. 

 

For the week after she had been bought by Mr. Hu she was confined to a tiny windowless room.  She had no idea where she was.  She had been blindfolded and taken from Boss Crunch’s HQ to somewhere else in Metro City.  There her life became centered on the small almost bare room where she was locked up twenty-four hours a day.  The room had a bed, a chamber pot, and nothing else.  Her food and water was slid in through a small opening at the bottom of the door.  Similarly, the chamber pot was taken out each day and emptied and then returned.  There was nothing to do but wait and sleep.  The single naked light bulb was left on continually.  After awhile she lost track of time.  Only the arrival of her meals allowed her to keep track of what time of day it might be.  But since the meals were all the same; a bowl of rice, a few Chinese vegetables, and a few morsels of chicken or pork, she soon lost track of whether she was being served breakfast, lunch, or supper.  Almost as distressing was the fact that she was forced to wear the same soiled clothes day after day.  There was no way of washing and she had no comb to keep her long dark hair from tangling.  For awhile she thought she might go mad, but she managed to hold herself together by retreating into her imagination.  She created a fantasy world where she could pretend she was free and where she was able to fill her life with imagined activities.  It kept her sane. 

 

Eventually, the time came when the door to her prison was opened.  Trembling in fear and anticipation, she saw that Mr. Hu was there.  He ordered her from the cell and blindfolded her once again.  She was guided from the building to a car and driven a short distance.  The sound of water lapping at a pier told her that she had been taken to the waterfront.  From the car she was guided to a sloping ramp.  With increased terror she understood that she was being taken aboard a ship, and that could only mean that she was to be taken from the country.  If her chance of escape had been slim before, they would be soon be almost nonexistent.  But there was nothing she could do.  There was a man on each side of her, and each held tightly to one of her arms.  She was led on board and through a doorway.  She stumbled over the raised sill, but was held upright by her escorts.  Then her blindfold was removed, revealing that she was standing in front of a steep companionway.  She was ordered into the bowels of the ship, descending several decks before being taken to a tiny cabin well below the waterline.  Once again she was imprisoned, but this time she had company.

 

Confined with her were three other young women.  The cabin was just big enough to hold them all.  They were all similar to her in one way.  None of them knew where they were going.  But they had gotten where they were by different means.  Thirteen-year-old Judy’s mother was a drug addict and prostitute.  She had sold her daughter to Mr. Hu for the price of a fix.  Fourteen-year-old Charlotte had run away from her abusive father and had been picked up on the streets by one of Mr. Hu’s henchmen.  And twelve-year-old Ping had had been given to the Chinese slave trader as payment for a debt.  All of them had lived hard and abusive lives.  What they were facing was not much different from what they had grown up with.  They soon determined that Natassia was different, and life could have been difficult for her if Charlotte had not decided to protect her. 

 

Natassia never learned the reason for Charlotte’s friendship.  Perhaps it was because she had been abused herself.  Whatever the motive, the older girl soon made it clear to the other two that Natassia was not to be victimized.  That made the voyage bearable.  Not that life in the hold of the ship was remotely enjoyable.  It was a month of grinding monotony, poor food, and limited freedom.  Once each day for about an hour the four girls were allowed up on the deck of the ship to get a bit of fresh air and exercise.  Then they were returned to the cabin for the remainder of the day.  This continued until they reached their destination. 

 

Hong Kong.  They entered the British colony at night.  This time Natassia was forced to wear chains for the first time.  She was shackled to the other three girls and placed in the back of a waiting truck.  They were driven through the dark and winding streets for about a half hour and unloaded at a warehouse.  Escorted by several Chinese guards, the girls were once again confined to a small room, but here their treatment changed.  For the first time since their captivity, they were given decent food and proper places to sleep.  They were also allowed to take a bath and have a change of clothing.  They were aided in this by a Chinese serving woman who helped them wash and combed out their incredibly tangled hair. 

 

Natassia thought she had never felt anything as good as that bath.  She was less pleased by the clothing chosen for her.  It was a silk gown that was so sheer that it hid none of her still childlike body.  It did her no good to protest, however.  The serving woman spoke no English and her old clothes had disappeared.  Flushed with shame, she and the other girls followed the woman from the bathroom to a large hall.  To her utter mortification the room was filled with a large number of Chinese men. 

 

The bidding went on for over an hour.  During that time, Natassia and the other girls, some twenty in all, were auctioned off in all.  It was the most degrading experience of her life.  One after the other, bidders moved from the floor to the raised dais where the girls stood.  They were forced to submit to close inspection, including the touching and squeezing of their breasts and other parts of their bodies.  Natassia, who was auctioned last, along with a few of the more attractive women, was a favourite with the bidders.  In spite of her youth, she was apparently considered a prize offering on account of her virginity and great potential beauty.  She had to endure the touch of dozens of hands in the most intimate of places.  Eventually the ordeal came to an end.  She was sold to a   Chinese warlord in Yunnan Province.  Called before her new master, she went to her knees.  During her captivity she had learned obedience.  Not to bow before those who controlled her meant instant punishment.  The warlord raised her to her feet, running his eyes over her supple body.  He grunted his approval and said something in Chinese.  Two guards flanked her and led her away.  She was taken from the building and into a courtyard where a truck awaited.  Loaded aboard at night, she found herself crammed in with several more slaves and a large number of packing cases.  The two guards seated themselves near the tailgate.  With a grinding of gears and a cloud of black exhaust, the truck started up and left the compound. 

 

The ride was far from comfortable.  Dust from the unpaved road was sucked into the back of the truck and soon covered everything inside in a gray layer.  Except for the bench the guards sat on, there was no proper place to sit, and Natassia huddled on the floor with the other prisoners.  As the night wore on into day all of them began to suffer from lack of water.  There was only a single water skin and the guards kept that to themselves.  As late noon approached, the captives began to cry out for water.  The two guards merely grinned, upending the water skin in front of the parched prisoners and letting the water trickle down their chins.  It was all any of them could do to hold their places.

 

At that point there was a loud clanking noise from the trunk engine and the dilapidated vehicle ground to a halt.  The cursing of the truck driver let everyone know that the stop was definitely unscheduled.  The guards both jumped down and ran toward the front of the truck.  Without thinking Natassia got to her feet.  Tired, hungry, desperate for water, and covered with dust, she somehow found the courage to leap from the truck.  She had no plan of escape; she just knew that she had to get away as quickly as possible.  While the rest of the captives gawked at her, she headed off into a thick stand of trees along the side of the road.  Within a few seconds she was out of sight of the truck.  Expecting every second to hear the sound of pursuit, she ran until she thought her lungs would burst.  Only then did she bother to take in her surroundings.

 

Before her was a large stone building.  Knowing nothing of China she supposed that she was in front of some sort of palace or large public building.  Unsteadily she staggered forward.  She had no way of knowing what sort of people lived in the building; she only knew that she had reached the limit of her endurance.  It was only a matter of time until she was missed.  Most likely her captors were looking for her even now.  Her heart pounding, and panting with the heat and exhaustion, she forced herself forward, even as her vision blurred.  Dimly she saw vague forms coming toward her, and then she collapsed.  As she drifted off into unconsciousness she was aware of gentle hands lifting her, and then everything went black. 

 

When she awoke she was in a cool, dark room.  Bending over her was a Chinese woman dressed in a white robe.  She was wiping her head with a cool damp cloth.  Natassia would always remember that woman.  She was to become her mentor, spiritual guardian, and role model.  Quite by chance, she had stumbled, exhausted, and dirty into the courtyard of a Shaolin temple.  The nuns, for reasons Natassia was never able to determine, took her into the temple as a novice.  She had been there ever since.

 

Now she was Xiao Hong, “Beautiful Rainbow,” and she had almost forgotten her life in the United States.  But sometimes, the memories of her youth, and of her father and mother came flooding back.  At such times she found it almost impossible to carry out her normal duties.  This was one of those times.  The nuns at the monastery, especially the woman she had first met, the Reverend Mother, had treated her well, educating her in the way of the Shaolin, including their skills in the martial arts.  To Natassia’s surprise, but not perhaps to the surprise of the Reverend Mother, she had excelled in her training, surpassing all of the other novitiates.  Now at the age of eighteen, she was a self-possessed, disciplined young woman.  Standing about five-foot nine inches, her tall awkward body had filled out, fulfilling the promise of great beauty that had impelled the Mole and Boss Crunch to kidnap her and sell her into slavery.  Strong, lithe, and full-figured, she moved with the grace of a panther.  Her long dark hair framed a face of exquisite beauty, and her penetrating large gray eyes were a source of wonder to any Chinese who looked upon her perfect features.

 

Her musings were interrupted by a movement along the lakeshore.  She stood up for a better look.  Yes, there was definitely something there, something that did not belong.  She was able to make out a long line of men moving up the slope.  Something about them made her uneasy.  She got to her feet just as she was joined by another of the monks.  It took him only a few seconds to assess the situation.  “Bandits!” he exclaimed.  “I must warn the master.”

 

Natassia went with him.  She went to the Reverend Mother and told her of what she had seen.  To her surprise the ancient woman did not seem at all surprised or concerned.  “I have seen it,” the Reverend Mother said.  “The prophecy is coming true.”

 

“What prophecy, Reverend Mother?” asked Natassia, from her position of respect on the floor of the inner temple. 

 

“Do not concern yourself, child.  You will know soon enough.  Meanwhile, we must prepare to defend ourselves just in case things are not as foretold.”

 

By this time the entire monastery had been alerted.  The 200 odd monks and 35 nuns who were its inhabitants had armed themselves in preparation for the defence of their temple.  Their weapons were simple enough, consisting primarily of bamboo staffs or crude edged weapons.  Natassia wondered if they would be enough against the more modern weaponry that the bandits would no doubt have.  She suspected that it would take all of the specialized training that the monks and nuns possessed to hold off the attack.

 

It turned out to be much worse than she had envisioned.  The bandit army was not large by world standards, but it was easily large enough to overwhelm the small band of monks and nuns defending the temple.  The bandits did not even attempt to storm the temple.  Instead they brought up two pieces of outmoded but functional artillery and lobbed shells into the monastery.  Against such weapons the monks and nuns were helpless.  The shells tore the temple apart and set it on fire.  The ancient wooden buildings blazed like kindling.  Then, as the monks and nuns fled the burning buildings, they were cut down by machine gun and rifle fire.  The entire battle lasted only about half an hour.

 

Somehow in the carnage that ensued as the defenders of the monastery were gunned down, Natassia escaped injury.  It was almost as if she led a charmed life.  Bullets flew all around her, some of them even passing through the folds of her clothing, but she was not so much as scratched.  It was not so for the Reverend Mother.  As the aged women ran from the building she was struck down only a short distance from the doorway to the blazing main temple. 

 

Natassia saw her fall and ran to her side.  Grabbing the dying woman under her arms, she dragged her behind a low stone wall.  There, she cradled the injured woman in her arms. 

 

The Reverend Mother opened her eyes.  “It is you Natassia.  I knew it would be.  The prophecy has come to pass.”

 

Tears poured from Natassia’s eyes as she held her dying mentor.  “I do not understand, Reverend Mother.  “What is the prophecy?”

 

The dying woman’s voice was very weak, but she managed to gasp out her story.  “Your coming was foretold to the Head Monk in a dream.  He told it to me the morning after he experienced it.  He dreamed that a pale-skinned girl would come out of the East, and that she would become our greatest pupil.  And then as she was nearing the completion of her training, the monastery would be destroyed and she would depart, taking the Dragon’s Eye with her.”

 

Natassia was weeping openly now, her body shaking with sobs.  But she managed to stammer out a question.  “What is the Dragon’s Eye?” 

 

The Reverend Mother managed to raise her hand.  Her fist was clenched, but as she held it in front of Natassia’s face she opened it.  There, in the palm of her hand, was a blazing green stone about the size of a walnut.  Natassia recognized immediately that she was looking at a gem of incredible value.  But the Dragon’s Eye was more than just a gemstone.  It seemed to glow with more than just reflected light, as if something within it was emitting a strange radiation of its own.  Even as Natassia gazed upon the stone, the Reverend  Mother gave a last sigh and died.  Natassia caught the stone as it dropped.  Even in her grief and confusion she was aware that the stone did not have the coldness of a gem, but actually seemed to radiate heat, as if it had some sort of tiny furnace within it.

 

Natassia’s mind returned to the peril at hand.  Bandits were advancing upon her position.  Clutching the stone in her hand she crouched low behind the wall and moved rapidly away from the approaching bandits.  She now saw that she had delayed her flight a little too long.  Already there were bandits behind her, cutting off her escape route.  There was but one chance.  She would have to charge right at the bandits who had gotten behind her, hoping that the element of surprise and the poor aim of her adversaries would allow her to break through. 

 

Rising from her hiding place Natassia rushed toward the men who were closing upon her.  She saw them turn toward her and train their weapons in her direction, but they seemed to be moving in slow motion.  It was almost like moving in a dream, except that in most dreams the dreamer is the one moving slowly.  In this case the world seemed to blur as she moved past her attackers with blinding speed.  It was as if her assailants were mired in mud.  Before a shot was fired she had burst through their line and was heading down the hill toward the lake.  Before she knew it she had gained the shelter of the trees and safety from rifle fire.

 

Natassia glanced behind her.  The enemy had been left far behind.  She suddenly realized that she had covered the several hundred yards from the ruined monastery to the wooded area beyond it in only a few seconds.  She stopped to assess the situation.  She should have been breathing hard from such exertion, but had hardly worked up a sweat.  Something very strange had occurred, but she could not put her finger on it. 

 

Natassia continued to move away from the burning temple as the bandit army closed in around it.  With a tremendous feeling of loss, Natassia realized that her life in China was coming to an end.  She knew now what her feelings that morning had been trying to tell her.  It had been a premonition of a great change in her life.  She knew now that she would have to return to the United States.  The only problem was that she was not certain exactly how to do that.  She had only been twelve years old when she had been abducted from her home and her memories of exactly where the United States was in relation to China were quite vague.  She had only one sure fact to go on, and that was that she had entered China through Hong Kong.  She also knew that Hong Kong lay somewhere to the east of the monastery.  She suspected that she had many miles to go before she reached the British colony, but her alternatives were limited.

 

And so she set out, penniless and ill equipped to handle the perils of 1920s China.  She did have three assets that she could count on.  One was her Shaolin training that made her a most dangerous adversary in hand to hand combat.  The other was the fact that most Chinese were disposed to give aid to a member of the holy orders.  The third was her possession of the Dragon’s Eye.  She did not understand the power of the stone, but she suspected that it must be an artifact of great power.  She had reasoned that her escape from the invading bandits had been primarily due to the effects of the mysterious gem, and although she was ignorant of its full potential she was sure that in time its mystical qualities would be revealed to her.

 

Natassia was correct in her assessment.  Through a series of adventures and with the help of villagers she managed to make her way to the fast-paced and notorious entrepot of Hong Kong.  Once there she made her way to the American consulate and presented herself to the startled consulate officials.  Establishing her identity was a bit of a problem, but officials in Metro City were contacted and eventually papers confirming her identity were received in Hong Kong.  Then she received devastatingly bad news.  Both of her parents were dead.  Her kidnapping only six years ago had destroyed her mother.  She had become addicted to alcohol and a number of dangerous pharmaceuticals and during one of her drunken bouts she had fatally overdosed.  The shock of the death of his wife, coupled with the disappearance of his daughter, had destroyed the health of Natassia’s father.  He had outlived his wife by only a year, and then he was felled by a fatal heart attack. 

 

This dismal news was brightened only by the fact that Natassia’s identity was confirmed.  She was Natassia Green and the heir to her family's considerable fortune.  Within six months of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple she strode down the gangplank of a passenger liner in Metro City. 

 

Natassia had used the time on the long ocean voyage to formulate a plan.  She had a score to settle with the men who had abducted her and destroyed her family.  She would be avenged.  It was, therefore, with some disappointment that she learned Boss Crunch was already dead.  He had been destroyed by a trio of costumed crimefighters known as the Jade Dragon, the Scarlet Falcon, and the Blue Avenger. 

 

Natassia’s curiosity led her to further investigate the crimefighting trio.  What she learned inspired her.  She discovered that the three heroines had ended a criminal reign of terror in Metro City.  Each of them possessed special abilities that when used together made them a formidable force in the war on crime.  Natassia realized that the lives of these three women were a perfect model for her.  She would join them and become a part of their dangerous world.

 

There was however, a problem in seeking out any of the trio.  The three heroines were notoriously shy and avoided any contact with the media or even the police.  Not only that, their costumes served to disguise their identities, so that no one seemed to know who any of them were.  They also tended to work primarily at night when criminal activity was often at its highest.  Natassia realized that she would have her work cut out for her in attempting to establish contact with any of them.  Nevertheless, she was determined to make the attempt.

 

Upon returning to Metro City she returned to live in the family home.  Technically as an eighteen-year-old she was still a minor.  As a result the state had appointed a live-in guardian to watch over her until she reached the age of twenty-one; then she would come into full control of the family fortune.   The state Board of Widows and Orphans chose as her guardian her Aunt Priscilla.  Natassia dimly remembered her aunt as a kindly but strict woman with definite ideas about the place of young women in society.  She immediately declared that until Natassia came of age, she would finish her education, which, of course, had been interrupted by the girl’s six-year stay in China.  Her aunt also intended to correct Natassia’s weakness in the so-called social graces.  She attributed her backwardness in this area to her life among the heathen Chinese, whom she regarded as completely barbaric.  It did not help matters that for several months Natassia spoke English with a slight Chinese accent, due primarily to the fact that she had not used her native tongue for six years.  It became Aunt Priscilla’s mission in life to reeducate her niece in the ways of polite society.

 

Natassia tolerated this control of her life because she felt it was something that her parents would have wanted her to do.  She also genuinely liked her aunt, despite the older woman’s rather prudish and narrow attitudes. 

 

As a result of her aunt’s strict regime, Natassia spent much of her day in the company of tutors and the rest with her aunt.  She was however, able to have some time to herself in the evening.  Excusing herself early each evening by claiming fatigue, Natassia was able to slip away from her aunt’s clutches.  Her bedroom became her place of refuge.  In the privacy of her room she could practice her Shaolin martial arts.  There too she could acquaint herself better with the properties of the Dragon’s Eye.  She discovered that when she wore the gem it greatly enhanced her strength and stamina by a factor of at least ten.  She became a veritable superwoman. 

 

She followed the exploits of the Jade Dragon and her companions almost religiously.  Newspapers smuggled into the house by a sympathetic maid enabled her to keep track of the exploits of the three heroines.  Her aunt did not approve of newspapers, especially those read by the common people.  However, for Natassia the adventures of the Jade Dragon and her companions were fascinating, especially as she believed that she too had the ability to become a major force in the fight against crime. 

 

First, however, she would have to prove herself.  She eventually came to the realization that it was pointless for her to want to join the Jade Dragon unless she could show the oriental heroine that she had the ability to tackle criminals on her own.  And so she intensified her training, using the Dragon’s Eye to enhance her strength and endurance so that she was able to practice until quite late at night without tiring.  Eventually she felt that she was ready.  She would go out into the night and show the people of Metro City that there was a fourth heroine on the scene.

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