Part One: Business

  Randall Scott was a well to do investor. He was a Hero and Martial Artist. Most of all Mr. Scott however was a Scholar of Japanese History.

  Immediately after the battle with Mach and the former Hero, Lance, Randall left for the Prefecture of Kumamoto on the Island of Kyushu, Japan. He would spend the next year on the Island studying both his Martial Arts as well as his true histories of Miyamoto Musashi. Randall used his amazing mental recall ability to remember and rewrite the true version of ‘Go Rin no Sho” The Book of Five Rings.

  Randall knew the Truth. Miyamoto Musashi, Master of The Art of Kenjutsu was a Meta Human who specialized in the use of Telekinesis in Combat. Randall spent the year and over seven million dollars in research and bribes to get the desired information he needed. At the end of this Mr. Scott published his Treatise on what he believed to be the true history and nature of Musashi.

  His work was received with mixed reviews as one would expect when writing something so against the norm. Many traditionalists rejected him and just as many open minded scholars looked on this as an alternate possibility. No matter what, it had created a stir among all the scholars and since Randall knew it to be the truth from first hand knowledge he was satisfied with the results. After all, Randall knew Miyamoto Musashi personally and had seen him in action. How he was still alive and the ripe old age of four hundred and thirty one was a mystery but all Meta Abilities are still considered a Mystery to most.

  It was time to return to California as there were many things that required his attention. James Drucker, Randalls business advisor, ran most of the day to day operations of his fortune but Mr. Scott was a sought after commodity and even he had to make the occasional appearance.

  So it was that he was invited to the annual “End of Year Gala” by his long time Chum and owner of The Aegis Corporation, Darius Agon. The Gala was to be hosted at Agon’s palatial estate and was really just an opportunity for many of the rich and powerful to donate to charity and reduce tax burdens. In this case however it was also a time for Randall and Dar to talk some business.

  Randall arrived early to Dar’s home and cleaned up. The two caught up in Dar’s library to quietly sit down for an early dinner away from the crowds. Randall was surprised when Dar insisted he use sign language albeit a bit slowly. Hey, friends do things like this you know. Darius had a small business proposition for Randall. He needed a Consultant for his Asian dealings and wanted Randall to be available to read proposals, listen in on meetings and get a general sense of how things were rounding out. Darius Agon was not happy about losing out to the Nikkei Corporation in certain dealings and thought a limited partnership may be the best solution.

  Randall agreed to the proposal and indicated that all the necessary paperwork should be sent to James Drucker for review. “Jimmy deals with these things.” He signed to Darius. 

Part Three: A Little Hero Stuff

  It was Dark when Randal Left the Tent of Mama Gaya and headed for the Hedge Maze. He noticed Harry, the gentleman from the Archery stall, looking around suspiciously and entering the maze ahead of him.

  Randall entered the maze and began his trek through the maze. The hedges were ten feet high and quite dense. No going through these or over them unless he take the chance of someone noticing his superior abilities. He used his amazing memory to trace his previous steps so as not to get lost while tracking Harry.

  At one point he took a moment to stop and gather himself. It was at that moment that he felt the tug and tear of something coil around his waist. He looked down to see his midsection wrapped in vines covered in thorns. The vines tightened and pulled and Randall felt the pressure of the vines and the tearing of thorns into flesh.

  He quickly turned and moved towards a woman covered in vines and thorns with completely green skin and red hair. The hair was truly red, she looked like a living Rose. As he moved towards Rose the pressure on his midsection slackened just as he planned. Randall moved quickly and lashed out at her with viscous strikes to her body. He then stepped back and surveyed her for weak points. To Randalls mind she should have been tougher than she was when he struck her. Perhaps it was due to this being now night time and just by looking at her you could tell she was just as much plant as human and weakened by the lack of sunlight.

  Rose spoke. “Mama Gaya says all un believers must die. So Die Un Believer, Die!!” She retracted her thorn covered vines and whipped them back out at Randalls face but Randall was just too fast. He dodged the attack and lashed out at her again connecting with a series of attacks that culminated in him standing over Rose holding her arm to a point of breaking. She struggled with the hold and forced herself up. Randall had run out of patience and used the grip to his advantage throwing her over his shoulder in a Judo throw and landing atop her with his weight. She did not move again after that. Randall took a picture of her with his cell phone as proof of what was happening.

  As Randall stood back up he turned to see Mama Gaya walking towards him in the corridor of hedges. One moment she was the charming old woman he had seen in the tent, the next she was not. In the space of a footstep Mama had changed to a tall apparently Haitian Man in a shirtless Tuxedo and top hat. He smiled at Randall. “ I am da Voodoo King and you have caused me to end dis night with less dan I come here for Man”

Randall sized him up. The Voodoo King was tall, over six and a half feet and well built. He thought what could this mans weakest point be and remembered his past studies. He actually remembered a movie he saw in the nineties. Voodoo King must be a Bokor Sorcerer and therefore owe The Loa for his powers.

  Randall held back to see what The Voodoo King would do and in that moment the tall man reached his arms out and flames shot over Randalls ducking head. Randall rushed forward and struck The Voodoo King who “Humphed” and staggered bag a few paces. In response The Voodoo King reached to the air and plucked two snakes out of nowhere and threw them at Randall but they fell short and slithered into the hedges.

  In response Randall reached for his cell phone to take another proof positive picture of what was happening. As he reached for it the phone turned into a large Tarantula right before his eyes. This was too much to believe so Randall used his amazing concentration to dis believe this impossibility. In his hands was his cell phone again. He snapped a picture and then planned on snapping the Voodoo Kings Spine.

  Randall rushed forward and sent two viscous elbow attacks at him. The large man was nearly stunned from the strikes and Randall knew he had to finish this. He grabbed the Voodoo King by both lapels and dropped backwards while raising his foot to the mans sternum and threw. ( Tomoe nage or The Captain Kirk Throw)

  The Voodoo Kings well over two hundred pounds hit the ground with a crunch and he did not move again. Randall turned to where he had left the unconscious form of Rose near a stone bench and she was no longer there. He turned again back to where The Voodoo King had landed and all he could see were drag marks in the dirt leading up to an unbroken line of six foot thick hedges. Damn.

  Randall was not done yet though. He thought everything happened in threes and headed though the Hedge Maze back to the Archery Stall where Harry was. Randall confronted him silently and showed him the photos of both Rose and The Voodoo King. While Harry was holding the phone Randall picked up Harrys bow and knocked and arrow pointing it directly at Harrys throat. This came as a bit of a surprise to Harry as he looked up.

  “Hey man, you got this all wrong. My name is Harry Archer. Some people just call me “Archer”. I’m just here to help out for a good cause.” It took Randall a moment to realize that “Archer” was a new to the block Hero in Vegas. He had received some minor publicity in the last year. “ I don’t know who you are” he said “ but no normal person could do what you did here today. “ “ I’m off the clock for lack of a better term but I know a little about The Voodoo King. He somehow Voddoo’s his victims and robs them blind”

  Randall immediately remembered the laptop in Mama Gayas tent. He nodded to Harry, retrieved his phone and left. Randall headed to the main house after retrieving the laptop from the tent and signed all that happened to Darius Agon. All should be kept quiet to avoid a scandal and Randall left the laptop with Dar to help clean up this mess in silence.

  After all, what are friends for…...??????