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Guns. Such a conventional danger to Haixing law enforcement. So incredible unusual when dealing with Dixing miscreants. Shen Wei had in no way anticipated them. Though given the rising unrest and panic in the city, perhaps he should have. Guo Chang Cheng did not consider that his Chu-ge’s Dixing physiology would have shrugged off a bullet with minimal difficulties. Xiao Guo merely did what he always did, even in the face of crippling fear, he put himself between danger and someone else. It was an attitude the Black Cloaked Envoy had a great deal of sympathy with.
The fact that it had been totally unnecessary did not change the fact that Guo was now lying in a pool of his own blood as his friends and colleagues frantically tried to stop the bleeding.
“Lao Chu call an ambulance,” Zhao Yun Lan ordered as he finished restraining the last of the unconscious assailants.
Shen Wei appreciated the effort to give the panicked into immobility Chu something to do but, “There is no time.” Hence, he stopped it.
Xiao Guo, suspended in time, ceased his dying and Shen began using his dark energy to operate. Though he had studied medicine in the course of his university career, he had never thought seriously of becoming a practicing physician even in the face of the rather vocal encouragement of his fellow Dr. Cheng. Still less had he contemplated the possibility of becoming a surgeon. However, needs must.
Fragments of the conversations happening around him drifted past his awareness, but he could not spare the focus to pay attention to them. All his attention was on the unnaturally quiescent form in front of him.
Just recovering from being shoved aside by Shen Wei’s power, Zhu Hong and Da Qing became riveted by the sight of Xiao Guo seemingly covered in the negative black light that usually heralded Hei Pao’s appearance. Shen Wei, their Black Cloaked Envoy in professorial disguise, stood rigidly with eyes closed and hands spread. His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned in concentration. Tendrils of energy - much finer than usual - stretched from his palms and fingers to dance across Guo. The energy was centered on the deceptively small wound in the young man’s chest with wisps occasionally detouring to what Zhao Yun Lan recognized as chi and pressure points.
Black energy seethed behind Shen Wei, forming a cloak not unlike the cloth he wore as the Envoy. Shen reflected that his task was made both easier and infinitely harder by the fact that Chu had apparently already exposed Guo to dark energy through the use of one of the Hallows. Probably the Longevity Dial. Probably after the Nightmare Master. He considered putting a sign above the Hallows – Caution use of a Hallow may be Detrimental to your Health. Though, upon further consideration and given the SID members' penchant for self-sacrifice, they might take it as encouragement.
“He’s not breathing,” Chu exclaimed, hands finally giving up their clutching grasp on the coat he was wearing. A coat that had been grotesquely decorated with Guo’s blood when the bullet exited the younger man’s body. As Chu reached for his apprentice he could not help but notice his fingers were stained with that blood, and he entertained a desperately insane idea about forcing the blood back into Xiao Guo. The surge towards his friend was quickly and efficiently aborted by Zhao’s firm grip on his arms. It was a hold Chu could have easily broken, but his respect for his chief and reverence for the Envoy kept him in place. That and the fact that he well and truly had no idea how he could provide aid. He gave in to his frustration with a plaintive question, “What is he doing?”
“Helping,” Zhao reassured the puppet master, “Let him help.”
The members of SID stared at Guo in horror and hope, willing a miracle to occur. Chief Zhao’s attention remained on Shen Wei. Long minutes passed, Zhao marking the time’s progression in the professor’s distressing loss of color and the trails of sweat dripping from his face. Zhao Yun Lan found this mildly astonishing as he hadn’t realized that Dixingren, and this one in particular, could sweat.
Shen Wei struggled on. It was delicate, such delicate work. The power was beating at him wanting to expand, seek or destroy. He held it back, took it in, drew it into himself. Never before had he been grateful for the weight above-ground exerted against his abilities. The drag helped him to focus on the intricate reweaving of tissues, kept him conscious of the need to direct and nudge the bright energy of Xiao Guo without infecting the young man with dark power. The lack of a sink for the maelstrom meant he was having to swallow it all down and Shen Wei could feel the conflict of energies eating away at his core. Finally done, he staggered back a step and released the time field.
Guo Chang Cheng woke with a tiny gasp and blinked up into the startled faces of his colleagues. His gaze immediately fastened onto his mentor. “Are you okay Chu-ge?”
Chu gave him a wide eyed nod before shaking off Zhao Yun Lan and throwing himself prostrate in front of Shen Wei. Shen blinked at him dumbly. He really preferred it when the SID treated him as an associate rather than a Lord who needed placating.
“Chu Shu Zhi,” he managed to whisper, “please get up.” He felt Yun Lan arriving at his back.
Xiao Guo, unsure what all the fuss was about, made an abortive attempt to reach Chu before the spots in front of his eyes and dizziness forced him prone again. Sister Hong yelled at him for being so impetuous. Da Qing solved the difficulty by transforming and sitting on the young man’s chest, effectively pinning him to the floor.
Chu continued to grovel before Shen Wei. A wrecked, crying, shuddering mess who had only recently dealt with nightmare thought that he had traded Guo Chang Cheng to his death in Dixing, for Chu the idea that Xiao Guo would here in Haixing trade his own life for Chu’s insignificant one was beyond devastating. He knew he was babbling and he did not care as he swore his life, allegiance, his all to the Lord Black Cloak - worthless though it was and already given for taking him from the punishment halls of the Palace. Not even his next life would be enough to pay for the gift – given twice over by Hei Pao's hands - of Chang Cheng’s.
Shen wrenched his elbow from Zhao’s supportive hold and quickly went to his knees to console Chu. Unfortunately, it probably looked more like a fall than he would have preferred given the muttered imprecations coming from Zhao Yun Lan. He bent over the trembling man, bracing himself with an unsteady arm on the dusty floor. Speaking softly he did his best to place reassurances into the puppet master’s ear, “Chu Shu Zhi, heed my words.”
Chu did his best to still and quiet himself under the cool presence of the Lord Envoy.
“Surely you of all people are aware that the protection and cultivation of people like Guo Chang Cheng are the reason people like you and I exist,” the Envoy’s tone was quiet and even, but none the less insistent. Chu felt a flutter of tiny pats on his shoulder. “There is no gratitude necessary, no payment required for the performance of my most basic duty.”
Chu’s shock at the fact that Hei Pao was attempting to reassure him managed to force him to a vertical position. Shen Wei straightened with him, although both men remained on their knees.
“Get up and see to your brother,” Shen Wei continued, struggling to maintain his posture. “He will require rest and spoiling for the next little while.”
Chu stared into the wearied sincerity of his benefactor’s eyes. He had the startling and sudden realization that his show of abject gratitude was a burden on the other man. The Envoy had never wanted his gratitude, had been quick to wave away his vows of loyalty and willingness to sacrifice, bid him always to rise and speak as a gentleman. Shen Wei had no need for his gratitude but instead wanted him to learn from his experiences in Haixing and assist his fellow Dixingren in the mission to protect and nurture the peace.
Chu’s tears dripped from his chin as his hands rose in front of his chest and he gave a slow, formal bow of respect. This he knew would be accepted. Shen Wei acknowledged Chu’s newfound understanding with a tired, benevolent tilt of his head. Chu took that as his signal to rise and dislodge Da Qing in order to retrieve Xiao Guo and get on with his assigned task.
“OMG,” Zhao Yun Lan exclaimed, breaking the tension, “Always a drama here. What are you all staring at? Zhu Hong, Da Qing let’s get this place cleaned up and pick up any evidence we might need for later.” Da Qing retook his human form and helped Zhu Hong to rise. The pair quickly rushed to their appointed tasks, hastily and self-consciously clearing tears from their eyes.
“Heh,” having dispatched the onlookers, Zhao crouched down and turned his attention to his consultant, “why are you still on your knees?”
“Because I can’t get up.” Shen Wei leaned over in an attempt to keep from staining his suit as he coughed up the blood bubbling in his lungs.
“Shen Wei!” Zhao Yun Lan exclaimed worriedly, catching the kneeling man’s shoulders and preventing him from falling face first into the mess he had made. He maintained his hold as Shen Wei distressingly repeated the exercise.
“I’ll be fine,” Shen Wei assured him a bit breathlessly, rubbing his mouth dry with the back of one hand while absently patting Zhao’s grip on his left shoulder with the other. Zhao Yun Lan did not take the hint and release him. Zhu Hong and Da Qing had turned on their heels and were on the way back over until they noticed Zhao Yun Lan decisively shaking his head at them. If they made a fuss Shen Wei was going to come over all Hei Pao and insist everything was fine before doing something stupid to prove it. Like trying to stand on his own. It would be so much easier if that would reliably lead to him passing out, then Zhao could just pick him up and put him to bed. Unfortunately, as far as he had yet determined, Shen passed out only when alcohol was involved.
“As if you would tell me any different,” Zhao complained. He was happy to note that Shen’s color was better, the sweating had stopped, and most importantly he had ceased the alarming vomiting of vital bodily fluids. At a minimum he did not seem to be getting any worse.
Zhao ruthlessly set the kneeling man on his butt and ignored his scandalized expression as his pockets were searched for a handkerchief. He knew Shen Wei could heal himself, though lately it seemed to take longer. And he had yet to recover from whatever Hell he had gone through chained to that pillar for 3 bedamned days. Finding the cloth, Zhao began cleaning Shen’s dirty hand, pointedly being gentle. They managed to have an entire conversation with their eyes and dueling eyebrows. Zhao knew he had won when Shen Wei settled down with the tiny huff and frown that in other circumstances he found quite attractive.
Zhao also knew Shen Wei would do whatever he could to minimize whatever was going on with him. Best to tempt him to play teacher. “Did you take his injury into yourself?” Zhao asked, managing to load his question with a credible tone of curiosity. He folded the stained material of the handkerchief inward before handing it back to Shen Wei.
Shen accepted the fabric and smiled, “It doesn’t work that way.” The professor was always pleased with more evidence that Zhao Yun Lan was continually learning even if he did all too frequently try to mask his intelligence with play.
“Shen Wei …,” Zhao tried for a wheedling tone, but found he could not hold onto it. Instead his expression settled into a seriousness he did not normally display, a look that said he was willing and able to bend the world to his demands. “What do you need?”
Watching Shen Wei for a hint of how he could be of use, Zhao had not realized there was an expression possible that indicated a rolling of the eyes where the eyes did not actually roll.
“I can balance the energies.” Shen Wei assured him dutifully, “I just need to rest.”
“Okay, rest.” Zhao agreed with bad grace. He was not reassured by Shen Wei’s claim as the Dixingren was still not moving to stand and had not put away his handkerchief. After another moment, there was a slow blink and the long lashes that swept over his eyes did not rise again. That just meant it was time to get stubborn. “And spoiling.”
Shen Wei’s eyes popped open in mild alarm.
“Ehh, you can’t object,” Zhao gleefully informed his partner. “I heard you advising Chu. Rest and spoiling was the prescription, Doctor.”
Shen Wei had no idea how to he was supposed to deal with this concern for his well-being. He remembered it from long ago. Kun Lun had been like this, always asking and fretting about injuries. Even minor ones. Especially minor ones. Always teasing him and pushing him towards new things. He hadn’t understood why then either. Nevertheless, it felt nice. And it nourished the feeling within his heart, reinforced the idea that Zhao Yun Lan and Kun Lun were same person and he wasn’t actually following family tradition and losing his mind. Of course, that also meant there was probably a wormhole in their future. However, that was a problem for another day.
Today …, today he was tired. And Zhao Yun Lan was determined. And unlikely to be deterred given how recently he’d managed to convince Yun Lan that he had recovered from the pillar. Shen allowed himself to be helped up. He smiled reassuringly at Zhu Hong and Da Qing who were attempting to look busy.
They were not reassured. Zhu Hong widened her eyes threateningly at Zhao Yun Lan. He nodded, frowning, “Hey, I’m taking him home …”
“Zhao Yun Lan … ,” Shen Wei’s attempted protest was cut off when Zhu Hong widened her eyes in his direction.
“… putting him to bed.”
“Too Much Information,” Da Qing lamented loudly, pulling Zhu Hong back towards their work.
“Zhao Yun Lan ….”
Zhao cut off Shen’s dissent by hustling him out the door. ”We are taking the car, too.”
“Yun Lan.”
“Rest,” Zhao reiterated the order, finally appearing to be losing his temper. He quickly turned it into an exaggerated whine as he helped the exhausted man into the giant vehicle, “Shen Wei, you are causing me such trouble. Just give in gracefully.”
“All right, Ah Lan,” Shen Wei agreed at last, startling a bit as Zhao Yun Lan tilted the seat back. He continued to be tired. And Zhao Yun Lan continued to be determined, though he was now sporting a very satisfied grin. Zhao Yun Lan could be trusted to handle anything and everything, he reminded himself, relaxing into the seat and closing his eyes. He listened to the sounds of Chief Zhao directing the regular police inside the building before getting into the Wrangler and starting the engine. He finally remembered to tuck his handkerchief back into his pocket, well pleased it was something he could do with his eyes closed. He tried to make a mental note to soak it in cold water before allowing Yun Lan to put him to bed.
Zhao Yun Lan fiddled with the climate controls, turning the heat up. It felt good, but was unnecessary. He had previously reassured Yun Lan that the sudden drop in his temperature was not dangerous, just evidence his body was working to repair itself. The heat made him feel slow and lazy and he allowed his thoughts to wander. That future wormhole would most likely accelerate or complete the transformation of his energies. Events like today made it seem like destiny was pushing him towards that goal. The warm air, the gentle rocking of the moving car had him considering how fortunate he was. So very, very fortunate. Kun Lun had been an idol, a benefactor, someone he could aspire to emulate. Zhao Yun Lan was his partner and equal. Soon, Yun Lan would come to know this. Shen Wei drifted to sleep content that it could not be so very long before they would finally be able to meet with no secrets between them. And for this, his current disability was a price well worth paying.