Chapter 1: The Blind Phoenix

I wonder what HE was doing here? and why? ... Lacy thought, but remembered the teenager was sensitive about his privacy, so ignored that line of inquiry ... for now.

"Not sure how much you know about them, but they are a rising gang in the city making a name for themselves in organized crime. I have a feeling we may have both made it onto their bad side."

She picks up one of the few bags of flour that was neither scorched nor drenched. Ripping it open she tastes a touch and nods to herself knowingly before tossing the bags back to the floor.

"From what I could see, you can handle yourself in a fight. I could use some help dealing with this gang. Any chance I can recruit you to the cause? Might be to your advantage now that they probably want to take you out after ruining some of their goods, not to mention some of their members. Or if that's not enough motivation, perhaps, I can help you in some way in return."

Taizo snorts.

"Petty revenge from that bunch? Nah, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have something else I'm working on, so I won't be able to play buddy cops with you."

Lacy smiles at Taizo's naive overconfidence remembering she wasn't that dissimilar only a few years ago.

"Fair enough, Kiddo."

She notices her missing shoe under some rubble and pulls it out to find it's completely ruined. Well, almost. She manages to put it back on in a way that the sole is under her foot for protection and then rips a strip of material from her outfit and uses it secure the shoe in place ... Not ideal, but should last the night.

"Well, good luck with whatever it is you're working on and hopefully if we cross paths again, we find ourselves working towards a common goal else I might not leave you looking quite as dry next time," she says with a mischievous wink before leaving the destroyed warehouse and vanishing into the shadows of the night.

Taizo looks on as she makes her exit, ragged appearance and all. Her figure fades into the dark as the warehouse's frame creaks from the intense battle that went on inside.

"...Crap, I forgot to put a bug on her."

Taizo turns to leave, his jacket blowing in the wind. Whatever. I have a feeling we'll meet again soon. Maybe too soon.

And so another ninja vanishes into the night, leaving the warehouse to suffer with its wounds.

His appearance was sudden and the fluid dance-like actions that followed were to fast for the surprised escaping group to even counter. Then using the the war ladder one of them drop, he gains access to a broken out window. Upon arriving at the window he watches as the room bursts into an explosion of water that drenches everything within. He pauses to see what happens next. Then with the eminent life threatening danger gone he is needed no more and he presses the medallion he wears hard against his skin and as suddenly as he had appeared he vanishes once more. The only trace of his having been there being a small group of extremely injured and unconscious biker yakuza wanna-bees.

Takezo reappeared where he had left once more dressed normally, it had begun to almost make his heart leap into his throat whenever he got that signal. He was not sure how those biker yakuza wanna-bees hand been involved with the eminent danger but he felt little sorrow for his rather harsh treatment of them as he had no time to play and the fastest means of taking some out was crippling and deadly strikes. Still he was glad he was not truly needed as was the some of the time, other times his appearance took out an eminent danger before Lacy was even aware it had been there. Still he wondered whom the guy was that she seemed rather playful with within the warehouse. Well maybe he would find out at some point later.

Takezo makes his way over to the Ho-o to check on how it was doing and to see if he could make its final moments any more comfortable. "Sorry, for having to leave so abruptly but someone else was in dire need, is there anything else I can do to make you a bit more comfortable, water, food, more music?" Once he has taken care of the birds physical needs, if any, he picks up his flute once more and gets comfortable and once more begins to play. Pausing every once in a while to see if the bird wish to make a request or say anything. It was hard to read an oni but it obviously no longer belonged in this world and it would soon be going to a much better place for it.

"Yes I will remain with you but sadly I do not think you will be reincarnating for to break the mystical hold those others had upon you we had to implement measures to send you back from whence you came in a more permanent manner. I hope that does not upset you too much, we just could not figure out any other means to break all potential mystical holds they may have placed upon you."

"Why do you say that it is foolish, do you not wish to be free again, no longer chained to some others beck and call? I mean yes, it might not be the most desired outcome but surely its better than being a slave."

A bit concerned Takezo outlines the ritual that he had been given that is supposed to stop the reincarnation part thus once the phoenix consumes itself in flames it is supposed to not come back. "So have you had this tried before?"

Takezo ponders this and consults some of the books he has on hand that he had gathered in case such study was needed. He comes across a few references that he finds to be a bit disquieting as he has not the means to enact them but... he might be able to contact someone who does.