The Compromise in the Dark

Zhang Lisheng had just learned from literature class recently that 'taking gloves off' meant asking for a fight with another person in Western culture. He said softly, "If you're dead, it would mean that we fought. Now that you're still alive, what I did earlier meant that I don't mind fighting you for the sake that I must save this girl that you have with you. Moreover, I have the ability to fight you, don't I?"

"Your power is nothing but you have limitless potential. Furthermore, it seems like you've learned to unleash your power to its peak. I don't want to lose a fight with such an opponent like you for something so petty. However, my work here shouldn't be stopped. How about this? That man's ribs had pierced through his lungs, he's dying slowly. My work would be complete once he's dead, I'll leave once that happens then you can bring the girl with you. You should be able to tell that the girl only has her limbs broken, she won't die even if she has to wait for a couple of hours…"

"But she might be handicapped if she waited too long to get medical treatment," Zhang Lisheng laid on the ground while saying expressionlessly.

"Oh, indeed. But that's the best that I could do, sometimes it's hard to get everything we want. This is an impasse…" The voice in the dark was deep when it replied. While he was talking, Mountoad had opened its big mouth and extended its humongous tongue. However, it was not attacking Dr. Fracture in the dark. Instead, it put the dying Herrick into its mouth.

"I've done your job for you, the impasse's broken now," Zhang Lisheng said coldly.

"Oh, wow. That's some unexpected wit that you have, I've forgotten that you're one of the Dark Walkers. Moreover, you're as brutal as I am," Dr. Fracture's voice was going further away from the dark. It chuckled in a weird way while he faded in the dark until Zhang Lisheng could no longer hear, "But my young friend, it's clear that you don't understand that unnecessary feelings are a deadly burden to a Dark Walker. And what would it mean once the scariest serial killer in New York who you attacked knew your identity…"

Zhang Lisheng did not get away from his wizard worm after Dr. Fracture left. Instead, he took out his phone with great effort and called Sullo.

"Hey Lisheng, are you on your way home…"

"Uncle Lavin, I'm…I'm with Michelle. She's hurt, we're in an alley close to Dan Souza Butcher Shop. I…I've no idea what's the exact coordinates but I'll be with my phone at all times. Quick, Michelle needs some urgent help… Come quickly…"

"Calm down, calm down kid. I'll get an ambulance and the police there soon. Don't panic, keep your phone on," Sullo who was on the other side of the call paused for one to two seconds before replying in a calm voice. As a New York Police Crime Squad chief, he professionally handled the situation even though he heard a piece of bad news that his family was involved in.

Brooklyn's police force had plenty of policies. Moreover, the better the safety a community had, the more police cars there were doing rounds. A minute or two later, Zhang Lisheng heard loud and clear police sirens coming. He then crawled out below Mountoad carefully and chanted witchcraft incantation to get the wizard worm to let out the air in its body. It then hopped into his backpack on his back after it shrunk.

As soon as he was done doing that, Zhang Lisheng heard Sullo's calm voice from the phone, "Lisheng, how are you over there?"

"I heard the police siren, I think the police are close to us…" The noise of emergency breaks and rushing footsteps came as he spoke, a few torch lights with harsh light was directed to his face.

"Don't move, we're New York police…"

"I'm the one who called, it's me who called Chief Lavin. Quick, save Michelle quickly…"

"Put down your gun, he should be the kid Chief Lavin mentioned. Don't panic kid, you've done well… Sh*t, oh my god. Yes, yes… It's the 'Dr. Fracture' sign, it's the 'Dr. Fracture' sign on the wall…"

The term 'Dr. Fracture' seemed to have some sort of charm that it made all the officers that were present there at the moment, dumbfounded. Someone shouted all of a sudden, "This…this kid managed to get away from Dr. Fracture and possibly saved his sister. Perhaps…perhaps he…he saw that devil's face."

At that moment, all officers had their eyes on Zhang Lisheng. Unfortunately, they only got a calm answer, "I just heard the faint call of distress and I came here, I didn't see anything."

The experienced officers showed disappointment on their faces while the one who looked young said in full enthusiasm, "Even so, we must record a detailed statement from you…"

"Don't panic, new guy. No matter what we're trying to do, we must get this kid to the hospital. Moreover, we need his parents to be there when we do that," Unfortunately, his suggestion was soon denied by the officer who held the highest position there. The old officer with silver hair then ordered his experienced underlings, "Nick, see if you could do some first-aid on this lady. The ambulances are taking too long; Warren, call the headquarters and ask for the best forensic expert…"

Very soon, the warning line was up while the officers began working orderly. Meanwhile, Zhang Lisheng had a shawl covered on him as he sat in the police car. A middle-aged lady officer was with him, waiting for the ambulance to come.

"Kid, calm down and have a cup of hot coffee. You're safe now…" The lady officer who had training for psychological counseling spoke to him softly with kindness on her face. She wanted to help this young man who witnessed a horrible crime to calm down. However, Zhang Lisheng was just sipping on the coffee quietly listening to what she was saying. He was silent the whole time.

A couple of minutes later, the ambulance arrived with the long ambulance siren.

"Kid, the ambulance is here. They'll bring you to the hospital, you'll be taken good care over there," The lady officer opened the door for Zhang Lisheng.

"Thank you," Zhang Lisheng finally spoke and walked out of the door. As soon as he stepped out of the police car, there were rumbles of flash shone in the chilly snowy night in the alley all of the sudden. The police commander at the crime scene shouted madly seeing there were reporters taking photos, "Sh*t, how did the reporters came so soon and hid in the warning line. They're interfering on our work. Oh my god, someone in the police station must have notified them. Quick, chase these annoying flies out of the warning line. Tell them we're working, and not having a fashion show at Times Square…"

"Yes, sir," The officers who heard the commander's order began chasing the reporters who were hiding out of the warning line as usual. The reporter who was waiting for a long time had finally taken a shot of Zhang Lisheng getting out of the police car wrote the article immediately as soon as he was chased out of the crime scene. He published his exclusive report onto New York Times Online.

In the picture included in the news, although Zhang Lisheng's face was blurred out which could not be identified at all, his skinny body was obvious in the high-resolution shot. It came with an extremely attention-gauging title 'Who is He! Dr. Fracture Has Finally Met His Opponent, This Calm Young Man Broke the Must-Die Myth When Dr. Fracture Was Taking His 21st Life'. Although the article was filled with ambiguous terms such as 'speculated', 'maybe' and 'perhaps', it was forwarded by all American news websites in a short period of time.

An hour later, in a crude room of a crude hotel close to a bus station of a remote county town in China Western Sichuan, a pale young man laughed uncontrollably suddenly while sitting in a dirty bed hugging his body, "New York Brooklyn, hahaha… I got you, I got you. I knew that people like you won't behave yourself even when you get to America. Wait for me, wait for me you brat. Very soon, I'll take back what you owe me. Wait for me, you wait for me…"

He mumbled to himself insanely for a while and coughed hard all of the sudden from his stirred emotion. The hatred in his eyes deepened in each cough as he gazed upon. The young man was Mountain Cat, the person who failed to attack Zhang Lisheng and almost died in his hands. He had a laptop placed on his bed before him, Zhang Lisheng's picture where his head was blurred out occupied his entire screen clearly.

As Mountain Cat was swearing to take his revenge, Zhang Lisheng who was unharmed was sent into New York Queens Hospital's ICU to stay there for the night, so they could observe him. There was surveillance all over the room. There was an officer guarding the door for 24 hours. It was impossible for him to cultivate secret methods in such a situation. Zhang Lisheng could only lay flat on the bed wearing the hospital's white gown. He seemed to be flipping his class notes that he brought along with him but he was thinking about Dr. Fracture that he encountered tonight, the person who remained in the dark.

His unfathomable ability and the 'secret meeting' that he said that made people guessing. Through Dr. Fracture's movement and the way he spoke, Zhang Lisheng guessed faintly that he made contact with a person in a mysterious world where ordinary people could never reach.

Just when he was thinking hard to himself, two voices came outside of the door all of the sudden, "Is it here, is it here…"

"Yes Lili, the doctor said Lisheng's in this room. Look, there's an officer guarding outside the door. He's safe, don't be scared. Hi officer, I'm Lieutenant Sullo D. Lavin from crime. I'm also the kid's guardian, this is his mother Lili. We're hoping to see him."

"Yes, sir and Ms. Lili. Please go in."