by Bob Gansler
#4 - MAY 00	WEBS OF DECEIT

The building that housed the British foreign intelligence agency MI-6 was not that impressive of a structure. Its plain white walls overlooked the city of London. Inside, it was one perhaps the most clever intelligence organisation in the world. Officially, it traced its roots back to the Second World War. Unofficially, its origin dated back to a much earlier date. The rising menace of Fu Manchu in 1920's sparked the formation of the organisation. It had undertaken many other activities in the intervening decades. Today, however, its objectives once again focused upon the peril that had made its creation necessary. Fu Manchu was active once again, and MI-6 would oppose him.

That was the mission of the Director of MI-6. While the public might think that veteran public servant David Spedding was directing operations, the true leader of MI-6 was a player of considerably more experience in the games of death and deceit. Fah Lo Suee was the true puppeteer behind MI-6, and her hatred of her father gave her all the drive that she needed to conduct the affairs of this undercover operation.

Though she wielded great power, she was technically under the command of other authority. That authority was embodied in the form of the man who stood at the main reception desk - Clive Reston. Once he had been a daring field agent himself, working for MI-6 and then Freelance Restorations under the leadership of Sir Denis Nayland Smith. He had been insufferable at times to his comrades, with his womanizing, his drinking, and his constant references to his famous father, a legend in the spy game, and his great-uncle, the world's most notable detective.

Now he was simply a Director in British Intelligence. One of his responsibilities was oversight of MI-6. Since he assumed the position, he had been busy with other matters, such as investigating the mysterious Mys-Tech organization. Now he had come to pay a visit to MI-6 and Fah Lo Suee in particular.

"Look, I said that I'd like to see Fah Lo Suee now," Clive said impatiently as he shook his clearance badge at the secretary.

The blond-haired secretary looked up from her computer screen and scowled at him. "And I told you that the Director does not see anyone without an appointment."

"Now, look here, Melissa," Clive protested. "I'm her bloody boss. She'll see me whenever I bloody well want to see her."

"I'll thank you not to use such coarse language inside the building. I'll also thank you not to use the familiar with me. You lost that privilege a long time ago. It's 'Miss Greville', Director Reston." Melissa Greville's tone was very cold towards Clive. Once they had been close, very close. Melissa had once been a part of the tight-knit group that opposed Fu Manchu's scheme. She had once been a part of Clive Reston's life. Clive had taken her for granted, and he had pushed her aside when Mia Lessing, Dark Angel, had entered the picture.

Melissa had left the spy game for a while. She had gone to work with her sister in running a special school for the blind. They had operated the school in Nayland Smith's Stormhaven Castle. When a distant relative of Smith's claimed it, they were forced to close the school. Melissa landed on her feet, though. Fah Lo Suee offered her a position at MI-6. Melissa had always liked the spy game, and though (try as she might) she could not cut it as a field agent, it made her proud to be able to contribute from behind the scenes.

"Fine," Clive huffed. "Could you please inform Miss Suee that Director Clive Reston is here to see her, Miss Greville?" His forced civility was not lost upon Melissa.

Melissa stared at Clive for a few moments and then shifted her gaze to her computer screen. "I'll inform Miss Suee that you're here, but without an appointment, there might be a problem." She adjusted her headset and punched in Fah's extension number. "Miss Suee?," she spoke into the unit. "Mr. Reston from Whitehall is here to see you." She paused. "Thank you. I'll tell him." She looked once again to Clive. "Miss Suee will see you shortly. Please take a seat, Mr. Reston."

"Right, then." Clive straightened his jacket as he sat down.

Forty-five minutes later, Fah Lo Suee arrived in the reception area. Clive rose at her entrance, his face marked with frustration and indignation.

Fah smiled slightly. "What can I do for you, Clive?"

Clive had had enough. He shook a finger in Fah's face. "I want a bloody report, that's what. I haven't gotten a weekly update in months!"

"And you only bring it up now?" she replied.

Clive paused. Did she know more than she let on? "I've been busy with other matters."

"As has MI-6." Fah crossed her arms. "More important matters than filling out foolish reports for you and the others at Whitehall."

"Well, do you want to tell me what's more bloody important than keeping me in the loop?" Clive continued shaking his fist at Fah.

"My father," Fah said coolly.

Clive literally took a step back. Of all the possible answers he had thought Fah might have given, that answer was not one of them. "Your father?! Fu Manchu's dead and buried. He's gone. I was there in Honan. He's history."

"No, he's not."

Clive struggled to regain his composure. "You mind telling me how you know?"

Fah's eyes looked upward for a moment and her lips curled into a small frown. "An impeccable source. One that I trust completely." Her gaze returned to Clive. "That, and Si Fan double agents within MI-6 made an attempt on my brother and Leiko Wu."

"What?" Clive exclaimed. "I thought you ran a tight ship here. Si Fan within MI-6? Why if Smith were still alive, he would have …"

"Do not bring up the name of Nayland Smith with me, Reston, I warn you," Fah said sternly.

"Fine. Fu Manchu is your problem, but I want this to be strictly an MI-6 operation. I don't want you bringing in anybody else, especially Freelance Restorations," Clive declared strongly.

Before Fah could reply, Mia Lessing entered from the other side of the lobby. The former KGB agent rushed towards the reception desk, "Melissa, is Fah still …" Her eyes focused on the tense confrontation between Fah and Clive. "Oh, hello, Clive."

"Angel," Clive muttered under his breath. Despite his shirt-chasing reputation, he was beginning to despise women. Here he was with two women with whom the relationships had soured. Still, the discomfort caused by his past was minuscule to the aggravation that Fah was causing him.

Fah turned towards Mia. "I was just discussing with Clive about the Fu Manchu situation. He insists that we keep the operation in-house."

Mia thought a moment. "We have the capability to deal with it. However, Fu Manchu has already struck at Shang-Chi. I would find it unlikely that your brother will be willing to sit on the sidelines."

"I don't care," Clive responded angrily. "If Shang-Chi … and Leiko want to get involved in their own way, that's fine. However, this is a national security issue and I want it dealt with officially. And I want reports, regularly."

Fah turned back to Melissa. "Please make a note of that, Miss Greville. Timely reports on the Fu Manchu operation to be sent to Director Reston at Whitehall."

"On Fu Manchu," Clive declared. "And everything else, too. MI-6 is not your own little kingdom, Fah."

Fah smiled devilishly. "As you say."

Clive stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to leave. "I've gotten more than enough out of you today … frustration, that is. Make sure that those reports start arriving."

"Good day," Fah called out.

"God help me," Clive thought as he stamped out. "I'm putting the fate of Britain in the hands of Fu Manchu's daughter and an ex-KGB agent. Somebody ought to lock me up."

"Well, didn't that go splendidly?" Fah said facetiously.

"You should have let me take a crack at him," the golden armoured form of Lancaster Sneed, better known as Shockwave, emerged from Fah's office. "A little shock to the system would do old Clive a world of good."

"I don't think so," Fah replied.

"Ah well, I just got back from Stormhaven Castle," Shockwave explained. "Old Uncle Denis certainly has a great place over there. It's all the sweeter than I took it from Shang-Chi."

Fah looked at him with steel eyes. "You did not take it from Shang-Chi. It was my maneuvering that allowed the title to come into your hands." She had shown skill in real estate affairs previously, in assisting Sir Denis some years ago when Fu Manchu was manipulating bankers into foreclosing on the mortgage there.

"I thought you were one of the good guys now," Shockwave asked. "Why are you creating trouble for your brother?"

"I am in charge of MI-6, Sneed. Traditional concepts of good and evil are not always applicable," Fah replied. "As to why I arranged things as such, I prefer to have Shang-Chi, as well as his woman Leiko Wu, operate closer to London. It should make things easier for me to involve them when necessary, as well as to forestall their participation, when that would suit my purposes." Sometimes she wondered if it had been wise to bring about Shockwave's release from an American prison. He had been languishing there since an ill-advised battle with the American hero Iron Man. Still she had to admit that he was a determined man and now once again pledged to the service of MI-6. Whether that determination was stronger than the psychological problems stemming from his facial injuries would likely be shown in the coming months.

{Shockwave went toe-to-toe with Iron Man in West Coast Avengers #11, believe it or not}

"You're the boss," Shockwave stated. "I'm just glad to be working for MI-6 again. It feels good to be … home again."

"I'm sure it does." Fah knew that she would have keep a close eye on Shockwave. He was a skilled operative, if somewhat bloodthirsty. Still, that was the kind of agent she wanted. Her MI-6 had no space for mercy, especially when it came to her father.

"Clive did not seem happy with your manner of handling things," Mia commented.

"It serves him right," Melissa chimed in.

"Clive is an exasperating man, almost as exasperating as …" A devious idea then struck her. She turned quickly and headed towards her office. "Miss Greville, contact the motorpool. I'll need a car. I'm going to Eastbourne."

"Eastbourne? Out on the coast? What could possibly be of importance there? Something being smuggled across the Channel?" Shockwave asked.

"No," Fah smirked. "An opportunity to involve my brother and Leiko Wu while still staying in line with Clive's edict. When Clive find outs who …" She hoped she could be there when Clive found out who her new recruit would be.

Dawn had just broken, and Shang-Chi stood before the large pane glass window and watched the sun rise. Another day was beginning, a day for enlightenment, a day for the advancing of spirit. Looking down to the porch below, he could see that the morning newspaper had already been delivered. He slipped on his red kimono and headed silently for the door. Leiko was still sleeping and he did not wish to disturb her.

As Shang-Chi picked up the newspaper, his eyes naturally focused on the large words emblazoned on the headline. "Occult Killer Found Dead," the headline read. Shang-Chi raced through the article, reading with keen interest in the startling development. He had followed the reports of the Occult Killer recent activities. He had secretly harbored the fear the Killer might have had something to do with Fu Manchu, but he could not fathom any reason for his father to want petty practitioners of the dark arts destroyed.

{Check out Vampire Tales #5 to learn more about the Occult Killer}

He opened the door to the apartment and found Leiko standing there, still in her nightgown. "Where did you go?" she asked. "I woke up and you weren't there."

Shang-Chi handed her the paper. "Just to pick up the Daily Mirror. The menace of the Occult Killer is ended."

Leiko eagerly grabbed the paper and scanned through the article. "Wonderful. I didn't care for that maniac operating so close to home. Soho's getting more dangerous every day. It just doesn't feel safe here at night anymore. I wish we could go to the Castle."

"Stormhaven belongs to Shockwave now," Shang-Chi sighed. "Besides, the entire world is filled with foreboding danger now. The very air seeks to stifle my spirit."

Leiko threw down the paper and embraced Shang-Chi. "Don't say that. You must be strong. We must be strong."

Shang-Chi returned the embrace and nuzzled his head in her long dark hair. While he had found peace in his long months living alone as a fisherman, he had not found life. That was to be found here, with Leiko, as he should have always known. "Yes, there is no room for pessimism. We must be strong in spirit and in body."

"Speaking of strength of body," Leiko said coyly. "Do you want to …?"

Shang-Chi smiled. "First we must complete our exercises, then perhaps spar, then cleanse ourselves, and then perhaps."

Leiko went over and picked up her leotard and started to slip into it. "OK. We'll spar, but I don't want you taking it easy on me." She shook her bionic hand at him.

Shang-Chi nodded. "As you wish." The look that they shared told him that they would unite their bodies in battle and then unite their bodies in love.

Hidden among the snow-covered mountains of the Himalayans, the dread Monastery of Fear was being visited by men almost as dreadful as the monks who dwelled within its walls. Xan-Chi led a group through the courtyard to the dwelling that housed the most insidious man within this den of evil, perhaps the most insidious man who ever lived.

Xan-Chi drew back the curtains and bade the men to enter. They did so, entering the darkened space. At the far end, separated from the newcomers by his laboratory sat the Phantom of Fear, Fu Manchu. His face was obscured by the darkness.

"What is the meaning of this, son of the Celestial?" one of the men demanded. He was outfitted in a suit of silver armor, marked with a red cross his chest. At his side hung a scabbard with a scimitar.

"Yes, why have you dragged us from the corners of the earth to this monastery?" a second man added. He draped in a leopard skin, the leopard's head serving as a mask for him.

Xan-Chi remained silent.

"We gave you our loyalty years ago, but you refused to lead the Order," the third man declared. He wore a simple brown outfit, Burmese in style, and carried a garrote in his hands.

"You kidnap us from our respective lodges with your monks," a rough man carrying daggers grumbled. "We would know why."

Finally Xan-Chi spoke. "Templar, Leopard Cultist, Dacoit, Phansigar," he said to each in turn. "Humble yourselves before your lord."

"You do not command us anymore, Shang-Chi," the Templar Commander proclaimed. The others joined in his cries of protests.

"I have always promised that world would hear from me again. I fulfill that vow again," Fu Manchu announced as he rose from his throne. All fell silent at his words.

"Can it really be?" the Leopard Leader said in amazement.

"At long last, the Celestial?" the Phansigar Master whispered.

"I am returned," the Emissary of Evil proclaimed. "I am Fu Manchu!" He stared into their eyes, and he drove his point home. His gaze went through their eyes, went through their brains, and went to the deepest core of their souls. They could not resist his power.

"Hail Fu Manchu! Hail Fu Manchu!" they shouted in unison as they bowed.

Fu Manchu's hands rose, and they quieted. "Phansigars, Templars, Dacoits, Leopard Cultists, all you who represent the components of the Order of the Golden Dawn. Do you once again pledge your allegiance and your souls to me?"

The leaders looked up with devoted eyes. "We do! We serve Fu Manchu!"

"But what of your original followers, the Si Fan?" the Templar leader wondered.

"The Si Fan have already returned to the fold. I have already set them against Shang-Chi," Fu Manchu replied.

"Shang-Chi?" the Leopard leader exclaimed. "But he is right here."

"No, this is Xan-Chi, my true son," Fu Manchu said proudly. "He honors his father as a son should."

"For the Celestial!" the leaders cried. "For the Great Fu Manchu!"

Again, Fu Manchu lifted his hands to bring quiet. "It gladdens my heart that the Order of the Golden Dawn rises once again, as I have risen." He clasped his hands in front of his chest. "Take word back to your respective lodges that the Celestial has returned. Tell them that I shall reside in Rache Churan for now, as we work towards achieving our rightful position of power. Tell them that Fu Manchu lives, and the new dawn is upon the world."

"Hurrah, Fu Manchu! Hurrah!" the leaders called out until they were led away by Xan-Chi..

"I can command devotion in them far stronger than I could in past days," Fu Manchu noted to himself as he sat back down. Had he returned from the void with greater powers or was he tapping into the ethereal evil that seemed to permeate all of existence now? Whatever the origin of the enhanced abilities, Fu Manchu would utilize them to their most nefarious extent.

Xan-Chi returned and bowed before his father. "I have asked Thugben Sung to assign some monks to guide the leaders down to the foot of the mountain. What would you have me do next, honored father?"

"My dreams become clearer as of late," Fu Manchu related. "I have pondered how to deal with my enemies. Now I have found a way. I shall send you to Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong? What use could you have for that island, honored father?" Xan-Chi questioned. "It has reverted to the control of the Communist China during your absence."

Fu Manchu smiled. "The Communists may control Hong Kong now, but China does not. I am China. I am the majesty that was Old China, I represent the majesty that the new China will be."

"A thousand pardons, father." Xan-Chi knelt and bowed again. "Yet I still do not understand."

"You will make contact with the revolutionaries of Hong Kong, those that oppose Communist rule." Fu Manchu extended his hand and he put it on Xan-Chi's shoulder. "You and the men of the Order will provide them weapons and support in their struggle for independence."

"But that will bring the wrath of the Communists upon you again." Xan-Chi could not perceive the plan.

Fu Manchu clasped his hands once again and began to pace the room. With his long robe that completely covered his legs, he seemed to glide across the room. "No, since you will pose as serving British interests. You bear the image of my false son, who has worked closely with British intelligence in the past. He is known to many in Hong Kong. With you as the lead agent, the enterprise will have the necessary legitimacy."

"And then?"

"And then when the time is right, you will allow your activities to be discovered by the Communists. This will spark an international incident," Fu Manchu chuckled. "There already is much tension between those two nations over Hong Kong." His face curled with a cunning smile and his hands balled up into fists. "They will squabble, they will argue. They will devote their energies toward stymieing the other. Meanwhile, I be enacting their downfall."

Fah Lo Suee stopped the convertible at the gates of the cliffside estate. The strong winds coming off of the English Channel made her saffron scarf whip in the wind. She adjusted her sleek sunglasses and stepped out of the car. She walked towards the front door of the mansion. Even without noting the extravagance of the design, she knew that the place must have cost a great deal. The locale was idyllic and peaceful, far from the danger and intrigue of London and the rest of the world.

She rang the doorbell and waited. She knew that it was not proper courtesy to call unannounced but she figured that she might meet more resistance over the phone. In person, she felt more confident that she could be more persuasive.

The door opened and a middle-aged man held the inside doorknob with his left hand. His closely cropped hair was slicked back and parted to the right. His body was in tremendous physical shape. "Well, if it isn't the devil's daughter?" He almost dropped the martini glass in his right hand.

"Please, James, that title ill fits me. Besides, there are rumours of one to whom that title is much more apropos."

{A small reference to Satana, currently appearing in Hellstorm. Fah keeps tabs on everybody!}

"Indeed?" the man replied with a accepting smile. "Then I shall call you by whatever name you so desire."

"Fah Lo Suee, if you please." She extended her hand.

"Only if you call me by what I desire." The man took the gloved hand and kissed it gently.

"I remember many names that I used when we shared rather … close relations," Fah said coyly.

The man looked nervously back into the mansion. "Tut, tut. The Mrs. is at home, and she does not take kindly to reminders of my much more … adventurous days, my undercover activities and my … under cover activities."

Fah took her hand back. "Then what shall I call you?"

"Reston. J.B. Reston." He took a sip of his shaken martini and grinned.

NEXT ISSUE : "In Her Majesty's Service" - The truth behind J.B. Reston is revealed while a ghost comes back to haunt Shang-Chi.

KUNG FU WRITING

If you read the original Master of Kung Fu, you probably have deduced whom Fah Lo Suee is bringing into the fold.