Master Kwan

Even with his eyes closed, Kwan could sense the sun setting in the distance, past the Steranko River. The monk often spent an hour on the roof of his building each night meditating, allowing his body to relax before going on "patrol".

Currently, the bald man was stripped to the waist, every sense and mental tripwire at full intensity. A sudden shift in the wind brought a mild scent to his attention; moving at near superhuman speed, Kwan rolled to the side and was ready in a combat stance.

Approaching the monk was a small blue-and-white dragon, which circled the rooftop before landing. Before Kwan's eyes, the dragon transformed into a young pale man with blue hair, clad in a black-and-gold outfit.

"Menagerie?" A member of the Century City Exiles, Kwan had worked with the team on a few occasions when problems arose in the Jack's Cellar district. Menagerie, their second-in-command, was a bit of a joker at times, but he knew better than to act like Groucho Marx around the warrior before him.

"Yeah, it's me, Kwan. I'm not here to fight, just to talk. Me 'n a couple of the other Exiles have been worried about you, buddy. I mean, when's the last time you've taken a night off from the hero game?"

"You're kidding, right? I've been looking after this neighborhood for the last year and a half; do you really expect me to take off?"

"Man, you are a classic workoholic, dude. That's why me and my crew wanted to make you an offer: give you the next couple of days off, and we'll watch this part of town for you. I mean, you're only one man, we're a team. Whaddya say?"

"Interesting offer." Kwan walked over to where he had left the rest of his uniform and other items. Picking up a thermos, he poured himself a cup of herbal tea. Walking over to the building's edge, he sipped and thought about the offer for several seconds.

"Fine, it's a deal." Kwan thrust a finger at the albino. "But just keep this in mind: if anything gets out of control here, I'll be coming back so fast that you won't even see me."

"Understood, Master Kwan. Me & Roulette already set up a date for ya." Menagerie handed the monk a scrap of paper. "Here's her address."

Glancing down at the paper, Kwan noted that the address was in one of the more ritzier neighborhoods. "Are you hopped up on Gamma, youngling? Emotional attachments are forbidden by my teachings."

"It's not an arranged marriage, Liu Kang. Just a meeting. I think you'll get along." Transforming into a chimpanzee, Menagerie bounded across the roofs and out of sight.