Wuxiapunk - Charming

It's night. It should be dark, but the neon, the lamp posts and the cars keep the streets illuminated, small food carts attracting people into their gravitational field for a bite before heading wherever.

Night in Kowloon is for the underworld. The undesirables take the streets, running their errands, carrying everything everywhere, selling things, delivering goods and messages, sometimes delivering death.

It would be easy to miss someone in the crowd. But not this someone. He is tall, much taller than the crowd. Blonde and blue eyed while the crowd is tanned, hair and eyes dark as the night in the countryside. He is dressed in an impeccable white cape, while the world around him explodes in color. He walks through the streets undisturbed, the gods know stranger beings have walked Kowloon specially at night. 

Tsim Sha Tsui was his goal. More specifically, the Chungking Mansions, down Nathan Road. Some small room inside the belly of the beast that touched the sky. He was called by one of his favorite clients, a fiery portuguese trader who had most of Hong Kong in her pocket (and some of Macau too), and could only be called portuguese because of her family tree. She was born in Hong Kong.

He quietly took the elevators. Why would she call him? He was still immerse in thought when he reached the unit. The door was plain green, gold letters adorning it. They spelled 'Meireles e Lopes da Silva Co.'

Something was wrong. It was way too silent.

He knocked on the door, one hand holding his revolver. It opened by itself, slowly, and he stepped in, his gun in his hand.

"Eric Prince. Now I see why they call you Charming. I thought it was a joke with your name, I bet your nickname was given before people even knew your name."

"Who are you? Where is Miss Meireles?"

"It doesn't matter who I am." The strange chinese man said, very matter of fact. "I bring a message from the police commissioner. No more mercenaries in Hong Kong."

Eric has a power. He knows when someone is going to draw a gun. He can pinpoint the precise moment the opponent made their mind, he can see the twitch of muscle that starts the drawing movement. So he draws first.

People say he is too observant, that he reads people. In his line of work, it's a good power to have.

He knows he can't run, he is exposed. So he does the only thing he can.

With a move of his arm, his cape raises, a wave of fabric disguising his body. He hears the man shoot twice, and he senses the bullet piercing the cape. A sharp movement and the hand holding the gun is raised, pointing straight to the policeman. One shot, placed right between the eyes and the man crumble to the floor.

"Eric." The voice is weak and comes from behind the desk. Eric walks to find Miss Meireles holding her chest, all covered in blood. "God wanted me to see you before I die, and I'm relieved. They want to control the underworld, try to extort money from every single criminal in Hong Kong. I called you..." She sighed, painfully. "Call me an ambulance. Go to my safehouse in Mui Wo. I'll meet you there if I don't die."

Eric called the emergency number. He had a feeling he wouldn't see Miss Meireles alive again.