There once was a house of young ninjas, not just the ones who followed the martial art tradition, but these innovative youths used modern weaponry as well. Orphans from a distant time and place, trapped in early 20th century China, they hoped to survive, to discover who their true identity and to find a way home.

Pre-World-War-II China was a place where the law was bent and the people were wicked; therefore, during their adventures there, they hoped to restore some order to a world gone mad...

The ninjas were in Shanghai for some time now, lost amongst the rich exploiters and the pitiful workers. Hoping to strike at the evil powers that reigned the city in terror, the ninjas kept a low profile and completed many missions. They saved men and women, who had unwittingly fallen into the hands of evil. The ninjas had just discovered that their enemy was a group named the Wang Gang, an elusive group, who controlled the citizens, the police and the government in the area.

The leader of the young ninjas was named Yang, a young, courageous woman with the natural ability to lead. It was her daring decision that this band of young idealists should take on the Wang Gang, and this is the last of the Great Battles in Shanghai.

A little boy in tattered clothes approached a rundown two-story house. He carried a little note on rough rice paper and delivered it to Yang, who sat on the front steps contemplating their next step. She opened the note and saw a single word, DEATH.

So, the Gang have discovered us. It was of course a matter of time since we have made the recent attacks so public and so violent. We are costing the Gang money and we are making them look bad. But I wanted more time before we left here.

Yang looked around the dusty road that led away from their little house. She stood up, dusted off her patched pants, and went in the open wooden door.

"Mary, look at this and tell me what do you think." Passed the folded note to Mary, Yang looked to see who was in the parlor. Only Heather sat in the corner, chewing gum and looking bored.

Mary, wearing a plain dress, stilled looked out of place with the ninjas. Nice and sensible, Mary was Yang's chief advisor and was now reading the note was a frown. She looked up at Yang and nodded. They had already discussed the possibility of discovery and the plans to evacuate when that occurred.

Mary gather the rest of the group into the front parlor while Yang contemplated how to tell everyone that they must leave what has become home. As the last of the people trickled in, she looked at them and told them the sad news.

"They beat us to it. They discovered our identity as well as our location." Yang said.

"But we know who they are." Heather pointed out.

"That doesn't help. We don't know any of their names, where they live or work. They will attack in force, so we are splitting up. Tonight. Mary, Heather and Baby (GaoQing) are going to leave with Madame Chow. She will arrange your passage to HongKong. Meanwhile, the rest of you, go pawn everything that's worth money and then leave in pairs."

Most of the ninjas expected this eventuality and shuffled out to do as they were bid. Baby left with Mary, and left Yang in awkward silence.

"What the hell? Who's going to help the people here?" Heather asked defiantly.

"Staying alive is the most important thing if we want to help anyone. Oh, you have to put on a dress before you leave. You can't go with Madame Chow dressed like that."

"What?! Like hell I will." Heather was horrified. Why she hasn't dressed like a girl since she joined the ninjas, and she wasn't about to start now! As a finale, Heather tossed her cup over her shoulder.

Later, Mary gave Heather a good talk-to and explained that there was simply no way to coordinate their safe departure without making it appear they had disbanded. Therefore, it would be safest if they left with Madame Chow. Not long after, Yang saw Mary, Baby and a very hesitant Heather walk down the stairs to leave with Madame Chow. They packed into a closed black car and drove away.

"Please be safe." Yang whispered before she turned to pack her own stuff.

As Yang looked over the empty second floor, she felt sick. This was an important place for them; it was home. Quickly, she pushed down her sentiment, because good leader can't have feeling. She took down her sword, pinned at her side, and placed the few guns she carried on a mission. She was ready to leave.

Yang was the last to step out of the house as they were all heading out, and her sharp eyes caught the little boy, who delivered the first note, wonder to the house. She ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder. Obligingly, he handed her another note on the same sort of rice paper as the last one.

She let him go and opened the note. It read, "Chow." She dropped the note into the dust of the road and took a step back.

"Guys, we have to go to Madame Chow's. The girls are in dire trouble."

The group of ninjas were deceptively calm as they approached Madame Chow's Hotel. A young woman with evil eyes greeted them at the door. She claimed that Madame Chow was unavailable but had arranged for a farewell feast in the big salon. Yang and the other ninjas followed cautiously, and when led to the salons folded doors, they knew it was a trap.

Yang called out, "DUCK!" as she pushed the doors open. They all hit the floor and either rolled or crawled into the room, shooting guns or swiping swords. In the midst of the confusion, Yang crawled under the big dinner table. The table cloth acted as a veil and hid her presence.

She pulled out her sword and began to slash at the back of the knees of her enemies. As the villains began to fall, she shot each of them in the head to be sure that they are dead. Unfortunately, one of them realized where she was hiding, and pulled the table cloth away. The dishes and glasses shattered on the floor, mixing with the sound of hundreds of clips being fired. Yang rolled this way and that, trying to avoid the shots. Miraculous, before she was hurt, the shotting stopped.

Apparently, when all the bad guys were trying to kill her, her ninjas were able to pick all the bad guys off from the outside. She was glad that none of her people were hurt, while they had at least finished off fifty or so of their enemy.

As she climbed out from under the table, she picked up the white table cloth and wiped her bloody hands on it. The ding of the shooting was settling in each of the ninjas' ears and it dawned on them that there was laughter coming from the other room.

They cautiously approached the other room, and Yang peeped in to see Shannon and her boyfriend, Adam, drinking and eating. It disgusted Yang that they could be enjoying themselves while death was occuring in the very next room. With a wave of her gun, her ninjas and her ran into the room with their guns raised.

The "slightly" drunk Shannon laughed and said, "Adam, look. They're still alive. Oh no. They've come for those three girls."

Adam gave Shannon a dirty look and looked back at the group with their guns aiming at him. He nonchalantly said, "So what now? What do you want?"

Yang stepped forward, placed the gun at Adam's temple, and said, "Where?"

Adam shrugged. Yang pulled the trigger and the bullet flew through his head and left on Shannon's side. The blood shot out like a volcano. Yang wiped her hand again on the white dollie on the table next to Adam.

Shannon thought it was really funny, and kept laughing. As Adam keeled over, a set of keys fell out of Adam's hand. Yang picked them up and wondered.

Shannon tapped the high heels of her shoe on the ground, and said, "Guess you need to know where the lock is, huh?"

Suddenly, Yang realized the hollow echo. The floor. Under the thin carpet and the wood, there could be a cavern there. Her ninjas were discovering it at the same time. Rolling up the carpet and plying the pieces of wood away, they found a thin steel door. Yang unlocked it and opened to find Heather, Mary, Baby and Madame Chow bound and gagged.

Everyone was temporarily safe, but all wondered whether the Wang Gang would send more to finish them off. They might not be as lucky next time.

"Madame Chow, why don't you send someone to finish off that woman who led us in. Then clean these rooms up. It's too late to leave tonight. So we will stay here. Give me three of your rooms upstairs and keep the one next door free as well."

Mary asked, "Will they send more?"

"Probably," Yang looked at Heather and pulled out some overalls from her own back pack. she tossed them to Heather and said, "Why don't you put these on?"

Yang sat down and said, "The war has not finished. It has only just begun. I am right, then Wang has already left Shanghai for more fertile and safe ground. These are the men he left behind to finish us off. I don't think he'll know what happened until later. but just in case, I want you all to divide up into teams of two. This room will be a trap, used as decoy one. We have another room as decoy two. And each team will go to the other two rooms.

"We'll head out early tomorrow by separate boats. We can't meet back in HongKong, but in Singapour. Now it will be a race to see who finds who first and who finishes who first. At least Shanghai will be safe!"