Issue Date: March 2002

Story Title: Ikkyu's Skull part 4 - Truth, Reality, Justice

Staff:
Robert Weinberg (writer), Tom Derenick (artist), Avalon Studios (coloring), Jon Babcock (lettering), Pete Franco (assistant editor), Mark Powers (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description:
Sydney continues her hunt for the lost Treasures of Tao. She and Ape head to Arkady Dread's office where they are greeted by his wiser sister, Marie. She fears Arkady might already be dead, but she would still like her revenge. They head to Arkady's office which Sydney enters alone. The Princess offers to buy the mask which Sydney has possession of but she refuses to sell. Sydney offers to buy the sword and skull, but the Princess likewise refuses. There's only one way to settle this. Fight! The Princess uses the mystical black dragon to attack, but Sydney defeats it using the Sword of Justice. She then proceeds to beat up the Princess. Fearing all is lost, the Princess grabs the mask and puts it over her face. Unfortunately, she isn't ready to see everything the mask has to offer, and it kills her almost instantly. With the skull and sword recovered, Sydney and Ape head to Japan where the lost treasures are reunited with their former owner.

Full Synopsis:
Sydney heads off to look for Arkady Dread. He is the link between the three lost treasures and a series of murders that have taken place on the Nightside. Accompanied by her business partner Ape Largo, Sydney walks into Dread's offices where they are greeted at reception. The receptionist knows who they are and tells them that they were expected. Sydney comments that she isn't the regular security guard. She tells Sydney that he's all tied up at the moment, and they can talk in the office where it's more private. Sydney looks behind her and notices the usual security guard gagged and blindfolded behind the desk. The receptionist admits that she fed him a diet coke mixed with three knock-out pills. The diet taste hides anything. Sydney smiles and says it's always a pleasure dealing with a professional. "What do you want with us, Miss...?" The receptionst answers, "Dread. My name is Marie Dread. I'm Arkady's sister." Ape asks why she isn't up in his office now. Marie replies that she's loyal, not stupid. She warned Arkady about this Princess Orugawa, but he wouldn't listen. Now she and her gunsel, Nomura, are upstairs running things.

She explains how her brother became involved in this mess. Ikkyu's Skull, the Skull of Truth, Suzuki Shosan's sword, the Sword of Justice and the Mask of P'U'Hua, the Mask of Reality are the three Treasures of Tao. Her brother acted as legal councel for Simon Benedict and the other four bosses of New York's Nightside. Three months ago, he got a call from Benedict who had acquired some valuable relics and wanted to sell them. He wanted Arkady to make some enquiries to find out how much they were worth. Marie did some research of her own and discovered that the relics were the lost Treasures of Tao. They were stolen from Japanese shrines a hundred years ago. Ape asks if her brother regularly fenced stolen goods. Marie replies that her brother did anything that returned a profit.

Sydney asks if she learned how Benedict obtained the treasures. Marie tells her Benedict never said a word and she knew better than to ask. She warned Arkady that the treasures could lead to trouble, but he ignored her. He had already sent out some feelers. When the Black Dragon Society contacted him, Arkady came up with his master plan. This would involve killing all the New York bosses and putting their underlings in charge... for a price. When he met the Princess, Marie sensed that she was too powerful to manipulate. She told her brother that the Princess was trouble, but he was too arrogant to listen. Marie reckons they know how it goes from there. Sydney asks her why the mask was still at Benedict's office. Marie explains that Arkady held it back. He wanted to use it as a bargaining chip with the Princess. Unfortunately, she's not the bargaining type. She's actually waiting for Sydney upstairs. Her brother's office is on the 40th floor. She wants the mask and will offer no mercy in her quest to get it.

As they head to the elevator, Sydney says she can't promise that they can save her brother. Marie understands. Arkady's probably dead already, but she still wants to go with them. She reveals a pistol tucked under her belt and says she doesn't expect to save her brother. She just wants revenge. The Princess scared her brother and Arkady doesn't scare easy. Ape asks Marie if she is human or Other. Marie grins, explaining that they are ghouls. She and Arkady are psychic ghouls. They feed on mental anguish. "Yeah, I forgot," quips Sydney, "You're lawyers!"

They soon reach the 40th floor and head to the offices of Dread and Associates. Marie pulls the pistol out along with a second. Ape has two larger weapons and Sydney carries her cane. Marie tells them that her office is first, then beyond that is Arkady's sanctum. They open the doors, only to discover that standing behind them is Nomura along with several large and heavily armed goons. He asks Sydney if she brought the mask. Sydney replies yes, and that she's come for the other two lost treasures. Nomura tells her that his mistress waits in Mr. Dread's office. Sydney enters alone carrying the mask in one hand. The skull sits on Dread's desk alongside the sword, with the Princess standing with her back facing the door. "Speak, Skull," she demands. The skull informs her that Sydney has no strings. She knows the secrets of all things. She seeks the name to end the game, by night.

The Princess doesn't like gibberish and has no time for riddles. She tells Sydney that she will pay her five million dollars for the mask. Sydney replies that it's not for sale and that it is promised to another. The Princess asks who. Sydney explains that it's for the original owners. When they learned that the three sacred objects had been located, they hired her to find them and return them. Will she sell? The Princess says she will not. The Black Dragons have plans for the treasures. "Then we'll have to fight for them," replies Sydney. The Princess asks if she expected otherwise. Sydney places the mask next to the sword and skull and asks where Arkady Dread is. The Princess tells her that she found his presence distracting, so she had him removed... permanently. She slips off her coat. She is wearing just her underwear, and her skin reveals an image of the Black Dragon devouring Arkady. Now, Sydney Taine," she announces. "Feel the wrath of the Black Dragon!"

The dragon leaves her body, it's eyes glowing a fiery red. It's fearsome teeth are bared as it's body becomes a living tangible weapon. Sydney reacts quickly, preparing for battle. She has fought plenty of monsters, but the spirit-dragon is a first. Ordinary weapons don't work against a ghost. She's just upper her feel for this job another million... assuming she survives to collect. She manages to avoid the dragon's clutches by acrobatically leaping around the room and onto the desk. She grabs the sword and drops her cane, cartwheeling past the dragon. Suzuki Shosan was a famous samurai who became a zen monk. He advised his students to study death to understand life. Sydney intends to do just that.

With grace and poise, Sydney wields the Sword of Justice. The Princess tells her, "Now, you die!" The dragon rushes towards her, but Sydney brings down the sword with precision timing, splitting the beast's head clean in two. The Princess reels as the dragon dissipates in a stream of smoke. She doubles over as the pain strikes, warning Sydney that for banishing the Black Dragon, she must suffer. She stands and prepares herself for a tough fight. The two women attack, with kicks connecting, punches landing and throws allowing them use every inch of the office. Princess Orugawa soon finds herself lying on the floor after discovering that she is no match, physically, for Sydney Taine.

Fearing further harm, she reaches for the mask and tells Sydney that if she can't have the treasures, then no one will. She will crush the mask. As her hand extends towards the mask it begins to glow. The Princess cannot resist it's mystic pull and she finds herself needing to see what it has to offer. She places the mask on her face and her mouth opens wide as she sees everything... A moment later she screams, "Noooooooo!!" as the whole of everything becomes too much to handle. Sydney warns her to close her eyes and not look through the mask. It's too late, though. "No strings," adds the Princess before falling silent. Sydney removes the mask to find the Princess dead.

Truth, reality, justice.

(epilogue)
Sydney and Ape head to Japan and arrive by cab at a grand building in the shadow of a snow-peaked mountain. "You attended school here?" asks Ape. Sydney did, for six years and so did her brother. Ape says he never mentioned it to him. Sydney informs him that he studied Kendo, the way of the sword and zen, the secrets of the universe. They head inside and Sydney tells Ape that Grand Master Ito will take him to the sumo arena. She's sure he'll find it entertaining. Afterwards, they'll return and have dinner. While he is gone, she will visit her master and talk about old memories and black dragons.

She joins her master and has a drink with him. Sydney explains everything, how the Princess thought the three treasures offered great power, but what she didn't accept was that real power only comes from truth. Thus, she wasn't prepared for what secrets the mask revealed. For that, she paid the ultimate price. Her master replies that this is why they will continue to keep the treasures hidden until humanity is ready to face reality without fear. The Skull, sitting on the table between them, says, "Some day, but not yet." Sydney says that a few suspect. Shakespeare understood, as did the writer, Sturgeon and another named Knight.

The end.

Characters:
Sydney Taine
Ape Largo

Arkady and Marie Dread
Security Guard

Princess Orugawa
Nomura and his bodyguards

Grandmaster Ito and hs master, Sydney's former master, Suzuki Shosan

(in flashback)
Arkady and Marie Dread
Bruno, Karis and Simon Benedict
Princess Orugawa
Nomura and Osato

Notes:
A gunsel has more than one meaning, but one of them is someone who carries a gun.

With the Skull commenting that Sydney knows all secrets, it seems to hint that she has looked through the mask herself at some point.

Sturgeon presumably refers to Theodore Sturgeon, an American writer of science-fiction, as mentioned on Robert Weinberg's website.

What happened to Nomura is unknown. Presumably, he either departed when the Princess was defeated or was beaten up by Ape & Marie along with his cohorts.