To anybody reading this without knowing about a Winner Is You or A Winner Is Two: Welcome to the tournament! This is the introductory chapter for a fantastic new tournament of authors, and everybody is invited! If you want to test your skills as a writer and have fun in a friendly competition, and maybe win a fabulous prize, then come to my forum to learn more!
To everybody else: Enjoy the introductory chapter to A Survivalist Is You's storyline! This chapter features two of the BORED execs, two of the Enforcers, and tells you all you need to know about lesser minions and gives you a better idea of the setting. Hopefully it's also a good read.
Disclaimer: Sakyo and the Black Black Club are part of Yu Yu Hakusho, Ofdensen and the Klokateers are part of Metalocalypse, Solidus Snake is part of Metal Gear, Kakashi is part of Naruto, Mr. Incredible is part of The Incredibles. I own none of them. I do own Grand Cross Isle, El Centro Del Mundo, and the tournament itself.
A Winner Is Two: A Survivalist Is You
Introduction: Operation Black Lotus
The view was breathtaking, Sakyo Valdez decided as he gazed out the side window. Grand Cross Island's sundered peaks were capped with white snow on their sloping edges, but the sheer gap in between them was lit up red and clouded from the bubbling lava. The further from the lava one got, the more greenery they ran into; by the edges of the island, the foliage was almost impossible to pass through in any type of vehicle. The four peninsulas spread out from the central mountain in what bore a resemblance to a Christian cross, but on a scale of miles, giving the island its name.
"We're takin' her in, sir," the pilot's voice crackled over the speaker. A human pilot, one of Sakyo's few; after the incident at El Centro Del Mundo, BORED distrusted Sakyo's various demon employees, and he honestly couldn't begrudge them that. However, it meant that although Sakyo would be in charge of operating the tournament, he'd be chiefly using the personnel of other BORED members.
"Excellent," Sakyo replied, still dwelling on his thoughts, and the VTOL jet sank towards the mountain. Here, in the great gash known simply as the Scar, the term 'breathtaking' took on a whole new meaning – yes, it was still beautiful if you could see through the fumes, but those same fumes were life-threatening if inhaled for long. Searchlights flashed out from the bottom of the jet, burning through the poisonous haze, and soon found a landing pad. Sakyo was given a gas mask to wear as he stepped out into the scorching air and toward the safety of a stairwell.
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At the bottom of the stairwell was a door with a keycard lock, and a USB port. Sakyo already knew what to do – he took a small PDA and plugged it into the USB port. Instantly, the small, LCD-lit screen lit up as it loaded a three-dimensional map of the complex. The sprawling building was designed by the best architects in the world – it cloaked itself fully within the volcano's smoke, it withstood the high temperatures while drawing on the lava's heat for power, it stored a deceptively large command center and high-end living quarters… and the feng shui was aligned marvelously! The power plant and the command center itself was suspended over the lava, while living quarters and storage space were carved out of the sheer cliff walls, burned smooth from the forces that had shaped Split Mountain. Finding what he was looking for on the map, Sakyo smiled. He disconnected the PDA and produced a card, which he swiped. The door opened with a very clean hiss, and Sakyo smiled again, brushing a few locks of his long hair out of his eye.
The hallways were winding, and the building generally wasn't designed primarily to be easily navigated, but it didn't take Sakyo long to reach the main observation and control room. Along the ways he passed many of the faculty, all of which bowed or saluted, usually along with saying something like "Good afternoon, sir." It felt good – most of these men he could trust, even if they were primarily employed by his two cohorts who would also be present. His own men were easy to recognize – the Black Black Club's insignia decorated the lapels of their shirts or suit jackets. The second group appeared to be mostly ex-CIA and ex-Secret Service, judging by their postures, accents, earpieces, and the complete lack of American flag lapel pins that current members would wear. The third, and most numerous group, he didn't recognize. They wore black and dark grey uniforms that left their arms bare, showing them all to be in good or great physical condition. One noticeable feature was the black hood that entirely covered their heads, except for dark eyeholes. Were they another occult group?
He found his answer when he reached the control room. Several men, all wearing the hoods, were at the various control panels. Most were testing out the hundreds of camera systems hidden across the island, an entire afternoon's task. Others tested the sound feeds, or the remote-controlled aircraft that provided additional views of the battles. Presiding over the operation was an unassuming-looking man wearing a three-piece suit, square glasses, and a red tie. His brown hair was carefully combed, and his stance was very passive, with his arms relaxed and behind his back. Although Sakyo wore a similar suit with a blue tie, he wore his black hair long, past his shoulders in a style of mullet that was still moderately popular in some parts of the first world. His eyes, instead of glasses, were distinguished by a scar that started on his forehead and proceeded down and slightly outward, crossing his right eye and cheekbone. His features were darkly lit by a small smile, and he walked more powerfully, in a way that reminded those around him who was in charge and who was in control. "Afternoon," Sakyo announced, still sizing up the man in the red tie.
He had already noticed Sakyo and started towards him when Sakyo had spoken. "Good afternoon," he replied. "Sakyo Valdez, I take it? I hope you don't mind that I arrived early – I like to make doubly sure that everything's functioning properly."
"So I take it you're one of my contemporaries at BORED?" Sakyo asked pleasantly, avoiding the question. The rest of BORED had hardly cared to disguise the fact that the other two members present would basically be there to watch him and make sure he didn't fuck up. He had never met either of them, but he knew of George Sears, the ex-president of the USA. This man he was unfamiliar with.
"Yes, I'm Charles Foster Ofdensen," the man affirmed. "Everything around here is functioning smoothly. The staff are all here, and the Enforcers are beginning to arrive – the two that are here will be in shortly. Our friend the ex-President is out personally overseeing the acquisition of some of our contestants – I expect his return tonight. He's the type to get his hands dirty, if you know what I mean."
Sakyo whistled appreciatively. "It sounds like you really are on top of things."
"I try. Should we go meet our Enforcers? They're in the executive break room now."
"Why not?" Sakyo asked with a smile. As they exited the room, Sakyo made sure to lead the way. Their path soon led them up into the westward cliff. On the top three floors of the cliff were the executive suites – BORED members and Enforcers were entitled to their own bedrooms, although the Enforcers shared four bathrooms between the eight rooms. There was a break room up there as well.
"So, Sakyo, what sort of business are you involved in?"
Sakyo smiled again as he answered. "Well, I got into gambling, mostly on fights. I got a lot of people to back down because I was always willing to bet everything, even my life. Eventually I found gambling on battles between demons, and I was filthy rich in just a few years. Now I run those fights. How about you?"
"I manage a successful band," Ofdensen said with a shrug.
"Oh, good, we're in more or less the same business," the long-haired executive joked. Ofdensen didn't laugh, but he did smile. "Here we are."
Inside the lounge were two men. The first was physically very large, well over six feet tall with a very broad build and a face that suggested middle-age. He had short blond hair that had begun fading towards gray, and blue eyes, which he wore a black mask around. He was dressed in a red spandex outfit with black briefs, boots, gloves, and collar, and a yellow belt with several pouches. On his chest was a circular gold and black symbol featuring a lower case 'i'. He looked up blankly at Sakyo and Ofdensen from the television he was watching before quickly hopping out of his armchair and standing straight up respectfully. He didn't seem to know whether a salute was appropriate or not.
The other man leaned against the wall next to the door, his nose buried in an orange book with a suggestive cover and Japanese text. This one was younger and smaller than the first, slim but by no means a short man himself. He wore a dark blue bodysuit and a matching mask over his lower face, along with a zipped green vest that looked appropriate for the jungle and forest survival and combat that would dominate this tournament. His bodysuit was tightened with bandages on both calves, above heavy-duty dark blue sandals, and on his right thigh, where he wore a rectangular pouch. A rounder, tan pouch was located behind his left hip, and a red fireball-esque emblem decorated his right shoulder. Completing the outfit was a blue headband with a steel plate sewn on, which he wore crooked to entirely obscure his left eye, and fingerless gloves with similar plates sewn over the backs of his hands. Above the headband his hair was silver and stuck out rather wildly. This man noticed the two BORED members and inclined his head in their direction in a subtle gesture of acknowledgment, but made no other move. Well, he turned the page in his book, but that hardly counted.
"You must be Sakyo Valdez," the larger Enforcer said congenially, finally settling on approaching Sakyo and Ofdensen for a handshake. "I'm Mr. Incredible."
"Pleased to meet you," Sakyo said, returning the handshake. He had read the personnel files. Incredible may not have the stomach for this tournament, but he's an asset with that strength and he'll be loyal for the time being. Kakashi, on the other hand, is perfect. Ninjas know business, and he's among the best. "Call me Sakyo. And you're Kakashi, right?"
"Yes sir," Kakashi said lazily, lowering the book for the time being to offer a hand, which Sakyo shook as well. "Thank you for access to the all-terrain vehicles, by the way, but I'll be satisfied travelling on foot."
"Well, make sure you at least have your keycard," Ofdensen cautioned. "It'll come in handy for… just about everything."
"Will do," Mr. Incredible assured them. "I might get one of those ATVs, myself. We could be out there a while."
Ofdensen's cell phone went off, playing a surprisingly heavy tune ("Hatredy" by Dethklok, the band he managed). "Yes?" the manager asked, raising a sleek, black and silver cellular phone to his ear. "I see. We'll be right there." He hung up, snapping the phone shut. "Joruus C'Baoth will be on the landing pad in ten seconds. I'm going to go greet him." Ofdensen turned, but he hadn't even reached the door when the cell began ringing again. "Hello? No, Skwisgaar…" Another masculine voice could be heard over the phone, loudly complaining in broken English.
"Why don't I greet Joruus?" Sakyo offered. Ofdensen nodded gratefully before leaving the room and walking down the hall in the other direction.
"Should I come?" Mr. Incredible asked, as Sakyo made for the door himself.
"No, you relax. It's the least I can do for the services you provide."
"Well, I'm just glad to be out here helping people," the spandex-clad hero sighed, leaning back in his chair. "That's what we're here for, right? We keep the fights from getting too serious." Kakashi's eye flickered up from his book to Mr. Incredible, to Sakyo, and back to his book; he gave no other reaction.
"That's a good way of describing it," Sakyo chuckled, but inwardly he cursed as he left the room. Whose idiot idea was it to make Incredible think he'd be doing hero work? We'll have to tell him he may need to kill people sooner or later! But as he made for the landing pad he had so recently arrived at, he regained his cool. Soon the tournament would start… and Operation Black Lotus would begin…
The End of the Beginning
What is Operation Black Lotus? Is it just the tournament itself? Maybe... or maybe not!
If you have any questions, PM me. Note that there may not be 'behind the scenes' chapters, since I'll be doing two Enforcers for the tournament.
