Chapter 2
Once again, Ken had been forced to acknowledge that he was pretty damn awesome.
The young heir to the Masters fortune had been out all day, hanging out with a few of his friends from the latest school he had been expelled from. Sure, he was technically grounded, but he had one of the servants drive him to the mall, so it wasn't like he was really unsupervised. He even let the man use one of his dad's cars, because there was no way in hell he was getting in the dude's pickup truck. He was no redneck.
The mall excursion had gone well. Ken promptly met up with a group of similar kids who had flocked to him at Xavier's. Most of them were a good deal poorer than him, not that that was a surprise given he had been kicked out of the more exclusive schools. Being only multi millionaires, it was only natural they rallied around him as their leader. Ken supposed that was the one good thing about slumming it at a cheaper school; it was easier to attract followers. He rewarded these particular ones by buying them all lunch and splurging for a mini shopping spree at a few of the high end retailers. The girls especially loved that. One of them, a shy redhead named Stacey with huge glasses and a ton of zits seemed very appreciate of his sacrifice, and quickly made it quite clear how she'd like to repay him. Heading into the dressing room they emerged some time later, her with a hickey and a very flushed face, and him with a smug sense of satisfaction. He made it very clear to his buddies just what had transpired, and reveled in their praise. Stacey herself had done nothing for him, but man he loved being worshiped.
And so he returned home, with a few more bags and a new conquest to brag about. Life was good. Hell, life was great. He was absolutely certain nothing could ruin this day.
###
And then his parents decided to do just that.
Sure, he had been a little surprised to see both his folks home in the middle of the day. And when they had called him into his dad's study as soon as he came through the front door, he had figured he was due for a lecture. But he had endured dozens of them before, and had a pretty good strategy down for dealing with them. All he had to do was look vaguely chastened and promise to shape up and he was home free. But this time neither of his parents bothered with the usual boring lecture. As soon as he entered the study, his mom looked at him and spoke.
"We're sending you to Japan a week from now. Start packing."
The blonde blinked. "You're sending me where?" He had been to Japan a few times, usually to see his grandparents. And thanks to his mom's insistence he spoke the language pretty well too. Still, this trip struck him as sudden. "Are we going to see grandfather?"
"No, we're not. You're going to meet an old friend of mine. He lives in the countryside and has agreed to take you in for the summer."
"The countryside?" responded Ken, uncomprehending. "Like, rural? What the fuck would I do there?"
"Whatever he asked of you, I'd imagine."
Philip chuckled. "Nice one, dear."
"And wait, you grew up in Yokohama, right?" Ken questioned. "How'd you meet anyone out in the country?"
"I was a lawyer for many years before I met your father." Megumi explained. "I met all kinds of people. I represented Gouken and his Master during a lawsuit concerning their land. I was able to protect it for them, upon which Gouken offered me a future favor if I ever had the need. I may have even taken him up on it, but soon after I met your father and moved out of the country. Thankfully he still is willing to let me call it in."
"But the whole summer? That's like, really lame. I'd get bored of it really quick, whatever it is. So thanks, but no. I'm good."
Philip cleared his throat. "Ah, I'm sorry Ken, but we're not offering you a choice here. Your behavior recently... well it's frankly been unacceptable. We're running out of schools to enroll you in."
"What do I need school for? I'm a Masters. We own, like, half the state."
"And do you think your father and I wish to see our money wasted on your daily indulgences?" Megumi cut in sharply. "This has gone on long enough. You're going, and that's final."
"But to send me out to the middle of nowhere in rural Japan," Ken protested. "With no internet, no TV, and no stores! What am I supposed to do out there, watch grass grow? Milk a fucking cow?"
"Gouken runs a martial arts dojo. He's agreed to teach you his art and some discipline until you've learned something about humility."
"Some old martial arts geezer? That's so friggen lame!" replied Ken, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Mom, I'm sorry, or whatever. I'll take my studies more seriously."
Megumi's face softened, and she sighed sadly. "I wish I could believe you Ken. I really do. But I can't. You've done this sort of tihng so many times, and like your father says it's getting worse. You're rude, lazy, and belligerent. I'm sorry, but you need a wakeup call. Maybe a few months in Japan will make you more appreciative of the great fortune you have been given as a Masters. Perhaps you'll become more thankful for it."
Ken's eyes narrowed, and he turned towards his father, universally recognized as the softer touch. "C'mon, dad. Don't make me go. Please?" But for once Philip looked stern.
"Your mother and I discussed this, and we think it will be good for you. I think it will be good for you. Something does need to change Ken, and nothing else has seemed to work. I'm sorry... but our decision is final."
"Fuck you dad." Ken snapped, all traces of remorse gone from him. "And you too, mom. Thanks a lot for ruining my summer!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Philip made to follow him, but Megumi held him back.
"Let him go. It's a big change for him. Give him the week to adjust to it."
"I suppose," Philip shook his head. "I hope this works, Megumi. This Gouken fellow better know what he's doing. He has to be in his 50's by now? I don't know if he can handle Ken."
Megumi placed her finely manicured hand on Philip's shoulder. "Trust me darling. your concern is unneeded. I have every confidence he can straighten out our son."
"I hope so." said Philip. "Ah, tough love. The name is fitting."
"That it is." Megumi agreed. "But sometimes, it is necessary."
###
One week later
Rural Japan
"This is as far as we can go, Sirs and Madame. The road's out ahead." The limo driver turned his head around to look at his employers, disappointment on his face.
Philip huffed. "Still very isolated out here, I see. Aside from that village we passed a few miles back, Gouken's the only one around. Looks like we'll have to hike it up to him. Good thing I wore business casual."
"Ugh." Next to his father, Ken rolled his eyes. He was dressed casually as well, in an X-Men shirt and blue jeans. "A hike now too? Couldn't this Gouken dude just pick us up in his car?"
The last week had been trying for the Masters. Ken alternated between screaming expletives at them and sickeningly sweet behavior designed to convince his parents that he was "fixed." His mom though held firm, which only led to more screaming. Much of the staff had snuck some spirits out of the family's wine cellar, as had Mr. Masters himself.
"I don't actually think he has one.' Megumi replied. "At least he didn't when I last saw him. Besides, as you can see, the path up to the dojo would be hard for a car to navigate."
"Well, I'm sure we can make it up from here." Philip injected some false cheer in his voice, Ken looking decidedly less thrilled.
"So there's no change I'm getting out of this, is there?'
His dad shook his head. "No, of course not! Ken, we've had this planned for a week!"
Ken shrugged "Well yeah, but I figured this was a bluff, that sort of thing. I didn't think you guys were actually going to go through with it."
"Well, you clearly don't know your old dad very well."
"...Mom insisted, didn't she?' And a look from both of the Masters men at Megumi confirmed it. Smiling, she got out of the car, leaving her husband and son to follow.
"Eh, yes," Philip admitted. "I wavered a bit, but your mother was adamant. You really shouldn't have broken that vase, Ken."
"Believe me, I'm starting to legitimately regret it."
Philip patted his son's head in an awkward display of affection. "Well, come along. " And with that, the pair left the limo and started up the steep rocky mountain path, quickly catching up with Megumi. A servant named Charles followed behind them with Ken's luggage, the bags filled to the brim with clothes and various amusements. Judging by the older man's constant efforts to steady himself, it seemed likely he was already struggling with the load.
Ken sulked. "I can't believe you only let me bring four bags. I'm gonna be, like, so bored."
"Actually Charles, that will be far enough. Ken, carry the bags."
"What?"
"You're here as punishment." Megumi reminded her son. "So start carrying them."
"But that's what the help is for." The blonde billionaire's voice was filled with disdain. "And I have to carry them all the way up there? That's cruel. Like slavery or something."
"You don't have to carry them anywhere. If you like, you can leave them here."His mother offered, a sweet yet insincere smile plastered upon her face.
"Ugh, fine. Gimme the stupid bags." Ken swiped them from the old servant, who looked positively relieved to hand them over. He only took a few steps before the weight stuck him, and they each dropped to the ground. "Oh, goddamnit!"
"If you can't carry them all, you should leave some here. Unless you feel like making a return trip."
Ken looked up the long mountain path and saw the dojo nowhere in sight. He considered his options. A moment passed, the only sounds those of nature. But then he shook his head.
"Nah, I'm keeping 'em all." With a heavy heft, he lifted up all of the bags, balancing two on each arm. His parents shared a look, impressed. There were moments when their son possessed a surprising amount of willpower.
"Can we, like, get this over with now?" Ken huffed. "The sooner we get there the sooner I can put these things down."
"Sure," his mom nodded, beginning the trek up the path. "But those bags must be heavy. Let me know if you need a break."
"I won't need a break."
###
"I need a b...break." Ken insisted, his beautiful blonde hair drenched with sweat.
"Again?" Megumi scoffed. "You just had one five minutes ago."
"Eh, perhaps another break couldn't hurt." Philip offered. Megumi looked him over, finding him in as bad a shape as Ken, without the excuse of heavy luggage.
"There's no point. The dojo is just up there." she pointed. "Come now, one final push."
"Remind me to join your hiking club when I return home, dear. I've clearly been spending too much time in the office." her husband panted, before casting a look at their surroundings. "Rather isolated place, isn't it? " His eyes scanned the surrounding pristine greenery, from which birds could be seen flying to and fro and other animals could be heard from within the nearest trees. A short distance away a stream could be heard, a side path apparently leading down to it. "But that's not all bad, I suppose. It's so quiet here, and just gives one a sense of peace. None of the hustle and bustle of the city, that's for sure. Rare that one finds nature in so unspoiled a state."
"Exactly. Boring." There's not even any place nearby I can go and get drun... uh, socialize in."
"The village is only a few miles down there, to the west. I'm sure you'll find something to do in it. Besides, if I know Gouken you won't have much free time to worry about." At that, the trio finally made it to the top of the path and took in the sight of the grounds.
Beginning immediately at the top of the path was a large courtyard. Its floor made of simple dirt, it scaled out in front of them, leading up to the very entrance to the dojo. A large area in the center of it seemed designed for sparring, while areas off to both sides contained what looked to be practice dummies made of straw and tied to wooden posts. Many of these dummies looked torn and pretty well beaten already, suggesting someone was using them for training.
The dojo itself was a yellow wooden structure of modest height. It was obviously an old building, (Ken guessed at least a century or more) and was showing its age. The walls suggested someone was doing lots of repairs on the place and gradually losing the battle with time over it. Still, it seemed mostly intact, a few cracks aside. Though there were several windows, all were closed, the interior concealed. A sliding door at the front seemed to be the only entrance visible from here. It was presently open, revealing a pitch black interior. Behind the dojo the path continued upwards further into the mountain, out of sight.
Ken dropped the bags where they were, reasoning he had come far enough with them. "So this is the place. I was expecting bigger, honestly." He gave the place a once over. "It seems pretty small. And old."
"It hasn't changed much since the last time I saw it," Megumi recalled, smiling slightly as though lost in a memory. "Let's go in. I don't want to keep Gouken-Sensei waiting." She moved towards the entrance, pausing only to remove her hiking boots before heading inside. A look at her husband and son told them to do the same, and Phil's loafers and Ken's sneakers soon joined their mothers just outside the dojo.
"It is a sign of respect." she offered, and went inside. The others followed, and Ken got his first glimpse at the interior of his summer home.
The floor was made of lightly colored wood. It was fading in more than a few places, indicating as well as the rest of the dojo that the place was pretty old. The walls seemed paper thin, surprising Ken slightly. If this place got hit by a huge storm he honestly doubted they could hold. So either the weather was always nice here or they were sturdier than they looked.
On the walls were several scrolls written in Kanji. Ken knew enough to make them out. They seemed like mostly nonsense, and read things like Way of the Iron Fist and Warrior's Destiny. Maybe they were meant to be a bit esoteric, or he was reading them wrong. Ken spoke Japanese pretty well but knew his reading of the language needed work. But really, once he had learned the basics enough to mollify his mom he saw no reason to continue to study it. It wasn't something he used much in his day to day life, aside from when he wanted to impress a particular girl. They found his mastery of the language exotic. Even then though French tended to work better, so he mostly stuck to that.
As Ken pondered the scrolls, his eyes caught sight of the first inhabitant of the Dojo. A boy that looked about his age was sitting on his knees in the middle of the floor. Next to him was a bucket filled with water, and his left hand held a damp cloth. It was apparently being used to clean the floor, but the Masters arrival seemed to have disrupted this task. Currently the boy was frozen, his brown eyes looking up at the adults in surprise.
And then his eyes shifted to Ken and stayed there. His gaze was intense, seeming to go past the blonde's exterior and attempting to go further. It made him very uncomfortable, and he made a joke to cover it.
"I'm guessing this isn't that Gouken guy." Though really, aside from his age he could have been. The kid was everything Ken thought of when he pictured a martial artist. Clad in a plain and quite frankly dull white Gi, the young teen clearly belonged here. Much like the rest of the dojo his Gi looked a little ratty, suggesting it had seen better days. The sleeves had been ripped off, (whether for comfort or out of necessity Ken wasn't sure) and a black belt completed his uniform, suggesting he had some skill at his art. Though really, Ken didn't really think the dude looked all that impressive. He was confident he could totally take him.
"Oh!" The boy leapt to his feet and promptly bowed. " You must be the new student!" his eyes lingered on Ken, only reluctantly turning to address his parents. "Masters-Sama, welcome to our Dojo."
Ken's parents returned the bow, Philip slightly awkwardly but Megumi like a natural, which Ken supposed she sort of was. "Thank you for the welcome." Megumi said politely, awaiting the boy's own introduction.
"My name is Ryu. Please forgive my rudeness. We rarely get visitors here, especially from outside of Japan." His gaze then turned to Ken once again, and he repeated his bow. "Masters-San, it is good to meet you."
Ken gave a wave." Yo." A sharp look from his mother made him reconsider, and he gave a slight bow. "Yeah good to meet you or whatever. But hey, why am I San and they're Sama? I'm part of the family too, you know."
Ryu looked confused, but Megumi did not give him long to ponder it. "You are a student here, Ryu-San?"
"That is correct. Presently I am Master Gouken's only pupil." Again his eyes found Ken, and the blonde was growing annoyed by it.
"That's nice to hear. Is he in?"
"Oh, yes. He's in his chambers. I would take you to him but..." his expression turned uneasy. "He is in the middle of his meditation training now. With your pardons, could you wait until he is done? Master does not like training to be interrupted for any reason. He sees it as wasteful."
"This dude sounds like a whole barrel of laughs..." mumbled Ken.
"That is alright, Ryu." a deep voice came from down the hallway further within the dojo. "This once, I shall make an exception."
A door slid open, and a man stepped out. He was a towering figure, tall and looking to weigh around 200 pounds. Despite looking to be at least in his early 50's, Ken noted that the man's weight seemed to be consist entirely of muscle. His gray Gi was pinned tightly against this flesh, easily hinting at the virility of the man underneath. He too was sleeveless, his bare arms as thick as tree trunks. Like Ryu, he was barefoot.
"Gouken-Sensei." Megumi approached the man and bowed, her voice filled with warmth. "It has been quite some time."
"Indeed it has, Megumi-San." The martial artist's voice was deep yet booming, but there was a warmth to it when he spoke to his former friend. "You have done well for yourself, though I never doubted otherwise."
"Thank you. For my part, I am glad you still continue to practice your art."
"It is my path in life. I owe you a debt I can never truly repay for saving the dojo so long ago. But I will do what I can." He turned to look at Philip, and seemed to be awaiting an introduction.
Philip cleared his throat, clearly feeling a bit intimidated by the hulking warrior in front of him. "Hello. P...Philip Masters. Very pleased to meet you. Megumi has spoken highly of you."
"Even isolated as I am I have heard of your family. If Megumi chose you I know you are a noble man, Mr. Masters." Gouken nodded but did not smile. The western style of address made Philip pause, but he seemed relieved the man had no apparent dislike of him.
"Thank you for the kind words, Master Gouken."
"Gouken-San is sufficient. Let us not stand entirely on ceremony. He then looked at Ken, his stare boring into him with what seemed to be a fresh intensity. "Ah, and this is your son?"
"Yes," Megumi said, "This is Ken."
Though he did not feel like bowing again, something about the old man's stare made Ken feel it was necessary. He did so. "Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Ken Masters."
Gouken's stare remained infuriatingly enigmatic. "I see. Step forward, Ken-San." Shrugging, Ken did so.
The martial arts master proceeded to close the distance, and wordlessly he examined the young man. He circled around his new pupil. Ken turned to look at him, but Gouken shook his head.
"No, stand still." His tone was authoritative and frankly a little shitty, and Ken fought the urge to flip the guy off. If this dude thought he could just boss him around he was going to learn that that really wasn't going to work. But for now he endured it, hoping to earn brownie points with both his parents and the old man.
Gouken was silent for about a minute before he returned to the front. "He is acceptable. I believe he will make a fine student."
What am I, a piece of meat?
"I'm glad to hear that," Megumi said. "Thank you again for taking him on."
"It is no trouble. It will be good for Ryu to have a sparring partner to test himself against. I believe it will help to improve both him and your son."
Ken chanced a look at Ryu, and found the kid was still staring at him. He childishly stuck his tongue out at the Japanese youth, smiling with satisfaction as the other boy quickly looked away.
Gouken presently seemed preoccupied speaking with his parents, so Ken took the opportunity to head back outside and retrieve his bags. Grabbing two, he turned around and promptly dropped them both when he saw that the other boy was only a few steps behind him.
"Gah! Don't scare me like that!" He hadn't heard the kid at all. What was he, a ninja? (Actually, Ken supposed he may very well have been.)
"I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you." said the boy. "I merely wished to help you bring in your belongings." He had an antiquated way of speaking, Ken noticed. Very formal. Still, he was not one to refuse help. Really, he was glad the kid had learned his place early. If he really had to stay here for awhile, it would help to have someone waiting on him hand and foot.
"Oh, sure thing. Go ahead and take the bags inside." He sidestepped and gestured down on the ground.
"You have so many." His eyes went wide in surprise.
The blonde snorted, amused by the kid's definition of many. "Trust me, where I come from Four is light. But hopefully I packed enough. Had to positively cram everything into 'em since my folks wouldn't let me have more than that."
The Japanese youth looked doubtful. "I do not know if you'll have enough room to store them all, Ken-San."
Ken clapped him on the shoulder."You seem pretty creative dude. Figure something out."
The youth said nothing more, and grabbed the bags without complaint. Ken noticed he took on all four at once, and seemed to show little discomfort for it. A tiny part of him was impressed. If this martial arts thing didn't work out, the dude would make an excellent bellhop at one of his dad's hotels.
Megumi was the first to notice their return, and her gaze immediately narrowed at the sight. "Ken! Ryu-San is not your servant. Carry your own bags."
"Hey, he offered!"
"Put the bags down, Ryu," said Gouken, and immediately the teen did so. The old man moved towards Ken's luggage. "First, I will examine them for anything unnecessary." He proceeded to open one and quickly rife through it.
"Hey, that's my stuff!" the blonde protested. "You can't just, like, go through it or anything!"
Gouken ignored him and continued to examine the contents. "This bag will be unnecessary to your stay. There are many electronics in here. A music player, a few video games... Since we do not have electricity in the dojo such things would be wasted. And even if we did I would see fit to ban most of them. Your time could be used more productively." He set the first bag aside and reached for the second.
"That's completely unfair. Dad!" Ken looked towards Philip, who shrugged passively.
"Sorry Ken, but it's his home. Besides, he's right you can't actually use most of them."
"This bag is not acceptable either." Gouken mused, shuffling through the second one's collections of sweets and snacks. "These are unhealthy and filled with sugars and waste. They detract from your ability to train on the Warrior's Path."
The third bag soon suffered a similar fate. Sure, Ken was going to be in the countryside, but he figured he could head to the nearest city now and then, and it paid to look fashionable. He had packed like fifteen outfits, but Gouken just shook his head.
"Too many clothes. There won't be enough room to keep them all. And they will be unnecessary. Your day to day training wear shall be provided for you as it was for Ryu."
"Ken examined the Japanese teen's ratty white Gi once again, his lip curling upwards in disgust. "Ugh. Hopefully one in better shape. Not to mention color..."
"However, I will permit you to keep an outfit on hand should you venture outside the dojo. Pick it out and return the rest to your home." He kicked the bag over to Ken, the soft movement nonetheless sending the bag sliding across the floor. Ken agonized over his choices, but finally decided to go with a nice red shirt and black pants. Both were very expensive, which was sure to win him some admiration from the locals. (As if his looks on their own weren't enough.)
The last bag was filled with his conditioning items. It hardly surprised Ken when Gouken declared them forbidden as well, though it infuriated him all the same.
"Oh come on! You want me to look like a troll or something?"
"Preening like a peacock is unbecoming, as is vanity." Gouken explained in that infuriatingly calm tone of his. "As before however I will let you select something to keep. The rest will go." He slid the bag over to Ken, the blonde having to jump back slightly to avoid it hitting him. Shooting a dirty look at the old bastard, he lent down and examined his stuff.
Okay, so the cologne probably wasn't too necessary. He smelled pretty good without it after all. Girls were always complimenting him on his natural scent. Same with the pimple cream. He had pretty flawless skin. But when his hand touched one bottle, Ken knew what to keep.
"I'm keeping the hair dye." He held the blue bottle like it was a precious newborn. His hair was always the first thing people complimented him on. Maybe if he could at least keep it blonde this whole thing would be survivable.
Truthfully he had expected Gouken to refuse his selection, but the old man apparently had some honor because he merely nodded. "Very well. Ryu, take Ken back to the room in which he will be staying and help him to select a Gi."
"Yes Master." Looking at Ken expectantly, Ryu started further back into the dojo. Ken huffed and followed.
The walk wasn't long. As it turned out, there only appeared to be four rooms within the dojo proper. The first one seemed to be Gouken's, and the boys walked past the second( Ken assumed it to be the bathroom. Or maybe the kitchen) Ryu stopped at the third door, sliding it open with well practiced familiarity.
The room was small, cramped and spartan, a far cry from Ken's room back home that held every comfort imaginable. In front of the door was a Japanese futon. Ryu gestured to the empty space next to it. "Your futon shall be right next to mine, Ken-San."
"I don't even get my own room?" Ken protested, though in truth he was becoming frustratingly used to these disappointments. He put his things down while Ryu slid open a closet, the insides of which were filled with dozens of Gi's of various sizes and shapes. The American moved forward to examine them.
"You should select one that speaks to your soul," Ryu urged. "Your uniform is an extension of the training you will receive. Reach inside yourself and determine which is fitting."
"Quit it with all the psuedo-deep crap. It's starting to get annoying." Then he really looked at the youth again. "Why'd you pick white, then?"
Ryu thought for a moment before speaking, as if questions were difficult for him to process. Ken knew his Japanese wasn't that bad, and was starting to wonder if the dude was slow. "The simplicity of it spoke to me. I saw no need for flash or vanity. The color itself reminds me of the pure snowfalls of the winter, and as a warrior I strive to emulate that experience within my own training. It should be pure and unfocused on distractions."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no way I'm wearing white." He looked through most of the Gi's before he found one he liked. It was bright red, the color of newly erupting flames. Despite himself, Ken was impressed. Man, he'd look badass in this thing. Put Gouken and his pupil to shame. "I guess I'll wear this one," he said, pulling it out.
Ryu nodded. "I think it fits you, Ken-San."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean, dude?" Ken asked, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.
"I meant no offense. But it is loud and vibrant. Much like you seem to be." Ryu's voice was low, thoughtful.
"Yeah well, let me try it on."
"Alright." the boy shook his head once again, but continued to stare blankly at him.
"I mean, give me some privacy dude, yeah?" Ken elaborated when it became clear he was not leaving.
"Privacy?" Ryu cocked his head, the word a foreign notion. "But we will be sharing a room together. I do not see a reason for your modesty, Ken-San."
Annoyance flared up in him. "Just get the hell out, alright?" To his credit, Ryu did so, sliding the door shut. Ken shook his head and quickly stripped down to his underwear. A moment more he was dressed in the Gi, the fabric of it feeling oddly light against his flesh, but not uncomfortable.
"Jeez. Really hope the old man has a mirror." Without being able to see himself fully he had no idea how well it fit him. He supposed he could ask Ryu.
"You can come back in, dude."
Ryu did so. Once again he stared at Ken, his gaze frustratingly blank.
"So, spill. How do I look?" Ken wished there were some girls around here. They always let you know how you looked, with their little giggles or the intensity of their stares. But guys often did too, and Ken had been on the receiving end of more than one stare of envy. But Ryu, he was an enigma.
"Like a warrior." The other youth bowed. "It will be an honor to train with you, Ken-San. I look forward to testing our strength against one another."
Ken crossed his arms and shifted his feet. "Yeah. Whatever."
###
A/N: So the first real chapter done, and Ken arrives at his new home. The poor kid's in for some major culture shock.
Review Responses:
Vammy: Thanks a lot for the very kind words, I really appreciate it. The fun thing about the period is that as far as I know very little has been revealed about Ken's life before he was sent to Gouken or his early training days/relationships with him and Ryu. So I'm very much putting my own spin on things and trying to trace his evolution from a selfish, whiny jerk to a well meaning (if cocky) badass who is one of the best fighters in the world. Ken's probably not a very sympathetic character so far, but hopefully by the end of the story he'll be someone you can see the growth of and root for.
