Disclaimer: This in no way derogates from SNK's legal rights or obligations.
Chapter 2 - First Match
The next morning, the first two matches were being fought. The first match would see the HMK team go against the Korea team. Kai had been told that all the members of the Korean team used variants of tae kwan do. The referee went up to the stage opposite the seating area and activated the random choice machine to decide the type of match that would be fought. The board showed all of the options, and the selector came to rest on the new type KOF 2003 style. Therefore, each team would have to choose a leader, and there would be tagging allowed. Rock, Billy and Kai now had one minute to decide who would be leader for this round.
The commentator in the skybox announced, "Today's match will see the new HMK team against the Korea team in a 2K3 style tag match. And as special commentator for all of today's matches we have Goro Daimon, ex-champion of KOF here with us. It's an honour Goro-san to have you here today with us." The crowd cheered, the announcer switched a button, turning off the broadcast of their voices to the stadium, for the viewers at home they continued, "So what are your thoughts on today's match?"
Goro thought for a while, before answering "The Korea team is a very good team, having been in so many KOF's before, the three fighters we've all seen before. What is interesting is the HMK team. Billy Kane, expert with a staff, we've also seen him before a couple of times. Going onto the second fighter, Rock Howard, biological son of Geese Howard, adopted son of Terry Bogard and also trained by him. Impressive bloodline, impressive trainer. I think he's going to fine out there. Now onto the third member, Kai Mellion. Details are very sketchy on this guy, he's a relative newcomer. But apparently he is on Yagami's death list, some of us saw a bit of what he is capable of last year, when he defused a fight between Iori and Billy, but other than that, I personally don't know much. But I can say if he is on Yagami's personal death list, he must be at least almost as good as Yagami himself."
Back down at the arena level, the HMK team began to confer. "Who do you think the Korea team will choose as leader?" Kai asked, having not fought any of them before.
"Most likely Kim, will be leader, as he is the master of the other two," Rock replied.
"But of course, they could be expecting that we would be thinking this and choose someone else." Billy interjected.
"Then should we worry about who is going to be their leader?" Kai asked, rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger.
"We should keep that in mind, but as to our team leader, I think Uncle Billy should do it for this match," Rock said, "It's mine and Kai's first KOF tourney, even though it may be what they predict."
"Yeah, that's good, it will keep the other teams guessing as well," Kai said.
Ding! the bell rang to signal the end of the minute, as the two teams submitted their orders. The Korea team was indeed being lead by Kim Kaphwan.
"So it was what we expected," Billy said, "I will be facing Kim first, be ready at any time to come in though," he continued, as he took to the centre of the arena, where the referee was waiting. He saw Kim stride confidently to his side of the arena, the referee separating them both.
"You got away with your crimes much too easily," Kim said.
"I got a full pardon," Billy replied, "that's enough for all of us."
"In the name of justice, I will win." Kim said, as he stared down Billy.
The referee took over and announced in a loud voice, as he moved back to the side of the arena, "Round One, ready Go."
Round One: HMK vs Korea Team
Billy and Kim circled around, waiting, looking for an opening. Billy jabbed out with his staff, a short jab, quick to release, quick to recover, probing Kim's defence. The longer reach afforded by the staff would allow him an advantage. Sooner or later, Kim would have to press the attack which would leave him open, or he would tag out, leaving a small opening. It was an attack, that Kim chose in the end, coming at Billy with Hangetsu Zan, his legs splaying apart in an axe kick motion. Billy blocked, and then countered with a hard blow with his staff, followed up by Dai Kaiten Geri, the second blow, folding Kim backwards, as Billy landed. He followed up the attack by jabbing out again with the staff, "now Rock," Billy ordered, as the end of the staff impacted on Kim's stomach, and then Billy lifted him, and threw him behind, as Rock jumped in and executed a Hard Edge, knocking elbow first into Kim, sending him accross the arena, as Billy tagged out.
The announcer in the box spoke out on the PA system, "And the HMK have switched fighters to Rock Howard, great use of strategy." Kim quickly scurried to his feet, and decided to tag out as well, sending Choi Bounge, his disciple and master of claws in, who hopped into the arena. "And now the Korea team has made a change, Choi Bounge for taking the place of Kim Kaphwan." Rock and Choi circled one another, much like Billy and Kai waiting for the other to present an opening. Rock lashed out with a overhead cross up kick, hoping to catch Choi by surprise, but the canny little fighter was onto the trick as he rolled backwards and then launched into a Senpuu Hien Zashi, flinging his body with claws stretched out at the front at Rock, connecting with a first hit, then spinning away to land safely a distance away from Rock, who fired a Renpuu Ken, catching Choi by surprise with how quickly he had recovered from the previous attack.
Rock felt refreshed, and more alive now, that the adrenaline was beginning to pump through his body. Seeing that the Renpuu Ken hit, he followed it up with another Hard Edge. He set himself again, as he waited for Choi to come at him once more. He was beginning to understand the flow of the fight. Choi attacked again, this time Kaiten Hien Zan, rolling into a little ball, claws slashing out as he rolled around, Rock backstepped, avoiding the first part of the attack, but Choi chained into a second attack, coming out of the roll with a diving claw attack, forcing Rock to block. Rock jabbed out with a quick punch, catching Choi in the face, and then continued the attack by throwing a Raging Storm, as energy released from Rock's body, into a flame engulfing both him and Choi.
"Wow, look at that Raging Storm just pulled out by Rock Howard, the energy is so intense even I can feel it up here in the skybox. The Korea team is in trouble. Don't you think?" the announcer said as he turned to the other commentator.
"Yes, that Raging Storm is reminiscent of his father's power and it looks just as powerful," the other commentator replied, "this kid is good, but we still haven't seen much of the third team member Kai Mellion yet, and we seem to have no data on his fighting style, save to say that Goro-san told us that he was on Iori Yagami's death list. I'm sure all of us can't wait."
"Yagami's death list? Serious? Or is it just a rumour...if he's on Yagami's death list, then he must be good," the first commentator replied. (A/N: Hehe...Iori has a personal death list headed Kyo followed by Kai :P)
Back at the arena level, the Raging Storm had just finished, the last blast of energy sending Choi flying to the other side of the arena. Rock breathed deeply, setting himself in a ready position. Choi did not get up. The referee announced, "KO, Choi Bounge is unable to fight. Korea team, please make your second fighter ready." Chang Koehan strode forward, whirling his big iron ball, which he held by an attached chain. "Round 2, ready fight," the referee said again, as he withdrew to the side of the arena.
Rock knew that he was tired, so the plan had been formulated, at the first chance he had, he would tag out. Rock waited for Chang to attack, and then he wanted to chain his attack into a tag.
"It looks like that Rock is waiting, but I'm sure that he's tired, the first commentator said, "I think he's going to tag out soon."
"I agree," Goro replied, "fighting two fighters in a row is not a good thing."
Back in the arena, Rock still waited, and then Chang attacked, swinging the iron ball at him, as Rock leaned back to avoid the attack, catching the wind blown, blowing his hair back, as he then reversed into a Hard Edge attack sending his elbow into the stomach of Chang, pushing him back who to his credit seemed to hardly feel it at all, as Kai came in overhead with Chaos Scythe descending towards Chang's head. Rock tagged out, as Chang blocked, the overhead and counterattacked with a quick jab of the iron ball, hitting Kai, pushing him slightly backwards. Chang followed up with another attack, jabbing the iron ball forward again but this time, it was blocked.
Back in the commentator's box, "Well it looks like Rock has made the tag out, like Goro-san and you both said. Now we can all watch Kai Mellion in action. I wonder what he will pull out?"
"I don't know," the other commentator replied, from next to him, "we haven't seen enough of him to predict anything."
"He's just waiting, for the right opportunity," Goro said, "to attack."
As if he had heard what Goro had said, Kai pressed an attack, unleashing a Chaos Flurry, rapid fists, palms and strikes being blocked by Chang. "This is going too slow," Kai thought, "time to hot things up." He summoned chaosfire, just a little, enough to envelop his hands, so that each attack within the Chaos Flurry would now do extra damage. He pressed the attack, going with speed, against a slower opponent it would be harder for them to block. To his surprise, Chang suddenly stopped blocking as he struck out, Chang retaliated by creating a groundquake around him, stopping Kai's attack and then following it by swinging the ball down at him. Kai upped the chaosfire so that it provided some protection as the iron ball impacted on his arms; he twisted his legs around Chang's and rolled, trying to cause Chang to trip. For a moment it looked as if he would not fall, but then Kai applied some extra power and Chang fell. Kai withdrew as Chang fell and got up, as Chang recovered as well.
Chang attacked again this time using an aerial attack, launching himself into the air for a belly flop attack, which was duly avoided, as Kai backstepped out of the way, countering with Chaos Uppercut, his chaosfire backed fist sending Chang up into the air. Rising into the air, with a choas scythe attack, he brought his leg down with a knockdown blow, sending Chang's body crashing into the ground. Kai landed and pressed the attack with another Chaos Flurry, striking with his palm and then fist and then an overhand strike, then another fist, palm and strike. Palm, fist, fist, strike, palm, fist, pressing the attack, going at speeds barely able to be followed by the eye. The flurry of blows continued to impact on Chang, pushing him backwards, and then followed up with a Chaos Uppercut
"It looks like Kai is pressing the attack quite well, I can barely follow the speed of his combinations," the first commentator said.
"Yes, but those blows don't do that much damage, he's probably just softening Chang up for a Desperation Move or another hard hitting combo, but he has to watch out for a counter attack," Goro replied.
Chang counterattacked whirling his iron ball around in a circular motion, forcing Kai to stop, buying some space. Kai shot out a crouching kick, intending to trip Chang, passing under the iron ball, but Chang skipped backwards, avoiding the attack and countered by bringing his iron ball down, forcing him to block the full weight of the heavy iron ball on his arms. He lashed out again with his foot, this time succeeding in tripping Chang, giving him time to get up, and prepare himself again. He attacked with an overhead axe kick, hitting once and then a second hit. He followed up with a backhand fist, and then another fist.
"Look, they've switched," the second commentator said, as Billy came in with an overhead staff attack, and then unleashed Dai Senpuu attack, multiplying his staff into thousands, smashing down on Chang, knocking him out. "Chang is unable to battle. Round 2 goes to the HMK team."
"Now it's down to Kim Kaphwan, the leader of the Korea team, he's gotta beat three, looks like its going to be a very stiff task," the second commentator said.
"Yes, especially since the HMK team have been tagging with such strategy," Goro replied.
"Round 3, ready, go" the referee announced, as Billy faced Kim.
"So, its you and me, Kaphwan," Billy said, "Watch carefully."
"Justice will let me win," Kim replied.
Billy led off with another staff jab, as Kim came over with a Hangetsu Zan, bringing his leg down on crashing onto Billy's staff. Billy backstepped, and then launched into a quick Dai Kaiten Geri, blocked by Kim.
Kim countered with a jabbing kick to the midsection, hitting Billy, and followed up with a three kick combination, high, middle and then low. Kim pressed the attack, landing another strong tae kwan do combination. Billy reeled backwards. Billy decided to take a more defensive approach, waiting, hoping to use the superior team numbers.
"Look, Billy is now waiting for Kim to attack, hopefully to punish him on the counter-attack, and he knows that Kim has to attack if he is going to win," the first commentator said.
Billy held his staff in a defensive position, waiting for the right moment to counter. Then the opening came, a jabbing kick by Kim, quick, but not quick enough, as Billy dodged around it and countered with a hard staff hit.
"They switched again," the first commentator said, as Rock came in with a Hard Edge into a Rising Tackle attack, "switched again," the commentator continued, as Kai now tagged in with a trademark Chaos Scythe. The quick tagging continued, Billy coming in with a Flying Cane Attack, followed by Whirlwind Cane, scoring seven hits, as the staff spun around, and then finished it off with a hard uppercut with the staff, Rock came in again with a jumping kick and then grabbed Kim as he was coming down, into a throw, sending him across the arena.
"Wow, what a lethal combination of tagging, making full use of their numerical advantage to just attack, attack and attack some more," the first commentator said, as now Kai, was there with another Chaos Uppercut, sending Kim flying away, again as Billy continued the attack with another Flying Cane Attack, this time scoring a decisive blow.
"Kim is unable to fight. Victory goes to the HMK team," the referee announced.
"Well, there's this match done, a very impressive victory by the newcomers. But their next match is against the Kusanagi, Yagami team," the commentator said, "that is going to be one good match, going by what we have seen today."
"Yes, it is going to be a classic," the second commentator replied, "well on behalf of all the commentary team, this is good-bye for today, and we'll come back tomorrow with the next match."
Billy, Kai and Rock, down at the arena area, got together and celebrated the team's first victory, in the first match.
"You showed that justice man," Kai said, laughing. Kai did not think much of justice, that was more his sister's thing, laws and things like that. He was all about having fun whilst doing whatever he wanted.
"Yeah, you did," Rock added, "Justice man, good one." Rock did not think much of Kim either, since Kim was one of the ones who undoubtedly would judge him for being a Howard.
"You mean we showed them," Billy replied. "Let's go."
The HMK team exited the stadium, knowing that they would not have to fight until next week, when their next match came up. Meanwhile, they would scout out some of the other teams when they had their matches, but that was for tomorrow, and some of the next days. This afternoon they would rest, and enjoy their first victory as a team.
Author's Notes
1. Well here is the first match as written by me, hopefully it was okay. Any advice would be much appreciated.
2. Thanks to reviewers. Also this is fixed for spelling...I forgot to do this in the first version. Apologies
3. Mignon (and a lot of KOF ppl who I didn't include as fighters)will be making an appearance as a guest commentators.