Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Hello, and, if you're returning, welcome back. Now, we'll shine the spotlight on who seems to the most popular character nowadays. I mean, he's already been mentioned three times by others, so, without further delay, let's get to it. And here … we … go:
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Tragedy
Lars Alexandersson: The Lightning Lion
Everyone saw Jin Kazama's fusion of the Zaibatsu with G Corporation and Rochefort Industries, but only those close to him knew of another collaboration required. Jin needed someone who could go into the field, who could diffuse and control possibly volatile situations, and who was well respected amongst Tekken Force. Only one person fit all the needs required, and that someone was none other than … Lars Alexandersson. Almost immediately after a plan was set, Lars was approached to help with the restoration efforts, and, intrigued by the opportunity, quickly accepted the offer. For the four years of rehabilitation, Lars has been right there for everything step-for-step, personally seeing through all efforts and having a front row seat for the world's recovery.
However, though he is proud of the success he's helped Kazama G Incorporated achieve, Lars has one more thing that continues to haunt him, one more thing he wants… he wants to face a certain former king. He didn't have a chance to in the last tournament, which makes his desire for an encounter that much greater…
Ghosts of War
'Tunnel Disaster' couldn't have described the scene any better. Lars was standing in ankle-high water in a flooding underwater street tunnel on the scene of a horrific accident. Both ends of the tunnel were lined with wrecked cars, and fiery explosions sent hubcaps and other pieces of scarred and warped metal flying through the area. In many areas, it was a scene Lars was all too familiar with. Suddenly, a loud, sinister laugh rang out through over the commotion of the area, and immediately Lars spun around right into his fighting stance.
Walking through was a man with grey hair wearing black army pants and combat boots, a bandolier full of large shotgun ammunition around his waist. It seemed this man was used to the carnage as well, as his exposed upper body was covered with scars including a massive one on his chest that looked like it was still healing. Lars dropped his hands in shock when he came to a realization: … he knew who this man was.
The announcer's voice then echoed through the tunnel, "Bryan Fury, Lars Alexandersson, get ready for the next battle!"
The scenes flashed before Lars' eyes as the memory of what happen slowly came back to him…
---
A single man, not a stitch of body armor on his body or a weapon in his hand, charged through the active war zone…Bullets bounced off his body as if his skin was made of iron. Blasts of ammunition and explosions did nothing to deter him as he simply advanced forward… Without any semblance of a disadvantage, the man thrashed away at all armed soldiers indiscriminately, sending each one of his victims flying backwards with his mere bare hands…
The next moment, the man slowly advanced amid fire from tanks and assault helicopters, not affected by chaos and carnage surrounding him… with one hand, the man carried an anti-tank Gatling gun, a weapon thought to be usable only went mounted… Suddenly, the man began firing furiously at any military vehicle in the area. Amidst all the destruction, there was one constant that rang out over everything else: the man's crippling, blood-curdling, cackling laugh of sick and sadistic satisfaction…
---
Lars stammered in an almost stunned tone, "You… You're that man, the one my men called 'The Battlefield's Reaper.'"
Bryan shed an evil smile, and replied, "And I know you too… You're that commander from KGI. Yeah, I saw you in battle a few times; you do good work. But I never did get a chance to bloody you."
Lars got right back into fighting stance as he said, "I'm not any ordinary soldier. Do you think you can stop me?"
Bryan let out another of his laughs and responded, "Now, that's the right attitude… You'll be perfect for the transformation."
Lars steeled himself as he asked, "Transformation? What are you planning?"
"You'll find out… firsthand," Bryan offered, "After we're done, you're comin' with me!"
Suddenly, the announcer's voice echoed through the tunnel, "Round 1! Fight!"
Immediately, Bryan began thrashing around using tremendous force with moves like 'Snake Slash', 'Chopping Elbow', and 'Wolf's Tail'. Lars couldn't help but marvel at this man's strength as he was forced to defend Bryan's heavy shot. Each attack shoved Lars further and further backward… only Lars didn't notice just what Bryan was doing. Finally, just as Lars was pushed backward once more into position, Bryan quickly raised his knee in a 'Taunt', breaking Lars' guard and leaving him open for attack, gave him a quick 'Right Left Knee', sending Lars backward… and crashing right into a car, putting a sizeable dent in the twisted wreck's door.
Lars was thoroughly pinned down between the wall and Bryan. Any attempt to escape was met with a strong sweep, a 'Snake Edge' that cut Lars off or set him up to be slammed into the wall once again. With the match in his favor. Bryan was every bit of predator: vicious and relentless. And like a predator, he wasn't going to let his prey get away once it was trapped. He continued use his many combos to pressure until a dashing straight punch, a 'Mach Breaker', severely slammed Lars backward, sending a shower of shattered glass from the now-destroyed window flying through the air.
"Bryan wins!" The announcer's voice rang out over the explosions in the tunnel.
Lars sat up to see Bryan beckoning for more. Bryan sat in a low crouch, pulling both his arms towards himself while giving another menacing laugh of his. It almost looked like he was begging for Lars to come at him again. Slowly, Lars got back to his feet, and both men got back into fighting position.
The announcer's voice resonated through the wreckage, "Round 2! Fight!"
Not wanting to be in another helpless situation, Lars quickly moved to correct his mistakes. Instead of defending, he sidestepped Bryan's stunning blows, and slashed at his opponent from there. Feeling the round slip away, Bryan took hold of his growing frustration, and cut Lars off. As Lars attacked again, Bryan rolled through and slammed him with a back elbow, a 'Side Step Elbow', that sent Lars flying towards another wall. It didn't take Lars very long to see where he was this time.
Thinking quickly as Bryan came flying forward, Lars vaulted off the wall behind him, and connected with a fierce roundhouse kick that shot Bryan tumbling backward in the other direction. Lars now had the upper hand and the opportunity to press his advantage. As Bryan rolled through, Lars rushed in, and, just as Bryan rose up, landed a flying side kick to Bryan's chest, right on his scar.
The announcer's voice boomed through the tunnel, "Lars wins!"
Bryan let out a chuckle as he rose to his feet and wiped a small stream of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"That was pretty desperate," Bryan taunted, "Don't tell me you're panicked already."
Lars, who was maintaining his fighting stance, gave a slight smile, and replied, "Actually … this fight reminds me a lot of being on the battlefield. I'm almost … enjoying it."
Bryan said, "Now, that's something we have in common. But I'll enjoy this next part a lot more."
"I doubt that," Lars confidently retorted.
Once more, the announcer's voice reverberated through the tunnel, "Final Round! Fight!"
Immediately, as the round began, Lars pieced something together in his head. Analysis under fire was one of the skills acquired from war … and one of the reasons he was so valuable during it. Lars figured out that Bryan's 'Snake Edge' was his main ground attack, but that mostly it. He fought from mid-level and up. This played right into one of Lars' strengths, and immediately he began using his many ground attacks, putting Bryan at a sizeable disadvantage.
Aggravated and losing, Bryan tried to break Lars' rhythm with a charging three-part grapple, an 'Anaconda Assassin'. But, Lars couldn't be stopped as he simply rolled forward, and sprang up with a low forward-dashing, launching kick. The attack went right under Bryan's next attack; he couldn't counter it.
Finally, the announcer's voice rang out, "Lars Alexandersson wins! Please proceed to the next round! "
Lars took one last look at his fallen foe and turned to leave …when suddenly his phone rang. Seeing who it was, Lars checked the ID on the front to check the caller, and, when he saw the number was unlisted, simply put the phone away… That's when another surprise caused him to stop, but this one was much more deadly. Suddenly, he felt a cold metallic ring against the back of his head, and what was attached to it was apparent by the pressure being applied.
Having Lars in premium position with a handgun to his head, Bryan complimented, "Not bad; not bad at all. I was right when I said you were perfect for the transformation… Fortunately, I don't have to bring you in alive… In fact, you have to be dead to go through the change anyway."
Right after, the gun's hammer clicked as the bullet entered the barrel in anticipation of Bryan's inevitable trigger pull. Lars didn't wait much longer to respond. Quickly, he spun around, disarming Bryan with the leading hand, and hitting him with a lightning-quick uppercut with following hand. Not expecting or even seeing it, Bryan was caught completely off-guard, and was sent spiraling backward through the air.
"I told you I was no ordinary soldier." Lars plainly stated, the gun firmly in hand.
Effectively diffusing the situation further, Lars deftly dismantled the gun singlehandedly, flipping the gun around as he detached the clip and then the barrel. Now finished, Lars turned once again, and this time, silently headed for next match.
---
Heartbreaker
Lars' footsteps seemed to echoes for days against the wooden floor of the 'Dojang' area. A rather somber and eerie place, the wooden training place was utterly empty and very dimly-lit, the only light coming from the candles hanging on the walls. After taking one look at the place, Lars couldn't help but notice the resemblance to Hon-Maru. Lars stopped in the middle of the fighting arena … but the sound of footsteps didn't stop. Lars turned to see the Spanish man from before who attacked Jin at the festival: none other than Miguel.
Breaking the unsettling silence of the place, the announcer's voice echoed through the dojo, "Miguel Caballero Rojo, Lars Alexandersson, get ready for the next battle!"
Referencing their earlier encounter, Miguel verbally jabbed, "Well, if it isn't Kazama's dog..."
"I remember you as well," Lars returned, "Why are you trying to kill Kazama-sama?"
Miguel gave a subtle, intense answer, "Jin Kazama owes me… He owes me big time."
Lars, slightly confused by the statement, expressed, "It doesn't sound like him to have debts."
Miguel continued to spell it out with added emphasis, "What he owes me isn't green… I plan to collect in red! And I would've earlier if you hadn't gotten in my way… You should pick your fights more wisely."
"Part of my job is to protect Kazama-sama from people who wish him harm like you." Lars explained, "His fight with you … is my fight as well."
"I guess you don't know when to mind you own business," Miguel said as he pointed at Lars, "Keep it up, and you'll get yourself killed."
Lars replied confidently as he assumed his fighting stance, "Don't worry about me. I've survived battlefields around the world… I think I can handle fighting you."
Miguel simply shrugged his shoulders and replied, " Ugh… We'll see if you're still smiling when you're missing a few teeth."
Immediately, Lars was confused when Miguel went into his stance … if you could call it that. The Spanish bullfighter, seemingly ready to fight, went into a very relaxed, loose, and almost lazy posture. Lars didn't know what to make of it or even what kind of style Miguel could possibly have.
The announcer's voice then resonated through arena, "Round 1! Fight!"
Just like his stance, Lars just couldn't get a grip on Miguel's fighting style. In contrast to many of the styles Lars had seen, Miguel's was extremely loose, almost drunken. He also used his long limbs for both range and power. In fact, Lars was just surprised Miguel could hit that hard from that far away. Miguel finally caught Lars with a sick overhead elbow drop. That impact so forceful that it brought Lars to his knees as his teeth rattled within his skull. With Lars staggered, Miguel whipped him around and tossed far away, driving him into the ground.
"Miguel wins!" The announcer's voice resonated through the area.
Miguel confidently said as he popped his knuckles, "Don't take this next part personally."
Lars slowly rose to his feet, and again his analysis under fire took over as ran through the match in his mind. Due to his long limbs and power, Miguel was good from medium and long range, and his attack patterns suggested he was simply a brawler. As that thought crossed his mind, a plan came to Lars; he knew what to do. Lars silently went back into fighting stance with his strategy in mind.
The announcer's voice again echoed through the wooden hall, "Round 2! Fight!"
Looking to minimize Miguel's range and strength advantage, Lars proceeded to 'jam' the Spanish bullfighter, using his speed to close the distance between them. He utilized his lunging attacks and his special dash movement to get in, and mixed up the attacks out his das to hit Miguel form all heights. Thoroughly pressured by the barrage, Miguel tried his power moves to push Lars backward, but, with his speed, Lars was easily able to close the distance once again. Soon, frustration began to set in, and Miguel became visibly irritated by Lars' persistence.
Eventually, Lars' strategy gave him the match. Dodging an errant strike, Lars took a minor step to the side and blasted Miguel with an electrically-charged two-handed palm thrust. For a moment, the entire area was filled with brilliant light and the crackle of lightning as Lars' attack hit Miguel into his chest. The next moment, white sparks flew through the air and small bolts of electricity trickled across Miguel's body as he too flew backward and hit the ground.
"Lars wins!" The announcer's voice reverberated through the area.
Needless to say, Miguel was livid at the loss. Miguel lifted himself onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily more from anger than fatigue, his body slightly shaking, a low growl coming from deep within his body. He began angrily banging his fist against the floor, the thumping echoing against the wooden floor and walls of the empty training room, the candlelight flickering with each pound.
Miguel seethed, "No… NO! D--- it!!!"
Lars could just look on in a mixture of horror and confusion at the drastic swing in temperament. Here was a man who was so calm one moment, and greatly enraged the next moment. Lars could only imagine why this was happening. What could have happened to this man to make him so unstable?
"Mr. Rojo…" Lars began to ask, "To be clear, just what does my boss owe you?"
Seemingly incensed by the very question, Miguel jumped to his feet, and furiously replied, "He owes me everything!! Everything I cared about, everyone I cared about; they were all taken away from me … all because of him! He destroyed my life! Now, I'm gonna take his… and if you keep standing in my way, I'll gut you too!!"
As Miguel got back in fighting position, Lars replied, "Those are terrible circumstance indeed … but I'm afraid you revenge will have to wait, as long as I'm around."
In truth, Lars, just like almost everything else about Miguel, wasn't sure what to make of Miguel's story. Such radical accusations naturally made Lars skeptical, but Miguel's wrath and vehemence were hard to ignore. Nevertheless, suspicions and reservation aside, Lars reassumed his fighting stance.
Once more, the announcer's voice resonated through the dojo, "Final Round! Fight!"
Obviously, Miguel was irate, and he came out swinging madly. He was, in many, a furious maelstrom, angrily rushing at Lars with vicious attacks. Fortunately, Lars had plenty of experience weathering storms of this kind, and no trouble staying calm while under attack. He also knew how to attack his opponent while they were in a blind rage. Again, he turned his ground game and his myriad of low attacks, knowing that Miguel wouldn't stop to guard low or even pay attention to the damage he was taking from it, and, as it has in the past, the strategy took its toll.
It was clear that Miguel, while still breathing fire and brimstone, was starting to burn out. His body violently bobbed as he labored to breath. The steam visibly rose from his head as sweat poured from his forehead. His overall posture seemed shaky, and his movement was gradually becoming slower. Lars, on the other hand, was banged up from Miguel's offense, but still had plenty of fight left due to his aversion to panic. With this, Lars managed to catch Miguel by surprise to win.
Miguel slammed Lars over the head with a double axe handle, again forcing him to a knee. Lars, however, saw opportunity in his seemingly defenseless position, and immediately moved to take advantage. Using the resistance forced upon him, Lars suddenly sprang up and catapulted Miguel upward with an incredibly high-flying double spiral kick. Miguel seemed to hang in the air forever, and fall in slow-motion until … THUD!!! The sound of his body hitting the stiff wooden floor sounded like a small indoor explosion, the dojo itself seemed to shake from it. The impact was so severe that Lars didn't notice the small sheet of paper fly out of Miguel's pocket on the way up and float gently to the floor behind him.
Finally, the announcer's voice reverberated through the dojo, "Lars Alexandersson wins! Please proceed to the next round!"
The battle finished, Lars could only look at Miguel, flat on his back, now unconscious, and then turned to leave. He didn't get very far before he came across the misplaced sheet of paper. Lars quickly picked it up, and saw the name 'Esmeralda Raquel Rojo' and a date only days before the start of the tournament written on it. He flipped over to see it was actually a photo of Miguel holding a very young, maybe 2-year-old girl with short, wavy hair. Immediately, Lars put two and two together, and let out a slight gasp at the realization: thins young child was Miguel's. This disturbed man had a daughter!
Stunned by this, Lars paused for a long time, just thinking of the implications, but he realized there was nothing he could do. Placed in a somber mood by the whole situation, Lars simply laid the picture on Miguel's chest, and slowly left the place behind.
---
In transition, Lars was still troubled by the last thing he saw in the dojo. He just couldn't stop thinking about the girl, and the questions just kept accumulating and swirling around in his head. What would Miguel be like to live with? What kind of father could he be? What childhood would that girl have? What would happen to her? Compelled to do so, Lars slowly took out his phone, and speed dialed a number labeled 'Personal'.
A woman apprehensively answered, "Hello?"
Lars spoke into the phone, "Hello… Karin… No, I'm fine… Yes, I'm not supposed to call while on duty, but I just needed to… Just something I saw just now… It's nice to hear you too… Maybe later, but … could you put Sven on the phone please…"
…
…
"Sven?" Lars said as the sound of people exchanging the receiver could be heard.
A young boy excitedly answered, "Hi, Daddy!!!"
A smile crossed Lars' face as he replied, "Hi, son."
End Chapter
Next Time: "I'll warn you… I've changed since the last time. I hope you'll be able to keepup!"
A/N: Can you guess which part was the heartbreaker? Yes, I know some might be upset with that last part, but it was a loose end, and it plays a part later on. In any case, thanks for reading. I hope you liked it, (that you not too mad at me), and that you come back. We're getting to the last of the main characters as all that remain are the 'three kings'. Thanks again. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.
