If it is in normal style, then it is speech.

If it is in italics, then it is thought.

If it is in bold, then it is the individual's natural tongue.

If it is underlined, then it is Devil and Angel.

Generally, if it is in italics and has singular quotation marks ( ' ' ) then it is Mental Speech.

Don't own any characters except Razer, Detective Burton and the rest of the gang (excluding Hwoarang).

All other characters belong to Namco.

Author's Note: I. HATE. This chapter. It's the worst one in my opinion. It's just so disjointed and… crap. -.-

Chapter Thirteen: Pull The Cord To Detonate

A gentle knock at the door woke Razer from her fidgeting slumber. She groaned angrily, pulling the covers way over her head once again, not willing to be disturbed. She continued clutching the photo of her Mother and herself (that she had received from home) in one hand, sighing, rolling onto her back.

She kept having… the same nightmare. She could hear herself screaming in it, and it was very unsettling.

Great, now the asshole who decided to knock at the door was in the room. Athane curled up some more, wishing the person away, even hearing a second click in the door go. Now the door was locked. Wonderful. What the hell did this person want? Didn't the person know she just wanted to be alone…? She was fragile now.

And now there was total pressure on the bed. On her body. The person was lying on top of her.

Razer's tired green eyes darted around from under the covers, seeing a shadowy hand come and pull it back and away from her face, resting it at her collarbone. It took her a moment to get readjusted to the light of the area, and once it was done, she smirked, "Get off of me, Hwoarang."

"But I like it up here."

An excuse, "You are crushing me."

He retorted, "You love it."

Another excuse, "What if someone comes in? They'll think we're having sex."

"Door's locked," He replied with a grin, grinding his hips against hers with plenty of pressure.

"Hey!!"

The Blood Talon started to laugh and stopped, rolling off of her and lying beside her, "Couldn't resist."

"I figured."

"Anyway… what're you hiding under there?"

She sighed. The 20-year-old reluctantly produced the photograph and placed it in Hwoarang's hand, the golden frame recently cleaned up. The Korean watched as she looked away and slid from her bed, searching for some water to wake her up, before turning his head to the younger version of his best friend and her Mother. She had dark brown hair, a chocolaty colour, much darker than her daughter's, and light blue eyes. She had the same smile as her child. He grinned, "She's pretty. And you're cute. Hey, where's the rest of your stuff?"

The Greek pointed to a corner, near the chest of drawers, downing the water she had located. She watched as he slid off the hotel bed and lumbered over, sitting on the ground, going through everything carefully, studying it and all (even emitting a 'oh God you were a cute kid' where necessary or 'aw look at the little drawings', causing her to retaliate to both with 'shut the hell up').

"So this is your Dad?" He asked carefully. He didn't want to pull the cord and have her detonate despair.

Razer's head looked away from the sitting Korean and returned to staring outside the window with an absent mind, with many thoughts running through her head, causing a spinning chaos within there, "Yeah."

Hwoarang nodded, putting everything back into the bag carefully. The image of her Father remained in his head even as he stood and looked back to his best friend. Light brown hair, dark brown eyes, a hard, stern look on his face, beaming with self-confidence and arrogance. He scowled inwardly, before speaking, "…I wish I could say something that'd make you feel better… That'd make… all that stuff, all the bad times go away."

She looked back with slightly furrowed eyebrows, seeing him scratch the back of his head.

"But… I can't."

He looked up slowly and smiled a little, watching her speak, "The thought is what counts. Thank you."

"Any time. Anyway I came here to take you to Steve's match. He wants you there."

"Shit, the match is on already?!"

"It will be soon. Come on, let's go."

They came to a stop, finding themselves in the same area as Xiao's fight two days ago. Steve's head turned away from his opponent, Panda, and smiled, watching them stop in the assortment of fellow friends. His British accent cut through the silence, "Hello there, love. Glad you decided to come."

Her hand shot up to her head again as the corrupted angel's voice rang through her mind, like shattering glass, a shattering cup colliding with the floor, It screamed through her body with a clear fury, He makes it sound as if you were going to abandon him, the one person who would not leave your side, no matter the consequence!

She forced a smile to her face, forced herself to look at him, "Like I'd ever miss you kicking the bear's butt."

"IT'S A PANDA," Ling cried, her fist in the air, trying to prove her point. Her beady brown eyes darted towards the Greek woman, "What is it with you insulting Panda all the time!? 'It's a bear…'. 'It's a bear…'. God!!"

"Xiao, don't," Hwoarang remarked sharply, his eyebrows furrowing warningly, taking a quick glance at her.

The Chinese girl paused for half a second before running over and hugging her Korean friend, her head barely reaching the middle of his chest, "You didn't call me Pigtails!! Does this mean I'm officially classified as your friend now…? I mean what, we've known each other now for a little over two years?"

He smiled sincerely, patting her head gently, thereafter trying to get away, "Don't push your luck."

She smiled the same in return, noticeably confused, and looked across to Seong-Hada, "Translation please?"

Before he could nod or say 'it means yes we're friends', as he intended to for the Chinese fighter he was growing fond of, the referee impatiently spoke loudly, making everyone look, "Can we please start this match?"

Steve stuck his thumb up at the referee, and turned back to Panda, going back into stance, awaiting the '3, 2, 1, FIGHT!' to arrive. It eventually came and he set straight into his Gattling Gun attack for the animal that came lumbering towards him. Each hit connected, and with the final punch, Panda was sent backwards.

The British Boxer ran towards the rising creature, leaping into the air, smashing his right fist into its skull, showing no mercy as she went down, even throwing a few more punches while she was trying to stand up from a lying position. He felt bad about it, but Fox had to win this. He had to get even for what the Zaibatsu had done.

They will never make another monster like me… He growled in his mind, blocking Panda's G-Clef Cannon.

He quickly stomped down on her foot with his left, punching her again with one jab, performing Cyclone Punch thereafter. To him, the beast was a punching bag, one he didn't necessarily want to destroy, but he just couldn't leave it there. He was using Panda to train himself. He always knew she wouldn't be a challenge.

It saddened him that he had to harm one of his friends. He didn't know Panda all too well, having only been with her a few times, but from what he could tell, she was a sweet animal that loved her master and her friends.

…Who could also pack a fucking punch.

He stumbled backwards, his hand on his face, feeling blood seep from the gash of the creature's claws. He took his hand off his face and looked at the blood, before clenching his hand back into a fist. He went back into Flicker Stance, awaiting the animal's next move, seeing her charge back towards him. But he was ready for it, springing alive with three quick left punches, before a final right one came and slammed her back into the ground. Fox took a step back as Panda attempted to take a cheap swipe at him whilst she was on the ground.

Panda finally stood, standing taller, releasing a huge roar, before curling up into a ball and rolling towards him. Steve swallowed and hurriedly side stepped the rolling animal before she crashed into him. She missed him by at least a few hairlines, and stopped at the opposite end of the arena.

She stopped, uncurling from her ball, and ran back towards her opponent, charging at him, leaping at him with crossed arms, only to have the attack blocked. Damn that British bastard. He's too fast for his own good… She took a few steps back, wary of another hard and fast punch coming her way.

Steve slipped back once again into Flicker Stance, patiently awaiting the animal's next move. He waited for a bit longer, realising that the animal had actually learnt from her mistakes, and did not approach him at all, not until he went back into his normal stance, until he came running at her again with a Stun Gun Punch ready and waiting for collision.

He launched the Stun Gun Punch, but Panda moved out of the way briefly, before stepping straight before him once again, picking him up in a huge hug, squeezing him tighter and tighter and tighter, until all the air was being sucked out of his lungs. If she could frown a little, she would've, because she squeezed too hard at one point, hearing his back crack, hearing him scream out in agony.

The animal dropped him back on the ground and crouched down, ready to take a couple more swipes at the 21-year-old whilst he was still on the ground. But before she got a chance, Fox rolled out of the way and grabbed her by her arms, slamming one strong punch into her head, causing her to yell out in return and fall to the ground as well. He winced. He didn't want to hit her that hard.

With that, the referee waited for a bit, noticing how Panda was not rising, and spoke after walking up and checking her out, seeing how she was passed out, "The winner of this match is number 7, Steve Fox! Congratulations."

"YAAAAAY STEVIE! WAY TO GO!" Christie squealed, running over and giving him an enthusiastic hug.

He winced a little and patted her back, still feeling the blood from Panda's scratching punch trickle down his cheek. He looked to the others who were also showing support, aside from Seong-Hada, Hwoarang, Razer, Xiao and Miharu. He could understand Xiaoyu and Miharu, after all, they had known Panda for longer than Steve himself… But what was wrong with Seong-Hada…? Hwoarang and Razer were looking at him strangely, trying to make sure he was okay.

And then it clicked in his mind. He smiled at the others, showing his thanks, before walking over to the young Korean slowly, unsure of what was exactly going on, but knowing that whatever was disturbing him at the moment was from the events at home. He remembered that at Xiaoyu's and Athane's matches, he was in a similar state, but he did not press.

He was shaking. Blue eyes could see that. Maybe… maybe during the fight, the punches or something… were reminding him of the attacks that happened not too long ago. His expression was blank, as though he was seeing into another world. His eyes were scrunched up, as though he were about to cry, but above all, he was detonating despair. Only now it was so much worse –

"You okay?" Hwoarang asked slowly.

A slight shake of the head. Seong-Hada looked up to Razer, feeling his eyes well, communicating many things to her that only she would possibly understand, for she had been there, for she had endured this herself, for the Blood Talon did not understand this and wouldn't…

"How did you… deal with this…?" SH finally inquired to the Greek, looking down at his fingers.

"Very poorly if you recall…" She replied slowly.

"Hey, turn that frown upside down!"

Only one person could squeak that high. The 19-year-old looked up at Xiaoyu, furrowing his eyebrows slightly, somewhat amused with the fighter's childish statement, giving a very unintelligible response, "Huh…?"

The Chinese girl smiled simply at him, taking his hand, and began walking away from the group, "Let's go get you some ice cream. That cheers me up allllllllllllllllllllllll the time! Oooooh, I hope it does the same for you…"

He sighed a little, putting his other hand in his pocket, still shaking, "I hope so too."

Seong-Hada's eyes widened, "OH GOD –"

"Everyone, get out! Run!" Nas-San screamed.

"No fucking way!" He yelled back, charging.

A voice cut in, saving him from seeing fists and knives fly in his head, "That face doesn't suit you. Smile."

He couldn't help but do so, though he was shaking still, "So, ice cream, you said? What's your fave flavour?"

Steve furrowed his eyebrows a little. He was right. The battle… these battles… triggered bad memories. The cord had been pulled a little, and it was threatening detonation on the youth's part. With a sigh, he shook his head sadly, but was still smiling a little. It appeared Ling was helping.

His blue eyes drifted across to Razer, who seemed to be thinking as well. Perhaps the creature was pestering her again…? What was going on within her head right now…? Memories? Fears…? Doubts? Worries?

"You should go get yourself checked out," An elder voice cut in. It was Baek, and Christie was nodding along with every word he said, "That scratch could get infected if it is not treated immediately. So hurry on off. They've already taken Panda. Miss Hirano is with her."

He gave a small wave before running off to get treated, fleetingly see his fellow friends disband.

Stages:

Steve Fox v.s. Panda: Acid Rain, Tekken 5