2PM: EVALUATION
"Denied."
A "station" had been set up in the Stadium, consisting of a table, featuring a wooden box with a singular slot, about four inches long and wide. There was also a stack of blank paper, and a black pen. Rose was manning the table. As for Wolfgang Krauser...
"Cmon dude!" Kensou whined as he tried to plead his case. "I need the money!"
"You can barely stand. And you've got a giant gash in your leg. Denied." Krauser reiterated.
"But-"
"DENIED. NEXT!"
Kensou limped away, his hopes and dreams crushed by the purple giant passing judgement on the fighters and their combat capabilities. He sulked, all the way back to the waiting Athena, who was still quite stressed over recent events.
"I told you he wouldn't let you in." she spoke sternly.
"This is so crappy! Urrghhh!" Kensou fussed. "I can still fight! I can... I can..."
Athena shook her head. "Just admit that you owe somebody money, dude. Why else would Yamazaki come and beat you up, and kidnap Bao and Momoko?"
"Fine, you wanna hear it?! Fine! I owe Malin $25,000 because I got her to rig the brackets so you wouldn't have to fight Krauser! There! It's ALLLL out there!" Kensou blurted.
Athena closed her eyes, taking it all in with a labored sigh. "I see..."
"And I've got news for you!" Kensou pointed. "I'm not asking for your help on this! I don't need your help! I'm going to handle this MY WAY! ME! You're going to go about your life here in Munich, and you're going to have a good time, and be happy and beautiful and wonderful, just like you always are!"
Kensou stood there in silence, waiting... waiting for the argument back. Waiting for the discouraging voice of reason. Waiting for her good nature to shine through, and offer to mend the broken pieces-
"Fine then."
...He did a double take. "Wa..what?!"
Athena shrugged. "If you want to handle it, then I'll let you handle it. It's a test of character."
...With that, the pop idol walked away, leaving Kensou dumbfounded. It seemed like at least 30 seconds of trying to form a sentence, before words finally came out.
"Th-THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT MASTER CHIN KEEPS SAYING!"
The next to approach the line was Benimaru Nikaido, looking to be in perfect health and good spirits. His hands in his pockets, he stood there with the urgency of waiting in an elevator, as if he already knew the answer...
"Approved." Krauser spoke. "NEXT!"
Benimaru walked away, no expression. Although he was pleased to be in the running... his thoughts were still on Shingo, who he'd dragged to the hospital to get a checkup for his injuries. Needless to say, he was pissed and there was hell to be unleashed on Mr. Big...
"Approved."
The King of Dinosaurs let loose a carnivorous roar. "THE KING OF BEASTS WILL SOON RETURN, TO FEAST UPON THE ORGAN-STREWN BODIES OF MY PREY! I WILL NEVER LOSE A BATTLE ROYALE! NEVER!"
"Denied."
Malin's mouth dropped like a yo-yo. "Are you ass f***ing me right now? What do you mean, denied?!"
Krauser tilted his head towards the blonde girl behind her. "Her too."
Now Bonne Jenet had ample reason to stomp her foot. "This is so unfair! Why?!"
Krauser growled. "Because a couple nights ago, you two stole one of my Mercedes Benz, blew a tire off it, and then it got towed! And I learned what it was about: trying to steal entry cards! You two are denied! End of story!"
Jenet pointed ahead. "But what about Mai? You approved her, and she stole your car too!"
"Yeah but she-"
Krauser turned towards the busty kunoichi, who shimmied her chest left and right, swaying her bodacious bosom with a sexy wink.
...Krauser turned back around, cheeks red. "At least she brought it back. NEXT!"
Malin let out a long, pained groan. "Ugnnnnghhhhh titties win again... welp, back to shaking Kensou for money I guess."
...Malin didn't get very far before bumping into Athena, whose face looked anything BUT the cuteness the popstar usually exuded. If one looked close enough, they might see an aura akin to Iori's, steaming around her.
"Where are Bao and Momo?"
Malin's face turned to confusion. "Huh? How the hell should I know?!"
Athena snatched her by the shirt, lifting the shrimpy girl with her raw strength. "DON'T PLAY DUMB! I know you sent Yamazaki after us, because Kensou owes you money! Now, I'm not going to interfere with Kensou's affairs, but as soon as you got the kids involved, that's when I put my foot down. WHERE ARE THEY?!"
Malin was understandably a little spooked. "I-I-I-I didn't put Yamazaki up to anything! "
"I know you're lying."
"O-okay, lemme revise that... I just told him to beat up Kensou! That's it! I didn't tell him to kidnap anyone!" Malin wailed.
An intervening hand found Athena's shoulder. "Give it a rest, Athena. She doesn't know anything."
Athena looked over, seeing Benimaru standing beside her... she finally put Malin down, turning her attention to him.
He continued. "This was the work of that bastard, Big. He sent his cronies out to jump everyone, so he could improve his chances."
Athena gasped. "I can't believe that!"
Benimaru cocked a sarcastic eyebrow. "Really? You really can't? It's BIG."
Athena exhaled. "Fair enough... sigh... I hope Bao and Momo are okay..."
"Approved."
Kasumi, all business, walked away without an inkling of emotion. Her mission was clear, as it had been since the beginning; even now, after a humbling defeat by King... her mindset had not changed. She would pursue Ryo Sakazaki, and defeat him... and finally fulfill the painful void inside herself.
"...Can you two even walk under your own power right now?"
Vanessa and Ramon, who were currently holding each other for support, attempted to part ways and stand on their own... but a quick stumble, and the two were back to being crutches.
Krauser shook his head. "Sorry. You two are denied."
Ramon immediately broke into lamentation. "¡De toda la suerte podrida! I finally get the chance to use an actual ring, and I don't get in! Damn that Mr. Big! He's got a flying knee coming, just you wait!"
Vanessa nodded. "I'm with ya there, partner. I wouldn't mind giving him a few right hooks."
"You're approved, Garcia... but I can't let Yuri compete. Sorry."
"Cmon, Krauser!" Yuri pleaded. "I really, REEEEEALLY need the opportunity to pound on Big!"
Krauser did not move. "You've got too many stitches, girl! Being crammed in a ring with 13 others, you'll be opened up and bleeding everywhere. Denied!"
With an underhanded swing at air, Yuri accepted defeat, turning and sinking into Robert's arms. Robert stroked the back of her head, offering some consoling words. "Don't worry Yuri... if Big steps in that ring, I swear I'll rearrange his jaw."
That cheered Yuri up slightly, who managed a smile. "Thanks, Robbie... I love you."
"Approved."
Hotaru's cheeks flushed red with excitement, as she held her fists to her face in triumph. She did it... finally, the second chance she was looking for!
Her first and immediate reaction was to run over to Kula, who had been waiting with a smile. As soon as Hotaru was in range... the blue-haired girl dived into Kula's arms, glomping her with glee.
"I did it, Kula-chan! I did it~" Hotaru exclaimed.
"I'm happy for you, Hotaru." Kula gently rubbed her forehead. "But don't count your chickens just yet. You still have to win the Battle Royale."
Upon hearing that, Hotaru broke away, with a more determined, brave face. "Of course. I have to win. It's the only way I can..."
...Her sentence trailed off, as her eyes diverted to the distance, where a certain man was standing... yellow gi, arms folded against his chest, a scowl that could only serve to dampen a bright and sunny day.
"Hotaru..." Kula spoke from the heart. "You don't have to live your life for his approval."
Hotaru shook her head. "I know that, Kula-chan! But I... he... he's all I have in this world."
"...You have me."
Hotaru's face reddened once more. She turned... Kula seized her hands in her own, and pulled the girl against her chest, for one final hug... a silent promise, to support and cheer for her in whatever endeavor she pursued... even if Kula didn't agree.
"...They're here."
"Figures..."
Almost as damndable as Mr. Big's inevitable entrance would be, so too was the arrival of three troublemakers of a universal scale: the Three Kings, devout in their duty to bring about the destruction of the world through an influx of darkness.
Strangely enough, Shermie was leading the trio, a strange formation in which Chris and Yashiro (who usually stood front) took the rear. But as they began to approach the station, Shermie gradually fell backwards... and Yashiro and Chris walked, in tandem, up to the table.
"Our name entry... please." Yashiro requested.
Chizuru and Saisyu, who stood a fair distance away, started eyeballing Krauser intensely, giving extreme vibes of silent disapproval. Krauser, who knew and felt their stares, turned his head subtly to match the gaze... after a 10-second stalemate, Krauser's stubborn resolve prevailed, and he turned to face the evil duo:
"Approved."
A mischievous grin shared between the two, as they turned back around to rejoin Shermie, who awaited with open arms. The two crashed into her at once, as the smirking Frenchwoman welcomed their respective selves into her bosom.
Chizuru grimaced. Saisyu swung his fist in anger.
"Fools. The lot of them." the elder Kusanagi expressed his annoyance.
Chizuru was about to concur... but when she spotted a certain someone out of the corner of her eye, entering the Stadium, her attention turned to him.
"Iori!" she called out, waving her hand to get his attention.
...Iori DID see her, but he turned his head for only a moment in acknowledgement, before looking away with a scoff. Shortly after he made his way in, Mature and Vice broke off from him and made their way to the table.
"Our turn~" Mature started.
"Go ahead and put our names in~" Vice continued.
"Before we make you shiver with fear... right down to your gold-plated shinguards~" Mature tagged in.
Krauser wasn't the least bit fazed by their threats. "Both of your names are going on one slip. Now get out of my sight!"
Though Iori tried to coldly brush her off, Chizuru didn't let him win. She hurried over to where the red-haired man was standing... a far distance from the rest of the crowd. Even for Iori Yagami, this was a new level of antisocial.
"Iori!" Chizuru yelled his name once more... once she got in closer vicinity to him, her voice softened. "Don't just ignore me. I've been worried about you..."
Chizuru took a bold few steps forward, officially invading the man's personal bubble. She extended a hand out slowly... finally touching down on the man's shoulder. Iori immediately flinched; Chizuru removed her hand slightly, like she had overstepped her bounds... but when she was met with no resistance, she relaxed her hand on him again.
Feeling there was no hostility, Chizuru carried on. "What's gotten into you? You've barely talked for two days straight. You push everyone away. You lock yourself in a hotel room the entire week, don't socialize with anyone. What's going through your mind?"
No response. Red bangs hid despondent eyes, as he kept his gaze turned from her.
Chizuru stomped her foot. "Answer me...!"
Iori tore his shoulder free of her hand, turning his back to her. He finally spoke:
"...It's not safe for me to be here, Chiz."
She felt her skin go cold at that ominous warning. For him to say that, so stone-like, so repelling... it could only mean one thing.
He turned to face her. "I don't trust myself here. Or with anyone."
"But Mature and Vice are fine, right?!" Chizuru attacked. "You don't mind being with them, but not me!"
"Chiz-"
"No!" She cut in. "This has been coming all week! What's your game, huh?! Do you just not care about me anymore?! You want to throw in your lot with the Hakkeshu? After all we've done to fight them back, to prove that you're one of us, you're just going to give in to Oroch-"
Chizuru's words were replaced by a sharp yelp; she felt a hard impact in her chest, her feet leave her... a thud, and she was now level with Iori's knees. The man hovered over her, a cold, scornful gaze...
How ironic that the first hit she took all week came from her brother-in-arms.
"...I'm going to fight the Hakkeshu." Iori's voice spewed ice. "I'm going to tear them apart, so I can finally get these FUCKING VOICES out of my head. Until then, stay the hell out of my way. Pious bitch."
Saisyu officially stepped in. "Y-you snot-nosed Yagami bastard! You go too far!"
He tried to approach Iori and snatch him by the shirt... but his hands were parried, and a forceful shove put him at bay.
"Back the hell up, pops..." Iori threatened, "...Or this'll be the second time you don't make it home."
The air felt a lot less heavy when Iori turned his back to them, swishing his black trenchcoat, and walking away... but the damage was already done. Saisyu knelt down to collect Chizuru from the floor, but a hand swatted his arm away... and the woman got back to her own feet.
"Chizuru... Chizuru, look at me!" he urged.
She turned to face him... two distinct glistening streams down her eyes.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No... sniff... not in the physical sense." Chizuru's voice was completely normal and composed, despite the obvious tears. "I shouldn't have lost my cool like that. Said some things I shouldn't have."
"The boy is a brat." Saisyu bad-mouthed, eyes cutting towards the man. "He has no right to disrespect a woman like that, especially of your stature."
Chizuru gently dragged her sleeve across her face, cleaning the excess tears. "He doesn't mean what he says. He just... he's just... sighhh... he's lost."
Saisyu thought about putting a consoling hand on her... but retracted it. "Lost?"
Chizuru looked down, sniffling one more time. "It's times like this that I'm reminded of... just how important Kyo is."
"My son? To him?"
Chizuru nodded. "Kyo is more than just a friend and a rival, Saisyu... he's an anchor. He stimulates the boy's mind, keeps him focused... gives him something to channel his energy into. His rage, his... his remorse, his self-loathing... when Kyo's around, Iori doesn't dwell on these things. What he feels towards Kyo is his... it's his humanity."
"So this whole time Iori was swearing death on my boy and trying to fight him... Kyo was actually keeping him in check. Keeping him... normal." Saisyu wondered.
Chizuru nodded. "I'm afraid that without Kyo here... sniff... Iori might lose his way. He could be seduced, manipulated... his dark emotions turned against him. He hates the blood in him so much... SO MUCH. It makes him feel like less than a human. And if he feels that way about himself... whose to say the Hakkeshu couldn't use him as such?"
A fair distance away, Iori was collecting himself. Already, he felt himself bringing his hands up... looking into open palms, his mouth hanging with breaths of disbelief, as the heat in his insides slowly dissipated...
"What did I just...?"
To make things worse, Mature and Vice were already flocking to his side. Before he even had a moment to lift his head, they were on each side of his peripherals.
"Well done, Yag." Mature chuckled.
"You really showed her." Vice echoed.
"Stop!" Iori repelled. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't have said those things. That... wasn't me...!"
"She has no right to question your moral integrity based on association."
"You're a grown man."
"You can do what you want."
"She's just jealous~"
Iori's head sank lower. "...She's just worried about me is all."
A hand found his left shoulder. "Why even care about her at all?"
A hand found his right shoulder. "All she does is nag."
"She only cares about you to the extent that you can serve her."
"You're a tool to her. Sacred Treasure #3."
Iori's fists clenched, as their wily words filled his ears:
"Just remember... she's scared of you. They're ALL scared of you."
"They hate what they fear."
"They hate what they don't understand."
"SHUT UP!" Iori barked in defiance.
"Don't tell us to shut up." Vice chastised. "We're all you've got. We're the only ones on the whole planet that you're safe with."
"You can't hurt us~"
"You can't push us away~"
"And we'll ALWAYS be here for you~"
Iori finally had enough. Slapping their hands free of his body, he created several feet of distance. "Don't you two EVER stop talking?! Grrrrr, screw this! I'm going to go patch things up-"
But Iori only got a few steps... before being stopped by Rose Bernstein herself. "Actually, I need to talk to you, Mr. Yagami. Please."
Perhaps a fortuitous moment for the Hakkeshu duo, as Iori, with a roll of his eyes, complied and accompanied the Bernstein girl. The two ghosts were left by themselves, with their mutual thoughts. A devious smile was shared between them.
"Fufufufufufu... we're doing good work on our boy."
"Kukukukukuku... yess... we just have to keep grooming him."
"Keep sowing the seeds of hate and aggression."
"Make him push away those do-gooders, until he realizes we're all he needs in this world."
"And then..."
"And then..."
Their voices spoke simultaenously, in perfect unison. "The perfect world, just us. Nobody else."
The proceedings started to die down after a while, as candidates stopped rolling in, and everyone sort of dissipated into murmuring groups for the trickling duration of the hour. It seemed like there would be no more surprises.
...That is, until a certain bald kingpin strolled in.
"Is there anybody else?" Rose walked around the field, calling out to everyone. "Anyone? I need more names!"
"...Over here, princess! You're forgetting the most important guy!"
...Everyone with ears recognized that voice. It seemed like, equally... everyone who heard it shared a similar disdain. Their heads all rolled at once, like a deer hearing a twig snap, and a collective scowl spread like a plague, as their eyes captured the nasty, grinning face and shining head... of the one and only. He was smiling ear to ear, flanked by his posse of eight strong: Chang, Choi, Raiden, Hwa Jai, Jack, John, Mickey... and Yamazaki to his immediate right.
As soon as Benimaru saw him, his eyes sizzled with malevolent power. "LET ME AT HIM! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Just like that, all hell broke loose: Benimaru stormed up to Big's posse, fist drawn back, and tried to swing on the kingpin; obviously, the man had several bodies to protect him, and he just sat back and laughed as Benimaru was stuffed by multiple arms.
The chaos didn't stop there; Benimaru's reckless courage inspired other angry participants to jump in as well. Ryo, Robert, Yuri, King, Mai, Ralf, Clark, Athena, Kensou, Ramon, Vanessa... in less than a minute, the grassy field of Allianz Arena was home to a scuffle that put baseball and both forms of football to shame.
Bodies against bodies. Yelling. Cursing. Fists attempting to be thrown, but the suffocating proximity of everyone prevented strikes from fully extending.
In the midst of all this, despite his body being tossed left and right in the crowd... Big just tilted his head back and giggled like a madman.
Benimaru, still at the forefront, was thrusting his finger, spit flying from his mouth. "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, BIG! YOU HEAR ME? A FUCKING DEAD MAN!"
"Hahahahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" Big continued to cackle.
King in particular was hard-pressed to get herself close. "COWARDLY PIECE OF SHIT!" she screeched as she actually managed to throw a kick, despite the close quarters, though it missed Big and only managed to catch the side of Jack's forearm.
Rose could do nothing to stop the violence, despite her repeated shouts of disapproval. "STOP THIS! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! UNCOUTH! I WON'T TOLERATE THIS UNCIVILIZED BEHAVIOR!"
Krauser was the only one big enough to really step in and try to quell the situation; as soon as the purple giant squeezed himself into the scuffle, he started shoving people away on both ends. Nobody in their right mind would try to swing on him.
"STOP IT! GET BACK! GET THE HELL BACK!" he roared at all bodies near him, his thick arms being extended to both sides to keep the opposing forces at bay.
It took a good five minutes or so, before people finally started losing energy... the aggression died down, if only from the level of trying to kill each other. There were plenty of insults and accusations still being thrown, though.
"He's a cheater! A goddamned cheater!" Ralf thrust a finger towards Yamazaki. "I'm calling the Ikari Warriors on your ass!"
"You won't ever be safe again!" Clark seconded.
Yamazaki brought his hands up, wiggling them dramatically. "Ooooooh."
"Big, you son of a bitch... you attack my sister, you pay the price!" Ryo threatened.
"If I get in that ring, you're gonna be reminded of the beatings me and Ryo gave you years ago!" Robert struck.
"You caught me while I was drunk!" Vanessa tried to save face.
"If I didn't have these stiches...!" Yuri puffed up.
"If you were perfectly healthy, I'd still starch you, little girl!" Big sneered.
"DON'T TALK TO HER THAT WAY!" Mai howled, and the fight was back on. Mai tried to charge at Big, only to get tackled by Hwa Jai. She managed to conk him on the head with a fan, but she only made it a few steps further before getting smothered by the wall of Chang and Raiden. However, Mai's attack inspired others to start to move forward again, and it seemed like the battle was about to once again-
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Everyone with a sense of sanity was wise to step back, as a thin, long streak of purple fire burned across the grass, forming an equator between the two sides... the hellish lick of the cursed flames dared anyone to try and approach them, and nobody took such an offer.
Everyone quieted down immediately, and the only sound became the ominous crackle of the standing flames.
"Thank you, Mr. Yagami." Rose nodded politely to Iori, who broke off from her to rejoin solitude. "Now then, if we're done brawling here..."
"Wait just a minute!" Athena boldly shouted, stepping forward, her body glowing with Psycho power.
"Y-you dare interrupt me?!" Rose gasped.
Athena thrust an accusatory finger, directly at Yamazaki. "WHERE ARE BAO AND MOMO!"
Yamazaki looked left, then right, then back at her... before ignorantly digging in his ear. "Huh?"
"Don't play dumb! YOU KIDNAPPED THEM! DON'T DENY IT!"
Everyone turned to the black-clad thug with agape mouths, astonished eyes... Yamazaki put his hands up, laughing nervously. "H-h-h-hey cmon now! Don't hate the playa!"
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Her eyes glowed so bright, the whites couldn't be seen.
"Alright, alright!" he confessed. "I bound them, gagged them, and dropped them off at Bob's Rock and Bowl. See? I'm not such a bad gu-"
"I'm going there now." Athena attempted to storm off... but Rose grabbed her arm, halting her.
"W-wait! Please wait! I need to talk to you, Miss Asamiya!"
"I'm not talking until I get Bao and Momo back."
"It's very important!" Rose wailed.
...But Athena just snatched her arm free, and kept walking.
"Wait. Athena, wait."
One more obstacle stood in her way, finally stopping her... Kensou, who held her in place from walking any further.
"I'll go."
Athena eyed him warily. "Why?"
"Because I feel responsible." Kensou looked away. "I don't know if they did that to cheat, or to send me a message about what I owe... but I'm choosing to take responsibility. So please, let me go get them. You can deal with Rose."
Athena's face lost its intensity. "Kensou..."
"I promise, I'll come back with them. Don't worry." Kensou smiled.
A moment of contemplating silence... before Athena nodded. "Okay. I trust you."
Now that the situation had at last been quelled, Iori retracted his flames, and everyone stood at peace, awaiting Rose's next announcement. But before she could speak, Chizuru herself stepped up, hands on her hips.
"Rose." she admonished, "Are you going to allow this treachery to prevail? It's obvious Mr. Big and his cronies sabotaged this whole-"
"I am sorry, Miss Kagura, but the rules say nothing against doing that." Rose shook her head. "Wasn't it you yourself who, last year, encouraged people to protect their entry spots? Well, this year is no different. If they wanted to get into the Battle Royale, they should have been more careful."
"Bullshit, lady!" Ralf complained. "We don't all have the power to burn people to ash!"
"Besides..." Rose continued, ignoring him, "Mr. Big is high ratings. It would be most fortunate if he were to get back in the tournament, hohohohohoho~"
"Oh you are off your f***ing rocker, girl." King sneered.
"Enough of all this!" Krauser boomed, stepping in. "Big, you're approved. Raiden, Hwa Jai, Choi, approved. The only one not approved is Chang."
The iron ball-wielding man whined. "Awwwww why not?!"
"Because you lost your spot before the tournament even began, so by rights you're not a contestant."
Chang took that answer poorly, shooting venomous eyes at the man who overthrew him. "Damn you Saisyu! I'll get you back for this if its the last thing I do!"
Saisyu just flashed a cheeky grin. "Anytime, my burly friend. Anytime."
Rose wrote their names down, slipping them in the ballot box. "Anybody else? Anybody?"
Sensing the odds were against her, Chizuru made one final play. "Athena, Andy!"
The two turned their attention to her. "Hm?"
A pleading face. "I implore you both... please put your names in."
Athena shook her head. "Ohhhh no. I'm way beyond it at this point, Miss Kagura."
"Athena... please. You know what's at stake here. You... know."
Athena sighed; she did know. And she also swore to help out Chizuru if she could... with these factors in mind, she, albiet reluctantly, gave her answer. "I guess it's my duty as a Psycho Soldier. Very well then."
"Approved!" Krauser nodded, a slight smile on his face... perhaps reminiscent of their old feud, and the thought of maybe actually rekindling it.
Chizuru turned to the only other holdout. "Now you, Andy."
Andy shook his head. "N-now wait a minute! I don't want to fight!"
Chizuru put pleading hands together. "Andy, please, we need as many names in the box as possible, to lessen the odds of... CERTAIN SOMEONES... getting pulled. Could you please just put your name in? For the sake of probability?"
Andy put a hand to his chin. "Hmmmmm, well I may not even get drawn..."
Instead of letting the man think it out, Mai finally strutted over to him, throwing herself into his back with a hug. "Oh come on Andy, just do it for my girl Chiz! Please?"
"Well..." Andy mulled.
"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Mai turned on the charm. "I'll do that THING you love..."
Andy slightly reddened. "W-what thing?"
"You knowwwwwww... remember last year, when you knocked out Mudman, and-"
"OKAY OKAY OKAY, PUT ME IN!"
Krauser scoffed. "Approved."
3PM: THE DRAWING CEREMONY
"Gather round, please."
Krauser rounded up the entirety of the available roster, for what would be the most tense and silence-inducing situation all day at Allianz Arena. All mouths shut indefinitely, as friend, foe, hero, villain, and those who didn't tie themselves down with labels, watched... and waited.
"Everyone here? Good." Krauser spoke with a firm, authoritative tone. "Now listen up. I don't care who didn't show up, I don't care why, I don't care what circumstances or factors led us to this moment... there are 18 names in this ballot box, and 14 of you are going to participate in the Battle Royale this evening. I'll draw the names."
Not a peep. Not a cough. Not a slightly elevated breath. Even nature itself seemed to hit the mute button at this moment, as Krauser reached in... and pulled out the first name.
#1: HOTARU FUTABA
The blue-haired girl's cheeks lit up with excitement, as her fists went up in triumph. "Did you hear that, Itokatsu? My name got drawn!"
Of course, the girl's eyes couldn't help but dart to the side... towards a certain broad-shouldered Japanese man with an award-winning scowl.
"Brother... this is it. I'm going to make everything right."
#2: BENIMARU NIKAIDO
The blonde-haired fighter didn't seem the least bit surprised. He didn't express any elevated sense of joy, or even relief over the chance for redemption. Obviously still in a bad mood over the Shingo incident, he said but one thing:
"I feel bad for anyone that has to step in there with me. I'm in the mood to fry some mofos... one in particular."
#3: THE KING OF DINOSAURS (TIZOC)
In contrast, the dinosaur-themed luchador couldn't have been more thrilled about the opportunity. With a mighty carnivorous roar, and a flex of his muscles, he broke into monologue,
"HA! I knew my chance would come! Who here stands a chance against me? WHO? Do you know how many battle royales I've won in my career?! This is a walk in the park for me, the king of beasts! I usually prefer to hunt... but in this case, I don't mind my prey being fed to me. ALL 13 OF THEM! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
#4: CHOI BOUNGE
"Score!" Big pumped his fist at hearing one of his boys make the cut.
Choi's sunglasses shimmered with the aura of death. His tongue trailed across his lips as he cackled. "Perfect... I didn't get enough scalping in Round 1! KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEEEE!"
#5: ROBERT GARCIA
"Good." Robert proclaimed, cracking his knuckles. "Now get Big's ass in that ring... so I can turn his jaw into a jigsaw puzzle."
#6: SHEN WOO
"Oh sweet! I get to crack some more heads." Shen Woo, a rather simple guy in the grand scheme of things, was just happy to get the chance to punch people some more. That was all he really cared about in life: not saving the world, or destroying the world, no revenge fantasies, or people to fight for. Punching was life.
#7: HINAKO SHIJOU
The Sumo girl, who miraculously survived the nasty events of lunchtime, slapped her face with determination. "My quest to become a revered Yokozuna continues! DOSUKOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
#8: MAI SHIRANUI
Upon hearing that, the kunoichi's eyes lit up with joy. Unable to contain her emotions, her body burst with life, leaping into Andy's arms. It's a miracle the man caught her bridal-style.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Did you hear that, Andy! I'm in! I'm in!"
Andy grinned. "I'm happy for you, Mai."
#9: JOE HIGASHI
"Hey, I made it too!" Joe proclaimed, a goofy smile on his face. He turned to Andy. "Hey! Guys? I made it! I MADE IT!"
Mai rolled her eyes. "Yes, we're all happy for you Joe. Go have a cookie."
#10: VICE
...And there it was. Any small crumb of hope that no Hakkeshu names would be drawn flew right out the window, as Vice, who fell in Round 2, turned and embraced her blonde partner with a devious smirk.
"Kukukukukuku... Lady Luck was on our side."
"Fufufufufufu... she's a beautiful mistress, my sweet Vice."
"Not as beautiful as you, my darling Mature."
Mature brought her face close... until their foreheads were touching. "Get us back in this tournament, Vice, and I promise you we'll do some celebrating."
Their lips became one.
#11: RAIDEN
Upon hearing his name, the stocky wrestler turned to his stick-figured partner with a smile. "Hey Jai, I made it! Sweet!"
"Ever been in a battle royale before?" Jai asked, curiosity peaked.
"Well, I was supposed to be in Thunder Cage 57, but I pulled out with an injured hamstring. Egon Eggbreaker took my spot."
"Oh? How'd he do?"
"He got tossed out the ring and hit his head on the corner of the commentating booth."
"Ouch. Well, maybe you'll do better than him."
#12: KASUMI TODOH
The girl showed no emotion upon her name being drawn... as did the Women's Team, who were aware of her strange altercation with Yuri. The blue-haired girl's eyes did cut towards the Sakazaki in question, for only a moment... but they quickly retracted, and faced forward.
"Ryo... I'm coming for you." Kasumi spoke to herself, fist pressed against her chest. "It's the only way... the only way I can find peace."
The nerves started to get real. Sharper than ever, as the six remaining fighters whose names had yet to be drawn knew that their chance at redemption was hanging in the balance.
Chris, Yashiro, Hwa Jai, Andy, Athena... and Mr. Big.
The bad guys had the advantage, four to two.
The Hakkeshu were at a distinct DISadvantage. To Chizuru, even the likes of Big would be more favorable than either of their names getting pulled.
"Only two spots remain." Krauser called out. "I will draw the names."
Yashiro's fists clenched with determination, as did Chris's... Shermie, who stood between them, slid her arms around their shoulders, bringing them close in an affectionate hug of silent encouragement.
Mr. Big's sunglasses shimmered. As did Hwa Jai's bald head.
Athena and Andy stood to the side, Andy's arms folded, Athena's fists near her chin, as they too awaited with bated breath... a strange place, the two of them were in, where they didn't WANT to be picked... but they knew the importance.
"First name."
#13: MR. BIG
A collective groan echoed throughout the huddles masses, shared by all except for one kingpin, whose face lit up with excitement.
"Hahaha! I did it! HAHAHAHAHA! YES! I DID IT! SUCK ON THAT, YOU PLEBS! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! SUCK MY MIGHTY STICKS!"
"Great. F***ing great." Vanessa grunted, rolling her eyes. "Treachery and playing dirty prevails. What a great message for our youth."
"This is bullshit, man!" Clark complained. "Big shouldn't be allowed to... urgh. This sucks."
"It's okay." Mai reassured. "Big just dug his own grave. As soon as he steps in that ring, me, Rob and Beni are gonna have a little INTERVENTION..."
Unfazed by their threats, Big whipped out a cigar, lighting it for celebration. "Hehehehe! Cry all you want. Go cry and snot and crap your little diapers. Big is back on top! Where I was MEANT TO BE! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Quiet down, now!" Krauser barked. "I'm pulling the final name."
There was a stadium-wide gulping of saliva, as Krauser reached into the box to pull the final name... the last hope for two Heavenly Kings, a Thai fighter, a Psycho Soldier, and a ninja.
Shermie gripped their hands with a crushing force, as the eyes of the Heavenly Trio locked onto the box, awaiting the hand to emerge with the slip of paper...
And it did.
#14: CHRIS
Without a doubt, the biggest name bomb to be dropped in the proceedings.
Shermie's face lit up with joy; even without eyes, the happiness couldn't be hidden. She twirled around with a graceful pirouette, snatching Chris in her arms and spinning him around, before smooshing him against her bosom. "Heeheeheheheheheeee! You did it, Chris! You made it~!"
Yashiro, although disappointed his own name didn't get drawn, expressed cheer for his little bro as well. "Good job, Chris. I'm proud of you."
Chris couldn't talk at first, as his face was submerged in Shermie's chest, but the Frenchwoman finally gave him some mercy and put him down, allowing the kid a moment to speak. "Thanks, guys. I... I can do this! I HAVE to do this! My strength may not be back to where it was, but I realize the importance of what I have to do... everything is counting on this. The last thing I want to do in the world is let you guys down."
"We know you won't." Shermie patted him.
"Yeah, don't even sweat it, Chris." Yashiro rubbed his shoulder. "You're gonna do just fine. Orochi's Will be done."
Chris felt his cheeks warm at the affection being given, as the boy said one last thing.
"I'm doing this for the cause... but most importantly... I'm doing this for you guys. For the two who always believe in me. For the two who have always stand by my side, protect me, make me strong... I'll win for you. Yashiro and Shermie. My big bro and sis."
Chizuru's face turned to anguish, as she buried it in Saisyu's bicep. "So that's it then... we've failed."
"We haven't." Saisyu reassured her. "Don't forget; they still have to win the Battle Royale. And we're in a position to make sure that doesn't happen."
With that notion in mind, Chizuru picked her head up. "Y-you're right! We need to collaborate. Organize our efforts. Encourage them all to focus their efforts on taking Chris and Vice out early!"
"Precisely." Saisyu nodded. "However..."
The elder Kusanagi's eyes cut over, to the smirking bald kingpin, flanked by his posse, all who made it in, save for two.
"...I'm afraid that bumbling bald idiot may have complicated things a little. If you can't convince our allies to think clearly, they may just let their blinding vengeance get in the way of the true mission."
And that is that! The names have been drawn. All that's left is to do the deed itself.
NEXT CHAPTER: The Battle Royale begins! 14 will enter, only one will win. Who will outlast the rest, and secure their position in Round 3? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!
