Sorry, this chapter took a little longer because A: it's a long chapter, and B: I've been pretty sick lately. I only write at night…because that's when I'm supposed to be sleeping, so it's the only free time I've got. Well, enough of my rambling, on with the show.
Bryan went back to the corner of the wall that he had chosen as his sanctuary for in between rounds. He was so tired, but his nerves kept him awake and worrying. He couldn't sleep if it were an option, anyway. He no longer took walks, however, avoiding another irritating encounter with Yoshimitsu. Bryan merely sat in his tournament provided hotel room and watched television, despite the fact that he didn't really pay any attention to what was happening on screen. Sometimes he just grew tired of the silence. He then decided to quit that habit when a Robocop marathon ran on two of the five channels he was given. Something about that movie disturbed him.
Spitting a mouthful of blood beside him, he took a cloth and wiped his face roughly. It hurt, but he hardly cared about the minor pains any more.
Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu sat and let his vision blur, trying to meditate his pain away in an age-old technique. The more he sat, the better he felt physically, and the worse he felt psychologically. Here he was with his natural organic mending abilities, while Bryan sat malfunctioning across from him.
"Round two! Yoshimitsu and Bryan Fury please re-enter the ring." The announcer requested.
Bryan wheezed as he stood again and his vision momentarily blacked out once more. That buzzing in his head whirred angrily, threatening him to either rest or it would gain in volume. But as loud as it was, it wasn't as loud as a voice in the back of his mind that insisted he was stronger than this, and that was what he listened to. That voice he didn't know. He could only assume it was part of his former self, someone who he barely thought he recalled. When he awoke, he found himself mangled in a body he remembered from somewhere. The name Bryan Fury was an unfamiliar one. He remembered cold hands on his flesh, and his blind panic in the small laboratory room, after which he was immediately sedated. As far as he could remember now, if he did not keep himself going, no one else would. He shook away his thoughts and met Yoshimitsu on the arena once again.
Yoshimitsu gave a gruff nod and drew his green saber. Bryan kept his distance, planning on showing the pompous warrior what he could really do when he was set off. His vision was considerably darker than when he had started this match, his head knocked around as much as it was. But all he needed to follow were those green orbs of light ahead of him.
"Fight!"
Bryan clenched his fists and charged towards his enemy, who was bracing himself stiffly. Bryan feigned a head-butt, but instead threw himself to the ground and slid into Yoshimitsu on his back, leaving both of them lying there. Bryan came back up quick, crouching down and spinning an outward leg in a vicious wolf's tail that caused the astonished Yoshimitsu to topple again a few feet away. As Bryan charged forward once more, the Manji fighter hopped up and turned to his right, ready to break into a series of stone fists. Bryan came at him with one arm raised, and caught the first hit that came at him, barreling all his weight into Yoshimitsu and sending him down again.
Yoshimitsu was, needless to say, utterly horrified at Bryan's newfound strength, and in a frenzied movement, he made a grab for his attacker's leg. But Bryan found the arm and stepped on it harshly, eliciting a cry from Yoshimitsu. He reached forward and seized the leg that crushed his arm with his other hand, and succeeded in dragging Bryan to the ground with him. He wavered for a moment before coming crashing down upon the cement like a ton of bricks. He let out an angry howl and tried to roll over, but Yoshimitsu still held onto his ankle, now on his knees and pulling Bryan towards him. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion for Bryan. He looked up at the other combatant and saw him raising his sword with one hand. He looked over to his left to see the excited and anxious members of the crowd, some cheering for Bryan, but most for Yoshimitsu. He looked down to see the blood stains on the ground, and forward to see the blood stains on his opponent. And he looked right to see his own fist hurtling at the skeletal man's face, almost against his own volition. It connected with a clang, and wracked Yoshimitsu's head to his right and back. He was forced off of his victim from the lightheaded state.
Bryan pulled himself up, still moving slowly from his point of view, and yet with an unfathomable speed. His body was a blur of flesh and cloth as he pulled up and grabbed Yoshimitsu by the shoulders, bashing his own head against his enemy's. Even through the helmet, Yoshimitsu felt the powerful crunch of Bryan's rock hard skull against his own. But even before he could sink to the ground, Bryan wrapped his arm around Yoshimitsu's neck from behind and swung him an amazing distance away. The crowd screamed and dispersed as they observed Yoshimitsu flying towards them at top speed. Fortunately, he hit no one, but he collided with the wall and slid down, defeated and horrified that Bryan had won so quickly.
Bryan's teeth chattered along with the pulsating pain in his head as he stared at the downed insect man. Unsteadily making his way back to his corner, he grasped his head in pain at the loud voice above him. "Bryan Fury…has won!" the announcer sounded surprised, and that angered Bryan.
Yoshimitsu remained on the ground, showing a dead gaze in his eyes. He didn't bother moving. "My God…" he whispered. "I could not defeat him…"
Hwoarang stuffed a cookie in his mouth as he looked up at the television screen. It was turned to a boxing channel, but no one was watching it, rather they were gathered at the window with their coffee.
"Take it easy on the cookies, Hwoarang!" scolded Miharu. "They'll slow you down tomorrow."
"Nrr they wom't." he snorted, sucking his Coke down.
"Yeah, fine, don't listen to me." Miharu folded her arms and sulked.
Julia drank some of her coffee and stirred her soup absently. "Thanks for lunch, Hwoarang." She said.
"Yeah, don't mention it." He responded, glaring at the group of people that were staring at him. "What?" he snapped.
"Ah, come on, they're just fans!" Miharu shoved him. "Don't be so standoffish, people'll start to dislike you."
"I don't care." He said, resting his head on the table. "I'm not doing it for them."
"Well, you should. People love to watch you fight!" she continued.
"Well so what? I don't watch them, they should leave me alone." He stated.
"You have to be fighting for someone other than yourself." Julia insisted suddenly.
"Yeah, why?" he looked up. "So I can be one of those humanitarian fighters like Yoshimitsu? 'Oh, I think I shall like to win that fortune for all of the little Manji orphans!'" he mocked, batting his eyelashes.
Miharu giggled, but Julia was slightly less impressed. "That's not funny. He's one of the most respectable fighters in this tournament."
Hwoarang rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm just not into that stuff. People have enough problem's of their own without having to worry about everyone else."
"I think you should fight for the people you love." Julia retorted. "Law's fighting for his son and his restaurant. Lee's fighting to fund a project that could help thousands of people."
"Spare me." Hwoarang grumbled. "You expect me to believe that those guys don't have ulterior motives? Law's an old crackpot who's pretty much lost it all and hold onto the end of his rope by the skin of his teeth. Lee's an old psycho who mysteriously never ages, and probably wants to use this 'project' we've heard about to rule the world."
Julia shook her head. "Even you. What are you fighting for?"
Hwoarang sighed and looked out the window tiredly. "The money, I guess."
"I don't think so." She prodded. "Not someone like you."
"Someone like me." He chortled. "Right. Well…I like to fight…okay?" he shrugged.
"Hmph." She smirked, poking a piece of chicken in her soup.
"Good lord!" cried a man in the Café. The three fighters immediately looked over to the source of a newfound commotion. The people suddenly began to rush out of the small establishment. Miharu grabbed her two friends and bolted outside as well, dragging them along. As the three looked up from the crowd in the darkening night, they saw on the large screen the face of Bryan Fury. A flashing little sign read 'winner' at the bottom. Miharu gasped, and Julia grabbed Hwoarang's arm.
"Oh no…" Julia squeaked. "He won…"
Hwoarang swallowed hard and peered through the crowd at the bloody mess of a android. "Don't worry…" he assured nervously. "Part of me…kinda expected him to."