Author's Note: Heh, I figured I should probably start tying this story in more with the DOA series around here... so read it! Tell me what you think! ^_^

Chapter 3: X Octagon

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A dark forest in Japan. All is silent, but suddenly, a few quick gusts of wind, and pounding footsteps can be heard. There are 2 figures, dressed in all white, running through the forest, at high speed. The two run for a while, then come to a temple-like setting, where they are greeted by another man, dressed in white. This man had long, auburn hair, and deep hazel eyes. He folded his arms, as the two men kneeled before him.

"Anything?"

"Nothing, my lord. We couldn't find her."

"I see... very well. You are dismissed."

The two ninja rose, leaving the presence of the other man. He nodded as the two left, looking toward the moon. Ayane was still out, checking the East Section of the forest. she'd be returning soon. Sure enough, he heard her leaping through the trees toward him, landing a bit off to his side. The man turned, remaining silent.

"Hayate-sama....She's nowhere to be found. The East Section is clear."

"Ok Ayane. Thank you for searching."

Hayate turned to walk away, but Ayane called out to him.

"Hayate..."

"Yes?"

"I can't sense her presence anymore. I don't think she's even here..."

"Hmm....wasn't there a round of the Dead or Alive Tournament scheduled for America?"

"I think so.....she was probably to appear there."

"Hm.....she'll be back."

Ayane nodded, as she and Hayate then walked together into the shrine.

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Saturday couldn't come quick enough. But finally, it came. Ren's alarm clock went off that morning, waking him at 6:00 a.m. The plane they was scheduled to depart from the LAX airport in Los Angeles at 8:00 a.m. to arrive at LGA in New York City right around 6:00 p.m. Ren heard sounds downstairs. That meant his grandfather was already up. Ren rolled out of bed, heading to the bathroom for a shower. After showering, he wrapped a silver towel around his waist, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair. Ren then went back to his room to dress. He threw on a dark blue shirt, along with his favorite blue jeans. Laced up his gym shoes, and tossed on a blue baseball cap. Ren's grandfather then appeared in the doorway.

"Ren, make sure you pack two days worth of clothes. Those plane tickets and free passes came with a free one night stay at a hotel. So, we'll be back here Sunday night."

Ren nodded, reaching for a black shirt with matching black denim jeans. He folded them, placing them into the duffle bag he usually used for martial arts. He removed the gi and other martial arts supplies, putting them in his closet. Ren then made sure he wasn't leaving behind anything important, then coming downstairs. Ren's father greeted him with a plate of bacon. Ren took a few, devouring them while his grandfather spoke.

"I already called your friends up, and made sure they were all ready to go."

"Told them about the two day thing?"

"Yes. We're going to pick them up."

Ren nodded again, gulping down a glass of orange juice. About 5 minutes later, they were out of the house, in the car, and on their way to pick up the first of three friends. By 6:30, they arrived at Jessica's house. She eagerly came out and stuffed her bag into the trunk, her parents waving her off. She slid into the backseat as Ren's grandfather pulled off.

"Hey Ren."

"What's up Jess?"

"I'm excited! I can't wait to get there..."

"Heh, me neither."

Soon, they arrived at Eric's house. Tony, the other friend, had stayed the night over Eric's, in order to save time. The two boys came out, putting their bags in the trunk, and climbing into the backseat. They arrived at the airport at 7:30. They showed their plane tickets to the guards and gate checks, and soon were on the plane. Ren and his friends went to the seats that faced each other, Ren's grandfather sitting nearby. It was easy to tell that all four were anxious. The plane took off 7 minutes late. The friends were ok for a while, but after the first 3 hours, they were beginning to show signs of boredom. Eric leaned back in his seat, looking out the window.

"So how long's this flight...?"

Ren looked up from a comic book to respond.

"Ten hours."

"Argh...."

"Look on the bright side. At least it's a nonstop flight..."

"Yeah..." 

The hours slowly went on. Finally, they arrived in New York City. Everyone got their things, and got off the plane. As they were preparing to leave the airport, Ren looked at his grandfather, somewhat nervously.

"So, how are we gonna get around...?"

"Taxi, of course!"

"Meh..."

The group caught a taxi over to the hotel they would be staying at. It was nice. Clean, very elegant. Jessica looked at Ren's grandfather.

"Um...what are the sleeping arrangements, Mr. Hokunaki?"

Ren and the other boys all smirked, but she quickly shot them a glare.

"Well, we have 3 rooms. Each has two beds, except for one. Tony and Eric will share a room, Ren and I will share one, and you will have your own."

Jessica smiled sweetly at the old man, shooting another glare at the boys.

"Ok. Well, let's head up to the rooms to put our stuff up and get ready to go."

They all agreed, and went to their corresponding rooms. The event was scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m.

The group met up in the hotel's main lobby, then caught a taxi to the Octagon. Upon arrival, they all showed their free passes to the guards, and were allowed in. They found their seats, right in the front row. They sat down, just as more people were starting to come in. At 9:00, an announcer came on over the P.A.

"Hello and welcome to the X Octagon!! We have a very special event for you today...some of the spectacular fighters of the 3rd Dead or Alive Tournament are here to showcase their skills!"

The crowd roared. Ren looked around the place. He liked the giant white DOA posters hanging on the walls. The main ring was fenced, with explosives and electrical wiring lining the chain link fences. The announcer continued.

"We have 3 matches scheduled. First up, we have the Dragon, Jann Lee, versus the Undefeated Wrestling champ, Bass Armstrong! Then, Bass's superstar daughter Tina Armstrong goes up against the Italian Mercenary, Leon! Finally, The beautiful Kunoichi *female ninja Kasumi and the German Karateka *Karate practitioner Hitomi, will face off!"

The crowd exploded once again. Ren couldn't wait for the fighting to start. He could feel the electricity in the air....but there was something about it, he couldn't quite put his finger on....looking at the crowd, he spotted Max, sitting directly across from him, on the other side of the arena. Max looked at Ren briefly, a wild grin on his face. Ren remembered their match. He then remembered the upcoming tournament. Revenge. Jessica looked at him, slight concern on her face.

"Ren....isn't that Max....over there?"

"Yeah, that's him. The bastard..."

 But, he wouldn't let that bother him now. He was here to enjoy the DOA tournament. The lights finally dimmed, as spotlights shone on the ring. The first fight was set to begin.