Chapter 2
It was the first morning of the Tournament. Anna slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the clock. She squinted, eyes still a bit fuzzy from sleeping and read out loud.
"Ten to six." She sighed sleepily, stretching her arms above her head with a groan.
Feeling a soft pressure on her stomach she looked down to find Kazumi curled up there on top of her duvet. Anna smiled and sat up slowly, the cat slid to the side, regarding Anna out the corners of slitted golden eyes then went back to sleep. The room was washed in grey tones and rain pattered against Anna's window softly, the headlights of a few passing cars threw yellow light on the walls briefly as she yawned.
Anna sat on the side of her bed rubbing her eyes while her feet tried to find her slippers on the floor then she trudged into the kitchen, her slippers scuffing loudly on the carpet, and flicked on the light. Anna fixed herself a quick breakfast of toast and tea, since she wasn't scheduled to fight today she didn't exactly need energy food but she had to be at Kazuya's side as a bodyguard when he did his 'welcoming speech' along with a few others. Anna absently wondered if she might make friends with some of the fighters this time but laughed it off,
"People are here for money not for socialising" she chided herself.
She walked back to her bedroom and got ready for the long day ahead. Anna slipped into the scarlet gown and tugged the long silky gloves; the satin felt cool and soft against her pale skin. Sitting in front of the mirror she applied her make-up as she always liked to look her best and she gazed absently at her reflection while she combed her short auburn hair. She fed the cat who thanked her with loud purrs and enthusiastic meows before grabbing her keys and leaving the room, locking it behind her.
Anna walked down the worn blue carpet in the brightly lit hallway, came to the lifts and pressed the button. Ding! She stepped inside the empty lift, her high heeled shoes tapping loudly on the hard surface. Anna pressed the button for the top floor, where Kazuya's and Lee's offices were, guessing they'd already be there making last minute preparations. The place where the lift stopped was much more luxurious than the rest of the building; nearly everything was coloured in gold and cream hues. Large glittering chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and Anna admired them as she walked toward some wooden doors to the left; the place had been done up since she saw it last. Reaching the double doors she knocked twice, the hollow sound echoed through the empty hallway.
"Come in." A stern voice called. Anna pushed open the heavy doors and approached the old oak desk set near the back wall. The worn leather chair swivelled to face her and her blue eyes met with dark brown ones. The harsh look on the man's face melted away as he recognised the newcomer.
"Oh, it's you Anna," he spoke to her as if she was an old friend
"Hi Lee," Anna smiled at him and there was an awkward silence between them. Quickly she added "I'm not too early am I? Is Kazuya in?"
"No, and yes. Kazuya is 'helping' to organise the sound people for his talk today." Lee shook his head slightly, recalling the terrified expression of the poor man Kazuya had yelled at earlier that morning. "He's in the Dojo."
"Oh alright, thanks!" Anna said, happy for an excuse to leave.
Lee went back to his computer work.
On the way to the Dojo, Anna saw another of Kazuya's employees heading in the same direction. Quickening her pace she finally caught up with her. Anna had met the girl at the last tournament.
"Hey, Kunimitsu!" Anna greeted the ninja with a friendly tone as she hurried to keep up with her ground eating pace.
Kuni gave her a nod and a small wave, she'd never been one to talk much, Anna remembered. They walked the rest of the way in silence, yet it wasn't uncomfortable like it might have been with Lee, Anna guessed she and the ninja had an unspoken acceptance of each other. They could hear Kazuya long before he came into sight, yelling at some other poor employee probably. An amused smile tugged at the corners of Anna's painted red lips. Kunimitsu looked over at Anna and tilted her head to one side questioningly.
"I guess he hasn't changed much then." Anna grinned at the Japanese cat mask that covered Kunimitsu's face and Kuni chuckled quietly, shaking her head.
Kazuya looked stressed and all the workers were nervous of his explosive temper as they tried to work as fast as they could without making mistakes. There was less than an hour to go until the fighters were expected to assemble in this very spot. Anna noticed that they'd constructed a temporary stage which was tall so Kazuya could see everyone at once. It had railings like a balcony around the edges, also a staircase to one side. He spotted two of his bodyguards entering and started toward them
"At least some of us are on time" Kazuya boomed, giving one technician an impatient look as he finished wiring up the speakers.
Anna and Kunimitsu bowed politely as Kazuya stopped in front of them and his expression softened a little.
"Good morning girls" he greeted giving them a thin smile, though he was obviously not happy
Anna furrowed her brows.
"What's the -" she started but was cut off
"What's the matter?" Kazuya growled "Half my guards were hospitalised last night, by my goddamn father" he spat the last words as if they were a deadly poison. "He's still alive…." Kazuya trailed off, dark brows knitted together making his usually handsome face seem demonic. The look on his face vanished just as quick as it had appeared as the head technician gave him the all clear and he glanced at his wristwatch. It was twenty to eight, and Kazuya went back to inspect everything as if the girls were never there at all. Anna shrugged
"That was weird…" she muttered, a worried look upon her delicate face.
Luckily enough, everything was up to Kazuya's expectations, much to the relief to the workers and they were allowed to go on a break. Kazuya stood tall in the middle of the stage, his broad and powerful shoulders tense, and his dark eyes scanned the growing crowd. There was no sign of the old man yet; no doubt he would make a big entrance. He snapped out his trance-like state with Anna elbowing him, just hard enough to get his attention
"You know, you don't look very welcoming with that big frown." She whispered
Kazuya only grumbled, but tried to keep a straight face after that.
He looked at his watch again it was ten past nine and he decided it was fashionably late enough to start his speech.
"Your attention please." Kazuya's voice boomed over the loud speakers.
Everyone stopped their small talk and anxious fidgeting and directed their gazes toward the stage, all were silent as Kazuya recited his welcoming speech and his talked about the rules. Anna's sapphire gaze washed over the sea of familiar faces looking for one in particular. She was standing to the right of Kazuya his large frame dwarfing her petite one, while Kunimitsu took up a spot behind the two, looking between Kazuya's and Anna's shoulders. Beside Kuni on the other side was a tall kick boxer with dark skin and a Mohawk, he had a fierce expression and he stood with his fists clenched by his sides, and to Kazuya's left, a huge Sumo wrestler in his traditional attire and then Lee, standing with his arms crossed and staring boredly at the opposite wall.
Anna wasn't really listening to Kazuya as she had heard it more than once before. Suddenly she tensed up and a familiar nervous feeling of 'butterflies' was felt in her gut as she spotted a pair of blue eyes burning into her own. Soft corn coloured hair fell on either side of the girls face and the rest pulled back in a ponytail, her dark red lips twisted into a sneer as their gazes locked. Anna felt a light sweat break out on her forehead and she tore her eyes away from her sister's accusing stare, jumping slightly as Kazuya shouted,
"Let the battle commence!"
It was the first morning of the Tournament. Anna slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the clock. She squinted, eyes still a bit fuzzy from sleeping and read out loud.
"Ten to six." She sighed sleepily, stretching her arms above her head with a groan.
Feeling a soft pressure on her stomach she looked down to find Kazumi curled up there on top of her duvet. Anna smiled and sat up slowly, the cat slid to the side, regarding Anna out the corners of slitted golden eyes then went back to sleep. The room was washed in grey tones and rain pattered against Anna's window softly, the headlights of a few passing cars threw yellow light on the walls briefly as she yawned.
Anna sat on the side of her bed rubbing her eyes while her feet tried to find her slippers on the floor then she trudged into the kitchen, her slippers scuffing loudly on the carpet, and flicked on the light. Anna fixed herself a quick breakfast of toast and tea, since she wasn't scheduled to fight today she didn't exactly need energy food but she had to be at Kazuya's side as a bodyguard when he did his 'welcoming speech' along with a few others. Anna absently wondered if she might make friends with some of the fighters this time but laughed it off,
"People are here for money not for socialising" she chided herself.
She walked back to her bedroom and got ready for the long day ahead. Anna slipped into the scarlet gown and tugged the long silky gloves; the satin felt cool and soft against her pale skin. Sitting in front of the mirror she applied her make-up as she always liked to look her best and she gazed absently at her reflection while she combed her short auburn hair. She fed the cat who thanked her with loud purrs and enthusiastic meows before grabbing her keys and leaving the room, locking it behind her.
Anna walked down the worn blue carpet in the brightly lit hallway, came to the lifts and pressed the button. Ding! She stepped inside the empty lift, her high heeled shoes tapping loudly on the hard surface. Anna pressed the button for the top floor, where Kazuya's and Lee's offices were, guessing they'd already be there making last minute preparations. The place where the lift stopped was much more luxurious than the rest of the building; nearly everything was coloured in gold and cream hues. Large glittering chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and Anna admired them as she walked toward some wooden doors to the left; the place had been done up since she saw it last. Reaching the double doors she knocked twice, the hollow sound echoed through the empty hallway.
"Come in." A stern voice called. Anna pushed open the heavy doors and approached the old oak desk set near the back wall. The worn leather chair swivelled to face her and her blue eyes met with dark brown ones. The harsh look on the man's face melted away as he recognised the newcomer.
"Oh, it's you Anna," he spoke to her as if she was an old friend
"Hi Lee," Anna smiled at him and there was an awkward silence between them. Quickly she added "I'm not too early am I? Is Kazuya in?"
"No, and yes. Kazuya is 'helping' to organise the sound people for his talk today." Lee shook his head slightly, recalling the terrified expression of the poor man Kazuya had yelled at earlier that morning. "He's in the Dojo."
"Oh alright, thanks!" Anna said, happy for an excuse to leave.
Lee went back to his computer work.
On the way to the Dojo, Anna saw another of Kazuya's employees heading in the same direction. Quickening her pace she finally caught up with her. Anna had met the girl at the last tournament.
"Hey, Kunimitsu!" Anna greeted the ninja with a friendly tone as she hurried to keep up with her ground eating pace.
Kuni gave her a nod and a small wave, she'd never been one to talk much, Anna remembered. They walked the rest of the way in silence, yet it wasn't uncomfortable like it might have been with Lee, Anna guessed she and the ninja had an unspoken acceptance of each other. They could hear Kazuya long before he came into sight, yelling at some other poor employee probably. An amused smile tugged at the corners of Anna's painted red lips. Kunimitsu looked over at Anna and tilted her head to one side questioningly.
"I guess he hasn't changed much then." Anna grinned at the Japanese cat mask that covered Kunimitsu's face and Kuni chuckled quietly, shaking her head.
Kazuya looked stressed and all the workers were nervous of his explosive temper as they tried to work as fast as they could without making mistakes. There was less than an hour to go until the fighters were expected to assemble in this very spot. Anna noticed that they'd constructed a temporary stage which was tall so Kazuya could see everyone at once. It had railings like a balcony around the edges, also a staircase to one side. He spotted two of his bodyguards entering and started toward them
"At least some of us are on time" Kazuya boomed, giving one technician an impatient look as he finished wiring up the speakers.
Anna and Kunimitsu bowed politely as Kazuya stopped in front of them and his expression softened a little.
"Good morning girls" he greeted giving them a thin smile, though he was obviously not happy
Anna furrowed her brows.
"What's the -" she started but was cut off
"What's the matter?" Kazuya growled "Half my guards were hospitalised last night, by my goddamn father" he spat the last words as if they were a deadly poison. "He's still alive…." Kazuya trailed off, dark brows knitted together making his usually handsome face seem demonic. The look on his face vanished just as quick as it had appeared as the head technician gave him the all clear and he glanced at his wristwatch. It was twenty to eight, and Kazuya went back to inspect everything as if the girls were never there at all. Anna shrugged
"That was weird…" she muttered, a worried look upon her delicate face.
Luckily enough, everything was up to Kazuya's expectations, much to the relief to the workers and they were allowed to go on a break. Kazuya stood tall in the middle of the stage, his broad and powerful shoulders tense, and his dark eyes scanned the growing crowd. There was no sign of the old man yet; no doubt he would make a big entrance. He snapped out his trance-like state with Anna elbowing him, just hard enough to get his attention
"You know, you don't look very welcoming with that big frown." She whispered
Kazuya only grumbled, but tried to keep a straight face after that.
He looked at his watch again it was ten past nine and he decided it was fashionably late enough to start his speech.
"Your attention please." Kazuya's voice boomed over the loud speakers.
Everyone stopped their small talk and anxious fidgeting and directed their gazes toward the stage, all were silent as Kazuya recited his welcoming speech and his talked about the rules. Anna's sapphire gaze washed over the sea of familiar faces looking for one in particular. She was standing to the right of Kazuya his large frame dwarfing her petite one, while Kunimitsu took up a spot behind the two, looking between Kazuya's and Anna's shoulders. Beside Kuni on the other side was a tall kick boxer with dark skin and a Mohawk, he had a fierce expression and he stood with his fists clenched by his sides, and to Kazuya's left, a huge Sumo wrestler in his traditional attire and then Lee, standing with his arms crossed and staring boredly at the opposite wall.
Anna wasn't really listening to Kazuya as she had heard it more than once before. Suddenly she tensed up and a familiar nervous feeling of 'butterflies' was felt in her gut as she spotted a pair of blue eyes burning into her own. Soft corn coloured hair fell on either side of the girls face and the rest pulled back in a ponytail, her dark red lips twisted into a sneer as their gazes locked. Anna felt a light sweat break out on her forehead and she tore her eyes away from her sister's accusing stare, jumping slightly as Kazuya shouted,
"Let the battle commence!"