Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.
Chapter Four: The tournament begins.
Two days later . . .
March 16. 10:00 A.M. Tokyo airport. Runway 15. Yoshimitsu vs. Combot.
"The first match of the new tournament." Heihachi said as he, Ling, and Lei rode to the airport to witness the event. "I can hardly wait."
"Who do you think will win?" Ling asked out of curiosity.
"Yoshimitsu is known for his unique fighting style. However, Combot can copy anyone's moves. It's anybody's game. Even so, Yoshimitsu is not someone I want to hand over the company to. He and his Manji Clan are a bunch of thieves."
"They're like Robin Hood, though." Ling said. "They rob the . . .oh."
"And what do you think they would do with my company?"
"Point taken, sir."
"But what a robot would do with a company, I do not know. I guess that's up to his creator, Violet. Quite an odd name. You know, he looks a bit familiar, but I just can't place him. Oh well."
"I'd say this fight shouldn't get too heated." Lei said.
Soon enough, they arrived at the airport. The three passengers got out and walked to the runway. The whole way there, reporters were pushing microphones into Heihachi's face and trying to ask questions. Not only Heihachi, but Ling and Lei too. The bodyguards kept them at bay. Airport staff had made sure no planes would be going in or out. The next plane wasn't scheduled to come in for another 3 hours.
"Are both contestants present?" Heihachi asked when they arrived at the runway.
"Yes sir." A man said. "All you need to do is officially begin the tournament, then we'll introduce them."
"Good." The crowd cheered as Heihachi walked up to them. The fight was being broadcast live, so cameras from various stations were everywhere, trying to get a close up on Heihachi.
When everyone was cleared away, Heihachi faced the crowd.
"Thank you! Thank you for that wonderful welcome! I would also like to thank the airport crew for making this area suitable for fighting. Plus, thank you all for coming to this event. This match marks the beginning of the fourth King of Iron Fist Tournament."
The crowd went wild.
"Now, I shall keep you waiting no longer. LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!!"
Everyone cheered and clapped as Heihachi gave the microphone to a tournament official.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's give another round of applause to Mr. Heihachi Mishima!"
They all did. "And now, let's see the contestants! First, a man who has been in every tournament. No one knows who he really is, no one knows where he's from, but we remember for his incredible fighting and his record of robbing the rich to feed the poor. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the mysterious masked leader of the Manji Clan, Yoshimitsu!!!"
Everyone watched as Yoshimitsu flew down to the pavement, folded back his wings, and drew his green sword and swung it horizontally.
"And now, it slices, it dices, it makes gourmet meals in seconds! But not this one, oh no, he was literally made to fight. In his first tournament entry, please welcome Combot!"
The frighteningly flexible robot did a series of back flips into the "circle" and swung his steel sword (which he'd acquired just for this match) horizontally.
Both fighters took the exact same stance and got ready.
At last, Heihachi gave the word. "FIGHT!!"
The crowd went bonkers, cheering, booing, taunting, all while backing away, as not to get hit.
Yoshimitsu and Combot just circled each other for a minute, each waiting for the other to strike first. Finally, Yoshimitsu got tired of waiting and punched Combot's "face", knocking him back, then bashing it down several times; his "Doorknocker" move. Combot shook it off. Still, he did not attack. Yoshimitsu gave the cyborg his "Slap U Silly" attack, meaning he spun like a top on one foot with one arm stretched out, backhanding him several times. Of course, he then got dizzy, but caught himself and got back in his fighting stance. Surprisingly, Combot still showed no signs of attacking. Yoshimitsu was getting bored. He squatted down and spun around on one foot, stretching out the other to hit Combot's shins and knock him off his feet. Again, Yoshimitsu got dizzy and fell back, but then rolled back onto his feet, still a little dazed. Combot took this opportunity to strike.
First, he spun around on one foot while backhanding Yoshimitsu, and while his head was knocked back, he bashed his face several times with the butt of his sword, and since he was already falling over, Combot assisted the process by spinning close to the ground and catching Yoshimitsu's legs and knocking him down.
Yoshimitsu got back up, amazed at the sudden move display. Combot, the sleazy little copycat he was, had waited until he saw a barrage of moves to throw back at him. He could copy any of his moves and throw them back. However, there was only one Yoshimitsu, who still had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.
Combot tried the same pattern again, but Yoshimitsu spun away, and of course, Combot hadn't seen any long-distance attacks. He was about to, though. Yoshi charged at him with all his might, somersaulting at the last second, and kicking Combot's chest as he rolled. Then he put his feet back on the ground and pushed off of them, and drill-tackling Combot, then somersaulting again when he touched the ground and kicked him high into the air, and watched him crash onto the ground.
Yoshimitsu then deliberately backed away as Combot got up. The robot saw how far away his opponent was and decided to try out the new patter he'd just learned. He ran full speed at the space ninja. Just as he began somersaulting, Yoshimitsu jumped into the air, spinning his robotic arm, twirling his blade above his head like a helicopter. Combot stopped moving and looked around in confusion. Where did he go? Yoshi then finished his "Helicopter Death Trick" by falling down and cutting off Combot's sword arm.
"Ooh!" The crowd said. They repeated the sound when Yoshimitsu showed them his signature move. He drew back his sword and stabbed Combot through the chest. The wound ruptured the cyborg's system, making him go crazy. Yoshimitsu crouched low, and when Combot was close enough, he spun around while rising, cutting him in half. To top it off (just for fun), Yoshimitsu put the tip of his sword on the ground and curled his body into a ball and balanced on the handle, his "Flea" stance. He hopped along the ground until the blade went through Combot's head, sending sparks everywhere.
"YOSHIMITSU WINS!!" The announcer shouted over the microphone. The on- lookers gave their share of cheers and boos. Yoshimitsu did a backflip, then sat on the ground, cross-legged, and swiped his sword through the air.
Ling and Lei clapped, but noticed Heihachi wasn't too amused. But even angrier was Combot's creator, Violet.
"All my hard work." He said, through gritted teeth. "All the time I put into that robot.wasted!"
* * * *
March 16. 11:00 A.M. Underground arena. Paul Phoenix vs. Kuma.
"Man! What are the odds? My first match and already I get to clobber Kuma again!" Paul said as he and Marshal rode to the location of the fight.
"Don't get cocky." Marshal warned.
"Thanks, dad!" he joked. "I beat him last time, what's gonna stop me from doing it again?"
"Motivation. Kuma's got something to fight for now."
"Are you on his side or what?"
"No, I'm just telling you that you shouldn't underestimate him."
"Whatever."
"Mr. Phoenix. We're here." The driver said.
"Party time."
The limo stopped at a deserted building. Paul got out of the car and looked at it.
"Concrete floors, metal beams, hard ceilings, strong walls, my kinda territory. Just wish that there were more viewers."
"Actually, sir. This building itself isn't your arena. And don't worry. There are plenty of viewers. Please stay close. This building isn't as sturdy as it used to be."
They all walked into the cold, abandoned building that echoed every step taken by anyone, which quickly got annoying. At last, the guard in front reached what looked like the only still-standing door. He knocked on it and the slit near the top of the door opened and two unfriendly eyes peered out.
"Who is it?"
The guard showed him his badge, then stepped aside so he could see Paul, who gave a small wave. The man opened the door. Two guards stepped in, followed by Paul. Law tried to come in, but the giant man at the door stopped him.
"Hey!" Law protested.
"It's okay." Paul said. "He's with me."
The man gave them both a dirty look, but let Law pass.
They could hear many voices rising as they headed down the long stairs. Many anxious people already making bets on the winners. At the base of the steps, a long corridor lay before them. They could see a bunch of people at the end, waiting. One saw them and spread the word. Everyone began cheering and clapping. Paul smiled and began to walk into the arena, but the guard stopped him.
"Wait until I announce your name, then come in."
"Got it."
The man trotted into the arena.
"Alright." Law said. "Kuma's just a mindless bear. He's an idiot. You're a human. You're the smarter species!"
"What happened to 'be careful'?"
"I left him in the limo."
"Alright, folks!" The announcer said from the inside. "Thank you all for coming. You're all in for a real treat! Now are you ready to see some action?" The crowed roared. "Alllllright then! First up! Coming to you from California, America, a man who has been in every tournament! A street fighter like yourselves! I give you the man with the ultimate iron fist! Paaaaaaaaaauuuul Phoeeeeeeniiiiiiiix!!"
Paul trotted into the dimly lit underground arena in his black muscle shirt and blue jeans. A circle was formed in the middle of the small room and what a small one it was! Everyone was pressed back against the walls as much as they could. Nearly everyone was cheering for him and Paul loved it. Of course, there were those who booed and hissed, but Paul waved them off. What he liked the most was the beautiful women screaming for him, and reaching out to touch him. Paul winked at them and they all fainted.
"Oh, brother." Law said, rolling his eyes.
"And his competitor! From right here in Japan! He's big, he's mean, and he'll show no mercy to his archrival! The supreme fighting beast: Kuuuuuummaaaaaa!!"
The bear rolled out into the arena and roared. Most people yelled unrepeatable comments at him, but he didn't care. He was here to take out the man who had beaten him in the last tournament. Both he and Paul stepped into the ring, and the cheering clamed down for a minute.
"Shake." The ref said. They did (or the best they could with Kuma's paw). Then, they took their positions and awaited the ref's command.
"FIGHT!!"
The crowd roared with excitement, cheering on whom they deemed worthy of victory and taunting whoever they felt deserved a crushing defeat. Paul and Kuma circled each other until Paul got bored and attacked, ducking under Kuma's paw and delivering several punches to the chest, all seeming to do nothing against the bear's massive form. Kuma finally got down on all fours and rammed Paul headfirst. He fell on his back, but catapulted himself back up. Kuma ran at him again, but Paul sidestepped out of the way. He tried again, and again Paul sidestepped, but this time, Kuma caught his leg with his left paw, and he fell on his stomach. Kuma grabbed him, rolled onto his back, and rolled Paul like a ball across his paws before tossing him into the crowd and knocking out three people. The referee began counting off the seconds Paul had to get back into the ring. He made it in three.
This time, Kuma made the first move, charging at Paul on all fours. Paul executed his Shredder attack, two quick high-kicks to Kuma's face, knocking him off balance. Next, he gave smashed his elbow into Kuma's face with all his might. Kuma stumbled back, giving Paul the perfect opening for the Unblockable Tackle. The onlookers cheered.
Kuma stood on two legs again, ready for more. For a minute, neither attacked. They just circled the ring, waiting for the other to make his first mistake. But then the bell rang. Round one was over and both competitors stepped back to take a breather.
"How ya doin?" Law asked.
"Great! I feel great!"
"You're looking good out there. Keep it up and we'll get out of here before long."
"Ten bucks says I knock him out in this round."
"Twenty says you don't."
"You're on."
"Back in the ring!" The referee ordered. Both fighters did, getting ready to go at it again.
Paul lost twenty bucks. In the second round, neither fighter seemed to take the lead and minimal damage was taken.
Halfway through the third round, Paul got ahead. He pummeled the grizzly with everything he had, and he almost seemed out of it until the round ended.
Paul kept his lead for most of the fourth round, but then something happened. Kuma gave one mighty swipe and cut Paul's left eye. With his vision disturbed, Paul began to lose, brutally. Just as it seemed over, the round ended and Paul hobbled over to his end of the ring.
"Paul? Are you okay?" Law asked once he sat down.
"I can't see out of this eye."
"Then keep your guard up on that side. C'mon, Paul. It's the last round. You can beat him! Remember: you're the stronger species. Now get in there and show Kuma what you're made of!"
Paul stepped back into the ring, still dazed from Kuma's last assault. He could tell from here that without his left eye, he was going to be in big trouble, and he was right. As soon as the ref gave the word, Kuma smacked the left side of Paul's head. He didn't even see it coming. Kuma struck again, then smacked him to the right, and pounded his head down, then swung both paws up, smacking Paul into the ceiling. When he hit the ground, Kuma smashed him with both of his paws. It was a struggle, but Paul got back onto his feet. He couldn't go down to this chump.
"That all you got?!" He bellowed.
Kuma growled. Paul tried to guard his left side, but he couldn't see past his nose. Kuma pummeled him with everything he had, determined to win this match. At last, Kuma went in for the kill. He grabbed Paul and dove his jaws toward his chest. Paul grabbed Kuma's jaws at the last second and struggled to keep them from tearing out his beating heart, but bears aren't the easiest animals to deal with. Soon enough, Kuma got bored and threw Paul down. As soon as he got back up, Kuma smacked his left side. Once his head moved, Kuma grabbed Paul's left shoulder in his jaws and swung him around, wailing, before tossing him back to the ground. Kuma picked up Paul again and gave him a bear hug. He squeezed the life out of Paul. Law heard a sickening crack as Paul cried out in pain. He wished there were something he could do, but interference would disqualify him and Paul. Finally, Kuma threw Paul back down and roared in victory. Paul rolled onto his knees and elbows, trying to breathe. The ref began counting.
"One . . ."
"C'mon, Paul! Get up!" Law commanded.
"Two . . ."
"You can do this! Get up!"
"Three . . ."
"I can't." Paul muttered.
"Four . . ."
"When did 'I can't' enter your vocabulary?!"
"Five . . ."
"Are you just gonna sit by and let him win?"
"Six . . ."
"Are you gonna let him make a fool out of you?"
"Seven . . ."
"Are you gonna give that pathetic bear the pleasure of humiliating you?"
"Eight . . ."
Paul absorbed this.
"Nine . . ."
With one last explosion of energy, Paul jumped to his feet.
"You okay?" The ref asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Paul assured.
Kuma snarled.
"No way I'm letting you take this one, punk!" Paul said. Kuma rushed at him, and Paul waited. Just as he saw Kuma's body shift, Paul ducked, and sure enough, a paw came swinging through where his head had been. Now was his chance. He put tremendous amounts of energy into every hit he laid upon his enormous opponent. Eight punches to the chest, three to the face, a Shredder attack, and more punches to his chest. Then Kuma made his final mistake. Had he swung with his right arm, Paul wouldn't have seen it coming. Unfortunately for him, however, he swung with his left paw, attacking Paul's good eye. Paul ducked and pulled his fist back as it surged with power. Then, he let it fly. His supreme fist smashed Kuma's chest and hopefully shattered several bones. Kuma flew back out of the ring, landing on a bunch of onlookers. The ref counted.
"One . . .two . . .three . . ."
Paul clenched his fists.
"Four . . .five . . .six . . ."
Law crossed his fingers as he watched.
"Seven . . .eight . . .nine . . ."
Kuma tried to stand.
"TEN! You're out!"
"PAUL PHOENIX IS THE WINNER!!" The announcer shouted. The crown went wild.
"Alright! You did it!" Law exclaimed.
"Who said that?" Paul asked, still not able to see from that side. The reporter shoved a microphone into Paul's face.
"Mr. Phoenix. How do you feel about defeating your greatest rival?"
"I can't say. I don't have much feeling left in my body."
"Do you think you have any serious damage?"
Paul tried pointing his finger at the reporter, but it wobbled around. "Which one of you wants to know?"
"Uh, he's a little dazed from the fight," Law interrupted, "So no more questions, please." He and two bodyguards pulled Paul from the reporters and they walked down the long corridor.
"Hey, bud, how do you feel?"
"I feel like a double cheeseburger! That fight took it out of me. Then I feel like a nap. I'm wiped out."
"We'll get you back to the hotel, then I gotta go."
"Hey, thanks for helping me get back up."
"No prob. Oh, and you owe me twenty bucks."
Paul knocked him against the wall.
* * * *
Later in the day, Heihachi sat in his office, watching the next fight on TV, grinning. Kimo entered.
"Your coffee, sir."
"Thank you. Kimo, won't you watch this with me?"
"Yes sir. Who is fighting now?"
"It's Christie Monterio vs. Julia Chang. Sad. They were becoming friends. Well, it doesn't matter. Once it's all over, they'll return to their homes and never see each other again. It's the third round. Julia is starting to lose."
They watched as the ref hollered, "Fight!" and they went at it again. Christie couldn't stay in one place. She just kept on moving around. This gave her two advantages: One, because she was moving like this, Julia couldn't decide when or where to attack, and she didn't move in a specific pattern, so she was clueless. Two, with her arms and legs moving about, Julia couldn't tell when Christie was attacking from when she was just dancing around.
"Does Christie's style remind you of anyone?" Heihachi asked.
"Yes it does. There was a man in the last tournament with that exact same fighting style."
"Yes, Eddy Gordo. He trained her in this style of fighting. Julia was in the last tournament, but don't think she-ooh! That had to hurt." Heihachi said, observing the two-footed kick Christie implanted into Julia's face. Both girls got back up. Christie went in for a spinning kick, but Julia quickly ducked under her foot and grabbed her from behind at the waist and gave her the German Suphlex (If you don't know, that's grabbing someone from behind and falling back, slamming their head on the ground and catching your fall). Christie took her on-ground position to her advantage. She stood up on her hands, spread her legs out and spun around upside-down like a helicopter, nailing Julia's stomach multiple times. She continued this combo by still supporting herself by her hands spinning her out- stretched legs around herself, inches from the ground, tripping and juggling her opponent and rolling around into every which position she could to keep on kicking. This all happened in about five seconds and the whole time, Christie rested her weight on her hands and her feet never touched the ground. She looked like she was break-dancing.
Julia slowly, but surely got up, her shins aching. Christie finished her off by giving her another two-foot kick to the face, knocking her down.
"Well, that's that." Kimo said.
"Actually." Heihachi said. "This is just the beginning."
Author's note: Man, it's been a long time since I've updated, hasn't it? Sorry to keep you all hanging. I've been busy . . .okay, I've been lazy. So sue me (please don't). Well, what did you all think? You like? More fighting and . . .other stuff coming up in the next chapter. Tell me what you thought!
Chapter Four: The tournament begins.
Two days later . . .
March 16. 10:00 A.M. Tokyo airport. Runway 15. Yoshimitsu vs. Combot.
"The first match of the new tournament." Heihachi said as he, Ling, and Lei rode to the airport to witness the event. "I can hardly wait."
"Who do you think will win?" Ling asked out of curiosity.
"Yoshimitsu is known for his unique fighting style. However, Combot can copy anyone's moves. It's anybody's game. Even so, Yoshimitsu is not someone I want to hand over the company to. He and his Manji Clan are a bunch of thieves."
"They're like Robin Hood, though." Ling said. "They rob the . . .oh."
"And what do you think they would do with my company?"
"Point taken, sir."
"But what a robot would do with a company, I do not know. I guess that's up to his creator, Violet. Quite an odd name. You know, he looks a bit familiar, but I just can't place him. Oh well."
"I'd say this fight shouldn't get too heated." Lei said.
Soon enough, they arrived at the airport. The three passengers got out and walked to the runway. The whole way there, reporters were pushing microphones into Heihachi's face and trying to ask questions. Not only Heihachi, but Ling and Lei too. The bodyguards kept them at bay. Airport staff had made sure no planes would be going in or out. The next plane wasn't scheduled to come in for another 3 hours.
"Are both contestants present?" Heihachi asked when they arrived at the runway.
"Yes sir." A man said. "All you need to do is officially begin the tournament, then we'll introduce them."
"Good." The crowd cheered as Heihachi walked up to them. The fight was being broadcast live, so cameras from various stations were everywhere, trying to get a close up on Heihachi.
When everyone was cleared away, Heihachi faced the crowd.
"Thank you! Thank you for that wonderful welcome! I would also like to thank the airport crew for making this area suitable for fighting. Plus, thank you all for coming to this event. This match marks the beginning of the fourth King of Iron Fist Tournament."
The crowd went wild.
"Now, I shall keep you waiting no longer. LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!!"
Everyone cheered and clapped as Heihachi gave the microphone to a tournament official.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's give another round of applause to Mr. Heihachi Mishima!"
They all did. "And now, let's see the contestants! First, a man who has been in every tournament. No one knows who he really is, no one knows where he's from, but we remember for his incredible fighting and his record of robbing the rich to feed the poor. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the mysterious masked leader of the Manji Clan, Yoshimitsu!!!"
Everyone watched as Yoshimitsu flew down to the pavement, folded back his wings, and drew his green sword and swung it horizontally.
"And now, it slices, it dices, it makes gourmet meals in seconds! But not this one, oh no, he was literally made to fight. In his first tournament entry, please welcome Combot!"
The frighteningly flexible robot did a series of back flips into the "circle" and swung his steel sword (which he'd acquired just for this match) horizontally.
Both fighters took the exact same stance and got ready.
At last, Heihachi gave the word. "FIGHT!!"
The crowd went bonkers, cheering, booing, taunting, all while backing away, as not to get hit.
Yoshimitsu and Combot just circled each other for a minute, each waiting for the other to strike first. Finally, Yoshimitsu got tired of waiting and punched Combot's "face", knocking him back, then bashing it down several times; his "Doorknocker" move. Combot shook it off. Still, he did not attack. Yoshimitsu gave the cyborg his "Slap U Silly" attack, meaning he spun like a top on one foot with one arm stretched out, backhanding him several times. Of course, he then got dizzy, but caught himself and got back in his fighting stance. Surprisingly, Combot still showed no signs of attacking. Yoshimitsu was getting bored. He squatted down and spun around on one foot, stretching out the other to hit Combot's shins and knock him off his feet. Again, Yoshimitsu got dizzy and fell back, but then rolled back onto his feet, still a little dazed. Combot took this opportunity to strike.
First, he spun around on one foot while backhanding Yoshimitsu, and while his head was knocked back, he bashed his face several times with the butt of his sword, and since he was already falling over, Combot assisted the process by spinning close to the ground and catching Yoshimitsu's legs and knocking him down.
Yoshimitsu got back up, amazed at the sudden move display. Combot, the sleazy little copycat he was, had waited until he saw a barrage of moves to throw back at him. He could copy any of his moves and throw them back. However, there was only one Yoshimitsu, who still had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.
Combot tried the same pattern again, but Yoshimitsu spun away, and of course, Combot hadn't seen any long-distance attacks. He was about to, though. Yoshi charged at him with all his might, somersaulting at the last second, and kicking Combot's chest as he rolled. Then he put his feet back on the ground and pushed off of them, and drill-tackling Combot, then somersaulting again when he touched the ground and kicked him high into the air, and watched him crash onto the ground.
Yoshimitsu then deliberately backed away as Combot got up. The robot saw how far away his opponent was and decided to try out the new patter he'd just learned. He ran full speed at the space ninja. Just as he began somersaulting, Yoshimitsu jumped into the air, spinning his robotic arm, twirling his blade above his head like a helicopter. Combot stopped moving and looked around in confusion. Where did he go? Yoshi then finished his "Helicopter Death Trick" by falling down and cutting off Combot's sword arm.
"Ooh!" The crowd said. They repeated the sound when Yoshimitsu showed them his signature move. He drew back his sword and stabbed Combot through the chest. The wound ruptured the cyborg's system, making him go crazy. Yoshimitsu crouched low, and when Combot was close enough, he spun around while rising, cutting him in half. To top it off (just for fun), Yoshimitsu put the tip of his sword on the ground and curled his body into a ball and balanced on the handle, his "Flea" stance. He hopped along the ground until the blade went through Combot's head, sending sparks everywhere.
"YOSHIMITSU WINS!!" The announcer shouted over the microphone. The on- lookers gave their share of cheers and boos. Yoshimitsu did a backflip, then sat on the ground, cross-legged, and swiped his sword through the air.
Ling and Lei clapped, but noticed Heihachi wasn't too amused. But even angrier was Combot's creator, Violet.
"All my hard work." He said, through gritted teeth. "All the time I put into that robot.wasted!"
* * * *
March 16. 11:00 A.M. Underground arena. Paul Phoenix vs. Kuma.
"Man! What are the odds? My first match and already I get to clobber Kuma again!" Paul said as he and Marshal rode to the location of the fight.
"Don't get cocky." Marshal warned.
"Thanks, dad!" he joked. "I beat him last time, what's gonna stop me from doing it again?"
"Motivation. Kuma's got something to fight for now."
"Are you on his side or what?"
"No, I'm just telling you that you shouldn't underestimate him."
"Whatever."
"Mr. Phoenix. We're here." The driver said.
"Party time."
The limo stopped at a deserted building. Paul got out of the car and looked at it.
"Concrete floors, metal beams, hard ceilings, strong walls, my kinda territory. Just wish that there were more viewers."
"Actually, sir. This building itself isn't your arena. And don't worry. There are plenty of viewers. Please stay close. This building isn't as sturdy as it used to be."
They all walked into the cold, abandoned building that echoed every step taken by anyone, which quickly got annoying. At last, the guard in front reached what looked like the only still-standing door. He knocked on it and the slit near the top of the door opened and two unfriendly eyes peered out.
"Who is it?"
The guard showed him his badge, then stepped aside so he could see Paul, who gave a small wave. The man opened the door. Two guards stepped in, followed by Paul. Law tried to come in, but the giant man at the door stopped him.
"Hey!" Law protested.
"It's okay." Paul said. "He's with me."
The man gave them both a dirty look, but let Law pass.
They could hear many voices rising as they headed down the long stairs. Many anxious people already making bets on the winners. At the base of the steps, a long corridor lay before them. They could see a bunch of people at the end, waiting. One saw them and spread the word. Everyone began cheering and clapping. Paul smiled and began to walk into the arena, but the guard stopped him.
"Wait until I announce your name, then come in."
"Got it."
The man trotted into the arena.
"Alright." Law said. "Kuma's just a mindless bear. He's an idiot. You're a human. You're the smarter species!"
"What happened to 'be careful'?"
"I left him in the limo."
"Alright, folks!" The announcer said from the inside. "Thank you all for coming. You're all in for a real treat! Now are you ready to see some action?" The crowed roared. "Alllllright then! First up! Coming to you from California, America, a man who has been in every tournament! A street fighter like yourselves! I give you the man with the ultimate iron fist! Paaaaaaaaaauuuul Phoeeeeeeniiiiiiiix!!"
Paul trotted into the dimly lit underground arena in his black muscle shirt and blue jeans. A circle was formed in the middle of the small room and what a small one it was! Everyone was pressed back against the walls as much as they could. Nearly everyone was cheering for him and Paul loved it. Of course, there were those who booed and hissed, but Paul waved them off. What he liked the most was the beautiful women screaming for him, and reaching out to touch him. Paul winked at them and they all fainted.
"Oh, brother." Law said, rolling his eyes.
"And his competitor! From right here in Japan! He's big, he's mean, and he'll show no mercy to his archrival! The supreme fighting beast: Kuuuuuummaaaaaa!!"
The bear rolled out into the arena and roared. Most people yelled unrepeatable comments at him, but he didn't care. He was here to take out the man who had beaten him in the last tournament. Both he and Paul stepped into the ring, and the cheering clamed down for a minute.
"Shake." The ref said. They did (or the best they could with Kuma's paw). Then, they took their positions and awaited the ref's command.
"FIGHT!!"
The crowd roared with excitement, cheering on whom they deemed worthy of victory and taunting whoever they felt deserved a crushing defeat. Paul and Kuma circled each other until Paul got bored and attacked, ducking under Kuma's paw and delivering several punches to the chest, all seeming to do nothing against the bear's massive form. Kuma finally got down on all fours and rammed Paul headfirst. He fell on his back, but catapulted himself back up. Kuma ran at him again, but Paul sidestepped out of the way. He tried again, and again Paul sidestepped, but this time, Kuma caught his leg with his left paw, and he fell on his stomach. Kuma grabbed him, rolled onto his back, and rolled Paul like a ball across his paws before tossing him into the crowd and knocking out three people. The referee began counting off the seconds Paul had to get back into the ring. He made it in three.
This time, Kuma made the first move, charging at Paul on all fours. Paul executed his Shredder attack, two quick high-kicks to Kuma's face, knocking him off balance. Next, he gave smashed his elbow into Kuma's face with all his might. Kuma stumbled back, giving Paul the perfect opening for the Unblockable Tackle. The onlookers cheered.
Kuma stood on two legs again, ready for more. For a minute, neither attacked. They just circled the ring, waiting for the other to make his first mistake. But then the bell rang. Round one was over and both competitors stepped back to take a breather.
"How ya doin?" Law asked.
"Great! I feel great!"
"You're looking good out there. Keep it up and we'll get out of here before long."
"Ten bucks says I knock him out in this round."
"Twenty says you don't."
"You're on."
"Back in the ring!" The referee ordered. Both fighters did, getting ready to go at it again.
Paul lost twenty bucks. In the second round, neither fighter seemed to take the lead and minimal damage was taken.
Halfway through the third round, Paul got ahead. He pummeled the grizzly with everything he had, and he almost seemed out of it until the round ended.
Paul kept his lead for most of the fourth round, but then something happened. Kuma gave one mighty swipe and cut Paul's left eye. With his vision disturbed, Paul began to lose, brutally. Just as it seemed over, the round ended and Paul hobbled over to his end of the ring.
"Paul? Are you okay?" Law asked once he sat down.
"I can't see out of this eye."
"Then keep your guard up on that side. C'mon, Paul. It's the last round. You can beat him! Remember: you're the stronger species. Now get in there and show Kuma what you're made of!"
Paul stepped back into the ring, still dazed from Kuma's last assault. He could tell from here that without his left eye, he was going to be in big trouble, and he was right. As soon as the ref gave the word, Kuma smacked the left side of Paul's head. He didn't even see it coming. Kuma struck again, then smacked him to the right, and pounded his head down, then swung both paws up, smacking Paul into the ceiling. When he hit the ground, Kuma smashed him with both of his paws. It was a struggle, but Paul got back onto his feet. He couldn't go down to this chump.
"That all you got?!" He bellowed.
Kuma growled. Paul tried to guard his left side, but he couldn't see past his nose. Kuma pummeled him with everything he had, determined to win this match. At last, Kuma went in for the kill. He grabbed Paul and dove his jaws toward his chest. Paul grabbed Kuma's jaws at the last second and struggled to keep them from tearing out his beating heart, but bears aren't the easiest animals to deal with. Soon enough, Kuma got bored and threw Paul down. As soon as he got back up, Kuma smacked his left side. Once his head moved, Kuma grabbed Paul's left shoulder in his jaws and swung him around, wailing, before tossing him back to the ground. Kuma picked up Paul again and gave him a bear hug. He squeezed the life out of Paul. Law heard a sickening crack as Paul cried out in pain. He wished there were something he could do, but interference would disqualify him and Paul. Finally, Kuma threw Paul back down and roared in victory. Paul rolled onto his knees and elbows, trying to breathe. The ref began counting.
"One . . ."
"C'mon, Paul! Get up!" Law commanded.
"Two . . ."
"You can do this! Get up!"
"Three . . ."
"I can't." Paul muttered.
"Four . . ."
"When did 'I can't' enter your vocabulary?!"
"Five . . ."
"Are you just gonna sit by and let him win?"
"Six . . ."
"Are you gonna let him make a fool out of you?"
"Seven . . ."
"Are you gonna give that pathetic bear the pleasure of humiliating you?"
"Eight . . ."
Paul absorbed this.
"Nine . . ."
With one last explosion of energy, Paul jumped to his feet.
"You okay?" The ref asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Paul assured.
Kuma snarled.
"No way I'm letting you take this one, punk!" Paul said. Kuma rushed at him, and Paul waited. Just as he saw Kuma's body shift, Paul ducked, and sure enough, a paw came swinging through where his head had been. Now was his chance. He put tremendous amounts of energy into every hit he laid upon his enormous opponent. Eight punches to the chest, three to the face, a Shredder attack, and more punches to his chest. Then Kuma made his final mistake. Had he swung with his right arm, Paul wouldn't have seen it coming. Unfortunately for him, however, he swung with his left paw, attacking Paul's good eye. Paul ducked and pulled his fist back as it surged with power. Then, he let it fly. His supreme fist smashed Kuma's chest and hopefully shattered several bones. Kuma flew back out of the ring, landing on a bunch of onlookers. The ref counted.
"One . . .two . . .three . . ."
Paul clenched his fists.
"Four . . .five . . .six . . ."
Law crossed his fingers as he watched.
"Seven . . .eight . . .nine . . ."
Kuma tried to stand.
"TEN! You're out!"
"PAUL PHOENIX IS THE WINNER!!" The announcer shouted. The crown went wild.
"Alright! You did it!" Law exclaimed.
"Who said that?" Paul asked, still not able to see from that side. The reporter shoved a microphone into Paul's face.
"Mr. Phoenix. How do you feel about defeating your greatest rival?"
"I can't say. I don't have much feeling left in my body."
"Do you think you have any serious damage?"
Paul tried pointing his finger at the reporter, but it wobbled around. "Which one of you wants to know?"
"Uh, he's a little dazed from the fight," Law interrupted, "So no more questions, please." He and two bodyguards pulled Paul from the reporters and they walked down the long corridor.
"Hey, bud, how do you feel?"
"I feel like a double cheeseburger! That fight took it out of me. Then I feel like a nap. I'm wiped out."
"We'll get you back to the hotel, then I gotta go."
"Hey, thanks for helping me get back up."
"No prob. Oh, and you owe me twenty bucks."
Paul knocked him against the wall.
* * * *
Later in the day, Heihachi sat in his office, watching the next fight on TV, grinning. Kimo entered.
"Your coffee, sir."
"Thank you. Kimo, won't you watch this with me?"
"Yes sir. Who is fighting now?"
"It's Christie Monterio vs. Julia Chang. Sad. They were becoming friends. Well, it doesn't matter. Once it's all over, they'll return to their homes and never see each other again. It's the third round. Julia is starting to lose."
They watched as the ref hollered, "Fight!" and they went at it again. Christie couldn't stay in one place. She just kept on moving around. This gave her two advantages: One, because she was moving like this, Julia couldn't decide when or where to attack, and she didn't move in a specific pattern, so she was clueless. Two, with her arms and legs moving about, Julia couldn't tell when Christie was attacking from when she was just dancing around.
"Does Christie's style remind you of anyone?" Heihachi asked.
"Yes it does. There was a man in the last tournament with that exact same fighting style."
"Yes, Eddy Gordo. He trained her in this style of fighting. Julia was in the last tournament, but don't think she-ooh! That had to hurt." Heihachi said, observing the two-footed kick Christie implanted into Julia's face. Both girls got back up. Christie went in for a spinning kick, but Julia quickly ducked under her foot and grabbed her from behind at the waist and gave her the German Suphlex (If you don't know, that's grabbing someone from behind and falling back, slamming their head on the ground and catching your fall). Christie took her on-ground position to her advantage. She stood up on her hands, spread her legs out and spun around upside-down like a helicopter, nailing Julia's stomach multiple times. She continued this combo by still supporting herself by her hands spinning her out- stretched legs around herself, inches from the ground, tripping and juggling her opponent and rolling around into every which position she could to keep on kicking. This all happened in about five seconds and the whole time, Christie rested her weight on her hands and her feet never touched the ground. She looked like she was break-dancing.
Julia slowly, but surely got up, her shins aching. Christie finished her off by giving her another two-foot kick to the face, knocking her down.
"Well, that's that." Kimo said.
"Actually." Heihachi said. "This is just the beginning."
Author's note: Man, it's been a long time since I've updated, hasn't it? Sorry to keep you all hanging. I've been busy . . .okay, I've been lazy. So sue me (please don't). Well, what did you all think? You like? More fighting and . . .other stuff coming up in the next chapter. Tell me what you thought!
