King of the Iron Fist Tournament 5
//...// Ryuu to Devil
/.../ Devil to Ryuu
Chapter 7
The solitary figure walked down the dark and damp corridor with an aura that could not be discerned. Adorned in Chinese garments, his steps were heavy and set as to where he was going. The torches on the wall set an even more formidable influence on this character. His ice blue eyes were set in equal shade to his short hair. The sash on his blue robe flickered even without a single gesture of wind, the powerful strides pulling him to an isolated cell.
"Move aside," his hard voice commanded the guarding soldiers of the legion known as Tekken Force. With a quick clap of their feet, the soldiers moved to let the man walk past. The doors slid open for his entrance. They closed at a single gesture of his hand. Two yellow lights flickered weakly, fading into the thicker black at each breath a certain man took. The catlike grace of his was gone, replaced by the painful heaviness thrown at his body. His claws, covered in blood, shrank back into his skin. When his eyes opened again, they were brown and embellished by long lashes. The long strands were torn out of the neat arrangement, the silk cloth thrown carelessly.
"Shin, it's me..."
"Ren...," the addressed coughed, blood spurting from his mouth and onto the dirty stone floor. His voice was soft and quiet with a bit of effeminate touch, and his fangs had become smaller. His fingers clawed vainly at the chain around his neck, whimpers growing louder at each try. He rolled over onto his stomach and strangled a pain-filled cry with frantic gestures.
He only calmed down when a sorrowed voice said, "Let me do it."
Ren removed the chain from Shin's neck and lovingly touched the marred skin underneath. Once he held the chain he realized how heavy it was, he ignored the stridently loud clang of metal when he threw it aside. Ren shifted Shin's body to take a closer look when the young man pushed him back.
"I'm just going to take you out of here. Relax," he commanded with a rather shaky voice. His hands were covered in blood, the red substance still dripping down his arms. He could hear Shin crawl away into a corner, "Get back here."
"I-I can't g-go... unless... he says I can..."
"I say you can, so come on," Ren said with a hint of despair in his voice. He could feel the thick and wet trail of blood under his feet as he walked over to where Shin was. He stopped when he heard Shin's claws rip out of the flesh.
"Why do you care?! Leave me alone!" His voice broke in mid-sentence, making him take a quick breath for composure. His head hurt too much, there was a brutal pounding right at the base of his head. He fell against the cold stone wall for comfort, digging his claws into the cracks. Normally any man would've frozen at the sight of Shin's brown eyes sudden glowing bright yellow - Ren knew better than to fear this man. He took a step closer and said, "You're too weak to put up a fight. I suggest you quiet down."
"I'll rip you apart..."
"You don't stand a chance," Ren said as he moved with ease, away from Shin's darting claws. The quick rush of air flicked against his cheek, making Ren smirk with superiority. His strong hand quickly grabbed Shin's wrist, the other hand pushing him against the cell's wall. He felt quite guilty about keeping Shin in this painful position. His face so close to the crook of Shin's neck, Ren could feel the smallest tremor of the tender skin. Running his fingers through the still silky strands, Ren whispered, "Just let me get you out of here."
The claws disappeared once again, and the burning rage radiating heatedly from Shin's body subsided. Easily Ren picked up the lithe fighter and stepped out, when he was stopped by the guards ahead. One gave a respectful salute to Ren before saying, "By the command of Lord Heihachi, I am not permitted to allow Master Shin leave his cell until further notice."
"You are not permitted, but I am," Ren answered as he carried Shin away, ignoring the calls and pleas for his return. His return to his chamber was long and draped with dread and anticipation, he felt as if someone was watching them. Quickening his steps out of his usual proud strides, he returned to his chamber, sliding the door closed, and placed Shin on his large bed.
Ren knew he was no match against his master, and he knew Heihachi would find out about his escapade soon enough; yet, he had to remove Shin out of his cell no matter what. He traced down the small face with his fingers, brushing a thumb over the lips. Who would dare mar such perfection, drain such slender neck of moisture, and draw lashes on the slender legs?
Reaching under his bed, Ren removed a small black box and immediately began to remove the contents he needed to treat Shin. He had the right herbs and ointments, enough bandages to stop the bleeding, but he needed to clean the gashes first. Stepping out into the long, wooden hallway, he called for a servant girl to bring him a basin of lukewarm water and cleansing cloth. Her steps were quick and obedient as she retrieved those items for him. Ren dismissed the girl with a simple flick of his hand and returned to nurse the other fighter.
Shin's eyes widened in fright when Ren's hands reached for the scraps of clothes he had left on his body, he shifted away, sitting up in the large empty bed. He gave a sharp reproach, "What do you think you're doing? Is... is this what you brought me here for?"
"You should be grateful. I've risked everything to bring you here."
"But why? You know the master will punish you, yet you still bring me here. I want to know why you would do it, what do I owe you for this?"
"Don't question such things," Ren's short reply made the other feel even more uneasy, but he relaxed as the hands did nothing further than remove his clothes and cleanse him. Despite the hisses and gasps of pain, Ren was able to clean the wounds and dress them appropriately. He even helped Shin slip into a more comfortable white robe. After tying the golden sash around Shin's waist, Ren whispered, "Rest for now."
He exited the room once the long lashes fell over the brown eyes, long strands of hair spread out in a surreal manner, as Shin closed his eyes for a peaceful sleep.
////~////~////~////
Hwoansang stood in his room in beige, sleeveless turtleneck and loose white jeans, staring into the full-length mirror before him. The stainless reflection disgusted him, he knew, inside, he was filthy and seething with corruption. Inside the mirror, he stared back as if nothing had happened. The reflection knew nothing of the waste that clung and soiled him, it was a mere reflection and it knew nothing of the creepy feeling that crawled underneath his skin. With all his strength, Hwoansang pushed the mirror out of balance, watching it teeter until it fell to the floor. Ryuu rushed out of his shower upon hearing the shatter, with a hasty towel around his waist.
"Hwoansang, what's wrong? Are you okay? You didn't get cut, did you?"
Ryuu could only squirm in torture of the silence as Hwoansang stood there, staring at his hands. It was long before the dark eyes, glistened with tears, turned to look at Ryuu. With another bold look into his shattered reflection, Hwoansang managed to mutter, "I... I can't fight... look at me! I'm a mess...!"
"You're not! You'll be fine... you'll be perfectly fine!" Ryuu shouted as he lunged forward to clutch Hwoansang to his chest, breathing unevenly as the slight figure heaved with sobs. Against his own chest, he could hear the muffled words "can't..." and "too weak..."
Ryuu's fist tightened over the soft tuft of red hair as he pushed the smaller closer to his chest, his lips whispering, "You're not too weak... you'll win... I'll be there watching you..."
"I don't know..."
All too suddenly, Ryuu's grip tightened over Hwoansang's hair as a distorted voice hissed, "Weakling!"
Hwoansang fell through a table with a loud crash, his cry of pain angering the Devil even more. The shadow over his own form frightened him, images from the night - with Adam Reiley- began to return; Hwoansang scooted away from the fiend as far as he can, his back hitting the wall numerous times. He could hear the shift of wood as the Devil bent down to one knee, his cold hand on Hwoansang's face. The sinister creature took several sniffs before saying, "You've been tainted..."
The smell of other men enraged him, the fact that it was unidentifiable was worse. In one touch and smell, he could sense the boy's soul twist and squirm in its own frustration. He could feel the pain Hwoansang had felt in the night his innocence had been ripped away. The Devil pulled Hwoansang close - almost eye to eye- and demanded, "Who did it? Who dared to touch you?!"
"I don't know...! Get away from me!" Hwoansang shouted as loud as he could, ripping away from the creature before bolting out of the room. Crimson eyes only watched quietly, rising slowly and opening his hand to reveal strands of fine, red hair.
//You care about him...//
/Nonsense...! I'm just preventing others from touching what belongs to me/
//... your eyes are wet...//
////~////~////~////
The fear chased Hwoansang all the way down to the arena. It made him nauseous to think about the many faces he thought he had once known. Ryuu kept shifting back and forth from the Devil, Adam Reiley had proven to be quite different from his first impression, and... he didn't know who he was anymore. Until now, he thought his purpose was to please his father and win the tournament, but when situation called in Ryuu and the others, everything became more complex. He felt suffocated by the pressure placed on his shoulders and chest.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hwoansant turned around as the footsteps stopped behind him, meeting a pair of darkened emerald eyes, a pair of gloved hands holding a dagger up high.
Comments: Sorry that took SOOO SOOO long!
New characters coming up~ I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.
Poll: Who's your favorite character so far?
a) Ren
b) Shin
c) Heihachi
d) Ryuu Kazama
e) Hwoansang
f) Adam Reiley
g) Alicia Phoenix
h) Yuki
i) Yoshimitsu
j) Kouji