Chapter 6: All work and no play makes Dong Hwan a dull boy
Tizoc eventually recovered from his tequila and alcohol mixture, and went on to crush Zangiev in his title match. It took May Lee a while longer to recover, but recover she did.
It was a rather slow day at the La Illusion. A couple of regulars were sitting around quietly, keeping to themselves. May Lee was cleaning the bar counter, while Vash made small talk with the patrons around the bar.
King was standing at a glass case, holding an oddly shaped glass. She had just received her shipment of hand-blown Venetian wine glasses. She just stood there staring, her eyes completely unfocused. From time to time she would caress the wine glass, clean it, and giggle. Vash just knew that she would be a bother to the customers in her current state.
"Sheesh, what is she thinking? We can't have the owner of the bar standing in a corner drooling and giggling like a baby", Vash said to May Lee.
May Lee nodded her head in agreement, "You're right Vashie-pooh, but what can we do?"
He held his chin in his left hand, putting on a thinking face, "Hmm, well, all we can do is man the fort until she gets her marbles back in her bag", he suddenly got a faraway look in his eyes, "I really need the money you know. If I work for three more days without bungling up, I'll be free! I can go wherever I like again"
She stopped cleaning the bar, and looked at him with big eyes, "Wha? You mean you're going to leave? Why? Who will take your place?"
"Can't stay here all my life now can I? I have to head back north. My destiny awaits me there. I can feel it", he said
She looked away, visibly hurt, "Oh. I thought that you were going to keep on working here with us and come cheer for me at the next King of Fighters tournament"
"I'm not going to die you know. Now show me your pretty smile and go and go help the customers", he said
She blinked away her tears and gave him a big smile, "Right!"
The door swung open, and Dong Hwan entered. He was impeccably dressed in a designer, casual, prune colored suit, with a red oxford shirt hanging loose beneath. On his head were very expensive Oakley shades.
"Tch! Why must my dad be such an ass?" he asked himself as he took a seat at the bar.
May Lee walked over to Dong Hwan and gave him a big smile, "Hey Dong! Long time no see. What can I get you?"
Dong Hwan looked her once over, noting the tight fitting waitress outfit. He took off his Oakleys and ran his fingers through his short-cropped hair. "May, that dress looks stunning on you! Why don't you come over here and… Ah forget it", he said with a sulky face.
She gave Dong Hwan a look of great concern, "Dong, is something wrong? That was a pathetic attempt to pick me up. Usually you have a lot more spunk"
He was really out of it, "It's my dad. He, that dumb ox and mini Freddy gave my beautiful dojo a surprise inspection last week, and not everything was to his taste"
"You're dojo?" she asked, looking quite confused, "You had a dojo? I thought you ran that all day, all night party place?"
"A drop of sake, please May. That "party place" is my dojo May! You see, a genius of my caliber doesn't need any training, and I don't quite agree with my dad's idea of "rehabilitating criminals by teaching them the wonders of Tae Kwon Do". I mean, think about it, the only thing I was doing was training street thugs to kick serious ass when they rob old ladies" he said, his body language clearly challenging May to contradict him.
She passed over a small bottle filled with sake and cup to him, "I see what you say, but your dad is doing really well with his dojo in Korea. Just look at Chang, Choi and all the other criminals he trained in the arts of Tae Kwon Do. They all had a change of heart"
He took a sip of sake and looked around the bar before returning to May, "Overall I don't like ordering people around. It's just not my style. It's much better to just lie back and watch the world go by. Then it hit me! Why don't I make money by lying on my back all day long and partying all night?" he said with great pride, but then his shoulders drooped and he got sulky again, "But my fun is gone now. All that remains is a very clean, very white dojo and a party animal that has had his knees broken", he drained the rest of his sake and gave a light cough as the alcohol coursed through his lungs, "Second please May"
She refilled his bottle, "That is sad to hear Dong. I went there from time to time and every time it was a blast!"
King gave a high-pitched giggle, polished the wine glass she was holding, opened the glass case and placed the wine glass with great care with the rest of her mammoth collection of odd and rare wine glasses.
Dong Hwan looked at where King was standing, "Hey King!" he shouted, but she gave no response. He looked at May, a smirk crossing his face, "Poor Ryo, to think that he likes her is really funny"
"And why is that Dong?" May asked.
He took a big swig of his sake, "Well, the only thing that will ever satisfy King's lust for love is not a man in bed, but some strangely shaped wine glass"
May laughed at this. King obviously didn't hear this.
Jean walked from out of the storeroom with a checklist in his one hand and a pen in his other. As he walked over to King, he talked, "King, we're low on pinotage and chardonnay, but on everything else we're fully stocked. See, look here, I marked it off" and he held the checklist up to King. He saw King's face and facial expression. He waved the board in front of her eyes, and snapped his fingers by her ear. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at his sister sternly, "King! Pay attention when I'm talking to you! This is important information that you must know! OH! I hate it when she becomes like this! Vash! Give this to King when she wakes up and make sure she reads it" Jean said, and placed the clipboard behind the counter.
Vash nodded at Jean, "Sure thing Jean, but what are you going to do now? We could really use the extra hand"
"All right, I'll help. But then you must help me with my homework later" Jean said.
"Sure thing, Jean" Vash replied.
"Homework is for those people that want to spend their life in a stuffy little cubicle, kid. Look at me! I've done the bare minimum with training Tae Kwon Do, and my little brother still can't defeat me after training for more than ten years" Dong Hwan said mockingly, "I think that if he pulled that salad fork out of his ass and drank a cup of sake or two, he will see that life is not all about "training body and soul""
Jean smiled at Dong Hwan, "You're so talented" and then went to change.
Dong gave Vash a friendly nod and turned to May, "Who's the broom-head?"
"Oh, that's Vash. He's a really sweet guy that started working here because of a mix up between him and Benimaru. King keeps him on because he attracts the ladies, but I'm the only Lady for him, right Vash?" she said as she hugged Vash's arm.
Vash gave her a warm smile, but there was sadness in his eyes.
King picked up another wine glass, looked at it intensely, gave it a good wipe and then sighed deeply.
"It's true what they say, wine makes you do the strangest things", Dong said.
Vash unhinged himself from May, "I've seen that on more than one occasion myself"
Dong Whan laughed when he heard this, "No, no Broomie! I'm talking out of personal experience!" and he downed the last of his sake.
Vash looked offended, "Broomie? Are you referring to my beautiful blond hair?"
Dong Hwan laughed his ass off. As his laughing subsided, the faint sound of creaking leather filled the bar area. It slowly came closer. King's incessant giggling came to an abrupt halt. Her breathing became fast and short, sweat forming on her forehead. Vash and May stood staring at the figure approaching the bar. Dong Hwan saw their faces, and turned around to see at whom they were staring. He saw where the sound came from. He saw large, black boots. Boots of superior craftsmanship made from the purest and finest leather. They were the most perfectly made shoes Dong Hwan had ever seen. Light and dust never seemed to settle on the boots, always deflecting or gliding off. The boots were polished to such an extent that Dong Hwan could see the reflection of his eyes. It made his Gucci leather casuals look like something he picked out of a dustbin, after they had been burnt. His eyes moved up to the Prussian blue pants, then to the leather belt with a silver belt buckle, then up to the Prussian blue waistcoat. It was a man as far as shape goes. He wore a white, silk, button shirt with a midnight blue tie beneath the waistcoat. Draped across his broad shoulders was a huge, black coat, hanging to the floor. He had black, leather gloves on. In one hand he held a golden pocket watch, and with the other he removed his Prussian blue, bowler hat. Dong Hwan could see that not even gold could buy such quality tailoring.
"Good evening people. Wonderful evening, isn't it?" The Guy asked as he sat down.
King spun around to Vash and May and ordered, "Vash! Pour the good gentleman a Churchill, use the one-hundred-year-old whiskey we keep for those "special occasions". May! Make the gentleman as comfortable as humanly possible!"
"But King, his just The Guy that comes here for…" Vash started to say, but was abruptly interrupted by King.
King pulled Vash close to her face and hissed to him, "Don't argue with me! He has just returned from a job, and he is very tired, and he is overflowing with money!"
Vash couldn't quite grasp the situation, "A job? But he always just sits there and drinks his drink, and from time to time he meets with some people…"
King blazed at Vash, "Vash! Churchill! Now!" then switched on her bootlicking mode, "My dear good sir! So wonderful to see you! Anything my dear May here can do to make you comfortable? How was your journey? Meet any interesting people?"
Vash walked off quickly to get the order.
The Guy put his hat on the table, pocketed his watch and turned to May, "May, be a dear and take my coat please. Thank you. I went to a very interesting place this time, King. A library of sorts you could say. Met quite a character there. We chatted about this and that, but the librarian did not take kindly to us talking in his library, and I was forced to leave. I might go back there one day. A lot of really fascinating books are kept there that I want to read. Ah! May, could you give me a neck massage? It is terribly stiff after my tiring journey"
May obeyed every word The Guy said to the letter.
"Barmy, whish I could get such attention when I walk into a room" Dong Hwan said sulkily, "Of course, I used to, but now that is gone"
King has completely forgotten about her wine glasses, "Don't trouble the good man Dong, he is tired"
Vash returned with the Churchill and placed it delicately in front of The Guy
The Guy took a sip and then smiled at King, "Aah! A fine vintage this is". He slapped one arm across the back of Dong Hwan, "Don't worry King, old Dong here is the proprietor of "Big Dong's Center for Rest and Relaxation" which I frequently visit!"
"Was the proprietor, my dad tore the whole place to pieces and returned it to the boring dojo it once was" Dong Hwan said.
"Dong, you could never really see past your own arrogance and laziness, could you?" The Guy asked. "What have you done with all of the profit?"
Dong Hwan looked puzzled for a moment, "I. Hmm. Well. I put most of it in a bank" then it him between the eyes. "You mean that I could reopen my place, and have the dojo? That way, I'm happy and my dad is happy!" he said with great glee.
The guy swiveled the whiskey around the glass, before taking a sip, "There you go! Was that so difficult?" The Guy's eyes closed and he gave a broad smile "Oh! Right there May! Right there! Don't move an inch!"
"Dude! Thanks a lot! I'll show my tight ass of a dad! Drinks on me this round!" Dong Hwan said happily.
The bar cheered when they heard this.
"Is everything to your satisfaction? Anything else we could do?" King asked The Guy greedily.
"Everything is just fine King, just fine. By the way, here is the payment for my tab" The Guy said as he threw a fist-sized velvet pouch onto the counter. Diamonds the size of small pebbles poured out.
All talk and movement in the bar seized. All eyes were fixed on the diamonds and on the Guy. Vash slowly reached out and inspected one of them.
"Raw. Uncut. Diamonds" was all he said.
King swiped the diamonds off the counter before the people started acting strange. King's eyes were completely mystified, "You're money is always welcome here good sir! Please, tell us your bidding!"
The Guy, sitting with his eyes closed replied, "Come now King, none of that please. I enjoy it here. You don't have to go to any lengths to make it more enjoyable for me. Well, a second round would be nice"
King snapped her fingers and Vash acted on his own accord.
"Oh! Another thing! I bought you a present. May, look in the inside pocket of my coat, there should be wooden box" The Guy said. May obeyed and returned with the wooden box. The Guy gave the box to King.
"I noticed you liked wine glasses, and this one just caught my eye when I was, let's just say, "browsing", through a jewelry store"
King removed an ornately crafted wine glass from the wooden box. It was crafted completely out of crystal, and lined with sapphires around the rim and the foot of the glass.
King's eyes blacked out. A squirting sound came from around King's lower waist, and she toppled over, clutching the glass to her chest. Vash caught her just before she hit the ground.
"King! Are you okay! King! Ah crud!"
"Told you that some strangely shaped wine glass is the only thing that could quench lust for love. Thanks for the drinks May. I'm gonna go party!" Dong Hwan said. He paid for his drinks, put his Oakley's on, and left.
The Guy looked at King quizzically, "Didn't see that coming. Oh well. May. Did I say you could stop massaging?"
&&&&
The clouds hung in masses above Jupiter City, drooping like dark molasses. Lightning crackled every few seconds, often striking the ground and buildings. Jupiter City was a mess. Not a single building was left standing intact. In the city square stood Benimaru. The red coat that he wore hung in tatters. Lightning crackled about his whole body. His eyes were cobalt blue. About him lay a number of people, mostly bounty hunters. Some of them wore specially made clothing and others had uniquely crafted weapons. But all those things are useless when you are unconscious. At Benimaru's feet lay a man wearing a blue blazer and matching pants. He had an afro.
Benimaru looked about him, "Why? Why do you come after me when I tell you I am not Vash!? Why must you torment me so?"
Not far from the city's square was Ash. His clothes were in tatters, he looked horrible, and he was fuming with anger. "Zat Beni! When I find heem, I'm goeeng to RIP HIS BLOODY HEAD FROM HIS BODY!" he shouted. He struggled against the wind that swept through the city. Just before he reached the final corner, a bright bolt of lighting struck down from the sky in the square.
Ten feet away from Benimaru stood a man. He was just over seven feet tall. He wore a traditional rice farmer's hat. Lightning crackled about his body, and eyes were completely made of it.
Benimaru eyed him with a mixture of tiredness and hatred.
The man scanned the square and then focused his attention on Benimaru. "Hey kid! I am Rayden, god of thunder. Maybe you have heard of me?" he asked.
Benimaru rolled his back tiredly and stretched out his chest.
"No? Well, in any case. You see, the boys upstairs are having doubts about my abilities as the god of thunder, and so I came here to show them whose boss" Rayden said, summoning lightning about him.
"Are you here to also claim the bounty that has been placed on another man's head?" and he straightened himself out, "Well, if that's the case, you will join your friends on the ground in a flash!" he said and readied himself.
"No hard feelings kid, but I'm god and your not!" Rayden shouted and lifted his hands above his head. Lighting struck the ground in a rapid succession around the square. For some reason the lightning deflected from Benimaru. Rayden raised an eyebrow when he saw this, "Hmm, more potent than I thought"
Benimaru's eyes blazed as he raised his hand to the sky. The clouds came together in a second, forming a massive black ball of crackling death above Jupiter City. "This is the end! SPARKBALL!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Two huge lightning strikes flashed down from the clouds. The first hit Rayden full on, the other arced back across the square to the corner of a building.
Ash turned the corner to see the Rayden and Benimaru face each other off. His anger completely subsided when he saw Benimaru. "Beni-Kun! I have come for you!" he shouted extatically as Benimaru summoned his Sparkball. It was the last thing Ash Crimson ever shouted.
Rayden almost instantaneously evaporated. Great amounts of multi colored lightning arced into the cloud mass above. Benimaru looked up, exhaustion written all over his face. Then the cloud discharged. Every volt of lightning contained in that cloud poured into Benimaru. He was lifted from the ground as lightning coursed through his veins. He shouted at the top of his lungs. The lightning that arced from him erased the city completely, leaving only a barren wasteland behind. He finally dropped to the ground. He lay there for a good hour before standing up. Somehow he felt taller than before. Something caught his eye, and his arm flashed out. He held a powdered white wig in his hand. He looked at the wig, "Why is there such a thing here? How did I move so fast?" he wondered, and threw the wig to the wind.
He looked to the south, his eyes crackling with ionic blue lightning, "I must return and find the man who started this all, and make him PAY!" he shouted, lightning dripping from his mouth. He started running southwards. Well, to him he was running, but to anything else, it looked as if something was ripping a gorge in the dessert
AN: Sorry for not posting in a while. Exams, Christmas and New Year followed rapidly after one another, then we went on vacation. Hoped you enjoyed the chapter, will start writing the next one real soon!
Larsonek