Authors Note: With the boring introduction stuff outta the way, now we can get down to some down and diry…knitting?! Naw, I wouldn't do that to you…anyway, now it's time to up the stakes a little bit…read on! Plants need sunlight, authors need reviews…I'm not dropping hints here people, I'm dropping anvils, please review!
Jamie sat in the lobby of the prestigious Mishima Hotel. The hotel was world renowned for its five star cuisine, and top of the line service and rooms. The nervousness that racked his body all through the plane ride refused to relent, even as he attempted to relax in a comfortable sofa. The lobby was a seasoned blend of various languages and accents. Jamie looked around and marveled at the melting pot of ethnicities in the expansive hotel lobby. He had his luggage around him and attempted to read a cheap, paperback novel that he had bought at the airport, but he kept getting distracted. He glanced over at a table, where a Korean man with hair as long as Jamie's own sat. It was dyed a rather awful shade of red, but it seemed to work for the style that he was trying to put forth. He wore a pair of skin tight jeans, and a rather tight dark blue t-shirt. Sitting next to him was a young Native American girl who was probably in her early twenties. She wore a fitted, denim jacket, and auburn, plastic glasses. Sitting across from her was another, short Chinese girl with her hair pulled back in twin, bouncy pigtails. The trio smiled and laughed with each other, as if they were old friends. Suddenly, Jamie noticed that the red haired man looked over at him and pointed. Jamie felt his face redden, and he buried his face into his book.
"Hey, what's up with goldielocks? He one of the newbies?" Hwoarang asked, pointing to Jamie.
"I don't know I haven't seen him before." Julia answered.
"Look at him, he looks too pretty to last a day here!" Hwoarang said scornfully.
"Be nice!" Xiaoyu scolded gently.
Julia looked over at Jamie. "Awww…look, he's all lonely, someone should go sit with him."
"He does look kinda alone…being new can be tough, I'll go over there." Xiao said, as she got up from her chair.
Hwoarang rolled his eyes and sighed. "Christ Xiao, you're too nice for your own good…y'know that?"
Xiao pretended not to hear him, and walked over to Jamie, while Julia socked Hwoarang playfully in the arm.
Jamie glanced up from his book, to see the Chinese girl walking over to him. She smiled, and stood over him.
"Hi, can I sit?"
"S-s-sure.." Jamie stuttered.
Why was it that Jamie could easily kill zombies, demons, vampires, anything that the forces of darkness could throw at him, but he could never speak to members of the opposite sex without turning into a quivering, stuttering mass?
"Hi, I'm Ling…Ling Xiaoyu." She shook Jamie's hand.
"I'm Jamie…it's nice to meet you…" Jamie managed to blurt out.
"Hey, why don't you come join us?" She asked, gesturing to the table where Hwoarang, and Julia sat.
"Sure…if that's okay?" Jamie asked, somewhat uncertainly.
"Of course it is." Ling smiled, and led Jamie towards their table.
"Guys, this is Jamie." Ling introduced.
"Hey." Julia greeted, in a friendly fashion.
Hwoarang took a drag of his cigarette, and waved his hand in Jamie's general direction.
"So what brings you here Jamie?" Julia asked.
"Oh, y'know, it's always been a life long dream of mine to be in the King of Iron Fist Tournament…and the money could help pay for college and stuff." Jamie lied effortlessly.
In the two years that Jamie had been called to be the Nephilim, he had learned to become quite an adept liar…something he had never been proud of, but this was just one lie, in a string of fallacies that would probably be uttered during his stay in Tokyo. Besides, it would be a little strange to tell these people all about the Nephilim, his sacred duties, demons, yada yada yada.
"So, why are you guys here?" Jamie asked.
Immediately, Julia leapt into a conversation about the reforestation of her people's native homeland. Jamie tried hard to listen, but science was never his strong point in school…mercifully, Hwoarang ended the conversation fast.
"Alright Jules, let's not bore the newbie to tears," Julia gave him a look to freeze blood, but Hwoarang ignored it.
"Anyway, I'm here, cuz I've gotta score to settle." Hwoarang said, flicking his cigarette roughly into the ashtray.
"Relax Hwoarang…I don't even think that Jin's gonna be here…" Xiaoyu said with dismay.
Jin! The name struck a cord with Jamie, this was the young man that he was supposed to protect from his father Kazuya!
"Is Jin gonna be here?" Jamie asked, trying to sound casual and nonchalant.
"I don't think so…he left shortly after the fourth tournament." Ling explained.
"That pussy better show…we've got unfinished business!" Hwoarang said, cracking his knuckles.
"I don't blame him for not showing…I mean, haven't you heard the rumors going around?" Julia asked.
"Oh Jules…don't worry about it, they're just stories!" Hwoarang said.
"Shut up Hwoarang, rumors or not, they're really creepy!" Xiaoyu shuttered.
Jamie's ears perked up. "What rumors?"
"This girl was supposed to be in the tournament, she showed before we did…anyway, she went out to eat the other night, and they found her yesterday morning…" Julia shuttered.
"She was dead. The police say that she had neck ruptures…whatever that meant." Xiaoyu finished.
"Or maybe it was VAMPIRES!!!" Hwoarang said in a mock spooky voice…he then promptly laughed.
"Vampires?" Jamie asked.
It was a very plausible reason. Vampires were a rarity in the types of monsters that Jamie fought…mostly because they were smart, and avoided him...but still, they tended to congregate among urban areas, where they could feed in discretion.
"Oh, don't tell me you believe that shit!" Hwoarang said to Jamie.
"Naw…that's just stupid bro!" Jamie forced a laugh, and tried to reassure the girls.
More lies, and he hadn't even been in Tokyo for an hour yet. Still, while he laughed, a nagging thought plagued his mind. Vampires? Devil Genes? Were they connected somehow? Was there more to this tournament then met the eye? Was this how the previous Nephilim Patrick had died? Who else had been killed behind the scenes at these tournaments? Jamie was about to find out that the more layers he pulled back on the grim history of this tournament, the more grimy and tarnished it's reputation became.
Looks like I'll have to do some patrolling tonight. First there's a man possesed by a demon claiming to be the devil...and now vampires?! There is a grimy, shady tune going on here, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!