It was a time-honored tradition- a battle of minds, bodies, and sheer will. Many shady dealings went on behind the scenes, especially with the sponsor, the Mishima Zaibatsu Financial Empire. But despite those, the tournament was a big hit with millions world wide… this was the Tekken. The King of Iron Fist… and it was today.
The rules were simple.
Preliminaries: Double Elimination tournament- classic sparring rules. Five points wins the match. Punches are one, kicks worth two. It might seem simple, but in the King of Iron Fist tournament, it can be very difficult to score mere punches and kicks… win two, advance. Lose two… well, you don't have to leave… but you have to get the hell out of the tournament.
Thirty enter… ten go home.
Quarter-Finals: Sparring is over- this is do or die. Win by knock out, surrender, or TKO. Joint locks, elbows, knees, kidney shots… anything goes, so long as one celebrates the time-honored tradition of kickin' ass. Official locations are spread around the world- and mostly in public places, where spectators can look on. But in reality, there are cameras set up in just about any location where a fight could happen, and that's anywhere that an official challenge is issued. And I mean anywhere. Insane? Yes. That's why it's the worlds greatest.
Twenty enter…eight leave.
Semi-Finals: Similar rules, but with a twist… things start getting downright bloody. Legs and arms tend to get broken and joints weakened to the point of separation by now. The destructive aspect of each martial art comes into play, as fighters are now allowed to use deadly force. Sure, a knock out still stands; ten counts are still registered but if they manage to stand, one can keep going until the other can't get up… ever again. Surrender or TKO is no longer an option.
Twelve enter… eight go home either incapacitated, unconscious, or in a body bag.
Finals: Well then, this is it- the last four, all in one location. This is the royal rumble… all four go at it- three on one, two on two, all on all and all or nothing. All prior rules apply- one has the choice of beating an opponent comatose, or going for the kill.
Two are eliminated…
Championship: This is the big show. At an as yet undisclosed location, the last two fighters are treated to a major event… both get to go against the head of the Zaibatsu himself, who claims to be a quite avid martial artist. Once one goes in, the other waits… one after another, until one is left standing. If in the event that the original head of the Zaibatsu is defeated upon the first opponent, then the winner takes his place.
You know where it goes from there… welcome to the fifth King of Iron Fist tournament.
Kanto The Slayer presents a Tekken song fiction:
Caught Up!
Disclaimer: Hmm… lessee… Nope, not mine.
Asuka woke up feeling quite… good, actually. Her eyes fluttered open as the sunlight gently fell on her face. She stretched out, moaning softly and pleasantly, a content smile on her face. She didn't want to wake up just yet… even though today was the tournament. She felt too damn good.
She decided, just as an experiment, to open her eyes slightly, looking to her left.
Huh? Where's Jin?
Then, she considered the circumstances, and shrugged to herself. He was probably in the gym in the lower levels, training his ass off. She could understand, though it seemed a bit boring, training every day just to get his vengeance, or to get whole, or whatever. It seemed monotonous and dull. She was just about to head back to sleep when she heard it.
…The faint sound of an engine. Something was going on outside- had to be. She hopped out of bed, put on a velvet robe, and headed downstairs toward the elevator, grabbing an apple from the kitchen as she did so. If he was doing what she thought he was… then there was hope for him after all.
As she made her way down to the garage, she found exactly what she was looking for- or rather, wasn't looking for. One of the lockups for an ATV was empty… she grinned widely and rushed back to the elevator to get dressed. Yup, there was hope for him indeed.
Jin had woken up in the early morning, silently and swiftly. Looking down on Asuka as she slept, he couldn't help but allow himself a smile. She was a rare thing, to come into his life and try to get him to open up again. He couldn't stay with her for long, either- she was too good for him.
Maybe in another life, something could've happened… but not in this one.
He made his way quietly downstairs, getting himself something to eat. As he made himself some eggs and toast pulling out some orange juice as well, he wondered what this tournament would bring to the forefront… maybe something that wasn't catastrophic, for once. He smirked to himself- that would be the day. He looked up at the stairs every so often, wondering if Asuka would wake up to the smell of something cooking.
She didn't. Not once.
He was a bit curious about this. She was still asleep? What had happened last night to make her crash so hard like that? Or was it that she still thought that he was in bed? He shrugged to himself and kept going.
By the time that he was finished, he casually did his morning routine; stretches, sit ups, push ups, crunches, things of that sort. Usually after this, he would head for the gym to train for the rest of the day- taking a dip in the pool afterwards, meditating to keep focused on his mission…
But now… now there was something else in mind. Her words came back to him as he walked toward the elevator after he was finished with his warm-up.
You have all this stuff and do absolutely nothing with it? You're not one to have any fun besides fighting, are you?
You really need to learn how to relax every once in a while… We really need to get you out more…
It's just that I can't imagine you being so reclusive all the time. I can't imagine anyone that way, matter of fact…
By the time he was out of the elevator, he found himself in the underground lock-up. He looked around, confused for a bit, and then smiled, shaking his head. It seemed that he had missed his stop, or pressed the wrong button. Either that, or fate itself was trying to kick some sense into him.
Asuka… do you see what you're doing to me?
He decided to clear his mind some other way… so he got on one of his ATVs and rode out toward the mountain trails, hoping to get his mind in order before the tournament. Besides… it could actually prove to be more fun than pushing himself in training, for once. If it was… well, he would have to do it more often, when this was all over.
Asuka had gone out herself, once she had put her clothes on and gotten her bag- which still had her hakama and gi inside, by the way. She had never gotten a real chance to use it- well, she would today, and that was for sure. In any case, she was out on another one of the ATVs, and had her usual pair of blue-tinted shades on.
As she hopped over a hill, she whooped in exhilaration. This was crazy- she wondered why she had never done something this fun before. She saw another one up ahead- Jin's. She grinned and revved her engine, speeding toward him headlong. Seeing as he had not said good morning, she would say it in her own way.
She bumped straight into his rear fender, making him look behind him with a bit of an irritated expression on his face. His features softened a bit when he saw that it was only Asuka. He was still a bit miffed, though.
"What's the big idea, running into me like that?"
The grin was still on her face as she bumped him again. "You didn't say good morning before you left. I'd have appreciated it," she teased. She knew perfectly well that he wasn't one to do anything he didn't feel the need to do. He scoffed and kept driving, now with her beside him.
"Oh, come on! I'm only playing. Man, you take things way too seriously." Jin rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back the smile on his face. She had him pegged, it seemed. As he revved his engine again, he bumped right back into her, his front wheels knocking into her bike as he peeled off.
"You're it!"
A man with a crimson red suit had just arrived at the airport.
His hawk like eyes surveyed the scene before him, trying to figure everything out. Apparently, this was a bigger city than he first thought. But he would tear the place apart, if he had to- the scrolls had to be his. He would learn the God Fist, even if it took him a lifetime.
None of these fools are a match for me… that school was a pushover, and this tournament will fare no better. I will be the champion, and get the scrolls at the same time… simple enough.
He walked toward the terminal, a grin on his face. His lust for power would be his downfall, but he cared not. All he wanted was to be the best… at any cost.
A beautiful young woman with a cinnamon tan, inviting brown eyes, and who seemed to be radiating good cheer was casually listening to a cd that she had brought with her, walking along and admiring the sights around her for the second time.
She had been here before; looking for Eddy Gordo… she had found him. He was injured and a bit scraggly, but alive and well none the less. Upon the end of the last tournament, she received the news that her grandfather was to be released from prison.
She headed off for Rio de Janeiro without another thought. But what she had learned afterwards shocked her. He was dying slowly- without treatment, he had naught but six months to live. For the next few months, the doctors tried everything they could, but to no avail.
The only way to save him would be to possess the necessary equipment and technology- the one that the Mishima Zaibatsu possessed. So now here she was again, ready to put her skills on the line. Not to mention have one hell of a party.
There wasn't much that could get Christie Montiero down…
He was already looking for him…
His blood boiled when he thought about the last time they had fought. It had been a draw, plain and simple. Neither had gotten the upper hand on the other, and it was getting ridiculous how his adversary had an answer to every move that he threw at him. On top of that, he had been carted off by the military, without a chance to finish the whole thing.
He still seethed at the whole thing. He hated the military, the tournament; he hated pretty much himself for not beating him when he had the chance. But now… now was his chance. Now he might be able to settle the score- perhaps even keep fighting with him. Heck, he had started to respect the guy for his ability, and couldn't wait to try out some of his new tricks.
Yeah… this was Hwoarang's big chance to take Jin Kazama down.
Now then, all I have to do is find the little bastard… where the hell are you, Kazama?
Undoubtedly, they all wanted a piece of him.
He could see it in their eyes, even if they weren't looking right at him. He was the man to beat, wasn't he? Yeah, that was it. He was the one they would be truly afraid of. He was pretty much undead- his cybernetic enhancements were the greatest achievements that money could buy and the mind could create. The power generator within him would keep him alive for… what, centuries? Maybe even longer than that!
Yeah, he was the one to beat. Just that no one knew it yet. Oh, but those ants from the "secret lair" he had emerged from knew it perfectly well... he could feel a quite evil, sick laugh come from his throat at the thought, but he'd save it for later. Right now, he had a tournament to win.
Hell, these punks won't know what hit 'em!
The blonde bombshell surveyed the airport with a cold, frosty gaze.
There was only one reason why she was here… to reclaim her memories. Of course, she had come to pay a little visit to her dear sister. However, this would be the end of their heated relationship- she would kill her this time. Granted, the memory had surfaced out of the blue, but she suddenly felt an innate hatred for the brunette once she saw her.
The gun battle that ensued lasted for days…
In the end, they had decided to call the match a draw and settle this entire battle the old-fashioned way… a fist fight. They would meet at the tournament and fight to the death. Whether they killed each other or not, it was no matter. Nina Williams had been looking for her death anyway, and there was no better way than to go down swinging.
A few other planes had arrived that day- carrying other people from all over the globe. They had come for one reason and one only… the King of Iron Fist. And damned if this one wasn't going to be a hell of a battle…
The roster included thirty of the most seasoned fighters that this day and age had to offer, and each one brought with them a hope… a dream… a passion. Not only those, but their best moves as well. And each knew that they would need every one of them in order to truly go for the ultimate prize…
…The Mishima Zaibatsu Financial Empire. Granted, one could do anything they wanted with their newfound power, but most of them did not care one way or the other. They had their own personal vendettas- their rivalries, their scores to settle. Some were even entering for justice.
But regardless of the situation, they were all willing to die for their causes.
Good… they would probably do so in the process, before this was over.
Jin and Asuka were on a ledge on the mountain, one that gave them a perfect view of the city and everything. The morning sun shone merrily on them as they sat there, looking over the entire area. Jin had to smile to himself as he looked over the city, and Asuka noticed it. She couldn't help but ask.
"You're smiling again… whatcha thinking about, Jin?"
He looked over at her and shook his head, the smile still visible. "What am I thinking about? Well, nothing really. It's just that I used to go up here every once in a while to think about things. I never realized how much I had taken this spot for granted- or how nice it is up here."
She nodded. "It's nice because you're not alone out here, right? You've been by yourself for such a long time that you've forgotten what it means to have fun or to enjoy something. At least, that's what I think. I wouldn't know for sure if that's true but I… hey, what're you looking at me like that for?"
He was staring at her in awe. How could she guess him so easily? She had just effectively read him like a book, cover to cover. Was he that shallow and transparent, or did she really see things that others could not? He shook his head and smiled at her. "I don't know… I don't have a reason, I guess."
He turned his head and made to stand up, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head again and found that he was staring right in Asuka's eyes. "Hey… I didn't tell you to stop, did I? You have such nice eyes… I wouldn't mind being here all day…"
And suddenly… the tournament, his revenge, his past, his father, even the demon within him… didn't matter at all. She did.
This is it… I was too scared to do this earlier. But then again, while I'm looking into his eyes, I just… oh, hell with it! Let's just do this…one… two…
Asuka, not being one to miss an opportunity when she saw one, threw away all her doubts, leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. Not wanting to be rude by simply pulling away, he kissed back. Besides… this felt right. For the first time in almost forever, everything felt right.
I suppose I'll have to get used to this too… but I like it.
As he pulled away, he smiled at her- the smile that was so rare to her that she would fight for it. "Come on… we have a tournament to enter."
Chapter 8: The Gathering
Whoa… now that was… well, I don't know where that came from, I promise. It just popped out of my head. Well anyway, I'm slowly moving on up through the ranks and stuff. Current level of the relationship between these two is… well, I don't know what to call it right now, but it's getting somewhere.
Anyway, prepare for the King of Iron Fist- Slayer style!
Ja ne.
