Blood
Chapter 2: By Moonlight
By Fool's Gold
Disclaimer: Garou Densetsu (Fatal Fury) and all related characters are the property of SNK-Playmore. No profit has been made from this fic.
Two whole months had passed since the beginning of Rock's new employment, and the young fighter had slipped back into the anonymity of regular life as easily as the proverbial fish to water. He was a Southtown lad, born and bred, and it seemed that not even Kain could make it otherwise.
So when Jae Hoon went on to enquire about Rock's status one night, Dong Hwan's report was positively glowing.
"He's fine," his elder brother remarked lazily, "but I still can't believe he actually volunteered to do the night shift."
He rolled over onto his belly, holding one of his assignments out as he tried to make sense of its contents. "You know, Jae, nobody chooses the night shift unless they're really spoiling for a brawl. In the daytime, the patrons don't dare to try anything funny, but at night... I'm surprised nothing has happened to him so far."
"Well, the Illusion is a quiet bar, you know." Jae Hoon remarked. "And anyone who tries to cause trouble probably has to contend with the wrath of the school of Kyokugen Karate soon enough."
"Yeah, but even when I was doing a full-day shift, the odd troublemakers still turned up. Now all of a sudden, Rock takes over, and that Hell's Angel shows up as gentle as a lamb, quietly sits in the corner, takes his drink, and leaves!"
The two of them regarded each other quietly, sharing an unspoken thought about Rock's reputation.
Dong Hwan shrugged, continuing, "Not that I'm complaining, of course. Now that he's handling part of my old duties, I can't complain about not having enough time to myself. Who knows, I might actually get around to completing those correspondence degree courses that we're applying for."
"Not if you keep slacking off, you won't." Jae Hoon reached over to his brother's work, crossing out the blatant error that had made its way onto the assignment sheet. "Buck up, Dong Hwan. You can't be a genius at everything." He rose from his seated position, glanced at the clock, and stretched his limbs in relaxation. "Okay, that's enough work for the day. I'm going out for a walk." There was a slightly unfocused look on his face.
It was then that Dong Hwan noticed his brother's clothes; Jae Hoon was wearing a checkered shirt and trousers – unusually formal for clothing around the house. His brother had never been one for dressing up... not unless it was something important. And Dong Hwan, experienced in the ways of the world, had a good idea of what kind of a walk his brother would be taking.
"With whom?" he teased, and was gratified to see Jae Hoon's face turn a bright crimson. "Oh... I know! Your girlfriend from the gym must be waiting for you! Let's see, what was her name again... Chae? Soo-Ri? Mina?"
"Her name's Jun," retorted Jae Hoon in irritation, "and perhaps you'd remember if you actually turned up for training once in a while!"
Dong Hwan's smile turned wicked. "Nah. I'd probably steal her from you, you know. No woman can resist my charm and wit." He struck a pose, his eyebrow cocked in a jaunty manner.
The younger Kim rolled his eyes in disdain, and descended the steps to the main hall.
His parents were waiting, of course, as parents were wont to do. Not that he blamed them, of course – certain incidents in their family history had made them leery of dark alleyways and night walks. But he wished that they would allow him a little more autonomy when it came to his life. After all, he was twenty-two. He chafed with the impatience of youth; not as much as Dong Hwan did, definitely, but he chafed nevertheless.
His father was the easier of the pair to deal with. After all, his narrow escape from death at Freeman's hands had led to a year of hiding, reflection... and watching. And having watched through the shadows as his sons battled in the tournament, the man knew, implicitly, that his sons were perfectly capable of looking after themselves.
His mother, on the other hand, was not so easily swayed. The year of her husband's 'death' had been a terrible one for her, and now that he had returned, she clung on to her family tightly, not daring to risk another loss. Jae Hoon didn't blame her, of course, but there were times when he wished that she would just relax a little. Worrying did no wonders for her health.
It came as no surprise to Jae Hoon, then, that his mother was the first to speak.
"Isn't it a little late to be going out, Jae Hoon?" Her voice was inquisitive, but not overbearing; a good sign.
He replied, "It's only nine o' clock, Mom." And then, predicting her next question: "Don't worry, I won't go looking for trouble, okay? I'm just going out for a walk with Jun." There was no sense in keeping the truth from her; it would just make her worry even more.
"But..."
Kim Kaphwan spoke up on his son's behalf. "Come on, dear. Let the boy have some time to himself. He's an adult already, remember?" The older man gave Jae Hoon one of his trademark grins, and winked. There had been a time when a younger man had done the same thing, and the sight of his son in love brought back nostalgic memories. Silently, he wished his son luck.
Jae Hoon turned to his mother, and reassured her, "I'll be back by eleven. Trust me, okay?"
His mother's brow furrowed, but in the end, she reluctantly released him with the admonition, "Take care, okay? The streets were safer back in our day." Her brown eyes clouded with worry.
"Sure. See ya." He slipped his shoes on and walked out of the door casually, hoping that he wouldn't appear too eager to get out of the house. But the spring in his step was too obvious to be concealed from his parents, who watched his departing figure with apprehension and hope.
"Ah, to be young and in love..." Kim Kaphwan smiled. "You know, you should really let him live his own life. He's old enough to take care of himself."
His wife regarded him with worried eyes. "You were always the idealist. I'm not so sure... after what happened to you, there's no telling what might happen. And I'm worried for both our sons. It's good that Dong Hwan doesn't work the night shift anymore, but this town... it's just not safe."
"Myun, you worry enough for the both of us. He'll be fine. If anything, it's the evildoers who should be panicking right now."
Blue Wave Harbour was, to all intents and purposes, a memory of bygone days. Having been constructed in the days of Mr. Big and Geese Howard, it had fallen into disrepair in the following days, no thanks to the newer, more modern harbours that had sprung up on the other side of the island. The Zero incident hadn't helped at all; more money had been pumped into the reconstruction of Southtown's infrastructure, and a place like Blue Wave, narrowly missed by the blast, ranked pretty low on the list of priorities.
These days, few ships ever docked there – on a good day, the odd private boat could be seen drifting forlornly some distance from the shoreline, but it was hardly the bustling harbour that its constructors had envisioned thirty years ago. In fact, the most action it ever saw was from the occasional couples who walked by on moonlight strolls – Blue Wave Harbour was certainly deserted enough for the lovebirds' tastes.
It was no surprise, then, that the Lilien Knights had made Blue Wave Harbour their regular port of call. After all, their leader was a romantic at heart, and if it made smuggling easier, then it was all good by her book.
The harbour was deserted, shrouded by the fog that had drifted inland, and there were no lovers present to notice the ripples that had mysteriously appeared on the water's tranquil surface. And just as well, for a dark shape suddenly rose from underneath the wooden planks of the pier, breaching the surface and sending wet splinters flying into the air with a tremendous crash.
The subsequent screech that issued forth sounded more like a boarding cry than a whisper, but Bonne Jenet had never been a subtle character anyway. The leader of the Lilien Knights slid down the side of her submarine, landing gracefully on the remains of the platform, and let out a most un-womanly oath.
"Next time, could you please try to leave the pier intact?! We're not a demolition crew, you morons!"
"Sorry, boss." The rest of the pirates swarmed off the submarine, carrying their goods with them, and began to spread out along the dock.
Jenet sighed. Smuggling wasn't as lucrative as treasure-hunting, but it certainly paid the bills when the pickings were lean. And with Second Southtown's booming growth, there were opportunities aplenty, if one knew where to look. Duty-free liquor was one, for example – a niche which the Lilien Knights were happy to exploit. Now if only they could resist taking slices out of the profit...
The crew began to unload their barrels of contraband off onto the pier, and the operation was already in full steam when a man's booming voice suddenly echoed from the shadows. The pirates froze in panic.
"So, these are the Lilien Knights? Not bad for a group led by a woman."
Jenet turned in the direction of the voice, suddenly wondering if their smuggling operation had been compromised by the police.
No, the cops would have lit this place up like a Christmas tree by now. But this guy sounds too arrogant to be hiding in the darkness, like any smart Southtown citizen would... who is this weirdo, muscling in on my ring like this, and how does he know who we are? She shouted angrily, "Okay, buster. Get your ugly mug out here where I can see it."
The mysterious newcomer obliged, and he slowly stepped from the shadows that surrounded the pier.
Bonne Jenet eyed the man warily. From appearances, the fellow was a bruiser; he wasn't tall by the standards of her crew, but his form was heavy-set and compact, the ripple of muscle evident even under the clothes he wore. A dark blue robe of Chinese make covered his body, but his face was obscured by the wide-brimmed hat he wore.
"Much better. Now, tell me. What are you doing here, and how do you know who we are?" Jenet pointed an accusing finger at the man, who didn't even flinch.
"My name isn't important. But on behalf of Mr. Heinlein, I'd like to offer you and your crew a warm welcome to Second Southtown." Even with his features hidden, there was no disguising the amusement that he bore in his voice, which only served to irritate Jenet even further. She knew that somewhere beneath that hat lay a grin, and she was highly tempted to wipe it off his face with her shoe.
Instead, she responded, irritated, "I know that name. So he's become the big fish in these parts?"
Jenet allowed herself a smirk. "The man's nothing but a two-bit criminal, and a bottom-feeding scum-sucker to boot. And you can tell him that the Lilien Knights send their regards." She gave the man a two-fingered salute flippantly. "Now scram!"
The man wasn't even fazed by the rude reply. With a voice so calm it infuriated the pirate captain, he said, "Sorry, that isn't possible. If you would let me continue..." He exhaled, his breath fogging in the cold air, "You and your crew are welcome. Unfortunately, your wares are not."
"Say what?!" shrieked Jenet.
"Sorry, woman. No smuggling goes on in these parts unless Mr. Heinlein permits it. Now kindly put the goods down and leave quietly; I don't think you want to attract attention..." He noticed her revealing purple dress, low-cut and slit high at the thigh, and quietly added, "Then again, maybe you do. Women these days..."
Jenet was steaming now – to think that the man was telling them to simply surrender the goods and leave! What impudence! And to insult her to her face in such a manner... this would not be tolerated. She shouted, "You're one to talk! I'll show you!"
With that, she crouched low and whipped the train of her dress forward, sending a focused gust of wind in the man's direction. The blast sent a barrage of debris flying at the man, enough to floor anyone unlucky to get caught in the way of the attack.
But the man was no longer there.
Where's he gone?
Then, a wave of energy exploded from the ground beneath her feet, and she was suddenly thrown hard against the iron hull of her submarine. The man landed from his leap, taunting her with a flick of his hand.
Jenet struggled to her feet, recognising the sinking feeling that forced itself towards the surface of her heart.
Jae Hoon's romantic interlude was rudely interrupted by the shouts that echoed from the alleyway. Instantly, he recognised the noises – the sounds of violence were not unfamiliar to his ears.
That doesn't sound good. He ran up to the side of the building and peered around the corner, only to see the scenes of violence that unfolded before his eyes. The crates of alcoholic beverages which had been smuggled in were now in pieces, their valuable contents leaking out onto the dock. And those weren't the only things which had been scattered – the limp bodies of pirates lay all across the harbour.
The pirates – he recognised the Lilien Knights instantly from his time in the tournament – were not faring very well against their assailant. He watched on, wide-eyed, as two fleeing men were brought down quickly by the mysterious man's chasing blows. A third tried to deliver a sneak attack, but the man simply whirled around and slammed his fist into the pirate's face. Jun caught up with Jae Hoon just in time to see the man fly past them into the wall with a painful thud, and she winced.
"Retreat, men! Let me take care of this creep!" With that, their leader jumped into the fray with a leaping kick, catching Kain's henchman unawares. Surprised by the sudden attack, he was knocked into the air with another toss of Bonne Jenet's skirt, landing heavily on his feet. In retaliation, he seized one of the crates of liquor which had been left around, and tossed it at Jenet with a heavy grunt. The woman rolled out of the way of the attack, dodging in a hail of alcohol and glass. But even as she ran up for another attack, she slipped; her foot lost its purchase in the pools of liquor that had formed all over the ground. She steadied herself, but to no avail – the lapse had been enough for the unknown attacker to rush in with a shoulder charge.
Jae Hoon watched in horror as the man slammed his shoulder into Jenet's torso, sending her reeling, then followed up his attack on the defenceless woman with a double palm strike to her chest. The scream of pain that issued from her lips was cut short by a violent, energy-laden punch to her ribs, sending her flying once more into the hull of the submarine. This time, she didn't get up.
"This is definitely bad," he whispered, reaching into his pocket for his phone and handing it to Jun. "Call the police. I'm going to lend a hand."
Jun grasped the phone numbly, watching her boyfriend rush into danger. It was only a long, fear-filled moment later that she finally mustered enough of her senses to make the call.
It was a late night at the station, and all Sergeant Kevin Rian wanted to do was to return back home. Marky was probably waiting for him... assuming, of course, that he hadn't already fallen asleep.
As a result, he was considerably irritated when the telephone suddenly rang. The duty officer picked up the receiver, drawling, "Second Southtown Police Department."
The considerable activity of the man's pen came as a surprise to Kevin. Ordinarily, he would have expected something minor, like a domestic accident, or maybe a few drunkards making public nuisances of themselves. The streets of Second Southtown had been quiet ever since the Freeman case... Kevin had celebrated the murderer's death with a cigarette, and nearly choked on it when they never found the body. But no news was good news, as far as crime was concerned.
No, things were much quieter these days, which was why Kevin leapt up in surprise when the duty officer called out, "Brawl at Blue Wave Harbour – the caller reported at least twenty persons involved."
This was odd – a bust-up like this never happened these days, not even when the annual fighting tournaments started. His cop's intuition began sounding off warning alarms - it paid to follow that gut instinct, and his experience had proved it. Agitated, Kevin dashed from his desk, closely followed by the rest of his men.
"Move out, people. We've got some big fish to catch."
Bonne Jenet's head spun crazily as she tried to re-orientate herself, still stunned from the punishment that had been meted out. The pain in her chest made it hard to focus, but she mustered up her last reserves of energy, trying desperately to recover. Through the clouds of pain, she was able to make out voices – there was an unfamiliar war-cry, and then their attacker called out in reply, "What? Another interloper?"
Obviously, someone else had entered the fight. And it was this newcomer – a young man, from the sounds of it, and not American – who shouted, "Evil cannot be forgiven!" in fluent English.
I'd recognise those words anywhere. It's that arrogant kid... what was his name? Kim Jae Hoon? Yeah, that was it. She began to panic: had he come to bust their operation as well? If so, then he would have a really easy task.
Her vision swam; she sucked in a hard, tortured breath and forced herself to stand on shaky feet. Now the attacker stood with his back to her, and beyond him, another figure stood against him in clear opposition. There was a blur of motion – the man lunged forwards with a hard punch. But the youth hopped backwards, evading the blow nimbly, then leapt in with a high kick to the chin that would have stopped a charging bull. The assailant dodged in retreat, a deft move for one who seemed so bulky.
So, was the boy on their side? Jenet didn't know for sure, but she would have taken her chances with the devil she knew, rather than the devil she didn't. Jae Hoon may have been a fearsome fighter, but he wouldn't have beaten her men around the way Kain's man had.
Now the two combatants faced off, focused solemnly on their bout and nothing else. Now was her chance. Staggering, she lunged at her tormentor, hell-bent on her revenge...
The mystery man heard the footsteps a moment too late, and found himself seized by the collar.
"That's for hitting a lady!"
The slap to his face hurt little more than an ant-bite, but the surprise of the attack left him unprepared for the next, far more painful blow. Jenet followed up her slap by slamming her high-heeled shoe into the man's crotch, sending him reeling back in a mix of shock and pain.
"And that's for hitting me... there!" she screamed, taking sadistic delight from the pain she inflicted in revenge. "Nobody touches my chest and lives!"
Unfortunately, the man was more irritated than hurt by the attack. And as Jenet swung her arm around in another arc, ready to slap him once again, he caught her by the wrist in a grip of iron. Jenet found herself staring into a pair of very angry eyes.
"Eep."
He punched her in the stomach, visibly annoyed, and flung her in the direction of the onrushing Jae Hoon.
Jae Hoon shook his head in despair. What is that crazy woman doing? The taekwondo practitioner leapt out of the way, barely preventing Jenet from tumbling off the edge of the pier with an outstretched hand.
"What are you, nuts?" he muttered, interposing himself between the pirate captain and her attacker. Clearly, this was going to be much harder than he thought. He knew he couldn't fight at full power: the alcohol-slick ground was all too flammable for the burning kicks of his techniques. And now he found himself with his back to the pier, without room to manoeuvre or retreat. He was caught in a corner now...
Sensing his discomfort, the fighter pounced like a tiger, delivering a piercing kick in the direction of Jae Hoon's waist. There was nowhere to run; he raised his knee in a defensive guard, hoping to minimise the damage of the coming strike.
Foot connected with knee in a violent impact, and Jae Hoon instinctively responded with a flurry of kicks, hoping to drive the man backwards. The man's body was a veritable blur of motion, dodging the attacks with unparalleled speed – but Jae Hoon felt the impact of his foot against flesh.
He looked, and found that his kick had made contact with the man's chest... but the man hadn't even flinched. The glint of teeth was visible, even from beneath the hat – the man was grinning!
What kind of monster is he? He didn't even feel it!
The man seized his foot in a hard grip, and Jae Hoon suddenly found himself spinning in mid-air as his opponent wrenched his leg around and threw him aside. Landing awkwardly on one knee, he keenly felt the sudden rush of pain that shot up his leg.
Damn. There goes my ankle. And I haven't even been able to hurt him at all!
He steadied himself, raising his head as the other fighter taunted his weakness. But when he tried to rise, he found that his ankle would no longer support his weight; in agony, he dropped back to one knee and silently cursed his inability to fight on. The man rushed in once more, ready to settle the fight permanently.
Suddenly, there appeared two flashes of colour before his eyes – one purple, one pink – and the mysterious man found himself on the receiving end of a whirlwind of kicks. Even though he managed to fend them off, the sheer momentum of the attacks drove him back to the entrance of the harbour. And as he retreated, the two blurs resolved themselves into familiar figures.
Bonne Jenet hunched over, panting from the exertion of the fight, and gave Jun a sour look. "Who are you, his girlfriend?"
Both Jun and Jae Hoon responded with a stony silence.
"Forget I asked." She dusted herself off, keeping one eye on the man who had attacked her, while the target of her gaze simply shifted into another stance, waiting for the right moment to execute another attack.
Jae Hoon was desperate. He hadn't intended to involve Jun in this at all, but she had jumped to his defence without hesitation. Now, all three of them were targets, and they weren't in any condition to take their attacker on. What do we do now, lie down and die? He tried once more to stand, but his ankle failed him, sending yet another burst of pain through his leg. Gritting his teeth, he stifled an outburst even as Jun rushed to his side in concern.
The wail of sirens tore through the night air, and the pirates' assailant whipped his head around in surprise.
"Well, it looks like I've overstayed my welcome. Goodnight!"
With a tremendous leap, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving an enraged Bonne Jenet in his wake.
"Coward... what's Kain thinking, sending some punk to ruin our business?" she hissed. But she, too, had stayed too long – the police would be arriving at any moment. Turning her head to Jae Hoon, she leant over and whispered, "Sorry, darlin', but I'm outta here too. Thanks for stepping in. Have fun dealing with the police!"
She kissed him playfully on the cheek, much to Jun's displeasure, and darted off towards the waiting submarine before anyone could stop her.
"Who was that hussy?" she muttered accusingly, even as she helped Jae Hoon to stand. "For that matter, who was the other fighter?"
He shook his head wearily, draping his arm across her shoulder. "She's just a pirate – a bit of an airhead and a tease, but no harm to anyone. The man... who knows?"
His mind was divided. On the one hand, he was glad that everyone had come out of the encounter alive... especially Jun. But there was still the matter of Jenet's last words.
Who was that man, and what does Kain have to do with all this?
The sound of sirens grew louder in his ears, and a familiar figure appeared hastily from the alleyway. Kevin Rian raced out, running out towards the couple, while his men began to sweep the area for any remaining combatants.
"Jae! Are you alright? What happened here?" Bereavement brought the strangest of fellows together: Kevin had been a source of support for the Kims following Kaphwan's encounter with Freeman. He knew, all too well, what it was like to lose someone to the murderer.
Jun helped her boyfriend over to the side of the alley, and Jae Hoon began to tell them everything he knew about the situation... which wasn't much.
The last of the police officers returned empty-handed, finding nothing but broken bottles and crates as evidence that anything had even happened there. Kevin took down Jae Hoon's statement, digesting the scant evidence carefully.
After a long period of thought, he finally commented, "Some days you hit the bulls-eye, and some days you just miss completely."
"Sorry?"
The policeman sighed, releasing a breath of mingled smoke and mist. "The Lilien Knights aren't very high up on our wanted list. Sure, they're smugglers," he explained, "but they don't cause much trouble compared to some of the gangs that roam Southtown's streets. Besides, most of their time is spent in waters outside of local jurisdiction, so we ignore them for the most part... at least, until they turn up in our harbours."
He flipped back a page on his notebook, scanning through the information that he'd taken down. "But you said that Jenet mentioned Kain... we've been looking for evidence against him for years. So far, all the evidence we've come up with are nothing but scraps; he sits pretty in his mansion, laughing at us, and we can't do anything because we can't find a reason for it!"
A cigarette butt hit the water and sizzled briefly, extinguishing itself.
"He's been pretty quiet these few months. No rumours, no word from the insiders; they say he's been lying low ever since his right-hand man left the business. You know, that Rock kid from the tournament. If only we could get something more concrete than this..."
Jae Hoon sat in silence, nursing his injured ankle and wondering if he should tell Kevin about Rock's continued presence in Southtown.
I can't tell him. Rock's trying to leave his past behind. If I start dragging it up now, there's no telling what kind of backlash he'll receive... or how he'll react. But Kain has to be taken down...
"Anything else you want to mention, Jae?"
He made his mind up, and shook his head in an uneasy silence.
"Well," said Kevin, "that wraps things up here, I guess." He closed the notebook, stowing away into the pocket of his vest, and gestured at Jae Hoon's swollen ankle. "You won't be able to get anywhere on that foot. I'll give you and your girlfriend a lift back, okay?"
So it was nearly midnight when a police car drove up to the Kim residence, and three pairs of eyes watched disapprovingly as an exhausted Jae Hoon staggered out, his clothes rumpled and reeking of alcohol, with lip prints on his cheek and a distant look in his eyes.
He caught the looks on their faces, finally figured out why they were giving him odd looks, and began to panic.
"I swear, this isn't what you think it looks like..."
Notes: No pre-readers were harmed in the making of this chapter.
I know absolutely nothing about American police protocol, so the description of Southtown's police will be extremely inaccurate.
It is generally accepted that the girl in the pink dobok is Jae Hoon's girlfriend. A non-canon name has been given: Jun. (Not to be confused with Jhun, who will not be mentioned in the course of this fic.) It sounds better than "Nameless Ever-present Girlfriend".
Bonne Jenet, as always, has been portrayed as a ditz.
Comments, corrections and constructive criticism... ah, you know, you know.
