Chapter Eleven: Gladiator Games
Authors Note: Hey again! Enjoy! Oh, this is kinda based on Marduk's T5 ending…And please read and review!
Ling Xiaoyu sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose…she had a deadly combination of a sinus and a stress headache. She felt as if her head was being held in some kind of bare trap with dull teeth sinking into her brain.
She and Julia had been up and down the streets of London all day trying to find tickets for Steve's fight tonight.
A massacre could happen tonight…hundreds of people could die…and you could miss it because you couldn't get fucking tickets…way to go Ling…
Actually, the two had managed to procure tickets…the girls had paid an obscene amount of money from a scalper for seats in the nosebleed section.
"Y'know, we're hot chicks with martial arts skills…and we work for a secret organization now…couldn't we just sneak in or something?" Julia asked.
"Probably; but it's something that just isn't that necessary…I mean, Hwoarang, Kazuya and Jamie just got out of a horrendous pile up on the highway and I doubt that they'd want to sneak in after dealing with all that." Xiao explained matter-of-factly.
Inwardly, she was surprised at how calm she had become over the past couple of days. Her lover was gone, she didn't know where he was or what had happened to him, and was now thrust back into a war with demons and darkness after a six month reprieve.
Of course, none of this was very new…as sad as it was, she had been used to Jin leaving her before. Once after the 3rd tournament…and again after the 4th…but this was different…he was truly…truly gone…and unlike the previous instances…Xiao knew that he was in danger.
Unfortunately, she shared a bit of the same apprehension that everyone else (especially Jamie) felt about working with Kazuya. He offered no apologies for what had happened when he was under Devil's thrall…and while he was trying to atone, he never changed his glacial attitude.
Of course, Kazuya was never known to be the warm fuzzy type…but Xiao could understand and justify Jamie's reaction towards the Mishima…after all; it was by Kazuya's hand that Jamie had nearly died…
Well, let's be honest Ling; technically he was dead…I mean, he hadn't been breathing for about twenty minutes
Xiaoyu breathed inwardly and closed her eyes…she wished she had something for her headache…she knew that if she could just rest for a half hour she'd be okay…she had been so tired lately, and even when she did sleep she woke up more tired then she had been before.
"Xiao!" Julia called.
"Huh?" She asked blearily.
"Hwoarang just called my cell…they've saved the adventurer and he has the Chakra Orb of 'Wisdom'…anyway, they're gonna meet us at the theatre." Julia explained.
"Alright then, let's go!" Xiao answered.
The roar of the crowd was intense. Jamie and the others sat in the nosebleed section of the huge amphitheatre. Jamie tried to drown out the noise but it wasn't helping…as much as he hated to admit it, he was chomping ferociously on a bag of popcorn and downing a huge soda.
The Nephilim hadn't eaten anything all day and he was starved…and yet, he continued to watch the fight. Fortunately, Marduk wasn't ready to fight Steve yet…instead he was going up against two "champion" boxers (even though Jamie thought that there was honestly something to be desired among these two).
Marduk laughed maniacally as he bludgeoned the two nameless boxers. Jamie realized that he was just toying with them…having some warped, sick, twisted version of fun with them. Finally, he picked both of them up in his huge, beefy hands, and slammed their heads together.
"This isn't even a cage match…how in the hell is he getting away with this?" Dimitri asked.
"He's Marduk…he can do whatever he wants." Hwoarang responded flippantly.
"And to think I let him in that tournament…" Kazuya mused.
"Yeah," Xiao questioned. "Why did you?"
"With all the other murderers and power seekers I figured that he would fit right in."
"Yeah, other then the fact that he is completely unbalanced…at least the others have somewhat of a shred of sanity." Julia answered.
"He can't get away with this…" Jamie said distantly.
"I'LL TAKE ANYONE ON! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!" Marduk bellowed.
No one noticed, but Jamie clenched his fists so tightly that he was shaking…his jaw was firmly set in anger.
"I can!" He said in the faintest whisper.
"Jamie, what-" Hwoarang asked.
Jamie didn't have time to hear the rest because at that moment Jamie leapt up and ran down the stairs taking them three to four at a time. With Nephilim speed he made it to the center ring, and leapt through the ropes.
Shock and awe permeated throughout the audience…Jamie hadn't noticed but Steve was standing in the corner prepping and swinging punches at an imaginary opponent…he turned at the sudden roar of the crowd.
"Jamie, what the hell!" Steve asked.
Jamie stood in the center of the ring and looked up…looked at Marduk…the bulbs countless camera flashes twinkled throughout the crowd.
"Looks like we've got a turn of events folks! Welcome Jamie Parker, one of the famous contenders in the King Of Iron Fist Tournament! You won't see a match like this everyday!" The announcer said.
Marduk turned and gave a grin that reminded Jamie of when a wolf sees a helpless bunny rabbit trapped.
"Well well well…look who it is…the pretty boy teen dream from the tournament…s'matter Jamie? You pissed because I'm livin' it up after the fight and you're stuck in a losing battle against boogey men?"
Jamie didn't mean too, but he gave off the slightest of shocked expressions at this bit of information…how did Marduk know about Nephilim? Craig Marduk was as strong as an ox and just about as smart it just didn't make any sense…
"Oh yeah, I'm smarter then I look…I found out all about you…Chosen to fight demons and shit…that's the only reason you beat me…if you didn't have those freaky powers you'd be just as helpless as those guys over there!" Marduk gestured towards the comatose boxers that he had just thrashed.
"Powers or not…I did beat you Marduk…and you're wrong…I'm ecstatic to see you; I've been saving up a big honkin' can of whoop ass just for you!" Jamie finished as he dropped into a fighters stance.
The bell rang and Jamie immediately unleashed a jumping front snap kick…when he landed, Jamie spun into a reverse hook…the attack made Craig stagger.
"Aw, I've missed hurting you Marduk!" Jamie said with a cheeky grin and a wink.
Marduk roared and grabbed Jamie…he picked the Nephilim up, and attempted to fling him out of the ring. As Jamie flew he quickly grabbed the robe and swung back into the ring…kicking Marduk in the face.
Hunh…who knew I'd use 10th grade Physical Science in the real world…nice to know that centripetal force is my friend…
"What's going on Jamie? Did they ask you to fight too?" Steve asked.
"Naw…there's trouble a-brewin' with demons and stuff and-" Jamie began.
Unfortunately, Marduk got up, and back kicked Jamie hard in the gut…the Nephilim groaned in agony as he landed against the ropes. Steve immediately went to work attacking Marduk. Jamie slowly managed to get up…and as he did, he noticed the others running down to help…with…Christie in tow.
Great, we're all together, now all we gotta do is get the hell outta dodge!
Jamie lay in the middle of the unconscious boxers…but before he could get up he heard a familiar snarl…
"Oh shit!" Jamie barked.
How could he have been so stupid! This was all a trap! The boxers immediately leapt up and bared their fangs. Before Jamie could do anything, they grabbed his arms and held him in place. He struggled against them but they were too strong. Marduk walked forward and grinned.
He pulled out his huge…beefy hand…hands that looked like they could crush televisions and brought it down on Jamie's head.
"NO!" Jamie screamed.
Marduk began to tighten his grip on Jamie's head as the Nephilim struggled.
"Dr. Abel paid me a ton of money to set this baby up…for someone who goes to college you sure ain't that smart."
Jamie continued to struggle and he felt Marduk's fingers continue to tighten, finally, he let out one last, desperate, piercing cry…then, he was dropped.
"Hey, why don'tcha pick on someone else!" Hwoarang bellowed as he hook kicked Marduk in the head.
Marduk growled in frustration as he dropped Jamie. Kazuya and Dimitri had taken out the vampires while Steve, Xiao, and Christie grabbed Jamie out of the way.
"…Christie? You're okay?" Jamie asked blearily.
"Yeah," Christie smiled. "We're safe, just get us outta here Jamie!"
Marduk fell…he wasn't gonna get up.
"We got a helicopter waiting for us above the hotel across the street!" Julia called through the crowd's roar.
So the group left.
"Lean on me," Dimitri said to Jamie.
"…thanks…" Jamie breathed.
The streets and the hotel were quiet…it only took about ten minutes to make it to the roof…and there…they saw the most beautiful thing imaginable…the helicopter…it was coming.
"DOWN HERE!" Xiao called waving her arms.
Honestly, Jamie figured that the helicopter couldn't have come at a better time…after all, they were all tired, and Jamie needed to heal…he already had the headache from hell…and he could feel blood leak from his ears.
They needed to wait about five minutes for the chopper to get close enough…and…at that last minute…Jamie heard something in a voice that sounded vaguely familiar.
"…Feel the wrath of God…"
Slowly…Jamie turned…and faced the speaker…and when he did he felt his heart sink…
Author's Note: Yes, I am very evil for not updating frequently and ending the chappie on a cliff hanger…and for that I am very sorry and all I can do is say that I'm currently studying for finals so I can only update when I can…so for that I need to apologize…please don't hate me and PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!