Steve Fox

Surviving the crazy ambush in Chicago that the Sirius Marksmen attempted against Nina, she tried to reach out to Claudio Serafino herself, but Claudio never returned her calls. Later, Nina would report this event to Heihachi himself which did make him rather curious, but not enough to be fully convinced. It was possible that the soldiers were defecting to G Corp because that side was temporarily winning the war worldwide at the moment. So he did not press on the matter and told Nina to handle logistics within the Tekken Force.

Then Nina fought in her seventh match for the tournament. She unfortunately was KO'ed by the corrupted monk Feng Wei. His might proved to be overwhelming against Nina. Once again, Nina found herself in a hospital bed where she stayed for almost a week. Her last fight would be in Italy, against someone who actually went out of his way to rescue her earlier in the same country. The venue of this fight was even more suspect as Nina read the details on the laptop in her apartment.

Nina: "I don't believe this. I have to fight Steve at the base of the Sirius Marksmen? This has trap written all over it. There no way I will get captured a second time. After hearing about what they did to Anna a while back, I rather not become the next girl to get exposed like that." (Sighs back on the desk chair.) "All I can do now is rest. Worry about this sh*t later."

2 Days After, Sirius Marksmen Cathedral, Turin, Italy…

Traveling alone, Nina returned to Northern Italy were she was caught by surprise by Claudio and his henchmen several months back. With some help from Leo Kielsen, Nina managed to escape from getting blown to bits. Then they freed Steve Fox from captivity by the Marksmen, but only to get encountered and spared by Claudio himself. Claudio is currently not here in Turin, but his men were surely keeping a close eye on Nina while she entered the complex.

Steve on the other hand was very anxious to meet Nina. Their reunion was very short last time. He did not get all of the questions he wanted to ask his own mother about. Who was she really? No way was Nina simply some emotionless brute doing whatever she wanted. And why was she helping the Zaibatsu so much? Could he convince Nina to get out of the organization? If the boxer had to beat it out of her, then so be it.

Arriving before his mother, Steve was escorted inside the Duomo Di Sirio atrium by the Marksmen. Then he was told to wait on Nina to arrive. 10 minutes pass and the back doors open from downstairs as Nina Williams finally arrived. Dressed in her combat suit, Nina was ready to fight. Steve had on his Teal Hawaiian shirt with navy jeans, wrapped tape on his hands, and a pair of white sneakers. Now was not the time to stunt for the cameras and play around. This moment was far too important for him.

Steve: "Nina…I mean…mother. If…"

Nina (Stops him): "Just stop! This is not the place for idle chat. I suggest you forfeit this match so you can walk away free. Otherwise we both could die here."

Steve: "Well that I am not doing! You have the answers I may need to know exactly who I am! I did not want to do this, but if I gotta knock you out, and drag you away from this place to make you talk then so be it!" (Gets in stance.)

Nina (Rolls eyes): "You are such a foolish boy!"

Official (Approaches): "I'd take it you two are ready to battle! Fighters ready?" (No response.) "Fight!"

In a ticked off mood, Steve began his offensive on his own mother. With his flurries, Steve did not let up in his punching speed. Nina blocked nearly every punch thrown until an uppercut penetrated her torso. Then Steve followed up with a strong reverse punch into the cheekbone of Nina's face. Her stilettos slid her back about 20 feet until she hit the handrails stopping her body movement. Steve continued running but knew if he tried to superman punch he would go over the rails. Depending on which way Nina would go is where Steve will trap her and start his assault again.

Steve (Sees Nina go.): "To the left!"

Steve almost gets Nina with a swinging left hook but Nina rolls out of the way getting behind him. Now he was trapped in a corner. Nina threw out front kicks that went to the legs of Steve Fox weakening his stance. He had no choice but to get close and tackle Nina into the ground. Knowing her expertise in grappling, Steve attempted to toss Nina off his shoulders, but the assassin held onto his shirt and wrapped her flexible legs tight on the waist of the boxer. She tries to execute a roll but loses grip of Steve's shirt on the way down as the sleeve gets torn off. Steve then pushes Nina off of him to get back on his feet. Nina threw the torn sleeve away, standing back up again.

Steve: "I don't get it? You rescued me earlier and now you wanna beat me?"

Nina: "I only did that as a favor because that girl saved me." (Talking about Leo.)

Steve: "That's a poor excuse!"

Steve dashed in for a swift 1 2 combo at the upper body of Nina, but she could read his simple body movement. This was not complicated like the earlier bout with Feng Wei. Parrying both punches Nina palm strikes Steve in the chin and finishes with a strong left side kick. Steve clutched his torso in pain. Nina then hits Steve with her Reversal Ivory Cutter combo, launching the boxer in mid air. Using her famous Bombshell Blast technique, Nina hits Steve and it sends him flying to the floor.

Nina took her time here just watching her opponent struggle. Steve was slow to get up as he threw up some blood. He was in some trouble after that big combo by Nina. Before he came to, Nina jumped and pounced on Steve Fox using her legs again to send him down. She pinned Steve successfully and resorted to use a shoulder lock making the boxer lay on his stomach as if he were getting arrested. Nina's knee was firmly putting pressure on Steve's right shoulder, raising his arm vertically.

Nina: "As you are now, you won't even be able to last against Heihachi. Not even for a few minutes."

Steve: "Now you mock me? I can't believe this!"

Nina: "I gave you a chance to leave. Now give up!" (Puts more pressure on the shoulder.)

Steve: "Agggh!"

Nina: "Well?"

Steve: "Noooo!"

In a huge surprise, Steve gave everything he got to turn his right hand and grabbed Nina by the throat! Putting pressure on her wind pipe, but boxer resorted to dirty tactics. Nina could no longer apply pressure on the shoulder and this gave Steve the moment to pin her on the ground. Now using a grapping position on his own. Steve on a full mount position was right over Nina and he raisied his left hand to hit Nina dead in the face while choking her! However…

CRACK…

Nina had her eyes closed. When Nina opened them she looked to her right and noticed that Steve hung his head low in shame, deliberately missing her face. Steve could not bring himself to beat Nina to a pulp. In her mind, Nina though why was this happening. He could have won right here! Then he said.

Steve: "I can't do it! Not like this!"

Nina: "Steve?"

Steve (Soft whisper.): "You take the win."

Official (Comes over): "Wh…what? What's going on? Are you done?"

Steve (Standing up.): "I quit. Let her get the win."

Official: "You quit?"

Steve: "Just call the match already!"

Official: "Alright! Nina Williams is the winner!"

Nina (To Steve): "What is the meaning of this?"

Steve: "Let's get out of here!" (Takes her hand.)

Beside herself, Nina was dragged out of the atrium by Steve. She wanted to get out of his hold but something told her not to. Heading down the stairs for the back door. There was a lot of commotion coming from behind the door and the sounds were not pleasant. Nina instinctively told Steve to stop.

Nina: "Wait! Stop!" (Hears guns.) "I don't like this! Close your eyes!"

Steve: "Huh?"

Nina took out a hidden pin smoke grenade from her left thigh and toss it at the back door. Then without warning, she took Steve by the hand and started running to the next door available. Guards of the Sirius Marksmen came out of the main back door guns drawn, but all they could see is smoke from outside the main lobby. At the courtyard only a few guards remained as both Nina and Steve took care of them rather easily for the men were not fast enough to stop them. In the clear, Nina used a lockpin to unlock the courtyard gate as she and Nina finally left the Marksmen complex.

Nina: "This way!"

Now in more familiar surroundings, Nina went through the back alleys to avoid the public streets that may have Sirius Marskmen patrolling them. When it was safe, both Nina and Steve crossed the main streets as they got closer to Nina's hotel. This process took about another half hour until the hotel was finally close by. Now safely in Nina's room, Steve sat on the nearest couch totally exhausted from the entire ordeal. Nina also sat down, but on the floor in a sidesaddle position. After a long silence, Steve finally broke the quietness.

Steve: "So…is this your way of living? Being so close to danger all the time?"

Nina (Not looking back at him.): "It's the only way I know how to live."

Steve: "I did not think I could get you to speak with me after everything that's happened, but now I'm in your hotel room. It's crazy." (Shaking his head in disbelief.) "Look I just want answers Nina."

Nina: "What for? I can offer you nothing. Saving you is all I can do."

Steve: "But who will save you?"

Nina: "I can handle myself. Don't trouble yourself over me."

Steve (Calming Down.): "I looked into my…existence. How I came to be. At first it made me very angry and I still want the Zaibatsu to pay for what they did to me and those like me and yet once I found out about you and your line of work I was not sure about taking them out completely because now I hear G Corporation is doing a similar project of splicing the Devil Gene into children."

Nina (Looking at Steve.): "What?"

Steve: "It's true. Leo told me about it. You remember her right?"

Nina: "Yes the German girl, but what does she have to do with this?"

Steve: "She has something to do with it because her mother saved my life from the Zaibatsu after they shut down their cryogenic research program. The one you were forced to participate in."

Nina (Holding her head.): "It can't be."

Steve: "I would not be here with you right now if it was not for that woman. She worked as a genetic researcher for the Zaibatsu. She sacrificed herself…just for me to live. I believed she knew that I was your son. That this day was meant to be."

Nina (Shaken, remembering the details.): "Nooooo…"

Back then…

Nina was finally awakening locked memories inside of her head. The events that happened during the Second King of Iron Fist Tournament. The shrewd Doctor Bosconovitch with Zaibatsu soldiers forcing her at gunpoint to be put in a tube. All of her clothes were torn in the process. The water was rising rapidly as Nina was trapped inside the tube. Her sister outside the chamber was arguing with soldiers to let Nina go. Losing consciousness, Nina thought she would die.

And now…

Steve: "Nina?"

Nina (Crying in a fetal position.): "How could they? Those bastards!"

Steve (Standing up thinks.): "I thought this would go easier…but now the woman is having a mental breakdown."

Whatever Nina was remembering, it was clearly something traumatic in Steve's eyes. He had no idea what to do next. And then he remembered the times when he cried as a kid. His caretaker simply got on her knees and hugged him. After that, he stopped doing it. Without pause Steve knelt down on the floor by Nina and hugged her. He expected the worst but.

Steve (Thinks.): "Oh sh*t! Here it comes." (Suddenly): "Wha?"

Nina suddenly returned her son's hug without thinking. Perhaps she had no man show any concern for her wellbeing for a very long time. At least not this personal. As theorized by Steve, Nina eventually calmed down and stopped shaking. Now looking down on her, Steve asked.

Steve: "Are you feeling better?"

Nina (Lying.): "N…no. You are a mistake. This should have never happened."

Steve (Smirks): "I guess I am a mistake. But that does not mean I am useless now is it?"

A knock on the front door is heard…

Steve: "Who is that?"

Nina: "Is it them? How did they find me out here?"

Steve: "For your sake I hope not."

To be continued…