Not much of an author's note this time. So let's get on to chapter three shall we?

TEKKEN

They Call Her Asuka

Chapter 3

Clash

"I'm home." Asuka announced, coming inside of her abode from the front door. Even though there was only one person in the den besides her, she still said, "How did everyone day went today?"

"Same old way, just another day." The woman on the couch answered, a pleasant looking woman in her early forties. But she would nut up on anyone who say's her age out loud... especially in public. Many people (especially men) often mistook her for being a twenty nine year old woman for some reason. But anyway, back to the story...

"You're late again." She said, glancing at her watch which indicated it was a quarter to seven. "You must be working after school or something lately?" A sly smirk played across her face, which made her look very youthful. She knew that her first born could be out and messing with boys after school.

"I had to stop a few guys from stealing peoples bikes, went to get something to eat from the ice cream parlor, and then challenged a chauvinist to a battle to show him the errors of his way." Asuka answered. "And Hazuki is doing just fine. That girl is just as ditzy as ever."

"What are you? A toy super cop or something?" Her mother joked as she gave up surfing throughout the television channels. "There's nothing worth watching on television anymore," She muttered. "Spending a pretty yen on some stale telecasting. Give me Comedy Central and a good network that plays soaps from the early seventies any day, now that's what I want."

Asuka giggled at her mother's antics. She was a brunette, her hair tea brown with long hair and slightly curly at the end. Her mature eyes were caramel colored and slanted but still held a puerile gleam to them. She wearing a white chemise which was tucked ceremoniously in a pair of loose, flowing black hakama. The style of dress indicated she just finished a training session not to long ago because it was the usual garbs for practitioners of Kazama-Ryu.

"Well, what are we having for dinner mama?" Asuka asked out of the blue.

"Correction: What we had for dinner?" She heralded, rising to her full height off the couch. "Your father and sister are in there and feeding their faces. I made some nice Italian cuisine today. You better go in there and get some before it's all gone."

Asuka shrugged, heading towards the stairs. "Nah, I'll pass for now. I have some things on my mind right now. I'll come back and microwave a plate when I'm done."

Mayuko Kazama grinned to herself. Her daughter was so easy to figure out. She was just like Asuka when she was her age. It looks like a worthy young man had finally gained her interest. I just hope this one isn't as boring as most men Asuka claimed them to be, she thought.

Jin Kazama...

Asuka flopped on her bed, already in her white T-shirt and purple colored fem-boxers. She rested her hands behind her head as she gazed at the ceiling at the, of course, ceiling. She had a ruminating expression about her and it was obvious who was on her mind...

Jin Kazama...

"Damn country-ass boy." She said to herself. "He must be stalking me or something?..."

TEKKEN

"You're a student of Kazama-Ryu, am I correct?" Jin queried to her. "I just wanted to make sure."

Asuka couldn't help but to fell proud of herself. "That I am." She replied with dignity. "I'm one of the best students of the style in decades." A small blush appeared on her face. "You wanna see if it's true for yourself?"

Jin only nodded. "I've witnessed the fight between you and Daisuke," he revealed, much to Asuka's surprise. "You are quite formidable but you have a glaring weakness."

She pouted. "Who are you to talk?" She snapped. "You're a fine one to be casting stones you know."

Jin reached into the shrubbery and retrieve a blue bicycle; her bicycle. "You left this at that parlor." He simply stated. A smirk appeared on his face, not quite reaching his eyes.

Asuka gasped in surprise. "Ooh! I forgot all about my poor bike! Thank you! Man, I owe you one!"

"Just be more careful next time." Jin replied.

A cute, innocent look of curiosity crossed Asuka's face. She then asked him, "You're not a crack-head are you? Do I have to pay you?"

Jin nearly laughed at that unexpected question. "Of course not. That little joke was uncalled for." He noticed that the girl still held that innocent, but serious look on her face, and she started sucking her thumb (something she does when she's curious or confused). "Why are you doing that?" He asked.

"Ahh! Sorry, it was just habit." She apologized after slipping her thumb out. The little tendency was spontaneous and unexplainable and she's been doing that since she was a child. She quickly decided to change the subject. "Anyway, what was that you said about me having a weakness?" She leaned her bike against the bench.

"You have an outrageous temper." He pointed out. "That could easily be your undoing. A good, calculating opponent can use that against you. Ironic if you ask me... since you specialize in Aikido and Judo."

"I do not have a temper!" Asuka snapped, clearing crossed and easily fitting into Jin's theory. After that outburst, she immediately changed her tune. "Oh... he hee... I mean, I'm afraid that I do not fall into your description, sir." She said in a sugar sweet voice.

"Hmm, I could be wrong." He admitted just before an idea dawned on him. "Hey, I'll tell you what; how bout we have a spar here at this park?"

Asuka immediately perked. "Really? Now you're talking my language, my friend. I already knew that you're was familiar in the martial arts." She said. "I can tell by the way you carry yourself."

"How about later this evening?" Jin suggested. "The fight with Daisuke back at the Jujitsu dojo probably tired you out a bit."

"What? You're talking about that? Nah, I'm just fine. I can go for another battle." She prep and went into a stance. However, a sudden reminder came to haunt her. "Ooh... man that hurts." She hissed as she clutches her stomach. "Not now. His blows wasn't that hard when we fought... So why am I aching now?"

"Well I guess that's how it is in all fights." Jin quipped. "You don't really feel the pain until after the battle. It always been the same way with me." He reaches into his pocket. "Let me give you my cell number. You can ring me up whenever you're ready."

Asuka looked up at his face, blushing wildly. "Eh? You want us to have a rendezvous? I never would have guessed." She accepted his 'business card'. "I have a good feeling that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Jin started to walk away. "I certainly hope so. We can learn a lot from each other... believe it or not. Remember that this is important. When you're ready, just give me a call."

"Hey, I'll be ready sooner than you think, country-boy. You're a Kazama too. This is definitely not the last time we'll meet. " Asuka promised.

TEKKEN

"I'll show him." Asuka declared with a pout. "Darn it, I don't have a temper. Why does everyone keeps on saying that?" She sat up in her bed and glances around her bedroom. After a moment of doing this her eyes landed on her fighting garbs. "I'll ring him up in another hour or two. First, I gonna give Hazuki a call."

She walked over to her telephone on her desk and dialed her best friend's number. "I just hope that I didn't caught her at a bad time..."

After two rings on the phone, a deep male's voice answered it. "Hello?"

"Ugh! Ken, why are you trying to sound intimidating on the phone, boy?" Asuka asked him with a grimace. "Let me speak to your sister."

The sixteen year old male retorted, "Asuka, I was talking to one of my teammates. Can you wait for a minute?"

Asuka grinned, a scary 'I-know-something-secret-about-you-grin'. "Oh? You was talking to one of your teammates? I never would have guessed that you play for that kind of team. I didn't know that it was that kind of ball game." She teased.

You see, folks, Ken used to have a crush on Asuka...

"Damn! You girls love to assume boys gay." He huffed. "Why do women love to play that game?"

"Man, just get your sister on the phone!" Asuka snapped. "It's not even going to be a long conversation. You're going to resume speaking to your crazy ass teammates in no time."

Hazuki's younger brother conceded. "Oh, all right. I'll get her. Hold on a sec."

"Now that's better." Asuka confirmed as she waited for Hazuki. She grimaced when another pang went through her abdomen and legs from her fight earlier. It's a good thing I did decided to rest, she thought.

"What's up?" Hazuki greeted on the other end of the line.

"Hey Hazuki, you remember that fellow back at the parlor? You know, that hooded country-boy..."

TEKKEN

"Man, you know what? Life definitely has it ups and downs." Hwoarang said to no one in particular in a dark room, barely lit by a few neon lights. "I spent the last moments of my service in the penitentiary over some bullshit. Well... it was sort of my fault." He reflected. "Me and ole dude was in the middle of a very important battle. And what make it so bad is the fact that we've been anticipating that fight for a long time. Just as I was about to win the fucking military intervened and I ended up at the poke."

"Ooh..." A scantily clad, twenty-something year old woman cooed. "It sounds like you're having a hard time in your life." She said, before she held out her hand in a stern fashion. "Now where's the mullah? I have to charge you, you know?"

Hwoarang took a swig of his bottle of vodka before he replied, "Hey, you wasn't doing anything worth paying for, toots. You was so boring that I just started talking about my problems straight out of my head."

The exotic dancer pouted. "And whose fault is that, huh?" She queried. "You're the one who downed to Smirnoff bottles while I was dancing."

"That's because you wasn't doing shit." Hwoarang retorted and glances around at the other women in the VIP room. "Damn it, I can do a Chinese split better than some of these sorry ass girls. Why won't you get totally naked or somethin'?..."

"You got that kind of money to spare?" She asked seriously. "I don't get naked for any spare change, buddy. So you might as well get that out of your mind."

"You might as well. But don't worry about it. I got you..." Hwoarang drifted off, trying to remember the woman's name. "What was your name again?"

"It's Lavender, you twit." The woman answered. She was named so because she fit the description. She was a young, slender woman with very long wavy hair with purple highlights. She was decked out in a dark colored bikini top a short, teasing see-through miniskirt and, of course, dark colored stilettos. Even the gloss on her lips were purple. "Well?"

"Don't worry about that, Ms. Lavender." Hwoarang reassured before burping. "I even have enough money to even buy your punk ass."

"Humph. I'll bet." Lavender remarked sarcastically. The smooth, mid tempo song came to an end. A moment after it ended, the bass heavy and energetic beats of the song, "Bring Em Out" by TI filled the VIP room. A milky pale skinned woman wearing red nightwear entered the room at that time. She immediately came to Lavender's side. "What's up, Cinnamon?"

"Your ex is coming in here." She informed Lavender. "And he seems kind of desperate tonight, girl. Be on you guard. I'm just looking out for you."

"Thanks Cinnamon. Hey let's go out side and meet him." She suggested. "It will keep him from acting all funny and jealous." She gazes back over to Hwoarang. "Excuse me, but something came up." She told him with a teasing smile. "Give me a moment and I'll be right back with you."

"Don't mind me." Hwoarang shrugged. "Do what you gotta do. Just don't come back confronting me when another one of these girls make a fortune tonight off of me. Then it will be your fault."

"Well I guess I better make this quick and come back and have fun with you." She replied in a toying manner. "C'mon Cinnamon, let's go on ahead and see what this jackass outside have on his mind tonight. I just wanna get this over with."

As the two dancers head out of the VIP, Cinnamon seemed intrigued by the new face in the club. "Hey Lavender, you gotta tell me who was that guy. He's cute as hell with the red hair."

"I dunno much about him." Lavender shrugged. "Besides the fact that he's a wannabe playboy who claimed to be in the military once."

"He was in the military?" Cinnamon asked. "Cool. Let me have him then."

"You actually believed that bull?" Lavender wanted to know. "All I heard that he was recently discharged and he ended up in the pen. And now, POOF, he's decided to come here and leave his woes behind. He's awfully nonchalant about my dance too. Something's definitely wrong with him. I guess he has nothing else better to do."

"Oh! A roughneck... interesting..." Cinnamon mused aloud. "Once you're done with him tonight let me have him. I want to try him."

Lavender grinned. "Yeah, he's all yours once I flatten his pockets." Just as they were about to exit the double doors Lavender's ex-boyfriend, along with two other men entered the room and imposed on them both. "Well? You wanted to see me, Hiraioki?"

Hiraioki was a man about Hwoarang's age, with a fade haircut and clean shaven face... besides the mustache. He took a moment to puff on the cigar he was smoking to regard his ex-girlfriend. "It looks like you're having some fun tonight." He stated. His voice sounded juvenile. "Allow me to put an end to it. If I can't have a good time, nor can you."

"What do you mean by that?" Lavender asked him, highly suspicious.

"Aye girl, what's taking you so long?" Hwoarang's voice boomed over TI's lyrics. "Come on back here and make this money." It was obvious that he was drunk but he can put up with it pretty well.

Cinnamon giggled. "He's so cute."

"Who the fuck is that guy?" Hiraioki demanded. "You're in hoe business now, Kaoru?" His two tall buddies started mean-mugging as well.

"He's just a new guy and a customer." Lavender replied, clearly annoyed. "And I'm not a prostitute."

"You might as well be one!" Hiraioki snapped indignantly. "Shaking your naked ass in front of losers like him for money. Now come on here! We're going to my place and make up for old time's sake!" He grabbed her wrists, quite roughly.

"I told you before, Hirai, we're over!" Lavender freed herself from his grasp. "You know that I don't communicate with you anymore since you been messing with that girl from Okinawa."

Cinnamon decided to step in and defend her friend. "Yeah, now we don't need any drama in here tonight. It's best that you get out of here before the bouncers start to get suspicious." She warned.

"Shut up, girl!" He retorted. "Who cares about the damn bouncers."

At that moment, Hwoarang walked up behind Lavender and put his arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, girl?" He asked the now panicking dancer. "Do we have a problem here? If so, I'm just the guy that probably can solve it for you." He stated seriously.

Lavender blushed, somehow sensing sincerity in Hwoarang's statement. "Oh my..."

Cinnamon giggled helplessly.

"Hey, hey! This has nothing to do with you man!" Hiraioki warned him. "Now get your arms off my woman and take your raggedy ass somewhere before I have to deal with you." Behind him, his companions cracked their knuckles in warning, trying to convey their message.

"And if I don't, what cha going to do then, sissy?" Hwoarang chuckled in his face.

He pulled out a forty-five from his pocket. Lavender and Cinnamon backed away in utter horror. "My little buddy here will deal with you then."

"Hirai... please stop this?" Lavender pleaded but was surprised to hear Hwoarang laughing boisterously.

"What cha going to do with that besides making me mad?" Hwoarang requested, completely unfazed by the man's threat. "Man, I'm Korea's finest! Prepare yourself for a lecture on Ass Whopping 101..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT TIME:

Hwoarang gets into a confrontation at the strip club. Did he come out as the winner? Plus, Asuka meets Jin once again at the park and finally spars with him, while Hazuki keeps an eye on them. In addition to that, the Kazama-Ryu dojo gets a highly unpleasant guest the following Monday...

Chapter IV

Prelude to Vengeance