Chapter 20
"Get up…..!" Shiva's 5am command was snappish, brief and straight to the point after opening the door to Blaze's room. The Judo fighter who was half asleep, grumbled as she stretched out her arms with a loud yawn. His torch light brightly shone over her face, immediately waking her up.
"Is that thing really necessary?" Blaze squinted her eyes.
"We have a lot of work to do and you're already late!" Shiva huffed, folding his arms.
Within 20 minutes, Blaze was alert and ready for their first morning of training together as allies. It all started off with an intense warm up and a sprint around the blocks of Chinatown, followed by conditioning and resistance training. And even by 10am, after 4 hours, the two of them still hadn't started sparring yet.
Following a short break and a light breakfast, they entered Shiva's dojo for the latter part of the morning.
The dojo he designed was impressive and perfect in every way. Blaze couldn't help but stare up in awe at the red pillars and Japanese style wooden decor that surrounded the outer perimeter of the floor. It boasted three levels of bright space with a tidy array of Swords and Halberds held up in place and organised against each wall. "There's enough weapons in here fit for an army", Blaze thought to herself. At the same time, the smell of coconut and soy Japanese candles tickled her nose. They were lit and neatly placed at the back of the matted area along with incense sticks that emitted a different scent that she wasn't as familiar with. Either way, the effect of it all was serene and calming.
"Like it?" Shiva proudly grinned with his hands out by his side.
"Yeah! Totally!" Blaze's eyes widened with a smile, still amazed by what she could see.
"Rudra shipped most of those swords back here from Japan," Shiva explained.
For a moment, Blaze could hear the kunoichi training upstairs on the level above by herself. She then gently reached out and touched the handle of one of the silver halberds.
"Ever used one of those before?" Shiva queried.
Blaze lightly shook her head, "No."
Aside from being tired already from all of the hours they put in so far today, she suddenly started to feel overwhelmed. It was as if she had stepped into another world - the ideal world for any fighter, especially for the fighter who Blaze wanted to be. This dojo was calm, tranquil and her mind was quiet and at ease. Even after only stepping in there for a couple of minutes, Blaze started to sense all of the elements around her. She felt present in the moment, just like any great fighter should. For so many years until this point, her head had been elsewhere due to distraction, the drugs and the toxic people who fuelled the hurtful memories she carried with her. But now, being here in this dojo couldn't have felt any more further away from the past 7 years. This was an exhilarating sanctuary in the middle of a chaotic city and Blaze understood at that moment that her life as a fighter was about to change forever.
"Today we'l start with defence," Shiva announced. WIthout a warning, he instantly projected a small white bolt of lighting forward that caught the back of Blaze's arm, startling her away from the halberd.
"HEY!" Blaze painfully clutched onto her bicep with one hand, "I wasn't ready for that!" She shouted.
Shiva crossed his arms then raised his eyebrow. "In this dojo, you will quickly learn that being ready is not an option. It is a state of being that you must live in at all times with a clear mind. Because at any moment, everything could change. You understand that…."
"Alright then!" Blaze answered with determination, this time preparing her fighting stance with her fists forward.
The Kempo fighter proceeded by pushing forward several more energy bolts one after another from his palms towards Blaze's direction. At first, she paced back away from him in order to give herself enough room to dodge and block every orb of energy that flew towards her body. Blaze ducked, jumped and cartwheeled back in order to avoid getting burnt. This training exercise tested her to her limits and greatly challenged her stamina.
"Aaaaaa!" She cried out when finally, after a minute, a small bolt of Shiva's chi struck her hard once again on her side. "What, are you tryna kill me?!" Blaze angrily knelt down on the ground, feeling blood breaking next to her rib.
"I told you, the exercise required you to defend yourself. Avoiding an enemy attack isn't the solution here! As you can see, eventually you'll always get caught out."
"And how the fuck am I supposed to defend myself against your powers?!" She glanced back at him, pissed off and annoyed with herself for being defeated, which to Blaze was one of the worst feelings in the world.
"As you are aware, this power cuts through skin. So no block can defend it…"
"Exactly!" Blaze huffed in agreement, covering the blood with her palm.
"So, use your own power for defence then…" Shiva replied, tilting his head to one side.
Blaze reluctantly stood up to her feet then she caught her breath back, now worked up in a sweat.
"It ain't that simple… I havn't used my power in years," she shrugged. "And besides, when I use it my energy depletes and it makes me weak. I'm surprised you continued firing chi at me for well over a minute there!"
"What if I could show you how to control that power? How to replenish your energy by striking your opponent and fueling off theirs….?"
"What?" Blaze's jaw dropped in shock.
"It all starts inside you," Shiva pointed at her. "But you have to let go and open your mind".
"That's easier said than done," she folded her arms then avoided his gaze.
"Why do you think Axel left to venture out into nothing?"
"I dunno? Because he's so fucking selfish!" Blaze angrily snapped back.
Without saying anymore, Shiva quietly brushed past her.
"What?! Have we suddenly finished for the day then?" Blaze threw her hands out with sarcasm. "Hey! I'm talking to you Leon!" She shouted, but instead, he ignored her then walked away. After a brief pause, she persisted in following him outside.
"I wanna know something! All those times when you were sucking the syndicates balls and we came to fight you, why did you choose to fight Axel and not me? What did you think I wasn't good enough to be your opponent? Did you think I was weak? Is it because I'm a woman? Why, Shiva? Huh?!"
As her hand attempted to reach for his shoulder, her old foe abruptly turned back around to face her.
"If you really must know the reason, it's because…."
"Because WHAT?!"
"...Axel had the most honour and knowledge as a fighter out of all of you…"
Blaze laughed, shaking her head. "You know, that's the biggest piece of bullshit I've ever heard,"
"Without him, this city and your team will go to shits! You've forgotten what your power feels like and you've proven that you're nothing on your own. He was a much better fighter than you…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Suddenly, two blue bolts of electricity fired out of Blaze's palms unexpectedly. They struck through two metallic buddha sculptures, shattering them into pieces. Her face was reddened and to say she was pissed off would have been an understatement.
She paused as the two of them stared at the damage.
"I'm so sorry…" Blaze caught her breath, stunned and immediately regretting her outburst.
"And there it is… see?" Shiva nodded, approving of her chi.
"I'll replace those statues, I promise,"
"No, there's no need."
"You're not angry?" She asked, surprised.
"Look, the way I see it, you have two choices from here on. You either return here to my style of training tomorrow with an open mind and willingness to learn, or you leave for good. If you choose the path I'm offering you, in time you will learn to let go of your hate for others and you'll find peace in your soul…. Or you can go right through that door, back out into the world to where you came from. Sure, you'll probably seek revenge then turn your life back to how it used to be. But I can promise you this, none of it will change the past or what you're running away from". He then casually walked away, leaving her alone.
Through the late morning sunshine, Blaze was left staring intensely at the doorway to the outside world in front of her. No matter how much she resented Shiva, the fact was - he was right.
So, the next morning Blaze returned to the dojo. This time, she showed up even earlier than the crack of dawn with an open mind and an open heart. She was ready to train and reinvent herself as an even better fighter. With hard work, a strong belief in herself and the guidance of her new mentor, she trained and fought for several hours each day with Shiva, who was once her enemy.
Over time, whilst in isolation as a fighter, Blaze learnt what self discipline really was. Every day she became stronger, wiser and her powers started to radiate beyond anything she had ever imagined before. Then gradually, Blaze started to forget the past. Meditation was the most challenging aspect of their training, but day by day, her mind became clearer until she finally progressed into the fighter she was always destined to be.
Two years later.
"We bring you live, breaking news this morning. Two more explosions have hit the centre of Wood Oak City, only days after the bombings of the Arena and our main city airport. This time targets involved Central's Police Precinct as well as a downtown bar. Police are warning the public to stay vigilant at all times and…"
"Daddy, there's something I'd like to ask you?... You know how it's my birthday next month…?" Cherry smiled, carefully handing her father a plate full of scrambled eggs, toast and hash browns.
"Hold on a second, sweetie…" Adam kept his eyes glued to the tv news bulletin whilst he took the plate.
She waited for a moment before continuing. "See, next Friday Taylor, Paige and Maddie are going to K-Washi's concert and they've asked me to go with them. The tickets are $50 but all I need is another 30….. Please can I go…?"
"Sure, whatever you wanna do…," Adam chewed as he replied, still fixated on the news. The truth was he had barely heard or processed what Cherry had asked him.
"Yes!" She fist pumped the air. "You're the best and I have the coolest dad!... So can I have that $30 then?" The 15 year old smiled, charmingly reaching out her hand.
"Wa.. what?" Adam turned to look at her, surprised.
"For next Friday. You said it was ok….! I promise I won't be back late and I'll text you…"
Adam sighed as he reached for his wallet. He remembered that he would be working next Friday so instead of leaving Cherry at home alone, it probably made more sense for her to hang out with friends. "Here. And don't ask for anymore please," he pursed his lips, handing her the cash.
"Thanks daddy!" She kissed him on the cheek before swiftly exiting the room.
"Where did you say ya'll were goin' to?" Adam asked, but by then she was long gone and he needed to get to work.
"The whole fucking city is on red alert right now! We can't risk any more psychos causing explosions! They could have their sights on any target next! This precinct, the subway, the pier…. Who knows?!" Estel approached Adam with her hands on her hips, feeling flustered.
"Do we know anything about the guys that detonated the bombs?" He queried as he glanced down at the reports.
"Come with me…" Estel cautiously glanced around the corridor then she quietly led Adam towards her office.
He shut the door behind him, "what's goin' on then?"
Estel sighed, staring up at him nervously as she began. "Before the feds shot both bombers, there were reports from nearby witnesses claiming that they were frantically running around with their hands over their ears in pain. One was even shouting out, 'make the music stop'. Soooo, I had Quinn run a detailed scan on their ear canals separate to the forensic report."
"And?" Adam raised an eyebrow.
"And, they found this on both men…" she handed him a separate folder labelled as 'classified'.
"What the….?" Adam paused as he started to read it.
"Apparently they were not just bugs. These devices were implanted into the bombers ears. When Quinn inspected them, he said they were of the highest frequency possible, enough for a human ear to process without the eardrum shattering. He suspected that they were emitting radio waves of some sort that he has never seen anything like before. They're still running tests on the devices but…."
"Do you think you could get back one of the pieces from him? I know someone better who can find the answers we're looking for…"
"Oh no. No fucking way!" Estel disagreed, shaking her head.
"Zan will find out straight away what this bullshit is!"
"Dr Zan is a formal criminal and employee for RoboCy. I don't trust him and neither should you! And besides, if I'm caught handing over a goldmine of evidence to somebody like that, we can kiss both our careers goodbye along with jail time…."
"It won't come to that, trust me! I'll pull some strings…" A slight, anxious pause emerged between them.
"This better work, Hunter!" Estel sighed.
Just as she finished her sentence, the two of them were interrupted by the head of the SIF who knocked on the office door. Adam quickly tucked away the reports she showed him under some paperwork.
"Hope I'm not interrupting something," their superior cocked his head to one side.
Estel took a deep exhale as she smiled up at him. "Of course not, Director Sanchez. What can I do for you?"
The tall, dark haired agent in his 50s wearing a pinstripe suit gave Adam a polite nod as he stepped into the office.
"I need the two of you and your senior teams upstairs in the boardroom at 10am sharp. From there, you will take your officers down to City Hall where you will meet with Commissioner Bernstein and the rest of his precinct".
"Bernstein!? Why?!" Adam was taken back, surprised.
"For the coming weeks, we have placed our international operations on hold. There are more important matters and security threats going on at home right now. Violent crime is at its most dangerous, yet the police force is once again crumbling. It is our duty to assist, whether you like them or not."
"Let me guess, you're expecting me to buddy up with that son of a bitch Murphy?!" Adam smirked, shaking his head.
"You will do exactly what we require you to do under protocol. Even if that means putting your differences aside to work together on this. I don't give a fuck about your playground bullshit when our national security is at stake here. Understood Hunter?" He firmly replied.
"I understand, Sir", Adam bowed his head.
"Good. And make sure you cooperate and share any resources with them. Bernstein's officers from now forward are part of your team whether you like it or not…. Just try to get along will you?"
"Understood", Estel nodded as she looked down to the ground. She then glanced back at Adam with worry in her eyes as their boss made his exit.
The refreshing crystal cool waters calmly stood serene to offer some relief from the blazing hot sun. Axel cupped a handful of it in his hands before he splashed the cold water over his face and neck. The droplets trickled down his blond beard as he trekked all the way back to his cabin whilst carrying the weight of a dead deer over his shoulder.
He abruptly dropped the animal down on the wooden porch as soon as he reached the front door. Something was wrong and Axel could smell in the air that someone or something had tried to enter his home. He quietly reached into his back pocket for his knife and then cautiously inspected the area after pushing the front door open.
The cabin he built in the middle of the forest was small and almost bare, only to have a bed, hammock and stack of books, plates, cutlery, and clothes he had collected over the years each time when John returned from the village. There was also a small murky mirror nailed to the wall at the back. As time went on, the place became more homely and Axel had become used to the silence and extreme weather events, not to mention living a life without electricity or gas. This was the path he had chosen and he continued each day to study, meditate and train the way Eru had once shown him.
Axel could see that the cabin was empty, so he decided to follow the scent and the suspicions he felt.
Two miles into his trek, he noticed fire burning in the distance along with the smell of wild deer being cooked. With caution, he slowly approached the site.
Axel instantly let down his guard and his face immediately turned into a grin when he realised who had come to visit once again.
"John?! What the hell are you doing here?! It's a little early in the year dontcha think?"
"Still hunting in the middle of the day? It's pretty daft in this heat don'ya thenk?" The Scotsman joked.
"Well…." Axel smiled and innocently shrugged, "I gotta train first thing at dawn. It's worse doing that at this time of day than the hunt…"
"Still searchin' for somethin' then eh?" John removed his hat as Axel sat down opposite him on one of the rocks.
"Something like that…"
"What brings you here then? I havn't seen you since Eru passed away. Don't tell me you already got sick of civilised life?" Axel laughed.
"It's not that bad ya know!" John grinned. "I got meself a good lookin' lass, a car and even my own farm. Life in the village is not bad…."
"A car huh? I'm happy for you man," Axel grinned.
"Fuckin' thing keeps breaking down though…" They immediately laughed together.
"So, why are you really back here then if you've already found the 'good life'? And why did you try to find me?"
"Look sonny…" John sighed. "There's something you need to know and it's important. I know you've started a new life but…."
"What is it?" Axel worriedly snapped, by now his smile had faded from earlier.
"It's your home…." John replied. He then took out of his backpack several world newspaper articles he collected. The first one was headlined as 'The Destruction of Wood Oak City'. With others headlined:
"The Y Twins set to rebuild Wood Oak"
"40,000 casualties in one day"
"When will the bombing of Wood Oak stop?"
"The police have lost control…"
"The streets - death pits of one city…."
"What do you expect me to do?" Axel casually shrugged after placing down the articles.
"This is your home! If anybody can fight for it, it's you!" John insisted.
Axel shook his head. "That's not my home anymore…"
"The police over there, the government - they've all lost control. Innocent people are dying every day and we see it on the news. What about your friends? Family?"
"I have no family anymore," he quietly responded, staring down with regret.
"So, what the hell are you doin' all this training for then? Are ya selfish?!"
"Don't ever….!" For a moment, Axel lost his patience and forced himself to bite his tongue.
"Look, I'm sure the authorities will fix what's going on. They don't need a bunch of vigilantes anymore."
"Don't say I didn't warn you then…." John shook his head as he rose to his feet.
"What, are you gonna waste that deer there?" Axel gestured towards the fire as his old friend started to leave.
"Are you gonna stay here and waste your life? And the lives of others?" John replied, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
Axel sat there, remaining on the same rock until the sun went down. He read through each article one by one, in shock and surprised by what was actually going on. He assumed that with the death of Mr X, he left the city as a much safer, peaceful and prosperous place. But in reality, this was far from the truth and Wood Oak was now in the worst state it had ever been in. He sat there in the same spot for a long time contemplating what to do next.
Axel was suddenly faced with the choice to remain here, living the life he had become peacefully content with whilst continuing his quest for true strength. Or the second option was to immediately return to Wood Oak City and help at its time of crisis. Either way, the decision wasn't going to be an easy one.
Authors Notes
Greetings! I know it has been a while and apologies for the wait of this chapter. Life has been super busy but has inspired much of this chapter in terms of dedicating yourself to a goal then focusing on it and making important decisions - which is what this chapter is all about!
So, there is a small time lapse here and we are getting closer to the events of the 4th game. More is coming soon in the next chapter and we can see here that the twins have already started to cause chaos to help them gain control over the city.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know your thoughts and more is coming soon...
