Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Hello there. I'm glad you came by and thank you for reading. Just for reference, the title is pronounced 'V-3 for Vendetta'. Well, last time was the introduction to the main characters, and now we will 'meet' everyone else. But, before that, we have the first fight, one that can't be won with fists. Without further ado, let's get to it. And here … we … go:
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 8: VIII for Vendetta
Points of Meeting
Struggle for Respect
It was an otherwise regular day at Kazama G Incorporated Headquarters. The employees on building's middle level, the floor of conference rooms, were going about their work at scattered desks, their business suits contrasting the warm colors of the painted walls. Suddenly, there was a break from all the mostly-silent calm.
The chime for the elevator rang out, the doors slowly slid apart, and the time seemed to slow. Jun, Haku, and Yushin 'Vincent' walked through, dressed in business attire, Jun looking particularly imposing having not removed her long coat beforehand. The employees couldn't help but stare as the trio walked through. Some watched in awe and others looked on in intimidation at what was basically royalty for them. Meanwhile, all the interns rush in to see them, and looked on in only admiration and affection.
The three turned a corner into the hallway, and found someone waiting for them. It was a much older man with silver hair, only a hint of a moustache and beard visible, still spry and youthful despite being in his late sixties. Seemingly immune to time's influence, the man was still quite good-looking.
Haku happily exclaimed upon seeing him, "Ojisan!"
Jun also added in happiness, "I didn't know you were going to be here, Lee-sama!"
Lee replied with a smile, "I wasn't goin to miss your first tournament meeting. Now, you have all your figures?"
"Down to the last digit," Haku quickly offered.
"Excellent. And your research?"
Jun answered with a nod, "Our logic is undeniable."
"Excellent. I'll leave you to it, but first… I'd like to speak with Yushin-kun for a moment, if you don't mind."
Vincent answered with a confused, "Alright…"
The father and son stepped to the side as the twins gave them some space…
"So, what's up, Dad?" Vincent asked, ready to listen.
Lee said quietly, "Now, I want you to be careful in there, It's not called a shark tank for no reason."
"Don't worry, Dad; I will."
"That's good, but don't be afraid to stand your ground. These guys like to go low sometimes to settle you. If you think they're going too far, you let them have it."
Vincent smiled as he replied, "You know I will."
Lee smiled as well, "That's right; I do. You're going to do great."
"How can I not…" Vincent said confidently as he patted Lee's shoulder, "I only learned from the best."
"Well, I don't know about that, but I know you're going to be the best very soon…" Lee placed his hands on his son's shoulders, looked on him in the eyes and spoke earnestly, "But, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I couldn't ask for a better student or successor, and I'm proud to call you my son."
Vincent paused momentarily but eventually said with a proud smile, "Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome." Lee said before stretching his arms out without warning, "Now, come here…"
Mortified, Vincent said quietly, "Dad? Not here…"
Still not putting his arms down, Lee continued, "What? No one's looking, and, even if they do, no one's going to say a word."
Yushin let out a soft groan as he knew there was no way out of this. He briefly hugged his father, but Lee wasn't going to just take that. He hurriedly pulled him, and wrapped him in a full embrace. Trapped, Yushin slightly sighed and returned the embrace…
Not letting go, Lee expressed, "I love you, son. Show them what you can do."
Vincent, still a little embarrassed but not fighting it, said, "I love you too, Dad. But, we have to go now or we'll be late."
Lee conceded as he finally released his son, "Of course. Go on then; go to your meeting."
"I'll tell you all about it when I get home. See ya later, Dad."
Yushin rejoined Jun and Haku, and the trio started off again. As Lee watched them, he couldn't but feel himself getting choked up…
With pride and joy overflowing, Lee said to himself as his eyes started to water, "That's my boy…"
Before long, the three came to an insanely long hallway with a pair of large double doors at the end. Behind those doors … was the stuff of dreams and nightmares. This was where goals and hopes could be ripped apart and eaten or given shape and realized. This was the war room, where issues and major projects of the company were debated over and decided.
"There it is." Haku said, "Time to get some of that respect. But not matter what we'll always…"
Jun interjected, finishing the sentence, "Follow three rules: Keep yourself alive…"
Vincent added, "Keep your flag flying…"
Haku emphatically finished the credo, "Be just or be dead!"
The three finally went inside to find no one there inside. It was a large conference room with multiple identical swivel chairs. In the middle sat a dark wood table and the drapes had been drawn over the office windows. Most telling was the nasal bombardment of lemon scented furniture polish and flower scented rug cleaner. It was oddly serene for a rather gruesome room.
Getting to business, the three set up. They put a flash drive into the spherical node on the table, typed in and booted up the visual projection. Instantly, the holographic screen appeared in the air, and they pulled up all their research and data… Not long after, the high-ranking executives came in: 7 people, 5 men and 2 women, of all nationalities, all well dressed and all around middle-age. Despite the importance and gravity of this particular meeting, they execs simply sauntered in nonchalantly, and sat on the either side of the table.
The dark-haired American executive began, "Ladies and Gentleman… Hold on. Where are our two native executives?"
On cue, the node buzzes and whirled, signaling an incoming transmission. A single beam shot to the back of the table, and brought up a holo-screen of the final two: Ryunosuke and Kamikage Nodachi… Ryunosuke sat in the foreground looking in the screen. Kamikage meanwhile stood in the background with his back turned, staring into the flames of the fireplace…
Ryunosuke cordially offered, "Our apologies; my brother and I are needed at a separate venture here, we weren't going to miss this. It's nice to see you all especially Ms. Isha and Ms. Manzetti…"
He looked at both female executives, and both women gave small smiles at his acknowledgment.
Ryunosuke continued, "You're coming in loud and clear. We're ready and listening. Take it away."
The American exec continued indifferently, "Alright. This is the confirmation meeting for 'Rave War 8'. We'll briefly review all previous proposal points. You have the floor, little children."
Jun tightened her fist at the backhanded comment, but pushed it aside as she brought a ton of graphs and figures on the large projection screen…
Jun cleared her throat and began, "Well, as we said in our original proposal, The King of Iron Fist Tournament has always proved a profitable and beneficial practice for this company. Every time without fail, the interest and response generated by the competition has resulted marked gains in all divisions across the board. The margin has even increased with each passing event, starting 50% gains to 57% to 65% and so on."
Haku picked right up, "In fact, the last tournament remains the most watched and most profitable sporting event of the past decade. Even though the company had recently expanded, the event produced tremendous increases in all phases, as much as 200%. However, according to research and various analysts, this following one has the potential to be even greater…"
Even though they were in mid-presentation, the three youngest one in the room could tell something was wrong. While the women were mostly paying attention, the male executives were essentially ignoring them. They were looking around, looking around, and generally showed disinterest. One of them kept looking through his phone and even texted a little! In fact, the only men who weren't disrespecting them were the Nodachis… Nevertheless, they continued despite the lack of courtesy. Yushin pulled up multiple websites on the holo-screen.
Vincent picked up right where Haku left off, "This is most exemplary evidence we have. On the right, you'll see a news report released weeks before our initial proposal, filled with rumors about an eight tournament. Despite this being a month old, it's still the most read and most searched current article up to this day. On the left is a fake website that went up two days later, and was immediately flooded with comments and views. Even with the last tournament taking place almost two decades ago, both the article and the fabricated website produced 300 million views from six continents and over 50 countries… "
That when one of the executives showed Yushin in particular great disrespect. The blond Englishman took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth…
Catching immediately, Vincent reacted, "Uh… What are you doing?"
The Englishman replied as he took out a lighter, "It's been a while. I need a smoke."
Trying to be polite, Vincent said, "Well, if you don't mind, I sort of have an issue with cigarettes."
The Englishman plainly said, "I know…"
Coldly, the English executive stared Yushin right in the eyes as he struck the lighter and lit the cigarette. The young Chaolan only resolutely nodded to himself as he slowly walked over to the man. In one swift motion, he snatched the mentholated cigarette right out of the man's mouth, and proceeded to put it out on the table with a loud HISS! But he didn't stop there. Seeing five more in the man's shirt pocket, Yushin grabbed them up, and dropped them in the executive's water!
Reacting, Ryunosuke let out a loud whistle and said, "Someone means business."
"Now, was that really necessary?" The English executive asked with smug calmness.
Vincent replied intensely, "Doesn't matter. You're not supposed to smoke in here anyway."
As Yushin went back with the others, Haku laid it all out, "Listen, we hear all the things you say about us behind our backs, so we know you don't like us. We accept that. So, let's just clear the air, and you tell us where we stand."
The American exec stated brutally, "Very well… There's very little chance we'll actually pass this idea of yours."
Jun rebutted, "Okay, I know you weren't listening, so I'll ask outright: we just gave you every reason to run with this. How can you ignore facts? Or better yet, how can you ignore 300 million people in 50 countries and counting?"
The English executive said bluntly, "We're not denying that it's a good idea… but, as you alluded to, it's you three we have a problem with. You see, it's our strong belief that you will fail should this event pass."
"Really…?" Vincent said, "And why is that?"
Indignantly, the American executive retorted, "Well, look at you for starters. Take the boy-wonder here. Kid, you are scatterbrained at best. You can't run a company when you're all over the place as much as you are. Not only that, but you're gullible too. In life, you're called naïve, but, in business, you're called stupid."
Haku replied to the poison barb with aplomb, "You may call it gullible, but I call it being open-minded. As for being scatterbrained, I admit I can be … animated, but it's only because of drive and enthusiasm…"
The executive hailing from India spoke for the first time, saying coldly, "Say what you will, but it changes nothing. The two of you show no semblance to the greatness of your father…"
Immediately, Jun felt herself beginning to react, something that usually happened when she was extremely angry. She felt an intense heat erupt in her chest as if her heart had burst into flames. It only got worse as heat and pressure surround her red left eye. Even scarier was the fact that she felt her power growing as her anger did.
Holding the now burning side of her face, Jun said, decidedly upset, "Be careful … what you say next."
In defiance, the Indian executive continued, "The facts remain. Even if I do upset you, you won't do anything about it, little girl."
Jun, now covering her deeply throbbing eye, challenged, "You wanna bet?"
The Indian executive again ignored her warning and continued, "It would be a safe one. You're always staring off into nothing with your arms folded. It's rare you pay attention. You're aloof and lackadaisical. I doubt you have any zeal or passion at all…"
That was it; she couldn't take it anymore. The pain on her eye and anger in her heart was too much to bear, and there was really only one way she knew to alleviate herself… She let herself explode! Jun forcefully punched the table with so much strength that she drove her fist through it, lightning bolts trickling up her arm. The impact rocked the table, causing the executives to back up a little. Slowly, Jun lifted her head and shot them a death stare, her red eye practically glowing. At that moment, they definitely saw something she shared with her father, making them all flinch a little.
Jun said with malice, "Is that enough passion for me?"
As Haku quickly tended to calm her sister, Vincent said, "So far, gentleman, I'm hearing a lot of opinions here, but no real fact."
The Spanish executive coldly gave his two cents, "If you want facts, then we don't have to look any further than you yourself."
Vincent quickly retorted, "Hold on a second. I've been an executive for my father's robotic company for two years."
The Spanish executive hatefully shot back, "Your pedigree isn't questioned. But we have enough reasonable doubt to wonder … how much of your success is your doing or your father's doing."
Vincent spoke earnestly, "My father is a great man… but he taught me to fight for myself. I've sacrificed and bled so I could earn everything I have."
The Spanish continued to cruelly attack, "Your struggles will be for nothing if your intellect and decision-making continue to be so inconsistent. Take, for instance, the result of your side project, that 'Iron Giant' of yours."
Vincent adamantly said in his own defense, "The Jack hybrid is a huge success. His design, his AI, his inner trappings… I'd put him against any machine."
The Spanish exec retorted, "Of course. That's why it's sitting in a basement collecting dust."
Vincent shot back, "Any further testing would prove too dangerous. That is unless s you want to volunteer to test its combat capabilities."
The young trio finally took their seats as the room went silent. Now, everything was out. The animosity and contention between the male execs and the scions was palpable, suffocating even, and evident. The silence was a standoff of sorts with both sides seeing who would flinch first. The female executives were caught it in the middle, unsure of who to side with. Meanwhile, the Nodachis were standing out of it, Ryunosuke simply staying out of it and Kamikage hadn't move since the start.
Ryunosuke finally broke the silence, "Well, now that we know we all hate each other… We should get back to the proposal."
The American exec said, "Yes, let's get this over with. All those against…?"
The American, English, Indian, and Spanish executives all raise their hands…
"All those for…?"
Kamikage answered with surprising quickness, "I'm for it."
Ryunosuke added right after, "I'm in as well."
The Italian executive and African executive, the two female execs, tentatively raised their hand in agreement…
Noticing a discrepancy, the American exec pointed out, "Well, we have a tie… Monsieur Cartier, you've been silent this whole time. You have the tie breaker."
The brown-haired French executive paused a little before saying, "… I vote for the idea."
The whole group reacted in surprise to the ruling. Their heads shot in his direction, along with many puzzled looks…
The English exec was flabbergasted at it, saying, "Cartier… What are you…?"
The French executive interrupted and stared at the young trio as he explained, "Don't misunderstand me. I'm not doing for goodwill. In fact, I share the same views as my fellow executives. But, when you three fail like I'm sure you will, then we can contest the edict in your father's will that turns ownership over to you when you turn 21. The company may stunt a little, but … It will be well worth it to be rid of you entitled brats…"
Their victory tainted, Jun, Haku, and Yushin were speechless, incredulous the other executive would go to such lengths
Ryunosuke again played the peacemaker, "Well, that settles things. Since we're done, my brother and I really need to get going. Until next time…"
The projection ended, and the Nodachis disappeared. The trio rose and slowly headed for the door…
The American executive smugly asked, "I trust you three will get to work as soon as possible."
Jun answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "The roster has already been made, and invitations go out first thing in the morning."
With that, the three exited and started back down the hall in silence. Mostly, they were reflecting on what had just happened. They were still a little steamed over the attacks on them. They were still in disbelief over the decision come about. Haku and Yushin were still a little worried about Jun. Jun, on the other hand, was actually little embarrassed over her outburst. The three started looking at each other, and eventually smiled at one another. It was a bittersweet victory, but a victory nonetheless. Breaking the quiet, Yushin got a call.
Answering, Vincent spoke into the phone, "Hi, Van-chan… How did it go? Well … tell the others to … start the party; we won!"
Roster
Jun and Yushin sat inside the Kazama home, waiting patiently for the outcome of something they started only a week ago. Just then, Haku came running into the room, a large manila envelope in hand.
"It's here!" Haku said excitedly as he plopped down on the couch, "All the registered participants… let's have a look."
Haku took out the official list of fighters who responded to the invitations, and the trio slowly looked over each name of the list:
Haku Kazama
Jun Kazama
Yushin 'Vincent' Chaolan
Lilith Rochefort
Akane Hirano
Vanessa 'Van' Kliesen
Kyou Doo San
Kamikage Nodachi
Ryunosuke Nodachi
Susano Jashin
Esmeralda Rojo
Mosin Dragunov
Raven
Mitsuko
Nina B. Williams
Anna B. Williams
Alisa Bosconovitch
Rebekah Wrath
Sven Alexandersson
Relatives: Lars (uncle)
Bio: A fierce and loyal friend, Sven strives to help his cousins and help see them through their first tournament.
Xenia
Relatives: Zafina (aunt)
Bio: Already in-tune with her spiritual powers, Xenia is feeling a sinister aura around the tournament, specifically surrounding the Kazama twins' fate.
Jasmine Chang
Relatives: Julia Chang (adopted mother)
Bio: One day, Jasmine returned to find her mother savagely beaten, about to be killed, but the young Chang was able to fight away the mysterious attacker. Now, she looks to save her mother by defeating the 'Killer Kitsune'.
King III
Relatives: King II (mentor)
Bio: The third King enters his first tournament to continue the King name and support is many orphanages, but he is under attack by the mystifying Armor King and the mighty Tetsuo.
David Marduk
Relatives: Craig Marduk (adopted father)
Bio: A life-long friend of the third King, David quickly teams up with his friend to even the odds against their enemies.
Tetsuo
Relatives: Ganryu (sensei)
Bio: Tetsuo, a talented young sumo, has gone the way of his master: falling for the youngest Chang, Jasmine, and proving unsuccessful in wooing her. However, his frustration has a center, Jasmine's close personal friend, King III.
Armor King III
Relatives: Armor King II (teacher)
Bio: This Armor King maybe even more shadowy that the previous one. However, this one seems has a target on the third King as he's teamed with Tetsuo in order to take the Luchador down.
Yoshimitsu
Relatives: Yoshimitsu I (sensei)
Bio: The current Manji leader was randomly attacked by a seeming former Manji ninja and nearly killed. Dishonored and fearful for his clan, he now seeks a return match with the 'Killer Kitsune'
Peter Chimera
Relatives: Paul Phoenix (sensei), Forest Law (teammate), Lance Wolfe (teammate)
Bio: Part of the dubbed 'Tri-fighting Monarchy'. Along with Lance and Forest, the three have collectively won every fighting competition in the past 7 years. Now, they seek to win the biggest fighting competition in the world.
Lance Wolfe
Relatives: Steve Fox (teacher), Forest Law (teammate), Peter Chimera (teammate)
Bio: Part of the dubbed 'Tri-fighting Monarchy'. Along with Peter and Forest, the three have collectively won every fighting competition in the past 7 years. Now, they finally get a crack at the ultimate tournament.
Forrest Law
Relatives: Marshall Law (father), Lance Wolfe (teammate), Peter Chimera
Bio: Part of the dubbed 'Tri-fighting Monarchy'. Along with Lance and Forest, the three have collectively won every fighting competition in the past 7 years. Finally, they have a chance to claim victory in the fighting epitome of the world.
Shawn
Relatives: Bob (role model)
Bio: Idolizing Bob's innovation, she wanted to learn the style. Deemed too small to learn the style, she learned it through watching, and has entered numerous competitions, only to be turned away by one of the Tri-fighting monarchy. More than anything, she wants to prove that, despite her size, she can win.
James Gordo
Relatives: Eddy Gordo (uncle)
Bio: He told his uncle he's entering to honor the Gordo name, but he really wants to find a cool fighting girlfriend.
Bryce Irvin
Relatives: Bruce Irvin (uncle)
Bio: With Bruce's retirement, the inner city he patrolled suffered immensely, descending into crime. Now, Bryce is finally ready to step into his uncle's shoes and save the city, the tournament being his final test.
Tseng Jang
Relatives: Feng Wei (sensei)
Bio: Feng believed that his student should pass the same final test he did, and so Tseng was forced to fight and kill his master in a grueling week-long battle. Aimless and unstable, Tseng is led to fight, attacking various dojos before coming to the tournament.
Lin Wulong
Relatives: Lei Wulong (father)
Bio: A member of the Hong Kong Super Police, Lin is taking on her hardest mission to date: tracking down dojo-buster Tseng Jang, who has attacked and injured several of her friends.
Yuan Xijian
Relative: Wang Jinrei (role model)
Bio: A monk from Tibet, he was learned to use Wang's style through observation. Hoping to be of some help, he sets out to apprehend to criminal Tseng Jang, who is causing a stir with under-provoked violence.
Kuma
Relative: Kuma II (father)
Bio: When he was young, he witnessed his father murdered by a strong teenager. That person is now wearing his father's fur as a coat. Enraged by this disrespect, he sets out to maul and eat this killer, Susano Jashin.
Roger III
Relative: Roger Jr. (father)
Bio: His father terminally ill, Roger the third sets out to find Doctor Bosconovitch in order to acquire a cure for his father.
Jack-8
Relative: Jack-6 (former model), Combot (former model)
Bio: In a stroke of genius by Yushin Chaolan, Jack-8 is a hybrid of the Jack models and the Combot concept. Finally, with the tournament as the perfect testing ground, Jack-8 is finally brought on-line.
A/N: And there you have it. I hope you liked it and my character line-up. We're going to be taking a brief detour in the next chapter to the side-road of this story. I think it's a good plot. So, thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back for more. Please R&R and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.