Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Hello and welcome. Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for reading. Well, we'll finally get to see the status of the family curse in our two protagonists. Also, the ultimate plans of our villain start to take shape. Before we start though, I must say that there is a 'shout-out' to LamboCJ, one of my most loyal readers. So, let's get to the action. And, here … we … go:
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 8: VIII for Vendetta
Vendetta Approaches
For Yushin
Tekken Force Captain Sven Alexandersson and his squad were all throughout the construction site, investigating the crime against Sven's friend. The captain stood in the middle and stared at the scene: The vicious pools of blood stained the ground. Two sources showed the two unforgiving strikes. A trail of drops leading away slowly disappeared into nothing.
One of Sven's officers came running up to him, "Captain, I have some bad news, sir."
Sven sighed in disappointment, replying, "I was afraid of that. What is it?"
The officer relayed, "Well, unfortunately, our search has come up empty. We can find no traces of the attacker or any indication of where he went."
"Hmph… Alright, but keep looking. Leave no avenue unchecked, leave no clue unturned… Agent Tealfire, what's your status?"
Agent Tealfire, a skilled Tech agent and Sven's right hand, had set up a mobile station and was looking over all electrical implements, audio, video, etcetera.
As Sven approached, Tealfire answered between his furious typing, "Sir, I've checked all the communications feed going in and out of this area, but it's all the same thing. Moments before the attack, all electricity in the area was suddenly cut out…"
Seeing something, Sven said quickly, "Wait, wait… Scroll back… What is that thing?"
They came to a still taken second before the blackout. Flying overhead in the shot was a menacing airborne object, blurry and slightly off-screen…
Agent Tealfire anxiously said, "I … don't know sir… but I will. I'll isolate it, resize it, and clear it up. Hopefully, we can get a clear shot of what we're dealing with here."
Pouncing on the opportunity, Sven said, "Good. Get that to me as soon as possible. This is probably the break we need."
Haku came into 'The Cage': sitting 17-foot-high was a circular cage made of black chains with a dome, the structure hung over a square fighting ring. It was an ominous setting with no one around and the only lights centering on the ring and the cell. The Kazama son wore a dark green sleeveless shirt with KGI symbol on the back, black karate gi pants, a gi shirt tied around his waist, and black kung fu shoes. He entered the site to find Susano already there. But the Jashin Hunter was oddly clean and oddly calm, almost serene.
Before Haku could say a word, the cage rumbled to life and slowly lowered. The chains clanged and rattled as it inched down. Eerie ambient music played and the spotlights flickered. Finally, the cage landed with a menacing loud thump…
The announcer's voice bounced off the chains, "Susano Jashin, Haku Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"
Haku animatedly started, "We need to talk… What happened to my cousin?"
Susano calmly replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Adamant and upset, Haku retorted, "Don't give me that. You were the last one he fought; you have to know something."
Susano again said with calm, "I fought and then I left. I honestly didn't see anything."
Haku unyieldingly continued, "So, I'm supposed to believe that you two hated each other, you both fought, and, when he gets attacked right after, you had nothing to do it?"
Susano plainly said, "Pretty much … but I will say that he got what he deserved… I hope he dies."
Haku went into stance, "That does it. I guess I'll have to knock the answers out of you."
The announcer's voice rang out, "Round 1! Fight!"
Haku used an innovative style, a heavily modified version of his mother's. He was agile and nimble but nowhere near as flexible enough to pull off the regular moves. He had changed most of the moves to suit himself; his moves were somewhat slower much stronger with faster recovery. Also, as an extra, he changed them to look more masculine. A brand new yet familiar technique combined with Haku's frenetic pacing made for a style all his own.
The Kazama son got in good shots, but Susano was mostly unfazed. The Jashin Hunter started manhandling and generally throwing Haku around like a rag doll with 'Demon's Lair', 'Iron Hand', 'Pulverizer', and 'Hell Axle'. Susano eventually grabbed Haku by the throat and tosses him into the cage with 'Broken Toy'…
"Yushin…" Haku thought in despair.
Susano coldly said as Haku struggled up, "He got what he deserved, your friend. He earned every last piece of pain and suffering he's enduring now. I guess the only thing wrong is that he didn't bleed fast enough."
Suddenly, his anger and pain rose until it was all he felt. He could feel and hear his heart beat like a drum. His blood boiled; his temples screamed. His red eye throbbed madly and felt like it was on fire. Soon, he felt his power grow as he got angrier and felt more pain. The muscles around his canines start to extend as the sharp teeth grew bigger. Haku stood and intensely gripped the chains as he endured the agonizing process of his muscles tightening and growing…
As the chorus of bones popping and muscles expanding grew louder, Susano responded in disbelief, "What in the … What are you…?"
As he turned, Haku saw an attack flash in his head, and didn't think twice about it. The Kazama stepped forward and rocketed Susano upward with a devastating uppercut… 'Devil Twister'! The Jashin Hunter let out a pained groan as he hit the ground with a loud THUD!
"KO!" The announcer's voice resonated, "Haku wins!"
Susano noticed the changes in Haku, but nevertheless, was lost to the danger he was in. Haku was slipping away and could barely see. He knew he was acting but he could barely tell how and what. All he could sense fully was the pain, and this form was excruciating, the pain only seeming to grow worse. It also seemed to make him stronger as it fueled his anger…
The announcer's voice blasted, "Round 2! Fight!"
Driven by rage and anguish, Haku stormed after Susano, using most of his moves like 'Eclipsing Moon', 'Fire Dancer', and 'Wings of Fury' but also moves he's never learned like 'Laser Cannon', 'Hell Scrapper', and 'Rengoku'. The Kazama Son's speed and agility were greatly improved, and he was able to attack and close space without recovery time. Susano stood no chance; no matter what he did, he couldn't stop him. Meanwhile, Haku couldn't sense anything now, not even himself fighting. He could only recognize his own torment and the toll this state took on his own body. Finally, Haku launched Susano with 'Dark and Stormy', and brought him crashing down with 'Wheel of Pain'. The Jashin Hunter yelled out in defeat…
"KO! Perfect!" The announcer's voice rang out, "Haku Kazama wins! Please advance to the Final Stage."
The possessed Kazama Son saw the prone Susano, and naturally walked toward him with teeth barred. Suddenly, a canister rolled under his feet and exploded in a cloud of gas. With his faraway mental state and his already tortured physical state, Haku was surprisingly vulnerable, and quickly succumbed to the gas, passing out. Almost out of nothing, a woman with red hair and dressed in full ninja attire appeared inside the cage with them, her face covered in a fox mask.
Whistling as she overlooked the damage done, Mitsuko said, "Looks like I got here just in time."
"Yes, but…" Susano asked, "What did he do? What is he?"
Mitsuko deduced, "Must be what Kamikage was talking about. And by the looks of him, you must have pissed him off."
"I spoke about their friend in the hospital."
"That'll do it…" Mitsuko quickly said, "Now, let's get him away from here. Kamikage is waiting…"
Withhold Satisfaction
"Captain! I've got it!"
Sven quickly ran over and commented on what he saw, "Is that… Is that a helicopter?"
On screen was a shot of the vague shape of an airborne military chopper. The picture was blurry, but it was a head-on shot…
Agent Tealfire answered, "Yes sir. I couldn't manage a shot of the pilot, but the capture was pretty direct."
"Can you clear it up? Maybe we can get an owner."
"Negative, sir. Any more retouching and the shot would be distorted. But there is something unique about it…" Tealfire pointed to a device on the bottom of the aircraft, saying, "Do you see that?"
"The thing that looks like a megaphone? Yes, what about it?"
Tealfire explained, "That is an EMP pulse emitter. Based on the size and shape of it, I'd say it's capable of knocking out the power for several city blocks…"
Sven said aside, "Of course… The perfect cover. This chopper knocks out all the power, so no one sees the crime take place."
Agent Tealfire noted with slight confusion, "A high-grade helicopter for an attempt on someone's life? Seems a bit excessive, sir…"
Sven reasoned, "Not if this is just the first shot… Not if the person already owns this chopper."
"So, we're looking for the owner of this helicopter?"
Sven emphatically said, "Affirmative. We find this copter, and it'll lead us right to whoever did this."
Agitated and pacing with her hands tense by her sides, Jun waited in the 'Red Ring', a large circular ring surrounded by a deep chasm. A single walkway led away, and the ground was coarse and rigid like dirt. Soon, Kamikage Nodachi arrived … when the stage showed how it got its name. The walkway separated from the ring and rose up in front of the entrance way. Fire erupted out of the chasm and surrounded the entire outer rim. There was no escaping this stage.
The announcer's voice boomed, "Kamikage Nodachi, Jun Kazama, get ready for the next battle!"
Jun adamantly asked, "Alright, spill it. What do you know about what happened to my cousin?"
Kamikage coolly replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Jun shot back as she felt the change beginning, "Save it. We know your friend Susano was involved and he doesn't think without your say-so."
Kamikage stiffly said, "You should watch who you're accusing, Jun-sama. It could end badly for you…"
As the fire roared even higher in seeming response, Jun choked out as she started to change, "You will pay…"
Jun went into fighting stance. Kamikage noticed something was off, but simply went into fighting position, falling into his faraway trance.
The announcer's voice blasted, "Round 1! Fight!"
All throughout the fight, the 'Red Ring' seemed to be an active participant in the match. The heat inside the circle was insane. The flames would erupt incredibly high with each 'Bound' juggle, throw, or stiff impact. The flames would soon prove particularly appropriate for the battle.
Jun's change was a true double-edged sword. Her speed and power were increased but the pain was quite incredible. She felt this before, but never like this. She felt like white-hot needles stuck in her skin and her insides were being torn out. Jun still fought using her own moves, but also saw the emergence of moves that were at once familiar but foreign like 'White Heron Dance', 'Three Ring Circus', 'Demon Slayer', 'Dragon Slayer', 'Kazama Style 5 Hit Combo', and 'Hell Scraper'. Her new speed and new power made nigh unapproachable, and Kamikage took a thrashing.
Jun dashed up to the older Nodachi low to the ground and uncoiled upward as she grabbed Kamikage by the throat. She soared high up and crashed down while driving her opponent into the ground. The flames blasted upward upon impact, and Kamikage screamed out in pain as he hit…
The announcer's voice resonated through the area, "KO! Perfect! Jun wins!"
Even with the round over, Jun's pain steadily grew, her suffering becoming great. Soon, she couldn't endure it quietly anymore. Jun fell to her knees, holding her ribs and stomach, and let out an inhuman roar of agony that sounded as feral and terrifying as it did tortured. Kamikage, however, sat up immediately upon hearing the pained howl. The sound of it triggered something in his mind. That roar was like … the other one, and in an instant, he realized what had happened. The older Nodachi became set off from this. His eyes grew wide, his jaw clenched, and his hands clawed…
Kamikage thought to himself as he rose, "That… She's like it… That monster…"
Jun tried to shake it off, getting back into position. Kamikage was oddly eager and a peculiar grin twisted on his face as he stood back in stance…
The announcer's voice boomed, "Round 2! Fight!"
Just as he went to one place usually, Kamikage went to whole different realm entirely this time. He started chuckling to himself, moved around a lot more, and became slightly erratic. Jun's torment only compounded the damage done by Kamikage's blows. Over and over, the older Nodachi delivered vicious blows like 'Abolishing Fist', 'Devastator', 'Shattered Spine', 'Soul Annihilator', 'Demon God Fist', and 'Engetsusen'. Striking with a smile, Kamikage ducked out of the way of a strike and connected with a flying kick, 'Hell Lancer'. Jun let out a harsh gasp of surprise as she flew backward.
The announcer's voice resonated, "KO! Kamikage wins!"
Kamikage commented in a slight craze as Jun rose, "That's right. Up we go… We're not done."
Her voice distorted, Jun angrily said, "I will get you! Do you know the pain you caused me?"
The flames erupting behind him, Kamikage's grin widened as he said, "Pain? You know nothing of pain … Not yet."
Her anguish and anger rising, Jun exclaimed, "I won't forgive you! You will pay! I'll kill you!"
Kamikage laughed evilly and asserted, "I doubt that very seriously. The one to pay the ultimate price … and perish … will be you."
As the flames erupted further again, the announcer's voice rang out, "Final Round! Fight!"
From the start, Jun was in trouble. Her temples throbbed madly. She felt as if her muscles were being ripped from her bones. Her bones felt like they would split and burst right out of her skin. She felt like her insides were being twisted and wrenched. The sheer internal pressure made her feel like she would explode. Eventually, she could barely stand it all, let alone fight. At one point, she seriously considered throwing herself into the flames. Her power still increased with her pain, allowing her to stay in the fight by mere force alone. Any damage she took was amplified tenfold. Finally, she couldn't endure it any longer and fell to her knees, unable to even function.
Kamikage wasted no time in taking advantage. The older Nodachi spun forward once as he went low to the ground… He spun forward again as he gathered red energy around himself… Finally, he unleashed all the power in a wide arcing leg uppercut, leaving a red crescent of energy behind. The Princess of the Iron Fist let out a pained groan as she hit the ground…
"KO!" the announcer's voice reverberated once more, "Kamikage Nodachi wins! Please advance to the next stage!"
The match over, everything came to a calm. The flames subsided and went out as the walkway lowered once again. Jun suddenly felt her new power and all her pain disperse and fade away. It took only moments for her to realize that she only had a vague recollection of what happened. All of this however, no matter the outcome, it didn't stop her from still being distressed and confused…
Still upset and angry at her opponent, Jun asked with effort, "Why? Why did you hurt my cousin?"
The older Nodachi ignored the question and simply took out a device from his jacket. With a point and the push of a button, he sprayed and covered her in a type of gas. Jun coughed immediately, and soon the room, for her, started spinning. The Princess of the Iron Fist became very groggy as everything she saw blurred and finally … went black. Jun passed out…
Kamikage finally answered, "You'll find out … in just a short while."
The older Nodachi looked at Jun as she lying helplessly, and again something took a hold of him. What was triggered in him during the fight … began to flood within him. His mind overflowed with dangerous desires, even until he started shaking with excitement. Quickly, he extracted his knife and flipped it open. He began to approach her with the full intent to fulfill his plans when … he suddenly stopped.
Lowering his own hand with his other, Kamikage said to himself, half-singing it, "Not yet, my friend… Just a little longer… Patience… Enjoy it. Revenge can't be taken in haste…"
Kamikage put his knife away, and picked Jun up, throwing her over his shoulder. At last, he took his leave with The Princess of the Iron Fist in tow…
End Chapter
A/N: There you have it. Things are getting heavy, aren't they? Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Now, I'm going to be doing some rapid uploading soon, so this story is going to start getting fast. So, I hope you come back soon. Thank you again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I really hope you come back to read again. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.