Hello everyone, sorry for the delay, I have been playing Tekken Tag 2 with friends a lot lately. I love fighting games but I'm terrible at them. Now onward with the story.

Liam was rested for this day to come. Uncle Howard said he'll be rooting for him in the Tournament. Liam smiled but then his shoulders dropped when he remembered the call from the night before.

"So you ready, runt?" Howard joked over the phone.

"Just about, I packed some other supplies too." Liam sat on his couch.

"You know this is a very big event, there has never been this many fighters in the history of this Tournament."

"I know. I'm just glad they give us a partner to work with."

"About that, pray you get teamed up with a woman; I'll be watching the TV closely."

"Not this again, I don't mind if it is a woman but I don't have an ulterior motive unlike you."

"Come on Liam, I mean this has a lot of very beautiful ladies. You have your friends, now it's time for you to snag a girl."

"I'm hanging up now." Liam scornfully lifted the phone away from his ear.

"Wait, forgot about it. I'm just an old man having too much fun. What I really wanted to do was to say good luck." Liam's expression faded away. "Also that I'm proud of you, you're still a kid so remember to have fun." Howard's voice cracked at the end.

"Are you crying?" Liam smiled.

"NO, damn phone signal must be bad. Anyway, I have to go."

"Or that I can hear you be even more proud of me." Liam teased.

BEEP BEEP BEEP. The phone call ended. Liam closed the phone and placed it into his pocket. "I'll take that as a Yes." Liam rested on the couch and turned off the light.

Back to the morning, Liam was escorted to the car Lee would drive. Lee stood there at holding the car door open.

"Thank you." Liam entered the car. He sat down and was quickly startled.

"Mr. Mishima, what are you doing here!?" Liam quickly straightened his back and shoulders then Heihachi laughed.

"Why to see you off of course." Heihachi was wearing the clothes back when they first met but his hair was black with his face was free of wrinkles.

"Wow you look great, sir."

"Thank you, I haven't felt this alive in decades. Something my lab succeeded in finally."

"Well a least you have benefited from all that patience."

Heihachi raised an eyebrow. Liam needed to act quickly.

"I think that is good for you, sir. Don't worry about me; I don't have any interest in your secret in how you completed your work."

"Good lad. You say that now but just wait." Liam shrugged.

Heihachi leaned forward. "Alright Jaeger, you will be staying at a hotel of my choosing, room service has already been taken care of, and with that all I ask is for you compete."

"Yes sir." Liam became quiet. Heihachi noticed this immediately.

"What is it?"

"I am curious on why have you chosen me with all this treatment and care. I am not grateful it is just that why so much for my sake?"

Heihachi rubbed his chin. "I think you will make this tournament interesting again. I'm tired of these people after these years. I am not sure of this myself either."

Liam became even more confused. Here he is with an influential man just because he defended a helpless student. Liam didn't know the reason and was on his mind for a long time. No matter what, he'll get his answer eventually.

"We have arrived sirs." Lee parked the car. Liam didn't realize how much he concentrated on this conversation. Heihachi smiled again.

"This is where we part ways. Here is your room key." Heihachi handed Liam a card key. Liam did a quick inspection seeing the letters "VIP" and the room was set on the fifteenth floor of the building. Liam exited the car and Lee handed him his bag. Liam looked up seeing a tall building, glass reflecting the rising sun.

"Good luck, kid." Heihachi said before Lee closed the door. Liam set his bag down and began to roll inside. The building was amazing. The ground below his was of dark cyan marble. The walls were spotless. The glass outside wasn't an illusion, the building was relaying on natural lighting. The feeling of the room was that a cool breeze as if standing on a beach. Liam smiled. Eventually a well-dressed woman approached Liam.

"Good day sir. How may I help you?"

"Yes may I check in?" Liam handed the woman the card. Her eyes widened.

"Right this way." The woman's posture became very stiff, focusing on the minor details. They made it to the front desk and the woman whispered to the main attendant. She developed the same expression. Liam tilted his head.

"Okay you are on the fifteenth floor. I will lead you there."

"Don't bother." Someone slapped Liam's left shoulder. He looked to his left to see a very big man. Red button up shirt, blue pants and brown suspenders. This hair was shaggy blond and had Blue eyes. Though the most noticeable feature about the man was that he is incredibly large in weight though he looked that he can handle himself, in short the man was very fat.

"I can take you there buddy." The big man grinned.

"I remember you from the last tournament." Liam dug in his memory, and then snapped his fingers. "Robert Richards, right?"

"I like you already friend, and just call me Bob."

"Alright Bob I'm Liam." Liam introduced himself.

"Alright, pleasure to meet you Liam the Lion." Bob extended his hand. Liam took Bob's hand and shook it. The two began to walk away from the front desk.

"Why did you call me a lion?" Liam asked when they ended their introduction.

"It's a way for me to remember people's names. The first letter of their name, I say the name of an object starting with the same first letter so later on when I come across that person I remember the object thus their name." Before Bob could continue there was a commotion happening at the reception desk.

"What do mean I'm not a contestant?" A man stood there with brown hair in a ponytail and wore torn pink karate clothing and a black undershirt. Eventually the security arrived and forcibly removed the man. "Let me prove myself. I am an excellent fighter. Let me go, I am the great-" Before the man could finish his sentence the door closed.

"Well that was new." Bob chuckled. Liam nodded in understanding. They walked to the elevator. Lucky for them the doors opened by the time they arrived. Two people exited the elevator. One was another blonde man in dark leather clothing with flames on the side of his pants. Dressed as a biker, his hair stood out too being that it is kept really high. The second was a young man. He wore dark brown chaps over his jeans and some kind of tight sleeveless vest. Bushed back hair and goggles on his forehead. Is he a biker also? Liam thought to himself as he entered the elevator and press the button for his floor.

"So you're new for this tournament?"

"Yeah, I'm excited and nervous at the same time."

"I was the same in my weaker days. But with this body I've constructed over the years, I will be one of the best."

Liam grinned; he didn't know how Bob really was. He educated himself of just the highlights of the previous tournaments. Not video but mentioned of paper. This will be interesting to see unfold.

Liam talked briefly with Bob until he reached his floor. Liam stepped out.

"Glad to meet you, I'm just a floor below you." Bob pressed the button. "See ya."

Liam turned around and walked down the hall. The key said Room 1512. Liam entered the room and was amazed. The room was enough to be the size of a condo. The glass windows were refined and seemed to be tinted slightly. The sun was lighting up the whole room. "Man, where are the curtains?" Suddenly the drapes above the windows slowly began to cover the windows. "Cool, voice activated."

Liam entered the bedroom to see a nice queen sized bed and a flat screen TV on the opposite end of the room. The TV flashed on. A well-dressed woman appeared on the screen.

"Welcome honored contestant to the Mishima Hotel. We would like to inform you that the opening ceremony of the tournament will be happening later today at 2 pm. Until then please do wait until it is time while other contestants arrive. Good bye." The TV turned off.

"Hmm, sounds good to me." Liam dropped his bag and jumped onto the bed. "If it isn't until this afternoon why bring me now?" He thought out loud. While becoming comfortable he fell asleep again.

Liam opened to see that the room wasn't a dream. He leaned upward and looked at the analog clock. It informed him that it was noon. He yawned and stretched. He exercised then took a shower. Afterward Liam dressed in semi-formal clothing of a grey button up shirt with black pants and red athletic shoes. The clock was now 1:30 so Liam exited the room.

The hallway was barren, it was still nice looking but the place seemed to missing something. The atmosphere was too apparent of being isolated though some of the rooms housed contestants that can do him physical harm. Liam sighed wondering if he made the right choice.

"Hey new guy." A woman's voice called. Liam shook his head to tear away from his thoughts and looked to his right down the hallway. Approaching him was a very beautiful woman of bronze skin that all the light did was complement it by shining off it, the woman was dressed in a lovely blue crop top long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. Her brunette hair reflected some crimson in the light. Her almond brown eyes matched his appearance perfectly.

"Can I help you miss?" Liam snapped away from his base observations.

"Yeah, it's almost time for the opening ceremony right? So what I am asking is do you know where to go?" The woman rested her left hand on her hip. Liam scratched his head realizing he didn't.

"I do not know either, sorry." Liam admitted.

"Don't sweat it; let's take a chance at the elevator." The woman pointed in the direction of the elevator lifting her right hand to her chest then extended her thumb. Liam nodded. "The old man would be saying some lame joke in hopes of impressing her if he was here, that old pervert."

They entered the elevator and lucky for them the monitor in it showed them that the ceremony was taking place on the tenth floor of the building. The woman pressed the button.

"I can tell you're new to this." The woman said as the doors closed.

"Yeah."

"So what brings you here?"

"I was asked to compete."

"You're too stiff; the others might perceive that as weakness you know." The woman wagged her right index finger in front of Liam's face. She still had such a good vibe though, like she loved to dance.

"I understand."

"Come on new guy can't you be a little happy?" The woman continued.

Liam loosened his shoulders; the woman noticed this and smiled.

"Well about time." By then the doors opened. "See you around, new guy." The woman exited the room and blended with the crowd. Inside the room was filled with a variety of people. He didn't know where to start and process seeing all these people. He decided not ponder too much about it and exited the elevator. He found an isolated table on the right side of the room. About the room it was rather bright. Along the wall was a stage and with it surrounded by tables and people. Liam looked at his watch to read it saying that it is 1:45 pm.

"Liam?" "What are you doing here?" Two familiar voices called out. Liam looked up to see Lili and Asuka.

"Hey you two, you're competing too?" Liam's became ecstatic learning that his friends were to compete too.

"Yeah, princess here couldn't stay too far out of my shadow." Asuka joked.

"You unrefined menace; this tournament will have no shortage of fodder."

"Whatever." Asuka lifted her head to the roof.

Liam laughed at this. Even though the two always seemed to at opposite ends of one another, he sensed strong friendship between them. While waiting the three talked to each other until the lights begin to dim. The three quieted themselves and looked toward the stage.

"Welcome to the King of Iron Fist Tournament." Heihachi entered the stage. He wore a black suit and blue tie, why a blue tie, Liam didn't know why. "Hello there contestants as you know this year it will be done with partners so I will just get to the point. If you have a partner great, if you don't, one will be appointed to you, tonight at the arena. At 7 o clock tonight the first match will take place. That is all." Heihachi exited the stage and room was bright again.

"Are you kidding me? We show up to for an update. What a waste of time." Asuka whined.

"So Asuka, want to work together?" Liam suggested

"Sorry Liam, I'm here with Lili."

"Indeed, her brute force shall assist me with my refined technique. With her assisting me I shall win this tournament." Lili finished with a smirk.

"Humph, look at this, plenty of runts to crush." A deep voice taunted.

Liam looked around himself to see an African American man with a Mohawk stand there with a smirk. He was wearing very casual clothes of a grey tank top and black pants. The man didn't wait for a response and left the room by taking the staircase. The three ignored this and talked for half an hour. Liam said his goodbyes and returned to his room to wait some more. He waited there until a drive came at his door and drove him to the arena

Liam finally arrived at the arena where it was beginning to become crowded with people. The arena was amazing too, since it looked like a bright stadium with light show on the top and large monitors on the sides showing the contestants. They entered the side of the arena. He carried a bag of clothes to fight in. He exited the car walked inside the arena. Someone came out to help Liam and let him to the changing rooms. Before entering the changing rooms a large monitor divided between the two changing rooms.

Above it there were the words, "Partner generator." Liam walked up to it and noticed his name was displayed. He tapped the screen, the words "please wait" was in large letters until it changed to "complete." Liam read the name and was confused.

"There is someone here named Combot?"

Wow, another long chapter. I know the tournament has arrived but this is a very large cast and I needed to introduce more characters. This chapter was needed though. I am also thinking of starting another Fan Fiction soon but of some other genre of video games and characters. I'll update you readers soon about it.

Shantty: Cool, I'm happy that the music idea kind of worked. Yeah, I think the beating was a fun to write for me and I think such things help define a person. Yeah, Leo is very fun to play as for me and with that I had fun thinking of things to do. I also hope Liam is at least believable to exist in this fighting game universe. And you have a lovely name.