Hit the spot and bell' but I don't step in the mud,
Walk up in the living room and it's smellin' like bud,
In the kitchen where it ain't no drinks, but a gang a food,
Ahh, let me pop the trunk, 'cause I brought a little somethin' for tha mood.

DJ Quik - "Somethin' 4 tha Mood"

Some time later, Sean and his group had migrated over to the steakhouse Garlend had mentioned earlier. The mood was cheery as Enzo drove into the parking lot, with Garlend and his entourage tailgating not far behind. Pulling up in a row of free spots next to the restaurant, everyone filed out of their respective cars, and made their way towards the restaurant's entrance, idly chatting along the way.

"Man, this has got to be the wildest twenty-four hours I've ever had in my life!" Sean remarked, walking in-between Sakura and Enzo. "I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around everything."

"It's been a wild ride for sure," Enzo agreed. "I'm just glad we didn't get arrested again."

"True," Sean admitted. "That fight with the Gracie school could've ended a lot worse if the cops showed up."

"Ay, y'all got nothin' to worry about," Garlend reassured, walking arm-in-arm with Menat. "You're rollin' with me, now; don't worry about any trife crap for the rest of the night."

"Yeah, let's just enjoy ourselves!" Elena said with a smile. "That Hogen guy aside, it's been a great night! Let's enjoy it!"

"Speaking of, I wonder if that clown will keep his word?" Sakura wondered. "$400,000 is pretty good money for anyone."

Sean snorted. "I'm not holding my breath. Besides, knocking him out was payment enough."

Soon, the group made it inside, and made their way to the reception area. Brazilian pop music filed the area as all the guests dined around them. Sean felt a nostalgic smile tug at his lips as he looked around the restaurant. It was classy, but not to the point where it would be considered "bourgeois." His family would to come here anytime they had big events like a fighting tournament; though Sean had gradually withdrew from going to the dinners, unless Laura literally dragged him along. His smile quickly morphed into a frown once he realized just how much he disconnected himself from his family over the last few years. He knew it was selfish, but he was - and still is - too deep in a bad place to truly be himself.

Sean's shift in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Enzo. "You 'ight?" he asked his cousin gently, tapping him on the arm.

Sean jolts, and blinks rapidly as he comes back to reality. "Uhhh! Yeah, I'm good," Sean quickly replies, waving a hand. "I was just zoning for a sec."

Enzo didn't seem convinced, but decided not to pry, simply nodding at him. They were here for a good time; now wasn't the best time to be asking the hard questions. He took a quick glance over at Garlend, who seemed to be on the verge of drooling at the sight of the various slabs of meats being carried around on spits by the restaurant's servers. He couldn't blame him; the food here was really good.

It took a bit of coordination, because of the increased size added by Garlend's team, but everyone had made their way to a pair of tables near the back of the restaurant. The Matsudas and their friends sat near a window, while the rest of Garlend's team sat directly across from them. Aside from the two native Brazilians, none of them had been to a Brazilian steakhouse before, and were curious how things compared to their respective steakhouses back home. Elena who had been taking in everything inside the restaurant, noticed a red card lying on the table.

"What's this for?" she asked Enzo, pointing at the card.

"That's how we get served," Enzo explained, picking the card up. "Most steakhouses like this one are all-you-can eat, so there's no menus. The cooks prepare the meat fresh, and the waiters come over with giant skewers of meat to slice the cuts you want onto your plate."

"So, kinda like a teppanyaki restaurant?" Sakura inquired.

Enzo nodded. "More or less, yeah. The card is basically our 'yes' and 'no' signal." He flipped he card over to its green side. "If we're still cravin' meat as we eat, we flip the card green side up, and waiters will keep comin' over to give us more meat. If we don't want any more meat at the moment, we flip it over to red, and they won't come to our table." He sets the card back down on the table, green side up. "There's also a food bar just to the left where you can get greens and other side dishes at."

"The only downside is that even though there's a flat fee, it can get pricey depending on the place, and it's per person," Sean added.

"That ain't nothin'," Garlend spoke, smirking. "Tonight was a massive win for the two of us, so I'm treatin'."

Sean waved his hand dismissively. "You ain't gotta do that, dude," Sean insisted. "We're good for it."

"Yeah, you don't have to pay for all of us," Elena said.

"Naw, y'all are good peoples in my book, so I don't mind" replied the boxer. "Plus, Sean and his fam were kind enough to let me into their home and break bread, so it's fair I repay 'em back."

Menat nodded. "I had heard your name mentioned in the fight with that Jujitsu school that happened earlier today. How'd you get involved in that, anyway?"

Garlend simply shrugged "Leon and I got lost looking for a good food place in that general area, and happened to stumble on it when we saw a crowd gathering around. I jumped in and helped drive 'em off, and that's basically how I met Sean and the rest of his fam."

"And you did so with no ulterior motives?"

"I was just tryin' to do the right thing," Garlend said. "I didn't even know who Sean was, besides from what happened last night. All I knew was that he and his cousins were about to catch a beatdown, and nobody else in that crowd was willin' to help."

Menat smiled. "Altruism is a rare trait in this day and age. I guess my master was right about you, after all."

At that, Garlend raised a confused eyebrow. "'Master'?" he repeated.

Menat nodded, still smiling. "Yes, my master. She taught me divination, and how to channel Soul Power. You might know her as Rose."

The whole table stared at Menat in surprise, Sakura especially. While Rose's reputation had carried throughout the fighting world, having had various entanglements with M. Bison, she was a mostly reclusive individual; so her having a student was news to them.

"Yo, she's legit?" Enzo asked in amazement. "I've heard about her, but I always thought she was an urban legend."

Menat shook her head. "No, she's very real. I've been her apprentice for a few years now. I've been living with her in Italy to learn her techniques, though she sometimes sends me across the world to test other fighters, or warn them about their possible fates."

Hearing this, Sean raised an incredulous eyebrow, and held up his hand. "Hold up. So you happened to foresee all of this mess happening, but didn't come around until just now?" He asked pointedly.

Menat's attitude didn't waver from Sean's accusatory tone, instead meeting his gaze with one of understanding. "Not entirely," she replies calmly. "I understand how you'd think it would seem that way, but all of this here wasn't in our visions." The fortune teller gestured to everyone at their table. "Despite our abilities, we don't necessarily see every little detail about the future when we have a vision. Master only knew that you were going to face some hard challenges, and sent me here only to contact you about your fate; we didn't know Karin would be here, or that things would go sideways with her." Her eyes diverted to her hands, regret spreading across her face. "Though I feel you and your cousin could've avoided your current situation had I arrived to Brazil sooner and warned you; I only arrived earlier today."

Sean's face softened somewhat at Menat's words, but he still couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Had he gotten forewarned earlier, he and Enzo could've avoided getting hauled off to jail, and having their reputations ruined. Granted, he couldn't deny he brought it all on himself by hitting Ibuki in the first place, but he wasn't the type to stand back and let someone disrespect his family like that. Before he had a chance to answer, Enzo spoke up.

"Bein' real, I doubt it would've made a big difference," Enzo said. "That Ibuki chick prob would've still said some shit that got us riled up anyway, and we still would've been stuck in this same shit. All me and Sean can really do is try and ride this out until everyone either moves on, or sees Freiza's made-up fairy tale for what it is."

"Don't forget that Sakura and I were there, too," Elena reminded, gently patting Enzo's hand. "We'll help curb whatever nonsense Karin tries to put out there."

A crooked, but genuine smile formed on Enzo's lips as he glanced at Elena. "It's appreciated. The fact that y'all even wanted to help us in the first place says a lot."

"We couldn't let Karin ruin your reputations over something she was partially responsible for," said Sakura. "It was the least we could do, really."

"And that's more than enough," Sean finally spoke. "Y'all coulda just went on your way with Karin and Ibuki, but you decided to help us and hang with us instead. We're definitely grateful, but they'll probably disown you two over it."

Elena rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively. "They can do whatever they please. I don't think Ibuki's beyond hope, but Karin's pride is blinding her to her flaws. I'd like for her to see the light, and quit being so snobbish, on top of apologizing to you guys, but I don't think that's going to happen for a long while."

"If it all," Sean remarked, shaking his head. "Anyway, we shouldn't be tripping over them; we're here to celebrate, right? Let's have a good time."

The table cheered in agreement, eager to enjoy the rest of the night after seemingly nonstop drama. Right then, a trio of servers came up to the table carrying skewers full of various meats hot off the grill. The fighters wasted little time picking the meats they wanted, and the servers obliged, slicing chunks of it onto each of their respective plates until they signaled they had enough. Once the waiters left, the group quickly made their way over to the salad bar to get their side dishes, eager to enjoy their meal. Sean was eyeing the collard greens on the bar, when he felt someone bump him on the shoulder. Glancing to his left, he saw Enzo standing next to him, grinning widely. "Sup, bruv?"

"Man, you gotta tell me how you pulled off that wicked spin kick on Hogen earlier!" Enzo asked excitedly. "I bet that crusty old fool wishes he never tested you!"

Sean blanched slightly at Enzo's words as his mind drifted back to the previous hour. Like with Ibuki the night before, he didn't remember the ending of the fight, and his memory got fuzzy when he tried to actively recall what had happened. Sean wasn't sure why him winning fights was suddenly causing gaps in his memory all of a sudden, but he couldn't just say he didn't know; his family didn't buy it last night, and Enzo would probably start thinking he was a mental case. How do you win two big fights with barely a scratch and not remember a single thing?

Thinking fast, Sean just shrugged and opted to settle for a simple half-truth instead. "I ain't totally sure my own self," he says with a light chuckle. "I've seen Ken do it, but I always had trouble even doing the basic one properly. I guess I was just kinda desperate to knock him out."

"It did look like you was tryna to go for the quick knockout, but those kicks definitely put him out like a light," Enzo replied with a nod. He kept his grin, but Sean could notice the slight doubt that crept along his expression. Enzo could read him better than Laura could at times and could tell when Sean wasn't being totally honest; but his answer was open enough to give Sean a chance to pivot from the subject.

"Yeah, I wanted to get a quick win, but he ended up being way tougher than the first time," Sean said smoothly, scratching the back of his head. "I kinda wish I didn't take his bait, though; Mom's gonna kill me once word gets out."

Enzo waved a hand dismissively. "You'll be fine; Aunt Brenda won't give you that much grief. It was a fair fight, you clowned the dude, plus you're a few hundred thousand dollars richer."

Sean just rolled his eyes apathetically. "I'll believe it when the cheque's in my hand and it clears at the bank."

As the cousins chatted among themselves, Sakura and Elena were having their own conversation at a different part of the salad bar. Sakura was growing worried about Sean, and confided in the Kenyan princess about her fears.

"The way his ki shifted in those fights, it was similar to how Ryu's did when he lost himself to the Satsui no Hado," Sakura explained in a low tone as she added some salad to her plate. "And the worst part about it is that Sean loses his memory of using it whenever it manifests, so he doesn't even know what's happening to him."

"Is memory loss normal for people affected by it?" Elena asked, not having any knowledge of the Satsui no Hado other than what Sakura had told her.

Sakura shook her head. "I don't think so, but I know that it can cause you to lose your humanity until you're nothing but a bloodthirsty killing machine." She gazed at Sean with concern. "Everything about yourself is stripped away; replaced by a murderous and almost suicidal desire to fight. It's horrifying to see in real time."

"Is this a regular problem for everyone who uses Ansatsuken?" Elena asked. While she wasn't blind to the fact that people would fight for selfish and self-destructive reasons or possess dark ki, having your fighting style manifest evil powers on its own was new to her.

Sakura shrugged. "I'm not fully sure. I know it took Ryu years to overcome his struggle with it, and Ken seems to be immune to it somehow. Akuma though..." Sakura shivered slightly. "He seems to enjoy embracing that power. God forbid he ever finds out Sean's harnessing it."

"Maybe Ryu could help him," Elena said hopefully. "At the very least, he could help Sean resist its influence on him."

"Maybe," Sakura mused wistfully as she thought about her longtime idol. Ryu had kept resisting the idea of taking her on as a student many times; and while Sakura doubted he'd make an exception for Sean, this situation would at least warrant his attention since Ken was little help. "But I'll have to figure that out once I'm back in Japan. He's not an easy person to get a hold of."

Elena nodded in agreement. "For now, let's enjoy what peace we have until we have to deal with Karin and Ibuki again."

Unbeknownst to Sakura and Elena, Menat had overheard their conversation and grew very concerned, but opted to keep quiet until she talked to Rose, knowing only a minimal amount about the Dark Hado and its power.

Before long, everyone had gotten what they had wanted, and made it back to their table just in time to order drinks. The women all ordered wine, while the men had opted for non-alcoholic drinks, to their surprise

"None of you drink alcohol at all?" Menat asked curiously.

"I'm drivin', so I can't," Garlend replied with a shake of his head.

"Same," Enzo chimed. "Otherwise I'd be celebratin' with my fair share of wine."

Sean chortled. "Probably for the best; you get wild when you get liquor in ya."

Enzo's eyes went wide, before settling into an embarrassed glare. "No I don't, fool!" Enzo hissed. "Don't be lyin' on me!"

Sean just laughed at his cousin. "Negão, please! Two glasses, and you're three sheets to the wind. Laura and Fabio used to have to bail you out of the crap you got yourself into all the time when you got sloshed."

Everyone at the table started laughing at Enzo as he sank down into his chair in embarrassment. "Like you're any better, 'Mr. Straight Edge,'" Enzo retorted. "A single drop would put ya ass out like it did when you was at Ken's party a few years ago."

"Hey now, you know that was a whole different scenario!" Sean replied indignantly.

"How so?" Elena asked.

Before Sean had a chance to answer, Enzo cut him off. "Ken Masters thew a party at his place once, and someone spiked the drinks with some strong vodka. Nobody knew until Sean started drinkin' and went off the wall, dancin' like Carlton Banks nonstop until he eventually passed out."

This time, it was Sean's turn to sink into his chair in embarrassment as everyone else laughed at him. He shot a dirty look at his cousin and silently mouthed an F-bomb at him. Enzo simply gave him the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster in return, elated at his petty revenge.

"I'm sorry, but the visual of that scenario in my head is just too funny," Menat giggled. "You must have torn up a couple carpets with all that dancing."

"And broke a couple priceless vases..." Sean muttered, eliciting another round of laughter. Eventually, Elena was the first to compose herself.

"Funny as that story is, that's a pretty serious situation," the princess said, glancing at Sean with a concerned expression. "Weren't you underage at the time?"

Sean nodded. "Yeah, I was almost 15. Ken almost got in trouble over it, until someone found out who actually spiked the drinks and got them arrested."

"That's a relief," Elena said. "And you never drank any liquor after that?"

"Not a drop."

"Props on that, man," Garlend said. "By the way, I've been noticin' that your voice sounds completely different compared to Enzo's. You sound like an Oakland nigga."

"That's cuz I was living in Oakland for a while," Sean explained, finally straightening himself up. "Ken and his family had just moved to Rockridge when I went to go find him, and I stayed there with them. The accent just kinda came from me hanging around Oakland."

"That makes a little more sense," Garlend said. "Rockridge is one of the safer O-Town areas to be in. Pricey as hell, though."

"Oh, definitely," Sean agreed. "There were a couple times I got lost and stumbled into some really bad spots like Fruitvale and Clinton; it was like night and day."

"Are American ghettos really as bad as media makes them out to be?" Sakura asked.

"Sometimes," Garlend said. "There's def truth to it, but it gets exaggerated most of the time. Some places now aren't as bad as they were maybe thirty or forty years ago, but it all depends on where you livin'. That's why I got my family out of Crenshaw as soon as I could afford to do it; it gets crazy over there."

"I know what its like to grow up poor as well," Menat said with a sigh. "Which is why I'm grateful my master took me in under her wing. And I'm sure your family is grateful as well for getting them away from a terrible environment. It takes a lot of strength to shoulder that responsibility." She smiled brightly at Garlend. The boxer was taken aback by the beauty of her smile, and quickly became flustered.

"I... well, uh... I do my best, y'know?" he managed to stumble out, earning laughs from the rest of the table.

Soon, the waiters came around with the table's drinks. Sean, Enzo and Garlend got their drinks individually, while the ladies got a whole bottle of sparkling wine to themselves.

"Oh wow, Miolo Seival!" Menat said as she eyed the bottle. "They usually sell this for nearly hundreds of dollars!"

Enzo waved his hand in a so-so gesture "It's okay," he said. "I've had better wines that are way cheaper."

"Still, we can't pass this up!" Sakura said as she took the bottle and began to pour the wine into her glass. "If it's part of the package, we might as well enjoy it."

"I'll drink to that," Elena chuckled.

"Pssh, I'll drink to surviving the last twenty-four hours," Sean said.

"Yeah?" Enzo said. "In that case, I propose a toast."

"To surviving the wrath of the Kanzuki Zabiatsu?" Sean replied sarcastically.

"Nah, fool, to all of us," Enzo replied, raising his glass. "First off, a toast to you for clockin' that soggy old bastard Pulk Hogen and weatherin' the storm that's been the last twenty-four hours. A toast to Elena, Garlend, and Sakura for helpin' us out in crucial moments earlier today. And last but not least, a toast to peace of mind for us and our families, and success in the near future for all of us; inside and outside of fighting."

"I'll definitely drink to that!" Elena said as she joined Enzo in raising her glass.

The rest of the table cheered in agreement, and raised their glasses as well. Sean, after a bit of reluctance, join the others in raising his glass, smiling genuinely.

"Y'know what? It's been a hell of a day, but y'all have been great company and support. Let's keep this good vibe going for as long as we can."

Everyone celebrated as they clinked their glasses together. The night might not have played out exactly how Sean wanted, but it was a success, and he was gonna take it.

The rest of the night had gone well for the group as they enjoyed their food and regaled each other with stories of their various adventures. Eventually, as the clock slowly approached midnight, everyone left the restaurant, mainly to get the Matsuda cousins home before they would get in trouble. The group, along with Garlend's crew, walked to the parking lot, happily chatting about future plans and exchanging contacts.

"So you're sticking around São Paulo for a little while?" Enzo asked Garlend easily. The boxer nodded.

"My flight back isn't for a couple days, so I'm just gonna kick back, and use the time as rest days," he answered. "Though that depends on what this li'l miss wants to do while she's here." He gestured to Menat with a smirk, who slapped his chest playfully.

"Don't get your hopes up, champ; we've only just met," she said, though there was no malice in her voice.

"Hey now, I wasn't insinuatin' anything dirty!" Garlend laughs. "Just sayin' there's probably plenty for us to do in this city."

Menat placed a finger on her chin and tilted her head in thought. "Perhaps... but I think we could all use a night's rest before making any decisions."

"That's fair," Garlend said. "It's been a long day; probably longer for everyone else, considering."

"I'm not complaining," Sean said. "This is honestly the most I've done in a long while. Bit of a bumpy ride to get here, but it's been a good time."

"Glad to hear it!" Elena said with a bright smile. "I'm still sorry this all happened because of Karin, but at least we got a net positive out of it."

"At least you and Sakura had our backs," Sean replied. "I dunno if she'll try to screw with you guys, though."

"If she does, we'll already have our video to counter whatever she says, plus a first-hand account if anyone asks for it," Elena says.

Soon the groups reached their respective cars in the lot. "I guess this is it for now," Garlend said, fist bumping everyone. "Thanks for comin' out to the fight; means a lot."

"Thanks for backin' us up at the store earlier," Enzo said. "Best of luck on your title fight, homie."

"Appreciate it," Garlend replied. "And if y'all ever plan on comin' to L.A. sometime, hit me up; I'll cover your flights."

"You don't have to do all that for us," Sakura said gratefully. "Tonight was more than enough."

"Like I said, y'all good people to me. I don't mind helpin' out from time to time; especially since I know y'all genuine."

"Well, in that case, you're always welcome at my home," Sean replied. "All the barbecue you can eat."

Garlend laughed. "I'll hold you to that, G. Peace, y'all."

"Nice meeting you all officially," Menat said as she followed Garlend into his car. "I'll be in touch as well."

The rest of the group waved and said their goodbyes as they got into their own car. Before long, Enzo had pulled out of his parking spot and began heading towards the exit.

"Where y'all staying at?" Enzo asked as he tapped the map app on his phone, preparing to exit the lot.

"The Rosewood," Sakura said. "One of the ritziest hotels here, according to Karin."

"Oh, I know where that is," Enzo rolled his eyes. "It ain't that far from here. Let's go before Karin sends an APB out for real."

Enzo drove off and headed down the north end of the street towards the Rosewood. Unbeknownst to everyone, A certain pig-tailed woman on a motorbike had been watching them from the parking lot from the time they walked out the restaurant. Grinning wickedly, she quickly pulled out her phone, and quickly dialed a number. Blue and pink heterochromia eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the parking lot as she gazed in the direction Enzo's car took off while the phone rang.

After a few moments, an icy, curt voice answered on the other line. "What is it?"

"Hello to you too, Kolin" She spoke with a raspy, high-pitched voice that dripped with gleeful sadism. "I found your new toy the president was talking about. I remember him from a few years ago, during Operation C.H.A.I.N.S. He's Laura Matsuda's little brother. And I know exactly where he lays his head."

"Is that correct?" the voice replied. "Go to his house tomorrow and test him; see if this power of his isn't just some beginner's fluke. Then we can see what Lord Gill says."

At that, the woman's evil grin grew even wider. The idea of facing a powerful new fighter made her sadistic hunger for carnage grow tenfold, and made her bones itch for the inevitable throwdown. "So does this mean I can play as much as I like?" she asked, not hiding her warped giddiness at her new mission.

"No chance," Kolin replied; her voice firm, but deadpan. "I specifically said to test him, not kill or cripple him. Regardless of your fight's outcome, he's no good to us dead or invalid."

The woman rolled her eyes and groaned petulantly, like a teenager who was grounded from going to a house party. "You motherfuckers are no fun, sometimes. Fine, I'll go easy on him, since you asked. But I can't promise his bones will be intact by the time I'm finished."

The woman ended the call there, and proceeded to drive off into the São Paulo night; eager to finally get some action for the first time in a long time.

...Long time, no chapter, eh? I'll be real, I've mainly been focused on IRL stuff this whole year. Recording a new album, dealing with my day job, family, that sorta thing. But I'll spare you the boring details. Hope you all have been well in these rough times though, and hopefully I'll be back in the fanfic saddle more consistently now. Not too proud of this chapter though, since I knocked 80% of it out during October 3rd, and I got nary a beta, nor am I fully happy with how I wrote most of the SF women lol. Maybe I'll revise this down the road, but for now... meh.

Til the next chapter,

A.T.