TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
ACT 9: My Friends
At Leroy's dojo in Chinatown, New York City, USA
Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law, having traveled to New York to visit Marshall's son Forrest, was now inside the dojo of Leroy Smith. He was the elderly master of Wing Chun, who had recently taken Forrest under his wing and taught him all kinds of things needed for an instructor.
Paul and Marshall sat and watched as Forrest was instructing these young boys and girls in how to do some fighting moves. Sitting between those friends was Sugar, Leroy's trusty dog companion.
Leroy was standing behind, observing the lessons with so much pride. Clearly, he was satisfied with what Forrest was doing.
These children came from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. That explained the amount of diversity and understanding between the students.
"Alright! Follow me lead, kiddos! Watch this!" Forrest showed them a kick move that had learned from his father.
All those students were amazed by what their instructor was capable of.
Marshall chuckled as he looked at his son. "Man, I remember him teaching that technique. Looking back, Forrest sure was a fast learner" he recalled to the days when Forrest was just a little boy.
"Well, you taught him well, buddy. Heck, he's already proven to be dojo material. He's definitely worthy of taking over yours once you pass the torch to him" Paul remarked, impressed with the young man's talent.
The lesson was soon over and Leroy stepped forward to end it. Every student bowed their heads before him.
"Alright, children. This lesson is hereby over. Remember what I've told you: fight discipline whenever you're in combat" Leroy gave some words of advice to these children. "I'll be seeing y'all tomorrow. Take care until then" he bid them farewell.
One by one, these young aspiring fighters exited the dojo. This left Leroy and Forrest alone with Sugar the visiting martial artists.
"You folks were amazing out there!" Paul exclaimed before looking at Forrest. "Especially you, Forrest. I never knew you would've been a great instructor" the Judo fighter heaped praises on him.
Forrest scratched the back of his head nervously. "Please, don't flatter me too much. It's embarrassing…" he lightly scolded Paul.
"I can't believe how much of an inspiration you are, Leroy. I mean, all those kids seem to enjoy coming here" Marshall complimented him.
Leroy seemed very appreciative, and he was already down on one knee to pet Sugar on her head. The bulldog happily wiggled her tail in appreciation.
"I know that. However, there's a good reason as to why my dojo exists" Leroy said as he adjusted his glasses. "After all…..this place is a sanctuary for those who wishes to live in a community of peace" he sighed as he said that.
Marshall raised an eyebrow. "A community of peace? Sorry, but you lost me there" the Chinese-American man kindly told him.
"It ain't that difficult to understand, Marshall" Paul interjected, smiling slightly as he looked at Leroy. "With this place, you hope to reverse any negative impact those kids may have to deal with in the city. You're doing this so that they have at least some guidance" the Judo fighter tried guessing the answer.
In hearing this, the elderly man chuckled, amused at hearing Paul's answer. He got up on his feet and looked at him.
"Quite true, Paul. Couldn't have said it better myself" he said.
"But Master Leroy, what if some of those students were to abuse your teachings for their own ends? I mean, how would that make you feel?" Forrest suddenly asked him.
This made Leroy think deeply, and he was even facing the floor as he did that. Clearly, this was a question which at first appeared difficult for him to answer. Yet those around him were surprised by him looking at them with a smile.
"You seemed to have forgotten somethin', Forrest. Whether one of those children will use their fighting skills for crime…is their own decision" Leroy said, only to frown a little as he kept the conversation going. He even moved his hand over the right shade of his sunglasses "That said, I wouldn't have forgiven any of them had they walked down that path. Crime kills…..which I can attest to" he recalled back to the day he received his blind eye.
Paul and Marshall, despite having met Leroy for only a day, had immediately started taking a liking to him. His backstory, let alone his journey to battle crime in New York, had moved them.
"Given the life's he's been through…I'm not surprised that he devoted himself to fight crime" Marshall thought, starting to wonder whether he would've turned out similar to Leroy had his own life been similar to his.
"That he managed to battle THE Heihachi Mishima to a draw is amazing. Not to mention that he doesn't care much about wanting to beat him" Paul thought about Leroy's rivalry with the late Mishima Patriarch. He looked down to reflect on himself. "Man, and I'm still feeling determined about kicking Kazuya's ass. Maybe that goal ain't worth all the trouble after all" he wondered.
Suddenly, Leroy walked over to what appeared to be a small chest. It was of Chinese design, given the dragon decorations that were on it. Opening it with a key, Leroy snatched whatever was inside it.
"Ummm…...what are you looking for, master?" Forrest quizzed as he and the others got up behind him.
"I was just thinking that since your father and Paul Phoenix are now staying with us for a while, then why not do something together as a group of friends?" Leroy suggested as he kept searching for whatever things he had in that box.
"What type of fun do you mean?" Paul wondered, kind of curious to know.
Leroy chuckled. "Trust me, Paul. It's got nothing to do with gambling, bearbaiting or whatever makes you feel unsafe" he threw a jibe at Paul.
Paul grumbled, while the Laws snickered silently. They knew that he had bad experiences with bears, especially if the bear was called Kuma.
Leroy finally found what he was looking for and turned around holding four tickets between the fingers of his right hand.
Forrest almost gasped. "Wait! Are those…" he was given the answer as Leroy nodded.
"Yup! These are tickets to today's game at the Yankee Stadium later. It's the NY Yankees versus the Baltimore Orioles" Leroy revealed with a smirk.
"Wooaaaaah…." Marshall was almost speechless. "How the hell did you manage to pay that amount of money? I hear that baseball tickets has gotten more expensive lately" he remarked.
"Well, let's just say I have my own ways. Still, I was hoping that you folks would be interested in joining me for the match. It gets boring to stay here in Chinatown all the time" Leroy answered Marshall's question. "So y'all in on this?" he asked them.
"I'm in!" Forrest enthusiastically chimed in as he stood by Leroy. He looked at his father and Paul. "Come on, guys! Let's have some fun while we're at it. You've been through so much, lately" he encouraged them to tag along.
The two friends looked at each other, with Marshall eventually smiling.
"Forrest does have a point. Let's forget about the trouble of this world for a while. We can at least enjoy something" the chef/fighter agreed with his son.
Paul seems disinterested at first, yet he too was in favor of going to the game.
"I never really cared much about baseball. But what the hell. Let's do this" he expressed his wish to go to the games.
Leroy seemed happy, and he and Sugar were already at the dojo's door.
"Then let's hit the road. We'll take the subway to Bronx" he told them.
And so, they all exited Leroy's dojo. Hopefully, Paul and Marshall would use this baseball game to get to know Leroy better. At the same time, they also hoped to use this trip to New York as a holiday or some sort.
At a rooftop bar called CityBar, Washington D.C., USA
At this rooftop bar in the US capital, Bo "Rodeo" Montana was currently sitting on a stool before the counter. It was quite noisy behind him, seeing as men and women were laughing and dancing to whatever music that were played in the background.
But even as he sat there, Rodeo looked quite miserable. The bartender could already see it and wondered why.
"What's up, buddy? You look rather grim for some reason" he asked the soldier.
Rodeo, who had been looking down through his mug for a while, turned his attention to him.
"Oh…..you think so?" he stammered.
"Come on. Don't give me that response. The most miserable people usually sit in front of the counter. I haven't been long in the business for nothing" the bartender pointed out, finding the need to tease Rodeo a little. "Jealous that you don't have a date perhaps?" he tried to get under his skin.
This made Rodeo snap. "T-that's not it!" he slammed his left fist on the counter, yet he tried not to make a scene here. Sighing, he decided to clear things up. "You want to truth? Alright. I'll start first be mentioning that I pretty much enjoy the single life, given my tough profession" he answered the bartender.
The bartender raised an eyebrow at Rodeo. "Tough profession? You mean as in…..the army?" he questioned him with a hint of interest in his eyes.
Rodeo rubbed his face, feeling annoyed. "What am I even doing? You're just a bartender! There's no point in telling you about my loss" he groaned.
"Actually, there is, Bo Montana" the muscular man's eyes widened as he looked to his left.
It was a middle-aged man with a bald head who appeared to be dressed formally. Regardless of that, Rodeo's eyes didn't deceive him.
"Colonel…..is that really you?" he asked his superior, the same man who had watched over his training and efforts on the battlefield.
The colonel smiled as he took his seat beside Rodeo. "It's been a long time, soldier. Boy, have you changed since we last met" he mumbled in a amused tone. He then took a stool besides Rodeo. "One mug of beer for me too, please. The same as this fella here has" he told the bartender, who quickly agreed to his service.
While the bartender started preparing the drink, Rodeo was at loss of words. The man who had played a huge role in training him and his late squadron was just sitting beside him as if there was nothing going on between them. Clearly, he had so many questions.
"Colonel…what's the reason behind…." Rodeo started asking him.
"At ease, Montana. Me being here is purely by coincidence. Did you forget that I actually live here in D.C.?" the colonel assured him, watching as the mug of beer was served to him. "Besides, I've been quite busy with attending important meetings at Pentagon lately. In fact, this is the only day-off I get" the grey-haired man revealed.
This made Rodeo chuckle in amusement. "You don't say. Thanks for clarifying yourself then" he said while taking a slurp from his mug. "Still, it's really a surprise to see you again after so long. Last time I saw you, I was being transferred to the MCRD in San Diego" he then remarked.
The colonel nodded weakly. "True. I even hear that you had one hell of a road trip in Japan. Not only did you enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7" he said before sipping some beer. "You got involved in some serious stuff too, right? Battling Zaibatsu-scoundrels and G Corp-dirtbags. Or worse of all….starting a hunt on your own" the colonel revealed an honest truth.
Rodeo snapped, yet he didn't open his mouth to protest. Instead, he lowered his head in slight shame.
To soothe the burden Rodeo put on himself, the colonel gently nudged him with his elbow.
"Hey. There's no need to feel ashamed, kid. The Secretary of Defense told me everything. You wanted Revenant's hide, which sounds like a stupidly dangerous wish" he told the soldier in a serious voice. Yet the colonel's expression softened a little. "But quite frankly, I can't really blame you for doing so. Believe me, Montana. I too despise that bastard for what he did to them" he explained in a quite sympathetic voice.
The colonel then pulled something out of his jacket and put it on the table underneath Rodeo's face. His eyes widened as he could see what that picture was. It was a picture of Rodeo along with his late squadron. Being reminded about their loss was painful for him to bear.
"Arthur…..Diana…Carlos…Faye…." Rodeo always remembered the names of his loyal comrades.
Rodeo looked to his left, watching the colonel smile at him weakly. "Make no mistake. Just because of us being more focused on the G Corp, doesn't mean we're gonna stop chasing those cultists. They must answer for whatever messed up things they've stood behind. This world doesn't need more misery on its shoulders" he informed his former subordinate.
Rodeo had looked at him surprised. Even so, he managed to find the merit in the colonel's words. In fact, Rodeo found himself smiling.
"Yeah….I'm all up for it!" he exclaimed, yet felt the need to ask more. "Which reminds me…..what do you know about that satellite above space?" the soldier asked.
The colonel looked down at the table as he tried to come up with an answer.
"It's hard to figure out what it is, but the president believes that the satellite could perhaps belong to an unknown player. Someone much worse than the likes of G Corp and the Zaibatsu" the grey-haired man informed him.
Rodeo looked at the colonel questionably. "Much worse than those Mishimas…..as well as the Acolytes of Pluton? Damn, the world's in big trouble, that's for sure" he cursed.
"While you were in Japan, I understand that you came into contact with certain individuals of interest" the colonel remarked as he looked at Rodeo. "There was this leader of the anti-Mishima movement named Lars Alexandersson. Then there were those two top agents from the UN. Is it true that you worked together before you returned home?" he questioned Rodeo.
The soldier nodded his head, keen on answering his former superior.
"True. But after the climax on Hawaii, we parted ways. I've not been in contact with either of them since. But I can only imagine that they're already making their move with regards to the G Corp's activities" Rodeo answered, only for something to hit inside his head. He looked at the colonel. "Wait. Are you suggesting that we reach out to those groups?" he quizzed.
The colonel nodded his head. "In light of what has transpired, America may need to rely on other forms of allies rather than NATO and other countries. Considering how this "Yggdrasil" possess information from corners of the world, their cooperation could prove beneficial" he expressed what the plan was.
Somehow, Rodeo had to muse himself about this proposition.
"Well, good luck getting into contact with them" he remarked as he took a slurp from his beer.
"Which is why we need you to be our middleman" the colonel pointed out.
This almost made Rodeo choke on the beer in his throat, yet he managed to swallow it. He looked at the middle-aged man in a rather offended manner.
"Middleman? That's what you're gonna call me? I mean, I'm up for doing it and all, but calling me a middleman is just…..stupid in my book" Rodeo protested.
But the colonel seemed rather dismissive towards him. "On your feet, soldier. This is not the time for you to be making lame-ass complaints. You do realize what's at stake for this country" he started motioning his head backwards.
As Rodeo looked at the crowds of people drinking and laughing, he understood what the colonel meant. While all of them were adults, some of them had perhaps family or friends that they valued highly. To imagine them being lost by bloodshed was hard for Rodeo.
"Yeah, I get it, sir" he agreed before returning his focus on the man beside him. "But first, we need to know for sure that the G Corp are not planning an invasion of the US. Because if they are…we'll be pretty damn busy with homeland security" Rodeo pointed out.
The colonel nodded. "Which is why I want to inform you that when the time comes…you'll be standing with your peers and comrades to defend our country. Will you promise me that, Montana?" he wanted an honest answer from him.
Rodeo smirked. "Do you even need to ask? My answer is painfully obvious. No way am I gonna puss out!" he teasingly chastised his former superior.
The colonel let out a huge laugh. "Now that's the squadron leader I remember!" he praised Rodeo, only to put a hand on his right shoulder. "Anyway, I know this bar may not be the best place say this, but it's good to have you back, soldier. Things in the army haven't been the same without you" he went on to welcome him back.
Feeling glad to have met up with his former superior, Rodeo resumed drinking.
Somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean
Ling Xiaoyu and Asuka Kazama were still being held as prisoners on this unknown location somewhere in the Mediterranean. This was a fortress belonging to the mysterious Archers of Sirius.
Having been kidnapped by Claudio Serafino in hopes of being used as baits to lure Jin Kazama, the two girls had been holed up in this medieval prison cell with almost no daylight. Still, they had been given food and water, although under tight supervision from the exorcists themselves.
"Argh! This is so stupid!" Asuka angrily threw her empty cup away
The cup hit the stony wall, yet it didn't break. That only added to the brunette's frustration.
"How long are they gonna keep us chained up like this!? Couldn't they had at least put us in a more different and comfortable cell!?" Asuka wondered while looking at the chain ball attached to her right leg. She sighed. "And not only that, this chain ball's killing me! I don't think my leg can take it anymore of this weight" she complained.
Looking to her left, Asuka wondered why Xiaoyu hadn't said anything in a while. As she looked at her Chinese friend, Asuka could see that she was pondering about something. This made Asuka curious.
"What is it, Xiaoyu? You've been like that for quite some time" the Japanese girl asked her.
Xiaoyu was still facing her lap, yet it appeared that she had heard her friend's question.
"Asuka…..did you see that woman…..her left hand….it's cursed!" she answered.
Asuka looked at Xiaoyu with a worried expression, eventually facing down on her own lap.
"Yeah, I saw it too. But it wasn't necessarily her deformed hand which terrified me most" the brunette agreed.
Xiaoyu looked at her friend. "He still lives, Asuka. Azazel is still alive. He didn't die as we all believed he had. That means everything Jin did…has been for nothing" the Chinese girl expressed her worries.
This time, Asuka looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Hold your horses, Xiaoyu. Are you telling me that those lives who were lost HAD to be sacrificed?" she asked him directly.
"No, you misunderstand!" Xiaoyu countered, careful not to let her emotions get the best of her once again. "I have and will never condone Jin's actions. They're inexcusable. But I'm afraid that once he finds out the truth about Azazel…he will descend into despair…for all those lives he took" he revealed her greatest fears.
This made Asuka's expression change into something much more sympathetic. Clearly, she too understood what this would mean for Jin. She was about to reply when another female voice could be heard before her.
"That will be an unlikely outcome, Ling Xiaoyu" both girls looked towards the bar and saw Zafina standing there.
The Egyptian woman was looking at them rather grimly, her face hinting to how cold and determined she was. Still, there was something else about her that neither of the girls could grasp.
"You!" Asuka and Xiaoyu said in unison.
"Jin Kazama will not lose himself to despair…seeing as he will be disposed of before he even gets the chance" Zafina solemnly informed the prisoners.
Hearing this made Xiaoyu grit her teeth. "Like that's ever gonna happen! There's no way Jin will die so easily!" she snapped, but the Chinese girl had more to say to her. "Now as for your left hand…how could you do that!?" Xiaoyu wanted to know more about it.
Zafina narrowed her eyes in displeasure. "I believe I made myself clear to you yesterday. What I did…..I did it to prolong humanity's safety from Azazel…..as well as saving my people from his wrath" she responded, only to show what she was holding in her left bandaged hand.
The girls were stunned as they watched Zafina holding Azazel's Orb. This dark purplish orb seemed to carry a lot of dark power within it.
"Azazel's physical form may be gone, but his spirit and power live on. And he will continue to do so as long as the influence of the Devil exists in this world" Zafina revealed to the captors as they listened.
The longer Asuka and Xiaoyu looked at the orb, the more they could hear the sound of an ancient beast roaring and howling for revenge. Azazel resented the fate he had received and hungered for revenge against the man who had put him in such state.
"That is why both Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima must die. Even as we speak, their devilish powers are slowly fueling the Rectifier's energy, inside my arm!" Zafina continued on.
Even after hearing and seeing this, Xiaoyu refused to believe everything this woman said.
"That still doesn't change anything! Jin had made it clear that he wants nothing to do with any of this nonesense. Leave him out of whatever vendetta you have against him!" Xiaoyu retorted.
Zafina scowled at seeing such persistence. "Has your devotion to that man really destroyed your sense of judgement? As a student of Wang Jinrei, I had expected you to have some decency and understanding. Sadly, I was mistaken" the Egyptian woman told her nonchalantly.
This really set the spark of fire within Xiaoyu. She could not stand anyone bringing her deceased master and distant relative into this discussion. Her fists clenched onto her lap.
"I told you to not bring gramps into this! You know nothing about him!" she snapped at Zafina, who was completely unfazed by her outburst.
"On the contrary, I do" she shot back at the girl. "I know for a fact that Master Wang would never let evil spread across the world. That was what made him a great champion of the world. It is also why he was willing to sacrifice himself…for us…." Zafina spoke with nothing but admiration towards the revered master.
Asuka tried to look closer, and she thought she could see small tints of tear running from her eyes. Was it real? The Japanese girl struggled to understand it.
On the other hand, Xiaoyu was enraged. To her, it was a great insult that someone Zafina could speak as if she had known Wang all her life. After all, Xiaoyu had known him all her life. He was the one who had trained her in the art of combat. To see Zafina speak about him in such manner infuriated her.
"Stop speaking as if you and him were close! Someone like you have no right to use him as a means of scolding me!" Xiaoyu spoke up.
"I am not scolding you, fool. Such effort is wasted upon a naïve child who does not know the gravity of this situation" Zafina responded with an insult.
Before Xiaoyu could open her mouth, Asuka quickly put a hand on her left shoulder. Looking at her, the Chinese girl saw Asuka shake her head weakly. Xiaoyu eventually understood why she did that. It was encouragement to not let her emotions get the best of her.
With that taken care of, Asuka diverted her attention to the woman behind the bars.
"I say we back up a little just for now. Perhaps you would like to tell us why you're here" Asuka suggested, her eyes completely fixated upon Zafina. She remained unresponsive, yet that didn't stop Asuka. "Don't act stupid! We know for a fact that there's a reason for you being here!" she pointed out.
Zafina weakly shook her head at the Japanese girl's accusation, yet she decided to reply anyways.
"If you must know, I came here to see if you had made up your minds about joining us on this hunt. But again, you two are refusing. That is the honest answer, Asuka Kazama" she answered.
Xiaoyu had to smirk. "Yeah right! You think we'd actually believe that?" the girl with the pigtails questioned the woman with her arms crossed.
"True. Because as far as we're concerned, your "partner" now wants to use us as baits to lure Jin to this very location" Asuka joined her friend in "interrogating" Zafina.
For some reason, the Egyptian woman started to feel something. Was she feeling as if she was cornered? Or was it something that both girls seemed to have uncovered? Either way, Zafina didn't look as confident as she was before.
"I have no idea what either of you are speaking of!" she snapped at them.
Both girls seemed quite mischievous as they looked at her. What Zafina didn't know was that they seemed to have figured out what her "game" with them was.
Looking at each other, they both nodded before returning their eyes on their captor.
"You clearly didn't come here just to check on us, that's for sure" the Chinese girl pointed out.
"Instead, you're starting to have second thoughts about teaming up with that slimeball of an exorcist. The reason? Probably because you find his methods of using us…...questionable" Asuka started to dig in deeper.
"ENOUGH!" Zafina's voice rang like an angry command, and she even pushed her face between the bars to lash out at them.
It was quiet in the prison cell and the outside hallway once she had said out those words. Taking a deep breath, Zafina looked at her bandaged arm to see if the dark powers within her had started to take advantage of her conscious. To her relief, it didn't appear that way.
"Tell us we're right!" Asuka's voice made Zafina devote her attention to the captives. "Deep down, you absolutely abhor this sort of method being used to capture Jin. You actually believe we've got no part in it" the young Osakan continued.
"So are you still gonna keep following his orders? Are you really that desperate to eliminate Jin and Kazuya so much?" Xiaoyu felt like asking more questions.
Realizing that these girls were attempting to do, Zafina closed her eyes, pretending that she hadn't heard every word they had said. Still, the astrologist felt the need to respond.
"No matter what insults or accusations you throw at me….I will not heed them" Zafina answered, turning around to who her back to the captives. She briefly looked over her shoulder to glance at them one last time. "Because I will not be judged for doing what is right for the sake of the world. Not even by a pair of immature loudmouths who pretend to know everything about me" she said before taking her leave.
Neither Asuka nor Xiaoyu could understand what Zafina was thinking of right now. Had their words somehow managed to hit something within her? They couldn't tell the answer.
Yet for Zafina, personally, those words had indeed struck a chord. She clutched herself onto her left hand tightly. Clearly, she was very conflicted on the inside, and not just as a result of wielding Azazel's power inside it.
"Is using such tactics justifiable? After all, ending those Mishimas is a kindness. The Devil's influence must be purged" thoughts and questions began swirling inside her head.
The longer the astrologist kept pondering questions like that, the more she started to doubt herself. Because deep down, she never endorsed Claudio's ruthless methods. But what if such methods were done for the good of the world?
"No. I refuse to be swayed be these doubts! The ends justify the means!" the Egyptian woman procced to walk through the darkened and stony hallways.
At a Thai military base outside Bangkok, Thailand
This military base belonged to the Royal Thai Army. This explained the tight security, both inside and outside the base. Watchtowers stood along the walls, looking out for any potential attacks.
Given rumors about a G Corporation military attack, Thai authorities had put its armed forces on high alert. The threat of invasion was possibly imminent and they wanted to protect their most valuable military assets.
This base right here hosted one of them. Even as the night had descended upon the camp, there were soldiers patrolling every corner of it. There was also lights flashing around, especially from the watchtowers. Needless to say, this was a tough place, and only members of the Thai military or government were allowed inside. Those who weren't were either escorted away forcibly or shot to death.
Just near the camp itself, two guards were relaxing near the jungle. One of them was sleeping while the other was smoking. For a while, nothing seemed to bother them until….
"Huh?" the smoking guard notices a nearby bush start moving.
For some reason it didn't stop. Nudging his comrade gently, the guard pointing his finger at the moving bush.
"Tậngcı fạng. See that bush? There must be someone there!" he called out, pulling out his assault rifle. "I will go and check it out. You stay here, got it?" the soldier then proceeded to move towards the bush.
The sleepy guard remained at his post, yawning as he held onto his rifle. He didn't necessarily seem to take his colleague's words seriously enough.
"Come on, it's probably just a civet or something! There's nothing to get all worked up for" he groaned, annoyed at what his fellow solider was doing.
But the smoking guard kept moving towards the bush, clutching onto his weapon tightly.
"There's no way this could be the result of an animal. I best take a close look at what's…." he stopped once he could hear a muffled scream.
Quickly turning around, the soldier was mortified at seeing Bryan Fury standing there with a bloodied knife in his hand. The other soldier was on the ground lifeless. It was clear to what had happened.
Bryan grinned sadistically. "Sorry, but I appear to be lost. Could you please point me the way to the nearest village?" he asked the soldier out of mockery.
Rather than asking, the soldier was about to open fire at Bryan. But with his back turned against the bush, he failed to realize that someone was planning an ambush from behind.
Out from the bush emerged Sergei Dragunov, the Russian soldier using his quick skills to ring the soldier's neck. Not a single shot had been fired from the soldier's rifle.
With those guards taken care of, Bryan smirked as he looked at Dragunov, even though he showed no emotion in return.
"Nice kill there, Rusky. Good thing I managed to get his attention away from you" the cyborg mockingly praised the Russian soldier, while addressing him by the ethnic slur once again.
Dragunov narrowed his eyes, understandably displeased with Bryan's degrading of his kill, let alone his ethnicity.
Looking over at the base, the two fighters hid themselves so that they wouldn't get spotted by any of those standing by the tower. At the same time, a truck was driving towards the base.
"Alright. It's almost in position. Is everything ready?" Bryan asked him, and Dragunov nodded his head. A chuckle came out of Bryan's lips. "About damn time. I was hoping for some real fireworks to happen" he noted.
Dragunov ignored his cohort's destructive needs and watched the truck's movement with a pair of binoculars.
This truck appeared to be a transport truck belonging to the Thai army. As such, it was immediately granted access into the base itself. The truck eventually parked by what appeared to be an armory. Obviously, it was delivering weapons for the base.
Meanwhile, at one of the many watchtowers, two soldiers were standing guard. One of them was looking through binoculars while the other stood guard beside him with a sniper rifle.
"See anything?" the first soldier asked his partner.
"Mị̀. It's too dark out in the jungle. And with all the lights shining here at base, it's impossible to even spot anything outside" the soldier holding the binoculars responded.
His partner chuckled. "You don't say" he remarked before turning around. "I'm going inside to grab a drink or something. Is there anything you want?" he quizzed him.
"Mị̀ pĕnrị k̄hxbkhuṇ. I already drank two cups of coffee one hour ago so keep myself awake. You just go inside and do your thing" the binocular-guy responded.
"If you say so" the other soldier said before entering the watchtower.
The lone soldier continued surveying the dark area outside the base, no matter how impossible it was. He looked from left to right, yet didn't spot anything worth of interest.
But as he was fully dedicated on his binoculars, the soldier was too slow to even spot something dashing towards him. It was a kunai!
"GAH…..." the soldier got the kunai on his throat, and then another one in his left eye.
He fell down dying, without making so much of a noise. Still, it was loud enough for his partner to hear.
"What's with the…" the other soldier emerged out of the watchtower, only to be horrified of seeing the guard sitting their bleeding to death. "Yeht! Someone's…." he didn't get to finish his sentence, as somebody was assassinating him form behind.
Stabbing him with a kodachi while covering his mouth was Kunimitsu, a young kunoichi, as well as the successor as bearer of that title. Once he was out, Kunimitsu let him fall down to beside his partner.
The Japanese woman with the kitsune-mask smiled as she looked down at her slain targets. Inside the watchtower, there didn't appear to be other guards.
"Well, that takes care of this watchtower, at least. But there are still more" Kunimitsu remarked as she jumped up to the top of the watchtower. She scouted her next target and found a nearby watchtower. "But that shouldn't be difficult. With my speed, those guards won't know what hit them" she smirked and proceeded to jump towards the next tower, hoping to take care of the guards stationed there.
One of them spotted her and was about to fire his weapon.
"Enemy…" he didn't get to finish, seeing as Kunimitsu struck him down with a deadly attack from above. She finished him off with her kodachi.
While assassinating her target, she spotted the other guard nearby. He was so scared that he was on the verge of sounding the alarm by pushing on a giant red button. He didn't get the chance, however, seeing as Kunimitsu threw a kunai at his right hand.
With the guard prevented from alerting the others, the young kunoichi proceeded to take him out. Her assassination was quick as one possible could be.
Surveying her surroundings, Kunimitsu looked down to see the transport truck that had just parked inside the base.
"They better not screw up their part. I didn't partake in this job just for fun" she hoped, thinking about her cohorts.
While soldiers were patrolling around the base as if nothing was bothering them, they failed to realize what was about to happen.
Behind several crates, Bryan and Dragunov barley lit up their heads, looking at what appeared to be the base's main building. Judging by the tight security of that place, it probably housed this so-called military asset.
As the two men hid behind the crates, Bryan was getting a little impatient with this waiting.
"Come on. What's taking them so long?" he grumbled lowly as he lit his head up to watch the scene before them. "This is why I hate doing things in stealth mode! I'm more gung-ho when it comes to destruction" the cyborg's complaints were endless.
Dragunov, too busy to listen to Bryan's rantings, divided his attention between the entrance to the main building and the nearby transport truck. There was a good reason for why the Russian soldier was doing that.
All of a sudden, all the lights in the military base went off. The soldiers patrolling was caught off guard by this. The base's power had gone off and nobody knew why.
"Yeht! What just happened!?" one of the soldiers in the base asked.
"C̄hạn mị̀rū̂. But the power has gone out!" another one called out.
"The lights have gone out here as well!" one of the guards stationed at the watchtowers called out.
Amidst this confusion between the soldiers, Bryan snickered and looked at Dragunov. The Russian man reached for something in his pocket and it appeared to be a small detonator.
"Finally! Now it's time for some fireworks! Go on then, Rusky. Give 'em hell!" he practically begged Dragunov.
Rolling his eyes, Dragunov proceeded to push on the button, thus activating his detonator.
Everything was quiet for a while, until the transport truck parked by the armory exploded so intensively that it lit up everything in the dark base. The armory was also taken by the explosion, causing it to be destroyed as well.
This brought nothing but terror amongst the soldiers and they all started shooting at the destroyed truck. Clearly, they assumed that they had been attacked.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" one of the leading soldiers called out to his comrades.
Behind the crates, Bryan laughed his ass off at seeing the panic and confusion amongst the soldiers. Dragunov stared at hm blankly, completely unfazed with the cyborg's behavior.
"Now THAT'S what I call action! Look at all those idiots! Running around shootin' everything as if there's somebody attacking them!" Bryan couldn't contain his sadistic amusement.
Dragunov, no matter how emotionless he looked, seemed to be pleased with the results. After all, he had planted those bombs underneath the truck itself. He and Bryan had thus waited for their cohorts to shut the power off before detonating them.
All of a sudden, Kunimitsu landed down at the crates, having jumped from the air. Yet she was quickly forced to hide for cover as there were some bullets flying towards her position.
The young woman looked at them rather dispassionately.
"I was wondering when you would start up. You do realize that I could've been spotted, thus compromising our mission" she told them.
Bryan scoffed at her words. "Lighten up, sweetheart! It ain't our fault that those fools took so long time shutting the power off!" he countered back.
Judging by the frown on Kunimitsu's lips, she didn't seem amused.
"Don't call me sweetheart" she sternly told him.
Dragunov, unwilling to let time be wasted, leaned over and pointed his finger towards the main building. His compatriots seemed to understand what he meant, even as Dragunov didn't utter out a single word.
"Guess that's our cue, then. We'll head inside and see if those jackasses are still alive" Bryan summarized what he felt was Dragunov was trying to tell them.
Kunimitsu smirked. "Then we best head inside now that every soldier is in disarray from all this" she spoke up.
With that said, the trio quickly headed towards the entrance. Surprisingly, the door opened, enabling them to enter the main building. Inside, they ran through a long hallway that seemed to have been empty.
Even so, security was still tight, as the trio could see a pair of soldiers being sent flying towards a nearby well.
Running around the corner stood Armor King and Feng Wei. It was clear that they were the ones who had defeated those soldiers.
"Ah, so glad that you all made it into the building without trouble" Kunimitsu remarked as they all regrouped.
Feng gave her a glance of acknowledgement. "We can assume that transport truck has been blown off, correct?" he then asked Dragunov.
He only nodded his head in return.
"Heh. So how did the infiltration via the sewage go? Sorry to ask, but you guys seriously smell like shit right now" Bryan mockingly asked Feng and Armor King.
Neither of them took any heed to his insult, with Armor King proceeded to look around their current whereabouts. Even though it was dark in these hallways, he could still see where they were going.
"Now that we're inside, it will be best to find this specific room they mentioned" Armor King suggested.
"The only question is where it is" Feng chimed in, only for him and the others to hear the sound of soldiers running towards their location. "But first, we need to deal with any nuisances that stand in our way" the Kenpo fighter suggested.
Bryan grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Works good for me! I'm always up for cracking some skulls!" he exclaimed.
After taking care of the soldiers, the group of fighters proceeded to search for this large room that allegedly contained one of Thailand's military assets.
In time, they cam across a door so big that it put other ones inside the building to shame. It became clear to what lied behind this door.
"This must be it" Armor King stated. "According to the details those Kometa-people gave us, it should be somewhere inside that room" the masked luchador went on.
"Then I say we go inside and retrieve it" Feng told everyone.
However, Bryan was already using his cybernetics in his eyes to see through the door. His compatriots noticed this and wondered why he did that.
"I don't know what you guys think…...but there's something really messed up happening in there. My scanners can't confirm whether our target's really inside" he told them.
Kunimitsu giggled. "Must be due to some malfunctioning within you" she teased him.
Bryan scowled at her. "You wanna run that by me again, twerp!?" he was close to forcefully grap the kunoichi by her shoulder.
But Kunimitsu was too fast for him, and she used her speed to avoid getting grabbed. This only brought so much irritation within the cyborg, something Kunimitsu seemed to enjoy.
"Cállate, imbéciles. We are just about to enter what appears to be this base's most important room. There is no telling what awaits us on the other side" Armor King chastised them.
"Then what the hell are we standing around here for? Just bust the damn door open!" Bryan hit back at him.
Instead of arguing, Armor King punched the door's keypad. This enabled it to open. Without hesitating, the group entered the room, not wanting to stumble upon more soldiers.
Once inside, the group of fighters realized that the room they had entered looked almost like a large solitary confinement. Even though the power was shut off, the white, bright walls surrounding them made it easier to see things clearly. On another note, the room itself looked quite futuristic, something one would've never expected to see at a Thai military base.
"So this is where the Thai authorities keep one of their military assets? Quite fascinating" Feng had to admit.
The group proceeded towards the middle of the large room, wanting to see what was on the other end.
"There is something there…..at the end of this place" Armor King remarked, with him and his cohorts running up to the center.
But as they stood in the middle of the room, they saw what appeared to be iron chains. In other words, it was the tools used to contain a prisoner. The more alarming thing, however, was the fact that there was nobody hanging there.
"What the…...there's nobody there!" Bryan exclaimed by what he saw.
"Now this is very peculiar" Kunimitsu noted. "Those Kometa-contacts did say that he would be held inside here" she then pointed out.
"How can even this be?" Feng wondered, only for something to hit inside him. Those around him seemed to have gotten the clue as well. "Of course! Because we shut the power off, it would appear that we also deactivated the iron chains holding him prisoner" the Kenpo fighter summarized.
"Which can only mean one thing…" Armor King noted grimly.
As the group was confused with all this, they failed to notice that there was someone else inside this room as well. But given how they had been to busy with everything before them, this individual had been completely silent, hiding by the entrance as they had entered the room.
"Khuṇ khụ̄x khır?" this deep voice spoken in Thai rang hallow in the hall. The sounds of naked feet could also be heard.
Everyone in the group froze, yet they slowly turned around to see where those noises came from. Once they did that, they were astonished by what they saw.
Approaching them was a tall, intimidating man who possessed numerous tattoos and an incredibly broad muscular appearance. His overall appearance was that of a typical Muay Thai fighter, with bands wrapped over his arms and shins while sporting Muay Thai trunks. He also possessed traditional Pra Jiad armbands on both arms. What was also noticeable was the number of scars running across the left side of his face, not to mention the various veins across his muscles.
All the fighters were speechless with what they saw. Even the usually serious Bryan, Armor King, Dragunov and Feng were practically in awe of this man's unusual height and appearance.
"Dios mío…this man's size is similar to….no…...that's not possible! His size surpasses that of Craig Marduk's!" Armor King thought as he observed this tall man.
"Woah…..this guy really looks like a total freakshow…" Bryan murmured, finding himself grinning in face of such dangerous excitement. "Those guys weren't bluffing when they told us how huge he was" the cyborg added.
"I have heard many things about Muay Thai fighters…but never did I imagine they were someone like him" Feng noted.
Kunimtsu, as stunned as she had reacted to seeing this enourmous Muay Thai fighter, had her reaction turned into that of fascination.
"So this is the infamous Fahkumram? To be able to get a closer look at him…is quite the experience" the young kunoichi exclaimed.
In time, this Fahkrumram stopped his movements, the tall man still facing them with a serious glance. The group before him didn't do anything to attack him, yet they felt as if this man was willing to do so.
"When I look at each of you, I do not see any military uniforms on you. That can only mean that you are not with the Royal Thai Army" Fahkumram spoke, his deep voice ringing like a gong. His eyes narrowed further. "And coupled with all these gunshots….tells me that you are the ones responsible" he continued.
So far, none of the fighters had made any attempt to respond to Fahkumram. Yet Bryan seemed to have enough gut to do so.
"Alright, I'll confess. Me and my buddies here are the ones responsible for this mess and all" Bryan admitted, though he did so out of sarcasm.
Armor King weakly shook his head at hearing him say that.
"I do not recall ever becoming so acquainted with you, cyborg" he replied, even as Bryan didn't listen to him.
"But look on the bright side, big guy. Now you're free from those chains. Isn't that something you wished for?" Bryan tried to flatter the Muay Thai fighter, but to no avail.
In fact, Fahkumram even clenched his strong knuckles, finding Bryan's words very insulting.
"Do not insult my intelligence, cretin. I heard everything what you said" he said before standing in his fighting position. "From what I heard, you came here looking for me, but not for my freedom. Instead, you plan on delivering me into the clutches of another captor!" Fahkumram's rage was on display for everyone to see.
As he stood in his fighting position, the group of fighters readied themselves for combat. On the other hand, they noticed something strange with regards to the large Garuda-tattoo on his chest. For some reason, it began to glow red.
"What kind of power is this?" Kunimitsu wondered as she looked at this tall man who was keen on fighting them.
Fahkumram dedicated his focus on the group. Clearly, he was determined to fight these people.
"Terīymtạw! I will face all of you in mortal combat. Come at me at once!" he literally dared them to come at him in full force.
Armor King, Bryan and Feng stepped forward, each of them eager to take on whatever challenge Fahkumram was giving them, no matter how tall and powerful he looked.
"You truly believe you can take on us singlehandedly?" Feng asked him, his lips curving into a smirk. "I almost feel sorry for your delusion" the Kenpo fighter remarked, standing his ground.
"I do not care what those foolish associates has said about you" Armor King said, clenching his metallic gloves. "Anything can be broken, including you!" the luchador added.
Bryan cracked his knuckles. "Don't take this personally. We're only doing a favor for someone after all. And those fellas will probably give you a kinder treatment than what you've been given here" he got under Fahkumram's skin.
The tall man was furious, yet he proceeded to focus his strength. He even closed his eyes.
"My path towards freedom came perhaps unexpectedly, but I must not celebrate just yet. Sooner or later, people will come after me…..as well as my loved ones" he was in deep thought over the predicament he was in. Fahkumram opened his eyes. "Alright. I will deal with these scoundrels before I make my escape from this wretched place. But how I will go from there…..I just have to find out later" he summarized his escape plan.
Kunimitsu was about to join her cohorts on fighting Fahkumram, only for Dragunov to block her path with his left arm. She looked at him and saw the Russian soldier shake his head at him weakly.
"Why shouldn't either of us interfere? He did tell us to come at him together, didn't he?" the kunoichi asked him.
She wouldn't be given an answer to her question as Bryan, Armor King and Feng all charged towards the tall Muay Thai fighter.
But despite being outnumbered, Fahkumram wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He first stumbled upon Feng, who tried attacking him head on with his Kenpo. Despite how powerful Feng was, Fahkumram was surprisingly faster than him. The Chinese man received a quick punch to his face before being sent flying by a kick.
Fahkumram quickly turned around and was met with a powerful punch delivered to his stomach by Bryan. The cyborg had hoped that it would hurt him, yet he was stunned at seeing how completely unaffected the Muay Thai fighter was. On the other hand, Bryan felt as if his right hand had gotten a little stiff.
"What the hell….." he asked, angrily looking at the tall man. "Just who the hell are you, freak!?" Bryan demanded.
Fahkumram did not appreciate the insult. "Xị ngò!" he scolded Bryan in Thai, only to look up and see Armor King jumping in the air to attack him from above.
"You will beg for mercy!" the luchador yelled, preparing his attack upon his strong opponent.
Without even hesitating, Fahkumram jumped in the air, resulting in him kneeing Armor King to his mask. He was thus knocked out cold. Looking below him, the Thai man proceeded to deliver a powerful heel attack upon Bryan's head. This attack was powerful for even the reanimated cyborg to handle.
Looking around him, Fahkumram saw his foes defeated. He proceeded to close his eyes to reflect on his win.
"Was that the best you could muster? How shameful" the Muay Thai fighter remarked at what he had seen.
With those three out of commission, Fahkumram dedicated his attention on Dragunov and Kunimitsu. So far, neither of them had bothered to intervene in order to help the three. But now, they were in fighting position, ready to have a go at him anytime.
The stoic expression on Fahkumram never vanished. "Neither of you interfered to help them fight against me. It is clear to me that you knew that the outcome would be like this. If that is your reason then I highly commend you for it" he surpassingly complimented them.
Neither Dragunov nor Kunimitsu said anything, Having just witnessed this man's impressive fighting skills, they were less than enthusiastic about fighting him.
Suddenly, Fahkumram clenched his right fist. The two fighters assumed that he would be attacking them, yet they stopped once they saw him punch into the wall.
This punch was so powerful that it managed to crack, thus creating a large hole in the wall itself. Outside was the base itself, with soldiers already being in disarray due to the exploding truck from earlier.
To see such strength up close astounded Dragunov and Kunimitsu. They each wondered whether Fahkumram even was human.
"Because of the circumstances, as well as you being partially responsible for my freedom…I will let you live…for now" Fahkumram said and was about to jump through the hole, but not before leaving some last words for the pair. "But should you and this Kometa ever dare pursue me…I will end all of you in the blink of an eye. Are we clear?" he asked them, even though it could easily be read as a threat.
The two didn't answer, each of them at loss for words. Still, the mood changed once loud noises could be heard from the door.
"Check on the prisoner! Make sure that he is secured!" this came from one of the Thai soldiers.
Fahkumram, realizing that staying would only make things worse, quickly jumped out of the hole. He was determined to make his escape.
The door to the room suddenly opened and in came several Thai soldiers. They were all aghast at seeing the obvious, not to mention the hole in the wall. For them, it was apparent at what had happened inside.
"The prisoner…HE'S NOT HERE!" one of the soldiers exclaimed before pointing his weapon at the fighters.
"Then that means these intruders have freed him! They must also be the ones responsible for all this mess!" another one yelled. "Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" he then commanded the group.
Bryan, Armor King and Feng had just gotten on their feet when these soldiers had entered the room.
"Mierda! And just when I was about to get up!" Armor King cursed through his mask.
"Tch, what a giant pain in the ass" Bryan muttered.
Unbeknownst to them, however, Dragunov had already figured out a way to take these guards out. Or at the very least make them scram. From each pocket of his jacket, the Russian soldier held something in his hands.
Kunimitsu noticed this and smirked. "Smart move…I only hope we'll be able to get all of us out after you've done that" the kunoichi noted.
Running past his three cohorts and towards the line of soldiers, Dragunov threw what appeared to be grenades at them. Their pins were already pulled out, something the soldiers could see.
"Grenades! Scatter off!" one of them yelled.
The grenades went off and a large explosion was caused inside the hall. Given that the door was closed, some of those soldiers got caught in the fire.
Still, this commotion enabled Dragunov and his cohorts to escape. They jumped through the hole in the wall Fahkumram had created. With most of the soldiers outside still distracted and aware of what was going on, the group used that chance to escape from the military base.
Still, there was nothing for them to celebrate. It appeared that their mission to capture and retrieve this extraordinary Muay Thai fighter…...had failed.
Inside the G Corporation's HQ, Jakarta, Indonesia
From his office at the imposing skyscraper that defined the G Corp's new HQ, Kazuya Mishima was surveying the nightlife in the Indonesian capital. He did that for an apparent reason.
"Enjoy celebrating while you can…..because it may be your last" Kazuya said that as if he was speaking to the citizens of Jakarta.
Many things had transpired in his life, yet something had changed the Japanese man completely. Having learned all the secrets about his mother, Kazuya had gradually started to realize one thing: he was never really loved.
Indeed. Neither Heihachi nor Kazumi cared about him. For Kazuya, who had devoted much of his life to avenge his mother's death, it felt like a betrayal.
But did he truly understand the whole truth? Was Kazuya even aware of his mother's inner struggles, let alone how she truly loved him and Heihachi? Apparently not.
Still, Kazuya was now figuring out a new plan. He was now keen on reconnecting with a certain woman, a woman he had secretly loved no matter how much he tried denying it.
But was she even alive after all these years? Kazuya refused to believe so. He knew her. She was not someone who was weak. And he would prove it to everyone by luring her to him.
That's why Kazuya already had a plan set in motion. Turning around, he watched as his two closest confidants and friends: Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams approach him.
Anna smirked at him. "The camera crew is almost ready. Your announcement will be broadcasted throughout the world, let alone posted on the G Corp's social media accounts. Personally, I think this is a little bit too much" the Irishwoman admitted, only to brush aside her reservations. "But rest assured, everyone will hear it" she told him.
"Our armies are locked and loaded for continuing the war effort. They needed a break for a while, but now they're more than happy to take on the Zaibatsu and anyone else" Bruce informed his friend. "I don't have any reservations about this…..but I must ask you this, Kazuya. Are you willing to go through with this?" he wanted an honest answer from Kazuya.
Smiling, Kazuya weakly nodded his head at him. "I am, Bruce. As such, I'm putting myself as responsible for your and Anna's safety. That is my vow to you as a friend and ally" he told them both.
Both Bruce and Anna seemed quite flattered to hear Kazuya say that. As a matter of fact, they had each realized much more concerned Kazuya had grown over their well-being. Then again, they appeared to be among the few important people in his life. Not everything about his life was negative. Even though they were few, Kazuya had bright points in his dark and harsh life.
Returning his attention towards the cityscape, Kazuya mused to himself. He was ready to start a war. But not just any war. It was all for the sake of luring out his one, true love.
"One day…..I hope to see your face again…..Jun Kazama" he finally uttered out the name of that woman he so desperately wanted to see again.
To be continued…
