TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM


ACT 11: World Wide Suicide

At the subway on Manhattan, New York City, USA

Leroy Smith, along with Paul Phoenix, the Laws and his trusty dog companion Sugar were all sitting in the subway. Having just attended a baseball match up in Bronx, they were headed back to Chinatown by using the subway.

The wagon the gang sat in was quite packed, yet that didn't seem to mind them at all. Most of the commuters were minding their own business to be bothered by Leroy and his friends.

"So, what did you think of the match? NY Yankees sure performed well today" Leroy asked his friends, with Sugar sitting on his lap.

"I don't know. Baseball isn't necessarily a fun sport. Plus, everybody in the US knows that the Yankees are superior when it comes to that type of sport" Paul pointed out with a scoff.

Marshall and his son weakly shook their heads at Paul's assertion.

"You're just saying that because you're not an expert at baseball, Paul. So how can you decide whether the Yankees are the best?" Marshall questioned him.

"Yeah right, like you're much of a baseball enthusiast yourself!" Paul hit back.

Forrest looked to the elderly man with the sunglasses with a smile.

"Paul may not have had much fun, but me and dad sure did. So I thank you so much for taking us to the game, Master Leroy" the young man said it with a formal bow, even if it wasn't properly done.

This made Leroy chuckle. "It was only my pleasure, Forrest. After all, I only wanted to get to know your dad and his friend better, so I had to come up with somethin'" he remarked while petting Sugar's head.

Sugar seemed to apricate her partner's affectionate touching, so he let Leroy touch her anywhere on her head.

"Anyway, it will be great to head back home. I'm usually not the type of guy who likes to stray away from Chinatown so much" Leroy suddenly admitted.

"Really?" Paul quizzed him. "Then what is it that makes the neighborhood feel like home to ya?" the Judo fighter went on, wanting to know more about Leroy.

Leroy looked at Paul bewildered at first, yet the master at Wing Chun found himself smiling at seeing Paul's curiosity.

"Well, I believe it must be due to the….." Leroy didn't get to finish as something happened.

As the subway had stopped at this station, the sound of a large explosion could be heard. It was so impactful that it caused the entire underground to shake, even inside the wagons.

Once the doors opened, all the passengers got out quickly. And those commuters who had previously been waiting to get onboard joined them without hesitation. They seemed to be in the state of panic. It didn't take long before the driver and a conductor left the subway was well.

In time, this subway station became almost abandoned, save for a few people who was too distracted by their music to pay attention to their surroundings.

"Man…..what the heck just happened?" Forrest wondered as he and the others got outside the wagon.

Paul Phoenix looked at the name of this stop to see where they were. It appeared that they were now at 5th Avenue Station.

"I dunno what you guys think, but it appears that we're now underneath Central Park. And I don't think there'll be another subway coming since this one's driverless. So maybe we should just walk on foot from here" Paul then told his friends.

Leroy took his time to assess this unusual situation. "Strange. Never has there been anything that would make the subway…" he didn't get to finish, since a large explosion could be heard once again.

Like the previous time, it was shaking all over them. And not only that, the electricity went off. The group of friends were caught off guard by this, as they all fell down on their backsides.

"Woah! What the hell's going on!?" Marshall was feeling freaky as he watched some dust fall from the ceiling.

"Was that a bomb!? Whatever it was, it feels as if it was not very far from our standpoint!" Paul told them what he felt was right.

As his friends kept thinking about what just happened, Leroy was still in deep thought. Quit frankly, the elderly man had come to a realization.

"No…...don't tell me what I think it is. It can't be!" Leroy exclaimed, quickly getting back on his feet with the felt of Sugar and his cane. "Let's head up to the surface level, guys! We best get a good look at what's really happening here!" he told them before moving on.

Knowing better than to wait in the underground, Paul and the Laws followed Leory up the stairs.

As they got up and ran through the halls, the group noticed how there was not a human in sight. And not only that, some of the turnstiles were destroyed as a result of getting a brick over them.

Even so, Leroy and his friends pushed on, moving past obstacles until they reached to the entrance of the subway.

Once they got up to Central Park, a horrifying view was being given to them. It came in the form of jet fighters and transport helicopters flying above the streets of Manhattan. Along with those, thousands of parachuters carrying soldiers, tanks and other forms of war machinery could be seen falling down towards it.

Even as they stood there, explosions, gunshots and citizens screaming for their lives could be heard almost everywhere. All this could only mean one thing.

"Oh my God…." Paul expressed his shock at seeing these things in the sky. "Tell me this isn't real! Tell me that those aren't soldiers from the G Corp!" he practically hoped that what he saw was just an illusion.

"Too late for that, Paul. Because like it or not…..New York City is under assault" Marshall spoke up.

"It's not just New York" Leroy suddenly interjected him. The elderly man held onto his cane as he observed this terrifying situation. "Every city in the map. Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, they're most likely being under attack as well" he summarized.

Forrest seemed troubled. "Then that means the G Corp…..they're now willing to attack the most powerful countries in the world…" the young man expressed his concerns.

But as they pondered about how to respond to this, they call snapped once they heard the sound of gunshots. Sugar quickly turned around and growled. When the others did the same, they spotted a squadron of G Corp soldiers marching down the road, followed by two main battle tanks. While they seemed to be targeting anything that stood in their way, the sight of them frightened the friends.

"Gah! They're heading towards us!" Paul freaked out.

"Follow me back downstairs to the subway! Quickly!" Leroy and Sugar were already one step ahead, encouraging the others to follow them below.

Knowing better than waiting to be shot at, Paul and the Laws followed the elderly master back to the underground tunnels. Hopefully, they hadn't been spotted by those patrolling soldiers.

In time, the group of friends were back to square one, yet they didn't seem to mind it though. Staying out of sight was preferable to being potential targets.

"Damn, that was close!" Marshall uttered out, wiping off some sweat on his forehead. "But I don't think we can stay here forever. Those guys will most likely start searching underground for any possible targets. And I'm NOT planning on being one of those!" the fighting chef added.

Leroy nodded his head weakly. "Agreed. Which means we'll have to use these underground tunnels to move underneath Manhattan. Since the entire subway system's now offline, I believe it's safe to walk through them" he suggested.

"Wandering through the subway tunnels? Eek….." Forrest expressed his disgust. "But I still see the logic. It's not like it's as dangerous as walking through an urban battlefield" he admitted.

"But where to next? Are we heading back to Chinatown?" Paul asked everyone.

"No. Given how large New York City is, the G Corp will most likely devote much of their attacks upon Manhattan. That means Chinatown will be caught in the crossfire as well" Leroy said, only to find himself smiling as he thought about something. "Luckily, I happen to know a place in Brooklyn where we can stay there while most of the warring happens on Manhattan" he explained his idea.

Paul and the Laws watched him with raised eyebrows, finding Leroy's suggestion to be somewhat strange.

"You have a property in Brooklyn?" Marshall quizzed him.

"Just trust me on this one! Once we get there, we'll be safe" Leroy insisted. "That said, we can probably start making contact with some of the folks you've made friends while we're there" he then revealed.

"The folks? I think you've lost me there, Master Leroy" Forrest said before looking at his father.

Marshall smiled at his son. "He's talking about those other fighters we met during the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament. And I agree, we should at least make an effort to contact them" he agreed with Leroy, only to sound a little confused. "But the problem is that we're not sure where they've gone. You know, since the battle on Hawaii" Marshall then added.

"Well, there's that Swedish guy…and Lee Chaolan too!" Paul exclaimed with a smile as he recalled back to an acquaintance of them from the past.

"You're right! He would be of great help to us!" Marshall was in favor of it.

"If you and Paul say he's a good guy, then I believe the same thing!" Forrest chimed in.

Leroy smiled, finding amusing how those younger than him managed to find such optimism despite how dire their current situation was. Privately, Leroy couldn't imagine himself having such strength, given his old age.

"Now that we've settled on what to do next, I say we hit the rails quickly. There's no telling when those G Corp bastards will start searching these tunnels" he told them.

Knowing the truth in Leroy's words, they all jumped down to the railway and started walking into the dark tunnels. Because of the ongoing invasion, electricity was barley functional.

That didn't seem to startle the friends though. If walking through a creepy tunnel was the price to pay for avoiding the chaotic warzone above them, then so be it.

"Gosh, wandering through the subway tunnel is much different than I expected it to be" Forrest noted, only to find himself looking around while feeling a little anxious. "Not to mention how these walls makes me feel a little claustrophobic…" he then gulped.

Paul patted the young man on his back, which startled Forrest a little at fist.

"Lighten up, kiddo. Just look on the bright side. No enemy soldier or even JACK-robots in sight so far. I say that's a good thing" Paul assured him.

"He's right, Forrest. The only ones that we'll stumble upon in these tunnels are either rats…or homeless people" Leroy remarked, sounding rather grim as he mentioned the latter part.

Marshall looked at him rather sympathetically. "This war will likely create more of the latter, don't you think?" he asked him.

Leroy nodded weakly. "That answer is already obvious. We all know how wars create miseries and strife rather than tranquility. And I'm afraid that doesn't bode well for the entire world, not just the US" the elderly man solemnly said.

With that information in mind, the group kept wandering through the subway tunnel, hoping to avoid the bloodshed happening above.


Inside the Pentagon, Washington D.C., USA

Bo "Rodeo" Montana was joined by the Secretary of State, a general and a colonel he was familiar with inside the main hall of Pentagon itself.

The situation was dire and they could tell it by just looking at the many screens on the wall. Those standing in the hall itself belonged to the higher rankings of the US military itself.

One of the many screens on the wall showed them a map of the USA, as well as the status of the country in terms of the invasion.

"So what's the current status so far?" the secretary asked the general.

The general seemed both angered and distressed at the same time. "Those bastards sure are clever! They avoided our Atlantic fleet with those damn stealth planes of theirs! Now they've begun assaulting important cities on the American east coast. New York, Boston, Jacksonville and Miami have already been sighted under invasion so far" he answered before looking at another screen. "In addition to that, Hawaii has already fallen to G Corp occupation, which is to expected, seeing as we withdrew our forces to focus on our mainland defenses" the general continued, yet he seemed quite displeased over this subject.

The secretary looked at him. "Whatever the circumstances, the President was right to withdraw our forces from Hawaii. Even now, the US Pacific Fleet is doing a great job forming a wall of defense along the western coastine. However, we now see that our tactics along the eastern failed" he pointed out.

"All the more reason why we shouldn't expect the same thing to not happen there, damnit! For all we know, California and Washington State could potentially face a G Corp assault!" the general hit back.

All of a sudden, the colonel put his hand on the general's left shoulder in a gentle manner. The elderly man looked at him quite angered, yet he could see how much reassuring the colonel looked at him.

"General! With all due respect, this is not the time to get all riled up. We already have a pressing matter with regards to the ongoing attacks on the East Coast" the colonel assured his superior.

Rodeo looked at this with curious eyes. In all the years they had known each other, Rodeo had never seen the colonel being willing to speak up against his superiors. Perhaps that's what separated him from other colonels, who appeared quite subservient.

The Secretary of Defense smiled at hearing the colonel's actions. In his eyes, they sounded reasonable.

"Well said, colonel! You are right to point out the obvious" he praised him, only to look back on the screen. "While the invasion hasn't reach D.C. yet, we must expect it to happen sooner or later. That said, the President is already issuing an evacuation order for Washington and other nearby towns" he then explained.

"Clearly their goal is to capture the President and make us surrender, isn't that it?" Rodeo suddenly chimed in, only to notice how he did so inappropriately. "Sorry, I mean Mr. Secretary. Isn't that their plan? To capture the President?" he tried to sound more formal.

The secretary nodded his head. "That's right. Which is why the President has already planned an escape route to the nearest secret base" he said before directing his attention back to the screen. "Even as we speak, he's already on the move. For it won't be long before the G Corp attacks D.C." he noted grimly.

"But we won't run away!" the outspoken general suddenly blurted out. "If those damn G Corp freakshows think they can invade our home and get away with it, then they have another thing coming! We'll show Kazuya Mishima the consequences of attacking America, as we have done so to all our foes in the past!" he loudly declared for everyone to hear.

But just as he said that, the alarm inside Pentagon suddenly rang. Everyone inside knew what this meant, and it was very serious.

"Sir! Red alert! Red alert!" one of the workers at the control panel called out to his superior, specifically the Secretary of Defense. "We just received this video!" he noted before tapping on the keyboard of his computer.

All the screens showed videos of what appeared to be tanks and other war machines descending upon Washington by parachutes. And with them came parachuting soldiers. Everyone knew what this meant.

"Enemy soldiers are parachuting above D.C., intending on attacking us from all angles! We're also receiving news about a G Corp attack force heading towards D.C. on foot!" another worker, who was female, informed her superiors.

The Secretary of Defense watched the scenes with a slight scowl forming on his lips. "Damn. This is worse than I'd imagine" he silently cursed.

"So they have finally arrived…" the colonel remarked grimly, looking at Rodeo. "You ready for some action, soldier?" he then asked him with a slight smirk on his lips.

Rodeo, feeling like it had been a long time since he had asked something like that, felt himself chuckling. The soldier cracked his knuckles together.

"Hell yeah! It's time for some good-old-fashioned homeland security!" he declared, much to the colonel's amusement.

The secretary had to laugh when hearing this. "Your confidence is amusing, Montana" he remarked at seeing Rodeo's attitude.

"Everyone knows what we'll do now! It's time to fight back the invaders! Come hell or high water, we'll make 'em regret ever setting foot on this country!" the general suddenly said to every soldier inside the hall.

"ARE YOU WITH US TO THIS DAY, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA!?" the Secretary of Defense wanted everyone's confidence behind him.

"OORAH!" they rallied together with a battle cry that was heard all across the Pentagon.


Inside a chapel somewhere near Hermosillo, Mexico

This local chapel was near the orphanage that King managed. As such, the masked luchador would often take the orphans there for a visit. At the same time, the local priests and nuns were among the few people in the town they lived in that treated the orphans kindly.

But right now, King, along with Craig Marduk and his parents, were inside the chapel alongside the orphans. But this wasn't a regular visit. In fact, the orphans had been evacuated to this chapel.

With the worldwide war resuming, and Mexico potentially be a target of invasion, King feared that the orphanage was perhaps not the safest place for the young children to be at. After all, the G Corp was planning on bombing not just the major cities, but also places in the countryside as well. That filled the masked luchador with concern.

Fortunately, the priests and nuns were more than happy to take in the orphans, as well as other unfortunate souls in the town.

"Padre. I must thank you so much for doing this for me…...and for the children…" King was speaking to the local chaplain, the one responsible for everything happening inside this chapel.

The old man smiled warmly in return. "It was only my pleasure, Señor King. You know how much we love seeing these youngsters bringing their smiles whenever they visit us. Besides, this is a house of peace, so no harm will come to them as long as they are inside" the chaplain explained.

"I don't know, father" Marduk respectfully voiced his doubts. "Considering that it's Kazuya Mishima we're dealing with, there's no guarantee that bastard's gonna spare chapels and churches from his rampage" the muscular man told him.

"Marduk! Remember what we talked about using proper language while in here!" King scolded his best friend.

The Vale Tudo fighter snapped, immediately regretting his choice of words. "Ah man, I'm so sorry about that! I didn't mean to…." Marduk stopped once the chaplain raised his hand to make him stop talking.

"Cálmate, Señor Marduk. I know for a fact that you did not mean to be disrespectful" he assured him, only to look at King. "With that said, that word is a fitting description for someone like Kazuya Mishima. He is a living demon walking amongst us after all" the chaplain went on.

Neither King nor Marduk said anything in response, seeing as they both were stunned to see someone like this usually kind-hearted chaplain act so antagonistic towards the Mishima. Still, he had more than enough reason to be so.

"There haven't been any word of a G Corp invasion of Mexico just yet. But given the announcement, there is little chance of our country being spared from any attacks" King noted, only to face the stony floor. "That is why I believed the children would never be safe at the orphanage" the masked luchador then admitted.

The chaplain nodded his head weakly in return. "Por supuesto. Still, we must not rule out the inevitable just yet. Attacks on sacred places did happen earlier in the war. To my knowledge, a church in a Spanish town was bombed by flyers of the Mishima Zaibatsu. There was a wedding taking place that day. Everyone inside the church perished, including the bride and his groom" he solemnly recalled a terrible incident.

That hit something inside King. For he knew what the chaplain was talking about. Among those who had died during that day was the sister of that aggressive brawler: Miguel Caballero Rojo. King understood that this had resulted the passionate Spaniard developing an intense hatred towards Jin Kazama.

King started pondering whether a similar event could possibly occur. It started to gnaw him on the inside.

"Meh, don't worry about that, old dude!" Marduk exclaimed with a dismissive scoff. "Ain't no way those chumps are gonna harm the kids, let alone this chapel. Me and King will see to that happen" he then assured the chaplain.

As surprised as the chaplain seemed, he was still amused at Marduk's optimism, no matter how weird it looked. But he wasn't the only one. King too had started to find some comfort within himself, although he was a little annoyed at the Australian man's informal manner of addressing the chaplain.

"I must admit, your friend really is a charming one, Señor King" the chaplain told the masked luchador.

Although nobody could see it, King found himself smiling. "Estoy de acuerdo contigo" he agreed with the chaplain in Spanish.

"Well, now that we have that out of the way, I suggest that we….." the chaplain's words were interrupted by a loud voice coming from behind.

"Hey! Craigie! King!" both Marduk and his friend snapped as they turned around to see Marduk's father, Mick, standing there. "I need to splash me boots! Do any of you know where the toilet of this place is?" he asked the pair of muscular men.

Both of them snapped, feeling very awkward of what Mick just said, especially his son.

"DAD!" he bellowed as he moved over to cover his father's mouth. "You can't say things like that inside a chapel! It's about respect, remember?" the tall man then whispered those words to Mick's left ear.

On the other hand, the chaplain was confused, not understanding what Mick's words meant. "Splash your boots? As in washing? But why would you do that in the toilet?" the old man scratched his beard as he tried to get a clue of what Mick was saying.

"Umm actually, that's an Australian term for…" Marduk stopped speaking as King nudged him with his elbow. Watching his masked friend, Marduk could tell that he just wanted them to roll with it. Realizing this, the Vale Tudo fighter smiled at the chaplain. "Y-yeah! Exactly! My dad wishes to wash his boots. But he doesn't know where to do it" he lied.

However, the chaplain seemed to completely buy it, much to the relief of Marduk and King.

"Have no fear, mis visitants. The cellar of this chapel has both toilets and a washing room. Use them to whatever you please" he told them.

Mick smiled. "Is that so? Wow, then I best be getting back and tell Janet and the ankle biters. At least they'll know where to find the shitta" he once again uttered out those terms so casually.

"DAD! WHAT DID I JUST SAY!?" Marduk got so furious that he actually ran up to his father in hopes of making him stop saying more inappropriate words. Yet Mick didn't seem so concerned about it.

On the other hand, the chaplain seemed to be amused, even chuckling lightly as he watched the Australian man's antics.

"Dios mío. I suppose that things will get a little livelier inside this chapel" the old man said as he looked at King.

Shaking his head a little, the masked luchador seemed to be in slight agreement of the chaplain's words. Still, King had his concerns with regards to the orphans' safety.

"I may not know how long this war will continue. But if the situation in Mexico gets worse, we may have to relocate the orphans" King thought, trying his best to find as solution to this dilemma. "Then again, the only positive thing is that Armor King will not try to pursue us with the entire country in war. But that doesn't mean we should rest easy" he then summarized.

Hopefully, King and the others would find a way to endure this terrible conflict.


On the highway of E35, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy

This highway went through the northern parts of Italy, starting from Milan to Rome. Needless to say, it was the most logical road to use when travelling between the largest cities in the country.

But on this highway right beside the town of Orvieto, a black Cadillac XTS Limousine was driving heading southwards. It was Sebastian, the trusty butler of the Rochefort Family. In the lounge sat his young ward, Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort.

The two was currently on an adventure to recover and safe Lili's long-lost sister: Elizabeth De Rochefort. But she was known as the vampire called Eliza.

Having gained knowledge of her having an interest in the mysterious Archers of Sirius, Lili and Sebastian had partaken this search throughout Italy, in hopes of finding Eliza. By coincidence, they stumbled upon her in the cathedral in Siena.

Eliza, possessing no memories of her past human life, angrily rejected Lili's words. She used her powers to make her escape from the cathedral, and Siena in general.

Since then, Lili and her butler had already set their course for Rome, in hopes of finding the secret HQ of the Archers of Sirius.

"We're on a good route, madame. With this traffic comfortable traffic, we'll be in Rome about 1 hour from now" Sebastian said through the window.

Lili, who had so far admired her face in a looking glass, heard the butler's words.

"Bon à savoir, Sebastan. But I fear that the more challenging part starts once we're there" Lili said, recalling back to what she and Sebastian had learned from their sources. "Finding the location of this Duomo di Sirio will be difficult. Rumors say that a group of mysterious clothed people often gather near the Vatican. But obviously we can't rely on rumors alone" she started thinking about their mission.

"C'est vrai. But the search will be worth it if we hope to find and retrieve Madame Elizabeth…..or whatever she likes to call herself" Sebastian replied, unsure of how to refer to Eliza.

As she sat back there, Lili could still think about the woman who had angrily rejected her words back in Siena. She wondered whether there was more to her curse than her father was letting in on. Still, Lili had chosen to NOT push even further with that question. Anything to not upset him.

"Je suis désolé, père. But I must disobey you one last time…..even if this is for the sake of our family" Lili privately apologized to her father.

Sebastian, noticing the concern taking hold upon his young ward, decided to find a way to divert attention away from this pressing matter.

"How about some radio? I am sure there are some music that will cheer you up" the butler suggested and turned on the radio.

When he did that, Sebastian unintentionally tuned on to a local Italian radio station. Instead of music, grave news could be heard. Despite not being fluent in Italian, both Sebastian and Lili could tell what was being said.

"Just this morning, armies of the G Corporation launched their assault on Greece, starting with the island of Kefalonia. Now, there have been reports of their forces launching attacks upon other countries of the Balkan as well. While there has been no sight of enemy ships near Italy, this all confirms the fact about the G Corp commencing their assault on Europe. A crisis meeting between the EU and NATO is already commencing in Brussels"

Sebastian gasped, although his eyes were already focused on the road ahead. Clearly, this news had filled him with shock. The same thing could be said for Lili.

"Bonté divine. This is worse than I ever imagined" he noted as he turned down the volume of the radio.

Meanwhile, Lili turned on the little tv in the back lounge. The screen was already showing her the terrible news about powerful and vulnerable countries being attacked. But right now, this local Italian news anchor was addressing the horrible massacre happening in Jakarta.

"If Greece was attacked, then that means the entire EU and NATO will be dragged into conflict with the G Corp, and eventually the Zaibatsu as well" Lili tried to think things through. The rich blondie had some worries. "That means Italy….as well as France and Monaco, could be invaded soon! Argh! This is not what I'd expected!" she was frustrated.

Sebastian could see that Lili was struggling to think this through, and he decided to speak with her. But something else caught his attention. He pulled the breaks of the limousine.

Lili noticed this and tried looking through the window to the driver's seat, although it was rather small.

"Sebastian. Qu'est-ce que c'est? Why did you stop the vehicle…" Lili stopped asking when she finally managed to get a clear answer by looking through the windshield.

Right before them, there was an incredibly long traffic jam on the highway itself. Everything from trucks to cars stood silent while the sound of honking horns could be heard.

"What in the world…" Lili uttered out as she watched the traffic jam.

"Hmm…" Sebastian started looking at the GPS, hoping to get a clue of what was the matter. "Ah, I see. This must be the queue to the nearest tollgate, the one where people drive through before entering Rome" he then remarked.

Lili moped. "A queue for the tollgate? Which to our estimation is one hour from here? Ugh, super!" she uttered sarcastically in French.

"Still, this highway is our fastest way to the city. If we were to chose another way, it would take much longer for us" Sebastian pointed out. "The only thing we can do is be patient and hope that this traffic jam ends once we have passed through the tollgate" the butler suggested.

The young blondie groaned. "Fine! We'll do that. But we don't exactly have all the time either. For all we know, those G Corp scoundrels could attack Italy in any minute" Lili agreed, yet felt the need to say that to him.

The old butler looked at Lili rather suggestively. "So you are willing to quit this mission?" Sebastian asked her bluntly.

This made Lili snap. "Absolument pas! Just because everything has started to get a little more dangerous, doesn't mean we're quitting! Yes, we're pressing on, no matter how dire the situation becomes!" the young girl surprisingly sounded very determined.

Sebastian's frown underneath his mustache turned upside down, feeling satisfied of how Lili's determination never died.

"Then we will continue with the search as promised, madame. I will get us to Rome as fast as we can" Sebastian promised her, yet felt the need to add more details. "Still, I agree with you that finding the lair of these exorcists will prove challenging. From what I gather from those sources we received info from, not many citizens know where it is" the butler then revealed.

"It matters not. We still need to find it in order to find Eliza" Lili told him before facing out to the road. Her blue eyes narrowed as she watched through the windshield. "She doesn't know about the fact that the Archers of Sirius has abandoned their HQ, so we'll have to be there before she finds out" she then pointed out.

"Bien sûr. But its hard for me to believe how someone like her are capable of finding that cathedral, let alone travel to Rome. You saw how much she dozed off back in Siena" Sebastian explained.

Lili remembered it all too well. She even facepalmed while shaking her head slowly. The image of this supposedly dangerous vampire falling asleep during a serious encounter was just…embarrassing to say at least.

"I still can't get that picture out of my head. For what reason could se possibly have? Is it insomnia?" she wondered, only to get a hint as she said those words. "Or maybe…." Lili stammered.

Sebastian looked over his shoulder to see what his ward was getting.

"Maybe what, madame?" the butler asked.

"Maybe…...it's because Eliza's humanity…...hasn't gone away just yet!" Lili exclaimed, feeling somewhat happy. "Ça y est! It must be it! That nasty vampire spirit that's infested her body has not completely taken over her mind! There's still a chance of freeing her from whatever terrible curse she's put on!" there was so much life and optimism within the young girl.

Her butler was beyond surprised. Yet he did nothing to question her supposed logic. The reason? Sebastian felt it was his duty to keep Lil happy, no matter what it was. And right now, finding and bringing back her long-lost sister is what mattered to his young ward the most.

"Very well. Then to Rome we go" Sebastian said as he returned his focus on the traffic jam.


Somewhere near the Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Night was descending over Thailand, yet not everyone was asleep. The country's rainforest were always awake, whether it was animals, plants…...or even humans.

But deep within the branches of a rainforest in the Khao Yai National Park, an incredibly tall human being ran through this tough environment. No matter how many hindrances he stumbled upon, it didn't make him turn away, let alone stop. This man was actually on the run from someone.

Peeking his head out from one of the bushes, the Muay Thai fighter named Fahkumram looked to both sides before making a run for it. He understood that he was running through a rice field, yet there was not a single peasant in sight. Rice fields like this was a usual sight in the northern areas above the Thai capital of Bangkok. Yet Fahkumram was heading straight back into the rainforest.

For many months, Fahkumram had been held as a captive by the Thai military at one of their bases outside the capital city. The leaders, as well as Thai authorities, sought to use him as their ultimate weapon to defend the nation, as well as attack anything threatening the interests of the military. To make sure he obeyed, the Thai military captured his family and held them ransom. This was done to coerce Fahkumram into doing their bidding.

That was until a group of fighters had broken into the military base in order to free him. But these were not doing this for his sake. Fahkumram had discovered about this group's employer wanting to have him in their possession. Refusing to be reduced to such fate, Fahkumram had made his escape, fighting tooth and nail to escape from the military base and this foreign group seeking his capture.

Ever since escaping, the tall man had relied upon the rainforests for cover. He knew that using the main roads would only expose himself out in the open. That's why he needed to be pragmatic. As such, Fahkumram felt like an escaped animal, hiding from his captors.

After having run for quite some time, Fahkumram stood by a tree, taking his time to catch his breath. The Muay Thai fighter was sweating intensively, and it was running across his entire body, from his muscular abs to his powerful legs. Looking around, he made sure that there was not a human in sight. As a matter of fact, Fahkumram would've preferred to have leopards or tigers chasing him instead of Thai soldiers.

Realizing that he was all alone, Fahkumram breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Nı thī̀s̄ud. I no longer see that accursed place behind me. It's already beyond many horizons" Fahkumram noted, still taking cation to his surroundings. "To be able to walk…..without any soldiers watching over you…..it feels so…satisfying" he then exclaimed.

It was clear that Fahkumram was slowly beginning to feel freedom, probably for the first time in many years. The very thought of it made the usually serious-minded man smile weakly.

"I am now….free" he looked down at his right hand, which was wrapped around by bands. "Free…..after all the pain…..the agony…..the suffering…the humility" the tall man continued.

But even as Fahkumram was very pleased with this, another part of him couldn't celebrate just yet. There was still something that was missing in his life, and the Muay Thai fighter knew just what it was.

He looked up to the moon, thinking about the only thing he loved, more so than fighting battles.

"Chanthira…..Chatmanee" he uttered out the names of his wife and daughter, respectively.

Even as he stood there, his family was still being held as captives by the Thai military. But the problem was that Fahkumram didn't know where specifically they were. The very thought of having his wife and daughter being used as bargaining chips infuriated the tall man.

The rage within him was becoming more apparent.

"DAMN YOU ALL!" Fahkumram angrily slammed his powerful fist against the tree, thus breaking it.

Clearly, he was determined to find his family, free them and be reunited with them. But Fahkumram didn't know how to proceed with this. With both the Thai military and this Kometa now desiring his capture, as well as rumors of a potential invasion of Thailand, there was so many things that worried him.

"I don't know how I will accomplish that. But I will never abandon you two! That I vow!" Fahkumram made a promise to his family.

But just as he had done that, something begun moving in the bushes. This made Fahkumram stand his guard. He wondered whether it was a wild animal, or perhaps something much worse.

That didn't turn out to be the case, as the Muay Thai fighter heard the trees move as well. And to make matters worse, hundreds of birds were seen flying up to the air.

Fahkumran looked up to the skies, only to notice that the moon was slowly starting to disappear from sight. What took its stead appeared to be large advancing clouds. But they were not any ordinary clouds.

"Mị̀…..it cannot be! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" he roared as he felt winds suddenly blowing above him.

What had just taken over the skies were monsoon clouds. And considering the change in the atmosphere, it meant only one thing. A monsoon was encroaching upon this area of Thailand. Not only did rain start pouring down from these darkened clouds.

As soon as an immense thunderbolt struck down, Fahkumran immediately started running again. He hated that sound. He hated thunder. But for what reason?

"I have to find shelter!" Fahkumram said, using his regained strength to push through this wet and muddy environment that had emerged in wake of this immense rainfall.

Navigating through this rainforest while watching out for the thunders proved to be harder than Fahkumram ever realized. Still, it didn't make him quit. He pushed on, desperate to find whatever shelter that the wilderness could offer.

"There must be somewhere I can stay in! Underneath a tree, a hole in the ground, a leopard cave…..anything will do as long as they're here!" he was getting more desperate by the minute.

Fahkumram's focus on running while simultaneously searching for shelter made him lose focus of where he was going. As he ran towards what he assumed was another part of the rainforest, he was in for a real shocker.

He accidentally ran off a cliff, yet the Thai man was too slow to react. As such, he fell down from whatever height.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as he fell down from the air.

It was quite a fall, seeing as he managed to land on what appeared to be stone floor. Weakly lifting his head up, Fahkumram was bleeding on his face. His visions were getting a little blurry, and he could barley see his surroundings.

However, he noticed something round with lights in it. Fortune smiled upon him. It appeared to be a cave! Using whatever strength he had, the muscular man crawled over to the cave. The fall had injured and weakened him, yet the thunderstrikes made Fahkumram push to his limits. His phobia of it made him determined to reach whatever sanctuary it was.

"Must…..reach it…" he panted as he continued crawling towards the cave.

Even though thunderstrikes had begun to strike rapidly, Fahkumram finally managed to reach the cave, just when a thunder struck down at the exact same spot he had fallen on. This had only encouraged him to crawl up the stairs and go deeper into this unfamiliar cave.

Getting inside, Fahkumram's vision started to be less blurry. He also noticed that not only was lights and candles dotting the interior. When he crawled deeper, he came into what appeared to be a place of worship. There were statues of Buddha standing in this cave hall, which had several openings in the ceiling.

The Muay Thai fighter looked around, searching for whatever person he could.

"S̄wạs̄dī…is there anybody here?" Fahkumram asked, his voice slightly echoing through this hall.

Surprisingly, no one answered. This convinced him that this place was abandoned. There didn't seem to be any soul in this place.

Realizing that he was all by himself, Fahkumram moved over to a big Buddha statue where there was a carpet lying before it. Sitting on his knees, the tall man looked at his lap, resting his hands on his knees. He was currently in deep thought as he tried to find an answer to all those questions inside his mind.

"How…how did it come to this?" he asked himself as he closed his eyes.

Tears fell down from his eyes as Fahkumram's mind drifted back to his past, all the way back to his childhood.

Before he became Fahkumram, he was just an ordinary human boy with an incredible talent in the art of Muay Thai. As a child, he was considered a prodigy by his peers, a promising warrior who would become champion in the martial art. Day and night, this young Thai boy trained till his bones cracked, determined to get a place in the Muay Thai Championship.

Sadly, tragedy struck this boy when he was just 12 years old. While training underneath thundering skies, he was hit by a thunderstrike. He then spent days on the brink of death at a hospital, until something so extraordinary happened to him. Believe it or not, the boy managed to make a miraculous recovery, eventually developing a mighty physique and growing to over two meters tall.

This physical change made most of the other Muay Thai trainees fear and reject him, yet the young boy was determined to become a champion. His near-death experience convinced him to hone his skills, combining his tremendous physical strength and technical mastery with a clever tactical brain. By the time he was 18, he became Muay Thai champion. Brushing aside all competition in that tournament, he was feted as a national hero. Almost every man and woman in Thailand knew his face.

Because of his newly-gained abilities as a result of his near-death experience he took the ring name "Fahkumram", in homage to how he emerged stronger than ever before.

But although Fahkumram appreciated his fame, he desired something else. At the height of his popularity, he married his childhood friend Chanthira. As a boy, Fahkumram had barley taken notice of her, given his devotion to training. But when the other children started to reject him due to his abnormal size, she was the only one who treated him kindly. She viewed him as a human more than a monster. Now as an adult, Fahkumram disliked how most of his fans didn't see for what he was beyond his Muay Thai identity. Falling in love with Chanthira for her kindness, they married, and was blessed with a daughter whom they named Chatmanee.

With his own family, Fahkumram proceeded to fight in the tournaments with pride, knowing well that his wife and daughter were worth fighting for. Sadly, this happiness didn't last forever.

At 24 years old, Fahkumram's life took a dramatic turn for the worse. One day, he was approached by a group of unknown men. These men were apparently affiliated with the Chao po, Thai organized criminal gangs. They offered Fahkumram an enormous sum of baht if he threw off the next match. Subsequently, they threatened to kill him if he failed to comply. Refusing to succumb to such indecent sportsmanship, defeated his opponent with a single blow the moment the gong rang. Outraged, the men of the Chao po attacked him, yet they were no match for Fahkumram's strength. He killed several of his would-be assassins.

Arrested on the spot once the police arrived, Fahkumram tried to assert self-defense. But as corrupt policemen and soldiers made up part of the group which had approached him, he was arrested and held by the Thai military in a secure location. His wife and daughter were subsequently taken hostage, after which Fahkumram was given no choice but to act in accordance with the instructions of his captors, participating in secret underground martial arts competitions and show-fights against tigers, leopards and other wild animals.

Unable to see a way out, Fahkumram became more and more desperate and disillusioned. Gradually, the four years in captivity had resulted in him losing himself to more extreme acts of violence and rage. However, the military's possession of his family managed to help him tame it. Even so, this once great champion had dreamed of rescuing them.

That was until this unfamiliar group from Kometa broke into the military base in order to free him, which Fahkumram didn't take kindly to.

Now back to the present, Fahkumram realized how dire the situation was for him and his family.

"All of this…" he stuttered, looking at his hand before touching himself in the chest, where one of his scars from the thunderstrike ran across. "All of this wouldn't have happened…..IF NOT FOR THAT DAMNED DAY!" the Muay Thai fighter was furious.

That's right, in the years of captivity, Fahkumram had started realizing something. If he had never been struck by that thunderstrike that day, would things had gone different? Would he still be that great Muay Thai champion and a national treasure of the country? Would he still be the same man viewed as a weapon to be exploited with?

Fahkumram sometimes wished that day would've never happened. He hated the fact how most people knew him as a dangerous weapon now instead of a human being. That is why he longed to see his family again.

"Chanthira…..Chatmanee…..I will find you…that I promise" the proud husband and father vowed.

All of a sudden, he heard the sound of thunder and lightning above him. Although he was safe and sound in this cave, the several holes in the ceiling made it possible for him to hear this noise. But all things considered, Fahkumram would always hate thunder, given that it was partly responsible for making this dangerous as he was considered to be.

"I better get some rest here" Fahkumram admitted, making sure that nobody was in this cave besides him. "There do not appear to be any monks around this place, so I will sleep here for the night. But first, I will give my thanks to all those who have come before me" he said before facing the Buddha statue once again.

Fahkumram was performing several poses and gestures with his arms. This was no ordinary pose. It was a traditional ritual performed by Muay Thai fighters. They called it the Wai Khru Ram Muay, a ritual of respect that was done before actual matches. By doing it, the Muay Thai fighter was showing thanks to its teacher and family.

When Fahkumram did that, he specifically did that for his family. He prayed that they would be unharmed in face of whatever danger awaited in Thailand or beyond.

After performing the Wai Khru Ram Muay, the tall man fell asleep on the carpet. Hopefully, his dreams would offer him some comfort and relief in these dark times. But Fahkumram knew that dreams wouldn't last forever.


In a hotel room in Jeju City, Jeju Island, South Korea

Hwoarang was sleeping. Having just spent a couple of days battling several martial artists in one-to-one duels, the young Korean found himself spending some good quality time with both Shuwawei and his master: Baek Doo San.

Knowing how much neither of them wanted him to leave the country to go search for Jin Kazama, Hwoarang had decided to do as they wished and be with them instead. However, that didn't mean he was in any way satisfied with it.

"Jin Kazama….you're goin' down…at last" Hwoarang mumbled in his sleep.

That's right. Even in sleep, Hwoarang still couldn't let go of him defeating Jin. Yes, the feeling of having to win was just so satisfying for him.

Everything was nice and quiet in his bedroom, until something so loud woke him up. It was what appeared to be a siren. However, this sounded more like the ones being used to warn citizens of an air raid.

Still, this didn't rouse Hwoarang up, seeing as he was still sleeping.

"Argh! What are those goddamn cops doing now!?" he asked, still refusing to wake up.

But he didn't stay in bed for much longer. For before he knew it, an explosion erupted so loud that it shook everything, including Hwoarang's hotel room. Needless to say, he was thrown off the bed.

This really caught him by surprise, seeing as this impact so strong that it affected the building he was staying inside.

"WOAH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Hwoarang asked loudly.

The sound of the siren could still be heard, and Hwoarang quickly moved over to the curtains. He dragged them away and was given a horrifying sight.

People were running and screaming in the street outside. On the other hand several parts of the city were on fire, not to mention the pillars of smoke rising up in the air.

Meanwhile, the sound of jet fighters could be heard, and Hwoarang spotted a couple of them flying up in the dark skies.

"Holy shit…" the Korean man said that so bluntly. "This isn't a military drill gone bad, let alone a nightmare…...this is an invasion!" he added.

Things got more terrifying when a missile hit a building not very far from the hotel itself. It was further down the street. Once again, the impact of this strike was enough to shake his hotel room, as well as crack his window. This convinced him to get a move on.

"I gotta get outta here! And fast!" he cried as he struggled to get on whatever clothes he could get. "I just hope the others are…GAHH!" Hwoarang snapped once he saw the door busted wide open.

It was his master, Baek Doo San, who had just kicked down the door. Both he and Shuwawei were already dressed.

"Hwoarang! You're awake!" Baek exclaimed, smiling as he watched his student barley putting some clothes. "Thank God. I feared that you'd slept through while the siren rang" the Taekwondo master called out.

Hwoarang scowled, finding it inappropriate of his master coming with such jibes at a time like this.

"This isn't the time for jokes, Master Baek!" Shuwawei chided him before facing his fellow Taekwondo fighter. "Grab whatever you can and come with us! We're evacuating!" she called out to him.

"I AM! JUST LET ME PUT ON THOSE DAMN SHOES!" he yelled back, only to hear another explosion outside.

Baek felt distressed. "These bombs keep landing at a rapid capacity! It's best we get out of here and the city as soon as possible!" he told both Hwoarang and Shuwawei.

As they all went down the stairs of the hotel, Shuwawei wondered where they would be going next.

"Master Baek! Is it really possible for us to get off Jeju Island? With this attack, I doubt that the ferries to the mainland are still going. Plus, there is a chance of it being attacked now as we speak" Shuwawei asked while expressing her thoughts.

The trio of Taekwondo fighters had just moved through the kitchen and gotten out through the backyard. Still, Baek had heard the young woman's concerns.

"You're right. The entire Korean Peninsula is being invaded. That makes returning to Seoul seem like a stupid decision" Baek replied as he led them through this narrow alleyway.

Hwoarang was all confused. "Wait! Hold on! Are you saying that we're being invaded!? By whom!?" he wanted some answers.

Shuwawei looked at him rather baffled. "Are you serious? It was all over the news!" she pointed out.

"You probably didn't watch the news before you went to sleep, so I'll fill in for you!" Baek said, only for him to look up when he heard the sound of jet fighters. "G Corp jet fighters! Take cover under there!" he gestured towards a building with a wooden stairway.

The Taekwondo fighting trio looked up and saw two jet fighters fly above the city with such rapid speed. While they did drop bombs, none of them fortunately hit the alleyway Baek and his comrades were in. However, they managed to hit other buildings.

"Damn! It's gonna be hard to get out of Jeju by just relying upon the alleyways. But using the main roads is too much risky. So we'll have to be more pragmatic from now on" Baek informed Shuwawei and Hwoarang.

Shuwawei suddenly looked at Hwoarang. "Do you see now? The G Corporation is attacking Korea! They announced that they would continue their war effort" she informed him.

Hwoarang was completely speechless. In fact, he didn't have enough strength to ask whether Shuwawei was being for real or not.

"And the Korean Peninsula is not the only one" Baek motioned for the two to follow him and they did without any hesitation. "Even now, I hear they've taken over the Kuril Islands, using them as a staging point to attack the Russian Far East. In addition to that, several parts of Europe and Africa are being invaded, as well as the USA" he informed them as they continued moving.

There were screaming citizens running in the alleyways, but compared to the main roads and pavements. At this rate, the citizens on Jeju Island were confused, unsure about how to escape from this carnage.

"So leaving the island is not an option. But where do we go now if staying here is dangerous?" Shuwawei asked Baek one more time.

"We'll head out towards Hallasan. The nearby forest will certainly make an ideal place to hide…...momentarily" the Taekwondo master answered.

"So, we're just reach it by foot? Sounds pretty stupid, seeing as how these alleyways don't lead us to it" Hwoarang expressed his doubts about this.

This made Baek stop, so he turned around and looked at his student irritated. "If you have any better idea, then why don't you start contributing to our escape!?" he practically barked that question.

Hwoarang looked back at him in the eyes. "All I'm saying is that the main roads are the only means we have to reach Hallasan! There's no other way!" he pointed out.

Shuwawei, seeing how tensions were rising, stepped in between them. "This isn't the time to argue! We have to keep moving if we don't want to get…" Shuwawei stopped speaking when she and the others noticed a crowd of Koreans shrieking.

They looked to their right and saw many of them running down the streets. Each Taekwondo fighter wondered why they did that. Their question would soon be answered when a large tank suddenly rolled down the street. It began shooting towards the crowd running from it.

"HOLY ASSCRACKERS! THERE'S A TANK!" Hwoarang exclaimed out in shock.

"QUICK! HIDE OVER HERE BEFORE THEY SPOT US!" Baek dragged the two with him as they walked away from the open alleyway.

The hid themselves against the wall, waiting for the tank to proceed further down the street. Fortunately, it did.

Once it was gone, the trio breathed out a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one. I was wondering why they ran towards the opposite direction" Shuwawei noted.

"The fact that they've started bringing tanks here bodes badly for us!" Baek told them before motioning for them to follow him. "We must get out of the city as quick as possible!" he was frustrated.

"By relying upon these alleyways!? But that's impossible! We'll never make it to Hallasan by just that!" Hwoarang blurted out.

"I'm just trying to get us there SAFELY! Why can't you just listen to your teacher for once!?" Baek hit back at him.

"Because I don't need you to keep me down any longer!" his student hit back at him.

While the master and his student were arguing, Shuwawei looked behind her and noticed something. As a matter of fact, she found herself smiling as she saw several small irrigated fields behind some houses.

"Hey!" Shuwawei managed to end the argument between Baek and Hwoarang as she pointed her finger towards not just the fields, but what arose behind them. "These open fields….do you know what means…" the young woman asked them.

Both Hwoarang and Baek seemed to understand what this meant,

"Of course…." Baek uttered out lowly as he watched the scenery. "We're just at the outskirts of the city. That means we can use these fields as a means of making it out to the forest" he was pretty relieved to have seen it.

"But we're still gonna have to cross the main road outside the city" Hwoarang insisted.

"That may be true, but given that it's outside, doing that will be much easier" Shuwawei assured him. "All things considered, these fields may our fastest way out of Jeju City. But we must take caution" she said that as she looked at Baek.

Baek nodded weakly with a smile. "I know. Using the irrigated fields does leave us out in the open. But if that's the price we have to pay for getting out of this city, then so be it!" the Taekwondo master was determined.

With that said, the trio made their run for it. They didn't care about whether there were jet fighters flying in the air or tanks patrolling the main roads. What mattered to them most, was getting to Hallasan. Even Hwoarang was in full agreement of this.

"I don't know what happens from now on, but I guess our fight will have to be postponed….Jin Kazama" the man with the eyepatch noted with a smirk.

Seeing as how desperate the situation was, Hwoarang knew that it was time for him to pet aside his personal goals and devote himself to protect the ones closest to him.

To be continued…