TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM


ACT 14: Soldier of Fortune

At Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ipanema Beach, arguably one of the most visited beaches in Brazil. Here, every beachgoer did whatever they thought was fun. It was all sorts of activities, like playing volleyball, dancing to music or going for a swim in the ocean. In other words, it was a paradise for those loving the beach-life.

But on this occasion, Ipanema itself was packed with beachgoers. Among those noticing this were Eddy Gordo, Katarina Alves and Christie Monteiro. They themselves were on the beach, finding a couple of sunbeds underneath a large parasol.

But all around them, people were occupying a spot. The trio even noticed several large, obese beachgoers tanning before them in the middle of the sun itself. They looked sunburned, much to the disgust of the trio of friends.

"Gosh. I don't think I've ever seen this many people on Ipanema Beach before. I mean, it's insane" Christie remarked, seeing as how close people were sitting to each over on the beachline itself.

Katarina smiled. "Come on, moça. This is Ipanema we're talking about. It's always packed with visitors here" she told her friend while relaxing on the sunbed with Eddy.

"Yeah, but not like packed so that every spot on the beachline itself is taken" Christie then pointed out, the young girl looking around from her own sunbed.

"You're most certainly right, Christie. It really is cramped up around here" Eddy agreed, resting his arm around Katarina. "And I bet that the majority of the people on this beach are visitors from other places in Brazil, not just here in Rio" he suddenly spoke in a rather solemn expression.

With that said, Christie quickly recalled back to the news that had appeared. Indeed, even Brazil was being affected by the continued war effort.

"I can't believe that Brazil's being invaded. The G Corp used their forces stationed in our neighboring countries to enter" the young Capoeirista still couldn't fathom that their usually peaceful country was now being attacked.

From what the trio of friends knew, the invading G Corp forces had control of major cities in the northern parts of Brazil such as Manaus, Belém, São Luís and Fortaleza, causing a huge exodus of civilians towards the cities at the western coastline.

"At the very least, those who've lost their homes have found refuge here. That's a good thing in my opinion" Christie then remarked.

Katarina, as much as she admired Christie's optimism, felt like being real with the young girl.

"But it's only a matter of time before the G Corp moves it forces down here" the woman with the sunhat told Christie. "Didn't you hear the news? They say that a large-scale attack force is heading towards Brasilia. What's next on their list? Goiânia? Belo Horizonte? Sooner or later, they'll be targeting Rio and other cities here in the south" Katarina continued.

Eddy felt like Katarina's words didn't make sense, so he decided to interject with what his girlfriend just said.

"If they truly wanted to get their hands on Rio, Salvador or Recife, they would've just used their fleets to attack us just now. But they haven't, which means they're opting for conquering Brazil via their ground troops" Eddy pointed out the obvious. However, there was something else gnawing his mind. "Either way, we shouldn't be surprised. You saw what Kazuya did to those journalists in Jakarta" the man with the dreadlocks scowled as he recalled those horrific images.

Both Christie and Katarina could feel for Eddy. After all, Kazuya had taken his parents away from him. Yet despite feeling embittered, Eddy had slowly started to let go of his desire to avenge his parents. But with the G Corp resuming their war effort throughout the world, it was hard to let go of that desire to avenge them.

Even so, there was something else had Eddy grew more concerned with. That was to safeguard the closest thing he had as family. Not just Katarina and Christie, but the orphanage and dojo started by his late master as well.

"I fear that more people, especially young boys and girls, will end up losing someone dear to them…just as I did" Eddy faced his lap.

Just then, Katarina stroke his left cheek. It surprised Eddy, seeing as she had never done something like that ever since they'd started dating.

"Don't worry, bonito. You know that I always got your back" Katarina tried her best to sound sexy and comforting at the same time. "So does Christie and all the kids at the orphanage. Together, we're backing you whenever you feel helpless" she added while looking at the young girl.

Christie didn't know what to say in return, yet she was flattered by Katarina's comment about her being a reliable backer of Eddy.

Eddy had to chuckle, the Capoeirista grabbing Katrina by her hips so that she was positioned above his lap. He looked up at her with a smirk.

"I don't know what's worse: your sunhat or your sunglasses" Eddy tried to throw his own jibe at her.

Katarina took off her sunglasses, as well as her sunhat. She shook her head so that her long hair was flowing. It was clear to Eddy that she was now trying to reveal her own beauty to him.

"Is this better?" she asked him.

"A little…although that lipstick you're using sure leaves an odd taste" Eddy joked, causing Katarina to playfully slap him on his shoulders.

"Você é um idiota" the woman teasingly insulted him in Portuguese before touching Eddy by his chin. "But no matter. That's what I love about you" she then admitted in a sassy manner.

Eddy grinned cockily. "Whatever you say, minha querida" he responded back in a sort of smartass manner.

The two Brazilians then proceeded to kiss each other passionately. Christie had to laugh, seeing as how they were doing it so openly.

"Man, get a room you two" she childishly scolded them, but it was no use.

Eddy and Katarina had come a long way in this relationship. From being enemies to lovers. Christie had yet to figure out what it was that made them love each other so much. The closest answer she could come up with, was the fact that each of them had showed empathy towards each other when it came to loss.

Christie also knew about how she and Eddy had promised Katarina to help her bring back her father, who was now known to be Gigas. Although the thought of a human being turned into a biomechanical weapon abhorred her, Christie believed in Katarina's assumption that there was still a trace of humanity left within her father.

"Just you wait, Katarina. We're gonna bring your dad back. You were with us in our greatest hour of sorrow…so it's time that me and Eddy returned the favor" the young Capoeirista thought.

The kiss between Eddy and Katarina soon ended, and the sassy woman took her place besides her boyfriend on the sunbed.

"I suppose that we'll be staying here in Rio in the coming days?" Katarina asked Eddy.

He weakly nodded his head in return. "That orphanage was master's pride and joy. There's no way we'll be abandoning it" he insisted, yet there was still a troubled expression on his face. "But should the worst come, we have no choice but to flee" Eddy realized that they needed a plan B.

"Are you still in contact with Lars Alexandersson and Lee Chaolan?" Christie asked him.

"Certainly. But I'm afraid they won't be able to come to our aid, if that's what you're hoping for" Eddy responded.

Christie shook her head. "Not at all. It's just that…even though we went separate ways…...it's always nice to rekindle former alliances and partnerships. You know what I mean?" the young girl clarified her statement.

Both Eddy and Katarina smiled at her saying that.

"Sounds like a great idea, Christie. Given that everyone lives across the globe, it's always nice to get a better perspective of how things are happening throughout the world" Katarina agreed with her friend's assessment.

"We will reach out to Lars in time, trust me" Eddy said and took a glass of caipirinha to drink from it. "But for now, let's just concentrate on how lucky we are to not be homeless…yet" the man with the dreadlocks encouraged his friends.

With that said, the trio of friends did that, trying their best to enjoy the view of the ocean, despite knowing that their country was being invaded by a derange conglomerate.


On Manhattan Bridge, New York City, USA

With New York City being invaded, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Forrest Law, Leroy Smith and Leroy's trusty dog companion Sugar were now seeking to evacuate from the bombing and urban warfare happening on Manhattan. Using the subway system, the group of fighters had hoped to use its railways on Manhattan Bridge to get over to Brooklyn.

So far, they hadn't stumbled upon any danger just yet. Still, it was too soon to assume they were safe just yet. For even as they started crossing the bridge, the sound of jet fighters flying and bombing could be heard. It mostly came from behind.

Forrest briefly looked behind to see some of the imposing skyscrapers damaged as a result of the bombing and shelling.

"Holy hell…" the young man uttered out in disbelief. "They're really determined to reduce Manhattan to rubbles!" he exclaimed.

"Don't be surprised, son" Marshall urged him. "Considering what their goal is, we shouldn't be shocked to see those bastards lay everything to ruin" the fighter/chef pointed out.

Forrest nodded his head weakly in return. "Right. Forget I said anything" he agreed as he proceeded to rejoin the group.

The group took caution to everything around them. Although there didn't seem to be anyone on this bridge, one could never know when enemy soldiers would arrive.

"So where in Brooklyn is this property of yours?" Paul asked Leroy.

"It's on Coney Island, right by the beach itself. Once we're there, we should be safe from all this bombing happening in Manhattan…for a while" Leroy answered.

"Coney Island? But that's too far away!" Marshall pointed out.

"Oh, I know that. But if I keep following the railways of the subway, we should be able to reach it safely" Leroy assured him.

"Assuming we survive, that is" Paul chimed in with a slight sarcastic remark.

Forrest, noticing how his father and Paul were sounding quite pessimistic, felt the need to motivate them.

"Come on, guys. Be a little optimistic here. At the very least we have a place to go to" the young man pointed out, only to feel sad once he realized something. "I can't say the same for everyone" he then added.

"But there's guarantee that Coney Island is safe, Forrest. For all we know, there could be an armada of G Corp ships docked in the Lower New York Bay" Paul tried to make Forrest be a little more realistic.

"Not to mention that we don't know whether Brooklyn itself will be spared from the invasion" Marshall chimed in.

Leroy, growing weary of listening to these fighters complain, stomped his cane onto the ground. This made everyone stop walking. Clearly, Leroy was not impressed with how Paul and Marshall were conducting themselves.

"Do you folks wanna get to Coney Island, or waste time complaining? Cause if you wanna stay here above East River, we can happily do so" he asked both friends.

Forrest could tell by the tone of Leroy's voice that he was slightly fed with both Paul and his dad.

"Look, I too am certain that those G Corp bastards will continue their war effort throughout New York. But they're not just doing it here. The rest of the American east coast are being attacked as well" Leroy started to show some understanding towards those two. "But until they even think about it, there's still a chance for us to find a refuge and reach out to other people like us. Only then will we…" Leroy's explanation was interrupted when the group heard something to their right.

The fighters were all speechless at seeing that a jet fighter had just bombed the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Now, it was destroyed.

"No…..they couldn't….." Forrest was in disbelief.

"Sons of bitches…." Paul uttered out, rage taking hold within his eyes. "THERE WERE CIVILIANS CROSSING THAT BRIDGE!" the Judo fighter didn't even hold back his anger towards the enemy jet fighters.

There was nothing but silence as the group took their time to process this. To see that the oldest bridge in the city had been bombed, mortified them.

"So that's it then…." Marshall began speaking up. "They don't want any reinforcements from the US Army to enter the city. That's the only logical explanation I can come up with" he pondered.

"But why Brooklyn Bridge? It's so far down south! There are far more important bridges up north that they could've taken!" Forrest was distressed over this moment.

"We can find out the answer later. The fact that they bombed Brooklyn Bridge confirms one thing" Leroy said as he already began moving at a faster pace. "They plan on isolating New York's districts from each other. Which means, they will eventually blow up the Manhattan Bridge as well" the elderly man added.

Realizing the truth in Leroy's statement, Paul and the Laws started picking up the pace. They all feared that enemy jet fighters could fly over them and bomb the bridge, which would prevent them from reaching Brooklyn. Or worse, they would be killed by the bombing itself.

Unable to let such be the end of their lives, the group of fighters did their best to run on the railway. So far, there was no sign of any person on the bridge itself.

But while they were running, Sugar suddenly stopped and started gnarling at the road beside the railways. Leroy and his friends took notice and stopped.

"Sugar. What's the matter, girl?" Leroy asked as he kneeled down to pet the bulldog.

All of a sudden, Paul and the others could hear what appeared to be the sound of vehicles moving towards them. It came from afar. Stretching out their heads to look at each of the roads on the bridge, a tank was driving straight ahead. But that was not just it. What was behind the tanks shocked everyone.

"Holy shit…military convoys" Paul stammered.

"But not just any military convoy" Marshall chimed in. "THOSE ARE G CORP CONVOYS! AND THEY'RE HEADING TOWARDS US!" he yelled.

"What are we gonna do!? With that many vehicles and soldiers onboard, they're certainly headed for Manhattan! Which means, they'll use both roads to cross the bridge!" Forrest was desperate for an answer.

As Leroy looked at the situation they were in, he realized that there was only one solution to this. The Wing Chun master quickly ducked to the ground, until his stomach hit it. Sugar did the exact same thing, the dog already being smaller than what he was.

"Get down onto your stomachs! Now! If we stay like this, there's a big chance of them not spotting us! Try not to move a muscle!" Leroy told everyone.

With no alternatives left, Paul and the Laws fell down to the ground besides the tracks, desperate to not be seen by the incoming convoys. They heard the sound of the vehicles getting closer to them by the minute. Each men prayed that they would be unseen.

As they all buried their heads in the ground, the two convoys drove over the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. They consisted from all sorts of vehicles. Tanks, jeeps, transport trucks, APCs and anti-aircraft weapons drove in a row on the bridge.

Clearly, these convoys were heading over to Manhattan where reinforcements sent to aid the G Corp-forces with battling the US military presence, as well as securing the district as their own.

Despite the many numbers of soldiers on this convoy, none of them even bothered looking at the railways besides them. They were more dedicated to the upcoming urban battlefield rather than to focus on what was nothing but an empty road.

After 4 minutes, the sound of the convoys disappeared. The lack of nearby noises only encouraged Leroy and his friends to barley raise their heads off the ground. Slowly, they got up on one knee, proceeding to check both roads for any enemy vehicles. To their relief, there was none.

"There doesn't appear to be anymore convoys coming. On this road at least" Marshall told his friends based on his observation.

"I say the same thing over here" Paul said, as he looked to the opposite side. "They're gone…for now" he then added.

With a deep sigh, Leroy wiped off whatever sweat he had on his forehead with the left sleeve of his white jacket.

"Lord have mercy. I was THIS close to believe that we would get caught by those bastards" the elderly man admitted as he held onto his cane with both hands. "Good thing those soldiers were too busy on the fight ahead. Otherwise, there's no telling what would've happened to us" Leroy continued expressing relief.

"You said it, Master Leroy" Forrest remarked as he embraced Sugar in a tight hug, even allowing the dog to lick him affectionately.

After having gathered enough wits, the group knew where they would be heading next.

"Well, shall we get our asses moving? There's no telling when there will be another convoy coming here" Paul suggested.

"Paul's right" Marshall agreed, only for his frown to turn upside down. "And probably for the first time" he teased his friend.

"Bite me, Marshall!" Paul hit back.

Leroy and Forrest were finding this quite amusing. Still, the former knew what to do now.

"Alright, folks. Y'all know where our destination is now. We'll continue on walking these railway tracks until we reach Coney Island. Somehow, I don't think Brooklyn is fully safe as I'd hoped it would be" the Wing Chin master recommended everyone.

"Lead the way then. We'll tag along" Marshall insisted.

And so, the group continued on moving on the railways, this time picking up the pace. Whatever safehouse Leroy had on Coney Island, Paul and the Laws hoped that it would provide them with some form of sanctuary amidst this unexpected invasion from the G Corp.


At the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington D.C., USA

Bo "Rodeo" Montana was having his hands full. The G Corporation was bold enough to launch an assault upon the US capital itself. Even so, Rodeo was more than willing to stand up against these invaders, just like all the other soldiers.

Right now, he along with several other soldiers, were hiding behind the marble pillars of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Although the place itself was wonderful, the sight of smokes and flames made it a terrible thing to witness, not to mention the burning cherry blossom trees. The reflection of the fiery sky could be seen in the Tidal Basin itself.

Rodeo, who had previously been stationed outside the Pentagon, had been moved over to cover the southern flank of D.C. Still, they were in too deep, seeing as the G Corp kept dropping reinforcements from the air.

Still, that changed nothing for the US Army regiments defending the capital city. After all, they hoped this would manage to give enough time for the evacuation of civilians, as well as the president and the US government.

Creating barricades before the memorial, Rodeo and his fellow soldiers hide by the white marbles while taking cover from all enemy attacks.

"HOLD YOUR FLANK, SOLDIERS! NO WAY WE'RE LETTING THESE BASTARDS TAKE D.C.!" Rodeo yelled as he leaned over to shoot at whatever soldiers that were running towards them by the reservoir.

Despite those soldiers not responding back to his commands, Rodeo knew how determined they were in defending the city as much as he was. They were ranked lower than him, therefore considering him as their superior.

In time, they managed to take out the soldiers attacking them, thus leaving the area around the Tidal Basin secured. At the very least for a while.

"Sir! Bad news!" a soldier suddenly approached Rodeo as he was shooting from around the pillar.

"What is it, private?" Rodeo asked him.

"Enemy soldiers are moving across the George Mason Memorial Bridge. They're accompanied by a couple of tanks!" the soldier informed him.

This made Rodeo's eyes widen in shock. "So soon? Damnit! That means they've breached the defenses at the Pentagon!" he knew what this meant. "They've probably destroyed it as well! Those rotten monsters!" Rodeo felt like things had gotten more dangerous.

The soldier telling him the news seemed to have more on his mind. "We're also now getting reports from the Secretary of Defense himself. He and the soldiers with him are holding their ground at the White House. The same thing can be said for the regiments defending the Capitol. At the same time, the president has been confirmed to be out of Virginia. But he doesn't know where he will be heading towards" he informed Rodeo.

A slight sense of relief was brought within Rodeo. To hear that the secretary and his entourage stood their ground was amazing. However, he was more relieved about the president being far away from the carnage in Washington.

"Alright. Then it appears that we'll continue on being the last line of defense before the White House and the Capitol. And we will wear this duty with pride" Rodeo suggested with a defiant expression in his eyes.

In time, the rest of the lower-ranking soldiers gathered around Rodeo. It appeared to have a plan on how to confront the enemy troops.

"Listen up, soldiers! We'll go outside and give those G Corp-bastards a warm welcome! Let's raise hell on 'em by starting our counterattack!"

"OORAAAAAH!" the soldiers replied in unison.

With that said, Rodeo took the initiative to lead the soldiers out of the memorial, to the nearby roads and highways. Still, they did not go out in the open just yet, using the trees near the memorial as cover.

"Stay close, men! There's no telling what sort of other machinery the enemy has brought with them" he advised the soldiers.

There were already two tanks and a squadron of enemy troops stationed there.

Rodeo smirked, turning his attention towards a couple of soldiers carrying missile launchers. Apparently, he had already gotten an idea.

"You two! Get into position! When I give you the signal, fire your missiles at those tanks. The rest of us will greet them with a surprise attack of our own" the informed them.

Saluting, the two soldiers with the missile launchers got into the positions as Rodeo requested. In the meantime, he and the other soldiers with loaded their weapons, preparing for the assault.

Once he felt like the convoy was nearing their location, Rodeo gave the signal to attack them by raising his fist.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he called out to them.

The moment they received the order, the two soldiers fired their missile launchers. Two rockets headed straight towards the couple of tanks. The G Corp convoy was caught off-guard by this, so they pinned themselves onto the asphalt to avoid getting it. The same thing couldn't be said for the tanks, as they exploded once the rockets hit them.

With their enemies distracted by this commotion, Rodeo led the soldiers to attack them. They fired whatever weapons they had, shooting the G Corp troopers to their deaths.

Once their targets were neutralized, Rodeo and his comrades celebrated briefly. They all raised their fists and weapons in the air, as well as praising Rodeo for his extraordinary leadership.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, SOLDIERS! NOW THEY REALIZE THE ERROR OF ATTACKING D.C.!" the muscular man exclaimed, much to the cheering of his subordinates.

Leading these troops into battle reminded Rodeo about not just his collage years as a Quarterback football player. It also reminded him about his late squad mates in the army.

Even now, Rodeo could tell that there more squads would be lost during this terrible war. That very thought had only given birth to something within the proud soldier. It convinced him to do anything he possibly could to avoid more squads from falling to foes of the US Army. In fact, he saw plenty of similarities between Kazuya Mishima and Revenant.

"I know that lives will be lost during this battle…...but that's in the nature of wars. Either way…...I'll do what I can to make sure no heavy losses occur" Rodeo thought to himself as he continued celebrating with the other soldiers.

Amidst this victory, thumping sounds could be heard from behind. Rodeo and his men quickly turned around to see what it was. Something had just landed upon the two destroyed tanks. What they saw horrified them.

"No…it can't be…" one of the soldiers stammered.

"JACKS!" another one cried.

That's right. What just arrived was a pack of JACK-robots, the G Corp's trademark attack machines. From the looks of it, they seemed quite armored and ready for a fight.

"Goddamn! Of course, they would send in those into battle!" Rodeo cursed beneath his breath. Clutching onto his assault rifle, he knew what to do. "Fall back into positions, soldiers! Take them out while you still can!" he literally cried out that command.

Knowing better than to question him, the soldiers did as Rodeo said. But even as they fired their weapons on them, the bullets of the assault rifles didn't even manage to damage them. Furthermore, these JACKS had the ability to fly as well.

Two of the JACKs had gone straight for the soldiers wielding the missile launchers. Before they could even aim, they were crushed by the robots' heavy weight. Seeing them being reduced to such bloody pulps mortified Rodeo and his men.

"HOLY SHIT!" one of the soldiers yelled.

"Fall back! Abandon your posts, men! We're retreating! Fall back!" Rodeo called out to his men.

Sadly, the JACKs were already one step ahead of them. Using their extraordinary capabilities, the robots attacked the men with all their strength. One by one, each of the soldiers fell, either by getting their limbs ripped off, to getting smashed by their brute force.

Either way, Rodeo was horrified at witnessing such slaughter. He knew that JACKs were robots without any feelings, but to see their brutality in action up close was on a completely different level.

"Son of a bitch! How much intelligent are those JACKs!?" the muscular man cursed before reaching out for one of his grenades.

The JACKs had already taken notice of Rodeo still standing and turned their crimson laser-like eyes upon him. That only encouraged him to quickly throw the grenade at them.

Removing its pin, he threw it at the group of JACKs. "GO TO HELL, ROBO-BASTARDS!" he yelled at them.

Sadly, he managed to take out only one of them. The other JACKs were quicker to avoid getting caught by the grenade exploding. The large robots flew in the air, only to land around Rodeo, thus surrounding him.

Realizing that there was no place for him to run, the proud soldier stood in his fighting position, even drawing out his military machete.

"You guys think I'm gonna turn tail and run!? FUCK NO!" Rodeo declared, signifying his own defiance. "By killing all these men….THERE'S NO WAY I WOULD LET TRASH LIKE YOU GET AWAY WITH IT!" he acted as if these were real-life human enemies.

A JACK on his left suddenly dashed towards him, intending on delivering him a full-blown knockout. Surprisingly, Rodeo managed to dodge it, using his machete to cut off the JACK's right hand.

The soldier chuckled bitterly as the JACK looked at its damage. "Stings, doesn't it?" he mocked the combat robot.

However, Rodeo paid attention to a JACK trying to attack him from behind. Rather than dodging it, the soldier punched straight into the robot's chest, thus damaging its systems. Even as the JACK grabbed him, Rodeo felt no pain, seeing as the grips were nothing but mere touching upon his shoulders.

Rodeo smirked, seeing as his opponent being shut offline immediately. Pulling his fist out, he watched as the JACK fell onto the asphalt.

"You may be the G Corp's favorite toys, but that doesn't mean you're invincible" he commented.

With that taken care of, Rodeo turned his attention towards the remaining JACKs, including the one whose left hand he had cut off. Once they were gone, Rodeo watched his broken foes with pride.

But on the other hand, he could not celebrate just yet. He walked over to the corpses of his fellow soldiers. It was painful for him to see their lives being taken away like this. After all, some of these soldiers were probably fathers, brothers, sons or even uncles. How would their loved ones cope up with their loss? Finding an answer proved to be beyond challenging for Rodeo.

"I keep thinking…perhaps being a soldier is not as great as I thought…." Rodeo was in deep thought, yet trying to process through this sorrow.

But as he stood above those deceased men, the sound of more machinery came to his left. To his frustration, it appeared to be a squadron with enemy soldiers accompanied by several JACKs.

"NOT AGAIN!" Rodeo was understandably furious over this situation. "WHY DID ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS HAVE TO APPEAR AT SUCH A BAD TIME!?" he was getting distressed by the minute.

He thought he would stand alone against this cadre of foes, but he was mistaken. Several powerful missiles hit the JACKs. Rodeo looked across his shoulder and saw what it was.

In the air, two attack helicopters were aiming at the group of enemies. Underneath them, soldiers and tanks suddenly approached the highway.

Seeing backup arriving just in time, Rodeo smirked. He felt like things had changed in his favor. Therefore, there was only one thing left for him to do.

"Hell yeah…...this is not the time to lick our wounds. It's time to fight back!" Rodeo said as he picked up an assault rifle belonging to one of the deceased privates. "AND I'M READY TO GIVE EACH OF YOU BASTARDS A ONE-WAY TICKET TO HELL!" he declared, determined to aid the defense of D.C., no matter how many forces the G Corp sent at them.


Inside the Space Needle, Seattle, USA

Seattle, the largest city in the state of Washington in the northern part of the USA's West Coast. Despite being a seaport city, Seattle was probably more known for being the birthplace of famous musicians, not to mention the rock genre called grunge. Its location wasn't far from the Canadian border, let alone the city of Vancouver in British Columbia.

The city's most famous landmark was the imposing Space Needle, and observation tower standing in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. The Space Needle gave any visitors a spectacular view of Seattle itself, as well as the surrounding islands near the city.

Inside the Space Needle itself, there was a restaurant underneath the observation floor. Known as the Loupe Lounge, it offered all visitors good food and services in addition to the fancy view of Seattle.

Among the many people sitting inside was Robert "Bob" Richards, the infamous fighter known for his speed despite being obese. He had been on quite a road trip for the past few days. Having journeyed from Arizona, Bob had travelled further up to the north, eventually arriving in Seattle. However, there were plenty of reasons for him going that way.

As he was eating on what appeared to be a lobster, Bob was reading the local newspaper from The Seattle Times. What was already on the front page mortified him.

AMERICA UNDER ATTACK: THE FATE OF THE PRESIDENT AND GOVERNMENT UNCERTAIN

"I don't believe this….." Bob murmured as he looked around to see how most people at the lounge were carrying on as if nothing serious was happening. "The country's just been invaded by an evil conglomerate who's driven out the government from Washington D.C., yet people here act as if nothing is bothering them" he noted.

Bob had some form of explanations as to why not many Seattleites were not particularly affected by this invasion. Despite the attack appearing on the news daily, Seattle was located on the West Coast, far away from where the G Corp's current attacks on the East Coast. The USA was indeed a large country, so it would take a long time for their troops to reach the western states. And although Hawaii had already fallen to the G Corp, the US Pacific Fleet had been placed alongside the West Coast to form a blockade against the enemy fleets.

Yet Bob was not buying this sense of security. For he knew that just across the border, both the G Corp and the Zaibatsu were already using Canada as their battleground. And with their enemies now weakened, Bob feared that the G Corp could use their forces stationed in Canada to aid the ongoing invasion. He had heard about how the two sides had fought each for the control of Richmond, a town just south of Vancouver.

This made it all confusing for Bob as to why Seattleites were being somewhat oblivious to the current national events.

"Whatever happens now, things are about to get uglier here in the US. I just know it" Bob remarked as he continued eating.

He had been on a road trip, ever since a visit to the local tribe which Julia Chang belonged to. After meeting her mother, Michelle, Bob had learned about where her daughter had gone off to.

"I considered traveling to Europe, but the ongoing invasion has only dashed any hopes of even trying. Besides, I hear Europe know is in danger too" Bob noted as he looked down at the newspaper.

He understood that the Balkan had been already invaded, as had parts of the Middle East. Furthermore, Bob had learned about the G Corp making inroads in South America, Southern Africa and East Asia. Needless to say, the ongoing war was starting to affect more countries across the globe.

"Whatever happens from now on, I better think of what to do. Perhaps I should travel up north to Vancouver to see how serious the situation is" Bob pondered, yet the obese man soon realized something. "On second thought, that may not be necessary. The G Corp will make it to Seattle eventually and they will continue to do so until the president has been found" he continued assessing his opportunities.

Even as he tried to take the situation more seriously, Bob couldn't help but to feel tempted to live the life a little. He knew how wrong it was, in wake of the ongoing invasion. But there was something about the atmosphere in this lounge and the view outside that made him want to just sit back and relax.

He had travelled across states for the last weeks, so it was perhaps that the journey had him a little tired. Even so, Bob remained vigilant. Hopefully, he would find a way to contact his friends, no matter how far they were from his current standpoint.


Somewhere beneath the South China Sea

While waves moved and fish, dolphins and whales swam beneath them, something else was moving through the darkest depths of the ocean itself. It was not a sea monster or anything of the kind. Rather, it was a large stealth submersible!

This was a vehicle that could fly and dive into water at the same time. Judging by the logo, this highly-advanced vehicle belonged to the United Nations. Only they possessed vehicles such as this, unable to share this knowledge with the entire world.

Due to its useful functions, stealth submersibles were used by the UN's intelligence bureau, transporting their agents to all corners of the world.

In the middle of the deck itself stood Master Raven and Raven, accompanied by two individuals. The first on was the scientist affiliated with Kometa: Dr. Lukas Hayes. The second on was the infamous leader of the Manji Party: Yoshimitsu. Surrounding them were employees of the UN, as well as the crew responsible for steering this stealth submersible.

For some reason, Yoshimitsu had agreed to an alliance between his ninja clan and the agents. That's why he was joining the agents on this mission of theirs. As for the agents themselves, they had evacuated from their holdings in Hong Kong and were now using the stealth submersible to navigate through the dark depths.

"So Detective Lei Wulong from Interpol will not join us on this mission?" Yoshimitsu asked the agents.

"That is correct" Master Raven answered. "He is better off focusing on writing his report about the Mishima clan's history. On the other hand, he has done so much for not just us, but the people of the world as well" she spoke fondly of Lei.

"Not to mention that he could be our eyes and ears with regards to the situation in Hong Kong, as well as the rest of China" Raven pointed out.

Yoshimitsu nodded weakly. "Very well. If that is your judgement, then I have no authority to dispute it" he told the pair.

As they were engaged in this conversation, Lukas gulped as he looked through the wide window and saw the view before him. He acted also a little squeaky the more he saw the dark.

"Why exactly are we travelling like this?" Lukas asked those around him. "Forgive me for sounding rude, but I really feel uncomfortable with dark places like this" the scientist justified himself questioning them.

"Because it's the safest option we have in hopes of remaining unspotted. With the war resuming, naval battles between the G Corp and the Zaibatsu are continuing. Flying will only expose us to them" Raven answered plainly.

Lukas didn't buy Raven's explanation. "Right. As if neither warring side has submarines that could potentially detect us in the dark" he hit back, thus irking Raven a little.

"Whatever reservations you have, it matters nothing to us. Travelling underneath the sea is much safer than above it" Master Raven joined in on the conversation. "That being said, the G Corp considers the UN much an enemy as the Zaibatsu. Their attack upon UN Headquarters in New York is only proof of that" she then said with a scowl.

Yes, both Master Raven and her subordinate had heard about the G Corp launching an invasion of the USA, attacking cities along the eastern coastline. More importantly, they UN Headquarters had been targeted as well by the invading forces.

"What happens to the UN? Is it really over for it?" Lukas meekly asked them.

"Not yet. Remember, we do have offices in other places besides New York" Raven pointed out.

Master Raven nodded with a slight smirk. "Indeed, we have three other main offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. But it's in Geneva where most of the summits are currently taking place" she revealed, only for her smirk to turn upside down. "Still, with the G Corp already beginning their assault upon Europe, it won't be long before Switzerland and Austria will be invaded. The UN may have to move its operations down to Kenya as a result" she then admitted.

There were no words coming out of the scientist's mouth. Clearly, he was too distraught to even think about the fact that the G Corp were attacking all corners of the globe.

"Let us change the subject, Elder Raven" that voice came from Yoshimitsu, the octopus-looking, cybernetic ninja leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "I agreed to this pact because of us sharing common enemies together. But I have yet to determine what exact motives you have for us. It is time that you and your "bureau" were a little more honest with me" he wanted some answers out of her.

The agent seemed far than fazed at the tone of Yoshimitsu's voice. Even so, she more and less agreed with his statement.

"As I explained to you back in Hokkaido, we would travel to Thailand. However, it's not the country itself we will be going to. Our mission will be to infiltrate a certain cruise ship that is docked outside the capital city of Bangkok" Master Raven revealed.

Despite not being able to see his reaction, those standing around Yoshimitsu could tell that he was surprised by this revelation.

"Infiltration…then you don't mean to…." Yoshimitsu had slowly started to puzzle the pieces together.

"YOU'RE PLANNING ON SNEAKING ONBOARD THE AMPHITRITE!? AS WELL AS GOING UNDERCOVER WHILE YOU'RE THERE!?" Lukas was beyond outraged with whatever plans the agents had.

The agents only looked at him completely dismissive, yet only Raven possessed enough courage to respond to him.

"Overreaction aside, that's an accurate assessment, Dr. Hayes" he responded to him.

Even so, the meek scientist was baffled by it. "But you know the kind of person Lana Lai is, let alone her associates! Why in the world would you consider partaking such a risky mission!?" he wanted more answers out of them.

"In case you haven't realized, Kometa is playing a huge role with the climatic changes with that damn satellite of theirs which you helped build" Master Raven bluntly told him, thus shutting Lukas up completely. "Yes, you know very well that with each day, the radiation that their satellite emits to the Earth is tearing the environment apart" she didn't hold back her scolding of him.

This made Lukas realize how wrong it was of him to question the agents. After all, he was the one who had helped Kometa further their aims. What gave him the right to protest?

"You're correct. I have no right to object" the scientist admitted, adjusting his glasses. "But even so, infiltrating the Amphitrite is dangerous. Lai and her lapdogs have eyes and ears almost everywhere, not just onboard the ship" he then pointed out.

"Maybe" Master Raven said, only to smirk before countering Lukas' statement. "But at the very least we have a "mole" on the inside" she then revealed.

This caught Yoshimitsu's interest. "A mole? As in "someone inside Kometa"? Who could that possibly be?" the swordsman wanted to know more.

"Make those three moles on the inside" Raven suddenly interjected as he looked at his superior. "We already know about Shin Kamiya. However, we recently learned about two other executives at Kometa "leaking" information to us" he suddenly came up with a shocking confession.

This time, Lukas was the one surprised by this revelation. "No…don't tell me…...is it…." the scientist refused to believe it, yet Raven confirmed it with a nod.

"Yes. Ever since my infiltration of their operations in Papua New Guinea, Edgar Grant and Enrique Ortega have been giving small details and hints with regards to Kometa's activities, not just Kamiya. In fact, it was Grant who revealed to us about Kometa's reasons for being docked near Thailand. On the other hand, Ortega was the one who revealed more details about their satellite, as well as showing us possible ways of downing it" Raven informed him.

Lukas was beyond speechless. He had never thought of someone like those two to turn against Lana. But on the other hand, he was slowly beginning to understand why.

"I see. It's obvious that they are doing it for one thing. They want Lai overthrown so that they can take over the reins of Kometa" the scientist remarked, only for something to hit him in the head. "Come to think of it, I heard rumors about Grant wanting to unseat her. But I can't say the same for Ortega. Far as I know, he's always been very subservient to Lai. Not when compared to Bryce Adams, of course" he went on with trying to figure out their motives.

"All the more reason to not take their allegations seriously" Master Raven suddenly informed everyone. "Indeed. Both Grant and Ortega are nothing but scoundrels. As such, taking their words for granted is rather foolish. But on the other hand, this goes to show us how something. Lana Lai is not as powerful as we originally thought she were. Her leadership is weakened by inner power struggles" she went on.

"But will we still be infiltrating that ship?" Yoshimitsu asked her.

Master Raven nodded. "Certainly. Nothing changes. We'll proceed with the mission just as planned" she answered him before turning her attention to Lukas. "But you will not be needed for this one, Dr. Hayes. Because we have other plans for you" the agent told him.

The eyes behind Lukas' glasses widened in surprise. "For what? I don't understand!" he wondered aloud.

"There's still that "research" you did for us about Shin Kamiya, right? You are to continue with it. The more we know about whatever projects the Zaibatsu did, the more we can figure out a way to avert them" Raven informed Lukas. "After dropping us three off for the mission, this stealth sub will take you to Nairobi, where you will be safe to write down the report" Raven then stated it to him plainly.

Lukas felt somewhat a sense of relief when hearing this. He would not be dragged into whatever dangerous mission these agents planned on carrying out. In a way, this was just as he wanted.

"Alright. Because of me being at the UN's mercy, I suppose I have no choice but to comply" Lukas said, only to feel something inside him.

Those around him could tell that something was not right. It was as if Lukas was trying to hide something away from them.

"Is there something you wish to come clean with, doctor?" Master Raven asked him directly. She crossed her arms. "Remember, deception will cost you more than your petty job"

"As a matter of fact, I do" the scientist admitted. "There is something you need to know with regards to the plans Kometa has. That includes…where they will be heading next" Lukas revealed.

"Heading next?" even Raven was surprised. "And what makes you think we will believe you?" he asked with his arms crossed, obviously still wielding some form of suspicion towards the scientist.

Lukas could see that and sighed. "Because I know for a fact that the reason they are in Thailand, let alone have plans on traveling west….is because of them wanting to kill collect what they consider to be dangerous weapons" he revealed, much to the surprise of those around him.

Wanting to know more about these weapons, Master Raven encouraged him to continue on.

"Very well. Then tell us what these weapons are, Dr. Hayes" she sounded more cordial towards him than before.

And so, the scientist informed his current "captors" about everything he knew about Kometa's desired weapons, as well as their plans for the world.


Onboard the ship called the Amphitrite, Gulf of Thailand

Enrique Ortega and Bryce Adams, two executives at Kometa, were walking through the corrido which led to the usual meeting room between the organization's executives. As they were walking, they felt as if something was not right.

"Have you seen Kamiya around? I was expecting him to at least show up in this hallway" Enrique asked his cohort while relaxing his katana on his shoulder.

Bryce, who was picking off pieces of meat stuck between his teeth with a toothpick, shrugged his shoulders.

"No clue. Last time I saw him, he was at the bar chugging down some Japanese bevvie" he answered before spitting out the toothpick in his mouth. "No worries, mate. He's probably at Lana's side as we speak" the Australian gunman with the pink-dyed hair responded.

Enrique shook his head weakly in return. "Hope you're right, amigo" he responded back.

As the two executives entered the dark meeting room, they saw Lana Lai already sitting by the round table. Also noticeable was the fact that she was there by herself, flanked only by two bodyguards standing beside her chair. Lana waved her hand fan at herself, only to stop once she noticed Bryce and Enrique approach the table.

Bryce smirked, always finding the need to compliment her superior's looks.

"Hello, gorgeous. Still as breathtaking as our last night together" the gunman remarked.

Enrique rolled his eyes, cringed by how Bryce was turned on by a woman so serene on the outside, yet sadistic on the inside. For all her feminine appeals, she didn't deserve such worship.

On the other hand, Lana was flattered by Bryce's compliment, even feeling the need to giggle. But it was short. She appeared to be willing to change this into something much more professional.

"I really appreciate your charming words, Brycie. But this is not the time for such silliness" Lana said, her lips only hinting to whatever case was on her mind. "Because I have two important things to discuss with you two specifically" she revealed.

The two men remained unfazed, always knowing Lana to be quite the calculating individual. Still, the absence of Shin Kamiya was questionable.

"What's the subject for tonight?" Enrique asked Lana before noticing the empty seat belonging to Shin. "Or better yet, where's Kamiya? Wouldn't it be wise to have him onboard this meeting?" the Cuban man went on asking her.

The appeared to be something on Lana's expression that only hinted to a certain answer. But what was it?

Bryce seemed to have already figured it out. "Let me guess: the reason that drongo is not here is because he is one of the two things you want to discuss with us about. Isn't that it?" he looked at Lana.

"You have done your homework well, Brycie. Cleverly done" she praised him with a smirk. But it soon turned upside down. "Yes. We need to discuss Kamiya. For the last few days, he has been acting awfully strange whenever he's around us. That alone leaves me very troubled" the Chinese woman admitted.

"Well, he's always been the ankle biter between us executives. Although I will admit that he's not been himself lately" Bryce remarked, yet he knew better than to question his superior's words. "Are you saying that he's done something very wrong?" he suggested.

Lana nodded her head. "That's precisely right" she answered.

"Then it can only mean one thing:….." Enrique began assuming the worst. He even rose up from his seat. "That little cabrón has been turning against us. It's him who's been leaking intel to our enemies!" he stated what he thought was the obvious.

"Now that's strange. I never said that it was Kamiya had done something like that" Lana suddenly pointed out bluntly. "What I meant was to say that his services have been very inept lately. What proof do you have to support him being responsible for our enemies getting their hands on Dr. Hayes?" she asked him frankly.

Enrique stared into the eyes of Lana's. Clearly, he knew what kind of game she was playing. Hoping to avoid any further scrutiny, the Cuban man sat down, hanging his head in a low shame.

"Olvidame. I meant no disrespect. Sometimes I let my distaste for him get into my head too much" Enrique stated.

While staring at him coldly at first, Lana accepted his apology. It was evident by her weak smile.

"Very well. Apology accepted" she told him. "Now with regards to Kamiya's loyalties, there is still one chance for him to prove his still useful to Kometa. And he will demonstrate it tomorrow" she said while tapping on the tablet computer before her.

All eyes were on the device, as it showed them the email sent from the group of fighters Kometa had hired to capture Fahkumram. It was a long email, yet Lana and her associates took their time to read it through.

Dear Kometa

We have captured the Muay Thai fighter you so desperately wanted. First, we will admit to the difficulty with capturing him. Still, our combined might managed to overcome him in the end. That is why we can officially confirm that Fahkumram is in our custody.

With that said, we would like begin the exchange. Bangkok Port would be the ideal place for such. Meet us there tomorrow. We will bring you the prisoner, and you will give each of us a reward worthy for our effort. We can assure you that this man is currently in chains, and will be delivered to you in that condition.

Just give us a reply if you agree to our terms or not. We will be waiting, patiently.

Best regards from Sergei Dragunov, Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Armor King and Kunimitsu

Lana found herself smirking as she read the email, let alone saw the picture of what appeared to be Fahkumram.

"We may have lost Dr. Hayes to the UN, but that doesn't mean we'll lose that Muay Thai fighter. His power and strength will prove a valuable asset to Kometa" Lana remarked, only to have more things to say. "In the meantime, Grant and his men will do their best to capture Jin Kazama. I recently heard that he failed to do so due to certain "meddling" by Nina Williams" she then informed them.

Both Enrique and Bryce had to laugh at hearing this, yet they each stopped once they felt like getting more information out of Lana.

"So what does this have to do with Kamiya, exactly?" Ortega asked her.

"As I said before, this upcoming event will help us determine whether he is still with us or not. He will aid us with whacking that useless gang of heathens" Lana's sadistic smirk crept wider.

Bryce had to chuckle, the gunman surprisingly amused by his superior's cruelty and deceit towards people like those fighters.

"You're an evil one, Lana Lai. But who cares!? I still like ya" Bryce tried again to flatter Lana, who ignored it completely.

"Sure, we will take out those bastardos" Enrique agreed. "But we gotta be careful with them, though. These are the nasties bunch from the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. Who knows whether they will agree with handing that Thai guy over to us" he then pointed out.

This made Lana turn her attention to him. "And what makes you think that they won't, Ortega?" she questioned him.

While being creeped out by being given that stare at first, Enrique sucked it up and replied as truthfully as he could.

"Come on, querida. You of all people should know about Sergei Dragunov, let alone his allegiances. What if his boss back in Russia starts sniffing up our operations? The UN has already done that, so it shouldn't be surprising that Spetsnaz would try doing the same thing" the Cuban man answered.

No matter the words of importance used in those sentences, Lana remained completely unfazed at this. From Enrique's point of view, she didn't take his words seriously.

"Before we lose track of what's really important, all of us are to meet this group at the harbor tomorrow. When I give the signal, our men will help arrange their quick deaths" Lana informed everyone. "Are there any objections?" she wanted to make sure her subordinates were onboard.

Looking at each other, neither Enrique nor Bryce seemed to possess any reservation with regards to her plan.

"None" both men said in unison.

This satisfied Lana. "Good. Then our meeting is hereby finished" she announced as she rose up from her chair. "Do not worry about Kamiya. He will be informed about our plan tomorrow early. Make sure you've each gathered enough men for the attack. I expect none of you to fail…..just as the other executives did" those were the last words from the Chinese woman before she took her leave with her bodyguards.

With nothing left to do, both Bryce and Enrique exited the meeting room. They were already on their way to the main hall, hoping to do something fun.

"Hey Ortega" the voice of Bryce made Enrique turn his attention towards him. "What was that all about?" the Australian gunman asked him.

Enrique only looked at him with a cooked eyebrow in return. He seemed confused by that question.

"What? About Kamiya. Get real. You know that I only being cocky" the man with the katana answered him. He even grinned at him cheekily. "Why, is something happening between you and chinito? Caramba! I always believed that Lai was the one having your…" he didn't get to finish his sentence.

Believe it or not, Bryce had just pulled out one of his handguns, and he was aiming it straight at Enrique. Things were slowly starting to get ugly between the two executives, yet nothing had escalated further so far.

"Don't you pull that shit with me, greaser. Lana may fall for your bloody nonsense, but I sure as hell am not!" Bryce rudely told him.

Despite having a gun pointed at him, Enrique seemed far from intimidated.

"Alright, gringo. Care to fill in on what it is that I'm doing wrong? I would hate to deny Lana a chance to taste that tiny prick of yours!" Enrique threw an insult back at him.

This really angered Bryce, and he really was about to pull the trigger of his gun. But that's when the sound of screaming suddenly came before them.

It was a group of women dressed in provocative clothes. They belonged to all kinds of ethnicities and almost seemed like strippers. For some reason, their eyes were filled with admiration towards Enrique. That's what the scream was about, actually.

"There he is! Our sexy Latino caballero!" one woman called out.

Suddenly, a couple of them approached Enrique at each side, grabbing his arms while clinging onto him.

"Where have you been, handsome? We've been looking all over for you?" another woman asked him.

Surrounded by these lovely ladies, Enrique chuckled at being worshipped like God's gift to them.

"Easy there, chicas. I just needed to attend to some…"business matters", as I'd like to call it" Enrique reassured them. "But now, I'm all yours for the rest of the night!" he made sure they would gush by listening to his voice.

And so they did. The ladies were already clinging onto him, refusing to let go.

"Will you come with us to the lounge for some tequilas and margaritas?" a woman teasingly asked Enrique.

"There is SO much that we wish to tell you…as well as play some games" another one acted all sultry about it.

Admiring their charms, Enrique willingly gave into their demands. "Desde luego! But you sexy, little minxes better show me a good time" he responded.

Once again, the women fawned over his alluring voice, let alone his charms.

"Of course! You're our own Enrique Iglesias. No way we would disappoint you" one of the women promised him.

With that said, Enrique was about to take his leave with these cuties. But he did look one last time at Bryce before leaving.

"Sorry, amigo. But our quarrel will have to wait for another day. For tonight, I'm about to get some booty! See you tomorrow" he said before leaving.

Bryce was left all by himself, grumbling over how he got away with insulting his relationship with Lana, let alone his private body part.

"Tch….rack off" he scowled at seeing his fellow executive leave.

On the other hand, Enrique was pleased that the woman had arrived to pick him up. For there was a good reason for him wanting to get away from Bryce.

"Ay dios mío. That was a close one. I was afraid of killing Lai's pet junkie too soon" he thought, his smirk creeping even further. "On the other hand, I also succeeded in masking my intent before her. Estúpida china! You are too drunk on power to realize that your demise will end sooner than you even realize. Let's hope those UN agents will use that information I gave them well" Enrique continued.

That's right. Enrique had been the one to leak information to the UN. But for what reason? Whatever it was, it was clear that Enrique no longer was interested in becoming a subordinate of Lana.

To be continued…