Fabio Matsuda studied the face in the mirror before him. Looking back at him was the youthful excitement you'd expect from someone about to embark on an exciting adventure, but at the same time it was worn down by a hard, stern look of determination; the determination of a fighter, of one who carries a legacy with him. And some one who must inevitably pass on that legacy. He continued staring at himself for a little while longer, wondering when the face looking back would break from the stare or buckle under pressure.
He couldn't afford such a thing. None of them could.
"Big Bro." a voice even more youthful and determined let out from behind him. Jostling up, Fabio's hair bobbed and his glasses fell further down his nose. Despite that, looking back, Fabio could see his younger brother, Sean standing in the doorway of his room. "It's time." he said, pointing to his watch stressing the point to him.
Like Fabio himself, Sean wore his own fighting gi, only one that was bright yellow as opposed to Fabio's blue. Seeing his younger brother there, Fabio readjusted his glasses and took in a deep breath.
This was it. The big moment. No time to back out now.
He got up and turned his back on the mirror. He didn't need to fret about it anymore. Now was not to think. Planning was over. Now was the time to act.
So he headed towards the door as Sean scooped up his basketball on the floor by his foot. Sean got out of the way to let his older brother pass, only to follow on right alongside him as they walked together down the hallway. It was wide enough for them to walk side by side, and following it led to a wide open room. Open, airy, and magnificent, it opened up like a square and was fit to house fifty people at one time.
That's the result they were hoping for, at least.
Though the dojo still showed its age. It was a rustic old building built up over the years and held together by blood, sweat and determination. All coming from the members of the same family. For this dojo was like a second home to Fabio and Sean. Most important of all, it housed the legacy and members of the Matsuda family and their signature fighting style. Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu.
Started by their grandfather Kinjiro Matsuda, passed on to his son Yuichiro, and now to his three children. In fact, a small charm made in his likeness hung above the now closed doors to the dojo. A gift from a friend who had plenty of stuffed toys made of himself and had made one based on their grandfather as a request. It was delivered as a Christmas present for free. The little plushie would serve as a reminder to them and as a mascot for their family dojo. Small, squat old, and mustached, they called him 'Matsuda-chan'. He hung from the door and would greet all who entered the dojo to learn. Their new disciples.
For that was the purpose of this day. To open the Matsuda dojo to all who were willing to come see and attempt to learn and wield their family fighting style.
When Fabio made it across the room he stopped at the window curtain. Sean, only a step behind him did the same.
Using a finger, Fabio moved it ever so slightly to peer outsight. Sean could not see it yet, but was waiting in anticipation for what was to come.
Fabio took in what he saw outside as Sean tried to peek over his shoulder to see for himself.
"Nervous?" Fabio asked to break the silence.
"N-nervous?" Sean repeated, obviously trying to hide it. "Why would I be?" he boasted. "We've been fighters all our lives. From grandfather to father and now to us."
"Yeah, us." Fabio agreed, sliding his finger back as the curtain fell back to block the window. "That's just the thing." he pondered aloud. "Father was taught well by grandfather, and we were taught well by both..." he paused. "But are we ready to become teachers ourselves?" he wondered aloud. Fabio may not have been nervous like Sean, but he harbored his own doubts. Ones he thought he left behind at the mirror.
'To pass on the Matsuda family fighting style.' He thought that last part to himself, unable to say it aloud should they fail.
"Of course! I mean, we're all here!" Sean boasted rolling the basketball in his hand almost like a stress ball.
"Are we?" he asked slyly, knowing very well there were three Matsuda siblings, not two. "Where's our sister then?" he asked, looking back to Sean. The youngest Matsuda became suddenly more nervous when the eldest asked that question. His basketball dropped from his hands and bounced away. It was an obvious question Fabio asked, as it was clear the middle child and only sister was not present- being louder than both of her brothers, it was easy to tell when she was in a room and when she wasn't.
The last time he saw her was last night, when each of the siblings declared that today would be their day! The big grand opening of the Matsuda dojo by the Matsuda siblings. Their sister could hardly get enough, she sleep she was so excited. But she wasn't here now when they needed her. They made a promise to do this together, yet she was nowhere to be seen, and since she was the most excited for the idea, her absence now was troubling. Sean was becoming more unnerved as the silence dragged on.
"Well, she's not here-" Sean began as his head began to shake. He began looking around as if he expected her to jump out from a corner to tackle and grapple onto him as punishment for not seeing her coming.
"I see that." Fabio said, adjusting his glasses, though he didn't need them to see she wasn't here or that Sean was nervous now for another reason. "But where could she be?" It wasn't like her to be the most vocal of the family style and not be here to promote it. It would seem like bad management and marketing all at once.
And a broken promise since the three of them agreed they would do this together.
"Oh!" Sean let out, suddenly remembering. "She said she had to run over to the cousins store."
Fabio grumbled at the sound of that. A last minute trip to the Silva family was not what they needed now. He doubted she had any shopping to do, but since their cousins practice a different fighting style, he could only imagine Laura trying to goad them into a fight to show off to everyone here. Though, he doubted Enzo or Manuela would take the bait. Or perhaps she wanted them just to tell every customer they had about the event.
"Well, she's not here." Fabio sighed. There was nothing he could do about that. So when he was done sighing, he got out of his own head, becoming determined again. "But they are." he said, peeking behind the curtain again to see a crowd hustling before the dojo had grown even larger. Standing shoulder to shoulder, crammed together, and making a big traffic jam of the entire plaza. It looked like they were coming from every street just to empty into the plaza, crowding it. No one could get through them, and they were all outside waiting for them. It looked like Carnival had arrived. But it was only anticipation for the Matsuda Dojo's Grand Opening Event. "Even more than I expected."
Whatever nervousness Sean had about Laura's unknown whereabouts was replaced with uncertainty of the group before them.
Sean would often joke to Fabio that when he got old like grandfather, his hair would turn white and spread out in the same way. Fabio laughed it off, though he dreaded it at the same time. But given his sudden skittishness, Sean may in fact lose his hair before Fabio ever did.
"Well uh-" he began to voice his doubts. Something Fabio was ready to stamp out. If he did it for himself, he would do it for Sean too. Being the eldest son, he knew it was expected of him. Hell, he even cleaned his brothers room when it was messy, so comforting him now would be easy.
"Come on." he put a reassuring hand on his brothers shoulder. "We got this." he smiled down at him. His glasses flashed with a bright light to match the smile he was giving him. Looking up to him, Sean's fears began melting away.
"Yeah." Sean said matching his older brothers determination. "I think this is it. It's gonna be big deal. Our big moment."
No more waiting now, that could only make things worse. Laura or no Laura, the two of them would have to take the stage. To present their family style Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu in all its glory.
It may have only been the two of them, but something else gave them encouragement. Hanging above the door, the small little charm of their grandfather dangled. He almost looked like he was dancing.
"Looks like he's ready to greet our new disciples and everyone else who wants to see Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu first hand." Fabio commented as they both looked up to the little figure.
"Then let's show em!" Sean exclaimed.
Standing behind the wide closed doors, they were the only thing separating them from the growing crowd on the other side, though their roaring could be heard breaking in. But the brothers would not be hiding there for long. Fabio grabbed one door as Sean grabbed the other, and in unison they swung them open, letting the powerful, beautiful Brazilian sun shine into their dojo, casting light onto themselves and their proud family fighting style. Above them, the Kinjiro charm hung in the doorway, moving more excitedly from the thrusting of the doors. Under it, the two stood side by side, replacing the doors, and were met with instant cheers of approval and applause.
They both took a breath to take in all the excitement, for it was growing in them now too. Fabio was the first to speak to the crowd.
"Hello! Hello!" Fabio called, beaming with a smile as Sean put his hands up triumphantly as if he just won a match. The crowd cheered back excitedly. "You're all welcome here, and we thank you for coming." he said as the crowd began to die down and listen to them talk.
Some more cheers cut him off from speaking further. More rose up even after.
"They seem really excited." Sean said replacing the nervousness with excitement. "I think it's going well." Sean managed a whisper to Fabio.
'But we've only just started.' Fabio thought. Better keep this up. They were all excited, and he was going to give them what they came here for.
"You've come to see the famous fighting style from Brazil's Greatest Fighting Family! Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu was started by our grandfather, passed down to our father, and now to my siblings and me." he explained. "I'm Fabio. My brother Sean and I are willing to take anyone willing to learn this fighting style under our wing and teach them. On top of our family training, Sean here has even trained under Ken Masters himself." he threw in that last part for embellishment to great effect.
'Oo's and Aw's.' were let out from the crowd. Sean puffed his chest out proudly of that fact while Fabio thought the crowd was eating out of the palm of his hand. There may be too many disciples for them to take. Wherever Laura was, once she was here, she'd be able to even out.
But she still wasn't.
While they knew that, it seemed some of the crowd were beginning to take notice of it too. They had gotten noticeably quieter once Fabio started talking. He thought that was natural, so they could hear him speak, but the more he went on, the more puzzled faces and concerned looks came over the crowd.
And eventually someone said what they were all thinking.
"Now what would any of you say to-" Fabio began.
"Where's your sister?" one voice blurted out obnoxiously, but it was so sudden and jarring that it cut Fabio off completely.
"-Eh?" he let out.
"You have a sister." the voice let out. "Where is she?" more mumbled discontent voices grew to agree with it.
Fabio kept his smile on but couldn't help grind his teeth. Sean's nervousness had come back to him, hiding behind a painted-on smile that could break at any second.
"Well," he muttered "we knew this was gonna happen." he sounded like a defeatist.
"Yep." Fabio said. What was he going to do now? He scanned the crowd, and whatever excitement that had was giving way to confusion and disappointment.
He knew exactly what they were thinking.
How could they represent Brazil's famed fighting style if the family that made it wasn't unified in presenting it.
'Damn it, Laura!' Fabio cursed to himself. This was the predicament he dreaded they would be in but knew he couldn't hold off.
It was here now, and like in any fight, he would persevere. For the sake of the family.
"My..." he began but followed with a long unintentional pause. The crowd waited to hear his excuse, and he could see angry faces forming all around him "..sister Laura is-" he sounded uncertain as he was making up his excuse on the spot.
But he was suddenly interrupted once again.
"RIGHT HERE!" a loud, boisterous woman's voice rang out like a great bell from above and echoed down to them. No sooner had it rang out had they all looked up. Fabio and Sean standing in the doorway were the first to see it. Falling from the rafters inside and swinging from the doorframe came a green flash that passed between them, grabbing ahold of the doorframe and kicked two long, bare legs out from under it before they were planted on the ground.
Rising up from the ground with her fists in the air, standing between Sean and Fabio was the middle child, only daughter, and missing piece in the Matsuda siblings; Laura.
Smiling enthusiastically more was revealed than just her sunny disposition.
Dressed in a t-shirt that was too small for her and shorts that matched it's size, more of her was revealed than the brothers were expecting. In fact, they thought she would wear her green gi to match.
Clearly like her disappearance and reappearance, she thought otherwise.
But her presence granted a renewed energy to the crowd that overshadowed the one they initially had given. The cheers and applause were deafening. The three now felt like they were star players inside a stadium after winning a game. But they had only just begun.
Finally, the siblings were united again.
Laura brought both arms upwards to wave, and in doing so pulled her short shirt up more with them. Quickly noticing the rejuvenated crowds reaction, the brothers mimicked her, hoping to play off any lingering doubts about family unity as they tried to showcase their fighting style. Though there were still lingering questions between the three.
"And where were you that you were so late?" Fabio asked from the right side of his mouth as he and Sean kept on their smiles to match hers. The crowd was so loud that they didn't hear the words pass between the siblings, thankfully.
"Just making some last minute preparations." Laura answered as she switched hands to wave.
"The preparations were done." Fabio stressed. "We were just waiting on you."
"Well, I'm here now." she said to him.
"Did you really have to go see our cousins for this?" Sean asked, speaking from the left side since he was opposite her. "Where are they?"
"Who said I was going to see them?" Laura stated slyly. Now both brothers eyed her suspiciously, and almost broke the act they were trying to play off.
"What?" both asked, suddenly jerking their heads towards her.
"Oh, you'll see." Laura winked at them before she presented herself to the crowd once more.
She leaned over and put her hands around her mouth to project her voice out to them. Though her brothers noticed, just like everyone else likely did, that as Laura bent over, her chest almost fell out of her shirt, and her butt was position high enough that at any angle you stood, you could see her thong riding up and around her hips. Sean turned squeamishly away, but Fabio kept his determination up, even as he saw something rising up from the crowd at the sight of her.
"Can you believe these guys starting without me?!" Laura shouted out to the crowd.
"Boo!" the crowd erupted, and both Sean and Fabio were surprised by their sudden harsh reaction.
"But I'm here now!" she hopped back up, her body bouncing with her. "So are you ready to learn all about Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu!?" she shouted excitedly, throwing her hands in the air. She went completely still, as she awaited applause to erupt to her question, but even as her body was back upright and done moving, her chest still jiggled around in every direction.
Fabio looked to the very male crowd and saw every eager, onlooker, staring at her still moving chest. He had the feeling they weren't just reading 'Bonita' on it. Instead, they looked like they were waiting for her small shirt to come too short and what was under it to pop out.
Now, it's true that sizing up a warrior, particularly an opponent, is important, but everyone here seemed to be taking this lesson too close to heart and more so without his instruction.
From there he was starting to get the suspicion none of them had come all this way to learn Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu but to ogle one of the instructors.
His sister.
"So you've all come this way to learn our family fighting style." Laura said effectively taking over the show from Fabio, just like she did on Christmas when they got an excess of plushies that she wanted to sell and she roped the rest of the family into it or with that wrestling match with Zangief and Alex. Regardless of the example, now Sean and Fabio were following her lead whether they wanted to or not. " And what better place to learn it from the family itself!" they cheered her on. "Well, what better way to learn it than an exhibition match."
The cheers got even louder with instantaneous volunteers. All of them were looking to Laura.
Her enthusiasm was infectious, but the crowds felt more like watching someone drunk and dancing on tabletops than someone itching for a fight.
"Come on, Sean!" Laura said, grabbing ahold of Sean, placing him in an instant headlock. "Let's show em!" she insisted without warning or consent from him.
"Ge-dub-sis holdup I'm not-ak!" he grunted in her grip. Even Fabio seemed powerless in his efforts to get this started off fair and right. But he knew he couldn't do anything to stop her once she started.
Or stop the obviously gawking that was going on as they saw how close Sean's head was positioned to her-
Suddenly Sean wailed out, having been put into an arm bar and writhing on the ground as Laura kept an iron grip on him. Once more, Fabio noticed the crowd repositioning themselves, only not to get a better look at the move she was using.
Instead, they were trying to look up her shirt or down her pants. They even resorted to shuffling around or piling on top of each other for a better angle to see from.
"uhh" Fabio leaned down to whisper in her ear without looking suspicious. "Laura.." he peeped, but she did not hear him. She only felt Sean's hand tap onto her leg, tapping out. She instantly let go and rolled to her feet, jumping up once again like a cheerleader proud of her easy win.
"See! That's what a master can do against anyone using Matsuda family style!"
The crowd cheered for her loudly and more enthusiastically than they had for her brothers, wanting to see more of her. Beside her seemingly forgotten about was Sean. Fabio kneeled down to help him up while he rolled his shoulder and neck.
"So what's next?!" Laura asked.
"How about a match against you?" one voice in the crowd cheered and roared in agreement.
"Oh, it wouldn't feel right beating up on my newest pupils."
"But it's alright to beat up on me?" Sean whined though no one bothered to listen.
"Who wants to join our family style, huh?" she yelled out to them.
"I'll join your family!" they answered. Many more encouraging cheers were let out. Some even got on their knees to propose to her as the rest swooned.
Fabio knew he had to take command and get ahold of this situation fast. He wasn't sure how many of these onlookers wanted to learn their fighting style and how many had just come for a chance to gaze at his sister-his guess by now was all of them- but he had to take a stand now. He had to take back control.
"How about one between two masters?" Fabio proposed. Everyone went silent. Laura titled her head to him. A sly Cheshire grin formed on her face.
"Yeah, pick on someone your own size." Sean agreed from the ground.
The shouts of 'I'm her size.' came from the crowd. Fabio ignored them, not wanting to know how. Grinning with excitement and confidence, Laura was ready to play along with him now.
"Now that would be a proper match." she declared as she took her fighting stance as Fabio did the same.
"Avenge me." Sean whispered to him.
Both took their poses and were ready for an attack. The first to make a move was usurpingly Laura, only it was not against her brother.
"But wait!" she suddenly let out. "What's that?!" she asked dramatically, putting a hand to her ear to listen. The crowd mimicked her wondering what it was. Sean and Fabio seemed confused. For they heard nothing.
"It's a trick. She does them to me all the time." Sean warned Fabio, who did not listen. For now, he really did hear something.
The dragging of a great weight. The pounding of large feet on the ground. The breaking of branches and leaves all around it as it tore a bath through the thick bushes.
Suddenly erupting from the foliage surrounding the dojo and behind Laura was a great green beast. He waved his arms out in front of him stiffly and his wide mouth open, revealing fangs. With wild, unkempt orange mane lashed around his body.
"RAARWR." a sudden stilted ,guttural and very unenthusiastic voice let out in an attempt at a roar. The crowd broke out in shock as the beast appeared.
"Oh no!" Laura cried out but did not seem worried, surprised, or even unsettled at all. "A beast from the jungle!" she yelled overly dramatically as she pointed to the beast and held her face. The crowd following Laura was shocked by the sudden arrival of such a creature from the wilderness.
But her two brothers were not part of that crowd.
"uhhh." Fabio droned. "what?" he let cluelessly. Sean shared his same expression, but everyone else eyed Laura.
"Blanka?" Sean asked as Blanka continued to growl lifelessly at the unsuspecting crowd.
"Well, it doesn't matter how scary that monster is." Laura let out, dropping her arms. Blanka seemed offended by the title. "And it's a good thing I know Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu!" she declared before she turned her back on her brother and pounced onto Blanka.
He seemed to see her attack coming but did nothing to stop it.
Laura rushed towards him, tackling Blanka. Then, in a swift move, she wrapped herself around his massive arm. To the adoring crowd, she took one hand off to wave a hand through her long hair before grabbling ahold of Blanka again and taking him down to the ground in another arm bar.
"OW!' Blanka huffed on the ground "-not so rough." he pleaded lowly. "You said it was for show." he whispered.
"It is." she whispered back before gripping him tighter and shouting for all to hear. "Give Up, Beast!"
"AH!" he writhed in her grip. "I give up! I'm not match for Matsudah!-" he screeched in pain as Laura wrangled his arm. "-Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu!" he said quickly. and then like Sean tapped out.
Once again Laura let go, rolled around Blanka, and up to her feet, returning to the adorning crowd. She waved, jumping up and down some more in triumph as her short shirt bobbed with her.
"See!" she cried. "Victory comes easy with Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu."
Fabio and Sean had watched whatever that display was with blank, confused looks. They were clearly not as hooked as the crowd nor as convinced by the obviously staged event, though they were just as much in the dark of it as them.
So once again wanting to show unity but not sure what to make of it, Fabio and Sean joined in her victory. Coming to her side, they gave waves and smiles as forced and stilted as Blanka's performance was.
Now, Fabio was always a stickler for rules, and his sisters often spontaneous actions usually caught him by surprise, no different than they would overwhelm Sean. Though, unlike Sean, Fabio had an easier time reeling her back in...most of the time. This, however, was an oversight he could not contain, so he merely ran with it. She had gone so far off script of what they had originally agreed upon that he had no choice but to concede and play along. But that didn't mean he liked it.
"What the hell was that?" Fabio grumbled to her.
"What?" she replied innocently under her breath as they all continued to take in the attention of the crowd. "I wanted to really show off the family style. What better way to do that than to have a easy fight? And he was happy to help I'll have you know." she nodded over to Blanka, who picked himself up from the ground, rubbing his arm no different than Sean had.
"That's where you were this whole time? Setting up a fake fight?" Fabio raised his voice, realizing only after that the crowd might hear him but also that they might not care as Laura began to shake her hips along with her hands to wave.
"Look at them. It worked, didn't it?" she winked to him and then turned back to the crowd, who went more wild for her than before, fawning at her every presence. Fabio wondered what they were really excited for. For their family martial art or her?
"This isn't what we agreed upon." he stressed to her.
"You're way was too boring." Laura replied. "This way rocks!" she said as she continued to goad the crowd. Whatever success Fabio thought they were having before was being dwarfed by her.
As the crowd was focused on her, on both of her sides, Fabio and Sean remained a step behind, sharing once again a perplexed look.
Sean was once again looking to his older brother for guidance, but he was just as lost seeing as how Laura had highjacked his intentions and stole the show. She flashed a smile at the adoring crowd, who probably wanted her to flash them with something else.
Fabio was not one to admit defeat during a fight, so he wouldn't now. The worst thing he'd have to do is go along with it.
At least for now, they had their attention.
So finally getting in step with his younger sister-at least begrudgingly- he shot a thumbs up out to the crowd, but in all honesty, he wasn't sure if they saw it since they were still focused on his sister. Seeing his older siblings united, Sean knew he had to follow their lead.
"Well, you've come all this way!" Fabio began. The crowd remained loud.
"Are you ready to see more Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu!" Laura called. The crowd grew even louder.
Fabio and Laura grinned to each other.
"Well, we want to reward you." Sean added, though he was silenced by the deafening cheers as if they didn't want to hear him at all.
"Let's give em what they want." the three said in unison, uniting for the first time since they made their promise last night.
But then another voice called out. One that cut through the crowd like a knife, silencing all around them. Even the three siblings caught off guard and went silent.
"Is that all you know how to do? To fight." a sudden, low, dreary voice called out. Almost like a threat.
Everyone looked to see where it came from, but no one saw anything. Yet everything seemed to go silent once the voice had spoken and nothing followed it. Not even the wind dared to blow through the trees.
Then suddenly the crowd parted, and coming in between them was a lone figure. Fabio readjusted his glasses to look ahead as Laura and Sean peered forward at the approaching figure.
His shadow stretched across the ground to cast over and meet the siblings standing before the dojo. Unlike Blanka, they did not know who he was. But whoever he was, he seemed to bring a darkness with him that was cast over the dojo.
He was tall and thin with long turquoise hair that fell past his shoulders. There was a grimness around him. His face was static, and part of it was hidden behind his long hair. His pants were blood red, and his tight, dark coat was opened up to reveal a strong, muscled body. With one eye revealed, he looked at the three standing before him.
Even Blanka seemed weary of him as he growled at his approach, like a dog sensing a threat. He growled, bearing his teeth, as all else were stunned into silence. It was like they were in a vacuum where no sound existed.
"W-who is that?" Sean asked nervously to his siblings.
"No idea." Fabio answered lowly. Cautious, he did not know what to make of this newcomer either.
Laura did not seem to share either of their concerns as she peered forward at him.
"Ohh." Laura cooed. "He looks like a bad boy." she licked her lips. Sean and Fabio shared a confused glance at her again, Sean raised an confused eyebrow at her as Fabio spared a concerned glance. Even some of the crowd, hearing what she had was growing jealous of this newcomer though they would not voice it to him.
The man's head tilted up to see the dojo taking it all in, and he did not look pleased by any of it. He lowered his face back down to the three of them.
"Typical of you fighters." the man chastised. "Looking to spread your violence and misery onto others."
"Uh, do we look miserable to you?" Laura asked, cocking her hips to one side and placing a hand on it.
"Misery comes from fighting. From the style you've created and promote. Just another catalyst to the downfall of man." he droned on miserably.
"Aww, don't be like that. Why not come over and I can show you a thing or two?" she said stepping up.
On each side, her brothers leaned in, suspicious of what was transpiring and wondering if it was another made up event she set up.
"What is this?" Fabio asked.
"Is this another one of your coup attempts?" Sean whispered up to her.
"No way!" she answered before setting her eyes back onto the newcomer. "But I like him." she purred. Fabio let out an audible sigh.
"I haven't come all this way to learn new techniques." the man refuted below them. "I have my own."
"Ohh," Laura let out. "so that's how it is huh? Here comes a new challenger!" she announced to the crowd, but now it had grown so quite that her voice echoed loudly through the plaza and dojo, like it was more of an abandoned graveyard than a bustling street packed with people. She kept her eyes alluringly on the man before her while his gaze remained the same. He looked almost tired if not for the underlying rage beneath his eyes. "And what a good looking one at that. So what's our challenger's name?" Laura called out to him.
A dreaded silence followed. A brief pause in the lull between them before he answered.
"Remy." he said simply.
"Well, I'm Laura Matsuda!" she finished introductions. "So did you come all this way for an exhibition match?" she punched a fist into her open palm.
"I've come to destroy your fighting style." he said in a voice as menacing as his intentions.
"Well, that raises the stakes." she grinned as she reached an arm out to her side. One would think she was trying to stretch if her hand didn't latch on to grab the person there. "Go show 'em, Sean." she said, flinging him forward. Sean stumbled away from the dojo by the force of Laura's push. He managed to catch himself before he fell to the ground or bumped into Remy.
"Wa-me!" he stopped and turned back to his sister. Fabio had tried to stop her, but it was already too late.
"Yeah. So him the power of Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu!" she encouraged him, though he wasn't enthused by it. "Show us how strong you are!"
"Why me?!"
"You're the youngest. Show us your stuff!" she said encouragingly, though he was far from encouraged by her. Fabio watching quietly was nervous by it.
"You're the one who's so interested in him!" he nagged in the street as she remained in the doorway with Fabio, who looked nervous by the prospects seeing more potential downfalls than Laura losing interest in Remy.
"So," she swerved her hips around and stretched her arms. "see if I should be interested in him." she shot him a thumbs up and a wink. As encouraging as she meant to be, Sean only grumbled by it.
He knew Laura wasn't interested in men who were weaker than her, so if Sean could beat Remy himself, then her sudden infatuation with him would end quickly. And that was something she was leaving for him to do. He knew better than to argue a point with her. He knew how poorly that would go for him, but that did not mean this fight would go any better. Besides, he couldn't back down now in front of the crowd and not with them all watching him. Not with Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu at stake.
He spared a glance to Fabio, who gave him an approving but cautious nod. That along with Laura's physical and vocal encouragement was all he needed. Even if it wasn't his choice. Begrudgingly, he turned around to face Remy.
Everything around him was dark as he walked into Remy's shadow. Even as the sun was high in the sky, his world seemed covered in darkness. He looked up to see the cold unflinching stare of hatred Remy had. He did not know Sean, Laura, or Fabio yet; it seems their just being fighters was enough for him to hate them.
'Do it for the family.' Sean rationalized to himself. 'And think of what Ken would do.'
What Ken would do is not back down from a fight. Not when some punk came out of nowhere to threaten his family.
Though Ken didn't have a sister to push him into everything.
It looks like he would be getting an exhibition match of his own now. Only his would be real, unlike Laura's with Blanka.
Grinning, at least he could hang that over her head.
