7: JADE
Xiaoyu regarded the fighting pit before her with wide eyes. "I can't believe this place," she muttered, looking at the mounds of glittering treasure piled all around the low stone floor. The entire room looked like the perfect lair for a pirate captain to make his base. The impression might have come from the fact that it actually
was a set from the latest swashbuckling-themed film. "I wonder who came up with the idea to fight on a movie set anyway?" she murmured appreciatively. The effect certainly was dramatic. Hearing no response to her observations, Xiaoyu turned around and sought out her companion. "Are you sure you're ready?" she asked, fidgeting. Julia straightened her braids and ignored the young girl, passing her hands in front of her face and shaking her head. It was a practice she did before almost every match, and as Xiaoyu leaned in, she heard the older girl whisper.
"Spirits, give me strength," Julia breathed, her eyes closed. They cracked open as Xiaoyu tapped her on the shoulder. "Oh, what is it?" she queried with a small smile.
"I was just wondering what you were saying," Xiaoyu said curiously.
Julia looked away, her eyes narrowing at the tall figure across the room. "It's a prayer to the spirits of the forest. I ask them to fill me with the strength to win my battles."
"Does it work?" Xiaoyu asked.
"Only if you believe," Julia answered, leaning down and checking the laces on her boots.
"You mean if I start worshipping those spirits of yours, I'll get stronger?" Xiaoyu said, her eyebrows rising. "You just might convert me with an offer like that!" Her smile dropped as Julia stood up and gave her a disapproving look.
"I take my faith very seriously, Xiaoyu," Julia said sternly. "Even so, what I meant was that it works if you believe in yourself." Squaring her shoulders, she jumped off of the ledge and into the stone pit below.
Xiaoyu watched as Julia slowly approached the center of the darkened stone pit and awkwardly returned her opponent's quick bow. She crossed her fingers under her chin and attempted a small prayer of her own. "Please let Julia win this match, please please!" she murmured under her breath.
"Hey," said a loud voice from behind her. "Why are you here?" Hwoarang asked brusquely as he stepped up to the ledge by Xiaoyu's side, startling her.
"Ahh!" she shrieked, and then quickly clapped her hands over her mouth. "Hwoarang," she hissed as she turned to face him. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared me!"
"Good," he said nastily. "Are you following me? Maybe trying to weasel out of our deal? I know your next match is today." He smirked.
Xiaoyu winced. "Jerk," she murmured. "That's not it! This match is closed, you're not even supposed to be here!" she said more loudly.
"So what? Neither are you," Hwoarang said carelessly. "I won't tell if you don't," he offered.
Xiaoyu eyed him suspiciously before giving the tall redhead a quick nod. "I'm here to support Julia," she said. "We, uh, bumped into each other yesterday and sort of hit it off," she explained.
Hwoarang shrugged and turned his gaze to the two contestants as the fight bell sounded, resonating across the stone pit. "I came to watch Master Baek," he answered. "Sorry, but your friend's gonna lose."
Xiaoyu peered at Julia's opponent more closely, finally recognizing the silver-haired man. "Oh, so that's your master," she said. "He taught you everything you know?" Seeing Hwoarang's affirmative nod, she grinned smugly. "Thanks, now I
know Julia will win."
Hwoarang's teeth clicked together as he glared at Xiaoyu, but a sharp yell brought their attention back to the battle. After almost a minute of cautious circling, Baek made the first attack, leaping forward and snapping his foot up in a high straight kick.
Julia leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blow. Then, with a glint in her eye, she leaned to her side, her booted foot shooting out high and striking the older man on the chest. Dropping into a quick spin, her foot lashed out and smashed against Baek's legs. Without stopping, she extended her arms and rose, finishing the quick triple kick with another high strike to his head. It connected with a loud crack, and Baek stumbled unsteadily from the blow.
"Yeah!" Xiaoyu cheered, jumping up and down. She smiled smugly as she heard Hwoarang snort next to her.
"Just luck," he growled, his expression displeased.
"Yeah, luck," Xiaoyu agreed merrily as Julia pressed her advantage, using Baek's momentary confusion to concentrate on her next attack. Xiaoyu forgot about teasing Hwoarang, her attention snapping forward as Julia planted her feet on the ground and exhaled heavily. The Native American pulled her fist towards her abdomen, her face tight with concentration, and as she did, Xiaoyu felt as though she was being drawn towards the other girl.
What is this feeling? she wondered, staring at Julia. It was as if all of the energy in the room was being sucked towards Julia's slowly moving hand.
It's like… when Jin and Kazuya fought, Xiaoyu realized, confused. It wasn't as strong as the swirling energy that surrounded the father and son; Julia's motions carried a more natural, much less threatening feel, and only a fraction of the power. But it made the back of her skull tingle all the same.
"What's she doing?" Hwoarang said, raising his eyebrow. "She's just standing there with her fist up!" he yelled incredulously. "Damn, if Baek would just recover, he could take her right now!"
"She's gathering her life force."
Hwoarang glanced down in surprise at Xiaoyu, who was ignoring him completely. She almost seemed to be in a trance, her eyes locked on Julia's figure. "What?" he said.
With shock, Xiaoyu realized that the sensation washing over her was familiar. She already knew it, had felt it when she had pulled herself together to defeat Bruce Irvine. She was standing before a huge, complicated puzzle, holding the last piece in her hand and desperately trying to make it fit.
This is important! she thought, straining to feel the threads of energy coursing through the room.
Is this what you were trying to teach me all those years, Grandfather? Is this what will help me cure Jin? It was no use, though; the more Xiaoyu tried to focus on her feeling, the more the sensations faded. Finally, she gave up, frustrated. "You really don't feel anything?" she asked Hwoarang.
"You're nuts," said Hwoarang, his eyes focusing on Julia now as well.
"He won't be able to block it," Xiaoyu countered, certain she knew what was coming. And then Julia sprang forward, letting her breath rush out in a high-pitched yell as she dropped her shoulder. Her fist snapped forward into a powerful uppercut, releasing the pent-up energy she had been gathering.
"Holy shit!" Hwoarang swore as the blow connected with Baek's chin, sending him flying upwards several feet. "That girl can hit! What is she, a weight lifter in her spare time?"
Baek managed to recover and rise in record time, still swaying unsteadily but bouncing on the balls of his feet once more. Julia charged towards him, obviously trying to finish him off.
"C'mon, Master," Hwoarang mumbled, his hand forming into a fist.
With surprising agility, Baek managed to jump up as Julia approached him, twisting around for a backwards spin. His feet lashed outwards as he was airborne, catching the girl by surprise and sending her flying a good distance back as the blow connected.
"Yeah!" Hwoarang yelled loudly as Julia fell to the ground. His jubilation died down into a scowl as he saw how quickly she managed to regain her footing, though. Baek's spectacular kick had put a good distance between himself and his enemy, but compared to Julia's severe hits, he had hardly even winded her. "Master Baek can land his kicks faster than she can make those punches," he said to Xiaoyu, who was biting her lower lip. "If she tries to charge him right now, she's toast!"
As expected, Baek waited on the far end of the room, his eyes narrowed. He bounced slightly, his posture poised, waiting for Julia to approach him. She did, but in a way that was completely unexpected. Crouching low, she launched herself high into the air, drawing her arms into her chest. It was a good sized leap, almost making it appear as though she was floating through the air towards Baek.
"Wow," Xiaoyu gasped. She herself could achieve a pretty good height with her front layouts, especially when she had a running start. Julia's high jump, however, was a matter of sheer power. She heard Hwoarang's sharp intake of breath as he made the same realization.
Unfortunately, Baek's reaction was slower than that of his audience, and he stared for just a moment too long in shock as Julia began her descent. No fancy move followed, and he let out a surprised yell as the Native American crashed into him feet first, slamming his body into the ground with enough force to shatter the wooden staging beneath him. She immediately rolled off and stood in guard position once more, but there was no need. Baek lay motionless on the floor, unconscious from the powerful hit Julia had delivered.
There was a silence, then the bell rung twice. "Baek Doo San forfeits the second round by injury," crackled the announcer's voice over the loudspeakers. "Julia Chang wins both matches."
Julia bowed her head in acceptance and then approached the fallen man. She knelt by his side and carefully planted her hand on the Baek's forehead. An angry shout echoed through the room, and she looked up to see Hwoarang springing off of the ledge and taking long angry strides towards her.
"Get your hands off him, bitch!" he shouted, reaching Julia and shoving her hand violently away from his master.
Julia stood up and crossed her arms, eyeing Hwoarang disgustedly. "You're that foul-mouthed Korean," she noted with disapproval. "Well, don't worry, he'll be fine. It was just a little knock to the head; he should recover in a few moments." As if to prove her point, Baek moaned and stirred slightly.
"Shut up," Hwoarang answered, glaring fiercely at Julia as he helped the unsteady Baek to his feet. "Master Baek might be too old to fight you off, but I'm not," he snarled. "You'll have it coming, so watch your back!" His dramatic vow for vengeance was cut short by a very unprofessional "Oww!" as Baek slapped the back of his student's head viciously. "What was that for?" he yelled.
The silver-haired man matched Hwoarang's glare with one of his own. "You will take that statement back and apologize to the young lady," he instructed, still leaning heavily on Hwoarang's proffered arm.
"But Master—" Hwoarang began, his face twisting in protest.
"Part of mastering the art of combat is learning to lose gracefully, Hwoarang," Baek responded strictly. "That is one of the primary reasons why you are still only a student!"
"
Owned ," whispered Xiaoyu teasingly as she snuck up to the group. She grinned and stuck her tongue out, unphased as Hwoarang's burning glare finally landed on her.
"That was an excellent battle, Miss Chang," Baek said, addressing Julia. "I am sorry I couldn't provide you with more competition. I suppose you can't teach an old dog new tricks after all."
Julia smiled in response, bowing very low to Baek as a gesture of respect. "No, please," she said softly. "It was an honour to be able to fight a great master such as yourself. I look forward to meeting you again one day," she said. The two shared a companionable smile before Hwoarang let out a loud, impatient groan.
"Yeah, great, why don't we all hold hands now and sing kumbaya," he growled. Snatching his arm away from Baek roughly, he straightened his posture and cracked his knuckles together. "I gotta run. My match is comin' up next," he said, moving towards the exit.
"Good luck," Baek said to Hwoarang, turning to follow his student. He stumbled after only a few steps, however, his hands going to his head. Julia stepped in quickly to catch the older man before he could fall to his knees.
"I think I'd better help you out of here," Julia said in a voice that brokered no argument. "Perhaps that knock on the head was a little more than I thought," she told Baek apologetically. "Xiaoyu, thanks for coming along. Maybe we can meet at your place about 'that other thing' after your match?" she called out.
"Sure thing!" Xiaoyu said cheerfully. "I have to prepare for my own battle anyway…" She trailed off and whirled around, panic written across her face. "Oh no!" Xiaoyu yelled, racing after the tall Korean. She leaped onto the ledge and shot through the doorway, sighing with relief as she saw he was still in sight. "Hwoarang, wait! I still have to talk to you about this uniform thing!" she yelled.
"Hah, I knew it," Hwoarang said with boredom, not stopping his quick pace until he reached his parked motorcycle. "I don't have time to argue with you, Ling. You're wearing that uniform today, that's my price."
Xiaoyu stomped her foot in response. "Ohh! Don't you understand, I don't fit into it anymore! Can't you think up of something else?" she shouted at him. Seeing that he was ignoring her, Xiaoyu planted her hands firmly around the handlebars of the bike, preventing him from starting it up.
Hwoarang rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm gonna be late," he tried. Xiaoyu didn't budge, and Hwoarang let out a low sigh. "Fine, get on," he said roughly.
"What?" Xiaoyu said, releasing the handlebars in confusion.
"I haven't got all day. Just hop on, we'll talk about it there." He revved the motor, and glared at Xiaoyu impatiently as she stood by, twisting her hands uncertainly. "Loosen up, Sunshine," he grinned. "Or are you afraid of riding bicycles?" he smirked.
"But we don't have helmets!" Xiaoyu protested as she slung herself behind Hwoarang, a small part of her brain loudly screaming that this was a very bad idea.
"Man, do you always follow the rules?" Hwoarang swore as he took off.
Xiaoyu couldn't manage to answer as she let out a scream and grabbed onto the Korean's waist for dear life, certain she was going to die. Hwoarang seemed to take a particular glee in her discomfort, for he revved the engine once more and began racing through the streets at a breakneck pace, weaving in and out of (sometimes oncoming) traffic.
"AAAAAAH!" Xiaoyu wailed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as they narrowly missed another car. The sound of the blaring horn faded away much too quickly for Xiaoyu's liking, and she let out another ear-piercing scream.
"Jesus Christ! Do you have to yell that loud?" Hwoarang yelled over his shoulder irately. "You're making it hard to concentrate!"
"I'M GOING TO DIE!" Xiaoyu cried, keeping her eyes shut as she heard another horn blare at them.
"We're all gonna die someday," Hwoarang yelled back at her. "Might as well live a little before you do," he laughed, and then hissed in pain as her nails dug into the skin of his stomach through his shirt. "Oww! Shit, just loosen up a little, will ya?"
"That's easy for you to say!" Xiaoyu screamed back. "I wasn't planning to die until I was old and grey and had sex at least once in my life!"
That did cause the motorcycle to swerve unexpectedly before Hwoarang managed to recover. "You're still a virgin? Really?" he asked interestedly, glancing over his shoulder at Xiaoyu. "So you mean you and Jin-"
"GET YOUR EYES BACK ON THAT ROAD!" Xiaoyu screamed into his ear. "Oh God or Buddha or great spirits or whatever is up there, I'm really sorry for all of the bad things I've ever done and please don't let me die on the back of this stupid motorcycle or at least kill Hwoarang first and let me live to see it!" she wailed desperately.
Hwoarang clicked his tongue with irritation. "Fine, fine, I'll slow down," he grumbled, "we're here already anyway." With a screech, he expertly brought the motorcycle up short against the warehouse and killed the engine. He swung one leg over the seat, sliding off the bike, then did a double take as he caught sight of his passenger. Xiaoyu had already fallen off the bike and was kneeling face-down on the ground, kissing it.
"I'll never do that again, I swear!" she promised the asphalt, hugging it as though it were her Panda.
Hwoarang rolled his eyes and poked his toe into Xiaoyu's side. "Get up, the match is inside," he said. "Besides, I don't have a camera with me right now. What a waste of perfectly good blackmail material," he grunted as an afterthought.
"I'd kick you if my legs didn't feel like jell-o right now," Xiaoyu growled, struggling to her feet. Seeing that he wasn't waiting for her, she quickly slapped her cheeks a few times to bring the colour back into her face and then hurried after Hwoarang into the huge building. "I think after a ride like that, I don't owe you anything!" she spat at his back. "So why don't you just fight your match, I'll fight mine, and we can go back to ignoring each other just like before, okay?"
"I dunno, it's kind of fun annoying you," he answered, grinning down at her. "Definitely a lot more satisfying than trying to make Jin mad," he added. Seeing her scowl, he held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright, I can see you're not gonna stop bugging me about this. How about a compromise?" he asked her. "If I lose my match now, you don't have to wear the uniform."
Xiaoyu eyed Hwoarang suspiciously. "What's the catch?" she said cautiously. As suspected, he broke into a wide grin.
"Well, seeing as how I'm not gonna lose, there's gotta be something in it for me too," he told her. "So if I win, you have to wear the uniform today, AND if you make it to the next round, I get to chose what you wear for the match after that, too." He grinned and put his hands behind his head lazily. "So what's it gonna be?"
Xiaoyu chewed her lip nervously. It was still a risk, but the odds were, in theory, on her side. Seeing Hwoarang's smug look, she also knew it was the only break she would get from him. "Fine, it's a deal."
They both paused and took in their surroundings in the warehouse. The area was dark and cavernous, and many empty wooden crates were scattered haphazardly across the floor. The whole place looked abandoned, and they appeared to be alone. "This is spooky," Xiaoyu said to herself. "Are you sure you got the right place?" she asked Hwoarang.
"This is it," he answered her confidently. "Damn, this guy is later than me," he said, running a hand through his unruly spiked hair. "I don't wanna win this match with a goddamn forfeit!" he sulked, pacing around the empty room. "This bastard better show up," he muttered.
"Who are you fighting, anyway?" Xiaoyu called out to him.
"Some newcomer," Hwoarang told Xiaoyu, shedding his jacket and letting it drop carelessly to the floor. "He's this big black dude, always wearing his sunglasses everywhere, even indoors. Says his name's Raven," he added.
Xiaoyu put her hand over her mouth, inhaling sharply. "Raven?" she asked. "You're fighting him now?"
Hwoarang nodded, still searching the room for his opponent. "Why, do you know him?"
Xiaoyu shook her head. "No, I—I only heard of him," she said hesitantly. "I think he's good," she added nervously.
Hwoarang stopped bouncing for a moment and looked at Xiaoyu strangely. "Huh," he said.
Xiaoyu's head cleared, and she raised an eyebrow at the Korean. "'Huh' what?" she asked.
"You," he said, shrugging. "If he's really that good, you should be bouncing off the walls, right?"
"It's not that, it's just- Hwoarang," Xiaoyu gasped, her face paling and her voice trailing off as she lifted a finger and pointed behind him.
The redhead spun around suddenly and took a large step backward as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Where the hell did he come from?" Hwoarang snarled as he jumped back, eyeing the newcomer warily.
The dark-skinned man was huge and muscular, but he moved with the grace of a cat. His dark sunglasses seemed to absorb the surrounding light, completely masking his eyes. Still, Xiaoyu didn't need to see them to recognize the chill she was feeling in her very bones.
He's not like us, she thought to herself.
This man is a killer. She stepped backwards, suddenly feeling very cold. "Hwoarang," she said, though her voice came out more as a scared whisper. "Be careful!"
Recovering from his initial shock, the redhead's face dropped into a deeper scowl than usual. "So, you're the one I'm going to beat today," Hwoarang said with boredom. "Damn, and I was hoping for a challenge."
Raven's face remained impassive. He simply crossed his arms, waiting.
"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Hwoarang said, taking up his own fighting stance and bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I'll enjoy taking you down," he hissed.
Xiaoyu remained still, the school uniform dilemma forgotten for the moment.
This man… she thought, her eyes glued to Raven.
This man knows where Heihachi Mishima is!
As if he could feel her stare, Raven inclined his head slightly, looking over Hwoarang's shoulder. "You know something," he said to Xiaoyu after a moment, his voice deep and grating.
"Hey, I'm the one who's talkin' to you!" Hwoarang interrupted, clearly getting pissed off. His face grew angrier as Xiaoyu ignored him as well.
"I need to know!" Xiaoyu blurted out suddenly. "Is Heihachi really still alive?" she asked. She suddenly hated her voice, hearing it echo through the large building. It sounded uncertain and weak, much like she felt at the moment.
Raven's eyebrows lowered slightly over his dark sunglasses. "Who are you working for?" he asked coldly, unfolding his arms slowly.
Xiaoyu squeaked. "I-I'm not working for anyone!" she stuttered, taking another step back. She could feel Raven's stare boring into her from behind his glasses, and she suddenly had the feeling that she was being targeted, as if he had two laser cannons hidden behind the dark lenses. Considering all of the strange contestants she had met during the Iron Fist Tournaments, she wouldn't have been surprised if he actually could shoot beams from his eyes.
"Who provided you with that information?" he asked again, taking another step forward and putting a hand behind his back. Xiaoyu knew then with certainty that if she didn't answer, and quickly, the huge man was going to kill her, tournament and cameras and audience aside. She could feel it in her bones and automatically slid into her fighting stance, even as her skin grew cold and clammy with fear.
Raven's advance was halted by a palm slamming into his chest. The black man glanced down at the hand on his vest, then slowly looked up at the offender. "I cannot allow you to interfere," he said tonelessly.
Hwoarang only smirked and shoved, pushing the big man back. "Your fight's with me, asshole."
The air was charged with tension as the two men stared each other down, and neither moved as the fight bell sounded, its echo strange and out of place in the empty warehouse. Finally, Raven sank smoothly into a low crouch, crossing his arms before his chest, his face still impassive.
"Very well. Let's get this over with."
