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Preview: A New Purpose!
A/N:
Kaneshiro-Sama: Now let's get these fabled promises into action!
Oga: Just tell me when I can go home, you crazy asshole….
Kaneshiro-Sama: NEVER! Now let's do this!
Oga: Aww, screw that! I have to sit through this shit again?!
Furuichi: For the record I think you brought it upon yourself, Oga.
Oga: YOU IDIOT! *punches Furuichi to the moon*
Berubo: Dab, Dab, Aii! (Look at the distance at that one!)
Oga, Kaneshiro-Sama: HERE WE GO! THE PREVIEW IS FINALLY HERE!
New York Streets, Backalley-Midnight
Takeshi, Momiji and Bai Jiao stood their ground as a swarm of fake SWAT officers encircled them, cornering them towards the middle of the streets. Although they cut down the numbers by a considerable amount, more kept coming. The trio tensed themselves as they inspected their surroundings. Though it amounted to much, to them it was no surprise at all.
It was just business as usual.
Takeshi held a snarky grin, his gunblade gripped in a reverse fashion, fingers almost touching the trigger. He then took a quick glance towards both Momiji and Jiao and gave them a small wink. Jiao immediately returned the gesture. Momiji on the other hand looked at Takeshi, a warm smile spread across her lips.
"Together again, huh?" She spoke softly.
Takeshi gave a curt but polite nod as his reply. Finally, and without hesitation, the three warriors charged head on towards the army of adversaries before them. Before they could even fire their assault rifles, the Kunoichi and Takeshi closed the distance at blistering speed.
Without warning, Takeshi immediately executed a claw-like punch to the gut of one trooper, crumpling him upon impact. In combination, he immediately went behind and with his gunblade, cleaved the man in two from the shoulder.
In combination, Takeshi swung his weapon in a wild, but nonetheless precise abandon cleaving away at those before him, his face showing pure anger and resentment behind his supposedly calm and snarky demeanour. Gripping the trigger of the weapon, Takeshi immediately set the rifle part ablaze and went specifically for the weapons the troopers were carrying. Before they could even get a chance to fire, Takeshi's fiery blade sliced the guns in half. As the weapons ceased to function, so did the lives of the troops.
One soldier however was spared from the carnage the famed Death God was currently partaking. Behind Takeshi, he cocked his assault rifle and at an instant, he fired.
It was to no avail.
Takeshi's ears at that moment determined the firing rate of the gun. Instantly sensing the soldier's fatal mistake, he immediately hid behind an injured subordinate.
The bullets that were meant for the convict instantly met the wrong target, killing the trooper dead on the spot. At that moment, Takeshi proceeded and without hesitation skewered both of them. With the gunblade protruding through their stomachs, he finally finished by unleashing a powerful side kick to the handle of the weapon, knocking them down.
Bai Jiao fought fiercely. Using a mix of Ninjutsu and her Chinese sword techniques, she sped towards her targets at the blink of an eye. In contrast to Takeshi's roar of rage, Jiao kept a silent, almost emotionless overtone towards the entire situation. With a swift move of agility, Jiao flipped over one soldier neatly avoiding gunfire in the process. In absolute precision, Jiao used her Ninjato to stab the trooper squarely in the spinal cord.
Pulling her sword out of the dead man's back with surprising ease, Jiao in quick succession sliced the soldier's rifle in half before slitting his neck with precision. Gunshots fired toward the Kunoichi immediately after the kill was performed. At that moment, the place where Jiao stood instantly vanished in a swirl of petals.
A second later, Jiao appeared right before the eyes of one trooper and sliced his gut open with her blade. Blood gushed out of the cut, with some of the drops landing on Jiao's supposedly emotionless face. With a single slice of the sword that cut the air as quick as lightning, Jiao fell the small group in front of her.
They were dead before they even dropped on the floor.
Momiji fought with ferocity, her face showing an unusual sense of determination, possibly as a sign of her loyalty towards her comrades. Because of her Naginata's long reach, Momiji flowed along with each strategy she took. Being able to wield her long range weapon with ease, the young shrine maiden cleanly cut the rifle in half. Sparing no thought or time, Momiji instantly fell the soldier with a single slash of her weapon.
Just as another trooper was about to fire, Momiji immediately sensed him. Before he could even blink, she impaled the soldier with a sharp thrust to the gut. A squad began to surround her. Rifles were cocked and prepared, ready to fire.
Gunshots raced towards the young Shrine Maiden all at once. Momiji did not hesitate. With blinding speed, she deftly moved to the ring where the men had previously surrounded her with. With a battle cry, Momiji wielded her Naginata with terrifying precision. Her slashes instantly decimated row after row of troops before. Even ones that tried to attack her from behind were not spared. Momiji's cuts with her weapon were shockingly accurate.
She spun her Naginata in a circle and carefully but surely, managed pick off adversaries one by one with a combination of blisteringly quick stabs and slashes. Momiji took great care in assuring that her cuts were clean and sharp. Though blood leaked profusely from the dying soldiers, blood did not exactly spill on her face apart from maybe a few drops.
The three fought valiantly and viciously as they supported each other's flank. They trusted each other with their lives and fought of the troopers with great synergy. Despite the different emotions shown by the three, that they shared a common emotion; to protect each other no matter the cost.
It was a small skirmish, but at last they emerged victorious. Upon the pile of ruined bodies that lay before them, Takeshi and Momiji both held a bit of an undaunted look. Momiji had hardened her emotions a long time ago, and had been raised from ground up to be used to the idea of intense bloodshed. Although there was a slight tangent of guilt buried within the recesses of her mind, she suppressed them without a second thought. To Momiji, protecting the ones closest to her was more important than her own personal emotions or feelings.
Takeshi felt the same although, his reasons were quite different. Ever since the war of the Mishima's, murder was a constant thing he saw, witnessed and even fought in. He felt nothing but apathy and hatred towards the enemies he faced. Even if he wanted to feel guilty, he couldn't. Takeshi forwent that emotion long ago. All thoughts were instantly replaced with survival; and more recently, the survival of his longtime companions as much as he hated to admit it out loud.
Jiao kept a calm façade after the battle. However, despite her best efforts to remain emotionally detached from their current situation, she slightly trembled. Although, Jiao could kill without a second thought, the sight of savage brutality often unnerved her. She had no qualms on killing the troopers that were about to harm her long-time companions, but seeing the corpses lying at her feet reminded her of her low self-esteem and also the harsh way of the Shinobi. Every time she engaged in battle, Jiao deep within her heart felt somewhat vulnerable and somewhat scared.
"Momiji…Jiao." Takeshi softly spoke to them. "Let's go. We can't risk any more shit thrown at us now."
The two Kunoichi nodded in unison. With that said, the three immediately left the grisly scene as fast as they could, sheathing away their weapons in the process.
Further out New York Streets-the pavement
Although it was out on the more public front, the three managed to successfully escape a cornered predicament. Despite the open area of Manhattan, the streets were surprisingly quiet and desolate, almost as if the citizens evacuated the entire area. Regardless, it managed to provide a safe haven for them to catch a breath.
"We should be fine...for now at least..." Takeshi said through short pants.
"That's a relief.." Momiji forced a light smile upon her lips.
Jiao on the other hand could only give a subtle nod as her reply, her head down in some kind of silent turmoil. Instinctively, Momiji turned to the young Kunoichi as if responding to her distress, her face showing warm concern. "Jiao? Is there something wrong?"
Jiao could only shake her head. "It's nothing, Lady Momiji. I'm okay."
"Ya' know, you can just spit out your concerns." Takeshi sighed at her shaky tone. "Don't worry. I won't bite."
"It's fine, Master Takeshi. Really. Don't worry about me." Jiao spoke hastily.
Takeshi's sympathetic face immediately changed to a disdained growl. "Oh, for the love of ass! Can you stop calling me Master, goddamnit!"
Jiao immediately winced upon her companion's tone of voice. Momiji on the other hand, giggled at her friend's abrasive behaviour.
"You're the same as ever, Takeshi." The Shrine Maiden smiled at him. "Tell me, why do you resent formalities so much? Normally, other people would consider it an honour, plus the fact that Jiao has indebted her life to you. It's quite strange really..."
"First of all, I ain't freakin' royalty! I'm just a normal guy!" Takeshi exclaimed with an annoyed tone. "And second; it's not an "honour", okay?! It's just proving to be a goddamn nuisance!"
Momiji once again failed to suppress her giggle. In a gentle but cheerful tone, she began to speak. "You haven't changed one bit. So tell me, what are you up to nowadays? How is your period of peace treating you?"
Upon hearing Momiji's words, Takeshi immediately scoffed jokingly. "If I had to put it bluntly, I would say bullshit."
"Oh..." Momiji's smile fell towards light concern. "Why is that?"
Before Takeshi could begin to speak, Jiao instead answered the question in his place; much to the former's dismay. "It seems dealing with Lady Helena has given Mas...I mean Takeshi, a lot of stress, particularly with the idea of collaborating with the Shadow Clan, considering our run-ins with them in the past."
"I see..." Momiji inquired with a passive look. "If that is so, then is Zell Natsumoto also accompanying you for this assignment?"
Takeshi's ears immediately lit up, both in red fury and in shock. "How the hell do you know of my freakin' objective, Momiji?! Have you been in the office, listening to the goddamn briefing the entire time?!"
Despite the hostile response she received, Momiji did not even flinch. In fact, over the past few months she had grown to know him, Takeshi's attitude was something that did not bother her surprisingly. "Jiao informed me of a phone call requesting her assistance to aid your task at hand, taking into account that you two fought as partners together before. Since I was also your ally during that war, she felt the need to tell me this information."
"Now I get it." Takeshi acknowledged, simmering down a little. "Knowing that, I can also assume that idiot Prima Donna has sent you as well to be my frickin' babysitter too, right?"
"Actually, no." Momiji replied softly. "I came here out of my own will."
"What?!" Takeshi gasped, baffled by this sudden transaction. She was going to go with him too?! Was she mad?!
Though, Jiao also felt a degree of surprise rushing through her, she was surprisingly more open towards the prospect of assistance. After all, the idea of the bond between friends proved to be a virtue Jiao secretly longed for.
"It will be a pleasure for you to accompany us, Lady Momiji." The young Kunoichi bowed in respect.
Takeshi on the other hand thought differently. "Are you kiddin' me?! No way! No effin' way! Is it really that hard to let me deal with my own shit in one piece?! Now I gotta have four women harpin' on my ass already?! Gimme a break..."
With that said, he curiously eyed Momiji's breast briefly; only to wince away afterward in fear. The young man scolded himself mentally. "Add to the fact that I'm drowning in sags of b..bbb-boulders...! What kinda' screwed up joke is this?!"
Momiji once again brushed off Takeshi's annoyed remark, her warm smile remaining undaunted. However, her tone of voice was ever so slightly raised. "Takeshi, you know me too well that I can't back down from this. Besides, I'm a Kunoichi. I've prepared for this."
Takeshi once again forced his growl to stay silent. "Yeah...but that ain't the point..! Babysitting both of you back then was a pain in the ass...! And also..."
"Yes?" Momiji spoke softly.
With a sigh escaping his lips, Takeshi eventually responded. "Also...I don't want to end up worrying for you every damn time...and I don't want you to see you hurt either..."
Remembering to stand up straight, Momiji's smile suddenly faltered and fell slightly. However, she was far from angry, her face only showing warm concern. Slowly but surely, Momiji placed a hand upon Takeshi's shoulder. "I'm not weak! And you're not either! We'll pull through this. We always have! I promised to stand by your side; and as a maiden of my word, I will not back down from it."
Jiao's timid face also curled into a smile. "That's right, Mas...I mean Takeshi. We're all with you for this assignment, so don't worry. And besides, you can always return to Pai-Sama when this is over, right?"
"You have a point there." Takeshi grumbled, albeit in an optimistic way. "But, there is just one thing I wanted to ask you girls. Apparently, you two were not there during the whole Tri Towers crap. What happened?"
Jiao at that moment slightly hesitated. Should she really answer that question? If she didn't participate during the battle against DOATEC, would it truly be considered cowardice? She then looked towards Momiji and Takeshi and then reminded herself; these were the people that, with the exception of Kasumi and Ayame, would understand her reasons without belittling her for it.
Calmly and with an honest enough conviction, Jiao answered the question. "I was ordered by Master Shiden to remain in the village as Lady Ayame's personal maid. It was there where I had to reassure my Lady that her children would not perish during battle. Seeing Lady Ayame in tears...made me feel terrible underneath...if the worst came true..."
Jiao shed a few tears at that mere memory.
"But thankfully Hayate, Kasumi, Ayane and Ryu-Sama made it out alive, right?" Momiji reassured Jiao, patting her shoulders in a friendly gesture. She then responded to the question at hand. "As for your answer, Takeshi; I was ordered by Ryu-Sama to guard the Hayabusa village in case the assault on DOATEC failed, and should Victor Donovan come to know of our location."
"Ahh...now I see..." Takeshi took in their answers. "And here I am screwin' around these past few months for nothin', huh?" He turned to Momiji's direction, his face reading a serious look. "Remind me why you came all the way out there to help me then, huh?"
"If I were to say, owing a favour and also my sincerest gratitude to a very close friend; would that be reason enough?" Momiji replied calmly and softly.
Half satisfied with his answer, Takeshi gave out an annoyed and gruff sigh. "Fine. I'll suppose I'm gonna have to take the gamble. Besides..."
He then turned to the two kunoichi with a slight smile across his face; an expression that, no matter how many times they've seen it, always managed to confuse them a little. "At least your teleportation crap or whatever will make things a hell of a lot easier at the very least..."
Jiao took a look at both Momiji and Takeshi with a slightly shocked look; then instantly burst into hysterical giggles of laughter. "That's fine by me, Takeshi-Sama! I can live with that, hee, hee!"
The formality of Jiao's words were enough to slightly singe Takeshi's nerves. Lacking the words to scold his apprentice, he could only let an aggitated growl of frustration followed a large popped vein blistering at the back of his head. "Can we move on please?!"
"Duty noted, sir!" Momiji and Jiao enthusiastically nodded, both with the comfort of a warm smile.
Despite Takeshi's irritated look, he secretly felt a little touched. Despite his own infamous reputation of being a rough and coarse man, the girls regardless saw him as a true friend who was indeed a good person at heart. Takeshi may have viewed as stubborn before, and he still did, but he managed to soften up to that concept. At least a little bit anyway.
Suddenly, a screech could be heard. From Takeshi's pocket, his own transceiver began to buzz from sudden transmission.
"What the hell...?!" Was the first thing that came into the young man's mind. Sceptically, he began to search his pocket a little wildly. "What do you want now, you idiot...?!"
Automatically, Takeshi's little transceiver moulded into a clear cut screen which looked reminiscent of a pocket sized pad.
"MP4, huh? Nice of her to be thoughtful for once..." Takeshi muttered sarcastically.
"Is there something the matter, Takeshi?" Jiao quietly spoke as she inched towards him to take a look. Wearing a look of instant curiosity, Momiji did exactly the same thing.
The screen fuzzed into a background that resembled an office. Although the pad's small size could not fit the entire backdrop; what got the attention of the three was the person that faced the camera. To their immediate shock, it was not Helena Douglas nor Maria.
It was Victor Donovan himself.
"Salutations, ladies and gentleman." The man spoke with a deep and polite voice. "I trust your own butchery had gone well so far?"
Takeshi had only six words to say to this sudden transaction. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"
"Ahhhh...!" Donovan spoke with a welcome but formal tone. "You must be the famous Takeshi the Death God! How do you do? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Victor Donovan."
This time Jiao began to speak up. "You're Victor Donovan?! What do you want!? How did you call us!?"
Hostility was another thing Donovan was used to ever since the Tri Towers incident. Regardless, his calm facade was kept perfectly intact and in place. "And you must be Bai Jiao, correct? Admittedly, I've not heard much about you compared to the others, but you certainly made a reputation for yourself haven't you, little girl? Travelling with a criminal."
The sneer on the last word was enough to make Jiao snap. "He is not a criminal!"
"So, you're the Victor Dononvan Ryu-Sama speaks much about?" Momiji finally spoke, harshness slightly creeping in. "Why are you showing yourself now?"
"And you must be the Shrine Maiden I've heard so much about." Donovan spoke calmly. "Momiji, am I correct? Tell me, how is your master's village? I must say; daunting without his help, isn't it? Especially with a loved one's death plaguing your doorsteps? Namely your own sister? Kureha was it?"
Momiji's nerves were instantly severed. Slowly with malice, her body shook with fury. "What did you say...?"
"If you are the last Shrine Maiden of your own village, would it be safe to say that perhaps you are...taking up your sister's responsibility because you are afraid that she will haunt you later in the long run? Perhaps it's just as pathetic as a naive child wandering in the dark, no?" Donovan spoke with utter confidence although his voice held a slight hint of mockery.
Rage held Momiji in her place, the insults fixing themselves into her skull. "Don't. You. Dare. Mention. Her. Name. EVER AGAIN!" Tears welled up within her eyes as the young woman resisted the urge to sob uncontrollably, her tone now only soaked in hatred. "How do you know so much about me?! What are you after?!"
"Oh, I know many things." Donovan spoke nonchalantly. "Being in my position has it's advantages."
Meanwhile, Takeshi began to instantly began to lose his patience. "Okay, shit head, you made your point! Now out with it! What the hell are you after?!"
"Oh, nothing much really." Donovan said. "Just a warning for you to stay out of my way. That Prima Donna has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I trust she sent you to look out for a certain girl, namely a famous kunoichi who goes by the name of Kasumi?"
"So, what is your point, masked wearing bitch?!"
"Well, if you were out spoiling everything, my project of the Ultimate Fighter wouldn't exactly go into fruition now would it?" Donovan talked as if it was common sense.
Takeshi blinked at this madman's plan, his faced scrunched up in fury. A perfect soldier?! That's what this was about?! "Ultimate Fighter?! YOU STUPID, IGNORANT, SON OF A BITCH, DUMB BASTARD! Jesus Christ, I've met some dumb bastards in my time but you outdo them all!"
"I won't forgive you for using Lady Kasumi for your sick delusions!" Jiao bellowed. "Now I ask you to get out of our way!"
"Using innocents as vessels to your sick ambitions..!" Momiji hissed. "I will stop you! Mark my words!"
"Well, well..." Donovan mused, sharpening his gloves. "I can't say I'm too happy with you insulting my life's work. Oh, well. I'll have you three in a coffin soon enough. Goodbye for now."
With that said, communications immediately shut down.
"Wait the hell up!" Takeshi yelled.
After a while, silence almost gripped the atmosphere around the area. No one said a word for a while after that.
That was until Jiao finally spoke up. "Master Takeshi? W-what are you going to do now?"
The young convict responded with a simple clench of his fist. "Where do you think? Don't worry, I'll save your Lady. I ain't that heartless."
Momiji took a deep breath, calming down her recent explosive anger. She felt a little shamed. As a kunoichi, she was taught to suppress her emotions no matter the situation.
Thanks to the memory of Kureha's death, that teaching immediately shattered like fragile glass. Regardless, she gained the courage to speak to Takeshi. "And then afterward?"
The young convict stood up and looked to the distance, his weapon firmly held in a reverse grip. "I'm gonna find that masked wearing freak and mutilate him! That's my promise!"
Momiji once again smiled at her friend's determination. "Then in that case, I will serve as your weapon. As a partner."
"Me too." Jiao responded with enough conviction and resolve in her words.
With a simple exchange of nods, the three automatically headed out to the distance; their goals held tightly in their hands.
A/N:
Kaneshiro-Sama: And so we have it! Our preview as we promised!
Oga: Yeah...it's finally done! Can I go home now?
Kaneshiro-Sama: NOOOOO! We still have a huuggeee journey in store! More backstory with Donovan and finally back to our main characters! Tune in next time to Episode 7, which shall come shortly!
Furuichi: Ummm...excuse me, but wouldn't that be adding filler?
Oga: Furuichi, look. If we point out all the wrong kind of crap, I'm gonna be here all day...so that's it for this special preview! Any last words to the readers Berubo?
Berubo: Dabuuu, Dabu, Aiii! MiiDabah! AiiDabah! MAH!(See! Done on time! Read, Review and free toys, bub!)

Description

Preview: A New Purpose!
A/N:
Kaneshiro-Sama: Now let's get these fabled promises into action!
Oga: Just tell me when I can go home, you crazy asshole….
Kaneshiro-Sama: NEVER! Now let's do this!
Oga: Aww, screw that! I have to sit through this shit again?!
Furuichi: For the record I think you brought it upon yourself, Oga.
Oga: YOU IDIOT! *punches Furuichi to the moon*
Berubo: Dab, Dab, Aii! (Look at the distance at that one!)
Oga, Kaneshiro-Sama: HERE WE GO! THE PREVIEW IS FINALLY HERE!
New York Streets, Backalley-Midnight
Takeshi, Momiji and Bai Jiao stood their ground as a swarm of fake SWAT officers encircled them, cornering them towards the middle of the streets. Although they cut down the numbers by a considerable amount, more kept coming. The trio tensed themselves as they inspected their surroundings. Though it amounted to much, to them it was no surprise at all.
It was just business as usual.
Takeshi held a snarky grin, his gunblade gripped in a reverse fashion, fingers almost touching the trigger. He then took a quick glance towards both Momiji and Jiao and gave them a small wink. Jiao immediately returned the gesture. Momiji on the other hand looked at Takeshi, a warm smile spread across her lips.
"Together again, huh?" She spoke softly.
Takeshi gave a curt but polite nod as his reply. Finally, and without hesitation, the three warriors charged head on towards the army of adversaries before them. Before they could even fire their assault rifles, the Kunoichi and Takeshi closed the distance at blistering speed.
Without warning, Takeshi immediately executed a claw-like punch to the gut of one trooper, crumpling him upon impact. In combination, he immediately went behind and with his gunblade, cleaved the man in two from the shoulder.
In combination, Takeshi swung his weapon in a wild, but nonetheless precise abandon cleaving away at those before him, his face showing pure anger and resentment behind his supposedly calm and snarky demeanour. Gripping the trigger of the weapon, Takeshi immediately set the rifle part ablaze and went specifically for the weapons the troopers were carrying. Before they could even get a chance to fire, Takeshi's fiery blade sliced the guns in half. As the weapons ceased to function, so did the lives of the troops.
One soldier however was spared from the carnage the famed Death God was currently partaking. Behind Takeshi, he cocked his assault rifle and at an instant, he fired.
It was to no avail.
Takeshi's ears at that moment determined the firing rate of the gun. Instantly sensing the soldier's fatal mistake, he immediately hid behind an injured subordinate.
The bullets that were meant for the convict instantly met the wrong target, killing the trooper dead on the spot. At that moment, Takeshi proceeded and without hesitation skewered both of them. With the gunblade protruding through their stomachs, he finally finished by unleashing a powerful side kick to the handle of the weapon, knocking them down.
Bai Jiao fought fiercely. Using a mix of Ninjutsu and her Chinese sword techniques, she sped towards her targets at the blink of an eye. In contrast to Takeshi's roar of rage, Jiao kept a silent, almost emotionless overtone towards the entire situation. With a swift move of agility, Jiao flipped over one soldier neatly avoiding gunfire in the process. In absolute precision, Jiao used her Ninjato to stab the trooper squarely in the spinal cord.
Pulling her sword out of the dead man's back with surprising ease, Jiao in quick succession sliced the soldier's rifle in half before slitting his neck with precision. Gunshots fired toward the Kunoichi immediately after the kill was performed. At that moment, the place where Jiao stood instantly vanished in a swirl of petals.
A second later, Jiao appeared right before the eyes of one trooper and sliced his gut open with her blade. Blood gushed out of the cut, with some of the drops landing on Jiao's supposedly emotionless face. With a single slice of the sword that cut the air as quick as lightning, Jiao fell the small group in front of her.
They were dead before they even dropped on the floor.
Momiji fought with ferocity, her face showing an unusual sense of determination, possibly as a sign of her loyalty towards her comrades. Because of her Naginata's long reach, Momiji flowed along with each strategy she took. Being able to wield her long range weapon with ease, the young shrine maiden cleanly cut the rifle in half. Sparing no thought or time, Momiji instantly fell the soldier with a single slash of her weapon.
Just as another trooper was about to fire, Momiji immediately sensed him. Before he could even blink, she impaled the soldier with a sharp thrust to the gut. A squad began to surround her. Rifles were cocked and prepared, ready to fire.
Gunshots raced towards the young Shrine Maiden all at once. Momiji did not hesitate. With blinding speed, she deftly moved to the ring where the men had previously surrounded her with. With a battle cry, Momiji wielded her Naginata with terrifying precision. Her slashes instantly decimated row after row of troops before. Even ones that tried to attack her from behind were not spared. Momiji's cuts with her weapon were shockingly accurate.
She spun her Naginata in a circle and carefully but surely, managed pick off adversaries one by one with a combination of blisteringly quick stabs and slashes. Momiji took great care in assuring that her cuts were clean and sharp. Though blood leaked profusely from the dying soldiers, blood did not exactly spill on her face apart from maybe a few drops.
The three fought valiantly and viciously as they supported each other's flank. They trusted each other with their lives and fought of the troopers with great synergy. Despite the different emotions shown by the three, that they shared a common emotion; to protect each other no matter the cost.
It was a small skirmish, but at last they emerged victorious. Upon the pile of ruined bodies that lay before them, Takeshi and Momiji both held a bit of an undaunted look. Momiji had hardened her emotions a long time ago, and had been raised from ground up to be used to the idea of intense bloodshed. Although there was a slight tangent of guilt buried within the recesses of her mind, she suppressed them without a second thought. To Momiji, protecting the ones closest to her was more important than her own personal emotions or feelings.
Takeshi felt the same although, his reasons were quite different. Ever since the war of the Mishima's, murder was a constant thing he saw, witnessed and even fought in. He felt nothing but apathy and hatred towards the enemies he faced. Even if he wanted to feel guilty, he couldn't. Takeshi forwent that emotion long ago. All thoughts were instantly replaced with survival; and more recently, the survival of his longtime companions as much as he hated to admit it out loud.
Jiao kept a calm façade after the battle. However, despite her best efforts to remain emotionally detached from their current situation, she slightly trembled. Although, Jiao could kill without a second thought, the sight of savage brutality often unnerved her. She had no qualms on killing the troopers that were about to harm her long-time companions, but seeing the corpses lying at her feet reminded her of her low self-esteem and also the harsh way of the Shinobi. Every time she engaged in battle, Jiao deep within her heart felt somewhat vulnerable and somewhat scared.
"Momiji…Jiao." Takeshi softly spoke to them. "Let's go. We can't risk any more shit thrown at us now."
The two Kunoichi nodded in unison. With that said, the three immediately left the grisly scene as fast as they could, sheathing away their weapons in the process.
Further out New York Streets-the pavement
Although it was out on the more public front, the three managed to successfully escape a cornered predicament. Despite the open area of Manhattan, the streets were surprisingly quiet and desolate, almost as if the citizens evacuated the entire area. Regardless, it managed to provide a safe haven for them to catch a breath.
"We should be fine...for now at least..." Takeshi said through short pants.
"That's a relief.." Momiji forced a light smile upon her lips.
Jiao on the other hand could only give a subtle nod as her reply, her head down in some kind of silent turmoil. Instinctively, Momiji turned to the young Kunoichi as if responding to her distress, her face showing warm concern. "Jiao? Is there something wrong?"
Jiao could only shake her head. "It's nothing, Lady Momiji. I'm okay."
"Ya' know, you can just spit out your concerns." Takeshi sighed at her shaky tone. "Don't worry. I won't bite."
"It's fine, Master Takeshi. Really. Don't worry about me." Jiao spoke hastily.
Takeshi's sympathetic face immediately changed to a disdained growl. "Oh, for the love of ass! Can you stop calling me Master, goddamnit!"
Jiao immediately winced upon her companion's tone of voice. Momiji on the other hand, giggled at her friend's abrasive behaviour.
"You're the same as ever, Takeshi." The Shrine Maiden smiled at him. "Tell me, why do you resent formalities so much? Normally, other people would consider it an honour, plus the fact that Jiao has indebted her life to you. It's quite strange really..."
"First of all, I ain't freakin' royalty! I'm just a normal guy!" Takeshi exclaimed with an annoyed tone. "And second; it's not an "honour", okay?! It's just proving to be a goddamn nuisance!"
Momiji once again failed to suppress her giggle. In a gentle but cheerful tone, she began to speak. "You haven't changed one bit. So tell me, what are you up to nowadays? How is your period of peace treating you?"
Upon hearing Momiji's words, Takeshi immediately scoffed jokingly. "If I had to put it bluntly, I would say bullshit."
"Oh..." Momiji's smile fell towards light concern. "Why is that?"
Before Takeshi could begin to speak, Jiao instead answered the question in his place; much to the former's dismay. "It seems dealing with Lady Helena has given Mas...I mean Takeshi, a lot of stress, particularly with the idea of collaborating with the Shadow Clan, considering our run-ins with them in the past."
"I see..." Momiji inquired with a passive look. "If that is so, then is Zell Natsumoto also accompanying you for this assignment?"
Takeshi's ears immediately lit up, both in red fury and in shock. "How the hell do you know of my freakin' objective, Momiji?! Have you been in the office, listening to the goddamn briefing the entire time?!"
Despite the hostile response she received, Momiji did not even flinch. In fact, over the past few months she had grown to know him, Takeshi's attitude was something that did not bother her surprisingly. "Jiao informed me of a phone call requesting her assistance to aid your task at hand, taking into account that you two fought as partners together before. Since I was also your ally during that war, she felt the need to tell me this information."
"Now I get it." Takeshi acknowledged, simmering down a little. "Knowing that, I can also assume that idiot Prima Donna has sent you as well to be my frickin' babysitter too, right?"
"Actually, no." Momiji replied softly. "I came here out of my own will."
"What?!" Takeshi gasped, baffled by this sudden transaction. She was going to go with him too?! Was she mad?!
Though, Jiao also felt a degree of surprise rushing through her, she was surprisingly more open towards the prospect of assistance. After all, the idea of the bond between friends proved to be a virtue Jiao secretly longed for.
"It will be a pleasure for you to accompany us, Lady Momiji." The young Kunoichi bowed in respect.
Takeshi on the other hand thought differently. "Are you kiddin' me?! No way! No effin' way! Is it really that hard to let me deal with my own shit in one piece?! Now I gotta have four women harpin' on my ass already?! Gimme a break..."
With that said, he curiously eyed Momiji's breast briefly; only to wince away afterward in fear. The young man scolded himself mentally. "Add to the fact that I'm drowning in sags of b..bbb-boulders...! What kinda' screwed up joke is this?!"
Momiji once again brushed off Takeshi's annoyed remark, her warm smile remaining undaunted. However, her tone of voice was ever so slightly raised. "Takeshi, you know me too well that I can't back down from this. Besides, I'm a Kunoichi. I've prepared for this."
Takeshi once again forced his growl to stay silent. "Yeah...but that ain't the point..! Babysitting both of you back then was a pain in the ass...! And also..."
"Yes?" Momiji spoke softly.
With a sigh escaping his lips, Takeshi eventually responded. "Also...I don't want to end up worrying for you every damn time...and I don't want you to see you hurt either..."
Remembering to stand up straight, Momiji's smile suddenly faltered and fell slightly. However, she was far from angry, her face only showing warm concern. Slowly but surely, Momiji placed a hand upon Takeshi's shoulder. "I'm not weak! And you're not either! We'll pull through this. We always have! I promised to stand by your side; and as a maiden of my word, I will not back down from it."
Jiao's timid face also curled into a smile. "That's right, Mas...I mean Takeshi. We're all with you for this assignment, so don't worry. And besides, you can always return to Pai-Sama when this is over, right?"
"You have a point there." Takeshi grumbled, albeit in an optimistic way. "But, there is just one thing I wanted to ask you girls. Apparently, you two were not there during the whole Tri Towers crap. What happened?"
Jiao at that moment slightly hesitated. Should she really answer that question? If she didn't participate during the battle against DOATEC, would it truly be considered cowardice? She then looked towards Momiji and Takeshi and then reminded herself; these were the people that, with the exception of Kasumi and Ayame, would understand her reasons without belittling her for it.
Calmly and with an honest enough conviction, Jiao answered the question. "I was ordered by Master Shiden to remain in the village as Lady Ayame's personal maid. It was there where I had to reassure my Lady that her children would not perish during battle. Seeing Lady Ayame in tears...made me feel terrible underneath...if the worst came true..."
Jiao shed a few tears at that mere memory.
"But thankfully Hayate, Kasumi, Ayane and Ryu-Sama made it out alive, right?" Momiji reassured Jiao, patting her shoulders in a friendly gesture. She then responded to the question at hand. "As for your answer, Takeshi; I was ordered by Ryu-Sama to guard the Hayabusa village in case the assault on DOATEC failed, and should Victor Donovan come to know of our location."
"Ahh...now I see..." Takeshi took in their answers. "And here I am screwin' around these past few months for nothin', huh?" He turned to Momiji's direction, his face reading a serious look. "Remind me why you came all the way out there to help me then, huh?"
"If I were to say, owing a favour and also my sincerest gratitude to a very close friend; would that be reason enough?" Momiji replied calmly and softly.
Half satisfied with his answer, Takeshi gave out an annoyed and gruff sigh. "Fine. I'll suppose I'm gonna have to take the gamble. Besides..."
He then turned to the two kunoichi with a slight smile across his face; an expression that, no matter how many times they've seen it, always managed to confuse them a little. "At least your teleportation crap or whatever will make things a hell of a lot easier at the very least..."
Jiao took a look at both Momiji and Takeshi with a slightly shocked look; then instantly burst into hysterical giggles of laughter. "That's fine by me, Takeshi-Sama! I can live with that, hee, hee!"
The formality of Jiao's words were enough to slightly singe Takeshi's nerves. Lacking the words to scold his apprentice, he could only let an aggitated growl of frustration followed a large popped vein blistering at the back of his head. "Can we move on please?!"
"Duty noted, sir!" Momiji and Jiao enthusiastically nodded, both with the comfort of a warm smile.
Despite Takeshi's irritated look, he secretly felt a little touched. Despite his own infamous reputation of being a rough and coarse man, the girls regardless saw him as a true friend who was indeed a good person at heart. Takeshi may have viewed as stubborn before, and he still did, but he managed to soften up to that concept. At least a little bit anyway.
Suddenly, a screech could be heard. From Takeshi's pocket, his own transceiver began to buzz from sudden transmission.
"What the hell...?!" Was the first thing that came into the young man's mind. Sceptically, he began to search his pocket a little wildly. "What do you want now, you idiot...?!"
Automatically, Takeshi's little transceiver moulded into a clear cut screen which looked reminiscent of a pocket sized pad.
"MP4, huh? Nice of her to be thoughtful for once..." Takeshi muttered sarcastically.
"Is there something the matter, Takeshi?" Jiao quietly spoke as she inched towards him to take a look. Wearing a look of instant curiosity, Momiji did exactly the same thing.
The screen fuzzed into a background that resembled an office. Although the pad's small size could not fit the entire backdrop; what got the attention of the three was the person that faced the camera. To their immediate shock, it was not Helena Douglas nor Maria.
It was Victor Donovan himself.
"Salutations, ladies and gentleman." The man spoke with a deep and polite voice. "I trust your own butchery had gone well so far?"
Takeshi had only six words to say to this sudden transaction. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"
"Ahhhh...!" Donovan spoke with a welcome but formal tone. "You must be the famous Takeshi the Death God! How do you do? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Victor Donovan."
This time Jiao began to speak up. "You're Victor Donovan?! What do you want!? How did you call us!?"
Hostility was another thing Donovan was used to ever since the Tri Towers incident. Regardless, his calm facade was kept perfectly intact and in place. "And you must be Bai Jiao, correct? Admittedly, I've not heard much about you compared to the others, but you certainly made a reputation for yourself haven't you, little girl? Travelling with a criminal."
The sneer on the last word was enough to make Jiao snap. "He is not a criminal!"
"So, you're the Victor Dononvan Ryu-Sama speaks much about?" Momiji finally spoke, harshness slightly creeping in. "Why are you showing yourself now?"
"And you must be the Shrine Maiden I've heard so much about." Donovan spoke calmly. "Momiji, am I correct? Tell me, how is your master's village? I must say; daunting without his help, isn't it? Especially with a loved one's death plaguing your doorsteps? Namely your own sister? Kureha was it?"
Momiji's nerves were instantly severed. Slowly with malice, her body shook with fury. "What did you say...?"
"If you are the last Shrine Maiden of your own village, would it be safe to say that perhaps you are...taking up your sister's responsibility because you are afraid that she will haunt you later in the long run? Perhaps it's just as pathetic as a naive child wandering in the dark, no?" Donovan spoke with utter confidence although his voice held a slight hint of mockery.
Rage held Momiji in her place, the insults fixing themselves into her skull. "Don't. You. Dare. Mention. Her. Name. EVER AGAIN!" Tears welled up within her eyes as the young woman resisted the urge to sob uncontrollably, her tone now only soaked in hatred. "How do you know so much about me?! What are you after?!"
"Oh, I know many things." Donovan spoke nonchalantly. "Being in my position has it's advantages."
Meanwhile, Takeshi began to instantly began to lose his patience. "Okay, shit head, you made your point! Now out with it! What the hell are you after?!"
"Oh, nothing much really." Donovan said. "Just a warning for you to stay out of my way. That Prima Donna has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I trust she sent you to look out for a certain girl, namely a famous kunoichi who goes by the name of Kasumi?"
"So, what is your point, masked wearing bitch?!"
"Well, if you were out spoiling everything, my project of the Ultimate Fighter wouldn't exactly go into fruition now would it?" Donovan talked as if it was common sense.
Takeshi blinked at this madman's plan, his faced scrunched up in fury. A perfect soldier?! That's what this was about?! "Ultimate Fighter?! YOU STUPID, IGNORANT, SON OF A BITCH, DUMB BASTARD! Jesus Christ, I've met some dumb bastards in my time but you outdo them all!"
"I won't forgive you for using Lady Kasumi for your sick delusions!" Jiao bellowed. "Now I ask you to get out of our way!"
"Using innocents as vessels to your sick ambitions..!" Momiji hissed. "I will stop you! Mark my words!"
"Well, well..." Donovan mused, sharpening his gloves. "I can't say I'm too happy with you insulting my life's work. Oh, well. I'll have you three in a coffin soon enough. Goodbye for now."
With that said, communications immediately shut down.
"Wait the hell up!" Takeshi yelled.
After a while, silence almost gripped the atmosphere around the area. No one said a word for a while after that.
That was until Jiao finally spoke up. "Master Takeshi? W-what are you going to do now?"
The young convict responded with a simple clench of his fist. "Where do you think? Don't worry, I'll save your Lady. I ain't that heartless."
Momiji took a deep breath, calming down her recent explosive anger. She felt a little shamed. As a kunoichi, she was taught to suppress her emotions no matter the situation.
Thanks to the memory of Kureha's death, that teaching immediately shattered like fragile glass. Regardless, she gained the courage to speak to Takeshi. "And then afterward?"
The young convict stood up and looked to the distance, his weapon firmly held in a reverse grip. "I'm gonna find that masked wearing freak and mutilate him! That's my promise!"
Momiji once again smiled at her friend's determination. "Then in that case, I will serve as your weapon. As a partner."
"Me too." Jiao responded with enough conviction and resolve in her words.
With a simple exchange of nods, the three automatically headed out to the distance; their goals held tightly in their hands.
A/N:
Kaneshiro-Sama: And so we have it! Our preview as we promised!
Oga: Yeah...it's finally done! Can I go home now?
Kaneshiro-Sama: NOOOOO! We still have a huuggeee journey in store! More backstory with Donovan and finally back to our main characters! Tune in next time to Episode 7, which shall come shortly!
Furuichi: Ummm...excuse me, but wouldn't that be adding filler?
Oga: Furuichi, look. If we point out all the wrong kind of crap, I'm gonna be here all day...so that's it for this special preview! Any last words to the readers Berubo?
Berubo: Dabuuu, Dabu, Aiii! MiiDabah! AiiDabah! MAH!(See! Done on time! Read, Review and free toys, bub!)