Chapter 5: Ready To Rumble
Ken and Ryu left the hotel early that morning in search of information on underground fighting circuits being held. They would have taken Dan with them, but he refused to answer his door. So instead of waiting on him to show up...if ever, they decided to head out on the streets. It was mid-afternoon, and they had walked to many dojos? trying to find information, that they decided to stop to have some lunch.
"Well, i think we got a pretty good idea of a place to hit tonight." Ken said between bites of his meal. "What do you say we go and spar for the rest of the afternoon, so we will be ready to try and enter the fights."
"Hey! Ryu! You with me?" Ken asked his friend who was just staring off outside hardly even touching his food.
"Huh? Oh sorry. Yeah that sounds good. I would like that very much. I haven't sparred since we left the states." Ryu replied. "I've got a few maneuvers i would like to try out that i have been working on."
Ken let out a laugh. "Man, you HAVE been bitten, my friend."
Ryu looked puzzled at Ken's statement. " I do not recall being bitten by an insect. What do you mean?"
Ken only continued to laugh. "You'll figure it out soon enough." He smirked. "Come on, let's see if the lazy bum is up and well tell him what we found out.
;Dan was indeed up, and Ken quickly out-lined his plans for the night.
"Ah...err, you guys go ahead and spar. I don't need to; i am already at my peak. I'll just go out and do some site seeing to kill time ?til we go there."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Okay, Dan. Meet us back here at 7. AND DON'T BE LATE! We are not going to wait all night for you."
Later that evening, the three met up at Ken's room ready to hit the town. Ken was now in his trademark sleeveless red GI. Dan had on his pink GI.
"Man, why don't you get a different color GI!" Ken said.
"Why? This is my favorite white GI that my father gave me!" Dan cried offended.
"IT'S PINK DAN!"
"No, it use to be white, until i washed it with some of my red clothes. Besides, you have to be a REAL MAN to wear pink" Dan replied, giving the thumbs up sign. "Chicks dig it!"
"What ever, let's go guys!" Ken said walking to the door.
They took a cab to a rather seedy part of town and were let off at an abandoned building. Ken looked at the directions he was given, and this was indeed the place.
Ken strolled up to the big metal door flanked by Ryu. Dan was nervously watching the streets staying close behind the pair.
*THUMP...THUMP...THUMP* Ken hammered on the door with his fist.
A slot opened on the door and a man with beady eyes looked out at them.
"Yeah? Whatcha want here?" A voice came from behind the door.
"We are here to do a little business." Ken said as he waved $300.00 American at the slot.
The slot closed and after a few seconds, the door swung open. They proceeded in, with Ken paying the rather large man who had let them in. They walked down a set of stairs to another metal door with two rather large men in suits guarding it. They were obviously packing 'heat'. One of the guys let out what could be a small laugh as he was looking at Dan. The other smiled as he opened the door for them to proceed in.
;Once inside, they saw a rather huge fighting arena, with chairs lined all around the room. Many types of people were walking around and mingling. There seemed to be a few well-dressed men and there 'dates' casually talking to other fighters. No one really paid them much attention as they proceeded to what looked like a bookie. The bookie was a short balding man behind an iron cage, with two more big bodyguards flanking him.
"You here to enter the fight?" he asked with a whiny voice.
"Yes. Replied ken.
"Ok, i need to know your fighting style and a wager you wish to place on yourself or anyone else."
"Put $5000 dollars on me here, I trained in the arts of Shotokan. Ken said as he pulled out a stack of 100-dollar bills.
The man greedily looked at the money shoved to him, and with a smirk, said..."pretty sure of yourself aren't we? You don't even know who you are going up against yet."
"It doesn't matter", Ken said with a grin. "I'm ready for anyone!"
"What ever he replied handing a ticket back to Ken. You go ahead and mingle ?til the fights start.
"You want me to place a bet on you Ryu?" Ken asked already knowing the answer.
"No Ken, It's just only the fight for me." Ryu replied.
As Ken turned around to ask if he wanted a small.... (REALLY SMALL) wager put on him. He found that Dan had disappeared.
The two friends mingled around talking to various other fighters. Some were so arrogant, while others nice to talk to. After about a half an hour, They heard a scuffle over on by a crowd of people. Suddenly they saw a familiar figure being thrown in the air and land at there feet. Ryu bent down to check to see if Dan was all right. "They were huge!" Dan muttered just before he passed out from the obvious lump someone had given him on his forehead.
Ken was looking down at him shaking his head, slowly bringing up his gaze. "Man, we just got here and the fight hasn't even started and Dan is out for the cou..... OH MY, MY!" was all Ken could mutter as he gazed up the shapely legs of a woman. He followed the legs up to a very short red and white outfit that barely covered below her waist. His gazed went up a little further to wear her outfit was having a rather difficult time holding in her bouncing chest as she walked up."
"Pervert! The woman glared at Dan's unconscious body. Then she finally noticed the handsome Shotokahn fighter staring at her.
"Actually, my name is Mai, Mai Shiranui, handsome." she said with a sexy smile. "Is he with you?" she pointed down at Dan.
"Ive never seen him before in my life!" Ken responded hastily caught up still looking at her. Ryu just shook his head as he propped Dan up on a nearby chair.
"You here to fight? It looks like you work out allot," she said running her hands over Ken's chest.
"Uh...Yeah." Ken was stammering, turning a light shade of red.
"Well, i hope to see you fight tonight, maybe afterwards, you could show me around.... I just love a man in a red GI..." she teased him as she turned to walk away.
"Ken? Ryu said as he was tapping on his shoulder.
"What about Eliza?"
"Who? Oh!" Ken said snapping out of his mezmorizim. Just then they made the announcement that the first fight was about to begin.