《4th Strike: Moving On》


 Moving On (Part 1)

    "If you plan to start from scratch you gotta fight your way up,


    It''s all about the victory and who''s getting ate up


    Survivors are always labeled the fittest,


    That''s why you couldn''t win this,


    I''m the living legend veteran in this."


    - Infinite, "Moving On"


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    The streets and beaches of Sao Paulo were bustling with party people, eager to put another week of work and schooling behind them. The night air was warm, but nowhere near as humid as it normally was during the day. People were lined up to get into the nightclubs, ready to dance their stress away. The city glowed with bright neon lights on nearly every building, signalling the start of the weekend.


    A particularly grumpy Sean Matsuda was in no mood for the festivities going on, however. Sulking on the roof of his house, he thought about the last few years as a martial artist. He wasn''t delusional about his skills; he knew he had so much to learn about the Shotokan style. The issue was getting his "master" to actually teach him the proper style. Ever since he decided to abandon his family''s style of Jujitsu in favour of Shotokan, Sean self-taught himself the basic moves by watching Ken Masters'' tournament fights and mimicking his moves, while adding in a few of his own. Finding that he was struggling with slightly more advanced moves like the Hadoken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, Sean decided to seek out Ken himself to teach him the proper skills of Shotokan.


    Sean began twisting one of his dreadlocks absentmindedly, remembering all the times Ken had coldly rejected him. The worst, in his opinion, was when he lost to Ken in the World Warrior Tournament, in which the latter had demanded he beat Ryu in a fight before he would even consider training him. Determined to be Ken''s student, Sean fought Ryu several times, but only ended up getting a concussion and several broken bones, putting him out of fighting for nearly a year. Looking back on it, Sean wasn''t sure if was determination or pure hardheadedness that made him keep fighting Ryu, despite being clearly outmatched.


    Then came the U.S. tournament the year after that. Unlike the World Warrior tournament, this one all but cemented him as an international embarrassment. After recovering from the beating Ryu gave him, Sean went back to his usual self-training, pushing himself even harder to prove himself to Ken. When Sean signed up for the tournament, he was confident he''d be going home with the trophy.


    Oh, how wrong he was. Sean didn''t even make it past the qualifiers, as he was beaten senseless once again, this time by a no-name fighter. Ken, who eventually won that tournament, offered Sean the championship trophy out of pity, but he refused to take it.


    Sean released a depressed sigh, and fell back onto the roof. He stared at the starry sky, contemplating his current lot in life. After the U.S. tournament, almost the whole international fighting community made fun of him, and virtually shunned him when he tried to even simply talk to another fighter. Even in his native Brazil, he became known as "The Shame of a Nation", especially in Sao Paulo. Only his own family had shown him any genuine sympathy.


    God, that was embarrassing as all hell, Sean thought to himself. I still can''t travel around Sao Paulo without getting laughed at all time.


    That was nearly three years ago. Now a couple months shy of his nineteenth birthday, Sean found himself at a crossroads in his life. He was offered several basketball scholarships as soon as he finished high school, but he chose to take a year off school to continue honing his Shotokan skills. But even then, Sean found his skills stagnating without a proper teacher; and Ken continued to be non-committal when it came to training him, to Sean''s eternal frustration. He wanted to be a successful fighter, but he also didn''t want to continue if Ken wasn''t willing to teach him anything.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Sean''s thoughts then drifted to another fighter, one he personally considered his counterpart: Sakura Kasugano. Like Sean, she was originally trained in her family''s style of martial arts, before self-teaching herself Shotokan after witnessing Ryu in action. The biggest difference between Sakura and Sean, however, was their skills and how their respective "masters" treated them.


    Despite being notably weaker than Ryu and Ken, Sakura had won several tournaments with her unorthodox style of Shotokan, and was even praised by some of the biggest names in the fighting community, while Sean was treated like a joke. And while Ryu also refused to take her under his wing, he still greatly respected Sakura, and occasionally gave her advice, While the only times Ken ever gave Sean the time of day was when he wanted Sean to run an errand for him. It drove him nuts


    I wish I knew Sakura well enough to ask her for some advice, Sean thought to himself. But then again, she probably thinks I''m a fool too, along with that idiot Dan.


    Sean let out another sigh, and got up on his feet. I''m not gonna get anywhere just sulking like this all the time. A jog will probably do me some good.


    Sean, being careful to watch his footing, walked back towards his bedroom window. Since his room was at the very top of the house, he could easily escape to the rooftop when he didn''t want to be bothered by anyone in his family, especially his older sister Laura. Slipping through the windowsill, Sean grabbed a plain black jogging suit off his dresser. He normally would''ve gone for his custom yellow one, but he didn''t want to be recognized by anyone in Sao Paulo.


    Slipping on a pair of black sneakers, he put on a hat, his headphones, and grabbed his cellphone. He considered bringing his basketball, but decided against it, because someone would recognize him. and headed downstairs. He had just barely got past the living room when somebody called out to him.


    "Isn''t it a bit late for a jog, Sean?~"


    Crap... Sean stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to see Laura, sprawled out across the living room couch. Unlike her usual daytime appearance, Laura wore a large t-shirt, and uncharacteristically modest shorts. The biggest difference was her hairstyle; normally a split between cornrows and loose hair, was completely unbraided, flowing all the way down to her waist.


    "Where you headed off to? You usually don''t go out running this late, if at all, after that US tournament."


    Sean scowled at the mention of the US tournament, and looked away from his sister. "I''m wholly aware of that, Laura," Sean hissed venomously through gritted teeth.


    "Ye-owch, no need to get get all pissy at me!~" Laura said, not losing her spirited attitude. "It''s been almost 3 years, for Christ''s sake, you''ve should''ve moved past it by now!"


    "I''ll move on when the rest of Brazil does. At least you ain''t called ''the shame of a nation'' everywhere in Brazil."


    "At least try to cheer up a little, Sean!" Laura got off the sofa and approached her little brother. "I get it, you''re discouraged to keep fighting because of everything that''s got you down, but you gotta look at the positives too."


    "What ''positives''?!" Sean cut Laura off in frustration. "I''m basically blacklisted from the international fighting community, and my own home country hates my guts! What fuckin'' positives do I have, huh?!"


    Laura took a step back, not expecting Sean''s outburst. Sean shook his head. "Look, I''m honestly sorry for snapping at you," he said. "But I''m just stressed to the max about everything right now, and I need some air. I''ll be back in a couple hours."


    Before Laura could say something, Sean opened the front door and dashed outside. Laura looked out the doorway, watching her brother''s figure gradually disappear into the Sao Paulo night. After a few moments, she closed the door, and retreated back to the sofa.


    "Something has to be done with Sean," Laura said, putting a hand to her chin. "He''s still training, but thanks to that tournament loss, he''s shut out everyone for the last 3 years, even our family. And that so-called ''master'' of his hasn''t done much to help him get out of this rut..." Laura plopped herself down on the sofa, thinking of ways to help Sean.


    "I really don''t know if I can do anything to help him. He never wants to be around me, even before that loss..." Laura''s gaze shifted towards the nearby coffee table, covered in magazines. One particular magazine cover caught her eye.


    "...Though I wonder if Mr. Masters is willing to take house calls?"

 Bring Da Ruckus

    "Yo, I''m more rugged than slave man boots,


    New recruits, I''m fuckin'' up MC troops


    I break loose, and trample shit, while I stomp


    A mudhole in that ass, ''cause I''m straight out the swamp."


    - Wu-Tang Clan, "Bring Da Ruckus"


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    Sean jogged through the streets of S?o Paulo, taking care to not bump into the various party goers that littered the streets. Even for a Friday night, the streets were surprisingly crowded. Sean noticed that many people were wearing Brazil''s national football jersey. He remembered that the FIFA World Cup had just officially started a day or two ago, so he assumed most were going to bars to watch the games. He wasn''t a big fan of football, but he liked to support the national team nonetheless. If he wasn''t trying to be incognito, he would''ve even considered watching the games at one of the bars.


    Sean continued to weave around the crowded streets, trying to clear out the negative thoughts plaguing his mind. He wasn''t afraid to admit he was more than jaded about his relationship with Ken, but he would''ve preferred being straight up denied, instead of getting tricked into a beatdown just for Ken to get him off his back. Then there was the fact that on the rare occasion Ken did visit Sean, he spent most of his time sparring or hanging out with Laura, instead of teaching his "pupil". Sean honestly thought if Ken wasn''t so devoted to his family, he''d have tried to make a pass at his sister.


    Sean couldn''t help but laugh at that particular thought. Laura may have been seen as "loose" by the men of S?o Paulo, because of her free-wheeling nature, but she had pretty high standards for a boyfriend, and no time for cheaters. Sean remembered the one and only time a married man once tried to get with her, she ended up giving him such a beating, he ran all the way over to S?o Bernardo do Campo just to get away from her.


    Rounding a corner, Sean found himself in the city square. The game was on every big screen in the area, and a large crowd was standing around, watching the game. Sean ducked into a corner store, silently praying a riot wouldn''t break out if Brazil lost. Inside, Sean spotted his cousin, Enzo Da Silva, working the cash. He looked a bit grumpy, as to be expected when you''re working backshift, but perked up when he saw Sean walking towards him. Enzo leaped over the counter, and ran up to hug his cousin.


    "Yo, Sean! Thank God you came through just now," Enzo said as he embraced Sean, nearly crushing him. "I thought I was gonna go stir crazy up in here!"


    Sean laughed, and returned the bone-crushing hug with one of his own. Although they were cousins, Sean grew up with Enzo and his family, and treated him like he was a brother. Although he often got himself into trouble with his pranks, Enzo was someone Sean knew he could count on when the going got tough, even moreso than his own sister.


    After a few moments, they both let go, and stretched their muscles. "Stuck working backshift again?" Sean asked as he stretched his arms.


    "Beyond backshift," Enzo said with a grunt. "I''ve been working since early this morning by myself with almost no downtime. And that''s mostly thanks to Mom and Dad givng Manuela the day off to spend with her boyfriend, cause they were planning a World Cup party or something. Top that off with me barely having any customers tonight, I''ve been slowly going insane." He ran his hands through his loc-hawk, eyeing Sean curiously. "Though if I''m being honest, you''re the last family member I''d have expected to come through. I rarely see you anymore these days."


    Sean sighed. He should''ve seen this coming. "I know, man. I''m sorry."


    It wasn''t like Sean had intentionally cut himself off from his extended family, but the loss in America, and the constant jeering from townsfolk took a toll on his confidence and mental health, and he slowly began shutting himself off from everyone to the point where he only showed up at family gatherings because it was expected of him; and even then, it took a lot of literal arm twisting from Laura.


    Enzo put a hand on Sean''s shoulder. "I don''t hate you for not keeping contact with us," he said, as if he was reading Sean''s mind. "But that tournament is in the past, yo. And you''ve bounced back from bigger losses, so why you letting that one hang over your head so much?"


    "It''s not the loss that bothers me," Sean retorted, brushing his cousin''s hand off. "It''s everything that came after it. The mockery from everyone, especially here in Brazil, the whiteballing from the fighting community, my Sensei treating me like charity case more than an actual student..."


    Sean covered his face, groaning in frustration. "I would''ve been able to live with the loss, or even the insults; but everyone writes me off as a lost cause because of that one time. And now, most tournament organizers won''t let me compete anymore. Even Ken doesn''t want to deal with me any more. Last time I saw him, he spent all day sparring with Laura instead of training me like he promised!" He threw his hands up in the air to emphasize his point


    At the mention of Ken, Enzo''s temper began to flare, but he quickly tried to check himself. "Forget about that deadbeat, yo," Enzo said, trying to hide the rage in his voice. "Let''s change the subject. You been ballin'' lately?"


    "Tch. I try to, but I still get shit on for even showing my face at the court," Sean said, rolling his eyes. "Even our old teammates don''t wanna play with me no more cause of it."


    "For real?!" Enzo was stunned. He and Sean had played on the same basketball team for years, and their whole team was like a second family to them, to the point where they were among the few who stood by Sean after the U.S. tournament. "They just dissed you like that after all this time?!"


    "Pretty much, Cuz." Sean walked over to the counter and leaned on it, weariness spread across his face. "Apparently, a lot of them started getting hell from random people for hanging with me, so they decided they didn''t want to be collateral damage." He let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought my own kinfolk shading me was the worst of my worries."


    Enzo, though he didn''t show it outwardly, looked at his cousin with concern. He knew Fabio and Laura, while they loved Sean, often ripped on their little brother''s poor Shotokan and Jujitsu skills. And great-uncle Kinjiro was less than happy to find out about his switch to Shotokan, at one point calling it "A child''s martial art." While Enzo''s family weren''t delusional about Sean''s Shotokan skills, they at least tried to give him moral support.


    "Forget them, Sean," Enzo replied. "They ain''t shit to us if they just gonna toss you to the side like that!"


    Sean just continued to mope, staring a hole into the far wall of the store. "Easy for you to say. You don''t deal with the same level of abuse I do everyday, online, and in person."


    Enzo shook his head, and got in front of Sean, forcing his cousin to look at him. "Who gives a fuck about what people say or think, man? You''re a Da Silva, we''re one of the baddest families in Brazil! Most of those clowns shittin'' on you can''t hold a candle to us!"


    "Correction; you''re a Da Silva," Sean countered. "I''m a Matsuda, one who''s not only perpetually stuck in the shadow of his more talented relatives and constantly compared unfavorably to Dan Hibiki, but isn''t talented in either Shotokan, jujitsu, or capoeira whatsoever."


    "But you are talented at Shotokan, Sean," Enzo pointed out. "You may not be on the level of Ryu or Ken yet, but you''re more than capable of holding your own. What about that Chinese asshole you beat who tried to downplay your skills? Or that crazy wrestler who went nuts after Zangief tossed him out the ring a few years back?"


    Sean, despite himself, smiled at the memory. Back when he was actively trying to get Ken to train him, the karate master had taken him to a wrestling show in Oakland, where the main event was Zangief going up against Pulk Hogen in a cross-promotional match. That night, Zangief had not only punked out Hogen so bad in the ring, he physically threw him out into the crowd. Hogen got so angry, he started attacking any audience members within his reach. Sean, a few seats away from the carnage, quickly got involved, and KO''d the wrestler with a Tatsumaki before he could do any serious damage.


    "Pulk Hogen was a nut," Sean replied with a laugh, before sighing again. "But what does it matter? Yang''s a master of kung-fu, and has probably continued to perfect his craft, and has a master who''s helped him along the way. Ken only comes around if it means he can pal around with Laura. How am I supposed to improve if nobody will help me advance? And don''t say Ryu, because he''s always on a journey of ''self improvement,'' or so he claims, anyway."


    Enzo held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, you got me there," he admitted. "But let''s drop it for now. You''ll find a way to get over the hump, Ken or no Ken."


    Sean nodded, but still didn''t feel very confident in his cousin''s optimistic view. "What''ve you been up to these days anyway?" Sean asked. "Still trying to be a big time Soundcloud rapper?"


    Enzo laughed, knowing Sean''s remark was in jest. "Laugh all you want, but I''ve been getting crazy buzz off my new sounds on there. Speaking of which, hold on a second." Enzo quickly ducked back behind the counter, and began digging for something, leaving Sean mildly confused. Soon, he came back up with a laptop and a pair of Bluetooth speakers.


    "I got a dope beat I need to show you," he said excitedly. "It''s on that old school jazzy NYC tip I know you you love, cuz. I know you''ll have some bars for this."


    Sean shook his head, and threw his hands up defiantly. "No way! You know I don''t rap like you do, man!"


    "Psssh, quit downing yourself, Sean." Enzo began to play the track. "I know better than anyone that you could kill this beat without trying. Just listen."


    A smooth, yet gritty beat began to flow out of the speakers, and into Sean''s ears. The martial artist quickly found himself involuntarily nodding his head to the rhythm, and began to smile. "Ooooh, this is smooth!" Sean said, moving his shoulders from side to side. Soon, he began to pop lock to Enzo''s beat, gliding across the store floor.


    Enzo watched Sean dance with a shit eating grin as he bobbed along to his own beat. "See, I told you you was gonna dig it! All we need now is the rhymes to go with it!"


    "I told you I can''t rap, man!" Sean insisted, not missing a beat while dancing.


    "Come on, Sean," Enzo walked back over to his cousin. "I know you''ve got rhymes in your notepad you''ve been sitting on, stop trying to hold out on me."


    Sean rolled his eyes in annoyance, but stopped dancing nonetheless. "Alright, but you''re only getting one verse out of me."


    Enzo grinned victoriously. "That''s all I need to hear."


    Sean just rolled his eyes again, and nodded along to Enzo''s beat as it played through the speakers. Soon, the martial artist got into the groove, and began rapping to it:


    "My rhymes be mystical, far from the typical


    So many lyrical miracles, you''d think my shit was biblical


    Flow so divine, sweeter than the Lord''s wine


    Can''t be confined, chalk lines await those who wanna battle


    Wack emcees get butchered like beef cattle


    So don''t approach the king if you''re easily rattled


    Test the rhyme, and I''ll leave your face full of stitches


    Persist, and I''ll knock your hairline back a few inches


    I''m divine shine, fuck what you heard through the grapevine


    I''m the best, pound for pound, rhyme for rhyme


    I ain''t Dan Hibiki, I ain''t no joke


    I''m legit, I leave mics split when they go up in smoke


    No, I ain''t Ken Masters, but I still kick flames


    It''s MC Matsuda, puttin'' wack emcees to shame


    Bringin'' the pain."


    Enzo, who was grooving during Sean''s verse, began jumping up and down as soon as he finished. "Yes, yes!" he shouted. "That''s what the hell I''m talkin'' about! That''s the Sean I know, killing it on the microphone!"


    Sean just laughed. "Don''t get too used to it. I''m a fighter, not a rapper."


    Enzo waved a hand dismissively. "Please, you some of the best bars in Brazil, and I''m not saying that because we''re family," he responded "It''s good you wanna keep up with martial arts, cuz it runs in the family; but you''re really fucking good at rapping too, man. All I''m saying is you should do it as a side hustle. Nothing wrong with having some extra revenue streams in your pocket that aren''t tournaments."


    "Easy for someone with a day job to say," Sean remarked, leaning against a stand of potato chips. "Besides, you know there ain''t nobody trying to hear me, with my reputation."


    "It''s worth a try at least," Enzo said. "Ya never know how it could play out."


    Sean just shrugged. "I''ll think about it. I won''t lie though, I''m feeling a bit better after that."


    Enzo looked hopeful. "Does that mean you''re up to spit another verse?"


    Sean stared blankly for a second, before a knowing smirk formed on his face. "Nah," he replied. "I got something better in mind." He then proceeded to approach Enzo''s laptop. Sean noticed the worried look his cousin was giving him, and added, "Don''t worry, I''m not gonna mess with your socials or music files."


    "Then what''re you doing?" Enzo asked warily, looking over Sean''s shoulder.


    "Getting the party started," Was the shotokan fighter''s reply as he scrolled through Enzo''s music library. As soon as he hit play, "Straight to My Feet" by MC Hammer began to blare out the speakers. Sean began gliding around the floor once again, while Enzo just shook his head.


    "Come on, son," Enzo groaned.


    "Relax, and dance, man!" Sean said. "You''re a capoeira master, the rhythm should come natural to you, anyway!"


    "I ain''t doing that corny ass dance my parents made up," Enzo said, folding his arms defiantly. "That shit died out with Hammer and his big-ass pants."


    Enzo was referring to the "Da Silva Shuffle," a dance routine based off the running man his parents made up in the 90s. It remained popular around S?o Paulo, but he would never openly admit to enjoying it, not even on his deathbed.


    "Come on, it''s a fun dance, cuz," Sean insisted. "Besides, you poked and prodded me to rap; the very least you can do is humour me for four minutes."


    Enzo rolled his eyes, but relented. "Alright, but I''m only dancing to this one song."


    Sean nodded and stepped aside to let Enzo join in. The two quickly got into the rhythm of the beat, and began doing the dance. Sean, for the first time in what was probably ages, felt genuinely happy, instead of having to put up a front. Sean let the rhythm take control, putting his negative thoughts to the side as he grooved around the store.


    "Try and keep up!" Sean playfully taunted Enzo.


    "Only in your dreams can you out-dance me!" was Enzo''s reply.


    The duo continued the routine as the song played, eventually culminating into the "Charleston" part of the dance. Enzo and Sean faced each other as they did the running man, and they kicked up their right legs, tapping each other''s foot in the process. They repeated the sequence with their left foot, before turning around, and repeating it, this time with their backs to each other.


    The cousins were so lost to the rhythm, neither of them heard the bell ringing, signifying someone had walked into the store, nor did they notice the quartet of women watching them, until one of them spoke up.


    "What the heck are you two plebeians doing?"


    Almost instantaneously, the cousins lost their footing, and stumbled, barely avoiding knocking over some of the food stands in the process. Their misfortune elicited a round of loud laughter from the women watching. Sean soon managed to regain his balance, and grumbled curses under his breath as he turned around to glare at the women. His expression instantly changed from anger to surprise when he instantly recognized one of the women in the store.


    "Karin Kanzuki?" Sean said, perplexed. "I didn''t think you were one to go anywhere near commoners, unless it made you look good."


    Karin huffed, and flipped her curly blonde hair arrogantly. While Sean had never met Karin in person, Laura, who briefly worked for her, had described her as "a good person, if she ever chose to let some of their arrogance go." Indeed, Sean could feel the arrogance exuding off her just by looking at her. She and her friends were dressed to the nines, with Karin in particular wearing a red dress that Sean could easily tell was not only custom, but probably cost twenty times more than any good suit he could afford.


    "I and my friends are free to explore S?o Paulo as we please," Karin countered haughtily. "Just as you''re free to keep getting stomped out in the qualifiers of every tournament you enter." She smirked smugly at Sean, who felt his temper flare up at Karin''s comment. Sean opened his mouth to say something, but Enzo quickly got in Karin''s face before he could utter a word.


    "Yo, back off my cousin!" Enzo said to Karin. "He gets enough crap as it is, and I ain''t taking anyone disrespecting my family in our store! So unless you''re planning on buying something, you and little clique can go right back outside."


    "Hey, take a pill, will ya?" One of Karin''s friends spoke up. Sean instantly recognized her as Ibuki, a shinobi he fought in the World Warrior semi-finals. "We just came here to get a quick snack before going to a party, that''s all. You can''t get mad at us for walking in on your little ''dance recital.''" Ibuki''s last remark got another laugh out of Karin. Sean glared at them, but Enzo held him back.


    "Give him a break, guys," another woman with long, brown hair that Sean didn''t quite recognize, spoke up. "Sean gets enough crap as it is from everyone else. Let''s just find what we want, then head to the party."


    Karin rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright, if only because don''t feel like getting this monkey''s blood on my dress."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sean growled, but Enzo started pushing him back towards the counter. "Don''t," Enzo hissed. "I''m just as pissed as you are, but we can''t touch her; she''s too influential. Let''s just stay behind the counter, and play it cool."


    Sean grumbled, but heeded his cousin, and followed him around the counter. One of these days, I''m gonna get mine, and put all these naysayers to shame, Sean thought to himself. The young Shotokan fighter immediately slouched himself over the counter as soon as he was in the back. "Now I''m starting to regret leaving the house..." he muttered.


    Enzo patted Sean''s shoulder reassuringly. "Don''t even trip, they''ll be outta here soon enough," he said. Enzo turned his attention back to the store, jumping slightly when he saw one of Karin''s friends standing in front of the counter.


    "Damn, I didn''t even see you walk up!" Enzo remarked as he caught himself. "How can we help you?"


    "Actually, I wanted to apologize for Karin''s remark," the woman said, looking down sadly. "I''ve known Karin for years, and never heard her say anything racist like that to anyone."


    Enzo and Sean looked at each other in surprise before looking back at the woman. "We appreciate it, but you shouldn''t be the one apologizing to us," Enzo said.


    "Yeah, I didn''t exactly make a good first impression to you four," Sean added. "I shouldn''t have been so rude."


    The woman sighed. "I know, but but even then, that doesn''t give her the right to be racist." She looked back at Karin, who was currently being chewed out by the lone black member of their group. "At least Elena isn''t letting that remark slide."


    Something clicked in Sean''s head, and took a closer look at Elena. "That''s Elena?" he said, recognition blossoming on his face. "I thought she looked familiar. She''s gotten taller from when I last saw her."


    "You know her?" Enzo asked.


    "Yeah, she''s a capoeira fighter from Kenya," Sean replied. "We sparred a few times during the World Warrior tourney a few years ago, but never actually fought. She was a solid six feet flat then, but she''s about 6''4" or 6''5" now."


    "She any good?"


    "I think she could honestly give Uncle Fabio a run for his money."


    "Damn." Enzo looked at Elena with a determined glint in his eyes. "I''d like to see how her capoeira holds up against the family''s."


    The woman looked at Enzo with a confused expression. "I thought the Matsuda family style was Jujitsu?"


    "It is," Sean answered, pushing himself upright. "But the Da Silva side of the family are capoeira masters."


    "Then why do you use Ansatsuken instead of your family''s styles?" asked the woman.


    Sean gave her an odd look. "I fight with Shotokan," he said. "I don''t use assassination arts."


    The woman shook her head. "What you know as ''Shotokan'' is the western term for Ansatsuken," she replied. "But in reality, Shotokan is its own distinct fighting style, and has nothing to with the style we use."


    Sean and Enzo exchanged another look. "''We?''" Sean repeated. "You practice Shot- I mean, Ansatsuken, too? Who taught you?"


    "Myself," the woman stated simply, stretching her arms. "I self taught myself by watching Ryu fight, kinda like how you mimic Ken by studying fights and his online courses."


    Sean backed away from the woman in shock. Only Laura and Ken himself knew he took the online classes. "How the hell did you know that?"


    "Ken told me" the woman said, smiling. "In fact, he''s told me a lot about you, including your fights with Ryu."


    The two cousins just stare at her bug-eyed, wondering who this woman was. The woman just giggled at their expressions.


    "Of course, where''s my manners? I should''ve introduced myself," The woman extended out a hand to the cousins. "I''m Sakura Kasugano. Pleased to officially meet you, Sean."


    "What?!" Enzo exclaimed. "You''re Sakura Kasugano? No way, you look way different from what I''ve seen!"


    Sean looked Sakura up and down, and silently conceded that Enzo had a point. Once a somewhat skinny fighter, Sakura had become noticeably muscular and curvier, and had at least a good inch on Sean, though he chalked that up to the heels she was probably wearing. On top of that, her chestnut hair had considerably grown out from it''s tomboyish short length to past her shoulders, and she wore a sparkly navy blue dress that was a far cry from her typically tomboyish look.


    Sakura just shrugged nonchalantly. "It''s been about a year or so since I''ve actively fought in tournaments, so I understand why most people get surprised when they see me," she replied.


    Sean raised an eyebrow. "You''re retired?"


    "Not in the least," Sakura said, shaking her head. "I''ve just been too busy. Between college, and work, I''ve just had no time at all to do anything but train." Sakura sighed. "I''m starting to worry that I''m getting rusty."


    Suddenly, Ibuki popped up seemingly out of nowhere right next to Sakura with an armful of snacks, startling everyone at the counter. "I wouldn''t even sweat it, Sakura," the ninja said confidently. "Even on your worst day, you could still run circles around Dan Hibiki Jr."


    Ibuki chortled at her wisecrack, ignoring the ice-cold glare Sean was giving her. Despite his growing desire to slug her in the jaw, he kept his composure, and folded his arms instead. "That''s funny," he responded. "Because Dan Hibiki Jr. left you in a crumpled heap in the World Warrior semifinals."


    Ibuki''s laughter continued. "Please, you got lucky in that match," she countered. "A fluke victory doesn''t give you much to gloat about."


    Sean snorted at the ninja''s bold-faced lie. "A fluke? That''s funny, because I remember that I not only scored not one, but two perfect rounds off you, and I have it on good authority that you spent the rest of the tournament crying that you couldn''t flirt with the men because I broke your nose, and left you a bloody mess."


    Ibuki''s face immediately switched from haughtiness to embarrassment in a split second from Sean''s statement, her face turning tomato red in the process. Enzo and Sakura just laughed at her.


    "Y''know, I''m not surprised at that reaction," Sakura said, giggling. "She had a rep for trying to cozy up to any cute guy she saw during the S.I.N. tournament."


    "Sakura!" Ibuki shouted indignantly.


    "Can''t say I''m surprised," Sean laughed. "I saw her trying to flirt with just about every guy that wasn''t twice her age."


    Ibuki growled at Sean, getting mad. "You have some nerve talking shit, when your sister Laura is known as the tournament bicycle!"


    At that crude remark, both Sean and Enzo leaned over the counter, and got in Ibuki''s face.


    "Say that again, I dare you!" Enzo yelled.


    "Keep my sister''s name out your mouth, you dusty bitch!" Sean hissed.


    "Guys, please-" Sakura tried to pull Ibuki away, but the ninja shoved her off. By now, Elena and Karin had came over to see what the commotion was about.


    "Don''t get mad at me; it''s not exactly a secret in the fighter circuit," Ibuki said. "Everyone''s had a piece of her between fights. Hell, I even heard Dan of all people got a chance to-"


    Ibuki never got to finish her sentence, because she suddenly felt a sharp stinging sensation in her skull, all of her snacks flew out of her arms, and she felt herself falling back, only to be caught by someone. When she regained her bearings, she could feel her ears ringing.


    "Ibuki, are you okay?!" Elena asked worriedly. To Ibuki, she sounded like she was shouting from the other end of a long tunnel.


    "Ngh," Ibuki grunted, and forced herself upright. "That bastard sucker punched me right in the face." She patted her nose lightly, and silently thanked the heavens that it wasn''t broken. Karin, furious, stomped towards the counter, and grabbed Sean by his hoodie.


    "How dare you hit one of my friends!" Karin screamed in Sean''s face. "And a woman at that! And you want to be respected as a fighter, as absolutely disrespectful as you are, you goddamn monkey?!"


    Sean shoved Karin off him. "Screw you, Kanzuki! I didn''t come in here casually throwing racist slurs at you, or repeatedly insulting you and your family, so save me the holier-than-thou bullshit!"


    "You insulted me first!" Karin countered.


    "Let''s just go, Karin," Sakura insisted, trying to keep what little peace was left. "It''s not worth it."


    "No!" Karin declared angrily. "I''m not going anywhere until these stupid monkeys give all of us an apology!"


    "Get real, Freiza!" Enzo said. "The only thing you''re gonna get from us is this!" He promptly flipped Karin off with both fingers. Karin grew angrier, and attempted to hit Enzo, but the capoeira fighter dodged it, and threw a quick punch of his own that caused Karin to stumble back. The cousins promptly leapt over the counter, but before they could fight, smoke suddenly filled the store, blinding everyone.


    "What in hell?!" Enzo exclaimed. "A smoke bomb?"


    "It''s Ibuki!" Sean warned. "Watch your back!"


    No sooner than the words had left his lips, Sean felt something sharp stab him in the side. Before he could react, a foot hit him in the jaw, knocking him down. Thinking fast, he used the momentum of his fall to roll himself back on his feet. The smoke began to dissipate, revealing Ibuki in her standard ninja gear, ready to fight.


    How does she do that so fast? Sean wondered to himself. He tried to make a move, but he nearly doubled over, feeling sharp pain in his right abdomen. Looking at his side, he saw a kunai embedded about a inch into his ribs. Bracing himself, Sean grabbed hold of it, and pulled it out, causing more pain than it did before.


    "Ugh, damn it!" he groaned.


    "Stings, doesn''t it?" Ibuki taunted.


    "A bit," Sean admitted, holding his now-bleeding side. "But that''s the only hit you''re gonna get on me, tonight!"


    "We''ll see about that!"


    Immediately, the store descended into chaos. Sean and Enzo took on Ibuki and Karin, while Elena and Sakura futilely tried to be the peacemakers. Enzo managed to hold his own against Karin''s Kanzuki Style, forcing her to fight to a rhythm she wasn''t used to. Karin managed to keep up by countering some of his attacks, but often found herself outpaced by the younger Da Silva.


    Meanwhile, Sean dominated Ibuki, having memorized all of her old tricks from before. He took care to dodge all of the kunai''s thrown his way, and focused on counter attacks, stopping her from using her smoke bombs and other items that would give her and edge. A mistimed kunai toss allowed Sean to slide in, and hit her with his signature two handed shoryuken, sending her into the air, and ricocheting off the ceiling, and back onto the floor. Throughout the fight, Sean felt something he couldn''t describe inside of him fueling his rage. He wasn''t quite sure what it was, but if it meant beating two of his naysayers tonight, he''d take advantage of it.


    Sean then walked over to the dizzy Ibuki, and grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her back to her feet. Just as he reared back his hand to punch her, Ibuki, out of instinct, quickly placed a hand on Sean''s chest. Immediately, her hand began to glow blue. Before Sean could register what was happening, he was sent flying into the produce stand with a ninjitsu blast.


    "Sean, no!" Sakura screamed.


    Lines of smoke could be seen coming off Sean''s now exposed chest, his hoodie having been destroyed by Ibuki''s attack. Groaning, Sean slowly started pulling himself up from the stand, but soon got stabbed by more kunai thrown into his arms and chest, causing him to fall to the floor in pain. Ibuki staggered over to him, carrying one of her kunai.


    "Hah..." Ibuki panted. "So much for only getting one hit in, eh, Dan?" She looked down and smiled cockily at the novice fighter, who glared back.


    "Don''t call me Dan," Sean growled.


    "Or what, Dan?" Ibuki questioned mockingly.


    "Knock it off," Sean warned. The odd feeling inside of him was growing by the second the more Ibuki made him angry.


    "You''re not in a position to be making demands, Dan," Ibuki continued. "Face it, you''re never going to be good enough to be a local level fighter, let alone World Warrior calibre. Even your own sister mocks your skills behind your back!"


    Sean glared at Ibuki, his temper now white-hot. In that moment, the strange feeling that had been gnawing at him took over completely. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he quickly leg-swept Ibuki to the floor, and rolled back onto his feet. He began pulling the kunais out of his arms and chest, but this time he felt no pain. In fact, unbeknownst to him, his injuries were beginning to heal, his eyes turned red, and his hands were glowing with a purple aura. Glancing up, he saw Ibuki coming at him, and side-stepped out of the way just in time to avoid another ninjitsu attack.


    Ibuki continued to swing at him, but Sean managed to parry or dodge every attack effortlessly, as if it was by instinct. Growing desperate, she started swinging wildly at Sean, but ended up leaving herself open, allowing Sean to dodge her attacks, and hit her with a quick elbow to her stomach.


    "Shoryu..."


    Quickly, Sean followed up with a powerful shoryuken to Ibuki''s jaw, sending them both into the air.


    "CANNON!"


    The power of the shoryuken sent Ibuki flying through the wall of the store, and to the outside, startling several passerby and people who had stopped to watch the chaos through the glass doors. The loudness of it was enough to get Karin and Enzo to stop fighting and look over at Sean, who returned to normal as soon as he landed back on the floor. Sakura and Elena immediately ran outside to check on their fallen friend, while Enzo abandoned his fight, and ran over to his cousin.


    "What the hell happened, Sean?!" Enzo exclaimed, looking at the Ibuki-sized hole in the store''s wall.


    Sean, breathing heavily, looked at the hole in the wall, his senses slowly coming back to him. Slowly, he surveyed the damage done to the store from their brawl, before looking at his cousin.


    "I don''t know, but my mom and your parents are going to kill us for all this mess."


    No sooner than those words left his lips, the telltale sound of police sirens blared in the distance.


    "...If the cops don''t kill us, first."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Sean sighed as he leaned his head despondently against the bars of the cell that held him and his cousin. It had been just shy of an hour since the S?o Paulo police came to investigate the brawl at the store. Karin, being the wealthy owner of the Kanzuki Zaibatsu, was able to keep her and her friends from being arrested, leaving the cousins to take the fall for all the damage, plus potential assault charges. Both cousins were reluctant to contact their family, but Sean relented and did so, not wanting to spend the night in jail. Laura answered, and said she''d be right over, but Sean knew she was probably taking her time blabbering to the entire family.


    Enzo fared little better, lying down on the cell bench. He was full of bruises from the fight against Karin, and was dreading the inevitable punishment his parents were going to give both of them. While he didn''t regret the fight, he regretted not taking it outside, at least.


    "I''m never gonna earn another cent working at the shop for the rest of my life," Enzo groaned.


    "And I''m probably gonna end up joining you to pay off those damages," Sean said. "I''m sorry, man. I should''ve taken it outside instead of busting up the store,"


    Enzo waved a hand lazily. "Don''t sweat it," he said. "I''m just as guilty, plus they had it coming. You know I don''t stand for any bullshit when it comes to the family, especially you. You get it bad enough."


    "Yeah, but it doesn''t justify us wrecking the store," Sean sighed. "Keeping it real, I''m more worried about the ass-whupping that awaits us when everyone bails us out, than whatever charges get laid on us."


    "You ain''t lying."


    Several more minutes of silence passed between them, when they heard the telltale sound of shoes and heels clacking on the concrete floor down the hall.


    "Here they come," Sean sighed, straightening himself up, waiting for the inevitable chewing out from his parents. But to his absolute shock, when his parents came into view, not only were there cops with them, but Karin as well.


    "What the hell...?" Sean was perplexed. "What''s Kanzuki doing here with our family?"


    "Huh?" Enzo got up from the bench. "What''re you talkin'' about?"


    "Karin Kanzuki is with our family!" Sean repeated, pointing to the blonde heiress walking next to Laura.


    "You''re kidding me..." Enzo muttered. "She must want something."


    The cops opened up the cell, and both the Matsudas and Da Silvas rushed in, surrounding the two fighters, bombarding them with questions.


    "What the hell happened?!"


    "What were you two thinking?!"


    "Do you know how much it''s going to cost to repair that hole?!"


    "Did you use Matsuda Jujitsu to beat her?"


    "Everyone, please!" Enzo waved his arms. "Chill for a second, chill! We know you''re far from happy with us about the fight, but we can''t answer any questions until you calm down!"


    "Calm down!? You two caused a fight in the store, put a giant hole in my store wall, and wrecked all of my fruit!" Pedro, Enzo''s father exclaimed. "And you want me to calm down?!"


    "''Caused''?" Sean responded, pointing at Karin. "We didn''t cause anything! Kanzuki and her friends were the one who provoked us with racial slurs and other insults! And that''s not even mentioning the fact that one of them calling Laura a whore!"


    "Oh?" A visibly ticked Laura looked down at the shorter girl next to her, though her voice remained eerily calm. "Racism and calling me a whore, huh? I don''t recall you or Ibuki mentioning that little detail earlier."


    "He''s exaggerating," Karin said smoothly, her haughty confidence unwavering. "We did insult him, but we didn''t say anything that crude, I assure you."


    "That''s funny, because I distinctly remember that Ibuki girl calling Laura, and I quote, ''the tournament bicycle,'' and even said everyone on the World Warrior circuit had a piece of her." Enzo folded his arms and looked at Sean. "Am I lying, bro?"


    "Nah, that''s exactly what she said," Sean confirmed. "In fact, that''s what caused me to crack her in the first place."


    Both families gave Karin such a cold glare, that the heiress was forced to back away in shame and mild fear.


    "What''s Kanzuki even doing here, anyway?" Enzo asked. "She walked off scott-free when we got arrested!"


    "She paid your bail for us," Brenda, Sean''s mother spoke. "She called Laura not long after Sean did, and told us her side of things, and offered to pay your bail as a olive branch. Of course, that was before we knew about the racism..."


    "And I''m guessing there were strings attached to this sudden gesture of kindness?" Sean said half-sarcastically.


    Brenda sighed tiredly. "Sean, please. It''s been a long night-"


    "No, I''m with Sean on this," Enzo said. "After tonight, there''s no way she''s paying our bail out of charity. We want to know what the catch is."


    "Boys-" Brenda started, but Karin interrupted her.


    "It''s quite alright, Mrs. Matsuda," she said, walking towards the boys. "It''s true, I do want something in return, but it''s nothing severe, I assure you."


    "Yeah, right," Enzo said. "You might have Laura on your payroll, but we''re not gonna be your underpaid slaves just so you can get payback."


    "Not in the least," Karin said. "I pay her and everyone else under my employ generously. Very generously, in fact. Not to mention that I would never make anyone under the Kanzuki Zaibatsu payroll do anything demeaning."


    "Cut the crap, Kanzuki," Sean said. "We shouldn''t even be entertaining you at this point. Speak your speech, or get out our faces."


    A look of irritation flashed across Karin''s face, but she quickly composed herself, and said, "In exchange for the Kanzuki Zaibatsu paying for your bail and damages, as well as myself and Ibuki personally dropping the assault charges, I personally extend the offer of being my personal assistants for the next few months to pay back the debts you both incurred."


    The cousins stared at Karin like she was crazy. "You really think we''re going to be your ass-kissers for the summer!?" Enzo exclaimed indignantly. "Especially after what you said to us?! Hell no! I''d rather serve time!"


    "Okay, let''s not talk crazy, bruh," Sean said to Enzo. Looking back at Karin, he continued, "While I don''t fully agree with Enzo''s sentiment, he''s right. We''re not going to be on your payroll just so you can get revenge on us. Besides, we got training to do for upcoming tournaments, and we''re not gonna waste that time picking up after you."


    Karin smirked. "Is that a fact? Then what if I offered to bring in Ken Masters to train you during your off time?"


    "That won''t be necessary," Laura spoke. "I was talking to Ken right before everything went down, and he already agreed to train Sean for the summer."


    Karin gawked at Laura momentarily, before turning back to the Matsuda cousins, who had smug grins on their faces. Karin cursed herself for forgetting she was the reason Laura even had that connection with Ken Masters. Collecting herself, she decided to move on to her ''Plan B''.


    "Alright, suit yourselves," Karin said, holding her arms behind her. "I won''t force you to work, nor will I rescind my promise to pay for your store''s repairs or drop the charges. However, you will come to regret taking the offer sooner than later."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Pedro asked warily.


    "Nothing that concerns your dojos or businesses," Karin replied, making her way out of the jail. "Or your health, for that matter. Though, if I was Sean, I''d stay off the internet for about a month." And with that, she continued walk out of the jail. Sean glowered at her retreating form, but decided to let it go. Whatever she had planned, he figured couldn''t be as bad as everything else he''s gone through.


    "Well, I guess we can finally call it a night," Enzo said, stretching his arms. "I can''t wait to go home and-"


    "Not so fast, Enzo," his mother, Luzia, interrupted. "The two of you are still on the hook for those damages you caused."


    "What!" Enzo exclaimed. "But we didn''t instigate the fight!"


    "Doesn''t matter," Pedro said. "While your anger was righteous, you still could''ve easily settled it outside, rather than tearing the store up the way you two did. So not only are you grounded for three months, I''m docking your pay at the store for the next month."


    "But-!"


    "But nothing!" Luzia interjected. "Consider yourself lucky that Kanzuki decided to uphold her promise, or every single one of your checks would''ve gone to repairs!"


    Enzo sighed in defeat, and began rubbing his temples with his palms.


    "As for you, Sean," Brenda said. "We''re extremely disappointed in you. I understand you''ve had it hard in the fighting community the last couple years, but you didn''t need to lash out like that!"


    "What do you want me to do, sit there and be called a monkey, and let them insult my sister?" Sean retorted. "All I''ve been doing is being the bigger man, and I''m getting sick of it!"


    "We understand, bro," spoke his older brother Fabio. "But this was a battle that didn''t need violence. Karin''s extremely influential, and she could completely ruin your fighting career over this."


    "What''s there to ruin?!" Sean snapped. "I get no respect from anyone aside from you guys, and even then, you always give me shit for being so bad! What the hell can she do?"


    "Blacklist you from tournaments entirely, for starters," Laura said.


    "So what? I''m already unofficially whiteballed from the big ones, anyway," Sean pointed out. "I don''t give a damn what she tries to do at this point."


    "I would, if I was you," Brenda said. "Regardless of whatever she does, you''re grounded as well. And while you''ll be permitted to train with Mr. Masters, you can''t leave S?o Paulo, and you''ll also have to do extra jujitsu training with your siblings and grandfather."


    "What?! But that''s not fair" Sean exclaimed. "I''ll be too exhausted from training back to back like that!"


    "I have to side with him there, Ma," Laura said. "Overworking him like that isn''t a fair or just punishment."


    Brenda sighed again. "Fine," she relented. "Maybe not that, but we''ll talk about your punishment in the morning. Right now, it''s too late, and I''ve spent more time in here than I''ve needed to."


    "Agreed," Pedro said. "Let''s go home."


    The Matsuda and Da Silva families all exited the cell, and began making their way out of the jail. Sean silently regretted letting his frustrations get the best of him, and getting himself and Enzo arrested; though he had some small consolation in that his grandfather would likely be proud of him for standing up for the family name, and winning the fight.


    If only he could remember what happened during the last half of it...

 Shadow Boxin

    "Get ready to feel the bruise if you see a battle rockin''


    Guaranteed to lose, if you''re caught up shadowboxin''"


    - Twista, "Shadow Boxin''"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "GAAAAAHHHH! That stings!"


    Sakura rolled her eyes in exasperation as Ibuki recoiled over-dramatically from the healing ointment making contact with the fresh scar on her chest. Over an hour had passed since the fight at the convenience store, and the subsequent arrests of Sean and Enzo. During said fight, Sean''s shoryuken had managed to leave a massive scar across Ibuki''s entire torso; tearing through her clothes, in the process. Despite everyone''s protests, Ibuki refused to go to the hospital, and the girls had to settle for buying ointment at a store to soothe her pain at their hotel penthouse.


    Or so they thought it would. Between the ride back, arriving back at the penthouse, and getting into more casual wear, Ibuki screamed every time the ointment made contact with her scar, though Sakura and Elena thought she was overdoing it.


    "Yes, I know, but it''s either deal with temporary pain, and heal your scar, or let it get infected with something, and die," Sakura replied a bit sardonically as she gently rubbed the ointment on the kunochi''s scar.


    "I still - AAAHHH! - can''t believe that son of a bitch had the nerve to hit me like that," Ibuki seethed as she squirmed in the recliner she was laying back on.


    "And exactly who is to blame for that?" Elena asked rhetorically. The Kenyan princess was curled up on the couch, not taking her eyes off the novel she was reading. "I personally think everything could have been defused non-violently, but when you call someone''s sister a whore, restraint and respect goes out the window."


    "Hey, I wasn''t lying!" Ibuki replied defensively. "Laura gets around like she''s at a buffet! One time, she even- AAAAUUUGHHH!" Ibuki screamed in pain as Sakura deliberately slapped ointment on her tender scar harder than normal.


    "It''s still disrespectful to say to her family," Sakura said firmly. "Even if there is truth to it. Besides, you should be the last person talking about getting around."


    "I''ve never slept with anyone," Ibuki retorted weakly.


    "Not for a lack of trying," Sakura chuckled, causing Ibuki to snarl under her breath.


    "Also, there was no point in adding fuel to the fire," Elena added, still not taking her eyes off her book. "It was bad enough Karin started hurling epithets at them, which I can''t understand why she even did that."


    "Me either," Sakura replied, frowning. "She''s arrogant, but I''ve never seen her act racist like that."


    "You two are really surprised a silver spoon-fed heiress who- UGH! - thinks the world revolves around her has ignorant views?" Ibuki commented.


    "For as long as we''ve known her, I can''t say I''ve ever heard her say anything like that to anyone," Elena said. "Honestly, she''s lucky I have more restraint, or I''d have beat her up myself."


    "You chewed her out pretty bad in the store and on the way back, though," Sakrua said.


    "Because she deserved it," Elena finally put her book down, got up from the sofa, and began to stretch her legs. "I may have been collateral damage, but you still don''t call anyone any type of slur. She should be happy she only walked away with a few bruises."


    "At least they''ll heal. Now I have to spend the rest of my life looking like Sagat!" Ibuki complained.


    "Once again, who is to blame for that?" Elena replied, causing Ibuki to snarl in annoyance again.


    Sakura giggled at the exchange, but as she examined Ibuki''s scar, she couldn''t help but think about how apt the Sagat comparison was. Her mind drifted back to years ago, when she first witnessed Ryu in action in the first World Warrior tournament, where he had scarred Sagat''s torso with a shoryuken in a successful, but desperate attempt to win the match.


    It wasn''t until much later that she found out that Ryu had been temporarily possessed by a dark force near the end of the fight, and the particular shoryuken Ryu performed was actually a deadly variant fuelled by it. Since then, Ryu had been constantly plagued by that dark force, and continuously fought against it. So when Sakura saw Sean do that exact same shoryuken to Ibuki earlier, she immediately became worried that Sean was starting to succumb to the same force, but didn''t voice her concern, since she was one of the few who knew about it.


    Sakura was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the door to the penthouse open up, revealing an annoyed Karin walking arrogantly into the suite.


    "Welcome back, Lord Freiza," Elena greeted in a mock haughty accent. "How did ''negotiations'' go?"


    Karin glared at Elena, but decided to choose her words carefully this time. "Those morons rejected my offer," she responded. "But it''s fine. They''ll regret it by the morning."


    "What did you do?" Sakura asked warily.


    "Nothing illegal," Karin said casually.


    "Seriously, what did you do?"


    "Relax, I didn''t send assassins to his house or anything like that," Karin said.


    "Not a bad idea though," Ibuki chortled darkly, prompting Sakura to slap her scar again. "OOOOOOOWWWWWW!"


    "Seriously, Karin, why add fuel to the fire?" Elena said. "You pissed them off, you fought, but managed to get off the hook while they got punished. Is that not a victory to you?"


    "A pyrrhic victory," Karin corrected. "The fact that I couldn''t knock out that m... oron easily is a disgrace to the Kanzuki name, and I must rectify that at once!"


    "If fighting to a standstill is disgraceful, then I hate to think how all the times I beat you to a pulp must make you feel," Sakura replied, earning a laugh from Elena, and even Ibuki. Karin, irritated, simply huffed, and immaturely stomped to her room.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "You mean to tell tell me you put a hole through the store wall, and you don''t remember how?!"


    Sean groaned inwardly, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. When he and his family arrived home from the police precinct, he just wanted to go to sleep and forget the night even happened. But Kinjiro, his grandfather, and creator of he family''s jujitsu style, who elected to stay behind when the rest of the family went to the precinct, insisted on grilling him about the fight. Sean, knowing "no" wasn''t going to be an answer, sat down in the lounge with the rest of the family, and told him about the fight. It was only when Sean admitted he couldn''t remember how the fight ended that Kinjiro got skeptical about Sean''s tale.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I''m telling you, Papa, I honestly don''t," Sean said to his grandfather. "I remember getting up from Ibuki''s attack, but everything else after is hazy. I wish I did, though. Enzo said I pulled off a wicked shoryuken when I knocked her through the wall." Sean paused for a moment, before adding, "And before you ask, no, I didn''t use Matsuda Jujitsu in the fight."


    Kinjiro, though a bit disappointed at Sean''s last statement, nodded understandingly, and smiled proudly at his grandson. "Regardless, I''m proud of you and Enzo for putting that Kanzuki brat and her friend in their place," he said. "I''ve fought her father many times, and she''s cut from the exact same cloth."


    Hearing this, Sean perked up. "You fought her father?"


    "Indeed," Kinjiro said, a smug smile forming across his lips. "While ''punk'' wouldn''t be fair to describe him, he was definitely more bark than bite, even when he had the advantage of being younger and stronger. I bet he wishes he trained harder these days."


    "Why''s that?" Fabio asked curiously.


    "Because a few years ago, his own daughter ousted him out of his own Zaibatsu by buying out nearly all the shares," Kinjiro explained. "Since then, he keeps chasing her around the world, trying to get his position back by fighting her, but no matter what he does, he always keeps losing to her." he chuckled a bit before turning serious again. "Honestly, I don''t think Sean or Enzo should be punished for the fight itself. While I don''t normally condone fighting women, what they did and said was dishonorable to Sean, and by extension, our family."


    "Then what about the property damage caused?" Brenda interjected, audibly exhausted. "The Kanzuki''s might be covering it, but that''s still unacceptable!"


    "I was getting to that," Kinjiro said calmly. "He shouldn''t be punished for the fight, but he should put in some hours at the store as penance for the damages. I assume Pedro and Luzia are doing the same with Enzo, correct?"


    "They are," Laura said. "They''ve docked his pay for a month, too."


    Kinjiro nodded. "A tad harsh, but understandable." He got up off the sofa, and smoothed out his pyjamas. "In any case, it''s been a long night for all of us, Sean especially. Let''s get some rest, and we can talk to Pedro about it tomorrow."


    Sean nodded in agreement as he got up from his chair. "I need a good night''s rest after that mess. I''ll see you all in the morning."


    "Rest easy, Sean," Kinjiro said. "You''ve more than earned it."


    Sean nodded, and made his way towards the staircase to his room. He had gotten halfway up, when he felt something tugging on his shirt. Sean turned around to see Laura giving him a concerned look. Sean sighed, more out of exhaustion than the usual annoyance that comes with dealing with his sister.


    "Can it wait ''til morning, Laura?" Sean asked. "My bed is calling me."


    "I understand, but I just want to make sure you''re really okay," Laura responded seriously. Genuine concern had replaced her usual bohemian cheeriness. "I''m not surprised about the fight, but putting someone through a wall? That''s really out of character for you, Sean, justified or not."


    Sean snorted. "Afraid I''ll finally be able to beat you in a straight fight?" he asked half-humorously.


    "I''m serious, Sean!" Laura said. "I''m not trying to downplay your skills, but the only mortal man I personally know that has raw power like that is Ryu, and even then, he shows restraint. What really happened back there?"


    Sean groaned and rolled his tired eyes. "I already told you I don''t remember. If I did, I wouldn''t stop talking about it. Now, can I please get some sleep?"


    Laura wasn''t entirely convinced, but relented, and let go of her brother. "Alright, just don''t be afraid to talk to me or Fabio if you need to, okay?"


    Sean nodded wordlessly, and retreated upstairs to his room. Laura watched Sean as he retreated upstairs, wondering what was going on with him.


    Meanwhile, Sean simply walked into his room, threw himself onto his bed, flicked on the fan sitting on his nightstand, and shut his eyes; not bothering to even change into more comfortable sleepwear. As he drifted off to sleep, he tried to wrack his brain for memories of the fight with Ibuki, but everything remained fuzzy.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    When Sean finally opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a row of bright stage lights. Confused, he pulled himself up into a sitting position to look around. To his surprise, he was inside Madison Square Garden; the same arena that hosted the U.S. martial arts tournament he lost at.


    "What am I doing back here?" Sean wondered aloud. "Better question, how did I get here?"


    Sean got to his feet, and surveyed his surroundings more. It looked exactly the same as it did during the tournament, except it was completely deserted. Not a soul outside of himself was present, and outside of the hum of the lights, it was deadly silent. Sean was perplexed; normally these dreams usually had him fighting the guy who beat him in front of a crowd, and losing in some embarrassing fashion. Now, the arena was eerily devoid of life.


    Suddenly, Sean felt a cold chill go up and down his spine, and the hairs on his neck stood up. Before he could fully register what was happening, a red blur flew past him, knocking him over. He quickly rolled back onto his feet, and turned around to face his opponent, but immediately went slack-jawed at what he saw. Standing in front of him was a dark-skinned man who was even more muscular than he was, wearing a tattered black karate gi, with a yellow belt wrapped around him. Glowing red eyes that matched the crimson dreadlocks flowing around him seemed to stare right into his soul.


    In short, this opponent was a completely twisted version of himself.


    "What in hell!?" Sean exclaimed, not believing what he saw. "The hell is going on here?! Who are you?"


    Sean''s apparent doppelganger didn''t say anything. Instead, it rushed at him at seemingly lighting fast speed - so fast, that Sean barely managed to roll out of the way. Sean quickly got back up into his fighting stance, but his doppelganger was faster, hitting him with quick, but powerful punches that made short work of Sean''s defense. Sean attempted to retreat and create space, but his doppelganger was relentless, battering him with combinations he thought not even Ken could pull off.


    Sean, panicking, barely managed to duck under the boom of another punch, and attempted to grab his opponent''s legs to take him down, but was met with a knee to his face. Sean immediately recoiled and covered his face, leaving him open to a multi-hit shoryuken that sent him clean off his feet, and out of the ring, landing onto an announcer''s table, crushing it from the impact. Sean, now bloodied, struggled to get back up on his feet. Meanwhile, his double leaped over the ropes, and landed on the surrounding mats in front of Sean, causing the arena floor to shake.


    Sean huffed and puffed as he pulled himself off the remains of the announce table. His body ached, his ears were ringing, and blood was gushing out of his nose, but he somehow managed to stay conscious, and get back on his feet. He shifted back into his fighting stance, and faced his doppelganger with brave face, despite his knees threatening to buckle from the pain.


    "That all you got, son?" Sean taunted, though his bravado was diminished by his obvious exhaustion.


    The doppelganger didn''t respond. Instead, he got into a stance, and proceeded to glide at a breakneck speed towards Sean. Before the young fighter could do anything, his double had already grabbed him by his gi. Sean, now face to face with him, could only stare in horror at the murderous glare the double gave him with their crimson eyes.


    "MESSATSU!"


    Sean''s vision immediately turned white just as he was about to get hit.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Yo, Sean! Wake up, man! Wake up!"


    Sean began to stir in his bead, feeling somebody shaking him furiously. Slowly, he rolled over onto his back, and opened his eyes, and was greeted by the sight of Enzo looking down at him in visible concern.


    "Man, what the fuck...?" Sean grumbled irritably as he fumbled for his cellphone on his dresser. Managing to get a grip on it, he turned on the screen, and the clock showed 11:05 AM. Not unreasonably early, but he was still tired from last night. "What''re you doing here, man?" Sean asked, stifling a yawn. "I figured you''d be forcefully chained to the store counter for the next month, anyway."


    "Thankfully, my days off aren''t affected by my punishment," Enzo chuckled lightly, before quickly turning serious again. "But even then, I''d have skipped my shift to come here anyway, considering the circumstances."


    Sean looked at his cousin confusedly. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Enzo sighed, and pulled out his phone as he sat down next to his brother. "Well, to be blunt, that Kanzuki bitch got us good." He handed Sean his phone, who looked at it curiously. On the screen, there was a YouTube thumbnail of a teary-eyed Karin, superimposed between screenshots of CCTV footage of the last night''s brawl, complete with the clickbait-y title, "BRUTALITY IN SAO PAULO!" Sean groaned, and facepalmed in frustration, already picturing the inevitable fallout.


    "Lord Jesus, have mercy on my soul..."

 Wanna Be Startin Somethin

    "Billie Jean is always talkin'', when nobody else is talkin''


    Tellin'' lies and rubbin'' shoulders,


    So they called her mouth a motor!"


    - Michael Jackson, "Wanna Be Startin'' Somethin''"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Not long afterwards, the rest of Sean''s extended family showed up at his house, also having been informed about the video by Enzo. Sean, after freshening himself up and getting dressed, had gone downstairs to the family computer in the living room to see the video with the rest of them. To Sean''s surprise and chagrin, the video had already racked up nearly 2 million views online, and had spread to every major fighting and non-fighting news site, including The MMA Digest, Shoryuken, and even GracieMag, which usually only covered Brazilian Jujitsu exclusively.


    Throughout the video, Karin had put on a convincing act, portraying herself and her friends as victims, while manipulating the CCTV footage of the fight to make the Matsuda cousins look bad, muting the audio, and only showing where Sean and Enzo had attacked Ibuki and Karin, making them look like the aggressors. Sean watched the video silently, but he could feel his temper steadily rising with each word that came out of Karin''s mouth, and clenched his fists tightly.


    "...Before we knew it, a melee had broken out, and those thugs beat the hell out of us!" Karin sobbed in the video, as she wiped off the mascara running down her face caused by her fake tears. "Me and my friends fought back as hard as we could, but they were much stronger, and absolutely relentless."


    "Yeah we did, if you leave out that badalhocoa cona stabbing Sean at least five times during that fight!" Enzo remarked angrily at the video. Luiza promptly slapped him in the back of the head for his rude comment. "OW! What was that for, Ma?" He whined, clutching his head.


    "You know better than to call any woman that, regardless of how you feel about them!" His mother hissed at him.


    "So I''m supposed to compliment these two women who disrespected our family, literally stabbed my brother at least five times, and tried to blackmail us into being their slaves?" Enzo retorted. "Even if if it was a bunch of guys jumping us, I''d still call them the same!"


    "I have to side with Enzo for once," Manuela spoke. "Those girls went out of their way to disrespect him and Sean, and insulted Laura with sexual comments; why should we be respectful to them?"


    "Shh!" Kinjiro hushed his arguing relatives. "It''s showing the rest of the fight with Sean and Ibuki!"


    At that, the entire family drew closer to the screen to get a good look. Sean quickly realized he was seeing the part where he had blacked out, since didn''t remember a thing shown in the video. He had just pulled out the kunai that Ibuki stabbed him with, and began avoiding all of her attacks, before following up with the Shoryuken Enzo had described to him. It looked nothing like his typical Shoryu-Cannon, or either of his Dragon Smashes, but it was clearly far more powerful than any of them if it could send someone through a wall.


    Well, I''ll be damned, Sean thought, slightly proud of himself. I guess I got the skills, after all. Now, if only I could shove this in Yang''s face, somehow... a smug smile spread across his face, but it quickly went away when Karin reappeared on the screen.


    "...Soon after one of those brutish punks scarred one of my friends, the police came and arrested them for attacking us and destroying the store," Karin continued her exaggerated sobbing.  "Being the forgiving person that I am, I willingly bailed them out and offered to drop the charges in exchange for an apology, but they literally spat in my face when I made the offer-"


    "V¨¢-se foder, Karin!" Sean growled angrily as he paused the video. "I can''t believe all these publications are taking this trash at face value."


    "She''s popular, rich, and influential; What do you expect?" Fabio said. "I wouldn''t be surprised if she paid GracieMag to run that story."


    "She definitely paid off GracieMag," Laura said, hands on her hips. She was visibly fuming from the video, and was thinking of what kind of painful spinal lock to put Karin in. "What''re we supposed to do? Sean and Enzo are clearly going to get the brunt of the blowback, but this kind of slander could hurt the reputations of both of our dojos, too."


    "The dojos are gonna be fine," Sean said, shaking his head. "But this is just gonna be another black eye for my reputation, and now Enzo is gonna be collateral damage, too. I mean, we could make a rebuttal video, but who''s going to believe me? It''s our word against hers, and I''m already losing the battle as it is!"


    "But you two need to respond," Pedro answered. "If you don''t, she could use this to get both of you blacklisted from the fighting community for who knows how long!"


    "A little too late for that," Sean muttered.


    "I''m not having this, Sean," Manuela said. "Our family didn''t raise any punks, and we''re definitely not letting Miss Kanzuki get away with disrespecting the two of you; we''re making a response video."


    "With what footage?" Sean asked. "Karin took it!"


    "No, she just copied it, and didn''t bother deleting the original," Pedro answered. "I have it with me on USB, so we still have the CCTV footage, and the audio to go with it for a response video."


    Sean leaned back into his chair with a conflicted expression. He was sick and tired of being walked over, but also felt like it''d be pointless trying to fight someone who was virtually untouchable, on top of making things worse for him. Before he had a chance to verbalize his thoughts, the doorbell rang.


    "Who''s that?" Brenda wondered aloud. "I wasn''t expecting anyone else today."


    "Probably some nosy reporter," Sean said, eager to find an excuse to get away from the drama, even for just a moment. "I''ll take care of it."


    Sean quickly made a beeline for the front door, escaping the talk of vengeance. As far as he was concerned, if he could square up against Karin, he''d be all for it, but trying to sway the tide of public approval was a losing battle he didn''t want to bother with. The young martial artist ran his hands through his dreads as he made his way into the foyer of the house, and towards the door.


    "Keep ya shirt on, I''m coming," Sean cracked as the doorbell rang again. Once he got close, he looked through the peephole, and was greeted by the sight of Elena and Sakura standing on his doorstep.


    "The hell?" Sean said in confusion. He quickly opened the door to make sure his eyes weren''t playing tricks on him, and any thoughts of it being a hallucination immediately went out the window when he saw them clear as day in front of them. Elena was wearing a short-set, tropical two-piece, and flip flops; while Sakura had opted for sneakers, black biker shorts, a red headband, and a white T-shirt modified into a sleeveless crop top, covered by a black and red track jacket.


    "What y''all doing here?" Sean asked. "Don''t get me wrong, I''m happy to see ya, but I figured y''all either bounced, or were being dragged along on Karin''s sympathy tour."


    "Not a chance," Sakura said. "We came here specifically to avoid that, and see how you were doing after last night."


    "We''re super sorry about all this," Elena said. "We had no idea she made that video until a few hours ago."


    Sean waved a hand nonchalantly. "Don''t apologize," he said. "You two had nothing to do with the video or fight."


    "Still, we could''ve done better to stop it," the princess replied. She looked at Sean closely, and noticed that he was completely healed from his fight with Ibuki. "Hey, how''d you heal so fast? I don''t even see a scratch on you!"


    Sean blinked in confusion, and looked down at his arms. Sure enough, the bruises and gashes he got during the fight were completely gone. Not even a scar remained. To say he was surprised would be an understatement.


    "Weird," he said, clearly flummoxed. "I honestly don''t know how. In fact, I don''t remember half of that fight."


    Sakura gave Sean a concerned look. "You don''t?"


    Sean shook his head. "I remember getting up from Ibuki''s ninja attack, and literally seeing red at one point, but nothing else. I had to watch the CCTV footage myself to see what happened."


    "That''s... odd." Sakura was confused. The few times Ryu had briefly succumbed to the Satsui no Hado in the past, he usually retained his memories, so hearing the opposite happen was new to her.


    "Meh, I''m healthy otherwise, so I''m not complaining," Sean said, shrugging. "Anyway, why don''t you two come on in? It''s hot as hell out here, and we got plenty of drinks and ice cream inside to cool you down."


    "You had me at ice cream," Sakura chuckled.


    "Likewise," Elena agreed, wiping her forehead. "I knew Brazil got hot, but not like this."


    Sean chuckled, and stepped out the way to let them in. "Then come in before you both melt on my doorstep!"


    The ladies laughed, and walked inside, grateful to be out of the heat. As Sakura began to take her sneakers off, she noticed a set of familiar looking mats laid out on the floor.


    "Hey, aren''t these tatami mats?" Sakura asked Sean curiously.


    "Yup," Sean answered, stretching his arms. "They''re mainly my grandfather''s thing. He had brought some with him when he and my dad moved here from Japan, and he used them for our dojo, and a couple of the rooms in here, too."


    Sakura gave Sean an odd look. "You''re Japanese?"


    Sean laughed at Sakura''s comment. "(Was my last name not enough of a giveaway?)" he replied in Japanese.


    Sakura''s face turned red in embarrassment, and she quickly looked away to avoid Sean''s eyes. "I mean, there''s not a lot of dark-skinned Japanese people, so I kinda thought..." She mumbled, hoping Sean wasn''t offended by her ignorance.


    "True, but Brazil has a deep Japanese community here," Elena interjected, hoping to ease Sakura''s embarrassment. "So you''re probably more likely to see a lot of mixed families like Sean''s here, than you would in Japan."


    Sakura glanced at Elena. "Wait, really?"


    "Big time," Sean replied. "We''re one of the most diverse countries in Latin America; we''re not really hung up on being homogeneous or silly shit like that." He lightly slapped Sakura on the shoulder. "Hey, don''t feel like you just had a racist moment or anything like that, okay? What you said was ignorant, sure, but it wasn''t out of malice. You''re far away from being anything like Lord Freiza last night."


    Both ladies laughed at Sean''s derisive nickname for Karin.


    "I have a feeling that''s going to stick," Sakura giggled, before becoming apologetic once more. "Still, I''m sorry for what I just said; that was really ignorant of me."


    Sean just shook his head. "Meh, don''t even trip," he said casually. "It''s nothing compared to how many people still think I''m an American."


    Both Sakura and Elena were surprised at Sean''s comment. "Are you joking?" Elena asked.


    "I wish," Sean chuckled. "But that''s a story for another time; let''s check in with my fam, then I can get you two some ice cream."


    The ladies nodded, and followed Sean into the main area of the house. When they came into sight of the rest of the family, they were surprised to see Sean with them. Laura, ever the teasing sister, immediately took the opportunity to bust his chops.


    "I have to give you credit, Sean, I didn''t think you''d be able to score two girls, let alone just one!" Laura cracked, earning laughs from Enzo, Pedro, Manuela, and even Kinjiro. Sean immediately grimaced, and facepalmed; while Sakura and Elena blushed madly. Brenda, however, wasn''t amused.


    "That''s enough, Laura!" Brenda admonished her daughter. "There''s no reason to say that to your brother, especially in front of company!"


    "I''m only teasing, Mom!" Laura said. "Besides, he knows I mean no harm."


    "Speak for yourself," Sean muttered under his breath.


    Enzo, now over his laughing fit, spoke up. "Seriously, funny as that was, give Sean a break, and those two especially. They were the friends of Kanzuki trying to break the fight up last night."


    The rest of the family murmured in surprise and mild suspicion. "What are they doing here, then?" Manuela asked.


    Elena decided to step forward. "We personally came here to apologize," she said. "Not just for Karin''s actions, but for not doing more to keep things from escalating. As Sean''s friend, I''ve should''ve done more to reign in her and Ibuki."


    "We''re also dead against that video she put out," Sakura added. "She made it in secret last night, and we didn''t know about it until earlier this morning. I have absolutely nothing against Sean or his cousin at all, and I don''t want them to have their reputations hurt by Karin''s lies."


    "Why do you even hang with her, anyway?" Manuela questioned, crossing her arms. "I know Laura works for her in some fashion, but she strikes me as an elitist bitch."


    "Being frank, you''re not wrong," Sakura said. "Karin was a classicist prick when we were in high school, but she had humbled herself after she lost to me in a fight. Or so I thought, anyway. I really had no idea she was racist."


    "Me either," Elena interjected. "I personally told her where to go when she started hurling slurs at Sean."


    "I''ve never seen you that angry before," Sean remarked.


    "She had it coming," Elena replied. "Listen, I know we can''t do much about the damages to the store, and whatever punishment it might have brought on your and your cousin, but we''re really sorry, and would like to help you turn the tide against Karin''s video in anyway possible."


    "The fact that you both came here to genuinely make amends, even though you had nothing to do with the fight, speaks volumes about your character," Kinjiro spoke, stepping forward. "We were discussing making a response video right before you two walked in; perhaps you could assist us with it?"


    "We''d be more than happy to!" Sakura said.


    "Agreed," Elena said. "Anything that can help push back the tide of Karin''s lies, the better."


    Sean subtly rolled his eyes in mild exasperation. he was still reluctant to make a response, but knew he was going to be outvoted by this point. "Fine," he said in resignation. "I''ll go dig out my vlogging gear in a bit to record it, but can I get them some drinks or ice cream first? They pretty much walked here, and were sweating like crazy when they arrived."


    "I''ll take care of our guests, Sean," Laura spoke. "You go and get your stuff in the meantime."


    "Fine," Sean sighed reluctantly, knowing arguing with Laura was pointless. He slouched a bit, and went back upstairs to his room, with Enzo following close behind.


    Laura then walked to the ladies. "Follow me to the kitchen," she said. The ladies nodded, and followed the elder Matsuda. Manuela took this opportunity approach the two fighters.


    "Hey," she said as she walked up next to them. "Sorry for being confrontational. I''m just tired of people picking on my cousin."


    "Don''t even sweat it," Sakura said, waving a hand. "I know about the crap Sean gets all the time from the circuit; it''s not fair he gets dogged on so much."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Elena nodded in agreement. "It''s like everyone forgot he was a World Warrior finalist. After losing in the U.S. Tournament qualifiers, everyone just wrote him off, despite beating everyone who wasn''t Ryu or Ken in that tournament."


    Manuela scoffed as they entered the kitchen. "Trust me, I remember that clearly. He jumped right into training not long after he recovered from the beating that Ryu guy gave him, and he spent about 3 months training alone almost nonstop until he signed up for that tournament."


    Elena gave Manuela a perplexed look. "Mr. Masters didn''t help him?"


    "Not in the least," Laura interjected. "When Sean lost to Ken in the World Warrior finals, he told Sean not to return to him unless he beat Ryu. So Sean, hardheaded as he is, kept trying to beat Ryu, and eventually got hospitalized for his troubles."


    "Wait, Ken set him up?" Sakura asked. "He told me Sean went after Ryu on his own!"


    "I''m not surprised he left out that little detail," Laura sighed, leaning against the counter. "I don''t think Sean would''ve done it if Ken didn''t ask him."


    "He wouldn''t have," Manuela said, taking a seat at one of the islands situated in the middle of the kitchen with the rest of the girls. "He''d do almost anything for that guy, if it meant being acknowledged in some way."


    "Sounds like someone I know," Elena said, giving Sakura a knowing look.


    Sakura just rolled her eyes. "I wasn''t that bad over Ryu," She insisted.


    "I think that shrine you had of him would say otherwise," Elena chuckled. Sakura immediately turned red as a tomato at Elena''s words, and covered her face in mortification. Manuela laughed as well, but gave Sakura a sympathetic pat on the back. Laura had managed to stifle her laughter, but couldn''t hide the amused smirk that formed on her lips.


    "Hey, don''t feel so bad," Manuela said reassuringly. "Sean''s room was loaded with Ken Masters memorabilia at one point, so you''re not exactly alone in that regard."


    Sakura could only offer an embarrassed squeak from behind her hands. Laura just shook her head, and walked over to the deep freezer. "Let''s get our minds off the drama for a minute," she said as she opened the freezer. "What kind of ice cream would you girls like?"


    "Chocolate, if you have it, please," Elena said.


    "I''ll have chocolate too," Manuela said.


    "Neapolitan, please," Sakura muttered, still covering her face.


    Laura nodded, and pulled out two tubs of ice cream. In just a couple minutes, she had filled up several bowls with everyone''s ice cream of choice, and brought them over with a tray, and several spoons. The ladies thanked Laura as they took their respective bowls.


    "So, tell me a bit about yourselves, girls," Laura said, taking a seat next to Manuela. "I know a little bit about you, Elena, because Sean told me about you."


    Elena nodded, taking a bite of her ice cream. "I''m originally from Kenya, but I''ve bounced around the world, since I usually study abroad," Elena said. "I did high school in Japan, and I''m currently in France for University."


    "So constantly travelling is pretty normal for you?" Manuela asked.


    "Kinda," Elena said, shrugging. "My father did the same thing when he was around my age. In fact, he got his PhD in pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicine in France, which is what I''m also doing."


    "Your dad''s a doctor?" Laura asked.


    "Sort of," Elena replied. "He''s more of a traditional Kenyan healer, but he has the western credentials to be one. I''ve always liked helping people, and I''ve assisted him in healing people, so it seemed like a natural choice for me. The rest of my family are all fighters, though; capoeira is our fighting style."


    "So I''ve been told," Manuela said. "Enzo told me Sean said you could give our dad a run for his money, and he''s the best capoeira master in Brazil."


    Elena''s eyes lit up. "Really? Wow, that''s a big compliment! I don''t even consider myself that great of a fighter compared to the rest of my family."


    "Well, our family always had a great eye for talent," Laura interjected. "And Sean is no different, despite what people might say."


    "Actually, there''s something I was wondering about," Elena said. "Why did Sean choose to learn from Ken? Your family has two distinct styles of their own."


    Laura giggled a bit, and moved her hair away from her face. "Because Ken saved his life a while back," she explained. "Did either of you hear about Shadaloo going down in flames a few years ago?"


    Both girls nodded. "I know that Karin was the one who organized the team that raided the base," Sakura finally spoke up. "Ibuki was on that team, too, but I couldn''t go; I had too many responsibilities to deal with."


    Laura nodded. "I was on that team as well," she said. "The reason was that one of Bison''s lieutenants had attacked Sean for one of the chess pieces I had, and he would''ve gotten killed, if Ken didn''t jump in at the nick of time. That''s one of the main reasons why he wanted to learn Ken''s fighting style."


    "That explains things," Sakura said. "And I''ll have to admit, how he got Ken to be his master mirrors how I often pestered Ryu," she added, giggling.


    "See I told you," Elena said, grinning.


    Sakura elbowed her longtime friend gently. "Oh, shush, you," she said easily, before her smile gave way to a frown. "That said, I''m only now learning the the extent of how Ken''s been dogging Sean. From what you two told me, he seems totally apathetic to training Sean."


    "Because he is," Manuela commented dryly as she ate her ice cream. "Granted, he''s a businessman, so time is money, which I can understand. But on the rare occasion he does show up to train him, he''s usually hanging out with Laura, or finds some convenient excuse to take off. If he either can''t fully commit to teaching Sean properly, or simply doesn''t want to, he could''ve easily just said no, instead of basically stringing Sean along."


    Sakrua nodded. "I agree. When I tried to get Ryu to train me, he kept telling me no, because he felt he still had much to learn. The rejection hurt, but it''s better than constantly being strung along. No wonder Sean seems so jaded, even if he doesn''t show it."


    "He won''t show it to you two," Manuela replied sadly. "The last three years really got him down so much, he basically became a shut in. Hell, this is the most Sean''s interacted with me and Enzo in almost a year and a half."


    "Oh, no!" Elena gasped. "That''s definitely a one-eighty from the Sean I knew. Is there anything we can do to help lift his spirits?"


    Laura shrugged. "I mean, I''d say get him out the house, but his wings are clipped because of the damages caused by the fight."


    "It figures," Sakura groaned.


    "There oughta be some way we can help, even if we can''t go nowhere," Elena said.


    Right then, Fabio walked into the kitchen. "Excuse me, ladies," the elder Matsuda said. "I apologize for eavesdropping on some of your convo, but I might have a way for you to get him out his shell for today, at least."


    "What did you have in mind, mister...?" Elena trailed off, not knowing his name.


    "Fabio, or ''Fab'' for short," Fabio replied. "Anyway, what I had in mind was you two taking Enzo and Sean to a fighting event happening later on tonight at the Gin¨¢sio do Ibirapuera." He dug into his pocket, and pulled out two pairs of tickets. "I won these in a sweepstakes a while ago, and me and Laura were planning on surprising Sean with them, before last night happened. But I think he might open up more around you two than he would with us."


    "Oh yeah! I almost forgot that was tonight!" Laura exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "I''m fine with it, since it''s for Sean, but how can he and Enzo go if they''re both grounded?"


    "You know it''s not hard to sweet-talk mom most of the time, and Papa thinks Sean shouldn''t have gotten grounded anyway," Fabio replied. "Auntie and Uncle Pedro are gonna be harder to sell, though."


    "Leave that to us!" Sakura said confidently. "I think we''ll be able to convince them to let your cousin out the house for a few hours."


    "You sure about that?" Manuela asked. "Our parents can be super strict sometimes."


    "Trust me, Sakura can charm anyone when she really wants to," Elena giggled.


    Manuela chuckled. "I need to see this."


    "I think we will soon," Fabio said as he handed the tickets to Sakura. "Sean and Enzo should be back down any moment, let''s go back to the living room."


    The ladies nodded, and finished up their ice cream, before following Fabio back to the main room.


    Meanwhile, in Sean''s bedroom, he and Enzo had spent most of their time digging through his walk-in closet for his film gear, with little success, as it was filled with various items and clothes, and Sean grew increasingly frustrated; cursing himself for not stashing his gear in a better spot.


    "This is what I get for not cleaning my shit out," Sean grumbled in annoyance.


    "Psh, you should see Manuela''s closet half the time," Enzo replied. "I remember one time last month, she had to clean it out, and she was buried in a tsunami of clothes, hangers, and old makeup kits as soon as she opened the door!"


    Sean guffawed. "You''re joking!"


    "Naw, Dad even kicked her door in, cuz he thought something really bad had happened!" Enzo chuckled. "I wish I had got it on camera."


    "Def a missed opportunity... a-ha!" A blue duffle bag partially covered in clothes near the back of the closet caught Sean''s eye. Quickly, Sean reached over, and grabbed it, unzipping its cover to reveal his film gear inside. "Finally!" He said as he pulled the bag from under the pile. " Took long enough to find! Granted, I haven''t made a vlog in almost a year, so I can''t be too surprised it got buried."


    "Whatever happened with all that, anyway?" Enzo asked as he moved out of the closet. "I know you were in a low point, but I remember you were still pumping out vlogs until about a couple months after we graduated from high school."


    Sean shrugged apathetically. "Eh, I just lost interest, I guess," he said dismissively. This wasn''t entirely untrue; Sean felt his life was fairly boring when he wasn''t training and travelling with Ken, or fighting in tournaments, and thus not worth filming. But once his notoriety reached the point where he was essentially whiteballed from even the local tournaments in Brazil, in addition to the increasingly hateful comments on his videos, he gave up on vlogging entirely.


    Enzo didn''t seem convinced by Sean''s answer, but decided to let it slide. "Well, I hope your filming and editing skills haven''t diminished." He paused, before adding, "You do still have your editing software, right?"


    Sean nodded. "I couldn''t be bothered to delete it, honestly."


    Enzo nodded. With no other words, the cousins quickly headed back downstairs, and into the living room, gear in tow. "We''re back!" Sean announced as he and Enzo made their way into the room. He immediately noticed his grandfather was no longer there. "Where''s Papa?" he asked.


    "He went to go meditate not along after you went upstairs," Laura explained.


    Sean nodded, then turned back to his guests. "Sorry for the wait, y''all. My gear was buried under a ton of stuff."


    "It''s all good, Sean," Elena said nonchalantly. "By the way, where are we filming the video?"


    "We can just do it here," he said, leaning his head towards a large sofa sitting in the far end of the room. "Just give me some time to get my gear set up; won''t take a minute."


    Within two minutes, Sean had set up his tripod, camera, and microphone in front of the sofa. Sean silently thanked God that the camera''s battery was still charged after so long. "Alright, Sakura, Elena, and Enzo!" he said. "Get on the couch so I can adjust the focus."


    The group complied, and sat down in front of the camera as Sean began to fix with the lens'' focus.


    "I still can''t believe we even have to to this," Enzo sighed as he sat down next to Elena. "I wish people would give Sean a break."


    "Me too," Elena replied. "But now, Karin put an even bigger target on both of your backs." Elena ran her hands through her white hair. "I should''ve done more than just yell at her."


    "Then you''d be the one getting a smearjob spread across the internet," Sean muttered as he messed around with the lens. "And even if she did, everyone knows you''d have a good reason to, considering how calm you normally are."


    "Still..." Elena sighed.


    "Don''t berate yourself over something out of your control," Fabio spoke up. "Yes, perhaps things could have been settled differently, but you did nothing to instigate or escalate the situation."


    "And at the end of the day, the buck also stops with me and Enzo," Sean added. "We could''ve avoided all this trouble entirely, but there''s not much any of us can do now, outside of damage control."


    "That''s surprisingly mature of you to say, Sean," Sakura commented.


    The youngest Matsuda just shrugged. "I mean, what else am I supposed to say? Anger got the best of me, and it ended with me wrecking the store... speaking of, I''m still not sure how I managed to pull off that Shoryuken."


    Sakura, knowing the likely reason, opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it, not wanting to panic him or his family.


    Sean proceeded to press record on the camera, and joined the rest of the group on the couch, sitting between Sakura and Enzo. "Ok, we''re rolling," he said. "I was thinking, we could keep our part fairly short, and let the rest be the unedited security footage."


    "Fine by me," Enzo said. "So, me and you say our piece first, and then Elena and Sakura?"


    "That''s what I was thinking," Sean said, glancing at the women sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. "If you two are fine with it, of course."


    "Of course!" Sakura replied.


    "It''s your video, after all," Elena added.


    Sean nodded, and took a deep breath as turned back to face the camera. Just get it over with, so you can post it quicker, he thought to himself.


    "Hey, all," Sean began, reciting his old YouTube intro. "It''s Sean Matsuda, back again with another vlog for ya, this time with my cousin Enzo, and world renowned fighters Sakura Kasugano and Elena Sironka. It''s been a long-ass while since I''ve done one of these, but current circumstances basically forced me out of my sabbatical."


    He took another deep breath as he began rubbing his palms on his shorts. "As most of you probably know already, me and my cousin Enzo got into a physical scrap with businesswoman and martial arts master Karin Kanzuki and one of her friends last night, and the video she posted about it recently went viral. I ain''t ashamed at all to back up the fact that we decisively won that fight... but the way Karin described how things went down is nowhere near the truth. We''re far from thugs, and we definitely didn''t start the fight, as everyone here can attest to." Sean glanced at his cousin, who nodded in agreement.


    "Me and Sean were goofing around in our family''s corner store when Karin and her friends came around," Enzo spoke. "Karin was disrespectful to us from the jump, even calling Sean a monkey and shit to his face. But we had restraint, and were even willing to serve them, despite the disrespect. Sakura apologized on her behalf, but then her friend, I think her name was Ibuki, got disrespectful towards Sean, and also said some foul shit about his sister Laura, which I''m not gonna repeat."


    Enzo sighed. "So Sean justifiably cracked her in the face, and Karin got in our faces again with more slurs. So I flipped her off, and she threw a punch at me; that''s when the fight popped off. Elena and Sakura tried to break it up, but things got crazy during the fight, and the police arrested me and Sean right after the dust settled."


    "I should add that Karin tried to bail them out of jail on the condition that they''d be her indentured servants for the next several months," Elena interjected. "They rightfully rejected the idea, so Karin made the video behind everyone''s backs by stealing and manipulating the store''s CCTV footage as retaliation. Neither me or Sakura had any idea she made the video until we saw it getting spread everywhere."


    "Everything Karin said in that video is total B.S., as well," Sakura added. "Neither me or Elena were attacked or threatened by Sean or Enzo while we were at their store, and they''ve been nothing but nice and respectful to both of us because we showed them the same level respect back; something Karin and Ibuki failed to do from the start. All this could''ve been avoided, had they just shown some basic human decency, instead of being such racist, catty bitches the whole time!"


    Sean and Enzo immediately looked away from the camera, and covered their mouths in a barely successful attempt to stifle their laughter, while Elena didn''t bother hiding her amusement at Sakura''s barb. Once they managed to compose themselves, Sean turned back to the camera. "Anyway, what we''re about to show you is the original unedited CCTV of the fight, and everything that lead up to it," Sean said. "I know most of y''all out there think I''m a no-talent punk or whatever, but me and Enzo ain''t on that bullshit Kanzuki''s been saying, and the footage proves it. We''ll catch you on the next vlog whenever it comes out, but until then... peace."


    Sean, Enzo, and Sakura threw up peace signs, while Elena simply waved. After a few moments, Laura walked over to the camera, and hit the "Stop" button.


    "And, scene," she announced. Sean groaned, and got up off the sofa.


    "Well, the easy part''s done," Sean said. "Now to edit it all together."


    "Need a hand, bro?" Fabio asked as he casually leaned against the wall.


    "No, I can do this in less than an hour," Sean replied. He turned back to the ladies and added, "By the way, thanks for joining the video, you two. I may not have the reach or influence Karin does, but at least I''ll look credible."


    "It''s the very least we could do for you two," Elena replied, smiling. "You two shouldn''t have your reputations hurt over something you didn''t even cause."


    "Agreed," Sakura added. "What Karin''s doing isn''t fair to any of us; the best thing we can do is tell our side of it."


    "Yeah, well, I don''t think even that will help me at this point," Sean sighed resignedly as he began dismantling his camera. "I just wish I could get a break for once; even a temporary one would be nice."


    Sakura and Elena looked at each other knowingly, before turning back to Sean. "Well, we might be able to help with that, too..." Sakura started.


    Sean stopped what he was doing, and gave Sakura an odd look. "How so?"


    "Well," Sakura continued, fishing the tickets out of her pocket. "Me and Elena have tickets to a fighting event later tonight at the Gin¨¢sio do Ibirapuera. We were gonna go with the others, but we thought we''d be better off seeing if you and Enzo wanted to go with us, instead." She flashed the Brazilian fighter a bright smile as she held the tickets out towards him.


    Both Sean and Enzo stared at Sakura with a confused expression, not sure if they were hearing correctly. Two of the world''s best fighters actually wanted to hang out with them? Before he could formulate a response, Pedro spoke up.


    "I''m going to have to nix that idea, unfortunately," he said. "We appreciate the gesture, but the boys are grounded for wrecking the store."


    "We understand completely," Elena said. "But it''s more than an apologetic gesture. If they''re seen hanging out with us in public, the people will realize Karin''s video is all lies. Especially at an event where three past World Warrior competitors will be given significant press if we''re spotted amongst the crowd."


    "Not to mention the potential exposure of both of your dojos if Enzo and Sean are there," Sakura added.


    "I''m not sure..." Brenda began.


    "I think it''s a great idea," Laura interjected. "It generates goodwill for both of the boys and the dojos, and it vindicates our response in the public eye. And honestly, Sean needs to start going out again." She whispered the last part to her mother, who silently - if reluctantly - agreed.


    "Ain''t no harm in letting them go, in my opinion," Fabio agreed. "Not like they''re gonna go out their way to wild out at the event."


    "I''m not so sure I want Enzo going there," Luiza stated. "He''s already grounded, for one, but what about that Karin girl? She''s not going to miss an event like this, if it means boosting her side of the story, and I don''t want our boys crossing paths with her again."


    "I highly doubt any of tonight''s fighters are on her radar," replied Elena. "She typically only challenges fighters who are World Warrior calibre, and I don''t know if any of them are."


    "And even if Karin shows up, she''ll probably way up in one of the exclusive skyboxes," Sakura added.


    "But what if she does cross paths with all of you?" Pedro asked. "You clearly had trouble stopping those fights last night, according to the camera footage."


    "If something does happen, we promise to keep your sons out of trouble," Sakura declared. She then proceeded to unleash her secret weapon: Her irresistible puppy-dog eyes. "We promise we''ll come back without any trouble happening tonight." She laid the eyes on thick, hoping to convince the Brazilian parents. The Da Silvas initially appeared to be unmoved by Sakura''s eyes, but the Japanese girl''s determination eventually paid off, when Pedro sighed in resignation.


    "Fine," the capoeira master said reluctantly. "If Sean can go, you can go too, Enzo. But, I want you back home as soon as the event ends, alright?"


    "Fine by me, Pop!" Enzo replied eagerly, grateful that his day wasn''t totally ruined. Sakura grinned cheekily at Manuela, who just smiled, and gave a silent thumbs up.


    "I guess you can go as well, Sean," Brenda said. "Just try not to draw to much attention to yourself or Enzo, okay?"


    "I won''t, Ma!" Sean replied, trying to hide his obvious excitement. He turned back to Sakura, and asked, "What time does it start?"


    "Uh..." Sakura stole a quick glance at the tickets. "Eight, but doors open at seven-thirty. Maybe we could meet up again around six-thirty or seven, and then head over?"


    "That''s perfect," Enzo said, clapping his hands together. "I can drive everyone there, so we can all meet up at the store when it''s closer to showtime."


    "Hopefully under better circumstances this time," Elena replied.


    "Yeah, hopefully," Sean agreed. "Anyway, I should get to editing this thing. We''ll see you two at the store tonight."


    The girls nodded. "See you then!" Sakura replied cheerfully. "It was nice meeting you and your family, but we should head back before Karin sends out a search party for us."


    "Bold of you to assume she wouldn''t look for us herself," Elena countered half-jokingly.


    "Touch¨¦," Sakura conceded.


    "Thank you both for helping us defend Sean and our family''s reputation," Brenda said. "You''re always welcome in our home."


    "Likewise," Luiza said.


    "Like I said, it was the least we could do," Elena said. "It was good meeting you all, and we''ll see you two at the store later."


    The ladies waved goodbye to the families, and Sean waved cheerily back, not even bothering to hide the dumb grin on his face at this point. For the first time in a long time, he was actually looking forward to something.

 Center of Attention (Part 1)

    Does it truly pay to be the Center of Attention?


    The main attraction, gettin'' all the action


    People stoppin'' the I.N.I. with question after question,


    I spit a few replies, and keep to myself


    And never been the weapon carrying type, but I''ll incite


    A riot organized, and never quiet."


    - InI, "Center of Attention"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    A half-hour later, Sean was back in his room, finishing up editing the rebuttal video. While he could''ve finished it in less than half that time, he couldn''t help but keep looking over the CCTV footage his uncle had given him, specifically the Shoryuken he delivered to Ibuki. From what he could tell upon closer inspection, it was a perfect Shoryuken, similar to the techniques he saw Ryu use. What still escaped him was how he pulled it off. He was never taught that version of the move, and no matter how hard he tried to remember, his memories of the last half of the fight remained hazy, leaving Sean with more questions than answers, and a splitting headache.


    Deciding he was wasting his time dwelling on it, Sean finished the last edit on the video, and began the exporting process. No sooner than the video began rendering, someone knocked on his door. Sean groaned inwardly, already knowing who it was by the rhythm of the knocks.


    "It''s open, Laura!" Sean called out reluctantly. He didn''t want to deal with his sister at the moment, but decided he''d rather not be mean to her.


    The door opened slightly, and Laura peeked her head through the gap. "Are you still working on the video?" she asked carefully. Last night''s conversations still lingered in Laura''s mind, and she didn''t want to potentially get on Sean''s bad side again.


    Sean shook his head. "Nah, it''s exporting right now," he replied, swivelling his chair around to face his sister. "''Sup?"


    Laura took this as a signal that he was in a good mood, and walked into her brother''s room. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. The last twelve hours have been wild, to say the least."


    Sean nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he sighed. "Sometimes it feels like God hates me, with all the bullshit that comes my way." Sean rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I''m grateful for Sakura and Elena helping us out, but what''s the point? I don''t have the reach or influence Karin does, nobody''s gonna hear my side."


    "Not true," Laura replied, taking a seat on Sean''s bed. "People will listen. Maybe we don''t have her connections, but that doesn''t mean you shouldn''t set the record straight. Plus, people will listen when they see Sakura and Elena taking up for you in the video."


    "We''ll see," Sean said, clearly unconvinced. Laura, sensing the conversation was about to hit a dead end, decided to change the subject.


    "Let''s worry about the video later," Laura said, flipping her hair. "Have you figured out what you''re gonna wear on your date later?"


    Sean jolted upright in his seat, and looked at his sister as if she had lost her mind. "Date?!" he hollered. "Nobody said nothin'' ''bout a date! The hell did you get that from?!"


    Laura was tempted to tease her little brother like usual, but held back the urge. "I mean, it could be one if you and Enzo choose to play your cards right," she said easily. "Sakura and Elena are nice women, and you both already have some common ground with them, so why not shoot your shot?"


    "You mean besides the fact that they''re totally out of our league?" Sean replied sarcastically.


    Laura rolled her eyes. "Come on, Sean."


    "For real, I''m not even on my sad sack shit right now," Sean continued, waving his hands around. "Even if I put aside the fighting records and accomplishments, Elena is literally African royalty, and Sakura constantly has guys pushing up on her; plus she''s almost six years older than both of us. Besides, they''re doing this out of goodwill, not because they like us like that. Shit, Sakura only knows me from what Ken said about me, so who knows what she actually thinks of me!"


    Laura shook her head. "You''re not entirely wrong, but think about it: Would she have helped you out, or asked you to go with her if she didn''t have a good opinion of you?"


    "...I guess not," Sean muttered. He really didn''t want to admit Laura had a point, but he couldn''t deny it. "I still doubt she''d even be into me like that."


    "You won''t know ''til you get to know her better, and there''s no better time to than tonight," Laura pointed out. "I''m not saying you gotta be all papi chulo, but just be yourself, and talk to her."


    Sean snorted in amusement. "I find it funny that you''re giving me dating advice, yet whenever a guy that can''t bench press five hundred pounds or shoot fireballs out their hands approaches you, you just beat the shit outta them," he remarked.


    Laura threw her head back, and laughed heartily. "It''s not my fault most of the men who approach me are chumps!"


    "I''m just saying-" Sean was interrupted by a notification sound coming from his computer speakers. He swung his chair back around, and saw that his video had finished exporting. "That was fast," he noted. "May as well upload it now."


    Laura nodded. "I hate that you even had to do this in the first place."


    "I wasn''t even gonna do it, until you all insisted," Sean replied as he uploaded the video. "Elena and Sakura suddenly showing up pretty much sealed my fate."


    "We''re only trying to look out for you, Sean..." Laura started.


    "I know," Sean interrupted, not bothering to look back at Laura. "And don''t get me wrong, I appreciate all of you having my back, but you don''t have the rep I do. You don''t get shit on by the entire world everywhere where you go. Hell, you and Fabio bust my chops over my skills most of the time, too."


    Laura shook her head. "That''s different; you know we don''t mean it like that!" she insisted.


    "Yeah, but it still doesn''t help my mental in the long run," Sean pointed out. "Point is, everyone gives me shit for every reason imaginable. Even if I suddenly had a winning streak overnight, and won several tournaments, I''d still be ''Dan Hibiki Jr.''" Sean rolled the disgraced fighter''s name off his tongue with audible disgust.


    "I don''t think Dan could score a date with a woman most guys would kill to be with with," Laura countered. "I''d say that''s a point in your favour."


    "It''s not a date, Laura!" Sean groaned, rolling his eyes.


    Laura giggled, and tousled Sean''s dreads. "Not yet. The day is still young, little bro; you don''t know what could happen."


    "Meh, we''ll see," Sean muttered as he finalized inputting the video''s metadata. "I''ll worry about tonight when it''s time to go." With one last click, he swivelled his chair back around to face Laura. "Anyway, the video''s up. Not much else we can do besides wait for the reactions. What''s everyone else doing?"


    "Mom and uncle Pedro are doing up a barbecue in the backyard, since everyone''s here, and haven''t had lunch yet," Laura said, running her hands through her still unbraided hair. "I know you haven''t been up for family gatherings lately, but..."


    "Naw, I''ll join you guys," Sean replied. "I mean, I''m pretty much the reason the whole fam came over, so the least I can do is join y''all." Sean paused briefly, before adding, "You better not eat up all the meat this time, though!"


    Laura just laughed. "I make no promises."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    A few minutes later, Sean, Enzo, and Manuela were travelling down the street to the family''s convenience store to pick up some extra snacks for the barbecue. On the way down, several people on the street pointed at them and whispered as they walked past, while lurking paparazzos took pictures or videos. Sean just rolled his eyes, having grown used to the constant stares and snide comments, but his cousins quickly grew annoyed by the constant gawking and pictures from strangers.


    "I''m starting to see why you don''t go out much anymore, Sean," Manuela grumbled.


    "This is actually pretty mild compared to the usual bullshit I get," Sean remarked. "Sometimes racist pessoas brancos throw bananas at me and shit."


    "What?!" Manuela exclaimed incredulously.


    "I''m telling you, it''s no joke sometimes," Sean said. "There''s a lot of shit people tried to pull on me that I never told anyone about. I never got into fights though, because nobody wanted any smoke from the rest of the family."


    "Still, that''s fucked up," Enzo interjected. "Fuck anyone on that racist shit, for one. Plus, there''s way worse fighters out there than you people should be ripping apart instead of you; especially here in Sao Paulo"


    "And it''s not even like you''re a honest to God bad fighter, either," Manuela continued. "You may be lacking when it comes to Ken''s style, but you''re a Jujitsu black belt, and you''re no slouch with our Capoeira style as well."


    "But I''m still not as good as any of y''all," Sean countered as he nonchalantly shoved away a paparazzo that tried to get up in his face. "It took me way longer to get my black belt from Papa because I wasn''t as skilled as Laura or Fabio. And let''s be real, nobody''s touching your side of the family when it comes to Capoeira."


    "That doesn''t mean you''re a bad fighter!" Manuela replied, slapping her cousin''s shoulder. "All you need is more training to refine your skills; and if Ken''s not going to teach you his style, then forget about him, and find someone who will!"


    "I wish it was that easy," Sean grumbled. "Like I told Enzo the other night, Ryu''s out of the equation because he''s too wrapped up in his own thing, and nobody else comes as close as either of them when it comes to Ansatsuken."


    "Ain''t there another dude who also uses that fighting style?" Enzo asked as he casually backhanded another paparazzo that got too close.


    Sean gagged in disgust. "There''s no way in hell I''m goin'' to call Dan Hibiki my sensei."


    "I''m not talkin'' about that clown!" Enzo clarified. "I''m talking about the dark-skinned guy with the red hair you mistook for Ryu one time."


    "Oh, him," Sean said in realization. "Akuma."


    Like many other fighters, Sean had heard of Akuma''s legendary reputation, but had never seen him in action until he had entered his first World Warrior tournament. When Sean first saw him, he thought he was Ryu at first, and challenged him to a fight, but quickly learned his mistake when Akuma beat ten shades of black off of him in less then a minute. Ken later told him he was lucky to have survived the fight, and Sean knew he wasn''t exaggerating in the slightest by the way Ken said it.


    "I think I''d rather fight Satan himself before I''d ask him to train me," Sean admitted.


    "Is he really that scary?" Manuela asked.


    "Like you have no idea."


    Soon, the cousins made it to the corner store, where several repairmen were furiously working on the hole caused by last night''s brawl. Sean quickly noticed that they were almost halfway done repairing the outside part of it.


    "How long were those guys here?" Sean asked his cousins.


    "I think since around eight-thirty?" Enzo replied. "At least that''s what Mom said."


    "I''ll give that Kanzuki girl this; she certainly didn''t waste her money on these guys," Manuela said as she observed the repairmen at work.


    "I''d like to give her a broken jaw," Sean grumbled.


    "Trust me, we all do," Manuela said. "But ain''t much we can do now but let your video do its work, and wait this bullshit out."


    "I wish it was that simple," Sean sighed as they approached the store doors. "I wish I could-"


    "Hey, Matsuda!" A deep, obnoxious voice called out.


    Sean groaned in irritation, recognizing the voice. Dear God, not now...


    Reluctantly, he and his cousins turned around, and were greeted by a group of smug jiu-jitsu practitioners Sean recognized from the local Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school. Many of the students from there were spoiled rich kids who constantly took part in street fights, and, due to the Gracies and Matsuda families and schools being rivals, many of them often showed up to his family''s dojos and picked fights with them to try and prove the superiority of their jiu-jitsu. In the middle of them, stood Rafael Lopes; an obnoxious, overconfident fighter, who regularly picked fights with his siblings, only to get beat into the ground each time.


    "What you want, Rafael?" Enzo demanded bluntly. "We got no time for your crap, so if you came to start something, get off our property!"


    "Peace, my man, peace!" Rafael said patronizingly as he walked towards the cousins, arms outstretched. "No need to get all hostile right off the jump."


    "Neg?o, please! All you do is cause hostility whenever your narrow behind shows up!" Manuela retorted. "Don''t think we''re going to entertain you just because you brought an audience with you!"


    "Relax, we didn''t come here to start trouble, guys," Rafael insisted with a cheeky smile. "We just wanted to give Sean his props for last night''s fight. I didn''t think you could pull something like that off."


    Neither did I, Sean thought to himself, but pushed the nagging questions about the fight to the back of his mind. Out loud, he replied, "Look, I''m already up to my neck in drama, Rafael. I don''t need any bullshit from you and your groupies, and I definitely don''t need to give the S?o Paulo police another reason to arrest me within a 24-hour span. You''re not getting a fight out of me, so get off our property."


    "What''s the matter, ''Little Dan''?" a heavyset jiujiteiro Sean recognized as Marcelo Souza walked over and got in his face. "You''re usually so eager to prove you aren''t a punk, and you clearly had no restraint last night, so why are you bitching out all of sudden?"


    Sean visibly bristled at Marcelo''s words, but stopped himself from hitting him, noticing a crowd was starting to gather. "First of all, I''m gonna to need you and that giant gut of yours to take a few steps back, Piggy Smalls," he spat back, shoving Marcelo away. "And second off, my family ain''t a bunch of attention whores like all of y''all. We''re out here just tryin'' to run errands, and next thing we know, you''re all in our faces, trying to ride off some nonexistent juice I got from knocking out one of Karin Kanzuki''s friends. A knockout that not only got me arrested, mind you, but also got both me and Enzo publicly slandered by that racist heiress today. We got bigger things to worry about than satisfying your oversized jujitsu egos."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Come now, Sean; there''s no need to insult your fellow fighters like this!" Rafael said smoothly. To the average person, his wide smile and causal demeanor would make one think he was being sincere, but the cousins could easily see the ill intentions in his eyes. "Marcelo''s feelings aside, we came here simply to congratulate you, but you and your cousins have been nothing but hostile to us for no reason! I thought your grandfather and uncle would''ve instilled better manners and discipline in all of you."


    The cousins glared at Rafael, but continued to restrain themselves. It wasn''t long before the Gracie students had closed in, and surrounded them, ready to leap at a moment''s notice. By now, the crowd had filled the sidewalk, and part of the parking lot, and pulled their phones out, anticipating a fight. The Kanzuki repairmen, to their credit, had quickly made themselves scarce to avoid potentially being collateral damage. Among the crowd were two particular Americans who watched the confrontation between the martial artists with disgust.


    "This don''t look good at all," said one of them, a young man around Sean''s age who bore a striking resemblance to a young Roy Jones Jr.. Instinctively, he tucked the gold chain around his neck underneath his Wu-Tang t-shirt, but felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly before he could run into the fray. The teenager looked back, and saw his companion, a bearded older man dressed in a black cap, t-shirt, and shorts, looking at him disapprovingly.


    "Hey, don''t," the older man said. "We can''t afford to get caught up in trouble right before the fight; plus we don''t even know what''s going on, or what they''re saying!"


    "I know those guys are gon'' get faded if someone doesn''t help them!" The teenager insisted. "There''s only three of em, and they''re hemmed up by at least eight of those niggas; we can''t just sit here and let them get beat up!"


    "I understand, but you can''t just jump in there swinging," the older man pointed out. "The moment you throw the first blow, you''re the one automatically in the wrong, and you potentially lose out on a big fight."


    "Man, fuck all that," the teenager pushed the man''s hand off. "Those guys clearly have bad intentions, and I''m gonna help put a stop to it. I''ll deal with whatever consequences that come later."


    The teen immediately dashed into the lot before the man could say another word, and immediately got close to the circle of Gracie students. "(Hey, back off!)" he shouted at them, giving them a harsh glare.


    Everyone, including the Matsudas, looked at the newcomer in confusion. The Gracie students didn''t understand English, but the glare made his intentions clear. Marcelo just scoffed at him.


    "Aw, how sweet," he mocked in Portuguese as he looked the young man up and down. "Looks like someone wants to come to your rescue. Not like it''ll do you any good; we''ll just beat him down too."


    "Y''all know that guy?" Manuela whispered to her cousins.


    "Nah, I don''t," Enzo replied.


    "Me either," Sean said. "But I feel like I''ve seen him somewhere before."


    Despite the language barrier, the young man didn''t back down, but instead shifted into an Ansatsuken-like fighting stance, and retorted, "(C''mon, then! If you want hands so bad, I got a sale on: buy one, get one free!)"


    Marcelo looked at him with scorn, not taking him seriously. "Another Shotoclone?" he said derisively. "You know what, Raf? I''ll take this guy out myself; I doubt he''s much better than Little Dan, here."


    "Just try not to send him to intensive care," Rafael warned half-seriously.


    "No promises."


    Marcelo got into his fighting stance, and began moving towards the young man, who simultaneously slid off to the side as Marcelo closed in, not letting up on his stance. undeterred, Marcelo followed him, and managed to get within striking distance. He attempted a knifehand chop, but the other fighter slid out of the way once more, and countered with a quick jab to the head, smirking all the while, frustrating Marcelo to no end.


    "Dammit, hold still!" the jiujiteiro growled. He had expected this to be quick, but this man was faster than he gave him credit for. He then tried to go for a takedown, but his opponent was much faster, and moved out of the way easily. Increasingly irritated, Marcelo threw a hard slap in his direction. In the blink of an eye, the young man dipped under the strike, and immediately countered with a lighting-fast right hook to the side of Marcelo''s head in one fluid motion.


    The crowd "ooooh"ed as Marcelo fell down to the ground unconscious, felled by only a single punch. The young man kept up his fighting stance, looking at all of the jiujitsu fighters.


    "(Man, I was expecting a challenge, at least!)" he taunted. "(That all you guys got?)"


    As if to answer him, another jiujiteiro charged at him, intending to tackle him to the ground. The teenager, of course, saw this coming, and moved out of the way quickly, causing his opponent to stumble, nearly eating concrete in the process. The jiujiteiro quickly recovered, and attempted to attack him again, only to be met with a lightning-fast jab that was quickly followed by another right hook, and a left uppercut to the jaw, knocking him out instantly.


    Rafael could only watch in restrained shock as another of his allies fell to the newcomer. "Who the hell is this guy?"


    "A vastly superior fighter than all of you, clearly," Manuela replied sardonically.


    "I have to agree," Sean said. "Even Dan doesn''t have a glass jaw."


    Whatever cool temperament Rafael had left instantly evaporated at their remarks, and he lunged at Sean for a takedown. Thinking fast, Sean grabbed onto Rafael''s shirt, and pulled both of them down towards the ground. Sean quickly took advantage of the momentum, and used his foot to push Rafael off of him, and into one of his friends, as he rolled over back to his feet.


    Chaos broke out immediately after, as the rest of the remaining Gracie students bum-rushed the Matsudas, who quickly returned fire with their respective martial arts. The young fighter also jumped into the fray, throwing quick combos at the remaining students the Matsudas couldn''t deal with. They kept trying to grapple him, but he always kept moving just out of their reach, and keeping his distance with straights and jabs, and easily weaving around their attempts at striking. All the while, the locals in the crowd cheered wildly, while the young fighter''s friend shook his head in frustration.


    It didn''t take long for the young fighters to annihilate the remaining Gracie students in the fight. Enzo knocked out one with a spinning heel kick, Manuela took out another with a capoeira roundhouse, and the mystery fighter easily dispatched his opponents with his combinations. The last one that was fighting Sean retreated when it became clear he was on the losing side. As for Rafael, he watched miserably on the sidelines as his friends got their asses handed to them on a gold platter.


    "Ugh, it''s always the same damn thing with those Gracie clowns!" Manuela groaned as she rubbed her arms. "If they spent more time training than looking for people to piss off, they might actually be able to do something in a fight!"


    "For real, though; they need to stop before someone really hurts ''em," Sean replied. He then turned his attention over to their mystery ally, and gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks for backing us up, by the way, man," he said in English. "You''re obviously no rookie when it comes to fighting."


    "Naw, I''ve been boxing and kickboxing for a few years, now," the teen replied, tapping his fists together. "I actually got a big fight lined up tonight at the Gin¨¢... Gino...Gee... shit, I forgot what it was called, but I know it''s the biggest indoor arena here."


    "''Gin¨¢sio do Ibirapuera,''" Sean said. "That''s interesting, though, cuz we''re actually planning on seeing you fight at ringside."


    Before the teen could reply, the older man caught up to him, and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Garlend, what the hell were you thinking, man?!" He admonished harshly. "If you got hurt in that brawl, you would''ve messed up one of the biggest opportunities of your life!"


    "I''m sorry, coach, but I couldn''t just stand by and watch them all get ganged on!" the boxer protested. "That fight would''ve been even more lopsided if I didn''t do something!"


    "Still, me and Sayf already warned you multiple times about doing stuff like this; especially when you got a fight tonight!" The coach retorted. "I''ll let it slide this time, cuz the circumstances, but you better hope Sayf doesn''t see any footage."


    Garlend snorted. "Like that old man be on social media like that."


    "Hold up a second, your name''s Garlend?" Sean asked, recognition blossoming on his features. "As in Garlend Jones?"


    Garlend nodded affirmatively. "The very same!"


    "You know this guy, Sean?" Enzo asked.


    "I know of him," Sean said, glancing back at his cousin. "He''s a friggin'' phenom; makes sense he''d be on the event bill. Didn''t expect to see you around here, though."


    Garlend laughed sheepishly. "Honestly, we kinda got lost looking for a decent spot to eat. We only stumbled onto the fight because the crowd." He gestured to his coach. "This is my coach, Leon, by the way."


    "Nice to meet y''all," Leon greeted with a friendly wave.


    "Likewise," Sean replied. "And if you''re looking for good food, we we originally came here to grab some stuff for a barbecue at my place. You''re both welcome to join; it''s the least I can offer for backing us up."


    "For sure!" Garlend said excitedly. "I heard Brazilian barbecue was bomb!"


    "Just remember, you can''t have too much before the fight, Garlend," Leon reminded.


    "Aww, come on..."


    "I don''t mean to interrupt," Manuela interjected. "But we should grab what we need from the store and bounce before the cops come around here again."


    "True, but what should we do about our resident attention whore, though?" Enzo said, pointing at the still-sulking Rafael.


    "Just leave him," Manuela said. "He deserves an ass-kicking, but he''s not worth the trouble right now."


    "Fair enough," Enzo shrugged.


    "While you guys get your stuff, I can get my car, and give you guys a lift," Garlend said. "We''re only parked across the street.


    "We''d appreciate that," Enzo said, rubbing the sweat off his face. "Anything to avoid those nosy paparazzos on the way back."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Sheeeit, when you said a car, I wasn''t expecting you to be driving a Rolls Royce!"


    Garlend chuckled at Enzo''s exclamation as everyone packed inside his car. His model was a Dawn with a cobalt blue paint job, and roomy enough to fit everyone and the their supplies comfortably.


    "Well, when you invest your cash from prize fights, you can afford to indulge in some of the more expensive things in life you''ve always wanted," the boxer remarked as he shifted the car into drive, and pulled out of the store''s parking lot. "I had to rent this one from a dealership when I came here, but my personal one back home is the exact same model, just with a different paint job."


    "Damn, you must make nice money to even be able to rent a Rolls Royce!" Manuela said.


    Garlend shrugged. "Honestly, if it wasn''t for Leon and Sayf helping me invest, and keeping me in check, I''d have probably blown through a lot of my money already," he admitted. "By the way, where we going?"


    "Turn right, it''s about ten blocks down, then another right," Sean said.


    Garlend nodded, and drove off down the street. "Thanks... By the way, we didn''t get your guys'' names earlier."


    Sean''s eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right!" Sean exclaimed. "It totally slipped my mind. I''m Sean Matsuda; and these are my cousins Manuela and Enzo da Silva."


    "Matsuda? Leon repeated. "The same one who got into that giant scrap with Karin Kanzuki last night?"


    Sean and Enzo groaned in annoyance. They should''ve expected that to come up. "Guilty as charged... and almost literally, too," Sean sighed.


    "Hey, don''t even trip," Leon said, waving his hand. "I personally think that video is all bull, really."


    Both Sean and Enzo looked at each other in surprise.


    "Being frank, I can''t say I know you well personally," Leon continued. "But I know about your family''s rep, and y''all don''t be going around picking fights for no good reason. For you to swing at her and her friend the way y''all did, it had to be for a very good reason."


    "Well, yeah, they called us monkeys, and said Sean''s sister was the locker room bicycle," Enzo said. "We would''ve let all the other crap ride if they hadn''t of said all that."


    "And I rest my case," Leon said. "She ain''t got a leg to stand on."


    "Speaking of fights, the hell happened back there, anyway?" Garlend asked. "There was almost a dozen guys there ready to fade you!"


    "Pssh, those kids ain''t shit," Enzo said. "They''re just a bunch of big mouths from the local Gracie Jujitsu school. They always get into street fights around S?o Paulo, and constantly give my cousin Laura''s dojo grief, since they teach their own take on jujitsu, and their granddad was rivals with the Gracie family at one point."


    "Their skills ain''t worth much, though," Manuela added. "They think they''re big shit cuz they win street fights, but anytime they face someone with decent martial arts training, they always get laid out easily, because they''re too cocky."


    "Yeah, I kinda got that vibe from them, even though I didn''t know what they were sayin''," replied Garlend. "By the way, y''all said you had tickets to the fight, right?"


    Sean nodded. "Me and Enzo do, yeah. Two of Karin''s friends who was with her came and apologized to us earlier, and offered to take us to the event tonight as a peace offering."


    "And you trust them?" Leon looked back at Sean with a raised eyebrow. Sean just shrugged.


    "Considering that they personally helped us make a rebuttal, and actually treated us with respect, I''m willing to give ''em benefit of the doubt," Sean answered.


    It wasn''t long before the group arrived at the Matsuda residence. Laura and Fabio were waiting outside on the porch when Garlend''s car pulled into the driveway. The siblings were confused, until Sean and their cousins loaded out of the car.


    "Yo, what the hell happened at the store?!" Fabio exclaimed as his brother walked up. "Don''t tell me those Gracie assholes are back at it!"


    "Well, it certainly wasn''t a mob of hyperactive fans," Sean responded sarcastically. "Rafael and his goon squad tried to jump us, but we had backup." He gestured to Garlend and Len behind him. "This is Garlend and Leon, by the way. They helped us push all the Gracie students back, so we invited them over for lunch as a thank-you."


    "''Sup?" Garlend greeted with a wave.


    "Pleasure to meet you," Leon said.


    "Likewise," Laura replied. "You two aren''t from around here, I take it?"


    "Nah, we''re from the U.S.," Garlend said, resting his arms behind his head. "Leon''s my trainer; we came down here for a boxing match happening at the Gin¨¢sio do Ibirapuera... Did I pronounce it right?" He looked at Sean.


    Sean nodded. "You got it."


    Laura clasped her hands excitedly, and grinned widely. "Oh, so you''re a pro fighter! Have you met Dudley, by any chance?"


    "I sparred with him a couple times," Garlend replied. "He''s a real cool guy. I''m not ranked high enough to fight him officially yet, but I''m working on it."


    "I don''t mean to be pushy but can we get to the back, and throw some meat on the churrasqueira already?" Enzo moaned. "I''m starvin'' after that brawl, and I don''t want to miss out on any meat because of Laura''s greedy ass."


    Laura merely gave her cousin a playful smirk. "Just for that, I''m going to eat double what I normally do, just so you don''t get any!"


    "AWW, COME ON!"


    Eventually, the group made their way into the Matsuda''s backyard, where Brenda and Pedro were busy frying the meat over the grill. Kinjiro, who admittedly was not the best cook, sat as far away as possible from the grill, while Luzia got some light snacks ready.


    "We''re back!" Manuela announced, getting the attention of the adults. "We had a run-in with the Gracie school, but we made it out unscathed."


    "So we heard," Kinjiro said. "Laura said those spoiled brats tried to swarm you at the store."


    "They did, but we got an unlikely ally at the last second," Sean said, gesturing towards Garlend.


    "It was the least I could do, man," the boxer replied, before turning his attention to Sean''s family. "I''m Garlend, by the way; and that''s my trainer, Leon. We stumbled on the fight by accident, but it would''ve been wrong for me to just sit there and watch them get ganged on."


    "And that''s part of why you keep getting into trouble," Leon remarked, playfully slapping Garlend on the shoulder.


    "Hey, hey!"


    Kinjiro chuckled. "Twice today, someone has helped my grandson and nephew for no other reason besides doing the right thing," he said. "I suppose thanks is in order for your selflessness. I''m Kinjiro; Sean''s grandfather, and former sensei."


    "An honor to meet you, sir," Garlend replied kindly, taking a seat next to the old master. "And like I said, it was the least I could do. I don''t know why none of those other people tried to help."


    "Because they all wanted a spectacle," Fabio answered matter-of-factually. "With last night''s brawl flowing through the grapevine, they probably wanted to see if what Sean did was a fluke or not."


    "First time in a long time anyone in this damn state cared about what I do," Sean remarked sardonically as he sat down the food and buns in his arms on a nearby table. "But it beats being a laughingstock, at least."


    "I don''t see how you are, considering you managed to put someone through a wall," Garlend pointed out.


    "I do," Leon said, settling down next to Garlend. "He took a pretty nasty loss at the U.S. Tournament qualifiers a few years back, and people everywhere still give him grief over it, to the point where he''s unofficially barred from most tournaments."


    "Don''t remind me," Sean moaned.


    "I still don''t get it, though," Garlend said. "I''ve lost my fair share of qualifiers too; so why do you get so much scrutiny?"


    "Because of Ken Masters, that''s why." Sean explained, not even hiding the frustration in his voice. "I''m more or less his unofficial pupil, and actually fought him in the World Warrior finals. So when I showed up to the U.S. Tournament, everyone was expecting big things from ''Ken Masters'' disciple.'' But the reality of it is that he did nothing to actually train me, and I suffered because of it."


    "And now everyone writes you off as a bust over that?" Garlend questioned incredulously. "That''s bull! I''ve seen some absolutely horrendous scrubs in all the circuits I''ve been in, and you''re nowhere near among them. Maybe you''re inexperienced, but you''re definitely not a slouch."


    "Indeed," Kinjiro agreed. "Sean is at a bigger disadvantage without someone to truly teach him his desired fighting style, but he''s done more than most people in his position."


    "Too bad the rest of the world ain''t tryin to hear me," Sean sighed, flopping into a lawn chair. "Especially after the last 14 hours."


    Fabio shook his head, and gently placed a hand on his brother''s shoulder. "Come on, don''t start this now, bro. You''re gonna get your props from the fighting world sooner than you think. Forget whatever that Karin girl says."


    "And you know we''ll always have your back, regardless how the rest of the world feels about you," Laura said. "Our family never turns our back on each other, you know that."


    "And our family also never leaves each other hungry!" Pedro announced. He and Brenda carried large trays of various steaming meats that were impaled with skewers and knives, as well as veggies and rice. "Lunch is ready!"


    "Finally!" Enzo exclaimed. He was certain his stomach was going to start grinding his bones for nourishment if he didn''t eat as soon as possible. He quickly made a move for the meat, but suddenly found himself wrapped into a headlock from behind by Laura.


    "Ah-ah! What''d I say earlier, Enz?" Laura chided playfully as she held onto him. "I''m getting first dibs here."


    "Screw off, Laura!" Enzo complained, futilely trying to break out of his cousin''s headlock. "I''m starvin'' here!"


    The American guests watched the scene unfold in confusion, while Sean simply looked on in amusement, thankful he wasn''t on the receiving end of Laura''s headlock this time around. Garlend glanced over at Sean, and asked, "Is this a normal thing between y''all?"


    Sean chortled. "Unfortunately, but at least it ain''t me getting choked out this time. Come on, let''s get some of that grub before Laura actually does eat it all."

 No More Words

    So why try test, or dismiss ya stress


    On a brother like Grap Lova


    Just to impress ya friends? or maybe my man Rob O


    But the God is down with I, so that shit don''t go, so


    Take that ass to the lost and found,


    Look for ya style there, you little clown


    I''m too busy paying dues, got no time for playing games


    More credentials to my name, cause I''m about to get fame


    Ya played out game got you thinking you star


    But talk is cheap, so you won''t get far


    InI - "No More Words"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    It wasn''t very long before footage of the fight between the Matsudas and the Gracie school made it''s way out of the local S?o Paulo sphere, and into the wider fighting community. While street fights were far from uncommon in S?o Paulo, two rival fighting schools, combined with Sean''s recent notoriety, and the intervention of a high-ranked boxer caused it to spread like wildfire. So when the fight footage eventually made its way onto Sakura and Elena''s feeds, they were immediately worried.


    "This is insane!" Elena commented as she watched the fight on her phone with Sakura in their hotel room. "Does everyone have it out for him all of a sudden?"


    Sakura shakes her head in disgust. "It seems like it. Poor guy can''t seem to get a break. Hopefully that changes after tonight."


    "I''m afraid it''s going to take a lot more than an appearance at a fight," Elena sighed as she leaned back into the sofa they were sitting on. "He needs to get into an actual tournament to turn the tide in his favor; but I heard a rumor that he was blackballed."


    "And it''s only going to continue, no thanks to Karin," Sakura groaned. "Between Ken, the abuse from the fighting community, now this... Not even Dan gets this much hate, and he''s probably worse than Sean is!"


    "To be fair, you have to be a special kind of bad to do worse than a guy like Dan," Elena pointed out. "But you''re not wrong." She lazily blew some strands of hair out of her face. "If we were more proactive last night, and stopped that fight before it happened, this wouldn''t be happening."


    "I wouldn''t put it pass Karin to try something, anyway" Sakura replied in annoyance. "What''s even up with her, all of a sudden? I thought she was past all this dumb ''I''m superior to you'' stuff years ago, when we were in high school together."


    "It''s honestly pretty bad," Elena said, turning her head to look at Sakura. "But thinking about it now, I can''t say I''m too surprised. I didn''t say anything back at Sean''s house, but I''ve noticed this trend going for a while."


    Sakura gave Elena a curious look. "You did?"


    "Yeah," Elena replied "Let me ask you something. Outside of yourself, and maybe Ibuki, if Karin isn''t rubbing elbows with other wealthy elites, who else does she typically hang with?"


    "Other elite fighters, usually," Sakura answered, unsure where Elena was heading. "Why?"


    "Think about it," Elena continued. "You''re an elite fighter. Ibuki is an elite fighter. I''m one, plus I''m royalty too, since my dad is the chief of my home region. My point is that she only shows respect to people who are either also part of the elite, or can match her in combat. Sean, with all due respect, is neither, and it''s pretty clear Karin''s opinion of him is even lower because of his complexion, too."


    "But didn''t Laura say she worked for Karin?" Sakura pointed out.


    Elena shook her head. "She does, but that''s not where the double standard comes into play. Laura is a skilled fighter who runs a dojo, and has fought some of the best in the world, including Karin herself. Meanwhile, Sean... well, his reputation speaks for itself."


    "I know," Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair. While she could admit Karin had kept a bit of a snobbish streak even after eating a big slice of humble pie, hearing Elena''s observations put all of their past interactions in a different light. Even before they became friends, Karin had attended the same public school she did, but only did so to "observe the commoners," as Karin put it. And even after they eventually became friends, Sakura could recall Karin still treating everyone who wasn''t Sakura with contempt and condescension whenever they hung out, including Kei, her best friend. And any time she fought a weaker fighter, she viciously berated them, to the point where some quit fighting altogether after such a brutal dressing down. And don''t even get her started on all of Karin''s failed suitors... It really made Sakura second-guess Karin''s initial change of attitude after their second fight.


    "I guess I didn''t know Karin as well as I thought I did," Sakura admitted reluctantly. "I honestly thought she changed, but I guess she''s a better actress than I gave her credit for."


    "Don''t feel too bad about it, Sakura," Elena replied. "You''re her best friend, no one can''t blame you for overlooking her attitude, even if it was unconscious on your part."


    "It doesn''t change the fact that I should''ve noticed it, and I should''ve been less tolerant of her elitist ways. ''Plebeian'' this, ''plebeian'' that..." Sakura groaned, and sunk into the couch. She always tried to see the best in everyone, but that may have been a mistake the more she thinks about Karin''s character.


    "She''s extremely prideful, and has a massive superiority complex," Elena noted, stretching her arms. "And she inherited both of those from her own family. I mean, she''s not evil, and can even be a great person when she wants to be, but her hubris and drive for success makes her feel like she''s far above everyone else, and can treat them like dirt."


    "But that doesn''t explain-" Sakura is interrupted by the sound of the hotel room door slamming open, causing both girls to jump. The girls quickly looked over, and saw both Karin and Ibuki in the doorway. And if looks could kill, both Sakura and Elena would''ve been cremated instantly. Both girls immediately noticed that Ibuki was wearing a T-shirt instead of her usual dresses to hide the scar Sean gave her the other night.


    "There you are!" Ibuki seethed at them as she stomped her way over. "So we''re ''catty, racist bitches'' now, Sakura?!"


    "I guess you two saw Sean''s response video," Sakura remarked in a deadpan tone. "Well, if the shoe didn''t fit, Ibuki, I wouldn''t have said it. Maybe you''re not racist, but Karin is a different story."


    "I''ll have you know there''s not a racist bone in my body, Sakura!" Karin retorted angrily. "It''s bad enough you and Elena helped those punks make a response, but you two had no right to make such frivolous claims about us!"


    "''Frivolous?''" Elena repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "We were there, Karin! We heard what you said, and saw what you did! You repeatedly calling two Afro-Brazilian men ''monkeys'' isn''t a frivolous claim; you knew exactly what you said and meant. But you claiming that they started the fight, then spat in your face afterwards? That''s not just a frivolous claim, that''s downright slanderous!"


    "I simply called them for what they were!" Karin insisted haughtily, ignoring Elena''s second statement. "Only primates would act so uncivilized! That''s not racism, that''s fact!"


    In a flash, Elena was off the couch and right in front Karin, staring down the shorter woman with an uncharacteristically angry expression. Karin was taken aback by the Kenyan princess'' reaction. her normally bubbly and friendly personality was replaced with raw fury and hurt; and had Sakura not also gotten up to hold her back, she probably would''ve slapped Karin''s head off her shoulders.


    "Listen Karin, I''ve encountered many racist and xenophobic people in my travels," Elena growled in a low tone, sending chills down everyone''s spines. "I''ve been called every name in the book, but I choose to kill them with kindness, and educate, because reacting with anger and violence isn''t my way. But you, of all people, aren''t going to look me, a Kenyan native, in the eye and tell me that what you said wasn''t racist; especially since it''s extremely likely this isn''t the first time you''ve said racist things to people. So is this really the hill you wanna die on, Karin?" She looked down at Karin with a withering glare.


    The Kanzuki heiress was shaken by Elena''s change in demeanor, but her pride refused to let her back down. "Elena, if I was racist, would I have that punk''s sister on my payroll?" she countered firmly. "Would I even consider having you as-"


    "Don''t even go there!" Elena snapped, cutting Karin off. "You know as well as I do that if I wasn''t a princess, or a skilled fighter, you''d be turning your nose up at me, and calling me out of my name, too! There''s plenty of racist and xenophobic people out there who have token employees and friends to make themselves look better, but I''m not going to be one of yours! Are we clear?"


    Ibuki and Sakura stared at Elena with wide eyes, while Karin slowly backed away from Elena, unprepared for the venom that was coming from the Kenyan princess. None of them had ever seen Elena get so angry, so they didn''t know how to react. After a tense stare-down that lasted a few more seconds, Elena huffed, and turned away, freeing herself from Sakura''s grip in the process.


    "You know what, I''m done," she declared as she headed towards her room. "I''ve got better things to do than go back and forth with you, since I don''t need the wind to tell me you''re not going to change your ways anytime soon. I''m going to get my stuff, and then I''m leaving for the rest of the day. maybe my so-called fellow ''primates'' will be better company." She glanced back at Sakura. "Are you coming too, Sakura?"


    Sakura nodded, glad that she didn''t have to try and break up another fight. "I''ll go get my shoes."


    "I don''t believe this," Karin muttered, shaking her head as Elena and Sakura entered their rooms. She looked over at Ibuki, and asked, "Do you really think what I said to those plebeians was racist?"


    "Yup," Ibuki responded bluntly, causing Karin to look at her bug-eyed.


    "I thought you were on my side!?" Karin shrieked.


    "Insofar as getting payback on Sean, yes," Ibuki replied, folding her arms. "But you took it even further than I did. Did you really have to call them monkeys?"


    "You saw firsthand how they were acting last night!" Karin said defensively.


    "Yeah, they were assholes," Ibuki agreed. "I''m not denying that. But calling them monkeys was totally unnecessary, Karin."


    "And insulting their sister wasn''t?" Karin countered. Ibuki opened her mouth to retort, but couldn''t formulate a counter. Instead, she simply huffed, and looked away, muttering curses under her breath.


    A few minutes later, Elena reemerged from her room, now carrying a bag full of clothes. "Sakura, you ready?" She called out. "The Uber I ordered is almost here."


    "Yep!" Sakura replied, heading for the door with a small bag of her own. "Let''s go!"


    Karin huffed at them, and flipped her hair haughtily. "Don''t come crying to me when they send you through a wall next!"


    "Oh, we won''t," Elena calls back as she and Sakura left the penthouse. "Because we were actually taught to have tact and class!"


    The girls laugh as they walk out towards the elevator. Karin, enraged, started to chase after them, but was quickly restrained into a full nelson by Ibuki.


    "Let me go, Ibuki!" Karin protested, trying to break out of the hold. "I''m going to kill those two!"


    "It''s not going to help your case, Karin! Let them go!" Ibuki grunted as she struggled to hold onto the young CEO. Somehow, she knew this was only going to be the start of a long day...


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Back at the Matsuda residence, there were finally some good vibes after seeming non-stop drama. The music was flowing throughout the backyard, and everyone was sitting at a patio table in the middle of the yard, in front of a giant tray of grilled meats and vegetables. The Matsudas and Da Silvas had stacks of meat piled on their place, bar Kinjiro, who generally didn''t eat greasy foods, and opted for mostly vegetables. Garlend, himself having to watch his weight for his fight, ate less meat than he would have liked, despite his stomach''s protests. As they ate, Garlend told a story about a particular boxing match he had a few months prior to arriving in S?o Paulo.


    "...So the dude was clearly a big fan of Barlog, cuz he was trying to hit me with every dirty trick in the book you can think of right out the gate," Garlend spoke, leaning back into his chair. "Headbutts, crotch shots, you name it. And to top it off, the ref wasn''t doing anything ''bout it. I managed to K.O. him in the first round, but if I wasn''t blessed with the speed I got, he definitely would''ve cracked me with a couple dirty shots."


    "Are boxing refs usually that dirty?" Fabio asked as he bit into a piece of sirloin steak. "I''ve heard stories of officials taking bribes and stuff, but I thought that stuff was exaggerated."


    "It depends," Garlend said. "In boxing, there''s four major international governing bodies that have their own championships and rules, and in the States, there''s different athletic commissions and whatnot; but it''s usually the ''Big Four'' that call the shots, cause that''s where the big time money and championships are. Some are more blatant about their corruption than others, though; like the World Boxing Council."


    "What''d they do; let people pay off their refs?" Laura asked curiously between bites of pork roast. Out of everyone, Laura had the least knowledge about boxing, and was genuinely curious about its inner workings outside of the combat itself.


    Garlend laughed. "If they did, it''d still be fairer than what else happened," he remarked. "The most famous example I can remember is what happened between Roy Jones Jr. and Graciano Rocchigiani for the WBC light heavyweight title years ago. Roy vacated it, and Graciano won a fight to become the champ. But almost immediately afterwards, the WBC broke a dozen of their own rules to give Roy the title back because he changed his mind, and they sent Graciano a letter saying that the publication of his status as champ was a typo, and he was never an official title holder."


    "You''re joking!" Laura exclaimed.


    "They seriously got away with screwing one of their fighters like that?" Luzia asked skeptically.


    "Only in their dreams," Leon answered. "Graciano immediately filed a lawsuit against the WBC over the mess, cuz the way he got stripped hurt his earning potential. He won his case, and was awarded about thirty-one million in damages, but took a smaller settlement because the WBC would''ve gone bankrupt paying the full amount."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "They''re extremely lucky he willingly took the smaller settlement," Kinjiro commented. "An honorable fighter should never stand for being a pawn in a corporation''s game."


    "Yeah, but that''s how it is in the competitive fighting world," Garlend shrugged. "It always boils down to money, popularity, or who got connections with the higher ups in any organization. It''s shitty, but it''s how the game is played."


    "Have you two personally ever encountered anything like that?" Fabio asked curiously.


    "Not during my climb up the rankings, no," replied Garlend. "But it''s only a matter of time before politics and money come into play. Currently, I''m #3 in the WBC, #7 in the World Boxing Org., #5, in the World Boxing Association, and #10 in the International Boxing Federation."


    "Talk about a lack of naming creativity," Manuela commented dryly, causing everyone to laugh.


    "Not gonna lie, out of the big 4 boxing organizations, those first three are a pain to not get mixed up," Leon admitted, chuckling. "But Garlend''s match tonight is against the WBC''s #1 middleweight contender. If he wins, he''ll be in line for a title shot."


    "''If''?" Garlend repeated disbelievingly, looking his coach up and down. "Leon, you know I''mma be walking out as #1 contender tonight!" The young boxer folded his arms confidently. Leon just rolled his eyes.


    "And here we go," Leon replied in exasperation. "Garlend, I keep telling you not to get cocky, man. Pride always comes before a fall."


    "And I keep telling you that it''s confidence, not conceitedness," Garlend batted back, though there was no malice in his voice. "I''m not saying I''m the all-time best whatsoever, but nobody''s been able to lay a hand on me; I''m too fast."


    "I believe you," Sean, who was busy munching on a large chicken leg, interjected. "You tore through all those Gracie chumps faster than anyone I''ve ever seen."


    "Yeah, you was a blur, man!" Enzo agreed. "I couldn''t keep up with your speed watchin'' you! Not even Dee Jay is that fast! How''d you get your speed?"


    "I actually gotta thank Leon and my other coach, Sayf, for that," Garlend replied humbly. "I was always quick growing up, but they taught me how to sharpen my reflexes, and increase my speed and stamina. I probably wouldn''t be half as good in the ring now without em."


    "How long you been boxing for, anyway?" Enzo asked.


    "About seven years, come next month," Garlend replied. "I''ve been boxing since I was twelve, and I went pro at seventeen."


    "I thought you needed to be at least 18 to box professionally?" Pedro said.


    "There''s no age limit for pro boxing," Leon replied as he grabbed another skewer. "Obviously, none of the governing bodies are gonna put a twiggy teenager in the ring with a super heavyweight, but generally, if you''ve got a good amateur record, you can make a case for being a teenage pro fighter. And Garlend was undefeated as an amateur, so he had an easier time getting pro recognition."


    "What about schooling?" Brenda asked. "I doubt your parents would let your career get in the way of your education."


    "They didn''t, believe me," Garlend chuckled. "But they supported my dream. It got me out of getting in trouble on the streets, at least, which we''re all grateful for; and I''m grateful for Sayf and Leon for giving me the opportunity."


    "You''ve got your priorities straight at least," Kinjiro said. "Unlike most of those damn punks at the Gracie dojo. Bunch of undisciplined brats, they are."


    "What''s the deal with that, anyway?" Leon asked the old master. "Enzo said you and the Gracies were rivals, but I''m surprised it goes that deep."


    "That''s because I was rivals with the original Gracie brothers," Kinjiro replied. "Before my wife and I immigrated here, Mitsuyo Maeda was a popular judoka and prize fighter in Bel¨¦m do Par¨¢, where the Gracies were living at the time. He taught their son Carlos judo as a thank you to his father for helping him set up a Japanese community in the country. When the Gracies went back to Rio de Janerio, they put their own twist on Maeda''s teachings, and soon enough, Gracie Jujitsu was born."


    "I''ve never claimed to be the first master to bring Jujitsu to Brazil," Kinjiro continued. "But I''ve always maintained that my jujitsu was based off the original Japanese art, unlike the judo-based style of the Gracies. When I began teaching my style, the Gracies were already building their monopoly on jujitsu, and challenged me. To this day, I''m one of the few to have beaten the original Gracies."


    Garlend''s eyes widened. "You''re joking!"


    Kinjiro laughed heartily. "At my age, I have no reason to lie. And they certainly gave one hell of a fight. But I never felt the need to flaunt it around; I just wanted to teach my own style, instead of bending to the Gracies'' will. I respect the Gracies themselves, mainly because of what they''ve done for the jujitsu art form, and because they''re legitimate martial artists. But most of their students are a different story. Not all of them are bad, but a lot of them are just spoiled rotten kids who want to cause trouble."


    "Not helping things is that the Gracies almost exclusively teach upper class students," Laura explained. "So Jujitsu in general gets a bad rep here in Brazil because of those snot nosed brats doing stupid crap all the time, plus all the crap the Gracies used to pull back in their heyday. It''s hard to attract local students because of it."


    "How do y''all manage, then?" Garlend asked.


    "Tournaments, mostly," Laura explained. "I go around the world competing to promote our style, and handing out packets about our dojo to prospective students. Fabio handles the Brazilian circuit while I''m travelling."


    "I also teach some of the online courses," Fabio added. "Makes it easier to bring in the international students who can''t afford to travel here."


    Garlend nodded. "Leon and Sayf do the same thing. Leon mostly handles the boxing courses, while Sayf does more of the MMA and philosophical stuff."


    "Speaking of, I''m kinda curious about your fighting style," Sean interjected. "You''re a boxer, but your fighting stance is a lot like mine."


    Garlend raised an eyebrow. "You mean my Philly Shell?"


    "Is that what it''s called?" Sean asked. "It looks almost identical to mine."


    "Really, now?" Garlend''s curiosity was now getting the better of him. He had seen Ryu and Ken in action, but hadn''t paid close attention to their fighting style. "Let me see."


    Leon sighed, and shook his head in annoyance. "Garlend, c''mon..." he groaned, thinking his trainee was about to start more trouble.


    "Will you chill, man?" Garlend replied smoothly as he got up from the table. "I ain''t that eager for a fight. I just wanna see what he''s working with." He glanced back at Sean. "That is, if you up for it."


    Sean merely shrugged. "Eh, ain''t no harm in it, really," he replied, also getting up from the table. Sean walked around a bit to get in front of Garlend, and immediately got into his fighting stance.


    Garlend observed him for a few moments, before replying, "I can see why you''d think my stance is based off Shotokan, but it ain''t." The boxer then shifted into his own boxing stance, shifting his feet and torso slightly, and tucking his arms between his waist and chest. "The Philly Shell''s based on techniques from old school boxing. Tailor made for slipping, parrying, and counter-punching." He bobbed and weaved to emphasize his point.


    Sean looked at Garlend''s stance curiously, before trying to mimic the Philly Shell himself; positioning his arms similarly. "Like this?"


    "Almost," Garlend replied, walking closer to Sean. "Your body''s gotta be more tight and compact to use it properly." He grabbed a hold of Sean''s left shoulder, before stopping himself. "Hang on, you orthodox, or southpaw?"


    "Eh, doesn''t matter," Sean replied. "I''m ambidextrous."


    Garlend nodded. "Ight. So basically, you got the arm placement down for the most part, but the key of the Philly Shell is being tucked in, so you can slip and shoulder roll hits, and force your opponent to overextend when trying to punch you." He backed off a bit, and assumed his stance once again. "So whichever shoulder you''re using for your lead, in this case, my left, your chin should be tucked into it, and you should be leaning at a slight inward angle like this."


    "Got it," Sean said, and twisted and tucked in his body to mirror Garlend''s stance better. "So, like this?"


    "Yup!" the boxer confirmed, reaching out to adjust Sean''s right hand. "Just move your rear hand up a bit more under your chin... and boom! That''s a basic Philly Shell!"


    Sean glanced down at himself, and nodded approvingly as he began bobbing and throwing light jabs.


    "That kind of defense doesn''t seem practical," Fabio commented as he watched Sean. "You''re essentially leaving your head wide open!"


    "The key to the Philly Shell is reflexes," Leon replied as he took a bite out of a chorizo sausage. "Like Garlend said, it''s designed for counter-punching. You''re either parrying with your rear hand, or you''re slipping and rolling off punches with your shoulder, and then striking while the opponent''s defenseless." He swallowed before continuing, "But I''ll tell you straight up, that kind of defense ain''t for everyone. With the Philly Shell, it requires great athleticism, because you always gotta be moving, and quick enough to react to any punch thrown your way. Only a few have mastered the Philly Shell to its fullest potential; like Pernell Whitaker, James Toney, and Floyd Mayweather."


    "Would it be a practical defense for an MMA fighter, though?" pressed Fabio.


    "It''d require some slight adjustments, but definitely," Garlend said. "It''s good for blocking kicks, especially high ones. But nonetheless," he turned back to Sean. "If you want to seriously consider adding the Philly Shell to your repertoire, you should look up a boxing trainer who can teach you how to use all the proper blocking techniques."


    Sean looked at Garlend quizzically. "Why would I need to know other styles?"


    "Cuz even if you do have the knack for the Philly Shell you still gotta learn the fundamentals first, just like any other style," Garlend replied. "And not only that, knowing other forms of defense can save your ass in a fight if you get caught lacking." Garlend then went back into his fighting stance. "For example: Mayweather versus ''Sugar'' Shane Mosely. In that fight, Floyd was using the Philly shell, his hands were too low... BOOM! He got tagged hard." The boxer whipped his head back exaggeratedly to emphasize his words.


    "He got hurt, had to clinch, BUT," Garlend threw his hands up into a traditional defensive boxing stance. "His hands came up as soon as he got hurt. He knew he was in trouble, and those hands went up instinctively. Had he kept trying to use the Philly Shell in that moment, he likely would''ve gotten knocked out. That''s why having the fundamentals is crucial, regardless of your martial art."


    Sean nodded as he took in Garlend''s words. "Papa and Ken always told me the same, so I see where you''re comin'' from."


    Garlend grinned, and lightly tapped Sean on his arm. "Once you get that Philly shell down, combined with your current work, you''ll be mashing fools in no time."


    Sean just shrugged apathetically. "I need to find a tournament or organization that''ll let me fight, first," he replied. "I keep getting laughed out of every single one, even when Ken does try to help me get through the door."


    "Those tourney organizers''ll come around in time, man" Enzo spoke up. "Forget about ''em, and whatever crap Kanzuki might try. Right now, since we got everyone here, we may as well really get some charme vibes goin'' on!"


    Enzo quickly grabbed his aunt''s phone, which was hooked up to the nearby bluetooth speaker, and quickly began scrolling through Spotify, until he found the song he wanted, and hit play. Instantly, Lil Mosey''s "Blueberry Faygo" began blaring out of the speaker. Everyone except the American guests audibly groaned as Enzo began singing along to the song.


    "...Three more millions when you ask how my day go, poured up a four, now that''s blueberry F...ack!" Enzo was interrupted by Laura wrapping him into another headlock from behind.


    "O-kay, I''m officially cutting that crap off!" Laura declared, snatching the phone from Enzo''s grasp with her free hand. "This is a mumble-free zone!"


    "Dammit, Laura, quit bein'' a hater!" Enzo groaned as he tried to get loose. "That''s song''s fogo!"


    "More like fogo de lixo!" Laura snarked as she looked for a new song to play. "If we''re gonna do charme the right way, we need some classics... Aha! here we go!" Laura instantly hit play on a song she recognized.


    "...It''s the remix to Ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen..." This time, Garlend and Leon let out groans as well.


    "Oh hell naw!" Leon exclaimed. "You gotta switch that; I can''t listen to Kells the same no more!"


    "What?" Laura asked with genuine confusion. "It''s a good song!"


    "Nah, I''ll listen to Michael Jackson before I listen to R. Kelly again," Garlend said, waving his hands. "At least Mike had plausible deniability."


    "I agree," Sean replied, walking over, and swiping the phone away from his sister. "Which is why I''m picking the songs, cuz I got the best music taste in the family!"


    "Said who?" Laura said indignantly. She tried to reach for Sean, but he managed to stay out of her reach.


    "Said I," was the Ansatsuken fighter''s reply, glad he could avoid Laura''s monster strength for once. "And I know how to really get the charme vibes going, like so!" A quick few taps on the phone later, the opening notes of "Anything" by SWV and Wu-Tang Clan began to play.


    "Finally, something good to dance to!" Manuela said as she got out of her seat to dance. The rest of the table seemed to agree, as everyone else, sans Enzo, who was still in Laura''s headlock, quickly followed suit. Sean simply gave his sister the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster.


    "Like I said, best taste in the family," Sean gloated as he joined everyone else. Laura rolled her eyes, and finally let Enzo out of the headlock. The capoeirista immediately stood straight, and rolled his neck.


    "Finally," Enzo groaned. "Freedom from the jaws of death!"


    Laura ignored the snide comment, and just watched Sean in silent concern as he danced with the others. He was all smiles, but Laura could tell it wasn''t entirely genuine. Enzo noticed her expression, and asked, "You okay?"


    Laura sighed in uncharacteristic worry, and replied, "I''m just worried about Sean. He was already down pretty bad, but this smear campaign by Karin isn''t going to do him any favors. I''m worried he''s gonna sink deeper."


    Enzo shook his head. "Nah, his time''s gonna come real soon; I can feel it," he countered. "Plus, he''s got us as family to keep him from going off the deep end. Sean''s definitely been going through it the last couple years, but we''re gonna help him pull through, no question."


    "Still, I''m..." Laura''s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell coming from inside the house. Her expression shifted from concern to incredulity as she looked towards her home. "What in... who''s at our house now?"


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if it was Kanzuki herself," Enzo said. "Want me to go check it out?"


    Laura shook her head. "If it is her, then a round 2 is the last thing you need. I''ll go see who it is; you go join the others."


    Enzo nodded, and walked over to the small dance circle, while Laura headed inside to see who was at their door. The young capoeirista held his arms out as he approached everyone, and shouted, "Alright, clear the dance floor! Let the master show you how to really get down!"


    "''The master''?" Manuela guffawed. " Boy, please! You can barely do a two-step!"


    "You''re one to talk, Manny!" Enzo retorted, using his personal nickname for his sister. "You can''t hold a torch to me!"


    Manuela walked over to her brother until she was face to face with him. "You wanna bet? Why don''t we put that claim to the test right now?"


    "Oh shit!" Fabio exclaimed. "We''re about to have a dance off up in here!"


    "And I know the perfect song for one, too!" Sean said, pulling out his mother''s phone once again. A few taps later, the music switched to "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band. The result was instantaneous: The Da Silva siblings stepped back, and began breakdancing, attempting to outdo one another as a dance circle quickly formed.


    "Yeah, let''s go Manny!" Luzia cheered.


    "Knock her out the box, Enz''!" Sean shouted.


    As the dance off got into full swing, Laura reemerged from the house, this time with Sakura and Elena in tow. The returning visitors had expected the Matsudas to be in a mood, but were genuinely surprised to see them all dancing, along with Garlend.


    "What brought this on?" Sakura asked curiously.


    "Oh, we were just having an impromptu family lunch right before you two came back," Laura said nonchalantly. "Sean just put on some music, and I guess Manuela and Enzo decided to have a dance off."


    "They''re really good," The capoeirista remarked as she watched the siblings dance. "I saw some of Enzo''s dancing last night, but he''s really cutting loose now."


    "Mhm, a sibling rivalry will do that for you," Laura remarked. "They''re always trying to outdo each other. Anyhow, let''s go join the party; I''m sure you two didn''t come back to just watch."


    The girls nodded, and quickly joined the dance circle with Laura. "Mind if we join in?" Elena asked the rest of the Matsudas with a cheerful smile, surprising everyone. Enzo and Manuela quickly stopped dancing when they realized who showed up.


    "You''re back already?" Pedro asked in confusion. "I thought you two were supposed to meet Enzo and Sean at the store later?"


    Elena''s smile gradually faded, before settling into a small frown. "I know, but I just had a bad argument with Karin, and I just couldn''t stand being around her any longer."


    "Can''t blame you for that, knowing what we know," replied Fabio. "You''re both more than welcome to hang with us. Plenty of music and barbecue to go around."


    Elena''s smile quickly returned, and she nodded appreciatively, before diverting her attention to Enzo, Sean, and Manuela. "I''m glad to see you guys are okay, too. Me and Sakura saw footage of that brawl from earlier."


    All of the Matsuda''s eyes widened in surprise. "Dammit!" Manuela cursed. "I saw people filming it, but I didn''t think it''d spread that fast. Where''d you two see it?"


    "Shoryuken retweeted it on their feed; that''s how we saw it," Sakura spoke up.


    "Figures," Sean groaned.


    "Don''t even sweat that, Sean," Garlend reassured, patting Sean''s back. The girls gave the boxer a curious look, before their eyes widened in realization.


    "Hey, you''re that other fighter that helped them out!" Elena exclaimed. "Are you one of their friends?"


    Garlend laughed. "Not quite. I was just passin'' by when I saw them get surrounded by that goon squad, so I jumped in to even the field. They invited me over after the dust settled." He extended out his hand for a handshake. "Name''s Garlend Jones, by the way."


    "As in the American boxer?" Elena asked as she shook his hand. "You''re pretty far from home. Here for a fight, I assume?"


    Garlend nodded. "Yeah, a sanctioned fight. Sean and Enzo said they were going with a couple others, so I take it that''d be you and your friend?"


    Elena smiled. "Correct! I''m Elena Sironka, and that''s my friend Sakura Kasugano," she replied, gesturing at her fellow fighter.


    "Pleased to meet you!" Sakura greeted, bowing politely.


    Garlend''s eyes widened at the revelation. "Oh shit, for real?!" He looked at Sean and said, "You didn''t tell me you had connections like that!"


    Sean just shrugged, trying to play off the pride swelling inside him. "They helped us clap back at Karin''s video earlier, like I told ya. I''ve known Elena for years, but last night was my first time meeting Sakura in person."


    "Crazy," Garlend said, grinning at the two women. "I''m a big fan of both of y''all, so it''s an honor to meet ya."


    "Likewise," Sakrua said, returning the grin. "By the way, is it too late to join the dance battle?"