Fan Fiction ❯ Fighter's Crusade: Project Epsilon ❯ Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY

Loyal readers; CHAPTER 8 IS DONE! Praise the Lord! I'll start on Chapter 9 soon enough, and everyone is going to have fun with the next few developments. I guarantee it. Anyway, everyone have a good read and I now have the story mirrored at http://projectepsilon.netfirms.com that includes illustrations for your viewing pleasure. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter at ownerizer@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Ownerizer

CHAPTER 8

Hitomi laid her gi out on the bed. Spreading out the jacket and pants she smoothed the wrinkles out with her hand. Content she took a step back and admired the outfit. It looked like new. Taking the accomanying black belt from her suitcase she carefully folded it and laid it on top of the gi.

"Are you planning on wearing that?"

Hitomi glanced behind her. Lee stood with his arms folded across his bare chest. He wore the black silk pants from the dragon set.

"Yes."

"You might want to think twice."

"Why?"

"Have you ever been in a real fighting tournament?"

With an embarrassed pause she replied, "Not really."

"Because once you get in there, you're not coming back the same. It doesn't matter who throws the first punch, blood is going to spill either way. Do you want your pretty, white, clothes stained with blood?"

"Well, no."

"Then find something else to wear."

"I don't plan on getting blood on my clothes."

"But what about the other guy? He's got blood too."

"So?"

Lee slowly started to grin.

"If you're really good, you can stain your clothes with his blood."

Surprised, Hitomi turned around.

"You're demented. You know that?"

He sported a full demonic grin.

"You ARE demented," she exclaimed.

"What's wrong with the clothes you have on now?"

Hitomi looked at the clothing. The same pair of hip-hugging jean pants she had worn from yesterday and a tight fitting, white, shirt sown together with pink thread and lined with pink on the edges. The bird was portrayed on the front again. It was just one of those things. An obsession, if you can call it that; although it was too mild to be an obsession and not serious enough to be a trend. Lee seemed to know she was thinking about the phoenix. Maybe it was just coincidence.

"And how many shirts do you have like that?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"With that on them."

"Huh?"

"With that bird thing on them."

"Bird thing?"

Hitomi knew what he meant, but she was a little offended by his description; so she decided to be difficult.

"Yeah," Lee continued, "that bird thing on your shirt."

"That, Lee-chan, is a phoenix," she explained, pointing to her chest so he would knew exactly what she was talking about.

The bouncer paused, probing his brain for the story of the symbol. Its name had been used and he knew what it was, he just didn't know WHAT it was. Sensing his loss the girl continued with her explanation.

"A mythical bird that was killed in fire but was born again, stronger, from the ashes."

"Why do you wear it?"

"Because it's the symbol of my father's dojo. Although he didn't acknowledge it, I knew I was his favorite student. He always volunteered me to be an example."

Hitomi lowered her head as she remembered past memories and continued:

"I was always an example, as a sparring partner or a bad example. It was like he wanted to exploit my weaknesses. Dad always had special gis made for a select group of his students. It was no surprise I was one of them. Look."

Hitomi took the jacket of the gi off the bed and held it open for Lee to see. On the inside her name was neatly embroidered in a san-serif text. She ran a hand across the raised text to feel its texture.

"I worked hard for this," she whispered.

"For your name?"

To Lee, working for just your own name seemed like a waste of his time.

"It's not just my name. It's proof of my accomplishments. It's a symbol that we were the best of the best. The ones my father handpicked, the ones he was proud to display. It holds a lot of meaning to me."

"But no one can see it on the inside."

She turned the gi around to show the back. A huge patch of the bird displayed itself shoulder to shoulder. The feet of the bird clasped to a banner with three words on it: vires, dominatio, constantia. Lee probably would of found the patch impressive; if he could read Latin.

"Only the Spezial Team received white uniforms with the phoenix patch. Everyone else's uniform was plain red."

"I see. So I guess you really don't want it stained red."

She paused, "No."

"What's wrong with what you're wearing now?"

Hitomi looked at her jeans. Although they were the jeans she had worn yesterday they didn't look or smell dirty. Supposedly it was safe to wear them again. Lee tugged her arm. She turned around.

"You might want to cover up your arms though," he told her.

"Why?"

"Why don't you wear that jacket that you've got? Because with all the grappling and kicking. your arms are going to get cut and scratched by fingernails, toenails, shoelaces."

"Shoes?"

"Well, you can have the other guy take them off, but they rules say their valid."

Sitting on the bed Hitomi slipped her feet inside the boots and buckled them secure. Lee stood dumbfounded.

"Are you really gonna fight in those?"

"Why not? If their other person is fighting with shoes on, why can't I?"

"Those aren't shoes," he mumbled, "they're combat boots."

"This is combat."

"No, I mean like military style combat boots."

"I think they're cute," she said pulling the legs of the pants over the top of the boots.

"Why are you so worried about me Lee?" Hitomi questioned, "You're not wearing a jacket either."

"I know."

"You're going to get hurt."

"Not really. The pain helps keep me focused."

She pointed a finger at him and squinted her eyes in playful suspicion.

"You really are demented," she accused.

"In a good way."

Lee handed her the packet. The number one hundred-forty-four was written on the front.

"This is your number," he explained, "the map is on the back page."

"I know. I saw it."

"Good. Show up to where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there."

She paused to process the sentence.

"Okay."

There was a clicking sound at the door and Roger came inside with a bagel in his mouth.

"Fere's buckfest dun steers."

Hitomi smiled at his sentence.

"C'mon," Lee motioned as he took the silk jacket, buttoned it, and followed Roger out the door. The little girl retrieved her jean jacket, joining them and shutting the door behind her.

Downstairs a continental breakfast had been set up for the guests of the hotel. The sheer volume of the buffet was impressive. Eggs, bacon, bagels, fruit; it was all available for consumption. Following Lee along the side of a table dressed with edibles she copied as he took a plate and piled food on top. Hitomi was unsure as to what to add to her plate. As she shuffled down the table she placed scrambled eggs, a few slices of bacon and accompanying slices of sausage. Towards the end of the table she accumulated some strips of breakfast steak and some chopped potatoes. Joining Lee and Roger at a table she looked for some eating utensils. The bouncer seemed to know what she was searching for. It was his job to look after her, after all. "Here," he said handing her a fork. Hitomi accepted it and started picking at the eggs.

"Do you know who you get to fight today?" Roger asked to neither one particular.

"Not off hand," Lee answered, "number one-thirty something."

"Hitomi?"

"Competitor Seventy-two?"

Roger sat back in his chair and took a drink from the coffee mug that sat next to his plate. Lee got up and left while the little girl forked some potatoes into her mouth. "That's a lot of meat," the bartender commented, "Do you think you can eat all that?" Hitomi looked at the meat he was describing. Bacon, sausage, breakfast steak; it was quite an impressive selection. "I can eat it all," she replied, "meat makes you strong. Physical strength allows you to dominate your opponents." Roger listened as he took another sip from the coffee mug, and she shook a finger at him to express her point. Lee returned and sat a glass of orange juice next to Hitomi's plate. "Thanks," she said and drank from the glass. Sitting back down in his chair the bouncer drank from a glass of milk.

"I don't know who I'm fighting or what style they're using," he said, "but I'm ready for just about anything."

"What do you mean by style?" Roger asked him.

"Fighting style," Hitomi informed, "I practice Karate."

"I practice Jeet Kun Do."

"But Karate is better," the little girl chimed.

Lee knew she was joking. He shrugged off the comment and took a bite from a half devoured, green apple he had picked up while getting Hitomi the orange juice.

"What time do we need to leave?" the bartender inquired.

"We need to be at the arena by 10 o' clock."

"We'd better go then," he said setting the coffee mug on the table.

Standing from the table Lee tapped Hitomi on the shoulder as she stuffed a strip of breakfast steak into her mouth.

"Wa-I want finish," she said with a mouth full of food.

"No time. Hurry and wolf it down."

She quickly forked more food from the plate and chewed it vigorously while standing from the table. Roger started out toward the car and Lee watched him. Hitomi knew he was waiting on her. Taking the glass of orange juice in both hands she didn't move it from her lips until it was empty. Setting the glass down the bouncer guided her out the hotel to Roger's already running car. Climbing into the car Hitomi knew that the fight ahead was going to be the toughest fight she had ever faced in her life. Her opponent would probably be quicker than she was, and it was almost guaranteed that they would be taller. Either way she would have to overpower them. "One punch," she thought to herself, "one punch and they go down and don't get back up."

x x x x

Hitomi looked at her packet. Turning it around and changing the orientation of the map didn't help. She was lost. Joining the flow of traffic Hitomi followed the people further down the hall. "How can I be lost?" the little girl mumbled, "I have a map right here." She kept an eye trained on the signs labeling each hallway that branched off of the main hall she was in. Wandering into another hallway Hitomi stepped off to the side to look at the map again. "I'm so lost," she cried to herself. Turning the map around again Hitomi tried to get her bearings. She made her way over to a bench and took a seat. Hitomi began to feel like she'd never get to where she was supposed to go. It wasn't fair. She had worked so hard and gotten so far; only to get lost and forfeit her match. Frustrated, Hitomi buried her face in the map knowing she was going to have to give up the match.

"Are ya' lost?"

"Huh?"

Hitomi moved the map from her face. A tall young woman stood in front of her who looked to be in her early twenties. She had blue eyes and straight blond hair that came down over her shoulders. Her gray tee shirt with the words `Armstrong Athletic Department' had been cut off dangerously close below her breasts revealing a supermodel stomach. A pair of black track shorts that stopped almost too skimpy to be called shorts completed her outfit.

"So, are you lost or ain't `cha?"

The accent she spoke was something Hitomi had never heard before. It was so strange. And when it was combined with her outrageous outfit leaving her half naked, Hitomi wondered if she was trying to be some sort of cosplayer.

"Y-Yes," the little girl stuttered, "I'm lost."

"Where ya' needa go?"

Hitomi handed her the packet. Flipping through it the lady turned to the map.

"Honey, yer on the whole wrong side of the arena."

"Eeeh?"

"Look," she said showing the map to Hitomi and pointing out locations, "You're here and where you want to go is here, "C'mon honey, I'll take you there."

Before Hitomi could thank the stranger, she found herself weaving through the flow of traffic.

"What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Hitomi."

"I'm Tina. Nice to meet `cha."

They shook hands without breaking the stride.

"Why are you dressed like that Tina? Do you cosplay?"

"Wha'?"

"Nevermind."

"Are ya' kiddin'? I always wear this."

"It's just," Hitomi paused trying not to offend her navigator, "a little revealing."

"The more distracting it is, the easier it is to whoop yer opponet. `Specially if his jaw is hangin' on the ground an' his tongue slobbrin' all over the place."

"How evil," Hitomi chuckled.

"It works. Ya' got the body to do it, maybe you should give it a try."

The little girl didn't reply. She was a little shocked by the comment. "Thanks, I guess," she added with a pause.

Hitomi followed Tina around a corner into another hall. "In here," Tina said handing Hitomi back her papers and disappeared inside. The little girl took a deep breath and followed.

Inside it was nothing like she expected. Well, maybe Hitomi didn't know what to expect. The room was kind of small to fight in. It was more like a hotel conference room, the floor lined with a gymnastics mat. Some people sat in chairs lined against the wall. Three of them wore black shirts with the white text "official" across the front. She approached a man on the end with short gray hair and held out her packet.

"I'm Hitomi Barrens," the girl identified herself.

The man accepted the papers and looked over them.

"What took you so long?" he asked in a playful tone.

"I got lost."

He smiled at the answer.

"Well, get ready. Your opponent is over there."

The man pointed across the room. Another man seated in a chair wore a black robe with a hood that was draped across his bare body. Hitomi went over and presented herself to him. The hood looked up.

"Hi."

"Hello. I'm Hitomi Barrens. I'm going to be your opponent."

The man pulled the hood back. He had short black hair that lay evenly over his head. His skin was a dark brown; it was something Hitomi had never seen before. His wide face was rough with unshaven stubble.

"I'm Randy Gonzalez, good to meet `cha."

He held out a hand, which Hitomi shook firmly. Was he really going to have to fight a girl? She was a pretty hot girl at that.

"What style do you fight with?" he asked.

"Karate. What do you practice?"

"Freestyle."

"Freestyle?" Hitomi asked, cocking her head curiously to the side.

"It's a cross between gymnastics, kick boxing, and street fighting."

"So you're basically self taught?"

"More or less."

"Good. This should be fun. Good luck Gonzalez-San."

"Thanks."

She turned and joined the official who had taken her papers.

"Are you here by yourself?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Alright. You should probably warm-up since we'll start because you're here."

There it was. The start of everything she had trained for, a fight in her crusade to find a stronger opponent. Ever since she was a child Hitomi had trained with her father. She had been disciplined to a level of expertise, one in which she could execute any move in her craft with skills that had been shaped and honed to perfection. Now after her years of practicing against her friends, her father, Ein, and more recently Lee, she could finally show other people how ready, how powerful, how able she was.

Moving to where she had enough room Hitomi began her routine stretching and warm-up exercises. Pulling out her arms over her head she felt the muscles stretch to their full potential. Touching her toes she knew that the boots would severely cut Randy if the buckle got him. He didn't ask her to take them off. She stood up and rotated the ball joint of her right shoulder with guidance from her left hand. Hitomi watched as Randy readied himself across from her. He removed the robe and she could see his bare upper body had predominate muscles. He was toned at which his strength was apparent but they weren't extremely overpowering like body builder muscles. A long scar ran almost the entire length of his arm. It made Hitomi wonder where he had gotten it, maybe she'd ask after the fight was over. Pulling her jacket Hitomi moved her arms around making sure that she still had full range of movement.

Standing in the middle of the mat she motioned to the official that she was ready. He joined her with a clipboard and pen and once Randy was ready he joined them also.

"Okay you two," the official said in a playful tone, "bow to me."

The both bowed to him as instructed.

"Now bow to each other."

And so they did.

"Now," the official paused, "beat the daylights outta each other!"

Hitomi shifted her feet on the mat and took a fighting stance. Randy took a loose stance and held both fists in front of him like a boxer. He bounced around and slowly Hitomi closed the gap between them.

"Strike first."

"What? No," Hitomi replied. He was obviously setting her up for a trap.

"It's my belief to not hit a woman except in self defense. If you strike first, I'll consider it self defense."

Smiling, Hiotmi threw a lazy punch at his chest. Randy easily pushed it aside and retaliated by shoving her backwards. Righting herself she took her stance again. "It's on now!" he yelled. Charging he leaped a powerful kick towards her mid section. Hitomi stepped to the side. Randy sailed towards her on the inside. Reaching back she unleashed a powerful punch. It hit him in the shoulder. He barrel rolled while airborne. He hit the mat and sprawled out like a rag doll; face down. Randy pulled himself up and shook the fall from his head. Hitomi smiled at him. She knew he was caught totally off guard by the punch. Standing back up he rotated the shoulder to tried to work out the pain. "Damn," he mumbled taking his stance again. The little girl had countered him so easily and now she was just standing there smiling like it was nothing, like he was nothing. It infuriated him.

Hitomi could see his face. She knew it was an expression of anger and frustration and watched as he clenched his fists and grit his teeth. A sheer fire burned in his eyes; and into her as she stood across from him. Randy came at her again. His first left punch came at her and she easily turned it aside. This made him even angrier. His anger was his weakness. Randy took a step back. With incredible force he sent a kick towards Hitomi's head. The girl read his move like an open book. With a quick sidestep and pivot in a circle she kicked his leg out from under him. Randy crashed to the mat with his body weight exerted on his left elbow. Sitting up he grabbed the joint. Another official wearing a band with a red cross around her arm wasted no time in coming to his aid. She looked at Randy sitting on the floor holding his elbow. "Is it bad?" she asked. He moved his hand. Hitomi recoiled her head in surprise. Looking at it, it was clear that the elbow was broken. The bone above his elbow was slightly dislodged, but anyone could tell it was in an unnatural position. "You're out," the medic told him. "Nah, I'm good," Randy argued trying to stand. The medic put her hands on his shoulders and held him down. "I say you're done and you're done," her voice more stern. Hitomi knelt down next to him.

"I guess I need to learn how to fall," he joked as the girl smiled at him, "Congratulations on you're win."

She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Hitomi joined the gray haired official as he marked things down on the clipboard.

"That was impressive," he said, "One of the quickest fights I've ever seen. Almost faster than some boxing matches."

"Thanks."

"I need you to sign here," he said handing her the clipboard.

She took the pen he offered and on scribbled on the line indicated.

"You're done for the day. You're next match is tomorrow at noon."

"Okay."

He handed Hitomi her packet of papers after writing her next fight on it. The girl made her way towards the door.

"How long did the fight last?" she asked.

"One minute, eleven point four seconds."

x x x x

Walking down the hall Hitomi attempted to read the fight schedule. She had finished her fight so quickly that if she hurried she might be able to see a part of Lee's match. Wandering down a hall, she poked her head through an open door. Roger was in a set of on-lookers seated against a wall. Recognizing him, she causally made her way and took a seat next to him. Her presence surprised the bartender. For all he knew she was supposed to be fighting right now.

"Did you get lost?" he asked.

"No."

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be fighting right now?"

"I did."

"You did what?"

"I won my match."

"That quick!?"

"One minute, eleven seconds," she grinned.

"Geez, remind me never to make you angry," Roger said leaning back in the chair.

Hitomi looked around the room. It was almost the same room she had fought in. Another corporate conference-like room, a padded gymnastics mat lining the floor.

To her right, Lee pulled off the dragon jacket. He tossed it to the side and the jacket floated gently onto the back of a chair. The bouncer was unaware of the little girl's entrance; his back had been to her the entire time. Hitomi watched as he stretched his arms over his head and around his back, this muscles strained and pulled to their fullest extent. Across from Lee stood his opponent. He was huge to say the least, easily twice the size of the bouncer. Lee's opponent was built like a older-middle age football linebacker, a big lower and even bigger upper body, complete with a bald head. He didn't look like a practitioner of a smooth and graceful martial art. A younger man dressed in the "official" shirt approached the two fighters. "Now listen," he barked, "ya'll know the rules." Lee nodded in acknowledgement. "Now I'm going to stand over here and you two go at it. The medic is ready in case you two break something." Another official lazily waved to indicate his medical status. With the preliminary stuff gone, the official stepped back against the wall. The bouncer took his stance, unsettling on either foot.

Hitomi looked at Roger. He was fixated on the two embodiments of battle that were circling each other, preparing to free the other of his imprisonment of reality.

"Who's the other guy?" she asked the bartender.

"I dunno, some small time wrestler."

"Small?" Hitomi paused, a little dumbfounded by his description, "I don't think he's small."

"That's not what I meant. Supposedly he's an undefeated champ from a no name wrestling organization, the California Coast Wrestling Organization. I don't know what the competition is like there, so I don't know if being the undefeated champ means anything."

"He looks like a champion."

"Yeah. And with a name like California Crusher, he sure sounds like one," Roger added with a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Hitomi asked, the lonely humor seemed out of place.

"It's nothing," Roger replied, "it's just, I used to go to monster truck rallies. The name of one of the trucks was `California Crusher'."

"Monster truck?"

The bartender had forgotten that the little girl was foreign with no knowledge, from what he could tell, of one of the events that made America truly unique.

"Big trucks," he said gesturing with his hands, "with huge tires and engines with more than twelve-hundred horsepower."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I should take you to one. You might like it," the bartender smirked.

Their conversation was halted as the center attraction started closing together. Lee bounced back and forth, not stopping, ever ready to dodge or pounce when the moment was right. The Crusher smirked a devilish look that sent chills down the girl's spine. Even though it wasn't a look meant for her, she knew it all too well. It was an expression only sported by people with intent to hurt, to cause injury and pain. Many people had shown a look similar to it on her eleven years of training with her father. They were the ones who's judgment was always clouded, the ones who recklessly charged head first into things. "I'm comin' for ya' pretty boy," Crusher intimidated. Lee said nothing in reply, but instead settled to an easy loose stance.

The wrestler lunged towards the bouncer; both his huge, powerful hands ready to tear him in half. Lee took a swift step backwards, at the same time letting fly with a quick right. Hitomi watched as the fist caught Crusher on his left and his jaw strain the opposite direction. The wrestler stopped, and moved his jaw as if to make sure it was still attached. The girl watched a small trickle of blood form in the corner of the top lip on the side that had fronted Lee's blow. A huge tongue slowly emerged from the mouth and brushed itself over the red trail. It induced the most evil smile Hitomi had ever seen. With one successful hit already in his favor, Lee took the offensive. As his right arm came around to administer the blow it was stopped abruptly in mid flight. With Lee's forearm in his hand The Crusher jerked the bouncer towards him. Taking the wrist of the other arm, he wrapped his arms around the bouncer, effectively pinning Lee's arms behind him. With an immense bear hug he lifted him off the ground. Hitomi gasped at the popping noises and grunts of pain that came from Lee. "Heh, I got you pretty boy," the wrestler smirked, looking at the bouncer's face scrunched in resistance. Rearing back, the Crusher hurtled Lee to the mat. The girl watched as he bounced and skidded across the thinly padded surface, finally coming to a stop with the same shoulder under his body in an inhuman position. Struggling to his feet, Hitomi and Lee both knew the shoulder was dislocated. Again. With a grunt he forced the ball and socket joint back into place. She let out her own accompanying whelp of pain as if to ease his own. Advancing towards the target Lee assessed his situation. His left arm was seriously handicapped, while the monster in front of him was still at full strength. He felt a little intimidated. "Ooooh, pretty boy ain't done yet?" his opponent taunted. "What? When did you start?" Lee smirked. "I'll put you in your place boy!" the wrestler yelled, quickly closing the gap between the two. Lee had to think fast. He knew he had to hit his opponent in a way he could not dodge or counter. With the Crusher charging at him, Lee lept forward. Extending his left leg, he felt is connect with the wrestler's head. As Lee touched the ground again he felt it shake. The Crusher struggled to his feet. His orientation and coordination scrambled from the blow to the head.

Lee grabbed his side. He had his back to his opponent, unaware for the monster stumbling toward him. He felt something catch in his throat and with a cough, a warm liquid slid from the corner of his mouth and pooled on the mat below him. A heavy breathing was clearly audible, and even though it wasn't him breathing, Lee thought nothing of it. A hand encompassed his neck and it grip tightened. The bouncer grabbed at the hand, trying to relieve the pressure around his neck. He felt his feet leave the ground. Lee brought up a leg and felt it collide and sink inwards towards his opponent's crotch. Instantly he was released from the chokehold. With both feet back on the ground he turned to face The Crusher. Acting on instinct he directed a blow to his opponent's face that was doubled over holding himself. As the wrestler stumbled backwards Lee picked his leg up and with authority, administered a blow to The Crusher's mid-section. As the wrestler hit the floor the whole building seemed to strain under his weight.

Lee felt the warm liquid trying to force it's way out again, and put his hands on his knees to try and hold it back. He knew his body had been strained beyond its limits as the edges of his vision began to darken. A hand softly gripped his shoulder. It was small and slender, nothing like the monster's hand, which had attacked him earlier. The delicate fingers gently gripped his shoulder in concern, their nails coated with a light pink. As the bouncer looked up, he saw a familiar face, full of worry, but couldn't quite place a name with it. A second small hand took a strong hold of his in fear. He felt himself loosing grip on reality. Lee's vision left him, and he closed his eyes and slowly opened them again in an attempt to regain it. Unconscious, he collapsed on to the floor.

x x x x

Hitomi look at Roger who had fallen asleep in one of the two chairs in the white, sterile room. Lee hadn't moved for the last hour, it was as if he was dead. But the steady beeping of the EKG meter reminded her that he was fighting. She watched his eyelids flutter as his head slowly tossed back and forth. Her chair had been pulled to the foot of the hospital bed and leaned forward folding her arms on the mattress and resting her head on top of them. Hitomi looked at Roger again, who was strung across the chair, asleep. She had been forcing herself to stay awake, for Lee's sake, and wanted Roger to do the same. Clearly the events had been more stressful on him, he had lasted only half as long as her and gone to sleep in a very uncomfortable position. With no knowledge of the time other than it was pitch black out outside the window, Hitomi fell asleep.

A displacement on the bed woke her. She quickly sat up to see Jann Lee slowly pulling himself up in the bed. "Ungh, I feel like I got hit with a ton of bricks," he mumbled rubbing his eyes, "crap." With his strength returning, but still exhausted, he collapsed back down onto the bed. Hitomi stood from the chair, crept to the bedside and slowly stuck her head over the bed intruding his view. "Lee," see said softly, "Lee are you feeling--." Her words cut short. The worried girl found herself clutched in Lee's arms, the action so quick she was unable to continue the sentence. "God Kim, I've missed you so much." Her first reaction was to struggle and push him away, but the sentence was so shocking, she couldn't do anything. "I can't believe you found me Kim," his voice choking on every word, "I thought you were dead." Hitomi couldn't bring herself to speak up and end his illusion. "L-Lee," she studdered softly, "I--." "No," he interrupted, "I never should have left you alone. But you're here now. I promise that I'll protect you forever." He started to squeeze her closer to him, her ear pressed against his chest. Hitomi could hear his heartbeat. It was pulsating faster than the feelings that raced through her head.

"I-I can't see very well," Lee muttered, "everything is really blurry."

"Huh?"

"I don't know. Look at my eyes, is there something wrong with them?"

He released his embrace and Hitomi studied his eyes.

"They look normal."

"Well, there's something wrong with them," Lee's voice was a calm and semi-monotone, "I can't make your face out clearly. Hell, I can't even see my own hands."

The hospitalized bouncer held his hands in front of his face to insure that his statement was correct.

The commotion was enough to wake Roger from his contortionist slumber and he stood behind Hitomi and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rod?" Lee responded, his head turned in the right direction and focused on the fresh colored blur that resembled his friend, "Damn man, the guy got the worst of it, I'm sure." Lee paused. "When did Kim get here?"

"Who?"

"Kim." Lee shook Hitomi's arm to emphasize whom he was talking about.

"Uhhh Lee, that's Hitomi."

"Who?"

Hitomi recoiled her head at his reply.

"The girl you brought with you to fight in the tournament. She's been with you ever since that wrestler knock you around."

The girl covertly slipped her finger over the `nurse call' button on a remote by Lee's bed and pressed it.

"You don't remember me Lee?" she asked curiously, looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I thought you were someone else."

"It's okay," she said placing her hand on top of his for comfort, "I understand."

Minutes later, a nurse entered the room holding a file folder.

"What's the matter?" the nurse asked to the room in general.

"Lee's awake," Hitomi informed, "but-"

"My vision is blurry," Lee said finishing her sentence for her.

The nurse took reference to the manila folder in her hand.

"It seems you've sustained multiple injuries to the head and torso," she said reading from the folder.

"Tell me something I don't know," Lee commented.

"Well, you're vision is blurry because of a concussion you received to the head. All I can do is give you eye drops for right now, they'll help, but won't fix the problem. You'll have to rest a few more days."

"Fine."

The nurse left. Hitomi looked at Lee curiously. "Fine?" she asked, "the Lee I know would have been angry and frustrated at the fact that he couldn't continue in the competition."

"Well, I don't know what Lee you knew," he replied, "but I know when to quit. Sometimes I can be stubborn, but I'm not stupid." The girl smiled at his comment. He was so serious all the time that it was hard to discern his mistakes. She pat his head reassuringly and stood from the bed. "I'm going to the restroom," she told Roger, dodging the nurse on her way out.

The nurse walked over to Lee and unscrewed the cap on a small bottle of eye drops. "This may sting a bit," she warned, "but it'll clear your vision a little." Taking the bottle the nurse applied the drops to Lee's eyes. He didn't flinch, but grunted softly as the cold drops made contact with his eyes and burnt slightly. Once she had finished, she screwed the cap back on the bottle and took it with her as she left quietly.

Roger sad down in Hitomi's seat. He casually waved a hand in front of his friend's face. Lee caught his wrist.

"Yeah, I'm still alive," he joked.

"Good," Roger replied, taking his hand back.

"Do you really not remember Hitomi, Lee?"

"Who?"

"Hitomi."

"That girl?"

"You don't sound very encouraging."

"I have no clue who that girl is."

"Do you realize you've lost part of your memory?"

"I…. guess…"

It hadn't really occurred to Lee that he had lost his memories of the girl that looked somewhat like Kim in his blurry eyesight. But it was obvious from what she had said and what Roger was telling him that he had some form of amnesia. Roger leaned back in the chair with a heavy sigh, "Man, what are we gonna tell her when she comes back? Should we tell her? I mean, she is a girl, no tell how she'll react." Lee shifted in the bed. "Maybe if I get some sleep the memories will come back to me. She is pretty cute. I hope I hadn't forgotten everything about her." Roger perked his head.

"What?"

"Oh nothing," Lee mumbled, reinstating his previous configuration on the bed.

The room door slid silently open and the sound of boot thudding against file floor indicated the return of the girl from her venture. Roger motioned to her with his hand.

"C'mere," he said, "we need to talk."

"Huh?"

The bartender stood from the chair and Hitomi followed him out of the room. Out in the hallway, he looked at her, his face serious.

"Do you understand what happened to Lee?"

She made no reply.

"He's suffered a concussion to the head, giving him temporary amnesia."

"Kenboushou?"

"Amensia."

Hitomi was shocked. It was common for those that practiced her craft to receive injuries for that caliber, but it never really had a large enough impact as to give someone strong enough amnesia to make them forget about someone.

"So, he's forgotten all about me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"So, now what?"

"What do you mean, `So now what'?"

"Now what do I do?" Hitomi clarified, her volume slightly increasing," Lee brought me out here, he let me fight in the tournament, I'm indebted to him and Genzo-san. Now he's forgotten all about me and there's nothing I can do for him. It's not like I can just start over." Her eyes started to water. "It was all a mistake," she told herself, "I should have stayed in Germany."

She didn't want to admit to herself, but she knew she was attached to him. It seemed to be a brother-sister bond that had developed out of the environmental situation. She stayed at his apartment, he watched over her. But it was more than that. At least to Hitomi. He may have always acted tough, serious, invincible, but something told her that somewhere inside him was a kind, playful, gentle Lee. But now, whatever chances she had of reaching that point was gone. "W-What's wrong," Roger asked, afraid that he had inadvertently upset the girl."

"He's forgotten all about me," she said staring at the floor, "he's forgotten all about me and I'm going to have to start over from nothing."

Roger saw spot of water drip to the tiled hospital floor.

"No-no, it's okay," he said frantically, "it's only temporary, the doctor said. His memories should return in a few days."

Still staring at the floor, Hitomi rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Good," she assured herself, "I'll be sure to take good care of him while he's in the hospital."

"You know, they have people who do that," Roger mumbled, "they're paid by the hospital to…"

Hitomi gave him a stare.

"I mean, no- no-, uhhh, just do what you want."

The girl subtly bounded back into the room where Lee lay staring at the ceiling. "I always wanted to be a nurse," she told herself, reclaiming the seat next to the bed. She gave him a slight hug, which caused Lee to grunt softly in pain. It took a second, as she tried to figure out what ailed him, then she realized that the hug had put pressure on the shoulder that he had dislocated. Twice.

"I'm so sorry, Lee-chan," she cried, rubbing his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"I promise to take good care of you while you're in the hospital," Hitomi said.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Vires, Dominatio, Constantia - Latin for "strength", "power", and "determination"

German - Special Team

Cosplayer - A Japanese term for someone who dresses up in a costume to resemble a fictional character.

Kenboushou - Japanese for amnesia