#martialartscompendium

Benimaru had warned Shun’ei about how the sign-ups for KOF would go, and he’d even been to the same event the year before, with Tung Fu Rue and Meitenkun-- but even so, he was uncomfortable all the same. The camera flashes were bright and alarming, and the din of the media circus was uncomfortably loud at best; a roar at worst. 

As such, the moment the teen could find a minute to sneak away to the edges of the room, he took his chance and made a bee line through the crowd, away from prying eyes. What he hadn’t expected, however, was for other fighters to have the same idea. 

He glanced downward at the woman nearby him, not recognizing her. He was fairly sure that she hadn’t been there the previous year, and Benimaru hadn’t mentioned her as a possible entry-- or at least, he hadn’t mentioned anyone of her description. 

He didn’t mean to stare, exactly. It’s just that he had thought he’d been ready for every fighter he might have to face this year.

It seemed he was mistaken. 

In an ideal world, a persons list of traumatic experiences would be nonexistent. Very short if anything. Sadly between being kidnapped, drugged, forced into cryosleep for nearly two decades, working with devils - and lets not even mention the consequences of growing up with an IRA assassin father - Nina Williams was no stranger to trauma. And she dealt with it all the same ; bury it under thick layers of polar ice, and denial.

If she ignored what happened then it didn't bother her. If it was just a dream then it never happened. – Thus the lie she told herself with the newest edition to the morbid list. Yet the lie wasn't enough this time. Images of flying bullets, pure white wings, angels versus devils all still filled her pretty blonde head like a feverish nightmare. She needed a little extra liquid courage.

So here the fatal woman was, a little under a week after the events waltzing into a hole in the wall bar in the states. No doubt capturing the eyes of every intoxicated buffoon in the place, yet only one of them captured hers.

Fellow tournament goer aside, with that absurd hairstyle how could he not?

Seems she wasn't the only one trying to drown out the memories of their little assembled mission. Figures. Nina could only tsk before she carefully took her place a few bar stools down from the typically boasting oaf. Hoping to avoid all contact with the man, per usual. And if her somehow icier demeanor didn't give that away, her cold words should do the trick.

"You know the rules, Phoenix. Leave me alone, or feel lucky to leave at all."

Seven tournaments together, how many times had they done this dance? The glacial woman learned long ago to avoid Paul and his equally loud mouth nuisance of a mentor, lest she desired a headache. By Jin's wishes their joint mission was an exception. This chance meeting however, would not be.

It was the start of sports season in New Meridian, meaning that inevitably bookies come out of the woodwork to make their bets. For the more...unscrupulous types, it also meant fixing the games.

Hence, why at the moment, the butler was calmly waiting for his would-be "target". Normally, he'd have a random underling of his do this particular job, but given the recent attacks in Maplecrest, the sighting of the SG and Lorenzo's....condition, it was encourage to be out and about to spot any sighting.

Fighting tournaments were nothing new for humanity. Many civilizations had held one form of a fighting tournament be it for military recognition or just entertainment. However this new fighting tournament would be a little more special. The United Earth Government had decided to host a competitive tournament from all over their territories. It would be held on Earth and every fighter was invited to participate. They would battle to see who was the very best. The champion would get a cash prize and the chance to fight a legendary Spartan-II. Such a chance to even see a Spartan of the that caliber was rare. The UEG’s hope was to boost morale across the colonies.

Spartan-197 was chosen as he was one of the few Spartan-II’s still alive from the Human-Covenant war. He wasn’t too thrilled when he was ordered to join the tournament but an order was an order. Rebecca was the exact opposite of her father. She was thrilled to see all the different competitors that would arrive. She had read much about the tournaments of old and now she would be seeing one with her own eyes and with her father fighting against the champion no less. It would be such a sight to see. 

When the first day of the tournament had started, before the fighting began, everyone was assigned a number and would be shown where they were on the board. It was single elimination so once you lost you were out. The Spartan was brought out for all to see. He would stand there while the announcer would hype him up as the prize to fight against for the champion of the UEG’s world of fighters tournament. Many looked in amazement as they saw what was a living legend.

During the time when the matches were going on but when some of the competitors were not fighting, 197 would be approached by them and one of two things would happen. They would either size him up to see how tough he really was or they would just talk to him as if he were just another competitor. His daughter would be with him from time to time as he had requested she be given a backstage pass if he were to do this. Rebecca was star struck with the different fighting legends. 

One name did pop up around the competitors however. That name was Solis R8000. Apparently she was doing very well in the tournament and was predicted to make it to the finals. 197 didn’t know who this Solis was. Perhaps he would need to see what it was that made her so special. He might have to search her out in the sea of competitors when he had a chance. Right now he and his daughter were talking to some of the other fighters that had approached.