Saturday. The end of an eventful week. What is supposed to be a day of serenity was nothing short of tension and a pending bout for Hawk. It was the early morning hours, and the boy had awoken to the sound of raindrops tapping on his bedroom window. He looked down to see one car pass by the complex, another car, and a third car. The boy had a solemn expression, as he stared at his reflection in the glass, which was further made visible through the raindrops raced down to the bottom of the pane. He looked behind him to see his door was closed, which was slightly ajar. The outside of the hall was thinly visible beyond the vaguely open door. Hawk silently opened the door, to prevent his Pops from sensing his activity.
Hawk had finally descended down the stairs, without making even the faintest sound on the steps. He reached the entrance door, where a shoe rack lay near the door, his yellow sneakers lay on the rack, waiting for him. And Hawk would ready himself, lacing his sneakers tightly, before gently opening the entrance door, and closing it again, as he finally made it outside.
Outside, the rain poured, but it did not pour heavily. Nothing more than a drizzle, as the raindrops slowly fell from the clouded skies. Hawk looked up to notice the light rain for only a few seconds, as the droplets steadily dampened his hair, and all but two raindrops rolled down his face. The boy wasted little time in seeking out the Garden Street Dojo, as it was the closest to his apartment complex, being only two buildings down, and Shoyo's Corner Store, in contrast, being the furthest from the house, with three buildings in between. Nonetheless, Hawk wasted little time in lightly jogging down the street, getting his extra steps in, but also conserving his energy, for when he will eventually face off against Pudge. Feeling a sense of motivation, he happily turned the corner amid his brisk pace, slowing down upon approaching the doors to the dojo. Hawk tried the handles of the doors, only to discover them being locked. He tried the handles again, this time with more force. But still, no such luck was in his favor. The boy was about to walk around the back of the dojo when suddenly, the doors opened just a tad, partly revealing Raion's face, and causing Hawk to turn around. "What are you doing here?" Raion asked, rubbing his face by running his right forearm across his eyes back and forth. "I... wanted to talk." The boy said, reluctantly. "No time." Raion said as Hawk looked at him with a hint of shock. "Get inside before you flood the dojo with more rain." He then grabbed Hawk by his right bicep and yanked him inside.
Within the dojo, the doors closed behind Raion, who lifted Hawk by his arm. "What are you doing?" Helio asked, with Raion turning around. "Why are you bringing strangers--" Before the elder could finish his question, he noticed Hawk, hoisted in the air by his right arm. "Hello." With a sigh of discontent, he coldly greeted the boy, who waved his left hand with a smile. His demeanor made it seem as if he did not want to see Hawk at all, let alone be within proximity of him. "I got Ryori's message." Helio informed Hawk, as the boy scratched the back of his head with his right hand. "Also, set him down." He boldly commanded Raion, who let go of Hawk's right arm, as he landed on his feet. "Listen, it's not what you think, Gramps." Hawk told Helio, trying to plead with him about his conversation with Ryori from yesterday. But the boy calling him "Gramps" made Helio's face twist subtly. "It's not like I'm tryna kill someone in a fight." Hawk tried to persuade the elder. "Don'tcha think I woulda begged you to teach me Sha Qi if I really wanna learn about it?" He then asked. "He raises a good point, Gramps." Raion told his father. Helio quietly growled, turning his back toward the two. That was until Hawk took a few steps forward, attempting to further reason with the elder. "C'mon, Gramps, wh--" The boy was cut off by Helio, who turned his head halfway: "Don't call me that!" He grumbled. "If Ryori wants you to get stronger, then that is what I will do." Helio told Hawk, who pumped his fist in the air. "But remember this..." Helio continued, as Hawk's mini-celebration was cut short upon Helio speaking again. "I am doing this for you, not for that cheap bastard."
"So what're we gonna do first?" Hawk asked as he hopped around, throwing punches at the air. Helio placed a hand underneath his chin. The elder's fingers brushed along his stubble. The boy stared at Helio, remaining patient, even if the wait was a tad bit excruciating for only a few minutes. "What do you want to know?" He asked, turning to Hawk. "Well, I wanna get back at this one kid for beatin' me up all the time." Hawk conceded, much to Helio's eyebrow raise of skepticism. "Let me get this straight: You want to learn Sha Qi as a means of teaching some bully a lesson?" He asked. "Well, no. I..." Hawk stood puzzled, confused as to where he should begin with the progression of his power. But Helio approached Hawk. The two were at equal height, but the elder's gaze made the boy appear small and meek. "My boy, Sha Qi is a uniquely damaging power, one that many would consider to be freakish in nature." He said to Hawk, his eyes still locked onto his. "I am simply looking out for you. After all, a distorted mind weakens the martial performance."
Within the center of the ring, which had a small, blue mat, Hawk, Helio, and Raion indulged in tiny, cylindrical cups of hot, green tea, complete with a grey teapot on the mat. "So what did you come here for?" Raion asked Hawk. The boy was in the process of sipping the green tea. He then placed the cup down on the blue mat, and a gulp followed afterward. "I don't wanna learn Sha Qi." Hawk admitted, facing Raion with a stone-cold scowl. The boy's answer was enough to put an expression of relief on Helio's face. "You don't?" He asked. "I'll bet his stomach is too weak to learn about the multiple stories about such a devastating force." Raion said, before asking, "are you ready?" to Hawk. "I doubt we have the time to tell a thousand stories, so let's make this quick." Helio said, politely reprimanding Raion. But the boy would nod his head, humming an, "mhm," and still maintaining his glare. Raion and Helio's silence was in tandem with a feeling of stoicism regarding Hawk's willingness to hear the story, as they turned to look at each other for a brief moment, and then back at Hawk. "Upon getting lost in its warm embrace, you can seldom escape it. I've heard one story about a martial artist who became enraptured by the unnatural power of Sha Qi. He kept fighting until every bone in his body was broken, every drop of blood squeezed out of him, and every modicum of sanity was drained from his mind." Raion then explained. "That's… what killed him?" Hawk asked, his cold eyes shifting to one of great concern. "It wasn't just his physical injuries." Raion said, chuckling after, with a clear nervousness in his tone, as he raised his cup, which was held near his chin. He took a sip from the cup, and placed it back down, where he gently lifted his hand off the cup's rim. "It was mainly the realization of what he turned into that did him in."
Raion inhaled a deep breath of air while Hawk looked down at the blue mat. He picked up his cup, which was halfway filled with green tea. He stared blankly into his sordid reflection within the green liquid. "Do you see now why Sha Qi is dangerous?" Raion asked, exhaling. "Yeah." Hawk said, still looking down into his cup. "Dunno how I'm gonna beat Pudge, though." He added, lifting his head to look at Raion a second time. The tension within the dojo, that which was filled with an ominous feeling, was suddenly eased into a feeling that was more comfortable, palatable enough for Hawk and Raion to ease their tensed muscles. "Pudge?" Raion asked in confusion. "He's a pain in the ass at my school, always shakin' people down for their lunch money." Hawk specified, much to Raion's smirking halfway through the boy's elaboration.
"I have an idea, one that doesn't involve Sha Qi or even murder." Raion said, still smiling. He got up from his seated position, before walking toward the ropes of the ring. Both Helio and Hawk turned to face Raion, who now stopped in his tracks, in between Hawk and his father, and the ropes. The youth stroked his chin lightly, steadily rotating until the left side of his body faced Hawk and Helio, where they appeared in the corner of his eye. "You could bring him here. After all, I would like to see what he is capable of." He told Hawk. The boy studied Raion's words with befuddlement, and the raise of a single eyebrow, only for his expression to convert into a smile that slowly etched itself from one ear to the other. "This.... Pudge that you referred to..." Helio spoke up. "How much of a nuisance is he?" He then asked Hawk. "Like I said: A pain in the ass." Hawk answered. "Even Mrs. Chrysantha loses her shit, and she's the most chill teacher at the academy." The boy added. "Where does Pudge normally hang out?" Raion asked, turning to face Hawk and Helio in full. Hawk shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno." He said. "But last I met 'em, he was hangin' around in the backstreets."
"Then it's decided." Raion said, as he hopped over the ropes of the ring. While he jumped out of the ring, Hawk looked as if he wanted to say something else, but was unable to due to the young man being eager to find Pudge. As Raion approached the doors to the dojo, Hawk and Helio looked at each other, being left confused, but also irritated. However, Hawk decided to chase after Raion, and he would catch him just before the youth exited the dojo. "I'm comin' with." He said to Raion, who looked confused at first. "Best to be prepared if Pudge's posse tries somethin' silly."
In the backstreets, Hawk and Raion had arrived at the location where Pudge and his gang were last seen, just as Hawk had described on the way there. However, once they appeared in the alleyway, it was vacant. Neither Jazz nor Bonerhead were present, waiting for the boy's arrival. Nothing but the sound of rain filled the silence where Hawk and Raion stood. That was until...
The sound of quick footsteps was heard all around the two, as Hawk looked around, and Raion stood still, both of whom were trying to detect who the footsteps belonged to, and where they would appear. "What the Hell's this?!" Hawk asked, turning his body around, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. His eyes would shift frantically, but there was no such luck as to how they would counter the ambush. "Stay calm. They're trying to scare us." Raion assured Hawk. "You think?!" The boy said, excited.
Then, several of the homeless delinquents belonging to the backstreets appeared in every direction, surrounding both Hawk and Raion. There were twelve in total, with three on Raion's side, three on Hawk's side, and three more on the fire escapes. Both assumed their respective fighting stances, ready for an all-out brawl. "You didn't tell me Pudge was street smart." Raion told Hawk. "He's got his uses, even if he is a dumbass." Hawk retorted. Raion shifted his focus from Hawk back to the numerous ambushers, his eyes trained on each one for a few seconds, before looking at the next, keeping tabs on whoever will make the first move. While the two watched the surrounding attackers with bated breath, Hawk and Raion backed up, stepping closer and closer toward each other. Then, as the ambushers on Raion's end began to inch closer to him, Raion stood still. "Go!!!" He shouted at Hawk, who rushed forward at the three opponents on his side. As the three delinquents began to charge at Hawk, the boy slid underneath the legs of the attacker in the middle, before kicking him in the ankles, as he fell to the ground, which gave Hawk enough time to escape. The second delinquent tried to throw a punch at Hawk, only for the boy to knee-kick him in the stomach, knocking him back against a pile of garbage bags. "C'mon, man!" Hawk shouted at Raion, who crescent-kicked one of the attackers. "You have to get back to the dojo!" He ordered Hawk. "They must've got to my father! Go!" As Raion elbowed another attacker, Hawk ran out of the alley, without questioning the young man's words.
Hawk's racing back to the dojo was tense, as three other attackers began to chase the boy. He ran along the corner of a wall, before jumping to the adjacent wall, using Wind to propel him upwards further into the air, and then grabbing onto the rusted ladder of a nearby fire escape, before climbing up to the roof of a building. Meanwhile, the three pursuers looked up at Hawk escaping on the rooftops. They watched on, cussing aloud, as they desperately thought of ways to intercept Hawk.
Meanwhile, on the rooftops of the backstreets, Hawk leaped from one building to the next. But as he made it to the final building, which neared the edge between the backstreets and the streets of Central Toshi, he was stopped by the three delinquents who chased him before. Somehow, they learned to launch themselves onto the rooftops through a Wind-propulsion Technique. As Hawk caught his balance on the top of a building, he looked down to see a pile of junk below him. Behind him were the three pursuers, who were now walking up to Hawk, having finally caught up to the boy. "Give up, child." One of the three told him. Hawk then turned to face the three with a smile, before saying, "that's the last thing I'll do." He then somersaulted backwards, just as one of the three delinquents was close to him, and he plummeted down into the junk pile on the sidewalk. "Holy shit!" One of the three attackers cussed. "That is one suicidal bastard." Another said.
As Hawk crashed into the junk pile, he sunk deep into the garbage, quickly disappearing from the sights of the three who chased him. But in the darkness of the garbage, Hawk looked to see the three disappear on the rooftop, allowing him to rise from the garbage, poking his head out from the trash bags and other waste. He then fully emerged from the junk pile, stepping onto the sidewalk. "Now I'm gonna smell like shit for the rest of the day." Hawk said under his breath. He then looked across the street to see how far he was from the dojo. Surprisingly, he was on the other side of the street from which the dojo was. Hawk wasted little time in darting across the street, stepping over the hoods of several cars, before running onto the corner sidewalk. As he finally made it near the dojo's propped-open doors, he leaned against the wall beside the doors, as he listened to Pudge interrogating Helio.
"Where's Hawk Yuje?" Pudge asked, lifting the elder by the collar of his gi. "I don't know who he is." Helio said. "You lying, old prick!" Pudge then threw a punch across his face, as he collapsed onto the ring mat. "You'll... never reach him..." Helio said, weakened and bruised, as he tried to get up on one elbow. "Give it a rest, old man. You will gi--" But before Pudge could finish his sentence, he sniffed the air. A heavy odor managed to make its way into the dojo. "Did you shit yourself, old man?!" The bully angrily asked Helio, as the elder crawled away from him. "Nah, but you're the one in deep shit!" Hawk said, appearing before Pudge at the doorway. The bully chuckled, before kicking Helio out of the ring, tumbling across the floor, and coughing up blood. "Quit it, couch potato!" Hawk angrily commanded Pudge. "What good is this old bastard anyway?" Pudge asked. "I barely broke a sweat against him." He then said, shifting his eyes toward the downed Helio, who lay on the ground, half-conscious. Hawk motioned to the elder. Upon glancing at the bruises across Helio's face and body, a burning had been ignited in his chest, a heat in his heart, which he sought to take out on none other than Pudge. He marched toward the ring, and the bully would assume an unorthodox boxing stance. Then, Hawk leapt inside the ring and landed just a few meters away from Pudge. "We're gonna end this, once and for all." Hawk told Pudge, as he assumed his fighting stance, ready to end his long-time feud with him. "Yeah." Pudge said, with a mocking smirk directed at the already-angered Hawk, while cracking his knuckles. "Let's see who's gonna come out on top."
Before the two combatants could trade blows, they circled around each other, intently staring each other down. Then, Hawk would dash forward with a forward, somersaulting kick aimed at Pudge's face. Though the opening attack was more akin to a dropkick, nevertheless, Hawk did a backflip and landed on one knee, giving Pudge the opening to throw a low jab at Hawk's face. But the boy would evade the punch by rolling to Pudge's left and getting back onto his feet again. Pudge pursued, as he rushed toward Hawk with a left hook that Hawk ducked under before the boy threw a straight low blow, which struck Pudge in his gut, causing him to slide back across the ring mat. Hawk gave chase and as he got close to the bully, he placed his left hand flat on the mat and threw an overhead kick down at Pudge's head with his right leg, almost as if the boy was doing a cartwheel kick. The attack had broken through Pudge's defense, but it was still not enough to bring him down, causing Hawk to throw a roundhouse kick with his left leg, colliding with the bully's head, causing him to stagger backward.
It did not take long for Pudge to regain his balance and wipe the blood from his mouth with his left hand. "Fierce... But not fierce enough." He told Hawk, charging forth with a barrage of punches. As Pudge threw punch after punch, Hawk dodged and swerved past most of them. However, he was unable to keep up with evading the bully's punches, as Pudge managed to hit Hawk three times, with the third straight punch launching Hawk into the ropes behind him. The ropes would propel the boy back in Pudge's direction, who stretched his right arm out and proceeded to clothesline Hawk, as he hit the mat. Despite landing a few successful hits on Hawk, Pudge's fists were still devastating nevertheless, as Hawk struggled to get back up, rolling on his side instead. "C'mon, Cock Yuje!" The bully mocked the downed Hawk. "Only one of us is gonna walk outta here with the title of Devil of Toshi." He added. But Hawk was unable to get back up. So Pudge squatted down and grabbed the boy by his hair. "And it's not gonna be your sorry ass." He mockingly said to Hawk, who struggled to maintain eye contact with him, even if his vision was blurred. The boy then spat blood in Pudge's face, as he staggered back, giving Hawk enough time to get back up, although he appeared as if he was dizzy, evident by his near loss of balance. As Pudge wiped the bloody saliva from his face, he charged at Hawk again, first throwing a right hook, which the boy ducked underneath. The hook was followed by a low jab to the gut, which connected, but there was not enough power behind it to floor Hawk again, despite him staggering backward.
Then, as Pudge was about to throw a straight punch with his right fist, Hawk raised his right leg upward, and swung it across the bully's face, causing him to stop mid-attack. However, that motion was a feint, as Hawk used the same right leg to kick Pudge into the side of his torso, and he nearly fell onto one knee. Finally regaining his consciousness in full, Hawk took two steps back from Pudge, before throwing a punch of his own. The bully threw a punch of his own at his opponent's face. Both of their fists connected, as the two nearly fell. But Hawk would catch himself on one knee, and Pudge would cover his face with his hand.
Hawk charged at Pudge again. He leaned forward, attempting to tackle his opponent to the ground. As he wrapped his arms around Pudge's waist, the bully would grab Hawk, and chuck him across the ring. Despite it being a light toss, Hawk struggled to get back up. Pudge then ran up to Hawk, who threw a horizontal kick, sweeping Pudge off his feet, as he finally fell to the ground with a loud thud. Hawk would then kick Pudge in the stomach, as the bully tumbled across the ring. Hawk's opponent would stop at the edge of the ring, and he would get back on his feet. There was still some fight between the two combatants, amid their multiple bruises. The two would run toward each other simultaneously, and Pudge would be the first to throw a left hook, then a low jab, only for Hawk to dodge the attacks. He would then riposte with a knee-kick straight into Pudge's gut, stunning him temporarily. Hawk tried to kick his opponent off of his feet again, but Pudge would counter by raising his right leg, with the boy's kick hitting his shin. Pudge followed up this attack with an elbow strike across Hawk's face, nearly knocking him off balance. But Pudge, in this stage of the fight, was now relentless, as he threw two punches, both of which connected with Hawk's head. "I can't lose!" Hawk thought as Pudge continued to strike at him. "If I lose here... No!" Hawk caught himself, as he raised his guard, just in time before Pudge could land another few punches on him. "I'm... still gonna stand!!" Hawk shouted. And as the bully was throwing another hook with his right fist, Hawk raised his left knee, partially distracting Pudge, who stopped in the middle of his attack, giving the boy enough time to curve his leg over Pudge's shoulder and kick him across the face.
As Pudge tilted backward, about to fall over, Hawk threw one last punch to finish things off. A right hook across the bully's face, who now fell over on his back, fully unconscious. Hawk looked down at Pudge, who lay motionless, save for his eyes dimming. The boy began to catch his breath, before dropping down, in a seated position, on the stained ring floor.
Just as the fight had reached its conclusion, Raion walked into the dojo, also breathless. He then shifted his eyes toward Helio, who sat upward after hearing the fight come to a close. Raion rushed over to his father, as he hoisted Helio off of the ground. "Are you alright, father?" Raion asked as he placed a hand on the elder's shoulder, making sure he was able to stand. "I'm fine, son." Helio conceded. "As for Hawk..." Both Raion and Helio motioned to the boy, who still sat on the ring floor in a pretzel position, panting with his arms draped over his ankles, while looking directly at the two. Raion and Helio climbed into the ring and stood before Hawk. "Are you alright, my boy?" Helio asked, reaching his right hand out. Hawk grabbed onto the hand, and the elder would lift him off the ground and onto his feet. "I'm fine." Hawk said.
"We're going to have to keep this under wraps, so your Pops doesn't have a heart attack." Raion told Hawk. Then, almost immediately after the youth said this, Helio interjected: "No. One of us should tell him." The elder said. "Am I in trouble?" Hawk asked, concerned. "My boy, Ryori and I have always been at odds, especially on the day we met." On the surface, it appeared as if Helio was about to pull something drastic upon the boy, based on his deadpan tone of voice at first. But Helio would speak up again: "But you came through for both the dojo as well as the entire Grazi Family, and that is something you should be proud of." He continued. "You've done this family a great service, better than what Ryori could ever do." Helio then chuckled, followed by Raion laughing afterward. "That's the first time I'm seein' you smile." Hawk said, grinning from ear to ear. Both Helio and Raion paused in their laughter, as they looked at Hawk with widened, curious eyes. But the three would laugh shortly afterward.
Hours after the fight, Hawk rested in his bedroom, with Ryori standing next to his bed, as he peered out the bedroom window. The boy seemed lax, with his arms behind his head and one leg over his lap. "I must say; I'm still amazed with how you handled yourself at the dojo." Ryori said to Hawk. Amid Ryori breathing a sigh of relief, Hawk smiled up at the ceiling, fully confident in himself. His smile would remain etched on his face while still reflecting on what Pudge said. "Pudge said somethin' about the title of Devil of Toshi." He said, audible enough for Ryori to hear. "Devil of Toshi?" Ryori recited. "Yeah." Hawk turned his head to face him. "Whaddya make of it, Pops?" He then asked. "Well, it could mean one of two things. Either way, it is what you make of that name." Ryori said. "Remember what I told you about Gimmick Releases that one time?" The grandmaster then asked Hawk. "Yeah." The boy nodded his head. "This title of The Devil of Toshi is quite the unique one indeed." Ryori proceeded to stroke his chin while looking down at the floorboards that crept from under the soft, blue carpet. "You can either be a scourge upon Toshi City..." Ryori raised his right hand, palm facing up. "Or, you could be its guardian." He then raised the palm of his left hand soon after.
"But one way or another, you must never forget those who helped you attain that name, whether it be your friends or foes. You can be as powerful as you'd like and as great of a role model, but you should still owe some appreciation to those who set you on the path to be the best." Ryori explained. Hawk then sat up from his lying position on his bed, slowly rising from his pillow. He looked at the wall facing in front of him and smirked. And with the Initiation Trials on the horizon for the following week, a certain heat of excitement fueled his heart and engulfed his chest. "Are you up for the challenge?" Ryori then asked. "Oh yeah." Hawk nodded his head again. "I'm ready."