32nd Exploit: "Reeling in Destiny"

A Chapter by Jeffrey J Dotson

As act 1 of the Tai Corporation saga comes to an end, TC's defeated merc Zaine visits an old Sensei, and a fateful night moon rises above the Tai Tower.

Back in Inizioville, a familiar individual sits upon the foot of the Rio Dojo. His one sleeve fire design pants, receding spiked black hairline and lack of a shirt makes it readily apparent that this is Zaine Kanue. Still mulling over his battle with Antonio, Zaine had a contemplative and upset demeanor. He sighs as he continues to fight over his mind what he might have done wrong, when the door to the dojo opens and Luke steps out. He looks down at Zaine with confused surprise.

"Hmm, who are you?" Luke stares at Zaine for a moment. Zaine looks up at Luke with a humbled expression. Luke's eyes widen slightly as he recognizes, barely, his old student. "Zaine?"

"Yo." Zaine raises his hand. A slight tinge of disappointment crosses over Lukes face when he notices his palm is discolored dark. He recognizes this as a gem infusement. "Its been a while, hasn't it?"

"It indeed has." Luke kneels down and sits next to Zaine. "What brings you to my footsteps, young Zaine?"

"I guess-" Zaine's lip trembles as he feels embarrassed. "-I owe you an apology. I know it's a long time coming, but here I am now." Zaine smiles weakly. "Back when I stormed out and pointed at you and your school as a fraudulent crock, I was in a bad way. I won't go on about my abusive father, but I was jealous and blamed bias on it, but now I get it." Zaine smiles almost angrily. "It took three years, but I really get it. You saw some potential in him that I lacked, and after getting my assed kicked by him as badly as I did, I have come to terms with failing."

"Hmm." Luke is slightly suspicious. "So, you've met with Antonio in the city. You know he only just left, so its quite an interesting turn of fate that you've already fought."

"Wait, he just left?"

"He's been training in the Eastvein Woods for three years." Zaine's eyes jut out in surprise.

"WHAT!?!" Zaine places his hand on his head and laughs. "Hah, no wonder he's so damn tough." Luke crosses his arms and smiles has he speaks wisdom to his old student, almost feeling nostalgic.

"Every loss contains a seed of gain. While you've found ways to-" Luke narrows his eyes at Zaines hands. "-'improve' yourself on your path, so too has Antonio. As you've witnessed his natural growth triumphs over the artificial. However-" Luke sighs. "-I feel a loss is not too far into his future. He's made some great enemies Zaine, enemies that may even consume him."

"Yeah, I know." Luke raises a brow. "If he's really going to attack the Tai Tower, he might as well jump in a volcano. That place holds worse then the Eastvein woods by a long shot."

"And how do you know where he's going? Unless-" An inking of realization crosses over Lukes face. Zaine smiles with no confidence.

"I'm a Tai Corp mercenary." Luke stands up in surprised. "Hey now, wait a minute-"

"So I get it! That's how you came to face Antonio so soon! You're one of their pawns, Zaine?!" Zaine sighs. "Well then, how involved with this whole fiasco are you? Did you have a hand in Sarah's situation?"

"I-" Zaine gulps. "-I was the one who abducted her. I delivered her to Clark. "Lukes hands clench and shake in anger. "I already know how terrible I am for doing it. Ive been thinking of it ever since my defeat." Zaine laughs bitterly. "Maybe even before then. Ive done s****y things for the TC but that's the tops. But I had no clue she would actually be tossed." Zaine shudders.
"And by him of all people. The fact she most likely felt his fighting spirit before being thrown out that window... My god!"

"Hmm?" Luke sits down, putting aside his sheer disappointment in Zaine for his heinous action. "You seem to speak through experience."

"Yeah..."

~~~

Several Months Ago

Zaine arrogantly tramples into what looks like a gym. The Tai Corp label is on each wall on a banner, making it apparent this is TC owned property. Zaine power walks up to someone using the barbells, looking as smug as he possibly can.

"Yo! My turn pal-" As Zaine finishes his sentence a hand rests on his shoulder. "Huh?" Zaine turns his head to see Zorn. Zorn is wearing red gym gear. Tank top and shorts.

"Ey kid, haven't seen you before. Welcome to my gym!"

"Your gym?" Zaine begins to laugh. Zorn grins.

"Yeah! You wanna swing your dick around like you're doin' now you better have the balls to prove you ain't just some punk! Come on kid, join me in the ring!"

---

The two are standing in the training ring. Their spar is well under way. Dark clouds are smothering the ring but Zaine looks rather beat up. Hes bleeding under his left eyebrow and seems to be barely standing. Zorn looks practically peerless in comparison. A great, spiraling fighting spirit twists around him, disrupting much of the clouds coming from Zaine.

"H-how can you-" Zorn suddenly rushes forward toward Zaine. "AH!" Zaine desperately puts up an aura reinforced wall of cloud around him. Zorn grins as he viciously haymakers through it, nasty ki spirals around his arm as he does. The cloud barrier is disrupted and the force of the spiral separates Zaines arms apart, leaving him wide open. "NO!" Zorn lunges forward and digs his palm into Zaines gut. Zaine gasps as Zorn heaves him up.Both of his arms radiate with spiraling aura.

"HEAVE! AND-" Zorn thrusts his arm up. Zaine spirals uncontrollably upward about five feet, then falls back down, right into a vicious left straight right into the chest. The punch, of course, has a great deal of aura fused within it.* "-HO!"

Zaine spits blood as he's rocketed backward in a spin with spiraling aura whirling around him. He slams right into one of the Tai Corp banners and a sharp spiraling crevice forms in the wall behind it instantly on impact. Zaine coughs once before fading into unconsciousness.

"HAH! F****n' come in MY turf with that cocky attitude and you ain't even branched!" Zorn looks around the gym and points his thumb in Zaines direction. "Pry that trash offa my wall and throw him out!"

"Yes Mr. Jou'ee!"

~~~

Present

Zaine shudders at recalling his encounter with Zorn. "I was truly hopeless against him." Zaine says upset. "He even plowed through my barriers, and effortlessly." Zaine laughs nervously. "It was on that day I realized just how damn scary the Tai Corporation really was. That Zorn, he outclasses me in just about every regard, and there are even scarier monsters besides him in Tai's employment! Tonio's good, but against something like that?" Zaine laughs nervously once again.

"Then I will suppose he'll either rise to surpass what you could not, or fall. Ive already told him humility may very well be in his future, I only pray he will live to learn from it. As for you-" Luke glares at Zaine. "Will you still pursue a career as a penny merc for the Tai Corp?" Zaine shakes his head.

"Nah. I'm done with 'em. I'd bet they'd have me killed anyways if I returned. Besides, I made a bet with Tonio." Zaine smiles. "And I lost. I'm not a good guy, Luke, but I've got my word to uphold. I'm thinking of going on a pilgrimage."

"Hmm." Luke is quiet for a moment. "If you're serious and you are willing to change your ways I'd advise you walk the path to Kurishia. Seek out Bruce." Luke closes his eyes. "When Antonio started his training in the Eastvein Woods I sought out my old sparring partner. When I found him I had seen he'd become truly great, and he told me many things." Luke rests his palm on Zaines shoulder and opens his eyes. "I will one day suggest to my brother that he should seek out Bruce as well, perhaps after he's been humbled as you are now."

"Bruce..." Zaine looks intimidated. "Now that you mention it I remember him being a bit tougher then you as a teacher."

"Indeed, and it's that tough regiment that has gotten where he is now, on the top of the world, as the strongest under the seven nations!"

---

Zorn sneezes in the direction of Jeht. The two are wasting time in one of the gambling rooms in the Tai Tower. Jeht slowly turns to Zorn and eye's him with deep resentment.

"If you are going to blow your diseased snot all over the place the least you could do it cover up your face-" Jeht tilts his head up. "-filth." Zorn snorks angrily.

"What'd you say you damn kiss a*s?!" Several of the Tai Corp associates turn from their gaming tables.

"Oh damn they're at it again." The two come within inches of each other.

"I said-" Jeht speaks with a great arrogance. "-clog your rotting mouth, or you just might lose your ability to use it!"

"Oh yeah kiddo?! You wanna go!?"

"Knock it the f**k off." The two turn toward a poker table just four feet away from them. Jim Jeyce is counting his fresh winnings. He coughs several times before giving both Jeht and Zorn the dirty eye. "Every time you two are within earshot of each other-" Jim clears his throat. "-you disturb the peace. I'm sure I'm not the only one annoyed by this insolence-"

"Oi you old sicky!" Jim flinches as Zorn arrogantly struts toward him. "Maybe you should go back to checking TC's stocks and bitchin' about the store front! Actually, I think-" Zorns arm starts to form a spiraling fighting spirit around it. It swirls around as Zorn extends his arm. "Dying old wimps like you should just-" Zorn pulls his arm back as a ripple cuts through the air. Jeht's foot is suddenly high above the two, as he kicks in the blink of an eye between Zorn and Jim.

"Are you insane?!?" Zorn glares at the rather shocked and appalled looking Jeht.

"Bah!" Zorn grunts. "I was just playing with him, a*****e." Zorn turns and storms out of the room. Jeht bows apologetically at Jim.

"I sincerely apologize Sir Jeyce!" Jim readjusts his tie and coughs.

"Tai will... hear about this, you damn brats."

---

Onex holds his head as he's taken by anxiety. He's in one of the locker rooms, thinking about his past and how he came to be where he is now.

"Veto..." Onex whimpers. "Is this right?" A large shadow looms behind Onex. The shadow drops down from one of the lockers and lands behind Onex. Its The Great Beheader. She has a psychotic grin.

"Oh Neeeeewwwwwbiiiieeee...!" Onex scrambles to his feet and sweats cold. His hand is tight on the hilt of his sword. She is fast behind him and wraps one of her large arms around his shoulder. "You wanna team up ~<3?"

"N-no-"

"AAAWWWW, come on kiddo we're gonna have lotsa fun!" Beheader turns her head to one of the other Tai Corp associates in the room, it just so happens to be Bo Lucas. "You can come for the fun too baldy!"

"Not in this lifetime." Bo speaks calmly. Beheader sticks her grey tongue out at him.

"NYAAAH!! Fine! You'd just be a buzzkill anyways! Right, On'ee Won'ee?"

"Uhh-" One of Beheader's normal finger blades rub against Onex's throat. "R-r-right!"

---

Clark is gnawing on the back of his pen, he continues to think of Antonio and his almost certain attempt at attacking him, and thinking of Tai and how he'll handle all the things Clark's done in the last few days. Clark bites off the end of the pen

"Damn it." Clark throws his pin. "ARGH! DAMN IT! IF YOU'RE GONNA STRIKE DO IT ALREADY!!" Clark starts to breathe heavily as he lays his face on the desk.

---

Ole and Grendel sit face to face in Grendel's office. Grendel has his face in a book, one of fiction, called 'Reeling in Destiny'. Ole looks excited.

"Todays the day. I really feel good about this new girl Grendel ol' boy!" Grendel Russ is silent. "She's stated to be good with the blade, so she might be a shoe in for Edward's division." Russ is silent. "Guess its all dependent upon how well she does in her first year. What do you think?"

"First impressions? The girl has some promise. When she sent out that ki radar during the first interview I could tell she was already branched." Grendel grumbles. "Might be an Expander, but I won't rule out her being a Divider either. If she ends up good enough she might actually earn a promotion before the required year elapses. Right now though-" Grendel grumbles. "-that isn't really on my mind. It would seem Tai's almost in Kurishia, but his scouts in the black market are saying the item his contact mentioned isn't there as he thought it would be. He's already calling the trip pointless."

"Oh? Are you worried Grendel ol' boy? Don't fret too much I don't imagine he'll forget to ask. Just keep in mind it's pretty hard to be accepted-"

"Ive given him permission to use it as a last resort. I'm sure to be accepted for next years H5." Grendel grumbles. "IF he doesn't forget." Ole gives a good hearty laugh.

"Oh its so rare to see 'The Guardian Spear' excited about anything! You're really that hungry to be recognized as the strongest?" Grendel remains silent.

---

The great Tai Tower stands high over the surrounding industry of Central Norot. This is Tai Movile, a small industrial city right next to Tai-tropolis, the city that the great Tai Tower rises from. A red and white car with a 'cruis-n' sign on top of the hood rolls next to the curb in front of a food factory. Antonio, Clarice and Jason exit the vehicle. Tony immediately aims his gaze at the Tower.

"That it?" Clarice nods as Jason looks in astonishment.

"Yes."

"Ive never been this close to the tower in my life! Can't believe its so big. To think we're actually gonna be breaking in." Jason looks at Clarices sheath and hilt. "You sure that ain't going to raise suspicion?"

"The interview may involve demonstrating my skills. Ive told them I'm a swordsman so they'll expect this much at least.

"Enough." Antonio cracks his neck to the left. "Lets get going."

End of Act 1

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