Chinatown BLUES

**Date Started:** 19 December, 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Next Role-Play**: N/A
**Users Involved:** User:Mr.Zeno999, User: Starving Skeleton, User:AbysmalShadow
**Setting:** New York, New York
**Characters Involved**:
* **Present:** Elijah Smith, James Johnson, Akihiro Mishima,

## Chinatown Jack

*Chinatown. New York, New York. 2019.*

“I’m shocked you didn’t bring our son.” Mercedes teased. She walked alongside James who kept his hands in his pocket. Letting Mercedes wrap her soft caramel hands around the bend in his arm. “Are you sure he won’t get lonely.” She chuckled.

They made their way through Chinatown. Mercedes heels clacking against concrete as she avoided the filth and grime of Chinatown. A stark comparison to the beautiful black dress that hugged her curvaceous body.

“Hey you always said you always wanted children.” James pleaded jokingly. “Though I mean doesn’t mean you’re older than you really-“

*Crrraaaaaack*

*Crrraaaaaack*

*“Ow! Ow!”* James squeezed as green light whispered from Mercedes grasp. Vanishing just as soon as it came. “I thought I was the strong one.” Renton is a good kid. Another lost black kid who could see and communicate with ghost.  It felt like James stared at his younger self. Which is why he felt nothing but joy when he accepted James invitation to stay with them.

“I don’t mind.” Mercedes laughed. “It’s just that you spend more time with him than me.”

James, wearing his signature black tee under a black hoodie and grey sweats with nothing underneath, smiles. “Well now that he has a better hang of his powers I feel a bit better about nights like these. That’s why I’m taking you here. To make it up and thank you for bearing with me for all these years.”

“Of course baby. I know that your heart is in a better place. You’ve always wanted a family…just like me. So a family we’re going to start.”

“Shit the dress your wearing me might be starting in the restaurant bathroom-“

*Crrrraaaaacccckk*

*Crrraaaaaack*

“The Peeking Duck. Oooo fancy!” Mercedes quipped.

“Yeah one of the ring girls is dating Tony, the Owner of No Holdsbar.  He said he took her here and it was so good she….well she did some things I’d like done to me too!” James chuckled.

“Oh my good.” Mercedes blushed. She pulled herself to James ear. Whispering, “well you might get it if the foods that good.”

The restaurant looked like a standard building. But the interior was designed with grandiose in mind. Gold decorated every nook and cranny. Pictures covered in Chinese characters hung proudly next to various rare pieces that were no doubt missing from some far off rural province. James and Mercedes were escorted to a booth at a window. He looked deeply beyond the glass.

"What can I get you folks today?" The waitress said.

At that moment a large African American male barged through the door, causing a massive scene, "I would like to see the man named James Johnson" the man said raising his voice so all the people can hear.

"Oh god." Mercedes said roling her eyes. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing!!!!" James pleaded. He peaked over the booth before jumping back down. "I don't even know him."

"Well I can tell he isn't going to let this go...This isn't a normal thug either." She added. But James felt the same thing miles before the bullish man barged in. He just hoped that the bestial spiritual energy would simply trot on by. A foolish dream indeed.

"I might as well deal with this. So we can go back to our date." James scooted himself out of the booth and waved at the African American man. "I'm here. Is there anything I can do for you sir?" He asked sarcastically. "Perhaps start you off with a miso soup?"

"I'm not here for miso soup" the man said , "I'm here to fight you" the man stated not staring James right in the eyes like to piercing daggers. "So let's take this outside" he stated.

"W-wait don't I have a say in this?" James asked bewildered. The restaurant was silent as they watched the confusion. Some reaching for their phones in case they had to call the police. "I mean...Two black guys fighting in Chinatown ain't the best thing for our reputation you know?"

"Man shut yo bitch ass up and meet me outside" the man said, though it was a lot quieter than his other statements, a clear sign that he had taken James statement and didn't want to cause more of a scene.

"Ooooooo you going to let him talk to you like that?" Mercedes teased.

"Fine. Order me a shrimp lo mein. I'll be back before its cool." James groaned.But something inside him wanted this. The best meals came after training after all. He looked around and nodded his head to onlookers. "Sorry for the disruption. I'm going to go teach this hooligan a lesson about being disrespectful. Sorry. Sorry." He offered before heading outside.

"So...Hooligan. Why do you want to fight me so bad?"

"I heard you were an Underground Boxing Champion, so I'm thinking if I beat you I basically proved I'm better than you and every other Underground Boxer, plus you'll make a good punching bag" he said while putting himself in a box stance. "So James, put your paw up"

"Umm..." James took a second. "I-it doesn't work like that. I mean even if you win we don't have any witnesses and I mean you'd never be able to make me a punching bag...Lets just clear that up." He chuckled. "But more importantly, who're you trying to prove this to, yourself? Because if so...you kind've gotta go up the latter before challenging *#1*."

"Man I just wanna fight. Like fist fight both bloodied and near death type shit" Elijah said while in his boxing stance ready to punch James at a moments noticed. "So let's go James Johnson"

"The whole government name?" James asked with a slight chuckle. "Ugh...I promised Mercedes a peaceful dinner but...I can't turn down a fight. You better make this worth the complaining I'm about to here."

James didn't take his normal stance though. Instead keeping his feet spaced. His hands were lowered for the man to take the first step. Rarely did he have to *try,*

Elijah threw a fast jab right at James's jaw before pivoting his foot and throwing a very powerful left hook at James.

*Ugh! Ugh!*

James's groaned with each strike. His head whipping to the side before his snapping the other way. However, what shook him most was the fact this mysterious man forced James to take a step back. Had James expected it, he would've blocked, deflected or even rolled beneath the punches. But rarely could *anyone* keep up with the towering man. Yet alone strike him hard enough to *actually* make him move. Hell, his muscles often broke the bones of his careless opponents.

"You pack a punch." James smiled. "I wasn't expecting to find someone like me out here...This just got more annoying."

He picked up his arms. Holding them tight to his sides as he took his stance. Legs straddled in a grounded position. "Let's try that again."

Elijah moved up and launch a straight jab at James face before following it up with a right hook to the body.

James slipped outward while using his right arm to catch the hook. He leaned in and threw an rear uppercut. Followed by his lead hand duplicating Elijah's cut. But his strikes were different. James's body moved with an efficiency brought upon by years upon years of using his own body as the focal point of his Manifestation Arts. And thus, he struck with enough strength to cleanly pierce through metal even without sparking his mystical power.

The punch that should have killed Elijah only sent him flying back into a wall with a thud. "That fucking hurt" Elijah said before getting back up and moving himself into his stance once again. "I'm excited now" he said before rushing at James and throwing a strudy right hook to James ribs with enough strength to crush bone.

James smirked. Tensing his core with a deep breath. Albeit the punch sent an explosion of pain throughout his body. But the warrior had a plan of his own. He took the punch with a pained groan but slammed his head downward in a thundering headbutt. A move unseen in boxing...However James wanted a chance to try out his muythai training.

"Where's the sparks then?" James teased. "Or are you a onetrick pony?"

Elijah hearing what James said, he did a under sweep kick attempting to get James on the floor.

James used the momentum from the evaded headbutt to swing himself forward onto a flip. Bringing his legs up and back down in an axkick.

Elijah now on the ground rolled to his right to evade the kick before getting back up and sending a powerful kick to James’ chest.