A Challenge Unanswered

Author's Note: I know I don't own any of the characters in this, or the game itself (wish I did!), but this fic kind of came from a random flashy image that popped into my head while I was taking the bus some time back, after I'd played Guilty Gear X at the video arcade. So I hope you enjoy this fic anyway, even though I'm sure I've gotten quite a few technical details wrong!

Thanks to all those who helped me with the formation and putting together of this story, including my best friend and soulmate (you know who you are!).

A Challenge Unanswered

Chapter I - Some Things Happen By Chance

It was the year 2003, and the Samurai Spirits Tournament was on once again. There were the usual competitors - Jam Kuradoberi was back, joined by her good friends May and Johnny. So was Axl Low, Anji Mito (in the company of the *very* attractive samurai woman Baiken), Chipp Zanuff and the infamous Sol Badguy, to name but a few. And, of course, the newly-recruited Gardras soldier Venom as well as Testament (whom some secretly accused of being a devil-worshiper due to his extreme Gothic manner of dress, or perhaps he wasn't even human).

The young fighter Dizzy walked into the local Los Angeles nightclub - aptly named 'Rainbow After Dark' - and immediately made a beeline for the lone figure seated at a dimly-lit corner table near the bar. "Testament!" she called, waving excitedly. Her short royal-blue hair bounced about as she practically hop-skipped over to him.
He looked up, and his sombre pale features lightened with something like a faint smile upon sighting the sole person in his life worth caring about. "Dizzy," he greeted her quietly.
"You okay?" Dizzy asked as she sat down across from him, looking concerned.
"I'm fine," he answered shortly. She wasn't convinced, though.
"Come on, something's bugging you," Dizzy persisted. "You're looking even more moody than usual tonight."
"It's nothing," Testament repeated. "I just discovered that Venom's taking part in this year's Samurai Spirits Tournament. We've... had dealings before, and let's just say that I have no desire to face him again."
"But you did really well in the last tournament," Dizzy replied, still puzzled. "Surely if you'd engaged in any extra matches, that it would have been noted and added to your grading."
"It... wasn't a match," the pale fighter answered slowly. "At least, not an official one. It's nothing, really - don't worry yourself so much about me, Dizzy-chan." He reached out and ruffled her hair fondly.
"Well, if you're sure..." Dizzy relented. Her pretty face lit up with a lovely smile. "Come out with me on the dance floor," she begged, reaching for Testament's hand. "You never want to dance, and I know you're good at it. Plus I know lots of girls here that have been dying to get a closer look at you - they just love tall, dark and sexy Goths like you."
"I'm not a Goth," Testament protested, but allowed Dizzy to drag him out onto the not-too-crowded dance floor anyway. She took his hands and began to dance, Testament just standing there at first and feeling sort of awkward. Then the hip-happy techno beat of Basement Jaxx's 'Romeo' changed to the much-heavier fast-paced 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool, and Testament started to relax and enjoy himself.
He didn't really notice the white-clad stranger come in at first, caught up as he was in the music and dancing with Dizzy, who was enjoying herself immensely. But the tall half-demon felt a pair of eyes on him about a minute afterward, and turned to look over his shoulder. What he saw made the man jerk back slightly, pulling his hands out of Dizzy's. "Hey, what's with you?" she asked.
"Nothing," Testament said quickly, turning back and picking Dizzy up in his arms, whirling her around until she giggled and protested to be let down again before she got, well, dizzy. Another shaky giggle and a brief glomp of his waist, and Dizzy was off to the bar to get them a drink each, leaving Testament to dance alone - well, technically, being immediately surrounded by a throng of adoring Goth girls once Dizzy had left, 'alone' was pretty much a lie. And then the girls backed off slightly as Testament felt a male presence come to stand very close behind him, so close he could swear the person's chest touched his back. He turned his head enough to look back, and all he saw was a sweep of winter-white hair and a single blue eye in a dark face. "We meet again, dark one," Venom whispered, leaning in so he spoke into Testament's ear. The soft bass in his voice sent a peculiar shiver down the pale man's spine and danced in his head. "Perhaps, this time, our encounter shall have a more... amiable outcome."
Testament was ready to whip around and summon his scarlet-bladed Demon Sickle so he could deal with the Gardras soldier once and for all, but Venom was gone before he could lift a finger. He didn't even have time to rein in his wildly-conflicting emotions before Dizzy returned with a Bloody Mary for the both of them. "I saw him," the young woman said gravely. "What did he want with you?"
"Nothing good, of that I'm certain," the half-demon answered, still partially confused by the dislike he felt for Venom and the unwanted desire he'd also raised in Testament when he'd spoken to him thus. "The Gardras Corporation have a notorious reputation for hiring those who have a natural ability to elicit fear and hate among those they intend to dominate, and Venom has never been an exception." He shrugged, as if to shake the weirdness of his earlier encounter off. "Come, let's finish these and get back out there."

The white-haired man chuckled softly to himself as he walked away into the night. "He really doesn't like me," Venom smiled, highly amused by the dark-haired fighter's less-than-enthusiastic reaction to him in the nightclub. "That could make for quite a challenge in our future matches... he fought very well indeed last time." His one visible blue eye gleamed in anticipation. "Not to mention the kind of challenge I'd love to answer in the bedroom," he added, chuckling once more as he disappeared into the darkness.