The Strings of Fate and Fortune: The Takuma Sato Story: Chapter 3

Takuma Sato is a 19-year-old martial arts savant and a master of Tae Kwon Do. His quest to pay off his families’ debt to a loan company has brought him to the city of Las Vegas. Working for Ultimate Wrestling he hopes to work off this debt and at the same time forge a career as a professional athlete. When he wields the chakra powered punch known as the deadly Ironfisted heart punch; He is the most dangerous man in wrestling.

The scene opens with Ultimate Wrestling referee Bob Sigrow lifting Jeremiah Vastrix hand in the air recognizing him as the winner of the semifinals match. The Ultimate Wrestling fans in attendance chant “Vastrix” and it echoes throughout the Luxor hotel arena. It
s obvious the cybernetically enhanced fighter has won the hearts and minds of the Vegas people with his victory tonight.

“It wasn’t until that very moment when Bob Sigrow raised my opponent's hand in the air that I realized I had failed in securing the funds needed to knock out my family’s debt on our house in Detroit in one fell swoop. It was only in my spiraling depression, lying on the mat of the ring, that I happened to fixate on the eye of my opponent. It was not human, not even organic, but a machine, a cybernetic eye! I had been defeated by an opponent using a computer to his advantage. As I pulled myself back up to my feet with the help of the wrestling ring ropes, the weight of the debt my father had burdened on our family before his suicide felt as if it would drop me to the wrestling canvas yet again. Somehow I pulled myself together and walked back to the locker room under my power without the help of the medical staff.”

The scene ends with Sato walking back up the ramp to the main stage. Time then flashes forward to Sato backstage as he finishes getting dressed back into his street clothes. Ivan Stricker sits on the bench behind him upset with the way the match transpired.

Ivan Stricker: I can’t believe you lost man…I can’t believe it…I’m so fucked….

Takuma Sato: You’re upset? Dude, how do you think I feel? I lost my chance to pull my mother out of this horrible situation we're in! I’m the one who got his ass kicked by some asshole with a computer in his fucking skull!

Ivan Stricker: Woah! Easy partner... Look I’m sorry man. I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems, you’ve got enough on your plate. Listen, you’re stressed out and frustrated, let’s hit the town and blow off some steam. You look like you could use a good dinner and some drinks.

Takuma Sato: Ivan, I’m 19 no one is going to serve me alcohol…

Ivan Stricker: I know a place. Come on kid, this is Vegas!

As the two men exit the fancy Luxor hotel front entrance, Ivan’s white Chrysler comfortable LeBaron pulls up being driven by the hotel's valet. The scene then cuts to inside the vehicle as Ivan pulls off onto the strip’s brightly lit streets.

Takuma Sato: So why are you so upset anyway?

Ivan Stricker: I just had a lot riding on you winning that match. Let’s just say Mudcock isn’t the only one trying to start a wrestling federation in this country.

Takuma Sato: You want to start a wrestling company?

Ivan Stricker: Yeah I do, it’s been a dream of mine ever since I became a fan of the sport.

Takuma Sato: Well, I’m sorry I let you down this week Ivan but don’t worry. One day the championship belt will be mine and with it all the financial perks that come with it.

Ivan Stricker: You don’t have to tell me, kid! I believe in you! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here trying to make this thing happen for you.

Takuma Sato: So where are we going?

Ivan Stricker: I got a friend of mine that owns this swanky place down the strip here. I’ve been meaning to stop in for a while and try the food.

Sato nods his head in approval just as Ivan pulls up to the front of a large club with valet parking. Ivan leaves the keys in the ignition and hands the doorman a $100 bill before letting him inside his car. Sato gets out and immediately looks up at the tall skyscraper a building. Takuma squints his eyes as he focuses on the club’s bright lights flashing through the windows on the top level of the building. Ivan comes over and pats him on the back and nudges him forward. As they walk into the main floor lobby and wait for the elevator, the two men continue to spark up a conversation.

Sato: That was nice of you to give the doorman a hundred dollars.

Ivan Stricker: Hey, they’ve got to eat too, right? Plus the money that you made tonight for showing up for the match just hit our accounts via direct deposit.

The elevator descends to the entrance floor and the doors open up slowly. Ivan, Sato, and a few others who have patiently waited enter the elevator. Some eerie and ominous elevator music plays out of the speakers as the metal transport box lifts the passengers some thirty floors before opening and revealing an epic bar and restaurant lit with cool blue neon lights. Eventually, a waiter comes and takes Ivan and Sato to a table. Once seated, Sato smiles when he notices that the club serves sushi on the menu.

Takuma Sato: Never thought I’d be able to get Sushi in the desert.

Ivan Stricker: That is the great thing about Vegas kid! The world is your oyster here! You just got figure out your niche for making a living and you’re set.

The waiter comes back to their table to take their order. Ivan orders a Tom Collins and Takuma orders a variety of sushi rolls and a sparkling Pellegrino.

Ivan Sticker: You’re not going to order a drink?

Takuma Sato: I hardly ever consume alcoholic beverages apart from the occasional Sake. Alcohol slows reaction times and damages the brain over long term use; two things that as a fighter needs to be successful.

Ivan Stricker: Order a stiff drink kid…It’s been a rough night.

Takuma Sato: I would be inclined to agree with you my friend, alright I’ll take a Sake, please.

Waiter: Warm or cold, sir?

Takuma Sato: Cold, please…

Ivan Stricker: Finally, I thought you were never going to loosen up kid.

Takuma Sato: I’m sorry man, I haven’t been myself lately with all that’s happened in my life recently. One day I’m living at home with my parents getting ready for college, the next my dad’s dead and suddenly I’m on a plane to Las Vegas to fight in a wrestling tournament. It just feels like my life has been a whirlwind of changes in the past few weeks.

Ivan Stricker: I get it Taku, but you got to concentrate on the task at hand. The time will come for you to adjust to life here in the southwest. Right now you have to focus on Ultimate Wrestling and your next opponent Kronin. He dismantled Melange in that ring tonight. It was so bad Mudock fired him afterward! It was brutal!

The waiter returns with a beautiful array of sushi on an oriental looking plate. He sets it down in front of Sato and Ivan before pulling out a pair of chopsticks for each of them. Another waiter brings them their drinks. Both men take the time to cleanse their palates before digging into the fresh fish that had traveled from the west coast.

Takuma Sato: I’m impressed with your chopstick skills Ivan. I have not met many fellow westerners who enjoy eating with them.

Ivan Stricker: I’ve spent some time in Japan managing wrestlers.

Sato laughs out loud.

Takuma Sato: Fantastic! Perhaps one day we will visit my ancestral home together.

Ivan Sticker: You bet kid, I think you got was it takes to….I…uhh…

Ivan suddenly stops talking and drops his chopsticks on the table and stares at the entranceway of the hip establishment with a horrified look on his face. Sato turns his head to see what has spooked Ivan so prominently. In the entrance stands one very large ethnic-looking bald man in a suit surrounded by six other Russian looking gentlemen who seem to be staring right at them. After a few seconds, they walk over to their table and the large man who looks like the leader of the group puts his hands on Ivan’s shoulders in a semi-aggressive manner.

Large Russian Man: What’s ah matter uhh? Yah’ not going to introduce me to your friend Sato here?

Ivan Stricker: Vlahd, I got your money okay, I just need a little more time…

Vlahd: Well now that you mention it… I would like my money very much Ivan.

Vlahd pats Ivan on the back in an unsympathetic manner. The people around them are beginning to stare and wonder what is going on between all these people at their table. Even the wait staff seems concerned with what is transpiring.

Takuma Sato: Ivan who are these guys?

Vlahd points at himself while the rest of the mobster looking goons around him smile sinisterly.

Vlahd: Who me? I am Vlahd Zharkov and these here, are my business associates, Oleg, Pavel, Mario, Sergio, and Nikolay.

Takuma Sato: So what do you want with Ivan?

Vlahd: Well you see Mr. Sato, Ivan here had such bad credit that no lender in this country would loan him the money for a little project of his. So he came to me promising me that he’d bag a star athlete and would pay off the money he was borrowing from me and my friends here. Sadly his time has run out!

With that Vlahd Zharkov picks up Ivan out of his chair and slams him face-first into the Sushi platter. The other people in the club scream and stare shocked at the insanity emerging from the right corner of the room.

Vlahd: Nikolay! Pavel! Collect everyone’s cell phones, iPhones, iPads, and anything else that can take video or pictures now! Oleg, SERGIO, grab the owner and make sure no one calls the police. Make them understand that if they want to do business in this city they have to pay for our protection.

All of the gangsters pull out their guns and go to work collecting cell phones and harassing the management. Mario pulls out a gun and points it at Takuma who is grasping at his chair wishing he could do something to stop this nightmare of a situation. Vlahd applies severe pressure to Ivan’s face and begins to scream at him.

Vlahd: So where’s the money Ivan!? Huh? Did you think you could avoid me forever? I told you I’d find you if you tried to hide from! I TOLD YOU!

Ivan Stricker: Vlahd! Please listen to me! We made $10,000 tonight! Takuma here is going to be a star in Ultimate Wrestling! I’m going to be able to pay you back! You just need to be patient! Now that I’ve signed this kid to a contract the money is going to be rolling in! I promise you!)

Vlahd pulls out a handgun from the back of his pants and presses it up against the back of the skull of Ivan Stricker. Many of the women in the club have begun to cry and go into shock. Sounds of pots, pans, and glasses being flung around in the kitchen can be heard as Oleg and Sergio work over the owner and his chefs in the back.

Takuma Sato: Woah! Easy, easy! Take it easy! I can get you the money. How much does he owe you?

Vlahd: Look at this, big mouth in little China has some balls! This mother fucker owes me 200,000 dollars! Where are you going to get that kind of money! Last I heard on ESPN is that you’re broke and trying to dig your family out of debt! Don’t waste my time!

Takuma Sato: I have a match against Kronin Reinhardt next week and I believe he’s favored in the fight 3 to 1. Place $200’000 on the fight at whatever casino you want and I guarantee I will win the match! If I lose you can kill us both!

The offer causes Vlahd to lift off of Ivan and scratch his head with the butt of his pistol while he thinks the offer over. Ivan Stricker moans and groans on the table as he lifts his head off the sushi platter. Raw fish and rice slide down his face and onto the platter as he tries to mouth “thank you” to Sato.

Vlahdi: You got a lot of confidence kid… Do you think you can beat that big dumb German bastard?

Takuma Sato: I don’t see why I can’t. Everyone is beatable under the right circumstances and against the right opponent. I guarantee you, Reinhardt has never faced an opponent quite like myself. I can beat him! Just put your damn gun away!

Vlahd: Alright Mr. Sato, you got yourself a deal, but if you lose not only am going to kill Ivan and you but your mother in Detroit as well! Come on boys were leaving!

Vlahd’s men grab Ivan up off the table and begin carrying him away.

Takuma Sato: Wait you’re not leaving Ivan behind?

Vlahd: Nah, no way! He’s collateral! So don’t fucking lose! Got it?

Vlahd grabs Ivan by the collar of his shirt and drags him over to the elevator. The rest of his gang follows him and before Takuma can even blink the Russian’s are gone along with his only friend in Vegas. The people of the restaurant rush the owner of the restaurant and demand for the police to be called as Sato walks over to the elevator just as the door opens. He quickly steps into the empty transport. Once inside the doors shut behind him. He leans up against them and drops to the ground, sliding back down the metal until his bottom hits the floor. Takuma is holding his head In his hands disgusted, frustrated, and scared.

“For the first time in my life, I was scared going into a fight. Not for fear of losing or getting hurt, but because a man’s life was at stake. The pressure I was feeling was overwhelming and the frustration of not being able to do anything in that situation made it all the worse for me. As dangerous of a weapon my body is, it’s not a match for a loaded pistol pointed straight at my chest. I had no choice, I had to make the offer, and now I have to win…”

The scene fades to black just as the elevator makes a bell sound signifying it has reached the ground floor. When we see Sato again he is all alone and his walking pace is somewhat somber as he makes his way down a darkly lit street somewhere far off from the main strip.

“With Ivan and his keys to his LeBaron long gone, my choices were to call a cab or walk home. With money being such a pressing problem at the moment, I decided to walk back to my new home on the north side and spare myself the expense. Suddenly I heard screams coming from a dark alleyway to my right. When I turned my head I saw a man assaulting a woman and attempting to rape her. Witnessing such a vile, disgusting act transpiring enraged me to a level I’d never felt before. It pushed me over the edge and sent me into a mental state I’d not reached in years due to my meditation. After all that had happened earlier in the evening, this evil act, this was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Like an abused animal fighting back after being cornered, I rushed into the alley out for blood, looking to unleash the pain inside me on this dishonorable subhuman.”

As Sato rushes into the alley he sees the poor woman pressed up against the wall with a knife at her throat. Her top has been torn almost in half and her skirt has been ripped down past her knees, as the attacked presses into her and tries to muffle her screams for help. Without saying a word or giving any notice of his presence, Sato grabs the rapist by the back of his head by pulling on his long straggly mullet and forces him to release his hold on the woman. Sato lets go of his hair and the assailant spins around turning his knife now on Sato.

Thug: You picked the wrong fucking night to play hero to a fucking street hooker asshole!

The thug comes at Sato with the knife but Takuma blocks it effortlessly, and then uses his left fist to palm strike the knife out of his hand. Takuma then kicks him in the chest causing him to stumble backward and trip over his unbuttoned pants that had fallen to his ankles. The woman looks on in shock on her hands and knees as her attacker backs up against the wall, struggling to pull his pants up and get to his feet.

Sato: Parasites like you shouldn’t be out walking the streets with the rest of us. You belong behind bars, in a cage, like the animal you are!

The thug tries to take another swing at Sato, but his movement is too fluid and he dodges the punch easily before coming back at his attacker with a vicious roundhouse kick. The kick sends him up against the wall hard. Sato quickly meets him against the wall and grabs his shoulders and repeatedly knees the criminal in the groin area over and over again. When Sato finally releases the attacker, he falls to the concrete howling and crying in pain.

“I won’t lie, it felt good to let go, to lose control, and release my frustration on this vile subhuman, but giving in to this anger and hatred often is what leads to the destruction of all men. I am not immune to this and so I must meditate and contemplate what I did this night.”

Woman: Th…th…thank you...soo so much….I…

Sato helps the crying woman up onto her feet and then takes off his blue coat and puts it around the woman’s shoulders to keep her warm.

Sato: You’re welcome… come on, I live nearby. I’ll help you get cleaned up and you can stay with me till its daylight out.

Takuma helps the assaulted woman to his house and once there, he opens his door and lets her into his rundown looking home. When he turns on the lights, the woman seems hesitant because there is no furniture inside Sato’s home.

Takuma Sato: Don’t be weirded out, I just moved into the neighborhood from Detroit. I don’t have a lot of money or furniture yet. There is a bathroom with a towel on the rack where you can get cleaned up. Just follow the stairs and the room will be on your right. I’ll make us some tea, okay?

Woman: Oh...okay…I don’t even know your name…

Sato: Taku…its short for Takuma.

Sato bows to the woman in front of him who stands in his doorway. She looks to be about 30 years of age with dark black hair. She had been wearing a red halter-top which is now hanging from her torso and a short black skirt with patterned nylons and long black leather boots. She looks extremely thin and tired around the eyes like a person who has live a lot of life in a short amount of time.

Woman: Thank you for your help….I’m Amber. Are you… Japanese?

Takuma Sato: I am American. But yes, my parents were both from Japan. Please make yourself comfortable in my home.

Sato leaves to go to the kitchen and make tea for his guest as Amber makes her way up the stairs to the bathroom. Sato pours some water from the faucet into a tea kettle and places it on his stove. He turns on the burner and goes and sits down next to his window in the living room.

“I could hear the poor thing crying upstairs in my bathtub for a good two hours. As I stared out my window and watched stared at the bright lights of the strip in the distance, I grew more determined and more focused with every minute that went by. Someone had to fight for these disadvantaged people and that someone was going to be me, but before I could help anyone, I had to help myself and Ivan. The only way I was going to be able to do that was by beating Kronin.”

The scene fades to black with Sato sitting by his window.

The scene opens back up the next morning with Takuma Sato sitting on his front porch with his hands and feet crossed meditating. In front of him sits a hot cup of green tea with steam rising out of it. Another cup sits to the left of him by itself. The sun is out on this crisp morning and the sounds of birds chirping and cicadas buzzing fill the air with life.

“It took a little while, but I finally returned to my Zen state of mind early that morning. All the anger that had consumed me last night had left my mind. Even all the pressure my psyche and body were feeling with Ivan’s life hanging in the balance had seemed to slip away. I felt ready to face my fate and to do battle with Kronin."

Suddenly, Amber walks out onto the porch dressed in one of Takuma’s old sweatshirts and sweatpants. As Amber tries to speak, Sato raises his hand up in the air to stop her, and points to the ground next to him where the second cup of hot steaming tea is sitting. Amber seems somewhat confused at first but then sits down next to him. She consumes a little of the hot tea and closes her eyes, enjoying the warm sun, warm dry air, and warm liquid warming her insides.

Amber: I wanted to thank you for what you did for me last night…saving me from that asshole and letting a stranger stay at your home….I…

Takuma Sato: Shhhhh…..just close your eyes and try to block all your thoughts out…then once you’re relaxed… we shall speak.

Amber seems a little confused by Sato’s request but does as she is told. Time speeds up and what was the early morning, changes to the middle of the afternoon. As time slows back down Sato opens his eyes and begins to speak.

Takuma Sato: You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. I do not know what your situation is and I won’t demand that you tell me. All I ask is that you participate in certain activities with me like you did today.

Amber: What are you? Like, some kind of social worker or something?

Takuma Sato: No, I’m a professional fighter.

Amber: I don’t have anywhere really safe to go. I’ve been a streetwalker for the past three years since I moved out here and lost my job at the strip club. That asshole last night… he didn’t want to pay me…god, my life is so fucked up…

Amber sheds a few tears as she continues to speak.

Amber: I’ve never had anyone… treat me so nice without asking for something in return. If it wasn’t for you…I might be dead in some dirty alleyway right now.

Takuma puts his hand on Amber’s shoulder before speaking.

Takuma Sato: I want to help you Amber, but not only that - I want to help everyone I can in this city. Once I’ve paid a few debts off, I plan to use my gift and the money I earn to make differences in people's lives like I’m doing for you. I’m going to open a center for rehabilitation and self-improvement. I’d like you to be my first student.

Amber hugs Sato before standing up and going back inside. A warm smile comes over Takuma’s face as he finishes the last of his now cool green tea.

To be continued...