Author's Notes: Howdy everyone. I'm back! I'm long overdue for this new story. My apologies. My grandfather had just passed away recently and I have had a hard time coping with it since. Anyway, I promised a sequel and now here it is. I loved the first one so much, I couldn't help but continue it. Take note that you may have to go back and read the first story to understand some things, including the characters. I also notice some of you might have missed me posting the last chapter to the first one(Perhaps I updated too quick). So if you have not already read it, I suggest you go do that now. As always I hope you guys enjoy.
Secondary Notes: Since this is a sequel, it is very much like the first. Not everything is totally canon, so you could consider this a bit of an Alternate Universe fic (AU).
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Fatal Instinct: Mission 2
Chapter 1
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They sat as a trio in a circle, Bruce and Ganryu cross-legged while Anna knelt along the plush, carpet. Ganryu placed the self-made cake on the round table in front them, a candle burning with the smallest of flames planted at the top.
"Happy Birthday, my beautiful Irish friend!" The husky sumo wrestler chirped, clapping his hands together in excitement.
Anna smiled a little, proud of the amount of work he had devoted to this special cake, her cake. Its small size and donut shaped design added with swirls of light frosting were perfect. Not to mention it was chocolate: one of her favorites. Ganryu never failed to impress.
However, despite his effort, she was unsure how to feel right now. On one hand, she was happy to celebrate her birthday with two of her closest friends. On the other, this moment had also struck her with depression, enough to bring her to tears though she kept them suppressed.
Her father Richard treated her older sibling Nina like a princess on her birthday, but with Anna it was not the same. Every year she had no one to share it with but her mother, a well experienced aikido champion. Aside from that, she still desired her father's attention, though she got little of it when Nina was involved.
Things were different now though, but she still found it hard to disregard, as it flooded into her mind every now and then like a haunting dream. She had painted her lips with the lightest bit of makeup, got dressed up, had a manicure, and even had her hair styled just for this day. Yet, as alluring as she felt, it did little to quell the emotions surging through her mind.
"Something wrong?" Bruce asked in his signature masculine tone, giving her a sideways glance, arms folded about his chest. He must have noticed her grieving of the memories, but with his blank expression, she could not be sure.
"Ah… no…it's nothing." Her lips flashed a forced smile before her eyes lowered to the cake in front, nostrils taking in the delicious scent of icing and fudge. She did her best to keep her thoughts positive, meeting with minimal success.
"Make a wish, Anna." Ganryu insisted, giving her a friendly pat on the back.
She closed her eyes and once the wish was clear, she pursed her lips together and blew out the lone candle. After the swirling smoke evaporated, Ganryu started cutting the cake into individual slices for each of them.
"What, no birthday song or presents?" Anna asked shaking out of her depression, feigning a look of disappointment at both the men at her sides.
"I don't do songs." came Bruce's distinct refusal in a cold mutter. "But I got you a gift."
A box wrapped in red paper tied down with gold lace and ribbon slid under Anna's arms before she could react. "Open mine first, Anna." The sumo wrestler requested with a pleading puppy dog gaze she could not turn down. Shaking the box, she found out whatever was inside was light, incapable of making sound to clue her in on what it could be.
Her hands were hesitant with anticipation before they began tearing and removing the covers to reveal the contents inside. She gasped, eyes broadening with a smile to pull out a long, red wide sleeved robe adored with Japanese symbols.
"It's a kimono." He clarified, though she knew that already. "A beautiful woman should always have one, especially one that loves Asian culture. I was going to give it to my dear, sweet Julia, but she usually turns my gifts down, so I'm giving it to you." Ganryu took it from her grasp, the gentle weight of the robe resting on her shoulders, a warm yet perfect fit.
"It's…gorgeous." Anna said in a murmur, almost speechless as she spun around flaunting her new apparel in front of a full size mirror. Moments like this she preferred to have although they were often rare. Even if it was a little of something, it was the thought that counted.
Bruce's gift was next as he handed it over from a concealment of pillowcases. Anna tore it open faster than a giddy child did on Christmas morning. She gasped again, peeking through the ripped material. "Ohhh…"
Bruce smirked at her expression. "Heard you were a real china freak. Figured those dishs would go nice with your kitchen table."
"Me next! Me next!" His niece Elisa jumped on Anna's shoulders, surprising her with a hug from behind.
Anna took her gift and did the same as the others. "Awww." She held up the piece of clothing by the sleeves for everyone to see. "What an adorable looking sweater. Thanks, sweetie. This will look great on me in the winter."
"Heh." Bruce sneered. "You guys should be thanking me. I just gave you punks a free meal in my own home. I should at least get something in exchange, especially with the mess I'm going to have to clean up afterwards."
Anna leaned forth and settled a kiss at his cheek, giggling afterward. "How's that?"
He froze, then smirked. "Fair enough."
"I'm curious, though." He continued. "When are some of the hard working men like myself gonna get their share?"
"Oh. Don't worry, sweetie. I'll be sure to do something special on your birthday." She gave a wink to keep him assured.
"What? You gonna give me a lap dance or something? Tempting, but no thanks, kid."
"As much as you like to fantasize about it, the answer is no," came her flat reply.
"Isn't it great how we're spending time together after so long? Just us, the three musketeers." Such words were true from Ganryu. It had been a while since the three of them last did anything together, much less talked like this. Of course, each of them had their own separate lives, so that might have had something to do with it too. Ganryu had his sumo stable, Bruce had his survival school, and she had her 'jobs' to carry out.
Anna put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, admiring the claim. "Guess I'm the female D'Artagnan."
Bruce went back to reading the newspaper as he unfolded it at his side. "Ganryu can play the role of a female musketeer too, you know. He's got the bust for it. All he needs is a bra and he'll be set."
The sumo wrestler shot the man across from him a vexed glare. "Not funny." He said, noticing they had found the comment rather humorous. He was often the butt of every joke, but in the end, he knew it was all in good fun and did not take offense. Besides, they all teased each other about something, so it was fair game.
"Actually, it is." Anna grinned in agreement with her American friend; it was amazing he was joking around, showing a different side of him not seen so much. He was serious about everything half the time, but perhaps time away from his former life had brought out a change within him.
"Yeah, Ganryu." Bruce smiled a little. "You even got bigger knockers than Anna here."
Anna continued to laugh, giving Bruce a playful punch on the arm in retaliation for the remark. Then she glanced at her watch and stood up to find her shoes by the door. "Well, I better go. Don't wanna hold you up, Bruce. I'll leave my stuff here and come get it later. Nice seeing you two again. And thanks for the gifts."
Bruce nodded and sat up. "Yeah. I gotta drop Elisa off at the babysitter's anyway. Then I got some errands I gotta go run." He glanced at the newspaper he had been holding. "Oh, look at what it says here on the front page. 'Heihachi Mishima reclaims Zaibatsu.' Jeez, how old is he already? Shouldn't he have died by now?"
"So the old man is back in charge." Anna mused aloud, wondering about Kazuya's whereabouts. No doubt he would return in some way to try to reclaim the Zaibatsu; yet, for the past several days since her battle with him, things had been peaceful.
"Can't I stay with Miss Williams instead?" Elisa asked Bruce in a mournful whimper, clinging to Anna's thigh. "I'm sure she wont mind."
The woman chuckled at the request, taking hold of his niece's hands and rubbing them with gentle strokes. "I'd love to watch you, sweetie. But I got things to do. Maybe another time."
She mirrored the little girl's disappointed pout as she exited, debating on how she would make it up to her. The child had only knew Anna for a short time, but idolized her since the day they met. The bond straightened between them whenever they snuck out to practice martial arts behind Bruce's back. From there, Anna started to notice how Elisa looked forward to her visits; she would always ask about her day and left the impression someone cared about her when others did not.
Before she could ponder the subject any further, the elevator chime snapped her out from the trance.
Anna stepped out into the warmth of the sun, the bright rays coming down on her red striped knee length sundress. She pushed up her sunglasses and sauntered about her way, the click of her limpid-heeled sandals resounding along the narrow walkway. Ganryu joined her, trailing from behind, seeming unable to keep up with her speed.
"Anna! You almost forgot your purse!" He shouted between pants, handing it to her once they were within reaching distance. It was apparent his age was getting the better of him, just as it did Bruce.
For a moment, she was dumbfounded whilst slinging the retrieved item over her shoulder. "Oh my, how could I have forgotten." She unzipped it, relieved at finding everything untouched before using the pocket-sized mirror to check her makeup. "Thanks for bringing this to me."
He frowned, hands fixed at his hips to show his displeasure. "Really Anna. You should be more careful where you place your things. You might lose them." He drew in the air and expelled a deep sigh upon changing the subject. "Anyways, where ya going?"
"Café. Need a place to unwind." Then she spun around, no longer facing him. "Care to tag along?"
Right now, a little company did not seem to hurt no matter who it was. Besides, the two of them could use the exercise.
A smile took the place of his answer and that was all Anna needed for a confirmation.
It had been a peaceful fifteen-minute walk through the bustling city, and Anna was astonished that Ganryu had yet to embarrass either of them. For the most part, he had been quiet, drawing suspicion that something was not right. His eyes continued to veer away from her every time she looked at him as if he concealed some sort of secret he did not want to confess.
"What's on your mind?" Anna asked, the question almost startling him as he paused and looked her way. She assumed it had something to do with that Native American woman he was so fond of, but she had to be sure. A day would not go by without him mentioning her in some fashion.
"It's Bruce." He admitted, seeming a little hesitant to tell the rest. "Did he tell you about the surgery?"
Anna shook her head, interested to learn more as a finger rose to her chin. "No. I didn't hear about any such thing." She expected that much from Bruce, as he never intended to share his personal business with anybody.
"He had surgery on his shoulder recently. Said he tore something. The doctor told him not to train or do anything requiring the use of it, but he's doing the exact opposite." The sumo wrestler's gaze dropped before it rose once more. "Maybe… you could talk to him. He always seems willing to listen to you."
As true as that may have seemed, she saw it in a different perspective. "Bruce won't listen to me. He's too stubborn. Too self-assured of himself. I tell him to take it easy sometimes and it's like I'm talking to myself. The other day he complained about having back pains, and when I offered a massage he acted as if he didn't need one."
Those words sounded colder than Anna would have wanted them to. She detested saying such things about Bruce behind his back, but knew to an extent that they were true. In his youth, he was strong, fierce, and had a sharp eye for almost anything. Nevertheless, his skills seemed to have deteriorated since then, and he was not the type to accept that so easily. Indeed, he was not the man he used to be.
She acknowledged the squeeze at her hand, the concerned look in his pleading eyes. "Anna, I really think you should watch him. I know your schedule is sometimes busy, but when you have the time, I think you should check on him every once in a while. Elisa is still very young and can't take care of him yet."
To her, that was a good idea, ensuring she could keep a closer look on him. Of course Bruce was more than capable of taking care of himself. However, she could not afford the risk of something happening. "That would be wise." She conceded with a nod as Ganryu opened the door for her gentlemanlike upon their entry to the café.
Anna sat in the chair with one leg crossed over the other, sandal dangling off the end of her polished toes. Her sunglasses made the interior appear darker than it was although it did little to dampen the quality of the entertainment seen within. She only ordered a small beverage to quench her thirst, knowing a full tummy would reject anything else. Ganryu, on the other hand, held nothing back in regards to the menu. He always tended to think with his stomach first before anything.
"Hope your wallet is as big as your appetite, sweetie." She rose the glass to her lips, the icy water coursing down her throat.
Ganryu laid his arms on the table, almost shaking it with his bulk. "I have a question for you that's been on my mind a while." He paused in thought, scratching the side of his nose. "Why still hang with us old folks? Shouldn't you be with someone a little more… younger? I don't mean to offend, but I was worried you'd leave us after you woke up from the cryo-sleep, thinking we were too old for you."
A giggle at the oddity of his question and she replied. "I think one should be with who they choose. Age doesn't dictate any of that. You guys could be a hundred years old and I still wouldn't care." Her eyebrows fluttered as she said this in a soft-spoken voice, hoping he would understand as she drank another sip.
"I discovered something earlier… about Bruce." He caught Anna's attention again, his fingers tapping against the table edge.
"Hm?"
"I eavesdropped on him. Said something about going away. Don't remember exactly where, though."
Her purse started to vibrate in her lap before she could say anything, and already her mind knew what to expect. Half unzipping it, an array of text flashed across the screen of her communicator, requesting a call. She sighed, standing up and waving Ganryu off. "Be right back."
Once outside again, she hid in the shade of the vacant alleyway and turned the device on. The voice came in loud and clear through the speaker. "Afternoon, Anna. I really hate to bother you, but as you know duty calls. There's this cruise I want you aboard, and we've already acquired you a ticket. I'll brief you on it soon, so stay in touch." Communication with him than faded.
'Damn it…'
She feigned a smile on her way back in, muscles struggling to obscure the frown. It was her birthday, her time to relax and spend time with those closest to her. Yet, they did not seem to be the least bit concerned about that.
Leaving so sudden was rude, but she did not have a say in any of it. She had orders to follow no matter how much she disagreed with them. "Sorry, sweetie. I have to go. Business calls. You know how it is."
"Business is business, my friend." He waved his farewell to her as she did the same before stepping out once more. Her mind began to ponder again as she walked among the evening commuters.
'Another mission. Wonder what they have in store for me this time…'
