Tekken: Beginnings
Notice: I do not own any of the characters featured in this fic. They all belong to Namco whom I doubt will sue me because I don't have any money.
A hell created by my own hands.
Kazuya reached out towards the glass of the window, trying to encapsulate his Empire within each of the five fingers that made up his fist. This was his hell and those within it were but his demons who obeyed only the Devil who filled their heads with promises of wealth, power or whatever it was that their heart desired. And like the devil within him, he exchanged these promises for souls. Those beneath him now were his to command forever.
Darkness had now settled over his kingdom, the classical music echoing over his office barely reached his ears as he stood alone in his thoughts, preparing himself for the strangers who soon be venturing into his world. Those who he had selected for an invitation to his tournament. It was his hell and he wanted it to become his own battleground for those he wished. His enemies would also be there no doubt, a perfect situation for them to kill each other without even reaching him. And so a downfall of his tournament had emerged. There would be fewer for him to crush himself.
Ah, but that is where you are wrong....
Devil was beginning to surface within his body and consciousness. He knew that voice like he knew his own. Cold and each word filling his mind with a lust for blood, bringing forward emotions of hatred which he once believed to have been forgotten and lost within his own memories.
Those strong enough to make it that far are only the ones worthy enough to die at your hands. You, Kazuya, have the greatest task of them all. Let the weak rid the world of each other while you and you alone will prey upon the strong.
Opening his eyes, Kazuya stared at his own faint reflection surfacing from the glass of his the vast windows which surrounded his office. His eyes were now the brightest shade of scarlet he had ever seen, a sign that Devil was now beginning to slowly take over his body as well as his mind.
"As it is spoken by the Devil, so shall it be..."
Father will be at the tournament...I climbed back up and so shall he.....
The mention of Heihachi's role in his life began to make Kazuya's blood boil, Devil's grip on his soul becoming tighter as his skin for just a moment began to grow a shade of purple similar to the silk suit he was wearing.
His fight and mine shall be the end of it all.
* * * * * *
I can feel it...
She awoke to discover the pillow was soaked in sweat. Had she been dreaming or was this just another one of her bizarre sensitivites which overcame her once in a while? Something had awakened inside of her, the same thing which aroused her from her pleasant dreaming. She was not afraid of whoever or whatever it was inside of her, for this particular being she believed had been with her ever since she was born. Her guardian angel and also the first word she had ever uttered as a baby.
Angel.
But why now after so long?
Angel had been slumbering within her soul for so long, awakening only to protect her or to alert her to danger...but there was something different this time. She was afraid. Sensing something unlike anything she had ever faced before. Jun pulled the short silver coloured vest down over her body, wondering what the awesome power was that had even Angel afraid. Or was she afraid for Jun's safety rather than her own? Stepping into her shorts, she approached the balcony where she grew her flowers. They were blossoming beautifully, something which both her care and attention as well as Angel's aura had ensured. Staring out at the city stretching out before her, she closed her eyes slowly, trying to reach out and hear Angel's voice in her own mind. Something was definitely wrong.
He has awakened as well as myself. He is also resting within a vessel which craves chaos...lusts for blood...and seeks revenge for an old scar.
"Why do you fear him?...Who is it?" Jun asked, sounding more concerned than puzzled by what was being said. Angel often gave her cryptic messages but when it regarding something as dark or as sinuous as this, she wanted straight answers for once.
Devil. He feeds upon the souls of those who surrender themselves to him. Once the host has fulfilled his purpose, he takes them over completely and has a will of his own. A will which could ultimately end in the total annhilation of humanity. I alone can not help him, but your strength combined with my own could enable us to break the contact he has with his host. He is calling to you...it was he who woke you from your dream. Heed the call Jun, and go to him.
"Angel!" Jun's call was futile for the contact she had made with her guardian was now broken once again. But why was Devil calling her if he already had a vessel? A confused and hatred filled man who's blood had now been polluted by something that was just using him for his body. "So sad..." she allowed herself to say aloud.
A heartbeat.
She saw his face for a moment within her subconsciousness. Those red piercing eyes like rubies peering into the very heart of her soul. As if he had been standing there, she spun around to stare at her own desk. It was empty save for the table lamp and a partially opened envelope. She had taken just a single glance at the tournament invitation before making up her mind to decline the offer. Her fighting style was to be used for defense only and not means of killing innocents for money and power. Carefully pacing towards the desk, she rested a single hand on the invitation.
That is him.
Angel's voice again, weak but definitely clear enough to be heard. Slowly lifting each of her fingers from the writing on her invitation, she could make out the name 'Mishima'. The Mishima Corporation was one of the most powerful businesses in Japan. They controlled as many or as few of the more minor companys as they pleased and it's current president, Kazuya Mishima was rarely seen or photographed. If this was true, then Devil had already acquired a host of extreme power and strength. The Iron Fist Tournament was an annual event held in a location which only the fighters themselves were told of. Mishima was well known for being very selective on who recieved an invitation and who didn't. Staring at her reflection in the small mirror placed on the wall before her, her hair now thoroughly brushed and held up by a headband, she slipped on her shoes and snatched up the invitation in one hand.
The boat leaves today so I should hurry...we should hurry.
* * * * * *
Rain. Vengeance. Climb....higher.
Every rock he took hold of was growing slippier as the rain poured down, the wind lashing against him like God's own whip for punishing the evil. Every time he managed to hoist his body any higher towards the peak of the cliff, he began to feel sure that it would crumble and sent him plummeting back down to the bottom. A fate more appropriate than what Kazuya had bestowed upon him. Sent to his death by his own son. Yes, he'd raised his son well enough. He'd nourished the seed of hatred growing within his son's soul into forcing him to commit such an act of cold blooded ruthlessness. Only one test remained left for his son to pass and become heir to the Mishima Empire. He would have to defeat his father once again and this time make sure that he was finished off.
No more rocks....
Heihachi's relief and joy combined as it sunk in that he had after days of climbing with no rest or food and water, reached the top of the wall that had been his prison since his son cast him down there at the end of his own tournament. Hoisting himself up, he could only take some badly co-ordinated steps before collapsing on the grass soaked from the rain that had been falling from the sky since dawn that day.
His wounds would be cured eventually but there were scars under his skin which would never heal. He knew it and Kazuya knew it.
"Kazuya..."
It was the only word to escape his lips before unconsciousness began to sink over him like a thick dark fog. His son would be holding the tournament soon and it would be his duty as both a father and a fighter to attend. He had placed so much faith in Lee...yet Kazuya had risen up from his problematic childhood to becoming a strong and hate filled son. He needed to be disciplined. One way or another.
The rain continued to fall, as it had done all day. But Heihachi could no longer feel each drop of cold water plummeting silently onto his body as he wearily slept, making his oath of revenge to nobody other than himself.
* * * * * *
"We do things like this each day and look at us! We're reduced to hiding in trees, living off wild plants and sleeping in bushes each night! We're reducing ourselves to what they once were and yet they do nothing to help us with out situation." Her thoughts had remained in her mind ever since joining up with the group and now, having been asked to explain herself, she was relieved to finally have them out in the open. He wouldn't understand. He never did. He just looked at her from behind his silver mask in silence. She was tempted to rip her own disguise from her face just so she could defy him even further but she understood the futility in doing such a thing. He would punish her as he had done to some many others guilty of her same crime. Banished from the group or suffering a fate with more permanent effects. Right now she felt prepared to accept either one of them.
"Kunimitsu..." he started, plotting some carefully calculated steps towards the girl. "You were caught possessing stolen goods which you intended on keeping for yourself." He looked down at the small distance of woodland grass separating them both. She was not the first to be caught doing such a thing and knowing humanity's long history, she would not be the last. "What you have done defies not only our group's personal morals but also the cause that we stand for."
She was only half listening to him as he began to slowly pace backwards and forwards before her. She had often taken a quick look whenever he was giving this same speech to another thief either before sending them away or treating them to a more painless punishment. Having set out her personal thoughts on what she had done, she had now fallen silent to hear him out as he had done to her.
"I, Yoshimitsu, banish you, Kunimitsu, from both this forest and this group. Leave now...and never..ever..return." Stretching his metal armour covered arm, he reached out with his index finger, pointing to an area of the forest just behind her. It was his signal for her to go and her signal that if she did not leave, she would recieve the infamous alternative punishment. Her dagger was clutched in her hands behind her back. If she so wanted, she could fight him there and then, proving herself not only to be an able fighter but also..
A fool.
What would killing him achieve other than a very mild feeling of satisfaction?
She neither said another word nor carried out another action. He was no longer part of her world and therefore did not deserve to be the audience of whatever she had to say or do. He was just another face to her, one that like herself preferred to remain hidden behind a mask. Brushing both her blood red pigtails off her shoulders, she had spun around and dashed off into the forest before Yoshimitsu could even bid her farewell or wish her good luck as he had done to so many former group members before her.
I will see him again...I shall make sure of it.
* * * * * *
This had to have been a set up.....damn you, Lee Chao-Lan.....
Her breath was running low and the sirens were becoming louder. She had been so careful and now here she was, on the run like a fugitive. The 'Silent Assassin' now being hunted like a wild animal. Another leap took her to the roof of one of the lesser known buildings located in down town Tokyo, giving her a better view of the situation at hand. It wasn't a pretty sight. Every street she turned to was flooded with the red flashlights of police cars and the now haunting wail of sirens as tyres screeched to a halt on the roads which she had only minutes ago been running along. Nobody had seen her face or even managed to get close enough to her to place them in a position where they could easily recognise her.
How did this happen? I was careful enough...nobody saw me....one minute I'm about to enter...I turn around...and the entire police force is there! A set up....it had to have been.
She had no time to stop and ponder over her thoughts regarding the consequences of her more recent actions. A good assassin always stayed on the move until the potential danger was but a mere memory. Silently and cautiously, she shuffled along the rooftop, keeping her head down from all possible visibility. She had heard no familiar clapping sounds of helicopter propellors nor had she been blinded by any of their searchlights during her flee into the night so she barely managed to convince herself that there was just the cars and whoever there was on foot.
Cautious now with every movement she made, she silently managed to lower herself from the rooftop into the alleyway below with the support of a fire exit stairway leading into one of the darker areas of town which had been littered with a variety of metal cans filled with people's garbage as well as black polythene bags also filled to the rim with the remains of the resident's daily life. The sacks had broken the mild fall during the latter half of her escape but she was still filled with the dilemma of getting away with her life and her freedom. She didn't exactly look like the type of woman you normally passed in the street, being armed to the teeth and currently looking like a stereotypical criminal, complete with the black trenchcoat which looked just a couple of sizes too small for her.
She rested her hand on the cold surface of the building's wall, edging her feet just a fraction closer to the street where she could get herself a better look of what was happening around her. The sirens had at last ceased, filling the streets with the silence she almost feared when associated with law enforcement. Assassins were trained to be the silent type, police were trained to be silent only when they were about to strike.
"Looks like you're in a spot of bother, dear sister..."
She whipped around on instinct the second she heard a voice, the pistol in her hand loaded and ready for her to pull the trigger at any moment. Given a chance to examine her target thoroughly, it would have brought no tears to her eyes to truly finish her off once and for all.
Anna. Why aren't I surprised?
"You're going to shoot me? In public? Really Nina, I thought that someone of even your sluggish skills would know better than that." The woman stepped forward, her silk dress almost reflecting the scarlet lights of the of the police cars which were flickering, lighting up her face the colour of blood every second or so.
"Being caught, sister dear, would be but a small price to pay just for having the satisfaction of ridding the world of your existence." She lowered her gun, a smile of almost smugness beginning to grow across her face as she briefly forgot the predicament that she was in.
"You may want to continue this constant quarrel, Nina, but I didn't come here to fight with you. If I did, you would be dead by now as we both know it." Anna continued, not for a second allowing herself to fall into the trap of giving her sister the satisfaction of letting her rage take over her body and mind completely. "I'm here to help you out. No catch, let's just say that I wouldn't want anybody other than myself to have the pleasure of finishing you."
Nina stared at her, lowering the gun completely but still keeping it in her hand. She didn't trust her sister, she never had done and she would never do so again. But right now it was just a case of finding out what she was up to. It was either hearing her out or trying her luck at running again, a race which she currently knew she was bound to lose. Anna held all the cards now and Nina was but a small pawn in whatever game her sister was playing.
"I know what you were doing down here, sister, but I have a little bit of gossip for you which you may find to be of some interest. You've failed this chance you had to get rid of Kazuya, not that it surprises me, you were useless as a child and you're still a failure of an asssassin. I don't know what good father ever saw in training you."
As if on cue, Nina twitched at the tone of voice her sister was using to mention their father's name. Had she no respect for him in death as she had done when he was still alive?
"He'll be holding a tournament of martial arts on a remote island in the not too distant future" Anna continued, stepping slowly and carefully towards her sister, holding out a small envelope held her silken scarlet coloured gloved hand. "If you want to compensate for tonights failure, then I suggest that you attend. Unless of course, you wish to remain here and see how long you can last without those people finding you." Using her other hand, she slowly pointed past Nina's shoulder to the source of her problems which was now in the form of several cars parked only a small distance away from where she stood.
Accepting a job from Anna...this could be her death warrant. But both sisters knew that it was either accepting a potential trap or walking straight into the hands of the justice, a place which she knew she would probably never walk out of again. Holding back for just a brief moment to consider her options, Nina eventually snatched the envelope from her sister's hand. If dying through her sister's deception was her fate then so be it. She would have to take things as they came to her rather than a self sacrifice which would throw away everything that her father had taught her and trained her to avoid.
Brushing past her sister, Anna gracefully walked out into the middle of the street, glancing back for just a moment with her ever present look of smugness painted on her face. "I'll send them off on a wild goose chase, just get out of here while you still have the ability to run. Of course, you always were quicker when you were running away."
By the time her last insult had escaped her lips, Anna observed Nina scrambling back up the fire exit ladders and vanishing back into the night like a shadow escaping any form of light.
Yes, run along now sister. I have a little business to take care of which you'll be better off not knowing about.
She was now walking alone down the street, walking with confidence towards her sister's hunters in uniforms. She was looking for one of them in particular though. He was now stood out amongst the others, his long black hair and almost attractive facial qualities were something that Anna personally felt were wasted on a police officer.
"Lei Wulong..." she said aloud once she was close enough for him to hear her, her arms now folded across her chest almost as if she had been expecting him to notice her sooner. "Looks like you missed her. I did warn you that she was pretty good at escaping. Why do you think she's still alive? No matter, I can tell you where she's heading now."
Lei rolled his eyes inwardly at the presence of this enigmatic woman. Every time she arrived on the scene it was always in reference to catching the same un-named blonde haired assassin. "This had better be a solid lead, this is the second wild goose chase you've sent us all on within a week. If your're so sure she can't be caught then stop wasting police time with her."
"She's an assassin, Mr Wulong" Anna snapped back, her temper thinning away every time he considered giving up his pursuit in catching her sister. "I thought it was your job to stop people like her. However, I think you'll find this next lead a little more....promising. She will be competeing in Kazuya Mishima's Iron Fist Tournament....a tournament in which, I believe, Bruce Irvin will be participating in, being one of Mishima's most trusted employees."
Lei glared at her with as if she'd just announced his deepest and darkest secret in front of all his fellow officers. Inwardly he winced at her even mentioning his name. Whoever this woman was, she certainly knew more about him than he wished she did. The only people he thought that knew about Bruce Irvin were himself and Bruce. Of all the places he had hoped to find him, he never at once thought that it would be under the employment of Mishima.
"Follow her....and get two birds with one stone" Anna whispered softly to him before pacing her steps backwards and vanishing into the night, leaving Lei alone with what she hoped were serious contemplations regarding her offer. If she was going to take her sister down, she wanted to at least have herself in a position where she would be the triumphant one.
This is going to be the one tournament that neither of us will forget....
* * * * * *
Mother.....what happened to her?
This no longer looked like her house. It looked like somebody had walked into her own home and transformed it into a realm most people only ever entered whilst encountering nightmares. This didn't seem real. Why would somebody do this to her? All the belongings which she regarded with such high value had been disgarded onto the floor like they held no precious aura at whatsoever. Whoever had ransacked her home like this had obviously been given strict instructions on what to take and what to leave. Some of her most valuble objects had just been ignored as if they hadn't even been seen.
My mother's pendant....
Slowly peering into the small empty jewellry box which was one of the few items in her house still remaining in it's usual domestic place on top of her wooden cabinet just near her mirror. The pendant was gone. Her eyes darting around the room, she could definitly see that it had not been flung to one side during the clearly rushed search of her home. But why that of all things? It was her most precious family heirloom but there were other things that she kept in her home which were of greater value than a necklace which hadn't seen any polish for at least a couple of months. Why was this so special? The thief, or rather the employer of the thief would know and would probably be the same person or persons who were responsible for taking her mother.
The thought of such barbaric methods in acquiring information about her pendant enraged her, a cold rage which she had always kept under good control as instructed by her mother. Blind rage would only lead to carelessness when caught up in conflict. When taken to the extreme, her rage would transform her into another person. One who was reckless and out of control with both their temper and their strength.
Knowing that she couldn't take any more of this tension and anger building up inside of her, she rammed her fist into the wall just to the right of where she was standing. She winced a little as the glass from the mirror shattered around where her fist had come into contact with it and ignored the pain as small drops of blood splashed silently to the wooden floorboards of her home. Her hand would heal but the rage would still remain there, restless and unwilling to stop until she had fulfilled her silent oath of retrieving both her mother and her pendant.
Leaving the small area of her home which she had stood inside, staring at the multiple acts of vandilism commited against her, she stood alone in the great plains of Arizona, a country which she was proud to call her home. It's deserts and valleys were places which she knew like the inside of her own heart, tender feelings aroused whenever she looked around at her homeland. It saddened her to think about leaving it but she knew, and hoped that the land knew, that she would be returning once her quest was over.
But where to begin?
Who would have such violent interest in that small item of gold jewellry? Her mother had once tossed a letter into the fire in front of her, ignoring all questions that were asked and never speaking of it again after it had happened. The only word she had managed to catch a glimpse of before the flames swallowed up the paper was 'Mishima'. A Japanese name and obviously one of great power if they had the ability to trace them down to their desolate home and spark such behaviour from her once calm and emotion sharing mother.
Mishima...the tournament?
Another letter she had recieved. One inviting her to a martial arts tournament held in the name of Mishima. She had contemplated the offer, knowing that the enourmous amount of prize money was something she neither needed nor cared for. Once the fists began to fly and the blood began to be shed, her rage would start to take control of her once again and she would be going against both her mother's wishes and her own personal regulation of controlling her anger. She had given the invitation no further thought having taken these points into consideration. However, she had still glanced at the envelope once in a while, having kept it with her.
Pulling out the crumpled pice of paper from her pocket, she wrapped her fist around it, crushing it within the palm of her hand. Mishima was inviting her to come and retrieve her treasure right from under him. So be it.
Bounding towards the fencing that surrounded her home, she hoisted herself over the waist high fence posts and landed within a cloud of dust near the road leading to more advanced civilisation.
Kazuya Mishima....you will soon remember the name of Chang and regret everything that you have done to us. I, Michelle Chang, swear it.
* * * * * *
She's late...punctuality was always something she was very apt about...this can only mean one thing....
He folded up the cuffs of his tuxedo's sleeves silently as he sat with what had started off as being patience but had now slowly evolved into a small glint of anger. He didn't care or fear his own anger. Having been promised the position of Japan's leading businessman, he could afford to let his temper rise and fall as he pleased. The soft humming of the car's engine did little to sooth his nerves as his eyes continued to dart around the dimly lit street. Looking for her.
If she has been caught, killed or simply decided to make a career move...then it will leave me with only one option left.
Sliding the keys into the ignition, he gave the empty street one last hopeful search with his blue eyes which were now becoming filled with disappointment and rage. She had failed him. Whatever had happened to her, she would probably be worse off than he was. Arrested, killed or just being hunted down like an animal by one of the many enemies she already had. He sighed as the street was flooded by the bright light emanated from his car headlights. He had taken her in, offered her all the protection, shelter and money that she could ever dream of. All he wanted in return was a small favour in the form of her chosen profession. Getting rid of his foster brother would make a clear pathway for him to transform the Mishima Corporation into what Heihachi had dreamed of. Kazuya was just using it as his shield for his acts of brutality.
His shortly cut silver hair was beginning to make him more agitated as some of the more wild strands began to brush over his eyes as the vehicle gained speed, the streetlamps flying past him like fireflies. He was the true heir to the Mishima Corporation and nobody, not even Kazuya, had the right to take that away from him. He would make it everything that Kazuya was opposed to, thus eventually crushing his foster brother entirely. Of all the hopeful candidates, Lee had been chosen as the future President of the Mishima Corporation even if he did achieve his goal by using such methods as assassination. And why shouldn't he? Considering how Kazuya had risen from the abyss that Heihachi had cast him into, it was only natural that he should fight Kazuya with the same cold hearted ruthlessness that he had shown to others.
We shall see who truly deserves this power, Kazuya.
He glanced up from the road as the shadowy form of his foster brother's office loomed into view over him like a menacing demon. He knew that Kazuya was probably watching over his personal battlefield right now through the window that he was glaring at, the faint red flash of his car's reflection as he drove past it, almost catching a glimpse at the highest office window where his foster brother would no doubt be standing.
We shall see.
* * * * * *
GAME OVER
Continue?
Author's Notes: Yes, I know that everyone was not included in this fanfic but I am writing this as the first part of a trilogy so some of the characters will be introduced in the next part which will begin with everyone on the island where the tournament will take place. But I will not be including every single character into this fic as I simply haven't got the time to include them all. Sorry.