This is a small side thing to write because I have never written for Tekken before and Lili is one of my favorite characters, alongside Nina, Steve, Lars, Julia, Alisa, etc. I might shorten some names and switch things around (Like Lars uncanny cheesiness) but hopefully you'll enjoy this 'AU' of sorts anyway. This is mainly a 3rd person POV but the first person chapters/scenes will be prevalent. I'll try to keep it from being confusing.

Prologue

'Ah...' Lili's bruised lips struggled to part for much needed oxygen as the weapon she was trapped inside warped her mind and crushed her lungs. 'Nina...help...'

She felt the weapon contract as it detected that she was still alive, and for a moment Lili wondered if she should succumb to death and let Kazuya get what he wanted. He had warned her beforehand that the weapon would not accept her life form, he had told her that she had a choice. She could walk away and let everything be as it was...or she could give into Zafina and become a mindless, soulless weapon.

She did not want either of those things, and yet here she was.

'I have no choices left.' Lili thought drowsily as darkness began to warp her vision. She had promised Nina that if death was the only option, she would give the order to destroy the tower once and for all. And that is what it came to, there was no way she could get out of this.

'If you can hear me Nina...' Lili croaked to the mouth piece Nina had placed into her necklace, the silence that greeted her only causing the pain in her chest to strengthen, eyes watering as she felt metal pressing harder into her bruising skin. 'I want you to give the order...destroy the-"

A sudden screech of metal cut off Lili's voice, light flooding into the dark enclosure of the machine, blinding the blond girl as her voice stopped short in shock.

Bright pink hair framed a delicate girls face, glowing eyes peering into the weapon with such nonchalant calm that Lili forgot the pain of being crushed to death for that one moment. A pair of mechanical wings caused the beautiful stranger to hover above Lili's tear streaked face, and the hum of her wings almost caused Lili to miss the first words that came out of the woman's mouth.

'Lifeform retrieved. Female. Young adult. Current status: Fatal injuries. Orders?' The pinkette said mono-tonelessly, and Lili did not get to witness the woman's next action, for at that moment one last drop of blood fell from her lips before she passed out.

Alisa's expression did not change as she ripped the weapon apart, dodging the claws that the machine shot towards her before it powered down.

'The Masters missing wife is in possession of a Mishima weapon meant for mass destruction.' The android thought to herself as she caught the limp heiress in her arms.

'Interesting.'

Lars

Ice chips littered the floor and crunched beneath the boots of my feet as I approached the prisoner on the other side of the room. She did not look up at me, instead letting her long hair hang like a curtain over her face, pale eyes blank and directed toward the ground.

'Lili Rochefort' Alisa's calm voice echoed in my mind as clear and real as if the android was right before me. 'Wanted for the murder of twenty five of Jin's men. As well as gunning down over a hundred citizens who were attending the crowning of Lady Asuka.'

Brushing aside the thought that Asuka would hate being referred to with the word 'Lady' in front of her name, I had focused on the more pressing matter at the time.

A motive.

'Has she stated an alibi?' I had inquired, eyes skimming over the papers my superior had handed to me moments before. I stared at the mug shot of the alleged traitor, eyebrows furrowing when I took in her appearance. She was not smiling, but her large eyes and earnest expression did not express that of a murderer or even someone who could potentially become one.

She was too young, and from her records, very exceptional in everything she did. That is to say, a record of ballet training, gymnast acrobatics, opera, a flair for piano as well as the violin, also oddly enough; origami.

And combat.

The mention was brief, but in tracking her butlers records it was evident that combat was an obsession of hers, though that was the one thing she had no formal training in. Still, I had been in my line of work long enough to know that a persons true nature could not be judged at face value or their feats. And Lili Rochefort was not an exception.

'No,' Alisa had shaken her head when I requested an alibi, fingers lifting to be placed under her chin as she watched me pace the room. 'She has admitted to the murder of our scouts. But the citizens...she says she never killed them'

'How could that possibly be? She was caught with the alleged weapon was she not?' I had asked, the doubt and slight confusion rising tenfold as I set the papers down and turned towards the detective to see her delicate face fully.

'Yes, she has admitted that she was there Mr. Alexandersson.' Alisa was not deterred by my tone, her eyes staring at me in such a calm way that my own jittered nerves began to calm as well. 'But she refuses to admit to killing them. She says it didn't fit her motives, and she would never stoop so low to kill innocent bystanders. But when I asked who actually committed the murder, she did not answer.'

'Even after the interrogation process?' I asked, referencing the torturing methods inflicted on the suspects who were considered 'special cases'.

'Even after that.' The android replied.

I looked at the woman... no, the girl before me now. I wondering what could possibly have lead to her betraying her own people. Could there possibly even be a logical reason? To turn on her family and her allies would mean to turn on the only hope of the worlds survival and support the victory of Kazuya. To turn on The Mishima and get *caught* would mean torture, isolation, the murder of her family, and even worse.

I had committed such a crime before and had paid the consequences- but that was when the Mishima had desired to overturn the worlds foundation. It had been when I had no other choice but to fight...and nothing to lose. They couldn't threaten me with my family because they were my family. Alisa had been by my side of course, but she was not a source of warmth in those frequent times I would stand in the rain and remember the curse of the Mishima, and the curse of my birth.

This girl was not like me. She had everything to lose, and she was not the same as I was ten years ago. Just remembering the face she had shown in her identification papers, I could still see the false bravado she exhibited, the way her eyes stared like a vice now but quivered when she thought no one could see.

She was a child.

How could a child oppose Mishima?

Kazuya believed that execution was a mercy when it came traitors of his will, and instead had stated that a slow death where every inhalation of air brought on tremendous pain was the only way to repay those who went against his rule. Jin was not one to laugh, but when news of every death at the hands of his father was brought to his attention, that was all Jin could do. He hated his father, and every ancestor before him. Even Heihachi was the subject of his animosity. Only recently after his Devil Gene was 'sealed' by Asuka did he agree to allying with me. But even at his lowest, Jin was not humble. And it was because of this flaw that I stood before the blond former heiress, the answers I sought only bringing more questions to the table.

Physical torture as well as the daily injection of mercury was the agencies main course of action for people like Lili Rochefort when they refused to cooperate. But as I assessed her, as I studied every movement she made under my scrutiny, I simply could not fathom what her goal was. From the records I had of her, she had been content with her marriage. And her father, when on his deathbed, had willingly handed over a percent of his property to Jin in exchange for his daughters protection. I couldn't understand why she would admit to a crime that made her eligible for death, but then denied another crime that was just as cruel and would not alter her fate. There was no way she could have a moral bone in her body after turning against not only husband, but her father, could there? Not when Kazuya was the enemy.

There was no point. And hopefully after this meeting, she would realize that and make my job easier. Alisa had once stared into my eyes and softly told me I was too much of a hero for my own good. But that could change at any time, and in this moment I did not feel being a 'hero' would give me what I desired. And what I desired was an answer.

I walked closer to the Rochefort girl, my eyes glancing over the shackles over her pale wrists, before I knelt down and waited for her to lift her head. It felt like forever until she did, but once her gaze met mine I could only swallow. Her eyes were literally arrows, piercing me and making me bleed. I thought of Jun in that moment, of her sweet smiles and deadly eyes, and all I could do was wince as the memories took over.

'Jin must have seen his mother in her too, when he agreed to the marriage.' I thought silently as the girl stared at me for a moment longer, before lowering her gaze to the floor again- something akin to amusement in her eyes. Or was it annoyance? I couldn't tell anymore in the daze that was threatening to take over. Realizing what was happening to me, I pushed those thoughts away and quickly focused on the matter at hand. Tougou, when Alisa had informed him of the situation, had asked me to speak to the Rochefort girl because there was no one else who could. How would he react if he realized I had lost my voice merely because of her eyes?

'People trust you.' Tougou had told me, placing his hand on my shoulder as he led me out of his office. 'If you can make her confess, then we'll have everything Lord Jin needs. Record everything, gain her trust, and then return to me. I trust you. I know you won't fail us.'

As if it would be that easy. After Lee had died, I was no longer the same Lars that Tougou had fought a war with. Failing had been an anomaly, but now it was something I could fear as much as the next man. I could not call myself weak, but I wasn't the same person Tougou knew.

But it was no matter now.

"Hello." I finally greeted the former heiress, my voice so soft that I knew that if we had been anywhere else, the girl wouldn't have heard me. But as it was, the room was so small, cold, and quiet that a pen dropping would be deafening to both our ears.

The girl did not raise her eyes to me again. But I did see the edge of her mouth twitch upward, and for a second I wondered how many of our people had interrogated her, mocked her, and attempted to weaken her mind before they finally gave up.

She had been in this cell for over a month, longer than any other prisoner under her conditions had managed to survive without confessing. Longer than any other prisoner under her conditions had managed to stay out of Jin's radar, and even then it was only because Alisa felt it was too soon to inform her Master that his wife had been found in enemy territory. In a way, I respected this girls audacity. But she was Jin's wife, I could expect nothing less. It was harder to see her as a human to question when all I saw was Jun's ethereal beauty in her eyes however. But I had no other choice.

"You know," I began in a conversational tone, turning my gaze to the ceiling. "I've heard a lot about you. Your mother was a slave before she married your father...right? Labored for most of her life before she began working under a ducal house. She didn't have much of a name for herself did she?"

Lili rewarded me with silence, but silence was all I needed for now. I went on, a calm smile that did nothing to betray my genuine intimidation for the girl on my face.

"Your father never allowed you to meet her did he? Did that make you bitter when you realized her fate at the hands of the Mishima? Angry? Did you plan make the Mishima pay despite all your father sacrificed for you?" My voice became thinner and more grim as I spoke on, Tougou's orders to make her trust me being pushed farther back into my mind.

I wanted something to grip my hands on, to squeeze all of my irritation of the ignorance of this girls secrets into. When Tougou had informed me of the suspects background, I had ignored my inner turmoil and stayed completely professional when I was told to send her records to Alisa. But now as I actually got to see her face, I couldn't keep my emotions under control. Surprisingly however, to see how young and flawed she was up close made my anger not as prominent as before.

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Are you done?" Lili's voice drew me from my thoughts, causing my eyes to widen just slightly enough for her to notice. Her voice was hoarse and soft, even softer than mine had been. She still had not moved her gaze from the floor, but now I could see a pulsing vein in her neck, a sure sign that she was irritated. I wondered if it was from what I had said, or rather if it was simply from my presence.

"Not until you decide to cooperate." I replied slowly, my eyebrows raising in apprehension as I realized that she had finally decided to speak. "You've made your point- torturing you will not make you talk. Injecting you with mercury will not weaken your resolve. We're all aware of that now. But wouldn't it be easier to just confess to your crimes and give us your intel on Kazuya? You were not born a common wench with no status, your allegiance shouldn't be towards the people who will only kill you once they have what they want."

"As if you people are any different?" Lil's voice was dry and her expression unchanging when she said this. But I couldn't help but sense a hint of incredulous disbelief in her tone.

I couldn't help but feel a little incredulous myself by what she was implying.

"The people of this organization seek freedom. We do not kill those who disagree with our ways, we only destroy those who try to oppose us and seek Kazuya's power to go against us. Those under this agency have stated it before and will state it again; your cooperation will be rewarded. And if you tell us everything you know and help us to the best of your ability, your imminent death will not be imminent any longer."

"But I will still die." Lili was looking at me now, her mouth now curved and her eyes slanted in such a way that reminded me of a smug cat that had just caught its prey. Her skin was deathly pale due to the conditions of the cell and her clothes were raggedy and gray, but for a moment I saw Jin's confidence in the way she smirked at me now.

"Not by my hand." I repeated slowly, raising my hand to grasp onto her chin. "A mercy that for the moment I feel is undeserving. You have killed many people. People who have done nothing to deserve your cruelty. The fact that we give you the option to choose the way you die at all is too lenient."

"Did you ever think for just a moment that this is beyond you? And that the ones I did kill were just as much your enemy as mine?" Lili was no longer looking at me when she said this but at her shackles. Her gaze was unfathomable. Impossible to read from my angle. She stared at them as if they were the key to unlocking eternal life.

"Your audacity is charming." I replied softly to myself. There was little chance this girl was going to confess anything, if the direction this conversation was going was any indication.

"I'm not audacious." Lili went on, ignoring my mocking quip. "But I must say you are. I wonder if you ever thought that Kazuya could be the very person you need to stopping this war."

My throat went dry. "What?"

"What if I told Kazuya was not your real enemy?" Lili was genuinely smiling at her shackles now, her youth shining through the ghostly paleness of her complexion. "What if I told you that I killed your men because they were simply in the way of a greater purpose? What if I told you that your precious nephew doesn't give a damn about this country or-"

"Silence," I demanded, pressing my hand over her mouth to silence the lies that were now swimming in my head. My disbelief was now giving way to irritation as I realized she was only stalling me now. There was no way there could be any truth to the words she had just shot at me. The fact that I had even been caught off guard was a testimony to what my partner had said once before. I was simply too easily drawn in by who I saw in her, who I heard in her voice. Lili was simply playing me now.

"You are a fool you know." She murmured through my hand, her eyes full of pity as she stared at my sweating profile. "If you could just hear whats out there...if you could see it...you would realize that this world...is just a prison. Just like this room we're both in. Jin is a fool. You're a fool. Everyone here is a fool. And by dawn tomorrow, you wont be trapped by lies anymore. I promise."

I could only stare.

"You aren't going to confess to killing those people?" I finally asked, removing my hand from her mouth with a sigh after the silence stretched on for too long.

She simply shook her head.

"And you aren't going to tell me who did kill them are you." This time it was a deadpan statement, a sign of my exhaustion.

"Well," Lili smiled at me, her brown eyes sparkling. "If it makes you feel better, I can tell you that they didn't die in vain."

"How so?"

"Because they won't have to see their world go up in flames."

"You're implying that Kazuya will succeed." My voice was dry with disbelief.

"No," Lili cut me off with a shake of her head. "I said it before, but Kazuya isn't your enemy. Not in the way you think."

"Then..."

"Your perfect little nephew will do the honors." She tilted her head to watch my face as every bit of blood drained from it. "And if you really don't believe me, give that recording your hiding in your pocket to your cute android. See what she has to say. You might hear something interesting. The Devil Gene you thought you sealed away is not something you can just get rid of. Not while the Mishima bloodline is still in this world."

"Why...are you telling me this?"

"Because, sometimes the right thing and the wrong thing...arent so different. We want the same thing right?" Lili murmured, finger tapping idly against the shackles around her wrist.

"What would that be?" My curiosity was palpable, and somehow this must have pleased the Rochefort girl. For she smiled at me in such a way that my own heart froze.

"The key to this world. The truth."

I had never felt my heart do what is just did then.

This chapter is so vague. As prologues sometimes are. This was inspired by a reddit writing prompt I submitted to, and now I have molded it into a full tekken fic. See you at my next update, support would be immensely appreciated. ^ _ ^