The Masquerade

By Charlie Kirby

The night was dark, the moon was full and the color of ripe pumpkin. The halls of the Mishima Zaibatsu Compound were not filled their usual warriors and scientist, but zombies, knights, witches, vampires, and samurai. And they were not conducting strange experiments or researching how to create the ultimate fighter, but conversing and dancing. No, this was not a meeting of immortals or undead, but a party. These were all still the same members of the Mishima Zaibatsu that roamed the halls day in and day out, only now they smiled and hid their faces from each other with masks.

Heihachi, of course, was in his office going through usual business papers of companies and charities he had either stolen or swindled from. A skinny figure entered the room dressed in the manner of a samurai. He was far from intimidating, but he did have sword, even though it was fake and only a case. Heihachi looked up at him and almost smiled at the silly picture, but only kept his usual grimace of constant (its from those diapers I tell ya, they ride up the craw). "What do you want, you fool?"

"Umm, sir," the man sort of stuttered a bit," its t-time for your speech. The employees are anxiously awaiting it." It was a lie, and Heihachi knew it. No one ever wished to hear him speak, for it almost always brought on anger or fear or some other similar emotion.

"I'll be out in ten minutes. Now get your pathetic figure out of my office."

"Yes, sir"

On the other side of the compound, a new group was entering the party. A mad scientist, werewolf, and what looked to be a skeleton in armor and some other miscellaneous creatures. In fact, that skeleton looked a lot like Yoshimitsu.

"So, Mr. Yoshimitsu," the mad scientist said," you're sure you can take out Heihachi?

"Yes."

"You and you're Manji club?"

"Clan. Yes."

"Great, and with Glenn not showing up we can just say that you're Glenn and no one will challenge that. Glenn's always been a trouble maker, always trying to get Heihachi mad. In fact he once.."

"Please, be silent."

"Oh, sorry."

The party entered the main dancing room where everyone was dancing, drinking, and having a generally good time. There were fish bobbing for apples, dragons doing the 'cha cha cha' and a number of zombies looking oddly 'alive'.

"Heihachi will be making a speech in a few minutes, you can get'em then. Ohh, this is going to be great! Like a regular hoops-la back in the USA! You know, I used to go skinny dipping with my friends on Halloween and then run around the town naked scaring the kids? It was great! And then…"

"If you could please, not speak anymore than needed it would be much appreciated."

The man lowered his head and continued in to the party conversing with some of his other friends.

Yoshimitsu turned his head to the werewolf, "Here comes Heihachi to speak. You ready?" The werewolf nodded. It was go time.

Heihachi stepped up to the microphone on the stage and the music began to die down. The DJ announced Heihachi and there was a brief applauding which abruptly stopped when everyone saw Heihachi's grimace.

"I do not want to deal with.."

"It is time the Mishima Zaibatsu left your hands, Heihachi!" Yoshimitsu stepped forward out the crowd. The people fall behind to the back of the room. The werewolf stepped up along with the rest of Yoshimitsu's Clan. The werewolf threw off his costume.

"Yeah, Heihachi!" The werewolf had turned out to be Jin Kazama. Yoshimitsu turned to him.

"What? How'd you? You didn't bring anyone else did you?"

"Well," a mummy began unwrapping himself to reveal himself to be Paul Phoenix. "I came too. I wanted to get the Zaibatsu too." Everyone in the room starred at Paul for a long time. None of them understood Paul because very few of them understood English. In fact, no one knew how he had gotten to Japan at all.

"Where is my clan?"

"Uhh, I think they are bobbing for apples." Jin offered.

By this time Heihachi was gone and into a helicopter towards a secret location in a secret ocean( you could try and guess the ocean, it's a one in four probability anyways). Their revenge and take over had been ruined, but there was still a DJ and a bunch of people in costumes. A big party commenced. Yoshimitsu got four apples, Jin won the costume contest, and Paul…Well no one knows what happened to him. They saw him heading to Heihachi's office with several six packs.

And so, the day was not saved at all, no revenge was wrought, but hey, the DJ made some good money and that's all that matters right?