Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…

A/N: Hello, fans and writers in the Tekken community. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this story. Now, I've been away for a while, and I'm dealing with a whole cast of new original characters based on the current, so to counteract any inherent confusion, this is sort of a re-introduction to the main characters. So, without saying anymore, let's get to it.

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

What's Your Character?

"It's a new day indeed…"

In a large armchair sat a middle-aged woman with a tape recorder set in front of her and a spiral-bound notebook in her hands. Her head was adorned with curly blonde hair stiffened by hairspray, and her fingernails were painted a bright crimson red. Her eyes, just as her shifting posture suggested, brimmed with anticipation and eagerness as she looked at her current subjects.

"And it's brought a new generation of young stars with it." The reporter continued, "Now, as you all know, this piece is to personally introduce you to the world, to give everyone a peek in your fascinating world. I'll be asking you some standard and some somewhat unconventional questions, but, of course if you feel uncomfortable answering any of them, just say so. Does that sound good?"

Seated on a long couch before her was the focus of her news article, seven young adults. The group looked amongst themselves for a moment before nodding in agreement to the terms.

The reporter eagerly started, "Super! Now, first things first; the obvious questions is: who are you? How are you all related? Do you have any famous relatives?"

The first one to answer was a teenage girl sitting in the center of the group. Her appearance was immaculate: her long peach-colored hair was elegantly styled without a single hair out of place; her attire from her white dress to her long boots to the gloves on her hands was neat and elegant without a spot or wrinkle. Even her posture was upright and near-faultless. All together, her exceptional demeanor and apparel gave her a distinct air of regality and privilege. However, the most telling thing about her was her relation to the young man seated next to her; she had his arm enclosed in her own with a mix of admiration and caution like something precious that will disappear if let go.

The girl spoke eloquently, "I am Lilith Rochefort. I am the daughter of virtuoso Emilie 'Lili' de Rochefort and the indomitable Hwoarang. And this stalwart young man right here is my paramour, Vincent."

Next was the young man seated next to the heiress, the apparent object of her affection. A handsome young man, his hair was a uniform platinum gray, and he had deep steel-blue eyes. Resting against the couch, his posture was composed and relaxed, with the only real consistent movement being his breathing. His poise was so evident that if you through water, it would probably freeze. The one anomaly in his demeanor came when he occasionally placed his hands on Lilith's, a reaction to the obvious pressure she was inadvertently applying.

The calm young man relayed, "My name is Yushin Vincent Chaolan. I am the son of Lee Chaolan. Lilith Rochefort is my girlfriend, and Vanessa Kliesen is my older sister."

The young woman who spoke next, seated on the far left of the couch, was an interesting case. Clad in a white t-shirt and blue jeans, distinguishing her gender at a glance would be difficult. However upon closer inspection of her face and figure, it was deniable this was a woman. As calm as Yushin was, this lady seated on the other side of him was just as excited; she was obviously in complete awe of this whole experience, barely able contain herself and remain seated.

The energized young lady eagerly answered, "That's right. I am Vanessa Kliesen, but my friends call me Van. I'm the daughter of Leo Kliesen, and Vince is my little bro."

The next profile came from the young woman on the other side of Lilith. Most everything about her gave the feeling of resolute and steady, from her interlocking fingers to the pointed crest of hair on the back of her head. She even seemed to be sizing up the reporter with a steady gaze from her different-colored eyes, the right one being blue and the left being brownish-red. However, that same intimidating look in her eyes would swiftly melt away when directing her attention to any one of her companions.

The steadfast young woman expressed, "I am Jun Kokoro Kazama. I'm the daughter of Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu, the niece of Asuka Kazama, and the twin sister of Haku…" After a pause, Lilith reached over and gave Jun a swift smack on her leg, obviously feeling slighted. Jun's responding look swiftly went from confusion to annoyance. Eventually, she nonchalantly added as if she had forgotten it, disregard evident in her voice, "Oh, and Lilith Rochefort is my greatest rival or something."

The young man who answered next sat on the other side of Jun, which served to highlight the similarities between them; in many ways, the two were simply distaff counterparts of one another, the biggest difference being the young man's left eye was blue and his right eye was brownish-red. However, while his female double was serious, this guy was decidedly not; his contentment, in fact, was very palpable, and his rather infectious smile never left his face. A very interesting but obvious priority of his was the girl sitting closest to him and opposite Jun. Not only was he showing his support by interlocking his hand with her shaky one, but every time he looked at her, he seemed to grow even happier, as if that were even possible.

The joyful young man offered, "Hi. My name is Haku Kazuki Kazama. My mom and dad are Ling Xiaoyu and Jin Kazama; Asuka Kazama is my aunt; and Jun, of course, is my twin sister. But most of all, my lovely and amazing girlfriend is Akane Hirano."

Haku's last statement garnered an inherent reaction from the young woman holding hands with him; in response to his praise, her face flushed red even as a smile arrived with it, blushing from equal parts appreciation and slight nervousness from having attention directed to her. A discreet and demure maiden, she was understandably unsettled by this situation, obviously unsure about herself and her actions. The tension caused her to grasp Haku's hand tight several times, but each time, she was eased by his support. However, her modesty and humility did nothing to take away from her beauty, from her ruby-red hair to her lucid brown eyes.

Eventually, the meek nymph stammered, "Um… My name is Akane Hirano, and my mother is Miharu Hirano. Haku Kazama is …" Oddly, she paused and a smile emerged on her face as the next words came out, "… my boyfriend."

That left only one obviously the oldest of the group. He was situated on the far right of the couch with his arms folded against his chest. A stoic figure, stubble clung to his chin along with a thin moustache sitting on his upper lip, and the slick, jet-black hair on his head was adorned with a pair of motorcycle goggles atop it. He was a taciturn individual to begin with, but further complication came from the fact that he was obviously preoccupied with other things, namely Lilith and Yushin. Realizing he was the only one left, he finally offered.

The stoic man plainly stated, "I am Jhun 'Kyou' Doo San. I am the adopted son of Baek Doo San, the student of Hwoarang, and body guard of his daughter, Lilith Rochefort."

Lilith quickly pointed out in a playful jeer, "'Self-proclaimed' bodyguard, mind you…"

The reporter smiled at the successful introductions, and continued, "Good, good, good. Now, here's the first curveball of a question: do you have a motto or mantra?"

Very naturally, they all answered in unison, "Keep your flag flying, keep yourself alive, and be just or be dead."

Surprised and amused by the combined response, the reporter joked, "Wow, you all are a bunch of superheroes, aren't you?"

Aware of how they sounded, they all chuckled at her reaction and their catch phrase in general…

The reporter after a moment readily looked for her next question, saying, "Okay, here's a pretty harmless question: what is your most treasured possession?"

Lilith, the first to answer again, mused, "Hmm… I have many possessions, but I must say, my most treasure simply has to be 'Foudre', my priceless black-and-yellow motorcycle. It's the best gift that mother and father have ever given me; Daddy and I still enjoy riding around alongside each one another."

"That figures…" Kyou commented under his breath.

Lilith teased him again in response, saying, "Of course, 'Jhun'. If you have one, let's hear about yours."

Kyou shuddered in seeming response to his first name before removing his goggles and saying, "These goggles were given to me the day I was put into Master Hwoarang's care. He said that as long as his name is Hwoarang or my last name is Doo San… He would look after me. He and Miss Lili haven't let me down, and I'll never forget that."

Van, carrying on the feeling, revealed with a softened tone, "I have one of those too. Um … My mom and I are gone a lot, so I don't get to see my dad much, not as much as I'd like anyway. But, before my first trip with my mother, he gave me this small rose." Van paused as she pulled the aforementioned rose from her pocket, before continuing, "It's plastic, but that's why it's lasted so long. He said it was lucky, and that wherever I went with it, he'd be with me… I know it sounds cheesy now, and I only use to take it on expeditions, but now … I basically take it everywhere."

Akane then expressed, "Wow, guys; these are really special. I'm not sure if mine is that important."

Haku quickly reassured her, saying, "It's alright, Akane-chan. We're not competing. If it's special to you, then it's important."

"Alright…" Akane consented before raising her free hand to show off a piece of jewelry, saying, "Then, my most treasured possession has to be this charm bracelet. The day I got this everyone, my mom and dad, Xiaoyu-sama, all of my friends, they all got a special charm to put on it. I just … I'm just really glad everyone thought of me."

Haku said to her quietly, "If you ask me, I'd say that's important … and special."

Jun, her demeanor softening a great deal, spoke earnestly, "Personally, Haku-kun and I have two shared treasures between us."

Knowing where his sister was going, Haku added, "Yeah, one is so special that we don't even take it out of the house."

Jun continued, "That one … is this white headband that belonged to our grandmother, who I'm named after. It got passed down to my aunt, and then to me. Asuka-obasan says it's a family heirloom at this point."

Haku expounded, "Our grandmother was the 'chosen one' of our family, so us having that headband means that it's our turn to carry on the family name. It's … pretty cool, if you think about it."

Jun pointed out, "The other one… Haku-kun, I think you have it."

"Oh yeah…" Haku said as he realized, and pulled out a picture out of his wallet, "It's a picture of our mom and dad. He … died before we were born, so … we don't really have that many things of his. We didn't spend time with him of course, but we like to think we're making him proud."

Jun added, "It's not only that though. Our mom is pretty cheerful, but this picture is the only time we've seen her smile this way, where she was so … happy. We carry it around for her as well."

"Wow. You all are really something." The reporter commented before noticing, "Mr. Chaolan, I think you're last."

Vincent slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal a large diagonal scar on his chest, and said, "Well, about six months ago, while I was competing in the King of Iron Fist… I got injured. They had to operate on me and give me a blood transfusion, but the transfusion didn't take. This scar is where they had to operate on me a second time, so my body wouldn't reject the new blood again. They made it just in time … because Lilith-chan had stayed with me the entire time. I owe her my life because if she wasn't there, I wouldn't be here."

Van voiced, "Actually, all of us are grateful for that."

The reporter said in awe, "Simply incredible. I do want to thank you all for being so candid… Now, next question: what do you consider your greatest achievement?"

Lilith quickly answered before shooting Jun a glance, "Becoming the youngest Tae Kwon Do champion since my father… But that was years ago. My greatest achievement, I believe, has yet to come."

Kyou said, "So far, I'm glad I earned the title of current Tae Kwon Do champion two months ago."

Van then said with a bit of glimmer in her eye, "Believe it or not, I broke a world record. I was the youngest person to climb to highest point in every continent… Then, I set the record for youngest person to do it twice."

Akane humbly responded, "The tournament six months ago … I was really just glad to be competing, but I didn't think I would have the kind of success I did; three wins just didn't seem plausible, to me at least."

Vincent, Jun, and Haku all relayed in unison, "Hosting the last tournament…"

Vincent elaborated, "We put so much work and effort into that, and we're glad everyone got to see and partake in it."

Jun added, "We had a lot to prove to a lot of people. But we showed them; even though we're young, we can do great things."

Haku happily said, "Most of all, it was just a blast to set up. People came out from all over the place, and got their money's worth. We got a lot of respect for what we pulled off. It went better for the audience than we could've imagined."

"Good, good…" the reporter said before moving on, "Now, this next question might b a bit touchy: what do you most deplore about yourself? Or to word it better, if there's one thing you would change about yourself, what would it be?"

The group fell silent from reluctance until Akane finally admitted, "Well, I wish I was more outgoing. I mean, I've tried to be, but I just … get really nervous."

Vincent hesitantly spoke next, "For me, I wish I was … more expressive. Being trained in business, I've been taught to hold back anything others can exploit. That's fine at work, but I see that I'm also bringing it home. So, not just for me but for the people I care about, I would change that."

Van answered honestly, "Personally, I like who I am, but one thing does bug me… I'm not very 'girly'. I know; there's a big surprise, right? I mean, my look is good for everything I need to do, but it doesn't exactly help me when it comes to guys … especially this one guy I have my eyes on."

Kyou said plainly, "I wish I had a better sense of humor."

Lilith then questioned with slight surprise, "What are you talking about? Your sense of humor seems fine."

Kyou then confessed, "Not really. Half the time, I laugh because you all laugh, not because I understand the jokes."

Haku responded, admitting, "As for me, I'm working on my self-control. Really, I'm easily excited; I'm up for just about anything, you know, But, I've been told and have noticed that when I'm revved up for something, I often miss things or just don't see them. So, I'm trying to slow myself down some."

Jun finally conceded, "I guess I wanna be … friendlier, if that's the right word. Quite a few people get nervous or jumpy around me; it's something about the way I look or talk. Honestly, I really just want to talk to more people without them flinching."

The young group again fell silent momentarily until they all looked toward Lilith…

Noticing, Lilith asked, "What's the matter?"

Jun explained rather bluntly, "It's your turn, Princess; we're waiting for you."

Lilith confidently responded, "Well, there's nothing I would change about myself; I think I'm perfect just the way I am. Don't you agree, Vincent-dear?"

Vincent automatically answered, "Of course."

Jun sighed, "I don't know why I expected any other answer."

The reporter eagerly carried on, "Excellent! Now, conversely, what trait do you most deplore in others? What trait really irks you?"

Lilith quickly answered, "Poor personal hygiene! If you have access to running water, then you have no excuse to be disgusting. It's simply … Ugh!"

Vincent responded, "I guess mine is similar to that. I hate smoking especially mentholated cigarettes. It's toxic, unhealthy, and kills many people each year yet remains perfectly legal. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped my dad from enjoying them. He's starting to come around somewhat though…"

"I don't like it when people mess with my family and friends especially Vincent," Van said, drawing a slightly embarrassed look from Yushin. Van responded, "I'm sorry. I'm your big sister; I can't help it."

Jun, her intensity rising again, said, "Above all else, I can't stand being disrespected or seeing disrespect. I just have no stomach for it."

Haku paused for a moment before finally saying, "I guess the only thing I really dislike is deception. I don't like it when people string others along or when people act a lot better than they are, just to get something. But, that's really the only pressing issue."

Akane tentatively said, "Mostly, I don't like it when people are cruel to one another; along with everything else wrong with it … it doesn't help anyone at all."

Kyou succinctly said, "Crowds. Just … crowds."

Lilith inquired, "Okay. And…?"

"And … what? I don't like crowds; it's that simple." Kyou retorted.

Lilith persisted, "Well, she said what trait, so why don't you like crowds?"

Kyou succinctly answered, "Because of the chaos, the disorder."

Lilith persisted still, "Good. Now, why chaos?"

Vincent, hoping to dissuade her from prodding any further, tried to interject, "Actually, Lilith-chan, I think that's good enough."

"It's fine, dear…" Lilith brushed aside the concern before persisting even more, "Tell us, Jhun; what about disorder troubles you so much?"

"Because…!" Kyou exclaimed, getting riled up. He quickly calmed himself and then confessed truthfully, "Because when I get in a huge crowd … I have panic attacks. I've had them ever since I was young and got lost in a busy train station. So, I avoid crowds at all times. Alright, I said it; are you satisfied now?"

The posse of young people grew quiet, pausing as they stared at Kyou momentarily. They didn't hear these types of personal revelations from him very often, and it was obvious. Tellingly, Lilith released Yushin, rose from the couch, approached Kyou, and warmly wrapped her arms around his neck…

Lilith exclaimed with genuine kindness and excitement, "Aw, I knew it. There is a soft sweet center under that hard shell of yours."

Visibly uncomfortable over the show of affection, Kyou expressed, "Yes, yes; I'm chocolate Easter egg. Now please … let me go."

As Lilith returned to her spot on the couch next to Vincent, the reporter continued, "Great. So, I guess this next question is valid as well: who do you most dislike? Is there anyone you despise?""

That question drew the oddest reaction from the group. The young people look each other, and silently bounced the idea, obviously having someone in mind. However, some of them were reluctant to reveal the identity. Van and Lilith obviously had no objection about it. Vincent, Jun, and Haku however were very unwilling to point the finger at this person. Akane soon sided with Haku with a simple hand gesture, while Kyou remained undecided about the whole situation. Eventually, Van and Lilith relented to their friend's desires.

Jun spoke for them all, requesting, "We'd rather not answer that one. Could we just skip it please?"

Understanding, the reported moved on, "Alright, no problem. Next question: You all have become popular throughout the world, focal points of your age group, but who are some of yours? Who are your real life heroes, people in your lives you most admire?"

Lilith answered rather haughtily at first, "My mother and father… My mother is my role model, and my father is the strongest man I know." Then, after a pause, her tone turned tender as she said warmly, "Actually, I'm really lucky to be their daughter. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Kyou answered just as quick, "Baek Doo San… I was just an orphan barely four years old, scared and alone. The, he came along, and took me in. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with him. But, I hold fast to everything he taught me. Baek Doo San is my hero … in a literal sense."

Van cheerfully and fondly said, "I'll keep this theme going. My hero is my mom. It kind of bugs me that some people can't tell she's my mom, but she's still my role model. I want to be as strong, brave, and daring as she is."

Vincent responded next, "Naturally, my father, Lee Chaolan… He is a great businessman- intelligent, progressive, firm, and persuasive – but with me, Van-chan, and our mother, he's kind, generous, and understanding, a great father and husband to my mom. That's a balance I'm still hoping to find, and I admire him endlessly for being so good at it."

Akane responded, "My mother, Miharu. I'm a lot like her, people say. We both worry about things, but she always finds the courage to do everything she needs to do. I hope I do end up just like her."

The twins paused and looked at each other, trying to decide who to say…

Jun said somberly, "If we go off what we're told, um … Our first two are our grandmother and our dad. We didn't get to meet them, but … we still miss them every day."

Haku, somber as well especially for him, continued, "As for the living, we have to say our mom. She … lost our dad right before we came along, and she loved him a lot; she still does. But even by herself and sad as she was, she never complained. She didn't get angry. She never gave up. She still managed to smile, and take care of us. We … we're not sure we could've done it, you know. And she did a pretty good job, we like to think."

The reporter smiled as she said, "That's really good; I really like those answers… Well, this is a pretty obvious question: Have you ever been in love?"

The two couples and Van all immediately said, "Yes!"

Jun and Kyou looked at each other, shrugged, and Kyou said, "No, actually."

Jun added, "Unfortunately, no; not yet, anyway."

The reported laughed at the immediate response, saying, "Okay. Here's another fairly easy question, but feel free to gush: who is your greatest love?"

Lilith happily gushed as Kyou suppressed a cringe, "Of course, it's my Vincent. Just look at him; he's simply gorgeous. Plus, he's brilliant, strong, and suave. In my eyes, no one else really comes close."

Vincent responded, "Lilith-chan, naturally… Well, she's gracious, exciting, beautiful… And like my family, I don't think anyone loves me as much as she does. Most people don't have that, but I do. I'm glad that I do, and I'm glad it's her."

Pleased to hear such praise, Lilith smiled at her loved one, and affectionately rested her head on his shoulder…

Haku then said with a musing smile, "It's Akane-chan, ever since I first saw her. She's been friends with me and my sister since all three of us were little, and every day, she's gotten prettier, sweeter, kinder, and more caring. I couldn't be happier then when I'm with her…" The praise again brought a blush to Akane's face, prompting Haku to add, "Oh, and I like it when she blushes like this; it means she likes what I said."

The group chuckled at the comment before Akane amorously said, "I'm in love … with Haku Kazama.; I have been since I first looked in his eyes. He's always supported me in everything. He can always make me smile and laugh. He listens, and is easy to talk to. He's always there to help me when I need it, to make me happy when I'm sad, to pick me up when I'm down… Haku is my favorite person; I love everything about him."

Kyou shuffled in his chair as Jun commented on the affectionate words of her friends, "Of course, Kyou and I are riddled with envy over all this romance."

"I understand," the reporter said before pointing out, "So, Ms. Van, you answered yes. Would you mind telling us about your beau?"

Van was caught off-guard, having forgotten her admission, but now she had to speak. The group all focused their attention on her; they, of course, knew who it was, but they still wanted to see if she would actually admit it. Van, meanwhile was mortified by the whole situation, lost on what to do or say. Van simply wasn't ready for this … so she took another option…

Van nervously chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head, and asked, "Actually, uh… I don't think so. He doesn't exactly know yet, so I just … want to keep it to myself right now."

Amused but not surprised, the rest of the group simply shared a few brief chuckles between them…

The reporter pressed on, "Fair enough… Simple question: What's your greatest fear?"

Lilith said, "Being forgotten…"

Vincent admitted, "Being afraid…"

Van divulged, "Being bored…"

Akane confessed, "Being humiliated…"

Kyou said, "Being worthless…"

Finally, the twins said in unison rather tellingly, "Losing our friends…"

That definitely took the others by surprise, all looking at the twins. They didn't expect that answer; they hadn't even considered that possibility. On by one, they gave the twins reassuring looks, silently telling them there was nothing to worry about. Akane, specifically reassuring Haku, held his hand tightly in hers and hold him closer with her free arm.

Finally, the reporter said, "Well, I only have one more question. I wondered before this interview about what the closer would be, but I know exactly what to ask now… What do you most value about your friends?"

All of them paused to think, not for lack of an answer but actually an overabundance. They struggled to narrow it down to one answer…

Lilith said first, "I value my friends' presence… I mean, despite what I may say or do, they're always there for me. That is just indispensable any way you view it."

Vincent admitted, "I value my friends … for their personalities. Because of who they are and who I am, I know where I'm supposed to be, where I belong."

Van confessed, "I value my friends for their security. No matter where I go or how long I've been away, when I'm with these guys, I'm definitely home."

Kyou divulged, "I value my friends because they give me focus. As long as they're around, I'll always have people to fight for."

Akane spoke up, saying, "I value my friends for their comfort. They keep me at ease, and give me the strength I don't think I would have on my own."

"Well, they took all my answers…" Haku said playfully before saying seriously, "Yeah, basically everything they said. I value them because … they're not just my friends, you know. It's bigger than that. It's stronger than that."

Jun added, "Exactly. I even think 'value' is not a strong enough word. It goes further than that. These people aren't just our 'rich friend', 'cool friend', 'quiet friend', 'nice friend', and 'fun-loving friend'. They're not our clique or entourage; we'd do anything for them in a heartbeat. They're … they're our family."

End Chapter

A/N: Alright, there you have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Better still, I hope you now have a favorite character. I should have the next chapter up soon, so please stay tuned. Again, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more.