Summary: An unassuming reporter stumbles upon the Mishima family manila folder and finds that it is largely empty, but what is in there is enough to set her reporter's blood on fire. A never-ending family feud that could spark the end of the world? What was she waiting for? It was time to gather info. This could be the story of her life—one that would finally move her career forward.
Setting: After Tekken 5
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Laying Down a Plan:
My three prime targets were Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima, and Jin Kazama. Kazuya and Jin will be significantly easy to find compared to the last one. Heihachi is only rumored to be alive, but if he is, he'd most likely head back to the place which he calls home. The Mishima Estates would be the most obvious place to look for him.
I approached Heihachi first. He was indeed at the Mishima Estate fuming, I discovered, over the fact that his grandson had taken over Mishima Zaibatsu. I don't think I was ever able to feel sorry for him since it is most likely that he had stolen said corporation from his father in the first place, but I was able to put on a good show of sympathy. It was no easy task trying to get an interview with him. After warning him that I had told a significant amount of people that I was endeavoring to get an interview with him and that if I died between a certain range of dates that he was to blame, he reconsidered. Now, I'm sure if he really wanted to, he could have easily gotten rid of me, but perhaps he hadn't felt like paying off so many people at once—answering a few questions might have seemed like the easier road. He reserved the right to not answer any questions he didn't want to. I told him that such rights were reserved to any who were being interviewed. Incredibly, his interview went quite smoothly.
I tracked down Jin secondly. He was perhaps the easiest to find. He was officially known as the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Despite him having a different last name, he was part of the Mishima bloodline. Since the birth of the Mishima Zaibatsu (at first it was known as Tekken Zaibatsu), it has always been under the ownership of a Mishima—this fact has not changed and likely will not for a long time to come. Jin was quite accommodating to say the least. I didn't even need to resort to blackmail. After telling me that he had nothing to hide and that he would not mind exposing the mystery involved with the name Mishima, I began the interview. It was yet another smooth one.
I have no idea why I put myself into harm's way without a second thought. I should think about calling in for a partner. However, I do not think it would help very much. If it is just one woman who is asking for an interview, I'm more likely to get positive feedback, but if it is me and another person, the people who I am trying to interview may feel as if they are be ganged up on. Less is more, I suppose. Kazuya, the head of G Corporation by rather crude means almost made me reconsider getting a partner. I decided that I would try the "blackmail" approach, but even before I finished he stopped me and told me that if he didn't want to be interviewed, he would not have bothered with killing me. That was a relief. However, he went on to say that there were plenty of other ways to make me regret ever asking. There was something sinister with all three Mishimas, but Kazuya seemed far more obviously evil—he did not try to cover anything. He did not try to sugarcoat or put on a façade. I have a feeling that the Kazuya I interviewed that day was the most brutally honest out of all of them. He allowed me to interview him only if I would give him the information I had compiled from the others after I was done. How he knew that I had interviewed other people besides him is a mystery in itself, but sometimes a reporter needs to know when to stop digging. I asked no more of that situation. Needless to say, his interview went smoothly.
Interview Questions
Here I would like to present to you all that I have gathered from my endeavors. I organized my notes by questions. After doing so, I handed a copy of my notes to Kazuya Mishima:
1. Why do you hate [fill in the blank]?
-To Heihachi: Why do you hate your grandson? Why do you hate your son?
"You just get straight to the point, don't you?"
"Well, it's my job, sir."
"You want to know the real reasons I don't like those fools?—They're always getting in my way. I try to do something for myself, I try to improve my station in life and there they are to ruin everything. They've never supported me, they've never seen the importance of my needs. I'm forced to resort to such methods as betrayal. I've already learned that if you truly want something in life, then you must take it by any means necessary. It takes actual effort to get what you want out of life and it won't always be pretty. The two of them—they're too soft to understand my position and so they always make me out to be the 'bad guy'."
-To Jin: Why do you hate your grandfather? Why do you hate your father?
"I think it is quite easy to see why I want nothing more to do with my grandfather. Even after trusting him for so long, the man has no sense of loyalty. He'd step over his own flesh and blood just to get what he wants. He never draws any lines for himself. The scary part is—I don't think he understands the fact that he is indeed the 'villain' of the story. He'd never admit that the things he has done to his family and countless other people were just plain wrong. As for my father, I can never forgive him for saddling me with the mistakes of his past. Why must I pay for something that he alone did? My father is the kind of man who would rather spend his time feuding with his father than trying to end the cycle of hate I'm sure began with my grandfather."
-To Kazuya: Why do you hate your father? Why do you hate your son?
"What sane person could even like that old man? He poisons everything he touches. He's the kind of person that won't listen to reason—you'll have to pound it into him. His greatest sin was ever reproducing in the first place. Do I hate my son? Not really. Am I the kind of person who will back down from a fight? Not at all. That kid, he has plenty of reasons to resent me, why rob him of his chance to take revenge? Better that he has some solid thing to punch. If I were to ask for someone to get in my way, it would be him. I'm too far gone to be of any help to him—what further use would I serve for him? Also, that devil gene of his…"
/
2. What exactly is this Devil gene?
Heihachi:
"I don't fully understand it myself. I just know that it makes you a lot stronger. I know that it is how my son was able to survive all those years ago. I know that it has somehow passed to my grandson and thus making him impossible to actually kill. What I wouldn't give for such a thing…"
Jin:
"It looks like you need to do a little more research. Discussing it would not give you the kind of information you seek or the kind that the public wants to read about."
"But I want to get it straight from the horse's mouth."
"Are you…calling me a horse?"
"Uh…no, sir…Let us continue."
[Here I will make a note to myself that I should avoid idioms of any kind. I would hate to provoke him unnecessarily.]
Kazuya:
"I wasn't aware of it at first, but after G Corporation revived me and I allowed them to run numerous tests on me—it was discovered that when a demon or least this particular demon possesses you, it affects you even at the genetic level. I guess that makes sense what with the transformation—your body is able to take on the physical traits of the one who possesses you."
"Wow, finally a straight answer."
"It wasn't that you couldn't get a straight answer from those other fools, but that they don't understand it themselves. Heihachi lacks a subject from which to study and Jin spends too much time trying to rid himself of it rather than trying to cope with something that will probably never disappear."
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3. Given the chance, would you kill said person that you hate?
Heihachi:
"I've already tried."
Jin:
"If it was the last possible option, then yes. Really, the world would be a better place if they never existed."
Kazuya:
"In a one on one fight, sure. However, given the chance to kill someone of my family in cold blood—I would refuse. Such cowardly acts are reserved for my father."
/
4. Why exactly do you think this family feud could potentially destroy this world as we know it?
Heihachi:
"What really? That's not what I'm trying to do at all. Who has said this?"
"It's…only a rumor, sir."
"Someone's trying to thwart my plans yet again!"
"A rumor, sir. It probably isn't real. It was just an interesting concept. Let's continue."
Jin:
"When two devils fight each other, what do you expect to happen? My grandfather would only worsen the situation. It's not my intention to punish the entire world for a petty father and son quarrel. I have something else in mind."
"And would you mind telling me what this 'something else' is?"
"Unfortunately, my plans must remain covert."
Kazuya:
"Destroy the world?" [note that here he begins laughing] "Don't believe the hype. My son believes that the world is in peril. If anything, it's making the world a better place. All he has to do is defeat me in battle. Devil doesn't want to destroy the world anyways—I believe it wants to enslave everyone in it."
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5. Is there any chance that you could come to an understanding with one another?
Heihachi:
"No chance. Nor do I want to."
Jin:
"The time for talking has long since passed."
"Are you certain?"
"Mostly." [note here that his voice was marked with uncertainty.]
Kazuya:
"There's always a chance. If my grandfather can stop being so damn stubborn, if Jin wasn't such a pessimist, and if I…could one day forgive my grandfather."
"Your response surprises me."
"You plan on going public with this, don't you? Perhaps a message could finally be passed to those idiots or else we're all doomed to continue in this cycle of hate for the rest of our lives."
"Don't worry, sir. I do plan to publish all that I have discovered."
/
Above, were the questions that I asked each of them in the same exact order. Below, are the questions I branched off into as I made distinctions with each of their situations:
Questions Unique to Heihachi
Rumors have it that it is you who is responsible for igniting this Mishima feud, is that true?
"Ha! Rumors. Always trying to point the blame at someone. I'm not feuding with myself am I? If we're going to start blaming people, why should I be the only one? Although, in hindsight, if I knew my son was going to become such a headache I might have tried a less drastic way to get my point across."
So do you admit to sending your son to his death in a deep ravine?
"I've already been tried for that crime and it was proven that I was not guilty. I cannot be tried twice for the same crime. That being said, yes, I threw that weakling into the ravine. It was for his own good. Look at him now. He's grown into a strong individual."
You want your son to be a stronger person. Why is that so important to you?
"Because weaklings can get nothing out of life. A strong fighter can achieve the best possible life."
Why is being a strong fighter important to you?
"Your questions are beginning to annoy me. Isn't it obvious? Being able to defend oneself is an essential part of living."
Then you must hold fighting on a high pedestal. Isn't fighting just a hobby?
"Whoever thinks fighting is just a hobby is a fool. Fighting is just as important as breathing."
Rumors also say that you also tried to kill your own grandson. Is that true?
"People need to learn to stop getting in my way. Obviously this rumor is false, though—he's still alive, isn't he?"
Kazuya has taken over the corporation once before, how did that make you feel?
"Like I wanted to beat the living daylights out of him and I did."
Do you fear that Kazuya could do such a thing again?
"I don't fear anything, lady. Anything that son of mine can do, I can take it right back from him. He may be strong, but he'll never be stronger than me. Besides, I doubt there will be a repeat performance."
I understand that the corporation is now under your grandson's leadership, do you still intend to take back this corporation?
"Of course I do. It's my corporation and that little brat needs to be knocked down a few pegs!"
I don't mean to sound rude, but you are getting up in the years. Wouldn't the next logical step be to pass on this corporation to the younger generation?
"You can't trust anything that you treasure with them. Know-it-alls the lot of them. If you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself."
Do you expect to live forever?
"Now, isn't that something to consider?" [note here that he has become quite vague. I suspect that he is avoiding the question.]
Questions Unique to Jin
As I understand, you were born into a situation that was not of your making. Do you fully understand the hate that your grandfather and father have towards you?
"I'm not going to lie—I do not. I've only ever known that they hated me. I've never taken the time to fully understand the situation. But it doesn't matter anymore. Soon this entire feud will come to a close."
Now that you have the Mishima Zaibatsu under your control, do you plan to right the wrongs of past leadership?
"I cannot be responsible for other's mistakes. But there are some mistakes which cannot be ignored—I plan to spend the majority of my time on those."
Would you ever consider hosting another tournament?
"It's as if you've read my mind. It is a tradition, nonetheless."
What would be your reasons behind doing such a thing?
"To draw out the other two. They can't resist a good fight or the chance to take over their precious corporation. Their minds are so one-track that they are painfully easy to read."
If you want to draw forth those two, I myself know of their location. Would it not be easier to just meet with them personally?
"No, it wouldn't." [note here that he would not elaborate.]
Fighting seems to be at the very heart of the Mishima family. Do you enjoy fighting worthy opponents?
"I don't think I've ever considered fighting to be enjoyable—it is simply necessary."
One last question, Jin. Do you believe that it is your right to be the owner of the Mishima Zaibatsu?
"Logically, if it is tradition to keep ownership in the family then it would eventually fall to my responsibility, but I do not hold claim to it in the same way as my father and grandfather. If I did not need the power associated with being its owner, I would not have tried to take it as my own in the first place."
Questions Unique to Kazuya
Do you like the position that you hold now?
"Not really, but I can't complain. It's better than having nothing at all."
What lengths would you go to in order to "win" back that corporation?
"As far as needed."
Why do you not like the fact that your son now holds leadership over the Mishima Zaibatsu?
"First of all, it isn't his time yet. Secondly, he doesn't need that kind of pressure. If he really is trying to rid himself of the devil gene, then putting himself into a position that would allow Devil to reach a large enough part of the world isn't ideal. He'll soon turn into the very person he hates."
Is your resolve to take over the corporation as strong as it was before when your father was in charge of it?
"I can't say. I suppose it's a little different now."
You've been on a bit of a losing streak since the last time your father took the leadership from you. Can you explain why?
"You really want me to explain my losing streak just to add insult to injury?"
"It seemed like a juicy subject."
"I always put the utmost effort into every fight. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It all seems rather hit or miss, though I've never doubted my skills before. Knowing that I did my best, I take it as a sign that I was not meant to win."
Why do you think this time will be any different?
"I have no idea if this time will be different, but nothing beats a failure if you don't try."
If you do take back the corporation, do you plan to continue to follow in your father's footsteps?
"I've never followed in that bastard's footsteps."
/
Omniscient Narrator:
The reporter who will remain nameless never moved up in her career. What she had discovered through interviews, research, and copious note taking, was never made known to the public. On a dark, cold night, she was shot once in the head and twice in the chest. Her place of living was inexplicably raided thoroughly along with the desk that she had worked at in the newspaper agency. Her murder remains a mystery.
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AN: I might have included Lee, Xiaoyu, and Lars, but this was getting pretty long and I was just trying to focus on the main Mishima conflict. I might have wound up including everyone and that list is too long.