Hey guys ! Thank you for your support; it really boosted me to translate the remaining chapters. Thanks a lot to Princesse d'Argent, shadowneko003, Nina Kazama, MovieVillain and A gazillion is not a number for your oh so nice reviews.
Special thanks to NibelungValesti, your review made me realize that my translation was not the best I could do. Actually, when I read it again, I was ashamed of the stupid mistakes there were.
I have to admit that I used to rely on Google Translator because it was easier. But from now on, I'll do it entirely by myself. I also corrected the previous chapters so, please, let me know if you think it is better or not.
Now, here's chapter seven, I hope you'll like it.
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Chapter VII –
NO SURRENDER
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She had insisted on celebrating his birthday, despite his refusal, and she had managed to convince him and drag him out.
They were thus in a French bakery, looking for the perfect birthday cake, at eight o'clock in the evening.
"What about this one?" she asked, mouth-watering before a sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream.
"Hum," he answered with a shrug.
"And that one?" she asked again, noticing a huge white forest cake.
"Humf…"
"Oh come one! Make an effort!"
"I don't know which one to pick!" he whined. "There is too much choice!"
"What about buying several small cakes?"
"Good idea," he nodded, smiling.
They made up their mind and then, Xiaoyu dragged him to a sushi bar, despite his protests. She ordered two dozens of sushi to take away, while he was groaning about the young woman's stubbornness.
"Are we good now? Can we go home?" he asked as they left the restaurant.
"No, we need drinks!"
"Xiao," he sighed, "I swear, you don't have to do all this."
"A birthday must be celebrated," she stated.
"I haven't celebrated it for the last three years, and I'm none the worse for it," he admitted.
She suddenly tuned to face him, astonished.
"What? You haven't celebrated it in three years?"
"Yes."
"You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, shaking her head.
"I have no friends or family to celebrate it with, Xiao," he said with a gentle voice in which she could yet hear melancholia. "I learned to deal with it."
"Look, this year is different," she pleaded with puppy eyes. "I'm with you! So stop fighting and complaining!"
"Well…" he sighed. "It seems like I have no choice."
"Exactly!"
She quickly brought him to a konbini where they bought several bottles of fruit juices and then headed for the Mishima building.
Once in the elevator, she asked Jin to fetch some tableware in the kitchens while she would prepare everything. He gave her his room keys, explaining that it was more spacious than hers, and she joyfully agreed.
They split and she ran to Jin's room and quickly opened it. Enter his room was her feel the same way as the first time : both excited and happy.
She turned on the little lamp on his desk, which gave a soft and dim light.
The coffee table in the middle of the room was empty, so she quickly put the food they had bought, making it nicely set. She took from her bag the candles she had bought a few days ago and stuck them in the little cakes before lighting them.
The candles lightened the room, making it more intimist.
She got up, pleased with everything and waited for Jin's return.
He arrived a few minutes later, holding plates, glasses and chopsticks. He froze when he saw the table and a smile spread on his lips, a smile that warmed Xiaoyu to the core. She had rarely seen him looking as happy as he did.
"It's beautiful," he said.
"I'm glad you like it!"
"I must admit it was a great idea," he said as he knelt before the table, facing her. "And I'm starving."
"You must blow your candles first! And don't forget to make a wish!"
"A wish?"
"That's what Westerners do," she explained him. "They make a wish and then blow their candles."
"And does it work?" he asked with scepticism.
"No idea. Why don't you try?"
He made a face and stared at the candles before taking a deep breath and blowing the lights that extinguished instantaneously.
"And now, let's eat!" Xiaoyu exclaimed, taking her chopsticks. "I took a little bit of everything for the sushi, I hope it's fine. Do you prefer tuna or salmon maki?"
"I'm vegetarian."
"You… Oh! Really?" she exclaimed as she froze, eyes wide.
"Yes."
"Oh well… I think there are avocado and cucumber as well. You can take them. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's OK," he reassured her with a smile.
"And… How long have you been a vegetarian?"
"I've sort of always been," he said, taking an avocado maki. "My mother was, but she has never prevented me from eating meat. However, when I was five, I realized where meat came from when a saw a fisherman capture a fish and start making sashimi with his flesh. I have stopped eating it ever since."
"Don't you miss it?"
"Not really. I took on this diet because of my convictions, because I think we can live without killing animals to eat them. Moreover, the livestock farming conditions awful. And I cannot support that. My mother taught me to respect every creature's life, even the most insignificant."
The young girl looked at the salmon sushi between her chopsticks and felt guilty.
"Don't look like that!" Jin laughed. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or change your mind."
"I know, it's just that I had never thought about that," she admitted with a small voice. "But how do you keep your muscles? Somehow, you must have to eat proteins, right?"
Their conversation went on for hours and Xiaoyu felt thrilled to learn more about Jin. They had never chatted that long and about so many things, and she was happy that he was in such a good state of mind.
He then offered her to watch a movie and she accepted with joy. He turned on his TV and let her choose a DVD. She selected Kill Bill and laid down on his large futon, which was put on a bed base, while Jin was playing the movie.
She picked a chocolate éclair and Jin joined her and chose a small raspberry tart.
Xiaoyu beamed at him. She was so happy she felt like laughing until the end of times.
She thanked the gods for offering her such a wonderful night with Jin and, even if she was enjoying, she was memorising every moment and every word to have beautiful memories. She wished that night had never ended, but she felt lucky for having shared it with Jin nevertheless…
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Xiaoyu woke with a start, before recognizing the place she was at.
She had fallen asleep on Miharu's shoulder, who was leaning on Panda's back. Asuka and Steve were quietly discussing in a corner of the waiting room of the hospital. Xiaoyu rose, making a face as she felt her back aching.
"What time is it?" she muttered to Asuka.
"Nearly four in the morning."
"And Hwoarang? Where is he?"
"I think he left to smoke."
"I'll join him," she said as she left the room.
Asuka and Steve were in the crowd during Baek fight against Bryan, and they had witnessed the cyborg beat the hell out of the taekwondo master. After an hour of fight, he had smashed him to the ground and punched his face endlessly.
The referee and themselves had to bounce of Bryan to stop him and snatch him from his bloody and knocked out opponent after he had been declared winner.
They had called the emergency services immediately and had accompanied the wounded man in the ambulance to the Mishima hospital.
Hwoarang, Miharu, Panda and Xiaoyu had arrived less than fifteen minutes after Asuka's call and the young man has literally rushed like a tornado in the hospital.
The surgeons had eventually reassured him by explaining that Baek had been operated on after his head trauma, that the operation had been successful and that he might wake up in the following days.
Xiaoyu went down the stairs to reach the ground floor and take advantage of it to buy a hot chocolate at the vending machine, feeling her throat dry. She went through the hall and recognized Law and Christie, who had lost their fight and had come to have their injuries healed.
According to what she had heard, Law had lost against Heihachi. Despite his experience and speed, the poor man was no match for the Mishima patriarch, even he had fought well. He had ended with a plaster cast in an arm and was chatting with his friend Paul Phoenix who had an impressive bruise on his face, souvenir from his fight against Kazuya on the first round.
As for Christie, she defeated Mokujin rather easily on her first fight in spite of his endless changing of fighting styles, but she had the misfortune to face Jack 6 o the second round.
She had taken it out on the robot and used every powerful blow she knew, but it had not seemed affected by her attacks. When it had counter attacked, his titanic power had gotten the better of her.
She was sitting in an armchair, by herself, her head low, looking by the window. Xiaoyu felt sorry for her and wanted to talk to her before remembering that she did not know her and might prefer to be left alone.
Then, seeing how miserable she looked, she forced herself to join her.
"Here," she said softly, handing the Brazilian woman her cup. "Some hot chocolate to make you feel better."
The young woman turned, surprised, then smiled sadly and took the cup.
"Looks like I need some," she said and swallowed some.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Xiaoyu asked.
"Oh, yes," Christie answered. "I'm used to it now… To being eliminated on the second round," she added with a forced laugh.
But her eyes were still sad and shiny, and Xiaoyu knew she was trying not to cry.
"I saw your match on TV," Xiaoyu went on, "you did your best but no one can beat such a machine, you should not be sad."
"I'm not sad about that," she said. "I entered the tournament because I'm looking for relatives. Now that I have lost, I'm hopeless…"
"Who are you looking for, if you don't mind me asking?"
"My grandfather and my friend Eddy. They both disappeared without warning and I'm really worried, because my grandfather is very ill. I learned that he had been admitted to the Mishima hospital to treat him, but I have no information about Eddy."
"Eddy Gordo?"
"Yes, he took part in the Tekken tournament several times, but he disappeared at the end of the fifth one."
"He hasn't disappeared," Xiaoyu answered, surprised. "I saw him a few days ago."
"What?" Christied yelled, jumping out of her armchair. "Where?"
"But… At the opening reception," she said, completely lost. "You must have seen him too, right?"
"I didn't attend. I arrived the day before the beginning of the tournament because my fight had been cancelled last minute. He was there? Did you talk to him?"
"No, I didn't… But… I mean, he works for Jin. I thought you knew about it."
Christie was speechless.
"I didn't," she breathed. "But this can't be! Eddy hates everything about the Mishima Zaibatsu! He would never work for them!"
"Well, he's one of Jin's bodyguards, along with Nina Williams…"
"I can't believe it… It's impossible…"
"Why?"
"Because Kazuya Mishima had his father assassinated when he was young. He was a target as well, and he had to lie and say he was his father's murderer to escape from the Zaibatsu by being imprisoned. That's why I don't understand! He would never ally with this family of murderers!"
"Jin isn't a murderer!" Xiaoyu protested.
"Oh really? What about the raids he's launching all over the world? Is it for fun? Julia told me her grandfather was assassinated on Heihachi's order! Eddy became an orphan because of Kazuya and Miguel lost his sister during a bombing ordered by Jin! The Mishimas have more blood on their hands than the mafia!"
Xiaoyu remained silent, feeling her heart tighten painfully.
Christie was right. The Mishimas were responsible of countless deaths, but she coud not bring herself to consider Jin as a murderer. She just could not.
"Forgive me," Christie said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're not the responsible, I shouldn't have yelled on you. You're nice enough to come and confort me…"
"It's okay," Xiaoyu replied with a lifeless voice as she stood up, remembering Hwoarang. "Good luck to find Eddy and your grandfather."
"Thank you, good luck for the tournament."
She left, the feeling of unease still present, and then went out of the building to reach the place reserved to smokers. Her head was buzzing and she could not wait for everything to finally end.
Her friend was there, sittig on a bench, his head in his hands.
She hesitated to join him, knowing that he hated being seen when he had weakness moments, but the situation was too important for her to care.
She sat next to him and put her arm around his frozen shoulders. He did not break from her, nor did he push her away, on the contrary.
He buried his face against her shoulder and she hearded him cry softly.
She was uncomfortable as she had never ever seen him cry and did not know what to say to comfort him. She knew how important Baek was to him. He was like a father to Hwoarang, he was the one who took him out of the streets and who taught him taekwondo.
She knew the affection between the two men and could easily understand her friend's fear of losing him, after having lived that before the third tournament.
She hugged him, muttering comforting words and he slowly calmed down. She shivered when the wind started to blow, as she was still wearing her light fighting outfit.
"We'd better go back inside," she offered. "It's warmer."
He nodded, got up and discreatly blew his nose before following her.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"Don't be."
"I hate making a spectacle of myself."
"Well, your emotions need to get out one way or the other. I'd rather you cry than hit me," she added, laughing lightly.
He laughed too, wiped his eyes and they joined the others in the waiting room.
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Xiaoyu had almost forgotten Lei Wulong.
After spending the might and morning at the hospital with her friends, she had gone home just in time to take a shower and change clothes before heading to the Mishima hotel.
Hwoarang would meet her later to train and mainly to check the results of yesterday's matches. She had advised him to rest considering the sleppless night he had spent by his master's bedside, but he dismissed her offer.
She had understood that, now that he was reassured about his master's health, he would devote himself to his training for revenge. And he would not be merciful.
When she entered the empty hall of the hotel, she noticed that Lei was not arrived yet. She reached the notice board, her heart pounding. Her worst fears were confirmed.
Bryan Fury VS Hwoarang. Four pm. Tokyo Tower.
Ling Xiaoyu VS Mishima Heihachi. Eight pm. Ueno Parc.
Her heart was pounding. How was she supposed to face Heihachi? How was she even supposed to stand up to him? She knew she was a good fighter, but she also knew that she did not stand a chance against her former mentor.
As for Hwoarang, she was afraid he would go too far in his quest for revenge. She had heard rumors about Bryan as a very powerful and sadic man and, even if she knew her friend was very powerful as well, she felt her worries increase more and more.
Footsteps resonated behind her and she turned, thinking that inspector Wulong had finally arrived. Her heart stopped beating for a minute when she recognize the person behind her.
Tall and imposing, coldly staring at her with her red eye and an evil grin on his lips, Kazuya Mishima was standing less than five foot from her. He was giving off so much bad wibes that the young woman felt frozen to the core by his simple presence.
Behind him, Anna, wearing her red Chinese dress, gave her a taunting smile and Bruce Irvin staring at her with contempt. According to people, these two were Kazuya's bodguards and were as redoubtable as Jin's.
She shamefully realized that she was shaking and she gritted her teeth to calm the fear she had of the terrifying man before her. He briefly shifted his gaze to glance at the board, then stared at her again.
"So you're facing my father tomorrow, little girl," he said with a husky and and mocking voice. "Try not to damage him too much, I have a bone to pick with him!"
His words reminded her about what Yoshimitsu had told her about the intense hatred between the two men and she shivered when she felt it emanating from Kazuya.
"As for my son," he went on with a cruel smile, "if you see him, be nice and tell him to enjoy the last moment he has to live."
"Why don't you tell him yourself?" she said as an act of bravado, before cursing her shaking voice.
He broke out laughing, a laugh that scared the hell out of her as it was cold and of ill omen. Her whole body was tense, alert, and ready to react to any possible attack from that man. Nobody had ever made her feel so bad.
He's not human, she tought, staring against her will at that frightening red eye. Nobody can be as bad as he is…
"Oh but he knows it," he answered. "He knows the outcome of this tournament is inevitable. The countdown has already begun," he smiled evily as he turned to leave. "Say your farewells to him when you still have time…"
Followed by his two bodyguards, he disappeared in the elevator that closed on his disdainful and cold smile.
Their conversation had barely lasted five minutes but she felt like hours had passed in his presence.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and screamed with a start. Lei was behind her, looking utterly surprised and sorry. She put a hand on her pounding heart.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.
"It's okay," she answered. "It's not you… It's…"
"Kazuya," he finished, glancing at the elevator. "I saw him talking to you when I arrived."
"He is…"
"Terrifying," he finished again. "It's true."
How in the world could he have had a son so different from him? Why would people compare Jin with that man when they were diametrically opposed?
As if he had read her mind, Lei shifted his gaze with a sigh.
"Thank God his son only inherited his looks. Fort the rest, he's just like his mother. Although, considering what he's doing as the head of the Zaibatsu, I'm more and more doubtful."
Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow when he mentioned Jin's mother.
"Did you know his mother?"
"Of course," he answered with a smile. "She was a close friend. We met during the second tournament. We were both investigating on Kazuya."
He showed her the outside of the building and they departed.
"She was sent by the WWWC and me by Interpol. Kazuya was suspected of drug trafficking, linked with Bruce Irving. Jun was investigating on genetic experiments he would have financed on endangered species. I had managed to arrest Bruce at the end of the second tournament, but Kazuya had our plane crash and I survived by some miracle."
"But why did he have it crash?"
"To get rid of Irvin. He knew too much about him and his dirty business, and he didn't want him to reveal anything."
"Why is he still working for him then?"
"I think he's never known that Kazuya ordered this attack."
As they were discussing, they had reached a small parc close to the hotel, and Lei sat on a bench, crossing his hands behind his head.
"Aaaah, what a nice day," he sighed. "I'd gladly take a nap…"
"Inspector, yesterday you said you wanted to talk to me. What is it about?"
Lei lazily opened an eye, stared at her and said:
"You have changed a lot since the third tournament, Miss Ling. I remember you as a cheerful teenager, always accompanied by her giant panda. Now I'm facing a young woman, less cheerful. And without her panda."
Xiaoyu remained silent, not expecting an answer like that, not knowing what to say.
"Yet, something hasn't changed," he went on. "It's your interest for Jin Kazama."
"What?" she exclaimed, feeling her cheek redden.
"You were always concerned about him during the third Tekken. And I feel you still are."
"I… That's right," she sighed. "I'm afraid of what he's becoming."
Lei remained silent, gazing at the trees surrounding them.
"When Jun told me she was pregnant, after the end of the tournament," he went on with a melancholic voice, "I couldn't believe it. I really tried, but I couldn't understand how she could have been intimate with a man like Kazuya. She told me there was still some goodness in him but also a lot of evil which could eventually completely overwhelm him. She had tried to help him, but his hatred was way too strong."
Xiaoyu felt like she had been punched in the chest when she realized she was in the exact same shoes Jun was twenty years ago.
"She really did try her best to help Kazuya. And, you know, you remind me of her."
She remained silent, not knowing what to answer.
"Don't give up," he said. "Jin isn't like his father, he can still be saved. He needs you, only you can help him."
"How?" she asked, her eyes filled with tears. "How am I supposed to help him when I reprent nothing to him? I wish I could help him, but tell me how!"
She shamefully felt tears roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sick of these wars, these dirty secrets, these dead people, that hatred… I wish everything would stop and be like it used to be…"
She collapsed on the bench and buried her face in her heads, ashamed of giving in before this man. She felt his comforting arm aroung her shoulders.
"I know how hard it is for you," he said with a soft voice. "And I know you feel useless. But don't give up. You're the only friend he has left. "
She sniffed and almost told him that Jin has not considered her as a friend for a long time.
"When I heard abourt Jun's death, I was devastated. I've blamed myself for a long time for not being able to protect her, and I still do."
Raising her head, she saw him lower his as he sighed deeply. He looked so sad.
"You live in Hong Kong," she reminded him. "How could you predict that she would be have been attacked? You would have been able to make it on time. "
"I know," he sighed. "But she was my only friend. I miss her."
She lowered her gaze, feeling sympathety for Lei. She would certainly feel the same if Jin was to disappear. Maybe worse.
He finally got up and stretched out.
"Thank you for taking the time to listen to me," he said with a smile.
"Thank you for telling me all this."
"Whatever choice you make, I hope you won't regret it. And if you ever feel like talking, feel free to call me," he added as he gave her his card.
She thanked him and put it in her bag. He briefly hesitated before telling her :
"He saw that your friend Hwoarang is facing Bryan Fury tomorrow."
"Indeed," she confirmed, feeling her anxiety rise.
"Tell him to beware of him," Lei warned her, his face serious. "I heard that both Professor Abel and Boskonovitch had made experiments on him."
"Experiments?"
"He too was part of the international police, but he was a shady and corrumpted policeman, involved in drug trafficking. He was supposed to be dead after been killed by two Hong Kong gangs. I don't what thses two scientists did, but you must warn your friend that Bryan is redoubtable. He killed several members of the Manji clan.
"Yoshimitsu's clan?" the shocked woman exclaimed.
"Tell him to be careful. He's no ordinary opponent."
She nodded and Lei's face lightened a bit.
"Good luck for the tournament, Miss Ling."
She thanked him and they bowed before he walked away. Xiaoyu watched him leave, her mind full of new informations, and then she sat back on the bench and sighed deeply.
Lei was right, she should not give up on Jin. Nevermind if he did not want her help, she would not stop, if only in remembrance of their former friendship. She noticed pink chrysanthemums, growing next to a copse next to her, and a memory came to her mind…
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Xiaoyu took a hair pick decorated with delicate pink fabric chrysanthemums, sticked it in her bun and looked at her reflection.
After spending her week end searching, she had finally found a traditionnal costume in a small shop in an ancient area of Tokyo, not too expensive and ready to wear.
She had nevertheless spent hours training to put it on and she had struggled, not being used Japanese outfits.
Yet, she was quite proud of the result.
Today was a sunny day, and she had chosen a light coton yukata, which was white with patterns of black branches and black, white and pink plum blossoms. The obi was simple but his nice mauve color complemented the yukata perfectly.
She had also bought getas and white tabis to complete her outfit.
Her hair was coiffed into a simple bun decorated with flowers and she had side swept her bang. She had also hidden a fan in her obi.
In short, she was ready for her first date and she was scared stiff. Jin had told her to meet him at two in front of the Mishima building and it was five to two. Breathing deeplys, she looked at her reflection one last time, praying for her – young Chinese girl in a Japanese costume – to look anything but ridiculous.
She had been told that nowadays, people would attend festivals dressed in normal outfit, but she had wanted to try anyway.
She left her room and took the elevator as her heart poundered. The guards greeted her as she crossed the hall and complimented her on her outfit and she blushed. Stress rise when she noticed the dark and tall figure waiting outside.
Jin was waiting for her in front of the building and she remained speechless.
He was wearing a black kimono, a white hakama with very thin black strips and a black haori noir. He had had on white tabis and wooden getas.
It was the first time she had seen him wear such a traditional costume and she had to admit that it fitted him really well; he was more gorgeous than ever.
When he saw her walking to him, he frowned and screwed up his eyes to distinguish her better.
"Xiao?" he exclaimed in a surprised voice.
She immediately thought that she had made a huge mistake in her choice of clothes when she saw him staring at her with wide eyes. Was white supposed to be worn only in spring ? Or was it her obi ?
Making a face, she joined him a cracked a forced smile.
"Is there something wrong with my outfit?"
"Hum… No… Not at all, why?"
"You looked funny, so I thought I might have made a mistake."
"On the contrary, I was just… I mean… Your hair and your… Well… You are beautiful," he said with a sincere smile.
She felt her cheek burn and a silly smile starting to spread on her lips but she quickly stopped it.
"Thank you, you look very nice too."
He looked embarrassed and shifted in gaze.
"I feel ridiculous," he admitted. "It's the first time I have worn such an outfit."
"Have you ever been to a festival?"
"When I was younger, yes, but not since I've been in Tokyo. This is my first."
"I feel less alone," she laughed. "Are we going?"
He nodded and they walked away…
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She went out of the elevator that had left her at her studio's floor and looked for her keys in her bag, cursing after the mess there was. When she got them, she looked up and froze, her heart hammering in her chest.
Two persons were standing before her door, leaning on the wall.
She recognized Lars thanks to his funny hairstyle, but not the young woman with him, who had a most stange outfit. A very revealing tunic both mauve and purple, black stockings and her hair died light pink and dark pink…
She was smiling and her large green eyes were filled with gentleness but Xiaoyu felt something strange about her that made her shiver.
Lars stood up straight and smiled at her.
"Good evening, Ling-san."
She remained silent and careful. Even he was behaving in a friendly way, shekept in mind that this man had deserted the Tekken Forces and was Jin's enemy.
"Can we talk to you?" he asked.
"I know who you are," she answered in a cold voice. "Jin told me about you."
"Oh," he looked surprised. "In this case, you must know that I mean no harm to you."
"What proves it?"
"Nothing, you just have my word. We didn't come to fight, we just need to talk to you. About Jin."
She hesitated; weighing the pros and cons, then nodded and opened the door, inviting then to get in. She showed them the sofa in which they sat and she went to make some tea, not wanting to face them right now.
She even put a knife in the pocket of her jean for more safety.
She put the tray on the coffee table, poured the tea in their cups and sat on a chair, opposite to them.
"I'm listening."
"Firstof all, let me introduce my friend, Alisa Boskonovitch," he said as he showed the young woman.
"Nice to meet you," the latter said, bowing.
"Nice to meet you too," Xiaoyu said. "I'm sure I've heard your name before…"
"I don't recall meeting you before," Alisa said with a sorry smile. "But you might know my father, Doctor Bosconovitch."
"Hum… No, I must have heard it by accident..."
She glanced at Lars, who was staring at his friend with kindness.
"If we are here, Ling-san, it's because I think you can help us."
"Help you do what?"
"To stop this war."
She stared at him with wide eyes.
"Me? Are you kidding? How could I possibly help you?"
"You're close to Jin Kazama, you're his friend, surely you have some kind of influence on…"
"No, stop! Everybody keeps tellingme that when it's wrong!" she exclaimed as anger started to rise in her chest.
She was getting sick of all these people who wanted to talk to her and who thought they knew exactly what was going on between Jin and her. Everytime she corrected them, it would remind her that he had changed, that she meant nothing to him and that she was less than a friend to him.
Even if she had more or less dealt with it, it was still a painful reminder.
"I tried to talk to him and to reason with him," she went on, "but he didn't listen! He's obstinate and stubborn! If I cannot make him change his mind, when I'm probably one of the few persons that don't want him dead, then there is no hope left!"
"You know, he didn't start this war immediately after taking control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. He started a campagn of propaganda and disinformation a month after.
"What do you mean?" she asked in a softer voice.
"A few weeks after his taking up of power, he ordered a secrete expedition in Egypt, in hope to find something precise."
"What was it?"
"I don't know, I wasn't captain of theTekken Forces back then and had no access to the files. Only, he became strange after this expedition."
"Strange?"
"He would sometimes have blanks, moments where he would stay motionless, with a far-away look in his eyes while he would hold his head. And he would say bizarre things, like 'Fill the world with negative energy'…, or 'It's the only way out'. After these incidents, he launched this war and went back to… normal."
"This is really weird…"
"I know, and this is why I chose to leave the Tekken Forces. Because I didn't know why we were doing all this : bombing cities, putting down governments, stealing natural ressources… He's never explained the reasons behing this war and I was feeling way too guilty to go on like this."
"There must be a reason," Xiaoyu said. "Jin would usually never ever behave this way."
"Are you sure about that?"
"When we were… well when we lived at the Mishima Zaibatsu, he's never shown such a personnality. On the contrary, he loved peace and nature; he was not a power-hungry tyran."
"Are you sure that you really know him?"
"I know he changed after the third Tekken. He disappeared for two years and came back just to take part in the fourth. He had changed his fighting style and was darker and more reserved. I felt like he was always careful, as if he feared an imminent attack."
"Do you know why he has changed so much?"
"No," she sadly admitted. "I did try to help him and to find out what was on his mind, but he did not confide in me, as if he was hiding something too important. I just know that he had something against his grandfather and father. He once talk about "putting an end to a cursed bloodline", but I didn't understand what he meant."
"You were Heihachi's ward before your majority. Do you know anything about an epitaph from South America that he possessed?"
"An… epitaph?"
"Sorry, I forgot that there are some Japanese words you don't know. An epitaph is a funereal inscription on a gravestone. He discovered it seven years ago. That doesn't ring a bell?"
"Not at all. He's never told about his business and…"
She suddenly stopped, frowning, thinking intensely. Something had just opened and poured twirling thoughts in her mind.
"Seven years ago…" she repeated in a lifeless voice. "Three years before the third tournament… Oh… You mentioned Central America… And the third tournament took place in Mexico…"
"Do you…"
"Wait!" she interrupted him. "I think I'm starting to understand…"
Her mind wadon fire and she was starting to link things between them. There was logic in Heihachi's plans; he would not do anything by accident…
"My grandfather told me about a God of Fight named Toshin, an ancien Aztec God. Heihachi wanted his power and organised the third Tekken to lure the god with powerful fighters. He also told me that Heihachi had raised and trained Jin in the aim of using him as bait."
"So the epitaph was about… Toshin?"
"I'm sure it was! Everything matches: Heihachi finds the epitaph, he takes in Jin whose mother was killed by Toshin and decides to use him to obtain this god's powers."
"What happened to Toshin?"
"He was destroyed. During the finale of the third tournament."
Lars exchanged a glance with Alisa.
"I need to verify with my informers. Some pieces are still missing…"
"My grandfather refused to tell me more about it. It's apparently too dangerous to know the secrets of the Mishimas..."
"Maybe he will tell me more."
"Why?
"Because I'm a Mishima… At least, partly."
Xiaoyu felt like she had been hit with something very heavy. Speachless, she could only think that he did not look like Heihachi or Kazuya.
"But… How… I mean your name is…"
"Alexandersson, I know. I'm Heihachi's illegitimate child, and Kazuya's half-brother. Heihachi has never known about me, he learned about it a few days ago."
Wow. She knew he was not lying; however it was hard to believe.
"Who is your grandfather?"
"Wang Jinrei."
"I've heard about him. He's been close to the Mishimas for decades."
"I'm not sure he'll tell you more," she said. "And I don't want him to be involved in all this. He's an old man and I don't want anything to happen to him…"
"I don't insist," Lars replied as he got up with Alisa. "Only, we have very little time left, Ling-san. The quarter finals are starting tomorrow."
"And?"
"And Jin, Kazuya and Heihachi are among the finalists. The deadline is getting closer and if we don't do anything, the situation is gonna be worse than it already is. Whether you want to help us or not is up to you…"
They reached the door and were about the leave when Xiaoyu remembered something.
"Wait! I remember something Julia Chang told me yesterday! She said something about a prediction, made by an old woman from her tribe. She said that Jin and Kazuya must not fight, otherwise… hum… something awful is gonna happen!"
"Do you believe that?" Lars asked.
"I don't know, Julia looked completely shaken, so I think there might be some truth."
"Thank you," he smiled. "Alisa and I are continuing our researches. If you ever change your mind or learn something, feel free to phone me," he said, handing her his card.
"Thank you…"
A thought crossed her mind and she held Alisa back.
"Bosconovitch!" she exclaimed. "Lei Wulong told me about him! Your father is a scientist!"
"Yes," Alisa answered with surprise.
"Lei told me he had done experiments on Bryan Fury. Do you know about that?"
"Bryan Fury, cyborg created by Doctor Abel after his death and abandonned," she said in a robotic voice, as if she was reciting a lesson. "Saved by Yoshimitsu. A perpetual generator was installed by Doctor Bosconovitch."
"What does that mean?"
"It means Bryan Fury is quasi invincible," she answered with her normal vice. "The adjustements made by my father transformed his body into a weapon of destruction."
"So he can't be defeated?"
"You can damage his generator, but he won't let you."
"Where is it?"
"Inside his right calf."
"His right calf?" Xiaoyu repeated with a lifeless voice.
"Why do you ask about that man?" Lars finally asked.
"My friend is fighting him tomorrow and Inspecteur Wulong told me he was dangerous. I'm scared for him."
"If he hits that spot as hard as he can, he might make it out of order."
"I don't know. I'll try to tell him before his fight."
The young man nodded. Xiaoyu bowed and they did too before leaving.
She stared at the card he had given her without really seeing it, shaken by all these revelations.
Then she remembered her own fight with Heihachi tomorrow evening and she shivered because, after everything Lars had told her, facing him will not be that easy…
.
.
TBC…