TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD
Chapter 29: Taming Your Anger
Outside the Violet System's HQ in Kyoto, Japan
Josie Rizal, the former member of the Tekken Force who had been betrayed by her higher-ups, found herself standing outside the HQ of Violet Systems. Not long ago, the Filipina had been approached by members of the rebel squadron of the Tekken Force called Yggdrasil. They offered her a place in their ranks. But Josie, already feeling embittered by Heihachi's betrayal had politely turned down their request. However, those soldiers had ben understanding towards her. They even encouraged Josie to take her time to reflect on her choices. And she was always welcome in Yggdrasil whenerver she changed her mind.
Josie looked up to see the fancy skyscraper. Truth be told, it was impressive, especially during the day. But then again, the young Filipina had been there before, during her time in the Tekken Force. It was an infiltration mission whose objectives were to capture Lee Chaolan alive. But unbeknownst to them, Lee was not in Kyoto. But now, he had returned.
"Alright. This is it" Josie spoke to herself as she took small steps towards the entrance. "Honestly, I find it hard to believe why rebels of the Tekken Force would hide in a place like this. But they told me this was their hideout" the Filipina recalled back to her conversations with the members of Yggdrasil.
The entrance looked quite funky, just the style Lee had a taste in. It was decorated with the color violet, which was of course his favorite. But Josie decided to ignore the bizarre design and entered the building.
When she was inside, Josie found herself entering a lobby that seemed to hold all the luxury one could ever imagine. She could see plants, fountains, as well as statues and pictures of Lee. The young Filipina was dumbstruck by what she was seeing.
"Really? This guy looks like a complete narcissist. I mean, what kind of jerk would've had statues of himself in a lobby?" Josie wondered as she looked around in the lobby.
But as she did that, Josie was interrupted by a gentle voice calling to her in the lobby. "Can I help you, madam?" it came from a beautiful receptionist who stood on a chair.
Knowing what she needed to say, Josie fixed an awkward smile while facing the receptionist. "Yeah…hello there. My name's Josie Rizal and I'm here to speak with Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson. You see, they invited me here" the young girl told the receptionist as honest as she could.
The receptionist smiled in return. "Ah, I see. Very well then, I will get them here shortly. You just sit and wait on the lounge until then" she kindly responded.
Josie did as she told, feeling kind of relieved to know that she was not being tricked, for now. As the Filipina sat on the comfortable lounge, she couldn't help but to look forward in meeting Lars. Yes, she had heard much about him when she was inducted into the Tekken Force. But at that time, speaking his name was considered to be a taboo, so Josie had to be careful not to express her admiration of Lars in the open.
"I wonder what kind of man Lars Alexandersson really is. He can't be as bad as the Tekken Force make him out to be. Yeah, they're exaggerating. It's Heihachi who lacks honor and decency" Josie thought as she felt excited about meeting this man.
Josie kept pondering about Lars, only to be interrupted by someone speaking to her. But this was not the voice of the receptionist. It was someone she knew very well.
"Oye. Filipina" Josie looked up and saw Miguel Caballero Rojo standing not far from her location. He looked at her in his usual condescending attitude. "What kind of place is this? Are you checking into a rehab or something?" Miguel questioned her as if he was surprised in seeing the lobby and it's interior.
Josie scowled in seeing him standing there and rose up from the longue. "You again? Argh, for crying out loud, what are you doing!? Or more importantly, how did you find me here!?" she demanded some answers out of Miguel.
Miguel was unfazed at her surprise of seeing him. "Calmate, niña. It's not so hard to know where you are going. Yesterday I eavesdropped on a conversation you had with two Tekken Force members in an alley. And that's why I followed you to this location" he explained it to her as if was not that big of a deal.
However, Josie was outraged in hearing what he had done. "Have you been stalking me!? You're a creep! That's freaking harassment!" the young Filipina was really ticked off, feeling more than willing to attack Miguel right now.
Even so, the Spaniard didn't seem scared of her rage, not that he cared anyway. "Hey, I only followed you because of necessity. I'm not some kind of pervert who likes stalking women. Get that through your thick skull" Miguel pointed out to the Filipina.
"Necessity my ass! You have the balls to actually be stalking someone without them knowing! That definitely makes you a creep, or a pervert if not worse!" Josie snapped at him. But she suddenly turned her back on him and crossed her arms. "Now that's been said, go away and leave me alone! I don't wanna hear you ranting about all kinds of things or whatever!" she said, not even looking at Miguel.
Miguel couldn't stand the tone in Josie's voice, so he decided not to back down from this confrontation. "And who are you to command me? As for as I know, I only answer to myself!" he questioned her, only to see that Josie was ignoring him. This made him irritated, so he decided to reach for her shoulder. "Oye! I'm talking to you, little….." the Spaniard was surprised to see Josie angrily swat his hand away.
"Don't you dare putting your filthy hands on me!" the Filipina spat at him. She clearly did that to send a warning to him.
Even so, Miguel would not be deterred. Josie's actions had only fueled his burning rage. "Estúpido Filipina…." Miguel growled lowly, yet loud anger could be heard coming from him. "You better have health insurance! I've got no qualms in hospitalizing perras like you!" the tall Spaniard openly displayed his aggressiveness towards Josie.
In response, Josie stood in her fighting stance. "You think I'm scared of you just because of threats you utter? Oh, please. The only thing that you succeed in doing is to make a complete ass out of yourself!" she didn't hold back in roasting Miguel.
This only added fuel to the fire for Miguel. At this rate, it was pointless speaking with words. Rather, he would speak with his fists. The Spaniard was about to unleash his rage upon the young Filipina, only to stop when he heard someone clapping hands.
Both Josie and Miguel looked to their side to see a white-haired man dressed in fancy clothes do the clapping. It was Lee Chaolan, the eccentric CEO of Violet Systems. But he was not alone. Accompanying him was the leader of Yggdrasil Lars Alexandersson and the android Alisa Bosconovitch.
"Now, now, children. There is no need for violence. Bear in mind that you're both standing in MY building. And one of its rules is simple: no aggressive behavior" Lee scolded Miguel and Josie, soon ceasing the clapping. He fixed a smug smile as he faced Josie. "Ah, you must be the ex-Tekken Force officer we have heard so much about. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Josie Rizal. I am Lee Chaolan, CEO of Violet Systems" he introduced himself to her with a formal bow.
Josie was unsure of what to say in return. "Yeah…likewise, Mr. Lee" those were the words she could come up. But she was surprised when her eyes caught the sight of Lars standing beside Lee. "Woah…Lars Alexandersson…it's that really you?" she asked while approaching him.
Lars smiled at the Filipina and nodded his head at her. "That's right. It's nice to meet you in person, Josie" the Swedish man gently said while reaching out his hand to her. "I've heard of your exploits in the Tekken Force. I have to say, you really are a prodigy to have been promoted to second-in-command in your squadron" he complimented her achievements while shaking hands
This made Josie feel a little embarrassed. She even tried to hide her blushing cheeks. "Please…...you flatter me" she mumbled through words, struggling to come up with a better sentence. Truth be told, she had never expected Lars to be this compassionate leader.
Alisa stepped forward, politely bowing her head towards Josie. "My name is Alisa Bosconovitch. Pleased to meet you" she introduced herself and reached out a hand to Josie.
Josie happily shook hands with Alisa, already making a good impression with the android. But the young Filipina could see that her hosts were taking notice of Miguel, so they began approaching him.
"We also see that you have brought a friend with you. And who might he be?" Lee asked Josie while glancing over at Miguel, who had already his arms crossed while facing away. So far, the Spaniard hadn't looked at either Lee nor his friends.
Josie quickly stood before Lee. "Don't pay attention to him, Mr. Lee. That guy's nothing but trouble. He's been stalking and harassing me ever since the tournament was called off. And yet I've no idea why he still does that!" she answered Lee.
Hearing this made Miguel scowl in anger at the Filipina. "Callate! I told you before that I'm not stalking anybody! If you honestly believe that I've got hots for perras like you, then you're unbelievably delusional!" the Spaniard hit back at Josie, who only got offended in return.
"What did you just say to me!?" Josie snapped, only for Lee to move past her. He probably did that as a means of preventing her from lashing out against Miguel.
The silver-haired business tycoon bowed his head towards the hotheaded Spaniard. "I humbly welcome you to my building, kind sir. But I must please ask that you refrain from using demeaning language towards young ladies like Josie here. Surely, you wouldn't mind that now, would you?" he asked Miguel.
Josie almost dropped her jaw in disbelief. "What! You're not seriously planning on recruiting this miserable ruffian, are you!? Believe me, he's nothing but a huge pain in my neck! And he will become that for you as well! There's no use in having him here!" the Filipina wanted to know what Lee's intentions were while at the same time trying to encourage her not to recruit Miguel.
So far, Miguel had only glanced at Lee and his friends with condescending eyes. However, he was not acting as aggressive as he was before. After a couple of seconds, the tall Spaniard reluctantly spoke up.
"Very well. I'll respect your rules and honor them…for now, at least" Miguel told him, much to the satisfaction of Lee.
"Excellent! That's the answer I was hoping for! Well then, might we ask your name, sir?" Lee asked him.
Miguel was still frowning at the trio, yet they still spoke to him as if he was welcome at Violet Systems. Nevertheless, the brown-haired man told them his name.
"Me llamo Miguel Caballero Rojo" he plainly answered Lee in Spanish.
This made Lee surprisingly amused. "Ah, so you're from Spain? How fascinating. I have heard so much stories about Spain and it's "romantic culture", if you catch my drift" he spoke up, yet Miguel was not following him. "Now, where in Spain are you from, exacty?" Lee then asked.
The fiery Spaniard didn't know whether to take Lee's words for granted. Still, Miguel felt the need to respond, yet he chose to do so unkindly. "Besa mi culo" he spoke in Spanish, much to the surprise of Lee.
"Goodness, such language you have…" the business tycoon had difficulties in grasping Miguel's attitude towards him.
Josie only stood on the sidelines, watching the scene with dispassion. "Why did I not see that one coming" she thought while observing.
But Alisa had started to grow curious about the language Miguel had spoken in. "This language…I take it you must be speaking in Spanish, correct?" the pink-haired girl asked him friendly, to which Miguel weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Well, you're not the only European here. You see, I'm from Russia. And Lars here is actually Swedish" Alisa went on explaining some details.
"I'm glad that you are making a good impression here, Alisa. But it looks like we have no time to waste" Lars informed her before turning his attention to both Josie and Miguel. "We appreciate that you have decided to aid us. But let us fill you in on what our mission is in Lee's office. There, I can assure you that we will be safe" he told them.
Neither Josie or Miguel held any reservations about this, so they followed the trio to the elevator. But they each faced one another with nothing but open contempt. Reluctantly, they had decided not to get all aggressive with one another.
"I don't know what your game is, but I will not be your friend or anything. So don't get any ideas" Josie sternly reminded the Spaniard.
Miguel grunted in return. "Fine by mine. I never wanted to be your friend in the first place. I trust that you will do the same thing for me" he rudely replied.
Josie crossed her arms while huffing. "Whatever you say, jackass" she hit back at him.
In the elevator, neither Miguel nor Josie spoke to one another, yet they did listen to the conversation Lars and Lee were having. From what they heard, things were looking from for the resistance against the Mishima Zaibatsu.
"As you may know, the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet takes place this evening in Taito. I can only imagine how high and mighty Heihachi must be feeling, given that the world's top diplomats now view him as their savior" Lars told Lee, who was listening to him. "Even so, there is one positive thing about the upcoming celebrations. It will spare us persecutions from the Tekken Force for a while. And let's not forget that Heihachi is in possession of a weapon of mass destruction floating in space" he added to his explanation.
Lee nodded his head. "Precisely. Which is why we will use this time to regroup and plan our next move against the Zaibatsu. We may as well start finding allies like these two" the business tycoon remarked while briefly eyeing Josie and Miguel. "And while we're at it, it would be best if we use this time to gather our strengths. It is at the peak of his arrogance when Heihachi is most vulnerable and careless. That I can assure you based upon past experiences" Lee assured his friends.
"Indeed. But we must take caution. We don't know how to exactly win this war, even if Heihachi is deposed of. We will have to wait for us to fully act against the Zaibatsu when Jin has awoken" Lars then said.
"Of course, Lars. We most certainly will" Lee replied, thus easing Lars' concerns.
But unbeknownst to either of them, Miguel had slowly started to give into his rage and cry for vengeance. The name Jin had been brought up to him. But surprisingly, the Spaniard managed to hide it from the others. Right now, he was thinking about only one thing: revenge.
"I knew it! Jin Kazama is here!" Miguel said while clenching his fists. "Hijo de puta! As soon as I know where you are being held, I will come for your sorry ass! Mark my words!" the brown-haired man was screaming for the opportunity to put Jin out of his misery.
As Miguel was struggling with keeping his silent anger in check, Alisa had taken notice of how different the Spaniard was behaving. As much as the android wanted to ask if he was alright, a part of her felt like Miguel was trying to fight it himself. Therefore, she chose not to speak up. Hopefully, he would come at ease when he was taken to Lee's office.
"I can tell that this man is hiding a wounded heart. Why he is doing that, I'm not sure of. But this is something that is common among humans. I know that a lot of them try to hide their wounded hearts. But is that good for their health? Even that remains a mystery to me" Alisa wondered as she studied the aggressive Spaniard's behavior.
Outside Kyoto Tower, Kyoto, Japan
Baek Doo San, Craig Marduk, King and Shuwawei were passing by the Kyoto Tower on the opposite sidewalk. Having arrived in Kyoto from Osaka, the group wanted to start searching for Baek's impulsive student: Howarang. But they had barley gotten settled in the city, neither did they know where to specifically start searching. In addition to that, none of them knew the location of the Shadow Coliseum.
"Woah…." Marduk uttered out in an unamused tone as he looked up to watch Kyoto Tower. "Does every freaking city in Japan have towers like these? I mean, it seems so cliché" the Australian man asked his friends, curious to know about towers in Japan.
"Not necessarily. From what I know, the only other place where there exists an observation tower is Tokyo. But that tower is taller compared to this one here" Shuwawei politely answered the Vale Tudo fighter.
In response, Marduk grinned cheekily while giving her a thumbs up. "Ah, thanks for filling me in, sweetcheeks! You're a smart one!" he thanked her, yet the Korean woman was somewhat disturbed by his attitude.
"While I do appreciate your compliment, I would kindly ask that you not address me by nicknames such as "sweetcheeks". Think you can do that for me, Craig Marduk?" Shuwawei requested him in a soft manner.
Marduk scratched his facial beard as he heard that, feeling a little bit stunned at her words. "Okay…...if you say so. Sorry if my words hurt you or anything. But I'm just trying to be polite with the ladies and all" he told her.
Shuwawei had to giggle in what she was hearing from him. "That's very nice of you, but there are other ways to act polite towards us women. A good example is to not flirt with them and then come up with random nicknames" she explained to him. But from the looks of it, Marduk had a hard time understanding what she said. "You're not quite following me, are you?" she wondered while looking at him.
"Don't bother teaching him. Marduk's quite the womanizer, if you catch my drift" King recommended Shuwawei, who were listening to him.
However, Marduk didn't take kindly to King's words. "Hey! I'm no womanizer! I'm only trying to act civilized around them!" he snapped at King. He soon calmed himself. "You know what they say, the ladies love a man that's got three things: muscles, charms and manners. Oh yeah!" the Vale Tudo fighter was acting all high and mighty while showcasing his muscular arms.
Shuwawei laughed at this nervously, yet King facepalmed with what he saw his best friend do. They could both see that Marduk was now in la-la land. Therefore, it was no use in reasoning him about how to treat women.
"Yeah…I see what you mean" Shuwawei told King, agreeing with his sentiment about Marduk's womanizing.
"Alrighty, folks. We're finally in Kyoto. But I'm not sure where to begin the search. Hell, I don't know where this "Shadow Coliseum" is specifically" Baek told his friends while looking over his shoulders.
His fellow Taekwondo fighter was trying to figure out something. "Hmm…...we could perhaps go and ask a local. But we'd probably have to venture into the alleys in order to find clues. I seriously doubt that average citizens in Kyoto would know about the Shadow Coliseum" Shuwawei came up with a suggestion to Baek.
The middle-aged man had to smile when he heard what she came up with. "Sounds like a good start, Shuwawei. But I have this feeling in gut telling me that Hwoarang could be someplace else in this damn city. Oh God, I'm starting to have a headache over thinking about this dilemma" Baek said.
Marduk had to grin. "But if your student's a ruffian and all, then the Shadow Coliseum would be an ideal place for him to be at, don't ya think?" the Vale Tudo fighter was giving Baek his opinions.
Baek had to chuckle in amusement. "I can't say I disagree with you on that one, youngster. But what if he to some chance was not in that place? That's the scenario I'm trying to picture. But you never know what kind of shenanigans Hwoarang will end up in" he told Marduk.
As he walked with the group, King couldn't help but to hear the sound of a cars driving by them. Briefly looking over his shoulder, the luchador could see the typical Japanese traffic jam. But for some reason, King felt uneasy.
"Strange. I can almost tell that someone is following us" King noted as he looked at the many cars in the traffic jam one by one. But the Mexican man froze once he saw someone sitting inside a 2015 Ford Mustang. "No…..it can't be…" King was at loss for words.
Marduk, who had noticed his best friend acting weird, decided to check on him. "Hey amigo. Are you feeling okay?" he asked King, the two Taekwondo fighters also taking notice of King's behavior.
Looking at the nearby alleyway, King decided to led his friends in there. "We need to go inside that alley. And fast!" he told them.
His best friend was confused. "Say what? Why do you wanna go inside that…." Marduk was interrupted when King grabbed his hand and led him into the alleyway as quick as possible. Both Baek and Shuwawei followed suit, curious to know why King was acting so secretive all of a sudden.
Once they were done with the alleyway, the group found themselves on the narrow street called Akezu-no-mon Dori. It was a long street that ran in the backyard of large buildings. Only pedestrians could be seen walking in this street, yet there were several scooters, cars and trucks being parked by the buildings. In King's mind, they would be safe for now, given that they were not out in the open. So be began moving inwards, his friends tagging along as a result.
"Okay. Now you're starting to weird me out. What's gotten into you, King?" Marduk wanted some answers out of King.
He felt very reluctant to tell him about what he had seen, let alone the danger Marduk was in at the moment. But King could not bring himself to hide this from his best friend, let alone Baek and Shuwawei who were also trustworthy.
"I brought you in here because of the circumstances. For some reason, I could tell that we were being followed by someone. That's why we should use this street for cover" King answered.
"We're being followed? By who?" Baek asked, feeling slightly distressed with what he was hearing. "Don't tell me that you were involved in some shady business with the Yakuza before we came to Japan" the Korean man then suggested.
This made King feel agitated, so he decided to simply spit it out. He stopped walking and faced his friends. "It's not criminal gangs that were following us. It's…...him!" the wrestler said, specifically facing Marduk.
The expression on Marduk's face changed into that of astonishment. He didn't have words for what his best friend had just revealed to him. But before he could even open his mouth, Marduk and his friends were interrupted by the sound of a black Ford Mustang speeding towards them.
"Watch out! That car's running fast!" Shuwawei exclaimed and she started to run.
But to her surprise, the black Mustang stopped just right before the group's location. It was blocking them from running back where they came from. King could feel the anguish within him building up.
"Mierda! Why did this had to happen now!?" King cursed in Spanish as the car's four doors opened
The doors opened and out came familiar faced they knew from the tournament. But for King and Marduk, the one most shocking was the appearance of Armor King. With him were Bryan, Feng and Dragunov, all them standing before the car they had just exited.
Baek could recall some of the faces he had known from the previous tournaments, yet Shuwawei had less knowledge about them. But as with King and Marduk, the two Taekwondo fighters were also stunned to see these people blocking their path from behind.
Bryan grinned sadistically with what he was seeing. "Lookie here! Another bunch of preys we just caught!" the pale-skinned man was having fun with this.
But none of his compatriots had the same feeling, especially Feng. "Hmmm…..demented fool" the Chinese man expressed his dismay with Bryan's thinking.
Marduk had his eyes completely fixated upon Armor King. The man with the black jaguar mask had so in return, even though his face could not be seen. Armor King resisted the urge to angrily launch himself at the Vale Tudo fighter.
"So, you have finally arrived in Japan, Craig Marduk. How unexpected. I was under the impression that you would stay back in Mexico and lick your wounds. But given your simplemindedness, such is not to be expected from the likes of you" Armor King spoke up, his voice hinting to his open dispassion of Marduk. "Did you honestly believe that I would not recognize you because of that beard and your ridiculous new outfit!? You are a blind fool, Vale Tudo imbécil!" the luchador continued with his verbal assault on the Australian man.
Despite hearing this, Marduk couldn't help but to smirk at Armor King. "You say you recognize me despite my new beard? Well, I'm flattered, honestly!" Marduk spoke up smugly. But his smirk soon turned upside down. "But I won't stand for the insults hurled at me. We're all human, so nobody's perfect" he then added.
Hearing this made Armor King enraged. "After what you have done, you have the guts to come and claim you know about right and wrong!?" he was furious with what he was saying.
King, who felt like he couldn't just stand by and let this happen, decided to intervene. "Listen carefully, so-called "Armor King". This is not the right time to be dwelling on personal vendettas. For us, there are more pressing matters to be concerned…" the Mexican man was trying to speak up his mind, only for Armor King to shut him down.
"Vete a la mierda! This is between me and him! I have no interest in your supposed honor or ideals!" Armor King verbally assaulted him.
King reluctantly backed down, yet he still felt the urge to launch himself at the armored luchador. His fists clenched tightly as he watched the growing animosity building up between Armor King and Marduk.
Baek had to admit that he was surprised to see Armor King. But something was different with him. It didn't take long before the middle-aged man realized what the case was.
"You do look like Armor King. I mean, you wear the same mask and all. But you're not the Armor King I knew from the first King of Iron Fist tournaments, right?" Baek asked him, starting to see a pattern with these wrestlers wearing a jaguar mask.
Armor King directed his attention to the Taekwondo fighter. "It is as you suspect. Armor King is more than just one person" he informed him before pointing a finger at Marduk. "My late older brother was also Armor King, the same older brother that was killed by this bastardo standing right there!" Armor King then exclaimed.
Marduk stood in silence as he received those words. He had been there before, when Armor King had revealed his true identity to Marduk and King. However, a flashback from several years ago started to invade his mind. The pictures he saw, it was from a bar brawl in Arizona, near the US-Mexican border. Although he had constantly been trying to forget about that episode, Marduk still couldn't forget the blood on his hands on that fateful night.
Both Baek and Shuwawei looked at Marduk with shocked expressions. It was only natural, considering that they had found out a shocking fact about the Vale Tudo fighter.
"What the hell…...did you actually…...kill the previous Armor King?" Baek asked him bewildered.
Shuwawei was not getting a realization in her head. "It all makes sense now" she noted before facing Marduk with a disapproving glance. "You lied to us about the arrest. You weren't arrested for the bar brawl, you were arrested for murder!" the Korean woman pointed out the lie that Marduk had told both her and Baek.
Marduk felt himself gained upon by the Koreans a little. "Look! What I did in the past is irrelevant to you guys, so back off!" he surprisingly berated the Koreans, even Shuwawei. But the Vale Tudo fighter returned his focus on Armor King. "And as for you. I don't know what kind of circus you have joined, but I couldn't give a squat about it. Right now, I'm out to save innocent people from suffering in this war! And the last thing I need is you screwing me over! So do me and favor and beat it!" he launched himself at the group before him.
None of the members of L'ordine seemed intimidated by Marduk's outburst, not even Armor King. In fact, the masked luchador could only smell their duel coming towards him. He could no longer wait. His thirst for combat was taking hold of him. Armor King even started taking few steps forwards, specifically facing Marduk.
"I could care less about this damn war! All that I want is to avenge my brother!" Armor King exclaimed while clenching his metallic gloves. "No more games! I challenge you, Craig Marduk!" he then added while standing ready to fight.
Bryan was feeling pleased with seeing this upcoming duel. But he didn't feel like being left alone. "Hey amigo. Mind if I take care of that guy for ya? I could keep him occupied" the pale-skinned man asked him.
Armor King shrugged his armored shoulders. "Suit yourself. But do not even think about getting in between me and HIM. The Vale Tudo fighter is mine!" the luchador coldly replied to Bryan's request.
"Oh, you can count on me!" Bryan spoke up before facing King with a sadistic grin. "Tell me, are you as feral as your mask make you out to be? I would love to find that out" the cyborg didn't hide his desire to battle King.
King stood his guard when seeing how Bryan was willing to attack him. "Maldito sea! Of course, that demented fool would take advantage of this" he murmured, yet the Mexican man looked over to watch Marduk. Once again, his greatest fear was becoming a reality. "And at this rate, I don't think that I can even intervene in order to stop them from clashing" King thought.
While Baek was observing how Armor King and Bryan were looking for an opponent, he could soon notice Feng making a move towards him. The middle-aged man stood in his fighting position, yet Baek soon came to realization about this man.
"Wait. I know you! You're that Chinese Kenpo fighter who's been battling dojo masters across China and Japan! They have almost died because of your actions!" Baek spoke up, recalling the man he had seen during the previous tournaments.
Still, Feng was unfazed at his words. "And why does that matter to you?" he asked Baek, yet the Chinese man couldn't help but to notice the stance his opponent was standing in. "I see. So you are a Taekwondo master. And not just any ordinary Taekwondo master. You are the one called Baek Doo San" he remarked.
The Korean man's eyes widened in surprise in what he was hearing. "How do you know my name? Answer me!" Baek snapped, barley managing to hold back his impatience.
Feng couldn't help but to smirk at Baek while crossed his arms. "I know every dojo master across the Orient that has made a name for themselves in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. And come to think of it, I remember hearing stories of a Taekwondo master fighting dojo masters in order to ensure that his dojo survived" Feng recalled what he knew about Baek. "So let me ask you, what gives you the right to lecture me when you did the exact same thing?" he asked Baek.
When the Korean man heard that question, anger began taking hold upon him. His thoughts drifted back to the past, when he was in his younger days. He remembered accidentally killing his own father, as well as battling dojo masters until they were almost dead. These memories continued to traumatize the Taekwondo master.
"That's none of your damn business! What I did in the past is my business alone!" Baek snapped, but he was still not giving up talking just yet. "And besides, I've made up for my own mistakes. They were selfish and misguided. But compared to what I did, yours is nothing but pure disgrace" the Korean man pointed out to Feng.
The Kenpo fighter frowned in what he was hearing. For some reason, Baek sounded like his former master, the same master he had personally killed during a duel to the death. Still, this resemblance only encouraged Feng to not take Baek's words to heart.
"And here I thought we would come to a mutual understanding towards one another. Sadly, I was wrong" Feng spoke up and stood in fighting position.
Baek felt slightly distressed with what he was seeing. "What a pain! Can't believe I'm saying this, but this guy's more misguided than Hwoarang, no kidding" he admitted, although he didn't know Feng personally as he did with his student.
Shuwawei got closer to the Taekwondo master's side. "Master Baek, do we have to fight these thugs? We have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with!" the young woman spoke to him. She could notice the fact that Dragunov was fixing his cold gaze upon her.
"It's not like we have much of a choice here, Shuwawei. It's obvious that they won't be letting us pass without a fight. But you're than welcome to figure out an escape route, assuming you even find one that is" Baek told her.
The Korean woman sighed in dispassion. "Always such a downer….." she noted by observing Baek. But as Shuwawei did that, she couldn't help but to notice that King was up to something. The masked luchador had spotted an Isuzu fuel tanker truck being parked to his right.
King, who had been waiting for him and his friends to be forced to walk back by their foes, came up with an idea. The tanker truck could perhaps be useful in order to get rid of Armor King and his cohorts. But would that even work? King was unsure, yet he felt that desperate times called for such measures.
"This may not be enough to shake them off. But I will have to try!" King said as he clenched his strong right hand firmly.
Without warning, the Mexican man unleashed his strength upon the tanker. He literally punched a hole in it, thus making fuel sprout out from it and onto the asphalt. Soon, a pond of fuel was beginning to take shape.
The members of L'ordine backed away in what they were seeing. "What the hell!? What's the big idea!?" Bryan angrily asked as he got away from the pond of fuel.
But the cyborg and his compatriots all ceased their aggressiveness when Marduk held out a lighter in his right hand. The Vale Tudo fighter faced them smugly. "Don't come any closer! Otherwise, I'm gonna throw this lighter at that pond of fuel! And you know what happens then! BOOM!" Marduk was having fun with threatening them.
"You are insane. If you throw that lighter, you will end up blowing up the fuel tanker truck!" Feng exclaimed with what Maduk was planning on doing.
"Oh, shut your ass up! I'll do whatever it takes to protect my friends! So you better do as I say!" Marduk hit back, the Australian man still holding the lighter in his hand as a leverage.
Even the Koreans were astounded by what the Vale Tudo fighter was doing. However, both Baek and Shuwawei realized that they could use this to their advantage. And that meant finding an escape route. The two Taekwondo fighters had taken notice of several scooters being parked nearby. Nodding their heads at one another, they gradually began moving away from Marduk and King.
In the meantime, Amor King was outraged with the situation he was in. Seeing Marduk acting all smug only fueled the anger within him. "Coward! You dare resorting to such dirty tricks!?" the masked luchador roared as he watched the lighter in Marduk's hand.
"Oh, you and your buddies can turn around and leave if you want to. Nobody's forcing you to be here!" Marduk taunted his hated foe. He could notice how Bryan and Dargunov were secretly trying to reach for their weapons. That only convinced the Vale Tudo fighter to take the risk. "But on second thought…I say we turn up the heat! Choke on this, ya lousy bastards!" he exclaimed and threw the lighter at the pond of fuel that had been created.
As a result, the asphalt was set up in flames. The members of L'ordine quickly retreated back into their car, this time Armor King taking the wheels. He made sure that the car was put in reverse and quick.
"What are you waiting for!? We gotta get out before that thing explodes! Put the damn car in reverse!" Bryan snapped, yet Armor King ignored the cyborg as he was more focused on getting themselves out of this mess.
Meanwhile, both King and Marduk knew that the nearby truck would be taken by the fire and explode soon. They backed away as soon as the fire before them starting to burn stronger.
"We better scram! Soon this place is about to explode for real!" Marduk told his best friend.
Yet King was not satisfied with Marduk's suggestion. "All the more reason why perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to set fire on that pond of fuel!" he replied.
Marduk got on the defensive. Hey! It was your idea to begin with! Besides, there was no way a pond of fuel was gonna force them to get off our hides!" the Australia man hit back, only to notice that something was amiss. "And which reminds me, where the hell are those Koreans!?" he wondered aloud.
They were interrupted by the sound of tooting coming from behind. As soon as Marduk and King turned around to see who it was, they could see that Baek and Shuwawei were driving what appeared to be scooters. Beak had taken a grey Honda Forza 250 scooter, while Shuwawei had taken a white Peugeot Metropolis 120. Both muscular fighters were stunned with what they were seeing.
"Hop on! We're getting out of here as soon as we can!" Baek called out to them, the middle-aged man facing King. "King! You're with me!" he told the luchador, who quickly sat up behind him.
That left Shuwawei to have Marduk sitting behind her. The Vale Tudo fighter was grinning cheekily as he hopped on the scooter. "So I get to sit behind you? Nice!" the tall man exclaimed while facing the young woman.
Shuwawei paid no heed to his comments and made sure that the scooter was ready to go. "You better hold on tight, Marduk. We'll be driving fast as if this scooter was a motorcycle" she informed him, much to Marduk's confusion.
Without delay, the two scooters left the spot in an incredible speed. However, it didn't take long before the four fighters could hear a loud explosion coming from behind. That only encouraged them to keep going forward until they were out of this narrow alleyway. As they were driving the scooters, Baek and Shuwawei successfully avoided hitting parked cars, pedestrians or other blockages on the road.
"We're almost out of this alleyway! Get ready! Sooner or later, those guys will be catching up to us!" Baek called out to his friends.
But things were not looking smoothly for the four fighters. Because someone was blocking the road that would eventually lead them out of the alleyway. And it was the members of L'ordine inside their black Mustang GT. In fact, Bryan and Dragunov were seen stretching themselves out of the car's windows, having their weapons ready. This looked troubling.
"Aw shit! Those scumbags made it here before we could!" Marduk cursed out of frustration.
"They really are persistent!" King exclaimed in what he was seeing.
Baek was growing agitated by them being made mouse in this chase. However, he realized that it was also possible to exit this alleyway by either turning left or right. But these exits were small, so they had to take caution. An idea suddenly popped in the Taekwondo master's head and it felt like a smart one in Baek's opinion. He looked over to Shuwawei, who had already begun reading his expression.
"Shuwawei! You and Marduk turn left! Me and King will take right!" Baek told her as their muscular passengers were listening.
King was taken aback by this. "What!? Are you saying that we should split up!? But that sounds ludicrous!" he responded to the Korean man's suggestion.
However, Shuwawei had somehow gotten the picture. "Now, I see. Sounds like a smart idea, Master Baek! If we each go our separate ways, it will certainly leave them confused! Just be careful while you drive, okay?" the young woman called out to him.
Hearing this only made Baek chuckle in return. "Oh, you know I will! You do that too! We'll be seeing you soon!" he replied back.
Neither King nor Marduk had any idea what the Taekwondo fighters had in mind with this. Just as they reached the cross, the two scooters went their separate ways. This confused the members of L'ordine, who didn't know which to pursue.
"Mierda!" Armor King slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
"Those sneaky bastards are going separate ways!" Bryan told his comrades in what he was seeing.
"They are most likely doing this to confuse us. Regardless, we must choose to pursue at least one of them! Who will it be?" Feng spoke up while facing Armor King.
Fortunately for Feng and the others, the masked luchador had already made his decision. He went the same way Shuwawei and Marduk did. That's why he turned right from his standpoint.
"I can deal with that weak-minded fool later! Right now, all I want is to get my hands on that miserable cabron!" Armor King spat as he stomped on the gas pedal. The car was going in a fast speed as a result.
Shuwawei had taken notice of the Mustang GT being on the chase. It filled her with agitation. Still, the Korean woman realized that she would have to speed it up in order to reach the alleyway on the other side of the main road. But she knew such move was risky, especially given how unpredictable the Japanese rush traffic was.
Marduk couldn't help but to gulp in what he was seeing. "Wait a sec! You're not seriously planning on…" the Vale Tudo fighter had to hold on tight as Shuwawei increased the speed.
"Hold on tight, Marduk! I'm gonna do everything in my power to ensure that we reach that alleyway without any collisions!" the Korean woman told her passenger.
Without even thinking, Shuwawei sped in order to reach the other side. Neither she nor Marduk bothered looking out for incoming vehicles. Their main target was that alleyway. Once they were on the main road, the sounds honking from cars and trucks alike could be heard. However, the duo on the Peugeuot scooter kept pushing on. Even so, they narrowly missed crashing into a grey Daihatsu Hijet van that had just turned left in order to enter the alleyway. The driver of the van honked, given that he was upset about Shuwawei driving so dangerous.
Still, it was a relief for Shuwawei and Marduk as they were driving in the alleyway. The Korean beauty let out a sigh of relief. "Woah…that was close!" she exclaimed out of relief.
Marduk whistled in amazement. "I gotta hand it to ya, la…I mean Shuwawei. You really got some skills in driving through narrow alleyways!" the Australian man complimented her.
Hearing this made Shuwawei giggle a little. "Well, I'm experienced in driving motorcycles and scooters, yes. But not necessarily through narrow alleyways. I mean, I've never done that back in Seoul before" the Taekwondo master remarked, looking in the mirror to see whether they were still being chased. So far, the Daihatsu van was still behind them. "Well, it looks like we've lost our pursuers" she expressed her relief.
"Finally! I was wondering whether we would be stuck with them for the entire day. Good thing that we're on a scooter which makes it easier for us to…." Marduk was interrupted by the sound of an explosion coming from behind. It caused both him and Shuwawei to snap in fear.
Shuwawei looked in the mirror while Marduk looked over his shoulder to see what had happened. They were horrified to see that the Daihatsu van had exploded, thus killing the driver inside. However, it was more shocking about who was responsible for this. A black Mustang GT soon drove through the narrow alleyway, thus swapping away the wreckage of the Daihatsu. And hanging out from one of the car's windows was Dragunov with a missile launcher in his hands. He smirked with what he had done.
"Oh my God…...he just blew that van to bits…such cruelty…." Shuwawei noted as she could see the Mustang GT starting to run, hoping to clear the alleyway of the wreckage. In response, Shuwawei sped up, wanting to get out of this alleyway as quick as possible.
"Those rotten bastards! Why are they so hellbent on getting us!?" Marduk couldn't believe in what he was seeing.
Shuwawei didn't have time to answer him, given that she was trying to steer the scooter while avoiding hitting objects. They turned around a corner and passed by a kindergarten before arriving at the end of the alleyway. While there was another one across the main road, Shuwawei had decided to taka different route. So, she turned left and drove on the main road.
"We'll use a different tactic this time. Amor King and the others will first assume that since we're on a scooter, we use the narrow alleyways to escape from them. That's why we will fool them into believing that we have done that" the Korean woman informed Marduk.
The Vale Tudo fighter had to admit he was unsure about this, yet a part of him had confidence in Shuwawei and her driving skills. Therefore, he would put his trust in her.
"Fair enough. Let's just lose those stalkers before we can find Master Beak and King, wherever they may be" the Australian man spoke up.
Shuwawei had to giggle in what she heard him say. "You mean Master Baek. Quite a mispronunciation you just uttered, Craig Marduk" she remarked in amusement, much to the grumbling of her passenger. However, the Taekwondo master soon decided to get tough with Marduk once again. "However, once we're safe, I demand an explanation of this supposed murder you committed in the past. And this time, you're gonna be honest" she firmly told him.
Marduk felt shivers running down his spine when Shuwawei told him that. However, he also realized that she was right. Marduk had not been forthcoming when it came to his past crimes. As much as it pained him to dig it up, the Australian man knew that people would judge him for his past misguided actions. He had his flaws, and one of them had resulted in someone being killed.
"Yeah, I know. And I promise…...I'll tell you everything. As a matter of fact, I could tell you now, if you want to, that is" Marduk informed Shuwawei, who was surprised to hear this.
Along Kamo River, Kyoto, Japan
Master Raven and Raven had led the fighters through the sewers until they reached Kamo River. They had walked alongside it until they were at Yoshidakawaharacho. It was there where Violet System's HQ was located at. On the way up, the group had made sure they were not being followed by either members of the Resistance or other foes. So far, there were none to be seen. They got up to street level.
"Well, we're almost there! Just a little further" Lei informed the fighters as he helped lead them.
Master Raven directed her serious gaze upon the detective. "From now on, you're not to go outside without supervision. But remember, Interpol has not hired us to be your babysitter" the female ninja pointed out to him.
Lei groaned with annoyance. "Alright. I get it. You don't have to be so pushy towards me. Like I said, I didn't expect Bryan Fury, Feng Wei or even Sergei Dragunov to come for my hide!" the Chinese man hit back.
"You sure you saw him?" Raven asked Lei. "I find it hard to believe that one of Spetsnaz's top officers would be willing to cooperate with others in order to achieve his goals. From what we know, the Russian government has no interest in backing a side in this ongoing global war" the man with sunglasses continued, recalling from what he had read about Dragunov in the files.
Lei couldn't help but to notice something. "Say, the way you speak of him…..it makes me wonder whether you and Dragunov share a history together.
Raven grunted in response. "It's none of your damn business" he replied in a rude manner. From what Lei could tell, the agent seemed to hold a grudge against Dragunov. But for what reason? Raven wanted to change the subject as quick as possible. "Anyway. If there are someone else besides the Zaibatsu that wish to capture Jin, then we have to be more careful from now on. At this rate, we'll be left with few friends to trust" he then told everyone.
Xiaoyu's eyes widened in surprise with what she heard. "Wait! Are you saying that Jin is…with you guys?" the Chinese girl let her curiosity get the best of her.
Master Raven looked at her and nodded. "Correct. However, he is not in a normal condition. As of now, Jin Kazama has been in a coma for a long time, slowly recuperating from his disastrous battle against that creature called Angel. We don't know when he will awake" she told Xiaoyu, yet her eyes remained principled and serious as she was known to have. She could see that Hwoarang and Asuka were also paying attention and from the looks of it, they seemed gleeful over being able to get to fight Jin. Master Raven sighed. "It's no use feeling optimistic about this, children. As I just said, Jin Kazama has been in a coma for a long time. Therefore, you can just forget about getting a match with him" she reprimanded them.
Neither Hwoarang and Asuka took her words kindly. "Geez, you don't have to be such a party-pooper. I was only looking forward to see Jin again" the Korean man pointed out, the young man deciding to look into another direction in order to converse with the agent.
"I've got a bone to pick with him, given that he has tarnished the Kazama clan's reputation! No way some coma is gonna stop me from coming at him!" Asuka expressed her desire to punch Jin for what he had done to the world.
Xiaoyu couldn't stand hearing the words from Asuka. So she turned around and directly faced the Japanese girl. "How the hell can you say such things!? Wanting to fight someone who's in a coma!? Do you even realize how delusional you sound right now!?" she didn't hold back in roasting Asuka.
But Asuka stood her ground. "You're the one who's delusional here! I'm not the one falling for a mass murderer!" Asuka rebuked the Chinese girl, who only got furious.
"Hey look! I see someone over there!" Bob called out as he pointed his finger to the tall skyscraper not far from the group's location.
Julia adjusted her glasses in order to get a better view. The young brunette smiled in relief. "Ah! We're finally there! That's Violet System's HQ!" she exclaimed happily.
Michelle also got to see three people standing outside the HQ's entrance. The Native American woman immediately recognized one of them. "I see three people standing there! That white-haired man dressed in those fancy clothes must be Lee Chaolan!" she remarked, recalling knowing that man from the first tournaments.
Lili couldn't help but to smile. "Then I suppose we best get over there and greet ourselves. It appears that they have been expecting us" the rich girl suggested to her friends and none of them had any objections.
And so, the group headed towards the entrance of the skyscraper. When they arrived, they were received warmly by Lee. He was more than happy to welcome them.
"Welcome to Violet Systems, my friends! I trust that the journey to Kyoto went smoothly" Lee welcomed them before turning his attention to both Lei and the two agents. "I must say, this is quite a group you have gathered here. Is there any reason why?" he questioned them smugly.
While none of the agents responded, Lei only crossed his arms while looking away. "Tch, showoff" the detective muttered beneath his breath.
Both Julia and Michelle approached Lee, with Julia feeling so delighted to see the business tycoon once again. "Mr. Lee! It's so great to see you!" Julia expressed her happiness.
Lee nodded his head as a yes in return. "Likewise, Mrs. Julia Chang. So glad that you could come visit. I haven't seen you since the previous tournament" he remarked before taking notice of the middle-aged woman standing beside Julia. This made Lee puzzled. "Wait…do I know you from somewhere, madam?" he gently asked Michelle.
Michelle had to giggle in seeing Lee's gentleman-like persona come to light. "I see that you haven't changed much since the last time we saw each other, Lee Chaolan. Still the same charming womanizer as you've always been" she remarked.
Hearing that voice suddenly made Lee realize who that woman was. "Why, of course! You're Mrs. Michelle Chang! What a surprise in seeing you here! Goodness, how long as it been since the last time I saw you?" he said while reaching out a hand towards Michelle. She gladly took it and so they shook hands. "I can barely remember our last meeting, but I believe it must've been during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2" he then recalled back some fond memories.
"Yes. It has been a long time, indeed. I've been stuck in Arizona in order to focus on important matters related to our tribe" Michelle answered before facing Julia. "But I do understand that you have in the past supported Julia's research financially. That must be why she is positive towards you" she then remarked.
This made Lee realize something. "Now that reminds me, are you feeling okay, Julia? That mission to took on my behalf was a risky one. I will admit that I haven't been able to apologize for what I put you through when working for me undercover in the G Corporation" he recalled to what had happened with Julia during the previous tournament.
In response to this, the four-eyed girl only waved her hand whimsically. "No need to apologize, Mr. Lee. It was I who willingly wanted to infiltrate the G Corp in order to find out what they were planning doing. And luckily, I was saved by your friends" she said while addressing both Lars and Alisa. "It's good to see you once again, sir" she told the Swedish man.
"Likewise, Julia Chang" Lars replied.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyu was in a conversation with Alisa. They had met during the previous tournament, when Xiaoyu had wanted to find out Jin's location. Alisa could recall their previous encounter and she knew that the Chinese girl missed Jin. That's why the android felt it was only natural that Xiaoyu was told about Jin's location. But Alisa was surprised when Xiaoyu had already found out.
"So you know about our secret? Including the fact that we're shielding…" Alisa was interrupted by Xiaoyu speaking.
"No use in explaining the details, Alisa. Those two agents told us everything along the way. But I know that he's currently in a coma…" Xiaoyu spoke up, soon hanging her head in sadness.
Alisa expressed concern for her friend. "Xiaoyu…" she uttered out her name.
Suddenly, Lee was confronted by Hwoarang and Asuka. From what he could tell, they wanted something from him. Still, he faced them in a smug manner. "Is there bothering you, kids?" he kindly asked them.
Hwoarang got up to his face. "Don't give us that bullshit! Now spit it out! Is it true what the agents say? Are you harboring Jin Kazama!?" the Korean man spoke up.
But both Xiaoyu and Julia tried their best to shut Hwoarang up, both girls infuriated by how he could ask something like that out in the open….not to mention how loud he was.
"Damnit, Hwoarang! Can't you shut up for a second!?" Xiaoyu snapped at him.
"Yeah! We can't risk getting ourselves compromised!" Julia joined in on berating the Taekwondo fighter.
Lars, realizing how potentially dangerous it was to be standing outside, encouraged everyone to follow him. "All of you come inside with us. We can't stay out here for much longer" he told them and they all obeyed without any objections.
The group soon found themselves in the lobby and Lei quickly took a seat on one of the many couches. He let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling himself exhausted.
"Whoa…..you DO get tired after being on the run from pursuers" the detective noted, soon being joined by Bob, Steve and Ganryu. He started conversing with Steve. "So, did you find anything interesting while in the tournament?" he asked the British boxer.
Steve couldn't help but to remember the encounter he had been having with his birth mother. Thinking about it made things awkward for him. While he couldn't bring himself to lie, Steve felt like his personal issues were something he would have to keep to himself.
"No. Nothing to report. Except for almost getting killed by that bastard Heihachi's schemes" he informed Lei.
"Yeah, I heard rumors about what he had the Tekken Force do in order to call off the tournament. He was trying to have you killed in the hotel you were staying at" Lei spoke up, unable to believe such things. "I swear, that old man keeps getting more delusional than ever. Hard to believe that the entire world is hero-worshipping him now" the detective then remarked.
Steve nodded his head at him. "Agreed. I see how messed up that is" the British man said.
Meanwhile, the two agents were being filled on the new "recruits" Lee and Lars had taken in. The business tycoon was more than happy to explain who they were. Xiaoyu and the others were listening to this conversation as well.
"So she came? You actually managed to sway that former Tekken Force member to your side?" Master Raven asked Lars.
"Correct. You and I both know that Josie Rizal didn't deserve to be betrayed by Heihachi like that. Rest assured, she will be a valuable asset to Yggdrasil. But I will admit that she comes across as a clumsy girl sometimes" Lars answered while voicing his opinion of Joise.
Raven had his arms crossed as he listened to Lars' intel. "And who was she with?" he asked both Lars and Lee.
This time, Alisa stepped forward to answer. "Based upon what she told us, this man was not necessarily accompanying her. But he was an acquaintance" the pinkette told them. "His name is Miguel Caballero Rojo. And he came from Spain based upon what he told us" Alisa continued.
When Xiaoyu heard that name, she snapped. "Hold on a second! Did you say…...Miguel?" she asked Alisa, who weakly nodded her head in reply. "Was he a tall guy with messy, brown hair and spoke with a rude language?" the Chinese girl then asked her.
Lee had to chuckle in what he was hearing. "Goodness. It would appear that you seem to know his individual well. Have you fallen for his looks, perhaps?" he teasingly questioned Xioayu.
"No way! You're taking this way out of context!" Xiaoyu spoke up before facing Ganryu, who was surprised by this look he was given. "You there! You know who I'm talking about, right? You fought alongside him!" the Chinese girl snapped at him.
The Sumo wrestler was confused by Xiaoyu's behavior. "What are you getting so worked up for?" he wondered while raising one of his robust eyebrows.
Hwoarang seemed to recall who Xiaoyu was speaking about. "Come to think of it, I know that Spanish dude as well. From what I can remember, he seems to consider Jin Kazama as his rival or something. But I'm not sure about whether they've even met" the Korean man spoke up.
Lee faced Alisa and Lars. "I take it both Josie and Miguel are at my quarters, correct?" he asked them.
"Yes. They both said they would rest a little. We should go and see how they are doing" Lars suggested and his friends agreed.
Inside a room in Violet System's medical facility
Inside a medical facilitation room high in the skyscraper, Jin Kazama laid there in a coma. While he was breathing, the Japanese man had not awoken, let alone move a muscle. How long he would have to stay in this condition, remained unanswered so far. Not even Violet System's medics could predict such. Therefore, Jin would wake up whenever he would. Everything around him was silent, except for the machines that kept making beeping noises.
However, Jin would unexpectedly by visited by someone whom he had taken away from. It was a man, who had, since the death of his sister and future brother-in-law, been pursuing Jin for vengeance. This man would not rest until he watched the Kazama die.
It was Miguel. While Josie, Lee, Lars and Alisa had been busy figuring out their own, Miguel had secretcly been snooping around in order to find clues about where Jin was behind held. And given that nobody was guarding the medical facilitation room, the Spaniard got easy access to it. However, many emotions invaded his head once he got a look at the man he hated.
So far, Miguel had only stood still by the hospital bed, watching Jin Kazama lying there in a coma. The very sight of him filled Miguel with rage and hatred.
"Malditos bastardos…they WERE hiding you! And the entire world doesn't even know this!" Miguel spoke up, scowling as he continued to watch Jin, speaking to him as he could hear Miguel. He fists clenched tightly. "You took everything from me that day! My brother-in-law….and worst all….my light in the darkness: my younger sister!" the Spaniard continued expressing his bitter rage towards the unconscious man.
Slowly, he took steps towards the bed, one by one. Right now, a thirst for vengeance had taken over Miguel's mind. All those desires to see Jin die…was finally becoming a reality. And now, the aggressive Spaniard would not be denied his right to avenge his sister.
"For all the hell you put me through! Bombing the church where my sister's wedding took place…I will make sure that you are put out of your misery as if you're nothing!" Miguel couldn't control himself. He put his left hand behind Jin's neck, making sure that he was having a good aim. Miguel's other hand clenched tightly. He was now planning on punching a hole on Jin's face, no matter how brutal it was. "An opportunity like this will never present itself again! So I'm going to end this, here and now!" the angry thoughts dominated Miguel's mind.
As he was ready to deliver the blow, Miguel couldn't help but to stare at Jin's face. This only fueled the rage burning inside him. At this rate, Miguel didn't care whether his hated enemy was in a coma or not. All that he desired was revenge. Nothing else could possibly sway him. Until…
"I also want to kill him" a soft-spoken voice interrupted Miguel. He looked to his left and saw several people standing there. It was Lars, Alisa, Lee, Asuka, Xiaoyu, Lili, Hwoarang, Steve and Josie. Somehow, they had all appeared behind Miguel while he had been busy receiving these angry feelings. Apparently, Lars had been the one to speak up.
Miguel still stood as if he was preparing to kill Jin, yet he was furious with what he was seeing. "What do you folladores want? Leave me alone" he calmly, yet angrily told them.
Xiaoyu, who despite being upset with what she was seeing, remained surprisingly calm when seeing the Spaniard being on the verge of killing her crush. "We're not going anywhere as long as you're in this room!" the Chinese girl hit responded firmly.
"Yeah! You think I'll let you kill the man I wanna have a rematch with!? Get real!" Hwoarang spoke up, the Korean man also not being willing to let Miguel do as he pleases.
Lili couldn't help but to feel a little sorry for Jin, despite how much she disliked him. "While I do have zero love for that man and his family, I must say that killing a man while he's in a coma is a very disgraceful thing to do" the rich girl pointed out to him.
But Miguel was having enough. "Vete a la mierda! Don't speak as if you know about me or my pain!" the Spaniard cursed, still not letting go of Jin. But as he was getting angrier, some small streams of tears could be seen running from his narrowed eyes. "You have no idea of what Jin Kazama did to ruin my life! During my sister's wedding…...the Tekken Force launched an air raid across Spain. And one of their many victims during that campaign…...was my sister! She was bombed in the church as if she was nothing! That's why I swore to myself: I would not rest until this bastardo lied six feet under the ground!" Miguel started expressing his shattered heart.
The fighters standing before him were somewhat horrified by what they were hearing. Even Alisa was growing concerned for Miguel giving into this rage. But then again, she knew this was all part of being a human. However, Lars and Lee seemed to be the only one who remained calm in face of this ranting.
"Like I said earlier, I also want to kill Jin. Having previously served in the Tekken Force, I have witnessed the countless loss of innocent human lives. But Jin is the key to ending this global war. That's why we need him alive….for now" Lars explained to him.
But Miguel was not swayed by such words. "Mentiras! You're no better than the Mishima Zaibatsu! How the fuck do you suppose that this bastardo can put an end to this war!? He is not worth shit! As is his family! They're all a bunch of heartless fuckers!" the Spaniard didn't hold back his rage.
"I will agree that the plan sounds unrealistic" Lee spoke up, still acting gentle towards Miguel. "But we can assure you that we are not choosing to keep Jin alive because of pity. We do recognize all the crimes he has committed. They are difficult for forgive. But for the sake of this world…..Jin must be kept alive so that he himself can end it. Please understand this, sir" Lee tried to ease the pain within Miguel.
"Then you're all just a pathetic bunch of cowards! By doing this, you're all choosing to spit upon the graves of this war's victims, including that of my sister!" Miguel hit back, once again turning his attention to the unconscious man lying on the bed. "If none of you wants justice, then I will do it myself! I don't need anyone's help in telling me what's right!" he declared while clenching his right hand.
Still, none of the fighters made a move to stop Jin. Lars however, stepped forward. This time, he wanted to get more serious with Miguel. He was no psychologist, but Lars had to convince Miguel to fight back his rage.
"The let me ask you this, Miguel Caballero Rojo. If you kill Jin now, do you really think this will bring your sister back? Deep down, you know that it won't. You must overcome your anger and see what's most important" Lars spoke up, his eyes never leaving sight of Miguel. "I may not have known your sister, but I believe that she would be horrified if she found out about you becoming a killer. Is that what you wish to become? Do you want to be remembered as just another killer? Another Jin Kazama?" the Swedish man got more direct when asking those questions.
But Miguel couldn't take it anymore. Yelling out in anger, he moved his right fist towards Jin's face. Everyone was shocked, wondering what was even happening. After a few moments of silence, Lars, Xiaoyu and the others realized that Miguel had not done it. His fist had punched a hole in the pillow instead of Jin's face. But it was close! What had happened? Had Miguel missed his punch?
The aggressive Spaniard continued facing the man he hated uttermost as he slowly pulled his fist out of the hole in the pillow. Miguel continued to look at Jin, still bearing nothing but hatred towards him. The others couldn't help but to imagine what he was thinking as he looked at Jin.
"I will make you pay someday…but not like this. No…...you haven't suffered enough to deserve death! You're not even worth my time at this point! The only thing you're worth is nothing but shit! So, I'll wait until you are at the happiest in your life! Then I will skullfuck you and throw your ass down a ravine!" Miguel still spoke to Jin as if he could hear him. But those harsh words didn't last long. He soon began turning his attention towards the group of fighters. Miguel was still angry and resentful. He specifically faced Lars. "You want this this fucker so much? Fine, you can keep him! But you can count me out of this meaningless resistance movement of yours! I don't wanna waste my time fighting for lost causes or bullshit values! And mark my words. Should Jin Kazama ever again kill more innocents…then it will be his last motherfucking day standing, I promise you that! So don't try to make me stay here in this fucked-up building! I'm my own boss, so nobody controls me! And do yourselves a favor and stay away from me!" he yelled and angrily exited the room.
Josie, who couldn't help but to want and console him, was held back by Lee. The Filipina looked at him and Lee was seen shocking his head at her.
"Just let him go, madam. He has openly stated that he wants nothing to do with us. All that we can do is to respect his decision. It appears that Miguel has done what he came here for. What he does next….is up to him now" Lee explained to Josie.
To be continued…
