Today was the big day, Lee was very nervous as he went to the G Corp's laboratories. Their most important research, the one they had been working on for ten years and the one he'd bought the corporation for not long ago, would awaken today… Maybe…
Lee got out of the limousine and entered the corporation. Genetic research wasn't his passion but he knew it had a big future ahead and again only for that experiment, was he willing to read and try to understand every report about it. It was worth it. For scientific research but mostly for his personal reasons.
Since the time when Heihachi had beaten him and Kazuya and punished them by killing Kazuya and exiling him, Lee had felt alone and missed his brother. But once he got back on his feet, he had wanted to know what happened to Kazuya. Even though he himself didn't really believe in funeral rites, if some remains still existed, Lee wanted to take them to maybe bury them in Jun's presence. If so, he would then have had to contact her again - he hadn't dared to go back to Japan and hadn't kept in contact with her so as not to endanger her. He did also feel he ought to bury them out of respect for Kazuya who may wish to be laid to rest alongside his mother and grandfather, or at least somewhere other than where he had been killed. Heihachi would not get the satisfaction of leaving his son's body alone and treated like nothing. Lee somehow felt he had to do it. He had to take Kazuya out of there and maybe bring him near his mother and grandfather… So as soon as he could and had the means to do so, he sent people to recover the remains.
Yet he was very surprised when he learned that apparently, not long after Heihachi had thrown Kazuya into the volcano, some scientists from some corporation had retrieved the body… and it wasn't the Mishima Zaibatsu for some devil gene research or something… After some investigation, Lee found out that the corporation who did that, G Corporation, had taken Kazuya's remains to their branch in the United States. Once he got enough money, Lee bought that company to find out what happened to Kazuya. He discovered they were studying his devil gene and were trying to revive him. And now after all those years, they may be able to do it…
Lee took the elevator to go to the floor where the resurrection would happen. He reached the room as the scientists respectfully let him enter and went straight to the glass tank where the body of his brother was floating. He looked at Kazuya and still was amazed at all that those scientists could do… Apart from many scars, Kazuya looked like he did years before… Now they would have to see if they could really bring him back entirely…
"You can begin Operation Magic of the Unicorn."
The first thing Kazuya felt was airy, light, like he was drifting through the air. His thoughts and memories were muddled and moved murkily through distant remembrances. He saw white robes shifting about a garden and he tried to catch at the hem with his fingertips. He saw amber shining liquid in a crystal glass that winked in his hand. He saw the curl of silken smoke turning away in the air. His confused senses were abruptly reeled to somewhere more material. He tried to bring a hand to his chest. There was something in his throat. He tried to wretch it up, but it was firmly lodged there. His limbs were sluggish and slow to respond. He blinked open his eyes with difficulty. Everything was heavy with pressure. Water. He could only dimly see lights moving as spherical blobs. His heart was pounding as he tried to understand what was going on. He again reached for his face and found some kind of mask there, stopping him from dislodging a pipe that was in his throat. He thrashed in the water. His fist met a transparent wall. He pounded it, trying to escape his prison.
Lee watched in amazement as his brother began to move. He hoped it was really Kazuya and not that monster devil though... What if the alien form was the only one that could be awakened?
But then Kazuya seemed to be in a state of panic. The show of emotion made Lee think it probably really was Kazuya and not Devil, even though Devil may also panic but it looked too human, too much like Kazuya. Lee wondered how he could calm his brother. He touched the warm glass tank, trying to reach his brother by being closer and called to him: "Kazuya, calm down! Everything is excellent! You're safe now!"
He quickly turned toward the scientists and asked: "Can he already come out of there?"
The scientist Lee had spoken to surveyed a handheld screen with Kazuya's vitals on it. He didn't seem very concerned by Kazuya's behaviour.
"Possibly," the scientist said to Lee. "It's hardly advisable at this stage, as the body still needs much stimulation, but theoretically we could take the subject out of the tank at least for a bit. It could even be helpful to confirm some tests, but the subject may become erratic and violent. It might not be worth the effort when we can monitor progress fine from here."
"I think the subject is already erratic! He is in a panic! But you said it's not dangerous for him? Since he needs stimulation? If not, then get him out for a moment..."
Lee was himself in a quite troubled mood now, both at being happy for seeing his brother alive and being worried for him, and he didn't really like the detached way the scientist seemed to be. He didn't seem to care about Kazuya's feelings very much... He should have corrected him on the subject thing but he was too worried at the moment it was said but now he should, so he added:
"And may I remind you, that subject is my brother. He will certainly feel better once he meets someone he knows. So unless it is very bad for him, get him out of there."
The scientist looked troubled and a little irritated by what he thought was a lot of undesirable drama and emotion in the laboratory, but he didn't dare say anything to defy the CEO. Instead he nodded curtly and gestured for Kazuya to be removed from the tank.
Kazuya was still thrashing wildly in his watery prison. He did hear some reverberations coming through the walls, and saw some darker shapes on the other side, but nothing he could understand or make out.
A machine reached in a metallic arm to lift him out, but all Kazuya felt was something cold suddenly touching him. He whirled around in the water and grabbed the metal arm. He clenched it in his hands and twisted it until it bent and buckled and stopped moving.
The scientist gave a tut of frustration. He motioned for the tank instead to be drained.
Kazuya felt the water around him lowering. His toes touched the floor and he found he couldn't support his weight. He dropped to his knees as the water finally gurgled away, and immediately began scrabbling to get the mask off his face. He tore it off and then began pulling the long pipe out of his throat. He nearly gagged as he did. Once it was out, he threw it away from him. He fell forward on his hands in the empty tank, gasping in his first breaths with difficulty.
When Kazuya reacted so brutally, Lee recognised his brother but he also calculated how much that metal arm would cost him. But the most important thing now was Kazuya: What will they do if they can't get him out? Oh, excellent... They drain the water...
Lee was then slightly horrified to find that Kazuya couldn't stand on his own but it did make sense... yet he was once more appalled to see him taking away the long pipe from his throat. Won't he hurt himself like this? He then told the scientist:
"Prepare to observe him. See if he is alright and give him some care..."
Lee then jumped, climbed over the tank rim, and leapt down inside where he landed near Kazuya, careful not to hurt him. He tried to grab him and help him get up.
"Kaz! Are you okay? Don't worry, everything will be fine..."
Kazuya had been kneeling, just trying to understand what was going on. There were panicked flitting memories of pain and the smell of brimstone. The slow thoughts happening in his head were reverting down their oldest paths of self-preservation. He had to assume that, wherever he was, he was back under Heihachi's control. His current helpless position made him afraid, and when he was afraid he was angry and violent. He felt so weak though. His limbs didn't move too well on their own, and he didn't understand what was happening.
He turned his head when he heard a familiar voice. Chaolan? His brother was here. He still couldn't see too well, but he looked around him, trying to understand where Lee was. He reached out a shaky hand but only came upon the hard wall of the tank.
"Ch...chaolan?" his voice sounded croaked, like it hadn't been used in a long time. "Where are you...? I can't see you..."
When he felt someone touch him, he jerked away. Then he heard Lee's voice closer. He blinked again and a bit more was visible. He could see the outline of a face and silver hair. He reached out a hand to touch Lee's cheek.
"Chaolan?" he asked.
The scientist observed Lee's actions in surprise for a moment, before quickly unlocking the tank door. The seal around its edge depressurised and the curved glass door swung open.
Lee realised that Kazuya could not see very well and the tone in his voice was distressed... When Kazuya touched his face, Lee started crying in happiness for seeing his brother again and in sadness for seeing him so weak and distressed...
"Yes, it's me... You're safe now..." He hugged him even more. He remembered they had not parted in the best of circumstances but now they were together... All of this was behind now...
Kazuya calmed as his fingers touched Lee's face. He frowned though when he felt teardrops against his fingertips. He was very relieved by Lee's hug. No one else would dare, so it had to really be him. And Lee was hugging him... so maybe he wasn't angry with him. He couldn't recall too well how well things had been when they last talked, but usually there was some trouble between them. It seemed he was forgiven at least at the present. He feared to show affection back, even though he did want to cling to something very much just then. With his eyes not fully adjusted, he wasn't sure who else might be here.
"H...Heihachi...?" Kazuya asked. Speaking hurt, but he hoped Lee would understand his fears.
Lee kept holding Kazuya and said: "Heihachi is not here. We are safe... He doesn't know where we are. We are in the United States, far from him..."
Kazuya posture sagged with relief. He found Lee's shoulder and bowed his forehead against it. It was darker like this and gave his eyes some respite from the bright light. He reached a hand to Lee's upper arm and clutched at it. He felt more grounded. He realised he was wet all over with water and soaking through Lee's clothes, but he stayed close and closed his eyes and tried to breathe more calmly. Now that his first fear was over, more logical fears were arising.
"Is... something wrong with me?" He couldn't quite sort recent events out in his mind, and everything was a jumble of random recollections. From the way Lee was holding him and the loss of feeling in his legs and the sound of his own voice, maybe he had been injured and was in hospital. "I feel different."
Lee didn't really know how to answer back without scaring Kazuya. He then told him in a soft voice while still holding him close: "You are on the road to recovery, you already made giant steps from how you were before... You'll only get better now." He then added after some hesitation, "You'll probably need some re-adaptation. I have a medical team here for you." Still hesitating he added, "Heihachi beat you at the tournament... but now you are safe. I won't let him hurt you again."
Kazuya felt cold. Heihachi had beaten him. He wondered if all of him was even still here. What if he had lost his legs, or some other part of him, or his memories? What if Heihachi had taken his martial arts from him? What if-? The smell of sulphur turned thick and rotten in his confused senses. He felt the swing and guttural whirr of the helicopter all around him, while the wind howled in through the open doorway. He could taste fear in his mouth, all iron and bitter, or maybe that was his blood. He saw the churn of sliding lava below him, so bright it hurt his eyes. And then he remembered how he fell.
He held on to Lee and his bare shoulders shook.
"Am... am I dead?"
Noticing how Kazuya didn't seem too reassured, Lee thought he wouldn't add more for now, so he said, "No, you are alive, you just need to re-adapt. You have been inactive for a very long time... But again, you've made a lot of progress. You'll be able to keep up and get in shape, I know you. I'll help you get out of this tank first, then you'll be observed by medics. I'll stay with you, Kaz."
Kazuya hated how weak he felt. He knew it must be bad from the way Lee sounded so protective. His mind worked its way through Lee's words, processing that Lee had said he'd been inactive for a very long time. He bit back asking how long. He needed to pull himself together, take stock of the situation.
"Alright..." he said quietly.
He lifted his head from where it was laid against Lee and blinked again. Things were coming into focus. He could see Lee,... he was older. His eyes looked wiser. Kazuya didn't know what to make of that. He felt afraid again. Just how much had he missed? He'd already shown too much weakness though, so he needed to focus on smaller things that mattered. Like standing up.
"Help me stand." He hated that he needed to ask for help even for something so simple. But he could regain his strength. This humiliation was only for a little while. No matter what had happened and what had passed, he had survived, and that meant he could weather any problem, no matter how bad. It couldn't be as bad as last time. For starters, Lee was here. He wouldn't have to do this alone again.
"Yes, try to stand while I help you. Then as I take you out of here, try to walk with me. Can you move your legs just a bit or not at all?"
Lee still wondered how much he should say right now, but the most important was to take him out of the tank and let him be observed to see if he was in good enough shape to be on his own for now...
Kazuya tried to put weight on his legs and glared at them when they were reluctant to respond. He ground his teeth, then looped an arm over Lee's shoulders and leaned heavily on him as he tried to stand. His body shook with the effort and he could see his legs trembling. His lip twitched irritably, but with Lee's help he managed to stand. He could see he was in some glass tank now, and that they were not alone but surrounded by a room full of people in lab coats. Shame burned through him, but he ignored it and instead looked at the open tank door in front of him. A distance of one step had never looked so far before. He stood still and breathed heavily, trying to will himself to keep standing and take a step.
Seeing that Kazuya was ready to try to walk Lee held him as they would begin to walk to the door. He had to help Kazuya get to the bed that was a bit further away.
"You're not used to walking, but it will come back fast... You want my coat first so you don't get cold?"
Lee had noticed Kazuya blushing and he should have offered his coat before but everyone had already seen him...
"No," Kazuya said, and held his head higher.
He lifted a foot with difficulty and took a step forward, still giving Lee most of his weight. He had to pause after he'd taken one step, and was breathing hard. Then he took another, out of the tank and into the lab. Kazuya's eyes fixed on the bed, and his world just became about making those small steps with Lee and getting to that spot.
Lee whispered a small "Excellent" when Kazuya took a step. He knew his brother was still very weak but the will was there again... So he kept helping him until they reached the bed, where Lee helped Kazuya sit down.
He then looked at Kazuya and said, "Did I tell you how happy I am to see you again?" He then turned serious and said, "Now Kaz, how do you feel?" Some medic came near, waiting to start some tests on Kazuya. Lee came beside Kazuya and told him, "They will take some tests to see your state..."
It was the first time Kazuya had felt glad when he heard that annoying word 'excellent'. By the time he sat down heavily on the bed, Kazuya was exhausted and felt like he could sleep for a week. He didn't want to show how much that had worn him out though, so fixed his eyes only on Lee and ignored the medics coming close. He didn't care what they did to him as long as he was allowed to rest soon and as long as Lee stayed nearby.
Kazuya didn't answer when Lee said he was happy to see him, or when he asked how he was. He just kept his proud posture and aloof expression that he hoped didn't look too weary. He nodded at the medics, allowing them to come near.
"What is this place?" Kazuya asked Lee.
One medic came closer and took Kazuya's arm to take his blood pressure while another prepared some syringes to take blood samples.
Lee told Kazuya with a bit of pride: "It's G Corporation, a genetic research facility that I bought some time ago."
Kazuya stiffened when the medic touched him, but he kept his eyes on Lee. It took him longer than he would have liked to concentrate on all Lee's words and understand them.
"That you... bought?" Kazuya didn't remember Lee ever being allowed to have so much personal spending money.
Lee smiled.
"Yes, that I bought. I am the proud CEO of both Violet Systems, an excellent robotic company that I founded, and this excellent genetic corporation that I bought not long ago."
So he was now the big CEO and not Kazuya... He didn't know how Kazuya would take this but Lee was really proud of his accomplishment, so he had to say it... Anyway Kazuya would know one day...
Kazuya's face registered confusion. He glanced around to see if the medics really looked like they were answering to Lee. How could this be true? He'd made his brother a secretary... There was no way he could gain all this so fast. He suddenly became wary.
"...How? Did Heihachi-...? Are you working for him again?"
Lee crossed his arms and frowned.
"Certainly not! That old man, forgive my expression, hurt both of us too much. I could never go back to him!"
Lee felt he was getting emotional thinking about what happened the day Heihachi killed Kazuya and exiled him. And the following days... How it had been hard... He will now think about better things, like how he succeeded... against Heihachi's wishes... He proudly said,
"I worked to build Violet Systems. I made it from nothing at all to the most excellent robotic company that's ever existed! And I bought G Corporation with my own money, made through Violet Systems... I owe nothing to our father. Well, not that."
Meanwhile, the scientist with the syringe took Kazuya's arm to take some blood and began applying some alcohol to where it would sting.
Kazuya studied Lee, trying to look for any deception. He couldn't detect any... Lee was good at lying, but not usually whilst he was getting emotional and he tended not to lie on the topic of Heihachi, at least not to him. Maybe he really had built all this...
Kazuya ignored the syringe in his arm and asked the question he'd been dreading. "How long has it been since I lost to him?"
Lee looked a bit sadly at Kazuya and said, "A long while. A very long while. He thinks you are dead."
Meanwhile the scientist was now taking a second sample of blood while the other was writing on a tablet.
Kazuya's eyebrows twitched. It was strange to think of Heihachi out there somewhere, not hellbent on controlling or destroying his life. He could have some reprieve now, but it wasn't much comfort, he would need every second of it. If he was found like this, Heihachi could just snap his neck and be done.
He was about to demand that Lee tell him how long exactly it had been, when his attention was drawn to the medics attending him. He watched as one touched a screen that seemed to be small enough to fit in his hand. He fell silent and watched. Now that he glanced around the laboratory, there were lots of things he didn't recognise, and not just because they were all technical equipment. Everything had a sleek, futuristic look. He did his best not to look too concerned or anxious, but his eyebrows twitched in a confused frown again.
Noticing Kazuya's confusion, Lee told him, "After these tests and maybe some rest, if you are in shape, we could then discuss everything that happened over a nice supper. But for now, just know that you are safe here. It's my company but Heihachi knows nothing about it. You have the time to relax and train again until you gain your strength back."
Kazuya wasn't sure how to take the news that Lee was a CEO. They'd always been rivals in everything, neck and neck, until Kazuya had got the upper hand two years ago... or what felt like two years ago. Now that he'd been gone for some time, Lee had somehow raced ahead and overtaken him. He was also glad though. If it was true that all of this was Lee's and that Heihachi didn't know, then maybe he could try and relax for a moment and get back his strength like Lee said. Maybe Lee could be the one looking out for them, just for a little while. He wasn't doing too well at hiding any of his feelings, and knew Lee was reading them all. He hoped he didn't look too jealous.
"See..." Kazuya made an effort to lightly punch Lee's arm, though the contact ended up being almost feather-light. "This is why I had to keep you below me. You're too good at rising to the top." His eyes began to drift shut and he leaned on Lee. "I think... I have to sleep for a little..."
Lee didn't think Kazuya's compliment would affect him so much but he felt tears come to his eyes at being recognised like this... Recognition was such a wonderful thing...
As Kazuya leaned on him, Lee took his brother in his arms and said: "Thank you..." Trying to not sound too emotive, he continued, "You... You want to sleep here or to your own room? I prepared you a nice bedroom..."
Kazuya wanted to say lots of things. He wanted to tease Lee over getting teary, and brush off that heartfelt thanks, and maybe make some joke about Lee's robots. The effort of walking from the tank, and the conversation, and trying to understand his situation had left Kazuya exhausted though. He listened to his brother's words and felt his arm around him, and felt safe enough to let go. He sagged in Lee's arms and fell unconscious.
"Okay... It seems it's here..." said Lee who was not able to not get emotional with everything that was now coming back, and what was now happening...
He held Kazuya but looked with some worry at a scientist. Maybe Kazuya was not just sleepy...
"Is he okay? He needs to stay here and sleep under our surveillance..."
Lee was a bit more embarrassed to look emotional while addressing that scientist but they were his employees and anyway, crying was normal...
"Hmm." The scientist from earlier came over and put a finger to Kazuya's pulse. "Nothing untoward, Mr Lee. He's just sleeping. Though he may sleep for some time. I'm surprised he was able to stay awake for as long as he did. It would be best if he stayed in this laboratory for surveillance. I should remind you though, sir, that the original project was not just to awaken Mr Mishima, but also to study him. Now that he has been revived, there is much that a live test subject could teach us that an inactive one could not."
"Okay thank you," said Lee, relieved as he put Kazuya more comfortably in the bed and put blankets over him. He then quickly wiped his eyes and said in a more normal tone, "Yes, Kazuya will stay here for now and we will study him. We need to get rid of that devil. Do you think he still has it? From what I understood with the report, he seems to still have it... but that was before. Did it awaken with him?"
The scientist looked back at his datapad.
"Well, part of the problem was that we were never too sure what this 'devil'-like power was. Mr Mishima always had genetic anomalies in his blood, and we've managed to synthesise enough of his blood that his body will produce its own strange concoction of natural blood soon enough. Then we can begin studying it and only then, I suppose, will we see if Mr Mishima's condition has followed him into his next life. Let's hope, for scientific discovery's sake, that it has."
Lee certainly didn't hope that that would be the case but it served nothing to argue with that scientist over hopes for now...
"Same for his Mishima powers? We will know only with tests? And you never were able to differentiate them, that is why there are all those genetic anomalies?"
"Well, sir, it's hard to run tests on dead subjects," the scientist said a little dryly. "All we've identified has come from samples of very old blood. And we have no idea what anomalies might cause what effect. If you had allowed us to acquire some of Mr Mishima Heihachi's blood to compare the subject's with, however,... But at any rate, now that Mr Mishima Kazuya is alive, his body will hopefully tell us what these genetic anomalies mean and we might be able to isolate and replicate what's going on inside him."
Lee was getting used to those socially clumsy scientists and didn't really care about their comments now that Kazuya was alive.
"Excellent. We will then see to this later. Now Kazuya must rest and get better. Thank you for the information."
Lee took a chair and pulled it up beside Kazuya's bed, then got his phone to see his emails. He also ordered an attendant to have a bed brought beside Kazuya's bed. After all those years, he had finally got his brother back and certainly didn't intend to leave him alone... Like when Kazuya allowed him to sleep beside him when they were young and he was scared, he would now stay beside his brother to help him and reassure him... It was his turn now...
Authors' Note: We wanted to write a short story exploring an alternate universe where Lee purchased G Corp early on.
You can also find our jointly published stories on Archive of Our Own under our usernames OneShotRevolt and ThalieXVII.