TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
ACT 2: The Thin Ice
Somewhere in the Torres Strait, southern Papua New Guinea
The night had descended upon this rainforest of the southern coast of Papua New Guinea. However, not everyone was asleep during the night. Out from the leaves of the rainforest emerged an agent, whose appearance and skills resembled that of a ninja. This was the agent codenamed Raven, whose appearance was noticeable due to the x-shaped scar across his face.
As he stood out in this open area, Raven was on his guard for anything. His sunglasses had night vision, thus making it easy for him take note of his surroundings. There were no enemies in sight, let alone animals. While Papua New Guinea's animals were relatively harmless to humans, the same could not be said for the likes of cassowaries and crocodiles. That's why Raven needed to be extra cautious when in the rainforest. The agent could hear the sounds of animal life in the background, but it didn't warrant his attention.
Realizing that he was alone, Raven activated his communication device in his ear.
"This is Raven. I'm already in position. What's the situation?" he conversed with his superiors back at HQ.
"There's been signs of illegal activities happening in the Torres Strait. Ships without authorization has been spotted sailing between Papa New Guinea and Australia. We have reason to suspect that some of these ships may be transporting weapons to the G Corporation. Your mission will be to investigate a camp near the Mai Kussa River, where one of those ships have docked. See what you can find there. We will be in touch as much as we can. But be careful, these areas are sparsely populated. Getting signal from here will be impossible. Still, we're confident you can handle it, Raven" the superiors back at HQ informed the agent.
"Understood. Commencing this mission. Raven out" he said before deactivating his communicator.
With that taken care of, Raven started moving through the rainforest. He even used the environment to his advantage, jumping from branch to branch and in order to avoid any obstacles from below. Raven moved through the rainforest like a wind as a result. As soon as he neared the large Mai Kussa River, Raven stopped moving.
He could see a haven of light amidst the darkness of the surrounding rainforest. But as he zoomed in with his sunglasses, Raven could spot the ship docked right beside the camp. It was astounding to see such a ship being docked in a remote location like this. Still, Raven could understand why.
"These rainforests are barley populated at all. That makes it perfect for illegal activities like this to commence undisturbed" Raven noted before jumping off the hill to land in the nearby bushes. He spied from his hideout. "The only question is who these people are. As far as I can tell, they don't look like soldiers of the G Corp, let alone the Tekken Force" he then realized as he started to move closer.
This camp had wooden walls all around it, probably made out of the trees in the surrounding rainforest. However, the camp looked even more modernized beyond them. A lone tower of steel gave light to everyone on the camp and there were tents and even small houses. A flagpole stood in the middle of the camp, and the flag showed everyone a picture of a white comet. Underneath it stood the name Kometa.
Raven, who had managed to crawl under the walls, hid himself in a bush near a couple of tents. He observed the operations taking place there, while at the same time studying the name on the crates.
"Kometa. This does not look good" Raven remarked as he zoomed in on the name by using the scanner on his sunglasses. He took notice of the men being forced to load the cargo upon the ship. "It also seems that they've captured some of the nearby villagers and forced them into doing such manual labor. Such cruelty" he spat, seeing what appeared to be Papuans in work.
The agent soon activated what appeared to be an x-ray vision, and he tried finding out what was in those tents he was near. What he saw terrified him. It was a couple of soldiers standing over a corpse, putting it in what appeared to be a capsule.
"Those bastards…they're not just transporting weapons…." Raven cursed, his rage being on full display, yet silently. "They're transporting dead people as well…but for what purpose!?" the agent couldn't fathom such depravity.
After discovering what those men were doing in these tents, Raven decided to watch his surroundings more carefully. The soldiers patrolling the campsite were armed with everything, both weapons and electric batons and to shields and armor. In a way, they almost looked as if they were riot police. But Raven knew that wasn't the case with these guys.
"If I'm ever gonna get a clue about their operations, I'll have to get onboard that ship. The only question is how" Raven summarized, yet he suddenly got an idea of how he could cause confusion in this camp.
Not far from his current standpoint stood a couple of gas barrels. Raven then looked at the tower in the middle. Despite his serious persona, a smirk crept upon the agent's lips.
"Hell yeah. While they deserve much worse, this will make a fitting punishment for what they've done" Raven concluded and moved over to the gas barrels.
Grabbing one of them, the agent cut a hole in it with one of his daggers, thus leaking fuel. But Raven was not done just yet. Putting it on the ground, he kicked the barrel with all his might so that it rolled onto the ground. It still leaked fuel, all the way until the barrel was at the foot of the tower.
With everything set, Raven held out a lighter and ignited the fuel line. It was quickly set on fire. A couple of patrolling soldiers had taken notice of the line of fire, but they were too late to stop it from reaching the leaking gas barrel.
Raven smirked at what was about to happen. "Party's over, guys. Hope it was worth it" he said and, in the minute, the gas barrel exploded.
For the soldiers stationed at the scout tower, they were caught of guard by the explosion as it gradually started to bend over. Everyone was confused, wondering whether they'd been attacked. The alarm went off and everyone was prepared to fight, since the scout was now broken.
"What the hell!? Who did this!?" one of the soldiers asked, holding onto his assault rifle.
"There are no signs of enemies outside in the rainforest!" another one who stood by the entrance called out.
"Bullshit! The tower just got blown off! Somebody was attacking us! But where are they!?" the distraught soldier asked, still feeling very uneasy.
While the soldiers and the workers were all confused as to whether they were under attack or not, somebody had used this confusion to his advantage. Raven climbed up the crane that was used to load the cargo onboard the ship. He jumped off it and landed straight on one of the many containers that was on the ship. Looking at the mess he caused, Raven felt satisfied.
"Hmph. You got what was coming to you" Raven said before proceeding to sneak onboard the ship.
So far, he knew was at the front of the deck. Perhaps he would find more information on the bridge. He would reach there in time, with enough stealth and agility.
"The bridge must contain important files that contains information about what kind of operations this "Kometa" is doing in the Torres Strait" the agent remarked, knowing that the ones steering this would possibly stash their belongings there.
Raven was about to run from one container to the next, only to dive down as there was a man firing guns at him from his left side. Tough Raven wasn't hit, the bullets barley missed him. He landed on the deck and looked to his right to see who was there.
"Aww, was that fall high enough for you? Must've been painful. At least ya dodged the bullets, though" the voice came from the Kometa executive Bryce Adams. He already had two of his handguns loaded. The man with the pink hair smirked as Raven's face met his. "Hi there, mate. Quite a ruckus you caused at the camp. And all for the sake of sneaking onboard my ship" he mockingly greeted Raven.
"Who are you!?" Raven asked, his voice bearing no hint of pleasantries.
Bryce scoffed at the agent's demand. "Ya got some balls barkin' questions at me when it should be the other way around" the Aussie man responded, forming a devious smirk with his pistols aimed at Raven. "Now then. Wanna tell me who you are in bed with? Spit out, if ya value your life" he threatened him.
No matter how twisted and dangerous this individual looked, it didn't intimidate Raven in the slightest.
"They call me Raven. The dark talon of death" the agent responded, even showcasing some of his moves.
In response, Bryce laughed his butt off. "Raven? What kind of bloody name is that?" he asked, mocking the agent's codename. "I tell ya what, bogan. Whoever baptized you must've been a Marvel Comics fan or something" Bryce continued with the ridicule.
Although his sunglasses didn't show it, Raven's eyes narrowed further. This only showed his calm rage, which was more than scary to intimidate any man. He was getting impatient of Bryce's arrogant persona.
"How about I prove my reputation through combat? Then again, you deserve much worse than that, Bryce Adams" Raven challenged him, even calling out the gunman by his name.
His eyes widened. "So you DO know my name?" Bryce was stammered, yet this surprised expression quickly turned into that of a delighted one. "That's sick, mate! Them higher-ups at the UN must've told you much" he remarked.
"How could I not have recognized one of the most twisted sociopaths on Interpol's most wanted list. We had assumed that you had gone into hiding. But now, this changes everything" Raven said, clenching his fists tightly. "You've been involved with illegal activities across the world through this Kometa, including the selling of dead bodies!" he didn't so much as hide his distaste of this individual.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now, now, there's a slight misconception to your accusation. You see, them bodies there aren't used for trading with cannibals or anything like that" Bryce pointed out before whistling.
Raven wondered why he did that, but was soon given the answer. Out of the container behind him, three strange humans emerged from it. The agent stood his guard, dodging their prowls by doing a backward flip. He was in for a surprise as he watched what kind of humans was standing before him.
"What in the…" Raven activated the scanner on his sunglasses.
These humans seemed tall and were adorned with robotic and metal components, especially on their heads. They also wore combat trousers and boots. Two of them carried additional weaponry, such as flamethrowers, blades and turret guns. Raven couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Impossible…these men…they're cyborgs…" Raven noted, his scanner picking up the biological genes inside them.
Bryce grinned at seeing Raven's reaction. "Quite a gnarly gang, wouldn't ya say? These are the Rippers! And boy do they live up to their names!" he told his enemy. "The good doctor was more than kind to help develop these troops for us. For Kometa, they've proved to be quite dependable…AT KILLING BUGGERS LIKE YOU!" Bryce continued while ordering these cyborgs to kill Raven.
These "Rippers" began moving towards Raven, with one of them aiming its turret gun at him. Sensing the danger, the agent vanished from the spot with his ninjutsu. Still, the other two chased after him, the one with the flamethrower sprouting out flames from its right arm.
Raven tried to use the containers on this ship to his advantage. But he also had to contend with Bryce, who had joined the Rippers in pursuing him too. The agent was caught by surprise when a Ripper with two blades as his arms almost succeeded in slicing him off. Luckily for Raven, his daggers were more than enough to take on the challenge.
"Damnit! Dead human bodies empowered by cybernetic enchantments!? There's only one man capable of pulling off something like that" he realized, ducking to avoid getting slashed.
With quick wits, Raven used his daggers to slice that Ripper's left blade off. But that didn't so much as malfunction it. The Ripper still tried attacking him. The one with the turret gun appeared behind Raven, yet he jumped so that he avoided getting shot. The one-armed Ripper took the bullets as a result.
"But Dr. Abel is dead. He was killed by Bryan Fury during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. Could it be that this is the work of another scientist?" Raven wondered, only to see Bryce emerging from above.
His pistols were aimed right below at the agent. "Have a taste of my lead, ya wanker!" Bryce yelled as he pulled the triggers repeatedly.
Raven ran on deck, avoiding the bullets. But he realized that Bryce and the rippers were not the only ones on the boat. Soldiers of Kometa were now showing themselves on deck. Still, they were too slow to chase after Raven, unlike Bryce and the Rippers.
Using his ninjutsu and skills, Raven dodged attacks, while retaliating at the same time. But he knew that no matter how good he was, he couldn't stay on the boat any longer. In his mind, he had gotten enough information about the activities happening in the Torres Strait.
While he was out of sight from his pursuers, Raven activated his communications device.
"This is Raven. I have discovered what the operations in the Torres Straight are all about. Requesting immediate transport!" he told those back at HQ.
"Affirmative. The jet is already heading towards your direction as we speak. But it will take some time before it's over the Mai Kussa River. Please hold out a little longer" the voice could be heard from the device.
"Understood. Raven out" the agent ended the communication.
As he stood out in hiding amongst the containers, Raven soon heard a clanking noise not too far from him. Looking behind, the agent quickly snapped when he realized it was a grenade lying there.
"Damn! He can't be serious about…" Raven didn't have the chance to be outraged, as the grenade explosion forced him to make a quick dive for it.
This explosion resulted in a fire being created on deck and it quickly spread across the ship. Raven got to a safe location and saw Bryce standing not far from him. He was tossing a grenade playfully.
"You're done hiding, eh? It's about time!" the gunman sarcastically remarked.
Raven scowled, growing weary of Bryce. "Do you really have a death wish or something?" he demanded an answer out of him.
"Not exactly. I'm just making sure you'll meet your end here. You've been a pest to this camp, almost like an emu causing ruckus at a farm in the outback" Bryce pointed out, putting the grenade away before pulling out a gun of his. "That said. I think it's time we say our goodbyes…...with a bullet in your head!" he suggested.
"Then why not fight me without your handguns?" Raven suggested, confusing Bryce. He stood in his fighting position. A cocky smirk crept at the agent's lips. "You heard me right. If you're as tough as Interpol's files say you are, why not come at me with all the strength you have? Or is the infamous Bryce Adams just a common grunt who relies on his puny guns?" he possessed enough guts to dare his foe.
As ticked off Bryce seemed, the gunman felt somewhat agreeable to Raven's challenge. He even put away his weapons, standing in fighting position. However, Bryce didn't seem to be a practitioner of any fighting style, relying upon brute strength.
"Fair dinkum! Can't wait till I punch off those sunglasses. A couple of bruises will go nicely alongside that scar of yours!" Bryce insulted the agent.
Being reminded about the scar touched Raven's nerve. Still, he kept his cool, daring his foe to come at him.
"Then what are we waiting for then? Combat me!" Raven challenged him.
Bryce responded by charging straight towards the agent. Raven remained motionless, already having a plan in motion. When the Australian gunman attempted to punch him with his muscular arms, Raven used his open position to his advantaged. He grabbed Bryce's shoulders and lifted himself up in the air. He then proceeded to jump and land behind his foe.
At first, Bryce was confused as to why he did that. But he was given an answer once he saw something stuck onto one of his holsters.
"Bloody hell…...YOU SON OF A….." what Bryce had been stuck with was a smoke grenade.
It went off quickly and Bryce was caught by it, forcing him to cough. He tried moving into a different location, but it was impossible doing so onboard a ship.
Amidst this, Raven used the predicament the gunman was in to run towards the edge of the ship. However, he still needed to contend with the nearby soldiers, as well as the Rippers. Using his impressive reflexes and skills, the agent dodged the bullets, while taking down anyone brave enough to stand in his way.
"These fiends really are persistent. Hopefully the jet will be near when I make it to the edge" Raven thought as he spotted the edge.
So far, he saw nobody there, not the jet nor any enemy soldiers. This both agitated and pacified Raven at the same time. When he stood on top of the gird, he made sure that he was facing towards his chasing enemies. Apparently, he felt confident in himself.
"Hmm, this will make a fine exit. And I know just what to do" Raven thought, seeing Bryce, soldiers and Rippers make a ring to surround him.
All guns and other weapons were aimed at the agent. Still, Raven didn't seem scared in the slightest of being at a gunpoint. Bryce grinned while holding two pistols.
"Not so smart now, eh!? There's nowhere left for you to run now! That's unless you wanna jump for it in the river. But it's way too high from up here I reckon!" Bryce exclaimed, feeling very anxious to pull the triggers.
Raven smirked, proceeding to make what appeared to be some hands seals, much to the surprise of his enemies.
"So if this is the end for me…I might as well resort to more drastic measures in taking you all out" Raven said.
Nobody could fathom what the agent was planning. But from the looks of it, Raven had a trick up his sleeves. Bryce and his subordinates lowered their aims a little.
"Rin! Pyoh! Toh! Sha! Jin! Kai! Retsu! Zai! Zen!" Raven chanted those words while performing some hand seals quickly.
But as he finished with "Zen", Raven jumped up high in the air, to the astonishment of those below him. But that was not all. Before everyone knew it, a jet large plane suddenly flew above the ship. There was a ladder hanging out for Raven to catch onto. This was the plane being requested by Raven to bring him to safety. Since it flew so fast, Raven was far away from the burning ship
Raven escaping infuriated Bryce to the fullest, and he even grabbed a nearby machine gun from a soldier, angrily trying to shoot down the plane. But it was futile. With them gone, the Australian man furiously threw the weapon away.
"DAMNIT ALL!" Bryce swore, as he punched down a nearby soldier out of rage. "We almost had that wanker, only to be fooled by some shitty-ass Naruto mumbo jumbo!" the gunman's aggression was scary enough for his subordinates to back away.
As Bryce kept throwing his tantrums, a soldier suddenly appeared on the ship. From the looks of it, he seemed to be in a hurry. When Bryce took notice of him, he ceased his aggression and decided to hear his reasons for coming here.
"Sir! The boss wishes to speak with you on the phone. She is already informed of this intrusion, so she wants you to fill in on the rest" he told the executive.
"Right now? Blimey! Just while I'm in a sour mood" Bryce muttered, eventually getting a grip of himself. "Fine. Tell her that I will be there shortly. But she's not gonna like it who it was that just caused all this ruckus" the gunman conceded to her boss' orders.
Up in the skies, Raven managed to hold onto the ladder while the jet plane continued flying. He had managed to briefly catch a glimpse of the mess he had made at the camp below him, despite being far away from it.
"Well, someone really needs to know more about this operation" Raven concluded, hoping that he would get to meet his superiors soon.
In the forest surrounding Lake Onnetō, Hokkaido, Japan
Even though it was night, the light from the moon helped illuminate the environment. In the background stood the imposing mountains of Meakan and Akan-Fuji. Needless to say, this place was worth visiting, especially if one was interested in Northern Japan's rural areas.
But amidst this night, someone was moving by the lake through the woods. It was a shadowy figure, that jumped from branch to branch. Soon, it landed near what appeared to be an open glade. From there, one could spot the moonlight illuminating rom the lake itself. The figure walked in one of the rays of moonlights, thus revealing himself.
This was Yoshimitsu, the leader of this band of ninjas calling themselves the Manji Clan. While they were a band of the thieves, the Manji Clan engaged in such activities for an honorable cause. They stole from the rich and gave it to the poor and downtrodden. In other words, they were the Merry Men of Japan, and Yoshimitsu was their Robin Hood.
What was Yoshimitsu doing in a place so far away as Lake Onnetō? Apparently, the ninja didn't seem to be on his usual business with thieving. No, he clearly had other reasons.
"This is the place" Yoshimitsu thought, the robotic-looking swordsman taking his seat in the middle of the fauna. "I can only hope that nobody will take notice of my presence" he added while holding his blade in his lap.
It appeared that Yoshimitsu was trying to meditate. And in a place so verdant and silent as this forest, the very spot he sat proved to be the best one.
As he kept sitting as if nothing bothered him, Yoshimitsu failed to notice something heading straight to him from behind. It was three shuriken. They were coming at a rather fast pace, and it looked as if Yoshimitsu was too late to respond or even move. But that wasn't the case.
Without even looking over his shoulder, Yoshimitsu deflected the shuriken by moving his sword to shield his back from these ninja weapons. As they were swatted away, the swordsman grabbed one of these shuriken and rose up.
He looked at the shuriken for a quick second. "Hmph. This looks nothing more than a poor imitation that those ninja cosplayers use" Yoshimitsu noted before turning around to face the darkness between the trees. "If this is an attempt to impress me as a ninja, then I will say this: you failed horribly" he went on to chastise whoever it was that stood there.
Soon, Yoshimitsu was granted a visitor, when a woman appeared right before him from above. He recognized this woman, to an extent. This was the secret agent from the United Nations codenamed Master Raven. From what Yoshimitsu gathered, she was the leader of its intelligence bureau.
She smirked at the swordsmen as their gazes met. "Well met, Yoshimitsu. I was under the impression that you would not honor your agreement of showing up" she said as she stood up on her feet, sheathing her sword. "Now as for these shuriken, I didn't do it to impress you. Rather, it was to test your skills" the agent revealed.
Sheathng his sword, Yoshimitsu crossed his arms, hinting to his disapproval of Master Raven's words.
"Regardless, I am not amused. A rookie kunoichi like you should know better than to underestimate a veteran like myself" Yoshimitsu commented.
The smirk on the woman's lips didn't wear off. "Me, a kunoichi? Truth be told, I don't necessarily classify myself as one. And as for me being a rookie, that is disputable from my view" Master Raven said, her smirk suddenly turning upside down. "But I didn't come here so we could debate our ninjutsus. I came here to talk about business with you, Yoshimitsu" she then revealed.
The ninja before her showed a little interest in what was being said. "Business? What sort of business?" he was curious, yet Yoshimitsu seemed to be getting at what Master Raven meant. "Do the United Nations carry a grudge for all the thievery the Manji Clan has committed? Are they seeking our capture?" the swordsman pressed on.
"Not necessarily. As petty as your schemes are, the UN has more dangerous foes to worry about than a band of wannabe Merry Men" Master Raven answered. "In fact, we've been considering reaching out to you for a request" she told him.
"A request? And why would they be enlisting the aid of a so-called "band of wannabe Merry Men"? Your words does not seem particularly convincing, Elder Raven" Yoshimitsu asked, referring to the agent with that nickname, given how he knew her connections to Raven.
Master Raven's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "This is not a request, swordsman. This is an advice. Because of the battles between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation being put on hold, dark forces will use this opportunity to make their move" she informed him.
"You refer to these "Acolytes of Pluton", unless I am mistaking? Do not worry, child. The Manji Clan is prepared to battle them at any cost should they make a move against us" Yoshimitsu assured her.
"That's not the only group you should concern yourself with" Master Raven said before throwing something in the ground between the two.
Yoshimitsu walked over those to objects to see what they were. The first one was an emblem of a comet with the name Kometa being written underneath it.
"Kometa…where have I heard that name before…" the swordsman spoke up.
"I take it you have heard it before" the woman remarked.
Yoshimitsu nodded weakly. "Yes. But only through rumors. From what we of the Manji Clan understand, it's an organization that specializes in the illegal development of weapons and other chemical materials. However, they are also rumored to be engaged in other illegal activities" he recalled from what he knew.
"Agreed. The United Nations have also noticed an unidentified satellite being shot up to the skies. We first assumed it belonged to Violet Systems. But when we asked Lars Alexandersson and Lee Chaolan for verification, they denied the satellite was theirs" Master Raven informed Yoshimitsu. "Although we cannot be certain, that satellite could potentially be the work of this Kometa. Perhaps they could seek to use this worldwide confusion to their advantage" the agent added as she summarized recent events.
There was something more Yoshimitsu wanted to know about, yet he already had his attention fixated upon the kunai. Something hit inside his nerves.
"This kunai! I recognize it's shape. It's similar to those used by the Manji Clan, except that it's nothing but a fake copy. And I only know one person who would use such…" Yoshimitsu was reminded of a certain foe of his.
Master Raven nodded her head. "That's right. These are kunai used by Kunimitsu. But clearly, she's not the only one" she said, making Yoshimitsu glance at her questionably. "Our scouts reported sightings of a certain woman using these kunai. It was difficult to identify her, due to the kitsune max she wore, let alone her kunoichi garb" she suddenly revealed.
"But that IS Kunimitsu, Elder Raven. I just know it!" the swordsman was adamant about that fact.
In response, Master Raven shook her head slightly. "Why are you so certain that it could be her? Because from what our scouts said, this kunoichi was much younger…agiler…and faster. Plus, there have been reports of Kunimitsu being checked into a hospital here in Japan" she went on explaining the details.
This made Yoshimitsu question something in his mind. Since Kunimitsu's abandonment of the Manji Clan, could she have created her own band of thieves with ninjas like her? Other bands of ninjas did exist. Like the Mani Clan, they were hidden from the Japanese society. But Yoshimitsu had a hard time believing that someone as dishonorable as Kunimitsu would even succeed in creating her own group.
"I am sorry. But I cannot be sure as to whether this is the work of a different kunoichi. As far as I know, there is only one Kunimitsu" Yoshimitsu spoke up solemnly.
Master Raven smirked. "Then believe what you wanna believe in. Either way, that won't stop us from extending our hand of friendship to you" she revealed, reaching out her hand to him.
Yoshimitsu took a few steps forward, looking at the agent's hand. Slowly, he reached out his hand to hers. But as he did that, there were conflicting thoughts in his head.
"Normally, the Manji Party would prefer to not cooperate with an organization that is closely affiliated with the ICC. But in these desperate times, I, as the leader, am willing to compromise. It will be for the good of the people suffering from this conflict" the swordsman said as he shook Master Raven's hand.
Master Raven nodded her head weakly while shaking his hand. "A wise choice. But let me assure you that the ICC never goes after common thieves like your band. What concerns them more, are those guilty of war crimes…..like Jin Kazama" she revealed, her voice hinting to dispassion when mentioning that name.
"I can assume that you are continuing this cooperation with both the Tekken Force rebels and Interpol. If that is true, then they will become allies of the Manji Clan as well" Yoshimitsu reminded the woman.
"Without question. However, they have already begun their moves. That's why it's imperative that we do that as well" she said, turning around to walk in the middle of this spot. It appeared that she was planning leaving. But Master Raven looked over her right shoulder to look at the swordsman. "The reason why I choice this spot was so that we could meet without any potential spies of the Zaibatsu or the G Corp following us. But the next time we meet, it will be a different country. That I assure you" she then informed him.
Yoshimitsu crossed his arms. "And where exactly would we be going?" he asked her.
"Our next meeting will be at the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. Our intel tells us that Kometa may have some form of operations in that country. But when our meeting will take place, we will let you know. Until then, stay in the shadows, Yoshimitsu. They may be the only cover you have if you wish to survive" those were the final words of Master Raven before she vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yoshimitsu had to admit that her speed was impressive. Still, he refused to consider her an equal. In his view, he and his fellow members of the Manji Clan were the true definitions of ninjas.
Realizing that he had no longer any reason to stay here, Yoshimitsu took off. He dashed through the woods like a bullet, even using some of the branches to help him get out faster. As he moved out, the swordsman started reflecting on the encounter he had just had with Master Raven.
"While I do have reservations about working with groups that are openly engaged with our enemies, I know for a fact that the Manji Clan needs allies if they hope to survive the Zaibatsu, the G Corp, Kometa or even those crazed cultists. In time, it may not be enough for us to stay hidden in the shadows any longer" Yoshimitsu summarized, knowing that what he did was in the clan's interest.
Reaching the outskirts of the woods, Yoshimitsu proceeded out to the open fields, the moon still shining over him.
Next day, inside a bar, Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong, China
The Avenue of Stars was a special place for people of Hong Kong. It was where all their famous film stars had their own tributes. The location of this place was also fascinating, seeing as it was right by the Kowloon Bay.
But in a nearby bar called Fortnum and Mason, Lei Wulong had just entered. He let out a deep sigh. The police detective, having just finished his job for today, looked tired. Seeing the bartender, Lei approached the longtable, taking a stool.
The bartender took notice of Lei's appearance and smiled. "Ah, Detective Lei! So glad to see a familiar face visiting the bar" he exclaimed.
Holding his head up high, Lei received the bartender's words with a nod. "I could the same thing" he responded.
"Now what will it be today?" the bartender asked him.
"The usual. Some good ol' fashioned baijiu" Lei told him.
With that, the bartender quickly put an opened bottle of baijiu on the board. Lei snatched the bottle without hesitation, drinking as the bartender watched in astonishment.
"You sure are thirsty today. Tough times at work, eh?" he asked the policeman.
After drinking, Lei let out a sigh of relief at the feeling of the baijiu. "You bet. For the past weeks, I've been busy with writing down a report which Interpol and the UN commissioned. And boy has that been tough" he explained, rubbing his face as he did that.
The bartender seemed curious to know more. But the sound of a nearby customer turned him away from Lei.
"Hey barkeep…refill!" he demanded while holding up his empty mug.
"Again? Fine! But don't you dare vomit on the floor again! Otherwise, I'll have Detective Lei here arrest you!" the bartender responded, before taking the mug to refill it with beer.
This left Lei alone to think about his most recent adventure. Having traveled across the globe to find clues about the origins of the allegedly cursed Mishima-bloodline, Lei had discovered something awfully shocking. In fact, the Mishimas had never been cursed to begin with. The curse of the among the Mishimas all began with a woman, who wasn't even a Mishima at all. Her name was Kazumi Hachijo, who was married to Heihachi Mishima.
Throughout this journey, Lei had experienced many new things, among them witnessing the death of Wang Jinrei at the hands of Revenant. Even though weeks had passed since the funeral in Guilin, Lei still mourned Wang. With a great champion such as him gone, the free people of the world were much more vulnerable to whatever darkness these Acolytes of Pluton worshipped. However, not all hope was lost.
Lei understood that there were other champions of greatness that he could count on, among them Lars Alexandersson, Lee Chaolan and…...Jin Kazama. Yes, Lei had learned all about the plans Lars had for Jin. At first, he found it ridiculous, believing Jin to be no better than Kazuya or Heihachi when it came to the war crimes committed across the globe. But after hearing Lars' reason, Lei grew up to endorse his plans.
"While I do have great reservations about this, I can understand the merit in making Jin clean up the mess he's made. They are his burdens after all. Just make sure that he lives up to his vow, Lars" Lei thought about the Swedish ex-Tekken Force officer.
Since returning back to Hong Kong, Lei had begun writing the report of the Mishimas. His superiors at Interpol had pushed him a lot, much to Lei's chagrin. At the same time, he had also been dealing with illegal activities around the city, particularly those of the local triads. As boring as it may seemed for him, Lei admitted that he was glad to be back in business.
"Well, at least Hong Kong looks the same. Can't say much has changed…...except for the increasing activity of the triads. What's up with that?" Lei summarized, trying to figure out the reason for the triads making their move.
His colleagues at Interpol suspected that the recent crime surge was the result of the ongoing battle between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. But everything was now at a standstill. The entire world was confused as to whether the war was over or not.
As Lei kept pondering about what the answer to all those questions were, the voice of heels could be heard clicking behind him.
"Excuse me, kind sir" the voice sounded both feminine and seductive at the same time.
Turning around, Lei spotted a youthful-looking woman with white hair standing there. This woman's eyes were different colors, the left eye red, and the right eye hazel. Her main outfit was an elegant yellow dress decorated with a deep red petal motif and edging. She wore wears dark pink shoes decorated with a butterfly on each foot.
"Do you mind if I sit next to you? I just can't stand being near drunken hooligans like everyone else in this place. They make me feel uncomfortable" she politely asked while waving her purplish fan at herself.
Surprised as LeI was with this woman's appearance, he eventually answered her. "Sure. Take your stool. You won't find a drunkard in me" he replied, trying to make an impression on this woman.
In response, the woman giggled, apparently finding Lei's words amusing. Slowly, she approached the stool, walking as if she was trying to entice Lei with her charms or something. She covered her mouth with her fan, eyeing the policeman in a manner which looked quite seductive.
"Thank you so much, sir. It's not every day I get to meet a man with such generosity" she expressed her gratitude while stroking her hair.
In response, Lei chuckled nervously. "No biggie. It's all part of my job, Mrs.…" he struggled finding the right words, despite not knowing this woman's name.
"Lai. Lana Lai" she introduced herself, while removing the fan to show her smirking lips.
Lei whistled in amazement. "Wow, you almost have the same last name as me. Still, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lana Lai. I'm Detective…." Lei was about to reach his hand out and handshake, only for Lana to do that for him.
"Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police. I know" Lana said in a sultry manner, grabbing Lei's hand and shaking it. "Your reputation is well-known around the city, esteemed Super Cop" she went on explaining what she knew about him.
The man beside her was completely caught off-guard by hearing this. "Not only to do you know my name, but also the nickname I've received throughout my career. How interesting" Lei admitted to her.
"Why, of course. I've read many stories about you in the Apple Daily. They say you are the one who brought an end to the Syndicate's operations. That is something I have to admire" Lana explained how she knew about Lei's reputation.
Lei whistled in amazement. "Man, someone's done their fair share of researching. I like that. Saves me the trouble from explaining every detail about me and my accomplishments" he remarked.
"Certainly. Please forgive me if my interest in you makes you feel…...uncomfortable, sir. But I cannot help but let my curiosity get the best of me sometimes" Lana "apologized" to Lei, whose smile never faded away.
"Nah. I'm flattered by it, honestly. So you don't need to feel embarrassed about me piquing your interest" the policeman responded, deciding to get to know a little more about this woman he had never seen before. He took great notice of Lana's different eyes. "Sorry…...but I must ask…do you have heterochromia?" he politely asked her.
Lana nodded her head weakly. "Yes. I was diagnosed with it when I was a child. I am sorry if they make you feel…" her words were interrupted by Lei's.
"No, Mrs. Lai. You don't need to apologize. As a cop, it's important that I treat good Samaritans with the uttermost respect. That includes those who look different" Lei insisted to her with a reassuring smile.
For some reason, Lana felt her cheeks blush a little. "Oh my…that's a very nice of you to say, detective. I never knew how much I needed to hear those words" she spoke in a voice that almost sounded as if she was gushing.
Lei couldn't tell whether Lana was taking his words as a compliment or not. Still, Lana seemed quite pleased with what he had said.
"Detective Lei, you really managed to make this less miserable for me. I was under the impression that my business trip to Hong Kong would end up in disaster" she revealed to him.
The man beside her raised an eyebrow. "Business trip? So you're a businesswoman?" he asked her.
Lana nodded her head in return. "Yes. But I was born here. However, I life was spent between Hong Kong and New York. As such, I had a difficult childhood growing up. Even as an adult, I still struggle with making friends" she then admitted.
"You don't say. Well, everyone needs friends. It's especially hard to make some when you're an adult" Lei remarked to what the woman had said.
"Indeed" Lana sighed, yet a smile soon formed as she looked at Lei. She reached for something in her vest and held it up for Lei to see. "Which makes me want to give you an offer you cannot refuse. Lei Wulong, on behalf of the company I work for, I invite you to join our celebration the next day" she handed him an invitation.
Lei was speechless, yet he accepted the piece of paper nevertheless. "You say you're inviting me to your party? That's nice and all, but I don't think I could ever mingle myself with your colleagues, Mrs. Lai" he politely explained.
For some reason, Lana got close to Lei, and she gently touched his chin. Lei snapped, yet did nothing to make her stop. And the way she looked at him with those alluring eyes of hers. It was as if she was into him.
"No need to worry about that, detective. You won't be the only guest at our superyacht. Many celebrities of Hong Kong are invited as well. But you, as one of the few friends I've managed to make, is a special case" she reassured him, sounding very sultry.
"A superyacht? Here in Hong Kong? Which one is it?" Lei asked her.
"The one bright as white marble, south of here, in the Tam Tay Bay. It's called the Mazu. Just drive to the Windy Gat at To Tei Wan Tsuen. A boat will take you the superyacht docked in the middle of the bay. I guarantee you that it will be fun. We'll have lots of music, especially ones from Lucky Chloe" Lana went on revealing all the details before letting go of Lei's chin.
The moment Lei heard one of his favorite pop artists being mentioned, he seemed more than interested in attending this party.
"How could I say no to that? I've been through a lot of crap at the job lately, so I definitely deserve a break. So yeah, I'll show up" Lei told her.
Lana giggled. "Excellent! I could almost hug you. But I think that wouldn't be fair with regards to you" she said and leaned forward to give a kiss on Lei's left cheek.
The moment her lips were planted there, Lei froze completely. Once again, he did nothing to make her stop. He let her do as she pleased. As soon as she was finished, Lei struggled to find the right words for this kiss.
"Wow….Mrs. Lai….you're something else….." Lei was speechless at what that woman had just done.
Lana got off the stool, giggling at Lei's reaction. "I'll take that as a compliment. Trust me, detective, you will fit in well with this gathering. I'll see to it that you're taken good care of" she said and was about to walk out of the bar. But she stopped and turned around to look at the man one last time. "And by the way, you can just call me Lana from now on. We've already been well-acquainted with one another. Can't wait to get closer to you. Until we meet again, take good care of yourself, Lei Wulong" she told him, even giving him a wink and blowing a kiss towards him.
Lei said nothing in return. He only sat on the stool and watched as the woman exited the bar, swaying her hips as she walked out of it. The look on his face was that of astonishment. As soon as Lana was out of sight, all that came out from Lei's lips was a whistle of amazement.
"Goddamn! What in the world just happened!?" his thoughts were swirling with questions. "I just came here to drown my stress away through baijiu, only to encounter THAT woman? Boy, am I one lucky bastard" the thoughts kept on dominating him.
Still, Lei started wondering what kind of woman he had just accepted the invitation of. He looked at the piece of paper Lana had given him.
"She said she was born in Hong Kong, yet spent considerable time of her childhood between here and New York. Just what kind of woman are you, Lana?" he wondered as he read through the invitation.
Meanwhile, Lana was walking outside in the Avenue of Stars. She was soon approached by two men wearing tuxedoes and sunglasses. They seemed to be her security guards.
"My lady. You've returned" one of them bowed her head in a formal manner.
"What happened inside? Shall I call the sniper and…" the other guard's words were interrupted by Lana's.
"Contact him and call off the assassination. I have made the preparations" Lana revealed to them, motioning for the guards to follow her to the docks. "With a little "persuasion", Lei Wulong accepted my invitation. He will show up to the party on the Mazu tomorrow" she informed them.
Both security guards bowed their heads formally to show their respect towards their boss. "We respect your decision, my lady" they said in unison, much to Lana's own amusement.
"Speaking of which, how are Kamiya and Grant holding up? I assume those two have begun doing their part of the plan" Lana asked them.
One of the guards nodded. "Indeed. Executive Grant has already gone to Europe, while Executive Kamiya's watch over the Amphitrite has been commendable" he revealed to her.
"Good. Still, contact Kamiya for me, will you. He and Dr. Hayes should come to the celebration as well. The other executives remaining at my side will be there as well" Lana ordered them, to which both men saluted in return.
"My lady. With all due respect, what happened to our operations down in Papua New Gunea?" the other guard asked her.
At first, Lana seemed pretty displeased of being asked about that. Still, she managed to hide it through a smirk.
"Let's just say that poor Brycie had a little setback. But you know him. He always manages to make up for his shortcomings" Lana said, easily removing the subject. "But let's not waste time with what could've been done different. We have an important celebration, and I intend on making sure our plan comes to fruition" she revealed to them as she and the guards neared a boat at the docks.
The trio got onboard, and drive out of the harbor. From the look on Lana's face, she was satisfied with how her plan to lure Lei was working.
Inside a dojo in Jeju City, Jeju Island, South Korea
This island, located in the Korean Strait, was a self-governing island, tough it was under the authority of the South Korean government. On that island stood Hallasan, the highest mountain in South Korea, wich was odd, given that it was not on the mainland. Japan was not far away from Jeju Island's location.
At a dojo in Jeju City, a battle was currently taking place between a practitioner of Jujutsu and a familiar man with auburn hair and an eyepatch. This was Hwoarang, a practitioner of Taekwondo and self-proclaimed rival of Jin Kazama. His was in his Taekwondo gear, including his white headband.
His opponent tried to land a punch upon the young man's face, only for Hwoarang to dodge it. He then proceeded to punch his foe in the stomach.
"Hey! Stop dodging my moves!" the Jujutsu fighter screamed, his rage on full display.
"Hah! Is that the best you've got, Jiwon!?" he called out the Jujutsu practitioner's name. "Please, I've faced wannabe mobsters in Seoul tougher than you!" he taunted him.
Jiwon did not appreciate Hwoarang's insult. "You little…" without even thinking, he charged towards Hwoarang with his speed. "I'll break your face!" he roared, showcasing his anger.
But no matter how fast Jiwon was, Hwoarang could read his moves. As such, he knew just the fitting Taekwondo moves for him to use on Jiwon.
"This is so troublesome…..." Hwoarang muttered, delivering a kick that sent Jiwon up in the air. But the Taekwondo fighter was not finished, as he delivered another kick that landed straight onto Jiwon's backbone.
"AAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHH!" the pain was excruciating for Jiwon to bear, as he screamed like a pig.
He lied down on the floor, wincing in pain as the other Jujutsu practitioners watched the outcome of this fight in awe. Hwoarang shrugged his shoulders, acting as if it wasn't that big of a deal.
"Well, since you can't stand up due to your backbone injury, I guess that makes me the winner of this match" Hwoarang remarked before looking to his left at what appeared to be a referee. "Hey, referee! This guy's toast. Mind declaring me the victor now?" he called out to him.
Snapping out of it, the referee quickly did that. "R-right! Jiwon is in no condition to continue the fight. The winner by knockout is Hwoarang!" he said, and the referee along with many others rushed over to Jiwon's side. "Somebody, call an ambulance!" he then yelled out.
With that being taking care off, Hwoarang got out of the ring and went over to the sidelines where two people he knew had been watching him. The first one was his teacher in Taekwondo: Baek Doo San. The second was a female Taekwondo fighter and master: Shuwawei. As Hwoarang approached them, they both clapped their hands together for him.
"Nice work out there, Hwoarang! You did wonderful!" Baek praised his student for his win.
"Exactly! A little overboard on the broken backbone, but still great nevertheless" Shuwawei complimented Hwoarang's efforts.
Despite the praises, Hwoarang remained far from satisfied. He stared at them with no enthusiasm.
"Just cut it out, would ya? It's so annoying" he told them, much to their surprise.
"Annoying? What's so annoying about getting praised for beating the toughest Jujutsu fighter in…" Shuwawei was interrupted by the hotheaded man's voice.
"Don't give me that horseshit! The two of you knew that I would win this fight from the get-go!" Hwoarang snapped, feeling very irritated.
"Now hold on a second, boy! This is the first time Jiwon has ever lost a match! Do you have any idea how many Taekwondo fighters before you tried defeating him? All of them either ended up in a coma or came out with broken bones! So you should count yourself lucky with this win!" Baek tried to point out something important.
Hwoarang looked over his shoulder to see his defeated opponent being taken away by a pair of medics.
"Well, clearly those Taekwondo fighters were just amateurs. Because that pathetic dumbass over there was as strong as a hired muscle in a mob group" Hwoarang said before he took off. "I'm heading to the locker room to shower and change. Just wait for me outside" he told them as he kept walking.
As they watched him walk, neither Baek nor Shuwawei could understand what Hwoarang's deal was.
"Just what is his problem? He's been like that for at least a week now" the Korean woman asked while putting her hands on her hips.
Baek let out a deep sigh, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Isn't the answer to your question obvious, Shuwawei?" he replied with a question.
"No, I really don't understand" Shuwawei responded, only to bow her head towards him in a formal manner. "I mean, with all due respect, Master Baek, you have known Hwoarang for much longer than I have. Surely, you can understand him better" she told him.
Baek shook his head slightly. "Perhaps it's better that you figure out the answer yourself. Just think, we've been through a lot of dangerous stuff recently. And now, everything is suddenly calm around the globe" he explained it to the Taekwondo fighter.
Shuwawei seemed to get an answer. "Don't tell me. Is he still butthurt over not being able to get his rematch with Jin Kazama?" she asked out in the open.
From what she could tell by looking at the Taekwondo master's face, it seemed to be the answer. This made Shuwawei groan out of annoyance. She couldn't believe it.
"For the love of…then I take it he knows about…you know" she spoke up.
"I'm not so sure, Shuwawei. But quite frankly, I'd prefer if Hwoarang did not know about Jin being Europe. Even if he did, there's no in hell I would've let him travel outside now. In these confusing times, it's better to stay in South Korea where we know for a fact that we're safe" Baek explained the details, making sure that nobody was watching them.
A deep frown formed on Shuwawei's lips. "I wouldn't necessarily say that everything's safe, Master Baek" she respectfully told the Taekwondo master. "Yes, fighting between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp has ceased. But that does not mean the war's over. It's only put on hold. Which means, the battles will eventually return. And I can't imagine how bad it bodes for us in South Korea, due to our close proximity to Japan" Shuwawei went on expressing her concerns.
Baek could see the look on her face. Truth be told, he was feeling the same things she did. Still, he felt that it was best for them to make what was best of the peace while it was still there.
"I hear you, girl. But regardless of what happens outside, we should both feel grateful to be back home. If only Hwoarang could see the same" he lamented, causing Shuwawei to giggle.
Inside the dojo's locker room, Hwoarang was in the shower. Despite getting wet, he still wore the eyepatch. However, he was careful with the shampoo, leaning his head backwards while washing his hair.
But as the young man stood in the water, soaking wet, he slammed his right fist into the shower wall. Clearly, he was very upset about something.
"Those sneaky bastards…...telling me that Kazama's no longer in Japan, but is now in Europe of all places!? Damn that flamboyant jackass and his Swedish buttslave! They never told me anything!" he cursed both Lee and Lars.
When Hwoarang had learned about Jin having awakened from his coma, he had desperately gone to Japan, only to find him no longer at Violet System's HQ. Demanding some answers, he confronted Lars and Lee, who informed him of Jin having gone to Europe for an errand. Both men had encouraged Hwoarang to let go of his awaited rematch, yet the Korean man was having none of it.
"They should've let me know from the start! That would've ended everything!" Hwoarang groaned as he got out of the shower, grabbing a nearby towel to clean himself.
But on a positive note, Hwoarang had, since returning back to South Korea, gotten a lot better with both his master and Shuwawei. Still, he was often tired of them trying to police his goals. At the same time, he had grown weary of their attempts to kill his boredom by making him fight the toughest students across Korean dojos.
Still, Hwoarang had also been curious about the stalemate between the two warring sides of this war. He wondered whether it was time for him now to actually use this opportunity to go after Jin. But Hwoarang knew that neither Baek nor Shuwawei would allow it.
"Of course, that's not gonna happen. Shuwawei even locked my bike in her own garage. Damn her!" he muttered as he put on his clothes.
But Hwoarang knew that he would have to be realistic. They had a right to be concerned for his welfare. After all, his chase had cost him his right eye. And during the battle on Hawaii, he had witnessed the evil energy belonging to Revenant. This only proved Hwoarang that there were foes stronger than him. He had also witnessed the death of Wang Jinrei, as well as Kazuya's Devil form.
"I hate to say this, but Master Baek and Shuwawei may be right. Perhaps I'm only wasting my time chasing after Kazama. That being said, I do wanna get back in good graces with them…although it's been going rather slowly" he slumped at the end of his sentence.
After putting on his casual clothes, Hwoarang exited the locker room, hoping to meet his teacher and the other Taekwondo fighter outside.
When they spotted Hwoarang, the pair were surprised to see how cheerful he looked.
"Well then! Shall we go get something to eat? We must at least celebrate my win against that weak-headed twerp" Hwoarang told them.
Neither Baek nor Shuwawei had words for him. Still, they smiled, happy that the impulsive man was willing to spend time with them.
"Sounds good to me. Where do you wanna go?" the Korean woman asked him.
"Anywhere as long as it isn't McDonald's or Mom's Touch" Hwoarang replied with a cheeky grin.
Baek chuckled, glad to see that his student was now taking break from his fixation upon Jin for once. He was also amused by not wanting to go to those fastfood chains.
"No calories, eh? Good suggestion, Hwoarang. You're always keeping your diet to a minimum"
"Of course. It's like that I'm a Sumo wrestler!" Hwoarang joked.
This made the trio of Taekwondo fighters laugh together. They then proceeded towards the street, the city of Jeju bustling with activity, despite not being on the same level as Seoul or any other cities on the mainland.
To be continued…