Chapter 16:

AWOL, My Ass

Hwoarang eventually found out about Kazi's little idea and wasn't too happy about it either. Kazi won him over and got to keep her little shop. For some odd reason unknown, downtown Tokyo didn't have a mechanics shop, so Kazi made a lot of unexpected money. Although most of it went to keeping the apartment she and Hwoarang had been living. She also straightened the whole mercenary thing out with Hwoarang. Hwoarang had gone back to street fighting and gambling and brought back a little money now and then, but only because his 'salary' wasn't fixed.

Denise and Lei never caught Hwoarang and because of all the punishments Kazi had received, the International Police Agency let her go. She hung around Hwoarang and Kazi a bit, but only because Kazi declared that no one could be arrested in her shop and that she wasn't going to have it. In any case, Denise was held back by Lei, who actually asked her to become his partner and join the international police force, so she took the opportunity and stayed in Japan for a while.

Kazuya, well, he called upon Kazi to do little mission here and there and she 'kind of' considered him as one of those people you think are cool and look up to. Kazi and Jin became friends, much to Hwoarang's despise and anger.

One day in the midst of some night, Jin unexpectedly dropped by Kazi and Hwoarang's apartment while he was out, just to talk to Kazi. As fate would have it they started to talk and laugh when some one knocked on the door. Kazi had forgotten to tell Jin she was going to have Kazuya over to talk about her next mission because of the ruckus she caused at the Mishima Fortress a while back after the 'X-Gene' incident. Jin and Kazuya almost got into a fight and Kazi jumped in between them and ended up with a busted lip. Kazi actually dared to threaten them and told them nether one would be leaving until they solved their little 'family' issue, but only because she was pissed. So, they never 'really' sorted anything out except for the fact the Kazuya was thrown into a volcano and couldn't take care of Jun. Not even having known Jin even existed because of Heihachi, and fact that Jin got shot. So they just called each other by 'Jin' and 'Kazuya'. But only because Kazi was such a good mercenary did Kazuya NOT 'kick her ass up and down the sidewalk pavement', as Kazuya put it. So, Kazi lived, Hwoarang never found out, and all was weird once more, with the exception of Jin and Kazuya who didn't really 'hang out' or anything of that nature, although for some odd reason they did keep in touch once in a great while.

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Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and the hot summer heat beat down on Tokyo, Japan. Hwoarang sat in the small apartment room staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Hwoarang!" Kazi yelled from the small bathroom. Hwoarang got up and walked to the open doorway.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Do you think I need a haircut?"

"Donno. Maybe." Hwoarang said watching Kazi look at her almost waist-length red colored strands.

"I'm gonna go get one, sound good to you?"

"Yeah, sure." Hwoarang said, "I'm gonna go hang out with the guys. Meet us when you're finished."

"Cool." Kazi said and walked out of the door and down the street.

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"Thanks. Bye Guerra." Kazi said waving as she walked out of the hair shop.

"Bye!" he said and waved as she walked out of the door. Kazi waved back and walked down the street. The mid-summer day's heat was almost unbearable, especially at lunchtime in downtown Tokyo. Kazi raked a hand through her now army short red spikes,

"Damn, it's too hot." She said fixing her white tank top and dusting off her blue jeans. Kazi walked a little way down the street when she felt something pierce her left arm. "Arghh!" Kazi grasped her arm and found a tranquilizer. Kazi looked up in the direction from which it was shot and saw a Korean military sniper holding a tranquilizer gun and ordering for troops to get over there. Kazi felt weak, and couldn't hold on. Everything went black and Kazi fell to the ground.

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"Where is she?!" Hwoarang yelled impatiently. He no longer felt Kazi's 'spirit and energy' as Baek used to call it. His gang members looked around at one another and then back at him.

"Eh, man, don't worry. Lareng went out to get some info. He'll be back in no time." Zach reassured him.

"Whatever." Hwoarang said impatiently. They waited for about two minutes when suddenly they spotted Lareng. He was running at full speed towards Hwoarang, a scared and concerned look upon his face. Lareng ran at Hwoarang and failed to stop. Hwoarang stepped out of the way and Lareng hit the wall and fell backwards on his back.

"Oww..." he huffed, "My... nose.... hurts..." his muffled voice made the whole group burst in laughter as he tried to get up still holding his broken nose. His face went from pain to shock. He suddenly let go of his nose and tried to tell Hwoarang something, "It's.... Kazi...." he huffed.

"WHAT?" Hwoarang practically grabbed him by his shirt. Zach suddenly grasped Hwoarang.

"Let the man say what he's go to say!" Zach's voice got louder, almost like a yell.

"She... She's..." Hwoarang looked at Lareng, "Kidnapped.... Korean... Army... " He passed out from the pain in his nose and not getting enough air. Hwoarang's eyes grew wide with shock.

"No..." Hwoarang said in disbelief, "I'm going. If I don't come back in four days, get help. I don't care who, just do it. Save Kazi at any cost." Hwoarang ran off.

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A day had gone by, Kazi sat on the ground, her legs sprawled out in front of her sitting up against the wall, in a cell located in the Korean Military Desert Base. Two guards stood outside of the bars of her cell and talked quietly to one another. Kazi was bored easily and made faces and things at the guards whenever they would turn around to look at her.

"Yup, just like him. Bad-ass, spiky redhead, and in dire need of a major attitude adjustment." One of them said turning to look at her. Kazi pulled the skin from underneath her left eye down with her finger and stuck her tongue out at him. She let go and started to laugh. "Weird ass mother fucker." he grumbled as he turned around and came face to face with his general, Chao Tseng. "Sir!" He said saluting.

"Open the bars." Chao said.

"Sir, Yes, Sir!" Chao walked through the now open bars that were closed as soon as he was inside. Chao walked over to Kazi and knelt down,

"Hwoarang's twin, huh? Must be as rude and arrogant as him." Chao said. Kazi stuck out her tongue and pulled it back quickly before he could do anything about it. "Must have taken Tae Kwon Do," He said looking at her arms and legs.

"No shit, Sherlock. Did you figure that out, or did your mamma tell ya?" Kazi cocked, giving him a 'what are you stupid or just on crack' kind of look.

"Mind you. Hwoarang will pay. Going AWOL is not tolerated."

"AWOL, my ass. He left you like a small child out in the stormy cold wilderness, scared, afraid, and weak." her voice was a dangerous low and a hint of cockiness and self-pride within Hwoarang. The man sneered and had had clearly enough when he got up and out of the bars. Kazi grinned and ear-to-ear grin. She caught a few of his words before he left,

"The whole base is to be on Code 'Red' Operation 64X, Annihilation. Sergeant Hwoarang will come. Be ready." He said walking down the hall.