Chapter 18: Mystery beyond Powers
PI: Reviving old friends
"Everyday a new surprise is being unveiled."
Disclaimer: You know I don't own!!
Kotou: Alrighty then peoples! I am going to go on with the story! Thank you all for your reviews! They mean SOOO much to me! For your viewing pleasure, I am going to finish up this chapter!
Opside: Ok, Panda and Kuma are coming back this chapter!!! Hope you like! ^_^! By the way, thank you for my Birthday shout out! ^___^
Tekken: Sorry I paired Hworang with Julia. But I had to think of an interesting couple that would make an interesting child! Thanks for your review!
Kazzy: Yeah, Hinotama is quite evil. In this chapter, you see a completely different side to him! But I still hope you read on. I thank you for reviewing!
Lacrease: Thank you for your kind review! You are going to find out if your guess was correct or not!!
Jupiter's moon Europa: Thank you so much! I'm glad you think I have good grammar! Most people don't think I do, but hey, who cares?! Thank you very much! ^__^!
Michele: You reviewed me!?!? Whoa! That is definitely a first! All right then, thank you!
Zenrei was having the best time of her life with her 'extended' family. She loved her grandfather very much, and he loved her back. Kazuya relearned the true meaning of raising a family. He had never truly known such a feeling existed.
Zenrei walked alone in the woods for a while just to free her mind. She still had those reoccurring nightmares about her family being killed off. She was also afraid of herself. She recalled the night when her body went through those changes. They weren't normal, and they weren't pleasant to think about. She had wandered deep into the woods until she couldn't recognize where she was anymore.
"Where am I?" She asked, gazing around from side to side. "I don't think I've ever been around here before." She looked at her surroundings. It was dark and barely any sunlight shone through. She was beginning to panic, but she didn't show her fear. She was brought up to be strong and fearless, but she wasn't very independent. "Is anybody here?" She called out. There was no answer. "Mommy! Daddy! Grampa! Someone, help me!" She cried out. She sat on the muddy ground and tucked her head between her legs and rocked her body back and forth.
"Oh, you poor baby." A voice said from a distance. Zenrei picked her head up and looked around, searching for the owner of that heavenly voice.
"Who- who's there?" She asked fearfully. There was a slight chuckle and a woman's silhouette appeared before her. Zenrei squinted her eyes to catch a better look. "Mommy?" She asked. "Is that you?" The woman neared her and smiled profusely which scared Zenrei.
"No. I am not your mommy." She sat down next to Zenrei. "What are you doing here little girl?" She asked. "And where are your parents?" Zenrei kept quiet for a moment. Then, after seeing that the woman looked harmless enough, she decided to answer.
"I came here for a walk, but I guess I wasn't paying attention 'cause I got lost." The woman smiled at her and patted her head.
"Where were you planning on going?" She asked. Zenrei looked up and around.
"No where special. I just wanted to take a walk, that's all." The young lady stood up and wiped the leaves off of her clothes.
"What's your name?" She asked Zenrei.
"Zenrei!" She said proudly. "It means spirit of goodness." She said with a bright and cheerful smile.
'She reminds me so much of her father. It's highly noticeable.' "Well Zenrei, I know my way around here. I could give you a lift back home." She said politely. Zenrei smiled and wiped her small face from the tears that she shed. The young lady bent down to grab her and Zenrei opened her arms out widely. She picked her up and walked around. "I would also like you to give this to your father. It's a present from me." She said.
"Okay." Zenrei said, grabbing the small ring. She took a good look at it. "Wow! It's beautiful. It sparkles just like the stars!" She said, astonished at how beautiful the ring was. Jessica smiled and looked ahead towards a small opening.
"Well, where do you live?" She asked. Zenrei pointed in the direction she came from. The two of them walked off together into the woods. Finally, Zenrei had spotted her house. She was so glad that she couldn't contain herself. "Is this it?" The lady asked. Zenrei violently nodded her head.
"Yup! This is the one!" The lady still held Zenrei in her arms and knocked on the door. Xiaoyu swiftly opened the door with wide eyes. "Mama!" Zenrei said happily. She leaped from the lady's arms into her mother's. Xiaoyu was so relieved to have her child back that she paid no attention to the kind stranger that brought Zenrei back.
"Oh Zenni, you had me so worried!" She said. Zenrei looked up and smiled, caressing her mother's cheek.
"Oh mother, you worry too much." She said with a smile. "The nice lady helped me out." Ling lifted her head and saw the lady standing before her. She was beautiful. She had a pale white face with rosy lips. Her hair was long and wavy and her eyes were a chestnut brown. Ling smiled and bowed her head.
"Thank you." She answered politely. The young woman smiled and gave her a wink.
"It was no problem. Just doin' my job." She said in her Australian accent. Xiaoyu's eyes suddenly widened. That was it. That same Australian accent that she had remembered years ago.
"It can't be." She whispered aloud. "Jessica?" She asked. The girl smiled mischievously and walked away.
"Who's Jessica?" Zenrei asked curiously. Ling stood there with a blank look on her face. Jin had made his way to the door and saw Zenrei in Ling's arms.
"You found her!" He said proudly. Zenrei jumped down from her mother's arms and walked towards Jin, hugging his waist tightly.
"Daddy!" She said happily. She looked next to her father and saw Kazuya standing there. She gave him a warm smile. Ling charily shut the door with the same blank look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Asked Jin.
"How does she know where we live? How did she know we were here?" Xiaoyu's mind was clobbered with so much confusion. She threw herself on the couch and tried to ponder up some answers.
"Who?" Jin asked, sitting next to Xiaoyu. She looked back at him with deep confusion embedded in her dark brown eyes.
"Jessica!" She yelled. "I just don't know how she would know to look here. I would have thought that she went back to Australia." Jin grabbed hold of Ling's hands and stared her deep into the eyes, trying to calm her down. He took a deep breath, cautious of how he chose his words.
"Jessica is dead Ling. She died around the time of the fourth tournament." Ling's eyes widened. It seemed that they were going to pop out of their socket. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"What!? Dead? How could she be, I just saw her!!" She leaped from the couch and looked outside. There was no trace of her. Zenrei walked up to Jin, keeping her hands cupped.
"Daddy. The lady told me to give this back to you. She said it was a present." Kazuya and Ling gathered around Jin and Zenrei.~*~*~*~*~
Hinotama stood on the top steps of the great mansion. He looked out far into the mist and saw the young lady approach him. She stood proud as she took each step towards him. He stood still, not sure of what to say to her.
"I think I am better at this than you." She said with a keen smile. Hinotama gritted his teeth, giving her an evil stare. She knew that he hated being second best, and she knew that she was beginning to get on his nerves. She walked up directly in front of him and gave him a teasing glare. "You have been wanting that child for how long, and here I am, a new comer, doing the job solo."
"Shut the hell up!" He snapped. "I could do this without your help. I don't know why Akuma asked for you!" He walked inside angrily, stomping at the ground.
"Hinotama, what's wrong with you? Why are you always so angry?" She asked in a calm tone. He stopped; surprised that she had asked him that. No one had ever bothered to ask him anything about himself. He turned his head away.
"Nothing. It's none of your damn business." He walked away into the dark hall. She sighed and walked towards Akuma's office. She knocked shyly and waited for Akuma's ok.
"Come in." She heard. She opened the door and stepped in. She took a deep breath and stood in the front of his desk.
"Mr. Akuma, I have found where the girl lives." She said quietly.
"Good. When will you kidnap her?" He asked. She looked at the clock and noticed she had a few hours to kill.
"I will take her tonight. Around 9:30p.m. That should give me plenty of time." Akuma laughed aloud, massaging his hands, and thought about how nicely his plan was turning out.
"How did you do it?" He asked. "How did you get that stubborn brat to believe in you?" She pulled up a seat and sat next to him.
"All I did was pretend to be her friend. She's so naïve, just like her father. She was lost, so I guided her back home, now she thinks that I am kind." She swiped her hair to the side and reclined herself. "I thought it was going to be difficult, because you told me that she could sense an evil spirit."
"Yes. That's true. But you have no evil in your blood. I made sure of that." Akuma said, relaxing himself as well. She was hiding something from him. There was something she needed to know about him, as well as Hinotama.
"Uh, excuse me sir, but could you explain all of this to me? Like why is Hinotama so upset all the time, and what is your purpose for this girl?" He thought about it for a while. Should he tell her, or just keep it a hidden secret? He looked at her, and then found that he could trust her.
"My real name is Steve Fox. I was adopted some time ago, after my birth." She gasped.
"Wait! I think I remember hearing that name. You were in the last King Of Iron Fist tournament, right?" He nodded.
"I hoped to find out more about my past. What I found out was that I was just an experiment. I was combined with another gene; not the Devil gene, but another Devilish type of gene, and a human gene. This gene was the remains of Devil's brother, Akuma." She looked at him to try to understand him better. Then she had noticed a large scar on his left arm.
"Is that how you got your scar?" She asked. He looked at his arm and touched it.
"Something similar to that. I guess Akuma had gotten this scar against a battle with Devil. Anyway, I had found out more than I wished to know. Pretty soon, this evil gene began to take over me. I began to see and want the same things that Akuma saw, and wanted. His goal, or should I say 'our' goal is to bring back all the Demons into this world. The only way we can do that is by using that Girl's genetic DNA. She's the only innocent one who has the Devil, and angel gene stirred in her blood."
"I see." She said. "But if you want to bring the demons back into this realm, why would you need someone with the Angel gene?"
"Because if she falls into the wrong hands, she could destroy us all. I want to corrupt her into the dark, and have her forget about all this Angel shit!!" The girl lowered her head and nodded.
"I understand...but why do you need me? Why should I take part in all of this?" She asked. She was overly concerned of why Akuma wanted her to be the decoy. Akuma set his hands on the desk.
"I know what you wanted. Your dying words played over and over in my head. Jin was the only man that you loved. Now, you can elusively capture his daughter, kill his darling wife, and take him all for yourself." She gasped, hearing of what had to be done. Was this right? Was any of it right? Sure she loved Jin, but she couldn't hurt him so. She wanted him to be happy, but she wanted to be happy herself. If she did carry out her plans like this, Jin wouldn't be happy, and neither would she. But this was too great of a risk. She was already too deep to get out. There had to be some way that she could carry out her plan, and not have to make it seem so horrid. She bowed and walked out of the office.
At that same time, Hinotama was just making his way towards her. She tried to smile, but she knew that Hinotama would never accept her. She took a deep breath and stood in front of him.
"Hinotama, would you please just talk to me, for once?" He gave her an evil death stare and walked into Akuma's office, slamming the door behind him. She heaved an enormous sigh and rested her head against the door.
Hinotama sat at Akuma's desk, slamming his hands on the surface. Akuma looked up and saw the worried look on his face.
"I can't take it anymore!" He shouted. "I don't know why I have to go through this every day!" He lowered his head and looked at his agitated hands shake.
"Listen, I know you're still upset about your past. You really never had any friends, except for Kanji..."
"And that little Angel-Devil bitch had to kill him! I can't wait until we get to kill her once we're through with using her genetic material!"
"Look Hinotama, there's another obstacle standing in out way; two other women, Razan and Europa. Europa is a small six year old, and Razan is a strong seventeen year old. She is the youngest sister of Jun Kazama, and is thought to also have hidden powers. Europa...is actually a rival of mine. I am sure she'd like to meet me face to face again." He said with a sinister laugh. "I want you to bring the two to me." He nodded his head and left the office.
As he left, he had opened the door and hit the young lady in the head.
"What are you doing Jessica?" He asked calmly. She rubbed her head and began to laugh.
"Sorry Hinotama, I didn't know you were coming out so soon. Would you mind warning me first?" She asked playfully. Hinotama had felt his conscious lighten up. He looked at the beautiful Jessica and smiled. It was the first time that he had smiled in a long time. She was so glad to see him loosen up. It seemed like the heavens had opened up to her. He grabbed her hand and took her to the top of the Mansion; his room. She gazed in awe. She had never seen something so beautiful. She walked around and sat in the ledge of the balcony. Hinotama smiled as he looked at her graceful body being caressed by the gentle passing breeze. "See, you're not so evil." She said gently. She moved from the ledge and landed on the floor. She walked up to him and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "You're not evil at all. Akuma must have only used your anger. You were angry and sad all this time. Why?" Her voice was so light, that it was barely a whisper. Hinotama closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the things that made him angry.
"I ran away a long time ago." He explained. "I miss my sister, and yet, I miss something that I never had." She slowly moved her hands to his shoulder, slightly holding on to him.
"What's that?" She asked.
"I miss being loved." He said solemnly. "A long time ago, I had these two friends, Jin and Ling Xiaoyu. I always thought that they would be together, but I saw how close they were, and I only wished that I could have a part of it. That's when I saw Akuma. He told me that he could give me anything I wanted, so I said that I would join him, and maybe I would find someone who loved me back. That wasn't the case. The more I thought about it, the more I began to hate. I hated so much, that any couple I saw, I would want to kill them, for having what I longed for the most. Then I saw a young man, in the same situation I was in. I offered him the same that I was offered. We were pretty good partners, even though he was a major screw up." Jessica smiled and gently laid a kiss on his cheek.
"Maybe there's still time." She whispered. "Maybe we can have all we ever wanted." She whispered in his ear as she guided him to the bed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jin took the ring from Zenrei's hand. He looked at it carefully, and yet, he could not believe that it was the same ring Jessica had given him. He held it carefully in his hands, wondering about it.
"What's wrong Jin?" Kazuya asked. He didn't know anything about Jessica.
"This is Jessica's ring. She gave this to me before she died." Ling slapped her hand on her head.
"I can't believe any of this. The girl is supposed to be dead, and here she is, haunting our family." Zenrei tugged on Jin's shirt.
"Daddy, she wasn't a ghost. She was real, but who was she? Was she your friend?" She asked innocently. Jin had a concerned look on his face. "Why did she give you that beautiful ring?" She asked again. Jin felt like he was being questioned for treason.
"Yeah Jin, I don't ever remember you telling me about this 'ring'." Ling said as she circled him.
"What? You mean Jin had a ring from another girl and he never told you?" Kazuya asked. Ling nodded her head.
"That's right! I knew that this Jessica girl liked him, but that still doesn't explain the whole thing!" Now, both Kazuya and Ling were circling Jin, making him more and more nervous. "Come on Jin, explain the importance of this ring!!" She said with an evil smile.
"Yeah! Splain!!" Zenrei added, also marching around Jin. Kazuya picked Zenrei up, placed her on his shoulders and handed her a flashlight. She turned it on and flashed it right on Jin's eyes.
"Jinny, you got some splainin' to do!" Kazuya added. (I'm sorry, but that was just too funny! I had to add it in there!) Jin was so frustrated that he shouted,
"Hey! What's with the third degree?! It's just an engagement ring! No need to go psycho over!!!" Everyone stopped. Ling froze in place. She never knew that Jin was asked to be married. Kazuya saw the surprised look in both of their eyes.
"Whoa!" Zenrei said. "You were gadged?" She asked. Then her expression turned to that of a confused one. "Wait, what's gadged?" She asked Kazuya.
"Err...um..." He looked at Ling, then back at his son. Ling gave him the go- ahead to get out of the house as soon as possible. "I'll tell you outside." He said as he walked out of the house with the curious little girl on his back. She gave Jin a sharp look.
"Uh, Ling... I can explain!" He said backing up. She clenched her fist and bit her lower lip.
You have 30 seconds. Go!" *~*~*~*~*~*
Jessica looked at the clock across the room. It was 9:15. She couldn't leave so suddenly. She felt all the love she had ever wanted in this room. She reluctantly let go of Hinotama, giving him one last passionate kiss before she left the bed.
"I think we have plans now." She said, bringing her clothes back on. Hinotama left the warmth of her soft body and shook his head, bringing it back to its original neatness.
"I think we do." He said, bringing her back down to the bed. "But this may be the last time." She giggled and gently pushed him off.
"Not if I can help it. After tonight, we'll be free." The two of them smiled and walked out of the mansion together. Akuma looked out of his window, watching them leave hand in hand.
"What the hell happened to them!? Who fucked up their minds?" He asked. ~*~*~*~*~
Zenrei stood out of the house and walked around with Kazuya. It was already getting late. She had seen Yuki wonder around, just a little further from where she was standing.
Razan came up behind Zenrei and patted her on the head.
"Where are you going kid?" She asked.
"I'm going to follow Yuki. She's lonely, but I think I can help. What about you?" She asked. Razan smiled.
"I'm going home."
"Don't! Grampa said that mother is beating the crap out of daddy cuz he was gadged." Razan had the most confused look on her face. She didn't know what to think. She shrugged her shoulders and walked towards Kazuya.
"What is she talking about?" Razan asked. Kazuya laughed.
"We just found out that Jin was asked to be married by some girl named Jessica. But this happened a long time ago."
"Well, he never married her. So what's the problem?"
"He just now told her!" Her eyes widened as she could only imagine the pain that went through Ling's heart.
"So, would it be safe to go in yet?" She asked.
"Sure, but it's 5$ a seat."
"What?" She asked, unsure of what he was talking about.
"It's a match you wouldn't normally see in the King Of Iron Fist tournament, ya gotta make money somehow." She laughed and stood outside next to Kazuya. She always looked up to him. He was a strong person, and for a while, he showed her how to be strong. She looked back, and didn't find Zenrei. She was gone.
"Zenrei! Get back over here, it's late already!" She didn't answer. "Zenrei!" She called again. There was no trace of her. "Damn it!" She cursed. She walked the way that Zenrei was last seen. Kazuya also followed.
Zenrei was riding on Yuki, and it seemed that they were going faster than they normally went.
"Where is it girl?" She asked. Yuki stopped about half a mile later. Zenrei found the spot where Kuma and Panda were buried. She knelt down to the side and crossed her arms. I sure hope this works. I never tried anything like this before, but since you believe in me, I will do my best.
Jessica and Hinotama stood a little further from where Zenrei was.
"That's it! But what's she doing?" She asked. She watched as Zenrei spread out her arms and looked to the sky. Zenrei placed her small body in between the two bears.
"Oh great heavens; open up so that Yuki can have her mommy and daddy that were taken away from her. Please hear my plea to you, and use my body and spirit of goodness to bring them back." She closed her eyes and felt her body rising from the ground.
"What the hell is going on?!" Hinotama asked.
"It's her light! She's using her light energy!!" Jessica said astoundingly. Razan and Kazuya had seen an awesome beam of a radiant blue light.
"It's her!" Razan called out. She and Kazuya raced over to the beam and saw Zenrei's spirit energy. After five minutes, the light began to dim down and Zenrei was placed back on the ground. As she fell on the dirt, Kuma and Panda both pushed their way up from the ground.
Everyone who whiteness gasped. Now, they all knew the true power of Zenrei. But even more, there was so much mystery behind it all. Yuki looked with teary eyes at her parents. She tackled them to the ground and gave them an innumerable amount of kisses. Zenrei slowly opened her eyes.
"Now you can be happy again." She said with a subtle smile. Slowly, she lost consciousness. Kazuya and Razan rushed to her side.
"Zenni! Wake up Zenni!" She called. Kazuya looked at both Kuma and Panda. They were alive. They were the real thing.
"You know what he have to do now." Jessica said as she got to her feet. "Let's get going."
Kotou: Whoa! This took a real long time! I had to think of a good idea to support this theme! So how was it? Were you guys surprised? Did Akuma's secret surprise you? I'll have more on the way!! Jai Ne!!
PI: Reviving old friends
"Everyday a new surprise is being unveiled."
Disclaimer: You know I don't own!!
Kotou: Alrighty then peoples! I am going to go on with the story! Thank you all for your reviews! They mean SOOO much to me! For your viewing pleasure, I am going to finish up this chapter!
Opside: Ok, Panda and Kuma are coming back this chapter!!! Hope you like! ^_^! By the way, thank you for my Birthday shout out! ^___^
Tekken: Sorry I paired Hworang with Julia. But I had to think of an interesting couple that would make an interesting child! Thanks for your review!
Kazzy: Yeah, Hinotama is quite evil. In this chapter, you see a completely different side to him! But I still hope you read on. I thank you for reviewing!
Lacrease: Thank you for your kind review! You are going to find out if your guess was correct or not!!
Jupiter's moon Europa: Thank you so much! I'm glad you think I have good grammar! Most people don't think I do, but hey, who cares?! Thank you very much! ^__^!
Michele: You reviewed me!?!? Whoa! That is definitely a first! All right then, thank you!
Zenrei was having the best time of her life with her 'extended' family. She loved her grandfather very much, and he loved her back. Kazuya relearned the true meaning of raising a family. He had never truly known such a feeling existed.
Zenrei walked alone in the woods for a while just to free her mind. She still had those reoccurring nightmares about her family being killed off. She was also afraid of herself. She recalled the night when her body went through those changes. They weren't normal, and they weren't pleasant to think about. She had wandered deep into the woods until she couldn't recognize where she was anymore.
"Where am I?" She asked, gazing around from side to side. "I don't think I've ever been around here before." She looked at her surroundings. It was dark and barely any sunlight shone through. She was beginning to panic, but she didn't show her fear. She was brought up to be strong and fearless, but she wasn't very independent. "Is anybody here?" She called out. There was no answer. "Mommy! Daddy! Grampa! Someone, help me!" She cried out. She sat on the muddy ground and tucked her head between her legs and rocked her body back and forth.
"Oh, you poor baby." A voice said from a distance. Zenrei picked her head up and looked around, searching for the owner of that heavenly voice.
"Who- who's there?" She asked fearfully. There was a slight chuckle and a woman's silhouette appeared before her. Zenrei squinted her eyes to catch a better look. "Mommy?" She asked. "Is that you?" The woman neared her and smiled profusely which scared Zenrei.
"No. I am not your mommy." She sat down next to Zenrei. "What are you doing here little girl?" She asked. "And where are your parents?" Zenrei kept quiet for a moment. Then, after seeing that the woman looked harmless enough, she decided to answer.
"I came here for a walk, but I guess I wasn't paying attention 'cause I got lost." The woman smiled at her and patted her head.
"Where were you planning on going?" She asked. Zenrei looked up and around.
"No where special. I just wanted to take a walk, that's all." The young lady stood up and wiped the leaves off of her clothes.
"What's your name?" She asked Zenrei.
"Zenrei!" She said proudly. "It means spirit of goodness." She said with a bright and cheerful smile.
'She reminds me so much of her father. It's highly noticeable.' "Well Zenrei, I know my way around here. I could give you a lift back home." She said politely. Zenrei smiled and wiped her small face from the tears that she shed. The young lady bent down to grab her and Zenrei opened her arms out widely. She picked her up and walked around. "I would also like you to give this to your father. It's a present from me." She said.
"Okay." Zenrei said, grabbing the small ring. She took a good look at it. "Wow! It's beautiful. It sparkles just like the stars!" She said, astonished at how beautiful the ring was. Jessica smiled and looked ahead towards a small opening.
"Well, where do you live?" She asked. Zenrei pointed in the direction she came from. The two of them walked off together into the woods. Finally, Zenrei had spotted her house. She was so glad that she couldn't contain herself. "Is this it?" The lady asked. Zenrei violently nodded her head.
"Yup! This is the one!" The lady still held Zenrei in her arms and knocked on the door. Xiaoyu swiftly opened the door with wide eyes. "Mama!" Zenrei said happily. She leaped from the lady's arms into her mother's. Xiaoyu was so relieved to have her child back that she paid no attention to the kind stranger that brought Zenrei back.
"Oh Zenni, you had me so worried!" She said. Zenrei looked up and smiled, caressing her mother's cheek.
"Oh mother, you worry too much." She said with a smile. "The nice lady helped me out." Ling lifted her head and saw the lady standing before her. She was beautiful. She had a pale white face with rosy lips. Her hair was long and wavy and her eyes were a chestnut brown. Ling smiled and bowed her head.
"Thank you." She answered politely. The young woman smiled and gave her a wink.
"It was no problem. Just doin' my job." She said in her Australian accent. Xiaoyu's eyes suddenly widened. That was it. That same Australian accent that she had remembered years ago.
"It can't be." She whispered aloud. "Jessica?" She asked. The girl smiled mischievously and walked away.
"Who's Jessica?" Zenrei asked curiously. Ling stood there with a blank look on her face. Jin had made his way to the door and saw Zenrei in Ling's arms.
"You found her!" He said proudly. Zenrei jumped down from her mother's arms and walked towards Jin, hugging his waist tightly.
"Daddy!" She said happily. She looked next to her father and saw Kazuya standing there. She gave him a warm smile. Ling charily shut the door with the same blank look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Asked Jin.
"How does she know where we live? How did she know we were here?" Xiaoyu's mind was clobbered with so much confusion. She threw herself on the couch and tried to ponder up some answers.
"Who?" Jin asked, sitting next to Xiaoyu. She looked back at him with deep confusion embedded in her dark brown eyes.
"Jessica!" She yelled. "I just don't know how she would know to look here. I would have thought that she went back to Australia." Jin grabbed hold of Ling's hands and stared her deep into the eyes, trying to calm her down. He took a deep breath, cautious of how he chose his words.
"Jessica is dead Ling. She died around the time of the fourth tournament." Ling's eyes widened. It seemed that they were going to pop out of their socket. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"What!? Dead? How could she be, I just saw her!!" She leaped from the couch and looked outside. There was no trace of her. Zenrei walked up to Jin, keeping her hands cupped.
"Daddy. The lady told me to give this back to you. She said it was a present." Kazuya and Ling gathered around Jin and Zenrei.~*~*~*~*~
Hinotama stood on the top steps of the great mansion. He looked out far into the mist and saw the young lady approach him. She stood proud as she took each step towards him. He stood still, not sure of what to say to her.
"I think I am better at this than you." She said with a keen smile. Hinotama gritted his teeth, giving her an evil stare. She knew that he hated being second best, and she knew that she was beginning to get on his nerves. She walked up directly in front of him and gave him a teasing glare. "You have been wanting that child for how long, and here I am, a new comer, doing the job solo."
"Shut the hell up!" He snapped. "I could do this without your help. I don't know why Akuma asked for you!" He walked inside angrily, stomping at the ground.
"Hinotama, what's wrong with you? Why are you always so angry?" She asked in a calm tone. He stopped; surprised that she had asked him that. No one had ever bothered to ask him anything about himself. He turned his head away.
"Nothing. It's none of your damn business." He walked away into the dark hall. She sighed and walked towards Akuma's office. She knocked shyly and waited for Akuma's ok.
"Come in." She heard. She opened the door and stepped in. She took a deep breath and stood in the front of his desk.
"Mr. Akuma, I have found where the girl lives." She said quietly.
"Good. When will you kidnap her?" He asked. She looked at the clock and noticed she had a few hours to kill.
"I will take her tonight. Around 9:30p.m. That should give me plenty of time." Akuma laughed aloud, massaging his hands, and thought about how nicely his plan was turning out.
"How did you do it?" He asked. "How did you get that stubborn brat to believe in you?" She pulled up a seat and sat next to him.
"All I did was pretend to be her friend. She's so naïve, just like her father. She was lost, so I guided her back home, now she thinks that I am kind." She swiped her hair to the side and reclined herself. "I thought it was going to be difficult, because you told me that she could sense an evil spirit."
"Yes. That's true. But you have no evil in your blood. I made sure of that." Akuma said, relaxing himself as well. She was hiding something from him. There was something she needed to know about him, as well as Hinotama.
"Uh, excuse me sir, but could you explain all of this to me? Like why is Hinotama so upset all the time, and what is your purpose for this girl?" He thought about it for a while. Should he tell her, or just keep it a hidden secret? He looked at her, and then found that he could trust her.
"My real name is Steve Fox. I was adopted some time ago, after my birth." She gasped.
"Wait! I think I remember hearing that name. You were in the last King Of Iron Fist tournament, right?" He nodded.
"I hoped to find out more about my past. What I found out was that I was just an experiment. I was combined with another gene; not the Devil gene, but another Devilish type of gene, and a human gene. This gene was the remains of Devil's brother, Akuma." She looked at him to try to understand him better. Then she had noticed a large scar on his left arm.
"Is that how you got your scar?" She asked. He looked at his arm and touched it.
"Something similar to that. I guess Akuma had gotten this scar against a battle with Devil. Anyway, I had found out more than I wished to know. Pretty soon, this evil gene began to take over me. I began to see and want the same things that Akuma saw, and wanted. His goal, or should I say 'our' goal is to bring back all the Demons into this world. The only way we can do that is by using that Girl's genetic DNA. She's the only innocent one who has the Devil, and angel gene stirred in her blood."
"I see." She said. "But if you want to bring the demons back into this realm, why would you need someone with the Angel gene?"
"Because if she falls into the wrong hands, she could destroy us all. I want to corrupt her into the dark, and have her forget about all this Angel shit!!" The girl lowered her head and nodded.
"I understand...but why do you need me? Why should I take part in all of this?" She asked. She was overly concerned of why Akuma wanted her to be the decoy. Akuma set his hands on the desk.
"I know what you wanted. Your dying words played over and over in my head. Jin was the only man that you loved. Now, you can elusively capture his daughter, kill his darling wife, and take him all for yourself." She gasped, hearing of what had to be done. Was this right? Was any of it right? Sure she loved Jin, but she couldn't hurt him so. She wanted him to be happy, but she wanted to be happy herself. If she did carry out her plans like this, Jin wouldn't be happy, and neither would she. But this was too great of a risk. She was already too deep to get out. There had to be some way that she could carry out her plan, and not have to make it seem so horrid. She bowed and walked out of the office.
At that same time, Hinotama was just making his way towards her. She tried to smile, but she knew that Hinotama would never accept her. She took a deep breath and stood in front of him.
"Hinotama, would you please just talk to me, for once?" He gave her an evil death stare and walked into Akuma's office, slamming the door behind him. She heaved an enormous sigh and rested her head against the door.
Hinotama sat at Akuma's desk, slamming his hands on the surface. Akuma looked up and saw the worried look on his face.
"I can't take it anymore!" He shouted. "I don't know why I have to go through this every day!" He lowered his head and looked at his agitated hands shake.
"Listen, I know you're still upset about your past. You really never had any friends, except for Kanji..."
"And that little Angel-Devil bitch had to kill him! I can't wait until we get to kill her once we're through with using her genetic material!"
"Look Hinotama, there's another obstacle standing in out way; two other women, Razan and Europa. Europa is a small six year old, and Razan is a strong seventeen year old. She is the youngest sister of Jun Kazama, and is thought to also have hidden powers. Europa...is actually a rival of mine. I am sure she'd like to meet me face to face again." He said with a sinister laugh. "I want you to bring the two to me." He nodded his head and left the office.
As he left, he had opened the door and hit the young lady in the head.
"What are you doing Jessica?" He asked calmly. She rubbed her head and began to laugh.
"Sorry Hinotama, I didn't know you were coming out so soon. Would you mind warning me first?" She asked playfully. Hinotama had felt his conscious lighten up. He looked at the beautiful Jessica and smiled. It was the first time that he had smiled in a long time. She was so glad to see him loosen up. It seemed like the heavens had opened up to her. He grabbed her hand and took her to the top of the Mansion; his room. She gazed in awe. She had never seen something so beautiful. She walked around and sat in the ledge of the balcony. Hinotama smiled as he looked at her graceful body being caressed by the gentle passing breeze. "See, you're not so evil." She said gently. She moved from the ledge and landed on the floor. She walked up to him and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "You're not evil at all. Akuma must have only used your anger. You were angry and sad all this time. Why?" Her voice was so light, that it was barely a whisper. Hinotama closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the things that made him angry.
"I ran away a long time ago." He explained. "I miss my sister, and yet, I miss something that I never had." She slowly moved her hands to his shoulder, slightly holding on to him.
"What's that?" She asked.
"I miss being loved." He said solemnly. "A long time ago, I had these two friends, Jin and Ling Xiaoyu. I always thought that they would be together, but I saw how close they were, and I only wished that I could have a part of it. That's when I saw Akuma. He told me that he could give me anything I wanted, so I said that I would join him, and maybe I would find someone who loved me back. That wasn't the case. The more I thought about it, the more I began to hate. I hated so much, that any couple I saw, I would want to kill them, for having what I longed for the most. Then I saw a young man, in the same situation I was in. I offered him the same that I was offered. We were pretty good partners, even though he was a major screw up." Jessica smiled and gently laid a kiss on his cheek.
"Maybe there's still time." She whispered. "Maybe we can have all we ever wanted." She whispered in his ear as she guided him to the bed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jin took the ring from Zenrei's hand. He looked at it carefully, and yet, he could not believe that it was the same ring Jessica had given him. He held it carefully in his hands, wondering about it.
"What's wrong Jin?" Kazuya asked. He didn't know anything about Jessica.
"This is Jessica's ring. She gave this to me before she died." Ling slapped her hand on her head.
"I can't believe any of this. The girl is supposed to be dead, and here she is, haunting our family." Zenrei tugged on Jin's shirt.
"Daddy, she wasn't a ghost. She was real, but who was she? Was she your friend?" She asked innocently. Jin had a concerned look on his face. "Why did she give you that beautiful ring?" She asked again. Jin felt like he was being questioned for treason.
"Yeah Jin, I don't ever remember you telling me about this 'ring'." Ling said as she circled him.
"What? You mean Jin had a ring from another girl and he never told you?" Kazuya asked. Ling nodded her head.
"That's right! I knew that this Jessica girl liked him, but that still doesn't explain the whole thing!" Now, both Kazuya and Ling were circling Jin, making him more and more nervous. "Come on Jin, explain the importance of this ring!!" She said with an evil smile.
"Yeah! Splain!!" Zenrei added, also marching around Jin. Kazuya picked Zenrei up, placed her on his shoulders and handed her a flashlight. She turned it on and flashed it right on Jin's eyes.
"Jinny, you got some splainin' to do!" Kazuya added. (I'm sorry, but that was just too funny! I had to add it in there!) Jin was so frustrated that he shouted,
"Hey! What's with the third degree?! It's just an engagement ring! No need to go psycho over!!!" Everyone stopped. Ling froze in place. She never knew that Jin was asked to be married. Kazuya saw the surprised look in both of their eyes.
"Whoa!" Zenrei said. "You were gadged?" She asked. Then her expression turned to that of a confused one. "Wait, what's gadged?" She asked Kazuya.
"Err...um..." He looked at Ling, then back at his son. Ling gave him the go- ahead to get out of the house as soon as possible. "I'll tell you outside." He said as he walked out of the house with the curious little girl on his back. She gave Jin a sharp look.
"Uh, Ling... I can explain!" He said backing up. She clenched her fist and bit her lower lip.
You have 30 seconds. Go!" *~*~*~*~*~*
Jessica looked at the clock across the room. It was 9:15. She couldn't leave so suddenly. She felt all the love she had ever wanted in this room. She reluctantly let go of Hinotama, giving him one last passionate kiss before she left the bed.
"I think we have plans now." She said, bringing her clothes back on. Hinotama left the warmth of her soft body and shook his head, bringing it back to its original neatness.
"I think we do." He said, bringing her back down to the bed. "But this may be the last time." She giggled and gently pushed him off.
"Not if I can help it. After tonight, we'll be free." The two of them smiled and walked out of the mansion together. Akuma looked out of his window, watching them leave hand in hand.
"What the hell happened to them!? Who fucked up their minds?" He asked. ~*~*~*~*~
Zenrei stood out of the house and walked around with Kazuya. It was already getting late. She had seen Yuki wonder around, just a little further from where she was standing.
Razan came up behind Zenrei and patted her on the head.
"Where are you going kid?" She asked.
"I'm going to follow Yuki. She's lonely, but I think I can help. What about you?" She asked. Razan smiled.
"I'm going home."
"Don't! Grampa said that mother is beating the crap out of daddy cuz he was gadged." Razan had the most confused look on her face. She didn't know what to think. She shrugged her shoulders and walked towards Kazuya.
"What is she talking about?" Razan asked. Kazuya laughed.
"We just found out that Jin was asked to be married by some girl named Jessica. But this happened a long time ago."
"Well, he never married her. So what's the problem?"
"He just now told her!" Her eyes widened as she could only imagine the pain that went through Ling's heart.
"So, would it be safe to go in yet?" She asked.
"Sure, but it's 5$ a seat."
"What?" She asked, unsure of what he was talking about.
"It's a match you wouldn't normally see in the King Of Iron Fist tournament, ya gotta make money somehow." She laughed and stood outside next to Kazuya. She always looked up to him. He was a strong person, and for a while, he showed her how to be strong. She looked back, and didn't find Zenrei. She was gone.
"Zenrei! Get back over here, it's late already!" She didn't answer. "Zenrei!" She called again. There was no trace of her. "Damn it!" She cursed. She walked the way that Zenrei was last seen. Kazuya also followed.
Zenrei was riding on Yuki, and it seemed that they were going faster than they normally went.
"Where is it girl?" She asked. Yuki stopped about half a mile later. Zenrei found the spot where Kuma and Panda were buried. She knelt down to the side and crossed her arms. I sure hope this works. I never tried anything like this before, but since you believe in me, I will do my best.
Jessica and Hinotama stood a little further from where Zenrei was.
"That's it! But what's she doing?" She asked. She watched as Zenrei spread out her arms and looked to the sky. Zenrei placed her small body in between the two bears.
"Oh great heavens; open up so that Yuki can have her mommy and daddy that were taken away from her. Please hear my plea to you, and use my body and spirit of goodness to bring them back." She closed her eyes and felt her body rising from the ground.
"What the hell is going on?!" Hinotama asked.
"It's her light! She's using her light energy!!" Jessica said astoundingly. Razan and Kazuya had seen an awesome beam of a radiant blue light.
"It's her!" Razan called out. She and Kazuya raced over to the beam and saw Zenrei's spirit energy. After five minutes, the light began to dim down and Zenrei was placed back on the ground. As she fell on the dirt, Kuma and Panda both pushed their way up from the ground.
Everyone who whiteness gasped. Now, they all knew the true power of Zenrei. But even more, there was so much mystery behind it all. Yuki looked with teary eyes at her parents. She tackled them to the ground and gave them an innumerable amount of kisses. Zenrei slowly opened her eyes.
"Now you can be happy again." She said with a subtle smile. Slowly, she lost consciousness. Kazuya and Razan rushed to her side.
"Zenni! Wake up Zenni!" She called. Kazuya looked at both Kuma and Panda. They were alive. They were the real thing.
"You know what he have to do now." Jessica said as she got to her feet. "Let's get going."
Kotou: Whoa! This took a real long time! I had to think of a good idea to support this theme! So how was it? Were you guys surprised? Did Akuma's secret surprise you? I'll have more on the way!! Jai Ne!!