Chapter 5:
Silver Storm
The three Chinese chatted as they made their way to the Xiang restaurant. Lee's good mood was infectious, Lei's serious words were replaced with jokes and old stories. The merry mood was broken as they reached the shaken restaurant. It's face no longer held a cheery sign. Lee rushed in through the doors to see Li and Xu tidying the scattered chairs and broken glass. They looked up at Lee.
"What happened here?" Lee asked as Lei and Law ran into the room.
Xu started crying. Liu ran to Lee with anger in his eyes.
"That bully, Liu and his gang smashed the place up." Liu breathed heavily. "I would've stopped them, but I was too weak..."
The small boy grabbed Lee around his waist and held on tightly. Lee placed a hand on top of Li's head. Lee looked at Xu.
"Why would they do this?" Lee asked.
Xu stopped sobbing and wiped her eyes. "They are a small gang from the Red Triangle Triad. My father started this restaurant with hardly any money. His business flourished as more costumers came. We were happy then." Xu's face turned a darker shade. "After father died, he left the business to me. As I am nowhere near as good a cook as my father, less customers came, we were still doing alright until the Red Triangle moved to Hong Kong from the mainland. They demanded protection money, at first I refused and they trashed the place. Then I paid until I couldn't afford it, our business isn't doing well and the triad keeps demanding more money... If only father was alive..." Xu burst into tears.
Law walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes. Law smiled. "Don't worry about a thing, we'll help you." He said. "We can protect you. I know how it is, the police won't help-" Lei stepped forward and opened his mouth. He then sighed and looked down. "I'm a chef, I used to own the Marshall China in America. I'll help in the restaurant."
"Thank you." Xu smiled.
"Now let us help you tidy up." Law started tidying a few broken plates. With some positive action in front of him, Li started cleaning double-time. Lee laughed and helped him.
Lei sat on a stool, thinking. Red Triangle... Could that be the Triad he's looking for?
"What! Is this true?" The Dragon Head was red with anger. Liu hated his job, he always got shit for giving info, and he got shit for being the bad guy. No matter what he did, he was always screwed by both sides.
"Y-yes, Mishima Zaibatsu has recently been taken over by Mr. Mishima's grandson, Kazama Jin." Liu explained. "He refuses to fund us and says we are a disgrace to humanity."
"So they're going to wipe us out. I told Heihachi that putting the whole company on the line was a bad idea. What a fool." The Dragon Head rose from his seat "No matter, they can send their Tekken force, now Zei-Mu has returned Triad morale has been raised. Not even Kazama can beat my son... Liu, have you any news of my other son?"
"Erm, he didn't like Heihachi very much as you know. The last we heard he just disappeared."
The Dragon Head looked saddened. Where is he? "In these circumstances we need all the men we can get. Contact everyone we know, double training time and don't bother with petty business." He ordered.
"Yes sir!" Liu bowed his head and left the dark room.
The Dragon Head took his grandfather's broadsword off the wall. He ran his finger along the edge and drew blood. "It was a mistake to leave you in Heihachi's care, I long for your return-"
"So I have a brother?"
The Dragon Head whipped around to see Zei-mu leaning against the wall next to him. Zei-mu folded his arms in front of his muscled chest. As usual he wasn't wearing a shirt, constantly training. "So why have you never told me?" He asked.
"Lee is no longer a Choalan, he has been tainted by the Mishimas. Besides, I haven't seen him since he was two." The Dragon Head opened a draw and took out a picture of Lee when he was about twenty. "This is the only thing that Heihachi has sent me." He handed the picture to Zei-mu who looked at it with interest.
"Father, what is your relationship with Heihachi?" Zei-mu asked whilst scanning the picture.
"We were colleagues in university. Back then we were fascinated by Zen and martial arts. We were evenly matched although I doubt I can beat him now." The Dragon Head smiled. Memories.
Liu burst into the room. The Dragon Head stared at him furiously. "Are you so incompetent that you cannot knock?"
"Sorry Dragon Head." Liu bowed his head. "I've come to report that I have hired Takashi Hiroshima, Kyokoshinkai Karate from Japan, Kenneth Mills, Shotokan Karate from the USA and Wong Yan-Jik, Gumdo from Korea to aid our cause."
Zei-Mu smiled. "There could be a problem with the first two, Hiro is very patriotic about Japan and Karate. As for Wong Yan-Jik, I would like to challenge him to a duel myself." Zei-Mu threw the photo in the air and sliced it in two with a previously unseen katana.
The Dragon Head was shocked. "Zei-mu, you didn't tell me you learned more styles."
"Northern Triad Wushu is the best, but it is incomplete. I trained in Kendo when I was in Taiwan. I haven't learned any other style, I promise."
Liu looked down at the cut photo and gasped. The Dragon Head turned to him. "What is it?"
"I know that man!" Liu exclaimed.
"What! Are you sure!" The Dragon Head was bewildered. "Tell me, how do you know my son?"
Silver Storm
The three Chinese chatted as they made their way to the Xiang restaurant. Lee's good mood was infectious, Lei's serious words were replaced with jokes and old stories. The merry mood was broken as they reached the shaken restaurant. It's face no longer held a cheery sign. Lee rushed in through the doors to see Li and Xu tidying the scattered chairs and broken glass. They looked up at Lee.
"What happened here?" Lee asked as Lei and Law ran into the room.
Xu started crying. Liu ran to Lee with anger in his eyes.
"That bully, Liu and his gang smashed the place up." Liu breathed heavily. "I would've stopped them, but I was too weak..."
The small boy grabbed Lee around his waist and held on tightly. Lee placed a hand on top of Li's head. Lee looked at Xu.
"Why would they do this?" Lee asked.
Xu stopped sobbing and wiped her eyes. "They are a small gang from the Red Triangle Triad. My father started this restaurant with hardly any money. His business flourished as more costumers came. We were happy then." Xu's face turned a darker shade. "After father died, he left the business to me. As I am nowhere near as good a cook as my father, less customers came, we were still doing alright until the Red Triangle moved to Hong Kong from the mainland. They demanded protection money, at first I refused and they trashed the place. Then I paid until I couldn't afford it, our business isn't doing well and the triad keeps demanding more money... If only father was alive..." Xu burst into tears.
Law walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes. Law smiled. "Don't worry about a thing, we'll help you." He said. "We can protect you. I know how it is, the police won't help-" Lei stepped forward and opened his mouth. He then sighed and looked down. "I'm a chef, I used to own the Marshall China in America. I'll help in the restaurant."
"Thank you." Xu smiled.
"Now let us help you tidy up." Law started tidying a few broken plates. With some positive action in front of him, Li started cleaning double-time. Lee laughed and helped him.
Lei sat on a stool, thinking. Red Triangle... Could that be the Triad he's looking for?
"What! Is this true?" The Dragon Head was red with anger. Liu hated his job, he always got shit for giving info, and he got shit for being the bad guy. No matter what he did, he was always screwed by both sides.
"Y-yes, Mishima Zaibatsu has recently been taken over by Mr. Mishima's grandson, Kazama Jin." Liu explained. "He refuses to fund us and says we are a disgrace to humanity."
"So they're going to wipe us out. I told Heihachi that putting the whole company on the line was a bad idea. What a fool." The Dragon Head rose from his seat "No matter, they can send their Tekken force, now Zei-Mu has returned Triad morale has been raised. Not even Kazama can beat my son... Liu, have you any news of my other son?"
"Erm, he didn't like Heihachi very much as you know. The last we heard he just disappeared."
The Dragon Head looked saddened. Where is he? "In these circumstances we need all the men we can get. Contact everyone we know, double training time and don't bother with petty business." He ordered.
"Yes sir!" Liu bowed his head and left the dark room.
The Dragon Head took his grandfather's broadsword off the wall. He ran his finger along the edge and drew blood. "It was a mistake to leave you in Heihachi's care, I long for your return-"
"So I have a brother?"
The Dragon Head whipped around to see Zei-mu leaning against the wall next to him. Zei-mu folded his arms in front of his muscled chest. As usual he wasn't wearing a shirt, constantly training. "So why have you never told me?" He asked.
"Lee is no longer a Choalan, he has been tainted by the Mishimas. Besides, I haven't seen him since he was two." The Dragon Head opened a draw and took out a picture of Lee when he was about twenty. "This is the only thing that Heihachi has sent me." He handed the picture to Zei-mu who looked at it with interest.
"Father, what is your relationship with Heihachi?" Zei-mu asked whilst scanning the picture.
"We were colleagues in university. Back then we were fascinated by Zen and martial arts. We were evenly matched although I doubt I can beat him now." The Dragon Head smiled. Memories.
Liu burst into the room. The Dragon Head stared at him furiously. "Are you so incompetent that you cannot knock?"
"Sorry Dragon Head." Liu bowed his head. "I've come to report that I have hired Takashi Hiroshima, Kyokoshinkai Karate from Japan, Kenneth Mills, Shotokan Karate from the USA and Wong Yan-Jik, Gumdo from Korea to aid our cause."
Zei-Mu smiled. "There could be a problem with the first two, Hiro is very patriotic about Japan and Karate. As for Wong Yan-Jik, I would like to challenge him to a duel myself." Zei-Mu threw the photo in the air and sliced it in two with a previously unseen katana.
The Dragon Head was shocked. "Zei-mu, you didn't tell me you learned more styles."
"Northern Triad Wushu is the best, but it is incomplete. I trained in Kendo when I was in Taiwan. I haven't learned any other style, I promise."
Liu looked down at the cut photo and gasped. The Dragon Head turned to him. "What is it?"
"I know that man!" Liu exclaimed.
"What! Are you sure!" The Dragon Head was bewildered. "Tell me, how do you know my son?"