Chapter 38
When the fight was over Lara got up and walked out into the hall. A red haired girl in a red dress and high heels stepped into her path. She was a bit smaller than Lara who recognised her as the girl Lee had pointed out to her as Anna Williams, Nina's sister.
"You're the one called Lara Croft?" Anna hissed at her in anger.
'What now?' Lara thought to herself.
"Yes, that's me."
"Listen, bitch. Stay away from Kazuya Mishima, he is mine."
Lara rolled her eyes.
"How sweet is that?" she replied.
"I am having the most incredible sex with him, and you will not take that away from me."
Lara pushed her aside to get past and left her standing in the doorway. The anger inside her was growing and it was directed against Kazuya. How could he do that to her?
Kazuya came out just a few minutes later. He walked up towards Lara. Without thinking for a moment she slapped him across the face. He wasn't prepared for that, and when he reacted and grabbed her arm it was too late. He looked at her in confusion.
"How did I deserve that?"
"Anna Williams." Lara growled.
He looked at her completely clueless.
"Don't pretend not to know." she yelled angry. "You slept with her." she accused him.
"What does that matter now?" he said calmly.
"What does that matter now? What - does - that - matter - now? Paul was right about you...."
"What? It was just a one night stand... That was months ago, I didn't know the bitch was still going on about it."
Lara was about to yell at him again but then went quiet.
"Months ago?" she repeated quietly.
"Thanks for your trust." he said and marched past her and towards the door.
At the door he bumped into Paul Phoenix.
"Trouble with your little girlfriend?" Paul teased him.
"I should kill you right here, right now." Kazuya growled and lunged at him.
Lee who had just entered the building, coming for his fight, held him back.
"Let me go, Chaolan."
"Good evening, to you too, Kazuya." Lee replied.
"He deserves it, spreading lies about me."
"Lies? Lies? Well isn't it true that you take everything you can get? Money, girls... Everybody knows that."
Lee had trouble holding Kazuya back.
"Phoenix, get out of here and stop annoying us." Lee said calmly.
By now Lara had reached the doors as well.
"Hi Lara." Lee said to her.
"Let him go, Chaolan." she said.
"What?" Lee replied.
"Let him go." she repeated.
Lee released Kazuya. But instead of attacking Paul he just pushed him aside, then went out through the door and was gone.
"What happened?" Lee asked.
"Misunderstanding." Lara replied and went out after Kazuya.
"Kazuya. Wait." Lara yelled after him.
He turned around and looked at her for a moment. Lara caught up to him.
"Listen. I am sorry. They have all been poisoning my mind. And Anna sounded as if..."
"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" he said and turned away.
Lara held him back before he could go.
"What now?" he yelled at her.
"Kazuya... I am sorry." Lara said releasing him.
"Yes, I have heard. I am not deaf." he said, turned around and walked away.
Lara did not follow him any more. Instead she turned around and walked back into the arena where she met Lee Chaolan again.
"Hey Lara, back already. Where have you left my brother?"
"Don't ask." she replied sadly.
"Oh no, he is angry with you? Why? What happened?"
"I cannot bother you with my problems now. You have an important fight tonight."
"Everything that keeps my mind off that is welcome." he replied.
"Ok." Lara said and started telling her story. "Anna confronted me. She told me to stay away from your brother..."
"Anna, of course. He had something going on with her, a while ago... let me think... about 5 months ago or so. She wasn't very happy when he dumped her. Since then she had been following him, trying to get him back. She is just not giving up."
"He is angry that I didn't trust him." Lara continued. "That I believed something was going on between them right now."
Lee laid his arm around Lara.
"There is one thing you should keep in mind, Lara. 'Never believe a word of what Anna, Paul or Law tell you.' They will tell you anything about Kazuya. He is not what I would call a good person, but he is honest. He will tell you right in the face what he thinks, if he likes you or not... And he always finishes one thing before he starts another."
"Ok. Maybe I have been unfair. But he wouldn't listen to my apologies."
"Don't worry too much; tomorrow he probably will."
"You think so?"
"I am certain. His anger always subsided quickly; unless your name is Heihachi. Which reminds me; I have to go now. Will I see you after my fight? I will drop you off at your place... if I am able to." he added with a forced smile.
"Good luck." Lara called after him.
She returned to her seat and again found Lei in the seat next to her. The young man smiled when he saw her coming.
"So you are back? I was afraid you might have left after the first fight."
"I wanted to, but then I've decided to watch Lee Chaolan's fight as well."
"I fear the poor guy will lose against his father. But still this might be an interesting fight."
They waited for quite a long time but nothing happened. None of the fighters came out. Lara grew worried that something might have happened to Lee; that Heihachi had started the fight a bit early. Then the announcer stepped into the ring and informed the crowd that Heihachi had not arrived in the arena yet.
Lara started to worry again. This was her fault. He was probably still locked up in the warehouse... What would happen now? Heihachi would be disqualified and Lee would move on to the final round against Kazuya. Kazuya would be angry he wouldn't get the chance to fight against his father. Heihachi... well he would still want to kill her. And Lee? What would he say?
Twenty minutes later, Heihachi had still not shown up and Lee was declared winner.
"Oh well, that was an interesting fight." Lei commented getting up. "Can I invite you to a drink?" he then asked Lara.
"I am sorry, but I wanted to return to my hotel right away. It has been a busy week so far, and I fear it's going to stay this way."
"Ok. Then I guess this is goodbye." Lei said shaking Lara's hand.
Lara met Lee in front of the arena. He was a bit confused that he had won without fighting at all. Lara avoided telling him that it was her fault Heihachi didn't show up.
"Excellent." Lee said sarcastically. "Heihachi will be angry and blame me no matter what happened, and Kazuya will be angry that he won't get what he had been waiting for for ages."
"Don't worry too much about it." Lara said placing her hand on his shoulder.
"I don't. Come on, I will drive you home."
When the fight was over Lara got up and walked out into the hall. A red haired girl in a red dress and high heels stepped into her path. She was a bit smaller than Lara who recognised her as the girl Lee had pointed out to her as Anna Williams, Nina's sister.
"You're the one called Lara Croft?" Anna hissed at her in anger.
'What now?' Lara thought to herself.
"Yes, that's me."
"Listen, bitch. Stay away from Kazuya Mishima, he is mine."
Lara rolled her eyes.
"How sweet is that?" she replied.
"I am having the most incredible sex with him, and you will not take that away from me."
Lara pushed her aside to get past and left her standing in the doorway. The anger inside her was growing and it was directed against Kazuya. How could he do that to her?
Kazuya came out just a few minutes later. He walked up towards Lara. Without thinking for a moment she slapped him across the face. He wasn't prepared for that, and when he reacted and grabbed her arm it was too late. He looked at her in confusion.
"How did I deserve that?"
"Anna Williams." Lara growled.
He looked at her completely clueless.
"Don't pretend not to know." she yelled angry. "You slept with her." she accused him.
"What does that matter now?" he said calmly.
"What does that matter now? What - does - that - matter - now? Paul was right about you...."
"What? It was just a one night stand... That was months ago, I didn't know the bitch was still going on about it."
Lara was about to yell at him again but then went quiet.
"Months ago?" she repeated quietly.
"Thanks for your trust." he said and marched past her and towards the door.
At the door he bumped into Paul Phoenix.
"Trouble with your little girlfriend?" Paul teased him.
"I should kill you right here, right now." Kazuya growled and lunged at him.
Lee who had just entered the building, coming for his fight, held him back.
"Let me go, Chaolan."
"Good evening, to you too, Kazuya." Lee replied.
"He deserves it, spreading lies about me."
"Lies? Lies? Well isn't it true that you take everything you can get? Money, girls... Everybody knows that."
Lee had trouble holding Kazuya back.
"Phoenix, get out of here and stop annoying us." Lee said calmly.
By now Lara had reached the doors as well.
"Hi Lara." Lee said to her.
"Let him go, Chaolan." she said.
"What?" Lee replied.
"Let him go." she repeated.
Lee released Kazuya. But instead of attacking Paul he just pushed him aside, then went out through the door and was gone.
"What happened?" Lee asked.
"Misunderstanding." Lara replied and went out after Kazuya.
"Kazuya. Wait." Lara yelled after him.
He turned around and looked at her for a moment. Lara caught up to him.
"Listen. I am sorry. They have all been poisoning my mind. And Anna sounded as if..."
"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" he said and turned away.
Lara held him back before he could go.
"What now?" he yelled at her.
"Kazuya... I am sorry." Lara said releasing him.
"Yes, I have heard. I am not deaf." he said, turned around and walked away.
Lara did not follow him any more. Instead she turned around and walked back into the arena where she met Lee Chaolan again.
"Hey Lara, back already. Where have you left my brother?"
"Don't ask." she replied sadly.
"Oh no, he is angry with you? Why? What happened?"
"I cannot bother you with my problems now. You have an important fight tonight."
"Everything that keeps my mind off that is welcome." he replied.
"Ok." Lara said and started telling her story. "Anna confronted me. She told me to stay away from your brother..."
"Anna, of course. He had something going on with her, a while ago... let me think... about 5 months ago or so. She wasn't very happy when he dumped her. Since then she had been following him, trying to get him back. She is just not giving up."
"He is angry that I didn't trust him." Lara continued. "That I believed something was going on between them right now."
Lee laid his arm around Lara.
"There is one thing you should keep in mind, Lara. 'Never believe a word of what Anna, Paul or Law tell you.' They will tell you anything about Kazuya. He is not what I would call a good person, but he is honest. He will tell you right in the face what he thinks, if he likes you or not... And he always finishes one thing before he starts another."
"Ok. Maybe I have been unfair. But he wouldn't listen to my apologies."
"Don't worry too much; tomorrow he probably will."
"You think so?"
"I am certain. His anger always subsided quickly; unless your name is Heihachi. Which reminds me; I have to go now. Will I see you after my fight? I will drop you off at your place... if I am able to." he added with a forced smile.
"Good luck." Lara called after him.
She returned to her seat and again found Lei in the seat next to her. The young man smiled when he saw her coming.
"So you are back? I was afraid you might have left after the first fight."
"I wanted to, but then I've decided to watch Lee Chaolan's fight as well."
"I fear the poor guy will lose against his father. But still this might be an interesting fight."
They waited for quite a long time but nothing happened. None of the fighters came out. Lara grew worried that something might have happened to Lee; that Heihachi had started the fight a bit early. Then the announcer stepped into the ring and informed the crowd that Heihachi had not arrived in the arena yet.
Lara started to worry again. This was her fault. He was probably still locked up in the warehouse... What would happen now? Heihachi would be disqualified and Lee would move on to the final round against Kazuya. Kazuya would be angry he wouldn't get the chance to fight against his father. Heihachi... well he would still want to kill her. And Lee? What would he say?
Twenty minutes later, Heihachi had still not shown up and Lee was declared winner.
"Oh well, that was an interesting fight." Lei commented getting up. "Can I invite you to a drink?" he then asked Lara.
"I am sorry, but I wanted to return to my hotel right away. It has been a busy week so far, and I fear it's going to stay this way."
"Ok. Then I guess this is goodbye." Lei said shaking Lara's hand.
Lara met Lee in front of the arena. He was a bit confused that he had won without fighting at all. Lara avoided telling him that it was her fault Heihachi didn't show up.
"Excellent." Lee said sarcastically. "Heihachi will be angry and blame me no matter what happened, and Kazuya will be angry that he won't get what he had been waiting for for ages."
"Don't worry too much about it." Lara said placing her hand on his shoulder.
"I don't. Come on, I will drive you home."
