Author's notes: This story is mostly based on Tekken 4 and the currently (2004) released information on Tekken 5 and its characters. Though some infos were taken from Tekken Official, some situations, events and characters are all fanmade. This is also the sequel to my previous fanfics, Tekken 5: The Kazama-Mishima Connections & The Kazama-Mishima Connections 2. Rated G
Disclaimer: Kazuya Mishima, Jun Kazama, Jin Kazama, Asuka Kazama, Wang Jinrei, Ling Xiaoyu, Hwoarang, Steve Fox and all Tekken characters referred in this fanfic are the property of NAMCO. This is only a fan fiction from the imagination of an obsessed fan. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 18: Competing Lives
"Come on, Grandpa! You promised that if I beat the crap out of you, you'd tell me what I want to know!"
"I never promised anything," Jinrei grumbled while rubbing his back. "I said that I might tell you. Now, I decided...no. I won't tell you. Part of it is because of the foulness of your language. Besides, the Mishimas and the Kazamas do not concern us. We should leave it at that."
"You're such a hypocrite!" Ling Xiaoyu shook her head in disapproval. She and her grandfather, Wang Jinrei, were now ambling towards the estate square, where a large monitor broadcasting the current fights was installed. "You talked with Jin and Asuka's father, didn't you? I reckon that was pretty important. So please! Please tell me!"
"I never really asked you how you knew..." Jinrei narrowed a suspicious eye at his granddaughter. "How did you?"
"Jin and Asuka told me."
"And they, in turn, told you to go to me and fish around for answers," Jinrei nodded in understanding. "I should've known those two can be quite shrewd; just like their father. Even used my own kin to plot against me..."
"Oooh! Stop being so melodramatic, Grandpa!" Xiaoyu stomped her feet angrily. "They just wanna know what's going on! They've been depressed for days...maybe because of that secret conversation."
"I really cannot and will not tell you," Jinrei strengthened his resolve. "Those words are only meant for the ears of the Kazamas and Mishimas. As much as I'd like to tell your friends everything, I cannot let the course of destiny take a wrong turn. I am only a guide and am obliged to relay only what is needed for them to go into the correct path...and I've done that through Kazuya Mishima.
"Now, just pipe down and enjoy the rest of the battles while I...uh...sit down and relax..." Jinrei wheezed and sat himself heavily by a bench. Xiaoyu glared at him for a moment before sighing in exasperation. She stared at the broadcast of Paul Phoenix's fight with Marshall Law for a while; then, she sat beside her grandfather.
"Oh. Hey, Xiao," came the glum voice of Hwoarang, as he walked up beside the bench. "How'd you do?"
"Managed to beat the crap out of my grandpa," Xiaoyu bragged but her smile quickly faded. "Did pretty good in the next few rounds until that stump man came. What in the world was that, anyway? Oh, I didn't ask how you did. How did you do, Hwo?"
"Lost my motivation," Hwoarang put his hands behind his head and leaned against a nearby tree. "With Kazama gone, what's the point of continuing? So I dropped off the tournament."
"Which Kazama are you talking about? Jin or Asuka?"
"Both," Hwoarang shrugged.
"Oh my, Hwo. I didn't know you were B.I..." Xiaoyu teased.
"WHAT! HELL, NO!" Hwoarang blushed heavily, his face, fierce. "I've got different reasons for both of 'em! For good competition: Jin. For inspiration: Asuka. But don't tell her brother that."
"Yeah, whatever...huh?" Xiaoyu, along with Hwoarang and Jinrei, turned to see the commotion nearby. A small group of orderlies was pushing a gurney, which held a good-looking man with silvery white hair. He apparently had a broken arm and was moaning, rather exaggeratedly, in pain. A voluptuous brown-haired woman in red was holding his good hand as he was brought up to the ambulance.
"Oh, Lee, darling. Why didn't you evade my attack? Didn't you tell me to be serious? You promised that whoever loses between us gets...you know. How are we supposed to do that with your injury?"
"But alas, my princess Anna, I have lost all will to fight...with that damned brother of mine gone. How, oh how will I ever truly reclaim this empire and make you queen? Oh...the pain...in my arm and in my heart..."
"Darling, don't despair. Just rest your beautiful head on that fluffy pillow. I'll take good care of you and make you feel like a king all over again. You want that don't you?"
"Looks like you're not the only one who's lost the spirit because of a Mishima," Xiaoyu made a disgusted face, relieved when the ambulance finally sped away with the overacting lovers. "Man...talk about really overdoing it. If I had eaten something for lunch, I could've hurled all over this estate."
"You and me both...blech," Hwoarang stuck out his tongue. "Why some guys can act like that is beyond me."
"Wait a minute. Xiao. You didn't eat anything for lunch!" Jinrei riveted his reprimanding eyes at his granddaughter. "What would your mother say once she learns of this? She'll blame me for turning you into skin and bones! Now, go on and"
The clicking sound of high-heels, hitting the pavement, was the next to disrupt the conversation. A blonde woman in a gold suit stopped in front of them and looked around a bit, before turning to the three people in front of her.
"Have you seen my wretched sister and her idiot boyfriend?" she asked gruffly. "She's this brown-haired bitch and the guy's a silver-haired bastard."
Silently, Xiaoyu, Jinrei and Hwoarang pointed to the right direction. The woman gave them a quick 'thank you' and took off in a Lambourgini.
"That was Nina Williams, wasn't it?" Hwoarang raised an eyebrow, watching as the car burned rubber out of the estate grounds. "I noticed that Steve's been staring at her a lot lately. Probably has a crush on her."
"I don't think so," Xiaoyu refuted. "I mean, look at them. They look so much alike! I'm thinkin' Ms. Williams is Steve's sister or something. Besides, it's much too obvious that you two horndogs got your lusty eyes on Asuka. What's with men and breasts anyway?"
"Ah, jealous now, aren't we?" Hwoarang snickered.
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!"
"Sure you are! Asuka's got a killer rack and you"
"Could you two please shut your filthy mouths? Your conversation is not a fitting one to be discussed in front of an old man!"
Xiaoyu and Hwoarang meekly obeyed but the silence was short-lived. Another woman, this time with long, brown braids, was jogging past them. A large sumo wrestler, carrying a bouquet of roses, was trotting close behind.
"I told you, I can't understand a word you're saying!" the woman called back to the wrestler. "I know you're nice and all, Mr. Ganryu, but I'm far too busy to talk to you. Please, just leave me alone!"
"J-Julia-chan!" the wrestler panted heavily, his large weight slowing his pace. "Matte! Julia-chan! Aishteru yo! Julia-chan!"
Xiao and Hwo looked at each other and started to open their mouths to speak but Steve Fox suddenly appeared in the scene, looking around in the same way Nina Williams had.
"Hey. Have you guys seen Ms. Williams?" Steve asked, almost frantically. "I need to talk to her. She has...we have the same shade of blon"
"She went that way. Just follow the Lambourgini," Hwoarang cut him off.
"Thanks," Steve gave him a grateful nod and hopped on to a motorcycle, quickly speeding towards the estate's exit.
"Boy, everyone's in a hurry," Hwoarang scratched at his fiery strands. "Damned dude didn't even say a proper goodbye."
"Uh...Hwo?" Xiaoyu bit her lip. "Did Steve just take your motorcycle?"
"What the! NO!" Hwoarang instinctively made a run for it but upon realizing that it was far too late, simply fumed in frustration. "My baby! How could you take her! Damn that Steve! I'll make sure he'll pay! I'll...YEOOUCH!"
"Ah...so this is where my coward of a student's been hiding all this time," Tae Kwon Do master, Baek Doo-san, pulled roughly on Hwoarang's ear.
"Aaagh! Let go of me, old man! OUCH!"
"You have some nerve...going with that attitude of yours. Tsk, tsk, tsk," Baek shook his head softly. "And to think I considered you my star pupil. Where's your sense of pride! How could you walk out of your battle like that? You were so close to finishing this tournament!"
"My motorOUCH!"
"You'll have a lot more things to worry about than that silly vehicle of yours! Come on! I'm not going to let you off easy this time!"
"Master! Please! Ouch! I bought that baby with my own money! My sweat and blood went through thatAck!"
"Boy, won't Asuka just looove to hear about this!" Xiaoyu called teasingly when Baek had dragged Hwoarang further away from the square.
"Consider yourself lucky to have me for your master and grandfather," Jinrei noted.
"Lucky!" Xiaoyu scoffed. "I don't thi"
"PAUL PHOENIX WINS!"
"What!" Xiaoyu quickly focused her attention on the large screen before her, as did Wang Jinrei and the other fighters who had come to the square. The broadcast of the tournament's final stages showed Paul Phoenix, pumping his fists up in victory.
"I win! I win!" Paul walked around in small circles, holding his arms up for all to see. He then turned and smiled smugly at Marshall Law, who was down on all fours, panting and wheezing.
"Okay now, buddy," Paul knelt down beside his fallen opponent and held out his hand. "A deal's a deal. Pay up."
"W-well...part of the deal was that if one of us wins the tournament, the bills would either be paid or forgiven, right?" Law reminded. "I lost, but you still have a chance! You said so yourself that you always wanted to defeat Kazuya Mishima, remember?"
"Oh, yeah...almost forgot about that," Paul twisted his lips in thought. "Alright. Time for me to face him. But you better not run away again!"
"My dear friend, when have I ever run from you?" Marshall let out a nervous laugh.
"Don't be a hypocrite! Our friendship is on the line here!" Paul wagged his finger threateningly. "It may just be money, but you don't call 345,000 just money! I need the dough too!"
Then, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Due to the absence of Mr. Kazuya Mishima, Paul Phoenix wins by default! He is the new King of the Iron Fist Tournament!"
"WHAT!" Paul, as well as the other fighters who were watching, chorused. Marshall Law, on the other hand, was trying his best to hold back his jubilation.
"Congratulations, Paul!" Law shook Paul's hand vigorously. "And like you said: a deal's a deal! I'm off the hook! You got a billion dollars with you now!"
"I...won...?" Paul blinked several times. It took a few more moments for everything to sink in. "I WON! I WON THE FREAKIN' TOURNAMENT! AT LONG LAST! AFTER OVER TWENTY YEARS OF WAITING!"
"This is ridiculous!" Xiaoyu seethed. "Of all people to win! That old guy had to beat me to it!"
"That 'old guy' is already a veteran," Jinrei corrected. "I think you need a little more humility. And...huh!"
"Grandpa?" Xiaoyu turned questioning eyes at Wang. "What's the matter?"
"It...can't...be..." Jinrei's eyes were wide with fright. "He's...here..."
"Who's..." Xiaoyu trailed off when she heard a cackle of strange laughter coming from the speakers. When she turned to look at the monitor, it showed nothing but static.
Chapter 19