:: II :: Bad Omens
Nina Williams strode into her room and flicked on the light switch. Dumping her handbag onto a nearby table, she dropped down onto the satin-soft, cream-coloured sofa and fanned herself with the leaflet that had been left on her coffee table.
Nina did not usually feel hot and bothered about things. She was the sort of woman who was all there; sexy, sassy, cold, calculating. But at that moment she was feeling very pissed off.
She cast her mind back over what had happened not a fortnight ago. She'd just finished her latest assignment when the boss at London's MI6 Headquarters had called her. Nina hadn't thought anything of it. She enjoyed the prospect of a new job. So she'd gone for her interview without much thought on the matter.
The boss had been casual about it.
"You've got an important job this time round, Ms. Williams," he'd said.
That had immediately interested Nina. She liked a challenge. It was usually only the odd crooked businessman or drug dealer she was asked to deal with.
"Oh?" She had raised an eyebrow, flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Do you mind if I light up?"
He had nodded without any expression. Nina had lit up her expensive Sobranie with ease and taken a drag.
"So who is it this time?"
"A very distinguished man who goes by the name of Kazuya Mishima."
"The Kazuya Mishima?" Nina had replied doubtfully. "Chairman of the Mishima Conglomerate? You want me to take care of him?" She inhaled again from the cigarette. "I'd better be paid a fucking shitload for this," she muttered.
"Naturally," had come the reply. "After all, somebody very prestigious is putting out the contract on Mr. Mishima's life."
"Who?"
"His father, Heihachi Mishima."
Nina had inhaled sharply. Normally, it wouldn't have surprised her. She's been asked to do all sorts of things – husbands on wives, wives on husbands, sons on fathers, fathers on sons, drug barons on dealers, businessmen on colleagues – all sorts. But the Mishima… no way was this just small fry. Could even end up being bad news – for her.
"I though Heihachi was dead," she spoke at last.
"You're being paid generously," he told her firmly, ignoring her remark. "You'll probably be promoted too."
Of course Nina had accepted after that.
She'd arrived in Neo-Tokyo a week later to meet her new partner, a computers specialist named Akio Yumiko. She didn't much like the thought of having a partner. She'd dealt with the Conglomerate before, and preferred to work on her own.
She'd met Akio outside his Headquarters, already set to hate his guts. Unfortunately, it hadn't quite worked out that way. Akio was all there too, and he was kind of cute. Nina flushed when she thought of him, much to her disgust. He had the kind of body that set her hormones kicking in, and his insolent face and long, swept-back jet hair was the kind of look that sent her pulse racing.
"Welcome to Japan, Ms. Williams," he'd greeted her in perfect English, his tone disarmingly blase.
Nina didn't like the feeling he gave her one bit. She had been going to refuse to work with him under anything less than her terms, but somehow she'd been able to say anything meaningful. Akio didn't talk much, but he could be very persuasive when he did open his mouth.
That had been the least of Nina's troubles. The worst part had come when they'd had that audience with Kazuya Mishima. She'd squirmed when she'd seen the red-suited figure come out after Kazuya.
Anna.
Nina loathed the sight of her younger sister. She hadn't changed much in the two years since the last tournament. Anna was still charming, up-front, and top-heavy. She oozed sex appeal, even in a suit. She'd always been the favourite, back when they'd been growing up in Ireland. Nina had been glad to get rid of her when Anna had gone to Japan to work for the Mishima Conglomerate. Little had she known that her sister, as personal secretary to Heihachi Mishima, and now Kazuya, would enter the tournament. That year, Anna had got the better of her.
Two years on, and the two sisters had glared each other over the hallway, re-igniting the old animosity.
Nina was determined that this year, the outcome of the tournament was going to be very different indeed.
Jun was annoyed.
Just when she'd wanted some time on her own to work out the best course of action to uncovering Kazuya Mishima's underworld, Lei had come knocking at her door.
"Mind if I come in?" he'd greeted, pushing his way through.
"Does it look like I have choice?" Jun had retorted acidly, and slammed the door shut.
"Don't do that!" Lei hissed at her. "They'll get suspicious! We'll have to pretend we're interested in each other. Then we'll have an excuse to pop in and out of each other's rooms."
"Me? Interested in you?" Jun had scoffed. "In a pig's eye."
Lei had ignored her and thrown himself down on the nearest settee.
"So, let's think of some sort of strategy to infiltrate their security," he'd ordered more than suggested, putting his feet up.
So here they were, half an hour later, without having got much further.
"There's no way of doing it in simple terms," Jun argued. "The security here's just too tight. We've got to work through this slowly and stealthily."
Lei scored the leaflet in his hands with narrow eyes.
"Well, we've got six weeks to get this done, so we'd better get to it."
"Okay then, let's do a bit of unassuming snooping around, then we can pinpoint any holes in their security system."
"Too amateurish," Lei brushed aside the suggestion quickly. "And besides it's too risky. I think Kazuya Mishima was pretty damn serious when he said that we weren't to go snooping around."
"Yes, but I'm female, and he'll probably let me off," Jun replied sarcastically. Lei glowered at her.
"All right. I'll go about things my way, you go about things yours." He stood up. "You know, I really feel like a drink. You gonna come with me?"
"I think I'll pass this one up, thanks," she answered peevishly.
Lei shrugged in his usual way, leaving the room with a swagger.
Once he was gone, Jun threw the leaflet violently onto the table. Lei seriously irritated her. She'd have to be on her guard if this partnership was going to work.
Lei frowned as he walked towards the bar. He didn't approve of Jun as a partner, but that could not be helped. It was just that when it came to matters like this, women usually made a mess of things.
"Women," he sighed in his native Cantonese, "why is it I'm always made to work with them?"
The bar was full – the only place that was free for him to sit was a two-seater in the corner of the room. A lonely-looking girl who seemed lost in her thoughts occupied one of these seats. Lei wasn't in the mood to fraternise with the opposite sex, but he had no choice, so, with bitter in hand, he made his way to the table and sat down. The girl hardly noticed him.
Lei stared at her a moment, a bit puzzled by the girl's preoccupied silence.
"Nice place here, isn't it," he stated easily, trying to make conversation. The girl looked up with faintly troubled eyes.
"Not bad," she replied in faltering Japanese. From her accent Lei guessed she was American.
"You from America?" he asked her in English.
The girl smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
"South America. I live with the natives there."
"Ah." Lei nodded. He should have noticed by her tanned complexion. "What kind of fighting to do specialise in?"
"Regular fist-fighting," she replied. "What do you do?"
"Oh, Kempo, bits of Chinese martial arts. All sorts really."
"You come from China?" she asked, brow creasing.
"Well, not exactly. I'm from Hong Kong. The name's Lei Wulong."
"Michelle Chang," the girl returned, this time with a more genuine smile.
"Chang?" Lei was surprised. "Your name Chinese?"
"Yes. He was cop in Hong Kong. He married a Native American. And here I am."
"A Hong Kong cop?" Lei grinned. "What a coincidence. That's my line of work too."
"You're a cop?" Michelle's eyes widened. After recovering from her apparent surprise, she lent over the table towards him, and lowered her voice. "Lei, I have a favour to ask of you."
Lei was taken aback. He hadn't counted on this happening in the middle of his assignment. And yet he couldn't help himself from answering her the way he did; although in later years he would come to regret that he had ever done so.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Well," Michelle's face was suddenly very hard, "I want you to help me find my mother."
"Your mother?" Lei repeated incredulously.
"She was kidnapped by the Mishima. I don't know why, but I have to find out."
"Kidnapped?" Lei toyed with the phrase reflectively. Things were getting decidedly interesting. Either that or decidedly crazy. "Are you certain this is true?"
"Positive." Michelle nodded vehemently. "Two years ago the Mishima murdered my father. I entered the contest to discover the reason for his death, but I came no closer to finding the truth." She leant back her seat, eyes flashing. "Now they have my mother. I need to find out why."
Lei thought awhile, downed half his drink with a furrowed brow. If the Mishima had kidnapped Michelle's mother, then there was definitely something worth investigating.
"I'll see what I can do," he finally promised after he'd finished placing his glass down.
On the fortieth floor of the Mishima Building, a conference was being held. A storm had begun to brew outside, and every so often the fluorescent flash of lightning would penetrate into the dimly lit yet spacious room. It was a fitting atmosphere for the dark words being passed across the polished glass of the conference table.
At the head sat Kazuya Mishima, a brooding look on his face. He rarely came down to hold meetings with his advisors these days, but the tournament meant that exceptions had to be made. Eight others were seated at his table, each as sombre as Kazuya himself.
"So," Kazuya began, his voice a dead-tone, "what information have we gleaned on this year's contestants?"
Anna Williams, who had been sitting two places away from Kazuya's right side, obliged by reading from a list in her hands.
"The computers registered nine contestants who are of primary interest to us. Seven of these are familiar faces that participated in the previous tournament two years ago. Two of them are new."
"And who exactly are these 'familiar faces'?" Kazuya inquired, brow furrowed. Anna glanced down her list.
"Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Nina Williams…" A slight, savage pause; "…King, Michelle Chang, Yoshimitsu and Jack 2."
There was a short silence, only broken by Kazuya's fist smashing abruptly into the table.
"Where is my father?!" he raged.
"Forgive me, sir," Anna replied tactfully, "but our computers show no record of him."
"Where is he?!" Kazuya demanded, his eyes flashing round the company with fierce intensity. "I want to know where he is!"
Lee Chaolan, who'd been sitting at his brother's right side with a blunt casualness, spoke up.
"Quiet brother. He will come."
"I did not ask for your opinion!" Kazuya snapped, his jaw tightening and relaxing, tightening and relaxing. "I want to know where he is!"
Lee smirked and raised a cigarette to his lips. He was used to his brother's little ways. No one offered an answer to Kazuya's question. It was Ganryu who finally broke the silence.
"Er… Perhaps we should take a look at the new entrants to this year's tournament."
"Yes." Anna didn't give Kazuya time to object. Standing up, she moved to a screen at the back of the room, and pressed at a remote control. The screen flickered into life, and pictures began to appear at the touch of a button.
"This man," Anna began, pointing at the screen, "is Lei Wulong, a.k.a. the Hong Kong Super Cop." She said the words with a thinly veiled contempt. "He is a very skilled fighter whose exploits in the Hong Kong underground drug's world are well-known. We suspect he may be investigating our underground drug's empire. As such, we should be extremely wary of this man. I suggest we employ security to keep tabs on him."
Bruce, who'd been grinning at the screen for some time, suddenly laughed.
"Lei Wulong, eh? Looks like the old motherfucker's come looking for me."
"You know him?" Kazuya looked up sharply.
Bruce gave a nonchalant shrug. "We have dealings in the past." A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "Lets just say we had a conflict of interests. Don't worry, Mr. Mishima. I'll take care of him."
"I trust you will." Kazuya turned back to Anna, seemingly uninterested. "Who's the next contestant?"
Anna obediently began punching at the remote again.
"This," she spoke, as the screen changed scene, "is a Miss Jun Kazama. She works for the Watch of World Wildlife Commission. We suspect that she's also been sent to look into our Rare Species Export Division." She paused as Kazuya studied the screen with some interest, his dark eyes suddenly blazing. "She has also been seen fraternising with Mr. Lei. An educated guess would suggest that they were working together as partners."
Anna's eyes passed onto Lee, who'd been staring fixedly at the profile of the young woman on the screen.
"Interested, Lee?" she threw at him sourly.
"On the contrary, Anna," he replied casually, "I was just remembering how I helped the young Miss Kazama this afternoon."
Anna glared at him darkly, but should have known Kazuya would have no time for their little differences.
"Enough. These new contestants are certainly of some interest, and I approve of your suggestion to keep an eye on them, Anna. Make sure it gets done." Anna nodded and he continued briskly. "However, there are other things that concern me. Like the absence of my father." Kazuya's eyes blazed as he said the word. "As soon as he enters the premises I want to know about it, is that clear?"
There were murmurs of agreement from around the table.
"Good." Kazuya looked pleased. "Are there any questions?"
"I have but one, sir." The old man named Wang Jinlei spoke up. "That girl…Jun Kazama… Is it possible that I be pitted against her should she reach the semi-finals of the tournament?"
Kazuya looked surprised.
"You know the girl?"
"Yes," the old man replied in a wizened voice. "She was my pupil, for a time. It would be interesting to see how she has progressed over the years."
Kazuya reflected over the request for a moment – then he stood.
"All right. I am aware some of you have personal interests or vendettas against some of our contestants that you may or may not wish to settle. As such, I shall allot you your preferred contestant should they progress to the tournament's semi-finals. This is how it will work…"
He proceeded to allot each member his or her opponent.
Anna – Nina.
Ganryu – Michelle.
Armour King – King.
Kunimistu – Yoshimitsu.
Bruce – Lei.
Wang – Jun.
He paused, and his eyes moved to Lee.
Lee. Heihachi.
Lee narrowed his eyes. Heihachi's battle lay not with him. Heihachi's battle lay with Kazuya. Lee had already betrayed his adoptive father by defecting to Kazuya's side, and he knew Heihachi would exact his revenge if he could. Heihachi was powerful; more so than anyone else in this room – save perhaps Kazuya. Heihachi would defeat Lee, if he got the chance.
Lee stubbed out his cigarette irritably. There had been no love lost between him and his brother, and though he was Kazuya's right hand man, the title meant nothing. What was certain was that Kazuya would do anything to get rid of his hated brother. And pitting him against the wrath of Heihachi was as good a way as any of doing so.
Next: Can Lei and Jun learn to get on? Nina confronts an elusive Heihachi and Jun finally comes face to face with Kazuya...