:: III :: Hidden Agendas

Jun awoke the following morning feeling generally out of sorts. At first she thought she was at home, but remembering she was in the Mishima Building made her groan. She didn't want to be here, that was for sure. She was mostly fed up with Lei, but the whole-set up was beginning to bother her now. She had to find a way of reaching Kazuya, and then there was Wang to deal with too…

Stretching and rubbing her eyes, Jun got up, grabbed a shower and some toast. After she had dressed, she decided to go downstairs and see if she could find anything about the Mishima Conglomerate to speed up her investigation.

It was sunny in the courtyard, which was a blocked-in traditional Japanese garden. The more Jun saw of the place, the less sinister it seemed. Perhaps that was Kazuya's plan – to put them all into a false sense of security. Jun smiled grimly. If that was Kazuya's plan, then he'd have to pick on a whole bunch of stupider people.

As she was beginning to enjoy the sunny weather, a voice hailed her from across the courtyard.

"Hey, Jun! Over here!"

Turning round, Jun saw to her disgust that it was Lei. He was with a group of other fighters who were chatting animatedly. Jun half-considered ignoring him, but then relented. She knew it would be foolish to spoil their partnership any further than she had done already. So, a little begrudgingly, she walked over towards the small group.

"Lei, what are you doing?" she demanded of him irritably when she neared him. "We're supposed to be working, not mucking…"

"Shh!" Lei hushed her warningly before continuing. "Actually, I've been gathering some information that you might be interested in." He turned and pointed out a hefty-looking, blond-haired guy with a ridiculous haircut beside him, who was talking in a loud, brash voice. "This is Paul Phoenix. He's from Chicago, USA. Seems he and Kazuya have a few differences they haven't sorted out yet."

"Damn straight!" interjected Paul, who'd overhead the tail-end of the conversation. "Him an' me, we got unfinished business, know what I'm sayin'? I get to the tournament finals, that bastard better be ready, 'cos I'm gonna be the one to give him what's comin' to him."

Jun cocked an eyebrow speculatively.

"Unfinished business?" she echoed. "What does that mean?"

"Well, little lady, that Kazuya an' I slugged it out 'bout three years ago, and y'know what? I was ripped off. Hoodwinked. Bamboozled, whatever the hell you wanna call it. Bastard fixed it so that it was a draw!"

"Fixed?" Jun repeated dubiously.

"Damn straight it was!" Paul replied indignantly. "The bastard's got no fighter's sense of honour, know what I mean? An' he better be ready for me, 'cos no one messes with Paul Phoenix an' gets away with it!"

A man who looked startlingly like Bruce Lee, but who too had an American accent, suddenly laughed.

"C'mon, Paul, everyone knows Kazuya ain't just your regular pushover," he smiled, then turned to Jun. "S'all in the mind," he said, tapping his forehead. "Paul here thinks he's invincible."

"Shuddup, Law!" Paul huffed, punching his friend in the arm. "I could've won that fight, an' you know it!"

"Yeah, right," Law muttered, rubbing his bicep.

"So tell her what happened next," Lei prompted the blonde American.

"Well," Paul continued, passing Law a glare, "on account of that battle, I decided to settle the score with our dear Mr. Mishima. So when I discovered that he was joinin' the first Tekken Tournament, I went right after him an' signed up too.

"Well, everythin' was goin' fine an' dandy until those Mishima bastards set this bear on me! I mean, hell, I didn't even get no chance to give that Kazuya bastard a kick up his big, sorry ass!"

"They set a bear on you?" Jun's eyes were wide.

"No shit." An almost comical look of horror crossed Paul's face. "That bear beat the crap outta me! I sure as hell don't know what was up with that thing, but it was crazed, y'know? Like it was on steroids or somethin'. At any rate," Paul gave an injured look, "that animal sure hates my guts. An' I sure hate his. I don't ever wanna see no bear again for the rest of my life!"

"Paul," Lei began, clapping him on the back, "you may not know it but you've just been a great help."

"I have?" Paul looked a bit suspicious.

"Very much so. And don't worry – we'll take care of Kazuya for you."

"Hey!" Paul exclaimed irately. "Kazuya's ass is mine, got that? I don't want no girl beatin' on him for me!"

Lei prised an irate Jun away before she could start an argument.

"Cool it, Jun. We've got work to do."

"Did you just hear that guy?" She ignored Lei and glowered back at Paul, who was now talking to the group once again. "The nerve!"

"Look," Lei attempted not to laugh, "let's forget about Paul for a minute and put everything into perspective. Did you hear what he said?"

"Yeah," Jun gave one last evil in Paul's direction. "He was talking about a bear on steroids."

"Yes, so that gives you something to work on," Lei remarked, poking her familiarly in the chest. Jun ignored that.

"What about you? Are you trying to get rid of me or something?"

"Now why would I do that?" he replied innocently. "Besides, I have business of my own to attend to."

"I thought we were meant to be partners," Jun commented hotly, placing her hands on her hips.

"And I thought you didn't want to be my partner," Lei replied with a small grin, enjoying the scowl on Jun's face. He knew he had her cornered.

"Well, if you hadn't been a damn chauvinist about it…" she finally stuttered, sounding absurd and knowing it.

"You know something," Lei told her slyly, "you're cute when you get angry. Maybe you should try it on Kazuya sometime. Then you won't have to go snooping around."

He'd known that would make Jun explode and she did. With a furious snort she swung round and stomped off in any direction, leaving Lei to chuckle to himself in self-satisfaction. Jun was cute, but a little too much of a feminist for his taste. Underneath though, Lei knew that she was as soft and sweet as any other woman.

"Speaking of women…" Lei reminded himself as he watched his partner finally disappear into the Mishima Building, "I've got a date to keep."

With a lop-sided grin, Lei turned and swaggered back towards the bar.

It was hard for Nina to meet up with Akio when she had been so expressly told not to leave the building without clearance. Most of the contact she got with him was through cellphone; but, on the premise that she needed go shopping for some 'feminine items', she'd managed to leave the skyscraper for lunch that day.

Akio was sitting in a nearby cafe, drinking a cappuccino about an hour later. Nina dumped down her mountain of bags and sat down opposite him, pretending not to know him. She had a usual ritual she'd go through, just incase she was being followed. Fluff up her hair, cross her legs brush down her grey pinstripe Prada suit with a nail-polished hand, re-apply some of her makeup. Akio watched her with an intense look while she went through all this, one arm slung across the back of his chair. After a moment she spoke to him, trying to look as if she were asking him the time or something like that.

"Did the boss call?" she spoke to him in a low voice, hating herself for liking what she saw before her.

"Forget the boss," Akio replied easily, "you've got an important friend on line."

At that moment Nina's phone went off shrilly. Looking pointedly at her partner, who simply smiled faintly back, Nina quickly retrieved her cellphone from her handbag.

"Who is this?" she asked, curiosity mixing with perplexity. A strangely familiar voice answered her.

"Good afternoon, Nina. It is a pleasure to hear your voice again."

"Heihachi Mishima!" Nina hissed, wondering where the old man was – in a phone booth outside? Her eyes swiftly scored the busy street out the window, but she could see no sign of him.

"Ah, so my little huntress has not forgotten her one-time prey," the voice continued, followed by a raspy laugh. "Isn't it ironic, my dear? Two years ago, I was the one with the contract out on my life. And now, I'm the one signing the contract. How the tables have turned."

"Why do you want Kazuya killed?" Nina whispered, her voice trembling. She remembered how she'd tried to take Heihachi's life two years before – and how Anna had been there to stop her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Heihachi continued. "Kazuya stole my precious conglomerate and he took away my title as King of the Iron Fist."

"And that's it?" she questioned disbelievingly.

"Your position is not to question," he replied harshly. "Let's just say I have some 'personal' reasons for wanting to dispose of my son."

"All right." Nina leant back and took in a deep breath. "So tell me what you want me to do."

"Right." Heihachi's voice took on the tone of a businessman. "You'll have noticed that getting to Kazuya won't be easy – his security is extremely tight. Obviously, you're going to have to find a quick and efficient way of catching him while he's off his guard."

"That'll be difficult," Nina frowned.

"Of course. So what I suggest is that you use any means possible to discover how his security system works, and, having discovered any weak points, this is where we will strike first."

"All right," Nina nodded. "I check out security, and report back to you…"

"Through Akio," Heihachi finished for her. Nina pouted reflectively. She'd thought as much. "Mr. Yumiko is a very mild-mannered man," Heihachi continued with a note of cold humour. "But he can be rather – ah – forceful when circumstances push him. Make sure you stay on his good side, Nina. Scratch his back and he'll scratch yours. Doublecross me and he'll…"

"As long as I'm paid," she interrupted coolly, "you have nothing to worry about from me, Mr. Mishima."

Heihachi chuckled. "For your sake, Nina," he replied softly, "I hope so."

The line went dead. Nina passed Akio a bemused look.

"You're working directly with Heihachi, aren't you," she stated, eyes narrowed. Akio simply shrugged.

"Job's a job." He took a sip from his cup and placed it back in the saucer carefully. "If you're going to get too involved in this case you might as well give it up right here, right now. You trust me and I'll trust you. Got that?"

"I'm not too involved," Nina replied evenly, checking her fingernails idly, but feeling an inner frustration. "And it's Heihachi I don't trust, that's all."

"Why not?"
"I've had contact with him, in the past," she explained, not quite knowing why she decided to tell him these things.

"Oh?" He looked mildly interested. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime."

Nina creased her forehead. Akio's light banter confused her, and she didn't like being confused. Luckily, the waiter came along at that moment to take her order, so she tried to forget about Akio and plan ahead instead.

An hour passed rather uneventfully before Nina made her way back to the Mishima Building. As soon as she got into her room, she knew it was time for her to take a look round. Leaving everything but her keys on the nearby coffee table, she left her room and stole a look down each end of the corridor, looking for any sign of a security guard. Luckily, the coast was clear, so she was free to make her way to the nearby elevators.

Much to Nina's dismay, every level over thirty-five required a keycard, though she had largely been expecting this. She'd need one of Akio's gadgets to get to through the keycard system and onto the thirty-fifth floor and beyond. After a moment's deliberation, she dug into her pocket and brought out one of the small devices Akio had handed her over the table that day. Pressing a button sent a small infrared beam over the keycard-slotting device. After a moment the screen went blank and then flicked on again. She was free to penetrate the upper floors.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, Nina stepped out of the elevator and onto the thirty-sixth floor. This level seemed to be an office complex, for people were seated at their desks, typing avidly into their computers, the drum of keys droning insistently through the room. Nina felt a little disappointed at that. This was nothing more than a tying pool. She'd have to check out the higher floors later.

Walking confidently down the corridor, Nina looked curiously around. No one took the slightest notice of her, as the grey suit seemed to fit in perfectly with everyone else. She made her way past the group of typists and towards the director's office. Taking a snoop in as she walked past, she saw that no one was inside. This did not surprise her. What surprised her was that on the computer screen that was on the highly polished oak desk was a profile of her old friend, Paul Phoenix.

Taking one last look around her to make sure no one was looking, Nina quietly slipped through the door of the office. Pulling the blinds of the large window that viewed out onto the typing pool, Nina hurried to the computer and ran her eyes over the screen. She was faced by the statistics of Paul Phoenix, and information on his current tournament status – nothing, since the tournament had not yet started.

Nina bit her lips and searched for her glasses in the breast-pocket of her suit, then took hold of the mouse and scrolled downward. What she read of the finishing paragraph astonished her.

'Paul Phoenix should not prove much trouble to us, as his quick temper and rashness is liable to cloud his judgement. Suggest we send Kuma to take care of him.'

Nina held her breath. Was the tournament being rigged?

With a click of the mouse, Nina found herself staring at her own file. Quickly skipping over her stats, she hastened to read the fate the Mishima had meted out for her.

"'Nina is known to work for the British intelligence service, MI6, in London, and is a trained assassin. She was dropped from the last contest when her sister and personal secretary to Mr. Mishima, Anna Williams, defeated her. We trust that…'"

A sound outside the room startled Nina. Looking up, she could see the shadows of what she guessed were the Director and a colleague through the blinds over the window.

"Shit!" Nina cursed to herself in annoyance.

Standing, she looked about her for any signs of an escape route. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the windows that looked out over the expanse of Neo-Tokyo. Running to these, she slid one open and clambered out over the edge, just as the door opened.

Nina wasted no time in worrying about the distance between her and the ground. Thirty-six levels meant a hell of a drop, but that meant nothing to her. She came prepared for these sorts of things. Pressing a button on her belt caused a strong cable of thin wire to spring out, which she attached firmly to the windowsill. Just as she'd begun to hoist herself down, she clearly heard the evidence of her luck running out from above.

"Hey, someone's been in my room!" cane a man's voice from the room she'd just escaped from. "Johnson, check it out!"

"Damn!" Nina grimaced. If she was caught, then she was done for. Releasing her feet from the wall of the skyscraper, Nina skipped the next twenty floors or so in a near free fall.

A warm and particularly satisfying shower had left Jun in a good mood, and she finally felt ready to set about bringing down the Mishima empire. She'd just turned on the hi-fi system and was listening to her favourite CD, when all of a sudden the sharp sound of knocking at her window caused her to look up in surprise. There, dangling from a piece of cord in mid-air, was a blonde-haired woman in an expensive grey suit, bashing frantically at the glass!

Jun was used to strange things happening on her various assignments, but under the circumstances, this latest event surprised her very much. Still, she'd learnt not to question happenings such as these, and so, without much thought, she went to the window and slid it open. The woman jumped in with feline-grace, turned, pulled the cord in with her, poked her head out of the window, looked up, and then pulled the glass frame to firmly.

"Thanks," the woman greeted breathlessly. "Got myself into a bit of a fix up there."

Jun watched on in further amazement as the woman pressed a button on her belt, at which the cord snapped back inside the leather appendage like a tape measure.

"Excuse me," Jun cut in irately, "but would you mind telling me just what the hell you were doing hanging from the wall just now?"

"You don't want to know," the other replied briskly, brushing her skirt down. "Just pretend you never saw me, okay?"

"Are you a spy?" Jun questioned, suspicious now. The woman looked amused.

"A spy? That'd be something. I'd probably get paid better, if I was. Anyway…" the woman made for the door, "…I'll just be leaving now…"

"Wait!" Jun ran to the table and grabbed her WWWC ID card, flashing it up towards the other woman. "Jun Kazama, of the Watch of World Wildlife Commission." She lowered the card and took a deep breath. "Are you investigating Kazuya too?"

Nina placed down her glass of Martini reflectively and stared across the coffee table to Jun.

"So, if I'm hearing you right, I take it that there are a number of people who are interested in bringing down the Mishima Conglomerate."

"Mmm-hmm." Jun nodded. "Kazuya must have made a lot of enemies."

Nina snorted and slouched back into the couch.

"You don't know much about Kazuya, do you?"

"I know enough," Jun returned hesitantly, remembering the Director's insistence that the man would kill her without a second thought. Nina leant forwards again with narrowed eyes.

"He's not like other men, Jun. He's ruthless. A loner." She paused. "He was always like that."

"Being ruthless and being a loner isn't particularly out of the ordinary for the Chairman of a world-famous conglomerate," Jun pointed out.

"You're very naive." Nina crossed her legs and sipped from her glass again. "I told you, Kazuya isn't like other men. He's introverted to an unhealthy degree. Sources tell us that nowadays he rarely listens to even his closest advisors. He stays up on the forty-fifth floor and listens only to some strange person no one knows anything about. A man like that is a time-bomb waiting to explode."

Jun sat back and mulled over that. It seemed to her that Kazuya's shadowy advisor was the key to the mystery behind the Mishima empire.

"Shouldn't someone be looking into this 'strange advisor'?" she asked, biting her thumbnail. "Wouldn't that get us to the Mishima Conglomerate's most sensitive spot?"

Nina gave a small laugh.

"Kazuya Mishma's an influential man, and I don't think anyone's going to try anything so risky yet."

"But what if it's not Kazuya that's the danger here, but rather this secret advisor?" Jun questioned, half to herself. "Then you killing him wouldn't solve anything."

"Sorry." Nina placed down her empty glass. "But I'm being paid to take him out, and backing out know to go traipsing after a mere shadow doesn't really appeal to me." She got up and moved to the door. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Jun. I hope your investigation turns up some pay-dirt."

Jun smiled. "If you find anything, let me know."

"We'll see." Nina twisted the doorknob, then turned as an afterthought. "By the way, as I was taking a look round upstairs, I did see something that might interest you."

"Oh?"

"The bear," Nina told her matter-of-factly. "Kuma."

"Kuma? The bear that fights?"
"So you've heard about him." Nina crossed her arms and pulled a face. "Trust me, it's no ordinary bear."

"So is there animal-testing going on here?"

"Somewhere above the thirty-fifth floor," Nina answered. "The head of their Research and Development Division is a man named Dr. Bosconovitch."

"Dr. Bosconovitch." Jun stored the name in her mind for future reference. "Thanks, Nina."

"Don't thank me." Nina was already halfway through the door. "We're all in this by ourselves, Jun."

Michelle had been sitting in exactly the same place as yesterday, with exactly the same pensive look locked on her face. Lei had walked up to her nonchalantly, not quite certain of how he should act in her presence. He was used to women who flirted and laughed, but Michelle seemed just a little too intense and preoccupied for him to feel comfortable in her company. Still, there was something about her…

She'd begun to chat to him in the usual way, a near whisper, with a voice that clearly spoke revenge. As the meeting progressed, Lei gradually found himself wishing that she'd talk about a lighter subject. Still, he'd promised her he'd find her mother, so what else could he really expect but a business transaction?

"So, Michelle," he started over his drink, "do you have any idea as to why the Mishima might kidnap your mother?"

Michelle shook her head slowly, the lines creasing in her forehead as she spoke.

"No…but there was something strange I noticed about the whole thing."

"What was that?" Lei asked, sitting forwards.

"Well, my mother had a pendant on her, one that she always wore on her neck. It was quite a big pendant though, one that had a lot of intricate patterns on it. She once told me it was an ancient artifact."

"And you think Kazuya might be holding her for the pendant?" Lei probed, wondering why on earth Kazuya would kidnap for an antique.

"Yes. I know it sounds strange," the girl passed a nervous laugh, "but my mother always stressed the importance of that pendant to me. When my father died, she suddenly became very secretive about it. And then…" Michelle passed a sigh, "…a few days before she was kidnapped, she became very jumpy and nervous."

Lei sat back and thought about it. He hadn't much to go on, but if Michelle's mother was being held, it was likely she was somewhere in the building.

"Okay," he finally decided, "I'll see what I can do for you, Michelle. But it's going to be tough. I have some other business to attend to."

"Oh? What's that?" She looked interested.

"I'm meant to be investigating a man. His name's Bruce Irvin."

"Anything personal?" Michelle queried.

"You could say that," he replied grimly. "It's unfinished business. I caught him dealing drugs on my patch in uptown Kowloon back home. He left the country before I could make an arrest."

"I see." Nevertheless, she seemed to sense an undertone in his voice, one that told her not to question him on the subject of Bruce Irvin any further. "Then I suppose I should thank you for taking the time to help me find my mother." She smiled, and for the first time it was a genuine one.

"My pleasure," returned Lei, feeling rather peculiar as he took a swig of his beer.

Wandering the building for half an hour hadn't brought Lei's whereabouts to light, and Jun was getting tired of searching for her elusive partner. She'd badly wanted to make things up with him and fill him in on the details she'd just learnt from Nina. Thirty minutes of unsuccessful searching had grated on Jun's pleasant frame of mind however, and now she felt that if Lei suddenly did turn up, she'd probably throttle him.

"Where on earth could he have got to?" she wondered to herself, checking his room one last time. "He can't have gone very far."

Giving up entirely on the idea of finding Lei, Jun decided it was time that she did some investigating herself. She had no idea of how Nina had got the thirty-sixth floor, but maybe she could get up from the outside, just as Nina had made her escape…? It was a risk, but Jun knew that trying to get to get to the top without a keycard was not an option, and she was bound to get caught if she did. It would be safer to search for an alternative way through. Liking the sound of this idea, Jun left Lei's room and set off for the courtyard.

Evening had been drawing on for some time now, and Jun was glad for the cover of growing darkness. Scaling the outside wall of the building for any sign of anything out of the ordinary, Jun soon found what she had been looking for. Some window cleaners had obviously been plying their trade that day, for their platform had been left, ready for use the next morning.

Jun walked up to the platform and, taking out a small torch she'd come equipped with, inspected it. It was possible she could use it to get to the uppermost floors, but actually getting inside the building was another matter. Still, it was worth a try. She got onto the platform and tugged at the leverage system, which either seemed to be locked off or stuck tight. After a few pulls, Jun sincerely wished Lei was there to help her to get the thing moving.

"Damn stupid contraption!" she cursed, giving it an extra hard pull for good measure. The platform gave a hefty lurch, causing Jun to lose her balance and knock over a bucket that had been left standing beside her foot. The metal pail clattered off the side and onto the concrete pavement, making a deafening racket.

"Shit!" Jun regained her balance and glared down at the offending bucket. Doubtless the nearby security guards would have heard the noise, and she'd have to make her getaway fast. Just as she was about to flee, a voice halted her from behind.

"What are you doing out here?"

Jun swivelled round, switching off the torch quickly as she did so, a million escape plans forming in her mind. She was facing the shadow of a man – though his features were not readily discernible in the darkness. Jun didn't know whether he was a security guard or someone else. Still, she had to find a way to bluff herself out of the situation, so she did.

"Uh…I was just walking past when I knocked the bucket over," she replied as calmly as she could. "Someone must've left it there. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

The man did not reply readily. Jun didn't know whether he'd bought her excuse or not.

"Why are you out here all by yourself?" His voice was suspicious. "Are you a contestant in the tournament?"

"Yes." There was no point in lying about that. "I was just looking for a friend of mine. His name's Lei Wulong. Do you know where he is, by any chance?"
The man repeated the name thoughtfully. "Lei Wulong. No, I haven't seen him. Are you sure it's him you're looking for?"

The implication in his words was clear. Jun said nothing. She was cornered now. There was nothing more she could say or do – especially if the man was armed.

"I think I'm going to have to take you with me," the man spoke, and began to advance towards her. Jun began to panic. It wasn't like her to get into a mess so early on in an assignment, what had she been thinking of? She should've listened to Lei, snooping around was too dangerous… Jun quickly tried to clear her mind. She had to act, and act fast. The man hadn't recognised her, and if she made a quick getaway, the darkness would prevent him from ever knowing who she was. She waited until he had come up beside her, then grasped his right arm and flung him neatly over her shoulder. He'd obviously not been expecting it. With a cry of surprise, he sailed backwards and onto the concrete floor with a thud.

Jun hardly looked back, racing towards the building, hoping she'd meet no one on the way. She'd only got about ten yards, however, when the self-same man suddenly jumped up from behind her to block her path. Jun stopped, astonished. It was clear to her now that this man was no simple security guard. He had jumped on her with lightning fast speed, and she hadn't even heard him come after her. Perhaps he was a fighter too. But why would he try to stop her? Unless he was one of Kazuya's cronies…

The man grabbed onto her arm, cutting through the turmoil in Jun's brain.

"I guess I'm going to have to teach you some manners." With one short, clean sweep of the arm, he smashed her neatly round the face. Jun skimmed back with the force of the strike and landed a little way off on the pavement. Sitting up slowly and holding a hand to her smarting cheek, she saw her aggressor bearing upon her again.

Rising swiftly, she turned a somersault clean in the air, knocking him down as she landed. The man pulled her down with him before she had time to get her bearings, toppling her with an uppercut.

Jun staggered into a defensive stance, her head spinning. She'd seriously underestimated her opponent, making matters decidedly worse. She knew her primary objective was to escape, but she had no idea how.

"Are you giving up so easily?" the man mocked, amusement in his voice. "Perhaps it was a mistake to let you into the tournament. We don't appreciate those who break the Mishima rules. And you will be reprimanded severely for crossing us."

Jun gritted her teeth. No way in hell was she going to be taken in. Ignoring his threats, she jumped forwards with a sharp cry, arm flailed out. Grasping onto the astonished man's arm, she pulled him towards her with a jerk of the arm and elbowed him hard in the chest. The man sprawled back in the dirt, spluttering for breath. Jun stood back, panting. The fight had taken a lot out of her; the man was hard to tire out. He was standing up now, the faint outline of his arm raised to wipe the sweat from his face.

"You're good," he said. "Very good. But I'm afraid you've run out of luck. I'm not going to stop until you've been apprehended."

Jun moved back into a defensive stance. "If that's the case, then come and get some," she threw back at him.

The man laughed. "Oh, I see. There's still plenty of fight left in you. You've got a lot of stamina, for a girl." He paused and his voice became serious once again. "Well…shall we?"

Jun was just about to take up the challenge when suddenly the garden was filled with the artificial glow of the floodlights above. She blinked in surprise, eyes dazzled by abrupt transition from darkness to light. What the hell was going on?

"Lee," a strikingly familiar voice was speaking, "would you mind telling me the meaning of all this commotion?"

Jun opened her eyes in astonishment at the unexpected newcomer to the scene, but nothing could have surprised her more than what she saw next.

Kazuya Mishima, dressed in a plain black suit, was standing in between two expressionless bodyguards. In front of her was the man Lei had said was called Lee Chaolan. While Jun had suspected that her opponent had been one of Kazuya's henchmen, she had had no idea it was actually the brother and right-hand man of the mysterious Mr. Mishima that she had been fighting. The gravity of the situation was almost too serious for her to comprehend.

"Mr… Mr. Mishima!" she stammered, feeling more than just foolish. "I…I didn't know!"

Kazuya said nothing and stared at her, his face hard, as though he was assessing her. Jun flinched. That stare seemed to penetrate right through her – the more she saw of his eyes, the more she could not tear away from their gaze. After a moment, he spoke.

"Lee, I would be grateful if you could explain what has been going on out here. I am most displeased with this unnecessary disturbance."

Lee, who'd been gazing at Jun with a mixture of disbelief and wonder, finally opened his mouth, his eyes never leaving Jun's face.

"Forgive me, brother," he began, his voice laced with mockery. "But I saw this girl acting in a highly suspicious manner, and I thought it appropriate to apprehend her myself."

"I was only looking for someone," Jun put in boldly, hoping Kazuya would be taken in by her subterfuge. Kazuya's eyes moved over her again, and she tried not to shudder under his gaze. She hated the way he did that, the way he seemed to look into her very soul.

"You shouldn't have gone out by yourself," he finally told her, and his voice was softer. "You should have informed security first." He turned to Lee, and his tone was stern again. "And you shouldn't have picked a fight before getting your facts straight first, Lee. I only think it appropriate that you apologise to our guest."

There was an inscrutable look of amusement on Lee's face, one that ruffled Jun considerably. He, however, bowed politely and apologised without a hint of having been offended.

"Please accept my apologies, Miss. Kazama."

Jun nodded vaguely. She could hardly believe that Kazuya had been taken in by her excuse.

"Now," Kazuya was continuing in a business-like manner. "I shall personally escort Miss. Kazama to her room and see that no further harm comes to her." He turned to his bodyguards. "You may leave."

They did so without further ado, and Kazuya faced Lee, who was still wearing the same infuriating little smile on his face.

"Lee, return to your quarters. And see that you remember the meeting scheduled for nine O'clock. Don't be late."

There was now a questioning look on Lee's face, but he said nothing. Passing Jun one last glance, he turned and followed the two bodyguards into the building. Jun was now left to face Kazuya, but her mind was filled more with confusion than fear.

"Forgive my brother for his rashness," he said, and once again his tone was perplexingly soft. "He has not yet learnt to control his impulses."

Jun remained silent. The fact that Kazuya was washing his dirty linen in public had not escaped her and she felt somewhat embarrassed for the man's silver-haired brother. Kazuya, however, paid no attention to her disconcerted expression. "Shall we go, or do you really want to stay out here in the dark?"

There was nothing for it but for Jun to follow Kazuya back into the building and towards her room.

"How did you know my name?" she finally asked, worried and a little suspicious at both Kazuya and Lee's apparent knowledge. She had had not idea that either of them knew what she looked like, let alone her name. Kazuya, nevertheless, did not bat an eyelid.

"I like to acquaint myself with the contestants of the tournament. It gives me a chance to look at your…capabilities." He stopped outside her room, smiled that cold smile of his. So, Jun thought, he obviously knows where everyone's staying in the building too. "Here we are. I hope tonight hasn't caused you too much trouble."

"Not at all," Jun replied politely. "Thank you, Mr. Mishima."

"My pleasure."

She opened her door, but he stopped her.

"By the way Jun, you really shouldn't be wandering around the building like that. It could be very unhealthy for you."

Jun blinked at him, immediately aware of the threat.

"I wouldn't want to see you get hurt," he continued, his eyes intense once more. "So take my advice, and don't go snooping around again." He smiled that smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Goodnight, Miss. Kazama."

Jun watched him walk back down the corridor and out of sight. It was clear to her that Kazuya too had been suspicious of her, and that underneath all the elaborate etiquette he'd been sending her some pretty unambiguous threats. Why, then, had he let her go? Was he planning some other, infinitely more sinister end for her? Or had she simply been reading threats into his words?

One thing was certain. She'd have to be on her guard if she were to carry on with this investigation.

Next: Kazuya begins to weave Jun into his web, and Lee finds himself to be a more than willing participant.