A/N: MEXaRIcAN Devil666: Fair point about the comment that Jun is rather OOC in this story. The reason for this is that I found a stronger female character more interesting to write. Secondly, I was basing her character more on the anime and the manga, which had her less of a sweet-natured character and more proactive. Hope that explains my motivations. :) Dr. Breifs Cat: Thanks so much for the detailed review. I'm thrilled you're loving the story so far. I've been a fan of Tekken since Tekken 2, but my interest has gradually waned since the newer characters were introduced. They just didn't seem to be a part of the Tekken mythos, know what I mean? Anyhow, it's taken me a while to post this up, I wrote it in about 1999. :p Glad you're liking Akio - I know it's always a risk to include original characters in fanfic worlds everyone loves so well, so I'm pleased he's paid off. Also the pairing of Lei and Michelle came from the Tekken 2 manga, where there was kind of a romantic interest between them. Kinda unexpected certainly, but interesting, and I just had to play with it. :) Thanks again for the great review, and I hope you enjoy the Akio developments this chapter;) LOL.

A big thanks to all those who are reading this story, who are reviewing, and to those who have emailed me sending their support. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated - I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

-Ludi x

-oOo-

: XIII : Day of Reckoning

Time passed; but all Jun could think of was the way Kazuya looked at her when they met. That haunted mixture of fear, hatred and need would bore into her, and each time it did he would feel her own eyes water and her soul begin to crumble. He seemed to strike the deepest of feelings within her, and she knew that somehow the tournament would not end until things had been resolved between them. More and more she began to leave Lei to his own devices, and he to hers. They had both come to accept that the tournament was no longer the site of an investigation, but of something much more personal. In effect, their partnership was no longer needed.

Jun had been mentally preparing for her bout with Wang one day when she spotted an unfamiliar person sitting in the courtyard, apparently meditating as she was. As she approached the person she recognized him almost immediately as Heihachi Mishima. She'd seen his picture on the TV and in newspapers often enough, before he'd gone missing and was presumed dead. Considering her latest ties to the Mishima family, she somehow felt she must speak to him.

"Excuse me," she spoke. "Do you mind if I sit here, Mr. Mishima?"

The man opened his eyes and Jun saw that behind the violent mistrust in them, there was a twisted wisdom that had gone awry.

"Of course," he spoke after a while. Jun sat down. As she looked at the man's profile she suddenly realized how handsome he must've been in his youth, of how much he resembled Kazuya.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Heihachi said at last, gruffly.

"I was just thinking how alike you and your son seem to be."

To her surprise, the man's face clouded over.

"Never remind me that I am the father of my son. It is a truth that rankles daily in my soul."

Jun said nothing, surprised at the severity of his tone. Heihachi saw her look of shock and smiled mirthlessly.

"He and I live as if we were not of the same blood," he answered grimly. "There is only hate between us." He paused. "You seem to know me, young lady, but I do not know you. What is your name?"

"Jun Kazama."

"Ah, 'jun'." Heihachi smiled. "'Certainty'. Indeed a very fitting name for such a perceptive woman."

"What makes you say that?" Jun questioned.

"Heh." He gave a throaty laugh. "My wife – Kazumi… she was much the same as you. Women like you are the most beautiful and the most deadly."

Jun acknowledged his statement with an artful blush. She'd often been called so by her colleagues, friends and enemies alike.

"Why are you in the tournament all of a sudden?" she asked him. "I thought you were meant to be dead."

"I am here to dispose of my son," Heihachi returned calmly. "Because I fear Kazuya has grown out of control."

"He has," Jun sighed. "I don't know what to do to help him and yet I feel that I must."

Heihachi glared at her sharply. "What do you know about Kazuya?"

"Too much," Jun admitted softly. "There are two beings fighting over his soul. Kazuya has become lost, and he must be found again."

To Jun's surprise Heihachi laughed at her.

"They are not two beings but one, Miss Kazama. Don't you see – it is both sides of the same coin – the good and the evil. Both are Kazuya, but he has been corrupted by the dominant, evil side." Heihachi chuckled again, low, sinister. "He was a weak son, and so I had to make him stronger. I had to make him see that it is the evil that would make him stronger. But my plan backfired, and Kazuya turned against me in the first Tekken tournament. Now he is a threat to me and I will rid myself of him forever."

Jun turned on him with horror on her face.

"So you planted the evil in Kazuya! How!"

Heihachi looked at her, ignoring her question.

"Did he ask you to help him redeem himself, Jun Kazama?" he asked her slyly. "Did he ask you to bring the Angel out? I can't let that happen, Jun. It is the anger and hate in Kazuya that makes him blind. It is they that shall be his downfall."

"How could you do that to your own son?" Jun questioned, still shocked.

"He left me for dead," Heihachi replied simply. "And so I shall do the same to him. I shall defeat Lee in the tournament tomorrow and then I shall kill Kazuya. Lee, my strong son, shall be my true heir. He will not turn against me. He will allow me the chance to kill Kazuya as he has so often yearned for himself. This time there will be no mistakes."

Jun stood up, her head spinning. For the first time she knew Kazuya's truths, of how she must truly save him from himself and his twisted father. She knew now what she had to do.

Heihachi, seeing the look on her face, stared at her through narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kazama, but if it is your goal to keep Kazuya alive then we must be enemies. And let me warn you – I do not treat my foes lightly."

Jun had been sick when she had got back to her room. It had not even occurred to her that Kazuya's own father would have inflicted him with such torture. The problem was, Kazuya didn't even seem to realize the risk to his own life. Kazuya seemed to have lost any sense of himself and of the grave trouble he was in. Only Jun could see clearly enough to help him. Only she could be his eyes.

She knew now what she had to do. She must defeat Wang and then defeat Kazuya in the tournament. She must defeat the Devil in him. She could not let Heihachi reach him.

-oOo-

Nina swayed lightly outside the window. On the other side of the pane, Anna slid into a suitably slinky dress and slipped on her high heels. Nina's eyes narrowed as she trained the barrel of her gun at her sister's head. Anna, oblivious, opened a compact mirror and retouched her lipstick. This was going to be easier than Nina could've imagined.

Nina was worried.

Time and again she had failed in her mission to destroy Kazuya. Not only was it highly unprofessional of her, but she knew she was beginning to grate on Heihachi's nerves, which did not bode well for her continued survival. He'd even gone to the lengths of entering the tournament and doing the job himself. Still, Nina was determined to get herself back in Heihachi's good-books and earn herself that promotion back at MI6. Her last chance was to defeat Kazuya in the Tekken Tournament. But to get to him, she'd have to eliminate Anna first. But Nina would not do it in the ring. Things between her and Anna were personal. Destroying Anna was something she was going to do in private.

"As father always used to say," she murmured to herself as her finger stroked the trigger, "it's best to kill two birds with one stone. And you just happen to be one of those birds, Anna. Such a pity."

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Anna started and quickly went to the door as if to allow in a guest. Nina lowered the gun as Anna opened the door, and her guest stepped in. Nina's heart clenched and the gun almost fell out her hand. For one short moment she thought she was dreaming and that it wasn't true. But then she saw them exchange a passionate kiss and she knew that it was real.

Anna's guest was Akio.

Nina's heart burned as she watched the two in their ardent embrace, the gun trembling in her hand. It was another betrayal – yet again her hated sister had cheated her, and this time it was too much. This time Akio had cheated her too, and for the first time Nina realized how much he had meant to her. I thought it meant something, she said to herself, I really thought it meant something…

Without another thought, Nina found herself kicking her foot into the window and smashing it open in one enraged swoop. She heard Anna scream above the crashing of the glass as she landed inside the room, the gun now firm inside her grasp.

"Anna!" she screamed, "This time you've gone too far!"

Both Anna and Akio had broken apart, and as Nina rose elegantly to her feet Anna let out a hiss of hatred, recognizing the aggressor as none other than her sister. Akio's usually calm expression was now one of shock.

"So at last you show yourself, dear sister!" she greeted maliciously. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Don't give me that," Nina scoffed. "You know exactly why I'm here. It's payback time, Anna. You were always father's favorite, you always stole everything from me! You've ruined just about everything in my life and I'm here to make sure you don't forget it." She turned her gaze coldly onto Akio who stood nearby. "And as for you, Akio, I should've known better! I should've known ever since the moment you had inside help that it could be none other than that whore! I was a fool to believe that every night we spent together meant something!"

"No, Nina," he cut in quietly, eyeing the gun in her hand, "I was going to tell you, I swear it. Just not now. I didn't want to hurt you."

"You think I'm going to believe you now!" she yelled. Akio did not dare to say more. Anna interrupted the silence, chuckling coldly under her breath.

"Well isn't this sweet, Akio. I had no idea that you were thinking about my dear sister when you were in bed with me. The fact is, you were playing both of us along."

"Anna's right, for once," Nina cut in acidly. "You were stringing us both along! Akio, how could you! I thought…"

"What you thought I felt for you was true, Nina," he rejoined softly. "What I did was for you, to keep you safe. Heihachi gave me all the information I needed to infiltrate the building – it was easy. I knew assassinating Kazuya was going to be dangerous. I didn't want you being hurt."

"Touching, I'm sure, but unnecessary," she retorted bluntly. "I could've handled Kazuya by myself. I've dealt with the Mishima before!"

Akio opened his mouth to reply, but a sound from Anna caused them to turn to her quickly. She was holding a walkie-talkie in her hands.

"Security, this is Anna Williams! Come to my room immediately! I have apprehended and contained the perpetrators of Kazuya's assassination attempt! I repeat, they are contained and wounded!"

"What!" Nina spat as Anna put away the walkie-talkie calmly.

"Sorry, Nina," Anna apologized smugly, "but this is the only way to get rid of you once and for all. And you Akio," she turned to him, "it was nice while it lasted, but I'm afraid my regular, Lee, has suddenly become available again."

Before they could react, Anna had swiftly drawn a pistol from the slit at her thigh, aimed quickly and fired, hitting Nina in the chest before she could pull her own trigger. A look of stunned shock etched onto her face, Nina fell onto her back with a thud. Akio quickly rushed to her, but Anna stopped him, pointing the gun at him with an obscene smile.

"Stay right there. It's your turn, Mr. Yumiko."

"Not yet," he seethed between his teeth, and quick as lightning produced a PPK from his jacket. With impeccable aim, he fired at her, hitting her in the chest as well. Anna sprawled back against the bed, surprise locked onto her haughty features.

"How…?"

Akio ignored her and knelt down beside Nina, cradling her head.

"Nina, get up, we've got to get out of here!"

Nina's eyes flickered.

"I can't move, Akio. Just get out while you can. I'll save myself later."

"I can't leave you," he whispered, his voice taut.

"You're going to have to," she insisted breathlessly, "I'll meet up with you at the hotel. Now get out…!"

Akio watched on helplessly as Nina's eyes began to close.

"Nina…" he shook her, "…don't you dare die on me now…!"

He held onto her fiercely, wishing she would respond to his touch, but nothing stirred in her face. He was about to lift her up himself when he heard the sound of footsteps outside. Standing up, he looked down at her for a last time.

"Come back, Nina," he whispered softly. Then, turning, he made for the window and disappeared.

Anna hardly noticed the flurry of activity as the door was kicked open and in came Kazuya's security. The pain in her chest was a deep ache now, and her eyes blurred as she tried to keep them open. She saw the men pick up Nina, and then walk towards her.

"You're too late," she tried to say, her voice dry and raspy in her throat. "He's escaped…through the window…"

A man came forwards and knelt down, his face almost touching hers. She couldn't understand why there was such clinical coldness in his eyes.

"Ms. Williams," he spoke as coldly as the look on his face, "you're coming with us."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked in confusion, but before she could find out anymore, she slipped quietly into unconsciousness.

-oOo-

It was the day of Lee's fight with Heihachi, and while Lee had been preparing for it, his mind had been on his interview with Kazuya the day before. Lee knew that he was only a secondary player in Heihachi and Kazuya's game. Despite Lee's own strength, Heihachi was a seasoned and experienced fighter. For many years Heihachi himself had trained Lee. In order to win the battle, Lee knew he would have to struggle hard. Kazuya had known this. He had pitted Lee against Heihachi deliberately. If Lee won the match then Heihachi would be rid of forever. On the other hand, if Lee lost, then Kazuya would be rid of his hated foster-brother. And then the real battle would begin – the battle between Kazuya and Heihachi.

Lee had realized that Kazuya stood to lose little from either outcome, but that Kazuya was counting on Lee himself losing. That way, Kazuya could wreak personal vengeance on his father. Heihachi and Kazuya would love nothing better than to spill each other's blood.

In that case, Lee had resolved, he would win the battle with Heihachi. He would retain his prestigious position in the Mishima Conglomerate and ruin Kazuya's hopes for revenge. It would be as simple as that.

Lee had just determined that this was the best course of action when he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. It was Jun.

"Lee!" she greeted breathlessly, having run to catch him. "I have something important to tell you!"

Lee looked at her with mixed feelings. On the one hand he was surprised that she was talking to him at all. On the other he'd been trying to block her from his mind recently and worry about other details, namely Kazuya and Heihachi. Now that he was faced with her again, he realized that what he felt for her had not simply died at all.

"What is it?" he asked at last.

"Lee, you must defeat Heihachi," she began, out of breath. "You mustn't let him fight Kazuya!"

"Why not?"

"Because I must defeat Kazuya," she told him earnestly. "No one else must do it, it has to be me!"

"Don't worry," Lee replied presently. "I'll do everything I can to stop Heihachi."

Relief flooded her face.

"Of course, I know you will Lee. Thank you."

"But why are you so desperate to fight Kazuya? I thought… I thought you cared for him."

"It's a little hard to explain at the moment," she said. "But this is the only way to help him, Lee. If Heihachi fights him, I don't know what will happen." She paused for breath. "Lee, today is my bout with Wang. If I don't win, I'm counting on you to defeat Heihachi for me."

"All right," he agreed, "But…" He stopped her before she could leave. "When this is all finished, you've got to tell me what all this is about."

Jun smiled, nodded, then left. Lee watched her receding figure a moment, thoughtful. Whatever Jun's motivation, he knew it had something to do with the Devil. Turning, he saw that Wang had come up behind him.

"Miss. Kazama knows of our supernatural associate," Wang stated lightly. "And Kazuya knows it."

"Yes," Lee said. "Kazuya knows."

"Do you think he'll let her leave here alive?"

"No, Wang da ren," Lee spoke softly. "I think that wherever Kazuya goes now, whatever happens to him… Jun will always be there, close behind." He half smiled at his old friend and mentor. "Be prepared, Lao Wang. I don't think you'll defeat her today."

There was a small, inscrutable smile on Wang's face. "To be surpassed by one's student is the greatest achievement a teacher could possess," he stated. "If Jun is the one to teach the Mishima kindness and humility once more, then so be it."

Without another word, Wang turned and left to prepare himself for the bout with his former pupil.

-oOo-

Heihachi Mishima stood proud and majestic in the arena, and it seemed to Lee that he looked exactly as he'd always done – his father, his arrogant, cold, strong father.

"Please do not be angry with me, my son," he was telling Lee, his voice echoing sonorously in the ring. "If I defeat you today, it will be for your own good. Once I have destroyed Kazuya, I shall once again rule the Mishima Empire with you as my heir. You shall be my only, eldest son, my right hand man, once more."

Lee said nothing. He recalled how Heihachi had taken him in, a young, frightened boy, from the compounds of China. He knew this would be his last betrayal. He told himself: The Mishima blood does not flow in my veins; I do not love my fatherI never have.

Only then could he bring himself to move forwards and throw the first punch.

I will save Kazuya, Jun had thought as she had stood before her opponent, her guide, the old man named Wang. It doesn't matter how. I will save him.

And once again that strange force of goodness had coursed through her, the same that she had felt bloom within her soul that day on the forbidden uppermost floor. Just as Kazuya had no longer been himself that time, so now Jun was no longer herself. For the first time in her life she knew that she would win this fight, whatever was put in her way to stop her.

"You have grown in power, Jun Kazama," Wang told her triumphantly. "I can see that your strength has finally surpassed mine. You will use it to save Kazuya. As your mentor, I am proud of you."

Jun smiled serenely. She felt happiness overwhelm her, a happiness that was not her own but that stole her heart. She suddenly felt full of love for Kazuya Mishima.

-oOo-

Next: Jun and Lee betray Kazuya and leave themselves exposed to the wrath of the Devil...