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Thanks to all the readers.

Thanks to MooNTeARZ, Flaming Fenix, Krappkarmin, Tekken fan, Lady-Eliwen and HwoarangTheChamp for their reviews to the last chapter.

Chapter 15

Old Friends

FUJI-NION

25th JUNE 2014

Susume Takani was a very tenacious reporter. Since the reporters weren't allowed to broadcast the fights, she had decided to interview the fighters one by one. But there were some who weren't very pleased to give interviews. Paul and Forest had turned down her invitations, but Marshall accepted. He said his son that he the cameras had always liked him.

Until now, Susume had three interviews done, with Craig Marduk, Ganryu and Marshall Law, but she wanted more.

She had been investigating and she knew how famous Paul was. Last night when she was spying on Paul, in a pub, she had seen him talking with a young man. The young man was Japanese and he was quite handsome. Susume was so astonished with his strong body and cute face that she stood there day-dreaming and in the end she lost their trail. Jin managed to go back to his hotel without being noticed.

Now, she wanted to find that young man once again. She wanted to know who he was.

But there were many other fighters arriving, and in that afternoon another famous fighter arrived in Fuji-Nion. His name was King, but that wasn't his real name, of course.

He was famous for his charity work and his fair play. Susume managed to have an interview with him, and King explained quickly that he was there to win the money to help homeless kids who needed an orphanage in Mexico, his homeland.

But that wasn't the whole truth. King was also there to avenge his master's death at the hands of a powerful fighter.

In the meanwhile Lee had arrived in Fuji-Nion too, and he was staying at the Nion Grand Hotel, right next to the Empire Hotel.

There were now nine hotels in Fuji-Nion to receive all those people. The Empire Hotel and the Nion Grand Hotel were the most expansive ones and they were located in the most luxurious part of the town.

In that same night, from his window, Lee saw Jin and his group going to a bar, and he thought about his reasons to be there.

Jin seemed to have a normal life. He was healthy; he had a girlfriend and other friends, everything that he and Kazuya didn't have.

Kazuya because he was supposed to be the Mishima's heir, and Lee because he had been neglected by his own father and during all his youth he had concentrated his thoughts and strengths thinking about vengeance.

He had only been happy during the years he was with Nina, but it didn't last long and now was too late.

Lee was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't notice a black limousine stopping in front of the Empire Hotel. Jinpachi arrived along with Dr. Abel.

-'Jin is already here…'-Jinpachi said.

-'It's possible.'

-'I can feel his presence.'

-'How can you tell it's him and not Kazuya?'

-'Because I feel an almost pure energy…Kazuya's energy is different!'

-'And now what?'

-'Now…we settle in and tomorrow I'll meet an old friend. I can't wait to see him!'-with these words, Jinpachi entered the Empire Hotel and went to his comfortable room.

FUJI-NION

26th JUNE 2014

That morning things weren't going well. Steve was in a very bad humour. He had the same dream for the third night in a row. It was about a blonde woman and she was in danger. He went to his rescue but in the end he couldn't save her.

Steve didn't know why he was dreaming about a stranger, when he should be dreaming about Miharu.

Miharu found him after the breakfast, in the park. He had left Jin and Yuu training.

-'What's wrong?'-she asked.

-'Nothing…I'm just not feeling very well.'

-'Are you sick?'

-'No. Don't worry about me…'

-'Of course I do. You're my…I mean you're important to me!'

-'Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm ready to say certain things to you…'-Steve said.

-'You don't trust me…'-Miharu said with sadness.

-'It's not that. I did some stupid things in the past…and well, my family is complicated, I think you noticed that.'

-'If you want I can tell you stuff about me…I mean…things that I never shared…'

-'If you want to, but I don't want to force you…'

-'It's ok…I want to.'

-'So…what happened in your past…I bet you were never expelled from your school.'

-'I wasn't…but…I went to the Mishima School because…'

-'Yes?'

-'Because I was in love with someone…I mean I thought I was in love…but it was just a crush…besides I was only fifteen.'

-'Who was it?'

-'Jin…'-she whispered.

-'Jin? You mean Jin Kazama?'

-'Yes…'

Steve looked at her intensively. He didn't know what to think. If it was another guy, he wouldn't mind, but he knew Jin and he couldn't look at Jin the same way, because now Jin had become a rival.

-'But he disappeared and I never spoke to him…so…eventually my feelings towards him changed.'

-'Are you sure?'-Steve inquired.

-'Of course!'

-'Jin is here now…and…'

-'What are you thinking? That I'm with you to forget about Jin?'-Miharu asked feeling hurt.

-'No…but that's not impossible, is it?'

-'Well…then let me tell you that you're wrong. First of all I forgot about Jin a long time ago, and second he's with my best friend! I don't love him and I think I never did!'

-'Come on…Jin was your first love…you don't forget your first love just like that!'

-'You know what, Steve? You're being an idiot! I told you this because I thought I could make you talk to me about your problems…and because I don't want to have secrets with you…but I guess it was a mistake.'

-'You come to me and say that you loved Jin Kazama, who happens to be here with us and you're expecting me to trust you more and to accept this?'

-'I said I had a crush on him, like all the girls in that school! And yes, I do want you to accept it!'

-'Well, I'm truly sorry, but I can't!'

-'Why not!'

-'Because the guy who you loved is one of my friends! How can I stand that?'

-'It wasn't love, Steve!'

-'Have you told Ling?'

-'What?'

-'Have you told her that you love Jin?'

-'I don't love him! I realised that when I saw them together! Ling and Jin are meant to be together!'

-'And so you needed someone to help you forget about Jin, and you picked me. Yuu was there for you too? Why didn't you choose him?'

-'It wasn't like that! You don't get it, do you?'

-'No…'

Miharu left the park crying. She was disappointed with Steve. She wanted a relationship based on the truth, but now she was thinking that she had made a huge mistake. Some men were too proud, and in that case she had probably ruined her relationship with Steve, but also ruined Steve and Jin's friendship.

Steve was in the park and he started thinking about what he had just said to Miharu. He looked at the sky and when he was going to go meet Miharu to try to apologise he saw a woman entering the Nion Grand Hotel. She had bumped into an old Chinese man, who was on his way to the Empire Hotel and her wallet had fallen. Steve crossed the street and picked it up. Then he followed her until the elevator.

-'Please…Miss!'-he said in English, making Nina turn around immediately.-'You left this behind!'

Nina was surprised to see him there. She wasn't expecting to see him.

-'Are you ok?'-Steve asked.

-'Yes…what do you want?'

-'This is yours! Take it!'

Steve put her wallet in her hands and smiled at her.

-'You need to be more careful.'

-'Yes…thank you…'

-'Are you here for the tournament?'

-'Yes.'

-'Then, I'll see you around, Miss…'

-'Williams…'

Steve grabbed her hand to greet her and then he waved. Nina put her blond hair behind her ear in a way that reminded Steve of himself. He used to do that same gesture.

He saw her disappear in the elevator and with a strange feeling he left the hotel. That woman reminded him of someone but he didn't know who.

In the meanwhile, Dr. Abel was taking Wang Jinrei to Jinpachi's room. When they arrived, Dr. Abel went to the lab that was hidden behind the walls.

They were in Heihachi's old suite in the Hotel Empire.

-'Is it really you, Kazukyo…?'-Jinrei asked surprised, he thought that his friend was dead.

-'Well…I'm back, Jinrei…I'm back from the dead, and believe me…this is for real!'

-'Where were you, all this time?'

-'My son locked me up in a cryosleep chamber…I have been waiting for many years.'

-'So, are you alright?'

-'Yes…my body is still weak and I'm trying to get used to this new world and new environment. But I need your help!'

-'I couldn't believe when I received your letter…I thought you were gone.'

-'Well, I'm here now, and I remember that when I left you in China you said you would help me always…'

-'And I will. What do you need me to do?'

-'Like I said before, I want to destroy this family!'

-'Your family?'

-'Yes. This war in my family has to end.'

-'When you met me in China, many years ago, you were confused…and you are still confused, my friend!'

-'No, I'm not. I can see things perfectly now! My family brought misery to many and I have to stop this! My son betrayed me, I was right…'

-'Are you sure it was your son?'

-'Heihachi was ambitious enough to send someone to kill his brother…and even me…Seichi died because of him!'

Jinpachi looked at the window and a tear appeared in his eyes. He loved his oldest son and he had suffered with his youngest son's betrayal.

-'I'm sorry for you Kazukyo…'

-'I'm not Kazukyo anymore…that man died the day he was betrayed by his own son! I'm Jinpachi.'

-'I believe that your son Heihachi is also dead…'

-'Yes…it is said that Heihachi died last year.'

-'You had your revenge.'

-'Not yet. I need to stop the war between my heirs.'

-'I don't understand.'

-'I have heirs…Kazuya, Lee and Jin. I want to meet them after the first round of fights and I want to choose one of them to be the head of the Mishima Empire and the owner of the devil gene.'

-'Devil gene?'

-'I set a curse on my family when Heihachi betrayed me…and now I have to stop it!'

-'A curse?'

-'The scientists call it the devil gene. I told Heihachi that every Mishima would have the only thing he wanted and most desired…except for him, and that he would spend the rest of his life trying to have it.'

-'And what was that?'

-'The thing he most desired was power, a huge power…and so every Mishima has the devil gene, something that gives a great power when you can control it well. I have it too…'

-'And who will you choose?'

-'I don't know yet. I need to talk to them first.'

-'What will happen to the ones you don't choose?'

-'They will lose the devil gene…and maybe die…I think that Kazuya won't be able to live without the devil gene…'

-'I can't participate in a murder.'

-'You have to.'

-'Why?'

-'Because this has something to do with you…'

Jinpachi gave Jinrei a picture of Jin.

-'Do you know him?'-Jinpachi asked.

-'Yes…'

-'That's Jin Mishima…my great grandson…he's living with a Chinese girl who I presume you know.'

-'Ling Xiaoyu…'

-'Exactly…it's in your hands to decide what to do, Jinrei. Do you want to save your little girl from the Mishima curse, or do you prefer to watch her sink with Jin?'

-'Jin is a nice boy…he will never hurt her.'

-'He won't hurt her, not on purpose, but things might get out of control and when that happens, Jin won't be able to stop himself.'

-'But she's in love with him…she's happy.'

-'Jin is a lost soul…Xiaoyu gave herself to my great grandson, but you can still save her. Will you help me?'

-'Will you kill Jin?'

-'I don't know…I hope not. I only need the girl to make Jin come to me, but I promise she'll be harmless!'

-'Ok…then I will help you…after all, we still are best friends!'

-'Thank you Jinrei…I won't forget this! After this, everything will be alright. Your little girl will move on and my destiny will be completed.'

-'For you things will be alright, for Xiao…I doubt it…she loves that boy too much.'

-'She'll forget him…you'll see…but lets forget about that now…come and meet my partner, Dr. Abel.'

Jinpachi took Jinrei to the laboratory where Dr. Abel was working on some files.

-'What's that?'-Jinrei asked.

-'This is some information that I'm gathering from all the fighters in this tournament…'-Dr. Abel answered.

-'Dr. Abel found me after my son's death…I was very weak and he told me what happened.'

-'What will you do to Xiao?'-Jinrei asked to Dr. Abel.

-'Not much…I'll just see if she has the devil gene and I'll keep her locked up until Jin arrives…that's all!'

-'Lets go, Jinrei…I'll buy you lunch!'-Jinpachi said.

After lunch, Jinrei went back to his hotel room, where he stayed for a while. He needed to think about that situation. He believed in his old friend's words. Jinpachi had never lied to him, and they were really true friends. Jinpachi had contacted him when he suspected that his youngest son, Heihachi, was involved in Seichi's death. Back then, Jinpachi met Jinrei in China to ask for his advice, and Jinrei said to him that he shouldn't punish Heihachi because he had no proofs and because a father should never hurt his children.

Jinpachi went back to Japan and followed his friend's advice, but Heihachi betrayed his own father, and Jinrei never heard of his friend until now. But he had promised Jinpachi to help him no matter the situation.

Now things were even more complicated because Jinpachi wanted to solve the problems among the Mishima heirs. That wouldn't be easy.

For Jinrei the problem was Ling. He cared for her and the last thing he wanted was to see her hurt. Jinrei didn't want anyone to die, but in order to protect Ling and to keep his promise he was forced to help Jinpachi.

Ling had been knocking on Miharu's door for almost half an hour, but Miharu refused to open the door and told her she was not feeling well. Ling was forced to leave.

She was crossing the park to join Yuu and Jin when Jinrei called her from his window.

He told her to wait and he met her.

-'What are you doing alone, Xiao?'

-'My friend is sick…and I was going to meet Jin now…'

-'Is he training?'

-'Yes.'

-'He's very strong!'

-'I know…'

-'Why didn't you tell me he is a Mishima?'

Ling looked at her master surprised. How did he know that Jin was a Mishima? And why did that matter?

-'You never asked! But that doesn't matter, right?'

-'The Mishima family is a very…'

-'I know…dangerous family…'-Ling finished for him.

-'I was going to say, powerful, but dangerous is fine too…'

-'You told me not to judge people for their colour, race or religion…what does it matter if he's a Mishima, a Kazama or from another family. He's Jin…'

-'You are half right, Xiao. We shouldn't judge people that way, but the fact is…you shouldn't be with a Mishima.'

-'Why?'

-'Because this wasn't meant to be!'

-'I don't understand! You said that I should follow my heart, and my heart says I have to stay with Jin!'

-'You are pure and innocent…and Jin is a lost soul…his mind is troubled and he will never find some peace in his heart. There's something in Jin that is…'

-'Don't say it! Jin is not EVIL and that's final!'

-'A girl like you should be with someone different. Jin will only bring you misery and suffering.'

-'NO! Don't say that! You don't know Jin like I do! Jin is a Mishima, but that doesn't mean anything! He's good, he helped me when I needed, and he hates to see other people suffering!'

-'If you want to be happy…leave him now…or you'll suffer!'

-'I won't leave him. He needs me and I'll always be with him!'

-'In that case, I wish you luck! You'll have a hard task coming up soon…be careful, Xiao!'

Instead of going to the park to join Yuu and Jin, Ling decided to return to the hotel, that talk with her master had disturbed her a bit. Jinrei was a good man, he had taught her how to fight and always gave her support and good advice, but now he was scaring her with all that talk about a hard task and about Jin's family. Did he know something she didn't? Or was he just being paranoid?

In the meantime Yuu and Jin were back at the hotel. On the stairs, Steve bumped into Jin.

-'Hey…where's the fire?'-Jin asked.

-'There's no fire.'

-'Why didn't you join us?'-Yuu asked.

-'Because I wasn't in the mood, ok? Excuse me…I need to go!'

Steve pushed Jin out of his way and gave him a cold glance. Jin looked at Yuu with a narrow look and they both shrugged.

-'Did I say something?'-Jin asked.

-'I don't think so…'

-'Well…I'm going to take a shower and I'll see you at dinner, ok?'

-'Sure!'

Jin stayed in the third floor and Yuu went up to the fourth floor.

When Jin opened the door, Ling ran to him and hugged him tightly. Jin almost fell back.

-'What's wrong?'-he asked immediately.

-'Do you feel anything?'

-'Yeah…you hugging me…'

-'No, I mean…something bad…'

-'No…not really…why?'

-'It's nothing! Never mind!'-she said letting him go.

-'Steve is acting weird…you're acting weird…what's next?'

-'I'm sorry.'

-'It's ok. I'm going to take a shower…'

-'Ok…'