Chapter Six: Thunder Strike
"There's almost nothing a good soak can't cure," Xiaoyu sighed blissfully as she towelled her hair dry. Wrapping a fuzzy robe around herself, she exited the steamy bathroom and flopped onto her over-sized bed. "But what to do with the rest of today?" she wondered, looking at the ceiling. She leaned over, lazily reaching for the remote on her nightstand and flipped on her TV. The calm voice of another faceless sports commentator drifted over the room. Xiaoyu sprung up as the event was announced, her back cracking with the speed of the motion.
"Hey! That's me!" Flushing with excitement, she kneeled on the edge of the bed and turned up the volume. "They're airing my match! They're actually airing my match! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" she screamed excitedly.
"And here we have the profile of the next contestant, Xiaoyu Ling." Xiaoyu slapped her forehead and gave up. "She might not be the youngest participant in the tournament anymore, but she can still act the part," continued the biographer smoothly. "Adopted by Heihachi Mishima under uncertain circumstances when she was only sixteen years old, Ling's fighting career began in the Third Iron Fist Tournament two years ago…"
Xiaoyu grinned as an old picture of her, Panda and Miharu flashed across the screen. The grin faded as she realized she had still been in high school, and was wearing her plaid-chequered uniform skirt and sweater. "Hwoarang, I'm going to kill you," she muttered. Then her eyes widened. "Oh no… Miharu!" Putting the television on mute, she eyed her cell phone and weighed her options. "Better get it over with," she mumbled, reaching for the cell and quickly punching in a number.
"Hello?" crackled a voice over the line.
"Hey Miharu. Guess who!" Xiaoyu said cheerfully.
"Xiao?" replied Miharu after a pause. "Xiaoyu? Where have you been? It's been, like, a week since that limo took you! I've been texting you forever! Did that Kazuya guy beat you up? You could call child services on him you know!"
Almost reflexively, Xiaoyu yelled into the phone "I am not a child!" Oops. "Uh, I mean, I've been a little busy. No, he didn't beat me up, but it did have something to do with that meeting…"
"Xiaoyu, what's going on?" Miharu's voice held a note of concern, and Xiaoyu winced as she considered breaking the news.
"Well… umm, why don't you turn on your TV?" she said nervously.
"It's already on. Nights of the Young and Eager is showing right now. That's another thing, did you know that Bobby got trapped in a cabin with Shaina and now they're like, totally sleeping together? They were trying to kill each other just last episode, too! Talk about a turnaround!"
Xiaoyu rolled her eyes. "Miharu, I still don't watch soap operas," she groaned. "There's no need to when you're living through a live action one."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Xiaoyu swallowed. "Switch to the sports channel," she tried. There was a short pause, and then she held the phone away from her ear as a shrill scream erupted.
"OH MY GOD! Xiaoyu, you're on TV!" Silence followed as the relatively short match was aired. Her own television was still muted, but she could dimly hear the sound of the fast-paced theme music and cheering voices over the phone as the program cut away to a "King of the Iron Fist Tournament" menu. Then the sound disappeared, and there was only silence.
"Hello? Miharu?" Xiaoyu said, tapping the phone. "Are you still there?"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" screamed Miharu over the line. Xiaoyu held the phone away from her ear and winced. "This is why you've been missing for a week? You couldn't even tell me there was another Tournament going on, let alone that you were competing in it? Xiaoyu, what were you thinking?"
I was thinking I wanted to help Jin. I was thinking you wouldn't get it. "I guess I wasn't thinking that much," Xiaoyu answered out loud, waiting for the recrimination she knew she had earned.
"That would be the understatement of the year! I think it's really cool that you can fight and all, but don't you think it was time you started getting a little more serious?" Miharu said disapprovingly. "Look at the size of those guys you're fighting against! You're going to get yourself seriously hurt one of these days!"
Xiaoyu rolled her eyes. "Mi, it's not just about the fighting, okay? I have a reason to be in the tournament this time."
"Oh really? Like the amusement park again?" came the dry response.
"Hey, that would have been a good idea," Xiaoyu huffed.
"Sure, Xiao. So what's your reason this time?"
Xiaoyu shut her eyes. "You wouldn't understand," she said softly. Another silence followed.
"Oh, I understand," Miharu's voice came out, sounding faintly hurt. "You just don't want to tell me." She cut off Xiaoyu's protest, continuing swiftly. "I do understand this, Xiaoyu. It's your first year of college, and you're already cutting classes just like you did in high school. All you ever want to do is shop, train at your stupid dojo, or talk about Jin. You know how you always get mad when people call you a little kid? If you ask me, you deserve it! Money doesn't grow on trees, and without your 'Grandpa Heihachi' around to set you up, you're not going to make it! Not unless you start getting serious!"
Xiaoyu recoiled at Miharu's angry voice. Pulling the phone back to her ear, her temper flared. "What are you, my mother?" she yelled. "Look, Miharu, I called because I thought you might want to know what I've been up to. Obviously that was a big mistake! Sorry for bothering you during your precious soap opera!" With that, she cut the connection and threw her phone across the room. It hit the wall with a loud clack and fell to the floor in many little pieces of bright pink and yellow plastic. She dove back onto her bed and buried her face into a fluffy pillow, willing away her angry tears.
First Jin, then Heihachi and Panda, and now Miharu! "It's not fair!" she cried out. She suddenly wished her grandfather was there. Jinrei was old, irritable and he enjoyed arguing with his favourite granddaughter. Beyond the surface, though, she knew Jinrei loved her deeply. She missed watching his old, wrinkled hands as they moved through the forms of Tai Chi, hearing his soothing voice gently prodding her for her next lesson, seeing his kind eyes sparkle with pride as he watched her grow. Thinking about her grandfather helped calm the roiling emotions in her breast, and eventually, Xiaoyu managed to sit up.
"Oh no," she breathed as she spotted the mangled remains of her cell phone. "I guess I shouldn't have done that." It soured her already bad mood, and wiping at her face, she slid off of the bed and dressed herself slowly in her old sweatpants and an oversized shirt.
Leaving the confines of her room, Xiaoyu made her way down the corridor and into the communal kitchen. After a few moments of cursing and searching, she found what she was looking for, brandishing the tea kettle in triumph. She filled it with water and placed it on the stove, then settled herself at the countertop and waited for the water to boil.
"What am I doing?" she mumbled to her reflection in the polished chrome of the pot. The other, slightly warped Xiaoyu didn't have an answer ready. "I don't even like green tea," she sighed. But, she realized sadly, she had been unfair to Miharu, and she felt like punishing herself. Besides, the steaming, slightly bitter liquid reminded her of her grandfather, and Xiaoyu thought the familiar scent and taste might bring her a little bit of comfort. She closed her eyes, leaned her head on the countertop and drifted off, trying to lose herself in her faded memories of China.
A siren brought her head up abruptly, and Xiaoyu squawked in dismay. "I burned the water!" she cried, grabbing the kettle off of the stove and turning off the heat in a panic. The siren didn't stop, however, and Xiaoyu kicked herself as she realized it was much too loud to be the whistling of the teakettle. Quickly forgetting about her break, she rushed out of the kitchen and into the hall, almost colliding with a few guards who were storming down the corridor. She grabbed one of them as he raced by, holding him back.
"What's going on?" she shouted, trying to be heard above the claxon.
"There's an intruder in the building," the guard told her curtly. "Return to your room and lock your door." He pulled away brusquely and rushed after his companions. Xiaoyu stared after his retreating form, her eyes wide.
"An intruder?" she wondered. Then she clenched her fists, her anger mounting. The Mishima Corporate Headquarters might not have had the comforts of her home in China, but it was still her home. "There's no way I'm staying put!" she shouted, turning in the opposite direction and sprinting down the hallway. Xiaoyu wasn't entirely familiar with the layout of the penthouse suites in the large building, but she did know that everything could be monitored from the upper rooms. If she knew Kazuya to be anything, it was a control freak. "I just have to find the observation room, and then I can find the intruder," she reasoned, turning down another twisting hallway and glancing at the doors. Finding the stairwell she was looking for, she flung open the door and raced upwards. Usually a guard would be posted to prevent anyone, herself included, from invading the Mishima's private quarters on the floor above, but with the chaos of the break-in, the hallway was empty. "This is too easy," Xiaoyu muttered to herself as she opened the stairwell door and stepped into the hallway. "Now which way," she wondered, glancing down the long corridor to her right. It didn't look very promising, so she turned to her left, and suddenly saw stars.
"Oof!" she cried, tumbling to the floor. She carried the momentum, continuing her roll until she was standing on her feet again and looked up at the object she had collided with.
The offender had also rolled to her feet from the collision, and was currently crouched into a defensive stance across from her. Xiaoyu's eyes widened as she recognized the pretty face she was staring at. "Hey… aren't you one of the competitors?" she asked. "What are you doing up here?"
The girl's eyes narrowed and her mouth drew into a small frown. "Get out of my way," she warned Xiaoyu, her hands closing into fists.
"Wow! You're Julia Chang!" Xiaoyu said excitedly, pointing. "I'm a big fan of yours," she gushed, her eyes glowing with appreciation. "I've seen you at the last few tournaments, you're amazing! Those super hits, it's incredible how you manage to send people flying like that!" she added, jumping up and waving her fist in the air. "Can I have your autograph?"
Julia, for her part, had backed away uncertainly, her fists still raised and her eyes darting to the side every few minutes. "Are you serious?" she said incredulously, sparing only a quick glance at Xiaoyu.
For her part, the light bulb finally exploded over Xiaoyu's head, and her mouth fell open into a disappointed "oh." "You're the intruder," she said finally. "But… why?"
Julia's eyes narrowed, and she raised her fists. "You wouldn't understand," she said curtly, preparing to attack.
Xiaoyu cringed, the familiar words echoing in her own ears. But… I like her, she thought to herself as her instincts warred. I don't want to have to fight an idol! Julia lunged forward, attempting to grab one of Xiaoyu's arms. She recognized the older girl's move as one of her famous wrestling locks, and danced out of the way. "Wait!" she cried out as she dodged. "I don't want to fight you!"
Julia stopped attacking, glancing down the hallway once more, before turning her attention back to Xiaoyu. "I don't have time for this," she grit out. "Either fight or get out of the way!"
Xiaoyu shook her head wildly. "There are guards swarming all over the floors below. You'll never make it out of here like that," she said, making her decision. "Come on, follow me!" She flung open the stairwell door and started down the steps.
Julia hesitated for a moment, her fists still raised, and then with quick glance, followed Xiaoyu down the stairs. "Why are you helping me?" she called out behind Xiaoyu's back as they reached the lower level.
Feeling a crazy sense of deja-vu, Xiaoyu didn't bother to turn around, instead gesturing for Julia to wait as she cautiously peeked out of the door and into the hallway. "Umm… duty!" she said quickly. "Hey, the coast is clear, hurry!"
The two girls sprinted down the hall, Xiaoyu leading the way. Julia had no choice but to follow, obviously lost between all the twists and turns in the complicated corridors.
"Where are we going?" she hissed uncertainly.
"Right here," Xiaoyu said, kicking the door open and pulling Julia in roughly before slamming it behind her. She fell against the doorframe, panting, and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "Phew, I don't think I've run that fast since my gym class in high school," she moaned. Noticing her companion's confused expression, she smiled as she turned the lock in the door. "This is my room!"
Julia was already slowly wandering through the carpeted room, dominated by the massive pink bed in the center and giant stuffed animals scattered all around the floor. After a few moments, the tall girl turned and stared at Xiaoyu. "You live here?" she said incredulously.
"Uh-huh!" Xiaoyu said, nodding her head happily. "What's wrong?" she asked as she saw Julia's face drop into a scowl.
"You're one of them, then?" she said, her hands rising into fists again.
"Hey, wait a second, I just saved you!" Xiaoyu answered, putting her hands on her hips. "And no, I'm not a Mishima, my name is Ling Xiaoyu! I just live here," she answered. She frowned as the older girl relaxed once more. "What's your problem with the Mishima family anyway?" she asked curiously. "And why'd you break in?"
"May I?" Julia asked politely, gesturing at the bed. Xiaoyu nodded eagerly, and she sat on the edge with a sigh of relief, planting her elbows on her knees and clasping her palms together. She exhaled as she rested her forehead against her hands, mumbling "Where to start?" Finally, she looked up at Xiaoyu shrewdly.
"Since you helped me, I'll tell you, but I want to know what your relationship with the Mishima Corporation is first," Julia said.
"Well, that's easy," Xiaoyu answered. "If you'd been watching the sports channel earlier instead of breaking in, you'd know!" Seeing irritation flit across Julia's features, she continued quickly. "I come from China. I stowed away on Heihachi Mishima's ship when I was sixteen while I was vacationing in Hong Kong. He let me stay and sorta adopted me, and I've been taking part in the Tournaments ever since," she explained quickly. "Heihachi adopted me in spirit, but not in name. When he…" She swallowed, pausing. "When Kazuya took over, he let me stay, but I'm definitely not part of the family right now," she said quickly.
Sympathy flashed briefly across Julia's face. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can't understand why someone like you would care about a bastard like Heihachi Mishima, though," she added bitterly. Seeing Xiaoyu's shocked expression, she smiled slightly. "He kidnapped my mother once, just to get his hands on my tribe's treasure."
Xiaoyu's face fell as she heard the news. Yoshimitsu had told her of Heihachi's experiment with the creature known as Ogre in the third tournament, but she had been hoping that it wasn't true. "I know he wasn't a nice person," Xiaoyu whispered softly. "I… I still miss him, though. He isn't all bad, when you get to know him."
"Do you really know him?" Julia said sharply. She sucked in her breath as Xiaoyu recoiled. "I'm sorry. You're being kind enough to shelter me, and I'm only insulting you. Please forgive me," she said humbly, bowing her head. "I should answer your own questions, too. I've been working on some research data for the G Corporation for the past few years," she explained. "We aren't exactly on 'friendly' terms with the Mishima Corporation," Julia admitted. "But what they did is unforgivable!" she added with a note of anger. "There was a break-in, and all of my data was stolen. Two years of work!" she added, clenching her fist. "I need that data back. It's a radical process, completely untested," Julia explained passionately. "My data would allow forests to take root where too much erosion normally occurs due to man-made conditions. You see, I need that data to save my homeland."
"Wow," Xiaoyu said, her eyes wide. "So you're smart, too! How old are you, anyway?"
Julia smiled. "Well, I'm only twenty years old, I know it's a little young to be taken seriously as a researcher. But I've got a good motivation and I've managed to produce results," she said proudly. Then her face fell. "At least, I did manage to produce results before. Ever since I lost that data, all I've managed to create are dead ends," she added. "I think G Corps' patience with me is running out. I need to find that data, no matter what."
Xiaoyu nodded her head thoughtfully, still surprised at her idol's youthful age. Only two years older than me, and she's already changing the world, she thought to herself in awe. Maybe Miharu's right… I should take things a little more seriously. The thought of Jin, twisted by his demonic transformation sprung to mind, and she was reminded of her reason for participating in the tournament once more. I'll take school a little more seriously when I have the time, she decided. "So… you're not really interested in winning the tournament, then?" she asked thoughtfully.
Julia smiled, then, a small, quiet smile that made Xiaoyu wish she had the older girl's poise. "All I really want is my data," she admitted. "If I have to win the tournament to get it, then that's what I'll do. I was hoping that I'd be able to find it on my own, though, and just leave."
"Use the tournament as a distraction while you find your stuff, you mean," Xiaoyu said. Seeing the other girl's affirmative nod, she took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll help you out! With someone like me working on the inside, we'll be sure to find your data in no time!" She grinned brightly at Julia's surprised look. "Besides, helping you out will probably bug Kazuya. That's enough reason in itself!" she cheered.
Julia laughed pleasantly, and Xiaoyu found herself staring at the beautiful girl once more. "What's the matter?" the Native American asked, leaning over and cupping her hand in her chin.
"Oh… well, it's just that I'm really a big fan of yours," Xiaoyu admitted with a blush. "I think you're one of the greatest fighters in the tournament. You made it pretty far last time, too," she admitted. "You're sort of like my idol," she added in a rush.
Julia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You're not the one who sent me that letter about the Tournament, are you?" she asked Xiaoyu. "Someone's been sponsoring my participation, but I still haven't found out who it is."
Xiaoyu giggled and shook her head. "Hey, it's not me, I'm just a fan, not a stalker! But maybe that means you have a secret admirer!" Her eyes grew misty as she clasped her hands together. "That's so romantic! Aren't you excited?"
"Excited isn't exactly the word I'd use," Julia replied. "I can see you're a die-hard romantic, though. That's cute," she laughed.
Both girls froze as their newfound friendship was interrupted by the rough pounding on Xiaoyu's door. "Open up!" bellowed the unmistakable voice of a guard as the doorknob rattled.
"What do we do now?" Julia mouthed, her eyes wide as Xiaoyu sprung away from the door.
"Quick, take off your jacket and your shoes!" Xiaoyu whispered, racing over to her dresser and haphazardly throwing a few articles onto the floor. Satisfied with the mess she had made, she raced to the bed and mussed up the comforter, and then immediately launched an attack on one of the older girl's braids.
"What are you doing?" Julia hissed, still struggling out of her boots.
"Just trust me!" Xiaoyu answered, satisfied as she managed to partially undue half of the thick braid of hair. Both girls looked up as the door rattled once more.
"Open up now or we'll break the door down," the guard warned threateningly.
"I'm coming, keep your pants on!" Xiaoyu called out loudly, gesturing for Julia to sit down as she threw a magazine at her. "Just open this up and pretend like you're reading!"
Julia raised an uncertain eyebrow, looking at the contents of the magazine. "20 ways to please your man?" she choked. "I didn't think anyone actually bought these things!"
Xiaoyu ignored her and flung open the door, putting her hands on her hips and blocking the way into her room. "There'd better be a good excuse for this," she said primly, glaring at the guard.
"We've had a break-in, miss," he answered brusquely. Looking over her shoulder, he spotted Julia in the room and scowled. "Who is that?" he asked dangerously, hefting his gun.
"That's my friend, Julia. For your information, I invited her here for a sleepover. We were in the middle of having some girl time," Xiaoyu said snottily.
As if on cue, Julia looked up from over the magazine, pursing her lips. "What's the problem, Xiaoyu?" she called out loudly.
Turning back to the guard, Xiaoyu pushed her finger into his armoured chest. "Why are you poking around here anyway?" she added pointedly. "Do you really think someone would bust into Mishima Corporation Headquarters just to visit me?" As the words rolled off her tongue, her eyes widened, and she grabbed the guard by the collar, pulling him down unexpectedly. "It's not Jin, is it?" she yelled, her heart racing.
Coughing, the guard pulled himself free of Xiaoyu's tight grasp. "No, miss," he answered irately. "We've had reports of a masked intruder on the forty-second floor," he said. "Do not attempt to engage him in combat, he's said to be extremely dangerous." Pulling off a walkie-talkie, he handed it to Xiaoyu. "You are to report immediately if you sight him," he added with a quick salute.
"Whatever," Xiaoyu said, slamming the door in his face. She turned to Julia with a look of relief. "Hey, they're not looking for you after all," she said, preparing to toss the small radio aside.
"Let me see that," Julia replied, flinging the magazine away and holding out her hand. Puzzled, Xiaoyu nodded and handed the small device to the older girl. She sank down to her knees, watching as Julia sat on the bed and began to fiddle with the radio. A burst of loud static erupted, followed by the angry shouting of the Tekken Force guards. Xiaoyu winced and covered her ears; she could barely follow the mishmash of sound emanating from the walkie-talkie.
"Whoever he is, he's good," Julia noted, popping open a panel on the device and fiddling with the wires inside. "Getting inside this place is hard work," she explained as she pulled a knife from her pocket and yanked on another wire. "I had some inside information from the G Corp to help me out. It's a long shot, but…" Smiling with satisfaction, she held out her hand as the radio stopped buzzing and gave a loud click. "This is it. If it's a G Corp Operative, we should be able to hear him on this frequency," she explained.
"Wow," Xiaoyu said again, her eyes round as she watched the Native American hold the radio up to her ear and adjust the dials carefully. "I don't know anything about computers," she said in awe.
Julia smiled distractedly, still turning a knob on the radio. "This isn't really computing, this is just some basic engineering," she admitted. "I can try to show you… wait a second, here it is," she said, the smile dropping as she raised the volume.
Static crackled through the room, and then, faintly, a deep male voice registered. "…en to headquarters. I repeat, Heihachi Mishima is alive! Awaiting orders!"
Xiaoyu let out a small gasp, her attention focused completely on the small device. It clicked and buzzed, and then a different voice answered. "This is headquarters. We have confirmed your situation. Your orders are to withdraw immediately. Do not attempt to engage the target. Repeat, do not engage the target!"
The radio clicked once more. "Understood. Raven out."
Slowly, Julia reached out and flipped off the device, then looked up at Xiaoyu with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
Xiaoyu opened and closed her mouth silently. "He's alive," she whispered. He's alive, and he didn't tell me. "I don't know," she answered finally, unable to think of anything else.
Moments later, the sirens in the building died out, leaving the two girls in silence.