Chapter Fourteen: Cyanide
"… battles for the Fifth King of the Iron Fist Tournament, and let me tell you, never has been a more exciting one! Newcomer Asuka Kazama has stormed the Tournament with her daring stunts and confident attitude!"
A picture of Asuka clapping her fist into her palm a few times flickered across the screen; her sunny, carefree grin was pointed directly at the cameras.
"Not to mention the return of some of our old favourites, performing solidly as expected."
Kazuya glared at the screen, his red eye flashing before his fist rushed towards the camera, blacking out the screen.
"There have been some unexpected surprises along the way,"
Now it was Xiaoyu in the thick panda suit, wheeling through the air.
"And old rivalries waiting to be settled."
Hwoarang smirked and grinned, daring his opponent to close in. The camera focused and zoomed in on the redhead; it then smoothly switched to a biography screen which showed the Korean at his most unflattering, with a strict military haircut and a scowl etched across his face. The usual facts and picture montages buzzed across the screen, and the announcer's voice drifted in and out across the room like a buzzing fly.
"… defeated the mysterious Raven, shortly following that victory up with his success against the Capoeira bombshell Christie Monteiro. Today he was scheduled to face long time Japanese rival Jin Kazama," the announcer continued, and the camera cut to a shot of the Korean, who looked furious as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"What the bleep do you mean they can't find him? I've been bleep waitin' for that bleep to show up for two bleep years! That bleep bleep better get his bleep bleep down here before I bleep bleep bleep! And what the bleep are you doin'? Get the bleep outta my face, ya bleeeeeeeeeep!"
"As you can see, our spirited young Korean champion still hasn't lost his fiery attitude. The question is, who will Tae Kwon Do master Hwoarang face today now that Kazama has unexpectedly dropped out of the running?"
A somber close-up of Jin passed across the screen, and then the T.V. winked out with a buzz. The remote flew through the air shortly afterwards, clattering against the screen noisily.
Xiaoyu sighed and slumped back into the chair in the hospital, glancing over at her pale friend. Miharu lay in the bed, her face schooled in the peaceful expression of sleep. Xiaoyu, however, knew better than to believe the doctor's report that hung off of the edge of the bed. She reached out and touched Miharu's arm gently. The reassuring warmth and pulse under her fingertips gave Xiaoyu hope, but when her eyes flickered closed and she tried to sense her friend's presence, all she could find was a gaping emptiness. Her hand dropped away and a tiny sigh escaped her. Miharu's body lay beside her, warm and alive, but without her soul to animate her form, it was like watching over a stranger wearing her best friend's face. Xiaoyu sprung up from her chair instantly as a quiet knock sounded on the door, and a small blush of shame spread across her face as she realized how eager she was to put some distance between herself and her injured friend.
"Xiaoyu?" Julia smiled briefly, waiting outside of the door. She held her hand out as Xiaoyu pulled up, preventing her from leaving the room completely. "We need to talk."
"How'd your meeting with Steve go?" Xiaoyu asked nervously. "Did you figure out what he wants from us? Did you get to beat him up?" she pressed with a note of hope.
"Well…" Julia began hesitantly, still holding Xiaoyu back.
"What's a matter with the girl?"
Xiaoyu's mouth dropped, and she pushed Julia out of the way and sprang into the hall. "You!" she said, pointing a finger as her face dropped into a frown. "What are you doing here?" she cried out.
Steve stepped away from the door where he had been peeking over Julia's shoulder and looked surprised. "'ey, 'ey, calm down there, luv," he said. "Why don't you let your friend explain things a bit."
Xiaoyu's eyebrows lifted and she whirled on Julia, who looked slightly flustered. Xiaoyu couldn't appreciate the rare moment of seeing her normally mature friend looking uncomfortable, however, because she was too busy seeing red. "What the heck is going on here?" she yelled, stomping her foot. A passing nurse glared at the trio angrily, and Xiaoyu bit her tongue. It didn't stop her from pinning Julia with an angry stare, demanding an explanation.
"It's not what it seems," Julia said tiredly, her hand coming up to her temples. "Steve's not trying to blackmail us, Xiaoyu. He just needs our help."
"Help?" she hissed, planting her hands on her hips and facing the blonde. "You want my help? With a set-up like that? I can't believe the nerve of you!" she whispered furiously. "Why should we help you, you threatened us!"
"Well, I 'ad to get your attention somehow," he said with a careless shrug. "Besides, it ain't important. We've got bigger fish to fry. Take a walk, ladies?" Without waiting, he began to stroll leisurely down the hallway, leaving the two girls behind.
"We have to follow him," Julia said quietly, pulling Xiaoyu along and striding after the boxer. Noticing her smaller companion's peeved expression, she was careful to put some distance between themselves as she spoke. "Steve has been working with the Hong Kong police force for months now, trying to find evidence of illegal research the Mishima Corporation has been conducting."
"Well why didn't he just say so in the first place?" Xiaoyu huffed, still looking annoyed. "He's not exactly endearing his cause to me right now. I've got more problems to worry about than some random guy's head hunting quest!"
Julia sighed and pushed Xiaoyu forward. "You don't understand, Xiaoyu. It's not just a vendetta." She glanced up, her eyes fixing on the broad shoulders of the British man in front of them. "He's searching for his family." Her voice caught as she said it, and her eyes grew compassionate.
Xiaoyu watched the transformation with a sense of dismay. "You know, your bleeding heart is going to ruin us one day," she said dryly. Still, if Julia believed that Steve's cause was one that deserved their attention, Xiaoyu knew there had to be a good reason behind it. She dropped her head in defeat and sighed loudly. "Fine, fine, we can help him too," she admitted reluctantly. "I don't see why we have to help him right now though," she added as a last complaint.
"'ey! What are you two going on about?" Steve had stopped and was looking at the two girls over his shoulder suspiciously. He studied Julia's face momentarily and then rolled his eyes upwards. "Good god, woman, will you stop lookin' at me like a kicked puppy?" he groaned. Julia blushed and looked away, and Steve's eyes hardened frostily. "I don't need pity." He spared a glance at Xiaoyu, who was watching the exchange with interest. "Not from anyone," he said warningly.
Xiaoyu gulped and nodded, huffing a sigh of relief when Steve turned away from her. Then she snuck a glance at Julia, who was picking at her bangs nervously. That made her do a double take, and she stared at the Native American intently. "You're blushing!" she whispered loudly as she put her finger on the problem.
Julia spun around quickly, staring at Xiaoyu with her mouth open. "I am not blushing!" she answered curtly, though her face betrayed her.
"Really!" Xiaoyu giggled, covering her hand with her mouth and stealing another glance at Steve's back. "So that's why you want to help him, huh? Are you sure you're not just infatuated?" she teased, trying to hold back her snorts.
"Xiaoyu! I am not interested in him!" Julia said, her face turning bright red as she tried to shush the younger girl. "Be quiet before he hears and you embarrass us both!"
Getting her laughter back under control, Xiaoyu smiled brightly at the Native American. "Okay, okay, but I think this is great! Maybe he's the long lost love of your life! Maybe he's the yin to your yang! Hey, maybe he's even your secret admirer!" she continued excitedly, already spinning romantic epics involving her two hapless companions in her mind. Skipping out of Julia's suddenly predatory grasp, she pulled up alongside the boxer with a sunny smile, who eyed her suspiciously. "So, are you a fan of sumo wrestling?" Xiaoyu started, giving Steve an obvious wink.
"What?" he said incredulously, staring at Xiaoyu with bemusement.
"I'm sorry, Xiaoyu has been terribly upset by recent events," Julia huffed, catching up and grabbing the other girl's arm, twisting the skin on it in a discreet but painful pinch. "You'll have to forgive her lack of coherence. I'm sure it will pass," she finished thunderously, glaring at Xiaoyu with promises of very painful retribution if it didn't.
"Umm, yeah," Xiaoyu said, smirking at Julia and redirecting her attention to the blonde. "So why are we moving right now?" she asked curiously as they exited the hospital. Steve jostled them towards a waiting limousine, and they all piled in. "Hey, what's the big rush?" Xiaoyu asked as they pulled smoothly into the busy city traffic. Pressing her face against the window, she frowned at the streets that whizzed by. "We're going home," she observed after a few moments, leaning back in the seat and looking at Steve expectantly.
"Yes, we're returning to Mishima Corporation Headquarters," Julia answered, trading a short glance with the boxer and then leaning forward. No matter how much Xiaoyu's teasing flustered her, the tall girl could still quickly revert to her serious, professional attitude when she needed to. "I need to get inside the Corporation's biological research database to find my data, and Steve needs access to that same database, too. I'll be able to find the relevant data more quickly than either of you, and we could use another lookout if things get rough."
Xiaoyu nodded in understanding. "And I'm the one who's going to let you both in," she finished. "I'm not sure where they store the computers, but there's bound to be something on the top floor. Kazuya likes to keep everything important in arm's reach," she explained. She pursed her lips together thoughtfully. "But why right now?" she asked.
"Because o' that stunt Jin Kazama pulled," Steve answered with a half-smile. "It's very convenient for us," he noted. Unfortunately, the oblivious blonde didn't notice Julia's warning glance or Xiaoyu's flinch at the mention of Jin's disappearance. "OWW!" he yelled as Julia's pointed boot came into contact with his shin. "What the bloody 'ell was that for?" he growled at her, rubbing his leg.
Julia ignored him, leaning over and resting her hand on Xiaoyu's own. "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way, Xiaoyu. The entire Corporation is in chaos right now searching for Jin. Combined with the additional publicity Hwoarang is making with his protests about the Tournament, it's the perfect time to strike."
"I haven't even told him about our last encounter with Jin," Xiaoyu mumbled guiltily, staring out of the window as her fingers dropped automatically to the pendant around her neck.
"'ang on there, luv, are you saying you know where Jin Kazama is?" Steve said, leaning forward with a look of interest.
"No," Xiaoyu answered truthfully. She glanced at Julia, and then turned away, studying the sky through the tinted limo windows apprehensively. "He'll come back though," she added softly. "He'll finish what he started. Jin always does that." But will I be prepared this time? she asked herself, uncertain of the answer.
Steve opened his mouth to question her, but Julia silenced the boxer with a hand to his knee, giving a minute shake of her head. "Fine," he said after a moment, letting the matter drop.
Some time later, the limo pulled up to the huge skyscraper, and the trio stepped out. Xiaoyu paused, looking uncertainly at Steve. "I can get Julia past the elevator guards, but they're never going to believe I invited you for a sleepover," she said nervously.
Steve shrugged carelessly. "Don't worry about it," he said with a half smile. "I'll take care o' that problem when we get to it."
Gulping, Xiaoyu pushed open the lobby doors and held her head high, striding towards the private elevators as though it were just another visit. She stopped before the lift and pressed the button, ignoring the two guards as usual. The bell rung and the doors slid open, and Xiaoyu passed through easily. The click of metal, however, alerted her to a slight problem, and she turned to see the guards holding their machine guns across the elevator entrance, blocking Julia and Steve's progress. "Hey!" she protested, leaning out and addressing one of the men. "What's the hold up? These are my friends!"
"I'm sorry, miss, but we're under strict orders. No unauthorized personnel are to enter the building without approval from Kazuya Mishima himself."
"I knew that!" Xiaoyu exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "Of course they're allowed inside! Do you think we'd just stroll in here and try to go upstairs without permission?" She held her breath nervously as the guard appraised her, then shrugged at his other companion.
"I'll radio this one in, we'll see if she's telling the truth," he said.
"No need for that," Steve said, smiling and leaning forward. "See, me and the girl 'ave your approvals right 'ere," he added, reaching for his jacket pocket and giving Julia a meaningful glance.
"Oh! Yes, just a moment," Julia said hesitantly, moving towards the other guard.
Xiaoyu gave a little internal groan of despair and quickly latched onto the guards' guns, which were still crossed before her. She pulled them into the elevator with all the force she could muster, and as she did, Steve and Julia lunged, knocking the guards inside with them. Xiaoyu scooted out of the way, positioning herself in front of the elevator doors and stabbing the button for her floor repeatedly. Behind her, the muffled sound of fists meeting flesh assured her of the guards' fate. The whole process was short, quick, and surprisingly discreet, but Xiaoyu still heaved a huge sigh of relief as the doors clicked shut and the elevator began its ascent.
"Was that really necessary?" Julia began as she cracked her wrists and glared at Steve balefully. "The last time I was here, I just used the staircase."
"Up sixty-seven flights?" Xiaoyu exclaimed, her mouth dropping open.
"No, I just went up a few flights and broke into the maintenance system. You can ride the elevators on the outside too, you know. It's much easier than climbing up the entire way…" She paused and her eyes darted around the room, stopping on the control panel. Then with a grunt she dived forward, striking it soundly with her fist. The elevator lights flickered and there was the sound of splintering glass, but their ascent continued uninterrupted. "And there are less cameras," she finished, shaking her fist out and flexing her fingers.
"Sometimes the direct way's the best, luv," Steve said carelessly, smiling as he inspected the ruined camera lens that had been hidden behind the now-shattered dark glass. The smile dropped as he watched Julia reach over one of the unconscious guards and fumble with his helmet. With a small grunt, she managed to pull it off and flip the piece of armour onto her lap. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her small red army knife, flipping it open and fiddling with helmet's interior. "What're you doing?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.
Julia paused and looked up, giving Steve a pointed stare. "You're in my light," she said, glaring at the boxer until he moved away. With a small sigh, she turned back to the helmet and resumed toying with it. "The guard said he was going to radio it in. Since he wasn't holding a walkie talkie, I assume there must be a module built into his helmet." There was a click, then a ripping sound, and Julia smiled briefly and pulled off the headset, picking away at a few small pieces of foam. She quickly donned the metal and wire contraption, pulling the microphone away from her mouth and holding the receiver to her ear. After a few moments, she nodded quickly at her companions. "They haven't been alerted to our presence yet. Unless we get to the observation room quickly, though, they're going to start asking questions." Quickly, she kneeled down and relieved the other guard of his helmet, handing it to the boxer. "In case he wakes up," she explained.
"You guys," Xiaoyu said warningly as the elevator slowed down. "We're stopping on my floor. There shouldn't be any guards waiting outside." The doors slid open, and Xiaoyu turned around to come face to face with a guard. There was a moment of surprised silence, then Xiaoyu giggled. "Umm, I can explain?" she tried.
"Duck!" yelled Steve, and Xiaoyu did as instructed. There was a metallic clank, and then a loud thump as the guard toppled over into the hallway. The boxer stepped over his fallen victim and lifted the limp body slightly with the toe of his shoe. "You're right, luv, it was useful!" he grinned, tossing the badly-dented helmet back inside of the elevator.
Julia rolled her eyes and dragged the third guard into the elevator, also relieving him of his radio. "We have to jam this," she said, pressing the stop button. "Let's take the stairs, like before," she instructed, and gestured for Xiaoyu to lead.
The trio sprinted down the corridor, Xiaoyu guiding them around the corridors and to the stairwell. When they emerged at the top, she halted and held her two companions back. "I only know where Kazuya's office is," she said nervously. "I've never been anywhere else on this floor. The observation room has got to be around here somewhere, though."
"There's only one way to find out," Julia said, crouching and holding the earpiece in place. "They're starting to wonder about the elevator. We have to move fast. This way!" She took charge and led them down the corridor, keeping the earpiece in place.
"She says that like she actually knows where she's going," Steve said with a grin on his face. "I like that in a woman."
Xiaoyu made a face at the boxer. "Excuse me, could you possible choose a worse time to flirt with her?" she exclaimed with irritation.
"Shh," Julia commanded, kneeling against one of the walls and peering around the corner. She smiled briefly and motioned the others back. "They're sending someone to investigate in the secondary elevator. We have about two minutes, maybe more before they find out. But I think I found the command center. One door, two guards, and they're still not on alert." She turned to face the others. "Do we have a pla—"
Xiaoyu stood up and pushed past her, jumping into the hallway. "Hey there!" she calling out, waving at the guards. "I'm bored, let's play hide and seek!" Jumping around, she slapped her butt and laughed, then ran away. "Can't catch me!" she yelled over her shoulder.
"Great plan!" Steve said as he jumped to his feet, and smirking he drew his fist back and waited for Xiaoyu to pass by. He struck the first guard that rounded the corner squarely in the face, the force of his punch sending the man flying backwards. The other guard had time only to make a strangled gurgle before Steve lay into him with a couple of rapid jabs to the stomach, then a powerful uppercut. "Let's move," he said, charging towards the control room doors. He flung them open and paused, taking in the lone, unarmoured operator who sat in front of a computer inside. "Frightful lack of security you 'ave 'ere," he joked, before yanking the man out of his chair and hurling him against the wall. "Clear!" he yelled out, and the two girls entered the room.
Julia wasted no time, seating herself before the softly glowing monitor. Her fingers tapped rapidly across the keyboard, and shortly after a red light pulsed on one of the screens in the wall in front of them. "I've disabled the elevators in the entire building and deactivated the alarm. That should buy us some time," she mentioned, her eyes never leaving the screen. "This is perfect. The security system connects to the central database. I think I can tap into the network straight from here."
Xiaoyu ignored her, her wide eyes taking in the countless screens mounted on the wall. The pictures flickered and switching from room to room at regular intervals, and she wondered how anyone could monitor the vast amount of area that was being covered. Her mouth dropped open as a view of the interior of her own room flashed by. "Those JERKS!" she raged, her hand tightening into a fist. "When I see Kazuya, I'm going to kill him!" She whirled around and crossed her arms, prepared to continue, and the air left her chest in a great rush.
Staring back at her through the flickering monitor was Heihachi's unmistakable visage. The network of lines that crisscrossed across his face appeared to have deepened, as did the scowl that pulled down the corners of his mouth. He glared at the camera briefly, then turned around and continued his silent argument with someone else in the room. The monitor flickered, and the old man was gone, just as suddenly as he had appeared. Drained of her anger, Xiaoyu dropped her head and leaned against one of the desks in the room.
"'ey, are you alright, luv?" She looked up to see Steve eyeing her suspiciously.
This is no time to be going soft, Xiaoyu, she reminded herself. Heihachi was no longer a part of her family, and, she distantly realized, never would be. She swallowed and gave the boxer a small grin. "Just saying goodbye," she told him quietly.
A soft curse brought their attention back to Julia, who was staring at the screen in frustration. "I managed to access the biological research data, but there's yet another security lock on the files we need! I don't understand, this was supposed to be the back door. That man must be paranoid," she mumbled out loud.
"Kazuya?" Xiaoyu asked. "Paranoid isn't exactly the first adjective I'd use," she quipped.
"Well, this one looks like Kazuya's private password, he must have put it here himself." She grimaced and her fingers raced across the keyboard. "It's pretty simplistic. I can get past it without any trouble, but then they'll know we've been delving," she said. "We have three guesses. Does anyone have an idea?" she asked.
"Old Uncle Buck," Steve said with a rude smirk.
"I was being serious," Julia answered, peering at him disapprovingly over the top of her glasses. She turned to Xiaoyu. "Even if we don't get it, we have to try. Can you come up with anything, anything at all?"
Xiaoyu scrunched her nose and closed her eyes, thinking about Kazuya and trying to come up with a possible solution. Jerk, she thought first. Cruel. Power-hungry. Heartless. She paused on the last one, thinking about their recent conversation in the elevator. "Try Jun," Xiaoyu said. She looked up expectantly, but Julia only sighed and shook her head. Frowning, she scratched her cheek and thought about it again. The feather pendant glowed softly in the monitor lights, catching her eye. She remembered Jin's white-winged figure. "Angel?" she asked, holding her breath.
"No good," Julia said after a moment. "We have one more chance."
Xiaoyu cupped the feather in her hands and closed her eyes. Again, she felt as though she was standing before the puzzle, trying to make her hopelessly crooked piece fit into the straight lines. "The answer is right here," she murmured, going over the conversation in her mind once more.
"This heart will never know love again."
She cracked an eye open and peered at the feather. It was pure and white, and though she knew better, it appeared to be free of the demonic taint that had produced it. "Redemption," she said softly.
The soft tapping of the keyboard filled the air, then there was short pause followed by a beep. "We're in." Julia typed rapidly, then sucked in her breath. "Here it is!" she said, her voice trembling with excitement. "It's all here, everything I was working on, and even more!"
"Fine, fine," Steve said irately, watchfully keeping an eye on the door. "What about me data?"
"I'm working on it," Julia bit out, scanning the screen. Removing a small stick from her pocket, she carefully inserted into the computer and began downloading the information. "I don't understand," she murmured as she scanned the files. "This is my data, but it doesn't look like they were using it for botanical research." She squinted at the screen with a troubled look. "In fact, it looks like they're trying to apply my research to human DNA."
"What?" Steve's voice had turned husky, and his eyes were hard blue chips of ice in his face, which had gone paler than normal. "Tell me more."
Obliviously, Julia kept her eyes fixed on the screen, typing away. "They were manipulating the data to try and stimulate growth in organic matter. This… this is revolutionary," Julia gasped. "It looks like they've been working on this sort of data for years now! The formula still requires a human donor to provide the original material, but they've managed to clone various parts of the body from just a few cells!" Her eyes glowed with pride. "I can't believe it! They're using my data to grow organs! Why on earth haven't they gone public with this? It could change the face of medicine as we know it—" Her exclamation was cut short as Steve shoved her out of the way, his eyes wild and his mouth drawn into a thin line. "What are you doing?" she asked angrily.
"Pull up the ongoing experiments," he growled humourlessly. "I need to see."
Julia stared at him for a moment, then nodded and typed rapidly. "Here… they keep records of failed experiments, too. It appears that they had a major success almost twenty-one years ago. Wait a second, there's a visual…" Her voice trailed off as the image was pulled onto the screen. "Oh…oh no," she murmured quietly.
Steve had gone stiff beside her, his eyes glued to the screen.
"What? Oh no what?" Xiaoyu interrupted, sneaking away from the door where she had taken watch and peering at the screen. "What's the big deal? That's just a picture of a baby!" she observed.
"Is that—" Julia began, cautiously sparing a glance at Steve.
He sneered and pushed away from the table, carelessly knocking some of the papers off. "Just get the location of the laboratories," he ground out. Then he shook his head and closed his eyes, holding a hand up to his forehead.
Julia nodded mutely and finished dumping the data onto her stick. Quickly, she tapped a few codes in and then stood up, retrieving the device and pocketing the valuable information. "I let loose a few dormant viruses in the system. By the time they realize we were snooping around, they'll have bigger problems to deal with," she said. "Let's get out of here."
Xiaoyu nodded and began to leave the room. She stopped, noticing that no one had followed her, and looked over her shoulder. "Hello? What's taking so long?" she asked. A feeling of dread overtook her as she realized Julia was staring worriedly at Steve. "Is everything okay?" she asked timidly.
An unnatural, high-pitched laugh forced its way out of Steve's throat. "Okay?" he repeated, cracking his eyes open. The look of madness in them made Xiaoyu take a large step back. "Okay?" he said again, his voice rising. "Nothing is okay!" he shouted, launching himself forward and grabbing the chair Julia had sat in.
"Steve, I don't think—" Julia tried, then ducked as the chair went whizzing over her head and smashed into the monitors.
"Thinking! 'ow can you think, for fuck's sake! You know what they do! You know what they did to me!" he roared, tearing the computer monitor free from the table and smashing it into another wall. Sparks flew from the contact, and a few caught on the papers strewn across the floor, smouldering dangerously.
"There's no time for this!" Julia yelled, losing her patience. "You're going to attract the guards if you lose control of yourself here! Now pull yourself together!" She reached out, grabbing Steve by the shoulder, and let out a cry of pain and surprise as he whirled suddenly, striking her with the back of his hand. It wasn't just a small slap to the face, but a powerful boxing champion's hit, and it sent the Native American flying to the floor.
Xiaoyu rushed to Julia's side, lifting the other girl up and turning her head. A nasty red welt was quickly spreading across her cheek, promising to turn a brilliant shade of yellow and purple later on. Julia glasses were broken, and dazedly, she pulled them off of her face. "Get the radio," she said to Xiaoyu, blinking with obvious disorientation and trying to focus her eyes.
Steve took a moment to stare at the two girls in wild-eyed anger, and then he swore and dropped his head, punching at the wall and shattering the last remaining monitor.
"You stop it!" Xiaoyu yelled at him, helping Julia to her feet and handing her back the broken device. "I don't know what the heck's wrong with you, but we're getting out of here! If you have any brains left in that head of yours, you'll follow us!" she growled, and made her way out of the room.
"I have bad news," Julia interrupted, holding the radio to her ear. "They've figured us out. They're sending a full compliment of Force guards this way to investigate the problem. Stairs are not an option!" Her eyes narrowed, and she spoke hurriedly. "The ones on this floor are approaching from the west wing. We've got to make it to the maintenance shafts before they find us!"
"Let's go!" Xiaoyu said, grabbing Julia and dragging her down the hallway. The sound of pounding feet filled the corridor behind them, and then she heard a shout.
"Shite!" she heard Steve yell, and they dove around a corner. The whistling sound of bullets followed their progress, and Xiaoyu screeched.
"Holy cow! They never fired on me before!" she yelled, taking the lead and dodging around another corner. They came to an elevator shaft, and Xiaoyu punched at the button, forgetting in her panic that the elevators had been disabled.
"That's not going to work!" Julia yelled, scanning the corridor. Spotting a fire hydrant, she pulled it off of the wall with a grunt of effort and began to slam it against the metal doors, trying to force them open.
"No good, ladies," Steve warned them, drawing his fists into his boxing stance. The first of the Tekken Force rounded the corner and he lashed out with a quick punch, driving the soldier back into another guard.
"Move!" Julia yelled, reversing her grip on the hydrant and aiming the nozzle at the incoming flux of guards. The chemical retardant rushed out from the canister with an explosive burst, confusing a few more of the guards and driving them backwards. It wasn't going to hold for long, however, and they all knew it. "Get a gun!" Julia yelled, slowly advancing forward.
"I can't kill people!" Xiaoyu yelled in a panic, dropping into her defensive crouch.
"Listen, luv, they'd 'ave no problems killing you," Steve answered, grabbing the machine gun from the guard he had felled.
"Don't shoot the people!" Julia shouted, exasperated. Leaping backwards, she tossed the can high into the air. "Shoot the hydrant, dammit!"
The blonde took aim and fired, hitting the airborne canister with more than a few rounds. With a high whine, the compressed air inside exploded outwards, sending it flying in a billow of white smoke towards the Tekken Force guards and knocking them over like bowling pins.
Coughing, Julia waved some smoke away and pointed at the elevator once more. "That shaft is our only chance," she grit out. "We have to get that door open!"
Xiaoyu blinked and squinted, and being nearest to the door, she reached out to push at them. Her hand came into contact with nothing, however, and overbalancing, she let out a scream as she pitched forward into the elevator shaft. Her fall was stopped by a rough arm, which caught her and tossed her back into the hall. Coughing, she strained to see through the smoke and darkness. "What?" she mumbled in confusion as Julia and Steve came to her side.
"Mmmmm," came the answer as a dull glow swung slowly in the shaft. Two red specks came into focus out of the darkness, and Xiaoyu let out a squeak of relieved surprise as she recognized the cyborg's face.
"Yoshimitsu!" she yelled, springing to her feet. "What are you doing here?"
The cyborg's eyes flashed eerily as he hung from the cable in the shaft, his sword dangling loosely in his other arm. "Danger behind. Safety below. Follow!" he commanded, throwing a length of steel cable that he had cut from one of the elevator's wires towards Steve.
"What the devil can I use this for?" the boxer said, looking at the metal string with a baffled expression.
"Just follow me," Julia answered with a note of irritation as she caught the cable Yoshimitsu tossed at her. Stepping back, a look of determination crossed her face, and then with a yell, she leapt into the shaft, catching onto the long cable and swinging precariously. Working quickly, she looped her own cable a few times around each wrist and then caught it on steel wire that she was hanging off of. She planted her feet against the wire and looked back at the others briefly. "See you downstairs," she said with a grim smile, and then let go, using her weight to pull the cable from her wrists taunt against the elevator line. With a loud screech and a spectacular flash of sparks, she was gone, sliding down the shaft like a gung-ho mountain climber.
"Bloody 'ell," Steve mumbled, looking down at the shaft. Then with a shrug, he leapt into the pit and repeated Julia's motions. "Better than stickin' around here and getting shot," he said, and let go.
Xiaoyu leaned into the shaft and looked down. The faint sparks trailing from Julia and Steve's descent quickly faded from view, and she swallowed nervously. "You know, I don't have any gloves on," she said with trepidation.
"Yoshimitsu warned of this," the cyborg answered blithely, still dangling from the cable.
"What? You mean you're just going to leave me here?" Xiaoyu screamed furiously. A strange, low rumbling sound emerged from Yoshimitsu's throat. After a moment of consideration, Xiaoyu realized it was laughter. "What's so funny?" she yelled, anger beginning to overtake the panic.
Not deeming the question worthy of an answer, he simply leapt away from the wire and grabbed Xiaoyu, then tipped over backward into the shaft. As they fell away, Xiaoyu let out a scream of terror, feeling her ponytails whip upwards as the wind rushed by her ears. Yoshimitsu only laughed louder, skilfully manoeuvring their fall to avoid the dangerous cables that swung in the shaft. After a few moments, he curled around and with a sudden jerk, released his wings, which beat rapidly through the air with an insect-like buzz.
"I bet you thought that was funny," Xiaoyu scowled as she clutched onto the cyborg's body for dear life.
"Mmmmmm," Yoshimitsu hummed in agreement, though his cybernetic face lacked the ability to laugh.
Gradually their mad descent slowed, and soon they caught up with Steve and Julia, who had already landed on the elevator that was trapped in the shaft. Julia gave a yell of satisfaction as she managed to prop open the emergency exit on the elevator and wriggled into it. The motley group of criminals piled into the elevator cabin, and with a few slashes of his sword, Yoshimitsu cleared a path for them to exit onto the floor and into the stairwell.
"This is some luck, we're directly above the lobby. It's still going to be swarming with Tekken Force guards, though," Julia observed as they made their way down the steps.
"Mmmmm," Yoshimitsu said, leaping ahead and landing with a surprisingly soft clang before the heavy door to the exit. "You are prepared?" he asked them.
"Ready as ever, gov," Steve said, cracking his knuckles.
Julia briefly dropped her head in a silent prayer, then nodded.
"I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to everyone," Xiaoyu groaned miserably, then gave Yoshimitsu a quick nod of agreement.
"You will come with me," Yoshimitsu said, fixing his burning gaze on Xiaoyu. "Others must find their own path."
"What do you me—eep!" Xiaoyu squeaked as Yoshimitsu once again unceremoniously grabbed her and kicked open the door. As they stormed into the lobby, he flung three small metal balls onto the floor. They exploded with soft puff, rapidly filling the air with thick coloured smoke.
"Xiaoyu!" Julia's cry faded quickly in the disorder that followed as Yoshimitsu sprung through the air, dragging Xiaoyu with him. Blurs of colour and sound followed the shouts of confusion, and then they burst forth out of the lobby, the cyborg immediately taking flight as soon as he saw sky.
The ground spiralled away from Xiaoyu quickly, and she closed her eyes as dizzying vertigo struck. She concentrated on sucking her breath in and out, trying to ignore the jolts of pain or blast of air that hinted at the altitude and speed that the cyborg was travelling at. After what seemed like a lifetime, she felt a shift in Yoshimitsu's weight, and then the stomach-churning sensation of a quick descent. Their feet touched solid earth, and Xiaoyu collapsed to the ground unsteadily when Yoshimitsu released her. "Oh my God!" she wheezed, forcing her eyes open. "You make Hwoarang's bike look tame!" Sparing a glance at her now-twice saviour, she smiled at the cyborg unsteadily. "Thanks for saving our bacon back there," she said to him earnestly.
"No time for thanks," Yoshimitsu rumbled, crouching down next to her. "You are here for a reason. You must make a decision."
"Eh?" Xiaoyu said, pushing herself onto her hands and knees. "What do you mean?"
"Your friend is in danger," Yoshimitsu answered, helping her to her feet.
"Miharu? I know, I have to find Jin," Xiaoyu began, but trailed off as she looked over the edge of the rock ledge Yoshimitsu had deposited her upon. Below her spread the remains of a long-abandoned graveyard, and faintly, she marvelled at the speed with which the cyborg had managed to bring her out of central Tokyo. "Where are we?" she asked nervously.
"Observe," Yoshimitsu commanded, and gestured at the graveyard vaguely.
Scanning through the traditional gate and the burial mounds, she gasped as she recognized a shock of bright red hair moving through them. "Hwoarang!" she said. "I can't believe he's stepping on those graves!" she added angrily.
"There is danger here," the cyborg warned her. "Do not observe with eyes alone."
Sensing the gravity in Yoshimitsu's tone, Xiaoyu gulped and closed her eyes, trying to still her rapidly beating heart. The wind picked up, and she listened, straining to hear or smell or sense anything out of the ordinary. The unnatural silence suddenly became oppressive, and a niggling tug of fear crawled up her spine. There is something here, something evil. But I don't understand… it's not the devil. This is something else, something colder… A low, mirthless chuckle drifted up from the graveyard, and Xiaoyu's eyes flew open. Standing before Hwoarang was a pale man, his body criss-crossed with scars and bullet wounds. The laughter was coming from his throat, and it died out as the two men exchanged verbal jabs.
"Who is that?" she whispered, the ice-cold fear clawing its way up from her stomach and to her throat.
"Not dead, but not alive. His only purpose is to kill those who stand in his way. He has reached this goal many times over." Yoshimitsu's metallic voice was as monotonous as ever, but she sensed the bitterness behind his words. "Look who stands before him now, see who blocks the path of Fury," he added, pointing.
And there, preparing for his next match, was Hwoarang, oblivious to it all.
AN: Agh, this chapter was also difficult. You know why? STEVE, that's why. I'm going to make him go through a parody of My Fair Lady before I give him any more important dialogue. For those who want to know what 'Uncle Buck' means, rhyme it up. And I know, elevator repelling is not very realistic. Well what the hell, neither is a flying insecticidal cyborg. ;-) To reviewers, I will answer you all, I promise, I've just been strapped for time. Thank you for leaving your comments, I appreciate it!
EDIT: so many little errors in this chapter… hopefully all fixed now. Never post without at least 3 proofs.