.

(The View from the Top)

Lee paced the length of his luxurious Hong Kong hotel room and checked his watch for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. It was nearing eleven p.m. which meant that it was almost midnight in Tokyo and he had not yet been able to reach Sayuri. He called at eight p.m. every night and she always answered promptly, he had just tried calling her again for the fourth time and had just left a second message asking her to call him.

He picked up the ashtray from the desk and decided to smoke outside for a few minutes before trying to reach her again. He stepped out onto the balcony and set the ashtray on the glass top outdoor table then lit a cigarette and took a long, satisfying drag. He exhaled slowly and watched the lights of the city that sprawled all around him while taking in the sounds of traffic and sirens that somehow brought him comfort. He had taken a room on the top floor just as he always did, it helped him remember where he had come from and how far he had come, it helped him remember how hard the fall from the top could be.

As a child barely surviving in the streets of Shanghai he had always wondered how the world looked from the top of a skyscraper. In those days he had been confined to the grime-encrusted alleys surrounded by broken and dirty things, he had looked up at the skyscrapers and wondered how anything could be so clean and beautiful, how it could sparkle and gleam so brightly in the sun. He had seen rich men in suits walk into the glass and steel buildings and had envied them because they were free to ride the elevator to the top, they were free to go anywhere and do anything. In those days he had longed to be like those men because as a child, to him they had seemed happy. The irony of life was that at the young age of twenty-seven he had been one of those men for years and happiness continued to elude him. He was well aware that it was the price of being a Mishima, sacrifice principles, sacrifice scruples and sacrifice happiness if it meant attaining power. Being a Mishima meant seeking power above all else. Sometimes he thought that he didn't have the stomach for it, but there were times when he was surprised by the things that he was willing to do and willing to hide to achieve that power.

It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps he had been happier as a child living in the streets, with his dreams of the future giving him hope and spurring him to continue to fight for survival. There was no fight for survival anymore, all that remained was the fight for supremacy against his brother, it was coming. He was biding his time, waiting for the right conditions... He shook his head, making sure his backup plan was airtight in case things didn't go in his favor. Kazuya wouldn't do that, he didn't have backup plans, he set a goal and he achieved it no matter the cost.

He wasn't like Kazuya, there were some lines he wasn't willing to cross. That was good, he told himself, it was a good sign that he still had some form of moral integrity that would enable him to set the Zaibatsu right with the world. Or maybe it was his so-called moral integrity that was preventing him from attaining power. What a goddamned paradox.

"Pathetic." He spoke the word as exhaled and watched the wispy cloud of smoke dissipate in front of his eyes.

That was what Heihachi would say if he knew what he was thinking, his chosen heir hesitating when he should pounce. He knew that he shouldn't care about living up to Heihachi's expectations anymore, but the thought of being a disappointment to him still made him feel like an insecure child. He sighed and decided to think about his mother instead, he wondered what she would think if she had lived to see the man he was, would she be disappointed as well? He chuckled as he realized that the only thing that would matter to her was that he was sleeping in a warm bed and eating three meals a day. She would undoubtedly have been thankful to Heihachi for taking him in.

The ringing of the telephone interrupted his train of thought and he quickly put out his cigarette in the ashtray and walked into the room making his way to the bedside table.

"Sayuri?" He asked as he picked up the receiver.

"Were you worried?" Her voice sounded strange, it made him uneasy.

"Of course I was, where have you been?"

"I'm not sorry." She said harshly. "Amanda Mason came to the office, she had your lighter, the one that you said you lost when you went out for a drink with a friend from college. She seemed very eager to see you again."

He felt his heart sink. "...Sayuri, I'm so, so sorry." He didn't know what else to say. He sat on the edge of the empty, king-size bed and closed his eyes waiting for her to say something.

"...Why?" She asked after a very long pause. "Aren't you attracted to me anymore? Do you think I'm boring?"

"No," he answered quickly, "you know I can't even keep my hands off you at work. It's just... I...I don't know."

"If you asked me that question I could give you an exact answer." She said in a steady tone.

"Sometimes..." He searched his mind for the answer and gave her the closest version of the truth that he could. "I don't want to bring my anger and frustration with work to you... I just needed an outlet." The other part of the truth was that it was just the way he had always been.

"But we're supposed to be there for each other, we're supposed to comfort and confide in each other. We shouldn't be going to other people to get what we need."

"I know."

"What happened? I thought we were better than this, I knew that things weren't perfect but..." She sighed. "I don't know what to do next?"

She sounded sad, not angry, not accusing, just sad. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, he had known that she would find out one day, but he had not expected it to happen while he was away. He had always envisioned that when she did she would be angry. He could handle anger, he had dealt with it on a daily basis since he had been adopted, even before then, but she sounded defeated, disappointed and he didn't know what to do about that.

"...I don't know either."

"Is this it then?" He felt as if the air was being squeezed out of his lungs as he heard her question. "Do you want me to move out so that you can live your life the way you want?"

"No, please, Sayuri..." He searched for the right words to say, something, anything that would not make things worse. "You're important to me, I need you." Her silence felt like a weight on his chest. "Please let me fix this."

"...Do you really think we can fix this?" She asked after a long pause, her voice cracking.

Her tone gave him some relief. "Yes, I just need some time. I need to finish this and then get through the tournament and then I'll do anything you want." He sighed. "I'm sorry that we can't have this conversation in person, I'm sorry that I betrayed your trust... I'm... I'm just sorry about everything."

"I miss you." Her voice was so quiet that he almost didn't catch it, but it was all he needed to know that they could work things out.

"I miss you too." He said earnestly. "I wish you could see what I'm doing here. I'm not just doing this for me, I'm doing it for us, for our future." He surprised himself as he heard the words leave his mouth but he knew it was true.

"I know. Will you call me tomorrow?"

"I will." He heard her hang up and he did the same.

He felt exhausted after their conversation, but he was going through so many emotions at once that he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. He stepped out onto the balcony again and felt the cool, night breeze on his face. He lit another cigarette and sat on the metal chair contemplating the beauty of the lights all around him. Everything he had told Sayuri was true, he did need her and she was important to him, he knew he didn't love her, not yet, but he told himself that he would. She brought him comfort and stability and she made him feel normal even though he belonged to the most dysfunctional family in Japan.

She understood what he went through working for the Zaibatsu and had supported him in everything he did, he couldn't ask for more. He felt at ease with her, he felt wanted, no one else had ever made him feel that way with the exception of Anna, but there had been no security or stability there. Their relationship had been dysfunctional, volatile, exhilarating... scorching hot. He had trusted Anna too, but with different aspects of himself, he wished that he could meld them both into one woman and immediately shook his head at his own selfish thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to stop thinking about her because it was Sayuri that he needed to think about, he needed to figure out how to regain her trust. He fixed his gaze on a distant skyscraper, it had lights at the top that were a beautiful shade of blue, the same color as Anna's eyes. He sighed and put out his cigarette, he went back into his room and hoped that he'd be able to sleep.


Sayuri had not been able to sleep all night, the guilt of what she had done weighed too heavily on her mind. She had told Lee that she wasn't sorry, but immediately after she had said it she knew that she was. After she left the Mishima Building she had felt as if she had exacted righteous revenge, but as she put more distance between herself and the building she began to realize the horrible consequences that her actions would bring. She had at first tried to blame it on the fact that she could never really hold her alcohol, or that she had been attracted to her boss for some time, but the fact remained that they were both flimsy excuses and laying blame on anything didn't change what had happened.

She had done it because she was angry and she was hurt, she had wanted to hurt Lee the same way that he had hurt her, but she had crossed the line. Not only had she slept with her boss, which in itself was wrong, but he was her boyfriend's brother, a brother who hated him and wasted no opportunity to humiliate him and make his life a living hell. She felt her eyes well up with tears again, after speaking with Lee she had not been able to stop crying for hours.

He wanted a future with her, he wanted to fix their relationship, but how could that happen now? Everything was ruined, their relationship, her future with the Zaibatsu and Lee's as well. How could he work with Kazuya day in and day out after he found out? He would throw it in his face at every opportunity. She had to stop Kazuya from telling him, she needed to think of something. She gazed at the clock above the door and saw that it was nearly two o'clock, she felt her heart race and her palms begin to sweat, he was due back from the arena at any moment.

She occupied herself by making a phone call about tournament matters to the Mishima Hotel, as she was speaking to the hotel manager she saw Kazuya enter, he gave her a sidelong glance and made his way into his office. She felt her mouth go dry at the thought of having to speak with him, she quickly and politely finished her phone call then stood up and smoothed down her black skirt.

She gave a start when her phone began to ring, the call was from Kazuya.

"Y-yes, sir?" She stammered as she picked up.

"Cancel the meeting with Jun Kazama and hold all my calls for the next half hour unless it's G-Corporation. I need some peace after dealing with those morons at the arena." He hung up before she could respond.

Sayuri sat down on her chair, the conversation would have to wait. It was disconcerting to see him behave the same way that he always did, like nothing had happened between them. It worried her because his indifference made it all the more difficult to decide how to approach him, but she couldn't leave the office without speaking to him, without working something out so that Lee never found out. The ringing of her telephone once again interrupted her thoughts.

"Mr. Mishima's office, Sayuri speaking."

"This is Mr. Yamaguchi, with G-Corporation, put Kazuya on the phone." A deep male voice said.

"Right away, sir."

She remembered Lee talking about G-Corporation before, she couldn't remember exactly what he had said but she knew that he held a deep dislike for their methods of operation and had not wanted the Zaibatsu to associate with them. She immediately decided to listen in on the conversation. Maybe she could find out something that could be useful to him, she had done it before, she frequently listened in on Kazuya's phone calls. She knew she was grasping at straws, but she needed every bit of help to atone for what she had done. She picked up the receiver and pushed the button that enabled her to hear the conversation.

"...Of course Kenji." Sayuri heard Kazuya's voice.

"And you're certain you'll acquire the services of Dr. Bosconovitch? From what I heard he wasn't keen on working with you or us."

"He isn't, but I can be very persuasive," Kazuya stated. "I will have him soon."

"Very well."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, one thing. I'm worried about that brother of yours, Kazuya, you said he wouldn't be there for much longer, but there are rumors..." Sayuri's body tensed as she heard Yamaguchi's comment.

"What rumors?"

"That he may not share your enthusiasm for research. I understand that not everyone has a favorable opinion about the types of endeavors that G-Corporation undertakes. If our companies are to merge I need to be certain that he is either out of the company completely or that he's on the exact same page that we are. Is that something that you can guarantee?"

"Yes. He will be gone before the merge, he won't be a problem for you at all." It took Sayuri a few moments to comprehend what she had heard.

"Well then, I look forward to a new era of research and discovery. There will be no limit to what we can do once we have your support and expand here in Japan."

"I'll meet with you after the tournament."

"Fine. Call me with a time." Yamaguchi finished hanging up.

Sayuri put down the receiver and shakily stood up, she didn't know how, but she found herself entering Kazuya's office without knocking. She had no plan, she was operating on guilt, regret and lack of sleep.

"Please," she stood in front of his desk, "you can't fire him, the Zaibatsu is everything to him."

Kazuya leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "You listened in on my conversation?" He chuckled. "After last night, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, is your goal to betray everyone's trust?"

"He does everything, everything that you ask of him." She said ignoring his comment. "You can't run the Zaibatsu without him, you need him."

He stood up and walked around the desk to stand next to her, Sayuri stepped sideways to put more distance between them. "Two things." He said looking her in the eye. "One, I don't need him and two, I'm not going to simply fire him, I'm going to publicly oust him."

"What do you mean?" She felt the urge to look away from him, the feeling was almost the same as when he was angry, the heaviness around her, it was as if the very air was weighing her down. She wanted to inhale deeply to fill her lungs with oxygen but was afraid to breathe in the fear that gripped her.

"He's been stealing from me." He simply stated. "That's larceny, once I start looking into it who knows what it'll turn into, fraud, embezzlement..."

"...No," she felt exhausted, "he wouldn't do that."

Kazuya smirked seeing the look on her face. "You really don't know, do you?"

He could be right, she realized, Lee was starting his own company, which couldn't be cheap, he had said that he had investors, but that didn't mean that he didn't need money out of his own pocket. But it was difficult to believe that Lee would do such a thing, his goal was to take over the Zaibatsu to set it on the law-abiding path, it would make no sense for him to go against his own moral code.

"What kind of a screwed up relationship do the two of you have?" Kazuya asked her. "He doesn't tell you anything, he's out with a different woman every other weekend, and you, well..." He shook his head. "The two of you deserve each other."

She took a steadying breath even though it hurt her chest to do so. "What do you mean you're going to publicly oust him?" She asked again.

"What does it sound like?" He asked harshly. "Every newspaper and TV station in Japan will hear about what he's done."

"What proof do you have?" Sayuri found herself raising her voice. "He wouldn't do that!"

He grabbed her roughly by her forearm and pulled her to the back of his desk then pointed to a stack of documents. She looked but couldn't make sense of it, it was columns of numbers and codes that meant nothing to her. "This was brought to my attention this morning, Lee is the only one who has access to these accounts, in his absence, two morons from accounting gained access to them, there is money missing that they can't explain."

"Maybe they're the ones who took it," she tried to reason, "maybe they made a mistake." Lee stealing from the Zaibatsu made less sense the more she thought about it.

"No, I had them triple check everything and they wouldn't steal from me, no one who works for me would dare. He got careless," he said looking intently at her, "he must have full faith in whatever he's doing out of the country."

She was sure Lee wouldn't get careless if he was really stealing from the Zaibatsu. He was too smart, he would know how to cover his tracks especially if he was going to be away. Maybe Kazuya was making it all up, maybe it was his sick way of discrediting him.

"Even if what you say is true," Sayuri did her best to keep her composure, "you can't go to the media with it, it will destroy his reputation, he could end up in prison. He deserves better from you after everything you put him through, every-"

"I owe him nothing!" Kazuya cut her off. "He's the one who should be grateful I gave him a place in the Zaibatsu after he lost the first tournament."

"I won't let you do that to him." She turned to leave.

"You will if you don't want him to know what happened last night in this very office." He threatened. "The way you're defending him makes me think that you want to try to salvage this failed experiment you call a relationship."

She stopped and turned to face him once more. "Why do you do this?" She felt the beginning of a pounding headache. "Why can't you just fire him and be done with it instead of ruining him? Why do like to see him suffer?"

"Why do you?" He stood in front of her, the sight of his much larger frame forced her to take a step back. "You're the one who betrayed him with his own brother, I'm just defending my company."

She closed her eyes as she felt her hands begin to shake. "Please don't tell him." She said quietly.

"You don't really think things through, do you?" He looked condescendingly at her. "I'm guessing that you either found out that he's not faithful to you or it happened one too many times and you decided that you wanted revenge."

"Yes." She cast down her eyes.

"Then why don't you want him to know? It can't be revenge if he never knows it happened. What changed your mind?"

"I'm not going to explain myself to you." She said feeling a flicker of courage which was quickly extinguished.

"Then don't. It doesn't matter, I can see right through you, you're nothing but an impulsive coward, you have no conviction. If you had the decency to face the consequences of your actions I might have a modicum of respect for you."

Every word he said stung. "I don't care what you think of me," she felt tears well up in her eyes, "I'm just asking you, to keep this between us...please."

"If I do this for you," he began as he crossed his arms, "what will I get in return."

"I don't know," she said feeling defeated, "what do you want?"

"I don't know yet," he furrowed his brow, "for now I just want you to promise that you won't tell him what you know."

She sighed heavily. "I won't tell him."

He scoffed. "What a shock."

"When are you going to do it?" She asked gently wiping away the tears that had started to roll down her face.

"After the tournament." He said casually as he walked back to his desk. "Disgraced in the arena and disgraced professionally, but at least he'll have you to comfort him." He sat in his chair. "I'm sure you have a lot of work that you need to finish." He said dismissing her. "And stop listening in on my goddamned phone calls."

Sayuri walked out of the office feeling defeated and ashamed, disappointed in herself for not properly defending Lee, for thoroughly betraying him. She had the urge to call him immediately and tell him what Kazuya was planning, that he believed that Lee was stealing from the Zaibatsu, but realized that she couldn't do anything. She felt a painful tightness in her throat and her eyes began to fill with tears again. She gasped when she saw a young woman standing in front of her desk. She had a kind, pretty face and was looking at her with genuine concern in her eyes.

"Are you all right?" She asked lightly furrowing her brow. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

"You must be Miss Kazama." Sayuri tried to smile through her tears and somber thoughts.

"Yes." She looked from Sayuri to Kazuya's door. "You seem upset, is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine." She lied.

Jun Kazama gave her a comforting smile. "Sometimes just stepping out of the office for a minute helps, it does for me anyway."

Sayuri was taken aback by her kindness, she breathed deeply and forced herself to behave professionally. "Thank you for your concern," she smiled, "I'm sure you know about the King of Iron Fist Tournament." Jun nodded. "We're understaffed in the office and there is what seems to be an infinite amount of preparations to finish. It's a very high-stress environment at the moment, but everything will be back to normal after it's over." She smiled reassuringly. "Again, thank you for your concern, I will feel better after I get some sleep tonight."

"Of course," Jun said.

"Let me call Mr. Mishima to let him know that you're here."

She knew Kazuya wouldn't be happy and hoped that her oversight wouldn't make things worse. She picked up the receiver and pressed the button that would connect her to Kazuya's phone.

"Miss Kazama is here, sir."

"Is this a joke?" He almost growled.

"No, sir."

"You forgot to cancel, didn't you? Or are you deliberately defying me?"

"Yes, and no, of course not."

She heard him inhale deeply. "Fine, send her in."

She hung up and smiled at Jun. "If you would follow me."

"Thank you," Jun said as she walked behind her, "may I ask your name?"

"Sayuri Yoshida."

"How long have you been working for Mr. Mishima?"

"Nearly a year."

"Do you mind if I ask-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Kazama," Sayuri said her as they stopped in front of the door, "Mr. Mishima is ready for you, it's best not to keep him waiting."

"Is he really as bad as they say?" Jun gave her a quizzical look, but she sounded curious, not afraid.

Sayuri smiled nervously not knowing what to say, she opened the door and motioned her inside.

"Thank you." Jun smiled again.

"You're welcome, Miss Kazama," Sayuri said then closed the door and returned to her desk hoping that Kazuya wouldn't take his anger out on the kind, young woman.


"God damn that woman and her stupidity," Kazuya muttered under his breath. "She's going to end up being more trouble than she was worth."

Not necessarily, Devil put in, her guilt has proven valuable in your plan against your thieving brother, she will be useful in other situations as well.

I hope you're right because there is only so much incompetence and insubordination I can put up with.

She will be useful, another weapon in our arsenal.

They were interrupted by the opening of the door, he saw Sayuri step aside to let a young woman enter.

She was beautiful, tall and thin with perfect Japanese features and a smile that seemed to brighten the room. She wore black cropped pants and a white sleeveless top.

"Hello," her dark, shoulder-length hair framed her slender face around her white headband as she bowed, "my name is Jun Kazama, I work for the WWWC, thank you for finally meeting with me."

"...I..." For the first time in many years, he found himself at a loss for words but recovered quickly. "What is it that you wanted to meet about?"

"May I have a seat, Mr. Mishima?" Jun asked.

He suddenly didn't want her in that office, the memory of Sayuri still very fresh in his mind, he felt almost ashamed.

"You can call me Kazuya," he said surprising himself, "this is not a good time to be in my office, if you prefer we can have the meeting in the cafeteria downstairs."

"Oh," she seemed taken aback, "of course, Kazuya."

He stood up and walked toward the door. "This way, please."

Please? Devil laughed. Send the woman away, you don't need any distractions.

Doing his best to ignore Devil he made his way out of his office followed closely by Jun. He saw the look of surprise on Sayuri's face when they walked through the office.

"I'll be back in time for the three-thirty meeting." He said on his way out the door.

Jun followed him quietly down the hallway and into the elevator. They encountered few employees, but the ones that found themselves in the hallway with him bowed and gave him a wide breadth. As the elevator doors closed he again found himself at a loss for words.

"Your building is very modern." Jun finally said. "I'm still trying to get used to life in Tokyo, I must admit it's a little overwhelming sometimes."

"You aren't from here?"

"No," she smiled, "I'm from Yakushima originally."

The elevator doors opened and they made their way to the cafeteria.

Aren't you the gentleman? Devil teased as Kazuya held the door open for her.

The cafeteria was nearly empty save for the employees behind the counter and a few people on their breaks. Kazuya walked to an empty table near the back and took a seat as Jun did the same. She took a notepad and pen out of her purse.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" He asked glancing at his watch.

"We at the World Wildlife Welfare and Conservation Agency-"

"That's a mouthful," Kazuya said speaking over her.

Jun continued unfazed. "We strive to maintain the safety and fair treatment of animals all around the globe-"

"That seems like a noble, but fruitless and misguided task." Kazuya interrupted again.

"Hmm." Jun smiled as she tapped her pen on the notepad. "The animals we've helped don't think so."

He leaned back in his chair feeling somewhat annoyed. "Miss Kazama-"

"Jun."

"Jun. Why don't we cut through all the formalities and you tell me exactly what you want out of this meeting."

"Very well." She sat up straight. "You paid to have three kangaroos transported from Australia to Japan nine months ago. Why?"

He crossed his arms and smirked. "Australia has too many and Japan doesn't have enough, I'm only looking to spread a little equality."

"I see no humor in this, Mr. Mishima." She said sounding unimpressed. "Would you kindly answer my question."

Kazuya sighed, he was torn between feeling irritated or intrigued by her. "The Kyoto Zoo asked for my help in bringing in kangaroos for their Australian habitat exhibit, I decided to help."

"Yes, they did receive two kangaroos, but what happened to the third?" There was a hint of accusation in her voice that he didn't like.

Of course, she was right to suspect that the Zaibatsu had something to do with the animal's disappearance, it was going through experiments and enhancements in his genetics lab at that very moment. He had hoped it would be ready before the tournament so that he could test his new weapon against real fighters but he had not yet been able to acquire the services of a certain scientist and was now behind schedule.

"Exactly what are you accusing me of, Jun." She was beginning to test his patience, one more insolent question and not even her charm would save her from his wrath.

"Nothing, I didn't come here making accusations, I'm simply looking for answers." She looked into his eyes. "What happened to the third kangaroo, Kazuya?"

"I don't know," he answered despite himself, "I didn't personally transport them here. Perhaps you should ask those who did." He glared at her. "We are done here. I know nothing about a missing kangaroo."

She held his gaze. "Very well," she smiled, "let's move on."

He furrowed his brow. "I said we were done."

"What do you know about lizards?" She questioned.

"What do I-" He shook his head in disbelief. "Miss Kazama, do I look like someone who knows anything about lizards?"

"I make it a point not to judge by appearances." She shrugged. "You own several laboratory facilities, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"May I inquire as to-"

"Not without a warrant." He said straightening up in his chair.

"I understand." She mirrored his pose. "What about the tournament? May I ask about that?"

"To what end?" He didn't know why he was answering her questions, normally he would already have had her escorted out of the building.

"I'd like to know about your sponsors." She said as she quickly scribbled something on her notepad.

"Why?" It was her attitude, he realized she behaved casually around him, as it happened so rarely he found it somewhat captivating.

"I'm concerned about the impact some of them have on the environment."

"You live in Tokyo, don't you think that just by doing that you're impacting the environment yourself?"

"Yes, I'm aware, but-"

"And I'm certain that some of those sponsors make very generous and unsolicited donations to your agency. Isn't that what they call biting the hand that feeds?" Captivating or not he wasn't going to let her get away with that bit of hypocrisy.

She looked somewhat affronted. "When that happens to be the case we immediately cut ties with them. And there's no need to get defensive, I didn't say I was going to do anything against them, all I want is to know who they are and what they do."

"I have to be in my office in ten minutes," he said realizing that their meeting had taken much longer than the allotted time. "I have to leave."

"There's still more I need to ask, can I come by tomorrow?"

"No. I'm going to be at the arena all day." He pushed his chair away from the table suddenly feeling rushed, he didn't like being late, it was a form of weakness and poor planning in his eyes.

"Oh, that works," Jun said cheerfully as she scribbled in her notepad again. "Do I need a special pass to get in?"

"...No..." He stopped as he was about to stand. "I didn't say you could go." He said furrowing his brow.

"I know your time is valuable and mine is too," Jun put her pen and notepad back in her purse, "I won't rest until I get answers to all my questions, so just to make things easier on us both I'll come to see you at the arena tomorrow." She smiled as she stood up. "Thank you for your time." She said as she left.

He watched her as she walked toward the exit knowing that he should be angry, that he should be calling security to let them know that she was banned from the premises but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Her nerve and persistence were certainly admirable. He found himself looking forward to seeing her at the arena, it was somehow refreshing to interact with someone who didn't seem intimidated by him. She is...different.

She is not, all women are the same, at that moment Kazuya realized that Devil had been quiet through their entire conversation, they scheme and lie to get what they want. She is no different, she wants something from you and you're letting her invite herself into your life.

Answering a few questions to get her off my back is hardly what I would call inviting her into my life.

When you find yourself caught in her web don't say I didn't warn you.

You've been saying that too much lately. Kazuya made his way out of the cafeteria and into the elevator.

Because it is the truth.

Be that as it may, I'm growing tired of your redundancy. Now leave me be, this meeting is important.

As is my warning, redundant or not.

He felt Devil grow quiet as he exited the elevator, his mood felt lighter somehow. He found himself looking forward to seeing the finished fighting arena, to seeing the fighters compete, to having the world witness the greatest sporting event of the century.


It had not been as difficult as most would think for Jun to invite herself to the arena. Having the ability to sense Kazuya's mood had given her an advantage that many would call unfair, she however, called it necessary. After having met him she found herself wondering how anyone was able to work for him without having a nervous breakdown every so often. In hindsight, she was glad that interviewing Kazuya Mishima had been her assignment. No one else in the office would have been able to do it and in the end, it would have been passed down the line from Noriko to Jiro and from Jiro to Megumi, then from Megumi to Jun. Noriko would have spent the entire interview worrying about Kazuya's secretary and fumbling the questions, Jiro would have called in sick because he hated confrontation and Megumi who was only a few years older than Jun would have been crying before the interview started.

Jun had been troubled by what she saw when she first entered the office; Kazuya's secretary in tears. The woman had been absolutely distraught, she had been enveloped in so much regret and fear that it was a wonder she was able to function at all. She was stronger than she seemed, Jun had wanted to tell her but decided against it. She had learned from a young age that most people preferred not to hear that she knew what they were feeling as most of the time it was something they were trying to hide.

Jun stepped out of the bus onto the sidewalk less than a block from the stadium that was being transformed into a fighting arena. It was unmistakable in the distance, a large steel and concrete ring that took up block upon city block of space, nestled among businesses and office buildings. As she walked toward the stadium she tried to make eye contact with the passersby who were weighed down by their worries and emotions. It was something her mother had taught her, she had told her when she was a little girl that sometimes all a person needed was a warm, genuine smile to change the course of their day. She had heard friends and acquaintances from small towns and smaller cities say that people from Tokyo were too cold and too aloof, that they didn't appreciate a 'hello' or a kind gesture. In Jun's experience, however, people were people no matter where they lived and more often than not she found that they smiled in return or thanked her for her help the same as someone from a small town would.

When she arrived at the stadium gate she was stopped by a man in his mid-thirties who at first glance she assumed was a security guard as he was wearing a dark-colored uniform. When she noticed the gun holstered at his hip she looked for the badge that would identify him as a police officer but found none, instead, she saw the Mishima Zaibatsu insignia sewn onto his left shirt pocket.

It seemed that Kazuya Mishima had his own private security. It was to be expected, she realized, he was a very powerful man who no doubt had many enemies. She was suddenly aware of the strange presence that she had felt over the past two days, it was somewhat intrusive, almost as if someone were tapping her on the shoulder. She decided to shrug it off again because she would need her full concentration to get through her second meeting with Kazuya.

"Hello," she smiled at the security officer, "I'm here to see Kazuya Mishima, I'm Jun Kazama."

"Oh." The cloud of boredom that had been surrounding the guard quickly dissipated and was replaced by dread. He signaled to a second, younger man inside a booth behind him that was wearing the same uniform, the man had a clipboard with him. They took her identification card and each double checked it, then the older man stepped into the booth and made a brief phone call. "You'll find him at the center of the stadium, Miss Kazama." He said as he returned her ID.

"Thank you." She smiled noticing that the mood of both men had changed from dread to relief.

Jun had never set foot in a real sports stadium, after walking through the gate she stopped to admire the sight before her. The stadium was a huge oval-shaped bowl said to have the capacity to seat more than one-hundred-thousand spectators. It was ringed by row upon row of seats that went higher and higher up, the glare from the sun forced her to squint her eyes, then look away altogether before she was able to see the top tier.

There were dozens of men and women removing the green, artificial turf and adhering logos and signs to the field wall. There was excitement all around her, people were taking pride in the work that they were doing, it was infectious, surely not even Kazuya Mishima could be in a sullen mood being around all that positivity.

She spotted him in the distance, in the center of the stadium just as the guard had said. He was wearing black trousers and a light-gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was talking to a tall, black man who she assumed was American, he had his hair in the style of a mohawk and was dressed much more casually in jeans and a tank top.

She noticed that the foreigner seemed comfortable around Kazuya, not only that but he was bored, it was unexpected. She stopped and focused on the man, she shook her head slightly as she sensed it, there was a partnership between them, mutual respect and a shared darkness about them. They're both criminals. At that moment it was as if her gaze was pulled toward Kazuya, she focused on him and felt the same thing that she had sensed when she first saw him. The darkness surrounding the foreigner was nothing compared to what enveloped Kazuya Mishima. At that exact moment he turned and saw her, she took a steadying breath and smiled as she walked toward him. He looked irritated at the sight of her but she noticed that his mood lightened slightly, sensing this made her heart skip a beat.

She stopped a few feet from him, he was standing next to a large square about thirty feet by thirty feet that was made from what seemed to be slabs of stone.

"Good afternoon, Kazuya." She greeted politely.

"You arrived later than I expected." He said shortly.

"We didn't agree on a time and I had work to do at the office." She looked from Kazuya to his companion just as the man looked from her to Kazuya. How rude, he's not even introducing us. She could sense the man's uncertainty. "Hello, I'm Jun Kazama." She said offering her hand.

"Bruce Irvin." The man said as he shook her hand with a very firm grip.

"Do you work with Kazuya?" She asked.

Bruce opened his mouth to speak but Kazuya answered for him. "He works for me." He said. "And you're not going to interrogate him."

"I wasn't planning to," Jun defended, "I'm only trying to make polite conversation."

"There's no need." Kazuya countered.

"I should head back to the building," Bruce said in somewhat accented Japanese and turned to leave without waiting for acknowledgment.

"Is your kangaroo still missing." Kazuya asked indifferently as he eyed the men working on the stone square.

"Still, and I assume you still know nothing about it."

"Still nothing." He opened a binder and began to look through it.

It was unnerving, Jun didn't' know if he was telling the truth or if deceit was such a natural part of him that it didn't allow her to sense anything. His mood and his focus had not changed at all. She would need to try a different approach.

"So this is where men and women are going to beat each other into unconsciousness?" She asked gesturing to the stone square. Kazuya nodded without looking up from his binder. "That's going to hurt."

"It's a good incentive to not get knocked down."

"I can't argue with that," Jun said walking toward it. "May I have a closer look?"

"Just don't stand on it, it's not ready yet."

Jun was about to argue that she had not intended to stand on it but decided against it. She walked to the edge and regarded what was set to be the fighting ground.

The square was composed of rectangular pieces that were a combination of gray, black and rust colored stones, with the removal of the green turf and with the earth exposed it gave the stadium floor a sort of ancient feel. Just like the Romans, Jun thought, except this time it's breadless circuses, she had heard that lately, Kazuya had stopped aiding several charities that his father had generously given to in the past, it was not sitting well with the public.

There were two men wearing surgical booties over their heavy work boots crouched in the center of the square. They were assembling a black and white design in the center that took up about a quarter of the area. She leaned forward to get a closer look, it was a three-pronged shuriken imposed over a shield and surrounded by two in-turned feathers; the Mishima Zaibatsu insignia.

"It's beautiful." Jun complimented the two workers who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Here." She looked over her shoulder and saw Kazuya handing her a sheet of paper. "The sponsors for the tournament."

"Thank you." She said as she took it and began to read the list.

"As you can see there are no kangaroo kidnappers."

She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you mocking me?" She asked calmly.

"That's what you were thinking, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"That my sponsors would be drug dealers and terrorists."

"I admit that I expected more rainforest demolishers and less sporting goods manufacturers." She answered truthfully.

He sighed heavily. "What do you want from me? What do I have to do to get you and your agency off my back?"

He seemed troubled all of the sudden, she could feel the darkness encroaching on him. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness, she could see that he was being slowly overcome by something sinister and she felt the urge to help, to reach out to him.

"You know what?" She said breathing in deeply. "I think I've earned the rest of the day off, honestly I do more work than the three of my coworkers combined anyway."

He gave her a confused look. "You're leaving then?"

"Do you mind if I just stay until your day is finished?"

He looked uncertain. "Doing what?"

She shrugged and smiled. "Whatever needs doing." She looked around and saw two young women who were having trouble pulling a large box toward the field wall. "Helping them for instance."

"If you want to." He said going back to looking in his binder.

"Thank you." She said cheerfully as she walked toward the two girls noticing that the darkness around him had dissipated slightly. She wanted to help him, she truly did, whatever was attached to him was evil and taking over him slowly, eating at his soul. It was wrong, she didn't know if Kazuya had invited it or if it had attached itself to him on its own, but whatever the reason she felt that it was her responsibility to at least try to help him get rid of it. For his own good, and the good of those around him.


As the workday was coming to a close Kazuya watched from the stands as the stadium was one day closer to being completed. The two new, giant screens needed to be installed the next day, after that, only small finishing touches remained; then the tournament would begin. Fighters from all over the globe had already signed up, but he was still waiting to see Heihachi's name on the roster.

He will register on time, he is the guest of honor after all. Devil reminded him.

I don't want to think about him, I already know that.

"What are you looking at?" He was surprised to see Jun Kazama standing next to him.

That's it, isn't it? Devil teased. What you really want to think about.

"Everything." He answered as he tried to ignore Devil.

"Did I tell you this is my first time in a real stadium."

"No."

"I always wondered how everything looks from the top row." She said turning toward the steps.

"Small."

"Do you mind if I see for myself?"

Disgusting, Devil hissed, I told you she's trying to invite herself into your life.

Shut up.

"Be my guest." He gestured upward.

"Come with me." She said as she smiled at him.

"Why?" He asked thoroughly surprised.

Because she's trying to invite herself into your life.

"Because I'll feel silly if I go by myself." She said clasping her hands behind her back.

"Then don't go." He said shortly.

"Don't you want to see how it looks from up there?" She insisted. "It might give you a better idea of what else needs to be done."

"Hmph." It was a valid point. "I suppose."

Without hesitation, she walked toward the steps.

"So what do you do with your free time?" She asked as she waited for him to catch up.

"I don't have any."

"You must have some, don't tell me all you do is work."

"Don't you?" He asked looking at his watch.

"It's not healthy." She shrugged. "What do you do for fun then?"

"I'm not a child." He said screwing up his face in disgust.

"Neither am I, but I like to have fun."

"Doing what?"

Stop behaving like a teenager! Devil demanded. Stop wasting your time.

Leave me alone!

"I like to go hiking, bird watching, you know," she said as they continued to climb the steps, "all the things you can't do in the city, so I've been reading a lot."

They were silent as the walked the rest of the steps, he was grateful that Devil was quiet too. He seemed hostile toward Jun, it was a feeling more than anything he said, he retreated too easily, it was strange, but he wasn't about to complain. As useful as Devil was sometimes he could be infuriating and bothersome. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as they continued, her demeanor remained friendly and calm, she didn't seem intimidated or rushed, it was different, not at all unpleasant. He wondered if Devil was right, if she was trying to invite herself into his life, to get close to him somehow to get what she wanted, if she was trying to trick him into incriminating himself.

"Here we are."

Jun's voice interrupted his thoughts, he was surprised to see a wall in front of him. He turned toward the stadium and took in the sight before him. The workers were moving about quickly putting away supplies and tools, he could see men fencing off the square in the center.

"They look like ants." He mused.

"They're not, they're people," Jun said thoughtfully with a look of fondness and concentration on her face. "They all have their worries and joys and they all want to finish their work so they can go home. Some genuinely enjoy their job, but most are here because it pays well. The one thing they all have in common is that they want to be part of this tournament, they want to tell their loved ones and their friends that they had a hand in staging this great event." She turned to look at him, the sun's waning rays made her face look soft around the ages, it gave her an ethereal glow. "They are not ants, they're human beings." She finished.

Coming from anyone else it would have sounded trite and contrived, but she said it so earnestly and naturally that it didn't irritate him as something of the sort usually would. As he looked at her he felt his heart race and he knew it was not from having climbed all those steps; his body didn't feel tired, he somehow felt light. He felt the urge to take her hand but willed himself to resist. As he looked down at the arena he felt a twinge of something, pride he thought, he was going to show the world an event that it would never forget. They watched together as the workers filed out of the stadium at the end of their workday. He looked at Jun and saw that she had a serene expression on her beautiful face. As he watched the sun sink below the horizon and the shadows fall over the giant empty bowl beneath them he was glad that he had joined her.


A/N: I wanted to thank everyone for reading, and if you reviewed double thank you! CarolinaBP, Devil is all about power, and sex can be used as a means to have power over someone, I'm just trying out something that I haven't seen in other fics before. Princess Pokuno, your review had me laughing, trust me, I'm team Jun all the way too! To answer your questions, I am trying to follow canon as best as I can with this one, it will be somewhat AU toward the end and will lead into a sequel that will be completely AU. I have no idea how many chapters this will be because I keep adding on to it, maybe 20? I honestly can't say. I understand that some people may not have liked how the last chapter ended, but I'm not doing to be gratuitous at all, I needed it to happen because it's important to the story I'm trying to tell. With that said, I know this chapter was very long, but I couldn't bring myself to break it up. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading.