(In Plain Sight)

Sayuri took a deep breath. "What do I have to do? What should I say?" She seemed calm, albeit concerned.

"Your name is Reiko Akiyama," Kazuya told her, "you are the head of public relations for Horizon Labs, you will be at the airport to welcome the doctor."

"What can you tell me about her?"

It was a valid question, but it annoyed him all the same. "All I know is that she's in her late twenties or early thirties."

"But I'm only twenty-four," Sayuri protested, "what if he knows how old she is, what she looks like?"

"He doesn't, but he's spoken to her on the phone so make sure you don't talk with him about anything specific, all you need is two to three minutes of small talk."

"So he knows her voice." She said sounding anxious.

"Everyone sounds different over the phone."

"No, they don't."

"They do."

"Is he Japanese?"

"He's Russian."

"I don't speak Russian."

"He speaks Japanese."

"But what if Miss Akiyama speaks Russian?"

"I doubt that!" He said finally losing his patience, she took a step back startled by his outburst. "Just do everything Bruce tells you and you will be fine."

Go easy on our girl, Devil's voice was soft, almost tender. It was unsettling. Everyone is apprehensive at first.

There was a knock on the door and Bruce stepped inside. He held up a was a white dress for Kazuya to see. That was something that he appreciated about Bruce, he never needed to be told what to do and always seemed to know what was needed before he was asked.

How perfect, white like an untouched bride. Devil cackled.

Kazuya nodded in approval. "That's much more appropriate."

Bruce walked over to Sayuri and handed her the dress. "What is this?" She asked as she tentatively took it.

"What you are going to wear," Kazuya's tone was matter-of-fact.

She looked the dress over. "No." She furrowed her brow as she looked at the tag sewn on the garment. "I'm not wearing this."

"Yes, you are."

"It's too short." She complained.

"Too short? You wear more revealing clothing almost on a daily basis."

"I do not." She countered looking offended. "A dress has to be either short or tight or low cut, not all three at once. If I wear this I'm going to look like a-"

"We both know that's not far from the truth!" His tone was vicious as he spoke over her. Sayuri glared at him.

"I should probably wait outside," Bruce said quickly, "let me know if you need anything."

"That's not necessary, she's done complaining," Kazuya said looking Sayuri in the eye. "Now go put on the goddamned dress."

She stared daggers at him but made her way to the door. "Where?" She asked curtly.

"Ganryu is out in the hall, he can show you to the locker room," Bruce told her, without saying a word she exited the room. "I thought there would be tears," Bruce said turning to Kazuya, "but she just looks pissed at you, maybe I underestimated her."

"We all have," Kazuya said, "but she's an expert actress."

Our little prodigy. Devil said adoringly.

"So you really think she can handle this? She won't lose her cool?"

"She never has." He knew that the job was simple and after their conversation, it was obvious that she would do anything for Lee.

Bruce nodded, seeming satisfied with his answer, his demeanor changed immediately, he seemed relieved.

Kazuya's curiosity got the better of him. "Where did you get that dress?"

"From the receptionist in the lobby." He spoke as if it was obvious.

"How did you know she'd have a spare dress?"

Bruce smirked. "She didn't."

Kazuya sighed. "Not that it isn't impressive, but my receptionist better not be naked."

"She's not," Bruce responded with a self-satisfied smile, "but I promise you tonight she will be." He laughed as Kazuya shook his head. "I paid one of the girls in accounting to trade me her skirt and blouse for a lab coat."

"So one of my accountants is wearing nothing but a lab coat?"

"Yeah, but don't worry," Bruce said lowering his voice to a devious whisper, "it's the hot one." He laughed again.

"Are you taking any of this seriously?" Bruce's games were beginning to grate on him.

Bruce looked offended and spoke in a defensive tone. "More than you know, can you blame me for trying to bring some levity into this fucked up situation?"

"Fine." He knew that Bruce could be trusted but his attempts at humor were sometimes vexing.

"I'd better go get ready." He said as he headed for the door.

"Call me for anything I'll be here."

"Sir, yes, sir," Bruce said in a somewhat condescending manner as he exited.

You let him get away with too much.

Devil's words bothered Kazuya, Bruce was one of the only people whose company he could tolerate and even enjoy sometimes. There was also the matter of Jun Kazama, Devil was making him jump through hoops just so that he could spend some time with her. It was getting out of hand, he needed the mission to succeed he needed Doctor Bosconovitch working for him, helping him to figure out how to become the dominant force.

I have told you before and I will tell you again, Devil said sounding bored, science is not going to do anything for you. You can run all the tests and perform all the experiments you want and you will never be able to figure out how to be rid of me, how to manipulate me, or how to control me because it simply cannot be done. I am as old as time and you are nothing but a mortal man, or...you were. Now you are a god and you have me to thank for that, never forget.

He felt Devil retreat to the back of his mind. Part of him knew that Devil was right, but there was another part that dared to hope, to believe that he could have it all; Devil's power and all the control, no more sharing his mind, no more sharing his body...no more sharing his secrets.

Kazuya sat on Bruce's chair and studied the blueprints for the airport once again. For their sake, they'd better not fail.


Sayuri stood in the locker room in front of the full-length mirror looking disapprovingly at her reflection. She hated the dress, it went up to her mid-thigh, was overly tight and the top was so low-cut that she had to arrange her bra so it wouldn't peek over the neckline. It looked like something that had come from the sales rack of a discount store, like something the receptionist in the lobby would wear. She hated white, it really wasn't her color. She looked longingly at the Gucci dress in her hand and felt the soft fabric between her fingers.

In her mind, someone named Reiko who was the head of an entire department would wear something classy, not something that would make people mistake for a prostitute. She glanced down at her red, peep-toe pumps, they had looked perfect with the understated black dress, but now they only reinforced the negative image in her mind. Her long, jet-black hair reached the middle of her back. She had tried to arrange it in front of her so it would conceal some of the cleavage that she was showing but it looked ridiculous. Sighing she moved it behind her shoulders again.

She took a deep breath and smiled as she looked in the mirror. "Hello, I'm Reiko Akiyama, welcome to Tokyo." She sighed. "I can't do this." It just didn't seem convincing, maybe Kazuya was right and a distracting dress was necessary.

She walked away and softly opened the door, she automatically stood still upon hearing voices, she quickly recognized them as Bruce and Ganryu.

"What?" She heard Bruce ask in a low voice. "You think I like doing it?"

"That's not what I meant?" Ganryu said sounding apologetic. "It's just that I had to take care of... you know the one in Ireland and I don't feel comfortable with it."

"We both know that wasn't your first time," Bruce said.

"No, but it's the first time I've... you know... taken care of someone with so many connections, what if someone comes after me?"

"Were you careless?" Bruce asked.

"Of course not."

She heard Bruce sigh. "Then you have no reason to worry."

Ganryu's voice was so low that she had to angle her body closer to the doorframe to hear him. "Maybe, but I also want to be able to sleep at night, so if he ends up wanting us to off the doctor you'll have to do it."

Bruce sounded irritated. "Don't be a whiny bitch, you knew what this job was when you signed up."

Sayuri felt a wave of nausea and braced herself on the doorframe closing her eyes as she waited for it to pass. What was she getting herself into? Kidnapping was bad enough, but now murder was a possibility?

"You look ready to go." She gasped and opened her eyes, Bruce was standing next to her, he had changed from his jeans and green sweatshirt to a dark-gray suit.

"I am." She said standing up straight and wishing that the dress was a few inches longer. "You're going as well?" Bruce nodded. "Is Mr. Mishima going?" She asked hoping that the answer was no.

"No, he's the general and we're the lowly troops." He said as he gestured for her to follow him.

She walked with him to the elevator, he pushed the button on the panel for the parking garage. The silence between them was awkward and heavy but at the same time knowing that Kazuya would not be joining them put her slightly at ease. She followed him out of the elevator and immediately saw men wearing black suits climbing into a black Cadillac sedan with tinted windows. In front of it was a black six passenger limousine, Ganryu was standing next to it and a man in a driver's uniform was holding the door open.

"Miss Akiyama." The man smiled as he motioned her inside.

She attempted to smile but couldn't muster it, instead, she gave a stiff nod when the feeling of nausea returned. She took a deep breath as she steeled her nerves and stepped into the limo feeling uncomfortable in her short, cheap dress. She took the seat on the right, with her back to the driver, Ganryu stepped in directly after her and sat beside her. Bruce followed them in, taking the opposite seat and facing them both. As they exited the parking garage Sayuri was grateful for the silence, but after a few blocks, it became uncomfortable.

She wished that Lee was there, she always felt safe when he was with her. She missed the way he would protectively put his arm around her waist when they were in a strange place. She would lean in against him, lay her head on his shoulder and smell that subtle hint of cologne that he always wore and she and would feel at ease. She reminded herself that she would see him again in a few days but it made her feel worse because she needed him now. She needed him to hold her hand in this dangerous situation, during this crime that she would be committing for him or because of him, she didn't know which. It didn't matter because she couldn't blame him for what she was about to become, she couldn't be angry with him for putting her in that position. She had robbed herself of that right the minute she betrayed him; she could have chosen anyone else in the world to get her revenge, but she had chosen his brother. It was the worst decision she had ever made.

The two men sitting with her were certainly intimidating. Bruce with his calm but intense demeanor and wearing that suit looked much more imposing than when he walked around the Mishima Building wearing jeans and smiling at all the women. As she looked to her left she noticed that Ganryu was sitting closer to her than he had been when they entered the vehicle, before her very eyes he shifted toward her.

"That is close enough." She warned. "Stop inching toward me."

"What the hell, man?" Bruce furrowed his brow narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm sorry," Ganryu began as he bowed his head, "it's just that I've never been able to get this close to you and your fragrance is so lovely."

Sayuri felt her cheeks flush; she was angry, uncomfortable and embarrassed at the same time. Without giving it a second thought she grabbed onto the side handle and took the seat opposite Ganryu and next to Bruce.

"I hope you don't mind." She said apologetically.

"No," he shook his head, "I completely understand."

"I mean no disrespect," Ganryu said quickly, "I know that you have a boyfriend and my heart belongs to the enchanting Michelle Chang, but I appreciate beauty wherever I see it."

Sayuri shook her head and pressed her fingers to her temple, she felt a headache coming on.

"Here," Bruce said as he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, "your ID badge."

It was a rectangular piece of laminated, hard plastic hanging from a black cord. On the front was her picture, the same one that was on her current Mishima Zaibatsu ID card, below the name read, Reiko Akiyama. 'Horizon Laboratories' was printed at the bottom imposed over their logo, a stereotypical blue outline of a hill with a yellow sun setting behind it. It reminded her of a retirement home.

"I didn't know there was an entire department dedicated to creating false documents." She said as she slipped the cord over her head.

"What can I say?" Bruce shrugged. "The boss thinks of everything."

She felt her sense of uneasiness returning. "He said you would tell me what to do." She noticed Bruce's jaw tighten as she told him.

"Didn't he tell you anything?" She shook her head. "I know that you can't divulge details," Bruce began as he turned to face her, "but I need to know what kind of work you've done for him before, it'll give me an idea of how detailed I need to be."

She stared at him feeling confused. "...Work?"

"...Holy shit..." Bruce closed his eyes and ran his hand over his mohawk. "Don't tell me this is your first time."

Sayuri looked down at her hands and saw that they started to shake. "...If by work you mean something illegal...this is my first time."

Bruce shook his head. "...It's just that the way he worded things made me think that you had some experience, though I knew it wouldn't be much, but this..."

An uncomfortable silence followed for the next few minutes. It was a crushing, nauseating feeling, for the first time in her life being pretty and looking helpless wasn't going to garner her any sympathy, let alone help. She realized that she was completely on her own, it was a frightening feeling, she wanted to cry but knew that it would only make things worse. The entire plan was hinging on her performance and her ability to gain the doctor's trust, it was more than Lee's freedom and career that was in jeopardy, more than her conscience and peace of mind. The two men sitting in the car with her were dangerous; underneath Bruce's easy-going attitude and Ganryu's goofy expression was a darkness. What would they do to her if the plan failed because she made a mistake? Their freedom and livelihoods were on the line, they would certainly not react favorably if everything fell apart because of her.

She watched her trembling hands and focused on taking slow, deep breaths until they were steady once more. She knew that Bruce must be trying to find a way to remedy the situation but she could no longer stand the silence and decided to ask her own questions hoping to perhaps be of some help.

"When you're on a...job," she began cautiously, hoping that her wording was correct, "what do you find distracting?"

"Nothing," Bruce answered sounding offended, Ganryu nodded in agreement.

"Then why am I here?" She asked suddenly feeling irritated. "How am I supposed distract men who aren't distracted by anything?"

Bruce exhaled impatiently. "Not the bodyguards, the doctor. You're supposed to charm and distract the doctor, you don't even acknowledge them, get him to like you, get him to follow you and they'll follow anywhere he goes."

It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders, the task suddenly seemed doable. Let the storm rage around you, pretend you're in the eye and that nothing can touch you, she remembered the saying from her past.

"I can do it." She told Bruce.

"Are you sure?"

"I competed in a lot of beauty pageants-"

"This can't be happening." Bruce closed his eyes and shook his head. "He sent us into this job with someone whose only talent smiling and waving at the same time?"

"Will you let me finish please?" Sayuri snapped. "The goal is to win the crown, and the only way to win the crown is to impress the judges, no one else's opinion matters. You just step on that stage and smile, pretend that there is nowhere else you'd rather be, convince the judges that there is nowhere else you'd rather be. No matter how you feel, no matter how much you hate the bitch standing next to you; that's all it is, playing a part, smiling and telling them what they want to hear. I can do that with one old man, I can get him to trust me."

"This isn't a beauty contest," Bruce said sternly, "there's a lot more at stake here than a sparkly crown, there's-"

"I know what the stakes are!" Sayuri raised her voice speaking over him. "My freedom and my life are at risk too!" She suddenly felt an anger overtake her, it was unlike anything she had experienced before. "I am tired of everyone, everyone underestimating me, thinking that I can't do anything myself. I can do this," she said looking Bruce in the eye, "so stop doubting me and start telling me what I need to do."

Bruce held her gaze for a moment then shook his head, she could tell that he was angry and was trying to calm down.

"Did you win anything?" Ganryu asked breaking the silence.

"I won everything." She responded in the most self-assured voice she could muster.

"Like what?" Ganryu asked again.

"I won Miss Japan when I was eighteen, I was going to compete in Miss Universe, but..." She saw that the two men were looking at her listening to what she had to say and she suddenly felt self-conscious. "My grandmother died at the same time that I was being crowned, so I relinquished my title the next day, it just didn't seem right."

"Sorry for your loss," Bruce said seeming sincere, without a trace of anger on his face. "Were you close with your grandmother?"

"No." She said truthfully. "She wanted me to be a lawyer, trying to live vicariously through me, and was ashamed of me for participating in beauty contests. She used to say that if continued to compete instead of pursuing an honorable profession I would peak before I was twenty then fall into despair, whatever that meant. Not only that but she told me that my only viable career option after that would be to marry a yakuza boss who could support my cocaine habit, but only if I was still pretty. If I somehow stopped being pretty I would have to sell my body to afford the drugs I craved and would die of an overdose within the year."

Bruce laughed. "Holy shit."

Sayuri shrugged. "She watched a lot of TV."

They were all quiet for a moment. "Marry a yakuza boss, huh? I've met a couple," Bruce looked Sayuri in the eye, "they're hardcore, but even they are afraid of Kazuya Mishima."

"He already threatened me, you don't have to remind me," she said defiantly, "I'm not stupid, I'm not going to forget." She was frightened to the core as she said those words, but she remembered what Kazuya had said. Pray that Lee has a really good hiding place away from Japan and that he can find you before I can. She didn't know what he would do, she didn't want to think about it.

"Well then," Bruce nodded in approval, "keep up that attitude and we might just pull this off."

She had to do it, no matter how guilty she felt, even if it meant selling her soul. An old man's freedom for a young man's future. She had no choice.


"Goddamned kids...give them an inch and they take a mile."

Heihachi Mishima stood across the street of the Mishima Zaibatsu Building in downtown Tokyo. It had once been his pride and joy, his citadel, but now it was ruled by the enemy; his own son. He strode across the street fully confident that every vehicle would stop to let him pass, and they did. It was the way he carried himself, with such assertiveness that even strangers stood aside or stopped their vehicles to let him pass.

He straightened the lapels of his taupe suit jacket before approaching the entrance, he braced himself knowing that it was entirely possible that he would not like what he was about to see. It wasn't his choice to be in the building that day, it was something that he had wanted to avoid but was ultimately inevitable if he wanted to register for the tournament. He had called ahead and made sure that neither Kazuya nor Lee would be wandering the lobby during his time in the building, he was being careful to avoid any undignified encounters; he was saving his anger and strength for the arena.

He entered and immediately one of the two posted guards asked for his identification, he had it ready and quickly handed it to him. The guard's eyes went wide as he read the name, he looked from Heihachi to the ID and back again no doubt checking to make certain that he was indeed the correct person. The photo on the card had the same face of a Japanese man in his mid-fifties, the same horseshoe mustache and the same bald head and dark stalks of hair sticking up from behind the ears. Once satisfied the guard scribbled something on a clipboard and bowing slightly handed him the card, Heihachi snatched it from his hand and walked through the tall, glass double doors.

He was immediately angered and displeased by what he saw, the entire lobby had been redecorated, everything from floors to ceiling was different from how he had left it. There was no grandeur, no sense of splendor, it was minimalist, modern bullshit. At heart, Kazuya was just a kid trying to keep up with trends. To make matters worse he noticed that his suit matched the décor, it made him blend in, that in itself made him angry because he was Heihachi Mishima; he didn't blend in, he stood out, his presence alone commanded attention.

He stalked toward the desk where a pretty, young woman who he placed in her early twenties, sat with the telephone receiver to her ear. He stood and watched impatiently while she finished her conversation, upon seeing him she smiled slightly, then turned her attention to an open appointment book and scribbled something down with a pencil.

"I don't know if you can reschedule, I'll have his secretary call you tomorrow, I apologize for that, thank you." As she hung up she lost her grip on her pencil and it rolled toward the edge of the desk, she reached for it giving Heihachi an eyeful of cleavage and a full view of her lacy, white bra. She quickly leafed through the book as she acknowledged him. "How can I help you?" She asked.

"Good morning, young miss," He began in a pleasant tone, "I was looking for the Mishima Building but it seems that I've inadvertently stumbled into a whorehouse."

The girl smiled nervously. "This is the Mishima Building."

"Well if that's the case button up that goddamned blouse, there's a certain image I want associated with the Mishima name and it's not a pair of free-floating tits."

The young woman gaped at him as she touched a hand lightly to her chest. "...You can't speak to me that way."

"I can speak to you any way I please," he said pointing a finger at her, then at himself, "this is my building."

The girl sullenly did the top three buttons of her blouse. "...You're Mr. Mishima's father?"

"No." He answered feeling utterly disrespected. "I am Mr. Mishima."

The girl sighed dejectedly. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir."

"I'm sorry?" She asked giving him a confused look.

"Call me sir."

She sighed again. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'm here to register for the tournament." It hurt to say those words, he had to lower himself to registering in the same way that all the other participants did. He felt like a commoner, like a peasant and it made him hate Kazuya all the more.

"Well," the young woman said pulling a stack of papers out of a drawer and attaching them onto a clipboard, "I hope you have a couple of hours to spare for the physical tests."

"I don't." He pulled the invitation out of the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to her.

"Oh." She removed most of the papers. "Please read these-"

He snatched the clipboard out of her hand. "That won't be necessary, hand me a pen." The girl did as she was asked and he quickly signed the bottom of the page, he didn't care what it said, he was going to enter and win the tournament no matter what.

"So Kazuya is unavailable for the day." He said as he handed her the signed document. He had called in advance to make sure that was the case. "Is he in the building?"

"I don't know."

"What about my other worthless son?"

"...Mr. Chaolan?" The girl asked hesitantly.

Heihachi sighed in frustration. "Is there another one I don't know about?"

"...Umm...No?" She began to look uncomfortable, she glanced at the guards in the foyer then back at him.

"Well then?" He asked impatiently.

"...Um...Mr. Chaolan is still away, he'll return on Friday."

"How long has he been gone?"

She looked down at her desk calendar. "A week and a half."

"Unbelievable." He shook his head. "Kazuya is nowhere to be found, Lee's not here... So who's running this place then?"

"I don't know."

If I don't do something these goddamned kids are going to run this place into the ground. Heihachi inhaled deeply to keep his composure.

"What's your name girl?" He asked.

"Asami."

"Well, Asami, I'm going to do my good deed for the day." He said putting his hands on the desk and leaning in toward her, the girl furrowed her brow and tried to shrink back into her chair. "You need to start looking for a job because I'm going to win the tournament and on my first day back I'm going to be coming in with my own receptionist and I'd better find this chair empty and ready for her."

She stared at him with a bewildered expression. "...What's your good deed?" She asked after a short pause.

Heihachi shook his head in disbelief. "Telling you so that you don't find yourself unemployed and physically thrown into the street. Don't look so worried, you won't have trouble finding work, I'm sure any strip club will be happy to have you."

"...You're making me very uncomfortable." She said glancing at the guards again.

"I hope the next time we see each other is at a topless bar." He said before turning toward the exit. "Don't expect me to leave a tip."

He left the building feeling utterly disgusted. The image and reputation that he had built and maintained with his own sweat and blood, was being tarnished by sheer incompetence. From unprofessional personnel to Kazuya's reckless management, his empire was slowly crumbling. It was going to take a hell of a PR campaign to restore the public's favorable opinion of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Heihachi checked his watch and quickened his pace. He walked less than a block to a bus stop and sat on the wooden bench. A young man wearing dark slacks and a navy-blue windbreaker was standing next to it checking the bus schedule and smoking a cigarette.

"I don't have long," the young, Japanese man said, "it's a hectic day and they'll miss me soon."

"Are they going to retrieve the doctor?" Heihachi asked casually as he surveyed the pedestrians passing by.

"They left about twenty minutes ago."

"Was your friend able to get the weapons into the airport?"

"Yes," the young man responded, "the doctor's bodyguards will receive them as soon as they clear customs." He hesitated. "...But he had to get someone else involved...it's not an easy task, so he says it will cost you double."

"Money is no object, but you both better hope that he's trustworthy."

"He is."

"Good, good." Heihachi nodded. "Is Kazuya in the building?"

"Yes, he's in Mr. Irvin's office."

"Who did he send?"

The young man dropped his cigarette butt onto the sidewalk and crushed it with his heel. "Four men, not including the drivers, Mr. Irvin, the big sumo guy and his secretary."

"Kazuya's secretary?"

"Yes."

"She's the one who's in a relationship with Lee, isn't she?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"I want her followed, make sure it's someone you trust. I want to know where she goes and who she associates with."

It was very interesting, Kazuya sending his brother's girlfriend on such an important and potentially dangerous assignment while Lee was away. He knew it didn't mean that Lee wasn't aware, but if he wasn't maybe it meant that his two sons were more divided than he thought. At first, he had feared that they would work together against him, but the more he thought about it, he began to remember how deeply rooted their rivalry had been in the past. If that was still the case it would make things infinitely easier for him.

"What's their plan?" Heihachi asked.

"All I know is that someone, or maybe everyone, will to try to pass themselves off as the team from the Horizon Labs, they're the ones the doctor will be expecting."

"How are they going to arrive at the airport before Horizon's team? How are they going to get him out without causing a scene?"

"I don't know." He checked his watch. "They're really tight-lipped about this one, I know it's not much info, but it was all I could get. I have to go, they'll miss me soon."

Heihachi stood up as the young man began to walk in the direction of the Mishima Building, turning his back on his informant, he began to walk briskly toward the intersection. He turned left and continued his fast-paced steps for about five minutes until he reached a one-level, four suite building, it was home to a small dojo, a nail salon, and a dry cleaner's shop. Nestled between the dry cleaner's and the salon was an office space with a sign that read 'For Lease' taped to the front window, he pulled the door open and stepped into a small reception area. The carpet was gray and newly cleaned, the walls white and spotless. A black desk occupied by an attractive woman in her early thirties was set up next to the door to a small office.

"Good morning, sir," the woman greeted, "were you able to stop at the Zaibatsu?"

"Yes, Miss Nakano," he said as he removed his suit jacket, "I am now a participant in the King of Iron Fist Tournament."

"Well then," she stood up and walked to a coffee pot on the table in the corner, "let me get you a drink to celebrate your upcoming victory." She said as she poured him a cup of coffee. "I wish I had champagne to offer you." She set the cup on a saucer handing it to him, he took it in his free hand and she took his jacket.

He admired her figure as she walked to the coat rack to hang the jacket and as she made her way back to her desk. She wore a black skirt with a blue blouse, properly buttoned, as well as black high-heeled shoes. This was they type of employee that clients should see when they first entered the Mishima Building; polite, attentive, attractive and intelligent, not an unprofessional stripper in training.

"I promise you, Miss Nakano, in a few weeks time we'll be closing our workdays with the finest champagne the world has to offer." He said before sipping his coffee.

She sat in her chair and smiled alluringly. "How many times do I need to tell you, Mr. Mishima? Call me Rei, you don't have to be so formal when we're alone."

"It's a good habit to get into." He looked at the clock on the wall and decided to focus on the matters at hand. "I was right," he told her, "he sent a team to the airport."

Rei straightened in her chair. "It's a bold move."

"Reckless." He corrected. "The boy has grown overconfident, he won't last much longer even if I stand aside and do nothing, even if he decided to cancel the tournament." He looked at the clock again. "Is everything in place?"

"Yes," Rei nodded, "the protestors are at the airport and I've called the TV stations letting them know they might become violent."

"Perfect, I'll be in my office, don't disturb me unless it's an emergency."

"Very well, sir."

He entered his small, windowless office and sat in his cheap, office chair behind his cheap, wooden desk. There were no decorations whatsoever, no additional furniture, there was no need; it was temporary. He didn't mind his tiny office in its inconspicuous and common location, he was hiding in plain sight, minutes away from the enemy's fortress and no one suspected.

He pulled an address book out of the top drawer and flipped through the pages as he picked up the telephone's receiver, he found the number he needed and dialed it.

"Russian Airlines, how may I help you?" A woman's voice answered.

"I'm looking to speak with Petra," Heihachi said.

"One moment please."

"This is Petra." A different female voice answered.

"Will flight 866 be arriving on time."

"Oh," she lowered her voice. "yes, it's on schedule, it will arrive at ten-fifteen."

"Five minutes after Doctor Bosconovitch clears customs you are to announce a message over the intercom, write it down." He instructed. "You are to say, 'Doctor Bosconovitch, the team from Horizon Laboratories has been delayed, wait inside the terminal,' do you understand?"

"I do, sir," Petra confirmed, "I will do exactly as you say."

"Very well." He said before hanging up.

He breathed a sigh of relief feeling satisfied with himself; everything was in place. He could have easily warned authorities, have the airline give Bosconovitch the message as soon as he landed or even gotten the Russian Embassy involved. There were many things that he could have done to stop the attempt to kidnap the doctor before it happened, but there would be no point; Kazuya would simply deny it and there would be no evidence against him. The doctor would keep his freedom but his freedom wouldn't do Heihachi any good, the purpose was not to do a good deed, it was to put Kazuya in an uncomfortable, maybe even precarious, position. By setting up his intricate trap he was setting Kazuya up not only for failure, but for failure in public, in front of cameras perhaps.

He had paid a farmer who lived a few feet from where the new airport terminal was being constructed a very large sum of money to lie and say that the government had seized his land without his consent. After decades of bitter discord and often violent clashes between farmers and the Transport Ministry over the construction of Narita Airport the public was ready to believe anything. There were also the naive and idealistic college students who were always ready to enact social justice and protest the opening of an envelope if it offended an underdog in some way. He knew that it was too much to hope for but he dared to fantasize about a reporter's camera recording the protest and unintentionally capturing Bosconovitch being kidnapped. He could imagine the look on his son's face when or if it happened and he almost laughed.

Any outcome would eventually end in Heihachi's favor. If Kazuya failed to capture the doctor it would thwart or at least delay whatever plans he had causing him to become more reckless as he attempted to acquire the doctor's services and thus making him more likely to make a mistake that he could not recover from. If he was successful and did capture Bosconovitch, Heihachi would swoop in after winning the tournament giving the doctor his freedom and earning his loyalty and services as gratitude. He couldn't lose.

Kazuya had thoroughly underestimated him, he seemed to believe that Heihachi was powerless outside the walls of the Mishima Building. He had forgotten that throughout his years as CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu Heihachi had forged friendships and alliances, that he could call in favors from dangerous and powerful people who were fiercely loyal to him. Kazuya thought that by ridding himself of half the personnel when he took over eliminated the threat of someone plotting against him. Yes, it was true that Heihachi's most loyal employees had been fired, but eventually, he had been able to send in his own men. He had some in accounting, in the legal department, the labs and security. It wasn't easy, they were all low-level employees and had little access to important information, he had not been able to infiltrate Kazuya's inner circle yet, but even those low-level employees had proven valuable. It was because of those infiltrators that he had been able to learn of the plot to kidnap Bosconovitch in Moscow; piecing bits of information little by little to complete a picture. Kazuya had never seen it coming.

He stood up and walked to the door.

"Miss Nakano," he called as he opened the door.

"Yes, sir?" She asked swiveling her chair to face him.

"I want you to find the best interior decorators in Tokyo, no...Japan, and have them schedule the remodeling of my building the day after the tournament ends."

"Yes, sir." She said as she quickly wrote it down in her notebook. "Anything else?"

"Yes, start looking for a suitable receptionist for the lobby, the airhead they have there now is unsalvageable."

"Are there any particular requests on skills or education?"

"I completely trust your judgment."

"Very well, consider it done, sir."

"I will be in the dojo until noon," he told her as he made for the front door, "when I come back we'll start looking into what my other idiot son is up to. Goddamned, ungrateful traitor."

"Happy training." She said smiling as she swiveled toward the desk.

Heihachi felt satisfied as he exited his temporary headquarters. It had been a productive morning, no matter what happened at the airport things would end in his favor. Total victory was imminent; he couldn't


Lead them to the second floor. Sayuri repeated the instructions in her head over and over, it was a simple task; take the escalator, not the elevator, down from the third floor to the second floor. Ganryu would tell them that he saw something suspicious and wanted them to wait on the second floor as close to the elevators as possible as his men surveyed the area. Lead the doctor as close to the hallway under construction as possible...and that's all. That was her part, it was simple, as soon as they were close to the hallway Ganryu and his men would overwhelm the two bodyguards and her part would be over. That's all, I can do it.

Sayuri was startled by the ringing of the car phone, she had not noticed the black device nestled in an alcove beneath the window next to Bruce.

"Yeah?" He answered as he picked it up. "What is it, boss? What do you mean protesters? The fuck are they protesting? How many?" Bruce asked exasperated. "...Fuck..." He ran his free hand over his mohawk and waited a few moments before speaking. "We'll make it work..." He said as he wearily eyed Sayuri, then hung up.

"The protesters are back at the airport?" She asked instantly knowing what the conversation had been about. "How many did he say?"

"Hundreds, maybe over a thousand, the point is that's it's enough for us to worry..." He shook his head. "This is Japan, I thought everyone was happy."

"No one is happy anywhere," Sayuri was surprised by how somber she sounded. "They've been protesting on and off for decades." It was something she had been accustomed to hearing since she was a child, but Bruce was a foreigner, his lack of knowledge on the subject was understandable. "It's farmers who don't want to be forced to sell their lands so that the airport can be built, or expanded in this case."

"Today of all days..." Bruce shook his head.

"More police around, maybe even riot police..." Ganryu said worriedly.

"Cameras too," Sayuri put in, "since it's the first time they've gathered in over a year."

There was a contemplative look on Bruce's face, he was quiet for almost a full minute. "...We'll have to start a riot."

"What?" Sayuri asked straightening in her seat. "You can't do that! People have been injured during those protests, some have even died, we can't just-"

"It's us or them!" Bruce raised his voice making her shrink back in her seat. "I'm not going to get arrested and I'm sure as hell not going to fail the boss." He picked up the car phone and dialed a number then began giving orders.

Sayuri tuned out everything he was saying, her heart was drumming loudly in her chest. There was too much that could go wrong. And even if they were successful they would leave a trail of chaos and violence in their wake, how would she be able to live with herself knowing what she had been a part of?

"Can you keep it together?" Bruce's gruff voice broke through her thoughts, she realized that he was looking intently at her.

"...Me?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yeah." His eyes bore into hers.

Her heart was racing and her stomach churning but she gave the only correct answer. "I can." She knew Bruce was right, failing wasn't an option.

He nodded in approval. "This might actually work in our favor, with all the commotion the attention will be outside."

They were silent for the rest of the drive. After taking the off-ramp toward the airport traffic slowed down considerably, but they had left with plenty of time and had some time to spare. Near the airport entrance, she saw them, hundreds and hundreds of people pacing as they held up picket signs, most were young; they seemed peaceful. Since it was far from the first time something of the sort had happened at Narita Airport, police and airport staff were prepared. A rolled-up, chain-link fence was being set up as a perimeter so that the protesters would not disrupt the flow of traffic or step onto airport property. Men were securing it into the ground with thin metal poles as police officers paced back and forth keeping the protestors in their place, though to Sayuri it didn't seem necessary.

Their vehicles stopped at a checkpoint but they were only asked their purpose for being at the airport and were quickly let through. Beyond the checkpoint, everything seemed business as usual. Cars and shuttle buses dropped off and picked up passengers as pedestrians walked briskly through the crosswalk and cabs waited in the loading area. But she also noticed a couple of police officers patrolling, it made her nervous and she looked down at her hands as she tried to pull her dress down a bit.

"We're going to be short one man," Bruce said, "he'll be setting up the distraction outside." Ganryu nodded in acknowledgment. "I'll be close enough to see what's happening but not be seen."

"You're not coming?" She suddenly felt panic and automatically looked at Ganryu. She would rather have Bruce close, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing, but she didn't fully trust the sumo.

Bruce seemed to read her mind. "I kind of stand out in Japan, so he's the better choice. He looks like an idiot," Ganryu scowled at him but in her mind, he looked comical rather than intimidating, "but if things get tough he won't let you down." He nodded at the large man. "You ready?"

Her eyes went wide as Ganryu pulled a black handgun from behind his back. She was about to make a comment about handguns being illegal in Japan but stopped herself realizing how stupid and naive she would sound; Bruce had so little faith in her as it was. Ganryu quickly inspected the weapon and with a surprisingly hard expression on his face tucked it back in his waistband under his navy-blue suit jacket. He nodded at Bruce who seemed satisfied, she assumed that he too had a gun.

She felt the car stop and took a steadying breath. I'm in the eye of the storm.

"Do I get a gun?" She asked playfully, pleasantly surprised by how natural she sounded, "I've never held one but I'm a very fast learner."

Bruce stared at her for a moment then a small smile formed on his lips. "I'd give you one, but I just don't think you'd be able to hide it under that dress." He said eyeing her up and down.

She felt herself blush as she remembered that she was wearing that cheap, white piece of trash, but tried to continue the conversation as seamlessly as possible. "You're right," she said adjusting the cord of the name badge around her neck, "what was I thinking? I'm the head of public relations, I have all of you to do the work for me."

"Not bad." He said appreciatively. Having his approval helped her feel at ease.

The driver opened the door and Ganryu stepped onto the curb then offered her his hand, as she took it she noticed how strong and steady it was. Once out of the limo she felt the urge to pull down her dress a bit or to look down to make sure that her bra wasn't peeking over the neckline but decided that she needed to radiate confidence the same way that she used to when she was on the stage in front of an audience and instead stood with her shoulders back and left things as they were. She saw the three Zaibatsu men in dark suits stand behind Ganryu, she made her way to the Russian Airlines entrance and trusted that they were all following behind her, again, focusing on appearing confident.

She felt oddly calm as they made their way through the crowded first level. It was an ordinary day in one of the busiest airports in the world. The lines for the ticket counters snaked around each other as travelers stepped off escalators and entered elevators to reach the baggage claim area. They crisscrossed each other with hurried steps eager to meet their loved ones or to reach their gates on time checking clocks, checking watches and paying no mind to what others were doing.

As they arrived at the third level she looked up at the electronic reader board and saw that flight 866 from Moscow had arrived. Feeling her heart race and her stomach tighten she and her entourage turned toward the customs area. As she turned she couldn't help glancing behind her at Ganryu who gave her a slight nod; it was oddly encouraging.

They stood outside of the enclosed customs area and a few minutes later she spotted her target. He was a man approximately in his mid or late sixties, the top of his head was completely bald while the back and around his ears was covered in wispy, white and gray hair that went every which way. He was dressed in gray slacks and a brown tweed jacket. What struck her about him was his kind eyes behind round spectacles; as he met her gaze he smiled at her and she thought she would falter but she made herself think of Lee.

Doctor Bosconovitch was flanked by two men. They were both tall and muscular, both in their late twenties and both wore sports jackets. The man on the right had blond hair and wore a brown jacket and the man on the left had dark hair and wore a beige jacket, she didn't know why but she found it somewhat humorous and it helped her return the doctor's smile in earnest.

Her smile quickly dissipated when she saw a man in an airport uniform approach them and quickly lead them to an unlabeled door next to the customs exit. She looked back at Ganryu for guidance but he stood, staring as the target and his men entered the room and the door closed. He wore a stern expression that made her stomach turn to knots. Less than a minute later all three men emerged, she noticed that the blond man was adjusting his jacket.

She looked at Ganryu again and she saw him mouth the word go. She quickly did as she was told and approached the doctor.

"Welcome to Tokyo, doctor." She said bowing deeply. "I'm Miss Akiyama."

"Hello, my dear." He said smiling as he bowed to her. "Thank you."

"Was there a problem with your flight?" She asked glancing toward the door.

"Oh, no," his two bodyguards moved closer behind him, "everything was perfect."

"Wonderful." She smiled, though not knowing what had happened behind that door made her nervous. "I hope you don't mind, but these boys insist on following us around." She said gesturing toward Ganryu and the men.

"As long as you don't mind mine." He said as he looked to the dark-haired man.

"The more the merrier." She said cheerfully as she took his arm in hers. "Shall we?" She turned to look at him hoping that he didn't think she was being too forward, to her relief he smiled and began to walk with her. They followed Ganryu and the three Zaibatsu men as his own bodyguards walked a short distance behind the two of them.

"Before anything else I'd like to apologize," Sayuri said somewhat somberly, "the airport protesters have gathered once more and I don't know how quickly we'll be able to leave, or what other problems they will cause."

"Did you have any problems coming in?" He asked concerned.

"Traffic was slow and we had to stop at a checkpoint but they didn't inconvenience us as much as I expected." The walk was excruciatingly slow and long, she wished that she could hurry them along.

"I must say I didn't expect you to be so young, or so lovely," Bosconovitch said turning to look at her.

"You flatter me, doctor."

"I told you about my daughter," she felt her chest tighten at his words, afraid that he would ask a question she couldn't answer, she simply nodded and was relieved to see the escalator to the second level, "she's a bit younger than you, but you're just as beautiful as she is." He said as they descended.

"That sounds like something my father would say."

Her father had always called her his princess, ever since she was a little girl she could do no wrong in his eyes. She had spoken with him less than a week before, if he knew what she was doing at that very moment... She was so ashamed that she wished she had the strength to tell the doctor everything to let Kazuya do whatever he was going to do to her so that this man could be free. But she knew that she didn't have the courage, and she couldn't do that to Lee, not when he was starting his company, when success was finally within arm's reach.

They stepped off the escalator and through all the chatter and all the noise she heard Doctor Bosconovitch's name being called over the intercom, the message was in Russian and she couldn't understand it but still, she froze. She felt the doctor's arm go rigid and saw Ganryu stop in his tracks.

She felt a vice-like grip on her upper arm and suddenly she was being dragged backward, through a horde of passengers, she tried to keep her footing, but she fell only to be roughly pulled up and forced to keep walking. The dark-haired bodyguard was dragging her along as the blond helped the doctor walk quickly through the crowd. She looked behind her to see if Ganryu was following them but neither he nor his crew could be seen. They had passed two gates with exiting passengers and the doctor's bodyguards were moving too quickly.

Her knee painfully collided with someone's piece of luggage and she nearly fell but was quickly and harshly pulled up again. She looked around in a panic, it was disturbing how everyone, every single person was too preoccupied to notice that a woman was being taken against her will. She looked behind and around but didn't see Ganryu in the sea of travelers; she was on her own. She realized that they were leading her away from the elevators and the hallway under construction; they were taking her toward the escalator to the ground level.

"Wait!" She said as she hurried to keep up with the large man. "This is what they want," she said desperately as she finally managed to latch onto his sleeve with her free hand, "you're doing exactly what they want you to do."

The man looked around and briefly stopped. "What do you mean." His Japanese was rough but not too difficult to understand.

"They want you to go to the first level." She lied hoping that there was still some way to salvage the mission.

The blond man gestured to a nearby bathroom and they all followed. The dark-haired man tightened his grip on her arm, she had lost feeling in her fingers and her hand and arm were tingling. Her high-heeled shoes caused her to slip twice on the black and white tile floor before reaching the bathroom, each time he pulled her up roughly, the second time she thought he would wrench her shoulder from its socket. She looked around as best as she could again, but didn't see Ganryu anywhere, everything was happening incredibly fast; it was surreal.

Two men were exiting the bathroom as Sayuri and her Russian escorts entered. The first quickly looked down at his watch as he saw them and the second cast his eyes down and began to walk faster. She realized how vulnerable and alone she was, she was at their mercy. When they entered the bathroom the dark-haired man let go of her arm and putting his hand on her back pushed her further in, she lost her footing and fell forward on her hands and knees. The most mundane of thoughts crossed her mind as she found herself on the floor of an airport bathroom, her hands suddenly felt grimy and she felt the urge to wash them. She tried to stand up but froze when she felt a metal object pushing against the back of her head.

"What did you mean?" She heard the man's rough voice behind her.

She looked toward the bathroom stalls and was distracted by a pair of feet she saw in front of a toilet. "...What?" She tried to steady her breathing but it was impossible, her thoughts were muddled and her heart was beating so hard and so fast that she was sure everyone could hear it. There was pain shooting up and down her arm as her blood began to circulate properly again, she still had no feeling in her hand or fingers.

She heard the doctor say something in Russian and the man moved the gun away from her head and helped her up. She didn't feel steady on her feet but somehow managed to stay upright, she looked at the men, they were both looking at her with hard expressions and were each pointing a gun at her. She almost laughed at the absurdity, as if one gun wasn't enough.

"What do you mean we are doing what they want?" The man asked her again.

"They want you to go through the front door and that's exactly where you're leading us." She said avoiding the doctor's eyes.

She didn't know where the answer had come from, her mind was tapping into its survival instinct and at that moment she asked herself who was more likely to cause her harm. These men who were trying to protect their charge and themselves? Or Kazuya Mishima? The man who had orchestrated a kidnapping and would think nothing of starting a riot. The man who had intentionally put her in danger and was plotting to ruin his brother's life. She hated herself for siding with Kazuya but as she saw it she didn't have another viable option.

"Who is doing this?" Doctor Bosconovitch asked her.

"Kazuya Mishima."

"What is your name, my dear?" The disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable, she had to look away again.

"Asami." She said the first name that she could think of.

"Why the front door? We're more likely to be seen there." The dark-haired man asked.

"The protesters are there," she said rubbing her sore arm to aid her circulation, "Kazuya's men are starting a riot, they plan to grab the doctor and lose the two of you in the confusion."

The three men looked at each other. "We go to the police." The blond suggested.

"You're holding two Japanese citizens hostage in an airport bathroom with illegal handguns." She pointed out.

"Two?" The blond asked, she gestured toward the bathroom stall and she heard a man gasp. "You're the one committing a crime!" He accused.

"He's not!" She said pointing to the bathroom stall again. "And who do you think they'll believe? The two Russian men with guns or the Japanese woman with a clean criminal record?"

"Fine," the dark-haired man countered, "we go straight to the embassy."

"You think they'll want to touch you? Do you know how many Japanese laws you're breaking right now?"

The blond gestured toward Bosconovitch. "The doctor is a world renowned scientist, the embassy will do anything to help him go back to Russia."

"What about you?" She asked the blond. "Will they do the same for you? Are you invaluable to the science world too?" She was grasping at straws, spewing nonsense that was probably making everything worse and she knew it, but she was desperate and didn't know what else to say. "I'll start screaming my head off right now, get the police in here, there's riot police outside too," she threatened, "they will have you in custody before the embassy can get involved and it will be all over the news. How well do you think your country will react to-"

"Or maybe I'll just shoot you and the toilet man right now," The man glowered at her as he stepped forward and pointed the gun at her head. "We find a way out and go to the embassy and no one will ever know who pulled the trigger when they find your bodies."

She closed her eyes and felt her arms grow heavy, she was in over her head but she tried one last ditch effort. "...You'll never avoid them without me...Please, I'll tell you how to get out."

The doctor gestured for him to put down the gun. "How?"

"We came in through the hallway under construction on this level, maybe you can get out the same way." She prayed that she sounded convincing.

"Why would you come in through there?" The doctor asked.

"To avoid the cameras at the entrance."

"But you say they're expecting us at the doors right now?"

She sighed deeply. "...With all the commotion they're about to cause, no one will be paying attention to what happens at the entrance and the construction workers have started their shift. They would notice someone being taken by force."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" The doctor asked looking into her eyes.

She let out a short wry laugh. "Because I've failed," she knew that the best lies had a grain of truth to them, "I can't face him after this, I don't know what he'll do to me but if you let me go..." she felt tears begin to form in her eyes as she looked at the doctor, "...I can get on a plane and go to someone who will protect me."

But she wouldn't do that, she knew that she couldn't. She didn't have her passport with her, she didn't have any money on her; it would be impossible for her to get to Lee before Kazuya found her. She felt appalled and ashamed for having once been attracted to that man, if she had known just a little about him, the type of monster that he really was...

Doctor Bosconovitch nodded slowly, he seemed to believe her. "...As soon as we're safe, we'll let you go."

"Thank you." She nodded somberly. "Let's go."

The men tucked their guns in their waistbands. "Don't you move Toilet Man," the dark-hair man warned turning toward the bathroom stalls, "wait fifteen minutes before you leave or I will come back here to shoot you."

The blond motioned for her to lead the way out and the dark-haired man put his arm around her waist. He smelled of sweat and cheap cologne, she tried to put some distance between them but he harshly pulled her closer digging his fingers into her ribs. As they exited her heart began to race again when she saw Bruce in the distance standing next to a coffee shop, he was looking straight at them, his expression hard. She gave him the slightest of nods and she saw him move quickly toward the agreed upon destination. She led the Russians through the crowd bumping into some travelers and swerving to avoid others, the chatter coming from the people all around her was disorienting, she had trouble focusing on her surroundings.

There were fewer and fewer passengers as they neared the elevators on the second level. She spotted the roped off construction area and a long accordion folding door blocking access to the hallway. The closer they got the slower they seemed to move.

"It's that folding door." She said.

She looked around hoping to spot Bruce again but didn't see anyone that she recognized. A group of six people stood waiting for the elevator. Sayuri and her escorts waited a few feet behind them. She was glad there were so few people, the men looked too stiff and the way the dark-haired man was holding her did not seem convincing at all. She was sure there were security cameras recording them but she didn't dare look up, the last thing she wanted was her face on the security footage.

The chime of the elevator put her on alert once more. Five foreigners with luggage exited and the group in front of them entered leaving the immediate area clear.

"Now." She instructed.

They all moved together toward the roped-off area and the blond man knocked down a short, metal pole holding up a section of yellow 'caution' tape to let them all through. He pulled on the silver handle and slid the door open. He peeked discretely inside then turned to them and nodded, they all walked in behind him and entered the hallway.

To her surprise it was empty. She felt her heart sink, they were supposed to be there; she was on her own again and this time she didn't know what to do. The sounds of the airport were muffled and seemed distant making her feel even more isolated.

The wall to her right was made of glass and was mostly covered by paper attached with blue painter's tape, from what little she could see it was obvious that it would give a view of the runways. There were ladders and scaffolds positioned in front of the wall to her left which was still bare concrete as was the dusty floor beneath them. She could see tools and equipment scattered about, she surmised that the workers had left suddenly, the Russians seemingly coming to the same conclusion readied their weapons in front of them and walked cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the deserted space. Sayuri tried to push away from her companion but he held her even more tightly, she turned her face away in a vain attempt to spare herself from the offensive scent of his cologne, it was beginning to make her feel light-headed.

She heard hurried footsteps behind her and they all turned to see who it was, to her relief it was Ganryu accompanied by two men. She was instantly uneasy again when she saw that all three had handguns pointed at them. They were behaving as if they didn't even see her, it made her heart race and her chest tight, it was difficult to breathe. She felt the dark-haired Russian tighten his grip around her as he raised his weapon toward them. She heard someone else behind them and her captor spun them around quickly. It was Bruce and the remaining Zaibatsu man, they too had their weapons raised.

Doctor Bosconovitch said something in Russian, his tone was calm. The blond man grew expressionless and set the gun at his feet as he raised his hands. Ganryu and the two men cautiously approached him, one of them picked up the weapon on the floor as the other two motioned with their weapons for them to turn toward the other end of the hallway.

"No." The dark-haired Russian bent down to tell Sayuri as he pulled her closer against him. "You promised me a way out and you're going to give it to me." There was so much anger and hate in his voice that it frightened her to her core. He made her walk in step with him backward until their backs were against the glass wall. "Move to the other side." He gestured to Bruce with his head.

"Don't be stupid," Bruce said in an even tone, his eyes locked with the Russian's. "Be like your partner, he knows when to quit."

"No," the man shook his head vigorously, "she promised me a way out and she's going to make good on that promise."

"There are six of us and we all have guns," Bruce tried to reason, "how far do you think you're going to get?"

Bosconovitch said something in Russian but the dark-haired man simply shook his head. "I never should have taken this job. I'll just kill her right now then," he raised the gun to Sayuri's head put it against her temple, "you're going to kill me anyway, I may as well have some company."

She couldn't beg for her life, she couldn't struggle or think about anything; she was frozen. The only thing she was aware of the muzzle of the gun pushing against her head, it erased every other sensation and feeling in her body. She felt defeated when she saw Bruce slowly put his gun on the floor, he motioned for his partner to do the same. He then began to walk to the side of the hallway where the rest of the men were standing, though they all still had their weapons pointed at the Russian.

She had not seen anyone move so fast in her life. Bruce came charging at them without warning, his right knee slammed into the Russian's ribs. Sayuri felt his body shake from the brutal attack as she was knocked to the dirty floor along with him, landing painfully on her hip. She heard the gun clatter on the concrete and she instinctively pushed away from him and tried to crawl to safety. She felt strong hands pull her up, she didn't know who it was but she accepted the help and moved away from the two fighting men.

The Russian was standing back up and tried to land a right hook to Bruce's face but he blocked it with his forearm and brought his right knee up hitting the doctor's bodyguard in the gut and causing him to double over holding his stomach. The Russian was angry and wasn't about to give up. He came at Bruce with a flurry of kicks that the American seemed to have trouble blocking, the last one landed square on his chest causing him to lose his balance and nearly fall. The Russian was slightly taller than Bruce and was also more muscular, Sayuri knew nothing about martial arts or fighting but even she could see the power behind each kick. But again, Bruce was fast. He recovered quickly and waited for the Russian to charge, as he did he bent slightly and executed a spinning uppercut that landed perfectly under his opponent's chin, before the man could fall Bruce followed up with an elbow strike to his chest and the Russian landed unceremoniously on the concrete, but was soon up and ready to charge again.

"Shouldn't someone stop them?" Sayuri was surprised to hear how panicked her voice sounded.

"No," she heard Ganryu's voice beside her, "he's pissed, he needs to blow off some steam or believe me, you don't want to be riding back with him. Don't worry, we have a minute."

She put her attention on the fighting men and saw that the Russian was charging again, but in her eyes, he seemed slower than before. Bruce easily dodged his kick and moved in quickly putting his forearms on his opponent's shoulders and clasping his hands and locking them together behind the man's head. He pulled the Russian down as the larger man struggled trying to get out of his grip and began to bring his knees up to his chest landing one devastating hit after another.

"That's all the time you have," Ganryu said in a commanding voice that she had never heard from him.

Bruce kneed the Russian in the chest one more time before pushing him to the ground. Not missing a beat one of the Zaibatsu men stepped forward and pointed a gun at the fallen man's head.

Bruce was breathing hard, his shoulders and chest moved quickly up and down as sweat ran down his face. He wiped it with the back of his sleeve and took off his jacket, half of his white shirt was no longer tucked into his pants and his tie was crooked. But otherwise he looked well, she chose to ignore the murderous look in his eyes as he looked at the man who was now on his knees with his hands behind his head.

The dark-haired Russian was panting, the sleeve of his jacket was torn and his face was red and splotchy. Sayuri noticed the blood around his mouth and she felt sick, she felt responsible for what was about to happen to Doctor Bosconovitch and those men. If only she had the courage to defy Kazuya...

"I have to go." She said walking in the direction that she assumed the exit was. She felt desperate to breathe fresh air.

She gasped as she felt a hand on her back and automatically spun expecting to see the dark-haired Russian again, but it was Bruce. She could hear the other men's footsteps behind them, everyone was silent. He walked by her side through the empty, half-finished hallway avoiding tools and going around ladders and equipment and then down a flight of dimly-lit stairs until they reached the exit. Through the open door, she could see the vehicles waiting and she felt anger rather than relief.

Her heartbeat was loud in her ears distorting the sounds around her as she watched the three defeated men being guided into the vehicles. She saw that a second black sedan had joined the Cadillac and the limo. Ganryu followed Doctor Bosconovitch into the limo and his bodyguards were separated one in each of the sedans.

"We have to go." She heard Bruce's voice behind her, it was low and calm.

"You left me." Her voice was dripping with anger as she turned to face him. "You were to supposed to be the goddamned professionals and you left me to do your job for you!" She had never felt angrier in her life. She was angry at everyone from Kazuya to Lee to Bruce and his men but mostly at herself for participating in such an atrocious act.

"I know," Bruce said evenly. "You can yell at me all you want later, but right now we have to go."

She knew he was right, trying to concentrate on her breathing she turned to her left to avoid looking at him and her eyes went wide as she took in the sight before her. She suddenly heard it, it was so loud and so clear that she was shocked she had not heard it before. Metal clashed on wood as the riot police fought to keep the protesters back. They had apparently knocked down the chain-link fence and were throwing bricks and rocks at the blue-uniformed officers. They pushed back with their shields but the protesters were relentless, some of them using their picket signs as weapons.

She felt faint, she bent down and put her hands on her knees for support as she began to inhale and exhale slowly. I'm in the eye of the storm. She told herself trying to calm down, but she felt a pull toward the chaos, in her mind, she deserved to be in the middle of the storm, not safely in the eye.

"We need to go," Bruce said gently putting a hand on her arm but she wrenched it away and quickly stood up. "What are you doing?" He asked her as she walked to the front seat of the limo.

"I'm not riding in the back with any of you." She said opening the passenger door and sitting beside the surprised driver. "What?" She asked shortly.

"Nothing, miss." The driver said as he glanced out the window undoubtedly asking for Bruce's approval.

The protest was happening about two hundred feet from where they were and it was obvious that no one was paying attention to what was happening there. She could see smoke somewhere among the hundreds of protesters.

"How are we going to get through all that?" She asked the driver.

"We'll take the construction route then take the road that the farmers use to get to the expressway." He explained.

"I hope we get caught." She said bitterly as she saw several men break through the wall of riot police.

"No, you don't, miss." The driver said as he put the limo into gear and began to drive.

The feeling of the gun's muzzle against her temple stayed with her no matter how much she tried to rub it away. She tried to find a comfortable position in her seat but it was impossible, she was exhausted and she had a dull ache in her hip and right, upper arm. She closed her eyes and felt tears stream down her face knowing that the driver was right, that no matter how much she hated herself for what she had done, no matter how ashamed she was, she didn't have the courage to live with the consequences of her actions.


A/N: I know what you're thinking, long-ass chapter, not enough Kazuya, too much OC, no Jun...What the hell? I wanted to explore (on a smallish scale) how Kazuya and Heihachi affect everyone around them, how they use people and exploit situations to achieve their goals. Heihachi using the protestors in the off-chance that they might become an obstacle for his son without caring about consequences and Kazuya starting a riot. Yes, I know that technically Bruce gave the order and it was his idea, but he's Kazuya's right-hand man for a reason, his boss would have done the same thing if he had been there. And by the way Narita Airport is infamous for the controversy it's caused and all the peaceful as well as violent protests, so that actually happened. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't learn anything by reading Tekken fanfiction! Thank you so much for reading! Don't be afraid to let me know what you think or if I embarrassed myself writing a fight scene.