.

(The Line)

Kazuya stood in the center of the genetics lab in the sub-basement of the Mishima Building. He stood in a relaxed stance with his arms crossed lightly over his chest, he paid no attention to the various screens on the wall above the metal workstations displaying charts and rows of data, nor to the men and women in lab coats tapping fingers on keyboards and writing reports. The vast space was being monitored by video cameras set up in every corner, but Kazuya paid no mind to them either. He was lost in thought. Though the mission at the airport had been a success, someone had tried to interfere, to ruin his plans and expose him to the authorities; it could have resulted in an international incident that would have been impossible to sweep under the rug. He didn't know who that person, or persons, had been, but when he found out there would be hell to pay.

The hissing sound coming from the large, rectangular doorway pulled him out of his thoughts. He fixed his gaze on the heavy, metal door and watched as Dr. Geppetto Bosconovitch stepped through flanked by two of the Zaibatsu's armed guards. The old man wore an unreadable expression; his blue eyes bore into Kazuya's from behind round spectacles. He had to admire the doctor, not many people would dare.

"Leave." Kazuya's voice echoed around the metal-plated walls and immediately the five scientists left their workstations and exited the lab. Kazuya then motioned for the guards to do the same.

"Bold, Mr. Mishima, very bold," Bosconovitch said once they were alone, "much too risky."

Kazuya shrugged. "The methods shouldn't matter as long as the desired results are achieved."

The doctor looked sternly at him. "Where are the two young men who were in my company?"

"They are being taken care of, they will be well fed and given a proper place to rest as-"

"As long as I cooperate," Bosconovitch shook his head, his face screwed up in disgust.

"We could have done this the easy way," Kazuya reminded him, "I gave you ample opportunities."

Bosconovitch walked toward one of the workstations against the wall and looked at the bar graph displayed on the screen. "I have known men like you since I was a boy, you all vary in your methods, in your goals… But the thing that remains constant is that you all think you are entitled to get what you want no matter the cost. Joseph Stalin himself requested my services once."

Kazuya gave a dry chuckle. "What did you do for him?"

"Do you know what I first became famous for?" Kazuya shrugged disinterestedly. "A ballistic missile that I invented when I was twelve years old."

Kazuya scoffed. "Quite the overachiever."

"That was what he wanted me to make for him, and I agreed, but I escaped at the first opportunity and hid out in Prague until he died."

Kazuya shook his head and looked disdainfully at him. "Have you always been a coward? You always seem to run at the first sign of danger."

"Stalin would have liked you," the doctor gave a light chuckle, "he would have tried to eliminate you, but he would have liked you." He moved to a different workstation and examined the documents on the desktop. "Mr. Stalin, much like yourself, believed himself invincible… But where is he now?"

"He died from an illness. When he was old."

The doctor shrugged. "Or by a masterful assassin's hand…"

His attitude was beginning to grate on Kazuya's nerves. "Are you trying to threaten me? Because you have nothing, I hold all the cards."

"No, Mr. Mishima," Bosconovitch rubbed his temples, "I'm simply reminding you that powerful men rise only so that they can fall, be it from an illness, old age...or a bullet to the heart... It isn't a threat, it is a fact of life, a cycle; it cannot be stopped, certainly not by man. Just as the tide rises, so too it must fall…"

"A man bold enough to blow up the moon could stop the goddamned tide."

Bosconovitch shook his head. "And undoubtedly doom us all in the process."

Kazuya lowered his voice to barely above a whisper, but his tone said it all. "Enough."

The older man sighed. "I was set to fly to Germany to find a way to help my daughter when we were told that your men were in Moscow-"

Kazuya's body tensed. "Who told you?"

"I don't know," the doctor removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, "it was a phone call, he didn't identify himself. I got in contact with Horizon labs, I've partnered with them in the past, they have a brilliant researcher who offered to help me when I told them my dilemma. And now," he gave Kazuya an accusatory look, "now I cannot even help my beloved Alissa."

"You were partnered with Bennett Industries, they were building certain components for you."

The doctor's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"They work for me. If I deem your work satisfactory I will have them deliver the parts and components necessary to construct the cold-sleep machine. That is what you need to help your daughter, isn't it?" Kazuya couldn't contain the self-satisfied smirk that began to form on his lips.

Bosconovitch eyed him suspiciously. "How do I know-"

"As a bonus, I will give you a brilliant researcher from Horizon Labs." He walked up to the nearest workstation and picked up the telephone. "Bring Hayashi," he said after dialing a number.

"Is this of her own accord?" Bosconovitch's tone was bitter.

"Of course not."

Less than two minutes later Yori Hayashi from Horizon Laboratories was brought before him by an armed guard. She had tear streaks marked on her face and her eyes were red and swollen, she pulled on the sleeves of her brown cardigan then began to rub her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Bosconovitch," she said as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"Do not blame yourself, my dear," the doctor said soothingly.

"I have good news, Dr. Hayashi," Kazuya turned to face the frightened woman. "You have been hired as Dr. Bosconovitch's assistant." The woman furrowed her brow and looked at the doctor who cast down his eyes. "The pay is better than Horizon Labs and if you accept you won't have to worry about your husband meeting an early end." Hayashi gasped and lightly covered her mouth with her hand. "Stop that," Kazuya said impatiently, "I said you would not have to worry… unless you plan to betray me."

"N-no," she stammered.

"Get on the phone, call your boss and tell him that you've resigned effective immediately," he turned to the guard that had brought her inside. "Make sure she does it." The man nodded.

"It has been a long day for all of us," Kazuya said as he picked up the phone again, "Dr. Hayashi, make your phone call, go home and I will see you tomorrow at eight o'clock sharp."

He nodded to the guard and the man guided Hayashi out.

Kazuya dialed the number for Ganryu's desk. "Send a Russian translator to the genetics lab, I need the doctor to make a phone call. Then have him escorted to his living quarters, after that you can go home."

"You got it, boss." He hung up after hearing the sumo's confirmation.

"A phone call?" Bosconovitch narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, "why a translator?"

"Because I need him to confirm that you are saying exactly what I want you to say. You will call the Russian Embassy and you will tell them that you have reconsidered your stay with them. Make it sound convincing, we wouldn't want innocent Alissa to pay the price of your betrayal." Bosconovitch closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "You will be shown to your quarters after, I'm sure you'll find your accommodations more than adequate."

Kazuya walked to the workstation closest to the door and removed a gray file folder then handed it to Bosconovitch.

"What is this?" The older man asked as he opened it.

"It's the project that I want you to start with."

The doctor's eyes widened as he leafed through the file. "A kangaroo? Enhanced mental capacity and...fighting skills?"

"You're a master of genetics," Kazuya said with a shrug. "I want it to be ready to face off against human opponents, it will be participating in the tournament, and therefore is priority one. My scientists have been working on it for months, but it's not quite right."

He looked up at Kazuya with a bewildered expression on his wrinkled face. "Why? Why would you want an animal to compete in a fighting tournament?"

"My vision for the future extends much, much further than the tournament. That will simply be a test for my new weapon."

"Weapon?"

"If, or when, it comes to war, or to defending the Zaibatsu, imagine the advantage I will have with a weapon that no one will expect, that they will be thoroughly unprepared to face."

Bosconovitch shook his head again, apparently at a loss for words. At that moment the doors of the entrance hissed open and in stepped Ganryu with two guards and a middle-aged Japanese man wearing a dark suit.

The sumo pointed at the suit-wearing man, "here's the translator, boss."

"Good," Kazuya looked at his watch, "go home as soon as this is done, I need you at your best tomorrow."

"Sure thing, boss."

Kazuya turned to face Bosconovitch. "I will be by to check on your progress periodically. I have eyes on you at all times," he added as a warning.

"Yes, I'm certain that you do."

Kazuya nodded to Ganryu and left the room, he walked down the hallway and into the elevator determined not to let anything put a damper on his mood. The mission had been successful, Dr. Bosconovitch was in his building working on projects that he had been eager to begin. He had gained a brilliant, though reluctant, new researcher and the preparations for the tournament were nearly at an end. His outlook was brighter than it had been in months.


Sayuri gently dabbed each page of her appointment book with a paper towel. She had spilled hot tea on it and the script was nearly illegible, she was glad that she had most of it memorized. She swiveled in her chair to face the computer that she rarely used. The dark background and the tiny, white, blinking rectangle were hypnotic, she sat staring at it for who knew how long. She sighed and closed her eyes when she felt the muzzle of the gun pressed to her temple, she rubbed the area vigorously with her fingers until the sensation disappeared. She suddenly opened her eyes and straightened in her chair when she heard the office door open, her heart began to race as she imagined the dark-haired, Russian entering. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Bruce emerge from the doorway, though she wanted to be angry with him she was inexplicably glad to see him.

"So you really are here...working," he said as he sat in the chair in front of her desk, he had changed out of his suit and was wearing the jeans and green sweatshirt again, "I thought you would go home, you should, it was a rough day."

"You obviously have no idea how much work needs to be done before this goddamned tournament begins," she said bitterly. "Do you know who I work for? Do you think he cares that I spent the morning committing a felony for him? No, he still expects all this work to be done."

"You shouldn't say that," Bruce spoke in a low tone, "don't talk about that when you don't know who can hear."

She chuckled remembering what she had heard him and Ganryu talking about near the locker room but decided that it was best to say nothing. "There's no one here," she said instead, "I already told you I'm not stupid, do you think I want to go to prison?"

"How are you doing?" Bruce looked at her intently, she was surprised to see concern in his eyes.

She wanted to answer with an offhanded, 'I'm fine,' or with an angry retort but she found that she wanted to talk to him, she needed to do it.

"I still feel the gun pressed to my head," she gently put her fingertips to her temple; it was more than that, she could still remember the smell of the Russian's cologne and feel his arm around her waist. "And I keep thinking about all these...little, inconsequential things like...that my shoes are ruined and that I was on the floor of an airport bathroom so I need to take an hour-long shower." She exhaled slowly. "I have to make myself think about the important issues like how am I going to explain all the bruises on my body to Lee and what's going to happen with those two men."

"The Russians?"

"Yes."

"That's not something you need to concern yourself with."

"Don't do that, Bruce." She was suddenly angry as she realized that it was something every man in her life, from her father to her boyfriends had said to her, don't concern yourself, I'll take care of it. "I have earned the right to know what's going to happen to them. I can handle it, tell me."

"He was going to kill you, Sayuri, why do you care?"

His question was valid, but she couldn't answer it. "I don't know why I care, I just need to know."

"It's really not-"

"I'm the reason why they're in whatever holding cell they're in, so tell me, are they going to be killed?" She stared keenly at him when he shook his head. "I won't say anything, there's nothing I can do, I just... I need to know."

Bruce sighed. "I don't know what's going to happen to them, that's for the boss to decide later on."

"...Are they being...harmed?" The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach and she felt nauseous once again that day.

"We're not savages," Bruce sounded offended, "they're being taken care of for now."

"For now," she said offhandedly. "How do you do it?" She asked after a short moment of silence.

"Do what?" Bruce stretched his arms above his head.

"You always look well rested, so you must be sleeping at night. How do you do it?" She knew her tone and her question sounded accusatory and hostile but she didn't care. "How do you go home and look at yourself in the mirror and not feel like a piece of scum that shouldn't be allowed to breathe the same oxygen as the rest of the population?" His expression was blank and it somehow made her feel guilty for being so disdainful, she cast down her eyes and told him the truth. "I'm asking for my benefit because when I get home I want to be able to sleep... I-"

"There is a line in the sand that we each draw for ourselves," Bruce said in a level and serious tone. "Everyone from Mother Teresa to serial killers have it, it's the line that we are not willing to cross." He folded his arms over the desk and leaned in as if he were telling her a life-saving secret, she looked into his intense, dark eyes and tried to memorize every word that he was saying. "You have to ask yourself each time, in each situation, where is that line? Where is it for you, not for your family or friends, certainly not for society, but for you. You don't tell anyone, that knowledge is yours. No one ever has to know how far you're willing to go, but you damn well better be sure you know where your line is because if you cross it, you can never step behind it again. It will change you."

She felt as if she were in a daze, speaking to this man that she barely knew about things that she couldn't tell Lee or even her family.

"...Have you ever crossed it?" Her voice was almost a whisper, she didn't know why she asked, it was not something that she wanted to know.

Bruce's booming laugh startled her. "I like you, but I don't know you that well."

"Sorry," she said as she straightened in her chair. "So just don't cross that line then… I wish I'd never taken this job..." She said it more to herself than to him.

"Why did you?"

"My father suggested it."

"Why the hell would he suggest that to you?" Bruce said with a laugh. "Parents are supposed to look out for you, not feed you to the wolves."

"He didn't suggest it to me, I overheard him. I have two degrees in business, I want a career in business administration, but the only experience I have is working at my father's law firm. When my brother made partner at his firm before he was thirty years old, rumors started and the word nepotism was thrown around quite a bit. My brother proved them wrong, he showed everyone that he earned his place; but when I was hired as human resources manager, with my beauty pageant background the rumors started again, it began to affect his business, he lost some clients. Everyone just assumes that I'm…not that smart, so when I overheard him telling one of his employees that working directly under Kazuya Mishima for a year would get her hired anywhere, I applied, I wanted to show him and everyone that I could do it..." She shook her head. "If my father knew what happened today..."

She stopped herself before she said anything that she would regret, anything that would put her father in danger. She knew that her father would call in favors and offer a few of his own to keep her safe and out of prison. He was an intelligent man and she knew that he would never take on the Mishima Zaibatsu, but he was a devoted father who loved his children, he might not take on the Zaibatsu head on, but she wasn't sure that he wouldn't use other methods. She liked Bruce, but he was fiercely loyal to Kazuya, he was one more person who couldn't be trusted.

"What happened there?" Bruce asked gesturing toward the towels and the wet appointment book.

She was thankful for the change of subject. "I spilled my tea on it because I needed something else to go wrong for me today."

"That's why they make cups with lids."

"Smartass," she rolled her eyes. "I'm inputting all the appointments and contacts into the computer, which I should have done months ago."

"I see," he chuckled, "slacking on the job."

"No, it's not that." It was another realization, an insignificant detail, but it said so much about her, it was another blow on the worst day of her life. "...I don't even turn the computer on when Lee isn't here, he knows everything about them and I'm... It always seemed too difficult to learn, I took a couple of computer classes in college, but I got through them by flirting with the instructors." She felt her cheeks flush and looked up quickly at Bruce not wanting him to think negatively of her. "I didn't do that for any other classes."

"I'm not judging," Bruce said putting his hands up, "if I looked like you I'd use it to my advantage a lot more often than you do."

She smiled, then continued, "I always rely on Lee to fix every little issue that I have with it because it just seems too difficult to even try by myself. But as I'm entering this information I'm realizing that it's not difficult," she sighed. "I could have done it on my own from the beginning and not have all this extra work..." She shook her head. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that luring two professional thugs and one of the world's most sought-after scientists into a trap by myself while having two guns pointed at me, made me realize that I don't give myself enough credit... That I like things to be easy when I'm fully capable of fending for myself."

She rubbed her temple when she felt the sensation of the gun against her head again. There would be more instances where there might not be anyone able or willing to help her, she felt a knot in her throat as she realized that she couldn't count on anyone. She decided that she needed to find a way to protect herself as and her loved ones, she couldn't lay that burden on Lee and especially not on her father.

"Look," Bruce sighed, "I'm sorry that they separated you from Ganryu, I know that was tough, someone set us up, but I promise we'll find out who and then-"

She scoffed. "And then what? Kill them?" She shook her head, "never mind, don't tell me I don't care."

"Fine, that's best anyway."

"Thank you," she said sincerely as she realized that she had not acknowledged what he had done, "if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here right now."

He looked taken aback by her statement. "I didn't expect a thank you, I thought you were pissed at me."

"I am angry," Sayuri said in a serious tone, "but not with you," she bowed her head to him. "So, really, thank you."

He shrugged. "Don't mention it, I got to save pretty girl and got to blow off some steam, made me feel like a goddamned hero, it was not a bad day's work."

She smiled shyly as she felt herself blush again, she didn't know why, everyone always told her she was pretty. She reached into a drawer as she remembered the name badge she had used at the airport and handed it to Bruce. "Here, I don't know how to properly dispose of this."

"What happened to the white dress, it looked good on you," he said as he took the badge and put it in the pocket of his sweatshirt.

Sayuri instinctively looked down at her black dress. She was sure Kazuya had ordered her to wear that trashy piece just to remind her that he was in control, in the end, the dress had not distracted anyone, all it had done was make her feel uncomfortable. "It's in the garbage where it belongs, and I didn't look good, I looked like a prostitute."

"No," he laughed, "well, maybe a high-class one."

"High-class prostitute," she chuckled, "there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one."

"What I meant was a really expensive call girl, like the ones that ninety-nine percent of the population can't afford."

"I have to say that is a compliment that I never thought I would hear."

"I have others, I swear they're better."

She suddenly changed the subject when an unresolved problem came to mind. "Do you have any idea how I can explain all the bruises I have to Lee?" She was surprised to hear herself ask him so frankly, but he was the only person that she could talk to. "I was going to tell him that I fell, I can't think of anything else."

"Tell him you were mugged at the metro station," he said it as if it were the most obvious solution.

"This is Tokyo, not New York, do you know how uncommon that is here? He'll never believe it."

"All right," he said crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "First of all, have you ever been to New York?" She shook her head. "Then don't make assumptions. Second of all, it's uncommon in Tokyo, not unheard of, and you look like an easy mark, if it were to happen to someone it would be someone like you." Her brow furrowed as she thought it over. "Or...you can just tell him no sex for a month, if he doesn't see the bruises, he can't know," he finished with a sly smile.

She felt herself blush furiously. "Are you seriously talking to me about my sex life?"

"I wouldn't normally," he said with the same smile on his face, "but the thought of that prissy boy not getting any is hilarious to me."

She crossed her arms and looked sternly at him. "This is the first and last time that you are disrespectful to him in front of me."

"Sorry," Bruce said with a look of uncertainty on his face.

She couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips, there was something about Bruce that made her feel at ease. She immediately realized how dangerous that was and knew that she should not let her guard down around him. Bruce looked as if he was about to say something, but stopped when he heard the door open, they both turned to see Kazuya walking in with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Do you have a minute?" Bruce asked Kazuya as he made his way toward his office.

"Yes," Kazuya said looking at his watch, he entered his office leaving the door open.

Kazuya didn't see the murderous look that Sayuri gave him as he walked through the office. He didn't even notice her, he had too many thoughts running through his mind as well as a feeling of victory that clouded everything and everyone around him. He sat behind his desk and watched Bruce as he closed the door and settled into the chair opposite his.

"Don't worry, boss," Bruce said with a stern look on his face, "I'm going to find the bastard who set us up, I have my men coming back from Moscow tonight, I'll leave Yamada in charge of the investigation while I'm gone. We both know he can be trusted."

"Fine," Kazuya said leaning back in his chair. "But as soon as you're back I want you in charge, I don't care if you're participating in the tournament."

Bruce sighed deeply and straightened in his chair with a look of concern on his face. "I have to be frank," he began, "I respect you and I respect your authority, but what happened today cannot happen again."

"And what is that?" Kazuya asked furrowing his brow.

"First of all, I know that you don't like being told how to run your company," Kazuya too crossed his arms, "but you need to hire a woman, one that can handle herself in a fight, we need one once in a while and I can't be responsible for people who don't know how to defend themselves. Not again, not someone who's on my team."

Kazuya chuckled slightly. "Is your conscience weighing you down?"

"Yeah," Bruce said sternly. "I don't want their blood on my hands."

"Nobody died," Kazuya said casually, which seemed to bother Bruce.

"Look," his voice was low and tight, "I haven't slept in thirty-six hours and I just got my entire team safely through one clusterfuck of a mission, so you're going to listen."

It was Bruce's second outburst in one day, but it was a very rare thing and Kazuya was in a good mood, so he decided to indulge him.

"You sent us on this mission with someone who had zero experience," Bruce said, "we're lucky she didn't fuck anything up, we're lucky that she can think on her feet, but you should have-"

"Has she ever looked you in the eye while lying through her perfect teeth?" Kazuya interrupted as he felt a pang of anger surface. "I knew that she could do it, I was certain that she could. I know her better than you or even Lee for that matter."

"That's the other thing," Bruce said raising his hands in frustration, "she's your brother's girl, what do you think would have happened if he came back to find that she was in prison or dead because of you? Do you think he would take that well?"

"It didn't happen." Kazuya shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Goddammit," Bruce ran his hand over his mohawk, "you weren't there to see how close that came to happening." He leaned in on the desk and looked Kazuya in the eye. "That man was going to kill her. I looked into her background after we got back, her family's too; you say that you know her, but do you know who she really is? Because if you do then I don't know what you were thinking today."

"Who is she?"

"She won a national beauty pageant six years ago."

"A beauty queen?"

"Yeah, she gave up her title the next day, but still, it was televised, her face has been seen by the entire country, probably half the world too."

Kazuya tried, but he was unable to control his laughter. "Now I understand why Lee chose her, she's just as narcissistic as he is."

"Are you serious?" Bruce slowly shook his head in apparent disbelief. "I'm not telling you this to give you a good laugh. If someone like her is arrested, murdered or disappears it captures the attention of the media, national and international, everyone loves to hear about tragic stories involving famous, pretty girls. Add to that, the fact that you are her employer and that she's in a relationship with your brother. That would bring Interpol and every other law enforcement agency to our doorstep faster than you can imagine."

Kazuya sighed in annoyance, he hated to admit it but Bruce had a very valid point. "I'm sure you would make it look like a very convincing accident."

Bruce scoffed. "Let's say that I could, do you really think your brother would just let it go, that he wouldn't be suspicious with it happening precisely while he was gone?" He roughly rubbed his face, almost as if he were trying to stay awake. "Do you even know who her father is?"

"...Who?" Kazuya asked through clenched teeth.

He hated that Bruce was right, he had been so focused on acquiring Bosconovitch on the date that he had planned that he had not stopped to consider everything that could have gone wrong by sending Sayuri on that mission.

"He's a lawyer," Bruce said, "a partner in one of the top three law firms in Osaka and so is his son, her brother. Her mother is one of the administrators at Tokyo Medical University Hospital, her stepfather-"

"Enough." Kazuya cut him off, "I get it, she's got connections, she's goddamned royalty. I don't need to hear any more."

"She's pissed at you," Bruce said in a low voice, "and she's not stupid, so you need to make amends or at the very least keep an eye on her."

"That's it, you're done. This is about as much as I'm willing to take from you." Kazuya said sharply. "Don't ever tell me what to do again."

"Hey," Bruce put his hands up in surrender, "I only speak up when it affects me."

He didn't apologize, Kazuya was glad, he respected the fact that Bruce stood behind his words no matter how he felt about what he had said.

"At what time are you and Ganryu leaving?" Kazuya asked, steering the conversation in a more productive direction.

"Midday tomorrow," Bruce said as he tried to stifle a yawn. "Should arrive in Phoenix ten hours later… which will feel like tomorrow, but it will actually be today… Fuck," he rubbed his face, "that is going to suck. I guess I'm not taking Asami home today, I need some sleep."

"You were the one complaining about being bored," Kazuya reminded him, "now you're complaining about having work to do?"

"I'm not complaining, just making an observation," Bruce sighed. "It's pretty harsh to make Ganryu go on this mission," he said furrowing his brow slightly, "as messed up as it is he really likes that girl, and you're making him kidnap her mom?"

"Are you trying to tell me what to do again?" Kazuya narrowed his eyes and cocked his head slightly. "I need that pendant, I don't care if it ruins his chances for romance."

"Not at all boss. Just a comment."

Sending Bruce with Ganryu to America was the perfect cover to acquire the Native American pendant. They would take a private jet to Phoenix, Arizona where Bruce would meet with the head of Freemont Copper Mining Company to secure a deal with the Zaibatsu for copper components needed for lab equipment. Being his most trusted employee, and also American, Bruce was the best choice to meet with the CEO of the mine. The deal was as good as done, but a face to face meeting was the final step. Meanwhile, Ganryu and his team would kidnap Michelle Chang's mother and take her to the jet and when all was said and done she would be transported back to Japan.

He remembered Michelle Chang from the first tournament. She was very young and much more skilled than anyone had expected her to be. She had entered the tournament to seek revenge against Heihachi for murdering her father, it was mostly whispers and rumors amongst the fighters, of course, the media had caught no wind of her real story. Upon taking control of the Zaibatsu and looking through Heihachi's files as well as questioning those closest to him, Kazuya had found that the rumors were indeed true, Heihachi had ordered the girl's father killed. Such an aggressive and upfront measure was a rare thing for the Mishima patriarch to exhibit and Kazuya had become curious about the reason.

Michelle Chang's father had been killed over an ancient pendant that her family possessed and had refused to give up. Kazuya wasn't sure what it was, but if that pendant was enough to cause Heihachi to so blatantly spill blood on foreign soil it had to have much more than monetary value. It was said that it was the key to great power and he knew that he had to have it.

He had tried to reason with the girl, had offered her money, then resorted to making threats and nothing had worked, she had still refused to give up the pendant. This was his last resort, kidnapping her mother and exchanging her for the trinket; his second international mission in two days. This one promised to go much more smoothly.

"I'd better get going then," Bruce standing up, "we'll call you when we get there and when we're on our way back."

"Don't fail me," Kazuya warned.

"I never do."

Kazuya felt Devil stir as he watched Bruce close the office door. "What?" He asked impatiently.

I hate to admit it, but Bruce is right, Sayuri does need to be watched. Devil sighed sadly. Though it will break my heart if she betrays us.

She won't, I'll put the fear of God into her.

The fear of God is a fine choice, but in my opinion fear of the Devil is much more effective.

Don't get cute with me.

Very well, Devil conceded, let's go have a talk with our girl.

Kazuya stood up and made his way out of his office, he saw Sayuri stiffen when he stood in front of her desk, but her face remained blank, she was typing on the computer, which he realized was something he rarely saw her do. He sat on the chair opposite hers and she turned her body toward him, her expression unchanged.

This bitch will try to betray me at the first opportunity.

Then let's make sure it does not happen.

"I was about to call you," she said listlessly, "the head of the legal department just called for you, he said he wants to meet with you in his office as soon as possible."

"Why?" It was strange to hear such a request.

"He said that it was regarding tournament matters and that the rest was for your ears and eyes alone."

It had to be a serious matter if they had requested Kazuya himself at their office. "I'll go as soon as we're done here."

"I was able to reach Miss Kazama, regarding your...meeting," she gave him a strange look, it was almost admonishing, "as you requested she will wait for you in the lobby of the Park Hyatt Building at six-thirty instead of eight." She shook her head very slightly as she turned away.

"Do you have something to say?" His eyes bore into hers.

Sayuri seemed hesitant but held his gaze. "...She's a good person."

"So?"

Sayuri sighed. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"Bruce will be out of the country for the next couple of days, all security matters are to be directed to Yamada." Kazuya chose to ignore her meddlesome comment, he would put her in her place soon enough.

Sayuri scribbled quickly on her desk calendar. "Very well."

"He will be at the Freemont Copper Mining Company in Arizona and will be in periodic contact with us."

"Is he flying by private jet?" She asked as she wrote.

"Why does that matter to you."

She stopped and looked up at Kazuya. "That Irish company, Mullen Aviation, just came to mind. I know that you're leasing a jet from a Japanese company now, but I'll be taking some files down to the archives later and I just wondered if I can take the Mullen file too or if you still need it here."

"He's dead."

"I know, I heard about that, it was all over the news."

"Then why are you asking? I can't deal with a dead man."

"No, sir, I know," she said with a sigh, "but I heard that Mr. Mullen's brother took over the company, so I wondered-"

"Yes," Kazuya said exasperated, "take the damn file to the archives."

She nodded, then took a shaky breath. She looked tired and didn't seem to be wearing makeup, it looked like she had washed her face. "...I can never do something like this for you again."

"Like what?" He asked coolly.

"Committing a crime," she said as she rubbed her temple, "a felony."

"You will do whatever I ask of you," Kazuya said as he leaned back in his chair, "I own you."

She stared at him with her brow furrowed and her mouth tight. "...No…" She slowly shook her head. "You said that if I did this you wouldn't press charges against Lee. I did it, and now we are done."

"I never said that I would have you do this one thing. Your skills are impressive, I may need you again. Think of it this way," he said straightening in his chair, "the longer you're under my service, the longer Lee gets to keep his position at the Zaibatsu, I hate to admit it, but he is useful. I may reconsider getting rid of him, well, as long as he behaves himself."

"No." Sayuri's jaw was tight. "I am no longer under your service, as of this moment, I quit." He didn't believe that she was capable of such a stern expression, but here she was again, showing her true colors. "Don't try to stop me and don't try to threaten me because I will go to the authorities and-"

"What part of I own you don't you understand?" He asked her in the most condescending tone he could muster. "There are so many problems with your flimsy little threat that I don't even know where to begin. First of all," Kazuya said as he leaned slightly forward, "you went through a lot for Lee today, so I doubt that you want him to know what happened between us. Why go through all that trouble just to lose him?" She opened her mouth to protest no doubt, but he quickly continued. "And no, I never said the phrase, I will not tell him." She closed her eyes and crossed her arms protectively in front of her but remained silent. "Second of all, I have told you that I am prepared to live with whatever consequences may arise due to my actions, so let's say I'm arrested," he shook his head and chuckled at the audacity of the thought. "How long do you think it will be until I'm the one running the prison? Days? Hours? You on the other hand…"

"What?" She asked venomously.

"Someone like you isn't built for prison."

"You think that the police will believe that I was the mastermind behind kidnapping a world-famous scientist?" Sayuri chuckled slightly. "My father-"

"Of course not," Kazuya spoke over her, "but being a willing accomplice in kidnapping and murder won't garner you any sympathy, I don't care who your father is."

"Murder?" She asked quietly shrinking back in her seat.

"Those two Russians will cease to be useful eventually, maybe just one, I might need the other to confess, to identify you."

"...If you do that…" She seemed to struggle with her words, she was finally losing her composure. "...If you do that you will go to prison too you think that I-"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" He was beginning to lose his patience, he needed to put her in her place quickly. "I'm prepared for that, and you think I don't have others set up to take the fall for me?"

Sayuri shook her head. "You are even worse than I imagined."

"How much did your watch cost?" He asked ignoring her comment, she said nothing, but protectively folded her hand over the gold timepiece. "That's fine, don't tell me," he continued, "I bet that it cost more money than most inmates in a women's prison have ever seen. And no, you won't be wearing it, but as soon as they see you they'll know that you're the type of woman who wears expensive jewelry and designer dresses… A privileged, rich girl who squandered the opportunities they never had."

She tightened the hold on her wrist. "If you're trying to scare me-"

"You won a national beauty pageant, didn't you?"

"So what?" She asked as she pressed her fingers to her temple.

"That's something that will make you popular in prison, but not for the same reasons that it does out here," he leaned forward on the desk. "You're thinking that it was just for one day, that nobody will remember a brief television appearance from six years ago… But someone will know because you're a bit of television trivia now, it's the type of minutiae that prisoners remember because they have nothing to do except hold on to the memories that they brought in from the outside. Someone will know that not only are you a privileged, rich girl, but you're also a prissy beauty queen. No one will envy your pretty face then."

Deal the final blow, Devil said lazily, she's already down.

"The inmates will hate you, but don't worry, the guards will love you…frequently. Lee can't help you and your daddy can't help you. If you don't do what I say, if you betray me…All you will do is drag them down with you." Kazuya stood up. "On the other hand if you do what I ask, if you serve me well, you'll have a long career with the Zaibatsu, maybe Lee will too."

Sayuri had a vacant look in her glassy eyes, her fingers were absently rubbing against her temple, but she said nothing. Kazuya took that as a surrender and made his way out of the office and into the elevator.

Devil's voice had a hint of anger. I don't mind if you keep the girl but you had better not be planning on keeping your brother after the tournament. Remember what he did to you two years ago, and that he is actively betraying you by stealing from you.

Of course I remember, he'll be gone by the end of the tournament no matter what happens.

You won't see me cry any figurative tears for him.

As for Sayuri, I doubt I'll be keeping her.

Kazuya entered the elevator and glanced at his watch before pushing the button for the legal department. Feeling satisfied with himself, he leaned on the wall as the doors slid close. In his eyes Lee deserved everything that was about to happen to him, losing any possibility of claiming the Zaibatsu for himself was only the beginning. Sayuri would suffer as well, for trying to protect Lee, for daring to say that Lee had been through as much as Kazuya had; she had doomed herself.

He had been wondering since his encounter with Sayuri, what had it been about her that attracted him? She was beautiful, that was certain, but there was more to it than that, he wasn't like Lee, wanting to sample every beautiful woman that he came across. Kazuya was many things but he was not one to take another man's woman. He knew that even though he had wanted her from the moment he saw her if she had belonged to anyone else he would have put her out of his mind, would never have touched her. It all came back to Lee. He knew that he was trying to make a life with Sayuri, he had sought out every bit of normalcy that he could find from the first moment he set foot on the Mishima Estate. It was obvious he was trying to do the same with Sayuri, he cared about her in his own way even if he strayed often; he was trying.

When the tournament was over Lee would be too. If he didn't know about Sayuri by then he would tell him himself, he wasn't above kicking him when he was down. He would send him back to his home country with no money, no woman, no hope, and a tarnished reputation. He deserved to live like the piece of Chinese, street-trash that he really was. Lee was no Mishima, he never would be and it was time to pay the pound of flesh for trying, it was time to pay for trying to usurp Kazuya's place as heir to the Mishima Zaibatsu.

It's moments such as these that make it all worth it, Devil said sounding impressed. You make me so proud.

"I told you not to get cute with me," Kazuya said harshly.

Devil laughed, then retreated to the back of his mind.


A/N: I split this chapter into two because it was going to be much longer than I'm comfortable with and because I want to get the next part just right. I promise that the longest day in Tekken history will end with the next chapter, in my mind it was all tied up neatly in one... but three chapters later we're still not there.

Thank you all so, so much for reading this and for taking the time to review.