.

A/N: Just a quick warning, as the story becomes a bit more focused on relationships, there will be some sexual content, beginning with this chapter, very tame IMO, nothing explicit. I feel it's necessary for character and plot development.


(Rein Them In)

Kazuya fell slowly straight down the pitch-black void. He closed his eyes for minutes, relaxing every muscle in his body and letting gravity pull on him until he felt his feet touch the ground. He couldn't see or sense anything, it was complete darkness, complete silence. He was giving Devil his two hours of freedom and he felt tired, his thoughts felt somewhat muddled and he didn't have the energy to train so he decided to sleep. He laid down flat on his back on the hard cold ground and closed his eyes. He tried to clear his mind but saw her in his mind's eye and found the task impossible. He remembered her shy, sweet smile, the subtle scent of vanilla in her hair and the softness of her skin. The thought of her flawless lips on his reminded him of how much he wanted her. He longed for her warmth, for the feel of her bare skin. He wanted to be alone with her, not in a restaurant or in a parking lot, truly alone with her...even if it was only one night.

Look at this.

"Unbelievable," Devil wouldn't let him rest even there. "What?" He opened his eyes and stood.

It was as if a window had opened before him, he was floating over Tokyo, above the Kiyosu Bridge over Sumida River, seeing the city through Devil's eyes. In his mind, the stunning view was nothing but deception. The lights reflecting off the river and giving it the appearance of stained glass concealed the fact that it was nothing more than dirty water, the windows of office and apartment buildings looking like tiny jewels adorning black velvet were nothing more than a cover for humanity's fear of the dark. All deception, nothing but blatant lies.

This is what I'm offering you, Devil spoke in a calm and measured tone. This is what could be yours. New York is equally impressive, as are Paris and London...but it has to start here, in Tokyo. It has to start at the end of the tournament; after you kill your father and rid yourself of your brother...Each end begets a new beginning.

"I already know that."

You know it, yet you seem to forget what you need to do in order for that to happen. You're growing soft, making friends with Bruce and Anna when you should be keeping them on a tight leash.

"They aren't dogs." It was not a statement that would usually bother him, yet this time it irritated him.

Yes, they are. They are not your equals, they are your subjects, just like every other employee and every other pathetic wretch that walks the streets of our city.

"They're loyal and have not failed me yet."

Bruce is attracting attention from international law enforcement and it is only a matter of time before Anna betrays you to protect Lee. It's time to rein them in, remind them who is in charge.

He had to admit it was a somewhat valid point. Anna's return would undoubtedly complicate his team's dynamics, knowing both her and Bruce, he was certain that a pissing contest was about to ensue.

If you let them or anyone else, get too close, if you let them disrespect you or if you let their actions endanger the Zaibatsu, you will lose all this and more.

Anyone else, he meant Jun, Kazuya knew that he meant Jun. But she wasn't a danger, she was…What? A desire?

I'm trying to talk sense into you and you don't even listen because you're thinking about that woman. If you are not careful she will be the end of you, the end of us.

Kazuya was beginning to tire of his lecture, all he wanted was some rest. "You're an ageless demon and yet, you are as dramatic and insecure as a teenage girl."

You call me a demon, but what is she? She is a woman, they thrive on deception. When you least expect it you will find a knife in your back.

Kazuya chuckled, "dramatic and paranoid." He covered his ears and fell to his knees as a deafening roar resounded inside what now seemed to be a confined space, it made his body shake and his very bones vibrate.

Do not make light of my warnings! You have until tomorrow night to end things with her or I will take matters into my own hands.

"No," Kazuya stood up and clenched his fists feeling a surge of anger, "you gave me until the end of the tournament!"

Your insolence has made me change my mind, now let me enjoy the rest of my night. Enjoy yours.

It was a feeling of defeat, a weight on his shoulders that made it difficult to stand. The view of Tokyo was gone and he was again surrounded by darkness. In the distance he saw a flicker of light, it began to grow until it resembled a TV screen, he walked toward it, more out of morbid curiosity than anything, he knew it was a memory, but which one? Once he was close enough to the screen, he recognized it immediately. It was the vantage point that had haunted his dreams and turned them into nightmares almost every night for twenty-three years. The sky was covered by dark and ominous clouds and the harsh wind forced the raindrops to fall at an angle... The view on the screen immediately triggered in this mind the smell of wet earth mixed with rotting leaves and fresh blood. Sometimes the dreams were just a flash, the feeling of pain in his chest or of rain on his skin and lighting in the sky, it would wake him up and he would glance at his clock, remember that he was a grown man in a comfortable bed, and he would fall back asleep. But there were nights when he relived the entire event from the moment Heihachi threw him down the ravine to the moment he climbed back to the top. Those nights were hell, he would wake up exhausted and then was not able to fall asleep again.

He sighed as he sat cross-legged in front of the screen and watched from the vantage point of a dying little boy. He watched until he saw the purple creature hovering above the fallen child.

A demon, his savior.


Lee walked into his apartment at half past ten exhausted and feeling the immediate need for a shower. It had been one of the most ridiculously busy days he had ever had, and working at the Zaibatsu under Kazuya's management...that was saying something. From finding that damned note first thing in the morning, to the confrontation with Kazuya, the meeting with the Interpol agent and having to repair the android, the momentum had not let up. And to top things off, Anna was working for Kazuya, Anna of all people. He shook his head as he locked the door and stepped out of his shoes, he knew that she was going to complicate things, not because he was interested in her at all, but because she loved getting under everyone's skin, it was her MO. It had been cute once, but now… The bedroom door opened and Sayuri stepped out wearing a black silk robe, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you all right?" He wanted to put his arms around her but was hesitant, the memory of their encounter at the Zaibatsu still fresh in his mind.

"Yes, I…" she touched her fingertips to her right temple and slightly shook her head, "for a moment I thought that maybe someone was trying to break into the apartment," she chuckled slightly, "I know how silly that sounds, I've just been a bit paranoid lately."

"I'm sorry I woke you, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't wake me," she suddenly gave him that beautiful sunny smile that he was used to, "the building manager brought up your luggage, I put it in the bedroom."

"Thank you, you didn't have to."

"It wasn't any trouble, are you coming to bed?"

"I'd like to shower first."

She nodded, "I'm sure you must be exhausted," she smiled again and walked back into the bedroom, he followed after her.

There was something slightly awkward about their conversation but he couldn't say exactly what it was. The bedroom was dark, but the light filtering through the curtains allowed him to navigate the room and to watch as Sayuri took off her robe and got into bed, he wished he didn't have to walk on eggshells around her but in the end knew that he was to blame. He quickly pulled the clean clothes that he needed out his dresser and left the room. After finishing his shower he put on a pair of pajama bottoms and brushed his teeth then went back into the bedroom hoping that Sayuri was asleep. It was simply to avoid confrontation, he knew that she would speak her mind, perhaps tell him that she was angry, ask him what the hell he was thinking telling her that he wanted a future together if he didn't even love her. He would hear what she had to say and let her say it any way she wanted without taking offense or feeling any resentment toward her, but before he could do that, he needed a full night's sleep and a good meal.

He pulled down the blankets and climbed into the bed, the mattress felt heavenly under his tired body, he felt himself sink into it and closed his eyes. For a moment he felt as if he were still flying in the airplane even though it had been eighteen hours earlier. Sayuri's fingertips slowly brushed his shoulder and he let a soft sigh escape his lips. He wished that he had gone straight to the guest bedroom, he could have given her an excuse in the morning about not wanting to wake her, even if they both knew it was bullshit, but maybe it would give him the time he needed to be able to tell her that he loved her, even if he didn't yet.

To his surprise she didn't speak, she moved closer and draped her leg over his and slowly ran her fingers over his chest and stomach. He felt her warm breath on his neck and her lips lightly caressing him. He rolled onto his side to face her, his hand traveling the silky fabric of her nightgown over her waist and the curve of her hip then finally stopping as he found the smooth bare skin of her upper thigh. Maybe there was hope and things would get better rather than worse. She pressed her body against his and kissed him deeply, her tongue pushing slightly against his, it had been months since had she kissed him that way, with such need and force, with such urgency. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him without breaking the kiss, it was almost as if there were something different about her, he had never seen her so aggressive, so confident. He couldn't say that it was a bad change. He slid his hands under the fabric of her nightgown over her smooth hips as she slowly pulled away from his lips and her hands began to tug on his waistband. He stretched out his arm reaching toward the lamp on the bedside table but felt her delicate hand around his wrist.

"Please don't," she bent down to kiss his neck.

"But it's been so long since I've had a proper look at you."

"Please," she continued to kiss his neck and face keeping the hold on his wrist, "I promise you can look at me all you want tomorrow."

He wasn't about to go against her wishes, he was damn lucky that she was even speaking to him, if she wanted the light off it was all well and good.

He ran his hands over her thighs and her hips then pulled up the slinky nightgown, she raised her arms and helped him pull it over her head. With the aid of the light filtering through the curtains, he watched her perfect silhouette and wished that she would let him turn on the light. She was so beautiful, that long hair and ivory skin, her smile, her body, everything. She moved steadily for a while, then laid her body on his and kissed him, she was less aggressive now, softer, he responded eagerly and pulled her closer against him then rolled until he was on top. She was everything he wanted at that moment, he didn't want to be with anyone else, not even Anna.

He stopped for a moment, cursing himself for thinking of her. God damn it, why now?

He felt Sayuri's breath against his skin. "Don't stop."

He kissed her and began to move again, making himself think of her and only her, he lost himself in her flowery scent, the sound of her breathing and her soft curves. She moved in perfect harmony with him, just the way he liked, her fingers through his hair, her legs wrapped tightly around him, her lips slowly moving over his neck and shoulders. He kissed her softly and caressed her face, wishing he could tell her that he loved her.


A soft kiss on his forehead accompanied by the subtle scent of Sayuri's perfume pulled him out of his slumber. He ran his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes before opening them slowly as they adjusted to the morning light. He saw her standing by the bed, wearing her robe but looking otherwise ready for the day with her hair and makeup done.

"Good morning," she smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Lee softly stroked her leg over the thin fabric. "Did you skip your run this morning?"

"No," she bent down and gave him a quick peck on the lips then ran her fingers through his hair, "I'm back already, you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake you."

"You wore me out last night."

She laughed lightly, "it's probably the terrible day you had yesterday, but I'm glad you're giving me some of the credit."

"You get all the credit, always."

Her expression grew serious and she sat up straight. "I need to tell you about something that happened while you were gone," she averted his eyes as she stood up, she fidgeted with the belt on her robe for a moment before untying it. She then slowly opened the robe and took it off leaving her wearing only her pink undergarments.

Lee sat up when he noticed the bruises on her hip, ribs and arm. "What happened?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at the carpet. "It happened at the metro station-"

He got out of bed to get a closer look. "Did you fall?"

"...I…"

His hand gravitated toward the most obvious bruise, the one on her right upper arm. "This isn't from a fall," he gently lifted her elbow, "this is a hand print, what the hell happened? This is why you wanted the lights off last night, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I didn't say that I fell," she walked quickly toward the closet and opened the door, "I was mugged," she spoke with her back turned to him as she pulled clothing off a hanger.

"What? Where?"

"Shinjuku." She quickly stepped into a black skirt.

"At the station? Where exactly? At what time? What were you doing there?"

"I wanted to get some shopping done on my way home from work."

"At rush hour?" She nodded. "How could it happen with all those people there? Didn't you call for help?"

"I couldn't call for help," she was fumbling with the buttons of her blouse and spoke in a bitter tone, "it wouldn't have mattered anyway, the ones who noticed looked the other way."

"Was it one man?" She nodded again. "Did he...hurt you in any way, other than the obvious?"

"No, he just took some cash and my watch."

He sighed and shook his head feeling angry and worried at the same time. "How many times have I told you that I can teach you self-defense?"

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "I don't know," her jaw was tight as she fixed her gaze on something behind Lee.

"You should have called me as soon as it happened."

"Why?" She pressed her fingertips to her temple. "So you could spend your evening pacing your hotel room? That's all you do when you're worried, pace and smoke, pace and smoke."

He shook his head, "fine, did you at least report it to the police?"

"Of course I did."

"What did they say?"

"That they'll look into it, what else are they going to say?"

"They'll look into it? That's all?"

"Will you stop with the damn questions?" She pushed herself off the wall and began looking for shoes in the closet.

"They have to do something more than look into it-"

She dropped the pair of shoes that she had picked before turning to face him. "I don't have a description, I don't have anything useful to tell them, there is nothing else they can do!" She was obviously agitated, her eyes were brimming with tears. "And I can't believe you're not even asking me how I'm coping with it instead of telling me what I should have done."

He walked up to her and put his arms around her, realizing that he was being too insensitive. "I'm sorry, it's just that the thought of anyone laying a hand on you…" He kissed the top of her head. "Maybe you can stop going out to run for a while…"

She shook her head slowly and looked up at him. "This is one of the safest neighborhoods in the city and it didn't even happen here."

"What if instead we-"

She gave him an irritated look. "Lee, I'm not going to stop doing anything, what are the odds of it ever happening again?"

"What were the odds of that happening in the first place?" His tone was harsher than he had intended, her brow furrowed and she looked away. He inhaled then exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry," he brushed his fingers over her face and she turned to look at him, "I'm angry at what happened and at myself for leaving you alone, I'm sorry." He kissed her softly and felt a sense of comfort when she rested her forehead on his shoulder. He slowly ran his thumbs over her bare arms when an odd thought struck him. "What are you wearing to the banquet?"

She looked up at him with a bemused expression. "The red dress with the sequins."

"...It's strapless."

She looked at him for a moment as if she didn't know what to make of his statement. "I thought you liked it."

"I do, it looks beautiful on you but...the banquet is in a couple of days and the bruises won't have faded by then."

She pushed away from the embrace and crossed her arms. "You can't possibly be that superficial," she slowly shook her head, "are you really concerned about how I'm going to look?"

"Of course not, I'm not concerned about how it will look physically, I'm thinking about how it might affect...me."

She chuckled slightly and shook her head again. "You mean how it will make you look," he shrugged, "how is that, exactly."

He sighed. "I think you know."

"Say it," she looked sternly at him, "I want you to hear how ridiculous it sounds."

"...It may look like I'm the one responsible, that I hurt you or at the very least that I failed to protect you, my image is important right now," she began to unbutton her blouse with a blank expression on her face, "if I win the tournament I will need to retain the desirable clients, I am going to need their full, unwavering support." She nodded slowly as the blouse slid off her shoulders and fell to the floor, she turned toward the closet and Lee continued his explanation. "I also have my investors in Hong Kong to think about, there will be plenty of cameras at the banquet, I don't want any of them to reconsider their decision if they have the wrong impression of the type of person I am." She harshly pulled a powder-blue, cashmere sweater from its hanger and quickly put it on. "There's also the matter of obtaining sponsors for the tournament-"

"Is this acceptable?" Sayuri opened her arms, the palms of her hands facing outward.

He ran his hands through his hair, he was beginning to feel irritated. "It's fine."

"I didn't think you were the type of person who would tell me what to wear, you sound like-" she stopped abruptly and sighed pursing her lips.

"Look," he took her hand, "we haven't been able to talk since I returned, I made very good progress with the android yesterday and have a little time to spare, so why don't we go out of the building for lunch?"

"I can't, I have to go to the Mishima Hotel to make sure the goddamned banquet will be up to your psychotic brother's standards. Why me you ask? Because you haven't been around to do your job, because I'm the one who had to do half of the things that you weren't there to do, in addition to all the things I normally need to do, with the added bonus of tournament shit." She picked her shoes up from the floor, "I'm going to be late coming home tonight, I was going to pick up my dress from the dry cleaner's after work but I guess I need to go shopping for a new one instead."

"Do you want money?" He realized how that sounded as soon as the words left his mouth, he didn't know why he had said it, it was stupid, he needed some food badly. Sayuri shook her head as she made her way toward the door. "I didn't phrase that correctly."

"I'm going to work."

"It's too early."

"It's Saturday, I shouldn't even have to go, I'll see you when you get there," she walked into the hallway without so much as turning to look at him.

He could see it from her perspective, he didn't like playing the part of controlling boyfriend, in fact, he never had. But image was everything, especially when he was on the cusp of obtaining the Zaibatsu, he couldn't risk losing clients or more importantly his investors; most of whom were family men. He would make it up to Sayuri, take her on a vacation after the tournament or build her a track on the Mishima Estate so that she could go running where he knew she would be safe. The thought of anyone harming her infuriated him, if he didn't have so much to prepare for at the moment he'd look into the incident himself, maybe he would after the tournament if the police had not found anything yet. He heard her close the door as she left the apartment. At least she took it better than Anna would have. He sighed and headed for the shower, cursing himself for thinking about her again.

And that was a different problem, Anna's return did him no good. He had only seen her for a few minutes, during which there had been nothing but small talk, and she was already worming her way into his thoughts during the most inappropriate moments. What truly bothered him was that he had wanted to hire her, had wanted her to be part of his team after winning the tournament, but now... She told him that she had come back so that she could settle a score with her sister, but coming back to work for Kazuya had nothing to do with entering the tournament. She was on his payroll, just another one of his thugs, that meant that she was on Kazuya's side not his, but that also meant that she could be harmed trying to protect Kazuya when whoever the assassin was made his move. If something did happen to her, could he live with knowing that he might have been able to keep her from harm? He decided that he could, she had left him and had sided with Kazuya, her welfare should be the last thing on his mind...


Anna discretely watched Lee and Sayuri as she pretended to leaf through a magazine. The gorgeous brunette was sitting on a comfortable chair in their office wearing a black silk blouse with red polka-dots and a pair of leather pants that frankly, made her ass look fantastic. She was trying to entertain herself while waiting for Kazuya so that the staff meeting could start. There was obvious tension between the young lovers, even if she had not known that they were a couple, she would have been able to figure out. Sayuri was on the same phone conversation that she had been for the past five minutes and Lee was pretending to work on his computer while stealing quick glances at his girlfriend. What did you do this time? She perked up at the sound of the opening door hoping it was the coffee that she had asked for but was disappointed when she saw Bruce walk in wearing jeans and a T-shirt and carrying a disposable coffee cup. She hated the way he dressed, it was completely inappropriate for an office setting. I can't believe Kazuya lets him get away with it.

She winked when he turned to look at her and flashed him a cheery smile. "Good morning."

He rolled his eyes at her without bothering to return the greeting and walked toward Sayuri's desk, who immediately finished her phone conversation and greeted him with a warm smile. Bruce ignored Lee as well and set the cup in front of Sayuri as he spoke to her in Japanese. Anna mentally rolled her eyes, fucking show off. Sayuri laughed lightly as Bruce pointed to the lid and bowed her head as she accepted the cup. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lee watch them discretely, he didn't look pleased as Bruce and Sayuri continued their conversation. It was funny as hell.

When she heard the door open again, she was annoyed to see Kazuya and Ganryu step through. No coffee. Now the meeting was going to start and no one would want to interrupt it, she was going to have to wait until after to have her coffee. Everyone except Sayuri followed Kazuya into his office. Anna quickly took a seat on the sofa, crossed her legs, settled comfortably and extended her arm over the back, she watched with a self-satisfied smile as Lee and Bruce gave her irritated looks.

"There's room for three," she smiled enticingly from one man to the other, Bruce scowled and Lee gave her a blank look. Ganryu didn't wait to be asked and sat next to her, she felt her body rise as the sumo's weight sank the rest of the sofa. "Good morning, you're looking handsome." She had never seen him in a suit before, it was made of high-quality fabric and was a nice navy color, she wondered if two suits for an average man could be made from that amount of material.

Ganryu's cheeks blushed pink as he smiled shyly. "Thank you, you smell pretty," his blush quickly became a deep shade of red. "I...I mean, you look pretty and your pants look nice."

"Thank you, I'm wearing this brand new outfit and no one's said anything," she smiled then turned her attention to Kazuya as he sat behind his desk. "Good morning, boss," he ignored her as he rummaged through a drawer.

I guess everyone woke up with a stick up their ass this morning. Their lack of basic courtesy and manners rubbed her the wrong way and she decided to make the three men who had been nothing but rude to her, squirm in their seats before the meeting was over. Bruce picked up one of the two chairs in front of Kazuya's desk and set it a good six feet away from the desk, Lee did the same but moved it in the opposite direction. When all were seated the four employees were formed in a semicircle facing Kazuya.

There was a knock on the door and Kazuya grumbled something in Japanese, Sayuri opened the door and entered pushing a food cart that held a coffee pot as well as several mugs. She faced Anna and bowed to her.

"Miss Williams."

"Thank you."

Sayuri nodded then headed for the exit, Anna stared after her wondering where she had bought her shoes, they were fabulous, black stilettos with small, silver beads adorning the pointed toe and the heel. Before she could ask her she had left the room. A devious smirk formed on her lips when she noticed Bruce's discrete gaze lingering on the closed door.

"Maybe it would be a good idea to have your sweet, little secretary stay here to take notes, I'm sure Bruce would enjoy that very much."

The look Bruce gave her would have made almost anyone regret their words and immediately beg for mercy but it was exactly the reaction Anna had hoped for. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

That's one down.

"Nothing at all." Anna stood up and walked to the food cart then began to serve herself a cup of coffee while Lee gave her a stony look, most would think nothing of it but she knew that he was pissed. She walked slowly back to her seat and sat gracefully down, she looked up at Kazuya when she felt his eyes on her and saw he was looking at her in a way that could only be described as something between irritated and homicidal. Though to be fair that was how he looked at most people. He turned his gaze to Bruce and began to speak in Japanese.

Anna delicately cleared her throat. "English, please," Bruce rolled his eyes, "how would you like it if I started speaking to all of you in Gaelic all of the sudden? We can try Italian too, but I'm a little rusty, the last time I spoke it was eighteen months ago when Lee and I rented that charming little villa in Tuscany. Of course, I didn't get to practice it enough or do much socializing with the locals," she giggled, "since we didn't really leave our room."

Bruce sighed, "you've got to be kidding me."

She smiled at Lee and she saw him clench his fist but the blank look remained, she admired his ability to maintain a poker face.

That's two.

Kazuya looked pointedly at her. "Don't expect me to make any more allowances for you."

"You never made them for me," Bruce interjected, "is it because I don't wear slutty leather pants?"

"Hey," if there was one thing Anna hated was a man being disrespectful toward any woman, "don't be such a dick, ever since you-"

"Enough!" Kazuya slammed his fist on the desk and she instantly felt her heart begin to race, she hated that Kazuya could make her feel anxious when no one else could. "You two are wasting my time, it stops now." He didn't wait for apologies or acknowledgment and started the meeting. "The tournament starts in two days is security prepared?"

"Security is ready as we speak," Bruce straightened in his chair, "every single man has been vetted, I got more men as back up here in the building just in case-"

"Have they been vetted as well?"

Bruce nodded. "Every single one, I also have extra eyes around the building just in case, not just men, but cameras that have been set up further down the street. And as for you, either Ganryu or I will be part of your entourage at all times until the end of the tournament, or after if need be."

"Or me," Anna sipped her coffee as she looked at Bruce. A mohawk, why?

Bruce scoffed, "or you, what?"

"You, Ganryu or Anna will accompany me at all times during the tournament," Kazuya stated firmly. Anna smiled and winked at Bruce who shook his head and turned toward the window. "Next," Kazuya turned to Lee, "tell me about the contracts, do any changes need to be made?"

"No," Lee straightened in his chair and looked at Kazuya with the same impassive expression that he'd had all morning, "the lawyers found a loophole since they said you're planning to enter a…" he shook his head slightly, "a kangaroo into the tournament?" He looked to Kazuya probably hoping for him to deny something so ridiculous but he remained silent. "Right..." Lee sighed, "the loophole allows non-human participants to enter but it doesn't specify that the opponents are required to be organic in nature and-"

"I'm covered then," Kazuya sounded even more impatient than usual.

"Yes," Lee looked slightly miffed at having been interrupted, Anna knew how much he liked to hear himself talk.

"What about your progress with the robot?"

"Android," there was an edge of impatience to Lee's voice, Kazuya raised an eyebrow and said nothing, Lee sighed again, "I need to make some very minor adjustments. It insisted on being physically remodeled and I had to reprogram its memory in order to convince it that a full remodel wasn't necessary, Dr. Bosconovitch had the idea to give it a hat and sunglasses and remove the synthetic skin from its face in order to give it the illusion-"

"Is it ready?" Kazuya asked through clenched teeth.

Thank you. Anna breathed a sigh of relief, as much as she hated to see Kazuya shut Lee down at every opportunity, she really wasn't in the mood to listen to him drone on and on about robots, especially on a gorgeous Saturday morning, it was like adding insult to injury.

"It will be ready before the end of the workday," Lee said dejectedly.

"Good," Kazuya leaned back in his chair, "you're dismissed," he spoke casually as he looked at Lee.

Lee narrowed his eyes in apparent confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You are dismissed," Kazuya said each word slowly, his tone was unmistakably condescending.

She didn't remember a single instance when Lee had been sent out of a meeting, sometimes meetings were held in the basement without his knowledge, but this was different. The tension in the room was nearly palpable. Anna felt her stomach turn into knots, what Kazuya had done was not necessary Lee could have given him that report in private or over the phone. Lee regained the stony look on his face and quickly stood up, Anna moved her gaze to the coffee pot on the food cart as he left the room.

"Bruce," Kazuya spoke as soon as the door was closed, "has Michelle Chang tried to make contact?"

Bruce shifted in his chair and spoke in a somber tone. "No, but Ganryu left her an invitation for the tournament when he took her mother, so I imagine that she will register soon."

Anna looked at Ganryu out of the corner of her eye, the sumo hung his head. She remembered Michelle from the previous tournament, young, angry and fierce. She remembered Ganryu's feeble attempts at flirting and how the girl had agreed to go on a date with him. It had all seemed strange, Anna couldn't believe that a beautiful, young girl like Michelle would want anything to do with a man who was nearly old enough to be her father and if she was being honest, not attractive. After the tournament, when she started working for Kazuya, Ganryu confided in Anna and told her that Heihachi Mishima had murdered Michelle's father. It was immediately clear to Anna, though unfortunately not to Ganryu, that having been employed by Heihachi, Michelle had used Ganryu to get information, that he'd been nothing more than a pawn in her failed revenge. Anna couldn't blame her, she would have done worse, if someone had wronged her the way that Heihachi Mishima had wronged Michelle Chang, there would have been a trail of bodies left behind her as she took her revenge.

The way Kazuya was behaving was worrisome. He had been ruthless from day one but he seemed different, more difficult to be around. Not only that, but he was alienating his allies and making enemies where there was no need, the way he had treated Lee did not bode well. Now he was kidnapping foreigners, as far as she knew, Michelle's mother had been the second in a matter of days. When the Russians noticed that Dr. Bosconovitch was missing...

Kazuya's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "As soon as she shows her face let her know that I will let her mother go as soon as she gives up the amulet."

"What if she doesn't?" Anna spoke before she was able to stop herself. Kazuya responded with a piercing gaze that nearly made her shrink back in her seat. She shrugged instead and took a sip of the lukewarm coffee she'd forgotten she was holding.

"Anna, I expect you to keep an eye on Dr. Bosconovitch indefinitely," Kazuya turned to Bruce, "remember to stay out of sight as much as possible."

That piqued Anna's interest. "Why?"

Bruce scowled at her. "None of your goddamned business."

"That's all," Kazuya began to flip through an appointment book, "get back to work."

Ganryu and Bruce stood from their seats, Bruce carried the chair to the front of the desk then left with the sumo without saying a word. Anna remained immobile on the sofa trying to stare a hole into Kazuya's skull. The so-called meeting had been nothing more than a power play, he treated them as if they were all unruly students who needed to be reminded of who was in charge. Lee and Bruce particularly, it was as if he were trying to show them that they could, or perhaps would be replaced. Maybe that was why Bruce opposed her presence so blatantly...well, she was trying to replace him. But Kazuya couldn't possibly be thinking about getting rid of Lee, that would be a stupid move…

Kazuya sighed impatiently and spoke without looking up at her. "What are you still doing here?"

Anna smiled and stood, "I need to speak to you privately," she set her half-empty cup on the food cart. And I promised myself that I'd make you squirm in your seat before the meeting was over.

He closed the appointment book and looked up at her. "What is it?"

Anna pulled Lee's chair to the front of the desk and settled in her seat then leaned back casually as she stretched her legs and propped her red stiletto-clad feet on the desk.

"Get your feet off my desk," Kazuya's voice was half whisper, half growl. Don't poke the bear, Anna's mother had told her countless times, which to be fair, was sound advice. But how else was she supposed to make it clear to the bear that she was not someone who could be bullied or intimidated? She giggled as she set her feet back on the floor. "What do you find so amusing?"

"That you're so worried about my feet when Lee and I christened this desk a long time ago." Kazuya straightened in his chair and gave her a look of pure hatred.

That's three.

Her victory was short-lived, she began to feel anxious as Kazuya's piercing gaze bore into her. A heavy feeling settled in her chest and she had no choice but to avert his eyes.

"Leave," he said through clenched teeth.

She sighed. "Obviously you're not in the mood for jokes but I still have a request I need to make."

His brow furrowed and his jaw grew tighter still. "You come in here expecting me to make allowances that I've never made for anyone else, you completely disrespect me and now you want a favor?"

Anna felt the need to leave the room but masked the feeling with a shrug and a smile, she was used to working under pressure. "Technically, I disrespected you two years ago, I would never do that now and I'm not going to ask for a favor, I'm going to propose something that may be good for your tournament."

"What?" He relaxed his body somewhat but eyed her cautiously.

"It has come to my attention that Nina finally registered for the tournament, so this morning I registered as well."

"And?"

"I know that it's all supposed to be 'random' but I was hoping...that you could arrange for Nina to somehow be my first opponent."

She watched Kazuya as he folded his arms over his chest and a smirk formed on his lips. "Maybe I should put you against Lee instead."

Anna felt her heart drum in her chest. "Don't do that," she said quietly before she could stop herself.

He chuckled lightly. "Does that mean that you would refuse to fight him? Will you drop out of the tournament if you have to face him?"

She cursed herself for having shown weakness. "I will do what I need to do when or if the time comes," she tried to speak as casually as possible, "but the only reason why I signed up for the tournament is to prove that I'm better than that bitch."

"Let's say I arrange for it, how is that good for the tournament?"

"Don't tell me you didn't look at the numbers from the last tournament, my fight with Nina was the one with the highest television ratings, well, other than yours with your father, though as we all know that one doesn't count since you both decided to make it a private affair." And pissed off the entire world in the process. "If you give us the first fight I guarantee that the audience for opening day will be double than the audience the first tournament had."

"I'll think about it."

"What's there to think about? You know you won't regret it-" she stopped when the phone began to ring and Kazuya picked up.

She realized that she should have refrained from disclosing that bit of information about her and Lee, perhaps she'd gone a bit too far, especially knowing that she needed to ask him for a favor. Lesson learned; mama was right about the bear.

"Come with me, now," Kazuya demanded as he hung up the phone.

"Where?" She stood up from her chair and followed him out of the office.

"The security monitoring room."

Lee was standing at his desk and followed them as they left the office. Kazuya's secretary was speaking on the phone again but Anna noticed the look of pure hate that she gave Kazuya as he passed by her desk. It wasn't at all unexpected, Kazuya was not easy to work for, she figured that he probably put her through all sorts of shit day in and day out. They walked out in silence and entered the elevator, Kazuya put in the code for the sub-basement into the panel after the doors closed. Tension was thick, each man took a corner of the elevator and looked straight ahead, neither speaking a word. It was making Anna feel uncomfortable, she stood between them and casually leaned against the wall. She looked Kazuya up and down, then at Lee and felt somewhat amused by their choice of clothing. Kazuya was dressed in a black suit with a dark, purple tie and Lee was wearing a light-gray suit with a lavender tie.

"I don't know if you two noticed this, or maybe you did it on purpose, but your suits match your hair and you both seem to share a love for purple." Neither man moved a muscle. "Don't worry, it's cute." The silence was deafening, it was making her anxious and she could almost swear that she could feel Kazuya's anger radiating from him, spreading throughout the small space. She had to keep talking to pretend that it didn't bother her. "No compliments for me? That's rude, I thought that these pants would get me a little more positive attention, Ganryu was the only one who gave me a compliment, he also said that I smell good, which is kinda creepy, but cute in a way." She sighed, "to be completely honest, I'm sort of upset that no one, not even Ganryu stood up for me when Bruce insulted me. I would have done it for you both."

"Stop babbling," Lee whispered.

She shrugged. "You know how I get when I'm bored."

The doors chimed open after the elevator stopped and Anna quickly made her way out, her heels clacking loudly with each step and echoing throughout the hallway. She didn't wait for them to follow and only stopped when she arrived at the security monitoring room. She stood aside to let Kazuya pass, the guards at the door bowed deeply, then one of them quickly opened the door. She walked in behind the two brothers and rolled her eyes upon seeing Bruce standing next to one of the many monitors. His brow was furrowed and his jaw tight, his muscular arms crossed. Every man in the room bowed as they noticed Kazuya, most quickly moved their gaze back to their monitoring station. The monitor that seemed to have Bruce concerned was showing the sidewalk outside the building.

Bruce gestured to Lee and spoke in an accusing tone. "I thought you took care of him."

Lee gave him a contemptuous look. "I did."

Bruce pointed to the screen. "Then why the fuck is he here?"

Anna moved closer to the monitor and studied the images. A long-haired man wearing light-colored pants was walking slowly, scanning his surroundings. She was sure that he was Asian, but she was finding his nationality difficult to pinpoint through the image of the monitor.

"What's happening?" She looked to Kazuya for an answer.

"That's Lei Wulong, an Interpol agent. He came snooping around yesterday, Lee was supposed to take care of him," he looked accusingly at his brother.

"I did," Lee repeated, "there's no law that says he can't walk on the sidewalk."

"How long has he been there?" Kazuya asked.

Bruce looked up at the clock on the wall above the monitors. "Ten minutes."

"Doing what?"

"Walking," Bruce said impatiently, "surveying the building."

Kazuya looked pointedly at him. "Is he here for you?"

Bruce raised his arms in frustration then rested his hands on his head. "Hell if I know."

They watched as the man moved closer to the building entrance and pulled out what seemed to be a map or a flyer from his back pocket.

"He's close enough," Kazuya turned to Anna, "go see what he wants and get rid of him. Maybe you can do your job properly," he gave Bruce a sidelong glance.

Bruce gave Anna an angry look, then left the room.

The man sitting in front of the monitor said something in Japanese and Kazuya turned to look. The agent was now speaking to a young, Japanese woman in jeans and a dark blouse, she wore a light-colored headband which made for a nice contrast with her dark hair. She watched as Kazuya furrowed his brow and pursed his lips, he moved his right hand to the back of his head and she noticed his fingers pressing against his scalp.

"Find out what he's saying to her," his voice was low and tight.

"Honestly, he's probably just flirting with a cute girl."

Kazuya turned to her and gave her a menacing look, the way his eyes bore into hers made her want to take a step back. "Find out and send her to my office," Kazuya said before storming out of the room.

Interesting.

"Have you seen that woman around here before?" Anna asked the guard as she leaned in closer to the monitor.

"She is Jun Kazama," the guard said in accented but clear English, "she was a wildlife officer but Mr. Irvin says she quit working for the agency a few days ago."

She turned to Lee. "Do you know her?"

He shook his head. "I've never heard of her."

Anna put her hand on the guard's shoulder causing him to blush. "Come with me, I'll need a translator, Lee, would you walk us to the lobby?" He shrugged and followed Anna and the guard out the door. She spotted two guards walking in the hallway and motioned to the with her index finger. "I need the two of you now." They followed behind her as she led everyone to the elevator. "What does the agent want?" She turned to Lee as they entered the elevator. The guard from the monitoring room pushed the correct floor on the panel and the elevator began its ascent. Lee walked with her to the back of the elevator and Anna stood next to him, with their arms nearly touching, he looked irritated but leaned in slightly, though not close enough to be able to whisper effectively. Anna sighed, "I'm not gonna bite."

Lee moved in closer and began speaking softly, his lips nearly grazing her hair. "He came asking about a recently deceased owner of an Irish aviation company," he wore the same cologne that he always had, she'd forgotten how much she liked it, "he was also making insinuations about some killings in Hong Kong two years back."

Fuck. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the disapproving look Lee was giving her, she knew what he was talking about, she remembered that mission very well, it had been where she proved herself to Kazuya. Exterminating three men with ties to the Chinese mafia, Lee had not wanted her to go, it had been the beginning of the end of their relationship.

"What did you tell him?"

"To schedule a meeting with legal, obviously."

"Anything else?"

"He asked about Bruce."

"What did he ask?"

"If he could see him, I told him to call his office." Lee stepped away from her and leaned casually against the wall until the elevator stopped.

When the doors opened the guards stepped aside to let Anna out, she saw Lee push the button on the panel after the guards stepped out. "You," she motioned to the translator, "with me, the two of you behind us."

The guards quickly did as they were told and followed through the lobby, she noticed the clients and staff exiting and entering the building turning to look at her and put a little extra pep in her step. The guards at the entrance quickly opened the door and she stepped outside onto the busy sidewalk. The agent had his back turned to her, he was speaking to the same young woman who looked somewhat uncomfortable. She was very pretty, although her outfit and the headband were not something that Anna would ever wear, it looked cute on her.

As she approached the woman, Jun Kazama, she reminded herself, locked her eyes with hers. It was strange, all she could compare the feeling to was the way Kazuya's eyes drilled and pierced into her very being when he was in a foul mood. Jun's eyes were different, non-threatening, inviting, but there was something about the way she looked at her as if she were trying to figure her out, that made Anna feel uncomfortable. The agent turned to Anna and her group, undoubtedly noticing the shift in Jun's gaze.

"Hi, Officer," Anna smiled as she stood in front of Lei.

"It's Agent," Lei returned the smile as he bowed his head.

"We can understand each other, fantastic." Anna turned her attention to Jun. "Is he bothering you?" She heard the translator ask the question and saw Jun shake her head indicating no, then asked something in return.

The guard translated Jun's question. "She wants to know who you are."

"Yes," Lei spoke up, "I would like to know as well."

"Anna Williams, head of security for the Mishima Zaibatsu." Lei furrowed his brow. "Miss Kazama, Mr. Mishima is waiting for you in his office." Jun looked intently at Anna then bowed her head to Lei before heading into the building.

"As I understood it," Lei crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, "you held the position more than a year ago then it went to someone else…"

"Well, aren't you informed," Anna pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "As I understood it, you were told that you needed to make an appointment with our legal department after the tournament. That means you have no business with the Zaibatsu, which means that you have no reason to be here, having a badge and a title does not give you the freedom to trespass."

"I'm not trespassing, Miss Williams, I'm well aware of the laws."

"What are you doing here then? Who are you hoping to spot?"

"No one, I'm here to enter the tournament, it's actually quite a nerve-wracking decision."

"I didn't peg you for a fighter, to be honest, you look like a hippie with a desk job, which if you think about it, that in and of itself is a contradiction, now you tell me you want to enter a fighting tournament...you are a tough one to figure out. Don't worry I don't care enough to try." Smart, by entering a tournament that was open to literally everyone Kazuya would not be able to keep him away, and killing a tournament participant who was also an agent investigating the Zaibatsu was absolutely out of the question. She hoped that Kazuya would not ask her to do that because that was also out of the question...self-preservation all that. "By all means," she gestured toward the building's entrance, "go in and register."

"I must apologize," Lei looked thoughtfully at her, "I should have said this earlier, but I didn't see a way to work it into the conversation… I'm very sorry for your loss." The look on his face was that of genuine sympathy.

His statement caught her completely off guard, it was rare and it made her feel strangely vulnerable, she crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "For...my father?" There was suddenly a twinge of something that tied her stomach in knots, it was brief but unmistakable. Nina. Had Nina done something stupid? Gotten herself killed somehow?

"No, not your father, your fiance."

"Oh," she was so relieved she almost wanted to laugh, but at the same time, she was angry and disappointed in herself for allowing Nina to make her feel anything other than pure hatred. "How do you now about that?" She hoped her anger didn't show.

"I…" He blushed and ran his hand through his long, black hair, it was kind of cute. "Once in a while, I like to indulge in American magazines."

"Yet another layer to you," Anna shrugged, "there's no need to be sorry, the man died doing what he loved."

Lei nodded solemnly. "Writing music, his songs spoke to many of us."

Anna laughed lightly. "I meant heroin...and I always thought his music was enjoyed by thirteen-year-old girls, not fully grown men." She smirked and cocked her head slightly as she watched him blush again. "You're a big old softie, aren't you?"

Lei shrugged. "I've been told it's an endearing quality." He pulled the same paper he had been looking at earlier out of his back pocket and raised it for Anna to see, it was a tournament flyer. "I'd better go sign up then, I shouldn't take up any more of your time." He put the flyer back in his pocket and rested his thumb and forefinger on his chin as he regarded her carefully. "I remember seeing you in the first tournament, you were very impressive, as was your sister. Will you be entering this tournament as well?"

"Yes."

"I wish you the best of luck."

She felt her cheeks heat up at his words, she knew it was a jab at her loss against Nina. "Wait, Officer."

"It's Agent."

"I need the two of you to accompany Officer Wulong to Asami's desk," she said as she looked Lei in the eye, the two guards behind her moved to flank the agent, "then walk him to the testing area, to the bathroom, wherever he needs to go." Lei nodded with an amused look on his face then bowed deeply to Anna before turning toward the building entrance with the two guards in tow. "Go tell them to make sure he doesn't talk to anyone about anything regarding Zaibatsu business or employees, even if it seems insignificant."

"Yes, Miss Williams." The remaining guard bowed before hurrying to catch up with Lei and the others.

Lei Wulong was smart, well informed and definitely had an agenda. It wasn't difficult to imagine him getting information from an unassuming employee. He was charming, not in the way that Lee was, this man was down to earth, relatable, and almost seemed too dorky to be astute. That made him very dangerous.

She sighed knowing that she had to interrupt Kazuya from whatever it was he was doing with Jun Kazama. It was not something she would normally do, but the fact that an Interpol agent was entering the tournament was something her boss needed to know.

As she walked toward the entrance she spotted Kazuya's secretary exiting the building. "Hi," Anna waved to her, Sayuri stopped and nodded stiffly, looking apprehensive as she pulled her purse closer to her body. That is a gorgeous bag. It was a black Chanel with gold accents, if there was anything Anna loved more than shoes it was purses. "I love your purse," she smiled at the woman as she stopped in front of her.

"...Thank you…" Sayuri said as she took a tiny step back.

"I thought you didn't speak English."

"Only some," she looked down at the floor, Anna couldn't tell if she was shy or if she just didn't want to talk to her.

"Are you going to lunch?"

"...No...um...to the Mishima Hotel, for work."

"Where did you buy your shoes?"

"I-I don't understand," Sayuri gave her a nervous smile then walked around her and quickly made her way down the sidewalk.

"Rude," Anna muttered, she looked at Sayuri who had already put a fair amount of distance between herself and the building one last time before turning toward the entrance. As she turned a man bumped into her, nearly stepping on her shoe. "What the hell? Watch where you're going!"

The wide-eyed, young man spoke quickly in a panicked tone. "Miss Williams, so sorry, Miss Williams!"

He was wearing a jacket over his Zaibatsu uniform, but she quickly recognized him as one of the many guards who patrolled the halls and the perimeter. "It's Toshi, right?" She liked to memorize their names, it made it seem that she cared and served to put the fear of God into them when she caught them making mistakes and called them by their name. "Out to lunch?"

"Yes, Miss Williams…" He looked anxiously at her, it was entertaining and pathetic at the same time.

"Go, no harm done."

"Thank you, Miss Williams, sorry," he blurted awkwardly before rushing off.

On her way to the elevator, she had second thoughts about interrupting her boss. Kazuya alone in his office with a pretty girl. The more she thought about it the less appealing the idea of interrupting him became. She would wait until he was free and monitor Agent Wulong from the security room herself. She would not interrupt him unless it was absolutely essential. God knows that man needs to get laid.


Kazuya stood in the middle of his office, he clenched and unclenched his hands then moved his neck side to side. The back of his head felt numb, the feeling was slowly spreading from his temples to his forehead, he needed to calm down, needed to tell Sayuri to send Jun away. He walked to his desk and picked up the telephone to call Sayuri before remembering that she was out of the building. He didn't know what to do, it was not a good time to see Jun or anyone for that matter.

I told you not to trust her, Devil hissed, I told you she would betray you.

"She didn't."

You saw it with your own eyes, she's conspiring with the man who is trying to have you arrested. I told you not to trust her.

Jun wouldn't betray him, would she? She had quit her job at the WWWC, what would she have to gain?

You're wondering what she has to gain? The demon's laugh reverberated inside his head, money, a promotion...a lover…all three...

"No, she wouldn't do that."

I see, you're going to let her disrespect you the same way that Bruce and Lee and Anna have done, what's one more?

He needed to send Jun away. He pinched the bridge of his nose and pushed the button that connected him to the reception desk in the lobby.

"Y-yes, sir?" The shaky voice of the receptionist sounded like nails scraping the inside of his skull.

He didn't feel himself slip out of his own reality, didn't feel as Devil took control of his body and calmly sat behind his desk, a predatory grin twisting his demonic features.


A/N: Thank you for reading! This chapter seemed long to me but I thought that if I broke it up the beginning and ending scenes with Kazuya would feel disjointed, and I know it was slow, but I'm trying to set up a few things. Let me know what you thought about it, please. Next chapter is all about Jun! What can that mean for KazxJun fans?