.
(One Request)
"Sunday, bloody Sunday." Anna stretched her arms above head and leaned back against the comfortable, black leather couch wishing that she could take a nap.
"It's a good song," Bruce spoke with his back to her as he stood in front of the wall-length window in Kazuya's office. She was sure that he was as curious as she was as to how the large crack had appeared in the middle of the window. Or maybe he knew, and if that was the case, did it mean that Kazuya trusted him more than he trusted her?
She crossed her legs and discreetly ran her fingertips over her thigh. "I didn't peg you for a U2 fan." The feel of the Colt Mustang holstered under her skirt gave her a sense of comfort.
Bruce turned to look at her. "Have you met someone who isn't?"
She shook her head. "I don't think I'd like to."
It was the first time since she had met Bruce that they'd had anything resembling a pleasant conversation. She didn't know if he was being genuine or if it was a ruse, all she knew was that she couldn't trust him because she was sure that what Bruce wanted the most was to keep his position as head of security, a position that she threatened with her mere presence.
"Ugh," Anna sighed, "does he pull this shit often?"
"What?"
"Make you work on Sunday." She knew it was to be expected once in a while but hoped it wasn't a new requirement.
"Security is a twenty-four-seven job. I'm here when I gotta be, it doesn't matter if it's Wednesday night or Sunday morning."
She mentally rolled her eyes but smiled instead. "All work and no play make Bruce…" She shook her head. "I don't know, it's too goddamn early, but you need to loosen up a little, have some fun."
Bruce gave her the first smile she had seen since she met him. "Who says I don't."
"Yes," she folded her hands neatly on her lap, cocked her head and smiled, "I hear you get around." Bruce shook his head slightly looking somewhat affronted and turned his attention back to the window. She wanted to keep the conversation going, get on his good side, maybe learn more about him, any bit of information could help her gain the upper hand. "I'm gonna give you two points for actually wearing a suit to work." She had to admit that the mohawk was not nearly as obnoxious when he was appropriately dressed for the office, and it also didn't hurt that he knew how to wear a suit.
Bruce chuckled lightly. "We're on a points system?" She shrugged. "Listen," he began as he looked her in the eye, "I need to apologize for what I said to you yesterday."
She straightened in her seat and pulled the hem of her leather skirt slightly down. "Oh, you mean when you called me slutty?"
"I've never said that to any woman before, I know it's no excuse, but I was sleep deprived, I've been stressed out lately, and you took my desk-"
"I thought it was Ganryu's," she defended.
"No, you didn't."
She laughed lightly. "Fine, you're right."
"The point is, I shouldn't have said that to you and it won't happen again, I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," she smiled sweetly at Bruce. Yeah, definitely a ruse. If he thought he was going to outsmart her, get rid of her, he had another thing coming. "And I'd appreciate having a desk prepared for me." Her own office was what she really wanted, and she was sure Kazuya would let her have it if she asked, but she was taking a leaf out of Lee's book and occupying enemy territory.
Bruce shrugged. "If you want a desk, take it up with maintenance."
It was annoying, most men would have offered to do it for her. "Why are we here anyway?" She asked looking at her watch. "Is this another one of his power plays?"
"I don't know."
Anna stood up and opened the office door, it was seven fifty-three in the morning and neither Kazuya nor his secretary were there. When she arrived she had been instructed by the security guards at the entrance to wait in Kazuya's office per his request and he didn't even have the decency to have someone waiting for them. She saw the door to the front office swing forward and Kazuya entered wearing a dark-gray suit, he had a fantastic tailor. She smiled to herself as she imagined Kazuya looking through swatches of fabric and checking himself out in the trifold mirror. You like to pretend that you're above everyone else, but you're as vain as the rest of us.
"Good morning, Boss," she stepped out of the way to let him through.
"Is Bruce in there?"
Just once, would it kill him to say good morning? "Yes, he's here." Kazuya walked past Anna and without even glancing at Bruce, stood in front of the desk, indicating that whatever business he had with them would not take long. Bruce walked around the desk and stood in front of the couch next to Anna. "Your secretary isn't here yet." She didn't know why she complained, it was petty.
Kazuya picked up his appointment book from his desk and started leafing through it then spoke without looking at Anna. "She's at the hotel finishing the preparations for tonight. If you need to schedule something she'll be back by eleven." He closed the book then looked up at Bruce. "Is everything set for tonight?"
"The hotel is secure, only approved personnel is allowed to work on anything having to do with the banquet and security will be government-building level tight tonight." Bruce sighed. "I still think that you should be in the skybox during the fights."
"Why?" Kazuya crossed his arms and looked intently at Bruce. "You don't think you can secure the stadium properly?"
"It's not that," Anna spoke for Bruce, he gave her a sidelong glance but let her speak, "it's what's expected. Your sponsors will want the honor of your company."
"No," Kazuya said resolutely. "Heihachi sat like a goddamn emperor in his glass box and he lost."
Anna scoffed. "I don't think that's why he lost. It's all about image, it's about-"
"I'm a fighter," Kazuya said looking at his watch, "that's my image, I don't want to be seen with all those fat cats more than I have to."
You might be a fighter, but you're still a fat cat. "You're the boss," she said instead. Bruce looked at her and shook his head.
Kazuya gestured to Bruce with his head. "Get the entourage ready, we need to be at the stadium by nine."
Bruce nodded. "On it, Boss." Then immediately left the room.
Anna placed a hand on her hip. "Why didn't I know that you're going to the stadium this morning?"
"Don't you read your calendar?"
She crossed her arms. "Why am I here?"
"Because I need to talk to you."
She gasped and clasped her hands in front of her chest. "You're giving me the fight with Nina."
"Not yet."
"What do you mean not yet?"
"You've only been back for a few days and you have disrespected me."
She waved her hand dismissively. "I thought you were over that, I told you it was two years ago."
"When are you scheduled to make your rounds today?"
"After I'm done here."
"Good. I want you to keep an eye on Lee as well, he's putting the finishing touches on the robot."
She gave him a tight-lipped smile as her heart began to race. "I don't know what good I'd do, I don't know anything about androids, except that they aren't robots." She knew that Kazuya knew that as well but he always had to undermine Lee in some way, even subconsciously. She knew that it shouldn't bother her but it did.
"You don't have to know anything about his work, just watch his behavior, what he says. And find out where he was and what he was doing the two weeks he was gone."
"Why?"
He looked intently at her. "You're the one who came in here offering me your services, you don't get to pick and chose what those are and you certainly don't get to ask questions."
"I didn't say that I wouldn't," Anna looked into his eyes, unflinching, "but I feel like you're testing my loyalty and I don't appreciate that."
"I test everyone's loyalty, always." He walked to the back of his desk and sat in his chair, but not before glancing at the crack in the window. "I'll be back by noon, you can give me your reports then." He sighed and shook his head. "Then I have to do a goddamn TV interview, and then more photo-op bullshit at the banquet tonight."
He could let Lee do that, it was what he liked to do, and Kazuya hated doing it. If the two men managed to set aside their differences and work together she was convinced that they could take over the world and there wouldn't even be a struggle. But who was she to judge when she was in a deadly feud with her own sister?
"I'll see you at noon then." She exited the room without waiting for acknowledgment. She didn't like being the new kid in school, that was not how it was supposed to be. Kazuya clearly preferred Bruce, until she proved herself yet again, but what would that take? Her best bet was to get rid of Bruce...maybe turn his men against him, but how?
She took the elevator to the sub-basement and decided to set that issue aside for the moment. When she stepped out of the elevator she smiled and nodded at the guards who bowed to her as she walked through the doors of the genetics lab. Men and women in white coats gave her quick glances as she passed. The lab area was very large and was divided into several different laboratories, each dedicated to a different area of genetic research. Anna didn't like spending time in there, the experiments taking place in each room ranged from mind-numbingly boring to downright creepy. She had gotten the shock of her life the day she saw two animals having what seemed to be a conversation with each other. A kangaroo that Dr. Bosconovitch had referred to as Roger and a human-sized lizard, dinosaur or whatever it was, named Alex.
Anna had known that Kazuya was experimenting with animals, which she chose not to look too closely into, she did enjoy wearing her fair share of leathers and furs, but a line had to be drawn somewhere. Kazuya wanted Roger and Alex to participate in the tournament, but they were so docile, she didn't know if they would be willing to fight or if they were even capable. And who among the fighters would have the heart to punch a kangaroo in the face? The doctor assured her that they were very capable, but she didn't want to see a demonstration. The confirmation by the assissting scientists and their reports was more than enough to convince her.
She was glad that on this morning Bosconovitch was working on something different. The lights were dim in the area where the sleep pods were kept, Anna walked slowly inside and an ominous feeling that she couldn't explain quickly enveloped her. She hated the way her footsteps echoed inside the metal-covered walls, it made her feel like she was disturbing something. It reminded her of being a little girl inside a church, she could almost feel her father's admonishing gaze.
Anna spotted the doctor at the far end of the room, she slowly walked up to the first pod, goosebumbs rose on her sking when she ran her fingertips over the glass surface. "What do these fancy coffins do?"
"I didn't expect you here so early," Dr. Bosconovitch was bent over one of the cold sleep pods, he spoke in his thick, Russian accent without turning to look at her.
"If you knew when to expect me I wouldn't be doing my job."
The doctor straightened his posture and turned to look at her. "I thought you were just another miscreant, but I heard that you were Mr. Mishima's right hand not more than a year ago."
Anna chose to ignore his question. "Miscreant?" She laughed. "I remember a priest saying that word during a sermon once, it's not one you hear often." Rumors and gossip around prisoners were dangerous, she made a mental note to remind the lab personnel to watch what they said.
"I suppose that answers my question." Bosconovitch shook his head. "Is this a common thing Mr. Mishima does? He hires beautiful young women to do his dirty work?"
"He hires the person who can do the job regardless of gender." She hated all the fatherly comments she received from older men. Sometimes they were clients, others they were targets, but they always gave her a disappointed look and told her some variation of how a woman who was so young and so beautiful should do something better with her life.
"Good health is wasted on you." She was taken aback by Bosconovitch's statement and bitter tone, but especially by the look of pure disgust on his wrinkled face. Her surprise must have been obvious because his blue eyes quickly softened and he looked at her with what she swore was pity. "Your parents must have failed you."
Anna felt the heat rise in her face but smiled through her anger. "Just my father, but we have a much better relationship now that he's dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He continued to hold her gaze, his bushy, white brows slightly contracted. "Out of pure curiosity, what would he think if he could see you now?"
She shrugged and smiled sweetly. "He'd finally be proud of me."
Bosconovitch nodded. "...That is a tragedy." He took one of many cables hanging from the back of the glass and metal sleep-chamber and connected to a monitor that was built into the wall behind it. "To answer your question," he continued to connect cables to the monitor, Anna had already forgotten which question she had asked, "these aren't coffins...quite the opposite. These cryo pods may hold the secret to near eternal life, to curing diseases that up until this moment seem incurable." He turned the monitor on then pushed a series of buttons on the side of the pod, it began to emit a low humming sound.
"So you put a person in there, then what happens?"
"He or she will be frozen in time, in a state of cryogenic stasis."
"How does being frozen cure anything? And won't that kill them?"
"Not at all," he began passionately, "they aren't frozen in the same way that a piece of meat is put into an icebox. They will be given a drug to sleep, then they are put in the pod and it is filled with cryogenic fluids, liquid gasses if you will, such as-"
"Hm," Anna delicately pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "that doesn't sound interesting at all, but I'm required to ask you what progress you've made." She didn't appreciate his attitude and had interrupted him out of pure spite. She actually thought it quite interesting, she had read the reports from the other scientist and was fascinated by the notion of going to sleep and waking up years in the future without having aged a day.
The doctor huffed in what was undoubtedly annoyance and narrowed his eyes. "Are my aides not delivering their reports?"
Anna shrugged. "They are, but I'm required to hear it from you."
"Both of the pods have been assembled and are functional, all I need is volunteers to test them."
She laughed lightly. "Good luck with that."
"May I make a request of Mr. Mishima?"
"Tell me what it is and I'll see what I can do."
"When the inevitable happens and you find yourself with a projectile lodged in your cranium, I would like his permission to harvest your organs and put them to better use."
She lightly ran her hand over her thigh and felt the crease of her gun holster under her skirt. "Have a terrible day, Doctor." She turned and began to walk.
"I do, Miss Williams, every day," he said harshly, but she didn't turn to look at him.
She swiftly made her way into the main lab area and stood, arms crossed tightly under her chest, out her peripheral vision she saw the men and women in lab coats stop what they were doing and turn to look at her.
"Someone has been talking to Doctor Bosconovitch about things that have nothing to do with his work in these labs." The only sound was the humming and beeping of various monitors and electronic equipment. "Talk about research only. Nothing related to who does what in this building, or who is in charge of what. Got it? If it happens again, I will personally come in here and start breaking wrists. Ask anyone who's worked here more than a year, I have done it and I will do it again if you push me." She didn't turn to look at them, didn't care if they spoke English or not, she had been met with nothing but disrespect and it was going to stop.
She didn't acknowledge any of the guards as she made her way out of the lab and walked down the hallway toward the engineering department to check on Lee. She knew that it was a waste of time and that she would have nothing to report. If Lee was doing anything against Kazuya she was certain that he would not be doing it at the Zaibatsu in a place where there were cameras monitoring him and anyone could walk in on him at any time.
The metal doors hissed open and she walked in. She hated the lighting in there, it was even harsher than the genetics labs and it made her skin look pasty. Everything from the lamp-lit workstations and pieces of machinery that she couldn't even begin to name, to the beige tile floor with its scuffed and faded spots, to the smell of metal and oil, was just as she remembered it. The entire space was neat and orderly, shelf upon shelf of meticulously labeled tools and components lined the walls. Out of habit, she glanced at the corner-mounted security cameras scanning the lab.
Anna nearly took a step backward when she noticed Prototype Jack in front of Lee. She had seen it fight in the first tournament, but that had been from the stands, up close it was downright terrifying. The android had to be nearly eight feet tall, it looked like a pillar that should be holding up a structure rather than fighting in a tournament. Lee was standing next to a large metal table with his back to the door, he looked at her over his shoulder then turned his attention back to the clipboard in his hand.
"I see Kazuya finally took pity on you and gave you a toy to play with," Anna said acidly as she cautiously eyed the metallic monstrosity.
Lee scoffed. "Yes, there's nothing I would rather be doing right now, nowhere I would rather be. And your snarky comments aren't cute, by the way."
"Your sarcasm isn't either. But I'm glad you found someone who puts up with it."
Lee turned his gaze to the android and spoke in a commanding tone. "Rushing uppercut followed by Cossack kicks and finish with a spin punch." Anna watched as the android turned its back on Lee, bent its knees and advanced forward as it executed two uppercuts that she was certain would be devastating if they struck a human opponent.
The metal monster's raw power made her apprehensive, she felt the urge to keep talking. "I hope she's not still mad at you, I really do like that girl for you, not only does she have killer style but she also looks like someone who puts up with your mommy issues and takes care of you, someone who drives you to the airport even when it's out of her way and makes you soup when you're sick."
Lee wrote something on his clipboard as he watched the android's performance. "Yes, all the things you wouldn't do," he said bitterly.
"Oh," Anna clapped her hands and clasped them over her chest. "She's into threesomes?"
He shook his head and turned to face her. "The airport, I'm talking about the airport."
"We've been broken up for over a year and you still won't let that go? I didn't want to drive you because it was going to make me late for work. You know what a hardass Kazuya is."
"All you had to do was get up earlier."
"I didn't want to."
Lee crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. "Who pissed you off?" The android stood still, it seemed to be waiting for additional commands.
Anna shrugged. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because this is what happens every time someone makes you mad, you take it out on me," he chuckled, "you'd think I'd be free from that but..." He exhaled and shook his head. "I missed you at first, I won't deny it, but each time that happened I reminded myself of moments like these."
Anna sighed feeling a slight pang of guilt. She had hurt him and now she was harassing the one person who wasn't actively antagonizing her. "I'm sorry, it's just, this tournament thing has me on edge..."
"So it's Nina?"
Anna chuckled and shrugged. "You know it's always Nina. I've trained my ass off for the past year, she doesn't know what's waiting for her." Being defeated by her own sister with the world as a witness had been humiliating, what hurt the most was that it had been exactly what everyone had expected.
"I know you'll win."
There was sincerity in his eyes and she suddenly missed being able to talk to him about anything and sharing devastating stories about her childhood that only a person raised by someone like Heihachi Mishima could understand and even top. She felt her heart begin to race as she saw him looking at her and she decided to quickly put a stop to it.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, I'm sure I will win," she pointed at Prototype Jack, "unless I have to face that thing first."
"Don't worry," Lee said looking down at his clipboard, "it's got its weaknesses if you know where to strike, and I can almost guarantee that it will randomly be set up against the Russian android anyway."
"You really think Kazuya will do that?"
"Of course, it's the reason he wanted the thing working in the first place."
It suddenly occurred to her that Lee could be her only ally in the Zaibatsu, maybe with his help, she would be able to get her job back. "What do you know about Bruce?"
Lee chuckled as he looked down at his clipboard. "I'm not going to conspire against Bruce with you."
Anna gave him a look of pure innocence. "Who said anything about conspiring? I just asked what you know about him."
He sighed wearily. "I know what you want. You're looking for a way to depose him."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you want to take his job."
"It's my job."
Lee pointed his pencil at her. "You left it, you have a habit of leaving things and just-" he shook his head.
"And just what?"
He leaned against the metal table. "You can't do it, the men respect him too much, they like him."
Anna crossed her arms tightly. "But they're afraid of me."
"It's not the same. Bruce gains their trust, he knows how to talk to people."
"I know how to talk to people."
"You know how to get under their skin."
"Fine, maybe you're right, that's why I need your help."
"I'm not helping you."
"Why not? Is it out of spite because I broke up with you?"
He scoffed. "No, it's not about you, it's about me. What's in it for me? What do I get out of it other than gaining an enemy I don't want?"
Selfish bastard. "What do you want?"
"You know what I want, I'm sure you can guess the reason why I entered the tournament. And you can't give me what I want because just by coming back to work here you've proven who you're loyal to."
She crossed her arms and cocked her head slightly so her face would not be visible to the security camera and spoke softly. "...Are you planning something?"
"Yes, Anna, I'm programming this piece of junk," he threw his pencil at the android, it ricochetted off its chin and landed at Lee's feet, "to win the tournament. Afterward, it will sign the Zaibatsu over to me."
Her eyes bore into his. "Don't say that…" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Lee laughed lightly and set the clipboard on the table. "You're spying on me for him aren't you?"
She shook her head slightly. "No, I'm not, I'd just hate for Kazuya to think that you're planning something, be careful what you say."
The phone began to ring, Lee looked intently at her for a moment then walked to the wall to pick it up.
She was in a difficult position, she was loyal to Kazuya, there was no question about that, but at the same time, she hated spying on Lee. She hated knowing that Kazuya would use any information she gave him to humiliate Lee, or worse perhaps.
"It's for you," Lee said holding the receiver toward her.
She cautiously walked around Prototype Jack, the sunglasses concealed its eyes but she felt a chill when she thought she saw its face follow her movements. She kept a wary gaze on it as she took the phone from Lee. "This is Anna."
"Hi, Anna," Ganryu's voice sounded jovial over the receiver, "the boss wants you to go to the arena with him, he's on his way to his car now."
"Why? Bruce was going with him."
"Yeah, but we got a call from the arena, that Interpol agent is snooping around."
"On my way." Anna smiled as she set the receiver on the cradle. "Things are looking up after all," she giggled, "Bruce is grounded and I get to go on a field trip."
"Congratulations," Lee said flatly. "In all seriousness, if you want your job back you'll have to go along to get along, earn his trust, wait for an opportunity, then get rid of him." He spoke casually, as if they had not been having a tense conversation moments before, but Anna knew that he had not forgotten, not even close.
"Go along to get along? Do you know me? I don't have time for that."
Lee shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"Have fun with your toy, darling." She called as she made her way to the exit. She smiled to herself, Bruce was out of the picture and she had the entire morning to remind her boss of what a valuable asset she was, maybe working on a Sunday would not be a waste after all.
Kazuya sat in the back of the limo impatiently waiting for Anna. The situation with Bruce was ruining his good mood. The Interpol agent was a problem, he was not only trying to stick his nose into Zaibatsu business, he was also using Bruce's criminal past to get his foot in the door. Once Interpol had him they would undoubtedly try to tie his activities to the Zaibatsu, he knew that Bruce would not talk but… He turned when he heard the sound of the door opening and looked at his watch while Anna entered the vehicle and took the seat opposite his.
"I'm ready for the exciting arena tour," she said cheerfully as she crossed her legs and smoothed down her skirt.
"This isn't a game," he felt the limo begin to move forward and looked at his watch. Three minutes behind schedule.
"I take my job very seriously, but it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it."
He didn't want to lose Bruce, but if it happened, his head of security would have to take one for the team. Kazuya was sure that Bruce knew he would make it up to him by breaking him out of prison and paying him an ungodly amount of money. Losing him was a possibility even if it was only temporary, so he reasoned that it was best to secure Anna.
"I've decided that letting you and Nina have the first fight will increase the tournament's viewership." He spoke nonchalantly and looked out the window scanning the buildings and storefronts as they drove by.
Anna gave a childish squeal, he turned to look at her, brow furrowed, and saw that she had her hands clasped in front of her chest. "That is fantastic!" She gave him the most genuine smile he had ever received from her and he was immediately irritated by it. "I thought I was going to have a shitty day, but this is amazing news."
"Remember that you're representing me and the Zaibatsu now," he said sternly as he pointed his finger at her, "so you had better win the fight."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad."
"Are you taking this seriously?"
Her smile suddenly faded and she folded her hands on her lap then looked soberly at him. "Your father suffered defeat and humiliation at the last tournament, do you think he is taking this seriously?" She cocked her head slightly and he saw something dark behind her eyes, he had never personally seen her on a mission but he'd heard it from others. Even Ganryu had warned him not to cross her.
"It's not the same."
She furrowed her brow. "Why not?" She sighed. "...You don't think that he spends his days training, replaying your fight in his head over and over again, day in and day out? You don't think that he trains and he trains and he trains and curses your name, curses the day you were born? You don't think that at night the nightmare of losing to his kin wakes him from his sleep and he has to train until his body is too exhausted to fight, but most importantly to exhausted to dream?" She turned her gaze to the window.
Kazuya realized that he was clenching his fists, he looked down at his hands and saw that his knuckles were white. "You're prepared to kill her then?" He asked as he attempted to ignore Devil stirring feebly.
She suddenly smiled and she was the same bubbly, beautiful woman that everyone saw. "I've been trying to do it for years. By the way, I'm also hinting that I can kill your old man for you if you want, my offer still stands."
Kazuya crossed his arms. "Are you saying that you don't think I can win?"
"Not at all, I know you can. I mean, look at that body," she smiled as she eyed him appreciatively, it made him feel strange and slightly uncomfortable, "the first thing I noticed when I saw you was that you've been working out a lot." She giggled then leaned back in her seat. "I know you can beat the old bastard, I'm just offering a courtesy since you've been kind enough to indulge me." She opened her purse and pulled out a pen and a copy of Vogue then began leafing through it. "Gucci has the most amazing collection this fall, I'm going to buy myself a few gifts after my victory."
They were silent for the rest of the drive with Kazuya looking out the window and Anna looking through her magazine and occasionally circling and item. When the limo pulled into the VIP parking area of the stadium Anna put her things back in her bag and Kazuya looked at his watch while he waited for the door to be opened. Five minutes ahead of schedule. At least the driver wasn't completely incompetent.
The door opened and Anna moved toward the exit. "Ladies first," she winked at Kazuya before letting a man in a dark suit help her out of the limo.
When Kazuya stepped out he was immediately surrounded by four men wearing dark suits. Anna looked completely out of place, small, curvy, flashy, wearing leather and silk, and looking somewhat oblivious, though he knew that she was anything but, the men knew it too. When he first hired her most of the security staff had been opposed to having a nineteen-year-old foreign woman giving them orders, but it only took a few broken bones for them to begin respecting her and following her every order.
"Where's our Interpol friend?" Anna asked no one in particular as she rummaged through her purse.
One of the men looked around nervously then bowed to Kazuya and began speaking in Japanese. "The Interpol agent is still-"
"I'm over here, darling." Anna closed her purse and looked piercingly at the bodyguard. "I'm not only here to protect Mr. Mishima and to make sure that you do your job correctly..." She put her finger to her chin. "Fuchida, is it?" The man nodded. "I'm also here to see that he isn't bothered by anyone, including you." She smiled sweetly. "Okay?"
Fuchida bowed nervously to Kazuya then to Anna. "My apologies, Miss Williams." She nodded and smiled in response but her eyes bore into Fuchida. "The Interpol agent has been here for nearly an hour, he says he's touring the facility, as he is a tournament participant."
Anna turned to Kazuya. "Let's go in," she suggested, then turned to Fuchida, "I don't want Mr. Mishima out in the open for too long."
They walked the very short distance from the limo to the entrance a mere twenty-four hours before the beginning of the second King of Iron Fist Tournament. Stadium staff and security personnel could be seen walking with purpose, stopping only to give Kazuya a short and respectful bow when they encountered him. He and Anna were led to the security monitoring office, it was equipped with nearly as many security monitors as the Zaibatsu itself, though at the moment most of the monitoring stations were empty.
"Where is the agent?" Anna asked as she set her purse on one of the chairs and turned to look at Fuchida.
He repeated the question in Japanese and one of the men occupying a station pointed to his screen. "He's in the locker rooms."
Kazuya watched as Lei Wulong walked slowly inside the men's locker room, he looked relaxed and seemed to be taking his time inspecting the area. "Have any of the other participants made an appearance?" Most of the men in the room seemed startled to hear Kazuya's voice.
"Oh...um…" Fuchida reached for a clipboard hanging on the wall and showed it to Kazuya. "Baek Doo Son came yesterday morning," he pointed to each name as he spoke, "also Armor King and King, as well as Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law. We've only seen two so far today, Michelle Chang and Mr. Wulong."
Anna gave him a discreet look. "May I see that list?" She extended her hand and Fuchida gave her the clipboard.
Kazuya crossed his arms as he considered the possibilities. Michelle could go to Wulong for help...it would be the word of a teenager against one of the most powerful men in the world and would not normally be a problem but Wulong was already there to investigate him. "Did she and Wulong speak to each other?"
"No, Sir," Fuchida shook his head, "Miss Chang left shortly after he arrived, they didn't cross paths."
Anna handed the clipboard back to Fuchida. "I'll go get rid of that idiot," she beckoned to two guards with her finger, "come with me."
"I'm going to look around," Kazuya told Anna before she left, "make sure he's nowhere near me."
"Done," she said before stepping out of the room.
Shortly after Anna left the event coordinators, a man and a woman who both looked close to forty years old, arrived to give Kazuya and his security detail a tour of the finished stadium. They were both obviously nervous, the man talked too much and the woman not enough. They seemed particularly proud of the skybox that they were sure he was going to occupy during the tournament. When Kazuya said he would be sitting on the sideline they both looked crestfallen but said nothing. He became impatient halfway through the tour and dismissed the pair who were obviously relieved. He walked down the long, wide hallway toward the exit that led to the arena and had his bodyguards wait for him at the door.
He set foot onto the fighting ground, walked onto the middle of the stone square and went down on one knee putting his right fist in the center of the three-pronged shuriken imposed over a shield and surrounded by two in-turned feathers; his family's insignia. His. It was his future, it was what Heihachi had tried and failed to deny him, what Lee had tried to steal from him and claim as his own. He pushed his fist against the stone putting pressure on his knuckle bones and when they began to hurt he pushed down harder until the pain began to spread to his hand, to his wrist, and up to his elbow. He felt Devil stirring as he raised his gaze to the stands, the empty seats that in less than twentyfour hours would be filled with a mindless horde demanding blood. He would give it to them. He would give the people what they wanted and then he would take his revenge; then everything would be his and no one would dare dispute it.
Ours…
He closed his eyes tightly and focused, lifted his hand and set it on his knee. He concentrated on his breathing and soon felt a presence behind him, he drew from the energy and pushed Devil away, he heard a quiet, angry growl before he felt him retreat. He exhaled slowly then stood up and turned around.
"Don't let me interrupt you," Anna smiled lightly, "I'll go wait with Fuchida and his band of idiots if need some time."
"I'm done."
"May I join you?" He shrugged. Anna stepped onto the fighting ground and went to stand beside Kazuya, then tapped the heel of her boot on the stone. "I'm gonna enjoy slamming her pretty face into the ground."
"What did you find out about the agent?"
Anna scoffed. "He claims to have come just for the tour, and by all accounts he did. There was no suspicious behavior, no odd questions…" She crossed her arms as she looked toward the empty stands. "He very casually mentioned Bruce, he didn't say his name but…" She turned her head slightly, as if to see him out of her peripheral vision. "If Bruce is a problem...you know I can take care of it."
He narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the skybox, it was ridiculous, he would never sit in there. He let Anna's offer sink in and felt a pinprick of something, guilt, anger maybe, he wasn't sure. "Don't even think about it," he spoke without looking at her.
"I would never make a move without explicit orders from you," she said indifferently, "so if, like a piano falls on him or something don't think it was me."
Kazuya shook his head and looked at his watch. "I'm on a schedule, let's go." They stepped off the stone square and began walking toward the door leading to the hallway.
"I told the driver to get the car ready," Anna pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her purse and set them on her head. "So, as I was reading the names of the participants I couldn't help but notice that a Jun Kazama is competing as well."
"Congratulations," he said flatly, "you can read."
"Is it the same Jun Kazama that you saw in your office yesterday?" He didn't say anything hoping that she would drop the subject, Anna nudged him with her elbow. "Are you banging her?"
He stopped in his tracks. "What the hell kind of a question is that?"
Anna bit her lip in a failed attempt to hide her smile. "I don't blame you, she's adorable."
He looked into her crystal-blue eyes, she blinked and suppressed her smile. "Not another word from you. I don't want to hear you so much as breathe while we're in the car." His tone was firm and low but it was enough, Anna was quiet as they walked down the hallway and toward the exit with the rest of the bodyguards.
Now Jun was on his mind. He thought about her gentle voice, her soft hands and her pretty face; he wished she would stay out of the tournament. He didn't want her fighting against Anna, who was an accomplished killer, or Heihachi who would make every fight quick, brutal and devastating. But Jun was stubborn and he was sure that it didn't matter what he said or what he did, she would not drop out of the tournament. Also, he was not about to tell her that he wanted her to drop out because that would imply too many things that he didn't want to think about. He didn't want her seeing what wasn't there. One of the bodyguards opened the door leading to the parking lot and Kazuya and the rest of his entourage stepped through.
"I know that I crossed the line by prying into your personal life," Anna said once they were outside, he just wanted to get in the limo and go back to the Zaibatsu, he could see the driver waiting next to it. He was considering sending Anna to the escalade with the other men and trading for one of the other bodyguards, she was getting on his last nerve. "So I'm sorry about that, your sex life is none of my business. So let's forget about it and let me tell you about a teensy request I have."
"Are you serious?"
"It's just a tiny one," she said quickly, "I want a song."
He stopped to look at her and his companions did the same. "A song?" He asked in disbelief.
"Tomorrow, as I make my grand entrance."
Kazuya shook his head, Bruce was right, he did make too many allowances for her, it had to stop, he needed to-
It was the sharp pain in his ears that violently shook him out of his thoughts. Immediately his throat and nostrils began to sting, there was the acrid smell of something that was familiar but he couldn't place. He tried to open his eyes but the debris under his eyelids scratched and stung and forced him to shut them tightly. He was on the ground and someone was lying next to him, he was almost positive, though he had been sure that he was standing. Every attempted movement made him feel like his body had been slammed into a concrete wall, his bones and his jaws vibrated and he thought they might shatter. He realized that he could hear nothing but an insistent ringing in his ears, a ringing that began to fade as Devil's low growl become louder and clearer, as the demon prepared to fight for control.
A/N: I swear the tournament will be starting soon, only one or two more chapters so I'd better start working on those fight scenes! I had more views than ever so thank you all so much for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter (or any) so don't be shy.
