.

(Silence)

It was dead quiet in Kazuya's head. Any other night he would have welcomed the silence, but tonight it was the silence that made it impossible to sleep. He was keeping his thoughts at bay, straining to hear any sign of Devil's return. The demon was often absent, leaving him in blissful silence, but this was different. When Jun had taught him to repress Devil, to trap him in a corner, it had been different too. It had made Kazuya feel in control. This time, he didn't feel in control. He felt like he was in the middle of a countdown that he couldn't stop, a countdown to what? He didn't know. But it was bound to end in disaster.

I have threatened you, I have threatened your friends, I have threatened Jun Kazama, and yet, you can't seem to stay away from her. You won't follow a simple plan, you would rather guard her feelings. If threats don't work…

Devil's silent warning had left him with a sense of foreboding that he couldn't shake. Adding to his worry was the situation at the Zaibatsu. Nina Williams was responsible for the bombing at the stadium. The woman even managed to break into his building, into his very office, with the intent of killing him. And what did Nina's actions say about Anna? She had been the one who caught Nina, and she had nearly died at the stadium, just as he had. But even so, could Anna still be trusted? What if she had been the one who let Nina into the building? But if he couldn't trust Anna, then who could he trust? There were still Bruce and Ganryu, and he did like to keep his circle small...

It was ridiculous. Anna had as much control over Nina's actions as Kazuya had over Heihachi's. The Williams sisters were more than a broken family; they hated each other. Anna would never help Nina, and most importantly, she would never betray him.

But if Devil was there, he'd be saying, 'I told you so.' He'd be hissing insults at Anna and calling her a traitor, urging him to get rid of her. So why wasn't he doing it?

He pushed his blankets aside and sat up, then picked up the phone from his bedside table. He started to dial Jun's number but stopped midway, his finger hovering over the button. He had memorized her number. Why? With everything weighing on his mind, how had he managed to remember her number? He glanced at the clock and saw that it was after one in the morning and almost hung up because only a desperate teenager would be calling a woman in the middle of the night. He cursed under his breath as he finished dialing. Only a coward teenager would hang up because he was too chicken shit to call a woman in the middle of the night.

"Hello?"

Her voice was a jolt of excitement, his heart started to beat faster, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"Who is this?"

"I thought you were psychic."

She laughed softly. "That's not how it works."

"Then tell me how it works."

"Aside from what I've already told you, I can feel people's emotions. I have dreams sometimes about things that have happened or will happen." She was silent for a moment. "I was actually awake because a bad dream woke me."

"What was it?"

"...It was about you."

He scoffed. Of course, a bad dream.

"I didn't mean that you caused anything. It was happening to you. You were falling."

That dream didn't make her psychic. Kazuya had already told her what Heihachi had done to him.

"It could have been a premonition," Jun said. "But sometimes my dreams are just dreams."

"It doesn't matter. I don't believe in psychics anyway."

She sighed. "And here we go again, after everything-"

"He's gone." Kazuya had not expected to say it, but there it was. He was supposed to push her away, but she was the only person he could trust with his situation.

"Who's gone?"

"Devil."

"Did you do it?"

"No, he just..." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't feel him. Even when he's gone, I can feel him. It's like a dull pulsing in the back of my head. But now there is nothing."

"You just noticed he was gone?"

"No, it was earlier today. He was angry, and then he-" Devil's stark warning began to replay in his mind. "It's probably best if we don't see each other."

"What does seeing each other have to do with anything?"

"He was angry with you, and if he wants to hurt you-"

"If he wants to hurt me, he'll find me whether we are seeing each other or not. So no, I will not stop seeing you just to make a demon happy. Now, stop trying to break up with me."

Kazuya chuckled. "Break up with you?"

There was a long silence. "... It's the middle of the night. My cognitive abilities are not at one hundred percent when I haven't slept. So... let's talk tomorrow, when I'm more coherent. Good night."

"Good night."

Why is that woman so goddamned stubborn? He had a smile on his face when he hung up the phone, but it quickly disappeared when he heard nothing but silence in his head.


Lee sat in the unassuming, little cafe at the back table, his cup of coffee untouched. He was waiting for his second meeting of the morning. The first had been with Michelle Chang. He had thought she would refuse to see him, but Michelle had agreed to it right away. Though she seemed almost eager to speak with him, at first, she had not been very forthcoming about what exactly Heihachi and Kazuya wanted with her family. When she finally told him, he could hardly believe it. A pendant. A trinket. Valuable, perhaps, but the Mishimas did not need money, certainly did not need to resort to murder and kidnapping to obtain, what? An artifact? It didn't make any sense, but Michelle had it, and they wanted it. And now, Lee had the opportunity to right a wrong; and sow some chaos inside the Zaibatsu.

He had to play dirty if he wanted to win. If he wanted to restore honor to the Mishima Zaibatsu like Jinpachi and Wang Jinrei wanted, like Lee himself wanted, he had no other choice. It was not a time for remorse or waiting until others took action. It was after all what Heihachi had always wanted.

He checked his watch. It was one minute to eight. He looked up when he heard the front door open. A man wearing a black hooded jacket walked in. Lee let out a frustrated sigh when he recognized Yamada. He walked up to Lee and took the seat in front of him.

Lee crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"

Yamada leaned back in his chair. "I'm here to interview for the job."

"You were supposed to find someone for me."

"Turns out I want the job."

Lee regarded him for a moment, then leaned in. "When I first came to you with an offer, you told me you didn't want things traced back to you, that you didn't want to be implicated in harming your boss. Now you're inputting code into the computer system for me, giving me information-"

"I know. I'm a one-man operation."

"How do you expect me to trust you when you betrayed your old boss and are openly betraying your current one?"

"I like your money. And with Miss Williams and Mr. Irvin competing for the top spot, things are turning into a shit show at the office. It's only a matter of time before there's an all-out war between those two, and I don't want to end up a casualty. And I really can't stand her. So I'm all in."

"What did you do to gain Kazuya's trust?"

"Got rid of the ones who were loyal to his father."

"How much do you want?"

"Double what you gave me already."

Lee nodded. "And you're sure you can do it?"

"I know the old man's habits better than most."

He ran his hand through his hair. "It has to happen before the end of the tournament."

"It will."

"I'll contact you tonight with the code for tomorrow."

Yamada nodded and stood up, then walked toward the exit.

Lee picked up his coffee, then set it back down. It was cold. It didn't matter; he didn't feel like he could stomach anything. He wondered how Kazuya and Heihachi did it, how they ordered men's lives to be ended, and then went home and ate dinner like it was nothing. Heihachi had killed his own father, almost killed his own son. In all honesty, Lee would be doing the world a favor, so why did it feel wrong?


The morning did nothing to ease Kazuya's uneasiness. He sat at the dining table, the morning edition of the paper lay flat next to his cup. He didn't notice when the housekeeper set his breakfast on the table. His full attention was on the newspaper's headline. Second Day of the King of Iron Fist Tournament II Ends with Embarrassing Incident.

"God damned robot," Kazuya pushed the paper away, sending it sliding off the edge of the table.

He picked up his tea and paused before drinking, waiting for Devil's snide remark. It was a habit, perhaps more of a reflex.

"Should have scrapped the damned thing for parts when I had a chance." Was probably what Devil would have said.

He cursed under his breath. It was going to be a long day.

After breakfast, he was driven to the stadium. When he arrived, he barred everyone from the sky box. He wanted nothing more than to get through the day without having to see anyone.

Moments after his arrival, Ganryu informed him that Jun wanted to see him. Kazuya wasn't opposed to making one exception. And that was the root of the problem. The entire problem.

A few minutes later, Jun walked into the room. She smiled when she saw him. Her eyes lingered on him a second too long for his liking. She had not looked at him in a romantic or even concerned manner. Probing, perhaps? Was she trying to sense Devil?

Jun sighed softly, her eyes sweeping around the room. "This is very..."

"Yes. It is."

She shrugged and walked up to the glass wall. "I can honestly say, I never thought I'd be in a place like this." She moved closer to the glass. "I have to admit, the view is amazing, though."

Kazuya's muscles tightened, and his heart rate picked up as the image of Devil pushing her against the window flickered in his mind. He damn near took a step forward.

"Would you rather sit down?"

Jun turned and gave him that same probing look for a moment. "Did you sense something?"

"No." That had only been a memory. He was almost certain. If Devil was back, he would know.

Jun took a tentative step forward. "Do you want him to come back?"

There was no way that he could say what she wanted to hear. "What I want doesn't matter. He's going to come back, and if you're still here-"

"No more warnings, please. I already know what I'm in for."

He walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon. He wanted to down the whole bottle, wanted to feel the buzzing in his head that usually accompanied Devil's displeasure, irritation, or even his wrath. Anything was better than not knowing.

He glanced at the clock on the wall; the fight was about to start. He walked up to the seats in front of the glass and sat down. Jun took the seat next to him.

Kazuya fixed his gaze on the two fighters in the center of the arena. Yoshimitsu, dressed in silver armor and a sandogasa hat, a katana at his side. Heihachi in the same black gi that he always preferred, with the same damn tiger embroidered on the back.

"He has a sword?" Jun turned to look at Kazuya. "How is he allowed to have a sword in a martial arts tournament?"

"There are no rules about weapons. If there were, the androids wouldn't be allowed to enter." He stared at her for a moment. "I thought you read the contract."

"I read most of it." She crossed her arms and turned her attention to the arena.

"Most of it?"

"I'm not a lawyer."

"Do you have a habit of signing documents without reading them? Or was this your first time?"

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm."

How had it happened? How had the conversation gone downhill so suddenly?

Kazuya focused his attention on the fighters. Yoshimitsu went on the offensive, swift and fearless. He handled his katana with a finesse that was honestly a wonder to behold. Kazuya tore his eyes from him and looked at Heihachi. He was evasive, calculating; Kazuya knew that look. He was looking for an opening. And when he found it, he was merciless. His punches were devastating. Yoshimitsu landed on his back but was on his feet in the blink of an eye. Kazuya watched his father dodge and hit like a man twenty years younger. He watched him intently until he felt that he himself was in the arena. Until he imagined his own fists striking his opponent. Rage pumped through his veins. It made up the fiber of his very being. Kazuya restrained himself in his chair, but he wanted to jump through the glass, desired nothing more than to end Heihachi then and there.

Jun took his hand as Heihachi knocked his opponent down with a powerful kick to the chest. Yoshimitsu did not get up.

As much as Kazuya wanted Heihachi dead, a weight lifted off his chest when he was announced as the winner. They would face each other in the end. But how he would have loved to see Yoshimitsu run him through with that sword.

He expected to hear Devil cackling, but he was alone in his head. Those dark thoughts were his own. Devil or not, his hatred for his father remained unchanged.

"Kazuya."

Heihachi had left the arena already. Yoshimitsu was trying to stand up, refusing the paramedic's help.

Kazuya spoke without looking at Jun. "You still have time to drop out of the tournament."

Jun pulled her hand away and exhaled sharply. "I asked you not to give me any more warnings."

"If you have to fight against him-"

"I know the risks."

"You didn't even read the contract."

Jun stood up. "I should go."

"Why?"

She pointed to the TV mounted on the wall. "I don't want to be here for the next fight."

Kazuya looked at the screen. It showed the fights scheduled for the day. Roger and Alex were next. "Fine."

"I'll call you later." Without saying another word, Jun walked out of the room.

Kazuya stood up, walked back to the bar, and poured himself another bourbon. Jun had no reason to be upset. All he was trying to do was keep her out of harm's way. Why am I doing that?

He brought the drink to his lips but set it down when he heard a knock on the door.

"What?"

The door opened, and Anna walked inside.

"Is this a bad time?"

"Just say what you have to say."

Anna looked around the room. "It's about Nina."

Kazuya crossed his arms. "What about her?"

"I was thinking that when we're done with her, we-I mean, Dr. Bosconovitch could use her for his cryosleep experiment and-"

"So you want him to do your dirty work? Are you saying this job is too much for you?"

"No, of course not. I-"

"What's the problem, then?"

"The problem is that no one, not even Bruce, has noticed the glaring issue. A conflict of interest."

"What are you talking about?"

"If Bruce had a family member, a friend, a lover, or an enemy in our custody, I would be the one making sure the situation wasn't a problem."

"Is the situation a problem for you?

She scoffed and took a small step back. "I am pointing out a very concerning issue, a weak spot in your ranks, and you turn it around on me?"

"What gives you the impression that you can speak to me that way?" He moved toward her. "And do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do? You're trying to trick me into sparing Nina."

She inhaled and looked down at the floor. "You're right. I should have worded it better." She looked up at him, a serious expression on her face. "I don't care what you do with Nina. If I did, I would have let her escape. But you need to recognize that I'm bringing a serious problem to your attention. Your top employees are either too dumb or too preoccupied to spot a conflict of interest. And that is a direct threat to the Zaibatsu and to you."

Kazuya walked back to the bar and picked up his glass. "If I ordered you to kill Nina, would you do it without hesitation?"

She straightened her posture. "Yes."

He looked into her eyes, probing for weakness, waiting for Devil's raspy voice to twine itself with his own thoughts. Waiting for him to express his disapproval at what Anna had said, but all he heard was silence. Anna was trying to gain something; that was obvious. But did she want to save Nina or to replace Bruce?

"If the Doctor needs a subject, he can have your sister." He had expected some emotion from Anna, but her face was stone. "But when it's time to stop the experiment and believe me, the time will come, you will have to pull the plug yourself."

Anna nodded somberly. "I understand."

"Was that all?"

"Yes, thank you."

Kazuya watched her as she left the room and closed the door behind her. If Bruce wasn't there to protect his own job and if he didn't see Anna as a threat, maybe she did deserve to get what she wanted, and it would benefit them both. Devil would say that he was just making allowances for her, and maybe he was right. But there was something about Anna, something that reminded Kazuya of himself. She was the unwanted sibling too, she was-

Kazuya froze. Where are these thoughts coming from? Why was he comparing himself to Anna? Why was he putting her on par with himself? He wasn't like Anna. He wasn't like anyone else. A strange feeling gripped him; it made his heart drum in his chest. Why wasn't Devil there to berate him? He almost felt like he was losing his edge without him. But that was nonsense because Kazuya's thoughts had always been his own.

An inkling of anticipation rose up in his chest when he felt a headache coming on. He stood motionless for a few moments assessing the discomfort. It was only a headache, not a sign of Devil's return.

A fine time the demon picked to throw his tantrum.

Kazuya was on the cusp of merging the Mishima Zaibatsu with G Corporation. He was about to rid himself of Heihachi for good. If Devil didn't want to return, so be it. He didn't need the damn demon anymore.

A bit of anxiety wormed itself into his thoughts. What if G Corp decided to back out? They had seemed a bit skittish after the incident with Nina. They then decided to reschedule the merger after the tournament, after the eyes of the world were distracted by something else. He picked up his glass and drank as he waited for the fight to begin. Alex versus Roger.

No, G Corporation is not going to back out.

The Mishima Zaibatsu had all the manpower, equipment, and funding they needed without the code of ethics to hinder their progress.

His head began to pulse, and he wished that he could be at home, or at least in his office at the Zaibatsu. He hated being in the sky box. It made him feel like he was on display even though he knew no one could see him. He wished that Jun was still there, but he was glad that she was gone.

He downed the rest of his drink just as the fight between the two engineered creatures was about to begin. He put the empty glass on the bar and made for the exit. He stepped out the door and into the hallway; Anna stood from her chair and began to follow him along with Ganryu and his entire security detail.

Anna caught up to him and began to walk next to him in synchronized steps. "Where are you going?"

Kazuya said nothing and kept moving.

"It's for security reasons, boss," Ganryu said, walking swiftly beside them. "We need to know."

Kazuya mumbled under his breath. "Monitoring room."

"Monitoring room," Anna said in a loud, sharp tone. "Let's go."

Three of the men and Ganryu split from the group and walked in front of him. The other three and Anna walked in step with Kazuya until they arrived at the monitoring room. When one of the men opened the door for him, the unmistakable sound of uproarious laughter filled the corridor. The reveling immediately ceased when he and Anna stepped inside. All the men turned their heads and focused on their monitors.

Kazuya stood in the middle of the room and crossed his arms. "What the hell is so damn amusing?"

Everyone was silent until one of the men plucked up enough courage to stand up. "Apologies, Mr. Mishima." He sputtered as he bowed. "It will not happen again."

"I asked-" Anna nudged him on the elbow and signaled to the TV screen on the wall in the corner of the room.

The fight between Roger and Alex had begun. No punches or kicks were being exchanged. Instead, the two creatures were chasing each other around the stone square in the middle of the stadium.

Kazuya's face was burning, his head pounding. He didn't know what was worse, the anger or the feeling of humiliation. He stood there for a few seconds, watching in disbelief as the two dumb animals seemed to be playing.

"End the fight."

Anna whispered. "Now?"

"Now!"

Anna exited, nearly running out the door.

Kazuya stayed rooted to the spot staring at the screen. He was ready to kill Bosconovitch along with everyone in the genetics department. He should have merged with G Corp a long time ago. If he had, Roger and Alex would have been tearing each other to pieces, or better yet, a human opponent.

How the fuck did they end up fighting against each other?

A moment later, Roger seemed to trip over his own feet and was out for the count. The announcer quickly declared Alex the winner as a group of Zaibatsu employees wearing body armor loaded Roger onto a gurney and wheeled him off the arena. Alex stood there looking confused until more men in body armor holding electric shock prods ushered the kangaroo off.

The media was going to have a field day. Again.

He stepped out of the monitoring room and into the hallway. He felt hot, his pulse racing. Ganryu stood at attention along with the security detail. A few moments later, Anna came walking down the hallway. She stood next to Kazuya.

"Even though we only used a tranquilizer gun to knock him out, it looked pretty bad. We can tell the media that-"

"I want to watch the next fight in a private room." The last thing he wanted to do was think about the dumb animals.

Anna looked taken aback. "We don't have a room prepared."

Kazuya pointed to a door a few feet down. "Does that have a TV and a chair?"

Ganryu hurried toward the door.

Anna folded her arms and spoke in a calm, quiet tone. "The sky box has everything you need."

"What I want is that room."

Ganryu walked out of the room. "It's good to go, boss."

Anna's lips tightened. "Is it?" She strode to the door and walked into the room. A minute later, she came back out. "Well, it's small-"

"I don't care." Kazuya walked toward the room. "Bring me a drink." He said to no one in particular. Ganryu and Anna followed him into the room.

It was a small conference room. Just a rectangular table with six uncomfortable chairs, a phone mounted next to the door, and a TV set on a mobile cart on the far end of the room.

Anna sat on one of the chairs. "At least we don't have to worry about any windows, I guess."

Ganryu stood blocking the view of the TV as he used the remote. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He said when he found a channel showing the fight. He set the remote on the table before turning to leave.

"We're going home right after this fight is over," Kazuya said as the sumo walked by.

"Whenever you want, boss."

Anna began to tap her fingernails on the table when the door closed. "This room is a shit hole. The sky box is where people expect to see you-"

"Did I ask you to be here?"

Anna sighed and shifted in her seat. Kazuya almost told her to leave. But he remembered when he and Anna had been alone in the middle of the arena, before the explosion. He had drawn from her energy to suppress Devil. Could he do it again? What if Devil could be provoked into reemerging? He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

There was a light knock on the door.

"Come in," Anna called from her chair.

One of the bodyguards stepped inside, holding a silver tray with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He set the items on the table and bowed before stepping out.

Anna stood up, opened the bottle, served him a drink. "You have great taste," she said before sitting back down.

Kazuya picked up his glass and sipped his drink as he watched Anna. He sat at the head of the table, and she sat on the chair to his right. She had her head turned and watched the TV in front of them. She didn't say anything else as the commercials played, and they waited for the fight to start.

Why is she so damn quiet? Usually, he couldn't shut her up, and now she was just sitting there saying nothing. Devil would say that she was plotting against him, that he shouldn't be placing his trust in her or giving her so much power. Or maybe those were his own thoughts. Maybe Kazuya was the one who didn't trust Anna, not Devil.

She turned and looked at him. "What is it?"

"Why are you so quiet?"

She shrugged. "I have nothing to say."

"Hmph. That's a first."

She glanced at the glass in his hand before turning her attention back to the TV.

A mote of anxiety took hold inside him. He set the glass down and stared into the amber liquid. He looked at Anna again. She would never. He expected the voice to contradict him, but his thoughts were the only sound in his head.

He tapped his finger on the side of his glass. "Aren't you going to have a drink?"

"No. I'm working." She turned her attention back to the TV.

She would never. Kazuya repeated in his head. He pushed the glass to the side and focused on the screen. The fight was about to start. Bruce stood facing the annoying Chinese agent.

"He'd better win."

Bruce had requested to be matched up against Wulong. He said it was to send a message to the agent and Interpol. Kazuya had agreed and now expected a victory. If he didn't win, it would be a strike against him and a point in Anna's favor.

When the fight began, Kazuya didn't have any doubt that Bruce would win. He started strong with heavy, measured hits that should have been devastating. If he had been able to land them. But the damn cop was fast and slippery. He dodged every blow that Bruce threw and didn't even seem to break a sweat. When Bruce finally got a hold of him, he rammed his knees into Wulong's ribcage, and he went down. It looked like the fight was over. But then Wulong shot up just before the countdown was finished, and it was all downhill from there. Within moments, Bruce went down amid a flurry of strikes and kicks.

Anna sighed softly and slouched in her chair. "That's...unfortunate."

Kazuya's hand clenched into a fist on the table. "I should give him a real beating. He was representing the Zaibatsu. He was representing me."

Anna sat up straight. "He put up a good fight. We all know how this is going to end, so why does it matter if he loses now or if he loses fighting you?"

"Are you defending him?"

"Yeah."

Kazuya was seething. He glared at her until she looked away.

She spoke in a whisper. "Sorry."

"Get Ganryu in here."

Anna stood up and did as she was told.

Ganryu stepped in and closed the door. "Can I do something for you, boss?" He asked in Japanese.

Kazuya answered in English. "You have the night off. Go tell Bruce to clean himself up. He's coming with me tonight."

Ganryu looked crestfallen but nodded anyway. "Sure thing." He said before leaving.

Anna took a step forward. "Why Bruce? I thought-"

"I'm sure you can find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

She looked like she was about to say something but instead looked down at the table. "Do you need anything before I head out?"

"No."

Kazuya watched her walk out of the room, a feeling of twisted satisfaction pulling his lips into a smile. He had power over Anna, Bruce, Ganryu, and everyone. As long as he had wealth and the ability to strike fear into their minds and hearts, he could stay in power without Devil's help. He didn't need the demon anymore, had not needed him in years, so if he was gone, so be it. Maybe Hell had finally claimed him.


Lee spotted his destination a short distance away. According to Yamada, an opportunity had presented itself. Kazuya had chosen Bruce to keep guard and had given Ganryu the night off. And now, the sumo was in his favorite place to unwind; a tiny bar. The narrow alley he walked was lively and bright, illuminated by lanterns and the glow from windows of shops and restaurants. Lee lit a cigarette and smoked as he walked among businessmen and students looking for release after a hard day's work. He saw Michelle Chang leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a stern expression on her young face. She eyed him warily as he snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray by the door.

"Is he in there?" Lee asked.

Michelle nodded.

"Let's go."

They walked together into the tiny space past the other two patrons. Ganryu sat on the stool furthest from the door, his back to them. Lee tapped him on the shoulder, and Ganryu turned. His eyes narrowed, his posture immediately became rigid. But the next second, his mouth went slack and his eyes wide as he focused on Michelle.

Lee spoke in English for Michelle's benefit as well as to keep the conversation private. "Good evening."

Ganryu's cheeks turned bright pink as he looked down at his drink. "I- I'm-I-" He cocked his head slightly so that he was looking only at Lee. "I'm meeting someone, so you need-"

"I know you're not meeting anyone."

"What? No-how-how-"

Lee leaned in. "I'll get straight to the point. We're here to appeal to your good nature." He looked at Michelle and gave her a slight nod.

Michelle spoke with an edge of steel in her voice. "You took my mother."

Ganryu's face turned almost impossibly red, his large hands closed into fists on the bar, but he said nothing.

Michelle sighed, and her voice softened. "I'm here to ask you to let her go. She's never done anything to anyone, and she's been through so much. She's been left a widow to care for three children. My little brothers have lost their father and now their mother. My grandmother can't take care of them by herself... If you let her go, I will bear you no ill will, so will you please?"

Ganryu spoke, looking at Lee. "I can't do that."

Lee shook his head. "You can't, or you won't?"

"I can't. I could never betray the boss like that."

"You know he'd turn on you in a second. I'm his brother, and look at what he did to me."

"But I'm not like you. I do everything he tells me to do."

"None of that matters. If you fail once, or if he wakes up in a bad mood, he will turn on you. It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when. If you get out now and free Miss Chang's mother, you get to walk away with whatever shred of humanity you have left. I know what it's like to work for Kazuya. I know that even if you try to stay out of his schemes, you get dragged into them. Every day you work for him brings you down closer to his level. I've never liked you. But you don't seem like a bad person. Everyone who has worked closely with Kazuya has done questionable things. I have, I'm sure you have. But it's not too late to walk away and do the right thing."

Ganryu stood up and walked out without sparing either of them a glance.

Michelle moved to follow him, but Lee pulled on the sleeve of her jacket. She wrenched her arm away and stared at him with fire in her eyes. "You're letting him leave?"

Lee held up his hands. "I can still convince him. But I have to go alone. I'll call you later."

Before Michelle could object, he rushed out of the bar and looked to the right. Ganryu was squeezing his way between two men, walking at a brisk pace. Lee sped up and caught up to him, then went around and stopped in front of him.

"Wait, I have a proposition, something that may benefit both of us."

Ganryu pushed past him and turned left into another alley. Lee followed again and called after him.

"Let's make a wager."

Ganryu stopped in his tracks, causing a young man to nearly collide with him. He stood immobile but didn't turn.

Lee sighed softly before ambling toward him. "Let's bet on your first fight."

Ganryu looked like he wasn't even breathing. He turned. "Bet what?"

"If you win, I will convince Miss Chang to go on a date with you."

His eyes widened. "You-how? How can you do that? You can't do that. I-I don't believe you."

"I was able to bring her here to meet with you. It might not be easy, but I will convince her to go on a date with you. But she wouldn't need any convincing if you freed her mother."

Ganryu's lips tightened. "You said you wanted to make a wager, but now you're bringing that up again? You're trying to trick me; I know it."

"I do want to make a wager. If you win your first fight, I will get Michelle to go out with you-"

"And if I lose?"

"If you lose, you will have to let her mother go."

Ganryu shook his head, his body shivering slightly. "I can't do that."

"It's a win-win for you. If you win, you get a date with Michelle, and if you lose, you lose your job, but you get your human decency back. You get Michelle's gratitude and admiration. She will want to know you; she might want more than one date with you."

Ganryu folded his arms. "What's in it for you?"

"If you lose, Kazuya loses one of his most trusted employees. It will make him weaker, easier to deal with after I win the tournament."

Ganryu shook his head. "I can't do that. I can't betray the boss like that." He turned his back on Lee and began to walk away.

"I knew it," Lee called after him. "The stakes are too high. You don't have the balls."

Lee turned and walked away. He made his way out of the alley toward the parking lot where he had left his car. When he arrived, he opened the door, and sat inside.

If I can pull this off, it will be a fucking miracle.

He took a cigarette out of his pack and lit it. He looked up when he heard a knock on his window. It was Ganryu. Lee took a long drag, then exhaled slowly as he felt relief wash over him. He rolled down the window.

"When I win, you will get me a date with Michelle," Ganryu said.

Lee stuck his hand out and shook Ganryu's. "You have my word."


Kazuya made Bruce ride in a separate car on the way home. When they finally arrived, he sent him straight to the staff's sleeping quarters. On other occasions, when Bruce kept guard at the Mishima Estate, Kazuya trained with him, but he had lost that privilege. And if he wanted to eat, he would have to do it in the kitchen. He was in no mood to break bread with the man.

As he changed into something more comfortable in his bedroom, the phone on his bedside table rang.

"What?"

His housekeeper answered. "Sir, there is a Miss Kazama at the gate. Mr. Irvin wanted me to let you decide what to do."

"Let her in." He said before he had time to think about it.

He waited a few minutes before going downstairs. When he did, the housekeeper was talking to Jun in the living room. Neither woman noticed him until he was at the bottom of the stairs. The housekeeper excused herself and quickly left the room.

Kazuya put his hands in his pockets. "I thought you were going to call me."

Jun gave a slight shrug. "I did, but I missed you at the stadium."

"So you drove here?"

"I took a taxi." She chuckled. "Your home is...I feel like I'm in a museum."

Home. Kazuya scanned the room. It wasn't a home. It was a prize, what he had earned when he didn't die at the bottom of the ravine. He felt Jun's eyes on him. She had a soft, serene expression. It was something that he could not remember seeing in that house.

"I'm good with other people's emotions," Jun said, "actually, I'm usually good with mine too. I didn't want to leave you alone when you were feeling so...uncertain. I was just really angry."

She had sensed his uncertainty. What else could she sense?

"Both animals are alive and well."

She pursed her lips and nodded stiffly. "That's not why I came to talk to you."

"Why then?"

She gave him an appraising look. "I don't sense Devil. I was going to tell you earlier today. I didn't sense him on you or near you. But your energy is still dark, not as dark as before, though."

His energy was less dark. Whatever the hell that meant. Maybe it meant that she hoped he would change. Though he had already explicitly told her that he wouldn't. What if it meant he was changing?

She looked at him intently again.

"Can you read minds?"

She beamed at him. "Ah, we have a believer after all."

"No, I-"

"I can't read minds." Jun walked up to a painting of Red Fuji on the wall. "Do you ever have guests in this house?"

"No."

She moved closer to the painting. "Is this an original?"

"Yes."

"So many beautiful things and no one has the opportunity to see them."

The housekeeper cleared her throat lightly. "Pardon my intrusion, Sir. Will Miss Kazama be joining you for dinner?"

"Yes," Jun said as she smiled.

The housekeeper looked at him for confirmation. When he nodded, she bowed deeply before retreating.

Jun seemed to take joy in examining the painting. "I can't believe you have an original." She said with a slight grin on her face. She moved away from the painting and gravitated to a small table that contained a vase lacquered in crimson and gold.

She looked happy, but what was she really thinking? There was no way in hell that someone as stubborn as Jun was about to let the situation with the kangaroo go. So what was she playing at? Kazuya sighed. Better to set it aside for the moment. He was hungry.

He hated to admit it, but he was enjoying the night.

He liked watching Jun as she walked through the halls of his house. Her reactions were almost endearing. Sometimes she saw a piece of art and admired it in awe. Other times she seemed outright bothered by the extravagance of it all.

He liked watching her during dinner. She looked comfortable. Almost the opposite of when they had eaten at the restaurant. When she had seemed nervous and out of place. When she kept blushing across the table from him. Here, she seemed to belong.

After dinner, they walked into his bedroom, and Jun looked around. "This is bigger than my apartment. What do you do with all this space?"

"Not much. I sleep on the bed, shower in the bathroom, get dressed," he shrugged, "I suppose I don't need all of it."

"You don't need ninety-five percent of it." She walked toward him. "When I first met you," she said, putting her arms around him, "I honestly did not think that I'd be in your bedroom before the end of the tournament."

"When did you think it would happen?" He instantly regretted saying that. It sounded like something that Lee would say, and he resolved that it would never happen again. Jun didn't seem to mind. He kissed her and pulled her closer to him, inhaling her scent, and letting it fill his head with images of what could be. The warmth of her body against his, filled him with desire that he had never felt for anyone else.

He guided Jun to the bed. They were quiet as they lay side by side. He turned toward her and caressed her face. He wanted to remember every detail, every contour, every lash. There was a heavy feeling in his chest that he couldn't ignore. The end of the tournament was near, and Devil or no Devil, he would have to let her go. As much as he liked having her close, as much as she seemed to belong in his home, she didn't.