Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.
A/Note: Sorry to post this so late, things came up and I'm trying to solve some problems…anyway thanks for all the reviews so far.
Chapter 25 – Coming Clean
Just like Julia had told Ling, Paul Phoenix was a famous fighter. He had won many tournaments in his life, and at the age of 46, he was one of the few contestants who had participated in all the Iron Fists so far. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't won so far. Paul wanted to win an Iron Fist before he was too old to enter those competitions.
-'What's that?'-Hwoarang asked pointing out to Yoshimitsu.
-'That would be Yoshimitsu.'-Julia answered.-'And don't point at people.'
-'You're not my mother, Chang…'
Paul and Yoshimitsu were ready to start the fight. Jin was there to see if he should fear Yoshimitsu or not. He quickly realised that Yoshimitsu was a powerful warrior, maybe a bit old-fashioned, but still powerful.
Yoshimitsu was a ninja, no one knew his true identity, not even if that was his real name, but the secrecy was part of a ninja's life. In the old times, the most powerful ninja clans used to be personal guards from the Emperor or from the Shoguns. Now there was no place to the ancient ways; the Ninjutsu wasn't a popular martial art such as karate or judo. But Yoshimitsu was trying to maintain the old traditions alive. He wasn't in the tournament just by accident, he was there as a friend of Heihachi Mishima, but now he was having second thoughts about his "friend". That was why he had warned Jin about the dangers he could face in that tournament.
-'I think Phoenix needs to concentrate more.'-Hwoarang said.
-'Yoshimitsu is a ninja…that won't do him much. This fight is almost over.'-Julia announced.
Paul was indeed in troubles. Yoshimitsu moved so quickly that sometimes he couldn't even see him. It was in that moment that Paul regretted not paying attention to that guy's fights in the previous tournaments. Just like Paul, Yoshimitsu had entered the two previous Iron Fist tournaments.
Paul used all his best attacks but it wasn't working. The few times he had touched Yoshimitsu, he had never managed to kick him hard enough.
The thirty minutes were coming to an end, when finally Yoshimitsu managed to grab Paul by his wrist. Paul used his left arm and hit Yoshimitsu hard in the face with his elbow. Yoshimitsu released him and stumbled back, but he didn't fall. Paul performed a high kick combination but when he attacked, Yoshimitsu disappeared in the air and reappeared behind him. He kicked Paul from behind and Paul fell unconscious for a few minutes. When he woke up, he couldn't believe that he had lost again.
-'Damn it…'-he cursed.
-'It was a good fight. You fought with honour.'-Yoshimitsu announced.
-'Big deal…I lost anyway. Next time I'll win and I'll prove that I'm the best fighter in the universe!'
-'That's quite a speech coming from someone who lost…'-Hwoarang said in disbelief, following Julia to the hotel.
-'I wonder why Ling left…'-Julia wondered.
-'She's angry with Kazama…'
-'Even if she is…that would be your fault, Mr. Big Mouth!'-Julia accused.
-'I thought she knew already.'
-'Knew what?'
-'About you and Kazama.'
-'There's nothing between me and Kazama!'
-'Yeah…right.'
-'I'm speaking the truth! Just stop acting like an idiot.'
-'Then sleep with me.'
-'What? Are you crazy?'
-'See? You're going out with him.'
-'I'm not! I'm not going out with anyone, and I'm not going to sleep with you! Is that clear?'
Hwoarang shrugged.
-'I was joking anyway…I'll only sleep with you if you buy black underwear.'
Julia slapped him right when they were entering the hotel and then she left. Hwoarang stood there and then he shrugged going to the bar. He needed a drink to clear up this mind.
Julia knocked on Ling's door for about five minutes and since no one opened it she returned to her room.
At dinner time everything was quiet, just like Julia liked. Hwoarang had decided to treat his dinner for some beer; Ling never showed up, maybe she wasn't hungry; and so Julia had a nice and quiet meal.
She saw Anna eating on the table next to Nina and they were both staring at each other. Anna seemed ready to jump and kill Nina right there but something was stopping her. Paul and Law were also having a quiet dinner. Since Paul had lost his fight, they weren't even speaking. Law was still on the race and Paul was probably a bit envious. Dr. B and Gun Jack had disappeared completely. Yoshimitsu and Bryan weren't anywhere to be seen, but Eddie, King and Lei were having a nice talk in the bar, where Hwoarang was getting drunk.
When Julia finished her dinner she decided to return to her room because she wasn't in the mood to go to the bar. She found Jin waiting for her at her bedroom's door.
-'I need to talk to you…it is important.'-Jin said.
-'Ok…lets go to my room.'
Once inside, Jin told Julia where Heihachi's Headquarter was and how to get there.
-'The problem is that I went there again today and all the doors are highly guarded. The gate too.'-Jin announced.
-'So how do we get in?'
-'I guess we have to use some kind of distraction and then jump the fence. But inside the rooms are closed and they only open with a code.'
-'And we don't have the code, right?'
-'For now…but I'm working on it.'
-'How?'
-'I have to go to Heihachi's room again…but not tonight.'
-'And tomorrow morning it's your fight against King…'
-'Exactly. I'll try to go there during Heihachi's match.'
-'Ok…but why didn't you tell Ling the truth about you?'
-'She would freak out.'
-'You don't know that. Maybe she would understand.'
-'Xiaoyu is a great fighter and she is my friend…I didn't have a friend before…when she came to live with us, I thought she was just a kid…'
-'She proved you were wrong, didn't she?'
-'Yes. She taught me things that I had forgotten. I can't tell her anything…it wouldn't be fair on her.'
-'Let her be the one to decide that.'
-'No. I don't want to put her through this, ok?'
Julia looked at her feet and nodded.
-'I won't tell her anything, but…can I ask you something?'-Julia asked.
-'Yes.'
-'Do you feel the changes inside of you because of the devil gene?'
-'Sort of…it's weird.'
-'What do you feel?'
-'I feel…like I'm being dragged to the darkness…'
-'You have to fight it. You need to fight the devil inside of you or it will take away your soul.'
-'I know…I'm trying. I've been holding on to my mother's memories, but it's been harder now.'
-'For now I can't help you because my mother is the expert…but try to resist. Think about your friends…about the good moments.'
-'I don't have friends.'
-'Think about Ling…'
Jin felt a bit embarrassed but since Julia didn't comment anything, he simply opened the door and left.
Julia sat down on her bed and turned the TV on, but she couldn't focus. Then she went to the desk and took a book to read. Inside the book there was a small piece of paper, it was an article from the Tokyo Paper and it was about the sudden disappearance of Kazuya Mishima after the end of the First Iron Fist Tournament. After reading that piece of paper for over the tenth time Julia fell asleep.
In the meanwhile, Hwoarang was arriving to his room. After the struggle he had thirty minutes ago, trying to go up in an elevator that didn't work (because it wasn't an elevator but a spare room); the fight against a robot had been a piece of cake.
Now he was facing more troubles trying to open his room. As soon as he got inside he went to the bathroom to throw up and then he went to the shower. When he felt the cold water falling down on his head he felt much better, but he had forgotten to take out his clothes so he was soaking.
-'Crap…'-he cursed taking out his shirt. He noticed that the bedroom door was still opened so he went to close it, but in that moment someone walked in and closed it. The room was dark because only the bathroom's light was on, so Hwoarang didn't know who was there.
-'Who's there?'-he asked.
-'Shut up!'-a voice said.
-'Chang? Is that you?'
-'Shut up!'
Hwoarang listened to steps coming closer and he stood in silence. After a few minutes he heard a man's voice from outside. He was talking on the phone.
-'She escaped again…I thought she was sleeping, but she woke up all of the sudden…Yes, I used the sleeping darts, but it missed her…she ran into the hall…I think she might have took the stairs since the elevator is still on this floor…Well, I can't search all the rooms now, can I? It's half past midnight. I'll come back tomorrow.'
The voice stopped and the man went to the elevator. In Hwoarang's room, Julia sighed in relief, a few minutes ago, someone had tried to drug her and probably kidnap her again.
-'What happened?'-Hwoarang asked turning the lights on.
-'Nothing…'
-'Really? Then why the hell are you here? Did you change your mind and decided to spend the night with me?'
-'You wish!'
-'Then I guess you owe me some explanations, because you just entered my room without asking permission…'
-'There are people after me…you know that already…this time they decided to act in the middle of the night. I managed to get out of the room and when I saw your door opened I figured it was a good place for hiding. I didn't know it was your room…'
-'What did you do to these guys?'
-'I can't tell you.'
-'I saved your butt twice Chang…the least you can do is to come clean with me and tell me the whole story.'
-'You have nothing to do with this. Just stay out of it…for you won sake.'
-'My own sake? Who the hell are you? My mother? I kicked a robot's ass today…and for your information I'm a Tae Kwon Do expert! I can take care of myself!'
-'Don't brag about that…we both know you were lucky that the robot wasn't working properly.'
-'Don't change the subject. Just spit it out! What have you done?'
-'I didn't do anything…they took something from me and I want it back!'
-'They are after you because they took something from you? That doesn't make any sense.'
-'I'm getting close and they want to stop me.'
-'Who's after you?'
-'I…don't know…'
-'You're lying…'
-'Look…it's late and I need to go…'
Hwoarang put his hand on the door preventing her to leave.
-'I don't know if I told you this before, but I don't help people without getting something in return.'
-'You want me to pay you?'
-'I don't want your money…'
Julia crossed her arms because she knew what he was thinking about.
-'Don't even think about it! I'm not going to…'
-'A goodnight kiss.'-he cut her off.-'I'm too tired to stay awake all night…so a kiss will do.'
Julia frowned and shook her head. Then she gave him a reprehensive look.
-'Fine.'-she finally said. Julia grabbed his face and kissed his forehead.-'Goodnight idiot, sleep tight.'
That wasn't exactly what Hwoarang had in mind, but he hadn't specified the kiss, so he didn't argue.
-'I will dream about you…'-he said opening the door for her.
-'Please, spare me the details, ok?'
-'Are you sure you want to go back to your room?'
-'Are you worried about me?'
-'Lets just say that if someone takes you I won't be able to get my true reward…because that kiss didn't count!'
Julia sighed and returned to her room. She had escaped again, but how many times would she have to face Heihachi's men? From now on she had to be more careful and avoid being alone.
