Asuka cracked her fist against the window.
"Fist proof glass," Lili said, wagging her finger.
Asuka slammed Heihachi's head into it, knocking him out.
"Head proof, also."
"What does that even mean?"
"Calm down, Asuka," Jun said. "I'm sure Miss Rochefort's villa is lovely."
"That's not it," she replied. "She's only doing this to annoy me. That's all she lives for! Look at her face."
Lili had an expression that was unbecoming of a lady. The top row of her teeth was clamped down on her bottom lip as if she was attempting with all of her might to not burst out laughing.
"Maybe she just likes the taste of her bottom lip," Lars said, licking his own lips to the disgust of Asuka. "Stop picking on her."
Asuka's jaw dropped. She was the one picking on her?
"Hmph, he's always sticking up for her," Ling whispered to Alisa. "Doesn't that just drive you crazy?"
"Always?" Alisa said with a tilt of her detachable head. "They've only just met."
"According to them. If it was Jin, I'd never let him stick up for people in need."
"Remember last year when we rode in your piece of crap car?" Kazuya directed at Lee.
"Remember when Father and Lars stole it and drove into a field filled with sheep?"
"That was stupid," Kazuya said. "Let me out of this damn limo."
"But we're almost there!" Lili said.
"How do you know? In fact, who's driving this thing?"
"I'll take a look," Kazumi answered, poking her head through the closed driver's window.
"Wow!" Alisa exclaimed. "I wish I could something cool like that with my head!"
Kazumi withdrew her noggin, her cheeks flushed. "He's so handsome! Much better looking than your father."
"That's Sebastian," Lili said. "He's multi-talented! We often spar with each other. It's quite a sight seeing someone his age performing cartwheels."
"He sounds cool," Lars said.
"He can even perform a flip with the limo!" Lili claimed. "Sebastian!"
The window rolled down and an aged man with shoulder-length grey hair was revealed. "Yes, Miss Rochefort?"
"Flip, please."
Bodies sprung into the air and seats were emptied as the limo did, indeed, flip. There were grunts, yells and thumps and then the vehicle landed back on the road. The car's passengers—besides Lili, who was sitting neatly—were piled on the floor, bruised and cursing.
"That was amazing!" Alisa said, her head in Lili's lap.
"Ew!" Lili yelped, flicking the head away like a bug. "I won't be doing that again!"
"J-Jin, not here!" Ling said, her cheeks glowing as Jin laid on top of her. She gave him a light tap on the cheek and he answered with a confused stare.
"R-reaaaaghh (P-Panda, not here)!" Kuma said, his fur glowing as Panda laid on top of him. He gave her a light tap on the cheek and sent her flying across the limo. "Argrooor (oops)."
"I'm too impressed to be annoyed," Kazuya said, getting to his feet. "I need to learn that move."
Everyone returned to their seat, besides Heihachi, who was still out cold.
"Should we help him?" Lili asked.
"No," Kazuya said.
"Where are we?" Asuka demanded. "Why are the windows blacked out, anyway? Is this some kind of trick?"
"It's a limo, dear," Lili said, shaking her head at the silly girl. "It's not as if I'm planning on bailing at the last second while Sebastian drives you all off the edge of a cliff so I can steal your businesses and homes in some kind of convoluted dark plan that makes no sense! Ohohoho!"
Everyone blinked.
"Miss Rochefort, we have arrived at the villa," Sebastian said.
Everyone breathed.
"Alright, everyone," Lili said, smiling brightly, "prepare to be amazed!"
Asuka spat.
Sebastian exited the limo and started over to Lili's door. He opened it and everyone scrambled out.
It was an astonishing sight. Brilliant green hedges framed a path that lead up to an enormous, stone building. It was like something out of a dream. It was a place that could only be found by venturing into the deepest part of a forest; somewhere that existed in another world. A magical place where only princes and princesses lived. A castle of imagination. A place that could only be plucked from a fantasy land where humans could not roam. A place that was impossible for a human to attain.
Unless they had so much cash lying around they could use it to shine their shoes.
"Wow, this is waaaaay better than your dump!" Ling directed at Lee.
"Stop calling it that!" Lee snapped. And then he blinked. "Yes, it is way better than that dump, isn't it?"
"It's incredible," Jun said in awe. "What do you think Asuka?"
"Who cares?" She said, arms crossed. "As long as she's here, this is the worst place on Earth!"
"France could never be the worse place on Earth," Lili said.
Jin frowned. "We're not in France."
"Oh, yes we are!"
"How can we be?" Jun asked. "You're saying we drove to France?"
"Yes."
"Over the ocean?"
"Why do you think Sebastian flipped the limo?"
Every eye fell on her.
"You're saying we flipped over the ocean?" Kazuya said. "You expect us to buy that?"
"Well, you can shoot laser beams out of your eyes," Lili retorted.
"Fair enough."
"Well, then, shall we go inside?" Lili offered.
The collective noise of feet patting against pavement filled the garden. When they reached the steps, there were fewer feet patting as Lars had launched up and over them with an impressive double somersault. He awaited Lili's reaction as she reached the top with a simple walk. She said nothing.
"Shunned again," Lars said, turning from her as a storm cloud rained over him.
"How odd," Kazumi the ghost said, staring at the cloud.
"Look at her," Ling whispered in Alisa's ear. "Her eyes are all over him!"
"I think Miss Kazumi is looking at the cloud," Alisa said.
"I'm talking about Lili!"
"But she's looking at the wall."
"And imagining Lars leaning naked against it."
"Ling!" Alisa gasped, giving Ling a light shove, sending her tumbling down the steps.
"Oh, my!" Lili said, holding a hand over her mouth. "This… robot just tried to commit murder! Is that the first step in your kind's plan to annihilate the human race?"
"I-it was an accident!" Alisa said, unable to shed tears because she wasn't a real human, though it was her wish to one day become one with the power of love. "I-is she okay?"
Jin was kneeling beside her, finger to her neck. "She's dead."
Everyone gasped.
"I'm joking."
Everyone frowned—besides Kazuya, who was grinning.
"Good one, son," he said.
Later, when Jin had carried Ling inside and laid her on the couch, everyone had gathered in the living room.
"Well, what do you think of my villa?" Lili asked, staring at them expectantly.
"Yes, it's very nice," Jun said, staring down with worry at Ling. "But Ling did nearly die."
"Oh, poop!" Lili said, stomping her foot. "You're supposed to be admiring my villa and turning green from envy! I'm incredibly rich, you know!"
Ling—who had a plaster on her head, despite the fact no one had placed a plaster on her head—opened her eyes halfway. "I think I'm dying."
"Well, it's time we all went to sleep, anyway," Jun said. "Can you show us to the bedrooms, Lili?"
"Only if you promise to comment on the fact that there are about ten of them," she said with a pout.
"I hate you," Asuka said.
Back in the limo, Heihachi had finally regained consciousness. He gazed around while rubbing his bald head.
"I remember now," he said. "I'm a limo driver!"