Chapter VI: Hwoarang Fights Back
A/N: When I own Tekken, you guys will be the first to know.
Looks like you guys are in for an early update, and all because
of the smashing reviews you gave me! I'll be sure to update
once a week from now on, but you have to promise to keep
those reviews coming, okay? As I said before, I finished
writing this fic; I just have to insert the author's notes and
press "Submit". To Ninnis: Rasamti H? Yarate a2dar
ashoofo!
Interpol HQ in Seoul
Hwoarang was soon reunited with Baek and Lei, and the latter briefed him as they made their way to the interrogation room on the ninth floor.
" Now, since Baek is your guardian, he'll be going in with you. If it gets too tough, he'll do the talking."
But the agents stationed at the entrance would not let Baek go in with his young charge, no matter how much Lei reasoned with them. Lei eventually gave up and turned to Hwoarang.
" I don't know what they're playing at. They can't force you to talk without your guardian present. You go in there, and do your best. Just don't lie, okay?" He ruffled Hwoarang's hair and watched the boy march to his doom.
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang perched tentatively on the edge of his chair and glanced at the grim-faced agents flanking his interrogator, an auburn-haired woman who managed to appear even more intimidating than her subordinates.
" State your name for the record," she began, her tone icy.
" Hwoarang," he replied in a small voice.
" Your age?"
" Twelve."
" You were a resident of Sing District, correct?"
" Y-yes."
" And your involvement in the District's drug operations?"
He hesitated, then hung his head and pretended to examine the shaking hands in his lap.
" Tell us about your people's link to the Triads."
In his mind, he heard the threat of the man from the elevator, and felt the rough fingers closing around his throat. He raised his tortured eyes to meet the cold ones of the interrogator." I'm sorry, Ma'am. I can't help you..."
XXXXXXX
After his interview was over, Hwoarang went to find Baek, only to stumble upon Lei having a heated debate with his interrogator. He flattened himself against the wall to eavesdrop.
" I was only doing my job," the woman was saying coolly.
" But this isn't right, Lana!" Lei fired back." He's just a kid, and you dragged him in without his guardian!"
" Baek Do San is not Hwoarang's guardian, and frankly I doubt he'll ever get custody of the boy, not with his record. The man killed his own father, for goodness' sake!"
That was all Hwoarang heard. He raced from the scene, his mind reeling.
XXXXXXX
Lei found Hwoarang on the second floor, sitting on a bench and sipping a soda.
" Hey, kid," he said." Sorry you had to go through that drill, but don't worry, I'll make Lana pay." He moved towards Hwoarang and pulled something out of the boy's hair.
Hwoarang looked up." You.. you actually bugged me?!"
" Yeah, a good cop has to bend the rules sometimes." he sighed. " This'll go straight to Lana's superiors, and they won't be too happy about her taking advantage of a kid."
Hwoarang found himself grinning reluctantly. It was hard not to like a man like Lei. " Hey, Lei, can I tell you something?"
" Sure thing, kid."
Hwoarang proceeded to tell him about the ambush in the elevator, and finished with his theory about the Interpol mole who had let the assailant in. Lei did not take it very well. He gave Hwoarang a strange look. " That's just... not possible."
" Fine..." Hwoarang said, jumping to his feet. " I ran smack into a wall and hallucinated!" He stormed off.
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang could not help thinking of what he had overheard about Baek all through their ride back home. " You're pensive," Baek noted. "You must be hiding something."
Oh, look who's talking! Hwoarang savagely thought, but he calmly answered," Yeah, it's that dragon lady. She looked like she was about one nano-second from sending me to jail."
" Don't worry about it."
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang was deeply worried. There was a crazy organisation out to kill him, the Interpol had been infiltrated, and he was living with a murderer. He had to take measures to ensure his own security.
Baek's house had three storeys, and Hwoarang's room was on the second floor. He made his way to the third level and inspected the bare attic room to be found there. He moved to look through its one, large window. If he ever had to jump from there, he would be in for a broken neck. The tall ash tree facing the window looked close enough, but he did not fool himself into thinking he could jump from the window-ledge to an overhanging branch. He smirked, nevertheless. He had a plan.
He found the equipment he needed in the tool shed and set to work. It took him less than an hour to nail a wooden plank onto the thickest branch he could find, and to practice crawling back and forth between the window ledge and the tree. His plan was reckless, but it was the only way to escape if he needed to.
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang was watching television. There were strange news reports of people turning up dead for no apparent reason in cities of Korea, China, Japan and even Russia. Great, maybe I'll just drop dead too! Hwoarang thought. Just then, Lei came in, accompanied by his partner Bryan.
" Hey, I think I got us a lead on your case. I'm going to step out for a bit."
" Where's Baek?"
" Out on some business, but don't worry, Bryan here will keep you company."
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang was not at all happy about being under house arrest with some creepy-looking cop for company, so he figured he would make the most of it. He picked up the phone and riffled through the phone book.
" Pizza Hut? Yeah, I'd like to make an order on behalf of Mr. Bryan Fury. Yeah, you can put it on his tab..." Hwoarang smirked, and in only a short matter of time, he had managed to call every fast food delivery outlet he knew of in Seoul, placing large orders in Fury's name, and giving them Interpol HQ's address. When he was done with that, he went to find Fury, intent on giving him a strong dose of personal harassment.
XXXXXXX
Hwoarang listened through a crack in the door to Fury's whispered phone call.
" Yes, they're both out... the boy's here by himself... I will proceed as planned..."
Hwoarang let out a sharp intake of breath. Bryan Fury, the Interpol mole?!
Fury wheeled about at the sudden noise, and Hwoarang bolted.
XXXXXXX
Great, just great, I swear I'm gonna kill those two!
Hwoarang ran for it, taking cover in his own room. He could hear Fury approaching with slow leisurely steps.
" Come out, come out, Hwoarang, come out and play!"
Hwoarang desperately fished in his pockets and extracted a marble. He threw it with all his might into the room directly across from his. It caused a great clatter, instantly drawing Fury to it. The moment Fury was in that room, Hwoarang jumped to his feet and raced for the door, slamming it shut on the man and twisting the key, thus locking him inside.
" Kiss my ass, you traitor cop!" Hwoarang taunted through the keyhole, but yelled in shock when Fury's fist penetrated the heavy oak like it was cardboard. Hwoarang then dashed up the stairs(He figured Fury would have sealed off every other exit). He made it to the attic window, crawled on the plank to the other side, slid down the tree, and sprinted towards the tool shed. The metal bat...
He retrieved the weapon and lay in ambush behind the shed, all the while his heart hammering, the adrenaline rising.
" You sneaky little bastard," came Fury's voice from somewhere close.
One.. Two.. Three!
Hwoarang pounced with the bat, but Fury caught it and sent it flying out of his hands. He seized the boy by the throat and lifted him clean off the ground. Hwoarang choked and spluttered, then felt the cold barrel of a gun against his temple.
" Boom!" Fury yelled, and laughed maniacally as Hworang flinched in terror. " Game's up, kid..."
Suddenly, Hwoarang felt a great impact that sent him reeling away from Fury. He sat up to see Lei Wulong engaging his partner in combat.
" I knew it was you, Bryan," Lei was saying. "Poisonous toadstools don't change their colours!"
Lei put up a great fight but Fury's inhuman strength overpowered him. Soon he was down, with Fury bending towards him, closing in for the kill.
Here goes nothing... Summoning all his remaining strength, Hwoarang sneaked up on Fury and slammed the metal bat on the back of his head. For one desperate moment, Hwoarang thought it hadn't worked, for the bat vibrated and fell out of his grasp, but the next moment, Fury slumped down, still as a stone.
Hwoarang helped Lei to his feet. The man was a bruised and battered mess, and he was clutching his stomach in pain.
" He dead?" Hwoarang asked.
"Y-you... wish... kid," Lei gasped.
" What the hell was his deal? He on steroids or something?"
" N..not ...really." He feebly kicked the baseball bat. " Fight metal... with metal..."
" So what made you suspect your own partner? I mean, you didn't believe me in the first place."
" I knew... Didn't want to... alert him."
There were sudden footsteps, and they found themselves surrounded by Interpol Agents dressed like members of a SWAT team. Most cornered the unconscious Fury, while two grabbed Hwoarang by the elbows.
" Thank you, we'll take it from here," their leader said." Hwoarang, you're coming with us, unless you want your butt locked up for obstruction of justice."
" Obstruction of justice, my ass! Lemme go, you meathead cops! I just caught your damn mole! Lei, do something!" But Lei could only look on helplessly as Hwoarang was dragged off, screaming in protest.
XXXXXXX
A/N: So the mole was Bryan. Guess most of you could see that coming! Oh, and before you people come at me with metal baseball bats for claiming that Baek committed the Mishima-ish crime of killing his father, know this: IT'S PERFECTLY CANON! Though done on accident of course.