.

(Undeniable)

Lee turned off the ignition and exhaled slowly. Planning a murder was not easy. Even if the person deserved it. Even if, in theory, it made the world a better place. Wang Jinrei had told him there could be honor in killing if it was for the welfare of others. But was he really doing it for the welfare of others? No one would benefit from Heihachi's death more than Lee himself. And Kazuya. It always came back to Kazuya. But that was a problem for later. He pulled his keys out of the ignition, stepped out of his car, and walked out of the parking lot and into his apartment building.

At least Michelle and her mother were safe and out of Kazuya's reach. Lee still couldn't believe that Heihachi and Kazuya had harassed and broken that poor family over a trinket. Heihachi had built his empire on the foundations of science and technology. Kazuya used science to play god by genetically altering and even creating new species. It was utterly baffling that the two men had turned out to believe that a piece of jewelry would grant them power.

Lee was a man of science. His world had no room for magic, superstitions, or the supernatural.

He stifled a yawn when he arrived at his apartment. He unlocked and opened the door. He was surprised to see the lights on. It was close to one a.m. Sayuri should have been in bed already. He closed and locked the door, took off his shoes, and walked toward the bedroom. He saw a suitcase on the bed through the open door and Sayuri rummaging through one of her drawers.

He walked inside. "What are you doing?"

She gasped and spun around, her hands clasped at her chest. She stared at him, eyes wide, face pale. "I have to leave." She said, then continued to rummage through the drawer.

Lee watched her for a moment as she pulled clothing out of the drawer and stuffed it into the suitcase. "Is it your family? Did something happen to them?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

She tried to fold a garment, but her shaking hands made the task too difficult, and she gave up. She turned to him and looked like she was about to speak, then closed her eyes and shook her head.

Lee walked up to her and took her cold, trembling hand. "What happened?"

She pulled away. "Do you know who Braden Mullen is?"

"Yes."

She took a shuddering breath and looked up at the ceiling. "I told him that Kazuya is responsible for his brother's murder."

He shook his head. "What?"

"And now, Nina Williams failed, so that means..." Her eyes filled with tears.

Lee stared at her as he tried to process what he had heard. "...Why did you do that?"

"Because he ruins lives and just gets away with it. And–"

"That wasn't for you to decide. He's my family. I should be the one who–" His lungs felt empty. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He was arguing about who got to kill his brother. He sounded like an absolute psychopath. "...Why did you do that? It's not a simple task. It's–If he finds out...If it was easy, someone would have done it a long time ago."

"Trust me, none of this has been easy."

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was done, and nothing was going to change that. He needed to figure out what to do next. "How did you even know about Mullen?"

"I overheard Bruce and Ganryu talking about it."

"Did you know what would happen if you told Braden Mullen?"

Sayuri wiped her tears with her hands. "I was counting on it."

Minutes earlier, he would have been sure, certain, that Sayuri wasn't even capable of turning someone in for illegal parking. Now she was telling him that she had given someone information intending to have Kazuya killed. And with Nina caught, it was only a matter of time before Kazuya found out. And then…He didn't even want to think about it. He watched Sayuri as she moved to the closet and began pulling clothing off the hangers. He knew he should ask more questions and get to the bottom of the entire issue, but he didn't have the energy. She was supposed to be his comfort, his stability. She was supposed to be different from everyone else in his life.

He watched her for a few moments as she moved from the closet to the suitcase and back to the closet.

"Can you please stop?" He exhaled. "What are you planning? Where are you going?"

Sayuri walked to the bed and sat on the opposite edge, her back to him. "My uncle teaches at a university in California. I'll go there."

"When Kazuya finds out, you won't be safe in California."

Her voice broke. "Then where can I go?"

"Stay with me." He was the one who had hired her for his own selfish reasons. She would have moved back to Osaka and been safe with her family if it wasn't for him. So much would have been prevented. But it was done, and there was nothing else to say. And he was exhausted. "...I have some good news. Michelle Chang and her mother are flying to safety right now."

"Thank you." She whispered.

Lee kept a lot of secrets from her, but he didn't know that Sayuri kept any secrets from him. Did that mean that he couldn't trust her? Or that he could trust her with more? Maybe it meant that he could share his burdens with her. But it also meant that he didn't know her as well as he thought. But perhaps it didn't matter because when Kazuya found out what Lee had done, both he and Sayuri would be on his hit list.

Three Dead, Dozens Injured In Two Overnight Incidents

Jun felt sick to her stomach after reading the newspaper article. Two unrelated incidents in Tokyo: a science facility and the Russian Embassy. Tragedies were a daily occurrence around the world, she was aware. As a child, Jun found herself affected by events on the other side of the world, by the misfortunes of people that she never had and would never meet. It went beyond the sadness that others felt when empathizing with another human's plight. Jun felt it so deeply that it was as if it were happening to her at times.

When her parents didn't know what to do or how to help her, Jun's grandmother stepped in. She taught her to ground herself by meditating. She showed her how to recognize and see people's emotions instead of feeling them herself.

Jun had been so preoccupied with the tournament, Kazuya, and everything else, that she had utterly neglected her routines. It had been too long since she'd grounded herself. She needed to make some time to walk barefoot in a park and find a nice tree to meditate under. It had been days, and she'd been spending too much energy. That was probably why reading the article affected her in such a visceral way.

She closed the newspaper and reached for the telephone on the end table. She dialed Kazuya's home number for the second time that morning. No answer. She hung up, then called the Zaibatsu and the stadium asking for Kazuya's whereabouts. She was told that they could not give her that information.

She had to see him. The last time they were together, he had left in the middle of a conversation to deal with what she suspected was an emergency at the Zaibatsu. She figured it was the best place to reach him. If she didn't find him here, there was still enough time to make it to the stadium before the first fight started.

She felt out of sorts as she readied herself for the day. Nothing improved as she walked to the bus stop or rode to the Zaibatsu. As she neared her stop, she wished she had taken the time to ground herself and replenish her energy before trying to see Kazuya. She never knew what sort of state he would be in. She wasn't even at the Zaibatsu yet and already felt like something was weighing her down.

Jun got off the bus a short distance from the Zaibatsu. When she neared the building, she saw a mix of guards and what seemed to be construction workers in front of the entrance. When she was close enough, she noticed two large, thick panes of glass fastened to a large flatbed cart. They were replacing the door.

She stopped in front of the group. "What happened here?"

A construction worker examining the door frame turned to her and opened his mouth to answer, but one of the guards stepped forward.

"Electrical fire," he gestured to the sidewalk. "Move along, please."

"I'm a tournament participant and have business with Mr. Mishima."

"The building is closed to everyone today."

"Is Mr. Mishima in the building?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Move along, please."

The apprehension and anxiety emanating from the men made the air feel heavy and put pressure on Jun's chest. Weeks earlier, it would have been a cause for concern, but as sad as it was, she had been accustomed to the ill feelings weighing down most of the Mishima Zaibatsu staff.

With a quiet sigh, Jun moved her gaze from the guard and spotted a dump truck backing into the parking garage entrance. That was odd. She walked down the sidewalk toward it and stole a glance at the lobby through the empty door frame. There was broken glass everywhere, and from what she could see, nothing was burned or singed.

After walking a few feet, she looked behind her to ensure the guards weren't watching her. They were preoccupied with the construction workers as they unfastened the panes of glass. More guards and construction workers gathered near the dump truck. As she approached, she noticed a large chunk of concrete missing from one of the walls near the parking entrance. Another guard saw her and walked up to meet her before she got too close.

"Please get back on the sidewalk. This is a restricted area."

The air in the area was even heavier with worry and fear. "What happened?"

"Move along, please."

She looked behind her and saw the guard from the front entrance watching her. She sighed and continued walking forward toward the metro station. If Kazuya wasn't in the building, he would be at the stadium.

She grew more worried by the second as she waited for the subway to arrive. From what she had seen, none of the damage to the building looked like it was caused by fire. The lobby itself was one thing, but the parking garage? What could hit a reinforced concrete wall hard enough to break it?

When the subway arrived, she stepped inside along with the hundreds of other passengers and grabbed a handle. An ill feeling began to take hold of her. The story she'd read in the newspaper: two unrelated incidents…maybe three judging by the state of the Mishima Building. She wished she could stop thinking such things, but once the evidence was in front of her, she couldn't deny it. A science facility, and the Russian Embassy, two likely enemies of Kazuya. She felt light-headed.

Three people dead, dozens injured.

Kazuya can't be responsible for that.

When Jun reached the stadium, the spectators were already beginning to arrive. She entered through the side gate and, once inside, made her way through the concourse and toward the skybox. As she neared the entrance, the four guards standing by the door noticed her. One of them held up his hand.

"This area is off limits."

The dread and fear were amplified. Jun felt her stomach churn when she saw the dark tendrils oozing under the door. Lengthening, reaching.

Kazuya was not alone.

Her throat went dry, her limbs felt heavy, useless. "Can you tell Mr. Mishima that Jun Kazama is here to see him?"

The guards looked at each other, their mood darkening, feeding the tendrils.

One of the men inhaled deeply and stepped forward. "Mr. Mishima does not wish to see you."

"Are those his words or–"

"He specifically said, 'if Jun Kazama shows up, tell her I don't want to see her.' Now please, move along."

Jun's chest tightened, her throat ached. She stared at the door for a moment before turning around and walking away. Devil was there, and something had changed. She felt it in her core, in her shaking hands, and in her heavy footsteps. Three dead and dozens injured. Heavy damage to the Mishima Building. And now Kazuya didn't want to see her.

And Devil was there.

She kept walking until she found the nearest bathroom. She stepped inside and closed her eyes as tears ran down her face. Her lungs ached for air. She didn't know what had happened to Kazuya. But she knew that she wasn't prepared to face him. Or maybe she didn't want to. How could he have killed those people? She wanted to be wrong, but a crushing feeling settled in her chest. The type of feeling that she couldn't ignore because it was never wrong.

If Lee wanted an opportunity to take the Zaibatsu, he had to fight Kazuya. If he wanted to fight Kazuya, he had to go through the man bouncing in front of him. And there was no way to go through him if he couldn't hit him. The Interpol Agent would not stand still even for a second. And that dumb, goofy smile he had every time he sidestepped, ducked, rolled, or otherwise evaded him was beyond aggravating.

I can be fast too.

Not fast enough. Wulong was a blur as he came at him. His heel caught Lee on the front of his right shoulder. White-hot pain forced him to grit his teeth as the bone momentarily slid out of its socket. He raised his left arm above his head and barely blocked a kick as he felt his shoulder pop back in. Pushing through the pain, he kicked forward, and Wulong blocked him, then ran at him with a quick succession of palm strikes that drove him back until he could sidestep close to the edge of the stone square.

Too goddamn close.

But the perfect distance from his opponent. Lee moved forward, kicking high and low with every ounce of stamina he had. He didn't care that Wulong blocked each one. He continued unrelenting until Wulong ducked. Lee brought his heel down hard and felt it connect with the top of Wulong's head. He fell forward, and Lee immediately took his fighting stance as the countdown started. Wulong rolled slowly onto his side and pushed himself up to his knees but then sat down, his eyes closed lightly as the announcer finished the countdown.

Lee felt relief wash over him as he was announced the winner. He had done better and gone further than he ever had in the first tournament.

One step closer.

He rushed out of the arena when he saw the reporters trying to approach him. The last thing he wanted was to hear another message from Heihachi. Another threat that would break his confidence. He sighed as he entered the hallway. Message or no message, Heihachi was getting what he wanted. Lee had turned his back on interviews and cameras on the off chance that his father had something to say to him. And now he was thinking about him instead of enjoying his victory. The old man always found a way to get what he wanted.

His shoulder was burning. He rotated it a bit and didn't find moving difficult, though it did hurt. Maybe he should have someone look at it. He went into the locker room and stopped when he turned the corner. Anna was sitting on a bench in front of the lockers. She stood up when she saw him.

"What are you doing here?"

She moved her gaze to the floor and smoothed down her red skirt. "I don't want Kazuya to see me talking to you." There was a seriousness to her tone that he had seldom heard before.

"Is something wrong?"

"You need to drop out of the tournament."

He scoffed. "Why would I do that? I'm one step closer to–"

"You won your fight." She moved toward him. "Take your victory and go. Focus on your company."

He shook his head. "You know I can't do that."

"Yes, you can. You can expand it. Make it into something that can rival the Zaibatsu. All you have to do is let go of your obsession with–"

"Stop, Anna. Why are you here? Why are you saying that?"

She looked away and furrowed her brow as if searching for the right words. When she looked at him again, there was genuine concern in her eyes. "If you fight Kazuya, you won't win."

He exhaled, shaking his head. "Can someone have a little faith in me?"

"It's not that I don't have faith in you." She looked down at the floor. "Kazuya is going to win. And not you or Heihachi, or anyone else is going to take him down."

"He's not invincible."

She sighed. "I've heard you say that before."

He couldn't believe the audacity. He had given Anna nothing but encouragement when she had to face off against Nina during the first tournament. Even this time, he had been supportive when he didn't have to, but she couldn't even do him the courtesy of staying away and saying nothing.

"So you're just here to bring up the past? To open up old wounds?" He expected to see malice in her eyes but found none. He used to get lost in those eyes. Now he just wanted to look away. But he didn't. He looked at her until she looked away. "Why are you here?"

She lowered her head and was quiet for a moment, then looked up to meet his gaze. "Do you want to know the real reason why I broke up with you?"

Her question took him off guard, and he didn't know what to say. He had asked her, and she had given him nothing but flimsy excuses. He had stayed awake at night trying to figure it out more times than he could count. But now that he faced the truth, he wished he could be back in the arena taking hit after hit instead of hearing what she had to say.

He hesitated a moment too long. Her shoulders fell, and she began to walk away. As she walked by him, he took her hand.

"...Okay."

She looked at their hands but didn't pull away. "...You see everything…except what's in front of you." She looked up at him with a sadness he had never seen before. "But this time, it will cost you a lot more than a relationship." She pulled her hand away and walked out of the locker room.

He stood staring at the exit long after she walked out, the warmth of her hand lingering on his fingertips. He knew she was genuinely concerned for him. But she was wrong. He could see exactly what was in front of him. It was vindication. It was redemption. And there was no way in hell he would let it escape from his grasp.

When Heihachi stepped into the arena, Wang Jinrei was already waiting. As he stepped onto the stone square, he wondered what was going through Wang's head. His mind must be as feeble as his body if he thinks he stands a chance. The Williams girl had thrown the fight. It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention. So that meant the old man had not even been tested. And now Heihachi himself would have the privilege of putting him down and burying the ghosts of the Mishima Zaibatsu once and for all.

Heihachi crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on his opponent.

"Fight!"

At the announcer's signal, Heihachi launched toward his opponent. He was not going to let him strike first. Wang dodged the first kick, but the punch connected and sent the old man stumbling back. Heihachi kicked again, but Wang blocked it and rushed forward, the heels of his palms striking Heihachi in the chest, then a kick that hit Heihachi square in the jaw.

The old man was faster and stronger than he had any right to be. He would give him that. But his peak had come and gone.

Heihachi blocked the old man's palm strikes, and when Wang tried to kick, blocked it with his forearm, grabbed him by the ankle, and punched straight forward. He caught his opponent in the chin, but Heihachi didn't stop. He pressed forward, alternating between punches and kicks, each hit connecting, bruising flesh and bone, until Wang fell back onto the floor.

The announcer began the countdown, but Wang didn't try to get up. He merely sired feebly on the ground.

"Heihachi Mishima wins!"

Heihachi tuned out the roar and cheers of the crowd. It meant nothing to him. He crouched by his fallen opponent and spoke loudly enough for him to hear. "Congratulations on gaining a son. It seems Lee heeds your advice more than he ever did mine. I know you've been conspiring with him. Putting ideas in his head."

Wang's breathing was labored, his voice barely audible through the noise of the spectators. "I would have been honored to call him my son. Your children should have been your pride, your–"

"My pride and my legacy will be my empire. I hope you know that your meddlesome words have sealed the boy's fate."

He stood up and left Jinrei's side. All he had to do was wait one more day, then he would face off against Kazuya. And after that, all would be right with the world.

Lee watched Wang Jinrei on his hospital bed through the open door and listened as the doctor listed the numerous injuries the older man had suffered. It was going to be a long road to recovery. Lee thanked the doctor and stepped into the overly bright room.

He stood next to the bed, gazing at Jinrei's bruised face. "Master."

The older man's eyes opened slowly, squinting against the brightness. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "...I have failed my friend Jinpachi yet again."

"You fought well, Master. You fought honorably."

Jinrei gave a drawn-out sigh. "... I'm afraid honor and restraint are getting us nowhere."

Lee felt his heart drum in his chest. He had a plan. It was easy to imagine it, to run through scenarios in his head. He wanted Jinrei's approval, but it was so difficult to say the words out loud to someone he respected. "I may have a way to…succeed."

Jinrei exhaled softly. "...That is good to hear. I was...I was worried."

A young nurse walked into the room. She gave them a quick glance, then looked down at her clipboard. "He needs to rest. Please say your goodbyes."

Jinrei whispered. "You are the only one left, the only one who can set things right. I am sorry to place this burden upon you. I alone know how heavy it is."

Lee bowed. "I won't let you down, Master." He looked at the older man one last time before leaving the room.

He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket and dialed Yamada's number, passing patients and staff as he walked down the hallway. There was only one day left before the end of the tournament. He needed to make his move now.

Yamada picked up after the third ring. "Yeah?"

"It's me. You told me you could get it done before the end of the tournament."

"I have plenty of time. And this is not as easy as making a dinner reservation."

The glass double doors slid open, and he walked out of the building and turned toward the parking garage. "And what the hell happened today? This is not how the fights were supposed to go. I didn't want Heihachi to fight–"

"We're dealing with assassins and robot attacks here. I don't know what you did with Ganryu because he's gone. Half the men are scared shitless but won't say why, not even to me. And nobody trusts each other. Mr. Irvin and Miss Williams are watching us closely, scrutinizing our every move. There's no way I'll be able to go near any computer, let alone sabotage it."

Lee walked into the parking garage. "What do you mean robot attacks?"

He slowed his walk when he saw a woman leaning against his car. "... I'll call you later. Just make sure it happens today."

He ended the call and fixed his gaze on the woman. She didn't seem lost or in need of assistance. She gave him a courteous smile when she saw him.

She bowed. "Congratulations on your victory today."

He stopped a short distance from her. "Thank you, Miss…"

"Nakano. Rei Nakano. I'm Mr. Mishima's personal assistant."

Lee exhaled. "I'm not interested in what he has to say."

"He doesn't have anything to say." She smiled and offered him an envelope. "But he wanted me to give you this."

He shook his head. "I don't want it."

She nodded. "That's understandable." She watched him momentarily, then looked at the envelope in her hand. "I'm going to give you my personal opinion. Mr. Mishima did not ask me to say this, nor would he want me to say it." She slid the envelope under the car's windshield wiper, then turned back to Lee. "Cut your losses and leave today."

Rei Nakano opened the door to a black Lexus parked next to Lee's car and stepped inside without giving him another glance.

Lee waited until she drove away and pulled his keys out of his pocket. He took the envelope off the windshield and tossed it onto the empty parking space next to his. He didn't want to read Heihachi's threats, advice, or whatever the hell he had written in that envelope.

He unlocked his vehicle and opened the door. Once he settled in his seat, he put the key in the ignition, pulled out a pack of cigarettes…and looked at the envelope on the floor. Just start the car. All he had to do was turn the key and drive away. But all he could do was stare at the envelope and feel the force it exerted on him. Curiosity, guilt, and anger all rendered him immobile. He stared for nearly a full minute. His heart began to beat faster. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. He picked up the envelope and opened it. There was nothing written inside. It was only a photograph. But it said enough.

Lee stared down at a much younger image of himself. At his scared, wide eyes, at a past that he had tried so hard to forget and to bury. But now it was out again, emblazoned in his mind. A message from the man who had made him into who he was.

Had I not taken you in, you would have died in a back alley years ago, and no one would have missed you. No one would have even noticed.

If Lee died now, the world would notice, and a few would even care. It pained him to his core. It seared him to his very soul…but he owed that to Heihachi.

A/N:

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on movin'