A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed already! I should mention I do work close to full time now so updates will not be scarce but will need to work around my schedule. This chapter deals with Lars's business in Monaco, my rendition of Nina's fate at the end of Tekken 6 and Xiaoyu and Miharu's introduction. Reviews are motivation!

Chapter 1 - Kick Start

Arabian Desert. Two weeks prior to the discovery of Jin Kazama's body.

Nina Williams watched as Lars and Raven departed will Alisa's body from the temple. Shortly afterward, she noticed a chopper in the distance coming towards her.

"About damn time," she muttered in annoyance. She was getting sick of being in this baron desert, not to mention her boss just apparently killed himself. So yeah, that was something her and her colleagues probably needed to discuss.

A Tekken Force operative exited the aircraft to greet Nina as she walked up to the chopper. "Hello, Ms. Williams." Nina noticed that he didn't salute her as he was normally supposed to, but she let it slide. She hated formalities anyway.

"Let's get a move on. Jin won't be joining us on account of he just threw himself into a bottomless pit."

"Actually, I only came to deliver a message. I'm afraid you are not going to be joining us on the chopper."

The assassin wanted to laugh in the man's face for trying to give her orders, but she respected his guts so she humored him. "Not that I really care about your position in our military, comrade, but you're no more than a ranking officer for the Mishima Zaibatsu. I on the other hand will likely be taking over this organization now that Jin is out of the picture, so if you don't mind, I'd like to board my fucking chopper."

"I beg to differ, Williams."

Nina's eyes widened considerably at the familiar voice from behind the soldier. She glanced over his shoulder at the new figure that had exited the chopper.

You can't be serious.

Heihachi Mishima, clad in his trademark tiger coat despite the blazing heat, stood right there with his arms crossed. He had a smirk on his face that even Nina, who was normally devoid of most emotion, almost found infuriating.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

Heihachi let out a dry laugh, "Isn't it obvious? I'm taking back what's mine. I just came here to personally fire you and to see if that meddling half-son of mine is still lurking around here."

Nina mirrored the old man's actions and crossed her arms, "Well you just missed him. And you can't just fire me...it doesn't work like that."

"Actually," the Mishima walked right in front of Nina's face, "it does. You didn't really think that I was just going to sit back and let my grandson take what I've worked my entire life for, did you? I have something that you will never have, Nina: influence. And I have enough of it to pull whatever strings I want in regards to this company."

Even though the man was literally towering over her at that moment, the blonde didn't even falter an inch. She didn't know what intimidation was.

"And something that you will never have," she countered, "is clearly intelligence. You think we didn't change all the access codes, passwords and security protocols in case you decided to rise up against us during the war? We also weeded out any double agents you had spying on us while you spent time wishing you were back in our shoes. You might be a Mishima, but your power is gone."

Heihachi just let out another laugh, except this time it was more of a full blown bellow that seemed to reverberate off the remaining walls of the temple. Nina's eye twitched.

"HAHAHA! You seriously believe that my dedicated personnel, some of whom have been with me for over twenty years, would jump ship so easily when the going got tough? That is not the Mishima way! And it is certainly not the way for those who I employ. I looked into your records: If you and Jin even had the slightest bit of this 'intelligence' that you claim I lack, you would have spent more time and money organizing a brand new military instead of keeping the same old soldiers. I am a god to not only my employees, but everything else the Mishima Zaibatsu entails! It is my life's work!"

With that, Heihachi rose his hand high up into the air and produced a single, but loud, finger snap.

At once, dozens of Tekken Force soldiers arrived from behind the remaining temple walls and almost instantly surrounded Nina before she had time to even think about fleeing. They all had their rifles pointed straight at her as Heihachi's smirk somehow grew even wider.

And for the first time since she woke up from cryosleep, Nina Williams felt a tinge of fear.

The former (and now clearly once again) head of the Mishima Zaibatsu turned around and started back to the chopper as Nina cautiously took in her new surroundings. "It's like I've said many times in the past, Nina: The only way I'm truly letting go of this company is if I'm as dead as you're own father. And killing me is no easy task, especially for a worthless woman such as yourself."

It took all of Nina's willpower not to lunge at the man as he walked away at the mention of her late father. She still had trouble with it, but he and Anna were the only memories Nina had been able to retain since waking up, and over the years she had slowly regained what little she had left of him. If she attacked Heihachi now however, she'd be joining her father very soon.

And dying was something she wanted to do only once this bastard's head was separated from his shoulders, and maybe Anna's as well.

Heihachi leaned towards another operative before re-boarding his chopper. "Kill her."

The man nodded at once and raised his hand to issue the order. Nina counted the seconds.

Three

The soldier's surrounding her steadied their guns.

Two

They re-positioned their fingers on the triggers.

One

Nina took a deep breath. The only thing that was heard afterward was gunfire.

Monaco. Present time.

"A safe house?"

Frederick Rochefort sat back in his chair and regarded the man across the table in thought. The proud, yet humble founder and current CEO of Rochefort Enterprises was one of the most powerful men in Europe. By global standards, Frederick's company was still a well known name but was often overshadowed by the Mishima Zaibatsu's exploits and dominance. Since the war however, business was looking up again for the Rocheforts, and they were in high spirits.

This was why Frederick was a bit suspicious of the man in front of him. He claimed to be the leader of a growing rebellion against the Mishima Zaibatsu – something that Frederick was very much in support of, considering the fact that Jin Kazama almost bought out Rochefort Enterprises completely. The man's request however had admittedly caught the Monegasque native off guard:

He was asking for protection.

"I'm not sure I understand, Mr. Alexandersson-"

"Just Lars," the Swede insisted.

Frederick nodded, "Very well. As I was saying, I am a bit confused at your request. If you're leading a rebellion, why would you want to stay here in Monaco?"

Lars shook his head politely, "Not Monaco. I was thinking a place a bit closer to home for me, specifically Stockholm."

The older man smiled, then took a sip of his tea. Of course Lars was Swedish; his name pretty much gave it away, not to mention his politeness and patience was something to be admired. The only thing that threw Frederick a bit was the fact that physically the rebel commander also held some more distinct Japanese characteristics. In the back of his mind he entertained the idea of Lars being more than just against the Mishima Clan. Perhaps they were related in some way...

"You are a very influential man across Europe, Mr. Rochefort," Lars continued, "You must have property of some sort in Sweden."

"I do," Frederick confirmed, "but whether I can provide it to you or not is still up in the air. You still haven't answered my question, you see."

The Swede let out a light laugh and reached down to pull out his laptop. He then pulled his chair around beside Frederick as he brought up a screen showing what looked to be a map of sorts detailing the Mishima Zaibatsu's current branches throughout the world.

"As you and probably many others know, the Zaibatsu's main head office is in the heart of Tokyo, but there are branches in almost every part of the world, even Australia. There are only a few dozen countries left in the world that are not home to at least a small military base for the organization. These countries include Sweden, Canada and until recently, Monaco."

Frederick shook his head in disgust. He hated Jin Kazama for getting him involved in this mess.

"Due to this," the rebel commander went on, "my rebellion is constantly on guard in Japan. We are not able to plan concise strategies if we wish to attack or sabotage the Zaibatsu in any way, because their influence in that country is simply overwhelming. The only reason my rebellion still stands is because we only formed shortly after Jin Kazama took over. Before that I was simply a commander in the Tekken Force."

"At your age?" Frederick inquired.

Lars chuckled, "Yeah."

"You must be remarkably talented."

"Precisely why I'm not with them anymore. Well, that and the fact that I don't at all agree with what Jin Kazama did these past 8 months. But that's neither here nor there. The point of all of this is that I can't move my rebellion out of Japan – it'd just be too much hassle and it would draw too much attention. If I had a safe house in a neutral country like Sweden however, I could actually get things done without having to always look over my shoulder, and wire information I gather back to my officers in Japan."

The Swede then smirked to himself. Not to mention I could also plan missions that are off the record.

The Monegasque native stood up and started pacing the room.

"So," he placed his hand on his chin in thought, "what you are basically saying is that you have a plan to take down the Zaibatsu then, Lars?"

"Maybe not take them down," Lars admitted, "but I do think I have a way to solve this crisis. I just need a place to sort everything out with the right people."

Frederick eyed the Swede suspiciously, "The right people?"

Lars nodded slowly. Now came the part he was nervous about.

"I believe you have a daughter, Mr. Rochefort?"

Kyoto, Japan. The next day.

Miharu Hirano held onto her purse tightly as she stood outside Kyoto University. The 19-year old was starting out as a freshman today with her best friend, Ling Xiaoyu. The two girls were completely baffled at how they managed to get accepted to the university, as it was one of the most prestigious higher education facilities in Japan.

"Woah...Xiao, look at this place!"

Her pig-tailed friend let out a long sigh, "Yeah..."

Miharu frowned. The normally cheerful Chinese girl had been borderline depressed for the better part of these last two weeks, ever since the two friends had the unfortunate luck to witness the news where Jin Kazama had been pronounced dead. Since then, Miharu had been doing everything in her power to try and cheer up her friend – She took Xiao to her favourite amusement parks, bought her dinner, got along with her bodyguard Panda and never once brought up the topic of boys (which was a very difficult thing for Miharu to refrain from doing).

But still, the most Xiaoyu could manage lately was only a small smile.

It was maddening, but Miharu didn't hold it against her friend in the slightest. She knew how much Jin meant to Xiao, especially considering the Chinese girl usually kept it together way better than Miharu 90% of the time. So for her to still be willing to do things with Miharu despite finding out about her dear friend's death was actually kind of amazing.

Miharu took Xiao's hands in her own, "C'mon, Xiao. I know that you've been really upset lately and I don't blame you, but this is a new stage in both of our lives! And how awesome is it that we're still both going to school together?"

Xiaoyu let out a little giggle, which was like music to Miharu's ears. "It's pretty freakin' awesome."

"That's the spirit!"

"And you forgot the best part, Miharu," she winked at her best friend, "no uniforms."

The auburn-haired girl adjusted the purple cap on her head and made a V-sign. "You know it!"

"So, uh," Xiao scratched the back of her head, "where's our first class again?"

Miharu whipped out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. "Um...says here that we need to go to room 304 – robotics 101. Wait...robotics?! Why did we take that?! It's gonna kick our butts!"

Xiaoyu facepalmed, "Don't look at me! You were the one who picked most of our courses since we have pretty much all the same interests and we're good at the same things...mostly."

Her friend narrowed her eyes, "Is that a P.E joke, Xiao?"

The Chinese girl shrugged, "Maaaaaaaybe."

"Jerk. I definitely didn't sign us up for robotics though."

"Robotics? That would be my class."

The girls whipped around to see a peculiar looking man. He was dressed in a frilly (and decidedly sparkly) purple dress shirt, tight black pants, purple tinted aviators and his hair was dyed, you guessed it, purple.

"Uh...right," managed Miharu, "well we signed up as a mistake so-"

The man held up his index finger and wagged it, "Nonsense! Robotics is truly a rewarding class for all involved. Surely your accidental registration was a blessing in disguise!"

"I doubt that..." muttered Xiao.

"I should introduce myself," the strange 'professor' took a slight bow, "Violet, at your service."

"That explains the wardrobe," blurted Miharu before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth with her hands, causing Xiao to start laughing.

Violet laughed as well though, which made the girls feel less awkward. Something about this guy just made you feel laid back and at ease. Maybe it was the air of confidence he had despite looking absolutely absurd.

"And what should I call you ladies?" Violet inquired.

"Ling Xiaoyu."

"Miharu Hirano."

The man flashed them a brilliant smile, "Excellent! Now then, if you'd come with me I will escort you to my class."

The girls looked at each for a moment, then at the huge campus, then back at Violet. About thirty seconds passed before they finally relented. "Alright."

They turned to start heading further onto the campus property, but to their surprise, Violet started heading back towards the school parking lot.

"Hey!" exclaimed Miharu, "What's the big idea?"

Violet looked confused for a moment, but then bowed apologetically. "Ah, my apologies. I should explain. You see, I am not only a robotics professor but also the genius behind Violet Systems – the largest robotics empire in the entire world!" He finished his proclamation with a twist and snap, earning a giggle from Miharu and a facepalm from Xiao.

"Anyways," he continued, "all students will be having a tour of my Kyoto branch today instead of class, which happens to just be down the road. I promise it will be an experience like no other!"

The girls locked eyes with each other again. They had two options: They could either decline the offer, look for a robotics class on campus that might not exist and potentially be late, or they could follow this strange man that they've never met before into a lavish limo and potentially never see the light of day again.

The first option seemed better.

"Uh, sorry Mr. Violet," Xiao started awkwardly, "but I think we'll pass on-"

They were interrupted by the rather obnoxious ring tone on Violet's cellphone. He took it out of his small pocket and smiled.

"One moment, ladies."

He put the phone to his ear and walked a few feet away from the girls.

"Lee."

"I'm kind of in the middle of something here, Lars. Your timing is decidedly not excellent."

"Sorry about that, friend. How are you doing with Xiaoyu?"

Violet looked back to the girls, who were looking rather impatient. "They seem unwilling to budge, though I haven't the slightest idea why." He heard Lars audibly groan on the other line.

"...are you in your Violet disguise?"

"Of course."

"Look, just get it done. School records from Mishima Polytechnic say that Ling Xiaoyu and Jin Kazama attended school at the same time before he left, and she also confronted me about Jin a couple months ago when Alisa and I visited the school ourselves."

"If I may ask Lars, why is Jin still a factor in this?"

Xiaoyu's head snapped up back towards Violet. Did she just hear that correctly?

"Raven found his body. He was breathing...then he woke up. This was four days ago. We think he's going after the orb."

Violet's eyes widened from behind his aviators, "Jin is still alive?!"

"Keep your voice down! We don't want that information going out into the public eye yet-"

Violet never got to hear the rest of what Lars was saying, because Xiaoyu had literally yanked the phone straight out of his hand.

"Who is this?" She demanded. "And is Jin really alive? Jin Kazama right? That's who you're talking about, right?"

"Uh...yes. That's who I'm talking about. And my name is Lars, though you've actually met me before. At Mishima Polytechnic. You attacked us...along with your Panda."

"Oh...heh, hey. So...about Jin..."

"I'm sorry Xiaoyu, I will explain everything later. Right now I would like you to accompany Violet to Violet Systems. I assure you he is not as dangerous as he might seem at first glance. Could you also hand the phone back to him for me please?"

Xiao was silent for a moment as she looked behind her. Violet looked like a tiny bit annoyed at her blatantly ripping his phone out of his hand, while Miharu just looked incredibly confused and worried. She felt bad for her best friend; Miharu had been looking forward to university for a long time now. It was all she ever talked about, and Xiaoyu had a suspicion that she was heading to more than a robotics class if she accompanied Violet to his company.

"Just one question," she started, "can my best friend Miharu come?"

Lars was silent on the other line for a moment. Xiaoyu held her breath.

"If she is willing. But I would advise you to first find out what it is I would like you to do for me."

The Chinese girl sighed in relief, "Sounds good. Thanks, Lars. Oh...and you're sure Jin is alive?"

"We will discuss it more in person."

"...Okay."

With that, Xiao sheepishly dropped the phone back into Violet's waiting hand.

"...I apologize for that." Lars laughed on the other end.

"No problem, I'm glad I got that out of the way now."

"How are things in Monaco?"

"I secured the safe house in Stockholm, but it looks like Mr. Rochefort isn't going to budge on his daughter joining our cause. I'm heading over there now to make sure everything is in order, and maybe visit my mother's grave."

"Excellent."

"Lee..."

Violet furrowed his brow at the somber tone Lars's voice had taken. "Everything alright?"

"Alisa...where are we with her repairs?"

"We are...progressing. Even I can't figure out some of her more internal damages as of yet though. I've been thinking about an alternative, but that is something we should discuss in person."

It was barely audible this time, but Violet heard Lars sigh again.

"Right. Thank you for all your help, Lee. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Lars."

Violet turned back to Xiaoyu and Miharu, that brilliant smile gracing his features once again.

"Shall we, ladies?"

A/N: I hope I didn't bore you too much with the scene in Monaco. I needed to get that out of the way...I promise the rest of the chapters will be more exciting. Introductions to come in future chapters: Asuka, Lili, Kazuya, Leo, Steve, Hwoarang and the whereabouts of the orb! Updates should arrive later this week, and remember to review!