Chapter 18

The crowd had already reached critical mass by the time Julia arrived. Apparently this fight was greatly anticipated. News to her, she didn't even know who her opponent was. A wave of excitement washed over the crowd. The other fighter must have shown up. Julia felt her jaw drop when the crowd parted to reveal Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu pointed to Julia with a look of disdain and gestured for her to enter the arena. The ring was nothing more than a square platform of cobbled rock raised off the ground level - tiered like a pyramid. The crowd roared like jaguars at the scent of prey and Julia saw Heihachi step forward on his dais like a priest over the masses. He raised his hands as if to call the sun to rise from the horizon and the people fell silent. He swept his hand from Julia to the ring - one last call for the sacrifice to die with honor.

Swallowing hard, Julia set her jaw and climbed the three steps that led to the stone platform where Xiaoyu waited. There was no talking her way out of this one. All that remained was one question. "Why?"

Xiaoyu sneered. "Do you really have to ask? What did you think? I would be called to Heihachi and you could run off and be alone with Jin. How could you do that to me, Julia? I thought we were friends."

"It wasn't like that."

"I saw you. His head was in your lap! You knew how I felt for him, but we'll settle that now." Xiaoyu got into her fighting stance.

Julia raised her fists, hoping Xiaoyu wouldn't see them shaking. Xiaoyu's style was relatively weak, but it was quick, fluid, and unpredictable. It was almost exactly the opposite of Julia's style who preferred a stand-up fight. It was a battle of elements: water and earth. If Julia could contain Xiaoyu's motion she could win, but if she couldn't then Xiaoyu would gradually erode Julia until she could sweep her away in one final blow. Friends, indeed.

Heihachi's voice boomed. "Fight!"

Neither Julia nor Xiaoyu moved at the command.

'She's a defensive fighter,' thought Julia. 'Her strength lies in countering, so if I don't attack she may become frustrated and force her hand. The trick is to keep her at a far enough distance to be able to react to her feints, but close enough that I can respond to her attacks.'

They circled each other - clearly Xiaoyu's game. Julia noted how awkward she felt as she moved just her feet while Xiaoyu's whole body seemed to be made of liquid that could flow and crash at her command. Xiaoyu's arms swirl around her body as she rotated and swayed her body from one side to another like an ocean wave.

Crash. Julia had expected it and yet was still surprised at how unprepared she was for the hit. One moment Xiaoyu was out of reach and the next she had shuffled two steps towards Julia rotating her hands as she approached, and extended her left hand to catch Julia in the gut with an open palm strike. Julia tried a grab, but Xiaoyu had already ducked below the hold and slipped to the side to kick the back of Julia's knee. As her leg buckle, Julia felt Xiaoyu roll over her back, pressing a forearm to her neck. Landing, Xiaoyu twisted to her right and swung Julia to the ground by the neck.

The blow should have stunned Julia but instead of striking the occipital bone against the rocks, the throw had been too horizontal and Julia's back absorbed most of the force. Xiaoyu's anger may have caused the imprecision in the execution of the throw, but she could still cause a lot of damage. Julia rolled to the side as Xiaoyu somersaulted and slammed her right heel where Julia's head had been. She was on her feet and backing away when Xiaoyu recovered from the move. From the ground, Xiaoyu glowered up at Julia. Xiaoyu stood, dusted off her hands, and got back into her fighting stance.

Julia stepped back as Xiaoyu brought both hands up from her side - one arm to provide balance as the other one sought to connect to Julia's chin. The blow missed, and Julia sidestepped causing the follow-up to go wide of its target too.

There was a thought that she should be sorry to do this, that she ought to be repentant of striking the only person who had ever referred to her as a best friend, but she wasn't sure she would even connect with this punch and it was Xiaoyu who had initiated the fight. Julia swung her fist at Xiaoyu. It missed as Xiaoyu tucked her chin down and into a forward roll.

"Come on, Jules," Xiaoyu said swatting her own butt. "You can do better than that."

'Don't react,' Julia told herself. More than ever she had to remain stony both to keep from throwing herself blindly into whatever trap Xiaoyu had planned and be able to finish this fight when she had the chance. Julia rubbed her shoulder. Her current strategy obviously wasn't working. Water wasn't something you could grab, but it could be contained by accepting it and then cutting off its exits.

Julia blocked Xiaoyu's high kick and allowed the punch to her stomach through. She tightened her abdomen and felt the impact against her skin with an audible smack. She allowed the force to push her backwards and moved as though to bring Xiaoyu with her. As predicted, Xiaoyu ducked in the Art of Phoenix stance and Julia crouched and delivered a spinning low kick that would have swept most fighters off their feet but connected instead to Xiaoyu's forehead due to her position. With her hands up and back, Xiaoyu was unable to move them back in time to break the fall and basically ended up sitting on the ground.

Although Xiaoyu scrambled back to her feet, Julia had already shifted positions and was upon her before Xiaoyu could bring up her hands. With a short jerk of her arm, Julia elbowed Xiaoyu in the chest before stepping forward and thrusting her right palm into Xiaoyu's solar plexus to drive the air from her opponent's lungs. Xiaoyu stumbled back, wheezing.

"Easy," Xiaoyu said, gasping.

Julia froze. "What?" Julia ducked beneath a right knife hand strike and clenched with Xiaoyu.

"I said, 'Easy.' You're going to win this fight, but we have to make it look realistic."

"Why are you doing this?" whispered Julia.

Xiaoyu shoved her back. "Because of what happened yesterday!" Xiaoyu swung her left leg up and around barely missing Julia. The crowd cheered as the lull ended and the fight was renewed.

Julia double-kicked in the air, missing both, but connecting with a punch when she landed. It connected to Xiaoyu's cheek, but with only one knuckle and without the snap she normally put into her punches, yet Xiaoyu's head turned with the force and carried her body with it. Julia stalked after her like a mountain lion ready to pounce on Xiaoyu's back which was turned. Suddenly, Xiaoyu's legs scissored taking one of Julia's legs from beneath her. Xiaoyu was on top of her in an instant and they rolled on the ground to the cheers of the crowd. In the noise and motion they were able to hold a private conversation.

"When I get on top," Xiaoyu said, "I want you to throw me off. I'll come back at you with a few windmills that you can dodge, and I'll leave my left side open. When you see the opening take the shot."

They rolled and Xiaoyu raised her fist to bring down on Julia. Lifting her hips up, Julia tilted Xiaoyu forward, grabbed her lapel, and worked a foot between their bodies to kick Xiaoyu away. Julia stood - her fists no longer shaking as she faced Xiaoyu. The swings came quickly, but with enough warning for someone expecting them to duck and sidestep. The last swing in Xiaoyu's combination left an opening. Julia shot forward. Her punch connected and sent Xiaoyu reeling backward. Stepping forward, Julia followed up with an elbow to the gut, and ended with an uppercut. Xiaoyu fell to her back. The fight was over.

Julia stood over Xiaoyu's prone body. Very quietly she knelt by Xiaoyu's still form and cradled her head on her lap. She bent over Xiaoyu as though mourning - shadows shrouded her eyes. Her lips trembled and, as silent as the crowd was, nobody heard Julia whisper, "Thank you."

* * *

"Stop wriggling."

Xiaoyu hissed in pain as Julia pressed the ice pack to her cheek. Even with the towel it burned. "I thought I told you to take it easy."

"About half way through the fight."

"Yeah, but that was still before you punched me in the face."

Julia sat down on the edge of the bed. "At least it was realistic. I know I told you before, but thank you."

Like Heihachi had done to her yesterday, Xiaoyu waved away Julia's civility but smiled before wincing as the skin stretched the bruised flesh. "Family first, then friends, and family-friendly theme parks last."

"Glad to know you have your priorities. Still though, that's a lot of money you threw away. You know I can't pay you what Heihachi can."

"Julia," Xiaoyu said, shaking her head gently. "Nobody can pay what Heihachi pays. That's what makes him Heihachi."

'Tight fisted with his money and his love,' thought Xiaoyu. Jin never seemed deficient in having cause for a sullen demeanor. Not once had she seen him smile. "I don't know if he would have paid out anyhow. He seemed to think that Jin wouldn't even inherit the family fortune."

"Why not?"

"He said something about him needing to focus on something and that he wouldn't be the same afterwards."

"Do you think he was talking about Hwoarang? I heard he challenged Jin."

Xiaoyu shrugged. "I doubt it. Jin can take him, I'm sure."

"Then what?"

"I'm not sure, but I know that it has something to do with why you're here. Remember how I told you about the night someone broke into your room. Well, I can't be sure, but I think whatever was stolen is in Heihachi's trophy room."

"Wonderful. The security there must be impenetrable."

"It gets better," Xiaoyu said. "The mask the thief wore is sitting on the wall too. So either she works for Heihachi or she's being held just like your mother."

Xiaoyu removed the ice pack from her cheek which was now properly numb. Julia would take charge and let her know what the next move would be. Xiaoyu guessed this is what it was like to have an older sister and wished the "one child" law in China hadn't been enacted.

Julia stood. "Come on."

"Where're we going?"

"You said you trust Jin, right?"

Xiaoyu nodded. "I'd trust him with my life."

"Then let's go talk to him about this. I need that bowl."

Xiaoyu grinned and jumped to her feet. "Seeing Jin before his fight? I was hoping you'd say that."

* * *

"Here it is." Jin unlocked the door to the trophy room and waited for Julia and Xiaoyu to enter before going in himself and locking the door behind them. He stood at the door and dabbed at his forehead with a towel as Julia followed Xiaoyu to the middle of the room. They had come to him at the end of his katas and he hadn't had time to shower. They seemed to be intent on something, Julia did at least. Xiaoyu didn't do much but give him dreamy stares. It didn't take long for Julia to get to the point that something more than her mother had been taken by Heihachi. At this, Xiaoyu had piped up and mentioned something about the trophy room which is how they ended up here.

"There." Xiaoyu pointed to one of the cases and Julia pressed her hands to the glass and peered in.

"That's it," Julia confirmed.

Jin pushed himself off the wall and approached. Tracing a line from Julia's finger to the object in the case, he saw a bulbous jar and in front of that a small bowl. While he could appreciate the artistic nature, they seemed rather unremarkable. "Are you sure?"

"I know my own handiwork," Julia replied. "I'm beginning to recognize your grandfather's handiwork too. Please, I need them back."

Jin thought for a moment. "I can't give them back yet."

"What?" Julia lunged at him before Xiaoyu managed to hold her back.

"Do you see those large doors over there?" Jin asked. "Those lead to Heihachi's private office. Notice that the case we're standing at right now is directly beside the red carpet that goes between the only two doorways in this room. I could unlock the case for you and give you anything you want within it, but if it's as important as you say it is then he'll surely know that it's missing when he walks by. Seeing as how he and I are the only ones who have keys to these cases it would be very easy for him to trace this back. It's one thing to recognize a person's handiwork, it's another thing to anticipate it."

Julia shrugged out of Xiaoyu's grip. "So - what? Are you just going to let him keep it?"

"For now." Jin smiled. "Punch me."

"What?"

"Punch me. In the face." He continued to smile and wait.

The punch came quick, but since he had told her what to do it was easy for him to intercept it with his own hand. He twisted her wrist slightly, causing her fingers to open. He slipped the case key into her palm and let go. He was glad that she wisely kept her fingers around the key until she found a way to slip it into her skirt pocket.

"If there is nothing further you wish to discuss, I must leave now. As I'm sure you're aware, Hwoarang has challenged me to a public match and I must attend. You, on the other hand, are not obligated. This way, please," he said guiding them out of the room.