Family or Foe?

With the help of Helena Douglas, the ninjas, along with Jin, Lars, Lee, and Alisa, managed to find MIST's lab located in the South Pacific. It is where Kazuki is currently being held by Donovan to be used for his next experiment. Kasumi was once used by Donovan to create clones such as the dreadful Alpha 152 and believes that Kazuki will be used for the same thing. After defeating Christie, the warriors managed to make their way inside of MIST's headquarters.

When they enter, they walk into what appears to be a large, round platform, similar to a ring. However, Hayate prevents everyone from walking without looking around first.

"Careful!" said Hayate. "Donovan may have planned a trap on us. That's how he captured us before."

"You're right," said Kasumi. "We should approach this with caution."

As Ayane looks ahead, she notices a person approaching them through a slide door.

"Look! Someone is approaching us!" she said as she gets in her fighting position.

"Must be one of his other bodyguards," said Lars.

Jin patiently waits to see who this person is.

The person turns out to be Rig.

"Well, it looks like we meet again, ninjas," he said. "Nice of you to bring some friends along with you this time."

"Where is Kazuki?" asked Kasumi with a fierce look. "Tell us now!"

"Hey, take it easy, 'mommy'. You know we're not going to hand him over so easily. If you want to find Kazuki, you'll have get through me first."

Jin steps forward and says "Then so be it."

Rig looks with a cocky smile on his face.

"Well if isn't the great Jin Kazama, who dropped off the face of the Earth…because he couldn't win a war that he started."

These words anger the fighters, especially Jin. As he makes a fist, it begins to emit lightning around it, as if to demonstrate how angry he is.

"I don't know about Kazuki but if I had the misfortune of having a dad like you…I'd be one angry guy by now."

"That's enough!" said an angry Jin. "If you want to finish talking, then you better be brave enough to do it with your fists!"

They both get in their fighting stances.

Rig starts off with a combination of kicks that Jin blocks. Jin then tries to land punch but Rig catches his arm, allows him to land a fast three-kick combo. While stunned, Jin gets knocked down with another kick. Jin calmly gets up as Rig resumes another combination of kicks but this time, Jin, seeing an opening, trips Rig's standing leg, causing him to fall. Rig immediately gets back up and tries to land more kicks. The speed of these kicks forces Jin on the backfoot, as he blocks and dodges them. Although Jin recognizes the style as Taekwondo since his rival Hwoarang also uses it, he notices that the speed of Rig's kicks is greater than any opponent he's ever faced. Rig eventually lands a kick to Jin's face that causes him to spin a little. He blocks two upcoming kicks but gets with a third kick, a spinning jump kick that knocks him down.

Thinking he has the fight won, Rig begins to walk around with his arms wide.

"Well, it seems that even the big bad Jin Kazama is no match for me. Too bad," said Rig. He then starts walking up to Jin and says "Just to show how low you are compared to MIST…" He then lifts his leg and attempts to land a one more kick to end the fight. However, Jin catches his arm and counters with a hard punch to the stomach that knocks Rig across the platform. Rig gets up and decides that he has to take the fight more seriously. Jin then comes forward with two punches that are blocked by Rig but manages to land a leg that briefly catches him off-guard. Jin takes this opportunity to land a punch to Rig's rib and another to his head. After backing off to collect himself, Rig comes back with more combination of kicks but Jin dodges, runs behind him, and lands an elbow to Rig's back. Rig then begins to move around a little bit and then, unexpectedly, jumps high into the air and does a cartwheel kick so fast that it knocks Jin down before he can block it in time. Rig then tries to finish Jin off with a stomp but Jin quickly gets up and responds with a three-punch combo to Rig's stomach before landing with a hard uppercut to Rig's chin, which returns the knockdown.

With Rig lay beaten on the ground and struggling to get up, Jin stands straight and says "It's over! Take us to Kazuki right now."

"Fine!" said Rig as he stands up. Without further words, he leads them to the next room, which is very similar to the previous one, only this one is much larger. As they approach the next platform, they can all see a someone awaiting them.

To the fighters, that person is definitely Kazuki.

"You want him? You got him," said Rig as he drops down from the platform.

"Hey, everyone! It's me!" he said.

"Kazuki?" said Kasumi.

"He doesn't look like he's been harmed by anything," said Lars.

Hayate walks up to get a closer look at Kazuki. After a few seconds, he says "How do you feel, Kazuki?"

"I'm…feeling okay," said Kazuki as he looks at his hands. "No problems at all so far."

Jin looks around to see anybody else or anything that looks unusual.

"Where is Donovan?" asked Jin. "Is he here?"

"I don't know," said Kazuki. "I don't think so. I haven't seen him in person today."

"Well, whether he's here or not, we're still going to destroy this place."

"What?" said Kazuki. "But why would you do something like that?"

"'Why'?" said Kasumi as she walks forward. "Kazuki, don't you know what Donovan is up to by now?"

There is a short pause.

"Well…yes…I guess," said Kazuki. "It's just that…I thought that all that mattered was me getting out of this place."

"Donovan has to be stopped, Kazuki," said Kasumi. "We can't let him escape again."

"Besides, he'll just keep coming after you," said Ayane. "Is that what you want?"

"I'm sure if Donovan wanted me for anything, he wouldn't let me go like this, so what would be the point in attacking him if he let me go free?"

Something about Kazuki is very different. Everyone looks at each other in confusion.

"Besides, shouldn't we be after Heihachi and Kazuya?" he continued. "Those are our real enemies."

"Is he brainwashed?" Lars whispers to the crowd.

"No…it's something else," said Jin.

"Yes, it is," said Ayane as she gets in her stance. "He is not what he appears to be."

"Yes, it's just another one of Donovan's clones," said Hayate as he gets in his stance. "His power isn't completely normal. You can barely feel something else inside of him."

"Donovan has already made a clone?" said Kasumi. "No…I will not let this happen!"

"I'm not a clone! I promise. Mother, you have to believe me. You do believe me, don't you?"

Kasumi just looks to the side. She knows it's a clone but can't bring herself to destroy it because it looks so much like her son. Jin notices Kasumi's look and decides to step forward to take on the clone himself but Ayane halts him.

"Let me and Hayate handle this," she says to Jin, who nods in agreement.

Hayate and Ayane walk forward into the round platform and getting their fighting stances while the others step back.

The Kazuki clone looks at the ninjas approaches him. He is expression changes from normal to anger, as his eyes glow red.

"So...everyone is turning their back on me now?" he said. "Fine! I'll make sure you all regret this!" He gets into his own fighting stance.

To Be Continued.