.
(Grief)
"Slow down," Lee said, turning to Anna. "The road is easy to miss."
After nearly forty-five minutes of tense silence, it was a relief when he saw the sign for the beginning of the hiking trail. His head was throbbing, and his ribs and his shoulder felt worse. Some part of his brain told him that standing up and walking would give him some relief, but he doubted anything would help.
Anna slowed to a near stop, then turned the car right onto the narrow dirt road.
The foliage and the lush evergreens flanking the road quickly began to thin before disappearing completely, giving way to the desolate landscape and the imposing volcano looming before them. It wasn't the tallest or most impressive volcano, but there was something truly sinister about it.
Ahead of them, the road opened into a wide, flat area. Lee's heart drummed in his chest. Even from a distance, he recognized Heihachi standing beside a black sedan.
"Shit." Anna straightened in her seat as she kept her eyes on the rearview mirror. "Someone's following us."
Lee looked into the side mirror. Through the dust, he saw a black SUV quickly gaining on them. When they entered the open area, it sped up and drove around them, then blocked Heihachi's vehicle from them.
Anna swore under her breath. "There's another one."
Lee saw a second SUV through the side mirror. "Stop the car."
Anna exhaled sharply as she stepped on the break. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"
Heihachi turned to face their vehicle and stared right at Lee. He wished he could stop his heart from racing and his stomach from twisting into knots. Only a couple of hours earlier, he had felt so confident, ready to face anyone. And now, he was defeated and humiliated, and he had no choice but to go face his father again. He grit his teeth as he slipped his arm out of the sling.
"What are you doing?" Anna demanded. Her hands were tight around the steering wheel.
Five men armed with rifles and dressed in gray tactical uniforms had stepped out of the SUV and walked toward them.
"They're obviously not locals," Lee observed. Two of the men were dark-skinned. The other three looked Caucasian, and all five looked like they had experience with their weapons.
Anna spoke through clenched teeth. "Fucking mercs."
So Heihachi had hired mercenaries. "We should have seen this coming." Lee pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and put it in the glove compartment. "I have to go talk to him."
The men stopped a couple of yards away from the vehicle, their rifles pointing down.
"Are you crazy?" Anna hissed. "I can still ram the car into them and get away, but if you go out there, we're screwed. You're in no shape to fight, so all we have is me and my gun–"
There was a sharp tap on Anna's window. A man from the second SUV motioned her out. Someone on Lee's side of the vehicle did the same.
Lee looked at Anna. "Please don't do anything rash."
She pulled on the door handle and shook her head. "I should have floored the accelerator."
Lee opened the door. When he turned his body to exit, a sharp pain in his ribs made him clench his jaw. Heihachi was watching. He couldn't let him see. He had to keep it together. He stepped out of the vehicle slowly, hoping to give the impression that he was trying to be non-threatening, not that he was being wracked by pain.
"Are you armed?" One of the men asked.
"No."
His answer didn't matter. Someone pushed him against the car and began to pat him down. He held his breath and tensed his muscles as he tried to keep his face impassive, but his jaw was clenched so tight that he was sure Heihachi could see it from where he was.
He moved his gaze to Anna. She stood with her arms open wide as one of the men opened her coat.
"Boys usually have to buy me dinner before I let them get this far." Her voice was playful, but her eyes were steel. The man patting her down pulled her gun out of its holster. Anna smiled. "You know a single girl can never be too careful."
The man searching Lee stepped back and spoke. "Why are you here?"
"I need to speak with my father."
The man motioned to Anna. "What about her?"
"She drove me."
The men whispered amongst each other, and then one of them jogged up to Heihachi. When the man reached him, Heihachi nodded, and the man motioned Lee over.
Lee began to walk as straight and as casually as he was able. He had not felt so vulnerable since he was a child. He was surrounded by armed men waiting for him to make a wrong move; he was in no shape to defend himself, and there was no way he could protect Anna. As he got closer, he saw the blood on Heihachi's face, the scrapes on his arms, and the tears on his clothing. Lee's heart sank.
He killed him.
He wasn't waiting for Kazuya. He was leaving. It was done.
Why did his steps feel heavier? Why did his arms feel like lead? It was what he wanted. There had been an assassin out to kill Kazuya, and Lee didn't tell him. Why did his throat feel so tight, then?
Heihachi crossed his arms. "I knew you wouldn't be smart enough to stay away. But judging by the company you brought, I can see I'm not the one you hoped to find standing."
"Is Kazuya–"
"Dead? Yes. And this time, I made damn sure that he won't come back up."
Lee fixed his gaze on the volcano. He didn't know how to talk to a man who had willingly and enthusiastically killed his own son. It was unnatural. Wrong in a way that he couldn't even articulate.
"Don't stand there looking shocked and appalled. You're not much better than me." He pointed his finger at Lee. "I know you tried to have me killed."
Lee's gaze met Heihachi's dark stare. His mouth went dry, and his heart hammered in his chest. He's going to kill me too. "I did."
Heihachi shook his head. "You picked the wrong man for the job. And today, you bet on the wrong man to win. You always choose the losing side. Is it plain stupidity or bad luck?"
Wang Jinrei had been right. Killing Heihachi would have been a noble act. "I didn't side with Kazuya. I sided with your father. The last Mishima who knew the meaning of honor, who–"
"You dare lecture me about honor?" Heihachi moved forward until he was mere inches away from Lee. "There is no honor in betrayal, you stupid boy. I gave you everything. I was ready to make you my heir, and you betrayed me. I could kill you right now, and no one would even blink."
In the silence, Lee stared into the dark abyss of those eyes. They were soulless pits devoid of human compassion. He held his breath when he saw a glint in the old man's eye, something malevolent that made his stomach twist into knots. He's going to kill me. He wanted to do something, but Heihachi's gaze made him feel like a child. It held him down and rendered him immobile.
Heihachi moved forward until Lee felt his hot breath on his face, then spoke in a low, menacing tone. "The Zaibatsu is mine now, and so is everyone in it. If you stay in Japan, there will be nowhere you can go, nowhere you can hide from my wrath. You have until nightfall to get out. If you ever set foot in my country again, if you go against my wishes, I will find out. Believe me. And when I do, I will go after Wang Jinrei. I will go after your little girlfriend, your investors, and your clients. I will ruin you." Heihachi turned his back on Lee and began to walk toward his vehicle.
Lee's mind was blank. He felt numb. It was over. It was really over. And he had lost more than he'd ever imagined. It was over. It was done. He was done. And Kazuya was… He watched Heihachi walk away and somehow found his voice.
"You can't just leave him there. He's your son. He deserves a proper burial."
Heihachi stopped and looked over his shoulder. "There is nothing left of him to bury."
Lee felt the ground sway under him. He closed his eyes to let the wave of dizziness pass. When he opened them again, Heihachi's car was driving away, and the armed men were climbing into their vehicles.
Anna rushed over to him, anger burning in her eyes. "What happened?" She called as she walked. "What the hell happened?"
It took him a moment to form the words. "...He killed him."
Anna shook her head. "That's impossible."
"I'm sorry, Anna. He wasn't lying."
"No," she shook her head again. "You don't understand. It shouldn't be possible. Kazuya is–" She stopped and watched as the vehicles drove away. "Why would he let them go?"
"Because he's gone."
"No." She turned to face him. "We can't be sure. We need to–" Her gaze shifted behind Lee. "Someone is coming down."
He turned around. A woman was slowly making her way down the hiking trail. Her head was low, her shoulders slumped, her clothing covered in dirt and ash.
Anna's shoulders fell. "That's Jun Kazama."
They watched in silence as she walked down. She seemed to notice them when she was near the bottom but didn't say anything.
"Are you hurt?" Lee called out. She stopped a short distance from them but didn't answer. "We can take you to a hospital." He offered.
Jun shook her head. Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "I'm not injured. I just want to go home."
Anna took a step forward. "Where is Kazuya?"
"What happened?" Lee asked.
Jun's eyes were unfocused as they filled with tears. "I didn't think a man would do that to his own son…" Her tears left streaks as they rolled down her face. "...He dropped him into the volcano, and he just…walked away."
Lee's chest tightened. The smug look on Heihachi's face, the callousness of his actions, and his words made him feel sick.
"What did she say?" There was fear in Anna's voice, and he wished he could lie to her.
"Heihachi dropped him into the volcano."
Anna rubbed her arms and looked down at the ground. "I was sure…" She sighed. "I thought he couldn't lose. I…They took my gun. I couldn't even…"
The silence that enveloped them was crushing. It was almost too much to bear, but Lee couldn't break it. He had to leave. He had phone calls to make. But he couldn't move.
Jun finally spoke. "Can you please take me home?"
Lee turned to Anna. "Can you drive her home?"
Anna nodded absently and walked away, with Jun following after her. Lee took one last look at the looming volcano and began the slow, careful trek to the car. Both women were already waiting inside when he finally opened the front passenger door. His shoulder felt worse, and his ribs hurt even when he wasn't moving. The mere act of positioning himself in the seat had him exhausted.
He turned his head over his shoulder and asked Jun for her address. She told him and leaned back, her face turned toward the window, her gaze fixed on the volcano.
He pulled his phone out of the glove compartment as Anna began to drive. Anna could drop Jun off at her place before dropping him off at the airport. He closed his eyes. He didn't think he had enough energy to even dial a number. He just wanted to sleep. To be home in his comfortable bed. But he had lost his home.
He would never use his espresso machine again. It was such an insignificant and random thing…but he had just used it that morning. There were so many things that he had taken for granted that he wouldn't be able to do anymore. In the morning, he had actually believed that he could win. But Kazuya didn't even win.
What had Kazuya done that morning? He had probably made plans that would never come to fruition. Scheduled meetings that he would never attend. Trained in the dojo for the last time. Lee let out a soft chuckle as he wondered if he had actually cemented over Heihachi's zen garden. He really hoped that he had. It would be one tiny insignificant victory over their monster of a father. Why did his chest feel so tight? He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the trees outside.
"It's grief," Jun spoke quietly from behind Anna's seat.
Lee looked at her over his shoulder. "What is?"
She looked into his eyes. "What you're feeling. The thing uniting all three of us." She sighed and turned her face toward the side window. "And he'll never know."
It did feel like grief. Like loss. Like nothing would ever be the same again.
Anna was no stranger to loss, but it had been a while since she had lost so much. That in itself was crushing. But seeing the look of absolute defeat on Lee's face and the tear streaks on Jun Kazama's cheeks made everything worse because she felt responsible for their plight. I should have rammed the old man with my car.
It was a relief when she dropped Jun off at her apartment building because she wouldn't have to see the grief on her face anymore. She hated the thought of sending her into the building alone, but Jun had promised them that she would call her brother when she got home. Anna knew that Jun had been important to Kazuya, and maybe he would have wanted Anna to take care of her. But realistically, she could do nothing for her, and it was probably better to let her go alone.
Jun had shared sparse details on the drive. She said there had been a fight, and she lost sight of Kazuya. When she saw him again, Heihachi was dropping him into the volcano. Who knew that was the way to kill a demon? Anna had thought it was impossible to kill him. She had truly believed– She sighed. Jun had to know his secret. That was probably why she had shared so little information. But none of that mattered anymore because he was gone.
"You're going to miss the exit." Lee pointed ahead.
She turned the steering wheel hard to the left and drove onto the off-ramp toward the airport. As soon as Lee had been able to get reception on his phone, he started making calls. He had to leave the country. It made her blood boil. He had not been born in Japan, but it was his home. Anna couldn't even fathom what she would do if she was banned from Ireland. If she could never visit her mother's grave or go to the seaside on a sunny day. She wouldn't let it happen. She would kill whoever she had to without an ounce of remorse.
She stopped the car when they reached the passenger drop-off area at the airport terminal.
"Are you sure she's there waiting for you?"
Lee nodded. "I'm sure."
He said he had called his girlfriend and told her to meet him at the airport. She hoped he was right and she was there because she didn't have time to help him.
She scanned the area for signs of suspicious people or vehicles before turning to Lee. "Promise me you'll go straight to a hospital when you get there."
He gave her a piercing look. "You have to promise me you won't do anything reckless."
Her heart started racing. "I won't."
"What are you going to do?"
"Stop at a storage facility."
"Why?"
"I have some of my mother's jewelry and a couple of family heirlooms there." She shook her head and looked out the window at the passengers walking in and out of the terminal. "I was going to start condo shopping this weekend. You know, after the tournament was over."
"Do you swear that you're leaving today?"
He looked at her like he used to when Kazuya sent her on a dangerous mission. Like he was hoping that she would see sense and change her mind. She wanted to look away, but she smiled instead. "I have a place in Rome. I blend in well with the tourists."
"And you're going today?"
She sighed. "Yes. I'll send you a postcard as soon as I get there."
He nodded. "Okay." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled. "You drove me to the airport."
She didn't know why, but that simple statement made her throat tight. She chuckled. "Only because it was on my way this time."
"I love you."
Her stomach dropped, and her heart started thumping against her chest. She had to look away. She didn't know how to respond. She looked down at the steering wheel. "What do you expect me to say? I–It's not that simple."
He sighed. "You don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know."
She couldn't say anything because she needed him gone. She needed him safe. "Okay."
With some effort, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. "I'll be expecting that postcard." He said once he stood outside.
She nodded. "You'll get it."
He closed the door and walked away. She watched him until he stepped inside the terminal and the glass doors closed behind him. She waited until two pedestrians crossed in front of her, then pulled out of the drop-off zone.
She didn't have time to waste. It was the first and only time Anna would do something against Kazuya's orders.
There was something that Sayuri had told herself over and over since Kazuya appeared in her home. He didn't materialize in her apartment. It was impossible. Sometimes, she didn't lock the door, so he had probably walked in when she didn't notice. Or maybe he climbed up to the balcony. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, and every time she saw a shadow, even in her room, she thought it was Kazuya coming to make good on his threat. But now, it would never happen.
Earlier that day, Sayuri had her bags packed and was writing a note for Lee when the phone rang. She had wished for Kazuya's death, and though she was ashamed to admit it, she had even prayed for it. But when Lee called to tell her the news, it didn't make her feel better. There was some relief, and her life was no longer in immediate danger, but Kazuya's death brought its own host of problems.
Now, Lee's life was in danger, and he had to leave Japan. The problems didn't vanish. They just shifted from Sayuri to Lee. She packed his passport, all important documents, a couple of his favorite suits, and some cufflinks and watches that she knew he couldn't part with. Whatever she was able to fit in one suitcase. The rest would have to stay.
Sayuri looked up at the electronic readerboard. The next flight to Hong Kong would depart in about an hour. She stood up from her chair and walked around the terminal a bit while keeping a close eye on the entrance doors. She stopped in front of a TV screen when she saw an image of Heihachi Mishima. Winner of The King of Iron Fist Tournament II, the chyron flashed at the bottom of the screen. He was being interviewed, but she couldn't even hear what he was saying with all the noise inside the airport.
She looked around. No one cared. No one was paying attention. People rushed in and out, rolling and carrying suitcases, waving hello and goodbye to loved ones, bowing, and sometimes even hugging. The tournament had consumed Lee's life and hers as well. It had cost him so much, and now the outcome had upended their lives. But to everyone around her, it meant nothing.
She felt relief wash over her when she saw Lee walk through the doors. He didn't look well and wasn't even wearing the sling for his arm anymore. He didn't notice her. He didn't even look for her. He sat on the first bench he saw and looked down on the floor. Sayuri walked over and sat next to him.
He looked at her. "I'm finished." There was no light in his eyes. No anger, no spark.
She took his hand. "No, you're not. Don't say that. Things are bad right now, but you're far from finished." She stood up. "Come on, we need to check your luggage in. Your flight leaves in an hour."
He looked up at her. "You're not coming with me?"
She wanted to tell him she had a ticket for Irvine, California, in her purse. But she couldn't say anything when she saw the look in his eyes. She needed to make sure that he got medical attention as soon as he arrived in Hong Kong and that he found a decent hotel afterward.
She smiled. "I am."
The time to let him go had passed. He truly needed her now. California could wait a couple more weeks until he was well enough to be left alone.
Anna speed-walked down the empty hallway of the storage facility. She was surrounded by concrete floors, walls, and heavy steel doors. Nothing decorative, nothing to muffle the sound of her heels hitting the floor and echoing around her. The noise, combined with the fluorescent lights, quickly gave her a headache, but it only fed her anger.
When she saw her door, she ran to the panel next to it and inputted the combination. Then, using a key to unlock it, she pulled on the handle and stepped inside. The four-hundred square foot room was empty, save for the three six-foot tall gun safes against the wall. It was her personal stash.
There was no way in hell she could go up against the Mishima Zaibatsu on her own. But that was where the old man had to be. He would probably work through the night completing the transfer of power. And it was perfect because it gave her plenty of time to set up an ambush at the Mishima Estate. Maybe she would even find Bruce there waiting like they agreed.
She spun around when she heard the door open, her right hand going into her coat and finding an empty holster. Two Zaibatsu guards walked in, pointing their rifles, then four...She stopped counting at six.
She put her hands up and smiled despite her rage. "All this just for little, old me? I'm flattered."
Yamada was the last man to walk in. His rifle was slung over his shoulder as he pointed a small handgun at her. "Please don't try anything. We were tasked with delivering you alive…if possible."
"You fucking traitor."
Yamada shook his head. "Survivor." He lowered the gun, then held it up for her to see. "I think this is the perfect time for you to school me on guns. What do you call this one?"
It was her Colt Mustang. So they were definitely working with the mercs. There was no way she was getting out.
She looked at the guards. "After all we've been through, this is how it ends? Wasn't I a good boss to you?"
One of the men shook his head. "You broke my wrist two years ago."
Anna scoffed. "Good. I'm sure you deserved it."
And she deserved getting caught. At her young age, she had become the right hand to one of the most powerful men in the world by acting on logic. But she was willing to accept that she messed up. She let her anger and emotions guide her, and it cost her everything. There was a heavy feeling in her chest and an ache in her throat, but she would be damned before she let the men see that. She walked out with her head held high.
Anna propped her feet on the desk and examined her red suede pumps. Another perfectly good pair of shoes scuffed. She scanned the room. One of the men in a lab coat was staring daggers at her. It was probably his desk. She looked directly at him and leaned back in her chair. Then, she shifted her gaze to the other people in the room. The guards looked as bored and tired as Anna felt.
She debated taking them on. She could make it out of the lab; she was about ninety percent sure about that, but the halls of the Mishima Zaibatsu were crawling with armed guards and mercenaries who wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her brain. A lot of the guards were worthless, but she had to admit that those mercs looked like they knew how to handle a weapon. She would have risked it a few hours earlier, but it was late, and she just didn't have the will or energy. And Yamada looked like he really wanted an excuse to shoot her.
The lab doors hissed open, and Heihachi Mishima stepped inside. He had cleaned himself up and changed into a light-colored suit. His scowl deepened when he saw Anna. Her chest tightened when his dark eyes bore into hers.
His English was rough, his voice tight. "Show respect."
Anna shrugged despite her racing heart. "Only one Mishima gets my respect, and he isn't here."
He crossed the room in a few quick steps and glared down at her as he stood next to her chair. "Come." He ordered.
Anna chuckled and crossed her arms. "I may be a bitch, but I'm not a dog."
Heihachi's mouth tightened into a thin line as he tried to stare her down. Yamada stepped forward and motioned at her with his rifle. Anna rolled her eyes like a petulant fourteen-year-old and stood up as slowly as her body allowed her. Heihachi exhaled slowly and walked toward the glass double doors in the back of the lab. The doors slid open when he reached them, and he walked inside. Anna followed after him, and when she stepped into the room, her heart nearly stopped.
The two cryo sleep pods were at the back of the room, connected to monitors and various panels on the wall. A dull, blue glow emanated from the one on the right.
Her limbs grew heavy as she stared at it. She had given the order to put Nina in but had not been part of the process. She did not watch the guards subdue her. She did not watch Doctor Bosconovitch and his assistants as they prepared her and put her in. She had not even visited Nina after it was done.
"You have two choices." Heihachi's voice reverberated around the room. "Death or sleep."
Anna scoffed. "It's the same thing."
"They are exactly the opposite." Doctor Bosconovitch's voice came from behind her. "One of the choices is quite generous."
Anna turned to face him. "You said you wanted to harvest my organs. So forgive me if I don't believe you."
Bosconovitch sighed, his shoulders falling. "That was spoken in anger. It was a misrepresentation of my character."
She crossed her arms and turned to Heihachi. "I will not subject myself to your sick and twisted experiments."
The crease in his forehead deepened, but he remained silent as he watched her.
"Miss Williams," Bosconovitch's tone softened. "You will not be subjected to any experiments. I give you my word."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is to see if cryo sleep works for as long as we hope."
"Hasn't it been tested?"
"We've conducted short-term studies, but the technology is so new that we have been unable to test the long-term effects. If you accept, you will wake up in twenty years, and if the machines work as well as I expect, you will still have your youth, and you will still have your memories."
Anna looked at the activated sleep pod. "What's the catch?"
"If something goes wrong, you won't wake up."
"I'll do it."
"Hmph," Heihachi mumbled as he left the room.
Bosconovitch's assistants guided Anna to the bathroom and gave her a loose white gown to dress in.
When she stepped into the overly bright room, all the anger that had kept her going was gone. All she had was an empty and foreign feeling in her chest. She slipped off her leopard print coat and the rest of her clothes and then put on the white gown. She turned and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink. She looked exhausted. She walked up to it and pulled off a paper towel from the dispenser on the wall, then wiped off what was left of her red lipstick, her armor.
What would Kazuya think of her if he saw her in that state? What would he think of her if he knew she had given up and taken the deal? He would despise her, and she wouldn't blame him. But she was twenty years old, and she didn't want to die. And she was so tired.
Hot tears ran down her face as she closed her eyes. She had failed Kazuya. Had failed to protect him and had failed to avenge him. She had failed Lee because if she had acted with logic instead of her emotions, she would have found a way to kill Heihachi, and Lee could have taken over the Zaibatsu. She had made the worst mistake of her life, and it cost her everything.
She took a new towel and gently wiped her face, erasing any trace of tears. She picked up her coat from the floor, walked up to the toilet, dropped it in, and did the same with the rest of her clothes to make sure they were ruined. She picked up her shoes and hit the heels against the sink until they were broken. The last thing she wanted was for the men to go home to their wives or girlfriends with a nice new gift.
She looked at herself in the mirror one last time before walking to the door. She looked like a shell of herself, a ghost.
"I'm ready." She said when she stepped into the lab.
As pathetic as it sounded, and as much as she hated to admit it, the Mishima Zaibatsu was the closest thing she had to a home. Now, she would be buried in it with the only family she had left. A thought struck her as she was guided into the genetics lab. Nina had been the perfect assassin until she let her emotions guide her. Anna was in her current situation because she had done the same. Maybe it ran in the family. And that thought lifted her spirits, if only slightly. She wasn't really alone. Her sister was right beside her.
Heihachi exhaled slowly as he looked around. There was something soothing about the low hum of the lab equipment. It was periodically interrupted by the clacking of keys on a keyboard or an odd beep every minute or so, but it was peaceful nonetheless. He had dismissed Bosconovitch as soon as he was done putting the Williams girl in the sleep pod. He had let him and his bodyguards go without asking for anything in return. All he wanted was the Russians off his back.
The lab staff looked exhausted. It was time to dismiss them, too. Almost. Heihachi looked around at all the guards, then walked up to Yamada.
"I heard Miss Williams had a weapon." He extended his hand palm up.
"Yes, sir." Yamada reached into his holster and pulled out a handgun. He grabbed it by the barrel and offered Heihachi the grip.
Heihachi took it and examined it. "Hmph, a woman's gun." He flicked the safety off with his thumb and pulled the hammer back. He raised a steady hand and squeezed the trigger. Gasps and shouts erupted around him as Yamada's lifeless body fell slumped on the floor. The room was stock-still as Heihachi lowered the weapon and looked around. "Any questions about how I deal with traitors?" He looked from one shocked face to the other until he had locked eyes with every person in the room. "Lab staff," he said as he pocketed the gun. "You are dismissed. Expect new schedules and project briefings in the coming days. "Guards, get someone to clean this up, and don't hesitate to tell the rest of the team about what happened here."
He turned his back on the scene and walked into the genetics lab. He fixed his eyes on the sleep pods. Anna Williams had been dealt with, Bruce Irvin was dead, and as long as Lee had people and things he cared about, he wasn't a threat. There was no one left to stand in his way.
And Kazuya was finally gone. He had paid for his transgressions in blood, just like Heihachi had promised. He had taken his revenge, earned back the Zaibatsu, and saved the world from a monster, but they would never know. Such was the plight of a hero.