TEKKEN: THE COLD AND THE WARM
ACT 16: Come Together
Inside an apartment in Hong Kong, China
Lei Wulong was on his computer. He had been working on his report for Interpol, with regards to ending this war. But right now, he was starting to have a little doubt about whether it would work.
Because simultaneously, he was reading articles from various news organizations, not to mention watching several videos on social media. Things were looking grimmer than he ever realized.
"Damn! The G Corp have taken the Kuril Islands, and are now assaulting the Russian Far East, the Korean Peninsula and East China. It's only a matter of time before they reach down here to Hong Kong" he cursed as he looked at the pictures.
They showed various destruction, whether it was in China, Russia or even at other countries of Asia.
"They're already taken Taiwan and have slowly taken control of Indonesia. I wouldn't be surprised if they took over other nations in Southeast Asia" Lei continued searching for information.
For a while, Lei had considered making a run for it, escaping from Hong Kong to find a safer place to stay at. Even now, Hong Kong had received a lot of refugees from other Chinese cities. But what good would fleeing do? It was no longer safe anywhere you went in the world, with the exception of Antarctica, of course. Yet Lei had no interest in fleeing to the South Pole just to get away from the G Corp's warring.
In truth, he felt that he needed to stay in Hong Kong. Interpol, let alone the entire world, depended upon his report. Given its importance, there was no way Lei would quit. He had been given this mission from his superiors, and no global was gonna prevent him from accomplishing that.
"Screw those G Corp-bastards! No way am I gonna flee Hong Kong, even if they send their nuclear subs here!" a spark of determination was building within him.
But as he was reviewing his report, something came up on his computer. Lei realized that he had received an e-mail. Curious, he clicked on it to see who had sent it. To his surprise, the e-mail address was unknown to him. This caught Lei's attention.
"What in the world…..who could've possibly sent this message to me? Ah well, I might as well read what it is" the detective remarked.
He got the message on the screen and started reading it carefully. As he did that, it was obvious that this was not just some random guy looking to troll him.
Dear Detective Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police
I can only imagine that you will disregard this message as a spam. But before you do that, please read everything! I beg of you! What I'm writing to you now is not bonkers!
First, I would like to apologize to you. I apologize for being associated with something so twisted such as the G Corporation. When I first signed my contract with them, I was under the impression that they were the good guys in this war. But as the months went, I realized that it was untrue. Why? Because I managed to get a glimpse of Kazuya Mishima's depravity, let alone his henchmen's ruthless actions. Even so, out of my own selfishness, I stayed loyal to the G Corp, hoping that they would end the war by defeating the Mishima Zaibatsu. But boy, was I stupid?
You're probably asking whether we've met before. To tell you the truth, we have indeed. At a G Corp Exhibition in Tokyo, you were standing in line at my autograph booth. When I saw you wearing that t-shirt, I literally cringed. I mean, I actually find older people who are fans of me disgusting. Yet I still let you through the line. Do you know why? Because I was supposed to plant something on you. It was a wire. While we took that photo together, I planted it on you. The reason I did it? Kazuya had learned about you searching for clues with regards to the Mishimas, so he wanted to have you monitored. That would later end up with you being invited to the Mishima Estate, where Heihachi told you every detail about his family. So yeah, I'm sorry for deceiving you, which is the worst thing a pop star can do to a fan of hers.
Now that I've expressed my regrets, it's time that I tell you the true reason why I'm sending you this message, Mr. Lei. I need your help. Like REALLY bad. You've probably seen that massacre on those poor journalists in Jakarta. I'm afraid that this could happen to me. As of now, I'm at the mercy of Kazuya and his cronies. One wrong move and they will kill the people I treasure most: my family and friends. That's why I'm trying my best to not appear rebellious.
But it's no longer working. Anna Williams, and probably Bruce Irvin as well, are starting to suspect me of wanting to desert the G Corp. That's why I fear they will kill my parents, as a means of forcing me to keep my mouth shut. However, I can no longer do that! No, I REFUSE to do that!
This is why I have reached out to you. I know that you have many allies across the globe, from the Tekken Force rebels to those UN ninjas. Please help me getting away from Kazuya and his madness! I desperately need your saving ASAP! If not….who knows what those freaks will do to me!
From a very unlucky pop with her own life on the line. TT
The moment he finished reading it, Lei froze completely. It was not because this message was fake, since it was indeed real. Rather, it was due to the nature of the message, let alone the one who had written it. Based upon the story, let alone the usage of the star, this could only mean one thing.
"Oh my God….Lucky Chloe….." Lei stammered as he uttered out the name of the teenage idol. "I…...I can't believe it…..what did I just read?" he was still unsure of how to take all this information in.
Lei started to slowly recall back to the G Corp Exhibition in Tokyo, where he had gotten her autograph while taking a photo with her. He could not believe that this young girl had assisted Kazuya by planting that device on him without his knowledge. The more he thought about it, the more Lei started to realize something else.
"But if I was wiretapped then that means…at the Mishima estate…..when Heihachi told me everything…Kazuya must've listened to it all as well!" the police officer almost fell onto the floor. "I don't know what happened while I was unconscious…but I can only assume that Heihachi discovered the wire on me…which obviously lead to him and Kazuya decided their final battle on Hawaii!" Lei exclaimed.
This actually made Lei fall down to his knees. He was completely stunned by the fact that he indirectly caused these events. But could he truly bear these responsibilities alone? Lei didn't think so.
"No! What happened on Hawaii was never my fault! Not even Master Wang's defeat was my fault….." Lei got slightly emotional when talking about the late martial artist from China.
Even to this day, Lei could still remember how he'd fought valiantly against Revenant, only to fall in the end. Still, Wang had given up the last traces of his power to save every fighter from becoming puppets of the wicked cultist. The fact that someone Wang was gone was, in his mind, a great blow to the Earth itself, especially with both the Acolytes of Pluton and Kometa now making their move amidst this war.
Suddenly, a burning determination began building inside Lei. He got back to his computer and started writing a reply to Lucky Chloe's message. Yes, although a part of him was upset with the teenage girl about deceiving him, the rest of Lei could tell how she spoke the truth. After all, Chloe was willing to reach out to him, no matter how dangerous it was of her.
That's why Lei was now responding to Chloe, even trying to make sure not to disclose his identidy.
Dear Good Samaritan, whoever you may be...
Had someone else read the message you sent me, he or she would've undoubtedly refused to hear your call for help. Heck, even I could've done the same. Nobody wants to be deceived by someone they admire. But because of how devoted I am to my job, I just can't bring myself to just disregard your pleas. They are legitimate and reasonable, not to mention how I refuse to stoop down to the lowest level of a human being.
With that said, I am willing to help you with your problems. But that will take some serious investigation. Even so, I don't want you to think of me ever abandoning you. Selfish as you perhaps were, everyone deserves a second chance.
Now if I ever am going to help you, I will need to inform my colleagues about your message. And not only that, you're gonna have to cooperate with us fully. Which means, you will be our little eyes and ears inside the G Corp. But be careful not to draw attention from anyone. Knowing Kazuya, Bruce and Anna, I fully understand the risk you're putting yourself into by corresponding to me. Still, it's done for a great cause, trust me.
One more thing, though. Could you perhaps inform me the names of our loved ones? If you do that, I promise you that me and buddies will ensure their safety. But we can't do that if we don't know who they really are. Give me the names of your parents, at least.
I will not send you another message until you've sent me one. First, I will need to confer with my colleagues. Perhaps then will I aid you with escaping from the G Corp's clutches, whatever method you may use.
Best, a proud and devoted serviceman of law and order.
PS: Will you ever tell me about how you practice your dance moves? Don't mean to sound unserious and all, but I can't help but admire your skills. Plus, you would've made a terrific fighter in the art of Wu Xing. Just saying. =)
With that taken care of, Lei sent this message. He felt a little optimistic now, seeing as how he and his friends would gain a valuable mole inside the G Corp. However, there was no guarantee that Lucky Chloe would succeed in hiding her independent actions. From what he'd heard from certain reports, Kazuya and his associates showed no mercy towards deserters.
Difficult as it sounded, this correspondence was totally worth it, especially now that the G Corp was slowly destroying the world.
"I gotta inform Lee and Lars about this. With this information, we can perhaps gain an ally against Kazuya and his cronies" Lei decided to make contact with his allies.
Somewhere near Eorimok Valley, Jeju Island, South Korea
This place so high on the island of Jeju was actually a tourist information center. Given its location, it was right by the nature reserve. From there, the imposing Hallasan rose up to the sky. Needles to say, this was where tourists would often travel to in order to explore the wilderness of this Korean island.
But in these days, there was nothing remotely tourist about this place. Ever since the G Corp launched its assault on the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island had been attacked as well. Jeju City was particularly bombed, alongside many other towns on the island. Desperate, the civilians had tried to either flee by boats or flee to higher ground and into the wilderness.
Baek Doo San, Hwoarang and Shuwawei had done the latter. Right now, they were living in a tent at the information's parking lot. As were other citizens who'd taken refuge in the wilderness. As such, information had almost turned into a tent city, where people from all across Jeju were living in involuntarily exile.
Men, women and children were desperate, not knowing what would happen now that the G Corporation practically controlled every town on the island.
The tent city itself was being guarded by soldiers of the South Korean military, and there was even several trucks and jeeps parked around the camp. If enemy soldiers were to approach them, these men would open fire to protect the refugees.
Inside the tent were the Taekwondo-fighters resided, they ate. Truth is, they were eating what appeared to be soup mix, which would be made by just pouring cooked water in the mix. However, Hwoarang didn't seem pleased with eating it.
"Bleh! Just how old is this soup mix!? No way I'm eating that!" Hwoarang complained as he sat on what appeared to be a mattress.
Baek rolled his eyes while pouring some cooked water into a cup from a thermos. "If you're that disgusted then don't eat the soup at all. You can starve yourself to death if you wish" he reprimanded his student.
Hwoarang didn't seem to be listening to him at all, as he was busier trying to at least taste more of the soup. He needed something to eat after all.
"Even so, I say this situation we're in is pretty messed up. Too bad we were at the wrong place in the wrong time" Hwoarang remarked.
Shuwawei frowned. "But even if we were back home in Seoul, I don't think it would've made any difference. We still would've been on our feet fleeing for our lives just like we've done here on Jeju" the young woman pointed out.
Hwoarang only looked at Shuwawei, giving hr a look that hinted to nothing but annoyance. But on the other hand, he had to admit that there was a point in her words. He was not alone. Baek seemed also quite supportive of her statement.
"Shuwawei's right. As of now, the entire Korean Peninsula is being marched upon by the G Corporation. And now I hear that they're making gains in East China and the Russian Far East. It's only a matter of time before they turn their attention towards the rest of Asia" Baek said as he took a sup from his cup. "That being said, I am uncertain about where we go from here? Trying to make an escape from Jeju to the mainland is meaningless. And I can't say sailing east towards Japan is a safer option" the Taekwondo master began pondering about where they would go next.
"But Master Baek, if we go Japan, wouldn't we at least have allies?" Shuwawei suddenly asked him. "Yes, I'm talking about Lars Alexandersson and Lee Chaolan. They must still be running their operations from Kyoto, depending on whether they haven't been compromised, of course" she went on.
Baek smiled weakly. "That's sound reasonable. But as I just said, getting to Japan, let alone Kyushu, won't be easy. There's no way that we'll be rowing all across the East China Sea. We should at least get a bigger boat" he replied.
"But aren't the ferries like…out of order as of now?" Hwoarang suddenly chimed in. "Plus, how can we be exactly sure that those guys are still in Japan. Given that their goal is to oppose both the G Corp and the Zaibatsu, I'll say that they're changing tactics rather than just staying put in Japan" he went on suggesting.
For some reason, Baek thought carefully about Hwoarang's words. In a way, his student was correct to point that out.
"Can't believe I'm actually saying this, but you make a good point there, Hwoarang" Baek told his rowdy student with the eyepatch. "Perhaps we should take precaution and actually make sure that our friends really are in Japan" he then came up with a suggestion.
Shuwawei looked at him with her head slightly sideways. "With all due respect, sahyun, how will you try making contact with Lars and Lee?" she asked him, addressing Baek by using the Korean title for masters in Taekwondo.
Baek found himself chuckling. "This information center probably has computers that I can use. And don't worry about asking for permission. Given my past training to recruits in the military, there's no way they will refuse my request" he assured the young woman.
"Tch, you wish" Hwoarang sarcastically remarked.
Yet Baek didn't pay attention to what his student said and put his cup down. He then started putting on his jacket.
"Well, I'm going to the information center and ask if they will let me use the computer. I will try persuading them by insisting that Lars and Lee can help us with this situation" Baek informed the two Taekwondo fighters. "If you wanna come along, you're more than welcome to" he told them before exiting the tent.
This left Hwoarang alone with Shuwawei in the tent. But after a few seconds, the rowdy man suddenly but his bowl away and got up on his feet. Shuwawei found herself giggling, and she even came right after him as he exited the tent.
"So, you DO have some heart for Master Baek" she teased him while playfully pinching him on his right arm.
"Pipe down, chatterbox. I'm only tagging along so I don't have to be stuck with you alone" Hwoarang hit back as he kept moving.
The young woman rolled her eyes as she followed him. "Whatever you say, Mr. Obvious" she replied.
As the Taekwondo pair walked through the tent city, they noticed how crowdy it seemed at this camp. Both children and adults were sitting outside, each doing whatever was needed for them to be safe. Quite frankly, being surrounded with this kind of view only filled them with sorrow. Many of these had lost not just their homes, but their families and friends as well.
In time, Hwoarang and Shuwawei exited the camp, eventually walking up to the entrance of the information center itself. That building was heavily guarded, and soldiers were patrolling inside and outside the area.
Even now, Baek was engaged in a conversation with what appeared to be a senior of the Korean army. He had approached the Taekwondo master in order to prevent him from getting inside.
"I am terribly sorry, sir. But all computers inside the building are currently being used by our communications unit. We need to commune with other regiments, including those on the mainland" the senior officer apologized, yet the expression on his face hinted to how stern he was on the inside.
Yet none of that prevented Baek from pushing on. "I understand that. But let me assure you that I will use only one computer to make contact with valuable allies: a faction of Tekken Force rebels. With their aid, we might be able to fight back the invaders" he insisted.
The senior officer's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you say…..Tekken Force rebels?" he asked, only to burst out laughing in a bitter manner. "Tekken Force rebels? Give me a break! What good will they do!? Unless your eyes are not working, our country is currently being attacked by the G Corporation! Therefore, it's them we should worry most about!" he then told Baek rudely.
No matter the disrespect coming from this man, Baek didn't show any reaction. He remained calm and composed as always. The same thing couldn't be said for Hwoarang, as he found the soldier's words to his master really disrespectful. So he decided to intervene.
"Look, buddy. I don't care about what orders your lousy superiors gave you, but we're really in a jam here. My sahyun can help us in getting some…" Hwoarang didn't get to finish his words, as the senior officer immediately directed his anger towards him.
"Was I talking to you, pirate!? No! So back off!" he insulted Hwoarang's use of eyepatch.
To hear that really ticked him off, so he was about to launch a kick upon the soldier, only to be held back by Shuwawei and Baek.
"CALL ME THAT TO MY FACE AGAIN, ASSHOLE! I DARE YOU!" the hothead was this close to erupt.
"Damnit, Hwoarang! You're not causing another scene now!" Shuwawei scolded him.
"Control yourself, boy!" his master tried his best to hold onto him.
The two soldiers standing guard at the building's entrance rushed up to their superior's side to see if there was need for them to help restrain Hwoarang. But on another note, the senior officer had begun studying Hwoarang's face and features. The reason was because he'd heard what Shuwawei had said. This led him to realize something.
"Wait a minute…that voice..." the senior officer's eyes widened again. "It's…...YOU!" he pointed a finger at the young man.
The trio of Taekwondo fighters stopped with whatever they were doing and looked at him confused. Hwoarang was perhaps the one most, seeing as he cooked his only visible eyebrow at this man.
"Umm…do I know you?" Hwoarang quizzed.
For some reason, the senior officer scowled. "Don't you recognize me!? You were that lousy ruffian who repeatedly disobeyed orders during your mandatory military service! I'll never forget the many times you'd been a pain in my ass!" he reminded him.
That's when Hwoarang's eyes widened. "Woah….is it really you…Kwan?" he asked him.
This made the officer bristle in anger. "IT'S CAPTAIN KWAN, YOU DAMN IMBECILE!" he spat back at him.
Hwoarang grinned cheekily. "Heh. It's been quite a long time. I see that you still haven't changed a bit" he noted amusingly, much to Kwan's irritation. "Even so, I really can't believe we're meeting like this" he proceeded to chuckle.
Both Shuwawei and Baek were puzzled, yet Baek seemed to have a clue on what was going on.
"Hwoarang, is this man an acquaintance of yours from the military?" he asked.
"More like a superior. He was one of the commanders of this special ops group I got put on" Hwoarang recalled, acting quite laidback as he explained. "It was cool in the beginning, yet as months passed, I got bored of living by rules and duties. Matter of fact, I missed my old days back on Seoul's streets" he went on while scratching the back of his neck.
Kwan was not impressed so far. "All the more reason why you were unfit for the military!" he spat out.
Hwoarang only looked at him unfazed. "Sheesh, no need to throw a hissy fit. What I just said was in agreement with your own opinions" he pointed out.
"Why you…" the captain was less than pleased with the young man's answer.
Shuwawei suddenly got the whole picture. "Of course! It all makes sense now. During the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, didn't you slip out of the military in order to participate in it?" she asked him.
"Yup. I figured that Kazama would be there to kick his grandad's ass, so I left the base and entered the tournament" Hwoarang answered her so casually.
"Which, by our country's military rules, constitutes to dereliction of duty" Baek chimed in by explaining an important detail.
Hwoarang groaned. "So what? Back then, I was THIS close to fighting Kazama. But on the very day I was about to fight him, a bunch of soldiers from the army showed up in the garage of the hotel I was staying at. They came and arrested me, which caused the tournament organizers to disqualify me. And guess which dirtbag led this retrieval team" he looked at Kwan with displeasure.
Both Baek and Shuwawei laughed softly, as they already figured out whom Hwoarang was speaking of.
Kwan only huffed at the young man. "Please, I only carried out my orders. Your desertion was the last straw for our superiors. They therefore ordered your capture and demanded that you be court martialed for your disobeying" he justified his actions without any regard for Hwoarang.
Hwoarang chuckled. "Well, I did get sent to the South Korean embassy in Tokyo. And once I got back home, I wasn't stripped of my rank. I still wore the badge of sergeant till my service was finished! So in your face, sucker!" he mocked Kwan, even blowing raspberries simultaneously.
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!" Kwan was furious and he was about to unleash himself against Hwoarang.
In return, Hwoarang was more than willing to give the captain a piece of his own mind. But Baek and Shuwawei quickly intervened, with the other soldiers helping them separate the angry men from each other.
"Let me at him, Master Baek! Now's my chance to let him get a taste of his own medicine!" the young ruffian didn't hold back.
Yet Baek was undeterred. "Well, you need a medicine to help temper your anger!" he scolded his student.
"Ugh, this is just ridiculous! How long are you gonna tolerate this, sahyun?" Shuwawei wondered aloud, yet Baek was already concentrated on restraining his angry student.
For some reason, Kwan had stopped getting angry. He had begun looking at Baek, even studying his features. Something appeared to hit him inside his own head.
"You there!" he immediately got Baek's attention. "These guys call you Master Baek….as well as sahyun. Are you….Baek Doo San?" he stammred, surprisingly sounding a little shaky.
The middle-aged man nodded with a quick nod. "You got that right. Pleased to be of acquaintance, captain" Baek responded.
The moment the Taekwondo master said that, Kwan immediately snapped. He even bowed down his head deeply, doing this repeatedly in the process.
"I apologize so much, sir! How rude of me to have forgotten one of the greatest Taekwondo masters who contributed greatly to the training of our soldiers! Oh, the shame!" Kwan was so apologetic that it disturbed those around him.
Eyebrows were furrowed, yet Hwoarag soon erupted into laughter. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"So now you wanna get all respectful towards Master Baek now? But you just refused his request minutes ago" he stated the obvious.
That didn't sit well with Kwan. "Shut up, ruffian! I don't answer to you!" he scolded him before returning his gaze upon the Taekwondo master. "As for you, honored sahyun. It was never my intention to disrespect you. Please forgive me!" he tried again to apologize for his earlier refusal.
Baek chuckled nervously, even waving his hand at the distraught captain. "At ease, soldier. So far you have done nothing that points to disrespecting me. I know that you were just following your orders" he assured the captain. That's when he decided to change the subject. "But back to what I was saying earlier. I believe that by reaching out to these Tekken Force rebels, we may be able to find allies against the G Corp" Baek went on explaining.
Kwan scratched the back of his neck, unsure whether this plan would even work.
"Well, I'm not sure how this will benefit our nation, but no way I can't refuse you entry to the information center" Kwan responded, showing them the way. "Very well. I'll grant you passage inside, but only under my supervision. I just hop that army command won't punish me for aiding you with this mission" the captain made one concession.
"That's fine. Heck, some of your men can even accompany us if you wish" Baek responded with such enigmatic courtesy.
With that said, Kwan took the Taekwondo fighters inside the information center. Whether they could reach out to Lars and Lee, remained to be seen.
Onboard the Amphitrite, Gulf of Thailand
The sailing headquarters of Kometa was beginning to slowly leave Thailand behind. Despite being completely exposed out in the open sea, the Thai navy hadn't even bothered coming after them. This gave the Amphitrite plenty of opportunity to get out of sight.
But onboard the ship itself, Shin was walking through a corridor leading to somewhere he'd never expected to be at: Lana Lai's personal quarters. He had only heard from his fellow executives. But from what they, especially Bryce, told him, Lana's suite was quite extraordinary.
Even so, the thought of him being alone with Kometa's leader made Shin feel a little unease. Ever since the fiasco at the exchange, Lana had locked herself up on her personal quarters. No one, not even Bryce, had dared trying to speak with her. Shin had done exactly that…..until he was summoned to come to her suite.
As he kept walking, so many thoughts and questions swirled inside his mind. Shin didn't know what reason Lana had for asking him to come, yet he knew it was somewhat related to their recent "trip" to Bangkok.
Taking the elevator up to the suite, Shin tried his best to remain composed. Given that he would speaking to her in the suit instead of the summit room, Shin would without a doubt be alone with Lana.
"Please…..at least let something decent come out from this…" he prayed as the elevator stopped.
Entering the suite, Shin was greeted to the sight of a large bedroom. There were a lot of Chinese decorations in here, not to mention the pond with koi swimming in it. Needless to say, it was a suite worthy of someone so powerful like Lana Lai.
Shin caught glimpse of Lana, as she was getting pedicure from two of her bodyguards. She wore a black qipao with red flower patterns on it. The minute she spotted Shin, she smiled at him.
"Ah, Kamiya. I see you answered my call. Please, have a seat before me" she spoke up, her eyes never leaving sight of him.
Not knowing how to respond properly, Shin nodded his head weakly. He sat on the chair and looked at his superior in order to appear obedient.
"I came here as soon as I got your message" he answered, the Japanese man taking note of how each of her toenails were given colors. But he quickly returned his eyes upon Lana's face. "Did you ask for me so that I could get a look at your pedicure? Sorry, but I'm not into that stuff" Shin tried to change the subject.
Lana giggled, amused at the young man's choice of words. "My apologies. Let me just make some adjustments first" she replied and snapped her fingers. "That's enough, men. You two have done a spectacular job with my feet. But now, I wish to speak with Kamiya alone. You're both free to take your leave" Lana spoke to her bodyguards.
None of them dared questioning Lana, so they obeyed her orders without even saying anything. In time, they both got inside the elevator and were out of the suite.
This left Shin completely alone with Lana. Things were quiet between them, with her pond the only thing to make noise in this room. No matter how hard he tried, Shin still found himself feeling awkward for not speaking.
That's why he decided to break the silence now. "So…is there a good reason for why you wanted to speak with me alone? Not to sound impolite, but this is probably the first time we've ever done something like this" Shin asked her.
"You are correct. It is really our first time" Lana agreed. "Which is why I will start first be thanking you, Shin Kamiya" she suddenly expressed gratitude towards him.
Shin raised an eyebrow in return. "Thanking me? For what?" the Japanese man was confused.
The smile on Lana's lips never vanished. "Back at the harbor, while we were held back by those pesky fighters, you showed your devotion to protecting me. And not only that, you also made sure Ortega didn't get his chance to misbehave" she came up with a shocker.
This widened Shin's eyes a little. "What? You mean to tell me that conniving sleazebag was trying to….." he got his answer when the Chinese woman nodded at him.
"Correct. There is no question that Ortega was trying to pull an assassination attempt on me. Which is disappointing, seeing as I had once great hopes for him. This only leads me to realize one thing. It was he who tipped those fighters of our plan on whacking them. Therefore, he must also be the one responsible for leaking intel to those UN agents, which resulted in us losing Dr. Hayes" Lana explained everything in detail as her subordinate listened.
"Is that right?" Shin remarked, pretending to be interested. "Well, I only called out Ortega because me and Adams needed his assistance" he then pointed out.
Lana still had her eyes upon Shin, trying to read every movement he did with his body. It felt odd for him, yet the Japanese man tried to not let this woman suspect him of anything.
"You're probably wondering what other reasons I have for bringing you here alone. Allow me to answer. You see, I want you at my side, Kamiya" she revealed.
"Could you elaborate on what that means?" Shin asked, feeling awkward.
Lana leaned a little forward from her seat. "Because of Ortega wanting to get me out of the leadership, I need someone I can trust with keeping a better eye on him. There's no telling when he attempts to make another move on me" the Chinese woman answered plainly.
"But why me? I mean, isn't that a job for Adams? You know….seeing as he's your secret boyfriend/fiancé?" Shin threw his hands up in the air.
But in that moment, Lana got up from her seat and got right before Shin. She didn't pull out any weapons, yet she found herself resting both hands on his shoulders. She was so close to coming into contact with Shin's face.
Shin felt his heartbeat pumping, with Lana almost this close to actually kissing him. Why was she doing this?
"Come now, poor Shin. Surely you wouldn't refuse a request from someone who took you in to shelter you. Is that how you wanna repay my generosity?" Lana asked as if she was speaking to a little boy.
Despite this, Shin didn't open his mouth to respond. He kept looking at her. But something was odd. Lana had never called him by his first name like this. Had something changed within this woman?
Seeing as how he had him under her whims, Lana gently touched his chin and made sure his eyes met hers.
"I may have never shown it, but the true reason why I took you in was not just so that I needed a new executive. If I wanted that, I could've chosen other men from the Yakuza" Lana began, her eyes surprisingly bearing some hint of empathy in them. "I did it out of pity. Because I pity the life you've been unjustly given, Shin. That awful experiment you had to endure, all because of that deranged madman Heihachi Mishima" she started to remove the right sleeve of his jacket, thus exposing his bandaged arm.
Gently, she started stroking it with her tender fingers. No matter how uncomfortable it felt, Shin did nothing to make her stop. He just looked at Lana as she did what pleased her best.
"Because of the M-Cell Project, you are no longer human. You have even lost the ability to age. That means…..you're immortal" Lana explained the important details.
Being told this finally gave Shin some courage to respond, and it was not pleasant. For he knew very well that Lana's words were not a compliment.
"What good does it really do? I've been turned into some freakshow" Shin replied bitterly, looking down on his lap. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, my chance of getting back at Heihachi has long since passed. Damnit! If only I'd gotten to him first" he lamented being denied his right to get revenge.
Lana stopped stroking Shin's bandaged arm, once again touching his chin tenderly. Her eyes never left sight of the Japanese man.
"That may be true. But do not forget: his wretched descendants still walk on this world. Kazuya Mishima…..and of course, Jin Kazama" she spoke of Heihachi's son and grandson, respectively. "Sooner or later, their time will come. Then we will punish the G Corp and the Zaibatsu for whatever injustices they committed. Salacia will help us making that dream becoming a reality" Lana continued explaining her plans.
Shin sat still and listened. "But what of the rest of the world's population? Won't they suffer too because of that satellite?" he was being frank when asking Lana that.
"A necessary risk!" Lana got away from Shin, saying it loudly as she did that. Still, Lana never lost sight of the young man sitting before her. "Yes, they will be affected by Salacia. But you must understand that what we do is for the greater good, young Shin" she began speaking to him as if Shin was her son.
This made the Japanese man wonder: was Lana trying to make him stay by her side? Had she perhaps discovered something he had done? Either way, he treaded carefully, not daring to raise any suspicions from this woman.
"Sure. I realize" Shin spoke in agreement of his superior's words.
A smirk of satisfaction crept on Lana's lips. "Splendid. Then I ask you once again: will you be my secret eyes and ears? My very own guardian lion?" she apparently tried to sound endearing when calling him the last word.
Shin didn't know whether Lana was serious or not. Still, he felt the need to respond to this woman, who could change into a sadistic killer at any second.
"Yes. I will gladly do it for you, Lai. You have my word as your guardian lion" Shin responded.
Lana giggled, patting Shin's head as if he was her pet or something. "Excellent. I was just hoping to hear you say that" she complimented him. "With that out of the way, I say I let you in on our next move" she revealed as she took her seat.
"Our next move? But shouldn't Ortega and Adams be here too?" Shin wondered with his arms crossed.
"Oh, they will be briefed about it in time. But since you're here now, I might as well give you the details" Lana assured him, only to pick up a tablet computer that was near her. She showed Shina map of their next destination. "Our next destination will be the Mediterranean. There is something we wish to acquire there" she revealed.
Shin's eyes widened slightly. "The Mediterranean? But why? Haven't you heard the news? Armadas of the G Corp are currently there, launching attacks upon Europe and the Middle East. Isn't it too dangerous for us to be sailing somewhere like that?" he was in disbelief.
Judging from Lana's facial expression, she was very serious about them sailing there. "That may be true. But it's there where we will find our next person of interest" she revealed.
"You mean…." Shin was about to say the obvious, yet Lana was already willing to tell him the details.
"That's right. Because we failed to acquire Fahkhumram, we will need a new asset. That's why we're going to visit the infamous holy man himself: Claudio Serafino" Lana revealed.
Shin sat and listened through while his boss explained how they would approach this, as well as the reason for them going after the Italian exorcist and his order. No matter how questionable this mission sounded to him, Shin remained mum and took note of every single word coming out of her lips.
"So do you get it now? Do you understand why this mission is important?" Lana wanted to make sure she had Shin onboard.
"Of course. If that's the best interest of Kometa, then I have no reason to argue" Shin got up and was about to leave. However, he was not moving just yet. "Still, I just want to make this clear to you, Lana Lai. You're playing a very dangerous game here" he then told her.
Although a little surprised by this level of tone in the young man's voice, Lana was far from angry at him. That was obvious, given her grin which slowly hinted to her wickedness ready to be unleashed at any second.
"I already know that. But do you suppose that doing nothing is a better alternative? The answer to that is already obvious" Lana responded, yet she noticed Shin already taking his leave. Yet that didn't faze her at all, and she was more than willing to continue speaking to Shin, even as he was inside the elevator. "Regardless, I expect your full devotion to this mission. We cannot afford to fail this one. Until our next meeting, gather your strength and clear your mind…78M" those were the final words as the elevator doors shut.
Even as he stood there all by himself, Shin was emotionally shaking. This was due to the final word Lana had said to him. As the elevator moved downwards, Shin looked to his right. He saw himself in the reflection.
Or perhaps more specifically, he saw his bandaged left arm. The longer he looked at it, the more resentment began taking hold over Shin. After all, he knew that no matter where he was, Shin Kamiya was aways a weapon. Whether it was at the Zaibatsu laboratory, the criminal underworld of the Yakuza or onboard the Amphitrite, he was first and foremost viewed as an asset.
The pain of bearing such treatment was enough to unleash the anger inside of him. Without even realizing it himself, Shin punched the mirror, shattering it. He did it with his left arm, of course.
While the many pieces of glass fell down, Shin's anger slowly started to fade away. He began reminiscing back to his past, specifically to the worst part. As the only survivor of the M-Cell Project, Shin had been forever changed. He no longer felt human. Still, he managed to escape from the Zaibatsu's clutches, who'd sought to enlist him in the Tekken Force.
But as he got back to his parents, Shin was hopeful that they would at least welcome him home. But to his greatest dismay, his parents were horrified of what their son had become. Truth is, they'd never expected him to be back alive. Angered, he did the unthinkable. Shin killed his own parents, feeling betrayed by their lack of love and protection for him. However, once he saw the bleeding corpses of his mother and father, Shin cried in agony. He realized that becoming "immortal" had completely stripped away his humanity.
With nothing else to live for, Shin was embraced by the Japanese criminal underworld, eventually coming into contact with the Yakuza. He became a ruthless enforcer, all while doing this for his own survival. However, he also hoped that his affiliation with the Yakuza would get him closer to the Zaibatsu. Heihachi Mishima had indeed done dirty business with them in the past.
But then came the day when Lana Lai approached him. Lana, desiring to create a group of loyal and ruthless executives, was impressed with Shin's dangerous reputation. She even promised him Heihachi's death if he joined Kometa. Tempted by such offer, Shin agreed to become an executive. Still, he would never be given the vengeance he deserved, seeing as how Kazuya defeated him in a duel on Hawaii.
This had caused enormous resentment towards Kazuya. But what of Jin? For some particular reason, Shin had never held any grudge against his former classmate. The only question was why.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Shin knew it was time for him to get out. He looked at his arm, realizing that he'd almost punched a hole in the wall. Still, he managed to pull it out, proceeding to exiting the elevator.
While he kept moving, Shin was still adamant about carrying his own plans.
"I may play the pet for a few more weeks. But once that part's over…I will finally put an end to this" Shin thought.
Inside tall building in La Défense, Paris, France
Having brought them out of the Channel Tunnel, Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch were now back the building which had been used by Yggdrasil as their own base of operations. The group of friends they'd gathered consisted of Jin Kazama, Julia Chang, Steve Fox and Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen. Together, they had gone off to Paris, specifically travelling to the business district called La Défense.
As they were right outside, Steve looked up to marvel at the height of this skyscraper.
"Woah…." Steve was almost rendered speechless. "How did you manage to rent a place like this? Must be bloody expensive if you ask me" the British boxer asked both Lars and Alisa.
Lars seemed to have the answer, and he stopped to look over his shoulder. "To quote Lee: I've got friends in high places" he answered.
"Didn't he say something about having executives at L'Oréal backing him?" Alisa quizzed, trying to recall an earlier conversation.
"He did indeed, Alisa" Lars agreed with a smile.
The group of friends had each different reactions to what Lars and Alisa said, although Jin remained mostly unfazed.
Leo, on the other hand, was different. "Friends in high places? L'Oréal? None of those make any sense the more you think about it" the German girl pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
Julia giggled. "Well, that's Mr. Lee, alright. He really knows the way of the businessman" the brunette remarked, unable to stop giggling.
"I would recommend not saying that in his presence. For all his brilliance, it's hard not to ignore his overconfidence" Jin advised Julia and the others.
"Come on, he isn't THAT bad" Julia reprimanded him. "Sure, his personality can be eccentric, but he's still a force of good in this world" she went on heaping praises of the business tycoon.
Jin let out a sight of annoyance. "I tried to be helpful" he noted sarcastically.
"Yeah, as helpful as killing civilians" Steve blurted it out.
This made Jin stare at his half-brother dispassionately, yet Steve didn't look away. They remained fixated upon each other. Those around them watched this with slight worry.
"Must we really go through this again, Steve? It's getting old" Jin complained.
"Only if you keep being such a negative smartarse" Steve replied.
Knowing how this would lead them to nowhere, Lars stepped in between the half-brothers.
"Alright. That's enough sibling quarrel for now. You're not Nina and Anna, so at least try being more cordial towards each other" Lars encouraged the two.
Both Jin and Steve did as Lars requested. With them being taken care of, Lars and Alisa proceeded to lead the group to the entrance of the building itself.
When entering, they found themselves inside a fancy lobby. Everything here seemed to indicate how serious and hardworking people were at places like this. They watched the large fountain in the middle. Someone was already standing by it, awaiting their arrival.
It was Lee Chaolan, the silver-haired man never hiding his fondness of the color violet. The minute he saw the group, he stretched out his arms as if he was showing them something.
"Welcome to Paris, my good friends! I've been waiting patiently for your arrival!" Lee put on a show for them all.
While most of the group were unfazed by Lee's showman-like antics, Julia couldn't resist the urge to giggle. She even ran up to Lee in order to greet him.
"Mr. Lee! I'm so glad to see you again!" the four-eyed woman exclaimed, her gleeful smile never fading away.
Lee chuckled out of amusement. "The feeling is mutual, Mrs. Julia Chang. It's a relief that you and your friends made it over here" he went on expressing how glad he was to know of Julia's safety.
Steve shook his head weakly, yet it wasn't out of displeasure. He too was amused at Lee's antics, no matter how extravagant they could seem sometimes.
"He never changes, does he?" Steve asked Lars, who rolled his eyes in return.
"True. But he makes up for it with his skills" Lars remarked, only to look at Lee with a serious expression. "Lee. Did something happen while me and Alisa were away?" he asked him.
Lee nodded his head in response. "Indeed. But let me assure you that it was quite positive. For you see, we've managed to gain ourselves a new ally. She insisted on meeting you" he revealed.
"She? You mean it's a woman? Then it must be…." Lars stopped once Lee held up his hand to make him stop.
"No, Lars. This isn't Master Raven we're talking about here. In fact, this is a woman whose determination rivals that of hers" Lee said with a smug smile. "I asked her to wait for us at my office. Shall we go up and meet her? I've already met her, but it's you whom she requested to see most" he suggested.
Lars looked at Lee with a rather troubled expression. However, judging by the confident expression coming from Lee, the Swedish man could tell that something was not entirely wrong about meeting this woman.
"Alright. Then we'll all go to your office. But this woman better not be someone I know from before" Lars stated.
Lee shrugged off his adoptive half-brother's words. "Trust me, Lars. She's someone you would've least expected to see here" the business magnate assured him.
With that said, the entire group took the elevator up to the highest floor of the skyscraper. On the way up, Steve, Leo and Julia were awed by the impressive view of not just La Défense, but also Paris in general.
"Woah! I've never seen Paris like this before" Steve remarked.
"Well, La Défense is technically outside the major neighborhoods of the city" Julia said, only to spot some of the famous landmarks of the French capital city. "Now that reminds me, it's amazing how you can see both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe from this spot" she remarked as she adjusted her glasses.
Lee chuckled lightly. "Trust me, there is more to like about Paris than those two landmarks" he assured them.
Once they were at the top floor, Lee led them to his office. As they entered, there appeared to be a lone woman standing there. Well, not exactly alone, seeing as there was a man sitting not far from her current standpoint.
Everyone in the group looked at this woman. She was platinum-haired and dressed in formal attire suitable for a politician. What was noticeable was a small visible scar running across her left eye. Once she noticed them arriving, the woman put her tablet computer away, approaching the group as they looked at her.
"Took you long enough, Lee Chaolan" the woman firmly stated.
Lars' eyes started to widen a little. "Hold on….isn't she…" he was almost at loss for words.
Lee cleared his throat and appeared not far from this woman and her aide. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you current Prime Minister of Poland: Lidia Sobieska" he introduced, only to notice the dirty glare her aide was giving him. "Yes, and her aide, Andrzej" Lee added the desperate man.
Lidia looked at Lars, her eyes specifically fixated upon him. She approached Lars, who did the same thing. The Swedish man even reached out his hand to her.
"It's…..its a pleasure to have you here, Mrs. Sobieska. I am…." Lars didn't get to finish his sentence.
"I know all about you, Lars Alexandersson. Your reputation as one of the few anti-Mishima Tekken Force commanders reached my ears a long time ago" Lidia replied, the woman not so much as smiling at him in return.
Realizing how futile it was of greeting her, Lars withdrew his hand. "R-right. I see" he replied, although he felt the need to ask more of her. "But do you mind telling me why an important political leader like you wishes to see me? As far as I can tell, neither NATO nor the EU are officially aware of Yggdrasil's existence. So why bother coming here?" Lars wanted some honest words from Lidia.
A slight smirk crept on Lidia's lips. "I ended up coming to this place by coincidence only, after visiting the French president at the Elysée Palace. Still, during the visit, I couldn't help but to find myself intrigued by this certain group of Tekken Force rebels. It made me think of how much guts they had to defy the Mishima Zaibatsu. This led me to ask Andrzej here to search for whatever clues that hinted to your whereabouts" she answered him.
Lars seemed to understand what Lidia was getting at. "I see now. You wish to have an ally against the Zaibatsu? By which I mean someone who has better understanding of its systems when compared to NATO" he pretty much stated the obvious. "Mrs. Sobieska, Yggdrasil would be more than happy to aid you against the Zaibatsu, but you must understand that they are not the only bad actors in this conflict" Lars then pointed out.
Yet Lidia surprisingly nodded her head in agreement. "Correct. Because I have something to share with you. About a certain incident happening in Belweder few days ago" she agreed with Lars.
Lidia and her aide then proceeded to tell them about Kometa's attempt to assassinate her, as well as Enrique Ortega's shocking claim. The reactions to Lars and his friends were that of shock.
"No way….Kometa sought to have you assassinated?" Lars was almost speechless.
"To prawda. But I managed to defeat those cowards and put them in chains. I've made sure to keep them alive for interrogation" Lidia answered.
Hearing this made Julia recall something. Steve and Leo also did that. They remembered what Nina had said back in the Channel Tunnel.
"Guys, didn't Nina say something about her being approached by Edgar Grant for an assassination job?" she asked them.
"Yeah, I remember her saying that she was asked to take out a certain prime minister" Leo realized, only to look at Lidia, her eyes stern as iron itself. "It all makes sense now. It was you whom they wanted dead" the German girl remarked.
Lidia was not surprisingly pleased with hearing this. They could all tell that based upon her scowl.
"I must ask that you respectfully don't speak of it with so much wonder. The very thought of me being one of their targets infuriates me!" she did her best not to let her anger move unchecked.
Leo was quickly apologetic towards her. "Sorry. I meant no offense" she told her.
Lee was trying to summarize Lidia's encounter with Kometa, let alone their influence throughout the world.
"Regardless of the assassination attempt's failure, this goes on to show how ambitious Kometa really is, let alone the influence they wield" Lee noted from what he gathered from Lidia's explanation. "But do you really believe that it was them who were behind the murder of your father years ago?" he wanted some answers from Lidia.
"Nie! There's no way that I would ever believe the words of a scoundrel" the prime minister was adamant. "But even as I've dealt with this threat from Enrique Ortega, I've been more concerned about the G Corp's recent march on Europe. Right now, they've managed to claim the Balkan and the Iberian Peninsula as their own. They're now moving across the rest of the continent" she let out a sigh of frustration.
Lars showed understanding towards her in return. "Yes. We fully understand that. As a prime minister, you undoubtedly have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders" the Swedish man told her.
Yet even as things seemed quiet for now, Lidia suddenly turned her attention towards Jin. So far, the Japanese man had not spoken a word since he got inside the office. Even as their eyes met, he remained mum. But as Lidia approached him, Jin finally gave her his full attention.
"Jin Kazama…." Lidia spoke with displacement in her voice. "You sure have a lot of guts showing yourself like this" the young prime minister noted.
Despite being spoken to in such harsh manner, Jin was still unfazed at her. He narrowed his own eyebrows.
"Lidia Sobieska. I gather that Lee has told you everything. Including the fact that Lars has kept me hidden from the international community…as well as the reason why I haven't been turned over to the ICC" Jin suggested to her.
But judging by Lidia's disapproving frown, as well as Lee childishly giving him a thumbs up in the background, he could tell that she indeed learned everything from him.
Jin smiled slightly. "Your stoic reaction tells me you have indeed been informed. Then let me assure you that I intend on making up for my crimes, no matter how hard they are" he assured her.
"Spare me your flattering redemption story!" Lidia abruptly shut him down. "Your actions have caused many nations, including my own, tremendous amount of pain and distress! As such, you being used as a weapon against your dearest father is not enough for me to forgive you" she sternly informed Jin.
"I understand. Truth is, I did not expect you to be so forgiving" Jin replied.
But this really made Lidia physically grab the collar of his jacket. Clearly, the Japanese man's words had unintentionally made her upset. Yet Jin remained calm even as the young prime minister was exposing her fury to her.
"Mrs. Sobieska! With all due respect, I will not tolerate violence inside this building!" Lee had to step in.
"He's right" Steve surprisingly spoke in favor of Lee's plea. He scratched the back of his neck as he walked over to Lidia and JIn. "Listen, Mrs. Prime Minister. All of us inside this office wants nothing but to see Jin get his buttocks smacked as punishment for what he's done. But if we do that instead of letting him clean up his own mess, that makes us selfish, no better than what he did" he tried reasoning with Lidia.
After getting those words into her head, Lidia let go of Jin, albeit she did so reluctantly. That said, her disapproval of Jin never vanished.
"You better stay true to your word. If not, I will be more than happy to deliver you straight into the ICC's hands" the Polish woman warned him.
Knowing better than to say anything, seeing as Lidia would just take it out of context, Jin decided to blank her out Still, he did exchange a nod towards Steve, who huffed at him in return while looking at another direction.
Jin then turned his attention towards Lee and Lars, wanting to change the subject.
"Let's not waste anymore time. I agreed to come here for one important reason" Jin told them. "If we're gonna come up with an plan on freeing Xiaoyu and my relative, I suggest we begin now" he was adamant on finding those two girls.
Alisa was worried once those two names were brought up. "Asuka and Xiaoyu….." she showed great concern towards her friends.
Lee seemed to be on the same page as him, yet for some reason started walking towards a giant screen hanging on the office wall. It looked almost like a giant computer.
"We will get to it shortly, that I promise you" Lee answered Jin, only to smile as he faced everyone in the office. "But before we do that, why not reconnect with some old friends from the previous tournament?" he said as he pushed the button on a remote to switch on the screen.
Everyone in the room were surprised to see what Lee had done. As soon as the screen was on, it showed them Zoom video call. It was almost like a virtual classroom. In that screen, various familiar faces could be seen. After all, they were currently sitting in all corners of the world.
The following people there were Lei Wulong, Baek Doo San, Hwoarang, Shuwawei, King, Craig Marduk, Eddy Gordo, Katarina Alves, Christie Monteiro, Ganryu, Michelle Chang, Bob, Rodeo, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Forrest Law and Leroy Smith.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The King of Iron Fist Reunion. In a virtual way, of course" Lee was boastful as he presented his handywork. "I didn't succeed in bringing everyone to this meeting due to certain difficulties. But at the very least we most of
"HELLO!" all those people said together.
Steve, Julia and the rest of the group all paid attention to the many screens.
"Mom! Even you are here?" Julia looked at the screen of her mother.
Michelle giggled, and it looked as she was currently live from Phoenix, Arizona.
"Sure! When Lee told me about you coming to this place in Paris, there was no way I was gonna lose the chance to reach out to you. Things haven't been the same in the tribe since you left on this journey of yours" Michelle said, only to notice Julia giving her a questionable look. "Oh, and sorry about using your computer without asking. But I just figured that going to an Internet café for this Zoom meeting would be awkward" she apologized.
Julia almost facepalmed, yet managed to keep her had up high in order to not make this situation anymore awkward than what it already was.
"Yeah…..sure….." the Native American woman replied to Michelle.
"It's great that we could meet each other like this? Who know that Zoom could come in handy?" Lei spoke from his apartment in Hong Kong.
Steve had to chuckle at what he was seeing and hearing. "Man, I always thought you were an expert at this, seeing as how you love electronic devices so much" he spoke to Lei.
Lei moped, feeling that Steve's words were a little unnecessary. "Please don't throw any jibes at me now, Steve. There's been a lot on my shoulders lately" the policeman told him.
"You're right, I take it back. Sorry" Steve apologized, only to notice Paul and Marshall on the screen. "Bloody hell, you guys are here too? It's amazing!" the young boxer remarked.
The two friends laughed, while Forrest and Leroy shook their heads at listening to them. They were live from New York City.
"Sure. Due to the invasion and all, we've stayed at a hideout place on Coney Island. So far, anything's been safe for us" Paul replied.
"Yeah, it's all thanks to Leroy that we managed to find someplace safe. He owns this safehouse" Marshall chimed in.
Leroy waved his and at everyone on the screen with a gentle smile. "Hey there, friends. I know y'all haven't seen me before, but my name's Leroy Smith. I'm master of Wing Chun and have spent most of my life fighting injustice with it" he introduced himself to everyone. "While Paul, Marshall and the rest of you folks were at the recent tournament, I was looking after young Forrest here. You see, I also run a dojo in Chinatown. But ever since the war, me and my friends have relocated to Coney Island" Leroy
Lee smiled, glad to know that they were safe. But there was something he needed to say to them. Or more specifically, it was Leroy.
"I must thank you for taking care of my former training partners, Master Leroy. And not only that, it was you who took the initiative to contact me. I'm well impressed" Lee commended him.
The elderly man found himself chuckling. "It was nothing, boy. Both Paul and Marshall spoke very highly of you and Lars Alexandersson. So I thought it was the right thing for us to make contact with you" Leroy answered.
Lars had to smile at hearing this. "Well, we're glad that you see it that way" he said, before looking at Rodeo. His expression turned serious. "Rodeo, I take it the siege of Washington has been halted, right?" he asked the soldier, who was reporting from what appeared to be a bunker at Washington D.C.
"True. But only momentarily. It's getting worse here with each hour. Those G Corp-bastards are truly determined to capture the White House. Still, I want to make it clear to you all: the President and the US Government are no longer in the city. They have fled an undisclosed location, yet we don't know where exactly it is" Rodeo explained.
"You don't say. Well, here in Seattle, people are completely unfazed by the war. They act as if there's nothing to worry about. But sooner or later, the G Corp will make it to America's western coast" Bob spoke from a hotel room in Seattle.
"They're only living in alternative reality!"Ganryu spoke from the basement of his restaurant. "Even as I speak to you from my restaurant, G Corp soldiers are patrolling the streets of Honolulu as if it was their own. This means the rest of the islands have been taken over as well" the retired Sumo wrestler spoke up.
"That's horrifying!" Alisa noted.
Lars shook his head at listening to all this. "With these events happening, I'm shocked that the American public doesn't take the invasion serious at all. I guess being without their leader has shattered their confidence" the Swedish man noted.
"It's not just there. Even here in Brazil, you'll find people not as affected by the war as those from the northern provinces. But we know that large cities like Rio de Janeiro are not spared from the invasion. The G Corp will come here, much quicker than we probably" Eddy spoke up, he, Katarina and Christie being live from the orphanage in Rio.
"So both the USA and Brazil have been invaded? That's strange. So far, there's not been a single report of a G Corp attack in Mexico. Given our close proximity to the US, I'd expected them to attack our country. Either way, we plan on staying inside this chapel.…..for the orphans' sake" King told everyone, with him and Marduk being live from the chapel outside Hermosillo in Mexico.
"As long we're here, there's no way those freaks are getting near the kids! I'm gonna make sure of it!" Marduk wanted to put on a show to prove how he cared much about the orphans.
Even so, everyone seemed to blank the Vale Tudo fighter's tall words. In fact, it encouraged Lars to speak with Taekwondo trio.
"I see that you guys are on Jeju Island. Have you taken refuge up to higher ground because of the invasion?" Lars asked Baek, who nodded his head firmly.
"True. As of now, we're staying in a refugee camp up north near Hallasan. It's right outside an information center for tourists. Still, we can all assure you that we're safe from…" Baek didn't get to finish speaking.
Hwoarang was already getting close to the screen, seeing as he had spotted Jin. That made the young ruffian all fired up.
"Kazama! I finally found you! I should've known you'd hide with that eccentric weirdo and his Swedish buttslave!" Hwoarang was furious.
Jin sighed and looked away, while Steve and the other secretly laughed at seeing Hwoarang's antics change by just looking at the Japanese man. It was also funny to see Jin feeling embarrassed.
On the other hand, Lee and Lars were each dumbfounded by what Hwoarang had called them.
"How needlessly rude. I am neither eccentric nor a weirdo" Lee huffed, not appreciating Hwoarang's description of him.
Lars was even more stunned. "Swedish buttslave? What the hell does that even mean?" he uttered out, unsure of what to make of this comment.
"Damnit, Hwoarang! You're not making a scene like this now! Get off it!" Baek tried removing his student from looking at the screen.
But as everyone watched the kafuffle take place between the quarreling master and student, something happened with the entire screen as a whole. It started to go blurry.
"Something happened to the screen!" Alisa was shocked by what she saw.
"What's going on?" Leo wondered.
Lee tried to push on the buttons on his remote. Yet none of those worked. This frustrated the business magnate.
"I don't understand! Could this be technical malfunctioning or…" Lee was soon given the answer he and everyone else wanted.
All of a sudden, the screen stopped being blurry and it showed everyone a hooded man with a gas mask. Yet his eyes were glowing with darkish purple light. As the blurring stopped, the man in the screen started laughing. It could be heard throughout the room.
"Greetings, Yggdrasil. I am called Revenant, the one who strikes from the shadows of Pluton" he introduced himself as the leader of the infamous Acolytes of Pluton.
Everyone got on their guard, especially Lars, Jin and Lidia. Alisa got up close to her friends.
"That's him! This is the leader of the Acolytes of Pluton I was talking about!" Alisa exclaimed.
"So it's you!" Lars called him out with a finger pointed at the screen. "You were the one who murdered Wang Jinrei!" he didn't mind being harsh with his tone.
Even so, Revenant was far from fazed. "Yes, that is correct. But why did that old fool matter so much to you, Lars Alexandersson? You barley even knew him" the leader of the cultist was so cynical about it.
"Bastard….." Lars cursed.
Lee narrowed his eyes. "What have you done!? And how did you manage to hack into my computers!? I demand an answer to this transgression!" the usually calm-mannered Lee was getting furious.
That didn't seem to have an effect upon Revenant to say at least. He even found himself chuckling at seeing Lee's antics getting out of hand.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but there is something that I wish to share with you. A certain secret which, truth be told, would benefit you all" the masked man told them.
Everyone in the office were confused. They couldn't even understand why Revenant had even hacked into the data, just to say something like that.
"A certain secret? What are you talking about!?" Julia demanded a clarification of his words.
"Whatever it is, it's nothing but a load of bollocks!" Steve barked at the screen.
"I agree" Jin said, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Revenant. "Whatever trickery you have, there's no way that I will fall for it! I know the kind of man you really are" he said.
"Is that so? Then I suggest you be careful not to insult those more knowledgeable than you, Jin Kazama. Because of all the people in this petty office, this certain secret would benefit you the most" Revenant advised him.
But Jin was having none of it. "Quit testing my patience and just tell me what load of bullshit you're hiding!" he demanded, his devilish rage now on full display.
"Oh, it's quite simple, really. You see, the secret I have for you and your friends is…the current whereabouts of Ling Xiaoyu and Asuka Kazama" Revenant finally spilled the beans.
Shock took over the entire office once the last sentence came out of the cultist's unseen mouth. It was a revelation none of them had ever expected to hear.
To be continued…
