Author's Notes: Oh yay, school is closing in on me again... I start back August 18, and once this happens, I’m worried that my updates will start coming slower than they already do...
The Past is the Past
Chapter 8
As the past gets larger and further away
the future gets more near...
A time when all those unanswered questions
may finally be made more clear...
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Wulong could see the light filtering through the blinds all too clearly as he began to steadily saunter towards his office, his curiosity at its peak. When reaching his office, Lei entered to see things were definitely not as he had left them before... Quickly noting the steel box on his desk top, the startled detective made a quick effort to open it to see if anything had been tampered with. He then realized shortly afterwards he was missing something...
“Zao shang hao, Wulong. Looking for these?”
Lei turned around in a rapid motion, facing the familiar someone with narrowed eyes. “Han Zhang...”
“That’s right, Lei,” Zhang laughed, dangling Lei’s keys in his hand. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“What the hell’s going on, Zhang?!” Lei ordered.
Zhang suddenly removed a small, folded piece of paper from the confines of his pocket. “This is what’s going on,” Han spitefully spat as he unfolded the paper, revealing it to be none other than the photograph of Bryan Fury and Lei Wulong from over twenty years before that he had stolen earlier the day before...
Zhang continued to grin. “Maybe you’d like to explain this?”
“You asshole,” Lei growled, his temper nearing the crossing point.
“The gig is up, Wulong Lei,” Zhang grinned once more, slowly pacing towards the furious Wulong, “I knew you were the traitor we were looking for, and what’s more is I know how you’re secretly working for Fury, and most likely Heihachi along with him.”
“That’s not true, Zhang!” Lei firmly objected, “It’s true that Bryan Fury was my partner years ago, but this was before your time. We don’t speak of it anymore... It’s considered shameful to...”
“Tsao that!” Han yelled, “You’re finally going down, and then your job is mine you horrible excuse for a detective. Pah, no wonder Arisa dumped you, and let’s not forget pretty little Jun,” he mocked.
“Jun Kazama wasn’t the little angel everyone thought she was...” Lei silently whispered, “You know nothing, just like everyone else...”
“Your excuses are sheer shit,” Zhang gloated, “Now, whatever diminutive amount of honour you did have left is at loss. You are a disgrace to our people as we know it. You don’t even deserve to share the same burial ground as your father, even considering the revolting detective he was, too.”
“You’re so fucking pathetic, Zhang,” Wulong spat, enraged as he raised his hands, ready to launch an attack on Zhang. “If you really do consider yourself worthy enough, then you’ll fight like a man,” Lei then disengaged the gun strapped to his belt, tossing it away to the floor.
“Fine,” Zhang shot back, quickly following Lei’s example and throwing his own gun towards the ground in the same direction as Lei’s, watching it skid across the smooth surface of the polished tile into the corner. “Considering the way your physical condition was following your pitiful defeat in the Tekken Tournament, I don’t think I’ll have too much of a problem,” he laughed.
Han then immediately raised his own hands into fists, soon after making a quick effort to punch Lei in the chest, though Lei rapidly bent backwards, dodging the attack altogether. Wulong then did a back handspring with amazing speed, sending Zhang flying back into an impact against the wall.
“Bravo, Lei Wulong, did Kazama Jun teach you that one?”
“Huh?” Lei rapidly turned his head towards the open door of his large office to see yet another familiar face...
Zhang promptly stood back up, wiping the blood from his lips. “Mao Ziyang? What the hell are you doing here?”
“I think I should be asking you the same question, Zhang?” Mao smirked.
“Ziyang? Where have you been?” Wulong questioned with inquisitiveness clear in his voice, “I received your phone call, and you said you needed me down here immediately, and that there was trouble that needed to be taken care of?”
Mao deceitfully nodded. “You’re right; and I’m afraid you’re the trouble...”
“Wha-what?!” Lei exclaimed in disbelief.
“Ha, I knew it!” Zhang declared, full of pride, “I knew you were the traitor we’ve been looking for, just like I know you’ve been working for Bryan Fury!”
“Good work, Zhang. On some of your allegations, that is,” Ziyang deviously spoke, his voice dark, accompanied by a leering expression on his face as he turned his glance to Lei, “Wulong Lei here has been fucking Fury; or should I say getting fucked, judging from the way he was walking earlier. So yes, I guess you could say little Lei has been working for Fury,” he laughed.
Lei didn’t say anything... He was frozen stiff, unable to reply or retort to this...
“Ugh... that’s disgusting!” Zhang spat as he faced Lei with an unfading sickened look upon his face, “Damn, I never figured you that low.”
“I still can’t argue that Wulong here is quite the attractive bitch,” Mao smiled evilly as he this time turned his glance back in Zhang’s direction, “Though... You’re wrong about Wulong being the traitor...”
“What...? What do you mean?” Zhang asked, starting to get the full picture.
Mao just laughed in turn, suddenly removing the gun from the pistol harness to his front in a fast motion, and pointing it forward...
Lei and Zhang both gasped, finally realizing the true matter of the situation... “You...” Lei muttered.
“That’s right,” Mao sarcastically laughed, “I’ve been working undercover for Heihachi Mishima for quite some time, but you were all such pathetic morons...” he guffawed.
“It was you...” Lei began, his tone full of silent anger, “You were the one who planted the bomb in my hospital room, not Bryan... you-you tried to kill me!”
“And you finally get it!” Mao applauded, “It’s a good thing Fury got you out of there, though. Heihachi no longer wants you dead, but alive... He has ‘special’ plans for you... That’s why you’re coming with me, once I disable you, that is,” he then turned to Zhang, “And I’m afraid you now know too much, so you’re going to have to die. Oh well, I never could stand you, either.”
“I can’t believe this,” the bewildered Zhang murmured in disbelief.
“You’re not taking me anywhere,” Lei affirmed, his voice a cold, harsh whisper.
Mao then raised the gun he held in his right grasp higher, and in Wulong’s direction. “That’s where you’re wrong. Say goodnight...”
And in an instant, the sound of a gunshot was heard...
But... neither Lei, nor Zhang fell at the sound... Instead, Mao dropped his own gun to the hard floor, falling forward shortly afterwards to land on hardwood desk that the baffled Wulong and Zhang stood behind.
“What the?!” Zhang abruptly exclaimed. Lei then swiftly stepped forward, watching the blood collect along the smooth surface of the desk.
“He-he was shot in the head...” Lei then looked up in a quick motion, looking past the open door of his office to see almost utter darkness. “Who’s out there?” Wulong questioned with furrowing brows as he began to walk around the desk and towards the darkness.
Zhang hastily grasped Lei by the arm. “Are you crazy?! How do you know there’s not an army of Tekkenshu out there waiting for us?!”
“I don’t, but whoever this is could be on our side, and besides, we can’t just stay in here,” Lei assured.
Zhang then roughly freed Lei’s arm, a distasteful look once again on his face. “Whoever said anything about us being on the same side, queer?”
Lei growled, “I’m not a queer!”
“Yes, you are,” Zhang ridiculed with a smirk.
Wulong wanted to punch Zhang right in the face to wipe that unfading smirk off his face then and there, but he felt the presence of someone else beforehand...
“Why not kill him, Lei? I’m sure you could, and I’m sure you’d enjoy it more than you’d think.”
“Who-who the hell was that?!” Zhang said, startled.
Lei, on the other hand, already knew. “Bryan...”
A figure then began to surface in the distant darkness at first, and then closer towards the open door of the office to the point where even the identity of the person became evident to Zhang.
“Holy shit...” Zhang muttered, “It-it is...”
Bryan then came fourth, briefly leaning on the doorframe in a casual manner, a gun in hand.
“It was you who shot Mao?” Han questioned, “How the hell could anyone have that good an aim from thirty yards away in near pitch darkness?!”
“Bryan...?” Lei murmured, “Wha-what are you doing here?”
“Saving your life, apparently.”
“So it’s true...” Zhang spoke, accusingly, “You two really are gay!”
In response, Bryan just angrily sighed while raising his gun at the irritating man. If Lei wasn’t going to kill him; Fury was. This was when Lei did something that could be considered unexpected, stepping in front of Zhang to block him from direct fire. “Don’t. I’m not going to let you do this.”
“Believe me dear Lei that getting shot in the chest is not a pretty or pleasurable thing,” Bryan unerringly said, continuing to aim the gun, “I suggest you move.”
“Didn’t I teach you anything?” Lei silently inquired.
“And didn’t I teach you anything, Lei Wulong?” Bryan questioned in response, “Teach you that it is possible to kill someone, experience the power of it, without feeling regretful or guilty of it later on?”
“To take a life isn’t power, Bryan!” Lei critically assured, “To protect a life, save a life, give life; that’s real power...”
“Is that so?” Bryan sarcastically spoke, “Well what about that other saying of yours, the one I always heard from you the most. How ‘it’s better to die in honour than live in shame’, I believe? If this is true, then how do you intend to go on living if this pathetic excuse for a detective tells your little secret from the past several days to everyone?”
It was then that Lei took a step closer to Fury, his eyes distraught. “...Who said I was ashamed...?”
Bryan instantly lowered the gun, his expression readably perplexed as Lei continued to slowly walk towards him without hesitance. Wulong stopped directly in front of Bryan, his arms suddenly folding around Fury in a close embrace. Bryan could feel the way Lei was trembling up against him, and see the way Zhang looked confused as hell across the room. A faint grin found its way to Fury’s face, as he quickly grasped his hand into Lei’s still-down hair and pulled it forcefully downwards, causing Lei to face him eye-to-eye.
“That didn’t sound like something to come from the likes of your mouth, Lei Wulong,” Bryan accused.
“I’ve realized that maybe there are more important things in life to live for than simply honour...” Lei whispered.
Bryan then kissed Lei, fiercely, as Zhang stood petrified and frozen like a human statue in place. Fury broke from the kiss, while Lei was gasping slightly for not having been prepared. “We’re leaving,” Bryan ordered as he grabbed Lei by arm, instantly dragging him towards — and out the office door.
Zhang, meanwhile, continued to stand in place, staring at Mao’s fallen body on the desk once again as the increasing collection of blood on the hardwood desk and floor remained persistent. What was Zhang to do now?
“Where’s your car?” Bryan asked as he and Lei continued to head for the station’s exit, “It won’t be much longer before they arrive.”
“Before who arrives?”
“The Tekkenshu. We’re a couple of the last ones left.”
“What...?” Lei muttered in disbelief.
Bryan nodded. “It’s just like you said; the whole Tekken tournament is merely one big trap.”
“Can’t we just inform the police?”
Bryan sighed, “I thought I already explained it to you; most of these people are working for Heihachi Mishima.”
“Shit...” they then came upon the outstretched row of police cars, as well as other vehicles lining the brick building. “I say we take on of the various police cars,” Lei suggested, “Mine’s probably rigged with some tracking device...”
“Probably,” Bryan agreed as he followed Lei towards one of the many cars in the dead of night, entering on the passenger’s side of the selected one soon after. With that, Wulong swiftly turned the key, and hurriedly drove from the parking lot.
“It’s a good thing this is Tokyo,” Lei stated, “In most of the other cities I’ve been to the streets would be near, if not deserted at half past three in the morning.”
“Do you even have any idea where you’re going?” Bryan asked, straight to the point.
“Shi, I do,” Lei replied, somewhat uneasy, “I’m going to the Mishima Zaibatsu...”
“No, you’re sure as hell’s not!” Bryan declared, “I’m not going to let you get yourself killed because of your own stupidity!”
“And I’m not going to just sit and let you watch yourself die!” Lei shot back, “It’s not weak to feel life is significant...”
“You shouldn’t speak what you know nothing of, Lei,” Bryan harshly whispered, “My body must be modified. The only one who is capable of doing this is Dr. Abel, and you know as I do that he is now the head of Mishima Labs and a scandalous man no better than Heihachi himself.”
“I don’t care... I’ve got to, and will, do something...”
Bryan growled, “I’m going alone, and don’t think for one second that I won’t break both of your legs to clarify this.”
“Oh, so I see now,” Lei began, “You’re allowed to inflict harm upon me... yet... I am not allowed to inflict harm upon myself.”
“Bingo, Wulong Lei, or to put it in laden terms — you belong to me,” Bryan firmly stated.
They were already at least halfway to the Mishima Zaibatsu, but Lei suddenly pulled over on the side of a dark and deserted street, bringing the car to a complete halt as his foot slammed on the brake.
Lei roughly put the car into park. “How fucking dare you?” Wulong shot out, “Who do you think I am? Your little submissive bitch?”
Fury smirked. “And you figure yourself more?”
“Shut your damn mouth!”
“Mmm, your anger makes you very enticing indeed,” Bryan whispered in a dark voice, his fingertips playing with the free-hanging tips of Lei’s gleaming ebony hair as he slowly moved closer to the agitated Wulong on the leather seats. Lei didn’t say anything, and seemed to let Bryan continue to freely advance.
Bryan suddenly grabbed the back of Lei’s neck and forcefully pulled the Chinese forward to meet him in an intense kiss that Lei didn’t even try to refuse, though the instant Lei opened his mouth, Fury pulled away to put a couple of inches or so between them. “So Lei, if you’re really no longer ashamed, then what are you more reluctant of? Being submissive, or being a bitch?”
“You just love to fuck with me, don’t you Bryan?” Lei seductively whispered in a smart tone, “Sometimes I debate on if you love fucking more with my mind than my body?”
“Not quite,” Fury spoke before viciously pushing Lei down on the seat to where his back collided with the smooth, dark leather. “It would be so easy...” Bryan continued to maliciously whisper, his hands sliding underneath the fragile material of the thin tank Wulong wore, feeling the hard muscles to ripple beneath his touch. “So easy to kill you right now, or disable you at least if you truly intend on going against my orders. You’ve always had a real knack for disobeying the rules, but you’ll find mine aren’t to be toyed with.”
Bryan then let one of his hands wonder down to the center of Lei’s black jeans, grasping at the slight hardness beneath the material, causing Lei to faintly gasp. “Hmm, maybe I could see how much I really can make you bleed, this time to the point where you can’t so much as limp? That ought to keep you out of my way long enough...”
Fury watched as Lei’s eyes suddenly widened, the detective instantly trying to sit up, though Bryan pinned him down to keep him immobile. “I don’t think so,” Bryan evilly whispered.
“Well I-I don’t think this is the best time for this...”
Fury growled slightly, “The hardness beneath my hand would suggest otherwise.”
“No...” Lei once more repeated, seemingly looking not at Bryan, but more behind him... “I really don’t think this is the best time for this...”
“Huh?” Fury then turned around to see what Lei had been looking at through the translucent windshield for himself, “Oh shit...”
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A/N: I know, I always do this... Hmm, Bryan and Lei both have little tempers on them... lol... No!!! I’m not ready to go back to school! *cries* Then I’ll have hardly -any- free time write... Boy, and I sure am in for it when school starts back on the 18th for my senior yet... My soccer coach ordered “NO cross-country!” because he said it wasn’t fair to my other varsity teammates for me to be the only one not in soccer first tri like last year, while my cross-country/track coaches said “NO soccer!!!” and even went and personally screwed up my schedule to keep me out of it... I’ve got a lot to take care of next Monday... Hmm... I got away with my tongue ring and belly button ring last year, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get away with the nose stud... ::Hopes for lenient male teachers:: yea... (The woman teachers are much meaner at me school...)
And now it’s time for me to throw my remaining Coke away, because I have been drinking way too much... Anyway, thanks for reading and c-ya round! ^^
Chinese Translations—
Zao shang hao – good morning
Tsao – fuck
Shi – yes