The Devil's Bodyguard- Ch. 4

Chapter Four: The Next Step

Snow covered the ground like a sheet draped on a bed, there wasn't any visible sign of the ground beneath, save for the one path that led out of a building and the main runway. The flag on the flagpole flew in the gentle breeze as the crow resting on top of the tower was witnessing possibly the largest military operation known to the world. After recently defeating the Russian military in a month long battle, the sixty thousand soldiers of the Tekken Force 1st Division had managed to liberate the capital and to gain absolute control.

Tanks and heavy armoured vehicles rolled off the back of a plane and soldiers lined up nearby awaiting their next orders. On the path nearby, an entourage walked as a group along the side of the gathering, the men were as still as statues as they made no movement. Jin smiled at this as he looked at his army before picking up the ringing phone in his pocket.

"What is it?"

"G-Corporation are attacking our base in Mexican desert, what are your orders, sir?"

Jin sighed. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the enemy would make their move.

"Tell them to hold their ground, we'll send reinforcements. We cannot allow them to win."

"Yes boss."

Jin terminated the call and pocketed his phone. From behind, Nina could tell that there was something wrong.

"What's going on?"

Jin shook his head.

"They have finally made their move, attacking one of our bases. We'll make this quick so we can get back to HQ."

"Boss, I can lead a team over there, if you wish," Eddy offered. "I thought that I would go since I helped to take over the area."

They reached a wooden platform. Jin turned around and nodded at the man.

"Do whatever you have to do, talk to the commander here first before you do anything."

Eddy nodded and proceeded to line up in the front row with, who Nina assumed, were officers. She noticed at Eddy went to stand with a blonde haired man, whispering something into his ear. The man nodded and they stared back out to the front.

"Nina."

The assassin looked over at her boss.

"Yes, boss."

"Go and line up in the front row. I don't want to cause too much commotion."

She nodded and went to line up in between two suited men. Jin made his way up onto the platform and scanned around at the troops. His face remained emotionless before saluting to his men, who then return the same courtesy. Lowering his hand, he swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I praise you for your efforts," he began, speaking in a loud enough voice for all to hear. "But hear this, even though this liberation brings us one step closer to complete world domination, we are still far from achieving our goal. We must keep fighting, taking over and liberating nations so that the goal will be met."

Everyone was actively listening to what their leader had to say. As she listened, Nina wondered.

'Goal? What is his plan if it isn't to take over the world?'

"Now, before we can breathe easily, we are currently encountering some problems in our base in Mexico. G-Corporation are trying to derail our mission and we're to stop them at all costs. So most of you will be sent as reinforcement for as the majority of the troops they have diminished, from what I can suspect. But for now, that will be all from me. Dismissed."

Getting down from the platform, Jin started to head up the path. Nina and Eddy joined up with him.

"So what happens now?" Nina asked.

The trio stopped walking and Jin looked up into the sky as the crow from the tower flew overhead.

"Eddy will lead the team to Mexico," he replied and looked at her. "We're going back to Tokyo and plan our next move." He looked over at Eddy. "Have you spoken to Lars yet?"

Eddy nodded.

"Yes, we're going to get the troops organised within the next hour. We should arrive at the battle zone by nightfall."

Jin nodded and looked back up the path and started walking.

"You better hope that this works."

Nina glanced once more at Eddy and began to follow her boss. Eddy watched on as the pair left and he looked down to the ground.

"Captain."

Eddy spun around and saw the blond haired man that he stood next to.

"Commander Alexanderson, how long will it take to dispatch?"

Lars shrugged his shoulders.

"Can't say for sure due to the weather, but I want your team sent out within the next couple of hours."

Eddy nodded.

"Good, I'll go and prepare."

The Brazilian walked off, leaving his fellow soldier to watch.

'Damn, there has to be a way to make Jin see the error of his ways,' he thought. 'They're just about to enter a losing battle. Many men will die because of this...I have to stop it.'
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The battlefield was booming with gunfire, gunning down the enemy as the army advanced. Cannons shot out with a powerful explosion as it roared through the sky, causing a nearby building to explode and shatter into pieces. Shrapnel flew in the air and damages all that surrounded it. From above, G-Corporation helicopters hovered many feet above the ground as soldiers jumped, ready to battle. As the last soldier jumped, a pair of boots stomped to the edge of the doorway before jumping out, with no parachute.

No ordinary person would have survived the fall, instead they would have fallen to their deaths as their bones would have shattered on impact. The man landed and the ground cracked around him, the force of the impact didn't seem to affect him in anyway. Standing tall, Kazuya smirked as he gazed the scene around him. Instantly, he knew that the battle was won.

"Pitiful mortals," he muttered. Sensing a presence behind him, he looked over his shoulder and motioned his head. "Let's finish this."

Anna removed the green helmet that she was wearing and shook out her hair. She smirked and pulled out the handgun that was strapped to her thigh.

"Just like old times," she replied and the two of them sped off into the battle, not hesitating even for a split second as began to take the lives of the enemy.

Nearby, a large cargo plane opened its rear door and even before the door hit the ground, Tekken soldiers charged out, guns firing. The last person that got off and held a radio in his hand, placing it up in front of his mouth.

"Inform the boss that we've landed and already engaged in battle," Eddy spoke clearly.

"Roger that commander, I'll inform him right away."

Clipping the handset to his belt and grabbing the automatic rifle strapped to his back, Eddy followed his comrades.
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February 10th 2008

...Two days since the start of the conflict.

It had been two days since they arrived back in Tokyo. As soon as they landed, Jin and Nina went back to HQ. Jin trusted that Eddy would get the job done, he knew that his father would launch an assault, it was only a matter of time. Was he sending many of his men to their deaths? Perhaps, but he had to do his best to protect his empire and he wasn't prepared to allow Kazuya to get in the way of his plans.

Sitting on his throne in the gothic-themed hall, he looked at the large empty space and closed his eyes. Jin began to remember what it was like a year ago, entering this room for the first time and rows and rows of soldiers and executives stood there and watched him like a hawks as their new leader made his way to the throne that his father and grandfather both had sat in previously. He was nervous at first, but soon after he began to make his move and to create the world for what it was in that present day.

If his mother was there to witness her son now, she would be scolding and pleading with him to stop the carnage. But his intentions were pure, and no one knew of them yet. Not even his trusted bodyguard knew of what he really was planning…not just yet.

"Jin, are we just going to sit here in silence or are we going to discuss a plan of action?" Nina asked as she sat in a chair situated in the corner behind him. She stood up and took a few steps toward him.

Jin opened his eyes and looked at her, meeting her gaze. There was something about her that told him that he could trust her, something that he never really could do with anyone before. Sure he had his mother and Xiaoyu, but this connection to Nina…it was something different and he couldn't figure it out. The way his heart pounded against his chest, the knots forming in his stomach when they were in that bathroom together, he never felt like that around anyone before.

So why not tell her about his plan? He could trust her, right?

"Nina, I'm going to let you in on a secret," he replied after a while. "But you have to promise me not to say this to anyone as I plan on keeping it between just the two of us. Understood?"

The blonde nodded and crossed her arms. Jin looked away and straight back down the hall.

"A few weeks ago, I sent Eddy and his men to investigate a temple in Egypt that had become visible within the past couple of months," he explained. "Inside of it lies a powerful being that is said to have awakened."

Nina raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"A powerful being?"

Jin nodded to confirm before continuing.

"Yes. The being is known as Azazel, or the Rectifier, a demon-like force that has been imprisoned inside the temple for sometime."

"So how do you know that this...thing is awake?"

Jin looked at her.

"I can hear it, it speaks to me through my mind…only because I have the Devil Gene, and that influence has only been growing stronger within me since Azazel starting speaking."

"So if you defeat it..."

He nodded and looked away. Nina looked down at the hall as well.

"I will be free from this curse. It had told me that with the negative effects of war, it will be resurrected and also the prophecy of the 'Two-Evil Stars' will come true if the two devils were ever to fight in battle."

Nina's eyes widened and looked down at the young man.

"You mean...you and Kazuya?"

Jin nodded.

"Correct. Which is why I need to do this next move so that I can complete the next step of my plan," he replied and then stood up. "I need to meet my father in battle once again."

"So what are you suggesting?"

Jin looked at her smirked.

"I think it's time to announce the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6."

Nina nodded slowly in agreement.

"That would be a good plan, but how can you be sure that Kazuya will fall for your plan?"

"Trust me, he wouldn't resist the opportunity to face me, but there could be the opportunity for him to lose against someone else." He gave her a serious gaze. "This is where you come in. I want you to enter the tournament, not only to eliminate any threats to me, but also to ensure that my father has the opportunity to face me."

"So what do you want me to do?" Nina asked, sounding surprised. "Do you want me to fix the fights or something?"

Jin averted his gaze from her and stood up.

"I'm sure that you'll know what to do," he said and started to walk before he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Come, we'll go and make the announcement."
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The ground was stained with the blood of fallen soldiers, who were unfortunate enough to come to their deaths. Both sides had lost numbers, but it was the G-Corporation that had the upper-hand as the Tekken Force had suffered heavy casualties. Kazuya smiled at this as he sent another man to his death in a great force of brutality as he unleashed a powerful combination.

'Victory is inevitable,' he thought as he walked further into the bloodshed.

Nearby, Eddy fired the last of his rounds, knocking more of the enemy down before jumping down into the trench in front of him. Throwing his rifle away, he pulled out the 9mm that was strapped to his leg and stood up, firing away. They gave the handguns to the soldiers as a last resort in case they had no other weapons to use, the downside of it being that there was one round and Eddy was running out fast.

Click...click...

"Dammit!" Eddy screamed and threw the gun into the ground. Now it lay forgotten, covered in a mixture of mud and the blood that came running from Eddy's arm, caused by a bullet that scraped him as it shot past.

Taking cover once again, Eddy picked up his radio and with a shaking hand held it up to his mouth.

"Situation has turned critical! We need to get out of there...Hello..." The radio cut out. "Shit! What now?"

"Captain!" Eddy looked down the trench and saw a soldier crawling beneath the gunfire and explosion nearby. Stopping next to him, the soldier handed Eddy his handgun. "What now?"

Eddy sighed and looked down in between his legs. He knew that they were going to lose the battle, there was no point on staying there and further risking the loss of his men.

"We're going to retreat," he replied after a while. "Send a radio message around and we'll make our exit."

"But, there has been no order of a..."

Eddy snapped his gaze at the soldier and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't care, we're finished! We cannot fight back like this, we have to back out now!"

The soldier nodded and grabbed his radio. Eddy sighed and rubbed the sides of his temples.

'Jin's going to murder me for this...I'm sorry master, I failed you...'
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Steve was wandering around the streets of Tokyo. His mind wandered back to what happened the other day, on that helipad. Sure he left his friends behind back in America, but he wanted to get some answers from the very person that gave him his genes. Yes, he was indeed a creation of the corporation that she worked for, but since meeting her during the fourth tournament and then when they saw one another outside of his hotel, there was one thing that was always in his mind...

Why didn't she try to look for him in the first place? Who was his father...Hell! There was just so much that he wanted to ask her. He faced Anna in the last tournament, in which she defeated him and went on to face Nina.
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One year ago...

"Hmm...you look like someone that I know," Anna said as she looked up and down at the blonde man in front of her. Steve raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Uhh...sorry, but do I know you?"

Anna giggled girlishly and placed a hand over her red lips.

"Oh, my apologies. Where were my manners?" she replied and then winked at him. "I'm Anna Williams, and I'm going to be the one who'll win this match."

Steve smirked and then got into his stance.

"I don't think so, I'm on a quest and I cannot fail."

Anna shook her head and got into her fighting stance.

"Hmm...I don't think so little boy, I have to win this round so I can go and beat that bitch that I consider a sister."

Steve's eyes widened. He had heard that last name before, in the last tournament.

'Williams...they can't possibly be sisters, can they?'

"Hey, is your sister blonde-haired, blue-eyed and always dressed in purple?"

Anna must have looked shocked at the description as she moved out of her fighting stance. Steve did the same as the two met gazes again.

"Yes that's her. Why?"

Steve bowed his head.

"Because...she's my mother, she gave birth to me about twenty years ago."

Anna's eyes widened. So Nina had a son when she was in cryosleep? No wonder why Anna could see the resemblance upon noticing him the first time. Smiling at her newly found nephew, she got back into fighting stance. At least she now had the opportunity of destroying something that was carrying her sister's genetics.

"Well don't bother going to her. She doesn't care for you, or for anyone for that matter as she only cares for herself."

Steve narrowed his eyes at her and got back into fighting stance. Even though he didn't know Nina that well, he didn't like the tone that Anna used when she referred to his mother.
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Snapping out of the memory, a large arm wrapped around the top of his shoulders. Looking up, he recognised the hardened facial features of Paul Phoenix. Smiling weakly, Steve removed the big man's arm and took a step back.

"Paul, didn't expect you get here so soon," he said. "Why are you here so early?"

Paul laughed and threw his arms out, as if he was expecting to catch something.

"Well you decided to run off with out tellin' either me or Marshall and we hadn't heard from ya for two weeks now," he replied and fixed up his leather jacket. "So what's the deal?"

Steve shook his head.

"Too hard to explain, Paul. Maybe I'll tell you guys some other time…Where's Marshall?"

Paul shrugged his shoulders.

"Beats me, probably thinkin' of another training routine for us...Fuckin' hell, it'll probably be worse than the last time." He looked across the street, noticing some sort of bar. Grabbing the British man's arm, he pulled. "Come on, we're gonna grab a drink while we're here."

Once they got inside the bar, they sat themselves at the bar and ordered a couple of beers. As Paul looked around the smoke filled room, with shattered glass covering the floor and tables, his attention instantly went to the caged octagon situated on the other side of the room.

"Oi, bartender!" Paul called out as he looked over his shoulder. "You hold fights here regularly or what?"

The bartender brought over their beers and placed them on the counter.

"Yeah, almost every night. Why do you ask?"

Paul shrugged his shoulders and turned around, now facing the counter.

"Can anyone enter?"

"Pretty much. The other night we had some blonde haired woman in there. Defeated eight men inside at the one time, about forty overall for the night."

Steve's eyes widened and looked at the bartender.

"Does she come here often?"

The man behind the bar laughed, perhaps he only just heard that same question not long ago.

"The same question was asked the other day. Rumour has it that she now is in league with that Kazama guy, she usually comes here a few nights a week. She's due here tomorrow."

Steve nodded and looked at Paul.

"We're coming back here tomorrow night."

"Why, so you can perve on some broad? Well then…" He looked at the bartender. "Sign me up to fight. I'll take anyone on!"

"We're sorry to interrupt this programming, but there is an important announcement from the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu."

The trio looked around to the television behind the bar, the picture displaying Jin Kazama and a blonde haired woman that both Steve and Paul recognised in an instant. Jin was sitting in a throne while Nina stood beside him.

"To all the fighters of the world. This is an open invitation to compete in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, starting in exactly one month. Enter and prove your worth to face me, are you up for the challenge?" Jin announced and leaned forward a little in his chair. "Come and prove that you really are the best fighter in the world."

The broadcast cut out and Steve bowed his head.

"Mother..." he muttered and Paul and looked at him.

"What was that?"

Steve looked up and closed his eyes.

"Nothing. We better go and find Marshall."

He got up and left, Paul watched on and pointed at the two forgotten beers on the counter.

"C'mon man, we just got here!" Paul slammed his fist on the counter-top and sighed. "Fuck he can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes."