FAMILY by Kitana

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20001010123649fw_/http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/3017/leechaolan.txt

Author: Kitana

Tags: Lee, Kazuya, Heihachi

----------------------
"No, No, NO!" Lee Chaolan barely had time to dodge before a sheaf of papers was flung at his face. The next thing he knew, he was down on the floor with a jarring pain on the side of his face. Kazuya Mishima, his boss, was looking down at him, a contemptuous sneer pasted on his face.

"You are pathetic, in every sense of the word," He stated cruelly. "It makes me wonder why my father always favored you over me. Could it be that...- that he was just as big a fool as you now are?"

Before Chaolan could even try to defend his pride, he continued, "Now pick up the papers and have a more satisfactory proposal on my desk Wednesday, do I make myself clear?" Kazuya sauntered back to his desk almost arrogantly, the sneer not once fading off his expression.

Chaolan merely gritted his teeth and bent down to retrieve the papers. "Hai, Mishima-sama."

It was very late into the night, but Chaolan had to stay in the office to complete Kazuya's proposal. The entire place was dark and deserted. Alone, he drew his packet of cigarettes and lit one up. Taking a deep puff, he was glad that Kazuya had not bothered to install a smoke detector in the building. Running a hand through his careless, silver-gray hair, he ran though the proposal for the umpteen time, but could still find nothing wrong with it.

"Bastard," He mumbled to himself. Kazuya had only been finding fault with his proposal so as to remind him of his lowly status. Dammit! What right? What RIGHT had he to do that? If the Old Man was still alive, it could have been he, HE who would rule the syndicate!

Chaolan had been a poor Chinese orphan boy, adopted into the Mishima family at age twelve by Kazuya's own father, Heihachi. It was not all that bad for him at first; although Heihachi could never in his lifetime fall anywhere near the "Good Father" category if there was to be one, at least he was treated much better here than in the blasted orphanage, and he had grown very close to his foster brother, Kazuya.

It was true that Kazuya had always received more attention than he could ever have had, and though still friends, it was no secret that he once envied the boy then, but no longer. Not since it was found out that Kazuya had been many a time, brutally tortured by the man he now loathed to call "Father" during his childhood.

Then, on Chaolan's twenty-fourth birthday, it was he who was announced the successor of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Heihachi Mishima's billion-dollar empire, instead of Kazuya, who had long since been coveting the empire.

It was at this very moment that the long-since fragile bond of the relationship between Chaolan and Kazuya snapped, and since then, they could no longer bring themselves to call the other "Brother".

And then came the tournament, the cursed tournament. He should have known, Kazuya would attempt anything and everything to overthrow his father and gain supreme power of the empire, no matter how dark his intent. Just to get a kick out of things and to defend his pride, which had been so loosely abused by the battle between father and son, Chaolan foolishly entered as well. And, despite his skill, he lost. He lost to the same madman who had once been his friend and could no longer be. It was probably then whatever pride Chaolan had left in him, was wrenched away by Kazuya himself, and had never been returned.

After that fight, Kazuya also battled and defeated his father, the same person who had taught him the skill he used in combat. He then hurled his father's broken body down the same cliff Heihachi had thrown him off when he was five and later took total and absolute control of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

After this life-changing event, just to spite Chaolan, Kazuya had him made personal secretary, but the bitter rivalry between the two was, still, far from over.

Chaolan took another deep puff of his cigarette. Running through the proposal one last time, he felt a wave of pain wash over him. Sometimes it made him wonder, What if the Mishima Zaibatsu never existed at all? What if there was no such wealth, no such power hanging in the balance? Would things be so much more different then?

He never answered these questions. He was afraid to, because deep inside, he felt he knew what the answers would be. And they would be too painful to think about, to bear. As would the thought of a Family. There were times that Chaolan would think of himself as crazy. To think of impossible things such as love, friendship, trust, hope. There were such times, where he firmly believed in them, times when he had strong hopes of finding the perfect family to love him, but such times were long since, over.

Vivid memories of his childhood still haunted Chaolan. Times had been excruciatingly hard in the orphanage, but the hopes of getting into a family that would love him was what kept him going. He still remembered that first day Heihachi came to adopt him. The tears of joy welling up in his bright eyes. The absolute happiness of knowing he would have a brother to share his life with was even more vivid, etched, deeply into his soul. But all these dreams were to be shattered in the times to come, his hopes to be dashed, his heart to be broken. And the only thing to keep him going, would be his menthol cigarettes, only in which did he find the utmost solace.

Chaolan closed his eyes for a brief moment. Even in his extreme grief could he find no tears. He could not remember the last time he had cried. Or the last time he had been truly happy. It seemed almost impossible now. He gathered the papers into a neat stack and left them on Kazuya's desk in his office. Then he headed home, to his own world. Away from the politics, the utter hatred often displayed in his brother's eyes; simply away from the Empire.

Sunlight dancing on the windowsill awoke him. Dreading the day much more than an unprepared student on the day of a major examination, Chaolan slowly got out of his bed, movements mechanical, facial expression completely blank, masking whatever feelings inside of him well. Yet a word still lingered in his mind, and try as he might, it would not go away. Family. That was all Chaolan could think about. It was not new, but lately the these feelings had been stronger, more persistent.

Dammit.

Chaolan lit up another cigarette. Planning to take a slower drive to that blasted place, his plans were to be aborted when Kazuya made a friendly morning call to him on his cellular phone.

Chaolan took a deeper puff of his cigarette.

"This cannot be anywhere near satisfactory, but since you TRIED just that little bit, I'll let it slide. Now get out." Kazuya held up Chaolan's proposal with a mocking look on his face. Not at all uncommon; he had never heard a word of praise from Kazuya's lips, not to anyone. Suppressing a smirk, he nodded and stepped out. Little did Kazuya know that this was the very exact piece he had had rejected the morning before.

***********

Friday.

It would soon be a year since the Tournament. Chaolan had been particularly busy, especially now that the Stockmarket was weak and the Japanese Yen had recently taken a dive.

Chaolan brushed a hand through his tousled hair and closed his eyes. He had a terrible headache. The stress must be getting to him.

"LEE CHAOLAN!" The voice on the intercom startled him greatly, and its tone gave him an involuntary shudder. Not again.

"What is it, Mishima-sama?" Chaolan acknowledged the voice with his own shaky one.

"See me in my office... NOW!"

"Hai, Mishima-sama." He sighed.

"What did you ask to see me about?" Chaolan addressed Kazuya after entering the cool, business-like room which was uncannily competent with its tenant's ruthless character.

"Sit down," The latter commanded in his steely voice that he had no choice but to obey.

Kazuya folded his arms, as if trying to look very casual, but Chaolan could not mistake the anxiety in his cruel eyes.

"What if I told you that there is a possibility of my father still being very much alive?" He said calmly, not bothering to mince words. "WHAT?!" The same could not be said about Chaolan. Every bit shocked, his jaw hanging open, it was easy to see of the impact this sentence had on him.

"I know, I really should have thrown him off a steeper cliff just to make sure, but people do make mistakes. Fortunately, this will be my last." Kazuya continued.

"What the hell are you raving about?" Chaolan cried, still wholly unable to recover.

"I am holding a second tournament to lure the old man here, then I will finish him, once and for all."

"What do you-?"

"The final battle will be held on the edge of an active volcano in the highlands not far off, and the one who falls will be thrown into the volcano, to his death and to his doom." He laughed cruelly at this moment, making the memories of the times when they were happy together very much unthinkable.

"But...but what has this to do with me?"

"Don't you GET it? Are you really THAT ignorant?" Kazuya loathed. "I want you to enter this tournament and fight for me this time.

"I want that old man to know just what kind of skill the bastard son he SO loved has, before I kill him."

Chaolan shook, barely concealing his rage. Kazuya had humiliated him, again, and he could do nothing about it. Pushing his luck, he retorted, "And what if I do not agree to enter the tournament?"

Kazuya let out another cruel laugh, then, with the speed of light, grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked him off the ground with the very least of effort. "Do you actually THINK that Old Man Heihachi will care? Remember, you were working for ME when he was gone; do you actually believe he would want a vicious traitor such as yourself to run his syndicate for him again?"

Maybe he cracked, he wasn't sure. The words just started pouring from his lips, unintentionally, "Why can't we be Family?"

Whatever it was, it was enough to make Kazuya lose his calm and calculated demeanor for that one moment. It was only then that Chaolan realized that no matter what had happened to Kazuya before to change him so greatly, there was still a part of him that remembered, that loved.

But it was a small part, easily overshadowed by the darkness within him, that accumulated slowly over time, and needed just one small spark to ignite.

And Chaolan got a heavy blow to his cheek for re-discovering that small bit of goodness within him, once of which was his virtue, but now was naught but a weakness.

Kazuya once used to be a good man. Because of the brutal abuse his father had showered him with, he would go out of his way to ensure that no one would suffer the same fate he had had to go through. Organizations, movements and demonstrations, money mattered nothing to him in the least, and the amount of respect, admiration he had built up in his foster brother was almost the equal of the amount of love.

Where was all of that now?

Was power, was wealth all that was needed to totally transform one of light to one of darkness? Was it?



**********

It was now exactly a year after the last cursed tournament. All of the invitations had already been long since given out, and almost every participating fighter had already arrived, while those who had yet to were on their way.

The rumor of Heihachi being alive had been found out true; though he was not one of the official fighters, he had been sighted, lurking in the shadows.

Chaolan himself, had been "bestowed" upon, the title of sub-boss. Along with the other appointed sub-bosses, he was to fight to ensure that no one reach Kazuya, including Kazuya's own father.

Shock of the realization of Heihachi still living had not faded away yet, but Chaolan could more or less deal with this. After all, he had greater complications to deal with, such as the eminent pain that was now, constantly gnawing mercilessly at his heart.

The thoughts of a loving family, a fantasy which could never be fulfilled, came stronger. Sometimes the feeling was so strong it made him want desperately to throw up.

But he had to deal with it. He had to fight.

A whole week of blood-soaked and senseless combat later. Chaolan stood at the ridge, waiting patiently for his opponent, the very last one who was left standing, who had beaten the other twenty or so fighters.

"I never thought I'd see the day," His foster father greeted him with these words, almost remorseful, but undoubtedly cynical.

"The feeling is mutual, Father," Chaolan replied in true sadness.

Heihachi stiffened. "Do not call me Father!" He snapped, to which Chaolan said nothing.

They fought.

Chaolan knew from the start that there was no way he could defeat Heihachi. Yet he tried, God help him he tried, and failed. Those few minutes of torture, felt more like an eternity of pain to him. Of pain, of hurt and suffering, and of an awakening.

Heihachi was, every bit merciless and just as Kazuya had said he would be. The punches he threw; the kicks he released, like an unchained monstrosity, inflicted great damage on Chaolan's form, breaking, dislocating and severely wounding many an anatomy in his body.

When it was finally and thankfully, over, Chaolan was already affected in a great way. More memories flooded his mind, and there was one particular one, which he had tried so hard to put in the back of his mind, to forget, that resurfaced.

It was his fourteenth birthday. Vivid memories of how he celebrated it made him tremble all over. He could still remember Kazuya blowing out the candles together with him, smiling. And then.... And then... and then Heihachi planted tender kisses on both their cheeks, and called them both "Son". That had been the only one time the three had been truly, together as one family... had it been no more than an act?

Chaolan closed his eyes, wincing at the utter pain coursing through his body, which he had no choice but to endure. The elder Mishima was walking away from the scene, not once looking back, and at that moment, Chaolan could feel his heart breaking, shattering into pieces all over again. Something else in him broke. The fear...



Just before he descended into the uncertain void of the unconscious, he forgot his fear, and mumbled the words he had once been too afraid to say, too afraid of the reality. "'Wish I had a loving family..."

Heihachi halted in his steps. His sharp ears had picked up the near inaudible words. He turned around and walked back to Chaolan. Then, taking hold of his foster son's hand, helped the younger boy up, and in that brief moment of magic, embraced him.

Then he walked away. Then he was gone.
Chaolan stood there, watching his back as he faded into the misty
night. He finally understood.

Family.
For the first in a long time that he could remember, he began to cry.
****************************************************************************