Tekken Short Stories

Halloween: Part 2

Nina was suddenly awoken by the bass intro of her Tekken 3 theme. Her husband, as usual, seemed totally unfazed by it. She groaned and reached for her phone, sitting up to answer the call.
"Hello...?" Nina groggily answered the call.
"NINAAAAA!" Jun exclaimed.
Nina pulled the phone away from her ear, deafened by Jun's voice. She shook her head before pressing the phone back onto her ear.
"Jeez, normally it's Jin, now you?" Nina frowned. "What is it with you Kazamas and shouting?!"
"Nina, I really really need you to come here now," Jun said in a worried tone.
Nina yawned. "What is it? What happened this time? Did Hwoarang do something?"
"No, Nina," Jun said. "It's about Jin. "He and Lars are acting extra weird."
Nina groaned. "Oh no... what did they do?"
"Jin is claiming to be possessed by Kazumi while Lars is acting like Heihachi," Jun said, concerned. "They're even dressed like that, even their hair!"
Nina's eyes widened in surprise. "Jin's wearing a Kazumi getup?!"
"Yeah!" Jun exclaimed. "Creepy, right?"
Nina thought it would be funny to see Jin dressed like Kazumi, but didn't say this, afraid of hurting Jun's feelings.
"I'm coming over," Nina said without missing a beat.
"Great!" Jun sighed in relief. "Call Steve too. Maybe he can help."
"Sure, sure," Nina nodded. "We'll be there."
She hung up and turned to her snoring husband with a frown. He was still fast asleep, not even waking up to her phone call.
Nina rolled her eyes and smacked his backside as hard as she could.
It sent him flying off the bed with a yelp.
"Ow!" Adam exclaimed, holding his back. "Nina, why?!"
Nina smirked. "Well, since you don't like that Van Halen song, this is the only other way I could wake you."
Adam frowned and got up. "You're really mean!"
"Aww, thank you," Nina pursed her lips. "I really appreciate your compliment."
Adam shook his head. "Why did you actually wake me? You don't usually do this. Why?"
Nina started laughing. "Jun just called."
"What happened now?" Adam groaned, sitting on his bed. "Those guys always have something up their sleeves..."
Nina smirked. "Jin and Lars have claimed to have been possessed by Kazumi and Heihachi. They're even dressed like them."
Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Doesn't this Kazumi lady wear a white kimono with a bun or something?"
"Exactly!" Nina grinned. "Imagine, Jin is dressed like her!"
"I'll be ready in five minutes," Adam smirked.
"I'll go wake Steve," Nina smirked back.
Adam nodded and made a beeline for the bathroom. Nina got off the bed and left the room, still in her pyjamas. She went towards Steve's room and knocked on the door.
Steve opened the door with a yawn, his hair still a mess. "What is it, Mom?"
"Jun just called," Nina said. "And it seems that Jin and Lars are acting weird."
"Weird how?" Steve asked sleepily.
"Jin's cosplaying Kazumi while Lars is dressed like Heihachi," Nina smirked, earning a gasp from her son.
"Sign me up, I wanna see Jin in that kimono!" Steve smirked. "I'll be down in five minutes."
Nina nodded, grinning.
She went back to her own room and saw Adam already combing his hair in front of the mirror.
"That was quick," Nina smirked, going over to the bathroom.
"I can't wait to see Jin and Lars dressed like that," Adam grinned.
Nina chuckled and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Nina and her family rushed into the Mishima Penthouse as soon as Jun opened the door for them.
"Where are they?!" Nina demanded.
"I sent them out to buy groceries," Jun explained. "I had to do something, Kazuya was really uncomfortable."
She pointed towards Kazuya sitting on one of the living room couches, a hand on his forehead. Hwoarang was perched next to him, trying really hard to cheer him up.
"What exactly happened?" Steve asked.
Jun explained the full story to them from the beginning.
"I think he really is possessed," Adam frowned, taking out his phone. "I'm gonna call Steve's doppelgänger."
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Jun said suddenly. "I don't know if these guys are really possessed or just fooling around!"
"Why do you say that?" Nina asked, puzzled. "It's not like them to go around in kimonos like that."
"Besides," Steve added. "You said they both screamed?"
Jun shrugged. "That's the thing! But the thing is, I don't sense anything!"
They looked at her in surprise. Adam silently took his phone out again. "I still think we should call that Italian fella. Maybe he can tell if they're really possessed..."
"Dude, he's in Italy," Hwoarang chimed in from where he sat. "How is he gonna come?"
"Wait, he's not coming for Lee's party?" Nina asked in surprise.
"Did Lee actually invite him?" Kazuya said in surprise.
"It's Lee, what do you expect?" Jun shrugged. "He was so excited to invite him."
"How do you even know this?" Kazuya asked.
"He was saying it right here yesterday," Jun pointed out, gesturing her hand towards the armchair. "Maybe you zoned out or something."
She took her phone out and started calling Lee. He picked up with his usual catchphrase.
"Lee, is Claudio coming for your party?" Jun asked.
"Yes, yes he is," Lee said, sounding a little far away for a second. "He's already here actually, having tea with me."
Jun looked surprised. "Could the two of you come here for a while?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, now."
"But we have a party after this, we're still preparing for it."
"Lee, it's urgent."
Lee sighed. "What happened?"
"Lars and Jin are acting like they've been possessed!"
"Possessed?" Lee repeated in surprise. Claudio almost choked on his tea next to him. "What makes you say that?"
"Lee, Lars is dressed like Heihachi, complete with the hair!" Jun informed. "And Jin's wearing a white kimono, just like Kazumi. Even with the Phoenix kanzashi!"
Lee spat out his tea in shock. "What's Kazuya doing? Is he okay?"
"He's pretty spooked," Jun frowned, looking over at Kazuya. Hwoarang nudged him and showed him something on his phone, evidently trying to cheer him up with something funny. "Hwoarang is working overtime to cheer him up."
"We're coming over," Lee immediately said.
He hung up and turned to Claudio, who downed all of his tea in one go.
"Claudio, we need to get to the Mishima Zaibatsu now," Lee informed.
"Say no more," Claudio said, putting his cup and saucer on the table with a soft thud. "Come on."
Lee went to call Anna, who was trying to train Tori to fight.
"Isn't she a little too young to start fighting?" Lee asked in surprise.
"She isn't too young to learn," Anna pointed out with a smirk. "Lee, my mother started training me at this age too."
Lee chuckled. "Anyway, come on. We need to get to the Zaibatsu right away."
"Why?" Anna asked in surprise.
"Lars and Jin are acting strange," Lee frowned. "They're acting like Heihachi and Kazumi."
Anna looked at him in surprise. Lee just scooped their daughter up and asked her to come. Though confused, she just grabbed her things and followed him.
They left after asking the maids to prepare for the party.

"Are you sure they're not gonna get stuck somewhere?" Nina frowned, sitting down on a dining chair to discuss the issue with the rest. She crossed her arms on the table before leaning forward. "Jun, Kazumi died decades ago, way back before we were even born! How would she know her way around Tokyo now?"
"Good question," Amber nodded in agreement. "She's an old-timer, who died more than forty-five years ago!"
"She's right, but Heihachi only died a few years ago," Jun pointed out with a shrug. "He might know."
"That makes sense, I guess," Amber nodded slowly. "Anyway, how long are they gonna shop."
"Let them stay out," Jun grimaced. "At least they're not bothering Kazuya while they're out."
Someone rang the doorbell. Jun got up to answer it, fearing that it might be Jin and Lars. Instead, she was surprised to see Lee, Anna, Tori, and Claudio.
"Where are they?" Claudio asked.
"Where's Kazuya?" Lee added.
"You're here too?" Anna said, surprised to see her sister's family there.
Jun stepped away from the doorway to let them in, waving a hand at them. "They're out, I sent them to go grocery shopping."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to send two possessed individuals running about like that?" Claudio asked in surprise
"That's the thing," Jun frowned. "They're only acting strange. I don't sense anything sinister in them at all. I thought maybe it's because of Halloween, but I'm not sure."
Claudio smirked. "Don't worry, I can sense a ghost, Halloween or not."
Lee went over to Kazuya and sat next to him. "Hey, Spiky."
"Hey, Barbarian," Kazuya said, sounding slightly down.
"Oh come on, if Jun can't sense anything in them, I'm sure those idiots are just playing around," Lee chuckled.
"That's what I thought too, but... Lars too?" Kazuya pointed out. "Lee, Lars isn't the kind to fool around like this."
Lee smirked. "You'd be surprised, Spiky."
Hwoarang suddenly handed him and Kazuya a controller. "You guys wanna bash each other?"
The adoptive brothers looked at the television screen and saw a game between their characters loading.
"I think we shall," Lee smirked. "What do you say, Scarface?"
Kazuya smiled and arranged his fingers over the buttons of the controller. "Let's."
Jun smiled, watching them smash buttons on the controllers, trying to beat each other. She turned back to the rest and sighed. "Let's go to the lounge and discuss there instead. It's just down the hall."
Hwoarang perked up when he heard that. "Can I come too?"
They agreed, but Adam decided to stay behind since he really is one of Kazuya's good friends.
"I'll inform you guys when they get here," Adam said.
They nodded and left the penthouse, leaving Tori behind with Lee. After all, who could be better at cheering someone up besides a cheerful little toddler?

"Are you sure he's not faking it?" Steve asked with a frown, taking a bite from one of the pastries. "I mean... Auntie Jun says she can't sense anything?"
"It may be because of Halloween," Jun added with a light shrug.
"Oh great, now there's that..." Anna sighed.
"Eh, I still think Kazama's fooling around," Hwoarang loudly chomped a snickerdoodle. "Darn, this cookie is amazing..."
"No, Hwo," Nina shook her head. "Jin isn't the type to fool around like that."
"Unless it concerns Kazuya," Jun added with a grin.
"Unless it concerns Kazuya," Nina nodded with a chuckle. Then her eyes widened. "Which in this case, it does. Who's the most spooked now?"
Everyone nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll have a look at them later," Claudio informed. "If they are possessed, I'd be able to help."
"It won't take long, right?" Anna asked, sounding a little worried. "We have a party at our place, remember?"
Claudio smirked. "Don't worry, it won't take long."
"Great..." Jun sighed. "The last thing I want this Halloween is to watch Jin and Lars go through a long exorcising process..."
Nina's phone started ringing.
"It's Adam," Nina said before answering the call. "Hello?"
"Nina, they're here!" Adam was laughing. "Oh my god..."
"What is it?" Nina asked.
Adam was trying really hard to speak clearly despite being helpless with laughter. "They're quite the sight! Is Jin actually wearing one of those hairpin things? Oh my gosh, he is!"
"What is actually wrong with you, Fringey?" Nina heard Lee ask in the background. She instantly put the phone in speaker mode so that everyone could listen. "And Lars? Seriously? What the heck is wrong with your hair?!"
"Heihachi-san, who is this man?" Everyone gasped when Jin spoke. "Why is he here in Kazuya's house."
"He's my second son, Kazumi," Lars said next, imitating the way Heihachi spoke.
"You cheated on me?!" Jin retorted loudly. "This man was definitely born before I died."
"Hey, no one knows that besides the ones who know me!" Lee exclaimed.
An argument broke out and eventually, Kazuya stepped in. "Quiet down!"
"Nina, you guys better get here quick," Adam said, sounding anxious. "I have no idea what's going on here."
"Oh no, what about Tori?!" Anna said in a worried tone. "She's not in Lee's arms now, is she? I don't want her to be mixed up in this brawl!"
"Don't worry, she's with me," Adam said, cradling Tori with one arm. "She's fine, I'm holding her now. Wait a minute, am I on speaker?"
"Yes, and we're coming now," Nina said. "Come on, guys."
Hwoarang bundled his arms up with as much food as they can hold as he followed the rest out of the lounge, back to the Mishima Penthouse.