TEKKEN 8

Chapter X: Bittersweet Achievement

Lili Rochefort was shoved out of harm's way by the unknown man, landing on the hard floor instead of landing in her coffin six feet under. She froze, the sudden fire of gunshots scaring her out of her wits. She became baffled when the man starting firing with a gun from his own, but the thuds from the dropped bodies hypnotized her more than the bullets did.

The events unfolding too quickly for her mind to register, the blonde whimpered, her eyes following the screaming people running in attempt to save their own lives.

A large boom sent racks of dread throughout her body, the noise making her ears ring for a moment. She looked up from her position on the ground, seeing Asuka and Hwoarang taking cover behind the table they were just sitting at. Her eyes averted to the mysterious man, who pointed his gun to the ceiling and shooted, defending everyone in this ballroom, as she would like to interpret it. That was his intention, right?

Across the room, she saw in between the multiple pairs of scrambling feet a familiar body surrounded by a puddle of blood. Her stomach dropped as she was not able to look away, not believing her very own eyes.

Disregarding the high pitched ringing in her ears, she pushed herself up and ran in the other direction, pushing through people as she made a beeline for one man.

Her father. Or, in accurate terms, her father's dying body.

"Father!" The Rochefort woman screamed, feeling the ends of her dress being stepped on consistently by the crowd. With a frustrated tug, she freed herself, the ripped fabric paying the price. Lili continued to dash to her lone parent, calling his name, which made the frail man's head turn to her voice.

"E-Emilie..? Emilie, watch out!" He yelled out, seeing a piece of the roof falling above her. Heeding her father's call, she gracefully slid right under the rubbish, gliding towards her father safe and sound. "Father." She grazed her trembling hands over his wound, then withdrawn in fear of causing anymore damage. Her eyes were stung with tears, her skin paling and her frame shaking.

"My little girl," he coughed up blood, "you have to get out of here." The elegant street fighter tore off another patch of her birthday gown, gently pressing the material against the gunshot wound to wane the bleeding. "Don't worry, Papa. You'll be fine." She repeated the phrase several times, giving even herself a false sense of hope.

The blood soaked the fabric easily, making her hands become red by the fluid. Lili broke down, giving her father the most heartbroken face he had ever seen. Mr. Rochefort held his daughter's hand, flashing her the warmest smile he could muster in return. "Please don't cry, Emilie." He placed a kiss on her hand, tearing up at the vision of his child. The weakening man could guarantee that this was the last thing he wanted to see as he was dying, as he expected, like all of his other pacifist colleagues, to die of old age. Being murdered at your child's birthday party was not his ideal way to leave this world, but sadly, what's done is done.

"I don't want you to go, Papa. You, Asuka, and Mr. Kazama are the only people I have left."

"They will take care of you better than I can."

"Papa, please. Don't leave me...especially not like this. I have so much to show you, countless experiences to tell you about." She sobbed, bringing his hand to her cheek.

The pacifist hacked, blood spilling from the side of his mouth. "If you are talking about your hobby, then I want you to pursue it, Emilie." He spoke with determination, for her, in his eyes.