Succubus and her men came to their destination - the docks of Hong Kong, on the outskirts of Yun and Yang's village. The captain and his crew were tipped generously never to speak a word of their presence. Once the boat embarked on another journey, the red-haired tormentor proceeded to follow to Blacksoul's lair. Little did she realize that a certain blue-haired stowaway was pursuing her.

She entered the warehouse the same way she did before, by a secret button in the elevator which accessed the bottom floors. Once she and her henchmen arrived, they came to a shock. The place was completely disheveled. Men in black lay scattered on the floor, unconscious or unable to move. The various shelves which contained guns and explosives had fallen to the floor due to a domino effect. Succubus stepped over the obstacles and came to Blacksoul's office. When nobody answered the knock, she decided to invite herself in. No one was there. Altacea had taken her Lord Blacksoul to the paramedics some days ago.

"What shall we do now?" one of Succubus' henchmen asked.

"We shall return later." Succubus replied. "That horrid man still hasn't given me my pay. After all I've done, he had better pay handsomely."

"Up to your old tricks again, my cousin?" spoke a deep, somewhat moody voice.

Succubus whirled around, eyes glowing in anger. Standing by the doorway was the tall, slender figure of a Frenchman. He had shoulder-length blue hair and brooding eyes to match. He was clad in a black leather jacket - currently open at the front, and red leather pants. His hands were held in his pockets as his passive stance betrayed his curious demeanor. Succubus glowered, she knew all too well who this stranger was.

"Remy..." she whispered.

"Remy, ma'am?" a flunkie asked.

Ignoring the redundant question, Succubus tossed a lock of red hair haughtily, her focus still on Remy. "What business is it of yours, Remy? It's not like you to get involved in other people's business."

Remy shrugged. "Don't avoid the question. What have you done this time?"

"You're avoiding my question." Succubus shot back. "What business is it of yours? You answer me and perhaps I shall answer you."

The Frenchman closed his eyes briefly. "You claim you are my cousin. All I seek are answers to my lineage." he replied cryptically.

Succubus smiled slyly. "You are still in pursuit of your father. Thus, you'll search to the ends of the earth, even as to follow an alleged cousin." She laughed. "I find you very amusing, Remy. Just for that, I will tell you what I am up to. I don't suppose you have heard of the famous Hong Kong twins, the Twin Dragons."

"A little - from the fighting circuits. Go on."

"My client, Blacksoul, has requested that I do away with them. Thus, I have decided to play a little game of tug of war with their soul bond. I separated the brothers, sending one to the wilderness of China, while leaving the other here. Day by day, their bond will slowly sever, and may eventually snap. Their hearts will be thrown into chaos. And I didn't need to raise a finger."

"...I see." Remy shrugged again and turned to leave. "Just one more thing. Remind me the names of these Twin Dragons?"

"Yun and Yang Lee." Succubus answered.

"Hmm..." Remy muttered and walked away.

Another of Succubus' flunkies nudged her gently. "Boss, is it really safe to tell that man of our plan? What if he decides to tell the authorities?"

"Don't hazard yourself," Succubus replied with a slight smile. "I know my cousin. Remy doesn't act on matters which don't concern him. He believes this case is my business, not his, and he should stay out of it. Should he decide that the matter also concerns him, however, that's a different story."

"Yun and Yang Lee, the Twin Dragons." Remy muttered to himself. Intriguing. The only reason why he was here was to ask questions to Succubus of his lineage. However, he knew that with the Twin Dragons not properly disposed of, Succubus will remain here for awhile, for she preferred to stay until the job's done. Half out of curiosity and half of nothing better to do, Remy decided to seek these Twin Dragons himself.

After a few minutes walk, Remy found himself in the busy streets of Hong Kong. Many people stared at him simply because he was a foreigner, and a strange looking one at that. He ignored everyone's snide looks. He had to get a job done. Stopping a nearby man, he asked for Yun and Yang's whereabouts in his barely passable Chinese.

"Huh? You mean you're looking for the Twin Dragons?!" the man asked in surprise. "Boy, have you gotten off the wrong end of the fighting world. You know they're quite famous practitioners of Kung Fu. They protect the village from harm, and they'll readily kick your butt. At least, that's what they used to do."

Remy raised an eyebrow. "'Used to'?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Yang disappeared nearly a week ago. Only Yun's still around and he hasn't been seen around lately. You've got really bad timing. I suggest you come back some other time if you want to challenge them."

'Hasn't been seen around lately...' Remy thought. Succubus had been serious after all. "One more question. Where may I find Yun?"

The man scratched his head. "Well, it's hard to pin Yun down. But I'll give you directions to his house if you want."

Remy nodded. The man proceeded to give him easy to follow directions. Nodding with a hand gesture meaning, "Thanks", the Frenchman took off.

It wasn't long before Remy was upon the Lee's abode. A comfortable 2-story house from the looks of it. These kind of buildings were not too popular in Hong Kong. Remy was told that the busy country was made mostly of apartments. Oh well, one stereotype down the drain. Remy wondered if Yun was home. But if this Yun person answered the door, what would he say? For one thing, Remy was not interested in fighting anyone. The only reason why he fights is to seek out his father - the one who taught him fighting skills, then abandoned him. Another thing, Remy was only here to satisfy his curiosity. He wagered this Yun person would not be very happy if he was told that.

Just then, a young boy skidded by on a skateboard. Remy quickly used his special ability - his stealth manteau - and vanished behind a corner. He peeked around cautiously to see the young lad knock on the door.

"Mr. Yun, come out an play! Me and my friend want to show you some cool skateboarding tricks of ours."

No answer. The child knocked again. Still no answer. Remy raised his eyebrow. Perhaps Yun wasn't home after all. 'No sense wasting my time here, then...'

Before Remy moved, he saw an older man - Yun's next door neighbor - approach the boy. "I'm sorry son," said the man, "but Yun isn't going to come out for awhile. He's busy taking care of his grandmother."

"Oh..." the boy pouted. "Well then, can you tell Mr. Yun that I want to show him my new skateboarding tricks sometime?"

The man nodded. "I'll be happy to."

Once the boy rode away, the man placed his hands on his hips and sighed. "Poor Yun." he muttered to himself, though Remy was able to hear. "Ever since he came home yesterday, he locked himself in his room and refuses to see anyone. I tried to console him -" (He had a spare door key.) "- but he just won't open the door. It's not like Yun to break down like this. He's such a strong-hearted lad. I wonder if it's all because of his missing brother..."

Using his stealth manteau ability once more, Remy flew up to Yun's bedroom window. The stealth manteau had limited use, and already Remy was feeling the effects of having to use it twice in the same day. He reasoned that he could use it only once more that day, then that was it for the week. He peeked into Yun's bedroom window. Not only was the door locked, but barricaded as well. Remy saw the Chinese youth slumped on his bed. Yun was curled into a ball, head buried in his knees. Close to him, Remy noticed, was a Hello Kitty doll. When Yun lifted his head to peek at the plus, Remy was surprised to see he was smiling widely.

Something about this young man's aura intrigued him. Succubus claimed Yun would be terribly lonely without his brother. While it was true, his aura never showed any signs. No, Yun was still quite positive. Just that positivity, that healthy, radiating aura attracted the negative Remy. 'It takes a strong person to smile when they're down. Or is that smile his means of running away from his sadness?' Remy wondered.

After a few minutes, Remy was able to hear muffled whimpers.

"I miss you, Yang." the Frenchman was able to decipher. "I... I did everything for you. You're the reason why I became strong. I made myself strong for you. But now that you're gone, who am I gonna protect? The village...? Makoto...? That psychic lady...? Dammit, Yang, you made me strong. How is it you get to be weak and I have to be strong all the time?"

Remy's passive eyes once again betrayed his inner emotions. 'Is this what strong people have to suffer?' he wondered.

"Sometimes... sometimes I want to break down." Yun continued to himself. "I wanna be weak too. I rely on your strength, Yang, your strength... your inner gentleness makes me happy. You made me who I am. I live my life for you. Without you, what am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to live for...?"

'Typically I hear of the strong picking on the weak, but in this case it's making the strong weak. Interesting.' Remy nodded, in approval of Succubus.

Yun raised a trembling hand to hold the Hello Kitty doll in front of his eyes. ('That doll must be a momento of his brother.' Remy reasoned.) "Ya...Yang... I'm starving... make me something nice like you always do. Touch my hand like you always do... Smile at me like you always do... Please, Yang, please come home so I can smile for you, and you can smile for me... and we can be the Twin Dragons again. Yang... I..."

The young man cried out in anguish as literally he felt a bond in his heart play tug of war. Remy felt that deep loneliness Yun was feeling. Due to empathy, perhaps. So badly Remy wanted to sit beside Yun and assure him everything would be all right. So terribly badly Remy wanted to cheer Yun up to see him smile. To see that positivity, that warmth, to see what Yun's own gentleness was like. The Frenchman blinked. 'What the hell am I thinking? Why am I here anyway?' he wondered. This fascination, this deep fascination, was drawing Remy closer. But even if he was able to sit beside Yun, logically he couldn't assure him everything was all right - the boy missed his brother. And his brother was in the middle of nowhere.

'My stealth manteau ability, an inborn power of mine,' Remy pondered to himself, 'It allows me to become invisible, go through walls, even fly and teleport for short periods of time. However, the use of this ability is taxing on my soul. I am only able to use the stealth manteau once a day. Twice is harmful. A third time...' No, it was not in his nature to help others for the sake of helping. So why was he even considering using his stealth manteau once more? He chuckled lightly. 'Perhaps you intrigue me too much, Yun Lee.'

Remy drifted backwards. He draped his arm around him as if he was wearing a cloak. A cape of nothingness enveloped him and he vanished.

When Remy reappeared, he found himself in the valleys of China. 'So this is where Yun's brother is.' he pondered. He had full control of the teleportation ability, enough so that he can find a missing person by picturing his or her name or image in his mind, then teleporting there. He tried not to show his exhaustion on the outside - he was breathing heavily. That meant if he should come upon Yang, he will have to direct the boy home manually.

Sure enough, Remy was on target. A speeding blur whizzed his way. Remy, however, positioned himself so that the blur would have to stop.

And he did. Yang skidded to a halt to glare at Remy. The older man glanced back passively, hands in pockets. Was this truly Yun's brother? From the way Remy pictured him, Yang was quiet on the outside, gentle on the inside. But this stranger's eyes, nor aura, were friendly at all. They were cold, silent and heartless. Empty, even, as any signs of inner strength appeared to have vanished.

"Are you Yang Lee?" Remy asked cautiously.

After a suspicious pause of silence, Yang nodded. They were both silent types and needed not communicate with too many words. Yang knew he could trust this stranger somewhat.

"I've come to take you home to Hong Kong." the taller man replied. "Your brother is awaiting you."

The mention of the word 'brother' caused Yang to snap. He lunged at Remy like a ferocious animal. Remy, anticipating this, spread a glowing blue chi around him. Yang's spearhand caught hold of the chi, causing Remy to instinctively grab Yang and unleash a flurry of attacks, ending with a punch to the gut. Yang coughed and fell limp on Remy's arm.

"Patented Super Art - Blue Nocturne." Remy whispered. He was already exhausted - a full-out battle would have pushed his limits. From Yang's silent language and gestures, Remy guessed how he was feeling. But first things first, he had to find his way out of here. He closed his eyes and pictured the surrounding area. What luck - Yang had happened to be near a port town, the same port town where Succubus had been. 'A relief... I don't wish to carry this weight for too long.'

The sun was beginning to set as Remy arrived at the port town. Yang stirred in his arm and awoke. His eyes flew open, seeing he was in a stranger's arms. He pushed himself away, backflipped a few times, and went into his fighting stance. Remy glanced back, hands in pockets.

"Don't kill me if you wish to get out of here." Remy replied simply.

Yang took the hint. He lowered his arms to Remy but made no motion to get anywhere near. Remy looked around. Seeing that they were in a port town, it was only logical to find a boat back to Hong Kong. There were two ways go to about finding one - go to the docks directly or go to the pubs and ask around. He gathered that while Yang was in his possession, he may as well be fed. He gestured for Yang to follow. Yang did, but at a good distance away.

They came to a bar. It was self-seat so Remy took Yang to the bar near some rowdy people - the best place to ask for information. As they took their seats, he noticed Yang shuddering. 'He must not like crowded places, or people.' Remy concluded. 'I know how he feels. People make such unpleasant company.'

Eventually, the bartender came to the two young men. Blue-haired Frenchmen like Remy were of no surprise to him. As this town was the nearest place to the Tournament of the Gods, and people from worldwide often come and leave from this town, he's used to seeing all sorts of people. "What can I get ya?"

"A Bloody Mary." Remy glanced at Yang, who was looking at the table, and decided he was not the kind of person to drink alcohol. True Yang was underage, but that was of no concern to Remy. "And French Onion Soup for my companion."

"Got it."

The bartender left. The loud noise of the surrounding ruffians greatly contrasted the silence between Remy and Yang.

"Why are you helping me?" Yang asked finally.

It took the normally sharp-minded Remy a few seconds before he realized that was Yang speaking. Showing no signs of surprise, Remy cupped his hands under his chin. "I don't know why."

Yang glared suspiciously but said nothing more. Just before he returned to his thoughts, a large, filthy hand rested on his shoulder. He was forced to turn around and face an equally filthy man who blew cigarette smoke in his face. Said man's companions gathered around Remy, one putting an unwelcome arm around the Frenchman's shoulders.

"He's a tad bit too young for ya." commented one man to Remy, gesturing to Yang. "Don't ya think the boy's too sweet on the jailbate, gay lord?"

Remy said nothing. It was Yang who made his presence known, taking a finger of his pursuer's dirty hand and snapping it - loudly - backwards. That man squealed in pain while his comrades surrounded Yang. "Why you little punk! You're gonna pay for that."

"All right, settle down." the bartender growled. "Don't raise any more racket than you have to."

Grumbling, the men went back to their seats.

The bartender scratched his head in apology. "Sorry 'bout that, sir. Those ruffians pick any excuse for a brawl. Anyway, here's your Bloody Mary and the young man's French Onion Soup." He nudged the parishments towards his customers. "That'll be 15 francs. I assume you have French currency onhand."

Remy discretely placed a large wad of American currency on the table, enough so that only he and the bartender could see. He had managed to confiscate the money from Succubus, believing it will come in handy sooner or later. Yang noticed as well but said nothing. The bartender eyed Remy warily, then placed the money in his apron. "Shoulda known you'd be the type to ask for somethin'."

'Nothing terribly spectacular," Remy noted quietly. "Any boats heading towards Hong Kong?"

The bartender raised his eyebrows. "That's all? Hmph, I'm surprised. Anyway, the last boat to depart for Hong Kong left earlier today. The next one leaves at midnight tonight. It's a barge ship, but if you don't mind the smell, it's your free ticket to Hong Kong. 'Course, don't come crying to me if you get caught by Hong Kong customs."

"No, that's fine. Thank you." Remy nodded with a sip of his wine.

"Good luck there. I wouldn't want to see the Twin Dragons separated for too long." the bartender spoke, gesturing to Yang. The blue dragon glared back, half from his usual antisocial self, half from wondering how he was known. Waving, the bartender left.

Taking another sip, Remy glanced at Yang who had begun to eat. Now he was starting to understand what was going on. From what he pieced together - Yang's ferocity over the word 'brother' - Yang apparently was obsessed with killing his brother or the like, sacrificing his gentleness to becoming a savage beast. He had heard rumors of Yang's ruthlessness in the battlefield, but not to the point of killing his inner strength. Watching him was like looking at an empty shell, a lost soul. Remy wasn't even going to begin with the Yun - the kind of person who would hide his sorrows behind a wide grin. The kind who could shrug off problems with an easy-going demeanor. But when Remy saw the older twin, his heart was torn apart from having no one to be strong to, to losing the most important thing in his life. Looking at Yang, Remy wondered if Yang felt that loneliness too - or was he just obsessive?

'Why am I thinking of this? It's none of my business.' Remy admonished. Once again, he wouldn't admit that he, too, was drawn to the twin dragons.

Just then, Yang felt a tinge of pain and sadness. This atmosphere was not the best place to deal with such emotion. "I... need to go outside for awhile." he spoke. He had finished eating - most teenage boys eat fast after all. A slip of cash lay under the bowl to pay for the meal.

Remy nodded. He didn't need to say any words of, "Come back soon." or "Be careful", for he knew Yang would do those already. The younger twin dragon left. Once Yang was out of sight, Remy once again waved the bartender down. It was best to take this time to finalize information to Hong Kong.

Hands in pockets, Yang travelled as far away from civilization as he could. The only place he found with no people around was the end of the pier. There he sat, listening to the calming waters, watching a few late-night birds fly by. Once he was sure no one was around, he lowered his head to his knees and let the tears stream from his face. That pain swelled, dropping his insensitive guard for a moment.

'Strong people don't cry.' whispered a female voice (which was Succubus speaking telepathically). 'They do something about their problems. You do want to defeat your brother. After all, he's stronger than you. You will never compare to him.'

'You're wrong.' Yang shot back. 'I will be strong... I'll defeat my brother and prove it.'

So once again, Yang was on his bad track. He returned to the bar where Remy was only to be stopped by a gang of drunks.

"Hey there, pretty boy who's lost and can't go home crying to mommy." one chuckled. "We saw you at the port cryin' like a baby. Boo hoo hoo."

Testily, Yang lashed out with a knifehand to the man's Adam's Apple. "Shut the hell up!"

Said man gasped for air, then snapped his neck forward with a loud crack. "Stupid punk. You're gonna pay."

"Outta my way, you bastards!" Yang growled, snapping his hands - spread outwards like spearhands - across his chest in a fighting stance. A crane stance to be exact, which could only mean one thing. His anger and irritation fueled his energy, and with a cry of, "HISATSU!", he activated his Sei'ei Enbu.

The bar noises were even worse - a sign that Remy needed to get out more. Not that he'd want to. The plans were set. Remy knew exactly where to go. Thanking the bartender, he turned to leave when he saw countless men throwing tables and chairs at Yang. The nimble dragon deftly dodged the flying furniture by either smashing them aside, dodging, or backflipping from table to table. Some large splinters landed on some other men's heads.

'I suspect an all-out brawl soon.' Remy noted.

He was right. Soon, the entire bar erupted into a fight, not caring who hit who, and Yang was in the middle. The boy, too, cared not who he was hitting for he was furious. So furious, he either activated his Sei'ei Enbu several times or kept the first one going. Remy thought the latter - the boy appeared to be wearing out. 'Teenagers...' he shook his head and decided to bail him out.

Several more tables were headed Yang's way. Yang panted heavily - maintaining the Sei'ei Enbu for so long was godly taxing. Grandfather warned Yun and Yang never to maintain the Gen'ei Jin/Sei'ei Enbu technique for too long and now Yang knew why. He raised his hand to swat the first table with a Mantis Slash, but he probably wouldn't hit it in time...

... when suddenly, it shattered before his eyes. Several more projectiles made from a vacuum manipulation of air sliced through the tables, bursting them into nothing more than tiny splinters. Yang glanced in surprise to see Remy standing as if he had launched an attack. This time, Yang was able to see as he didn't notice a chair was headed his way. Remy launched another projectile and shattered this chair as well.

'He's no ordinary stranger.' Yang thought warily.

Remy lowered his hand from executing the Light of Virtue - haut (high). "Let's go, Yang. Our ship is waiting for us." Not waiting for Yang to answer, he left.

Yang followed, stepping over and dodging any upcoming projectiles. When they left, the bar was a wreck.

The ship left at midnight sharp. The captain was generous enough to let Remy and Yang 'stow away' until arrival at Hong Kong. Remy decided to take a nap. He didn't know nor care what Yang will do. It's the boy's business.

Late that night, Remy decided to come out for some fresh air. To him, night was not the time to sleep - it was the time to ponder on his emotions, for his element was the darkness. He exited the cabin, and to his surprise, Yang was outside as well, watching the horizon. The salty sea air brushed his hair, a few strands tickling his delicate facial features.

"Can't sleep?" Remy asked.

Yang shot him a glance, then returned his view to the ocean. Remy joined him, keeping a safe distance for neither liked to get near to other people.

"Tell me, why do you fight?" the Frenchman spoke.

Yang was silent for a moment, as to be expected. "...To defeat my brother."

'I knew he'd say so. That can't be the only reason. Nonetheless...' Remy unvisibly shook his head. "Is defeating your brother important to you?"

'It's none of your business.' Yang mentally snapped. But somehow, these stranger's words were sinking into him. An inner need that made him want to tell the world, not just Yun. "I want to be strong."

"Strong is a relative term." Remy stated. "Why do people want to be strong anyway? Do they have something to prove to themselves or the world? Or to someone in particular, perhaps. While one may gain physical strength, they may lose another. Strong people are a complete mystery to me, yet a fascination."

Yang looked down slightly. His stubbornness denied that Remy was talking about him. "Why do you fight?" he asked flatly. Not that he cared - he just wanted an excuse to shut Remy up.

"Why do I...?" Remy turned his back and leaned on the guardrail. "To seek my origins."

"Hmm..." Yang muttered.

"My father called himself a warrior. Yet, he abandoned his family for the sake of fighting." Remy narrowed his eyes. His voice became mutters that Yang had to strain himself to hear. "While he left for the battle, his family was murdered, leaving behind his only son. His bastard son, should I say. I don't know who he is. All I know is that he taught me how to fight." He clenched a fist. "So I fight to find the answers to myself. And to seek vengeance on that man for abandoning his family, abandoning me."

Yang said nothing. A tickling sensation crept into his chest. He chuckled, which turned into a laugh. "We're not so different, you and I. We both have a similar goal."

"Hmm..." Remy wasn't so sure about that. 'Is defeating your brother really what you want?'

Back in Hong Kong, at the Lee residence, Tsuchin curled up as cozy as possible to Yang's pillow. She missed her pet dearly and being on his pillow was the closest thing to being with him. Unlike many humans who only take appearances to consideration, Tsuchin knew Yun and Yang were not the same person. In essence anyway.

The door slid open, interrupting her sleep. A large shadow loomed over her, and she shuddered. That look in the intruder's eyes was frightening. Yun's eyes appeared to be glowing in the dark and on his face was a wide, sadistic grin.

"Hello, Yang." he muttered - his tone of voice was definitely not normal. "Lovely evening, isn't it? Just like you."

Tsuchin backed up to the wall. Her irritation disappeared, she was completely frightened of Yun. He came upon her like a beast overpowering his pray, stripping every last piece of his garments. The feline tried to run, but Yun was faster and came upon her. He grabbed the white kitten and held her near. It is true, cats do share the aura of their human companions or vice versa. Smiling, raising Tsuchin in the air to admire her briefly, Yun made like clothes on a washboard - using his torso - with the cat. He moaned, savoring every touch of Yang's aura - or an aura similar to Yang's. "Oh, brother, I've missed you. More, please, more..."

Finally, Tsuchin had enough. She bared her claws and cleanly scratched Yun across the face. The older Lee brother yelped. Heaving a look between anger and fear, Tsuchin galloped away.

Yun lay on the bed. He laughed, not from amusement but of shame of himself. But it's true - he was deteriorating. He turned around, wrapped himself under the blankets and went to sleep peacefully in Yang's bed once more. Though, somehow that night, he didn't feel as welcome.