Chapter 9: Foul Play
Jin watched out the helicopter's window as it flew them to the jungle.
"I don't understand you, Jin. You were so strong. Then you became so weak. As soon as you met that Korean whore..."
"Don't talk about him like that!" Jin snapped.
Heihachi smirked, "Why not? It's what he is."
Jin growled, his hands curling into fists. He could feel his nails biting into the soft flesh of his palms.
"Suppressing Devil is turning you into a maniac, isn't it? It's like penning up an unimaginable rage."
The younger Japanese didn't reply. He just looked out the window, Fatal Lightning sizzling his skin. Fifteen minutes ticked by before the jungle came into sight.
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Christie sat on a tree trunk at her spot in the jungle. Even though she didn't know Jin she felt bad for being forced to fight him.
[I hope the only reason I won the first time is because he was distracted by Hwoarang...]
The woman's eyes shifted over to where two of Heihachi's men where guarding Eddy. "Fight Jin and Eddy goes free." that was Heihachi's exact promise. Eddy caught Christie's gaze and gave her a sympathetic look. Christie sighed and looked at her feet.
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"You'll be fighting Lei first. I'm sure Hwoarang's bitched about him to you." Heihachi said.
Jin remained silent. He was busy trying to keep Devil suppressed. The helicopter landed and Heihachi's men ushered Jin from the helicopter and into the jungle. Lei was standing in a clearing, looking unhappy. Heihachi nodded. Before Lei could even take his mark Jin rushed forward with inhuman speed. His fist slammed into the cop's chin in a very harsh uppercut. Heihachi's gerbils winced as Lei spun head over heels in the air before slamming into the ground. Jin turned, his eyes turning from blazing red to brown and back to red. Heihachi's men practically pissed their expensive pants and backed away. Only Heihachi stood his ground, smirking.
[You're losing the battle for your soul, Jin.]
"Lei. I'm sorry..." Jin mumbled.
Lei lay unconscious in the dirt. Cautiously, some of Heihachi's men walked over to Jin and Lei to drag the cop off.
"This way, Jin." Heihachi said, vanishing into the jungle.
Jin followed, Fatal Lightning burning his arm. The old man led him to another cleared area. Jin recognized Eddy being held at gun point at one side of the clearing.
"What is this?" He demanded.
"Incentive for the little bitch over there." Heihachi answered.
Christie muttered a few Spanish curses Heihachi's way before taking her mark. Jin felt sorry for her. His grandfather was doing the same thing to both of them. Holding a loved one captive. And for what? Divine only knows what. Jin took his mark. Heihachi nodded and the two fighters charged each other. Jin swung a punch at Christie but she danced away and did a back flip, kicking Jin in the chin. He growled and crouched down, performing a sweep kick. Christie fell onto her side, the air rushing out of her lungs as she hit the ground hard. She looked up, gasped, and tried to scramble away. Jin's left eye was red, his right eye was brown. Heihachi was smiling broadly, clearly amused.
"Christie! For the love of god play dead!" Eddy shouted.
It was too late for that. Christie shrieked loudly as Jin's foot connected with her ribs, sending her flying. She cried out again as she rebounded off a tree and fell to the ground. Face in the grass, Christie tried to lay as still as she could. Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes from pain and fear. She could barely contain a whimper when she heard Jin's footsteps approaching and Heihachi's cruel laughter in the distance. Through her hair she watched Jin's feet. One lifted off the ground, intent on coming down on her spine.
"No! Please don't!!" Eddy shouted.
Jin stopped, leg still up. He looked over his shoulder at Eddy. The man looked horrified as well as the men holding him at bay. Only his grandfather was smiling smugly, looking proud of his grandson. Christie lifted her head to see that Jin's left leg was raised, Devil's side. Jin was looking over his shoulder at Eddy. He was silently asking the man to forgive him.
"No!!" Eddy cried.
Devil brought his foot down, hard. It crunched painfully into the ground as Christie rolled to the side. Raising herself up on her shaking arms Christie did a hand stand, wrapping her legs around Jin's neck. Jin started choking as Christie tightened her hold. She hung on tight. She could tell Jin was fighting Devil off. Just as he was about at the point of passing out he managed to overcome Devil. His eyes turned brown again. Christie smiled at her opponent before rolling onto her side and fake passing out. Heihachi's gerbils let Eddy go and he rushed to her side. He scooped the girl into his arms, gave Heihachi a hateful look, and vanished into the jungle.
"You should have killed her. She was weak." Heihachi said.
"I don't kill those I fight. Though I will make an exception for you." Jin replied.
Heihachi only laughed. "We'll see who dies tonight, boy."
Heihachi motioned to some of his men. They brought Nina forward. She didn't look too happy either.
"I have a sniper stationed on the building next to the hospital. He was a clear shot of your son. Fight Jin or Steve dies."
Jin blinked, astonished. Steve was Nina's son??
"I hate you." Nina spat at Heihachi, but took her mark.
When Heihachi signaled for them to start fighting Jin never expected Nina to attack him with such ferocity. Her fist slammed into his face and her knee connected with his thigh. The Japanese stumbled away from his opponent, stunned. He got another shock as he looked at Nina. Tears were running down the blonde's cheeks.
"All I ever wanted was a normal life! I'm a twenty two year old with a twenty one year old son! I missed out on twenty one years of my son's life! I can't remember where I was born, my child hood...I just want a normal life!"
Jin cast a sympathetic look at Nina before rushing her. She let him and didn't even whimper when his fist connected with her stomach. She just simply smiled at Jin and fell to the ground.
"Women are so weak." Heihachi grumbled.
"They are not..." Jin replied.
"What do you know, boy? You're just as weak as them."
Jin turned on his grandfather. "YOU are the only weak one here! YOU have to resort to using under-handed tactics to get your way! YOU have to fight dirty just to win! YOU are the only one who is weak!!"
Before Jin could say anymore Heihachi's fist connected with his face. Jin fell to the ground, his jaw throbbing.
"Do not disrespect your elders." Heihachi said.
"Hiretsukan!*" Jin snarled, spitting at his grandfather's feet.
Enraged, Heihachi kicked Jin in the chest slamming the boy into the dirt.
"I've have enough of your insolence. It's time to take you to the compound."
Jin sat on the ground until he was yanked to his feet by Heihachi. The old man dragged him back to the helicopter and told the pilot to head for the temple. Jin sat back in his seat, one hand on his bruising chest. The scratches from Kuma were slowly scabbing over. Fatal Lightning was still burning and Jin was still ignoring it.
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The temple was the second biggest building on the Mishima Compound. Heihachi had it built beside the canyon he threw Kazuya in to. He liked to train there and look out the big bay window at the spot where he stood to throw his son into the chasm. The helicopter landed on the temple's heli pad and Heihachi dragged Jin down the cement stairs into the temple.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy this..."
Heihachi took Jin to the main dojo and pushed the door open. Jin frowned. Chains, only inches off the floor, criss-crossed across the floor. On the other side of the room Hwoarang hung almost ritually by his wrists. A chain was wrapped around his neck as well and his feet were weighted. Jin's eyes followed the chain around Hwoarang's neck, it vanished into a tangle of chains on the ceiling.
"What...is this...?" Jin asked.
Heihachi smirked. "One of these chains is connected to Hwoarang's noose. If you step on the wrong one Hwoarang drops...RIP! Hwoarang's arms come off and he gets hung."
"Trip wires..." Jin said. "That's why the chains are off the ground a little bit. One of these is a trip wire."
"Smart boy. For all you know it could be this one..." Heihachi raised his foot to step on a chain.
"No!" Jin cried, grabbing his grandfather's foot.
Heihachi laughed and slammed his fist into Jin's face. Jin stumbled back, panicking. He stepped and stumbled over each chain trying not to fall. He managed to gain his footing and he glared at Heihachi.
"Are you ready to begin, boy?" Heihachi asked.
Part ten |
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