A/N: Unfortunately, life gets in the way of fanfiction-writing and, whenever you try and pick up where you left off, it prevents you again. Trying to complete a chapter after you've long abandoned it is a challenge, so I hope I have at least delivered to you a descent chapter despite the ridiculously long wait. If it's not up to standard, then I can only apologise.

As usual, read and review :)


Their heads shot in the direction of the voice.

Heihachi Mishima stood among the rubble. Triumphant. Proud. Egotistical. Peeved.

'Grandpa Heihachi,' Xiaoyu cried out. 'Please don't make things-'
'A family reunion,' Heihachi declared. 'How could I not come? All that we are missing is my beloved father Jinpachi and that whelp Chaolan.'

Heihachi gravitated towards them.
'I won't waste any time with an introduction or a monologue. I will say I agree: we Mishimas destroy everything in our path.'
He charged up.

Jin whirled around, 'Get her out of here now!'
Before Xiaoyu could protest, Lars and Hwoarang flew off with her. Xiaoyu wiggled in their grasp in vain. Only until she was completely out of sight did Jin return to the confrontation.

'What are you doing here?' Kazuya addressed Heihachi gruffly. 'I want to savour the defeat of this one before I come after you.'
'Good,' said Heihachi. 'I will watch you eliminate the runt and then I will destroy you. Killing two birds with one stone.'

The corners of Kazuya's lips twitched.
'You never learn, old man. To take on the devil form while a mere mortal is sealing your grisly fate.'
While they were absorbed in their decades-old tradition, Jin seized this opportunity to push the dagger in deeper.

'So you are scared then.'
Kazuya's steely eyes burned into Jin.
'Are you that desperate for a beating, boy?'
'I am just calling you out on your crap, Kazuya,' Jin replied, goading him.

There was a cutting pause. In a flash, Kazuya had lunged at Jin. They scuffled which then extended into a full-on brawl. Before Jin could inflict any serious damage, he felt a weight on his shoulders. Heihachi's burly hands clamped down and dragged Jin backwards.

For a brief moment an unspoken, unofficial pact had formed between wretched father and wretched son. This was not the first time they had joined together against a common enemy. Jin felt an urge to smile at this reaction. He knew very well that this partnership would not work for very long since their mutual hatred for one another was just too strong.

Simultaneously, Kazuya and Heihachi demonstrated their accumulated skills over the many decades, against Jin. He did his best to defend himself against their barrage of attacks, however much like their last encounter Jin struggled to maintain enough awareness to counterattack the both of them.

Only a while longer, Jin told himself. Allow themselves to really wear themselves out before you twist the knife.

When there was a pause, Jin seized the moment to inflict damage without using his body.
'I wouldn't think this partnership would work if Heihachi is plotting to take the Zaibatsu from under your feet.'

There was a pause.

Now he had Kazuya's full attention. First, Kazuya scanned Jin ferociously for any signs of mistruth. When he had calculated Jin's truth level, a storm whirled in his red devil pupils.

'Do you really think I would just roll over and let you take over the Zaibatsu- MY Zaibatsu?'
Kazuya took slow, deliberate steps towards him.
'When I'm through killing you, I will pursue those that have collaborated with you with such viciousness, that they will wish they killed themselves before I get to them.'

'It's too late,' Heihachi chortled. 'The damage is done. It will not do you much good going after them now.'
'I think I will be the one to decide that.'

Kazuya took off, flying Heihachi straight into the wall behind him with so much force that the ground beneath them and the other walls shuddered and groaned.

The next hour or so was a blur to her.

Xiaoyu was being dragged towards the exit by both Hwoarang and Lars.
'Wait,' she cried. 'My things.'
'There isn't any time,' Lars insisted. 'We have to leave now.'

'I am not ending up possessionless,' Xiaoyu glared at him. 'As well as homeless.'
Lars silently appealed to Hwoarang who merely stood there. Groaning, Lars ordered her to be hasty and to meet himself and Hwoarang in the hotel lobby.

'Hwoarang, aren't you going to fetch your things?'
'I only game with the clothes on my back and my bike,' Hwoarang told Xiaoyu with a flash of a grin.
He followed her into her room and helped her snatch everything and stuff it ceremoniously into pope bags.

They were 3/4 of the way down the main staircase when the entire hotel shuddered violently.
'Jin,' Xiaoyu whispered.
'He's a big boy,' came Hwoarang's slightly shaky reply. 'He can look after himself.'
She allowed herself to be dragged out of the building by Hwoarang with Lars following close behind.

The hotel guests clumped together outside at a distance from the crumbling hotel. The staff, glassy-eyed with shock, urged everyone to vacate the premises altogether but they were ignored. Everyone was fixated on the sight before them. They could only imagine the happenings in the hotel's belly.

Xiaoyu was hazy from the rush of events. Lars and Hwoarang dragged her off. They arrived at Jin's base, where she had been brought after her rescue from Kazuya. Exhausted from worry, Xiaoyu collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep. Such a deep sleep it was, that when Xiaoyu stirred later she was completely lost as to the time and day. She made her way down to the kitchen and was startled by the male figure sitting at the table.

'Jin!'
Xiaoyu flew at him. Jin gently pushed her off him, and when she stopped she saw why. He had cuts running all down his body. Some black feathers circled him in his seat.

'You're not too hurt are you?'
'I'll live.'
Xiaoyu bit her lip. She felt guilty that she was more concerned with finding out something else, rather than ensure his safety.

'What happened?' she asked instead.
'I revealed to Kazuya what dearest Grandfather was getting up to,' Jin revealed with an evil smile. 'I left just as Kazuya took out his shock on Heihachi.'
Jin was mightily pleased with himself. That was why he was desperate for her not to be there, his plan was to rile them up all along.

'This benefits us how?' she enquired.
'Kazuya and Heihachi destroy each other,' he replied simply. 'While we just watch.'
Xiaoyu strolled around the table casually while his behaviour sunk in.
'You were provoking them, then,' she summarised rather than asked. 'The fire of chaos that burns when they clash, is started by you.'

'You sound disappointed,' he stated rather aloofly.
'I am just wondering when this vicious cycle will end, Jin. Too many lives are in danger because of it: you know this.'
'If you're worried about your safety, don't; you were not supposed to be there anyway.'

'I'm not worried about myself,' she dismissed him. 'I'm worried about you, about your safety. This fixation with Kazuya and Heihachi isn't good for you- I know you are not the man you were three years ago, but I still see traces of him. Every time he surfaces I'm reminded of how they've both ruined you.'

For the first time since she had found him, Jin faced her; his clear brown eyes studying her inquisitively. If Xiaoyu could equate it to anything, it would be the look a child has when trying to discern a strange situation. He softened.

'I'm doing all of this to put an end to the Mishimas. I'm doing this for everyone and I'm doing this especially for you. Isn't it what you wanted?'

Xiaoyu moved towards him, her eye contact ever increasing in its intensity. She lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek. Jin responded to her touch by drawing his chair out from the table and inviting her to (gently) sit on his lap.

'I don't want you to suffer than you already have,' she said softly.

Xiaoyu swept her hands over his gravelly torso, missing its previous smooth state. They moved up to his neck and slid down to rest just below, parallel to his shoulder blades, when he closed the gap between them sealing their flesh.

Her pelvis tingled frantically when his hands went from burying themselves in her hair to travelling to her bottom: he gave it a gentle squeeze. The fire ignited within them both threatened to sear their skin off completely.

That fire caused their kisses to become deeper and more passionate. He hungrily delved into her mouth slowly drowning her in a wave of longing. Xiaoyu smiled inwardly; they hadn't yet gotten into bed yet he already had her breathless.

He loomed over her, his imposing figure dwarfing her already short stature. Xiaoyu's knees weakened considerably so she clung to him. He moved her over to their bed. He could call it their bed because it truly was. They were a couple now.

Their first time had been tender and loving, now they were about to venture into something more...rhythmic.

Their clothes parted from them.

As soon as she was on her back he pinned her wrists down. He positioned himself on top of her easing his weight onto her body.

Dark clouds of passion formed in their orbs.

Both ran their hands along each other's flesh, appreciating the suppleness of the contours.

Xiaoyu entangled her legs with his, locking them together.

Their hearts rammed against their chests when he entered her. This time he went deeper. Deep enough to forget the laws of time. They were wrapped up in each other and wrapped up in the present.

Pleasure entwined with longing. Despite being there together, both simply needed more of each other.

Jin's thrusts became deeper and more urgent. His heavy fists squeezed her wrists into a tight grip. Moans of love gradually transformed into rough grunts. Xiaoyu was now being jabbed by him.

Soon her cries were stained with pain but Jin failed to notice. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades so that they were penetrating his muscle; it only increased his drive.

'Jin-'
'Xiao.'

Her face was contorted. His movements were so intense now that she could hardly protest against the sheer force of them. All she could manage were little whimpers. It was only when she opened her eyes that she realised something was seriously wrong.

It was that look in his eyes. It was back. That demonic power was seeping into his pupils and she panicked. From the corner of her eyes she watched charcoal black wings crawl out from his back.

She could of sworn she heard a hiss.

He smothered her in kisses, no longer in a tender manner. It was rough and greedy.

Xiaoyu writhed and wriggled.

'No- stop!'

It appeared that her desperate request hadn't been heard because he continued. That was when she tried to connect with her mind, and her martial arts training. Xiaoyu twisted his hands off hers, and when he was caught off guard she slapped him across the cheek. Hard.

Jin was stunned into stopping.

'Xiao?'
Xiaoyu slid out from beneath him, put a dressing gown on and padded out of the room. Jin breathed out his exertions, it slowly dawning on him what had occurred. He followed her into the kitchen where she had poured herself a drink and was currently lost out of the window.

She sighed, brushing away the shaking that her body had experienced. She turned to face him just as he approached her.

'I...don't know what happened,' he began.
'It's ok, Jin.'
'No, it's not ok. You're clearly shaken.'
'I'll be fine, I just need a minute.'

Xiaoyu urged her wild pumping heart to calm down. When she moved towards Jin to assure him, he backed away.
'What are you doing with me?' he blurted. 'I mean: why are you with me?'
Puzzled, Xiaoyu replied, 'You know why.'

'I'm a monster,' he muttered, drooping his head.
Xiaoyu's lips twitched upwards. She moved into him, taking his hands in hers.
'Monsters don't know love,' she informed him. 'They don't understand it. They don't feel it. You are not a monster.'

'Come,' she said, pulling him out of the kitchen.
'I don't know if I'll be able to control myself.'
'We're not going to do that. We're going to get into bed and curl up together. I'm going to prove to you that you can control yourself.'


A/N: I can only promise that the next few chapters will deliver dramatic turns of events.