*Thanks for reading.


*~*Chapter Four*~*


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For days, the police had paid frequent visits to the entertainment complex. Almost everyone had been hounded, asked useless questions that have already been answered and the same people were repeatedly interrogated. Nina kept away but had often found one or two glances at her from the cops.

The man or thing that had killed the dude was a brute, had completely destroyed the bar and when he had finally been imprisoned, the bitter aftermath was still there. Despite not knowing the face behind the jaguar mask, flowers had been taped outside the entrance and candles had been lit to mourn a stranger.

Within this time, Nina found herself reluctant to work.

After her little interrogation from the police and a pathetic slap on the wrist, Nina had only realised one thing from her memory.

Jin had escaped.

How easy it was for him to roll out of the situation, throw on his hoodie and venture back into the shadows that eagerly welcomed him back. The police hadn't questioned him and he had not turned up to work either.

Every shadow she passed by wouldn't escape her suspicion. She'd narrow her eyes to draw him out.

But he was never there.

Julia was another story. Nina saw the despair etched on her face, a cocktail of betrayal and pain leaving behind a wretched feel of anger and self-pity.

"I got a job." Julia told her one day, a small smile of self-assurance that pleased Nina.

So Julia had taken up her advice, getting herself a job in G Corporation as an assistant. The girl started to spend more time at work and Nina began to miss those home cooked dinners.

The absence of Julia made the apartment awkwardly silent, so Nina grabbed her helmet and decided to try out the bike.


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Outside, held the same story. The highway was almost empty and with no soul in sight. Nina listened to the wind whip against her face as she rode out the smooth bike, engine packed with enough firepower for her to ride against all the skyscrapers.

The hair whipped against her face, soon she became numb as her thoughts rallied out of her mind and sped along with her.

Images of her sister, red hair and red lips danced in front of her eyes. The stomach wrenching torment of having a bitter reunion with her sister ran through her mind. Every time she thought about it, she wished she could take back that slap and go back to her sister.

But her pride refused to allow her to do so, for bowing down to others left her with a sour state of mind.

What would her dear sister think? That she could manipulate her time and time again, use her for her own benefit and then cast her away when she was no longer of use.

No, Nina couldn't be disposed. Not by her own kin.

Her only kin.

Like that Bosconovitch doctor. How easily he replaced his only daughter with a robot. How simple it was for him to disturb the memory of his dead daughter, if the robot proved to be faulty then he'd simply discard it and re-create her as per his will.

Nothing had a will of its own anymore.

She and Alisa might be as well the same; lumped with the same fate.

Fools.

Or Nina had been the fool all along. Alisa was dead; she had no say in what her father did anymore. She imagined the girl was okay with her father's decision, only to appease her old man.

Would Anna appease her or would Nina?

What were Anna's motives?

Why?

What?

Why?

Why did this happen?

When the thinking got too much, Nina stopped.

The tyres crunched the gravel beneath as Nina parked the bike against the bridge rails.

Her sudden intrusion on his privacy compelled them to lock eyes.

The thickness of his bangs, doing very little to hide those eyes of his. She admired the ways in which fate worked. Here she was, hoping to find him and he was here.

Standing before her, by the rails was Jin.

"Didn't think I'd find you here."

"I could say the same."

"Why aren't you at work?"

She was surprised at his question and removed herself from the bike. Walking towards the rail, she stopped and kept her eyes on the small traffic beneath.

"You don't turn up at work and you're asking me why I'm not at work?"

"I stopped going."

"Yes, I can see that. You also avoided the police, care to tell me why?"

"If you already know the answer, there is no use in me voicing it out for you."

They both turn to face each other at the same time. He was not going to change his stance and neither was she.

"The boss still wants you back; he liked you better than most of his employees. I don't know why but you barely talk much."

"You wish for me to return."

His reply was so direct and surprising that she found herself disagreeing with him. What made him think she even cared for his return? She was infuriated that he had left her to account for him; the police had given her a hard time because of him. The mysterious assailant that he was, even the police couldn't even catch him.

He lurked better. She envied that.

"What the hell are you doing here? Staring down at the traffic and still not get caught?" He turned her anger raw and she soon spoke in forced whispers when he replied so quietly.

"We fight, I win, you return back to work."

Now he was surprised, she smiled in satisfaction upon his uncertainty.

"Why? Aren't you able to fight at all or your fear of losing holds you back?"

"Please tell me that you're still man enough like that night, when you went to defend Julia against that beast."

She hit a nerve.

So he did react.

Interestingly, he returns her stare and nods. "A fighter such as yourself is bound to create a distraction which leaves me no choice but to accept your challenge."

"Now we're talking."

Jin got into his stance, one fist forward and the other a little lower. She admired his new look and lifted her own arms up to ready herself for an unpredictable battle.

When he didn't serve, she pushed her palm forward. He dodged, rolling out of her reach. Prepared for a low hit, she crouched and extended a leg. He almost slipped but gathered himself to pull back.

Disappointed, Nina raised herself up and attempted a skull splitter. She hit Jin in the arms instead and used her ivory cutter to satisfy herself.

Jin crashed to the floor but recovered just in time to parry another one of Nina's attacks. She hit, he parried and so this carried on for a while.

Her arms began to ache of all the pushing and pulling. She tried to grab him and do one of her crab throws. Jin hadn't unleashed a single strike on her; he had parried and mastered his defence against her.

When she caught Jin on a couple of hammer throws, it recovered her pride a little.

It ended with him on the floor, defeated with a simple shoulder throw.

"That's enough, I should get going."

She didn't know if she should be disappointed. The fight was so unusual. Jin had parried his way through the entire fire without a single hit.

In fact, she was more than dissatisfied with his actions.

What had happened to the fiery Jin from the third tournament? All his vigour and passion washed away.

He wasn't screwing with her, was he?

She watched him wipe the dust off his jacket when he helped himself up.

"Why didn't you attack me?"

He stopped dusting himself off and looked at her again. "You wished for a battle, not I."

She scowled. "Even an amateur would be worth fighting against."

When he did reply, his tone made her want to strike him again. He was so patient and smooth, even after such an appalling fight.

"I do not have a solid fighting style to combat you with. Do not assume it was you being a woman that held me back."

"What?"

"I've unlearned the Mishima fighting style. All of it. Now this is all that remains."

He lifted his hood and threw it over his head.

"Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because…..I'm not them. I'll never be one of them."

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