Ding-dong.
Jin awoke to the sound of a bell. He opened one eye, but then shut it and tried to go back to sleep, finding that he couldn't. He turned over, and found that Mikaela had left her bed. He listened out for noises.
The sound of footsteps…and a door opening.
"Hey!" Mikaela's tired but bouncy voice greeted. "I haven't seen you in ages!"
"Neither," came a male voice that Jin didn't recognise. "I came here to see you, and to tell you something."
"Tell me what?"
"Do you remember Evelyn Nickel from the last tournament?"
"Yes…"
"Well, there's something I have to tell you, about you…and her."
"So what is it? Come on, you can tell me…"
"Alright…" the sound of the man inhaling, and… "She was your sister."
"M-my sister? You…you mean the one I didn't know about?"
"Yes."
"You should have told me before! And her!"
"Oh, she already knew."
"Well, why didn't anyone tell me? Am I the only one left in my family?"
"I'm sorry, Mikaela, I – "
"It's alright. Would you like a cuppa?"
"Yes please."
Jin lay there in silence for a while, his head aching from lack of sleep. So Evy and Mikaela were sisters? He wondered what other shocking secrets were to come. After about a minute or so, a beeping noise came from the kitchen.
"Oh, sorry Mikaela, I've got to dash. Carolyn wants me."
"Who's – oh, alright. Seeya."
"Bye."
Now that the visitor had left, Jin counted to three and leapt out of bed. He pulled on his clothes, splashed his face with water and made his way to the kitchen. Mikaela was cooking some breakfast.
"Good morning, Jin," she smiled. "Are you hungry? I'm making bacon and eggs."
Jin shook his head. "Who was that man at the door?"
"That was my second cousin, Nick. He's one of the closest family I have."
"Oh," said Jin.
Mikaela flipped over an egg. "Would you like something to eat for breakfast?"
"Er – just some toast, please,"
"Toast it is!" Chirped Mikaela, plugging in the toaster.
How can she be so happy? Jin wondered. Despite all the troubles she has on her shoulders?
"I may act happy, Jin, but I'm not really," Mikaela sighed. "I read through the magazine last night. Turn to page 37."
Jin reached for the magazine and did as he was told. He read the small article quickly. "You and Hwoarang are together, and living in a house in the middle of nowhere?"
"You can't trust magazines, or any other type of media," Mikaela dished out her breakfast on a plate. "Hwoarang isn't here with me, is he? No. He's in some Korean Military base, and I'm glad of that, too. He changed so quickly after the tournament…or was it that once I got to know him, I didn't like who he really was? A greedy, self-centered, two-timer?" Mikaela sighed again and gave Jin his toast.
"Thanks," he said politely. She sat down. "Was he really a two-timer?"
Mikaela nodded. "Oh yes, you go ask that Chang bitch…roomies…" She scoffed and poked at her egg.
Jin decided to get off the subject of Hwoarang. "I'll have to go to the dojo now," he announced, standing up and carrying his plate to the sink.
"Alright, I'm going shopping," Mikaela stood up and yawned. "Gee, I didn't get much sleep last night….anyway, here's a spare key if you're coming back," she handed it to him. "If you do, you may not recognise me. I'll have black hair with pink tips and blue eyes."
"Why?"
"I'm going in disguise, remember?" she smiled. "Come back again, will ya?"
"I guess I'll have to, I have nowhere else to go." He stated matter-of-factly.
"Okay seeya," she called as Jin waved goodbye and set out the door. Mikaela smiled again and began washing the dishes.
*****
Ling Xiaoyu was fuming. She had just heard news that some bitch – who was calling herself her "friend" – was trying to steal her boyfriend.
She was explaining all this on the phone to her good friend Miharu Hirano, who was outraged.
"Miharu, I want you to help me confront her," Xiaoyu said over the telephone. "I know her number – we'll do a three-way chat."
"Good idea, Xiao," Miharu's voice came from the other end.
"I'll dial it in now. Hold on a tick." Her friend waited patiently until the ringing tone came, and then a third person's voice.
"He - hello?" A female voice greeted. "Who's this?"
"Hello Mikaela," Xiaoyu responded. "This is Ling Xiaoyu speaking."
"And Miharu Hirano."
"I – well, we, rang to tell you something."
"Tell me what?" Mikaela's voice asked.
"We know what been going on with you and Jin."
There was a pause. "Wha – I mean, nothing's going on! Jin's been missing for two years, remember?" Mikaela lied through her teeth.
"There's photographic evidence, and an article about it in the newly-published Tekken Magazine," Miharu explained. "It just came out today."
"What?" Mikaela asked, outraged. Not that stupid magazine again!
"Want me to read it to you?" Xiaoyu offered.
"Whatever."
"'First Hwoarang, then Jin Kazama. Or both? Mikaela Everest has recently been spotted with Jin. They slept in the same house one night, and had a long conversation. Not much was heard, but enough to discover that they both have something in common – a rare condition called the 'devil gene'. Neither of them have left the house yet. For more details on Mikaela's relationship status, stay tuned for next week's issue.'"
"How – who wrote that?"
"It's an anonymous article." Xiaoyu's voice was uptight and cold. Mikaela had never seen – well, heard – her like this. She really didn't mean to make her friend upset. Nothing really was going on between her and Jin. "You…you made him sleep with you…"
"Wha – no! He DIDN'T sleep with me!" Mikaela's fierce voice boomed. She suppressed her rage. "He slept in a different bed."
"Why?"
"Well, what type of person leaves someone they know out on the streets?" she smiled with grim satisfaction. She had mad her point there.
"This Devil Gene," Miharu spoke up. "What is it, anyway? I've never heard of it before."
"It's this sorta…special thing…" Mikaela didn't know how to explain it.
"Oh, so it makes you superior to him that I don't have it," Xiaoyu's voice hinted that she was in tears. "What, am I not worthy if I don't have some mental condition? Why don't people accept others for what or who they are?"
Suddenly, Mikaela didn't feel so sorry for the other two now. She was angry, and anger was one of her stronger emotions. "Do you realise that you're insulting your boyfriend by saying that?"
"I don't care!" Xiaoyu screamed, frustrated. "I don't even want anything to do with him! I'm not for him, he likes you better!" she breathed heavily.
"Oh, sorry guys, mum needs the phone," Miharu interrupted. "I'll leave you two to it. Mikaela, I want you to think real hard about what you've done….think about what you've done to your friend. Bye guys."
"Bye," Mikaela mumbled, annoyed. She was glad that Miharu wasn't yelling, but she didn't feel like taking orders from anyone now.
"I'm going too," Xiaoyu sniffed haughtily. "Bye."
"Bye. And…sorry."
"Sorry for what? You were just saying that you didn't have anything to apologise for."
Beep…beep…she had hung up. Mikaela sighed and put the receiver back.
*
Mikaela placed the last contact lens in her eye and blinked. It was a weird feeling, but she knew she'd have to get used to it. Se sat back and gazed at her image in the mirror. It gazed back with its unnatural dark blue eyes. Black hair fell onto her shoulders, the pink ends brushing against her bare collarbone. She was totally unrecognisable, aside from her complexion and the shape of her face.
She slowly buttoned her shirt up and sighed. She would need to make a new name for herself. As she was thinking it over, the sound of breaking glass came from the front room.
Instantly, Mikaela jumped up to investigate. She ran into the kitchen, and then towards the front door. At least 10 members of Heihachi's Tekken Force were standing there. Half a dozen had guns pointing at her chest. They leapt towards her and began attacking her.
*
Help! Help me! Mikaela's voice screamed again inside Jin's head. Jin, police, anyone! Jin shook his head. Was he imagining these things? No, her cry for help came once again. He stopped midway through a roundhouse kick and turned to face Master Asuko.
"Excuse me, Master, could you do me a favour?" he asked.
"Depends…"
"Could I leave early today?"
"Why?"
"I – I have an important appointment that I must attend to right away, or else I'll be late and I'll have to pay a fee."
"Really?"
"Yes, thank you Master, goodbye," Jin bowed quickly before exiting the dojo hastily, leaving a dumbfounded Master Asuko just standing there.
Jin sped through the streets. His hood slipped off his head, but he didn't care. Mikaela was in trouble, he could just sense it, and he needed to rescue her. That was all that mattered right now. He could still hear her pleading inside his head.
When he arrived at the house, the windows were already broken open, so he climbed through them instead of using the spare key Mikaela gave him. Two armed men were holding a dark-haired girl, who was struggling to get out of their grasp. That must be Mikaela, he thought.
They spotted him and tried to shoot him, but he dodged the gunfire and, while they were reloading, kicked the weapons out of their hands.
Jin attempted to kick one of the soldiers holding Mikaela, but they grabbed him foot and tipped him over. Jin hopped up to his feet, but the Tekken Force were already making their way into a helicopter that had just landed on the lawn.
"Help!" Mikaela screamed as they dragged her into the craft. "Help me, Jin! Kill them! Stop them! No! Stop!" she elbowed one of the men carrying her. Jin ran towards the helicopter, which was already taking off. He grabbed the landing rail on the bottom, but his sweaty hands lost their grip and gave way. Jin tumbled to the ground.
The helicopter drifted away into the distance, and Mikaela's cries could no longer be heard, not even in Jin's head. He got to his feet, but immediately fell back down to his knees and started weeping.
Your friend is getting weaker…but angrier…it is eating her soul…
Jin stopped. The devil inside…was it talking to him?
That's right, now listen. My other part is quickly taking over her. Her own original self is weaker, but I am getting stronger…
"You monster!" Jin cried aloud. He stood up and clenched his fists tightly.
Let's make a little deal. If you can find a way to unleash me from your wretched self so I can join the other fragments of my soul, I will tell you how you can save her.
Jin thought about it. Well, he didn't really like having the devil gene, and he also wanted to save his friend…
Okay. I'll do it.
Good…
***********************************************************************************
Oooh don't make a deal with the devil Jin! No way! Don't even GO THERE! Lol, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've decided there will be a sequel to this story too, called "Reincarnation". I can't tell you much, but let's just say it's about the "reincarnation of the 2nd generation". Confused? You'll just have to wait…*evil laugh*
The more you review, the quicker the update! So…REVIEW!