Jin


We took a taxi back to where I was staying. I was staying in those monthly hotels. It had a shared bathroom on each floor, but I had a sink in my room. The rates were decent. And the location was good. Far...far...far away from downtown...away from busy civilization...and away from my grandfather.

"It isn't much..." I began, kicking off my shoes at the front door. "But it's a place to sleep."

She started removing her boots. We put our shoes on a rack by the front, then put some slippers on. I led the way, taking two steps at a time.

"A place to sleep is better than none," Ling said.

I unlocked my room and let her in first. She looked around. I folded the futon and put it in the closet. In the middle of the room was a small low table, which I'd normally just push against the wall when it came time to sleep. There was a burner in the room which I used to boil hot water for ramen or tea, and a small fridge.

"You want anything to drink?" I asked.

"Tea?"

"You got it." I opened the cupboard and pulled out a clean kettle, filling it with water from the sink. I turned the burner on, setting the kettle on top of it.

Ling sat at the table, watching me. I sat across from her, and we were quiet for a few minutes.

"So...where have you been all this time?" she asked.

"I was training in Australia," I replied.

"What...what were you doing way over there?"

"I just...ended up over there..." I said. I wasn't going to lie. Not to one of the few friends I've ever really had. "Ling...When my mom died years ago, she was fighting some...thing. It was too strong for her. So...when I met Grandfather...and when I had all the training in Mishima Karate...he decided to hold Iron Fist 3. He figured that if I wanted revenge...I needed to lure it out. So we did. I fought it a while later-"

"Didn't Paul fight him?" she interrupted me.

"Yeah. But that wasn't his real form. His real form is what I fought," I continued. "And...after I beat it...Grandfather told his Tekken Force to shoot me. I ended up having several bullet wounds." I tried to stay calm while I was talking about this.

"Jin..."

"Then...Grandfather came up and shot me in the head," I continued flatly.

She grabbed my hand. "But...you're alive..."

"Yeah..." The kettle went off. I went to turn off the burner. I put some herbs in a teapot before pouring the hot water into it. I grabbed two cups and brought everything to the table.

"I don't understand how you're alive."

"Because of Kazuya," I answered. She looked confused. "When...When I was conceived...Kazuya passed on some power to me. My mom said that Kazuya was possessed by some dark force. It...was too much for Kazuya to handle. He couldn't fight it..."

"When...when this thing possesses you..."

"Sometimes...I can't even control it. But I'll know exactly what it's doing," I admitted.

She began pouring some tea. "So...you've been in Australia all this time? After Mishima-sama shot you?"

"Pretty much," I told her. "Understand why I warned you now?"

"Yeah. But...I'm not a threat to Mishima-sama."

"No...but you know me," I argued. "He used me, Ling. I wouldn't be surprised if he's using you..."

"I can take care of myself," she insisted.

Okay...she was right. But still...

"Your dad's going to be in the tournament," she said.

"Kazuya will be there? Definitely?" I still didn't want to think of him as my dad. Even during all the years I grew up living my life so that Mom and Dad would be proud of me...it was hard to believe so much has changed. For fifteen years, I had imagined my dad to be someone I always wanted to meet. Someone I wanted to be proud of...someone to be proud of me. Now that I know who he is...and that he's alive...I don't want any of those things.

"He's on the list of fighters. Paperwork, photos and everything...he's ready to go."

"Grandfather wants something," I pointed out. "No way would he give up the zaibatsu as a prize to just anyone...And since Kazuya is entering...something's going on...like he deliberately wants to lure Kazuya out."

Ling drank some of her tea. "I guess you don't plan on meeting up with your dad?"

"He's not my dad," I replied.

"Yes, he is. He-"

"Look...he helped in making me, but the rest of it, he wasn't around for."

"Jin, I-"

"I spent two long years unlearning the Mishima Karate," I interrupted her. "I don't want anything to do with either Grandfather or Kazuya..."

"But Kazuya's your father," she insisted. "Maybe if-"

"He doesn't know I exist!"

"He will at some point," she argued.

"It doesn't matter," I cut in. "I don't want anything to do with him. Both he and Grandfather deserve to die. Look at me! You think I'm happy knowing that I'm related to them?!" Didn't she get it? I didn't want anything to do with them.

"But-"

"I came to this tournament to end all of this! I won't let anyone else's lives get ruined because of those two!"

"Jin..."

"They ruined my life! You don't know what it felt like...lying there...bleeding to death...and suddenly have your own grandfather shoot you!"

She grabbed my arm. "Jin. I didn't mean-"

"I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore! I see Kazuya. And I see all the mistakes he and Grandfather made over the years..."

"Jin, your mom loved your dad! You told me so yourself."

"But he didn't love her back," I countered. "If he did...he would have been able to have a normal life! I would have been normal!"

"Jin, your father's made a lot of mistakes. But maybe it's not all his fault. Maybe it's your grandfather's. If he was willing to shoot you..."

"No, I-"

"Jin, you're not listening!" she raised her voice.

I went quiet.

"You don't even know your dad. If your mother really loved him, then there must have been something good about him. You're not giving your father a chance..."

"I'm not going to take that risk," I argued. "Both he and Grandfather have a lot to answer for..."

"What about your mom? The last thing she'd want is you going after your dad like this!"

"He's not my dad. He never will be." She wasn't listening to anything I was saying. It was frustrating the hell out of me. She'd never understand. "Look...maybe telling you what happened wasn't such a good idea..."

"No...I'm glad you told me." She was quiet for a while.

I massaged my temples. Damn, my head was starting to hurt. It wasn't fair. I was really all alone. No relatives...Not many friends... I looked at her again. I wasn't going to turn away one of the few people I knew and trusted. I let my hands drop. "I need to find out what Grandfather's up to. Why he wants Kazuya to join the tournament so badly," I spoke up. "I don't expect you to do anything to help me...but...I want you to be careful."

"Jin-"

"Please."