Chapter 7:

Spilt Seconds

The glass shattered abruptly in a screech of bullets. The darkness had hidden him for only a minute before the Korean soldiers fired more rounds on the building, setting it afire. The Japanese boy begged Hwoarang not to go, but the redhead insisted and jumped from the window, landing on the roof of the building next to Jin's apartment, and taking off like a bat out of hell across the building tops. He could have sworn he heard Jin's tears hit the floor. 'Snap out of it Hwoa. You've only been away from him for about five hours. God... I hope he's alright. Hopefully they followed me enough for the lure to work. Ugh. Dammit. They're on my tail again. Stupid bastards.' Hwoarang thought, tightening his shoelaces and double-checking his trail. He looked up into the clear blue sky and at the sparkling silver stars over the clear country road. 'I'm wide open out here. I need some sort of mask...' The redhead spotted a rusty old pickup truck. 'And up jumps the monkey from the coconut tree. Gotcha.' He quickly picked the truck door lock and hot-wired it before finding an old dusty jean jacket and a straw hat. 'Heh. Never thought I'd be playing dress up.' He put on the jacket and stuffed his red hair into the hat so that it wouldn't show and yelled to the distant farm house,

"Yehaw!" He laughed and the engine roared as the rusty old truck sped off into the distance.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

His ebony wings glittered in blood as they retreated into his skin, healing the torn opening as it went, making it even more painful. Jin hissed as his skin began to heal, as the burnt skin started peeling off like the outer shell of a snake. The tattoos faded and he was soon back to normal, besides the ripped clothing and inevitable fear of Hwoarang being dead. 'No. You can't think that way. He's alive. He IS alive. You have to believe in him. He is strong and he did it for you.'

"Maybe." The sound of his own voice was strange to him. 'Maybe he only did it for himself. I'm so confused. Where am I?' A pause, "Ugh..." Jin pushed himself up off the ground and looked around at the dense, dark, emerald green trees. 'Just think. Think Jin. Ok. The moss always grows on the north side of the tree. So... That must be north.' He stumbled to gain his balance and opened his hand. A slightly burnt, crumpled picture unfolded. Hwoarang, smiling, not that annoying smirk, an actual smile, and himself next to Hwoarang. Jin smiled at the picture longingly before realizing from the first time, in the picture, Hwoarang's arm was around his waist. His heart skipped a beat.

"How could I have not seen that before? Come to think of it..." He thought for a moment, 'I do sorta remember something touching me, but I think he made me laugh too much to notice. Sneaky one.' Jin chuckled then put the picture in his pocket before heading north.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Stop! Hwoa! Please! Don't! Don't go! Don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone any more... I don't want to be alone.."

"Mom... Help me. Am I doing right? This is what you said. You said, 'Go by your heart', but is it wrong to... 'Love' another man?"

"You're so beautiful I wish I could tell you outright... My Korean."

"You're weak! No son of mine will be weak!"

"I was only helping her! I'm not weak!"

"Lions throw their cubs off of a cliff and raise only the ones that climb back up."

"No! Dad! Don't do it! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

Jin awoke from his strange nightmare. Throwing off the cool sheets, he took to the bathroom, splashing cool water on his face and shaking his head from the pain of the sudden bathroom light. He suddenly realized his dream started with his own voice... Then there was Heihachi's, but who was the other? 'Kazuya? Why...' A small breeze from the window caught his attention. 'I didn't have the window open....' He cautiously stepped into the dark bedroom, his mahogany eyes darting around in the darkness, like a cat's, clear as day. When he was satisfied, that no one else was in his room he strolled to the window and closed it. He turned around and was met with eyes peering at him through the dark.

"Hello.... My son."