Chapter 15:

Annahalese's Mother

"JIN!" Cyn's mind raced as the Japanese demon-boy fell to the floor, covered in blood. She ran to his side, rolling him onto his back and lifting him up slightly in her arms. Her orange-red hair brushed his face lightly as she bent down to hear him breathe. Laughter erupted through the dojo. Steve and Hwoarang ran to Montiegro's side. A redheaded woman jumped from the rafters and landed on the dojo floor. Dressed in a red strapless, slit, pleather-like, dress, red high heels, and gloves, she stood tall, with sniper gun in hand. Hwoarang and Steve gawked at the sight of the woman's brazen outfit. Cleavage and all. Montiegro pulled his gun on her and cocked it,

"I'd say you're under arrest but I think that's kinda suggestive. Plus I'm a little too pissed to take you in. Maybe I should shoot you right now." His brow furrowed. The woman laughed and that only made the guys' situation worse. Montiegro was having a hard time not blushing. Cyn jumped up from holding Jin and ran at the woman, punching her in her face, making her stumble backwards and knocking the gun to the side.

"Bitch!" She spat. The redheaded woman just looked at the girl, after a moment she seered,

"You look so much like your father. It's a shame you don't have my beauty."

"What beauty?" Nina's voice cut through the air and the woman smiled. Nina dropped to the floor and walked up to her, standing a little from Cyn.

"Hello, dear sister. How have you been? Good I suppose?"

"Shut up, Anna."

"I'd hate to ruin the family reunion, but I'm not through beating the shit out of you for what you did to Jin." Cyn frowned deeply. Montiegro was reminded of Jin and went to him, finding him very much alive, and only nearly wounded thanks to the demon's help. He helped Jin up and Hwoarang went to help the Mexi-American.

"Ah. Annahalese. How you've grown." Anna flicked her shoulder length hair.

"What are you talking-"

"Cyn, that's… That's your mom." Steve set a hand on her shoulder and earned a look of confusing from the girl.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-?!"

"It's true. It was in the files on the disk. I know it's bad but… You were an orphan at one point right?" The girl just looked in sheer disbelief at the blonde boy. Montiegro's voice cut in,

"You have GOT to be kidding me…." Hwoarang's snicker was heard after the Mexi-American finished his sentence. Unfortunately, Montiegro's sarcastic humor didn't save them from their predicament. Tension hung in the air and they began to feel as if it was hard to breathe, or maybe they were holding their breaths. Either way it looked like a three way cat fight was about to insue, that or Steve would get into the mix to stop Cyn from killing her 'mother'. He waited, patiently for either of them to make a move. The silence was tearing Cyn apart inside. Her mind kept flickering back to Montiegro's warm arms and the golden police badge. Hwoarang felt caught up in the middle of something that shouldn't have happened and he wanted it to all just go away. It wasn't long before the silence was broken by a familiar voice,

"FWEEZE!" Lei stood in the doorway with Paul next to him. Anna and Nina exchanged looks before parting to various exits.

"Ta ta Annahalese. Be a good girl for mommy." She winked and escaped as Lei and Montiegro opened fire on the two escaping. The flashes died down with the sound shortly after. Lei ran to Cyn and Steve tried to comfort her, to say it would be ok, that they would get Anna back for Jin.

"Cyn." Montiegro's voice came to the redhead. She turned to look at him, shock, awe, and disgust written all over her face. He smiled lightly and headed out the door with Jin and Hwoarang, on their way to the ambulance Paul had called before they arrived, knowing something stupid was going to happen. Cyn rubbed the black scar on her arm and took a deep breath before exiting with Steve, Paul, and Lei.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

"So that's it." Cyn nodded. Jin smiled slightly then looked back at the hospital ceiling.

"Jin?"

"Hum?"

"Who… Who was the redheaded woman?"

"Anna?"

"No. The one…. The one who looked like Hwoarang," Cyn softly asked the surprised Jin. He coughed and scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushing a bit.

"Well, um…. Her name is Kaziya,"

"And?"

"……." Cyn gave him a mischievous look. "I loved her. I loved her so much." He blinked, "Wait, how did you-"

"You kept this in you wallet." She held up the picture of the two in the desert. "I saw it when the doctor wanted your health card."

"Oh." He blushed a little deeper.

"What…. What happened to her?"

"She… Ran away."

"Why?"

"She thought Hwoarang wouldn't accept us, so she ran away."

"Well that's stupid." She leaned back in the chair next to Jin's hospital bed. Jin chuckled lightly. His face held sadness and love. "I'm sure she'll realize how stupid she was to leave you and come back!"

"You think so?"

"Sure."

"….. It was actually a few years before you came back."

"Huh? When?"

"The time you were kidnapped. It was about the same time I ran off with Kazi and the others. When you came back, Kazi had died, killed by Devil. Then you left for the States, and she came back." He paused. "It was all an illusion when she came back. She wasn't but everything else was. She realized this I think, and ran away. Then you returned again and all this happened. This 'fourth' Iron Fist was actually the tournament. There was the one you crashed, and it got rescheduled. Then there was the one she screwed up and it got rescheduled to this past one."

"So…. I've been playing tag with this Kaziya." She laughed. "I sure would have liked to meet her."

"You would have liked her I know." Jin smiled.

"I… I might be leaving again, for the States." Cyn looked at the tiled floor. Jin watched her. "I have to go, yanno, to court and all. Get everything straightened out. Montiegro says he'll testify for me."

"……."

"I'll do my best, I just…. I'm kinda nervous. I never really stood up and faced my challenges and responsibilities." Cyn looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"You'll do fine."

"Thanks Jin-san." A silence fell between them before,

"The fifth tournament is being arranged, I think. I know Kazuya will hold another one. You'll make it back before it right?" It was more of a statement looking for reassurance. Cyn nodded,

"As soon as everything is settled." She paused, "So how long has it been since she left?"

"About four months."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Annahalese," Montiegro's voice came from the door. "It was nice to meet you Jin, but we have to get going. The last few days have been out of whack."

"Good night then."

"Good night, Kazama-san." Cyn stood and hugged him, then headed out the door with Montiegro in hand. Jin laid there for a while, thinking of how much time it would take him to heal and how much time he had before Kazuya announced the fifth tournament.