Chapter 2: Common Bonds
After all the chaos and confusion at Ground Zero, Jin goes back to Yakushima to try and recollect everything that happened before the Devil gene took over his body. He'd aced through several fighters including his arch rival, Hwoarang. But near the eighth round, the Devil gene had consumed him once more and he confronted Jinpachi…only to be knocked unconscious.
"Curse him…" hissed Jin. "I failed myself and my mother…"
It was then that he remembered the girl who was also at Ground Zero. She was almost identical to Jun, only her hair was auburn and her eyes alone showed a fierce strength that his mother didn't have.
"I wonder what she was doing there. Is it possible that she defeated that monster when I couldn't?"
This idea ate at Jin for a while, but he decided to let it go and focus on his next move. He went out into the deepest part of the forest where a lake is hidden. When he was little he'd play around in the water while his mother had a watchful eye on him. Taking of his pants he immersed himself under the water and closed his eyes in relaxation.
For about 20 minutes, he stayed there until a crackling noise put him on edge. Jin turned around swiftly.
"Who's there?" he asked sternly. There was no answer.
He sighed and sank back into the water. A minute later he heard chewing noises coming from the bushes. This made him irritated.
"Come out already! If this is some kind of joke it isn't-WHAAAAA!"
An enormous black and white figure sprung from behind the bushes and dived right on top of Jin. Using all his strength he lifts the figure over his head, getting a glimpse of its face.
"P-PANDA!" he exclaimed.
The giant panda bear gave a cute smile and grunted to a nearby tree. Jin drops Panda where he stands and calls out, "Xiao, is that you?"
Giggling like a little school girl, she peeks at him; Jin gives her WTF look. She sprints out of the forest and across the water as if her ass where on fire to hug Jin. Imaginary bubbles start floating around them…
"At last I've found you, Jin! It's been a real drag without you since the last tournament and well, now that it's over…I…"
Jin pulls her away from her chest and looks into her eyes. "You what, Xiao? I still have things to do."
She bites her lower lip anxiously. "I want us to spend just one day with you so we can catch up on old times. You remember back at high school, right?"
Jin nods his head slowly.
"Well then that's great! Whistle!" All of a sudden Panda flies up and knocks Jin backwards, revealing his darkest secret to all-boxers with little tiger cubs on them! He kept his head underwater thinking that his entire body was submerged when in reality he was completely exposed. When he ran out of breath and rose up, Xiao and Panda were holding their ribs while rolling back and forth laughing. Jin's cheeks grew crimson red.
"What! I-I like tigers…there strong and DEADLY!"
"Jin," Xiao said, still giggling, "those are tiger cubs…chibi tiger cubs!"
Embarrassed, Jin scrambled out of the lake and grabbed his ki pants. Hysterical tears came out of his eyes.
"Come on. You can stay with me." Mumbled Jin as he led Xiao and Panda into his home.
By then everyone was soaked and now had a cold. Xiao suffered the most because she had no clothes to change into.
"Aah…ACHOO!...Jin…what am I going to-"she was silenced by his large hand over her mouth.
He lifted her chin up and bluntly said, "Get undressed, Xiao."
"…What the! Did…you just tell me to…"
She got up and walloped him in the face with her Bayonet.
"You jerk! All this time I thought you were one of the good guys!"
Out of the blue she starts bawling; Panda shakes her head translating: "Oh, Xiao…"
Wiping the spit from his mouth, Jin snaps, "I MEANT for you to change clothes, not get nude!"
"Ooooooooooooh, my bad! I guess I hit I hit you because no guy has ever said that me before!"
I can't imagine why…thinks Jin rubbing his mouth. While hiding behind curtains to take off her clothes, Jin rummages through his closet and finds a cerulean kimono with several colored patterns. She peaks from behind the curtain and finds herself in a trance of its beauty. Without thinking she comes out and exposes herself to Jin's sensitive eyes.
"Uh, Xiao…" says Jin with a nervous voice.
"Jin! This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Where'd you get it?"
Without realization, his nose begins to bleed. The naughty little boy inside Jin was starting to show. Unfortunately for Jin, Xiao recognizes this symbol of pervert ness and looks down at herself. A fierce glare is given to the bloody nosed man with quickness. She started to grit her teeth with anger. Panda covered her eyes with her paws and prepared for the inevitable.
"JIN KAZAMA!" screamed Xiao. He gulped and tossed the kimono in her face.
"I'm going away now…" says a terrified Jin and he sprints outside.
Flustered to the point of murder, Xiaoyu puts the kimono on and climbs on top of Panda. She bends down towards her ear and whispers, "Sick'em, girl!"
A burst of lightning is all that can be seen through the forest as Panda and Xiao blaze in rampage to find the 'perpetrator'. When it seemed like he'd virtually vanished, Panda stopped moving. Still filled with rage, Xiao looks around.
"How can he run so fast! I always whooped him at the track meet!"
Panda started to whine then, making the pigtailed girl forget what she was doing.
"What's wrong, Panda?" she notices Panda staring out towards a rocky cliff. She instantly spotted the spike headed man gazing at what seemed to be nothing. Xiao sighed and leapt off Panda.
"Stay here for a sec, Panda." Xiao commands. The obedient bear sits down waits.
Proceeding with caution, Xiaoyu tiptoes behind Jin and taps his large, broad shoulder.
"Jin?" she whispers, not wanting to startle him.
A moment of silence and then he speaks. "Ling…"
"Whaaat? I remember that tone of voice always leading to something bad. Is this about the tournament?"
He nodded his head solemnly.
"Well then…we'll go take care of it, together! And then-"
"No, Xiao. After I found out about why my devil blood awakened, I couldn't control it. Devil Jin was in command of me and it was he who lost to my great-grandfather Jinpachi. When I awoke, I was still at Ground Zero but everything had calmed down and there was nobody but me and a strange girl."
"A…gulp…girl?" Xiao squeaks under a breath.
"Yes, a girl…she resembled my mother somewhat. She was very beautiful."
"Oh, I see." Xiao was blushing at this point. "Jin…I…"
"However," Jin said sourly, cutting her off. " she was also very rude! I mean out of nowhere she punches me in the chest and makes me hit this rock. I still have a headache from that!"
All of a sudden Xiao perks up. " Sooo, you don't like this girl?"
He faced her. "How could I Ling? She hit me; I don't know anything about her…mom always warned me about girls like her. And anyway, she probably did kill Jinpachi, so I can't hate her. There are some people who we are just destined to come into contact with. I probably should try to find the girl and thank her."
"I agree, Jin. She saved your life and many others without realizing it. But how now that everyone's left, it will be hard to find one girl in Japan."
"There is one way we can find her without breaking our legs…" his eyes narrowed. "the Mishima Zaibatsu."
Xiao gasped. "But they won't just let us walk in and say 'Hi! Can we please use your super enormous computer to find someone?' scoff Like that'll ever happen."
"Don't worry, Ling. We…I mean, I will find a way in." he looked away hoping she hadn't caught what he said.
"Oh, no you don't! Every time there's some big family matter you have to deal with I get left out! All WE are doing is looking for 1 girl!"
"But Ling…"
"No buts! Me and Panda are coming with you!"
Jin stuck a finger at her face. "First of all, it's Panda and I. You never were that good of a student as I recall. Second, were not trying to break into someone's house here. This is my grandfather's company! The man who's killed who knows how many people to get what he desires. I don't want to lose you Ling."
He tried to turn away but Xiao stopped him and put her hand on his face.
"If you'd just trust me for once, you'd never have to worry about losing me. Don't count Panda out either. She my bodyguard remember?"
As she spoke, Panda came up to Jin and gave him a gentle Bear Hug. He started to giggle.
"Panda!" she exclaimed. She noticed the change of expression on his face. He looked at Xiao with loving eyes.
"Alright Ling, Panda. We'll go there together. Maybe I'll learn something about this girl."
Clapping hands went about and Jin was the center of the spotlight. As they started to leave, Xiao paused and asks, "Oh, Jin? Can I keep this kimono?"
Jin only smiled and nodded his head. The trio makes their way into the city.
A/N: As fun as it was to write this chapter, it was sort of hard as well because nowadays the more perverted the funnier. I DON'T DO THIS PEOPLE! It's not in my blood, so don't expect too much of it in this story. The Kazama Complex continues with Asuka learning about her heritage.
To see a screenshot of Jun Kazama in her kimono go to: http/www.tekken-official.jp/gallery/indexe2.html In the last gallery.