Jin!! 02

The one garbed in the red suit and white shirt is named Shing Lin. She assumes a stance with one leg spread behind the other and her arms opening like a blossoming flower. This is the Art of the Phoenix.

Her brother, Bao Lin is dressed in a black shirt and green suit. He assumes a stance both loose and active with his hands formed into dragon claws and with bent elbows at a 90 degree angle. He hops slightly to the left and to the right as if his feet were on fire: this is the Dragon Style.

Fei Ling and Shiva stand with their backs against each other side by side. Their stances are similar with one leg spread out in front and one bent knee facing the opposite direction. Their right arms are raised parallel to each other and the left arms are closed in: This is the combined style of the Gemini.

“Which of the two do you want to take on

Fei?” asks Shiva.

Fei Ling locks eyes with Shing Lin and Bao Lin...

"...go after the chick Shiva, I’ll go toe to toe with the other one.” Shiva nods and breaks the tandem Gemini stance. She charges forth with ebullient blood and a rush of adrenaline.

Shing Lin darts forth and accelerates until she and Shiva collide and scrape elbows with each other.

They leap back and furiously engage in cqc (close quarter combat). They trade blows, striking and parrying. Shing Lin kicks Shiva in her abdomen and follows with a body blow but Shiva manages to dodge it and counter with a jumping spin kick.

Shing Lin shifts her body to the side, narrowly avoiding the rim of Shiva's dress but instead her cheek is scraped by the tip of Shiva's stiletto heel. With haste and whilst Shiva's afloat, Shing vigorously grabs Shiva’s leg. She proceeds to swing Shiva around, whirling her about the confined space of hanging utensils. Her head clangs against the pots and pans. Shiva groans.

“Enough of this!”

She snatches the opportunity to use the sheer strength in her captured leg and reels Shing Lin in and kicks her in the face with her other foot.

Shing launches back but she nimbly breaks her fall with precise hand spring maneuvers. She lands on the sink with her legs spread across the open space. Shiva brushes her thumb against her bottom lip. “You won’t be hopping for long after I’m finished with you.”

Shing smirks.

“You gotta put in more effort to back that threat up sweetheart”

Shiva smirks.

“You don’t want to piss me off. Then I may just lose control and there will be no telling of what will ensue.”

“Then quit yapping and show me what you can do.”

Bi Shen extends her arm and taunts Shiva with two inward flicks of her palm.

Shiva lowers her brow into a scowl and rushes Shing Lin.

*** *** ***

Meanwhile Fei Ling trades blows with Bao Lin. They trade strikes with each other, predicting and parrying strike by strike and blow by blow. Fei Ling throws an uppercut, Bao Lin blocks and counters with a hook. Ming catches the hook and counters with a palm to the face but Bo Shen attacks head on with a head butt that repels Fei Ling’s attack and nearly connects with her body but Fei Ling attacks with a head butt of her own.

Their foreheads collide with a powerful impact. Fei Ling groans.

“Damn it we’re just matching each other move for move. Melee attacks are pointless!”

Suddenly Fei Ling drops to a crouching position and executes a dragon sweep. Her dragon sweep swipes Bao Lin off his feet but he quickly lands on his hands. He pummels Fei Ling with his feet and knocks her back. He flips back on his feet as she lands next to Shiva.

“Fei Ling are you okay,” asks Shiva as she kneels next to her friend.

“I’m fine Shiva.” Fei Ling rises to her feet and glares at the twins.

“Got any idea of how to beat them,” asks Fei Ling.

Shiva shakes her head. “Beats me. I just want to put them down.”

Fei Ling ponders for a moment. An idea comes to mind.

She smirks and switches to an elegantly dynamic stance.

Shiva catches on and switches to the same stance.

Shing Lin scoffs. “Changing styles isn’t going to help you two.” Bao Lin breathes an uneasy sigh and removes his shades…

…crunching them in his fist. He assumes the same stance. Shing Lin is bewildered.

“Brother what are you…”

“Shing…leave now. High tail it while you still can. I’ll handle these two from here.”

“What the hell? You just want me to run from a fight? I’m not a coward!”

“You’d best do what your brother says, little girl,” says Shiva “unless you know the Art of the Lotus.”

Shing Lin casts a dejected gaze at her brother.

“This is beyond you sister. Apparently these women were holding back earlier. Go now or you will die. You’re of no further use in this fight; don't be stupid and die with me! Get the hell out of here now!”

Shing Lin reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out an ancient looking scroll. It’s sealed with a Lotus imprint.

She pushes the scroll away... and assumes the Art of the Lotus stance.

Bao Lin grits his teeth.

“What the hell? You know it too?”

Shing Lin. nods.

“As a matter of fact I do. The Art of the Lotus was originally passed down generation to generation of fighters groomed to be worthy assassins. First he taught you brother…

…then when I was worthy, he taught me.

Bao Lin growls.

“Snake Eyes you bastard. I strictly told that asshole not to teach you that art. He’s gonna pay with his head on a pike!”

“Why are you roused with anger brother? I can fight alongside you now” says Shing Lin.

Bao Lin firmly strikes his sister with an open palm. Fei Ling and Shiva gasp.

“You are indeed a foolish, wide-eyed child.

The Art of the Lotus is not just a martial art... it’s an ancient oath between combatants ready to duel in mortal combat.”

Shing, rubbing the spot where her brother struck her, lowers her head in shame and sheds a tear which may be her last.

“We won’t kill you,” says Fei Ling.

“We’ll spare your lives if you promise to sever ties with Snake Eyes,” says Shiva.

“Don’t throw your life away for someone as maladjusted as Snake Eyes.”

Bao Lin tilts his head, smiles warmly and reminisces upon happier days with his sister.

Then he raises his head in fury.

“YOU FOOLS! YOU KNOW OUR CODE. YOU KNOW THAT WE MUST NOW DUEL TO THE DEATH!”

Shiva clenches her fists.

“YOU’RE THE FOOL! YOU CHOSE TO ALIGN YOURSELF WITH SNAKE EYES AND THE DRAGON RIDERS. DON’T PIN YOUR GUILT ON US. BESIDES YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE IF YOU DIDN’T WANT TO!!”

Bao Lin sigh

“Maybe I’m tired of all the bloodshed. Maybe I just want one final fight to do me in for good.

Bao Shen gathers an enormous amount of pressure. The kitchen begins to rattle. Pots, pans, and dishes begin to clatter.

“If you’re going to fight alongside me foolish sister then gather your chi with me.”

Shing Lin slowly nods and with teary eyes augments her chi alongside her brother.

Fei Ling and Shiva each gather an amount of equal pressure too and since they stand together that pressure is doubled. The ground begins to rattle… Both parties leap towards each other and engage in intense and brutal close quarters combat…

*** *** ***

In the Dining Hall

*** *** ***

The ground is vibrating tremendously. Heavy pressure smashes the corpses and squelches even more blood from their tattered remains.

“Damn those foolish Lins: this place is gonna cave in at this rate.”

Snake Eyes mutters a string of swears under his breath.

“DRAGONS!!!”

“SIR!!” Snake Eyes’ subordinates cry in unison.

“We’re moving out. If these tremors produce a high enough magnitude it will bring this place down… we will all die.

The MC responds.

“Y...yes sir!”

The bikers scramble out of the Dragon's Nest.

Snake Eyes manages to dash a few paces before he is punched in the face by Jin.

“There is no way in hell I’m letting you off the hook you serpent!”

Snake Eye hisses and unleashes a mesmerizing glare at Jin. He’s paralyzed! He’s unable to move.

“Damn you Snake Eyes! What the hell did you do to me?”

Snake Eyes picks up his fallen shades and his katana.

He hoists the blade’s tip to Chang’s throat.

“Minerva couldn’t have killed you with bullets but if I sliced you up that would be a different story. Maybe if I stabbed you in the jugular to prove my point...”

Snake Eyes contemplates the killing blow, but he sheathes his katana.

“But today I want you to remember when you were spared by the Serpent.

Snake Eyes spits a splotch of blood in Jin’s face before rushing out of the Dragon’s nest.

Once Snake Eyes is gone Jin regains his mobility.

A few moments later the tremors halted.

“Shit!”

Jin is very aware of the girls’ expertise in the Lotus Style.

He immediately makes a break for the kitchen.

Chang bursts through the door, expecting to lend a hand in combat... but he spots Fei Ling on one knee panting and Shiva lying on her back breathing heavily.

Both women are spent as they recuperate.

In the center of the kitchen are Bao Lin and Shing Lin’s bodies sitting back to back with their heads hung, stiff as a board and dead as a nail.

First he helps his wife up and then the two assist in lifting Shiva on her feet.

“What the hell happened here Fei Ling? When the tremors stopped I thought you and Shiva were...”

Fei Ling and Shiva exchange glances and then awkwardly gaze upon their felled opponents.

“A brother and his sister died together...”

Both Fei Ling and Shiva shed a tear for the dead brother and sister.

Fei Ling musters enough strength to stand on her own.

“This is Snake Eyes' entire fault. This is his evil doing. Those two were nothing but pawns in his scheme.”

Shiva breathes a dejected sigh. “Don’t forget Fei Ling... we’re partly to blame for taking the Oath of the Lotus.”

Fei Ling hangs her head. Shiva hangs her head too.

Jin cracks his neck. “Don’t beat yourselves up over it. They were once dregs of Snake Eyes's MC.”

Jin sheds a tear.

“Now before us lie two siblings resting in peace.”

The girls give Chang their attention.

“Snake Eyes caught me off guard and escaped.”

The three of them sigh dejectedly.

“What a disappointing turn of events this evening has become” says Shiva.

“Well what do we do now Jin?” Asks Fei Ling.

Chang surveys the ruined kitchen. He examines the corpses of the Lin siblings. Finally reads Fei Ling and Shiva’s faces.

. “Fei Ling, take Shiva to our place and lock the door. I’m going after Snake Eyes to end things.

Fei objects... but she reads Chang’s expression. He wants to avenge the slain patrons and especially Shing Lin and Bao Lin who willingly threw away their lives out of loyalty for Snake Eyes. He must pay.

“...ok. But please be careful Jin”

Chang grabs the back of Fei Ling’s head and pulls her in for a long hard kiss... the hard goodbye known only between a man and woman who have shared a bed together and made love to each other.

Chang and Fei Ling disengage from their kiss and gaze deeply into each others’ eyes.

“I love you Chang,” says Fei Ling.

“I love you too, Fei Ling,” says Chang.”

*** *** ***

Fei Ling and Shiva took off to the Chang's residence in Shiva’s car. Jin saw them off before the girls left.

Jin approaches his motorcycle and removes the green tarp.

The motorcycle is a product of the latest technology. It resembles a modern sports bike yet has the futuristic features of a post-apocalyptic cyber bike The chassis’s forks extend the front wheel a bit to give the bike an edge in speed and an enhanced drifting control when making wider turns.

Chang straddles himself over the bike’s chopper-like seat. He sits and positions his legs on both sides. He powers it on and revs his engine. Jolts of blue electricity leap from the motor coils. The motor hums to life. Jin mounts his white helmet and pulls out of the parking lot and speeds off.

*** *** ***