Jin!!

TRIGGER WARNING

The following story contains intense violence and at times harsh language is used.

Please read with caution.

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The Dragon's Nest is the seediest part of the Dragoon District: Everyone from the Aristocratic Dāimyo down to the cobblers, brutes, and other seedy dregs of society congregate here often; but only to inadvertently corrupt it with blatant apostasy and the drunkards and winos will follow wherever the bottle leads them…

‘O ye who hath fallen from the Grace of God! How your children cry for you to nurture them and lick their wounds! Is this the path you now tread Tiamat; mother of dragons!? Continue to wallow in your filth and feed from the fodder of pigs until your ashes swirl in perdition.’

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Inside the Dragon's Nest

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The barmaids are spent on days like these, but they continue to tease and please for the month's rent.

Their bodies perspire with drops of Mother Eden’s fragrance: a garden that once was now forbidden.) They saunter about the bar, swaying their hips side by side.

The poor schmucks.

They welcome the company of the barmaids. They throw back more pints than what the poor dames can pour.

Those pathetic slobs gratuitously imbibe well beyond their sobriety. And yet the more they drink, the softer reality’s blows become; a misery with a fleeting reprieve.

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In the darker corners of the Dragon’s Nest, young couples hide and make out in secret steamy shadows. The more daring ones go to fourth base and contaminate the floor. Their spilt seed skeets and splats. As if the floor isn’t caked with enough piss, shit, and puke and blood.

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Once this evening's load of drunkards are loaded, they head for the door and crash wherever their flight of feet take them: whether that ‘wherever’ is: inside of a bus stop booth, a crusty dumpster reeking of rancid fumes. And especially for the ones who actually attempt to drive to their nice warm beds… they’re ‘guaranteed a proper resting place’...

…wound up in a cold hard cot without three hots in an iron cell.

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In the center of the Dragon’s Nest there is a jukebox with plenty of classic and hard heavy hits spanning from the early 77xx’s to late 90xx’s. In this age of the Forgotten Martyr, modern music is an absolute toxin: venom for the ears and venereal for the mind: absolute filth glamorizing sex, drugs, a fast life to an early grave, and bloody violent anarchy. (But I must admit a little anarchy isn't a bad thing; only if it’s true and righteous.)

The track of music lost itself along the way. No longer passionate tunes of emotional jeopardy and soul wrenching stories. Many would agree but then again many would further intoxicate their minds with this new meaningless filth. What the hell is unraveling in these songs to reveal such sordid filth?

However, manning the jukebox is a young, black haired man with spiky quills. His stand out trait is his white bomber jacket with red suede interior and a golden dragon emblazoned on the back…

… that’s quite an impressive jacket, Jin Chang.

Jin cycles through the rock and heavy hits, carefully surveying the choices. He decides on a selection by the Nu Metal band, Highwind.

He inserts .25 kredits and punches the track button. Delighted with his song selection, Jin leaves and reoccupies his booth with his wife, Fei Ling.

Jin tunes the barroom noise out. Fei grins and wags her head, giggling.

“You’re one year away from turning thirty and you still gotta listen to metal. Some things about you will never change.” She winks. “And I want them to stay that way.”

Jin calmly responds. “Of course I’m not gonna change just because I’m turning thirty. I’ll always be me. Age is a reminder of mortality. The soul of a person is eternal. Even after death the soul sheds its mortal coil and steps into the spirit and restores the youth age robbed and mortality claimed.

Fei Ling smiles, “I like the sound of that.”

As the couple continues to converse, a barmaid with beautiful ebony skin and thick white curly hair, approaches Jin and Fei Ling's boothe. She’s wearing a formal sleeveless black double slit dress with a golden dragon design creeping from her collar to the front and to the bottom hemline of the front flap.

“And what will the…”

She diverts her eyes from the menu and smiles instantaneously.

“Hey, well if it isn’t Fei Ling. How have you been?”

Fei Ling squeals.

“Shiva!”

The two women embrace each other, their hearts sincere and pure bond of everlasting sisterhood.

Jin’s face drops to darkened blue… fearing what’s coming next...

(Shit! Out of all times. I thought today was her day off...”)

Shiva spots Jin slipping beneath the table. She smirks and pelts Jin with a hard hitting chuckle.

“There’s my favorite customer!!”

Shiva reaches over to embrace Jin as well, but he sinks even lower in his seat.

Shiva giggles.

“Aww don’t be shy Jin. Just because you ran off with my best friend doesn’t mean we all can’t be cordiaial.

Jin’s discomfort eases…

“What time is your shift over with? He asks.

Shiva grins a sly smirk. “My shift ends in a half of an hour… are you still looking forward

to that triad with me and Fei?”

Jin swipes his head to the side and blushes.

Fei Ling playfully sighs.

“Ah Shiva ever since you went back to college you have become so mellow.”

Jin shrugs. “If and only if you’re not serious about the…three-way…we can plan to spend an evening together.”

“Yeah. It’ll be like old times.”

Fei smiles and shuffles Jin's hair.

Jin groans.

(“Shit, these two made their thirties before me. I still feel like a kid still barely pushing thirty…”)

Shiva readies her notepad.

“Now what would you two like to order?” Fei Ling readily responds. “The Ginger Ale you have with a twist of lemon and lime…”]

“Damn that was quick,” says Shiva with a sliding grin.

“Fei Ling still likes the fizzy drinks… but with a tingling zest,” says Jin with a smile.

“Do you remember what I like to drink Jin?” asks Shiva, winking at Fei Ling.

“For Christ's Sakes, Shiva, you’re only teasing me because you and Fei Ling are besties.”

“Damn straight.” Shiva bumps fists with Fei Ling.

Jin rolls his eyes. (“God when will this end…)

“Okay Fifi, what would you like to eat?

“Beef dumplings with a side of spring rolls and don’t hold back on the soy sauce.”

Shiva jots down Fei Ling’s order. “Ok got it. Any drinks and some grub for you Jin?”

Jin places his order, but with one exception…

… “I’m the designated driver tonight so a cup of fruit punch with pineapple chunks and an order of chicken dumplings with rice on the side and leave the bottle of soy sauce for me.”

Shiva jots down Chang’s order and tucks her tablet under her arm.

“Alright I got you guys down. I’ll be back with your orders soon okay?”

Shiva winks teasingly at Jin, immediately blushing after Shiva leaves to her next table; she giggles along the way.

With Shiva gone Jin breathes an exacerbated sigh, pumped by a guilty heart. Fei smiles softly and wraps her arm around Jin. She grabs his head and gently caressing his black quilly hair. Jin paces his breathing to relax his nerves. Fei Ling feels Jin's warm breath brushing against her neck. Being the older mate, she smiles.

“Seriously babe you don't have to tense yourself rock solid whenever Shiva teases you. She still has love for you in her heart. Not the same of which when you two were a thing. Besides, look at Shiva. She’s not losing her head over it. Shiva's married too, remember?”

Jin lifts his head from Fei Ling’s neck and his cheek onto his palm supported by his bent arm.

“I guess; but meh… it’s no big deal… let’s just enjoy the night.”

As the two continue to converse…

…gunfire erupts from the entrance. Jin and Fei Ling immediately take action. They race to the front, throw up a table and take cover. They peek around their cover.

A long haired man wearing an unzipped duster, strapped with twin katanas, is commanding a group of gangsters wearing sharp suits and sharp shades firing AK’s and SMG’s. They are storming the Dragon’s Nests. Despite orchestrating carnage, his overall demeanor is tranquil.

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“Kill whoever gets in your way but as for the runaway, I want him for myself.”

The thugs proceed to demolish the Dragon’s Den. They riddle the place with bullets, kick plates and other utensils out of the way as they hop on booths and tables in total bedlum. From their positions they unload their AK’s and SMG’s and swap out magazines. The corpses drop one by one; shredded by the hail of bullets.

In a mere matter of seconds after the sharply dressed thugs storm the Dragon’s Den the place reeks of blood and the stench of death:

‘O Mother Eden, your daughters are dying. Guide them back to the Good Lord. Ferry their souls to Heaven’s door. Your essence may have left their bodies but their souls are now as pure as the Lamb Slain.’

Fei Ling analyzes the man slashing his victims with his katana. She silently gasps and whispers in Jin’s ear.

“That man, the twin katanas… that’s Snake Eyes!” Jin scoffs:

“Snake Eyes: a name earned from the way it slithers into the ear and coils down the spine like the damned snake he is.Jin breathes a guilty sigh. “He’s obviously looking for me. He must’ve seen my motorcycle out back. I thought I hid the damn thing well enough…”

The gravity of the situation nearly strangles Jin…

…shit I gotta put a stop to this.”

Butterflies flutter in Fei’s stomach. She grabs Chang by the head and kisses him long, hard, and deep.

She releases him. “A kiss for good luck.”

Suddenly Shiva’s voice swells the atmosphere with sheer fury. “GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!!!”

Shiva chases down two of the thugs into the kitchen. Fei and Jin exchange stern glances.

With a simple nod the two split up. Fei Ling quickly makes a mad dash through the dining hall, avoiding a hail of bullets and catches up to Shiva. The two friends chase the sharply dressed thugs into the kitchen; their bond burning like wildfire.

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Jin leaps over the overturned table and tackles Snake Eyes to the ground. They grapple and struggle until Jin kicks Snake Eyes off of him.

Their eyes engage in an intense stare even before the two are on their feet.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE,” barks Snake Eyes.

The bullet hail ceases.

The smoke settles…

…the death toll claimed everyone. Countless corpses of men, women, and even younger adults lay scattered across the ground. Some are disfigured and totally minced to the point of unidentifiable. Jin eyes are doused with burning fury; He sheds a single tear like a shooting star streaking across the midnight sky to commemorate the souls now gone to Heaven to be instantly with the Lord.

(“Why… what possessed these monsters to murder innocent people in cold blood… and just to get to me.)

Snake Eyes takes off his sunglasses, and takes a hard look at Chang with his serpentine eyes.

The history between the two…

Their former lives, the MC Club, parting ways, all now but a flicker of time.

Snake Eyes flicks his forked tongue. “So you finally reveal yourself, Jin. Are you still a bleeding heart and actually give two cents about these slaughtered welps..

Jin clenches his fists.

“I was never like you Snake Eyes. You wanted me to turn the MCinto everything I was against. I’m surprised those spineless swine I once called allies turned on me and made you their new leader.”

Snake Eyes forked tongue flails about as he hisses with glee.

“They merely realized the true purpose of the MC. Sure I'll acknowledge we were once allies when it was our time to lead the MC, but your ideology of an anti gang force made my blood curdle… but I basked behind the scenes, as our “freedom fighters” waxed in size and in might.”

Jin grits. “Who knew but only God Himself, that I was just gathering knives just to stab myself in the back?”

Snake Eyes cackles before giving out a command.

“Minerva! Fill him with lead… I want to see his blood spill.”

The one called Minerva, a young woman with cerulean and black hair tied in ponytails cocks and aims her submachine gun at Chang.

Chang smirks.

“Think you can actually kill me with that toy, dollface?

She smiles a mean grin. Jin smiles one right back at her.

“Go for it Toots.”

He spreads his arms apart.

Minvera smacks a kiss of death and firmly squeezes the trigger… Jin just stands there as he’s riddled with bullets.

After she empties her clip, Minerva raises her SMG.

“That should do the trick, Can’t believe the idiot just stood there and took it.”

The scent of fresh gunpowder mingles with Chang’s spilt blood.

The smoke from the gunfire clears… Chang is revealed still standing and still breathing...

“What the hell! I pumped enough lead that the prick should be all kinds of wasted. But that bastard’s not… dead?”

Minerva reloads and aims her SMG at Jin again.

“Don’t bother Minerva… I was merely testing a theory,” Snake Eyes bitterly spouts,

Minerva is bewildered.

“What theory?”

“Watch…”

Chang hacks a bile of blood and spits out a couple of slugs. He spreads his arms out. Spent rounds fall from his body and clatter around his feet.

“What the hell!? That's the payload I just pumped you with: a full magazine worth of lead. of lead you goddamned freak!”

Chang chuckles, “Next time, use a bigger gun.”

Snake Eye smiles. He licks his lips with a bit of a flail with his forked tongue.

“This is going to be interesting.”

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