Match of the Millennium

Description: Southtown dissolving into propaganda filled mass of infighting, dissidence and civil unrest not even the mighty Mishima Zaibatsu can suppress. Opponents who threaten the stability the Zaibatsu upset this hope for a free Japan in the limited window of time to work and a peaceful future free of the UN's Gear menace is slipping through mighty fingers. Enemies have appeared on every front and not even the benevolent actions of Japans greatest and most selfless benefactor! (and his family) can stem the tide. It's enough to weary any mortal men.

[HEIHACHI]
The request came rather indirectly; Jin was tracked down by an armored member of Tekken Force, who made it known that Heihachi desired to meet him immediately within the imposing headquarters of the Mishima Zaibatsu. His grandfather could have contacted him in a number of different ways, and such might bode ill for the potential results.

Security is incredible. Both the local police, a number of reinforced Japanese military assets, the Tekken Force, and a number of JACK units surround the few blocks leading up to the immense skyscraper. Many checkpoints would need passed and Jin's credentials proven, sometimes thoroughly, as if his name and appearance had no weight. At length the surprisingly empty main entrance room. Footsteps would echo across the smooth tile floor to the private elevator, which is the only method directly up to Heihachi's office.

Once there, the door opens to expose a huge open area. Many glass walls offer beautiful views of the cities' skyline. A grandiose wooden desk takes up the majority of the area, behind which is Heihachi himself, going over a number of military reports piled up. Kuma is curled up in a corner and snoring, muzzle covered in honey and countless empty containers of delicious bee nectar surrounding him.

He would not so much as glance upwards...

[JIN]
The medical facilities of the building were mostly unharmed by the invasion of that crazed old intruder. Some of the monitors were dark, plaster had fallen and the room's contents were in disarray as though a minor earthquake had struck. More concerning were the other occupants occupying beds and stretchers, injured in their defense of the building.

Gauze wound around his head yet beneath his fringe, a plaster on his cheek the Kazama grandson of the mighty Heihachi Mishima stills the activity of the medical team still treating him by raising a hand as the protests begin after the soldiers request. He walks out on a job mostly done, his actions still silently objected to by the professionals he was walking out on; they knew better than to interfere in family or executive business. The scowl on his face the entire time he was subjected to seeing what that bastard old man had done to the men who worked here and even life-saving facilities.

Jin follows as far as the elevators, each time there is a massive delay and lots of chatter and waiting between the soldiers guarding and securing new points and his escort. The shirtless karateka obviously carried no id or even had any pockets for that purpose. For Jin it was simply more a chance to drink in the sight of returning troops and injured, the building was secure enough once again though becoming more a triage centre than corporate building. Gradually ascending the building to the executive offices it was as if nothing of what happened reached this level. A gaping hole existed on the other side of the building where the intruder had attacked Jin but someone had the forethought to clean and clear up Heihachi's offices before his return.

Stopping well short of the desk where petitioners and the Mishima's many lesser rivals would be forced to confront Heihachi and tremble at this display of might and authority, Jin did so more fearlessly than they would have. Dried blood on his face, still on his knuckles where it was a mixture of his own and Dukes.

"You called for me Grandfather."

[HEIHACHI]
Things are not going super well. The people of Southtown highly resent this intrusion, and force has been utilized countless times. Everyone says a violent conflict that might cost many lives is on the verge of taking place, and all signs point towards Heihachi not backing down even when that line is pressed. The Command Gear has not yet been found, but reports constantly confirm she has yet to leave the city, and the primary focus has been aerial recon, where any attempt to fly out on dual wings would be met with interception. Heihachi is certain he can beat her a second time; he must have gotten old. His failure to chase her down has caused a significant issue, although there might be some unintended perks to being the public enemy of a town full of incredible fighters...

"Jin. I think I gave you plenty of time to rest. You've still got Mishima blood somewhere in those veins, don't you?" he asks, attention still on his desk. "Come closer." Walking forward more would place Jin on the very slightly visible giant square at the front of the desk, where his somewhat renowned trapdoor is set up.

"Things have not been going my way just yet. Do you have any good news for me...?"

[JIN]
A gentle sigh from the grandson after taking his steps onto the trapdoor where so many unfortunates who had expected better or failed a challenge had fallen. Obedient but neither an optimist nor stupid, the wrong word or turn of phrase and it was a long way down.

"The buildings defences are orderly and services have resumed. What troops were injured are being treated on sight."

Since they could trust injured troops might not be attacked by desperate civilian groups and held futilely held hostage. The Zaibatsu had to care for its own or else expose them to needless risk for no real gains, they had upset a rather large number of groups and organizations within the city. As well as!

"Someone concerned about his stake in the tournament Uncle had organized breached the building and inflicted some largely cosmetic damage to the building."

From Jin it was a detestable undersell of the damage done. His defeat burned in his wounds like salt, hurting more than the sting of wounds themselves. The damage to the building was meaningless and childish, but the loss of lives? Unforgiveable!

Little to none of it was good news.

"The intruder was using something that disabled most security as he was passing through the area, none of the surveillance recordings held an image of him nor the automated defences repel him or even activate. If there is a record of him at all, it will be in the Tekken force's helmet cams who remained suitably distant. Other than that and before the interruption we were still gathering intelligence on the temple and helping to coordinate movement of the troops searching for the command gear."

The focus was mostly on the perimeter around the city or places it might go to ground in attempting to hide. The unfortunate timing of Dukes attack had ruined much of their efforts, the Tekken force working without dispatch through their own coordination and communication methods.

[HEIHACHI]
The fall is probably not fatal, but it might mean Jin is returned to active duty in the medical ward for another length of time, which he doubtlessly has any interest in. Heihachi brushes some papers off, exposing the twin pairs of red buttons that activate his almost comical traps. "Yes, so I saw. I felt my office had become a bit drafty." A glance backwards to the makeshift tarp covering up the damage wall follows.

"No record?" Heihachi finally stops, and then leans back in his grand chair. "What about your eyes, Jin...? Did you not see him? Were you beaten so badly that you can't remember the face of someone who struck you down?!" A massive fist slams down on the table, sending it jump and papers falling off. "You already disgrace our family with your loss. Do not disgrace it further by not even being able to find out who it was. There must have been something distinctive about him. You /will/ get a name."

After a few long moments he slumps back down in his chair, leaning back and finally glaring at Jin. "The only thing I cannot personally do is find this monstrous woman. And all my life's work, all my kin, all the talent I have assembled, fails me. FAILS ME!! Do you have any idea how frustrating this is, Jin?! And your father seems to have all but pulled away from any sort of help! I thought HE at least might see what is at stake here... even if much of the city is destroyed in bombardment, it is worth the trade for that CREATURE to die as well."

"Do you understand what that means? Do you think that is a decision I make lightly? To trade innocent lives for that of a single beast? If we cannot control her, the only option is annihilation. And then to kill this 'Justice' as well, and rip the head off these 'Gears'!!"

[JIN]
The frown deepens at the bombardment that is the displeasure of his paternal Grandfather. Jin weathers it well outwardly but deep inside it rankles. failure was maddening more because it felt like a step back, being shown he hadn't come far enough in a world that was racing to surpass him before he even caught up to the monsters he wanted to get his hands on.

"I know his name and face well. It was a display of impudence and frustration on his part considering he is only one of the few individuals remaining in the last moments of that tournament. One of I think only six or eight remaining fighters."

He was well known enough, the scale of the attack on the building however could not be undersold. The various defences the building had were automated and vulnerable to whatever technology the man had been using. Something that would have to be corrected for.

"There is some good news. The MI847J prototype is nearing readiness. It still isn't much use for what would have been the forest assault on the village but preparations for battle readiness have continued since that department had no other orders."

Jin could not even comprehend what weighs upon his grandfather so much to choose to risk so many innocents. The stakes high and the situation grave indeed.

"I-it was my understanding that if we took her alive she might be able to assume control of the UN forces. The only way to easily stop them producing and using more of these weapons."

They were weapons, inhuman looking things only vaguely bipedal and infused with such destructive abilities. To devastate Mt Fuji, and now an entire forest and temple wiped from the face of the earth.

"If we fail to take her alive and wind up destroying her, or lose all the infrastructure and forces we have gathered here. Japan would fall to the UN despite anyone elses best efforts, they would then conquer the world with their power. The only person that can truly stop them is you."

The only man with enough power and force at his disposal, cultivated over a lifetime he'd amassed what was necessary to stand up to a gathering of nation and their foolhardy attacks on a peaceful country. On Family.

[HEIHACHI]
"Tch. Don't be a fool, Jin. Even if we find this wild Gear, we would only stop the army. Justice... she would not be affected either way. She must be dealt with. But the United Nations have destroyed their world image. I am surprised; they should have been forced to stop, as none seemed to wish to use these Gears after seeing what Justice could do, but they seem to be preparing to attack anyway... how interesting! What could they desire to this extent?!"

Heihachi's chair whirls around to face the window behind, peering out across the city. Spotlights whirl about in the evening air, and he can faintly hear countless radio bands from the soldiers, men and Tekken Force maneuvering amongst the city. Yet within it all, he feels somehow empty. Dizzy... Justice... both are mere forces of nature. Neither possess the true power he desired to face, capable of finally driving him to his utmost limits... he is finally feeling it. The ache in his bones. The tightness in his chest. The hardest battle of all has been against time, and it has finally begin pressing down on him. Day by day, he loses a piece of himself. To die, after cultivating all this power, and never once getting to use it...

What more cruel fate could there be in this world?

"...you are nothing like your father." Heihachi finally states, softly. "I tried to make Kazuya an heir... to hold him to the standards of the Mishima. My father had always been so soft. I felt I had to find my own strength, as he would not force me. But perhaps, in being inspired to challenge myself, I did much more than he could ever have done. Maybe I underestimated the old shit's ability to raise someone... look at what a mess I made of your father, after all..."

He swivels slightly back to glance sidelong at Jin. "And you, left alone, turned out far more exceptional. It's because where you wish to be is so far, isn't it? A strength you desire, one you KNOW you are capable of reaching, and for that you push yourself hard. Neither Kazuya nor Lee were anywhere near such strength at a your age. Hahaha! Maybe you could have made me break a sweat, were I that young again."

A slow frown then falls upon Heihachi's lips, as Kuma audibly continues to snore. "Which is why it's so sad..." He thinks of Kazuya. His crimson eyes. The energy he felt at the bottom of that canyon, suspected and feared since birth. The madness that took his wife, when he had to put her down. The Devil Gene is passed through blood... might Jin be spared, so dilluted?

No. There can be no risk. That monstrous line must be erased. He gave Kazuya a chance, and all that happened was unleashing a demon on this world. Well. He can deal with that... when the time comes...

"If we cannot find the Command Gear, then all is lost. When the people riot, I will fall. Such is our deadline. I am no monster. I will not kill those citizens, proud and brave enough to say enough is enough. I may lock a cage in a drowning boat, but I am not so cruel as to crush it with my own hands." He thinks of his father, of his dark tomb, sealed away because... because? Because his father had done nothing wrong beyond trust him, and he could not twist the knife in his back to finish the job?

"If we can find the Command Gear, the cordon will be lifted. The gear army can be silenced. This... is the best we can hope for. Do not prioritize defending the machine. Even if it's used, it will not change the end result. Find the woman with the strange wings and long tail, Jin. I believe you might be able. ...I trust you."

After all... perhaps the best way to find a monster is to use a sleeping one.

[JIN]
Teeth gritting to the point they ache in his jaw. He'd never heard this of his grandfather get this nostalgic or wistful. It was always about the present, how strong Jin was and was developing. What grand opportunities there were to seize in the present and for the future. For their reasons neither of these men spoke about their pasts, what was passed was lost and in most cases was too painful to dwell on. There was only pain to be dredged up; there were no pictures of Jin's grandmother in all the halls lined with portraits of the chairman and vice president Kuma. No record of a happy family, and Jin himself was an aberration that turned up on the doorstep one day. A previously unknown son of Kazuya.

The legacy of this family was the Zaibatsu itself. Even Jin had made use of it and his Grandfather's aiding him in his single-minded quest for revenge, a request dependant on blood ties or an act of charity. He owed more than could ever be repaid. The bow is deep and formal to Heihachi, the boy keeping his head low out of respect.

"I understand!"

Trust? Speaking of pride in how Jin turned out despite his defeats. That look in his eyes.

"I will ensure the machine is ready to move at your word so it can assist where you need it. Then I will join the search."

His injuries wouldn't prevent him doing just that. They already seemed far less than they had. That look in his grandfather's eyes had him shaken and caused a hurt in his chest far worse than all injuries combined. Heihachi was an indomitable figure who seemed larger and louder than life. They'd pay for making him seem... smaller and more human.

A woman with wings though? Was it not another like Justice? Perhaps they didn't look all the same or Justice was wearing heavy armour and additional armaments. Either way, a woman with wings was a novel and unique enough description to pick 'her' out of a crowd.

[HEIHACHI]
"Very well. Keep an eye on the machine. It's still valuable... I do not want to need use the shitty prototype that's rusting away in an emergency." Heihachi grumbles towards Jin, scratching his chin. "This beast. She has one white wing and one black wing. She cannot hide these features perfectly. If you find her, contact me immediately... that skeleton..." Heihachi rubs his side, where that nuclear blast grazed him. It may have seemed that Dizzy had made a direct hit, but that was hardly the case. Only the barest fringe of it grazed him, and that brought him to his knees. "Tch. Don't fight her." he finally settles. "Do this for me, Jin, and I will grant you your revenge. With my own flesh and fists, I will grant you the power to do so. I will pass unto you the ultimate arts of Mishima Family arts, that even Kazuya was never privy...! Fight! Fight as if losing your pride and your life are one and the same!!" With that he turns away once more, gathering another pile of reports. "I must return to these damnable war efforts. I'd best hear from you soon. ...Of your success."

[JIN]
It was the least he could do. The NANCY-MI847J was still in a vulnerable state while it was being rushed through maintenance, fuelled and updated with the latest system software and drivers. Once it was up and running it was as sturdy and as powerful as ten Jack units combined, at least in theory! If not actual field testing. The last side project of the mysteriously vanished Dr. Bosconovitch a perfect guard dog to keep his Grandfather safe.

Jin raises his head and resumes standing, One white wing and one black, what ...skeleton was this?

Jin doesn't ask nor does he really need to know. Adding problems or taking up even more time was not something he was willing to do out. In part out of respect but also with the expectation that he had come out of this meeting as well as he possibly could. Instead of being crushed for failure he had been praised for his efforts in coming so far, yes... but not far enough. Instead of feeling joy or taking pride in this it tormented.

The only thing that matters was power, that lesson had been drilled into him endlessly. Power and who was left standing at the end of a fight. They bent the world to your will, gave you options and people followed men who held such power exponentially increasing power and influence.

It would never give him back what he wanted however. In that there was an irredeemable flaw in these philosophies. Even though Jin was duty bound, aggravated and angry about his failures and raring to go, his eyes still lit up at the old Master offering of more power and a chance at revenge. Vengeance was a close and attainable second dream when the first was long gone.

"I won't let anyone get in my way."

Pride didn't matter personally to Jin. He could be a cold and calculating boy excepting on certain topics, anything that got him one step close to his vengeance brought out the hints of what he was bottling up inside. All that grief and rage he was sitting on, using to temper himself while enduring his training without a word of complaint.

A more formal bow to his grandfather as if leaving a training session and he makes his way out of the office. This time the guards are willing to draw to attention as he walks past them. The Tekken Force really was remarkably well informed. Good! He'd need them to be if they stood any chance of actually locating this command gear.

Log created on 23:15:39 11/12/2017 by Jin, and last modified on 02:00:37 11/18/2017.