Summary: Jin and Ben's digging around has blood boiling consequences.

Chapter Three

Clap. Clap. Clap. "Great speech Mr. Fukuyama, great speech indeed," said a thick, gruff voice, as the man it belonged to followed it through the open door into the dojo.

A tall man, as tall as Ben, and just as muscular. A man of contrasts too. He was wearing a finely made Italian suit, but he obviously wasnÂ’t a finely made man. Tall as he was, he hunched over slightly and a large scar down his cheek, covered in thick stubble gave the man a very rough, strong look about him. Walking into the dojo, without removing his shoes, he walked over to Akira and offered him his hand. Behind him, eight more thug-like cronies followed him into the dojo and loitered behind him.

"Good to meet you," he said, smugly.

"I wish I could say the same, Mr?" asked Akira, not cowering below the mans formidable presence.

"Johnny. Just Johnny," came the reply, as he puffed up his chest in an effort to intimidate Akira.

"Just Johnny, thatÂ’s an interesting name, J.J." said Jin from off to one side, drawing a snigger from Ben. They both knew the implications of what might happen, but theyÂ’d always had a streak of sarcasm running through them that they liked to play with.

Moving over to Jin and away from Akira, Johnny didnÂ’t stop until he was so close that Jin had to look right up at him. "You must be Jin then, I presume," he said.

"ThatÂ’s right. What do you want?" asked Jin, impatiently.

"Mr. Heywood, I believe you know of him, asked me to come and pay you a visit. ItÂ’s come to his attention that youÂ’ve been sticking your nose into places it shouldnÂ’t be," replied Johnny, this time wandering over to Ben. When he got there though, he kept his distance. While Jin and Akira had the slight builds of their Japanese heritage, Ben was a huge wall of man, with strands of Germanic blood in his familyÂ’s past.

Staring eye to eye, the two men both became as tense as rock. Tension floated through the air as the thugs that Johnny had brought with him fanned out through the room, surrounding the three men. The thugs, all eight of them, were carrying a variety of weapons, from baseball bats to nightsticks, and including Johnny, they outnumbered Jin, Akira and Ben by three to one. Not good odds, even for them. Moving to stand behind his men, Johnny folded his arms across his chest and looking extremely pleased with himself, gave the order.

"Do it," he said. With that they all moved in together, much better co-ordinated than the three had expected.

Trading blows with the assailants, Jin was like a living flame, his limbs licking out his attackers, burning them whenever they got close enough. Two noses broken and one knee bent back to an angle that no human knee was ever meant to go to, he quickly moved to help Akira. When Heywood had shot Akira all those years ago, his hip had been badly damaged and ever since, he hadnÂ’t been able to practice martial arts to the level he had been at before. Clearly in pain now, he was nevertheless keeping his attackers at bay, before Jin came in and help him beat them away, taking the advantage.

Ben however, wasnÂ’t doing so well. The two thugs that had gone for him were easy enough for him to handle. He could hit or kick them before they got anywhere near him. But he didnÂ’t notice Johnny come up behind him. Grabbing Ben in a reverse headlock, Johnny pulled his head down to waist height and then yanked upwards with all the power that his huge frame could muster.
A sickening crack rippled through the room. In a split second that seemed to last forever, the entire room froze. Akira and Jin stood slack jawed, while JohnnyÂ’s men seemed unsure of where to go from there. As the moment ended and time seemed to go faster to catch up with itself, BenÂ’s body hit the floor with a thud, with Johnny stood over it, looking satisfied with himself.

"Ben! No!" shouted Akira, running to his body. He didnÂ’t get there though, as JohnnyÂ’s foot flew from the floor, catching Akira under the chin, sending his body careening into the wall. Another thud as he too hit the floor.

Now outnumbered by 9 to one, Jin was easily beaten down to the floor. Kneeling down to him, Johnny took JinÂ’s face in his hand and spat at him.

"I canÂ’t kill a cop, but your brother is gone and your Dad is on his way. You wonÂ’t bother Mr. Heywood again. Ever," he said, quietly, but with a strength to his voice that made Jin shiver. Standing, he strode out of the room, followed by his black and blue entourage. The last one out of the room punched Jin in the face one last time. Another thud and Jin was out cold on the floor.

***

In the silence of the hospital room, the only thing that could be heard was the rhythmic sound of a machine breathing for Akira Fukuyama. Laying on the bed looking older and more frail than Jin had ever seen him, Akira was hanging on to his life, just barely.

"DonÂ’t do it, Jin, please," pleaded Jessica. Sitting across the bed from her, her face was stained red from the tears that had been constantly rolling down her cheeks all night. Looking up at her, fire burned in JinÂ’s eyes. A paper tiger he was not. Instead, he was a fire tiger, and heÂ’d been stoked to a point where he would ravage anyone who got in his way.

"IÂ’ve got to!" he roared at her. "Heywood killed my Mother, and both BenÂ’s parents and now heÂ’s dead too! He, and the other bastard, Johnny, theyÂ’ve got to pay. They will pay," he said, calming down. Even calm, his voice had taken on a cold rage that scared Jessica.

"But thatÂ’s why you canÂ’t do it! Ben is dead, and if you go after Heywood now, youÂ’ll end up dead too!" she replied, a new flood of tears answering the storm in her stomach.

"MaybeÂ… but thatÂ’s something IÂ’m willing to accept now," he said, getting up and walking out of the door. Getting up to go after him, Jessica said nothing when she saw the look in his eye. Jin wasnÂ’t coming back, whether he was alive come morning or not.