Title: Showing the Meaning of Fear
Author: Merci
Pairing: Jin, Devil jin
Rating: PG13
Status: Complete
Source: Tekken
Warnings: Mindfucking.
Disclaimer: The characters found here *do not* belong to me. The story itself *does* belong to me. I am making no profit from this endeavour.

Summary: Back when Jin was oblivious to Heihachi's agenda, and the power that churned inside him. Devil made himself known, and introduced Jin to fear.

Notes: This was a gift for my dear Kat for her birthday who had asked for a story involving Jin and Devil, no sex, just mindfucking. Ahem, I hope this meets with my dear's approval?

This is basically gen, but there are some yaoi vibes in here if you want to see them.

Showing the Meaning of Fear

Jin started awake, not entirely sure if the noise had come from outside his room or if it had been inside his head. He shifted under the covers and listened, but the sound did not return. It was strange, he had moved in with his grandfather only a short time ago, and the house still creaked and groaned in unfamiliar ways as it settled.

The dark-haired man yawned and tried rolling over; ignoring the idea someone was outside his room and tried to sleep instead. Heihachi had trained him hard that day, pushing him through some new exercises designed to strengthen his mind. He relished the exertion, the dedication required to master the Mishima fighting style that his father, Kazuya, had used. He thought he saw a look of approval in Heihachi's eyes as he'd succeeded in his lesson and he wanted to be well rested for the accelerated steps that his success would trigger.

Though the training was intense, he appreciated every minute. He had been welcomed into his father's family home and trained as a proper son and heir. He could feel himself getting stronger, and he looked forward to the next test of strength – even though a part of him wished that Heihachi would give him a day off every once in a while. He yawned again and stared off into the darkness of his room. He felt so tired, but his eyes did not want to stay closed.

He heard it again, clearer this time and he was certain that someone was outside his bedroom door. He heard the floorboards creak and Jin was left wondering who it could be. He was familiar with the way his grandfather moved about the house, and knew that none of the servants would be awake that late at night. His room was not along the main hallway and he could think of nobody who would have business outside his room at such a strange time.

He peered at the door, cocking an eyebrow as he tossed the blankets aside and swang his legs over the edge of the bed. He was not tired anyways, not really. He rose to his feet, feeling his blood rushing from his head and he padded over to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked, placing his fingers on the door handle and ready to slide the barrier aside. The floorboards creaked again, sounding loud and seeming to echo throughout the house. Jin paused in his movements; would grandfather hear the noise? He was strong enough to handle any would-be attacker, but did not want to anger his grandfather for being awake so late. He breathed a sigh when he did not hear the elder Mishima's heavy footsteps echoing through the house. He turned his thoughts back to the intruder; he had been training for years and one of the things he had learned was to show no fear.

He was almost as strong as his father had been; he had no reason to fear anybody. He tightened his jaw into a confident smile and slid the door aside, ready to demand why someone would wake him.

The door moved with barely a sound and Jin remained silent as well. His fingers resting in the door handle while the other seemed to hang in mid-air, pointing at the stranger who stood opposite him, wearing Jin's same confident smirk.

The man in the hallway was Jin. Exactly like the young fighter with his black hair slicked back and his dark eyes gleaming with untold mirth. This stranger was a complete mirror image, except for an unsavoury feeling he projected, leaving an electric taste at the back of Jin's mouth.

Jin had been prepared to throw out a deadly attack, incapacitating whoever was foolhardy enough to break into the Mishima estate, but he faltered and stared dumbly into the dim hallway at the man that wore his face. He looked back up into the familiar stranger's eyes, ready to ask the basic question of who he was and what he was doing there. He opened his mouth and tilted his head, just as the mirror-image moved forward with an attack that sent Jin flying back into his room.

The stranger even fought like him.

Jin wiped at the blood that trickled from his mouth and sprang to his feet, fists balled and ready for the next attack. He watched with growing confusion as this man who looked identical to him walked casually into his room and shut the door behind him.

The room seemed to grow even dimmer, the other man's aura blackening the darkness and Jin backed up a step. This was not him, or even a copy of him, it was something evil wearing his face. He stood, frozen and overcome with a feeling of deja-vu, as if he recognized the energy pouring off the creature that leisurely approached him.

Jin balled his fist, his mouth tightening as he prepared to fight this thing. Was this a test from Grandfather? He narrowed his eyes, gauging his opponent. No, this was not Heihachi's style, and there was something else about the stranger. It was a feeling… a presence he caught ghosting at the edges of his mind and now it had come out to find him.

"You're not stupid, Jin," the doppelganger purred, his eyes flashing white-ringed irises. "You know me… you do not know what I am yet… but you will know soon enough…"

Jin blanched as the creature's black essence seemed to spill over and fill the room, washing over him like a gentle wave of nausea that dropped him to his knees, making him gag. He struggled to look up at the figure, but he was gone… no, that wasn't it. He tried to look elsewhere in the room, but everything had grown dark. He tried opening his eyes as wide as he could, but still saw nothing. He had been blinded, and as the floor and reality seemed to fall away from his senses, the only thing that felt real and solid were his twin's hands gripping his throat and pulling him up.

All external sounds and sensations seemed to become muted, leaving his racing heartbeat to fill his ears. He gasped for breath, clutching to his throat as each lungful seemed to lack the oxygen he so desperately needed. The other Jin's hands gripped his throat, spiking pain around his neck until he thought he would bleed to death before he asphyxiated. He felt wetness as he clawed at his neck, sticky blood coating his palms and he felt his eyes rolling back in his head. He just… couldn't… breathe! His feet dangled beneath him as he floated mid-air, tiny shapes began to edge over the outside of his vision, worming together in a splash of rainbows and pain. He kicked his feet out, letting loose a gasp that reeked of desperation and suddenly… it was over.

There was a pause, almost like a sigh. The blackness seemed to whisk away as pure white replaced his vision and then the world shot forward in a rush that left Jin bolting upright in bed.

"The hell?" he asked, clutching at his throat before the doppelganger pressed down on him, trapping Jin's frame beneath his muscled body.

"Language…" the twin warned before reaching up to trace along Jin's cheek.

His eyes were grotesquely beautiful and Jin idly wondered if he ever looked so alluring. That thought was fleeting and he screwed his eyes shut before regaining his composure. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded, drawing on the strength he imagined his father would have. He was not alone in this; Heihachi would help him defeat this… thing.

"Paying my host a visit," the copy purred. "Your ideas are just as delicious as Kazuya's were. I think your father tried something similar too," he nodded, seeming to acknowledge Jin's thoughts. His mouth quirked up into a menacing grin, "and since he's dead, and you're all that's left, I've come out to say 'hello'."

"Uh?" Jin muttered, his eyes wide and watching as his doppelganger sat back on his haunches, pinning Jin's legs to the bed. "Get off." His voice sounded smaller than he had intended, frightened.

He breathed heavily through his nose and tried again. "Leave now, or I will hurt you."

The doppelganger's brow rose in a quizzical way. He seemed to chew on the threat before his shoulders sagged and he hopped off the bed, turning towards the door.

It had worked. Jin felt his heart racing, a smile cracking at the side of his mouth when he realized he had pushed this creature away. It was that simple. That easy.

"Oh, Jin…" the doppelganger purred with a disappointed lilt, keeping his back turned as he was nearly lost in the shadowed doorway.

"You'll never get rid of me," his voice whispered into Jin's ear and he was suddenly beside the bed. "I promise…" he hissed, leaning in closer, nuzzling the soft skin on his cheek.

Jin's heart pounded, catching him in a cold wash of fear. Fear of something he could not identify, but knew was there. He clutched the blankets beneath him, frozen in place and waiting for this being to say something more as he pressed in close, dragging his lips across his face. The man's fingers pressed into his chest, digging and scratching, slowly pushing him back to lie on the cold mattress, helpless and prostrate. The room was utterly quiet, with only his loud breathing in his ears, but it felt as if this demon were violating his mind.

Images of his mother flashed behind his eyes, her smiling face seeming to come into focus before blurring. He knew what she looked like, and yet… he was having difficulty remembering what she sounded like. He choked back a sob, "No…"

"What's the matter?" the creature purred, his eyes flashing as Jin realized what was happening.

"G-give her back…" he screwed his eyes shut and tried to turn his head. He could see her in his mind's eye, further away and the impossibly green trees shifted above her, casting shadows over her white form. "Mother…" she turned back to him, smiling in a sad way. Her lips moved, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He tried to remember her voice, the sound of her laugh, but… he felt his fear gripping at him, clutching at his throat.

"Just doing a little housekeeping in there," his doppelganger laughed, tapping Jin's forehead as the memory of Jun seemed to blur in his mind. "I need lots of room."

Jin opened his eyes, staring down at the white-rimmed orbs of his counterpart. He struck out with a fist, desperate to stop the creature that wore his face from unfurling his mind piece by bloody piece. He felt the satisfying crack of his knuckles connecting and he followed through with another punch. "Stay the fuck away from me!" he bellowed, surprised by his own anger, but unable to hold it back. He sprang from the bed, forcing the other man back before he grabbed the side of his head, trying to force the memories of his mother to surface. The little details he had taken for granted and were now all he had.

He collapsed to his knees; he was nothing like his father. Kazuya would have been stronger than this, and here Jin was losing to this… monster.

The devil's laughter crackled through his mind, splitting fissures in his memories and blinding him the more he struggled. "Please…" he whispered. "Please stop… pleaseplease…"

"Oh, God… please…" he panted, staring up at the ceiling, his arms trembling as he gripped the sweat-soaked bed sheets with desperate fingers. The moonlight shone through the window, bathing a patch on the floor in a pale, dreamy glow. Jin's heart raced as a sick feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. No matter where he looked, he could only see his doppelganger's eyes burning into him, raping his mind, burning through his memories and thoughts.

He was alone in his room, in his bed, but still frozen in place as he fought to steady his breathing. He never remembered his dreams, but that one had been so vivid. He let out a deep breath. He had not had any nightmares since the first month after his mother had disappeared, and now this… He would have to meditate to clear his mind of all this nonsense. He frowned before a sound tore through his consciousness like shrapnel.

The floorboards creaked outside his room and he was certain someone was outside his bedroom door. He lifted his head, unblinking in his vigil as he willed them to leave. Just go away. His heart chilled with terror. 'Please, just leave me alone,' he mouthed the words, desperate for them to obey. His nightmare rushed up on him and he felt his throat tighten, having trouble imagining the colour of his mother's eyes. He strained to see the door, praying to be left alone. He caught scent of a black aura and the floorboards creaked again, sounding further down the hallway as the devil left.