A Memory of Honor & Virtue
Nothing lasts forever.
Jin and Xiaoyu knew that to be a fact. And they knew the peace they had found definitely fit that mold. Someone was bound to find them, sooner or later. They just both hoped it was a lot further into later than this. Xiaoyu saw them around the town of the store where she worked. She saw the black cars and the G-men in the suits and the sunglasses. She knew who they were looking for and why. She knew that they had found them. Maybe it was from one of the times she talked Jin into coming into town, maybe it was because she was an out-of-towner. Or maybe any number of people or organizations would hunt all over Japan just to find the two of them, or more to the point Jin, and their good fortune at hiding finally just ran out. The usual suspects were the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. Both would look high and low for Jin. But, it really didn't matter who; all that mattered was the clear and present threat that they posed. She managed to avoid being seen by the men but she knew it was only a matter of time before she was found or before someone, willingly or not, gave up the location of the house she and Jin shared.
When Xiaoyu went home that evening, she found Jin mediating as he always was. She sat down some of the groceries from the store and started cooking. She didn't know to approach this subject but it was one she knew she had to bring up.
Jin noticed that she was moving a little slow. "Something wrong?"
She stopped and looked at him but was unsure what to say. She didn't want to set him off.
He got up and walked over to her. "What's wrong?"
She sighed. She knew now was as a good time as any. "Some men were in town. Like, men in suits." She went ahead and told him the truth. "They were looking for you."
He sighed. "We should leave."
"I know." She grabbed some things. "But…" She smiled. "Dinner first?"
"The men who are searching for us could show up at any time. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, I do. But… we're about to leave our home." She shrugged. "I just want one more moment. Can we? Please?"
Everything she had given him, he could give her this. He nodded. "Alright."
They ate dinner in silence, not uncommon but this one was far different. Xiaoyu tried to focus on the meal and not the coming danger and, much to his surprise, so did Jin. She talked all about her day, without Jin's provocation of course, but he was listened all the same.
After their meal was done, Xiaoyu looked at Jin and asked, "Can we go to bed? You and me?"
He looked unsure at her request.
"We can leave tomorrow. I promise. Just… one more night."
Again, he just couldn't deny her. It was just something about her he could not deny. "Alright."
They went to bed and got some rest. Jin didn't sleep, however; he just laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't move since he didn't want to wake Xiaoyu, who had her arm draped over him. He looked over at her and, what went through his mind, was all she had done for him. She involved herself in this, just to be there for him. He couldn't have felt guiltier about that if he tried. But another thing confused him: why she would do such a thing. She loved him and that was the most perplexing this in the world. For everything he was worth, he couldn't figure out why. But, it was also getting harder and harder to lie to himself about how he felt about her.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard something approaching. He knew they had been discovered. They weren't close. But they would be soon. He looked back at Xiaoyu and much as he hated to disturb that angelic face, he had to wake her up.
"Xiaoyu," he whispered.
She didn't hear him.
He sighed and spoke at normal volume. "Xiaoyu."
She started to stir. She moaned as she started to come to consciousness. "Jin?"
"We have to go."
"What? Why…"
"They're already here."
"Wha…"
"Get dressed and pack a bag, quickly. We have a little time but you have to hurry."
Xiaoyu nodded, "Alright." She hurried to get ready.
Jin got up and looked outside. They were maybe 20 men outside. He wished he could see what kind of armament they had but he didn't want to stick around to find out.
Xiaoyu came back in the room minutes later, clothes changed and a bag packed. "Okay! I'm ready!"
Suddenly, a gas canister flew through the window, causing them both to start coughing. Jin peered through the smoke and saw commandos rushing in. He punched the first nearest to him but was quickly hit on the back by a machinegun.
"Jin!" Xiaoyu coughed a few more times but began fighting back as best she could.
Jin regained enough of his bearings to tackle the nearest commando, pushing him outside. He stood up and looked back at the house, "Xiaoyu! C'mon!"
As soon as he shouted that, a bullet tore through his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground.
Xiaoyu exited the house in time to see him on the ground. Her eyes went wide, "JIN!" She was hit by a Taser from one of the commandos as she ran to him. This stunned her but it wasn't enough to take her down. In fact, she just got angry and went on the attack.
Jin looked up as Xiaoyu fought back but couldn't do anything as a series of Tasers hit him, causing him to scream out. Xiaoyu saw him being attacked and ran to him, knocking soldiers out of the way. She was hit by another Taser just before she could reach him, sending to her knees. A soldier ran up and hit her in the gut with the butt of his rifle. She crumpled to the ground and the soldiers grabbed her and, roughly, took hold of her arms.
Jin saw that Xiaoyu was in pain and, the part of himself that he kept in check for so long, was starting to rage to the surface. He knew, however, if he unleashed it, he would no longer be human; that last piece of himself would be lost. But, she was the reason for him not losing his humanity. If he lost her, there was nothing worth holding on to. Besides that, he couldn't lose her. He could lose, and had lost, everything else. But not her.
'Not her.' Jin started to growl. With a roar, he rose to his feet as his energy through the commandos surrounding him away and caused all other movement to stop as the curse he fought for so long returned in full force.
His markings returned to his body first. There was no going back.
Jin entered his Devil form, healing his bullet wound, and making him as feral as he had ever been. Despite the beast he'd become, he retained enough himself for one last threat. He stared down the assailants and declared, slowly and menacingly, "Don't. Touch. My. Xiaoyu."
The commandos didn't know what to think and they had even less time to react as Jin went on the attack and, brutally, beat them all. The commandos didn't have any chance to even line up a shot and any stray bullets were nowhere close to hitting the demon-like Kazama. After minutes of a completely one-sided battle, Jin had completely dismantled all but the commander of the soldiers. Jin flashed over at the leader and punched him hard that his helmet shattered like glass. The commander was dazed and near unconscious when he found Jin standing over him.
Jin's rage had taken over. He had to make them pay for destroying the peace Xiaoyu worked so hard to create. They had to pay. He reached down, grabbed the leader by the neck, and picked him off of the ground. He turned his other hand with his palm facing up and his fingers extended, prepared to deal the finishing blow by thrusting his hand right through the captain's heart.
"Jin!"
He looked to see Xiaoyu standing there, the light of the moon illuminating her face and body. Jin couldn't help but stare at her. Beautiful, radiant. Angelic but even more pure than that. She was the only one who quelled his rage. The only bright spot in his life. The only thing he knew had not been corrupted by the environment that surrounded them. Despite the fierce fighter she'd always been, she never became bloodthirsty or power hungry. She fought because she believed in more than that. She believed in Jin, she believed that brighter days were still coming, and she believed that, one day, the fighting would stop. She had hope. All she had seen and been through and she still carried hope and it shined through her. She didn't belong in a world like this.
"It's over," she said, pleading. "Don't do it. Please."
He had so much hatred. How was it wavering now? And why did he keep forgetting she was the cause of that?
"Please."
He relented. He had to. He couldn't hold on to hatred when she was near. He looked at the soldier and pulled him close. "Tell your bosses, whoever they are… back off and leave us alone. Or I'm coming for them." He let him go. He looked at Xiaoyu, flapped his wings, and dashed over to her. He picked her up and they flew away, far enough and fast enough that no one could be able to find them. Xiaoyu looked at the Earth and sea passed beneath them. It wasn't terror that had her breath now; it was exhilaration. They landed and he let her go but she didn't move away. They stared at each other for a long time. But she never moved away. She didn't step back out of fear or surprise. She just looked at him.
"This is me," he whispered, breaking the silence. He was talking to her but he was reminding himself, as well. "This is all of me, Xiaoyu. All of the worse parts."
"I've seen it before."
"You're supposed to be afraid." He said those words without a bit of surprise because he knew she wasn't.
"That's your opinion."
He just shook his head, "Why do you still love me? Why did you ever start in the first place?"
She smiled. "Because I've seen your worst. And I'm not afraid. I love your best because I know what you can do, who you can be."
He scoffed, "My best?" He shook his head, "I've never seen that. I don't have one."
"You've seen it. It's still there. It's why you let that soldier live. It's not a just feeling. It's a memory. A memory of the honor and virtue of the man you can be. That's you've been before. You just forgot for a while. But it's still there. You proved that tonight. You proved that your soul's coming back."
He let her words sink in. "Xiaoyu…"
"Forget it, Jin. I'm not going anywhere."
He smiled. "I wasn't trying to get rid of you." He stopped. "I mean… I would… but I know you won't leave."
She smiled. "Sorry." Then, she thought about it. "Actually, no, I'm not." She looked him over. "You can reclaim your best, though. It's not impossible. You don't always have to be a devil."
He scoffed. He reached inside himself and, forcibly, turned the Devil gene off, turning back to his normal form.
She smiled, brighter. "I always knew you could do it."
"You were the only one."
"Sometimes… we just need one person to believe in us."
"You're my one?"
"Yeah-huh."
He chuckled. "Thank you."
She nodded.
He turned serious. "This isn't over."
"I know."
"Those guys. I don't think they were Mishima or G Corporation."
"Then who are they?"
"I don't know." He nodded, "But I need to find out. I have to know who else is after me and why." He looked at her. "Are you with me?"
"Until the end. No matter what."
"Good." He stared at her. "Because I don't think I can do it without you."
"Sure you could. I'm just… a little motivation."
"A lot of motivation."
She smiled. "So, when do we start?"
He stared at her. "Right after I do this and say something to you." He moved forward and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her.
She kissed him back, more than happy to.
After the kiss, she did her best to get some air but it wasn't easy after such an incredible embrace. "Wow, Jin…" She looked at him, dreamy eyed. "That was… amazing."
"You're a good teacher."
"You get a A+ for that, that's for sure." She came back to herself all the way. "What was it that you wanted to say?"
"I love you."
She became wide eyed.
"I love you, Ling Xiaoyu. And, no matter what comes next, no matter what danger and pain comes our way, please, don't ever forget this."
"Jin…"
"Wherever this road takes us… remember that." He shook his head, "No matter… what I become, please, remember that I love you." He closed his eyes, imaging all that could be waiting for them. He looked back at her. "Remember this."
She, slowly, nodded. "I will. I promise."
He nodded, as well. "So, will I."
She hugged him and he hugged her back.
She looked back at him. "So, those guys… we need to find out who they are and what they want, right?"
"Right," he nodded.
"When do we start?"
He looked up at the dark sky but more so at the rising sun that just appearing on the horizon. She turned and looked at it as well. He placed his arm around her waist and she put one hand on his chest.
Jin stared at the sunrise and answered, "We just did."
A/N: Hey, everyone! So, this pretty much the conclusion of the trilogy of one-shots I was doing for the couple. However, I do have an idea of this turning into a full out story, but I haven't fully planned it out and I made need some ideas. So, if anyone has an idea, please, message me or leave me an idea in the review. And, as always, REVIEWS ARE LOVE!