If it is in normal style, then it is speech.

If it is in italics, then it is thought.

If it is in bold, then it is the individual's natural tongue.

If it is underlined, then it is Devil and the Creature.

Generally, if it is in italics and has singular quotation marks ( ' ' ) then it is Mental Speech.

Don't own any characters except Razer, Detective Burton and the rest of the gang (excluding Hwoarang).

All other characters belong to Namco.

Author's Note: lol did anyone notice the last word count before I posted this chapter? XD 88,888 Words. lmao!

One chapter till the end.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Everything Burns

"Nghh…"

"Hey she's coming around!!" Steve said happily from his seat.

Welcome back to the woken world…

"Razer!" Julia remarked, smiling down on her.

Her green eyes finally opened and all around she could see most of her friends. Most.

…And see what you are without.

She looked to her right where Steve sat and Julia stood. She looked away from them all with a burning heart.

See who you are without.

"Razer…?" Fox inquired slowly, seeing her fist clench, possibly in anger.

She managed to just look up and stare at Miharu, half despairingly, half frustrated. The stare was returned.

See what you have lost and despair, you insignificant beastly mortal! You worthless monster!

The final two words echoed through her head continuously, just as they did for two whole years since her last separation from him. Hell, the creature within was telling her how pathetic she was right now, lying in a hospital bed, wounded again, without him by her side, and how weak it was that she couldn't say his name at the moment without feeling like she failed him.

…Failed him.

A hand graced her left shoulder as she sat up a little. Razer looked to her left to see Eddy there, standing next to Christie, a sad, comforting smile on his face. She looked away and back to his hand. She couldn't bear to look at the comfort he put on his face. She didn't deserve it. The look on Gordo's face was even telling her an unspoken story, along the lines of 'you did your best, girl – he couldn't have asked anything more than that.'

Except to succeed. Instead, you failed.

She suddenly sprang to life, violently shrugging the hand off of her and pulled her knees to her chest, her fingernails digging into her palms, praying that the skin would break and that she was just fucking bleed, bleed like the tears that finally slid down her paling cheeks.

"I tried my best…"

A pause. A gasp for air. Another taunt from the creature within.

"I… tried everything…"

Her head turned from her knees and looked down to her right. Her body was still aching. Another taunt.

"I… It… They…"

There were no words to follow. Nothing but broken sentences and a shattering voice. Yet another taunt.

Steve leant out of his seat slightly and put one arm around her, rubbing her arm soothingly. He couldn't really bear to see her like this, after everything she had been through prior to the King Of Iron Fist Tournament 4, and how high she had flown upon her reunion with Hwoarang, which he witnessed first hand. He was surprised she let him touch her at all, considering she essentially told Eddy to let go of her.

The 20-year-old Greek looked up with dry tears, forcing herself to hold together, knowing he would be back, though the separation was fierce and cruel. In her direct line of sight was Miharu, clutching the ends of her purple dress with both fists, fuming, almost completely enraged, and almost completely shattered from the sadness.

You let her down too, in more ways than you know. Monster.

"I am sorry Miharu…"

She shook her head with furrowed eyebrows and turned away, opening the hospital door, walking out.

There goes another friend… Steve thought sadly, tightening his grip on the tormented woman as her eyes slid closed. He wondered how many more would abandon her again, willingly (such as Hirano, or it seemed as if she was) or by total force (such as Hwoarang), just like she had said at the beginning of this tournament.

"Aw you poor dear… I wouldn't do that to you."

The British Boxer watched as her watery eyes warily observed the protruding hand, "You promise?"

He nodded and smiled.

Something he promised her he would never, ever do...

Something he had to honour more so, because she didn't leave him in his hour of need, either.

Chang got on her knees, her skin coming into contact with the cold white floor, and spoke to her long-time friend soothingly, an honest smile on her face, one that Athane first thought was hollow, "Razer… why don't you tell us what happened to the two of you today from the very top? It may make you feel better."

It also may show you the glaring flaws you possessed in your pathetic attempt to survive together.

Her left hand shot up to her head, her nails digging into her temples sharply, "SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT UP!!"

Steve, Julia, Christie and Eddy looked at her strangely for a moment, the latter three inching back slightly, the first only holding her tighter, his other hand rubbing her tightly clenched right hand. They all frowned. Christie dared to speak, her voice cutting through the silence, "…Julia didn't do anything…"

Razer's dulling green eyes peeled open, and glared at the Monteiro girl, her fingernails still digging into her temples. Her voice was low and was gradually becoming wavy and distraught, "You… don't… fucking understand."

The 19-year-old frowned helplessly, her hands gripping together all the tighter, afraid.

The hand finally left her head, her eyes looking at them all accusingly, "None of you understand!"

"Well maybe if you weren't such a whinging bitch Razer we could help you! Make us understand!"

"I want to understand."

Hwoarang's voice cut through her again, like Ki-Yerr and Mijj-Dala's knives. There were two meanings to her outcry. The first was that no one here understood her to the level that the Blood Talon did. No one could figure out when to annoy her and when to soothe her, when she screamed in ache or fear. And the other was… secret.

She breathed in and glared at the Brazilian, green eyes to brown eyes. Who the fuck did she think she is? Stupid slutty whore. Stupid motherfucking bimbo. Hell, in the blinding rage, Razer began to bet that her friendship with her was all a complete charade to impress Steve.

"You want to know the truth?" She growled, spinning Hwoarang's ring around her slender finger.

You would not dare. It took you three years simply to tell the Blood Talon of your problem anyway.

FUCK. YOU.

Christie nodded slowly, realising she was finally going to speak to all of them. Perhaps by her opening up would clear the air as to why she was being chased by the Tekken Force, why she had been captured by them.

Razer's head turned from Eddy and Christie to Julia and Steve, who were looking at her longingly, wanting to understand, wanting to help, wanting to know. She tore her dulling green eyes from Chang and specifically kept her line of vision on the 21-year-old British boxer, seeing into his blue eyes that their intentions were good.

She opened her mouth, ready to speak, to tell all, when everything flashed through her head.

"I…"

The lies that the creature within had kept from her. It wasn't Devil.

"Well…"

What the creature within had done to her biological and metaphorical family. To Mum. To Hwoarang.

"There's…"

What the creature within did to her feelings, her lover. To Jin.

"It's…"

What the creature within did to her. Attempted murder.

"I'm –"

"Guys!"

Xiaoyu sprinted in. Almost everyone rolled their eyes, sparing Steve, who looked to the Chinese youth questioningly. The little girl who was bursting with energy, most of the feelings disorientated, "What's up Xiao?"

"It's –"

'Rise, Jin Kazama!'

"Jin…"

Well what a clever little brat you are…

The 20-year-old's hand shot up to her head once again, mumbling, "I thought I told you to shut up…"

Ling furrowed her eyebrows, confused, "Razer… How did you… know…?"

She shook her head before pointing to it, "He is the only one who understands… this."

"What, that you're both emo?" Christie inquired accusingly, hoping to anger her and have her talk.

The Greek rose from the bed, appearing to glare with severe annoyance at Monteiro, before throwing off the covers, taking herself from Steve's arm, and bolted out the door, in tears again, completely afraid, shaking her head profusely along with a trembling body, thoughts going through her head like a doom train again.

No no no! I can't lose you!

"Razer!" Came the British voice, followed by two sets of running footsteps, belonging to him and Xiaoyu.

You are the only one who understands this torment!

If you surrendered like Kazuya has, you would feel no pain, fool!

She didn't know where she was going. She stopped outside the infirmary, seeing Marduk glare at her with a dark, malevolent smirk, hoping to intimidate her here and now. He thought better of it when he saw Steve again.

"Love, what's wrong? Talk to us…" Fox pleaded.

Xiaoyu was searching Razer's calming face, hoping to find an answer, "What is it? What're you feeling?"

A huge inhale came. She was trying to smell his scent, trying to find out where Kazama was.

The smaller girl took the Greek by the shoulders and shook her slightly, "Razer…"

Ah… Hon-Maru. In a forest, in the heart land of the Mishima Compound.

"Hon-Maru…" She breathed, judging by the night time sky that she must've been out for five hours.

Ling's brown eyes narrowed, clearly confused, "Hon-Maru…?"

And then Razer was off again, running at top speed, following Jin's scent, a scent she knew fairly well.

I cannot lose you! I refuse to lose you too!

Everything will burn, Athane, and you will endure more loss in your pathetic existence.

I can't, I just can't! I need you, Kazama…

Steve watched as one of his close friends ran off into the coming night.

Ai shiteru, Jin…

What Razer believed she was thinking, she was in fact speaking, though she didn't know. The 18-year-old Chinese fighter inhaled a breath, hearing all, before turning back to Steve, realising she was not going to come back until she knew that he was safe, until he was with her again. She didn't know how much Athane loved him.

A gingery squeeze to the shoulder had Xiao looked to Fox, seeing him sigh a little, still watching. She watched with him, only wondering where the 20-year-old's senses were taking to her, to wherever Jin may have disappeared off to.

Hon-Maru… She thought quietly.

Brown eyes tore open immediately. The feeling of restriction and fear washed over.

Jin looked to his left, seeing chains hold him up in place, and also marks of Devil on his body. He tugged at it viciously, angrily, growling in a feral voice. He looked to the other side and viciously tugged at it too. Anything to get free. Just anything… He couldn't believe he had been captured…

His surroundings were dully familiar to him. Hon-Maru? Why was he here?

Before him was Kazuya Mishima, his arms folded smugly. It was his voice he was hearing… to awaken him. To have him rise and realise where he was. He was so glad it had stopped now, that he had left his mind, his personal space… Perhaps it was his Father's presence that had him in his Devil form.

'I can't, I just can't! I need you, Kazama…'

…Her voice…

Jin looked down temporarily, seeing Kazuya chuckle slightly, before clenching his fists as tightly as possible and pulling his arms again, yelling out, in an attempt to free himself from the chains, which was successful now. He landed on the floor with a dull thud and managed to get into a kneeling position, his hands on the wooden floor, his arms basking in the freedom.

And then there was even more pain. He could feel his wings and his horns retreat into his body as he regained control of his body wholly. The black markings, the jewel on his forehead, all vanished into nothingness.

Once everything was stable, once he was normal, his angry, raspy voice sounded to the younger Mishima, to his Father, to the Devil in his human form, to everything he ever hated, "You! If only you were dead…"

'Ai shiteru, Jin…'

Kazama's eyebrows furrowed as he drew hope and inspiration from the cries of Razer, feeling strength in his body return as he stood shakily to his feet. His heart swelled with love to the Greek woman, and pure hate for his 49-year-old Father. The Japanese youth ran towards a waiting Kazuya, "Once I kill you, it'll all be over!"

This way.

She exhaled from exhaustion and followed Jin's scent once again. It was her only lead, and it diminished at some points, though the further along she went, the stronger it eventually became. Hell, Athane was nearing the forest now. She could see it through her eyes.

How much further…? The 20-year-old questioned.

The forest is deep. It will take you a while to successfully reach Hon-Maru.

Razer pushed forward, through agony and weariness, coming just to the edge of it now. She stopped for breath, her hands resting above her knees, and looked up at the night sky, seeing how dark it was. It was the cold wind however that got her attention, the cold wind that got her looking up initially.

…Helicopters?

I would shrug if I could. Ignore it. They are not your focus.

A sigh came as the Greek woman ran on, desperate, following his familiar scent through the woods.

The helicopters flew high above the forest, unknowingly heading towards Hon-Maru with her.

The final kick flew, smashing into Kazuya's temple. The younger Mishima collapsed into a heap on the hard, wooden floors of Hon-Maru, his forehead starting to bleed. He passed out into total nothingness, unconscious.

Jin hunched over, clutching his arm, and breathed in heavily, about to approach him and kill him. He could not help but grin darkly, realising that once his Father was dead, the one who started all of this shit, he would be free from the devil within, from this wretched curse.

He heard other footsteps approach and froze right then and there, his eyes slowly moving to the person.

"What a pathetic wretch… You worthless coward!"

Kazama eyed Heihachi as he looked down at his only son, a malevolent smirk coming to his lips when he looked up this Grandson. Jin clenched his fists tighter, realising that he would not have the chance to remove his no-good Father from the world right away… That there was another fight at hand.

The elder Mishima slipped into stance, "I will make your power mine… Time to die, boy!"

Flash Punch Combo came to a weak 21-year-old Japanese youth, sending him back into the wall. Jin rose to his feet again and got into stance as his bastard Grandfather came running towards him. He too ran at him, releasing his Switch Blade attack with pain, watching as the fight for Kazama's life, his survival, again began.

Heihachi stood to his feet and leapt in the air, attempting to deliver two kicks at Jin's head, though both were blocked quite craftily. Jin retaliated fiercely with Laser Cannon, as he had done so many times in the past already, and ran after the retreating form, shoving his shoulder into the man's form as he attempted to stand.

The fight continued on for approximately ten minutes. Ten minutes of pain, ache and pure hate. Finally, Heihachi was worn down. He was tired, sore, and in too much pain to necessarily protect himself now. His eyes were wired shut as he was somewhat lifted off the ground by Jin, specifically by the front of his clothes.

He strained his ears, hearing Jin transform into Devil Jin, or at least request his power further. The wings, the horns, and so on, were tearing from his Grandson's body, a sickening squelch all the while. The elder Mishima tilted his head to his left slightly, opening his eyes just a crack, seeing that Kazama filth glaring at him menacingly with his tainted eyes, his hand ready to strike him.

The 21-year-old who was Jin using Devil's power couldn't help but smirk. Finally, he would get revenge on the damn geezer for everything he ever did to himself, to his Mother, to Razer, to Xiao, to everyone else he ever cared about. His fingers (or claws, but he didn't care) pressed even tighter together as his arm drew back.

But something else caught his vision. He looked to his left and for a flash moment saw someone important…

He frowned helplessly, only one word running through his now somewhat serene mind, …Mother…

Jin blinked, and then the figure of his Mother, all clad in white, disappeared. His loving, innocent Mother… was taken from him again. One of the few people that ever loved him. Still, her appearance… It was like… Like…

A sign.

He looked down, suddenly disgusted with himself. What the hell was he doing? Going to kill his only family like this… All these years, ever since the 75-year-old man took him in, when he started to hit him, when all that crap began at all, he swore to himself that he would never be a Mishima. Never ever.

And then suddenly he found himself doing this… exactly as his Father's side of the family, as Devil dictated.

Kill. Destroy. Obliterate.

And then he wondered, how long until he turned on the few that did love him? How long would it be until he came across Xiaoyu, got pissed off with her constantly trying to help him with his problems, and he suddenly would turn and choke her to death? How long until he found himself lying awake next to Razer's dead body?

In an immediate answer of the final two images that the devil within had gleefully siphoned into him, he dropped Heihachi's body on the wooden floor and took a step back, breathing in and out heavily. Kazama narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as the elder Mishima turned to look at him, wondering why he was spared.

There was only one answer to greet him, "Thank my mother… Jun Kazama…"

Jin turned away and spread his wings, leaping into the air, flying through the roof of Hon-Maru in leave.

Is that Hon-Maru?

Yes. I can smell Kazuya within… but look up there.

Razer's eyes scanned the skies, seeing the helicopters now flying perilously close to the location, as well as a creature flying from the roof. She recognised it to be Jin in his devil form, and called out immediately, 'Jin!'

He appeared to hear her and headed straight down, farther off into the woods, just as shots were sent towards Hon-Maru, not that neither of them cared. As Athane ran towards him, weaving through trees, she could hear him sending the devil within's features away, hearing him gasp for air in complete pain.

She could finally see him, and her fears were erased. He was safe. He was alive.

Jin watched as she came to a stop before his slowly standing form, and grinned a little, "Hello."

"Oh my God you're alright…"

He found himself being gently hugged and being told that he was loved, and he found himself returning both. Kazama rested is cheek on the top of her head and sighed happily, "How did you know I was in trouble…?"

"Whatever Kazuya was saying to you was getting through to me too when I was in battle."

Jin paused and lifted his head off of her, watching as she warily questioned him with her eyes, silently wanting to know why he moved away. He asked, "In battle…? Where? When? Against who? What happened…?"

Razer's line of vision dropped down from his face to the dark, grassy floor, "The Korean soldiers… got Hwoarang… about five hours ago. They tranquilized him to capture him, and tranquilized me to stop me from rescuing or assisting him any farther… I basically woke up not too long ago… It was at some car park…"

He frowned, knowing this'd impact her severely, and kissed her forehead softly, whispering, "I am sorry."

She shook her head and smiled simply, looking back at him, "I'm just glad that you're okay, koidito."

He smiled too, though it did not last long as his hand shot up to his head, grimacing as Devil fed him more images of bloodshed and slaughter to this woman, as inflicted by him. Jin heard her inquire if he was alright, but he simply shook his head. Fear just gripped his heart, and there was nothing to stop its strength.

You cannot lose what you do not have, Devil repeated, having said this yesterday.

A woman's scream shot through him, and he knew it was Razer's from the images being fed.

"What happened at Hon-Maru?"

"Bleh… Just a tussle with Kazuya and Heihachi… What is with the helicopters?"

"Dunno."

The 20-year-old pacified Greek woman looked on with the 21-year-old distressed Japanese man, watching as these… things were being shot into Hon-Maru, bursting through the wooden walls and doors. They both wondered what it was about, if it was G Corporation, etc. It didn't matter to them.

"Razer…?"

Her gaze turned back to Jin with an honest, relieved smile on her face, "Yeah?"

Jin swallowed hard, struggling to keep Devil's images at bay, "I…"

"You what?"

You cannot lose what you do not have.

"…This cannot go on," He finally replied defiantly, sadly.

He could smell the rising anger within her, "What can't go on?"

"Us…"

"We've already spoken about this."

"Still… I… want us to… break up."

…Break up.

The words tore through and echoed within her like the grief of failing the Blood Talon, "You want to what?"

"Please don't be angry. You do not understand…"

She pulled away from him and slammed her fists into her pockets, "I can't believe you, asshole."

"I hope you are aware that this means you cannot come with me to wherever I go…"

"Another destroyed promise. As-fucking-always from you."

Jin looked away from her, his hand finally leaving his head, "Don't make this harder than it already is…"

"This is hard for you? Oh I find that remarkably hard to believe, you selfish bastard."

Kazama's brown eyes watched as Hon-Maru slowly went up in flames, just like their relationship, and their friendship that was frying at an alarming speed. He looked back to Athane, "You do not understand, koidito…"

"Don't you fucking 'darling' me," She spat, taking two steps back from him, her eyes narrowed.

"This is for your benefit!" He screamed helplessly.

"My benefit? Did it occur to you at all that I'm better off when I am with you?!"

"I know that… But…"

"What's this benefit for, Kazama? Protecting me from the old man and his twisted son? From the old man's fucked up Tekken Force?! Or is it for you so you can turn from me and go straight back to your beloved Midget?!"

His eyes darkened, "I can accuse you of the same thing in regards to Hwoarang."

She responded likewise, "You know I fucking wouldn't because then I'd be like my fucking Father!!"

"Please…"

The onslaught shouts continued. His desperate plea for her to calm down and stop angrily yelling at him totally failed, "I was right about you way back when, you're nothing but a fucking Snobby Rich Kid after all!"

"No…" Jin shook his head, starting to shrink back from her, his eyes burning with tears like hers were.

Her eyes briefly flickered red, "You know what? Fuck you! Seriously! You Snobby Rich Kid!"

"You deserve much better than me…" He replied solemnly, breathing in, feeling his heavy heart break.

"Better than you, definitely. Asshole. You don't deserve anybody!!"

Kazama looked up to see her scowling at him still. He looked back down like a helpless child, unable to do anything to stop this anger. He buried his face in his hands and suppressed a sob, "I'm sorry… I am so sorry…"

"I don't need protection, Kazama," Razer spat in a tone that was identical to that of the Blood Talon, turning away from him slightly. She breathed in a sob, furious, yet feeling the bricks of her heart be pulled from underneath one another, "And… I certainly don't need you."

His mind flashed back to when he was chained up in Hon-Maru. The love coming from her was so strong…

…And now it has completely obliterated. Congratulations Jin Kazama, you are now officially forever alone.

"Why don't you do us all a favour and just drop dead!?"

Jin's hands left his face. He could feel the tears continue to build and his fists clench in despair, "Razer…"

The 20-year-old's hands were now out of from her pockets, her own little hands clenched into impossibly tight fists. She inched further away until she just turned from him and ran away from it all, "I… HATE YOU!!"

Those final three words turned out to be more painful than any insult the devil within could slew at him. It felt so much worse than the bullets from two years before, so much worse… It was worse than the poison that Devil wracked within him. It was worse than anything he could've possibly imagined.

It was killing him, wracking his mind, body and soul with pain.

"I have to protect you, koidito… From me…"

He eventually turned away from her and breathed in a sob, gritting his teeth, feeling his emotions get the best of him. Kazama cried out in agony, emotional and physical, as her last words cut him, as his black wings ripped through his already sore back, accompanied by horns. Devil was seizing control of him once again, using the heartbreak and the killing loneliness as suppressants, pushing the real Jin into the back of his mind.

His breaking voice was the last thing he would ever verbally say for a long time as everything within him, around him, because of him… as everything burned, "You were the one to cut me… So now I will bleed forever."

FOREVER ALONE!!