Worth dying for
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A what-if scenario based on Jin's ending in Tekken tag 2. Jin/Kazuya
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Jin's face was blank as he scooped the thin body up into his arms. Over the years, he'd grown used to hiding the inner turmoil behind a mask of coldness and apathy.
Life was not fair, and no matter how badly he wished that his has played out differently, he couldn't change the past. He couldn't bring his mother back, couldn't hide from the sorrow that seemed to be following him around like a shadow.
The determination to avenge her death had been his only reason to go on in a world of darkness and hatred. It had been all he knew.
Hated by a father who had never taken the time to get to know him, and shot in the head by the grandfather who'd raised him; love was something he'd been forced to give up on when he'd needed it the most.
Lost in the tangled net of his thoughts, Jin sat, holding on to the body as if the action alone could make up for what he'd done.
Beating her no longer felt like a victory. Her fierce brutality and piercing yellow eyes that spoke of something beyond humanity was one thing, watching her lying at his feet was another. She didn't deserve to die alone.
When her eyes opened, the need to apologize was hard to ignore. This was what they did. Fought, until only one was left standing. It was his life, passed down by generations of cursed blood and twisted minds. Even if Jin had wanted to choose another path than what had been destined, he knew that somehow he would have ended up right at this moment anyway.
The yellow in Unknowns's eyes flickered like a dying light, and a tremble rippled through her. The air vibrated with a palpable tension, sending tingles up and down Jin's spine. When Unknown's body began to morph into the shape of another person, his eyes grew wide. Her sharp features softened, and her cold stare melted into a deep brown so full of love that it took Jin's breath away. Time stopped, and for a short moment, the rest of the world melted away. The image, so deeply ingrained in his heart and soul that he would recognize it in any shape, started to take form before his eyes.
Mom…
Her lips formed into a weak smile. "My son." She reached out a hand, letting it rest against Jin's cheek. "My little boy."
Lost for words, Jin continued to stare at her, trying to make sense of what was happening. His mom was was long gone, but here she was, just how he'd remembered her. Her innocent round face as flawless as a doll's, framed by hair as black as his own. Not a day older than the last time he'd seen her.
"I'm always with you."
Jin leaned into her touch, letting the warmth from her skin spread through his, filling him with a sense of inner peace that he hadn't felt in a long time. Her knowing smile couldn't hide the sorrow in her eyes as they lingered on his face.
"Be strong." Her hand slipped away as her body started to fade, dissolving into a swirling form of light that rose toward the sky.
Before Jin could begin to understand what had happened, she was gone. Just as fast as she'd appeared. As if she'd never been there at all.
He sat frozen, staring at the empty space in his arms while thoughts battled inside of his head. His eyes flickered to his hands, now empty and trembling as the numbing shock started to lift.
Mom…
Jin clenched his fists in an attempt to still the growing rage, but it was a losing battle, and at the moment he didn't care. What was the world to him? All he'd ever done was to protect it, to fight for good in a world that didn't deserve it. If taking away the only person who'd ever loved him, not only once, but twice, wasn't enough reason to let it all go to hell, he didn't know what was.
Jin leaned his head back, screaming into the night as the devil within him emerged in a blast of energy pulsating around him. One flap of black wings launched him into the sky. But even in his devil form, he couldn't escape the pain. It ripped through him, tearing at his insides like knives until the devil himself couldn't stand it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was confused. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, he wasn't supposed to feel, wasn't supposed to suffer the anguish of the mortal soul. He wasn't supposed to struggle to stay. The fight had always been the opposite, but the farther he flew, the harder it was to hold on.
Jun's loving eyes flashed through his mind. The memory of her hand on his skin, spreading like a heatwave through his body.
Be strong.
A white light spread around him until it grew bright enough to blind him, forcing his consciousness away with its strength. The world faded fast, and the last thing Jin remembered was falling through the sky like a wingless bird.
Before he was even fully awake, he felt the absence of the devil - and the soreness of his body. Forcing tired eyes open, he took in his surroundings. The world was tilted to its side. A shadow of a man stared back at him from a weird angle.
Jin staggered to his feet, ignoring the waves of dizziness threatening to knock him out a second time. Scanning the ground, he skipped over the human shape in the distance, only to do a double-take in a few seconds of puzzled distraction. The glare of one red eye was unmistakable.
The moment his eyes fell on the spot where he'd last seen her, he finally understood. She'd been there the whole time. Trapped in her personal prison in the shape of Unknown. Right in front of his eyes, and he hadn't had a clue.
The realization hit like a kick to the stomach, knocking the air right out of his lungs and bringing him to his knees. She'd seen it all. The only comfort had been knowing that she hadn't been there to see what he'd become. She'd raised him better than this, showed him a world where peace and tranquility out-ruled greed and power. He'd tried so hard to fight the devil gene, so hard to not let her down. Now he realized that no matter how much he fought, he'd never win. It was already too late. All the evil he had done could never be forgiven.
He'd accepted the loss. Learned to live in a world where the closest to human contact he ever got was a kick in the gut. He'd shut all his feelings down so he never had to feel that emptiness eating away at him. He couldn't deal with that, too. Fighting off the devil was enough to leave him exhausted. Countless times, he'd been ready to give in, to let it all go to hell and surrender to the darkness. Sometimes he didn't know what he was fighting for. No one cared what happened to him. His so-called family would be more than pleased to see him dead. They would gladly offer their assistance. A bullet to the head, a drop off a cliff, that wouldn't have been the first time.
The only one who'd ever cared was her.
Jun's face flashed through his mind, and something in him broke. He could pretend all he wanted, hide his heart away behind a mask of anger and iron fists, but he missed her. He needed her, needed her light to steer him straight in the dark. Without her, he'd already drifted too far off course to ever come back. It was too late for redemption no matter how badly he wished for a better life.
"Mom," Jin whispered into the night, "come back."
The empty silence filled his mind, and a deep ache spread through his body. Letting out a trembling breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, breathing through the waves of emotion ripping through him.
"I tried, I tried so hard."
A sudden hand on his shoulder made him tense. Ready to attack whoever dared to disturb, Jin jerked his head up, to find Kazuya looking back at him with a face as emotionless as a statute.
"You." Jin glared up at him through spikey bangs. Then he scoffed, turning his gaze away and not even bothering to get up. "Kill me now, or get out of my way." He hung his head and waited for the blow.
"Son."
Jin froze, and it felt like a lifetime of stunned silence before he managed to look back up.
The glow in Kazuya's red eye dulled until it was barely there at all, and for a few seconds, his usual evil stare softened, and all Jin saw as he looked into the older man's eyes, was the father he'd never gotten the chance to know.
Jin's eyes narrowed in suspicious confusion. For all he knew, this was just another power game. A new strategy to throw him off balance before going in for the kill. At the moment, he didn't care.
Jin swallowed down the emotion in his throat. "Did you know?"
It took a long time for Kazuya to even react, then he shook his head.
"Do you even care?"
Before Kazuya turned away, Jin caught a glimpse of emotion on his face. A brief flex of muscles, a twitch of lips, the hint of regret in his sudden brown eyes, confirming the question. He'd felt it too. They'd once had a connection, and even though it seemed impossible, it was clear, he'd loved her too. Maybe somewhere deep inside, where the devil couldn't reach, he still did.
"It doesn't matter. Let it go."
Jin scoffed. How could he have expected something different from him? Fueled by anger, he shot to his feet, stopped with his back toward his father and once again let his eyes drift to the spot where she'd disappeared.
"Leave me alone." His voice cracked at the last word, and before he could prepare for the sudden rush of emotion, Kazuya's hand landed on his shoulder. The simple gesture and the warmth against his cold skin fractured the last of his defense. He'd fought the devil for as long as he could remember, but when the enemy was his own heart, he no longer had the power to fight.
"She forgives you."
Jin sunk to his knees, defeated by three simple words. It didn't matter whether they were true or not, it was what he needed to hear, and somehow Kazuya had known it. For a short moment, he was the strength that kept Jin from breaking. The silent support of a man who'd spend a lifetime hating him was suddenly the only anchor in a storm that he couldn't control.
"Jun."
The moment Kazuya said her name, Jin felt the presence. The warmth spreading around them like a blanket of pure energy. He managed a nod, choking on a sob as tears fell freely from his eyes. This was goodbye, he didn't need words to know that. But he wasn't ready, he would never be.
Kazuya sat, letting his hand hoover above Jin in a few seconds of hesitation, before letting it fall across his shoulders. Jin tensed, shifting away from his touch.
"It won't last," Kazuya said. "I will be back to trying to kill you once this is over."
Jin shot him a look and gave a short nod in recognition. He'd seen the absence of red in his eye. Jun hadn't only repressed the devil within him, but within Kazuya as well. At the moment, Kazuya wasn't the monster who he'd sworn to destroy, he was just a man who'd long ago lost the battle against evil. Who'd, just like Jin, suffered abuse and betrayal from the man who was supposed to have his back. His body, mapped out with scars spoke of the horrors he'd seen, and for a brief moment, Jin couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man.
"I miss her," Jin voiced the emotion for the first time, accepting the feeling it brought with it.
"I know." Kazuya's voice was uncharacteristically soft, and when he spoke the last words, they were barely audible. "So do I."
Jin blinked away tears, letting his head fall against Kazuya's shoulder in defeat. He could fight it, tell him to go back to hell where he belonged. But he couldn't deny the fact that it felt good. The first, and last time he'd ever get something more than cold glares and death threats from his father, he wasn't strong enough to walk away from.
They sat in stillness while silent tears slipped down Jin's cheeks. Struggling against a lifetime of bottled up emotions flowing freely within him, was a battle he could never win. But that didn't keep him from trying. The force was like nothing he had ever felt. A tension spreading through his veins like a stream of hot lava, building pressure inside of him until he felt the pain in his fingertips and his body shook.
Jun's soothing voice flowed over them like a warm caress.
"I love you both."
The fading warmth as her lingering presence started to dissolve broke the last straw of resistance. Before he could understand what had happened, Jin heard himself scream.
Kazuya's arm tensed, then after a few seconds of hesitation, pulled Jin closer, holding him up as his body collapsed against him.
Jin cried until he had no energy left and the tears ran dry. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that it wasn't just the first, but also last time he'd ever allow himself to be vulnerable. When the only person he'd ever loved was already gone, what did he have left to grieve? If he'd survived losing her twice, there was nothing that could break him.
Drained of power and with a heavy heart, he lifted his head, and the first thing he saw was the red glow of Kazuya's eye as he stared back at him.
"Pathetic." Kazuya's eyes traveled over Jin's tear stricken face with a scowl. "Get out of my sight." He snatched his arm back, and in the same flowing movement launched an attack that sent Jin flying through the air.
"Get up."
The impact of a foot to his side forced Jin to roll away from the assault. Kazuya stood over him, arms tightly crossed and eyes blazing. A half-smirk played on his lips.
Jin struggled to catch his breath, channeling the burning pain in his shoulder into anger. He couldn't remember ever letting his guard down long enough to be knocked out by one of Kazuay's attacks. The damage inflicted from one single punch reminded him of just how dangerous the older man was. Ignoring the probability of broken bones and torn muscles, Jin staggered to his feet.
Clutching his arm, he met his father's glare while trying to prepare for the inevitable battle which he was far from ready for. But Kazuya wouldn't care. Jin was sure that he'd gladly use the opportunity to crush him when he was already at his weakest.
Kazuya's evil smirk sent a wave of disappointment rushing over him. He'd known it wouldn't last. Hell, Kazuya had even told him so. The sudden transformation back to his evil self was no surprise. So why did he feel like he'd lost not only his mom, but his dad too?
Jin's eyes traveled over Kazuya's strong frame, lingering on the currents of electricity dancing around tight fists, before settling on the cold stare of his demonic eyes. No matter how used he was to the never-ending power struggle, he couldn't stop his voice from breaking as he asked. "Did you even try?"
The empty look in Kazuya's eyes was more than he could stand. Before their short moment of normality, he'd hated the man with all his heart, but now, he wasn't as sure. He hated what he'd become, what he'd let himself turn into. But once he'd seen the glimpse of the man behind the devil, he couldn't help but wish death wasn't the only way out.
A brief flicker of emotion flashed across Kazuya's face, and he finally nodded, squeezing his eyes shut in a moment of inner struggle.
"Fight," Jin said. "That's all she ever wanted."
Kazuya's eyes shot open, flickering between red and brown.
"I don't want to lose you too." Jin spoke the words without thinking. Once said, the raw honesty not only surprised him but filled him with a sudden sense of clarity. Kazuya was the only one who would ever understand his pain, the only one who knew what he was going through. He needed him. He needed his father.
"Son." Kazuya shook his head. "I can't win."
Jin gave a short nod of acceptance. It was the only thing left to do if he wanted to survive in the harsh reality he'd been born into. Where love was weakness, and hope, nothing but a snowflake in the sun. It was over. It was already too late.
Her only wish had been to save the world.
As he watched Kazuya walk away, Jin knew that he had to see it through, even if it'd be the last thing he'd ever do. If killing his father, and himself, was the price he'd have to pay, it'd be worth it. Worth dying for.
The End
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Oh I'm in pieces, it's tearing me up, but I know
A heart that's broke is a heart that's been loved
You were an angel in the shape of my mum
When I fell down you'd be there holding me up
Spread your wings as you go
And when God takes you back we'll say Hallelujah
You're home
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Author's Note: This story has not been professionally edited. I hope there weren't too many mistakes. I'm doing my best with a second language. :)
This is my first Tekken story. I'm not an expert in their history and the timeline is quite confusing. (Let's admit, the storyline doesn't add up, and the numerous plot holes are hard to make sense of.)
As far as I can tell, the hate between Jin and Kazuya doesn't go deeper than mere rivalry, Kazuya's greed for power and Jin's hate toward the devil gene.
Temporarily remove the devil 's influence on them and drop them both into a highly emotional scene, and I'd like to think that this is not TOO out of character.
Ok, maybe it is. Maybe it's just the fangirl in me who craves some K/J love and comfort!
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The song I've quoted in the end is called "Supermarket flower" (by Ed Sheeran) and it's what inspired me to write this story.
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Disclaimer: The characters of Tekken belong to Bandai Namco. This is a work of (fan)fiction, with no profit or right to the Characters.