+
A/N (IMPORTANT): If you have not read the prequel to this fic, Revenge, I strongly recommend that you do so. If not, you'll be completely and utterly confused. Thank you. You may proceed to the story now.
Resurrection
***********
Jin Kazama tightened his hood before entering the dojo. Silent tears crept down his face. He was not safe anymore, now that Heihachi Mishima – his grandfather – was so bent on capturing him to extract the devil gene from his blood. Every move he made, every step he took, was a risk. He could not live like this. In fact, he had little to live for, but his lat mother's will was still strong inside him.
If only she was here, Jin thought. He had not known his mother long, as she was murdered my Ogre when Jin was young, but the memories were fresh in his head. Those warm summer days picking sunflowers, laying at the beach letting the cool water tickle their toes…those bed time stories…
But most of all, it was his mother's kind soul. Jun Kazama was a very strong person in every way. She had made a fateful choice in marrying Kazuya Mishima, Jin's father, who possessed the devil gene until half of it had fled into Jin…
This curse…Jin looked down at his hands. He hated himself, his father, Heihachi, the devil gene…life isn't fair…why should I live?
These thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the sound of Master Asuko's voice.
"Welcome, student," he greeted, beckoning Jin inside. Ignore these thoughts now, he told himself. It's time for some training.
He adjusted his clothing once more before stepping inside. He already knew how to fight Mishima style, but he did not wish to. One step to eliminating as much of this curse as possible was eliminating the Mishima fighting technique. Jin actually thought he had done quite well so far. Thanks to his and Master Asuko's efforts, he had already forgotten about half of the technique. Jin's mouth slightly smiled at these encouraging thoughts. But it was going to take a lot more that that to fight the devil gene once and for all…
"Are you listening, student?" Master Asuko's words snapped Jin back into reality again. Jin mumbled his apologies and blocked out all thoughts, clearing his mind.
"That's better. Now, a strong fighting stance, please."
Jin kiyapped obediently and swiftly slid his right leg backwards, turning his torso on and angle, waiting for further instruction.
"Let's start with some warm-ups," Master Asuko continued. He shouted out commands until his student broke out into a sweat. Then the real training began.
Master Asuko assigned Jin new moves and went over old ones. He demonstrated the moves and Jin copied them confidently and efficiently. It was clear that he was a natural and was getting the hang of it quickly. The session ended with a few final sparring rounds. They dressed in their protective wear and took their positions. For the first few fights Master Asuko went easy on Jin, but once he started losing he turned up the difficulty level a notch. This kept happening until it was too hard for Jin to keep up.
"Well done, boy, well done," Master Asuko beamed and shook hi trainee's hand. "Aren't you a bit warm in that clothing?"
Well, Jin was a bit tempted to throw off his hooded t-shirt, but he shook his head. He could not even reveal his identity to Master Asuko, his mentor. But that's the way I have to live, he reminded himself.
Suddenly the sound of gentle clapping was heard. Both Jin and Asuko turned around to see a figure wearing a hooded cloak, applauding their training session. Jin wondered if this person was also trying to conceal their face, or simply to block out the cold.
"Impressive," the figure spoke, and, to Jin's surprise, it was a woman's voice.
"Excuse me, stranger," Master Asuko addressed the woman politely. "Could you please tell me your name and what business you have here?" he eyed her hidden face suspiciously with his sharp, old, brown eyes.
"Oh, I beg your pardon," the stranger responded apologetically. She stood up and pulled her hood back to reveal the attractive face of a young woman of about 20. Her smooth tan skin looked faded from the sunless weather. Her wide brown eyes were large and alert. Soft, brown hair framed her face. "My name is Mikaela Everest, former participant of the 3rd King of Iron Fist tournament." She turned to Jin.
Jin stifled a gasp. What was Mikaela doing here? What did she want?
Mikaela bowed and replaced her hood. "Could I borrow your student for a word?" she asked, reverting her gaze to Master Asuko. Jin stared at her, speechless. So she came for me…
"Certainly. My student has finished for today, so he may do whatever he pleases." Master Asuko smiled.
"Thank you, Master Asuko," Mikaela bowed once more, gratefully.
"Well, I do have other students to teach, so I must carry on. Farewell student, farewell Mikaela." He bowed to each of them in turn. Jin bowed back and left with the girl. He followed her down the streets and across the roads until they came to a certain house. Mikaela reached a gloved hand into an inner pocket and withdrew a key, which she thrust into the keyhole of the front door and opened it. She beckoned Jin inside and gestured for him to take a seat. She sat opposite him.
"You may pull down your hood, Jin Kazama," she said, her large yes staring into his amber ones. Mikaela stood up and began making some coffee. Jin froze.
"How did you – " He began, but then he stopped himself. Of course she could tell…I should have disguised myself better. He fell into silence.
"Don't worry, you did a good job of disguising yourself. You didn't even tell your instructor your name. He kept referring to you as 'student'." Mikaela snorted jokingly and handed Jin his cup of coffee, which he accepted gratefully. "So tell me," Mikaela continued. "If you don't mind, why are you hiding yourself?" she sat down in her spot with her cup and leaned closer to Jin.
"Have you heard of the devil gene?" he asked.
"Yes, I have."
"Well…before I was born, my father Kazuya had it. All of it. But, just before I was born, he transformed into devil. It attacked my pregnant mother, who managed to escape, and then turned on Heihachi. Heihachi defeated Kazuya and cast him into a volcano. My dad died, and half of the devil remained in nothingness for a while…" a few fresh tear made their way down Jin's face. "And then I was born. It took me, and now it remains in me still. Heihachi's after me so he can take my devil gene for himself. He's also trying to find Kazuya's corpse to retrieve the other half. If my father were alive, he would be after me too. But he's dead…" Jin's face was now shining with wetness.
Mikaela watched Jin silently, tears of pity in her eyes. She placed down her cup and took his cold hand in hers. "My God…" she sympathised. She blinked and a tear escaped her eye. "How do you live?"
"I can't really…" Jin looked down. "To tell you the truth, I've never been happy in my life. I've always had to endure some type of suffering." A small, soft sob escaped his lips.
What am I doing? He debated with his mind. Pouring all my emotional burdens onto this girl?
But it feels so good…such a relief to let go of all that emotional pain and sadness…
"Hey, I have something that might interest you," Mikaela announced, stood up and disappeared into another room. When she came back she was carrying a magazine. Jin took it from her and stared at the cover in disbelief.
" The 'Tekken Magazine'?"
"It's got your picture on the front cover, too," Mikaela pointed. There was a big picture of Heihachi standing in the foreground with Jin and Kazuya behind him.
"Where did they get that from?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't even read it yet, though I gather it will be interesting."
Jin flipped through the pages. "Hey, there's an article on you."
"Really?" Mikaela took it from him. She speed-read it quickly, and then chuckled. "They think I'm dead. Oh, what a shock they'll get when they see me healthy and well."
"If they think you're dead, you could use it to your advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"You could go disguised. No one will believe it's you. You could do anything, anonymously. Unless there's someone who doubts that you're dead…" He glanced back down at the article and noticed a picture of her lying facedown, bullet marks in her back. "Is this really a picture of you?" he asked, pointing to it.
Mikaela looked down. "Um…no," she lied. She couldn't reveal her secret to him now. Only one other person knew it, and she was dead. "Do you think that everyone with the devil gene is in the same danger you are in?"
Jin looked shocked at the abrupt change of the subject. "Well, um…if Heihachi knew that someone had it he would be after them, and nothing would stop them. So, yes, they would be in danger." He took a gulp of coffee.
"That must mean that I'm in danger…" Mikaela mumbled. Unfortunately Jin heard her and spat out his coffee all over the table. Mikaela ducked out of the way just in time. I let it slip…
"What?!" He asked in disbelief.
She took a deep breath. "No one knows," she said.
"Knows what? Did I really hear you say what you did before?"
"No one knows…my secret. Except Heihachi and Evy."
Evy? That name rang a bell in Jin's mind. "Evy…the girl that won the tournament? Where is she now?"
"Dead." Mikaela choked on the words.
"Oh, I'm…sorry."
"No harm done."
"I never knew that you…you had…since when?" Jin was still trying to get over the shock.
"Since the third tournament. Tekken 3."
"But don't you have to be born with it or something?"
Mikaela shook her head. "No, it was never a natural occurrence," she began, remembering Heihachi's words. "You were never born with it, Jin. Neither was your father."
"But…I've had it since I can remember…" How could she know more about me?
"When Kazuya was cast into the volcano, half of it left him and went into you, when you were born."
"And how did my father have it?"
"G Corporation found the gene a long time ago, but were afraid to use it. So Heihachi stole most of it, and Kazuya stole it from Heihachi and took it. What he didn't know was that there was more…G Corporation injected the last of it into my bloodstream in hopes that I was weak, and that I would die from the power and the gene would disappear. But now it's the other way round."
"How…do you know all this?"
"At the end of the last King of Iron Fist Tournament Heihachi led me to the roof of the Mishima Zaibatsu compound where he threatened me, yet answered all my questions. He tried to kill me, but, using my powers, I avoided death."
"He did that to me soon afterwards, too," Jin recalled. "I was shot down by his Tekken force, but I too escaped death." Jin shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Mikaela grabbed a sponge and wiped up the coffee. Then she sat down in silence.
"Xiaoyu's been worried sick about you. After you…disappeared, she was devastated. I wonder why…" She leaned closer. "Was something going on?"
"Oh, no. We just went to the same school for a while, when I was placed under the care of my grand father. Xiaoyu and I were friends."
"Should I tell her that you're okay? After all, she did tell me that if I came across you to bring up the subject."
"No, I don't think you should. It's not safe for me to contact anyone anymore."
"So do you sleep on the streets or something?"
"Master Asuko lets me sleep in his dojang at night."
"You can stay here and sleep. I have a spare bed in my room."
"Oh, uh…alright. I guess it's a bit more comfortable."
Mikaela checked her watch. "It's already 8 o'clock…I should get the bed ready."
When she stood up and turned away, Jin place his elbows on the table, head in his hands. He didn't know if he had done the right thing, following Mikaela and letting her learn his business. What if Mikaela's on Heihachi's side?
Mikaela stopped and turned on her heel to face Jin. "I'm…I'm not Heihachi's spy or anything," she said, offended. "What makes you say that?"
Jin raised his head. "Excuse me?" He hadn't said anything about his thoughts.
"You just said, 'What if Mikaela's on Heihachi's side'."
"No, I…thought that."
"You sure you didn't say it out loud?"
"Positive."
Mikaela shrugged. "So, is that what you really think? Well, I don't think anyone would want to side with someone who shot them and is now following them to capture their powers."
Jin sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
*
That night, Mikaela didn't sleep well. She had a dream that she running through a forest, surrounded in a thick mist. She approached a temple, almost hidden by the fog, and quietly slid the door open a little. She gasped at what she saw. Heihachi was lying on the ground, sprawled out. He looked as if he had been knocked out. Jin was chained to the roof, also unconscious.
But the sight that scared her most was the figure of Kazuya Mishima standing in the center of the large temple. His hand was raised, an eerie glow coming from his eyes. He sensed Mikaela and looked at her with those red pupils. Their gazes met, and suddenly a sharp pain sliced through Mikaela's head. She clutched her skull and staggered backwards.
"Rise, Jin Kazama!" A voice shouted from inside the temple. Mikaela woke up.
She could hear the sound of heavy breathing nearby. She rolled over and saw Jin awake, his chest heaving up and down. Mikaela hopped out of bed and walked over to him. His forehead was covered in strange markings. His eyes glowed red. He was transforming.
"No, Jin!" Mikaela cried. "Stop!" she placed a hand on Jin, trying to wake him up. He lashed an arm out at her, hitting her face and sending her slightly backwards. Her touch had woken him up, though, and he calmed down. The markings faced from his face. His eyes were back to normal.
"Mikaela?" he spotted her, inches away from him, on her knees. He rolled over. "Did you feel it, too?"
She nodded. "I just remembered something…if your father has the devil gene…"
"…that means he's still alive." Jin's eyes widened with fear. So Kazuya Mishima was alive, after all. And that was one more thing for Jin and Mikaela to worry about.
***********************************************************************************
The figure on the bed groaned and slowly woke up. His clenched eyes slowly loosened as they opened, revealing discoloured pupils. His chest, which – like the rest of his body – was scarred from fierce burns and lacerations, was heaving up and down.
"I see you're awake." A voice made him roll over. He faced the man who had spoken, and recognised him as one of Heihachi's Tekken force…not one, but at least four others.
"Yes…" another of the Force spoke. "We have come to retrieve you, Kazuya, under Heihachi's orders."
Kazuya chuckled softly. "He thinks he can get me that easily?"
"Well, look at you," the first man spoke. "You've narrowly avoided death…somehow. You are weak and fragile."
Kazuya laughed again. "You shouldn't be so sure of that," he warned them. "Just because I'm still alive doesn't mean I've lost my powers."
One man loaded his gun and pointed it at Kazuya.
"Sergeant Amerasu!" another one yelled. "What are you doing? Heihachi's orders clearly stated that we were to bring him back alive!"
Sergeant Amerasu lowered his gun. "Fine," he scoffed.
Suddenly, Kazuya leaped from his bed and began attacking the Tekken force. He defeated many of them, fighting his way through G Corporation's base. He had to defeat Heihachi, to gain vengeance on the old man. He would enter the King of Iron Fist tournament 4, and retrieve what was rightfully his.
*
They thought I was out of the game…
But I'm holding all the cards now.
Kazuya set his sights out to finding his son. It was time to resurrect what was taken from him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: So, what do you think? Was is alright? I was going to write a sequel to Revenge during the Tekken Tag tournament, but I remembered that it didn't have an actual place in the Tekken storyline, giving Namco the opportunity to bring back all the old favourites. Anyway…is it just me, or do you sense some kind of connection between Jin and Mikaela? Is it because they both carry the devil gene, or because of something else?
In the next chapter – Mikaela and Jin discover the secret behind their connection. Nick pays his cousin a visit and tells her the 'unexpected truth'. Mikaela reveals more to Jin. Confused? Stay tuned for chapter 2 or Resurrection! Coming to a Fanfiction.Net near you. =D
