Chapter 22:

The Operation Changes

Jin's eyes grew wide and Kazi screamed as the giant pieces of rock and wall came flying down upon her. Kazi took off running down the corridor, Jin close behind, and the demon behind him. The walls fell and collided with the hard titanium steel floors. Kazi ran like a bat out of hell and Jin bypassed her completely and up the set of stairs. She growled and followed him, slipping on the last flight of stairs leading to the ground level hall.

"KAZI!!!!!!!" Jin screamed over the loud roars of the demon. Kazi pulled herself up and stumbled clumsily up the stairs, the demon close behind. Jin grabbed Kazi and ran. She heard his heart pounding in her head along with the terrifying roars and overwhelming power within the giant's steps. They last came to the large parlor type room, with a door leading to outside and the small light of Hwoarang's motorcycle in the distance beyond the tall concrete walls and its rod iron gate. Kazi pushed Jin out the door with all of her strength. He turned around confused and scared.

"KAZI!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed. Kazi put her hand up to the thick glass and smiled. Jin reached for her but his hand only touched the glass.

"Go." Her muffled voice said behind the glass. She spotted Hwoarang. "Hwoarang! Take Jin-kun and go!" Hwoarang nodded and pulled Jin back away from the glass. Jin screamed for Kazi, calling her name and wrestling in Hwoarang's hold. Kazi turned and faced the beast. It roared and sliced at her. Tears welded up into his dark brown eyes and down his checks,

"KAZIYA!!!!!!!" Jin didn't have any strength left.

"Jin! We've gotta go, man! We'll only be in the way if we stay and she might get hurt! Let's go!" Hwoarang pulled Jin, and the files he carried, away from the building. Hwoarang and Jin ran as fast as possible from the fortress. Everything suddenly went bright, then total darkness as they fell to the ground with abnormal impact. Jin's eyes twitched a moment before he opened them. They suddenly grew wide along with Hwoarang's. The flames flickered in the distance. The fortress itself was no more.

Jin ran back, dropping the files. Hwoarang followed, as did Denise. He stumbled into the debris and began digging into it with his bare hands. The pain and flashbacks of losing his mother in much the same way flooded his mind. Tears fell as he kept digging. Jin's heart beat within his head. He breathed heavily and cried.

"Kazi? Kazi?!" He searched and searched. 'Jin-kun....' her voice repeated in his mind. Hwoarang heard a muffled cry.

"Over here!" he screamed as he ran to the spot, Jin bypassing him faster than a cheetah in a track race. He dug into the glass and debris, his hands bleeding and burning from the heat of the metal. He spotted Kazi's red hair and dug her limp body out of the rubble.

"Kaziya? Kaziya?! Kaziya.... please... wake up... don't leave me." His single tear fell and rolled down her own cheek. Kazi suddenly coughed up blood.

"J-Jin...-kun..." Jin opened his eyes and ran one hand through her now blood red hair. "Jin-kun.... Hwoanchan.... " She tried to speak.

"Shhh... Everything'll be alright." Kazi smiled.

"I did it..... I did ...... it..." She drifted off into a sleep. Jin panicked.

"Kazi?! Kazi!" He shook her. Kazi's eyes opened. "Listen to me... Listen. You have to stay awake. Ok. Can you do that?" She nodded. Jin picked her up. Kazi's white silver tipped hawk wings now glittered in blood, were ripped and torn, much like her clothes. Her claws hung down. Jin felt like crying, but he had to be strong.

"Let's go. Back to Japan." Hwoarang nodded and opened up a cell phone, walking away for a moment before coming back. Denise gave him a questioning look.

"What?!" Hwoarang said defensively.

"What was that 'bout?"

"Uh.... Kaz said he'd be here in about......" Hwoarang trailed off thinking.

"Kaz...?" Jin said.

"Yeah, ya know, Kazuya. Your dad. Hell-o?" Hwoarang rolled his eyes, "Gods, Kazama. And here I thought you were actually smart." Jin scowled at him, and Hwoarang just grinned. "An' don't go thinkin' just 'cause my little sister gave you a nickname, means you're at a higher 'rank' than the rest of us. 'sides me of course." Jin raised an eyebrow.

"You've been spending a little too much time with Denise." Hwoarang grinned and made himself blush,

"I know it." Denise shook her head.

"A'ight yall. When's he gonna get here?" Denise asked.

"He said, fast as he could... Well Jun said as fast as he could...." Hwoarang stuck the cell phone back in his already too tight pockets of his chaps. "'Cause we all know Kaz isn't that reliable. Ya know. I mean it's only been 'bout a month since they returned to us. Guess Jun really could change the man. He's alot more friendlier now. Plus the strange 'love' type bond that's been a growin' between Jin and him, ya know." Jin grunted, and Hwoarang laughed.

"You talk too much." Hwoarang just stuck out is tongue at him.

"Awww... Kazama's jus' mad 'cause I got all the skills." He teased. Jin smirked evilly. Hwoarang stopped. "'Eh, yo, Kazama. What ya planning over there?"

"Nothing...." He just grinned. Hwoarang raised an eyebrow at him.

"Boys will be mice." Denise commented.

"I thought it was 'Boys will be boys'." Hwoarang looked at her.

"Not in this case." She laughed and sat down on a rock. He growled and mumbled, sticking his hands in his tight pockets.

"How long to ya suspect it'll take for Kaz to get here?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Hm... From Japan to Texas...." Jin answered, "I'd say an hour or two depending on the transportation he used." The ground began to tremble and the debris began to fall as it was raised from the burned and beaten ground. Denise stood and backed up into Hwoarang's chest. Jin turned and backed up himself. The debris lit up in an awesome bright red fire, lighting the darkness by only a little. A large figure over twelve feet tall rose from the ashes and roared in complete anger and hate as it lashed out at Denise....