All Jacky Bryant ever wanted is for his younger sister, Sarah, to put an end to this one-sided rivalry that she created and go back home with him. He hopes he can finally accomplish this on his birthday; yes, on his birthday.
The moment his match with her at the Fifth World Fighting Tournament started, they were set in a trap by J6 to be brought in to their headquarters. Working together to escape their clutches, they almost escaped if it wasn't for a soldier firing a bazooka on them which separated them, leaving Sarah to find herself confronting the leader of J6, Judgment.
"You are a real thorn on my side, Sarah Bryant," Judgment said sinisterly. "It's time for you to die."
At that moment, the evil man pulled out a pistol from his coat pocket and aimed it at her. Because she is down from the bazooka attack, she finds herself unable to move when the weapon is about to be fired on her.
Jacky regains consciousness from the attack and saw the man is about to kill his younger sister. With the distance he is in now, he is sure he won't be able to reach her in time.
"What good is being the Blue Flash?" he lamented before realizing. "Wait a minute, I am the Blue Flash!"
Standing up from the ground, he runs to his sister as fast as he can. He appears in front of her just in time... to take the bullet from behind him in her stead.
"Jacky!" Sarah cried, looking horrified that her brother got shot in her place. He smiled at her before going down to his knees.
"I am... sorry," he said an apology to her before falling to the ground, losing consciousness.
Fearing the worse, she put her fingers to his wrists and neck hoping she could find a pulse. Unfortunately, she found none. She didn't want to think about it, but she has no choice but to accept it.
Her brother is dead.
Jacky Bryant is dead.
Suddenly, her mind flashes to a laboratory where a group of scientists are making their discussion.
"Subject is stable."
"What if she breaks free of our brainwashing?"
"If it's done by force, then she loses all of her memories."
"What if she started remembering who she is?"
"Then we will just have to implant memories in her head that will leave her uncertain of her actions."
Back to reality, Sarah realized they were J6 scientists and they were talking about her. That made her realize that her answer on how to put an end to this one-sided rivalry that she created against Jacky is right there. The subconscious memories she's been having of her trying to kill him... they weren't products from the brainwashing nor her own actions, but rather false memories implanted by J6.
Looking at her brother's fallen body, she has come to realize that this rivalry she created over those memories has all been for nothing. In the end, she's nothing but a pawn for J6 even if she broke free of their brainwashing. She unwittingly fulfilled their goal of killing Jacky through her.
How could she have been selfish, throwing away her happiness to be with him all to find the answer to those subconscious memories? She found her answer at long last, but at what cost?
Her own brother's life. Jacky sacrificed his own life so that she could live. Somehow, he knew the act would finally accomplish J6's goal of killing him but he made his sacrifice nonetheless.
"No, please, no," Sarah cried with tears on her eyes as she cradled Jacky's body in her arms, believing he died being separated from her and that he failed to bring her back home. "Don't die on me, please. Not on your birthday."
"So he died on his birthday, huh? Don't worry, I'll give him his birthday present: you," Judgment prepares his gun on her, pointing it towards her head. "You can see him again... in death."
Having no reason to live on now that her brother is dead because of her, she chose to accept her impending death.
Suddenly, an explosion came from the door, and it showed Vanessa Lewis holding up a rifle on her hands. She's not alone; she brought an army. An army of fighters, that is. Sarah saw familiar faces there such as Kage-Maru, Akira, and Pai. She even saw Lion with... Jean Kujo?
From seeing him smiling with his friend and fighting the guards side-by-side, it is safe to assume that Jean is finally free of J6's brainwashing and that he teamed up with Lion to atone for his actions. In no time, Vanessa lands a head shot towards Judgment. She hoped that with his death as well as with the other five officials, J6 will disband.
"Sarah!" Vanessa called out to the blonde woman, seeing her cradling Jacky's body. She is even horrified to see the gunshot wound from his back. "Sarah, don't tell me he's..."
Sarah is at loss for words, unable to get them out.
"Did you check out his pulse?" Vanessa asked, and she didn't reply on that. Despite knowing what that means, the white-haired woman asked a different question. "When did this happened?"
"Seconds ago," Sarah replied.
"Then there's still time to save him," Vanessa said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
What her bodyguard said gave her hope. In no time, Vanessa carried Jacky to her back while Sarah helped the combatants with their fight against the remaining guards. Eventually, they found an exit to leave the headquarters.
In a hospital at USA, Sarah is seen outside the operating room praying for her brother's recovery.
"Doctor, will he be alright?" she asked a doctor who came out of the room to talk to her.
"Lucky for him, the bullet didn't hit his heart or his spine so he should be fine," was the reply and that gave her hope.
Just then, she saw her parents coming by. They came as soon as they heard the news of their son being hospitalized the second time. If the race car accident caused by J6 wasn't enough, he had to get shot from behind by J6. She hugged them and told them that her brother sacrificed himself to save her from the evil organization, hence the reason he got shot. It is a selfless act, but it left the couple horrified. They almost lost their son again by the hands of that group, and it happened on his birthday.
In the afternoon, Jacky woke up to find himself in a hospital room. It's been two hours since the surgery, and he felt the bullet is no longer on his back.
"Surprise!" the yell is from Sarah, their parents, Akira, Pai, Lion, and Vanessa. Even Kage and Jean participated in greeting him. "Happy birthday, Jacky!"
"Why... why thank you all," he is amazed by their greeting. Upon seeing Jean, he looked perplexed as if he wanted to get up and defend his sister from that man due to him being a brainwashed assassin for J6.
"Don't worry about Jean, Jacky. He's on our side now; he broke free of J6's brainwashing," Lion reassured him of his friend, and Jacky relaxed believing what he said.
Next, Jacky finds himself being hugged by Sarah, and she has to be careful on it because he is still recovering from the gunshot wound on his back.
"Sarah..." he whispered.
"Jacky, I'm sorry," she apologized, and he knows what she is apologizing for.
"I'm sorry, too," he apologized as well while hugging her in return.
"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who..."
Jacky puts a finger on her mouth before she could finish her sentence.
"But none of that could have happened if I only told you the truth instead of avoiding your question," he reassured her, and she knows what he is talking about. Feeling assured, she hugged him again, and he returned it.
"I love you, Jacky," Sarah said with a smile on her face.
"I love you, too, Sarah," Jacky said with a smile on his face.
"Now that we're all together, let's celebrate the birthday of this fine young man," Mr. Bryant told the others.
"Make a wish, Jacky," Mrs. Bryant unveils a chocolate cake with candles. After a few seconds, Jacky blew out the candles, and everybody clapped on that.
If Jacky is going to have his birthday celebrated in a hospital, then so be it. All that mattered to him is that he got Sarah back.
This is his best birthday ever.
Author's Note: What do you think? This is my second time making a fanfiction taking place on a character's birthday. For this case, it took place on the birthday of Jacky Bryant. His birthday is on August 28, which is the same date I made this fanfic for.