The Kazuya Story: Tekken 2

by IndigoSnake16

The story continues as Devil endeavors to destroy Kazuya's will to retain some semblance of his humanity. Angel makes her presence known and Jun finally begins on her journey that could potentially save the world from an impending doom. A sequel.

13. Alignment

AN: Some POV changes within the chapter. It's happened in other chapters, but I just want you to know that I know as well. It's intentional and sometimes I just can't help myself. It was supposed to be exclusively in Kazuya's POV. As of now, the story is mostly in his POV but not completely. Without further ado…

Chapter 13: Alignment

He became so weak with astonishment that had he been a more emotional man, he might have fallen to his knees in despair. He stared at the phone in his hand that shook involuntarily. What did this mean now? Was he now to be a father? And what kind of father was he capable of being with Devil a-nipping at his back? How would he turn out to be any better than his own father? That was what horrified him the most—that he'd simply become the very person he hated the most. Even if his child wasn't subject to his presence, even if he chose not to acknowledge this unborn child—eventually he or she would come to know who he was. He had no doubt that Jun would waste no time in telling the child who he was. Jun wasn't the type to lie or hide things even if it could be to someone else's benefit. It was better that the child never knew him in the first place or never actually meet. How long did he have before Devil came back? Before, he was all but willing to abandon the very idea that Devil would sooner or later come back. That was only fine when it dealt only with him—now he could not be quite so ignorant.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he failed to hear the clinking of metal as armor moved in sync with a person's movement. Kazuya was not aware of another presence until he saw its silhouette out the corner of his eye. Under the circumstances, any man dressed up in such a strange get up would have surprised the living daylights out of the unsuspecting person, but Kazuya's mind went immediately to Yoshimitsu, the oddball ninja from the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament. He still looked menacing and unapproachable. He still wore far too much armor and if Kazuya had to guess, he still had the same annoying agility and attack power.

"Kazuya…" Yoshimitsu began.

This time, Kazuya couldn't even discern where his mouth was.

"I've been watching you."

"Yeah…you do that a lot, don't you?"

"For the sake of the world, of course. I have determined through much analysis and from what I have seen, that you are simply too dangerous to keep alive. I admire the pains you took to stop yourself from the doing the inevitable, but you have to realize that there is not much that you can do. Devil will return eventually one way or the other and you will continue where you left off. You will do these things whether you want to or not. It is my duty to keep peace in this world, to the best of my ability."

Kazuya could have done several things at that moment: plead his case, explain the situation better to him, use the fact that he was soon to be a father as a way of guilt tripping, or beg for the other not to kill him. These things, all of them, did not seem up his alley at all nor did he feel like doing any of it. When Kazuya heard the "zing" of Yoshimitsu's sword being unsheathed, he felt that he had no other choice but to enter combat with the other.

Fighting. It was almost a foreign thing to Kazuya. He hadn't so much as raised his fists in a very long time and he felt out of sorts when he moved into his familiar fighting stance.

"I see you understand the way of things," Yoshimitsu said as he watched the other evenly. "Now die."

Yoshimitsu was just as quick as ever and his skills had flourished over the years. A sword against fist was an over kill in itself, but when coupled with Kazuya's rusty technique, it was a slaughter. Kazuya knew better than to attack head on. He kept his eye on the other's blade and miraculously evaded every single downward and sideways sword swipe. It was no easy feat. Yoshimitsu would twirl and side-step so expertly that Kazuya found himself in a kind of dance instead of actual fighting. But Yoshimitsu did not simply rely on his sword. When he thought the other was growing too comfortable evading his sword, a nice, sharp thrust of his fist sent Kazuya toppling to the ground, but Kazuya was quick to leap back to his feet before Yoshimitsu could unleash the finishing stroke. Had it not been for adrenaline, Kazuya feared he might have already been sliced in half.

Yoshimitsu's sword was everywhere. Kazuya could hear it constantly slicing through the air rapidly and always inches away from him and getting ever so closer. Kazuya knew that soon he'd be out of breath and far too slow to dodge anything if he did not start his assault soon. Kazuya's fighting style did not allow for such panicky dodging maneuvers and compared to a surprising amount of fighters, he did not have an exceptional amount of stamina. He thrived on short, quick fights. One solid attack from Kazuya often took far more out of a person than first realized. For a typical fight, three electrically charged attacks would be enough. In this instance, however, Kazuya couldn't even so much as land one attack.

He knew the fight was becoming more and more out of his favor when Yoshimitsu was able to connect one smooth twirl kick that sent Kazuya spinning through the air. He hit the ground awkwardly on his back and was just a little slower about getting back to his feet, but that was enough. Yoshimitsu came down on him with a fierce downward slice, deeply wounding the other's shoulder midway of his evasion attempt. Kazuya cried out and held his left shoulder tenderly as blood began to spill. Kazuya haphazardly moved out of the way when Yoshimitsu spun on his feet for yet another roundhouse kick. Yoshimitsu grew more and more fervent as he watched the other grow weaker. He sliced Kazuya quite a few times across the chest, legs and both arms before he was no longer able to move and beginning to feel dizzy from blood loss.

"You're only a shadow of the man you used to be. You fight like a man inexperienced. I almost feel guilty for what I am about to do."

Kazuya couldn't remember feeling quite so defeated as he did at this moment. He was too weak to even defend himself properly. His head was bowed in a perfect position for a sword to slice cleanly through his neck, but he did so intentionally. If he was to die, he wanted it to be as painless and quick as possible. He closed his eyes as he waited for the end. He thought of all the problems that would be solved if he was no longer in this world, but then he thought of one other thing—his unborn child. His moment of peace was shattered with a single thought. It wasn't as if he could improve the situation as it was now. It wasn't as if he had actually considered being there for Jun and their child anyway.

"No! Stop!" shouted a voice in the distance.

Kazuya didn't even have to waste time trying to look up and see who it was—the voice had belonged to Aiko. He heard her feet come pounding towards him, but of course she couldn't reach him.

"Leave him alone! You can't kill him, whatever you do!" Aiko yelled angrily at the person who stood in the way.

"And what do you plan to do if I simply ignore you?" Yoshimitsu asked to the woman.

"You can't; you just can't!"

"I came here for a specific purpose and no one will stop me."

"I will," Aiko responded threateningly.

Kazuya had no idea what the other planned to do. He might have used this moment of distraction to his advantage, but he was already struggling to remain at least conscious. Blood was pooling so freely that a small pond was beginning to form beneath him. He dared not even look at it for it would only serve to remind him of just how close he was to death altogether. At this rate, Yoshimitsu didn't have to finish him off—he'd die anyways without anyone's help.

Kazuya heard Yoshimitsu take one step away from him and towards Aiko.

"Do you understand what you've gotten yourself into, woman?" Yoshimitsu questioned.

"I do. I know you mean to kill this man and I can't let you do that."

"I am the leader of the Manji clan—protector of the innocent."

"Is that what you are?" Aiko said in a belittling tone, "All I see is a maniac slashing around with his sword attempting to kill a man in cold blood. Is that how you protect the weak? That man can hardly even protect himself yet you insist on trying to get rid of him. The only thing I see in front of me is a bully."

"You don't fully understand the situation."

"Why don't you practice what you preach? If you're truly protecting the weak, let this man go. If there was some point you wanted to drive home, I'm sure Kazuya is well aware of it by now."

"Are you vouching for him?"

"If that's what it takes for you to leave him alone."

"I cannot simply ignore the actions of a brave woman such as yourself. If you want this man to live, then I will honor your request. Just know this, once he gets out of hands again, I will finish this."

The ninja vanished without a trace right before her eyes, but Aiko didn't have time to wonder. As soon as she could, she ran over to Kazuya who was by now just barely conscious.

"Kazuya, I'm here. I'll bring my car over and we can go to my place."

"No," Kazuya said shaking his head. "My place."

"Alright, just point me in the right direction."

Kazuya was left alone for a few moments as Aiko ran off to get her car. She positioned the car so that the passenger's side was within arm's length of the other. Stepping out of the car, she opened the passenger's side door, but when she tried to help the other to his feet, she was pushed away—not hard or with force, but pushed away all the same. Kazuya managed to stand up all on his own but not without struggle. When Aiko saw he could do the rest himself, she ran back to the driver's seat and waited for the other to settle down. Her interior would be terribly stained with Kazuya's blood, but she didn't care—she'd just have her brother change it out for her. When Kazuya closed the door, Aiko sped off out of the parking lot and down the street.

"That was stupid, you know that?" Kazuya said to the other.

"Well what was I supposed to do? Let you die?"

"It was none of your concern…but I'm thankful."

Aiko glanced over at the other. His hands seemed completely crimson and since he had gotten into the car, he hadn't so much as raised his head to look at her.

"So are you going to tell me why there was some strange ninja guy trying to kill you?"

Aiko heard the other recline the chair so that he could sit back, but he said nothing to her.

"Hey, hey, don't do that right now. Aren't you going to tell me where to go?"

He had already closed his eyes. "Take the nearest interstate, take the third exit, pass the large intersection, go right when you see the large orange grocery store. Keep going down that street until the cul-de-sac. First house on the left."

"Got it. But you gotta' promise me that you'll stay alive until then."

"I will."

But even as he said it, it just didn't seem like he would. Still as he was, he might have already been dead.

"So are you going to tell me what was happening?"

Again all she received was silence.

"Hey! I saved you and this is all I get in return?"

More silence.

"Kazuya?" Aiko asked becoming a little frightened, "You're still alive right?"

"Yes, of course," Kazuya finally responded in a tone that suggested that he was annoyed.

"Geez, don't do that to me."

"Tell me, what did you plan to do back there if that man hadn't backed down?"

"Well…I guess I would've been chopped down. I don't know how to fight at all."

"Why put yourself in that kind of situation?"

"For you, Kazuya. Maybe I should just tell you now…I would do anything for you, if only you asked."

"Silly woman."

"What? Is that all you can say?"

"You'd kill yourself for my sake. It's silly. That's not love."

"Oh, and you're the expert on that."

"If you truly cared for someone, you'd live for them no matter what."

"So I should have just left you there?"

"What's done is done."

"Yeah…I guess it is," she said with a sigh, "Do you have bandages at your place?"

"Yes," Kazuya replied simply.

They were already on the interstate and Aiko was driving at the speed of light. Even if he was talking now, every time she chanced a look over at him, blood was in so many places that it looked as if he should have already died.

"Kazuya, what is it that you live for?"

"Aiko…you and your weird questions. I'm already getting dizzy as it is."

"So you won't answer? You said, if you loved someone, you'd live for them. Well then who is it? You wanted to live…for me, right?"

"I met you just a few days ago and before that I had no idea you even existed."

"That's right…memory loss."

"I still can't remember. You're simply…the pretty girl who claims to know me."

"I could be more than that, you know. I want to be more than that. Even if it wasn't me who you lived for, I still want to mean more to you."

"I'd rather that it was you who saw me like this and no one else."

"I see…Will we just be friends then? Kazuya?"

He was silent once again, but she decided this time that she would not push her luck. They were almost there anyway.

"Just a little longer, okay?"

His silence was beginning to worry her. When she saw the large grocery store, Aiko looked around for any police cars and then sped past the red light as she swerved onto the right turn he had mentioned. She floored it when all she had to do was keep going straight into the cul-de-sac. Sure enough, she found it and stopped the car with a loud screech.

"We're here!" Aiko said in a loud voice to get his attention. "We made it home!" When he didn't respond this time, she began to panic. "Kazuya? Are you still…?"

She placed two fingers on the side of his neck near his chin to check his pulse—it was still there pumping very slowly and surely, but he was pretty much passed out. She'd have a hard time getting him to the house, perhaps even too hard. It didn't seem worth it at this point. She feared that if she moved him too much it would have adverse effects. Instead she got out of the car, opened up the passenger's side and fished through his pockets to grab his keys. She found them easily enough and scrambled to the house so that she could find some bandages. Luckily, Kazuya was a somewhat logical person who kept such things in the cabinet in the bathroom. She took all she could and ran back out to the car and began her work.

/

He awoke the next day only when the sun was in just the right position to beam directly at his eyes. His eyes squinted at all the intensity and out of habit began to lift himself up, but realized first of all that he was far weaker than usual and second of all, he was still inside Aiko's car.

"Kazuya! You're awake. I must have done something right."

Kazuya looked towards the excited woman. "I guess I didn't exactly make it to the house."

"That's alright. Everything turned out for the best."

Kazuya looked down at himself and all the shoddy bandaging Aiko had managed to do. There was a lot more there then perhaps needed to be and the lower half of him—from his chest down—seemed more like a mummy than an actual bandaged human.

"Thorough," Kazuya said with a grin.

"Hey, I'm no expert. It's better to have too much than not enough."

"True," Kazuya said simply.

When he tried to open his door, he realized that both his hand were completely wrapped up so that they were more like a snowman.

"Your…cellphone was ringing earlier for a while. Looks like some Jun person was trying to get in contact."

"Did you answer it?" Kazuya asked with slight panic.

"No, of course not. It's not my phone. Just thought you should know."

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

He continued in his endeavor to open the door until Aiko walked over and opened it for him.

"You're welcome," Aiko said when he didn't give his thanks.

He climbed out of the car slowly so as not to fall on his face. He had dealt with a weakness far worse than this however; he could certainly manage now.

"Aiko, thanks for last night. There is someone who I want to live for and you allowed me to do that."

Aiko looked away when he said this. "That someone just isn't me, right? It's that person who keeps calling you."

"It's none—

"Of my concern. Yes, I know. You say that when you don't feel like explaining yourself to someone."

"You feel as if it is your right to know everything about me?"

"Well…"

"I think I'll be fine for now," Kazuya said cutting across her, "I'm sure you have other things to do today besides nursing."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be left alone like this? Oh, I understand now. You're going to call that woman."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I don't want her to see me like this. So, no, I won't be calling her. Now if you're satisfied—

"Yes, yes, I'm leaving. I do have other plans. But just know this. If there's anything you need, you just be sure to call me. I won't judge you. Not ever."

Still with her very high and skinny heels on, she walked over to her side and got into the car. Kazuya closed his door and stepped away. Just like that the shiny, sleek blue car sped around the cul-de-sac and dashed down the street. She seemed to be in a hurry.

Kazuya made his way with care to the front door and found the first place where he could sit—the living room. He was still tired and in pain all over, not to mention uncomfortably wrapped in bandages. He made himself comfortable on the couch and laid out on it. As soon as he did, however, he sensed another presence in the room. At first, he thought it was Angel and called out her name, but she never answered. It was too much of a struggle to try and sit up again so he didn't.

"Devil…" Kazuya said heavily. "You took your sweet time."

"I waited for the most opportune moment as I usually do. It's better that you don't resist."

Kazuya could feel its familiar presence inside of him almost instantly. There was really no time at all for resistance. Devil was simply there once again and Kazuya was simply plunged once again into darkness as if the entire process was natural. He could feel no more physical pain and he could no longer tell what it was he was doing.

/

Taro walked into work that day, late as usual and the back of the store was in complete chaos. There were policemen, flashing blue lights, and yellow tape everywhere. His first thoughts were to talk to Abe the manager and his boss. Dodging the men in suit, he found Abe in the back conversing at length to another policeman. Taro waited for the other to finish before approaching.

"Aw, Taro, was wondering when you'd show up."

"What in the world is going on here," Taro asked getting straight to the point.

"Had to call the police early this morning when I came in. You should have seen the amount of blood that was out there—enough to kill a man if I'm not mistaken."

Taro's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Are you serious?"

"They have the entire area blocked off—it's under investigation. Of course, the first suspects are the guys that work here so I gave them permission to take blood samples of everyone. The man over there," Abe said as he gestured to a man off to the side that had a considerable amount of medical supplies spread out, "is taking them. Make sure you see him."

"Alright."

"You're to act as if nothing is happening back here and go on like normal. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Oh, and by the way, have you seen Kazuya?"

"No, actually. Isn't he usually here already?"

"Without fail. I'll let the police know about it."

"You don't think…"

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," Abe said before the other could finish his thought. He must have been thinking along the same lines.

Whatever was happening, Taro was almost certain that it had to do with Kazuya, their newest employee. He hadn't even been working there that long and now this. Taro eventually made his way back out to the front and acted as if everything was fine. He greeted and helped customers as if it was any other day. Kazuya would usually be there alongside him. He'd gotten so used to his presence that he instantly felt the difference when he wasn't there.

Taro always had a feeling that there was a lot about Kazuya that he didn't know. Whenever he had tried to hold a conversation with him, he always seemed out of touch with recent events. He held no opinions on politics of any kind nor did he have any hobbies that he was into. If he'd admitted that he used to spend every waking minute at the gym, Taro would have believed him instantly. Taro had asked him on several occasions, but Kazuya could be surprisingly evasive—he admitted to nothing. It was as if he had no past and wished not to speak on it. On the other hand, Taro had told Kazuya almost everything about him in hopes that the other would do the same. He'd lived a pretty uneventful life so it wasn't too difficult to accomplish, but Kazuya; he seemed as if he was too embarrassed to even begin to talk about himself. So he had remained a mystery despite all the time they had spent in the same proximity to each other.

He knew somehow that he was likely to never work with Kazuya again. The incident that had happened in the back must have been some kind of turning point. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume that such a muscular man also was familiar with combat. Perhaps he was hiding out here at this new job. Perhaps he had been trying to run away from his past. Perhaps yesterday, his past had caught up with him. Whatever was the case, Taro would be working at the athletic shoe store living his mundane lifestyle as usual and what Kazuya chose to do with his life was his own business.

/

Benjamin couldn't believe his eyes as he looked over Aiko's interior on the passenger's side.

"What in the world did you and Kazuya do last night?" he asked incredulously, "Did he bleed to death?"

"Not quite," Aiko said, "He seemed fairly well by the next morning."

"That man can bounce back from anything."

"He certainly can. I'm just not sure what happened last night. There was this ninja guy and they were just duking it out right there in the street. That ninja was deadest on killing him…if I hadn't been there…"

"Aiko, how could you put yourself into so much danger? I know how much you like him…but there's a line you don't cross, okay"

"Not you too," Aiko said exasperatedly. "I do what I want."

"I'm your brother, like it or not. I'm not going to sit around as you get yourself further and further into trouble. Kazuya…he's a dangerous person to be around, you should know full well."

"I do—

"No, you don't or else you wouldn't have done what you did last night. He understands that as well, I suspect."

"So you don't want me to see him anymore."

"You and I both know that that's not going to happen. I just…want you to be careful. When you come to me with a car looking like this—I get really scared. What if next time, it's your blood? What if something more serious happens?"

"Look, I understand. All I want to know is if you can replace the interior or not. I can't drive around with all that."

"I'll have to. If anyone else does it, you could get into trouble."

"Thank you."

"But, Aiko, this is your first and last time you ask me to do something like this."

"Alright, geez. I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm not sure you know how serious this is."

"You can stop treating me like a little girl."

"I will if you stop acting like one," he said with a frown.

"Benjamin! You have a lot of nerves. I've caught you doing things you'd rather not have me repeat right here and now. Like that time back in college—

"You don't have to continue and that was different."

"How so? You were acting like an immature little boy."

"Well, at least I didn't put myself into life or death situations. It's different. I don't feel like fussing with you right now. Besides, I'm the person who's going to change your entire interior—for free, I might mention."

"Fine. No more fussing. I really do understand your concerns, but this is my life—if I feel like I'm crossing a line, I won't do it, but Benjamin, I believe that I had to do what I did last night. I couldn't bear to watch him die. I just found him again. I couldn't, I just couldn't…" she felt the words stop in her throat as hot, tingly tears began to make their way down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away so that Benjamin wouldn't see, but it was too late.

In an instant, she felt his arms around her protectively. It was something he always did on the rare occasions when she would allow her tears to be seen by him. Now that it was too late to hide, she simply let them go. She had no idea how long they stood there like that, but she was the first one to pull away.

"You know I hate it when you do things like that," Aiko said when she could finally compose herself.

"Sorry, it was impulsive of me. I just don't like it when you cry."

"It's alright. I'm fine now."

"Why don't you take my car for now and I'll focus on yours today."

"Really? You're going to let me borrow your car?"

"Take it before I change my mind," Benjamin said with a grin. "Oh and there's one thing I wanted to ask you."

"Yes?"

"How was Kazuya doing when you left him?"

"Like I said, fairly well."

"You know what I mean—depressed, sad, happy?"

"Umm…now that's a hard one to answer. Content. That's the word. Worried, maybe. There was obviously something between him and that Jun woman who kept calling him. Why?"

"Just curious. You had to have thought it was strange too when he said that he was 'exorcised' and he wouldn't expound on it."

"Maybe there was nothing else to say."

"Or maybe he's not telling us something or you for that matter. I don't want to see you in a relationship where the guy doesn't really love you, just you. I mean, Aiko, you're a model—you have to be used to the harsh reality that most guys would only like you for your beauty."

"I think I've heard this lecture before."

"Yeah, I say it every time and you never listen."

"I do!"

"Right. You're going to keep seeing Kazuya whether I like it or not."

"I knew it—you don't want me to see him anymore."

Benjamin sighed exasperatedly, "I just want to make you more aware."

"I don't get it. You guys were friends back then. I'd have thought I'd get the 'okay' on this one."

"We were friends and that's using the term very lightly. There were always things about him that I didn't know or understand. Maybe when I was a little kid I thought that was pretty cool, but now that I'm older, nothing good could ever come from it. I'm sure there's a reason he chooses to be so secretive. Truthfully, I think he's a good guy, but if he isn't 100% into you, then it's not really worth the effort. Not when it comes to him."

"And that's your advice."

"That's my advice."

"You know what I'm going to do later on tonight?"

"Yeah, I know."

"And with your car."

"Do what you want. I'll be here completely prepared to hear your whining when your feelings get hurt."

"Oh, please, that's not going to happen."

"Right. Just get out of here, will ya? This could take me all day."

"Say no more."

Aiko had on another pair of stilettos and click-clacked all the way to Benjamin's lime green Lotus before taking off into the world. She had plenty to do that day, but the entire day her mind would return to Kazuya and the time she planned to go and see him. Aiko needed to know if there was a chance for them to work out. This Jun—she seemed desperate. To call a man that often in the early hours of the morning was never a good sign. The fact that Kazuya himself was uncomfortable with allowing the other to see him in such a weakened condition meant that he made a habit of keeping things from her. Also, Aiko had spent many lunches with Kazuya and the whole time he hadn't so much as mentioned Jun's name. Maybe they were simply an on and off relationship. Aiko was certain that once Kazuya knew how devoted she wanted to be to him, he'd eventually fall for her as well. What man wouldn't want a pretty number like her completely in their corner? Aiko believed she already had one foot in the door. Little did she know.

/

Later on that night

Jun found herself standing there on Kazuya's doorstep fed up to the point that she'd demand an audience with him in person. She hadn't expected him to react in such a way. Sure it was something that had come as surprise to her as well, but this was too much. He wasn't even returning any of her calls. That bastard was going to pay one way or the other. She banged on the door again and again until her knuckles became red.

"Kazuya!" she yelled at the door, "I don't know who you think you're fooling, but you better come to this door right now before I knock it down!"

Really, it was quite immature on his part. They couldn't just talk things out? They couldn't simply sort out the situation or even sort out their relationship for that matter? It was hard to tell whether they were together or not. Kazuya had never verbally said it, but it seemed like an unspoken law—that they were together. Even if they didn't talk as often, it still felt that way to her. Jun had allowed him his space, but eventually they would be "together" in physical terms, not just emotionally. As far as relationships went, this was the longest and strangest one she'd been in. Ironically, it was also the one she most wanted to work out.

Jun turned when she saw an interesting looking loud green car pulling up to the curb. She knew instinctively that this couldn't possibly be Kazuya. Perhaps it was someone who had gotten the wrong address. Out stepped a goddess. A light breeze ruffled her shiny almost sparkling dark hair along with the bright golden streak. She walked with confidence down the drive way. The woman was sleek and buxom all at the same time; it was enough to make Jun become self-conscious. All she wore were jeans and a shirt, nothing special. The only make up she wore was lip gloss and that day she had barely run a comb through her hair before rushing out the house in her frustration. She felt far inferior to the other and she still had no idea who this woman was.

"Who are you?" Jun asked immediately when the other woman was within earshot.

"Aiko," she replied simply. "You waiting for someone?"

"Kazuya. He lives here last time I checked."

"He does," Aiko replied with a smile, "He most certainly does. You must be her then; Jun."

"Yes, that's correct, but how did you—

"You're the one who kept calling him this morning. Must have been something really urgent."

Jun's eyes narrowed, "So you were with him?"

"It's not so surprising, you know. Kazuya and I; we're dating."

"W-What?!" Jun said sharply. "That explains a lot." Then she sighed. "How could I be so stupid—I miss the signs every time."

"It's alright. I'm sure you mean well, but Kazuya no longer wants to see you. Better to hear it from me, right? Instead of getting embarrassed in front of him."

Jun turned from her. It wasn't often she actually became angry, but this time there was no mistaking it. The sensation felt odd and burning. All she wanted to do at that moment was lash out on anyone nearby, but she caught herself before she did as much. "I don't care."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't care what it is he wants. I'm going to speak with him and that's that. I need to know something."

"You really are naggy, aren't you? That's definitely one way to drive a man away."

Jun couldn't believe it. She had used the same word Kazuya had sometimes used to describe her. Had he and that woman really spoken at great lengths about her? All this time she had felt so secure in their relationship and the whole time Kazuya had already moved on to someone else. It was a depressing fact, almost too much to deal with.

"I'm not the kind of person who leaves things alone. That's not the kind of person he needs to be around anyways. I take it you don't know where he is either since you're here same as I am."

"No…I guess I don't. You sure he isn't here?"

"I haven't heard any movement in the house since I got here."

"Oh no…"

"Oh no, what? Just spit it out already."

"I…well, I'm sure he doesn't want me to tell you this…but last night he got into a fight with some crazy guy with a sword and Kazuya…well, there was a lot of blood and I bandaged him up."

"All this happened?" Jun asked in horror, "Right under my nose? Why didn't he just tell me, that stubborn fool? Did he think he was somehow protecting my feelings by doing so?"

"I don't know what he was thinking. He just didn't want you to know and he confided in me."

"I understand now," Jun said with the beginning of a smile. "I understand perfectly. I guess I really should get the full story before jumping to conclusions. When he didn't answer my calls…I thought he was just ignoring me." Jun turned to Aiko again. "He told you to leave him, didn't he? You left him to himself, right?"

Aiko nodded. "But he seemed alright—

"That's just like him."

Jun turned to the door and then began to tug on it.

"Wait! What are you doing? You'll break the door," Aiko said in surprise.

"I know. It's for his own good. There's no telling what he's doing in there. That man just doesn't know when to ask for help."

Jun shook the door a few more times before standing back to try a different approach. She calmed herself before giving the door a nice hefty kick breaking it off its hinges. She ran in afterwards and so did the astonished Aiko.

"Kazuya!" Jun yelled. Then Aiko did the same.

Jun checked in his bedroom first, but it was Aiko who found the first real evidence of him being there that morning.

"I found something," Aiko called to the other.

Jun walked in and found a mass of bandages littering the living room couch. "I guess he didn't need those anymore. There's no fresh blood yet I know he'd still have to be bleeding to some extent. The blood on the bandages seem hours old."

"Where could he have gone?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"You've known him longer. Please, you have to think of something."

Jun sighed. "There's more than meets the eye here. Looking at how he was careless enough to leave dirty bandages on the couch, you'd think he'd also leave out the first aid kit he must have used to re-apply the bandages."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means it's quite possible he no longer needed them—as in he must have already been healed for some reason."

"But that's impossible."

"With Kazuya, there's hardly anything that's not possible. It could all mean something far worse."

"What?"

"I'm sorry—it isn't something I can talk about freely."

"Look…I know there's something really strange about Kazuya. I knew him before once upon a time. I know about the 'thing', the ghost or spirit thing."

"He told you," Jun asked incredulously.

"It was no easy task. I learned from someone else who had seen it himself and that someone eventually coaxed him into spilling the beans, just a little at least. From what I understand, all is well. Whatever was wrong with him before is over."

"That's what I thought as well. I was there when that spirit you speak of was taken from him, but it could just be a temporary fix."

"Do you mean he's in danger?"

"It would be no surprise at all to me if that spirit waited for when he was physically weak to make its move."

"Then what should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do. I'll keep calling him, but it's his prerogative whether he decided to pick up."

"I should call as well."

"Do that. Right now, any word from him is fine with me. But if it's true that Kazuya has reverted…then I think I know the first place he'd go."

"To your place?"

Jun looked at the other with a grin. "No, that's not how it works. There's only one part of Kazuya that's capable of love and now that part is far less apparent. He wouldn't go to my place at all. He'd avoid it all cost. The Mishima Zaibatsu corporate building. I think we can find him there."

"Alright then, let's go."

/

Half An Hour Later:

"This place is pretty big," Aiko commented upon stepping out the car and seeing the building fully.

"Yep. You're looking at one of the wealthiest corporation in Japan and it's always been in the Mishima family. Come on."

Aiko followed Jun into the now dark building. Since it was so late, Aiko didn't think the building would even be open, but it turned out it was. Jun stepped to the door and the sliding door opened quite easily.

"So he really is here," Aiko said quietly, "But why so late?"

"Who knows? I guess we'll find out."

Aiko nodded and continued to follow the other. Jun had taken the lead, but it was better that way. Aiko had no idea where they were going and she certainly would not have jumped to the conclusion that Kazuya was here of all places. Aiko looked at her from a short distance. She was a natural beauty—it was something that she had simply been born with. Make-up might have made her seem otherworldly. She was very practical, Aiko could tell, calm and peaceful all at the same time. Even when she had clearly stated that she and Kazuya were dating, Jun had hardly lost her cool. Jun seemed to have the kind of confidence that was unshakable no matter what. She had strength both physically and emotionally. Aiko could tell right then and there why Kazuya would fall for such a woman. Perhaps he didn't exactly pine for a dainty, pretty girl, but for something more than that—one that knew when to go against his wishes, one who knew when to back off or not to. Kazuya needed someone like that because he was far too hard-headed for anything less. It saddened her a little. She wished she could be more forthright, but it just wasn't in her nature. She only wanted to please him in any way, shape, or fashion and that was all. She would be content with just that, but Kazuya would be left unfulfilled.

The elevators didn't work so they climbed the stairs past floors after floors until Jun deemed it was the right one to get off on. Aiko was an expert in walking in heels, but this was ridiculous. She was clearly out of breath by the time they stopped. Had Jun not allowed her time to rest, she might have quit right then.

"He's here. I can tell. Right behind those mahogany doors. I need you to be ready when I open them."

"Ready for what?"

"For anything."

Aiko stood up when she was ready and walked side by side with the other to those doors and then they were opened. All Aiko saw was a deep darkness, but then a shock of fear ran through her when she finally noticed two glowering eyes looking towards them seemingly floating in mid-air.

"Devil, what have you done with Kazuya. You release him now," Jun ordered.

Aiko stood behind Jun now. She had no idea what was happening and all she wanted to do was run and hide. Where was Kazuya? She had come only to help him.

"I don't order take orders from you nor have I ever," came the deep, dark voice of Devil

To Aiko's amazement despite its deepness it had an uncanny resemblance to Kazuya's voice, but she could just being hearing things.

"Kazuya is long gone. That pathetic fool stood no chance against me," Devil continued. "You want to salvage what just isn't there anymore. It's touching, truly."

"I'll stop you."

"Will you? With what power?"

"Maybe not today, but someday I will and you better be prepared."

"Hm. Or I could kill you right here and now."

"You wouldn't. Your hold over Kazuya isn't strong enough."

"And you know that for a fact?"

"Yes."

"I will be rid of you flies sooner or later, but for now; leave me."

In that instant, Aiko felt herself lifted from the ground and cast backwards out of the room and into the nearest wall in the hallway. Jun joined her almost simultaneously. The attack didn't seem to faze Jun all that much as she was back on her feet in no time while Aiko was still struggling to deal with the sudden pain and regain her balance.

"Kazuya! You have to let me in!" Jun yelled out.

She ran to the door and began to yank at the handle and then rattle the door. It was no use, however, the door was slammed firmly shut. No amount of finagling from Jun would open it.

"Let me in!" Jun cried out again.

By the time Aiko got to her feet, Jun had already slid down to her knees in defeat. In compulsive fashion, Aiko bent down to her level and held her close.

"I'm not sure what happened here today, but it will be alright. Somehow, I know you'll be able to make things right."

"Oh, Aiko…you haven't the slightest clue, do you? That was Kazuya. The man who we spoke to a few moments ago. That is all that remains of him. What am I going to do?"

Aiko was speechless upon her understanding the situation. She had no idea what to do next.

"Devil has a plan as usual," Jun began slowly. "Of course, I've realized now his ultimate goal. Kazuya was simply a means to an end. I'm almost certain what he will do next—eliminate all that may stand in his way."

"But how would he do that? How would he know where to start?"

"Have you heard about the Iron-Fist Tournament?"

"The one tournament that determines the next CEO for the Mishima Zaibatsu. It all sounded a bit ridiculous when I heard about it on the news. You can't choose a CEO based on that."

"It was never about that. The first one Heihachi Mishima called was probably to draw out his son and get rid of him. Heihachi, he has a huge appetite for combat and conquest. He also just wanted to feed his ego. He never had a doubt that he'd be the winner until his son took him by surprise. This tournament as well will have nothing to do with choosing a CEO—it is simply an added benefit."

"We have to stop him then."

"We can't. Not like this. We wait for him to make his move first."

"Jun…I don't think I'll be of any help."

Jun touched the other's hand. "Probably not. You still have a chance to live a perfectly normal life. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Kazuya and you'll let me deal with him."

"Is that an order?"

"That is my advice as someone who was in your shoes once," Jun said as she stood up. "For now, I need to prepare myself for the worst."

"I'm coming with you."

"Do so at your own risk."

The kind of confidence that radiated from Jun then was something that far outshined her own. In the face of uncertainty and danger, Aiko felt that she would simply fall apart. She knew very well that had Jun not been there at all, she would not have come this far. She'd still be at his doorstep waiting forever for his return. This strange woman before her—Aiko could not compare. She'd help as much as she could, but even she knew that she could only go so far. She'd return to her own life eventually, but her heart and mind would always be with Kazuya. Always.

They returned to Kazuya's house and split ways in their own respective cars. Not even a few hours went by and like clockwork on the very next day, a tournament was called.

/

AN: You know how there's a writer's block? Well, I had a complete opposite of that and thus this chapter was born.

Reviews:

First of all, LittleLolitaChick (I'm not sure, but your penname reminds me of Death Note), 4 reviews in a row?—that made me very excited. I'm glad you've finally found your way to this fic. It's an ongoing project of mine so at the very least it has to be readable. I liked the amiable Kazuya as well since it's what I imagined he would be like had he never met Devil. Sadly, it is short-lived. As far as humor goes, I wasn't aiming for it, but I guess it's sort of innate when you're talking about a grown man fawning over tennis shoes. Hopefully, he'll be able to redeem himself on the cool points…on second thought…

Sokka2Me (wait a minute, your penname is a reference to Avatar, right?), I'm not all that familiar with voice actors, but I'd say Aiko would have more of a silky, smooth voice and Benjamin would have….umm…a "normal" guy voice. Remember the grown-up Simba from Lion King? Something like that.

GirasolGirl, always glad to hear from loyal readers. Bringing back Becky and Benjamin was a twist for me as well. They were just side characters so I wasn't sure if anyone cared if they lived or not. Oh well, I guess it all worked out for the best.

AniDenDav, it had to happen sometime, right? We're never quite sure when Jun actually gets pregnant but it would certainly have to happen before the conclusion of the second tournament. And that kiss…I just had to do it, I just had to.