CHAPTER TWENTY

~Inferno~

He smirked as he sat behind his desk and peered out the tinted windows of his office. He was thoroughly pleased as he saw his city and his future laid out before him.

A Zaibatsu helicopter came into view. He quietly chuckled as he saw it quickly wisp by.

The city was in lock-down; under his ruling thumb. It and all of its inhabitants belonged to him now; his property. It will become the birthplace of a new future; one where he is in control. Everyone feared and despised him as he planted the seeds to start a new global war. It will be him against the world and he was certain that he will be the victor.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door, jarring him from his insidious thoughts.

"Come in." He commanded as he turned around in his chair.

Nina slowly opened the door before entering. She saw him sitting behind his desk. Her hands suddenly went numb with fear. He looked worse…a lot worse. His transformation seemed to have advanced. His skin had darkened, his eyes glowed the brightest shade of red, and the black aura that whirled about him seemed to have thickened. He looked more frightening than before.

He grinned at her sinisterly with fanged teeth as she slowly approached his desk.

Something caught her eye as she walked towards him. Nina noticed that the floor and desk around him was littered with black feathers. Some swirled and floated around her before landing at her feet; adding to the pile. The scene looked eerily beautiful but it also made her shiver uneasily since they seem to manifest from nowhere.

"Good evening… S-Sir." Nina said hesitantly; unsure if it was appropriate to call him Jin anymore.

"I hope you bring good news." He said amusedly. "Have the rats been caught?"

Nina couldn't help it, she was taken aback by his voice. It was… different. It sounded ethereal; unearthly. She never heard anything like it before. It frightened her to the core.

"Well?" He pressed.

Nina stiffened her posture. "N-no Sir… I'm afraid not." She said nervously. "But if you give me some more time I am cer-"

"Disappointing." He said; swiftly cutting her off.

Nina swallowed hard as she saw his face furrow in anger. His eyes were fixated on hers.

"I've given you more than enough time Nina." He muttered.

"I know sir. I assure you that I am trying my best to find them." She said somewhat pleadingly.

His eyes narrowed probingly as he looked at her. Her eyes, her posture told him that something wasn't right. "I smell deceit." He said irritably.

Nina swallowed hard. "I am not deceiving you Sir." She said as her confidence began to falter. She sneakily pressed a button on her phone that was strapped to her waist. She hoped that he didn't notice.

He rose from his chair then slowly walked around his desk towards her. Nina stood her ground and tried her best to look unafraid but she couldn't help but feel nervous as the man gradually close the distance between them.

He glared down at her as they stood only a few feet apart. Nina took a few steps back. His presence, his aura was almost too much for her to bear.

Suddenly, he smirked. "It's a shame… you showed so much promise."

He quickly and without warning, smacked Nina hard across her face. She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.

He laughed loudly. His cackle echoed throughout the office. Nina slowly sat up as she cupped a hand over her wounded cheek. She bled profusely. She knew her wound would require stitches. Her eyes watered as she tried to tolerate the pain.

"It's such a shame that I must tarnish such a beautiful face." He said sarcastically as his clawed fingers dripped with her blood.

Nina painfully rose to her feet while keeping a hand over her cheek. She was scared. She hated to admit it, but she knew she was frightened at this thing that stood before her. Despite her fear, she refused to give up now. Her comrades were depending on her.

"Now I wonder… should I give you another chance?" He said as he examined and played with the blood on his fingers.

Nina stood firm as she tried her best to mentally prepare herself for a fight. She wasn't sure how long she would last against this 'thing,' but she was determined to try. She hoped to delay him long enough until help arrives.

Suddenly, one of the Mishima soldiers burst into the room. "Sir! Sir!" He yelled completely out of breath.

"What is it?" He muttered angrily by his sudden intrusion.

"We are under attack!" The soldier blurted out as he bowed apologetically. "The people we were searching for… they are in the lab!"

"WHAT!?" He said disbelievingly. "How?" He questioned, but he instantly knew the answer. His eyes quickly darted at Nina who was already running towards him.

Nina let out a battle cry as she leapt into the air and kicked the man directly in his chest. The attack sent him crashing into his desk.

He bellowed out in anger as he stood up from the wooden remnants of his desk. His yell echoed and reverberated throughout the office. His voice sounded more ethereal than before.

"Treason! Treason!" He yelled as he pointed a finger at her.

A gust of wind suddenly whirled around the room sending black feathers swirling around them. The soldier let out a fearful scream before exiting the office.

Nina tried her best to fight against the wind that was threatening to knock her off her feet. She suddenly felt something grabbed her by the throat and tossed her across the room. Her body slammed against the stone wall before she landed on the ground. Nina groaned in pain. The wind slowly died down as she looked up from the ground.

Nina stared at him confusedly when she saw the creature yelling as if it was in pain.

"No!... Stop it!" He bawled out as his hands cupped both sides of his face. "Treason!... She must die!... She must!"

Nina stared at him wide-eyed as the creature continued to argue with itself. She suddenly reached for her phone but cursed when she realized it was no longer strapped to her waist. Her eyes quickly darted around the office until she spotted her device.

"Shit." Nina muttered under her breath when she saw her phone laying a few feet away from Him.

"GET OUT!" The creature roared loudly before punching himself in the face. Moments passed before bright, red, blood began to trickle from his forehead. He began to laugh hysterically as he felt the liquid drip off his chin. "He's gone." He muttered happily. "HE'S GONE!"

Nina watched in horror as two, black horns grew from either side of his head. She was for a loss of words and her confidence was quickly diminishing.

"There's no way." She muttered to herself in disbelief. "There's no way I can beat this thing."

The creature abruptly stopped his laughter as if he had heard her whispered words. He quickly turned to face the frightened woman.

Nina gasped. His stare sent waves of fear shooting down her spine. She clumsily tried to get to her feet, but it was too late. In a blink of an eye, the creature was already on top of her gripping at her throat. His sharp talons threating to pierce her delicate skin.

Nina wasn't ready. She had trained very hard ever since she was a little girl to become the person she was today. "The Silent Assassin.' It took a lot of training and dedication to rid herself of emotions. Emotions were for the weak. She had to lack empathy for herself as well as others if she wanted to be skillful at her profession.

However, all of that training, all of that poise was lost in an instant. Fear. Fear consumed her. She was afraid of death even though she had taken the lives of many others. She thought it was shameful. With the career she chose, she expected that her life would be stolen by someone else eventually. She expected it… even accepted it. At least she thought she did. Now, as this creature threatened to take her life, she was scared. She didn't want to die. She wasn't ready to die. She wanted to live.

"Help!" Her plea barely escaped her lips. It was becoming harder for her to breath.

"Treacherous and pitiful!" The creature laughed at her as his grip tightened.

"Help Me!" Nina mouthed but no sound can be heard. She frantically began to claw at the monster's fingers as she looked towards her phone that was on the other side of the room. She desperately hoped it was still on and working. She hoped they will come to rescue her.

Anna stirred as her eyes fluttered open. She felt a bit disoriented as she slowly regained consciousness. She sluggishly sat up and quickly noticed that she was inside the elevator that she and Bryan took to the parking lot. She wondered if Bryan had put her there.

Anna scooted herself to the back of the elevator and anxiously stared at the closed, steel doors. Beyond them she heard the cries and screams of men as they were being slaughtered.

She didn't want to be there anymore. She wished they never went into the Zaibatsu. She never in her life been in a deadly situation like this. She wanted it to be just some crazy nightmare. Anna placed her hands over her ears, not wanting to hear their painful cries anymore. She waited for what seemed like forever for the noises to stop. Eventually, they did. Anna slowly looked up at the doors, wondering if it was safe to come out.

Anna gasped when the elevator doors suddenly began to open revealing Bryan on the other side. However, she thought the man looked different. Blood streaked down his face. It also splattered and stained what's left of his armor. He held military knife soaked with the blood of his enemies. He stood stoic and composed yet his expression seemed cold and murderous.

Without warning, Bryan reached out and took Anna by her arm. The woman yelped in surprise.

"Don't worry, they're all dead." He said flatly as he gently pulled her out of the elevator.

Anna looked on in shock as she saw bodies strewed everywhere and small pools of blood forming on the ground. She couldn't believe that Bryan was responsible for all this carnage. A part of her suddenly became frightened of the man.

Bryan walked over to where the secret elevator was located. He opened a hidden panel and punched in the code just as Nina did when they first infiltrated the building. The hidden elevator quickly revealed itself and they both quickly entered.

"We're going after your sister first." Bryan said bluntly as he pressed the button for Jin's office. "Are you alright with that?" He said quietly.

"Of course." Anna nodded. "I've never been so scared in my life… but I want us all to leave here together." She said quietly.

Bryan smirked as his respect for her grew.

Anna noticed the man was staring at her, it made her feel a little uneasy considering the fact that he looked like he belonged in a horror movie. "Well, could you at least wipe the blood off your face? You're really creeping me out!"

Her comment made Bryan chuckle. He proceeded to wipe the blood off on his gloves.

Moments passed before the elevator stopped on their desired floor. The doors opened and they both quietly stepped off the elevator. The entire office was very cold, dark and ominous. They kept close to a wall as they walked deeper in the room.

Suddenly they both heard someone cackle loudly. The laughter sounded strange and otherworldly. It caused them to pause and look at each other in disbelief. Thoughts of Nina raced through Bryan's mind. He immediately quicken his pace towards the source of the laughter. Anna swallowed and raised her gun hard before following behind him. They both walked alongside a wall until they reached the end of it. Bryan peered around the corner and saw a dark figure standing deeper in the room.

"Is that… Jin?" Anna mouthed silently as she peeked over Bryan's shoulder.

Bryan focused his attention and used his cybernetic enhancements to see the figure more clearly. His eyes widened. It was indeed Jin. He couldn't believe it. He was skeptical at first, but now he is convinced that the curse is real.

He noticed Jin was holding something. He squinted his eyes to get a better look and was immediately enraged when he saw the tight grip he had on Nina's neck.

What's wrong?" Anna whispered when she saw his angered look.

"He has Nina." He muttered heatedly.

The horned demon laughed loudly again as he released his grip around Nina's throat.

Watching her body lifelessly fall to the floor completely infuriated Bryan beyond words or reason. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth. He couldn't bear to stay hidden any longer. He growled loudly and without thinking he charged towards Jin.

Anna stayed behind. She thought what Bryan was doing was beyond crazy, it was reckless, but it was far too late to run away now. Anna summoned enough courage to run to Nina's side.

Nina coughed and heaved on the ground as she tried to catch her breath. Anna gasped when she noticed a huge gash on her sister's cheek, it dripped with blood. She quickly searched her pockets until she found a cloth. She balled it up and pressed it against her cheek to stop the bleeding. She cradle her wounded sister in her arms as she watched the battle unfolding in front of her.

Bryan roared as he charged towards the Jin. The monster grinned from ear to ear. He thought it was foolish to attack head-on. He waited and timed his attack. When the moment was right, he swung his leg around; wanting to stop the man dead in his tracks.

Bryan swiftly dodged the kick and got behind him. He then wrapped his arms around Jin's neck and with all his might, Bryan tossed him across the room.

Jin hit the ground hard but immediately got up and ran towards Bryan. They both exchanged blows. Knowing how dangerous his opponent was, Bryan fought very defensively. He was careful to dodge and parry Jin's attack and waited for the right moment. Bryan saw an opening and immediately went on the offensive. He punched, kicked and successfully landed several other attacks before ending his onslaught with a powerful punch. He poured every ounce of strength into his final blow which sent Jin tumbling across the room. The monster yelled out furiously as crashed into a wall.

The room fell silent. Deathly silent.

With clenched fists, Bryan kept his gaze fixated on opponent's limp body across the room. "How is she?" He asked sternly; not taking his eyes off of his fallen foe.

"…I… I'm… fine." Nina muttered weakly as she sat up on the ground. She was happy to see him. Happy to know that he is still alive. She wanted to smile, but it hurt tremendously when she tried.

For a brief moment, Bryan glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Good." He said simply. He didn't show it, but inwardly he was elated to see that she was alright.

"W-what happened? Where's the android?" Nina squinted in pain as she stood up. She kept the cloth firmly pressed against her cheek.

Bryan pointed over his shoulder at Anna. "She's right over there." He said with a cocky grin.

"Huh?" Nina turned around and gave her sister a puzzled look.

Anna turned to reveal a knapsack strapped to her back. "Well… what's left of her is in this bag." She softly smiled.

Nina winced in pain as she tried to smile again. "That's good." She said in relief.

Suddenly they heard Jin screamed across the room. Black feathers swirled around them as he bellowed furiously into the air.

"Shit, I think we've made him mad." Bryan said as he stepped backwards towards the two sisters.

"You've destroyed everything!" Jin cried out. The black aura around him thickened as he scowled at them menacingly.

Nina looked at the demon in disbelief. "There's no way we can defeat him." She said worryingly. "We have to get out of here!"

"I agree!" Bryan quickly concurred as they all ran towards the office entrance.

"Cowards!" The monster yelled as charged towards them.

Anna tried her best to keep up. She ran with all of her might, but tripped and fell to the ground. She tried to get back up, but tumbled once more. She panicked when she saw her comrades ran further and further away from her. It was as if her past was coming back to haunt her again.

"Wait!" She cried out. "Don't leave me!" They didn't seem to hear her.

She felt abandoned. She closed her eyes and waited as she heard the demon's approach. Just when she thought her life was at an end, gunfire erupted in the room.

Nina had her finger firmly planted on the trigger as Bryan ran to Anna's aid.

Bullets slammed and collided against Jin's body. They did nothing but annoy him. His black aura deflected the metal pellets; preventing them from piercing his skin.

"Come on!" Bryan yelled as he hoisted Anna off the floor.

Anna yelped in pain when she attempted to place weight on her foot. "I can't!" she breathed. "I think I've sprained it!"

"Hurry up!" Nina yelled as she continued to fire, but it was too late.

Click! Click! Click!

She was out of bullets.

Jin cackled loudly, amused by their fearful faces. He snarled at them as he charged once more.

Suddenly, Nina felt a hand on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and saw Dragunov. For once, she was happy to see him. Dragunov held a Russian-made RPG on his shoulder. He tilted and aimed the warhead at Jin.

"Get down!" Nina yelled as she ducked to the floor. Bryan and Anna turned around and immediately did the same when they saw the devastating weapon straddling the Russian's shoulder.

Dragunov quickly pulled the trigger. The rocket fired and hit its target. The explosion erupted throughout the room. The glass windows shattered sending shards flying down like glitter. Jin cried out in fear as he was blasted through the windows and descended down the Zaibatsu to meet his end.

Bitterly cold air gushed into the room and silence filled the air. Moments passed before Bryan, Nina and Dragunov stood up off the ground. They stared at the windows wondering if Jin would somehow return.

"Think he's dead?" Bryan said with an amused grin. "There's no way anyone can survive a blow like that." He turned to look at his comrades.

"You're right." Nina said as she walked passed Bryan and began to search for her phone. "But that thing isn't human."

Bryan noticed the claw marks on Nina's face. Perhaps she was right, he thought. Jin is something more than human. "Are you okay?" Bryan said concernedly as he pointed a finger at his cheek.

Nina instinctively cupped her hand around her wound. "I'll be fine." She said quietly.

Bryan walked over and patted Nina reassuringly on the back. The small gesture eased her nerves somehow. She felt more relaxed knowing he was nearby. Nina turned around to look at him. She smiled even though it pained her to so. Bryan did the same as he cupped his hand over the one she had over her cheek. Her eyes widened when she spotted her phone on the ground behind him.

"There it is!" She remarked and pulled away from Bryan to get her phone.

Bryan sighed, feeling annoyed that the woman abruptly ended the little moment they shared.

Nina picked up her phone and was elated when discovered that it still worked. "We have no time to waste." Nina said as she pocketed the device. "I just activated the bombs. We have ten minutes."

"ten minutes!?" Anna said in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Yes. We have to get to the roof now." Nina said sternly. "Dragunov, assist Anna." Nina commanded. "Let's hurry."

Nina was about to head towards the secret elevator but immediately stopped when she heard Bryan's laughter.

"Woah, you really brought in the heavy artillery." Bryan said when he saw a Gatling gun and a metal case filled with ammunition resting on the ground near Dragunov. He walked over to Russian and pat him hard on his back. Dragunov grunted in annoyance.

Bryan picked up the case of ammo and strapped it to his back. He then picked up the gun and grinned from ear to ear.

Nina shook her head condescendingly then smiled. She couldn't believe Bryan's behavior at such a time as this, yet it is to be expected. "Come on, we have to go!" Nina called.

"There is something here for you Nina." Bryan said slyly as he picked up another weapon.

"Huh, what is it?" Nina exclaimed as she looked at the man. She softly smiled when she saw him holding a sniper rifle.

Bryan handed her the weapon. Nina smile grew, but instantly winced in pain from her injury.

"Wow, my feelings are hurt." Bryan said teasingly. "You didn't smile like that when you saw me." He whispered quietly.

Nina scoffed and rolled her eyes; deciding not to respond to his comment.

"Come on, we're wasting time." Nina said firmly before heading for the secret elevator.

Bryan smirked when he notice the woman was blushing.

Dragunov slung the RPG along with its ammo across his shoulder. Then he gingerly picked Anna off the ground. She felt slightly uncomfortable as the silent man held her in his arms. However she did offered him a smile. The Russian quickly looked away, breaking any eye contact with the woman. His awkward behavior made Anna giggle.

Even though they were about to be blown to bits, for once in her life, Anna felt happy. She was surrounded by people who actually cared about her. She wasn't sure if her sister had forgiven her, but she remained hopeful since she did return to come to her aid.

The group entered the elevator. Nina pressed the button for the roof and they all waited to arrive at their final destination.

Nina breathed a sigh of relief. This nightmare of a mission was almost complete. She looked over at Bryan and immediately rolled her eyes. She watched as the man pulled the bandolier from the metal casing strapped to his back and attached it to Gatling gun in his hand.

"I don't think that you're gonna need that." She gave him a condescending look.

"Hey, ya never know." Bryan shrugged as he brandish his new toy. "Maybe Jin will sprout wings and meet us on the roof." He joked.

Nina sighed dismissively which made Bryan chuckle.

The doors slowly opened and they were quickly greeted with a gush of cold air. The group cautiously exited the elevator. The roof of the Zaibatsu was very cold and windy and the moon shined bright in the sky.

Nina quickly spotted their escape vehicle. "There it is!" She exclaimed happily as she pointed at it. She glanced at the clock as she quicken her pace. "We have five minutes left!"

Suddenly they heard a loud and unearthly yell. They all turned around and watched in complete shock when they saw Jin swoop over the edge of the building and up into the night sky. He spread his wings out proudly. Its black, voluminous feathers shimmered brightly in the moonlight.

Bryan chuckled amusedly. "Well shit… I was right." He muttered in disbelief.

"Yeah, well it's time to put that weapon to good use." Nina said bluntly before turning her attention to Dragunov and Anna. "You two go to the helicopter and get it in the sky!" She commanded.

Dragunov nodded then ran towards the craft with Anna in his hands. The helicopter was a military type with sliding doors for easy access. The Russian swiftly pulled one open and climbed inside.

"Just leave me here." Anna instructed. She wanted to sit near the opened door. Dragunov hesitated for a moment before complying with her request. He gently placed her on the floor of the craft.

"If you don't mind, may I borrow that?" Anna asked as she pointed to the RPG strapped to his back. "I'll stay here and provide back up when needed." She explained.

Dragunov nodded and gave her the weapon with two extra warheads.

"Thank you." Anna said simply as she strapped them to her back. "I'll reward you later when this is all over." She said playfully and smiled.

The Russian quickly spun on his heel and headed towards the cockpit. Anna chuckled and wondered if she had embarrassed him somehow.

"You all must die!" Screamed the possessed being as he flapped his wings in the air. "You have ruined everything!" It bellowed out before it swooped in for an attack.

Bryan quickly raised his Gatling gun and fire. The gun was a stronger weapon than the one Nina used earlier. Its ammo was also much more devastating. The bullets hit him as they did before, but this time the demon was having a harder time deflecting them. The bullets grazed his skin repeatedly; cutting and slicing his body until the demon couldn't stand it any longer. He flew away and ducked behind the building.

Nina heard the helicopter start-up. She turned around and saw its blades slowly begin to rotate.

"We should make a run for it." Bryan muttered as he kept a look-out for Jin.

"Not yet." Nina breathed. "We have to wait here until they get that copter in the air. We can't let that monster destroy our only means of escape." She said in a deathly tone.

The helicopter began to hover over the ground. Dragunov carefully guided the craft off the roof and away from the Zaibatsu. He circled around the building looking for a safe spot to hover from so that his remaining comrades can jump onto the vehicle. He found the perfect spot and began to hover close to the Zaibatsu at the same height of the roof.

"Let's go!" Nina said as they both ran towards the helicopter.

Suddenly, they heard Jin cry out again; halting Bryan and Nina in their tracks.

The helicopter quickly darted away from the building as Jin swooped up to attack it. Anna tightly gripped the open door frame; trying desperately to keep herself in the craft as it made its abrupt movements. Dragunov tilted, turned and maneuvered the vehicle in the air as it repeatedly dodged Jin's assaults.

Bryan quickly raised his gun and fired once more. He tried his best to shoot Jin as he flown after the helicopter. Eventually, he was successful and hit Jin with a barrage of bullets.

Bullets continued to hit Jin as Nina quickly picked up her rifle and peered through its scope. "It's time to end this." She muttered. She aimed and fired. Her bullet hit the demon directly in the middle of its forehead.

It did nothing… It only infuriated him.

The demon roared louder than before. His cry echoed throughout the air. He barreled away from Bryan's bullets and dove straight towards them. He grunted in pain as a light began to appear from the wound Nina gave him. Suddenly, a red beam of light shot out towards them.

"Shit!" Bryan cried out as they both jumped out of the way.

The beam of light fired down on the roof leaving a small streak of fire in its wake. Jin swooped back into the air. He shook his head as if his attack brought him some pain.

Bryan and Nina quickly stood up, but it didn't take long before Jin swooped down to attack them. He fired his new, unearthly weapon once more.

Anna saw the trouble the pair was in and thought it was time to assist them. She picked up a warhead and gently kissed it; hoping that it will bring her some luck. Then she insert it into the RPG. She picked up the weapon and aimed it as Dragunov circled around the Zaibatsu.

Anna saw an opening in Jin's attack and calmly waited for it to present itself once more. "Just hold on guys, I got this." She whispered to herself.

Jin swooped over the building to fire his laser again.

"What the fuck we're gonna do!? We can't keep this shit up forever!" Bryan said in annoyance as they ducked behind a small structure.

"I know!" Nina said as she glanced at her phone. "This isn't good, we have a little over a minute left!"

Suddenly, they both looked up when they heard a loud explosion. They both looked on in surprise when they saw Jin fall from the sky. His body hit the roof hard leaving cracks on the concrete pavement.

Nina looked at the helicopter as it began to hover alongside the building.

"Come on! Hurry up!" Anna yelled as she reloaded her weapon.

Bryan grunted when he saw Jin began to move. "Shit! He's not gonna stay down for long!"

With mere seconds remaining, Bryan and Nina ran as fast as they could towards their only means of escape. They jumped into the helicopter and Dragunov pulled the vehicle away from the building.

Jin suddenly growled and darted up into the air. He followed after them as he prepared his laser to fire one more time.

Anna leaned out of the helicopter and took aim with her final ballistic for the RPG. This was her moment; her chance to make things right. To correct her mistakes. She refused to fail now.

"Just hurry up and shoot that asshole!"

"Wait." Anna said calmly. "You have to be patient Bryan."

Dragunov made a quick turn with the helicopter giving Anna a clearer shot of their pursuing enemy. She exhaled nervously as she pulled the trigger and fired the final weapon in their arsenal.

The RPG hit Jin directly in his chest. The warhead exploded and propelled him down towards the Zaibatsu like a rocket.

It was either a miracle or just pure luck. The instant Jin crashed onto the roof, all the bombs that was planted throughout the Zaibatsu detonated. Huge balls of fire erupted throughout the building and on the roof.

The helicopter flown too close to the building and shook violently through the series of explosions. Bryan, Nina and Anna bounced around in the helicopter as Dragunov tried his best to keep control of the vehicle.

Bryan grunted as his body slammed around the craft. He suddenly hit his head hard and was rendered unconscious. Anna struggled as she tried to keep herself inside the vehicle but she lost her grip and slipped out of the craft.

The explosions eventually stopped Fire and plumes of smoke consumed the building. Dragunov steadied the helicopter in the air.

Nina groaned as she sat up. She looked around and saw Bryan sprawled out on the floor. She was about to go to his aid but stopped when she heard someone.

"Help!... Someone help me!" Anna cried out as she gripped the railing outside the helicopter. Her body dangled as the helicopter flew over the remains of the Zaibatsu.

"Help!" She cried out again, hoping someone heard her. She made the mistake of looking down and gasped when she saw the fiery remains of the Zaibatsu. They flown so close to the flames and smoke she could feel its heat in the wintery night. Anna shook her head in disbelief; not wanting to think about her demise.

Nina slowly stood up and walked towards the opened door. She peered down at her sister.

Anna looked up and smiled pleadingly as tears began to roll out her eyes. She carefully extended a hand to her. "Help me… please…" She said desperately. "I can't pull myself up."

Nina hesitated as she stared coldly at her sister. She was still angry at her for all the things she had put her through. She was mad at her for the choices she'd made and for being so weak. Even though Bryan disagreed with her, she still blamed her sister for the death of their father. If it wasn't for her, none of them would be in this current situation and she wouldn't be dangling out of a helicopter begging for her life. Nina thought it was fitting for her sister to die this way. Die facing the consequences of her actions.

However, for some reason, she couldn't go through with it. She couldn't stand there and watch her sister fall into a fiery grave. She quickly bend down and grabbed her sister's hand. She used her last bit of strength to pull her into the aircraft. Nina tumbled backwards with Anna in tow.

Anna quickly sat up and wrapped her arms around Nina. She held onto her tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. Nina huffed feeling annoyed by her sister's action but she did not push her away.

Anna knew Nina was still angry at her, but was grateful that she saved her life. It was a sign. She smiled from ear to ear feeling happy that the Nina she knew and grew up with was still buried somewhere within her.

Bryan groaned as he rubbed his head in pain. He slowly sat up and opened his eyes. He immediately gasped in shock. Are they… hugging!? He thought as he pointed his finger at them in disbelief.

"…Am I fuckin' dead?" Bryan said with a dumbfounded look plastered on his face.

Nina saw the man's face. "Oh, shut up." She muttered in annoyance as she shoved her clingy sister away.

"Aw… you've ruined it Bryan." Anna said jokingly. "We were finally bonding."

Bryan chuckled.

Nina growled and glared at her sister with gritted teeth. "I can throw you out there again, you know!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Anna said as she waved her hands apologetically. "I'll stay out of your sight for a while, okay?"

Anna slowly stood up and hobbled towards the cockpit. She took a seat next to Dragunov and smiled.

"Your flying was excellent soldier." She said playfully as she patted him on the leg.

Dragunov swallowed hard as he awkwardly stared out of the helicopter.

Anna giggled. She enjoyed toying with the man.

Nina breathed a sigh of relief as she finished applying a bandage on her wounded cheek. She closed the first-aid kit and returned it to where it belonged.

"It's finally over." Nina said as she sat down next to Bryan.

"Yeah." Bryan said as they both watched the Zaibatsu burn. "You think he's still alive."

"I don't know, do you have any other weird predictions?" She said jokingly as she looked at him.

Bryan laughed. "I hope that asshole is dead – burning in all of those flames."

"Me too." Nina said simply.

Bryan felt a sense of relief as he sat there and watched the Zaibatsu burn. The building slowly shrunk from view as they slowly flew farther and farther away from it. He thought it was somewhat symbolic. As if he is watching a terrible chapter of his life come to a close and a new one beginning.

Bryan pulled out a cigarette and lit it as he watched the embers floated and burn in the night sky.

"I didn't know you smoke?" Nina said; cutting into his thoughts.

Bryan paused. He removed the small stick of tobacco from his mouth and looked at amusedly. He wondered why pick up the dirty habit again. He chuckled when he finally remembered.

"You know…. I use to smoke this a lot in the past." Bryan said as he twirled the burning cigarette between his fingers. "It used to calm my nerves in situations that were out of my control."

Bryan looked up and stared at the burning building once more.

"…But I don't think I need this anymore." He said quietly as flicked it away.

A/N: Well another chapter is complete and it was full of action. I did manage to squeeze some fluffy bits here and there, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I promise I won't make any major changes to this chapter. Well, there is only two more chapters to go and I will try my best to post them up in a timely manner. Please read and review! It's always nice to know that there are actually people reading my fic!

~ 'Til next time!