A/N: OMFG! I haven't updated since like…..last year! :O OTL

I feel so bad :'( Sorry! College is unbelievably hectic!

Disclaimer: Namco Bandai owns Tekken…and since, unfortunately, I don't own Namco Bandai, Tekken isn't mine either

9 Shattered

"Did it just say that it was…death?" Verity whispered anxiously at Julia.

"I…I think so," Julia replied weakly, still unable to believe it.

"Death?" She heard Lars question as look of incredulity overtook his face.

"You can't be Death," Jin suddenly spat. "Death is no sentient being."

The hooded figure didn't move at the sentiment and instead opted to pretend he hadn't heard Jin as he continued with his previous train of thought. Death didn't feel the need to explain anything to Jin or anyone else. If they believed him then great, but if not, he didn't care. They would realize the truth eventually.

"i am in need of your assistance, resurrector," the wraith continued. "I have come in hopes that you may have a way to save reaper."

Although it seemed as if his mind was screaming at him, telling him that Death was not real, Jin felt his heart tell him otherwise. In that moment, the recalled a conversation he had with his sister last year. She had claimed that "Death would not be so unkind as to take me before my time." Only now did those odd words finally make any sense.

"She wasn't kidding with me was she?" he whispered to himself as his head lowered slightly. Then the true "reaper's" words hit home. Jin's head snapped up. "Wait. Save her? You want me to save her?"

"yes. she has placed herself in a precarious situation. A situation that could have been avoided had she not been so thick-skulled as to ignore countless warnings and threats that were been presented to her."

Jin's mind instantly jumped to the night those strange men had confronted him and Jaez near the bay. They had said something about…

"The NorthHouse?" Jin questioned, the queasy feeling in his stomach had become a painfully ominous knot.

"yes." Came the one word response.

"What happened?"

"she became engaged in a terribly fierce battle upon arriving at the northhouse. the assassin was surprisingly adept but jaez had the upper hand. in fact she had the upper hand throughout the entire battle, but alas, a well-timed maneuver left jaez incapacitated. to everyone in that compound, she is dead," Death summarized in his low voice.

Gasps filled the room.

"What?" Julia was horrified.

"She's gone and gotten herself killed again?" Verity said rather heartlessly. Julia was taken aback by her friend's cold comment.

"Verity!" Julia exclaimed. "I know you've never really taken to her but how can you say that?"

"What?" Verity shrugged with a slight twinge of regret. "I'm sorry, but I call it like I see it."

"But you haven't taken her soul yet, have you Death?" Jin said through clenched teeth.

"no," It stated simply. "as strange as it may seem to you, she means too much to me. i can not bear to think of how lonely my existence would become once again if i were to no longer have her understanding nature. i know that she is not slated to live forever but i will not deprive myself of her companionship before the end of her natural life." The phantom-like immortal reasoned. "I also know that you have the power to save her…resurrector."

Death continued to watch Jin's expression, which went from shocked and disbelieving to angry and resolute. No one said anything for several moments. Not even the twins had made any noise throughout the entire ordeal, they were still nestled in one of their parent's arms.

"Where is this NorthHouse, Death?" Jin said with a firm resolution in his voice. He was going to have to get Jaez out of the mess she'd gotten herself into.

A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I figured I'd better get something out there for all those of you who have been waiting since, what...September? o.o Thank you all so much for waiting patiently!

I'm finally out on summer break so I'll be able to get a hell of a lot of writing done! :D

Maybe even finish this fic!