Chapter 24: Decisions
"Welcome back to the land of the living."
The first thing Kazuya heard upon waking was Lee's gentle voice. His mind was still groggy and for all he knew he might have still been dreaming. He could barely remember where he was at the moment. He sat up very slowly and realized that he was, in fact, on a couch and one that seemed to be made out of polyester. He ran both his hands down his face once and then regretted when he tried to actually open his eyes. The room was far too bright. Obviously, the blinds were open. His eyes winched at the intensity.
"It's been quite a few days."
He could hear, but not comprehend what was being said. It was the same phenomenon he had experienced before when he had woken up in a car instead of a hospital. It was all a bit infuriating.
"Kazuya, are you feeling alright? Your son filled me in on the details of what happened. I suppose I'm guilty of jumping to conclusions."
Kazuya's eyes grew a bit more accustomed to the light and finally he looked towards where he was hearing the voice. There was Lee—a blurry Lee, but him nonetheless—looking as dapper as always. He didn't give the other any sort of response—then again everything remained jumbled in his mind. He watched as the other walked over to the window and then turned towards him again.
"Perhaps it is as Jin said."
Kazuya watched the other step closer to him until they were only inches apart. Lee bent forward so that he could get a closer look at the other's face.
"The Kazuya I know would have had a problem with—
Lee was interrupted when he felt one of his wrists suddenly caught in an iron grip. Kazuya had reached forth and grabbed one of them before he had ever known what was happening. Lee immediately tried to shake the other's grasp, but realized that he was getting nowhere. As far as strength went, Kazuya had always been his better. The hold grew tighter and Lee winced involuntarily. He knew for certain at that moment that Kazuya meant to break his wrist. Not only would such a thing be extremely inconvenient for him, it would hurt like hell.
"Snap out of it already, Kazuya!" Lee shouted just in case the other was hard of hearing.
With his free hand, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him vigorously, but it had the opposite effect. Kazuya was simply reacting now. He saw Lee's actions as an attempt to retaliate and Kazuya, in turn, batted away the other hand and then without a second thought added a bit more pressure to his grip on Lee's wrist and broke it cleanly through with ease. He cried out in pain as he stumbled away and held his limp hand gingerly.
"You, bastard! I'm on your side!"
Kazuya was already standing up and advancing towards him. Nothing could be read from his eyes. They seemed dead and depthless. Lee moved back in response knowing that the other was probably going to pounce on him.
"Of course after so many years, we fight again and you already have the upper hand…literally."
Lee began to ready himself for attack as he put his feet in motion as if they were made of springs. Kazuya was upon him before he knew it. Lee was completely unprepared for the solid punch that nearly blacked him out on contact. He felt as if his face had been caved in, but probably his nose was broken. He didn't have time to check—he had to move. Once Lee got started, it was easy enough to dodge incoming punches. Lee, at the very least, had always been more agile than the other. This time when Lee moved out of the way, Kazuya fell into the dresser he had been standing behind. But that didn't seem to deter Kazuya for very long. Lee had already moved back quite a few yards.
So it continued like this—Lee constantly evading Kazuya's almost clumsy punches. Clumsy, though they appeared at the moment, there was still power behind them and Lee didn't fancy taking another one of those. Eventually, Lee moved in a bit closer to Kazuya so that he could get in a few jabs with his good hand. None of them seemed to affect Kazuya in the least. Lee began to wonder how he could bring the other back to his senses. Lee couldn't think of anyone off the top of his head that could effectively subdue Kazuya with one hand tied behind their back—and that was essentially what Lee was attempting now. It was a fool's errand, he knew. But what were his alternatives? Running? No, it was too late for such things. Besides, it'd been a while since he'd fought anyone.
He was completely out of shape, Lee knew. His stamina wasn't nearly what it used to be back at the tournament where he could use his agility to tire out the other. He was already tiring himself out, let alone his opponent. But then, it wasn't as if Kazuya was faring any better. Lee imagined it hadn't been easy coming back from the dead. Seemed as if he had spent the majority of his time in a hospital bed recuperating. One would think then that Lee would have some kind of advantage. Lee moved in closer once again and got in five consecutive jabs before he quickly put distance back between he and him. His perceived advantage was almost nothing at all, if his hits weren't effective. But then, it was hard to tell. Perhaps Kazuya was too dazed to even know where his breaking point was anymore. Lee continued to keep his distance and he continued to throw as many jabs as he could before having to move out the way, but he was beginning to slow and Kazuya began to seem faster.
It wasn't as simple as using Kazuya's lack of speed against him. Lee knew that the other was perfectly capable of brief spurts of surprising speed especially when it came to certain moves. He was unpredictable and Lee knew that eventually he would get caught if Kazuya had a mind for it. Now was even worse. Lee couldn't make out the other's motivations. His eyes seemed glazed over and he didn't seem capable of verbal understanding. It seemed once he was in fight mode, he stayed like that. Eventually without warning when Lee had moved in for another hit, Kazuya grabbed the nape of Lee's dress shirt in an inescapable hold. Lee knew what was coming before it even happened. He steeled himself for the crippling blow to his guts and he was released as he crumpled to the ground in utter pain. He'd felt it all before perhaps twofold, but the pain always seemed to take him by surprise.
It was always like this when they fought. Even as children, Lee would always be dealt a hefty dose of pain. Sometimes, he'd even be left with open wounds which bled profusely onto the ground. Something or other would be broken and he wouldn't feel like moving from the one spot. Kazuya would continually crush any notion that the other had somehow become stronger. Lee always felt that when he trained and became a little better in technique or strength, Kazuya was already twice as powerful. It had always been so. This time was no different. Only Heihachi wasn't there to break things up before it went too far. As Lee looked up at the other as his shadow fell over him, he could tell that Kazuya had no intentions of backing off. What had he gotten himself into?
"Kazuya! It's me, Lee. I don't want to fight you!"
He might as well have been speaking to a brick wall. There was no comprehension there in his eyes. With his legs, Lee began to push himself backwards on the ground. Then he began to use his one good hand to help in the endeavor. The entire scene seemed pathetic. In fact, Lee was ashamed to have been downed so quickly and then forced into such a compromising position. He even began to wonder if he was going to die this day. Was he going to die in his own home by his least favorite person in the world?
Lee was looking behind himself now so that he could move towards the door and perhaps lock the other in there. If he was a little less prideful, he might have tried this tactic from the outset, but Lee had never liked running away from fights even if the odds were not in his favor. His eyes were on the door now and it was becoming closer and closer. He didn't dare look back to where Kazuya had gotten to—he only had one thing to concentrate on now. He was relieved when his hand was finally able to take hold of it. When he turned back to look at Kazuya, he found that he had stopped his pursuit a while ago.
"Kazuya?" Lee asked cautiously.
This time the other did respond and looked over to him with one of the most confused expressions he had seen on Kazuya's face before.
"What are you doing on the floor?"
"You should know; you put me there."
Lee knew that he probably should have been a bit more informative. It was clear that Kazuya had no idea what had transpired, but he was upset with how things had turned out. Lee had not expected to get beat down in his own home and especially not by a Kazuya who didn't know what was up or down. He couldn't keep his expression neutral. All of his practiced patience was thrown out the window when in Kazuya's presence. He was annoyed and it showed on his face. Kazuya finally approached the other and reached his hand out to him. Lee looked at him closely waiting to see some sort of triumph in his eyes or the belittling look or amusement. He saw none of this there. Just confusion and genuine concern. It threw him off. Against his better judgment, Lee accepted his help and he was pulled quite easily off the ground.
"Now tell me what happened," Kazuya demanded of the other.
"Fine," Lee conceded grudgingly.
Lee could feel the other's eyes on him now as he went to grab an overturned chair. He probably knew by now that his nose was broken—he bruised quite easily. Anyone could tell that one of his hands hung far too limply. Now it was his turn to sit and Kazuya's turn to stand as Lee recounted the last few minutes. Kazuya didn't believe him at first, but the evidence was clear enough unless Lee had suddenly become masochistic.
"Unfortunate," Kazuya said when the other was finished speaking.
"Is that all you have to say for yourself—nevermind, don't answer that. I suppose that's all I can expect as an apology out of you. I'm sure you want to know how Jun is faring. Her recovery is going quite smoothly. In fact, she just woke up to day."
"Good," Kazuya said keeping his responses short and to the point. He had no intentions of yet another argument with the other.
"Good indeed, Kazuya. She could have died." Lee leaned back in his chair. He was still trying to catch his breath.
Kazuya seemed fine though, not even out of breath. Aside from a few nicks Lee had given him, he looked none the worse for wear. His arms were crossed now. "I understand that, Lee. I told you that before. If there was something else I could have done, I would have done it."
"But the fact still remains. Jin told me what happened—he told me everything. Do you really think Jun will be safe with you? Jin? You're putting everyone you say you care about in danger. Did you stop to think of that?"
"I don't need to hear another lecture from you."
"Well someone needs to knock some sense into you. Both of you. Jin has an excuse—he's just a child, but Jun as well will willingly put herself in harm's way without a second thought and you won't stop her. Is that how you want it to be?"
"And what do you propose I do? I didn't ask for any of this to happen—
"But it did and you must take responsibility." Lee received only silence from the other. "Are we in agreement about something then? Good. Now if you're willing to accept my help, then I'll deal with G Corporation, but I'll need your help."
"Why are you doing this for me?" Kazuya asked becoming suspicious.
"Well, it isn't for free, if you're wondering," Lee said feeling his broken nose and causing another sharp pang to shoot straight to his brain, "but I'm concerned for those around you."
"What do you want in return?"
"A few things. The first one being quite simple."
/
Kazuya walked down the hall with a confident air about him. The thought of G Corporation being dealt with was enough to put pep in his step. He was tired of dealing with them. He was tired of running all the time. Ever since his decision to part ways, they had not made it easy for him.
He stopped at Jun's door and let himself in. The nurses might have tried to stop him since there was someone else already there, but he ignored them and there was nothing they could do about it anyway. Jin was there and the two seemed to be having a candid conversation with each other. Kazuya only watched for a few moments. They seemed perfectly happy together. Why was Jin so keen on including him? They'd lived in peace before. He only served to destroy that peace, destroy whatever normalcy Jun had achieved for herself and their child.
Jin noticed him first and then Jun. They were happy to see him—he could tell.
"Jin, I need to talk to your mother alone."
"Kazuya, I'm sure anything you have to say to me, you can say to Jin as well."
But Kazuya didn't yield. He shook his head. "Jin, stand outside for a while."
Kazuya watched as Jin gave his mother an apologetic look. It seemed he was unwilling to get between whatever Kazuya wanted to discuss with his mom. He climbed off the bed with dejection written all over his face and left the room reluctantly. He closed the door behind him.
"Now that was rude, Kazuya. This is the first time he's been able to see me in days as I understand it. Couldn't this 'talk' have waited until later?"
"I didn't feel like dealing with Jin at the moment. You forget; this is the first time I've seen you in days as well."
Jun only gave him a small grin. Of course, she'd been guilty of telling Jin to go somewhere when she really just wanted to talk to Kazuya without having to mince her words. They were such horrible parents sometimes—she wondered how Jin put up with them.
"How are you feeling?" Kazuya asked.
"I feel pain everywhere, but it's bearable. I was given pain medicine. I didn't think for a moment I would die. I know it sounds silly…"
"No, it doesn't. I couldn't imagine you dying either. Not after all we've been through."
"Well," she began with a smile. "It's been an adventure. Maybe I'm an adrenaline junkie, but I've been having the time of my life. I didn't want to admit that before…it sounds so reckless."
"But you've always been a reckless person and I've only helped you along."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"You tell me. We are, in theory, supposed to be taking care of Jin."
"Oh, don't go all self-righteous on me—that's not like you at all."
"How was it, living alone with Jin for all those years?" Kazuya asked changing the subject.
"You mean, you really want to know?"
"I've always wondered. At least, whenever I was able to form a clear thought in my mind, I wondered how you were doing. Now I can simply just ask you."
"I won't lie to you, Kazuya, it was horrible for the first few years. And the pain…it began to subside after that. I concentrated on Jin, on being there for him."
"Is it true that you'd cry at night sometimes?"
Jun gave him a look as if to ask why he would ask such a thing, but then simply nodded. "I can't imagine you'd have done the same thing. You'd never let yourself become that vulnerable."
"I don't know about that. I missed you as well. As far as crying goes, I can't remember the last time I've done such a thing."
"What about your mother's funeral?"
"I barely remember that. I was too young to even understand what was happening. As far as I knew, she was there one moment and gone the next."
"Well, surely, when you were a child and scraped your knee or something..."
"That's nothing to cry about. How did we even get on this subject?"
"You know, it's not very often that you'll talk about yourself—I take my chances when I can get it," Jun said with a grin.
"There's not much to discuss there anyway. I wanted to apologize for everything I put you through."
"You act as if it was all your fault. I made my decisions as well."
"You did and I'm sure you've regretted some of them."
"I'm sure we've all made decisions we regret later."
"Jun, what are we really trying to do here? Are we really traveling back to where you made a home for yourself and Jin? Are we to continue on as if nothing has changed between us?"
Jun looked down. "As far as I can tell, nothing has really changed. I didn't want to admit it before, but I still love you and I know you do too."
"And how can you even tell?"
"It's just something you can feel, Kazuya."
"When has love ever been something you can feel?" Jun looked up when he said this. "You can't feel an abstract concept. It has always been something you work at with its own set of unwritten rules—and I've always failed at it." Kazuya bent down a little lower so that he could have access to her lips and he kissed her, right then and there and she reciprocated. He pulled away before she became too passionate.
"Point proven, don't you think?" Jun said victoriously.
"No, my point was proven."
"What do you mean?"
"When I was at the tournament, there was only one thought on my mind—to destroy my father once and for all. I wasn't thinking of you or how that might affect you. I only thought of myself."
"Kazuya, we all make mistakes."
"Is that the excuse you'll use? The fact that you were with child did not concern me in the least. When my father defeated me, I hoped to die. I felt that there was nothing more to live for. When I didn't, when I found myself alive—that was still my desire. Surely you've realized it yourself, Jun. You don't need me. Whenever you think you do—you're only fooling yourself, holding onto something that was never there in the first place."
"How can you just say those things? You know that's not true. I feel incomplete without you."
Kazuya grinned at her last comment. "Is that really true?"
"Yes, of course, it is."
"So you would wish a life of danger, always being on the run for your son? Is this what you missed, Jun? Constant near death experiences. That's not you at all. I know who you really are. You seek a life of peace and that's exactly what you pursued as soon as I was no longer in your life. I was holding you back from what you really wanted. Yet you pretend as if I was a necessary part of your life."
"Kazuya, it's not like you to be so long winded. What in the world are you trying to say? We all know that you've made some mistakes, but I'm willing to forgive you. I'm willing to work things out. Isn't that enough?"
"No, it isn't. I've taken you for granted far too often. Even now. I can no longer picture myself by your side let alone going back to whatever middle-of-nowhere place you live. I don't belong there."
"Kazuya, we can always move. We can make compromises."
"Isn't that all you've been doing? How many compromises are too much? How many and you're no longer the person you thought you were? Why must you change so much for my sake? I've done no such thing for you. Jun, I'm going to do you a favor. I think it's time that we parted ways."
"You can't—what are you saying? Why are you saying this? What's gotten into you! I thought—I thought—
"Jun," Kazuya said placing a calming hand on her shoulder as he saw her working herself up. "In the end this is for the best even if you don't think so. For once, I'd like to do something for you. You and Jin will be safe without me. You don't need me."
"Is this what it's all about? Being safe? I don't need to be coddled, Kazuya. I know it looks bad now, but we can survive this. We need each other to survive this."
"Do you not understand, Jun? I don't love you and I never have."
Jun was at a loss of words. She looked at him in disbelief.
"I think it is best if we break ties with one another. After you finish recuperating, you are free to go back home with your son."
"Our son," Jun said stubbornly. "He's our son and he adores you. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have even begun to look for you. And now that I find you…you're just as I remembered you to be: callous, rude, and completely ignorant to anyone but yourself. After surviving that ordeal back at the airport, this is how you welcome me back?"
Kazuya was standing up now. He'd said what he needed to and now simply wanted to leave. "You'll see, Jun. Once you're back home and safe—you'll see."
"To hell with you, Kazuya! You think you've accomplished something today?! You're just running away from your problems—it's what you always do! You, bastard—
The rest of what she said was muffled as Kazuya took leave of the room and closed the door behind him. Jin must have heard some of it because when Kazuya looked towards him, he could see the unshed tears in his eyes. His eyes softened when he saw them.
"Dad…what are you doing?" Jin asked quietly.
"Go in there and help your mom," Kazuya said simply.
Jin said nothing more to the man and walked into the room. In the brief time it was open, Kazuya could already hear her sobs. He closed his eyes and leaned against the nearby wall just as the door was closed.
"Well, done, Kazuya. I could not have asked for a better performance."
Kazuya opened his eyes again and there was Lee standing before him with a look of satisfaction. "I'm glad you happen to find amusement in someone else's pain."
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You and I both agreed that this was necessary."
"How could I not? I don't have a lot of options. Whatever it is you're planning to do with G Corporation better work out or you'll do worse than a few broken bones."
"Have we come to threats now? Relax, you've held up your end. I'll do the same. Now, if I were you, I'd make myself scarce—and get as much rest as you can."
With this, Lee turned and began to make his way down the hall, but Kazuya stopped him midstride.
"Lee, I don't agree with your reasoning. Jun is a very capable woman. Keeping her in the dark will likely cause more trouble than good."
"She has been through quite enough. Better that she is safe along with her son. They need to be out of harm's way."
Kazuya sighed deeply. With nothing more to say, he did exactly as Lee requested—he made himself scarce. He made sure not to make any contact with either Jun or Jin. If they were to make a clean break, then there shouldn't be any reminders of what could have been.
They'd be angry for a while perhaps for a long while, but eventually they'd move on. Kazuya didn't expect to be in Jun's good graces ever again. Not after the stunt he just pulled. Kazuya suspected it was part of the reason Lee insisted on him doing it. Surely there had to be a limit to how much pain she was willing to tolerate from him. Surely this had been the last straw. He'd denied ever being in love with her. Wasn't that enough? Even if Lee's scheme happened to work, Kazuya really had no idea what he would do with himself afterwards. Taking back the Mishima Zaibatsu seemed like the thing to do, but the large family corporation held little pull on his interests. He had no desire to even look upon his cursed father's face. The sight of him conjured up far too many unpleasant memories.
Without Devil there to cloud his thoughts on a constant basis, he realized he had no desire to take revenge on his father. The anger that he always felt was gone. The feeling of always being on edge was gone as well. He was himself. Whoever that was.
He could only take things one step at a time. G Corporation was after him and wouldn't stop until they found him again. Someone offered to help. He accepted that help. It at least sounded logical. But then, why did he feel so empty? Why did it feel like once again he had managed to make the worst decision?
In a depressed haze, he easily found sleep and did not wake again until the time he was needed.
/
AN: Jin has to be beside himself with annoyance. Came this far only to split up once again. Will they ever be whole? Stay tuned.
