The Edge Of Darkness

Nae Sarang

Suggested listening: The Pretty Reckless - Make Me Wanna Die

Jin shifted back from his Devil form, and threw Heihachi's heart on the floor, his hand still bloody.

-It's done. The Mishima line is dead and buried.

-Not quite.

Devil Eun-Jung literally liquified the heart with her laser beam.

-Would hate to see him back to life because of that, wouldn't you?

-You're right. Better safe than sorry, especially with that man. Let's go home now, we have some energies to recover. It was a tough fight. And you were tough too. Well done, hime.

-I told you I ain't joking around. Especially when my family is on the line. Oh, and if we want to go home, you better change back. I'm not going to carry you, papa.

Jin giggled. -Right. A flight back it is.

The two Devils flew out of the broken windows, towards home, towards the full moon in front of them. Once home, they both had a long shower before going to bed, exhausted by the battle they just went through, and by what it meant. It meant being interrogated by the UN, especially on why a horned demon destroyed all the cameras in the dojo and then Heihachi was later found dead... it meant more exhausting lying and intricate stories to prove his supposed innocence. He was tired of these games. But hopefully, with his grandfather gone, it was the last time it would ever happen. Or so he hoped.

He went to bed, a tragically empty bed, and his thoughts went to Hwoarang, suffering at the hospital, alone in his room, probably thinking he didn't do enough against Heihachi. He knew how his head worked. He was surely beating himself up for letting the old man beat him like that. He wanted to be with him, but the hour was definitely too late. He would have to wait the morning after for a visit. That didn't change the fact that the bed felt empty, unnecessary big, and cold. He fell asleep thinking about passing his fingers through his lover's soft hair.

The morning after, Jin and Eun-Jung had breakfast together, quite quickly to be truthful, and then dressed up to go to the hospital. They couldn't wait to see Hwoarang, so they hopped in the black sedan. When they arrived, the Korean was awake, and quite in pain, too.

-Hey, love. How are you doing?

-Oh, the cocktails are great, they even use the umbrellas, but the bartender is a bit rude. He gives the strongest drinks to the ladies, too. Asshole.

-The day you won't be able to reply like that I'll start worrying, dumbass.

-It keeps my brain and my skin young. See? We're the same age, and you definitely look older than me, with all the brooding and stuff.

Jin sighed. -I guess so. How is the pain? Still a day to go for the foot surgery.

-It hurts like a bitch on steroids. But they're going slow on the morphine given my history with alcohol and addiction. So, I will heroically suffer and swear like a motherfucker while doing so.

-I have news.

-Are you pregnant? Oh my god, I'm not ready again.

-Can you be serious for five seconds?

-I can try. No promises.

-Heihachi is dead. I killed him. With some help from Eun-Jung.

-That old bastard got what he deserved.- he paused, looking at the ceiling. -It seems like I'm the weakest link of the family, eh?

-Hwoarang...

-I try doing something, I end up here with multiple surgeries to be done, while you two ace the mission. I think I'm allowed to feel a bit useless.

-And human. Don't forget about human. We have the Devil Gene inside us, we beat Heihachi thanks to it. You can't compare that.

-Hey, I beat you in the Devil form once. It's not god-like. But I was not enough for the old shit.

-He didn't play fair, and you know it. It was not a fair fight. He never fought fair.

-And I should have expected that. That's also what makes you a good fighter. Now, I'm a fighter with a broken foot and an uncertain future. All because... I wasn't enough. I'm weak.

-Never. And you know it.

-All I know is I'm here, and you're not. That should count for something.

-I didn't tell you he was dead to brag.

-I know, I know. Don't worry about that. It's just that... I was used to being the best at something, before you appeared into my life. Sometimes I miss that feeling. Now I'm just... one of many.

-I could go on for days telling you how that's not true, but this is not the moment. You're too set on your vision of yourself. Talk about brooding. You'll see, once they operate on your foot, you'll feel better already.

-At least I will be able to beat you on your head with my crutches.

-That too.

-So, Eun-Jung, how is it to be stronger than papa?

-I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about how I miss you at home. It's empty without you and your laugh. And you cook better than papa Jin.

-What!

-Sorry, Jin. I'm the wifey, after all.

-I really want you to come home. I also heard papa Jin cry at night because he's alone. We miss you.

-And here I thought I had some privacy...

-With a teenager? Jin, you really are the naivest person I've ever met. Anywhere, I'll hopefully be home soon, gongju. I'm tired of being alone here, too.

He started coughing really bad for some tens of seconds.

-I swear I'm getting sicker in this hospital. Germs. You'd better wear some masks.

-I think you need to sleep again, love. You look tired. And if you need anything extra here, just say the word, you know I will get it.

-The Kazama way of convincing everyone. I know it, I know it. It worked on me too, uh?

Jin smiled faintly. Hwoarang looked really bad, worse than the day before, actually.

-Sleep now, my love. We'll be out here when you wake up, okay? I love you so much.

-Me too, nae sarang.

He fell asleep in a bunch of seconds, looking almost delirious.

-He's burning up. Eun-Jung, go call a doctor, please.

-You called, Mr. Kazama-Seong?

-Yes, the patient most likely developed a fever, and he has a surgery tomorrow. Can you please see to it that everything goes according to plan, doctor?

-Of course. We will take his temperature now and, if needed, administer some paracetamol. That should do. It could be a reaction to the other surgery, that's why we wait between surgeries.

-Thanks. I know he's in good hands.

Jin, sitting in front of his lover, looked at his sweating head, his wet hair, and couldn't but think that something was very, very wrong.