The Devil In You

Seeing Red

Suggested listening: The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil

Although the two had had their fair share of exercise in the morning already, after lunch they decided to train for a while in their upstairs gym. First, they exercised alone, then they sparred to see where each other were at. Hwoarang was definitely out of practice and Jin had no problem knocking him down.

-You really do need to get your game back, it never took me so little to beat you, my love.

-Yeah, thanks for underlining the obvious. I'll train daily from now on, that's for sure. I have a month of booze and no dojang to make up for.

-Let's start today. We're not finished yet. Back to your post, Sergeant.

-Can you stop calling me that? I was only formerly one, and it's irritating.

-Only when you stop calling me Kazama, which I suppose will be never. C'mon, let's train.

The two worked hard for a good while, until they were basically made out of sweat. Hwoarang stopped for a moment and looked at Jin while he beat the hell out of the punching bag in front of him; his back muscles were outstanding even for a fighter and his broad shoulders rendered his figure balanced and sinuous. His neck made his thoughts go in passionate places, with his thickness and his tendons and veins pumped up by the exercise, his arms a perfect succession of muscles and pulsating veins. Everything about Jin screamed awe and lust to Hwoarang, up to the scent of his sweat.

-Oh, how I love you.- said almost in a whisper.

The other stopped punching, overhearing the voice. -What? Sorry, I couldn't hear you well.

-Ah... Nothing, I said...- "C'mon Hwoarang, what are you, twelve?" -I said, oh, how I love you.

Jin smiled. -It's so good to hear it, I'll never get tired of it. I love you too, so much.

Before any of the two could even think of a kiss, Jin's business cellphone started ringing. It wasn't a good sign; that phone never rang at home, unless it was an emergency. The Japanese almost ran to it and answered.

-Lars? What is it? WHAT? I'll be there as soon as I can.

One didn't need to know Jin well to see that he was furious. Hwoarang had rarely seen him so upset, and when trying to ask him about that phone call, all he got was a raised hand demanding silence, while the Japanese walked away towards the shower. The Korean patiently waited for him to be finished, then tried again to talk to him.

-Jin. Don't shut me out. If you're so angry I need to know what's going on, it must be dead serious and if anything happens-

-Nothing is going to happen to me, Hwoarang. I can't guarantee the same for Mr. Lee, though. Remember him, right? With his fancy clothes and his slick tongue? Well, it turns out he planted a bug in my office that day, and the Tekken Force Intelligence just found out about it. I had been losing money in the last weeks, as someone was anticipating all my moves in the market, now I know I was right! I'm going to kill that excuse of a man!

-Jin, I can't believe I'm the one to say it, but, calm down! You can't just go to Violet Corporation and snap the man's neck, or yours will be next. You have no proof it was him. You cannot even confront him on the matter. He knows he's been found out, that's enough, he won't try the same move again, you're free of his yoke. Please, don't do anything that I'd do!

-Fine. But I need to go to the Zaibatsu quarters right now, be sure there are no more bug or else. And I have to talk with Lars about it.

-Who's Lars, anyway? Never heard of the guy before.

-He's the head of the Tekken Force. A man I trust. A good leader, too.

-Then go, you need to solve this. But, remember: calm down. The world hasn't ended yet.

-That's a story for another day, maybe. I'm off. Don't know when I'll be back.

Jin jumped on his bike and headed to the Mishima Zaibatsu building. Although it was about forty minutes distant from the house, and it was around five in the evening when he left, the Japanese didn't come home for dinner, nor to sleep. Hwoarang was quite preoccupied, but he didn't want to disturb him by calling him. He simply stayed awake, waiting for his return, which happened at about three in the morning. It was strange: the Korean heard the door opening, but he hadn't heard the bike's rumble. But when he saw Jin, everything became as clear as the Sun: his clothes where ripped, slashed, almost non-existent from the waist up. He looked tired, almost dozed or confused, and his knuckles were bruised and bleeding.

-Jin... what have you done?

-I... I don't know. I was coming home, then... it all went black. I woke up here, in front of the house... I don't know how I got here, where's my bike...

-Sit down... I'll make you some tea, okay?- "And in the meantime, find out what you've done".

Hwoarang went into the kitchen and turned on the little TV they had on one of the counters. He put on the news and, as he expected, there was a special press report on every channel.

"...the attack took place tonight between midnight and two o'clock; fortunately, no one was in the building when it happened. Violet Systems took a brutal hit, with its laboratory and research center being destroyed and burnt to the ground by what we think could be a terrorist attack. CEO Lee Chaolan still hasn't released a statement, which will probably follow in the morning..."

Hwoarang turned it off, face in his hands. "Devil Jin". He took the cup of tea and brought it in the living room, where Jin was still trying to remember the hours before.

-Here, drink up. 

-Thanks. Hwoarang, I fear I know what happened. When I have these holes in my memory, it's usually...

-Devil Jin. Unfortunately, you're right. I heard it on the news.

-No... no... again... did I hurt anybody? Please, tell me I didn't.

-You didn't. But you basically destroyed all of Violet Systems. Not a good move.

-Fuck. I try to resist it, I swear, I try. But the anger... it boils inside me, it consumes me, it becomes one with myself, then I lose control completely. I don't know what else to do.

-Asking me how to control anger is like asking a fish how to walk, Jin. I know nothing of devil genes, I'm sorry, but I can't really help you with this, if not trying to bring you back when you're near me, like that day at my apartment.

-I'm on my own, and I don't know what to do. I'm scared, Hwoarang. I never asked for this, never wanted this, I was born in the wrong fucking family.

-You're not on your own. You have me. We'll think of something. There must be something...

The tea, by then, was cold.