Before the End

Epilogue - All Is Not Lost

By Kazuya-sama


The room smelled repulsively of blood. The body was still there in the middle of the floor.

Then, slowly, a breath broke the silence.

It was the corpse. It breathed.

Another moment, and slowly, Kazuya's eyes flickered open. Only, they were no longer raven. Rather, they glowed a menacing crimson. He sat up.

He raised a slender hand to his forehead, and pulled a small chunk of metal from his skin. It was a bullet; it dropped to the floor as he threw it aside with disgust. His hair was blood-soaked and plastered to his skull. And his head hurt like hell.

Looking over outside the room, he noticed Heihachi, lying slumped outside the door. Inside the door, a gun lay randomly placed on the ground. Figures. The old coward would shoot at  him to get rid of him, wouldn't he? He'd done the same to his son only two days ago.

"I'll get you for this, you old bastard. I'll get everything back from you."

His rage was as quiet as it always was; it was also enough to stimulate the change needed. He felt the familiar energy surge through his veins, and the familiar burning on his shoulder blades. The raven feathers lying about on the carpet gave him a good idea that somehow the ability had been passed down to his only son. The mere thought of Heihachi denying him something as beautiful, something as precious, amplified that anger. Sure, he'd tried to kill his own son many a time. But how dare he try and take Kazuya's son!

With a quiet grunt of agony, the transformation took place. It'd been so long since he'd done so. Huge, bat-like wings spring from his back, and his skin took on a purple hue. The suit vanished, and claws in various places, along with horns and a tail, appeared instead.

"For now, you'll have to wait old man."

He turned toward the window, and made a similar exit to Jin's. Only he had a place to go. After a quick visit to the G-Corporation, he'd begin making plans. No one must know he was truly alive. Not this time. And Jin, for now, would have to fend for himself.


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