Terry watched in disbelief as Iori collapsed in Ranko's arms. It wasn't for
the fact that the Orochi fighter dropped into unconsciousness. He would've
been surprised if he didn't, after the incredible fight. No, the problem
was that the Orochi Insane Warrior had finally achieved his purpose in
life. Yagami Iori had killed Kusanagi Kyo in the field of battle, in front
of the entire world. He almost felt as if he was dreaming, seeing as the
much smaller form of Ranko Howard held the red-haired man's body. The
coliseum was soon filled with shouts of outrage and promises of revenge.
Even some of the fighters participating in the tournament joined, promising
death to both Iori and Ranko. His younger brother Andy was among those
people, though he was screaming at Ranko in particular. *Why?* He wondered.
It was clear to him that Ranko had no part in Kyo's demise aside from
letting Iori fight him on even terms.
On the other side of the platform the eldest Bogard could see Sakasaki Takuma holding back a struggling Kusanagi Saisyu. Terry winced in sympathy when he caught sight of Kyo's father, of the pain etched on his face as he struggled to get free and avenge his son's death.
Terry turned to see as Ranko dragged Iori's limp form out of the platform, just as the paramedics swarmed in. *It's no use.* The man thought, knowing there was no hope for Kyo. His eyes quickly locked on Geese and Krauser. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in what had just happened. In fact they almost seemed bored.
Just then Geese turned to Terry and both fighters locked gazes. As warriors, they knew the outcome of the match couldn't be any other. Even if not here and now, Iori wouldn't rest until either him or Kyo met ultimate destruction. It was different than their own rivalry, since Terry didn't hold the same hatred Iori had for Kyo, while Geese only saw in Terry another obstacle to destroy and an occasional rival in the martial arts. One of many obstacles. No, Geese and Terry would find each other in many other fights, and maybe someday one of them wouldn't walk out of it alive, but that would be the result of seeking victory in battle, not the other one's death.
The announcer almost whispered the end of the fight, still unable to believe Kyo was no more. Rugal laughed out loud and taunted Saisyu before following his teammates away from the platform.
The next group of combatants was called forth. The Fatal Fury Team and the Ikari Team would clash. But the crowds were subdued. Even as the fighting begun there was an almost tangible tension in the coliseum.
Kusanagi Kyo, a hero to so many people, was dead.
-----
"How is he?" A male voice was heard.
"He'll be feeling like hell for the rest of the day, but tomorrow he'll be as good as new." Ranko answered as she closed the door to Iori's room. "He just needs rest."
Rugal smirked. "Having Orochi blood is a real advantage in these tournaments. We recover a lot faster than the others. And, of course, we have a lot more stamina." He added giving Ranko's body another lecherous look. *What is it with this girl that attracts me so?* The petite redhead was so small compared to him, yet there was something about her that really called to him.
Ranko snarled nastily at him. "Just remember you can also be killed. Remember Yamazaki?"
Rugal chuckled, though he did have to suppress a shudder running down his spine. Pissing the girl off was bad enough, he had seen what she was capable of, but he didn't know how the others would react. For starters there was Geese, who for some reason gave her his last name. Krauser and Iori seemed to like having the small redhead around. That meant if Rugal did something to her he would have to face four very dangerous people, and even he wouldn't be able to survive against such odds.
Ranko turned with disgust from Rugal and walked down the hall, intent on watching the rest of the fights. She didn't know what most of the fighters left could do and wanted to be prepared for them. Iori wouldn't be waking up for a while.
As she walked down the hall she recognized the chi in one of the rooms. The small redhead stopped and looked at the closed door with an expressionless face. "Later." She whispered before resuming her walk, leaving another victim of the tournament behind for the moment.
"What do you want?" She asked in an icy tone of voice as she turned a corner to enter the area destined to her team.
Rugal smirked. "Even if you hate me as much as you do we are still teammates, girl." He said. "You'll have to put up with me for a little longer." With that said he sat comfortably to enjoy the show.
Ranko said nothing as she looked at Joe Higashi and Clark Steel fighting it out. Or rather Joe trying to find an opening and Clark waiting patiently for his opponent to attack.
-----
Joe took another step to the side, careful not to get too close to the grappler. He knew enough about Clark to be wary of the man's throws, which could kill a normal person. The deceptively harmless high stance the soldier used, with both his arms extended in front, and his expressionless face did nothing to fool those who had seen him fight. There was only one way to fight against Clark, and it was hitting fast and hard before getting out of range. Fighting him in close quarters was risky and only a few could pull it off. *And I'm not one of those few.*
Clark waited, as was his custom, for his opponent to attack. He knew Joe had some very good moves that he could do from a distance, but he had seen them very well before and knew how to evade them in a way to get closer. Joe wouldn't be doing those. There was a flash of movement and he lifted his left arm to block a kick. It didn't hold much power behind it, but was fast enough so Joe retrieved it before Clark could exploit it. *Seems like it will be a waiting game.* The mercenary thought calmly. This kind of fight was in his favor.
Joe cursed as his kick was effortlessly blocked. He knew the other fighter must've hardly felt it, but there was no way to get a solid hit without losing some of the speed that came with it. In that moment Joe truly wished he knew a little of Andy's Kopoken. It was very good for charging in fast and hard. He was taken out of that thought as Clark took a step forward, placing them at about two bodies distance. The crowds remained silent, partly because of what happened to Kyo and partly because they knew this fight would turn up like this, and could end any second. *If he gets any closer he'll be in grappling range.* Deciding to be bold, and maybe surprising his opponent, Joe charged and delivered a right cross.
Clark blocked the punch and prepared himself to throw when he felt a blow to his leg. His eyes widened slightly behind his shades as he found himself losing his balance enough to be left open.
Joe smirked when his kick landed and pressed the attack by spinning on himself and launching forward a kick with his hint leg. "SLASH KICK!" The heel of his foot landed squarely in Clark's sternum, making the other man lose his feet.
Clark rolled with the fall and resumed his usual combat stance. *Nice attack.* He was working hard at concealing the fact that he had the air forced out of his lungs.
*Is he made of stone?* Joe thought as he saw Clark get up unaffected by the attack. *No, he's just concealing it.* With that he rushed forward, intent on pressing his advantage and not letting him recover from the attack.
The mercenary knew his chance was at hand when Joe charged at him. He saw Joe execute the same attack as before, punch to the face and kick to the leg. After blocking the fist he jumped off his feet, making the kick miss him. Before Joe could recover Clark had his legs firmly attacked to either side of the Muai Thai fighter's head. Then using his weight he somersaulted back, bringing Joe with him.
Joe nearly blacked out when his head hit the ground. *Damn it!* He bellowed to himself as he prepared to roll out of the way of the follower that was sure to come. He didn't quite make it as he felt Clark's elbow hit him squarely in the ribcage. After that Joe jumped to his feet and away from Clark, who had assumed his stance again.
Clark didn't let Joe get away and rushed at him, intent on grabbing him before he recovered. He was met with Joe's fist to the face, followed by a knee to the jaw.
"TIGER KICK!" Joe roared as he raised to the heavens, his knee leading the way and downing Clark with brutal force. *We're even now.* He thought as he moved to continue attacking, this time a lot more carefully.
Clark started blocking the different poking attacks from Joe. His defense was solid enough not to let anything through., though he did find himself unable to counter in any way, just waiting the chance to get back to the offensive. He didn't get that chance, though, as Joe suddenly managed to break his guard.
Joe saw his chance and attacked with all his remaining power, knowing that this might be his only shot at it. He delivered every attack he knew at the stunned Clark before finishing with a weak Screw Upper. His eyes widened in shock when Clark once again rolled after the fall. *Oh shit!* Joe was still in the air, defenseless.
Clark was in pain, but that was nothing compared to what Joe would experience. Seeing him land he grabbed him by the shoulders and draped him over his back, back to back, before running a few steps and jumping up. Only to have his opponent slam against the ground, with the combined weight of both, in the back of his head. Clark repeated this two more times before letting the Muai Thai fighter go, completely unconscious.
Standing up Clark saluted the unconscious Joe. It had been a good fight and he really enjoyed it.
-----
"Joe." Terry whispered as the medical staff of the tournament took his friend away. It seemed like this particular year there were many more fights finishing with only one person walking away from the bout.
Andy snorted. "Don't worry about him. He's got a hard head." With that he started walking to the platform to face against Clark, who seemed to be very winded after the fight.
"Good luck."
Andy stopped and without turning answered to his older brother. "I don't need luck." With that said he resumed walking.
-----
"That man has improved from the last time we fought." Krauser observed. "He's still not strong enough to give me a decent challenge, but he's getting better."
Geese snorted as the fight resumed. It soon became obvious that Clark was not fast enough to keep up with Andy's attacks. Especially since he was tired from fighting Joe. It didn't take long before Clark was defeated and Ralph Jones took his place. The fight became a little more even, but Andy was still on the winning side. "Andy Bogard hasn't improved much." Geese commented casually.
-----
Ranko snarled as Andy fought against Ralph. He was fast, but not fast enough to keep up with her speed. "And he was threatening me? What an idiot." She said demeaningly.
Rugal chuckled. "He's a warrior still, girl. His only problem is his pride."
Ranko glared at him. "Look who's talking about ego." She herself had a pretty big one too, but it had been tempered somewhat by her training with Geese. Losing nearly every fight against someone for three years can do that to people. She turned back to the fight. "Still, it seems like he'll be winning this round as well."
Rugal studied the fight. By now Andy was landing blow after blow on Ralph. It almost seemed a matter of time before the mercenary dropped. "I don't think so." When Ranko turned to him with a confused look on her face he smirked. "Keep looking. You will find the outcome of the fight quite... enlightening."
-----
Ralph waited for his chance, knowing he wouldn't win the fight if he didn't risk everything. *I just hope he tries to finish me off with that move.*
Andy by now was looking bored as he beat on Ralph. He suddenly elbowed his opponent in the jaw, making him turn all the way and expose his back, and prepared to finish it.
Ralph's eyes glinted as he looked at the floor. He clenched his right fist to his side. "Galactica Phantom." He whispered.
The crowd became silent at what happened next. Andy started delivering a deadly combination of blows to his opponent's exposed back, only to suddenly find himself receiving the mother of all punches. Ralph's counter was so strong that he found himself flying back and crashing against the transparent wall. He lost consciousness before falling to the ground.
Ralph breathed heavily as he saw his opponent lay in a heap, then took off his bandana and smiled as the crowd went wild.
-----
Ranko's eyes were wide in disbelief. *That was some punch.* She thought as Terry Bogard entered the platform. "Something like that would knock anyone down."
Rugal nodded. "But the technique has one fatal flaw. It takes too long to charge."
Ranko looked at Rugal blankly. "You've actually considered robbing the technique for yourself, haven't you?"
Rugal said nothing.
-----
Terry made short work out of Ralph. The soldier was left in a very bad state after fighting against Andy. After that he saw as Leona stepped over the platform. Her steps made no noise as she stopped in front of him at her full height, just two inches bellow him. Her stance gave away nothing, but the experienced fighter could tell she was strong. The strongest among her teammates. "Good luck." He said to her as he assumed his fighting stance.
Leona said nothing, as expected, and assumed her own.
No sooner had the announcer signaled the start of the fight than the blue- haired woman rushed forward at an amazing speed. When she got in range she lashed out with a sweep kick.
Terry just barely managed to react in time and hop over the sweep. No sooner had his feet touched the ground than he found himself forced to block a knee to the gut, followed by another with the other leg. After that Leona kicked low, followed by another sweep. Terry found himself out of range to try and retaliate after the exchange. *She's good. Very good. Her attacks were all fast and precise and she got out of range before I could do anything.* As Leona started circling around him he clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to get some feeling back into his left arm. *I only blocked two blows and can already feel the effects.* He knew the fighters with Orochi blood had some kind of boost over the others, especially after fighting Iori, but the blood itself was no good if the fighter didn't dedicate him or herself to training. He fixed his eyes on Leona's own. *She's strong and fast. Iori was stronger, but she's faster.* Deciding that the best defense would be a good offense he rushed at her, intent on giving as good as he was receiving.
Leona rushed forward just as Terry did, clashing with him in a dance of blows that more than once landed on the other fighter. They were both testing each other, probing for possible weaknesses, before lashing out with the truly powerful moves. Leona's speed was compensated by Terry's strong blocks and punches, which forced her to either block or evade. In Terry's book that was better than being beat upon.
The blue-haired woman blocked two of Terry's punches and jumped back, knowing she needed space to use her speed. Terry rushed after her, intent on not giving her said space. This was repeated several times, as Leona tried to get some space and Terry got in close quarters again.
The stalemate was broken when Leona jumped high in the air, quickly followed by Terry. She dodged around his kick like a snake and passed through his defenses easily. A knife strike to the chest drew the man's blood and before he could recover Leona took a hold of his shoulders, used them to get behind him, and kicked him towards the ground. In the process she propelled herself away.
Terry landed hard on the ground. From that short exchange he could tell he was badly outmatched in the air. As he got up he saw Leona land lightly on her feet and away from him. *She wins that one.* He conceded as he started analyzing what had been going on in the fight so far. *She's faster than I am, and nearly as strong.* His eyes focused on her legs. *Specially her lower body. She also jumps higher than I do and is nimbler.* Oh well. He'd have to cut loose with his moves.
Leona knew the fight was on her side so far, but that could quickly change if she wasn't careful. Terry's file listed the techniques he had at his disposal, and she had seen him fight enough to know just how powerful they were.
Terry smiled as he prepared himself to fight for real. "POWER WAVE!" He cried out as he hit the ground with his fist. A literal wave of power advanced toward the blue-haired woman. Terry didn't wait to see how his attack fared and prepared another one, just in case. "BURN KNUCKLE!" Nearly his entire body surrounded by a corona of power, he launched himself forward, his fist leading the way.
Leona jumped over the chi blast and her eyes widened when she saw what was incoming. Knowing she had no chance of winning a confrontation with that move she concentrated her power in a move that was almost second nature to her. With great effort she somehow managed to convert her gathered power into kinetic energy, shooting forward and above Terry's attack.
*WHAT?!" Terry screamed in shock inwardly.
-----
Ranko's eyes were wide in disbelief at that move. "Did she just...?" Leona's move defied the very laws of physics. Not that Ranko knew much about them anyway, but she knew enough from her studies in the Saotome Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu. Changing direction in midair with nothing tangible to help had to be impossible. Herb did something similar when he levitated, but actually shooting away at such speed was beyond even the Musk prince.
Rugal nodded, even if he knew the redhead couldn't see it. "That girl is simply amazing. She normally uses that move to attack the enemy at an angle and deliver a powerful chi attack, but using it to evade something in midair is a good application of it."
Ranko just nodded dumbly. She started to see why Iori was so entranced at seeing Leona fight, besides being in love with her, of course.
-----
Terry nodded to himself. *She's fast and good enough to avoid my best moves. But it'll cost her.* He could see Leona get up a fraction of a second slower than before. Using so much power to keep avoiding his moves would tire her out, and then he would finish the fight. Unless she landed something powerful.
Leona turned dispassionately at Terry. That had been a close call. Terry's moves were packing a lot more power than before, and she couldn't see any signs of his getting tired. She would have to risk it now that she was still nearly in top form. An all or nothing maneuver.
Terry tensed when Leona rushed at him. *She knows she has to finish it now.* He knew all of Leona's moves, or at least he thought he did, so he was prepared to counter if she tried to attack with her claw strikes. It was then that Leona used a move he didn't expect.
Instead of clawing forward, Leona took a hold of Terry's shoulders and, before the startled fighter could react, threw his larger body up. The eldest Bogard was understandably shocked when he felt his back nearly give out as Leona used one of Clark's moves.
The crowd saw Terry land hard on Leona's shoulders and they winced when they heard the sound of popping bone. It didn't end there, though. Leona threw Terry up one more time, intent on finishing the job with the next backbreaker.
Terry knew he couldn't resist another of those. Focusing his power he managed to take control of himself in the air, much like Leona did a few moments before, and twisted in midair so he was facing down. He then charged even more power and launched himself down with incredible speed, making it impossible for Leona to dodge the attack. "BURN KNUCKLE!"
Leona's eyes widened in realization just before Terry's fist impacted with her face. From the angle the attack came she found herself hitting the ground with her back, Terry's fist still pushing her head down.
Terry retrieved his fist as he took deep breaths. *That took more out of me than I thought.* He got up, still looking at the unmoving Leona. *If she pulled off that move before and wasn't as affected...* His thoughts were interrupted as Leona started to stir. He jumped back in shock when the blue- haired woman sat up, groaning as she held the back of her head with one hand.
Terry's eyes locked on the place Leona landed. The ground was cracked where Leona's head landed. *She shouldn't be getting up after that.* He took another step backward as Leona got up to her feet, her hair obscuring her face. It was then that Leona looked up.
The eldest Bogard didn't like what he saw.
Leona's eyes were milky white, her pupils seemingly gone. Just then her hair started changing color from blue to red and blood started flowing from her mouth.
*Oh shit!* Terry assumed a defensive stance as he faced against the possessed woman.
-----
Ranko winced when she saw what happened to Leona. Not because she was sympathetic to the woman, but because her stance and attitude had changed dramatically. *And why the hell did it have to be like a freaking c-c-c- cat?!*
Rugal raised an eyebrow in amusement as he saw the small redhead start exuding fear. He knew the emotion well enough, having seen it many times, and he could tell Ranko was terrified of Leona. *Why?*
-----
The fighters in general felt nervousness at seeing Leona turn into that bloodthirsty beast again.
One of them in particular, as he felt again the fear of losing his daughter.
-----
Terry watched Leona walk towards him. Though walk wasn't the exact word, more like glide. He tensed even more when Leona stopped and stared at him with those pupil-less eyes, her features locked in a snarl as she more or less meowed.
After a few seconds of silently standing there, Terry watched as Leona suddenly collapsed back, her hair turning blue again.
As she landed hard on the ground he couldn't help but give out a sigh of relief. He didn't know if he was strong enough to fight against a possessed Leona without killing her before she managed to kill him.
-----
Ranko visibly relaxed as the fight came to an end. She saw as Terry walked away from the platform just as the medical staff took Leona away. She smirked and left before Rugal could question her.
Rugal just shook his head and turned back to the platform for the next fight. *I wonder if Geese and Krauser will kill their opponents.* He thought calmly, knowing Krauser went easy on the girls.
-----
He opened his eyes slowly and quickly closed them shut again, the soft light feelings as if it burned into his brain. He groaned as he started getting a feel of his body. *Damn. I haven't felt this bad since last I fought Ranma.* He thought, wondering just what happened.
"Good morning." Greeted a cheerful voice a little too close to his ear, making his already bad headache turn even worse.
Of course he recognized the voice and that made him relax somewhat. "What do you want?" He tried to ask. It ended up coming out like, to him, incoherent babbling.
Ranko smirked as she sat on a chair next to Iori's bed. As soon as she saw he was starting to regain consciousness she all but shouted on his ear. "You should be happy, you know?" She said sobering. No matter what, she could never remain cheerful.
Iori opened his eyes again. He winced when he felt the light but this time he managed to stand it. "What?"
Ranko placed her hand on his shoulder. "You don't remember?"
Iori frowned as he tried went over what he remembered. His eyes suddenly widened and he sat up, ignoring the protests of his body. He was too happy to care about some injuries that wouldn't bother him anymore in the morning. "Kusanagi." He said softly, staring at Ranko's eyes.
Ranko let go of his arm when he sat up and smiled at him, keeping his eyes locked with her own. "Dead." Her eyes widened in shock when she found herself the recipient of a hug. Especially since it came from one of the people she least expected it to be from. She finally managed to return it somewhat awkwardly.
Iori let go of Ranko after a couple of minutes. He heard her take a deep breath and smirked, remembering she wasn't as tough as he was. "Thank you." It was the first time he could remember he thanked another person about something.
The smaller redhead shook her head to clear it after being nearly crushed by an over enthusiastic Iori. "Don't mention it. But if you hug me again I'll kick your ass."
Iori snorted. "I'd like to see you try, 'Ranko.'"
She dismissed the challenge with a wave of her hand. "We still have a tournament to win." She then smiled mischievously. "And you have someone to look after." With those cryptic words she stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
-----
Outside Ranko leaned against the door and crossed her arms over her breasts. She could hear the crowd going wild at the fight that was taking place, but she didn't care. She was helping a friend have a private moment with his loved one.
-----
Iori stared blankly at the closed door, feeling Ranko simply remain there. He tried to make sense of her words but couldn't come up with anything.
He shook his head, giving up on trying to understand the redhead, and let himself fall back on the bed. As he inclined his head to the side he caught sight of something blue on another bed. Knowing coincidence didn't exist, especially in his life, he sat up and smiled at the door.
Getting up, carefully so he didn't disturb his roommate's sleep, he took the chair Ranko was sitting on and took it to the other bed. After taking a seat he leaned forward and stared at the glorious sight before him.
Leona slept in what seemed like a dreamless sleep. This brought a smile to Iori's lips that only two people had ever seen. The blue-haired woman had several visible bruises, one particularly nasty-looking on her jaw. In his eyes, instead of making her less attractive, it made her look more beautiful. *The price for being what she is. A warrior.* He knew the first thing he fell for about her was her lust for battle, much like his own in so many ways. Even if they used their skills to achieve different things they loved the feeling of combat.
He reached forward and caressed Leona's cheek softly, careful to avoid the bruises that would surely disappear in little time. Her blood would make sure of that.
He would take care of whoever beat Leona like this, knowing the other team probably won the battle against her own. But that could wait for later. Right now he just wanted to stare at the woman that had such a strong effect on him.
-----
Terry walked down the hall to Mary's room. He left Joe and Andy as soon as they woke up and, instead of going to see the next fight where obviously Geese would be fighting, he went to check up on the woman he finally admitted his feelings for.
As he turned around a corner he caught sight of Ranko Howard leaning against a door. She turned to him and her features hardened considerably. As he approached her she motioned for him to be quiet, indicating the room behind her.
Terry understood instantly, figuring Iori was probably resting there and Ranko was keeping guard over him. It would be no surprise to have someone try to kill Iori when he was defenseless after he killed Kyo.
The eldest Bogard nodded to Ranko as he walked past her. Without turning to look at her he whispered something before continuing. "We need to talk." His voice was even as he said those words.
Ranko didn't make a move to acknowledge him, but he knew she got the message.
-----
"This can't be happening." Mai muttered as she stood next to Andy.
Andy and Joe just clenched their fists tightly and stared at the result of the fight with their eyes burning with anger.
Not far away Chizuru babbled incoherently about the world's last hope being gone.
In the middle of the platform stood Geese, laughing as he felt his fingers had finally done the attempted damage. With one hand he had Kusanagi Saisyu held by the neck over his head. The Kusanagi elder's eyes were glazed over as his body started shutting down. Geese tightened his grip one more time for good measure, the sound of bones popping out of place heard sickeningly clear, before slamming the corpse hard on the floor. "The Kusanagi line is no more." He muttered.
END PART 1
Author's notes: Well, since many people had been wondering about what happened in the past of DPNR, and Knightforces kicked me off my lazy butt, here it is. This part of the fic will cover those years in the King of Fighters world.
Hope you enjoy.
On the other side of the platform the eldest Bogard could see Sakasaki Takuma holding back a struggling Kusanagi Saisyu. Terry winced in sympathy when he caught sight of Kyo's father, of the pain etched on his face as he struggled to get free and avenge his son's death.
Terry turned to see as Ranko dragged Iori's limp form out of the platform, just as the paramedics swarmed in. *It's no use.* The man thought, knowing there was no hope for Kyo. His eyes quickly locked on Geese and Krauser. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in what had just happened. In fact they almost seemed bored.
Just then Geese turned to Terry and both fighters locked gazes. As warriors, they knew the outcome of the match couldn't be any other. Even if not here and now, Iori wouldn't rest until either him or Kyo met ultimate destruction. It was different than their own rivalry, since Terry didn't hold the same hatred Iori had for Kyo, while Geese only saw in Terry another obstacle to destroy and an occasional rival in the martial arts. One of many obstacles. No, Geese and Terry would find each other in many other fights, and maybe someday one of them wouldn't walk out of it alive, but that would be the result of seeking victory in battle, not the other one's death.
The announcer almost whispered the end of the fight, still unable to believe Kyo was no more. Rugal laughed out loud and taunted Saisyu before following his teammates away from the platform.
The next group of combatants was called forth. The Fatal Fury Team and the Ikari Team would clash. But the crowds were subdued. Even as the fighting begun there was an almost tangible tension in the coliseum.
Kusanagi Kyo, a hero to so many people, was dead.
-----
"How is he?" A male voice was heard.
"He'll be feeling like hell for the rest of the day, but tomorrow he'll be as good as new." Ranko answered as she closed the door to Iori's room. "He just needs rest."
Rugal smirked. "Having Orochi blood is a real advantage in these tournaments. We recover a lot faster than the others. And, of course, we have a lot more stamina." He added giving Ranko's body another lecherous look. *What is it with this girl that attracts me so?* The petite redhead was so small compared to him, yet there was something about her that really called to him.
Ranko snarled nastily at him. "Just remember you can also be killed. Remember Yamazaki?"
Rugal chuckled, though he did have to suppress a shudder running down his spine. Pissing the girl off was bad enough, he had seen what she was capable of, but he didn't know how the others would react. For starters there was Geese, who for some reason gave her his last name. Krauser and Iori seemed to like having the small redhead around. That meant if Rugal did something to her he would have to face four very dangerous people, and even he wouldn't be able to survive against such odds.
Ranko turned with disgust from Rugal and walked down the hall, intent on watching the rest of the fights. She didn't know what most of the fighters left could do and wanted to be prepared for them. Iori wouldn't be waking up for a while.
As she walked down the hall she recognized the chi in one of the rooms. The small redhead stopped and looked at the closed door with an expressionless face. "Later." She whispered before resuming her walk, leaving another victim of the tournament behind for the moment.
"What do you want?" She asked in an icy tone of voice as she turned a corner to enter the area destined to her team.
Rugal smirked. "Even if you hate me as much as you do we are still teammates, girl." He said. "You'll have to put up with me for a little longer." With that said he sat comfortably to enjoy the show.
Ranko said nothing as she looked at Joe Higashi and Clark Steel fighting it out. Or rather Joe trying to find an opening and Clark waiting patiently for his opponent to attack.
-----
Joe took another step to the side, careful not to get too close to the grappler. He knew enough about Clark to be wary of the man's throws, which could kill a normal person. The deceptively harmless high stance the soldier used, with both his arms extended in front, and his expressionless face did nothing to fool those who had seen him fight. There was only one way to fight against Clark, and it was hitting fast and hard before getting out of range. Fighting him in close quarters was risky and only a few could pull it off. *And I'm not one of those few.*
Clark waited, as was his custom, for his opponent to attack. He knew Joe had some very good moves that he could do from a distance, but he had seen them very well before and knew how to evade them in a way to get closer. Joe wouldn't be doing those. There was a flash of movement and he lifted his left arm to block a kick. It didn't hold much power behind it, but was fast enough so Joe retrieved it before Clark could exploit it. *Seems like it will be a waiting game.* The mercenary thought calmly. This kind of fight was in his favor.
Joe cursed as his kick was effortlessly blocked. He knew the other fighter must've hardly felt it, but there was no way to get a solid hit without losing some of the speed that came with it. In that moment Joe truly wished he knew a little of Andy's Kopoken. It was very good for charging in fast and hard. He was taken out of that thought as Clark took a step forward, placing them at about two bodies distance. The crowds remained silent, partly because of what happened to Kyo and partly because they knew this fight would turn up like this, and could end any second. *If he gets any closer he'll be in grappling range.* Deciding to be bold, and maybe surprising his opponent, Joe charged and delivered a right cross.
Clark blocked the punch and prepared himself to throw when he felt a blow to his leg. His eyes widened slightly behind his shades as he found himself losing his balance enough to be left open.
Joe smirked when his kick landed and pressed the attack by spinning on himself and launching forward a kick with his hint leg. "SLASH KICK!" The heel of his foot landed squarely in Clark's sternum, making the other man lose his feet.
Clark rolled with the fall and resumed his usual combat stance. *Nice attack.* He was working hard at concealing the fact that he had the air forced out of his lungs.
*Is he made of stone?* Joe thought as he saw Clark get up unaffected by the attack. *No, he's just concealing it.* With that he rushed forward, intent on pressing his advantage and not letting him recover from the attack.
The mercenary knew his chance was at hand when Joe charged at him. He saw Joe execute the same attack as before, punch to the face and kick to the leg. After blocking the fist he jumped off his feet, making the kick miss him. Before Joe could recover Clark had his legs firmly attacked to either side of the Muai Thai fighter's head. Then using his weight he somersaulted back, bringing Joe with him.
Joe nearly blacked out when his head hit the ground. *Damn it!* He bellowed to himself as he prepared to roll out of the way of the follower that was sure to come. He didn't quite make it as he felt Clark's elbow hit him squarely in the ribcage. After that Joe jumped to his feet and away from Clark, who had assumed his stance again.
Clark didn't let Joe get away and rushed at him, intent on grabbing him before he recovered. He was met with Joe's fist to the face, followed by a knee to the jaw.
"TIGER KICK!" Joe roared as he raised to the heavens, his knee leading the way and downing Clark with brutal force. *We're even now.* He thought as he moved to continue attacking, this time a lot more carefully.
Clark started blocking the different poking attacks from Joe. His defense was solid enough not to let anything through., though he did find himself unable to counter in any way, just waiting the chance to get back to the offensive. He didn't get that chance, though, as Joe suddenly managed to break his guard.
Joe saw his chance and attacked with all his remaining power, knowing that this might be his only shot at it. He delivered every attack he knew at the stunned Clark before finishing with a weak Screw Upper. His eyes widened in shock when Clark once again rolled after the fall. *Oh shit!* Joe was still in the air, defenseless.
Clark was in pain, but that was nothing compared to what Joe would experience. Seeing him land he grabbed him by the shoulders and draped him over his back, back to back, before running a few steps and jumping up. Only to have his opponent slam against the ground, with the combined weight of both, in the back of his head. Clark repeated this two more times before letting the Muai Thai fighter go, completely unconscious.
Standing up Clark saluted the unconscious Joe. It had been a good fight and he really enjoyed it.
-----
"Joe." Terry whispered as the medical staff of the tournament took his friend away. It seemed like this particular year there were many more fights finishing with only one person walking away from the bout.
Andy snorted. "Don't worry about him. He's got a hard head." With that he started walking to the platform to face against Clark, who seemed to be very winded after the fight.
"Good luck."
Andy stopped and without turning answered to his older brother. "I don't need luck." With that said he resumed walking.
-----
"That man has improved from the last time we fought." Krauser observed. "He's still not strong enough to give me a decent challenge, but he's getting better."
Geese snorted as the fight resumed. It soon became obvious that Clark was not fast enough to keep up with Andy's attacks. Especially since he was tired from fighting Joe. It didn't take long before Clark was defeated and Ralph Jones took his place. The fight became a little more even, but Andy was still on the winning side. "Andy Bogard hasn't improved much." Geese commented casually.
-----
Ranko snarled as Andy fought against Ralph. He was fast, but not fast enough to keep up with her speed. "And he was threatening me? What an idiot." She said demeaningly.
Rugal chuckled. "He's a warrior still, girl. His only problem is his pride."
Ranko glared at him. "Look who's talking about ego." She herself had a pretty big one too, but it had been tempered somewhat by her training with Geese. Losing nearly every fight against someone for three years can do that to people. She turned back to the fight. "Still, it seems like he'll be winning this round as well."
Rugal studied the fight. By now Andy was landing blow after blow on Ralph. It almost seemed a matter of time before the mercenary dropped. "I don't think so." When Ranko turned to him with a confused look on her face he smirked. "Keep looking. You will find the outcome of the fight quite... enlightening."
-----
Ralph waited for his chance, knowing he wouldn't win the fight if he didn't risk everything. *I just hope he tries to finish me off with that move.*
Andy by now was looking bored as he beat on Ralph. He suddenly elbowed his opponent in the jaw, making him turn all the way and expose his back, and prepared to finish it.
Ralph's eyes glinted as he looked at the floor. He clenched his right fist to his side. "Galactica Phantom." He whispered.
The crowd became silent at what happened next. Andy started delivering a deadly combination of blows to his opponent's exposed back, only to suddenly find himself receiving the mother of all punches. Ralph's counter was so strong that he found himself flying back and crashing against the transparent wall. He lost consciousness before falling to the ground.
Ralph breathed heavily as he saw his opponent lay in a heap, then took off his bandana and smiled as the crowd went wild.
-----
Ranko's eyes were wide in disbelief. *That was some punch.* She thought as Terry Bogard entered the platform. "Something like that would knock anyone down."
Rugal nodded. "But the technique has one fatal flaw. It takes too long to charge."
Ranko looked at Rugal blankly. "You've actually considered robbing the technique for yourself, haven't you?"
Rugal said nothing.
-----
Terry made short work out of Ralph. The soldier was left in a very bad state after fighting against Andy. After that he saw as Leona stepped over the platform. Her steps made no noise as she stopped in front of him at her full height, just two inches bellow him. Her stance gave away nothing, but the experienced fighter could tell she was strong. The strongest among her teammates. "Good luck." He said to her as he assumed his fighting stance.
Leona said nothing, as expected, and assumed her own.
No sooner had the announcer signaled the start of the fight than the blue- haired woman rushed forward at an amazing speed. When she got in range she lashed out with a sweep kick.
Terry just barely managed to react in time and hop over the sweep. No sooner had his feet touched the ground than he found himself forced to block a knee to the gut, followed by another with the other leg. After that Leona kicked low, followed by another sweep. Terry found himself out of range to try and retaliate after the exchange. *She's good. Very good. Her attacks were all fast and precise and she got out of range before I could do anything.* As Leona started circling around him he clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to get some feeling back into his left arm. *I only blocked two blows and can already feel the effects.* He knew the fighters with Orochi blood had some kind of boost over the others, especially after fighting Iori, but the blood itself was no good if the fighter didn't dedicate him or herself to training. He fixed his eyes on Leona's own. *She's strong and fast. Iori was stronger, but she's faster.* Deciding that the best defense would be a good offense he rushed at her, intent on giving as good as he was receiving.
Leona rushed forward just as Terry did, clashing with him in a dance of blows that more than once landed on the other fighter. They were both testing each other, probing for possible weaknesses, before lashing out with the truly powerful moves. Leona's speed was compensated by Terry's strong blocks and punches, which forced her to either block or evade. In Terry's book that was better than being beat upon.
The blue-haired woman blocked two of Terry's punches and jumped back, knowing she needed space to use her speed. Terry rushed after her, intent on not giving her said space. This was repeated several times, as Leona tried to get some space and Terry got in close quarters again.
The stalemate was broken when Leona jumped high in the air, quickly followed by Terry. She dodged around his kick like a snake and passed through his defenses easily. A knife strike to the chest drew the man's blood and before he could recover Leona took a hold of his shoulders, used them to get behind him, and kicked him towards the ground. In the process she propelled herself away.
Terry landed hard on the ground. From that short exchange he could tell he was badly outmatched in the air. As he got up he saw Leona land lightly on her feet and away from him. *She wins that one.* He conceded as he started analyzing what had been going on in the fight so far. *She's faster than I am, and nearly as strong.* His eyes focused on her legs. *Specially her lower body. She also jumps higher than I do and is nimbler.* Oh well. He'd have to cut loose with his moves.
Leona knew the fight was on her side so far, but that could quickly change if she wasn't careful. Terry's file listed the techniques he had at his disposal, and she had seen him fight enough to know just how powerful they were.
Terry smiled as he prepared himself to fight for real. "POWER WAVE!" He cried out as he hit the ground with his fist. A literal wave of power advanced toward the blue-haired woman. Terry didn't wait to see how his attack fared and prepared another one, just in case. "BURN KNUCKLE!" Nearly his entire body surrounded by a corona of power, he launched himself forward, his fist leading the way.
Leona jumped over the chi blast and her eyes widened when she saw what was incoming. Knowing she had no chance of winning a confrontation with that move she concentrated her power in a move that was almost second nature to her. With great effort she somehow managed to convert her gathered power into kinetic energy, shooting forward and above Terry's attack.
*WHAT?!" Terry screamed in shock inwardly.
-----
Ranko's eyes were wide in disbelief at that move. "Did she just...?" Leona's move defied the very laws of physics. Not that Ranko knew much about them anyway, but she knew enough from her studies in the Saotome Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu. Changing direction in midair with nothing tangible to help had to be impossible. Herb did something similar when he levitated, but actually shooting away at such speed was beyond even the Musk prince.
Rugal nodded, even if he knew the redhead couldn't see it. "That girl is simply amazing. She normally uses that move to attack the enemy at an angle and deliver a powerful chi attack, but using it to evade something in midair is a good application of it."
Ranko just nodded dumbly. She started to see why Iori was so entranced at seeing Leona fight, besides being in love with her, of course.
-----
Terry nodded to himself. *She's fast and good enough to avoid my best moves. But it'll cost her.* He could see Leona get up a fraction of a second slower than before. Using so much power to keep avoiding his moves would tire her out, and then he would finish the fight. Unless she landed something powerful.
Leona turned dispassionately at Terry. That had been a close call. Terry's moves were packing a lot more power than before, and she couldn't see any signs of his getting tired. She would have to risk it now that she was still nearly in top form. An all or nothing maneuver.
Terry tensed when Leona rushed at him. *She knows she has to finish it now.* He knew all of Leona's moves, or at least he thought he did, so he was prepared to counter if she tried to attack with her claw strikes. It was then that Leona used a move he didn't expect.
Instead of clawing forward, Leona took a hold of Terry's shoulders and, before the startled fighter could react, threw his larger body up. The eldest Bogard was understandably shocked when he felt his back nearly give out as Leona used one of Clark's moves.
The crowd saw Terry land hard on Leona's shoulders and they winced when they heard the sound of popping bone. It didn't end there, though. Leona threw Terry up one more time, intent on finishing the job with the next backbreaker.
Terry knew he couldn't resist another of those. Focusing his power he managed to take control of himself in the air, much like Leona did a few moments before, and twisted in midair so he was facing down. He then charged even more power and launched himself down with incredible speed, making it impossible for Leona to dodge the attack. "BURN KNUCKLE!"
Leona's eyes widened in realization just before Terry's fist impacted with her face. From the angle the attack came she found herself hitting the ground with her back, Terry's fist still pushing her head down.
Terry retrieved his fist as he took deep breaths. *That took more out of me than I thought.* He got up, still looking at the unmoving Leona. *If she pulled off that move before and wasn't as affected...* His thoughts were interrupted as Leona started to stir. He jumped back in shock when the blue- haired woman sat up, groaning as she held the back of her head with one hand.
Terry's eyes locked on the place Leona landed. The ground was cracked where Leona's head landed. *She shouldn't be getting up after that.* He took another step backward as Leona got up to her feet, her hair obscuring her face. It was then that Leona looked up.
The eldest Bogard didn't like what he saw.
Leona's eyes were milky white, her pupils seemingly gone. Just then her hair started changing color from blue to red and blood started flowing from her mouth.
*Oh shit!* Terry assumed a defensive stance as he faced against the possessed woman.
-----
Ranko winced when she saw what happened to Leona. Not because she was sympathetic to the woman, but because her stance and attitude had changed dramatically. *And why the hell did it have to be like a freaking c-c-c- cat?!*
Rugal raised an eyebrow in amusement as he saw the small redhead start exuding fear. He knew the emotion well enough, having seen it many times, and he could tell Ranko was terrified of Leona. *Why?*
-----
The fighters in general felt nervousness at seeing Leona turn into that bloodthirsty beast again.
One of them in particular, as he felt again the fear of losing his daughter.
-----
Terry watched Leona walk towards him. Though walk wasn't the exact word, more like glide. He tensed even more when Leona stopped and stared at him with those pupil-less eyes, her features locked in a snarl as she more or less meowed.
After a few seconds of silently standing there, Terry watched as Leona suddenly collapsed back, her hair turning blue again.
As she landed hard on the ground he couldn't help but give out a sigh of relief. He didn't know if he was strong enough to fight against a possessed Leona without killing her before she managed to kill him.
-----
Ranko visibly relaxed as the fight came to an end. She saw as Terry walked away from the platform just as the medical staff took Leona away. She smirked and left before Rugal could question her.
Rugal just shook his head and turned back to the platform for the next fight. *I wonder if Geese and Krauser will kill their opponents.* He thought calmly, knowing Krauser went easy on the girls.
-----
He opened his eyes slowly and quickly closed them shut again, the soft light feelings as if it burned into his brain. He groaned as he started getting a feel of his body. *Damn. I haven't felt this bad since last I fought Ranma.* He thought, wondering just what happened.
"Good morning." Greeted a cheerful voice a little too close to his ear, making his already bad headache turn even worse.
Of course he recognized the voice and that made him relax somewhat. "What do you want?" He tried to ask. It ended up coming out like, to him, incoherent babbling.
Ranko smirked as she sat on a chair next to Iori's bed. As soon as she saw he was starting to regain consciousness she all but shouted on his ear. "You should be happy, you know?" She said sobering. No matter what, she could never remain cheerful.
Iori opened his eyes again. He winced when he felt the light but this time he managed to stand it. "What?"
Ranko placed her hand on his shoulder. "You don't remember?"
Iori frowned as he tried went over what he remembered. His eyes suddenly widened and he sat up, ignoring the protests of his body. He was too happy to care about some injuries that wouldn't bother him anymore in the morning. "Kusanagi." He said softly, staring at Ranko's eyes.
Ranko let go of his arm when he sat up and smiled at him, keeping his eyes locked with her own. "Dead." Her eyes widened in shock when she found herself the recipient of a hug. Especially since it came from one of the people she least expected it to be from. She finally managed to return it somewhat awkwardly.
Iori let go of Ranko after a couple of minutes. He heard her take a deep breath and smirked, remembering she wasn't as tough as he was. "Thank you." It was the first time he could remember he thanked another person about something.
The smaller redhead shook her head to clear it after being nearly crushed by an over enthusiastic Iori. "Don't mention it. But if you hug me again I'll kick your ass."
Iori snorted. "I'd like to see you try, 'Ranko.'"
She dismissed the challenge with a wave of her hand. "We still have a tournament to win." She then smiled mischievously. "And you have someone to look after." With those cryptic words she stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
-----
Outside Ranko leaned against the door and crossed her arms over her breasts. She could hear the crowd going wild at the fight that was taking place, but she didn't care. She was helping a friend have a private moment with his loved one.
-----
Iori stared blankly at the closed door, feeling Ranko simply remain there. He tried to make sense of her words but couldn't come up with anything.
He shook his head, giving up on trying to understand the redhead, and let himself fall back on the bed. As he inclined his head to the side he caught sight of something blue on another bed. Knowing coincidence didn't exist, especially in his life, he sat up and smiled at the door.
Getting up, carefully so he didn't disturb his roommate's sleep, he took the chair Ranko was sitting on and took it to the other bed. After taking a seat he leaned forward and stared at the glorious sight before him.
Leona slept in what seemed like a dreamless sleep. This brought a smile to Iori's lips that only two people had ever seen. The blue-haired woman had several visible bruises, one particularly nasty-looking on her jaw. In his eyes, instead of making her less attractive, it made her look more beautiful. *The price for being what she is. A warrior.* He knew the first thing he fell for about her was her lust for battle, much like his own in so many ways. Even if they used their skills to achieve different things they loved the feeling of combat.
He reached forward and caressed Leona's cheek softly, careful to avoid the bruises that would surely disappear in little time. Her blood would make sure of that.
He would take care of whoever beat Leona like this, knowing the other team probably won the battle against her own. But that could wait for later. Right now he just wanted to stare at the woman that had such a strong effect on him.
-----
Terry walked down the hall to Mary's room. He left Joe and Andy as soon as they woke up and, instead of going to see the next fight where obviously Geese would be fighting, he went to check up on the woman he finally admitted his feelings for.
As he turned around a corner he caught sight of Ranko Howard leaning against a door. She turned to him and her features hardened considerably. As he approached her she motioned for him to be quiet, indicating the room behind her.
Terry understood instantly, figuring Iori was probably resting there and Ranko was keeping guard over him. It would be no surprise to have someone try to kill Iori when he was defenseless after he killed Kyo.
The eldest Bogard nodded to Ranko as he walked past her. Without turning to look at her he whispered something before continuing. "We need to talk." His voice was even as he said those words.
Ranko didn't make a move to acknowledge him, but he knew she got the message.
-----
"This can't be happening." Mai muttered as she stood next to Andy.
Andy and Joe just clenched their fists tightly and stared at the result of the fight with their eyes burning with anger.
Not far away Chizuru babbled incoherently about the world's last hope being gone.
In the middle of the platform stood Geese, laughing as he felt his fingers had finally done the attempted damage. With one hand he had Kusanagi Saisyu held by the neck over his head. The Kusanagi elder's eyes were glazed over as his body started shutting down. Geese tightened his grip one more time for good measure, the sound of bones popping out of place heard sickeningly clear, before slamming the corpse hard on the floor. "The Kusanagi line is no more." He muttered.
END PART 1
Author's notes: Well, since many people had been wondering about what happened in the past of DPNR, and Knightforces kicked me off my lazy butt, here it is. This part of the fic will cover those years in the King of Fighters world.
Hope you enjoy.