This is my second fic. Hope it goes better than my first one. This one is going to be one chapter only. Focuses on a single character from KOF. Disclaimers as usual, credits to SNK and so on and so forth. Oh yeah, a bit OOC (out of character).
Tales from Southtown.
The sun had just set below the horizon on a city which had seen better days. The last drops of rain trickled down the face of our protagonist. Our heroine walks into a bad part of Southtown. Well, actually, the worst part of Southtown. Neon signs and trash can fires bathed the city block with a hellish glow. Sirens, gunshots and your occasional screams accompanied the already sombre atmosphere. The presence of the newcomer barely attracted any attention. She stopped near a seedy bar with a broken sign. The sign was blinking pathetically but it served it's purpose well enough.
?: "Hmmm, Hot Lips Bar, this must be it."
She hesitantly opened the door, looking back once or twice before entering. As she entered the dimly lit bar, an obnoxious smell assaulted her sense of smell. Somehow the other bar patrons doesn't seem to mind at all. An ill-kempt bartender looks at her and grunted.
B/tender: "What'll it be?"
?: "A Bloody Mary."
B/tender: (raises one of his eyebrows) "We're out of ketchup."
?: "I brought my own."
The bartender looks around and then motions her to follow him. The bartender leads her to the back room. The bartender knocks on the door. A peephole slides open, then closes again, the sound of locks clicking. The door opens to reveal a smoky chamber with only a single table lamp lighting it up. A voice in the dark calls to her.
?voice: "Come in."
She cautiously entered the room. She was startled when the door suddenly shut behind her. A figure loomed beside the door.
?voice: "We've been waiting for you Ms. Ryan"
Mary: "Let's get it over with. I can't stand the smell."
?voice: "Of course. Here is the target."
The mysterious owner of the voice handed to her a photograph. She looked at it and her eyes widened as she realized who the target was.
Mary: "You can't be serious?!"
?voice: "Oh, we're serious Ms. Ryan. Dead serious."
Mary: "But--"
?voice: "Ms. Ryan, we employed you because we have a common enemy. That is why my associates and I trust that you will carry out this task."
'Blue' Mary Ryan closed her eyes. She couldn't believe the situation she was in. She had gone undercover to stop crime in Southtown for good. She knew, that there was only way to do that. Bring down Geese Howard and his crime organization. If she could pull that off, the crime rate in Southtown would probably go down by 80 percent. But that was a long time ago. Now, she got mixed up into the criminal underworld. She knew she had to be careful. Southtown can really suck you in to its web of lies, drugs, sex, money, power. But she had crossed so far from the point of no return that she couldn't even remember what it looked like. To really remember where it all began, she had to look back to three years ago. That's when the shit came down. She was following up on a lead that brought her to a dead end. She was on her way back to her rented apartment, when she felt a shiver in her spine. Something bad is going to happen, and it wasn't going to go away until it chews her up, grinds her down and spit her out. When she came back, the door was wide open. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer on steroids. She took her .45 out of its holster and slowly crept into the living room. Nothing. Then she heard something from the bathroom. Sweatdrops the size of pearls appeared on her forehead. The bathroom door was slightly open. The fear was paralysing. She could not stand it anymore. She kicked the door and rushed in. But the scene that awaited her, will be forever burned into her memory. Her fiancee's dead body was floating in his own blood in the bathtub. In the sink, was Anton. His head anyway. On the mirror, written in blood, was a message. It read, 'This is what happens to people who mess with us, BITCH!' Then everything turned white.
?voice: "Ms. Ryan?"
Mary: "... She's good as dead."
?voice: "That's good to hear, Ms. Ryan, the payment will be made as usual."
Mary: "I want double the money."
?voice: "uh... Fine. It's a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Ryan. As always."
Mary crumpled the photograph and left the room without even looking back. She knew her employers were up to something. This plan was big. The shit is going to come down again. She felt like shit too. Ever since that day, her life had been pretty screwed up. She clenched her fists, and wondered why the memory came back to her. She had been trying so hard to forget. When she left the bar, she crossed paths with the typical lady of the evening. She glanced at her.
Pro: "Hey baby, want some company?"
Mary needed release. She stopped.
Mary: "Your place."
Pro: "Whatever babe."
The next morning, Mary awoke in an unfamiliar bed. Next to her was a woman, dozing away. She looked under the sheets. They were both naked. And by the size of her headache, and a needle on the bedside table, she knew she wasn't just drunk. She got up and dressed quickly. Before she left, she left some money on the bedside table. This wasn't the first time. No, she had gone down a trail of moral degeneration after that day. First came the drink, then the sex, then the drugs. Now, it's all gone to hell. She headed towards one of her hideouts. She collected her gear for the task ahead. Even though, she had a hangover she could still remember the target.
No way anyone can forget a target such as this. She checked her sniper rifle. It would be perfect for the job. She stuffed it in a guitar case and chose the perfect spot to wait for her target.
It was high noon. The rays of the sun was beating down on Southtown mercilessly like a stepfather beating down on his stepson. Mary wiped the sweat from her brow. She was hiding in a closet room in a building which was directly opposite of Geese Tower. The window in the closet room gave her a nice view of the front lobby of Geese Tower. Then a limo pulled over at the driveway. A guard stepped out of the front door and opened the door for the King of Southtown. Geese had that evil grin on his face. Mary put the sights on him, but as tempting as it was to kill the Immortal Geese Howard, her target was next to get out from the car. Marie Howard, Geese's lovely wife, daintily walked behind him. It was Mary's turn to put on an evil grin. This was going to hurt Geese more than it was going to hurt poor Marie.
Mary: "Fuck you Geese."
A flock of doves flew past and then, ...Bang!
THE END (or is it?)
Well that's it for this story. Kinda interesting don'tcha think? Maybe I'll do a followup. Depends on your reactions. So please R&R.
Flames are also welcome. And there is an easter egg in the story. Can you find it?
Tales from Southtown.
The sun had just set below the horizon on a city which had seen better days. The last drops of rain trickled down the face of our protagonist. Our heroine walks into a bad part of Southtown. Well, actually, the worst part of Southtown. Neon signs and trash can fires bathed the city block with a hellish glow. Sirens, gunshots and your occasional screams accompanied the already sombre atmosphere. The presence of the newcomer barely attracted any attention. She stopped near a seedy bar with a broken sign. The sign was blinking pathetically but it served it's purpose well enough.
?: "Hmmm, Hot Lips Bar, this must be it."
She hesitantly opened the door, looking back once or twice before entering. As she entered the dimly lit bar, an obnoxious smell assaulted her sense of smell. Somehow the other bar patrons doesn't seem to mind at all. An ill-kempt bartender looks at her and grunted.
B/tender: "What'll it be?"
?: "A Bloody Mary."
B/tender: (raises one of his eyebrows) "We're out of ketchup."
?: "I brought my own."
The bartender looks around and then motions her to follow him. The bartender leads her to the back room. The bartender knocks on the door. A peephole slides open, then closes again, the sound of locks clicking. The door opens to reveal a smoky chamber with only a single table lamp lighting it up. A voice in the dark calls to her.
?voice: "Come in."
She cautiously entered the room. She was startled when the door suddenly shut behind her. A figure loomed beside the door.
?voice: "We've been waiting for you Ms. Ryan"
Mary: "Let's get it over with. I can't stand the smell."
?voice: "Of course. Here is the target."
The mysterious owner of the voice handed to her a photograph. She looked at it and her eyes widened as she realized who the target was.
Mary: "You can't be serious?!"
?voice: "Oh, we're serious Ms. Ryan. Dead serious."
Mary: "But--"
?voice: "Ms. Ryan, we employed you because we have a common enemy. That is why my associates and I trust that you will carry out this task."
'Blue' Mary Ryan closed her eyes. She couldn't believe the situation she was in. She had gone undercover to stop crime in Southtown for good. She knew, that there was only way to do that. Bring down Geese Howard and his crime organization. If she could pull that off, the crime rate in Southtown would probably go down by 80 percent. But that was a long time ago. Now, she got mixed up into the criminal underworld. She knew she had to be careful. Southtown can really suck you in to its web of lies, drugs, sex, money, power. But she had crossed so far from the point of no return that she couldn't even remember what it looked like. To really remember where it all began, she had to look back to three years ago. That's when the shit came down. She was following up on a lead that brought her to a dead end. She was on her way back to her rented apartment, when she felt a shiver in her spine. Something bad is going to happen, and it wasn't going to go away until it chews her up, grinds her down and spit her out. When she came back, the door was wide open. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer on steroids. She took her .45 out of its holster and slowly crept into the living room. Nothing. Then she heard something from the bathroom. Sweatdrops the size of pearls appeared on her forehead. The bathroom door was slightly open. The fear was paralysing. She could not stand it anymore. She kicked the door and rushed in. But the scene that awaited her, will be forever burned into her memory. Her fiancee's dead body was floating in his own blood in the bathtub. In the sink, was Anton. His head anyway. On the mirror, written in blood, was a message. It read, 'This is what happens to people who mess with us, BITCH!' Then everything turned white.
?voice: "Ms. Ryan?"
Mary: "... She's good as dead."
?voice: "That's good to hear, Ms. Ryan, the payment will be made as usual."
Mary: "I want double the money."
?voice: "uh... Fine. It's a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Ryan. As always."
Mary crumpled the photograph and left the room without even looking back. She knew her employers were up to something. This plan was big. The shit is going to come down again. She felt like shit too. Ever since that day, her life had been pretty screwed up. She clenched her fists, and wondered why the memory came back to her. She had been trying so hard to forget. When she left the bar, she crossed paths with the typical lady of the evening. She glanced at her.
Pro: "Hey baby, want some company?"
Mary needed release. She stopped.
Mary: "Your place."
Pro: "Whatever babe."
The next morning, Mary awoke in an unfamiliar bed. Next to her was a woman, dozing away. She looked under the sheets. They were both naked. And by the size of her headache, and a needle on the bedside table, she knew she wasn't just drunk. She got up and dressed quickly. Before she left, she left some money on the bedside table. This wasn't the first time. No, she had gone down a trail of moral degeneration after that day. First came the drink, then the sex, then the drugs. Now, it's all gone to hell. She headed towards one of her hideouts. She collected her gear for the task ahead. Even though, she had a hangover she could still remember the target.
No way anyone can forget a target such as this. She checked her sniper rifle. It would be perfect for the job. She stuffed it in a guitar case and chose the perfect spot to wait for her target.
It was high noon. The rays of the sun was beating down on Southtown mercilessly like a stepfather beating down on his stepson. Mary wiped the sweat from her brow. She was hiding in a closet room in a building which was directly opposite of Geese Tower. The window in the closet room gave her a nice view of the front lobby of Geese Tower. Then a limo pulled over at the driveway. A guard stepped out of the front door and opened the door for the King of Southtown. Geese had that evil grin on his face. Mary put the sights on him, but as tempting as it was to kill the Immortal Geese Howard, her target was next to get out from the car. Marie Howard, Geese's lovely wife, daintily walked behind him. It was Mary's turn to put on an evil grin. This was going to hurt Geese more than it was going to hurt poor Marie.
Mary: "Fuck you Geese."
A flock of doves flew past and then, ...Bang!
THE END (or is it?)
Well that's it for this story. Kinda interesting don'tcha think? Maybe I'll do a followup. Depends on your reactions. So please R&R.
Flames are also welcome. And there is an easter egg in the story. Can you find it?