Lol midnight uploads. im studying for lisencse exams so i have no time to write. expect slowness for a while.

~ My beautiful Doppio

I hope you like chapters where nobody moves at all. because nobody moves at all.

Chiz = the grudge lady


"Bitch! Is that a threat?"

The words rang sharply off the barren concrete hospital walls, Mary heard it reverberate through the building.

Everything was still. The building was empty tonight. The nurse had long fled. The burned witness was now a cold corpse… The last two living people stood in a dark room, eyeing each other. One was terrified. The other sat placidly in her hospital bed.

"Put your hands up! Get on the ground!"

"What's wrong Mary, are you scared?"

"I'll blow your head off! On the floor!"

Chizuru didn't move at all. She seemed only mildly annoyed by colt revolver pressed menacingly against her temple. She sat with her back straight, her long black hair tumbling about her. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at Mary. Her face twisted with the beginnings of a sneer. She spoke in a calm, but bitterly cold voice.

"You'll kill me? Really, Mary?"

"I said hands up!"

The woman shook her head and leaned back against the steel bed frame. The gun followed her. She payed it no mind, and nodded out the hospital window. As if on cue, a pillar of purple flames shot into the sky. The mountains flickered with an orange hue.

Oh god…

"Ah, Yagami's a bit pissy today. He always gets crazy when he's mad. A nightmare to deal with." Chizuru laughed humorlessly then turned to look at Mary. "Trust me. A real nightmare."

Mary didn't move. She was frozen. Perhaps from fear, perhaps from her own indecisiveness. She wasn't sure. Chizuru saw her uncertainty and smiled an icy smile. Her dark eyes sank into her head like black pits. That set of small white teeth was suddenly more terrifying than a maw of fangs. Her demeanor exuded the quiet confidence of a deadly hunter. She didn't believe for a moment that her life was in danger. Even with a gun pointed at her head she had no doubts about her own safety. They sat silent for a long moment.

Then Mary shook her fear away. She glared down at the businesswoman and growled.

"I'm not scared of your lapdogs Kagura. You think I won't kill you?"

Cold laughter. It rang unpleasantly around the room.

"You're a very brave little officer, Mary! Even Orochi is afraid of my lapdogs!"

Mary's steadied her firearm as her thoughts flew. She was wasting time… she had to do something soon. The worst case scenario was Heidern and the other two treasures caught her with her gun at Kagura's head. She would die immediately and her name would be lost to infamy. If she killed Kagura and ran, she might survive the night, but she wouldn't be able to escape the country without ID. She had no means to procure false documents, as she had few connections to the underworld - much less the Icelandic underworld. She would be hunted down and murdered, most probably by the lapdogs. The best case scenario was to escape, get plastic surgery, and live a new life under a new name. I'd never see Terry again. The changes were slim. Was it worth it? Was that her only means or survival?

Dammit Mary! Why did you pursue this? You could have gone home rich, and a hero no less! Damn Kobeyashi! I wish I talked to Akira, like I was supposed to- … shit!

"What are you here for, Detective? What did you hope to accomplish? You've been digging up dirt on me haven't you. Are you satisfied with your findings?"

Kagura stared up at Mary. Her eyes were pits. The lamplight glinted off her teeth. She looked like a horrifying ghost. She behaved like nothing could harm her… and Mary was starting to believe it. The detective spoke loudly to mask her fear.

"Shut up! You set this whole thing up didn't you! You faked your own kidnapping! You weren't kidnapped at all! Why?!"

That terrifying grin widened. A glint of mirth appeared in the woman's eye.

"For Justice… and Goodness."

That's it! This Bitch!

Mary's fear was lost in a sea of anger. Her voice came out in a hiss.

"How dare you! Don't even say those words! You don't know what justice is you snake!"

Chizuru didn't budge. She remained calm and confident. That gentle, hateful smile didn't shift.

"Tonight marks the beginning of my campaign against the largest crime syndicate in the world… and I've crushed the cartel's head. Tell me Mary, you've dealt with many gangs during your time as a peace officer… surely you know who masterminds most of their operations. How do they start? Ah. Somebody paid somebody who knows somebody who works for NESTS right? It's always like that, isn't it?"

Yes. Mary knew. And Chizuru knew what Mary knew. Chizuru knew too much. Mary kept the revolver aimed at her skull.

"I'm no peacekeeper. I told you, I'm a warlord. I don't operate the same way you do. But tell me, who was more effective? Me? Or you?" Chizuru's voice became soft and condescending. "Who has served justice better?"

It was true. Tonight, all NESTS operations in Europe would cease. Mary couldn't boast of anything even close to that… but the ends couldn't justify the means. Not those means. That wasn't justice at all.

"You betrayed your friends. You tried to kill me. You killed an innocent witness. You won't trick me. You're not just. You're just a dirty murderer, another corporate scumbag... I'm behaving in self defense."

The calm confidence didn't waver.

"A dirty murderer? Why yes. Tonight, 356 human traffickers died at my word. 490 drug traffickers. 450 illegal arms dealers. 45 NESTS operators who lead them… and NESTS third in command. They've been like a cancer to this world, I've destroyed them. I've served justice. I've served goodness. What are you doing, Mary?"

"I don't care about your excuses, you're a dead woman Kagura."

Still. Not even a shred of fear.

"You think I deserve death? For what? If I deserve death, surely they do as well… your witness that you're so keen on protecting. That man's name is Anton Sokolov. He runs the drug operations in Southern Florida - your jurisdiction … but you've never seen him, and if not for this job, you never would have."

Him!? He runs the SouthTown cartels? No! Impossible. She's lying. She's just trying to get into my head! Stay strong Mary!

"Shut up! Liar! Traitor! Murderer! You sold Kusanagi to the NESTS cartel for research documents! For your company! For money! You're merely destroying NESTS because your business deal went sour … And you're using those two to do it! How shameless can you be? How dare you say you're serving justice!"

Orange flames flashed out from the mountains. Chizuru's smile disappeared. It was replaced by an intense stare.

"For money? Mary. I'm disappointed. I heard you were smarter than this."

"What?"

"Do you know how much it costs to sponsor a King of Fighters tournament?"

Mary didn't say anything. Chizuru spoke slowly. Her breath came out in short huffs.

"It costs ten times more than you'll ever make in your lifetime. If money was my objective, Orochi would have boiled the seas in 1997. No. Why would I sell Kusanagi? What do you think Detective. Why did they even come here? What did they tell you about me?"

What did they say? Ah, Yes. Yagami said that Chizuru saved him after the first Orochi battle. And then he gave her the locations of NESTS bases in South America. She knew the base locations because NESTS were her business affiliates. She even used NESTS to accomplish her goals.

And Kusanagi?... yeah. After Yagami rescued him from the NESTS base in Brazil, she took him in and helped him to recuperate. No doubt, she used the research obtained from her deal to do it...

But why? Why do such a thing?

Chizuru, perhaps perceiving that Mary was quite lost in thought, spoke to answer the question.

"I said I would save the world by 'Any and all means'. Did you think I was joking?"

Mary's voice came out as a croak. "... Orochi?"

"Yes, Detective. Orochi."

This whole NESTS thing… was a farce to put Yagami and Kusanagi in Chizuru's debt? So they would come when called? So they would fight Orochi with her? Impossible… no… it's not impossible. It's just crazy… just really fucking crazy! shit. Who the hell am I dealing with.

Mary felt her palms becoming clammy with sweat. She had dealt with a good deal of crazies in her lifetime, but generally refrained from managing immensely powerful or immensely cunning ones. Chizuru had been very cunning. She was hedged on all sides, protected from every angle. Although Mary was pointing a gun at her head, it was the gunman who felt most threatened.

She'll kill me... she's nuts enough to do it! Shoot her! Dammit! Shoot! ugh...

Everything had fallen into place, yet, nothing was resolved. In 1997, Kagura held the King of Fighters tournament with the singular intention of gathering treasures to battle Orochi. When they proved too difficult, she set up a scheme. Sell one to NESTS, send the other to save him. They would form an uneasy friendship and stop trying to murder each other. In the meantime, Kagura, who was privy to NESTS research data as a result of the exchange, would be able to perform a medical miracle on Kusanagi while recouping tournament expenses.

Shoot her! Why is the trigger so heavy?!

From the treasures' point of view, Chizuru Kagura was purely a benefactor. She had done a great deal of good to both of them, and it was no mystery why they did what she asked. But, unbeknownst to them, Kagura kindness was merely a front. She was the origin of their suffering, and they loved her.

The most terrifying being... is the one who can turn monsters into lapdogs. Shoot her! God!

The trigger was heavy. Mary didn't know why. Perhaps it was her survival instinct. Perhaps it was the dread. The fear. She wanted to pull it, but didn't dare to. Her voice shook as she spoke.

"I...I'm going to tell them."

"They won't believe you."

"They will. I'll make them! They will!"

Chizuru sighed in exasperation. She glanced over to Mary and spoke in a sharp jarring voice.

"Then what?! They'll gut me! I'll die. What happens then? Do you know? Commander Heidern does! Why do you think he came personally to make sure I was safe?" She shook her head, she was angry. "No. I will tell you. Listen carefully."

Chizuru glared up at Mary. Her voice was hard and authoritative. Mary's heart shook within her.

"Orochi can only be sealed with cooperation of three bloodlines: Yasakani, Kusanagi and Yata. In this regard, Kusanagi is the most disposable. Not only is the previous sword holder still alive, Kyo has quite a number of cousins who've competed against him for possession of the family treasure."

Disposable? She just described Kyo Kusanagi as disposable? Then, how much more disposable am I? This woman… she's heartless. She's a devil.

"The Yasakani Magatama is less desirable because it comes with a curse. But Iori Yagami does have family. Step siblings, Step-cousins and the like. None are as strong as he is, but they are able to carry the Magatama if the need arises."

A shadow fell over Chizuru's face. Her voice dropped into a whisper. Mary felt her teeth knocking against eachother. Why was she so scared! She had no idea. This wasn't like her. She had never felt terror like this before... No. There was something wrong. This was abnormal.

"But not me. I'm the last Yata capable of carrying the mirror. Our bloodline carries differently. If I die, so do you… and everyone you know, and everyone they know. The land will writhe like a serpent. The sky will rain acid and hailstones. The seas will steam and boil. Maybe not now… maybe not for ten years. Even twenty if you're lucky. But it will happen, and when it does, there will no longer be any hope."

Chizuru leaned forward and fixed Mary with a stare. Her teeth were bared. Her tone, vicious.

"Because, one dark night in Iceland, Detective Mary Ryan shot humanity's hope in the head."


Oh mai gawd mary shoot her already! jeez.

I swear Chiz's Nests/Orochi plan worked out in my head. pretend it's valid k thx.

Leave review or Lapdog will blow up ur house.

Cant think of good title. some1 name this.