To the Darkest of Nights We Go

~Dystopian AU ~

Chapter 14

Written By: RinoaDestiny

King of Fighters, Chizuru Kagura, Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Blue Mary, Rock Howard, and Joe Higashi all belong to SNK

There was something he was forgetting.

By nightfall, there was still no response. The line remained silent. Rock disconnected, turned the communications equipment off, did the same with the lights, and left the room to join the others. Dad and Mary had left first, hip to hip and then Joe left later, saying something about food. Since it was unlikely that Terry and Mary would go back to sleep again and it was around dinner time, Rock headed for the tiny kitchen-dining area. While he wasn't hungry yet, there were only so many meeting places and that was the main one within this part of the base.

Striding down the hall, he tried to figure out that nagging feeling.

There was something important – something critical – coming up. What was it?

It slipped around his mind, elusive and he knew he had to remember it. Something about the days. About day three or day four. Dad and he had talked about it. Talked about it with others…wait. That shook something loose, rattled the piece within his brain. Team KKY! They were supposed to be near the western Ikuno border – if not by today, then by tomorrow at the latest. Between their own dilemma with Andy and Mai and the emotional turmoil that came with it, Team KKY had been pushed to the backburner and it was a good thing he remembered them in the nick of time. What if he'd forgotten? And Dad? What if he forgot as well?

He needed to tell Dad now.

When he arrived at the tiny room, Terry took one look at his face and went straight into full alert mode. "Son, what's the matter?"

"Team KKY. It's day three. Day four's tomorrow."

It didn't take Terry long to catch his drift. "Crap! They'll be here soon."

"Terry, we have a problem with that," Mary said, giving his dad a sideways glance. "Andy and Mai are still out there. If you and Rock leave, that makes four in the field. Two of us here. You'll be heading west. Mai and Andy are south. We're in the center. Our entire team gets split three ways."

"It also means if Andy and Mai reach us while you're out, you won't be here." Joe leaned forward against the back of his chair, angling himself against the wobbly table. It shifted left at the slight contact, edging into Mary, who shot him a look. "I know you want to be here when Andy calls in, ya?"

"I do but we made a promise with them. Can't let them down now."

"So how are we to do this?"

"Get two channels on me and Dad," Rock said, offering forth his expertise in this area. "I've already put Andy and Mai on two channels. I'll show you how it's done. This way, you have one person listening in for Hermit and Fan. Someone else listens in for me and Dad. Go with our code names only. Call us from time to time."

"Wolf and Wings. Hey, Mary – you wanna take that? I know Terry's yours, so…"

"Was just thinking that myself. Thanks, Joe."

"Fan's on the supply runs, so I'll watch over her and Hermit." Joe shrugged. "Makes sense, right?"

"So when are you and Rock heading out?"

"It's too late now," Terry said, addressing Mary, who'd asked that question. "If they're here already, Kagura's smart enough to take cover and Kusanagi and Yagami would do the same. It has to be tomorrow and early. Don't want to make them wait."

"You want to get them before the border patrol tightens in the morning."

"May they all get headaches and sleep in late."

"And the afternoon? How long will you stay out?"

"We'll be back before evening. Just in case KKY arrives late."

"This sounds dangerous, Terry." There was a brief scraping sound as Mary moved her chair away from the table, hard plastic legs finding friction with the concrete floor. "Don't forget about Andy and Mai. We don't want you and Rock in a similar situation."

"We'll try not to be."

"That's what we hoped for with them. Look at where they are."

"I'm aware of that, Mary. The kid's with me, too. You think I'd let him get hurt?"

"I know you won't. But the soldiers are getting bolder by the day. It just makes me afraid, that's all. That you may not come back."

"I'll look out for him," Rock said, not even thinking twice as the words left his mouth. Which son didn't look out for his father? If worst came to worst, he'd be there to back Terry, even if the odds were stacked against them. "You can trust me on that."

"See, Mary? Kid's got your man, so don't worry."

"Easy to say right now, Joe. Let's wait for tomorrow first, all right?"

Rock observed his dad, at how Terry watched the participants of the discussion in that small room – Dad's gaze falling on him, too – as it wound to a close. There was still pain behind his eyes – Andy and Mai probably never far from his mind – but determination strengthened his face and set a forward jut in his jaw. Tomorrow, then. Tomorrow, he was going to leave the safety of the base and head out. Out into the open, into the unknown, into whatever may come.

"If Andy or Mai contact you, let me know."

"Sure thing, Terry. Ol' Joe here will give Mary a holler."

"You certainly will not." The private detective made a face. "I'll be right next to you."

"You want me to whisper, then?"

"Joe…"

"I kid, I kid. But yeah…if either of them calls in, we'll make sure you know first thing."

"Great." Terry turned to him. "You want to sit down, Rock? You aren't tired?"

A seat would be a good thing. So would some food, now that he thought about it. "You want me to grab something from the supply room? Since we're all here?"

"Leave dinner to Joe, kid. I'll be right back."

Then, he was gone.

"And there goes Joe." Mary smiled, but then quickly turned serious. "Be careful out there, Terry. You, too, Rock. Come back to us, all right?"

"By evening. I promise."

Hopefully, with Team KKY united with them.

Comments: This was an incredibly short but difficult transition chapter to write for the South Towners, man. Had to murder some darlings and come in fresh and I'm exhausted. Been carrying this story for a full month in my head and we still ain't done. Team KKY up next and that's gonna be some chapter, yo.