A/N: Sorry, Billy's off in China at the moment, so no two-person introduction. Anyways, I don't own this, you all know this, and I am SO sending this story, once it's completed, to SNK Playmore and see if they'll do a retelling of the story! I don't think it would be hard… just replacing a few sprites here and there…
"I see…" Geese said as he stood with the phone in his hand, looking at his now two-year-old Rock having fun with some of his friends. "Well, Billy, you should know the invite for the next King of Fighters already came… this time your opening match is in Korea. I guess you know what that means."
"Yeah," Billy answered. "Kim gets yet another fight with me… well, thanks for wiring me a couple thousand. I've already got my plane reservation for the ride back in three months."
"Just take care of yourself."
"No problem, and tell Rock I said hi."
There was silence on the line for a moment, and then a childish voice came through, "Mr. Kane," came the voice Billy knew was Rock's, "you just remember my dad is really strong, and you're his bodyguard… so you must be even better than him!"
"Something like that," Billy chuckled before saying his last good-byes and then hanging up.
He was currently walking out of a US embassy in Hong Kong, a new blue leather jacket on his back with a "No Smoking" sign… something Billy really enjoyed. And the plan was simple: just walk around town, get jumped by a bunch of punks that didn't know how to fight at all, beat them all up and learn something new about fighting.
But Billy didn't end up running into any fights that day, or the next, or even the next… and for the love of his life, the English stick fighter had no clue why things were so tame!
After a whole week wasted, Billy was tempted to just scream out in frustration in the middle of the street when suddenly a strong hand fell on his shoulder. Billy turned around to see a rather friendly looking Chinese man there with a red shirt and a set of nunchuku in his other hand.
"I'm sorry for asking you this," the man said in broken, but acceptable English, "But are you Billy Kane?"
"And if I am?"
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out his police badge, "They say you're one of the best bodyguards out there… pretty good with a…" he looked around, trying to see Billy's namesake weapon.
"I left it at home," he answered, "Sorta here on a training mission after getting beaten by Kim Kaphwan twice…"
"Kaphwan?" the man said with a hint of irritation in his voice, "That man is too extreme when it comes to police duties… I've had to work with him once when an escapee fled to Korea… not a fun experience." He stuck out his hand, "I'm Hon-Fu."
"Glad to meet you," Billy said, "Want me to get you something to drink?"
Hon-Fu grinned. "Sounds great."
"Things are getting quite here because of some business hand-off that entrepreneur Cheng Sinzan is doing, handing Cheng Enterprises off to some American company… he got nervous after that assassination attempt a bit back. That fork must've hurt like hell..." he said while drifting off. "The problem is that a lot of Chinese criminals aren't too happy about it, as you'd expect."
"So things are getting quite here while they stock up on guns and the like," Billy concluded.
"And every extra layer of security would help," Hon-Fu said. "So I was hoping you'd help oversee the security of the meeting."
Billy took a deep breath before closing his eyes. "How many people are going to be there?"
"Upwards of five hundred."
"Security forces?"
"Fifty guards, each one of them equipped sufficiently."
"I'll see what I can do," Billy said as he stood up, "Let's see the place."
"Interesting outfit change," Andy remarked as he looked at Terry's new outfit, which gave up the ponytail and red jacket for a loose head of hair and a less conspicuous brown jacket. (A/N: Wild Wolf outfit ahead of its time!)
"He took the hat," Terry answered as he stood up, looking at the envelope that he had gotten for the next King of Fighters. This Rugal was too confident for his own good. "I'm not going to wear the outfit that reminds me of that defeat…"
"So should we team-up with Mai?"
Terry shook his head. "No… I'm still recovering. Mai should stay with Sakazaki and the bartender… an extra set of eyes and ears."
"What about me?" Andy asked.
Terry looked up with an interested look on his face. "Andy, you remember how Yagami and Kisaragi said they'd only work with us if they got a shot at their rivals?"
"Wow…" Billy said as he looked around the gigantic party center, "I can see what you mean by needing my help…" Billy said. "You've got a lot of things down, positioning people just behind choke points, plenty of cameras and security detectors…"
"Anything we're missing?" Hon-Fu asked.
Well, I'm missing my staff right now… "Yeah…" Billy pointed up to the one of the observation boxes. "Put your best men up there, the one you trust the most with a sniper rifle."
"What?" Hon-Fu said with a dropped jaw.
Billy then pointed to all the other private boxes. "Keep the best sniper spot for yourself so you can get any gunner before they get Sinzan."
"Anything else?"
Billy furrowed his brow as he tried to think, "Check for bombs and bugs?"
"Already taken care of… and metal detectors set up at every single entrance.
"Sounds good then," Billy said while grinning.
"One more thing though," Hon-Fu said, returning William's smile. "If you want to train to beat Kaphwan, I'd be glad to help you!"
"Sounds like a deal!" Billy answered as the two shook hands.
Three days later, it was the transfer of power to the Metatron Corporation, with an audience just as big as Hon-Fu had guessed. Despite the fact that Billy was a newcomer to Chinese law enforcement, he had been permitted to be there with the police, just by virtue of the fact he was an outsider. The Howard Connection had nothing to gain from Cheng's death, and therefor Billy's suggestions were taken as what to do, although Hon-Fu was still considered in charge.
He is such a slob! Billy thought as Cheng discussed plans of going into archeology after the transaction, possibly setting up a series of museums while talking with his mouth full of food. Thankfully there were no smokers there, and dress code had no restrictions on bandanas, so Billy Kane thought himself rather dashing in his rented tuxedo.
The hours slowly ticked by as Billy made his rounds, making sure nothing was out of place and reporting anybody looking suspicious.
Finally, the dinner was ready to be served, and the various tables had been set up as a spokesperson for Metatron, a guy that went by "Hyena", prepared the presentation.
Just as Billy moved to take a sip of his red wine, an explosion went off, followed doors opening and fire from automatics that caused everybody to hit the ground, Hon-Fu already readying his personal weapon as Billy swore he hadn't brought his. He took a few glances around.The bathrooms… they had blown holes into the bathrooms and come in that way…
Needless to say, the guards were on the scene quickly and did an excellent job holding off the attackers, and with all due respect, that sniper idea Billy had really paid off…
Until a figure stormed in and literally laughed off the bullets… Hon-Fu recognized him instantly.
Ryuji Yamazaki.
The thug simply flicked his hand across the entire room, knocking down some of the guards and ripping the throats out of the others before ducking under one of the sniper shots.
Hon-Fu clenched his fists as he jumped up, tearing off his suit and fighting in his traditional black shirt and orange pants as he attacked the gangster.
But something was different this time… the other times the two had battled, Ryuji had been tough, but not unstoppable. This time Yamazaki simply grabbed the supercop's leg right out of the kick and threw him away, lashing out again with that cobra-like hand strike before he suddenly got a punch to the gut.
Him! the controlling force in "Dark" Ryuji thought as he looked at Billy Kane, The bodyguard of the man responsible for me having to take refuge in this pathetic vessel! The strike didn't do much, and Ryuji swatted Billy away, the bandanna-clad Englishman sliding to a stop next to Hon-Fu.
"Think we can take him?" Billy grunted as Yamazaki was held back from killing either Hyena or Cheng by the sniper.
"We're going to need a plan…" Hon-Fu answered before Yamazaki simply picked up a table and threw it the entire distance to the viewing box, knocking it and the officer to the depths below. "A real good plan…"
Dark Yamazaki just looked at them, debating between taking out Hyena or Billy… Hyena is just a puppet of Addis, he thought, I'm sending a message to Howard and Goenitz in a body bag if I kill Kane! He approached the two fighters, grinning as his hand flicked out again, barely managing to be blocked by Billy as he slid back further, Hon-Fu using the opportunity to strike and batter Yamazaki with the nunchuku.
Need a plan! Billy thought as he charged again, another weak punch being deflected as Hon-Fu did his best to stand up to Ryuji, which wasn't that impressive. Don't have a staff here, don't have anything that could function as a decent staff… never really focused much on fighting without them…
You're giving up too easily, Billy, came a voice as Billy's view of the world went black and the only figure there was Master Tung.
But I'm in too deep!Nonsense. Billy, you showed great talent in fighting with a staff, mastering every aspect of it.
But that's not any good here! Billy said, I could understand using a table or chair leg, but they're way too short to be any good!
Billy… Tung sighed, Stick fighting isn't all about fighting with the weapon in your hand. And you want to really show Kim up… the answer is right in front of you!
Billy snapped back to consciousness as Hon-Fu went flying into the ground next to him, Ryuji jumping up in the air and grabbing Billy by the throat and dragging him across the floor.
Shit… what was Tung talking about? Billy thought as he tried to pry himself out of the guy's grip to no avail, kicking and struggling all the while. By sheer chance, Billy's leg connected with Yamazaki's groin, and even an Orochi-possessed gangster had a lot of nerves down there.
Ryuji screamed in agony, letting Billy go. Suddenly Hon-Fu was back, and Billy went with him, both striking him in the face and sending him flying away. As Ryuji got up, still rather uninjured, the sounds of many guns being readied. He turned, weighing his chances. The chances one of those rifles would hit something critical was too great, and the Orochi knew he couldn't risk this last part of the eight families just yet. He turned and ran, and despite Hon-Fu's lightning-fast pursuit, the night enveloped Ryuji and he was gone.
It was an epic clash, and Kim's respective students were in awe as Kim and Jhun matched move after move, crushing kicks and sweeps tearing across everything in their path. Eventually the sparring match was over, and the two friends bowed and then turned to their students and let them go.
"You're getting even stronger," Jhun mentioned as he rubbed his neck.
"Rugal's pitted me against Team Fatal Fury again," Kim answered, "Billy Kane will no doubt wish for yet another rematch, and Justice must grow in strength as Evil does as well."
"Whatever you say," Jhun sighed as Kim's wife, Myun, walked in on them.
"Kim," she said, "There's something you should see on the television… about some situation in China..."
"That sparring match today was pretty good," Joe said to Lilly as his girlfriend cuddled up to him for an afternoon of just spending time together to watch a few shows. "You're getting better with every day that passes. You sure you're not entering the next tournament?"
"I'm sure," Lilly answered, "Not until I feel Geese is officially retired."
"And if he never lives up to your expectation?" Joe asked as he moved a hand down to her stomach to playfully massage it through her typical red dress.
"Don't worry," she said as she flipped to another channel, "He will…"
Her voice trailed off at the news story being aired.
"Just a few short hours ago, a terrorist action against one of the spokespeople of the Metatron Corporation was stopped dead in its tracks due to the actions of two brave fighters!" said the reporter, the screen cutting to images of Billy and Hon-Fu standing side-by-side while flashing happy smiles and the "V" for victory symbol.
"The two, China's own Hon-Fu and the bodyguard of the infamous-"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Billy shouted at the reporter.
"Sorry, bodyguard of the legendary Geese Howard, Billy Kane, successfully diffused a dangerous situation with intelligent planning and organization, themselves standing up against the ringleader and sole escapee, the criminal Ryuji Yamazaki." She walked over to the two, asking if they had anything to say.
Hon-Fu winked at Billy, who took the microphone and grinned as he pointed to the screen.
"Consider this a message, Kim Kaphwan!" he shouted on international television, "I'm gonna beat your Justice-Warrior ass up and down the streets of South Korea in eleven months, and there's not a thing you can do to stop it!"
White sighed as he sat back in his seat, looking at the dark-skinned man in front of him.
"So… Jivatama…" he asked as he kicked back and put his feet n the desk, "You think that the Yamazaki is onto us?"
"Obviously," the man answered, "He knows what will likely happen now that Cheng will be doing excavation near the grounds of the Jin demons."
"Good… it'll be nice to have something to hold him in our pockets…" White said before laughing out loud.
"You sure you want to do this?" Hon-Fu asked as he stared at Billy, both fighters in their battle-ready positions in the Hong Kong policeman's gym.
"Positive," Billy answered. "I finally figured out what I need to do to beat Kim, and even God won't stop me from training for it!"
The two charged, ready to make the best of these precious two months.
Team Japan's three fighters battled against each other on the Kusanagi family grounds, each one pressuring the others as they trained as furiously as possible.
The situation had been bad last year, but at least they had put a face and name on Rugal's strength… the power of the Orochi. Each fight always ended up with Goro being bested by either Kyo or Benimaru before Electricity and Fire went after each other, both fighters swapping wins and losses like baseball cards.
"So who are we going after for the first round?" Benimaru asked one day as Kyo deftly blocked a fast knee strike before countering with a grab. Beni kicked Kyo away and friend him with a Raikoken until a ground flare shook him off, the two fighters ending up tying each other by sending a fierce punch into the other's face.
"Team Psycho Soldiers again," Kyo panted as he collapsed. He was getting a lot stronger… he could feel it.
Beni grinned as he waggled a finger at Kyo. "Oh… get to fight your girlfriend again, eh?"
"Want me to torch you?" Kyo asked in an irritated tone before Benimaru laughed. "That's it!" They charged again, more for fun than anything else.
A/N: Billy Kane has discovered the secret to beating Kim Kaphwan… but what is it? Some secret new technique or something far more simple? Nevertheless, the various teams will be assembled, blood will be spilt by Yagami's ruthless attacks, and Rugal Bernstein will learn just what makes a true Champion.