Section Fifteen

The Ring

The flood of fighters slowed to a trickle as the last warriors participating in the rumble entered the ring.


"REPTILE!" (Mortal Kombat 2)

Nobody saw Reptile come down the aisle. Nobody saw Reptile enter the ring. Nobody saw him toss Haohmaru across the ring (they just saw the samurai go flying). Reptile, although he was not human, was a ninja, and foremost for the ninja was stealth.


"MIZUKI!" (Samurai Showdown 2)

Everybody groaned as the last boss in the tournament came down the aisle. She walked in a stately manner, her Demon Dog following docilely. However, the illusion of normality was shattered when she laughed insanely before entering the ring.


"RIKUO!" (Darkstalkers)

The fishman had to stop himself from diving into the acid. "Easy," he muttered to himself, "that *isn't* water."


"BIG BEAR!" (Fatal Fury Special)

The last Fatal Furite towered over all in the ring. He was determined to win this. Of course, so was everybody else, but they weren't eight feet tall and built like an ox.


"FUUMA!" (World Heroes 2 Jet)

I don't believe this, Fuuma thought to himself. I get an amazing draw, and what happens? Hanzou still gets a better draw than I do. I don't believe it. I really don't.


"HANZOU!" (World Heroes 2 Jet)

Hanzou hardly expected it when Fuuma launched a flight of shuriken at him.

Up in the booth, the commentators commented.

"Interesting. It looks like the final two World Heroes have their hearts set on eliminating each other."

"Goro could really care."

Dio agreed. "Come on. They're lousy ripoffs. Trust me. I beat them up regularly when I was the World Heroes boss."


"JEFFRY!" (Virtua Fighter)

The huge Australian strode forward, enjoying the shouts of "Toe Kick Of Doom!" The final Virtua Fighter waved to his comrades in the Eliminated section.

There was one dissenting opinion, however. Rancid's cousin Putrid, the famed heckler, started up his usual chant of "CUBES SUCK!"


"BISHAMON!" (Darkstalkers)

The final Darkstalker glided down to ringside, his feet barely touching the ground. His sword, armor, and flames were noticeably quieter. Perhaps it had something to do with the destructive melee inside the ring.

Or, perhaps it had something to do with the roll of duct tape left behind in the training rooms, and the fact that it was visible on certain bits of Bishamon's armor, sword and flames. Perhaps.

and, the final fighter in the Ultimate Video Rumble...


"TERRY BOGARD!" (King of Fighters '94)

As Terry walked down to ringside, he saw the heckler. Putrid yelled at him. "Hey, man, where's my pizza?"

Terry stood in front of the heckler, fists clenched, and glowing with power. The heckler shrank back. Both he and the crowd anticipated a Power Geyser from Terry.

After three or four dreadful seconds, Terry bent over, pulling something out of his jacket. The heckler cringed.

Terry whipped a pizza box out of his jacket.

Putrid, suddenly stunned, wordlessly took the box from Terry. Terry smiled. "That'll be eight-fifty." Putrid reached carefully into his pocket and grabbed a ten. "Keep the change, man." Terry snatched the bill away from him.

Putrid opened the pizza box, mouth watering in anticipation. Suddenly, the box exploded. The heckler was sent rocketing towards the ring, where he landed on a particularly gigantic mine. THAT explosion sent him hurtling back (amazingly, still in one piece) towards Terry, who responded with an amazingly huge Power Geyser. THAT knocked the heckler against the ring-wall and into the acid.

Amidst the cheering, from both the ring and the eliminated seating, Terry reminded himself to thank Brocken for those bombs.

WHO WILL LIVE?
WHO WILL DIE?
DID WE FORGET ANYBODY?


Original Authors
Chris "Birdman" Bird
Bob "Boobwod" Wood
Brant Rogers