Epilogue

Bathroom, RumbleDome

Ryu cleaned his hands and glanced at himself in the mirror. He took a second, longer look. He pulled down his lower eyelid and inspected his eye for any awkward traits. Everything seemed fine.

He couldn't believe it. UVR3 was one of the biggest fights in Ryu's life. The kind he lived for. But he spent most of the time drugged up due to a prank. Even though he lost with a clear head, it didn't matter. So much valuable information was lost because rather than learn from his opponents, he could only be perplexed at the fact that he was fighting what seemed like a fluffy cloud or bowl of cereal with feet. Ryu had enough trouble with hallucinations without drugs being involved.

And then there was Akuma.

If anything stung about that night it was Ryu's failure to defeat Akuma. It was the first time the two had met since the incident where they fought on the island. Akuma toyed with Ryu until deeming him barely worth keeping alive and then left him to drown in the water. Ryu had conquered his inner demons years ago, and by all rights, that should have made him the winner of their rivalry. But deep inside, Ryu knew he would never be whole until the day he could usurp the Master of Fist.

"Of course," Ryu said aloud, "next time I will be completely clean."

Ryu stopped as he heard a nearby rumbling. He stepped back and leaned his head to look at one of the stalls. The toilet began to shake until a purple tentacle popped out of the hole.

Ryu angrily smacked his forehead repeatedly. "I knew I still had some of that junk left in me! Ken, I am going to get you for this." He stormed out of the bathroom, unaware that what was happening was no hallucination.

Flushed down the toilet earlier in the form of waste, Shuma Gorath had reformed into her dangerous self and crawled up and out of the pipes. "Waste of flesh..." she hissed. "I will have my revenge for this insult!"

As she crawled out of the toilet, one of her tentacles carried the green Soul Gem with it.

In the hallway, Ryu passed by a running Kirby, flapping his flippers and frantically hopping from one foot to the other. He was followed by a running Super Macho Man, who angrily shook his fists in the air. He saw the little puffball turn the corner.

"Little bastard! Now I got you! Now I'm going to- oh."

Upon turning the corner, Super Macho Man was face-to-chest with Victor.

"You try hurt friend."

Super Macho Man looked up and gulped. "Heh. You know... if you don't beat me within an inch of my life, I can get you an autographed photo of Mike Tyson."

Victor wrapped his left hand over Super Macho Man's skull and zapped him while holding his right fist back. "No deal. YOU NO HURT FRIEND!"

Infirmary

Ryo sat up from his bed. His body was aching like crazy, but he had no reason to stay bed-ridden. He tried to stand up, but immediately sat back down, clutching his ribs.

"Whoa, partner!" he heard a familiar voice say. "No need to overexert yourself."

Ryo looked behind him and saw Robert and Yuri walking over. Ryo slowly got to his feet and limped over. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

Yuri looked worried. "Ryo, you really should just lay down."

"The little lady has a point, Ryo. You've been through a lot."

Ryo seceded and lay back in bed. "I'm still in better shape than Demitri."

Yuri cringed. "Ugh. I heard about that. Jeffry... Who knew?"

Ryo shrugged. "Yeah. Of all people. Honestly, I was waiting for you guys to show up. But this is a big place, so I'm sure it would be hard to find out where I was in only a couple of hours."

Robert and Yuri looked to each other with strained smiles.

"Heh, funny thing about that," Robert said. "We, uh, we weren't trying to rescue you."

"What?"

Yuri smirked and hugged Robert. "Well, it is our honeymoon and we figured that since you saved everyone last time, you'd be fine..."

"And if you happened to fail and the world was to end tomorrow, well... just in case... Heheh."

Ryo paused for a second. Then he reacted. "AUGH! I don't need to hear that! Get the hell out of here! God, what is it with you two? Get out of my face!"

Robert and Yuri walked away, giggling to each other. They saw Athena walking by.

"Hey," Yuri said.

"Athena, how goes it?" Robert added.

Athena forced a smirk. "Hi guys. I need to talk to Ryo for a second. I'll catch up later. I'll see you at the awards ceremony."

"Yeah, sure." Robert nodded a little nervously and pulled Yuri with him. "Come on, Yuri. Let's go."

"Hey, wait a second." Yuri stopped and looked up at Robert. "What's that about?"

"Keep walking, baby. Before I knew you, I've been involved with enough women to recognize that look. If you thought Ryo was in a bad mood a second ago, you don't want to be here when he hears the news."

"What are you talk- Hey! Who are these women you've been involved with and not told me about?"

Elsewhere in the infirmary, King sat at Rose's side. Rose was still stuck in a coma from Bison's mental attack earlier on. Tessa walked over and sat at the bartender's side.

"How is she?"

"Stable. They say she should come out of the coma within the week."

"I could've told them that. I discussed this topic in depth in my first book, 'Magic and You'."

"I'll read the Cliff Notes. Listen, Tessa, now that evil's been vanquished and all that hoopla, there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Oh?"

"Back when Alex didn't want to put his neck on the line, I saw you pour something into his drink."

Tessa blushed. "Heh. You saw that, huh?"

"Yeah. So... what was it? Some kind of courage potion? Something to up his confidence or what? Because I don't get why you wouldn't just... Listen, I know I could have handled the thing with Bison better, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have beaten him. Even Alex just barely did it. What makes him so special that you needed to give him some confidence boost instead of letting me do the job?"

Tessa took all of that in and then giggled. "Ahaha... Ah, King. I didn't give him any confidence potion or anything like that. Sure, I gave him some words of advice, but that's it."

"Then what did you pour into his drink?"

"That? Well, it- Oh! Hi, Alex."

Alex walked over and nodded to the two ladies. "Hey King. Tessa." He smirked. "How's Rose going to be?"

"She'll be fine," King said. "So says the expert."

"Hey, don't scoff," Alex said. "She knows her stuff. Um, Tessa, I want to show you something in my room before we have to leave. You want to go right now?"

Tessa smiled. "I'll meet you in the hall in a second."

"Great. See you at the next contest, King."

"You too." King watched Alex leave and lifted an eyebrow. "He seemed a little upbeat. What's with him?"

"You know that potion we were just talking about?" Tessa opened up her purse and pulled out the flask from earlier. She pointed at the pink heart on the casing. "Any more questions?"

King laughed out loud with Tessa. "You're awful! Oh, man... I'm going to go. I'll talk to you later..."

King turned away for a second and saw Ryo in his hospital bed, looking down and dejected. Athena stood over Ryo, frowning and with her head tilted down a bit. King could easily tell what was going on. She bit her lip for a moment and considered.

She turned back to Tessa, who was standing up. "How much is that stuff worth?"

Outside of Room 647, RumbleDome Hotel

A bevy of reporters crowded around the door to Kim Kaphwan's room, hoping to get an interview with the man who came so close to beating Geese. Instead, the door was guarded by the imposing behemoth Chang Koehan and the far less imposing Choi Bounge.

"What do you want?" Chang asked, crossing his arms.

"We were hoping to get a word with the runner up."

"Hey!" Chang yelled. "Nobody calls Kim a loser but me and Choi!"

Choi, ever the voice of reason, jumped in front of Chang. "Wait! Please don't quote him on that!"

Chang thought to himself for a second and then gulped. "Whoa. Good call there, little buddy."

"Can we please speak to Kim Kaphwan?" another reporter asked.

Choi shook his head. "Kim isn't talking to you because Kim isn't here."

Chang held his hand up dramatically and added, "He's sulking in his tent, like a guy from Chili."

Choi grumbled. "Gah! Achilles! ACHILLES! You're making us look like jerks! I told you, READ A BOOK!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Kim's kinda down from his loss and he ain't coming. So you reporters want to ask me about how I punked out that freak Eddy Gordo?"

"No, that's okay," one of the reporters said as she and the others departed.

"Yeah?!" Choi screamed. "Well, who needs ya?!"

Once they were gone, Chang smirked. "They're gone. Come on, Choi. It's showtime."

The two walked away, laughing devilishly.

Bird Auditorium, RumbleDome

Luckily things weren't nearly as bad as UVR2 in terms of those who were in desperate need of medical attention. While UVR2's award ceremony had to be held in the infirmary, Wanderer and Birdman were able to handle it in Bird Auditorium, specifically built for this occasion.

"This better be good," Terry said in the back of the room. "It's bad enough that I lost. It's bad enough that he won. But I honest to God don't want to be here to listen to that monster brag about how he beat up my brother and one of my best friends."

"Please," Robert said. "I have my reasons for wanting you here and the least you can do is give me some benefit of the doubt."

"More than Andy and Mai are giving you," Mary added.

Robert cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I'm not sure about how much of them not showing up here has to do with mistrusting me and how much it has to do with them 'making up'."

"Guys, quiet," Joe said, standing in front of them. "The show's about to start."

Wanderer and Birdman walked out, waving to the many, many fighters who decided to endure the ceremony. Their smiles were mostly fake; as they were frantic over all the security blunders they had to deal with. But first, they had to act sincere and give the nice little follow up to their disaster of an event.

"Hello and thanks for joining us," Birdman said. "In a minute we will have UVR3 Champion Geese Howard come out to say a few words, but before that, we would like to release the full listing of the elimination count. It should be appearing on the monitors right about... okay, there we go."

15: CAPTAIN AMERICA (Tam Tam, Cy-5, Jacky Bryant, Aardrus, Gill, Sie Kensou, Akuma, Guy, Heavy D!, Sir Dregan, Yuri Sakazaki, Heihachi Mishima, Dr. Doom, Grendal)
13: GEESE HOWARD (Ibuki, Haohmaru, Shinnok, Kagemaru, Sophitia, Captain America, Jin Kazama, Gaira, Shizumaru, Basara, Hulk, Ivy, Kim Kaphwan)
10: KIM KAPHWAN (Voodoo, Ryuji Yamazaki, Khushnood Butt, Wolfgang Krauser, Yun, Sakura Kasugano, Christie Monteiro, Jubei Yagyu, Lucky Glauber, Baby Bonnie Hood)
7: KING (KOF) (Mr. Big, Siegfried, Thanos, Xenobia, Mordos Kull, Chun-Li, Hugo)
6: YOSHIMITSU (Erland, Li Long, Duck King, Rogue, Ralf Jones, Jon Talbain) RYU (Scorpion, Demitri Maximov, Ichiro Tsunami, Rimiruru, Iori Yagami, Bishamon)
5: SAKURA KASUGANO (Kyo Kusanagi, Liu Kang, Hol Horse, Chizuru Kagura, Seung Mina) KIRBY (Blue Mary, Chang Koehan, Kai, Galford, Hinata) HEAVY D! (Duraal, Warhead, Gun Jack, Dudley, Hornet) CHUN-LI (Bob Wilson, Wolverine, Xiao Long, Rock, Urgo)
4: BABY BONNIE HOOD (Ukyo, Wolf Hawkfield, Executioner, Iron Man) LEONA (Pagan, Charlotte, Vice, Nina Williams) HAOHMARU (Storm, Athena, Vallah, Falcon) YURI SAKAZAKI (King (KOF), Ryu, Juggernaut, Kaurik) ROGUE (Choi Bounge, Al'Rashid, Kabuki Jo, Ling Xiaoyu) GUY (Billy Kane, Silver Samurai, Red Cloud, Sasquatch)
3: MAI SHIRANUI Mai (Amakusa, Kasumi (DOA), Rancid) SEUNG MINA (Leona, King (T), Dhalsim) KENSHI (Urien, Servbot, Goenitz) UKYO TACHIBANA (Asmodeus, Lei Fang, Koyasha) RYUJI YAMAZAKI (Yang, Super Macho Man, Casey Jones) DOCTOR DOOM (Spider-Man, Joe Higashi, War Mech) GENJURO (Benimaru, Ahua Kin, Takeshi Tsunami) TERRY BOGARD (Shuma Gorath, Lau Chan, Sub-Zero) DAN HIBIKI (Quan Chi, Blob, Shun Di) BISHAMON (Luthor, Zankuro, Elena)
2: IVY (Mai Shiranui, Andy Bogard) HULK (Grox, Pai Chan) IRON MAN (Oro, Lord Deimos) JAM (Goro Daimon, Kenshi) KING (T) (Victor, Sarah Bryant) SOPHITIA (Lord Raptor, Hon Fu) HOL HORSE (Yoshimitsu, Kirby) GALFORD (Voldo, Genjuro) IBUKI (Taki, Sean) SPIDER-MAN (Morrigan Aensland, Magneto) MAGNETO (Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia) BLUE MARY (Akira Yuki, Ragnar Bloodaxe) KEN MASTERS (Jedah, Annie Hamilton) RYO SAKAZAKI (Dan Hibiki, Q-Bee) HANZO HATTORI (Stellarex, Necro) JUGGERNAUT (Tak, Hell Knight) DUDLEY (Mitsurugi, Kasumi Todo) SILVER SAMURAI (Cervantes, Felicia) SIE KENSOU (Lilith Aensland, Hsien-Ko) IORI YAGAMI (Kazuki, Taria) HSIEN-KO (Alex, Cammy) SCORPION (Eddy Gordo, Sogetsu) DEMITRI MAXIMOV (Shinesta, M. Bison) NAKORURU (Sabertooth, Blackheart) ALEX (Namira, Undertaker)
1: ANDY BOGARD (Anakaris) LUCKY GLAUBER (Jam) JUBEI YAGYU (Mature) KASUMI (Aoi) SERVBOT (Gambit) VICE (Lion Rafale) CASEY JONES (Lei Wulong) CHARLOTTE (Clark Steel) CLARK STEEL (Xianghua) JON TALBAIN (Rikuo) CHANG KOEHAN (Ogre) TAKI (Ken Masters) HORNET (Kyoshiro) KASUMI TODO (Zangief) RIMIRURU (Torgo) LILITH AENSLAND (Maximus) CERVANTES (Nakoruru) WOLVERINE (Chin Gentsai) M. BISON (Jeffry McWild) JEFFRY MCWILD (Exor) SIEGFRIED (Balok) UNDERTAKER (Anubis)

As the list went on and on, Birdman aided Wanderer in wheeling out several trays with award trophies. As the scrolling finished at the Undertaker's name, Birdman went back to the podium. "Now, then. Here is one of my favorite parts of the Ultimate Video Rumble. It's time for the 'Official Unofficial Awards'!"

MAYBE NEXT... EH, WHO ARE WE KIDDING: War Gods, Iron & Blood and Mace: The Dark Ages each avoided receiving a single measly elimination. Of course, the first game is a laughing stock and the latter two have been played by a total of five people combined, so it's no real surprise.

MCWILD CHILD: By tossing out the War Gods final boss Exor in the first Section, Jeffry McWild went down as the only Virtua Fighter in UVR3 to gain a single elimination.

ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES THE WHOOPASS: Haohmaru, Chun-Li, Charlotte, Ryu, Bishamon, King (KOF), Mai Shiranui, Yuri Sakazaki, Jon Talbain, Nakoruru, Ken Masters, Hanzo Hattori, Galford, Kim Kaphwan, Demitri Maximov and Terry Bogard for going through each UVR with at least one elimination.

MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THE WINNING TYPE: Choi Bounge, Kagemaru, Rikuo, Joe Higashi, Anakaris, Benimaru, Sasquatch, Ralf Jones, Kyo Kusanagi, Lord Raptor, Victor, Sarah Bryant, and Goro Daimon for entering all three UVRs and not getting a single elimination each time. That includes the entire Team Japan! SNK sure knows how to pick their marquee heroes.

MOST IMPROVED: Yoshimitsu, for going from zero eliminations to six. That's one nice upgrade.

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM: Athena Asamiya. In UVR2 she won the award for Most Improved for jumping from zero eliminations to eight. Now she's fallen back to zero eliminations. The moral? Drugs = victory.

GIANT KILLER: Yuri Sakazaki for eliminating the Unstoppable Juggernaut. The fact that she took out King (KOF) and Ryu isn't too shabby either.

HEY, GOOD IDEA: Scorpion's elimination of Eddy Gordo allowed him to last longer than he would have normally.

WHOA, BAD IDEA: Hol Horse for eliminating the wacky Yoshimitsu. Not that eliminating Kirby and shooting Captain America would've helped him any.

LESS IS MORE: Seventeen Mortal Kombatants pooled one elimination together in UVR2. With only seven Kombatants in UVR3, they succeeded in gaining four.

ELIMINATION ARTIST: Haohmaru, who has 39 eliminations put together from the three UVRs. That is almost double Guy, who is in second place with 21.

LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE NIGHT: Tak for only receiving a pathetic one live vote when he entered the ring. The fact that Ahua Kin got any live votes to begin with is a shock to us all.

THE BIGGEST AND THE BADDEST: Juggernaut is the only Really Big Guy in UVR3 to have any success, gaining two eliminations and even getting first place in one Section. He also slaughtered fellow Really Big Guy Asmodeus in a bonus match, 56 to 9. Unfortunately, Chuck Austen was unavailable for comment.

MYSTERY MENACES: Kirby and UVR mascot Heavy D! tie as the most successful mystery fighters. Each earned first place in a Section and five eliminations. None of the mystery fighters did especially bad; even those who didn't last their first Section. That is, up until the end when Christie Monteiro stepped into the ring.

THUMBS UP, SOLDIER: Captain America, who didn't win the competition, but he still got the most eliminations of the night.

Infirmary

When Captain America's name was announced, he gained a standing ovation from most of the other fighters as well as all of the audience members who stuck around in the arena. Captain America was still being tended to and even with the UVR staff's exceptional healing technology, it would be a while until he would be 100%. He watched the broadcast from his bed with most of his face bandaged up, but he wasn't alone.

"They like you, Steve. They really like you." Tony Stark said from the side of the bed. "I'm just sorry I couldn't finish it for you."

"Tony, you did a great job and you don't owe me anything. You know that. I'm just not too crazy about how of all the people to win..."

"I know what you mean," Tony nodded. "There's a real Wilson Fisk quality about that Geese character. At least he was too busy in the ring to do any damage, what with all of the Infinity Gauntlet nonsense going on."

"Same could be said about us, I'm afraid."

"There you go, beating yourself up again. Steve, everything was under control. Wolverine and Spider-Man took care of everything without a hitch."

Captain America shrugged. "You're right. The fact that the multiverse is safe makes my personal grudges unimportant."

Tony smiled. "My only problem is that Wolverine and the rest are going to get the credit that the Avengers could certainly use right about now."

Cap laughed. "Maybe we should just let them join the team and we all win."

"What? Have Wolverine and Spider-Man become full-fledged members of the Avengers? What's next: Juggernaut joining the X-Men? Next you're going to tell me that Magneto's going to be teaching at Xavier's school."

"Please, Tony. It hurts when I laugh."

"All I'm saying is-"

"Excuse me," somebody said to a nurse, "but can I speak with Captain America?"

"Hold up," Tony said to Cap. He turned around and walked over to the man. "Looking for Cap? He's over here."

"Who is it?" Cap asked.

Kim Kaphwan followed Tony towards the hospital bed. "I thought I would check up on you."

"No awards ceremony for you either, huh?" Cap smiled.

"I've had enough of Geese Howard as it is, thank you. I don't need to hear him brag about how he hit me with a cheap shot."

"Then I should probably turn off the TV for all our sakes," Tony said, pressing on the remote.

Kim nodded. "Thank you, uh..."

"We met in the ring. I'm Tony Stark, Iron Man." Tony noticed Cap's eyes widen. "Give it a rest, Steve. He's from another world. Like he's going to tell everyone our secret identities."

"Point taken."

Kim smiled. "Sorry to say, but I can't return the gesture. Kim Kaphwan is the only name I go by."

Cap shrugged. "Ever thought about calling yourself Captain Korea?"

The three laughed. "No," Kim said, "that's okay." His face became serious. "So... are you okay?"

"Sure. I'll be fine. I've had worse."

Kim frowned. "I... I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what, son?"

"I know that we've never met before all of this. In fact, we never even met until we were in the ring together. But... well, you're a hero, right?"

Tony crossed his arms. "One of the world's greatest heroes."

"And I'm obviously not part of the country you represent, but you do represent justice and that is far more important. I too live and breath morality and the ideals of justice. I watched you perform throughout the day and, well, I felt inspired by it all. I felt that if you couldn't win, then I had to. Somebody like us had to. And to get so far and to lose it to Geese..."

"It's just an exhibition," Cap said. "The better man won."

"The better man?" Kim grabbed a nearby potted plant and threw it against the wall. Kim lost his cool. "How dare you?! You don't know who that man is! He's a murderer! Geese Howard is a lowdown monster who got away with murder! He's evil! You say he's a better man?! He's no better than a snake! And now he's being celebrated as a champion! Where is the justice in that?"

Tony was going to try and hold him back, but Cap gestured for him not to.

"Enough!" Cap yelled. "A bunch of megalomaniacs tried to take over reality itself and every one of them got taken down. Now all you can do is complain that you lost a fight? Big deal! I may never get a rematch against him, but you're from his world, aren't you? You deal with him! Train harder and take him on when the fight actually matters! Just don't come crying because your ego hurts!" Cap stopped his rant and braced the pain going through his body.

Kim took a deep breath. "You're right. I have to learn from this. Next time I fight Geese Howard, I'll be more prepared mentally and physically. Thanks, Captain."

"Not a problem."

Kim thought to himself. "In fact, I just might get the chance soon enough. There's a new King of Fighters tournament starting up in a little bit and rumors say that Geese is going to take part in it. All I need is to push my teammates into better shape and..." Kim took a pause. "My teammates."

He took off. "Sorry, I have to go check on some things! Sorry I snapped and thanks for the advice!"

Kim was already gone, but Cap still shouted, "Good luck!"

Tony shook his head and grinned. "Get a load of that guy. What a weirdo."

"This from the man who's friends with a Norse god in a winged helmet?"

Tony laughed to himself. "Touch ."

"That man has heart, but I don't know about the stability of his-"

"Hold the phone!"

"What? You don't think he's a little-"

"No," Tony said. "Not that. I think I just saw something under your bed." Tony bent down and picked up a glowing bauble. He stood up and inspected it. It was the Power Gem. "How did that even get there?"

Cap blinked. "Is that what I think it is?"

Bird Auditorium, RumbleDome

Birdman wheeled out the big, Kintaro-sized trophy for the final part of the awards ceremony.

"And now," Wanderer said behind the podium, "the man of the hour. The Champion of the Third Ultimate Video Rumble: Geese Howard!"

Geese, wearing a suit and tie, walked to the center of the stage with an obviously fake smile. Behind him was Billy Kane, who had been bailed out from imprisonment so that he could continue his duties as bodyguard. Some of his peers respectfully applauded him on a job well done. Others booed him because either they came from his node or they happened to have gotten eliminated by him.

"Yes, thank you," Geese said. "This has been one of the more interesting experiences in my life. Truly it is an honor to find myself the winner among over two hundred great fighters. My only true regret in all of this is that I could not face some of you firsthand and prove that I deserve this trophy." He stared directly at Terry. "But I feel I stayed in the ring long enough to prove my worth. For any of you to claim with certainty that you would have beaten me if we had shared the ring, you are both mistaken as well as demeaning the efforts of those like Kim Kaphwan, Captain America and the others who gave their all and went so far."

Terry balled up his fists and took a step forward, but Robert and Yuri pulled him back.

Yuri whispered, "Terry, stop."

"Sorry Yuri, but how much of this do you expect me to take?!"

Robert giggled. "Just let him drone on just a little bit longer."

Geese was still going about his insincere speech. "Kim Kaphwan fought like a champion and deserved to go so far. But I take pride in his defeat. He was fresher than I and if someone as skilled as Kim Kaphwan could lose to me, it just goes to show that I am not a fluke and that nobody can defeat Geese Howard. Truly, I am the undisputed champion of UVR."

Robert smiled. "Now."

All of the sudden, every monitor changed its feed to old footage of the UVR ring.

"What is going on?" Geese said, breaking from his speech. "Can't you idiots pay for working equip- damn it."

The monitors showed Geese Howard smacking Muscle Power aside, shortly followed by picking up Baraka and slamming him into the mat. Due to the roster difference and the electrified ropes in the background, it was obviously footage of the first UVR.

"Turn that off!" Geese yelled.

But the monitors remained on. Geese was just about to challenge Haohmaru, who would later become the first UVR champion. But out of nowhere, Geese was assaulted by the Spanish ninja Vega. Geese was bombarded with a series of slashes and he didn't seem prepared enough to fend him off.

Billy pointed up at the largest monitor. "Geese said ta turn that off! Now do it!"

Vega landed a full Claw Roll, lacerating Geese several times. With Geese stunned, Vega punched Geese in the chin with his bare fist, knocking him out of the ring and into the acid bath.

Murmurings filled the room. People began to question Geese's claim as the undisputed UVR champion. But the one truly asking questions was Vega, who despite not being in UVR3, still looked on from the crowd. He didn't recall ever fighting Geese Howard or taking part in any UVR, which was expected, considering it hadn't happened yet in his personal history. To him, UVR1 was still several years away.

Yes, time travel is confusing.

Billy was on stage, yelling at people in the crowd. "Hey! Shut up! That don't mean nothin'! Geese is still the best! Don't you dare toss that bottle at me, Bryant!"

Geese, on the other hand, turned away and pulled forward his suit. He glanced at Terry in the back, who merely saluted off his hat. Geese frowned and walked away.

"Come, Billy. Let them continue their pathetic wallowing."

Joe was laughing his ass off. "Oh, man! Bobby, that was hilarious! Did you see the look on his face?!"

Mary was also laughing. "I have to know: how'd you do that?"

Robert just shrugged. "I just have some friends in high places is all."

Control Room

Yoshimitsu leaned back and placed his legs on the console. Speaking to nobody in particular, he looked to the ceiling.

"As the award ceremony begins, the crowd can be heard whispering... 'Where is the champion? Where is Geese Howard?' Where is Geese Howard as his admirers chant his name? Already seeking the next challenge, ceremony means nothing to him. The fight is all."

Room 319, RumbleDome

Sie Kensou sat on his bed, feeling very low. He had just finished packing and was thinking about what he could remember from the night before. It was all a blur to him, but he did remember coming to and finding Athena beaten up and unconscious. Once he found out it was his own doing, he became depressed and incredibly irritable. He wouldn't talk to anyone, not even Chin.

It was just as well. The way Sie saw it, as cross as he was with himself, Athena was probably angrier. He didn't expect her to ever speak to him again.

"Sie?" Athena said from the doorway.

Well, that didn't take long, did it?

"Athena!"

"Chin said you were in here packing. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure!" Sie put his hair on his forehead and looked really worried. "Athena, I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry about what happened. I am so sorry. Please, I am sorry and I am sorry and I am..."

Athena sat down next to Sie. "Sie, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. That... that wasn't you doing it."

"So... you're not mad at me?"

"Sie, of course I'm not mad at you."

"Then... what's wrong? You look sad. Is it something you want to talk about?"

Athena looked down. "Me and Ryo broke up."

Sie stood up and shook his fist. "That son of a bitch! I'll tear his face off for that!"

"Sie, sit down. I broke up with him."

Sie sat back down. "W-why?! I thought you were happy with him."

"I don't know. I just... I just get this feeling like there might be someone else out there for me. You know what I mean?"

"Actually, Athena... there's something I need to tell you."

Athena smiled and looked at Sie. "What is it?"

Sie opened his mouth, but after a pregnant pause, he just lost his nerve. "I... N-never mind. It's nothing. I just wish you good luck in finding a guy out there who's right for you."

"Thanks, Sie. That means a lot." Athena stood up. "So, Chin wants us to meet him in his room."

"Oh. Can you give me a minute? I need to check that I got everything."

"Sure thing." Athena kissed Sie on the cheek and hugged him. "When you're ready, I'll be ready." She let go and walked out of the room. "Don't keep me waiting too long, okay?"

In the hallway, Athena passed Jeffry McWild. "Hello, Jeffry!"

"Hello, friend Athena. I want to say that-"

"Sorry, but I have to go."

"Go ahead then. I have to speak to my good friend Sie." Jeffry smiled and waved Athena goodbye. He then walked into Sie's room to see him sitting on the bed.

"Ah, friend Sie! It's so good to see you. I've come first to send my best wishes on your future endeavors. Much like you, I'm soon going to be entering a one-on-one fighting tournament. I'm sure it'll be loads of fun!" He frowned a little. "But also, I want to apologize for my behavior. I don't know if you saw what I did last night, but I lost my temper and... I did some things I never thought I'd do. So I decided to ask for forgiveness from those involved with that awful, awful incident. So... is everything okay? Are you angry?"

Sie didn't answer. From before the conversation even started, he had been sitting there with his eyes glazed over and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Drool was beginning to run down his chin.

Jeffry interpreted the silence as forgiveness. "Great! Be good, Sie. I have to go consume alcoholic beverages with my bestest friend Wolf, who is of the legal age to drink! Bye!"

Once Jeffry slammed the door shut, Sie wobbled and fell to his side.

Outside the Retrieval Room, RumbleDome

"Man, what a mess," a member of the security crew said. "Smells awful in here."

The voice on the other end of her walky-talky concurred. "That's how corpses are supposed to smell, Betty. Now get to counting. We need to know how many of these dead fodder guys we got on our hands."

"Right, right." She put her walky-talky down and waded through Alex's victims from earlier. "Let's see... One, two, thr-" she noticed something stirring under some rubble. "Wait, what the hell? Isn't that... That's that guy!"

On her left, one of the El Gado clones jumped up. It turned out he wasn't dead, but knocked out. Still, his face was horribly burnt and he was in serious pain.

"My face!" he screamed. "Look what he did to my face!"

"Sir, calm down! I'll go get help!"

He wasn't in any emotional state to appreciate her help. "Die, you bitch!" He jabbed her a couple times with his knife. Betty punched him back and then stumbled towards her walky-talky. But she stopped and collapsed once the henchman tossed his knife into her back.

"You shouldn't have done that," a calm, but disgusted voice said.

"Who?!" the henchman screamed, pulling out another knife.

Iori Yagami, sans clothing, appeared from the shadows. Before the thug knew it, Iori ran forward with two lunging elbows and followed by jumping up and striking both fists into the henchman's skull. He smacked the knife out of his limp hand and grabbed him by the neck.

"I'd burn you to cinders right now, but I'm in need of a pair of pants." He pulled the guy in, grabbed his head with both hands and snapped his neck like a twig.

A minute later, Iori adjusted the belt on the pants he stole from the knifeman. He leered over at the security woman and noticed her gaze, which easily signified that she was dead. Iori picked up the dead henchman again and fried him to a crisp.

"There you are," Iori heard. He looked over and saw Mature standing there, smirking.

"Hey." Iori dropped the charred corpse.

"Your purple flames smell different than normal fire. Good to see I was on the right track."

"Eh?"

"I was looking all over for you, Iori. Vice is still I containment for being caught. What happened to you?"

Iori stared at his hands. "Other than the fact that I'm wearing a dead man's clothes? Not really sure. My memory is a little blurry. I can barely even remember being in the ring. I just remember the end of it all. I was so angry. I attacked Amakusa and... there was a blast. Now I'm here."

"Here's hoping the wizard is in worse shape."

Iori stepped over a couple dead bodies and joined Mature. "His kind? They always make it out alive. Come on, let's get out of here before this woman's friends realize..." Iori looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing.

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. Thought I saw... It was nothing." The two teammates walked away.

Once they were gone completely, Dr. Doom appeared. Actually, a Doombot - the same decoy set up in Doom's trap from earlier in the story. In his hand, he carried some sort of tracking device, much like a metal detector. He walked closer to the dead henchmen of Rolento and found what he was looking for.

The Doombot kicked one corpse away and found something glowing beneath.

"Excellent."

Room 650, RumbleDome

Chang and Choi looked at the contents of an open briefcase and giggled to themselves.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Chang said. "This is your smartest idea yet. Where'd you get all this stuff?"

"Halloween store, gift shop, and when I told my wifey, she made the clothes herself. Buddy boy, I think this time we're gonna be- uh oh!" Choi closed the briefcase and turned around as Kim entered the room.

Chang grabbed his chest. "Can't you knock? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Don't place the blame on him, buddy boy. It's eating an entire cow that almost gave you a heart attack."

Kim smiled. "Sorry, the door was unlocked so I didn't think there was a problem. What's going on in here?"

Choi gave a nervous smile. "Heh. Just packing." He turned to Chang and whispered, "I thought I told you to lock the door!"

Chang whispered back. "I thought you said unlock it."

"Why would I tell you to unlock it?"

"Why would you wear sunglasses in a room with no windows? You're a weird guy and-"

Kim lifted an eyebrow at the constant whispering. "Guys? Something wrong?"

"No!" Choi yelled. "Heh. No, not at all."

Chang smiled. "I hear you did great in the Rumble, Kim. I mean, I wasn't there for it, but Choi tells me you were fantastic! You even almost beat Geese Howard!"

Choi appeared wistful. "Ah, Geese Howard. Now there's a guy I wouldn't mind working for..." he saw Kim frown, "...if he cleaned up his act, that no-good weasel!"

Kim smirked again. "Good enough. I came so close, guys. But, you know how it goes. There'll be other tournaments. Which reminds me, there's another King of Fighters coming up soon..."

Chang sighed. "Here it comes."

"...and I think I'm going to be doing it without you guys."

"What?!" the two criminals yelled in unison.

Kim put his hand on Chang's shoulder. "Chang, I know of your actions outside the ring. You vanquished an evil god, you took out some kind of bizarre candy demon, you defended the honor of tae kwon do against that onion master thing and you taught that evil criminal scum Eddy Gordo a lesson he may never forget. I'm impressed. You've done well."

"What about me?" Choi piped.

"And Choi! You... You... Well... You, uh... Hm. Your entrance was pretty keen."

Choi rolled his eyes. "Stop. Your flattery is killing me."

Kim continued. "You two have improved over these years in both ability and morality. As for your replacements, there are some other students who have been raring for a go at KOF. And I have a good friend who's been bugging me about putting him on the team. But as it stands right now, you two are free to do as you wish. Congratulations."

"We're free!" Chang laughed.

Choi laughed as well. "We're free, buddy bo- whoa!" When tossing his hands in the air, he lost his hold on the suitcase and it almost hit Kim. It bounced off of the wall and onto a chair, where it opened up.

"What is this?" Kim asked as his partners became more and more afraid. In the suitcase he found dirty, tattered clothing, face-paint, green body paint, spirit gum, a fake nose among other weird objects. As he repeated, his voice sounded far less curious and far angrier. "What is this?"

Choi hopped up onto the bed and waved his hands frantically. "Wait! Kim! It's not what it looks like!"

"You two were planning on dressing yourselves up like Earthquake and Gen-An so you could sneak away and hide out in their home node to get away from me!"

Choi lowered his head and started crying. "It's what he thinks." Behind him, Chang nervously started biting at his fingernails.

"Chang? Choi? Why do you have to make me do this? Why?" Kim's face darkened and he walked over to the door. He locked it. "I wouldn't want anyone interrupting my training session with my two KOF teammates, now would I?"

And in the end, Kim found an outlet for his runner's up frustrations after all.

The Pub

Various fighters from the contest filled the room, drinking and conversing with another. Some wanted to spend their last minutes in the RumbleDome with their newfound friends from other worlds while some celebrated what they considered an epic and entertaining Rumble. King took to the bar at the time, figuring she could use a couple tips. Besides, it was rare she ever had a diverse bunch of customers like this.

"You shut your mouth!" Fuuma screamed. "I am not worse than a War God!"

Anubis, sitting next to Rancid, cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but you realize I'm sitting here, right?"

"Not you, Anubis. You're one of the good ones."

Rancid took a swig. "World Heroes... Feh. I didn't see them asking you to enter the ring."

"Yeah? Well, you got your butt kicked, didn't you? Not like if I was in there."

"Give it a rest, Red. You're through. A has-been."

Fuuma seethed. "Oh, no you don't! You're the one who's a has-been! You may be from the future, but you're still getting buried in the sands of time, bitch. Me? I got a comeback coming. Just you watch!"

"Yeah, whatever."

Kenshi was on his third beer, discussing swordplay and other topics with his newfound rival Ukyo Tachibana. "So what's the deal with the coughing, again?"

"*hack* Tuberculosis."

"Hm. You know, ever since I lost my eyesight, I've been able to perceive my surroundings with better accuracy just by using my other senses. Is there any way you can use your sickness to your advantage?"

Ukyo paused. "That's too cough disgusting to even think about."

Ryo entered the room and waded through his peers, limping towards the bar. Already at the bar was Dan Hibiki, who had a sour look on his face from reading the list of specialty drinks.

"Champaign mixed with Strawberry Quik? *That's* a Dan Hibiki?!"

Sitting to his right, Annie Hamilton shrugged. "Look at it this way. It's flattering to be remembered somehow..."

Ryo sat down and got King's attention. "Give me something strong."

"Hello to you too."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just not in a good mood. Athena dumped me."

Dan patted him on the back. "Sorry to hear that, man. First round's on me."

"I appreciate it, but no thanks. I swiped Robert's credit card."

"Then you can pay for my drinks?"

"Deal."

"Sweet."

King finished pouring Ryo's drink. She pulled out the flask she bought from Tessa and stared at it for a moment.

"Something wrong, King?" Ryo asked.

"Huh? No. I'm really sorry about what happened with you and Athena. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll survive. Heh. At least I wasn't eaten by Demitri or anything like that." Ryo looked up at King and saw her smile at him. "You know, King... I don't want to sound like some jerk because I just got dumped, but you do look good. You... you look good."

"Thanks, Ryo." After another moment of consideration, King decided not to open the flask after all. She just served Ryo his drink and decided she would sell the container to Kasumi Todo later on. "So, are you entering the next KOF too?"

Meanwhile, in another area of the room, Kyo Kusanagi, Ralf Jones, Clark Steel, Jon Talbain and the wrestler King sat around a table, drinking to their hearts' content. They each had almost half of their bodies covered in bandages.

"Kyo, are you even old enough to drink?" King asked.

"Lay off him," Ralf sighed. "Let him get drunk like the rest of us."

Clark nodded. "You do owe him."

"Fine, fine."

Talbain lifted his mug. "To Dr. Doom! May we never see his ugly, metal face again!"

Ralf added, "And if we do see it, may we knock it to the... the... okay, I think I'm drunk now."

Kyo set his empty mug onto the table. "You know what we should do?"

"Karaoke?" Clark asked.

"You know it." The five of them got out of their chairs.

"Guys?" Talbain said. "Can you see if they have any Warren Zevon?"

Ralf put his arm on the werewolf's shoulder. "Sure thing, buddy."

Nearby, Kenshi slowly put his drink down.

"Something wrong?" Ukyo asked.

"Now I may be blind, but I know when it's a good time to pay the tab and get the hell out of Dodge."

Holding Cells

"Come this way, Ms. Alexandria."

Sophitia followed a doctor through the hallways of the RumbleDome's prison area. Most of them were emptied out as the prisoners were tossed back to their home nodes. Due to their contracts, UVR personnel could not punish them too severely. But there was one who was held there long after all the others had left. He was a very special case. Bitten by a vampire. Mind controlled by a succubus. Given a concussion by a superhero. Siegfried still had to be treated for his injuries.

"How is he, doctor?" Sophitia asked as they walked.

"The injuries and the infections have been dealt with. We just aren't sure about the long-term psychological effects of what he went through. We tried to have a psychiatrist speak with him, but Siegfried has been mostly silent. At one point he asked to speak to you. We felt that maybe you could bring us to light of his condition."

Sophitia nodded. "I see."

"I hope you don't mind that we made you leave your weapons at the front desk. Security risk and all."

"I do not mind at all."

"Also, I may know very little about fighting and the customs of your timeframe, but is it possible that you could wear something less risque when you fight?"

"What are you speaking of?" Sophitia asked, offended.

"It's your skirt. When you kick or flip, well, people can see-"

"I will thank you not to look! Pig."

"Uh, yes. Very well." The doctor cleared his throat and changed the subject. "His cell is that one right there in the corner. Speak to him as long as you want."

Sophitia said nothing and entered the cell. In there, she found Siegfried held against the wall. Several metal devices restrained his arms and legs, due to security's advice. His head hung low.

"Siegfried...?"

Once he heard her voice, Siegfried grinned. "Hello, Sophitia. You look well."

"Thank you. You... you do to."

"How are you?"

"I am fine. I felt that I did an adequate job in the competition. The man who defeated me went on to become the contest's champion. So that is somewhat of a consolation. But the real question is how are you?"

"I am... I am well, Sophitia. For the first time in quite a while, I am well. I wished to see you because you have always acted kind to me, so I feel you should be the first to hear of the news."

"What news?"

Siegfried lifted his head up to show his eyes getting watery. He smiled at her. "I have regained my sanity."

Sophitia held her hands together. "Bless the heavens..."

"Yes. I know that I have been acting like a lunatic since you first met me, but now I am better. The horrible memories of my father's death had been repressed, but no further. I have come to realize the truth. I know now who really killed my father."

Sophitia smiled. "Siegfried, this is wonderful news."

Siegfried bowed his head once more. "Maximov..."

Sophitia's smile died down. "I beg your pardon?"

"Demitri Maximov killed my father. I saw it with my very own eyes."

"You are mistaken..."

"There is no mistake! Demitri Maximov killed my father. That vampire retch executed my father before me. Do you not see? That is why I cannot give up my battle. He is a being that is too powerful for either of us to defeat. I need the extra power to eliminate him. I need to wield the Soul Edge!"

"This is madness."

"No! Don't you see?! Demitri Maximov killed my father! I must have the Soul Edge! I must use the Soul Edge to gain my revenge! And I will be damned if I will let even the likes of you get in my way! I will not rest until I seek vengeance for my father! Demitri Maximov killed my father!"

"Siegfried, listen to yourself! Demitri Maximov could not have done it! He is from another world and another time! If it were not for this contest, we would never have even crossed paths with him! You wish to know who truly killed your father? The killer is-"

Siegfried's head popped up and reached forward as much as his neck and the restraints would allow. His face was red and the veins in his head bulged outward. "Demitri Maximov killed my father! He killed him! Demitri Maximov killed my father! Listen to me! I know the truth! The truth, damn you!"

Sophitia just held her hand over her face and turned away. She didn't want Siegfried to see her cry. She shook her head and walked out of the cell and into the hallway, hearing the echoes of the screams all the way. She ignored the curious doctor and went on her way.

Siegfried lost the reason to shout and hung his head low again; tears streaming down his cheeks. He slowly shook his head and moaned. "Demitri Maximov killed my father... Demitri Maximov killed my father... Demitri Maximov killed my father..."

Hallway Near the Exit Portals, RumbleDome

"And there it was," Spider-Man said. "The Reality Gem, right inside that big, red helmet. I took it and that's about the end of the story."

"Why are you telling me this?" Guy asked.

"One, you're an outsider in all of this. Two, you're a good guy. I'd value your input in something like this. Should I keep it? Should I try and get all the others together and do something good with them? Or should I just give it to somebody from another world so the six Gems can never come together?"

Guy stared him straight in the white spider eyes. "Don't even think about it."

"What?"

"I'm not going to touch that thing. Keep it in your world. The last thing I want is for that Thanos guy to find his way into my node so he can put it and myself in danger."

"You aren't sounding very heroic there, Guy."

"There's heroic and there's idiotic. You and your friends should be capable of dealing with this without the help of some street fighter. In fact, I think you better go find Wolverine immediately."

"Why's that?"

"I saw him with one of those Gems. He was on his way to the Exit Portals."

Spider-Man paused for a second. "I... I'll talk to you later. Or not. Anyway, it was nice meeting you." He ran away. "Logan! Wait up!"

Guy shook his head and started to walk away. He bumped into Haohmaru.

"Oh. It's you."

"HA! SO IT WOULD APPEAR THAT I, THE GREAT AND LEGENDARY HAOHMARU HAVE RUN INTO THE SOMEWHAT IMPRESSIVE GUY WHO DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE A LAST NAME EITHER BUT HAS A VERY GENERIC AND PLAIN SOUNDING NAME THAT IS NOT LEGENDARY BY ANY LENGTH! NOW YOU REALIZE THE FLUKE THAT IS LOSING THE ULTIMATE VIDEO RUMBLE AFTER PROVING YOURSELF TO BE THE CHAMPION EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NO FLUKE WHEN I WON THE FIRST CONTEST AND IT WAS A FLUKE THAT YOU WON THE SECOND FOR YOU ARE NOT NEARLY AS LEGENDAR-"

Guy smacked him. "Stop that. Now."

Tears rolled down Haohmaru's cheeks. "What'd you do that for?"

Bishamon walked by. Upon seeing the two men who beat him in the UVR finals in the contests before, he lifted up his right hand and flipped the bird.

"Haohmaru? This one's for you." He stuck the sword into the floor and stuck out his left hand's middle finger. "And Guy? Right here, buddy. Boom! I'm out of here!" He picked up the sword and walked off as Guy and Haohmaru stood in wonder.

"Okay," the sword said. "I am positive that Bishamon would have never said that."

"Ask me if I care," one of the flames shot back.

Control Booth

Birdman took a break from all of the chaos and sat alone in the room, smoking two cigarettes at once. He rested his head in his hands and tried to calm his nerves.

Wanderer stepped in, carrying a clipboard and looking none too happy. "Birdman? You all right?"

"Huh? Am I all right? I don't know yet. What's the damage of all of this?"

"There's good news and there's bad news."

"Give me the good news."

Wanderer looked at the clipboard. "Good news is that the damage isn't that bad, really. The roof is banged up, a couple rooms were blown up and there was a lot of damage in the sub-basements, but overall, it's not bad. Nothing near as bad as UVR2. The new building's structure is still intact. Hell, Dr. Doom's already paid for his mess."

"Huh. That's not so bad. And we still have all that money people sent us to mess with Gordo."

"About that. We're being sued."

"What?!"

Wanderer sighed. "The contracts are worded so that we can only kill these people once per elimination. Eddy was eliminated once and died..." Wanderer glanced at the list, "364 times."

"God."

"I know. Plus there's the part of the contract about fighters returning in the state they came in."

Birdman looked back. "But there's nothing wrong with Eddy... other than the psychological effects that come from dying 364 times."

"No, Eddy's fine. But Eiji Kisaragi was crippled backstage."

"He has a lawyer?"

Wanderer shrugged. "Same as the one helping Eddy. Plus Thanos is joining the suit."

"You're kidding me."

"Came in with an full Infinity Gauntlet. Security confiscated a whopping one Infinity Gem. So now Thanos has the Mind Gem and an attorney aiming to get us."

"Something sounds really wrong about Thanos having a lawyer."

"Why not? He hangs around with Mephisto."

Birdman sighed. "Good point. How about death? I'm sure that's going to cost us."

"Well... after the incident with Iori Yagami and Amakusa, neither have been spotted anywhere. Don't know if that means they're dead, per se. A dozen or so fatalities have been confirmed, but they're just security, Shadaloo soldiers and El Gado clones. Just cannon fodder. Had a close call with Kasumi Todo, but she'll pull through."

Birdman took out one cigarette and knocked the ash into a nearby tray while taking a puff from the other one in his mouth. "Do you think it's worth it?"

"I'm sure we'll still have plenty of money left over to turn a profit."

"That's not what I mean. God, this is the second time some asshole villain's been close to taking over all reality and we're the ones responsible. We gave them the means to almost take over the multiverse. Just for some pay-per-view event. And for what? Headaches like this because Eiji Kisaragi is too stupid to stay in his goddamn hotel room?"

Wanderer leaned against the doorway. "So... that it? You want to quit this? End UVR at 3?"

"I guess." Birdman got up. "Maybe I'll change my mind later, but I just don't see the point in all of this."

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink."

"Can it have a little umbrella in it?"

"It can have a little umbrella in it."

Exit Portals, RumbleDome

Dudley and Heavy D! walked side-by-side. Dudley was in the middle of giving D! some pointers. "All I'm saying, my good man, is that while there is no question that your punches pack, well, quite the punch, you still need to train more in the art of using speed with your attacks. I do as much and that is why I am considered the perfect boxer."

"Perfect boxer, my ass. I knocked you out of the ring. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember considering I hit you so hard."

"Yes, funny. You also hit me from behind. Very honorable, if I do say so."

They walked over to a member of Rumble personnel. "Name, please?"

"You go first," D! said.

"No, no. I insist. Also, good luck on your future ventures. I wish to one day have a rematch."

D! smiled. "Yeah. Right back at you." The two tapped fists.

Elsewhere in the room, Yoshimitsu looked around wistfully with his hands on his hips and his glowing sword on his back. "Yep, yep, yep. This is the end... beautiful friend. Father? Yes, son? I want to kill you. Mother? I want to-"

"Yoshi!"

He turned around and saw Rimururu, Nakoruru and Lion Rafale run over.

"I was wondering when you folks were going to show up." He pointed at Nakoruru. "I don't know you, but you look very familiar. Are you Lion's sister?"

"Haha! That's pretty funny. I'm Nakoruru. I want to thank you for helping out my sister and for all you've done."

"Your sister helped us all out. You should be proud."

"I am. Oh, Galford's here. It was nice meeting you. I have to go." Nakoruru ran off.

Yoshi saluted. "See you on the flipside."

"I have to go too," Lion said. "But I'm sure I'll see you guys in the next one of these." He low-fived Yoshimitsu, gave Rimururu a hug and walked towards the portals.

"Bye, Lion," Rimururu meekly said.

Yoshi waved him goodbye as he walked away. "Watch out for those old men and their allowances!" He turned to Rimururu. "I wish I knew what the hell I just referenced." He then saw that Rimururu had her head down the whole time because she was crying.

"Rimmy, are you all right? There's no crying in baseball. Though, we aren't playing baseball so... Anyway, what's wrong?"

"I don't want you to leave me, Yoshi."

Yoshi kneeled down and wiped one of Rimururu's tears with his metallic finger. "Aw, but Rimmy, I have to go. I'm needed elsewhere."

"But I need you too. I need you to watch over me."

"You don't need me for that, kid. You're strong enough to handle yourself without me annoying you. Really, my novelty wears out its welcome pretty quickly."

Rimururu cried out, "But I'm not strong enough! You saw what Iori did to me! I blew it!"

"Rimmy, Rimmy, Bo-Bimmy... He was overpowered and too much for most anyone to handle. You went the distance, though. You never said die. You fought with everything you had and still found more to fight with."

Rimururu wiped her arm across her face. "You're just saying that. I'm nothing compared to my sister or any other fighter in this building. I'm just a weak, little girl."

"That's a pretty bold statement considering some War Gods are still hanging around here." Yoshi sighed. "Rimmy, you're still so young. You have so much potential and you don't even realize it. Every fighter has his or her own strengths. Some are super strong, some are really fast and some have the power to summon basketballs. You have heart and lots of it. What I saw - and look me in the eye so you know I mean it - was that you might just have more heart than everyone who ever took part in the Ultimate Video Thingamajig."

"You really mean it?"

"I really mean it." He hugged Rimururu and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. He patted her on the back. "Use that heart in your training and there's nothing you can't do. But as for now, you stay. I go. No following."

"I'll never forget you."

"Not the correct follow-up line, but it'll do just fine." Yoshi stood up and smiled down at her. "We'll meet again. I'm sure of it. Until then..."

"Keep on trucking," Rimururu said, smiling.

"Yeah, keep on- Who taught you that?"

"Lion said you'd like that."

Yoshi smiled and walked off, shaking his head. "She'll be just fine."

Nakoruru and Galford walked back over to Rimururu.

"Are you okay, Rimmy?" Nakoruru asked.

"Huh? Yes, I'll be okay."

Galford seemed disappointed. "Bogus, the robot dude's leaving? I wanted to talk to him. Bummer."

Yoshimitsu stood before the portal with his sword high in the air. He marched through, screaming, "Thundercats! HOOOOOO!"

The Pub

Ned the Janitor had finished mopping up the floors. While he took pride in his work most of the time, he was still bitter. When they called him in to show up at the RumbleDome, he was hoping they meant to compete, but of course, they didn't mean that at all. Maybe next time.

The Rumble was long over and Ned was one of the few left in the building. He began to walk out, only to accidentally bump into the trash bin and knock it over. He looked down at the mess he just made.

"...Eh, screw 'em." He walked away and turned out the light.

Among the empty bottles and other garbage sat a spiked ball with a handle. It was the Mace of Tanis, untouched since Rancid had used it.

A white light appeared in the ground and a big, red hand reached out from its confines. It snatched the handle and pulled it back down. As the portal closed, Asmodeus laughed wickedly. The Mace of Tanis was his to wield once more.

Medieval England

Lord Deimos, still mighty exhausted, rode on an armored, demonic horse towards his castle. He was still hurt from the thrashing he took at the hands of Wolverine and his armor was in very bad shape. In fact, he lost his helmet and had to replace it with a cooking pot with eyeholes poked into it.

No matter. He would bathe in the lava within his stronghold and heal up. Then he would forge a new, stronger suit of armor. Once rested up, he would waste no more time in attacking Asmodeus and stealing the Mace of Tanis.

But as he neared his castle, he noticed something on the horizon. Deimos narrowed his eyes to get a better look, only to gasp. The unthinkable had happened: his people were revolting!

Deimos was certainly in no condition to face them all. Even if he was in full health, he wouldn't stand a chance. Especially considering they were being led into battle by the mercenary Mordos Kull. Deimos turned his horse around and tried to get away.

However, then he saw another army running towards him, screaming his name in hatred. It was an army of dwarf slaves, led by Gar Gundrunson and his War Mech. Several dozen other dwarves rode their own War Mechs, ready to pummel Lord Deimos and blow him to kingdom come.

Lord Deimos looked back and forth at the nearing armies, looking to tear him limb-from-limb.

"I wonder what Sauron would do in this situation."

Royal Castle, Latveria

The robot duplicate of Dr. Doom entered the throne room, seeing his true self, pondering. Two robot guards stood silently at the true Doom's sides, paying the Doombot no mind. The Doombot kneeled down and offered the glowing, yellow Time Gem.

Without words, Doom took the Time Gem and studied it. His Doombot obediently straightened up and walked away. Doom stood up and walked out of his throne room. He turned on the recording devices within his armor.

"Begin record 117-B. The Ultimate Video Rumble is but a memory now. Doom did not technically take part in the brawling competition, as he had far more important matters. Still, Doom's virtual performance left much to be desired. Had I actually entered the ring, surely it would have ended with myself as the winner. Yet the Doombot in my place was dismantled by Captain America. While the hero is indeed skilled, the robot's loss is still unacceptable. Such a robot deserved to be violently disassembled. Doom must make note too improve the programming and armor of his Doombots."

He walked through a long hallway, continuing his monologue. "But as always, Doom's defeat gives way to victory. For that is my way. I had thwarted Mephisto's son's plans and defeated him in combat. The only price to pay was a favor for Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, or as he likes himself to be known as, Magneto. Magneto is a tactical and powerful peer, so it indeed interests Doom in the circumstances of the pending request for aid.

"Doom had no interaction with the titan Thanos, though his folly is surely in Doom's favor. During the competition, his Gauntlet had been disrupted and the Infinity Gems scattered. Thanos no longer holds the complete means for ultimate power, as Doom now owns the Time Gem. It is understood that others from this universe hold the other six; one of which being Thanos still. Surely they will come for Doom. Doom will be ready."

Dr. Doom entered a large laboratory. At his presence, a multitude of monitors automatically flickered on, all featuring Kyo Kusanagi. It was looped footage of the beating Kyo administered onto Dr. Doom prior to Doom's escape. While some monitors showed nothing more than the assault at various camera angles, others showed other recorded information such as infrared scans and x-ray footage. Some monitors wrote out various numerical readings only understandable to a handful of geniuses throughout the multiverse.

"There is the matter of Kyo Kusanagi. Due to incompetent henchmen, outside forces interrupted the mission to bring Kusanagi back to Latveria. No matter. Perhaps it is for the best. While having Kusanagi himself would be ideal for experimentation, there is the chance that others would have come for him. Doom needs no such distractions. Besides, Doom has more than enough data to work with." He looked to the monitors. "Once Kusanagi had left his prison, Doom provoked the boy into quite the performance. Much vital information had been recorded via Doom's own special cameras. Doom will study this information and discover Kusanagi's secrets."

Doom kept walking. He passed by several glass tubes, each with an unconscious man floating within. Each one looked exactly like Kyo Kusanagi.

"Of course, there is more than one way to solve a puzzle." Doom chuckled for a second. "But it is of little importance for the time being. No, Doom has more important matters on his plate, does he not?"

He studied the Time Gem in the light once more. Yes, indeed. They would come for him. He would have to prepare.

"End record 117-B."

The 616 Marvel Universe

Under the moon's surface, a large, baldheaded being stood in front of a series of monitors. While one featured Dr. Doom from the previous scene, others showed events happening at the same moment from all over that world. Things like Mary Jane giving Peter Parker a kiss for good luck. Captain America and the Hulk fighting over the Power Gem. Juggernaut holding up a beaten Wolverine while laughing in his face. Magneto sitting and contemplating in solitude. And so on.

The bigheaded being looked to the readers.

"Greetings. I am Uatu, the Watcher. I exist for no reason but to bear witness. I choose to watch this planet Earth as its inhabitants and their adventures interest me more than any other planet of any other system. While I must record the events, I can never allow myself to interfere for that is not my way.

"There exist countless alternate realities; none escaping my eyes. Even the slightest change in events can create a major alteration in one reality. In one world, Spider-Man could have become a member of the newly named Fantastic Five. In another, Rick Jones could have become the Incredible Hulk instead of his savior Bruce Banner. Perhaps The Punisher Frank Castle could have become one half of the alien hybrid known as Venom. In yet another world, Tony Stark could have used his technological knowledge to go public rather than become the superhero Iron Man. The possibilities are truly endless.

"In the world you know, the titan Thanos had gained the six Infinity Gems in an attempt to inspire the love of Death herself. One of his first acts was to erase half of the universe's population. Earth's champions banded together to stop the titan and failed. Various cosmic beings also joined forces to stop Thanos, but they too were defeated. In the end, it was Adam Warlock and hubris itself that became Thanos' downfall.

"But what if things were different?

"Take witness of the events of this universe. Before Thanos could eradicate half of the universe's population, his advisor Mephisto suggested that he could easily impress Lady Death through winning a multiversal tournament known as the Ultimate Video Rumble 3. In that reality, Thanos did as such and things certainly did not turn out the way he had planned. As the titan was sent back to his universe, he had lost all but one Infinity Gem. The other five were spread upon the heroes and villains of that universe. Without the full Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos had no means of fulfilling his duty to Death.

"Without a crippled population, the events will turn out different indeed. Those who would not exist in my world will play important roles in the battle against Thanos. Those such as the hungry god Shuma Gorath, the militant mutant Magneto, the demon Blackheart, the unstoppable Juggernaut and even the X-Woman Psylocke. In a cosmic scavenger hunt such as this, who will reign supreme in the end? It is time to ask the question:

"What If The Marvel Superheroes and Villains Possessed the Infinity Gems?"

The Laboratory of Dr. Boskonovitch

The scientist was busy studying a blood sample under a microscope. He needed complete silence to concentrate. His eyes focused to study the sample and just as he was about to get a good look...

"Who's house?! Say what?! Run's house!"

Boskonovitch jumped and almost fell over. He shook his head and sighed. "Back so soon, Yoshimitsu?"

"Back in the high life again, Doc. How's my favorite butt-kicking senior citizen? Actually, second favorite. I still don't trust the news that Elvis died."

Boskonovitch smiled and grabbed his cane. He walked over to Yoshimitsu and studied him. "Why are parts of you covered in duct tape...? You've been shot, haven't you?" He removed the tape. "Many times."

"Oh, these little holes? Eh. I always wanted to look more like a guitar, but I'll be a flute for Halloween if I have to. Music is music. I had so much fun at the Rumble! I fought a guy dressed as a lion, a cowboy, a werewolf, a cheerleader/sorceress, one of those medieval death sentence guys. What's the name for it...?"

"Executioner?"

"Yeah, him."

"I can fix up your holes with ease, Yoshimitsu. It's just a shame..."

"What? That Bambi's mom died? That gets me too."

Boskanovitch shook his head. "No. While you were gone, I spent some time working on a prototype of a new body for you. I would transfer you to it now, but I don't think it will be ready until after the next Iron Fist tournament." Boskanovitch looked up at Yoshimitsu with a pleading expression. "Did you... have a chance to get the Ogre blood sample?"

"Chance? Yes, I had one. But..." Yoshi's metal face showed sadness. "Sorry, Doc."

"It's okay, it's okay. You'll have your second chance. You've studied him and now you can conquer the beast on your next encounter!"

"I love it when you get all dramatical."

"Come, Yoshimitsu. There is something I must show you." He led Yoshimitsu to another part of the lab. "So how did you do in the contest?"

"I did GRRRREAT!"

"And what about the Gun Jack? How did he perform?"

"Er... not so GRRRREAT! Now what is it you wanted to show me?" Yoshi noticed several photos and sketches of Bryan Fury on a table. "Well, somebody has a crush!"

"Please. That's what I needed to show you. I need you to keep an eye on him during the next tournament. He's one of Abel's works. Your counterpart, actually. I don't know how, but evidence indicates that he's both cybernetic and undead, but he somehow keeps his human intellect. It interests me."

"Beat up old man, get evil monster's blood and look out for scarred cyber-zombie. Got it. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. I want to show you the look of your new armor. Like I said, I won't have it completed until after the tournament. Have a look."

Boskanovitch pulled out a picture that looked exactly like Yoshimitsu's Power Stone/insect form from his time in the UVR ring. Yoshi smiled and rubbed his chin.

"Can you make it bullet-proof?"

"I can do that, yes."

"I'll take it! Do you accept Discovery?"

Goro's Lair, Earthrealm

Sub-Zero coughed up blood into his mask, trying his hardest to crawl away. He knew this was going to happen. He could defeat Scorpion, but he wouldn't be able to do it consistently. Scorpion would return again and again no matter how many times Sub-Zero beat him.

What a time for it to happen, too. Earlier on, Sub-Zero watched Liu Kang destroy the god Shinnok once and for all. Sub-Zero thought it would be best to skip out on any celebration and go on his separate path. He returned to the site of his brother's death for meditation, but Scorpion ambushed him. Sub-Zero fought as hard as ever, but it just wasn't enough. Scorpion loomed over him, ecstatic.

"I have defeated you, Sub-Zero. I have avenged the death of my family and clan. Now my soul can finally rest..."

Sub-Zero stopped moving. He suddenly realized what had been happening. All this time, the two Sub-Zeros and Scorpion had been played against each other. He had a good idea of who was pulling the strings.

Sub-Zero turned onto his back and stared into Scorpion's eyes. "Your soul will never rest, Scorpion. The Lin Kuei may have been responsible for your murder, but your family's true killer still remains free."

Scorpion couldn't explain it, but he knew Sub-Zero was telling the truth. As much as he wanted to hate and kill him, he knew the Lin Kuei warrior wasn't lying. He realized that he was right. He had seen this younger Sub-Zero spare the lives of enemies before. He was not the one who killed Scorpion's family.

"If you are not the murderer... then who is?"

"I am the one you seek."

From the shadows came Quan Chi. Even with his master Shinnok destroyed, Quan Chi was in high spirits. Quan Chi had stepped out of the conflict between Earthrealm and Shinnok, allowing the heroes to exhaust their power in victory. Now Quan Chi could capitalize on the moment and rule all of the realms.

He continued. "To defeat my nemesis, Sub-Zero, I needed the help of a specter." He looked over the beaten Sub-Zero with a look of demonic joy in his eyes. "You've done my bidding well, Scorpion. But now I must return you to the Netherealm." He waved his hand and Scorpion started to fade away.

Scorpion stared at Quan Chi with pure hatred. This man who he considered a mentor turned his own ally against him. Now he was banishing him back to Hell to rot for eternity.

"NEVER!"

Quan Chi deserved to pay for his crimes. Scorpion knew exactly how he would go about his revenge. He sprinted forward with speed Quan Chi didn't even know Scorpion had and latched onto the sorcerer.

"NO!" Quan Chi screamed. As Scorpion vanished into the pits of Hell, he took Quan Chi with him.

Several moments passed and Sub-Zero slowly got to his feet. He didn't know what to make of what he had just witnessed. Perhaps it was just justice being served.

"Let those idiots destroy each other," he said aloud. "I'm no longer a factor in their stupid war."

That brought up the question of what Sub-Zero was to do with himself. Scorpion and Quan Chi were no longer in his hair, Shinnok was defeated and the Lin Kuei was too withered to be a legitimate threat to him.

But then he thought back to his encounter with the one named Guy weeks earlier, during the UVR competition. He too was a ninja, or as he called himself, a Bushin. He claimed that his clan worked specifically for the good of mankind. Such an idea...

Sub-Zero pondered the possibilities for several hours, ignoring all of the pain from his injuries. Eventually he came to a decision. He walked out of the dank prison and set off to find the Lin Kuei headquarters.

He was going to set things right.

Shadoloo Headquarters, Thailand

Bison sat in his quarters, fuming. He came so close. He had omnipotence. TWICE! But it had been stolen from him. He was humiliated many times over in the night that was to be his ultimate victory.

The UVR staff made sure to lie to Bison and insist that Alex was from another node to prevent him from seeking revenge prematurely. After all, there was no sense in creating a time paradox. Still, Bison knew Rolento was of his world. He had it in mind that Rolento would pay even more than Demitri.

Another time.

He couldn't focus on multiversal domination at the moment. He had to pay attention to his own world. He had just sent out all of his Dolls to capture Ryu and bring him back alive for brainwashing.

He sat and awaited word.

Meanwhile, in another part of the facility, Vega left the workout area with a towel around his neck. Even when exercising, he opted to wear his protective mask.

Balrog was on his way towards the same area, hoping to wear out the brand new punching bags in one go. He and Vega passed each other with eye contact and a respectful nod. But all of the sudden, Balrog stopped. He called Vega back.

"Yo, Vega."

Vega stopped. "What do you want?"

"We never got to talk since that Rumble deal. With Bison busy right now, I think now'd be a good time."

Vega walked back over. "What about the Rumble?"

"Did you really beat that Geese chump?"

Vega looked around for a moment and then whispered. "Honestly, I don't know what that was. That was definitely me. I know my own form and flawless looks. There is no question. But... I don't have the slightest memory of it."

"I don't remember that either. Asked Sagat, but he didn't know nothin'. Maybe Bison had our minds wiped. Maybe we had to forget it happened."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"Just between you and me? I've been doin' some thinkin'."

Vega scoffed. "I'm impressed."

"You beat up the guy that beat up the boss. Maybe Bison ain't as unkillable as he wants us to believe. Think about it." Balrog popped his neck and walked towards the facility's gym. "Talk to you later, man."

"Right. Later." Vega walked in the opposite direction and did indeed think about it. He never considered the possibility of actually defeating M. Bison and taking over. But now that he's seen Bison humiliated firsthand...

He smiled under the mask. "Balrog. You ugly genius."

Asmodeus' Lair

Asmodeus loomed victorious over the defeated Sir Dregan. "iT WAs OnLy a mATtEr oF TImE bEfORe YoU fIGUreD oUt THe tRUtH, dREgaN. NOt tHAt iT COncErNEd mE In tHE leASt. yOU aRE sTIlL sO wEAk CoMpaReD To mY sUPrEMaCy."

Sir Dregan staggered to his feet and got swatted away instantly.

"hA! wHAT a wOrtHleSs wrETcH. aN uNDeAd sLAvE tRYiNg tO pLAy heRO. ThE ONlY thInG i caNNoT fAThOm iS hoW yOU EVen rEAcHed mE. TElL mE, dREgAn: HoW dId YOu gET pASt GREndAl?"

Despite his jaw falling off, Dregan looked up at Asmodeus and hissed, "He... let me... in..."

"wHAt?!" Asmodeus looked towards the doorway and already saw Grendal in mid-air, gripping his giant hammer. Asmodeus had no time for defense and felt the hammer crack the exoskeleton on his beak.

"I let him in!" Grendal shouted. This surprised Asmodeus greatly as it was the first time he had ever heard the gargoyle speak. "You transformed us into scum! But now Dregan and I remember everything! It's over, Asmodeus! I was part of some prophecy to destroy you, was I not? Well, here it comes!"

He slugged his free fist into Asmodeus' jaw, causing the monstrous demon to recoil. Sir Dregan stood back up and aided Grendal in what would become an epic battle.

Gill's Base of Operations

Shockingly, it was the second consecutive Street Fighter tournament not to feature Ryu in the finals. Granted, it was Gill's tournament and he would have put himself in the finals anyway, but Alex didn't exactly earn his right.

Ken Masters was defeated by Ryu.

Hugo was also defeated by Ryu.

Ryu was defeated by Oro.

Oro no-showed for his semi-finals match against Alex.

And so it was Alex taking the thrashing against the self-proclaimed messiah. The fight was mostly even for the first half, but Gill stepped up his game and started dominating Alex. After taking an icy axe kick to the top of the head, Alex rested for a second as Gill did his usual masturbatory ranting. Alex didn't hear Gill speak. He only heard other voices.

"Don't fight him," Tom said from his hospital bed six months earlier. "I know you think you can just waltz in, find this guy and avenge me, but he's not just some judo guy or street punk. He's like a god and I don't think you can beat him..."

"Just stay away from him!" Patricia told him later with tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to be in my dad's shape! We don't want you going after this Gill man! We need you here!"

Alex started to lax on his drive to stand back up. Perhaps he just wasn't meant to beat Gill. This was more of a job for Ryu or that army man who quit street fighting after fighting M. Bison.

"I can't believe you beat up M. Bison," Ken Masters said to Alex the day after UVR3. "I thought you were pretty tough, but goddamn! I usually wouldn't tell anyone this, but even I couldn't beat that son of a bitch. I fought him to a standstill once, but I had that Ryu fangirl helping me out. In fact, Ryu's never beaten him either. If you could manhandle Bison like that, there's no telling what else you got going on. I'm entering the next Street Fighter tournament. Who knows? Maybe we'll meet in the finals."

Another voice replayed in his head. "You fought well. There is a strong potential inside you. Unleash the power within your fists and within your rage-filled heart. Perhaps we will meet in battle one day. Perhaps you will impress me once more." When Alex heard that dark voice in the RumbleDome hallway, he turned and saw nobody. But he had a good idea of who said it.

Alex was already back in the fight. He ducked under a pyrokinetic fireball and hit Gill with an upward shoulder charge. Gill hopped up and hit Alex with his knee. As the fight continued, another voice rang out in Alex's mind.

"If anything, I think what you did to Bison proves that you're at least on the same level as this Gill character," Tessa said within his memory. "In fact, it's possible that you might be the only one who can beat that goon. I want you to do two things for me, Alex. One, prove me right and beat him. Two, call me. Here's my number. ...Your pants? They're over there in the corner. Did you happen to see where I threw my bra?"

The fight continued and Gill unleashed a series of falling meteors from the sky. Alex recognized the attack from personal experience and made a run for it. Once Gill finished, he saw Alex standing far away, having totally avoided the attack.

"PYROKINESIS!"

As Gill fired, Alex jumped over, completely dodging the fireball. He landed in front of Gill and grabbed him by the hair. Alex pulled him in and delivered a series of rapid headbutts to the face. He let go and saw Gill wobble in place, too dizzy to see straight. Alex grabbed Gill, jumped up and cracked the floor with a powerbomb.

Gill stayed down, much to Alex's surprise.

"That it? That's all there is to you? What a joke." Alex flexed his arm. "I DON'T lose!"

"Congratulations on winning the tournament," Kolin, Gill's secretary, said. "Please, step this way."

Alex spared one last glance at Gill and then left. "That was for Tom."

Gill remained lifeless with his followers solemnly surrounding him. Twenty minute later, Kolin returned.

"He's gone, my savior."

Gill rose up, illuminating himself in white, resurrecting light. "Ah. Feel so refreshed."

"With all due respect, why did you not fight harder? Why did you let this Alex win?"

Gill looked off into the distance. "I sensed something in him, Kolin. He may just be an important factor in the prophecy for Earth's salvation. I needed to test just how powerful he is. He is impressive, but I see much room for improvement. Perhaps when he's more powerful... I will persuade him to join us. Come, we have much planning to do."

Geese Tower, South Town

"Was that the last one?" Geese asked over the intercom.

"Yes, sir. That's your last interview of the day."

"As well as meetings...?" Geese's voice was rich with annoyance and fatigue. The never-ending onslaught of interviews he had to give the media to uphold his public image mixed with his already busy workload was almost as tiring as having to plow through over two-hundred of the multiverse's strongest.

"No more meetings - wait... actually... Sir, Mr. Kane just stepped in."

Disappointed in his secretary, Geese raised his voice. "Then let him in! How long have you been working here?"

"T-two years s-sir."

"That was rhetorical. Now send him in." Geese folded his hands as his bodyguard entered. "Hello, Billy."

"'Ey, Geese. Wanted to see me?"

"Sit down, Billy. We have matters to discuss."

"Whatever you say, boss." Billy sat across from Geese and rested his staff over the arms of the comfy chair. "Ya know, before we get started, weirdest thing happened today. Eiji visited me."

"Eiji?" Geese raised an eyebrow. "Really."

"Yeah. Boy's in poor shape what with... ya know. Got 'imself a wheelchair and everything. Still wears the mask. He was sayin' that I have to avenge him and whatnot. Apparently I'm the closest thing he's got to a friend. Poor bloke."

"And will you avenge him, Billy?"

"Prolly not. The only time I can ever find this Sub-Zero guy is at one of them cosmic tourney events. And I'm sure I'll be too busy doin' whatever you tell me there. Which reminds me, I been meaning to ask-"

"Billy."

Billy cleared his throat and suddenly knocked his staff to he floor out of anxiety. "Heh. Right. Matters and all."

"In two weeks I am going to be taking part in the next King of Fighters tournament alongside Mr. Big and that idiot Wolfgang. Normally, I'd have you take my place, but I have other plans for you."

"That so?"

"While I'm gone, I want you to find out everything you can about Ryuji Yamazaki. Everything. Especially anything you can dig up about his birth parents."

"That freak?" Billy asked. "What's so special about him?"

"Call it... a backup plan. Also, I want you to keep your ear to the ground in terms of the next Ultimate Video Rumble. Once there's news of a new UVR, I want you to be the first to know and I want myself to be the second. Do you understand?"

"Well, yeah, but... why? What do ya have to prove, Geese? You won! Beat 'em all! Me, Krauser, Terry, Andy, Kaphwan, and all the others."

Geese narrowed his eyes. "But not Bernstein."

Billy blinked. "Bernstein? R-Rugal Bernstein? Geese, Rugal's dea-"

"I know he's dead! But at the Rumble... I saw him there, watching the event. Then it became so obvious: all these different worlds and alternate realities taking part in UVR. So many worlds, each with their own George Washington and Joseph Stalin. So why shouldn't somebody like Rugal - or even myself - exist in another one of these worlds? And what is to stop one of these alternate Rugals from being recruited into the next UVR? During the event, one of the Bogards said something that stuck with me. I've never shown Bernstein that I am superior. He stole my tournament - my brainchild - and went on to die from his own hubris before I could ever face him. To be honest, it haunts me. I'd like to take advantage of that potential showdown. As well, I have unfinished business with that Vega person."

"I understand."

"That is all. You can leave."

Billy stood up. "Actually, Geese... There's somethin' that's been botherin' me about the UVR. Why'd ya stay in the ring? Coulda had all that power and you squandered it 'stead. How come?"

Geese turned his chair around and looked out the window. "Three reasons, really. One, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There are other ways to gain ultimate power and I intend to exploit them at my own leisure. Especially in the upcoming King of Fighters tournament. Two, I knew that while M. Bison would obviously turn on me and try to run the show, he would still drop the ball and fail miserably. And I was right. As for the third? Well... I almost hate to admit this, but I was actually enjoying myself quite a bit. I haven't felt such a thrill in terms of simple fighting since the days when Jeffrey and I would... Never mind."

Billy nodded and started to walk away. "I'll see you later, boss. And good luck on the KOF thing. Eh, who'm I kiddin'? Like you need luck."

"Billy, before you go..."

"Yes, Geese?"

"Have my trophy brought to the city dump. I have no real need for it."

Billy scratched the back of his head. "Actually, Geese... If you ain't goin' ta keep it, would it be okay if I... uh..."

Geese, unseen to Billy, smirked. He waved his hand as to tell Billy to leave. "Go ahead."

Geese sat by himself long after Billy closed the door. Geese replayed the events of his UVR victory through his head. He stood up and looked out the window. He looked down at his city. Feeling something amiss, he narrowed his eyes.

"You're watching me, Jeffrey. I can feel it. You're laughing at all of this." Geese frowned. "Stop it."

El Katraz

Executioner put his rusty axe down and picked up a whip. He pulled it to test its strength. A grunt suggested that it was up to snuff.

"Please! I can grant you power!" Amakusa yelled, still not certain how the incident with Iori transferred him to the Mace node. But there he was, chained up on the rack in Executioner's island hideout. "Just let me go! Power beyond your wildest dreams! Please!"

"I got all the power I need right here, new meat." Executioner gave his whip a test crack. "You'll have ta forgive me. Been going through a hard couple a days. Heh heh. Now, then. Shall we get crackin'?"

Many Years Later

Time had been kind to the head staffers at UVR3. Mimic eventually awakened from his coma and found that he had the ability to see the future along with the powers of clairvoyance that came from whenever he touched another human's hand. For a couple days he used this power to help those in need and even get away with the assassination of an evil man who was set to win the Presidential election and doom us all to a nuclear holocaust. But soon he just started using his powers to discover who would win sports games and then bet on them.

Silverbolt wrote a screenplay to a thriller about two characters that, in the end, found out that they were the same person. It broke box office records and won several Oscars. He followed it up with a highly popular sports movie about a motley crew of pathetic athletes learning about themselves and winning a major tournament. As of this writing, Silverbolt is writing a comedy where a man dresses like a woman and hilarity ensues.

The man known simply as dub went on to ask the writers of this story why his name was mentioned in the first place, even though he never had anything to do with UVR.

After UVR3 ended, Wanderer and Birdman each went their separate ways. Birdman almost single-handedly legalized cockfighting and made a fortune as the head of the top cockfighting association, the Extreme Poultry Fighting League. Wanderer, on the other hand, hosted a highly successful show called "Let's Kill Uwe Boll", which featured the same exact technology that maimed Eddy Gordo throughout UVR3.

The two rarely ever contacted each other for years, but eventually found themselves forced to come together once again. Somebody was interested in a new Ultimate Video Rumble and paid them a handsome sum just to meet about it.

Wanderer and Birdman sat alone in an office in Germany, catching up and discussing old times.

"I really liked that show from last month," Birdman said. "The one where Boll's walking around the Double Dragon node when Green Abobo just jumps out of nowhere and punches his head off. That's why we have TiVo."

"Thanks. Any idea on when this meeting is supposed to-"

Wanderer stopped as the door opened. A short, bald man with a briefcase entered, followed by his client. The client stood over his lawyer and nodded at the UVR owners. Introductions were made and formalities were met. Wanderer and Birdman remained sitting, but the lawyer chose to stand. His client wandered off to the other side of the table and started pouring red wine into several glasses.

"Listen," Wanderer said, "we talked this over and we know we're being paid just to be here, but we made a vow years back that we wouldn't do another UVR. And I can understand why you'd want us to start another one up, but I don't think it's going to happen."

"You misunderstand," the short man said. "My client is not interested in you two starting a new Ultimate Video Rumble."

"He's not?" Birdman asked.

"Not at all. My client is more interested in starting the new Ultimate Video Rumble himself. In fact, he's prepared to buy the rights to the name from you two right here, right now."

Birdman and Wanderer sat with their mouths gaping.

"You have to be kidding me," Birdman said after a pause.

"There is no kidding, sir. My client is interested in running the next event."

"No way," Wanderer laughed. "This just has so many things wrong with it I don't know where to begin."

"I agree," Birdman said. "No deal."

The client walked back towards his lawyer and whispered into his ear. The lawyer nodded and wrote down a number on a yellow sheet of paper. He placed it facedown on the table and moved it forward. The client walked back to the end of the table.

"As you can see, the suggested price tag is more than generous."

Wanderer and Birdman looked at the number written on the piece of paper. Their eyes briefly widened.

"Well, that is a lot," Wanderer admitted.

"What's that word at the bottom?" Birdman asked. "I can't quite make it out."

"My apologies for my bad handwriting, gentlemen. The word is 'each'."

Birdman looked at Wanderer. "Sold?"

"Sold."

He slammed the paper onto the desk. "Sold!"

The lawyer smiled. "Very well, then." He turned to his client, whose cape-covered back faced him. "Sir, everything is set. All we need to do is sign the paperwork and you are the new proprietor of the Ultimate Video Rumble!"

Wolfgang Krauser turned around, smiled and held up his wine glass. "Then a toast! To the future!"

Original Authors
Gavin "Gavok" Jasper
James "The MultiMediocre Knight" Howard
Geson "Racewing" Hatchett
Thomas "Wanderer" Wilde