"MARY! Jesus fuc...!"
He had waited in the castle courtyard the entire night, waiting for her return. Friends tried to offer him food, drink, even a blanket for warmth (Yamazaki offered him some weed), but Terry refused it all. He was content to sit there, in that very position, one foot touching the ground, while the other leg hoisted high, so he was hugging his own knee, pressing his chin down on it... and wait. Wait all night. Wait days. Wait an eternity.
When Mary finally came stumbling into the courtyard that night, Terry shot out of there to go meet her, ignoring the numbness of sitting there so long. He was there to be her crutch, her cot, anything for her to surrender her weight, and allow her body to stop straining itself... she melted into him, her muscles and limbs giving out completely.
"Mary... speak to me. Please god, SPEAK TO ME!"
He felt Mary's chest heaving against him exhaustingly, like she was fighting to capture every breath. He finally picked her head up forcefully, just so he could see her face, confirm that there was life in her eyes...
...He saw tears. Mary managed to part her lips, just enough, to whisper three words:
"I need you."
"That... cheeky little bitch!"
Shion, the now de facto leader of the Orochi "B Cult" known as Those From the Past, spoke with a scowl from their vantage point, overlooking the city. Flanking him as always, were his rag tag posse of old members: Shroom, Rimelo, and the cunning Botan.
"She's making a power play." Botan followed up, still a bit of a rasp in her voice, from where Freeman had so violently seized her throat yesterday. "She took advantage of Freeman's autonomous motivation, and used it to her cause. She's leading him right to her, where she'll either be hailed as a hero who strikes him down... or she becomes a martyr for the people of Germany."
"It doesn't matter!" Shion blurted back, dismissing Botan's explanation. "She's just caused her own folly! It doesn't matter how much they hold ceremony for their passing; that initial moment of shock... that PEAK moment where anger and grief flood the hearts of the people of Germany, as they look at the bloody, gore-strewn, untimely corpses of their beloved children... that moment of overwhelming, crushing negative energy, will break the Orochi seal."
"How funny..." Botan allowed herself a grisly chuckle. "All this time, I never needed to control Freeman in the first place... all we had to do was simply let the leash slip free, and the mad dog act of his own accord."
"Freeman must succeed." Shion spoke. "I'm betting everything on this!"
"Oh?" Shroom spoke up, from behind. "Still not confident in your little... pet project... you have brewing?"
Shion cut his eyes to his colleague. "If this works... we'll never have to use him."
Shroom shrugged. "A pity, considering the trouble we went to stealing him back."
"You fools babble on with your redundant schemes." Botan sharply cut in, stepping forth, an evil grin on her face. "My boy will be the one who made this happen. I brought Freeman to Munich, Germany... when this objective is complete, the glory of Orochi will shine on ME."
"That girl certainly has a pair on her..." Benimaru spoke with an uncertain temperament. The remaining fighters at the Stadium were currently watching the events transpire, courtesy of a live camera feed being broadcast to the Stadium's giant television, the work of a dedicated outside source no doubt.
"Whoa Beni, didn't know you were into her." Shingo joked at an inopportune moment.
"Not what I meant." Beni fired back with a rather lyrical tone of annoyance. "It's just a bold and... pretty stupid move on her part."
"...It's brilliant."
Chizuru's sudden appearance shocked the two boys, as they turned to face her. She continued:
"She's put all the eyes back on her. Now Rose is going to be hailed as a hero: the one who lured Freeman out of hiding and brought him to justice. She was counting on the police force and Blue Mary's failure... with this, she's going to not only dispose of Freeman, but win the hearts of the people tenfold. Whether she means to or not, it actually helps us greatly..."
"Hello!" Benimaru clapped brusquely. "Have you forgotten one thing? Rose can't defend herself against a freaking guy whose hands double as butcher tools! What's she gonna do, throw a teacup at him? And she swore not to get the police involved, and you KNOW honor means everything to those stupid romantics, so she'll keep her word. She's gonna die!"
"If she dies, then she'll be a martyr." Chizuru spoke. "The people will love her even more for her sacrifice."
"It doesn't work that way, Chiz!" Benimaru snapped. "All of that bullshit sentiment comes later. The first thing on people's mind when they see Rose Bernstein's dead body is going to be anger. Who they can blame for it. They'll condemn the police force for their failure. People will take to the streets in an outrage! News stories all over tv. That sounds like the OPPOSITE of what we need!"
"...Rose Bernstein knows exactly what she's doing." a new voice jumped in, commanding the attention of the fighters as they all turned to locate it. It was Wolfgang Krauser, standing tall, arms folded, an intense expression on his face, not looking at anyone in particular... but outward... perhaps to some faraway place...
"She's put all the pieces in place. Her brave challenge of Freeman has already won the hearts of the people. They'll be eating out of the palm of her hand from here on. Before this day ends... control will be back in her clutches."
ODEONSPATZ, MAIN SQUARE...
In the approaching minutes of her impending death, Rose Bernstein had a strange way of coping with such anxiety: she had set out a table, with two chairs, and was currently manning one of them, stirring sugar into her freshly brewed tea (how she had time for such a thing was anyone's guess).
"Silber darling, would you open my parasol?" Rose requested to the man sharing the adjacent seat. "My hands are quite full here."
"The sun's going down." Silber grunted, less focused on Rose and more on keeping an eye out for the object of his latest intrigue (whom Rose has ordered him not to touch, much to his ire).
"Yes, but I fear it may rain soon and it'd make for an umbrella." Rose's eyes stayed fixated on her cup as she spoke. The extent to which she seemed unaware of her surroundings was... unnerving...
The uniformed man standing near them, was much less amused. "You'd better know what you're doing here, Miss Bernstein. With all due respect."
Rose continued to be completely dismissive, playfully sloshing the contents of her cup before giving it a soft, sensual blow. "I assure you, Chief, things are playing out just as I envision them. If you'll be so kind as to keep your men at bay... I will personally see to Freeman's downfall."
"I can't begin to fathom how you could accomplish what we've failed to do all day... but Krauser himself vouches for you, and that's good enough for us. We're all wise to heed his word."
"As it would be wise to heed MINE~" Rose spoke with a slight hint of authority in her voice, mostly drowned out by whimsy.
With that said, the decorated man reached for his walkie, manning the equipment and placing it to his mouth. "All units, all units, this is Chief Tirpitz. You're all ordered to stand down. I repeat, all units in pursuit of Freeman are ordered to stand down. He's not to be touched. Focus your efforts solely on rescue, medical, and public/press security. Over and out."
Clipping the walkie back on his belt, he turned back to the dormant hostess. "Well that's it then. We're out of the picture. The show's yours, Miss Bernstein."
A fearless smile crept on Rose's lips, as she brought the cup to her lips... and took a hearty sip.
Darkness.
She tried to open her eyes, but a piercing pain in the back of her head made her want to keep them closed.
A faint haze.
She wondered if she laid there long enough, keeping them closed... would comfort finally wash over her?
...A wetness? Warm... sticky...
Her eyes finally shot open. Anton was in her face, licking her diligently.
"A-Anton!" she willed herself back up against the tree, where she immediately welcomed him into her arms, hugging him tight as she checked him all over. "Are you okay, boy? Bleeding anywhere?"
"BARK!" Anton's chipper response indicated he was still healthy.
Mary managed a faint smile. "That's a relief... unnnghh..."
Next step: getting back up. As soon as she tried to put pressure on her foot, her thigh flared up all at once. Her face twisted with agony as she sucked in thin air...
"Ggggghhhh... god it hurts..." she grimaced with each bodily motion. One hand down... another... pushing up... using the good leg for leverage... the tree behind her against her back for assistance... until she was at last upright again.
She scanned her surroundings; HE was nowhere to be found. With a determined huff, Mary limped over to collect her belongings: her belt, and her sidearm.
"Son of a bitch really is crazy... he must have gone after Rose. Well, she's not going to be the hero of this story. Cmon Anton."
"BARK!"
Night had fallen on Munich, Germany, as citizens, law enforcement and fighters alike, wherever they were, clung to television sets with bated breath, waiting to see the conclusion to the great Freeman callout. As helicopters, both news and police, flew overhead, flashing headlights in the streets below... it wasn't long until the menacing presence of the stone-cold killer finally made itself known. He was finally here: in his domain, the black of night.
"This is Sky Eye 2-1, I have a positive ID on Freeman. I repeat, we have eyes on Freeman. Do we engage? Over."
"Negative. Let him through. We got orders from the chief himself."
"I can't believe this! Letting this psycho killer roam free... who's calling the shots here anyway?!"
"Buddy... these orders come from the Bernsteins, and Wolfgang Krauser himself. I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut and let them handle this."
Back in the main square, Rose was making her final preparations, as she anticipated his arrival any minute.
"Silber, get lost."
The bodyguard understandably has concerns. "But-"
"I'll handle this. Go. NOW."
The two shared a prolonged stare... but Silber knew the woman wouldn't back down, as she hadn't even once in their time together. With one last reluctant look... Silber fled the area.
Rose Bernstein was now alone, in the square. The police had completely evacuated it, before leaving themselves. The only company to grace her was the faint buzzing of helicopters in the skies above...
"Rose, come in!"
"Ah!" Rose hurried to the table, grabbing the walkie that had been generously provided. She put it to her mouth, pressing the button. "Yes?"
"...Freeman is there."
Her blood ran cold; all at once, she felt her innards sink, like circling down a drain. "H-he's... in the square?!"
"He's approaching your 12 right now! Get out of there!"
Rose panicked, dropping the walkie on the concrete. She clumsily bent down to pick it up... as soon as she stood back up, turning her eyes outward... he was there, staring back at her.
"AHH!" she squealed.
He stood mere yards away, pale, hunching... his red mop draping over hollow eyes, further obscured by the night shade. He said nothing, but started to approach... slowly...
Rose's lips crept into an awkward smile, as she began backing up, flustered. "E-heheheheh...s-so you're here... I finally have the h-honor of meeting the slime who's been murdering my people..."
Freeman gave her words no notice, as he continued to creep forward, in silence, with a bone-chilling lack of urgency...
Rose's body trembled, her fingers clinging so tightly to her dress, her palms began to sweat, as she retreated further. "I must admit, I wasn't sure you'd come. Guess you proved me wrong. Perhaps the minds of the disturbed aren't so difficult to unravel after all~"
Freeman advanced on her... slowly... skulking steps gradually closing the distance...
Rose backed up... backed up... until she yelped. Her back had hit a solid surface behind her. Too panicked to change directions, she remained there, frozen, trembling... as Freeman moved in on her...
"What pleasure will killing me bring you, hmmmm?" Rose interrogated him out of desperation, maintaining a waning smile, as terrified tears began to trickle down her eye ducts. "Are you British serial killers so entranced with beautiful young women that you flock to us like a fish to a worm?!"
Freeman was now five yards away.
"Rose, call this off! Let us move in!"
"You'll never get away with this, you know!" Rose's bluffing smile had at last faded away. "You don't know who you're dealing with here!"
Four yards.
"I-I'm too important to be overlooked! The people l-love me! They'll rise against you in furious retaliation!"
"Rose, I mean it! You're playing with fire here!"
Three yards.
"He's going to kill you! Let us move on him!"
"Y-you'll have lynch mobs after you everywhere you look! You'll never be safe again! No filthy hole you hide in, no irrigation-ridden, mold-covered alley will conceal you!"
Two yards.
"I'm ROSE BERNSTEIN, YOU BASTARD! I'M GERMANY'S PRINCESS!" she wailed, tears flying from her eyelids wildly.
Freeman now stood directly in front of her. His hand began to reach out... as the fingers straightened to a rigid edge...
"MISS ROSE! LET MY MEN TAKE HIM!"
The fingers crept slowly forward, towards her quaking body... tears and snot and mascara flowing like a river... the fingers touched down on her neck, and her eyes squeezed tight...
...He stopped. Sensed a presence behind him; spun around. He was met with a spinning kick to the face.
"HYAAAAAAH!"Adelheid Bernstein kiai'd as he put the entirety of his body into that punishing blow, cracking Freeman's jaw and sending the serial killer spiraling to the left like a football, well out of Rose's range. The red-haired killer finally hit the ground, skidding against the asphalt until he stopped.
Freeman was slow to get up... his body eerily bending back to upwards position, as the rest of him followed suit; he reached a hand up to part the hair from his face, so those desolate eyes could get a full view of what resided before him.
Adelheid Bernstein was the intruder, now standing before him in fighting stance, fierce ruby eyes bearing down on him with intense focus.
Rose smiled wide as she slowly sauntered towards her brother... she circled around him, until she vivaciously pressed her back against him, reaching a hand up to gently caress his jawline...
"You wanted my blood?" she called out to the serial killer. "Here he is."
With a kiss on the corner of his mouth for luck, Rose strutted confidently to the sidelines, well out of the hot zone of the decisive battle soon to commence.
"Confirmed. Adelheid Bernstein is on the scene."
"Looks like her ploy worked. This should interesting. I wonder if the guy has what it takes."
"He'd better... because the eyes of all Germany are on him right now."
The darkness of the square was offset by the looming aircraft overhead, their spotlights shining down on the confrontation soon to commence... almost like a perfect symmetry, the illuminating beams passed over the two figures, standing a mere medicine ball's throw away, their pale skin almost glowing in the contrast of the blackness around them...
...As was also the case with those shimmering rubies, as they focused on the killer with great intensity... Adelheid was still wounded from the confrontation with Shion, but the longer he allowed himself to stare at the killer... the longer he cultivated those vengeful emotions, as a playback reel of the news reports, the deaths, the terror, flooded his mind... the stronger he felt his body growing. Before long, he didn't even feel the pain of wounds' past.
"So we meet at last... murderer." Adelheid was the first to speak, as he took one step forward, a sign that he would not cower.
Freeman seemed nothing but delighted to be addressed in such a manner; his lips curved wide as he too stepped forward, and did a dramatic bow.
"Scum like you, who takes pleasure in wanton murder, like it's some kind of... recreation... doesn't deserve to walk the streets." Adelheid continued. "You deserve but one fate: a dark hole, for the rest of your sorry life... or afterlife."
Freeman at last picked his head back up. "You're mistaken if you call my good work 'recreation'. It's necessary for the continued function of all things. Nature, humanity... the fabric of our existence."
"There's no such thing as a necessary evil." Adelheid argued back, remaining calm in the face of lunacy.
Freeman slowly skulked forward. "Apology poorly masks denial. A blurred line between revolution and riot. Liars flourish; honesty rewarded with failure. Heroes die, and take page 2 to the musings of criminals... you don't think death deserves to be supplemented once in a while?"
"It's not a perfect world... but what makes you any better?" Adelheid admonished.
Freeman presented his hand to his own chest. "I don't discriminate. There's no hierarchy, ranks, titles, to label me... I just am. The same applies when I take lives. However... there is a certain thrill I can't deny when it comes to nobles... such as yourself. Rich, pompous, self-righteous fools... lucked into a life of no real consequences, a life of detachment from the reality of the classes below you. A world not truly of the living. How blind you all are... how ignorant. What an insignificant, dogmatic perspective you possess of the world around you."
"So you'll attempt to kill my sister because of her upbringing?" Adelheid's fists clenched.
His grin widened. "No... I'll kill her and you, because I kill people."
Adelheid stepped forward fiercely. "I've had it with your useless rhetoric! Regardless of our class of living... I'm a defender of my homeland, my people, my blood. You've spilled your last drop on German soil."
Freeman uncharacteristically rolled his eyes. "How boring... you're much less fun than your sister. Well then, die."
FIGHT!
Freeman slowly lifted his hand... started to trudge forward, slowly... one step... two steps... a leisurely lack of speed, to throw Adelheid into a false sense...
But Adelheid knew what was coming. As Freeman slowly shambled closer and closer, he was already in stance, his sharp nerves commanding the pain of past wounds to stay suppressed. He could still feel a tightness in his thigh, but he could manage it... he had to.
Freeman started to get in close proximity... Adelheid tensed up when he saw those fingers at last straighten out, to rigid points...!
Adelheid threw a sharp kick before the hand could arrive, knocking the arm off-trajectory. A spinning back kick followed up, smashing into Freeman's stomach, and the killer dipped low... Adelheid raised his leg high, aiming the heel towards the back of the skull... and sent it crashing down, like a guillotine, cracking Freeman's head and laying him facefirst on the asphalt.
"That's the way to do it, brother!" Rose cheered from the sidelines, still cleaning herself up with a hanky. "No mercy!"
Freeman suddenly planted his hands, and did a surprising frontflip forward, landing back on his feet, but staggering around, like a zombie that had been cracked with a blunt object... he retreated several yards away from Adelheid, before spinning back around, his hair wild and loose in his face, masking any chance of a facial expression. He kept his body hunched low, and started waddling towards Adelheid in an incredibly eerie manner...
Adelheid couldn't understand why Freeman would take such an impractical stance... until the madman LUNGED at his feet, swiping his hands wildly.
"Ngh!' Adelheid danced out of the way of the first swipe, a second swipe following... Freeeman was aiming at his thighs. Perhaps he'd noticed the injury from Shion's spear...!
After Freeman's second wild swing missed and threw him off balance, he managed to re-control his feet by charging forward with a sloppy, punting kick to the stomach... Adelheid blocked it well, and Freeman's fingers straightened out once more...
Instead of slashing, Freeman was stabbing: he thrust his left hand towards Adelheid's neck, attempting to pierce the windpipe. Adelheid bobbed his head once... twice... he almost lost sight of the right hand, as Freeman switched up his offense and came up with a huge diagonal slash; Adelheid danced to the side, and was wise to make sure and duck the second attack that came after, as Freeman liked to spin around with a follow up...
But Freeman's body closed in a bit too fast, and Adelheid plowed into him. Bernstein didn't stay there long; he quickly faked Freeman out, pretending to clinch, but he fired a quick knee to the body and shoved Freeman away. No way he was getting close to those hands Freeman used as scalpels.
"That's right brother: stick and move!" Rose encouraged. "He can't touch you~!"
Freeman attempted a deep, lunging stab: Adelheid fired a teep kick into his stomach, repelling him. The next attempt, Freeman LEAPED at him with a stab; Adelheid was able to parry the blow, tucking his forearm just under the armpit of the killer, preventing his hand from getting the motion it needed to finish the attack.
At close range, Adelheid threw a stomp to his shin; Freeman's leg gave out, and he took a step back... that's when Adelheid unleashed his special move.
"Hrrrrgnhhhh...!" his feet glided across the ground like roller skates... he clotheslined Freeman in the neck, bending his arm to hook it...
"HRAAAAAAGH!" his feet continued to slide as he took Freeman with him... until they met a solid wall, and Adelheid SLAMMED Freeman into it, cracking the foundation itself. Insurance would cover that.
Freeman suddenly went dead; slumped to the ground. He wasn't moving.
Rose took but one curious step forward, as their eyes fell upon the unmoving body. "Did... did you get him?!"
Adelheid eyed the body warily... it looked more than unconscious. He looked like a fresh corpse. He was tempted to stick his foot out and touch it, just to make sure...
...Suddenly, the hand flew out and grabbed his ankle.
"Hrrgn?!" Adelheid grunted as he was hooked by the arm of Freeman; the serial killer suddenly SPRANG up, drawing his free hand back... he rammed it into Adelheid's leg, just below the knee.
"AGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!" Adelheid let out a shrill yell, as he felt his leg ran through, all the way to the madman's knuckles... he immediately pulled away, but the digits were dug in deep... another sharp moan from the man, and he had to tear his leg free, spilling a great deal of red in the process...
Rose saw it, and nearly fainted. The girl collapsed to her knees, and the tears began flooding once again. "ADELHEID! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Adrenaline flooded Adelheid's bloodstream, and despite his mangled muscle tissue, he was still able to stay standing... for now.
Freeman was distracted by his own fingers, admiring the sight of Adelheid's blood completely coating them, like finger paint... by the time he noticed Adelheid again, the Bernstein kid was in his face with a flying kick, from his good leg. Freeman didn't just land on his butt; his body did a complete backwards barrel roll, from the intense force of the blow. Before he even had a chance to get up himself, Adelheid forcefully snatched him up.
A menacing growl rumbled from the Bernstein boy as he fired a knee into Freeman's stomach. The killer hunched over, and began retreating... Adelheid fired a nasty leg kick, clipping Freeman's leg, and the killer appeared to go down... but he feigned injury once more, and he lunged at Adelheid, hand drawn back...
"LOOK OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!" Rose screeched.
Adelheid managed to catch his face with both hands, but Freeman's arm was already in motion... the damage was done, as Adelheid felt the fingers pierce through the side of his stomach.
"Urrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!"
Adelheid clenched his teeth, borderline shattering them against each other... the pain was egregious, and it was making him angry... with a booming growl, he fired a knee into Freeman's chin, snapping his head back and toppling the serial killer for real.
He didn't bother trying to check him; as soon as Freeman was down, he started soccer-kicking him in the stomach. Surprisingly, Freeman had no reaction to them; the killer could play a downed body well.
Adelheid attempted one last stomp; Freeman actually dodged it finally, after bluffing the first three kicks, and he rolled to the side just in time for Adelheid's foot to connect with the ground.
Freeman took advantage of the close proximity, and despite still being down... he flopped forward and sliced Adelheid, clean across the calf, leaving a thin, vertical streak of red...
"Nnngh...!" Adelheid grunted through the pain, but he still froze long enough for Freeman to spring up; the killer was back on his knees, and he cut Adelheid across the hip... he returned to full posture, and Adelheid attempted to retreat... those lethal fingers found his face at the last second, leaving a small incision below his ear.
"S-stay up Adelheid!" Rose wailed. "Please, you have to stay up!"
"Shut up Rose!" Adelheid yelled, surprisingly harsh. "I'm not going down... THIS BASTARD IS!"
...That's when Rose saw it, once more; his aura change, from it's regular silver, to that of a malevolent red... his eyes glowed a bit fiercer, his voice sounding a bit more violent...
"Adelheid..."
"HYAH!" Adelheid kicked his leg up, sending a stream of chi soaring across the ground... but it was red instead of silver.
Freeman saw it coming, and dive-rolled over it, returning to his feet and meeting Adelheid in the middle. Adelheid threw a powerful kick to his stomach; Freeman's knees wobbled, and that same leg came upwards, giving him a second shin to the face...
Adelheid completed the combo with yet another kick from that same leg, spinning around with a huge hook kick, blasting Freeman behind the ear and putting the killer back on the ground.
"YES! KEEP GOING!" Rose cheered on, no longer concerned with his red aura. "He's almost there..!"
Adelheid took one step forward... the pain in his leg suddenly rushed in all at once.
"Nghh...ngghhhhaaaa..."
Damn! His adrenaline high was fading; the deep wound in his leg, still leaking red down his black pant leg, was starting to seriously bother him. He tried to keep walking towards Freeman... but he was getting woozy...
Freeman sensed Adelheid's discomfort, and returned to his feet. The killer seemed capable of taking damage all day; a virtue Adelheid didn't share.
"You're about to fall." Freeman delivered a cold decree. "You fought well, just like they always do... but nobody can resist the cold kiss of sleep, when enough of their precious nectar expels... time to die."
Adelheid was still standing for now, still maintaining a fighting stance... but he could still feel the trickle down his leg, still feel the agonizing weight punishing him, as he continued to put pressure on that side... his vision began to distort, until there was naught but a pale, red blob coming forward, probably to run him through and end him for good... he had to move... had to... throw something...!
Adelheid attempted a roundhouse; Freeman blocked his good leg, and Adelheid couldn't stay standing on the wounded one any longer. He collapsed on his butt, the world around him a blur... he just knew, any minute now, his blurred vision would go black, and he'd breathe for perhaps his last time.
"Adelheid! Adelheid get up! Get up get up get up! GET! UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"
Rose turned away; bit down on the hanky so hard, she tore right through it. This was it... this was the end. All her planning... her grand claim to glory... it would all end right here. They never had to be here... if she'd just listened to her brother, they'd be back on the Sky Noah, happily sipping tea. Warm. Safe. Together. It was all her fault. Her selfishness... Adelheid would die because of her...!
...His death cry never came. Rose willed her eyes back open; turned back around. Her mouth dropped.
A pair of blue-clad legs had wrapped around Freeman's neck, and took him for a rodeo spin, gathering enough momentum to send him tumbling several yards. The figure groaned sharply, appearing to struggle back to her feet... but she managed it a second later, as she ran a hand across her blonde hair, sending droplets of sweat flying...
"Nobody else is dying. Not on my watch."
"BARK!" the dog next to her heroically exclaimed.
A piece of Rose's hanky hung in her teeth, the rest went flying, fluttering in the wind, as she screeched the name of the heroic intruder:
"MARY RYAN?!"
Mary acted fast; reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a handy bottle of smelling salts. She ran it under Adelheid's nose; the blonde man's eyes rolled back to life, and she extended her hand. Almost on instinct, Adelheid snatched her hand, and their combined strength lifted the two back to foundation.
"Can you fight?" she asked.
Adelheid shook out the cobwebs. "Of course I can."
"Then let's get this bastard once and for all."
Freeman crawled back to his feet, and his eyes scanned the two figures, both determined to raise their fists against him, despite their numerous wounds and compromised legs... for the first time, that expressionless face at last curled into a scowl.
"...Bad case of heroes today."
Freeman rushed them from the front; Mary ran out to meet him at full speed, and he all but slithered his tongue across his lips as he drew back his hand, prepared to decapitate her as soon as their bodies met... but Mary wisely changed levels, dropping into a sliding attack as she hooked her feet around his ankle and tipped him over, planting him facefirst. A smooth transition, and she rolled onto his back, seizing his neck and pulling upwards... the girl looked less like trying to submit him, and more like trying to tear his head OFF.
Freeman instantly felt the discomfort of his airwaves closing, and hysterical strength kicked in as he willed himself up, all whilst carrying Mary's weight on his back. He did a quick forward roll, and streamrolled Mary off of him, springing back to a full stance.
...Unfortunately for him, Adel's foot was waiting for him, as the sole crashed into his face, courtesy of a well-timed push kick. Freeman stumbled backwards, directly into the waiting arms of Mary, who scooped him up and, using the momentum, lifted him with ease. The two of them went 180, as she slammed him on the ground with a lateral drop, achieving top position immediately as a reward.
Mary wasted no time; she spun around like a greased pig, throwing her legs over his torso, grabbing the left arm, dropping her weight backwards... she screamed with all the fury in her lungs as she pulled back, with no restraint...
Craaackkkkk! She felt the snap, heard the crack of bone... and warm, excited air expelled from her lungs, nearly sapping her of breath. Her heart began to rumble with heat, as anxious urgency overtook her...!
Freeman surprisingly didn't react to his now-fractured arm; he instead tried to impale Mary with the other one. She wisely disengaged, rolling backwards and retreating to range. Although she gave him freedom to get back up... he now had one arm.
Adel read his cue just fine; he closed in and blindsided Freeman from the right, delivering a nasty kick to his vertebrae, that seized him up on the spot; Adelheid followed up, lifting his leg high, grabbing the toe of his own shoe, as if drawing back a crossbow... he let go of his foot, and it shot downwards, cracking the top of Freeman's dome with sledgehammer might.
Freeman fell to his knees, and Mary came running in from the front like a linebacker, RAMMING into him full force, emerging from the other side with a quick barrel roll and emerging back to her feet.
Adelheid once again knew his part; as soon as Freeman was down, he ran forward and went airborne into a rolling thunder: a freefalling forward somersault, aiming the legs at the torso, so the complete body weight smashed down on his stomach.
Mary circled around and snatched Adelheid's hand, helping him up to his feet... and the unlikely duo stared down at Freeman, confidence rising as they felt the tides of this battle shift dramatically.
"This is it." Mary declared. "One more and he should... h-hey! You alright?"
...Adelheid was hunched over, hand on his face, as if suffering some ailment. His body once again glowed with that red miasma... but this time, it seemed like he was aware of it, and reluctant... Rose noticed this too, and her worried face never left him.
"Hey. HEY! Snap out of it!" Mary slapped his chest, returning him to attention. "We got a killer to silence."
Adelheid's eyes shown with an almost blinding neon red... the whites could still be seen, albeit faintly, but it was clear to anyone watching, that a vengeful aura was engulfing his body...
Freeman, meanwhile, was indifferent to these things. Despite having one arm, he was back to his feet, skukling forward... his own body began to glow with red, as Mary read the signs of the attack soon to come.
"Hrrrrrghhhhhhhhh...!" Freeman gathered up tension in his body, shuddering as strength filled his one arm...
"He's about to unleash his super! MOVE!"
"HYEEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He screeched that same horrifying screech, as he shot forward with a red, slashing aura, powerful enough to level the strongest structures. Mary snatched Adelheid's arm and jerked downwards, leading the duo into a barrel roll underneath the lethal slash, and they emerged behind him, safe from harm.
Mary quickly seized the moment, getting behind Freeman, pinning his arms behind his back, holding him in place. "NOW! FINISH HIM!"
Adelheid didn't need to be told twice. His body roared with crimson might, as did his lungs, as he slid forward like wheels on his feet... until their bodies were nearly touching... he went airborne, with a kick cutting a strange, radial arc... the slashing aura red like his father's.
"GENOCIDE...CUTTER!"
Rose froze, her blood running cold... she'd never heard her brother actually say those words before. His voice... so... angry... her brain suddenly flashed a subliminal image: that grand painting of their father, hanging above the fireplace.
...She rubbed her eyes for a moment, and she could have sworn she was seeing HIM in there. She blinked one time: Adelheid and Mary were there, and the body of Freeman lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling from an open shoulder wound, that cut a gash nearly to the bottom of his right pectoral. His hair was draped messily over his face, so it was impossible to tell if there was life in his eyes... but he looked as still as a cadaver.
...All at once, fatigue overtook Adelheid and Mary, and the two collapsed. Adelheid fell to a knee, but managed a hand to balance himself. Mary fell completely, slumping to the ground on her side.
From a great distance, a blonde woman, obscured by the shadows thanks to her mostly-black dress, watched this event unfold with great interest. The night illuminated her sapphire blue eyes with an almost neon hue, as they focused on the young Bernstein man... her ruby lips curved into a devious grin.
"Well now... this is interesting. Fufufufufufufu..."
Rose was out there in a flash. "BROTHER! BROTHER!" She ran to his side and picked him up, supporting his weight as best she could.
"Freeman's down. Take him into custody."
"R-Rose..." Adelheid's voice bore the gentleness it once contained. The red aura slowly faded from him... until only his heaving natural form stood, fighting consciousness.
"You did it, brother." Rose kissed him on the cheek. "You couldn't have been more brilliant!"
"I... argh..." Adelheid grunted, his face wincing in pain. "I... lost myself... again... I... did I... kill him?"
Rose looked down at the body. "It certainly looks that way... b-but pay no heed to it! He didn't deserve to live anyway! You're a hero, Adelheid! You're... my hero~"
"Bah." Adelheid blew her praise off. "I'm no hero... I allowed that monster to cut down one innocent too many."
"It doesn't matter anymore." Rose urged, tightening her hold against him. "It's over now, Adelheid... it's over..."
The next few minutes ran the gamut: police were storming the scene, ambulances were called, and news outlets were already reporting the story worldwide. The official story: Rose Bernstein, Germany's princess, lured the serial killer out of hiding, and Adelheid bravely fought him to sumbission.
The world would probably never know of how Blue Mary spent a sleepless night, and almost an entire day, hunting down the killer herself.
The few who did stick up for her, finally arrived on the scene, after all was said and done. Terry, to no surprise, was the first to storm out of the gate. "MARYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
Ramon and Vanessa could barely keep his pace, eventually giving up and allowing Terry to run out there to her. Paramedics were smart to move out of the way, as Terry crashed into the wounded woman, scooping her up in his arms and nearly smothering her against his chest.
"Oh Mary..." Terry whispered. "God, I was so worried about you. Please tell me you're healthy..."
Mary picked her head up slowly... blonde hair disheveled, draped over her face, obscuring it. Terry reached over with a soothing hand, gently parting the locks... there were tears streaming down her eyes.
"I need you." were the only words she could utter, before her eyes closed, and she collapsed into his torso. Terry took the words in stride, realizing there was nothing more needed to be said or done. He kept her there... allowed her her first respite since this whole thing started.
Still holding her brother, Rose glared at Terry. Her eyes soon fell upon the motionless Mary against him. She darted her eyes upwards to her brother: still upright, still awake, though his face was ever-curled in pain.
Her eyes narrowed. She looked around: someone... anyone...
"You!" she called out to a funny-looking man, cowering in the background. "Come here!"
"Wh-what!" the man immediately complained.
"You're the announcer, right? Hyena?"
He scratched his big red nose. "M-maybe I am! Now that that killer's at bay, maybe I can be a whole lot more!"
"Shut up and bring me your microphone." Rose commanded, holding her hand out. "Give it to me fast."
Known to be quite submissive to blonde women, Hyena forked over his microphone with no protest. Rose immediately found the first camera she could; clearing her throat, she tapped the microphone to test it... and yelled:
"BLUE MARY IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE! ADVANCING TO ROUND 3 BY DEFAULT... ADELHEID BERNSTEIN!"
WINNER: ADELHEID BERNSTEIN
Vanessa was clearly in earshot of this, and her face twisted to an ugly snarl. She spun around, and immediately started storming towards Rose. "You sneaky little sewer rat, I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS! YOU GOT THE F***ING BALLS WHILE MY GIRL'S HURT TO OFFICIATE YOUR STUPID CONTEST-"
Ramon, thankfully, was there to hold her back before mistakes were made. "H-h-h-hold on now Vanessa, ¡tranquilo! Tú te tienes que relajar!"
Despite being in a tremendous amount of pain, Adelheid himself was still lucid enough to voice his protests.
"Rose... urrgh... you've got no tact." he scolded. "Now's not the time for this! Urrgh... aghh..."
Rose, perhaps in a show of assertiveness, slightly tightened her grip around him. "Brother... I know what I'm doing. We promised to see this through to the end, didn't we?"
"I-"
"DIDN'T...we...?"
Adelheid hung his head down in submission. "Y...yes."
...Her grip loosened. She affectionately pressed her cheek against his. "No matter what, my dear brother... you're going to win this tournament."
Her eyes cut over to Mary, who was still being held in Terry's arms. "...No matter who I have to step over to make it happen."
And that, ladies and gents, is the end of Act 2, otherwise known as The Freeman Arc. Whew... I still think it was an utter murky pit, but I'm glad I was able to give this thing closure. It's a tremendous burden lifted from my shoulders. Now we can move on to some much needed things, before Round 3 starts. That's what I'm going to tackle next, so bear with me. The tournament will return in a few chapters, and I promise you... I have something SUPER EXCITING planned for you. Until then, I love you all! Please review! We're close to beating the original Kumite!
ART OF FIGHTING'S FINEST: Ryo, King
FATAL FURY CLASSICS: Krauser, Terry, Yamazaki
MARK OF THE WOLVES: Gato
KING OF FIGHTERS THEMSELVES: Chizuru, Kula, Iori, Saisyu, Shermie, Adelheid
But first... before you go AAAAAAANYYYY further... BONUS SCENE TIME! LOOK BELOW!
BONUS SCENE 1
"Sorry Botan, you lose."
Shion normally would have spoken such words with the utmost gloating tone, and especially laughed in her face... but Shion was just as displeased with the defeat as the puppetmaster in question, who remained silent, speaking only with her scowl for the moment.
"Your mad dog did a number for the cause... but I fear those meddlesome twins reversed their fortunes with that display of heroism. It played out exactly like Rose wanted: her brother's face on the news, triumphant over the forces of evil. Now the siblings are heroes, and people are singing their praises. It's sickening... how fickle humans' simple brains are."
Botan still didn't speak.
Shroom, instead, stepped up. "Your little Frankenstein monster brewing in the basement might have to be a possibility now. We're just about out of ideas to awaken Orochi before those Hakkehsu get there first."
"He may still be unstable..." Shion informed. "...But if push comes to shove, I'll have to unleash him in the climax of the tournament. Whatever happens happens."
...At last, Botan's self-restraint failed. She broke her silence, stepping forward with a furious bellow:
"THOSE BERNSTEIN SIBLINGS ARE DEAD IF IT'S THE LAST THING I D-Haaaaghhkkk.. cough cough cough cough!"
Shion actually showed an instinctive concern for Botan, nearly extending his hand to rub her back.. but he quickly stopped himself before accidentally showing emotions for his colleague.
Botan took several breaths, before continuing. "I've had enough of this. I'm breaking out the assassin phonebook: I'm calling anyone I can get my hands on! From all corners of this miserable universe! Offer them a ridiculous monetary reward, I don't care! I'll take over all their minds if I have to... but one way or another, Adelheid and Rose Bernstein will breathe their last."
BONUS SCENE 2
In the aftermath of the great battle, police had successfully restored peace to the streets of Germany. In the end, they'd failed to capture the "man in purple" who had been blocking their path at multiple points, but they did manage to take a clown guy in roller skates into custody.
Blue Mary was taken to the hospital. Adelheid, however, was refused; Rose apparently was going to pay money out of her own pocket for private medical specialists to tend to him. For him, she would spare no expense.
"He" was also stuffed into an ambulance, and strapped down from forehead to ankles with heavy harnesses. Not a single limb could be moved, not a muscle flexed. They hadn't even attempted to stop his bleeding; just injected him with enough sedatives to ease pain and make him docile.
In the front seat of the siren-blaring vehicle, two medical personnel expressed their dismay:
"Man, I can't believe we have to save this guy. He's a murderer!"
"Too bad we don't get to call the shots. It's our job to attempt to keep people alive, I guess. Keeps me making a paycheck, feeding my daughters, and my two dogs."
"Keyword ATTEMPT... I mean... who's to say we could get him there in time before he bleeds out? I mean...it'd be an UNFORTUNATE tragedy if we were too late..."
"Yeah... let's take that road."
"But that's an extra five minutes... hehehe..."
In the back of the rumbling, shaking vehicle, hitting every bump and taking every curb with reckless abandon, the body of Freeman lay motionless. He was so strapped down, he failed to even wobble, in the midst of the wild driving of the paramedics. His legs, stiff... torso still... so still, one couldn't even tell if his chest was rising and falling with shallow breaths... his arms, incapacitated to the fingers.
The hair draped over his face, obscuring all, as usual... any subtle sign of life would go unnoticed...
...A bump. A couple strands of hair moved out of place, revealing a closed eye.
...The eye shot open.