EPISODE 1: KRAUSER

"Urgh!"

"Agh!"

"Unff"

"Gwaaaaahhhh...!"

Krauser's personal training room was abuzz with the grunts of battle, or, more appropriately... the sounds of pain.

The hulking purple giant plowed into his first mark with a knee to the body, crumpling the man instantly. A brave volunteer rushed him from behind, screaming as he swung with all his might into the thick meat of his back; Krauser just stood there, like it was a mosquito bite, and he swung his arm backwards to clobber the man at 6 o clock.

One came at him from the left; Krauser extended his arm and grabbed the man by his jaw, halting the man in his tracks with superior strength, giving him enough time to nail the man charging from the right with a boot to the stomach. Having dealt with that threat, Krauser finished off his captive target: drilling his body with a punch, dropping him to his knees... finally raising his gauntlet-clad arm high, and raining down on the man's spine. It was a miracle his vertebrae held up.

A foolhardy combatant came at him, head on. He threw his best punch; Krauser batted the fist away with an effortless parry, countering with a left to the body that folded the man. Not content, Krauser dug two hands into his gi, snatched the man up high... until he was holding him above his head, like the man was mere camping supplies. Krauser took a step... and chucked the man halfway across the room.

The final opponent came flying at him with a mid-air kick; Krauser snatched him in flight and spun around 180 with the momentum, planting the guy on his back. After grounding the man, Krauser came down on him with all his monstrous body weight, with a knee drop into the poor victim's stomach. He rolled back to his feet... and walked away, dusting his hands off, ears reveling in the orchestra of agonizing groans, from the six men he just floored.

"LAURENCE!" he bellowed to his servant, who was standing a safe distance across the training room. "I need more sparring partners! Twice as many!"

Laurence knelt down to tend to the fallen guys; no way they were going a second round. "You just ran through the last ones, milord."

"THEN FIND SOME MORE!" Krauser roared, spittle flying down his chin. "Find anyone! Find other contestants! Find... find Silber. I know he can take it."

Laurence knew if he didn't obey... he'd be the next one on the mats. With hasty feet, he abandoned the room. "Yes, milord."

Hearing the door shut, Krauser grabbed a towel and walked over to the nearby mirror, where he had set his sports drink on the floor. After dabbing himself a few times, and realizing he hadn't even shed a BEAD of sweat... Krauser tossed the towel aside, grabbed his drink, and took a decent swig.

He looked carefully into the mirror... and pretended he was locking eyes with his nemesis.

"Terry Bogard... I hope you're not wasting your time lamenting over the night's events. Because if your mind isn't on ME tomorrow... I'm going to take you down harder than you've ever felt. Jeff might need to rent out his coffin."


EPISODE 2: KENSOU

Having finally been cleared that night, after the conclusion to Round 2, Kensou was finally able to start unwinding, removing himself from the week and the stress of a fighting competition entirely...

...Or he wished. As he sat here, in one of Munich's best arcade bars, burger in one hand, beer in the other... already another migraine was forming in his bandaged head, as he remembered one very important, potentially threatening chore he had left to do this week...

"Athena-nee, can we go to the arcade?" Momoko and Bao excitedly spoke in unison.

Athena smiled. "Yes, just be careful."

"CMON!"

The two eager youths sprinted off to go play games, leaving the original Psycho duo sitting there, by themselves.

Athena rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh, as he sipped her cosmo. "MIGNON... could you stop hiding behind that counter and go supervise Bao and Momoko?"

A cartoon exclamation mark appeared in the air, complete with a familiar sound effect... one second later, Mignon scrambled to her feet, obviously flustered. "A-ahh! Hiding? Mignon never hides! Grrrr, I'll get you yet, Red 'Kini Theeny! YOU'LL SEEEEEeeeeeeeeee...!"

That last hammy note carried off into the distance, trailing off alongside the white puffy dust trail the pink-haired girl left behind.

"I'm so done with her this week." Athena grumbled, swirling around her pink drink a few times.

"Were you even started with her to begin with?" Kensou mumbled, mouth full of burger.

"Fair point."

Hard as he tried to avoid it, a moment of awkward silence at last transpired between the two, as he was no longer under the protection of the ever-zealous kids, who ran off to indulge in videogames. He and Athena SEEMED normal, but talking to her had still been... uncomfortable. Did she feel the same way, he wondered? Maybe now was the best possible time to just rip it off and be done with it...

So he did.

"Athena?"

The girl turned her attention away from her plate of fries, facing him. "Hmmm?"

"Are we uhhhh... okay?"

A bit of a paused look from her, for a few seconds. Finally, a gentle sigh. "Kensou... we're as good as we usually are, okay?"

"That doesn't sound as good as I want it to." Kensou grumbled, finally pushing his empty plate away, to fold his arms.

Athena slightly shrugged. "Look, we both made some questionable decisions... but at the end of the day, we're no longer in the tournament, but neither of us are worse for wear. I worked things out with Krauser, the knot on your forehead finally went down, so... there's nothing left. There's no more stresses, no more burdens lingering in the backs of our minds. Right?"

Kensou gulped; dammit, that wasn't EXACTLY right... and now he felt even worse, still having dirty laundry at this point. She was finally ready to move on, and here he was...

"So lets just relax, and have a good time~!" Athena flashed a beautiful eyes-closed, lips-wide smile... and Kensou was once again reminded why this woman was a lifelong obsession for him...

"Okay Kensou?"

Still swooning...

"Kensou?"

He finally snapped to. "U-uh yeah! Yeah! It's all good!"

"Then I'm going to go play some games. Maybe there's a dancing one~" Athena smiled, getting up from the table, dabbing herself with a napkin, and placing some money down for the bill.

"D-don't try to play Momoko at that!" Kensou called out to her as she walked away... his eyes lingered down below her waist, and he held them there for a second... he had to mentally slap himself away, lest people watch him.

He let out a sigh, turned around in his seat... and was met with the eyes of Malin.

"G-GAH!" he yelped.

"I want my money, motherf***er."

Kensou went silent, froze in his spot, like Malin was some kind of... T Rex. Maybe if he just was quiet long enough, she'd go away...

"Here's your second burger, sir." the bar patron set it down on the table in front of him, steam still leaking from the top bun.

"Um, th-thanks..." Kensou chuckled awkwardly, trying to pretend Malin wasn't there. He reached a hand towards his burger...

...The next thing he saw was a dagger plunge completely through the center of the sandwich, mere inches from where his fingers were about to touch. He could have sworn he felt a few droplets in his trousers...

Realizing he couldn't deny her presence any longer, Kensou put on his most angelic face. "Malin! How nice to see you... in all your radiant... beauty-"

She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, pulling his neck dangerously close to her dagger, now dripping with beef juice. "Now you listen here, you calorie-cramming, hot-popstar-stalking little dumpling head... you may have failed to win the tournament, but I still did a job for you, and you're gonna pay what you owe. I've been through too much shit this week to go home empty handed! I got incinerated by Mai Shiranui, I got... uhh... incinerated by Mai Shiranui a SECOND time... I uhh banged a pirate chick... not sure where I'm going with this... BUT ME WANTS MONAAAYYYYY!"

"Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!" Kensou whined, trying to pull his neck away from the blade, which was now pressing into him. "You've still gotta tell me how much you want, anyway!"

On that rather valid point... Malin disengaged, granting the boy freedom as the took a step back, looking up at the ceiling with a pondering face. Creepily enough, she pressed her dagger, tip-first, against her own chin as she thought...

"Hmmm... well I can't exactly charge you a million dollars... but I do want enough that I can be incredibly lazy for a good while... hmmmmmmmmmmm..."

Suddenly, a bright expression, as she swung the dagger eagerly. "25,000!"

Kensou literally faceplanted in his own burger. He picked his face back up, the mashed bun still stuck to his cheek, as pickles slowly slid off, one by one. "ARE YOU NUTS! I don't have that kind of money!"

Malin took a napkin to her blade, but not before bringing the tip close to her mouth... and licking it, to get a taste of the burger she'd stabbed. A pleasant expression hung on her face a second, before she finally started cleaning her blade off. "Well that's not my problem, dude. But here's a pro tip: you've got connections. And I don't think I have to spell it out for you letter by letter, but there IS a certain... musician... with loads of money... ringing a bell...?"

"I c-can't ask Athena to do that!" Kensou stammered.

"Why not?" Malin casually questioned, still wiping her blade off.

"B-because... BECAUSE I CAN'T!" Kensou blurted.

With a twirl for good measure, Malin at last pocketed her dagger, turning her back to Kensou. "Well, then you're gonna have to do something to get it. Because you KNOW bad things will happen when Malin don't get paid."

That ominous message was the end of it, as the blonde girl skulked away, leaving Kensou alone, to reflect on this newfound threat.

"Ughhhhhh..." he groaned aloud, looking down at his stabbed, disassembled burger, which looked utterly unappetizing to him now. "Why do I have to be in this mess nowwww...?"

Athena was finally ready to move on. They could have been FREE, at last, a clean slate here in Munich Germany... but it wasn't over yet. Kensou's woes were still lingering around, like a bad side of chicken, cramping his stomach. He had to just finish this last thing... this one last thing... and they could finally move on from all the crap.

...But he couldn't bring Athena back into it. He COULDN'T. Not after today. Not after she was finally back to normal. He was going to handle this his own way, for that reason, and for the simple fact that he wasn't going to degrade himself by taking a handout from the rich popstar. He wasn't going to let her clean up HIS mess, as in many times' past.

Thus, Kensou resolved to put down the food for a while... and man up.


EPISODE 3: MALIN

"Just look at him, Bon. Isn't he just... godlike?"

After having threatened Kensou at the arcade bar he and the Psychos were chilling at post-Round 2, Malin diligently tracked the next object of her desire to this more seedy, less bright and happy, less welcome to young establishment. She was currently watching him from several yards away, with starstruck wonder, as the tall, black-clad thug demonstrated his talent with a pool cue. His drink was sitting on a coaster, resting on one of the table corners, which he occasionally reached for... especially after nailing a good shot.

While Malin was swooning over the guy, Bonne Jenet was less than impressed. "I don't know what you see in that tall box of Creepy O's. Billy and Gato are both way hotter than..."

"I'm a woman of refined tastes, Bonnie baby." Malin spoke without looking at her, eyes fixated only on him. "God, I'm scared... I'm terrified out of my wits right now to go talk to him. Any second now, pee's gonna be trickling down into my socks..."

"Gross." Jenet stuck her tongue out.

Their stakeout was suddenly interrupted by a bald, burly man in a black t shirt and sunglasses, with an ugly piercing in his nose. Must have been the bouncer.

"Hey, runt," he addressed Malin. "You're too young to be in-"

Bonne Jenet spun around, grabbed the top portion of her purple dress, and pulled it down a greatly generous length. "She's with me."

The bouncer's eyes couldn't be seen... but the gaping hole where his lips once resided could. "...Fair enough. Carry on."

Malin would have taken any other moment to badmouth the guy or at least flick him off... but her focus was elsewhere.

"Aha!" she exclaimed with joy, as she witnessed Yamazaki place his pool cue down, and make a beeline for the men's restroom. "My moment cometh!"

Malin started after him, but a confused Jenet brusquely seized her arm. "W-wait Malin! That's the men's bathroom!"

"Uhh yeahhh... and now he's got nowhere to run."

"But you can't go in th-"

Jenet's words were silenced, by Malin's lips crashing against hers, and abruptly pulling away with a cheeky grin. "Needed that. For luck. See ya in a minute!"

Jenet knew there was no chance of stopping her, after she ran off. She was much too fast... much too stupidly headstrong. Good kisser, though.

Malin creaked the door open... thankfully there was no other noises inside, save for one trickle. It stopped a second later, followed by the fumbling of a belt. Footsteps... a sink turning on.

She slowly crept up behind him... visible in the mirror, but going unnoticed, as his eyes were focused on lathering his hands.

It took a few deep breaths, a hand on her chest, to gather courage... before she put on her most smug face and spoke:

"Hey, sexy."

Yamazaki, not one to often be surprised, broke that streak when he spun around to face the girl, his face wide with it.

"Whoa, what are you doing in here, you little runt? This is the MEN'S bathroom. I know you might pass as one from a brief glimpse... but still. Trying to catch a little peep?"

Okay... ouch. Malin was already intimidated by the guy. He was a PRO at mind games and insults... already she felt her confidence start to waver. But she closed her eyes, mentally pictured stabbing herself in the leg with her own dagger, to will her body forward.

"Well, if your big, beautiful knife is any indication..." she spoke with a grin. "...but I'm actually here on other business, you gorgeous galoot."

Yamazaki eyed the girl carefully... before casually sheathing his right hand in his pocket, leaning back against the sink. Maybe, just maybe he could afford to let his guard down a bit.

"Keep talkin."

Malin wanted to try and look cool and intimidating herself, so she pulled out her dagger and started playing with it. "Welllll, how should I put it... I don't know the jargon you gangsters use, but let's just say I need you tooooooo... inflict bodily harm on a person in order to compel them to procure a desired monetary amount. For me."

Yamazaki lifted his free hand, to gently stroke his chin. "So shake someone for money? I can do that. Who is it? Is it a girl or a boy, because my methods of intimidation may vary, depending."

"Oh it's a boy." Malin replied. She heard a slight sigh of relief. "In fact, it's the guy you already beat."

"Shen?"

"Bun Boy."

Yamazaki grinned. "Ah. Even better. How much he owe you?"

Malin folded her arms, eyeing him carefully. Her lips slowly crept into a grin. "20,000."

"Wow." Yamazaki actually laughed a bit. "What'd you do for him to make him owe you THAT kind of money? Give him Athena's panties?"

Malin chuckled. "No... but let's just say it was nucking futs. And it may have affected some things..."

An eyeroll. "Eh, I wasn't that interested in knowing anyway. So, next order of business... what do I get out of this?"

Malin's cheeks rushed with red, as she prepared her most brazen comeback yet. "Weeelll I can give you LOTS of things... you and me, in a restroom stall, in the naked throes of passion... or 10%."

Yamazaki, like a brain trigger, jumped into negotiation mode. "30 percent!"

Malin fired back. "20%... and I'll buy you a pack of cigarettes."

Yamazaki's face didn't reveal one or the other... a perfect poker expression, as his hand carefully traced the curvature of his chin... his eyes never leaving hers... Malin gulped more than a few times, even with no saliva in her throat.

...A smile. "Well, I do like cigarettes."


EPISODE 4: KASUMI

"TO KINGY!"

No nightclub in Munich was more popular, as the illustrious Women's Team had chosen it for their venue to celebrate. Mai, Yuri, King, and Chizuru all toasted a great victory scored by their leader and role model, the stylish French kickboxer, who got the ultimate revenge for the fallen Yuri, by not only silencing Vice... but doing so with a flying knee to her jaw.

"We love you, King!" Yuri gushed. "But I love you the most~"

"Hey, I love Kingy just as much as you!" Mai pouted. "Just because you two knew each other longer and she avenged you-"

"Girls, please." King finally intervened, taking a soothing sip, before setting her glass down. "Besides, this isn't about just me; Chizuru won too. So let's toast to her!"

Chizuru blushed. "P-please, it was nothing..."

CLINK! "TO CHIZ!"

Chizuru allowed herself to accept some merit, as they all took another hearty sip of their respective beverages.

"And to Mary." King added. "Let's wish her a speedy recovery, and thank her for jumping in the fray... when none of us did."

"Hear, hear." Mai agreed. "Without Mary to plunge her hands in the shit, we'd all be a lot worse off."

"It's a thankless job." Chizuru somberly added. "That damned Rose... I still can't believe her attitude."

"I'm gonna slap her. Just you wait." King threatened.

"Oh you won't." Mai teased.

"Wanna bet?!"

"You better get to her before I do." Chizuru concurred. The two shared a fist bump, over their equal disdain for the hostess.

...On top of all this, a certain blue-haired girl was also present at the table. Kasumi had said little to nothing all day; even now, during the celebration, she hadn't raised her own glass, or spoken a word of cheer for her fellow teammates.

Eventually, it couldn't be ignored anymore; Yuri was finally the one to address her. "Kasumi? Everything okay?"

The blue-haired girl didn't even look at her; just continued to stare downwards... aimlessly... like she wasn't of this world.

"Hey!" King shouted.

Kasumi actually jumped a bit, finally picking her head up, to look at King.

"Cmon Kasumi, you've been bumming us out today. Don't tell me you're sore about losing yesterday. We fought a good battle!" King tried to encourage with a smile.

...But the ploy failed, as Kasumi did no reciprocate the kindness being shown. Her face instead seemed to grimace MORE. King sensed it, and her own eyes were tempted to divert from Kasumi altogether, lest she be a huge wet blanket over the evening's celebration.

Kasumi herself seemed to recognize her negative role here, and so she finally rose to her feet, giving a small bow. "Please excuse me."

The damage was already done; upon the girl's immediate exit, the whole room seemed to go silent from a general gloomy vibe. The celebration of victories was overshadowed by the Todoh girl's VERY sore loss.

"I'll check on her." Yuri initiated.

Yuri didn't have to go far to find Todoh; the blue-haired girl had stopped quickly after her departure, listless eyes peering into the night sky above... her thoughts a mystery.

"Hey. Kasumi?"

No response.

"Kasumi!" Yuri called out, feeling a tinge of irritation. Surely the girl heard her...?

"...I'm so confused, Yuri."

Her unexpected response filled Yuri with a subtle shade of anxiety. A natural response was hard to come by... so Yuri defaulted. "What do you mean?"

Kasumi's head slowly lowered... her eyes shut. "I should be conducting myself better, like a sportsman... but at the same time, I can't deny these feelings inside me. These selfish feelings... King robbed me of...!"

"She what now?" Yuri echoed.

Silence. Kasumi was either very reflective of the words she'd just said... or she was afraid of Yuri's response to any further speak. All at once, the desire for solitude began to fill her... regret, for ever having gone out with the girls tonight, for thinking she was okay... that she was thinking normal.

Her fists clenched... and she spoke harsh words.

"...Just go, Yuri. Go away."

"Wh-what?!" Yuri expressed disbelief.

"You heard me."

Kasumi spun around... her eyes bore an emotion Yuri seldom saw. "I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME, KYOKUGEN SCUM!"

...Silence once more. Kasumi's face soon began to mirror Yuri's own: eyes wide, a mouth with parted lips... uncertainty and shock, rendering response difficult.

The blue-haired girl's legs at last awoke; she turned and fled the scene as quickly as she could, not daring to look back... lest Yuri see the tears in her eyes.

Yuri, still frozen with shock, could not will herself to move from that spot. All she could do was utter a few soft, heartbroken words:

"Kasumi... you're supposed to be different than the other two..."

EPISODE 5: IORI

Kill...kill...kill...kill...

He clenched his head like a migraine, eyelids squeezed so tight, they nearly went inside out. He'd been hearing the voices a lot more frequently, as the evening had began to set... and now, in the dark of night, they were at their strongest.

Kill...kill...kill...kill...

No chance of going out tonight. Not like this. Iori resolved to stay locked up in his hotel room; rising from the bed, he went over to his door and quickly locked it, before returning back to his mattress with a running plop.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh... f*** all this."

Now, more than ever, his role here was ever hazy: was he a hero? The one to stand with Chizuru and Saisyu, and strike down the venomous Hakkeshu?

...Or was he a ticking time bomb, a potential WEAPON to be used for their vile means, by the Orochi Blood coursing inside him? That venomous birthright... that curse, that prevented him from ever having a normal life. The parasite, that made him forever reluctant to be bigger, reach higher... because the threat he posed to others and humanity would forever hang over his head. No matter how many evils he vanquished. No matter how many times he saved the world.

...At least two people would always accept him. That's why he put up with them... even when it was tempting otherwise.

"What's the matter, Yaggo~?" one teased.

"Voices creeping in~?" the other chimed.

"Is Death beckoning you, with His sweet siren song~?"

Whichever one it was saying what, he didn't care. His response was for all:

"Will you two... shut the f*** UP."

Mature lowered her magazine, peering at him from the corner of the bed she occupied. But instead of anger... her lips expressed delight.

"Fufufufufufufu... you seem agitated tonight, Yaggy boy."

"We figured you'd be happier." Vice spoke, legs dangling as she watched TV. "Once Shermie's done, you officially have Chizuru off your back."

"Dunno why you listen to that woman anyway." Mature continued. And the two officially got going:

"She's not nearly as smart."

"Or strong."

"Or wise."

"Or insightful."

"Or beautiful."

"Or a better lover."

"Or fashionable."

"Or important."

"As we are~"

Iori forcefully snatched Mature's magazine away, rolled it into a cylinder, and smacked her across the face with it. "What did I tell you two snake women?! I said I don't want to f***ing hear it!"

Mature gave a baby-like pout, snatching her magazine back. "Hmph! Fine then. Dick."

Iori let out a loud sigh, relaxing himself against his pillow. His arms found the back of his head. "Look... Chizuru is a very important person to me. I won't have you badmouthing her."

"Well, what are WE? Chopped liver?" Vice grumbled.

Iori scoffed. "You two are individual thorns in my ass, that combine to culminate into one big rusty nail... right where the sun don't shine."

"Awwww you really do love us~" they cooed in unison.

"Ugh."

Silence filled the room, save for the television going, and Mature's crinkling of her magazine. Iori found himself shifting eyes to them occasionally: they seemed so... content. To just sit here. With him. Why? Didn't they have better things to do? Hobbies to indulge in? Sights to see? Why were they always glued to him... like they were watching him? Like they were his handlers, or guardian angels, or some shit?

His curiosity began to bubble... eventually it boiled over, until the words expelled from his lips:

"Hey. You two."

"Hmmmm?" their voices were in sync.

"I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me. Understand?"

"Shoot." again they were in unison.

"...Chizuru thinks you guys all organized. And you're all trying to bring Orochi back. Is she right?"

THAT finally caught their attention. Vice turned away from her tv show, Mature set down the magazine, and their full eyes were on him at last.

"What~?"

"No!"

"That part of our lives is long over."

"Why would you think that~?"

Iori growled. "Because Yashiro and his posse haven't been the least subtle about it. Because Chiz, Athena, and old man Chin have all sensed the immense evil taint in the air. And because THESE VOICES ARE DRIVING ME INSANE! Now what are you guys planning, huh?! Why don't you just leave me alone?!"

...The next thing Iori saw was a blob of colors, and little black squiggles, as Mature threw her open magazine in his face.

"Hmph!"

"Well fine!"

"If you're going to be like that..."

"...We'll just go then!"

"Plenty of places to visit."

"We don't need to take care of your grumpy ass."

"Your girlfriend Chizuru can keep you company."

Iori angrily tore the magazine free of his face; within seconds, the reading material was a pile of confetti, spilling out of his fingers.

He looked around: gone. Like he was the only one ever here.

His lips curled into a snarl... a menacing growl spilled out.

"Grraarrrrgh! Aghhh... just... shut... UP...!"

Iori's hands found his head once more, eyes closed, as he fought the grueling mental battle he had been a part of for most of his life. Like an anvil, in his head, being repetedly struck by a hammer... it tormented his insides, like screams bouncing from inner skull, directly into his brain...

"FULFILL YOUR DESTINY, IORI... WREAK DEATH AND DESTRUCTION... COMPLETE THE FINAL OFFERING OF BLOOD, AND PAVE THE WAY FOR MY ARRIVAL..."

"Shut the fuck up, Riot." Iori dismissed, as he leaped off the bed and went to his mini-fridge, procuring a cold beer. He bit the cap off with his bare teeth, before taking a hearty swig.

...His eyes darted towards his cell phone. He was tempted to pick it up. Call her. But eventually he decided against it.

...It was lonely. He missed them already.


EPISODE 6: TERRY

"Urrrrghhhh I'm going stir-crazy in this hospital bed!" Mary whined, from her captive position under the sheets. She wanted to flail her feet, like a tempter tantrum... but her leg wound negated any chance of that.

Terry, bless his heart, was trying to ease the situation by spooning some pudding into her mouth, but Mary was having none of it. Every time he scooped a glob of the brown substance and neared her mouth... she would go off on a cussing tirade, and he had to eat it himself.

Terry, with not much in the way of appeasement, gave the standard answer. "Do you need something for the pain?"

"I don't want anymore goddamn drugs pumped into me!" Mary grunted, slamming her hand on the soft mattress. "I need to be on high alert in case... in case someone..."

Terry slumped over, his head in his hands... he knew exactly who "someone" was referring to. Ever since the events of tonight concluded, Mary hadn't been normal... she'd been exceptionally paranoid, and the pain and delirium wasn't doing any favors. He felt bad... as bad as he felt during the match with Benimaru. HELPLESS.

"Mary... what do you need?" Terry called out to her softly. "What can I do for you?"

Mary's chest heaved, as she reached a hand up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. He saw her face twist as she rolled around in the bed, to the best of preserving her leg. Her beautiful blue eyes met his...

"...I need you to come keep me warm."

Terry knew what his limits were... but he knew what little he could do to comfort her. Taking off his cap, his shoes, he approached the bed, slightly peeling the covers back, but stopping to utter a small warning.

"Mary, this is a tiny bed. I don't want to hurt you-"

"You could never hurt me." Mary reassured him. She managed a small smile... as she lifted herself up and patted the very limited space near her.

Terry crawled in the best he could, but not before an extended session of fumblings, struggle, slight groans... he could have sworn he saw Mary's face twist with pain for a second, and he quickly wanted to disengage... but he knew she wanted this more. Thus... he persisted, until the two of them ended up in a semi-comfortable position: Terry's body mostly on bottom, but hanging a slight angle, while Mary mostly lay atop him.

"Mmmm... I feel better already." Mary sighed. "I kinda wanna get out of this gown. Pull the covers up."

Terry wasn't in the position to really argue, since Mary's comfort was top priority to him, so he obliged; pulling the sheets up until it covered their necks, Mary fumbled around underneath until she... with a cheeky wink... produced her hospital gown in her hands, and tossed it aside.

The two finally settled down, snuggling up against each other, Mary's weight collapsed against him. He could feel her body sinking... the tension leaving her. She was comfortable.

He reached up, to gently caress the blonde hair behind her ear... and his eyes got stuck on her for a while. Eyes closed, breathing peacefully against him... god, she was beautiful. He would do anything, ANYTHING to protect this... what they had. Fights, tournaments, glory... it all felt so little, compared to this moment.

"...Mary."

"Hmmm?"

"Why'd you do it?" Terry whispered.

"Cuz I'm the only one qualified to do it, Ter Bear." she mumbled back, eyes still closed.

"Mary I... I can't lose you." Terry whispered, but even his quiet voice showed signs of breaking.

"You won't."

"...I'm going to make sure I don't. I'm forfeiting the tournament."

That opened Mary's eyes again. Normal voice restored. "What, no!"

The serene moment was officially put on halt, as Mary was wide awake, peering into him with eyes as deadly as her tenacity in combat.

"Mary!"

"Terry!" she echoed with equal volume.

"I can't just go off and fight some stupid competition, while you're laying here in pain!" Terry griped. "I'm gonna stay right by your side, and protect you. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is going to take you away from me!"

Mary's eyebrow quirked. "You're really gonna risk pissing off our old buddy Krauser? You know he's got a fight boner for you right now."

"Krauser's gonna have to learn what's most important in life." Terry fought back. "There are priorities... and my priority is you."

"Ahh Terry..."

Mary tried to mask the rolling of her eyes with a warm smile, and she reached her hand up to ruffle his exposed hair. "For your information, Mister MAN... I don't want to be babied. And I don't need to cower behind some big macho dude and turn back the calendar dramatically. I can handle myself. Even with a mangled thigh... I'm still more dangerous than most healthy human beings."

"Mary-" he tried to cut in, but failed.

"But the most IMPORTANT thing is... you're not going to put this on me."

"Put what on you?!" he inquired.

"Guilt."

She rolled over a bit more prominently, until she was now an imposing figure, hovering over him. "Terry Bogard... you're a fighter. There's never going to be a day you hang your gloves up and settle down in a fairy tale marriage, like Mai and your dork brother. Aprons and apple pies and songbirds and all that shit. That's THEM. But you, my man... the fight blood never settles down in you. It's the same drive that gives me the strength to keep fighting for a better world. I do what I do... and you do what you do. And I know, I KNOW, if you turn this down... you're going to regret it. We'll go back home, call it a day, but you'll always have that defeat lingering over you. You'll carry that grief... knowing Krauser made you run."

"But you're in such pain..." Terry tried to fight back with sympathy. "How am I supposed to concentrate on beating Krauser, knowing that you're..."

"Yeah, it hurts. It sucks." Mary smoothly countered. "But you know what would hurt WORSE? Knowing that I caused you to back down. Knowing that big Grape Ape will be cursing your name, swearing vengeance, or laughing at your cowardice... because I held you back."

"So what do you want me to do?" Terry grunted. "Leave you here? Go to a stupid tournament, people shouting my name, cheering for me, hailing me like some kind of god... when I'm really just a pathetic man who couldn't do more for you?"

"I think, when the time comes, and you're in that moment..." Mary gently stroked his cheek. "...You're gonna do what you do best. And you're not gonna worry about me, because you trust me. Just like I trust you."

"I... I do trust you." Terry reinforced those words.

"Then shut up and let me sleep." Mary winked.

Their lips met in a slow, chaste affair... before Mary lost the battle with fatigue and collapsed against him, perhaps to finally get her first real rest of the evening.

Terry swore not to leave that spot, even if his entire body went numb from the discomfort of the small bed. He wrapped his arms around her, more effective than straps, and held her there... he would honor her wishes and fight Krauser when the time came, but until then, he would never let her go.


FINAL EPISODE: ADELHEID (and Rose)

Panting. Heaving. Bandages riddling his boxer-clad body. Adelheid didn't know what compelled him to crawl out of his bed and limp through the Sky Noah, making his way back to that same room... the room overlooked by a silent, omniscient guardian.

He found the same chair he had donned earlier that day, plopping into it with a pained groan. His eyes went forward... and he stared. Stared back at the inanimate eyes, staring back.

"You..." Adelheid addressed the lifeless painting in front of him. "What are you? What have you done to me?"

Naturally, the piece of art had no response. Yet still.. Adelheid persisted in arguing with the giant hunk of wood and color.

"I can feel something inside me... something... nasty. Something... vile." Adelheid spoke. "But there's no way.. urgh... there's no way you passed Orochi power onto me. There's no way...! Urrrrghhhh...!"

He somehow managed himself back out of the chair, but not before an agonized grunt was expelled. He limped forward, as much as his leg could take him... until he practically stumbled forward, eventually hitting the solid wall to stop his motions.

His fingers all but dug into the priceless painting, as he wailed, "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!"

...That's when he heard it: a voice so powerful, so moving, it literally floored him, planting him on his back.

"YOU'RE BECOMING WHAT YOU WERE MEANT TO BE, MY SON!"

He didn't want to open his eyes, where he lay. He was scared to see what was looking back. He heard it... he HAD to have heard it...the words were so clear inside him, something speaking to him. Something... not of this world. Something... no LONGER of this world.

His face strained, muscles fighting against his eyes... he had to will his head to keep facing forward... until his eyes opened, and he peered upon the picture on the wall...

Blood drizzled down the canvas, contrasting dark, obsidian skin, white hair...blood red eyeballs were staring back, piercing, blinding, penetrating his irises with a painful beam... it hurt... it hurts so bad... he wants to scream...!

"BROTHER!"

The door to the room burst open. Adelheid swung around, his face littered with beads of sweat, his blonde hair dampened to the roots. He saw his sister, looking down at him, terrified.

"R-Rose!" he stammered. "Rose, I-"

He turned back around. Looked at the painting... it looked as normal as it ever did.

Rose was quickly at his side, scooping him up as best she could. "How did you get all the way back here?!"

"Th-the painting..." he mumbled.

"You're delirious!" she nagged. The blonde girl started carrying him towards the exit, to most of her ability.

"That's it, I'm not leaving your side again! We have one and a half days to get you back in fighting shape, or all this will have been for nothing!"

"Urgghh... Rose, you... after all this, you're still focused on the..." Adelheid groaned with every rebutting word.

They made it to the hallway. "Don't start with me again, brother. You and I both know we're in this too deep to quit now. The damage has already been done. Are you going to just back out, and make it all for naught? We have no choice but to keep going, and see it through... just like we promised."

"B-but..."

"WE. PROMISED."

"Rrrgh... damnation..."

It took great exertion on Rose's part, and the girl was prepared to get ruffled, as she wasn't going out anywhere else tonight... so she strained her dainty muscles and managed to lug her wounded brother all the way across the Sky Noah... back to his bed... where she was forced to plop him with a rather uncomfortable landing.

"URRGH!" he grimaced in pain.

Rose hovered over him, dabbing the sweat from his forehead. "Ohh shh shh shh shhhhh... now Adel, please just rest here okay darling? I'm going to go right over there and grab you some water."

As soon as Rose turned her back, he tried to get back up... he wanted to go back.. back to HIM... to demand answers for what he had passed on with his demonic genes.

...But it was too late, and no avail. He finally just sank against the bed, helpless, as Rose returned to his side, glass in hand. She gently elevated his head, pressing the water to his lips.

"Now drink up... theeere you go..."

The cool liquid rushed down his throat, providing only a temporary relief, but it seemed to return him to a sense of lucidity, and at the very least, he could talk.

"Rose, something bad is happening to me." he opened.

Rose slightly froze... but she suddenly carried on, like she hadn't even heard it.

"Rose!" he persisted.

"Quiet now, brother!" Rose commanded. She seemed to be fumbling over at the dresser, nearly spilling the water pitcher during her task of gathering a dry rag and painkillers. She finally returned to his side, placing the rag on his forehead, before tilting two pills into her hand and putting them in his mouth.

"There we are..." she soothed. Her hand traveled to his cheek, fingers bent, as she gently began stroking it, up and down... like a paintbrush on foundation.

"Now listen to me please, Adelheid." her voice was almost whisper-like. "I've protected you as much as I possibly can at this point. But things are about to get tougher... much tougher. I wish that Mary Ryan had done her job properly, and weakened that serial killer more... but she didn't, and now he's gravely injured you."

"She saved my life!" Adelheid fought back.

"Your life wouldn't have been in danger, had she just played her role better...!" Rose hissed.

"...What's happened to you, Rose?" Adelheid hit her with such an evaluating question. "You didn't used to be like this... the girl I grew up with, the girl I practically raised, and cared for... she's so far away now. Sometimes, I think that puppetmaster still has a hold on you."

She turned away from him. Wouldn't allow him to see her expression... or the slight tear threatening to form.

...Seconds later, she turned back to him, eyes as full and commanding of the room as they always were.

"Don't be silly, Adelheid. She's right here, in front of you... and she loves you with all her heart. One day, one day you'll understand... everything I do, I do for you, my darling Adelheid. You're the love of my life. That's why I've got to make sure you win this tournament. That's why I've got to get you as healthy as possible, even if it means pursuing means beyond normal boundaries."

On that note, she slightly backed away from the bed. She turned, towards the door.

"COME IN NOW!" she yelled.

Adel's attention was piqued, as his eyes focused on the door, to see what exactly would emerge. The door opened... and a pair of black-stocking-clad legs walked in.

"What the...?" Adelheid was officially confused beyond all reason, when he saw the... attire... this lady was wearing.

The black stockings were off-putting enough, but combined with a white apron-like piece of garment that BARELY qualified as clothing... also coupled with the fact that there didn't seem to be any pants... this raven-haired lady, with a maid ornament in her hair, looked less like the profession she was attempting to emulate... and more like a parody of it.

"This is Iroha." Rose introduced the incredibly-stacked maid standing next to her. "She comes from the sixteenth century, so she claims."

The sexy maid woman bowed, presenting a ridiculous display of cleavage. "It is an honor to meet you, my Master."

"...Master? Why'd she call me Master?" Adelheid asked.

"It's a thing she does." Rose rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I've brought this specialist in to tend to your leg wound... I'm paying her to do a much better job than your run of the mill scrub-wearers, running the clock until their break time, would. She'll make sure you can walk and fight by the time Round 3 is here!"

Adelheid eyed the scantily clad woman again, who was content to just stand there and smile warmly at him. "You're sure this woman is a medical expert?"

"Yes." Iroha replied, bowing again. "I've tended many injuries of my previous Masters, of varying levels of severity."

"And she's dressed like that... why?"

"I already told you," Rose stomped, "It's a thing she does! That's not going to be problem, IS IT?!"

"Well, I-"

"Because I KNOW..." Rose interjected, with a fierce grab of his leg, eliciting a tense-up from the man "...I know I'm the only girl you'll ever have eyes for~"

Adelheid said nothing, simply slapped her hand off of his leg.

With a straightening of her dress and hair, Rose departed for the exit. "Iroha, I leave him in your hands now. Take care of him, or I'll fill you with misery and woe~"

With that... passive-aggressive request...Rose slammed the door, leaving just the two of them. Knowing his leg was indeed very hurt, and seeing little options at this point... Adelheid conceded to his fate, resting himself against the bed.

"Whoever you are, just fix my leg... so I can get mine and my sister's lives back on track. This tournament is driving us insane."

Iroha herself wasn't concerned with whatever grievances or life issues the man was suffering: she was simply here to play her role. Thus, with a friendly smile, she gave her longest, deepest, torso-bending bow yet.

"It will be my honor to treat you... my honored Master."

...At that moment, Liam Brantner, the humble janitor of Allianz Arena, walked in.

"Hey, where should I dump Rodem Jr's litterb-b-b-b-b-b-b-BOOOOTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

And that's the end of that very meaty, very substantial chapter. I'm quite pleased with myself. I think the ending might be a little stupid... or a LOT stupid, but overall I'm pleased.

NEXT CHAPTER: I don't know how else to put this, people. Shit is going DOWN. It's about to get crazy. Just look below. Please. The bonus scene is a can't miss.


BONUS SCENE

It felt good after a long, tiring day, to wash out the hairspray and enjoy her natural form for once. Standing in front of her mirror, clad in a fluffy white towel, not a layer of makeup nor a spritz of hairspray... Rose Bernstein allowed herself this moment of serenity, because she knew it wouldn't last. As soon as she woke up, she had to return to her pristine, pampered, overly made-up form. She had to be a Hostess again. She had to lead them... no... she had to lead HIM... to everlasting glory, for the people of Germany. HER people.

"Please, rest up, brother." Rose spoke to her mirror, as if speaking to him. "I'll buy you as much time as I can. You can take it easy tomorrow, and let the other fighters wear themselves out... we'll see how they handle the Battle Royale!"