EPISODE 1: PREPARING FOR WINTER
The Quarterfinals had passed without a hitch. All things considered, Rose Bernstein had gotten her way... but in the most crucial days of the tournament, with the stakes at their highest, there was only one thing on her mind:
How to KEEP getting her way.
"What do I do? What do I do?!"
Rose was pacing back and forth in her VIP booth, simulating all the scenarios, all the ways she could achieve her desired outcome. "If I put my brother and Miss Kagura together, then one of them is guaranteed to make the Finals... but if I put them on separate brackets, then they could BOTH go the distance... what to do... what to dooooo... I can't let that barbarian Iori Yagami make it all the way... I could put him against Kula..."
Much as Rose would've liked to have spent the entire afternoon, evening, and night, planning out the brackets of the Semifinals... her next visitor put these notions to bed, and brought dangerous reality back.
"Knock knock! Coming in."
Rose was snapped out of her planning, turning to face the entrance to her VIP booth; her eyes grew serious when she was met by the tall, well-dressed black man she had called in.
"Ah... you finally made it. Take a seat."
His hands unconsciously stroking his suspenders, Seth made himself at home inside the VIP booth, ignoring the suspicious glares of Silber from feet away. He sat in a seat adjacent to Rose, and they locked eyes.
"Well... I'm here." Seth stated the obvious. "So what's the job?"
Rose's eyes intensified. "The job, Mr. Seth... has changed."
His eyebrows lifted. "Already? Well shit, I just got here."
Rose nodded. "I'm sorry to put you through this, but it's beyond my control. I called you in days ago to simply provide extra security... but all that has changed today, after I got this letter."
Retrieving the letter from her moderately-endowed chest, Rose leaned forward, presenting the parchment to Seth, who accepted it. His eyes scanned the contents, as he quietly echoed the words:
"Bad... things... 20 men... assemble... security... cosmic balance. Oh wow, I just love those last two words. Always a fun time when the cosmic balance is at stake." Seth dripped with sarcasm.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Seth, if you've been keeping track of the national news lately, you should know there have been several attempts on mine and my brother's life. Well now... this seems like the most organized effort thus far. Whoever is planning this has finally assembled a large enough force to take us head-on, to overwhelm us with numbers. Thus, I need you to assemble a response team; round up your men, and stand with me to fight them back!"
Seth sucked in air. "Sounds less like security detail, and more like I'm being sent off to war! Before I even CONSIDER putting myself or my peeps on the line here, let's talk about pay... cuz I'm not doing this for nothing."
"And I don't expect you to." Rose smoothly countered. "You'll all get 10,000, plus expenses. Fair?"
Seth eyed her sharply. "That's ten grand a HEAD, right? Me, V, Ramon and Mary."
Rose sighed. "Yessss... and if you don't think I'm good for it, ask Miss Ryan. She's made plenty bank off of me already."
Seth grinned smugly. "I might just do that."
"What are you guys talking about?"
Rose slightly jumped, not expecting to hear her brother's voice; she turned, and put on her best facade when facing the newfound presence of Adelheid.
"Nothing. I've got it handled."
Adelheid peered. "Rose..."
"I said I have it handled! J-just go rest up for tomorrow!"
Adelheid's attention turned away from her, and to the new presence in Germany. "Oh...Seth! Nice to see you!"
The young man quickly cleared the distance between them, meeting Seth with a firm handshake. "Would YOU like to tell me what's going on?"
Seth, for a split second, eyed Rose; the girl had disapproval in her eyes. But he ignored this, and presented Adelheid with the letter.
"Bad things coming tonight... about 20 men are going to make an attempt on your life?!" Adelheid angrily placed the paper down. "Rose, you weren't going to tell me?!"
Rose, feeling herself losing ground, tried to justify. "B-b-but brother! A hostess must be able to clean up her own messes! I didn't want to get in the way of you and your glorious victory! Look how close you are to winning!"
"Oh for the love of... Rose, where are your priorities?!" Adelheid groaned. "I don't care how far I've gotten... if you're in danger, then THAT'S what matters most."
Rose finally found some fight, stomping sassily with her fists on her hips. "I'll have you know, my security force is more than capable of handling it!"
"Oh yeah?" Adel challenged. "No offense to Mr. Seth here of course, he's fantastic at his job, but who else do you have?"
Rose frowned. "Ramon, Vanessa, Mary-"
"Will they even cooperate with you?" Adel argued. "At least two of them hate your guts."
"Seth will make sure they do! R-right Seth?!"
Seth put his hands up defensively. "H-hey, they're gonna do what they do. I can't exactly tell them who and who not to stick their necks out for."
Rose kept going. "I have my darling Silber of course... I have that butler, Hein, and that lady who fixed your leg."
Adelheid was silent for a moment, in thought, measuring their combat capabilities, and affinity levels... and he shook his head.
"It's not enough."
Rose's mouth hung, insulted, but Adel carried on. "We need Ralf and Clark. And I'm going to call in a favor."
"H-hey! This is MY situation! MINE! MINE MINE MINE!" Rose whined, stomping her foot angrily.
Adelheid chuckled. "You haven't thrown a tantrum like that since that time I tried to groom your pony. Rest her soul."
Rose blushed deep red. "S-stop with these silly sentiments! Urrrrghhhh... FINE! You want to take control of this, like the big brother you are?! Don't let me stop you! Hmph! Call in whoever you see fit! Steal my moment of glory!"
With an angry swish of her dress, Rose made her way towards the exit. "Come along, Silber. Let's get to the Sky Noah and round up the others."
"Hey! B-be safe!' Adelheid tried to call out... but she had already left the room.
Seth, the only other guy left in the booth, chuckled. "Your sister sure is a handful. All impulse, that one."
Adelheid nodded in agreement. "That's going to get her in trouble some day. Maybe sooner than she thinks."
"Stupid brother... he always makes me feel like I can't do things."
Rose angrily muttered to nobody, Silber the only other person present to hear it.
"My brother will have his spotlight when he wins the tournament. But I want the news outlets to speak of the one who stopped the forces of evil... ME! Rose Bernstein! The greatest King of Fighters hostess there's ever been!"
"...Stop."
That gruff word was quietly barked from Silber's mouth, halting Rose in her tracks. "Did you just order me?!"
"Shut up!" Silber whispered. "We're being watched... 11 o' clock. Top of the Stadium."
Far from a professional, Rose's first instinct was to turn her head in the direction indicated.
"No, don't look, you idiot...!"
But it was too late. Rose gasped, as her eyes were met by the spectacles belonging to their spy...
"Oh shit!" Nagase yelped. "Uhhh... buzz buzzzz buzzzz... just a little honeybee, passing through... buzz buzzz... buzzz..."
In a flash, Nagase leapt from the Stadium top, disappearing from sight.
EPISODE 2: BREAKING STORM
"Sniff...sniff... snff..."
The brutality of the battle still fresh in her mind, Hotaru abandoned the field, leaving a grief-stricken trail of tears behind her.
Candy Diamond stayed close behind, following the last directive to keep Hotaru safe. The robot found herself in the unexpected role as a shoulder to cry on, as Hotaru had chosen her to bury her face in and let her emotions flow freely.
Kula wasn't far behind. She knew the weight of what her actions meant, and having lost enough friends already recently...the last thing she wanted was to lose Hotaru. She was almost desperate in her racing footsteps to confront the blue-haired girl, who had stopped outside the lobby, where people were flocking towards the exits. Pushing desperately past people, Kula eventually fought her way to where Hotaru was sitting... the girl still crying, against Candy.
"Hotaru..." she called out softly, reaching out to touch her arm...
...Hotaru jerked it away, not looking up to acknowledge her.
"Hotaru. He wasn't going to stop." Kula tried to justify.
...Finally, Hotaru's head DID shoot up, looking at her with two angry, tear-streamed eyes. "You went too far! Kula-chan... how could you? How could you do that to Gato? You could have killed him!"
Kula fought back desperately. "I was trying to protect you! All he's done is be cruel to you-"
"But THAT wasn't what I wanted! You chose violence... that's not the way!"
"Hotaru, I...!"
The girl's face went back down, her shoulders shuddering with a fresh outpour of tears. Kula looked on, fighting between outstretching her hand a second time, pulling back, reaching out, pulling back... eventually she settled in a sort of mid-limbo, and sighed.
"I'm sorry. I... I'm sorry..."
Hotaru rose to her feet. "I'm sorry too but... I need to be alone for a while, Kula-chan. Please just... let this blow over. You're my friend and I don't want to lose you but... its still too raw. So please..."
Not giving Kula the chance to answer, Hotaru distanced herself from the situation, abandoning the Stadium altogether, falling in with the crowds of people leaving for the day. For whatever reason, Candy continued to tag along, still following the latest order.
Kula could only sigh in defeat, as she watched the two of them eventually become a distant memory in the lobby. She could hear two sets of footsteps coming up behind her, and, not even deeming it necessary to turn around, she immediately started talking:
"I messed up, Di."
The footsteps eventually arrived behind her, followed by a consoling hand on her shoulder, that confirmed exactly who they were.
"Are you talking about what happened back there? That guy was out of control. He deserved what he got." Diana assured.
Kula's face wasn't convinced.
Foxy tried to reinforce it. "Anyone who takes their family for granted, especially considering-"
...But she quickly knew she shouldn't finish that sentence. Kula's face changed accordingly, however, marking that it was too late; that message had already gone through. Her head hung lower.
Diana tried to salvage the situation. "That's why you did it. To punish him. To give him a reality ch-"
"No."
A slight jump in them both. They looked down at her questionably... and saw something different in her eyes. Something they hadn't seen in a long, long time. Something... that had been buried.
"The truth is..." Kula's face hung with a far-out expression, her eyes looking beyond the realm. "I just wanted to be angry. I wanted to lash out. I wanted... to hurt someone. Because this isn't fair. None... none of this is fair."
That chilling, unsettling message was the last thing the ice girl shared, before her feet slowly scuffed across the floor, fleeing the bustle of the Stadium lobby, disappearing into the exiting masses.
Diana and Foxy were left standing there, sharing a complex assortment of emotions. Sadness. Sympathy. An attempt to understand. And, most disturbing of all... remembrance of older times. Darker, less rational times.
"I'm worried about our girl." Foxy looked at Diana, concerned. Her body pressed against hers, head leaning against the blue-clad woman's shoulder.
Diana gently slid an arm around Foxy's waist, fingers caressing the spot they rested on. "This whole thing has her messed up, big time. I know she loves them, but...I never understood how TRULY... important... they are to her, until now. The girl is missing her family, Foxy. The people that keep her whole. The ones that helped her escape that past life. Without them here... she doesn't know who she is."
"What do we do about it?" Foxy pleaded for answers. "We can't push forward, or that'll just push her away."
Diana shook her head, sliding her hand upwards to capture Foxy's head and softly massage her temple. "We just gotta pray that Seirah and Maxima find him and come back... before we lose our little girl."
EPISODE 3: WOUNDS OPEN AND CLOSE
"Listen buddy, are you sure about this?"
Gato and Yamazaki's location was one not easily captured by the common eye; they had chosen an obscure alley from which to perform this fated ceremony... one that nobody would bother them in, much less witness what was about to happen.
Gato had taken his position on the floor, resting on the back of his calves. His head hung low. Eyes closed, as if in perpetual prayer. His hands rested on his lap.
Yamazaki stood above him, with an undecided face. "I don't mind helpin' people shuffle off their mortal coil, but... you don't get a do-over. And I highly doubt you qualify for the VIP Ghost Club, either. Just sayin', you sure about this?"
Gato, eyes still closed, replied. "My soul is prepared. There's... no going back."
Yamazaki gave him one last confirming look, before shrugging. "Well, if you say so. Okay, I've got a real busy schedule coming up, so... if you got any last words, chop chop."
Gato's eyes finally opened... for the first time, wearing humility. "Hotaru... please forgive me. I was too weak to stop our family from being torn apart, and I'm still too weak... to avenge it. You're a strong girl. You can make it on your own... you don't need someone as weak as me, holding you back. Carry on... and grow up stronger."
He looked up, at the man hovering over him. His hands went upwards to capture his yellow gi; with one swoop, it fluttered down around his waist, exposing his bare torso.
"I'm ready. Give me your knife."
Yamazaki, even now, had reluctance in his movements, but he surrendered his blade nonetheless, tossing it at Gato's front.
Gato scooped up the weapon in his hand, looked down at it... his eyes grew intense, before closing and taking in his last breaths...
He allowed his final thoughts to be of Hotaru. Of how he disappointed her. Of how this would end with her hating him... and never understanding. In this final moment, he no longer dwelled on his father, the man whom he had carried so much hatred for... that anger had been beaten out of him. All that was left was remorse; the futility of his failure. To his mother. To his sister.
Placing both hands on the handle, he turned the blade towards him, pressing it to his stomach... with one terminal breath, he drew the blade back-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A scream, and his eyes shot open. He turned and looked; a flash of blue rushed at him, exploding against his hands, knocking the weapon far out of reach.
"Hup!" Yamazaki's arm lashed out just in time to catch his beloved knife.
The next thing Gato saw was Hotaru grow closer... closer... not slowing, until her body crashed into him, knocking him backwards.
She mounted him in seconds, and her hands went flying.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"WHAT! THE HELL! DO YOU THINK! YOU'RE DOING!" Hotaru screeched between slaps. "STUPID! BROTHER! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!"
The slaps kept coming... kept coming... until her arms gassed out, and she had no more strength to swing again. Eventually, she collapsed against him... in seconds, his chest was soaked with a waterfall of tears, as pained, deafening wails riddled his ears.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhAAHAAHAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!"
He remained there... frozen. Paralyzed. At the mercy of her vengeance. Even now her fist rose... and gently punched his chest. She lay against him, sobbing, wailing, as her fists continued their minimal offense, punching his chest with slow, weakened blows.
"Stupid.. stupid... brother... if you... ever... do that... again... I'LL KNOCK YOU OUT!"
"Hotaru..." Gato tried to get a word in between her sniffles. "This is the only way to preserve my honor!"
Hotaru's face tore from his chest, and she scowled at him with tear-stricken eyes. "SCREW YOUR HONOR! I JUST WANT MY BROTHER BACK! I WANT MY BROTHER BACK! I WANT MY BROTHER BAAACK!"
More slaps riddled his cheek. Eventually, Gato lost patience and seized her wrists, halting her offense.
"I'M NOT YOUR BROTHER!" he howled. "Would your brother have let our mother die? Would your brother have been powerless to stop our father, and the dark arts of kung fu he channeled inside him... an alter ego that thrived on blood, madness, death? Would your brother have let this man live, and be a threat to our family? I LET IT HAPPEN! I knew about the darkness he carried inside himself, and I didn't do anything about it, because I... I was scared. I saw how he was around you, how his good half thrived, how you and our mother loved him dearly. I thought he was just... preparing me for a different destiny. I didn't expect that one day, he'd just... snap and..."
Hotaru wiped her eyes constantly, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. "Gato... what are you saying?"
Gato's eyes closed. "I'm saying... our father had two sides. The side you know is the side that was gentle, peace-loving... the side that taught you that martial arts was never to be used in violence, always to defend. But when he was with me... it was completely different. He showed me that martial arts was only to destroy the weak... to step above others, and take pride in one's power. I... was scared to go against him... I should have stopped him so long ago. Finally... it was too late. The dark side broke through, and... he... sniff..."
For perhaps the first time, in his hardened, calloused life... tears appeared in Gato's eyes.
"I've cursed myself for so long, to the extent that I destroyed my own identity. I refused to associate myself with my past life... until I earned the right to call myself that person again. But I realize now it'll never happen. I'll never be your brother again, Hotaru. I can't... I can't undo the hurt."
"Gato... you're hurting me worse NOW!" Hotaru tried to wail reality into him. "Look, I don't CARE anymore! I DON'T CARE!"
Another slap. Gato's face was wearing the dark red of accumulated strikes, almost changing to a subtle shade of violet.
Hotaru threw herself against him, hugging him tight. "I'm... sniff... so tired of being alone. You're so selfish. You talk and talk about your remorse, and your honor... but you don't ever stop and think about how bad this hurts me. You don't ever stop to consider... how I feel about it all. Well now, I'm TELLING you: I don't care. I don't care if you ever avenge our mother. I don't care if you never live with yourself about it. Right now, you have something to live for... me."
Her hands found his face again... but this time, not with violence, but to meet his eyes with hers.
"It's time for you to stop running from me."
Gato looked away, blinking away his minimal tears. "But how? How can you forgive me for what I allowed to happen?"
Hotaru shook her head. "There's only ONE thing I don't forgive you for: being away from me for as long as you have. But I'm giving you the chance, right now, to redeem yourself."
"What do I do?" Gato asked, unsure of himself.
"Never leave me alone again... EVER."
Hotaru buried her face against his chest, and her body shuddered, as fresh tears started leaking again.
Gato's arms lifted, with uncertainty... until they found themselves around Hotaru's torso, holding her there... he closed his eyes, and allowed himself to silently cry. The tears flowed, anointing him, washing away the remorseful stains... and weathering the jaded shell he'd worn for far too long.
Yamazaki looked over Candy, standing next to him. "So do you do housekeeping, like that robot from The Jetsons?"
EPISODE 4: WHY?
"Wake up. Wake up, Iori... we still have work to do. Cmon now... no slacking. The potential's still in you, you just have to let it out. Stop trying to hold it in... just let go, release all that JUICY, JUICY aggression..."
"Kyo's not here to hold you back. He's always been a hindrance. Don't you see? All he's ever done is get in the way of your better future..."
"You're the only hope for the Yagami clan. Don't you want to stand strong, above all else? All you have to do is spill a little blood... what's a few lives, when it means peace and prosperity for your clan, until the end of all time? The salvation of the Yagami... the destruction of the Kusanagi... you'll stand tall, as the gods of this world!"
"Just wake up. Wake up and kill. Paint it all red... RED... EVERYTHING RED!"
His eyes shot open.
Iori sprang to his feet, shoving away everyone around him. He looked around: still in the Stadium. Was the round over? Did he win? He remembered... pounding on Terry pretty hard. Was he disqualified?
"Well, the asshole's awake."
He heard Shen Woo's voice. He looked around; everyone was surrounding him, none looking too pleasant. It was starting to piss him off, all this attention.
He especially didn't like the way Blue Mary was in front, arms folded, staring him down. She looked like she had something to say... a moment later, she stepped forward boldly and said it.
"So... anything you'd like to say?" Mary frowned at him.
Terry stepped forth. "Mary, let it go..."
"NO. I want to clear this shit up right now."
Her eyes re-focused on him. "So let's hear it. Go ahead."
Iori frowned at her. Silence passed for the next 30 seconds, as they just stood there... in a waiting game.
Finally, a response came: not the one she wanted.
"What do you want from me? An apology?" he spat. "You step in the ring with me, you know the f***ing risk. Now everyone, get the hell out of my face. I'm outta here."
Mary started to open her mouth in protest, but Iori shoved past her and walked onwards, not looking back. Her mouth closed, furious teeth baring, as her face reddened with anger... she was tempted to reach for something on her utility belt again.
Terry put a hand on her shoulder. "Told you to let that one go, Mare."
"Buncha assholes... staring at me..."
Iori's plan was, as it had been, for several days now: avoid the press and public encounters, despite his status as a semifinalist, and return to solitude... to safety. He should have quit by now; he'd been afforded plenty of opportunities. But some force compelled him to keep going... and now, fate had found him in the final four of the second Kumite tournament.
He thought back to how he got here in the first place... how Chizuru had begged him to compete. For such a wise woman, she could be incredibly naive. Iori didn't have the luxury of "fun and games"... whenever he fought, it meant something. Usually, the destruction or salvation of the world.
...As Iori made for the exit, he could FEEL a pair of eyes on him. He turned...
...She was staring back at him. No words.
Iori stared back.
Finally... Chizuru's eyes tore away from him, her fierceness replaced with a gentle sorrow, as she turned away and walked off.
Iori's own intensity faded as well. He turned; breathed a fatigued sigh. How had things gotten to this point? He never meant for... all he wanted was to be left alone. He never even wanted to compete in the first place.
...It was her fault. She shouldn't have pushed him. "STUPID BITCH!"
If she'd just left well enough alone "RIP HER FUCKING GUTS OUT!" they'd still be okay...
She did this. Nobody else. She did.
And that's the end of that. This chapter... was... a SLOG. There's just so much crap to get through before the end, it's like trudging through thick mud. I've already had to cancel a lesser plot, which is sad, and right now I'm trying to just tie up all the little loose ends. But it's okay, we'll get there.
NEXT CHAPTER: Shion and Botan's assassin army mobilizes, on what is sure to be the most fateful night of the tournament yet. WINTER IS HERE!
But first... let's slog through one more BONUS SCENE, just to set up the next chapter's events better.
BONUS SCENE
"So where we eating tonight? Steinheil 16?" Ramon suggested.
Vanessa nodded. "Yeah... anything's better than leftovers at Krauser's castle."
She turned, jokingly hitting Mary in the chest. "Dammit Mare, why'd your boo have to go and whoop Krauser so hard? He stopped catering to us."
Mary winked. "Terry's just helping you all wean off the pampered life. Can't stay here forever."
Vanessa laughed. "Fair enough. So, we heading out?"
"...Sorry guys, you're gonna have to belay that one."
The redhead's stomach leaped into her throat when she heard that voice... a voice that hadn't been present at Munich, or in her life, for many, many months now.
She turned, her eyes all but required to see the figure in order to believe it. Mary and Ramon followed suit... and they all bore the same shocked expression.
"Heyo." Seth waved at them, standing tall and proud with his impressive frame.
"SETH!" his name was barked from their mouths in unison, better than a choir could rehearse.
"Thought you were enjoying the down time, tavarish." Vanessa slapped his chest with a greeting.
Seth huffed. "Thought I was too... but here I am. On Rose's orders."
Their faces twisted with disgust.
"Oh don't tell me..." Mary groaned.
Seth nodded. "It's a good thing you were all knocked out of the tourney early. Brew up some coffee; we're about to have a long night."