Chapter 8: King of Fighters Round 1

The South Town Arena is filled to capacity today for the start of the King of Fighters Tournament. The months and months of waiting are finally over for some die hard fans and today is the day that they have been waiting for. There isn't a single open space in the house, nor is there one fan sitting down. Everyone is on their feet and cheering because this is King of Fighters.

"Welcome everyone!" The announcer called out. His voice can barely be heard over the crowd and he's the one with the microphone. "To the King of Fighters Tournament!"

Pandemonium was redefined inside the South Town Arena after that last comment. After a few minutes, they began to calm down and listen to the announcer.

"The bar is set mighty high for this year's competition with a grand prize for first place totaling five million dollars!" The crowd roared as if they were the ones who were going to get the money. "No, let's meet our fighters!"

Hard rock music flooded the arena. "Our first competitors… Hailing from Korea… They are Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge, Jhun Hoon, and their captain, Kim Kaphwan. Meet Team Korea!"

Fans were cheering. Kim Kaphwan was a competitor in the second tournament and won over many of the South Town hearts. They walked down the isle looking proud and somewhat confident. Chang and Choi were the ones bringing down the mood. They've been busting their asses for Kim and Jhun and haven't had a moment of freedom since.

"Now walking down the isle…" The music changed from rock to a smoothing melody. "Hailing from various parts of Japan they are Kasumi Todoh, Yonjou Hinako, Yuri Sakazaki, and their captain Mai Shiranui… They are the Female Fighters!" Men began to scream their hearts out. The Female Fighters Team was known to drop a few jaws every year, especially Mai.

Down the isle every single man, single or married, were yelling for just a glance at the prettiest fighters this side of the Pacific. Mai started to blow kisses to the crowd but deep inside had a hint of glee. She hoped Andy was watching and even though she knew Andy wasn't the jealous type, she wanted to send him a little message of what could be.

The beat changed to a familiar J – Pop song. "Entering the arena…" They announcer calmly stated. He'd been previously informed to keep his introduction quite during this song because the fans adored it. "Meet Bao, Chin Gentsai, Sei Kensou, and their team captain… Athena Asamiya!" The fans roared. Athena was known as one of the cutest fighters but had the best smile. "Here is the Psycho Team!"

Athena waved to the crowd, dumbfounded at the fact that they were mostly school girl freaks and saw them as true martial arts fans. Kensou and Chin calmly strolled down, Kensou with his hands in pockets and looking a little embarrassed. Athena was one to pose for a crowd but she tended to overdo it a bit.

The music stopped. The announcer knew what was coming and went along anyways. "Walking down the isle, here are Whip, Clark Steel, Ralf Jones, and their team captain Leona Heidren… Meet the Ikari Team!"

They walked down in military fashion. There were no expressions on their faces and the crowd really didn't know how to react. Nothing was more boring than people who didn't put on a show but for the fans, they never got to see the site behind the King of Fighters.

After a brief silence, music began to roar again. This was a familiar tune and the fans lifted from their seats and cried their hearts out. One of their South Town heroes was coming in. "Hailing from South Town… Here are King, Robert Garcia, Takuma Sakazaki and their team captain… Ryo Sakazaki!" Fans cheered like crazy. Ryo had a high image in the eyes of the fans and by the look of his serious brow; he intended to keep it that way.

"Here is… The Art of Fighting Team!" The words came out like a bomb. Every year after King of Fighters people flocked to the Kyokugen Dojo to learn the prestigious martial art but most never lasted after a month or so. Ryo lead in front with King leaning a bit off his side. She'd been pretty quite ever since the incident last week but Ryo made sure never to leave her sight.

Ryo looked over at King. She looked fine but her eyes played another tune.

"Don't worry King…" Ryo smiled at her, "We'll win this thing no matter what!"

King smiled back but it wasn't a real one. She was still feeling insecure even with Ryo. This was just something she had to climb over. There was no easy road for her to travel.

"Now approaching the arena…" The announcer blasted over the crowd. The music shifted into a techno trance theme that was fairly unfamiliar amongst the crowd. "From various parts of Japan, China, and the United States; meet Seth, Lin, Shingo Yabuki, and their team leader… Benimaru Nikaido!" It was the ladies' turn to scream which seemed to annoy most of the men in the arena. "Here is the Benimaru Team!"

"BENIMARU TEAM!" Shingo protested. "What is going on?!"

"Calm down white belt…" Benimaru replied. "So long as Kyo's not around, I'm in charge."

"But Master Kyo would not approve of this!" Shingo interrupted.

"Will ya calm down?!" Benimaru nagged. "You've already embarrassed us enough standing in line for registration for the past week even though I told you I had the invitations!"

Shingo blushed. It was very embarrassing standing there for that long. He shrugged it off and before he could instate another argument, they were already standing in the ring.

The music changed into a hardcore heavy metal track. "Walking down the isle… From various parts of the world." The announcer scoffed. They didn't have any real data on these fighters so he had to work with what they had. Next to nothing. "Here are Vanessa, Ramon, Maxima, and their team captain… K'! They are the Heroes Team!"

The crowd cheered but only in vain. They really didn't know how to react to this team. K' walked at a fair pace with both hands in his pockets and the rest of his team was just as friendly. After about a minute or so, the crowd fell silent. There was only one team left and it was the hometown favorite.

An old school favorite rock theme blasted on the speakers and everyone's energy filled the arena with shouts and cheers. "Our last competitors for the tournament… Hailing from Japan and various parts of the United States. Here are last year's King of Fighters Champions!"

"Ready to go guys!" Terry smirked. Andy looked back at him with a grinless nod.

"You bet I'm ready! Returning champions have a title to defend!" Joe replied.

Terry looked down at Mary who was looking a little out of it. "Yo Mary! Ready?"

She looked up at him as if he snapped her out of a deep trance. "Y – Yea…" Mary then glanced at Terry's bare left arm. Give it to him before it's too late!

"Here." Mary whispered while placing a black object in Terry's free hand.

"What the?" Terry looked at it closely and smiled. His missing glove had finally returned home. "Thanks Mary." He gave her a wink as they entered the arena.

"Here is 'Blue' Mary Ryan, Joe Higashi, Andy Bogard… And their team captain. Terry… Bogard!"

Terry could feel his ears pop after every syllable. This kind of rush brought out the best in him so all he could do was tip his cap and wave to the crowd.

Andy walked next to his brother with a less welcoming expression. Everyone knew the younger Bogard was the more serious one but it didn't necessarily make him the better one. Andy was sure to not have a repeat of last year's disaster. His mind was focused only on the moment and nothing else.

Joe was another story. He was the flamboyant member of the group, blowing kisses and keeping the biggest grin imaginable on his face. This time of year always brought out Joe's best… And his worst.

"Here is South Town's own… Team Fatal Fury!"

A grin crossed Mary's lips even though she tried to remain as serious as possible. She was finally a part of Terry's team after so many years. If this was bliss, she wanted to bathe in it.

The arena fell silent. All attention was focused on the digital LCD screens at various parts of the arena. They were about to display the tournament line up.

This was the pinnacle time of the tournament. After displaying the matches, people flocked to the battle locations, waiting to cheer on their favorites. This is what made King of Fighters so popular.

The LCD screen flashed and the list was displayed.

Female Fighters Team

versus

Heroes Team

Ikari Team

versus

Fatal Fury Team

Art of Fighting Team

versus

Korea Team

Psycho Team

versus

Benimaru Team

After a few minutes of random chit chat amongst the fans, the fled straight out of the arena and to the designated fight locations. The fighters were required to do a final registration of the competitors and add any last changes before they were to begin round one. This was the time that most of the fighters spread intimidation amongst their opponents. Others like to taunt and annoy to throw them off base. Whatever their fancy, this was the time to do it.

"Buenos dias mis compadres!"

Ryo cringed. He could tell that surly Japanese accent from miles away and he couldn't stand it every time. Just hearing that high pitched, always cheery Japanese accent wanted to make him run his bike over a waterfall.

"What's wrong Ryo? You look like you ate a bad rice ball…" Robert commented. Ryo didn't say a single word. He just cocked his thumb backwards and pointed into the direction of the sound. Robert turned around and after confirming the identity, cringed along with his friend.

"Ryo… Robert… Is there something wrong?" King calmly asked.

"Well – el – el… Como estas senorita? Tu eres muy bonita!" Called the voiced directly behind King. She turned her head to face the man who obviously was lost in a different country and then gasped. It was non other than the famous loud mouthed, tall haired kick boxing champion of Thailand Joe Higashi.

"Uh – Uh – Uh…" King was at a loss for words. She had no idea what was going on and didn't think she was going to be kept in the dark for much longer.

"Hey Ray – OH! When did you become so popular with the ladies?!" Joe asked while draping his arm around Ryo's neck. Ryo quickly shrugged it off giving Joe a serious stare but knew it wouldn't crack that Japanese grin.

"Ah… Why the cold shoulder? I just wanted to be friends…"

"Be friends with yourself!" Ryo interrupted. "I don't have time for your jokes!"

"What? Does this mean we aren't going to go out to have some tacos or burritos?"

"Grrr…" Ryo spat under his breath.

"Take it easy there champ…" Another voice stated from the background. "It's not good to get all worked up before a big event."

Ryo seemed to calm down. Now there was someone with a voice of reason.

"Hey Terry, look who it is."

Terry? Terry Bogard?! Oh no…

"Well if it isn't my old friend from South Town…" Terry commented. "You're looking as tough as ever!" He stated while throwing a fist at Ryo. He easily blocked it but didn't follow with his own counter attack like he would usually do every time he and Terry crossed paths.

"Terry… You look good. And here I thought you were dead…"

Terry smiled. "I guess lady luck saved me again… Take it easy Ryo."

"You too…"

Terry grabbed Joe and walked off. A great sigh left Ryo's breath. King walked over to Ryo's front and looked him dead in the eye. "Ryo… What is it?"

"IT'S THAT DAMN HIGASHI!" He yelled not immediately noticing how close King was standing to his face. "Every time he keeps giving me crap about that damn Mexico incident!"

"Mexico incident?!" King questioned.

"Yea… During the '94 King of Fighters tournament we represented Mexico, remember?" Robert intervened.

"Yea…" King responded. What does that have to do with anything?

"Well… We did it because Master started up a Kyokugen dojo in Mexico and just happened to receive the invitation there."

"So… Why is Ryo so upset?"

"Because to Joe, all he needed to see was Ryo with a Mexican flag on his gi to start what you've just seen before you…"

"Ahhhh…"

"Come on Robert! We don't have to stand around. Let's go!" Ryo interrupted. He stormed off without even caring to look back.

"Ryo!" King called. She lurched forward but was quickly pulled back by another. "What the?"

"Leave him be… He's already lost the first fight," Takuma stated.

"What are you talking about?" King quickly asked. Takuma's mouth remained sealed. He soon followed his son with both arms crossed around his chest with Robert calmly following. King sighed. She didn't want to see Ryo like this. He'd been on the edge for the last week and this wasn't a good sign. What a way to start the tournament…

"Is this the place…?" Joe whined. "It looks so crappy."

"Well, the address on the card said South Town Construction Center…" Terry replied. The place was kind of a mess but that's what the tournament heads wanted. People got to see fights all over the world and when it's in South Town, they should see the real heart and soul of the city. It couldn't get anymore personal that this.

"Woah!" Called Ralf's voice from behind. "Tottotto kakatte koi!"

Joe turned around. The fight was already beginning.

"Alright guys…" Terry stated. He knew he only had a minute or so before the fight began to set his team up. "Andy, you'll start."

"Got it!" His brother responded.

"Next… Joe."

"Right!" He said with a grin.

"I'll take the third slot."

"Huh…?" Mary responded.

"Mary… You're our striker. I know you'll come through in a clinch," Terry complimented while giving her a small wink.

Mary nodded physically but mentally she was a bit upset. She really wanted to go out and fight with the esteemed Fatal Fury team and here she was sidelined. This is not how she wanted to start the tournament.

"Humph…" Andy hissed under his breath while calling for his opponent to attack.

Ralf didn't take his time at all. He rushed forward at Andy charging at all cylinders. Andy saw this move before. It would hit low so he would have to go high to avoid it.

Within seconds Ralf reached Andy's starting location but he was no where to be found.

"What?!"

"Hishouken!"

Blue ki smacked Ralf's face and sent him reeling backwards. Not enough for an initial knockdown but good enough to remind him who he was facing.

Andy didn't move an inch. His stance remained sharp and he knew the only way he can fight against the sheer offense of the Heidren style is to wait and then attack. There is no way you can counter brute force with more brute force.

"Zaneiken!" Andy didn't let up. So long as he had Ralf reeling, he didn't want to stop now. Nobody could recover from a Hishouken that quickly.

Before Andy reached his target, he could feel the heat rise from Ralf. Suddenly, his body felt like it was being rocked by tons of little bombs. Ralf recovered a lot quicker that he expected.

Andy was launched back in the direction he came from. He was in a lot of pain but it wasn't so much that it was going to take him out of the fight. He landed pretty hard, smacking the freshly paved dirt and rolling around as if he were on fire.

He could here Ralf approaching. Come on Andy! Don't lie down on the job! He thought. He can't take this fight lying down.

"Shouryudan!" Andy jumped from his resting place and attacked high. He could almost hear himself cursing on the way up. Ralf saw the attack coming and took a small step back, completely avoiding the sudden rush and setting up Andy for one of his favorites.

Andy could feel the muscles being dragged from their natural position and almost snapping at the might of Ralf's arms. Ralf easily caught Andy in a back breaker and before he could react, Ralf fiercely slammed him on the ground.

"Andy!" Mary screamed. She was ready to go in there. He was taking too much punishment at one time to be able to stand on his own feet. She rushed forward but was instantly halted by Terry's arm.

"Hold it!"

"But why?!"

"How would my brother feel if you came crawling into his aid when he's down?" Terry asked. He knew it was a rhetorical question and he could tell Mary caught it. "Andy is doing fine. He's just waiting for his opportunity."

Mary winced. She didn't know what Terry was talking about but as she stands, all she can do is trust him.

Ralf quickly leaped into the air. He wanted to pummel Andy with one last attack that would definitely assure him the victory and Andy a long nap. The rocket punch was on the menu for the end of the fight.

Andy quickly shot up a glance at Terry and noticed his brother's arm covering Mary's entrance into the fight. He smiled at both of them just before he went into his full out serious mode.

"Chou…!"

Shit! Ralf cursed. How in the hell – .

"REPPA DAN!"

"ARRGGHH!" He cried. Ralf's body exploded in pain when Andy blasted right through the ground with a cylinder of fire engulfing his whole body.

Terry shifted a half smile.

Ralf collided with the ground, shaking after taking the full blast of Andy's attack. The fight was over for him.

Dirt skipped of Andy's clothes as he dusted himself off. He looked over at the cameras and gave his famous Yoshu! after winning the battle.

Whip immediately entered the fighter's square. The battle was going to continue right away without any possible delay. Andy turned and faced her quickly getting into his Shiranui fighting stance. Round two had begun.

"Koko wa anata no deadline…"

Andy hissed. Taunting with words like that didn't scare Andy like they should. It just made him more aggressive in battle. It could easily be his biggest advantage or his greatest downfall.

Whip lashed out at Andy with her favorite weapon. Andy didn't even have time to react as his head snapped backwards after the initial shock. He knew he was cut open since his one open eye saw blood splatter outward and if he didn't watch it, he'd have a few more to match it.

Defense was all Andy could do at this distance. So long as he was far away, she had the advantage.

"Had enough yet boy?" Whip calmly asked while twirling Widow. Andy instantly jumped into the air; he had to lay an offense if he was ever going to get back in this fight. Surprise was necessary to attack an opponent who had the distance advantage.

"ZANEIKAN!"

Andy's elbow shot downwards. Whip's eyebrows vibrated up and down but it wasn't enough to completely set her off guard.

"Ah – !" Andy cried. His arm was completely wrapped in Whip's offensive tool and he came crashing down a lot harder and faster that he expected. Andy's body smacked a pile of free standing 'K' rails and he tumbled through a pile of dirt and debris.

Andy was covered in dirt and mud. His body ached badly and he felt blood dripping down his eyes and forming a small puddle near his head. Andy could feel consciousness slipping away from him but he was not one to give up a fight this easily.

Slowly, Andy felt his body being dragged. The whip was still latched tightly around his arm so he was bound to go wherever it took him.

Whip loved this move. She would knock the wind out of her opponents and then drag them towards her feet so she could give them a pithy stomping. It was quite embarrassing and effective. The best traits of her attacks had properties just like that.

Andy snatched the whip with his captured hand and held tightly. He gave in a thrust and used her pulling leverage to snap him up and put her within melee range.

What the – ?

"GEKI HISHOUKEN!"

"AH!" Whip's body was swarmed with Andy's blue ki attack. She was smacked several times before she could break away. Her whip danced violently around her as she tried to get control. Luck was definitely on her side this round.

A sharp blow whacked Andy's chest and sent him reeling backwards. The loose grave on the ground didn't provide proper balance. He tripped on loose rock and his head bounced off the pavement like a basketball. Andy Bogard was finished.

Whip regained stability and looked over at her opponent. He was down and his breathing was heavy. The knockout was certain. She wrapped up her whip around her arm and began to play and speak with it.

"Gokigen ne, Widow."

Terry quickly ran up and grabbed Andy. He picked him up and pulled him to the sideling. Andy wasn't in good shape. There were a few cuts on his body and face after the lashing and his eye wasn't looking too well after colliding into the construction equipment.

"Andy?" Terry called. His brother let out a hiss from under his breath and loked up on his brother.

"I guess… I… Over did it."

"No Andy… You did just fine. Just relax now," Terry replied. "Mary!"

"Yes!" She responded and quickly went to Andy's aid.

"Take care of him… We'll finish the fight now!"

Mary looked at Terry and caught a serious glare on his brow. All she did was look up at him and smile. "Got it!"

"Joe!"

"ORAH!" Joe taunted while hopping into the fighting square. "All right cutie… You're fighting me now. Don't worry, I'll make it quick!" Joe positioned himself in his kick boxing stance and waited. Whip glanced over at him with an inquisitive look and smiled. She threw out her whip and let it dance in the air. Round three was underway.

"Do you have what it takes to defeat me and my Widow?"

"Heh… If I had it my way, why don't me and you go out and leave your spider at home?"

"What?!"

"ORAH!" Joe screamed while throwing one of his favorite kicks. Taunting was the best way to throw off his opponent and he was the master of it.

Whip saw the kick coming but what she didn't realize is that she set up her whip to attack low. She knew of kick boxers balance issues as was going to abuse it with the best of her ability. However in her case, it makes it a bit harder to hit low on an airborne target.

She stepped back while throwing her whip low and around so she can regroup and attack. Joe landed only a couple of feet of her current location and she knew staying there would mean a painful result.

Joe's feet skid on the gravel and he immediately spun around to face Whip. She was still in the process of repossessing her whip in an offensive function so he had plenty of time to set up his next attack.

"TIGER KICK!" Joe's knee dug deep into whip's midsection. She could feel her body being ripped from gravity and tossed into the air. Joe had the perfect set up and a perfect finish. With all of the extra time than he had, he made sure his kick was at maximum power. The second strike rocked Whip's jaw and made a very unhealthy crunch.

Whip's body eventually landed several feet from her once standing location. She was in a lot of pain. Her body was quivering from the initial blow and she could feel that her lip was cut open as well.

Whip wouldn't be taken this easily. She picked herself up rather quickly and looked over at her opponent. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Ah ha ha ha!" Joe gestured. "Ohra – Ohra!" He put a finger in his nose and danced up and down on one leg.

Why that?! Whip cursed. She shook her head, grabbed her whip tightly and moved forward. You'll pay for that!

Slash after slash, cut after cut. Whip was a wild dog. She slapped Joe's surrounding area with a new angered passion. Leona and the others have never seen her like this.

"Hey – Hey – Hey!" Joe cried while avoiding the furious slashes. A few of them connected on various parts of his arms and legs but they didn't have any power to them. Joe knew that if someone fought with anger and frustration, they weren't fighting at all. Joe had the advantage and he was going to ride the pony as far as it would go.

Dirt and gravel kicked up from the ground. That's all that Whip was hitting. Joe maneuvered way to fast. When his legs weren't on the offense, they sure helped out his defense. She had to calm down and she had to do it fast. All she was doing was swiping a fly swatter at him and it was no wonder he was going down. She'd have to go for a body part he wouldn't expect immediately.

"Come on… This is a fight! Not a workout – HEY!" Joe flailed as a whip came inches from smacking his face. Instead, the collided with his bandaged arms and bounced off like rubber. Joe briefly checked his forearms to see any damage that was sustained but wasn't surprised to see that there was none.

Joe should have been more concerned with the fight that his immediate well being. Whip used this opportunity with his hands up and his midsection open to lash a deadly strike that left a nice bloody mark where her whip had been.

Whip retracted her weapon and looked over at her opponent. He put his hands down and smiled at her while knocking on his tight abs.

"You must have not done your research…" He quipped, "Kick boxers had the strongest stomachs in the world and you thought you'd do some damage to the greatest kick boxer around the world. Heh… You're pretty funny… And you look so cute when you're shocked." Joe winked. Whip's eyebrows found themselves pointed in an angered fashion as she prepared to go at him again.

The fight had gone from organized to insane. It looked like a little girl attack her brother. Joe was just bating her on and on and she kept coming for him. It was times like these that separated the experienced fighters from the new ones.

Joe skipped around the fighting square. He was really having a good time. Nothing could be better than drain the clock. He already got in his attacks and by the way of the judges, he'd win by default. It was all a matter of time.

"Heh heh cutie… Looks like – AH!" Joe screamed, his foot dug in a little too deep into the dirt and caused him to stumble. He took a few secure steps back to regroup his body but that time was all Whip needed to settle down and attack him with a steady mind and clear thoughts.

"Heeyah!" She cried while thrusting her whip low. It wrapped around Joe's left ankle and it wrapped pretty tight. He could almost feel the circulation of his blood being cut off from his foot. This isn't good! He thought.

Whip yanked her weapon as hard as she could. Joe went flying and it wasn't Southwest. He could see the entire construction site from his elevation and he knew that wasn't good. His body crashed into an unforgiving wall and took his body in like a wet tissue smashing into a garbage disposal.

Joe collapsed onto a pile of K rails; the same ones that Andy hit. He didn't know what hurt worse, the brick wall or the cement landing. His slew of taunts were going to stop for now. At least until he got up.

Whip walked over to the human wreckage. She smiled inside; seeing her opponent like this always brings a personal cheer inside but this loud mouth was especially asking for it. She never felt more proud of herself then watching a cockroach squirm with its head cut off.

"You know… You keep… Doing things… Like this," Joe called with pulling himself up from the wreck his body made. "And you'll… Start looking… Less cute."

Whip gasped. How the hell can he still be standing?!

Joe limped toward whip. His body was draped in cuts and soon to be bruises. His neck hurt, his chest hurt, hell even his hair hurt; but that didn't keep that same sly grin from staying on his face.

He's smiling?! That guy!

Standing no more than ten meters away, Joe Higashi picked up his heavy and damaged head and got into his fighting stance. The match wasn't over yet.

"Hey come on… We've still got a lot more fighting left to do." Joe taunted. It was as if he wasn't even hurt although his brain wasn't telling him that same lie.

Whip pulled back. She'd never seen everyone so determined in her life. This guy was thrown into a brick wall at a tremendous velocity and then landed on a not so friendly cushion, yet here he was standing up and waiting to go some more. Her body was paralyzed with lost thoughts.

"Hey… You want to see my motivation?!" Joe snapped.

What the?! Who is that guy - HUH?!

"ORAHHHHH!"

Whip was blinded. She'd never seen in her life the kind of tactics used in this fight. Instead of seeing a dramatic comeback attack or even a calm forfeit, she was staring at the washboard ass of Joe Higashi.

Gotcha! "SLASH KICK!"

Those words blasted whip out of her perverse imagination. She easily caught Joe trying to trick her thoughts and side stepped out of the way.

Perfect, let's see you avoid this! "SCREWWWW!"

Huh?! Whip shouted to herself, she only had seconds to react and thankfully her body reacted out of instinct as her arm shot her whip out on a vertical I-beam and tugged as hard as she could. You won't get me this time!

"UPPERRRR!" Joe yelled as his self made tornado traveled through the fighting square. The surrounding winds easily blasted through the outer area as the standby teams were feeling the effects.

"HEEEEYYYY!" Whip screamed while coming down from the sky. Joe peeked his eyes up moments after he threw the tornado and caught two brown boots aimed straight for his skull.

Joe tasted dirt once more. He could feel her mass standing on top of his body but not in the way he hoped. After no longer than a second, the weight was lifted from his body and heard her land a few meters away.

Whip breathed hard. She'd come so close to defeat and yet here she was standing on her feet while the other was a creamed pile of rubble. Stay down! For the love of God stay down!

Joe didn't move. The match was over.

Whip sighed. That was too much for her to handle. She was a heavily trained assassin, she never fought against someone who just wouldn't die. She looked up and saw something that wasn't supposed to happen. He was moving again.

That guy… What is with him?!

"Well… Look at me…" Joe hissed while getting up. "Our hero… Is totally looking… Not cool."

Joe stood up and shook the excess dirt off of his body. Even that hurt. His heavy arms rose from his sides and he fell once again into his kickboxing stance.

"Orah…"

*TIME OVER*

The fight was officially over. No matter how bad Joe wanted it he was done; so says the King of Fighters rule book.

"How will I ever… Live this down?" Joe smiled, "Beaten by a girl… And a cute one to boot."

Joe collapsed. He was finally done. For today perhaps. Terry and Blue Mary ran up and picked his body up and took it to where they left Andy. He was actually looking a lot better that before. Other than the external damage, Andy moved and felt as if he were a fresh competitor.

"Terry! Do you want me to take care of him too?" Mary asked

"No." Terry calmly stated.

"NO?!"

"Shhh…" Terry replied. "I'm going to need you for this one." Terry began to whisper in Mary's ear. She was coy at first but then it started to unravel. Terry had an excellent strategy and they were going to go with it.

After a brief consolation, Terry jumped into the fighter's square.

"Hey! Come on Come on!"

The fight had already started and Whip was a little less than ready. She was going up against the Legendary Wolf and he was always the hardest to read during a fight. She was going to have to keep on her toes.

"Power wave!"

Her strategy was well thought out. She immediately jumped high to avoid the ground blast and prepared herself for the next.

"Burn Knuckle!"

Whip leaped forward again only this time completely cleared the necessary distance and landed where Terry once stood. As she turned to face her opponent, a sharp sound came from Terry's lips with two fingers shot inside.

A whistle? But – huh?!

Another weight collided with Whip's body and she came crashing into the ground. It wasn't enough to knock the wind out of her but she was still trapped. Her arm was caught in something and it wasn't friendly.

*SNAP!*

"AHHHHH!" She was in horrendous pain. Her hand was tingling like a thousand stabbing needles and she just wanted to tear it out and through it into an abyss.

Whip smacked the intruder with her good free hand and rolled onto a safe location. She'd fallen into the Terry's trap and she couldn't have been more vulnerable. The Legendary Wolf was more cunning that she thought.

She stood on her feet and prepared to attack. "AHHH!" She cried. The snap she heard was her wrist and it couldn't have been at the worst time. She was completely useless now. Her fight was over.

"That's enough!" Leona called out. She walked up and brought Whip back to her corner. That was the signal of a forfeit. Whip was in no condition to fight now or for the rest of the tournament perhaps. There was no point sacrificing a body that can't fight. It was time to throw in their last fighter.

"Anta, senaka ga susuketeruze…" Clark taunted. He pushed his glasses tight to his face and set himself ready to fight. A smile cracked on Terry's face as he was already hyped up and all of the good juices were flowing. The final round was underway.

"Come on! Get serious!" Terry replied. Clark was one always to be cool and under control during a fight but that didn't make him strong. It just made him quite in Terry's eyes.

Terry ran up like a raging bull. His speed was uncanny at this point. Since he barely sustained any damage during the last brawl, he was fresh. Clark's main strength was to attack close and often. Terry always loved a challenge and so he headed straight into the lion's den.

Foolish… You're –

"POWER CHARGE!"

"ARGH!" Clark shouted while taking a chest full of shoulder. His feet picked up from off the ground as his body flew into the opposing corner. Clark was going to have to do a lot better to even last another minute with last year's King of Fighters champion.

Terry stopped in his tracks. He saw where Clark had landed and was rather pleased. The easiest way to throw off an up close fighter was to surprise him and attack him at his strongest offensive point. No mater how many other King of Fighters tournaments he's been in, Clark will never learn the weaknesses of his style without some tough love.

Hmph… And I really wanted a work – "OWWWW!" Cried Terry. A sharp pain crashed into his back. He'd been too focused on his opponent to realize that there were really two adversaries in this bout. The fighter and the striker.

Leona! He shouted while tumbling forward. Terry rolled a few feet before he stopped himself and left a dusty trail behind him. Looking up, Terry saw that he had been hit with Leona's drop kick. He knew she was strong but taking the full force of one of her kicks was unimaginable. His back wanted to explode but the skin never cracked. She was definitely an expert assassin.

"I guess I forgot to check my… Assets against me," Terry joked. "I think we'd ha – AH!" Clark's muscular arms wrapped around Terry's body and he squeezed tight. He wasn't going to let up because Terry wasn't paying attention to him. In fact, the sooner he got rid of Terry; the better.

Terry squeezed breaths between his clenched teeth. Clark was a lot stronger than he thought but that was the only thing going for him now. He was too careless. He thought by holding your opponent like this would generally deplete his stamina but experienced fighters knew better. Big guys like him always left the most vulnerable spots on their body open.

*CRACK*

Terry jammed his heel into Clark's kneecap and he screamed like he never did before; right into Terry's ear. Clark released his grip of Terry to tend to his growing pain but he wasn't going to get off that easy. Terry grabbed Clark's wailing arm and hip-tossed him into a pile of construction debris. If Clark thought the previous blow was painful, he was in a world of hurt now.

Terry's breathing returned to normal. Clark wouldn't be able to fully recover from an attack like that but Terry knew better. One last blow would be all that it would take to end the fight and put the victory in his corner.

He began to focus his ki. His right arm was feeling strong and that's exactly what he needed to finish off Clark.

*SMASH*

Huh?! Terry shot in his mind. Clark made a mad dash from under the rubble and lunged for Terry. If he'd been a second sooner, he might have had a chance.

"POWER GEYSER!"

"OKAYYYYYYYY!" Terry screamed while tossing his hat into the air. Fans in the South Town arena cheered. The fight was long and strenuous for the fighters but the viewers enjoyed every minute of it. King of Fighters had jumped off to a tremendous start.

The camera panned on Terry. After a few moments of waves and smiles, he picked up his hat and walked towards the camera.

"Now you know my strength…" Terry stated. "Next time prepare yourself." His smile carried throughout the multiple screens in the arena. South Town's hero had made his city proud.

"Terry!" Andy shouted. Terry turned his view from the cameras.

"Yea Andy?"

"Let's hurry to the other construction site…"

"But why?" Joe said coming from the background. He was, like Andy, looking a lot better. His tone was also coming back to its classic Joe sound.

Terry looked at his brother and nodded. They both began to walk out of the fighting square looking to leave Mary and Joe behind.

"Other construction site…" Joe sighed. "Why do we have to go there?"

Mary pondered through the possibilities but it didn't take long for her to come up with a conclusion. "The Female Fighters Team is currently battling there…"

"All right Andy!" Joe cheered. "It's about time he started chasing some tail!"

"Joe… Did you forget?"

"Forget what…?"

"ANDDDDYYYYYYY!" Mai cried. Her body crashed onto the ground and made a sickening thud. Burn marks scar her body on various locations but none of them look too bad. Her body was in bad shape and she knew she wasn't going to finish this fight.

"MAI!" Andy shouted while running up. He brushed passed the fallen members of the Female Fighters team and held the fallen Shiranui in his arms.

"Mai… Are you… Are you ok?"

Mai opened her eyes. She saw exactly who she wanted to see and smile. Her face had been scratched but that didn't take away from her natural beauty. "A – Andy… I… I…"

"Shh… Don't speak Mai," Andy replied while placing his hand over her mouth. Her eyes retreated to the back of her head and she collapsed into unconciousness. Andy was pissed.

"Bastard! Who did this?!" He was furious and he had a right to be. Whoever did this went too far. They beat her up because they wanted to. She didn't deserve this kind of treatment.

"If you don't know how you win, buzz off!" Yelled Mai's victor. Andy looked over and saw the smug face of K' as he put his sunglasses on and played off the whole encounter like it meant nothing to him.

Andy's anger cringed to the center of his face. His eyebrows twitched as well as his nose. That bastard! "ZANEI – !"

"HOLD IT!" Terry's arm grabbed onto Andy's shoulder before he even got a chance to strike at K'. "Calm down Andy. This is not the time."

Andy didn't have a response. There were no words to fully distress his emotions.

"You better listen to your brother…" K' responded while putting out the flame in his hand. "He just saved your life."

"You…!" Andy yelled but was immediately pulled back by his brother. Terry moved forward to confront the loud mouth who kept pushing his brother's temper. Terry looked into K''s eyes and didn't dare blink.

"Make a move Bogard."

"I thought you had enough last year…"

K's smirk dropped to a heinous snarl. He didn't like hearing about the past and especially after his defeat to Terry in the sewers. He wanted to blow Terry up in a rage of flames but he had more control than that. He simple put his hand in his pocket and walked off.

Before he got out of hearing distance, K' turned his head and looked Terry straight in the eye. "Be there tomorrow Bogard. You're gonna wish I was as lenient as last year!" And with that, the Hero team was out of sight.

Terry remained still. They were going to be a tough team to face but Terry had confidence on his side. Looking back at his team's last performance, they were going to need a whole lot of it.

"WHAT?!" Ryo shouted.

"That is right… You are the striker Ryo," Takuma responded. He'd never seen his soon this upset over a decision like this but it was for his best interest.

"Forget it! I'm going to fight!"

"Look at yourself Ryo!" Takuma snapped back, "You can't even control your own emotions… How will you ever control your body in a fight?!"

Ryo didn't respond. He just turned away from his father and let the floor take the rest of his angered expression. He knew his dad was right, he knew he was way out of focus but he just couldn't bring himself to admit it.

"King!" Takuma called.

"Yes sir!" She responded snapping out of her daze. She knew she'd been staring at Ryo too long but she just couldn't help it. He wasn't himself recently.

"You're going first."

King nodded. Physically she was ripped and raring to go but her mentality wasn't in the right place. Her concern was faced over the past events of the week and the woman in her wanted to sit down and work out the problems but the fighter in her said screw then, fight now!

"Right!" King jumped into the fighting square. The South Town aquarium might not have been the best choice for a battle but it did provide nice scenery for the fans in the arena.

Her opponent, the short and very deadly Choi Bounge. He was known for the claws on his hands but his real strength was his size. Large opponents didn't stand a chance. By the time their fist was thrown, Choi was on the opposite side slashing at their back. His speed training is thanks to Kim. It was more of a forced training exercise than anything else but his skills did show the clarity in Kim's teachings.

Choi entered the fighting square spinning like a dancer. He always liked to show off just a little bit before the fight so he could entertain the fans just before he cut into his opponent like a child tearing through presents at Christmas.

King looked at Choi and stated, "Come on baby…" Afterwards, she put up her fighting stance as round one was about to commence.

Choi didn't give an inch. He jumped right for king hacking and slashing with all of the power his arms had. King never had to put up a defensive like the one she had to now. She'd seen Kasumi take on Choi before but her style was to absorb and attack and use that energy against them in her own attack. Kick boxing wasn't that patient.

"Trap Shot!" King shouted while flipping backwards. Choi was wise to her game and it only took little effort on his part to step back and then start again.

King was getting frustrated. She was used to blocking attacks and now she could take even the strongest of punches but everyone knew it wasn't wise to try to block ten stabbing knives. There was no way she was going to get anywhere on the defensive, she had to take advantage of the situation. Choi had already taken that path and more.

"AH!" She screamed as three of Choi's blade's caught King's arm and ripped the fine suit. There was no time to check on the wound, she was going to have to back him off.

"Trap Shot!"

Choi took a step back with his eyes closed. This was getting too easy for him. He cracked a smile for the camera just before a white and purple shoe cracked him in the nose.

"KIYAAHH!" He shouted while rolling backwards. He didn't expect that. When he finally stopped, King looked over at him smiling and he realized what had happened. Instead of going for an attack, she just yelled it out and he got so confident in his prior knowledge that he failed to realize opposing strategies.

King was glad to get a second or two to herself. She checked out her arms that Choi scratched and was completely shocked. The initial attack hurt but on her arm there wasn't anything but a scratch. There was no trace of blood anywhere. She even poked at it and couldn't feel anything that could be considered pain.

Wow… She thought to herself. She made a mental note to thank Takuma for the intense training.

Don't forget Ryo and the healing solution!

Oh yea… She remembered. Tha –

Watch out!

"AHHHH!"

Choi's foot found its way to King's jaw as he back-flipped forward. King was brought back but only a few feet. Choi's kicks were tough but not that tough.

King put her stance up immediately but Choi hadn't landed yet. That was his strategy. His claws came down waiting to rip up King's face like the deranged prisoner he once was.

The aquarium tile was sliced open. Ceramic bits flew into the air and Choi's claws are now sunk into the ground. He tried furiously to pull them out but his strike was a lot stronger than he initially thought. King saw the opportunity and went for it.

"TORNADO KICK!"

Choi was shot backwards. His body smacked a hard aquarium wall and any insight onto how tough those walls had to be to support all of that water was now answered.

King stood strong. She got a very powerful kick in and it would only take another one of those to knock him out of the fight. Short guys like him always lacked stamina. She was in plenty of bar fights to prove that theory.

"Venom Strike!"

King's blue ki strike headed right towards Choi. His head snapped up and his body answered the emergency call. The ki blast smacked the aquarium wall but didn't do much damage. The wall was a lot stronger than she thought.

Choi flew towards King like a missile, both claws forward and spinning like a torpedo blade. King swayed to the left and just barely missed being a skewer for a Korean barbeque.

Huh?! She cursed. Choi kept on flying onto another wall without remorse.

*SMASH*

The ground King stood on shook with a furious temperament. Directly behind her Jhun struck her with an earthquake kick. Choi bounced off of the wall and came at her again with the same attack. Jhun had done his part making him an excellent striker and now it was Choi's turn to finish the job.

"AAAAHHHH!" King cried. She felt her chest explode into tiny little pieces but her body wasn't the one that got torn to shreds. Bits of her jacket and shirt danced in front of her, just like they did years ago. She fell to the ground and wrapped her arms over her exposed chest. There was no exact nudity but it was still embarrassing enough to make her want to cry. Not only that, but everyone in South Town arena could now see the great fighter reduced to a crying weak woman.

"HAOU!"

What the?! Choi thought after recovering from his attack.

"SHOUKOUKEN!"

"Hey man! What gives!" An angry fan shouted.

"YEA! It was just getting good!" Another responded. The fans were complaining about the fact that one of the cameras suddenly turned to snow. The fight had stopped in the arena but the real action was in the aquarium.

"Where the hell is the backup camera?!" One of the coordinators snapped. He pulled on the shirt of his assistant as he tried to explain the situation as organized as he could.

"He's – He's setting up… Right now sir!"

"Then what happened to the first one?!" The coordinator shot while throwing off his assistant's shirt.

The assistant coughed a bit from the relief of the situation and spoke, "Sir, he reported that he… He… Got a little too involved in the action. Sir."

"What?!"

"Yes sir!" The assistant defended. "He said his camera stopped functioning moments before the interruption… Then…"

"Then… WHAT?!"

"The… The camera was… Smashed into pieces."

King was pulled to the Art of Fighting corner. Her breathing had been growing heavier by the second. Choi was standing one minute and then the next he was gone. He had to be pulled off of the aquarium wall after the impression he made. If the walls were that tough, she hated to be Choi right now. Then again, it wasn't so great being herself.

"King…? King!" Ryo shouted. She almost seemed catatonic. Ryo pulled his face towards her and yelled again. "KING!"

Huh? She shook her head. "R – Ryo…" She said, then the reality of the situation finally hit her and she closed up her chest with both arms, trying to hide her exposed body but she didn't have to try very hard. Ryo's gi took care of that. He draped it on her immediately after Choi went down.

"Wh – What happened?" She asked while standing up. She looked around and saw the camera pointed at the scene. King pulled behind Ryo, shivering.

Ryo smiled. "It's ok… I took care of it," He stated while pointing to the smashed camera debris.

King felt a great weight lifted off of her chest, even though it was still draped in Ryo's gi. The embarrassment was subsided and the even can be forgotten for good.

"Way to go Ryo!" Robert added. "Nice way to knock him out of a fight and into a freaking wall!"

Ryo looked over and saw his friend's standard grin. There was no surprise over there.

"Ryo!"

"Sir!" Ryo said while turning around.

"Round two is about to start. Step back."

"Yes sir," he replied feeling less content than he did a moment ago.

"King," Takuma started.

"Yes sir," she answered.

"You stay out as well. You've done your part. I am pleased with the results."

King's smile diminished to a frown. She hadn't really done anything. Ryo was the one who took him out so she had no idea why she was the one receiving praise. Sure she wanted to go in there again but not dressed like this. Tomorrow was a new day and she was going to have to wait until then. That is… If there is a tomorrow for her and her team.

The heavy hitter of Team Korea, Chang Koehan. He was big, strong, and could take the strongest attacks without even blinking an eye.

His opponent was the famous Takuma Sakazaki. Most fighters who even got to Takuma cringed in fear. He was an expert fighter analyzer and the only living master of Kyokugen karate which is arguably the strongest fighting style in the world today. His age was a downfall to his speed but whatever he lacked, he made up for in strategy and power.

Takuma stepped into the fighting square where Chang awaited. He was preoccupied for the previous moment, sticking his finger up his nose and doing a short treasure hunt but all he found was a little waste. Round two had begun.

"Kououken!" Takuma wasted no time. The only way to fight a slow opponent was hit him at a distance and then work your way inside. If you did it right, the slow opponent's stamina would be greatly depleted and make his offense a lot weaker than it could have been.

Chang took the full blast right in the belly. It hurt, but he didn't even flinch. He's had indigestion that gave him more grief than that attack but no where near as annoying. Chang began to charge at Takuma swinging around his massive iron weight that won him a lot of battles.

Takuma swayed and evaded each strike. Chang was quick but not quick enough. He moved that ball faster than any man Takuma had ever seen but carrying that much weight always slowed you down somehow.

Takuma could feel himself backing up into a wall. He only had a few more steps left before he'd be cornered and Chang was an expert in beating immobile opponents. His size in a corner always spelt trouble. Takuma knew he had to stop this onslaught soon because he'd let Chang wear himself out long enough.

Chang took a big swing and thrusted his black weight forward. Even if Takuma blocked it he'd be sent into the wall. There was no escape now.

"Migitawa!"

Chang's ball bounced off Takuma's arm like rubber.

"SHYA!"

Takuma's fist found its way to Chang's body but not in the gut. He knew Chang could take a few blows in the midsection before feeling the effects so he went for the money hit. A direct blow in the sternum could knock the wind out of any opponent and send them to the ground.

Mission accomplished. Chang reeled backwards like a lost little boy. He had no idea where he was or what he was doing. The only thing that rang in his mind was pain!

"Hein Shippu Kyaku!" Takuma kept coming after Chang. One thing he learned was never let your opponent catch their breath while they were standing. They had plenty of time to do that on the ground.

Chang's body got a new definition of anguish as both kicks landed on his bearded chin and sent his body crashing on the hard ceramic floor.

"Kagatekuna…" Takuma taunted while raising both arms up and down. If someone wanted to parade around acting all big and bad, they better have something to back that up or else they shouldn't even step into the ring.

Chang lifted his heavy body from the cold tile floor. He was in pain and his stagger didn't tell any lies. Chang could barely keep his head up and he hadn't even laid a finger on his opponent. The only thing he could to do stop the suffrage of pain was to wait out the rest of the fight and make sure that Takuma has no way in finishing it.

Chang swung his iron ball into the air as fast as he could. The revolutions held a marvelous velocity that was even affecting the other fighters. Chang knew that an old man like him couldn't break through this defense.

Takuma analyzed the situation. After timing the movements of the ball he only had one option left. He was going to have to move in fast and time it just right. Takuma smiled and dashed forward.

Dummy – ARGH! Chang shouted to himself. Takuma latched his body to his head and threw an onslaught of knees straight to Chang's head. Chang saw his vision get blurry and just before it was lights out; he felt one last kick straight in his jaw.

Chang collapsed on the ground. His fight was finished. Kim and Jhun grabbed his heavy mass and pulled him to their corner. After the brief weight training exercise, Kim stepped into the ring and prepared himself for the fight. He was bound to prove that Tae Kwon Do was more than just a sport.

Kim lurched forward and began his onslaught of kicks. Takuma wasn't near Kim's level of speed so he was forced to block rather than dodge. Takuma's muscular arms took a lot of punishment but the real pain were those few kicks that landed in his midsection and ribs.

Kim threw his leg up and was prepared to smash it down. If he were a more experienced fighter, he would know never let a master get a second to breathe.

Takuma grabbed Kim by the gi and slammed him into the ground. Kim's body bounced a couple of times on the hard tile before he stopped and sprung to his feet. That's what I get for fighting a master.

"Kououken!"

Takuma's ki blast traveled straight for Kim but was luckily avoided. Tae Kwon Do didn't have any projectile attacks so all he could do was block or avoid.

That didn't stop Kim from rushing forward. Takuma saw the quickness in the young fighter and did the same. Kim's only chance was to try and out think a master.

"Hijahhh!" Kim cries as he slid on the ground. He was thinking smart for a change. Takuma had gone high and Kim went low. Takuma's body flew in the air but came crashing down after Kim gave him a heel strike right in the bread basket.

It was Takuma's turn to face the cold tile floor. He smacked it pretty hard and it slightly knocked the wind out of him but that wasn't enough to stop the master of Kyokugen Karate. Takuma rolled up and bounced right back on his feet. The fight was just beginning.

Kim leaped into the air and came down with deadly strikes. Every one connected on Takuma's forearms but never landed in the money zone. Takuma struck at Kim's chest with a heavy fierce punch but Kim's hands were as quick as his feet as he caught Takuma's arm and thrusted a front kick of his one.

That sent Takuma back a few steps. The only time Takuma had trouble in the ring was when he was dealing with speedsters. He easily overpowered the powerful and the average fell to his might at almost the same ratio. It was a little difficult dealing with someone who was both quick and strong.

Kim leaped forward with one knee into the air. It was time for his Hou ou kyaku.

*CRACK*

Apparently Takuma was a fine actor. Kim ran straight into a clothesline. His head ricocheted off of the mat with a sickening thud and his body was nearly motionless.

Takuma threw his fist down at Kim but stopped inches from his face. Kim had suffered more than enough after the hit on the hard tile floor. There was no way he was going to be able to continue.

The judges concurred. The winners of the fighter were the Art of Fighting Team.

The fans in the South Town arena exploded. Two of their hometown heroes had made it through the first round and that was a sign of good luck. South Town finally has something to celebrate.

The camera shot a close up on the winner of the fight. Takuma looked into the camera, expressing no emotion and said, "Their fight is finished. This shows you that there is no art that can even compare to Kyokugen."

Fans roared after the spiel. Many would flock after today to the Kyokugen dojo to sign up but would be heartbroken to realize that it is closed during the King of Fighters tournament. All in all, this was a good day for South Town.

Back at home, King and Robert stood in the kitchen. Robert had a nice cold glass of scotch in his hands, priding himself for a job well done even though he really didn't do a thing to earn their victory. But in his mind, so long as he was there, he participated.

King had just put away a fresh batch of mochi. Ryo had been overworked, today especially and he needed something to calm him down. They had one fight down and there was only two more to go. Everyone should have been in high spirits but the general mood for the house was pretty dim.

"FINE!" Ryo shouted slamming open the door to the dojo and smashing it closed. He walked straight past Robert and King without even a word or a glance and entered the garage, slamming the door as he fell from vision.

King looked over with a worried expression. This scene wasn't a good sign.

Ryo began to crank random bolts on his motorcycle. He always made sure to do anything major on a clear head but only take out his aggression on random tune ups.

The door opened. Ryo wanted to look up and see who it was but that thought got diminished as he continued to focus on his motorcycle.

"Ryo…"

King he thought. Why now?!

"Yea," he replied sounding not so happy to see her.

"Is… Is there anything wrong?" She calmly asked.

"No, everything is perfect. Life is grand…" Ryo replied making sure to sound sarcastic. "Is that all?"

King's worry turned to anger. If he was mad fine but to say something like that to her unprovoked just wasn't right. She didn't like the way Ryo was acting and was damn sure to tell him about it.

"What's the matter with you Ryo?!"

What? He said stopping his tune up. "What was that?"

"Why are acting like such a jerk?"

I'm surprised you didn't hear the conversation in the dojo Ryo thought. Conversation, more like lecture!

"That's none of your business!" Ryo snapped. "Go bother Robert if you want to talk. I'm busy!"

Busy?! That jerk! "What?! Ryo!"

Ryo didn't answer. He went straight back to working on his bike. If the conversation continued, he knows that he's going to say something he'll regret later.

King stood back. She was furious. She was livid. She almost reached all aspects of the anger emotions but before she wanted to go forward and give Ryo a verbal lashing she caught a glimpse of his eyes.

They were shaking. The windows to his soul were vibrating like an earthquake.

Ryo… King thought. She wanted to reach out to him. Outside, he was quite and angry, inside, he was feeling like garbage.

King didn't say another word. She walked forward and placed a plate of mochi right next to Ryo without even looking at him. Then, she walked out without even giving him a second glance.

The door shut with a silent thud. Ryo stopped working on his bike. Directly to his right was the plate that King left. He sighed.

"I'm sorry King…" He whispered. "I guess I'm not strong enough yet."

(Author Notes: WOAH! Justice! The fic has started the beginning of the end. Round one went off with a bang and round 2 looks to provide even more entertainment. I'm a very sorry for the delay of this chapter and the last one but unfortunately I started my summer job on Monday and it's an 8 to 5 gig. I'm going home this weekend so I'll have plenty of time to relax and punch out another good chapter.

Story Notes:

- Japanese text: I wanted to keep in game speech true in its form so all taunts and round entrances have been preserved. I would like to thank Gunsmith for his translation guide found at .

Well that's it for now. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapters as I did writing it. Keep up the reviews guys. Your reviews are my motivation. Don't be shy, the more I know how you're thinking, the more I can adjust to make the fic as enjoyable as possible. I know this fic isn't as popular as some of the other one's that involve K' and Kyo but I'm going to continue writing because this is where my heart is. Writing about the original SNK characters. Well, see you guys next chapter.)