Chapter 12: The Ultimate End
Terry watched his time slowly flash in front of him. Frame by frame, the one known as Kula charged at him, knife in hand, and aimed right at his heart. She was going for the kill and Terry was paralyzed in shock to do anything but stand there. He was facing death right in the eye and didn't even have a chance to fight for his life. A fighter shouldn't go down like this; it was dishonorable and shameful but there was nothing his body would allow him to do about it.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
*SMASH*
WHAT?! Terry shouted as a black blur raced through his vision. He was caught completely off guard and watched as the moment shifted into real time and all of the questions he had were finally answered.
"YOU!" Shouted the man standing in front of Terry. He was draped completely in a black costume, complete with sunglasses and shimmering grey hair. His hand was covered with a familiar red glove that was firmly clasping Kula's armed hand. The young girl cringed after her arm was captured and a gasp of fear left her lips after she identified who had stopped her attack.
K'?! Terry thought.
"I told you not to interfere!" K' shouted. The flames in his eyes roared with a new passion and an enlightened anger. "NOW YOU'RE MINE!" He shouted while throwing a fist into Kula's stomach. She coughed in defiance and rolled backwards to where her supporting team members were.
K' dashed ahead. He saw the blue suited female take Kula off to the other side of the base and he gave a full chase. Terry finally caught wind of the situation after a few passing moments as he looked K' over. He looked as if he went through hell and back. His black costume had spots of blood all over it including several tears and his face was scuffed with scratches and bruises. He looked almost like he'd been fighting for an eternity.
"What was that all about Terry?" Ryo asked. The winds of the underground base grew stronger as it made standing still a bothersome chore.
"It's a long story…" Terry replied trying to yell over the sound of the wind. Zero was summoning a large amount of energy and it felt very dangerous if he was able to radiate as much power as he was at the moment. Ryo and Terry kept their stances strong as Zero screamed in the distance. His load roar gave the underground base one last shake and then, there was silence.
Terry would have felt a chill run up his spine but at the moment the adrenaline in his system kept him as warm as he needed to be. If Zero was only using half of his strength then, there's no telling what he could do now. He looked over at Ryo and saw a serious vibe coming from his direction. Ryo was cold and calm but Terry could feel the fire building within his body. He felt something emanating from the Kyokugen warrior that he never felt before. Ryo was like a whole new person underneath and it was only a matter of time before he bloomed.
Zero approached the fighters slowly. He was angered to the point of detonation. He'd been bested by nine of the weakest fighters he had ever faced in his life and now, with the Zero Cannon charged to only half of its power, there are only two of them left. Sure it was the strongest two he could have picked but two was still two. It didn't fit as well as nine did. Zero knew it was going to take some serious strength to get enough power for his Zero Cannon and after summoning all of that power, he was going to get it one way or the other.
Zero dashed forward. His strength was shown instantly after that first leap because it seamed like he was soaring on the ground instead of running. Wind was brushed aside as his body traveled at an incredible speed. He readied a punch and aimed at his first target.
Terry saw Zero's fist coming right at his head and he quickly evaded it. Zero threw more strikes at Terry that didn't meet the same fate. Terry blocked three more quick punches and a steady kick and instantly Terry was on the floor. Zero's power was incredible and even after blocking a first wave of attacks.
Ryo saw Terry go down and before he could blink, he was next in line. Zero moved in with an uppercut that barely missed Ryo's jaw. A few more attacks and Ryo ended up mimicking Terry. Zero briefly stopped his quick attack wave and looked down at the two floored fighters.
"Hmph!" Zero scoffed with a decisive grunt. "Pathetic…" Zero leaned his arm down and grabbed Ryo by the gi. His strength was easily able to carry the Kyokugen warrior and he held him there while letting gravity dangle his suspended body.
"You have no idea what I'm fighting for…!" Zero stated. "You are just pawns in the mask of life. You fight and fight and fight until your bodies collapse but it is useless in the end. Death is the only thing that awa – ARRRGGGHHH!" Zero cried feeling a sharp pain in his rib cage. He immediately released Ryo and checked on the source of his pain. Terry Bogard's red shoe landed square in his side and he didn't even see the attack coming.
Zero threw his arm backwards and caught the butt of Terry's chin. Terry rolled backwards after feeling the impact wondering how many more blows he could take like that. Zero turned his attention to the fallen Bogard with thoughts of vengeance after that surprise attack. His focus was instantly deterred by the strange wind that brushed against his back and he turned around to face the distraction.
"ZAN RETSU KEN!"
*SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK*
"KRAAAAAAGH!" Zero screeched after taking in the full extent of Ryo's combo assault. Eleven straight hits on his body and an uppercut to finish it off. Zero's chin was almost fully stretched after the final blow but it wasn't enough to knock him down.
*CRACK*
"KAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Ryo cried after receiving an uppercut to his sternum. Zero followed with a haymaker right to his temple and Ryo went flying backwards.
FOOLS! Zero shouted in his mind. He had allowed himself to be distracted by their flaws and ended up being the recipient of a mediocre assault. The attack hardly dented Zero's new status but the fact that they were able to get that close in a matter of seconds almost scared Zero. He had never faced competitors who were willing to risk their own lives for the sake of others. The way Zero saw it; it was every man for himself. Allies are people you use in order to get what you want and when they were of no use, they would be discarded or destroyed.
"CRACK SHOT!"
What?! Zero thought as he swayed back. That was the flaw of these so called King of Fighters. They always screamed their attacks right before they would hit. It was almost like a phone call to the opponent telling them what's coming.
Terry landed inches within striking Zero but he wasn't done yet. He began to throw a mass of punches and kicks that would deter Zero from any offense. As long as Zero was using his arms and legs for blocking, he couldn't use them for striking.
Zero swayed through the first few attacks and immediately found an opening in Terry's assault. He had spread himself too thin and after memorizing the attack pattern after the forth or fifth punch, Zero moved in to break his offense.
*SMACK*
Terry took a hit right in the dead center of his chest and he was sent backwards. He gasped in response but it was only heard by the empty air. The pain had taken over all of his attention and not even his landing concerned him at that time. The wound he received from K' was proving to be a heavy disadvantage in this fight.
Zero looked over at the fallen Bogard and frowned in anger. This man thought too much of himself to even compete with someone like Zero so why does he even bother trying as hard as he does. It didn't make sense to Zero. Humans had such strange thoughts and beliefs. Eliminating them seemed to be more of healthy choice than a foolish dream. People like Terry Bogard and Ryo Sakazaki are proof that the human existence is driven to pain and failure.
Zero leaped into the air with a substantial amount of dust and debris kicking away upon his departure. He preformed a front flip in the air and was heading straight for Terry's skull. He was going to crush him with one final blow.
"HIEN SHIPUU KYAKU!"
*CRACK*
"DAAAAAAHHHHH!" Zero screamed. His spine took the whole force of Ryo's kick and more and there he was, only feet away from sending Terry to another world. Zero landed a few feet away from Terry's body and hunched after the effects of the kick but his real frustration lead into his own fault of strategy.
He was being used by the two fighters. Terry Bogard, as strong as he was, wasn't foolish enough to try and fight with Zero one on one. So instead of battling with Zero, he distracted him and allowed Ryo to take all the free shots he could get. Zero was completely playing into the hands of two human beings. Humans with flaws of unimaginable proportions. Humans who hated and fought and would kill one another. Humans who had nearly defeated Zero himself. The experience showed in both Terry and Ryo. Their energy would be put to great use.
"Terry!" Ryo called out. His fallen companion picked himself up not looking like the fighting champion he used to be. Terry dusted himself off and shook his head. He knew he wasn't one hundred percent. He was barely fifty but he had to keep pushing himself forward. Nothing was going to stop him from winning this fight.
"I'm… Alright," Terry declared. The words came out rather erratically but Ryo could understand them all.
The reunion of stature was short lived. Their eyes blinked once and instantaneously the felt a great pain grasp on their throats. They were lifted from the ground as the world around them started to turn black.
"You think you can beat me…" Hissed Zero. His tone had the scorn of a man who was seeking revenge. "YOU… ARE… NOTHING!" Zero shouted. His first target was Terry as he through the Lone Wolf onto the ground head first. Terry's head bounced off the rock floor without forgetting to make a sickening thud. He didn't move after that.
Zero's eyes locked on Ryo's. The Unbeatable Dragon was cringing as his eyes were shut but he could feel the anger pouring from Zero's body. Zero moved forward and was ready to slam Ryo's body straight through the underground base wall and make sure to leave his impression. As he took a step forward, he noticed his other foot wouldn't follow.
WHAT?! Zero shouted to himself. He looked over to see what would have caused his slow down and saw that some people never gave up. Terry's arms were locked around Zero's foot and he held on as if his life depended on it.
"R – RYO!" Terry screamed. That was all the indication he needed to realize Terry had given him another golden opportunity. Ryo slammed one of his free hands into Zero's beefy forearm. He knew about all of the pressure points in the arm and made sure to slam the one that would cause a shock to Zero's nerves.
It worked. Zero released Ryo after the impact and he saw that his claw covered hands were quivering. There was no time to waste on examining the initial strike and Ryo followed up with one of his greatest attacks.
"KOHOU!"
Zero looked down at Ryo just as he was rising up. His fist covered most of his vision of the Kyokugen warrior but the interesting thing was located right on top of his physical weapon. His fist almost seemed to form the shape of fangs, the kind found only on mythological creatures. After that, there were only stars in his vision.
Ryo spun up after smacking Zero's jaw and he watched as the black behemoth crashed onto the ground. It had been the first time he had actually fallen in the fight and he knew it would only be a matter of moments before he got up again with a new found anger.
Terry picked himself up. Slowly at first and it looked like it would be that way the entire trip. His body jittered at every moving moment. Terry had taken the better part of the beating this round.
Zero got up and he was furious. He was knocked down. Him! The person who would become the god of the new world and he was taken down by a mere mortal. They would both pay for their rebelliousness. Zero felt a surge of energy rush though his system as he got up and headed straight for both fighters.
Ryo looked over at felt sorry for Terry. He had sacrificed so much so that they both had a chance at fighting Zero. If he took another blow like he did it would certainly be put out of the fight or even worse.
"Terry…" Ryo said. He moved his arm up to block Terry from moving another step forward. "I'll take care of him now. You just worry about – "
"MOVE!" Terry shouted while grabbing Ryo by the gi. He threw him aside and Ryo tumbled over and smacked the rock floor. He had no idea why Terry just did that but soon enough he realized exactly what was going on.
*SLASH*
*SLASH*
*SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH**SLASH*
"AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Terry cried. The last thing he saw was the quick movement of a black blur and then the sight of his blood flying around in the empty air. The world almost stopped after that as Terry smacked the ground, not even feeling gravity's effect on his body.
Ryo saw the passing moment slow down frame by frame. He didn't want it to happen, he asked him not to do anything, and he tried to stop him. He was too late. Zero was still in the air after back flipping his cape and all and was coming down to the ground. Ryo would make sure it he wouldn't have a warm reception.
Ryo snapped up to his feet and bolted towards Zero's direction. He felt a swell of energy lift from his body and flow toward his hand. His muscles tightened as he threw his fist forward just as Zero's feet hit the ground.
"ICHIGEKI HISSATSU!"
*SMACK*
"KIYAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Zero shouted while flying backwards. His body spun with a new intensity and soon enough he reintroduced himself with the wall that he was shot into previously with one of Ryo's other attacks. Zero slummed to the ground with his chest throbbing. His mind was not focused on anything else but the pain.
"TERRY!" Ryo shouted while running towards him. There was blood everywhere. He barely moved and when he did, more blood would escape his body. "Don't move!" Ryo quickly ordered.
Terry didn't like being ordered so naturally he didn't respond. He picked his body up from the ground and rested on his knees. His chest was cut open in two different places and there were several more cuts on his arms and legs. Terry remembered the time he'd taken a beating like this but unfortunately for him, Mary wasn't around to save his hide again.
"Just… Let me… Catch my breath…" Terry asked while taking in a few short bursts of oxygen. He dropped his heavy jacket from his arms and took his now blood stained shirt off. With what remaining strength he had left, he tore the stainless pieces off his shirt and tied it around his body. After one tight squeeze, followed by a cringe, Terry felt good about his situation.
"Helluva… Punch," Terry coughed.
Ryo smiled in response to that. "Wasn't much on that though…"
Terry raised his eyebrow.
"The punch is more effective if you're standing still. I only had a clear shot if I ran up to him."
Terry started to laugh. Slow at first but it gradually came to a hearty chuckle. "That's two… How many… Of those… Do you got left?"
Ryo's smile shortly went into a look of no emotion. He didn't know if Terry was joking or serious. Zero may or may not get up after that last hit and if he did, there wouldn't be much Ryo could do without Terry's help.
Shit! Ryo cursed to himself. He'd been relying on Terry the entire time during the fight and now without him, Ryo didn't have a clue on how to beat him. So much for his experience. How does it help him now?
The ground began to shake.
HUH?! Ryo yelled. He looked over to where Zero was laying and saw that the monster was not down any longer. Zero used his fists as propulsion to get up but left two nice looking craters where his hands had struck. He didn't move after that. Something told Ryo that the monster who had mocked the human race was now paralyzed with rage.
Ryo stepped forward from where Terry was sitting; several steps in fact. He didn't want a repeat of what happened last time.
Zero kept his body still. He was still reeling after the effects of the punch. He would have cursed Ryo's name and sought for vengeance but the thought of the energy absorbed by his suit to the Zero cannon and a smile almost formed on his lips. Zero knew he would need time to recover. He thanked himself that he had a trump card right up his sleeve just in case this situation brought itself forward.
*SNAP*
Zero snapped his fingers and the echo carried all the way through the underground base. From the hidden corridor, next to Zero's stale body, a door opened. Ryo raised both of his blonde eyebrows after watching the people who stepped in right next to Zero.
One was a very petite, sexy looking red haired woman. She was short but the large muscles on her biceps and forearms told another story. The only weird thing about her was that she was wearing a regular dress shirt and a tie. Very peculiar for a fighter. Then Ryo noticed, standing right next to her, the reason why it seemed so weird. No, so similar.
Ryo instantly identified the man to be Seth, an opponent he faced during the second round of the tournament. Why he was here was a definite shock to Ryo but the more he thought about it, the more things started to make sense.
Ryo remembered Seth's face after the fight had ended. Seth didn't even bother to come into the fight as a striker. He just stood there and watched his last fighter get decimated by Ryo's Haou Shoukouken. Something didn't sit right with Ryo after that fight but now it was becoming clear. All of Zero's words that were spoken before today's fight even began were starting to become true. Seth allowed Ryo and his team to win the fight. They were allowed to advance forward because Seth was ordered to, most likely from Zero. Ryo and his teammates played into Zero's hands like pudding and it only started a new flame of hatred to grow.
Light began to swarm around Ryo. Not just any light, the energy he radiated from his body grew out, taking a physical form and shined on the Kyokugen warrior. A new feeling caressed Ryo's body. He didn't want to fight just to beat anyone. He wanted to fight to defend everyone. All of his friends, family, and especially his cherished loved one would all depend on him before, now, and even later. He wasn't about to allow anyone, ANYONE, to mess with the life he tried so hard to build. A life he nearly lost only hours ago.
"Ryo… Don't!" Yuri pleaded. Ryo was being more stubborn than he ever was.
"It's… It's ok Yuri… I'll be… I'll be…"
"You'll be dead if you don't lay down!" She cried. Tears swelled her vision as the sight of her brother's pain and the thought of his intended plan were just too much for her emotions to handle.
Ryo laid back keeping his eyes wide open. "Do you… Do you remember…? What father said?"
"What?" Yuri replied. She had barely heard Ryo but finally her brain was putting the pieces together on his question and she formulated the best answer she could think of. "Oh… What words are you talking about Ryo?"
"He said… He said he was going… He was going to forfeit."
"Oh… That. Yea, there's nothing we can do about that now."
"No!" Ryo shouted. The sudden burst of energy coming from his system was a shock to Yuri as she tried to calm herself down and get a grasp on the situation.
"I… I won't let father… I won't let him quit because of me!" Ryo shouted. He picked himself up from the futon he was resting in and began to limp his body towards the door. Yuri wanted to stop him but she was afraid if she even touched him, he would hit to floor and end up a lot worse than he already was.
Ryo made it to the staircase. His gi was probably upstairs and he wasn't about to let a simple flight of stairs get in his way. Yuri ran after Ryo hoping to help him in any way possible, that is, before a green flash in the backyard caught her eye.
"What the?" She thought while directing her vision towards the garden outside. Standing there was a man wearing a very unusual looking costume. It was black leather straps with a bit of yellow on the belt and shoes. Yuri gasped as she realized that man that put Ryo in the condition he was in was standing on their property.
Lin opened the glass sliding door of the Sakazaki house and let himself in. Yuri backed away but then the thought of Ryo unguarded flashed in her mind and she immediately stood in front of him with her arms extended.
"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER YOU MONSTER!" She cried. Lin did not answer. He proceeded forward but in a peculiar manner. He raised his hands as if he were giving himself up and slowly approached Yuri.
"I do not mean you any harm," Lin stated under his mask. That gesture put Yuri at ease just a little bit and she put her guard down temporarily.
"W – Wh – What do you want?!" Yuri replied trying to intimidate her unexpected visitor. It didn't work but it was worth the effort.
"I wanted to see how your brother was doing… That is all."
"That's all?" Yuri asked. Lin couldn't hide any expression on his face since he really had none.
"No."
"NO?!" Yuri snapped. "You said that was all! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" She ordered while putting up her Kyokugen stance. Strong or not, with rage on her side, Yuri was determined to come out the victor.
Lin had no intention of fighting. Now or later. He put his arms up again only this time taking out a small vial from his pocket and holding it in the air. Yuri noticed the green vial as it contrasted to his red hand and her curiosity arose.
"What… What is that?"
"If you will allow me… I would like to pay you back for all of the trouble I may have caused you."
Yuri had no idea what he was talking about but if this guy was the one who put Ryo in his condition, he might be the only one to bring him back to his normal self. Lin placed the vial he carried on a nearby table. Yuri was busy getting Ryo back to his resting place which wasn't that hard. He pretty much passed out while standing for so long. After watching him rest at ease, Yuri walked over to see what Lin was up to.
Lin was hard at work. He opened up the green vial and it immediately a vile smell entered the room. Yuri thought thirty years of dead rats were stinking up the joint. Something very important was sitting in that tiny bottle, maybe the only thing that would save Ryo but it wasn't winning any awards for scent.
"Why… Why are you doing this?" Yuri asked as Lin began to work. He poured the contents of the vial into a small dish. It was green just like the color of the vial.
"I was looking for someone. Another man going by the name of Seth knew of his whereabouts. The only way I would get that information is if I competed in the King of Fighters tournament."
Yuri listened with her ears burning. This was like one of those stories from the Chinese ninja books she loved to read.
"So… What happens now? Were you supposed to win the tournament?"
Lin continued to mix the green solution with another liquid he had brought. "All I was told that I would find the information I was looking for if I competed in the tournament."
Yuri sighed after realizing the truth of the situation. "I'm… I'm sorry."
"Hmph?" Lin asked not really paying attention to what was going on. He could have sworn this young child was feeling sorry for him.
"If Ryo had lost… You would have found that person you were looking for."
Lin turned his attention towards Yuri. He brutalized her brother, nearly killed him, and she was taking pity on his situation. No matter what kind of monster he was or still is, that didn't matter to her. This was the epitome of human beings. Lin felt a soft spot growing in his heart for this woman.
"Do not concern yourself with my situation…" Lin asked while doing one final stir of the newly created solution. "There is only one thing I have to do now."
Lin walked over to Ryo, dish in hand and placed it by his lips. He looked over at Yuri almost mentally ordering her to come lift his head up. Lin would have done it himself but he knew it would be a lot better on her conscience if he touched Ryo as little as possible.
The solution began to pour into Ryo's mouth and as if he were actually awake and functioning, he swallowed whole in a single gulp. He lay there still for another few minutes looking more serene every passing moment.
"He will be at full strength in another few minutes," Lin responded. He began to walk out the door from where he entered before hearing the cry of the other person in the room.
"Wait!" Yuri cried. She ran up to him and blocked his exit to the backyard. "Thank you," she said while bowing. Lin couldn't believe it. First the compassion, now the gratitude. He had never experienced such kindness like this in his entire life. Lin cracked a half smile under his mask.
"A strong man is needed in the hours to come. Ryo is the only one left who can stand up to the evil that awaits you."
"Evil? What are you talking about?!" Yuri pleaded. She blinked her eyes once and the man standing before her had disappeared as if he were never there. Yuri felt a little sad after his departure but her sad emotions were quickly subsided by the sight before her. Ryo was standing and moving like he was reborn. She ran over to him and give him a great big hug. Things were starting to look up for the Sakazakis.
The light swarming around Ryo began to take a new shape. It started forming patterns and it ducked and dived around all of Ryo's curves. There was a bulbously part of the light that seemed to form a head like design and soon, the pattern was mapped out to the other spectators. Ryo, the unbeatable dragon, was now showing off the power of his name.
Zero felt the strength glowing from Ryo. It didn't matter though. There was no way a single person could take him out at Ryo's current fighting level. Plus, he had to go through two more fighters. Ryo was finished and the fight with Seth and Vanessa should fill enough power for the Zero Cannon to be fully charged. The plan was falling into place.
Zero threw his hands forward waving at his slaves to go at the sole standing warrior. Glowing or not, he would be put down soon enough.
*SNAP*
*SNAP*
"WHAT THE?!" Zero snarled. His arms were tangled by the two people he set out to fight Ryo. "WHAT IS THIS INSOLENCE?!"
"We're not your pawns anymore Zero!" Seth shouted.
"Yea!" Vanessa replied. "We've given up on your plan!"
Ryo's eyebrows shot up. Seth and Vanessa had opened a window for him. He was standing there with his body completely vulnerable to attack. There was no mercy that was going to be shown on this man. It was time for the Kyokugen Karate Secret Technique.
The light glowing around him flustered around his body. He focused it at a single point and went ahead. It was now or never.
"KYOUKUGEN – RYUU OUGI!"
Zero winced once. It was the only time he actually felt the shadow of fear creep up on him like that. There was no running now. He was going for a ride.
*SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK**SMACK*
"ORA – ORA – ORA – ORA – ORAHHHHH!" Ryo cried while striking. His movements were uncanny with anyone Zero had ever faced before. Ryo was like a machine. Punch after punch, kick after kick. Zero was being toyed with. He didn't even have the strength to set up a defense let alone take the punishment. Zero was on the brink of defeat.
"MORATTAAAAAA!" Screamed Ryo while thrusting his fist upward onto Zero's unprotected chin. Ryo spun into the air as he lifted off of the ground and Zero went along with him. He felt the fire within him grow as his body struck Zero inch after inch. Ryo's attack was stronger than he ever felt before; stronger than he ever imagined.
Zero flew high into the air almost as if he were to shoot straight up into the surface. Moments later, his body crashed onto the ground with a hard thud. His figure was imprinted on the hard rock floor.
Ryo breathed heavily. His last attack took pretty much everything he had and he was exhausted. Even standing up became a stamina testing chore. No. There were other things he had to focus his attention on. Ryo turned around very slowly so that he could save what remaining strength he had left.
Seth and Vanessa were a few meters away. Ryo traveled a great distance in his Kyokugen onslaught. They were just standing there, not moving an inch, taking only small breaths. Ryo had no idea what they had in mind but he did owe them something for their help. Either way, he tightened his fist. Even after their last act, he had no idea what their true intentions were.
*CRASH*
WHAT?! Ryo thought to himself as the once standing wall next to him exploded into nothing but bits of rock and cement. Dust kicked into the air preventing vision from the scene but Ryo definitely heard a thud at his feet after the initial explosion. Ryo looked over to the source of the detonation and saw something he thought he would never see again.
Standing in the midst of the destruction was K' battered and all. His body was torn to veritable shreds, cuts and gashes were found on almost every curve, and his right hand was still set ablaze. He took a step forward, Ryo could easily tell he was finished. Every movement was followed by a cringe or a jitter. K' could barely walk let alone throw another punch.
Ryo didn't know what to do, that is, until the dust beneath him began to clear. Laid out at his feet, the girl in the purple jumpsuit known as Kula was knocked out. Her hair looked different. It wasn't the cool ice color it once was but it was more like a strawberry blonde.
Ryo was puzzled. He had no idea what to do. There was the mess next to him and the mess in front of him. K' continued to proceed forward as sloppy as he looked. He extended his flame lit had at his enemy chanting something under his scattered breath. Ryo couldn't make it out but as K' took another step, he tripped over a piece of fallen debris and was heading straight for the ground.
The weight of K' fell over Ryo's shoulder. He didn't mind though. Ryo still had enough in him to do one good deed. Even if K' was a weird one, he still helped out Terry in the beginning of the fight. That's what counted in Ryo's book.
Ryo looked over to where Kula was laying. Her body vanished. There wasn't even a trace of her body ever being there. It didn't bother Ryo though. That meant that she escaped and was probably no where near them anymore. Ryo headed in Terry's direction to see how he was doing. He didn't have to go far. Terry, bloody and all, was walking straight for him.
"Ter – Terry!" Ryo shouted. He was still kind of shocked he was able to get up as quick as he did. Terry didn't respond. He just kept on moving. If anyone saw him like this, they wouldn't even know who he was. His jacket was wrapped over his shoulder and what remained of his shirt was tied up in various places of his body but most importantly, he didn't have is legendary red and white hat.
"HEY!" Called a voice from within the underground base. Terry's head snapped up and Ryo responded in kind. The voice was frightening at first but upon confirmation they were relieved. Heidren was standing in the doorway around the corner from Zero's knocked out position. "There's an exit over here! It will take us to the surface!" He declared. That's all they needed to here to put their bodies in motion.
Ryo and K' were closest to the door so they proceeded in first. The look of the room was a lot different that the one they were previously in. It looked like a war room or more specifically a command center. There were computers everywhere, television screens with their attached security camera at various locations. Heidren stepped aside and pointed them to the elevator. Ryo wondered how Heidren was able to maul through all of those men with guns pointed to his heads and then thought it was best not to ask. Knowing his reputation and strength, it was only a matter of time before he would be free of that predicament.
Terry was approaching next. How good it would feel that it was actually over but, he felt somewhat empty inside. It wasn't actually him that delivered the final blow to Zero. He was sidelined and rather quickly he pointed out to himself for another to step up and take his place. There was nothing he could do about it now, all that there was left was to escape to the surface and regroup with everyone again.
*CRASH*
Huh?! Terry said as a mass of dust cluttered his vision.
"TER – !" Was all that could be heard after the collision. Terry could feel that he was trapped but he wanted to know what caused this. Could it have been Seth and Vanessa? They were still in the base. No. Terry could feel it in his bones. The sleeping giant was awake and as fierce as ever.
Zero's hand was buried in the nearby wall. He used the force of his punch to knock loose the fragile part of the structure and the impact trapped the last fighter. Zero was enraged with a new fury. Terry had caused him to feel pain. Not just any pain. Pain to unimaginable amounts. Zero didn't like being toyed with the way he was. He wanted vengeance and battered or not, Terry was going to have to put up one last fight.
"Y – YOU!" Zero hissed while pointing at Terry. His tone heavily expressed his anger. "YOU… ARE… DEAD!" Zero shouted while dashing in at Terry. He threw a heavy haymaker right at the bandaged Bogard but his fist struck the pile of debris he created. Terry, on the other had, was standing clear on the other side of the fighting square just as they once were. A smile donned on his face and it made Zero that much more frustrated.
"You never seem to give up do you?" Terry joked. He threw on his fighting stance and motioned for Zero to come at him. "HEY! COM'ON COM'ON!" He taunted. Even this late into the fight, in his beat up condition, Terry always remains the same. His adrenaline was rushing back into his blood harder than it ever did in his life. Hidden in his mind, for some reason, he could actually feel that he wanted this to happen. Zero was a formidable opponent being able to stand up to Ryo's ongoing blitz of attacks. Terry wanted to be the one to put him down for the count once and for all. If not for the people of South Town, but just for himself. To prove that he was going to be the strongest fighter in the world and wasn't going to let anyone else stand in his way.
Zero rushed in. There was no denying it now, he wanted a fight just as bad as Terry did. He threw another punch in the exact same fashion he had previously executed. Terry swayed away from the first strike but immediately took one right in the gut. Zero's assault wasn't just limited to a single strike but a succession of two. Terry cringed after the first blow, which was a strong one no doubt about it but he quickly followed with one of his own.
Zero took a shot right in the jaw from Terry's fist. He spit out a wad of saliva into the air as he leaned away from Terry. Zero thrusted his foot backwards and it caught Terry in his right shoulder. The force was enough to knock Terry off balance but he remained on his feet and suddenly the true point of their strategies was revealed.
Terry and Zero went at it, stronger than they ever had before. A new energy filled their bodies after they threw their own volley of punches and kicks. Blocking was thrown straight out of the window. They didn't want to waste their energy defending or countering. They wanted to beat each other down so badly that the opponent couldn't block if they wanted to.
Blow after blow, Terry and Zero were reeling. They had been going at it for a good minute or so and each of them landed at least twenty hits on the other yet neither one had went down. Zero couldn't believe he had found a man who was so stubborn. This guy would risk his own life over a fight. It didn't matter to Terry. He would just keep on fighting until he couldn't move or couldn't breathe, whichever one came first.
Terry took a step back after receiving one of Zero's rib punches. He was reaching his last wind. Zero was also feeling the same. Their breathing echoed within the entire base although no one but them could hear it. Terry prepared himself for one all out attack. Something that would at least knock Zero down because if he was on the ground, he would spend any remaining energy on trying to get back on his feet. Terry reached down deep and found a mass of energy just sitting at the surface. He reached out into the air to absorb any other energy he could find and went ahead.
"BURN KNUCKLEEEE!"
Zero heard Terry approaching with his famous dashing fist attack. There was no way Zero could move out of the way in time so he set up an attack of his own and dashed right in. If Terry was giving his all in this attack, he would surely be finished after one more blow.
*SMACK*
"ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" Zero cried.
"KAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" Terry spat.
Their fists collided right where they were supposed to and in turn, both fighters ended up on the ground. Terry was in great pain and dead exhausted, a terrible combination. Zero, as well, was reeling on the ground from Terry's ki filled fist. He had never felt a single punch put him down the way it did. Zero almost felt as if he dropped a few I.Q. points after that.
Terry, after all of the battling, after all of the punishment distributed, picked himself up. It almost took a full minute before he was able to reach his feet but the point was he was up and Zero was not. He had reached his peak performance level and jumped right over it. Terry was feeling very good about himself.
*SNAP*
WHAT?! Terry thought. He couldn't believe his eyes. Zero's body jumped right up from the brink of defeat in a matter of seconds where as it took Terry a full minute. He moved as if he wasn't hurt at all. Zero had a lot of surprises hidden within his system and Terry was afraid that this last one was going to be the one that puts him out of the fighting business.
Zero almost wanted to laugh at Terry. He had put up a good fight until that last punch. Zero knew Terry exhausted all of his energy on that one final blow so instead of trying to counter it with an equal or greater punch, he threw his fist up and held it tight as Terry dashed it. Upon impact, it gave Terry the illusion that he was punched by Zero and he was blinded by his own pain and fatigue to even see Zero's ruse.
Zero cracked a smile. "Is that all you've got Bogard?" He calmly asked. There was no need to rush anything now. Terry had nothing left.
Terry was in disbelief. This man, this monster he fought kept coming after him no matter how hard Terry fought, it wasn't enough to put Zero down and keep him there. Terry saw Zero approaching him. He had to dig down deep to find that little something extra that would pull him out of this dilemma.
Zero moved slowly. He wanted to intimidate Terry. There was no point in wasting energy on a quick rush off attacks. He could take his time and build up some more stamina as Terry figured out what to do in the few short moments he had left. Maybe he would indulge in a prayer, something the humans would do in a situation like this. Zero would be the god soon and it was too late to plead for mercy.
Terry looked at his right hand. It was bloody, beat up, and tattered but the black glove still stayed in tact. All of the battles, all of the wars, all of the pain Terry felt were because of these hands. These hands that had helped Terry become the man he was today and they weren't going to fail him now. He knew what he had left and there was plenty to take out a hundred Zeros if need be. Terry cocked his fist back, almost like a baseball pitcher would. He felt the energy grow in his fist as he pumped all of his heart in soul into the very thing that would save his life.
"IWOKENNNNN!" Terry shouted. He sped forward in true Burn Knuckle fashion hoping to catch the cocky Zero off guard.
*SMACK*
Terry's worst nightmare came true. Zero had caught Terry's immense punch with just one hand. Worst of all, he smiled while doing it.
"Is this it?" Zero asked as Terry's fist defiantly shook his arm. The punch itself was nothing but slowly he could feel the burn from within. Zero raised an eyebrow as the inevitable came true.
*CRASH*
"DAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Zero cried while pulling his hand back. He immediately took his free hand and grabbed his other wrist as he tried to cut of the nerves from sending any more messages of pain. After the bright smoke cleared, he saw something he would never see. His claw glove, made completely out of human bones and leather was nothing more that a smoking memory.
"C – C – Can't be?!" Zero tried to convince himself. If only he had studied Terry a few weeks before the King of Fighters tournament or else he would have seen the second have coming.
"BUSTER WOLFFFFFF!"
*SMASH*
"YAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" Zero yelled while being shot into an opposing wall. His body smacked the hard rock with a violent thud and he instantly fell to his knees. Zero's reserves were depleted and so was his grip on consciousness.
Terry let out a slew of deep breaths. He never thought the technique he had created only a few months ago would save his life like that. Zero, no matter how strong he really was, could never defeat Terry's will. Terry's will to live, Terry's will to fight, Terry's will to win. They were the strongest bond between his mind, body and soul.
Terry closed his eyes and gained control of his breathing. There is nothing more he wanted now than to go home. Home. Where ever that really was.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"What?!" Terry replied.
The voice was Zero's, no doubt about it. Even on his knees, Zero was a competitor. He didn't have the strength to stand, but that didn't matter. He had to strength to fight and that's all he needed to win.
Zero pulled deep into his one ace up his sleeve. He didn't want to use this technique when there were multiple opponents in the fighting square but there was no question of it now. He was going to do it whether it killed him in the process. Even if he died Terry Bogard was not allowed to live.
Zero threw his fist high into the air. A swarm of black energy filled his presence and began to consume the surrounding base. Terry could feel the immense amount of power growing all around him. Zero wasn't finished, he had only just begun.
Terry remembered this feeling. It felt almost, nostalgic. He couldn't quite put his finger on it yet though. Finally, as Zero's fist slammed into the ground, it hit him.
Krauser!
Wolfgang Krauser was a formidable opponent in Terry's younger days. This attack look strangely similar to Krauser's Kaiser Wave technique that he tried to put Terry out of commission with but it failed all thanks to Terry's new ace in the hole. It was time to pull the rabbit out of its hat.
Terry's eyes filled with a new found energy. They began to glow a brilliant blue light as he felt all of the strength of the surrounding area flow through his body and into his fist. Nothing, not even this monster's strongest attack was going to keep Terry from winning this match.
"POWER GEYSERRRRRR!"
"Com'on everyone!" Yuri pleaded while carrying her father. "Terry told us to get as far away as we could!"
There was no disagreement there. Robert followed right behind his former love and Joe wasn't too far behind carrying his teammate Andy who was slumped on his shoulder. Mary was the last one of the pack. She was still in shock of the extremities Terry went to keep her away.
They had walked a great distance for their condition but it had taken them forever since most of them had to wait and recuperate outside of the warehouse. Then there was that scuffle with that white haired individual who Yuri could have sworn was the grim reaper himself. They kept on walking for at least five or six blocks before they stopped and considered it a good enough distance. Everyone slummed to the ground and tried to regain the energy they had once had.
Yuri first went to her father's aid. He was bleeding in several spots, nothing serious to him, but Yuri treated it as if it were life and death. Who could really blame her though? She'd just been to the road of death and back with her brother, heaven forbid if she had to go through that again.
"Is everyone alright?" Joe asked while placing Andy on a nearby bench. The fight was over for them, there's no harm in showing compassion for the opposing team and he might score a few points with Ryo's little sister.
"I'm good," Robert replied. "Yuri is the same. Master will be ok once he gets his cuts bandaged."
Takuma nodded. "How is your friend?"
"Andy?" Joe asked. "He'll be ok. Too many blows to the head for one day. I'll let him sleep for now."
Takuma almost chuckled. "I meant your other friend."
Joe looked over and saw the wondering Mary. She had fallen behind and was only now catching up. Mary looked fine from head to toe, Joe made sure to check that twice. "She looks alright. She didn't get into it as bad as some of us," Joe replied while pointing over in Takuma's direction.
Takuma shut his eyes for the longest times. Some people just don't get it.
Mary clenched Terry's had between her breasts. The color of his hat matched her top. She wished she could hold Terry's head like this now and forever but he was down there and she was up here. Who knows what kind of trouble he may be up to now?
"Mary…?" Yuri asked while wrapping her father's arm in a white cloth. "What's wrong?"
Mary didn't reply. She just blew right past them and slumped on a bench all by herself. It was probably the best choice at the time but Yuri and the others couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Especially after what they heard in the elevator.
"Look!" Robert shouted while pointing off into the distance. He saw the faint sign of two individuals walking towards them. One was holding the other over his shoulders. Robert smiled as he instantly identified one of them to be his best friend Ryo Sakazaki.
"IT'S RYO!" Yuri cheered. She wanted to rush up there to him but was beckoned by the severe condition of her father to just sit and wait for him to approach everyone else.
Ryo was on the brink of collapsing. It wasn't that K' was heavy, it was just that he was so exhausted from the fight he couldn't carry himself let alone K'. Ryo wasn't a quitter though. He kept on moving until he was in front of each and everyone of his friends and family members. They all were relieved that he made it back alive and shouted their praise for making it back.
"What happened?!" Yuri asked. She was dying to know what went down after everyone left. Especially since he brought the guy who plowed right through the Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury Team just to get into the underground base.
Ryo put K' down, isolating him from everyone else. He didn't really feel like talking right now. He wanted to get back there and see if Terry got out ok but he knew the way his sister was, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
All in all, Ryo was happy to be back together with his friends and family. A smile crossed his lips as he watched both teams consolidate together even though they were going at it full force just moments ago. He wanted to make sure everyone was ok before they moved out of their position until a sudden chill hit his spine. Something was missing. No. Someone!
"KING!" Ryo shouted. "WHERE IS SHE?!"
Everyone felt the same feeling in the pit of their stomach when they knew they forgot something. It didn't take Ryo another second to think about it and before anyone could say any words to deter him, he had already taken off back to the warehouse to search for King.
*CRASH*
"KRAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Zero cried. He smashed right through the wall he used as leverage and into the worst place possible. His body was spread out on a giant machine which flickered with electrical charges after Zero landed.
Terry stood up. His fist broke right through the underground base foundation and plowed right into his opponent. Terry had the feeling of relief enter his system. It was over. It had to be over. He walked over to where Zero had landed to confirm it.
Zero was finished. He was laid out on a weird looking machine. Terry had no idea what to make of it. All he knew about it now that it was probably broken.
"What… What is that?" He asked the empty air.
"That is a power generator," answered a voice in the distance. Terry turned around to find the source of the voice and saw some familiar faces. There were the two famous sword wielders of King of Fighters, Diane and Foxy.
"What?" Terry responded.
"Zero used that machine and the transmitter built in his suit to transfer all of your fighting power into the Zero Cannon," Diane stated.
"You mean – "
"Yes. By fighting him, you were in turn helping him with his plans. That is why we sent our agents out to stop you from entering the tournament. They were either to convince you or kill you. Whichever one came last."
It all made sense now. The first suit when he arrived in South Town. Then there was the fight in the alley. It was all N.E.S.T.S. trying to keep him out of the tournament.
Terry didn't move. He just stood there absorbing all of their information. Then, another thought crossed his mind. Now that the tournament is over and Zero is finished what were they going to do with him now?
Diane and Foxy turned around and began to walk away. Terry's eyebrows shot straight up into the sky and he called out to them as they walked away. "Hey wait!"
Diane turned around as Foxy kept moving forward. There was one more question Terry had and Diane knew exactly how to answer it.
"Terry Bogard. For stopping Zero and his plans we are indeed indebted to you. Consider this gesture an act of mercy."
Terry had no idea what to make of that. He was being spared when he could have easily been killed by these two N.E.S.T.S. soldiers.
"But," Diane interrupted, "If you happen to get in our way again, there is nothing we won't do to stop you Terry Bogard."
And with that, they were gone. If Terry had it, he would have tipped his hat to those two. No matter how weird they were, they definitely get a thumbs up for last words. Terry walked around the underground base searching for another way out. It was final over. There was no more fighting that needed to be done today.
"FOOOOOOOLLLLLLSSSSSS!"
"WHAT?!" Terry shouted. He turned to the source of the sound eruption. Terry couldn't believe his eyes. Zero was moving. He was actually moving his body. He might not have been walking but his upper half was still somewhat functional. Terry knew there was no way he could fight against him now. What concerned Terry was that red trigger in his hand.
"Y – YOU… YOU THINK… YOU THINK YOU'VE… YOU'VE BEATEN ME?!" He shouted. "I'VE… I'VE STILL GOT ENOUGH…. POWER TO SNED YOU… SEND YOU UP IN FLAMES… TERRY BOGARDDDD!"
Zero pushed the button. The underground base shook in defiance. Something was going down and it didn't have to hit Terry twice to tell him to get the hell out of there. One last passing glance at Zero and he saw his prone, unmoving body, laying out on the floor. The great N.E.S.T.S. traitor was dead.
Terry maneuvered through a pack of falling debris. This was the greatest place to be when an earthshaking catastrophe was going down. Terry dove around two falling rocks and rolled right into an exit. This was most likely the one that Diane and Foxy used to escape. Terry opened the door. He looked back at the condition of the fighting square and it wasn't a sight anyone in this lifetime wanted to see. Terry walked straight through the door and proceeded forward. Serene thoughts began to fill his mind. There was nothing to worry about now. He didn't even see it coming. One last rock came crashing to the ground and Terry was standing right under it. His last thought before it hit was that of the one person he wanted to see.
Ryo frantically searched around the warehouse. King had to be here somewhere. He knew she wasn't moving like she was this morning so there was no way she was going to make it out of here on her own. It wasn't supposed to be hard finding a lavender suit in a grey surrounding. Ryo ran around to the other side of the building. Finally, he found what he was looking for.
"KINGGGGGG!" Ryo shouted while running towards her. She was stuck in a pile of cement chunks and debris. Soon enough Ryo was kneeling over her as he wrapped his arms around her body.
"A – Are you alright?!" Ryo hysterically asked. He looked deep into her blue eyes and saw the tears beginning to form. She squeezed him back as hard as her body would allow. There was no one else in the world that she would rather be with at this moment.
Ryo looked at her situation after breaking off the hug. Her leg was trapped under a large chunk of cement. He tried as hard as he could to lift the chunk but it wouldn't budge. King was trapped.
King let out a teary sigh. There was nothing Ryo could do for her now. She gently placed her arm on Ryo's shoulder and shook her head. King wanted him to stop hurting himself for her. There was nothing he could do and she accepted it. Ryo stood up and pulled back. He wanted to help, he tried to help, but nothing happened. Was Ryo really that useless when people needed him the most?
*RUMBLE**RUMBLE*
What the?! Ryo screamed to himself. South Town, the entire town was beginning to quake. Something wasn't right. Ryo shot his glare up to the sky and saw a flash of light. It was a light blue color and it headed straight for their location. It almost resembled that of a laser.
Ryo tried and tried again to pull King out of her entrapment but it didn't work no matter how hard the adrenaline pumped into his body. Nothing was working. Ryo looked up as the beam of light was shooting straight down right at his body.
Ryo tightened his fists. He wasn't going to give up. He could feel the energy swarming around his body as it did before in the underground base. Ryo turned his palms together at the side of his body and charged. He charged his energy to its maximum extent and pushed even harder than that. Nothing was going to stop him now. He wasn't going to let a weapon in the sky from crushing the very things he loved most in life. Especially the first women he loved in his life.
A single drop of water splash in his pool of thought.
That was it. King! King was the center of his focus. All he needed to focus on was her and he would have it. Ryo finally reached the ultimate point of his intensity and was ready to fire it off on the one thing that was trying to separate him from his loved one.
"HAOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Ryo cried. A blast of energy shot into his hands and his arms could barely contain the booming amount of ki. The blast from the sky was reaching their location. It was only feet away before Ryo shot his arms forward and released the energy contained within them.
"SHOUKOUKENNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
*CRASH*
Ryo's blast traveled straight upwards and pushed away the foreign destruction beam. He blocked the beam. He actually did it and it was pushed straight back into the atmosphere it broke into. It was a sight that would be talked about for decades in the history of South Town. Ryo had finally mastered the Haou Shoukouken. Better than his father, better than anyone he had ever seen before. Ryo transcended from the student to the master in that one single shining moment.
Ryo felt the remaining drips of ki float straight off of his body. He wasn't done yet. He slammed his fist straight into the block of cement hindering King from moving and instantly rendered it to dust. He leaned over and pulled King up from the fallen mess and gave her a giant hug. She responded in kind and soon they were staring in each other's eyes.
"King…" He sighed. She never looked more beautiful in her entire life.
"R – Ryo…" She winced. He never looked more handsome in his entire life.
Ryo placed his hand around the back of her head. "King… I – I… I'm glad you're ok. And… And I never want anything like this to happen. Because… Because… Because I love you King."
King's eyes were widened. Those were the words she longed to hear in her lifetime from the one man she wanted to hear them from.
"And I always want to be there for you… Now, and forever."
"Ryo…" King sobbed. "I… I… I love you too!"
Ryo leaned in and kissed her. There was no cheek action this time. It was straight on the lips and it was the most incredible feeling either of them had ever felt in their entire lives. They stood their, holding each other, and enjoyed the moment. If God intended on having a more perfect moment, this was it. No doubt about it.
"YO RAY – OH!" Called a voice from the distance. Ryo and King broke off their kiss but not without putting up somewhat of a fight. He turned around and saw the last person he wanted to see in situation like this. There he was, Joe Higashi with Andy limping right next to him but behind the Fatal Fighters were the exact ones he wanted to see. Yuri, Robert, and his father Takuma were all there.
Yuri was the first to run over and greet the two. She had a big smile on her face and she didn't have to put it in words to express her emotions. Yuri hugged both Ryo and King and gave them a good squeeze letting them both know how happy she was.
Ryo looked over at his father. Takuma gave him a single nod and a smile. Ryo assumed he probably heard and saw what his son just did and that was Takuma's way of saying how proud he was of his son. He beat the monster and saved the girl in true storybook fashion. This is what life was meant to be.
*RUMBLE**RUMBLE*
HUH?! Everyone collectively pondered. The tall standing warehouse began to shake and soon it fell straight down. Rocks and cement debris flew in all kinds of directions but nothing too dangerous from the position everyone was standing in. Soon, the building where the greatest final battle in the history of King of Fighters was reduced to rubble.
As the dust cleared, everyone looked forward. There was a shadow there. Someone else had been near the wreckage. Everyone looked on with a great hope in their hearts, especially Ryo, that the last fighter had returned home.
There was no such luck, however. Mary stood, clear on the other side of the ruins with Terry's cap still in hand. Tears were flowing from her eyes and hitting the ground every other second. The man she loved still hadn't shown himself and was most likely buried under the rubble. Mary walked, she walked over the wreckage until she was on the center of the once standing building.
Mary fell to her knees. The tears came out full force. She clutched Terry's hat against her chest and cried. She cried with every breath in her body. Mary kept chanting his name over and over again. She tried to believe in him, she wanted to see him again but there was no denying the fact. Terry Bogard was gone.
"Ter… Ter…" She chanted while rocking back and forth. Everyone looked at her with saddened eyes. It may have been a victory for South Town but one of their beloved heroes was an unfortunate casualty. Mary filled Terry's hat with her tears and cried his name in sorrow.
"TERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
(Author notes: Man o man what a finish! Boy am I mentally wasted. This chapter wasted a lot of my talent but I think it was worth it. This was a great fic guys and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. BUT! Don't go away just yet. There's one more piece of the story left. I posted it at the exact same time as Chapter 12 so don't waste any more time reading my rant if there are still questions left unanswered. The Epilogue is up and is the final touch to my fic. I would just like to point out a few story notes on this chapter. For one thing, I thought this chapter would be really short but it ended up being one of the longest. I wanted to end the fic quick so that everyone could read it as soon as possible but I guess the ideas kept flowing and now look where I'm at. Third suspenseful ending chapter in a row. How sad… Oh well, continue on my loyal readers and don't forget to check out my final Author notes at the end of the epilogue.)
