Chapter 1 – Dan and Joe
Osaka, Japan...
"It is not known at this time what has happened to the warriors who encountered the mysterious fighter on top of the pagoda behind me, but we are assured by officials that no bodies have been discovered at present. Our hearts go out to the families of the warriors who were involved in the terrifying explosion. We can only hope that the people involved were not harmed. In related news, the title of 'Fighter of the Millennium' was bestowed upon Joe Higashi, who fought and defeated his long time rival and sparring partner Dan Hibiki in a rematch. The money raised by the charity match was donated to the Masters Foundation, one of the beneficiaries behind the recent tournament..."
Joe walked out of his dressing room, meeting Dan in the wide hallway. The smile on Dan's face assured Joe that there was no bitterness in him.
"How're you feeling?" he said, swinging his sweat bag onto his shoulder.
Dan laughed. "Don't think you're so bad because you beat me! This is a one off! Just wait until the next millennium!"
Joe smiled and sat down on a nearby bench. "Hey man, it was a close one; you've almost mastered that Sakazaki thing."
He watched as Dan's face filled with red rage.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? MY MOVES ARE ORIGINAL! I AM THE STRONGEST FIGHTER IN THE WORLD! I LET YOU WIN! I..."
Joe laughed raucously. He couldn't help himself. Any mention of the Sakazaki's had always set Dan of on a rant. And it never got old for Joe, he always found it hilarious. In many ways, he pitied the fact that Dan really didn't realise why he did these things. But that was Dan...
"Chill, Dan," said Joe placing his hands on his partner's shoulders, "I was just messing with you. But when your style is the way...well, the way it is, people will draw comparisons with the Sakazaki style."
"But..." Joe cut Dan of immediately.
"I know, I know, 'Saikyo style is original, it's my own move,' blah, blah, blah!" said Joe, no spite in his voice, "just remember that sometimes people are only making a joke. I know it's your own move, and your own style, just learn to calm it down a bit, ok?"
Dan smiled, calm now. "You are right my friend. I knew you were joking, but whenever some random idiot makes a comment like that..."
"You get into more trouble than its worth," said Joe, comforting him slightly, "you must conserve you strength. One day you will face 'him', and you will need all your strength." A tear fell from Dan's face, but was swiftly removed. "You are right again, my friend," he said putting his hand out, "good fight today. Let's hope the next tournament will be a tag one again."
Joe accepted the handshake. "I'm counting on it, bud. Speaking of Bud, I really feel like a beer, you up for it?"
Dan laughed for what seemed like the first time in years. "Always."
* * * Another place...
No matter how hard he tried, he could not destroy the seal. He had been pounding the stone wall for three days straight now. The rage that was building in his muscles was the only strength he felt he left, but he did not tire, for he could not. The rage grew until he stopped.
"This is useless," he said to himself, "why did we come here first?"
"Trust me," he said in another voice, one not so harsh, but still as sinister, "with the Orochi on our side we will not be stopped."
He shook his head. "My Satsu no Hadou would prove to be a much more powerful ally. Once we have it mastered, this seal of the Kusanagi's will be no problem, and the Orochi will bow to us."
The other side seemed to anger. "But this one...Ryu...how do you plan on turning him? It seems the seal he has on his mind is stronger than any seal wrought by humankind."
"Kyo seems no different. He has the power to unleash the Orochi with a word, but I don't see his being broken in any way," retorted the first side. "There is another way to unleash the Hadou on unwitting victims."
"Tell me..."
"There is a man known only as Bison..."
* * * "Sir, Killer Bee is in position," said an inconspicuous man dressed in standard tourist clothing. Although he didn't fit into the crowd, it was this that made people uninterested in his desperate 'attempt' to impress the locals around him.
"Very good, Birdie," said a voice through his communicator. It was an authoritative voice, one only the greatest terrorists in the world ever have the honour of hearing. Birdie on the other hand was merely a fall guy. He didn't realise his master was using him, and was never confident of his safe return to base.
"This is Birdie, over and out," he said replacing the dummy cellular phone in his pocket. He wandered over to a seat next to the little bar at the forefront of the pub. Ordering a beer he turned to survey his surroundings. The pub was filled mostly with fight fans. There were people from all over the world, each wearing respective merchandise for their favourite fighters. Birdie was trying his best to look American. He wore a red base- ball jacket with a white star on its back, a pair of stonewash jeans and a red baseball cap. His pathetic Mohawk was spread about his head, giving the illusion of a full head of hair. But the man wasn't here to see the sites. He was here to perform a mission, one that his master considered to be 'of the utmost importance'.
Suddenly, Birdie felt a strong hand fall upon his shoulder.
"Terry," shouted a lively voice. "I thought you had gone to see Andy already!"
Birdie turned his head. A Japanese kick-boxer stood smiling at him. Grunting through his nose, the smile on Joe's face quickly dissipated.
Joe laughed nervously. "Sorry man, I thought you were someone else..."
Birdie eyed him as the fighter returned to his seat in the corner. It was now that Birdie realised a very important detail.
* * * "In position, sir, awaiting signal."
She stood on the roof of the building, gazing through the glass into the room below. In her mind, she could see her target: the man in the karate uniform. She could see him in the room. He was his usual self. And he was going to leave the bar in her care, whether he liked it or not.
But for now, she had to wait. There was another operative in the room, and she had to wait for his signal. She could see him as well, drinking near the bar. He had to make a phone call soon. She knew this. She had to wait.
* * *
He reached into the jacket and removed the cellular phone. He placed it to his ear, eyeing the crowd with suspicion, though none of them cared for what he was doing. Then he spoke.
"Go, now..."
Around him, he believed there was a silence. Blanking out the noise of the crowd around him, he listened and waited. Seconds turned to minutes as he anticipated the attack on the target. He finished his drink and removed the cap from his head. This was it, this was the signal.
A crash, glass hurtled onto the ground under the rain of seven beautiful women, all dressed in black uniforms. And in the middle, their leader: the Shadaloo operative known as 'Killer Bee'. She was here to do her mission for the master. And she could see her target, the man in the karate uniform.
The crowd screamed, running about the place, ducking for cover, like sheep without a dog to control them. Only a select few stayed to see what was going to happen, most of them, fighters.
Killer Bee searched the crowd that remained. Then she saw him, standing near a Japanese kick-boxer. Seeing her attention drawn to him, he assumed his offensive stance, ready for anything.
"We are here in the name of Shadaloo," she said aloud, not moving her gaze from her target. "Nobody will be harmed, but you must come with us, conscious or not." She pointed at Dan. He was being singled out. What scared him the most was that he didn't know why.
"Dan," started Joe.
"Not without a fight!" interrupted Dan loudly. "Bring it on."
Killer Bee didn't flinch, but was ready for anything. Her companions surveyed the area, watching the fighters that remained, most ready to fight at the blink of an eye. But it was a young girl who made the first, unexpected move.
"Mr. Hibiki! Don't follow Shadaloo!"
A young schoolgirl dashed over the crowd, knocking over two of those in black uniforms, her white headband streaming behind her in the dim light of the pub. Birdie stood up quickly, amazed at the girl's style and spirit. What happened next shocked him to the core.
As she approached Killer Bee, she readied herself for a barrage of attacks. The Shadaloo operative's reaction was brutal. Without tearing her sight from Dan, she smashed her fist into the face of the teenager, knocking her of her feet. Crashing to ground, both Dan and Birdoe stared in horror, Joe and the other fighters angering with each second. The Shadaloo agents, however, showed no emotion.
"SAKURA!"
Dan jumped forward with rage, his tensed leg outwards towards Killer Bee. At this the other fighters joined the fray. Joe rushed onward, taking on an operative with ginger hair, while Birdie rushed forward to retrieve the unconscious body of Sakura, running from the bar.
Fighters from every corner of the planet united to fight the agents. From Korea, Kim Kaphwan, the international Tae Kwon Do champion attacked, along with his companions, Chang and Choi. Takuma Sakazaki, using a similar style to Dan, helped him in his fight, while a man called Adon aided Joe in his fight against the deadly agents. Others came, but most were defeated. Even the most proficient were defeated by the superior Shadaloo fighters. The fight was long and bloody, and it ended abruptly.
The dust cleared, the defeated lay on the ground, and the agents were gone. Joe looked around.
"Dan...?"
Osaka, Japan...
"It is not known at this time what has happened to the warriors who encountered the mysterious fighter on top of the pagoda behind me, but we are assured by officials that no bodies have been discovered at present. Our hearts go out to the families of the warriors who were involved in the terrifying explosion. We can only hope that the people involved were not harmed. In related news, the title of 'Fighter of the Millennium' was bestowed upon Joe Higashi, who fought and defeated his long time rival and sparring partner Dan Hibiki in a rematch. The money raised by the charity match was donated to the Masters Foundation, one of the beneficiaries behind the recent tournament..."
Joe walked out of his dressing room, meeting Dan in the wide hallway. The smile on Dan's face assured Joe that there was no bitterness in him.
"How're you feeling?" he said, swinging his sweat bag onto his shoulder.
Dan laughed. "Don't think you're so bad because you beat me! This is a one off! Just wait until the next millennium!"
Joe smiled and sat down on a nearby bench. "Hey man, it was a close one; you've almost mastered that Sakazaki thing."
He watched as Dan's face filled with red rage.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? MY MOVES ARE ORIGINAL! I AM THE STRONGEST FIGHTER IN THE WORLD! I LET YOU WIN! I..."
Joe laughed raucously. He couldn't help himself. Any mention of the Sakazaki's had always set Dan of on a rant. And it never got old for Joe, he always found it hilarious. In many ways, he pitied the fact that Dan really didn't realise why he did these things. But that was Dan...
"Chill, Dan," said Joe placing his hands on his partner's shoulders, "I was just messing with you. But when your style is the way...well, the way it is, people will draw comparisons with the Sakazaki style."
"But..." Joe cut Dan of immediately.
"I know, I know, 'Saikyo style is original, it's my own move,' blah, blah, blah!" said Joe, no spite in his voice, "just remember that sometimes people are only making a joke. I know it's your own move, and your own style, just learn to calm it down a bit, ok?"
Dan smiled, calm now. "You are right my friend. I knew you were joking, but whenever some random idiot makes a comment like that..."
"You get into more trouble than its worth," said Joe, comforting him slightly, "you must conserve you strength. One day you will face 'him', and you will need all your strength." A tear fell from Dan's face, but was swiftly removed. "You are right again, my friend," he said putting his hand out, "good fight today. Let's hope the next tournament will be a tag one again."
Joe accepted the handshake. "I'm counting on it, bud. Speaking of Bud, I really feel like a beer, you up for it?"
Dan laughed for what seemed like the first time in years. "Always."
* * * Another place...
No matter how hard he tried, he could not destroy the seal. He had been pounding the stone wall for three days straight now. The rage that was building in his muscles was the only strength he felt he left, but he did not tire, for he could not. The rage grew until he stopped.
"This is useless," he said to himself, "why did we come here first?"
"Trust me," he said in another voice, one not so harsh, but still as sinister, "with the Orochi on our side we will not be stopped."
He shook his head. "My Satsu no Hadou would prove to be a much more powerful ally. Once we have it mastered, this seal of the Kusanagi's will be no problem, and the Orochi will bow to us."
The other side seemed to anger. "But this one...Ryu...how do you plan on turning him? It seems the seal he has on his mind is stronger than any seal wrought by humankind."
"Kyo seems no different. He has the power to unleash the Orochi with a word, but I don't see his being broken in any way," retorted the first side. "There is another way to unleash the Hadou on unwitting victims."
"Tell me..."
"There is a man known only as Bison..."
* * * "Sir, Killer Bee is in position," said an inconspicuous man dressed in standard tourist clothing. Although he didn't fit into the crowd, it was this that made people uninterested in his desperate 'attempt' to impress the locals around him.
"Very good, Birdie," said a voice through his communicator. It was an authoritative voice, one only the greatest terrorists in the world ever have the honour of hearing. Birdie on the other hand was merely a fall guy. He didn't realise his master was using him, and was never confident of his safe return to base.
"This is Birdie, over and out," he said replacing the dummy cellular phone in his pocket. He wandered over to a seat next to the little bar at the forefront of the pub. Ordering a beer he turned to survey his surroundings. The pub was filled mostly with fight fans. There were people from all over the world, each wearing respective merchandise for their favourite fighters. Birdie was trying his best to look American. He wore a red base- ball jacket with a white star on its back, a pair of stonewash jeans and a red baseball cap. His pathetic Mohawk was spread about his head, giving the illusion of a full head of hair. But the man wasn't here to see the sites. He was here to perform a mission, one that his master considered to be 'of the utmost importance'.
Suddenly, Birdie felt a strong hand fall upon his shoulder.
"Terry," shouted a lively voice. "I thought you had gone to see Andy already!"
Birdie turned his head. A Japanese kick-boxer stood smiling at him. Grunting through his nose, the smile on Joe's face quickly dissipated.
Joe laughed nervously. "Sorry man, I thought you were someone else..."
Birdie eyed him as the fighter returned to his seat in the corner. It was now that Birdie realised a very important detail.
* * * "In position, sir, awaiting signal."
She stood on the roof of the building, gazing through the glass into the room below. In her mind, she could see her target: the man in the karate uniform. She could see him in the room. He was his usual self. And he was going to leave the bar in her care, whether he liked it or not.
But for now, she had to wait. There was another operative in the room, and she had to wait for his signal. She could see him as well, drinking near the bar. He had to make a phone call soon. She knew this. She had to wait.
* * *
He reached into the jacket and removed the cellular phone. He placed it to his ear, eyeing the crowd with suspicion, though none of them cared for what he was doing. Then he spoke.
"Go, now..."
Around him, he believed there was a silence. Blanking out the noise of the crowd around him, he listened and waited. Seconds turned to minutes as he anticipated the attack on the target. He finished his drink and removed the cap from his head. This was it, this was the signal.
A crash, glass hurtled onto the ground under the rain of seven beautiful women, all dressed in black uniforms. And in the middle, their leader: the Shadaloo operative known as 'Killer Bee'. She was here to do her mission for the master. And she could see her target, the man in the karate uniform.
The crowd screamed, running about the place, ducking for cover, like sheep without a dog to control them. Only a select few stayed to see what was going to happen, most of them, fighters.
Killer Bee searched the crowd that remained. Then she saw him, standing near a Japanese kick-boxer. Seeing her attention drawn to him, he assumed his offensive stance, ready for anything.
"We are here in the name of Shadaloo," she said aloud, not moving her gaze from her target. "Nobody will be harmed, but you must come with us, conscious or not." She pointed at Dan. He was being singled out. What scared him the most was that he didn't know why.
"Dan," started Joe.
"Not without a fight!" interrupted Dan loudly. "Bring it on."
Killer Bee didn't flinch, but was ready for anything. Her companions surveyed the area, watching the fighters that remained, most ready to fight at the blink of an eye. But it was a young girl who made the first, unexpected move.
"Mr. Hibiki! Don't follow Shadaloo!"
A young schoolgirl dashed over the crowd, knocking over two of those in black uniforms, her white headband streaming behind her in the dim light of the pub. Birdie stood up quickly, amazed at the girl's style and spirit. What happened next shocked him to the core.
As she approached Killer Bee, she readied herself for a barrage of attacks. The Shadaloo operative's reaction was brutal. Without tearing her sight from Dan, she smashed her fist into the face of the teenager, knocking her of her feet. Crashing to ground, both Dan and Birdoe stared in horror, Joe and the other fighters angering with each second. The Shadaloo agents, however, showed no emotion.
"SAKURA!"
Dan jumped forward with rage, his tensed leg outwards towards Killer Bee. At this the other fighters joined the fray. Joe rushed onward, taking on an operative with ginger hair, while Birdie rushed forward to retrieve the unconscious body of Sakura, running from the bar.
Fighters from every corner of the planet united to fight the agents. From Korea, Kim Kaphwan, the international Tae Kwon Do champion attacked, along with his companions, Chang and Choi. Takuma Sakazaki, using a similar style to Dan, helped him in his fight, while a man called Adon aided Joe in his fight against the deadly agents. Others came, but most were defeated. Even the most proficient were defeated by the superior Shadaloo fighters. The fight was long and bloody, and it ended abruptly.
The dust cleared, the defeated lay on the ground, and the agents were gone. Joe looked around.
"Dan...?"
