Food for Thought
Author's Notes: You may have noticed that the rating for this fanfic has been bumped up to PG-13, due to the events portrayed in the last chapter. Also, at this time the tournament bracket on my website has received a much-needed update. Special thanks to Chan, the only person so far who has bothered to send in a tournament entry.
Osaka, Japan
Two hours have passed
Light ... coming towards her ... forcing an eye open, Maki tried to read her situation. Her perception of gravity was awkward and she suffered from a faint sense of vertigo. She was lying on something soft and comfortable, but she could not feel her legs. Her vision blurred and swam. How had she ended up like this ...? It hurt to try and remember, but there had been a fight ... yes, a fight ... she'd been in many of those. A dark spot passed over her eyes, a person, but she could not discern who it was. She heard, as though from a great distance, the voice of Mike Haggar. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Maki."
It took a great deal of effort to pry her lips open. "Where ... am ... I ...?" Maki croaked weakly.
"You're in a hospital in Osaka," Haggar informed her. "Cody's here too; you were both pretty badly beaten in that fight you just had."
"That fight we ..." And then it all came rushing back in a blur, the intensity of the match against the Phantom Strike Force ... the rain of daggers sent flying at her ... "Did we ... win ...?" Maki asked, shutting her eyes again.
"No," another voice replied. Guy's, Maki realized after a moment of hard and painful thought. "We lost in the end, though I didn't see it either. I regained consciousness even before we returned to Osaka, though. I've had plenty of time to watch the recordings as well as speak with Jedah and Gill. I'll tell you this much, I didn't like what I saw or heard."
"Where's ... Cody ...?"
"Right next to you." When Maki slitted an eye open, Guy indicated a bunk to her right. "Cody was knocked out pretty cleanly by the EXTREME Mayhem Rampage," Guy informed her. "I say it serves him right. He groped Samantha during the fight and she beat the tar out of him for it." Guy's tone implied that had Samantha not done it while he was still unconscious, Guy himself would have served Cody similarly. "Look, I probably shouldn't have said that. Get some rest, Maki - you and Cody are both in pretty bad shape."
Let me help.
"Hmm?" Midway in the act of standing up, Guy turned and looked around before addressing his injured teammate. "Did you say something, Maki?" Yet even as he asked, he realized that it couldn't have been her. The voice was different. Haggar also peered in every which direction. The answer came to them again in that whispered voice that seemed to originate from empty air itself. Guy found the notion oddly disconcerting.
Go with my blessing.
Guy was about to pose a question to the unseen voice when something else distracted him. Right before his incredulous eyes, Maki's body began to take on a faint golden glow; glancing to the right, Guy confirmed that Cody was also glowing. It crescendoed to an intensity that threatened to blot out the fluorescent lights overhead, at the same time emitting a warm and welcome aura. Then as quickly as it had emerged, the light faded away into complete oblivion. Maki stirred and sat upright, feeling about herself for a moment before springing out of the cot. Cody did likewise.
"Completely healed ..." Guy mused, more to himself than anyone else, taking in Maki and Cody with a single quick glance. "Incredible ..." Then, speaking into the empty air, "Thank you, Marin."
My pleasure.
A soft knock sounded on the door of the hospital room; Guy and Haggar simultaneously called, "Come in!" The door slid open and Lloyd Cunningham walked inside, followed by Blake and Samantha. Ernest McGrath brought up the rear and quietly shut the door behind himself. The IDC soldiers certainly didn't look injured; while Guy had been expected a number of nasty wounds on Samantha, she showed nothing of the sort. Glancing to the side, Guy noticed that Cody's eyes had narrowed and the Bushin warrior did not like what he saw.
"I came to apologize to Maki," Lloyd said after a brief pause. "What I did was not acceptable under any circumstance. Will you accept my apology?"
"Apology accepted," Maki replied graciously. "You fought well, Lloyd."
"Thank you."
Unfortunately, the peace was broken almost before it had become established. "I think someone on your side also owes us an apology," Blake Wallis stated.
"Blake ..." McGrath began warningly.
"Yeah, so I do owe it to you," Cody spat, shrugging his shoulders as if he could care less. "What I did was nothing compared to the way you nearly killed Maki. I'm not sorry for what I did, and you can't make me feel that way. Given the exact same circumstances, I'd go and do it again." Blake bristled and lunged towards Cody, but McGrath caught his shoulders and held him back quite firmly. Cody sneered at the hot-tempered Phantom.
"I apologize on his behalf," Guy said to Samantha.
"Whatever," Cody interrupted. "She ought to be thanking me that I didn't kill her on the spot."
Blake strained hard against McGrath's hold, muttering curses under his breath. Even Lloyd had reached into his large overcoat, probably searching for more Sparrow daggers. Fortunately, the cooler heads prevailed. "You are very considerate, Guy," Samantha said quietly, "but it appears that we have overextended our welcome. We are returning to the hotel for dinner, please join us there at your earliest convenience." She nodded respectfully to Guy and extended her hand; he shook firmly. Samantha turned around and strode out, her soft velvet boots making no sound on the tiled floor. Lloyd and McGrath followed with Blake bringing up the rear.
He paused in the doorway. "Cody, just for your information, you're going to die a terrible and spectacular death one day. I just hope that I'm there to cause it." So saying, Blake Wallis stormed out of the room.
"Bring it on anytime, newb!" Cody called after him. "You think I'm afraid of a pushover like you?! Ha!"
"Cody," Haggar growled, "we're going to have a long talk, just the four of us."
"That son of a -!" Blake fumed as he rejoined his fellow soldiers. McGrath and Lloyd had somehow managed to produce umbrellas from somewhere. Together they left the hospital and turned down one of Osaka's busy streets, aiming for the hotel two blocks distant. It was well nigh impossible to see anything in the downpour. "Some people push me the wrong way, but that guy ... I want to assassinate him tonight. Preferably by tearing his throat out and letting him bleed to death. Well?" he demanded. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Apologies can't be forced, Blake," McGrath replied from the head of the group as they stopped in front of a traffic light. "You ought to know that better than any of us."
"Like hell they can't!" Blake exploded. "For heaven's sakes, doc, that man sexually assaulted your wife and you're not going to do a thing about it? I cannot believe that I'm hearing this from you!"
"You're right, I won't lift a finger, but that's because I don't have to. I trust Samantha's judgment in this matter. She can fight for her own honor and if she wants my help she'll certainly ask for it, right?" McGrath turned around and looked at Blake. "I have faith in my wife, that's why I didn't interfere."
"Thank you, Ernest." Samantha smiled.
They made it back to the hotel without any further words, Blake still thinking dark thoughts about what he wanted to do to Cody. "Hmm, what's that smell?" McGrath asked at the entrance. "It smells delicious."
"Oh, hey, doctor, you're just in time." Ken Masters swaggered up to the group dressed in his finest tuxedo, a white and red outfit that set even Samantha's heart a flutter. "Come on in, you won't believe this!" They walked into the dining hall together and McGrath took in the scene with one glance. The center of the room had been cleared of its usual clutter and a pair of enormous semicircular tables brought in. These tables were placed so as to allow two feet's worth of separation between their straight sides. A number of dishes had been piled on both tables and it was this aroma that had attracted McGrath's attention. On a conservative estimate, at least fifty people could be seated. Most of the seats had already been taken by various people. Then someone caught sight of the Phantoms and in a moment both tables had burst into applause. Samantha curtseyed gracefully.
"Let's hear it for the Phantoms!" Sagat cheered.
"Congratulations on your victory," Ken offered as he took a seat next to Samantha, McGrath seated on her other side, Blake and Lloyd further down the line. From the other table, Cammy and Juni held up a sign with the words EXTREMEize him again! written in bold, black letters. Blake and Lloyd had to endure much backslapping from the others. "Well, now that we're all here," Ken began, "will the most recent victors say grace?"
Samantha stood, blushing slightly. "Before I do so, may I ask who prepared all of this?"
"I did." Turning around, Samantha saw Regina enter into the dining hall brushing off her apron. The goddess removed and folded it in one smooth, fluid motion. "It took a whole day, but I hope that you enjoy it. By all means." So saying, Regina seated herself next to Ken Masters with a sweet smile. There was indeed enough spread out to fill both tables: sushi, sashimi, roasted beef, dressed quail, salad, kisu, and much more besides.
"Then I propose that we drink to Regina's health," Samantha announced, raising her own glass. "Thank you for your meticulous effort on our behalf," Samantha addressed Regina. "May you enjoy our company as much as we do yours!" She drained the glass in one long draught and the others followed suit. Chan and Kirina, both too young to have had much alcohol, choked on their drinks.
Blake dug in with reckless abandon, attempting to balance stuffing his face against a conversation with Strider and Commando. Kikoken flirted with Mason Storm on her right, who in turned flirted with Jill Valentine on his right. On the other side of the table, Ryu had challenged Bison to an eating contest and was already losing rapidly. McGrath, Lloyd, and Samantha conversed quietly; the absence of the Final Fight team was a marked one. Dadallent and Rose were also absent. The latter had been gone for nearly a week, having said something about returning to Genoa to consult her books. As for the Chaos Prince, no one had seen him after the incident at the mall. "I wish that the Dragons didn't have to go," McGrath said, scrutinizing a slice of meat. "Karin and Ibuki, too ... they would've enjoyed this. It's quite delicious, Regina."
"Thank you, doctor," Regina replied, bowing slightly. "It's kind of you to say so."
"You really spent a day preparing this?" Ken Masters asked, raising a chopstickful of sashimi to his mouth. "Must've been awfully dull. But it tastes wonderful - I wish Eliza could cook like you do. Mmm ... sorry, we must sound like a collection of broken records, saying the same things over and over again."
"It is precisely to hear you say this that I took so long preparing the food," Regina answered softly. "I believed that, if I did this with all my heart and stirred my love into the ingredients, it would show come dinnertime. Everyone here is a friend of mine, and I hope you can all feel my love through my labor." Regina smiled sweetly as she said this last sentence.
Heh, you're so sweet, Regina, Ken Masters thought to himself. That's why you get along with everyone, even the truly despicable types. I'd love to spend an evening all alone with you. But ... He glanced around the table and frowned, lost in thought. Ken rested a hand on his cheek and leaned on the table, staring at nothing in particular.
"Hey, Ken!" Ryu called.
But unless I can get you away by myself, I'm never gonna get anywhere with this. Heh, Eliza doesn't have to know, right?
"Hello?" Ryu waved a hand, before standing up and coming over to Ken's side of the table. "Earth to Ken!"
That also poses problems, though. Thing is, Regina, you're such a friendly person that you'd think nothing of inviting half a dozen people along. But that's not what I'm aiming for.
"Completely spaced out ... you gonna eat that or not?" Ryu asked.
We'll have to dupe Gill, of course. Yes, that's how I'll do it. I'll catch you alone late at night and say that I have two tickets to a movie theater. You won't refuse, of course. That's just the kind of person that you are.
"I'll finish this for you, buddy," Ryu said, reaching down and taking Ken's bowl.
And then, when we're alone in the movie theater ... that's the time to build up the atmosphere. Then I'll take you out to a park, and we'll sit and talk. One thing will lead to another. We'll start by holding hands, you'll lean your head on my shoulder, then you'll give me a kiss, and before you know it -
"What's this about a kiss?" Ryu asked.
Ken nearly jumped out of his seat. "Waah! Er, um ... I mean, this kisu tastes great with the ... huh, where'd it all go?"
Ryu rapped the back of Ken's head. "Fool! I asked you if you intended to finish it, but you were lost in space and didn't say a word, so I took the liberty of eating it for you."
"Oh ..."
"Not to worry, I'll fix something else up!" Regina said cheerfully. She stood up and disappeared back into the kitchen before Ken could object. Ryu took the seat that Regina had vacated. To his dismay, Ken noticed that most of the food had already disappeared. Apparently Ryu had decided earlier to concede the contest to Bison, as most of the table had gone over to congratulate the grinning dictator of Shadowlaw.
"Have you kissed Regina?" Samantha McGrath asked from Ken's left.
"Waah, how'd you know?!" Ken wailed. Then, in a softer and lamer voice, he added, "Well, I'm working on it."
"Keep working, buddy, and I'm sure you'll get somewhere." Ryu winked at Ken. "Though it may backfire if Eliza finds out."
"Yeah, and I've almost run out of excuses," Ken said, shuddering at the notion. "What do I do?" Samantha leaned over and whispered into Ken's left ear for about two minutes, Ken nodding occasionally. "If you say so," Ken said doubtfully as Regina reappeared from the kitchen. Ryu stood up.
"Here you go!" All smiles, Regina set a platter of grilled fish and kisu in front of Ken. Let alone the aroma, the mere sight of it made Ken's stomach inflate with anticipation. "I saved some just in case. Please enjoy it."
"Well, I'm finished here." McGrath pushed himself back from the table and stood up. "Gouken, Zeku, and I will be doing some form work in two hours. Feel free to join us. Where should I take these?" He held up his bowl and chopsticks, as well as an empty plate. Regina told him to leave it. McGrath nodded politely, said thanks again, and strode out of the dining room followed closely by his wife. Samantha really is beautiful, Ken thought wistfully to himself. This stinks. Surrounded by beautiful women and I can't have any of them. Well, time to see if Samantha's little hints work.
He took his time eating until everyone else had left and it was just him and Regina. He leaned back into the chair and sighed in contentment. "Never had a better meal in my life! Regina, you're a stellar cook."
"You really think so?" Regina asked, breaking into a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Ken."
Okay, now the hard part, Ken thought to himself. What the heck am I doing anyway? Regina's a goddess, for crying out loud! Still ... she's also a woman, and she did say that she loves me. Beside Ken, Regina hummed a song to herself as she began gathering up the leftover dishes. "Did something good happen to you today, Ken?" she asked after a moment.
"Waah! Uh, Regina ... did you read my mind or something?"
"I can, if I concentrate." Regina looked up from scrubbing the table; Ryu and his daughter were apparently both messy eaters. "But that's only if I concentrate. And besides, I respect your privacy. Normally all I see is your aura. You're emitting a passionate one right now," she added with a bright smile. "So naturally I was curious as to what had made you so excited."
"Erm, Regina?"
"Yes?" She smiled, eyes wide and happy.
"Well, uh, you said that you're a friend of everyone here. So, uh ..." Ken stammered. Mentally he berated himself; he didn't remember Samantha's hints working along these lines. "I think that, uh, maybe we ought to, you know ... get to know each other more? Maybe we should make things clear?" He was sweating profusely now. "I mean, if you don't want to, then that's fine, too, b-but ... ah, if you say no ..."
Hmm? Regina looked closely at Ken. His aura is very strong right now. It's a happy one, yes, but also quite nervous ...
"... If you say no, um, I understand, but all the same ..."
His skin is flushed and he's perspiring heavily. Regina studied him with both eyes, a look of concern appearing on her delicate features. His body temperature is above what is normal for a human. His heart is racing, too ... there's something stirring in his blood, that's certain - oh no! Don't tell me ... he's fallen in love with me?! Regina locked her eyes on Ken's and concentrated, hard.
"... So, uh, I was wondering if ..."
"I'm sorry, Ken." Regina folded her hands in front of her skirt and averted her eyes from Ken's. "I know how you feel towards me, but I - I just can't. Marriage is a sacred union, and as a goddess I know that I should respect your unique relationship with your soulmate. How could I betray your wife like this? I ... I apologize ... for my weakness ..." she stammered. Ken was about to ask Regina what she meant, but the goddess ran out of the room hiding her face in her hands. Bewildered, he could only stare at the space where she'd been a moment ago. The dining room doors banged against each other hollowly as Regina fled deeper into the hotel.
"Eh, Regina? What's wrong!" Glancing up from a newspaper, Captain Commando called to Regina as she ran by him.
She skidded to a halt and turned around, tears in her eyes. "I - It was awful, Captain! I ... I think I nearly caused Ken to ... to ..."
"Tell me about it," Commando invited.
Inside, Ken sighed and stared at the table in frustration. "Drat! And to think that I would've settled for a kiss on the cheek!"
Osaka, Japan
Two days have passed.
"Don't slack off now, guys, you're doing great!" With a friendly wave, Ernest McGrath flipped a thumbs up to Sakura Kasugano, Darrell Markis, Scott Wagner, and Kirina Houshi. "C'mon, lemme see more of that burning spirit!"
"Easy for you to say," Darrell muttered. Between the three of them, McGrath, Zero, and Sagat were laying a complete beatdown on the four friends. On one side of the outdoor gym Ryu, Charlie, and Samantha watched with either idle curiosity or more than passing interest. From the other side, Regina also watched, eyes full of concern. She'd already healed injuries in all of the fighters earlier.
"Stop." Sakura held up a hand, leaning over and gasping for breath. From the sidelines Ryu muttered despairingly about the youths' lack of endurance. "That's ... quite enough ... for a day ..." She staggered off for the water that Regina had thoughtfully brought out earlier. Darrell and Scott deferred to the women.
"You know, meeting force with force usually isn't the best way to take a fight," McGrath advised as the four of them drank greedily. Earlier Sakura and Darrell had double-teamed him with a raging fireball combination, something that he'd merely sidestepped. Fortunately Regina had responded quickly enough to dissipate it before it could hit the hotel building. "If you see an energy ball come flying at you, block it if you want. But I personally suggest that you get out of the way. Second thing: there's a little test that I want to run. Blake, you bring the targets?"
"Yup, they're all right here." Blake Wallis appeared from the hotel building dragging a trio of wooden bullseyes with him. "Though I still maintain that we ought to use one of those slackers," and here he nodded at the people watching from the sides, "as target practice." Each bullseye was a slat of wood with the silhouette of a person painted on it in heavy black ink. A number of expanding rings painted in various colors denoted the scoring system. On the uncolored portion outside of the outline, Blake had written "Hit me and you're a complete n00b."
"Suggestion noted and denied. Here, I'll help you out." Together McGrath and Blake set the targets upright on the far end of the gym. The asphalt was still wet from the downpour two days prior. "Alright, here's the drill. All three of you have sheer power - I've watched that Yugure Hadouken, Darrell, and believe me when I say I don't want to see it directed at me - but how much precision do you have? See this line? It's exactly twenty meters' distance from the targets. Sakura, Darrell, Kirina, take the leftmost target and Hadouken it, five shots each." McGrath indicated the target with his thumb.
"This is shameful," Ryu commented as he watched the stream of fireballs racing by. Zero folded his arms.
"Well ... dang ..." Darrell swore. He'd hit the shoulder once and landed another Hadouken outside of the silhouette, but the rest of his projectiles had missed completely. Sakura, to his left, hadn't fared any better, nor had Kirina.
McGrath chuckled. "That's not bad, actually. You ought to see me when I first started training with rifles; my instructors were glad enough to see me shooting in the right direction. Sagat! Ryu! Charlie! Five shots each, take the middle target and show these newbs how it's done! Fifty meter spread."
"My pleasure," Sagat rumbled. He, Charlie, and Ryu backed up to the fifty meter mark, about halfway across the gym, and let loose with a barrage of shots. "Tiger! Hadouken! Sonic Boom!" They gripped hands once finished. Scott and Darrell both whistled with admiration; the three veterans had both peppered the bullseye with a number of scorch marks, red for Ryu's Hadoukens, black for Sagat's Tiger blasts, blue for Charlie's Sonic Booms. Ryu seemed to be best by a slight margin.
"Let that be a demonstration to you," McGrath spoke. "The mark of a fighter's prowess isn't raw power. It's precision. Like Goutetsu used to tell Gouken, Akuma, and myself, 'Skill over strength, spirit over skill.' You all have power - there's no denying that - now learn how to direct it and you'll become truly strong."
"I haven't seen you throw any projectiles!" Ryu heckled good-naturedly.
McGrath smiled. "I used to. But I got rid of my Hadouken once I realized that it didn't fit well with my style and I haven't used it in nearly fifteen years. I developed another energy projectile later, but I got rid of that, too. Still, if you want a demonstration ... I used to practice throwing a thousand of these a day, until I could hit a feather a thousand times and keep it in the air the whole time. Took me five years to get it right, and by then I'd decided that I'd never use it." So saying, McGrath backed up to the same mark that Ryu and the others had stood at, then focused on the third target. He tilted his head to one side, as if studying the wooden board. "Besides, who am I to resist showing off when beautiful women are watching?" Samantha rolled her eyes.
Quickly and efficiently, his right hand shot forward and his fingers unfurled. Nothing visible emerged, but the wood gave way with a crack; he repeated this four more times, then stood up. Ryu felt his jaw drop at he looked at the target. Whereas he and Charlie and Sagat had littered the target with a number of scorch marks all bunched close to the center, McGrath's wooden board showed just one big, ragged hole where the bullseye over the heart should have been. Sakura's eyes bulged. Zero refused to believe what his optical scanners told him.
"I love that move," Blake Wallis confided. "It's an invisible projectile, alright. Travels fast as hell, though, and it hits like a runaway train if you're in hand-to-hand range. I still can't seem to get the hang of it."
McGrath simply shrugged. "Like I say, projectiles became obsolete in my fighting style, so I don't use them anymore. You won't find a projectile anywhere in my official movelist that the tournament organizers released."
"Speaking of your movelist, I meant to ask you earlier," Sakura began. "About that move marked with questions: what is it?"
"Ah ... I'm sorry, but I'd rather not say," McGrath replied, ducking his head.
"Aw, come on, why not?" Sakura persisted. McGrath shook his head as he and Sakura rejoined the others watching from the side.
"Because it's my forbidden technique," McGrath finally replied, apparently deciding that he'd share it after all. "I developed my final and ultimate technique in order to counter the Shun Goku Satsu," McGrath continued, sipping from a bottle of water as he did so. "Unlike Gouken and Akuma, I never did learn the Shun Goku Satsu. I did, however, learn how it operates. I spent years refining a technique to counter the Shun Goku Satsu. Well, perhaps counter is the wrong word. More like my technique is an answer to the Satsu. But I cannot use the attack unless I sacrifice my own life to fuel its power. That is why no one has ever seen it, and it is unlikely that anyone will."
"Oh yeah?" Kirina asked. "What did you name that technique, anyway?"
"That's for me to know," McGrath answered quietly. "I wish you hadn't brought the subject up, Sakura. That move is my technique of last resort, to be used only if everything else, including Revenge, has already failed. I've a sneaking suspicion that it already has somebody's name written on it. I still haven't perfected the move, but once I do, I seriously doubt that even inhuman foes like Dadallent or Gill would be able to withstand it. You ought to see their tricks; Dadallent has a very mean one."
"Ah, then you found his hidden technique," Ryu stated.
"Yes," McGrath replied. "He could execute it, of course, and then even if I survived the attack itself I wouldn't last for three minutes afterwards. But ... he doesn't want to kill me. For five years I've been his best opponent; it would be a shame to throw that away so easily, wouldn't it? He wants to defeat me in a fair fight. Once he has, he'll come for the rest of you." McGrath chuckled. "Dadallent is still that rarest of fighting types: the true warrior. I disagree with the way he kills his opponents, but I respect his skill nonetheless. Perhaps, when all this has ended, we may fight one last time."
"You sound like you're enjoying the thought," Charlie said sourly. "I wasn't around, of course, but I've heard that he's a total bastard to fight against. Supposedly he can kill people with a single barehanded strike. And no one has ever seen him use his short sword before."
"It's a very special weapon," Regina chipped in. "I recognize it - it's the Psychisaber. Psychisaber is a peculiar weapon in that it binds the soul of its user, and then the blade and the warrior protect each other. The sword is indestructible; it was forged by the gods long ago, from metal extracted from the heart of a star and then tempered by immortal blood. Even among divine weapons, Psychisaber ranks as a very powerful blade. It belonged to my sister, but she lost it at the end of her war against Eldrin. I had no idea that Dadallent possessed it."
"Is Psychisaber one of those bloodthirsty swords that forces its user to kill people?" Kirina asked.
"You've been reading too many novels lately," Sakura muttered.
Regina shook her head firmly. "No. Regardless of how powerful it is, a weapon can only show the heart of its wielder. No more and no less. Dadallent's heart is filled with resolve, but there is also indescribable anguish and torment. He is waiting for someone to end his suffering. Psychisaber really is a beautiful weapon, though."
"Don't say that, Regina," McGrath advised. "There's no such thing as a 'beautiful' weapon. Weapons are made for only one purpose, without which we'd doubtlessly enjoy happier lives."
"All this philosophizing is great and all," Blake interrupted, "but I'm starving. Just ran a couple of miles."
"Oh, I made lunch for everyone!" Regina exclaimed with a happy smile. "You all said that you enjoyed the meals I made, so I took extra care to prepare something that everyone likes. Please join me in the dining hall, there's plenty for everyone."
"A word with you, doctor?" Ryu requested as the others filed away. Blake paused to recover the targets.
"Yes?"
"About Karin and Ibuki ... and the Darkstalkers, come to think of it. Any new information on them?"
McGrath paused as he swung open the door that led back to the hotel. "Unfortunately, no. The girls could be around the world by now. I've asked the field marshal to issue a global search notice, but ... to be honest, I doubt that we'll see them again short of some miracle. Same goes for the Darkstalkers, no one has seen them. Regina, Commando, Gill, and I are completely out of leads. All we can do for them now is ... pray."
Author's Notes: You may have noticed that the rating for this fanfic has been bumped up to PG-13, due to the events portrayed in the last chapter. Also, at this time the tournament bracket on my website has received a much-needed update. Special thanks to Chan, the only person so far who has bothered to send in a tournament entry.
Osaka, Japan
Two hours have passed
Light ... coming towards her ... forcing an eye open, Maki tried to read her situation. Her perception of gravity was awkward and she suffered from a faint sense of vertigo. She was lying on something soft and comfortable, but she could not feel her legs. Her vision blurred and swam. How had she ended up like this ...? It hurt to try and remember, but there had been a fight ... yes, a fight ... she'd been in many of those. A dark spot passed over her eyes, a person, but she could not discern who it was. She heard, as though from a great distance, the voice of Mike Haggar. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Maki."
It took a great deal of effort to pry her lips open. "Where ... am ... I ...?" Maki croaked weakly.
"You're in a hospital in Osaka," Haggar informed her. "Cody's here too; you were both pretty badly beaten in that fight you just had."
"That fight we ..." And then it all came rushing back in a blur, the intensity of the match against the Phantom Strike Force ... the rain of daggers sent flying at her ... "Did we ... win ...?" Maki asked, shutting her eyes again.
"No," another voice replied. Guy's, Maki realized after a moment of hard and painful thought. "We lost in the end, though I didn't see it either. I regained consciousness even before we returned to Osaka, though. I've had plenty of time to watch the recordings as well as speak with Jedah and Gill. I'll tell you this much, I didn't like what I saw or heard."
"Where's ... Cody ...?"
"Right next to you." When Maki slitted an eye open, Guy indicated a bunk to her right. "Cody was knocked out pretty cleanly by the EXTREME Mayhem Rampage," Guy informed her. "I say it serves him right. He groped Samantha during the fight and she beat the tar out of him for it." Guy's tone implied that had Samantha not done it while he was still unconscious, Guy himself would have served Cody similarly. "Look, I probably shouldn't have said that. Get some rest, Maki - you and Cody are both in pretty bad shape."
Let me help.
"Hmm?" Midway in the act of standing up, Guy turned and looked around before addressing his injured teammate. "Did you say something, Maki?" Yet even as he asked, he realized that it couldn't have been her. The voice was different. Haggar also peered in every which direction. The answer came to them again in that whispered voice that seemed to originate from empty air itself. Guy found the notion oddly disconcerting.
Go with my blessing.
Guy was about to pose a question to the unseen voice when something else distracted him. Right before his incredulous eyes, Maki's body began to take on a faint golden glow; glancing to the right, Guy confirmed that Cody was also glowing. It crescendoed to an intensity that threatened to blot out the fluorescent lights overhead, at the same time emitting a warm and welcome aura. Then as quickly as it had emerged, the light faded away into complete oblivion. Maki stirred and sat upright, feeling about herself for a moment before springing out of the cot. Cody did likewise.
"Completely healed ..." Guy mused, more to himself than anyone else, taking in Maki and Cody with a single quick glance. "Incredible ..." Then, speaking into the empty air, "Thank you, Marin."
My pleasure.
A soft knock sounded on the door of the hospital room; Guy and Haggar simultaneously called, "Come in!" The door slid open and Lloyd Cunningham walked inside, followed by Blake and Samantha. Ernest McGrath brought up the rear and quietly shut the door behind himself. The IDC soldiers certainly didn't look injured; while Guy had been expected a number of nasty wounds on Samantha, she showed nothing of the sort. Glancing to the side, Guy noticed that Cody's eyes had narrowed and the Bushin warrior did not like what he saw.
"I came to apologize to Maki," Lloyd said after a brief pause. "What I did was not acceptable under any circumstance. Will you accept my apology?"
"Apology accepted," Maki replied graciously. "You fought well, Lloyd."
"Thank you."
Unfortunately, the peace was broken almost before it had become established. "I think someone on your side also owes us an apology," Blake Wallis stated.
"Blake ..." McGrath began warningly.
"Yeah, so I do owe it to you," Cody spat, shrugging his shoulders as if he could care less. "What I did was nothing compared to the way you nearly killed Maki. I'm not sorry for what I did, and you can't make me feel that way. Given the exact same circumstances, I'd go and do it again." Blake bristled and lunged towards Cody, but McGrath caught his shoulders and held him back quite firmly. Cody sneered at the hot-tempered Phantom.
"I apologize on his behalf," Guy said to Samantha.
"Whatever," Cody interrupted. "She ought to be thanking me that I didn't kill her on the spot."
Blake strained hard against McGrath's hold, muttering curses under his breath. Even Lloyd had reached into his large overcoat, probably searching for more Sparrow daggers. Fortunately, the cooler heads prevailed. "You are very considerate, Guy," Samantha said quietly, "but it appears that we have overextended our welcome. We are returning to the hotel for dinner, please join us there at your earliest convenience." She nodded respectfully to Guy and extended her hand; he shook firmly. Samantha turned around and strode out, her soft velvet boots making no sound on the tiled floor. Lloyd and McGrath followed with Blake bringing up the rear.
He paused in the doorway. "Cody, just for your information, you're going to die a terrible and spectacular death one day. I just hope that I'm there to cause it." So saying, Blake Wallis stormed out of the room.
"Bring it on anytime, newb!" Cody called after him. "You think I'm afraid of a pushover like you?! Ha!"
"Cody," Haggar growled, "we're going to have a long talk, just the four of us."
"That son of a -!" Blake fumed as he rejoined his fellow soldiers. McGrath and Lloyd had somehow managed to produce umbrellas from somewhere. Together they left the hospital and turned down one of Osaka's busy streets, aiming for the hotel two blocks distant. It was well nigh impossible to see anything in the downpour. "Some people push me the wrong way, but that guy ... I want to assassinate him tonight. Preferably by tearing his throat out and letting him bleed to death. Well?" he demanded. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Apologies can't be forced, Blake," McGrath replied from the head of the group as they stopped in front of a traffic light. "You ought to know that better than any of us."
"Like hell they can't!" Blake exploded. "For heaven's sakes, doc, that man sexually assaulted your wife and you're not going to do a thing about it? I cannot believe that I'm hearing this from you!"
"You're right, I won't lift a finger, but that's because I don't have to. I trust Samantha's judgment in this matter. She can fight for her own honor and if she wants my help she'll certainly ask for it, right?" McGrath turned around and looked at Blake. "I have faith in my wife, that's why I didn't interfere."
"Thank you, Ernest." Samantha smiled.
They made it back to the hotel without any further words, Blake still thinking dark thoughts about what he wanted to do to Cody. "Hmm, what's that smell?" McGrath asked at the entrance. "It smells delicious."
"Oh, hey, doctor, you're just in time." Ken Masters swaggered up to the group dressed in his finest tuxedo, a white and red outfit that set even Samantha's heart a flutter. "Come on in, you won't believe this!" They walked into the dining hall together and McGrath took in the scene with one glance. The center of the room had been cleared of its usual clutter and a pair of enormous semicircular tables brought in. These tables were placed so as to allow two feet's worth of separation between their straight sides. A number of dishes had been piled on both tables and it was this aroma that had attracted McGrath's attention. On a conservative estimate, at least fifty people could be seated. Most of the seats had already been taken by various people. Then someone caught sight of the Phantoms and in a moment both tables had burst into applause. Samantha curtseyed gracefully.
"Let's hear it for the Phantoms!" Sagat cheered.
"Congratulations on your victory," Ken offered as he took a seat next to Samantha, McGrath seated on her other side, Blake and Lloyd further down the line. From the other table, Cammy and Juni held up a sign with the words EXTREMEize him again! written in bold, black letters. Blake and Lloyd had to endure much backslapping from the others. "Well, now that we're all here," Ken began, "will the most recent victors say grace?"
Samantha stood, blushing slightly. "Before I do so, may I ask who prepared all of this?"
"I did." Turning around, Samantha saw Regina enter into the dining hall brushing off her apron. The goddess removed and folded it in one smooth, fluid motion. "It took a whole day, but I hope that you enjoy it. By all means." So saying, Regina seated herself next to Ken Masters with a sweet smile. There was indeed enough spread out to fill both tables: sushi, sashimi, roasted beef, dressed quail, salad, kisu, and much more besides.
"Then I propose that we drink to Regina's health," Samantha announced, raising her own glass. "Thank you for your meticulous effort on our behalf," Samantha addressed Regina. "May you enjoy our company as much as we do yours!" She drained the glass in one long draught and the others followed suit. Chan and Kirina, both too young to have had much alcohol, choked on their drinks.
Blake dug in with reckless abandon, attempting to balance stuffing his face against a conversation with Strider and Commando. Kikoken flirted with Mason Storm on her right, who in turned flirted with Jill Valentine on his right. On the other side of the table, Ryu had challenged Bison to an eating contest and was already losing rapidly. McGrath, Lloyd, and Samantha conversed quietly; the absence of the Final Fight team was a marked one. Dadallent and Rose were also absent. The latter had been gone for nearly a week, having said something about returning to Genoa to consult her books. As for the Chaos Prince, no one had seen him after the incident at the mall. "I wish that the Dragons didn't have to go," McGrath said, scrutinizing a slice of meat. "Karin and Ibuki, too ... they would've enjoyed this. It's quite delicious, Regina."
"Thank you, doctor," Regina replied, bowing slightly. "It's kind of you to say so."
"You really spent a day preparing this?" Ken Masters asked, raising a chopstickful of sashimi to his mouth. "Must've been awfully dull. But it tastes wonderful - I wish Eliza could cook like you do. Mmm ... sorry, we must sound like a collection of broken records, saying the same things over and over again."
"It is precisely to hear you say this that I took so long preparing the food," Regina answered softly. "I believed that, if I did this with all my heart and stirred my love into the ingredients, it would show come dinnertime. Everyone here is a friend of mine, and I hope you can all feel my love through my labor." Regina smiled sweetly as she said this last sentence.
Heh, you're so sweet, Regina, Ken Masters thought to himself. That's why you get along with everyone, even the truly despicable types. I'd love to spend an evening all alone with you. But ... He glanced around the table and frowned, lost in thought. Ken rested a hand on his cheek and leaned on the table, staring at nothing in particular.
"Hey, Ken!" Ryu called.
But unless I can get you away by myself, I'm never gonna get anywhere with this. Heh, Eliza doesn't have to know, right?
"Hello?" Ryu waved a hand, before standing up and coming over to Ken's side of the table. "Earth to Ken!"
That also poses problems, though. Thing is, Regina, you're such a friendly person that you'd think nothing of inviting half a dozen people along. But that's not what I'm aiming for.
"Completely spaced out ... you gonna eat that or not?" Ryu asked.
We'll have to dupe Gill, of course. Yes, that's how I'll do it. I'll catch you alone late at night and say that I have two tickets to a movie theater. You won't refuse, of course. That's just the kind of person that you are.
"I'll finish this for you, buddy," Ryu said, reaching down and taking Ken's bowl.
And then, when we're alone in the movie theater ... that's the time to build up the atmosphere. Then I'll take you out to a park, and we'll sit and talk. One thing will lead to another. We'll start by holding hands, you'll lean your head on my shoulder, then you'll give me a kiss, and before you know it -
"What's this about a kiss?" Ryu asked.
Ken nearly jumped out of his seat. "Waah! Er, um ... I mean, this kisu tastes great with the ... huh, where'd it all go?"
Ryu rapped the back of Ken's head. "Fool! I asked you if you intended to finish it, but you were lost in space and didn't say a word, so I took the liberty of eating it for you."
"Oh ..."
"Not to worry, I'll fix something else up!" Regina said cheerfully. She stood up and disappeared back into the kitchen before Ken could object. Ryu took the seat that Regina had vacated. To his dismay, Ken noticed that most of the food had already disappeared. Apparently Ryu had decided earlier to concede the contest to Bison, as most of the table had gone over to congratulate the grinning dictator of Shadowlaw.
"Have you kissed Regina?" Samantha McGrath asked from Ken's left.
"Waah, how'd you know?!" Ken wailed. Then, in a softer and lamer voice, he added, "Well, I'm working on it."
"Keep working, buddy, and I'm sure you'll get somewhere." Ryu winked at Ken. "Though it may backfire if Eliza finds out."
"Yeah, and I've almost run out of excuses," Ken said, shuddering at the notion. "What do I do?" Samantha leaned over and whispered into Ken's left ear for about two minutes, Ken nodding occasionally. "If you say so," Ken said doubtfully as Regina reappeared from the kitchen. Ryu stood up.
"Here you go!" All smiles, Regina set a platter of grilled fish and kisu in front of Ken. Let alone the aroma, the mere sight of it made Ken's stomach inflate with anticipation. "I saved some just in case. Please enjoy it."
"Well, I'm finished here." McGrath pushed himself back from the table and stood up. "Gouken, Zeku, and I will be doing some form work in two hours. Feel free to join us. Where should I take these?" He held up his bowl and chopsticks, as well as an empty plate. Regina told him to leave it. McGrath nodded politely, said thanks again, and strode out of the dining room followed closely by his wife. Samantha really is beautiful, Ken thought wistfully to himself. This stinks. Surrounded by beautiful women and I can't have any of them. Well, time to see if Samantha's little hints work.
He took his time eating until everyone else had left and it was just him and Regina. He leaned back into the chair and sighed in contentment. "Never had a better meal in my life! Regina, you're a stellar cook."
"You really think so?" Regina asked, breaking into a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Ken."
Okay, now the hard part, Ken thought to himself. What the heck am I doing anyway? Regina's a goddess, for crying out loud! Still ... she's also a woman, and she did say that she loves me. Beside Ken, Regina hummed a song to herself as she began gathering up the leftover dishes. "Did something good happen to you today, Ken?" she asked after a moment.
"Waah! Uh, Regina ... did you read my mind or something?"
"I can, if I concentrate." Regina looked up from scrubbing the table; Ryu and his daughter were apparently both messy eaters. "But that's only if I concentrate. And besides, I respect your privacy. Normally all I see is your aura. You're emitting a passionate one right now," she added with a bright smile. "So naturally I was curious as to what had made you so excited."
"Erm, Regina?"
"Yes?" She smiled, eyes wide and happy.
"Well, uh, you said that you're a friend of everyone here. So, uh ..." Ken stammered. Mentally he berated himself; he didn't remember Samantha's hints working along these lines. "I think that, uh, maybe we ought to, you know ... get to know each other more? Maybe we should make things clear?" He was sweating profusely now. "I mean, if you don't want to, then that's fine, too, b-but ... ah, if you say no ..."
Hmm? Regina looked closely at Ken. His aura is very strong right now. It's a happy one, yes, but also quite nervous ...
"... If you say no, um, I understand, but all the same ..."
His skin is flushed and he's perspiring heavily. Regina studied him with both eyes, a look of concern appearing on her delicate features. His body temperature is above what is normal for a human. His heart is racing, too ... there's something stirring in his blood, that's certain - oh no! Don't tell me ... he's fallen in love with me?! Regina locked her eyes on Ken's and concentrated, hard.
"... So, uh, I was wondering if ..."
"I'm sorry, Ken." Regina folded her hands in front of her skirt and averted her eyes from Ken's. "I know how you feel towards me, but I - I just can't. Marriage is a sacred union, and as a goddess I know that I should respect your unique relationship with your soulmate. How could I betray your wife like this? I ... I apologize ... for my weakness ..." she stammered. Ken was about to ask Regina what she meant, but the goddess ran out of the room hiding her face in her hands. Bewildered, he could only stare at the space where she'd been a moment ago. The dining room doors banged against each other hollowly as Regina fled deeper into the hotel.
"Eh, Regina? What's wrong!" Glancing up from a newspaper, Captain Commando called to Regina as she ran by him.
She skidded to a halt and turned around, tears in her eyes. "I - It was awful, Captain! I ... I think I nearly caused Ken to ... to ..."
"Tell me about it," Commando invited.
Inside, Ken sighed and stared at the table in frustration. "Drat! And to think that I would've settled for a kiss on the cheek!"
Osaka, Japan
Two days have passed.
"Don't slack off now, guys, you're doing great!" With a friendly wave, Ernest McGrath flipped a thumbs up to Sakura Kasugano, Darrell Markis, Scott Wagner, and Kirina Houshi. "C'mon, lemme see more of that burning spirit!"
"Easy for you to say," Darrell muttered. Between the three of them, McGrath, Zero, and Sagat were laying a complete beatdown on the four friends. On one side of the outdoor gym Ryu, Charlie, and Samantha watched with either idle curiosity or more than passing interest. From the other side, Regina also watched, eyes full of concern. She'd already healed injuries in all of the fighters earlier.
"Stop." Sakura held up a hand, leaning over and gasping for breath. From the sidelines Ryu muttered despairingly about the youths' lack of endurance. "That's ... quite enough ... for a day ..." She staggered off for the water that Regina had thoughtfully brought out earlier. Darrell and Scott deferred to the women.
"You know, meeting force with force usually isn't the best way to take a fight," McGrath advised as the four of them drank greedily. Earlier Sakura and Darrell had double-teamed him with a raging fireball combination, something that he'd merely sidestepped. Fortunately Regina had responded quickly enough to dissipate it before it could hit the hotel building. "If you see an energy ball come flying at you, block it if you want. But I personally suggest that you get out of the way. Second thing: there's a little test that I want to run. Blake, you bring the targets?"
"Yup, they're all right here." Blake Wallis appeared from the hotel building dragging a trio of wooden bullseyes with him. "Though I still maintain that we ought to use one of those slackers," and here he nodded at the people watching from the sides, "as target practice." Each bullseye was a slat of wood with the silhouette of a person painted on it in heavy black ink. A number of expanding rings painted in various colors denoted the scoring system. On the uncolored portion outside of the outline, Blake had written "Hit me and you're a complete n00b."
"Suggestion noted and denied. Here, I'll help you out." Together McGrath and Blake set the targets upright on the far end of the gym. The asphalt was still wet from the downpour two days prior. "Alright, here's the drill. All three of you have sheer power - I've watched that Yugure Hadouken, Darrell, and believe me when I say I don't want to see it directed at me - but how much precision do you have? See this line? It's exactly twenty meters' distance from the targets. Sakura, Darrell, Kirina, take the leftmost target and Hadouken it, five shots each." McGrath indicated the target with his thumb.
"This is shameful," Ryu commented as he watched the stream of fireballs racing by. Zero folded his arms.
"Well ... dang ..." Darrell swore. He'd hit the shoulder once and landed another Hadouken outside of the silhouette, but the rest of his projectiles had missed completely. Sakura, to his left, hadn't fared any better, nor had Kirina.
McGrath chuckled. "That's not bad, actually. You ought to see me when I first started training with rifles; my instructors were glad enough to see me shooting in the right direction. Sagat! Ryu! Charlie! Five shots each, take the middle target and show these newbs how it's done! Fifty meter spread."
"My pleasure," Sagat rumbled. He, Charlie, and Ryu backed up to the fifty meter mark, about halfway across the gym, and let loose with a barrage of shots. "Tiger! Hadouken! Sonic Boom!" They gripped hands once finished. Scott and Darrell both whistled with admiration; the three veterans had both peppered the bullseye with a number of scorch marks, red for Ryu's Hadoukens, black for Sagat's Tiger blasts, blue for Charlie's Sonic Booms. Ryu seemed to be best by a slight margin.
"Let that be a demonstration to you," McGrath spoke. "The mark of a fighter's prowess isn't raw power. It's precision. Like Goutetsu used to tell Gouken, Akuma, and myself, 'Skill over strength, spirit over skill.' You all have power - there's no denying that - now learn how to direct it and you'll become truly strong."
"I haven't seen you throw any projectiles!" Ryu heckled good-naturedly.
McGrath smiled. "I used to. But I got rid of my Hadouken once I realized that it didn't fit well with my style and I haven't used it in nearly fifteen years. I developed another energy projectile later, but I got rid of that, too. Still, if you want a demonstration ... I used to practice throwing a thousand of these a day, until I could hit a feather a thousand times and keep it in the air the whole time. Took me five years to get it right, and by then I'd decided that I'd never use it." So saying, McGrath backed up to the same mark that Ryu and the others had stood at, then focused on the third target. He tilted his head to one side, as if studying the wooden board. "Besides, who am I to resist showing off when beautiful women are watching?" Samantha rolled her eyes.
Quickly and efficiently, his right hand shot forward and his fingers unfurled. Nothing visible emerged, but the wood gave way with a crack; he repeated this four more times, then stood up. Ryu felt his jaw drop at he looked at the target. Whereas he and Charlie and Sagat had littered the target with a number of scorch marks all bunched close to the center, McGrath's wooden board showed just one big, ragged hole where the bullseye over the heart should have been. Sakura's eyes bulged. Zero refused to believe what his optical scanners told him.
"I love that move," Blake Wallis confided. "It's an invisible projectile, alright. Travels fast as hell, though, and it hits like a runaway train if you're in hand-to-hand range. I still can't seem to get the hang of it."
McGrath simply shrugged. "Like I say, projectiles became obsolete in my fighting style, so I don't use them anymore. You won't find a projectile anywhere in my official movelist that the tournament organizers released."
"Speaking of your movelist, I meant to ask you earlier," Sakura began. "About that move marked with questions: what is it?"
"Ah ... I'm sorry, but I'd rather not say," McGrath replied, ducking his head.
"Aw, come on, why not?" Sakura persisted. McGrath shook his head as he and Sakura rejoined the others watching from the side.
"Because it's my forbidden technique," McGrath finally replied, apparently deciding that he'd share it after all. "I developed my final and ultimate technique in order to counter the Shun Goku Satsu," McGrath continued, sipping from a bottle of water as he did so. "Unlike Gouken and Akuma, I never did learn the Shun Goku Satsu. I did, however, learn how it operates. I spent years refining a technique to counter the Shun Goku Satsu. Well, perhaps counter is the wrong word. More like my technique is an answer to the Satsu. But I cannot use the attack unless I sacrifice my own life to fuel its power. That is why no one has ever seen it, and it is unlikely that anyone will."
"Oh yeah?" Kirina asked. "What did you name that technique, anyway?"
"That's for me to know," McGrath answered quietly. "I wish you hadn't brought the subject up, Sakura. That move is my technique of last resort, to be used only if everything else, including Revenge, has already failed. I've a sneaking suspicion that it already has somebody's name written on it. I still haven't perfected the move, but once I do, I seriously doubt that even inhuman foes like Dadallent or Gill would be able to withstand it. You ought to see their tricks; Dadallent has a very mean one."
"Ah, then you found his hidden technique," Ryu stated.
"Yes," McGrath replied. "He could execute it, of course, and then even if I survived the attack itself I wouldn't last for three minutes afterwards. But ... he doesn't want to kill me. For five years I've been his best opponent; it would be a shame to throw that away so easily, wouldn't it? He wants to defeat me in a fair fight. Once he has, he'll come for the rest of you." McGrath chuckled. "Dadallent is still that rarest of fighting types: the true warrior. I disagree with the way he kills his opponents, but I respect his skill nonetheless. Perhaps, when all this has ended, we may fight one last time."
"You sound like you're enjoying the thought," Charlie said sourly. "I wasn't around, of course, but I've heard that he's a total bastard to fight against. Supposedly he can kill people with a single barehanded strike. And no one has ever seen him use his short sword before."
"It's a very special weapon," Regina chipped in. "I recognize it - it's the Psychisaber. Psychisaber is a peculiar weapon in that it binds the soul of its user, and then the blade and the warrior protect each other. The sword is indestructible; it was forged by the gods long ago, from metal extracted from the heart of a star and then tempered by immortal blood. Even among divine weapons, Psychisaber ranks as a very powerful blade. It belonged to my sister, but she lost it at the end of her war against Eldrin. I had no idea that Dadallent possessed it."
"Is Psychisaber one of those bloodthirsty swords that forces its user to kill people?" Kirina asked.
"You've been reading too many novels lately," Sakura muttered.
Regina shook her head firmly. "No. Regardless of how powerful it is, a weapon can only show the heart of its wielder. No more and no less. Dadallent's heart is filled with resolve, but there is also indescribable anguish and torment. He is waiting for someone to end his suffering. Psychisaber really is a beautiful weapon, though."
"Don't say that, Regina," McGrath advised. "There's no such thing as a 'beautiful' weapon. Weapons are made for only one purpose, without which we'd doubtlessly enjoy happier lives."
"All this philosophizing is great and all," Blake interrupted, "but I'm starving. Just ran a couple of miles."
"Oh, I made lunch for everyone!" Regina exclaimed with a happy smile. "You all said that you enjoyed the meals I made, so I took extra care to prepare something that everyone likes. Please join me in the dining hall, there's plenty for everyone."
"A word with you, doctor?" Ryu requested as the others filed away. Blake paused to recover the targets.
"Yes?"
"About Karin and Ibuki ... and the Darkstalkers, come to think of it. Any new information on them?"
McGrath paused as he swung open the door that led back to the hotel. "Unfortunately, no. The girls could be around the world by now. I've asked the field marshal to issue a global search notice, but ... to be honest, I doubt that we'll see them again short of some miracle. Same goes for the Darkstalkers, no one has seen them. Regina, Commando, Gill, and I are completely out of leads. All we can do for them now is ... pray."