Match II-III: World Warrior Team vs. Lords of Shadowlaw
Author's Notes: Tournament bracket's been updated again to reflect all the changes that have occurred.
Chan Yoruyamatiha: I'm glad that the story managed to affect you so deeply, since it means that I'm doing my job as an author effectively. However, you usually look pretty stupid to begin with. Just kidding, just kidding!
Black Forest, Germany
Two days have passed
"Ya think he'll make us sit this fight out, too?" Balrog asked his teammate Vega as the two of them strode into a clearing in the forest. The Black Forest of Germany was so named for the heavy pall of enchantment that rested upon its every leaf. As forests go, it was not a particularly thick one. The battleground had been marked out in a large clearing, but grass and the occasional pine cone still appeared abundantly underfoot. Replacement camera crews worked on the sidelines, and with Alia out of commission Jin Saotome had appeared to act as the roving correspondent. On the other side of the field, Ryu, Sagat, and Kirina were deep in discussion.
Vega shrugged indifferently. "We could've stayed in bed for the last fight. Let's see what the boss has planned for us today."
Bison was waiting for them at their end of the battlefield, shrouded in his big cape and studying the other team with cold, glittering eyes. Vega and Balrog saluted respectfully; a long silence ensued, until Bison finally said, "I have decided on the order. Vega, you start. Balrog comes next and I'll bat cleanup." So saying, Bison threw his billowing cape behind and stalked off to speak with Jin. As his footsteps receded, Vega and Balrog were left looking at each other (the sight offended Vega's aesthetic sense).
"Bat cleanup? I don't understand," Vega said, and Balrog had to explain the term. Vega shrugged and stretched. Then he brightened and added, "But, we did manage to kidnap that Kikoken girl after the funeral ended. Caught her right as she was getting off the airplane. Bison's going to drain her power and then she'll be mine - all mine!" He rubbed his hands in glee.
"I heard about the op," Balrog answered. "Nice job your boys pulled, nabbing the girl at the airport." He and Vega shared a heartless laugh before the former pulled away to walk to the center of the battlefield, where his opponent was waiting for him. Balrog took his place on the sidelines by M. Bison.
Far away in Osaka, Kyosuke Kagami wetted his lips and pasted a smile onto his face as the cameras began to roll. "Good evening, everybody, and welcome back to Osaka Dome where today's World Collision match is set to begin! We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the last match; according to IDC reports, after the equipment was knocked out Ruby Heart's ship actually capsized. Most of our camera crews were lost, as was our battlefield reporter Alia. My colleague Jin Saotome will be substituting for her for the remainder of the matches.
"Also at this time I have grim news to report. Single entry Ernest McGrath was attacked upon the battlefield by none other than Akuma," and Akuma's image appeared on the holoprojector with a list of his vital statistics and background. "From all reports, the battle lasted over an hour and ended with the two of them sinking together into the Atlantic. No record of the battle itself exists, but multiple contestants present at the battle give reports that are in agreement. With McGrath's elimination, the Phantoms are proceeding directly to the next round. This is a truly tragic development for the tournament although the contestants are bearing the misfortune remarkably well. Today's match is hosted in the Black Forest of Germany. Let's head over to Jin; Jin, how's everything holding up in Germany?"
"Excellent!" Jin screamed back; his voice blasted through the stadium's massive speakers and nearly deafened Kyosuke. Jin thrust himself right into the camera and his contorted face continued to shout as it filled the entire holoprojector. Nearby technicians scrambled to diminish the volume control. "This match is what I'm talking about! Bison against Ryu! Kirina against Vega! The whole lot!"
"Uh, okay, thanks, Jin," Kyosuke replied as he rubbed his ears. "There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Today's match features two strong teams, the World Warrior Team facing off against the Lords of Shadowlaw. On the World Warrior side, the lineup is Sagat, Kirina, and finally Ryu, in that order. On the Shadowlaw side, the lineup looks to be Vega, Balrog, and Bison finishing the roster. Let's take a closer look at the field where the match is about to begin ..."
As Ryu and Kirina stretched along the side of the field, Sagat stared down from his impressive height at Vega. "It's been forever," he rumbled.
"True," Vega agreed casually, "and nothing has changed."
"I have learned much in ten years, have you?"
"Of course!" Vega exclaimed. "Strength, beauty, skill, beauty, speed, beauty, style, beauty, wit, beauty, modesty, beauty - I know for a certainty that I have no equal in any of these traits. Oh, and don't forget beauty." From the Shadowlaw side of the field, Balrog suddenly coughed continuously and an attentive listener could hear the word "fag" repeated.
"I'm talking to a wall," Sagat muttered. "You haven't changed a bit ..."
Begin!
The bright light flashed and Vega, whose eyes were better shielded, lunged forward with a claw swipe. Sagat instinctively dodged to the right and the Spanish fighter's claws raked through empty space. Then the Muay Thai fighter was striking back, rushing forward with a heavy knee strike. This move caught Vega right underneath the chin with a glancing blow, enough to stuff the next attack but not quite sufficient to deal out any lasting damage. Vega rolled along the ground and unfurled, intending to sweep away Sagat's ankles, only that the Muay Thai fighter was no longer there. Sagat dodged to the side and Kirina flew through the space he cleared with a Sniping Arrow. This Vega managed to dodge, at the cost of losing his offensive opportunities as Sagat closed the distance down on him.
"I'd say that this matchup favors the World Warrior team," Kyosuke observed from his post in Osaka stadium. "If we could display the profiles, please?" On cue, the massive holoprojector blinked away from the ongoing battle to refocus on the biographies of the individual fighters. "On the World Warrior side, you have two strong fighters with a moderately skilled one sandwiched in between them. So far Kirina hasn't yet proved her worth on the team, but it's only been a single fight so far and we may yet see some unexpected surprises. On the other side of the matchup, M. Bison is the single strongest fighter in this tournament who is on a team. However, even he wouldn't stand much of a chance if he had to face the World Warriors alone - which, it seems like he'll try to do. And then there's the consideration that Vega and Kirina are roughly the same level in ability, while Balrog barely factors into the calculations at all. Also, as a team the World Warriors have so far showed much more coherent teamwork than Shadowlaw's practically nonexistent level of cooperation. Let's take a look in the field. Jin?"
"- and beating the stuffing out of Vega!" Jin was screaming.
Which he was. Sagat nailed Vega under the chin with a vicious Tiger Blow and sent the Spanish fighter careening off the side. Balrog entered belatedly for a rushing punch, but this Sagat stuffed with a high Tiger Shot that hit Balrog point-blank in the face. When Vega tried to clear some distance between himself and Sagat, the Muay Thai emperor chased him ruthlessly around the battlefield, at the same time using Kirina's assists to strategically lock down Vega's routes of escape. Farther back on the sidelines, Jin was dancing up and down in rage as Balrog nursed a bruised head and Bison yawned indifferently. Sagat finally caught up to Vega and planted a pair of solid kicks in his opponent's torso at the cost of a slash across his chest.
Staggering and fighting to maintain what little he had left, Vega could only retreat before his foe. When Sagat feinted to the right, Vega saw his opportunity and rushed in with claw gleaming, aiming a strike straight at Sagat's chest. He paid for his rashness a moment later when Sagat spun around in place, letting the swipe glide harmlessly off his back, and lunged with a number of spinning kicks that battered into Vega. Right as the Tiger Knee was about to go into its deadly ending kick, however, Sagat took advantage of the delayed combo rule and tagged out.
He was instantly replaced by Kirina, who continued the assault from before. "Fatal -!" she cried, and she laid into Vega with a series of powerful attacks. There was a particularly loud crack as Vega's ribs gave way under a massive blow. With that, Kirina rammed her back fist into Vega's stomach and he doubled over. Kirina followed the attack with a flying uppercut with her forward fist, shouting, "- Dragon Kiss!" At the height of her jump she halted and brought her leg around in a wide, sweeping arc, planting the heel firmly into Vega's stomach. The Spanish fighter crashed heavily into the ground and remained motionless.
Kirina landed lightly on the ground just as the required three-second delay ended and she stood up, bracing herself for the next opponent. Balrog charged in without any preliminaries and rushed Kirina with a powerful straight jab. As he covered the distance between himself and his opponent, he ran straight into Ryu's Hadouken, followed a moment later by Kirina's. Balrog shook his head clear - he hated projectiles - and signaled Bison for an assist. Bison, for his part, merely took off his cap and straightened out his hair. Kirina lashed out at Balrog with a low-lying kick which the boxer failed to anticipate and he was laid flat on the ground. Balrog was about to protest before remembering that in the World Collision tournament, there was no rule against under-the-belt blows.
Balrog rushed forward again, but this time Kirina had a different surprise in store for him. Though his initial punch missed, he managed to clip her with his elbow as he went past. Kirina lashed back with a jab that she linked into an elbow strike and then a crouching uppercut. As Balrog went off the ground, Kirina switched out and Ryu lunged in with a powerful jumping kick. Balrog again went spinning head over heels. Ryu followed the attack with a long-range Hadouken while calling in Sagat for an extra assist. Balrog also signaled Bison for an assist, but the lord of Shadowlaw simply straightened his collar.
Balrog closed in, more warily this time. He and Ryu traded half a dozen blows, then he seemed to find what he was looking for. Balrog suddenly rushed forward, covering the three meters between him and Ryu with surprising speed, at the same time yelling, "No escape!" Ryu went into a crouch and Balrog zoomed towards him, aiming the first in a deadly barrage of punches ...
... only that they never came out. As Balrog emerged practically atop Ryu, the latter came off the ground with devastating speed and unequaled power, his clenched fist ramming cruelly into Balrog's stomach with all the force of a hurricane. "Shin -!" The other fist came around as Ryu spun his entire body, putting all the force he could muster into the attack. Balrog's jaw broke cleanly under the impact of the attack. But that wasn't all; Ryu made a third and final spin, coming off the ground with a mighty soaring uppercut. "Shoryuken!" Balrog landed like a sack of grain, all the fight knocked out of him.
Bison entered with a sigh, shaking his head in disappointment. The old Bison might have trash-talked Ryu or gloated about seeing the latter endure a horrible demise, but this time Bison was all business. Nor was the matchup as one-sided as it might have been in the past. Last time the two had met, Bison had owned Ryu without even raising his heartbeat. But that was ten years ago; the current Bison was weaker and Ryu much stronger. Naturally the lord of Shadowlaw approached his opponent with considerable caution and the two old enemies circled each other warily.
Ryu moved first, launching a hop-kick at Bison. Bison knocked Ryu to the side and Ryu rolled away, coming up to stop a retaliatory kick with a swift Hadouken. Sagat launched an extra projectile from the sidelines, providing Ryu with effective cover fire as he fought with Bison. They traded another half dozen blows and Ryu landed a strong side kick as Bison rapped him hard under the chin with a Psycho Power enhanced swipe. When Ryu whiffed a Shoryuken, Bison warped slightly behind him and caught him as he came down. Sagat launched a Tiger Shot for cover, but Bison had Ryu by the shoulders and kicked out his forward leg. He then spun around and caught Ryu under the chin, hurling him backwards with a single mighty heave. Ryu crashed to the ground and grimaced; he hadn't known that Samantha McGrath wasn't the only fighter who could execute the Scissor leg throw.
Bison warped in, but Ryu took the opportunity to tag out with Sagat. The Muay Thai fighter blocked Bison's first Scissor Kick and signaled Kirina for an assist. When Bison dodged around the attack, Sagat swung around with a heavy kick. Bison took the attack but flipped and vaulted over Sagat's leg like a bar. Still, if Bison reacted quickly, so did Sagat; the emperor avoided a retaliatory stomp by jumping backwards and threw a swift kick. Bison blocked the attack, but only for a moment. Then he crouched, swept Sagat's leg aside, and hammered back at his opponent with a brutally swift Scissor Kick. "Alpha counter!" Jin raved. "Kick his ass, Bison!"
Sagat knocked Bison into the air with a powerful uppercut; without allowing his own feet to leave the ground, Sagat tagged out and Kirina jumped in. "Now the World Warrior team is really starting to press its advantage in numbers," Kyosuke drawled. "Bison could probably take any of them alone, but in a three-to-one fight he'll soon feel the heat. He's probably regretting how he expended his teammates so quickly. Seems like he's trying to play the same game with Kirina that he did with the Killer Bees, but Kirina is having none of it. Ooh, great counterattack by Kirina right as Bison came out of a warp. Here comes Bison with a flying head stomp - no, wait, countered by the Thrust Kick. Oh, midair recovery! Kirina is flat-footed - c'mon, recover - oh, and Kirina takes a Scissor Kick straight into the face! Ouch, she's gonna have the imprint of a boot on her cheeks after that one!"
Wiping away a trickle of blood from her mouth, Kirina smiled grimly at Bison. He's still as good as mother always said he was. I know I can't defeat him alone, only I'm not alone. One mistake, Bison - just one mistake, that's all I need. A moment later, Kirina's wish came true as Bison warped backwards and cupped his hands, forming a fireball in his palms. Kirina locked her palms together in a classic fireball stance, set her heels into the grass, and braced herself. "Let's do it!"
"I'm with you!" Ryu called as he leapt in behind her, locking his hands to the sides of Kirina's. Together they formed a four-handed arrangement that oddly resembled a flower petal.
"Here we go!" Sagat appeared behind Ryu and extended both arms, fists clenched and held tightly against the center palm array.
"Obliterate!" they cried together as a small but incredibly bright sphere formed out of their arms. It must have measured only three or four inches in diameter, yet it shone like a miniature sun, perhaps nearly as bright as the light that signaled the start of a battle. This sphere shot forward as though it had been fired from a cannon, swallowing up Bison's Psycho shot. The lord of Shadowlaw brought his arms into a blocking posture right as the attack connected. There was an enormous blast as though the earth itself had been shaken loose and the ground trembled, throwing cameras left and right. Kirina staggered and dropped back into Ryu's arms, while Ryu himself had to be braced by Sagat. When the smoke cleared, Bison was stretched out along a massive blackened crater, clearly unconscious.
Kyosuke whistled in amazement. "Did you see that, ladies and gentlemen?" he cried. "The World Warrior team knocked Bison out with a single attack! Absolutely incredible!"
Gill and Jedah held a hurried discussion, then strode over to where the three World Warriors were waiting. All three wore satisfied smiles, and Sagat was congratulating Kirina while Ryu fixed an amused gaze on Jin, who was practically pulling cartwheels on the sidelines. Jedah spoke first. "World Warrior team, strictly speaking, that last attack you used is prohibited under the rules. Please recall that only the tactical leader - in this case, Sagat - is allowed to initiate a team super attack. What you did was a violation of the rules."
"Which means?" a dismayed Kirina wanted to know.
"We are still counting this victory," Jedah replied. Before the team could cheer, however, Jedah forged ahead. "However, there will be a penalty imposed on your next match. For your next match, you will not be allowed to use normal assists. Remember, three violations of the rules will result in instant disqualification of your team." Jedah brought his hands out of his pockets and raised his voice for the cameras. "Well, now that we have resolved that distasteful business ... presenting the winners of Match II-III, the World Warrior team!"
Osaka, Japan
Four hours have passed
Cammy White and Captain Commando were seated over a chessboard when Ryu, Ken, and Gouken entered the lounge. Farther back in the corner, Kirina sat polishing her sword with a cloth. Regina hummed a tune to herself as she knitted together yet another sweater; Gill occupied another corner, reading a highly abstract book on theoretical physics. Commando looked up and was about to greet the newcomers, only the words died halfway out and he instead asked, "What happened?"
"Cody is missing," Ken Masters informed him grimly.
"Oh no!" Regina gasped as she dropped her needles with a clatter.
"When? What happened? When did you learn this?" Commando wanted to know.
Ken held up his hands defensively. "Lloyd says that he disappeared during our match. The IDC soldiers tagged his uniform with tracers, but they suddenly stopped responding during the match. The IDC is going over the surveillance now, but it's not good. Cody wasn't seen leaving the prison. There's a camera specially trained on his cell, but it was knocked out for half a minute and when it came back on the cell was completely empty." Ken shrugged. "Go figure."
"And Guy?" Cammy asked anxiously.
"He's working the case with a few agents that the IDC dispatched, but Guy is very harassed right now. Having to look for both Haggar and Cody, as well as trying to comfort Jessica ..." Ken plopped down on a couch. "On the flip side, we do have some good news. An IDC report just came in an hour ago - IDC commandos raided Shadowlaw's Thailand base and succeeded in disabling much of it, including the Psycho Drive. There were rumors that Kikoken had been kidnapped by Shadowlaw, but she wasn't at the base. The IDC is now sending in a regular field army to mop up what's left. About time, I say." Ken straightened and brushed his hair to the side.
"Speaking of which, where are the lords of Shadowlaw?" Cammy asked.
"Well, Vega's on his way back to Spain by now," Commando notified her. "I haven't heard a word about Balrog. Bison ... is still recovering in the hospital."
"Oh dear," Regina breathed. "I should go and heal him -"
"Don't trouble yourself," Cammy interrupted quickly. She tilted over her king. "I'm conceding the match to you, captain. I should visit Sir Bison before the day is out. If you'll excuse me ..." So saying, Cammy gathered her purse and gracefully exited the room.
When her footsteps had receded down the hall, Commando replaced the chessmen in their proper starting positions and looked at Ken. "Okay, you can spill it now."
"The situation's worse than I expected," Ken replied heavily. "I didn't want to worry Cammy, but captain, people are vanishing left and right. Not only is Cody gone, but so are Darrell Markis, Jill Valentine, Kenneth Feng, and Alex. Worse, all of their tracers stopped responding within a fifteen minute time frame, during the match. The BEAT squads assigned to look over them are either missing or can't remember anything that happened when their wards disappeared." Regina gasped in horror from the side. "You think this is a coincidence, captain?"
"Maybe I would if I believed in them," Commando answered. "Samantha turned over Dr. McGrath's investigation of the vanishings to me. At first I was convinced that Shadowlaw was kidnapping the contestants, but ..." Commando sighed. "McGrath's evidence points to no clear perpetrator. I've looked over all of his notes, but he never jotted down his suspicions. I can only look over the evidence and try to draw my own conclusions. All I remember is that prior to his match, he -" Commando's head snapped up. "Of course, he was talking to Sakura about the disappearances! Does anyone know where she is?"
Regina indicated the ceiling with her eyes. "She's in her room."
"I'll go fetch her," Ken offered.
"Try not to break the news about Darrell until we've had a chance to talk," Commando advised. "I'll be waiting for you in here. Let me go get McGrath's investigation notes first." They left the lounge, Ken going in one direction and Commando in another. Commando returned first, carrying five oversized binders in his hands and with an extra pen in his shirt pocket. "Okay," he announced, setting down the binders on a nearby table, "whenever he's ready."
Meanwhile, as Ken went to call on Sakura's room, Cammy stopped by the Osaka hospital and explained to the receptionist that she was here to see one of the patients. An attendant led her through bright, spit-polished corridors to Bison's room and left her inside alone with the patient. When the nurse had left, Cammy stared out of emotionless eyes at the still, unconscious form of M. Bison. He was still knocked out cold from the team-up attack that the World Warriors had used, his trademark Shadowlaw cap with its winged skull insignia placed on a tray by the bedside. There were no IVs attached to his body, but Bison looked quite battered regardless. His short black hair was in total disarray. It was easily apparent to any observer that he needed rest, and lots of it.
Cammy reached into her purse and brought out a small syringe. She attached a clear vial of liquid to it and slowly filled the needle with a small dose of her potion. Cammy replaced the vial into her purse, then carefully walked around the cot to stand beside Bison with the needle in hand. She sniffed quietly, but her voice was hard. "Sir Bison ... you were my hero. Juni, Juli, myself - everyone, in fact - we all adored you. But you turned on us and threw us away ... ordered us to kill ourselves. It's too late for regrets now. Goodbye, Sir Bison. It was fun while it lasted, but I hope you repent in the afterlife." Cammy held up the needle and passed it to her other hand as she gently lifted a corner of the blanket. It was really a simple solution to concoct, but it would cause a heart attack in Bison before dissolving away into his bloodstream.
Cammy located a good vein, but before she could place the needle her cell phone suddenly rang. Cursing profusely at the interruption, Cammy stowed her syringe on the nearby tabletop where it blended innocently enough with the other equipment. She then pulled out her phone and stepped into the next room connected to Bison's quarters. It was empty and Cammy answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hi, Cammy, this is Juni calling as usual," the voice on the other end replied. "It's noontime here in the States. How's it going over on your side?"
"A little busy, Juni," Cammy replied straightly. "Ken just reported that Cody had vanished. And you?"
"Hectic on my side." There was a short pause before Juni continued, "So Cody's gotten caught too, huh? I don't know exactly what happened, but the IDC just assigned a full team of BEATs to me an hour ago. They all look so tense. You want to talk with their captain, Cammy? No? Okay - hey, he's sleeping on the job! Get up, dude!" Through the phone, Cammy heard a sound that could only mean that Juni had kicked the offending person in question. "He must be really exhausted, even a kick couldn't wake him. Well, sorry to ramble, is there anything you want to say?"
"Well, there is something I'd like to ask you, Juni," Cammy replied. "How do you feel about Sir Bison?"
There was a short pause on the other end before the reply came. "To be honest, I'm not really sure," Juni answered. "Part of me still wants to look up to him, but ... I suppose that isn't possible anymore. At any rate, he's gone his way and I've gone mine. I still wonder if things would have turned out differently if ..." Something chimed in the background. "Excuse me, Cammy, there's somebody at the door. Hold on a moment, please."
"Take your time." Cammy leaned against the wall as Juni set the phone down and went to answer the door. Apparently Juni had been using the phone close to her front hall, for Cammy could hear her friend clearly enough through the her cell phone.
"Hello," Juni called as she swung the door open. "Eh, is anybody there? Hello?" Without warning, Juni's voice turned to panic as she screamed, "What the -! Noooo! Heeeeeelp -!" The shriek abruptly cut off, leaving behind only a pregnant silence. Cammy bolted upright and shouted Juni's name through the cell phone, but received no response after a whole minute. Cursing profusely, Cammy shut her cell phone off and bolted from the room, all thought of assassinating Bison driven from her mind. Hang on, Juni, I'm coming!
But she skidded to a halt right after barging into Bison's room. It was still occupied, only not by Bison. His signature Shadowlaw cap lay very still on the nearby tabletop, but his cot was empty. The blankets lay in disarray as though he had fallen out of the cot and made a hasty exit. On the far side of the room a shadow flitted whom Cammy couldn't quite distinguish. "Who's there?!"
At the very same moment, Ken rapped on Sakura's room door and it gave way under his knuckles. He peeked in discreetly but saw no one. Ken swung the door open, glancing around the room for any telltale signs of Sakura. Huh, where is she? Everything's in place. Doesn't look like she left in a hurry or anything like that. "Yo, Sakura, are you there? Commando wants to talk with you." When only silence met the inquiry, Ken cautiously edged to the bathroom door. It was closed and he knocked softly, but no response came. Steeling himself, Ken closed his eyes and turned the doorknob. When he dared look, he saw no one inside. That's strange. It's unlike Sakura to leave a room without securing the door first. She must be down at the mall again.
Ken turned to leave, but as he did he saw that the room wasn't empty after all. There was another woman there, not Sakura, and she sat on the edge of the bed with her legs demurely crossed, her hands on her knees. A beautiful twin-bladed quarterstaff lay at her feet, a weapon that shone with all the thousand colors of the rainbow. Her eyes were closed and she did not seem to notice him, but Ken instinctively went on guard. How had she managed to slip in without a sound? And more disturbing, why did he fail entirely to sense her aura? Slightly put off, Ken demanded, "Do you know where Sakura is? Just who are you?" Yet even as he asked that question, he suddenly realized that he recognized her after all.
The answer came back in three odd words and Ken Masters screamed as his soul was forcibly imprisoned. "Fin d'Âme Interdite!"
Author's Notes: Tournament bracket's been updated again to reflect all the changes that have occurred.
Chan Yoruyamatiha: I'm glad that the story managed to affect you so deeply, since it means that I'm doing my job as an author effectively. However, you usually look pretty stupid to begin with. Just kidding, just kidding!
Black Forest, Germany
Two days have passed
"Ya think he'll make us sit this fight out, too?" Balrog asked his teammate Vega as the two of them strode into a clearing in the forest. The Black Forest of Germany was so named for the heavy pall of enchantment that rested upon its every leaf. As forests go, it was not a particularly thick one. The battleground had been marked out in a large clearing, but grass and the occasional pine cone still appeared abundantly underfoot. Replacement camera crews worked on the sidelines, and with Alia out of commission Jin Saotome had appeared to act as the roving correspondent. On the other side of the field, Ryu, Sagat, and Kirina were deep in discussion.
Vega shrugged indifferently. "We could've stayed in bed for the last fight. Let's see what the boss has planned for us today."
Bison was waiting for them at their end of the battlefield, shrouded in his big cape and studying the other team with cold, glittering eyes. Vega and Balrog saluted respectfully; a long silence ensued, until Bison finally said, "I have decided on the order. Vega, you start. Balrog comes next and I'll bat cleanup." So saying, Bison threw his billowing cape behind and stalked off to speak with Jin. As his footsteps receded, Vega and Balrog were left looking at each other (the sight offended Vega's aesthetic sense).
"Bat cleanup? I don't understand," Vega said, and Balrog had to explain the term. Vega shrugged and stretched. Then he brightened and added, "But, we did manage to kidnap that Kikoken girl after the funeral ended. Caught her right as she was getting off the airplane. Bison's going to drain her power and then she'll be mine - all mine!" He rubbed his hands in glee.
"I heard about the op," Balrog answered. "Nice job your boys pulled, nabbing the girl at the airport." He and Vega shared a heartless laugh before the former pulled away to walk to the center of the battlefield, where his opponent was waiting for him. Balrog took his place on the sidelines by M. Bison.
Far away in Osaka, Kyosuke Kagami wetted his lips and pasted a smile onto his face as the cameras began to roll. "Good evening, everybody, and welcome back to Osaka Dome where today's World Collision match is set to begin! We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the last match; according to IDC reports, after the equipment was knocked out Ruby Heart's ship actually capsized. Most of our camera crews were lost, as was our battlefield reporter Alia. My colleague Jin Saotome will be substituting for her for the remainder of the matches.
"Also at this time I have grim news to report. Single entry Ernest McGrath was attacked upon the battlefield by none other than Akuma," and Akuma's image appeared on the holoprojector with a list of his vital statistics and background. "From all reports, the battle lasted over an hour and ended with the two of them sinking together into the Atlantic. No record of the battle itself exists, but multiple contestants present at the battle give reports that are in agreement. With McGrath's elimination, the Phantoms are proceeding directly to the next round. This is a truly tragic development for the tournament although the contestants are bearing the misfortune remarkably well. Today's match is hosted in the Black Forest of Germany. Let's head over to Jin; Jin, how's everything holding up in Germany?"
"Excellent!" Jin screamed back; his voice blasted through the stadium's massive speakers and nearly deafened Kyosuke. Jin thrust himself right into the camera and his contorted face continued to shout as it filled the entire holoprojector. Nearby technicians scrambled to diminish the volume control. "This match is what I'm talking about! Bison against Ryu! Kirina against Vega! The whole lot!"
"Uh, okay, thanks, Jin," Kyosuke replied as he rubbed his ears. "There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Today's match features two strong teams, the World Warrior Team facing off against the Lords of Shadowlaw. On the World Warrior side, the lineup is Sagat, Kirina, and finally Ryu, in that order. On the Shadowlaw side, the lineup looks to be Vega, Balrog, and Bison finishing the roster. Let's take a closer look at the field where the match is about to begin ..."
As Ryu and Kirina stretched along the side of the field, Sagat stared down from his impressive height at Vega. "It's been forever," he rumbled.
"True," Vega agreed casually, "and nothing has changed."
"I have learned much in ten years, have you?"
"Of course!" Vega exclaimed. "Strength, beauty, skill, beauty, speed, beauty, style, beauty, wit, beauty, modesty, beauty - I know for a certainty that I have no equal in any of these traits. Oh, and don't forget beauty." From the Shadowlaw side of the field, Balrog suddenly coughed continuously and an attentive listener could hear the word "fag" repeated.
"I'm talking to a wall," Sagat muttered. "You haven't changed a bit ..."
Begin!
The bright light flashed and Vega, whose eyes were better shielded, lunged forward with a claw swipe. Sagat instinctively dodged to the right and the Spanish fighter's claws raked through empty space. Then the Muay Thai fighter was striking back, rushing forward with a heavy knee strike. This move caught Vega right underneath the chin with a glancing blow, enough to stuff the next attack but not quite sufficient to deal out any lasting damage. Vega rolled along the ground and unfurled, intending to sweep away Sagat's ankles, only that the Muay Thai fighter was no longer there. Sagat dodged to the side and Kirina flew through the space he cleared with a Sniping Arrow. This Vega managed to dodge, at the cost of losing his offensive opportunities as Sagat closed the distance down on him.
"I'd say that this matchup favors the World Warrior team," Kyosuke observed from his post in Osaka stadium. "If we could display the profiles, please?" On cue, the massive holoprojector blinked away from the ongoing battle to refocus on the biographies of the individual fighters. "On the World Warrior side, you have two strong fighters with a moderately skilled one sandwiched in between them. So far Kirina hasn't yet proved her worth on the team, but it's only been a single fight so far and we may yet see some unexpected surprises. On the other side of the matchup, M. Bison is the single strongest fighter in this tournament who is on a team. However, even he wouldn't stand much of a chance if he had to face the World Warriors alone - which, it seems like he'll try to do. And then there's the consideration that Vega and Kirina are roughly the same level in ability, while Balrog barely factors into the calculations at all. Also, as a team the World Warriors have so far showed much more coherent teamwork than Shadowlaw's practically nonexistent level of cooperation. Let's take a look in the field. Jin?"
"- and beating the stuffing out of Vega!" Jin was screaming.
Which he was. Sagat nailed Vega under the chin with a vicious Tiger Blow and sent the Spanish fighter careening off the side. Balrog entered belatedly for a rushing punch, but this Sagat stuffed with a high Tiger Shot that hit Balrog point-blank in the face. When Vega tried to clear some distance between himself and Sagat, the Muay Thai emperor chased him ruthlessly around the battlefield, at the same time using Kirina's assists to strategically lock down Vega's routes of escape. Farther back on the sidelines, Jin was dancing up and down in rage as Balrog nursed a bruised head and Bison yawned indifferently. Sagat finally caught up to Vega and planted a pair of solid kicks in his opponent's torso at the cost of a slash across his chest.
Staggering and fighting to maintain what little he had left, Vega could only retreat before his foe. When Sagat feinted to the right, Vega saw his opportunity and rushed in with claw gleaming, aiming a strike straight at Sagat's chest. He paid for his rashness a moment later when Sagat spun around in place, letting the swipe glide harmlessly off his back, and lunged with a number of spinning kicks that battered into Vega. Right as the Tiger Knee was about to go into its deadly ending kick, however, Sagat took advantage of the delayed combo rule and tagged out.
He was instantly replaced by Kirina, who continued the assault from before. "Fatal -!" she cried, and she laid into Vega with a series of powerful attacks. There was a particularly loud crack as Vega's ribs gave way under a massive blow. With that, Kirina rammed her back fist into Vega's stomach and he doubled over. Kirina followed the attack with a flying uppercut with her forward fist, shouting, "- Dragon Kiss!" At the height of her jump she halted and brought her leg around in a wide, sweeping arc, planting the heel firmly into Vega's stomach. The Spanish fighter crashed heavily into the ground and remained motionless.
Kirina landed lightly on the ground just as the required three-second delay ended and she stood up, bracing herself for the next opponent. Balrog charged in without any preliminaries and rushed Kirina with a powerful straight jab. As he covered the distance between himself and his opponent, he ran straight into Ryu's Hadouken, followed a moment later by Kirina's. Balrog shook his head clear - he hated projectiles - and signaled Bison for an assist. Bison, for his part, merely took off his cap and straightened out his hair. Kirina lashed out at Balrog with a low-lying kick which the boxer failed to anticipate and he was laid flat on the ground. Balrog was about to protest before remembering that in the World Collision tournament, there was no rule against under-the-belt blows.
Balrog rushed forward again, but this time Kirina had a different surprise in store for him. Though his initial punch missed, he managed to clip her with his elbow as he went past. Kirina lashed back with a jab that she linked into an elbow strike and then a crouching uppercut. As Balrog went off the ground, Kirina switched out and Ryu lunged in with a powerful jumping kick. Balrog again went spinning head over heels. Ryu followed the attack with a long-range Hadouken while calling in Sagat for an extra assist. Balrog also signaled Bison for an assist, but the lord of Shadowlaw simply straightened his collar.
Balrog closed in, more warily this time. He and Ryu traded half a dozen blows, then he seemed to find what he was looking for. Balrog suddenly rushed forward, covering the three meters between him and Ryu with surprising speed, at the same time yelling, "No escape!" Ryu went into a crouch and Balrog zoomed towards him, aiming the first in a deadly barrage of punches ...
... only that they never came out. As Balrog emerged practically atop Ryu, the latter came off the ground with devastating speed and unequaled power, his clenched fist ramming cruelly into Balrog's stomach with all the force of a hurricane. "Shin -!" The other fist came around as Ryu spun his entire body, putting all the force he could muster into the attack. Balrog's jaw broke cleanly under the impact of the attack. But that wasn't all; Ryu made a third and final spin, coming off the ground with a mighty soaring uppercut. "Shoryuken!" Balrog landed like a sack of grain, all the fight knocked out of him.
Bison entered with a sigh, shaking his head in disappointment. The old Bison might have trash-talked Ryu or gloated about seeing the latter endure a horrible demise, but this time Bison was all business. Nor was the matchup as one-sided as it might have been in the past. Last time the two had met, Bison had owned Ryu without even raising his heartbeat. But that was ten years ago; the current Bison was weaker and Ryu much stronger. Naturally the lord of Shadowlaw approached his opponent with considerable caution and the two old enemies circled each other warily.
Ryu moved first, launching a hop-kick at Bison. Bison knocked Ryu to the side and Ryu rolled away, coming up to stop a retaliatory kick with a swift Hadouken. Sagat launched an extra projectile from the sidelines, providing Ryu with effective cover fire as he fought with Bison. They traded another half dozen blows and Ryu landed a strong side kick as Bison rapped him hard under the chin with a Psycho Power enhanced swipe. When Ryu whiffed a Shoryuken, Bison warped slightly behind him and caught him as he came down. Sagat launched a Tiger Shot for cover, but Bison had Ryu by the shoulders and kicked out his forward leg. He then spun around and caught Ryu under the chin, hurling him backwards with a single mighty heave. Ryu crashed to the ground and grimaced; he hadn't known that Samantha McGrath wasn't the only fighter who could execute the Scissor leg throw.
Bison warped in, but Ryu took the opportunity to tag out with Sagat. The Muay Thai fighter blocked Bison's first Scissor Kick and signaled Kirina for an assist. When Bison dodged around the attack, Sagat swung around with a heavy kick. Bison took the attack but flipped and vaulted over Sagat's leg like a bar. Still, if Bison reacted quickly, so did Sagat; the emperor avoided a retaliatory stomp by jumping backwards and threw a swift kick. Bison blocked the attack, but only for a moment. Then he crouched, swept Sagat's leg aside, and hammered back at his opponent with a brutally swift Scissor Kick. "Alpha counter!" Jin raved. "Kick his ass, Bison!"
Sagat knocked Bison into the air with a powerful uppercut; without allowing his own feet to leave the ground, Sagat tagged out and Kirina jumped in. "Now the World Warrior team is really starting to press its advantage in numbers," Kyosuke drawled. "Bison could probably take any of them alone, but in a three-to-one fight he'll soon feel the heat. He's probably regretting how he expended his teammates so quickly. Seems like he's trying to play the same game with Kirina that he did with the Killer Bees, but Kirina is having none of it. Ooh, great counterattack by Kirina right as Bison came out of a warp. Here comes Bison with a flying head stomp - no, wait, countered by the Thrust Kick. Oh, midair recovery! Kirina is flat-footed - c'mon, recover - oh, and Kirina takes a Scissor Kick straight into the face! Ouch, she's gonna have the imprint of a boot on her cheeks after that one!"
Wiping away a trickle of blood from her mouth, Kirina smiled grimly at Bison. He's still as good as mother always said he was. I know I can't defeat him alone, only I'm not alone. One mistake, Bison - just one mistake, that's all I need. A moment later, Kirina's wish came true as Bison warped backwards and cupped his hands, forming a fireball in his palms. Kirina locked her palms together in a classic fireball stance, set her heels into the grass, and braced herself. "Let's do it!"
"I'm with you!" Ryu called as he leapt in behind her, locking his hands to the sides of Kirina's. Together they formed a four-handed arrangement that oddly resembled a flower petal.
"Here we go!" Sagat appeared behind Ryu and extended both arms, fists clenched and held tightly against the center palm array.
"Obliterate!" they cried together as a small but incredibly bright sphere formed out of their arms. It must have measured only three or four inches in diameter, yet it shone like a miniature sun, perhaps nearly as bright as the light that signaled the start of a battle. This sphere shot forward as though it had been fired from a cannon, swallowing up Bison's Psycho shot. The lord of Shadowlaw brought his arms into a blocking posture right as the attack connected. There was an enormous blast as though the earth itself had been shaken loose and the ground trembled, throwing cameras left and right. Kirina staggered and dropped back into Ryu's arms, while Ryu himself had to be braced by Sagat. When the smoke cleared, Bison was stretched out along a massive blackened crater, clearly unconscious.
Kyosuke whistled in amazement. "Did you see that, ladies and gentlemen?" he cried. "The World Warrior team knocked Bison out with a single attack! Absolutely incredible!"
Gill and Jedah held a hurried discussion, then strode over to where the three World Warriors were waiting. All three wore satisfied smiles, and Sagat was congratulating Kirina while Ryu fixed an amused gaze on Jin, who was practically pulling cartwheels on the sidelines. Jedah spoke first. "World Warrior team, strictly speaking, that last attack you used is prohibited under the rules. Please recall that only the tactical leader - in this case, Sagat - is allowed to initiate a team super attack. What you did was a violation of the rules."
"Which means?" a dismayed Kirina wanted to know.
"We are still counting this victory," Jedah replied. Before the team could cheer, however, Jedah forged ahead. "However, there will be a penalty imposed on your next match. For your next match, you will not be allowed to use normal assists. Remember, three violations of the rules will result in instant disqualification of your team." Jedah brought his hands out of his pockets and raised his voice for the cameras. "Well, now that we have resolved that distasteful business ... presenting the winners of Match II-III, the World Warrior team!"
Osaka, Japan
Four hours have passed
Cammy White and Captain Commando were seated over a chessboard when Ryu, Ken, and Gouken entered the lounge. Farther back in the corner, Kirina sat polishing her sword with a cloth. Regina hummed a tune to herself as she knitted together yet another sweater; Gill occupied another corner, reading a highly abstract book on theoretical physics. Commando looked up and was about to greet the newcomers, only the words died halfway out and he instead asked, "What happened?"
"Cody is missing," Ken Masters informed him grimly.
"Oh no!" Regina gasped as she dropped her needles with a clatter.
"When? What happened? When did you learn this?" Commando wanted to know.
Ken held up his hands defensively. "Lloyd says that he disappeared during our match. The IDC soldiers tagged his uniform with tracers, but they suddenly stopped responding during the match. The IDC is going over the surveillance now, but it's not good. Cody wasn't seen leaving the prison. There's a camera specially trained on his cell, but it was knocked out for half a minute and when it came back on the cell was completely empty." Ken shrugged. "Go figure."
"And Guy?" Cammy asked anxiously.
"He's working the case with a few agents that the IDC dispatched, but Guy is very harassed right now. Having to look for both Haggar and Cody, as well as trying to comfort Jessica ..." Ken plopped down on a couch. "On the flip side, we do have some good news. An IDC report just came in an hour ago - IDC commandos raided Shadowlaw's Thailand base and succeeded in disabling much of it, including the Psycho Drive. There were rumors that Kikoken had been kidnapped by Shadowlaw, but she wasn't at the base. The IDC is now sending in a regular field army to mop up what's left. About time, I say." Ken straightened and brushed his hair to the side.
"Speaking of which, where are the lords of Shadowlaw?" Cammy asked.
"Well, Vega's on his way back to Spain by now," Commando notified her. "I haven't heard a word about Balrog. Bison ... is still recovering in the hospital."
"Oh dear," Regina breathed. "I should go and heal him -"
"Don't trouble yourself," Cammy interrupted quickly. She tilted over her king. "I'm conceding the match to you, captain. I should visit Sir Bison before the day is out. If you'll excuse me ..." So saying, Cammy gathered her purse and gracefully exited the room.
When her footsteps had receded down the hall, Commando replaced the chessmen in their proper starting positions and looked at Ken. "Okay, you can spill it now."
"The situation's worse than I expected," Ken replied heavily. "I didn't want to worry Cammy, but captain, people are vanishing left and right. Not only is Cody gone, but so are Darrell Markis, Jill Valentine, Kenneth Feng, and Alex. Worse, all of their tracers stopped responding within a fifteen minute time frame, during the match. The BEAT squads assigned to look over them are either missing or can't remember anything that happened when their wards disappeared." Regina gasped in horror from the side. "You think this is a coincidence, captain?"
"Maybe I would if I believed in them," Commando answered. "Samantha turned over Dr. McGrath's investigation of the vanishings to me. At first I was convinced that Shadowlaw was kidnapping the contestants, but ..." Commando sighed. "McGrath's evidence points to no clear perpetrator. I've looked over all of his notes, but he never jotted down his suspicions. I can only look over the evidence and try to draw my own conclusions. All I remember is that prior to his match, he -" Commando's head snapped up. "Of course, he was talking to Sakura about the disappearances! Does anyone know where she is?"
Regina indicated the ceiling with her eyes. "She's in her room."
"I'll go fetch her," Ken offered.
"Try not to break the news about Darrell until we've had a chance to talk," Commando advised. "I'll be waiting for you in here. Let me go get McGrath's investigation notes first." They left the lounge, Ken going in one direction and Commando in another. Commando returned first, carrying five oversized binders in his hands and with an extra pen in his shirt pocket. "Okay," he announced, setting down the binders on a nearby table, "whenever he's ready."
Meanwhile, as Ken went to call on Sakura's room, Cammy stopped by the Osaka hospital and explained to the receptionist that she was here to see one of the patients. An attendant led her through bright, spit-polished corridors to Bison's room and left her inside alone with the patient. When the nurse had left, Cammy stared out of emotionless eyes at the still, unconscious form of M. Bison. He was still knocked out cold from the team-up attack that the World Warriors had used, his trademark Shadowlaw cap with its winged skull insignia placed on a tray by the bedside. There were no IVs attached to his body, but Bison looked quite battered regardless. His short black hair was in total disarray. It was easily apparent to any observer that he needed rest, and lots of it.
Cammy reached into her purse and brought out a small syringe. She attached a clear vial of liquid to it and slowly filled the needle with a small dose of her potion. Cammy replaced the vial into her purse, then carefully walked around the cot to stand beside Bison with the needle in hand. She sniffed quietly, but her voice was hard. "Sir Bison ... you were my hero. Juni, Juli, myself - everyone, in fact - we all adored you. But you turned on us and threw us away ... ordered us to kill ourselves. It's too late for regrets now. Goodbye, Sir Bison. It was fun while it lasted, but I hope you repent in the afterlife." Cammy held up the needle and passed it to her other hand as she gently lifted a corner of the blanket. It was really a simple solution to concoct, but it would cause a heart attack in Bison before dissolving away into his bloodstream.
Cammy located a good vein, but before she could place the needle her cell phone suddenly rang. Cursing profusely at the interruption, Cammy stowed her syringe on the nearby tabletop where it blended innocently enough with the other equipment. She then pulled out her phone and stepped into the next room connected to Bison's quarters. It was empty and Cammy answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hi, Cammy, this is Juni calling as usual," the voice on the other end replied. "It's noontime here in the States. How's it going over on your side?"
"A little busy, Juni," Cammy replied straightly. "Ken just reported that Cody had vanished. And you?"
"Hectic on my side." There was a short pause before Juni continued, "So Cody's gotten caught too, huh? I don't know exactly what happened, but the IDC just assigned a full team of BEATs to me an hour ago. They all look so tense. You want to talk with their captain, Cammy? No? Okay - hey, he's sleeping on the job! Get up, dude!" Through the phone, Cammy heard a sound that could only mean that Juni had kicked the offending person in question. "He must be really exhausted, even a kick couldn't wake him. Well, sorry to ramble, is there anything you want to say?"
"Well, there is something I'd like to ask you, Juni," Cammy replied. "How do you feel about Sir Bison?"
There was a short pause on the other end before the reply came. "To be honest, I'm not really sure," Juni answered. "Part of me still wants to look up to him, but ... I suppose that isn't possible anymore. At any rate, he's gone his way and I've gone mine. I still wonder if things would have turned out differently if ..." Something chimed in the background. "Excuse me, Cammy, there's somebody at the door. Hold on a moment, please."
"Take your time." Cammy leaned against the wall as Juni set the phone down and went to answer the door. Apparently Juni had been using the phone close to her front hall, for Cammy could hear her friend clearly enough through the her cell phone.
"Hello," Juni called as she swung the door open. "Eh, is anybody there? Hello?" Without warning, Juni's voice turned to panic as she screamed, "What the -! Noooo! Heeeeeelp -!" The shriek abruptly cut off, leaving behind only a pregnant silence. Cammy bolted upright and shouted Juni's name through the cell phone, but received no response after a whole minute. Cursing profusely, Cammy shut her cell phone off and bolted from the room, all thought of assassinating Bison driven from her mind. Hang on, Juni, I'm coming!
But she skidded to a halt right after barging into Bison's room. It was still occupied, only not by Bison. His signature Shadowlaw cap lay very still on the nearby tabletop, but his cot was empty. The blankets lay in disarray as though he had fallen out of the cot and made a hasty exit. On the far side of the room a shadow flitted whom Cammy couldn't quite distinguish. "Who's there?!"
At the very same moment, Ken rapped on Sakura's room door and it gave way under his knuckles. He peeked in discreetly but saw no one. Ken swung the door open, glancing around the room for any telltale signs of Sakura. Huh, where is she? Everything's in place. Doesn't look like she left in a hurry or anything like that. "Yo, Sakura, are you there? Commando wants to talk with you." When only silence met the inquiry, Ken cautiously edged to the bathroom door. It was closed and he knocked softly, but no response came. Steeling himself, Ken closed his eyes and turned the doorknob. When he dared look, he saw no one inside. That's strange. It's unlike Sakura to leave a room without securing the door first. She must be down at the mall again.
Ken turned to leave, but as he did he saw that the room wasn't empty after all. There was another woman there, not Sakura, and she sat on the edge of the bed with her legs demurely crossed, her hands on her knees. A beautiful twin-bladed quarterstaff lay at her feet, a weapon that shone with all the thousand colors of the rainbow. Her eyes were closed and she did not seem to notice him, but Ken instinctively went on guard. How had she managed to slip in without a sound? And more disturbing, why did he fail entirely to sense her aura? Slightly put off, Ken demanded, "Do you know where Sakura is? Just who are you?" Yet even as he asked that question, he suddenly realized that he recognized her after all.
The answer came back in three odd words and Ken Masters screamed as his soul was forcibly imprisoned. "Fin d'Âme Interdite!"