Metro City Maul Ch.20:

In Belger's clutches!

Alex and Cody were both strapped to a pair of steel chair with chains while Urien continued to adjust his strange machine device.

Just then,Belger drove in on his mobile chair.

"Ah yes,"he said as he approached Cody and Alex. "Alex,the greatest street fighter to come along since Ryu Hoshi...and Cody,the same street punk who along with his friends broke up my original lead of the Mad Gears and knocked me out of a window and to my near death!"

"BELGER!"said Cody. "I should've known!"
"So you're the one i've heard so much about."said Alex. "Pretty talkative for someone who's supposed to be dead."

"Yeah,how the hell could a scum like you survive a drop through a high rise like that?"said Cody.

"Hold your horses will ya?"said Belger. "In case you didn't realise,there were some parked vehicles that at least broke part of my impact,and caused me to slip into a deep coma. If you bothered to check my body,you probably would've made sure I was dead instead of being so relieved about victory!"

"I should've known that too!"said Cody cursing himself.

"So uh...what exactly are you and Doc Savage here planning here anyways?"said Alex. "And how is it that you managed to brainwash Haggar and the others?"

"Well,since you won't be around to tell anyone,we might as well."said Urien.

"This marvelous device I created,is what I call a conditioner device. A device to condition and control my own army of followers to overthrow Gill and the Illuminati for my control."

"Yeah,that's right."said Alex. "After the tournament,Ibuki showed me and the others a set of files she swipped from Gill's office called the G files. It said that you were plotting to overthrow Gill once and failed."

"Yes,except that this time I have enlisted some special and equally legendary help,namely the influential Mr.Belger of the Mad gears."

Belger nodded.

"After the tournament ended,I took up my own lock,stock and barrel to go elsewhere to control the Illuminati for my own ends. That's when I came across Metro City,and had a brainstorm. I then looked up the files and everything else on the info on Belger and the Gears as well as the hospital where he was stashed.

Once I smuggled him out of there,I devised a way to revive him so I could utilize his own secrets and plans that he still had stashed away."

"Yes,"said Belger. "we then agreed to an alliance,if he was to give me Metro City,then I would help him with the funds and manpower he needed to further his plans. And so far,it appears to have worked pretty efficiently. It's a good thing,I had a nice secret stashing of currency,firepower and contact info for the remaining Gears in the city and elswhere.

Oh,and in case you're wondering how I managed to lay control to the old trumpet building,I managed to have a certain file leftover on him as well with further info needed to use his remaining funds and his building...of course we also had to locate--and dispose of him...heh-heh.

How convenient that he was only in Las Vegas."

"Slimy as he ever was."said Cody.

"I'll say."said Alex. "Now I see why you and the others wanted to get rid of him."

Belger then rolled his chair closer to Cody and gave him a good look in his eyes.

"You have no inkling as to how long i've waited for this moment since this began,Cody!"he said. "Have you any idea what it's like to fall out a high-rise buidling and can you even imagine anyone else going through such a thing while your empire is torn from under your feet?"

"Well,I heard there was this place called Southtown and a competition called--."said Urien.

"Urien,please don't interrupt me while I gloat,could ya please?"said Belger.

"Just pointing out a related fact,it's quite a coincidental story if you hear it."said Urien.

"Well,maybe later."said Belger. "Anyways----you my dear Cody,and your would-be sparring partner are soon to join our little merriment of conquest.

Oh,and in case you're wondering how this machine my partner here has created,that's where Urien comes in."

"Thank you,Belger."said Urien. "I was wondering when you'd get to me."

Urien displayed the machine to their two captives.

It had a circular design set on a square housing with four tubes attached on both sides and the tubes were attached to a leather seat that had a skull cap lid affixed to it's head rest.

"What are those,designer hair dryers?"said Cody.

"No,simply put,"began Urien. "my self-made brain-controller device,called the conditioner.

This small yet powerful machine was created by my own genuis aas well as few stolen components from my brother's own technology.

It's powering device is but a small sample of my own DNA,and once a human subject is placed at one of it's seat,the fusing aura of my DNA is contracted into their system,transforming them into a being with a portion of my power---as well as making them my obedient slave."

"You monster--!"said Alex.

"How predictable a response."said Urien. "Well,it's been fun a chat,but i'm afraid we must get on with our plans here."

"Waitaminute,Urien!"said Cody. "You'll still have to deal with the police,and Haggar's assistant Miss Ringwood knows where this place is!"

"That's right!"said Alex.

"Unfortunately for her as well as the law and other street fighting do gooders that are still out there,"said Belger. "they'll be too late to even try to stop us!"

"Yes,"said Urien."this machine is also hooked up to a system atop the very roof above us that will function like a raincloud.

Once I activate it,the aura of my DNA will be sprayed upon the citizens of this city,transforming them into what you see now in your friends and allies here.

And guess what?

You're both next in line for the 'treatment' now!"

"WHA--NOOOO!"said Cody.

The pair of heroes continued to try and struggle from their chains,but even with their own strength,they couldn't break free.

"Haggar,Hugo--take them to their seats!"said Urien.

The two brainwashed wrestlers nodded and lifted up both Alex and Cody from their seats and placed them in the control chairs.

"NO---Haggar,wake up!"said Cody. "Don't let'im do this!"

"Why you even bother to try to wake him anyways."said Belger. "He's not going to!"

"That's right."said Urien. "So quit your griping,and join our little family won't you?"

Both men were then strapped to their chairs and Urien then activated the conditioner and then began to punch in the coordinates.

Meanwhile back at the mayor's office,Marcea Ringwood watched the building with her binoculars.

"Cody and Alex should've called me back by now!"she thought. "I can't see what's going on over there,but...there seems to be someone doing something up there on the 12th floor.

And if it's up to no good that they're doing....well we'll see about that!"

Ringwood went over to the computer on Haggar's desk,and punched up the control data of the Trumpet building.

"Let's see how well they operate--in the dark!"she said and then punched the Enter key.

At that same exact moment,the lights suddenly went out in the top floor.

"HEY--WHAT THE--?"replied Belger.

"The lights went out!"said Urien. "What could have caused---!"

"Just get the power back on--somehow!"said Belger.

"Right,I am,I am!"said Urien as he stumbled around in the darkness.

Suddenly,while Urien was trying to get to the emergency power,Belger heard a set of snaps and rips nearby.

"Hey,what was that?"he said.

He then heard a few punches and kicks as well as a struggle in the darkness.

Urien then managed to feel the switch for the back-up generator.

But when he got the power back on,he found a startling sight.

Several of their brainwashed minions were knocked unconscious to the floor.

Dudley,Ibuki,Hugo,Poison,Maki,Dean and Yun were all knocked out.

And Alex and Cody were standing in the middle of it all.

"NO!"said Urien."How did you get free?"

Alex flexed his massive muscles.

"It's all a matter of leverage and pressure when ya get the hang of it."he said.

"Yeah,and he even managed to free me while he was at it!"said Cody.

"It's not over yet!"said Belger. "You didn't get all of them yet!

Haggar,and everyone else--attack!"

Haggar and the remaining fighters prepared to lunge at their victims,but Alex had a different idea.

He saw the remaining grenades on the table across from them.

He bolted towards the table,and knocked Haggar aside doing it.

Alex then grabbed the two grenades,pulled their pins and threw them straight at the conditioner machine.

"NOOO!"said Urien. "Not the---!"

But it was too late,the grenades hit the center of the machine,and it exploded into a million pieces.

"BOOM!"

"---Conditioner!"said Urien as he finished his sentence.

Once the machine was destroyed,Haggar and the others suddenly returned to their normal skin color and states.

They were free.

"Oh...my aching head!"said Haggar as he rubbed at it.

"What's going on?'said Guy.

Guy and Haggar saw Belger and the others standing before them.

"Belger!"said Guy. "You are alive?"

"Very much so I see!"said Haggar. "Except this time,he's not gonna whip out a shotgun at us!"

"Wanna bet on that?"said Belger.

The crime lord shifted his mobile chair straight at the heroes.

And before they knew it,Belger began to fire arrows and laser blasts out of the side holes in the arm rests.

"LOOK OUT!"said Guy as everyone scattered.

Everyone still remaining on the left and right side scattered and dove for cover.

"HA!"said Belger. "Just cause i'm crippled for life,doesn't mean i'm helpless,Haggar,HAHA!"

"You all may have shattered my dreams for the moment!"said Urien. "But none of you are going to make it out of here alive!"

Urien went back over to the back-up power generator and pressed another button on it.

Suddenly,a nearby set of doors opened and an army of Twelves came marching out.

"What the hell are those things?"said Lucia.

"They're called Twelve!"said Necro. "But to us,they're trouble!"

"Indeed they are!"said Urien.

The warlord himself then made a quick change.

His entire two piece ripped and shredded itself apart to reveal his bronze physique and white short garments.

"Mmmm..."thought Lucia. "...now that's what I call a real man!"

"He's in battle mode now!"said Alex. "Look out everyone,it looks like it's about to become a warzone here!"

NEXT IN CH.21:CAN THE STREET FIGHTERS DEFEAT THE FINAL FORCES OF URIEN AND BELGER AS WELL AS BELGER'S LAST TRUMP CARD? AND WILL THEY LIVE TO SEE THE FINAL MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT? FIND OUT NEXT IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT!