The King of Fighters 2003
Match One:

Hikawa vs Korea!

Mexico, Outside Incan Ruins.
10:36 A.M.

Shin Hikawa was grinning from ear to ear.

Sure, it was really hot, and it didn't help he was wearing all black. Sure, the wind kept messing up his hair. Sure, they stood outside an Incan ruin, which was sure to be paid for with the prize money from this tournament. And sure, his teammates were holding him by the shoulders to make sure he didn't run, not like he was thinking about doing that. However, the grin came from two things: One, the cheers of the fans, though they probably weren't for his team. Two, he was standing across from the Korean Team: Kim, Chang, and Jhun. For the typical King of Fighters participant, this wasn't exciting. Of course…

...Shin was a KoF Fan boy, far from your typical participant. "This is so cool!" He nearly screamed like a girl at a boy band concert. "We're about to fight in the KoF! Against a real team, not a bunch of nobodies like us! This is such an hon-"

"Shin! Shut up, you're embarrassing me!" James smacked him in the back of the head. Unlike his sweating 'team leader', he was smart enough to wear just a white tee and jeans. He focused a single green eye on the Koreans, who seemed to be huddled and discussing a strategy. "So, fan boy…what do you know about these three?"

"Kim is probably leader, as usual. Chang uses that huge steel ball you see as a weapon, so try not to let it hit you. I'm a little surprised, though…usually he has Choi with him," Shin rattled off from memory. "Jhun has pretty much mastered the stances of their style."

"And what style is that?"

"All of them use Tae-Kwon-Do," Shin responded. Lei gave an 'hmph' of the unimpressed sort.

"Tae-Kwon-Do, huh?" She smiled. "Well, that means not too expect much by way of punches. Watch their legs, boys." She added.

"The two, Kim and Jhun, they don't get along as well a teammates should. They'll probably jump in to show each other up, so be prepared." Shin finished. "Anything else?"

"Not a thing," James cracked his knuckles. "I'll go-"

"I'm first." Lei cut him off. "After all, they'll probably send in the giant first. And you, mister Bryant, are far too slow to not take damage." She stuck her tongue out at him as she walked forward.

"But what if they send in someone else?" He called.

BANG!

"Never mind…" James muttered, as the wrecking ball slammed into the soft grass at their feet. The two boys did a quick size match up: While Lei was faster than the both of them by, well, a lot…Chang was huge.

"On the off-chance that he hits her with that thing…" James asked.

"He'll break her in half." Shin answered.

"…Thanks for the reassurance." James rolled his eyes.

"No problem." Obviously Shin missed the sarcasm. The boy then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey Lei! Remember, these are tag-team matches! If you need us, just shout."

"Thanks for the offer, but I wont need it against the big boy here," She shouted back. Drawing the needles from her hair, it cascaded down as she adopted her fighting stance. "According to the bio, he's a little over two hundred pounds. A perfect target." She smiled.

Chang, however, was a bit surprised that they'd send the smallest team member first. Surprised and worried. "Master Kim…" he turned to his team leader, who flashed his million-point smile.

"Justice, Chang. Strength without justice is just violence. Remember that." Kim stated wisely.

"But…she's so small. I might…um…break her." He said, lifting the steel ball. Jhun, however, made a suggestion.

"You break her, we go on. Just make sure its not permanent." Jhun then smiled. "Besides, I'm in a hurry. These tickets are burning a hole in my pocket." He said, drawing a few tickets from his pocket: "Athena in Concert! Live at Mexico stadium!"

"…"

"…"

"What? Like you wouldn't want to see Athena! Don't give me that look!" Jhun shouted in his defense. "Just hurry up with the match, alright?"

"Yes Master Jhun!" Chang saluted, turning back to face Lei, who was reapplying her make-up in a small, compact mirror.

"I suppose you're ready now, huh?" Lei closed the mirror, tossing it to Shin. "Well, Ikuze! Lets go!" She shouted, as the announcer grabbed the microphone.

"King of Fighters Round One, Hikawa versus Korea!" A small Mexican man shouted into a microphone. "Hikawa, ready?"

"Ready!" Shin shouted.

"Korea, ready?"

"Ready!" Kim shouted as Chang gave a battle cry.

"Mariachi band, ready?" He asked, looking to various band members who gave him a thumb up. "Then…FIGHT!" Chang began to swing the big heavy steel ball, but stopped. Looking around, he found that the girl had disappeared.

"Wow…she's fast…"

"Orusu da ze! Garaaki da ze!" A knee smashed into Chang's chin, making him stagger backwards. Now, Chang was by no means a small man; quite the contrary, he stood at least six and a half feet. Lei, on the other hand, was about five two. All and all, it was quite a leap.

However, she wasn't finished. Grabbing his shoulders, she flipped around him, slamming her heels into the back of his legs. "Ouch," both James and Shin winced as the girl landed. Her brow wrinkled: the kick would have brought any normal person to their legs. Unfortunately, Chang wasn't normal; he was a KoF participant, after all.

"Well, he's sturdy," She smiled, adapting back into her stance.

Chang continued to swing the steel ball. "Not bad yourself. You're pretty quick…" his voice boomed. Tossing the ball, with an unnaturally fast speed, Lei managed to barely duck under it as it smashed into the ground behind her. "Now, just hold still please."

"No. Nice try, though." She said, but immediately wished she hadn't responded: Chang was in the air, swinging the ball like a helicopter propeller. Frozen from the sheer bizarreness of the sight, she snapped back to attention the minute one of his feet smashed into her forehead. "…Ow…"

"Just ow? I'd be on my butt after an attack like that…" Shin said, amazed she was still standing straight.

Lei, however, gripped her needles. "Itai daro ga yo!" She shouted, stabbing him with the weapons. Chang leapt back, pulling the needles out of his legs…

…Or tried to. Many more needles stuck into him. Staggering backwards, Chang began to feel his body freeze up. "Huh? I can't move!"

"Of course not!" Lei smiled. "Look at where the needles are. Each one struck a nerve, giant." She stuck her tongue out. "You're a giant, fleshy punching bag now. James!" She called fiercely, snapping her fingers. Chang watched the high school football player / boxer / wrestler hopped over the small Japanese girl with a sense of dread: "This is going to hurt," he thought feebly…

"Get lost! James Bryant special haymaker: Dynamite Punch!"

Saying Chang was tossed back is an understatement. Words fail this author, though comparing it to a missile launch is close enough. The paralyzed giant flew just over Kim and Jhun's head, landing with a loud, yet oddly pleasant bang. The two looked back: he landed in a pile of pillows being carried by moving people. Moving people who were crushed under him, but the pillows were convenient.

"Hey Chang! If you're okay, give a thumbs up." Jhun called.

"I'm okay!"

"Well, he's not okay." Jhun deduced. "I distinctly told him to give a thumbs up. CHANG IS DOWN!" The crowd couldn't have been happier, as they exploded in a roar of cheers that nearly deafened the amateur Hikawa team.

"Hah! That's right, cheer for me!" James shouted, motioning the crowd to get louder. During this bout of showboating, however, he didn't see Kim run at him…or jump…or come within a foot of him…

"ACK! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOOOWWWWWWW!" James screamed as Kim kicked him numerous times while remaining airborne. Kim landed, and then followed his rain of kicks with a sweep that knocked the high schooler off his feet. Rolling, he just missed being slammed into the ground he once laid on as the foot crushed the soft dirt at his feet.

"Darn. I missed…." Kim pulled his leg out of the ground as James hopped to his feet. Popping his neck, he gave Kim a fierce stare.

"I don't know how you did that…but it hurt." He growled. "Time to put you down, tiny!" He shouted, charging like a bull. Kim leapt aside, but was caught in the ribs as James wheeled around, being dragged like a pillow. Both teams watched as James pushed Kim up the clay stairs of the ruin behind them, then rushed after as they went.

"The heck does he think he's doing?" Lei asked as they ran after him.

"I don't know…looks like he's going to try and throw Kim off this thing." Shin shrugged.

"Good luck to him then…" They heard Jhun say as he shot past them. They looked to each other, and then back to Jhun…then it clicked.

Meanwhile, Kim was kneeing James rapidly in the chest as he was being pushed. Everything around them was moving in a blur because he was pushing so fast. Kim wanted down, that was certain, before he was tossed off the ruin.

That is, until he saw a blue and white blur shoot past them. Kim immediately ducked his head and pushed, unlatching him from James as a kick hard enough to stop a bus slammed him in the stomach. James' eyes watered as both Kim and his rescuer Jhun gave a silent "oops."

Jhun didn't hit James in the stomach. And now he was doubled over in a pain only men would know. Eyes rolling into his head, he tumbled down the clay stairs and past both Shin and Lei. They made a quick about face, leaping to catch the boy as he fell…

Now, James is about six foot and two hundred pounds. Catching that as it went at least sixty miles per hour down a slope is no easy task. They quickly found this out as they tumbled with him, landing with a crash on the ground. The crowd's insane cheers grew louder on this crash: clearly there were all fans of team Korea.

"…Ow…" Shin pushed James off him. Pointing up at the two Koreans, who were playing rock-paper-scissors to determine whose turn it was, he quickly formed a very large ball of gravity. "SEND MY TEAMMATE BACK AT ME LIKE A MISSILE, WILL YA! GRAVITY SHOOT!"

The shot flew very quickly, given its size. It was Jhun who noticed the ball; leaping out the way, it quickly exploded and sent his teammate flying skyward. "Phew…" He wiped his forehead, blissfully unaware of the now plummeting Kim, who sank into the dirt next to Shin. The boy ran his fingers through his hair, then pointed again.

"Mister Jhun Hoon! I hope you don't take this personally!" He shouted, as another ball formed. He immediately wished he had shot instead of warned him: Jhun flew down at him at an alarming rate, slamming his feet into his chest.

"Ooooofffff…" He felt the wind rush out of his body, but grinned. Clasping both hands around the man's legs, he swung him around, tossing him away like a baseball. Aiming, he let loose a torrent of Gravity Shots, each one just whizzing by Jhun.

"Darn it…" Jhun pushed himself, sending his body back at Shin with his legs outstretched. Shin was more than ready, however. Ducking and weaving as the kicks flew over his head, he gave a swift uppercut to Jhun's back as it flew overhead. Jhun managed a quick recovery roll…and landed in a very awkward position.

"...Standing on one leg?"

"Yes. I'm standing on one leg," Jhun comfirmed. Shin scratched his head as Jhun swung his upper leg. Shin was still confused...until he felt something warm run down his cheek. Bringing up his hand to check, a sticky red liquid was on his hand.

"...You cut me! From all the way over there!" Shin exclaimed. Grinning, he added. "MAN that's so cool! I got a cut from Jhun Hoon! I can take pictures and send it to my friends – WAIT! It might scar! That would be sweet!"

"…" Jhun was speechless. If any of their teammates were consious (or not pinned under their heavy teammates, like Lei), they would have been shocked too. This was proof that, without a doubt, Shin was an idiot. "You're kinda not bright, you know." Jhun said what was on his mind.

"Not bright like a fox!" Shin shouted, pointing both hands. Cupping one over the other, he charged the biggest gravity ball Jhun had ever seen. "Now…I have places to go, autographs to collect. So try to stay still, 'kay?"

"I have places to go to, you know!" Jhun shouted. "Athena is in concert in two hours! I cant waste any more on you!"

Shin smiled. "Right. Gravity Shoot!" The ball shot forward like a cannon, but Jhun was ready. Swinging his leg, the ball was split in two watermellon sized halves, each crashing to his side. Jhun grinned, but it faded immediately. Shin had another, bigger ball ready.

"Shoot!" He fired. Jhun made a means to back flip over it, just barely skimming the surface as it passed. The ball rolled up the ruin behind him, shooting straight into the sky before dissolving. Landing, he breathed a sigh of relief; that was too big for even Shin. It'd be a while before he could charge another, Jhun thought.

He thought wrong.

"TRIPLEX!" The sound of a third gunshot. Jhun would have slapped himself.

"You used a Super DM!"

WOOSH!


Jhun, Kim, and Chang all opened their eyes at once. Shin, Lei, and James stood over them, grins on their faces.

"…We lost, didn't we?" Chang asked.

"Yep."

"…Oh man! How much time has passed!" Jhun asked, bolting straight upwards. The two males on team Hikawa looked to Lei, who cleared her throat.

"An hour and five minutes. You can still go to your silly concert," She stated. His eyes lit up as he began to sprint, but was yanked back to the ground by Lei. "Not yet, though."

"Why not? It's gonna start!" He squeeled.

"I just need you to do one thing for us," Shin smiled. "You see…we're technically in the KoF on, err, field trip, if you will. I need you to-"

"Anything! Just not the face." Jhun cringed.

"-Sign this autograph book." Shin smiled. "You two as well, if you don't mind. Help a school boy- slash- fan out, please." He grinned. In seconds, each of them scribbled on the pad, then were wisked away by a rampaging Jhun.

"So…that's a win for us, huh?" James asked.

"Yep," Lei said. "Surprised the heck out of me…" They both noticed Shin begin to shake, though. "Um…"

"I GOT THEIR AUTOGRAPHS! I WON! MAN, THIS IS GREAT!" Shin roared. "Aaaand…we were on live T.V! I'm going to have fans!"

"And people saw me get kicked in the nuts…" James cringed.

"And…um…well, I did nothing embarassing." Lei said.

"WE ARE TEH WINNAR!"

"Except associate myself with this idiot…" She thought, slapping her forehead…


Trinku sat at his computer, weeping. "No reviews in days…" he sniffled, looking at his monitor.

BEEEP!

"Could it be? Reviews!" He squeeled. Reading them over, he hugged himself. "They think I are cool!" Then, he saw a single review. "Gasp…its BURNOUT! MY INSPIRERER..RER…RER…" Cracking his knuckles, he began to reply…

"Burnout,

Yes, the story is kinda like yours, huh? That was both intentional and unintentional at the same time. You see… I was going to ask if you were going to do a 2k3…but realized 2k3 has new hero characters. You could think of this as the unofficial next year to your DHS saga ;;.

Sorry for the inconvience."

It was almost a touching moment…until the rest of Shadownet walked in the room.

"…The hell do you think you're doing?" Jet Torasun asked.

"Trinku…I thought we were going out?" Uriko sniffled.

"Why am I even IN an exe. story?" Iori asked.