Disclaimer: All KOF characters owned by SNK.

Wow, this is the 3rd chapter I wrote today… Hmmn weird. Ok, things are really starting to heat up. Hint: this is just the Prelude


6. The Breakfast Bargain

Great, should've known. It was a plan all along to make me buy breakfast. Why, that CHEAPSKATE! I seethed inwardly with anger. Probably to get 'even' with me. Why? For making him buy breakfast the other time. No doubt about it. Well, sorry Mister but I ain't no pushover. Just you wait! I'll give as good as I get.

I glanced at my watch.

10.20 am. The corners of my mouth lifted into what I hoped passed for an impish smile.

"But it's 10.20 already, we won't have time. The appointment's at 11!" I said in the sweetest voice I had. "Besides you said that we mustn't be late this time, remember?"

"Yeah, the appointment is important, but not as important as my stomach." He gestured towards his exposed belly.

"Besides, surely I deserve some reward for my efforts? At least I got you a good price on your purchase. Second, I gave us some publicity. I am sure by now everyone on the streets knows who the almighty Shen W… wweee are."

He could still see I wasn't convinced although I said nothing.

"Alright, its actually what we call bargaining. It's common here in Asia. "

"…." I stopped in my tracks. Now that was something new.

He could see my interest was piqued.

"Hey, tell you what. I'll brief you on our culture and stuff. Everything you ever wanted to know. Just for the reasonable price of one breakfast. Deal?"

Damn, he sure knew his stuff well. He had just made me an offer I can't refuse! Suddenly, I could recall why he was in my Team. The man was an odd one, wavering between sheer idiocy and intelligence at times. An interesting specimen, nonetheless.

"Deal!" And with that we crossed our little fingers.

Somewhere off in the distance, I could hear someone snicker softly. And even stranger was that it sounded kinda familiar to my ears… Now, where had I heard that before? I racked my brains, trying to find a possible clue but the memory proved evasive… was I imagining things again? I looked at Shen.

Nothing out of the ordinary there. In fact he was in motor-mouth mode again, speaking of the adventures of his childhood, his adolescence, his conquests and so on. Sigh! Only Heaven alone knows how many hours of endless prattling I'll have to endure this time…

Again the familiar laughter. I looked around but could make out no one.

"Hey Shen, didn't you hear?" I had to tap his shoulder repeatedly to snap him out of 'motor-mouth mode.'

"Huh? What?" He reacted like a man who had just been roused from sleep.

"Someone's laughing at us!"

"Don't be silly. If you don't want to give a treat, just say so! There's no need to make up such stupid childish stories. There's no one else here but us!" Shen gesticulated to the empty space around us.


A/N: Wow, was Ash really imagining things? And why is it Shen couldn't hear it:D All shall be revealed (hopefully) in Chap 7 which I am working on half way… Man, that's like 3 ½ chapters in less than 1 day… Something really weird is going on in my head…

BTW I am having formating/editing problems. I keep getting this annoying error 400. And its irking me cos it wastes me time! Not to mention, my formatting here appears different... Help... anyone?