First Blood

(LA)

The crowd roared as an announcer in the center of the large warehouse by the port yelled into the microphone.

"Are you ready for a fight?"

The crowd cheered.

"Are you ready to see blood?"
The crowd cheered again.

"Are you ready for some bare-knuckle brawls?"

The crowd became a dull roar from all of the excitement.

"Well this is going to be one hell of a show folks. This fight in going to be unlike any you've ever seen! Place your bets! This is going to a fight to remember! We've invited various contenders from all over the city and a few outside as special guests in this competition in this one big massive bout in the ring in a battle royale for the number 1 fighter in all of Los Angeles. The winner shall receive a cool fifty grand if they can defeat all of their opponents without getting beaten themselves!"
The crowd cheered again.

"We have tonight some well known street fighters in the city and a few known throughout the world! Here they are…"
The crowd cheered as the competitors entered and circled the ring, two in either side of a large concrete slab where they were cut off from the crown by a chain link fence.

The slab was covered in old blood and the occasional crack from all of the fighting done here.

"Allow me to introduce you to tonight's fighters! TK!"
A large black man wearing only jeans with long dreds punched the air.

"Kiloman!" A hulk of a man merely grunted. He wore a biker outfit, completely black leather.

"G-man!" A well built man in shades punched a few times and did an air somersault to get the crowd roaring again.

"Beast!" A very gruff looking man snarled like a wild animal.

"Rex!" Another biker waved to the crowd.

"Jessy!" A man in a Karate gi with long blonde hair tied in a French braid grinned.

"Terry!" The street fighter waved to Andy and Mai who watched from the crowd.

"And our former victor and still undefeated in the last five bouts! Big Boss!" The crowd once again roared as the average-sized man in a white T-shirt and black jeans who did nothing except stare across the ring, staring at Terry with emotionless eyes.

"Time to get this party started! Fighters are you ready!"

All eight made some sign that they were.

"Then…" The announcer quickly ran off the ring, getting behind a chain link fence.

"Begin!"

The fighters jumped into the ring and the melee began.

X

Bison sat before a screen that displayed a map of the world, showing locations of his Monitor Cyborgs all over it.

Behind him were Sagat and the newly recruited Duke, both simply watched the screen with the man in silence.

"Just what the hell is this place anyway?" Duke stated.

"This is my secret headquarters." Bison replied.

"Those fools at Interpol thought they got the real one quite some time ago, but it was merely a front to act as a decoy. They would have never thought that the real Shadowlaw would be underground where their inferior devices could never find us."

"I must say that you have some big dreams. More like insane dreams if you ask me. World domination has never been pulled off." Duke stated with disbelief.

"Ah, but you have yet to realize what my forces are capable of, Duke. Unknowing to the rest of the world, Shadowlaw continues to grow by the day. It will only be a matter of time."

Duke crossed his arms which meant that he still thought the idea was crazy, but as long as he got to kill Alba and his brother, he was fine with that."

The screen changed to a short old man in a scientist's clothes.

"Are they ready?" Bison asked.

"Yes as you requested. By reconfiguring these more advanced Monitor Cyborgs with the data that the late Professor Sadler had accumulated. They not only have the ability to measure a fighter's capabilities, but also adapt to their strengths and weaknesses to become incredible tools of destruction. You could create an entire army of these improved models to wipe out entire nations with a single command." The man explained.

"Good, I want to see how they stand against other streets fighters. If they are as good as you say they are, one per fighter should be sufficient."

"As you command." The screen returned to the map.

Bison snickered.

"This should be interesting. Now my final plan can move forward. The rule of Shadowlaw is at hand and will forever reign absolute."

X

(Southtown)

Alba Meira stood on the edge of one of the city's tall skyscrapers.

He stood as still as a statue as the wind ruffled his clothes.

"Hey Bro!" Came his younger twin as he ran up behind him.

"What is it, Soiree?" Alba replied, not moving.

"Just wondering what you were doing up here? You've been doing this for quite some time. Ever since you defeated Duke." Soiree said.

"I'm just making sure that he never tries to come back and take over Southtown again. His message means that he might some day try to return and finish what he started. I have to be prepared when that time comes."

"But it's been months. Maybe he's dead by now?" Soiree stated as he leaned over the concrete railing, looking down at all of the people down below.

"No, I know he's still alive. It was merely luck that allowed me to beat him last time. I have to get stronger if I hope to stand a chance the next time."

"True. I had a dream that he killed you, that's why I entered so that he couldn't get the chance to make that dream a reality."

"You sound concerned, but I won so don't worry about it… Isn't there some girl you could be out with? You're starting to annoy me?"

Soiree grinned.

"Nah, at least not tonight. I needed the rest."

Alba's mouth tugged into a smirk from Soiree's stab at humor as he readjusted his red tinted shades.

"You always were the lady's man."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. We're twins after all."

Alba just shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly screams reached them from down below.

"What the hell!" Both yelled as they looked down to see nothing but death and chaos on the streets.

X

(Outside Southtown)

Kyo Kusanagi was riding hard and fast on his motorcycle down an empty highway.

He popped a wheelie and went even faster.

Suddenly he sensed a familiar presence and looked over to see another cyclist on a crouch rocket just like his.

The person swerved outwards and suddenly swerved back to ram him.

Kyo saw the action and hit the brakes, falling back on two wheels and popping on the front wheel as the motorcycle swerved beneath him.

Kyo looked over and saw the person beckoning him before hitting the throttle and speeding off again.

Not being one to back down, Kyo sped up after the rider.

Both came even very quickly as they looked and tried to look through the other's tinted helmet, but were unable to.

The mystery rider suddenly swung a fist covered in purple flame.

Kyo ducked the first swing and caught the second with his own flame colored fist.

Both struggled as they fought to gain the upperhand going over 150mph.

Suddenly they broke off and Kyo hit the brakes, making the tires squeal against the pavement while the other rider also slowed down.

Kyo was the first to stop and the other swung around to face him.

Both revved the engines that seemed to growl for carnage.

Both hit the throttle and the back tires peeled out before they took off.

Both raised a fist like they were jousting, but the stakes were much higher with the speeds that were still climbing.

Both punched and their fists collided, shooting multi-colored fire in all directions.

The force of their blow caused them to turn 180 degrees around and stop in a stalemate.

Despite the intense heat, their motorcycles were still unaffected, but the highway was beginning to melt as it bubbled around them.

They stopped their bout and sped passed the other, stopping away from the circle of melted asphalt.

Both parked their bikes and got off, taking off their helmets.

Kyo growled as he placed his helmet on the seat of the bike.

"Iori Yagami. I should have known."

Iori snickered as his long red bang moved a little as he did the same.

"Kyo Kusanagi of the Kusanagi Clan. It's been a while. We didn't have the chance to meet in the last tournament."

"An unfortunate outcome. I would have enjoyed running you into the ground."

Iori chuckled.

"Still as cocky as ever. That will be your downfall. I Iori Yagami of the Yagami Clan will prove that my clan in the stronger by your defeat."

Iori got in a fighting stance.

"And you are still as simple-minded as ever. We'll see whose flame burns the hottest." Kyo also got into his fighting stance.

Both stood, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Exorcism!" Iori struck the ground and a purple flame streaked towards Kyo quickly.

Kyo leaped over it and Iori followed in the air.

Both met and began to swing punches and kicks even as they fell.

Their bout didn't stop when they landed, but intensified as their moves became quicker. Their limbs blazed with fire as they tried to gain the advantage, trying to find a weakness in the other's defense.

"Fireball!" Kyo struck as his fist blazed with fire as he spun, striking Iori in the chin.

Iori flipped in the air to recover and fired another Exorcism, which caught Kyo when he landed, setting him ablaze.

"What's the matter, too hot for ya!" Iori called to the purple inferno.

In a flash, Kyo's fire overwhelmed the purple flame.

"Didn't even scorch me." Kyo replied as he raised his hand which blazed with even greater fire.

"Shiki Kusanagi Serpent!" He flung his hand and an intense wave of fire flew at Iori.

The man raised his arms to block, but that did little as he was overwhelmed and sent flying by the strength of the attack.

Kyo saw Iori fall to the ground with a crash.

He walked over to the smoking body.

"Not bad, Kusanagi." Iori said as he got to his feet, patting away the flames on his body.

"You've grown stronger. I knew you wouldn't challenge me outside the KOF tournament unless you thought you could defeat me." Kyo said.

Iori snickered.

"Both of us are quite similar even though our clans' rivalry and hatred goes back for generations. Because of that, my desire to beat you in one of my greatest goals, and greatest pleasures." Iori attacked with lightning speed.

"Demon Scorcher!"
Kyo was caught off guard by Iori's spinning flame uppercut, but he recovered in the air and fired a fireball at Iori, who knocked it aside and charged where he was going to land.

Kyo landed with just enough time to block a powerful roundhouse kick that almost knocked him off his feet from the force.

Kyo retaliated with his Torment Trigger, but Iori managed to avoid the powerful uppercut and their fighting resumed.

Their flames burned the air around them, seemingly forming their own battleground of fire from their powerful auras.

"I am going to defeat you Kusanagi!"

"Only when Hell freezes over!"

"Prepare to be surprised!"

Iori hammered Kyo in the stomach, doubling the man over.

Kyo grabbed his arm and pulled him into a thrust kick into the face, knocking Iori away.

Iori growled as he wiped his lip and looked at the blood on his hand.

"Is that all you've got?"

Kyo took a few deep breaths.

"Hardly. I'm just getting warmed up."

"Bad pun, Kyo!" Iori replied.

"So what?"

Iori charged like a raging lunatic, his fist raised as his purple flame encased around his arms.

Kyo was preparing to fight.

Someone else was there, distracting Kyo as he looked away.

Iori saw Kyo and skidded to a halt, his flame dying.

"What the hell are you doing? We're in a middle of a fight!" Iori snarled.

"We're not alone." Kyo replied as he tried to pin point who or what was out there.

Iori noticed the strange presence and he also looked around.

"Whatever it is, it ain't human?" Iori said.

"There's two of them, they've got us completely surrounded."

Suddenly their bikes exploded and the fire circled around them, forming a ring to keep them inside.

"Apparently they don't know who we are. Like fire could keep us in here." Iori scoffed as two bright lights shined outside the wall of fire around them.

"We'll postpone our battle for now. I don't like interruptions." Iori said as he prepared for the intruders.

"Fair enough." Kyo said.

X

(Southtown)

K' walked alone down a dark alley. His footsteps were barely audible. His silent form seemed to vanish in the shadows and reappear when he passed through the small rays of light.

"I'm bored." He said in his deathly cold voice.

Maximus was gone again on one of his little trips to God-knows-where which is why K' decided to walk around the city.

"The only excitement I ever get is when I'm fighting in the KOF tournament and I hate those stupid contests, but what else is there to do around here."

His ears picked some explosions nearby along with some screams.

Just as he was about to find out what was going on, a shadow stood in his path.

K' didn't seem the least impressed as he moved a lock of white hair with his right hand.

"You've got guts, whoever you are."

The person seemed to make something like that of a chuckle, its eyes glowing a strange green.

"But just so you know. You just made one of the biggest mistakes of your very short life."

X

(LA)

The battle royale was absolutely brutal. Eight men were fighting hardcore on the concrete slab in a vicious free-for-all.

TK, Jerry, Rex, and G-Man fought well, but they all were knocked out of the ring within the first few minutes.

All that remained were Beast, Terry, Kiloman, and Big Boss.

Big Boss charged into a flying kick at Beast.

"Guess it's just you and me." Terry said to Kiloman, who simply grunted.

"Ok, lets see what you've got. Haa!" Terry leaped into the air with a Crack Shot, striking the man right on the shoulder.

The man didn't even flinch, but grabbed Terry's leg and slammed him on the ground, cracking the concrete with his body.

Andy and Mai were surprised by the sight.

Terry got to his feet, cracking his neck.

"You're a lot tougher than I gave you credit. Now I'll show you what I've really got."

Kiloman charged like a bullet train to run Terry over.

"Nice try." Terry jumped high into the air, letting Kiloman pass right underneath him.

Terry landed and charged just as Kiloman stopped and turned around.

"Power Dunk!"

Terry jumped with a knee into the man's face, knocking him backwards and finished him off with a blow to the cheek, sending the giant to the ground like a felled tree.

"Alright." Terry cheered, that was until Kiloman began to get to his feet, but clearly Terry's attack shook him up a little.

"You're quite tough." Terry grinned. "Let's see how much you can take."

Beast and Big Boss were really going at it. Clearly Big Boss wasn't an ordinary fighter as he pressed Beast with lethal kicks and punches that kept the man on the edge.

Beast was quite agile and managed to avoid most of the strikes, but Big Boss got in a quick punch and knocked the man out of the ring, sending him crashing into the chain link fence. He turned and simply waited for the other two to finish their bout.

X

Terry was hammering Kiloman hard, but the giant was almost inhumanly resistant to his punches and Terry had to jump away every time he tried to hit or grab him.

"That's it, enough is enough!" Terry declared and charged at Kiloman.

Kiloman expected him to attack like that and tried to grab Terry.

But Terry wasn't charging for that reason. At the last second, he ducked the giant's arms, sliding to a stop at the giant's feet.

"Rising Tackle!"

Terry's feet came alive with ki as he pushed off with his hands.

Kiloman was struck right in the chin by Terry's feet and then finished off by his rapidly spinning fists, sending him crashing on the concrete and sliding off the ring and crashing into the fence, scaring several spectators.

"Wow, what a finish folks! Now all that remained is Big Boss and Terry! Who will be the victor?"

Both fighters got ready, the classic standoff.

Big Boss attacked with a powerful charge.

Terry was actually surprised by the man as he suddenly ducked down and swept out his leg, knocking him on hi back.

Big Boss didn't stop there as he made a full 360 and flipped forward from his crouched position with a shout, sticking out his foot.

Terry recovered and rolled just as the fighter's heel smashed into the concrete like a hammer, crushing the slab with the attack.

Terry quickly got to his feet as Big Boss pulled out his foot and prepared to fight again.

"You're quite good." Terry said.

"As are you? You are said to be a great fighter. Now I want to see."

Big Boss attacked again with a flying kick, but Terry evaded it and grabbed Big Boss's leg, swinging him around to raise him in the air and slam him hard on the ground.

The crowd shouted from the blow.

Terry let go and Big Boss slowly got to his feet, his expression that of amazement.

"You really are a great fighter. Even better than I could have hoped."

Terry grinned as Big Boss attacked again.

Big Boss was an excellent fighter, but no match for the Lone Wolf as he blocked or avoided every attack with fluid and powerful moves.

With a move unseeable to basically everyone, Terry delivered a devastating punch across Big Boss's face, sending the fighter spinning like a wild top before collapsing like a rag doll.

The crowd was silent.

"Uh, Terry is the winner." The announcer said in a dead tone, still in shock.

Then the crowd came alive once again with shouts and boos, mostly from those who placed bets on Big Boss.

Terry waved his cap to the crowd as he was presented the fifty grand in the form of a group of very large bills.

The group was quite happy after Terry won so much money for them.

"Wow, fifty thousand dollars! We could live well off that for quite a while!" Mai said as Terry pocketed the money in his bag.

The crowd had left after all of the fighting was over. Only the group remained by the port waters as bright lights from the great city cast light almost as bright as the sun itself over them.

Someone could be heard walking towards them, the occasional splashing from a puddle being stepped on echoed softly.

Terry, Andy, Mai, and Lina didn't react until the person was within a comfortable distance.

"I'm glad that you waited. It would have been harder to find you if you kept moving." Said the voice from the shadows.

Lina let out a sound of joy as she ran at the man and jumped into his arms.

"You found me." Lina said happily as the man set her down.

"Well then you shouldn't have gotten lost. This is a big city you know." But the man simply chuckled humorously.

Lina turned to the others with a smile.

"Terry, Andy, Mai. Allow me to introduce to you my big brother. Keith Riey."

The man stepped forward to let the light reveal him.

"Hello. I would like to thank you for taking care of my sister for me." Keith said.

"No problem. She was a great companion." Terry replied.

"My, he's quite handsome." Mai said flirtatiously, teasing Andy a little.

"And you're quite a looker yourself." Keith replied.

Mai giggled at his response.

But in that moment, Keith and Terry locked eyes, meaning both saw the other's fighting spirit and acknowledged the other as a challenge.

Keith clenched his right fist as he dropped his bag and Terry did the same.

"Lina, you'd better move away." Keith stated as he moved away from her.

Terry did the same as they went to the edge of the circle of light cast by an overhanging lamppost.

A ship's horn rang in the distance.

"So you are Terry Bogard, the Lone Wolf. I am honored to finally meet you." Keith said.

"Lina said that you are a great street fighter. If you want to face me then I have no qualms about it." Terry replied.

"I came here simply out of the opportunity to test my skills against yours. Win or lose, no strings attached."

"Understood, are you ready?" Terry snapped his arms up.

"Absolutely."

The air suddenly went still, dead still.

Neither moved, expecting the other to take the initiative.

The three were quiet in anticipation and excitement.

The lamp suddenly flickered briefly.

"Hrraaa!" Keith charged fast, his feet pounding on the road as he sprinted at Terry.

Terry took this fight more seriously and leaped away from Keith's charging punch that came so fast it almost sounded like thunder.

Terry landed not far behind Keith and attacked.

"Burning Knuckle!"

Keith shifted away like a shadow and caught the arm, using Terry's own momentum against him as he swung him around and threw him into the sky.

Terry corrected himself and saw Keith's right fist flare with blue ki.

"Shooting Star!"

Keith punched, sending a fast ball of ki straight at him.

Terry crossed his arms and blocked the blast, which exploded on contact, knocking him away in a pillar of smoke.

Andy and Mai were quite surprised. Lina seemed worried when she saw Terry engulfed by the blast.

Just before he hit, Terry twisted and landed on his feet in a crouching position.

Keith's fist returned to normal as he smirked at Terry.

"Just what I expected. You definitely live up to your name."

Terry got to his feet and raised his fists.

"He's good. The strange thing is that I'm not sensing his ki very well. It's like it's invisible to me. I'd better not drop my guard."

Not far from the shores, several Monitor Cyborgs were slowly headed their way on a small liner, already gathering data on the people.

Terry and Keith were now fighting in close quarters, hand-to-hand combat.

Terry found Keith to be very elusive, his movements seemed to leave afterimages of himself when he dodged or wanted to get in close or move away.

But that didn't mean that he couldn't be hit.

Keith swung a hard left, but Terry caught it and used that to get in and elbow the man in the stomach and then finish him off with a powerful uppercut.

Keith growled in pain as he took some quick steps backwards to keep from falling.

He grabbed his chin, his teeth still rattling from the blow.

His eyes widened as Terry's fist surged with ki.

"Power Wave!"

Terry struck the ground and a wave of ki shot straight towards Keith, who crossed his arms just as the blast exploded in a powerful burst of ki and dust.

The smoke faded away to reveal that Keith's body was surrounded in a glowing aura that had somehow nullified the blast. But Keith wasn't completely unaffected as he was clearly breathing a little faster.

"Strong, very strong. I have heard of fighters with great ki like this, but experiencing it first-hand and it's still almost unbelievable. That must mean that the rumors are true."

Keith wasn't about to quit as he got in a fighting stance.

Terry was quite amazed at Keith's persistence.

"He just won't give up, not that it's a bad thing."

Keith and Terry were about to resume the fight when suddenly they heard loud splashing not far from them and they turned to see some large men jumping from a ship, sailing high above them, then landing with loud thuds, cracking the road from the impact of their feet.

Lina became frightened and quickly backed away as they advanced in formation, becoming a four-man wall.

"Who are they?" Andy asked, but knew that he wasn't going to get an answer.

The men were exactly the same. Large, muscular, white hair down to their shoulders, and all wearing a very cocky grin on their faces.

Terry and Keith ran next to the others as the men stood still, except for the occasional snicker.

"Data has been confirmed on the identities of street fighters. Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, Mai Shiranui..." Said one of the men.

"Huh?" The four looked at each other in confusion.

"The one called Ken Masters is not among them." Said another.

They focused on Keith.

"This one doesn't have any records. What's you're name?"

Keith hmphed at the giants.

"If you're so eager to know. I'm Keith Riey, a badass you don't want to mess with."

"Well Keith, you seem to have come to the wrong place at the wrong time. Extermination of said street fighters shall ensue." Said another.

"Extermination?" Mai didn't like the sound of that.

"Prepare to die!" The four said and charged.

Only Lina did not move as they separated, breaking the four apart to one-on-one fighting.

Mai and Andy stayed on the ground as Terry and Keith took to the roofs of the warehouses to give each other room to fight.

X

"Well if you want a fight, you came to the right place." Andy said as he snapped into a fighting pose.

The man snickered as he read the data on Andy's physical attributes and power readings.

"You will be fun." Said the man as he charged.

Andy raised his arms and blocked the roundhouse, but the power the man brought forth knocked the man sideways, crashing into a wall, leaving an imprint of his body.

"Damn. This guy doesn't pull any punches!"

X

Mai was very evasive as she backflipped from a fast punch and leaped over another.

"You should know how to treat a lady." Mai said as her clothes burned away and her fighting clothes took their place as she brought out a fan and charged.

"Blossom Storm!"

She began to spin rapidly as she went upwards, striking the man repeatedly with the fan from the stomach and all the way to his face.

After she passed, the man snickered as he grabbed her legs in one of his giant hands and swung her down, cracking the road with her body.

Mai groaned from the pain as she struggled to get up as a great shadow loomed over her.

The man raised a large foot over her.

"Now you die."

X

Keith and the man seemed to be in a race as they sprinted over the rooftops, jumping across alleys to the next warehouse with incredible speed.

"You're fast for such a big guy." Keith said as he vanished and reappeared above the man.

"But I'm faster!" He brought his hands together and slammed them on the giant's head, stopping him cold.

The man didn't move for a second, then turned with a grin, shocking Keith.

"Is that the best you've got?"

Keith got over his shock to resume the fight, even if he wasn't in peak condition.

"Not even close. Bring it on!"

One of the man's eyes that seemed shut because of his muscular face snapped wide open, revealing a large green lens.

"Gladly."

X

Terry and his opponent blocked and traded blows at breakneck speeds, neither slowing or giving in. Strangely though, the man was taking every blow with a smile on his face.

Terry was beginning to tire, he had already had a tough fight with Keith, and this guy isn't making it any easier.

"Burning Knuckle!"

Terry's ki charged fist struck the man straight in the stomach, sending a small shockwave that expanded, cracking the roof.

The man didn't even flinch as he grabbed Terry's head and lifted him off his feet, and then letting got to punt the man high into the air.

Terry corrected himself and tried to use his fall to his advantage.

"Crack Shot!"

The man caught the foot, the force driving his feet slightly into the cement.

Terry broke free and fell to the ground.

"Rising Tackle!"

The man was hammered by Terry's spinning fists, knocking him off his feet.

Terry wasn't about to let up as his fist surged with ki.

"Ground Wave!"

Both were consumed by a mild explosion of smoke.

The man groaned a little, then his hand shot through and hammered Terry across the face, sending his flying across the other warehouses, landing right at Lina's feet.

"Terry! Are you ok?"

The man moaned as he stood up, a little beaten up, but still capable of fighting.

"Yeah, but thanks for your concern." He said with a smile before the man crashed to the ground, wearing a smirk and revealed that his clothes were ruined by Terry's attack, but other than that, unharmed.

"Not bad. You put up a better fight that I expected."

Terry's aura began to form, and then grow into a bright flame around him.

"Playtime's over."

X

Andy leaped high into the air.

"Sky Rending Shot!"
His feet blazed with ki as he shot to the ground.

The man backed away as Andy's attack struck the ground with incredible force.

"Haaaa!"
Andy burst through the dustcloud with his Shadow Splitting Fist, but his attack was cut off as the man fired a green ki blast.

He narrowly dodged as it tore through a wall like nothing at all.

Andy looked at the damage and that cost him as he looked back to see the man already on top of him.

"You lose."

Andy was kicked right in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

The man moved with such speed that he pulled out his foot and spun to use it again to knock Andy into the air.

The fighter quickly gathered ki into his hands and fired.

The man swung his hand and a barrier formed in front of him, deflecting the blast right back at Andy.

The man was so surprised that he was hit by his own attack and plummeted to the ground.

The man leaped high into the air, preparing to crush Andy.

Andy was barely hanging onto consciousness when he saw Mai out of the corner of his eye.

She let out a scream as he toyed with her, bruising her flawless skin and daring to hurt his girl.

His drive to save her brought him back to his opponent.

"Now you die." The man said in that cruel fashion.

"I don't think so!" Andy shouted as he jumped up at the man.

"Ultra Sky Rending Shot!"

The man was pulverized by the attack, Andy going right through his body like paper.

Andy landed right after the man did, who groaned before collapsing in a heap on the ground.

X

Mai was bleeding from many cuts and blood dripped down from her head and from the corner of her mouth.

She barely had the strength to stand and she hadn't even put a dent in this guy.

"Just what is he? He's a monster. But I can't give up."

"Ready to end this?" The man said as he raised a hand, ki gathering into it.

"Far from it!" She charged straight at him, preparing all of her strength for her last attack.

"Your data shows that you can't win. I'll prove that to you." He said and fired.

Mai leaped over the blast, spinning rapidly as fire surrounded her.

"Shiranui Secret, Phoenix Dance!"

The man wasn't expecting such an attack and was engulfed in flames when she struck him, knocking him backwards.

She continued to charge his retreating form.

"Folding Fan!" She shouted and threw several fans at him, disorienting him as they struck his face.

"Haaa!" Even greater fire consumed her as she raised her elbow, seemingly flying just off the ground.

"Super Deadly Ninja Bees!"

She struck him with all of her might, driving him into a wall that crumbled when he went through.

Mai was breathing heavily from using all of her energy, she fell to her knees out of exhaustion.

The dust cleared to show the man was still standing.

Mai couldn't believe her eyes at what she was seeing.

"No, impossible. I hit him with my most powerful attacks."

The man groaned as he lurched forward, showing that even though he was still alive, he wasn't as cocky as before.

"Impressible, but still insufficient, girl." He raised his only good hand and fired.

Mai couldn't move, she couldn't even muster the strength to defend herself.

"Mai!" Andy shouted as he sprinted and grabbed her, leaping just as the blast struck.

"You saved me." Mai said with stars in her eyes.

"Don't mention it." He said as he set her down on the ground and turned to face the man with a cold glare.

The man seemed to growl at his missed kill, even more that he was very damaged from the girl's flames as sparks arched from various parts.

"You'll pay for hurting Mai." Andy declared.

"I doubt it." The man replied.

Andy charged with a battle cry.

The man raised his hand once again and fired.

"Shadow Splitting Fist!" Andy's elbow flared with ki in his charge, tearing down the blast like nothing.

"You will die!" The man said as he swung in a final attempt to defeat Andy.

Andy ducked the blow and elbowed the man straight in the stomach.

The man groaned as they both became still as statues.

The giant fell backwards, not moving, leaving an indention of Andy's elbow when he was struck.

Andy sighed a little as her turned to tend to his girlfriend.

X

The man's speed was keeping Keith on his toes.

The man was clearly something else to move like someone half his size.

Keith so far had managed to keep from getting hit, but he was beginning to tire and his opponent seemed to have infinite endurance.

The man snickered as he feinted with a punch and brought forth a knee that Keith walked right into.

Keith's eyes bulged as the knee hit his chest, as big as it was; it basically hit his entire torso.

The man then pulled back and punched Keith away like an insect.

Keith skid a short distance, then he got back to his feet.

"Dammit! He's not human!" He felt an overwhelming urge and brought his hand to his mouth as he vomited up blood, covering his hand completely.

"You're pretty good to have lasted this long. I can't get an accurate reading on how strong you are, but it's not enough anyways."
Keith shook the blood away and got ready to fight.

"That's because I've learned to hide my ki. I might even be holding back."

The man chuckled as he brought his hands to his side, a powerful amount of ki gathering between them.

Keith sensed that power just as the man fired the blast.

Keith vanished in the explosion that wiped out almost the entire roof.

The man turned and saw Keith with a grin on his face.

"That's an interesting technique. How about I show you mine?"
Keith's fists surged with ki as he brought them to his sides.

"Shooting Star."

He punched with his right, then his left, sending two blasts at the man.

"Hmph." The man swung his hand, creating a barrier that deflected the blasts.

Keith was surprised before he crossed his arms.

"Celestial Shield!"

The two attacks consumed him in ki and smoke.

The smoke cleared to show Keith was ok.

"So you can also use your ki as protection. Not many have learned how to do that." Said Keith.

The man only grinned.

"So what?" He leaped into the air as he gathered ki into his hands.

Keith's body ignited with ki as he saw the man ascend.

"Guess I'll have to use one of my stronger moves!" He didn't move, but his ki seemed to propel his body like a rocket.

"Cosmic Kick!" Keith was consumed in bright ki as he pointed his leg in a spinning flying kick.

The man was drilled by Keith's foot before he was knocked out of the sky by the ki charged attack.

The man was knocked a great distance, but corrected himself and landed hard, but his body didn't notice as Keith landed.

"I'm not finished!" Keith shouted as he charged.

"Good, I wasn't through having fun with you."
Keith grabbed the giant in a tight bear hug as far as his arms could reach and jumped with all of his strength, taking the man with him into the air.

Keith twisted them into the air and his feet flared with ki like jet boosters.

"Astro Fury!"

Both rocketed to the ground like a meteor, blowing a wall of rock and dust in all directions.

The dust cleared as Keith leaped out of the very large hole he made with the giant's body.

The man was still, motionless.

Then he shot out of the crater with incredible speed, catching Keith off guard as he grabbed his face in his giant hand.

Keith tried to get free but the giant's hold was strong as he swung the man around like a toy before piledriving his head into the ground.

The man then charged at the nearest warehouse, driving Keith's head into it, spraying blood as the wall cracked from the impact.

"Game over." The giant said as he let go and proceeded to beat the hell out of Keith with a barrage of punches that Keith was helpless to stop as they drove him into the wall.

Keith let out a groan from every blow that rained down on him, but he wasn't able to fight back.

"Brother!"

Keith heard the voice and the blows stopped.

Lina had grabbed the giant's right arm. She didn't have the strength to stop him, but the action caused the man to stop.

"Please, stop hurting him." She pleaded to the man.

The man grinned evilly.

"Sorry girl, but this guy's life is going to end, whether you like it or not." With a simple move, he threw her off of him, sending her sliding away.

Keith's fury seemed to explode within him when he saw his sister treated like that.

"Now where were we?" The man reared back a fist and punched.

Keith's hand came out and caught the blow, stopping it cold.

"Huh?"

Keith's fury seemed to have manifested itself into an aura around him.

The man was beginning to detect Keith's ki.

With a quick thrust, Keith knocked the man away with his foot.

The man skid across the ground, but he still managed to stay on his feet.

The man's left eye popped open to reveal the green lens.

He grinned as Keith broke away from the wall and began to show his true fighting power.

"You've got power, boy." The man gathered ki into his hands and fired.

Keith shifted away, letting it shoot by and destroy the wall behind him.

His eyes seemed to burn with his anger.

The man charged and swung a haymaker, but Keith raised an arm and blocked it, the force sending a small shockwave around them.

The man was then floored by a cross on his cheek.

"Nobody hurts my sister!" He snarled like a rabid animal.

The man got to his feet.

"His ki is still growing. What human can have such power?"

"I'll show you power! HAAA!" Keith's cry alerted all of them as his aura flared like a hurricane as his fists blazed with incredible ki.

"Hyper Shooting Star!" Keith unleashed an endless barrage of blasts at the man.

The giant tried to defend himself, but the barrage became too overwhelming for him as they knocked him backwards.

"HAAAA!" Keith's arms were merely blurs to the eye as he sent the barrage at the man.

"Uh u huhu!" The man groaned as the blasts began to tear him literally apart, taking off his arms and part of his face and turning his body into swiss cheese.

Finally, the barrage shoved him over the edge, sending him into the water and sinking to the bottom like a rock.

Keith finally stopped, his breathing deep and heavy before he closed his eyes and passed out.

X

Terry and his opponent were in a dance of skill and power.

As fast as the man was, Terry was just out of reach, narrowly avoiding the fast blows.

"Are you finished? You may be strong, but I've faced stronger opponents than you."
The man snickered.

"I highly doubt that." The man swung, but Terry leaped, landing on the arm and busting the man's head with another Crack Shot.

The man recoiled as Terry began to pound his fists into the man, systematically taking him down as he kicked a knee, forcing the man to crumble so he could reach more vital areas.

The man tried to block, but Terry was quick and worked around the man's big arms.

The man finally grabbed Terry and threw him into a lamp post, snapping the steel like a toothpick with his back.

Terry used this to his advantage even though he was hurting.

"Rising Tackle!"
The spinning attack caused the giant to be thrown away, crashing into the ground.

Terry landed and charged just as the man got up.

"Swooper Kick!" Terry back flipped, nailing the guy in the chin, sending him flying backwards.

"Now for the grand finale!" Terry said.

The man charged as he gathered ki into his hands and fired.

"Power Geyser!" Terry's fist struck, consuming the blast and the man in a fountain of ki that erupted like a volcano, obliterating him and the nearest buildings.

Terry got to his feet as Andy and Mai ran up to him.

"Good job, Bro." Andy said as he patted Terry on the back.

"Wasn't that Kim's move you just did?" Mai asked.
"Yeah, I needed something to give me time to use my Power Geyser and that's what came to me."

"Maybe you should thank him should you ever meet again." Andy said.

"Maybe I will." They shared a laugh before Terry noticed that Lina and Keith weren't there.

"Look." Mai said.

They saw that Keith was on the ground, Lina cradling his head in her lap.

They ran over to see what the problem was and Keith came to.

"Ow, my head." He moaned as he sat up.

"Keith, you're ok!" Lina shouted as she grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Easy Sis, I'm still a little tired." He said so that she would let go.
"You showed a tremendous amount of ki a minute ago. You must have done a lot of training." Said Terry as Keith got to his feet.

"Yeah, a little here and there. My sister and I have traveled to almost every state. I try my skills against other fighters, but Lina just wants to be near me. I've tried to make her stay, but she's the only person I've never been able to beat."

"You got that right." She said as she punched his arm, which he laughed, but then stopped when pain struck him.

"Are you ok?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, just a few cracked ribs I think. I've been through worse so don't worry. They'll heal in no time. So just what were those things?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but they gave off weird auras. Powerful, but unlike anything I've ever felt." Terry replied.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that they weren't even alive to begin with." Andy stated.

"What are you getting at, Andy?" Mai asked.

"They felt like pieces of other people, like a very bad jigsaw puzzle. Their auras would change depending on what style they used. Not like anyone I've ever seen before." He answered.

"You mean, NESTS?" Terry asked.

"NESTS?" Keith asked.

"A very powerful and evil organization bent on world domination. They managed to make several clones a very powerful fighter by the name of Kyo Kusanagi. A few of their creations rebelled and with their help, we managed to stop them for good." Terry explained.

"So what about these things. Are they from NESTS?" Lina asked.

Terry shook his head

"No, even if they did somehow come back, these things are way out of their league."

"Then who?" Andy asked.

The American just shrugged.

"Beats me."

"I might have an answer for that." Said a familiar voice.

The gang turned and saw a man with long blond hair walk up to them.

He was no longer in a business suit, now he was wearing a red gi.

"Hi, Ken wasn't it." Terry said.

"Yep, you've got a good memory." Ken replied, then noticed the girl that was attacked.

"Hi there. We didn't officially meet last time." Ken said with a smile.

"Ken Masters." He said, shaking her hand.

"Lina Riey. Nice to meet you." She said.

"And I'm Keith Riey, her older brother." He said as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you too."

"So what were you saying earlier?" Mai asked.

Ken looked around.

"This probably isn't a good place to talk. We can all take my car to the hotel where I'm staying. It might get a little crampy though." He motioned towards his Porsche.

"I don't mind." Mai said as she snuggled up to Andy, her wounds long forgotten.

"Ok, then it's settled. Hop in." Ken said as he walked to the driver side and got in as did the others.

X

(Somewhere in Western China)

Ryu traveled silently, the setting sun on his back, casting a long shadow across the short-grassed plain.

He kept this pace for a while, not stopping until night set.

He continued on until his shadow touched a pair of large shoes.

"You again." Ryu said to the man.

The man replied with a chuckle.

"Ryu, I've been ordered to kill you. Prepare to die." The man said as an aura surrounded him.

"Don't count on it." Ryu said as he dropped his bag and the man charged.

XXX

Ok, 2nd Chapter done. Others will come around the next chapter to finish off the entire cast of the fic.

Because this is a crossover, I've had to cut about a third of the entire cast because that amount would stretch me too thin and greatly slow down the progress. The decisions were tough, but they had to be made unfortunately.

The fate of the Earth rests in the hands of its most powerful fighters.

Can they win? That is the question.