DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY DEAD OR ALIVE CHARACTER. THOSE CHARACTERS BELONG TO TECMO, LTD. AND TEAM NINJA. I AM IN NO WAY INTENDING ANY COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND I'M NOT MAKING A PROFIT FROM THE USE OF THESE CHARACTERS. ANY CHARACTER NOT A PART OF DEAD OR ALIVE IS MINE AND MINE ALONE.

Chapter Twenty-two

Sunday, December 25

12:48 P.M.

Streets of Downtown

Shark heard the far away sirens of the ambulances, but he thought nothing of it. The sirens just made him think further about his shattered beliefs. He had done so many unspeakable things in the name of greed and anger. Most times it was easy, but with the red headed girl it had been nothing short of pure evil. She had begged for him to stop hurting her, but he didn't. For almost a week he had brutally tortured her, physically and mentally. Now she was more than likely dead.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and roughly turned him around. "I need answers. You're Shark, right?"

He looked at the large man in front of him. "That's my name. If you want answers your talking to the wrong man."

The man took a step back. "I'm Bayman. I hear you used to work for Smith. Your latest victim was a girl named Kasumi, was it not?"

So that was her name. "What is your point?"

Bayman shrugged. He had a grudge against her for almost beating him. It was all her fault that Jack had fought him, and he hated to lose. "I want to know everything you know about her."

Shark shrugged. "I don't know anything. I want you to tell me who killed Duncan. What has happened to Kasumi? Is she still alive?"

Bayman laughed. "Ask Jack Wallace. He'll give you everything you want to know."

Shark wanted to know more, but Bayman had already left. He sighed and looked in the phone book in a nearby phone booth. He stopped at Wallace. It was fairly easy to find the name, since it was obviously not Japanese. It gave a local address and he decided to go check it out, since he had nothing to lose. He ripped out the page and started walking toward Jack's. He didn't know why he suddenly found himself caring about these things. It was the same feeling he had felt when he let the girl go. Maybe he could help take down Smith, or at least satisfy his guilty conscience.


Sunday, December 25

12:54 P.M.

Ambulance

Jack rode in the speeding ambulance with ever increasing worry and sadness. The paramedic had failed to revive Kasumi. He said she had slipped into a coma, but Jack was refusing to believe it. She had done so well last night, and then this morning everything had fallen apart. What was happening to her? Why did she have to suffer like this?

"We should be arriving soon," the medic told him.

Jack felt numb when he looked at Kasumi. It was like everything was a horrible nightmare, and he half expected to wake up and see that she was really still sleeping peacefully in his bed. But he knew. He knew when he looked at her, that this was indeed very real.


Sunday, December 25

1:05 P.M.

Location Unknown

The man glanced at his watch and decided it was time to leave Hong Kong. He needed to get to Tokyo and try to organize Dead or Alive from behind the scenes. Donovan should be ready to take applicants soon. He hoped that a bigger crowd would sign up this year, because DOA3 had disappointed him. But then again he realized why such a small number signed up. After all, who wants to risk their life to fight in a silly tournament. People would much rather watch the action from a distance.

Corso had finally returned his email on the previous tournament's contestants. He found that all the contestants signed up for very personal reasons. These people were willing to risk it all for their beliefs and it would be interesting to see who joined the crowd this year. His flight to Japan would leave soon, but he had time for one phone call. He dialed Smith's number.

"Hello?" Smith answered.

"Are you on the way to our rendezvous point?"

"Y-yes, sir. We're on our way to Tokyo now."

He nodded. "Good. I shall meet you in about two hours."

He hung up the phone and boarded the plane. It was time to change history.


Sunday, December 25

1:07 P.M.

Charity Medical Complex

Jack watched as the paramedics carried Kasumi into the double doors of the hospital. They rolled her stretcher down the hall and he looked at her with worry clearly written on his face. She was shivering now, and she was still bleeding through her nose and mouth. Soon, the medics took her towards the rear of the Charity Medical Complex. Jack followed, and a doctor soon joined him. It was then that Jack recognized the man as Doctor Nikata, the same doctor that had treated his shoulder and worked on Kasumi. That seemed so long ago, but it had only been days.

"What's wrong with her?!" Jack demanded.

"Calm down. We won't know for a few hours. I was hoping you could tell me what this young woman had been doing right before she got sick."

Jack took a seat. "She was just sleeping. I--"

Suddenly a female doctor came running towards them. "Come quick, doctor Nikata! Something is happening to the girl."

Both Jack and Nikata ran to where Kasumi was being treated in the ER. She was still shivering, but now she looked much more frail.

Nikata had no clue what was wrong. The girl was still in a comatose state, but something was happening.

Doctor Nikata was amazed at the girl's body temperature. She acted as if she was freezing, but in reality she was burning up. He had an assistant move Jack to the lobby as he examined the girl named Kasumi for the second time.

"Get some ice in here! We need to bring her temp down."

Another assistant ran off to find some ice, while Nikata examined the girl's eyes. They were dilated and it looked like she was being affected by some kind of drug or biological agent. One thing he knew for sure was that he had never seen anything like it, and he hoped he would never see anything like it again. Her nose was bleeding and her breathing was accelerated. Something was going on inside her head. Then he noticed something else.

"Hey, Doctor Makita, take a look at this," he said.

Doctor Makita walked over and examined Kasumi, instantly noticing the same thing that Nikata had noticed. "She's bleeding internally. Let's get her to the OR," she said seriously.

Jack fought the assistant as he was being 'escorted' back to the lobby. "Let me go! I need to see her!"

"I assure you that she's in good hands. Just wait here."

Jack realized that there was nothing he could do anyway, so he took a seat and waited. After about five minutes, Hayabusa walked into the lobby from the back of the hospital. Jack stood up and faced the ninja.

"How is Ayane?" Jack asked.

Hayabusa shook his head. "She passed into a coma about five or ten minutes ago. They won't tell me anything else."

"I'm sorry, Hayabusa. Kasumi isn't doing any better."

Hayabusa and Jack sat down and looked at each other, the same thing running through both of their minds.

Hayabusa decided to bring it up first. "The red liquid. It has to be what's wrong with them."

Jack shook his head. "Smith said I had one minute to save her. I know I cut it pretty close, but it didn't take more than a minute to get to her. I probably had at least ten seconds left." Jack let out a sigh. "But what else could it be?"

Hayabusa looked at Jack. "Smith could have lied. Or maybe there are side effects we didn't grasp."

Jack nodded and walked outside, taking his keys out of his pocket. As he was walking towards his Jeep, Hayabusa stopped him.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Hayabusa asked.

"Take care of Kasumi for me. If I'm not back by the time she's awake, tell her that I should be back soon."

Hayabusa nodded and let Jack go. After he had started the Jeep, he dialed Myamoto's number.

"Hello?"

"Myamoto, I need you to meet me at the police station," Jack said.

"Jack! What's going on? Is Kasumi okay? What about Ayane?"

Jack sighed. "I don't know anything but it doesn't look good. Hide the sample of red liquid you took from Smith's base and come down to the police station. And bring my laptop. I need to prove a few things."

Something then occurred to Myamoto. "Jack, you do realize that the police are still investigating the man you killed in the park. They'll probably arrest you."

Jack nodded. "I know. That's why I need you to bring proof of Smith's existence. I have my digital camera. Just don't forget the laptop."

"Sure, Jack. Be careful."

"Same to you, Myamoto." Jack hung up the phone and continued to the police station.


Hayabusa was concerned about Ayane and he wanted to see how she was doing, but the doctors wouldn't let him go near her. They said everything was under control, but he had his doubts. Maybe it was because he had seen what Smith had done to Kasumi the first time, or the fact that he had been there first hand last night to experience the tortured screams of Ayane and Kasumi. Whatever the reason, Hayabusa found himself wondering if the girls would make it out alive. He knew Jack would be devastated if Kasumi died, especially like this. And to his surprise he found himself caring more about Ayane than he had expected.


Nikata had just started to work on Kasumi and he was shocked at what he saw. Her insides seemed to be corroded and her blood seemed to have an unnatural glow to it. Doctor Makita gasped at the sight of it.

"Oh, you poor thing," she said quietly. "We need to stop this bleeding."

Nikata nodded. "Where do we start? There's so much damage here..."

Just then two more doctors brought in a girl with short lavender hair. She was suffering the same symptoms as Kasumi and it was apparent that she was also suffering from internal bleeding.

"Not another one," Makita murmured. "Where did these girls come from?"

Nikata instantly returned his attention to Kasumi and began to start the procedure.


As Jack drove towards the station, he began to have doubts about his plan. Going to the police was stupid, even by his standards. Being arrested wouldn't help anyone and it would only make things worse for Kasumi and her sister.

But it was the only thing he could think of. What other option did he have? He was out of ideas, and he had no clue where Smith had run off to. The police seemed to be his only chance to flush the dirty little bastard out of hiding. But he wanted to find some other way, anything besides going to the cops. Mainly because the cops wouldn't do anything but put Smith in jail for a few years. Jack wanted that worm to die for what he's done.

Kasumi didn't deserve to be tortured, but he had tormented her for days without mercy. Even now, when she was free, she was haunted in her dreams by her horrible experiences. And why? What reason did Smith have to justify her pain? Was it money? Was it for his own sick and twisted amusement? Or was it something else entirely?

The more Jack thought about what must've happened to her, the more he became infuriated. What right did that man have to take Kasumi, an innocent young woman, and tear her apart?! He was going to make that little weasel pay for this, if it was the last thing he ever did.


Sunday, December 25

1:37 P.M.

Streets of Downtown

Shark sat down on a nearby park bench and stuffed the thin yellow sheet he had torn from the phone book into his pocket. Why bother going to this man's home? He had no idea who Jack Wallace was. For all he knew it could be a trap set up by Smith so he could be killed for his betrayal. But then in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn't going to pass this opportunity up. Something was pushing his to find an answer so he could finally get peace of mind for his transgressions.

And then there was the matter of the girl. Her name was Kasumi, a fact he had never even taken the time to figure out. What kind of monster was he? How could he have done such a thing without even learning her name?

But then he realized something. If he were a true monster, then he wouldn't feel this amazing load of guilt that was bearing over him like a dark cloud. If he were a true monster, like Smith, he wouldn't give a shit whether she was dead or alive. But even though these facts were true, he still felt like an inhuman son of a bitch.

He then realized why he cared. He wanted something that would be impossible to obtain. He wanted her forgiveness. But there was no way that this girl would ever forgive him for what he has done. Why did he expect such an unreasonable action?

It didn't matter why anymore, he just wanted peace. So he pulled the torn phone page out of his pocket and looked at Jack's address. He was close now. So close, but so far away....