Disclaimer: SNK owns King of Fighters and all the characters that appear. I own any original character appears. This in no way derogates from SNK's legal rights and obligations.
Chapter 6 - Concerto Showdown
Location: Wembley Stadium England
The next week was a nervous time, for Billy, Kai and the rest of the band, they had a sold out Concert at Wembley Stadium, and for Billy, it was worse, having to wait. Kai had updated both Kaia and Joe on the situation, and both had agreed to come to the concert to help out, just in case. Billy paced nervously around the morning of the concert, as they began to set up the instruments, wondering if Lilly and Duke were going to show up. See You At Wembley, the note had said, he worried and it was beginning to show and affect the other band members. Kai took Billy aside and said, "Don't worry about it, he'll show himself."
"Uhh...right," Billy answered, still nervous. The moving trucks began to set up the stage in the middle of the pitch
"Look, if you really need to, I'll spar with you so you can release some of your frustration," Kai said, "And I won't hit back."
"No thanks," Billy replied, "I'd probably go too hard, it's really not good waiting, it's getting annoying."
"Of course it is," Kai replied, "I'm pretty much waiting too like this, all of us are worried, but we have to wait."
The band continued to get ready, though Billy's nerves were fraying, out of worry for his sister, his only relative left. The hours ticked down as the countdown to the concert began. The crowd began filing in, the cloudy night sky was dark, hiding the moonlight, the band began to run through their last warm ups. Billy got ready with his signature guitar, strummed out a few chords, cursing his nervousness, as he missed one, noticed by all the other band members, and Kai who reassured him that between, Joe, Kaia and himself, everything would be fine, and that he needed to concentrate and be patient.
The concert was about to begin to a packed out stadium which was chanting loudly. The spotlight shone down on the middle of the ground, as the band made its entrance, but then the pyro's abruptly stopped, as the spotlight pointed up at the roof, from there suspended by a rope was a girl. the rope was slowly but surely fraying. All the fans were shocked at this. Billy ran off the stage as quick as he could, jumped the barrier, and running up towards Lilly, on top of the roof he saw Duke, he between him and his sister.
Kaia, Joe and Kai all saw as well and ran towards the place where Lilly was going to fall, if the rope broke. Joe got into position to catch his falling angel, just in case. Kaia ran upwards to the top of the stadium, whilst the band told everyone not to panic. The fans were all taking pictures of Lilly hanging there by a rope. Kai ran out of the stadium and went to get a large tarpaulin sheet, hoping that everyone would help out and catch Lilly if she fell. Kaia reached the roof, and already saw Billy and Duke fighting it out. Billy threw a Tri-cane smash, following into a Tri-cane explosion, hitting Duke, who countered with a hard blow. Kaia ran up to where they were fighting, as Duke turned his attention towards her, unleashing a strong blow, but Kaia just blocked it, and waited for her opening.
"Stay out of this," Billy ordered, as he went to engage Duke again, "go and rescue my sister," he ordered, as he kept Duke busy, allowing Kaia to slip past him, and to the beam where Lilly was being suspended from. Lilly looked up, as she saw a raven-haired woman, come and grab the rope, just as it was about to finish fraying . Kaia pulled as hard as she could, slowly but surely drawing Lilly up, much to the relief of everyone down at ground level.
Meanwhile, Billy and Duke were engaged in a death duel, Billy taking hits as well as giving them, though he didn't really feel the pain, countering Duke's jump attack with Karyuu Tsuigeki Kon, and the countering the next charging blow with Suiryuu Tsuigeki Kon. He then followed with a charge attack himself, but was grabbed by Duke, as he countered, ripping Billy's bandana off his head, exposing Billy's gold locks, the bandana fluttering away in the breeze like an errant bird. Billy was kneed in the gut by Duke hurting him, and then thrown away, as Duke began to move towards Lilly and Kaia, who had made sure that Lilly had gotten behind her, and then went into a ready stance. Billy, dazed, saw Duke go to hit Kaia, as Kaia just blocked, but was slowly being backed closer to the edge of the roof, while Lilly was also getting closer to the edge.
"Slip away," Kaia said, as she distracted Duke by forcing him right with a counter attack, as Lilly raced left, and down the other side of the roof to Joe who held her tightly and then climbed up the roof, "I have to help," he said, as he kissed Lilly and went up. Kaia meanwhile, had been backed up to the end, the physically stronger Duke, using his weight and attacks to push her backwards, even though she landed a couple of ruthless counters, this guy would not give up. Suddenly, her footing slipped, as she was out of space, dropping to one knee she blocked an overhead punch but the impact sent her slipping. She grabbed the roof bar and hung on. Billy, having seen this became incensed, his anger boiling, not only for Lilly, who was now safe, but for Kaia, who was in great danger. He charged towards Duke, as Duke turned around blocking Billy's furious attack.
Kai saw that Kaia was now hanging onto the roof railing, he directed the crowd to hold the tarpaulin under her, as he climbed on top of it, ready to catch his sister if need be. He hoped he didn't have to. Kaia was trying to haul herself up, as Joe made his way up to the roof, but she was losing grip, her palms having become sweaty. Billy looked and saw that Kaia was about to fall, he quickly ran towards her, she lost her grip but then saw a red staff, she grabbed it, as it extended. Billy was lying on his stomach on the roof, holding the other end. "Don't worry, I've got you," Billy said, through the pain, as Duke stomped his back. Kaia slowly shimmied up the staff, as Duke stomped again, Billy let out a cry of pain. Meanwhile, Joe was having trouble getting up the roof to where the fight was being, as a helicopter came flying over, standing between him and the fight.
This was Duke's escape copter, Joe thought, as he shielded himself. and then had to run down as the bullets began to pepper where he was standing. "Let me go," Kaia said, "my brother will catch me down there."
"Never, it's too risky," Billy countered, "and you know it too."
Kaia kept climbing, she was near the top, as Duke sadistically stomped on Billy again, the pain coursing through Billy's body. Kaia having turned and climbed one third of the bar began to swing, and then executed a graceful jump as she grabbed the roof railing again, freeing Billy's staff, and she swung up like a gymnast back onto the roof. Duke, trying to stomp him again brought his boot down, but Billy rolled away, Kaia went to fight Duke but Billy stopped her, "he's mine," Billy said., making it absolutely clear that he didn't want any interference. "Just be safe," he continued, taking deep breathes, panting.
Duke launched another furious attack coming at Billy, who smiled, a feral grin on his face as he countered with a Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon, burning flames beginning to cover Duke's body, Billy followed it up with Dai Senpuu as Duke beat away the flames, this time the Dai Senpuu being backed with red flame as well. Duke stumbled towards his helicopter, as it opened, and a man went to pull Duke in, beating away at the flames. A gunman lay a scattering pattern of fire, to keep Kaia from chasing the chopper. Billy collapsed, exhausted from the fight, bruised from the stomping he had taken. Kai had now reached the roof, now that everyone was safe. "Well, that's the concert over. We'll just have to postpone it, until Billy gets better." he thought. He saw Kaia kneeling over Billy's prone form, as she held his hand. "You okay," she asked, "somebody get some help up here."
Kai went towards Kaia and Billy, "here sis, we'll carry him down together, carefully, as she picked up Billy's legs and Kai supported his head and shoulders. They slowly moved down the sloped roof, to the waiting stretcher. Kai had to stay behind to get the rest of the band and the fans managed, but he told Kaia to go in the ambulance with Joe and Lilly. Out at the ambulance outside the stadium, the paramedics looked at Kaia, but she wasn't really suffering anything except for a bruised ankle and arms from all the blocking she had done. Billy, however, they put in on an intravenous drip to replace the fluids that he had lost. They were keeping him safe for observation and they needed to check the extent of his back injury.
Three hours later, Kai walked into the room at the hospital, he saw Kaia there, Lilly and Joe had gone to get something to eat. Kaia sat next to the bed, holding Billy's hand, as he slept peacefully. Just then, Billy's eyes fluttered, and he awoke. "Hey, Billy," Kai said, as he noticed his band's frontman regain consciousness. "Everything's okay now," he continued, as Joe and Lilly returned from the hospital cafeteria.
"Lilly, you're okay," Billy said, softly from his bed.
"Thanks to you, big brother," she replied, from her position across the room.
"I'm okay too, thanks to you," Kaia added, "Thanks for the save."
"Yeah," Billy replied, breathing deeply, "I couldn't let you fall like that."
"Thanks," Kaia continued, blushing deeply, "you know I've been one of your biggest fans since the band began."
"Of all the cheesy pick up lines, sis, gees, just tell him that you like him," Kai interjected, "I think we should leave the two fools alone," he continued as he ushered Lilly and Joe out and closed the door behind them.
Outside Lilly, smiled and Joe breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, big brother will be out of our hair, don't tell him, but it's so hard, when big brother does nothing but distract us from our love life. Now that he's hopefully getting some of his own."
Kai laughed, "which reminds me, I should get home to my wife too, listen in on the door for me won't you?" he said, winking, as he left for home.
Inside the room, Kaia was holding fast onto Billy's hand as she sat be his bedside, "well, after my stupid brother, your stupid manager went and spoilt everything..."
Billy laughed, it hurt a little, as Kaia continued, "well, I suppose that you should know that I've liked you ever since I first saw you at the audition that day. And then when you turned up in my house and I had to kiss you and we ended up kissing on the lips," she let the setence drift off, unsure of what to say
Billy gripped Kaia's hand harder, and turned to face her replying, "I like you too, especially when you kissed me on the lips, even if it was by accident and because my baka manager, your brother dared you to do it," a smile on his face.
Kaia's heart skipped a beat, as that sank in, the man she crushed on, the frontman of a world famous band, liked her as well, composing herself she replied, "well, hope you get better soon, I think we should let the others back in before they think we're doing anything," she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek but he turned away from her and their lips met again.
"You..." Kaia said, blushing furiously as she saw the smirk on Billy's face, causing her to go even redder. She let go of his hand and walked over to the door, opening it, finding Lilly's ear pressed to the door. "You guys," Kaia complained, "were you listening in on us? Kai put you up to this didn't he?"
Lilly's look said all that needed to be said, it was indeed Kai. Gargh, she thought to herself. But then she remembered, she had Billy there with her, when he got better, well it would be two against one now. She grinned ready to think up of some really nasty pranks to pull.
It took a couple of days before Billy was discharged. Two weeks later, the band replayed the concert to a packed out stadium, this time there were no hitches on the musicians parts. Kai and his family, Kaia, Lilly and Joe were in a box watching the concert. Afterwards, they made their way down to the pitch and Kaia hugged Billy as he came up, the photographers catching the whole thing on film. That would be over all the newspapers and magazines tommorrow, Kai thought, as he watched Billy and Kaia. Not that it matters much besides the fact that they are together now. Kaia and Billy left with the rest of the band, and Kai's family and Lilly and Joe, whilst Kai remained behind to supervise all the packing up. By the time he returned home, he was dead tired and flopped onto bed next to his wife.
Kaia and Billy, after dropping off everyone else, indulged themselves in the back of the limo with a kiss, until they pulled up to her house, she invited him in, and he stayed the night, sleeping on the couch, they weren't that intimate yet.
The next morning she went to kiss him awake, of course he was already awake and was ready to surprise her again as he pulled her in for a good morning kiss.
Author's Notes
1. Thanks to everyone who is reading this. Epilogue is the next chapter then HMK 2 will come, and then maybe I'll go back and write Streets of Southtown.(to fill in the gap year)
2. In response to the question: Yes and No, my fictional Southtown is divided into three areas of control: Meira's district (the relatively peaceful area) like the Bogard residence, Duke's district (the roughest district)and Heinlein's district. ADDES right now are only beginning to make their moves for land. So there are sort of like 4 areas. But that should be more fully answered in the sequel.
3. Redid Billy's 2-bar super so it now looks like this and actually chains properly (hopefully) - imagining it in my head is pretty hard
Grand Kane Smash
Charging staff jab (invincible) into (possibly Dai Kaiten Geri into - dunno if I will leave this in or not...) half crouching jab with end of staff into a flaming crouchinguppercut with the other end of staff, turning overhead strike with stick exploding, turning around separating staff into 3 striking with end and then inverting it by turning around into a downwards strike into a flaming crouching uppercutinto Seven Somersaulting flaming dai senpuu, slam into ground on last with flames, and then opponent's body flies upwards, Billy swings his ignited staff two hands at the end sending flaming opponent flying to the moon (or other end of the arena).
4. Bit more spoiler for HMK2: Look forward to a Shingo/Kyo/Iori vs Rock/Kai/Billy matchup. :)
5. Theoretically the timeline is this: KOF 2003, KOF MI, KOF XI, KOF:Another Day, HMK, KOF MI2, HMK2 (KOF XII) or KOF2003, KOF MI, KOF XI, KOF: Another Day, KOF MI2, HMK, HMK 2/KOF XII. Haven't quite decided that one yet, but will probably be going with the former.