These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves. One of the first Non-Ranma fanfics written.
Disclaimer: So what do you want me to say? That the characters depicted in this story don't belong to me, and belong to someone else? Oh, I already said it.
In an age of scientific wonders, the human body is still the world's most dangerous machine. TM
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 5
The Unholy Alliance Part 2
Terry's World, 1995, specifically South Town, three months before the arrival of the Boomers...
"So you have not found Terry Bogard?" Geese Howard asked Billy Kane as they were in his office.
"No sir." The Englishman replied. "We haven't been able to locate him since he was last spotted in Nevada, and that was more than three months ago. It's like he bloody disappeared off the face of the Earth."
"Hmmm, that is strange." The crimelord remarked as he went into deep contemplation. Ever since his defeat two years ago, the one who murdered Terry's father and first love Lily had been undergoing intense training, preparing for the day in which he would again face off against the heir to the Hakkyoku Saiken. His thoughts of revenge were all consuming and he would not rest until he had made Terry suffer before destroying him. He ran a hand across the chest wound he had received during their last encounter. As he had predicted, as long as that scar remained, his power would only continued to grow.
"He could have gone into hiding, boss."
"No." Geese said flatly. "I doubt it. Terry Bogard defeated my half-brother Krauser. He did me a favor that time, but... I will not let his transgression against me be forgiven. He shall know TRUE agony before he dies. Perhaps, we should pay a visit to his brother and his wife." Geese began to get some evil thoughts about using Terry's younger sibling and his spouse as bait to draw the elder brother out.
It was at that time that he got a call from the intercom. He tapped the button to the microphone. "What is it?"
The person on the other line was screaming as he replied. "Sir! Something had just appeared out of nowhere in the number four warehouse on the docks and... AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"
"What the blazes?!"
Ten minutes later, at the warehouse...
The undercover agents of Genom and the Boomers at their disposal stood amid a scene of carnage. Among the dead were Geese's security forces and several of Genom's men as well. When the exploratory force appeared from the dimensional gateway, the people at the warehouse thought they were under attack. They went through the basic shoot first and ask questions later. The bullets went flying, killing five of the intruders on the spot. This proved to be a mistake as the Boomers went into their standard defense modes. As they saw several of the operatives mowed down, the machines shed their human disguises and began counterattacking. Though the weapons of the twentieth century were primitive in comparison to Genom technology, they were still effective at close range. One Boomer was taken down after several security guards concentrated their firepower, blowing a few holes into its chest and head under a hail of lead. However, once the remaining Boomers opened up with their lasers, autocannons, and heat blasters, the battle became more of a slaughter as dozens of guards and workmen were obliterated in seconds. The other Genom agents also added to the chaos with their weapons. In less time it took to tell, not one of Geese's men was left alive. Corpses and various body parts littered the warehouse floor as blood stained the concrete and the crates where it had splattered. Cracks and holes pockmarked the walls, and it was a miracle that the huge building was still standing.
"Where the hell are we?" The leader of the group asked.
"You are trespassing on my property."
The Genom men and their Boomers looked over to where the voice came from and saw that the main warehouse doors were open. Standing at the entranceway was a small army of armed men in black suits. At the front of the force was a man with a long staff, who stood at the ready beside the King of South Town, Geese Howard.
"W-Who the hell are you?" The leader of the Genom force demanded as he signaled to his men and Boomers to aim their weapons at the newcomers.
Geese Howard assessed his foes and snorted. Though they did seem to be in possession of some very advanced weapons and machines, Geese could see that not one of Genom's men was any good without a gun in his hands or a Boomer at his side.
"I am Geese Howard, King of South Town."
"Is that supposed to frighten us?" The leader sneered.
"If you are not frightened, then you are an even bigger fool than I imagined for coming here. Surrender now... or else."
"Or else what?"
Geese's eyes narrowed as he raised a hand and leveled it at the leader.
"REPPU KEN!"
The leader of the Genom forces had perhaps half a second to scream before he was totally incinerated by the Violent Wave technique. Five men and two Boomers that were behind him suffered similar fates. The machines were slammed into the warehouse wall and were buried beneath a huge pile of rubble. As for the Genom agents, their bodies were burned beyond recognition. That was when all hell broke loose.
The Genom agents began trading fire with Geese's men. As their leader was gone, their forces had fallen into disarray and the Boomers began firing at anything that they perceived as a threat. However, Geese had already had his forces attacking only the Genom agents.
"Billy! You and the others take out those strangers, but leave a few of them alive for questioning. Understand?"
"Yes, boss! What about you?"
"I'll take care of those machines." Without another word, Geese Howard disappeared from sight, only to reappear among the Boomers and began delivering high-impact strikes and kicks. The hardened alloyed skins of the Boomers proved to be no protection as the crimelord systematically took them apart. He also proved to be too fast for the Boomers to track with their weapons as he continued to dodge their shots. Several times, the Boomers ended up shooting at each other. When more than a dozen Boomers fell, Geese decided to take out the rest in one fell swoop. He landed on the on the ground, surrounded by the machines on all sides. The Boomers thought they had him as they took aim.
Billy Kane and the rest of Geese's men were just dispatching the rest of the Genom agents, when the club-wielding thug saw his boss begin to glow with an eerie green aura. He saw this move once before and shouted out.
"TAKE COVER!"
That was when Geese struck the ground with both hands.
"RAGING STORM!"
The blast he created formed pillars of energy that that surrounded him and enveloped the remaining Boomers. The attack was so devastating that the entire warehouse came crashing down on itself. Billy and his crew just barely managed to make it to the exit, along with three surviving members of the Genom exploratory force. The entire building was reduced to rubble in less than two seconds. When the dust clouds finally settled down, Geese stood unscathed amid piles of twisted metal and the burning hulks of the Boomers.
Some time later, Geese stood in front of one of the Genom operatives who had been left alive from the assault. The man was tied down in a chair and sported several cuts and bruises on his face. This indicated that he had just undergone a long series of interrogation and torture sessions, which were pretty much the same in the underworld of South Town.
"Who sent you? Why are you here?"
"Go to hell!" The Genom man said.
"Wrong answer." Geese said as he held up a glowing fist in front of the man.
Later...
Geese sat at his desk in contemplation. It had taken some time, but he had finally gotten all the information that he wanted out of those survivors before killing them all. On his desk were several strange devices, in which the scientists he employed had analyzed. They were all found on the bodies of those intruders and indicated that they were some kind of homing beacons. Geese didn't know what to make of their prisoners' fantastic story of being from a future alternate world, but his scientists had confirmed that those machines that they called Boomers, were indeed decades ahead of present technology. The scientists he had under his employ were already making great strides in analyzing the wreckage of the Boomers and were confident that they could reconstruct and reprogram them. Furthermore, Geese knew that this Quincy that those prisoners had referred to would have to reestablish contact with his exploratory team, sooner or later. Hence, he was glad that their homing beacons had not been destroyed during the battle. When the CEO recalled his team, he would have a nasty surprise waiting for him and Geese would have a chance of gaining access to superior technology, which could only add to his power. However, his most livid interest in that alternate world, was when the last prisoner had mentioned the name of... Terry Bogard.
All he had to do was wait.
MegaTokyo, Genom corporation, 2033, a few minutes after Geese Howard's assault…
Quincy found himself in a bad situation. This Geese Howard person and his forces now had him trapped in the main laboratory. The Boomers that he had initially sent to his world had turned against him and sealed off the area. The Genom CEO and his scientist Reginald were at the crimelord's mercy.
"Interesting little toys you have created." Geese Howard remarked as he stepped up to Quincy, who was being held by two of Geese's men. Billy Kane and another couple of thugs were restraining Reginald. "It took my scientists more than three months, working day and night to unravel the secrets of these... Boomers. Quite effective killing machines."
"Bastard!" Quincy gritted as he glared at his captor.
Geese smirked and then gave a short laugh as he said, "Now, now, is that any way to treat your new partner?"
"Partner?! What are you talking about?!" Quincy asked in disgust.
Geese raised a hand and snapped his fingers. The men who were holding down Quincy released him, but the chairman of the company saw that the Boomers and some of Geese's men still had their weapons trained on him. Geese then took another step forward and addressed the irritated Quincy.
"What I'm talking about is a partnership between my organization and yours."
Quincy glared at the King of South Town for a long moment. The silence in the air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. He then gritted out his response. "Taking control of my Boomers and attacking my company with them is a strange way of doing... business."
Geese gave off a hearty chuckle and said, "Well from what your operatives had told me about you, I know that you are anything BUT an ordinary businessman. In addition, I seriously doubted that you would have met with me if I had just sent you a business proposition. Therefore, I thought that a demonstration of what we were capable of would be sufficient."
"What do you want?" Quincy asked with irritation, though he was impressed at how much gall this Geese Howard had.
Geese smiled as he said, "Well, I think by now you realized that we could have simply killed you and taken over your company and its technology, but we want more than that. I am very impressed with this Boomer technology and though my scientists were able to rebuild and reprogram the ones you sent to my world, we still do not understand all of their secrets. Furthermore, it would be too costly for my organization to mass-produce these wonders for ventures in my dimension. However, your company Genom could easily make as many Boomers as we wanted, as well as give us access to advanced technology."
"So why didn't you kill me and take over like you said?" Quincy inquired.
"Quite simple really. A corporation such as Genom is far too vast and difficult to maintain, especially when it is from another world. I feel that I need a... liaison, if you will. I think that a partnership would be better suited for this kind of venture and I know that we can both benefit from each other."
"What do you mean?"
"We wish to use your Boomers in our world. For a few... special ventures, if you will. Of course, we will need a supplier. That would be you."
Quincy knew where this was going. "I can see how you might profit from our technology, but what would WE get out of it?"
Geese nodded. "From what those operatives of yours had told me, your world is quite a mess, isn't it? Overpopulation, worldwide pollution, and a very limited supply of natural resources. I hear that many nations are fighting over the resources of Antarctica! I'm certain that getting raw materials through normal channels and such are quite bothersome. Despite Japan being an economic giant now, I'm certain that you would rather have your own supply of materials, rather than share or fight for it against your rivals. And of course, there are all those regulations and such."
"Yes." Quincy allowed. With the Earth's dwindling supplies of natural resources becoming ever smaller, getting the materials needed to keep Genom running had become a bit more of a chore.
"Well think of it! My world may not be as advanced as yours is, but we do have far more raw materials and natural resources just waiting to be tapped into! And through my organization, you can bypass all those laws and get at those resources. And we also have something else to offer as well!" Geese raised a hand and let some of his aura form around it. This caught Quincy's attention. "I am well aware of the main reason why you invaded my dimension in the first place." Geese said. "It was because of your curiosity of what the skilled martial artists of my world are capable of. I had learned from your men that you wanted to experiment with combining the powers of the greatest fighters with that of your most powerful Boomers. I must say that it is a rather intriguing idea. You may have the answer to that age-old dream of creating the perfect warrior. I am also curious and I can provide you with the subjects you need for your experiments."
"You'd willingly send people to be transformed into Boomers? Just like that?" Quincy was quite surprised by Geese's cruelty, which seemed to rival his own.
"Oh it is nothing." Geese replied. "I'm certain that we will be able to provide you with enough... human resources for your needs. And if you succeed, then we shall both benefit, wouldn't we?"
"I... see. I must admit, you do present an... interesting bargain. Though I can't help but feel that there is something else about this offer that is driving you."
"Indeed." Geese said. "You see, I happen to have a bit of an interest in a certain man, who has been causing you a bit of trouble lately. His abilities were what prompted you to investigate my world and your plans to integrate martial artists into Boomers, correct?"
"You mean...?"
"I WANT Terry Bogard. I want him DEAD!"
"I... see. So he has made some trouble for you in your world, eh?"
"More than you'd know. I have some operatives, which can also help you with your own problems, these Knight Sabers as they are called. And in return, you can help me with my adversary. So... do we have... an agreement?"
Back at Raven's Garage...
Priss sighed as she sat on her rebuilt motorcycle and idly revved the engine. Pops had finished reconstructing her cycle this morning and had done a good job of it. After the crash in which Terry had saved her life, Priss' bike had been initially written off as a total loss, but the genius mechanic was able to transform the burned-out wreck back into its original state. Though she was happy to have her wheels back, Priss' thoughts were not on speeding down the highways at the moment. They were instead focusing on a man with long blonde hair who wore a baseball cap. She was still fighting the connection she felt whenever he was near.
The short-tempered and 'tough girl' of the Knight Sabers couldn't understand how one man could have her affected like this. So what if he was handsome, and had saved her life a couple of times? Leon was like that too. She had sworn never to let a man get that close to her again, and thoughts of her first and only love still plagued her in her dreams. She sighed again as she put up the kickstand and prepared to go out for a ride.
"Nice bike."
Priss became a bit startled at hearing Terry's voice and looked over her shoulder. There she saw Terry casually leaning against the doorway behind her, his eyes roving over the vehicle.
Priss quickly put up her aloof attitude toward men. "What do you want?"
Terry shrugged. "Nothing. I was just admiring your bike. That's all. Never seen one like that before, but since this is the future, I guess it makes my old one look like an antique."
"Yeah, right." Priss said with sarcasm. "If you think I buy that bullshit story about you being from another world and stuff, then you're crazy. I think that you're some kind of spy from Genom and Sylia's out of her mind for letting you run free like this."
Terry shrugged his shoulders again, then took a few steps closer to Priss. "Believe what you want. All I told you is the truth."
"Oh sure you did." Priss looked up angrily at him, but then caught the serious expression on his face. Then she looked into his eyes. It was said that though words could be easily twisted, the eyes could never lie. When her gaze locked with his, she felt as if her heart had stopped. Like Linna, she saw something in those deep blue depths that reminded her of a wolf. Furthermore, she saw a deep sadness, which reflected her own, whenever she looked into a mirror. She could see strength within him that somehow told her that he had endured hardship and tragedy, just as she did, but more intense. It was if he was continually hurting inside, yet did very little to ease the pain. Just like her. She could feel the connection between them again and the faint stirrings of something more.
For Terry, it was a similar story. Though Priss was gifted with a natural beauty, it was her eyes that fascinated him the most. As soon as he glanced at Priss' scarlet depths, he saw a kindred spirit. Her eyes were lively, showing her indomitable will and strong emotions. Yet, they also conveyed a sadness, which meant that she too had experienced a great tragedy. Terry didn't know how he knew, but he felt deep down that Priss' outward hostility and abrasive attitude was just a shield to hide the sensitive and very fragile soul within. He saw in those eyes that they were indeed, two of a kind.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Priss ended the moment as her face took on a scowl and she looked ready to slap him. "What are you looking at?"
Terry was brought back to reality as he blinked, then said, "You don't have to be so hostile. I didn't mean anything from it. Though I do I know what it's like."
"What?"
"Losing people you cared about."
"Huh?"
"I can see it in your eyes."
Priss became almost shocked at the way he said it. For a moment, she thought he was some kind of nut or playing some kind of trick, but as she glared at him, she could see no insanity or deception in his expression. He truly believed in what he was saying to her. However, Priss wasn't about to get all flustered and her anger toward this man began to rise.
"You don't know what you're talking about!"
Terry tilted his head to one side to regard Priss and simply said, "I can tell that he was very special, wasn't he?"
"What?"
"The one you lost. He was your whole world, wasn't he?"
"None of your business!" Priss became embarrassed at her outburst, then tried to deny everything. "I mean, what are you talking about?!"
Terry's suspicions had been confirmed at Priss' words. He had guessed that the Knight Saber's 'tough girl' attitude was just a mask she wore. As a proficient fighter, Terry had learned to study the emotions of his opponent by looking into his eyes. Priss had lost someone very close to her. Terry could tell by how her eyes reflected a kind of sadness from losing a lover. After all, he saw that same look in his own reflection in the mirror after first losing Lily, then Sulia. What he saw in Priss was so similar to what he saw in himself. However, instead of weathering the feelings as he did, she lashed out in anger.
"Just leave me alone!" Priss said as she was about to kickstart her cycle.
"I know what it's like." Terry said with that same calm tone but then began to waver. "I... know what it's like... losing someone you loved."
Priss stared at him in shock. H-H-How did he know? Is he some kind of psychic? "What are you... never mind! It's my business so butt out!"
Terry opened his mouth, then decided that he had indeed meddled where he wasn't supposed to. "I'm sorry... Priss. I didn't mean to pry."
"Damn right!" Priss snapped. "You've got no right to stick your nose into my personal life! You have no idea what I felt when Randy was killed! No idea at all!" Priss then realized that in her fit of anger, she had just told Terry more than she wanted to.
Though Terry knew he shouldn't say anything else, the words still came out of his mouth. "Randy? So that was his name?"
Priss' hands clenched the handlebars of her cycle as she shook with rage. She was ready to lash out with her fist at this infuriating man, but instead scowled at him and decided to let her anger out. "Yeah, Randy was his name! And he was my whole world! There! Are you happy? I said it!"
Terry shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Priss. I shouldn't have said anything else. I'll go now."
Priss became even more enraged when Terry discretely turned his back to her and started walking back to the door. She promptly got off her bike and stomped out in front of him, blocking his way.
"Now hold on a minute! You're the one who started this by being so nosey about my personal life!"
Terry sighed and replied. "You were right. It wasn't any of my business. I'm sorry I brought it up. I just said that I knew what it was like, that's all."
"No you don't! You don't know anything about my life, let alone how I feel!" Priss was now going purely on her emotions as she decided to put this jerk in his place. She was now lashing out with her words, which hurt just as much as her fists. "You say you know what it's like to lose someone you loved?" She felt a bit of embarrassment at admitting this to total stranger but didn't stop. "Did the person you love get murdered by a Boomer? Huh? Did that person's death get written off as an accident and the police didn't do shit about it? Huh? Well?" She didn't care that she was hitting below the belt. She just wanted to get back at him.
Terry looked down at the infuriating female standing in front of him. He could feel his own anger rising as Priss wouldn't let the subject drop, even after she had demanded for him to leave her alone. Yet, he also felt something else for her, as if some force was drawing him to her. He put those ridiculous thoughts away as he took a small breath and said, "Then you were the lucky one."
Priss stepped back in confusion. "W-What?"
Terry's expression became cold and dead serious as he said, "You were the lucky one. You only had to lose one person you loved. I lost two."
Without waiting for Priss' reaction, Terry pushed her aside and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Priss found herself in a state of shock after seeing Terry's expression. It was that same sadness that she saw before, only that time, he made no attempt at all to hide it. He was telling her the truth. She didn't know how she knew that, but for some reason, she was undeniably sure. Now, she began regretting her own harsh words.
In the room where Terry was staying in, the street fighter slumped down onto his bed and was deep into contemplation.
What did I do that for? Why couldn't I have just let it go? I didn't mean to... Andy's brother sighed as he lay down on the mattress. He hadn't meant to be so cruel, but when Priss was lashing out verbally at him, Terry just had to say something to get her to stop. Now, things were even more screwed.
What's wrong with me? Why did I do that? She didn't do anything, but when I looked into those eyes... Terry closed his eyes and shook his head. He hadn't felt this emotional since losing Lily and Sulia. Just what was it about Priss that got him so riled up?
Terry's thoughts began thinking back to his training with his mentor in the Hakkyoku Saiken, Tung Fu Rue. The old master had told him about how one could look into another's soul by simply peering into the eyes. During his ten-year training journey, Terry had learned to how to see certain things about the person, especially during battle. Then he remembered how he felt when he looked into Lily's eyes and then into Sulia's.
It was at that time he realized what was happening. It seemed that history was repeating itself, and that scared Terry more than any enemy he ever faced. He was beginning to open up to a girl again. And he knew what that meant. He had also began thinking how he felt when he was with Linna as well. He had never opened up that much to another girl since his time with Sulia. He sat up and shook his head in denial.
NO! I won't let it happen again! I won't!
However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the images of Linna and Priss out of his head.
Meanwhile in the computer room, Priss stood in shock as she stared at the images on the monitor. Beside her, the other Knight Sabers also looked on.
"You mean... it's all true?"
Sylia nodded. "Yes. These images were downloaded from Genom's systems. When we found out about the revival of the XR-4000 project, we delved deeper and discovered that they had not only rebuilt the system, which allowed travel to alternate worlds, but also a dimensional viewer. These images were recorded a few days ago."
Priss said nothing as she stared at the images. During his explanations, Terry had also described people and places from his world. He had told them about his family and friends and now she was actually seeing them. She saw a man with silver hair and assumed that he was Terry's younger brother Andy. A woman dressed in a skimpy ninja outfit must be his wife Mai. Another man with spiked hair and shorts fit Joe Higashi's description. Then she saw other fighters and people, as well as images of an Earth before the earthquake that devastated Japan.
It's true. It's... all true! And that would mean... Priss shook her head as she remembered back to he encounter with Terry and how he looked when he said that she was the lucky one. If his story of being from another world was true, then everything else he had said after that…
Priss swallowed hard as she realized the ramifications.
Back at Genom…
"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let us discuss what we're going to do about those nuisances, the Knight Sabers and Terry Bogard, shall we?" Geese Howard said as he sat across the meeting table from Quincy.
Quincy nodded, though a bit reluctantly. After a long and intricate series of discussions, Quincy had grudgingly joined forces with Geese Howard, but still maintained his own agenda. Though he could have called security and have the invaders wiped out, Geese had demonstrated powers and abilities that were very similar to what Terry Bogard had displayed. Furthermore, his offer to allow access to the raw materials and test subjects in his world was just too tempting to resist. Quincy would learn those secrets and bleed that other world dry. After he had gotten all of Geese's resources and secrets, he would have him… removed from the equation.
As for Geese, he knew what that Quincy was about as trusting as a cobra that was reared up and ready to strike. He was aware that his new business partner would double-cross him at the first opportunity, so that is why he gave Quincy a few reasons for the partnership. Quincy was a businessman, first and foremost. Therefore, he thought in terms of profit. However, Geese had long experience with dealing with crooked entrepreneurs. All the crimelord needed was some time to dig up all of Quincy's secrets and get the best of his technology. After that, the partnership would dissolve, along with Quincy's existence.
When your usefulness ends, so will you! Both men thought at the exact same time.
"As I understand it," Geese Howard said. "these Knight Sabers possess a technology that allows them to counter your best Boomers."
"And from what I've been able to gather," Quincy countered. "You were defeated by the skills of Terry Bogard."
The King of South Town frowned as he remembered back to that time when Terry used the Super Hurricane Kick on him. "Yes, so I believe that the best way to get rid of both of our problems is to use your idea of combining your Boomer technology with a fighter from our world. Terry Bogard and I have already demonstrated our abilities to defeat Boomers. Now think of what Boomers with our skills could accomplish against the Knight Sabers."
"Indeed. I had come to that conclusion and our fusion technology is now advanced enough to merge with organic tissue. So exactly who did you have in mind for our… test subject?"
Geese smirked as he had the perfect person in mind. "That all depends. Can this fusion technology merge with dead tissue?"
Quincy was a bit puzzled at the question, but replied, "Well, yes it can. As long as the DNA is relatively intact, then it really doesn't matter if the tissue is alive or not. Why do you ask?"
Geese smiled as he said, "Though I hate to admit, there was a certain person whose skills exceeded even my own and he was capable of defeating Terry Bogard. He's dead now, but I do know where his body is and I can easily retrieve it. I believe his remains will provide you with sufficient material to create the most powerful Boomer ever."
"I see… " Quincy said slowly. "Very interesting. If this person was as powerful as you say he was, then I do believe that those skills would still be imprinted on his DNA. And since he's already been declared deceased…"
"You wouldn't have to worry about any legal technicalities. You could do whatever you wanted with him." Geese finished.
"Indeed. So what was this fighter's name?"
"Wolfgang Krauser."
A few days later at Dr. Raven's Garage…
Terry was out back behind the building and took a stance in front of a pile of wrecked cars and other vehicles. Behind him, Dr. Raven watched with interest as the Lone Wolf powered up his battle aura. The engineer had been preparing to break apart the bodies of the junked vehicles for scrap metal, but the streetfighter offered to do the job for him, without the use of the car crusher or other equipment.
It was then that Priss walked in on the scene.
"Hey Pops!"
Dr. Raven winced as he turned to her and said, "I told you not to call me Pops!"
Priss shrugged. "Whatever Pops. Have you seen Terry?" Dr. Raven pointed to where Terry was standing. "What's he doing?" Priss asked as she saw a blue aura surround him. "What the hell is that?"
The old man shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know. Terry offered to help me… smash some trash."
It was then that Terry released his ki.
"POWER… WAVE!"
He struck his fist to the ground and a huge blast of energy erupted forward toward the piles of junk. The ground trembled a bit as the ki slid across the surface and impacted into the car bodies and other rusting hulks. The metal was blasted apart as the ki exploded. In less than a second, more than half of the car wrecks were reduced to metal confetti. Terry stood up and nodded, satisfied with his work.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Terry looked over his shoulder and smiled as he saw Priss and Raven's expressions of shock. He turned around and walked to where they were standing. He addressed Pops in a cheerful manner. "So, is that good enough for you?"
Pops wordlessly nodded as he continued to stare at what was once several tons of automobiles. Priss then got her wits back and shook off her amazement. She had come here for a different reason.
"Er, Pops…?"
"Don't call me Pops!"
"Sure Pops. Well, can I speak to Terry… alone?"
"Oh?" The aged man looked up at Priss and saw that though she was maintaining her tough girl attitude, the way she was looking at Terry also suggested something else. He smirked as he nodded and then left to go get something to pick up the scrap metal.
As he left, Terry nodded to Priss to take a seat on a nearby car body.
"Hello Priss. What can I do for you?"
Priss took a deep breath and began to mentally rehearse what she had been practicing for days after seeing the images that Nene had shown her, verifying Terry's story. She then said in a slightly trembling voice, "Well, I came here to say… that I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Terry asked.
Priss gulped a bit. "Sorry for not believing your story and… you know, treating you like a jerk and… that time…"
Terry held up a hand and said, "No apologies are necessary, Priss. If I were in your shoes, I'd have probably acted the same way. And as for what happened a few days ago… that was my fault. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have said those things about your personal life. It wasn't my business."
Priss smiled and said, "Well, I guess I shouldn't have snapped at you like that and I'm sorry that…"
"No, I'm sorry…"
"No, I'm sorry…"
"No, I'm… heh, heh, ha, ha, HA, HA…"
"Heh, heh, ha, ha, HA, HA, HA, HA…"
The two started laughing at the silliness of it for a minute, then Terry calmed down and remarked with a snicker. "I guess we're a couple of REALLY sorry people."
"I guess so." Priss replied with a bit of a chuckle.
As they became quiet, the two suddenly became nervous at the silence between them. Priss hadn't planned on anything further other than saying her apologies. Terry found himself at a loss of anything else to say. After a another minute of silence, Priss decided to break the ice and try to get some answers to a few questions she had about him.
"So, how did you know?"
"What?"
"How did you know about what happened to Randy?"
"Oh." Terry became more edgy, but steeled himself and responded. "Well, I kind of saw it in your eyes."
"Huh?"
"My old sensei, Tung Fu Rue, told me that you can learn a lot about a person just by looking into the eyes. Over the years, I've been able to assess my opponents by keeping eye contact with them during the fight. I guess I've gotten pretty good at reading emotions and stuff."
"So what did you see with me?"
"Well… kind of like what I see whenever I looked at myself in the mirror. I saw that you had some kind of sadness that seemed to come from deep within you. I sort of guessed that you lost someone you cared a great deal about, just like me."
"Well, let me tell you, that was one HELL of a guess!"
"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of practice." Terry admitted, thinking back to when he looked into Sulia and Lily's eyes.
Priss then began asking Terry about his life and like Linna before her, the bare-knuckled streetfighter began telling Priss about his hard life of growing up on the streets, his intense training, and the other hardships he had endured. He also answered her questions about his martial arts skills and ki training. It was going well enough, until Priss asked about… them.
"So… what were they like?" Priss asked.
"Who?"
"Those two people you said you lost."
"Oh." Terry started to retreat back into his shell again. "There's not much I can say. I used to have a girlfriend named Lily and she died. Then I had one named Sulia and… she… died as well." His voice trembled a bit at the last part.
"And…"
Terry held up a hand and shook his head. "Please. Don't ask me about them any more. I don't… want to talk about it."
Priss wanted to press on, but when she saw those eyes again, all other thoughts went out the window. She wondered if looking into a person's eyes was really a way of seeing their souls. What she saw in Terry's made her feel an emotion that she had repressed for a long time. This man was powerful, yet at the same time, was vulnerable. He had his tough side, just she did, and hid his more sensitive side, just like she did. They had both grown up on the streets and experienced tragedy over losing loved ones.
Terry had lost his father at a young age, and Priss had lost her parents during the second Kanto Quake. The Knight Saber realized with shock at just how much they had in common. It was a bit scary for Priss to be with someone who could understand the pains she had suffered in her lifetime. Terry was also finding himself amazed at how much in common he and Priss had. When she wasn't hostile, the brunette was actually very likable and he couldn't help but notice how attractive she was. Though her eyes still reflected sadness, they also displayed intensity, fire and a certain something that Terry found very appealing. As he maintained eye contact with her, he didn't even noticed that his head was beginning to move forward, nor that hers was doing likewise. The space between them began to rapidly disappear and it seemed that lip contact was about to be made…
"Terry! So there you are! I've been looking for you!"
Both people came out of their daze looked up and saw Linna standing in her gi. She smiled at the blonde man and said, "You promised to help me practice, remember?"
Terry trembled a bit as he stood up and said, "Oh… yeah, I guess I did." He then looked back at Priss, who was also coming back to reality. "Uh, Priss… I'm… uh, sorry about this, but I… say, would you like do join us?"
Priss quickly went into her nonchalant mode and said, "No. I don't think so. Go ahead if you want to."
The Lone Wolf became a bit sad that Priss had gone back into her 'I don't care' attitude, but then turned to Linna. "So… let's get started."
Linna smiled as she took his arm and began leading him toward the practice area. She had that gleam in her eye which Priss recognized as her standard, 'what a man' attitude and felt something else that she had not experienced before. She frowned as the two went off to train and noted that Linna was holding his arm TOO closely.
Why that… that… oooohh! She clenched her fists, then became surprised at her reaction. Wait a second! What am I getting so worked up for? I did what I came here to do. I said I was sorry. If Linna wants him, then she can have him! It makes no difference to me!
Somehow, deep within Priss, she found it very hard in believing herself.
Meanwhile, at Genom…
"So this is it?" Quincy asked Reginald.
"Yes sir. Mr. Howard had just had it delivered to us this morning."
After that disastrous first encounter, Reginald and the Genom scientists had corrected the mistake they made with the transwarp projector and had it calibrated to synchronize with the timeline of the other world, so time that passed in the their world would also match that of the other.
"Despite the fact that it has been resting at the bottom of a lake for more than a year and a half, the body has only suffered minor degradation. The waters had preserved it quite well. The new Boomer infrastructure that we had created will have no problems in fusing with the body."
"Excellent! We shall begin the process immediately. How soon do you think the new Boomer will be fully operational?"
"If all goes according to plan, no more than a day or two. If this person really was as powerful as Geese said he was, then we won't have to do anything more than input his programming once the fusion process is complete. The DNA coding of the body will be the blueprint for the fusion nanites, as they reconstruct the body back to its original state, then enhance it."
"What about the mind of the body and the original personality?"
"He won't have any memory of his previous life. He will become a mindless cyborg, obedient to our every command."
"Excellent! Begin work at once!"
As the scientist went to obey his orders, Quincy leaned over the table in which the deceased Krauser lay. The body was clothed only in tattered leggings and shin guards. Despite the fact that it had been rotting away for over 18 months, the body still retained a lot of its muscular definition. The damage that Krauser had suffered during his titanic battle with Terry would all be corrected when the fusion process began. The head of Genom looked into the face and the sightless eyes and smirked. Yes, he will do nicely! Geese had provided him of videos of his half-brother in action and if even a tenth of those images were true, then Quincy now had the means to create the ultimate Boomer!
Little did he know that he was also on the verge of a horrible mistake!
To be continued…
Author's Notes
Well, Terry and the Knight Sabers are going to have their hands full when Genom and Geese decide to play Frankenstein. And who better to play the monster than Terry's old enemy Wolfgang Krauser? If you thought he was tough before in Fatal Fury 2, then think of him as a resurrected Boomer?
Scary, ne?
As for the scenes between Priss and Terry, well why not? I was inspired by Jeffrey Wong's 'Just Won't Die' series. Of all the Knight Sabers, Priss is probably the one that I liked the best and had the most in common with Terry. I wanted to give the Lone Wolf a girl that is tough enough and isn't a helpless weakling. I always liked Priss' bad girl attitude. Then again, Linna was also another choice for Terry and I think the rivalry between these two should be interesting, ne? I decided not to get Nene and Sylia involved with Terry.
As for the remaining characters of the Fatal Fury cast, they'll be coming along as well as this story begins to heat up.
Please read and review!