Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and its characters are property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the animes.


Chapter Twenty-One: Research and Development

Sunday, September 27th, 1998

Melanie and Niko were in the library, studying for their first Chemistry test. At least, that's what they were supposed to be doing. Instead, Melanie was taking a break to discuss something that she felt was more important.

"So, I read your notes," Melanie said to the freckled blonde seated across from her. "This system you came up with is awesome. I mean, you created a mini turbine that operates right under Landy's nose, siphoning power from the school's generator. But the way you configured the coils is what's really genius! Because it turns the coils themselves into… like, a cloaking device, so no one can see what's causing the slight power drain. It's the Predator of back-door electrical systems!"

Niko couldn't help but blush a little at hearing that. "I admit, it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't really rave about it."

"Oh, fuck the false modesty!" Mel told her, trying to keep her voice down despite her excitement level, to avoid drawing attention from the librarian. "This is better than anything I could come up with." She pulled Niko's composition book from her knapsack, slid it across the table to the other blonde. "Thanks for lending this to me, but now that I've read it, I was wondering if you could help me."

The freckled girl raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

"Well, the idea behind this technology… can you make it smaller?"

"How small?"

"Something that can be held in your hand."

Niko smiled at her. "Are you sure you need my help, Mel? You seem to have a good grasp of my notes."

"Sure I'm sure. Look, Niko, you're a whiz at figuring this stuff out. I mean, I've always had a knack for electrical systems, but only at taking them apart. I can dismantle any alarm system you put in front of me. But I can't put them together. You're the best at that."

The smile grew wider, as she recalled how the Melanie she'd first met would never admit that. "Well, I'm sure that if I worked at it... I could make it smaller, but… what would you use it for?"

Melanie picked up one of the library books sitting next to her, and showed Niko the cover. "I've been reading about things like bang sticks and cattle prods, stuff that gives an electric shock. I figure that you could make something like this, but arrange the coils like I you did with the power system, so it couldn't be detected."

Niko seemed apprehensive. "I don't know, Mel. If I made this, what would you use it for?"

"Self defense only. And then, I promise just as a last resort. I know what Landy said about no one getting any permanent damage here."

If Melanie had approached her with this request during her first year at the school, the freckled blonde would have said no. But now she considered. The smaller girl seemed to sense this, and added: "Look, if it'll sweeten the deal, I can pay you."

Niko shook her head. "We're friends, Melanie. Your money is no good."

"Okay, well… at least let me provide whatever parts you need."

After another moment of thought, Niko smiled and held out her hand. "As long as you don't steal them."

"Deal," said Mel, and the two of them shook. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go serve my time."

Yesterday, Joan Landy had called an assembly, and stated that after what happened last Halloween, she had been doing some thinking and decided that the school could have a party on October 31st this year. "As long as it's well-supervised by adults, it will provide you girls an opportunity to express yourselves and show off your creative side. I've selected members of the faculty to plan everything: the food, the decorations. This year we'll come up with something safe and well-organized for the whole community at this school to enjoy."

Upon hearing that, Melanie had said out loud that it was a huge crock of shit, which had earned her some detention. According to the clock on the wall, she had ten minutes to report for her first day of it.

"You know," Niko said with an amused look, watching Mel gather her things. "I'm surprised you weren't happy that Landy is allowing us a party this year.

"Yeah, a party run by her thought police. That means the decorations won't be gross or shocking, and they'll be serving fruits and veggies instead of candy." With a scowl, she stuffed the last of her books in her backpack and zipped it shut.

"So I guess you're not going?" Niko asked her.

The scowl quickly changed into a smirk of mischief that the tech whiz knew only too well. "I wouldn't attend that pussy party if you paid me. But I do plan on crashing it."

Niko smiled back. "I should have guessed."

"You in?"

"Why not? It would be a challenge to come up with an even better costume this year. What's the plan?"

Melanie shrugged. "Dunno yet, but I'm keeping it small this year. You, me, Kimberly, Zo, Layla, no one else. I haven't told the others yet." So got up and shouldered her pack. "So I'll keep you posted."

"And I'll keep you posted," Niko said with a nod.

Melanie nodded back and started towards the exit, and the freckled blonde opened her chemistry book again.


Wednesday, October 7th

Gym class had ended for the day, and Melanie was showering back in the dorms, as she still liked to do. Especially now that puberty was affecting some of the girls. The small blonde liked changing in the locker room even less now, as she was surrounded by several girls who were starting to develop, while her own body remained featureless.

At this point, the only person she was comfortable being naked around was her roommate. Today, Kimberly was in the neighboring shower stall as moral support, not so much because of Melanie's adolescent woes, but because today the girls had gotten in some practice on the obstacle course (the sarge had been making them run it a lot more lately), and once again, the blonde found herself faltering thanks the sarge's unpredictable modifications.

"I'm telling you, Kim," she said as she scrubbed her face with a washcloth. "I need to find some way to get better hold in certain spots."

"The sarge wouldn't allow that," Kimberly pointed out. "You know he said no tools on the course."

"That's what he said, but he doesn't have to climb that booby-trapped wall, does he?" Melanie turned off the water and reached for her towel. "I just need something that will give me some grip."

Kimberly was now drying herself off, as well. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Like crampons for the hands or feet, something that the mountain climbers use. It could also double as a weapon."

Both girls had finished their ablutions and had now wrapped themselves in their towels, picked up their dirty gym uniforms, and started back towards their room. "He wouldn't count your time if you used something like those," Kim pointed out.

"Who cares? They'd have other uses. Not just on the course."

By now, they'd arrived back at their dorm room and shut the door. They were in the process of putting their clothes in the hamper and changing into clean school uniforms when Kimberly pointed out: "I don't think he'd let you keep them."

Melanie shrugged as she buttoned her blouse. "Then I'll make more."

"If you say so," the dark-haired girl said with a laugh.

The two of them had some time to kill before the announcement for dinner, so Kimberly grabbed a few comics from her hiding place for them, sat down on her bed, and opened one. Melanie's eyes went wide when she saw a drawing of Wolverine on the cover of one of them.

"That's it!" She exclaimed. "That's what I need."

Her roommate saw what she was pointing at, and quipped at her: "Um, yellow spandex?"

"No, not that! What he's using!"

"Adamantium? It doesn't exist, Mel, and even if it did, I don't see how having a skeleton made of it would help you run the course."

Melanie could tell by the other girl's smile she was being messed with. But she still answered with: "I'm talking about the claws, you dumb bitch. I need something like those."

Kimberly turned the comic around to glance at the cover again. "Well, his can retract. And they're also a part of his body."

"Well, then, I can just make a glove, or a brass knuckle type deal or something. And I can find a way to make them retract, so I only have them when I need them."

"Well, that's a nice idea, Mel, except for one obvious problem: It involves working with metal. And you don't know how to weld."

"I'm sure I can find books, if not in the library then in the bookstore in town."

Kimberly hated to admit it, but she was impressed. Even though this went against the school rules, Melanie was clearly putting a lot of thought into this. "But you don't have a torch, or a place to work."

"Not yet," Melanie said. "I know you can keep a secret, so I'll tell you: remember that shed we found outside the fence? Some nights after lights out, I've been sneaking off to go clean it up, and I'm gonna turn it into a workshop. I'll buy or steal any tools I need to help me build… whatever I can think of that might be useful."

Kimberly set her comics down and stared at her roommate with a quiet admiration. She knew Melanie was sneaking out at night, but she just assumed the meetings with Nikolai had been upgraded to twice a week. But, no, she'd been working on this other project. And even though the small blonde was breaking the rules, it was clear she truly cared about this. As much as her knife. Not to mention that Mel had been going outside the fence without permission and still came back before morning, so she meant what she said about staying. "That is pretty cool, Mel, even if I think it's a little crazy. You need any help from me, let me know."

The small blonde smiled, sat down on her own bed. "Thanks, Kim. I'll keep it in mind. But there is something else I need your help on. I want to talk to you about Landy's Halloween party..."


Friday, October 16th

"Check mate."

Melanie looked at the board, hoping against hope that maybe Nikolai was wrong, and had overlooked some possible avenue of escape. But a quick scrutiny quickly dashed that hope. "Well, fuck," she muttered, and tipped her king onto its side.

For over a year, she'd been coming to Nikolai's room in the faculty living quarters on Friday nights, and she'd learned a lot about how to make various diversionary tools involving light, smoke, and other chemicals that could be found in the cleaning supplies aisle of any grocery store. She'd had her misgivings about his motives at first, but she now considered him an adult she could trust. So there were some nights where there was no lesson, and they just interacted like two friends shooting the shit.

This was one of them. Nikolai had been teaching the blonde girl the fundamentals of chess, and even though Melanie still thought it was a stupid game, she just liked hanging out with the school's head cook.

"Remember," Nikolai told her. "It's a game of strategy. Take your time, relax, study the board." He picked up the small rocks glass at his side, filled with a measure of vodka, and took a small sip.

Melanie cocked one golden eyebrow. "Hey, dude, you mind if I try some of that?"

To her surprise, the gray-haired man actually slid the glass across the table towards her. Melanie raised it to her lips… and immediately regretted it after taking just a very small sip. "Ugh!" She said with a gag. "That shit tastes like gasoline!" She reached for her can of Pepsi, to get rid of the taste.

"And now you know," Nikolai said. "So you won't ask again."

"Well, honestly, I was just curious," Melanie said. "One of my fake dads liked to drink." She pointed at the bottle over on the counter, about one and a half liters. "He'd start a little before noon, and by the time I went to bed, he'd have finished all of one of those. But after tasting it, I can't see why anyone would like it."

"Because many grown-ups fight demons, Melanie," Nikolai answered in a more somber tone than usual. "But some choose weapons that hurt themselves more than the monsters they wish to slay."

Something about the look on his scarred face was putting the blonde girl off. As if he was speaking from personal experience. So she decided to change the subject. "Hey, speaking of weapons, I've been reading up on them. Do you know anything about whips or flails?"

Nikolai shrugged, and began to reset his pieces on the board. "That they're unpredictable. Which is why I've never bothered with them."

"Well, yeah, but… I've been reading up on them, and it sounds like that's what makes them awesome. I mean, the thing on the end hits hard. And can do some damage."

"If you know how to use it. They are very tricky to master. And if your opponent is successful in blocking your attack, it can be directed right back at you."

Melanie couldn't help but looking smug now, a role reversal where they were usually concerned. "So, I guess I'll just have to practice really hard, then."

Her elder slowly sipped his drink, gray eyes narrowing at her. "You're making something on your own, aren't you?"

"Um… is that a problem?" She asked, taken aback by his expression. "You… never said I couldn't. That wasn't part of our deal."

Just like that, his face softened a bit, at least as much as a grizzled mug like his was able. "You're right. So there's no problem. It just… seems like a waste of your talent. Flails are… not what I'd call a modern weapon."

"Well, maybe I'm making it modern. Like you said, they're unpredictable. And lemme tell you: no one is gonna be predicting this. If I can get it to work. Which I will." Melanie continued to look smug, and sipped her soda.

The reason for his expression a moment ago was because he once again found himself seeing traces of Melanie's mother in the small blonde girl. Stubbornness, pride, ingenuity. But out loud he said: "Well, just make sure your weapon has balance. Symmetry. And remember what I told you just now about opponent's defense."

Melanie nodded. "You got it, dude."

The scarred man nodded back, relaxed a little in his chair. "Now then, Melanie, white moves first. And remember: this time, take it slow. Look at whole board."

She rolled her deep amber eyes, and took another sip of soda before looking down at the pieces. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." After staring at the board for a minute, she brought her gaze back up to her mentor. "Oh, by the way. I'm sure you've heard that Ms. Landy is organizing a Halloween party this year."

"Da," Nikolai answered. "She's already given me a copy of the menu."

"Any candy?"

"You sound far too hopeful. What do you think?"

"I figured," Melanie grumbled. "Well, anyway, I was gonna do my own party again this year. Sort of. Any chance you could… misplace some cartons of eggs a few days before Halloween?"

Nikolai's expression was neutral as he sipped his drink. "And what will you do to make it worth my time and effort?"

The girl seemed taken aback. "Really? The chores I do aren't enough?"

"Chores are payment for your lessons. Eggs weren't part of the deal. This is something extra. What are you offering?"

Melanie looked even more confused now. "Um… what do you want?"

To her surprise, he laughed a little at that. "Melanie, you are speaking to an ex-KGB who used to arrange arms deals in Afghanistan. Like everything, this is business transaction. Make me an offer." He then raised one hand and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

Melanie considered for a moment. "Twenty bucks?"

Nikolai scoffed. "Chicken feed. Fifty."

Melanie almost gagged on her soda. "Eggs are cheap, dude. They're, what? A dollar a carton? And I'm asking for only twelve dozen. Twenty-five."

"True, but Landy might ask questions about where the eggs came from. Forty."

"You know I'm not a snitch. Thirty."

There was a pause as flinty gray eyes were locked with her amber brown. Then they both said in unison: "Thirty-five."

"I'll be sure to set some aside the day before Halloween, after I have my payment," Nikolai told her.

"Well, I'll be paying you sooner than that," Melanie said. "I'll need them a week in advance, so that this time, I can let them… ripen."

"That will make them harder to hide," he pointed out.

"I'll think of something. I always do." With that, the two shook hands and sealed the deal. After they were done, Nikolai gestured back to the board between them.

"Now move."


Saturday, November 14th

Halloween came and went, with Melanie and her friends serving a week of detention for crashing the school's "official" (though Melanie just called it "lame") party. The Saturday after their sentence was complete, the girls were once more allowed to go into Burlington with the rest of their classmates.

"Check this out, Kim!" Melanie could barely keep the excitement from her voice. The two were just off the main street, in a red brick alleyway behind some shop.

"What?" The dark-haired girl asked, hands shoved in the pockets of her parka, her collar turned up. "Why'd we have to come back here? It's cold, gray and windy out."

"It's always gray here," Melanie chided her. "And anyway, I wanted you to be the first to see me test out one of my new toys." She glanced up and down the alley, and finding nothing but dumpsters and galvanized steel trash cans, she reached inside her own jacket and pulled out a small, disc-shaped object.

"Took me a while to get it right," she said with more than just a hint of pride in her voice. "But I think this should work. And it was made with cheap stuff you can get at any store here in town."

Her friend's look changed to one of apprehension that Melanie was used to seeing on her, but this time it was annoying. "Um, should we be doing this, Mel?"

The small blonde snorted. "Sure, why not? It's just gonna be a bright light, Kim. This one has no noise. Well, some noise, but it's not as loud as most flash-bangs. This is just a little pop."

"Okay, I'm guessing you know what you're doing." But she still stuck two fingers in her ears all the same.

"Hey, you should be more excited. I've never tested one of these before, and you're the first person to watch me."

"I'm honored," Kimberly said with a roll of her eyes.

"You're worrying over nothing," Melanie laughed at her, and pressed the bottom twice to prime it. "But it's cute. Just watch this. Very small sound, mostly light." So saying, she threw the homemade device in the direction of some trash-cans…

...A second later, there was a burst of light that both girls turned their gaze from. Along with a huge bang that echoed like a gunshot up and down the alleyway.

"SHIT!" Both girls screamed in unison, and then tore out of the alley. Once back out in the streets they did not stop running until they'd gone at least a block and rounded a corner, ignoring stares from other confused pedestrians. Finally, when they reached what they'd thought was safe distance, they stood there doubled over and gasping for air.

"You bitch!" Kimberly snapped at her when she was able to speak without heavy breaths. "You told me that one wasn't gonna make any noise!"

Melanie took a step back, both hands raised in a gesture of peace. "It wasn't supposed to, Kim. Honest." One hand then went to her chin, which she rubbed in thought. "Wonder what I did wrong. Maybe I didn't grind the mothballs finely enough. Or I got my formula ratio reversed? I'll have to look at my notes when we get back."

Kimberly looked her in the eyes for a moment. Then she offered the other girl a hand. "Okay, Mel, if you say that it wasn't supposed to make that much noise, I believe you."

The two girls shook, and Melanie couldn't help but laugh. "You gotta admit, though, that was pretty bitchin'. Aside from being too loud, it actually worked. Can't wait to tell Nikolai."

Kimberly couldn't help but accede to that. "Okay, since we didn't get caught, then… yeah. It was pretty cool."

The wind was picking up, so the girls pulled up their hoods and headed in the direction of the dollar store, which Melanie said she'd needed to stop at. Upon entering, she saw a woman she'd never seen before behind the counter. "Hey, where's Albert?" She asked, pulling down her hood.

The clerk, a middle-aged woman with short black hair, said nothing, simply gave the small blonde a look that Melanie had seen on certain foster moms before, and didn't like. "Um, hello?" She repeated her question, albeit with heavier sarcasm. "Albert… not behind counter… why? Comprende the words coming out of my mouth?"

"Oh, yes," The woman finally answered in English. "Albert's getting on in years, as you might have noticed, and so he hired me to come in and help run the store a few days out of the week."

"I guess that's why you have a staring problem," Melanie said. "You're new, so you've never seen an orphan buying toys before." She laughed at her own joke, and then she and Kimberly started towards the aisle where she knew they kept the yo-yos.

The clerk gave a nervous laugh, and then went back to whatever she'd been doing before Melanie walked in. Melanie ignored her, focusing on her own task. A few minutes later, she and Kimberly were at the checkout with five yo-yos, a Snickers bar, and some D batteries.

"Not sure why you need this many yo-yos, Mel," her roommate pointed out while the clerk bagged.

"I told you," the small blonde answered her. "Research."

"Oh, doing a science project for school?" The clerk asked sweetly.

"Guess you could call it that," Melanie said with a shrug. After she'd paid, she took the shopping bag, and then she and Kimberly started towards the door.

"Let's get back to the bus, Mel," Kimberly said. "I got a hankering for those garlic hoisin wings."

"They have a new manager now, don't they?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. The old one posted your picture by the register, with written instructions for the staff to ignore you."

"Where'd he get a picture of me?"

"Dunno, but I'll have to go in there by myself."

"Well, if I give you money, can you pick me up something?"

"If they see me getting two orders, they'll know I'm buying for you, and then they won't sell to me. Sorry, Mel, but you're shit out of luck on this one."

"Well, then why are you getting lunch from them?"

"Because that sauce is tasty, and I'm not the one who constantly insulted their employees every time you tried to get them to let you take the Dante's Inferno challenge. You made your bed, so sleep in it."

"Ugh, you sound like Landy right now."

"Have a nice day!" They only half heard the clerk call over as they were stepping outside, as they were engulfed in their argument, which continued all the way to the bus.


After they were gone, the clerk went to the door and watched them head down the sidewalk. At one point, the blonde girl punched the brunette on the arm, but then a moment later pulled her candy bar from the bag, unwrapped it, broke it in half, and offered one of them to her friend.

The clerk watched them intently, her stare a bit harder than it had been when Melanie had first taken off her hood. When the two had diminished from her line of sight, the clerk checked the aisles for any other customers. Finding none, she locked the front door, put up a sign in the window saying she'd return in ten minutes, and then went into the office in the back of the store.

She picked up a phone and dialed a number. There were several rings. Then a male voice: "Yes?"

"It's me," she spoke into the receiver. "Can you meet me at the Starbuck's on Carver Street at six tonight, after I've closed the store?"

"I could, but I'd rather not. I hate their coffee."

"Will you stop complaining?" The clerk growled. "I think I may finally have a lead."

The voice on the other end grew more serious. "The Organization? What did you find?"

"Not over the phone. Can you meet me tonight at six?"

"Starbuck's on Carver? I'll be there."

"Good." She hung up the phone, and turned her attention to a small black and white TV monitor on a corner of the desk, which displayed security camera footage from out in the store. She rewound a few minutes, back to when Melanie was browsing through the aisles, and then paused and zoomed in on the blonde girl's face.

That face... She thought to herself. So much like the one that's been in my nightmares for the last decade. Almost identical. She switched off the monitor and went back out to the front, wondering if her team had finally found what they'd been searching for. If we have, then my family will finally have the justice they so rightly deserve...


ADDITIONAL NOTES

And it seems a new player has entered the game. Who is this person and what is their interest in young Melanie? You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Speaking of which, I've got some great stuff planned (or what I hope is some great stuff), and since this story is coming up on its second anniversary, I will be trying my best to push it into high gear. So hopefully the next chapter won't take a few months.

Also, I didn't write the second Halloween party on purpose. I've already written one, and I figured Melanie crashing Landy's Halloween party would be better left to the imagination.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, R and R!