Yeah shit's winding up!
It was four in the morning, and Terry Bogard hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.
The house was eerily quiet, as it had been for the past week and a half. With Rock gone, Terry fell into a highly anxious 'empty nester' (as Mary dubbed it) state of mind. It had plagued him when Rock went on tour, and now it was back, more potent than ever.
Because this time, Rock wasn't flying around playing guitar with his insane but ultimately well-meaning employer? (No, all this is Yagami's fault. I'm going to make Rock quit once this is over.) Rock was neck deep in the operations of a terrorist cell bent on taking down Geese Howard in the most violent way possible. He had somehow gotten it into his head it was appropriate to engage with one of SouthTown's most notorious criminals, and per his naivety, was immediately taken advantage of.
Kain Heinlien, with his twisted, devious intellect - had managed to exploit Rock Howard to his fullest extent. Everything was taken into account and repurposed. His reputation. His connections. His assets. His very life… and now, that everything was being held hostage, Rock couldn't walk away so easily. He had been tangled up between a million different things, and needed to follow through to escape.
Kain… after I get Yagami, I'll be coming after you… you dare mess with my kid… dammit…
Terry didn't know exactly how Rock was tied up, but what he knew was already compelling. Rock had a fear that Geese Howard - his biological father - would come after him for disrupting Howard Connection's operations. Given Geese Howard's personality, revenge wasn't a mere possibility, but was nearly a certainty. If Geese was left alive, he'd be coming after Rock sooner or later. Even if they ran, it was simply a matter of time before Geese's troops came calling.
Yagami, Kain and Geese… humph…
Geese was Rock's most pressing issue, but it was by no means his only problem. Rock Howard, the Goody two shoes Straight A Engineering student whose biggest legal infraction had been bad driving, had also managed to get himself on SouthTown's most wanted list in the matter of a single, short week.
According to Mary, all the bits of evidence salvaged from the two attacks on Geese Howard's assets - the warehouse and Gustav Hein's offices - pointed clearly towards Rock. The signs were suspiciously thorough, as if planted. There was no mistaking Rock was the perpetrator, and there was no fingerprints that anyone else had participated whatsoever. Kain had likely instructed everyone else to wear gloves. Did Rock not notice he wasn't given gloves like the rest of the mercenaries? Ugh… Rocky, don't you watch crime dramas all day? How could you not notice?
All in all, Rock had been set up as a scapegoat. When the hammer fell, the blame for the bombing in SouthTown Central would be pinned on him. The evidence was already in police custody, and Mary was no longer in position to dispose of it, or otherwise interfere (although Terry wasn't sure if she would, if she were able to).
In addition, Rock had also been used as an extension, and shield for Iori Yagami's mafia family in order to channel funding to the terrorist cell. Rock had essentially acted as a money launderer between Asia's largest Mafia operation and the vigilante group trying to take down Howard Connection, whilst shielding both sides from liability. It was truly an unenviable position, but the most infuriating part was that Rock - somehow - still believed that Iori Yagami was looking out for his best interests. Terry didn't know how Iori had managed to brainwash Rock to such an extent, but he would deal with him when the time came.
Furthermore, Rock was also to be an active fighter in the operation that was to take place in a couple of hours. Kain's forces had given him notice they were moving out, and would strike Geese Tower at 4:30 today with assistance from the police. Terry had attempted to negotiate with Kain, offering to replace his son on the force, but both Kain and Rock refused to budge. Convinced that his future was on the line, Rock had insisted 'Dad, I need to at least try to take matters in my own hands.'
Stupid kid… ugh. Phew… It's cold early in the morning…
Terry watched his breath mist white in the cold morning air. The sun had yet to rise over the horizon, and Terry had just arrived in Geese Tower's vicinity. That imposing structure held many, many memories for Terry. It was the castle of Geese Howard - the murderer of Terry's Adopted father, and now, the possible murderer of Terry's adopted son. It had stood there, marring SouthTown's skyline for far too long, and it was about time it came crashing to the ground.
It's time to end this…
Daddy wolf really doesn't like yag lol