Ranma: King of Fighters

by Grenzer

Ranma Saotome is about to find out the world of martial arts is bigger than he could ever imagine. But if he can persevere, he might just learn more about fighting and life than he ever imagined. Crossover with the King of Fighters. Chap. 19 is up!

12. The Aligning Stars

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and all associated licensers. The King of Fighters and it associated series are the property of SNK-Playmore and all associated licensers. This is not a work for profit. I claim no rights to the characters. This is a work of fiction.

Continuity for Ranma is mostly derived from the manga, with some of the anime sprinkled in for good measure. Continuity for the King of Fighters is a modified form of the current story, how that is should be explained in story, but I am willing to explain for those with further questions.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12

In Southtown, U.S.A.

"Please Terry, I want to come along too!" pleaded the boy.

"Sorry Rookie, but for once I have to put my foot down." The older man's tone was firm, but filled with parental concern.

The boy was not impressed by this display of authority. "Don't 'Rookie' me! I'm almost an adult, I can watch my back. Plus, you took me to other tournaments, what's so different about this one?"

"I can't explain it right now Rock, because even I don't know all the details. I promise you though, when this is all over, I'll tell you everything I find out."

"Geez, I'm always getting left out the good stuff!" Rock sulked.

It was a hard decision for Terry Bogard to make. This boy, Rock Howard, who had in many ways become like a son to him, was indeed a promising young martial artist in his own right. If what Mary had told him was even remotely true however, then he had to keep Rock out of the latest King of Fighters tournament, even as a spectator. There was simply too great a risk of harm coming to the boy, and Terry would never be able to live with himself if that happened.

"Don't worry Terry we'll take good care of Rock while you're gone." Said Richard Meyer, the owner of the Pao Pao Café, the restaurant where the conversation was taking place. Richard looked over to his protégé, Bob Wilson, who nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Yeah Terry, it's no problem man. Duck and Franco said they'd help out too, so it's all bem on this end, 'kay?"

"Besides Rock, you can learn some capoeira techniques from me while you stay here. Learn to mix up your fighting moves a bit." Richard added. "When Terry gets back, you can show him up!" the older man gave out a hearty laugh.

This seemed to assure Rock somewhat. "I guess it okay if I can train, but I'll be watching you on TV, Terry. You better not lose this one!"

Terry gave his charge a cocky grin. "Al—right! It's a deal Rookie. If you train hard, then I'll give it my all at the tournament! Let's shake on it, like men!" he stretched his hand out and Rock took it.

"Take care, Terry." Richard said as he came over to shake Terry's hand as well.

"Remember what you said Richard, when we win this tournament, you'll treat the whole gang to a night of drinks on the house."

"Knowing how you and your buddies can put it away, I may be bankrupt before it's all over, but I will stay by my word." The older man laughed again.

---

"I'm telling you Andy, this is going to be our year."

"Yeah Joe, you told me that five minutes ago as well, and five minutes before that."

"But I'm serious Andy-boy! You, Terry, and I are back together again for the first time in God only knows how long, we can't be beat! I even got an idea for our theme."

"A theme?" Andy asked perplexedly. "Why would we need a theme?"

"Hear me out. It's "The Boys are Back in Town" 'cause that's exactly what it is!" With that, Joe Higashi broke out into a bout of his trademark braying laughter.

"I swear Joe, you are impossible." Andy Bogard said as he shook his head in disappointment. Why did his friend have to be so silly at times?

The two were standing in the parking lot of the Pao Pao Café, waiting for Terry to finish up his business inside. They had gotten off a marathon flight run from Tokyo to Southtown just the day before, and Andy was worried the jetlag had made Joe even loopier than his usual self.

"So you have any idea who we're up against this year?" Joe asked.

"Not really, my brother probably has an idea though."

"So you don't even know if your fiancée is competing or not? Andy-boy, man you dropped the ball this time."

"F-fi-fiancée! What are you babbling about? Mai is not…"

"How much longer are you going to keep up with this farce? We all know at this point. If anything, I'd think less of you if you hadn't taken the next step; very slick there, Andy-boy." Joe's face was very animated as he spoke, his huge eyebrows moving up and down in a suggestive manner, giving his words a very coarse subtext.

"Humph. Do not speak on matters that are not your concern Joe." Andy said as he tried to retain a modicum of his dignity. "I've been busy to focus on that anyway."

"That's right, you have an apprentice now. What's that kid's name? Narutomaru?"

"Hokutomaru." The other man corrected brusquely.

Joe put his hands behind his head as he pondered. "It must be real nice to have someone to pass your skills on to. Terry has Rock now that I think of it, so he's covered. Guess I should take on apprentice sooner or later as well, it's not like I'm getting any younger here… What are you snickering about?"

Andy removed his hand from his mouth. "I just find it funny that we are now old enough to have become the mentors. It was so long ago when we were fledglings looking for advice from our elders."

"Reflecting on the good old days little bro?" Andy and Joe turned around and saw Terry right behind them. They gasped in surprise.

"Brother!" Andy allowed himself a rare smile. Terry had always been good at surprise entrances, but to catch both of them off guard like that? His skills must have improved greatly since the last time they saw each other, even if it had only been a few months. That was his big brother, forever pushing himself further beyond what seemed humanly possible.

"Terry, my man!" Joe slapped his arm around the other man's neck. "It's been like forever since I last seen you. You don't write, you don't call, what's up with that?"

"Life has been a little complicated lately, that's all. I'm sure we'll make up for lost time at KoF."

"Now you see Andy, here's a guy who gets the big picture! We're going to win, and have a hell of a time doing it too!" Joe tried to give Terry a noogie, but the blond man managed to wrestle his way out of it.

"Unfortunately Joe, it won't all be pleasure this time around. We've got some business to do as well." Terry's expression hardened as he said that, confusing the other two men. Terry was almost never without his trademark smile, what could be bothering him so much?

"What's going on here brother? You seem disturbed." Andy thought for a moment. "Don't tell me… that bastard is up to something again, isn't he?" He spat the last part out with great venom. He sorely did not want it to be true, but that was the only thing Andy could think of that would cause Terry's mood to sour.

"You're on the money, Andy. Mary told me first, but I confirmed it with my other sources. Geese is on the move, and he's involved with this year's KoF."

"No way!" Joe's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "What's up with that guy? Does he have a death wish or something? After what you did to him last time, I figured he would stay far away from the tournament!"

Terry adjusted the brim of his cap, covering his eyes. "Guess you can't keep a good crime lord down; or a bad one for that matter. That's why I had to keep Rock out of this. There's no telling what Geese will do."

"So brother, is he entering the tournament directly?" Andy asked darkly, every muscle in his body unconsciously tensing. It was a long shot, but perhaps Andy could finally have the honor of personally defeating the man who had murdered their father in a one-on-one battle. Terry had put Geese in his place before, but it was high time for the younger Bogard to have another chance at vengeance. It would not end in failure like the previous attempt; Andy would make sure of that.

"Sorry Andy, Geese won't be competing as a fighter. He's assembled another team of lackeys though. I assume they're supposed to snoop around on his behalf, but what they're trying to uncover, I don't know."

"So who did ol' Goose Egg get this time?" Joe grinned. Spoiling Geese's plans always equaled good times in his book.

"Well, there's Billy Kane, no big surprise there. Eiji Kisaragi was hired as well. The last one really threw me for a loop though: Raiden."

"Impossible!" Joe cried out. "I don't believe that, I call bullcrap!"

"Brother, are you sure about that?" Andy voice cracked with concern. "This is our friend we are talking about here. Why would he join Geese?"

"Yeah, Raiden went straight years ago! No way would he work again for a scum bag like Geese!" Joe was screaming only a few inches from Terry's face, but the other man did not lose his composure for even a second.

"It's all true though; he's been seen hanging around Howard Arena training with Billy. I don't understand why he did it anymore then you Joe, but you have to accept it." It was at times like these that Terry wished he was a bit more articulate. He never seemed to be able adequately explain things when it really counted.

"Humph, accept nothing! I'll go confront him and get an answer! If you don't want to come along, then to hell to you!" Joe turned to leave.

Andy's hand shot out and grabbed his friend's arm. "Get a hold of yourself man! Do you really think Terry or I don't care? Of course we do! But running downtown and getting into a fight with Geese's private army is not going to accomplish anything. We can confront him at the tournament, and get to the bottom of this once and for all!"

Joe seethed for a few seconds, but his anger quickly left him. Such was his nature.

"Alright Andy-boy, we'll play it your way. But when we face Geese's team, I want first dibs on Raiden. I'm going to personally beat some sense into that fool!"

Terry silently thanked his younger brother for being able to resolve the situation. Andy, if you only realized that your wisdom is as great a gift as any physical ability, maybe you could allow yourself to be a little happier in life, thought the older brother.

He then returned to his usual jovial self. "So now you both know the score. We put a stop to Geese's operations first and foremost, but we're also in it to win in it!" Terry put out his hand.

"Of course brother, it's all or nothing!" Andy's hand joined his brother's.

"Yosha! I wouldn't want to do it any other way!" Joe added his hand to the pile.

"O—kay! C'mon, let's do this!" Terry called out. The trio raised their hands and Terry brought his up to his cap, grabbing the headwear and tossing it to the ground in a dramatic fashion. He stood there for a moment, and it seemed as if time stood still…

"Brother, you know you should pick that up before it blows away."

"Oh give him a break Andy-boy, let him have his moment of glory."

---

In the Amazon Rainforest, Northern Brazil

"How reliable would you guess this intel is, Gibbons?" The commander gave a hard glare with his one good eye to the young intelligence officer, testing her mettle.

"There is over a 99% percent of it being accurate sir. For all intents and purposes, it's rock solid info. This might be the lead that will crack the whole mystery open." Gibbon responded without an ounce of doubt in her voice. The commander smiled, she was a good find. It was good to know that such quality personnel could be recruited in these times of relative peace.

"Well Commander, what are we going to do about this?" asked Captain Duranovich. "If it is true like Gibbons says, then I suggest we launch an assault operation immediately."

"Your suggestion is noted Misha, but I have some doubts about this that are bothering the hell out of me."

Major Pereira decided to add her feelings on the issue. "But they attacked us on our own turf Commander. No one who messed with us in the past ever got away with it, and I don't want to start setting a precedent!"

"Don't be hasty." Said another one of the officers, a lieutenant by rank, but widely respected as one of the "grand old men" of the unit.

"Clark… I wasn't…" Pereira tried to regain her composure.

"Remember Teresa, with just a handful of operatives, they were able in infiltrate and destroy a fully armed and manned destroyer, simply to recover the body of a dead man. The fact they were able to do that shows just how dangerous they are. Am I right Commander?" Lieutenant Clark Steel turned to the commander to silently confirm that this was what he was worried about.

"Lieutenant Steel is correct, but I would like to hear more opinions. Private Heidern, what thoughts would you like to contribute?"

"Sir, if it is okay with you… I think the opinion of a common soldier is not relevant to this discussion."

"That was not a suggestion Private, it was an order." The commander fired back. Damn it, why did this girl have to be so stubborn about her feelings? He knew that she had good reason to be reserved on most issues, but this personally concerned her!

"Order understood, sir. I will give you my opinion, to the best of my professional abilities." The private took a deep breath, using the pause to collect her thoughts. When she finally spoke once more, her tone was cold, clinical, and without passion.

"I feel that the enemy we face is exceptionally cunning and manipulative. Ever since our unit's first encounter with them in the field, they have shown themselves to always have a plan for every possible contingency. When dealing with them, there are no coincidences."

"What are you implying private? You do not trust the data I collected?" Gibbons asked pointedly. She had always been freaked out by the private since they had first met. Adopted daughter of the commander or not, her behavior was very off-putting, and the intelligence officer could not understand how anyone could be so devoid of emotion in even the most trying of circumstances.

"I do not doubt the accuracy of you data Captain, but rather the reason you were able to find it in the first place. Since the time of their last attack on us, we had not been able to find a trace of the enemy's whereabouts, at least until forty-eight hours ago. That this coincided with another critical event suggests that this was intentional on their part, they wanted us to know."

"Other critical event? Explain yourself Private." Gibbons was becoming more frustrated now. As an intel officer, she understood the value of being cryptic, but this Heidern girl had her utterly baffled.

"Yes, I see where you're going with this Private." The commander chimed in. "Very clever on their part, making us an offer we cannot refuse."

"Commander?" Gibbons eyes grew very wide. Was this some sort of private joke shared among the inner circle of the unit? The captain did not find it very funny if it was.

"You're new around here Captain, so I can understand your confusion. I will take a guess and say you do not follow the professional martial arts scene, right?" He dug into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"No sir, I cannot say that I do. What does that have to do with our meeting?"

"The King of Fighters tournament; our unit has been tied up in it for quite a while now. We were attacked at the end of the last tournament, and now we have information on the enemy's location, right at the same time we receive an invitation for the newest one."

"You are trying to say that they are baiting us?" Gibbons could barely make sense of it all. Let's get this straight, she thought. A shadowy criminal syndicate attacked the world's premiere mercenary unit, destroyed valuable property belonging to the unit in order to goad it, and then leaked critical intelligence in order to force immediate action. All for the purpose of making said unit join a prize fighting competition? What kind of psychos are we dealing with here?

"To be honest, I'm glad it's come to this." Another man raised his voiced. "Now we can deal with those bastards personally, man-to-man. Ain't I right Clark?" He pounded his fists together in excitement.

"You know I've got you're back partner." Lieutenant Clark Steel turned to Private Heidern. "You in with us Leona?"

The Private looked at her comrades, her only friends and family left in the world, and for the briefest of moments, it seemed as if a warm smile touched her features before they reverted to their usual cold state.

"If that is my mission, then I will complete it to the best of my abilities, or die trying… with your approval, Commander." She rose from her seat and gave off a smart salute. The commander saluted back, silently confirming his approval.

"It's settled then," Colonel Ralf Jones rose up to his feet, his mighty frame casting a shadow over the room. "Let's wage war to the knife! Show these punks what happens when you mess with the Ikari Warriors!"

"Yeah! Commander, you can count on us!" Clark affirmed.

"For the honor of the Ikari!" The other officers shouted in unison. Commander Heidern smiled. Yes, even in these times of relative peace, good men and women could be found who were ready to risk life and limb to see that peace unbroken.

---

In Toronto, Canada

"So partner, what are you going to do?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking."

The two men were walking down a busy street filled with shops and people. All around them, the hustle and bustle of everyday life surrounded them, and yet these two men seemed to stand apart from it all.

"I'm not trying to pressure you here." The elder of the two continued, his massive frame towering over all others around him. "Don't misunderstand me on that. It's just that you have a big choice in front of you, and not a lot of time to make it."

The younger man grunted. What that meant, the other man had no idea. His partner was an odd one, but it was hard to fault him too much. He was still just a kid by most standards, and yet he was forced to take on problems that would break even the most well-adjusted, level-headed types.

"Well… I know what I have to do." The younger man finally said, running a hand through his shock-white hair. "It's going to piss off the girls though."

"Oh, I see now. You are going to take him along huh? That's a pretty bold choice. He's never been tested in a tournament before. You think he can handle the pressure?"

"He's just like I was, looking for a place in life. He needs to know that we trust him, that he's one of us."

"That's a very mature statement for you to make. You really are growing into a fine older brother. Don't worry, I'm sure Kula and Seirah won't hold it against you too much."

"Shut up you metal bastard." The younger man impatiently dashed on ahead. His partner could only shake his head in amusement.

More mature maybe, but still only a kid, the older man laughed to himself. He was so amused that he barely noticed the slight ringing in his ear. He relaxed and engaged his built-in comlink.

"Maxima here, that you Colonel Jones?"

"Just got out of a meeting with the commander, we've got to talk."

"This is about the tournament? We are already planning to go there."

"Collect your team and rendezvous with us at the point encoded into the other signal I'm transmitting to you now. This is big. We're going to need your help on this more than ever. Oh, and there's one other thing."

"What?"

"Tell your partner to keep that attitude of his under control when he arrives. The commander was not impressed by his behavior last time."

Maxima laughed "You can go tell K' that yourself when you see him. I like you guys, but you need to understand my partner is a sensitive young fellow, he doesn't like it when you talk behind his back."

"I don't think he likes people talking to him period, but whatever, I'll do it. Just be there on time."

"Can do Colonel, Maxima out." He looked up at the sky. "I wonder how the newbie is going to take all this?"

---

Somewhere on America's West Coast

"Not so tough now are you, China-man?" the biker sneered at his prey. That bastard, he thought he could mess with a member of the Atillas, the baddest gang in town, and live to talk about it? Look at him, all dressed up like he was from a kung-fu flick, and with that stupid girlie ponytail. He was about to get a lesson in respect he would never forget! No one was going to come save him out in this vacant lot either.

'China-man' stood impassively as the bikers surrounded him, taunting his bad luck and foreign features, among other more vulgar things. They numbered some two dozen in all; some armed with chains and other crude makeshift weapons. These miserable wretches, they were so stupid they could not even figure out that he was Japanese, let alone how much trouble they were in. He would enjoy showing them the error of their ways.

"You are dead," the biker leader piped up again, "We're going to break your limbs one by one, just like you did to Chico! Then we'll smash in that ugly mug of yours!"

"Chico? Was that the name of your comrade?" the martial artist looked coldly at the leader. "When you join him in the hospital, tell him he was one of the most miserable excuses for a man I have ever come across."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" screamed one of the bikers as he lunged at his foe with a broken beer bottle. He was fat, but still quite powerful looking, and the tattoos and scars that covered his arms added to his formidable appearance.

Without any warning, the larger man went down. A sickening cracking noise could be heard from his chest, as if his ribs had been shattered by some tremendous force. His fellow gang members looked on in shock. What had happened? The martial artist had raised his fist, but never even touched the other man!

"Oh God! He got Louie!"

The leader quickly took control of his troops. "No way, Louie must have fallen down on his own. Look, that punk didn't even lay a finger on him! Rush him, there's no chance of him getting out of that!"

With that, all of the other bikers charged forward. The first two who managed to reach their target were armed with a chain and a crowbar respectively. The one with the crowbar thrust his weapon at the marital artist's chest, using it like an ersatz sword. He was stunned when his opponent caught it with one hand. Deftly removing the crowbar from its owner's possession, the martial artist then proceeded to smash in the head of the other biker, before turning around and smacking the first man in the knee, sending him to the ground in a rush of pain. All of this happened within the space of a few seconds.

Having decided that he was now done with his warm-up, the martial artist tossed away the crowbar. He would not need any weapons to finish the rest of this trash off. Like a tiger, he pounced on his prey without any wasted movement or energy. A single punch to the gut to finish off one, a quick grapple with another to break his arms, and a swift hand chop to shatter the collarbone of a third. They made it so easy too; they had no concept of guarding themselves from attack.

That broke the morale of the others. They started to flee, but their foe would have none of that. It was no surprise to him that such scum would turn yellow at the first sign of defeat, but he would show them that once you start a fight, you must see it through to the end…

---

"Please, show me mercy! I promise I won't ever bother you again! For real!" the leader pitifully squeaked. He was the only biker still standing.

"No, you will not." The martial artist thrust his fist into the other man's face, smashing his nose. A rather mild punishment when compared to what happened to the others.

So it was all over. How awful, it only took four minutes. He had hoped to get a full night's worth of entertainment from it, but they had proven to be even more incompetent than they had first appeared. The martial artist sighed to himself. How many more of these fools must he cripple before he finally achieved his true goal? He walked out of the lot onto the street, but had travelled only a short distance when he sensed another presence stalking him.

"Come out, before I come to you." He growled.

"A very impressive display, exactly what I would expect of you." The martial artist's eyes darted around the street to find the owner of that voice. It was clearly female, and rather young in tone, but it carried a steely quality to it that interested him.

"Calm yourself friend, we are not here to fight." Another voice called out. This one clearly belonged to a young man.

"How disappointing, and I was hoping for another battle to pass the time. Well if you came to chatter, then at least do so where I can see you."

As if by magic the two figures appeared from the shadows. The woman had her blue hair cut in a bob shape, and was dressed in an absurd outfit that looked straight out of early 19th century Europe. The boy actually looked more girlish than his companion, dressed in black robes that seemed Chinese in origin, and with a ponytail that nearly went to the ground. And those painted nails! Not very impressive in the other man's opinion, but there was something vaguely familiar about these two. Had he met them somewhere else before?

"How rude of me, I approached you without formally introducing myself. I am Elisabeth Blanctorche, and this is my teammate Duo Lon. We have met before however, at the last King of Fighters tournament. I believe you were on the same team as that wrestler Tizoc, and the young pirate Jenet."

"Yes, now I know you. You were with that blond-haired twit." What was his name again? The martial artist would be the first to admit that his memory was terrible when it came to remembering anything outside of fighting techniques. Then again, he rarely bothered to learn the names of people he might end up killing anyway.

Duo Lon spoke once more. "Our teammate at that time was Benimaru Nikaido. Due to circumstances beyond our control, he will not be rejoining us for the next tournament."

Another tournament already? Had time really passed that quickly?

"So what are you suggesting? Spit it out, I hate people who dance around the point."

Elisabeth took her riding crop and pointed it directly at the martial artist.

"What I am suggesting is an alliance between you and us. I think a man of your strength and reputation would be invaluable to our cause… Gato."

Gato scoffed at her bold declaration. "Woman, do you really think I will fall in line just because you ask me too? I live on my own terms, and I have found KoF to be nothing more than a meaningless distraction that has long since come to bore me. You need a partner? Then go find a stray dog, it will gladly follow your tail!" He turned to leave.

Gato had only taken a few steps when Duo Lon appeared in front of him. Of course, now he remembered, the boy was a trained assassin and a master of Chinese Black magic. The real deal too, not cheap parlor tricks. No wonder it took him so long to detect their presence. Gato balled his hands into fists and readied himself for whatever would come next. At least he would get that fight he wanted.

"I cannot have you leave just yet Gato. At least until you hear what Miss Elisabeth can offer you. I think you will be most interested in it."

Elisabeth walked around Gato and looked him again in the eyes. Gato had to admit her resolve was admirable. It reminded him of Jenet somewhat; though unlike Jenet, this girl had the advantage of not being a noisy idiot.

"I know you are looking for someone Gato." She began. "Someone you have unfinished business with. I have information related to his location."

"So? You think a few tidbits of vague gossip will be enough to make me join you? Others have tried that game with me as well, and it is long played out."

"It is more than just gossip." Elisabeth pulled something out of her jacket, a photograph. She handed it to Gato, who took it cautiously.

He took one look at the photo, and his features hardened into a mask of terrifying rage. He instinctively crushed the paper in his hands.

"Where was this taken?" he asked in an ice cold tone. That it was at complete odds with the expression on his face made it all the more unnerving.

"In a remote mountain town on the border between Switzerland and Germany… coincidently located near the site of the next King of Fighters tournament." Got him, Elisabeth thought. She had researched Gato's past carefully. There was only one thing in the world he truly cared about, and he would follow anyone who could assist him in completing it, despite his churlish character. Underneath that hardened exterior of his, Gato still had some honor.

"The photo was taken only thirty-six hours ago. If you go there now, I am certain you can catch him. I will provide you with transportation as well, in return for your services of course."

Gato stood in stony silence for a few moments as he considered the offer.

"…Let us go then." He finally muttered, almost as if he was cursing. So he had gotten himself ensnared into KoF once again. This time however, the prospects were far more promising. Perhaps his long journey would soon be coming to an end. Yes, he would have to do some charity work on the side, but perhaps he could derive some enjoyment from it. If nothing else, some of those fighters would make good practice for his final battle.

Duo Lon looked at his new teammate with some trepidation. This was a dangerous game Elisabeth was playing, recruiting a man of this character. While he could sympathize with Gato's desire to gain revenge on those who had wrong him, Duo Lon could at least credit himself with not letting it consume his entire life. Benimaru had been a true team player and a consummate professional. It was a shame that he had joined Kyo Kusanagi once more.

I just hope you can control him Elisabeth, Duo Lon thought. If your mission is as important as you claim, we cannot allow Gato's impulsive behavior to endanger it. The very fate of the world depended on it.

In Sunshine City, U.S.A.

---

"Come on you guys, finish packing! If you don't, I'll take off without you!"

William "Billy" Lewis was normally a mellow, patient man, but this was not a normal situation. Here he was, standing outside of the Lee Dojo, waiting on a group of teenagers to pull their act together and be on time to reach the airport. It went without saying that the cause was lost before it had begun.

"Yeah right Billy, without us you don't have a team!" a young woman called back.

"All my stuff is packed Billy. Pupa's done too. It's just that Lynn here can't decide what to wear!"

"Well this is important José! This is like the biggest martial arts tournament in the world, right? I want the competitors to take me seriously, but I need to look fashionable too."

"First off, call me Pepe. I already told you Lynn, no one calls me José, not even my parents! Secondly, making a fashion statement should be the least of your concerns. Sheesh, I'll never get you women and your ways… Ouch! Pupa! What was that for?" Pepe said as he rubbed his arm.

"I woman too Pepe! You don't understand me?"

"Seriously Pupa, who understands you? How did they even let you graduate high school?" he teased back.

"Come to Brazil, we see who sounds stupid then Pepe!" Pupa became very cross and stuck her tongue out. It was not her fault that her aptitude was geared towards machines rather than foreign languages. She had only moved to America two years before anyway. She would get the hang of English… someday.

"Guys, the schedule, you know the one we have to adhere to. I hope you haven't forgotten." Billy called back to them from outside.

It was going to be a long trip. First across America, then the Atlantic, and then finally France and Germany; Billy wondered if he could keep his sanity intact through it all, especially if his friends continued to act this way. Still, it was of the upmost importance that they enter the King of Fighters tournament. The clues to his brother's whereabouts, and the whereabouts of many other missing people from Sunshine City hanged in the balance.

A year before, Billy and his older brother Jimmy had crushed the Black Dragon cult in Sunshine City, but disturbing evidence had come to light that the cult was far more widespread than first thought. The presumed leader of the group died during the final battle, but the evil spirit that had possessed him escaped. Many of the people abducted or seduced into the cult remained missing; it was as if they had fallen off the face of the earth. Jimmy, that hothead, had run off to God knows where in order to gain revenge.

It was certainly understandable why he did that. Followers of the Black Dragon had been responsible for the death of Marian, Jimmy's girlfriend. He should have realized however that only through teamwork could such a dangerous threat be defeated, a lesson that he had ignored when others tried to reason with him. Billy had spent most of his time since then looking for his wayward brother.

It was not like Jimmy was the only one suffering. Lynn's grandfather, Billy and Jimmy's old master had been murdered by the Black Dragon as well. Pupa's older brother had joined the cult and then disappeared, which is why she and her friend Pepe originally investigated the group and met Billy and Lynn in the process.

Then last month, Billy had received a mysterious letter. He no idea how it even ended up in his hotel room; there was no signs of anyone having broken in. He was worried what it might contain, but curiosity quickly overwhelmed him. It turned out to be an invitation to the King of Fighters tournament, signed by a mysterious woman named Rose Bernstein.

After doing some research, Billy discovered a rumor surrounding KoF. It was said that certain people connected to its organization worshipped a dark serpent god. A dark serpent… a black dragon? There was no definite connection, but it caught Billy's interest enough to make him rush back to Sunshine City and inform Lynn. They decided to form a team, and Pepe had volunteered to be their third member…

But none of that meant anything it they missed their damned flight!

"Guys!" Billy screamed out once again.

"Okay Billy! Geez, you're so pushy." Lynn said as she lugged her bag out of the gate. Pepe and Pupa followed right behind her.

"Now did you say goodbye to your parents? You know we might not be back home for a while."

"Yes, I said goodbye to them, and don't think you can order me around in their place Billy!" Lynn scolded him.

"Ay yai yai. I wonder who those two are going to be fighting more with at the tournament: their opponents or each other?" Pepe sighed.

The young Mexican knew that Lynn had a major crush on Billy, which the other man was totally blind to. It was painful really, Lynn was a cute girl and those two would make a good couple if they ever got their act together. If it were not for the fact that he respected him so much, Pepe would have told Billy to get a clue a long time ago.

The four of them got into Billy's car, strapped themselves in, and then started out. As the Lee dojo slipped out of view from the rear windshield, Lynn took one last look at her home. Billy had been right; this might be the last time she would get to see it for a while. Maybe it would be the last time she would see it at all, considering the odds they were facing. Lynn shuttered at the thought.

"You okay there Lynn?" Billy asked.

"I'm fine, just fine."

"Don't lie. It's okay to admit you're worried. I'm a little scared myself."

"Billy…"

"We will overcome it though. Even if KoF turns out to be a bust, I'm confident that we will find a way to bring everyone back safely."

Pepe and Pupa cheered their approval.

"Yeah…" Lynn had to try very hard not to blush.

The ride went smoothly after that.

---

In Taipei, Taiwan

"Athena! Athena! We love you!" the roar of the fans was deafening.

Pop idol (and part-time hero) Athena Asamiya lived for these moments. Going before a crowd of tens of thousands of people and giving them the performance of a lifetime. There was only one thing she could think of that could compare to this kind of excitement…

The King of Fighters tournament.

Yes, Athena had received yet another invitation to that troubled contest. She enjoyed being able to challenge herself and test her strength against the other martial artists who entered it, but it always seemed as if there was something sinister going on behind the scenes. Unfortunately, her team rarely made it to the finals, but they always did their best to assist the others to defeat the villains. After all, what else were heroes for in the first place?

Careful, Athena thought, the most difficult part of this dance sequence was coming up.

Off stage, Athena's teammates, her old friend Sie Kensou and her teacher, the old kung fu master Chin Gentsai, watched as she dazzled the audience.

"Athena's really on fire tonight!" Kensou gushed. It had been a while since he had been able to watch his beloved Athena on stage. He had been spending so much time training under Chin in the Chinese countryside, that Kensou had almost forgotten the joy of watching young women dancing to bright and catchy J-pop music. Not that he was a pervert or anything like that… no, he was a disciplined and upstanding member of the Psycho Soldier team, a model to young people the world over. Why would anyone think that he was pervert for enjoying…

Wow, Athena's costume sure showed a lot of…

No! He must keep such vulgar thoughts out of his mind. Kensou shook his head wildly from side to side in order to dispel them.

"Are you okay boy? Are the stage lights getting to you?" Chin was concerned. Perhaps this was all too much for poor Kensou? He had been pushing the boy quite hard these past few months so that he could gain greater control over his powers.

"No Master, I'm absolutely fine." Kensou moaned. He really hoped no one could read his thoughts. Wait, Athena was telepathic… oh crap!

"I want you to enjoy this." The old master continued on. "You need a reward for all of the hard work you have been putting in. Plus, you won't have much time to relax at the tournament."

"I know Master, but I'm ready for this!" Kensou could feel his skill and power getting greater with each passing day. He had even gotten out his fancy old costume from his earliest adventures with Athena in order to show his rivals that he was no longer a plain teenager, but a magnificent and proud expert of the Chinese martial arts. Of course he still needed to get it tailored… he really needed to ask Master Chin for some money to do that before they left Taiwan. Well, maybe he would do that tomorrow.

Chin watched his student as his thoughts drifted. Poor Kensou, he still needed about twenty more years of training before he could really unleash his full potential. Sadly, Chin knew that he would not live to see that day. He was well over ninety years old himself, and while some masters only grew stronger with age, Chin had not been so lucky. His best days were behind him, but he had decided to enter the latest King of Fighters tournament out of concern from reports Athena and Kensou had given him about the monstrous beings who had hosted the previous two tournaments. Chin could not ignore such evil any longer. He would confront and defeat it, even at the cost of his own life.

"Wow, it's amazing, look at those fireworks!" Kensou gasped in awe. "Athena's production crew really pulled out all the stops."

"Yes, it is beautiful." Chin agreed with his young student. "Things are always at their most beautiful just before they burn out."

"What was that Master?"

"Nothing my boy, nothing at all."

---

In Osaka, Japan

Benimaru Nikaido sat in uncomfortable silence on the train. How did he get stuck doing this again? Granted, he considered Kyo a close friend, the sort of person he would risk life and limb for, but this? Having to escort Iori Yagami to the airport?

I deserve a freaking medal for this one, Benimaru thought.

Iori sat in complete silence, glowering. When Kyo had said that he was back to his old self, it had been no exaggeration. Benimaru almost wished that the lost of his Orochi powers had taken the redhead down a peg, if only to make him more manageable.

"We're almost at our stop Yagami." Benimaru thought it could not hurt trying to start a little conversation with his new teammate.

"What are you babbling about? Why does that even bear mentioning you fool?" Iori idly fingered a cigarette between his fingers. He clearly could not wait to get off the train so that he could light it up. Too bad for him there was no smoking at airport either, he would just have to suffer for a day or two until they were settled down at the tournament site. On that point Benimaru could be mildly sympathetic; he smoked on occasion as well. He did notice however that ever since he had retrieved Iori, the other man had been smoking like a chimney.

Did Iori always smoke that much? Honestly, Benimaru had never paid much attention to his mannerisms up until now. In their previous encounters, the blond street fighter had always been more concerned whether or not Iori would explode into sudden, deadly violence against him and his comrades. Such was the risk of dealing with one whose blood was contaminated with the curse of the Orochi. Now that Iori was free of that, if only temporarily, it was interesting to see how much of his sullen, arrogant behavior had been connected to the curse and how much of it was a part of his own personality.

Well he hasn't taken a swipe at me yet, so I guess that counts as some form of improvement, Benimaru conceded.

Suddenly, the speakers in the railroad car crackled to life.

"Next stop, Kansai International Airport. All passengers planning to disembark prepare to do so. Have a pleasant day."

As Benimaru had predicted, the train was almost at its destination. They would meet with Kyo at the airport and start out for Europe immediately. It was not all that different from the previous times he had gone off to martial arts tournaments, and yet Benimaru could sense the urgency of the situation. The King of Fighters was always special compared to other competitions, but this might be the most critical one yet.

The train slowly grinded to a halt, and Benimaru grabbed his bag from under his seat. It was mostly clothing with a few toiletries, and some petty cash. He had learned long ago not to pack too much when heading off to a tournament. It was always more convenient to buy something abroad then to lug it around with you through an airport. Sure, it often cost more, but if you were not able to pull out some prize money from your battles, you really had no business being in street fighting.

Benimaru and Iori exited the train, and began walking through the station to enter the airport proper. Neither man spoke to one another the whole time, much as it had been during the ride. Meeting up with Kyo could not come soon enough, Benimaru thought. At least then he would have someone to talk with that did not respond in grunts and insults.

They came up into the main terminal of the airport. Kansai International was built on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, and the layout was designed for maximum efficiency in allowing passengers to enter and exit the complex. Their destination was the North Wing of the building, where Lufthansa ran flights straight to Frankfurt. Once the team arrived in Germany, they would have to find some other means of transport to get them to their final destination near the French-German border. Kyo claimed to have it all figured out when he last spoke to Benimaru on the phone a few days before, and that was fine with Benimaru. He had enough problems with tracking down Iori in some dive in northern Osaka and bringing him out all the way here.

Considering it was Iori who had insisted that he team up with Kyo again, it was strange that he had gone out of his way to not contact anyone in the time leading up to the tournament. Yagami seemed to be trying his best to make things difficult for Kyo. Not that it would surprise anyone who knew the history between those two, but it exasperated Benimaru that even after all these years the rivalry they had erupted in the strangest and most petty ways imaginable. Just what was going to happen when they actually confronted each other at the gate?

Ugh, best not to even think about that for now. Benimaru would just have to enjoy these last few moments of relative peace the best that he could.

Processing their tickets went without incident. Iori was shockingly mild-mannered during the whole wait; at complete odds with the ferocious personality he presented most of the time. If was almost if he was playing mind games, showing Benimaru that he only acted like a psycho around other fighters like him. Of course, Iori had always claimed he hated violence in the first place, only competing because he felt he had no choice in order to claim the revenge he felt was rightfully his. It had seemed like a load of crap, but looking at him now, one had to wonder.

Kyo was waiting for them when they cleared security, and much to the surprise of both men (though Iori hid his well) he was not alone. Standing at his side was a beaming Yuki. Benimaru could barely contain his amusement.

"And who is this charming young woman Mr. Kusanagi? Perhaps a fan you ran into at the terminal? I think we need a formal introduction."

Yuki giggled. "You're still a cad I see."

"The ladies of this world expect nothing less from me." Benimaru said as he performed an exaggerated bow. "It's why they find me so irresistible."

Kyo stepped between the two. "Hey Beni, don't take the flirting too far. Remember that I'm the jealous type."

"Kyo, please tell me what kind of boyfriend is not the jealous type? A non-jealous boyfriend, that's an oxymoron! But honestly, I'm allowed a little bit of fun, especially after having to drag Prince Charming here across the city." Benimaru pointed at Iori.

"Kyo." Iori said the name as if was almost an accusation.

"Yagami." Kyo replied in kind.

Benimaru almost palmed his hand in his face right there. That didn't take very long did it? Forget about how they would perform in the tournament, these two might not make it out of the airport!

"Enough!" Yuki shouted as her voice cut through the tension. "There will be no fighting between you two. Not here, not on the flight, and definitely not at the tournament."

"But Yuki," Kyo complained, "Look at how that creepy bastard addressed me by my first name! Where does he get off being so familiar?"

"What's the matter Kyo?" Iori taunted back. "When I kill you, it won't make any difference what I call you. Corpses never complain."

"I said that's enough." Yuki reiterated. "I spoke to Chizuru. She said you boys need a firm hand to keep you under control, and I intend to be just that. Iori, I know you're better than this, so stop threatening Kyo."

"You're kidding me! Treating Yagami like he has a heart, give me a break." That earned Kyo a hard slap from Yuki.

"For your information dear, that 'heartless' fellow over there saved my life once. He puts on a scary front, but there is a decent person under all that."

"Saved your life? When did this happen?" Kyo was reeling; he really had been away for too long.

"We can talk about it on the flight. I'm sure Iori would be glad to give his side of the story too."

Iori grunted again, and walked past the rest of the group.

"Don't bother me during the flight. I need my rest. Disturb me at your own peril." With that he walked through the gate to board the plane.

"That was amazing Yuki. I see you have not lost a bit of that spunk." Benimaru walked over to her.

"I'm glad that worked, because I had no backup plan if it hadn't." For only the briefest of moments, Yuki revealed her fear. It really had been a close call.

"Seriously… when the hell did Yagami save you?" Kyo was still in a state of shock.

"We can talk about it on the plane. I told you Kyo, I've been a busy girl the past few years. You can't cover all that ground in just a few weeks. Now come on, let's get on board."

"But… but… Yagami."

"I know, Yagami. You're really no better than him some times."

"Aw nuts!" Kyo shook his head, and then picked up his bags and entered the gate. Yuki went to follow him, but Benimaru stopped her first.

"How did you convince him to let you come along? I personally don't mind, but this is a big change."

"He visited me at my apartment. We went to Tokyo for a weekend, had a good time… and I simply could not let it end at that. When he told me another tournament was starting, I put my foot down and… well here I am."

Benimaru smiled. "That's good Yuki. He needs you, more then he would ever care to admit. I don't think he was ever the same after he left Japan without you."

"I need to stand by him. I… love him. I know he thinks he needs to protect me, but I want to stand by him through the hard times too. That's the core of a relationship."

"It might be more dangerous than you realize, that's the only warning I can give you. It's up to Kyo to tell you the rest, but he has enemies Yuki. Powerful ones at that and unlike Iori they can't be talked down from a fight."

Yuki closed her eyes. "Then I just have to put my faith in Kyo to handle them. He's grown though. I think he has more than what it takes to win."

Benimaru put his hands on his hips. "Well, he will have help. I'm going to do my best. Iori… I guess he will as well."

"Then let's go Team Japan." Yuki walked through the gate.

"Let's go Team Japan indeed." With that, Benimaru followed her.

---

In Hokkaido, Japan

The spirits here were restless. One did not need magical powers to sense that much. This long abandoned Ainu village, on the fringe of Japan's Northern Province was a place no normal person would ever dare set foot in.

Reiji Oogami had never considered himself to be normal. Such was the life of a Shinto priest charged with protecting human society from supernatural threats. Then again, it did make for some interesting stories for his daughter at bedtime.

"Just another day for a wandering mystic, eh friend?" he directed this comment to a shadowy figure crouched near one of the derelict huts.

"Are you a friend?" the figure challenged back. The voice was deep, foreboding. On closer inspection one could see it was a man clothed in the blue and white traveling dress of a Japanese monk, clutching a ringed walking staff in his hands. His head was mostly obscured by a wide brimmed straw hat, but the small part of his jaw and mouth that was visible showed a grim expression. Clearly this was not a man who smiled very often, if ever.

"I sure hope I am, because I'd hate to tussle with a tough guy like you. My name is Oogami, and I'm guessing you're Mochizuki. Have you been in contact with Chizuru?"

"Yes." Sokaku Mochizuki nodded and rose to his feet. He walked over to Reiji and formally bowed to him. Reiji returned the gesture.

"So Mochizuki, have you ever entered a King of Fighters tournament yourself?"

"Yes, but a different sort of tournament than this one. No teams were involved."

"I see."

"Even if I could not have found a team or received an invitation, I would have still tried to enter. The balance of nature has been turned on its side. The Shura have gained in power, and I fear that they may destroy the world as we know it if not stopped soon."

"I'm not sure these beings can be properly defined as Shura, but otherwise I completely agree with you. A lot of the trouble can be traced to the theft of two of the three Sacred Treasures by a young man named Ash Crimson. His actions have allowed the Orochi's power to reemerge, to say nothing of a bunch of other wicked spirits as well." Reiji idly kicked some dust around as he spoke.

Mochizuki raised the brim of his hat, revealing a pair of determined eyes. "Then this Crimson boy must perish, and the treasures retrieved, for the good of all."

"If we can avoid needless bloodshed, I would prefer it. However, Chizuru told me that Ash is extremely powerful and ruthless, so sadly it may come down to killing him as you say. More importantly, we need to protect Kyo Kusanagi. He holds the last treasure, and will no doubt be targeted."

"Understood. I have two questions however."

"Ask away partner."

"How is it that you still project the power of the Yata mirror? You already told me the Crimson boy holds it in his possession."

Reiji laughed. "Man, Chizuru warned me you were sharp, but damn. I'm a member of a side branch of the Yata clan. The Kaguras are the main branch as I'm sure you're already aware. We don't use the power of the Yata directly however, we channel a small portion of it through an artifact known as the Hetsu Mirror. Even when separated from the main keeper of the Yata Mirror, we can store and use part of the power. Think of it as an emergency battery."

"Then this power is limited?" Sokaku asked.

"Yeah, no substitute for the real thing I'm afraid, otherwise I would use it to try and strengthen the seal. I can use it in battle though, and for smaller rituals."

"It will have to do. Now my second question. Who is our third teammate?"

"Ah, I see Chizuru didn't tell you about that part. That's where you come in my friend. You see, there's a reason why we met here in this lonely place. Your clan specializes in making contact with spirits, and calling them forth into this world to help you in battle."

"And what would that have to do with… No! You cannot tell me you wish to…"

"There's a legend in these parts. More than two centuries ago, there was a girl who lived in this very village, an Ainu priestess. She was said to have been chosen by nature itself to guard against demons that tried to break the order of the world.

"She fought many battles, and eventually transcended into an immortal spirit who could guard this land forever. Her power dissipated with the onset of the modern age and the decline of the Ainu, but never truly disappeared. In theory, a strong enough infusion of mystical energy would be able to call her forth from her slumber, and allow her to take part in the key battles ahead… Or at least that's what Chizuru told me."

Sokaku lowered his head for a moment, deep in contemplation. He had never used his powers in such a way before. It was ambitious to say the least; though crazy might be a more accurate description. He had to give the Kagura woman credit however. Even in her weakened state she was resourceful and wise. He had no idea if this would work, but he had to try. Finally he spoke.

"I will attempt it, but I doubt my power alone could reach this spirit."

Reiji smiled, and then pulled something out from his black kimono. It was a small and ornately decorated mirror.

"Fear not friend. You won't be doing this alone. I, Reiji Oogami, will do my best to supplement your power. We succeed together, or we fail together, is that not the definition of a team?"

And then something amazing happened. Sokaku smiled.

"Yes, and soon we will have the third member of our team to complete us."

---

The bonfire burned brightly as Reiji added more powder to it. Sokaku recited one arcane chant after another as he delved ever deeper into the realm of the spirits. The ceremony was taking far longer than expected, and it was putting a great toll on Sokaku's body and mind. The veteran mystic was being pushed to his limits, and Reiji worried for the man's well being.

At this rate, the ceremony would have to be called off. It would be a terrible setback, but Sokaku's life took priority here. The red-haired priest put a hand on the monk's shoulder, and a shock ran through him.

Reiji could hear Sokaku's thoughts screaming through his mind. They said 'NO! Do not stop me now! I have almost reached her! You must give more time and power!' While he was stunned, Reiji complied with the other man's wishes.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Unseal!" Sokaku screamed as he finished the ritual. He planted his staff firmly into the ground, and then fell backwards. Reiji caught him and laid him on the ground gently.

"I have done all that I can." Sokaku said hoarsely. "Now we must wait."

And so they waited. How long it was, Reiji could not say. It seemed like days, although in reality it must have only been a few minutes. The fire died down, and it seemed as if nothing was happening.

"I guess Chizuru was wrong. Who even knows if this girl ever existed in the first place?" Reiji mumbled, half asleep. He was exhausted, having used up much of his power in assisting Sokaku. The monk was totally out of it, and who know how many days it would take for him to recover, and to no avail. It had been a complete waste of time.

As Reiji feel deeper into his sleep, he did not seem to notice what was happening around him, or if he did, he wrote it off as a dream. It seemed as if the village was aglow with white light, as if the heavens themselves were touching the land. A pillar of light sprouted up from the ground and connected to the sky. Almost as soon as it had appeared however, the light faded and disappeared, and everything seemed to return to normal.

And then from the forest just outside the village, a lone figure appeared. Small and slight of frame, she walked over to where Reiji and Sokaku slept. Looking down on them, she studied the features of these two strange mystics who had managed against all odds to bring her back to this world. So long had it been, even she had no idea when last she had walked among humans, or what year it was now.

"You both went through a lot of trouble to help me." She whispered in a childlike voice. "So I guess the least I can do is wait until you recover."

She took a seat beside Reiji and Sokaku. Looking up at the sky, a smile crossed her face.

"I do not know if either of you can hear me, but I want to thank you… Nakoruru of Kamui Kotan thanks you."

---

In Gibraltar

In a small back alley pub, business was wrapping up for the evening. The regular patrons were ready to head back to their homes, and the barkeep was busy cleaning his shot glasses. Among all this activity, one man stood apart from all the rest. He was young, probably not older than seventeen, and dressed in a most eccentric manner. At a distance, one might have mistaken him for a girl. Yet no one dared to question his presence in such a rough joint, for a strange and menacing power seemed to radiate from him.

He idly played with a wisp of his lemon yellow hair out of sheer boredom. What was taking so long? He had sent out the message more than a week before; someone should have replied by now. It was all so annoying. His plans were progressing regardless, but he hated to be delayed in any way. If nobody showed up tonight, he would have to resort to his backup plan a little earlier then he would have preferred, but c'est la vie and all that.

Shouting could be heard outside. Some drunk had gotten into a scuffle or something, a not uncommon occurrence in a dive like this. The young man would have ignored it entirely if not for what happened next. Without warning, a body smashed through the front door. With tremendous force it crashed into one of the tables and slumped to the floor. It was hard to tell whether or not the unlucky victim was dead, but he sure looked so. The people still in the bar began to shout and panic.

The young man smiled. So his message had been received after all.

"Ash! Get your punk ass out here now!" a booming voice called out from the street.

Excellent, Ash thought. Of the two possible options, this was the one he had been hoping for. He raised himself from the table and prepared for his long overdue meeting.

Standing across the street from the bar's entrance stood a large, powerfully built man of about thirty, though his youthful looks gave him a deceitfully teenaged appearance. His loose purple shirt, silver jewelry, and the tattoos on his lower forearms added to his wild, carefree image. His eyes however revealed something much darker; their blood red irises matching his lust for violence.

Ash casually skipped over to the berserker without a trace of fear. He knew full well what this man wanted, and he could provide it to him… in return for another favor.

"Ah, I see that it was you who came out on top in your fight with Oswald. Very impressive Shen Woo, but I guess not all that surprising for a man hailed as Shanghai's God of War. So tell me, is the old man dead?"

Shen clenched his teeth and grinned maniacally. "Who knows? Didn't check him after it was all over. I guess he might still be kicking. I've got to say, he was one hell of an opponent. Best fight I've had in a while. Even better was wiping out that underground pharmacy that put out the bounty on me in the first place!"

"So you are pleased? Very good, I did go through a whole lot of trouble to set that fight up." Ash put his hands behind his back as if he were a little boy.

"Don't give me that crap Ash. You would have liked it if we had both been killed."

"My dear Shen, what would ever give you that idea? I have nothing to gain from your demise. In fact I am in need of your assistance once more old friend."

"What? The new tournament? Yeah, I heard about it. I don't see why I just can't enter it myself though, after I splatter you across the street first!" Shen raised one of his fists and prepared to smash Ash into oblivion.

Ash was still not fazed. "Well there are two very good reasons why you should join up with me. First of all, this tournament is invitation only, without me you will not be able to enter."

"And what's going to stop me from prying that invitation from you cold dead hands?" Shen took a step towards Ash.

"Oh, that would be my second reason for joining me. I could show it to you right now, or you can take another step towards me and discover it for yourself."

"Go burn in Hell." Shen attempted to charge his target, but was stopped dead in his tracks by a sharp metal claw that was now pressed to his throat.

Who would be foolish enough to try that kind of trick on him? Shen turned to face his new opponent, but nothing was there. Then he felt cold sharp metal points sticking into his back…

"I cannot allow you to harm Mr. Crimson, Shen Woo."

Shen smiled. It was a girl's voice, a very cute sounding girl at that.

"Well, well Ash, I didn't know you had it in you. Hell, the way you dress I figured you'd never even consider it."

Ash chuckled. "That's what I love about you Shen, a jokester to the bitter end, a true kindred spirit. But this is one lady you do not wish to mess with, am I right Xiao Lon?"

Xiao Lon disappeared in a cloud of green smoke, and ever so gracefully reappeared between Ash and Shen, her claw still pointed at the latter man. Shen took great interest in how she held the claw: it projected out from an ample sleeve, the main body of the weapon concealed. He had seen this fighting style once or twice before, though this girl took it to a new level.

"Interesting, a hidden weapon user, don't see many of those around. What else can you do baby? I'm dying to know."

"Vile man." Xiao turned to Ash. "Are you sure we need him, I'm certain that our…"

"No need to talk of such things dear." Ash interrupted her. "Shen is quite the fighter despite his appearance. With him on our team, winning the tournament will be a breeze."

"And what do I get out of it?" Shen asked. "You don't expect me and the babe here to fight each other after this is over?"

Xiao huffed in disgust once again.

"No, of course not." Ash looked at Shen slyly. "However, there are several very interesting and very strong martial artists attending this year's King of Fighters tournament. Some of them have never competed in a formal tournament before. Think of it: a buffet of fresh meat you can gorge on. I am certain you will have your fill before it is all over."

"Ha ha, you are a sick puppy Ash, but you have my interest." Shen lowered his fist. "I guess I can have some fun with you one more time, and the little lady here too. How old are you Miss?"

"That is none of your business." Xiao coldly replied to him.

"Well at least tell me if that green hair is natural, it's really something!"

"None of your business." She replied once more, choosing to disappear in a cloud of smoke.

Shen turned to Ash. "You have to tell where you found her."

"All in good time Shen. First, let's talk about my strategy for this year's tournament."

---

In Southtown (Again)

Home sweet home, Ryo thought as he approached the Kyokugen Dojo. Robert and he drove straight there from the airport. Their latest trip to Japan had been an interesting one to say the least, but it was always good to get back to the dojo. If nothing else, they needed to make sure that Ryo's father did not end up driving all of the students away in their absence!

"So you think the students missed me?" Ryo asked.

"Honestly? Don't ask a question you don't want to hear the answer to Ryo."

"You're really pushing it Roberta, you know that?"

"Hey, I just call them like I see them. Besides, if I were you, I would be far more concerned if a certain lady missed me or not."

"Who? Yuri… ouch!" Ryo grimaced as Robert smacked him across the back of the head.

"No you dummy! Do I have to spell it out for you? I'm talking about King!"

"King? Why would she care if I'm gone or not? Lady has her own life, and she's perfectly happy with it. We're just friends Robert. Don't let my dad give you any strange ideas."

"You are totally clueless you know that? She's a good friend alright, and she wants to be an even better one to you, if you get my meaning."

"I doubt that. Besides, there's a ton of guys out there who would be better suited for her."

"You know Ryo, as your best friend it's my duty to look out for your interests. So I'm going to give it to you straight: at the rate things are going you will die a virgin."

Ryo tried to tackle tackled Robert for that remark. "Damn it Robert, we're on a public street for God's sake! You want to announce that I'm a high school dropout while you're at it?" he screamed out at the top of his lungs.

Several pedestrians looked on at the scene curiously. Then they remembered just whose dojo it was, shook their heads in resignation, and took off mumbling about how Southtown just was not what it used to be.

"Heh… heh." Ryo mumbled nervously. "I think we should go inside now."

"Yeah… I agree."

---

"Alright everybody! One, two! Horse stance, then shift into crane! Back into horse! You can do it!" Yuri Sakazaki cheerfully called out to her class.

She loved this. After being certified as a Black Belt in Kyokugen just a few years before, she was now teaching the beginner's course with her father's approval. Not bad for someone who had not even practiced a day in her life before she turned eighteen! Of course it was only while her brother was away, but she was sure she could find a way to make it more permanent. Maybe she could have a talk with their dad about it, but there were more pressing concerns first.

When was Ryo coming back?

"Hey sis."

He was taking far too long over in Japan.

"Yuri, I'm back."

Was he trying to keep Robert away from her? The nerve of that guy sometimes!

Ryo was now concerned. Was his dear little sister sick or something? Too much responsibility was put on her while he was gone, that must be it!

"Do you think Ryo is trying to sabotage my relationship with Robert? He has no trust in me whatsoever. Really he can be a complete ass sometimes and…" she trailed off as she realized who she was addressing.

"Well hello to you too, Miss Sakazaki." Ryo drawled. Any concerns he had were quickly dispelled. Yuri was clearly okay, for whatever that was worth.

"Big bro! Eh, it's… oodley doodley cool to see you!" Yuri desperately tried to come off as completely innocent, not that it would ever work.

Before Ryo could come up with a witty retort to his sister's duplicity, he was mobbed by the students of the dojo. This being the beginner's class, many of them were children.

"Master! Master Ryo!" they called out to him.

"Master, how was your fight in Japan?" asked one of the older students.

"Well you see it was…"

"Master, you didn't get hurt, right?" that question came from one of the younger girls.

"No, I'm okay but…"

"Master, did you learn any new moves?" asked a young boy.

"It really wasn't that kind of trip…"

"Master how did you…"

"SILENCE!" called out a powerful new voice. It came from a burly, dark-skinned man with a heavy beard dressed in a white gi. He apparently had entered the main hall from one of the back rooms in all of the confusion.

He continued. "Fellow students, show the Master more respect! He has just returned, and must be very tired. The first rule of Kyokugen Karate is self-control. You must drill that into your heart and soul if you wish to become strong like him."

"Yes Mr. Rodriguez." They complied in unison.

"Very good then, osu!" he called out to them with traditional karate salute.

"Osu!" they returned the gesture.

"I've got to say Marco that was mighty impressive." Robert said as he joined the class. "You carry yourself with the authority of a true sensei."

"Thank you Master Robert, but you give me too much credit. I'm no sensei, just someone who wishes to see the ways of Kyokugen properly observed."

"Marco!" Ryo called out excitedly as he approached the man. They shook hands, and bowed to one other in respect.

"Osu, Master Ryo. Forgive me for not coming out sooner, but I was deep in meditation. I may have been a little hard on the younger students for their behavior, but like them I wish to know how your trip went."

"Osu to you too Marco. I'd be glad to talk about it." Ryo turned his head slightly. "Hey Yuri, maybe you could wrap up class a little early so that I can tell you all about my amazing adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun."

"Hey Marco, maybe you could give my bro a speech about how modesty is a rule of Kyokugen as well." She teased back. The class started laughing.

"Yuri, what's up with you today? Give me a break already!" Ryo said as he tried not to be embarrassed.

"Yeah dear, give Ryo a break." Robert said as he hugged Yuri. "You don't know how much disappointment the poor guy had to suffer. He didn't even get to meet Sailor Moon!" The class laughed even louder (even Marco), and Ryo cringed.

"You know that joke stopped being funny months ago! Seriously, who even came up with it? And stop hugging my sister Garcia!" he was about to go on even further when he noticed that everyone had become very quiet all of the sudden.

"Crap, Dad is right behind me isn't he?"

Yuri slowly nodded her head.

Takuma Sakazaki, the current Grandmaster of Kyokugen Karate, stood sternly before all of his disciples. How he had managed to enter the room without anyone noticing was a mystery, but it was widely accepted that he could perform seemingly impossible feats through his highly tuned abilities. Ryo turned around to face his father, but before he could even so much as greet him; Takuma leveled him with a mighty blow!

"Kyokugen Secret Technique: Stern Punch of Parental Discipline and Love!"

"Looked like a plain old sucker punch to me." Robert whispered to Yuri.

"What was that Robert?" Takuma asked his student without even missing a beat.

"Oh, it was nothing Master, nothing at all." Robert was practically sweating bullets. He had forgotten just how acute the master's hearing was.

"Old man, what's the big idea?" Ryo grumbled as he rose back to his feet.

"Don't play dumb with me boy. I know what mischief you were up to in Japan. Beating up a high school student in an impromptu match, how disgraceful! You broke your obligation to Kyo Kusanagi, and put the burden on Robert to cover for your irresponsible behavior. By the way Robert, I see that you fought Kusanagi to a draw. Impressive, that shows real growth on your part."

"Thank you Master, you words honor me." Robert really was touched by that, Takuma rarely complimented any of his students.

"You are still in trouble however. What were you thinking covering for this fool?" Takuma pointed at Ryo. "Start washing the floors of the dojo as part of your penitence."

"Right now?"

"No, I meant next month. Of course right now! Robert will be joining you. Class is over for today. All students are to go home immediately. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience that it causes, but I promise to give all of you personal instruction as reimbursement at a later date. Yuri, Marco, please see that the younger students get home safely." Takuma turned to address Ryo once again. "I will be upstairs in the office attending to business, when you are done, join me there so that we can discuss this further. Dismissed!"

Everyone scrambled to comply with Takuma's orders. Ryo ran to the supply closet in order to pick up some mops and a bucket. That crazy old man, how did he know what happened? Never mind that, he made Ryo look like a fool in front of all of the students! Well, Robert and Yuri were already doing a pretty good job of that already, and maybe he could have handled things better…

"Hurry up fool! Those floors don't wash themselves."

"Damn you old man!"

---

Many hours of back breaking cleaning later, Ryo and Robert sat slumped on the floor of the dojo, having washed it spotless.

"Man, the students made a mess of this place while we were away. I thought we would never finish." Ryo idly played with his mop.

Robert looked glumly at the floor. "Worse yet, I barely had any time with Yuri before the Master started up on us."

"Actually, some good did come of this then."

"Oh give it a rest already you palooka. So, you going upstairs? The Master did say he wanted to talk to you."

"Please, it'll just be another speech about how I have to endure poverty and hardship in order to reach true enlightenment. Bashing my head against a wall would be a better use of my time."

"You know Ryo; your dad does care about you. He just has his own special way of doing it."

"Alright Mom, I get the picture." Ryo said, resigning himself." I guess I should get it over sooner rather than later."

"And if Yuri happens to come in while you two are occupied…"

"You'll treat her like a perfect gentleman, or else I'll make you something less than a man. That's if my dad doesn't do it first."

"Touchy."

"Well, wish me luck. I'm going to need it." Ryo picked himself off of the floor and headed up the stairs to his family's private apartments.

As he had promised, Takuma was in the office seated at a table doubling as a work desk. Hunched over a pile of bills, he was carefully reading them over. He seemed unusually absorbed in his work. Ryo could only wonder why his father was so seriously engaged in a task he normally went out of his way to pass onto others.

"Osu, sensei. The floors are clean." Ryo bowed deeply to punctuate his statement.

Takuma did not raise his head from reading. "Good. You have now compensated for the transgressions you made against our school. Let your aching back be a reminder to you not to repeat those errors again." He then raised his head up and smiled. "Welcome home son."

Ryo took a seat at the table and relaxed. "Good to be home, Dad. I have ask though, how did you find me out? Secret meditation techniques?"

"No. You would be surprised what you can find on the internet these days. Yuri has been pushing me to 'get with the times' so I experimented with it at the local library. Your little performance with that boy in Odaiba made quite a splash in the local press, although it was quite hard to find the follow up story. You really put that kid through a lot."

"Yeah, I'll admit I was a little rough on Ranma. He's a tough kid though, he'll pull through it."

"Ranma? You are on a first name basis with him?"

"Even the vaunted internet can't always tell you the full story Dad." Ryo chuckled.

"I guess not. I'm sure it makes for a compelling tale as well, but we have more serious things to attend to first. I had to visit the doctor again while you away."

"Oh man, what did they find now?" If there was one thing that could kill Ryo's mood, it was news about his father's health.

Ever since Takuma had collapsed from exhaustion in the dojo about a year earlier, he had been plagued with minor but recurring illnesses that had led to expensive testing and treatment at the hospital. It was really eating away at the Sakazakis' finances, and just when they had managed to get a stable core of paying students too.

"It's nothing serious, just an irregular heartbeat. What was the technical term the doctor used?" Takuma paused to think for a second. "Oh that's right, an arrhythmia. He put me on some medication for it. I'm going over the bills for it now."

"How much has it set us back?" Ryo asked.

"Too much, and I was told to cut back on my training routine for at least a few months, so I won't be entering any tournaments for a while. I have no one but myself to blame for this mess. I swear these health issues are tied into those years I spent wandering the streets looking for your mother's killer. I was a damned fool… I talk a lot about how poverty builds character, but this is no burden a father should put on his children."

"Dad, don't apologize. We're family, and we watch out for each other through thick and thin. We made that pledge a decade ago, and I'm not giving up on it now."

"Well then," Takuma cocked his head slightly. "How about taking me up on that offer I made before you left?"

"No, no, no." Ryo began waving his hands defensively. "I told you Dad, I'm not ready to run the dojo on my own yet."

"You will be thirty this year Ryo. When I was your age, I had already succeeded my father as the head of the school for several years."

"I'm not on your level. Not yet at any rate, and maybe never. You know I have to work twice as hard to get the same result as someone else."

"That has more to do with a lack of belief in your own abilities than any true deficits in your body or spirit. You have always doubted yourself Ryo, from the time you were a little boy. No matter how many victories you rack up, no matter how many opponents you best, you still allow doubt to creep into your mind."

"Kind of hard for me to claim I'm the best when I haven't even won a single KoF tournament yet. I've entered that thing nine times already, and something always stops me from reaching the championship. It's my lack of ability, and nothing else."

A thin smile crept onto Takuma's face. "Well if that's what is bothering you, I have something that might be able to correct it." He pulled out an envelope from the pile of bills and handed it over to Ryo.

"You're kidding me…" The younger Sakazaki was awed. "Another invitation?"

Takuma shook his head. "Yuri does not know yet. Marco found it in the mail a day after you left, and I have been keeping it tucked away for your return. Enter the tournament Ryo, and prove to yourself once and for all that you are a worthy heir to the traditions of Kyokugen. The prize money would be nice too. We could pay off all of these bills at once."

Ryo looked over the invitation and grinned. "Can do Dad, I'll show the world the power of Kyokugen Karate once again!"

Takuma got off of his seat and started to leave the room. "I'm turning in for tonight. If I were you I would do the same. Tomorrow, I am going to start overseeing your training for the tournament. It's time for you to learn some new techniques and surprise your rivals."

"Awesome, let's do it!" Ryo walked over to the door as well.

As they walked down the hall, father and son both felt a quiet pride in their accomplishments, as both individuals and as a family.

"So did you call King yet? That poor girl must be lonely without you."

"Damn it, I keep on telling you people that there is nothing going on between me and her!"

Downstairs, Robert could overhear his friend's shouting.

"Oh yeah, he is definitely going to die a virgin."

---

Marco Rodriguez walked down the lonely streets of Southtown's Bay Area alone. He had helped dropped off all of the students with Yuri and was heading back to his apartment. His mind however was occupied by serious questions.

Would Master Ryo ask him to join the team for this year's King of Fighters? Marco had approached him about it before the last tournament and had been refused. Ryo had felt that his prize student was not seasoned enough yet to risk himself in such a dangerous competition. So in the end Ryo took his younger sister and that King woman with him. Marco spent the whole time cooling his heels at the dojo with Master Takuma, training, waiting for another opportunity to present itself.

Ever since he first met Master Ryo, and was defeated by him in that fateful martial arts competition down in São Paulo, Marco had committed himself to Kyokugen. He had been hailed as the greatest student to enter the dojo in years, and his progress was nothing short of remarkable, having reached 1st Dan after only two years of study. He had even managed to create his own unique form of Kyokugen by blending many of the techniques with other forms of karate he had studied, and it had proven remarkably effective against a wide variety of opponents.

"Can't you understand Master? I want to repay you for taking me in and teaching me, an old fighter who thought he had nothing left to learn. Why are you so worried that I cannot handle myself? I learned from the best!" He continued to ponder his situation, but the sudden beeping of his cell phone tore him from his thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey there darling!" a sultry female voice responded on the other side of the line. "How's my favorite boy from Brazil doing?"

"Miss Behrn, you must stop calling me." Marco flatly replied.

"Hey, don't be like that Marco. Also, I really must insist you stop calling me by that name, you know I don't like it. Pretty, pretty please?"

He sighed. "Very well Ms. Jenet, you must stop calling me."

"But I can't. I really, really, want you on my team. A big strong man like you is obligated to help out a weak little girl like me, right?" Jenet adopted a sickeningly sweet tone to her voice as she spoke.

"Not when the little girl in question is a notorious pirate."

"Oh you wound me so, and here I thought you were a gentleman. But come on, if I was really such a bad person, would someone like Tizoc work with me? You and he respect each other and that must count for something."

"Chicken-man has a big heart, and to take advantage of his kindness shows me just what kind of person you are."

"You say that now, but Ryo Sakazaki is back in Southtown and your chances of entering the tournament are looking slimmer by the second."

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"I have my ways." Jenet taunted. "Come one Marco-baby, I know you want this. I can help you, and I'll even let you have an equal cut of the prize money. Show the world what you've got!"

"Goodbye Miss Behrn." Marco abruptly hung up on Jenet before she could reply. That was it then, the business was done.

There would be no chance for him to join the tournament now.

Marco continued to walk back to his apartment. Maybe the Master would allow him to join the team this time. If he could just state his case strongly enough, show Ryo his passion, it would convince him. Or maybe he would be just shot down like before. Master Robert was apparently available again, and there was a very good chance Master Yuri would join her older brother.

Another year on the sidelines.

Marco flipped open his cell phone and called back the number Jenet had given him when they had first met. He prayed she would answer. Marco knew full well how women could hold quite a grudge when scorned.

"Hello?" Good, Marco thought, she answered.

"Miss Jenet, this is Marco Rodriguez. I must apologize for my behavior."

"Ha, I knew you would call back, darling. Men like you are so easy to predict. I'm still willing to cut you in, but you'll only be getting an eight of the prize money now. Take it or leave it."

"You can take all of the blasted money if you want, just get me to the tournament!"

"That's a deal I can get behind. Pleasure doing business with you Marco-baby, see you soon." The line went dead.

Forgive me master, Marco thought as his hands shook. I know working with that woman is wrong, but I need to do this! I want to show the world what I am capable of. No matter what though, I will bring honor to Kyokugen, at any cost.

Marco travelled the rest of the way home in silence. He tried to purge his mind of all thoughts, lest he regret what he did.

---

In Nerima Ward, Tokyo

"So Ranma, I have a question for you?" Akane asked the pigtailed boy as he worked out in the Tendo dojo.

"So we're on speaking terms again I see." He responded nonchalantly.

"Jerk. I'm serious though, hear me out."

"Okay, ask away."

"What kind of opponents do you think are going to be at that tournament? You think they're all like Ryo?"

"Not sure, though I doubt it. I haven't put much thought into it. I figure I'll just let myself be surprised when the time comes." Ranma grinned. "I'm gonna beat them all anyways!"

End Chapter

Another month, another chapter, but as you can see this one was kind of complex to write, a whirlwind tour of some of the team that will compete. That's right; I could not even fit all of the teams into this chapter! Others will be introduced later, so if a character you liked did not appear, don't worry just yet.

Still, there were so many characters, I wonder if it came off as a little too overwhelming in the end. Especially for those readers who have little knowledge of the King of Fighters universe. Well, can't blame a man for trying I guess.

Normally I don't give big footnotes to my chapters, if at all. I try to keep the details in the story self-evident for optimal flow and readability, but this time is different. I have to explain at least a few things for future reference.

Southtown is the fictitious city where the King of Fighters tournament was founded many years before the start of this story. I'll get into the history of that at a later date, but here's what you need to know. Southtown is located in the American South (as if the name didn't give it away), its exact location never given by SNK by highly suggested to be in Northern Florida, in the Panhandle region. It's like a cross between New York City, Miami, and Chicago, and has suffered from a lot of crime over the years. It's the hometown of the Bogard brothers and the Sakazaki family, and a ton of other prominent martial artists either live there or visit it regularly. It's like the Metropolis of martial arts!

Sunshine City was the location of SNK's underrated fighting game Rage of the Dragons. ROTD was a tribute to the legendary Double Dragon video game franchise (the rights to make it a Double Dragon game proper fell through) so that explains why you have two brothers named Billy and Jimmy fighting a gang of criminals called the Black Dragons. Sunshine City is apparently located in California, as hinted in ROTD.

Now let's talk about character names. K', how the heck do you pronounce that anyway? It's Kay-Dash for those of you who don't know. Why? Blame SNK, it was there idea. Gato is pronounced Gah-toh, his name being written with the kanji for "fang" and "sword" which says a lot about his personality. Kensou is pronounced Ken-su. Jenet is pronounced Jeh-neh in a pseudo-French fashion (she's actually English by birth). About Marco Rodriguez, in the U.S. he's known as Khushnood Butt… which in my opinion is dumb. They changed it to avoid confusion with a real life fighter named Ricco Rodriguez, but how you would ever mess that up is beyond me. So he's Marco in this story.

On to the next point of order; next chapter will be posted in three weeks .I'm still writing every day, but these chapters take time to get up to snuff. Don't worry, things are coming along just fine. I appreciate the growing support here at ; I won't let you guys down.

Until next time, take care!