CHAPTER 12
-"AFTER THE BATTLE, THE MCD & ERICK MEET FACE TO FACE!"-
Last time:
When THE MCD (a.k.a. Michael Angelus) opens his restaurant, the REAL BOUT Martial Arts Bar & Grill, he issues a challenge - anyone who can defeat him in battle gets to eat free for a month! THE MCD beats down all challengers, among them the boxer and Shadowloo henchman Balrog. Then, he raises the stakes – the winner gets to eat free for a year! After an impromptu match with Dan Hibiki over whether or not Dan actually touched Mai Shiranui's you-know-what's (and in which Dan gets his butt kicked again!), THE MCD reveals his true intentions. Then, a hungry R steps into the ring….
And THE MCD calmly says, "Welcome, R. I've been expecting you."
Needless to say, R is shocked! "HUH?!"
And now the real battle will begin!
THE MCD and R are facing each other in the ring.
R wants to know, "How...how do you know my name?! What did you mean when you said you were expecting me? Answer me!"
THE MCD explains, "It's simple really. It's the chance for me to do battle, and to feel truly alive once more. It's been a LONG time since I've had a challenge. And I'm hoping you'll give it to me, so I may feel that delicious sensation, that joy of glorious combat once again. At any rate, it doesn't matter. You're here now. Everything went according to my plan."
"Plan? You mean you built this restaurant and held this silly contest for free eats just to get a shot at ME? Well, seeing you've gone through so much trouble to see me, I guess it would be a shame if I don't grant you your wish." R cracks his knuckles and gets into his fighting stance.
THE MCD politely says, "Thank you. Oh, and R?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't hold back."
R's like, "You sure? 'Cause when this fight's over, you'll wish I had. Let's do it!"
And so THE MCD and R fight. They then sprint towards each other. R makes a dashing punch, but doesn't reach, as THE MCD kicks his leg out, smashing R in the face, and sending him flying backwards. R then flips from his back and onto his feet again. He waits there, letting THE MCD come to him.
THE MCD smirks; impressed that R was able to handle the kick to the face. He then rushes towards R. R is prepared to strike at a lower height attack from THE MCD, but instead THE MCD does one from an even higher elevation.
"GINGETSUZAN (Silver Moon Slash)!"
THE MCD does a somersault forward, then brings his legs down with a slashing kick. There is an audible crack, and R clutches at his right shoulder, feeling the surge of pain that came from that attack.
THE MCD starts to frown at seeing R stumble. Has he been led to expect too much from this guy? He decides that a more 'direct' approach is needed, to see if R is at all what he is looking for. THE MCD then gathers chi into his hand. He shoots a powerful beam of white energy from it at R. "LIGHT OF VIRTUE!"
R's mind snaps back to reality. He is able to jump over the attack. But THE MCD comes rushing to him. R sees this coming and flips onto his back. THE MCD wonders what R is doing, when R then suddenly straightens himself, the heels of his feet aimed directly at THE MCD's abdomen. The blow knocks the wind out of THE MCD, and sends him flying back. THE MCD picks himself up off the ground and smiles. Apparently, this R may be a challenge.
R then powers up, gathering his chi into his hands. He shoots a blast of flame at THE MCD. "ACTIVE RED PEARL!"
The blast flies towards THE MCD. THE MCD just steps out of the way of the projectile and runs towards R. R also charges towards THE MCD, the two connecting in a head-butt that makes R see stars. THE MCD then does a roundhouse kick and sends R flying backwards, but R flips in the air, and lands on his feet, not too far away from THE MCD. THE MCD then smashes his right fist into the ground, where R once was, but jumped slightly back from. R then punches THE MCD in the face with a right hook, and knees him in the chest, jerking THE MCD's body upwards, and R pummels him with another one of his signature attacks…. "SILVER METALLIC!"
R hits THE MCD with a flurry of punches that produce a multitude of sharp blades around a large radius in front of him. The force of the blows sends him flying right into the ropes.
THE MCD lies with the back to the ropes, his head swimming with pain and a salty taste in his mouth. A smile appears on his lips as he thinks: I taste blood... My blood... Excellent...
THE MCD lifts his head and smiles. He stares directly at R with an intensity that could melt steel in a matter of seconds. "Good shot, R. Let's see if you can do more..."
THE MCD gets off the ground and rushes towards R once again. He punches and kicks at R with speeds that rival that of Ranma's Amaguriken. R tries to dodge as many of the blows as possible, but just ends up blocking, receiving bruises for his effort.
R then flies into the air with his signature kicking attack. "WHITE DIAMOND PEARL!"
R leaps into the air and brings his leg around and over his head, creating a wave of energy while kicking, slashing with his leg. But THE MCD points into the air and yells…
"TENSHOU (Ascension)!!"
….and a geyser of blade-like energy rises forth, knocking R out of the air! As R's body falls, THE MCD uses this opportunity to strike with another attack! He gathers chi into his fist, leaps into the air, and yells…
"THIS IS IT! MAX CHAMPION DYNAMIC PUNCH!!"
Rising into the air with a powerful energy uppercut, THE MCD scores a direct hit on R. R falls back to the ground hard!
The crowd however loves every minute of the battle! Everyone in the REAL BOUT Martial Arts Bar & Grill agrees that THE MCD and this young newcomer R are two of the strongest fighters they've ever seen. Their battle is so intense, that not even the ring can hold their power!
R hobbles to his feet. The pain is so great. But R smiles; he enjoys it himself. This is the first major challenge he's gotten in a while. R then gets back into his fighting stance, ready for more. "Geez! Is that all you got? COME ON ALREADY!"
THE MCD smiles. R indeed seems to have some good levels of stamina. "So, then... Ready to continue our fight, R?"
R replies, "Yeah... I believe we left off with me kicking your butt."
THE MCD is shocked by R's words. R lunges forward towards THE MCD, and uses another Active Red Pearl. The blast connects and burns away at part of the left leg of the MCD's outfit. However, this was only a diversionary tactic. As THE MCD looks at his leg, R performs his Midnight Pearl. He charges towards THE MCD, grabs, and smashes him into the ground, amidst an explosion of dark purple flame.
THE MCD throws himself off the ground and back onto his feet, he smiles as he sees R is now fighting with what may very well be his full strength. THE MCD then gathers a whole lot of chi into himself, and prepare to releases it. "Well, R, it's been fun. Shall we end this now?"
As he gathers his energy, R replies back, "Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing."
And both fighters launch their strongest ki blasts!
THE MCD thrusts both outstretched palms forward (Hadoken-style) and yells, "AMATSUHOUDAN (Heavenly Cannon Blast)!!" A massive burst of shining white chi surges forth from his hands.
"SUPER SONIC BLUE PEARL!!" R yells, unleashing a huge blue orb of energy.
Both blasts collide, causing a huge explosion! When the smoke clears, we see THE MCD lying flat on his back and R standing over him. The fight is over, and he's won. R walks up to THE MCD's downed body. "You truly are a great warrior, MCD. I'll give you that... But I got other fish to fry, so I'll see you later."
Suddenly THE MCD's eyes open and he lifts himself up to his feet. R looks on in horror as THE MCD stands before him. THE MCD smiles and starts laughing. "For one such as I to be beaten by you!... I must say that was a great fight. Thank you R. You were a wonderful opponent."
With that, THE MCD then lifts his arms high above his head, as if reaching to heaven. Then THE MCD falls backwards to the ground unconscious again. He is defeated.
R falls to his knee. He breathes heavily and clutches his broken arm. But he smiles. THE MCD is one of the toughest opponents he's ever faced, and he managed to defeat him.
A group of waiters rush over to THE MCD. They pick him up and carry him to his office, probably to better care for his injuries suffered during the fight. R decides to follow them.
An hour later, THE MCD is resting comfortably on a couch in his office. After his employees leave the room, he wakes up.
THE MCD thinks, smiling: Hmph, those guys sure do make such a fuss over me. Ah, one of the many benefits of good employer-employee relationships. "Treat your employees right with kindness and respect, and they'll treat you right every time, and then some!" But I can't just lie around all day; besides, I've got work to do!
THE MCD closes his eyes and concentrates, glowing with a soft white light. Using his powers as Michael Angelus, he heals himself of his wounds from the fight with R. As he does, he can feel his bones knit, cuts healing, and bruises going down. After two minutes of concentration he relaxes. He feels extremely drained at first, but... he does indeed feel better and his spiritual strength is restored. THE MCD allows himself to smile. After that, he changes his clothes and puts his black t-shirt and purple suit back on. He then goes over to his phone and calls one of his employees. "Hey, it's me. Is that kid still here?"
The employee's voice can be heard on the other end of the line: Hey, boss! I didn't expect you to be up and around so soon! Yeah, he's still hanging around. Why?
"Good. Prepare one of our reserved booths, and have him wait for me, will you? I'll be there in about five minutes, OK? Tell him he can have anything he wants on the menu while he's waiting."
Boss! Don't tell me you're gonna…
"I am. R won the fight, and that means he gets the free meals for a year. After all, a "promise is a promise" and "a man's word is his bond", right? You wouldn't happen to have a problem with that now, would you?"
N-no, sir!
"That's good. I'm on my way."
And so, THE MCD leaves his office to meet with R.
When THE MCD arrives, R is already seated at one of the booths and waiting to be served. At dinner, R ate his fill, much to the surprise of THE MCD. R had ordered a large salad, lobster, fried rice, sushi, and to wash it all down, some iced tea followed by a glass of white wine with a slice of lemon in it.
THE MCD thinks while watching R throw down at the dinner table: Hmmm. He eats like a martial artist; therefore his claim must be true. But I sense dark energy coming from him. I must investigate more. Aloud, he says cheerfully, "So, R, are you enjoying your meal?"
R's just finished eating. "Oh man, that was good! My compliments to your chef, MCD! That slice of lemon in my wine glass was a nice touch. And… uh, I'm glad you're OK, you know, after me beating you up, and all…"
"Glad you liked it, R. And seeing as we are on a first-name, one-letter basis here, just call me D. As for my quick recovery, it'll take more than one defeat to keep me down!" THE MCD laughs.
R thinks: How can he be so happy? I just kicked his butt! Out loud, to THE MCD, he says, "There's still something I'm not too clear on, D. Why are you really here, anyway?"
THE MCD counters back, "I don't know, R. Why are YOU really here?"
R's surprised by the question. "HUH? Hey, I asked YOU first. Besides, I'm sure that you didn't just fly all the way to Japan just to open up a restaurant here in Tokyo."
"All right, if you really want to know… I came to Japan for reasons of my own, which I won't bore you with." Because they involve you and your sister…and the fate of the entire world, THE MCD thinks. Aloud, he continues, "But I will tell you this – I'm looking for two people. You, R, are one of them. I haven't found the other one yet."
R considers that, "So you're some kind of secret agent on a mission, huh?"
"Well, you COULD say that…. Anyway, I had heard rumors of a fighter with a natural talent for combat who just showed up out of nowhere. From the moment he appeared, he demonstrated his capacity as a fighter in tournaments around the world, and based on his sheer violent spirit, he became a force to be reckoned with. But I'm concerned, because his fame, along with his immense destructive power, may be drawing the attention of the wrong people."
R just sits there for a moment. THE MCD was basically talking about him, and R had never met this guy before! He's curious as to how THE MCD knows about him. "And you think that fighter is me?"
THE MCD replies, "I never said that. But based on our fight today, I believe that you are that fighter. I noticed that during our battle, you seemed preoccupied with something, as if you had some important task to fulfill…. No, wait…" Then he looks R right in the eye. "R, I sense that you're bitter with life, with living. You're tired of living in someone else's shadow, and you want to show this person who's the boss! Let it go, R. Let go of the bitterness and hatred in your heart. You'll gain nothing but more pain. If you continue to walk this dark path, it will mean your end!"
"WHAT? Whoa, whoa, I think you've got the wrong idea here! What bitterness? What hatred? Since when did YOU become my personal shrink?"
"Oh, just in case you were wondering, I've never really studied psychology. My "PSYC 101" professor had a voice that could put you to sleep. The man was that BORING! Unless you want to consider bartenders and restaurant owners to be unlicensed therapists, which isn't too far off if you think about it. Those of us behind the counter get to hear about a lot of problems and life stories, and we're not too shabby at dishing out good advice either. Not to mention, a few drinks or an order of our house special is a much cheaper fee than what the professionals charge you for their advice."
R groans, "Ah, geez…."
THE MCD sighs, "Look, R, it doesn't help to bottle up everything inside. Folks need to be able to let off steam, confide in someone, just be able to gripe without worrying about upsetting someone. That's what people in the counseling profession do. We provide an outlet for people to talk about their problems."
Confident, R puffs up his chest. "Hey, I don't need any help with my problems. I can handle it."
"Oh, really? Like you handle everything else in your life?" THE MCD raises his right eyebrow and looks at R. "How well is that going? Hmmm?"
R glared at THE MCD, who just continued to look at him, right eyebrow raised. A sudden chill washed over R. For some reason it felt as if the man was looking right through him, right into the deepest darkest depths of his soul. R dropped his eyes and stared at his drink, Silence hung heavy for a long moment.
THE MCD breaks the silence. "Let me ask you one question."
"What's that?" R asks, not wanting to hear what's next – but he's going to anyway.
"Are you happy?"
"Happy? What do you mean?"
"Oh, come now, R. It's an easy question. Are you happy? Do you like your life? Are things going the way you want? You know, "happy"?"
R confesses, "Well… No, not exactly."
"No? Not exactly? I would think a young man like you had everything to be happy about. You've got money." R flinches in response. "You've got power." R flinches again. "You're popular with the girls." R thinks about Kodachi and her laugh and cringes with fear! " And you've got good friends..." R thinks about Bass and frowns.
More silence. Then R finally speaks. "Now, I'm only thinking out loud here, and if you don't like it D, you don't have to listen, but the truth is I have this nagging feeling I'm not really who I think I am. My boss treats me like I'm his son, the only son he's ever had. But sometimes he looks at me as if he's looking at an object, or a kind of mysterious moving thing, a strange animal, you might say. When there's a real blood connection between people it doesn't matter how hard you are to each other; even if you hate each other's guts the way close relatives sometimes do, there's still a kind of softness there, you know? A feeling that deep down, essentially, one forgives the other. The boss doesn't have that feeling for me. When he looks at me as he does (and like you did just a little while ago), staring right into me, I get a really desperate feeling that I don't know who I am anymore. I suppose that makes me start imagining I'm not really his son. And sometimes I think I must know who I am, even if it means killing him, to find out; I work myself up like that. I suppose I'm possessed by an evil spirit." R smiles at THE MCD, though with unhappiness in his eyes, then looks back down at his drink.
THE MCD just stares at R for a minute, thinking: Oh no, it's already begun! But thankfully, R hasn't reached the point of no return yet. I still have a chance to turn him away from the darkness that's slowly taking him over! Aloud, he changes the subject, "Heh! Sounds like your boss is either a loving father figure, or the biggest moron on the planet."
R snorts, "You got that right."
They both laugh. Then THE MCD asks R another question. "Tell me, R. Do you know the warrior's code?"
R blinks. "The what-what?"
"Well, do you?"
"Of course, I do!" He sweatdrops. "Uhh… could you enlighten me, please?"
THE MCD sighs, then says, "You see, R, the warrior's code is the method by which people defeat their opponents. Now, there's the rub. Here's another question for you – what's victory?"
R says, "Aw, that's easy! It's when a man is tougher than his enemy!"
THE MCD imitates the sound of a buzzer. "BZZZZT! Wrong answer! Victory is a lot more than that. It's when that man has reached enlightenment. It is to give all of yourself, without regret. Not just in fighting, but in every part of your life. And it's not something that happens overnight or something that you can hold in your hands and place in a trophy case. It's something that all people, not just martial artists, strive to achieve day-by-day, one day at a time.
"Uhh…yeah, I knew that!" But in the back of his mind, R thinks: Whoa. That's deep.
"I have the ability to do so much with the knowledge I have amassed in my life. But just because I can knock someone out with a single blow doesn't mean I should. "With great power, comes great responsibility", remember that, R."
R is amazed at THE MCD. He doesn't look much older than R, and yet he seems to have wisdom beyond his years. He thinks: Hmm…maybe if I hang around him long enough, I might learn something that can help me destroy Saotome!
As R gets ready to leave, THE MCD stops him. "Say, R, how's that shoulder doing?"
"Oh, uhh… It's OK, really. One of your waitresses patched me up after our fight. She didn't have to do it, though. It's nothing to worry about."
THE MCD, using his power as Michael Angelus, touches R's right shoulder and heals it along with all the bruises R took in the battle without R even knowing it!
THE MCD regards R for a moment, then says, "Well, if you say so… It was nice to meet you, R. Feel free to come back anytime to the REAL BOUT if you want to eat or talk, OK?"
R replies, "Sure thing, D."
And R leaves the REAL BOUT. As he walks to his car, he feels a warm sensation all over his body. Then, he notices something….
"Huh?" He moves his right arm. "HEY! My shoulder's all better! And I'm feeling pretty good, too. For a while there, I felt like one big bruise – man that D can hit hard!" He pauses for a moment, as if he's in a trance, then… "Well, it's time to go back to work. Time to kill Saotome. Heh heh heh…!!"
It's late in the evening. The REAL BOUT is closed, and the employees are leaving for home after a good day's work. THE MCD stays behind to do some cleaning and straightening up at the bar before he locks up the building. A mysterious man walks up to the bar and orders a drink. "I'd like a Coke with a slice of lemon in it, please?"
THE MCD fixes the drink. "Coming right up! Aren't you kinda late? The bar's closed, and…" And then turns around to give it to the man – it's Erick! "YOU!!"
"Hey, Michael! Long time no see!" Erick says cheerfully.
THE MCD's angry. "Get out of here! You stink of evil!"
"I don't see you for the longest time, and this is how you greet an old friend?" Erick sips from his glass. "I'm deeply hurt, Michael Angelus!"
THE MCD's surprised that Erick knows who he really is. "Erick Genryusai, you have NEVER been my old friend, nor have I been yours!"
"Relax; I'm not here to fight. I just came to talk." Erick takes another sip from the glass. "We both know you want to get your revenge on the Cat Ghost King for cursing you at Jusenkyo. But I believe that's the least of your worries these days. Besides, I know why you're really here."
"Oh, really?" Then, sarcastically THE MCD says, ""Then tell ME, since you're such a know-it-all!"
Erick: You're here to keep R away from his true destiny, as ordained by our leader the Cat Ghost King. Or, as you would put it, "Turn R from the Dark Side."
"Leave him alone, Erick. You and your master have no right to decide that boy's destiny!"
"Oh, but we have EVERY right to, especially since R works for us! So how can I put this in words you can understand, without giving away the plot? Hmm…. Ah! OK! You see, R is to be the RED CAT GANG's new leader…by becoming one with the Cat Ghost King! Then, with his power, he'll help us take over the world!"
"You sick fiend!"
Erick seems hurt by that remark. "I resent that! I'm not a fiend! Why must you say such things? Are we not the same?"
"You're fooling yourself if you think we're the same. I'm an angel, cursed with this human body. You, Erick, are just a mortal man, who got the powers of an angel through trickery. And that power has turned you into the opposite of what you wanted to be – not an angel, but a demon! I warned you. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"!"
Erick claps in mock applause. "Oh, great speech, great speech!" He then gets serious. "Anyway… Bottom line, Michael, you can't have R. He's ours. So here's the deal. YOU leave R alone, and we'll leave you alone, so you can keep on pretending to be human and running this restaurant, which is really nice, by the way."
"And what if I say, "No deal"?"
"You could do that too. I'll just have R, say… kill Ranma Saotome, Ran Hayami, and all of their friends and family! You can let me have R and save a whole bunch of people, or you can save R and sacrifice innocent lives. It's your choice. So which is it?"
THE MCD says nothing for less than a minute. But his response to Erick's "deal" is absolutely clear. "……………….. Get out." He begins to charge up his battle aura. "Unless you want to fight with me here and now!"
Erick laughs softly, "Oh, we'll play together again, eventually. Well, I'll be going now. Thanks for the drink." He pays THE MCD for the drink, and even leaves him a nice tip! "See you around, Michael." And with that, Erick then leaves the REAL BOUT.
"GRRR……!! You won't get away with this, Erick! I'll find a way to save R and crush your evil ambition once and for all!" Grabbing the glass THE MCD crushes it in his fist! "This I vow!"
TO BE CONTINUED…