RANMA VS CAPCOM 2: The Tale of Ran & R

by THE MCD

Hey, everybody! Sorry for the long delay, but as promised, new episodes are here! FIVE NEW CHAPTERS! Please read & review!

53. The Longest Night, Part II

CHAPTER 53

-"THE LONGEST NIGHT"-
(PART II – BRUTAL TRAINING! BASS VS. AKUMA!)

RED CAT GANG'S SECRET BASE – WITHIN ERICK'S "BATTLE CONSTRUCT"…

Bass is currently engaged in his latest training session, this time against Akuma. The setting of Erick's "pocket dimension" this time, oddly enough is a forest in present-day Japan. It's the middle of the night, and the only light Bass has is that of the full moon in the sky above. So Bass makes his way through the forest.

As before, like the first time he'd been in this self-contained space, the goals are the same: Survive, find the exit to this whacked-out place, make use of your current surroundings to get the jump on your opponent, battle with him as if your life depended on it, and all while learning how to fight in the process.

Bass gets an idea. Instead of stumbling around through the forest, he'd take to the treetops. And since his pet wolf Treble's not with him, he can't use "Treble Boost" to fly over all this. It'd sure make things a hell of a lot easier, he thinks. Ah well, better get crackin' and find that exit. And if ol' Devil Boy (Akuma) shows up along the way, I'll give him what for! Still, I'd better be careful not to underestimate him – he's got a few tricks of his own. Maybe I can incorporate some of 'em into my arsenal.

As if in response to Bass' thoughts, the diamond cross-shaped jewel in the center of his helmet begins to glow. Little does he know that he's just activated the new power Erick's given him since his training began. And it's NOT the first time he's used it. Last time, it had kicked in automatically during his sparring session with Gogandantess. Now swordplay wasn't Bass specialty to begin with; but give him a sword and he'd do alright with it. His first encounter with those guys X and Zero was proof of this. Against Gogandantess, however, he was clumsy, unskilled, more clown than combatant. Indeed, had it not been for his newly-endowed ability to self-recover from any damage he'd take, the demon swordsman clearly would have killed him on the first try.

At first.

But just on his first day of training, he'd learned. And he never made the same mistake twice after that. And every time he'd faced Gogandantess that day, it got easier and easier. It was as if Bass could analyse his foe's technique, apply it, and then use it against him. All in seconds. And on top of that, he'd figure out ways to counter those techniques and even create his own signature moves on the spot.

In his last two fights with Gogandantess before escaping from that simulated desert, Bass pulled out a trick he'd used against X and Zero. His trick of powering-up his Buster and focusing the energy into the blade had come in rather handy then; he'd made use of it again against Gogandantess. Since then Bass now calls this new technique his "Buster Sword".

"Well, what IS this new power Bass's got?", one might ask.

THAT, as Erick is fond of saying, is a secret.

Now, getting back on track.....

So Bass is here in the dark forest, leaping from branch to branch Nerima-style, searching for Akuma when he comes to a huge clearing in the woods. From the last branch, he jumps off and lands stylishly on the ground, striking a cool pose as he does this.

"Okay, Bass," he quietly tells himself, "All you gotta do is hang tight till ol' Devil Boy shows up. He might have beaten you before, but this time'll be different. You might not have the use of your weapons anymore, but you still got THESE!" He throws a few quick punches and kicks to get himself psyched up. Aloud, he says to no one in particular, "All right, c'mon! Let's do this! I ain't got all day, y'know?"

Suddenly, the wind begins to pick up. A rumbling like thunder can be heard in the clearing. But there was one little problem – nobody mentioned anything about a storm this evening at all!

Bass has a feeling that something – or someone – is coming his way. "Hmph!" Then, he grins, cleanching his fists in anticipation. "Oh yeah, it's "him" all right. Here he comes…."

An ominous voice booms out of nowhere, "Good. You sense my presence. Perhaps you DO possess some skill."

The ground begins to shake. A large tree is smashed into two.

"Are you ready to walk the same path as I?"

"Yeah, yeah," Bass says impatiently. "Y'know, I owe you for last time. You ready to get hurt?"

"Fool. You think your untried fists will make me flinch from you?"

Touche, Bass thinks. The man goes straight to the point. "Man, I like your attitude! I think I'll start by pounding your sorry hide into the ground!

"Machine or not, you shall bow before me."

"Bow to you? That's not even funny. Ah, screw this! Training session or not, I'm gonna kick your ass!!"

"...I sense your murderous intent! Very well, show me your power. Show me all you have."

(BGM – Killing Moon, Mix 2 (Akuma's Stage) – Street Fighter III 3rd Strike)

"All right, you asked for it!" Bass charges up Buster energy in his hands. Then, he tries to mimic the attack Akuma used against him during their first confrontation, but with his own little touch.

"HADOU BUSTER SHOT!! (Surging Buster Shot)" he yells, a huge purple-white energy blast shooting forth from his hands and into another tree. The blast burns it to a crisp.

But stiil no sign of the Master of the Fist. "Where the hell is he?" Bass silently curses.

"A true warrior enters the arena with ALL his powers at the ready."

Now the earth begins shaking furiously. The night sky turns to a deep red.

Oh boy, ask a stupid question..., Bass thinks, grimacing. His danger senses on full alert, he scans the area for any sign of Akuma. Then something dawns on him. Bass realizes that the whole atmosphere, everything around him, has changed. He draws in all his power, gathering it to himself and wrapping himself within it. He breathes it in and holds it whirling inside his heart, clenching down upon it until it's as if he can almost FEEL the very earth move.

Whoa, didn't think I could do that, he thinks.

With the intense focus and concentration that only a martial artist whose skill level is MUCH higher than Bass' would have, Bass continues to draw in power into his innermost being until the power itself exists only to serve his will. As he does this, he is surrounded by an aura of purple energy.

And then he opens his eyes. Now the scenery around him is subtly altered, though to the physical eye there's no change. With his heightened perception, Bass takes in the measure of everything around him with supernatural precision. Man! He's not only here, but it's like the immediate area's full of his power!

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots motion.

FWOOOOSH!

Akuma has just passed by Bass, using his Ashura Senkuu. Gliding through the forest, it's as if he appears in one location then another trying to throw Bass off his trail. Truth be told, Akuma is moving AROUND Bass the whole time, circling him, watching for his victim… oops, err… pupil to make a move.

Bass groans. Ah geez, he's using that warping move of his again. "Enough of this! SHOW YOURELF!"

"As you would put it, "you asked for it"!"

Suddenly Bass senses something descending toward him FAST! Without thinking twice, he jumps clear out of its path!

BOOOOMMM!!

As the smoke clears, Bass can make out a figure somewhere in the midst. With his back turned to him, Akuma stands before him motionless as a statue, the kanji for "Ten" (heaven) on the back of his gi glowing bright red in the darkness.

Akuma then turns to face Bass. He bends down and spreads his legs; tucking his right arm at his side he brings his left arm down bent at the elbow, forearm pointing at Bass while he stands on the front of his feet. While in his "horse stance" Akuma releases some of his murderous energy, the excess Satsui No Hadou (Surge of Murderous Intent) power flowing out of him through his upper body. "HMMM….!!!"

To Akuma's surprise (though he's REALLY doing a great job at not showing it!), Bass copies his movements exactly, move for move, until he assumes the same stance as he does. "Haaaaaahh….!!" Bass breathes, his aura blazing.

Both men stand there, each generating ungodly amounts of power through their respective red and purple battle auras.

It's Bass who speaks up first. "I guess anything I say now won't matter now, huh?"

Akuma nods. "...Speech will convey nothing. What we need exchange this night are not words, but polished fists and perfected techniques."

"So in other words, we should let our fists do the talking instead?"

"…………….."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Know this, machine. Unless you master your fist, you will not defeat me."

"Feh. Well said. Let's do this!!"

"Messatsu!! (Destroy)!!"

And so the battle between the strongest of Dr. Wily's robots and the Master of the Fist is about to begin!

---

"GYAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Bass yelled out a battle scream as he charges at Akuma.

Akuma uses his Ashura Senkuu, teleporting towards Bass, meeting his opponent's charge.

Bass throws a punch, then follows it up with a straight kick to the head. Akuma blocks the punch easily, and then grabs Bass's foot before it makes contact with his face. Having caught the kick, he flips and tosses Bass to the ground.

THUMP!

"URGH!" Bass grunts on impact with the ground. As he gets up, he spots Akuma, who has jumped to the air, and is about to strike from above with his Tenma Kuujinkyaku (Heavenly Demon Air Blade Kick)! But Bass won't be outdone, though. At the right moment, he squats to give himself momentum, then shoots upward with one leg glowing with bluish-green flame in an arc, leaping up to meet Akuma in mid-air with an attack of his own!!

"HISHOU BUSTER KICK (Flying Buster Kick)!!"

Bass's kicking uppercut attack meets Akuma's diving kick. The force of each warrior's respective attacks knocks them out of the air and pushes them away from each other.

"Was THAT your best?" Akuma taunts.

"Grr…..! Buddy, you ain't seen NOTHING yet! GRAAAAHHHHH!!" Bass dashes toward Akuma. At the same time, Akuma does likewise. Upon reaching each other, they both begin to throw a volley of punches and kicks at each other. They block and dodge each other's attacks, but neither of the two is actually hitting the other - yet. Their attacks soon become so fast, that to some casual observer's eye, all that would have been seen would be short flashes of movement.

At length they jump away from each other. While airborne, Akuma comes in with…

"TENMA! GOU ZANKUU!! (Heavenly Demon Great Air Slash)"

A storm of fireballs come hurtling down on Bass. "ACK!!" Bass blocks the first few, and then once he's on the ground, he frantically runs around dodging the remaining ones. This is NOT how things were supposed to go down tonight. He'd expected to train with Akuma, and here he is being made to look like a fool before this so-called "Master of the Fist". If he keeps this up, I'm gonna get mad, Bass thinks. Then, he gets an idea. He may not have the use of his weapons anymore, but there's ONE attack he's hoping he can still use. He raises his arm, pointing a finger straight up into the air. The moment he does this, a loud spark of electricity forms on the tip of his finger. Bass grins, thinking the victory will soon be his! "YO! AKUMA!! Hope you get a real CHARGE outta this! LIGHTNING BOLT!!"

Once Dynamoman's signature special weapon, Bass has incorporated it into his own arsenal of attacks. He unleashes it now, raining bolts of lightining down on Akuma, hoping that one or more bolts will strike him down.

FS-ZZZZAPPP!!

And one does (!), lighting Akuma up like a neon sign and stopping his barrage of air fireballs. As he falls to earth, Bass seizs the moment, dashing in and leaps, flipping in mid-air, yelling "DOUBLE CRESCENT KICK!!" He strikes with two Flash Kick attacks, the second traveling higher and farther than the first. Both kicks connect and knock Akuma back into the air. Sort of like a juggling combo, one would think.

While Akuma falls again, Bass charges up energy preparing to deliver a final blow. He remembers the techniques he'd encountered during his last fight with him and combines that knowledge with some of his old tricks to create another new attack.

"THIS IS IT! MY FINAL ATTACK! FULL-FORCE HADOU BUSTER!!!"

Using BOTH hands (!) Bass unleashes his interpretation of the Messatsu Gou Hadou, a huge orb of purple energy flying out to hit Akuma before he lands. But just before he kisses the ground, Akuma flips in mid-air, lands, and quickly counters with…

"MESSATSU GOU HADOU!! (Murderous Magnificent Surging Destruction)"

The projectiles clash causing an immense explosion!

KA-BOOOOMMM!!

The resulting flash of light is so bright that one cannot see what's happening. When it starts to fade away, we can finally see what's left of the forest. It's now set ablaze by the blast, all except for the clearing in which Bass and Akuma stand.

Bass' chest heaves as he breathes heavily. This fight's taking a toll on him. Meanwhile, the top half of Akuma's gi is gone, scorched to ashes by the impact of the blast. And the Master of the Fist himself is unfazed, not even tired at all. Smoke rises up off their bodies, telling of the immense power of the Hadoken blasts they'd delivered on each other.

"Impressive, machine," Akuma compliments. "You are almost entertaining."

"Hmph", Bass snorts, grudgingly showing his respect. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Are you ready to continue?"

"Bah! When does death wait for anyone to be ready?"

Akuma nods approvingly at Bass reply. "So, you understand then. Very well. Let us proceed. Only the strongest one will leave this battlefield tonight."

"Yeah. That would be ME." Bass says confidently; his tiredness gone, he's now his cocky and sarcastic self again.

"Hmmmmm….!!"

And with this, Bass and Akuma continue their fight. What was SUPPOSED to be a late-night training session is almost becoming a duel to the death!

---

While Bass endures his training under Akuma, let's leave them to their battle for now and focus on a character in our epic tale who just can't seem to catch a break these days: Dan Hibiki, self-proclaimed master of Saikyo-ryu.

At the Saikyo-ryu Dojo (which Dan is currently living out of, if you folks remember)….

"But wait, WHY is Dan living out of his dojo, anyway?" a random reader asks, raising his hand.

This narrator WILL GET TO THAT shortly, OK! GOSH! Ah!... Ahem… anyway, for those readers who've started reading this epic tale from here, four episodes ago we learned that even since Dan got schooled by R and then later defeated again by THE MCD, things had gone downhill for him. That he'd gone bankrupt and was forced to close down some of his Saikyo-ryu dojos. That his beloved fan club (all five members of it) had turned their backs on him.

But let's go back even farther, to sometime between those two events and developments in recent espiodes. And it is here where we will find out what REALLY happened for Dan to have to move into the one and only Saikyo-ryu Dojo that he owned outright.

-(BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

So Dan Hibki comes home to his house, which is in an upper-middle class neighborhood between Tokyo and Osaka (you couldn't miss it if you tried – it's the only house in all of Japan that was painted entirely in different shades of PINK!). Once he gets there, he sees a crowd of people gathered outside.

Dan's mood brightens. "Ahh…my fans. They've come to visit me! Surely they must have heard of my troubles and came to my aid! Well, I'd better prepare to sign some autographs." And he goes inside, not even noticing the big sign outside that says "FORECLOSURE SALE AUCTION".

Unfortunately, the people gathered outside his house were NOT members of Dan's fan club. These guys were from a collections agency and here to repossess Dan's house and MOST of his stuff!

"HEY!"

Dan can see boxes of stuff spread out over the front lawn. Some men and women Dan didn't recognize were moving them into a large truck parked on the grounds. He runs up to one of the men, a guy who looks like someone in charge. He grabs the person and jerks him around, bringing him face-to-face. "What's going on here!?" Dan demands.

"You the guy who lives here?" the man calmly asks.

"Yeah."

"Good." He hands over a HUGE stack of important-looking documents. Dan's jaw drops at the sight of them. The man explains, "Looks like several banks, here and abroad, got a little problem with you. Okay, a BIG problem. Seems over the years, you took out a LOT of loans to finance some martial arts schools you own – and you haven't bothered to pay 'em back since."

As the man goes on explaining, Dan blinks in confusion. What loans? he wonders. Then it dawns on him, and he smacks himself on realizing what he'd done. "D'OH!!"

Opening and running one dojo was easy enough. Dan remembered how his father had done it; after he'd defeated Sagat, he followed his dad's example and set up his first one back in Hong Kong. He then applied the same approach when he'd erm… "acquired" what was left of Bison's old base of operations in Thailand and turned that into his second dojo. And so on and so on, until he'd opened dojos in France (to score hot, fresh, twisty French bread and check out pretty girls!), Germany (for the sausages, beer, and hot girls!), Mexico (for authentic Mexican food. Oh, and the women!), the US (he wanted to go to Hollywood in hopes of selling his autobiography to a movie studio, plus scope out some cute (and single) young actresses!), and Canada (Why Canada, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine, folks!).

OK, does anybody else besides this narrator see a common theme here? Ahem, getting back on track here…

Maintaning more than one dojo and the costs associated theorof, especially if they're overseas, was a horse of a diffferent color, though. Now that Dan owned several dojos, it would take some SERIOUS money to keep them open. Hence the long-term, low-interest loans he'd taken out from a few banks here and there around the globe. He got them believing that the low monthly payments would not be a burden. Plus with the money rolling in from the sales of his autobiography and instructional videos plus the people paying for lessons, he figured he could pay the loans back at his leisure. Then again, on returning home to Japan, he'd decided to take the bulk of the cash and open up a new dojo, one which would serve as the headquarters for all Saikyo-ryu Dojos around the world.

That WAS how the plan was supposed to go down. After that came the fateful day he'd met R during the eve of the grand opening. And everything since that night went horribly, horribly wrong…

"So, my clients, whom I represent, decided in light of certain, erm… things regarding YOU that drastic measures were called for unless you pay up NOW. Basically, we're collecting your stuff to make the payments and seizing your place. Oh yeah, and those dojos you own will be next," the man finishes. "Personally, if if were up to me, Mr. Dan Hibiki – HA! Didn't think I knew who you were, did ya? - I'd pull your place down brick by brick, panel by panel. Or just burn it to the ground 'cause GOOD GRIEF MAN!" He looks around at Dan's house and staggers in disbelief. "This joint's an EYESORE! WHO in their right mind uses that much PINK on his HOUSE, for crying out loud! GEEZ!!"

Dan just stands there in shock as the repo guys pack his stuff into the truck. A young employee walks up to the collections man and says, "OK, chief, that's everything. We're ready to roll."

The man blinks, no longer paying attention to Dan. "Really? Wow, you guys work quick. You SURE you got it all?"

"Yep, all of it, except some pink karate uniforms and some tacky wardrobe that REALLY needs to stay back in well…WHATEVER decade this came from" the young guy says, holding up one particular item, a flashy tiger-striped long overcoat.

"UGH!" the man groans is disgust. "That's straight-up WACK! And I mean that in the WORST way possible." He then looks over at Dan and just shrugs. "Feh. Why am I NOT surprised."

Another one of the man's coworkers drives up in a tricked-out Honda S2000. Aside from the obvious modifications (exhaust, suspension, a Paxton NOVI supercharger, a set of bronze RAYS TE-37 wheels, and a VERY NICE "Millenium" aero kit by Veilside!) the car itself it… oh, forget it. Dan owns it – or should I say USED to own it - so you KNOW he'd go and add his own aesthetic touch to it. Obviously, the car's been painted pink – bubblegum, to be exact – with wild tribal graphics. The stock seats have been reupholstered in pink and white leather and white fur; the doors got the same treatment, too. And there's underbody neon below the chassis, which Dan's set up to glow in sync when he's cranked up the music on the Pioneer CD / DVD / stereo / navigation system he had installed.

It was then that Dan snapped out of his stunned state. He sees his car being driven off - without him in it! "ACK! NO! NOT MY CAR! WWAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" With tears pouring out his eyes, Dan does a pretty good Soun Tendo impression don't you think, folks?

"Oh, quit the waterworks already! For your information, a customer of one of my clients represents a movie studio in America, and ACTUALLY wanted to buy this for a sizable fee. He wants it for some street racing movie they're shooting over there." The man gives Dan a manila envelope stuffed with money. "And in light of your current mess, you should be grateful to even get THAT at all, you twerp. Now, if you have no further business here, I suggest you leave. Oh, and you've got three days. Please have all of your err… things out of the house by then, or they'll be confiscated as well. Have a nice day." With that, the man hops into the truck and leaves Dan's estate. Quickly.

When it was all said and done, those guys had taken just about EVERYTHING, just to pay off most of Dan's expenses from his dojos.

Dan stands in front of what's left of his house, staring blankly at the surroundings. He wanted it all to go away, for all his problems to vanish. How fortunate it must be to be that strange panda he once saw while passing through Nerima, he would think that day. No worries except for a vague wondering of where the next meal was coming from. How nice that would be. He tries not to think about his dishonor. For that was what it was. He had put his dreams and the vision he'd had for the Saikyo-ryu Dojo in jeopardy for no reason other than to satisfy his blind ambition of worldwide fame and fortune. The realization of what he'd done left him, well... drained.

Nobody was around to bear the sight of a morally destroyed Dan, deprived of all hope. All he has left are his memories of his victories (such as they were), his dreams of one day scoring with the ladies (sh-yeah, right!), and of being recognized as the greatest Street Fighter in the world (THAT's about as likely as Dan scoring with the ladies!). Oh well….

"HEY!! Enough already! You've made your point! GOSH!" Dan objects.

And he missed his old fan club. Dan thought of them as his friends. It really hurt when they decided to disband after he'd been defeated by R. Then, when he suffered another embarrassing loss, this time to THE MCD, the club members publicly turned their backs on him and Dan hasn't heard from them since.

Not caring if anyone saw him, Dan drops to his knees and sobs bitterly for a while. Then, his heart with anger filled, he rises up, shakes his fist like he's taunting, and explodes (not literally, of couse), "R! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! Somehow, SOMEWAY, I'll get you back for all you've put me through!!"

From that day forth, Dan swore vegenance against R and was determined to use all the awesome (?) powers of his Saikyo-ryu to defeat him. But first, he's got to clean up the financial mess he's made.

Over those next three days, Dan makes some phone calls, boxes up the remainder of his possessions, and starts moving them into the new dojo he'd opened. He quietly closes down the other dojos, and sells them to pay off his debts. Then, with the money he'd been given for his car plus what little bit there's left after he paid the loans, he pays off the mortgage on the dojo, allowing him to own it plus the floor right above it. By the time it's all over, after all the long-distance phone calls have been made, Dan is reduced to owning one Saikyo-ryu dojo and would have gone completely broke, were it not for an unusual increase in sales of his autobiography "From ZERO to HERO: The Dan Hibiki Story". When he received his latest royalty check from his publisher, he noticed a couple of extra zeros in the amount. Dan was curious as to why, in light of all the things that'd been happening to him, his book was selling so well; perhaps he should look into it one day. Ah well, he thinks, at least it's enough to keep the dojo afloat and get me some food.

Since that time, Dan has turned the second floor of the building the dojo occupies into a loft. Overall, it's not much compared to the house he used to live in, but at least now he has a place to eat, sleep, bathe, and train in all under one roof.

-(END FLASHBACK)-

---

TOKYO - SAIKYO-RYU DOJO:

Which brings us back to where we are now.

We see Dan poking at a pot he's making on a hotplate. It's late at night, he's a "desperately" single guy, he's making ends meet food wise with a little macaroni, cheese, ramen, Baco Bits, Spam, salami, various spices, you name it. He dips a spoon in to taste it...

"Hmmm… not bad."

Pleased with his unusual culinary concoction, Dan spoons some of it into a bowl, and with chopsticks in hand, sits down at the table to eat it. The television's on, providing some background noise, and the evening news is on.

On screen, the newscaster reports, "….emergency crews have been out and about throughout Tokyo and several neighboring districts in the wake of a battle that took place this evening…"

This gets Dan's attention. "Huh!? A battle?" He takes the TV remote and turns up the volume. Watching the broadcast, he sees images of the destruction left behind by Neko-Ranma and Wild-R's fight. "Whoa! Is that guy kidding me? That looks like a war zone! Wonder what or who caused it?"

"…earlier reports were unable to identify who or what exactly caused this amount of damage. Some sources say that tonight's events originated from the Nerima Ward, which is regarded by many people as a virtual hot spot of intense martial arts activity. However, we received this video footage from a local bystander in the Juuban district who witnessed part of the fight. Sensitive viewers be aware – it IS disturbing."

The newscaster is gone and in his place we see the footage of the Sailor Scouts going up against Malachite, Zoycite, and their Youma. Dan is momentarily occupied by the sight of the beautiful warriors in sailor suits (we know where HIS mind's at this moment!) instead of the action on screen. But before he can drool over them further, two uninvited guests (who, judging by the cuts and bruises all over them, look like they've gone twenty rounds nonstop!) crash the party onscreen… and Dan recognizes one of them instantly. "HEY! THAT'S R! What's HE doing there!?" He then notices Ranma. "And who's the guy R's fighting?"

Dan watches the fight between Wild-R and Neko-Ranma. On the TV screen we see Wild-R punch Neko-Ranma with a hard hook, stunning him a little. Then he delivers a fast clothesline, running and slamming him into a wall, destroying it in the process. Neko-Ranma strikes Wild-R back with a rising kick, sending him into the air. Jumping after him, Neko-Ranma delivers a deadly air combo, finishing it off by grabbing Wild-R and piledriving him into the pavement with a spinning slide slam, making a crater in the ground.

Now Dan's never met or fought Ranma Saotome before, but already he likes what he seeing. OK, sure, HE's not the one out there doing the fighting, but as long as R's the one getting his ass kicked seven ways, Dan dosen't mind at all. In fact, he's cheering for Ranma. "YAHOO! That's what I'm talkin' about! Go, kid!! Beat that nasty R down! That'll teach him not to mess with ME!"

But then Dan sees R get up. "BOO!" he hisses at the TV. As the battle on-screen continues, Neko-Ranma tries to slash Wild-R but misses…and ends up slicing a car in half, like a hot knife passing through butter, then a poster, and a tree… Dan can't believe what just he saw. "ACK! Did that guy just cut up a car with his BARE hands!? What kind of technique is THAT!? He could give that Vega guy some pointers!"

OK, NOW, he starts to pay attention to what's happening. He watches as the two guys in grey military uniforms (a.k.a. Malachite and Zoycite) sic their monsters on Ranma and R. In response, Neko-Ranma proceeds to simultaneously destroy the monsters and thrash Malachite and Zoycite with ONE attack! Dan's eyes bug out in awe of the display of power and technique he's witnessed. This narrator should mention at this point that Dan doesn't know that both R and Ranma are fighting in a state brought on by their Insane Wolf Fist and Neko-Ken techniques respectively.

But his awe turns to horror as those incredibly beautiful Sailor girls try to break up the fight and their attacks have no effect on Neko-Ranma and Wild-R. Then Wild-R kicks the ground, creating a powerful slicing burst of air in front of him that hits Neko-Ranma and push him back. He does the same move again, but Neko-Ranma evades it and the attack destroys that destroys some trees, posters, and anything in its path. The Sailor Scouts just BARELY dodge them in the nick of time.

Dan gasps as they are nearly blown away by Wild-R's violent wind attack. He can see the fearful looks on the girls' faces and is just as frightened by the scene before them as they are. Then the whole fiasco turns into a fireball war as Neko-Ranma and Wild-R fling Ki blasts at each each other so fast that the battle is not taking place between two fighters duking it out but rather two armies firing a barrage of cannons at each other!

The screen goes blank for a moment, and then the newscaster resumes his report. Dan has sees enough. OK, R and that kid have like, superhuman levels of endurance; even though they've been hurt, they just keep on fighting. Now that I think about it, what WERE those techniques those guys used? The Ki blasts I understand, but the slashing attacks and stuff? It's like they're fighting like wild animals! And probably stronger than Zangief to boot, too. And what's up with that slicing wind-blast of R's? Another new attack I gotta watch out for when I face him again? Great, just great. And what's worse, not even those cute girls in Salior suits could get those two to stop; their attacks couldn't even scratch them! Unbelievable! And THEY're superheroines! And if THEY couldn't beat R, then what chance does a guy like me have? I'm practically DOOMED!!

Tears stream down Dan's eyes as he admits that his chances of surviving a fight with R acting all fierce and animal-like like he was tonight are next to none. That his Saikyo-ryu would be nothing compared to the level of savagery and violence R displayed. To fight this man-monster would basically result in Dan getting himself killed.

As he remembers the part of the news broadcast where the Sailor Scouts tried (and unfortunately failed) to stop the fight between Neko-Ranma and Wild-R, all he can imagine was what kind of terrible power that villain R must possess that could strike such fear on the faces of those brave girls. And that imagining ignites a sizzle in his blood that draws his face tight with anger. Outraged by R's actions, Dan stands up taunting, hot raging flames of JUSTICE burning in the background as he goes into full Kuno-style speech mode! "Grrr… damn that R! Beating me up was bad enough, but now… THIS! Using your dreadful powers as a martial artist to frighten beautiful young women…! Oooohhh…..THAT DOES IT! I've had it up to here with you, R! By the powers invested in me as master of Saikyo-ryu, I SHALL STAMP OUT THIS VILE FIEND, THIS ENEMY OF WOMEN!! YEA, THE VERY HEAVENS DOTH COMMAND IT!! PREPARE THYSELF, R, FOR BEHOLD, THE MOMENT OF YOUR RUIN WILL SOON BE AT HAND! GLORIOUS BE THE DAY WHEN I VANQUISH THEE FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!! WAH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

---

MEANWHILE, AT R's MANSION / RED CAT GANG'S HIDEOUT….

"HA-CHOO!"

R rubs his nose after he sneezed. That last sneeze there had jolted him awake. Lying on his luxurious king-sized bed, he thinks this must have been the third time that he sneezed tonight, the past two instances during a debriefing / questioning session held earlier this evening by those RED CAT Intelligence Agents. They needed something, anything that R could remember to use in preparing the report they were to give to High Priest Erick Genryusai and the Cat Ghost King.

The total effort exhausted and frustrated the RED CAT Agents. In their attempts at questioning poor R, they were unable to dredge up one mote of new information. All R could do was tell them only what he knew; he was at the dance with Kodachi, he fights with Ranma over a steamed bun, a cat shows up, freaks out Ranma, and Ranma starts acting like a cat too. Next thing he knows, he's waking up inside some old temple miles away from Furinkan High. Between that and before, he can't remember squat diddly.

So based on R's responses, they reported R's mental and physical condition to Erick and Dr. Wily, concluding that R had no memory of his actions while using the Wolf-Fist, and (to Erick's private satisfaction on top of NOT knowing they did this) confirmed the successful field test of Erick's EG-K9 Trancemitter. When the session was over, they reluctantly allowed R to go home.

Leaving the base through the secret entrance, R had gingerly made his way across the grounds of his estate, passing though his private rose garden, eventually making it to the back door of his house. Once there, he then let himself in with his key. Slowly but surely R went straight to his bedroom. He took off what's left of his suit and dropped it on the floor; as he stood there in nothing but his unbuttoned shirt and underwear he looked once around his room. In his current state of mind, it was a strangely cold, unfamiliar open space to him. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking? In any case, lacking the strength to stay on his feet any longer, he plopped down on the bed like a man falling at the side of a road.

Now it was like, what, maybe less than a half-hour since he'd laid down that he sneezed?

I wonder who's been talking about me? R thinks as he shakes his head, trying to fully wake up. Maybe there's something to that old wives tale that someone is talking about you when you sneeze a lot. R thinks about it. Then he thinks about it some more. "Naah!" he says, and then crawls under the silken covers of his bed and goes back to sleep.

---

BACK AT THE SAIKYO-RYU DOJO…

Dan is trying to sleep, but he can't. Whether it was his burning desire to defeat R once and for all (further inflamed by the sight of those pretty Sailor girls being intimidated by R's raw animal powers) or what he'd eaten for dinner not agreeing with him or a combination thereof, he gets up. Beside his bed is a two-drawer file cabinet, which doubles as a nightstand. We'll return to it later.

As Dan sits there, for no reason at all whatsoever (or least this narrator hopes the author's got a reason for this part!), he starts to think about certain events in his life. He remembers his first attempt at asking a girl out. It was back in high school….

….and cue the flashback!

-(BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

One day at school, Dan walks up to a girl he likes. Being polite and gentlemanly-like, he says, "Hi. You're cute. Perhaps today we could go out on a date."

The girl is about to reply, "Oh, I'm going out with my friends later, and…"

Before she can even finish, poor Dan thinks she's already shot him down. He pathetically laments, "AARGH, the bitterness of defeat!" Feeling rejected, he sobs, "Boo hoo hoo!" as he runs away.

Surprised, the girl blinks. "The bitterness of...?" That guy's a little weird…

-(END FLASHBACK)-

"Huh?" Dan comes to his senses. Oh yeah, I remember that one. She WAS cute.

Over his high-school years Dan tried on countless occasions (and with many different girls!) to express his feelings - he had even gone as far as writing one a poem! - but the words just couldn't make it past his lips. A few times he tried (unsuccessfully) to corner some into confessing

their affection for him. Oh sure, there had been a bit of hand holding and a few quick kisses but nothing that approximated the passion Dan wanted SO desperately to share with someone of the opposite sex. So, invariably, when any of their prospective boyfriends (or guys who looked like their boyfriends!) were around, Dan could be found retreating to his room, where he would sulk for an hour or two and wonder why he couldn't get anywhere with girls.

The first girl Dan tried to ask out eventually DID go out with him. But after a few dates, it was plain they were not meant to be lovers, that it was more important that their friendship survive than anything else. So she'd moved on to the guy of her dreams, and Dan would throw himself into martial arts with renewed fervor. But good lord, how his hormones had raged back then! And that was BEFORE he ever heard of or laid eyes (and possibly hands!) on Mai Shiranui!

Never once did it occur to Dan that he'd been trying too hard to impress the ladies, which is the reason why he has no luck with them. It had nothing to do with the fact that his fighting skills are not up to par with other Street Fighters (which, when you think about it, is just a nice way of saying he sucks).

"Hey!? What is this? "Everybody Hates Dan?" What'd I ever do to YOU anyway?" Dan complains to the narrator.

Good thing nobody's around to see him talking to thin air – else they'd think he's just a crazy person. And only crazy people talk to themselves. Ah, it's times like these when it's GOOD to be the narrator.

Back to the current scene, sitting on top of the aforementioned cabinet is a picture frame that holds an old photograph from back in the day. In the picture we see Dan in his early teens, a rather awkward-looking kid wearing a white karate gi; back then, he was FAR from the handsome, super-stud (but still desperately single!) martial artist he currently is (or THINKS he is, anyway). Behind him, to his left, is his mother, a beautiful woman of sexy proportions wearing her sorta reddish-pink hair in a cute style and an elegant kimono. By her side stands a man in an olive-green colored gi, his long brown hair tied back in a ponytail similar to Dan's, and his most prominent feature is the red, long-nosed tengu mask he wears. THIS, obviously, is Dan's father Go Hibiki.

Dan looks at his parents' image in the photo. "Would you believe me if I said I wish you were here? Because I could sure use some of your advice right now."

And funnily enough, memories of his parents somehow made their way in among Dan's ponderings on women...

-(BEGIN SERIES OF FLASHBACKS)-

We're inside the Hibiki residence. Anna Hibiki is setting the dinner table when a man wearing a green karate gi and a red tengu mask leaps into the room. It's Dan's dad, Go Hibiki! "HA HA!"

Anna sweatdrops, groaning, "Honestly, Go-chin, must you wear that mask around the house?"

With a haughty tone of voice, Go says, "Who're you talking to woman? There ain't no Go Hibiki here. I'm the Super Karate Tengu! Feel the awesome power of my secret technique!"

"Well, "Super Karate Tengu", if you don't cut out that nonsense right now, I won't use "my" secret technique after we have dinner. I'd like to spend a quiet romantic evening at home with my husband for once, not his loony masked alter-ego."

Go knows what she's talking about. "Aw phooey. You know just how to get to me." He then takes off his mask; without it he looks JUST LIKE Dan, except he has a rather scruffy-looking moustache and his face looks like he shaves maybe once or twice every other week. One would think based on his appearance that Go Hibiki rather resembles a dirty old bum. But there's a certain gleam, a charming twinkle in his eyes that combined with his looks makes him seem more like a handsome, rouge-ish, gentlemanly type than, well… a bum. That, along with his natural charisma and sex appeal, made him irresistible to women. Go could have had any girl in the world he wanted. But he'd met his match while traveling through Hong Kong; not long after that, he'd married Anna and she became his wife. And the two've been madly in love ever since. Unfazed, he continues, "Besides, you didn't think I was a loony when we…"

Anna blushes, "Well…yes, but back THEN you were sane."

"Hey, babe, I've ALWAYS been sane. It's the rest of the world that's crazy." Go decides to change the subject. "So… where's the boy?"

"Our son is on a date tonight, so we have the house to ourselves," Anna replies with a wink.

"Ah, yeahhhh…." But something occurs to Go. "Waitaminute… Dan's on an ACTUAL date?"

"Yes."

"With a REAL girl?"

"Yes."

Go breathes a sigh of relief. "*Whew*….Oh, good. I thought he'd made up another imaginary girlfriend like the last time. Poor kid was just desperate."

Anna assures him, "No, she's real this time, dear. In fact, I hear she's the most popular girl at his school."

Go frowns on hearing that; he doesn't like where this is going. "Hoo boy, sounds like a pity date."

"A pity date?"

"Yep. Classic setup. Popular girl sees hopeless, dateless, and downright pathetic loser get dumped one time too many, takes pity on him, and goes out with him. Only a total IDIOT would take her up on it!"

"Dear! That's your SON you're talking about you know."

"In all the years you've known me, babe, you know that I'll tell you the truth. I'd never say anything bad about our boy if it weren't true."

Personally, Anna feels that Go is harsh in his criticism of Dan. She hates to admit it, but this time her husband is right. Still, she sticks up for her son ('cause that's what moms do!). "Yes, but…"

Go shakes his head in disbelief. "I tell ya, I just don't get it. Dan's a good kid. A little WEIRD, but he's a good kid. Got a good head on his shoulders. He's definitely got my looks, but absolutely NONE of my charm. Matter of fact, he reminds me of me, except without the potential for greatness. Now martial arts is one thing; women are a whole different story."

Later that night, Mr. and Mrs. Hibiki hear the sound of a door opening and closing. Go looks at his wife, wondering who it could be at this hour. And then regrets it when he seen Dan walk into the room, a look of gloom and despair on his face.

Go knows what's happened just by the look on his boy's face, but he decides to humor him anyway. "Hey, hey, son! YOU're home early. So how was your big date?"

"Oh, it was… okay, I guess," Dan tells his father as he goes into the kitchen to get a late-night snack.

Go pauses for a moment before dropping the bomb on him. "She dumped you, didn't she? Go on, tell the truth."

Dan hated this part of the night; every time he'd been dumped by a girl, his father would never let him hear the end of it. He'd braced himself for his father's good-intentioned (but rather mean-spirited) teasing about his efforts with women. So he tells himself: I will not spontaneously burst into tears. I will keep my cool. I will not give him a line to pick up and run with. I'll just tell him the truth, and that's all. "Yeah."

Go snorts, "HA! I knew it. OK, what'd you do? Comment about her bust size? Did something WEIRD to creep her out?"

"No!" Dan says defensively. "It was nothing like that at all!"

Go considers that. "Hmm… if that's true, then maybe YOU're the reason you keep getting dumped all the time. Perhaps you're giving off some kinda aura that makes the girls not want to touch you with a twenty-foot pole."

Dan comments, "I thought it was a ten-foot pole."

"Trust me, son; in YOUR case, it's a twenty-foot pole."

Anna inwardly sighs; her husband's in rare form tonight. She goes to her son and comforts him, giving him a hug. "Oh, sweetie, you're going to be fine. Don't let your father get you down. There's someone for everyone, you know. You just have to find her, that's all. She's out there, just waiting for you."

Dan hugs his mother back. "Aw, thanks, Mom. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

Go throws his two cents in. "Phff….Whatever. You know, I was telling your mother earlier this evening that you remind me of me when I was your age! Except without the potential for greatness, that is."

Dan sarcastically says, "Oh, gee, thanks Dad, for landing yet another blow to my already-wounded self-esteem."

Go laughs, "Don't mention it! Aaahh… just kidding ya, boy." Then, FINALLY getting serious, he asks, "Awww…what's the matter? So she dumped you? Big whoop. Your mother's right, boy; there's other fish in the sea! You'll find another girl. After all, you're a Hibiki! You've got qualities that some young ladies might find very sexy!

Dan takes the opportunity to stand up to his father. "Oh yeah? Name ONE."

Now that HE's the one put on the spot, Go tries to talk his way out. "Well…uh…you're, uh, you…. have the gift of humor. Yeah, that's it! You're funny! You make people laugh! Surely some girl out there would think so, too! So c'mon, cheer up!"

Dan looks at his father with sad puppy dog eyes, his lower lip trembling.

Oh well, I tried, Go thinks. Aloud, to his son, he says, "Ah, geez, you're not gonna CRY now, are ya?"

"No, no…. I'm all right," Dan replies, keeping his cool.

"Are you sure, dear?" Anna asks concernedly.

"Yeah, but I…. I think I have something in my eye…*sniff*! Boo hoo hoo!" With that, Dan runs upstairs to his room in tears.

Anna sighs, "Well, THAT went over well."

Go shrugs, "Hey, at least he didn't go into his usual speech about being such a pathetic loser, that no girl could ever fall in love with him, and how disgustingly lonely he thinks he is." He picks up a newspaper and reads it. "Hmph. Sex, sex, sex. That's all these kids think about these days! I might have known it would end up like this. To think of all the love and affection we've wasted on HIM!"

"Go-chin!"

"Whaaat?"

"Instead of berating your son's failures with the fairer sex, why don't you do something to, oh, I don't know, HELP him?"

Go puts down his paper. "Yeah, you're right. Well, since you and I aren't going to do some "husband-and-wife" things together tonight since our son the "Dateless Wonder" is home, I think I'll go out for a bit."

Anna doesn't believe it. "Oh, yeah right. You're going out so you can go drinking with your buddy Takuma."

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: As in Takuma Sakazaki from King of Fighters!]

Go assures his wife, "No, no! I'm just going to see him for advice on how to handle our son's, er, "problem". I get some of my best ideas after I've tossed back a few cold ones!"

Fast forward to just a few days before Go Hibiki is killed by Sagat, and we're outside a neighborhood dojo. The sign reads:

HIBIKI SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS:

"We Make Butt-Whooping an Art Form!"

Inside, we see Dan gazing out the window. His father stands beside him, also looking out. Go turns to his son and says, "One day, m'boy, all this will be yours..."

Dan eyes brighten up as he innocently asks his father, "Even your "secret scroll collection" you keep hidden from Mom all the time?"

"Wh-WHAT!? NO! Not THOSE scrolls, boy! And how'd YOU know where they were anyway? *Sigh*…. ANYWAY, take a good look around. All that you can see..." He indicates the entire dojo. "...from the window to the walls, to the ceiling to the floor, this'll be YOUR dojo, son."

"But, Dad, I don't want any of that…"

"Listen, boy, I built this dojo up from nothing. Everybody thought I was crazy to start a martial arts school here in the first place, but I built it all the same ... just to show 'em!"

At this point Dan risks asking, "You're not gonna say it sank into the mud, are you?"

"HEY! How'd you know? You weren't even born yet when that happened!"

"Call it a wild guess. Then you'll say that the second time you tried to open the dojo THAT one sank into the mud, right?"

"Errrgh…..!" Go sweatdrops.

"And then, you'll tell me you built a third one ... which burned down, fell over, and THEN sank into the mud! I've heard this story, y'know! GOSH!"

Go manages to finish his story, in spite of his son's interruptions, "Yeah, but THIS TIME it'll stay up! And that's what you're gonna get, lad: the strongest dojo in this country!"

Dan sighs, "But I don't want any of that. I'd rather..."

"You'd rather what?" Go asks him.

"I'd rather ... just ... sing ...!"

Out of nowhere, a musical introduction starts to play.

"ACK! HEY! Stop that! Stop that! You're not doing a song while I'm here! Good grief, boy! Whaddya think this is? An Andrew Lloyd Webber musical?"

The music stops, and then Go says, "Now listen, Dan, my good buddy Takuma Sakazaki and I got together [AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah…over some beers!] to arrange this marriage for you! Think of it, boy! You're getting married to a girl whose father is the master of one of the most powerful martial arts schools in Japan – the School of Kyokugen Karate!"

Dan blinks, confused. "But what would I do with Kyokugen-ryu Karate?"

Go smacks his own forehead in frustration; sometimes his boy can be so dense. "Grr…! Listen, Stan…!"

"It's Dan, Dad!"

"Oh, right, Dan ... Let's face it; nobody's even heard of our dojo! We need all the recognition we can get! And what better way to do that by uniting our schools through marriage!"

"But, but I don't like her."

Go can't believe it. "You don't like her? What's wrong with her!? She's beautiful, she's rich, she's got… well, y'know, "them", even if they're not as large…"

Dan blushes, embarrassed. At what point did the conversation suddenly turn from inherting the family dojo to the size of Yuri Sakazaki's breasts? "DAD!" Then, he says, "Yeah, I know ... but ... I want the girl that I marry to have ... a certain ... special ... something..."

Cue another musical intro for a song. Go stops the musicians from playing again. "Oh, cut that out! Cut that out!" The music cuts off abruptly again. "Now look, you're marrying Yuri Sakazaki, so you'd better get used to the idea!" He then slaps Dan silly!

SMACK!

Dan rubs his bruised cheek. "OW! But why do I have to marry Yuri?"

Go explains, "Bee-CAUSE I don't want that new rich-boy, fancy-pants pupil Takuma took in to marry her! Y'know, that…that Jerry Garcia kid!"

"Uh…I think his name's Robert, Dad…"

SMACK!

"OW!"

"Whatever! Look, the point is, if HE decides he wants to marry Yuri, he'll sweep her away with his fancy clothes, sports cars, money, and… and what'll WE end up with? NOTHING! So that's why YOU're gonna marry her. Got it?

Dan tries to object, "But, Dad...."

"No buts! You're marrying Yuri! End of discussion!"

He throws one last look at his son and turns, goes out and slams the door. Dan looks forlornly out of the window. As he does this, the unseen musicians in this episode play yet another musical intro to a song ...

The door flies open, the music cuts off and Go pokes his head in. "And NO singing!"

Go slams the door again, leaving Dan alone in the dojo to gaze out of the window again...

-(END SERIES OF FLASHBACKS)-

Dan looks up from his thoughts and over to a corner of the room. On a shelf there is the tengu mask Dan's father wore. He walks over to the shelf and picks up the mask. Looking back over his past, Dan realizes that day in the dojo was one of the last times he and his father spoke…. He can remember the events leading up to the fateful day that changed his life…

-(BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

They had snuck out in the middle of the night. It wasn't until early in the morning, while they were aboard a ship heading for Thailand, that Go reaveled his plan to his son.

"Word has it that in Thailand there's this guy who's THE champion of Muay Thai. I'm gonna show up and challenge him. The way I see it boy, if I can whomp him on his own turf in front of his countrymen, it'll be the chance to put our dojo on the map!" Go goes on, "Hmph! Already I hear they're calling him the "Emperor of Muay Thai". To which I say, "Sh-yeah, right!" If anybody's gonna be the King of Fighting, it's ME, Go Hibiki! Mwahahahaha!"

That was how Go foolishly thought it would go down. As for what happened next, well…

So they arrive in Thailand. Once there, Go asks around and finds out there's a Muay Thai match going on in which Sagat is participating. Go's plan (such as it was) is to crash the party, publicly challenge Sagat, and as he'd eloquently put it, "give 'em a good whomping!"

Dan then remembers the first time he saw Sagat. Back then, the Muay Thai fighter did not have the eye patch (yet!) nor the scar on his chest (THAT would come years later). But his size alone gave a young Dan Hibiki the heebie-jeebies. This giant of a man was the guy his father was going to fight? Was he the only one who thought that his father's outrageously ambitious (but downright half-baked!) plan was a REALLY BAD idea? Dan remembers expressing his concern to his father. "Dad, no disprespect meant, but have you completely gone off your nut!? This guy's probably two, maybe three times your size! Plus, I dunno about you but he looks mean and SCARY!"

To which Go says, "Geez, boy, have a little faith in me will ya! Don't you know a true martial artist can use an opponent's size and strength against him? And you know what they say, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

"But, Dad…"

"Look, Dan…!" Go snarls through gritted teeth. "OK, you're right. Sagat's a LITTLE bit bigger than I'd heard. And I'd be lying if I said I'm not intimidated by this guy; in fact, I'm trembling all over!" He promptly does just that. "Kyeeeeeee…! My whole body's practically screaming, "RUN AWAY! You can't win this one! You'll get killed! Seriously, man, REALLY bad idea!" But in spite of all this, I'm gonna fight anyway!"

On hearing this, Dan now sees his father in a whole new light; it would be one of the lessons that would stay with him long after this fateful day.

As Go prepares to put his plan in action, he further explains, "The thing is to not be overwhelmed by fear! Fear's a part of your opponent's strategy. All YOU gotta do is stay cool, keep your eye on the guy you're fighting. And I mean REALLY keep an eye on him… his eyes, his posture, his stance, whatever. Don't let even the smallest sign of movement escape your attention. 'cause if you drop your guard for even a moment… well, that's all she wrote!" For the final touch, Go dons his Tengu mask. "Now listen up – this part's important. When this fight starts, you can't help me. This is test of my skills. I am going to pit my style against his Muay Thai. You can't be involved because it'd mean I'd be already admitting defeat! Do you understand, boy?"

Dan was stunned, because he did understand. He realized that despite how one-sided this match appeared to be, this was a matter of honor. The founder / sole practioner / master (sort of) of Hibiki-ryuu Martial Arts vs. the Emperor of Muay Thai. Dan simply bowed to his father and took a seat near the ring. All he could do now was watch and wait to see what happened next.

The match in progress was near-ending with Sagat's current opponent getting his arm broken before having his face kicked against the ring. As his arm snapped, the crowd roared in approval, and the fight was over. After the fighter was dragged away, the announcer entered the ring.

"The winner and still champ: Sagat! Now, who here has the guts to take on our champion!? Anybody!? Come on! He's just ONE guy, here! Don't be a wimp! Come on! Come-- what the!?"

The announcer and the crowd gasp as a newcomer steps into the ring from right out of the audience. The champ just calmly regards the scene before him. "...What?! Who are you?" the announcer demands.

Go cracks his knuckles, and casually replies, "Me? Just a no-name fighter, entering this little brawl to win fame. But unlike THOSE other guys, I'm setting my sights MUCH higher! Now would you mind moving aside?" He pushes the announcer out of the way. "Besides, YOU're not the one I'm here for anyway." With that, he marches up to Sagat. "HEY! Word has it they call you the "Emperor"! Well, being a martial artist myself, I can't just stand by and let somebody like YOU make that kind of declaration. You'll of course excuse me if I don't grovel and bow in awe, like I'm impressed - because I'm NOT. Your so-called reign ends today! Sagat, I challenge you!"

A wild-looking young Muay Thai fighter leapt into the ring and stands between Go and Sagat. Clearly furious, outraged by the disrespect this masked interloper has shown for his mentor, the youth growls, "HEY! Impudent punk! Worthless dog! Don't you know WHO you're addressing? How DARE you talk like that to HIM!?"

"Stand down, Adon," Sagat calmly says to his hot-headed pupil at the time. "I believe this man already knows who I am. A lesser fool would not have gone to all this trouble for an audience with me."

"HELLO? I'm STILL here, y'know?" Go says, thinking Sagat's ignored him. "And this FOOL's gonna be the one who cleans your clock!"

Only then does Sagat look down to face his opponent. "Hmph. Your efforts to rile me are up are futile. Only a fool would believe that ridiculous mask you wear would make you appear fearsome or even intimidating. A fool like YOU."

A less observant guy would have missed it, but Go caught the faintest of expressions that made it clear that was exactly what Sagat thought of him right now. Even so, he comes back with, "Yeah, just like a buffoon who's big believes that makes them tough. A buffoon like YOU!"

Sagat cocks an eyebrow. "Touche. Would you care to find out how tough I really am?"

Adon can't stand this; his fists balled, ready to fight, he shoots a look of pure venom in Go's direction. "Master, allow me to defeat him! His presence in this ring is an insult to our Muay Thai!"

"That will be enough, Adon." Sagat stops him.

"So, do you accept my challenge or what?" Go asks him, still looking right at him, not taking his eyes off him.

Sagat's response to that is, "You… have barged into this arena uninvited. You have violated the sanctity of this ring. For this, I should decline your foolish challenge." But he notices the look of determination in Go's eyes. "Hmm… You've got good eyes… the eyes of a warrior. I see you do not intend to back down. Very well, I accept. As the Emperor, I will vanquish ALL challengers." He then assumes his fighting stance.

Go does likewise, saying, "FINALLY! Let's do this, big guy!"

Thankful that the scene unfoldfing before him didn't turn ugly, the announcer picks up his mike again, and continues, "Well, everybody… it looks like we have a new challenger!!! And it's… some strange guy in a mask…! Ok, now! Our next fight: Sagat vs. the Masked Fool!"

"Hey, IDIOT!" Go yells at the announcer. "That's Super Karate Tengu to you! Soon to be the new King of Martial Arts!"

The announcer goes on saying, "So place your bets folks, 'cause this fight's about to start RIGHT NOW! Personally, my money's on the Emperor!"

As the crowd scrambled towards the betting booths, the fight was already under way.

With a battle cry, Go lunges at Sagat and attacks with a punch followed quickly by a kick. Sagat blocks both and retaliates with his own punch toward Go's face. Go dodges the blow and throws a punch towards Sagat, aiming below the belt. Offended that his opponent would resort to such a juvenile tactic Sagat grabs Go's fist with one hand (!) and flings him away with a throw. Finding himself flung into the air Go does a flip and lands back on his feet, quickly facing Sagat again, who's standing several feet away. Both combatants eye the other for a while before they both charge and exchanged kicks and punches that are blocked or dodged by the other.

Dan watches as his father fights with Sagat. Relieved, he sighs, thinking, Dad seems to be doing OK so far – that mean Sagat guy hasn't creamed him, but Dad hasn't been able to score a hit on him either. Man, I REALLY hope this plan of his works!

Sagat throws a kick towards Go. Go blocks the kick, than delivers a hard elbow into Sagat's gut, momentarily stunning the larger man, causing him to stagger back. It's just enough time for Go to whip out one of his special attacks! "Here I go! ZANRETSUKEN! (Momentary Violence Fist)"

Before Sagat can counterattack, he gets smacked around by a storm of flying fists! Down on one knee, Sagat doesn't like what's going on here. His opponent's making him look like a beginner. Perhaps he DOES possess some skill. Nevertheless… "Not bad. But now the gloves come off." From his current grounded position, Sagat leaps up and strikes with "TIGER CRUSH!". His signature knee attack whacks Go right in the jaw as he's about to make another attack.

"URRGH!" Go wasn't expecting that knee attack of Sagat's; that blow nearly took his head off. Still, it knocked him down to the ground.

Sagat then attempts to stomp Go flat with a heel drop, but Go rolls out of the way and surprises the King of Muay Thai with another one of his suspiciously-familiar attacks…

"KOHOU! (Tiger Roar)"

The uppercut hits true, right into Sagat's jaw. Sagat staggers back, spitting out blood and a tooth, but was given no chance to recover and retaliate as Go comes in with a roundhouse to his face, then quickly turns around and elbows him in the chest, and then quickly brought his fist up and smashed him in the nose.

"Well, Sagat, it looks like victory will be mine! C'mon already! At least put up a fight!" Go taunts as he backsteps, putting distance between himself and Sagat. He charges, then leaps forward, yelling "HIEN SHIPPU KYAKU! (Flying Gale Kick)". Making contact with a flying kick. Go twists around while in mid-air and roundhouses Sagat with his other leg. The stunned kickboxer collapses, and Go folds his arms in disgust. "Hmph! King of Muay Thai, my butt! What a disappointment!"

The crowd starts really getting into what's happened in the ring. Go receives equal portions of cheers and boos from them; the boos, of course, are from those folks who've been rooting for Sagat the whole time.

"WOW!" Dan cheers enthusiastically, "Way to go, Dad! You totally mopped the floor with him! YAHOO!!"

Uh, don't speak too soon Dan. LOOK!

You know, Go REALLY should be paying attention to his opponent right now. While he drinks in the praise, adulation, and everything else, Sagat's staggering to his knees, trying to recover his bearings. Once he does so, he advances toward Go, and…

"DAD! LOOK OUT!" Dan cries out to his father, trying to warn him of the incoming danger.

Oops, too late. Go didn't expect to be jerked around and then have the taller man's foot to go flying right into his gut. The breath flows out of the martial artist with an audible *whoosh*, and he flies back, bouncing off of the ropes.

Sagat then meets Go's head with a straight punch, and he falls to the mat. Sagat wipes blood off of the corner of his mouth with one hand, and with his other hand grabs Go by his head, yanks him up, and rams his knee into Go's face over and over for starters. He then switches up, throwing punches into Go as if the man's just a punching bag. With one last blow, Sagat sends Go into the ropes. Upon landing, Go crumbles to the mat.

"Pathetic," Sagat says of his downed opponent.

Crap… Got cocky... Go thinks. Sh-should have known... he'd try to attack while my guard's down… Go tries to shut out the pain and regain his focus.

"Dad! DAD!" Dan is by his father's side instantly.

Go groggily awakens. "I…. I ain't goin' down. Not yet…."

Dan hates to be the bearer of bad news, but, "Bad news, Dad. You ARE down. You gotta throw in the towel. Back out gracefully with honor."

Sagat overhears the conversation. "You should listen to your son. Leave this ring while you still can."

"HEY! Butt out, you!" Go growls. He reaches deep inside himself, and with the little bit of strength he finds, he uses that to rise to his feet. He then spits out blood, puts his mask back on, and though he stumbles a bit, gets back into his fighting stance.

"DAD! Don't do this!"

"SHUT UP, SON!" Go harshly rebukes Dan, then adds with his usual sarcasm, "And I mean that in the most loving way possible! The ONLY way I'm leaving this ring is when I knock this oversized clown DOWN!!" With that, Go makes another attempt at defeating Sagat.

Sagat poses a question to his opponent, "Your determination is admirable, but why do you insist on continuing to fight? Give up now and spare yourself an embarrassing defeat by my hand."

Go replies, "ME? Give up? Get serious! This battle's gonna settle once and for all my true potential! HERE I COME!"

And the fight resumes as Go and Sagat appear to trade punches and kicks. THIS time around, Go plays it smart; rather than press his attack, he spends part of the time evading Sagat's blows. When he DOES attack, he makes each strike count. And to Sagat's surprise, Go throws in a few Muay Thai style strikes, matching Sagat move for move. This strategy pays off for Go. Little by little he's wearing Sagat down. And all the while, he's summoning up his Ki reserves, waiting for the moment when he can use Sagat's weak point to his advantage…

Still Sagat keeps on coming, dishing out pain with his kicks. But one single kick that he misses gives Go a GREAT opportunity. He sidesteps the incoming kick, leaps up and toward Sagat, and plays his trump card…

"Gotcha! KO'OU KEN! (Tiger Gleam Fist)"

…unloading a Ki-blast right into Sagat's bad eye!

"ARRRRRRRGH!! MY EYE!" Sagat roars in pain, clutching at his now permanently-damaged eye. The eye itself is closed shut, swollen, and hemorrhaging in its fractured socket.

While Sagat's busy with his eye, Go seizes the moment and with renewed confidence, he proceeds to lay the smackdown on him unloading blow after blow on the Emperor of Muay Thai.

It looks like Sagat's in trouble now. Though he's on the brink of defeat, he is resolute, with only one single thought: I cannot lose!

As Go charges in to strike, Sagat deliveres a sweep kick that knocks him off his feet. But Go quickly gets up and throws a punch towards Sagat's midsection - again. Sagat grabs the fist, crushes it with his hand, and repays Go back by slamming a hard knee kick into his crotch! OUCH! Go's eyes bug out on impact; he can barely squeak out a grunt of pain as he falls to his knees, clutching his groin.

A collective gasp erupts from the crowd on seeing this. They rock back in their seats with sympathetic pain.

Dan winces at the sight. "Ugh! THAT's gotta hurt." C'mon Dad, do something! Anything!

Go crawls unsteadily and reaches for the ropes to try to regain his balance.

Meanwhile, Sagat, a look of pure rage burning in his one good eye, stalks across the ring in a direct path to his opponent. Go clumsily tries to defend himself, but the Muay Thai master drives home a Tiger Blow through his defense (such as it currently is) as if it weren't there. Go's head snaps back from the force of the punch, and he staggers.

Sagat's iron-hard fist slams into his ribs, driving the air from Go's lungs. "Come now," he says, then cracks him across the jaw with an elbow. "Well, I'm waiting…!" Sagat then thrusts his knee at Go's kidney. "This so-called potential you're supposed to have? Where is it now?"

Oh man, Dad's getting thrashed out there! Dan thinks worriedly. He grits his teeth and flinches as Sagat lands another brutal combo on Go. "Come on Dad! You can do it!" he pleads to his reeling father. "OYAJII….!!"

But Sagat drives punch after merciless punch into Go's unprotected body, then punishing him with his kicks, refusing to let the suffering man just fall and let unconsciousness take him.

Go tries to gather his strength to counter Sagat's murderous assault, but agony flares through his nerves like a bonfire. He can't think... can't focus...

And yet somehow, in the midst of the noise from the audience, he can hear his son cheering him on. That did it. Dan…? You're still in my corner, boy, even while I'm getting my ass kicked? Ah man, I've been such an IDIOT! All this time, I never realized how much my son really admires and respects me! Oh yeah, I gotta win this fight… now more than ever! Dan's support from the sidelines cuts through the red haze of Go's pain, reaching some deep core of pride within. A desperate, enraged cry rumbled forth from his throat as he rears back his mighty fist…

"HYAAAAAAHHH!!!"

…And throws a Ki-charged punch with enough force to deflect Sagat's attack and push him away from Go, creating some distance between the fighters. It's all Go needs to end this. It's my only hope now! I didn't wanna have to use this, but here goes… He decides to bring out the big guns, the piece de resistance… the mother of all final attacks! A mighty and powerful secret technique he'd developed that, if successful, will allow him to finish off Sagat with style! Though he's battered, bloodied, and brusied, Go confidently says, "I'd like to say it's been fun… NOT! We end this now, Sagat! BEHOLD! MY FINAL ATTACK! JUN KOKU SATSU!! (Weeping Martyr's Death)"

At that very moment Go tries to execute his finishing move, Sagat's back on his feet! YIKES! "All right," he says, as though taken in by a minor trick, "you've had your little fun, but now it is MY turn. I'll show you the power of my Muay Thai! TIGER RAID!"

Go doesn't even get the chance to use his Jun Koku Satsu (nor we do we even get to see what it ACTUALLY does), for Sagat comes out flying with a flurry of devasating kicks, each one hard enough to break every single bone in Go's body. And to finish it off, Sagat ends the violence with a multi-hitting flaming jump kick.

As Go's battered and barbecued body sails across the ring, he has one last conscious thought. Unbelievable! This guy's as good as they say. Oh great, just great, the boy WAS right after all. Is my dream of fame and glory… just a dream after all…?

But Sagat's not done yet. He rears back, gathering all his power, then yells "TIGER!!", launching a HUGE Tiger Shot at the unconscious form of Go Hibiki. Go receives the full force of Sagat's Ki blast. The body of Dan's father lands with a sickeningly final crunch on the mat.

And to add insult to injury, he walks over to Go, picks him up by his head for a moment, and then tosses him away like garbage!

THUMP!

…was the sound Go's body made as hit the mat one last time. The match is over. Sagat has won. Despite the loss of his eye, he got the victory and defended his title as the "Emperor of Muay Thai".

Two VERY different things happened in the Muay Thai arena that day.

On one side is Sagat, who raises his fists in triumph as he is surrounded by crowds of people who want to celebrate with the champ over his victory. To them, he is their hero. The announcer picks up his mike and says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention, please. Tonight, we have had the privilege of witnessing the greatest exhibition of guts, stamina, and outright power in the history of this ring! Yet another glorious knockout for the Emperor, and as you can see and hear, the fans are letting him know how they feel about it. And they're feeling GOOD!" He then turns in Sagat's direction and says, "Well, champ, looks like you're still the Emperor. So now what are you going to do?"

Sagat takes the mike from him and loudly declares, "Hear me! I AM the Emperor! I can NOT be defeated! I have beaten ALL who dared challenge me, including THIS fool," Sagat says pointing to Go's unconscious and quivering form. "But it is not enough. Not for me. NOW, I seek greater challenges, stronger opponents, as befitting my rightful position as the Emperor. Someday, I will defeat a real champion. A true warrior! And if he dies by my hand, then he dies! To those who hear my roar, come and attack me any time! I will ALWAYS be here!"

As he leaves the ring to a rampant chorus of applause, Sagat flashes one last look over his shoulder to the Hibiki father-and-son duo. He smiles contemptuously, gives Dan a mock salute, then, accompanied by some VERY attractive women, his pupil Adon, and a bunch of his supporters, he disappears into the throngs of cheering people. Never mind the trophy, and they could send him the prize money in the mail.

At the same time….

On the other side in Go Hibiki lying on the mat, battered, bloodied, and broken by Sagat. Dan is by his father's side.

"D-dad? DAD!!!!!!!" At first Dan didn't think he was going to respond. But then Go's eyes focused on him, and Dan was so overjoyed that his heart skipped a beat, figuratively speaking. What a relief! His father's NOT dead!

"Dan?" Go croaks. In spite of the pummeling he'd clearly endured, he still has that sarcastic grin on his face. Unfortunately Go's heart also skipped a beat, but it was rather more literal, and he started to twitch in great agitation.

"Oh, Dad, no….!"

Surprisingly, he heard—of all things—a soft chuckle coming from his father. How in the world could ANY of this be remotely funny? But then, sounding extremely sincere, Go ACTUALLY said, "I'm sorry, boy. I... haven't always been there for you, have I?"

Dan couldn't believe it. He'd never heard his father sound this sympathetic about…. well, about anything. "Dad… Oyaji... Please, don't try to speak! I'll get help! I'll…."

"You were right, boy. You tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen to you. And it cost me everthying, not just my chance for for fame and glory, but my life as well."

Dan tries to change the subject, to keep his father's spirits up. "Dad, you… you were awesome out there."

Go snorts softly, "Heh… I was, wasn't I….? You know what the weird part is? I got my ass kicked seven ways by that musclebound meathead out there, and yet there's no pain. It's all just ebbing out of me. It's the strangest sensation. Like a million tiny pinpricks, and after each one, nothing at all. That's what life is, isn't it? All these little irritations and annoyances you've grown so accustomed to, you only notice they were there when they no longer are there. So…", he concludes, "…this is what it's like when one's about to die, eh?"

Dan didn't know what to say to this, but he did want to somehow console or calm his father, after the near-fatal beating he'd taken. "No, Dad, NO! You're NOT going to die! You…you're going to live! Somehow, someway, I'll avenge you! Sagat won't get away with this! He CAN'T!"

"Just so long as you do it," Go says. Then he was silent. His eyes fluttered closed, and Dan had difficulty making out his breathing. Was this the moment? Was his father really going to...?

Dan puts his ear to Go's chest. He's still breathing. There's a pulse, but it's faint. He can still hope! His father will survive this! He's going to live and not die! He's getting better!

Go speaks again. "Promise me this, boy. Whatever you do, finish up where I left off."

"I'll… I'll try to." Dan promises, fighting back his tears.

But Go's not about to let the icy hands of death just take him. Not without giving his boy some last instructions.

"No good… You gotta do more than try." He points weakly at Sagat, who is approached by the beautiful ladies and his fans as he is making his declaration. He can barely hold back his disgust – how come that huge oaf can get chicks? "Make certain that man goes down for the count. You see, don't you? That he won't be stopped unless he's defeated? You got me? As long as he's around, he'll reign unchallenged. Are you up to it? You'd… better be. It's… up to you now. Just know that I'll be watching you from that great big dojo in the clouds… Ahrrrrgh!" The twitching becomes even more violent.

"I…I'll get him back for you, Dad," Dan says.

Go nods, clutching Dan by the arm with what's left of his strength. "One more thing, boy." He leans in closer. "Heh… your mother… she'd used to say my pursuit of the Art would get me killed one day… W-when you see her… Tell her… that… she was… right…" With one final gasp, he croaks, "Yoiks…!"

And so on that awful day Go Hibiki died in the arms of his son, his death a result of the injuries he suffered during his fight with Sagat.

Holding his father's body in his arms, Dan wails, "OYAJI! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO…..!!"

-(END FLASHBACK)-

---

2:00 AM. Dan snaps out of his musings. He had not expected to do so with tear-tracks staining his cheeks, and the last of a sob dying in his throat. It had been years since his father was slain in combat by Sagat; on remembering this now, the memories don't hurt as much as they did back then. Dan's heart felt like it had turned to stone that day. He knew in that moment that he could never go home again. Not until he'd settled the score with Sagat and avenged his father's death.

At his current level of skill, with only the little bit of the Art he'd learned from his father, he would stand NO CHANCE against Sagat. Based on this assessment of his abilities, he made a decision. He would take a training trip, search for the greatest martial arts master in all of Japan, and train with him until he was strong enough for the time when he would exact his revenge from Sagat.

This, of course, eventually led him to the Shotokan dojo run by Master Gouken. He'd spent the next few years under Gouken's tutelage, learning the basics of the Shotokan style. Impatient with his current level of progress, Dan demanded to be taught at a faster rate so that he could take his revenge on Sagat.

Needless to say, Gouken was quite displeased when he eventually discovered the reason for Dan's impatience, and why he'd come seeking to be trained in the first place… which led to Dan being kicked out of the dojo – literally!

Undaunted (well, slightly daunted), he continued to train on his own. Applying the few lessons he'd learned from Gouken with his father's teachings, Dan would eventually create his own brand of martial arts. A self-taught form of Shotokan he would call "Saikyo-ryuu", the Strongest Style. With his awesome techniques, Dan would fulfill his promise to his dying father. And you know what? He actually succeeded in defeating Sagat! Never mind the fact that the Emperor of Muay Thai had ALREADY been defeated by Ryu in the first Street Fighter tournament BEFORE Dan caught up to him, but who cares? For Dan, it was his first real victory, and it was the one that brought him his first crack at recognition.

And now, even though everybody these days STILL thought he was a joke, a laughingstock of all martial arts, not to mention a pervert and a loser, even in spite of all that'd happened to him since his indiscretion with Mai Shiranui was exposed by R, and even though he'd been beaten by R and THE MCD (and several other people along the way!), NOBODY could take that away from him.

But tonight... even THAT did not seem like enough. He needed a way to not only make good on his vow to defeat R but to redeem himself in the eyes of his fans and the public at large.

As for what form that redemption would take... as a certain ever-scheming High Priest likes to say, "THAT… is a secret!"

"But how?" Dan asks himself and then rolls over onto his bed, lying flat on his back. Though instead of going back to sleep, he does something that would surprise most people – well, THIS narrator's surprised anyway! – he starts thinking. Uh-oh. A plan is forming…

---

SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO - AT A LATE-NIGHT KONBINI*…

(*Konbini – Convenience store)

Grenademan is in the store picking up some things he needs for his plan to defeat Ranma (and possibly win the heart of that girl Ran!)…

Wait a minute. Just WHAT could one buy at a convenience store that would help one achieve his fiendish goals?

Well, massive quantities of energy drinks, that's what! Monster, Red Bull, ROCKSTAR, Asparadrink… it doesn't matter. Grenademan's working overtime, pulling an all-nighter tonight – he figures he'll need every last can, if that's what it'll take. Lately he's been studying the book of poems Erick gave him as guidance for the love poem he wants to write for Ran. Plus, he'd remembered Erick's girl Delia putting her two cents in as well, suggesting that he write love letters as well in order to conquer the object of his affections. So when he returns to the base, he plans to go online and look up some examples of love letters – for ideas, of course – followed by another read-through of that book before he eventually powers down for the night.

BUT Grenademan has a secret reason for coming here. This particular store is large enough to accommodate a small but well-stocked grocery section. Within this section is a wall of produce, fruits and vegetables of all kinds. And within this, is a display of fresh cantalopes. And in this display are two innocently placed cantalope, side-by-side, reminding one of a large, healthy pair of…

Grenademan is there in front of the display. As he looks at the pair of melons, he imagines that he is looking at Ran Hayami, the girl who has caught his eye. Apparently he is trying to train himself to maintain eye contact when he meets her and not look at her breasts. After all, he wants to make a good impression when they meet face to face – he doesn't want her to think that's he some kind of pervert.

Grenademan clears his throat, and then speaks. "Oh, my lovely Ran. It is I...the mighty Grenademan. I… have admired you from afar for so long. And now, NOW that I've defeated that one who stands between us, you are finally free. Now that Saotome is no more, I… I hope to be the one who will give you what you want and fulfill your innermost wishes. Perhaps, maybe, to stop the aching in your heart… as well as mine."

Hmm…. I should write that down, he thinks. He pauses, as if waiting for her reply, then says, "OK, enough with the mushy stuff already! OH YEAH!! Err… um… I mean, if it's all right with you, could I… *gulp!*…"

Yep, you guessed it. Grenademan tries to touch the "melons", so to speak. With trembling fingers, he tries to delicately reach out for them. But he hestates, and withdraws. C'mon Grenademan! You can do this! He screws up his courage, and tries again; like before, he backs off.

Aw, screw it! Forget being gentle! Gimme those! OH YEAH! This time, Grenademan just goes for it and grabs the melons. Now that they're in his hands, he relaxes and then rubs them gently, lovingly, reverently. And all the while he has this strange and goofy look of bliss on his face; his metal cheeks a bright shade of red.

Unfoutnately, one of the store's employees sees Grenademan in the act. The poor guy can't believe it – of all the things to happen on his shift tonight, geez! Too stunned to speak, he sweatdrops at the scene before him – a robot doing THAT with THOSE…

Aware that someone's watching him, Grenademan's joy quickly turns to annoyance. He whirls on the sales clerk and angrily confronts him. "What are YOU lookin' at, buddy!?"

Creeped out by Grenademan's perverted actions, the sales associate nervously backs away from him. Then running to the nearest phone in the store, he calls his immediate supervisor. "Hey boss, there's some weirdo over in produce fondling the melons."

---

MEANWHILE, WTHIN ERICK'S "BATTLE CONSTRUCT", BASS AND AKUMA ARE STILL LOCKED IN MORTAL COMBAT…

And Bass, believe it or not, is enjoying himself immensely. He's totally forgotten that he's here to train, having thrown himself into battle with the Master of the Fist as if his life depended on it. Which in a way, it does.

(BGM – Killing Moon, Mix 3 (Akuma's Stage) – Street Fighter III 3rd Strike)

Bass and Akuma have been fighting all night, non-stop, all through the forest. The explosive power of their Hadouken blasts have leveled much of it; many trees have burned down from Shakunetsu Hadouken (Scorching Heat Surge Fist) blasts, rocks have been crushed into pieces by the force of their blows. All the while, Bass has had to adapt quickly, to learn to think on his feet, to apply the lessons learned in his previous battles to the point where he can use new abilities on the spot in real-time.

One COULD say that Bass is getting a crash-course in fighting like a practicioner of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts style.

And if that's the case, then, when he completes his training, Ranma, Ran, R, and Megaman are ALL gonna be in for a rude awakening.

Having fought their way out of the forest, now Bass and Akuma have taken the battle inside the ruins of an old castle dating back to the Sengoku Jidai (Japan's 'Warring States' Period). Here, the death match between Erick Genryusai's apprentice and the Master of the Fist continues…

Hmm… the machine has grown powerful since our battle began, Akuma quietly observes, thinking. The murderous intent is strong in him, but he is still limited within the boundaries of his programmed capabilities. Unless he can surpass those limitations, he will never reach his full potential as a warrior.

"Whatsamatta, Akuma?" Bass asks, taunting him while dodging an incoming strike from his murderous fists. "Jealous cause I'm a robot? You know, being a human ain't all it's cracked up to be. Anybody who gets on the business end of that killing fist of yours - well, that's all she wrote for them! Heh. Good riddance, I say. Now, ME, on the other hand… if you take me out, I can be rebuilt, put back back together good as new." Wisely, Bass keeps the knowledge of Erick's DVL Cells and their self-rengenerating powers to himself.

"Hmph. What is built up can be torn down, and vice-versa. Creation then destruction – an endless cycle. Enough philosophical babbling, machine. Here, the fight is all that matters. Nothing else," Akuma responds.

"Feh. Figures you'd say that," Bass counters while launching a Hadou Buster blast at Akuma, who teleports away out of the line of fire. Seeing an opportunity to go on the offensive, Bass charges at Akuma, uttering a fierce battle scream. "YAAAAAAHHHH!!'

At the same time, upon finishing his Ashura Senkuu, Akuma prepares to defend against whatever Bass may throw at him. Bass then strikes with a high kick, which Akuma parries, and then follows up with a Gou Shoryuken. Sent airborne by the uppercut, Bass quickly recovers, flipping in mid-air, then dives at Akuma, his fist glowing with purple energy. Akuma, on the ground, unleashes the Messatsu Gou Shoryu (Murderous Magnificent Rising Dragon Destruction); the final uppercut launching him up at an angle to meet Bass's diving punch with his own.

BAM!

On contact, their fists clash together and stuck, their Ki energies trapped in the middle. Sparks of lightning shoot out from their fists as the two warriors struggle against each other. Time seems to stop for a split-second until the built-up energy explodes, sending both of them flying away from each other.

Akuma lands safely while Bass barely manages to catch himself and keep from falling. Regaining his footing, Bass notices his hand smoking and burnt from the blast. A quick clench of his fist, a moment's concentration to allow his self-regenerating powers to kick in, and the hand's good as new.

Getting back into his fighting stance, Bass then leaps into the air; Akuma does likewise. Jumping all over the castle grounds at blinding speeds, they engage in fast exchanges of punches and kicks all the while. As each dodges away from the other, their missed blows leave impressions in the walls and the ground.

Akuma attacks, charging in with a roundhouse to the chest. Bass blocks and countered by grabbing Akuma's leg, then flinging him over his shoulder. Akuma flips and lands on his feet, though, then teleports forward. Bass teleports out as if he's left the area then reappears behind Akuma, at the same time firing off a Hadou Buster Shot. Caught off-guard by the unexpected maneuver, Akuma takes the blast in the back and goes sprawling.

"Impressive," the Master of the Fist commnds his opponent as he gets up.

"Yeah, I'm just full of little surprises, aren't I?" Bass laughs.

"Hmph. Well, then. Show me if you have any more tricks up your sleeve!"

"Oh, there's plently more where THAT came from!" Bass jumps high into the sky and shoots two Hadou Buster Shots at Akuma, then while airborne, goes for a diving kick that almost mimics Akuma's Tenma Kuujinkyaku. Akuma teleports out of the range of the projectiles, blocks the kick, then catches Bass on the rebound with the Tatsumaki Zankuukyaku (Dragon Slashing Wind Kick)

Bass gets jerked back and forth as he feels the electrified whirling kicks to his body. Falling onto the ground after the final kick, he rolls away in case Akuma tries to follow up that attack, then counters with…

"SHINING CIRCUIT RAIJINKEN (Shining Circuit Thunder God Fist)!!"

A new technique Bass whips out on the spot, Bass recalls his recent fights with Megaman – didn't that blue boob have a Shoryuken-type attack too? – and the techniques he's seen Akuma use tonight. Applying this knowledge with his Lightning Bolt attack, and voila! Bass has risen into the air with an uppercut, leaving behind a trail of electricity as he goes upward.

A great attack – if it actually made contact. On finishing his Tatsumaki Zankuukyaku move, Akuma spots Bass going for an attack. When he lands, he dodges as Bass goes up with that new lightning-charged Shoryuken of his.

Bass lands from his uppercut move and faces Akuma. "Well, what do you think, Devil-Boy?"

Akuma hmph's, "An interesting technique. Your skill has improved somewhat since our battle began. But you have not yet mastered your fist."

"Maybe," Bass admits. "But that doesn't mean I can't push my limits along the way! Listen up! I'll do whatever it takes to become stronger than my rivals, even if it means getting destroyed in the process! So go ahead and unleash your final attack! Let's see this "Raging Demon" of yours!"

"Fool. You know not what you ask for. If I use Shun Goku Satsu, it will be the last thing you see. Surely YOU are in no hurry to die?"

"Feh. It's a risk I'm willing to take. So c'mon!"

With that, Bass and Akuma assume their fighting stances. Neither of them dared even to blink. Time seemed to stop right there as the two warriors gathered energy to perform their final attacks. Dark energy swirls around Akuma, while Bass glows with a purple battle aura. Both of them keep their eyes locked on each other.

Both were in mutual agreement on this one thing - Only one would leave this place tonight.

And at that precise moment in time, the final attack commences. Akuma glides forward. Bass draws in power, preparing to do what VERY few fighters could possibly do – defend himself against the Shun Goku Satsu. He braces himself for the killing blow…

And all the while the jewel mounted in his helmet glows… The new special ability Bass possesses faces its ultimate field test, analyzing every single detail of Akuma's technique, feeding images of probabilities, options, and outcomes directly into Bass's mind. From this, Bass comes to a conclusion: He CAN attack Akuma before he uses the technique, but then that would defeat what he is trying to do in the first place. Therefore the only solution he can see is: block the Shun Goku Satsu. Failing this (which is VERY likely), take the technique full-on and face the fate of those who fallen victim to it.

If this risky plan succeeds, Bass would soon possess the knowledge of the ultimate killing technique! If not… well… Bass idly wonders if his self-regenerating powers can put him back together again after this.

Closer and closer Akuma quickly comes and then...

A bright flash of light fills the entire area, and stays constant for more than fifteen seconds. The light's so bright, even sunglasses won't help

anyone who happened to look directly at it. And as that light glares brighter and brighter, sounds of fists striking against metal can be heard...and then stopped altogether.

If anyone were able to see into that light, what they would have seen would have been called unbelievable.

From Bass's perspective, everything's gone black. The next thing he knows he's in a world of pain like he's never felt before in his life.

You see, that's how the Shun Goku Satsu works. It's not Akuma's fist alone, but the past sins that will kill the victim; the more evil his or her past doings are, the more painful the person's death. Furthermore, each of Akuma's strikes releases a concentrated burst of Ki on imacpt, causing internal explosions within the body, which literally destroys the opponent from the inside out.

To gain this kind of power, Bass is literally facing death folks. Staring into the darkness, he sees (or thinks he's seeing) thousands of ghostly shapes all around him, the wails of anguish from the countless lives alreadly slain by the Raging Demon. But he fights back with all his might using his own anger to counteract the nightmarish images.

Now, fighting his way out of the Shun Goku Satsu, Bass absorbs the fatal force of the Master of the Fist, drawing in the demon's rage and power into his innermost being — And releases it right back at him, reflecting the fury upon its source.

NOW, Akuma is impressed with Bass's ability. The machine is proving to be a worthy opponent. Perhaps training him is not a waste of time after all.

But an intereseting phenomenon has occurred, for in trying to counter the Shun Goku Satsu, Bass has become half of a superconducting loop completed by Akuma, a circuit of dark energy flowing between the two fighters. The Satsui No Hadou itself rolls and burst and crashes around them, boiling with power and lightspeed ricochets of evil intent, weaving nets of killing energy in exchanges so fast that they are impossible to see.

There's no restraint here folks – Bass is cutting loose in this fight! He's deep in the Satsui No Hadou now: swimming in it, swallowed up within it, he no longer truly exists as an independent being.

The fighting becomes effortless for him now; he lets his body handle it without the intervention of his mind. While his fists lash out and strike, while his feet slide and his weight shifts and his shoulders turn in precise curves of their own direction, his mind surfing along the circuits of dark power, tracing it back to its source.

They become a standing wave of battle that expands into every cubic centimeter of the castle grounds. There's neither scrap of carpet nor shred of chair that might not at any second disintegrate in flames; lampstands become brief shields, smashed into fragments that whirl through the air; couches become terrain to be climbed for advantage or leapt over in retreat. But there's still the constant cycle of power, the endless loop, no wounds taken on either side, not even the possibility of fatigue.

An impasse, a classic stand-off which might have gone on forever, if Bass hadn't used his own teleport to break the circuit. A loud…

SNAP!

…of power and everything comes back into focus. So furious was the action that the battle had gone outside, into the castle's courtyard.

Out into the wind.

Out with the lightning.

Out into the pouring rain.

Nevertheless Bass doesn't miss a beat; still in the heat of battle, he charges up, soaking in the residual engeries left in the wake of the destruction caused by their fight, and yells…

"FULL-FORCE HADOU BUSTER!!!"

"MESSATSU GOU HADOU!!"

Bass and Akuma have just unleashed their strongest Ki blasts. In a repeat of their earlier fight, the projectiles collide, exploding on contact!

KA-BOOOOMMM!!

The resulting shockwaves from the impact caused everything around them to literally crumble to the ground. Anything that wasn't nailed down was blown away away like leaves in the wind.

Both warriors face each other now, the rain steadily pouring down on them. Akuma regards Bass, waiting for him to make a move. Years of using the power of the Surge of Murderous Intent have enabled him to handle his rage and killing intent while staying focused – something that his pupil / opponent (despite the progress he's made in one night) has yet to master.

Bass, however, is still glowing with a black aura of death around him. Tonight, he has done the impossible – survived the Shun Goku Satsu. Not only that, he has absorbed the knowledge of the deadly technique and added it to his growing arsenal of moves. He looks up at the Master of the Fist now, the "Evil Intent" burning in his eyes. Then he gets an idea. He decides it's time to give Akuma a taste of his own medicine – using the very technique he came back from the dead (again) to achieve. And after that, Dog-Boy's next!

When they hear someone… clapping in applause?

Or course, who else could it be? Bass has no need to look; the presence behind him is VERY familiar.

Erick Genryusai applauds his apprentice and Akuma, delighted by what he has seen. "Congratulations, gentlemen. Both of you have fought well."

Only then does Bass turn to face Erick. "Erick. As usual your timing is unbelievable," he says with his usual sarcasm. "And just HOW long have you been watching us?"

"Hmph. I come here to check on my apprentice, and THIS is how he shows me gratitude?" Erick replies with mock hurt in his voice. "Ah well… my point is, Bass, I had some free time this evening – our "mutual friend" has kept us very busy…."

Bass doesn't need to ask – he knows who Erick's talking about. "Geez… so you found the mutt? OK, what's he done now?"

"I'll brief you later on that. As I was saying, I took a moment to observe your training, and I must say I'm pleased with the progress you're making so far. Wouldn't you agree, Akuma?"

"……………" Akuma just nods, not saying a word.

"Plus, Bass, some important things are underway and I'll need you with me back at the base, so for the time being, I'm putting your training on hold – temporarily. Consider it a reward, in appreciation for the hard work you've put in tonight."

Bass is surprised – he wasn't expecting this. "Really? Well… that's, er… rather nice of you, Erick."

Erick smirks, then snaps his fingers and a portal materializes behind him. "Step into that portal, Bass. And enjoy your break – you've earned it. We'll talk later. Right now, Akuma and I have business to discuss."

Bass steps into the portal, which will take him back to the RED CATS' secret base. It closes behind him, leaving Erick and Akuma alone. "So, what do you think of Bass now?" he asks.

"The machine may possess the "murderous intent", but until he can surpass his artificial limitations, he will never truly master his fist," Akuma replies. "At his current rate of progress, he may yet achieve it through his own volition. As things stand, at the very least he is an entertaining sparring partner."

Erick laughs, glad that Bass is not here to hear that – his apprenctice would probably throw a hissy-fit if he found out what Akuma really thought of his abilities. He then turns his attention to Akuma. "And as for YOU, Akuma… I KNOW you've been watching tonight's demonstration of R's capabilities from the shadows. The others may not have seen you, but I knew you were there the whole time. Do you have something you would like to share with me regarding R?"

When Akuma does not respond, Erick continues, "You know, in spite of the circumstances under which you came into my service, you are still a valuable and respected associate of mine. I assure you that what you say to me will be kept under the strictest levels of confidentiality, and will remain solely between you and me. After all, I'm keeping up my end of the deal I offered you, aren't I? What have I done to you, that you would withhold a secret from me?"

Now Akuma may be the Master of the Fist, but he's seen first hand that Erick has a lot of mystical monkey business on his side – powers that could put even his own to shame, and he knows better than to trifle with the man. Still, he finds Erick's speech funny. But since he's not the type to bust out laughing, he simply looks at him and gives him an amused smile. "Spare me the sales pitch."

Erick smiles at that. "Always so straightforward, so direct. I like that. Now, then, how long have you known of R's potential?"

"Irrelevant. What matters now is when 'that' will truly awaken. And I am here, biding my time, waiting for the moment when it does."

"I see…" Erick nods in understanding. Of coruse! Now it all makes sense. Satsui No Hadou – the Surge of Murderous Intent. I'm surprised I didn't recognize it before when my drone in Furinkan reported it to me. And through the Wolf-Fist, it manifests itself differently in R's case – a possible side-effect of the conditioning those "geniuses" Wily and Brightman used in their failed attempt to train him in the Neko-Ken. So… you too are aware of R's true power, eh, Akuma? Hmm… this too is useful, he secretly thinks.

As if in reponse to his thoughts, Akuma says, "...Don't get cocky. You know the boy posseses the same power as I. The "evil intent" is strong with him. He is potentially more powerful than even myself or Ryu. I wish to see if he is worthy of possessing it, if he can master his fist."

"Interesting. But I wonder… why the sudden interest in R? Up until now, you've been so focused on Ryu."

"Bah," the Master of the Fist scoffs. "Battle after battle, I have tried to convince Ryu of the power that he posessess. And every time, he has defied his chosen fate."

"I take it, then, that he has overcome the Satsui No Hadou?"

"Laughable. He has done nothing of the sort. He's merely escaped its grasp; as further proof, I am still here, undefeated. If Ryu will not submit to the "evil intent", then perhaps this "R" will."

Erick chuckles. "My, such confidence. I see you've already made up YOUR mind, at least. But I must ask: is R truly the one you want?"

Akuma pauses before speaking. "...I must have him surpass all else. Surpass me, surpass the killing fist, and surpass the Satsui No Hadou. This boy has the gift of fury, which makes it even MORE potent, and he does not realize it. In time, he may be the one who can stand against me."

Perfect! Now that I know where the Wolf-Fist draws its killing power from, figuring out how to control it (and R) will be a snap! And Akuma's just given me a brilliant idea! "Well, what a coincidence. Because I'm looking into some additional training for R. The Kyoujuu-Urufuken technique you've seen him use is quite powerful, but he has no control over it yet. Perhaps, with YOUR influence…"

"Hmph.... Unlike you, I have no need for technological trickery or sleight-of-hand tricks," Akuma stops Erick right there. "I desire to fight the boy the day when he uses his true power from within."

"Fair enough. Under the terms of our little deal, R WOULD be yours… but there's a problem, you see. We need him to eliminate Ranma Saotome, the boy he was fighting tonight."

"Ah yes…" Akuma remembers, having watched the fight between R and Ranma before coming to train Bass. "That young one reminds me of Ryu when he was his age; he shares a similar fighting spirit and almost as much potential. In the future, he will be an interesting opponent to face. But compared to R, he is merely a pale alternative. That Neko-Ken technique he wields is based in fear, which gives the technique its strength."

"Fear CAN be a powerful motivator, Akuma," Erick warns. "In any case, it would not be wise to underestimate Ranma. We've had to invest quite a bit of time and resources to get R up to his level of fighting ability."

"Which is precisely," Akuma says, "why it might be best if I were to kill this Ranma, instead."

Erick's eyebrows go up at this – he didn't forsee that one coming; rhetorically, he asks, "Are you so certain that you can?"

The Master of the Fist affirmatively nods. "He is R's destined rival, correct? If that is so, then R will go out of his way to prevent anyone else from fighting the boy, so that he alone may have the pleasure of killing him with his own hands. If I slay his opponent, it will force his hand. And then he will have no choice but to face me in battle."

Erick is delighted – the plan is literally writing itself! Oh, THIS is good. This is SO good! Both Bass and Akuma want a piece of R. But if Bass kills him now, Akuma won't get to face R; conversely, if Akuma kills R should R prove unworthy of posessing the Satsui No Hadou, then Bass loses his chance for revenge. Therefore, the solution is simple: I'll send Akuma to deal with Ranma. It won't matter whether or not Akuma succeeds – R will probably intervene to prevent Ranma from getting killed. All Akuma wants is to test R's potential and awaken his murderous possibilities present themselves: One, if Akuma kills R, even though Bass won't get his revenge, it means we get rid of two birds with one stone! Two, if R, once his murderous intent is awakened, rises to the challenge and kills Akuma, HE will become the Master of the Fist. And even though I lose Akuma, R will be more useful to us than he is now. Once he eliminates Ranma for us and fulfills his destiny according to the Cat Ghost King's will, then I'll sic Bass on R, and satisfy his desire for vengeance. Either way everyone's happy!

"Heh heh heh… hahahahahaha!!" Erick laughs, drawing satisfaction from his new plan. "Very well, Akuma, Ranma is yours then. As for perfecting R's control of the Insane Beast Wolf-Fist … you would be willing to help me achieve this?"

Akuma nods. "I see a possibility."

Pleased, Erick nods in a way that came close to being a bow of respect. "Then, my friend, it appears our REAL partnership is just beginning."

TO BE CONTINUED…