So we've just started Round 2, and I'm already in a bind... I'm not quite sure how to proceed lol. I really wanted to carry on with the fights, but I also need to address what happened at the Dark Bout. So... just bear with me. We're gonna try some tomfoolery here, and try to get this damn story on track.
"He's here." Mary's voice spoke that pronoun with an unfamiliar sense of... fear.
"Who?" was naturally Terry's next response.
"...Freeman."
Terry tensed up all at once, hearing that name: a name synonymous with terror, danger, mindless, heartless malice... a lust for blood that transcended any level of humanity.
He barely had time to process it before the towel suddenly flew off of Mary, and she was scrambling around the room, digging through suitcases. A pair of underwear, socks... her combat pants and crop top. Her green jacket.
"Mary, don't tell me you're-"
SHICK! The slipping of a cartridge into her prized Glock.
"That son of a bitch put my cousin Kevin in the hospital." Mary narrated. "Hunting Freeman was... an obsession... for him. Somewhere along the line, his motives got skewed; it became less about protecting the world from that psycho, and more about personal gratification... revenge for his dead partner. He lost his way, and I think that's what caused him to get too sloppy... I won't make the same mistake."
"B-but wait a minute!" Terry attempted to slow the wheels down slightly. "You can't go out there a-alone! Cmon Mary, think this through for a second!"
"Sorry, Terry. There's a killer on the loose." Mary spoke in a hurried tone, no time to even look at him. "I can't sleep at night knowing people are in danger. And don't even THINK about coming with me, or I'll put 50,000 volts in you."
In no time, she was fully clothed, her utility belt stocked, her gun in her holster, along with everything else she'd need.
"Anton! Let's go!"
The dog obeyed his master's call and flocked to her side, and Mary was already towards the door. No... this was moving too fast for Terry. Way too fast!
"Mary! Just wait a second! Mary! MARY! MA-mmmmmppphh..."
Mary silenced him with a slow, chaste kiss on his lips. They stayed there, locked tight on his, and he wished he could capture that soft texture for eternity... he never wanted it to end, especially tonight. The thought that this kiss would be the end, that she would go off into the unknown, was unbearable...
At last, the kiss broke. "I'm sorry baby, our romantic night will have to wait. But I'll tell you what..."
A cheeky smirk. "...I'll give you a freebie. You can cheat on me with B. Jenet if you want. She's super into you."
Terry couldn't stifle his smile; even now, at this moment... her humor ran strong. "Fine. I won't go into detail about the wet, wild things we do while you're away."
With a wink, Mary and Anton sped out the door, leaving Terry standing there in a towel... and the room never felt colder. A night that held such promise, celebration of victory with the warmth of Mary in his arms, her beautiful voice whispering sweet nothings to him... it was all gone. Just like that.
"Mary..." Terry sighed. "Please come back safe."
Day 3 held much promise for fans and warriors alike in the bustling city of Munich, Germany. It was the start of Round 2, of the epic King of Fighters Twilight Tournament: first chance for many, redemption for others.
Nearly all the fighters were able to attend this second day of tournament action, with few glaring exceptions... notably the 48th competitor, Shion. After supposedly being taken into custody for attempted murder, it was no surprise to the more enlightened veterans that he never made it to a police station that night.
To top things off... that was only half the story of today's heightened alert.
"Christ on the cross..." Shen Woo observed his surroundings with bewildered eyes. "Looks like martial f***ing law here today."
The fighters all noticed the same, being it was pretty hard to miss: the Stadium, once flowing with eager consumers and spectators alike, was now being keenly patrolled by armed sentries. Automatics, shotguns, Kevlar vests, high powered sniper rifles atop vantage points, traffic directors... something had gone down to put the Stadium in what could only be described as DEFCON 4.
"Great. And it was hard enough trying to keep Ryuji out of the women's locker room..." King grumbled. "Now we got these watchdogs breathing down our necks."
"Safe to say another year's gone down the toilet." Ryo shook his head with pessimism.
"I find that I fight better with multiple MP5s with laser sights pointing at me." Shingo tried to add humor at the most inopportune moment.
"It'll be a wonder if Rose draws even half the gate she got yesterday..." Chizuru sighed. This obviously affected her on a more personal level than most, being a former hostess herself.
Amidst the big, buzzing hive of gossip and speculation, one figure finally emerged with the truth: a horrid, disheartening truth, that would turn their collective skin cold.
"...Don't any of you watch the news? People died last night."
The room went dead upon those words. The only sound was the stomping of shoes, the rustling of a jacket... they turned to see Mary enter the room, and immediately concern flooded their faces. She looked, for lack of a better word... horrible. Hair messed up, skin pale, bags under her eyes... her expression also did nothing to inspire happy vibes.
"You were all probably busy sleeping, or stuffing your faces." Mary's harsh tone showed no mercy to any faces present. "You all probably want to pretend like it didn't happen, right? RIGHT?"
"Mary..." Vanessa tried to jump in.
No response. Mary brusquely shouldered past her, storming away from the central hub of fighters, leaving everyone not only puzzled... but unsettled.
"Don't mind her." a second voice broke the awkward silence, a much more merciful, alleviating voice. Everyone turned to see Terry approach, Anton in tow beside him. "She had a rough night. REALLY rough."
"What the hell's going on here?" Benimaru flung. "I thought we stopped the Spear Guy!"
"..Allow me to enlighten you." came the third commanding voice of the day. They all turned once again, this time to see Chizuru enter the fray. At her side were a few notable figures: Saisyu, Iori, and Athena.
"Oh here we go." Joe announced. "If anyone knows what's going on, it's Ms. Exposition Lady. Please fill our ears with your sweet expository nectar."
"I'll thank you to watch that smart mouth, Higashi." Chizuru countered fiercely. "I'm not in the mood today. Now then... did any of you watch the dark bout that aired last night, following the main event?"
A collective silence. A few scratched heads. A few scuffed feet. Some looked away.
"I thought so." Chizuru carried on. "I didn't see it either, as I was out eating as well, but I sensed the evil brewing at the Stadium... "
"So did I." Athena added. "A powerful, menacing aura... human, but NOT human."
"We immediately asked for our check and headed back towards the Stadium." Saisyu continued. "By the time we got there it was too la-"
"AHEM! GATHER ROUND FIGHTERRRRRRRS, GATHER ROUND~!" a loud, flamboyant singsong voice broke the exposition, shattering the grim mood and paving way for her presence to now command the room. There was but one guess as to who it was: Rose Bernstein, strutting into the lobby with a heightened sense of confidence and authority about her. Her hair was dolled up, makeup as thick as ever, and her red dress sparkled with luster. It seems the hostess hadn't wavered a bit, despite the events of last night...
"Round 2 is finally upon us! To all the fighters who made it this far, I congratulate you. To the ones unfortunate enough to be eliminated... I hope your wounds are healing well, and may you support your peers with all your heart and soul!" Rose's voice cheerfully filled the room as she gave a cheesy curtsy with her dress pinched between her thumbs.
"Enough of the formalities, lady." Joe grumbled. "We wanna know what the hell's going on here! What's with all the firepower?!"
Rose's eyes glared daggers. "Tsk! So uncouth, Mr. Higashi! Very well then. It seems last night we had a little... incident. An intruder broke into the Stadium, and we suspect he was under the influence of some powerful narcotics. He gave our security force quite a fight, but rest assured, the suspect was subdued."
"Th-that's not t-" Athena squeaked.
"FURTHERMORE..." Rose continued, glaring at Athena for a subtle millisecond. "...I just want to set the record straight for all of you. There may be... rumors... that some people lost their lives last night in the dreadful attack. Let me assure you right now, despite what anyone here might have said, there were zero fatalities. So please! Keep your chin up, keep your spirits high, and carry your pure fighting essence with you into the Stadium! We've got to put on a show for these people, and ease their troubled minds! We must show that the undying flame of King of Fighters still burns strong!"
"So what? I'm gonna have guns pointed at me while I take a piss?" Shen Woo complained.
"Just like my holding cell all over again..." Yamazaki reminisced with a nostalgic smile.
"They're just a security measure, to ensure the safety of the people." Rose addressed. "And I implore you all, those of you not competing, please do your part to protect them as well. We're going to have a successful day here, I swear it. So, fighters, I bid you auf wiedersehen. Stay strong, fight strong, and may the gods of battle smile in your favor!"
Her red dress twirled in a beautiful spiral, as she swung around and proceeded to walk away. She made it nearly out of the lobby, before she suddenly stopped... back still turned, she gave one last message.
"And fighters... one more thing. I implore you all to stay healthy this round, and keep your morale high... regardless of victory or defeat. Some of you may find the sun shining on you, even in the thickest blizzard."
With that last semi-cryptic line, Rose finally exited the lobby, leaving the fighters... no more enlightened than they were when they woke up. Chizuru watched her walk away, her teeth slightly gritted... she was determined not to let Rose get away with this. Every fiber of her being yearned to chase after her right now, and beat the truth out of her. It was only her rationality... her desire for professionalism... that stayed her.
"Another year goes by." Iori casually spoke beside her. When she felt his hand place onto her shoulder, she felt herself slightly eased. She released her tension all at once, in the form of a deep sigh.
"Yeah..."
"Kyo would be having a ball." With that one line, and a small pat, Iori walked away from her, leaving only she, Saisyu and Athena on her flank.
"What do we do, Miss Kagura?" Athena asked. "I'm more than happy to support you, no matter what you need."
Chizuru managed a smile. "Thank you, Athena. I really appreciate you. But for now... there's little we can do. Rose is obviously trying to do damage control, and she won't appreciate me trying to stick my nose in. For now, we focus on our primary mission... knocking the Hakkeshu out of the tournament."
"Do you think Rose listened to reason last night?" Saiysu asked.
"I guess we'll find out, when we get our opponents."
"I'm still very confused..." Andy shrugged.
"Yeah, something fishy is going on here." Yuri added. "I'm not sure Rose is telling us the whole story..."
"Don't dwell on it." Gato responded. "All that matters is defeating the foe in front of you. You can all spend your day pondering the mysteries of life if you want... don't forget you're competing to be called the ultimate fighter. If any of you are foolish enough to overlook this goal... I'll run through you like an ant hill."
Gato's coal-like disposition never failed to dull a room. With a tug of his yellow gi, he and his granite face stomped out of the room.
"And the award for Happiest Fighter of the Year goes to..." Mai sarcastically spoke.
"Cmon guys. Let's just get out there." Clark spoke. "He's right. We can't lose sight of what we're here for. At the very least, we've got to preserve the integrity of the tournament."
"Oh, go crawl in your foxhole." Angel sassed. "Today's the day I'm gonna run a train on you f***ing putos. I'm done with all this ass tickling. I'm with Mr. Stone Cold, you can all sit here and play your little dinner theater mysteries. I've got a f***ing contest to win."
Angel strutted her well-toned hips as she shoved past innocent bystanders, the next to make a scene leaving. As she walked out, she stopped to notice Vanessa was glaring furiously at her... Angel merely smiled, spread two fingers like a V, and wriggled her tongue between them. Vanessa looked away with a deep huff, and a smirking Angel walked onward. Ramon, who saw the whole thing, could only shake his head...
"Let's go check on Mary." Vanessa urged him.
"Yeah..." Ramon took his mind off Angel, and focused on the thing he had power over; being able to console his comrade. Putting a hand around Vanessa, the two left the lobby to go tend to her. As they brushed by Terry, Vanessa muttered a small but encouraging message into his ear, followed by a good-natured fist to his bicep.
"Keep your mind on the money, big guy."
10 AM: START OF ROUND 2
"Alright, gather round."
Yashiro's voice beckoned them together, a team of shaky six, as the group congregated in a secluded area far away from the stands where the others had taken their seats. Shermie and Chris stood at his side, ever his foundation, while the other three kept their distance... and none of them looked too impressed.
"We did good yesterday." Yashiro started. "Today, the stakes are even higher, so-"
"I'm sorry," Yamazaki rudely cut in, extending his thumb. "Is he still qualified to call team meetings? Last I checked, we all won yesterday, and he got-
"Destroyed?" Mature smirked.
"Humiliated?" Vice bounced.
"Humbled?"
"Degraded?"
"Neutered?"
"Shut up, hags!" Chris finally fought back, standing up for their fallen teammate. He and Shermie seemed to tighten their formation, forming a strong barrier in front of Yashiro.
"It's true that I was defeated yesterday." Yashiro replied with humility. "Luckily for us, one loss doesn't derail our plans. In fact, things couldn't be looking more UP. The controversy with the Spear Warrior, plus that surprise intruder attacking last night..."
"All that bloodshed spread a hearty, hearty brew of terror and despair~" Shermie continued, flashing a seductive set of pearly whites as her fingers trailed across her lips. "Mmm... heeheehee... I can just taste it in the air. Everyone is rattled. The foolish Bernstein girl can only keep a lid on things for so long. Humans can always be counted on to spread their gossip like a plague... pretty soon, everyone will know that the sweet, innocent German people were murdered last night, by that psycho intruder~"
"So what you're saying is... we're free to have as much fun as we want." Mature smiled creepily. "The seeds are already sown."
"Just keep winning." Yashiro urged them. "This is our chance to really stick our thumbs in the wound. We destroy some of the pretty faces, make the people's hearts break, their temperaments flare, their hope crushed to dust... this tournament will be a petri dish of negative energy, enough to awaken our Lord a thousand times! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Yeah yeah." Yamazaki rolled his eyes. "Laugh it up, while you watch from the sidelines. We're gonna make this happen without you, bub. The Big Guy is gonna know that you f***ed up first."
Vice was ever eager to rub more salt. "I wouldn't be surprised if Goentiz destroyed you himself for your weakness..."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chris roared... an unnatural, uncanny roar. Mature, Vice, Yamazaki all noticed something amiss... their feet subtly stepped back, as they felt an extraordinary shockwave of energy emit from Chris's body. They looked deeper: they could swear his eyes had turned colorless for a slight second...his hair pigment had slightly lightened...
As quickly as the moment came, so too did it pass. Yashiro and Shermie seemed not to notice, and they just took it as a sign of the other three falling in line.
"Alright then, that about does it." Yashiro dismissed. "All of you, remember what we're fighting for. Orochi's Will be done."
The Heavenly Kings took their leave; Yamazaki, Mature and Vice remained where they stood, still slightly shaken by the sudden outburst of energy Chris had emitted. Their rattled nerves took several seconds to dissipate, until finally the three were conversation-capable again.
"So, they still don't trust us." Yamazaki opened.
"Do you blame him?" Mature responded.
"Who do YOU trust?" Vice doubled.
Yamazaki smirked. "Heh! Gimme a mirror and I'll show you."
"The boy is getting too powerful..." Mature continued.
"Their powers are returning to them." Vice carried on. "Theirs are far greater than our own. Pretty soon, we'll have no choice but to submit..."
"And bring back that despicable wind-slinger? Never." Mature spat.
"Hey, I don't want G back anymore than you do." Yamazaki broke their rhythm. "I'm all for The Big Guy smiling down on little ol' me, though. So I say, let's cross our fingers for the good guys to triumph."
"What?"
"Are you mad?"
"Explain yourself."
Yamazaki brought his hand up in defense. "Alright, alright, alrighty. Best case scenario... the Kagura lady, old man Kusanagi, Yagami, they get paired up with our esteemed colleagues. If not, then... well... could always be us."
"Yashiro would want us to let them win." Mature noted.
Yamazaki let out a sharp cackle. "HEEHEHEHEHAHAHAHA! Ohh that's not happening. Not one bit. We officially have the numbers, my Skank Twins... 3 against 2. No, even MORE than that. If Sherm and Chris get knocked out, all we gots to do is ride the wave... and we'll never have to worry about that shitbag Goenitz being brought back. The God won't reward screwups."
"Sounds like you're pretty confident things are finalized." Mature responded.
Yamazaki shrugged. " Oh trust me, there's no stopping it at this point. I was there for '97... I saw with my own eyes how nothing could stop God coming back to this world. The very air was heavy with his overwhelming aura, enough to choke you dizzy. I thought it was a thrill just seeing it once in my lifetime, but TWICE? Hoooo! Tickles my pickle just thinking about it."
Vice let out a mocking snort. "And what makes you think Orochi will recognize YOU? You've done less for the cause than any of us."
"Well I'm here now, aren't I?" Yamazaki countered. "That's more than Yash can say... hell, that's more than any of you can say really! Hahahaha! Get it? Cuz you're... you know. Kkkkkkkreeeck!"
He made a slitting motion with his throat, grinning ear to ear. Mature and Vice rolled their eyes, unimpressed.
"Whatever, Ryuji."
"Yeah, whatever." Vice echoed. "Just don't get too big for your britches. Don't forget, you have more to lose than any of us... and you're already on eggshells as it is."
Upon hearing that... Yamazaki's tongue trailed across his lips, like the taste of danger aroused him. "Oh I live for the eggshells, baby. I can't get enough of em."
King of Fighters was never to be underestimated; despite EVERYTHING, the sold-out crowd returned for the next day. Albeit, there was a general vibe of uneasiness, given the large security presence of not only local law enforcement, but elements of the special police force GSG9 as well. It seemed Rose and Krauser would have to settle for the general public KNOWING there was a situation... but content to at least let there be whispers for the time being.
"I heard there was an attack here last night..."
"Several people got hurt..."
"I heard one of them died!"
"More than one. Someone in town got murdered too..."
Rose had to steel her nerves as she walked through the crowded walkways, her eyes only forward. She wouldn't even look at them, to acknowledge their mutterings... it didn't matter what was truth and fabrication. To sway public opinion and gain favor, she had to create her OWN truth. The tournament was all that mattered to her. Everything fell on maintaining this week... keeping the people happy... until her brother could hoist his trophy high in his homeland.
Besides, she was inadvertently helping Chizuru as well. The woman would be pleased to see an effort to promote a positive atmosphere. Maybe she'd stop blathering about her Hakkeshu nonsense.
"On me, Silber." she gave that brief command to her grizzled bodyguard, not even stopping to glance at him. He said nothing, just fell in behind her and started matching her pace. His eyes couldn't help but suspiciously scan the surroundings, particularly curious about the presence of so many armed forces... maybe his prideful ways were slightly wounded, that these guys had to step in and help do HIS job.
Rose walked unopposed, throughout the inner facility, before finally reaching the grassy field itself... the volume naturally raised to a screech when the hostess herself came out onto the field, and she couldn't help but smile and drink in the praise. She walked all the way across, until she reached the dirt circle that was fashioned into the combat zone. Microphone in hand, she tapped it a few times, cleared her throat, and spoke:
"A-ahem! PEOPLE OF GERMANY... please listen up. Before we proceed with Round 2, I'd like to address a few... questions. Yes, what you are all hearing is true... during the dark bout, which aired last night, a mysterious intruder entered the combat zone, severely injuring the two contestants, several security staff, and more, before making an improbable escape."
"Escape?!" Yuri immediately questioned. "But she said the suspect was-"
"She's full of it." Mai growled. "Probably lying to save her own skin."
"...Be that as it may, she's doing the right thing." Chizuru reluctantly informed them. "No matter what, we have to protect the public favor. If Germany is thrown into chaos and fear... those negative emotions will weaken the seal..."
"BUT... right here, at this moment, in the grand Allianz Arena, I give you my word." Rose continued to speak, with a powerful, captivating tone. "I swear to you, that the hardworking men and women of our law enforcement are trying their hardest to bring this menace to justice, so that no other innocents are harmed by his malice!"
Rose paused for a round of applause, which she was thankful to recieve, given the circumstances. She let it continue for a moment, before clearing her throat, and continuing:
"I also want to promise you, that as long as I, Rose Bernstein, am hostess of this tournament... no harm will come to to you all, or anybody else participating in this week's events. I have strengthened our security force greatly, while the task forces on the outside work tirelessly in their pursuit. This villain will be apprehended, and peace and stability will return to Munich, Germany, so we can continue having a good time!"
Another round of applause. The age-old philosophy seemed to be true... by themselves, a man or woman was capable of rational, independent thought. Any singular person would be wise enough to have doubts and suspicions about the goings-on currently. But flock 80,000 people together, and abstract thought gets tossed out the window... the sheep mentality was in full blast, as the people were apparently drinking up Rose's empty words and promises, heralding her as some kind of guardian angel or messiah, who could do no wrong.
They should have gotten the message yesterday, after TWO live murder attempts.
"AND NOW, PEOPLE OF GERMANY..." Rose built up the moment for maximum epic, before thrusting her hand in the air. "LET ROUND 2 OF THE TWILIGHT TOURNAMENT BEGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN~!"
"This is all bullshit." Shen Woo complained. "Can someone actually explain what's going on here?"
"You really want to know?" Chizuru stood up and faced them all. "I'll tell you. Last night, an unknown man entered the Stadium and seriously messed up two fighters. One of them was Heavy D, the leader of the Sports Team... the other was a Kyokugen Karate practitioner named Khushnood Butt."
"Whoa! Butt's in the hospital?!" Ryo gasped.
"Oh shit! I didn't know!" Yuri squealed. "We got checked out before..."
Kasumi felt a tinge of guilt. If she hadn't defeated him so brutally, could he have been strong enough to defend himself...?
"Furthermore..." Chizuru hung her head down, eyes closed, to mask her emotions. "...Some security personnel lost their lives. At least three."
"...They're not the only ones."
Everyone turned when that voice broke the current bubble, intruding upon their conversation with that ominous announcement. Blue Mary had appeared for the second time, Vanessa and Ramon behind her, looking like they'd seen ghosts.
"Mary." Chizuru confronted. "What else do you know?"
"There's only one thing I know..." Mary narrowed her eyes as she spoke. "I'm going to find Freeman and do what needs to be done. To protect this world from his lunacy."
"But that's not what I-"
Mary gave Chizuru no further response, instead shoving past her forcefully and making her way out of the stands, towards where the actual audience was stationed. She seemed to be going towards the VIP booth...
Without the primary informant there to give them the news, everyone's attention turned to the next best thing: the two people seen alongside her.
"Vanessa. Ramon." Chizuru softly addressed them. "What has Mary told you?"
Terry seemed to take a particular interest in what words would come next, as he brought himself closer to their vicinity...
"She... she told us about what happened last night. All of it." Vanessa narrated, though the cringing of her face suggested the words were physically painful to try and get out. Thankfully, she had her partner there as backup.
"Last night, when everyone had turned in... Mary went back to the city." Ramon began.
ROSE'S VIP BOOTH
"You speak quite flowery, Miss Bernstein." a gruff voice waited for her as soon as she made her way back into her cool digs. Judging from his gear, he seemed to be police... perhaps a captain. Maybe even the chief of Munich PD.
"I thank you." she didn't miss a beat, as she gave a curtsy.
"You're lucky King of Fighters is one of the biggest commercial events on the planet, or I'd have a government order to shut you down by now." the uniformed man continued.
In the far corner of the room, Wolfgang Krauser sneered. "And you would be the final one to ever do that."
The man, more wary and intimidated of Krauser than Rose, wisely backed off from his snide threats. Instead, he smoothly transitioned to business. "Alright. I've got men covering every sector of this place. Guards in high spots, checkpoints narrowing the traffic... we ain't getting anymore intruders in here. I assure you."
"Good." Rose bowed. "We need to keep this competition as the main focus. I'm going to make sure people are as distracted from their surroundings as possible. Free concession deals, merchandise, T-shirt cannons, live shows... people are GOING to enjoy this week, even if I have to point my rapier at their throat and force them."
"And we need to be as quiet as possible about the deaths... that's a given." Krauser added. "It'll be easy enough to settle the families out of court, and I'm willing to meet halfway on that. But you and your men BETTER catch this guy."
The gruff man let out a small chuckle "Do you KNOW who we have out there? GSG9. Germany's elite response team. This coked-out nutjob is gonna get his door bashed in, and he'll be rotting in a cell, awaiting his execution before he has time to take his morning piss. Don't you guys worry about a thing. We'll catch this guy."
"Then I bid you good luck, sir." Rose nodded politely. "Now please... leave us. You too, Mr. Krauser. I want your fight to come early, so we can get the people fired up."
As the police chief took his leave, Krauser began following behind... but he stopped, having one more message to say:
"Just remember our deal, Rose. You KNOW who I want in the next round. If you don't give me Bogard... I'll make you regret it. And Silber and your brother won't be able to save you."
Silber's eye glowed menacingly at that threat, and he started to rise from his seat, but Rose put a quelling hand on him. "Yes, Lord Krauser... you'll get your fight, I promise you. Now, please... I have duties to attend to."
With one last nod, Krauser exited the room... and on perfect cue, the exact person Rose was waiting for entered right after. Already, her eyes were fixated on Rose's, who merely expressed glee.
"Miss Blue Mary Ryan!" Rose clapped her hands in greeting with a cheerful smile. "You grace me with your presence!"
"If it's alright with you, let's skip the grace and get to the grub." Mary spoke with a tone befitting of her... stressed psyche.
"Then we shall." Rose nodded. "Let's not beat around the bush... I'm well aware that you know more about what's going on than the others do."
As the two adults spoke, Anton scurried freely around the room... he sniffed around a bit until he noticed another creature: Rose's pet panther kitten, Rodem Jr. The kitty was laying there, casually playing with a ball, using the left paw to swat it right, until the other paw batted it the other way. The panther continued this over and over, an enjoyable pastime for hours on end.
Anton laid on his stomach, wiggled his rear, and waited...
"You're very astute." Mary replied, gruff but not aggressive. "And I got news for you: you can't keep up this charade for very long. Word is spreading fast that Freeman attacked.. and some people didn't make it."
"So, his name's Freeman... how apropos, considering he is, quite free at the moment."
Rose set down her teacup, put her hands together, fingers interlacing... her eyes fixated on Mary with intensity, as the jovial light faded from her being.
"My people are in danger... Miss Ryan. I won't have a serial killer roaming my streets, claiming the lives of my countrymen. That's where you come in."
As they continued speaking, Anton finally made his move. He shot forward like a rocket, diving on the pretty red ball to claim it for his own... but Rodem Jr. was too fast. The kitty easily sidestepped him, batting the ball far from his possession and managing to keep it within the confines of his paws like a professional.
Anton once again laid on his stomach, wiggled his rear, and waited...
"You're smart to ask me." Mary replied. "You figured out quick that I've got a score to settle with this guy. That means you know I'm the right person for the job. And I also know... that gives me some hella leverage."
"Oh I knew there would be a price for your services, Miss Ryan." Rose slightly smirked. "There's much for you to gain, from someone as wealthy as I. And I do have an offer... one you surely won't refuse."
With a continued sly curving of lips, Rose reached down into her surprisingly well-endowed chest... from her dress emerged a small piece of laminated cardboard... Mary immediately recognized her name.
"My entry card?"
"Ready to be re-instated." Rose smiled. "You see, with both of our alternates in the hospital, there's nobody to take the coveted 24th spot in Round 2... you catch this soulless monster for me, and I'll give you your spot back. I'm prepared to make you the main event of the evening."
Mary slightly chuckled. "Hehe... sorry, but you can't win me over by tapping into some fiery competitive spirit. I don't have that, like my babe has. I couldn't care less. I'm a working girl, who wants to settle down one day. Me, a hubby, a dog. A little moolah is a lot more valuable to me than a mere lottery ticket."
Rose tried to hide the instinctive snarl of her lip... how DARE she defy her plan! She managed to quickly conceal it, however. She could still salvage this. "Very well then. Name your price, and I'll throw in the entry card absolutely complimentary."
At that moment, Anton struck a SECOND time. He dived headfirst at Rodem Jr, paws extended to nab the ball... the kitty leaped over his head, and Anton took a facedive. Rodem Jr. escaped with the ball, and the last laugh.
Mary slowly brought her fist up... and two fingers emerged. "I want twenty thousand. Plus medical expenses for anyone who gets hurt. And I want you to send a relief fund to the families of the deceased. ALL of them."
Rose could have responded with any variety of barter, snark, refusal... instead she brought her hands together for a steady round of applause. "Bravo, Miss Ryan, bravo! You are ruthless... and I know that's how you'll get the job done. Very well. Deal. Promise me you'll catch this guy, and great rewards await!"
With a small yawn, Mary brought her arms above her head and stretched a few times, bending her back. "Weeeelp... sounds good to me. Come along, Anton! Let's go catch a snake."
"Bark!" Anton happily responded, as he followed her out of the VIP booth. His mind completely diverted from the shiny red ball.
Rose put on her sweetest smile, dangling her fingers in a dainty farewell, as Mary looked on, unamused, finally turning to leave the VIP booth for good.
...Rose waited until she was well gone, before her face turned devious. She turned to face her table, grabbing a spoon from the sugar pot, and began dropping lumps into her tea.
"That's right, Miss Ryan... do my job for me. Bring the killer to justice. Bring my tournament back under control. I promise I'll reward you handsomely... by serving you up to my brother in the main event. His wounds are grave from yesterday... I've got to make sure he has a very beatable opponent. You'll be weary, worn from your day-long pursuit... and when you face my darling Adelheid, he'll obliterate you in mere seconds. No matter what, I WIN. Hohohoho... HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
She finally submerged her spoon, and began stirring the tea. Little by little, the outrageous mountain of sugar began to slowly sink into the brown liquid... until none remained.
NEXT CHAPTER: FIGHTS! FIGHTS! FIGHTS! The lucky losers are picked off, and the more intense matchups will come later. 24 fighters will become 12, and then... who knows what will happen? Stay tuned and find out!
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