Just as Geese was about to prepare for another meeting, his phone began to buzz and vibrate in his pocket. Normally he'd check to see who it was and then ignore it if it wasn't important. But as he saw Billy's name flash over the screen, he grew a little curious. On occasion the young man would only call when it was important; usually vital information or, in this case, something that made Geese's blood run cold when he answered.
"We got an emergency. Surprise attack from Wolfgang's foot soldiers. Mai went missing in the chaos. Some blonde-haired bloke took her to the train station. I don't know if he was one of the goons or not," was the message Billy delivered. Despite the attempted calmness in his voice, it couldn't hide the faint panic.
immediately, Geese rose from his chair, snatching his jacket from its back. "Right. I'm on my way. Tell the receptionist to clear my schedule for the day. Family emergency."
He ended the call after that, as he hurried down the corridor and reached the elevator, almost punching the button to the basement. As he descended, his thoughts began to enter a whirlpool of questions and theories, all related to this surprise kick to the gut. The latest news from the spies in Germany was that Wolfgang was still holed up in his castle. And that was what Geese had based his current moves on.
At some point, he must have snuck out, right past their noses and flown himself all the way to South Town. It would therefore be fair to assume that the bastard could not let his infatuation go so he thought he could slip into Geese's domain and abduct Mai again. And then there was the blonde-haired bloke who had swooped in and taken her. But why to the train station? Would that be where Wolfgang was hiding out now?
There were too many uncertainties for Geese to form a satisfactory case and it frustrated him so as he finally reached the basement, where a chauffeur stood ready, perhaps summoned by Billy. No orders needed to be given thankfully as he entered the backseat. Geese could drive if he so desired and he probably would have if not for the tenacity of his right-hand man.
He'd be aptly rewarded after this.
The car sped off from the basement and into the snowy wilderness of South Town's late noon traffic. Snowplows had caused things to slow down considerably as they worked to clear the roads from endless layers of white. The driver had to take some shortcuts and side roads in order to bypass congestion before it drove alongside the unused railroad leading into the station.
When Geese finally at the old building, he wasn't sure of what he expected to see. Without hesitation, he bypassed the bodyguards standing outside and swung the door open, just in time to see Mai fly through the air, surrounded by flames with her fan fully unfolded.
Between the drab colors of the run-down station, she looked like a phoenix, reborn from the ashes and embraced by a crimson fire, befitting only her. Only a few seconds passed before she landed on her feet and summoned a fireball, sending it flying toward her foe. For a moment, Geese had been so entranced by watching his wife-to-be unleash her prowess that he hardly noticed the fireball sent flying towards Wolfgang, who blocked it with ease.
Geese hated to admit this, but he knew his half-brother to be a strong fighter. It was about the only good quality he had. Yet Mai wasn't deterred. As Wolfgang lunged at her, he raised his legs, about to kick her but she swiped at him instead with the fan, halting his attack and causing him to step back. At this point, it was a battle of speed and agility, balanced out by brute strength which Wolfgang possessed more of.
But Mai had keenness which she used to avoid every attack launched at her.
No matter how hard he tried, Wolfgang could never get a hold of her. Mai, surrounded by magnificent flames, always evaded. Her eyes widened when an indignant Wolfgang raised both of his hands in the air, his body flashing blue before a projectile launched itself off his body, like a tidal wave of energy. Momentarily, all caution left Geese and he was about to rush into the battle but Mai jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The projectile tore a hole in the wall, cascading dirt, and debris everywhere in roaring, deafening cracks. A thick fog settled over the train station, filling Geese's nose with grime. He held his sleeve to his nostrils, his eyes darting around the room to see any signs of Mai or Wolfgang.
Before the dust could settle, there was a light from somewhere. A bright glow like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. For a moment, Geese feared the worst until he saw a familiar shape in the dust, surrounded by pillars of fire that blew the roof off the building. Somewhere amidst the roaring noise, Geese faintly heard a scream, but he couldn't pinpoint its source.
The roof began to crumble, and he moved towards the door, just barely missing the tile that could have hit him in the head. Above the layer of foggy dust, a pale whiteness emerged, casting specks of snow from above. Deep, scorched holes had nearly removed the entire roof of the train station.
"Sir!" Ripper came running from the outside but halted when Geese held out his hand, barking a simple order that was almost silenced by the building settling into its new damage. "Stand back!"
The noise dissipated, yet Geese's ears were still ringing, and he coughed through as visibility grew. In the middle of the floor stood Mai and Geese realized that it had been her who summoned the pillars. She had done it. She defeated Wolfgang. Her revenge had been taken. Not even she believed it at first, as she stared at the man laying by her feet.
From the crumbled walls and shattered windows, a gust of wind blew snow inside the hall. Some of it landed on Mai's hair before melting. On the ground, Wolfgang began to groan, writhing where he lay. He turned his head, his messy mustache slowly curling into a demented smile.
"If I can't have you, no one will," he said, ever so softly, like he couldn't decide if he should accept defeat or not. Nevertheless, it was foreboding.
His hand slid under his chest, moving slowly back and forth before sliding outwards. In the pale daylight, Geese saw something glint under the man's coat and he stepped into action without hesitation. Before Wolfgang could even pull the trigger, Geese sent a Reppukken rushing across the floor and striking him. He tumbled into snow and dirt, groaning in pain before he stilled, unconscious. The gun was thrown across the floor, clattering across the dirty tiles and landing out of reach.
"Finally caught you, you slippery cunt. To think you took the stupid risk and came to my city. You should've known I'm not someone to fuck with," Geese marched forward, his throat and eyes itching from the dust and his nose tickling, almost goading him into a sneeze. He would succumb to his bodily needs later.
It was almost pathetic how infatuations could inflame delusions and drive a man to such stupidity. Either way, Geese was pleased with this turn of events, standing over his worst adversary. The taste of retribution was sweeter than wine, delicious on the tongue, filling his body with such vigorous energy, ready to be exercised in the worst ways.
"Geese…" Mai's voice called out to him, mellowing the most bloodthirsty of his inner demons. He paused, then turned around. From the corner of his eyes, he saw some of the bodyguards, storming the room to get an assessment of the situation.
Upon spotting Wolfgang, they all scurried to subdue and carry him away. Geese probably should have said something but he was unable to, his mind and attention solely fixating on Mai. Her clothes were a little ruffled and her hair had come undone, but she looked otherwise unaffected.
"Are you alright?" he stepped closer to her, his racing heart calming down when his hand landed on her shoulders. He could feel the warmth through her clothes. Her red cheeks reminded him of apples. The faint heat of her breath was a good indicator that she was alive and well.
A smile, warmer than the sun, formed on her face as she nodded. "Mm-hm."
He could have cupped her face and kissed her right then and there. Kiss her like he hadn't kissed anyone before in his whole life. The urge was almost overwhelming but Geese was not a slave to his impulses and so he tempered them just enough to lift one hand off her shoulder, even if he couldn't quite stop the wide smile from spreading on his face like it was about to fall off.
"That was extraordinarily amazing," he said, sliding a hand to rest against her soft cheek.
"Thanks," she smiled, yet her expression faltered soon after. She turned her head to look around, fixating her gaze on somewhere in the back of the hall. Worry seemed to overtake her and as footsteps came closer from within the darkness, Geese soon understood why.
Into the light, stepped a face, he wasn't expecting to see ever again and now he understood what Billy meant by blonde-haired bloke. A slew of various emotions washed over Geese as he stared directly into the eyes of Terry Bogard. Not a specter; the man in the flesh. Geese had an oddly hard time figuring out what he was supposed to feel when he saw his most tenacious foe and, in the end, he settled for cautious shock.
"So it is you, Terry," he began, his entire body growing tense and stiff. "You've returned after all. Here to meddle in my plans again? Invading my privacy once more? I don't take kindly to you kidnapping the women in my life."
The surviving Bogard boy bore a hard expression that reminded Geese a little too much of Jeff. It was insane how similar the two were and they weren't even blood related. The way, he stared at Mai and then at Geese, almost made it look like he was contemplating his options of a battle.
"I heard the news. Congratulations, Geese. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, so I hope she can curb your bad habits. She's a good person so take good care of her," Terry said after a long and tense pause. He burrowed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, shaking his head to get rid of snow on the rim of that stupid cap.
He turned to look at the bodyguards loading Wolfgang into a black van, but Geese was busy staring at him, processing the words he had just heard. Terry Bogard congratulating him on his engagement? An encounter that didn't end up in a fistfight? Perish the thought! And yet, here they stood in the ruins of South Town's abandoned train station without the promise of a battle. It was almost tradition at this point. A ritual between the two of them. Terry didn't even protest the handling of Wolfgang.
Mai would often speak of how her friend group had become fractured and fragmented following Andy's death. She mentioned how everyone was pushed into a process of changing and adapting, handling their lives and grief in various ways. All of this was relayed from that loud-mouthed fool in the trunks – people changing allegiances, enemies becoming friends, what have you.
Until he was met with the evidence, Geese never considered that Terry would be subject to this change. How could he? Then again, the man was insufferably optimistic and friendly – much like Jeff was to all people.
Even Geese.
"…Congrats. You always dreamt of getting married, right, Mai?" Terry looked at her with an easy smile on his face.
"I did," she nodded, gingerly untangling from Geese. She took cautious, slow steps toward him until she was within arm's distance.
A part of Geese considered stepping in but then he remembered that these two were close once. As much as he detested Terry, he knew the brat enough to know that there would be no harm done to Mai.
"Be happy then. And keep a leash on him. I won't hesitate to step in and fight him if he fucks up, so I need you to be his buffer," Terry gestured with his elbows, ignoring the layer of snow that began to gather on his hat again. His suggestion to Mai was almost comical. His ignorance was borderline adorable.
Under Geese's control, South Town was a safer place, annoying, meddling maggots notwithstanding. Mai had accepted and aided in the dark actions of the city's underbelly. She wasn't going to try and stop Geese because she understood why things had become the way they had. But suppose an effort could be made to make the criminal underworld a little more harmonious by breaking some eggs.
"I'll try my best. I may have gotten a one-way ticket to hell, but I'll make purgatory a little more heavenly," Mai shrugged with a smirk.
Clever little thing didn't even make it a promise. She reached her hand out and Terry took it, then pulled her closer until he could feasibly hug her. She gasped, then slowly let her arms wrap around his body. If it was anyone but Terry, Geese would have almost turned green with jealousy. But even he had to respect the man's sensibilities, able to part on such an amicable note with someone who should theoretically be his enemy.
Geese could only make guesses as to what had occurred before the battle with Wolfgang, but he figured he'd get his answer soon enough. Mai unwrapped from Terry, giving him a lasting look before she turned towards Geese, hurrying to his side. She looked up at him with nothing but love and affection in her watery eyes. Yet, she was smiling.
The signs of a bittersweet farewell.
Just to comfort her, Geese swung an arm around Mai's shoulders as he guided her out of the ruins of the train station and towards the nearest car. The ride back to the tower was a quiet, peaceful affair, heightened by the excitement of today's events. Geese didn't expect things to end the way they did today. He hadn't foreseen capturing an enemy this soon. And he didn't even have to sponsor the next tournament!
Oh well, there was nothing to complain about. Geese was quite in a good mood as the car drove past the gate to the basement parking lot. Next to him Mai sat, and stared out the window, tugging a lock of brown hair behind her ear. She probably had a lot to think about so Geese let her, occasionally looking at her to see how she was doing. She only moved when the car came to a stop and the driver went to open the door for her.
"Remember the secret floor? We're taking him there," Geese said, once they stepped out of the vehicle. He brushed some dust off his suit, his sinuses continuing to itch as the urge for a shower nearly became overwhelming. In reality, both of them could really use a bath to wash the grime and dirt off. Mai looked at him, then nodded and he swore he saw a flame flicker in her beautiful eyes.
The secret floor of the tower was located below the parking lot and could only be accessed by a secret entrance. An underground lair that was mostly used for storage. It was here where weapons for trading were kept. It would be here where top-priority enemies were kept, hereunder Wolfgang.
Geese had occasionally alluded to its existence whenever they discussed the aftermath of Wolfgang's capture. With that said, Mai had never actually been here before and it wasn't like she could enter; the door was barred with a passcode and biometrics, set only to recognize a select few people.
After a thorough shower and a change of clothes, Mai and Geese made their way down the cold staircase, illuminated by white lamps hanging on the walls. Here was quiet, except for the echoing footsteps and the occasional sigh from Mai. At the end of the staircase, there was a security measure to keep all unwelcome guests out. Geese pressed in the passcode and let the retina scanner flash its red light over his eye before the door slid open.
The concrete walls continued within this dungeon, revealing a hallway with several wide doors to the side. All of them needed card keys to be accessed, including the one at the hallway's end which Geese now stood in front of with Mai. Before he opened it, he stopped to look at her and gauge her reaction, noting how she trembled a bit.
It was hard to determine if it was out of anticipation or the cold getting to her. He reached for her hand, locking it in a tight grip as he swiped the card to unlock the door. A stagnant, sterile smell hung in the air as the door slid to a close behind them. It took mere seconds before the automatic turned alit.
A single cell was present, barred by a one-way mirror that provided whoever was outside looking in with a view of the prisoner mulling about. In this particular case, Wolfgang sat tied to a chair, with tape over his mouth. His face was littered with bruises, burns, and welts. His fancy coat had been removed and so he sat bare-chested in this frigid cell.
Geese hadn't given the orders to roughhouse him upon his captivity but he didn't mind so much that it had happened. If anything, seeing him in such a state was satisfying. Retribution would not be paid until Mai had her revenge, however.
There was a way to slide the glass out of the way, which required a lever on the wall, a few feet away. Before Geese went to pull it, he stopped, taking one final glance at Mai. She was still trembling, and her arms were wrapped around herself. She stood out of viewing range so Wolfgang wouldn't spot her if the mirror was removed. Slowly, her eyes flickered toward him, worry filling her gaze.
"You don't have to face him right now. I'll handle this mutt," Geese assured her and her shoulders visibly slumped in relief. She kept her arms wrapped around herself and he walked over to her, putting his jacket around her shoulders to warm her somewhat.
"Don't you need it?" Mai tilted her head as she asked that, tugging it closer to herself. In all honestly, Geese could benefit from it, but he had a feeling that he'd get a warm-up when he removed the glass gate.
He shook his head, "No. Keep it and stay warm. Can't have you get sick, can we?"
A soft chuckle came from her as she put her arms through the sleeves, and he went to pull the lever. Slowly, the glass sank into a slit on the floor, vanishing entirely. It caused Wolfgang to lift his head, his tired eyes filling with hatred and indignation.
As Geese stepped into the glass, he noted the red, tender skin around Wolfgang's wrists, suggesting that the man had been thrashing and pulling at the rope and cuff. It ended up tearing his skin and tightening the knot. Wolfgang was at least astute to realize that he'd cut off circulation if he tried any harder.
"Forgive the dreadful accommodations. I hope Milord wasn't too bothered by the arrangements," Geese greeted, reaching for the tape over his half-brother's face and ripping it off. Some of the adhesives had caught hairs of the mustache. Geese noticed purple strands on the tape before he dropped it on the floor.
"Heh," Wolfgang grunted. "You piece of shit Unflat! Don't think you can kill me and get away with it. Do you know who I am?"
"I do not care who you are, Wolfgang. You doomed yourself when you tried to oppose me. You signed your own death warrant when you hurt Mai," Geese sneered, fury beginning to boil in his gut as he remembered the horrors, he had been told, the bruises, the burn. For a moment, the image of that awful painting floated in his mind. It had been torched and its ashes disposed of.
A hollow laugh from Wolfgang filled the prison cell. "Do you actually think I believe that you care for her?"
"You're more than welcome to question that. I don't care either way since you will perish soon," Geese kicked the tape and it landed further away, sticking to the concrete.
"Soon? Why not kill me now?" Wolfgang asked as if to goad his half-brother. With the Earl of Stroheim being absent from his fortress, discussions needed to be had about what would become of the recourses. Geese could just assimilate them and rid himself of the castle. The people in that area held it in high regard so it couldn't just be leveled with the ground.
But until then, the Lord of Black needed to be disposed of first.
Geese crossed his arms over his chest, careful to not let his pettiness get the better of him. "Because Mai is the one who controls your fate. Admirably she is far more resilient than most. Lesser people would have cracked much sooner. Yet here she is, fighting through it all and defeating you."
"She's a senseless but tenacious vixen. All I did was give my love to her. Unlike you, I gave her more affection than she could ever dream of! Even if I die, my brand of love will remain with her forever and always. She has bewitched me, it's only fair that I, only I, love-"
The more words that flew out of Wolfgang's putrid mouth, the less Geese could keep his furor controlled. He didn't let the Earl finish before he sent him flying into the wall, still tied to the chair, with a Double Rapuken. A pained groan came from Wolfgang, and he crumbled to the floor, the chair breaking in the process.
But Geese wasn't done, His vision was beginning to be tinted red as he stormed over Wolfgang and kicked the man in his gut. Seeing the Earl writhe and grit his teeth, fueled the darkest part of Geese's heart; the blood-starved monster that thirsted to end this man's life now.
He had to step back, lest his temper got the better of him. Wolfgang's destiny was not to be determined by him, yet he couldn't quite help his indignation from spilling corrosive acid through the words he spoke. "Don't think yourself as innocent, you maggot. You hurt her too. I will show you what happens when you harm those under my protection."
Chuckling, Wolfgang spat some blood before he stared up at Geese with not a hint of fear in his eyes. "Haha, I've done-"
"Torture would be too easy, and you don't deserve a quick death. But it's not my call to make," Geese interrupted him, less than in the mood for senseless ramblings. He turned around, heading for the exit of the cell. On the floor, the Earl saw the open gateway and tried to worm his way to freedom like the maggot that he was.
"You're a weak-" his pride beckoned him to sneer but Geese turned around and kicked him in the face, feeling the crack of bone and teeth as Wolfgang rolled over.
"Shut the fuck up. You have no right to protest. Oh, and don't bother screaming. I spent a pretty penny completely soundproofing this dungeon. Even if you shouted at the top of your lungs, no one would hear you. If they did, they'd cut out your tongue," Geese said before he headed towards the lever and pulled it. He eased himself by the sound of the glass sliding back into place.
On the floor, the Earl lay, staring daggers at the mirror with his face bloodied and bruised. Looking at him, Geese felt something akin to relief over accomplishing a goal like this. Normally such a feeling didn't come over him whenever he was dealing with enemies. But with this being about bloodlines, it struck something deeper.
It was almost eerie how much Wolfgang looked like Rudolph.
The same ugly mustache, the same long hair, the same piercing stare. In a way, Geese felt as if he had finally taken his revenge on his father. He couldn't avenge his mother, but he had avenged his betrothed. She, who had now moved in front of the glass and stared curiously at Wolfgang trying to tend to his wounds.
Pride couldn't even describe it, but Geese felt an immeasurable size of it whenever he looked at her, emboldened by the knowledge that from this moment on, nothing would stand in their way.
Translation: Unflat – a disgusting person, although it can also mean filth in general.