A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO…

"Wait a minute," Black said with Stray right next time. "You want us to do what?"

The two sat before Belger in his office who gave the two a proposition.

"I want you two to bring me the mayor so that I could get him to work with me."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Black said.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him?" Stray said.

Belger looked at Stray with a glare. Stray was known for his violent tendencies. Some would say he was a loose cannon, maybe a walking time bomb. Known for his unpredictable behavior, he had done time for manslaughter charges, but there had been speculation that what he did was murder. Unfortunately, no charges were made on the counts of murder. That isn't to say he hasn't done it, though.

"Do you want all that heat on you?" Belger said.

Black cut in. "Mr. Belger, I think there could be something else we could do. If you want to pay us, then maybe we could just eliminate the mayor like Stray suggested. Maybe sniping him from a distance. No one will know where it came from."

"I don't want to kill him. I just want him to play ball with me." Belger knew what he was dealing with when the alliance between Mad Gear and Skull Cross started. The Skull Cross Gang hadn't been around for too long, at least not as long as Mad Gear when they had ways of getting the previous mayor to play ball with them.

"I don't know what you would like us to do," Black said. "Stray and I could take him and torture him but what good is that going to do?"

They were right, Belger thought. What good would that do? All he wanted was to get Haggar to see things his way. He was no stranger to killing especially moments prior when he killed that one man in cold blood but too much heat would be on him and the others if someone tried to assassinate the mayor. He remembered the previous mayor. He had extorted him into playing ball. Then maybe he could do the same for Haggar.

Just then, Belger looked up at the wall at the same picture he threw the knife at with Mike Haggar and noticed the pretty young blonde next to him.

"I think I have a better idea."

NOW…

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Haggar sat before Lucia Morgan and Sean Sims, two young police officers of the Metro City Police Department. It was clear to all parties in the room that the crime element was a problem in the city but after hearing about unjust arrests in recent memory, maybe there was also corruption.

Before Haggar was elected mayor, Metro City was already infested with crime. He wanted to make a difference in this city. Something told him there was more to it. The city had gangs running places but Mad Gear had more power over everything else. There was reason to believe that Mad Gear had another gang that was allied with them.

Janet, Haggar's assistant, walked into the office with three cups of coffee for the people in the room.

"Thank you," Lucia nodded to the assistant, took a sip of the coffee and took a deep breath. "Mr. Haggar, my partner and I think there is something fishy in the department. About a week ago, I saw a long time officer with an expensive watch. It looked like it cost a lot, like way more than anything what a cop would make in a month."

Sean cut in. "Morgan and I tried to talk to our lieutenant but he wasn't having any of it. He didn't want to hear what we had to say no matter how important it was."

Haggar tilted his head a tad towards them. "Is this a common thing in your department?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Lucia said.

"For some reason, our lieutenant would rather hear what some other cops have to say than us," Sean said. "There have been times when guys were brought in and some of them said they got stuff planted on them."

"Are you sure these weren't some perpetrators making lousy excuses?" Haggar said.

"The way they said it, I don't think it was that," Sean said. "I have seen some perps like that before but this was something different."

"This crime wave is something else," Lucia added. "I know crime is common in the city but when Sims and I tried to talk to our lieutenant, he didn't want to hear any of it. In fact, he called me in because he thought I assaulted someone."

Haggar's eyebrows raised and a sudden jolt went through his system. As young as these cops were, with Lucia looking like she was about the same age as Jessica and Cody, and Sims was probably in the same age range, for these two to voice their concern about what they believed was going on in the department made him made him realize that a lot of the crime was also on the part of the Metro City Police Department. Haggar remembered that a concern was raised by Lt. Mark Abrams about Lucia allegedly assaulting a criminal but this story was different.

"Did you assault a criminal?"

Lucia shook her head. "Whatever Abrams told you, it's not true. Even then, if I attacked anybody, it's in self-defense. I must let you know this."

She filled the mayor in on what really happened and who the person really was but the case was different. It turned out a defenseless woman was about to be assaulted and another woman came to her aid. On the inside, Haggar wanted to shake his head but there was another conflicting feeling where he wanted to go right to Abrams himself and tell him straight to his face that the police weren't doing a damn thing to clean up the streets. Abrams already got that treatment after Cody's wrongful arrest, which reminded him that he needed to speak to him about that.

"I must add something, Mr. Haggar," Sean said. "A week ago my younger sister and her friends were assaulted by some thugs. She couldn't leave the house for a few days. Thankfully some people saved them. She is a little better now but now I am more scared for her safety than ever before."

Haggar looked up with wide eyes when he heard that. "All of this madness needs to end."

For Haggar, crime didn't just start happening recently. It had been a decade since his wife's death. In his last few years with the CWA and as a wrestler, he had planned on campaigning for his mayoral run. Although crime was nothing new, it only got worse when the previous mayor was in office and because he was still in the beginning of his term, he knew what he has to rally against.

But then it hit him. Hard, like a punch to the face. Why didn't he think of this before?

"Someone is paying them off," Haggar said.

But who could be doing this? Who has the financial pull to have the MCPD in their pockets? Metro City was already run by gangs but only one gang has more power than the rest, especially with another gang being allied with them.

Mad Gear.

Who else would it be? Any other gang and criminal organization could have the department and the city at the palms of their hands, but Mad Gear was so well organized that there were different sets and subsidiaries in their organization that they ran different districts.

The question on Mike's mind was who the head of Mad Gear was. While there were known thugs in the area whom he had dealt with, along with Cody and Kyle, while some may seem like leaders and shot-callers for their own sets in their own areas, there had to be someone high on the food chain that everyone answered to. Mike had remembered a recent conversation he had with someone about "police funding."

"It can't be him, can it?" Haggar whispered to himself.

"Excuse me, Mr. Haggar?" Sean said.

"Are you okay?" Lucia said.

Haggar's attention quickly shifted towards the two young officers. He realized he thought out loud. He was lost in thought when he reflected on Mad Gear and their influence over the city. He had remembered that there was an outfit called the Skull Cross Gang, whom was Mad Gear's allies. From what he has heard about them, they have different ideologies to Mad Gear but there was some sort of understanding between the two gangs.

"I'm fine, I just have too much on my mind right now."

Lucia responded, "Well, Sims and I should get going. We just wanted to tell what was going on."

Haggar nodded. "I will look into this soon. Thank you for coming by."

"It was our pleasure, sir." Sean then reached out and shook the mayor's hand. One thing that caught his attention was the size of Mayor Haggar's hand and his grip. "I was also a fan of yours when you wrestled."

"Well, thank you." Haggar smiled at that comment.

As soon as the two young cops left, Mike reflected on the whole discussion. If Mad Gear was the source of "police funding," then maybe he should check on the other precincts. Chances were good they were paid off but after talking with Morgan and Sims, there had to be more honest cops in the city.

But he had one thing to do first. He had to talk to Cody. After hearing what Officer Sims said, if a teenager had been assaulted, it made him wonder about Cody's younger brother Kyle, who reminded him of Cody when he was younger.

In the Industrial Area, Guy took off with Maki and Carlos to a factory. It didn't seem like this factory was functioning as the only sign outside said "KEEP OUT," yet the machinery still worked for some reason.

"Why did you bring us here?" Maki said.

"For a little extra training." Guy had found out about this place when looking around this area. He figured he could branch out in their training, as well as the other two, who have been looking for a challenge.

The trio stood in a hallway with large panes of glass hanging from the machinery. The machinery was still operational but it wasn't used for anything to manufacture. What was the deal here?

Carlos and Maki looked at the large glass panes and machinery.

"So what are we doing?" Maki said.

"Watch." Guy inhaled, exhaled, and went into a stance. He stretched out his left arm and his right arm looked ready for attack. He quickly extended to deliver a hard punch to the glass and spun around to deliver a hard elbow, causing the glass to crack and then shatter.

Maki and Carlos stood there with their eyes widened. If the three were going to fight this coming Friday, they needed to work with all their might.

Maki went forth and delivered some attacks to the glass. Carlos did the same but there were moments when the panes had spun around because he didn't hit the glass properly. A lot of the glass had been smashed and shattered but their training session had not ended just yet.

Guy wanted to try something different. There were plenty of fuel drums nearby on the outside. It was safe to keep gas outside because of the fumes, which are deadly from inhalation, especially indoors. Carlos had an idea of his own. The three had stacked some of the drums on top each other but Carlos had a lighter in his possession. For him, he lit one up on top and the other at the bottom of the stack he had in his line of vision.

"Watch this." Carlos looked at the stack as flames emitted from the bungs on both drums. He inhaled and exhaled. This was a risky move. The flames could light him on fire if he wasn't careful but he had to try it.

Carlos strafed backwards. The two Bushin practitioners stood by and looked on. Carlos went to a stop. He took a deep breath and ran before he ascended to deliver a dropkick towards the burning fuel drums. His foot was level with the separating crack of the base of the top drum and the top of the burning bottom drum. He knocked both drums over and when he landed, he quickly jumped away from the flames.

A smile grew on Maki's face while Guy stood there with so much stoicism but clapped his hands in amazement and smiled a tad at what he saw. Maki quickly got a fire extinguisher to put out the fire so that the fumes wouldn't go into his lungs as well as hers and Guy's.

Right when Carlos rejoined his group, some voices were heard through a door and came from above. The trio slowly walked towards the opening where there was more machinery such as conveyor belts, as well as heat coming from a blow-molding machine, but they noticed some men standing above on some platforms with steel girders. All they could make out was that they talked in accents, one being British and the other American. However, there were other men standing up there behind as the two men talked.

"What do you mean the weapons are not ready yet?" Philippe stood before Rolento with Elias, Eliot, and Joe standing near him. "I thought Drake said the boat was coming in."

However, Philippe, while wearing a ringmaster outfit, he didn't have his clown makeup on this time. The red hair, on the other hand, looked like it was a dye-job, rather than a wig.

"It is, but it's taking some time." Rolento said with Holly Wood and El Gado standing with him. "Since you're in this business of smuggling in weapons and drugs, maybe you should go to the Bay Area and deal with this yourself."

"No, I have too much on my mind at the mind right now, mate."

"Why? Because of those ninjas?"

Philippe glared at Rolento for that remark. "That bird and that bloke took me and my men down. We must find those wankers."

"You need to listen right now. I may be overseeing this operation right now but keep your head straight, or there will be consequences. I am in a higher position than you, remember that."

Philippe glared at him. "I will find those bastards."

"You may find them and do what you want, but business is important right now and my men and I are keeping an eye on things. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but would you rather me talk to Retu about this, or…"

Before Rolento could finish, Philippe knew who he was going to mention. "No, don't say it. Fine, I will be patient for the shipment."

"Good, that's all I need to hear. Besides, you're lucky I'm a more understanding person than the boss himself."

Philippe looked at Rolento and twitched a bit at that remark. While Retu may call the shots for a good portion of the gang, he was mostly a capo or an underboss, while Rolento was more of the adviser to Mr. Belger, the true head of Mad Gear.

The two men shook hands. While Philippe may have lead a team of followers and soldiers, there was always someone higher in the food chain to answer to. Rolento was the same way, but he had a position closer to the main bosses of Mad Gear.

Carlos, Guy, and Maki watched as the groups separated. It was clear who ran this factory, but now they have an idea on who was really in charge of Mad Gear.

"I think I should tell Mr. Haggar about this." Carlos was confused about all of this given that they were on the grounds of a Mad Gear operation.

"No, we should wait," Guy replied.

"Why?"

"Because I think I heard who is in charge."

Carlos tilted his head towards Guy. "What do you mean?"

Maki interrupted. "I heard the name. I've heard of him. His name is Retu. He is not someone you want to mess with."

"How do you know that?" Carlos said.

Guy answered. "Let's get out of here and we'll tell you."

When they left the factory, Guy and Maki filled Carlos in on whom Retu was. It turned out that not only was high on the food chain for Mad Gear, but was also a pupil for Maki's father, Hideo Genryusai, in Japan. However, there was word from some of his other students of the kind of activity Retu participated in. After that, Genryusai wanted no part of Retu.

Carlos's eyes widened and turned away. "Wow, sounds like he's real piece of work."

"I just didn't think he would be here." Maki was quiet but serious in her tone.

"He's an evil man," Guy said. "Mad Gear must be stopped but we need to continue our training soon."

Carlos nodded. "Let's go."

It was almost 7:00 PM and it had been a long day for the Travers brothers. Jessica had met with Cody at Tom's Gym after one of her classes. Kyle had just finished taking a shower when he worked out with some of his friends, including his new friend Alex and his female friend Patricia, Tom's daughter. Kyle speculated there might be something there between the two, but nothing had been said yet.

Cody simulated some punches to wall. Jessica walked up and watched with so much confusion on her face.

"Baby, what are you doing?"

Cody jumped and turned around and saw Jessica standing there. "Oh, hey, I'm just preparing myself a bit."

Kyle walked in. "Preparing for what?"

"Oh, a fight," Cody said.

Jessica sighed. "Are you sure about this, Cody?"

"It's just for money, I can handle it," Cody said.

Kyle smiled at what he heard. "Cool! Can I come?"

"It's at a bar, Kyle. They won't let you in." Cody said.

However, everything went to a halt once they heard a knock at the door. Who could be coming by at this hour?

"Cody?" Jessica said.

"I'll get it." Cody slowly walked towards the door. Given the neighborhood they were in, if it was a potential home invasion, he would be more than ready to handle the invaders, but when he looked through the peephole, it was one man who he did not expect to give an unexpected visit, but he knew the man well.

The door opened. Jessica's eyes widened and jumped at who was at the door.

"Dad?"

"Hi, Jess," Haggar said and turned his attention to Cody and Kyle, and greeted both of them. "Sorry if I'm coming by on such short notice."

"No, you're welcome here any time, Dad," Jessica said. "What's this about? You could have told us you were coming."

Haggar's eyes shifted to Cody. "I need to talk to Cody."

"What?" Now Cody gave off a confused expression.

"Alone, right now." Haggar said.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am back with this. I had put off doing this for a number of reasons. We're getting closer to a certain point, and as for anything, I am getting closer to that, too.

I will try to do the next one soon.