🚀 go-pugleaf

"You're crazy.  You do know this right?"

"So I have been told before as I am sure I will be told again."

Diamond just shook his head as he continued to work on the film.  "What ever
possessed you though to start this up again?  I figured even you would have
learned your lesson from last time."

"What possessed me was a conversation I had with Akari the other day.  She
has been looking for a new challenge for the longest time and well you
know... one thing lead to another and well, here we are.  Besides, how could
I even say no to a cutie like her?"

"Simple.  N-O!"

Hunter just shrugged at the grumbling man.  He knew Diamond was as eager as
he was to see things moving again.  "Besides, I have learned my lesson from
last time.  Everything has been planned out to the smallest detail and we're
going to hire a crack staff to run the show.  Simple."

"Simple.  Right.  That's why you have me working on getting your old footage
reassembled into some sort of coherent... wait a minute!  We may have
something!"

It took a few moments as the image flickered up on the screen.  "It may not
be in the best condition," Diamond began, "but I can focus it more later."

---

... Hayabusa held his hand to his forehead, and spoke a single word.

"Hien."

The middle of the ring erupted in flames. Hayabusa summoned the flames to
him, and they began to swirl about him, twisting and snarling like a dragon.
Protected by the flames, Hayabusa rushed towards Hanzo, his arm cocked back
for a palm strike. His hand flew out, but he kept his weight shifted to his
rear. He fully expected Hanzo to use his infamous log trick, and to avoid
his charge. Much to his surprise, Hanzo stood his ground, and caught the
weak palm strike. The Dragon Flames tore at Hanzo's body, but the legendary
ninja showed no pain, no reaction at all. Calmly, he knocked Hayabusa's arm
out of socket, and threw him sprawling across the ring. The flames sputtered
and died, as the younger ninja's concentration faltered.  Ryu skidded to his
feet.

"Hmph." With an ingrained calmness, Hayabusa snapped his arm back into place
with a sickening pop. The pain was immense, but the ninja didn't have time
to suffer. With inhuman concentration, Hayabusa once again concentrated all
his efforts into a feat that most would call magic.  Hayabusa flared into
multiple images, his movement so fast that he appeared to be in multiple
places at once. It was a variation of one of Hanzo's techniques, but even
the grizzled ninja wasn't sure which image was truly Ryu. He struck out at
one of the rapidly dancing ninjas, and his blow struck home. The impact felt
solid against the image's midsection, but it quickly dissolved into vapor.
Hayabusa almost sounded relieved. "Gotcha, Hanzo-sama."

In a flash, Hanzo was thrown thirty feet into the air, as Hayabusa
disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves. Hanzo hovered at the pinnacle of the
throw for just a split second, as Hayabusa once again appeared next to him,
wrapping his arms around the older ninja's midsection. They fell towards the
earth spinning.

The pure speed of what occurred next confused almost everyone watching.
Hanzo had regained his wits before Hayabusa had appeared, and was ready for
Ryu. As Hayabusa moved his arms around Hanzo's midsection, Hanzo brought his
arms up and out, and slammed them against Ryu's ears. The shock was enough
that Hanzo reversed Hayabusa's Izuna Otoshi into his own maneuver: The
Strike Heads.

With a massive impact and a sickening thud, Hanzo and Hayabusa landed.  When
the flames cleared, only Hanzo stood up.

At the same time, Strider and Ibuki were still fighting close, trying to
gain an upper hand. Ibuki was littered with shallow cuts, as she had only
barely avoided a skewering on the Cypher. She had been trying to parry off
blows with her kunai dagger, but had only met with marginal success.

It was by almost pure luck that Ibuki got a blow in, and she made it count.
Strider had lashed out the Cypher in a wide arc, almost cutting Ibuki in
half. Ibuki brought up the kunai once again, but the force of the blow drove
her aside. As she stumbled, she brought herself closer to Strider by
spinning along the edge of the Cypher's arc. As Strider recovered from the
powerful swing, Ibuki spun in, and crushed his nose with an elbow strike.

Strider stumbled back from the force of the blow, edging nearer to the
flame. The ninja girl saw her opportunity to finish him off, and whipped
herself to the floor, meaning to catch him in her neckbreaker slide. Just as
she did this, Strider's image exploded into shards and flew in all
direction, as he teleported out of her path. Ibuki found herself quickly
sliding towards the edge of the platform, with no target to stop her.

In pure desperation, she pulled out her kunai and drove the tip into the
platform. The tip dragged a deep furrow along the floor, as Ibuki slowly
brought herself to a halt. She skidded to a stop mere inches from the lip of
the platform, her knees just barely hanging over.  Nervous sweat beaded on
her forehead, and her breathing was ragged.

Strider reformed directly behind the young kunoichi, and decided to end this
match, as he lined up a swift kick to the back of her head. He turned a
half-step, and let his leg fly...

---

Hunter let out a sigh of relief.  "Fitting you should find the Inferno Match
first," he chuckled as he eased back in his chair.  It had taken him nearly
2 years to re-launch the Dream Tournament in the first place.  Even though
the venue had changed, Morrigan, Mai Shiranui, Vermilion, and Terry Bogard
finally had competed in a Fatal Four Way match to determine the champion.
The PPV taping that featured that match went off without a hitch.  Before
the event was scheduled to air unfortunately, a fire swept through the
post-production studios, damaging the film from the event.  Hunter took the
reels and tossed them into a closet where they had stayed for the last 2
years.

"Give me a few months and I should be able to put it back together for you,"
Diamond said, interrupting Hunter from his thoughts.

"I do appreciate it.  While you are working on that, I will make the
arrangements necessary for us to get going again."

"Man, you're crazy."

Hunter just smiled.  For the first time in a long time, he had hope.  "Like
a fox."

---

(Three Months Later)

"You owe me for this!" Diamond stated enthusiastically, "I had even found
some backstage footage from the security cameras.  Granted some things were
beyond repair but I do not think you will be disappointed with the results."

"You don't know how long I have been waiting for this moment," Hunter
replied.

"About 6 years?" Diamond sarcastically asked.

Hunter smirked.  "You know, I should try to get Emerald back on the staff.
You and he would make an interesting team.  The Gem Fighters!"

"Yeah.  Like I look ultra short, pudgy, and have a fat head."

"Well..."

"Man, shut up and watch," laughed Diamond.

---

"Ugh..."

"He's coming to," Blue Mary began, a wave of relief crossing her face,
"Terry is waking up."

"I knew he would," Kim Kaphwan answered, "With the way he takes a beating,
'Timex' should be his middle name."

Mary smiled back at Kim as she and Andy Bogard helped Terry sit up.

It took a few moments for Terry to focus on his surroundings.  Slowly, the
events from earlier and the evening began running through his mind... he and
Dr. Doom fighting Iori and that bloodsucker Demitri... then he and Doom
fighting... or more like Doom fighting and himself being tossed around like
a red-haired stepchild.  Terry gritted his teeth as he winced in pain.

"Easy bro', let me find something," Andy said, trying to calm Terry down.

"Are you ok?" asked Mai Shiranui as she too came close to check on her
comrade.  Looking at Terry in his current condition wracked Mai with guilt.
He was to be her (hopefully soon to be) brother-in-law and as such family.
She was truly concerned about how he was feeling.

Tonight though, Terry was competition.  Mai felt that noone took her
seriously as a skilled fighter, that all she was to most was nothing more
than a piece of eye candy for the fanboys to drool over.  By winning the
tournament, she would be able to prove that she is more than a pretty face.
Though she wished to fight on a level playing field, Terry's injuries had
just made it all that much easier for her to take the title.

Andy's return snapped Mai out of her thoughts.  "Hey, I should go and warm
up a little," she quietly mentioned, "I mean, you look like you have
everything under control Andy and well, we still have the match and..."  Mai
let her voice fade off.

Andy gave Mai a quick hug.  "I'll check on you before you go to the ring."

Terry finally spoke.  "Mary, why don't you and Kim help Mai," he stammered,
"I'll be fine."

Blue Mary brushed the hair out of Terry's face.  "Are you sure you are ok?"
she asked, concern creeping back in on her face.

"I'm fine," Terry gruffly answered.

Blue Mary leaned in to kiss him and while Terry didn't push her away, he
didn't return the kiss.  Mary sighed and reluctantly followed Kim and Mai
out the door.

For the next few minutes neither said a word.  Andy simply wrapped Terry to
offer some protection for his chest and ribs.

"At least I have some flexibility in this thing," Terry remarked after Andy
had finished, "and the pain doesn't seem to be quite as bad right now."
Terry looked up to find Andy's eyes piercing him.  "What?"

"It's Krauser all over again," Andy calmly stated.

"I don't have any idea what you are talking about Andy," Terry refuted.

"Oh don't even Terry.  It's just like when you met Krauser for the first
time.  You went out there and faced someone who got the better of you.
Convincingly.  So what do you do?  You get scared.  You run and hide,
pushing everyone else away and Mary... you push her away the furthest.  But
c'mon now Terry!  So what if Doom kicked your ass tonight?  It's not the
first time that someone got the better of you, and it certainly won't be the
last."

Terry slouched back against the couch he was sitting in.  "Andy, ever since
dad died, when a challenge came up I would face it alone.  I know you and
Joe were there, but ultimately it would be just my rival and me.  No one
else.  On those occasions when I would fail, I would be the only one who
went down.  Now, when I make a mistake, it feels like those closest to me
get hurt as well."  Terry sighed heavily.  "I feel as if I let everyone
down."

"Terry, you don't let anyone down.  Nobody expects you win all the time."
Andy moved to sit down next to his brother.  "Look, we've been family for a
long time, the two of us.  And... there are others who either have or want
to get close to us.  You know; Joe, Kim, Mai... Mary.  When you go to fight,
you don't go alone anymore.  Just as you would be more than willing to take
up the fight to help one of us, let us do the same for you.  Right now, you
just need to focus on the matter at hand.  You're about to go out for the
biggest match of your professional career."

"Heh, some occupation this is," Terry remarked somewhat sarcastically, "How
in the hell am I supposed to make a living out of beating people up and
getting beaten up just as much!"  He paused before quietly adding, "It's an
empty existence."

"Terry, what is really bothering you?"

"Well, let's assume you and Mai are married and have a few kids.  You tell
me how you're going to tell your little girl that you can't give her a horsy
ride because you took too many shots in the back.  Tell me how you're going
to tell your son you can't play catch with him because your shoulder is
dislocated."

"Terry..."

"Tell me how you can't take them for that week long vacation to Disneyland
because you need to have a foot long needle shoved into your back just so
you might be able to walk for the rest of the day?"  Terry had a wild stare
on his face.

Andy patted Terry gently on the back.  "I understand you have a lot on your
mind and a lot going on with you right now.  I understand you aren't
comfortable with who yourself right now either.  Let me help try to clear up
some things."

"Terry, as much as you may want to run from this, you are a fighter.  You
have a warrior's heart beating within you.  You also have a warrior's pride.
That's what is giving you problems now.  You fight because that is what you
do.  You fight for honor, for friends, and for family.  To deny that part of
you is to deny your existence.

"Right now you have a once in a lifetime opportunity staring you in the
face.  This is your time.  Not Vermilion's, not Morrigan's, and as much as I
love Mai, it's not her time either.  This title is yours to win or yours to
lose.  If you don't win it, it's not because they beat you.  It's because
you beat yourself.  The only way that will happen is if you don't focus,
realize who you are, realize what you do and then do it to the best of your
ability."

Andy stood straight and squeezed Terry's shoulder.  "Remember, you have
friends and family supporting you.  And also, though you may not admit it,
you are a man in love as well.  We've seen how you are around Mary."  Andy
flashed a big smile towards his brother.  "For some, the fight may be all.
For others though, it's part of what makes them whole."

Terry and Andy stared at each other silently for a few moments.  Finally a
smile crept across Terry's face as well.

Andy added, "I'm going to check on Mai.  Good luck to you Terry and
remember, 'This is your time!'"

Just as Andy was about to leave, Terry asked, "Hey there!  When did you
become so insightful?"

"My older brother is a great role model."  Andy waved goodbye to Terry and
walked out the door.

Terry stood to get dressed, focusing upon what Andy had told him.

---

Morrigan was stretched out, chest down, on a bed in her dressing room.  A
thin, silk bed sheet draped across her buttocks was her only covering.

"Mmmm... ohhh..." she purred delightfully. "That's the spot Juggy, keep it
up.  Oh, that's right."  Morrigan licked her lips lusciously.  "You really
know how to work the knots out of a girl's back.  Maybe later we'll see how
'unstoppable' you really are."

Juggernaut said nothing while continuing to massage Morrigan's back.  The
only hint of his thoughts at that moment was a scowl he directed at Zangief.

Morrigan continued, "Oh and lower Zangief.  My legs almost have feeling back
in them and the way you get my blood flowing down there..."  Morrigan
inhaled deeply.  "... I'm getting a different kind of tingle."

Zangief likewise said nothing and likewise returned a scowl towards
Juggernaut.

"Bitch," Poison muttered under her breath.  To Hugo she added, "She's
nothing but a two dollar whore."

Hugo checked his pockets.  "Do you have $1.87 I could borrow?"

Poison punched Hugo in the stomach.  She turned towards Rolento and asked,
"So tell me again *why* are we helping out this two-bit trollop?"

Rolento rose and spoke like General commanding the troops.  "Poison my dear,
the reasoning could not be any simpler and yet could not be any more
devastating for our opposition!  With our new ally, we have someone who has
the power to face down the likes of Hibiki and Haggar."  Rolento paused for
a moment before continuing.  "Her abilities will prove to be invaluable!"

Poison turned and looked at their latest "recruit".

Morrigan rolled over onto her back.  She caught the bed sheet before it fell
to the floor and quickly covered her breasts.  "Whoopsie, we wouldn't want
to have a peep show now would we?"   Morrigan smiled innocently before
raising her feet in the air.  "Now boys, rub my feet?"

Zangief and Juggernaut grumbled before each taking one of Morrigan's feet
and massaging them thoroughly.

Poison turned back towards Rolento.  "So what abilities were those again?"

Rolento wasn't deterred.  "She has also paid us."

Poison smirked.  "Oh, so we're doing this for money?"

"We're not just doing this for money."  Rolento paused again.  "We're doing
this for a *shitload* of money!"

"Yeah you're right boss," Hugo added.

Poison interrupted, "Hugo, shut up.  Rolento, you are insane.  If you think
you have any sort of loyalty from someone who spends most of her life
staring up at the ceiling, then you are more desperate than even I would
have imagined!"

Morrigan lazily peered towards Poison.  "You know, for someone that still
spawns debates over what gender you are, you seem to be very knowledgeable
about different sexual positions.  However, since you seem to be interested
in my other talents..."  Morrigan grinned and whistled.  From the dark
recesses of the room, a small swarm of bats began to fly into the open.
Within moments, they circled Poison.

"AHHH!  GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!" Poison shrieked.  She swatted at the bats
but never came close.  Frantically, Poison made her way to the door and ran
away as fast as she could out of the room.  The bats followed her close
behind.

"Alright, that's enough, I'm bored," Morrigan stated, "All of you, leave
me."  Morrigan waved her hand, dismissing the members of Brute Force.

"Alright men!  Move out!" Rolento ordered.  One by one they headed out the
door.

"Oh Hugo!" Morrigan called out, "I want to have a word with you before you
go."  When she saw the other fighters stop as well, Morrigan added, "ALONE!"

"Shut the door Hugo," Morrigan ordered as she reached into a small night
table drawer next to her bed, "Come here, I have something for you."

Hugo bounced over next to the succubus.  "You have something for me?" he
asked happily.

Morrigan smiled as she gently took his hand.  Opening it, she placed the
gift gently into his palm.

"What is it?"  Hugo looked at his hand.

Morrigan purred, "Oh, one dollar and eighty-seven cents."

Hugo's eyes opened wide as the bed sheet fell to the floor.

---

Vermilion was relaxing before the match, polishing the familiar pistol and
rifle that he held close to him all these years.  They would be put to good
use today.  He smiled inwardly as he read the words he engraved on the
barrels of each, "FATE" on the pistol, and "MERCY" on the rifle.

Many considered the mysterious man in black to be a long shot for winning
the tournament.  He didn't care though.  Those who did underestimate him
often did not live long enough to make the same mistake twice.

*KNOCK KNOCK* came the sound from his door.

Vermilion peered up at his door, drew aim with his pistol, and fired.

*BANG*

As he resumed cleaning his weapons, Vermilion calmly said, "Come in."

A small, cute, attractive, blonde-haired young woman entered the room.  A
red-riding hood was pulled back down around her neck.  She casually held a
wooden picnic basket at one side.

Vermilion paid her no attention.

"Hi there!" the girl began enthusiastically, "My name is Bulleta!  I just
wanted you to know that I am your biggest fan and I hope you win.  You have
been such a role model and inspiration to me.  May I have your autograph?"

Vermilion aimed his pistol at the vampire huntress.  In a slow, calm, and
raspy voice, he stated, "Missie, I'll leave my mark on you, though I doubt
you would find it pleasant.  I hold your fate in my hands right now and by
the time I am through," Vermilion picked up the rifle and aimed it towards
Bulleta as well, "you will be begging for mercy."

Bulleta's eyes lit up as if she were Sakura chasing after Ryu.  She barely
could contain her excitement.  "A 12 GAUGE DOUBLE BARRELED REMINGTON!" she
squeaked as she ran towards the rifle.

Vermilion paused, curious as to what the odd woman would do next.

Bulleta happily continued, "Walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, hammer hair
trigger!  Made in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  S-Mart's top of the line,
retailing for about $109.95.  Shop smart!  Shop S-Mart!"  Her elation
quickly gave way to depression.  "Oh how it reminds me of Oscar!  I miss
Oscar!" Bulleta wailed.

Vermilion almost pulled the triggers, if only to end her misery as well as
his own.  Instead, he lowered his guns.  "I know I will regret asking this.
Oscar?"

Bulleta reached deep into her picnic basket and pulled out dozens of
photographs of her holding a Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle.  "See!  Oscar!
Here we were on a hunt, and here is the time we went to the firing range,
and another time we went to see all of John Woo's movies, and ooh... here is
one of us at the malt shop afterwards."

"Kid, you are insane," Vermilion stated, "I think I like you.  After I win
this, why don't we go to the malt shop?"

You could see the hearts light up in Bulleta's eyes.  "Oh, here.  I made
this for you," she dreamily said as her hands pulled out a bullet from her
basket, "It's great for hunting..."  Bulleta's face twisted into a vicious
snarl, her teeth looking more like fangs.  "... Darkstalkers!"  Almost at
once, her face shifted back to its normally cute state.

Vermilion looked impressively at the specially made bullet while holding
"FATE" in his hands.

"I'm sorry that I only have one," Bulleta began.

"All I need is one.   Thank you, I will put it to good use.  There will be
no 'MERCY' for that one."  Vermilion placed the bullet inside of his
"special" clip that he saves for emergencies.

Bulleta grabbed Vermilion and unable to contain her excitement, kissed him.
"Thank you so very much!" she squeaked after letting go, "I'm so happy
again!  I will let you go.  Good luck and see you at the malt shop later!"
Bulleta happily skipped out of the room.

Vermilion quietly went back to cleaning his guns for the match as if nothing
happened.  To noone, he calmly asked, "What kind of head case names their
gun?"

---

Despite the short notice, the arena was sold out in near record time.  About
half the crowd were old time loyalists, patiently waiting for the tournament
to be finished.  The rest were new people eager to see what all the hype was
about.

A tall Spanish female announcer stepped into the middle of the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she enthusiastically proclaimed, "the upcoming match
is the Fatal Four Way to determine who will be crowed the Dream Tournament 4
champion!  The rules are simple.  When a fighter is knocked down
unconscious, he or she will receive a ten count.  If the fighter is unable
to rise and continue fighting before the ten count expires, he or she will
be eliminated.  The last fighter remaining will be declared the winner!"

The crowd roared in anticipation.

"Now to get things rolling, allow me to introduce our special guest play by
play broadcasters!  First off is a long time veteran to the Dream
Tournament.  He is truly a legend in his own mind, Kevin 'Emerald' Kanda!"

Slick and stylish, Emerald glided down the walkway.  The smile on his face
ran from ear to ear as he shook the hands of some of the fans he passed.
When he approached the broadcast booth, he sat down briefly before rising
once again.  He climbed on top of the table, faced the crowd, and raised
both arms high into the air.  The crowd responded with a loud ovation before
he sat back down again.

"Joining Emerald is a man known worldwide.   A skilled fighter in his own
right, our very own color commentator, Mr. Big!"

Mr. Big leisurely strolled out from behind the curtain.  He stopped, gazed
around the audience, drew a cigar, and proceeded to light it.  Waves of boos
began to echo throughout the arena.

Mr. Big smugly puffed on his cigar before pointing towards the back.  As he
motioned forward, a stream of scantily clad, well-endowed women strutted
forth.

The jeers almost instantly gave way to cheers of approval.  Mr. Big offered
his arms to the ladies, who were all too happy to accept.  With four ladies
on each side of him, Mr. Big marched his admirers down to ringside.

When they arrived at the announcer's table, the ladies assisted Mr. Big with
removing his large, fur-lined, leather coat.  In return, he gave each one a
kiss to show his gratitude.

"Thank you Buffy," he began, "sweet Tiffany... mmm stroke it Kitty... ring
my bell Kelly... luscious Amber... heavenly Angel... gorgeous Gwen..."  Mr.
Big spent a little more time with the last lady.  "Ah Regina... we will
continue this later."  He waved goodbye to the ladies as they strutted back
to the dressing area.  "I always loved the smart ones."

"Don't you mean you love the easy ones?" Emerald asked, flashing his
trademark grin.

"So how did I end up with you?  I was told a beautiful, mmm... delicious
Latin lady was going to do the announcing."

"She is.  Ring announcing.  I got moved here.  We are the cornerstones of
the broadcast team."

Mr. Big examined Emerald closely and puffed on his cigar some more.  "At
least you're not a frat boy."

"Too bad you look like one," Emerald casually tossed back before turning his
game face on for the audience, "Greetings everyone and welcome.  This is the
moment we have all been waiting for!  The Fatal Four Way match is about to
begin!"

Mr. Big chimed in, "Tonight, in that very ring, you will see two of the
finest ladies displaying their wondrous assets, I mean fighting abilities.
Joining them is a mysterious man who truly walks softly and carries a big
stick.  A big BOOM stick that is!"  Mr. Big chuckled as he puffed on his
cigar.

Emerald looked at his partner, waiting for him to finish.  "And?"

"And what?" Mr. Big asked, "Oh fine.  Terry Bogard is competing as well,
though if I had received the ass-kicking that he had, I would have called it
a night."

"Which is why he has made it through the finals, and you could never get
past the first round in either of your two appearances.  Speaking of which,
let's take a moment to recap how the fighters made their way through to the
finals!"

Mr. Big began, "Let's start with the favorite of the four, Morrigan
Aensland.  Her hardest fight came in the first round when she fought Sagat
to a draw.  In the second round, she earned the win as she stuck it to
Sodom."  Mr. Big paused.  "Nah, too easy to make a comment about that.  In
the third round, she made quick work of Eiji Shingo, and lastly she survived
an interesting encounter with my former employee, King."

Emerald countered, "She may be the favorite in your book because even you
can afford the $2 needed for a night with her.  If you want a real winner,
let's follow Terry Bogard's path to the finals.  He made quick work of
Mortal Kombat's Liu Kang, taught Shun Di a few tricks about drunken boxing,
showed Hsien Ko didn't stand a ghost of a chance, and delivered Galford
straight out of the tournament."

"Delivered, like the pizza boy he is.  At least Terry is good for something,
besides getting his tail kicked that is.  Now, another fighter that I
wouldn't mind getting up close and personal with is Mai Shiranui.  She had
four relatively easy matches, dispatching Kayin in the first round, Donovan
in the second, Lau in the third, and lastly proving you don't have to be
wrapped in black to be a good ninja, beating Hanzo Hattori in the fourth."

"Our fourth and to many the surprise finalist is Vermilion.  Neither bosses,
nor fighters from 3D nodes have traditionally done well at the Dream
Tournament, but here he is.  He took out Zankuro to start off the
tournament, following that with back-to-back draws with Amakusa and Omega
Rugal.  Finally, he notched another victory last round with a narrow defeat
over Basara."

The lights suddenly dimmed as the noise from the crowd grew.

Emerald continued, "And that I believe means we are ready to get this match
underway!"

The sounds of a low bass pulsed over the speakers, slowly at first but
building to a more frantic pace.  Multicolored lights danced around the
arena, flashing in unison with the beats of the music.  At its peak, a
pyrotechnic explosion went off around the entranceway.  The lights gave way
to a single spotlight on the center of the platform as the Morrigan's theme
played over the speakers.

For several moments, the succubus was nowhere to be found.  Finally, a
massive bolt of lightning struck down on the center stage.  An image of
Morrigan briefly appeared, dressed in jet black pants, boots, shirt, and a
long trenchcoat, while firing a pistol with *BANG* flag.  A second bolt of
lightning struck down where she stood.  Morrigan's image changed to her
wearing a red ninja garb, her breasts happily bouncing up and down, while
she held up a fan that read "ME BOUNCY!"  A third bolt came crashing down.
This time she had changed into blue jeans, white shirt, red vest and cap,
while holding a box that read " Domino's Pizza".  A fourth and final bolt
hit the stage.  Morrigan sat curled up in a ball, her wings wrapped around
her tight.  Slowly she unfurled them while standing.  Now dressed in her
traditional garb, Morrigan held up a sign for the audience that read
"Undisputed and Unified MVFC/Dream Tournament Champion".

Watching the display from the "Fighter's Guests" section of the arena,
Rolento proudly boasted, "Now that display was what I was referring to
before Poison!  I think you will come to see she provides the raw power we
need!"

"I think she's an arrogant bitch!" snapped Poison.

"I think I'm in love," Hugo sweetly answered.

If Mike Haggar had grabbed her from behind, tossed her in the air, and then
drilled her into the ground with a Shin Darun Bomb, the pain still would not
have compared to the way Hugo's words smacked the very fiber of her being.

In the commentator booth, Emerald just shook his head.  "Oh man, is she
asking for it  The other three are all going to be gunning for her."

"Emerald, that is exactly what Morrigan was hoping for," Mr. Big replied,
"She is a master at getting under someone's skin, more ways than one I may
add.  In fact, I think I'd like it if she got under mine.  But she's already
proven herself to be a champion and by winning this match tonight she will
indeed become the unified champion.  What she wants, she gets."

The bass started playing as the lights began their dance once again.  The
crowed roared in eager anticipation of who would be the next one out.

The pyrotechnics went off around the stage area and for a moment, nothing.
Then...

*BANG BANG*

This time the spotlights shined from the platform towards the ceiling where
smoke streamed forth.  The music shifted to something reminiscent of what
you might hear at a funeral procession.

The mysterious man in black kept his head down low, descending from the
rafters like a ghostly specter.

"WOO HOO!" Bulleta screamed as she bounced up and down in her seat, firing
her twin uzis in the air, "C'mon Vermykins!  Blast them all to
smithereenies!"

"Hey Emerald, looks like he's stealing your 'Crow' gimmick," Mr. Big laughed
while puffing away on his cigar.

"First of all, that was Sting who used descend from the rafters like that,"
Emerald frustratingly spat back, "and secondly, just because I went to a
Halloween party dressed like that does not mean that I spend every day of my
life looking like that.  Eesh."

"Morrigan Aensland!" Vermilion stated as he touched down upon the stage,
pointing his weapons towards the succubus, "The Angel of Death is upon you!
No mercy will be shown to you today!"

Though bored by the familiar boasting that she had heard from most men,
Morrigan forced herself to smile at the comments.  "Well then, hit me with
your best 'shot'... if you can.  But when you fail, do not think that I will
go easy on you."

The bass played and the lights danced for a third time.  When the
pyrotechnics fired, all the lights in the arena became red, converging on
the opposite side.  There, Mai Shiranui stood above most of the crowd, eyes
closed as if she were focusing her energies.  Her leg muscles tightened.
With all her might, Mai launched herself high into the air.  As she reached
the high point of her arc, Mai dove down, straight towards the center of the
platform.  Her right foot touched down.  Using her momentum, she pivoted in
place and pushed herself straight up, spinning furiously.  The lights that
were focused upon her disappeared as she reached the apex of her jump.  In
their place, Mai brought forth a large phoenix with herself in the middle.
The fiery bird hovered in the air for a moment before dissipating and Mai
gently touched down upon the platform.

Andy, Joe, Kim, and Mary all cheered on earnestly.

"Have mercy!" Mr. Big proclaimed, "That Mai is truly one hot chick I tell
you.  C'mon baby light my fire!  Try to set the night on FIGH-YAH!"

Emerald rolled his eyes.  "C'mon already, you're butchering a classic with
that caterwauling you call 'singing'!"

The bass came on for the last time.  The lights danced, and the pyrotechnics
went off.  The crowd erupted with their loudest ovation of the night as
Terry Bogard calmly walked out from the entranceway.  He waved to some of
the fans and high fived others while heading towards the platform.

"Well, that was boring.  Figures though," Mr. Big said.

"Terry's the man!  He doesn't need cheap theatrics for everyone to know that
he's ready to take names and kick ass!" Emerald answered.

About halfway down, Terry paused and suddenly ran towards where Blue Mary
was sitting.  Her surprise was complete when he hopped over the rail and
kissed her in front of everyone.

"Of course, a little theatrics never hurt anyone," Emerald added, grinning
from ear to ear.

Terry let go of Mary and winked towards Andy.  "Part of the whole!" Terry
stated.

Andy smiled and gave him a pat on the back.  "Good luck bro!"

Terry climbed back over the rail and stepped onto the platform.  "Time to
get serious!" he said to himself.

Tensions grew for all four fighters while waiting for the bell.  Mai glared
angrily at Morrigan, Morrigan gazed hungrily upon Terry, Terry focused
cautiously on Vermilion, and Vermilion peered at everyone as if they were
three walking corpses who didn't know it yet.

The bell rang, signifying the start of the fight!

Mai moved the fastest, propelling herself straight towards Terry.  "What?"
was all he could get out as Mai smashed him in the face.  Terry knew that he
would have to face her sooner or later, but he hadn't counted on her
attacking him from the get go.

Mai pressed Terry hard, elbowing him in the chest and then spinning around.
Fire ignited on the tail end of her outfit as she moved, striking Terry in
his side and sending him to the ground.

"They say all is fair in love and war," Emerald began, "and it looks like
Mai is going to war on Terry.  I'm a little surprised but apparently she
doesn't intend to hold back on anyone."

"I'm not surprised," Mr. Big added, "Terry was hurt pretty bad before.
There is no way he was at 100% going into this and Mai would know that
better than anyone because they're 'friends'.  She simply is going for the
quick kill."

"And a wounded animal fights all the more fierce.  Mai is about to feel just
how fierce that wolf bites."

Vermilion was also fast on the draw, firing off an entire clip at Morrigan
and reloading his pistol before the succubus had even moved.

Unfazed, Morrigan turned towards the man in black.  "You have some fast
hands.  You should put them to better use," she purred.

Vermilion burned another clip firing at Morrigan.

"No Vermykins!" Bulleta yelled, "Use the special one!"

"Vermykins?" Morrigan mocked as she caught one of the bullets in her hand,
"You didn't strike me as the type who would have a girlfriend, though why
settle for a little girl when you can have a woman like myself."  She nimbly
twirled the bullet between her fingers and slowly walked towards Vermilion.
"It is such a shame these have no effect on me.  Perhaps we can see just how
skilled you are doing other things with your hands," she seductively stated,
sliding up right next to him.

"RISING TACKLE!"

Terry pushed himself up off the ground, just catching Mai in the chin and
knocking her back.  As soon as he landed, Terry punched the ground.  "Power
Wave!" he called out as a wave of energy slid across the ground.

Mai fell back on her feet, but had plenty of time to react.  "Kachou Sen!"
she answered while throwing a fan at the oncoming wave.  The two items
collided; the energy of the wave consumed the fan and dissipated.

The two had fought each other many times before and were very familiar with
the other's techniques.  They focused hard on each other, waiting to exploit
any opening in the other's defenses.

"C'mon Mai!" Terry said while motioning for her to "Just bring it!"  He
continued, "You wanted me first.  Well, here I am.  What are you waiting
for?"

Mai smiled slightly, knowing full well not rush anything.  Still, her hind
leg tensed, poised to strike.

Terry moved first, launching a punch towards Mai's chest.  Mai spun around
and launched her kick, only to realize that she had been set up.  Terry
managed to pull back even before Mai moved, pivoted around her kick, and
punched Mai in the face, knocking her down.

Mai kept her wits and swung her leg out, kicking Terry behind the knee.  As
he stumbled forward, she raised her other leg straight up, brought it down
across the back of Terry's neck, and drilled him head first into the ground.

"Mai and Terry are truly fighting with all their might," Emerald stated,
"They are at least giving this crowd their money's worth, unlike the other
two who look like they are in the middle of a lovefest."

"Hey, I would pay $29.95 to watch Morrigan and Vermilion get it on that
way," Mr. Big chuckled.

"You would pay $29.95 to get it on that way with them."

"Wouldn't anyone?"

Morrigan gently and sweetly caressed Vermilion's cheek.  She pulled him
close and whispered into his ear, "I am not your enemy my love.  Stand with
me and together we will eliminate all those who oppose us.  Afterwards, I
will fulfill... all... of your fantasies!"  She put both arms around him,
dipped him, and kissed him deeply.

"YOU BITCH!" Poison and Bulleta screamed.  The two turned and looked at each
other.  "Gimme one of those!" Poison demanded as she grabbed one of
Bulleta's uzis.

"Lock and load!" the two said as they took aim.

Before either could do anything, two huge arms reached over and grabbed the
guns away.

"Hugo!  What the hell do you think you're doing?" Poison asked
incredulously.

"If you fired, you might have hit Morrigan," Hugo said.

"THAT WAS THE POINT YOU OVERSIZED GORILLA!" Bulleta yelled while bouncing up
and down on her chair.

Poison interrupted.  "If you look, your 'love' is DEEP THROATING ANOTHER
MAN!"

Hugo turned and looked towards the stage.  "She's just choking him.  She's
trying to win the match.  Now..."  Hugo sat down, grabbed the two, and
forced them to sit down on each side of him.  "Let's behave and watch her
win!"

Mai hopped back on her feet and never let Terry fully regain his balance.
While her individual blows were not powerful, her overall attack was fast
and relentless.  Terry blocked the best he could but Mai finally slipped
through with a kick to his face.

"CHOU HISSATSU SHINOBI BACHI!"  Mai flipped in place and immolated herself,
becoming a human fireball.  Her legs tensed and she threw herself at the
prone Terry.

"Mai is looking really good out there tonight," Andy stated, "I don't think
I've ever seen her so determined before."

"Something is on her mind," Blue Mary answered, "She wasn't exactly pulling
punches in her warm up session.  I don't even think she realized she wasn't
holding back."

"I guess she really wants to win this."

"You sound surprised Andy."

"In a way, I am.  Mai has never been the type to fight hard just for a
title.  She's a lot more laid back than that."

"Maybe it's not the title she is fighting for, but respect."

"Hey, I respect her Mary."

"I didn't mean you Andy.  Let's face it though, what's the first thing that
comes to mind when you think of Mai?"

"Um..." Andy stammered.

"Exactly.  Perhaps she has something to prove to herself."

Andy wondered if he would need to have a talk with his love when the match
was over.

Vermilion felt his head spin.  He slowly opened his eyes as Morrigan pulled
away.  "I'll take the woman, you finish off the pizza boy," he heard her
say.  A small smile crept across his face as he nodded in agreement.  The
two fighters spun around, guns a-blazing.

Morrigan spread her wings out wide.  A hail of tiny needles flew out,
striking Mai even before she knew what was happening.  When the barrage had
completed, Mai pulled a fan close to her knowing she would have to change
strategies to combat this one.

Vermilion took a more traditional route; he fired off a quick burst of shots
in Terry's direction as the lone wolf was beginning to rise.  No sooner had
he done so, Terry dropped back to the ground.  The bullets sailed harmlessly
overhead.

"You are good," Vermilion stated, obviously impressed, "Rarely do I miss
when my target is not aware of the fate before him."  Vermilion aimed his
rifle low and fired.

Terry moved a little bit faster, rolling out of the way of the shot.  As he
came out of the roll, Terry pushed himself into the air.  "Power DUNK!" he
exclaimed.  Terry came up high and down low, solidly smacking Vermilion in
the jaw and knocking the rifle from his hands.

"Kachou Sen!"

"Soul Fist!"

Mai kept her distance, mixing up the speed and direction of the fans she
tossed.  She played the waiting game, hoping to lure in Morrigan.

The succubus didn't mind the wait either.  With Vermilion under her control,
she knew time was something neither Mai nor Terry could afford.  Still
though, Morrigan wanted to remove any possibility of Mai and Terry teaming
up.

Morrigan's patience paid off as she found the opening she had been waiting
for.  The succubus dashed in at full speed as Mai let another fan fly.  Just
before it was about to hit her, Morrigan went straight up, over the fan.
Her legs merged into the Valkyrie Shell, slicing through Mai on the way
down.

"Shadow Blade!" Morrigan called out, knocking Mai down.  However, as soon as
she touched the ground, Mai rolled back directly under Morrigan.  Clapping
her hands above her head, a pillar of flame erupted where Mai stood,
incinerating Morrigan in the air.

Mai's smile was short lived though.  "TERRY!"

Terry growled at the fallen Vermilion, "I'm not so easily put down.  You'll
find I'm full of surprises!"

Vermilion kicked out, solidly connecting with Terry's "family jewels".  "I
too have my share of surprises as well young wolf cub," Vermilion taunted as
he moved to pick up his rifle, "I have my own share of skills beyond my
legendary marksmanship!"

(Fortunately for those watching this, Haohmaru's diatribe was conveniently
edited out.)

Vermilion aimed his rifle and fired.

Terry heard his name being called; he heard the desperation of the cry.
However, the repeated poundings were taking a toll on him.

*BANG*

Terry rolled out of the way and looked up.  He managed to catch a glimpse of
the first of three fiery fans crash into the rifle, causing Vermilion to
miss.  Terry then watched the other two fans struck Vermilion's side,
setting fire to his trenchcoat.  He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched
Mai charge towards Vermilion.  Thankful for the respite, Terry focused his
energies.

"Burn Knuckle!" he stated as he threw himself towards Vermilion.

"I think not," came a winded Scottish voice from behind.  Before Terry got
anywhere, he felt a claw dig into his back.  Waves of electrical energy
pulsed through him, forcing him to cry out in pain.

"It's been a good effort, but it looks like Terry will be the first one
gone," Mr. Big chimed in, "He's been hit with everything and the kitchen
sink in this match, not to mention the beating he took before.  It's a
wonder he's still in there."

"Terry has taken worse," Emerald refuted, "Plus remember, Morrigan saw
action before too.  She's not looking quite as sharp either.  Even Mai and
Vermilion are beginning to show a little sign of fatigue.  Something is soon
bound to give!"

Vermilion managed to just free himself from his burning coat when Mai
punched him twice in the chest.  Vermilion staggered back as he watched the
ninja leap into the air, transforming into a fiery wheel and aiming straight
for him.

Through he was down on one knee, Terry tensed.  He focused all of his
energies, concentrating on one fatal blow.

Morrigan slowly stalked Terry.  She moved around to his side, trying to
figure out just how wounded he truly was.

Vermilion was just a hair faster.  Before Mai struck, he was able to draw
his pistol, firing twice.  Both shots struck Mai in the side, sending her
crashing to the platform.  "You have been... most... amusing... little
ninja, but it is now time to end this!"  Vermilion hopped back into the air.
"Mai Shiranui!" he stated with a cold calmness, "You're dead!"  Vermilion
nearly emptied all of his clips.  The bullets and rifle shots mercilessly
rained down upon the fallen woman.  Still, his surprise was complete when
after his fury played out, Mai still struggled to stand.

Terry moved as fast as he could.  " ** OVERHEAT ** " he cried out.

Morrigan managed to barely catch the movement a fraction of a second before
Terry struck.  "BREAK!" she answered as her body transformed into a beam of
energy.

With Morrigan no longer in his path, Terry couldn't stop himself.  He
collided into Mai, releasing all the built up energies.

"GEYSER!"  Terry could only watch the blast hurl Mai clear across the
platform.  The 10 count began when she crashed onto the ground.

Terry turned around just in time to be struck with Morrigan's Valkyrie
Drill.  When she landed, the succubus tore into Terry's damaged chest with
four flip kicks before arching back with one high kick to his face, sending
him flying.

The count on Mai was up to "Four".

"Now that, ladies and gentlemen, shows you exactly the kind of person Terry
Bogard is!" Mr. Big said, "After having Mai save his neck, what does he do?
He punches her out.  That is gratitude for you."

"It was an accident.  He was aiming for the slut, er succubus," Emerald
answered.

"Hey, I'm beginning to have some respect for the man.  Anyone who punks out
someone who just helped him is alright in my book."

The count was up to "Seven".

Terry grabbed his chest.  The pain was almost unbearable as he tried to
force himself up.

** EIGHT! **

Vermilion took aim.

** NINE! **

"Vermilion no!" Morrigan ordered as she grabbed his pistol, "I want to play
with this one first.  He showed spirit before.  I like that in a man."

The bell rang as an announcement was made.  "Mai Shiranui has been
eliminated by Terry Bogard!"  (Mai Shiranui received 6 votes).

Morrigan glided towards Terry.  "Aw, what's wrong Terry?  Are you ok?" she
purred while kicking him in the chest with all her might, "Are you hurt, do
you want me to kiss it and make it feel all better?  Shall I be gentile?"
Morrigan's sweet toned gave way to a growl as she again kicked him in the
chest.  "Or do you like it rough!"  Morrigan hopped up, her lower body
transforming into a drill, grinding even deeper into his chest.

Terry groaned, unable to muster the strength to do anything else.

"Just like a typical man," Morrigan sighed, "always passing out before the
woman is finished.  I guess I will just finish this now."  Morrigan picked
Terry up by the neck.  "Darkness Illusion!"

A second Morrigan appeared on the other side of Terry, the two pounding him
in unison.

"Way to go sweetie!" Hugo called out.  Meanwhile, Poison and Bulleta were
absolutely miserable.  Although watching Vermilion's display of firepower
had brought a brief smile to their faces, they both couldn't believe the
slut was going to win.  Just as she was about to lose all hope, Bulleta saw
a subtle movement.  Her evil grin grew wide.

Vermilion had slipped the special clip into his pistol.

A shot rang out.

"YES!" Poison and Bulleta cheered on.

The bullet struck the real Morrigan before she had completed the Darkness
Illusion and both she and Terry fell to the ground.

The count began on both.

"Foolish woman," Vermilion began as he walked over to the succubus.

** ONE **

"You thought you could tempt me, offering my heart's desire,"

** TWO **

"Except I have no desire in my heart, save for your destruction,"

** THREE **

"And all along, you thought you had me under your control when in fact..."

Morrigan's hand shot up and grabbed Vermilion by the neck.  A shocked
expression came across everyone's face save for Vermilion's.

** FOUR **

"A silver bullet?  Do I look like a werewolf?" she growled.

** FIVE **

"I will take your soul to the Dark Realm and torment you for all eternity!"
Morrigan continued, "So much for your 'special bullet'!"

** SIX **

Vermilion laughed.  "I was well aware that silver would have no effect on
you.  Do you truly believe I would risk such a shot from far away?"

** SEVEN **

Morrigan's eyes grew wide.  "I will turn your face to alabaster, when you
find your servant is your master!" Vermilion calmly chimed as he pressed the
pistol against her chest.

** EIGHT **

"No mercy for you!" Vermilion stated, "Morrigan Aensland, you're dead!"

*BANG!*

Morrigan dropped Vermilion as she felt her body grow cold, the bullet
draining her of her energies.  She fell to one knee, then the other, before
finally crashing face first on the platform.

The count began on Morrigan.  ** ONE **

"Wait a minute," Vermilion said as he looked around.  His laugh was almost
genuine as he saw Terry had managed to climb back to his feet.  "You are a
stubborn one!"  Vermilion ran over and clocked the butt end of his rifle
against the back of Terry's head.  A count on Terry began again.

** FOUR ** / ** ONE **

"Who would have imagined this?" Mr. Big asked, "Vermilion is the only one
standing and looking to be in far better condition than the rest of them."

"It's not over yet," Emerald calmly said.

Vermilion made a quick check of his remaining clips.  "Not many left, though
I doubt I will need them."

The count continued.

** EIGHT ** / ** FIVE **

** NINE ** / ** SIX **

The bell rang as the place erupted in cheers.  "Morrigan Aensland has been
eliminated by Vermilion!"  (Morrigan Aensland received 18 votes).

Terry Bogard managed to push himself up to one knee.

Vermilion loaded his rifle and aimed.  "You have proven yourself to be a
true warrior lone wolf, though your mental stability is subject to debate.
Are you ok?  I think not, not with your foolish desire to have pain
inflicted upon you.  However, I shall show you mercy!  Farewell Terry
Bogard, you're dead!"

Terry was on the brink of exhaustion as a myriad of thoughts ran through his
mind.

"Are you ok?" "It's Krauser all over again," "This title is yours to win..."
"Are you sure you are ok?"

"It's an empty existence."

A kiss...

"Part of the whole,"

"Are you ok?"

Something within Terry awoke from deep inside.

*BANG*

For as fast as the rifle shot approached, Terry saw it and moved faster.  He
pivoted on one foot, the shot barely missing him.  As he did, he could feel
a surge of energy grow within his hands.  As he spun back around, Terry
threw himself towards Vermilion.

"ARE YOU OK?" Terry growled as his fist collided with Vermilion, shattering
the gunman's glasses.

" ** BUSTER ** ** WOLF ** "

As Terry pulled back, a massive burst of energy shot forth, bombarding
Vermilion and knocking him into the air.

"How in the hell did he do that?" Emerald wondered, his jaw wide open in
disbelief.

"Like I should know," Mr. Big shrugged.

Just as the energy burst faded, Terry raised his hand high.  "POW-WAH!"

It had looked as if everything was moving in slow motion.  Vermilion seemed
frozen in the air.  The whole arena seemed to go silent.

Terry's fist slammed into the platform.  " ** GEYSER ** "

A gigantic column of energy leapt forth, blasting Vermilion across the
arena.

Terry staggered back a little as he watched the gunman crash into the
platform.  Despite his condition, Terry remained standing as the count
began.  The crowd counted in unison.

** ONE **

** TWO **

** THREE **

** FOUR **

** FIVE **

** SIX **

** SEVEN **

** EIGHT **

** NINE **

The bell rang for the last time as the crowd erupted in cheers.  Terry fell
down to his knees, amazed he was able to pull it off.  Blue Mary hopped the
rail and ran towards her love.

"The winner of the Fatal Four Way... and the Dream Tournament 4 champion,
TERRY BOGARD!"  (Terry Bogard defeated Vermilion, 25-20).

Blue Mary fell over her love, wrapping her arms around Terry and held him
close.

"Mary," Terry began.

She placed her finger over his lips.  "Terry, I know," she answered while
smiling brightly back at him.

Within moments, the rest of the Wolfpack had made it to the platform and
hoisted the champion upon their shoulders.  Chants of "TERRY!" echoed
throughout the arena as the majority of the crowd heartily cheered for the
victor.

"There you have it!" Emerald excitingly stated, "He overcame the challenge
of three fighters and in the end Terry Bogard is your Dream Tournament 4
Champion!"

"Oh who cares?" Mr. Big shrugged.

"On behalf of my fellow commentator, Mr. Big,"

"I'd sooner shave all my body hair and get dressed up like Sakura than be
forced to work with you again,"

"I'm Emerald!  Good night everyone!"

--

"Terry is the MAN!" Diamond cheered on as the show ended.

"You won't get any argument out of me," Hunter happily said, "You are the
man as well.  That was quite a job you did there.  Thank you."

"So now what?" Diamond asked.

"Now, I send out all the invitations.  In fact, I think someone should hand
deliver the champ his invitation."

"I'm not going down to Southtown,"

"I wasn't thinking of you."  Hunter flashed a wry grin.  "No, it's only
fitting that *he* do it."

--

Epilogue

The stranger made his way through the streets of Southtown.  Though it was a
bright sunny day, he kept his guard up.  He could sense many eyes upon him
thinking that he may just be easy prey.

>From out of nowhere, a tall thin redhead slid up to the stranger.  "Hey
there good looking," she purred while trying to feel him up, "Would you mind
keeping a poor girl company?  I'm sure we can have some fun together."

Before she could find anything valuable, the stranger pushed her off and
took a defensive step.

"Hey now, that's no way to be treating a lady!" a short lanky man called
out, running over to "protect" the woman, "Hey Mongo!  This guy needs to
learn some manners!"

The stranger turned to see a large slovenly man carrying a baseball bat
lumber over as well.

"I am not looking for a fight," the stranger calmly stated, "I seek the
whereabouts of Terry Bogard.  If you know where he is, I shall be on my
way."

"Maybe a fight has already found you," the lanky man answered.

"Wrong answer," the stranger added, "Since it is just the two of you, I
shall hold back so that you may still be able to run away."

"Ooh, Mr. Tough Guy here!  Mongo, get him!"

Mongo never knew what hit him.  Before the lanky man had even finished his
command, Mongo had been punched in the face twice, kneed in the groin, and
kicked in the jaw.  The fat man fell down with a loud crash.

The lanky man stared in disbelief but before he could do anything, the
stranger threw him to the ground as well.

"Where can I find Terry Bogard?" the stranger asked slowly, making sure the
lanky man understood the tone as well as the words.

"Piss off!" he spat back.

"Wrong answer again."    The stranger picked up the lanky man and slammed
him into a street post.  "You do realize 'I don't know' is an acceptable
answer."

"Get bent!"

The stranger kneed him in the groin as well.

Kim Jae Hoon was on the last leg of his morning workout.  The younger son of
Kim Kaphwan had many times wished his lesser-disciplined older brother had
joined him for the workout.  He especially wished for it today.  As he
rounded the corner, he saw a small man getting roughed up.

"Hey you!  Let him go!" Kim Jae Hoon called out as he flew through the air.

The stranger dropped the lanky man.  "'I have a simple request,' he said,"
he grumbled, "'Go to Southtown and deliver this message,' he said.  'No
problem,' he said."

He calmly stood there, watching the Tae Kwan Do student sail straight for
him.  At the last moment, the stranger blocked the oncoming kick and
returned the attack with a sweeping roundhouse kick of his own.

"The last time I saw a kick like that, Kim Kaphwan had socked Ukyo with two
of them," the stranger calmly said, offering a hand.

"That's my father and when he hears," Kim began.  Suddenly, the lights of
recognition came on.  "Hey, aren't you..."

"Yeah," the stranger said, cutting him off, "and I've been trying not to be
so obvious either.  Everyone in this town just seems too eager for a fight
though."

"So what brings you to Southtown anyway?"

"I have been asked to deliver a message to Terry.  That's all.  The sooner I
find him, the sooner I'm gone.  Do you know where he is?"

"You're in luck!  When I left for my workout, I caught Mary and him just
about to have breakfast at the Oriental Casino 'Woo'.  Make a left at the
corner and head straight down.  You can't miss it."

The stranger nodded.  "Thank you," he said as he took off down the road.

Terry Bogard and Blue Mary walked arm and arm out of the Casino/Hotel.

"Thank you for a wonderful time Terry," Mary sweetly said, "I just wish you
didn't have to go away,"

Terry pulled her close and kissed her gently on the lips.

"See Terry," she began almost in protest as he pulled away.  "Who's going to
kiss me and hug me while you're away?" she playfully added.

"Last I checked, Joe still hasn't gotten a woman," he calmly answered.

"Terry Bogard!"

The "Lone Wolf" winked at her and smiled.  "It's only for a couple of months
Mary.  I'll be back before you know it."

Blue Mary lifted Terry's hat a little bit so she could have a better view of
his eyes.  She caressed his cheek softly.

>From out of nowhere, a car went speeding by down the road, followed closely
behind by two police vehicles.  The wind tunnel that followed blew the hat
away from Terry's head.

"See!  You'll miss the calm quiet here," Mary joked.

Terry smirked as he moved to retrieve his hat.

The stranger smiled as he saw the familiar trademark land by his feet.  He
bent over and tossed it back to its owner.  "Here you go."

Terry caught the hat and put it back on.  "Thanks buddy, I appre-"  Terry's
eyes opened wide in total shock.

"Honey?" Mary asked as she walked up to Terry, "What's the- You?"

Ken Masters eyed the two of them for a few moments.  It had been awhile
since the rivals laid eyes upon each other.  Finally Ken calmly greeted
them.  "Hello Terry, Mary."

"Never in my wildest imagination did I ever picture running into you here,"
Terry answered, "So what brings the legendary Ken Masters all the way to
Southtown?"

"Legendary?" Ken chuckled, "Do I look like a sake-spitting, brillo-haired,
loud-mouthed, swordsman?"

The three enjoyed a genuine laugh.  Mary and Ken added at the same time,
"Loud mouthed anyway."  Mary felt herself beginning to blush.

"As for why I am here, I was asked to give you this."  Ken handed Terry a
scroll case.  Terry opened it up and unrolled the vellum on which the
message was printed.

Dream Tournament Champion, Terry Bogard,

You are cordially invited to defend your title at the Fifth Annual Dream
Tournament beginning this June.  The organizers and staff do hope you will
attend and wish you the best of luck in your quest to repeat as champion.

Sincerely yours,

The DT5 Staff.

Terry rolled up the notice  "They've really decided to do this again?"

"Apparently and from what I saw, they were ready to start yesterday," Ken
replied.

"That's a switch," Mary remarked, "I just hope I don't have to face Sagat
again."

"Oh yeah, he'll get you right here."  Ken motioned as if he was being hit in
the jaw with an uppercut.  Again, the three surprisingly shared a genuine
laugh.

"Oh Terry, one last thing."  Ken thrust his hand forth.  "Congratulations...
champ!"

Terry looked unsure at what to do.  Doubting that he was being set up, he
slowly took Ken's hand and shook it.  "Thanks."

Ken added, "I just hope, whether it's in the first round or the finals that
our paths cross in the tournament.  You may have done it all but remember,
you have never beaten me."

Terry's eyes narrowed.  "Just hope we're not scheduled for the second round.
You like losing there a lot, and I'd hate to have an easy win."

"Like the easy win I had in the first round of Dream Tournament 2?"

"Like the easy win I had in the final round of Dream Tournament 4!"

The two rivals focused hard on each other.  A one time bitter hatred had
given way to a mutual respect between the two.  Both though had made their
point loud and clear.  From the first time they had met in Dream Tournament
2 through the years in the MVFC and beyond, Terry had never been able to win
a one-on-one encounter with the Shotokan.  Likewise, for all of Ken's many
victories, he never won the one that mattered the most, the championship
match.

"Well, I had best be going," Ken finally mentioned, "Take care Terry Bogard!
I will be seeing you again real soon."

Terry just nodded as he and Mary watched Ken turn and walk away.

"You know, I could almost begin to like him," she stated.

"Mary?"

"Well, I did say 'almost'!"  She smiled at Terry, wrapping her arms around
him again, "Next time you two meet, things will be different."

"They already are Mary.  Next time we meet, I'll be the champion."  Terry
turned and kissed Mary.

"C'mon on Mary, let's go see if Spider Man can act as well as he can fight."

(Inferno match snippet written by Michael "Kenma" Autrey and Quanah
"eDANgelist" Harjo)