The Beast Within

Disclaimer: The Darkstalkers, Ranma ½, Hellsing and whatever else in this story belong to someone else. What a pity.

< >: Thoughts

Chapter 15

World Tour Part 4

And The Winner is…

“BURN KNUCKLE!”

Terry Bogard’s ki-energized fist plowed through the sturdy defenses of his opponent, knocking him back toward the edge of the ring. Though in considerable pain, Ryu rolled with the impact and was back on his feet in less than a heartbeat. He followed through with his own ki technique, thrusting his hands forward as if he was holding a ball.

“HADOUKEN!”

A blue-white fireball of inner energy rocketed toward the Hungry Wolf. Terry slammed a fist to the floor of the ring, releasing his own ki projectile.

“POWER WAVE!”

A reddish-orange blast shot along the ground toward the World Warrior. Both shots passed each other and screamed toward their destinations. Rather than try to block the attack, Ryu leapt high to avoid it. Terry’s blast exploded against the ring’s edge, but missed his intended target. His rival’s technique however, hit Bogard square on.

Terry gritted his teeth as he held up his arms and took the full force of the impact. He was driven back several feet and glimpsed the sight of Ryu coming down in a jumping kick. He swerved to the right to avoid the extended foot, and then swung himself around in a vertical spin kick.

“CRACK SHOT!”

Ryu realized that he couldn’t stop his forward momentum in time, and violently turned in midair in a counter-blocking attempt. He managed to twist enough so that Terry’s foot hit against his side instead of his upper body, but the force was still enough to knock him down hard into the ring floor. Then Bogard followed through with several solid punches to the chest and head, which knocked loose a couple of fillings.

<Damn! Bogard hits harder than Ken! But I can hit hard too!>

“SHORYUKEN!”

Because he was too close, Terry was unable to block in time and took the full force of Ryu’s Dragon Uppercut. He went flying upward and headed toward the other side of the ring. He just barely hung onto to consciousness and flipped in midair, landing on the inside of the ropes, preventing a ring-out. He shook his head to clear it, rubbed his sore jaw and watched as his opponent land on the opposite side. The Japanese man was slightly off-balance from the pounding he had received.

The legendary fighters faced each other down as the crowds cheered around them. However, neither one noticed as each man’s attention was focused only on the person in front of him. The fight had only begun two minutes ago, but as far as Terry and Ryu were concerned, it was already an eternity.

For Ryu, it was a rare moment in his warrior’s life, to face such a formidable adversary.

<Strong! He’s VERY strong! He could possibly be the strongest opponent I’ve faced! There’s no doubt that he’s got the advantage in raw power. He’s only slightly slower than me, but he can take a lot of punishment. His attacks are fast and fierce, just like a wolf! He truly is the Hungry Wolf!>

For Terry, he was also considering this to be a fight to remember forever.

<Ow! I can see why they call him the World Warrior! He took some of my best shots and kept on going! That uppercut of his almost broke my jaw. He’s got good speed and has fewer openings in his defense than Ken Masters. He has the same style of Shotokan Karate as Ken, but he not as reckless. Okay, so this just means that I’m going to have to go all out.>

Then both combatants had the same thought in their minds.

At that moment, both men charged in at top speed, each preparing to unleash his strongest techniques against the other.

In Tokyo…

Kasumi shook her head as she tallied up the household expenses. Normally Nabiki would be taking care of the finances, but with her traveling abroad, it fell to the eldest Tendo girl to manage the money matters. Initially, it had been quite easy, thanks to the generous donations given from Johnny Talbane to the Tendo family bank account. The amounts that had been deposited were more than enough to keep the family and their houseguests financially sound for at least two months.

However, due to the disasters with the Miracle Hair Grow Formula and its antidote, nearly all of the money had been depleted in less than 16 days. This included house repairs and huge amounts of air fresheners, cleansers and disinfectants in a futile attempt to rid the unworldly stench her younger sister had created. As a result, the family might have to survive on instant ramen noodles until the next time Talbane sent another payment.

Kasumi didn’t like the idea of asking for more money so soon after the last deposit, but with no regular source of income and a houseguest that ate like an elephant, she couldn’t think of any other alternative.

In the past, the elder Tendo girl had never asked her younger sibling how she had gotten the money to keep their family from ending up on the streets, since Kasumi had always thought it was none of her business. Though she had her suspicions, she had kept her thoughts to herself. Her job was to keep the household in order, while Nabiki took care of the financial ends and Akane was the heir to the Tendo Anything Goes.

It was then that there was a knock at the front door. Putting aside the bills for the moment, she walked over toward the entrance and was greeted by a young man she was acquainted with. He happened to be one of the city council’s messengers, who had often contacted Soun Tendo for meetings and other events. This time however, he was bringing bad tidings for the family and their houseguests.

Due to the rising numbers of complaints from the neighbors, the city council was banishing the Tendos from Nerima until they could get rid of their stench.

Kasumi could only sigh as the messenger departed. Dr. Tofu had yet to create an antidote for Akane’s kitchen disaster and now they were being forced from their home. Though technically, the eldest Tendo girl was exempt from the decree, since she didn’t possess the unworldly smell. However, she knew that her father and sister wouldn’t be able to take care of things on their own. Heaven knows, along with Mr. Saotome, they wouldn’t survive another one of Akane’s cooking attempts.

Kasumi would have to look after them until they were finally rid of that demonic odor.

The French King of Fighters Tournament…

“Go get him, Master Ryu!” Sakura cheered from the sidelines.

“Show him the best of Master Gouken’s training!” Ken applauded.

On the other side of the ring, Andy and Mai shouted out their encouragement to the Lone Wolf.

“Go get him Terry!” The sexy ninja shout.

“Make Master Tung proud!” Terry’s brother cried out.

In the center of the ring, both combatants were a bit battered after slugging it out for the last few minutes. Ryu was slightly worse off than Bogard as the American’s punches packed quite a bit more power compared to the Japanese fighter. However, Terry was starting to feel somewhat unsteady and was slow to react as his opponent lifted off the ground and spun about with one leg extended.

“TATSUMAKI-SEMPUU-KYAKU!”

Terry managed to block the first few kicks, but the remainder got through and smashed him down. He recovered during the fall, rolled into a handspring and countered with a vertical leg thrust.

Ryu was still spinning and was unable to stop in time as Terry’s kick connected with the World Warrior’s chin, lifting him straight up. Gouken’s pupil now felt the equivalent of his Dragon Uppercut as his rival rocketed upward in a corkscrewing motion.

“RISING TACKLE!”

In addition to the kick, Terry lashed out with several spinning punches, knocking Ryu away and opening the distance between them. The Asian combatant landed sloppily on his feet, while his foe also made a rough touchdown.

The two got back into a ready stance as they began to breathe heavily. The crowds continued to cheer and applaud as both strove to outperform the other. Then Terry began to bring out the heavy artillery as he got into a new stance and started to focus his inner energies.

Ryu immediately detected the massive buildup of ki and decided to match his adversary with a high-powered version of his Hurricane Kick. He jumped up and started to spin even more ferociously than the last time.

“SHINKUU-TATSUMAKI-SEMPUU-KYAKU!”

Unlike the normal Hurricane Kick, this upgraded version caused a huge suction force, which would draw in an opponent without having to risk charging him. It also hit with several times the speed and impact. However, Ryu did not take into account Terry’s determination to hold firm as he continued to draw in energy. As a result, the World Warrior was quite surprised when the Hungry Wolf let loose with his own technique.

“HADO-SENPUU-KYAKU!”

Terry spun about and was enveloped in a massive column of wind currents. When the two collided, both became obscured in twin tornadoes, each battling against each other. The whole building shuddered under the combined wind currents. It looked as if it was a draw, but Ryu was first to be thrown out and impacted hard against the ropes, nearly snapping them and falling out of bounds. The Hungry Wolf came out of his spin and slammed a fist to the mat.

“POWER WAVE!”

This time, the ki projectile hit dead on as Ryu was still a little dazed from the last attack. Sagat’s rival tensed up and stood his ground as the Power Wave slammed into him like a speeding truck. To say that it was painful would have been a gross understatement. Just after barely shrugging off the blast, Ken’s training partner saw Terry charge in with a glowing fist.

“BURN KNUCKLE!”

“HADOUKEN!”

At point-blank range, Terry was slammed back after taking Ryu’s Fireball in the torso. However, he stayed on his feet as they again faced off.

“Almost…(pant) had you that time.” The fighter from Southtown remarked. “You’re… just as good as they say.”

Ryu nodded to his foe in respect as well. “You… are also… (gasp) worthy of your reputation. How… did you know of the Hurricane Kick?”

“Actually… it’s just a move… (pant)… that I came up with… from my Master’s original technique. “

“You do your Master proud.”

“You do as well. Shall we continue?”

“By all means!”

Again the two fighters clashed together as the fight began to near its climax. Blow after blow was exchanged in rapid succession as the battle intensified. Then the conflict began to shift in Terry’s favor as he drove his foe back.

Ryu felt himself waning both in strength and stamina. Although he was landing several good hits, his opponent was landing more. As a hard cross to the chin, followed by several quick jabs and a bone-shattering roundhouse connected, he realized that was losing in this contest of close-quarters. Terry had the distinct advantage in sheer muscle power as he battered through Ryu’s diminishing defense. The Japanese man may have been called one of the ultimate street fighters, but his opponent had been born, raised and forged on the harshest, most unforgiving areas of Southtown. He wasn’t even letting Ryu have a moment to pull off his more powerful attacks. Terry’s tactic was brutal, simple but extremely effective as he focused on wearing his opponent down.

On the sidelines, Matthew nodded as he spoke to his girlfriend.

“Ryu’s in trouble now.”

“What’s wrong?” Nabiki asked. “He’s slowing down and he isn’t blocking as much.”

“Ryu’s fighting style relies on powerful, but fast strikes and he’s needs a little distance. Terry’s not letting him get far enough and his opponent is making the mistake of trying to match Terry in a brawl. If there’s one thing I know about the Hungry Wolf, it’s that you should never let him sucker you into a slugfest. If Ryu doesn’t do something and quick, Terry’s just going to power through until Ryu’s beaten to a pulp. He doesn’t have the same kind of endurance Terry got from growing up in Southtown.”

“Is it really that bad over there?”

“Let me put it to you this way. The postman is too scared to go there. The cops give that place a wide berth, and any workman’s comp or insurance you have will be no good if you get hurt or killed there. They won’t cover it. You’ll go down as a suicide. “

“Kami-sama!”

“Dad and I visited that place once, and let me tell you. At times, we were forced to go into our hybrid forms. Fortunately, whatever happens in Southtown, STAYS in Southtown. We didn’t have to worry about our secret being exposed to the world. ”

As several more hits connected, Ken’s training partner realized he needed to get some distance. Then he felt a very large burst of ki emanating from his adversary.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“BUSTER WOLF!”

The sudden, unexpected question left Ryu unprepared for the next attack. An ultra-powered version of Terry’s Burn Knuckle technique came streaking at him. Ryu brought his arms up in a cross-block and winced as he felt his bones begin to fracture. Then a burst of ki followed the strike, blasting him so hard that he hit the ropes with enough force to cause the turnbuckles and corner posts to fail. The ropes fell away behind him, but he managed to stay on his feet. If Terry were to press the attack, there would be nothing to save Ryu from being knocked out of bounds.

Terry charged in to finish the fight.

Ryu knew that he didn’t much left and needed to put this fight away. Rearing back with his cupped hands, he put nearly every last bit of remaining ki he had and let loose with a mind-blowing beam of energy.

“SHINKUU-HADOUKEN!”

The blast would have reduced a tank to scrap metal… if it had connected. Terry had anticipated the move and leapt over the beam while powering up his fist. The beam continued on and blasted an enormous hole in one of the outer walls. The support beams strained and came close to caving in. Spectators had to duck in order to avoid the attack. But Terry was only focused on his opponent as he descended.

“POWER DUNK!”

However, as the Hungry Wolf came down, Ryu smirked. This time his foe had fallen into the trap as he would not be able to dodge this final attack!

“SHIN-SHORYUKEN!”

As if almost in slow motion, Ryu parried the Terry’s burning strike, slammed his other fist into Terry’s gut, then shot upwards in a double-hit that nearly took the Hungry Wolf’s head off.

The attack was so devastating that the impacts reverberated around the arena. Terry hit the mat on his back with a tremendous thump. For a long while, he didn’t move as the crowds went silent. It looked as if the match was finally over as Jubei stood up and raised his hand. However, just as he was about to announce Ryu the winner, Terry groaned and started to stir. To the amazement of all those present, Andy Bogard’s brother staggered to his feet and got into a basic stance. However, he was in horrible shape as he started to cough up a bit of blood and was trembling badly.

Of those who were shocked at the moment, none were as dumbfounded as Ryu. He couldn’t believe it. Terry had actually taken on the full force of his strongest technique and was able to get up! But he saw that his opponent would not be able to withstand even a weak attack at this point in the fight. He was barely able to stand. It would be so easy to throw one Fireball and finish him off. Even Dan Hibiki’s lame Gadouken would do the trick. There was just one problem.

Ryu’s ki reserves were depleted. Terry had pushed him to the utmost limits and projecting ki at this point was impossible. However, that still did not mean the World Warrior couldn’t do anything. Summoning up his remaining strength he leapt up and spun toward the Southtown fighter one final time.

“TATSUMAKI-SEMPUU-KYAKU!”

Back in Japan…

“IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU AND YOUR STINK LEFT!” One of the neighbors cried out as Soun hefted his backpack. Beside him, Genma and Akane stood in their training outfits, both weighed down with packs of their own. The youngest Tendo growled and just barely managed not to retaliate against the snickering onlookers and bystanders.

This wasn’t her fault, she kept on telling herself.

Kasumi carried a duffle bag with all the essentials, a wheeled-upright suitcase, and was dressed conservatively in a simple ensemble of a sundress and sensible shoes. Like her sister Nabiki, this would be her first trip traveling abroad, though she wished it was under better circumstances. She had left all the necessary notes for the utility and delivery men if they were to come while they were absent. She had also left a note for ‘Ranma,’ should he somehow find his way back to the Tendo home.

She took a deep breath and began to follow her family and Mr. Saotome as they headed out of town.

Unbeknownst to them, they did have someone looking out for them. A man in a black suit, tie and sunglasses stood in the shadows of a nearby building and watched intently as the Tendo family and their guest departed. He then took out a small communicator and began contacting his superiors.

Before leaving Japan, Jon Talbain had asked the MIB to keep an eye on Nabiki’s family while she was traveling with him and his son.

Back in Paris, France…

Terry Bogard was in trouble.

His body ached in several places, and he was pretty certain he had some internal damage. His arms felt like they were weighed down like lead and he was on the verge of blacking out. Not since those fights with Wolfgang Krauser and the God of War did he feel such pain. Now Ryu was spinning toward him in an attack that the Hungry Wolf had no hope of withstanding.

“THIS IS THE END!”

Just as Ryu shouted out and was about to connect, Terry found one final burst of strength as his eyes glowed red, and he slammed his right fist into the mat.

“POWER GEYSER!”

The arena shook once again as a tremendous blast of ki exploded from where he struck. Ryu was unable to evade as he, Terry and everything inside the fighting area was enveloped. The entire audience was blinded, as people dove for cover. Debris flew everywhere as the ring collapsed in on itself. The whole structure of the building threatened to follow suit. In fact, the roof of the area blew off its foundations and shattered into several dozens of pieces.

Finally, the light of the attack faded away as the spectators began to pick themselves out of the ruins of the arena. All eyes focused on the center of the now devastated ring. Only one figure stood inside of it.

Terry Bogard’s eyes were glazed and had an empty look to them. He was bleeding in several places and his clothes were tattered and burned. His face was swollen with several bruises. He stood unmoving and unresponsive. Then, like a mighty oak that had finally been worn down by a determined lumberjack, he fell forward…

THUMP!

Terry dropped face down onto the mat and lapsed into unconsciousness. His signature cap fell off his head and softly landed near him.

A spectator cried out and all attention turned toward the voice.

“He’s out! He’s out cold!” Sakura said as she jumped up and down in excitement. “That means Master Ryu won!”

There were several initial cheers from Ryu’s fans, but were immediately halted as another voice rang out.

“No, I’m afraid not!”

The new voice was recognized as Jubei Yamada’s as he stood up from the remnants of the Judges’ Stand. He pointed over to a spot some fifty feet away from the ring. In an empty area behind the spectator seats was Ryu, lying on his back and also knocked out. The upper part of his gi had been torn to pieces and he had several large cuts and bruises all over his torso. His legs were badly singed and his left ankle was at an odd angle, showing that it was broken, most likely from the landing.

“I managed to see what happened during those last few seconds…”

Flashback…

Ryu was taken completely by surprise as a massive wall of ki smashed into him like a runaway freight train. He had no idea that his foe could summon up such an attack at this point in the match, and realized it was some kind of last-ditch or desperation move. Ryu’s entire body was ravaged by the blast and he found himself being thrown clear from the ring. He felt his consciousness slip away, and knew that the battle over.

However, he had no regrets and was thankful that he had faced such a worthy opponent. He hoped that he would fight against Bogard again in the future, and was inspired to train even harder for that day. At that point, darkness claimed him as his body met with the floor. At the same time, he glimpsed a final image of Terry falling down.

In the ring, Terry shared the same thoughts as he felt himself pitching forward. He had absolutely nothing left. Not many people had driven him to his utmost ability as Ryu had. The last thing he saw was his opponent landing on the ground just before he blacked out.

End of Flashback…

“That last noise you heard was actually both Ryu and Terry hitting the floor at the same time.” The judo master explained. “I could tell that both were unconscious at that point.”

“So it’s a draw?” Sakura asked hopefully.

Yamada shook his head again. “Technically it IS a draw, since both can’t fight anymore and are out cold. “ Jubei first pointed to Terry. “However, Terry Bogard managed to stay IN the ring.” He then pointed to Ryu. “Ryu Hoshi didn’t. Both got a KO, but Ryu also got a ring-out.”

He then addressed the audience.

“Both fought with honor… and are inspirations to us all! However, in accordance to the rules of this tournament, I hereby declare Terry Bogard as the winner!” (1)

The crowds cheered both combatants as medical teams swarmed in. In the distance, sirens were heard as fire trucks and police cars approached the devastated arena.

Later, at a nearby hospital…

“I’m sorry that I can’t keep our promise to meet you in the finals Johnny.” Terry said sadly as he lay in a hospital bed. He had several bandages wrapped about his chest and arms. “Since it’ll take me a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks before I’m fully recovered, I’ve been disqualified.”

Jon smiled and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get to fight as well, but it doesn’t really matter since there won’t be any finals.”

“What?”

The werewolf had a rueful smile on his face as he explained. “Remember that desperation move of yours? That and Ryu’s techniques pretty much destroyed the arena. The authorities have evacuated all civilians and competitors, and declared it a disaster area. The tournament has been called off since they’re worried about public safety. Frankly speaking, I don’t blame them. Besides, there’s no trophy for anyone, since that got blown apart as well.

Jon reached into a pocket and took out a small fragment of metal.

“This was just about all I could find out of the rubble.”

He then placed it back into his pocket, just as there was a knock at the door.

As Terry allowed the visitors to enter, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was his rival and several others, including his brother, Mai and Sakura. Ryu was being pushed about on a wheelchair with his leg in a cast. After making brief introductions with all those present, he addressed his opponent.

“Ryu! Good to see you up and about. Good to see everyone too!”

The World Warrior nodded as he motioned for Sakura to push him toward Terry’s bedside. He held out his hand, which the Hungry Wolf took and shook it.

“Good match, my friend. I hear they gave the win.”

“That was just a fluke!” Ryu’s greatest fan chirped. “He only won by a technicality!”

“Shush, Sakura! He did knock me out of the ring, so it is my loss. And you should know that a true warrior learns from his defeats as well as his victories.”

“It’s not exactly the way I wanted to win.” Terry said. “And I look forward to the time when we have our next match. Then we’ll truly see who the better fighter is.”

“Indeed. I shall look forward to it as well. Until then, let’s promise to train hard for that day.”

Jon nodded as he moved up and said, “Well, I suppose it’s time for me and my group to get going again. Terry, Ryu, everyone… until the next time.”

Jon walked out of the hospital and met up with his son and Nabiki, as they prepared to head to the airport.

“So everything’s okay with Bogard?” Matthew asked.

“Everything’s fine. I must admit that was one incredible match. It sometimes amazes me how far humankind can go without the help of magic or curses. The human will is quite extraordinary. I daresay that Terry and Ryu could even go toe-to-toe with Darkstalkers.”

“What about the medallion fragment?” Nabiki inquired.

Jon took out the piece of metal in his pocket again, which happened to be the fragment they had been searching for.

“I’m not at all surprised this was the only trophy piece that withstood the blast, though it wasn’t the way I wanted to obtain it. I really did want to go up against my old friend or even Ryu Hoshi. Still, Nabiki’s situation is more important and we still have 10 pieces to go.”

“Speaking of going, where are we off to now?” The short-haired girl asked.

“Well, let’s have a look shall we?” Jon gestured to a nearby private limo that had been waiting for them in the parking lot. As soon they got in and the windows were closed, the elder Talbain took out the Luna Eye gem and the map. Just as he flashed the jewel above the incomplete medallion, it immediately sent out a beam of light toward a spot on the map.

The Tendo girl took one look and gave her traveling companions a confused expression.

“Are you sure this thing is accurate?”

“I have no reason to doubt it.” Jon replied.

“Okay, then check the expiration dates on these fragments, because they’re pointing to spot in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!”

“Not just any spot Nabs.” Matthew corrected then turned to his father. “Are we calling in Kalesse on this one?”

His father nodded while deep in thought. “We might need Bob’s help as well. Shinko might be interested too.”

“Kalesse? Bob? Shinko? You mean that mermaid, Loch Ness monster and kappa I saw back at Castle Talbain?” Nabiki said in still utter confusion.

“Actually Kalesse is an undine, Bob is a species of plesiosaur that didn’t quite become extinct, and Shinko…. (Come to think of it) is a freshwater kappa, so the sea salt may not agree with him. In any case, we’re going to need the assistance of our water-based Darkstalkers to retrieve the next fragment.”

“So it really is at a spot at the bottom of the Atlantic?”

“Well, in the beginning it wasn’t at the bottom of the ocean. In fact, it was one of Earth’s most advanced civilizations at the time. It was a great place for trading, scientific discoveries and even magic, believe it or not. In fact, they came across ideals in mathematics and technology even before the time of Archimedes. Of course, this was way back in 9600 B.C. and the civilization no longer exits.”

“What was this place called?”

“Its real name was Lemuria.”

“Lemuria?”

“You know it better as Atlantis.” Matthew explained.

“ATLANTIS?!”

“That’s right Nabs.” The younger werewolf turned to his father. “So do you think Rikuo is going to let us look around his kingdom? I mean, he was kind of mad at us the last time.”

“It’s not my fault that Kalesse refused his marriage proposal.”

“Uhm, excuse me… who are we talking about?” Nabiki asked in confusion.

“We’re talking about the current ruler of the Kingdom of Atlantis. He’s a species of merfolk named Rikuo.” Jon filled in.

“What kingdom? He’s the only one there!” Matthew pointed out.

The elder lycanthrope nodded as he continued with the explanations. “You see Nabiki, when Atlantis sank ten thousand years ago; a race of merfolk made it their home. However, during a recent underwater quake, nearly all the population was wiped out. Rikuo is the last of his kind and he was pretty eager to carry on his species. So when he proposed to Kalesse and she refused him, he became very… uhh… perturbed.”

“In other words, he got really mad at being shot down and told us to never again darken his ocean doorstep.” Nabiki’s boyfriend translated. “But since we do need that medallion fragment, we’ve got no choice, do we Dad?”

Jon let off a tired sigh before taking out his cell phone. “She’s not going to be happy to hear this.” Just before he began to dial, the device started to ring, indicating an incoming call. Puzzled, he answered the phone.

“Talbain here. Ah, good to hear from you Zed. How are things? Yes, I remember asking you to keep an eye on them. What? What happened? Are you certain? How could that be? Oh come now, NO ONE is THAT stupid. Oh. So he really IS that foolhardy. Well, I suppose I should have expected something like that to happen. However, that second package I sent should have taken care of that problem. What? What do you mean? I don’t believe this! They’re where now? All right. I’ll see what I can do on my end. Please keep me informed of any further developments. Thank you, Zed. Goodbye.”

After hanging up his cell phone, he addressed his Tendo disciple.

“Nabiki, do you remember that Miracle Hair Grow shampoo you got from the Joketsuzoku Village?”

“Yes. I remember Shampoo and Cologne warning me about the side-effects when I sent that bottle to my home. Mr. Saotome had requested it. He shouldn’t have had any problems if he read that warning label.”

“Well the thing is he didn’t bother to check the label and dumped the entire contents onto his head.”

Jon’s son snorted in disdain. “Tch. Figures Pops would do that. That moron didn’t even bother to read the Neko Ken manual before throwing me into that pit.”

Jon Talbain’s eyes narrowed in anger as he remembered the state Matthew had been in when he found him. “Yes, well I promise that he and I will have a reckoning on that matter.” He turned to Nabiki. “I’m sorry to say, but it seems that a member of your family also has a problem with following instructions.”

The middle Tendo daughter let off a groan as she knew whom Jon was referring to. “Let me guess. Akane tried to mix the Anti-Hair Grow formula, even though I specifically told in my message not to let her?”

“Apparently that is the case. She mixed some sort of variation to the recipe and it backfired on her, drastically it seems.”

“So tell me. Did all of her hair fall out? Did she send Daddy and Mr. Saotome to the emergency ward to have their stomachs pumped? Did the house blow up?”

“She can’t be THAT bad in the kitchen, can she?” The younger Talbain asked in disbelief.

Nabiki shook her head and sighed. “Trust me, Akane IS that bad and then some. I don’t know if my little sister is dyslexic or stubborn. She may be both, but she absolutely refuses to follow a recipe that’s written right in front of her. She cooks in the same style as her martial arts; violent, sloppy, no control and plows on ahead like an icebreaker. She can’t go a single minute without making some horrible mistake and the kitchen is normally a disaster area afterwards.” She turned back to address Matthew’s father. “So what happened?”

Jon took a deep breath before replying. “In answer to your question, yes she did lose her hair in the ensuing explosion, but she later got it back. The real problem is that she created one of the most disgusting odors ever smelled and now she, her father and Genma Saotome cannot get rid of it. She’s been banned from attending Furinken High and your father lost his seat on the City Council. In fact, the smell is so overpowering that the city had decided to have them removed from the district. As of now, the Tendo family and Genma Saotome is in exile from Nerima.”

To be continued…

Author’s Notes

The reasons why I decided to end the tournament now was because I was starting to lose direction on the main storyline, which was finding the medallion pieces for Nabiki. I was going off the beaten track with all the Capcom and SNK characters and this is supposed to be a Darkstalkers/Ranma crossover. With all the commotion the Terry/Ryu fight had, if we were to let Jon and Ranma go full out with their opponents, Paris might have been leveled. Don’t worry though. The cast of Street Fighter and King of Fighters will return, as well as certain other characters as well. I just needed to move the story forward. Next up, we’re going to visit a certain merman and we’ll also see more on the plight of Nabiki’s family. Stay tuned!

(1)Yeah, I know. All the Ryu fans out there are saying that he should have won, but just remember that this is just a fanfiction and Ryu only lost by the slimmest of margins and a technicality. Remember, even he’s not unbeatable and this will only drive him to train even harder, which is what it’s all about. In the end.