Bubble Gum Fury

Disclaimer: Do I have to?

< >: Thoughts

In an age of scientific wonders, the human body is still the world's most

dangerous machine. TM

Chapter 6

Old Enemy

Part 1

"It's been two weeks since Genom has tried anything." Sylia stated as she

and the other Knight Sabers discussed in her penthouse apartment.

"Yeah, things have been quiet at the ADP. We haven't had any reports of any

new Boomer rampages or anything." Nene said as she took a sip of coffee.

"I've tried to access into Genom's systems to learn more about the revival

of their XR-4000 project, but I haven't been able to get through. They've

set up some new security programs and I haven't been able to crack them

yet."

Sylia nodded. "Yes. All the previous data that we've downloaded from Genom

before about the XR-4000 is out of date and incomplete. Genom has probably

upgraded the technology since its revival. Without current specifications

to work with, we're pretty much in the dark as to what to do next."

"Speaking of not knowing what to do at the moment," Linna interrupted.

"Exactly what are we going to do about Terry Bogard? He can't stay at Dr.

Raven's place forever you know." She began to have some ideas about

inviting him to her place.

Sylia sighed. "Until we can figure out a way to get him back to his world,

Terry will have to stay where he is now."

Priss snorted. "Great. A freeloader."

"He's not a freeloader." Sylia corrected. "It's not like he has any choice

in the matter. Genom is after him and we can't afford to let him out of our

sight, since he knows who we are."

"Besides, I don't mind having a hunk like him hanging around." Linna

remarked with a smile.

Priss glared at her comrade. Though she too had gotten used to Terry's

presence and also liked being near him, she wouldn't admit that fact

openly.

At Genom...

Quincy smiled as he watched the latest Boomer as it was put through its

paces. He was amazed at how powerful this new model was as it easily

dispatched several BU-55C Boomers with ease. The CEO of the company just

couldn't believe the boon that Geese Howard had given to them.

After receiving the body of Wolfgang Krauser, the Genom scientists wasted

no time in initiating their ambitious plan to merge organic tissue with

their latest Boomer technology. Basing the blueprints on their encounters

with the superboomer Largo, the new Boomer, which they designated as the

KB-1000, or Krauser Boomer was developed.

Over the last week, Genom had enjoyed a series of successes as Krauser's

remains proved to be exceptionally compatible with the new Boomer's

infrastructure. The scientists were astounded as they began measuring the

power readouts from their creation, which were very similar to what was

scanned with Terry Bogard. Once the final construction was completed and

the CPU was online, the K-1000 was now being put through a series of tests,

against some of the most advanced military Boomers in Genom's arsenal. All

with impressive results.

Though the new Boomer had been originally planned with built-in weaponry,

such as lasers, concussion blasters and heat projectors, all of that became

unnecessary as the Krauser Boomer began exhibiting ki projection and

manipulation, just as Bogard did. True to Quincy and Geese's expectations,

all of Wolfgang Krauser's powers had been imprinted in his genetic makeup.

All of his physical skills such as strength, speed, reflexes, and high

endurance became incorporated. With the power of the Boomer components

added to the organic material, the KB-1000 had proven itself a superb

fighting machine.

"BLITZ BALL!"

A sphere of orange energy exploded from the new Boomer's hand and plowed

into another one of the BU-55Cs. The Boomer exploded as the energy pierced

its chest and blasted through to the other side. Several more machines

tried to surround the KB-1000, but along with ki energy manipulation, the

Krauser Boomer also retained the martial arts skills of the original Earl

of Stroheim. Reinforced alloys were no protection against blows that could

powder concrete and smash steel. Despite its huge mass, the new Boomer also

moved with a speed that belied its size. With the same brutal efficiency

that Krauser displayed in life, the Krauser Boomer destroyed its opponents

with deadly precision and accuracy. Using only enough force and power to do

the job, the new creation reduced more than twenty BU-55Cs to smoldering

wreckage. The Boomer then turned to face Quincy, who was standing on an

observation deck above the testing area.

"Awaiting further orders." Krauser Boomer said in a cold, emotionless tone.

Quincy nodded as he turned to Reginald, the head scientist of this new

endeavor. "I must say that I am impressed. I can't get over how quickly

this new Boomer was constructed."

Reginald nodded. "Yes sir. We were afraid that the organic tissue might

reject the new fusing technology of the Boomer Infrastructure, but as you

can see, this was not the case. In fact, despite the fact that the remains

were partially deteriorated, the fusion went smoothly and the DNA was

enhanced beyond its original state. I would say that the KB-1000 is at

least ten times more powerful than the original Wolfgang Krauser, and would

be more than a match against the Knight Sabers or Terry Bogard."

"Excellent! And does this Boomer have any memories of its previous life?"

"None whatsoever." Reginald replied. "Though we did use its organic brain

structure for a template for its CPU format, we've blocked out all

impressions it had during its previous existence. The new Boomer has

intuition and creative powers to adapt to any battle scenario, but as for

individual thought, it is completely subservient to us."

"Wonderful!" Quincy remarked as he gazed on the Krauser Boomer with

admiration. The technicians had done an admirable job. The KB-1000 stood at

6'7" and was molded after the original Krauser's body. However, its

metallic skin gleamed bluish-gray and his eyes were glowing crimson. The

Boomer still retained the long purple hair of the original, but the hair

was now shinier. Patches of human flesh on its arms bare chest were

visible, but they were so fluidly fused together, that it was difficult to

determine where the machine ended and the human body began. It was now

wearing red leggings and high-tech versions of the shin guard armor it wore

during its last battle with Terry Bogard. Quincy had thought to outfit the

KB-1000 with chest and shoulder armor, just like the original's, but the

technicians vetoed the idea, saying that Krauser's new armored skin was

more than enough protection and that additional armor would hinder the

Boomer's performance.

Some other added abilities was that the KB-1000 could easily alter its

appearance and make itself look exactly as it did when it was alive. It did

so when it saw that there was no more opponents or dangers to its survival.

The metal areas of its surface took on a flesh-colored tone, making their

appearance seem natural with its organic tissue. Krauser's eyes changed

from red to a grayer tint. When the transformation was complete, the Boomer

was a dead ringer for the original Earl of Stroheim. Emphasis on the word

'dead.'

"How soon will the Boomer be ready to destroy Terry Bogard and the Knight

Sabers?"

"Actually sir, the KB-1000 is ready as of this moment."

"Good." Quincy pressed a switch on his console, which lowered a viewer in

front of the Boomer. The screen then began depicting images of the four

Knight Sabers. "These will be your priority targets, KB-1000. You will seek

them out and capture them if possible. I would like to know their

identities and the secrets to their Hardsuits. If capture is not

possible... then destroy them. I would prefer to have their suits intact

for study, but I can always analyze their remains."

"Acknowledged." Krauser Boomer replied, still with that haunting, yet

emotionless tone.

The scene then changed to an image of Terry Bogard. As soon as it saw

Terry, the Boomer lurched forward and began powering up its energies.

"What's going on?" Quincy inquired.

Reginald looked down at the readouts on his console and nodded. "No need to

worry, sir. Since we used Krauser's organic cerebral cortex and cerebellum

as part of the Boomer's CPU, we should have expected this kind of a

reaction. From what Geese Howard had told us, Terry Bogard had defeated

Wolfgang Krauser, and I'm willing to speculate that the experience left a

long-lasting impression in Krauser's mind before he committed suicide. The

KB-1000's reaction isn't too surprising."

"I thought you said that the Boomer had no memories of its previous life."

"Specific memories and details, no. However, the emotional and

psychological effects of such an experience can last for years. However,

this certain drive will benefit us. This reaction toward Terry Bogard will

only strengthen its resolve to battle him, won't it? I'll assume that you

no longer wish to bring Bogard in?"

Quincy nodded. With a specimen such as Krauser and more subjects promised

by Geese Howard, the CEO of Genom no longer needed to know about Terry's

abilities. The fact that he was allied with the Knight Sabers now marked

him as expendable. Now Quincy's only interest in the Lone Wolf was in his

demise.

Quincy smirked at the boon that Geese had provided for him. Though he was

still wary of his new... associate, he had to admit that the crime boss of

South Town had given him a powerful weapon. One that he fully intended to

use against his enemies, the Knight Sabers and later... against Geese

Howard himself. He had planned to double-cross Geese eventually, but only

after he had gotten enough information, natural resources and genetic test

subjects of the extraordinary martial artists that inhabited that other

world. Quincy had given Geese and his organization limited access to some

of their Boomer technology, but not enough to become a potential threat.

The King of South Town was given only the tip of Genom's iceberg. The real

goodies lay in the transwarp projector, the orbiting particle beam

satellites and most importantly, the OMS project, which could take control

of every Boomer in the world, including their new KB-1000. Geese had no

idea just how much leverage he had given to his business partner, when he

gave Quincy the body of Wolfgang Krauser.

On Terry's world...

Geese nodded as he read the reports that his subordinate had given to him.

Standing before him was his right-hand man, Billy Kane.

"It seems that Quincy is about to unleash his new Boomer on those Knight

Sabers and Terry Bogard."

"Boss?"

"What is it, Billy?" Geese asked.

Billy Kane deeply swallowed before speaking. "Was it... really a good idea

to give them Krauser's body, just like that? I mean, Krauser was one of the

most powerful fighters in the world, next to you, of course. After what

I've seen what those bloody Boomers could do, it makes me shudder to think

of making Krauser into one of those things."

"Yes, I know." Geese smirked. "With the skills of my half-brother added to

the raw power of their latest Boomer, Quincy could very well have the

ultimate weapon."

"And this doesn't worry you? " The staff-wielding fighter asked

incredulously. "I mean, what's to stop Quincy from turning this thing

against us? Have you read the reports and seen the test footage? They say

that Krauser is now TEN times more powerful than he was!"

"Indeed. I have considered it, but I did not give Krauser's remains to

Genom without... shall we say a few strings attached?"

"What?"

Geese chuckled a bit. "Remember when those Boomers came to us a few months

ago? I had my scientists analyze every single circuit and component of

their remains after I had destroyed the warehouse. I lied to Quincy when we

first met. My scientists have ALL the knowledge and resources needed to

create their own Boomers as well as making great strides in

microtechnology. However, I suspected that a corporation that was capable

of manufacturing such machines would also have a few other secrets as well.

Why settle for just a small slice of their pie, when we can take the whole

thing? In order to find those secrets, I had a mole planted in Genom."

"A mole?" Billy repeated in confusion. "Who is it?"

Geese then gave off an evil chuckle. "Why, Krauser himself, of course."

"Huh?"

"As I said before, my scientists know everything there is to know about the

principles of Boomer construction. Any improvements that Genom has made

since then still rely on a handful of basic ideas. When I gave them

Krauser's body, the fools at Genom were unaware of the micro transmitter I

had implanted in my half-brother's corpse. Quincy had thought that our

world's technology was too primitive to achieve something like this, but

thanks to our studies of the Boomers, it was a simple matter to create a

device that was capable of evading detection and could be accepted without

question by their so-called fusing processes." Geese then gestured to a

screen, which activated when he pressed a button on his desk's console.

Billy's eyes widened as he saw real-life images of Genom's lab and of

Quincy as he was giving orders to the KB-1000.

Billy pointed to the screen. "Is this...?"

"It is all real Billy. We are looking through Krauser's eyes. And look at

this!" Geese pressed another button and the viewer then began showing huge

amounts of data and schematics.

"What's all this?"

The King of South Town chuckled again as he said, "As Krauser was being

rebuilt, he was tied in with Genom's mainframe. Our little transmitter has

been secretly downloading the files of Quincy's corporation into our own

databanks. Ah the wonders of the computer age. As you can see, Genom is not

just into Boomers."

The Englishman nodded as he scanned the files. "Particle Beam satellites?

Transwarp projector? The XR-4000?"

"Yes, but the most intriguing discovery was this." Geese tapped a few

controls and the screen then displayed a file that was labeled top secret.

"It took our best computer specialists more than eight days to obtain the

access codes."

"The OMS project?"

"Yes, Genom's most guarded and dirtiest secret." Geese's smile became even

more wicked. "The Overmind Control System, which can take control of every

Boomer on his world via those particle beam satellites. Think of the

possibilities, if we were to get a hold of that computer chip."

"Bloody hell!"

"Exactly! And Krauser shall be the key."

"What do you mean? I can see how Krauser is helping us get all the

information we need and also to keep tabs on Quincy, but how is he going to

help us get that chip?"

"Oh, he's going to a bit of a diversion for us. In addition to our

knowledge of Boomer technology, thanks to Krauser's downloads, we also have

developed a working transwarp projector. In other words, we no longer have

to depend on Genom to maintain the interdimensional bridge between our two

worlds. At the proper moment, we can simply phase into that other world and

steal that chip right under their noses! The blueprints to the company

building and the location of the OMS chip were also part of the downloads."

"Now that's what I call a blooming stroke of genius!" Billy said with awe.

"But how will we know that Krauser will go along with it? Genom's probably

put some kind of control device on him. How can we get around that?"

"We won't have to. Krauser will do that for us."

"What do you mean?"

Geese then revealed the rest of his plan. "The micro transmitter that we

had implanted is located at the base of his cerebral cortex. In addition to

all the other functions, it also put up a kind of shield around Krauser's

memory cells. Genom believed that they had wiped out all of his memories of

his previous life, but the transmitter was actually just feeding their

sensors with false readouts."

"You mean... Krauser is really..."

"Alive?" Geese finished with a smirk. "If one could call being resurrected

as a Boomer as living, then yes. Krauser has retained ALL of his memories

and I can imagine that he will rebel against Genom sooner of later. And

during that time, we will be given the opportunity to get a hold of Genom's

most valuable piece of equipment. Right now, Krauser will follow their

orders since they do want Terry to be eliminated. I'm quite certain that my

dear half-brother would want to face again, the one person who defeated

him. Furthermore, if Krauser manages to destroy both Terry and the Knight

Sabers, then it will be an added bonus. Either way, we end up in a win-win

situation."

Geese sat back in his chair with a smug look as he waved his hand to

dismiss Billy Kane. He was then alone with his thoughts. <Ah my dear

half-brother. How does it feel to be alive again, but trapped in a cold,

unfeeling shell? I imagine that you are going mad at the moment, aren't

you? And I am quite certain that you would do anything to end the torment,

wouldn't you? Well, you can't die until I say you can. For all the torment

and pain that I went through growing up with you, now it is time that you

felt the anguish and pain I had suffered. And you shall become my weapon

against my sworn enemy... Terry Bogard! >

Back at Genom, Krauser Boomer was currently deactivated and resting on the

lab table, waiting for the moment it would be unleashed on the Knight

Sabers and Terry Bogard. However, deep within the recesses of its mind,

images of its previous existence flashed back and forth in a violent swirl

of emotions and symbols. As the memories rushed by like a tidal wave, a

voice was heard within the subconscious.

<Where am I? What am I doing here? Last I remember was a great... battle.

And then... darkness. > Scenes of his last encounter with Terry Bogard

flashed by. He remembered the Lone Wolf as he countered his Kaiser Wave

with his Power Geyser. Then came the exchange of fists as he and Terry

exchanged blows that would have pulped a normal man. Finally, he saw an

image of Terry as his eyes glowed crimson as he blocked a blow, then sent a

hard punch, which caved in Krauser's midsection. Several more of Terry's

punches broke half of his ribs. He saw himself stagger backward in defeat

and saying his last words to the victor before consigning himself to a

watery grave. The images of that battle began to flash over and over again

as the Boomer began to spasm and jerk on the table. Its limbs started to

twitch and make sudden movements as more memories came to the surface. Then

its most recent experiences were recalled. The fusion of flesh with metal,

cables and circuitry. The battles with machines that were hauntingly

similar to himself. The sensation, or rather, the lack of sensation he felt

when his new body moved. He couldn't feel anything. It was if he was

controlling his body from the outside. It maddened him to be alive, yet not

alive. He wanted the torment to stop, yet he could not do so. Something

within him was driving him to continue on in this form of existence, no

matter the cost.

<What am I? What have I become? > The voice cried out but went unheard

inside of his mind. The final battle between himself and Terry flashed

before him again and Terry's name repeated over and over again. It was if,

Terry's image was the key to ending the madness and attaining final peace.

After what seemed to be an eternity of personal hell, he began hearing

organ music within his head. He saw an image of himself, human and whole,

playing before a huge pipe organ and a picture of his father, the man he

killed when he was 16. He then heard the music again, father's favorite

song. The melody that he would play only once a year. The same music that

he played before he faced off against... Terry Bogard.

Suddenly, the KB-1000 sat up and opened its eyes. It stared off at nothing

in particular as it considered the data that its subconscious had brought

up. Its eyes glowed red as the final analysis was processed.

<I... am Wolfgang Krauser. My opponent… is Terry Bogard. >

It was at that time that a plan began to form in the Boomer's head. Files

were accessed as the KB-1000 turned to a nearby computer console. He got up

from the lad table and walked over to it. Using several computer codes that

the micro transmitter had downloaded from Genom's systems, Krauser began

making certain arrangements and such. The automated manufacturing machines

of Genom's engineering systems came to life as Krauser bypassed security

protocols and also got several Boomers reprogrammed to carry out his

instructions. Finally, he then scanned the blueprints of the Genom complex

until he saw an area that he deemed as suitable for his needs.

<Perfect. >

Unknown to him, the micro transmitter that had given him the codes, also

transmitted his actions to Geese Howard in the other world. The crimelord

of South Town nodded and smiled. <I thought so, Krauser. You always the

romantic at heart, weren't you? No matter. You shall provide me with all

the distraction I will need!"

Two days later...

"That's it Linna. Now you're getting it." Terry commented as he blocked a

series of punches and kicks from his sparring partner.

Linna was breathing hard as she continued to launch attacks against Terry

in an open area behind Dr. Raven's garage. On the sidelines, Sylia, Nene,

Priss and Mackie were watching the two go at it. To Linna's frustration,

the Lone Wolf had yet to launch any counterattacks and simply dodged or

blocked. He looked as if he was enjoying himself and wasn't even breathing

hard, due to his phenomenal endurance.

"Come on!" Linna gasped as she threw another kick, which was easily

deflected. "Stop just defending yourself and do something!"

"Oh... you mean like this? POWER DUNK!"

Linna was taken completely by surprise as Terry leapt up with a knee

extended and knocked her upward. She then landed on her back and eeped as

she saw Terry dive toward her with a flaming fist. She shut her eyes and

waited for the impact.

It never came as Terry landed beside her while crouching down, and stopped

his Burn Knuckle inches from her face. As Linna opened her eyes and looked

cross-eyed at the glowing fist, she swallowed hard.

"Be careful what you ask for Linna, you may just get it." Terry said with a

smile as he powered down his fist, then helped Linna back to her feet.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" Mackie exclaimed. After he had returned from the

hospital and was introduced to Terry, he became very interested in his

moves. "Where did you learn something like that?"

Terry shrugged as he used his cap to dust off his pants. "Oh something I

thought up when I was shooting some hoops."

Linna's pride as a martial artist became a bit more injured when she heard

this. She had been defeated by a basketball move. She shook her head and

ended up smiling as she watched Terry talk with Sylia's brother. She sighed

as her eyes roved over his muscled frame. However, her ogling was cut short

as Priss walked up to her.

"Well looks like you got smoked again, Linna. It only took him just thirty

seconds and one attack to beat you."

"Oh shut up, Priss. " Linna said offhandedly as she turned to face her and

Sylia. "At least these matches have helped improve my hand-to-hand combat

skills."

"Indeed." Sylia agreed. "Terry has been quite helpful in improving our

unarmed fighting skills."

"I'll say!" Nene said enthusiastically. "Without his help, I would have

never passed Level 5!"

The other Knight Sabers were taken by surprise yesterday when Nene actually

defeated the holographic trainer at Level 5. Terry had been training the AD

policewoman in her off-hours and now she was able to hold her own against a

regular assailant.

"Well, I've got to admit that he is good." Priss allowed as she peeked

through the corner of one eye as Terry spoke to Mackie with his back to

them. Terry had offered to help train the Knight Sabers in return for

allowing him to stay at Dr. Raven's and helping him get home. Linna was the

most enthusiastic about the extra training, but Priss was the most

reluctant to get near Terry, let alone spar with him. She still remembered

that time when she was alone with him and that near-kiss. The memory sent

shivers down her spine and she wondered what would have happened if they

had kissed. She hadn't kissed a man since she had lost her lover. What was

really scaring her was that a big part of her WANTED to kiss him and was

jealous whenever Terry was with another girl, especially with Linna, whom

he was spending the most time with.

Priss decided to be by herself for a while as she silently slipped away

from the rest of the group. However, she didn't go completely unnoticed as

Terry saw her back away and enter the building.

Some time later...

Priss had decided that some physical exertion would be a good way to

relieve some of her stress and help her think about things. She was

currently using a machine that simulated a bench press, and was on her

back, doing several repetitions. As she pushed up the bar, her thoughts

went back to that of a certain Lone Wolf, and how his presence had her

feeling emotions that she thought were long since buried.

<Why am I thinking about him like that? He's just a guy after all. So he's

good-looking, big deal! Okay, I'll admit that he's a real hunk and tough.

So what? That's nothing for me to get excited about, is it? I mean, look at

Leon. He's good-looking, strong and tough, but he doesn't make me feel the

way Terry does. > Priss paused at that thought. <What am I thinking? Terry

is just some guy who... can do things that are supposed to be impossible.

He can jump over thirty feet high. He runs across rooftops. He wrecks

Boomers with his bare hands! He uses some kind of weird energy that he

calls ki. And... he saved my life... twice. > Priss paused in her thoughts

again as she remembered how Terry saved her during that motorcycle crash

and from that Boomer attack. Then she remembered how he came to her defense

in that bar and saved Leon. She shook her head and fought down the liking

she had for him whenever she watched him fight. It was then that she saw

something leaning over her.

"Hi there." Terry smiled as he looked down at her.

Priss' 'tough girl' attitude asserted itself as she said with a slight

frown. "What do you want?"

Terry wasn't fooled at her charade and shrugged while still smiling. "I was

about to ask you if you wanted to spar after Linna, but you disappeared."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've been a Knight Saber for a long time and I can

take care of myself."

Terry nodded. "I'm sure that you can, and that armor you wear, what was it

called again...? Oh yes, the Hardsuit is very impressive. Though I prefer

relying on my own abilities. Relying too much on technology can be a

handicap. I can teach you a few of my moves that can help."

"I said, I'm not interested!" Priss snapped again. "I don't need any of

your fancy moves and stuff, and I can take care of myself! So just go

away!" She began to feel her anger rise. Why can't he just leave her alone?

Terry held up a hand and said, "I'm sorry to hear that, but remember, my

offer still stands. I just want to help."

"Whatever." Priss then purposely ignored him and went back to doing her

exercises.

Terry sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to make any headway today and

left. He turned around and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door

behind him.

After Terry had left, Priss stopped in her repetitions and sat up, staring

at the door in which Terry had left. Once again, like all other men who had

tried to get close to her, she had pushed him away and was determined to

keep him at arm's length or even further. That was the way she had always

done and had no regrets before. Terry should have been no different, right?

So why did she feel so empty this time?

At ADP HQ...

"Leon!" Daley said as he read the report that just came from the dispatch

operator. "We've got a report of several military-grade Boomers that are

rampaging across the eastern area!"

"How many?" Leon asked as he holstered his pistol.

Daley looked down at the report and replied. "According to the

eyewitnesses, five Boomers have been confirmed as BU-55Cs, as well as two

Dobermans and one of those new Devastator models!"

"That's some firepower." Leon whistled as he and the other officers ran out

to combat this new threat. "Any idea as to the reason for these attacks?"

Daley shook his head. "No. They just appeared from out of nowhere and

started firing at anything that moved. Casualties are starting to mount;

though no fatalities have been reported yet. A few officers are already on

the scene but they're seriously outgunned and can't hold out."

"Let's roll!" Leon said as he and his partner rushed to join their comrades

at the battle scene. In less than a minute, Leon and Daley were in his

patrol car and racing down the streets, followed by several other police

vehicles.

Genom, a half an hour before...

"So do you understand your instructions?" Quincy asked as the KB-1000 stood

before him in front of several other Boomers. Behind them, the scientists

were now setting up the transwarp projector.

"Understood." Krauser Boomer replied as he shed his human disguise.

"Good." The CEO said as he gestured to the scientists to activate the

projector. "The transwarp projector will transport you and your forces to a

specific area where the Knight Sabers have been seen frequently. I am quite

certain that they will respond to your sudden appearance, but do try to

make enough of a disturbance to draw them out. Let your forces battle them

for a while to test out any new upgrades that they may have added to those

Hardsuits. Then after you have collected all the data you can, you are to

both subdue the Knight Sabers and bring them in, or... destroy them and

return with their remains. In any case, I will no longer tolerate the

Knight Sabers and their interference with my affairs."

"Acknowledged." Krauser replied. "Question... what about second main

target, Terry Bogard?"

"We will deal with him soon enough. It is my opinion that he is somehow

connected with the Knight Sabers, since he was last seen in their company.

Taking out the Knight Sabers would surely draw him out. If not, we can

still fall back on using Geese's resources."

The Krauser Boomer stiffened at the mention of that name, but said nothing

and nodded.

"All right. Open the portal!" Quincy commanded.

Back on Terry's world...

Geese smiled as he saw the images on the monitor, which was transmitting

directly from the KB-1000's eyes.

"Nothing like watching your enemy through Krauser's eyes, huh boss?" Billy

commented.

"Yes. And now I think we have a golden opportunity here. If I know my

half-brother, then he will use this plan to rebel against Quincy, as well

as destroy his and my greatest opponent, Terry Bogard."

"How do you know?"

"Simple. As you can see from the readouts that the transmitter is giving

us, Krauser has already regained his own consciousness and personality."

"You mean, he's already thinking on his own?"

"Yes. The signals being sent to us indicates that the safety devices that

Quincy had installed in my dear brother are no longer functioning. The only

reason why they would be disabled is if Krauser had already deactivated

them when he became aware of what had happened to him. He is just playing

along with Quincy, because his current plans are parallel to his own. When

his goal has been reached, he will have no further reason to obey Quincy."

"And what goal is that?" Billy asked.

"What else but to face off against Terry again? You saw the readouts on his

reaction to seeing that Bogard was in that world with him." Geese smiled.

"And while Quincy becomes preoccupied with trying to bring Krauser back

under control again, we shall use this distraction to get that OMS chip.

Once we have it, nothing will be able to stop us and Quincy will no longer

be useful to us!"

"Brilliant plan boss! But what if Krauser does something different?"

"Do not worry Billy. I have a feeling that I know what Krauser plans to do,

according to the readouts that I have been getting from him. I have already

taken steps to ensure that neither Bogard nor Krauser will survive to see

my greatest triumph! HA HA HA HA HA!"

At Dr. Raven's Garage...

"Guys! Some Boomers are ripping up the area that's just ten blocks from

here!" Nene said as she punched up the monitor in the control room. On the

screen, the rampaging machines were tearing up buildings and street

fixtures. There were several bodies that were strewn around, both of police

officers and civilians. The carnage was horrible and it would only get a

lot worse if nothing was done to stop it.

"It's time to go girls." Sylia said as she motioned for the others to

follow her.

"What about me?" Terry asked. "I can help."

Sylia shook her head. "No we can handle these Boomers. Our Hardsuits have

just been upgraded and besides, we can't take the chance of someone seeing

you with us. We have to make certain that no one will be able to identify

you with us. We can handle it." She turned to Dr. Raven and pulled him to

one side, whispering into his ear. "Keep an eye on Terry and make sure he

doesn't leave."

"Got it."

"Knight Sabers... it's showtime!"

Ten minutes later...

"Where the hell is that backup?" An officer said as he was pinned down

behind the wreckage of his car. The rest of his squad was either wounded or

dead, after the Boomers had started rampaging. Autocannons, machine gunfire

and lasers had torn up the entire area. Most of the civilians had fled

during the onset of the battle, but some unlucky people had been caught in

the crossfire and were now corpses on the pavement.

The officer breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the sirens of more police

cars arriving at the scene, but then became pale as he saw the Boomers take

aim and began firing on the reinforcements. Two patrol cars were turned

into fireballs in an instant, while the lead vehicle swerved to avoid the

lethal volley. It skidded to a halt nearby as Leon and Daley exited and

began taking positions behind some rubble, each armed with a heavy assault

rifle. The other surviving officers dressed in protective body armor and

carrying rifles exited their cars as well. In the distance, an ADP van

which was carrying some power suits approached to aid in stopping the

massacre.

However, before the van could come within half a block of the area, the

Devastator had caught sight of it and aimed its gatling guns at it. In one

furious barrage, the van, its occupants and cargo were shredded as

armor-piercing, incendiary rounds tore them apart. The vehicle then became

a flaming pile on the street. There would be no cavalry.

The other Boomers were also keeping the ADP occupied as they continued to

fire on them without mercy. More officers fell, as their personal body

armors were no protection against Boomer weaponry. Leon and Daley, along

with five other surviving policemen, were all huddled behind a

bullet-ridden patrol car. They were running low on ammunition and there

seemed to be no hope. That was until, four angels came down from the

heavens as a carrier jet hovered above them and released the Knight Sabers.

During the recent upgrade, the Hardsuits of the Knight Sabers all had

flight capabilities now, for at least short periods of time. The armored

vigilantes jetted down toward the battle scene and began engaging the

Boomers, taking the heat off the remaining AD police officers.

Nene hopped around the withering cannon fire of a BU-55C and was silently

thanking Terry for helping her increase her agility, which allowed her to

finally pass Level 5 in the training room. She then decided to use the

newest weapons in her Hardsuit, which were a couple of ultrasonic blasters

mounted on her shoulders. The concentrated blasts of sonic energy shot

through the chest of the Boomer, and caused it to topple over backward. It

hit the pavement hard on its back and became still.

Linna was also making use of the improvements in her Hardsuit. She was also

grateful of the training sessions with the Lone Wolf as she danced around

the attacks of the two Dobermans. She then used the new additions to her

gauntlets, which shot out small spears with cables attached to them. The

points embedded themselves into the Boomers and then a high amount of

voltage was sent through the lines. This caused the Boomers to seriously

malfunction and Linna took advantage of their momentary distraction to rush

between them and snapped her head forward. The monomolecular filament whips

on her helmet slashed through their armor. After jumping back and

retracting her cables, Linna smiled as the two Boomers exploded.

Sylia was also taking advantage of the new improvements to her armor as she

systematically took the Devastator apart. Sliding blades came out from her

gauntlets, slashing off the Boomer's arms. A shot to each shoulder with the

beam cannon took out the gatling guns. Then one concentrated hit to the

midsection with a Knuckle Bomber caused the giant machine to topple over.

Priss was dispatching the remaining Boomers with ease. The armor-piercing

needles that she usually fired from her gauntlets were relocated to twin

launchers mounted on her shoulders. She now had improved Knuckle Bombers

and Leg Bombers, which delivered more explosive power to her kicks and

punches. She also had a new Beam Saber, which was stored in a compartment

on her right thigh. She punched through two BU-55Cs, then swung around with

the Beam Saber to decapitate a third. The energy blade sliced off the head

of the Boomer, then it was pushed back as Priss delivered a hard straight

punch to its chest. She then finished it off with twin shots from her rail

guns. The last Boomer tried to catch her from behind, but Priss caught

sight of it and swung her self into a reverse spin kick. The Leg Bombers on

her foot detonated against the Boomer's upper torso, causing the arms and

head to be blown off. The lower half of the Boomer fell to the ground in a

flaming pile. Priss grinned at her handiwork. Who needed to learn Terry's

Burn Knuckle or Crack Shot when she had Knuckle and Leg Bombers? She had

just proven that she could take care of herself. That was when she caught

sight of something emerging from the shadows of a ruined building.

At Dr. Raven's Garage...

"They seem to be doing all right." Terry commented as he saw on the monitor

of Priss taking out the last Boomer. The carrier jet was still hovering

above and recording the battle raging below. "Guess they didn't need my

help."

"Told you they didn't." Dr. Raven said as the final Bu-55C fell. He then

caught the image of something emerging from behind a building. "Hello,

what's this?"

"What is it?" Terry asked as he looked to where the old mechanic was

indicating. "Looks like Genom's created some new kind of Boomer." Raven

decided to zoom in with the carrier jet's surveillance cameras for a closer

look. When the image of the Boomer's head was enlarged, Terry's face became

pale and his blood ran cold. Though the face was partially metallic, the

Lone Wolf recognized the person for who he was.

"No... it can't be!" Terry gasped.

"Huh? What are talking about?"

"He can't be here! HE CAN'T!"

"What is it? What...?"

Terry was still as his eyes stared at the image. His thoughts went back to

that fateful encounter against an enemy he thought was dead. He then

remembered the terrible power that he had faced and the fear he

experienced. If that Boomer was whom he thought it was, then...

"I have to get there!" Terry cried out as he bolted out the door toward the

garage where the motorcycles and vehicles were parked.

"HEY! COME BACK HERE!" Dr. Raven cried out as he tried to stop Terry from

leaving. However, Terry proved to be too strong and easily threw him off.

"I'm sorry, but I have to get there! The girls don't stand a chance against

Krauser!" Terry shouted as he burst into the garage and selected Priss'

cycle.

"Krauser? What are you talking about?" The old man got back to his feet.

Terry looked down at the bike and remembered back to when he saw Priss

riding it. He jumped onto the bike, turned a switch and a moment later, the

engine began to rev.

"Where the hell do you think your going?" Dr. Raven cried out.

"I've got to stop the Knight Sabers from fighting Krauser!" Terry said as

he prepared to leave.

"Huh? You mean that Boomer we just saw? Sylia and the others can handle it,

especially with the new upgrades. No man or Boomer can stand up to them."

Terry shook his head. "No. Krauser's not a Boomer or a man." He then took a

deep breath and said in a low tone. "He's more like a monster."

Without another word, Terry gunned the engine and was off like a shot.

Back at the battle scene, the four Knight Sabers were facing off against

their latest adversary. The Krauser Boomer made no sudden moves toward them

as he addressed the armored woman in a clear and very calm tone.

"Very impressive Knight Sabers."

"Who or what the hell are you?" Priss asked. "Another one of Genom's

fucking Boomers?"

Sylia and Nene took positions twenty feet from Priss' right, while fifteen

feet on her left, Linna stood poised.

The KB-1000 smiled as it felt a feeling of déjà vu and replied. "If you can

defeat me, I will tell you."

Nene's scanners were going on overload as she analyzed the Genom's newest

creation. She gasped as she saw organic tissue merged with Boomer

components. However, what really got her attention was the fact that it was

giving off energy readings similar to what Terry had explained to them as

ki manipulation.

"I don't give a damn what you are! You're history!" Priss then launched

several needles from her rail guns. However, Krauser simply faded from view

before the projectiles could reach him and reappeared behind her.

"Child's play."

Nene gasped as she looked at the readouts on her scanners. <No way! How can

a Boomer move that much mass so quickly? It isn't possible! >

Priss pivoted on her left foot, and aimed her right leg toward Krauser

Boomer's head. Krauser's hand moved impossibly fast to simply grab the

ankle, before the Leg Bomber could make contact. He swung Priss up, then

slammed her onto her back on the ground. Her Hardsuit made a sizable

depression into the concrete.

"Too easy. I thought you were better than this from what Quincy told me."

Priss was a bit dazed but that was when her comrade leapt into the battle.

Linna fired off her power cables at him as Priss rolled away. However,

Krauser Boomer moved with that same speed and simply caught both spears

before they could touch him. He then yanked on them and pulled Linna toward

him. The martial artist found herself flying toward him and quickly

detached herself from the lines and used her momentum to put herself into a

flying kick. However, Krauser easily caught the extended foot, then swung

her around one-handed before tossing her away like a feather pillow.

"I don't see why Genom would be having so much trouble with you." Krauser

Boomer stated as he watched Linna pick herself off her feet and took

Terry's Hakkyoku Saiken stance. This caught Krauser's attention as he

arched an eyebrow in interest.

Linna shook her head to clear it, then charged at him with her

monomolecular filaments sliding out from her helmet. She then launched a

punch at Krauser's face, but he blocked it, then delivered a counterpunch

to her midsection. Her armor shuddered from the impact and her Heads Up

display began giving damage reports.

<Just from one punch?! > It was like being hit by Terry's punches, only a

LOT harder! Linna staggered back then tried a different tactic. She tried a

roundhouse kick, followed by flick of her head. Krauser easily dodged the

kick, but made no effort to evade the filaments. Linna smirked as she leapt

back, but then her eyes widened as her HUDS then reported that her

monomolecular filaments were disconnected.

She then saw Krauser Boomer hold up the thermowhips between the index and

middle finger of his right hand. "Are these yours?" He then let them drop

off to one side.

<How the hell did he cut them off?!> Linna reached behind her head and felt

for the strands, but found only two sheared off nubs. She desperately tried

for a high punch combo followed by a sweep. However, Krauser Boomer

countered each strike with as much ease as Terry Bogard would have. He then

lashed out with a kick that seemed deceptively light, but when it connected

with her side, she was sent hurtling back to crash into a section of wall,

crumbling it. Linna felt as if a speeding truck had hit her as she landed

hard on her back.

Krauser Boomer nodded as he commented on Linna's fighting skills. "I

witnessed your little fight between those other Boomers. You are good, but

can still improve. Your techniques are quite graceful, but they lack the

power of Terry Bogard's. However, I can see some of his style is in you and

I recognized the stance you used. Did he train you?"

Linna's head snapped up. <Huh? He knows about Terry? > The other Knight

Sabers was also startled to hear about this.

"So tell me… where is Terry Bogard?" Krauser then blurred forward again and

before Linna knew it, his right hand was on the front of her helmet and

gripped down it. Linna found herself being lifted up and held two feet off

the ground as Krauser held her body and several hundred pounds of Hardsuit

single-handedly.

Linna struggled to free herself. Her hands went up to grip Krauser's wrist

as she applied all the amplified strength her Hardsuit could provide.

However, despite the fact that her suit magnified her strength by about ten

times, Krauser's new Boomer body was far tougher and wasn't affected by the

sudden increase in pressure.

"I repeat, where… is… Terry Bogard? Tell me now, or I will crush your

skull!" Krauser Boomer then accentuated his point by slowly applying more

pressure to her helmet. The outer layers began to crack under the strain as

her HUDS told Linna that her helmet would be crushed under such pressure.

"Linna!" Nene cried out as she tried to get Krauser to release her comrade.

Her ultrasonic blasters flipped up and fired. The computer genius of the

Knight Sabers had aimed for Krauser Boomer's unprotected back, hoping that

he would release Linna. However, the KB-1000 suddenly glowed with a strange

aura, and the sonic blasts were canceled out.

Without taking his eyes off his captive, he raised his other arm and

casually off a small sphere of energy.

"BLITZ BALL!"

Nene was taken totally off guard and was sent hurtling back when the

projectile slammed into her, exploding on contact like a focused charge. It

was like being on the receiving end of one of their Knuckle Bombers. Part

of her front chest plate was blown off and it was only due to the

protective inner padding that she avoided getting seriously injured, though

she was going to be aching for days. As she landed on her back, her HUDS

began giving her damage reports and she found that her suit was now

sluggish and slow to react. Her ECM and scanning equipment were

experiencing major malfunctions and her weapon systems were offline. With

the servos only operating at only 40% and part of her chest now

unprotected, Nene was currently defenseless. All from a single shot!

Sylia could stand it no longer as she charged in with her laser sword

drawn. At the same time, Priss also recovered from her encounter and was

aiming her rail guns at his head. Krauser Boomer swung around and threw

Linna at Priss. The blue-colored Knight Saber had to hold her fire to avoid

shooting her comrade, but was knocked backward when Linna slammed into her.

Just as Sylia was about to gut Krauser with her blade, the Boomer pivoted

and slammed a fist on the flat of her sword, causing it to snap into two!

He then lashed forward and grabbed the extended arm, then casually tossed

Sylia to the side to crash into her teammates. The Knight Sabers found

themselves in a messy pile as they struggled to separate themselves.

On the sidelines, Leon and Daley were watching the battle with unbelieving

eyes. The other officers were down and had already been moved to a

relatively safe position. Never had they seen a Boomer fight so well with

such speed and power! The Knight Sabers were having great difficulty in

handling this one and they seemed to be on the ropes as Krauser continued

to manhandle them.

Leon, seeing that Priss and the others were in danger, raised his rifle to

fire at Krauser's head. However, Krauser had already known that Leon was

there and casually sent another one of his Blitz Balls in his direction.

The energy blast slammed into the car that he and Daley were behind and

caused it to explode. Both officers were thrown back from the blast like

broken rag dolls. Fortunately, the protective armor and helmets they were

wearing took the brunt of the blast and they were still alive. However,

their bodies were racked with pain as they each received several broken

bones and some internal bleeding. Daley was already unconscious and Leon

found himself following suit. Darkness claimed him in less than a minute.

"Leon!" Priss cried out as she and the other Knight Sabers got to their

feet.

"Concentrated barrage! NOW!" Sylia commanded as she opened up with her

gauntlet blasters and particle cannons.

Priss nodded as she began firing her rail guns and the two beam cannons in

her gauntlets. Linna also began firing off her lasers and spare power

cables. She had to raise the visor of her helmet to see, since the front

had been crushed. Linna felt some satisfaction as her cables struck

something and she began channeling current through them. Nene felt herself

as useless, as her suit was barely able to stand and the weapon systems

were still offline. She could only watch as her three partners let loose

with enough firepower to level a city block. Krauser's body was obscured in

a cloud of dust and explosions as the Knight Sabers continued to fire on

him. After a full minute of nonstop destruction, the armored vigilantes

finally stopped as their weapons ran dry. Priss' rail guns clicked on empty

after the last needle was fired. Her gauntlet blasters shut down after

overheating. Linna's power cables became limp as all the power she could

spare was used up. Her lasers had burned themselves out. Sylia was the last

one to still be firing as her blaster and particle cannons slowly stuttered

to a halt. When her HUDS told her that her weapons were no longer able to

maintain the constant barrage, Sylia decided to conserve energy and halt.

Their Hardsuits were all badly damaged and couldn't take much more. They

were in serious need of repair.

"That's it, I'm empty." Linna said as she lowered her arms. Priss also

reported that she was out of ammunition.

Sylia took a deep sigh of relief and nodded. "It's all right. We can stop

now. There's no way that Boomer could have survived that and…"

The four Knight Sabers were suddenly in shock as the dust clouds settled

down to reveal that Krauser had not only survived the barrage, but was also

standing before them relatively unscathed. There were a few nicks and cuts

along his chest and legs, but they were minor and superficial. To Linna's

horror, she saw that the ends of her cables were gripped in one fist.

Krauser had caught the spear points and LET that current flow through him?

"No way!" Priss said in disbelief.

"He can't have survived that much firepower!" Sylia denied.

"He's… a monster!" Nene gasped.

The Boomer simply let the cables fall off to one side and smiled at the

horrified women. "Very impressive firepower, Knight Sabers. I must admit,

you did cause me some pain, though too little to suit me." Krauser paused

for a moment, then continued. "Do you know what it's like to not be able to

enjoy the simple pleasures that your senses can provide? I once knew of

those pleasures, but now I am to be denied those sensations in this

wretched existence that I find myself in. I cannot neither feel the warmth

of the sun's rays, nor the cold breeze as it passes by me. I cannot enjoy

the taste of food or the smells of anything. The only thing that I can

still feel is pain, the sweet pain of combat. I'd almost forgotten how good

it feels!"

The Knight Sabers were all still in shock over Krauser having shrugged off

the barrage, that they couldn't do anything but stare at him, speechless.

"You were very good opponents, Knight Sabers and I admire your fighting

spirits. You are therefore worthy of feeling the force of my strongest

technique!"

Krauser took one step backward and focused his energy. He took a stance

with one arm held vertically with the other horizontal, forming an L in

front of him. The arms began to glow as he addressed the vigilantes. "Take

note that this will only be at one-quarter of my full power… KAISER WAVE!"

A few hundred meters away, Terry was racing along the streets, desperate to

get to battle area in time. It was then that he felt and enormous surge of

power and shuddered. He recognized the energy for what it was and pushed

the cycle to faster speeds. He then caught sight of a huge blast of

orange-red energy and his blood ran cold.

<My god! That was Krauser's Kaiser Wave! And it's much stronger than I

remembered it! >

At the battle scene, Krauser stared down at his handiwork. The area in

front of him was torn and devastated. The Knight Sabers, in their weakened

conditions, were unable to evade the attack fully, since it came out too

fast and covered a large area. They were lucky that their suits protected

them from the brunt of the blast, but they knew that they couldn't survive

another one. The Hardsuits, Katsuhito Stingray's crowning achievements,

were now nothing more than heavy-metal body suits. Their power reserves

were gone and much of their Hardsuits had either partially melted from the

heat of the Kaiser Wave, or were rendered inoperative, due to lack of

power. They were now wearing high-tech versions of full body straight

jackets and were weighed down by their mass.

Nene's suit was damaged beyond repair. She had managed to erect an energy

barrier to shield herself and her friends, but the Kaiser Wave had

overloaded her systems and caused her suit to shut down completely. The

impact of the attack had rendered her unconscious. Linna and Sylia were

just barely moving and their HUDS were now showing nothing but static. They

were forced to lift their visors to see, but tried to keep their faces out

of sight. Not that it mattered to Krauser.

He simply walked up to the nearest Knight Saber, which was Priss. The tough

brunette winced as she tried to get her suit to move. However, seeing that

it was nothing more than deadweight now, she opted for getting rid of it.

She looked over to one side and saw a police assault rifle near her. She

still had enough power to trigger her suit's implosion charges, causing her

armor to break apart from her. Clad in only her Softsuit, she dove for the

rifle, swept it up and rolled to her side. She was in a sitting position as

she brought up the gun and aimed the muzzle at Krauser's face.

Krauser however, simply lashed out and crushed the barrel of the gun like

tinfoil. Swatting the useless weapon out of Priss' arms, he then gripped

the horrified female by the neck with the other hand and lifted her off the

ground to stare into her eyes.

Priss choked a bit as she used both of her hands to try and pry her

captor's arm from her throat. However, Kruaser's arm remained firm as he

addressed her in a firm voice. "I shall ask you one more time. Where… is

Terry Bogard?"

Priss' voice gurgled a bit as she felt the KB-1000's hand tightened around

her neck. Her legs began kicking at him, but with no effect. "G-G-Go to

hell… you goddamned Boomer!"

Krauser smirked as he said, "Been there, done that." He then peered closer

into her eyes and repeated his demand. "Terry Bogard. Now!"

"F-Find him yourself!" Priss said with all the rage and defiance she had.

Her vision began to cloud.

Krauser leaned ever closer to Priss and looked deeply into her eyes. Like

Terry, Krauser had learned how to judge a person by studying the eyes. He

knew that this girl and her comrades knew the whereabouts of his greatest

opponent. It was only a matter of time before he would get the information

he needed. This girl may not care what happened to herself, but perhaps her

friends…

He pointed his other arm at the still helpless Knight Sabers and a ball of

energy began to form in his hand. He then gestured to the unconscious Nene.

"N-N-NO!" Priss gasped.

"As much as I hate such… low-class methods, I WILL know where Terry Bogard

is! Surely your friend is more important that my knowing his location. For

the LAST TIME… WHERE IS TERRY BOGARD!"

Priss felt tears in her eyes, as she knew that this was it. Her worst

nightmare since her lover had been killed was about to come true. She was

going to meet her end at the hands of a Boomer. The very reason why she

joined the Knight Sabers in the first place. Her thoughts went back to all

the anger and frustration she had felt during those long months of battling

Boomers and fighting the corporation that created them, Genom. As she felt

her resolve dissolving, her mind began summoning up images of a certain

Lone Wolf who had made such an impact on the Knight Sabers and especially

to her…

Krauser smiled as he caught the expression in her eyes. "Ah. So that is it.

I can see it in your eyes."

"W-W-What?" Priss gasped.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "You… love him."

Priss stiffened as she heard those words and tried to deny it. However,

Krauser was squeezing her throat so hard that she was about to black out.

"It does not matter to me." Krauser simply said as he leaned back and

raised his other hand, which was still holding a glowing ball of light.

"Since you are reluctant to tell me, I shall have to get the information

from your friends. As such, you are now useless to me. Though I will enjoy

seeing Terry's expression when he learns of your death. As much as I enjoy

experiencing pain, I also like to cause it as well. Goodbye, Knight Saber."

Just as he reared back his fist to launch a Blitz Ball at point-blank range

to Priss' face, a shout was heard out.

"KRAUSER!"

The ki in Krauser's hand dispersed as he heard the shout and turned his

head to look over his shoulder. He smiled as he casually tossed Priss away

like a rag doll and faced off against his greatest opponent who was now

standing a mere thirty feet away from him.

Terry was standing in his Hakkyoku Saiken stance and was glaring angrily at

his old foe. Though he did look different from what Terry remembered him,

the Lone Wolf still recognized the former Earl of Stroheim.

"At last! We meet again, Terry Bogard." Krauser said simply as he took a

few steps toward his foe, before stopping.

Priss coughed as she tried to clear her throat. She looked up and saw Terry

facing off against the Boomer that had trashed all of the Knight Sabers.

Fearing for his life, Priss shouted out to him. "Terry! Get away! Don't

fight him! He's not like any Boomer you've faced before! He's a monster!"

Terry nodded as he called back to her. "I know. Believe me… I know." He

then addressed Krauser. "Krauser, if you've hurt her or any of the Knight

Sabers, then I swear you'll pay for it!"

"Ha ha ha ha! I see that you have lost none of that fighting spirit from

when we last met! Do not worry, Terry. They are still alive… more or less.

It is you that I wish to see!"

"I thought you were dead! How is it that you're still alive? And how did

you get here?" Terry demanded.

Krauser nodded while taking a stance. "If one could call being resurrected

as a Boomer as living. As for how I became this way, you may ask my

half-brother Geese. That is… if you survive."

The mention of Geese Howard really got Terry's attention. "Geese? He's here

too?!"

"Enough talk!" Krauser cut him off. "Genom had instructed me to destroy the

Knight Sabers and you, though I would have sought you in any case. Since

you were associated with the Knight Sabers, it made sense that defeating

them would draw you out. I care not for those females for it was only you

that gave me a reason to follow their instructions. I wish to see the full

extent of your power as I sense that is has grown since our last

encounter." It was then that more sirens were heard in the distance.

Krauser then nodded and addressed his foe once more. "However, now is not

the time, so I shall take my leave."

He then blurred and Priss let out a scream as she felt herself being pulled

to her feet and an arm around her throat.

"Priss!" Terry shouted as he rushed forward. "Let her go, Krauser!"

Krauser, seeing Terry's reaction, smiled and called out to him. "I shall

contact you shortly, Terry Bogard, so that we shall settle once and for

all, who is the strongest! Until then, this pretty one shall accompany me

as my… guest."

Terry was already powering up his fist and launched himself at them when

Krauser began to shimmer with an eerie glow.

"BURN…"

It was then that Priss and Krauser vanished in a flash of light, leaving

Terry swinging at empty air. The Lone Wolf became frustrated as he felt it

happening again. A girl whom he had come to care about was in danger

because of him and could lose her life. He screamed out in anguish as the

other Knight Sabers looked on in confusion.

"KRAUSER! YOU BASTARD!"

In a large, secret chamber near the top of the Genom Tower, Priss awoke to

find herself lying in some kind of cage. She then looked up and saw Krauser

Boomer standing before her.

Priss bolted up and tried to get at Krauser through the bars. However, as

soon as she touched the bars, she felt an electric jolt that knocked her

back. She landed on her derriere and winced as she angrily glared up at the

KB-1000.

"You goddamned Boomer! Who or what the hell are you? Where are we? How did

we get here? Why did you kidnap me?"

Krauser was silent for a moment as he studied his captive. <Such fire and

spirit. I can see why Terry is so interested in this one.>

"Well? Are you going to answer me or not, Boomer?"

Krauser's eyes narrowed as he replied. "You will address me as Wolfgang

Krauser. I was formally the Earl of Stroheim."

"I don't give a shit if you're the Emperor of Japan! To me, you're nothing

but a Boomer! I want to know where I am and why you kidnapped me!"

"We are at Genom. I used the transwarp projector technology I downloaded to

transport us here." Krauser said simply.

"G-Genom?" Priss became pale when she heard this. She had been captured and

by now, Quincy probably knew of her identity. The Knight Sabers and their

secrets were in jeopardy because of her.

Krauser noted her apprehension and allayed her fears. "If you are concerned

about you're precious secret identity, Priscilla Asagiri, then don't

bother. I have neither informed Quincy of your capture nor told him of

anything else. He does not know of this location, or the fact that I have

you as my captive."

"Then… why did you bring me here?"

Krauser smiled as he gazed at her. "You are merely bait. To ensure that

Terry Bogard will come to face me again. You will also be a witness to our

glorious battle. And judging by his reaction toward you, I am certain that

he will use all of his power to save you. I am counting on it for he will

be my only chance for salvation."

"Salvation?"

Krauser did not answer her as he turned his back to her and walked away.

Back at Dr. Raven's Garage, Terry was sitting in a chair as the other

Knight Sabers crowded in front of him. Behind them, were Mackie and Dr.

Raven. With Terry's help, they had managed to get the girls out of their

damaged Hardsuits and escaped from the scene before the authorities had

arrived. Activating the self-destruct programs of the suits left nothing to

be analyzed or salvaged. A quick call from a nearby coffee shop and Mackie

came in the Silky Wagon to pick them up. Now Terry was being given the

third degree.

"Okay, Terry. You better tell us just who the hell that Boomer was and why

it wanted you so badly!" Linna asked.

Nene nodded. "Yeah. That wasn't like any other Boomer we've ever faced

before! He trashed our Hardsuits like paper, even after they were all

upgraded!"

"You're right." Terry said quietly.

"What?" Sylia asked.

"He's not like any other opponent you have ever faced before. Your

Hardsuits are good, but I'm not surprised that Krauser beat them. Like you

said, Krauser's a monster. Even when he was human, he still would have

destroyed you."

"What are you talking about?" Linna asked.

Terry sighed again. "Although, I didn't expect to see him as a Boomer, much

less alive."

"Will you just explain to us how you know this… Krauser?" Sylia was having

great difficulty in keeping her cool at this point.

Terry took a deep breath and recalled everything that his brother Andy had

told him about the Earl of Stroheim, as told to him by Jubei Yamada.

"Wolfgang Krauser came from my world. According to what I was told, the

Stroheim family had been active in military affairs since the Roman Empire

fell. He was the thirty-fifth Earl of Stroheim."

"Earl of Stroheim?" Nene asked.

Terry shrugged. "For about as far back as anyone on my world could

remember, the Stroheims had served the highest ranks of the European

nobility. They were hired as bodyguards, secret service and things like

that. But the thing is, their outward appearances kind of hid their real

agendas, though no one truly knew what they were. They have been suspected

of overthrowing governments and starting revolts and wars. The head of the

family is often referred to as the 'Prince of Darkness.' And Wolfgang

Krauser has been said to be the strongest fighter that line has ever

produced."

"Really?" Sylia asked.

Terry nodded. "For example, when he became sixteen, he challenged his

father to hand-to-hand combat to become the head of the family. He killed

his father with his own bare hands and never shed a single tear."

"Oh my god!" Linna gasped.

Terry continued. "There have been other stories and stuff, but I got

first-hand proof that Krauser was all that and a lot more."

"What do you mean?" Nene asked.

"Because I fought him, twice."

"You fought him? And you're still alive?" Linna said in disbelief. The

Knight Sabers had been using Hardsuits and they had barely managed to

survive!

Terry nodded. "The first time I met him, he beat me to within an inch of my

life. It took me months to recover and during that time, he almost crippled

a friend of mine." Terry frowned as he remembered Joe Higashi. The Thai

kickboxing champion had suffered two dozen broken bones and massive damage

to his internal organs. It had taken him a year to recover.

"So what happened?" Nene inquired.

"It took me a while to face up to my fears and challenge him again. That

first encounter left me broken and scared. It took a lot of doing and

thanks to a special friend of mine, I was able to get back on my feet and

train again." The Lone Wolf smiled at the memory of Tony, the scrappy

little kid that helped him regain his confidence. "Later, I challenged

Krauser again at his castle in Germany and barely managed to defeat him. He

committed suicide after losing and that was the last I ever saw of him,

until now."

"But if that's true, then how did he come to this world and get

reconstructed as a Boomer?" Linna asked.

"I think I may have the answer to that one." Sylia responded. The others

turned their attention to her. "Remember that file of the XR-4000 and how

they've revived the project? Well, I'm guessing that Genom succeeded in

rebuilding that transwarp projector and is using it to enter Terry's

world."

Terry interest was piqued. "You mean…?"

Sylia nodded. "Yes. If we could get a hold of that projector, then we can

send you home! This would also explain how Krauser disappeared like that

with Priss. They must have teleported to some location, perhaps somewhere

in Genom. We won't know until we find some way to get into Genom's research

facilities. However, that isn't our first priority at the moment."

Terry nodded. "We don't have any choice but to wait, until Krauser contacts

us."

"How do you know he will?" Linna asked.

"I know. Believe me, he will contact me. Krauser may be evil, but he does

have a twisted sense of honor and keeps his promises. To save Priss, I will

have to face Krauser again, even though he may have more powerful than

ever." <I'll save you Priss! I promise! >

Meanwhile at Genom, Quincy was frustrated at the lack of contact he had

with the KB-1000 after dispatching it and those other Boomers. As soon as

the Knight Sabers had shown, the monitor on his desk began showing nothing

but static. He was forced to rely on the news stations for information.

Unfortunately, the video media groups had arrived too late on the scene and

all they found were some wounded and unconscious officers, along with

several ambulances.

Just as he was about to order the activation of the tracking device in the

KB-1000, the monitor lit up and Krauser's face appeared on the screen.

"Finally! Krauser Boomer one thousand, why was your transmission link

disconnected during your battle with the Knight Sabers?"

Krauser paused for a moment before replying. "Some unforeseen difficulties

had been encountered. First parameters of mission directives completed.

Knight Sabers have been defeated. One member captured."

"Really? Excellent!" Quincy exclaimed. "And what about Terry Bogard?"

"Second target will be dealt with shortly."

Quincy was elated by the news as the Krauser Boomer displayed footage of

the battle from his memory banks. The KB-1000 decided not to show what had

happened after firing off his Kaiser Wave, but it was enough to convince

the CEO of Genom that the Knight Sabers were no longer a threat. He then

decided that since the KB-1000 had performed beyond his expectations, he

had no need for the Knight Sabers' secrets and or their real identities. As

such, Krauser's prisoner was considered expendable.

"You have done well Krauser. Now I am hereby ordering you to eliminate your

captive. After you have dispatched with her, we shall begin our move

against, Geese Howard."

"I will not."

"What?"

"I will not eliminate my prisoner, nor aid you against Geese."

Quincy was puzzled and became a bit angry at this sudden disobedience.

"What are you saying? I hereby ORDER you to kill her! NOW!"

"No." Krauser said as he disconnected the link. The monitor went dark.

"Krauser?" Quincy spoke into the communications console, but had no

response. He tried to establish contact again, but only came up with

static. He then became fuming with anger as he called up his technicians on

another line.

"Reginald! Activate the Krauser Boomer's safety override systems now! Also

activate the tracking device as well!"

"I'm afraid that won't happen."

Quincy was shocked to hear someone else's voice in his supposedly,

inaccessible office. He turned around and saw Geese Howard standing near

the front door with his arms crossed and smiling evilly at him.

"Geese? How did you get in here?" Quincy demanded, all the while pressing

the secret button to call for his security guards.

Geese ignored Quincy's question as he walked toward him and said, "If you

are trying to call for your guards or Reginald, then you are wasting your

time. They're all dead."

"What?!" Quincy was stunned as Geese calmly walked toward him. He kept on

pressing the intercom buttons, but he still received nothing but static.

When Geese was halfway across the room, he reached down underneath his desk

and pulled out a gun. He fired a shot at Geese's chest, but the King of

South Town suddenly disappeared from sight and reappeared behind the CEO of

Genom. As Quincy turned to fire at him, Geese simply aimed a blow to the

wrist that held the gun and the older man screamed out as bones and

cartilage popped and snapped. The weapon dropped to the floor with a thud.

Quincy gasped as Geese sent a open-handed strike to his chest, causing

several ribs to break as the businessman was sent flying across the room.

Quincy landed hard on the floor and gasped out, spitting up blood. He

weakly rolled to his side and looked up at Geese in disbelief.

"H-H-How… (cough) did… (hack) you…?"

Geese continued to smile as he replied. "Very useful device, the transwarp

projector. It can transport anything or anyone to any location they so

desire. Once you know what location you're aiming for, no security system

is impossible to bypass."

"W-What?! (cough) Y-Y-You can't have a projector! You… don't have the

technology!"

"Who says?" Geese shrugged. "After all, Krauser provided us with all the

data we needed to build our own projector."

"W-What?!"

"You seem to say 'what' a lot, Quincy. Let me tell you. I LIED when I told

you that we didn't totally understand Boomer technology. Three months was

enough time for my scientists to grasp the concepts about Boomers and how

they operated, including how the fusing processes worked. We planted a bug

inside Krauser's remains, which would be easily accepted when you

transformed him into a Boomer. Krauser has been secretly transmitting data

from your computer files, including the secrets to your transwarp

projector. Even he is not aware of it. The bug also allowed him to disable

the safety mechanisms you that you built into him. I imagine that Krauser

is now disregarding your orders right now, isn't he?

The look on Quincy's face was priceless as Geese continued. "Well, in any

case, once we had our own projector working, and the floor plans to this

facility, it was a simple matter to use those coordinates, to send my men

to strategic locations within this complex to take over. I also had the

projector beam Billy Kane to one particular area, bypassing all the

security systems and he obtained THIS for me." Geese reached into the front

of his gi and pulled out a small object.

Quincy's eyes bulged out as he saw the computer chip in its container. "The

OMS chip?!"

"Yes." Geese said smugly as he put the chip back into his gi. "Genom's

dirtiest little secret. And now that I have your company and all of its

technological wonders in my hands, I bid you farewell, Quincy."

"Bastard! You double-crossing f…"

"REPPU KEN!"

Quincy screamed out in horror as the Violent Wave ripped his body to

pieces. The energies of Geese's technique basted out the wall of the

office, causing a huge hole to be formed in its wake. Geese shrugged again

as he walked to the desk and punched in a code on the console. He smiled as

he saw Billy's face on the monitor.

"Hey Boss! We've got the whole freakin' company under our control now. All

we have to do is a bit of a mop up."

"Excellent Billy. Send our troops in to clean up and meet me in Quincy's…

no, MY office."

"Sure thing. By the way, what are we going to do about Krauser?"

Geese smiled. "Do not worry. Thanks to the transmitter in him, I already

know what he has planned and if everything goes well, I shall be rid of him

and Terry Bogard, all in one fell swoop! HA HA HA HA HA!"

To be continued…

Author's notes

Well, this is certainly a twist! The rematch between Terry and Krauser may

spell doom for them both as Geese is now making his bid for world

domination. For those of you who thought that Quincy should have known

better than to make a deal with Geese Howard, well, he didn't know him as

we all did. He probably thought of him as some low rate crime boss from a

backward world. Just goes to show that you should never underestimate your

opponent.