Bubble Gum Fury

Disclaimer: Fatal Fury and Bubble Gum Crisis are not mine but I

will accept any large cash donations.

< >: Thoughts

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

most dangerous machine. TM

Chapter 6

Part 2

The Rematch

"So, Krauser has rebelled has he?" Geese said as he sat at the desk

that had been formally Quincy's. "I thought as much."

"You knew that Krauser would turn against Quincy?" Billy asked

with a bit of apprehension.

"But of course." Geese replied with a very smug look. "Everything

is going to my ultimate plan."

"But… what's to stop him from turning on us?" The fighter from

England asked. "I mean, isn't he even more powerful as a Boomer

than he was when he last fought Terry Bogard? I mean, even you

couldn't defeat him and…" Billy became silent when the King of

South Town and new head of Genom glared at him. He bowed his

head and quietly said to him, "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to…"

Quincy's frown turned up into a smirk as he chuckled evilly. "Heh,

heh, heh. You're quite right, Billy. Krauser is ten times stronger

than he was during his last bout with Jeff Bogard's son. His body

has been reconstructed with the strongest alloys and most advanced

systems this company had to offer. His fighting ability is far beyond

what he possessed at the peak of his former life. He is totally devoid

of any human frailties and just about all emotions. He is in essence,

the perfect weapon."

"If that's the case, then why… if I may speak freely?"

"You may."

Billy took a deep breath. "Then why aren't you the least bit worried?

Aren't you concerned that he might come after you? As I recall, you

and Krauser didn't get along very well and…"

Geese held up a hand. "Oh, I know he won't be going after me or

anyone else except for one person. His primary programming is to

kill Terry Bogard and I KNOW that he will follow that directive

above all others. In fact, I am COUNTING on it."

"But sir!"

"All will be revealed in due time, Billy. But for now, let us watch

the fun!"

Geese Howard then flipped a hidden switch that made an overhead

monitor lower from the ceiling. The screen lit up and began

displaying images.

At the top of Genom Tower…

"Priscilla S. Asagiri. Age twenty-one. Part-time singer for various

night clubs and leader of the Replicants band. Alter ego as one of

the Knight Sabers."

Priss winced as Krauser Boomer read her data file from a nearby

computer. She figured that her identity as a Knight Saber was

compromised once her face was crossmatched with police files and

such. However, she could do nothing as she was held prisoner in

that electrified cage. She became pale as the monster Krauser

brought up an image of Sylia Stingray and then turned to her.

"Now, do you think that Terry Bogard would accept my invitation to

come here if I were to send the message to Sylia Stingray? She is,

after all, the leader of the Knight Sabers."

Priss tried to show her tough-girl attitude, but inside she was

shocked to hear that Krauser had deduced Sylia's secret identity.

"What are you talking about? You god-damned Boomer!"

"My, my. Such language." Krauser remarked in that same, calm, yet

mocking tone. "In any case, don't bother denying it. I can see it in

your eyes that my conclusions were correct." He turned his back to

her without bothering to gauge Priss' reactions. "It was a simple

matter of deduction, especially for my highly advanced logic

circuits. I had studied the technology of your Hardsuits and by

researching data stored in Genom's private files, I came up with the

name of the man who would have the capacity to create such highly

advanced battle armor. Amazingly enough, he was also one of the

founding creators of Boomer technology; Katsuhito Stingray. I also

learned that Genom had him… removed from the equation, and the

only other person who would have access to his research was of

course his children, Sylia and Mackie Stingray. Stingray had also

left his children with a considerable fortune, more than enough to

set up the Knight Sabers and have working prototypes of the

Hardsuits made. However, though the inheritance was sizable, it

was not unlimited, which ties in with the Knight Sabers taking

mercenary work. Minimum fee, twenty million yen per job. After

interfacing with a few other networks and pushing through various

false fronts and such, I had gained access to lists of material and

equipment that Sylia had purchased in the last few years since the

appearance of the Knight Sabers. The items she had purchased,

matched to what weaponry and repair materials that the Knight

Sabers would have required. After each time the Knight Sabers had

suffered damage or had their Hardsuits upgraded, I simply checked

the lists for components and parts that the Knight Sabers would

have needed. In every case, the dates match almost to the day."

Priss swallowed hard as she realized that Krauser had irrefutable

proof that Sylia was responsible for the Knight Sabers.

The Krauser Boomer however, gave Priss a cold look and replied as

he tapped a message on a nearby console, then sent it along the

connecting line. "I am NOT interested about the secrets of the

Knight Sabers. My only concern is Terry Bogard."

"Terry? Why do you want Terry?" Priss asked in confusion. "What's

so special about him?"

The KB-1000 paused for a long time before answering. "Because…

he may be the only one who can fulfill my greatest wish."

"What?!" Priss was confused. She had faced off against strange

Boomers before, but the Krauser Boomer wasn't making any sense!

Krauser looked at Priss' bewilderment and then nodded. "Perhaps, it

is best that I show you why Terry is so.. special." He activated a

nearby console, which began depicting images from his memories

of his encounters with the Lone Wolf. The short-tempered brunette's

eyes widened as she saw the past of Terry Bogard.

At Dr. Raven's Garage…

"So what do we do?" Linna asked as she, Mackie, Dr. Raven, the

other Knight Sabers and Terry crowded around the conference

table.

"Well, it's obvious that we have to rescue Priss!" Nene exclaimed. "I

say we attack Genom and…"

"And how, may I ask do we do that?" Sylia interjected. "That

Krauser Boomer had reduced our upgraded Hardsuits into

recyclable junk and almost did the same to us! Our weapons had

little to no effect against that monster! Besides, it's possible that

Genom now knows of our secret identities and they may be

planning to attack us. Maybe at this very location."

"I don't think so." Terry commented.

"What do you mean?" Sylia asked.

"Well, you said it yourself that Krauser was only interested in

finding me, right? He wasn't the least bit concerned about you or

bringing in the Hardsuits for Genom. I mean, there's nothing left of

those suits for Genom to try and duplicate, isn't that right?"

"I'll say!" Linna affirmed. "Our Hardsuits are just lumps of melted

metal, plastic and burned out circuitry. They're only good to be

oversized paperweights now!"

"So what if we don't have our Hardsuits!" Nene exclaimed. "We've

been in worse situations! I say we pack as much firepower as we can

into the truck and hit Genom…"

"You're not thinking Nene!" Sylia scolded. "If our Hardsuits at full

capacity couldn't do more than scratch Krauser, then what makes

you think that conventional weapons will do any better? Besides,

we'd have to fight our way through Genom to GET to Krauser, and

then what? We'd be putting not only Priss' life in danger but our

own lives as well! What you're suggesting is nothing more than a

suicide mission!"

"So what do you suggest? That we just leave Priss and do nothing?"

"At the moment, we can't do anything Nene." Linna interrupted.

"Our Hardsuits were trashed and we don't even know if Priss IS at

Genom!"

Sylia nodded. "Linna is right. Our capabilities are limited without

the Hardsuits and we have no idea if Priss had been taken been

taken to Genom or someplace else. At the moment, we are stuck."

Terry shook his head and said, "This is my fault. If you hadn't have

taken me in, then this would have never happened."

Sylia held up a hand and disagreed. "No, this wasn't anyone's fault.

You couldn't have known that something like this would have

happened and we certainly didn't expect any of this. You were in

the wrong place at the wrong time and things just went on from

there. What we need to do now is try and figure out our next move."

"What about the old suits? Couldn't we upgrade them?" Mackie

asked.

Sylia shook her head. "No, they would be useless against Krauser

and it would take at least three days to refit them. We need

another…"

It was at that moment that the computer console behind them lit up

and they all turned around to see a message flash across the screen.

"What is it?" Linna asked as Nene approached the console and sat

down in front of the monitor.

The red-haired officer of the AD police began typing a few

commands and then replied, "It's some kind of coded message that

was sent to Sylia's penthouse."

The leader of the Knight Sabers nodded. "Yes, I had my answering

machine programmed to reroute any messages to this location if I

wasn't present. The line is on a scrambler frequency to keep anyone

from tracking it. What does it say?"

"Hold on a minute. " Nene replied as she continued to decoded the

message. "It's addressed to… Terry Bogard?" She turned around to

look back at the Lone Wolf as he quickly stepped up to read the

message.

Terry's expression became hardened as he read the message out

loud. "Meet me at the Genom Tower, subsection 5, level 23 at 7:00

am tomorrow. Come alone or the secrets of Sylia Stingray will be

revealed to Genom and the public. Miss Priscilla S. Asagiri is

waiting for you. It is time we settled things, once for all. Signed…

the former Earl of Stroheim… Wolfgang Krauser." Terry clenched

his fist and pounded it against the console as the monitor went dark.

"He knows…" Linna gasped.

Terry became silent as he considered his options, limited as they

were. He then turned to leave.

"Terry! Wait!" Sylia called to him. Terry stopped and then looked

over his shoulder at her. "You're not thinking of accepting Krauser's

challenge, are you?"

"What other way is there to save Priss and keep Krauser from

telling Genom about your secrets?" Terry said. "I KNOW that

Krauser will carry out his threat if I don't meet with him tomorrow.

It's as simple as that. For now, I have to prepare. It's times like this

that I really wish Andy, Joe and Mai were here."

Without another word, the Lone Wolf exited the room.

Back at the Genom Tower…

"What do you know… I have been defeated…I do not regret… I

have not felt so satisfied in over ten years… Such a pity that the

Earl of Stroheim may not live with such disgrace… Farewell…

Terry."

"Krauser!"

Priss was dumbfounded as the images faded away on the monitor.

The last images were of Krauser committing suicide by backing off

a cliff and dropping into the lake below Stroheim Castle. She could

scarcely believe what the Krauser Boomer had shown her. Terry

was really THAT powerful? He had sustained injuries that would

have killed a normal person a hundred times over! She looked up in

awe at her captor, who smiled a bit.

"Of course, I have sensed that Terry has grown enormously both

skill and power since we last met. Then again, so have I. I have a

feeling that tomorrow will be special. I can hardly wait."

Without another word, the former head of the Stroheim family

turned and then departed, leaving Priss alone with her thoughts.

In Quincy's office…

"So as I thought. Krauser wants a rematch, does he?" Geese

remarked after reading the data that was being transmitted by the

implant in Krauser's head. "Well then, we'd best make certain that

NO ONE interferes, right Billy?" He glanced to his right-hand man,

who nodded as he went to carry out his master's unspoken

command.

The next day…

Sylia and the other Knight Sabers tried to find Terry and convince

him not to go alone to meet Krauser's challenge. However, to their

dismay, Terry had departed early during the night and they were

left with a decision to make. There was no way of stopping Terry

from going to fight Krauser, but they did know where Priss was

being held. Though the chance of successfully rescuing her were

slim, the leader of the armored vigilantes decided to take that risk

and ordered Nene and Linna to suit up in their old armor. She also

told Mackie load up the truck with as much weaponry and hardware

as he could, including their Motoslaves. Sylia also called up a

blueprint of the Genom Tower and assessed the best way of entry

without detection. This would be a surgical strike and give as much

cover to Terry as they possibly could. In under an hour, the Knight

Sabers were on their way.

Riding down the highway, Terry was feeling somewhat nostalgic as

he rode a duplicate of his old motorcycle down the highway toward

Genom Tower. During his stay at Dr. Raven's, the good mechanic

had decided to repay Terry for all his help by creating a copy of his

old, 20th century bike, complete with sidecar. Though he did look

out of place in this high-tech future world, riding his old motorcycle

gave Terry a senses of security as he approached the Genom Tower.

<I'll save you Priss! I swear I will! >

Near the top of the tower, Krauser smiled as he watched the monitor

and saw Terry approach. Terry looked exactly as he remembered

when they last battled. He had the same red, sleeveless jacket, blue

jeans and sneakers. His gloved hands gripped the handlebars and

his long blond hair flapped behind him. The metal plate on the

front of his baseball cap flashed in the morning sun as he came to a

stop in front of the building. Krauser then flipped a switch which

automatically opened the front door. Terry got off his bike and then

came to the front. It was then that he stopped as Krauser flipped

another switch.

On ground level, Terry looked up to the top of the tower, but kept

his calm as he started walking toward the front door. He noted that

no one was around and assumed that Krauser had cleared the

building of all its employees. It was then that he began hearing

some music being played from speakers in the walls and ceilings

and frowned as he recognized the melody. It was the exact same

organ music that Krauser had played during their last bout.

"Krauser! I know you can hear me! Let me tell you something!

You've got a very SICK sense of humor!" Terry shouted as he went

toward an elevator that was blinking its indicator lights at him.

Terry paused before it before entering it and pushed the button to

level 23.

Outside of the tower, the Knight Sabers were about to start their

own entry into the tower, when Mackie suddenly received a

message on the truck's monitor. The image depicted that of Krauser

as he addressed the knight Sabers.

"If you are planning to rescue your comrade or interfere with my

business with Terry Bogard, then you would be signing Miss

Asagiri's death warrant. Observe." The images then switched to

show Priss, still in her cage. The cage was now suspended thirty

feet above the floor of the huge room and had something attached to

its bottom. "My captive's cell is directly wired to several highly

explosive devices that will detonate the moment that any of you set

foot inside the tower. The disarming signaling device is contained

within me and will only activate if Terry is able to defeat me. You

are welcome to watch our battle but I warn you that I will allow for

NO interference. And if you do not believe me, then you will be

held responsible for Asagiri's demise. You may find some comfort

that unlike my half-brother, I do NOT cheat."

The monitor of the Silky Wagon then began depicting Terry as he

exited the elevator and made his way toward the place where

Krauser held Priss. Sylia gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Nene! Is there any way you can somehow override the detonation

devices of those bombs underneath Priss' cage?"

Nene shook her head as she tried to access the Genom Tower's

computer network. "No good! The entire tower is projecting an

interference barrier that's blocking all my attempts to access it! All

the lines have more than a dozen new security locks each and even

if I still had my other Hardsuit and could get through that barrier, it

would take me more than an hour to crack the codes of each lock!

I'm afraid that… our only hope is Terry."

The three remaining Knight Sabers could only helplessly watch as

the Lone Wolf entered subsection 5 on level 23.

Terry became more tense as he passed through the front door where

Krauser was waiting for him. He stopped as he gazed upon the

rebuilt form of his old adversary, whose back was turned to him as

the organ music continued to play. Krauser didn't seem to have

noticed Terry's arrival as he continued to look out a window which

overlooked Mega-Tokyo, but the Lone Wolf knew that the Boomer

was aware of his presence. Terry could feel the familiar power from

the former Earl of Stroheim and a chill went down his spine as he

remembered the last time they met. However, he had controlled his

fear of him a long time ago, as he waited for him to face him.

"Terry!"

Andy Bogard's brother looked up to the sound of Priss' voice and

saw her suspended above in a cage.

"Priss? Are you all right?"

Priss nodded. "I'm fine, but…. please… don't worry about me! Get

out of here while you can! Krauser's a lot more powerful than he

was when you last faced him! I… don't want to see you get killed!

Please… just go!"

Terry shook his head as he looked back at Krauser while still

addressing Priss. "Can't do that Priss. I accepted his challenge and

I've long since conquered my fear of him. It'll be all right… I

promise. " He then addressed Krauser directly. "Krauser! I'm here!

Let her go! This is between the two of us!"

It was at that time that the organ music suddenly stopped and the

room was bathed in silence. It was then that Krauser turned around

and gazed back at Terry. "Indeed. You are quite right. She has

served her purpose in bringing you here, though I knew you would

come. However, she still must remain here as insurance to keep the

other Knight Sabers from interfering. As of now, they are waiting

outside and watching us through their monitors. However, should

they try to enter this tower, their comrade will die instantly."

"What?" Terry cried out as Krauser pointed to the cage above them.

"Attached to the bottom of her cell are explosives, which will be

triggered if the Knight Sabers make any attempt to rescue her or get

involved with our battle. If you wish for her to be free, you will have

to defeat me, for only I have the disarming device. If you are

victorious, then Priscilla Asagiri will be released and you will be

free to go. The disarming device will also send out a signal that will

wipe out all the data that I have collected on Sylia Stingray and the

secrets about the Knight Sabers, including the identities of her other

comrades; Nene Romanova and Linna Yazamaki."

In the Silky Wagon truck, the remaining Knight Sabers gave off a

collective gasp when they heard this. Krauser had deduced their real

identities and it was now imperative that he be defeated.

Terry frowned at Krauser as the Boomer gave him a slight smile.

"I will not bore you with the details of how I deduced their

identities, though it was relatively straightforward. The Knight

Sabers always seemed to be near when the AD police were having

difficulties, so it made sense that a member of the ADP was a

Knight Saber. Nene's profile as a computer hacker also fit in with

her Hardsuit's capabilities. As for the other member, I simply

checked files on all female martial artists living in Mega-Tokyo and

compared the fighting style that I had observed during my battle

with the Knight Sabers. The rest fell into place." Krauser gave off a

light chuckle as he then took a stance. "However, all of that

research was to simply to pass the time until I could finally meet the

one opponent worthy to face me! So now, the time for talk is over!"

The KB-1000 gave Terry that same, smug smile as he taunted him.

"Come… entertain me."

Terry growled as he took his own stance and began focusing his

energy. "I was afraid of you… once. But not any more! And even

though you've gotten stronger, so have I!"

Krauser gave another chuckle as he assessed his foe. "Indeed. As I

had said before, for people such as us, it is impossible to exist

without fighting. We are exactly alike, you and I."

"No, we're not!" Terry charged at him with a glowing fist, aimed

directly for Krauser's face.

However, like before, Krauser raised a hand to catch Terry's wrist

before the punch could impact. However, Terry's speed had

increased since the last time and the fist stopped less than an inch

from Krauser's nose.

The Boomer frowned as he said, "And as I said before… what

makes you so certain?" He then delivered a cross kick to knock

Terry off, but the Lone Wolf managed to partially duck it, then

lashed out with his own kick.

"CRACK SHOT!"

Krauser raised an arm up to block the blow, but winced when the

leg slammed hard against it. The kick packed far more power than

he last remembered. He retaliated by slamming a knee and sent

Terry sprawling away.

The Lone Wolf felt as if he had been hit by a speeding truck, and

was grateful of the high endurance he had gained after fighting the

God of War. He made a neat flip, then charged forward with a

shoulder in his own version of his brother's Zan Ei Ken maneuver.

"POWER CHARGE!"

Krauser hadn't expected a frontal assault as Terry slammed into his

chest and actually drove him back. His heels dug ruts into the floor,

but he countered with another devastating knee to Terry's abdomen.

As Terry bit down to ignore the pain, Krauser delivered a hard

punch to the stomach, then another toward his face.

Terry winced as he tried to roll with the punch, and was partially

successful. He had managed to bring up an arm to absorb the brunt

of the blow, but was still sent reeling. He tumbled to the floor but

was back on his feet and taking a stance and gathering energy.

Krauser Boomer nodded as he too took the same stance. "So let us

see how truly powerful you have become."

Priss' eyes widened in amazement. Though she had observed this

maneuver from Krauser's memories, she was still in awe at seeing it

so closely.

In the Silky Wagon, the other Knight Sabers and Mackie were also

astounded to see Terry and Krauser become enveloped in swirling

winds.

"Look! They both know the same move!" Linna gasped.

"FINAL ATTACK… HADO…" Terry began as he launched into the

Super Hurricane Kick.

"…SENPU KYAKU!" Krauser said as he too went into a brutal

spin kick.

The two cyclones that were formed by the two combatants clashed

together, causing the room to tremble as it was buffeted by high-

speed winds. The cage that held Priss was jostled about like a leaf.

Fortunately for Priss, the bars were not electrified as she was

bounced about inside. The cable that suspended the cage was

strained to its maximum tolerance levels but held firm.

Down below, the two whirlwind attacks continued to pound away at

each other. For one full minute, the small tornadoes rubbed against

each other. Then suddenly, the two broke apart and dispersed,

leaving two battered but still standing opponents.

Krauser stood with several small nicks in his alloyed skin and one

sizable dent in his right shoulder. There were several openings with

exposed circuitry, which were sparking. Terry had a large bruise on

his right cheek and several more scattered all over his body. He

could feel his chest burning with pain, and it was quite possible that

several ribs were fractured. He also had a trickle of blood running

down one side of his mouth, but he was still ready to fight.

Terry's opponent smiled as he saw that Terry had indeed gotten

stronger. "Splendid! Of all the opponents I have fought, only you

have ever proven to be worthy to face me!" Krauser then flashed

forward and delivered another hard punch to Terry's stomach.

Above, Priss winced as she saw Terry take another hit. By all rights,

a normal human being would have been pulped by now and even

her Hardsuit would have been severely damaged. The fact that he

was actually standing up to the same Boomer that had defeated the

Knight Sabers, was nothing short of phenomenal!

Terry lashed out with a kick after receiving the blow, then followed

through with a glowing fist.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

Krauser deftly dodged the punch, then sent another knee into

Terry's abdomen. The attack hit home and Terry let off a grunt of

pain. However, since he was in close, Terry swung a leg up toward

Krauser's head.

"CRACK SHOT!"

This kick connected with the side of Krauser's head and knocked

him off balance. Before Krauser could right himself, Terry charged

in and slammed another glowing fist into the Boomer's chest.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

Krauser was unable to bring up an arm to block in time and the

impact was felt at full force. The reinforced alloyed surface of his

chest shuddered as Krauser was knocked back and slammed into a

wall. He made a sizable depression in the wall, causing dust to be

stirred up and concrete to crumble at his feet. Krauser was still for a

moment, then simply got up. He smiled back at Terry, though he

now sported a large dent in his chest and a hole where the ki-

powered punch had actually penetrated. The side of his face where

Terry had kicked him now had exposed circuits and relays as well

as some damaged flesh.

"Wonderful! The sweet pain of combat was the one thing I missed

since I was brought back." He then made a orb of energy appear in

one hand and hurled it at Terry. "BLITZ BALL!"

Terry quickly swerved to one side to avoid being hit by it. He knew

just what one of those projectiles could do and he wasn't eager to

experience them again. The ball of ki exploded against another wall

with the force of several pounds of TNT.

"As quick as ever, Terry. But… try to dodge these!" Krauser then

made a crosscut motion with an arm and launched a dozen Blitz

Balls at the Lone Wolf. "BLITZKRIEG BARRAGE!"

"Look out!" Priss shouted as she saw the projectiles hurtle toward

Terry. There was no way he could dodge all of those!

Terry gritted his teeth as he slammed a fist to the ground. "ROUND WAVE!"

A circle of energy exploded around him and acted like a barrier

against Krauser's attack. The Blitz Balls were canceled out as Terry

slammed his fist against the floor again.

"POWER WAVE!"

A ki blast was sent along the floor toward Krauser Boomer. Just as

the first wave was formed and started moving, Terry slammed his

fist again to the floor. "TIMES TWO!" After battling with

Laocorn's henchman Janim, Terry had figured out a way to make

his usual ki-blast even stronger.

Another ki blast was formed and joined up with the first, forming a

huge wave of energy that was about a dozen feet high and rushed

toward the KB-1000 like a speeding freight train. Krauser held up

his arms to block in an X-shape as the amplified Power Wave

slammed into him and drove him back again. Krauser braced

himself as the blast exploded, but he still remained on his feet.

Krauser lowered his now smoking arms and gazed at Terry fondly.

"You have indeed grown stronger since we last battled and I believe

now is the time that you feel the force of my greatest technique!" He

held up his arms in that same L-form as began focusing his energy.

Priss recognized the move and gasped in horror. She and the other

Knight Sabers had just barely survived that attack in their

Hardsuits. If Krauser's Kaiser Wave was more powerful now than

what she seen before in his memories, then Terry…

"TERRY, LOOK OUT! HE'S…"

"KAISER… WAVE!"

Terry growled as his eyes glowed red. Just as the Kaiser wave was

about to hit him, he slammed a fist to the floor.

"POWER… GEYSER!"

The force of Terry's Desperation Attack caused the entire floor to

shudder as a huge column of ki slammed into Krauser's Kaiser

Wave. However, Terry strained as he felt more energy than he ever

felt before from Krauser's attack. He fell to his knees as his Power

Geyser just barely repelled the incoming energy, causing it to

backlash and blow out several sections of wall. Miraculously, Priss'

cage was left unscathed, though it did sway violently during the

collision of so much energy.

At the Silky Wagon…

"He… stopped it." Nene said with awe.

Back at level 23, Krauser nodded as he gazed at Terry's kneeling

form. "Impressive. You managed to stop my amplified Kaiser

Wave. Then again… that was only at half-strength."

"What?!" Terry's head came up as he stared in disbelief. "That…

was only half?"

Krauser nodded as he raised his arms once more. "Yes… and I

severely doubt that you could stop it now, especially at full force and

in your condition. Such a pity… I had hoped that this could go on

longer, but I must obey my programming and destroy you. It had

been a wonderful show… thank you… and goodbye…"

Priss was just getting over her shock after hearing that Krauser had

only used half his power when she saw his preparing to fire again.

Terry was battered, drained, and had nothing left to give and she

was so helpless to stop it! Just like when her lover had died…

"KAISER WAVE!"

The new blast was twice as strong as the first one and it seemed that

Terry was finished. However, just as it was about to reach him,

Terry's head came up when he heard Priss' shout.

"TERRY!"

Terry's body reacted faster than what was thought possible as he

struck the ground, three times.

"TRIPLE… GEYSERS!"

The first column hit the Kaiser Wave head on, causing it to

momentarily stop, then the second column slammed into it,

repelling it back toward Krauser. When the third geyser hit

retreating energy, the result was a huge backlash that crashed into

Krauser like a tsunami and swept him back. He smashed hard into

another section of wall and the entire side of that chamber began

collapsing, including a section of ceiling. The cable that suspended

Priss' cage snapped and her cell began to fall. Terry looked up and

saw it. With adrenaline spurring him on, he rushed toward it as the

door to the cage swung open. Priss reacted fast and leapt clear of the

cage. Terry held up his arms and managed to catch her and dove

down to shield her with his body if the explosives went off.

Fortunately, the bombs did not detonate when the cell clattered to

the ground.

When the dust and debris began to settle and the noise began to

fade, Terry looked down at Priss and saw that she was in the

missionary position beneath him. He quickly became embarrassed

and got off her.

"Are… you all right?"

Priss was also flustered when she opened her eyes and found herself

on her back and Terry leaning over her. She quickly composed

herself and replied, "I'm fine! I'm… okay. Thanks… for catching

me."

Terry suddenly stiffened and got to his feet when he felt a

foreboding presence and a sickening sense of deja vu. He turned

around and saw that though he was able to repel the amplified

Kaiser Wave, the Krauser Boomer was still functioning. Standing

before them, a dozen feet away, the seemingly unstoppable machine

was now showing huge gaps in its alloyed skin and most of the

remaining flesh was in tatters. Half of the face had been ripped off

and the inner machinery was exposed. However, Krauser still

remained defiant as he addressed Terry.

"I never would have believed that you would have the power to repel

my Kaiser Wave twice, Terry. Once again, you had surprised me. I

am grateful that you have surpassed my greatest expectations."

"It… can't be!" Priss cried out as she stood up with Terry. "He can't

have survived that!"

Terry growled as he took a stance. "Krauser…"

"Terry…"

The two began to glow with intense auras as they prepared for the

final face-off. They each let off a shout of inhuman rage and

launched at each other with a fist cocked back. The punches

connected with each other's face and then each fighter launched a

sidekick. As history began to repeat itself, Priss could only stare in

morbid fascination as Terry and Krauser began to pummel each

other as they did during their last duel. It seemed that nothing

would ever break the endless cycle as blow after crushing blow were

thrown. Then, as it happened before, Terry put a stop to it.

As Krauser threw another fist to Terry's face, the Lone Wolf

stopped it by grasping the wrist, then delivered a Burn Knuckle to

the abdomen, causing it to collapse. Then Terry delivered several

more hard punches to the chest, breaking several ribs and forcing

Krauser back. However, Terry was determined to finish it. As

Krauser staggered back, Terry focused all of his strength and rage

into one fist and charged at him.

"BUSTER… WOLF!"

Unlike his usual Burn Knuckle, this new punch glowed with an

orange light, which exploded when it connected with Krauser's

chest. Terry then grasped his arm with his other hand and sent

more energy into the fist. A huge ki-bolt blasted into the hole in

Krauser's chest and exploded out his back. The Boomer reeled

backward toward a large hole in the wall, which had been created

during the battle and led to open air. Krauser fell to his knees while

clutching at his critically damaged chest and smiled at Terry.

The Lone Wolf stood at the ready with Priss behind him as he

waited for Krauser's next move.

Krauser however, knew that he was finished as his diagnostic

systems were informing him that all of his vital mechanisms had

sustained irreparable damage.

"What do you know… I have been defeated again. As I had said

before… Terry… I do not regret it… I thank you for helping me in

my ultimate… plan…"

"Plan? What plan?" Terry asked in confusion.

Krauser smile became even more smug. "The plan to kill me… of

course."

"What?!"

Krauser nodded as he used his remaining power reserves to get to

his feet. "Did you know… that a Boomer cannot self-terminate

himself? All combat Boomers, including myself… are programmed

to survive and win at all costs. I had hoped… that the Knight

Sabers would be able to… destroy me, but they lacked the sufficient

power to do so… That is why…. I had you… brought to me. If there

was… anyone… that could end the living death that I had become

when Geese had me… resurrected… I knew… it would be you."

"That's the reason why you had kidnapped Priss? Just so that I could

come to kill you?" Terry exclaimed with disbelief.

"Yes. "Krauser said simply as his systems were about to

permanently shut down. "Life as a Boomer, after being truly alive,

is nothing more than a mere… shadow of existence. I cannot feel

anything but pain. I cannot taste… touch… smell… all the simple

pleasures that you take for granted. And… as I had said to you

before… Terry, the Earl of Stroheim will not LIVE with the

disgrace of being defeated. And so I bid you… farewell…"

With these words, the Krauser boomer pitched forward and then

became silent as the last of its power reserves were depleted. The

once mighty fighter of the Stroheim family became a lifeless shell

once again.

Terry clenched his fists at his sides in frustration and then let off a

tired sigh. The fight was over and he had rescued Priss. That was

all that mattered. He then turned to face the attractive brunette who

was still gazing at the body of Krauser in disbelief and shock. Terry

placed a hand on her shoulder, which got her attention as she

looked up into his eyes.

"It's time to go."

Priss could say nothing as she nodded and began to walk with him

toward the doors that led out of the chamber. Terry was slightly

hunched over as his body was aching all over. Priss lent him her

shoulder to lean on as they headed toward the exit.

"Are… you okay?" Priss asked with some concern.

Terry nodded and said, "It… only hurts… when… I breathe…heh,

heh, heh… ow!"

Priss couldn't help but laugh along side of him.

CLANG!

Both were surprised when a sheet of steel panels suddenly appear

and covered the doors. Behind them, more steel panels slid into

place, covering all the holes in the walls and ceiling. It was then

that a voice was heard from a hidden speaker.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HAH!"

Terry gritted his teeth as he recognized that evil laughter. It could

only be one person.

"I must admit, Terry Bogard! THAT was an impressive battle!"

"GEESE!" Terry hissed as he shrugged off Priss' arm and got into a

stance. "Where are you?"

"It doesn't matter where I am." Geese sneered as he spoke into the

PA system. "What you should be worried about is where you and

your pretty little friend is going in the next two minutes when that

bomb I planted inside of Krauser's body goes off. I imagine that the

resulting blast will take out the entire 23rd level of the tower. It'll a

be a pity that you and that Knight Saber will still be caught in the

blast. The panels are made of reinforced titanium alloys and I doubt

you would be able to break through in time!"

"Damn you Geese! You bastard!" Terry shouted as he looked

around for a way out. There didn't seem to be any.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. I knew all along that Krauser was

planning something like this and I decided to kill several birds with

one stone! Krauser has already defeated the Knight Sabers and with

Quincy dead, I can now proceed with my plan to take over this

future world!"

"Quincy is dead?" Priss said with a stunned expression.

"Yes. I killed him myself. Not that it's going to help you or the other

Knight Sabers. Krauser had already decimated the Knight Sabers,

and without their Hardsuits, they are nothing. Furthermore... did I

mention that Krauser was only the prototype? I have three more

JUST like him already built. I had also planted a very powerful

self-destruct mechanism in Krauser. If he had succeeding in killing

Terry Bogard, I would have detonated it after Krauser had served

his purpose. But, since Terry had beaten him, I had an alternate

plan to use the self-destruct device to destroy you both! And now…

I do hope that you and Terry will use the remaining thirty seconds

of your lives to good use. Farewell!"

Terry screamed out in rage as he located the speaker which was

mounted in the ceiling and threw a large chunk of concrete at it,

shattering it. He then looked back at Krauser's corpse, which had

begun to glow with a red glow and knew that he only had moments

to act before it exploded.

Priss shook her head sadly and said, "So this it. After everything,

I'm going to die because of a fucking Boomer. Now isn't that

fucking ironic."

Terry desperately looked around and then stomped his foot on the

floor. He then got an idea out of desperation as he turned to Priss.

"Priss… there might be a way for us to get out of this…" He then

looked down at the floor before locking his eyes with hers. "But…

you're going to have to trust me on this one."

"What? What are you saying…?" She then looked down at the floor

and gasped. "You're not thinking…?"

"If you've got a better idea, now is the time to tell me!"

Priss gulped as she realized that there was no other way. She

nodded, and then leaned forward to kiss Terry tenderly on the lips.

"W-What…?"

Priss' reddened a bit as she said, "For luck."

Terry nodded as he gathered Priss close to him and then powered up

his ki. He then sent a fist to the floor.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The floor shuddered underneath the force of the blow and began to

buckle. Since the floor did not have metal panels, it gave way,

causing the both of them to fall toward the level below. The two

landed on their feet as debris rained all around them. Terry ushered

Priss toward the staircase, just as the remains of Krauser went up in

a massive explosion.

Outside, the Knight Sabers began rushing toward the Genom Tower

when they saw the top suddenly erupt like a volcano. They began

fearing for the worse as massive chunks of wall, glass and twisted

metal came raining down to the streets below. However, they had to

back off as another explosion rocked the tower. Nene was

desperately scanning for life forms, but the jamming barrier was

still up, blocking her probes. The fires that raging near the top were

also interfering with her infrared sensors. The Knight Sabers could

only stand and wait.

Inside of the building, rushing down the stairs, Priss and Terry were

trying to escape the fires that were caused when Krauser's body

exploded. However, just as they were on the 19th level, the steps

before them were blocked by some flaming debris that had fallen

from above. Behind them, the upper stairs also became engulfed in

flames and the two found themselves trapped.

Terry knew that his only option was akin to suicide, but seeing that

they was no other option, he turned around and sent a flaming fist

into the side wall.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The section of wall exploded outwards, exposing them to the outside

air. With the stairs about to buckle beneath them, the Lone Wolf

looked outside and saw that a ledge was jutting out some six floors

below them. He decided to go for it as he grabbed Priss by the waist

and jumped out of the hole.

"Are you crazy?! This is the 19th floooooooooorrrrrrrr!"

Terry just had a second to spare as the staircase collapsed and was

consumed by flames. The street fighter easily landed on the ledge

and used it to triangle jump to an adjacent building. He then

rebounded off the side and with Priss still in his arms, he rolled

forward and took the brunt of the impact as they landed on a roof of

another building.

Terry moaned in pain as Priss opened her eyes, sat up and then

angrily began shouting at him.

"YOU CRAZY JERK! WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

Terry could only give Priss a slight grin and said, "You're

welcome… ow!" He clutched at his chest.

Priss was breathing hard after seeing her life flash before her during

those harrowing moments. But as she looked back up at the tower

that was now burning bright, she realized that Terry had saved her

once again. Her expression softened as she turned to face him. "I'm

sorry… I shouldn't have yelled…"

Terry waved it off as he painfully sat up. No doubt about it. A few of

his ribs were either fractured or broken. He rubbed his chest

tenderly. "It's okay… I guess it was kind of crazy, but… " Terry

then gave her a smile that made Priss' heart melt a bit. "I'd fight

Krauser all over again if it kept you safe, Priss."

Priss didn't know what to say. No man had ever said that to her

before and… this man had just risked his life to save hers. He had

suffered injuries that would have killed any other person and he was

now saying that he'd do it all over again for her.

"Priss! Terry! Are you all right?"

The two looked up and saw that Sylia was in her Hardsuit and had

jetted up to the roof where they were.

Priss nodded as she helped Terry to his feet. "I'm all right, but

Terry's going to need some help. I think he may have some broken

ribs!"

The leader of the Knight Sabers nodded as she signaled to the

others to pick them up.

A few hours later, at Dr. Raven's Garage…

Terry winced as he lay in bed. His upper torso was expertly

bandaged up and the medical scanners had indicated that his ribs

would heal in a few days, thanks to the accelerated cell regeneration

salves that had been applied, plus the training Terry had undergone

for fast recuperation.

In the conference room, the others were now discussing their plans

on how to deal with Geese and what his plans may be. The only

Knight Saber missing was Priss as she was in the main garage and

was quietly sitting on her bike.

The short-tempered member of the vigilante group was deep in

thought about the man who had saved her repeatedly in the past few

weeks. Throughout her life, she had been concerned only with her

own survival, and ever since her lover had died a few years back,

she had made certain that no man would ever win her heart. Now,

try as might, she just couldn't stop thinking about the long-haired

street fighter. He was so much like her. She had noticed that during

his sparring matches with Linna, whenever her comrade tried to

start up any intimate conversations with him or ask him about his

personal life, Terry would simply change the subject or become

silent. Every one of Linna's romantic advances would be politely

turned down and he would only focus on improving his skills. She

then remembered back to a conversation she had with him a few

weeks prior, though it felt as if it was years ago.

Flashback...

Priss: I lost Donald to those Boomers and the ADP didn't do shit

about it! You have no idea what it's like to lose someone that you

loved!

Terry: Then you were lucky. You only lost one. I lost two.

End of flashback...

Priss shivered as she remembered the hidden sad look in his eyes at

that time. Deep in her heart, she knew that he was telling the truth.

What was it about him? Was it his tough, no nonsense attitude, or

was it because of that hidden, sensitive side that made him so

irresistible? Priss sighed. It just didn't make any sense! No man

since that leader of the gang she had belonged to had ever made her

feel this way! Not even that lug Leon! Why was Terry making some

kind of impression on her?

It was at that moment that she remembered what Krauser had said

to her when he had decimated the Knight Sabers and had her by the

throat. He had looked into her eyes with that same piercing gaze

that Terry had done before. He said that she was in love with Terry

Bogard.

Priss angrily shook her head in denial. She couldn't be in love with

him! She had sworn off men and had been shooting down Leon's

advances every time since she met with him! There was just no way

that she could fall for someone like Terry! There was nothing that

attracted her to him! All right, so he was ruggedly handsome and

very well built. He seemed very kind, yet determined personality.

She like the way that long ponytail of his swayed in the breeze and

those piercing blue eyes...

<Arrgh! What am I thinking?! > Priss' hands gripped the

handlebars of her cycle as she tried to fight down the liking she had

whenever she watched him move or fight. She was a Knight Saber,

damn it! Wasn't one of the primary rules was to never get involved

with a man? Of course, that didn't stop Linna from flirting with

every man she came across. As of now, she was setting her sights

on snagging Terry, though she hadn't been making much headway.

Priss also denied the fact that she would get angry whenever she

saw Linna try to get her hooks into him and...

<No! I'm NOT jealous! Why would I be jealous? I'd have to be in

'love' in order to be jealous, right? > Priss shook her head again and

then turned on the ignition and revved her engine. She needed time

to think and the she did her best thinking when she was speeding

down the highways. As she was exceeding the usual speed limit by

more than 50 km/h, her thoughts went back to when she had

impulsively kissed him and what he had said to her when they

escaped from Genom Tower.

Flashback...

Terry: I'd fight Krauser all over again if it kept you safe, Priss.

End of Flashback...

Some time later...

Terry was going crazy just lying around and doing nothing, so he

decided to get in some practice with the holographic training

machine. It wasn't like fighting a real opponent or sparring with his

brother Andy, but it was better than nothing. He had to take it slow

since his body was still aching from its bout with Krauser and was

only going at level nine when he heard someone enter the control

room. He smiled as he saw Priss enter the room in her Softsuit,

which hugged her curves quite nicely. He then stopped in his

practice routines and let the hologram strike him. The computer

called out that the trainee had been eliminated and went into

standby mode.

Priss had just gotten in from her ride and had decided to get in a

few rounds to work off some stress and perhaps straighten out her

thoughts about a certain Lone Wolf. She stopped in her tracks when

she the very person giving her a smile and wiping the sweat from

his brow with a towel. She continued to just gaze at him as he

entered the control room.

"It's all yours if you want to use it, Priss." Terry said cheerfully.

Priss mentally focused on his face when her eyes had started roving

over his toned, muscular, and very well built form. Terry was

shirtless and was only dressed in his usual blue jeans. She had to

concentrate to keep out the image of how sweat glistened down his

defined chest and abdominal muscles. She decided to change the

subject before he noted that she was getting a bit flustered.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Terry shook his head as he let the towel fall off to one side. "No. I

was going crazy not doing anything. Besides, I've mended well

enough and I needed to get back to my training." He patted his

bandaged side gently and then straightened up. "Now that Geese is

controlling Genom, I have to get back my strength and speed. Who

knows what that bastard is going to do with all those Boomers and

weapons."

"Yeah, well... Sylia and the others are planning to keep an eye on

this Geese Howard person and she said that we'll have upgraded

Hardsuits within a week or so. Then we'll be able to take down

Genom once and for all!"

Terry looked at Priss with some concern. "Not that I'm saying that

those Hardsuits are bad or anything, but I think that you're going to

need more than just fancy battle armor to take down someone like

Geese. Especially if his claims of having three other Boomers like

Krauser is true."

"What?! You think that we can't take care of ourselves? We've faced

off against much bigger odds before! We can handle some two-bit

crime boss from the 20th century!"

Terry shook his head and said, "What I've told you about Geese

Howard was only the short-version. Geese is far more devious and

evil than any one you've ever met. He killed Quincy, your greatest

enemy and took over Genom. He's had God only knows how many

innocent people murdered... including my father..." Terry choked

up at the memory of when he was ten and seeing Jeff Bogard bloody

and dying before him. "...and Lily..."

"Lily?"

Terry sighed as he realized that he had said too much, but he

couldn't stop. "Lily was to me, as your old boyfriend was to you. She

was... my whole world, until that bastard Geese killed her before my

eyes. She died when she helped me, my brother and a friend of ours

escape when Geese had laid out a trap for us. I couldn't save her!"

Terry turned his back to Priss and pounded a fist on the side of the

door. He then took a deep breath to calm down and faced her again.

"Well, in any case. Let me warn you that Geese is far more powerful

and ruthless than you can ever imagine. You are going to need my

help and I still have a score to settle with him. Those Hardsuits of

yours are good against Boomers, but they may not be enough

against someone like him. Aside from Krauser and one other

person, Geese was one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced."

Priss was about to protest Terry for butting into Knight Saber

business, but that was when Sylia entered the control room. She had

been listening in on their conversation and decided that it was time

for her to interrupt.

"He's right you know."

Both Terry and Priss turned to face her as she stepped forward.

"Sylia! How long have you been there?" Priss asked.

Sylia shrugged as she replied. "Long enough. Terry is correct. We

know next-to-nothing about this Geese person, but now that he's

gained control of Genom, we can only assume the worst. I have a

feeling that he may try to initiate the OMS project."

"The OMS project?"

Sylia nodded. "Yes. It's something that I have been suspecting for a

while now, though I couldn't get any solid proof until now. Nene

had been going through Genom's systems since we got back. She

had finally broken through the security locks. With Quincy gone,

she had been able to download the files concerning the Overmind

System."

"Overmind System? What's that?"

The leader of the Knight Sabers took a deep breath. "According to

what Nene was able to download, Quincy had created a chip that

could send out a program via the particle beam satellites that would

subvert every Boomer on the planet to his will. In other words, he

had an entire army at his disposal at a touch of a button."

"My... god!" Priss gasped as she realized the implications. "You

mean... every fucking Boomer on the Earth would have...?"

"That's right. Quincy would have turned them all into his slaves and

could have overthrown the world if he chose to do so."

"So why didn't he?" Terry asked.

Sylia paused for a moment before replying. "Genom is a very

respected corporation and it wouldn't do if others knew that Quincy

had the means to conquer the world. The Knight Sabers were

formed to keep him and Genom in check, since that company does

have many legitimate and beneficial activities. There are many

innocent employees at Genom that were unaware of Quincy's secret

motives and such. The OMS chip was his... trump card if the

situation came to that point. However, with Quincy gone, and Geese

being as evil as you say he is, it is likely that he might use the OMS

or those new Boomers that were modeled after Krauser. He'd be able

to overrun our world easily as well as subject his own Earth. If that's

the case, then we will have to stop Geese at all costs! Furthermore,

Geese may be the only way that Terry can return to his world."

Terry and Priss became silent as the meaning of Sylia's words sunk

in. It seemed that the final confrontation was drawing near. Terry

could feel the storm that was coming... and unlike the last time... he

wasn't certain that he would be able to weather it.

To be continued...

Author's notes

Well, the saga of Bubble Gum Fury is coming close to being

finished as Terry and the Knight Sabers must prepare for the final

battle to save both their worlds. As for the other Fatal Fury cast,

they will be making their long-awaited appearances in the next

chapter or so as I wind up to finish off the project that I had shelved

a year ago. See you there!