SFU's Fan Fic Archive

The engravings spelt out the words " MIKA KUSANAGI 1972-1983".

" Ohayo, ne-chan ( good morning, elder sister)" Kyo smiled as he knelt on the ground. His hand reached out and swept off the dust from the stone. " Hmmph, that's better. So...how have you been doing, Mika-chan? It's been a week since I last visited you."

Kyo knew that people would say he had lost his marbles if they saw him talking to the grave, but he didn't care. This was between him and his late sister; nobody else would understand the bond they had, the affection they shared was so strong that even death couldn't sever it.

" I brought you your favourite flowers!" Kyo beamed, holding up the bouquet of flowers in his hand. A bouquet of roses, pink in color; Kyo would never dream of visiting his sister's resting place without one. Mika had always loved these flowers when she was still alive. Kyo felt it was appropriate to adorn her grave with them, knowing that she would be happy to have them by her side.

" So many things has happened in the past week, Mika-chan," Kyo spoke as he placed down the bouquet on the soil," I have another reason for visiting you this time. I...I'm entering this year's King Of Fighters tournament, ne-chan, and I wish for your blessings. I know, if you were alive, you'd probably give me a lecture on my finals. But I just have to this time. I dreamt of you again yesterday, Mika, the time when you..." Kyo stopped before finishing the sen- tence, hesitating to mouth out the bitter words that reminded him of the horrible memory."...when you died to save me," he continued, " An Orochi actually knew about it...the one who gave me the invi- tation...and from that I knew that something is going on. Good or bad, I don't know; but I need to find out why is it my participation is so damn important to him. And Iori Yagami will be there, too, so now you should understand why I have to go."

" About my safety, don't worry Mika-chan," Kyo gave a cheerful laugh, " I have Beni and Goro by my side. We'll watch after each other's back."

Kyo then sighed, throwing up his hands in the air," Ah...you must be bored, hearing all my ramblings. How about...if I sang you a song, OUR song?". At that moment, the chirping of birds in the area intensified, as well as the sound of the wind; it was as if they were urging him to go on with his intentions; to sing the hymn that is only known by Kyo and his sister, a melody from their childhood. " See..." Kyo's gaze wandered around the area before it returned to the tombstone in front of him, "Even nature wants me to."

A tear fell down Kyo's cheek as he finished mouthing the last line of the song. He quickly wiped it away with his hand, sud- denly feeling ashamed that his emotions had overcome him. He knew that it was time to go. Raising himself from the ground, he wiped off the dust that rested between the folds of his jeans. Kyo stood there for a while as he looked at the tombstone. " I love you, ne-chan," he said before turning to leave. As he was stepping away, he could hear the sound of the wind that brushed his face, and a faint whisper that accompanied it; the voice of a young girl.

" I love you too, Kyo".

" Ryuhyo Orochi..."

" Good afternoon, master Yagami," Ryuhyo smiled broadly, " I'm glad that you chose my limousine instead of walking your way back home. You shouldn't, after all that beating from the Kusanagi boy."

Iori raised a brow in surprise, " How...did you know?!"

" Nothing that ever happens in Japan, let alone this city, escape my ears, Yagami," Ryuhyo said, " You, of all people, should know that."

There was truth in his words. As a descendant of the lineage that existed with the Orochi clan's assistance, Iori was aware of the extent of their influence, in both Japan and the world, which was unfa- thomable. The clan have rooted themselves in the world's major countries, sustaining a grip on them that could rival the power possessed by great leaders. In fact, the inhabitants of these cities were constantly watched by agents of Orochi that were scattered all over; every single happening or activity, no matter how routine or ordinary, was observed carefully.

Ryuhyo Orochi, also known as "The Falcon", was a prominent member in his clan; in fact, at 28, he's the master assassin of the Orochis. Quite a feat for a young man, but it was a title that was rightfully earned. His name strike fear upon those who have heard of his notoriousness; swift, agile, cunning, ruthless, words that truly described his namesake. Even worse was the fact that no one would expect that he was a killer; his boyish looks projected innocence that was charming, and this was braced further by his noble and gentlemanly behaviour. He had never failed in his assignments and there was no problem in thwarting the authorities, thanks to his clan's influence. Because of that, Ryuhyo is one of the most sought after assassins in the world, not to mention one of the most costly. Iori heard that he was paid $50 million alone to dispose the head of France's International Police branch. As expected, Ryuhyo lived up to his reputation.

" So," Iori began to speak again," What did I do to earn an audience with you, Ryuhyo?"

" Heh heh, so the question arises," Ryuhyo chuckled in his pleasant voice.

" Well? What's the reason behind all this civility? Do you want something from me?"

" You are quite perceptive, Yagami. Alright, let me not beat around the bush. The reason for this meeting is because I need...a favour from you."

Iori's face was expressionless at first; he looked at Ryuhyo blankly without saying a word. Then, his mouth started to contort, and he erupted in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

" HAHAHAHA!! Well, well! So the infamous Ryuhyo Orochi actually wants a favour from ME!" Iori laughed scornfully," I thought YOU were capable of anything! Have your abilities finally jaded so much that you need to seek MY help?"

The woman who had been sitting silently beside Ryuhyo imme- diately glared at Iori, flustered by the insult. Clenching a fist, she was about to pounce at Iori when Ryuhyo placed his hand on her knee, stopping her.

" No, Vice." Ryuhyo murmured calmly.

" But the brat was insolent to you, Ryuhyo!" Vice retorted, her angry eyes still focusing on Iori.

" It's okay."

Vice turned to look at Ryuhyo. Seeing his reassuring smile, she relented. Reluctantly, Vice ceased her hostility and sat back calm- ly as she draped her hands around Ryuhyo's arm.

" Hmph, so the soap opera is finally over." Iori smirked.

" Don't intimidate me, Yagami," Ryuhyo said," I may have patience, but when it thins, Vice and..."he stopped for a moment and gestured his head towards the blonde woman,"...Mature here are both more than capable of bleeding the life out of you in an instant. Anyway, enough of all this absurdity; let's get down to business ," Ryuhyo's hand went inside his jacket and pulled out a white envelope. He immediately tossed it to Iori. " Have a look at this."

Iori's slender fingers snatched the envelope in mid-air. Slowly opening it, he found that it contained a card, and immediately pulled it out. He began to read it, and his brows arched when he read the words that caught him by surprise " What the...King of Fighters'96?" he exclaimed.

Bringing it away from his view, Iori looked at Ryuhyo with a perplexed expression. " What does this have to do with me?" Iori asked, shaking the invitation in his hand, his coarse voice strained in his demand for an explanation.

" Everything. I want YOU to enter the tournament," Ryuhyo answered coolly.

" What?!" Iori was in disbelief, " Do you take me as stupid? What makes you think I'll compete in that worthless tournament again?"

" Oh...Kyo Kusanagi's presence in the tournament says you will," Ryuhyo smiled wickedly, finally using his secret weapon in the persuasion.

It worked like a charm. Iori's loathing of Kyo began to flood his mind like water rushing out of a collapsed dam; the intensity of his aversion towards his sworn rival was unimaginable. Through- out his 21 years of living, Iori had sworn time and again that he will destroy the precious heir to the Kusanagi clan with his own bare hands, but no matter how he tried, he would fail. Even in KOF'95, their duel ended in a bitter draw. It was as if Kyo had always been protected from misfortune; Iori had heard rumors that it was the doing of his dead sister's spirit who watched over him till this day. Whatever it is, the ordeal he went through in Kyo's hands earlier that day was the last straw; spirit or no spirit, Kyo Kusanagi will pay dearly for what he had done to him.

" And who am I suppose to team with...?" Iori spoke, breaking himself away from his hateful thoughts.

" After your previous team-mates got beaten into a pulp by you, I'm surprised if anyone will want to join you willingly this year," Ryuhyo smiled sarcastically," But, fortunately, I have thought of everything. These two lovely ladies, my best assassins, will join you in the tournament."

Iori's eyes looked at Mature who sat by his side. A very beautiful woman, Iori could see that her physical traits fitted her perfectly in her profession; her hypnotic blue eyes alone were enough to render a potential victim helpless, bringing them under her control where she could easily finish the job. Combine this with her other elegant charms, she was dangerous even to the strong willed. Even Iori felt the need to move his gaze away from her, cautious that he should not fall into any traps at this time.

Ryuhyo's other assassin, Vice, didn't possess the grace that was present in Mature, but that didn't mean she was less lovely. The brown-eyed female was stylish and chic in her own way that expressed her sophisticated individuality, but Iori could not help but feel an air of...bestiality surrounding her. Her gaze at his insult towards her master resembled a predator's, a wild beast that was prepared to tear the young Yagami into shreds without mercy. Iori also noted that she was more attached to Ryuhyo, and was quick to protect his pride and surely his safety ; Iori came to the conclusion that these two share something more than just a professional relationship.

" Fine with me. As long as they don't stand in my way..." Iori said.

" Don't worry," Ryuhyo gave his assurance," Kyo Kusanagi is all yours."

Iori grinned, finding this compromise agreeable. " So, what do you want me to do in the tournament in exchange for this... generous offer?"

Ryuhyo didn't answer that question straight away. An evil smile formed on his lips, and slowly he vocalised his answer.

" Simple. I want you to kill someone."

" Here you go."

Rei beamed as she handed over the book to a group of young Japanese girls before her. They squeaked excitedly in their tiny voices, looking at Rei's signatures that adorned a few of its pages.

" Kyaaa!!" They squealed in unison, " Thank you, Miss Hamada!"

" Haha, my pleasure, girls." Rei replied with a laugh.

The girls soon went their way, the sound of their excited, high-pitched voices trailing their path. Rei watched them disappear into the sea of people present around the area, and sighed. She had lost track of the number of autographs she had given in the past hour; that was the norm when one is a well-known singer, especially one from the US. The truth is, she was quite surprised when the man she helped earlier asked for her name. But she was also glad in a certain way; for once there was someone who would not go bonkers at the sight of her, and instead treat her like an ordinary person.

She had been standing in front of a large department store in the middle of Shinjuku since 3 p.m., waiting for a person she was supposed to meet in the last half hour. Rei watched as the people around her moved about in their own business to pass her time, and wondered what was going on in their minds at the time. Were they thin- king about the state of their lives, and hope that they can bring in improvement by working away for pre- cious yen? For her, she was happy to take a break from singing for a while, taking a rest after a long year of entertaining her fans. Even then, her presence in Japan was not as a vacation; it was because of the appointment that held a certain importance to her.

" Rei Hamada?"

The voice came from behind. Rei turned, expecting it to be another fan. This time it was two Caucasian girls; one a long-haired blonde, while the other was a red- head. The blonde girl looked like she was still in her teens; she was wearing a black leather jacket over a white shirt. Her short jeans revealed her long legs that were well toned, and completed the rugged look with red sneakers. Her companion, however, was more feminine in comparison; she was casually dressed in a light yellow blouse and a maxi maroon in color, matched with a pair of red platform shoes.

" Rei Hamada?" The blonde girl asked again, her light blue eyes waiting for an answer.

" Yes? What can I do for you?" Rei responded in a friendly tone.

Hearing the reply, the girl squinted her eyes while her lips widened into a grin, almost devious in a way. " Good," She said, and imme- diately gave a loud whistle that could be heard from all corners of the area.

In an instant, the crowd around them began to disperse, leaving only the three females standing in the large space before the building. Confused, Rei looked around at the peculiar action before returning her gaze to the blonde girl with a puzzled expression.

" What is all this?" Rei demanded.

" Later. For now, we shall see if you're worth helping!" The girl replied arrogantly, her grin was wicked and ridiculing. Cracking her knuckles, she beckoned her friend to move away. " Get ready, Rei Hamada!" She yelled.

Before Rei could comprehend the situation, the girl had already launched herself towards her. Alarmed, Rei quickly dodged when the girl released a punch at her. From that moment on she knew that she had to fight her way through this mess. She quickly reversed a few steps, keeping some distance between her and her opponent.

" Hey, what's this?" The blonde exclaimed, " Chickened already?"

" Don't worry!" Rei retorted," I won't back out THAT easily!"

On hearing this, the blonde girl pounced at her with amazing speed, swinging her leg towards Rei simultaneously. Evading it, Rei immediately retaliated as the girl landed from her unsuc- cessful attack; her straight palm hit her squarely above her chest.

" Ah!" The girl yelled. Before Rei could back off ,however, the girl grabbed her arm with her hands. Turning around, the girl gave a loud roar as she hoisted the surprised Rei over her shoulder. She landed on the floor on her back with a loud thud, a shriek escaping her lips as it accompanied the crash. Although she felt pain, Rei was quick to see that the girl was about to drop herself on her. She swiftly rolled aside when that happened, leaving the girl to fall onto the ground. Getting up, Rei stepped back in fighting stance, a smile appeared on her face at seeing the girl rubbing her back in discomfort as she rose from her fall.

" Well! Wasn't that painful!" Rei taunted with a faint chuckle, waving her hand in the air.

" That's nothing compared to what you're gonna feel, lady!" The blonde answered back with defiance in her voice. Without a delay, she ran towards Rei for another onslaught. Rei managed to block her first few punches, but failed to deflect the girl's knee that was thrust onto her abdomen. " UH!!" Rei stepped back, distracted by the sudden pain.

Seizing the opportunity, the blonde girl socked her fist at Rei's face, followed by an elbow jab to her chest, and finished it off with a high kick that hit her squarely on the chin, sending the Oriental woman hurtling down the floor.

" Ohhrg..." Rei moaned, getting up slowly. Her hand held her bruised jaw, and was amazed at how powerful the girl's strikes were; it was as if she had been knocked down by a sledgehammer. She spat out the blood in her mouth, and turned to look at her adversary, who was smiling at her sardonically, somewhat gloating at her success.

" Loser!" The blonde sneered. She was about to advance when she suddenly tripped on a wrong footing, promptly falling down flat on her face, much to the surprise of a wide-eyed Rei and the crowd surrounding them. " Ouch." Rei winced, her voice was swallowed by the laughter from the spectators.

The girl was shaking as she got up from her most unfortunate situation. " SHUT UP!" she roared angrily as she shook her fist in the air, her face was convulsing in a grotesquely-cute way. Her cheeks were flushed in a mix of embarrassment and fury while her large cerulean eyes glared at those around her as she ordered in desperation for the laughter to stop." SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Rei couldn't help but giggle.

" YOU SHUT UP!" The girl pointed her finger at Rei.

" Aww..." Rei returned a smile, ignoring the pain in her jaw,"...be careful, will you? Keep that up and I can win with my eyes closed."

" THAT'S IT!" The girl shouted angrily. Without delay, she raised her hand in the air and in an instant, crackles of blue energy materialised from her fingertips. Pulling it back, and with a loud cry, she swung it forward, releasing an energy sphere that rushed towards Rei. " CHIKARA-KEN!"

Rei had anticipated the rash attack. Before it could hit her, Rei jumped above it easily, her body curled into a ball. As she was about to land, she swept her leg covered in a blinding white flash that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and aim it at the girl who has yet to recover from her offensive. " THUNDER NIGHTS!" Rei yelled as her leg connected with the girl's head, hurling her against the wall that stood next to them on impact.

" Alice!" The red-head shouted in distress, watching her companion slammed against the wall. She quickly reached for the fallen girl, helping her up. " Are you alright?!" The red-head asked anxiously.

" Ow...my head..." Alice moaned, grasping her head.

Rei slowly approached the pair, feeling bad about what she had done. " Hey...are you okay?" She asked out of concern.

Alice, seeing the woman who had defeated her, tried to rush towards her with the intention to continue the battle, but was held back by the red-head. " Enough, Alice!" She said firmly, her arms holding Alice's form, " No more fights."

" But, she--!"

" No, Alice. You have to stop just as you promised to."

Alice was reluctant at first, still feeling vengeful towards Rei; frustrated that she couldn't topple this opponent. But with the red-headed girl obstructing her path, she soon gave up her impulse, finding it hopeless to insist.

The read-head, finally relieved that she had managed to pacify the blonde lass, turned to face Rei.

" I must apologise for my...friend's behaviour. She can be most impulsive at times," The red-head smiled weakly, her speech heavily accented. Rei nodded with a smile in return, and noticed that Alice was sticking out her tongue at her friend from behind. She stifled a laugh at the whimsical scene, feeling it was im- polite to do otherwise.

" That's okay," Rei replied, "Let me guess...you're the people who I am supposed to meet, right?"

The red-head nodded and extended her right hand, " Yes, Miss Hamada. My name is Mathilda...Mathilda Strauss. And this blonde young lady here is Alice Hunter."

" Pleased to meet you both," Rei responded, accepting the handshake. She was glad that this girl's personality was unlike Alice at all; calm and collected; the traits refined her beauty that was enchanting. Her hair was cut just above her shoulder, the wavy crimson locks ornamented her slightly round face agreeably. Her eyes were violet in color, while her rosy cheeks enhanced her milky complexion. Rei wondered where the girl was from; her accent somewhat hinted at an European origin.

" Since we have finally met, why don't we go for a drink?" Rei suggested," And at the same time, we can talk...business."

" Yes...we should do that," Mathilda agreed. She turned towards Alice," Let's go, Alice. After all, you're the one who wanted to do this."

" Yeah, yeah," Alice sulked, giving Rei a nasty look at the same time. Rei swore she could hear the girl mumble something about "sticking a knife in her skull" as the three of them walked away from the building's premises.

(Oh boy) Rei thought.

Iori found it difficult to sleep. He had laid in his bed for hours, and yet his eyes refused to close and grant him the rest that he had craved all day. All he could do was stare blankly in the darkness that filled his room, save for the moonlight that managed to enter the small holes between the railings of the chamber's closed windows.

" Shimatta (damn)..." Iori swore to himself, recalling his meeting with Ryuhyo.

" Kill someone?" Iori asked, slightly surprised.

Ryuhyo nodded, " He will be in the tournament; I regret..."

" Wait a minute...have we forgotten something here?" Iori interjected," You ARE the master assassin here, right? Why don't you just kill him yourself?"

" Because unlike you, Mr. Yagami, Lord Ryuhyo has RESPON- SIBILITIES to attend to," Mature, who had been silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke with sarcasm dripping from her icy voice.

Agitated, Iori turned to look at Mature, and his heart burned even further at seeing her derisive smile.

" Thank you, Mature," Ryuhyo grinned at Iori's reaction," And as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I have regret- tably been held back by duties that I cannot avoid, and so I need someone who has somewhat...considerable skills to replace me, obviously you. If I could've entered myself, I wouldn't require your services at all, no?"

" Hmmph," Iori frowned, finding himself losing his patience at being used as the subject of their insults. Quickly chan- ging the subject, Iori spoke," Who is this person I'm supposed to kill?"

" His name is not necessary." Ryuhyo replied.

" Hm? And how do you expect me to kill this person if I don't even know who the hell he is?"

" Trust me, Yagami, you will when you meet him. So...do we have a deal?" Ryuhyo asked, his green eyes staring straight into Iori's, waiting for an answer.

There was silence. Iori didn't say anything, his eyes closed as if he was deep in thought. Ryuhyo, Vice, and Mature waited in anticipation, all expecting the same response from the young Yagami.

Finally, Iori opened his eyes, and uttered his answer.

" With Kyo Kusanagi waiting for me, how can I refuse?"

Ryuhyo smiled in delight. " Welcome to the team, master Yagami," he said as they both shook hands, " May this agreement bring about our goals into reality."

" Hmph...whatever," Iori muttered. A yawn followed his remark, and soon he surrendered himself to his own fatigue. Closing his eyes, Iori finally fell into a deep slumber.

A deep slumber of dreams...