Showdown: I
We are told from the time we are born that we are special. We hear it from the time we are born, until the time we die. Yet, somewhere along the way, something happens. We begin to doubt what we are told, what we learn, in essence, we doubt who we are, and what we could be.
But, to be born with power, not just any power, but the power of the Dark Lord, Orochi, redefines what being special is all about. The power we wield is the power of life and death, not just of ourselves, but for those around us. The ones with the most powers are Orochi's four elite kings: Goenitz; Chris, Shermie, Yashiro. These four have long since fallen to the forces lead by the mystic, Kagura. However, we still live, although our powers have lost strength over the years.
Which brings me to a scheme that our two new adversaries, Bison and Krizalid. They are mixing not only the dark Psycho Powers, but the Orochi taint as well. And yet, the greed of evil men cannot be so easily satisfied. Now, they seek to add the fury of Kyo and Iori, as well as the dark side of Shotokan, with Ken and Ryu. Each have had their blood and souls tainted with the fire of Hades, and yet, they may be considered Fallen Angels. They have disposed of the devils that would seek to drive our world into the dark courts of chaos.
Now, we are needed to go into battle again. Life and death shall cross once more, and we shall watch as our fates take form once again.
"You mean that I'm somehow a child of the Orochi Kings? My powers, and that of the clones, aren't because I'm a clone, but rather an actual child of the dark?"
"If you wish to refer to yourself in such a way, Gerad. How it happened, I am not sure, but of it, I am sure. You know of their power. We must stop them. We cannot allow that power to mix anymore with Psycho Power."
"Just a sec, bub. Let us assume you're right about all this stuff. Care to explain how there's a clone of Gerad here with that flaming Psycho Power, and why Gerad hasn't shown any signs of it? More importantly, that's not something any Joe can just pick up from a comic--how the Hell did the clone get the power?"
"I don't know..."
"What luck."
"Listen up kids! These ass-holes have taken a lot of people, while we've just been sitting on our asses! Now, I don't know about you, but when someone kidnaps my husband and his best friend, there's going to be Hell to pay!"
"Chun Li is right," Ralf asserted, "Unless we want those bozos to kick our butts in, then we gotta move!"
"If you are leading us into a trap, imitation, I'll rip your liver out."
"You always this warm, Leona?"
*****
"Look at them. Four of the strongest men alive. Each set represent the strongest of their respective worlds. Iori. Ken. Kyo. Ryu. All under our control...it's just a matter of time. This time, they will succumb."
"Of course, partner. Before, you lacked the tools to accelerate the process, while I lacked the raw material itself. Now, that we have both, the possibilities are endless. Merging their DNA into various combinations, we shall have an army that shall crush all who oppose us!"
"I hate to break up such a touching moment, dad, luv, but we've got company. Seems the idiots think they can come in here, without us knowing. I guess they've never heard of silent alarms. Let's see how well they handle our little maze."
Before the small band can breath, walls come crashing down around them. Each bite the ground, nearly finding out what having a building fall on you feels like. As they get up, they realize their vulnerability, and that they don't have anything in their favor.
"Damn you, Bison!"
"Ah, Ah, Chun Li. It's disrespectful to insult your host."
"You're one of the clones."
"And just to make it interesting, I'm the one who took not only your best man, but you're husband. Pathetic..!"
Chun Li slid across the ground, kicking wildly at the clone. He was taken off guard, for Chun Li had been the first opponent to strike him, and hard. In a heartbeat, she drew back, and delivered the final kick.
"Ha ha ha!"
"How..?"
The clone had caught her foot with one hand, just before the final kick! How could anyone do that?!
She then felt a hundred hits to her body, as she saw the color in his eyes change, and glow, as Bison's had done many times before. It took a lot of pain, but she was able to land on her feet, and to catch her breath, if only for a moment.
A huge Psycho Cannon was coming straight at her. She responded with her small Kikosho, the wall of power serving as an adequate defense. When the two hit, Chun Li slid along the ground, winded, still able to fight the devil.
He flew into the air, aiming for Chun Li's head. She squatted, before she began to kick out at him, spinning sharply after each kick. To her surprise, he effortlessly changed his direction in mid air, and was safely out of harm's way.
She hadn't even landed, when he hit her with the Psycho Crusher. Repeatedly, he drove her into the door, until the hinges finally gave way, and she fell through it.
"You were more amusing than your husband. However, now you shall join him."
He suddenly felt someone jump on his back, and felt a series of jabs thrust into his back, with sharp blades stabbing him. Then, the man threw him, and he just barely landed, though not without much aid from his power.
"How did you..?"
"I've a great sense of direction, kid. Took a little work, and following you're fight, lead me to you. Now--Let's Go Bub!"
*****
"You are the infamous Ralf Jones of the Ikari Team? Most disappointing/"
"Keep talking, and I'll plant you six feet under!"
"Nonsense!"
The clone easily evaded Ralf's tackle. When he reappeared, he taunted Ralf, only to feel a series of punches, ending with a series of uppercuts and a violent explosion.
"Fool! I knew you'd be able to evade my first attack, so I went for something that'd miss, but let me come back with something fast. There's only so much I can be forgiving!"
"Agreed!"
A twister shot down, nearly taking Ralf's head off. Ralf had just moved himself in line with a major typhoon! The waves lifted him to the ceiling, several feet above, and brought him crashing to the ground. Not even a blink later, and the rest of the falls came pounding down, beating him into the ground.
Dazed, Ralf made his way to his feet, only for a purple inferno to singe his body, as the man slid forward, making a slicing movement through the air.
He picked Ralf up, his hands squeezing the life out of his opponent.
"Not much of a challenge. Oh well. Do me a favor and die..!"
He felt a sharp strike to his back, and hear the sound of a blade slicing. Through the corner of his eye, he saw someone flip, and felt a second cut.
"How in the..?"
"To keep it in terms you can understand: an Orochi can easily track another. You mess with anyone in my team, you answer to me!"
*****
"Not bad, for a rookie! You'll give me a great workout, with those powers of yours. When it's all over, kid, you'll be back in the labs."
"Nice speech, old man. Try to back it up!"
Damn! He may be a clone, but he's using that power like a master. Whatever he hit me with, I couldn't even see it. Now, to figure out how to fight a foe with powers that I can't see. Not like I haven't done that before. How many telepaths have I fought before, on this planet alone. Of course, I have some issues when they take control of me. S'far as I go, that's the worst kinda rape there is.
It's like that time when I went up for a little r &; r, and found those 'big game hunters.' One of them pukes actually shot me, dead through the heart. Having your mind split like that by these bleeding telepaths is worse than that. The memory of the bullet piercing will always remain, but the wound will fade away--eventually. It's the scars to a man's mind and soul that don't always heal. They really know how to hurt a guy.
That goes for Chuck and Red, too. Even friends can cross a line with that power. But as Spidey's been know to say, if not a little repetitive, "with great power comes great responsibility."
"CRAP!"
"What's wrong, geezer! You starting to show your age! Did being picked up by a power you can't see, and hurled like a piece of garbage hurt your pride?"
Right, punk. Just a little more. Gotta make this one count, or it may be my last shot. I can smell the fire he's building up. That can level all of NYC...and I think that'd be more than the healing factor can muster.
"Die, Wolverine!"
"Hoh!"
The beast rattles to shatter the cage of my self-control. It's already starting to leak out. The problem is, I'm going to need it's power to take this guy out, but to control, before too much...
Before crossing up for the finish of his Weapon X, Wolvering drives forward, slashing madly in his Beserker Barrage! Then, instead of the final swipe, he jettisons skyward, with the claws ripping apart the clone for his Fatal Claw. Then, he takes one second to pull back, and his claws pierce flesh, with the clone screaming his death.
He retracts his claws, now covered in the red gore, as he falls to the ground.
All the while, the clone's flames raged on, burning Logan's body while he sliced away at the clone. Now, he had several 4th and even 5th degree burns..nothing he hadn't had before. All he needed was a few seconds, and he collapsed.
*****
"Pitiful Bitch! You actually thought you could stand up to me! I have the powers of all of Orochi's Kings! You are nothing but a traitor to His power, and shall be dealt with properly! Tell me, what do you hope to do?"
"I'm going to send every last member of this accursed clan to sleep in Hell!"
"Everyone, huh? Does that include my original? And what of Iori? You surely know of your ties to him! You will kill off family, again?"
"Shut up, bastard!"
"Perfect!"
Angered to the point of her blood erupting, Leona charged at the clone! All that was needed was for him to stretch out his arm, with his hand wrapping around her face. He then lifted her off her feet, and the storm raved around her. She remembered it. It was the same feeling when Goenitz first touched her. This time, it was worse.
She felt her body tear at the gails of the storm. The wind sliced into her flesh like knives grazing past her. Her tag, was ripped from her, dropping her long hair in front of her eyes. Everything was slowly being ripped apart from her body, yet it happened in only a few seconds. Then, she felt him throw her beaten body to the ground like a discarded toy.
He looked down at her, and smiled viciously. He kicked her stomach so hard, she bounced from the impact. He kneeled down beside her, and took notice of her figure, enjoying her beauty, smiling the same insane smile Ryuji has.
"It would be sad to have to kill such a rose. One that has thrones to rip the flesh, yet has the fragrance so deep, it can be intoxicating. What do you think?"
In response, she spat in his face, which was answered with an even harder kick.
Leona could see the Orochi flame building. He was standing only a few paces from her, holding his hand as she had seen Chris do, before unleashing his Serpent Wave. She was too weak from being ripped by that storm. She couldn't hold it down any longer.
She screamed worse than she had so long ago, on that fateful day when her and Iori both awakened to Orochi's taint, and each learned of their true connection to each other. Her vision faded to shades of red and black, and would only remember this in her dreams.
As his hand lowered, she kicked him upside his skull. She flipped several times, hearing his neck snap sometime before she had finished. On the final kick, the body was flung into the air. She leapt up, grabbed it, and brought it back down. She then drove her hand through the flesh, through the ribs, breaking bones. Then, he hands were stretched to touch the heart and lungs, before the body ignited in the explosion, disintegrating to nothing.
How much time passed, she didn't know, but when she came to, she saw Wolverine laying on the ground, groaning in pain, with the body of the other clone nearby, soaking in a pool of it's own blood. For some reason, she tried to crawl toward him.
BAM!
"Not bad, girl. I see you were each able to take out the clones. But now, there's nobody to save you. Say...aaahhh!"
"Elise, isn't it? I think you know who I am. I'm the man you and your sick 'family' used to create those two clones. This madness ends here, today!"
"Ah, don't be so bummed. With you're power..."
"Don't even try it, girl. Besides, we each know we were destined to clash. We can't disappoint our public, now can we?"
"Guess not. But with you're lack of experience, what chance do you have, Gerad?"
"I guess we're about to find out!"