Life After OZ Ch. 3
By Dan

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(The docks at the outskirts of Metro City)

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The shadowy figure made steps towards the lone bar. After noticing that there weren't many people inside, the person slipped in.

"Hey, bartender... got any Coca-Cola?", the person asked. The bartender looked up at the person, and his jaw fell slack.

"CODY?"

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(The Haggar Estate)

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Three loud raps on the door made Jessica jump. She looked for Dean to open it, but Lucia did instead. "And who are you?", she said with a disapproving look.

"Doesn't matter, miss. We're here to see Mike Haggar. Please step aside.", the warden said in his rich Texan accent. Lucia sneered at the four men who casually walked by her, especially at Eddy E. Jessica looked at the four men who just entered her father's home.

"*They must be here about Cody, too.*", she realized. After Lucia called for Haggar, he came out his office with a sigh of simple tiredness.

"Now what is it.", Haggar mumbled incoherently. Lucia shook her head. Haggar couldn't even speak all too well. The warden walked over to Haggar. After a brief shaking of hands, the warden spoke. "Sid Ferguson of Ozwald Detention Center."

"Wha...? Let me guess, you're after Cody too, eh?", a man said entering the room. Sure enough, Dean had made his presence known. Lucia smiled at him, and even Jessica did. They both knew Dean was dead-set on being Cody's friend to the end.

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(The bar)

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"Yeah, it's me.", Cody said with a half-grin. Other men in the bar looked at Cody with disapproving and scowling looks. Cody slowly shifted up to a stool. After looking around, he slowly realized that these guys all wanted a piece of him. And since there's a reward most likely on his head, they want to kick his ass even worse...

"What happened to you, Cody?", the bartender asked. Cody groaned. He was still in pain from the huge fall he took when he free-falled into the waters under the prison.

"From what I gather", Cody began, "I was sent to prison, I escaped, I dove twenty-five storeys into deep seawater, blacked out, and floated up onshore a couple days ago." The bartender looked at Cody with an expression of awe.

"Man, Cody. You never could keep outta' trouble." Cody grinned.

"It's just not my lifestyle. Now, how about that Coke?"

*****

(Haggar's Estate)

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"And who are you?", the warden said shooting a look at Dean.

"Oh, just a friend of Cody's who doesn't want to see his name go down in smoke just 'cause he got a bad deal, that's all."

"Is that so? Well, boy, I suggest you stay out of men's business."

"What!?!", Dean said wide-eyed. He would've punched that cowboy in his face, if Lucia didn't calm his high-strung nerves. Haggar spoke.

"So, Mr. Ferguson, what business do you have here? It's pretty obvious Cody's not around." The warden nodded.

"Yes, pretty obvious. All I came here to do is warn you. Do not aide that criminal. He is responsible for the injury of at least five inmates, he has killed six trained guard dogs, and he nearly killed three armed guards when they chased him through the sewer ducts."

Dean, Lucia, Haggar and Jessica glanced at each other. They didn't know about all this, but Dean was quicker on the rebound.

"ALL... lies.", Dean said crossing his arms. The warden looked at Dean. He was beginning to really despise him. Dean had the EXACT same attitude as Cody, multiplied by two.

"What do you mean, lies? I do not have any reason to do so.", the warden said. Dean looked at him with a burning expression.

"Cody would have to defend himself in prison, you know that. As for the dogs... doesn't matter."

"Doesn't MATTER? Those were my best trained dogs that b*st*rd killed!", the warden said angrily. Now Jessica spoke up.

"My man is not a b*st*rd! Take that back, you f-ing cracker!" Everybody turned and stared at Jessica. Dean was simply grinning from ear to ear. Jessica blushed a little. The warden now noticed nothing good would come out of staying here and talk more.

"C'mon boys, let's vamoose. It's obvious these kind people don't want to help." The warden opened the door, and Eddy E and the guards left. After turning the door, the warden simply said three words somebody else made famous:

"I'll be back."

With a slam of the door, the warden and his "posse" left. Dean let out a cheer of victory. "HA! Good job, Jessica! You ran those bums off!"

"I did?", Jessica said uncertain.

*****

(The bar)

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Cody was quietly sipping his cola as he quietly watched a profile of him on "America's Most Wanted". "Heh, the guy they got there doesn't even look like me.", Cody said momentarily. Suddenly, the bar door opened. A hulking man with strange armor walked by, followed by a military general...

"*Look who it is...*", Cody thought grimly. Sodom and Rolento walked in and hadn't even noticed him! Not that Cody wanted them to notice him. He was still pretty broken up. Cody slumped down on his stool and tried to stay as unseen as possible. The bartender looked at Cody's hunched form.

"Enemies of yours?", he whispered.

"Yup."

*****

(The docks)

*****

Guy quietly walked in the quiet nighttime setting. After Rena and Maki showed up, he didn't want to be around. He knew that it was his fault Rena and him broke up. What could he have done so wrong? He picked his dedication to Bushin over her...

Guy opened his eyes. "*Hm... A bar just up ahead. Maybe somebody might know the whereabouts of Cody...*" Guy slowly made his way to the bar. He still had his doubts about helping find Cody, but he still wanted to be of assistance. As he made his way to the door, he noticed a man in blue and white stripes make his way to the bathroom.

"*It's not Cody.*", Guy thought. He suddenly saw Sodom and Rolento. One was talking and pointing to the bathroom. They nodded, agreeing on something... Sodom made his way into the bathroom.

"Hm.", Guy wondered aloud. Then activity... Sounds of a scuffle in the bathroom! Then, just as Guy stepped in the bar, Sodom crashed through the wall!

"*In the name of Bushin!*” The striped-suit man then picked up the groaning Sodom, and threw him into Rolento, who was just getting up.

"My BAR!", the bartender screamed. The other men in the bar began to surround the man. Guy finally went into action. In a lightning-fast second, he effortlessly flipped over the men surrounding the stripe-wearing man, and into the middle of the fray. Then he looked at just exactly *WHO* he was protecting.

"Cody!"

"Guy!"

Then the fighting began.