Life After OZ Ch. 9 (Part 1)
By Dan

"You know, it seems as if we've been trudging through this muck down here for hours.", Dean said, wincing as his sneakers glopped through the gunk in the sewers. Cody nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah. I can't take this anymore. Guy, let's find an exit."

Guy looked at Cody with his usual unreadable expression.

"You're ready to risk getting captured by the cops?"

"Anything. I can't STAND the sewers.", Cody said. Guy nodded, then led the two trailing fighters through the dimly-lit tunnels. Suddenly, a red sign caught Guy's eye. Covered in dust, Guy took a deep breath, and blew away the dirt forming a small cloud that made all three fighters cough and hack for their breath.

"Well, what have we here...?", Guy trailed off. Dean squinted and read the sign.

"*Emergency Exit...*"

*****

Warden Ferguson woke up with a groan. Rubbing his sore jaw, he cursed aloud.

"*D*mn that Cody...*" Then he realized something was crawling on him... He cursed again, swatting a rat off of his leg and another off his abdomen. The rats squeaked and hissed, making their discontent known. Warden Ferguson threw a nearby pebble at both, and they ran off. Getting to his feet quickly, Warden Ferguson realized he was still inside the corridor where Cody ambushed him. After a brief search for his firearm, Warden Ferguson realized that it was missing.

"D*mnation!"

Now he was upset. Not only did he blow his chance to apprehend Cody, but now he was without his trusty rifle. A small problem, Warden Ferguson thought to himself. He then got an idea. Reaching for the cell phone in his back pocket, Warden Ferguson pulled out... nothing.

"S***!", he cursed aloud, making more rats scurry because of the echo. Cody obviously took all of Warden Ferguson's possessions, literally making him a sitting duck. Warden Ferguson walked toward the opening in the corridor that led back toward the subway tunnels.

"I'll fix that b*st*rd Cody if it's the last thing I do.", he swore quietly to himself. Making his way carefully on the catwalk, Warden Ferguson walked toward the next available station.

*****

Jessica Haggar watched the television in her upstairs bedroom quietly, hoping to maybe catch a report on Cody's whereabouts on the news. She wasn't scared for his safety, but simply worried about him. Jessica looked to her window, remembering when Cody snuck in her house just a couple of days ago. She smiled somewhat sadly, remembering the night they spent together for the first time in a long year. Going to her windowsill, Jessica sat half outside the window, looking at the woodlands not too far away from her father's palatial estate.

"*Cody... Where are you?*", Jessica wondered aloud.

*****

Walking through the emergency exit corridor in stone silence alongside his friends, Cody suddenly was hit with an idea. Out of his back pocket, Cody pulled out a cellular phone. Dean eyed the phone and then looked at Cody.

"Where'd you get the scratch for the phone, man?", Dean asked. Cody shrugged.

"Didn't. Someone let me borrow it...", Cody said with a smirk. Guy turned to face Cody.

"Warden Ferguson, I bet.", Guy said. Cody nodded, and grinned again. Opening the cover, Cody punched in some random numbers.

"Whoa. Who are you calling, man?", Dean asked Cody suspiciously. Cody waved him off.

"Just Jessica. Don't worry about it.", Cody said, waiting for someone to pick up.

*****

RING! RING!

Jessica got up, and walked to the phone. Picking it up, she answered.

"Hello...? Who's this?"

"It's me, Jessie.", came the reply. Jessica's heart skipped a beat. It was Cody!

"Cody! Where are you?"

*****

Cody looked around. "You don't wanna' know, Jessica. Listen. I can't talk long."

Jessica closed her bedroom door. "Listen, Cody. There's something really important I've got to tell you..."

"Hurry.", Cody replied.

"Okay...", Jessica started. "...My father has gotten the police off your case. Warden Ferguson is the only person you've got to worry about. If you can get to City Hall or the police station and turn yourself in, the council has said that they will try their best to get you probation. But that's only if you don't get into any more trouble."

Cody breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great! But, what if Warden Ferguson catches me before I can get to City Hall?"

"Don't worry...", Jessica said, "...There's are investigators now observing Warden Ferguson's actions regarding his methods of catching escaped prisoners. He can't ask for the help of the police or the Metro City task force from here on end."

"Yes!", Cody said happily. He realized that this didn't mean he was off the hook, but it was a step in the right direction.

"Tell Mike I said thanks.", Cody said. Although he couldn't see it, Jessica was smiling on the other line.

"I will. I love you Cody."

"I love you too, Jessica. I'll come back. I promise.", Cody said quietly. Hanging up, Cody observed Dean's facial expression. And Guy's.

"You better not ruin your second chance, man.", Guy said with his piercing eyes directed to Cody. Cody smiled.

"I won't. Not this time.", Cody said. Guy smiled.

"You sound sincere this time... For a change, that is."

Dean laughed. It wasn't often anymore that Guy made a joke.

*****

After getting the necessary information from the City Hall council of Metro City, the two 'special appointed' investigators made their way past City Hall to get to their vehicle. One of the investigators was a Chinese woman wearing a brown leather jacket with an ICPO emblem on both arms of her coat. The other investigator wore a yellow vest and green cargo pants with matching green boots. The female investigator was visibly disgusted at having to go through with this 'mission'.

"Can you believe they put us on this case?", the woman asked her partner. The man shook his head as if saddened by the whole idea of it.

"We could be tracking down Bison down right now, but they've got to put us, of all people, on this meat-and-potatoes mission...", the man said. The woman took a file from the portfolio she kept close by whenever information was needed.

"So, let's see... It says here we're supposed to get as much data necessary on this Warden Ferguson character."

"Oh boy. Sounds like a barrel of fun.", the man said sarcastically. The duo reached their car and hopped in.

"I heard that Guy is indirectly involved with this whole thing.", the woman said. Her partner shrugged, searching for his keys.

"Guy, eh? I'm guessing he couldn't keep his renegade friend Cody in check, then."

"Obviously."

Finally finding the keys necessary, the male investigator turned on the ignition, and the two made their way into the main area of Metro City to actively search for Warden Ferguson.

*****

The Final Fight trio were blazing their path through the tunnels still, desperately hoping for a ladder that led to the outside world. Guy looked ahead using his Bushin instincts.

"Aha. A ladder. It took long enough..."

"Wha...? Where? I don't see it at all, Guy.", Dean said, squinting as he looked ahead.

"Don't worry Dean...", Cody said to his friend, "Guy knows what he's talking about."

Sure enough, as the Final Fight crew walked further ahead, the ladder that Guy said was ahead made it's presence known.

"Good going, man!", Dean said slapping Guy a high-five. Cody looked up at the metal-runged ladder.

"Hm. This thing doesn’t look real stable, guys.", he said with a bit of worry. Cody tested it by shaking it, then checking the bars, which were slippery with dirty sludge.

"Aww, crap! Ugh, this place is nasty!", Cody said aloud. He had no choice but to wipe his hands on the Hilfiger jeans that Jessica gave him. Guy started up the ladder first, carefully placing on hand over the other as he finally reached the manhole cover. Pushing it, he realized it wouldn't budge.

"D*mn.", Guy said quietly. He called down to Cody, who was still weary of the ladder.

"You've got to open it. I know you don't like heights, but hey, you're stronger than me."

"Great. Just great.", Cody said with a tired sigh. He waited as Guy simply jumped down from the top of the ladder and landed gracefully on his feet without the slightest hint of a sound.

"It's all yours.", Guy said with a mock bow. Cody sneered (in a friendly way), and slowly approached the ladder. His fear of heights was slowly returning, and Guy and Dean both realized it. So before Cody got too high up, he heard the voice of Dean.

"Hey Cody! Get your a$$ down from there! I'll do it!"

Cody breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly climbing down, he then made way so Dean could climb up. Dean, in a simple manner, shimmied up the ladder with no hesitation at all. Finally reaching the top, he pushed the cover once. Wouldn't budge. Second time, still nothing.

"You doing okay up there?", Cody said. Dean looked down at his two friends and flashed a toothy smile. Returning to the task at hand, Dean carefully placed both hands on the manhole cover and pushed upwards. With a creaking groan, it slid upwards. But using all that effort nearly made his feet slide off the grimy bars of the ladder...

"Whoaaa....", Dean said, nearly losing his balance. He quickly shot out both hands as he quickly grabbed the ladder railing for dear life. Then his eyes opened wide as he heard the rusty ladder bar snap.

"ARRGH!", Dean screamed as he fell off the ladder.

"Oh s***!", Cody said out loud looking up at his falling friend. Dean, using all the effort he could, threw out his right arm for anything to hold onto...

-CLINK-

All three fighters breathed a sigh of relief. Dean was able to latch onto another bar on the ladder, saving himself in the process.

"Well? What are you two waiting for? Let's go!", Dean said. Guy and Cody nodded, and slowly climbed up the ladder, even more careful then before.

*****

Warden Ferguson finally reached City Hall station. Squinting his eyes because of the changes in the lighting, Warden Ferguson waited for his eyes to adjust to it. When his eyes finally accepted the lighting, he made his way to the exits of the station, scowling or glaring at the many people who walked by and stared at him. The warden realized he was most likely dirty and stinking because of the tunnels dark and murky conditions. Pulling out a quarter from in his pocket, Warden Ferguson reached a pay phone and dialed for his partner Eddy E. One ring... Two rings... Three rings... Four rings... Five rings... SIX rings...

"D*mn his hide!", Warden Ferguson cursed quietly to himself. Where could that dunderhead sidekick be?

*****

Eddy E was in the same holding area where Warden Ferguson had Guy and Dean, being rigorously grilled by the two investigators. The two guards were also there as well.

"So, you are the second-in-command to Warden Ferguson's search and recover unit?", the male one asked.

"Well, yeah.", Eddy E said to the investigators nervously.

"Hm. Well, do you know his current whereabouts?", the female one asked.

"N-N-No. We haven't seen him in about two days.", one of the guards told the two investigators. The man nodded thoughtfully. But the woman investigator wasn't happy with the answer given to them.

"Where was Warden Ferguson last seen? And we would like details."

Eddy E. gulped, sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

"Well, the warden said that Cody was in the train tunnels, you know, the um... City Hall train line. He followed him into the tunnels and said that he was close to apprehending Cody. Then no more transmissions from the warden since then.", Eddy E said with his head down. The male investigator wrote the aforementioned information on his notepad.

"Well, that seems to be enough. Thanks for the information."

"You're welcome...", Eddy E said, shaking both hands of the two investigators. "...Can we go now?"

"Sorry...", the ICPO investigator said, "...We're going to have to take you in for more questions regarding Warden Ferguson."

Eddy E. looked at the two with an incredulous look.

"...But we gave you all the information we have! What more do you want?"

"Nothing."

"That is, to end this case as quickly as possible.", the female ICPO member spoke up.

*****

Mike Haggar slowed his LEXUS GS400 to a stop in his driveway. With a sigh, he got out his car and slowly walked the steps toward his mansion. As Haggar approached the front door of his home, it swung open, and Jessica greeted him.

"Dad! I just talked to Cody about an hour ago!", Jessica said happily. Haggar's eyes lit up.

"Well! That's certainly good news... Did you tell him about what the council is doing?"

"I did. He's making his way to City Hall to turn himself in- I hope...", Jessica said, her voice trailing off. Haggar consoled his daughter's worried thoughts for Cody.

"Don't worry, Jessica. I'm sure he'll do the right thing..."

*****

Warden Ferguson went to the City Hall council, and was outraged at what he heard. No more help from the Metro City police force? A special investigation on his actions regarding escaped convicts? This was all too much. Even though he didn't realize it (or didn't want to admit it), Warden Ferguson was obsessed with hunting down Cody, and City hall realized that. Upon leaving City Hall, Warden Ferguson made a trip all the way to the far ends of Metro City... The Docks. Walking to another dock bar, Warden Ferguson momentarily peeped inside to see if who he was looking for was indeed there.

Walking in slowly and defiantly, the warden avoided the scowls of the other 'bar rats' who observed the sheriff-like star that adorned his tattered shirt. As the warden made his way to the back of the bar, the two people he wanted to talk to saw him and got up.

"So... you're Warden Ferguson, eh?", one said. The other man greeted him by bowing. Warden Ferguson exchanged 'pleasantries' with the two, then sat down and got to business.

"So, I've heard you two fellas know plenty about the convict I'm trying to catch. I want to know now... Will you work for me?", the warden asked in a serious tone. The two looked at each other, then one spoke.

"What are we talking about in terms of money?"

"At least twenty-five thousand... apiece.", Warden Ferguson said with his eyes narrowing. The two looked at each other again, then nodded. Shaking the warden's hand, the three men had reached a deal.

"I'm glad you're deciding to help me with my goal. Now, I didn't remember what you two call yourselves."

One of the men smiled, the other's smile wasn't visible, for he was wearing a kabuki mask of sorts...

"Our names? Well... my comrade here is Sodom, I'm Rolento Schugerg. That's all you need to know..."