Shin Dan Ch.13 (Part 2) Marked with Blood
By Dan

"How could this've happened?" Dan said out loud. He didn't care if he was making a scene in front of numerous people. All he saw was...wait a minute. How did....?

Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Guy were all standing around him. "Hey!", Dan said, whirling to face his former friends. " What do you want?" Ryu explained. "We had heard a woman was attacked by a purple-gi wearing lunatic. We didn't need three guesses to figure out it was you." Dan swallowed. "Where am I? Tell me, or I'll..."

Ken chuckled. "You'll what? I was the first to notice you're back to normal. Akuma didn't give you the actual powers..." Dan angrily shoved Ken.

" YES HE DID! I practiced! I...I felt the energy! And I saw the scroll of ten!" Ryu quietly asked, "But did you READ it?"

"No..." Dan said casting his eyes downward.

"Akuma used you, Dan." Guy said. "He just wanted to see if an ordinary mortal could handle the energy of Satsui No Hado." Dan was angry. "What? WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? BISON!?!" Dan yelled. " Calm down, Dan", Chun-Li said, putting an arm on his shoulder. "So..warm", Dan thought. Then another thought: Akuma is still after me! "GUYS!" Dan said, "Isn't Akuma still searching for me?"

"Unfortunately, yes", Ryu said. "We're going to have to protect you from him." Dan swallowed again. "You...you would do that for me? After I tried to kill of of you?"

" I don't know about them, but I'm willing to fight Akuma if it means helping a friend." Ryu said. Ken nodded. "Sure. I'll help. Besides, who else would?" Chun-Li elbowed Ken for the remark. Ryu turned in Chun-Li and Guy's direction. We ready if you are", Chun-Li said. Dan was on the verge of crying. He thought he'd never do it again after his father died, but..."Thanks, guys *sniff*. You really are my friends..."

" Of course we are, Dan. We wouldn't have it any other way." Chun-Li said, giving Dan a kiss on the cheek. Dan blushed. "Gee, uh..thanks..." No one seemed to notice someone was watching them. An all black shadow, highlighted only by a huge tuft of spiked hair pointing skyward...The shadowed figure began to ponder if attacking the five of them would be smart. "It'll be all the better attacking them at once. The more, the merrier..." The shadow quickly jumped extremly high onto a low roof, and made his presence known. " It's touching how Dan has reunited with his friends, but...NOW IT IS TIME YOU DEALT WITH THE ULTIMATE POWER!" Dan looked up to where the voice was coming from. " Oh no! Guys, it's HIM!"

Akuma looked down, snarling at the five of them, who all returned his evil gaze with their own. "We don't fear you, Akuma." Ryu said, getting into his Shotokan stance. Akuma hmphed. "Maybe YOU don't, but I do know the others do..."At that he jumped down onto the ground. This is not good, Guy thought. It's the middle of the day. People are out, and this could be dangerous... Akuma eyed all five, and especially Dan, with extreme hatred burning in his eyes. I've been waiting to settle the score with you, Hibiki. Prepare to die a million deaths in an instant!" Akuma stomped the ground, turning jet black in the process. He shook the ground so hard, all five fell to the ground. "Whoa!" Ryu looked up at Akuma's form. He seemed to be getting stronger before his eyes. His hair was changing color, and his gi as well. His hair changed from red, to a dark-orange.... his gi from black to green..."Guys", Ryu said. "Were not dealing with Akuma anymore..." Akuma laughed bitterly. "Indeed you aren't! You are dealing with the SUPREME MASTER OF THE FIST! I...AM...SHIN-AKUMA!!!!"

Shin-Akuma stomped the ground another time, as if gaining energy from the earth itself. As he stomped, natural fire rose all around him in a circle in a blaze! The flame coursed through him while the five stayed several paces away from the 'raging demon'. The flame finally surged to his shoulders' rising off and making the symbol of 'ten' before dematerializing in the air. Shin-Akuma looked down at all five warriors. "Are you all ready for paradise?" They all got into their fighting stances. "Let's go, Akuma."

The fighting began. Ryu attacked, with Ken trailing him. " A dramatic battle! THIS WILL BE GOOD !" Akuma said. Ryu jumped high and tried a hurricane kick. Akuma swatted away the three kicks, and uppercutted Ryu. Ken tried to land an uppercut on Akuma, but Akuma warped to the ground, and blasted a pulsing red fireball straight into Ken's chest as he landed. Ken shouted a scream of pain. Akuma laughed. " THAT was only warming up, you pitiful amateur!" Akuma slid over to Chun-Li and Dan. "Leave him alone, Akuma!" Chun-Li said, dispersing a Kikoken. "Such a weak projectile. However, I am willing to SHARE MINE!" Akuma blasted a fireball that knocked Chun-Li down, even though she blocked it. "KYAH!" Guy came down and tried a dashing Kyaku. Akuma caught one of his legs in mid-air, and smashed him into the pavement, causing Guy's ankle to break with a sickening CRACK...

"ARRRRRGGHH! MY ANKLE...Ohhh..." Guy shouted, falling to the ground in pain. "Guy!" dan said, rushing to his friends aid. "Hadoken!" Akuma was hit in the back with something. He whirled around, his fang-like teeth bared. "Unimpressive...MESSATSU-GO-HADO!!!" A HUGE beam of natural chi raged into Ryu and Ken's direction. "Holy..SHINKUU-HADOKEN!!!!" Ryu dispersed most of the fireball, and Ken helped block the rest against his arms. Ken's arms were slightly burned and blistered where he blocked the super projectile. "HMPH!" Akuma uppercutted both Ryu and Ken with one fist after immediately warping to the site wher they stood. After they crashed to the ground, Chun-Li was smacked an amazing ten times with a Zankuu-Kyaku that seemingly went on for ever and ever. A crowd was beginning to form at the fight. Akuma looked at a few of the people then immediately started picking them off, fireball after fireball. "Akuma, STOP! Those people are innocent, GODDAMIT!" Ryu said, tossing a fireball in his direction. Ryu was amazed to see his fireball disappear without Akuma even blocking it! Akuma turned around, noticing Ryu's presence. " Are you going to stop m4e, insolent warrior?" Akuma jumped, and threw three fireballs at Ryu. Chun-Li ran to help Ryu, and Ken followed suit. Dan was still tending to Guy. " Guy, you okay buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. Help...me up." Dan slowly helped Guy up, who limped on one leg. "Now GO!", Guy said to Dan. " What?" "Go help Ryu and the others fight Shin-Akuma. They need it...Trust me." Dan gulped. "Okay..." Dan began to slowly approach the battle that had gone on for three hours. He looked back at Guy, who was wrappng his shattered ankle with cloth. "I believe in you, Dan. Do it for me, bro..." Dan yelled out his frustration, and ran full speed to the battle. I'm not going to stop fighting 'til I'm dead..or he is! Dan said, now just a few feet from the battle. I'll fight until I'm marked with Akuma's blood! "Hey SHIN-AKUMA!" Dan said. Akuma looked at Dan. Akuma then looked at the three warriors he had just layed out with a Tenma-Gou-Zankuu. "You dare challenge me without your evil intent?"

"Just shut up! I'm tired of hearing you preach! Fight me, Akuma, and we'll see who the better man is!" Dan said angrily, shaking his fist. "Is he crazy?", Ken thought. Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li got to their feet, feeling almost tapped out because of the constant use of their super moves.

shin-Akuma stomped the ground one more time, shaking the earth, and causing more fire to sift through his body. "Now is the time for death. You realize you will die, correct Hibiki?" Dan answered saying something he vaguely remembered saying quite some time ago...

"It doesn't matter anymore..."