[Another time, another place...]

Zorkaan stared back into the eyes of his master.

His face remained impassive, partly because he did not have much facial features to begin with. But tinges of apprehension ran through him. He knew his position. He was a valuable asset to Naar's forces. At least for the time being. But no matter how many times in the countless past he had been held before the Dark God, he could never get used to it. He had, though, learnt to mask the feeling quite well. Weakness was not a trait Naar favored, even when it was Naar one stood up to.

{I saw it befitting to punish the Kushina on your behalf, and that was all.}

He could almost sense Naar's psychic fury as he transmitted his telepathic speech, but he knew better than to try a mental probe to find out. The light from the pair of eyes staring at his increased with sudden intensity...

...and faded.

Zorkaan knew then that he'd won the gamble. For now. The icy cold spikes of fear in his gut -- if his midsection could be so called -- melted ever so slightly. This was not the first time he had been summoned for his 'petty squabbles', not only with the Kushina, but others as well. But he knew the unholy power hierarchy well. In other words, he knew whom he could pick on and get away with.

All the same, he made a mental note to not push his luck too far in the future.

{It will not happen again.}

It was not a warning. It was a statement.

Zorkaan nodded. {It will not.} He paused, as if pondering something. {But Jin... and Astaroth... what of them? Surely it is not your intent to simply let them... walk away?}

{Your impatience is typical. I have anticipated such a possibility even before Astaroth was born. Let them be, for they are truly bound to me in essence. It is by MY will that they live, that they walk and breathe. And it will ultimately be me alone that they will serve...}

=====

[Present time, Fighters' Inn]

Natalie smiled, she could have swore she saw him blush. Considering who Jin was and what he normally acted like, she found this amusing. Though, she would never bring it up. She looked over at Dan, who was trying to figure out which door to go back through, and currently banging into the wall as he chose the wrong one.

His next action caught her off-guard: he walked away.

Natalie stood, confused for a moment as her eyes trailed Jin's back as he flowed smoothly through the crowd. Then her senses snapped back.

"...Wait!"

Jin turned, but only enough to catch her from the corner of his eye.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your concern," Jin muttered as he continued on his way. For an instant Natalie's view was blocked by a moving body, and Jin was gone.

Natalie bit her lip. The familiar feeling of frustration crept up on her...

"Have a drink?"

She turned towards the source of the voice, a voice which, despite the roaring din, sounded almost nonchalent as if the speaker had been simply talking instead of yelling. The visage of an Asian teenager atop a bar stool greeted her eyes.

"I've seen you before... Dan's partner?"

"ShockWave." He raised a hand, casually flicking aside a lock of hair. For the first time Natalie caught his eyes, dark brown in color, which smiled warmly at her despite his quiet, brooding facade. "Not a good time to be caught in public, I'd say."

The warm flush of blood rose in Natalie's cheeks. "It's... not what you'd think.."

"Probably not," he agreed as his hair fell back in place just in time to conceal a twinkle in his eye. "But like I said, have a drink."

The barman appeared spontaneously, setting down a glass half-filled with a clear, bubbling liquid which Natalie approached cautiously, watching as ShockWave took a sip from his own glass, his attention seemingly focused back on the party. Raising it to her lips, she took a slight taste...

Natalie nearly cried out in surprise as a mildly burning sensation glided over her tongue, then into her throat, leaving a fuzzy warm feeling in her stomach. For the slightest moment the thought of having swallowed liquid fire crossed her mind, such was the sensation, but the notion faded quickly as the feeling dissipated, leaving a general sense of well-being over her entire body.

She shook the glass slightly. "What's this?"

"Wine. Makes you warm, but don't take too much."

"I... see."

"You know I disapprove of this."

"You know I don't care," ShockWave groaned softly under his breath. "I didn't knew you came to parties?"

Shadow Dragon sighed, then smiled wryly. "I don't. Just came to ask if you've got some loose change."

"Sure," ShockWave dropped a string of coins into his brother's open palm, then clenched his fist shut abruptly. "Exactly what do you intend to do with these?"

"Geezus, I just need to make a few calls. Can't I even ask for a few coins without making you suspicious?"

"Had to make sure," ShockWave grinned. "With you, its sorta hard to tell."

The corners of Shadow Dragon's lips tugged into a slight smile. "Yeah. Thanks for these anyway. And you," he turned to address Natalie, "I'd keep my eyes open around him." He winked.

Natalie's brow furrowed. "And you'd be?"

"My brother, unfortunately," ShockWave replied.

=====

Shadow Dragon's teleport matrice ended 15 meters from the inn, atop a grassy patch set at the very edge of a densely wooded area.

He threw a glance back towards the inn, with its light, its music and its crowd. To his never-ending chagrin and annoyance, his younger brother regarded such places as sources of entertainment, providing a stark contrast to his own anti-social habits. With a sigh, he started his trek through the patch of forest, which he knew would end at the isle's shoreline.

The night was filled with the sound of silence, something which he noted appreciatively and making him slowing down from a jog to a casual stroll.

=====

ftp://ftp.evcheck.gov.au/asb/tournament/6762205-AX.zip

Ryu Dragon raised an eyebrow to nobody in particular as he typed the URL into his web browser. Odd spot to store such sensitive information, to say the least. But it was nevertheless unexpected, which was good. Come to think of it, it was better; it was probably the last spot potential hackers would think of checking...

Login ID : rdragonryu
Password : ********

He got up from his chair, heading towards the kitchen and preparing to fix up a quick snack. The files, he knew, would be encrypted multiple times over with military-strengh encryption algorithms, and it would take several minutes before he could check them.

Just before he disappeared over the corner, however, the tone of a 'ding' reached his ears. Ryu Dragon stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his head.

"Error: File not found. Please check the path and filename."

Ryu Dragon blinked. Once. Twice. The message didn't go away.

He strode back towards the PC, eyes narrowing as he scanned the piece of paper and the URL field of his web browser. The two of them proved a complete match.

"What the hell?!"

(Author's note: Don't waste your time to try out the URL, if that's what you're thinking. I made it up)

=====

[Present time, somewhere in Australia...]

Jonathan Kirby snapped his Toshiba Libretto shut, satisfied that the files were completely, irreversibly wiped off from the file transfer protocol server. Ryu Dragon, he knew, would have to revenue of contacting any agents of the ASB to find out what had happened, not until Robin approached him again. And if all went according to plan, Project Insurgence would successfully accomplish before that happened...

{Ryu Dragon, indeed,} the contempt would have been obvious enough had the message been verbal instead of mental. Him and his gang, still engrossed in that silly tournament of theirs, all giggling in excitement over clearing the preliminary rounds while totally ignorant of the enormity of the real scheme of things creeping up on them from behind.

{Kirk old man, you frickin' idiot, you were actually senile enough to send a group of kids up against Shadowloo... regrettable, to say the least.}

Raising his left hand, he fingered the steel ring on his middle finger, crafted with the symbol of gskull before shoving both hands back into his pockets.

=====

The coin clattered softly down the chute as it was inserted into the slot of a phone booth.

Shadow Dragon punched in a string of numbers he'd learnt by heart a few days back while reviewing his plan over with as much detail as he could come up with. The basic idea was simple enough; go in, get the files and get out, preferably in one piece. There were, of course, a few minor problems to be taken care of once he gained access, but none big enough to stop him. Or so he hoped.

The tone changed, indicating that the other phone had started ringing. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the entire stash of coins his brother had given him and slipped them into the slot, one by one, leaving the handset hanging by its cord...

The beach was about fifty feet away... downwards. Shadow Dragon looked down. The sky was cloudless, but the moon was crescent. Shafts of milky-white light provided meagre illumination, but it was enough for Shadow Dragon to see the inky-black waves, lapping away at the foot of the cliff. Even at this height a strong vertical breeze buffeted him, carrying with it the distinct scent of saltwater.

He took a deep breath, enjoying the sounds and smells as they invigorated his senses before turning his attention to the horizon. Hovering in the darkness, invisible to the normal human eye, was a small unmoving blip that broke the skyline.

Bison's command ship.

=====

Meliza stole a glance at her watch, suddenly realizing that it was almost 3 in the morning.

{Must have dozed off...}

Carefully she raised her upper body from Locke's broad chest which had been lying on from the past several hours, her face reddening in the darkness as she realized it. The moon streamed in from a window, casting an almost mystical glow on Locke's face.

He was still unconscious, and Meliza found herself wondering who -- or what -- could have hurt him so badly as she stared at him, appreciating his looks. He was handsome, but over the course of the last few weeks Meliza had discovered that he was far beyond a man with a pretty face... he was more, much more, and for a frustratingly darned inexplicable reason too...

Locke's upper lip convulsed slightly, drawing a small, yet sharp intake of breath.

Meliza blinked. "...Locke?"

She held her breath, her heart pounding with a flood of emotions. "Locke?"

".... water..."

It was a whisper ever so slight, but Meliza caught it instantly. Relief and joy surged through her, but she wasn't about to show it. Not now, anyway.

"Hold on." The controlled tone of her own voice surprised her. Reaching towards the small table by Locke's bedside, a bottle of drinking water was retrieved, its cap twisted off and its mouth held by Locke's lips. He took a gulp.

"Feel better?"

"Time to tie up a few loose ends, eh Locke?"

Meliza jerked at the voice. An instant later the world faded into the dark.

"Who is this woman?"

"One who shouldn't be here. C'mon, help me get this sonofabitch up."

"And her?"

"Leave her. She'll go tell her friends..."

"Hm... not bad, eh?"

"Exactly. Now let's get outta here..."

=====

Shadow Dragon tapped at the hull a few times. Titanium. He grinned.

He levitated higher, until he found a level surface on which he could stand on -- the ship's left wing -- and took the time to allow his psychic senses to roam his surroundings, looking for any security sensors, more out of habit than anything else. He knew that his presence would go undetected, that radars mounted on this ship were meant to pinpoint stealth fighters rather than a single covert operative; he wouldn't have came this far otherwise without making any ruckus. But still, it never hurt to make sure...

Reassured, he slowly made his way across the ship, pausing occasionally to skirt around visibility windows to avoid being seen by any possible sharp-eyed occupants within. A confrontation now was the last thing he had in mind. The question of why did these people choose to serve Shadowloo popped into his head, but he dismissed the train of thought for later.

"Ah... here we are.."

Shadow Dragon peered idly into the dark, humming shaft as waves of warm air floated out gently, indicating a ventilation fan at work. Shrugging, he lowered himself into a crouch, then crawled inwards. The inner sides of this shaft was totally devoid of light, which was something he discovered after several seconds. But the ominous humming went unabated, steadily increasing in pitch as he slithered noiselessly inwards against the sudden, rhythmic gusts of dank-smelling air. Breathing outwards to clear his lungs of air, he closed his eyes. Several seconds later the image of his surroundings -- fully illuminated -- formed in his mind's eye.

{Much better...} A skill mastered years ago, it relied on sensing one's surroundings with the mind when the eyes were rendered useless.

The shaft ended less that ten minutes later, blocked by a lazily spinning fan guarded on both sides with thick wire-netting screens. The ventilation fan. Shadow Dragon 'looked' around. An entrance/exit was sure to be located somewhere nearby for mantainence work, one which would lead right to the interior of the ship. A small lever the size of his pinky was quickly located and given a sharp yank, resulting in an entire piece of the shaft falling open. Beams of fluorescent white light flooded into the shaft as Shadow Dragon opened his eyes, gently easing himself downwards...

"Hey, what..."

He lashed out with one foot, feeling it connecting with something hard followed by a yelp of pain as he let go his grasp on the shaft, dropping in onto a brightly-lit passageway. The guard was still stumbling back from the initial kick as Shadow Dragon hit the floor, but quickly recovered and removed a small black box-like device from his pocket...

Within the space of an eyeblink Shadow Dragon closed the distance between himself and the guard, rising with the momentum of his dash. The second swipe of his foot caught the guard by the wrist, sending the device clattering noisily across the floor.

"Welp, good night it is..."

The guard's head crashed against the metal wall, sending waves of dull reverb down the hallway as Shadow Dragon's knee delivered a lashing knee strike to the temple, incapacitating the guard as he slumped to his knees, leaving a crimson red stain on the wall. Shadow Dragon paused, reflecting on whether he had attracted the unwanted attentions of any other occupants, but the passageway was, fortunately, eerily silent. Satisfied that his entry had gone undetected, he went to work; rubbing off the stain, healing the guard's wound, then stripping him of his military-style uniform before shoving his inert body into the ventilation shaft.

The beret was given one last twist as Shadow Dragon regarded his reflection from the polished steel wall. The uniform proved to be a tight fit over his normal attire, but the boots were perfect, something which made him sufficiently grateful to mouth a silent prayer of thanks to Ishir. Patting down his newly acquired suit for one last time, he set for a jaunty pace down the passage, allowing his Kai senses to guide his way...

=====

ShockWave frowned. "Tell me, Natalie... how old are you?"

Natalie giggled, raising the bottle to her lips again as ShockWave caught her wrist. "Enough. You're drunk." He winced. "Come to think of it, I don't feel so good myself..."

The party had more or less worn itself out seven hours after it started, and the various fighters had either outdrunk or outdanced themselves, or both. Of those few who had yet to leave, most were strewn on lounge chairs, bar stools, the floor or whatever level surface was handily available, some in semi-conscious slumber, some in a drunken stupor and some suffering from multiple aches all over the body from too much disco.

ShockWave grimaced again as his temples throbbed from the excessive alcohol, knowing that he was in for one heck of a hangover. It was amazing what a freak party could do to normally rigidly-disciplined street fighters. From the corner of his mind he wondered with amusement what his brother wouldsayhad he been here, and was silently thankful that he wasn't.

"Water. Iced."

The unspeaking barman returned promptly with a tall glass of water, generously chunked with ice cubes which ShockWave took a deep gulp of, clearing his mind somewhat. Satisfied with his own condition, he turned his attention towards Natalie, who was currently slumped against his shoulder, seemingly unconscious.

"Natalie?" He shook her slightly. "Its almost 4 in the morning."

No response.

He extricated himself, taking care not to allow her to topple over and propped her against the countertop, then eyed her, noting that she had not brought a handbag.

Her jeans.

Reaching towards her waist, he slipped a hand into her pocket, removing a leather-bound wallet as he thumbed through it, searching for her tournament ID card. Issued to all fighters, the plastic card carried with it its owner's basic identification info, including their fighting partners and the number of their allocated chalets. He finally located the item of his search and held it up against a still-flashing strobe light, inspecting its print.

Guile. Her partner's name was Guile.

ShockWave tapped his throbbing head, searching his memory the face to go with the name, which was definitely not a familiar one. He had seen her fights, which in turn meant that he must have seen this Guile character at some point or other...

His memory drew a complete blank. Mentally berating himself, he replaced her wallet. "Natalie, look; can you walk?"

Her softly whispered reply was inaudible. ShockWave sighed, casting an annoyed glance over the inn. Three or four faces he had a distinct impression of seeing somewhere before, the rest being total strangers. He could probably have walked the distance back to the chalets, no problem; but instinct and conscience told him that leaving Natalie here was out of the question. He had, after all, introduced the 17-year old to hard alcohol. For a moment he wondered what would his brother have done...

{Teleported, most likely... rats.}

"Need some help?"

"The thought did cross my mind..." He looked up, and gave a wry grin. "Zero1. You're a real godsend."

"Come on. I'll give you a lift back."

=====

Astaroth stood on his silent vigil, shrouded in the near-darkness and foliage as he gazed unwaveringly at the Fighters' Inn. Natalie was still in there; he could feel it. He had been in this position before, and he revelled in his role as hunter. Experience had taught him well... far too well, in fact.

He looked at his hands, inspecting each and every finger, then turned his hands over and repeated the process with an almost child-like inquisitivity. The ominous question returned to haunt his mind, as it did numerous times before. For as long as he could remember, he had no family. No past. No recollections at all, save one...

{Why?}

His heart skipped a beat when he noticed three figures emerging from the Fighters' Inn. One was them was Natalie.

=====

"Number 26. That's where she lives."

"You?"

"Just drop me there. I'll walk my way home."

Powerful pale-colored beams of light cut through the night -- or rather, early morning -- darkness as Zero1 gunned the engine of his Honda to life and guided it smoothly onto the road. The journey was, for the most part, silent and uneventful, with ShockWave and Zero1 each brooding within their own thoughts, and Natalie all snuggled up on the rear seat. Traffic was virtually non-existant, given the late hour and that few, if any other fighter had his own vehicle on the isle...

Living quarters for the tournament contestants, for some reasons, had been placed a considerable distance away from the burgeoning mini-metropolis and set within the wooded eastern coastline, which was something ShockWave found himself pondering about as the buildings and highways faded away, replaced by various unrecognized foliage and a tar-coated track as Zero1 drove on silently.

It was then did ShockWave feel an unpleasant, prickly sensation on the nape of his neck. His eyes narrowed as furrows appeared on his brow as his Kai sixth sense warned of impending danger. Something was definitely wrong, but he had no way of finding out what it was... not until it happened, which was something he noted with extreme displeasure of his yet-undeveloped, dormant Kai abilities.

"Slow down a bit."

Zero1 arched a brow. "I'm not exceeding the speed limit."

ShockWave paused, trying to find the correct words to explain the absurdity of the premonition without sounding like a complete fool in the process. "I'm aware of that... its just..."

He was abruptly cut off in mid-sentence as Zero1 slammed the brakes with a grunt of surprise, throwing himself and his two passengers forward with abrupt suddenness as the tyres screeched in protest, bringing the sedan to a standing halt. ShockWave's stomach tightened as the safety belt was flexed to its limit, then flung him ungraciously back into his seat.

Zero1 pumped the horn. "Dammit, what's wrong with you? You want to get yourself killed?!?"

ShockWave squinted, trying to see the cause of the disturbance. The powerful headlight beams created a glaring background, broken by the unmistakable shape of a person standing rigidly on the middle of the road. The lights, however, made it almost impossible to discern any features...

=====

Astaroth raised a knifed hand, sparks of gray fire igniting at the tip of his fingers.

"Kaze Barai..."

The said hand was cast downwards at a diagonal angle towards the ground, tongues of gray flames following in its wake to form a crescent-shaped wave of energy that was projected towards the offending vehicle...

=====

Shadow Dragon fingered the card, inspecting its magnetic strip throughly as he weighed the risks, then turned a sceptic eye on the slot set a few inches to the left of a set of reinforced doors. It was an electronic lock, and the card found in his breast pocket was, hopefully, its key. Mentally he contemplated the worst scenario that could happen if the key happened to be the wrong one -- he'd just have to work faster and make do with less. No big deal. Bating his breath, he raised the card to the slot, then abruptly yanked it downwards.

The LED switched its color to green.

He sighed with relief as the twin steel doors slid aside with the muffled hiss of hydraulic mechanisms at work, allowing him step into the adjoining room. The hiss repeated itself several seconds later, followed by a dull 'clomp' as the doors shut. Several faces turned their attentions towards him, but he went largely unchallenged as he strode towards the nearest available computer terminal.

=====

"Move!!" Zero1 roared.

Two clicks echoed in rapid succession as ShockWave and Zero1 popped the safety belt clips. Zero1 vaulted away from the seat, followed almost immediately by ShockWave after he paused for Natalie. Both fighters hit the ground, then rolled to lessen the shock of impact and got into kneeling positions, ShockWave using his body to shield Natalie as they braced themselves.

The fuel tank of Zero1's Honda ruptured, then spontaneously combusted, sending a shower of bright red sparks, petroleum and white-hot razor sharp lacerations of metal flying furiously towards all directions as the Honda went up in flames. Zero1 winced, knowing full well what that was going to cost him.

Natalie stirred, blinking several times to clear her vision. "Where am I?" she wondered to herself, noting her surroundings. Nighttime. Briefly she searched her memory for clues of where she last was, and what happened between then and now...

She propped herself up on her elbows, her head aching viciously as she scanned her surroundings, only to see ShockWave gazing at her face. "Are you... fine?"

"What happened?" she demanded weakly, trying her best to ignore her head that suggested she should return to sleep. Dimly she was aware of a fiery red glow that emphasized the outline of ShockWave's form, followed by the smells of acidic smoke. ShockWave sighed.

"Rest. Everything will be okay."

"No... everything is not fine. What happened?" Natalie asked again, this time grabbing the collar of ShockWave's shirt for emphasis with anedgeof steel in her voice. "Tell me."

"Okay, if you really want to know, you got drunk, Zero1 offered us a ride home and now some confounded lunatic..."

"SHOCKWAVE!!" Zero1 yelled.

Natalie's grasp was slapped away, followed by ShockWave delivering a firm push to disentangle the both of them as his staff was scooped up in one swift, fluid motion. Rising to his full height, he turned around and assumed a defensive posture just in time to partially block Astaroth's first lunge that caught him at an angle on his chest, sending him stumbling backwards several steps. Astaroth stepped forward with a kick aimed at ShockWave's midriff, but the second attack was parried more success than the first, as ShockWave returned the favor, sending three stabbing strikes towards Astaroth. Two were swatted aside, but the third connnected with Astaroth's left shoulder with considerable force.

Astaroth merely grimaced in silence as the unyielding metallic staff met muscle and sinew. The weapon was retracted almost immediately, followed by several scything blows that hummed through the air, forcing Astaroth to retreat steadily, until ShockWave made the mistake of slowing down his attacks, albeit for only an instant. That instant was more than enough for Astaroth to recover, quickly parrying the next sweep with an open palm and crouching below ShockWave's spinning roundhouse. All too late, the acolyte Kai Master sensed the sudden increase of Astaroth's ki levels, collecting at his palm.

Tongues of searing black flames engulfing his vision, and his entire body, was the very next thing he was aware of as Astaroth's palm exploded into a giant swirling mass of dark energy, striking multiple hits on ShockWave before the concussive impact of the final hit landed on his gut not unlike a sledgehammer. The younger warrior had the brief sensation of soaring through the air, only to realize a second that he was soaring until the massive trunk of an aged tree broke his trajectory as he slammed into it with an audible 'crack'.

"Nasakenai..." Astaroth whispered softly as he shook his head, ignoring ShockWave and making his way towards the spot where Natalie lied on the ground. Reaching his sister, he knelt down and gazed at her face, trying to stem the flood of uncertainty and sorrow that was surging through him. {But there is no other way...} he consoled himself quietly. To destroy his sister's life pained him immeasurably, but it was, at the very least, better than to extinguish that life.

Natalie's eyelids forced themselves open. "B... brother?"

"All right, bozo, hitting you from the back is a major no-no in my book, so please do me a favor and turn around?"

Astaroth turned, proceeding to be served with splitting reverse axe kick on his jaw.

=====

ACCESSING SHADOWLOO DataNET PRIMARY SERVER
DOWNLOADING FILES...
...
...
...
...
COMPLETED
FORMATTING DRIVE C, FORMAT COMPLETED
FORMATTING DRIVE D, FORMAT COMPLETED
FORMATTING DRIVE E, FORMAT COMPLETED

Shadow Dragon ejected the disc from its drive, grinning as slipped it back into its jacket. One down, two to go. Whistling a tune to himself, he made his way towards the second terminal, moving the mouse around randomly to clear the screen saver.

"Please verify password."

He frowned as he read the line of words, drawing back his hand which was prepared to insert the disc into the computer, then walked briskly towards the exit. The doors were apparently operated automatically from the inside, sliding open as he approached, passed through and entered the deserted passage. Guards assigned on night shift were relatively few in numbers, which was something he noted with interest shortly after his arrival, but night shift or otherwise, he knew that every guard on the airship would be out on a massive manhunt shortly.

Red flashing alarms blared as a voice came over the PA system. "DataNet security breach detected at sector C-12. Potential hostile within ship perimeter. Repeat, potential hostile within ship perimeter. Class A security measures to be deployed in 5 seconds, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

Shadow Dragon stopped dead in his tracks as multiple reinforced titanium plates slid into view, sealing off every passageway. This was going to be messy...

=========

Shadow Dragon strode purposefully towards the end of the passage, inspecting the think sheet of reinforced and riveted metal that was barring his way. With a slight arch of a brow, he wondered what would happen next. It was unlikely that they'd imprison him for any length of time. They'd want to know who he was, what he came for, how much he knew...

He envisioned himself in their shoes, analyzing their condition and what they'd do. The enemy's next course of action, he reasoned, would be to somehow bring him under their capture. He grimaced mentally, then gave the titanium wall a sharp rap. The resounding echo lifted his spirits, but only barely as he hazarded a guess to the thickness of the wall, which would be an approximate five centimetres. Certainly not unbreakable, but it was more than enough to hamper the speed of his escape to a very, very undesirable degree...

=====

Zero1 rose diagonally through the air, feeling the full force of his two kicks land squarely on Astaroth's jaw as the momentum of his attack carried him upwards until he completed a full somersault in mid-air and landed on his feet. Astaroth staggered back, only to regain his balance almost instantaneously, spitting out a mixture of blood from his punctured lip and saliva on the grass.

"Okay, now that we're done with the formalities would you mind telling us who the HELL you are?!" Zero1 cocked an eyebrow towards Astaroth, arms held in a defensive posture should the latter launch a surprise counter-attack. Astaroth, however, largely ignored, choosing instead to focus his attention on his younger sister who was slowly climbing to her feet, using Zero1's shoulder as support.

"Why... are you here?" Natalie whispered softly, her voice almost inaudible against the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the crackles of flames as Zero1's Honda continued to burn. The fire cast a flickering glow on Astaroth, creating a strobe-like effect as the reddish light continuously flicked on and off. Astaroth raised his bowed head slightly, taking care not to make eye contact with Natalie.

"You know only too well, sister."

{Sister...} Zero1 mumbled slowly to himself, chewing over the word with deliberate slowness.

"It... still isn't too late, Natalie," Astaroth continued, trying to suppress the sorrow from showing on his face, and in his voice. "It doesn't have to come down to... this..."

"Not too late?" Natalie echoed hollowly. "For me? Or for you?" She paused as her voice choked. "Look me in the eye, brother."

"You do not understand, Natalie..." The note of agitation was slowly but surely growing. "Your only experience of combat has been in the field of a federal-employed agent, facing off with nothing but pitiful mortals in combat. This is not some petty drug kingpin you are dealing with sister. You cannot even begin to imagine what is at stake here. Do you have any idea of who... WHAT... your world is dealing with?"

"Something who has turned my own brother into someone I no longer know..." Natalie replied softly, shaking her head. "You persist... why? Power? Glory? For something more valuable than your freedom?"

"Your life, Natalie," Astaroth cut her off abruptly, ignoring her question. Join me, sister, and live. Hold more power than you ever imagined possible. Develop yourself to your true potential, for my master is the true master of Daziarn. Defy, and perish. Is that such a difficult choice to make?"

"There are worse things than death, David. Things that you have never experienced and understood, and never will."

"Decide your fate now, whether you be prepared or not," Astaroth mouthed, hoping against hope that Natalie would cease her resistance, but his sister remained silent. "Choose your path. But pick wrongly, and I will kill you, Natalie. I promise."

"...."

"We're right behind you, girl," ShockWave murmured grudgingly as he appeared from behind, wisps of smoke still curling from his partially-scorchedT-shi. Holding up his staff in combat stance, he took up his position beside Natalie, flanking her between himself and Zero1.

"Very well..." Astaroth half-whispered, half-growled as he raised his eyelids, enough to let the trio see his blood-red irisis. "Ikuze..."

"Get lost, you two," Natalie hissed under her breath. "It's me he's after.

"Too late now," ShockWave replied grinningly. "You know, basic D.I.D. manners."

"D.I.D?"

"Damsel in distress," Zero1 replied off-handedly. "Besides, I liked that car."

"I hate you two," Natalie groaned a split-second before Astaroth lunged.

The trio barely had time to react as Astaroth closed the distance between them and himself, throwing three quick strikes at each of his opponents in a blur of speed as Zero1 and Natalie somersaulted backwards. ShockWave moved with the flow of the strike, then grabbed Astaroth's arm and pulled himself forward, his staff held in a stabbing position at Astaroth's shoulder, connecting again with an identical strike as the first. Astaroth roared as his shoulder wound was hit for a second time as he sent a rising kick at ShockWave's gut, drawing a grunt of numbing pain from his opponent. Stepping forward, Astaroth drew a knee upwards, preparing to strike his opponent in the face...

"Spin Hook!"

The chance for Astaroth to crumple his knee into ShockWave's face never came as he the sole of Zero1's foot smashed itself into Astaroth's chin, causing his head to snap backwards with an excruciating pain. Only to have ShockWave recover, then rush towards him, delivering him two sweeping blows across the chest. Astaroth raised his arms in an approximate blocking stance, parrying the first sweep with an open palm before the second blow drew a dull 'crack', throwing him towards the ground at a sharp angle.

Astaroth broke his fall with his right arm, using it to vault back onto his feet as ShockWave and Zero1 reassumed their respective stances, eyeing him cautiously. Astaroth gave a dark grin as he stroked the right side of his ribcage, then winced as his fingers brushed against the broken rib.

"Korede owariyo..."

Zero1 arched his brow. "Excuse me?... oh hell... SHIT!!"

=====

"Private Roper, do you copy?"

Shadow Dragon drew the radio from his trouser pocket, suddenly remembering that he was still in Shadowloo militia uniform. Throwing a poignant glance at the camera mounted on the ceiling, he chuckled to himself silently, then raised the radio to his lips. "Yeah, I'm here."

The voice was dripping with undisguised hostility and anger at the other end. "You will adhere to standard protocol when addressing your immediate superiors in future, Private. Is that understood?"

Shadow Dragon heaved a sigh. "Yes sir."

"The entire ship has been locked down pending a Class A intruder alert," the voice continued. "Team Sigma will rendezvous at your current position shortly. You are to join your unit and secure the north quadrant, Level 3."

"Understood."

"Good. Team Gamma commander over and out."

Static came over the line just as a hiss of air entered the passage, followed by a dull droning. The titanium wall slid upwards, revealing behind it a small detachment of security personnel, all nine of them dressed in combat fatigues identical to his, led by a tall, well-built man wearing some sort of badge above his stitched nametag. Hurriedly tipping his beret forward to conceal his face as best as he could, Shadow Dragon stepped forward in a salute, hoping that none of the group knew this Bill Roper guy personally.

"Private Bill Roper reporting for duty..." Shadow Dragon paused, throwing a swift, unnoticed glance at the man's nametag, "... captain."

He observed the man from under the brim of his beret as a Captain Carter returned the salute; the piercing hawk-like stare, the squared jaw and, most notably of all, an alert face that betrayed no hint of drowsiness despite being pulled from bed on a five-minute notice beforehand.

"Let's go," the man gave a curt reply as both of them broke off the salute. Shadow Dragon nodded, then drew the handgun from its holster on his belt before following the group down the adjourning passageway, grinning to himself all the way.

=====

{Nice ship, whatever your name is. Bull? Buffalo? Bison? Ah yes, Bison.}

{Why are you here?}

{Well, aw... didn't get too many chances to look around on my first visit, you know. Yeah, you. Strapped me to that machine of yours, hmm? Anyway, just thought I'd drop by, say hello, take an extended tour... that sort of stuff, I guess. And oh, send my regards to Naar, willya?}

Bison narrowed his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the flurry of activity in the command room. Technicians manned the security terminals, monitoring the hundreds of surveillance cameras as they progressively scanned the entire interior of the airship, but detecting nothing but the various reconnaisance teams that were swarming the ship.

{Quiet, aren't we? Yeesh. Not a night person?}

The twin doors barring the exit from the command room slid open suddenly as a man stepped into view, dressed only in his underwear with a furious expression on his face.

"Who..." Bison started, his eyes fixed chillingly on the man, "are you?"

"Uh... um..." the man looked down, as if only now realizing his lack of decent clothing, then suddenly snapped into salute. "Private Bill Roper of Team Sigma, reporting in sir."

=====

"Captain Carter, why did not report Private Bill Roper as missing in action?"

Michael Carter arched a brow as he stared in confusion at his radio. "Because... he's not?"

"...he's not?"

"No sir. Not at all. He's with Private James Morhaim on patrol in Sector G-8."

There was a slight pause. "Apprehend Private Bill Roper immediately. He is to be considered armed and dangerous. Do not, repeat NOT allow him to leave this ship."

"Is there anything wrong, sir?"

"Yes, Captain. In fact, Private Bill Roper reported himself in at the command room three minutes ago, stripped to the buff. Retina scans prove that he wasn't lying about who he was."

"Oh my God... that would mean..."

"You are correct, Captain. You have been given your orders."

"Yes sir."

=====

"Unable to hit me, sister?" Astaroth asked coldly.

ShockWave attempted to lift his arm. He failed. Searing pain raged through his entire body, plunging him into a state of numbed paralysis that felt like a million needles breaking into his flesh all at once. He looked at his limbs. Oddly enough, they felt like as if they weren't there. He grimaced. Never, never before had he been utterly crushed by an opponent in a single instant as such. He had thought of himself as above-average... good, even... and it was a humiliating and anguished experience. Zero1 lay not far from him, seemingly unconscious, or dead. He prayed that it was the former. And now, the madman was turning his attention towards Natalie.

"You are not David... you're Astaroth, aren't you? Not my brother, only a killing machine borne of your master's designations."

"I promised I would kill you, Natalie," Astaroth replied coldly with a chilling lack of emotion in his voice. "And I intend to keep that promise. Do you think..." Astaroth paused, sweeping an arm aside for Natalie to see ShockWave and Zero1, both spread-eagled and unmoving on the scorched earth, "that you can beat me?"

Natalie bit her lip, a strange combination of sorrow and fury flooding her heart. "You murdered them..."

Astaroth raised an eyebrow. "You did nothing to stop me."

"I cannot hit my brother," Natalie whispered, clenching her fists as well, causing them to ignite into spheres of blue fire, "but you are Astaroth. David was dead long ago; only you remain."

"They are not dead, Natalie. I kill not without His command. You have one last chance, Natalie. You cannot outfight me, and we both know that."

"Save your threats for those who cower before death, Astaroth..." Natalie spat out the last word. "I do not."

"Then that shall be your epitaph," Astaroth replied in the same emotionless voice as he raised a hand to his face. "Kaze BARAI!!"

Natalie braced herself as the crescent-shaped wave of gray energy streaked towards her with breathtaking speed, then slinto hblock, causing her to give a small cry of pain as she staggered back, then recovered quickly to prepare herself for Astaroth's next assault. It came almost instantaneously in the form of two quick jabs at her shoulder and thigh. Natalie backstepped, feeling the swish of air as Astaroth's limbs swept with considerable force through the air, then launched her own attack.

A rapid blend of kicks and punches were unleashed towards Astaroth, who smirked silently as each blow was parried, blocked or evaded without any obvious effort. Natalie continued her assault of weak but quick attacks, keeping her mounting frustration in check as she awaited an opening in Astaroth's defense. There was none. Astaroth gave a slight grin, defending himself flawlessly against Natalie's fierce, but fruitless onslaught.

Natalie, for the most part, had seemed to take the hint that her current strategy was somehow ineffective, to say the least. Oxygen debt had started to set in, but her attacks had yet to have any visible effect on Astaroth Delivering a final forward kick at Astaroth's midriff, she somersaulted backwards, putting some space between herself and Astaroth.

It was when she was wholly in mid-air did she realize the extent of her mistake.

Out of the corner of her eye Astaroth transformed into a blur of speed and, a split-second later, she felt a hand hold her throat in a vice-like grip, throwing her off-balance. Natalie struggled, landing several punches on Astaroth with no effect, the wind screaming in her ears as the both of them fell back towards the ground, but not on her feet as Natalie had originally planned.

The two fighters slammed on the earth, with Natalie absorbing the brunt of the powerful impact as Astaroth released his grip, leaping backwards into stance and watching as Natalie slowly got onto her feet once more, her chest heaving and blood trickling from a violent gash on her left temple.

His eyes met Natalie's. No words were exchanged. None were needed. Grimacing, Natalie raised a hand, flicking away the stream of blood that was starting to flow down her face, obscuring her vision. The blood flew outwards in a fine spray, flecking the grass with spots of dark red.

"Get it over with."

Astaroth raised a brow. "Do you really wish to die that much?"

Natalie shrugged. "Perhaps. But what do you care?"

"Very well, then. Your death shall be swift..." Astaroth promised, looking downwards at the ground. Whereas he had only utilized his flames to a minimal extent up to now, Astaroth let loose a scream as the his entire form igniting itself into surges of violent, crimson-colored thin swirls of flame. Its force creating a compressed energy wave that exploded through the air, resulting in a scorched crater around Astaroth's feet.

He looked up briefly, registering the poorly disguised look of absolute awe and horror on his sister's face as she raised her hand, shielding herself from the powerful inferno of energy that was Astaroth.

Natalie drew a gasp of surprise as Astaroth moved with a speed that she never imagined possible for a human. Two successive kicks smashed through her block stance and onto her chest and abdomen, then another kick across her face. Natalie clenched her teeth, determined not to cry out in pain as yet another heel plunged itself deep into her midsection, then rose upwards, striking her multiple times in the ribcage before finally slamming into her chin from below.

"RESSOU KYAKU!"

This time, Natalie cried out in pain as Astaroth's attacks lifted her into the air. Three more kicks landed, and each drew a dull crack from her chest, elbow and shin until Astaroth finished off his relentless assault with a wide, arcing kick to the midsection, sending her back towards the ground. Astaroth landed, his head bowed as he regarded his sister.

Natalie landed with a crunch as her skull hit the ground, white-hot pain lancing throughout her entire body. Every attempt at movement drew an excruciating, unbearable pain, and she knew why. At least four of her ribs were broken, as were her right shoulder and leg. For the very first time since the fight, Natalie began to doubt her own survival. Astaroth had been holding back, that much she knew.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Natalie supported herself against her one good arm and leg, pulling her tortured body upright to face Astaroth, only to discover, with horror, thin gray beams of energy collecting at Astaroth's palms as he held them back...

"Taikyoku..." Astaroth whispered as his collected energies reached its apex, followed by him thrusting both palms forward, "... HAOUKEN!!!"

{The finisher...} Natalie thought grimly, feeling the intense ki energies as Astaroth projected forth a gray beam of energy that roared through the air towards her. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the imminent impact. The beam hit, and in a single instant Natalie was trapped within its depths, the searing energy engulfing her from all directions as she was lifted bodily off her feet, filling her ears with a roaring cacophony.

There was no pain.

Surprised, Natalie opened her eyes, only to be greeted by the visage of gray energy surges flowing around her, but NOT touching her. It was then did something brush past the nape of her neck, causing her body to go rigidly immobile for an instant before darkness overwhelmed her senses...

=====

Shadow Dragon clicked his tongue softly as he lay Natalie's limp body down on the ground, then rose to his full height.

Astaroth displayed no outward signs of any emotion whatsover as his arms dropped to his sides, watching as the flickering defensive shield of energy blinked out of existence around the newcomer. "Begone."

"Stay your hand. All on the island be under my watch," Shadow Dragon replied in an equally harsh tone, his eyes scanning the scene, finally resting on unconscious his younger brother. "You are responsible for this?"

"That is so, and much more to come."

"What do you want?"

"My sister, and nothing else."

"Nope, bruthar. It ain't happening."

"I will eliminate you to achieve my aims, if need be," Astaroth replied briefly. "This is of no concern of yours, whoever you may be. Save us both the trouble."

Shadow Dragon made no reply, instead reaching up to the collar of his bodysuit as his fingers toyed with the braided rope around his neck. "It is of my concern far more than you can imagine, dark one. You may recognize this..."

He tipped ever so slightly, revealing a flash of gold on his back that shimmered like light reflecting off water for the briefest moment, despite the nighttime dark. But that single glimpse was more than enough for Astaroth as he glanced the intricate designs carved on the hilt of the weapon strapped on Shadow Dragon's back -- the symbol of a sun, inlaid with triangular symbols arranged in a seemingly haphazard pattern, yet forming a cohesive, harmonious whole. Supporting the blade of the sword itself was a raised ridge, with its own designs as well, a circle with eight pyramid-like shapes radiating outwards.

"Gadajog-shezag... Sommerswerd..." Astaroth breathed incredulously as he stepped backwards a single pace. "You are Kai!... Dragon of the Shadows..."

Shadow Dragon nodded. "So I am."

Astaroth pondered the fact for several moments, finally raising his head. "There is a heavy price on your head, Kai Lord."

Shadow Dragon shrugged nonchalently. "I see..."

Astaroth sighed. What had originally began as a simple quest to retrieve his sister was now complicated tremendously by the interference of the Kai, which was something that bothered him immensely as he weighed each available course of action in turn. His adversary, however, merely stood with arms crossed, awaiting his next move with a seemingly unconcerned facade.

Astaroth clenched his hand into a loose fist as his energy aura dissipated entirely. "Kakugo..."

Shadow Dragon raised an eyebrow. "You have chosen to fight, it would seem."

"I have to leave with my sister," Astaroth stated plainly as his body shifted with deliberate slowness into a crouching combat stance, knees bent, feet slightly apart with his fists held at ready. "Are you r, Kai Lord?"

Shadow Dragon gave a brief nod, showing no signs of embracing any type of battle stance whatsover as he stared back into Astaroth's unreadable facade. "Let's see your best shot."

Astaroth took a running charge towards his adversary, his right shoulder and arm drawn back in preparation to strike as soon as he came within range of his opponent, his attention focused entirely on the unmoving lone warrior standing before him, shutting himself off to any outside distractions. It therefore came as an unpleasant surprise when a flexible something roped itself around his left foot in a tight coil, causing the impetus of his own charge to topple him over.

Astaroth stopped his fall with his palms as he gave a sharp kick, intending to shake off whatever it was gripping his foot, only to discover that it wouldn't budge. He looked back. A vine had snaked out from nowhere, coiling itself into a deathgrip on his ankle. A swishing sound reached his ears, followed almost immediately by four other identical vines snaking out from the undergrowth.

With a roar of anger Astaroth thrust his palm out towards his leg, burning the vine to ashes with a blast of gray fire as he quickly scrambled to his feet. Three more vines anchored themselves to his throat, right wrist and waist, only to be dealt with in a similar fashion. The last vine, however, would itself around and under Astaroth's shoulders, lifting him cleanly into the air with a smooth jerk. Astaroth felt the breath squeezed out of him as he was lifted into the air. He cursed, then managed to wriggle a hand free, feeling the energy collecting at his palm as he prepared to launch another gout of fire to fry the last vine.

With a soft thud a clump of moist earth collected itself into a ball around his hand, putting out the flames on his palm. Astaroth shook his hand, discovering that, like the vines, the clump of earth remained stuck on him like nails to a magnet. Three other sizable clods of earth pulled themselves from the ground and rose up towards him, sealing themselves around his four limbs and rendering him unable to utilize his flames.

Astaroth looked downwards at Shadow Dragon. "What sorcery is this?"

Shadow Dragon gave another shrug. "I don't think you'll stay conscious long enough to find..."

The kick caught him cleanly in the chin, catapulting him outwards in a somersault only to have him land ungracefully on the ground, supporting himself with a knee and a palm. His concentration broken, the vines reverted back to their original state as he looked up, finding Astaroth on the ground in battle stance.

"So you can teleport..."

Astaroth nodded. "The claims about you were not exaggerations after all." He shifted slightly, shaking a small piece of earth off the back of his wrist. "You are indeed a worthy opponent, Shadow Dragon."

The Kai Master pulled himself to his feet, running a hand along his jaw, then regarded his bloodstained finger. The kick had scraped a piece of skin off his cheek. "I hate it when I underestimate people..."