In the backseat of Locke's car

Kay struggles to fight off the drowsiness, but each time he tries to open his eyes the bright light hurts him so bad. Every bump the car passes over made his head hurts even more. Flashes of memories randomly passes him giving him a rough idea of what had happened.

He knows that he was forgetting something important but the drowsiness took that thought away from him. Not a single firm thought remains in his grasp. All seemingly so fleeting whether or not there is any importance. Everything seems to happen at the same time, be it past, resent or future.

He tries to open his eyes once more, all he sees is the scattered rays of lights through the canopy of trees. The light was too much for him to bear and he closes his eyes once more to return to darkness of fleeting memories.
 

One somewhat recent memory seems strangely strong. Kay remembers being in China. He had just come out of this Dim Sum shop when darkness seems to take over and placing him in the center of nowhere.

One by one different people start to appear. Two young women eating noodles at what he thought was a shop nearby, A young officer going through some kind of field test and a young lady in pink, training at a dojo.

They seem to notice him when a voice mentioned something about someone being the fifth of nine. That memory ended as much as Kay tries to hold onto it. Another bump and the car screeched to a stop and he heard the driver cursing someone's name.
 

In his half conscious state Kay reaches deep into his mind to recreate that scene if it was possible at all. The darkness returns. He was lying there in the center of it.

"Ayame…" Kay mumbles, she's waiting for him… A thought occurred causing him to wonder how he could see her in this darkness. Then it came to him that she had only recently became the Essence of Life, another appear within the darkness. Crimson, for some reason Kay felt that unconscious Crimson was moving away from him.

"Wasn't he captured by Locke as well? Wait….I thought Volpe was the Essence of….." Kay mumbled but gotten distracted as someone else appears. Lilly and Victoria as well, in the middle of a fight, too busy fighting for their lives to notice the change in environment. Strange thing is that both ladies seem to be nearby yet he can't reach out to call either of them.

"That or this thing has call waiting….." From the physical world he felt the car start up once more. He had the strange feeling that someone else is the car with him. The car hits another bunp on the road and the fifth person enters this darkness.
 

"Shockwave…" Kay tries to call out, trying to catch his attention but strangely he wasn't paying enough attention. This made Kay wonder if the effect of the drugs had dulled his abilities.

"Iwa!!! Kumori!!!! he yells as the seventh and the eighth person appeared. But it seems that they were in the middle of something. Two more people appear.

"Two deaths? There are two incarnates of Death?! Noooooooo!! A little more time!!! Not now! Not now!!! Somebody better pick this up!!! Somebody?!!! Andybody??!!!" he yells on, feeling a fresh dosage of drugs entering his veins. One by one they disappear from his vision returning him to the darkness of his drugged sleep.
 

"Who are you?!" Iwa demanded as she eyes the siblings. Something about them bugs her. The pair of siblings had came out of nowhere and claim that they were essences and yet. But then when someone shuffs a jewel in front of your face, its always one of two things. But due to past experience, jewels tend to mean mind control more often then not.

As for her pal, Kumori, she seems to be thinking about something. The siblings started to say something about replacements, dull mortals, blah, blah, blah and started sqabbling between themselves again.
 

Distraction came in the form of a mobile phone ringing to the tune of Kitaro's Matsuri. Attached to the antenna of the mobile phone was a little rubber figure of Yagami whose uncovered eye started flashing to draw it owner's attention.

"Hello?" Iwa answered, squatting down in the midst of Ryu, Ken, Kumori and the Twins. A finger plugged into her ear to drown out the noise.
"Iwa?" came the worried voice on the other end.
"Ayame?"
"Kay's in trouble You guys gotta find him!!!"
"Slow down." Iwa slap the hand that tries to fiddle with little rubber figure.

"I had this strange feeling. I thought I saw Kay, you, Kumori and the other five and two more people in this strange darkness. I saw Kay trying to say something but he was gone too soon! I'm not seeing things am I" Ayame's voice was somewhat shaken.

"No. If anyone had a rough idea how to work that thing he might be the one. What direction was he in?"
"He was moving northeast all the way!!!"
"What's on northeast of this island?" Iwa asked the others
"Some cliffs. A few caves dotting the area." Ryu answered.
"We'll go check things out. Ayame, you try to contact the others."
"Okay. Please find him."
"We will. The old boy still owe me a few rounds of Daytona."

The conversation ended and Iwa began pressing a few buttons on her watch. A beep signals the success of whatever she was doing.
"What's that for?" Ryu asked
"Huh? Oh. It's a tracer Li jie gave me. She said it be easier to find me should anything happens. Unlike some people who refuse to activate theirs."
"Hoy. I don't know how to work that thing." Ryu hits Iwa's with the back of his fist
"Uh guys. Could we leave the family squabbles till later?" Ken calls for a truce as he and Kumori are already on his rental jeep. Without another word the two Hoshi leapt for the jeep as Ken drove towards northeast part of the island.

"Where they go?" Iwa suddenly asked
"Where who go?"
"The two who claim that they are the incarnates of Death. I thought they were still talking you guys when I answered the phone."
"Something odd about those two, disappearing like that." Kumori mumbled as she took a glance back.
"Yeah. Like a certain so and so… OWWW" Iwa yelled as she earns herself another knock on the head by a frowning Ryu.
"I seriously don't know how CL puts up with the both you." Ken sighed as Kumori giggles.

ChunLi's quarters

By now Chun Li had gotten everything in place, it seems that her temper had calm after Volpe took the compulsive cleaner Miko out for a while. Comfortably in a set of clean fighting attire and a fresh cup of coffee in hand she sat down to enjoy the hard earn brew.

There was something else which could complete this relaxing scene but she would rather not have both of them here for they might raise her blood pressure with their constant sparring. It was always a case of the older one setting a bad example for the younger one to follow.

A beep and a few coded flashes from her watch startled her enough to spill her coffee on the floor.

"What now….." Chun Li mumbled as she pressed a few buttons on her watch. Reading the coded messages that was sent to her.
"Baka Ryu. Can't trust you to even take care of your daughter without getting into trouble!" she cursed Ryu's name. She leaps to her feet and head for the door.

"I SMELLL COFFEE SPILLS!!!!!" A familiar war cry and the door burst open. There stood Miko dragging the Volpe behind her.
"No time. Lives are at risk." ChunLi grabs Miko by the arm and pulls her towards her rental jeep.
"What is wrong now?" Volpe asks as he got unceremoniously dump into back of the jeep.
"I'm not sure yet but Iwa never alert me without reason. Hopefully someone might fill us in."

"Please take me along." A voice interrupted the conversation.
"Ayame?! You should be resting." Volpe sat up.
"I know but Kay's in big trouble! I can feel it."
"Do you know where Kay might be?" Chun Li suspected that Ayame might know the connection.
"Heading northeast. Nearer to where Lilly and Victoria are suppose to be, but neither answered my call. I can't get through to Shockwave either. All I managed was to leave a voicemail for the three of them. The only people manage to find are Iwa and Kumori."

"Get in." Chun Li ordered.
"But Mdm! She just recovered from a near death experience." Volpe protested
"Unless you want to make her own way to another such experience by herself. Help her in. Inspector."
"Yes mdm."

"What about the coffee spills?" Miko kept glancing back. Her lip quivering at the thought of a coffee spill not cleaned up and taunting her.
"There's a bigger mess waiting for you to clean up."
"Really?" Miko asked with hope in her.
"Yes and just sit down!" Chun Li step hard on the gas pedal.
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" Miko yelled in excitement as the jeep accelerates from zero to break neck speed in a matter of seconds.

Heading northeast

Driving like a maniac Locke curses each time the car leaps over a bump. He worries yet he knows not why. The mumbling of that Kay kid made him worried for some reason. It had felt like the kid was talking to someone. Things like this make Locke feel like demanding a higher price than what he was paid.

He glance beside him and smile at the unconscious Meliza, a bonus at time like this. Behind them are Kay and Acinomia.
"They're gone?" Locke realized that Zero1 and Crimson were missing.
"Couldn't have fallen out of the car? No matter all is not lost. What Bison can't see he need not know." Locke drove on with ten or so plans forming within his head should anything go wrong.
 

In his VTOL heading to the northeastern part of the Island
 

Its not that Bison does not trust his underlings…. Locke's betrayal had let loose a string of event that goes well in his favor. Expected and planned for.

This Locke character intrigues him greatly, for money seems to aid his lifestyle and not buy his loyalty. A man this dangerous against him but equally dangerous to keep around. Bison wonders if there is a way to ensure the loyalty of such a talented person. Money is definitely not the answer.

Another thing that interests him as he keep glancing at the Palm Pilot in his hand, was how nine dots had turn into ten. But nine or ten matters not, as long as Iwa had unwittingly led the other nine straight to him. It was amazing what a little pre-programming can do.

This cause him to wonder if he could make more advance warriors out of these Essences. But of course dealing with Naar is more important. Maybe after that he would take whoever's left from that encounter into his fold. Indeed he smile at his own genius in letting Iwa. Ryu and that Chun Li go in the first place. Practical is better than theory.

One more thing came to mind, was that even if these Essences team up against him or that Ryu turn wild should things be so unfortunate. There will always be that that Programming, that plan B that would allow him to use young Iwa against her own comrades.

"This is going to be one interesting family reunion indeed. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Heading back into the forest and getting lost once more
 

"My, my that was rude!" Shizukesa remarked.
"What do you expect? Peace on Earth?" Nisshoku replied.

"There better be after we're gone. I swear, I'm not mortal just for fun. There's one thing to be a limited demi-god, but when you're a mortal. That's when you know something just isn't going right," Zuke told his sister while swatting away protruding branches from the wooded area.

She sighed not really caring about Zuke's personal opinion on being mortal. She just knew he told her this because she's the only one that would listen to him.

"You know I hate dark forests."
"Do the words bite me offer you solace?" Nis-Nis answered coldly contradicting her fire flowing eyes. She didn't know why he complained. Definitely a stereotypical spoiled demi-god, but no better personality than a mortal.

"Bleh, what else can I expect from humans? You say one thing that isn't within reach of their version of sanity and they try to bite your head off," Zuke scoffed.
"If you came up saying you were there to replace a close friend out of the blue, wouldn't you want to chase away whomever that was suspecting them both crazy?"
 

Scoffing, Zuke waved his hands in the air. Nis-Nis noticed he really enjoyed talking with his hands. If he were human, he could be Italian. Thank the Gods I prefer women more, he is adorable when he's angry.

"You know, we're entering their world. Their naïve little world. Most believe in some superior being who sets these certain rules about almost everything that the immortals go against. Honestly, how can there be rules about killing each other?"

"Because mortals only have one short life, dear. This is all they know so they want to live it to the fullest."
"-And love? Isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard of?"
Nis-Nis raised her eyebrow wanting to agree with her brother, but just plain not answering.

"What of this opposite gender attraction?! Thank the Gods we haven't been born a century earlier! I read their trite literature by Shakespeare and those damn English! It's a pathetic excuse for brief entertainment."

"Now that I can agree with you on," Nisshoku nodded.
Zuke scoffed, "You're just greedy, Nisshoku. You want to take every chance. You actually want to stoop this low to experience love. Love is for the weak to give them blind hope. The human is a frail creature and most are willing to admit they will submit to love just to experience them. They have no control and that's what you want. Unpredictable, instinctual actions."

"I'd rather experience love than be in love with myself, like every immortal on that plane of eternity."
Shizukesa shook his head, "Always the rebel. Always acting without thinking I wonder why you weren't born human."

"Me either," she answered.
Five minutes of silence continued. Nisshoku was almost relieved that the bitching from brother dear has stopped, then all of a sudden¦

"-And what the hell is that about incest? Hypocrites! Their royal families are just a bunch of incestuous failed marriages separated by time! Why, if I were a human living by all those rules-"
"You'd be atheist," Nisshoku replied. Shizukesa stopped his sister, placed his hand around her neck and kissed her lips,
"Now, according to most beliefs, that's just wrong."
Nisshoku spat, "I believe just kissing you would be a sin."

"-And what makes kissing so 'romantic'? Why not back massages or
something?"
"I think that's before and after, " Nisshoku remarked trying to remember her studies.

Zuke stopped, "-And why so much emotion on a basic excess of hormones?
Think logically for this."
"-Like you? Ha!"
"The same ability that makes you grow to the height you are at and what makes you fall in love with a person is supposed to be categorized in the same genre. How contradictory!"

Nis-Nis rolled her eyes, "Aren't you supposed to be the quiet one? Just shut-up! You remind me of me back home complaining about our other plane."
"Serves you right to realize the world you were supposed to be born in is so undeserving of your mortal presence. Or it was sheer luck the Phoenix God chose your soul as one of the Bearers."

"Lucky or cursed take your pick, I've already made up my mind."

A beam of moon light hit Shizukesa and a smile was plastered upon his face illuminating the glowing visage. He saw her stress and tolerance and realized that's the reason why he's so close to her. He actually became ecstatic that he would be doing this mission with Nisshoku and not some other demi-god bearer. He always felt soft with Nisshoku, like he was everything she was not. Shizukesa took this moment and grasped Nisshoku's hand,

"This place is really changing youâ?¦ me too. Maybe that says something."
"Like what?"
He shrugged, "Maybe it says you would have been the ultimate Bearer of the Phoenix."

Nisshoku stopped and looked surprised at Zuke, "What did you say?"
"You know what I said every worshipper of the Phoenix knows there's the ultimate Bearer that is supposed to be the best. Only that bearer is worthy to become a mortal and live a good life enhancing the Phoenix God's power."

Nisshoku smiled, "You know when Phoenix God found out Crista was the death essence. He finally realized one thing: he can regain his popularity in this world again. He won't be considered a pagan God anymore. He'll be considered the God."

Zuke nodded, "-And combined we're going to bring about the most influential religion since Christianity. After defeating Naar, the world will realize the power of this Phoenix. They'll see that their superstitious beliefs brought about Naar and another true God brought about peace. The world will change because of us."

Suddenly a quick wind blew against the both and caused a sudden stop of all movement. -Even the beatings of their heart which held false existence.
"Do you sense?" Nis-Nis questioned in whisper.
"No," Zuke answered equally cautious, "-but the ground we're standing on is no longer dirt and the bugs stopped chirping well over 90 seconds ago."
Nis's lip quivered, "Zuke, hold my hand."
"Ok," he reached out until he felt a glove and slowly held her hand tightly.
"Zuke, don't you listen? Hold my hand!"
"I am holding your hand!" He responded.
 

Reality donned on them and both, for the first time, felt an overwhelming human emotion, fear. A heavy object fell upon Nisshoku causing her to fall to the ground.
Hitting her head upon the manufactured grounds.

"Mpfh!" the object replied over Nis-Nis.
"What the-! Zuke!!!" Before Zuke could react she flattened her palm and uppercutted the person atop her from the chin all through until her arm extended straight.

The poor soul flew off her until a tree stopped the traveling.
"Nisshoku! I can't see you! I-I'm weakened in the dark! You know that, "Shizukesa began.
 

"Cannon Drill!" cried a distant voice that came louder as the micro-seconds passed.

Quickly he felt a sharp pang in his back and fell to his knees feeling the protruding branches, wet leaves and moist grown. Funny how the island is man-man and here Shizukesa is face to face with the yucky tasting terrain. Funny also that the man whose body he took designed this whole thing.

"Get the bloody hell away from him!" Yelled a voice with a feminine, yet demanding accent that was strange to even a native to this part of the world.
 

Nisshoku spun around and glared her yellow eyes at the blonde pig tailed
female,

"What did you do to him?!"
"Not much more than what you did to him!" She motioned to the man unconscious at the nearby tree. His glasses shined in the moonlight and Nisshoku realized one of them was cracked and probably to the fault of her.

"Human! What are you doing here in the middle of no where?!" Nisshoku roared.

Cammy crouched in fight position, "I was about to ask you the same question, freak!"

Nisshoku smiled at the enraged pig tale lady,
"You call me a freak? At least I'm wearing some damn pants!"

Nisshoku stood in no fighting stance listening to her attempt to chew her out, but she noticed that if Cammy purposely was there to inflict harm she would have done it by now. She also couldn't help but oversee two shadows that almost looked like twins of her.

Nisshoku raised both eyebrows revealing her augmented golden eyes to glow brighter. She could sense that if the two shadows in the background were allies they would have spoken their position by now. It's all about the timing these days, she thought with a smile. Finally, she can see some action. It's one thing to fight immortals with all your powers, but she wondered how well she could maneuver in a controlled environment against mortals with supposed immortal capability and potential.

"-And another thing you swank! If Charlie is every hurt again because of you-"
"Fatal " A foreign computer generated voice began in no dynamic tone, but definitely revealing it's position,
"Leg-"

Cammy turned seeing a flying nightmare and crouching knowing it was too late. Normally her size allowed her to duck and survive with ease, but these two ladies were designed from her, therefore knew all her strengths and weaknesses. Cammy knew Juni was aiming straight at her head.
"Twist-"
"Scream!" Echo hollered and suddenly the wraps around her arms untangled and began to ablaze satiated with fire. Instantly the android found her neck and stomach being held in a tight squeeze and burning with a fire even her boss couldn't tolerate.

"Overheating mainframeâ?¦ overheating mainframe," Juni repeated.

Cammy placed a hand on the ground almost falling over. She didn't know whether Juni's presence or the yellow eyed girl's help surprised her more.Solace for merely seconds stole time away, but the silence became deafening and challenged sound. Cammy dug her fingers into the ground, Echo's wraps slowly encircled her arms again. Another robotic voice crept behind Echo,

"Surrender humans and Lord Bison will deal with you in a sympathetic manner.
Resist and we will force you to succumb to his demands."
"Well isn't this guy a pimp?" Echo half grinned. Mortals ordering each other around deemed her really funny almost as funny as Monarchy or Democracy.

"Don't resist us girl, Lord Bison can terminate your life in a manner of
seconds."

She almost laughed knowing that whomever this was, walked blindly into her trap,

"Now I'm insulted." Quickly Echo vanished leaving behind a trail of fire specks. Cammy, blinking multiple times didn't know what occurred. All she knew is this purple hair girl took care of business; Juni now hung from a high branch.

"Terrain, not found. Terrain, not found."
 

Juli, the twin brunette of Cammy and Juni, leaped high up in the air and cut the dangling vines that held her together. Cammy stood unknowing of that new girl, but knew how to deal with the copy-cats.
"Come on little sisters!" She roared, "I'm right here!"

"Unexpected interference," Juli stated staring down at Cammy,
"Target sighted." Juni hung from a branch,
"Power increase."
In the same tree, but in a shadowed branch, Echo couldn't believe her ears,

"Actual androids. By the Gaweds, I didn't know humans were this intelligent." Juli flew into the air straight at Cammy,
"Psycho shot!" Cammy braced to parry the attack and counter with a Cannon Spike. Juni let go of the branch calculating her landing right upon the silent, non-moving figure known as Charlie.

Echo couldn't have this robot have this much fun. Juni struggled then finally looked up at the cause of the problem as saw a smiling girl with golden eyes.
"Interference sighted." She raised a glowing arm and suddenly her eyes flashed that would usually blind a human.

No effect, That robot is taking pictures of me to send to her pimp.
Echo, not being human, responded in her own manner,

"Kindle." She whispered the word at once, suddenly Juni's entire body became surrounded by the burning flames. She had to affirm the downloaded pictures of her were utterly destroyed.

The only people she was to tell of the death essence existence were the essences and Natalie, Astaroth's sister. Echo let go of the fire spectacle and sighed. The flame seemed to scorch her hand, but she also noticed the gold band encircling her arm quickly cured the human limitation known as epidermis.

For a few seconds she watched the pig tail girl fight what seemed to look as her sister. Echo frowned, then a realization hit her,

"Their right by Zuke!" She disappeared from the tree and reappeared behind Juli.
 

Sensing the presence, Juli elbowed followed by a hook to her face, kneed her in her stomach and threw the yellow eyed girl a good twenty feet away from her. Nis fell sensing that what she felt was an emotion known as pain. This new emotion surprised her greatly. Fathoming this is what disables a normal human she concentrated back on
Cammy,

"Master Bison wishes you to return and serve him."
"Tell him I quit," Cammy sneered and spat in Juli's direction. (Yes British spit!)

Juli, perceiving this isn't what was supposed to be said, she leaps forward in opportunity to disable the traitor,

"Spin Knuckle!" Before she could even clench her fist she noticed red birds flying around. The only problem was they were all created of fire and they were all being controlled by.

"Interference?"
Cammy backed up afraid of the creatures that failed to chirp, but possessed a look of doom. Juli, alien to this view began downloaded the actions of them analyzing them unknown to their potential.

"Omega Inferno!!!" Nis-Nis roared.
"What in Gawed's name!" Cammy gasped falling, yet still concentrating deeply on the freak and Juli.

Echo's back ached with pain, but she was running out of time and the sun was rising in less than an hour. She would have to sleep and she needed to get to the essences. She had to remind them that Naar was too close and she had to remind them to stay together and not get killed like Crista did. She knew that with the pain she felt, she could bring down this android. She underestimated her opponents. Here, her brother and her were sent to disable Naar and there was a mortal psychopath that had decent fighters.
 

As the black feathers from her back flew directly at Juli and off her body while mutating into more of those fire birds. They all entered her body.

Cammy, if the situation was different, would have labeled the flying birds as one of the most beautiful sights in her life. Juli fell to her knees,

"Systemsâ?¦ shut-down." The android fell to the ground never finishing her analysis of the birds of fire. A huge bird about the size of a beach ball emerged from the body and
flew directly into Echo.

"No!!!" Cammy yelled running to her newest ally.

Nisshoku collapsed to her knees feeling all the energy flow within her. She finally knew why she was confront with these two robots and these two mortals known as Cammy and Charlie. Her eyes glowed a distinct red for the longest time before turning back to golden.

"Miss, miss cat-eyesâ?¦ please answer me! Are you hurt?"
Nisshoku smiled and looked at her, "Cammy, am I right?"
The woman nodded, "How do you know my name?"
Nisshoku looked at the man leaning on the tree groaning in pain,

"Air Force officer, Charlie, right?" Her eyes veered a burnt out body and a mimicking other one, "Juni and Juli¦ sent by Bison. He was your master?"

"H-How did you?"
"I control those birds you just saw. They entered the robots body and stole enough from her to disable her. With all that was stolen, it was given to me to find out who they were. In that, I found out who you were and your purpose for being here."

"You seem to know more than me, then," Cammy spoke.

Nisshoku slowly stood up without a scratch on her, "I need a favor.
Bring me to the girl known as Natalie."
"The FBI agent?" Cammy asked.
Nis-Nis smiled, "So that's how she got on this island."