[center] [img][/img] [img]https://imgur.com/kzRPhBS.png[/img] [h3][color=1E90FF][u][b]Level 9 Terry Bogard[/b][/u][/color][/h3] [sub][color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 79/90 (+5 pts.) [color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Banishing Flats, Esaka’s Mid Tier [color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 4,728[/sub] [/center] [b]“Hey, Terry…”[/b] [color=1E90FF]“Huh?”[/color] Terry’s eyes went wide. He had no idea how he ended up finding himself in [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/616436568bcc.jpg]a spacious, enclosed void with barely any hints of lighting[/url], whatsoever. The brawny blonde could feel his entire frame numbing, as though he’d been ambushed in his slumber. He gingerly rose up, desperate to push through the lingering pain. But then, there was this serene yet tormented voice speaking to him again—the melodious, ladylike sound he hadn’t heard in a long while. He lifted his gaze, trying to follow the comforting echo. [color=1E90FF]“L– Lily? Is that—?”[/color] [b]“Yes, it is me, love. Miss me?”[/b] the voice confirmed, its echo filling the void. [b]“I know you’ve been thinking about me lately, but we don’t have much time. You love me, don’t you, Terry?”[/b] Terry instantly nodded, his arm around his aching ribcage. [color=1E90FF]“Yes! Yes, I do, Lily! With the bottom of my heart,”[/color] he told Lily, not a single hesitation present. [b]“Well, then, will you do me a favor, sweetheart?”[/b] Unfortunately, before Terry could accept… [b][i]BAM![/i][/b] …A harsh crimson cane knocked his temple, staggering him a couple of feet back. With his fighting stance partly assumed, he shook his head, attempting to shrug away the pain that the ambush had inflicted. The blur in his eyes gradually cleared, and upon glancing ahead, he found [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Billy_Kane]a familiar British man in a red-and-white striped bandana[/url] standing across from him with a taunting grin, his grip tightening around the lengthy cane’s flimsy figure. [b]“Promise me you will follow my voice, as I guide you out of the limbo,”[/b] Lily urged, her reverberating voice determined. [b]“I want only and [u]only[/u] the best for you, sweetheart, but you can’t rest just yet. You have to continue fighting.”[/b] Simultaneously, the British bruiser swung his cane, aiming to inflict further harm upon the man he’d sworn to defeat on behalf of his employer. In just a split second, Terry parried the cane with his wrist, avoiding its sturdy surface from busting his cranium. [b]“You have to fight them.”[/b] And another swing delivered, in which Terry successfully parried once more. [b]“Fight the wicked.”[/b] [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/ab2453a7d029.gif]A wheel of flame[/url] emerged, as Terry’s ambusher spun his cane in a desperate attempt to land an attack, its flimsy figure a blur of red. With the encouragement from his late lover, the three-time KOF champion wasted no time and rammed towards his opponent, [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/302e67bacc58.jpg]his fiery fist striking forth[/url]. [color=1E90FF][b]“BURN KNUCK—”[/b][/color] [b][i]FWOOSH![/i][/b] Unfortunately, his fire-laced offense was backfired when his opponent released the flaming wheel mere seconds before the fist connected, squealing [b]“HYAHH!!”[/b] at the top of his lungs. The vulnerable Terry was sent backwards, his back close to kissing the tiled, checkerboard-esque floor. [color=1E90FF]“Gwahh—!!”[/color] [b]“Fight despair.”[/b] Fortunately, just moments before he managed a rough landing, a hand had caught him, preventing his back from colliding against the floor. Was it a rescue attempt? Was it Lily’s spiritual form extending her hand to aid him? If only it was… The pitch-black hand tightened its grasp on Terry’s face, the pressure from the squeeze suffocating him. He could hear a loud, squeaking [b]“GUILLOTINE!!!”[/b] echoed across the void, the sound too unhinged to come out of his past lover’s gentle voice. With a maniacal laugh leaving his mouth, [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Ryuji_Yamazaki]his bearer[/url] [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters4/yama-super2.gif]dragged him[/url] across the floor, his dark boots scurrying forth. He hurled the former KOF champion’s battered frame up, though before the latter could see his face, the lunatic hitman had shoved him back with a devastating front kick, the sole of his shoe meeting his torso. [color=1E90FF]“Arghh—!!”[/color] [b]“Fight the darkness.”[/b] As if Terry hadn’t had enough yet, [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Wolfgang_Krauser]a violet-haired emperor[/url] had lunged in his direction while he was still in mid-air, trapping him in [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/ab6e7a421cf9.gif]a series of physical blows and a subsequent cyclone formed around his spinning form[/url] as he shouted: [b]“GIGANTIC CYCLONE!!!”[/b] The strong gust of wind carried Terry farther to the back, finally allowing him to lay on his midriff, albeit harshly. His cap was blown out, landing in front of him. [b][i]CLAP![/i][/b] [b][i]CLAP![/i][/b] “Is this the best you can do?” the unimpressed emperor questioned, gauntlet-clad hands clapped clean, crossing his sizable arms and shaking his head. “You cannot be the same man who bested me in the King of Fighters tournament. Such a disgrace!” Perhaps, Terry was more concerned about the injuries he’d received rather than actually listening to his foe’s mockery. He gnashed his teeth, trying to stand out of his prone position, but every time he was close to standing, his weakened frame brought him back across the floor. A cacophony of noises surrounded him—those of insults and scoffing laughs. He wasn’t expecting the day when his sworn enemies collaborated to take him down in his second life. Billy, Yamazaki, and now Krauser were standing there, just watching him wither away after the suffering they’d caused upon him. But then, that same encouraging echo came to comfort him again. [b]“Don’t give up, my beloved. You’re almost there. I promise you that I’ll assist you in spirit, even until the end of time,”[/b] Lily vowed, a gentle wind caressing both sides of Terry’s face like a pair of cupping hands. [b]“I believe in you. The people of South Town believe in you. You’re stronger than they think you are, do you [u]not[/u] realize? You will make it out alive, darling, I promise.”[/b] Terry didn’t say anything. However, he was listening. Teeth crackling, he gave Lily a weak nod before trying to stand back on his feet one last time, gloved hands on the floor propping his enormous weight. Just when he was close to assuming a kneeling position… [b]“Oh, no…”[/b] The voice of his past lover alerted him, carrying a hint of fright. [b]“Oh my God… He’s here!”[/b] Lily echoed, referring to the incoming strides combing through Billy, Yamazaki, and Krauser. [b]“You have to wake up, Terry! Save yourself and everyone else!”[/b] As his strides halted, the man in white gi and broad crimson trousers seized and lifted Terry by the head, his fingers clawing through the bruiser’s golden strands. Terry flinched, held the malicious man by the wrist, and swung his legs weakly, trying to escape the firm grasp. He took a look past his bare shoulder and realized… The man who’d been holding him was Geese, the biggest hater of them all. “Wakey, wakey, little mutt,” he scoffed, a snort spewed. “Have you softened up lately? I told you, you cannot outrun the circle of fate. Nothing will aid you in the dark times that approach.” And before Terry could do anything, Geese had already hurled him skywards, sending him flying towards an opposite direction. Then, as his sworn nemesis descended, the infamous crime lord swung his arms to form a circle, blue trails of fire gathering around both clawing hands. Once Terry reached mid-air, Geese pulled his hands back, [url=https://i.makeagif.com/media/2-22-2019/HXcPOY.gif]an energy orb forming between his palms as he released it[/url], knocking his vulnerable nemesis through the other evil-doers and farther away from their proximity. [b][i]“RASHOUMON!!!”[/i][/b] he exclaimed, rather satisfied. [color=1E90FF][i][b]“WAHHHH—!!!”[/b][/i][/color] Terry could feel as if his soul was separated from his body when the charging palms connected with his torso. Almost, supposedly. He flew further and further away from his foes’ reach, slowly watching the void magically transforming into what seemed to be [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/nf9/game/stage/kof2002-omega-rugal-stage-black-noah.gif]an abandoned facility [/url]. The rubbles and the broken machines made it unwelcoming at first glance, his vicinity screaming chaos and tension. Before he could stumble upon the other end of the facility, however… [b][i]SHINK![/i][/b] [b][i]SHINK![/i][/b] [b][i]SHINK![/i][/b] [b]“GENOCIDE CUTTER!!!”[/b] Like a swinging sword, [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/c2434845b5b8.gif]multiple crescent kicks[/url] sliced his back, their sharp, crimson outlines tearing down the sizable white star emblem by the back of his jacket. The final kick managed to bring Terry down across the floor, forcing him to kiss its metal surface. [color=1E90FF]“Urghh—!!”[/color] He coughed and coughed, fresh crimson splashes making their ways out of his mouth. As he tried to rise out of his laying position, Terry took a look ahead of him, his widened eyes capturing a sea of motionless KOF participants sprawling along his blood-soaked path. It was horrifying. It was grotesque, reminiscent of the moments leading up to the start of his second life. Old and young, he knew all the faces all too well, yet his closest ones were nowhere to be seen despite the fact that they, too, were present. The brawny blonde then shifted his attention towards his left then right, finding the equally battered Kyo and Ryo laying unresponsively on their backs, their faces pointing at his kneeling form. They took him aback at first, despite his having experienced the moment in his first life. [b][i]THUMP…[/i][/b] [b][i]THUMP…[/i][/b] When a cacophony of striding noises became closer from behind, Terry instinctively turned around, forcing himself to stand upright. He could feel his heart throbbing heavily, his face partly rearranged and every fiber of his muscles close to tearing apart. Across from him… [img][/img] [center] [hider=Spoiler: Ω (Possibly Scary)] [url=https://www.imgchest.com/p/9p4nvgpgzyn][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e38ba427d362.png[/img][/url] [/hider] [/center] …a shadowy, red-eyed figure approached, exuding crimson aura around his towering figure. It didn’t take long until the shadows cast themselves away, revealing the man as none other than the past iteration of Rugal Bernstein, his hair and complexion as pale as a dead man. His presence elicited a frown and a flinch from Terry, his clenching hands trembling uncontrollably. [color=1E90FF]“You… You bastard…”[/color] he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. [color=1E90FF]“I know you’ve been hiding them away from me. Where are they!?”[/color] Rugal curled a faint smirk under his moustache, more unimpressed than he was amused. Instead of talking about Terry’s loved ones, he reiterated the same words that he told him moments before their world came to a halt. “Heh. Such a naive individual. I was wrong about everything all these years. It appears you’ve proven yourself more troubling than I thought you were. You see, Terry, you’re the root of all the problems surrounding this place. Branches of realities were created, the cycle of violence and vengeance repeated, all because you sent a madman deep into the depths of hell. Perhaps, I’d been too fixated on the three ‘Sacred Treasures’ to realize that they weren’t even the main obstacles. I won’t repeat the same mistake.” Terry gasped, finally realizing that he’d been trapped in the same moment where he—presumably—met his demise. Initially, Rugal spoke the first few sentences in his usual, sonorous voice until he reached the part where he blamed the former KOF champion for all the [i]realities[/i] established after he defeated Geese in his debut. In that moment, his voice echoed with an ethereal quality, as if a fraction of Orochi’s spirit that’d been resting inside of him had taken full control over his body. He chose not to hesitate with Terry anymore. As the latter assumed his ready stance, the cartel leader prepared [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/nx9/char/cvs2/godrugal/a/special/god-rugal-cvs2-projectile4.gif]his ultimate blow[/url], striking his hands out. The wind gathered around him, whiffling his long, platinum hair. [color=1E90FF]“C’mon, sucker, bring it! It’s all or nothin’!”[/color] Terry challenged, his eyes glowing gold, preparing himself to flail the ground. The wind whirled and blew even wildly around Rugal, his gloved hands starting to gleam. “Rest well, little wolf! It starts with you, and it ends with you…” he reciprocated, then released the retracted energy in the form of an enormous violet projectile, palms propelling forth. [b]“KAISER WAVE!!!”[/b] [color=1E90FF][b]“POWER GEYSER!!!”[/b][/color] [h3][b][i]KA–BOOM![/i][/b][/h3] Everything went white by the time [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/5b33662318eb.gif]the volcanic torrent[/url] that Terry had triggered with his slamming knuckles collided with Rugal’s own energy attack. And then… [img][/img] [center][url=https://www.imgchest.com/p/9p4nvgpgzyn][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/f552ee09f0a5.jpg[/img][/url][/center] Terry opened his eyes wide, awakened, his parting mouth gasping for air. He darted his eyes left and right, finding that he’d toppled out of his bed awkwardly. His cheek rested atop the floor of his room, reddening and aching. It appeared that he’d fallen face first to the floor while still asleep. Carefully, he rose out of his laying position, gripping one of the ropes loosely guarding the mattress. He dropped himself on the floor in a sitting position, then controlled his breath, one hand running around his torso in relief. [color=1E90FF]“Whew… Thank God, that really freaked me out!”[/color] Thankfully, it was all just a bad dream—or so it seemed? Contrary to what he wore in his dream, Terry sported a white tight-fitting t-shirt and navy blue sweatpants, his long hair unkempt and a pair of socks still worn over his feet. He still held the Neo Geo Pocket Color in another hand, the screen displaying [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/ab81f338c984.jpg]the ‘Game Over’ screen[/url] of Metal Slug 2[sup]nd[/sup] Mission he still kept running even after losing the game in his sleep. The sight prompted him to pout, frowning hilariously. [color=1E90FF]“Aww, man… What a bummer! I was so close to beating [url=https://metalslug.fandom.com/wiki/Kanan]Commander Kanan[/url]!”[/color] he grumbled, then turned off the handheld console, his puffing cheeks flushing comically. [color=1E90FF]“Whatever! This game sucks bricks!”[/color] Simultaneously, the exasperated Terry hurled his Neo Geo Pocket Color past the upper rope, its miniscule figure managing to land atop the mattress on its back. He crossed his arms together, still frowning and pouting as he checked the clock perching by the wall, realizing that it was barely morning. He hadn’t slept too well this entire night, after all, so he figured maybe it was time he headed back to his bed and forgot everything about the nightmare and the classic shooter game he just played beforehand. Yawning, Terry stood out of his sitting position, grabbing the middle rope with both hands. [color=1E90FF]“Yeah, right, screw you, Rugal! Screw you, Commander Kanan! Y’all better allow me to just go back to, uh… [b]huh!?[/b]”[/color] Suddenly, his wolf-like senses alarmed him, tingling by the back of his head. As he turned against his bed, Terry could feel something enormous was heading close to his room, about to bash the door open by force. He wished it was only a mere hunch, but… [b][i]BOOM![/i][/b] …a blast erupted, sending the door’s metal panel out of its hinges. Terry, already in his fighting stance, easily launched the panel forth with [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/nz3/character/terry/a/terry-cvs2-kick3.gif]a backspinning kick[/url], avoiding direct contact with it. The panel flew back towards his ambusher, torn in half upon contact with the latter’s bionic shoulder, finally revealing himself as one of the latter Jacks invading the area. Heavy strides drumming, the Jack unit continued to [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/806ecd8652a6.gif]charge his shoulder forth[/url], only stopping once Terry was near to deliver a swinging [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/4c5c784a53be.gif]Double Axe[/url] with his folding hands. The ambush caught the brawny blonde off guard, and before he could properly parry, it’d sent him flying through the wall behind, penetrating one neighboring room to another until the courtyard was reached. Craters were formed around the walls he’d flown through along his path, awaking and alerting the guests resting within. There were also a few guests still sparring at the courtyard, equally alerted by the abrupt arrival of the mechanical shenanigans. Upon landing, Terry reeled on his back, then halted himself in a kneeling position, wild golden strands dangling over his forehead. [b][i]WHOOSH…[/i][/b] A sound of roaring jets was heard lingering above his head, and as Terry lifted his partially hindered gaze, the enormous machine descended with his arms striking out, aiming to drop [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/7ee6b557d0e1.gif]a gigantic foot stomp[/url] onto his target. Thankfully, Terry had seen this coming beforehand, and so, he reeled to his side, letting the Jack unit’s metal boots collide with the ground beneath in a loud [b][i]thump![/i][/b] As swift as he could, Terry picked himself straight up, struggling to keep himself steady after the quake that the collision had transmitted. [color=1E90FF]“Yo, what the clankin’ fuck, dude??”[/color] he protested, gradually raising his fists. [color=1E90FF]“That’s sooo uncool! If you really wanna spar, just ask nicely like a normal person would, man… But I guess you shellheads dunno it any better, huh?”[/color] At Terry’s quippy complaint, the Jack unit frowned, his engines rumbling furiously. He stamped one of his bionic boots forth, then hurled a hook flail, followed by [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/a9f31a7a346c.gif]another[/url], in which the three-time KOF champion successfully tackled with his wrists. The moment the machine withdrew his fist, Terry didn’t wait further to deliver a [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/fb4716b1bd0f.gif]Hammer Punch[/url] to the cheek, his knuckles bashing his opponent’s iron cranium harshly. Both the brawny man and machine began exchanging flails and kicks afterwards, occasionally connecting their hard-hitting blows with one another. The exchange lasted a bit longer than either combatant expected, concluding only after Terry crouched beneath [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e27d75285dd9.gif]his thrusting elbow[/url] to execute [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/947b3c95ff19.gif]a flying, drilling, upside-down kick[/url] onto the Jack unit. [color=1E90FF][b]“RISING TACKLE!!”[/b][/color] He’d always made aware that—just like any of his Tekken fellows—the Jacks took a slightly grounded approach in combat, preferring physical blows over energy-based ones. With over-the-top techniques capable of closing the distance and defying gravity (in a cosmic sort of way), Terry was confident he had an advantage over his opponent to even the odds. While the drilling boot did connect, it didn’t, however, take long for the machine to recover from the ambush. Still in the air, he curled his enormous frame, reeled to the back briefly, then uncurled, activating the jets attached to his soles to keep himself floating. His landing was about as smooth as Terry was, the fire in his jets dimming once his boots touched the ground. Now standing across from each other, both combatants assumed their respective stances again, their fists equally swinging close to their temples. Intending to close the distance, Terry lunged in Jack’s direction, retracting [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3c499d85de06.jpg]his charging shoulder[/url] forth. Loudly, he shouted his battle cry. [color=1E90FF][b]“POWER CHARGE!!”[/b][/color] However, for the Jack unit, all he needed to do was stand still, waiting until Terry’s charging form was mere inches away from his position. When he was eventually reached, the machine ambushed him with [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3e70eb150acb.gif]his very own shoulder charge[/url], the collision erupting a spark of energy that slightly separated both combatants from one another. They both managed to maintain their upright stances, though before Terry could go ahead with a follow-up, the Jack unit had already bombarded him with a series of [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/022fedd66ff9.gif]Cossack Kicks[/url], his enormous arms crossing as he performed the dance-like assaults. The three-time KOF champion crouched in anticipation, utilizing both of his wrists to block the low kicks. [color=1E90FF]“Well, that’s a cute dance. Did [i]comrade[/i] Zangief teach you that?”[/color] Terry quipped, close to snickering at the amusing technique. The Jack unit, on the other hand, felt slightly insulted, mistaking the sarcastic compliment for his opponent scoffing the strength of his kicks. Opting for a different strategy, the machine [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/bc529c28ce29.gif]swung his arms around alternately like a grinding windmill[/url], a series of furious flails playing out. Thankfully for Terry, those attacks, too, had been anticipated. He instinctively stood out of his crouching position, leathery wrists still protecting his front, as he blocked each and every aggressive fist hurled upon him. [color=1E90FF]“Sorry, buddy, no offense, but about four or five of your kind know that exact move,”[/color] Terry quipped again, referring to the other, enormous Tekken contestants outside of the Jacks. [color=1E90FF]“It’s nothing special, really. But hey, don’t give up! Maybe someday, you’ll be more than just an industry plant made by [url=https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Jane ]some cute lady[/url]!”[/color] The Jack unit’s iron face remained ever-so-flat, though a slight hint of frown above his glowing eyes betrayed his expression. His Windmill Punches became even stiffer, creating sparks of energy each time they grazed against Terry’s calloused skin. Eventually, after moments of struggle, the machine managed to penetrate his opponent’s defense with [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/53601e3054b2.gif]a Megaton Strike[/url], hurling a left fist and an explosive right. The latter flail, unfortunately, forced Terry to lower his pained wrists, close to cornering him to the other end of the courtyard. To further corner him, the Jack unit fired [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/a8ca11fb8f24.gif]a blast[/url] out of his knuckles, a trail of smoke briefly forming around his iron fist. [color=1E90FF][b]“Gwahhh—!!!”[/b][/color] [b][i]CLANK![/i][/b] The blast sent Terry colliding with a nearby ringpost on his back, prompting him to bounce forth then lay face first atop the ground. Seeing the former KOF champion’s laying form, the Jack unit ceremoniously pounded his chest, believing that one target had been neutralized. Little did he know, one of the practicing guests had been standing right behind him amidst the chaos. “Hey, clanka!” [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/alex-3s.jpg]a younger blonde man with striking facepaints[/url] called, sporting a verdant overall and a crimson headband. He poked the Jack unit’s shoulder with his finger, eliciting the latter to give him a glance. “Catch!” In one of his verdant gloved hands, the New York made wrestler gripped a steel chair, tossing the weapon towards the Russia made machine. Once the puzzled Jack unit caught the chair by its solid frames, the wrestler surprised him with a spinning back kick, his extending brown boot riding the chair further towards his opponent’s face. Both the shoving boot and the steely collision managed to push the Jack unit a couple of feet back, allowing Terry to ride his knee along his opponent’s solid front upon contact. He sent the gigantic machine back towards the towering yet shorter wrestler, watching as the latter bombarded the former with a series of [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/alex-qcfp.gif]backhand chops[/url]. [b]“FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!!”[/b] With every chop, the Jack unit was pushed gradually to the back, the yellowish, energy outlines successfully slicing his metal torso. Miniscule electric sparks began to emerge, wires partly leaking by the slicing wounds. Like a volleyball, the Jack unit was smashed with the wrestler’s [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/alex-dashelbow.gif]lunging elbow[/url], launching back in the direction of the more seasoned bruiser who greeted him with a… [color=1E90FF][b]“ROUND WAVE!![/b][/color] When his opponent reached mid-air, Terry flailed the ground, creating [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/c2045adee873.jpg]a bigger, wider shockwave[/url] to trap the machine and send him bouncing back towards the upstart wrestler for one final ass-whooping. [b]“You can’t escape!”[/b] A crackling, purplish light briefly flickered around the wrestler’s upright form, as he spread his open hands forth and caught the machine’s hurling frame with both of his arms, executing [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/news2022/char3/alex-3rd-strike-hyper-bomb-animation.gif]his iconic super move[/url]. He began with a series of German Suplexes, then leaped highly to slam the Jack unit with a much exaggerated Power Bomb, the harsh impact sending his opponent bouncing and launching several feet back. [b]“HYPER… BOMB!!!”[/b] As if the machine wasn’t damaged enough, Terry turned against his opponent to ready himself to execute [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/news2024/char2/terry-bogard-kof-maximum-impact-buster-wolf-animation-ps2.gif]the super move of his own[/url], striking a similarly exaggerated pose with one hand raising overhead and the other clenching close to his hip. A light ignited around his fist, his [b][color=lightgreen]one and only gauge stock[/color][/b] activated. [color=1E90FF][b]“Are you okay??”[/b][/color] The bruiser’s dashing form was a blur of white, yellow, and blue, as he halted the descending machine with a wild, energy-laced haymaker. The fist instantly connected, grazing against his torso. Although initially delayed, Terry managed to deliver a follow-up in the form of an energy explosion, his extending knuckles firing at the brutally damaged Jack unit. [color=1E90FF][b]“BUSTER WOLF!!!”[/b][/color] [b][i]KA–POW![/i][/b] [b][i]BOOM![/i][/b] Finally, the Jack unit was obliterated, his shattered pieces hurling and scattering wildly around the courtyard before he could even detonate himself. His decapitated head fell right between the tips of Terry’s and the other blonde’s feet, his eyes gleaming red for a split second before blacking out in peace. Sighing, the three-time KOF champion tightened a pair of imaginary biker gloves, then pointed a finger gun at the perching iron head below him, theatrically and ceremoniously. Simultaneously, the erstwhile World Warrior champion rolled his arm, then snatched his crimson headband by force, letting his wavy bangs dangle over his bare forehead. [color=1E90FF][b]“Stand up!”[/b][/color] [b]“Weak…”[/b] The simultaneous celebrations were amusing to look at amidst the chaos that unfolded. After taking down a Jack unit together, Terry offered the fellow blonde his knuckles, offering a celebratory fist bump. [color=1E90FF]“Nice move, kid! That was unlike anything I’ve ever seen from a grappler before,”[/color] he complimented with a genuine smile. [color=1E90FF]“You and I are gonna make for a great KOF team together. Well, that, if you consider joining us in the future, though.”[/color] The wrestler snickered, flattered, his knuckles finally colliding with Terry’s. “Nah, man, that was nothing. I was just practicing a bit.” [color=1E90FF]“You sure? I mean, it’s anythin’ but ass, that’s for real,”[/color] Terry reassured, withdrawing his bare knuckles after they hit the wrestler’s gloved ones. [color=1E90FF]“But anyway, I’ve heard a bit about you. You’re Alex, right? That rasslin’ champ from Manhattan?”[/color] The wrestler nodded, confirming Terry’s guess. “Yeah, that’s me. And you hafta be that Terry Bogard fella, aren’t you? Everyone’s favorite Legendary Wolf from South Town?” Grinning, Terry nodded, then shook his head lightly. [color=1E90FF]“Nah, not really. Kinda,”[/color] he answered Alex’s latter question, partly downplaying what he was. [color=1E90FF]“But yeah, you guessed it. I am that Terry Bogard dude. And sorry if I interrupted your lil’ sparring section a while back.”[/color] “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t think anybody here is… interrupted?” When Alex looked around him and beyond, he came to realize that he and Terry weren’t the only guests battling a Jack unit. Several of the practicing fighters at the courtyard had been occupied by the same battle-hardened machines. Most were fellow wrestlers, and Alex recognized each and everyone of them a bit too well. Inside a squared circle across from them was [url=https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/King_II?so=search]a tiger-themed luchador[/url] performing a double-team maneuver on a Gun Jack alongside [url=https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Jaycee]a pink-clad luchadora[/url], while outside of the ring, [url=https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Cody]a blonde, handcuffed non-wrestler[/url] who seemed like [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/nx2/char/sfxtk/cody-sfxtekken-artwork.jpg]he’d just broken out of prison[/url]. As for Alex’s sparring partner, [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/%C3%81ngel]a silver-haired [i]angel[/i][/url], she smacked a Jack-8 with what seemed to be the most electrifying move in all of wrestling: [s]The People’s Elbow[/s] [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/angel-peopleselbow.gif]Survivor’s Banquet![/url] “Jesus! Where did all these clankas come from??” Alex asked, his eyes widening at the chaotic sight. [color=1E90FF]“My guess?”[/color] Terry asked back, narrowing his eyes at each and every Jack unit combating the practicing wrestlers like it was a rumble match. [color=1E90FF]“Sounds like some guy back at G-Corp is pissed off by one of us. Oh, wait!”[/color] And that reminded him of what Nadia had claimed to be doing back at the lobby, his face dropping in concern. Apparently, she [b]did[/b] steal something from Kazuya, as much as she refused to admit. “Well, that doesn’t sound so good. It’s that Mishima loozah all over again, ain’t it?” Alex guessed, frowning and hardening the hand that held the headband, already figuring out the possible culprit behind the riot. “I ain’t a Tekken guy, sure, but I never liked those satans. They did worse than [url=https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Gill]Gill[/url], and I despise ’em for that!” [color=1E90FF]“Gill? Well, that’s a whole other level of conspiracy, alright?”[/color] Terry chimed in. [color=1E90FF]“But hey, I don’t think we should keep yappin’ at each other. We better—”[/color] [b][i]BZZ![/i][/b] [b][i]BZZ![/i][/b] About time, his linkpearl rang, disrupting the conversation. Terry tapped its protruding surface, his finger finally getting used to how the golden earpiece functioned. Upon receiving the call, he was greeted by the voices of Pit and Zenkichi, reporting their situations. He figured he wanted to do the same after Pit asked his fellow Seekers about what they were up to. [color=1E90FF]“Hey, Pit! Hey, Zen! Hey, everyone! Yeah, it’s me, Terry. Can you guys hear me? Is everybody okay? Things have been messy out here at the courtyard, but ’least me and a fellow fighter got to tackle one of the Jacks invading this side of the Flats,”[/color] Terry reported, pointing a thumb at Alex as if his fellow Seekers could see him. The towering wrestler raised his brow, confused for a moment. [color=1E90FF]“Yeah, yeah, totally! Zen’s right. We oughta evacuate everybody and get the hell outta here ASAP. Where you guys at again? The lobby? Bingo. I’ll see y’all there in a minute. But first—”[/color] [h3][b][i]KRA–KOOM![/i][/b][/h3] Terry jerked his shoulders, hands drawn over his face as he became too surprised to complete his words when a detonating noise reached out to his ear. Considering the Mecha-Zangief’s comical “Customer, look!” caution, he could tell that it was coming from the lobby far ahead of his current position. A massive quake was triggered, and the ground trembled, the sensation crawling across the partly destroyed building. [color=1E90FF]“Oh, no…”[/color] When the impact reached the courtyard, both Terry and Alex struggled to keep their upright states steady, every scuffle surrounding them halting in unison. By the time the quake slowed down a little, both blondes exchanged glances, knowingly nodding at each other. [color=1E90FF]“Yeah, right…”[/color] “Definitely…” [color=1E90FF]“Definitely? What do you mean [b]‘definitely’[/b]?? We gotta leave this place [b]now![/b]”[/color] Reflexively, Terry darted his sky-blue eyes towards the other rowdy guests, shouting and trying as best as he could to alert them with a motioning hand. [color=1E90FF][b]“Everybody, quit fightin’ and run for your lives! The building’s crumbling!”[/b][/color] As expected, aside from Alex, only a few of them genuinely listened to Terry’s warning and followed him, considering their gleaming conditions. Abandoning the courtyard, the three-time KOF champion hurried towards the lobby, leading the erstwhile World Warrior champion and a group of wrestlers leaving with them. Their path wasn’t without hurdles, as they had to combat the latter wave of Jack units hampering them from going forward. His linkpearl was still activated, though, so he could continue talking with the other Seekers. [color=1E90FF]“Guys, it’s Terry again. I’m on my way. Just hang in there, alright? We’ll get outta the Flats alive. Seekers or no Seekers, nobody’s staying!”[/color] he informed the Seekers before musing: [color=1E90FF][i]I told you guys.[/i][/color] [b]FIN.[/b]