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[h3][color=1E90FF][u][b]Level 10 Terry Bogard[/b][/u][/color][/h3][color=lightgray][sub](Feat. [@Lugubrious] as Victor Chevalier)[/sub][/color]

[sub][color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 43/100 (+3)
[color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Winecup Hold, Esaka’s Mid Tier
[color=1E90FF][b]Time :[/b][/color] Thursday Afternoon
[color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 2,074[/sub]

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[color=1E90FF]“So yeah, that’s how Sol and I met. Eventually, though, we became friends and rivals and all that. They said Sol could’ve been the next me, but really, I feel like he might just be a level ahead. He’s almost up there with Ryu, Jin, and… Kyo, I guess?”[/color]

At this point, Terry didn’t know exactly how long he’d been yapping about Sol and the other Guilty Gear guys he’d heard and known of, as he made his way to his next destination alongside the other Seekers. He was getting so carried away with the conversation he didn’t quite pay attention to his surroundings while he strolled. Thankfully, his astonishing reflexes had been preventing him from bumping across other pedestrians by accident. Aside from Sol and the Guilty Gear Dojo, Terry also took his time to introduce his ‘bestest friend in the world’ in front of his fellows. 

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, and by the way, I’m pretty sure I haven’t told this to you guys, other than Cap and Ammy,”[/color] Terry initiated, gestured at the ever-energetic monkey on his shoulder, then added: [color=1E90FF]“Guys, this is Ukee. Ukee, say ‘hi’ to my new friends!”[/color]

Of course, Ukee couldn’t talk, let alone saying ‘hi.’ The best that the little monkey could do was screeching adorably and giving the other Seekers a big, friendly wave. The sight of Ukee going bananas was so amusing to look at that Terry began to cackle.

[color=1E90FF]“Ha ha… Okay! Looks like my boy loves y’all, amirite, Ukee? Hm?”[/color]

Before Terry could receive a screech of approval from his bestest friend, his attention immediately drifted towards their supposed gathering spot. It was the Winecup Hold, a winery that was built and decorated almost like a palace. Just glancing around the winery’s exterior kind of reminded him of the [url=https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Stroheim_Castle]Stroheim Castle[/url] where he defended his King of Fighters title against Krauser in his previous life. 

As the portcullis slid open, revealing the Winecup Hold’s luxurious interior, the king of fighters quickly spotted a number of familiar faces upon striding in. Of course, Yayama was one of them since she was an early bird, but then came a few other Seekers not present in the prior rendezvous. He, too, could feel that something was odd when Zenkichi hadn’t been around since the prior rendezvous. It wasn’t like him to overlook a meeting as important as this, he thought, considering he was one of the most reliable and responsive figures within their inner circle. Hopefully, he was wrong, and that this was only another one of those bad hunches he’d been suffering from lately.

[color=1E90FF]“Alright, so, what do we have here?”[/color]

Terry was—and always had been—quick to bottle up his feelings and put aside his concern, putting up the usual smiling facade just as fast. Still, he might need to bring up Zenkichi’s mysterious absence in front of the crew some time later.

With vigilant eyes, the king of fighters scanned his surroundings one more time, wanting to get a better look at the courtyard as well as all the UN representatives present to keep the Seekers company. So far, no signs of Sol showing up. Instead, there was only Anji from the Guilty Gear Dojo introducing himself and welcoming them to the winery. He could only guess that the Badguy was either no longer with the organization or that he never developed weapons for them to begin with. However, he knew at least half of their representatives since they were also fellow KOF contestants. When Darli gave the Seekers a big wave, Terry and the monkey on his shoulder were the first to return her wave with one of their own, their smiles spreading from ear to ear.

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, hi!”[/color] he greeted before also glancing at Dolores who’d been toying with her glasses. [color=1E90FF]“I didn’t know you ladies were here, too.”[/color]

Frankly, between both queens of fighters, the blonde bruiser might’ve been more familiar with Dolores than he was Darli. After all, they used to [url=https://youtu.be/GiA0Mrp60Yc?si=uDY0MNMozjbeIYX9]talk about raising their respective surrogate children[/url] some time after the fifteenth tournament, with the blonde taking a tip or two from the soil-bending shaman. In addition, she used to be affiliated with the Ikari Warriors (now Ikari Forces) at one point, which led Terry to assume that this entire organization—as grand as it sounded—wasn’t the same UN that he’d always known, but instead, another faction of the Heidern-led military forces.

[color=1E90FF]“Alright, lemme guess… Did Commander Heidern send you guys here?”[/color] Terry asked (more towards Chevalier than he did the other representatives), gesturing forth with his free hand. [color=1E90FF]“Man… I thought you Ikari Warriors already had K’ and his fellas to deal with stuff like this.”[/color] Then, a sarcastic giggle. Certainly, he couldn’t ever say no to aiding a peace-keeping organization in their cause, but he also realized that the chances of Ikari Forces requesting an average Joe like him to collaborate with them had always been so slim back then, especially when they tended to rely on other KOF guys more aligned with their goals. But he was a Seeker now, so surely, he might’ve attracted their attention already.

Chevalier almost imperceptibly raised an eyebrow at Terry, his expression stony. "No affiliation." 

And just those two matter-of-factly words were enough to prove Terry’s theory wrong. [color=1E90FF]“Ah… I believe you. Of course, you’re not one of them,”[/color] he said with a louder voice, snickered more genuinely, then shook his head. What Chevalier said made sense to him. [color=1E90FF]“Oh, silly me! What are the chances of the Ikari Warriors contacting us, anyway? They already have their own units.”[/color]

As he took a seat on the iron chair and dropped his duffle bag close to his feet, Terry continued to pay attention to each and every word spoken out of the mouth of the French-speaking UN leader, surprisingly understanding everything that he said despite the language barrier. Ukee, too, had been listening to Chevalier attentively, curious eyes ahead and small hands playing with the red fabric of his human friend’s jacket. While the king of fighters found that the UN leader’s pitched plan might be more effective than their prior collective plan, he didn’t think he could wholly agree with the notion of turning Azucena and Chloe into their primary targets when the two of them only used their connections with the G-Corp to either promote a coffee brand or launch a career as an idol. He believed there were far more people within the company that they needed to worry about more, most notably the bloodthirsty rascals who were actually involved in all the heinous acts that the company had done over the years.

[color=1E90FF]“Well, those are fine plans, Vic, but I don’t think we should just worry about those two, especially when you’re looking to strip Kaz of his support system. It’s right that we could use Azucena and Chloe to send a message to their boss, but I’m sure you also know that these girls barely—if not, never—have anything to do with their actual schemes. Because, from what I learned, they’re only there to use the Corp as a stepping stone to either launch a business or a career, and the saddest part is, they sold out and let themselves be manipulated to partake in the Corp’s [i]sportswashin’[/i] practice,”[/color] Terry remarked rather wistfully before adding: [color=1E90FF]“I guess this is why many of us fancied the idea of attacking their base. It feels like we also need to target the actual peeps involved in the Corp’s nasty deeds, don’t you think? And we’re talking about literal psychos like Bryan, Sergei, the Williams sisters, and the researchers involved in both the human and animal experimentations. Don’t you feel like we gotta do something about them, too?”[/color]

There was a clear accentuation in his voice when Terry asked Chevalier so. He could feel his bright blue eyes glimmering with determination, as he recalled everything that he learned from both Mary many years ago and from the Koopalings this afternoon. It never sat right with him when Esaka’s resident evil-doers could get away with just about anything by abusing their wealth and fame. Once upon a time, he thought that he’d gone insane thinking that something was off about how the city was run, and now that he’d met the Seekers and eventually the UN, he was no longer alone. Or so, he thought? Even when he knew that half of the UN could be trusted, remaining vigilant was still a must, given that their offer sounded a little too good to be true.

"You make many assumptions, Bogard," Chevalier remarked, his hands calmly clasped in his lap. "Wouldn't it be nice if things were that easy, but alas. The 'base' you refer to is just an office building. The enemy is not so complacent or foolish as to have their top personnel and military secrets just sitting around within arm's reach, waiting for Esaka's fighters to stroll in. The few who have, driven by Heihachi's bounty, have met an explosive end." He narrowed his eyes. "In other words, that building is a trap. The targets you mentioned are either in tournament, and protected by the Heavenly Principles, or hidden elsewhere. To stop them, we must force them to reveal themselves." The gentleman shrugged. "But if seeing is believing for you, by all means."

Then, a pause. A moment of silence. Arms atop the table, Terry glanced down pensively, his determined blue eyes meeting the table’s metallic surface. Oftentimes, he could be seen curling and unfurling his fingers every few seconds, all while considering the words of advice given to him by Chevalier. Perhaps, there was some truth to what he said. Kazuya couldn’t have been that stupid nor was he reckless enough to let his office wide open for his foes to attack. The dastardly son of Heihachi Mishima was cold and calculating—part of the reason why he was feared by those beneath him. Though, also, given what Chevalier suggested, there might still be a possibility that they would aim at the murderous rascals he suggested they should look after in their efforts, and not just the Corp’s so-called mascots.

[color=1E90FF]“Hmm… I see now. Alright. I guess I get now why you suggested we should go after Azucena and Chloe. Now that I think about it, we might as well use ’em to bait the other, more dangerous targets to leave their hiding spots. Once they fall for the bait, then we can beat ’em up and get rid of ’em, stripping Kaz of his champs altogether, is that it?”[/color] Terry confirmed before adding: [color=1E90FF]“Just my two cents, but if those are the plans we agree to go by, I guess it’s even easier now to divide us into groups, don’t you think? The guys who didn’t sign up for a tourney can join Team A, while the rest—the guys who did sign up and are scheduled to compete in tourneys—can stay in Esaka and join either Team B or C. And since I’d already signed up for a tourney, then… you know my choice. I think I can keep an eye on Azucena. I know somebody who might know her.”[/color]

Staying in Esaka might’ve been the most logical option for him. After all, the king of fighters still had a tournament to attend with his partners. While he never cared about winning or losing, he felt that he needed this victory more than ever—not because he had to win a fourth championship, but because there were lives to be saved. He had to know what was hiding behind Rugal’s tower. He needed to make sure that his friends, brother, and surrogate son were all still in one piece. And while only a minor driving factor, he needed to prove his doubters wrong about him being just another Ken from Temu. That he was more than just a fool’s bet and a fallen star with a dwindling fanbase. That he wasn’t just second fiddle to Kyo, Iori, or any skinny edgelords attending the same competition whom the hardcore KOF viewers blindly endorsed as the ‘face of KOF.’

On top of that, Terry knew a few people within the city that he could rely on aside from his fellow Seekers. Richard, for one, might know a thing or two about Azucena since he was running a café business. Who knows if the two even partnered up, too? It wasn’t to mention that he had Mai and her Shiranui network to aid him in his investigation. If only Mary was here, too…

[color=1E90FF]“So, whaddaya guys say?”[/color]

[b]FIN.[/b]