Bubble Gum Fury

Disclaimer: Fatal Fury and Bubble Gum Crisis are not mine but I 
will accept any large cash donations.

< >: Thoughts

In an age of scientific marvels, the human body is still the world's 
most dangerous machine. TM

Chapter 6
Part 2
The Rematch

"So, Krauser has rebelled has he?" Geese said as he sat at the desk 
that had been formally Quincy's. "I thought as much."

"You knew that Krauser would turn against Quincy?" Billy asked 
with a bit of apprehension.

"But of course." Geese replied with a very smug look. "Everything 
is going to my ultimate plan."

"But... what's to stop him from turning on us?" The fighter from 
England asked. "I mean, isn't he even more powerful as a Boomer 
than he was when he last fought Terry Bogard? I mean, even you 
couldn't defeat him and..." Billy became silent when the King of 
South Town and new head of Genom glared at him. He bowed his 
head and quietly said to him, "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to..." 

Quincy's frown turned up into a smirk as he chuckled evilly. "Heh, 
heh, heh. You're quite right, Billy. Krauser is ten times stronger 
than he was during his last bout with Jeff Bogard's son. His body 
has been reconstructed with the strongest alloys and most advanced 
systems this company had to offer. His fighting ability is far beyond 
what he possessed at the peak of his former life. He is totally devoid 
of any human frailties and just about all emotions. He is in essence, 
the perfect weapon."

"If that's the case, then why... if I may speak freely?"

"You may."

Billy took a deep breath. "Then why aren't you the least bit worried? 
Aren't you concerned that he might come after you? As I recall, you 
and Krauser didn't get along very well and..."

Geese held up a hand. "Oh, I know he won't be going after me or 
anyone else except for one person. His primary programming is to 
kill Terry Bogard and I KNOW that he will follow that directive 
above all others. In fact, I am COUNTING on it."

"But sir!"

"All will be revealed in due time, Billy. But for now, let us watch 
the fun!"

Geese Howard then flipped a hidden switch that made an overhead 
monitor lower from the ceiling. The screen lit up and began 
displaying images.

At the top of Genom Tower...

"Priscilla S. Asagiri. Age twenty-one. Part-time singer for various 
night clubs and leader of the Replicants band. Alter ego as one of 
the Knight Sabers."

Priss winced as Krauser Boomer read her data file from a nearby 
computer. She figured that her identity as a Knight Saber was 
compromised once her face was crossmatched with police files and 
such. However, she could do nothing as she was held prisoner in 
that electrified cage. She became pale as the monster Krauser 
brought up an image of Sylia Stingray and then turned to her.

"Now, do you think that Terry Bogard would accept my invitation to 
come here if I were to send the message to Sylia Stingray? She is, 
after all, the leader of the Knight Sabers."

Priss tried to show her tough-girl attitude, but inside she was 
shocked to hear that Krauser had deduced Sylia's secret identity. 
"What are you talking about? You god-damned Boomer!"

"My, my. Such language." Krauser remarked in that same, calm, yet 
mocking tone. "In any case, don't bother denying it. I can see it in 
your eyes that my conclusions were correct." He turned his back to 
her without bothering to gauge Priss' reactions. "It was a simple 
matter of deduction, especially for my highly advanced logic 
circuits. I had studied the technology of your Hardsuits and by 
researching data stored in Genom's private files, I came up with the 
name of the man who would have the capacity to create such highly 
advanced battle armor. Amazingly enough, he was also one of the 
founding creators of Boomer technology; Katsuhito Stingray. I also 
learned that Genom had him... removed from the equation, and the 
only other person who would have access to his research was of 
course his children, Sylia and Mackie Stingray. Stingray had also 
left his children with a considerable fortune, more than enough to 
set up the Knight Sabers and have working prototypes of the 
Hardsuits made. However, though the inheritance was sizable, it 
was not unlimited, which ties in with the Knight Sabers taking 
mercenary work. Minimum fee, twenty million yen per job. After 
interfacing with a few other networks and pushing through various 
false fronts and such, I had gained access to lists of material and 
equipment that Sylia had purchased in the last few years since the 
appearance of the Knight Sabers. The items she had purchased, 
matched to what weaponry and repair materials that the Knight 
Sabers would have required. After each time the Knight Sabers had 
suffered damage or had their Hardsuits upgraded, I simply checked 
the lists for components and parts that the Knight Sabers would 
have needed. In every case, the dates match almost to the day."

Priss swallowed hard as she realized that Krauser had irrefutable 
proof that Sylia was responsible for the Knight Sabers. 

The Krauser Boomer however, gave Priss a cold look and replied as 
he tapped a message on a nearby console, then sent it along the 
connecting line. "I am NOT interested about the secrets of the 
Knight Sabers. My only concern is Terry Bogard."

"Terry? Why do you want Terry?" Priss asked in confusion. "What's 
so special about him?"

The KB-1000 paused for a long time before answering. "Because... 
he may be the only one who can fulfill my greatest wish."

"What?!" Priss was confused. She had faced off against strange 
Boomers before, but the Krauser Boomer wasn't making any sense!

Krauser looked at Priss' bewilderment and then nodded. "Perhaps, it 
is best that I show you why Terry is so.. special." He activated a 
nearby console, which began depicting images from his memories 
of his encounters with the Lone Wolf. The short-tempered brunette's 
eyes widened as she saw the past of Terry Bogard.

At Dr. Raven's Garage...

"So what do we do?" Linna asked as she, Mackie, Dr. Raven, the 
other Knight Sabers and Terry crowded around the conference 
table. 

"Well, it's obvious that we have to rescue Priss!" Nene exclaimed. "I 
say we attack Genom and..."

"And how, may I ask do we do that?" Sylia interjected. "That 
Krauser Boomer had reduced our upgraded Hardsuits into 
recyclable junk and almost did the same to us! Our weapons had 
little to no effect against that monster! Besides, it's possible that 
Genom now knows of our secret identities and they may be 
planning to attack us. Maybe at this very location."

"I don't think so." Terry commented.

"What do you mean?" Sylia asked.

"Well, you said it yourself that Krauser was only interested in 
finding me, right? He wasn't the least bit concerned about you or 
bringing in the Hardsuits for Genom. I mean, there's nothing left of 
those suits for Genom to try and duplicate, isn't that right?"

"I'll say!" Linna affirmed. "Our Hardsuits are just lumps of melted 
metal, plastic and burned out circuitry. They're only good to be 
oversized paperweights now!"

"So what if we don't have our Hardsuits!" Nene exclaimed. "We've 
been in worse situations! I say we pack as much firepower as we can 
into the truck and hit Genom..."

"You're not thinking Nene!" Sylia scolded. "If our Hardsuits at full 
capacity couldn't do more than scratch Krauser, then what makes 
you think that conventional weapons will do any better? Besides, 
we'd have to fight our way through Genom to GET to Krauser, and 
then what? We'd be putting not only Priss' life in danger but our 
own lives as well! What you're suggesting is nothing more than a 
suicide mission!"

"So what do you suggest? That we just leave Priss and do nothing?"

"At the moment, we can't do anything Nene." Linna interrupted. 
"Our Hardsuits were trashed and we don't even know if Priss IS at 
Genom!"

Sylia nodded. "Linna is right. Our capabilities are limited without 
the Hardsuits and we have no idea if Priss had been taken been 
taken to Genom or someplace else. At the moment, we are stuck."

Terry shook his head and said, "This is my fault. If you hadn't have 
taken me in, then this would have never happened."

Sylia held up a hand and disagreed. "No, this wasn't anyone's fault. 
You couldn't have known that something like this would have 
happened and we certainly didn't expect any of this. You were in 
the wrong place at the wrong time and things just went on from 
there. What we need to do now is try and figure out our next move."

"What about the old suits? Couldn't we upgrade them?" Mackie 
asked.

Sylia shook her head. "No, they would be useless against Krauser 
and it would take at least three days to refit them. We need 
another..."

It was at that moment that the computer console behind them lit up 
and they all turned around to see a message flash across the screen.

"What is it?" Linna asked as Nene approached the console and sat 
down in front of the monitor. 

The red-haired officer of the AD police began typing a few 
commands and then replied, "It's some kind of coded message that 
was sent to Sylia's penthouse."

The leader of the Knight Sabers nodded. "Yes, I had my answering 
machine programmed to reroute any messages to this location if I 
wasn't present. The line is on a scrambler frequency to keep anyone 
from tracking it. What does it say?"

"Hold on a minute. " Nene replied as she continued to decoded the 
message. "It's addressed to... Terry Bogard?" She turned around to 
look back at the Lone Wolf as he quickly stepped up to read the 
message.

Terry's expression became hardened as he read the message out 
loud. "Meet me at the Genom Tower, subsection 5, level 23 at 7:00 
am tomorrow. Come alone or the secrets of Sylia Stingray will be 
revealed to Genom and the public. Miss Priscilla S. Asagiri is 
waiting for you. It is time we settled things, once for all. Signed... 
the former Earl of Stroheim... Wolfgang Krauser." Terry clenched 
his fist and pounded it against the console as the monitor went dark.

"He knows..." Linna gasped.

Terry became silent as he considered his options, limited as they 
were. He then turned to leave.

"Terry! Wait!" Sylia called to him. Terry stopped and then looked 
over his shoulder at her. "You're not thinking of accepting Krauser's 
challenge, are you?"

"What other way is there to save Priss and keep Krauser from 
telling Genom about your secrets?" Terry said. "I KNOW that 
Krauser will carry out his threat if I don't meet with him tomorrow. 
It's as simple as that. For now, I have to prepare. It's times like this 
that I really wish Andy, Joe and Mai were here."

Without another word, the Lone Wolf exited the room.

Back at the Genom Tower...

"What do you know... I have been defeatedI do not regret I 
have not felt so satisfied in over ten years... Such a pity that the 
Earl of Stroheim may not live with such disgrace... Farewell 
Terry."

"Krauser!"

Priss was dumbfounded as the images faded away on the monitor. 
The last images were of Krauser committing suicide by backing off 
a cliff and dropping into the lake below Stroheim Castle. She could 
scarcely believe what the Krauser Boomer had shown her. Terry 
was really THAT powerful? He had sustained injuries that would 
have killed a normal person a hundred times over! She looked up in 
awe at her captor, who smiled a bit.

"Of course, I have sensed that Terry has grown enormously both 
skill and power since we last met. Then again, so have I. I have a 
feeling that tomorrow will be special. I can hardly wait."

Without another word, the former head of the Stroheim family 
turned and then departed, leaving Priss alone with her thoughts. 

In Quincy's office...

"So as I thought. Krauser wants a rematch, does he?" Geese 
remarked after reading the data that was being transmitted by the 
implant in Krauser's head. "Well then, we'd best make certain that 
NO ONE interferes, right Billy?" He glanced to his right-hand man, 
who nodded as he went to carry out his master's unspoken 
command.

The next day...

Sylia and the other Knight Sabers tried to find Terry and convince 
him not to go alone to meet Krauser's challenge. However, to their 
dismay, Terry had departed early during the night and they were 
left with a decision to make. There was no way of stopping Terry 
from going to fight Krauser, but they did know where Priss was 
being held. Though the chance of successfully rescuing her were 
slim, the leader of the armored vigilantes decided to take that risk 
and ordered Nene and Linna to suit up in their old armor. She also 
told Mackie load up the truck with as much weaponry and hardware 
as he could, including their Motoslaves. Sylia also called up a 
blueprint of the Genom Tower and assessed the best way of entry 
without detection. This would be a surgical strike and give as much 
cover to Terry as they possibly could. In under an hour, the Knight 
Sabers were on their way.

Riding down the highway, Terry was feeling somewhat nostalgic as 
he rode a duplicate of his old motorcycle down the highway toward 
Genom Tower. During his stay at Dr. Raven's, the good mechanic 
had decided to repay Terry for all his help by creating a copy of his 
old, 20th century bike, complete with sidecar. Though he did look 
out of place in this high-tech future world, riding his old motorcycle 
gave Terry a senses of security as he approached the Genom Tower.

<I'll save you Priss! I swear I will! >

Near the top of the tower, Krauser smiled as he watched the monitor 
and saw Terry approach. Terry looked exactly as he remembered 
when they last battled. He had the same red, sleeveless jacket, blue 
jeans and sneakers. His gloved hands gripped the handlebars and 
his long blond hair flapped behind him. The metal plate on the 
front of his baseball cap flashed in the morning sun as he came to a 
stop in front of the building. Krauser then flipped a switch which 
automatically opened the front door. Terry got off his bike and then 
came to the front. It was then that he stopped as Krauser flipped 
another switch.

On ground level, Terry looked up to the top of the tower, but kept 
his calm as he started walking toward the front door. He noted that 
no one was around and assumed that Krauser had cleared the 
building of all its employees. It was then that he began hearing 
some music being played from speakers in the walls and ceilings 
and frowned as he recognized the melody. It was the exact same 
organ music that Krauser had played during their last bout.

"Krauser! I know you can hear me! Let me tell you something! 
You've got a very SICK sense of humor!" Terry shouted as he went 
toward an elevator that was blinking its indicator lights at him. 
Terry paused before it before entering it and pushed the button to 
level 23.

Outside of the tower, the Knight Sabers were about to start their 
own entry into the tower, when Mackie suddenly received a 
message on the truck's monitor. The image depicted that of Krauser 
as he addressed the knight Sabers.

"If you are planning to rescue your comrade or interfere with my 
business with Terry Bogard, then you would be signing Miss 
Asagiri's death warrant. Observe." The images then switched to 
show Priss, still in her cage. The cage was now suspended thirty 
feet above the floor of the huge room and had something attached to 
its bottom. "My captive's cell is directly wired to several highly 
explosive devices that will detonate the moment that any of you set 
foot inside the tower. The disarming signaling device is contained 
within me and will only activate if Terry is able to defeat me. You 
are welcome to watch our battle but I warn you that I will allow for 
NO interference. And if you do not believe me, then you will be 
held responsible for Asagiri's demise. You may find some comfort 
that unlike my half-brother, I do NOT cheat."

The monitor of the Silky Wagon then began depicting Terry as he 
exited the elevator and made his way toward the place where 
Krauser held Priss. Sylia gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Nene! Is there any way you can somehow override the detonation 
devices of those bombs underneath Priss' cage?"

Nene shook her head as she tried to access the Genom Tower's 
computer network. "No good! The entire tower is projecting an 
interference barrier that's blocking all my attempts to access it! All 
the lines have more than a dozen new security locks each and even 
if I still had my other Hardsuit and could get through that barrier, it 
would take me more than an hour to crack the codes of each lock! 
I'm afraid that... our only hope is Terry."

The three remaining Knight Sabers could only helplessly watch as 
the Lone Wolf entered subsection 5 on level 23.

Terry became more tense as he passed through the front door where 
Krauser was waiting for him. He stopped as he gazed upon the 
rebuilt form of his old adversary, whose back was turned to him as 
the organ music continued to play. Krauser didn't seem to have 
noticed Terry's arrival as he continued to look out a window which 
overlooked Mega-Tokyo, but the Lone Wolf knew that the Boomer 
was aware of his presence. Terry could feel the familiar power from 
the former Earl of Stroheim and a chill went down his spine as he 
remembered the last time they met. However, he had controlled his 
fear of him a long time ago, as he waited for him to face him.

"Terry!"

Andy Bogard's brother looked up to the sound of Priss' voice and 
saw her suspended above in a cage.

"Priss? Are you all right?"

Priss nodded. "I'm fine, but.... please don't worry about me! Get 
out of here while you can! Krauser's a lot more powerful than he 
was when you last faced him! I... don't want to see you get killed! 
Please... just go!"

Terry shook his head as he looked back at Krauser while still 
addressing Priss. "Can't do that Priss. I accepted his challenge and 
I've long since conquered my fear of him. It'll be all right... I 
promise. " He then addressed Krauser directly. "Krauser! I'm here! 
Let her go! This is between the two of us!"

It was at that time that the organ music suddenly stopped and the 
room was bathed in silence. It was then that Krauser turned around 
and gazed back at Terry. "Indeed. You are quite right. She has 
served her purpose in bringing you here, though I knew you would 
come. However, she still must remain here as insurance to keep the 
other Knight Sabers from interfering. As of now, they are waiting 
outside and watching us through their monitors. However, should 
they try to enter this tower, their comrade will die instantly."

"What?" Terry cried out as Krauser pointed to the cage above them.

"Attached to the bottom of her cell are explosives, which will be 
triggered if the Knight Sabers make any attempt to rescue her or get 
involved with our battle. If you wish for her to be free, you will have 
to defeat me, for only I have the disarming device. If you are 
victorious, then Priscilla Asagiri will be released and you will be 
free to go. The disarming device will also send out a signal that will 
wipe out all the data that I have collected on Sylia Stingray and the 
secrets about the Knight Sabers, including the identities of her other 
comrades; Nene Romanova and Linna Yazamaki."

In the Silky Wagon truck, the remaining Knight Sabers gave off a 
collective gasp when they heard this. Krauser had deduced their real 
identities and it was now imperative that he be defeated.

Terry frowned at Krauser as the Boomer gave him a slight smile.

"I will not bore you with the details of how I deduced their 
identities, though it was relatively straightforward. The Knight 
Sabers always seemed to be near when the AD police were having 
difficulties, so it made sense that a member of the ADP was a 
Knight Saber. Nene's profile as a computer hacker also fit in with 
her Hardsuit's capabilities. As for the other member, I simply 
checked files on all female martial artists living in Mega-Tokyo and 
compared the fighting style that I had observed during my battle 
with the Knight Sabers. The rest fell into place." Krauser gave off a 
light chuckle as he then took a stance. "However, all of that 
research was to simply to pass the time until I could finally meet the 
one opponent worthy to face me! So now, the time for talk is over!" 
The KB-1000 gave Terry that same, smug smile as he taunted him. 
"Come... entertain me."

Terry growled as he took his own stance and began focusing his 
energy. "I was afraid of you... once. But not any more! And even 
though you've gotten stronger, so have I!"

Krauser gave another chuckle as he assessed his foe. "Indeed. As I 
had said before, for people such as us, it is impossible to exist 
without fighting. We are exactly alike, you and I."

"No, we're not!" Terry charged at him with a glowing fist, aimed 
directly for Krauser's face.

However, like before, Krauser raised a hand to catch Terry's wrist 
before the punch could impact. However, Terry's speed had 
increased since the last time and the fist stopped less than an inch 
from Krauser's nose. 

The Boomer frowned as he said, "And as I said before... what 
makes you so certain?" He then delivered a cross kick to knock 
Terry off, but the Lone Wolf managed to partially duck it, then 
lashed out with his own kick.

"CRACK SHOT!"

Krauser raised an arm up to block the blow, but winced when the 
leg slammed hard against it. The kick packed far more power than 
he last remembered. He retaliated by slamming a knee and sent 
Terry sprawling away.

The Lone Wolf felt as if he had been hit by a speeding truck, and 
was grateful of the high endurance he had gained after fighting the 
God of War. He made a neat flip, then charged forward with a 
shoulder in his own version of his brother's Zan Ei Ken maneuver.

"POWER CHARGE!"

Krauser hadn't expected a frontal assault as Terry slammed into his 
chest and actually drove him back. His heels dug ruts into the floor, 
but he countered with another devastating knee to Terry's abdomen. 
As Terry bit down to ignore the pain, Krauser delivered a hard 
punch to the stomach, then another toward his face. 

Terry winced as he tried to roll with the punch, and was partially 
successful. He had managed to bring up an arm to absorb the brunt 
of the blow, but was still sent reeling. He tumbled to the floor but 
was back on his feet and taking a stance and gathering energy.

Krauser Boomer nodded as he too took the same stance. "So let us 
see how truly powerful you have become."

Priss' eyes widened in amazement. Though she had observed this 
maneuver from Krauser's memories, she was still in awe at seeing it 
so closely.

In the Silky Wagon, the other Knight Sabers and Mackie were also 
astounded to see Terry and Krauser become enveloped in swirling 
winds.

"Look! They both know the same move!" Linna gasped.

"FINAL ATTACK... HADO" Terry began as he launched into the 
Super Hurricane Kick.

"...SENPU KYAKU!" Krauser said as he too went into a brutal 
spin kick.

The two cyclones that were formed by the two combatants clashed 
together, causing the room to tremble as it was buffeted by high-
speed winds. The cage that held Priss was jostled about like a leaf. 
Fortunately for Priss, the bars were not electrified as she was 
bounced about inside. The cable that suspended the cage was 
strained to its maximum tolerance levels but held firm.

Down below, the two whirlwind attacks continued to pound away at 
each other. For one full minute, the small tornadoes rubbed against 
each other. Then suddenly, the two broke apart and dispersed, 
leaving two battered but still standing opponents.

Krauser stood with several small nicks in his alloyed skin and one 
sizable dent in his right shoulder. There were several openings with 
exposed circuitry, which were sparking. Terry had a large bruise on 
his right cheek and several more scattered all over his body. He 
could feel his chest burning with pain, and it was quite possible that 
several ribs were fractured. He also had a trickle of blood running 
down one side of his mouth, but he was still ready to fight.

Terry's opponent smiled as he saw that Terry had indeed gotten 
stronger. "Splendid! Of all the opponents I have fought, only you 
have ever proven to be worthy to face me!" Krauser then flashed 
forward and delivered another hard punch to Terry's stomach. 

Above, Priss winced as she saw Terry take another hit. By all rights, 
a normal human being would have been pulped by now and even 
her Hardsuit would have been severely damaged. The fact that he 
was actually standing up to the same Boomer that had defeated the 
Knight Sabers, was nothing short of phenomenal!

Terry lashed out with a kick after receiving the blow, then followed 
through with a glowing fist.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

Krauser deftly dodged the punch, then sent another knee into 
Terry's abdomen. The attack hit home and Terry let off a grunt of 
pain. However, since he was in close, Terry swung a leg up toward 
Krauser's head.

"CRACK SHOT!"

This kick connected with the side of Krauser's head and knocked 
him off balance. Before Krauser could right himself, Terry charged 
in and slammed another glowing fist into the Boomer's chest.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

Krauser was unable to bring up an arm to block in time and the 
impact was felt at full force. The reinforced alloyed surface of his 
chest shuddered as Krauser was knocked back and slammed into a 
wall. He made a sizable depression in the wall, causing dust to be 
stirred up and concrete to crumble at his feet. Krauser was still for a 
moment, then simply got up. He smiled back at Terry, though he 
now sported a large dent in his chest and a hole where the ki-
powered punch had actually penetrated. The side of his face where 
Terry had kicked him now had exposed circuits and relays as well 
as some damaged flesh. 

"Wonderful! The sweet pain of combat was the one thing I missed 
since I was brought back." He then made a orb of energy appear in 
one hand and hurled it at Terry. "BLITZ BALL!"

Terry quickly swerved to one side to avoid being hit by it. He knew 
just what one of those projectiles could do and he wasn't eager to 
experience them again. The ball of ki exploded against another wall 
with the force of several pounds of TNT.

"As quick as ever, Terry. But... try to dodge these!" Krauser then 
made a crosscut motion with an arm and launched a dozen Blitz 
Balls at the Lone Wolf. "BLITZKRIEG BARRAGE!"

"Look out!" Priss shouted as she saw the projectiles hurtle toward 
Terry. There was no way he could dodge all of those!

Terry gritted his teeth as he slammed a fist to the ground. "ROUND WAVE!"

A circle of energy exploded around him and acted like a barrier 
against Krauser's attack. The Blitz Balls were canceled out as Terry 
slammed his fist against the floor again.

"POWER WAVE!"

A ki blast was sent along the floor toward Krauser Boomer. Just as 
the first wave was formed and started moving, Terry slammed his 
fist again to the floor. "TIMES TWO!" After battling with 
Laocorn's henchman Janim, Terry had figured out a way to make 
his usual ki-blast even stronger.

Another ki blast was formed and joined up with the first, forming a 
huge wave of energy that was about a dozen feet high and rushed 
toward the KB-1000 like a speeding freight train. Krauser held up 
his arms to block in an X-shape as the amplified Power Wave 
slammed into him and drove him back again. Krauser braced 
himself as the blast exploded, but he still remained on his feet.

Krauser lowered his now smoking arms and gazed at Terry fondly. 
"You have indeed grown stronger since we last battled and I believe 
now is the time that you feel the force of my greatest technique!" He 
held up his arms in that same L-form as began focusing his energy. 

Priss recognized the move and gasped in horror. She and the other 
Knight Sabers had just barely survived that attack in their 
Hardsuits. If Krauser's Kaiser Wave was more powerful now than 
what she seen before in his memories, then Terry...

"TERRY, LOOK OUT! HE'S..."
"KAISER... WAVE!"

Terry growled as his eyes glowed red. Just as the Kaiser wave was 
about to hit him, he slammed a fist to the floor.

"POWER... GEYSER!"

The force of Terry's Desperation Attack caused the entire floor to 
shudder as a huge column of ki slammed into Krauser's Kaiser 
Wave. However, Terry strained as he felt more energy than he ever 
felt before from Krauser's attack. He fell to his knees as his Power 
Geyser just barely repelled the incoming energy, causing it to 
backlash and blow out several sections of wall. Miraculously, Priss' 
cage was left unscathed, though it did sway violently during the 
collision of so much energy.

At the Silky Wagon...

"He... stopped it." Nene said with awe.

Back at level 23, Krauser nodded as he gazed at Terry's kneeling 
form. "Impressive. You managed to stop my amplified Kaiser 
Wave. Then again... that was only at half-strength."

"What?!" Terry's head came up as he stared in disbelief. "That... 
was only half?"

Krauser nodded as he raised his arms once more. "Yes... and I 
severely doubt that you could stop it now, especially at full force and 
in your condition. Such a pity... I had hoped that this could go on 
longer, but I must obey my programming and destroy you. It had 
been a wonderful show... thank you and goodbye"

Priss was just getting over her shock after hearing that Krauser had 
only used half his power when she saw his preparing to fire again. 
Terry was battered, drained, and had nothing left to give and she 
was so helpless to stop it! Just like when her lover had died...

"KAISER WAVE!"

The new blast was twice as strong as the first one and it seemed that 
Terry was finished. However, just as it was about to reach him, 
Terry's head came up when he heard Priss' shout.

"TERRY!"

Terry's body reacted faster than what was thought possible as he 
struck the ground, three times.

"TRIPLE... GEYSERS!"

The first column hit the Kaiser Wave head on, causing it to 
momentarily stop, then the second column slammed into it, 
repelling it back toward Krauser. When the third geyser hit 
retreating energy, the result was a huge backlash that crashed into 
Krauser like a tsunami and swept him back. He smashed hard into 
another section of wall and the entire side of that chamber began 
collapsing, including a section of ceiling. The cable that suspended 
Priss' cage snapped and her cell began to fall. Terry looked up and 
saw it. With adrenaline spurring him on, he rushed toward it as the 
door to the cage swung open. Priss reacted fast and leapt clear of the 
cage. Terry held up his arms and managed to catch her and dove 
down to shield her with his body if the explosives went off. 
Fortunately, the bombs did not detonate when the cell clattered to 
the ground.

When the dust and debris began to settle and the noise began to 
fade, Terry looked down at Priss and saw that she was in the 
missionary position beneath him. He quickly became embarrassed 
and got off her.

"Are... you all right?"

Priss was also flustered when she opened her eyes and found herself 
on her back and Terry leaning over her. She quickly composed 
herself and replied, "I'm fine! I'm... okay. Thanks for catching 
me."

Terry suddenly stiffened and got to his feet when he felt a 
foreboding presence and a sickening sense of deja vu. He turned 
around and saw that though he was able to repel the amplified 
Kaiser Wave, the Krauser Boomer was still functioning. Standing 
before them, a dozen feet away, the seemingly unstoppable machine 
was now showing huge gaps in its alloyed skin and most of the 
remaining flesh was in tatters. Half of the face had been ripped off 
and the inner machinery was exposed. However, Krauser still 
remained defiant as he addressed Terry.

"I never would have believed that you would have the power to repel 
my Kaiser Wave twice, Terry. Once again, you had surprised me. I 
am grateful that you have surpassed my greatest expectations."

"It... can't be!" Priss cried out as she stood up with Terry. "He can't 
have survived that!"

Terry growled as he took a stance. "Krauser..."

"Terry..."

The two began to glow with intense auras as they prepared for the 
final face-off. They each let off a shout of inhuman rage and 
launched at each other with a fist cocked back. The punches 
connected with each other's face and then each fighter launched a 
sidekick. As history began to repeat itself, Priss could only stare in 
morbid fascination as Terry and Krauser began to pummel each 
other as they did during their last duel. It seemed that nothing 
would ever break the endless cycle as blow after crushing blow were 
thrown. Then, as it happened before, Terry put a stop to it.

As Krauser threw another fist to Terry's face, the Lone Wolf 
stopped it by grasping the wrist, then delivered a Burn Knuckle to 
the abdomen, causing it to collapse. Then Terry delivered several 
more hard punches to the chest, breaking several ribs and forcing 
Krauser back. However, Terry was determined to finish it. As 
Krauser staggered back, Terry focused all of his strength and rage 
into one fist and charged at him.

"BUSTER... WOLF!"

Unlike his usual Burn Knuckle, this new punch glowed with an 
orange light, which exploded when it connected with Krauser's 
chest. Terry then grasped his arm with his other hand and sent 
more energy into the fist. A huge ki-bolt blasted into the hole in 
Krauser's chest and exploded out his back. The Boomer reeled 
backward toward a large hole in the wall, which had been created 
during the battle and led to open air. Krauser fell to his knees while 
clutching at his critically damaged chest and smiled at Terry.

The Lone Wolf stood at the ready with Priss behind him as he 
waited for Krauser's next move.

Krauser however, knew that he was finished as his diagnostic 
systems were informing him that all of his vital mechanisms had 
sustained irreparable damage. 

"What do you know... I have been defeated again. As I had said 
before... Terry I do not regret it I thank you for helping me in 
my ultimate... plan"

"Plan? What plan?" Terry asked in confusion.

Krauser smile became even more smug. "The plan to kill me... of 
course."

"What?!"

Krauser nodded as he used his remaining power reserves to get to 
his feet. "Did you know... that a Boomer cannot self-terminate 
himself? All combat Boomers, including myself... are programmed 
to survive and win at all costs. I had hoped... that the Knight 
Sabers would be able to... destroy me, but they lacked the sufficient 
power to do so... That is why. I had you brought to me. If there 
was... anyone that could end the living death that I had become 
when Geese had me... resurrected I knew it would be you."

"That's the reason why you had kidnapped Priss? Just so that I could 
come to kill you?" Terry exclaimed with disbelief.

"Yes. "Krauser said simply as his systems were about to 
permanently shut down. "Life as a Boomer, after being truly alive, 
is nothing more than a mere... shadow of existence. I cannot feel 
anything but pain. I cannot taste... touch smell all the simple 
pleasures that you take for granted. And... as I had said to you 
before... Terry, the Earl of Stroheim will not LIVE with the 
disgrace of being defeated. And so I bid you... farewell" 

With these words, the Krauser boomer pitched forward and then 
became silent as the last of its power reserves were depleted. The 
once mighty fighter of the Stroheim family became a lifeless shell 
once again. 

Terry clenched his fists at his sides in frustration and then let off a 
tired sigh. The fight was over and he had rescued Priss. That was 
all that mattered. He then turned to face the attractive brunette who 
was still gazing at the body of Krauser in disbelief and shock. Terry 
placed a hand on her shoulder, which got her attention as she 
looked up into his eyes.

"It's time to go."

Priss could say nothing as she nodded and began to walk with him 
toward the doors that led out of the chamber. Terry was slightly 
hunched over as his body was aching all over. Priss lent him her 
shoulder to lean on as they headed toward the exit.

"Are... you okay?" Priss asked with some concern.

Terry nodded and said, "It... only hurts when I breatheheh, 
heh, heh... ow!"

Priss couldn't help but laugh along side of him.

CLANG!

Both were surprised when a sheet of steel panels suddenly appear 
and covered the doors. Behind them, more steel panels slid into 
place, covering all the holes in the walls and ceiling. It was then 
that a voice was heard from a hidden speaker.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HAH!" 

Terry gritted his teeth as he recognized that evil laughter. It could 
only be one person.

"I must admit, Terry Bogard! THAT was an impressive battle!"

"GEESE!" Terry hissed as he shrugged off Priss' arm and got into a 
stance. "Where are you?"

"It doesn't matter where I am." Geese sneered as he spoke into the 
PA system. "What you should be worried about is where you and 
your pretty little friend is going in the next two minutes when that 
bomb I planted inside of Krauser's body goes off. I imagine that the 
resulting blast will take out the entire 23rd level of the tower. It'll a 
be a pity that you and that Knight Saber will still be caught in the 
blast. The panels are made of reinforced titanium alloys and I doubt 
you would be able to break through in time!"

"Damn you Geese! You bastard!" Terry shouted as he looked 
around for a way out. There didn't seem to be any.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. I knew all along that Krauser was 
planning something like this and I decided to kill several birds with 
one stone! Krauser has already defeated the Knight Sabers and with 
Quincy dead, I can now proceed with my plan to take over this 
future world!"

"Quincy is dead?" Priss said with a stunned expression.

"Yes. I killed him myself. Not that it's going to help you or the other 
Knight Sabers. Krauser had already decimated the Knight Sabers, 
and without their Hardsuits, they are nothing. Furthermore... did I 
mention that Krauser was only the prototype? I have three more 
JUST like him already built. I had also planted a very powerful 
self-destruct mechanism in Krauser. If he had succeeding in killing 
Terry Bogard, I would have detonated it after Krauser had served 
his purpose. But, since Terry had beaten him, I had an alternate 
plan to use the self-destruct device to destroy you both! And now... 
I do hope that you and Terry will use the remaining thirty seconds 
of your lives to good use. Farewell!"

Terry screamed out in rage as he located the speaker which was 
mounted in the ceiling and threw a large chunk of concrete at it, 
shattering it. He then looked back at Krauser's corpse, which had 
begun to glow with a red glow and knew that he only had moments 
to act before it exploded.

Priss shook her head sadly and said, "So this it. After everything, 
I'm going to die because of a fucking Boomer. Now isn't that 
fucking ironic."

Terry desperately looked around and then stomped his foot on the 
floor. He then got an idea out of desperation as he turned to Priss. 
"Priss... there might be a way for us to get out of this" He then 
looked down at the floor before locking his eyes with hers. "But... 
you're going to have to trust me on this one."

"What? What are you saying...?" She then looked down at the floor 
and gasped. "You're not thinking...?"

"If you've got a better idea, now is the time to tell me!"

Priss gulped as she realized that there was no other way. She 
nodded, and then leaned forward to kiss Terry tenderly on the lips.

"W-What...?"

Priss' reddened a bit as she said, "For luck."

Terry nodded as he gathered Priss close to him and then powered up 
his ki. He then sent a fist to the floor.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The floor shuddered underneath the force of the blow and began to 
buckle. Since the floor did not have metal panels, it gave way, 
causing the both of them to fall toward the level below. The two 
landed on their feet as debris rained all around them. Terry ushered 
Priss toward the staircase, just as the remains of Krauser went up in 
a massive explosion. 


Outside, the Knight Sabers began rushing toward the Genom Tower 
when they saw the top suddenly erupt like a volcano. They began 
fearing for the worse as massive chunks of wall, glass and twisted 
metal came raining down to the streets below. However, they had to 
back off as another explosion rocked the tower. Nene was 
desperately scanning for life forms, but the jamming barrier was 
still up, blocking her probes. The fires that raging near the top were 
also interfering with her infrared sensors. The Knight Sabers could 
only stand and wait.

Inside of the building, rushing down the stairs, Priss and Terry were 
trying to escape the fires that were caused when Krauser's body 
exploded. However, just as they were on the 19th level, the steps 
before them were blocked by some flaming debris that had fallen 
from above. Behind them, the upper stairs also became engulfed in 
flames and the two found themselves trapped. 

Terry knew that his only option was akin to suicide, but seeing that 
they was no other option, he turned around and sent a flaming fist 
into the side wall.

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The section of wall exploded outwards, exposing them to the outside 
air. With the stairs about to buckle beneath them, the Lone Wolf 
looked outside and saw that a ledge was jutting out some six floors 
below them. He decided to go for it as he grabbed Priss by the waist 
and jumped out of the hole.

"Are you crazy?! This is the 19th floooooooooorrrrrrrr!"

Terry just had a second to spare as the staircase collapsed and was 
consumed by flames. The street fighter easily landed on the ledge 
and used it to triangle jump to an adjacent building. He then 
rebounded off the side and with Priss still in his arms, he rolled 
forward and took the brunt of the impact as they landed on a roof of 
another building. 

Terry moaned in pain as Priss opened her eyes, sat up and then 
angrily began shouting at him.

"YOU CRAZY JERK! WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

Terry could only give Priss a slight grin and said, "You're 
welcome... ow!" He clutched at his chest.

Priss was breathing hard after seeing her life flash before her during 
those harrowing moments. But as she looked back up at the tower 
that was now burning bright, she realized that Terry had saved her 
once again. Her expression softened as she turned to face him. "I'm 
sorry... I shouldn't have yelled"

Terry waved it off as he painfully sat up. No doubt about it. A few of 
his ribs were either fractured or broken. He rubbed his chest 
tenderly. "It's okay... I guess it was kind of crazy, but " Terry 
then gave her a smile that made Priss' heart melt a bit. "I'd fight 
Krauser all over again if it kept you safe, Priss."

Priss didn't know what to say. No man had ever said that to her 
before and... this man had just risked his life to save hers. He had 
suffered injuries that would have killed any other person and he was 
now saying that he'd do it all over again for her.

"Priss! Terry! Are you all right?" 

The two looked up and saw that Sylia was in her Hardsuit and had 
jetted up to the roof where they were.

Priss nodded as she helped Terry to his feet. "I'm all right, but 
Terry's going to need some help. I think he may have some broken 
ribs!"

The leader of the Knight Sabers nodded as she signaled to the 
others to pick them up.

A few hours later, at Dr. Raven's Garage...

Terry winced as he lay in bed. His upper torso was expertly 
bandaged up and the medical scanners had indicated that his ribs 
would heal in a few days, thanks to the accelerated cell regeneration 
salves that had been applied, plus the training Terry had undergone 
for fast recuperation. 

In the conference room, the others were now discussing their plans 
on how to deal with Geese and what his plans may be. The only 
Knight Saber missing was Priss as she was in the main garage and 
was quietly sitting on her bike. 

The short-tempered member of the vigilante group was deep in 
thought about the man who had saved her repeatedly in the past few 
weeks. Throughout her life, she had been concerned only with her 
own survival, and ever since her lover had died a few years back, 
she had made certain that no man would ever win her heart. Now, 
try as might, she just couldn't stop thinking about the long-haired 
street fighter. He was so much like her. She had noticed that during 
his sparring matches with Linna, whenever her comrade tried to 
start up any intimate conversations with him or ask him about his 
personal life, Terry would simply change the subject or become 
silent. Every one of Linna's romantic advances would be politely 
turned down and he would only focus on improving his skills. She 
then remembered back to a conversation she had with him a few 
weeks prior, though it felt as if it was years ago.

Flashback...

Priss: I lost Donald to those Boomers and the ADP didn't do shit 
about it! You have no idea what it's like to lose someone that you 
loved!

Terry: Then you were lucky. You only lost one. I lost two.

End of flashback...

Priss shivered as she remembered the hidden sad look in his eyes at 
that time. Deep in her heart, she knew that he was telling the truth. 
What was it about him? Was it his tough, no nonsense attitude, or 
was it because of that hidden, sensitive side that made him so 
irresistible? Priss sighed. It just didn't make any sense! No man 
since that leader of the gang she had belonged to had ever made her 
feel this way! Not even that lug Leon! Why was Terry making some 
kind of impression on her?

It was at that moment that she remembered what Krauser had said 
to her when he had decimated the Knight Sabers and had her by the 
throat. He had looked into her eyes with that same piercing gaze 
that Terry had done before. He said that she was in love with Terry 
Bogard.

Priss angrily shook her head in denial. She couldn't be in love with 
him! She had sworn off men and had been shooting down Leon's 
advances every time since she met with him! There was just no way 
that she could fall for someone like Terry! There was nothing that 
attracted her to him! All right, so he was ruggedly handsome and 
very well built. He seemed very kind, yet determined personality. 
She like the way that long ponytail of his swayed in the breeze and 
those piercing blue eyes...

<Arrgh! What am I thinking?! > Priss' hands gripped the 
handlebars of her cycle as she tried to fight down the liking she had 
whenever she watched him move or fight. She was a Knight Saber, 
damn it! Wasn't one of the primary rules was to never get involved 
with a man? Of course, that didn't stop Linna from flirting with 
every man she came across. As of now, she was setting her sights 
on snagging Terry, though she hadn't been making much headway. 
Priss also denied the fact that she would get angry whenever she 
saw Linna try to get her hooks into him and...

<No! I'm NOT jealous! Why would I be jealous? I'd have to be in 
'love' in order to be jealous, right? > Priss shook her head again and 
then turned on the ignition and revved her engine. She needed time 
to think and the she did her best thinking when she was speeding 
down the highways. As she was exceeding the usual speed limit by 
more than 50 km/h, her thoughts went back to when she had 
impulsively kissed him and what he had said to her when they 
escaped from Genom Tower.

Flashback...

Terry: I'd fight Krauser all over again if it kept you safe, Priss.

End of Flashback...

Some time later...

Terry was going crazy just lying around and doing nothing, so he 
decided to get in some practice with the holographic training 
machine. It wasn't like fighting a real opponent or sparring with his 
brother Andy, but it was better than nothing. He had to take it slow 
since his body was still aching from its bout with Krauser and was 
only going at level nine when he heard someone enter the control 
room. He smiled as he saw Priss enter the room in her Softsuit, 
which hugged her curves quite nicely. He then stopped in his 
practice routines and let the hologram strike him. The computer 
called out that the trainee had been eliminated and went into 
standby mode.

Priss had just gotten in from her ride and had decided to get in a 
few rounds to work off some stress and perhaps straighten out her 
thoughts about a certain Lone Wolf. She stopped in her tracks when 
she the very person giving her a smile and wiping the sweat from 
his brow with a towel. She continued to just gaze at him as he 
entered the control room.

"It's all yours if you want to use it, Priss." Terry said cheerfully.

Priss mentally focused on his face when her eyes had started roving 
over his toned, muscular, and very well built form. Terry was 
shirtless and was only dressed in his usual blue jeans. She had to 
concentrate to keep out the image of how sweat glistened down his 
defined chest and abdominal muscles. She decided to change the 
subject before he noted that she was getting a bit flustered.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Terry shook his head as he let the towel fall off to one side. "No. I 
was going crazy not doing anything. Besides, I've mended well 
enough and I needed to get back to my training." He patted his 
bandaged side gently and then straightened up. "Now that Geese is 
controlling Genom, I have to get back my strength and speed. Who 
knows what that bastard is going to do with all those Boomers and 
weapons."

"Yeah, well... Sylia and the others are planning to keep an eye on 
this Geese Howard person and she said that we'll have upgraded 
Hardsuits within a week or so. Then we'll be able to take down 
Genom once and for all!"

Terry looked at Priss with some concern. "Not that I'm saying that 
those Hardsuits are bad or anything, but I think that you're going to 
need more than just fancy battle armor to take down someone like 
Geese. Especially if his claims of having three other Boomers like 
Krauser is true."

"What?! You think that we can't take care of ourselves? We've faced 
off against much bigger odds before! We can handle some two-bit 
crime boss from the 20th century!"

Terry shook his head and said, "What I've told you about Geese 
Howard was only the short-version. Geese is far more devious and 
evil than any one you've ever met. He killed Quincy, your greatest 
enemy and took over Genom. He's had God only knows how many 
innocent people murdered... including my father..." Terry choked 
up at the memory of when he was ten and seeing Jeff Bogard bloody 
and dying before him. "...and Lily..."

"Lily?" 

Terry sighed as he realized that he had said too much, but he 
couldn't stop. "Lily was to me, as your old boyfriend was to you. She 
was... my whole world, until that bastard Geese killed her before my 
eyes. She died when she helped me, my brother and a friend of ours 
escape when Geese had laid out a trap for us. I couldn't save her!" 
Terry turned his back to Priss and pounded a fist on the side of the 
door. He then took a deep breath to calm down and faced her again. 
"Well, in any case. Let me warn you that Geese is far more powerful 
and ruthless than you can ever imagine. You are going to need my 
help and I still have a score to settle with him. Those Hardsuits of 
yours are good against Boomers, but they may not be enough 
against someone like him. Aside from Krauser and one other 
person, Geese was one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced."

Priss was about to protest Terry for butting into Knight Saber 
business, but that was when Sylia entered the control room. She had 
been listening in on their conversation and decided that it was time 
for her to interrupt.

"He's right you know."

Both Terry and Priss turned to face her as she stepped forward.

"Sylia! How long have you been there?" Priss asked.

Sylia shrugged as she replied. "Long enough. Terry is correct. We 
know next-to-nothing about this Geese person, but now that he's 
gained control of Genom, we can only assume the worst. I have a 
feeling that he may try to initiate the OMS project."

"The OMS project?"

Sylia nodded. "Yes. It's something that I have been suspecting for a 
while now, though I couldn't get any solid proof until now. Nene 
had been going through Genom's systems since we got back. She 
had finally broken through the security locks. With Quincy gone, 
she had been able to download the files concerning the Overmind 
System."

"Overmind System? What's that?"

The leader of the Knight Sabers took a deep breath. "According to 
what Nene was able to download, Quincy had created a chip that 
could send out a program via the particle beam satellites that would 
subvert every Boomer on the planet to his will. In other words, he 
had an entire army at his disposal at a touch of a button."

"My... god!" Priss gasped as she realized the implications. "You 
mean... every fucking Boomer on the Earth would have...?"

"That's right. Quincy would have turned them all into his slaves and 
could have overthrown the world if he chose to do so."

"So why didn't he?" Terry asked.

Sylia paused for a moment before replying. "Genom is a very 
respected corporation and it wouldn't do if others knew that Quincy 
had the means to conquer the world. The Knight Sabers were 
formed to keep him and Genom in check, since that company does 
have many legitimate and beneficial activities. There are many 
innocent employees at Genom that were unaware of Quincy's secret 
motives and such. The OMS chip was his... trump card if the 
situation came to that point. However, with Quincy gone, and Geese 
being as evil as you say he is, it is likely that he might use the OMS 
or those new Boomers that were modeled after Krauser. He'd be able 
to overrun our world easily as well as subject his own Earth. If that's 
the case, then we will have to stop Geese at all costs! Furthermore, 
Geese may be the only way that Terry can return to his world."

Terry and Priss became silent as the meaning of Sylia's words sunk 
in. It seemed that the final confrontation was drawing near. Terry 
could feel the storm that was coming... and unlike the last time... he 
wasn't certain that he would be able to weather it.

To be continued...

Author's notes

Well, the saga of Bubble Gum Fury is coming close to being 
finished as Terry and the Knight Sabers must prepare for the final 
battle to save both their worlds. As for the other Fatal Fury cast, 
they will be making their long-awaited appearances in the next 
chapter or so as I wind up to finish off the project that I had shelved 
a year ago. See you there!


