"R-Ran! Put that down!” Squeaked Dan, helplessly trying to make her drop a wooden vase and also the vial she still grasped in her left hand. Aurora's medicine, still wafting out odd fumes and apparently the source of Ran's insanity. That or she was being normal. The elder Hibiki warrior had trouble at times discerning the two...

Leaping at her, grasping her left hand while being beat in the head with the vase, he tried to pry it from her fingers. Much to his chagrin, he wasn't all that successful.

"Ran give it to *CLUNK* OWWW!"

"Remove your filthy hands from me, insolent male!" The still-frigid reporter protested. “You won’t cost me this story! Besides, the medicine's purdy! Don't touch it! *CLUNK*"

"OWWWWWW! I SAID DROP IT DROP IT DROP I--"

Suddenly, a rather loud knock emanated from the door. Someone had come, which was odd since Dan couldn't remember having any friend---err, any friends who would come to visit. Could Ran have invited someone before they started earlier today on their noble quest for Aurora's diamond soul? It seemed doubtful, since she was staring dumbfounded at the door as well.

"Hmmm, Ran, do you know who's -- *CLUNK* GAHHHH!"

Tearing the vial from her hands, holding it out of her reach, he stuck it in a small cupboard leaving Ran to pout amongst her
multitude of stuffed animals, this time clutching a tiny tortoise in what appeared to be a warriors helm. The exceptionally odd tortoise's tag read 'Made in Parmecia'. Dan began to wonder just where the girl kept getting these bizarre toys of hers. The knock resonated again this time, much louder, and if it weren’t answered soon mayhaps the door wouldn't be there much longer...

"Ran, could you get the door? I need to change...and get an icepack." Dan grumbled, ambling off towards the bedroom.

Ran, despite the fact she was being requested service by a male, obliged. Opening the door partway, she was greeted with
the scowling, menacing features of a man who seemed torn from Hell itself. The dirty, dismal black karate suit he wore betrayed several lost battles, his exposed arms revealing muscles enhanced by life-or-death battles, eyes which shined with a deeply rooted fury that burned with the fires of the underworld.

"Avon calling?" Inquired Ran.

Glaring menacingly at the girl, his lips pursed tightly together, he still couldn't find out WHY he had even come up here. But he had nowhere to go but here. Wait, there was the hotel... blech, now he thought of it. Sighing, he pushed Ran away, looking for a place to sit. Upon further thinking, he decided he wouldn't like to sit on any of the oddly discolored furniture and decided instead to stand, arms crossed. Ran seemed a bit perturbed by his hasty entrance.

"Ran! Who is it?" Shouted Dan from the bedroom.

"A very rude and quiet salesman!" She answered.

"I guess he doesn't expect to sell much, then..." mumbled Dan, coming back into the room. He quickly saw Akuma's hair and went crazy. "AAAHHH! FIRE!! EVERYBODY EVACUATE!"

Luckily, Akuma had his patented Left Jab handy. Dan then got a better look at the disgruntled warrior, bypassed crazy, psycho, and marginally hyperactive, jumping straight into the zone known as Stark Raving Mad.

"AAAHHH! PSYCHOTIC MARTIAL ARTIST!! EVERYBODY EVACUATE!"

Luckily, Ran had her trusty Kick To The Shin handy. This immediately caused Dan to pout and complain about people always ganging up on him. Praying to her tortoise doll for strength and guidance, she again tried to ask Akuma just who he was and why he was here.

"Well, nothing wrong with an old friend checking up on you, am I right Dan Hibiki?" Akuma said softly. "How's good old Gouken doing? Oh, it seemed to have slipped my mind. I killed him." He snickered genuinely at his last comment, rubbing a tear from his eye.

To Akuma's surprise, Dan chuckled along with him. "Well, you know how every old fart must eventually depart. Which makes me wonder why you're still here, Gouki."

Ran silently stepped back. There was something very wrong with this picture...Dan and this odd salesman chatting like old friends over some morbid subject didn't seem right.

Akuma's laughed abruptly stopped. His face turned grim, as solid and lifeless as a leering gargoyle.

"I believe you are indeed right. Gouki is gone. Whatever mere trials and tribulations I had at that time are now irrelevant, and I am stronger for it."

He waved his hand, as if shooing away the subject. He sighed, apparently annoyed with some inner conflict.

"I don't realize why I even bothered coming here. You are obviously vastly inept in assisting me with my current situation.
Maybe someone more able, like Dark Sakura..."

It was Dan's turn to wipe the grin from his own face. No no no, Akuma wasn't about to take his only student. "That girl is useless to you, she's already been shown a brighter fate than the hellhole you fell into." So what if she didn't accept his Saikyo training fully. He didn't have to know that, and Sakura'd come around eventually. But wait, Dark Sakura? Why would she call
herself that? While Dan pondered the meaning of Akuma's words, he was trembling slightly inside. He still remembered the last time he saw Gouki's face, before it was replaced with this...thing.

Akuma peered at Dan, staring into his eyes. He could sense discomfort, but attributed to what? Dan had trained hard yet failed, unfit to be a warrior. But something about him seemed...

"Fine. If you feel able to help me with a few details, go ahead. Don't worry, there shouldn't be any fighting. I am well aware that's not your...."

Looking up and down at Dan, a smile on his face, he added, 'Expertise."

Dan's eyebrow raised, just as his incredible style of fighting had raised the bar for martial artists everywhere since he left the Shotokan dojo. His laughter echoed, just as those who had seen the true meaning of Saikyo Ryuu, laughed at the lesser styles such as Shotokan and ilk. "I suspect Gouken's fireball hit you harder than you think. Even people who apparently live under rocks all their lives must know the greatness of Saikyo Ryuu!" With that, he proudly flexed, giving the dark man a fleeting glimpse of the raw power contained within him before letting his arm back down.

Akuma seemed awfully annoyed by something, which was made apparent suddenly.

"You DARE call the Shin Shotokan deadly arts inferior? I do not utilize some watered down form of--"

Ran yawned suddenly.. Apparently the effects of the fumes where wearing off. "I'm huuuungry. And I already ate all the food
Dan kept hidden throughout the house."

Akuma blinked, noticing he was rather hungry as well. "Enough bickering, Dan. I'm hungy. Err... hungry. Let's discuss this over lunch.

Dan perked up. "I know a wonderful place where we can discuss these matters without anyone caring, and still have an exquisite dining experience!"

Akuma seemed a bit upset. "If we go outside, it has to be public. Very public. Although I'm not so sure as to how far that fiend would--

He was promptly cut off as Ran squealed in decidedly freakish glee. "Fear not, valiant salesman! For I, Ran Hibiki, have the
perfect disguise for you!" No freaky other salesmen will be able to recognize you!"

Dan gulped. "I don't think he wants anything to do with your wardrobe, Ran." He momentarily shuddered and memories he'd
thought he'd repressed.

Ran's mood took a decisive fall, but she still remained perky. "Not a problem! I have Plan B!" she announced, before grabbing them both and heading for the convenience store.

Dan and Akuma, in a rare moment of commaradery, were afraid. They were very, very afraid.

Electric neon lights and blaringly bad music assaulted Akuma from all sides. On the other end of the table, a pink-suited warrior and his psychotic sister blocked him from bolting to the rear exit. Behind him, the wails of prepubescent suburban children warned him against anything violent in a mad escape for the entrance. And to either side, there were rats. Big, singing rats.

"Chuck E. Cheeses... this was your idea of exquisite dining?"

One of the singing rats heard him, skipping over merrily.

"Hi! Do you want an *OOOOMPHHHHH!!!*

Taking a risk, he viciously jabbed the annoying rat in the stomach. Wheezing, it doubled over and lay in the fetal position quivering. Some of the kids looked shocked, but he waved at them happily.

"I was squashing a fly!"

Nodding, they resumed their boring, pointless child endeavors.

To make matters worse, the moustache on his fake nose and glasses tickled his upper lip.

Even worse still, the Hibiki's were wearing the exact same fake nose, glasses, and moustache combo. Even Ran, which disturbed the Shotokan master to no end.

Ran, however, was happier than a perverted schoolboy on his way to see the 'special' edition of Chikara Kachi. She had ensured the safety of the freaky weird salesman who at this point in time hadn't sold a damn thing, been able to stuff her face with searing pizza that threatened to burn right through to her chin, and Dan and Akuma got free tokens for being martial artists! What were the odds of that?

Ran began to wonder if she should share this with Hideaki when she saw him next. Maybe he'd have more clues for another
scoop! While Ran was off in La La Land, it left the two 'brilliantly disguised' martial artists somewhat alone to discuss things.

Akuma eyed the whack a mole game. Looking at his token thoughtfully, he had an idea for some entertainment.

*THWACK!* "OWWW!!!" squealed Dan, who had just been pelted in the head with the token. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, I got bored.."  Then a thought crossed Akuma's mind. Enyah had said to find the stumbling pink fighter, maybe she wasn't lying....

"You... know anything about the Shinsuu Kanjoudakai Ookami Gikou?" Akuma said, trying to bite into a piece of pizza without getting his mustache stuck in the cheese.

Dan gasped. "The Jinjuu Motodekai Oregami Zukou!?"

"No. The Shinsuu Kanjoudakai Ookami Gikou." replied the demon fighter.

"Oh, the Krinkoo Sasimanii Kellogee Yaboo?"

Akuma gritted his teeth, sounding out each syllable with a snakelike tongue. "Shinsuu, Kanjoudakai, Ookami, Gikou..."

Dan grinned. Akuma: Pissed. Mission: Accomplished. "Sorry, I got bored too." When Dan came to the conclusion that the red light in Akuma's eyes wasn't from the bright incandescent bulbs above, he got serious. "Alright, alright...now, lemme see...It's been a long time since I heard of anything like that...."

Akuma got bored of Dan's slow thought patterns, deftly aiming and striking him in the eye with another token. He yelped, jumping up and knocking over one of the rats delivering a pizza.

"Whoo, bonus points!"

Ran sighed at Akuma as he childishly pestered her brother. "You're not a very good salesman, are you? I'm sensing a lot of repression."

Akuma nodded, motioning her closer. Curious, she cocked her head. 'I'm" she nodded. Lower, he said "not.. a..." Concentrating, trying to make out what he was saying she cocked her head even more.

"SALESMAN!!!!" he yelled, causing Ran to chibify and hit the ground, dazed and confused.

Dan, noticing the ill-fated plight of his supersonically damaged sister prone upon the  hard sticky floor next tot he still-quivering Rat, was instantly at Akuma's side. He lazily let one hand drop near Akuma's pizza, the other one motioning for Akuma to move closer. Akuma did so, and was barely able to hear Dan's whisper.

"Old buddy...if you do that again..." he looked around nervously, making sure neither his dazed sister or the children around could hear. "If you do that again, I'm going to..." the rest was whispered into Akuma's ear. The Shotokan visibly froze, turned white, and upon thawing, cautiously scooted away from Dan, being sure not to make eye contact. If there's one thing Akuma
'The Demon' was scared of, it was definatly that.

Helping his sister back to her seat, Dan took up his old position next to her. The same frighteningly aloof smile was on his face. "Now then, I remember where I heard of that technique with the ridiculously stupid-sounding name."

The Raging Demon fighter regained a bit of his lost nerve. "Where?"

Dan chuckled. "Too bad you killed Gouken, eh? I'll bet he knew exactly where it was."

Akuma looked grim. He brushed himself off, straightening his black and dirtied gi.

"I killed him honorably in combat, Dan. He foolishly accepted my challenge. I do not dishonorably kill fighters who are worthy of challenging me, I only brush aside the vermin who get in my way,"

"But honorable killing isn't getting you any closer, is it?" smirked Dan.

Akuma and Dan had a staring contest, fierce looks in their eyes. Akuma suddenly stood up, and grabbed Ran by the back of her neck. He looked at the table, noticing the sharp fork and the burning hot pizza. Grabbing the pizza, he held the steaming slice precariously close to her supple face.

"I'll do it, Dan. Where is the Shinsuu Kanjoudakai Ookami Gikou Dojo? This is a matter of my well being, but if you particularly care it could potentially threaten all of Japan. They are already perching over Taiyo and Tokemedo, ready to slaughter them all in a heartbeat. I don't have TIME for this."

He began squeezing Ran a bit too hard, then seemed to realize what he was doing and let her go, holstering the pizza slice back on the dish.

"Don't answer this as a friend then, Dan, but as an ally."

Dan smiled a bit as Ran scurried behind him, though why he was smiling wasn't exactly clear. "Remember the day I met you?"

Akuma, despite the bushy plastic eyebrows of his brilliant disguise, seemed surprised by the question. "Yes..."

"Seemed like every so often Gouken gave me a lesson, he needed to show me a scroll. Thing is, I never saw where he got them. But what does that tell you?"

Akuma pondered. Yes. Gouken had a scroll... he had gotten it from Goutetsu before Akuma defeated him. The scroll was to
reinforce the fact that combat styles needed to be remembered and spread, so their influence would not die to the ages. Goutetsu.. he had written down all of the lost styles and where their Dojo's where!

"Yes! But... that helps not. When Gouken had been defeated, his Dojo had no heir, and the artifacts inside where gathered and distributed. The scroll could be anywhere." Annoyed that he was so close to an answer, he sat back down at the table, poking his pizza with a look of distress.

Dan sighed. "Sorry Gouki, guess I can't help you past that." He and Ran sat down again, albeit Ran eyed Akuma from then on like a cornered cow in McDonalds.

A few moments of glum silence passed. Then Dan
decided to speak again, "Want
me to get Chuck to dedicate a song to you?" he
asked, walking off in some
general direction and disappearing around a
corner.

Ran sighed this time. "I don't remember him being that weird before Dad died. Was he like this all the time during his training?"

Akuma perked. Dan's father? ...Ah yes, foolishly fought Sagat in a vain attempt at proving his worth. Even though he had been unworthy to fight, at least now Sagat was missing an eye. Ran misinterpreted this as interest, and decided to beguile him with the story anyway.

Ran seemed half in the restaurant and half in her own little world. "Weird, isn't it? It was like, a million to one he'd have a fatal heart attack and die giving prize money to an orphanage full of nuns, widows, and kittens. You ever hear about that?"

Akuma blinked, confused. He opened his mouth to tell the true story, but something about the look in her eyes made him stop. Hrrm. Odd for him to care for the feelings of others. Sighing, in order to distract himself from
Ran's sniffling, he picked up a newspaper from an adjacent stand. And gasped.

"Here it is! The scroll! It's on a worldwide tour! Right now it's in the Taiyo Museum of Relics! How odd, I just happen to find it here of all places, 2 days before it ships off to America, instead of the far more likely possibility of it being in a different city."

Ran gave Akuma, and the general area around them both, a very odd stare. "Well that's certainly... convenient?"

Convenience in an overly random universe was the least of their worries, for the time being. For at that moment, all coherence in the building was promptly tied, gagged, and shot in the order of how many prime numbers they could recite as a large, gray, and very...musical rat pranced into view.

"My name is Chuck!" It said in a disgustingly nasal voice, "and I like to sing! Hyuk hyuk hyuk!"

Ran was suddenly very, very thankful she'd thought of these brilliant disguises.

Akuma, without hesitating the slightest bit, picked up one of the metallic pizza trays at the small, wooden table and SLAMMED the rat over the head so hard it dented in half, pizza chunks flinging across the room. Striking the ground like a bag of bricks next to the other rat, he didn't get up. Or move.

"Oooops... well, I think he's alright."

Suddenly, Dan ran up, panting. "Bah! I spent 30 bucks on that performance!"

The cacophony of kids stopped, and where 'Ooooo'ing at the trio at the table. Also, a few of their mothers where more then annoyed.

Ran forced a smile, letting one clenched fist uncurl in a very frightening way as she tapped her fingers on the table. "Dan...in all the weeks you've been living with me...you've never failed to surprise me...."

Akuma stared at the younger Hibiki. WEEKS!? He was almost at the end of his rope spending this many hours with Dan, and she's been with him for weeks!? The Dark Shotokan had to restrain himself from bowing before the girl, he never would have guessed at the incredible strength she had to possess.

Dan perked up. "Wait.. you mentioned fiends or whatnot. Why do you need that technique? What exactly is threatening the city?"

The rat began to stir, and Ran immediately jumped up and began kicking him in the spleen with high pitched "HYAH!'s.

Akuma sighed, closing his eyes. Someone as mighty as him being scared of something seemed out of character.

"If I told you, your life would be at risk. I realize I need help, but I doubt anyone would be able to truely assist me, for even I am not a real match. You have done your part, Dan, and helped me in the only way you could. But this is something I must do on my own...”

Dan gave him one of the patented Hibiki Sarcastic Smirks. "But Gouki, I thought we were bonding!"

Akuma made a bahing sound, waving his hand. He picked up the tissue paper dispenser, holding it up for Dan to see. "OK, this is you, right? Supposedly strong and durable on the outside." He knocked on it for good measure. He carefully set it into the middle of the round wooden table. Dan seemed somehow impressed he was a paper dispenser.

"Now." said Akuma forlornly, holding up his clenched fist. "This. This is them."

Slamming his fist down as hard as he could, he connected with the tissue dispenser, which crumpled to nothing under the dismantling blow that further snapped through the table and sent shards of wood flying. What remained teetered for a second, then toppled over sending the remainder of the pizza flying. Blinking, thinking he had overdone it, Akuma suddenly noticed he had lost his mustache... and now everyone was looking at him.

"Hey, isn't that..." said one mother, approaching him. The others where perturbed, but had not recognized him. Suddenly, she broke into half angry, half sad sobs, shouting "AKUMA! YOU'RE AKUMA! YOU KILLED MY OLDEST SON WHEN HE WAS BOARDING THE TRAIN AT TOKEMEDO!!"

At that name, a few others perked up, including one police officer across the room, who immediately unholstered his gun, looking around for the DarkShotokan. Suddenly, he didn't feel so adequately disguised. The woman was going to yell some more, but Dan grabbed her and shoved her out the front entrance, with Ran and Akuma trailing behind.

The girl was out of control, donned in a simple green dress. She was yelling and trying to push through Dan to get to Akuma, who had managed to re-attach his mustache.

She seemed to not want to cooperate, as Ran shut the clear glass door. The rat had gotten up, and was apparently trying to call the police officer over to the front door, grasping his kidneys. The girl began to screech even louder, yelling at Akuma how he's gone and she wouldn't get social security and whatnot, while Akuma just sat there making 'Blah Blah' motions.

"Come on, can't one of you shut her up?"

Dan was frantic. The woman was shrieking now, police intervention was imminent, someone might remember him beating the crap out of that elderly guard gentleman, he had filled up with pizza and had no room for ice cream, he was concerned with the general situation in China even though he didn't know of any situation happening there at the moment, the moon was not in alignment with Venus, he might have left the gas on, and to top it all off, he might miss the Digital Puppet Newstime Hour if he didn't get home soon. So, in order rectify all these situations quickly and easily, Dan was forced to use the only option available.

He headbutted the girl into submission.

The dark skinned Akuma looked confused. "Why are you doing that?"

*WHAM!* Because *WHAM!* good things *WHAM!* seem to happen *WHAM!* when I *WHAM!* sustain injuries *WHAM!* to the head! *WHAM!*

And with that, they both fell on the ground. Dan, however, managed to get up, though very woozy.

A number of people where now watching, confused. Ran was abnormally appalled at this act of injustice towards a poor, single mother, and managed to help her up, dusting her off. Odd, she thought she saw a mist. The girl grabbed her head, wobbly, and Ran walked back as the girl began yelling yet again, this time about suing them all.

But something was amiss. Dan kept trying to shut her up, but Ran could have swore she saw some movement, slight wind rustling by. The people continued staring, completely immobile. Something...something was not right. She looked towards Akuma, who was staring at the girl with a look of complete horror. No... he was staring behind her...

Suddenly, the girl's yelling subsided, cut off instantly like a tape player switching off. Her face contorted in surprise, and she fell over limply. Behind her was a man clad in a dark brown trench coat, covered in dozens of metal studs. He lifted his cowboy hat, leering at them with a pair of black sunglasses.

"I thought I could find you in the dorm, Akuma. But it's nice you brought me some friends to play with....."

Like dominoes, the bystanders fell over one by one,  mindless looks upon their pasty faces, dead eyes staring towards the heavens. The figure whistled a tune, pulling a black leather glove over his viciously clawed hand. Akuma took a step back, seeming on the verge of running.

"You can call me Ren. But I prefer Renoki.." he said subtly, as if what just transcended before him was as normal as waking up in the morning.

Dan stared the new arrival up and down, too aghast by his bloody entrance to ask where Stimpy was. "A friend of yours?" he asked the dark Shotokan.

Akuma responded only by taking a step back, yet he appeared to have regained some of his composure. Renoki tsked tsked, answering for him.

"Akuma has been a naughty, naughty boy. He has broken one of the Three Rules." He took a step forward, adjusting his dark glasses with his left hand.

"He stole second?" Ran asked. A sidelong glare from Akuma kept her from making more quips in her brother’s style. Cautiously stepping behind him, the girl shoved Akuma towards the man called Renoki, having him replace her brother as the first line of defense.

"Ah yes, the Hibiki's, always comedians even in the face of inescapable death."

He chuckled, pulling out a silver revolver, subconsciously spinning it upon his fingers.

"Those who speak of Reod Dai never speak again. Those who hear of Reod Dai never hear again. And those who see one of Reod Dai's henchmen..."

He suddenly aimed to the right, through the glass window of the Chuck E. Cheese's, and fired, shattering the glass and causing a cacophony of screams as the police officer was struck in the head, piercing his left eye in a disgusting implosion as crumpled, hitting the ground in a spray of blood. A stampede was instigated as the entire restaurant fled through the back.

"They, of course, never see again."

Akuma tried to step back, but bumped into Dan andfound his way of retreatblocked off. Damn... this won't end well...

Dan, in a sudden burst of bravado, stepped forward, partially blocking Akuma. "If there were such a thing as inescapable death..." it seemed almost as though he trailed off, looking back at Akuma as his mind partially regressed to times past, "...I would have seen it by now." Turning back to Renoki, the Saikyo-Ryuu practitioner took to a battle ready stance, his cocky grin daring him to aim the gun his way.

"Well, it seems you have already broken all three of the precious rules to survival. Very well."

He holstered his gun, but suddenly Akuma shoved Dan backwards, hard enough so he would have fell backwards if Ran didn't catch him. Renoki's smirk went away as Akuma's fist viciously collided with the side of his face, shattering his glasses and causing him to take an uneasy step backwards.

Akuma stepped back as well, his fist still clenched. Damn... that was like punching a brick wall.... what the hell was this guy? But he heard a dark laugh, as Renoki turned back towards him, his blood red eyes squinted at them. A trickle of blood was running down his lip. Black blood. He smiled, exposing rows of sharp fangs.

"So, you want to make this more interesting for me?"

Grinning, Dan stepped out of his sister’s arms to face the dark being. Cocking his arm back, the Saikyo Psycho summoned up the chi of his soul and willed it into his hand. Brief flashes of energy crackled among his fingertips as he prepared for one of his more 'famous' moves: The Gadoken.

Akuma blinked. He'd seen this pitiful excuse for a fireball before. Renoki was obviously far out of range. The warrior was perplexed until Dan sent a tiny wink his way, still charging the Gadoken. Akuma seemed to catch on, though whether by kinship as former friends, or through some invisible warrior’s instinct, one couldn't be sure. He took to a stance of his own, one that could almost be considered a mutated form of the Crane stance in Kung Fu.

Renoki grinned, "Trying a team up? How noble...but foolish. Alright, try it." He tapped his holstered weapon, as if to reinstate the fact they where a quick draw from death.

Dan brought his hand forward, the strain of keeping the Gadoken pent up for so long showing on his taut features. The ball of chi exploded, leaving a brilliant blue flash of light for a moment as it departed the physical plane. He had changed the execution to make it more of a bomb instead of a projectile, but he didn't count on how that sucker would hurt!

Renoki let out a loud bellow as Dan shook his hand, trying to clear away the pins and needles. "Is that it?" His laughter was cut short, however, as he realized Akuma was no longer there. Wait...behind him! Renoki rolled to his left just in time to avoid the flying feet of the demon fighter spinning past. His attention was taken, however, by the sight of more flying feet and a bright flash of pink heading his way.

"Hah!" cried Dan. The tactic had worked! Yay for last-minute strategies of perfection! "Hah!" Now, hit him with the final thrusting kick! Go Dan, Saikyo Warrior! "HYAH!" This was it! There he was, sailing through the air to his target! Sailing right towards the face of the killer of the innocent! Sailing....right past the bugger as he nonchalantly sidestepped him. Drat. Hello, what's this?

Renoki's massive hands wrapped around the ankle of the Saikyo Ryuu warrior, spinning him around once before throwing him onto hard concrete. Turning back to Akuma, he faced down the Shotokan warrior with all the pride of a Roman god. "Let's end this, okay?" Reaching down, he grasped for the pistol he carried...only to realize it wasn't there any longer.

Akuma roared, charging towards him with the speed of a freight train. Renoki stood there, impassive. That cocky bastard...

"The last punch wasn't full force! TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE!!"

Seething with anger, he punched out with as much might as he could muster, and connected directly into Renoki's chest with enough force to shatter stone. Only his fist kept going, THROUGH Renoki, and he stood slack jawed as the image faded away.

"So predictable." purred Renoki, who had manifested directly behind Dan. The Hibiki had enough time to turn around before Renoki's vicious clawed right hand grasped the back of his neck, lifting him up into the air and leaving his feet kicking pitifully.

"Your pointless lives shall be wasted no longer. In a week this pitiful town and soon all of Japan will be ash." He smiled, slowly squeezing.

"Be happy you three shall get a quick death."

Dan gacked, but still smiled, though the figure behind him couldn't see it. Holding up his left hand, he revealed the silver revolver, glimmering in the sunlight. Renoki had time to bug his blood red eyes before Dan aimed it backwards, simply uttering 'Boom."

The bullet tore through his skull, leaving a gaping hole. Dan was dropped to the ground, and he quickly leapt to his feet staring at Renoki., panting while rubbing his neck. But the hole remained, and no blood vacated the spot...

"Try, try again." said Renoki's voice, this time out in the street. His previous image wafted away, and he stood bored, looking at one of the fallen innocents with a look of genuine disgust.

Dan continually fired from the revolver, each shot dissipating an image but yet another one took its place. And each image was closer then the last...

Suddenly, a dozen Renoki's appeared, each walking slowly towards Dan. He constantly fired, striking different ones and watching as they vanished, another manifesting in their place.

"You'll never find the real me in time, Dan." purred Renoki, as each of the 12 images displayed their vicious claws, only ten feet away...

Akuma blanched. "What the hell? This guy really IS a ghost!"

Ran, upon hearing the word 'ghost', suddenly had an idea and pulled out her camera from under her shirt, aiming at the images and taking a photo.

*FLASH!* Skreeeeeeeee--

And the images vanished in a flash of light, leaving the real Renoki hissing in pain grasping his eyes. Dan aimed, and fired, connecting with his shoulder in a spray of black blood. Roaring, Renoki vanished. Invisible.

Each of the trio glanced around, hearing his laughter but not seeing where he is. Which one would he choose...

And he appeared behind Ran, grasping her hand that was clutching the camera with his horrendous claw. The squeezing grasp shattered the camera, and he lifted her up into the air by her arm. He smiled, putting her in front of him so Dan couldn't fire.

"I don't like cameras. The gun, if you please..."

Cursing, no choice in the matter, Dan threw the gun across the ground, and Renoki bent over to pick it up. Now.. Now was his
chance. Akuma was dumbfounded, apparently giving up, but Dan had one more trick up his sleeve.

He has her....

The sky was dark. True, to the average passer-by a few storm clouds were gathering, but to one man, the very air around him grew black as pitch. The swirling clouds of darkness pierced through him, grating his bones together in a horrendous cacophony of internal torment. The vision of this man was blurred, the faint blue streaks of lightning and towering arches of green flames availing him not. Through the dark shroud of nothingness, a vision appeared to this lone warrior. One whose clothing, skin, his very soul made the dark blackness around him seem to shine like gold.

Your target, now...

Dan's eyes flickered to the man before him, this mutilated dog, Renoki. The towering form of this stud-clad man was far from impressive. The fires within him were weak, powerless against the flames of his own soul. A soul that burned, wrapped in chains and begging for release. That release came, the chains snapping like balsa wood from the liquid power contained within his body.

Roll! He can't shoot you!

The mongrel, the steaming pestilence grew before him. In the massive arms the degraded beast, he held a victim. The prize.

He's stunned! Use it now!

The dark man's power made itself known, burying itself into the weak, crumbling mass of the stud-clad one's skull. The victim flew free, scrambling through the darkness into whatever safe haven she could find. With her gone, there was no lock, no barrier, and no boundary his fury had to adhere to.

A kick now. The shining darkness was a horrendous, and yet, beautiful thing to watch and hear as bone snapped beneath its strength. But still, the studded man would not be allowed to move. Two more strikes, breaking the supports for this tower of arrogance before him. The silver weapon, the weak tool fell to the ground with an all-too-silent ping.

Kick, the brute force of the ankle in the fragile jaw line sent the trenchcoatted figure into a half-spin, disorienting it. Not that it mattered, as something of his kind has no direction in the first place. Another kick completed the spin, bringing the dark man's face to stare at the villains' again.

Now! DO IT NOW!

The bright flames of anguish, hurt, revenge, all were sent forth. The broken figure coughed once as the dark energies surrounded him, binded his black soul in chains the likes of which the dark man had burst from momentsearlier. Into the air, the ebony sky he was sent.
 

The final blow, like a rising blaze of lighting, struck him across the chest. Blood flew, skin ripped apart, and the grinding sounds of tortured bones brought innumerable pleasure to the dark mans ears. He was sated, but that brought a price. As they returned to the dead, cold earth, chains of his own making sprang up again like venomous snakes, ensnaring him once more. He cried out, his body and mind straining in a futile struggle to free himself once more, to seek additional vengeance.

No! I'm through!

But alas, he was forced back to the cave, back underground, back to seethe and await the sweet release of his dark passions
again.

Dan and Renoki, both somehow managing to land on their feet, shook woozily. Dan's eyes were a haze of colors. The dark green of the grass, the blue of Ran's' uniform, the flaming crimson of Akuma's hair....but they were blending together, until he could see no more...

"Dan!" the younger Hibiki cried. Despite the frightening display she just witnessed, she rushed to the fainted brother’s side.

Akuma gawked at two things: Dan's attack was incredible, he moved faster then he had ever thought him able to move. That attacked...Hissou Burai Ken...flashed green? Also... He heard the snapping and saw the blood fly from Renoki... yet Renoki continued to stand.

"In..Interesting. Such foolish mortals.." He seemed barely affected, spitting out blood. His bones had obviously been snapped in dozens of places, but his slouching stance had began to correct itself, as he stood up straight, his wounds instantly coagulating..

Renoki suddenly reached down, grasping for his gun.

"But now it's over." Renoki purred, grasping the polished handle and beginning to raise it towards the trio.

"ROOOAORRRRR!!" Akuma snarled, bolting forward. Dan was out, unconscious or worse, and that mattered now. Renoki arched the gun, aiming it at the Shotokan Master, but he had already Ashura Warped, manifesting in front of the demon and giving him enough time to mouth out a feeble ‘No!” before grasping his body.  The world went black, a thousand snaps echoing through the air, the sound of Renoki’s very spirit wrenching and ripping, his own inner darkness bursting out and destroying him. The power of the Shun Goku Satsu.

In a flash, quicker then an onlooker could notice after Renoki was grasped, he slumped limp against the ground, his revolver clattering next to him. Moaning, he turned around towards Dan.

"D-Dan...." mumbled Akuma, lifting up his fallen comrade. "I guess I could have helped a bit more..."

And Ran screamed. There was a whoosh of motion, and a light clink. Renoki's body was gone, along with his gun. He hadn't been killed...

Dan awoke, slumped upon Ran's bed. Akuma stood impassive, to the side of the bed, staring out the window. Dabbing Dan with a washcloth, Ran managed to mumble out if he was alright. To his side, Dan found that his arm had been cocked over the green tortoise doll. He had a feeling Ran would've chosen the penguin doll, if it hadn't still been in the wash.

The Saikyo-Ryuu practitioner, stubborn idgit that he was, attempted to stand. This, however, caused major problems as butt loads of pain shot through him in more areas than just his rectum. He groaned, mentally adding that while good things did some to happen when he received blows to the head, there was often a lot of pain and unconsciousness to deal with.

"Dan? Are you okay? Say something..." Ran pleaded.

"Something." he replied. He thought he heard a slightly disgusted groan from Akuma, but shrugged it off. Not physically, of course.

".....turns out your the hero in this little charade, Dan. All I could think of was how helpless the situation was, how to save myself.... All this time you truly where stronger then me, even if it wasn't through brute strength."

He continued to stare out the window, impassive as a statue.

"Really....Heh, you need to be more sure of what you talk about, Gouki."

Ran piped in again, tired of being out of the loop. "Dan, just how do yout wo know each other?"

Dan seemed puzzled, as if trying to recollect a faded memory. "Remember Gou...I mean, Uncle Gouken?" they both smiled, remembering Ran's humorous habit of dubbing anyone her father knew 'Uncle'. "Well, meet his brother."

Ran turned to the Akuma, staring at the statuesque man as if seeing him in a new light. "I have a new Uncle, do I? Yippy Skippy." The deadpan exclamation made both of the Hibiki's brake into a few slightly forced giggles.

Akuma looked distraught. If he was embarrassed, he didn't show it on the outside.

"This is something I should do on my own. You have a life now, Dan.  Yet, I won't forget I have allies now, despite how much I think I don't need them..."

He held out a hand, in order to shake.

Renoki chuckled inwardly, perched atop the roof across from Ran’s dorm. He stared through the lit window, watching Akuma’s formed bending over Dan’s, young Ran sitting in a chair in the background. Such fools... he looked over his body. His wounds had healed completely, and he felt good as new. Nobody could defeat him, he was Complete, fully Darkstalker and fully Human, yet possessing none of the weaknesses of the two...

He arched his silver revolver, glinting in the shining moonlight. He closed one dark, blood red eye, aiming directly in the middle of Akuma’s spine. Yes.. a painful death. One befitting such a hapless fool who dared to oppose Reod Da--

But as he began to pull the trigger, his arm froze, numb pains arching through it. Trembling, he attempted to move it, but it appeared to have a mind of it’s own. Abruptly, pain shooting through it like Renoki had never experienced, it lurched upwards, instead aiming for the heavens. Wait... he had experienced this sensation once before... at a happy little wedding...

“Karrion.” he rasped, trying to stare behind himself but unable to move. From the impenetrable darkness strode in a massive figure, seven feet tall and rippling with powerful muscles as taught as an iron cable. He was clad in purple spandex, his black hair combed backwards. He stared at Renoki, yet his eyes did not glow blood red....

Hissing, Renoki swiped at the figure with his clawed hand, only an inch too short. Karrion merely looked on with interest.

“Must you resort to such crude means of exterminating your prey?” he cooed. Renoki spat, hissing and exposing his vicious fangs.

“This is not a matter for you, boy. Run back home to your daddy.” The look of pure contempt in his eyes where genuine, the slashes as he tried to vivisect his once truest of friends genuine as well. This time, the look in Karrion’s eyes where that of sadness.

“You are not Renoki, are you. And you haven’t been for a long time..” With that, he waved his hand, and Renoki’s arm aiming towards the heavens trembled, the revolver falling from his grasp as he roared in pain. His back suddenly arched painfully backwards, his shoulders almost touching the ground as he fell to his knees. Painful snaps resonated through his body, and his screams faded to painful wheezes.

“Leave him...” Karrion stated simply, clenching his outstretched hand. His back arched even more, his arms snapping like sticks and dropping helplessly at his side, his kneecaps popping out as his ribcage slowly imploded. Sputtering up blood blacker then oil, he howled inhumanly.

“LEAVE HIM!!” roared Karrion, as a black mist seeped through his crumpled body, manifesting into the lean, sleek form of a minor Darkstalker. It stared with unabated hate at Karrion, hissing while baring it’s teeth dripping with vile poison.

Leaping, it attempted to sink it’s fangs into Karrion, who merely rose his arm and grasped it by the neck, squeezing with a look of contempt in his eyes. But instead, Renoki moaned painfully, wheezing. The Darkstalker’s spirit was merged with Renoki.. if the Darkstalker died, so did Renoki. And visa versa..

Dropping the squirming Darkstalker, he walked towards his prone friend. Not hesitating in the slightest, the Darkstalker leapt, latching onto Karrion’s rippling back and sinking in it’s teeth, oozing out poison and slashing with claws like daggers. But these attacks where almost completely ineffective, barely able to scratch the resilient hide of the dark figure as he knelt next to Renoki.

“C..Carrey.. at last I see you with my own eyes..” he sputtered, drooling out blood. A pleading look was in his eyes as Karrion took his head in his arms. He mouthed out “I’m.. sorry..” as his neck was snapped in one smooth motion. The Darkstalker squealed, and slumped off, dissipating into the night air. He stood up, backing away from his friend who had truly died years ago. He stared at his hands.. the blood was red... he had died a human.

Turning towards the pale moon, basking in his essence, he did  not regret what he had done. Reod Dai may have created him,
but he would never controlhim. Never.

Ran inwardly sighed. Dan meekly raised his hand, and the two shook. Her brother knew he shouldn't move yet, but every fighter she knew had too much pride to acknowledge their own weakness. Uncle Gouki and Dan seemed like two of a kind, if only for a second.

Akuma perked up, turning to suddenly stare out the window. He thought he heard a blood-curdling scream...

"I... don't think Renoki will be a problem now..." he muttered. He had a feeling Renoki was nothing compared to the problem he would face now. And his look of dread was visually apparent.

"I should be leaving now."

Dan looked puzzled. While one part of his wanted him to stay, vague memories of his last encounter still rang true in his mind. Best to let him get on with his business. "Good luck." Akuma only made a slight nod in response,laying his hand upon Ran's shoulder for the briefest of seconds. Then he left, not turning back. He laid his head back into the soft pillows, glad he didn't see a brick waiting to nail him on the head again. Things were noisier in this city than either he or Gouken had believed.