The Crow: The Ravenous Wolf

"The Wolf?" The first man chuckled. "You got a Wolf on your list Mike?"

"No Brian, do you?"

"No. Well look here Wolf. You ain't on no fucking lists. Choi if very clear that if you ain't on no lists you don't come in his fucking club."

"If you get out of my way I'll let you live." Terry replied still walking towards the door as if the two behemoths didn't matter to him.

"You know how to fight little man?" Brian asked balling a fist and stepping off the stair onto the dirty street.

"Do you know how to die?" Terry replied. He hadn't stopped walking towards his goal, the double doors yet.

"Lotta talk coming out a little man in make up." Brian lowered his shoulder and charged like the linebacker he'd been before Geese hired him. In a blur of motion Terry fell to his side tripping Brian into a face plant on the concrete already drawing first blood. He was still watching Brian when Michael ran up preparing to stomp his skull into the ground. A slight tilt of the head was enough to avoid the monstrous book the first time, the second time he gripped Mike's foot and twisted hard. Back on his feet Terry continued walking towards the now unguarded doors paying no attention to the men behind him.

"Little punk!" Mike shouted running up behind Terry and capturing him in a massive bear hug crushing him. If Terry had still been alive it would have been an excellent move. His ribs would be breaking and he wouldn't be breathing. In his current state Mike only managed to pop his back before Terry stomped down on his foot and drove his head back into Mike's nose.

There was sickening popping noise as flesh, bone and cartilage all gave way and his nose broke. "Power Dunk!" Terry shouted bringing both hands together and swinging hard enough to lift Mike up off his feet. Before gravity could bring him down Terry leapt up and gripped Mike's skull a black flame forming as he accelerated toward the ground. The concrete gave way splintering beneath Mike's skull but his skull was completely destroyed. The puddle of flesh that Terry lifted his hand from barely resembled a human skull.

Terry slowly turned his attention to Brian whose wide eyes were focused on what had been his friend's face only a few seconds before. "You're fucking dead freak!"

"I know. So is your friend. So will you if you don't leave me the fuck alone." Terry stood up barely paying attention to the crow form the spilled blood had taken. With a roar of pure rage Brian rushed Terry again barely missing as Terry leapt back then ducked beneath a mighty swing. There was no way that lumbering giant would have been able to catch Terry normally so now he couldn't even get close to touching him. After a particularly wide swing Terry ducked beneath Brian's arm and sat down on the stairs crossing his legs. "I'm bored, why don't you leave?" Brian lunged forward and Terry leaned his head to one side and stood up driving his head into Brian's nose bloodying him. "Last chance." Terry smiled settling back down onto the stairs.

"Freak!" Brian growled bringing both hands down to crush Terry. Both hands found their marks slamming against his shoulders. Terry casually reached up grabbing Brian's wrists and twisting till both snapped.

"Power Wave!" Terry shouted slamming his fist into the ground. The resulting blast of black energy sent Brian flying back into the street where he tumbled backwards skidding to a halt in the middle of the street. "A waste of my time. Watch the door." Terry said as he continued approaching the closed doors of Club Orochi.

"Bring her out!"

"Where's the ninja bitch!"

"Mai! Mai! Mai! Mai!"

The calls for the star of Club Orochi were deafening tonight as they always were when they knew that the famous former ninja was coming out for them. "Don't keep your fan's waiting babe." The man speaking was short, barely four and a half feet tall. Unlike the other owners he was dressed in a pair of brown slacks and dirty white shirt. "Get out there." He slapped Mai on her rump smiling up at her.

Mai could have beaten Choi any day of the week but she didn't. When he told her to step out onto the stage she obeyed. The lights in the club dimmed as stiletto heels clicked out onto the stage. The leggy ninja was dressed in a red thong and a skirt slit on both side all the way to the hip on either side. "Wooo!" The club started getting louder as they saw her strut out kicking her leg up over her head and catch the pole in one hand. A fake smile curled over her painted red lips and blue eyes caked with make up.

"Damn check that ass. Why don't you come over here honey?" A man dressed in a leather jacket and a mesh shirt taunted holding a hundred dollar bill in one hand and waving it up toward the stage.

It never ceased to bring a tear to her eye to know that she was just a piece of a meat to these men. It was worse that she had to pretend she liked it. Mai snapped back looking at him over her head as she continued to lean back wrapping her legs around the pole and easing down till her back was against the floor.

"What's your name big boy?" Mai rolled over onto her hands and knees making certain that she whipped her hair around as she rolled over crawling towards the man.

"Austin." He grinned leaning up so his elbows were on the stage.

"Austin." Mai smiled as she slipped the top of her out fit off letting her breast sway beneath her just shy of the floor. "Such a sexy beast." She lowered herself even more letting her black hair drag across the stage until she was right at the edge her tits hanging in his face. "That for me?" She teased leaning forward and capturing the bill between her teeth.

"Hold still." He commanded. Mai frowned again knowing the humiliation that was about to come. He held out his mug of beer and turned it over her head laughing as her make up ran and she held still. "I love fucking with these bitches." Austin sneered as the doors literally exploded off the hinges and into the club knocking several of the patrons over.

The man who stepped through the doorway was dressed in a sleeveless red jacket with a blood red star on the back stepped in slowly looking around. "Where's Mai?" The few patrons who weren't already scrambling back towards the walls pointed to the stage. "She's coming with me?" Terry said turning up toward the stage.

"She's not going with you clown." Choi taunted leaping to Mai's back stroking his blades along her throat. "The boss told me you might be coming so I sent for somebody." The twisted little man's smile widened as he drew a line of blood across the young beauty's throat. "Get out here!"

The door at the far side of the room opened and a man stepped into the room. Like Terry he had long blonde hair pulled away from his face in a pony tail. Also like Terry he also had fair skin and shining blue eyes. He was clad in a pure white vest that matched the silver arm and shin guards he wore over his white pants. "I guess I can take that apology back brother." Andy smiled slightly as he looked at his older brother.

Terry and Andy were standing facing each other at the entrance of Geese Tower. "Only one way to find out who will fight him." Andy said as a smile curled his lips and he settled into his stance.

There was a smile on Terry face as he prepared to face off against his younger brother. No aggression, no hatred existed between them two. There was a feeling that neither one of them could have expressed but both recognized. The love of battle, the thrill of a worthy opponent. The pure rush of adrenaline coursing through their veins.

The fight had only lasted a few moments before Terry backed away. "Another time Andy. We have to stop Geese."

Andy had stared at his brother looking up at the tower beside them. Their destiny waited for them at the top of that structure. Geese had started reading the Scrolls of Immortality. Time was wasting. "We'll finish this another time."

"Promise me."

"I promise, I'll fight you and I'll win." Andy reached out and took Terry's hand shaking."

"You'll try."

"You'll try." Terry replied stepping farther into the room. "We can still put this off brother."

"No can do bro." Andy replied dashing at Terry and driving his shoulder into Terry's chest sending him into the circle of men watching the fight. They gripped Terry's arms and pushed him back into the middle of the room.

"I don't want to fight you." Terry grunted kicking a few chairs out of his way as he looked at Andy.

"I promised you this years ago. Fight me." Andy smiled leaping gracefully up onto one of the tables as he continued to approach. Andy leapt from one table to the next rapidly approaching his brother in what looked to be his standard double leg kick. It never impacted; instead he hit the floor just shy of Terry and slid beneath him thrusting one palm up. "HISHOKEN!" The blue white blast of energy lifted Terry from his feet. In a blur of movement Andy had Terry in a head lock crushing his brother's throat. "Don't hold back."

"Why are you fighting me?" Terry grunted forcing his voice through the hold.

"He'll kill Mai. I have to fight you." Andy whispered in his brother's ear tightening the grasp. "Don't hold back. I would rather die fighting you for Mai's life than live on as Geese's puppet."

Andy leapt backwards landing on one of the tables smiling as he stared at his older brother adjusting his weight as he watched his brother.

I won't kill my own brother. Terry thought as he looked up at his brother. His eyes shifted from his brother to the surrounding crowd were starting to cheer for the battle. Up on the stage Choi still had his bladed fingertips pressed up against Mai's throat drawing just enough blood that any sudden movement would probably kill her. Then he turned back to Andy who just smiled and nodded beckoning him forward.

The love of battle was something the two brothers had always been able to share and it was no different today fighting to the death. There was a look in Andy's eyes that ignited the Terry's spirit and threatened to split his face in two with the huge smile on his face. "Let's see if you've improved bro." Terry ran toward the table Andy was standing attempting to kick his brother's feet out from beneath him.

"I've learned a lot brother!" Andy grunted as he back flipped off the table kicking it into Terry before landing on his back and rolling back to his feet. He jumped back onto the table throwing a furious series of kicks at his older brother. One after the other Terry blocked everything his brother had to offer moving up onto one of the chairs and eventually joining his brother on the table. Both brothers were smiling as the battle intensified leaping from table to table spilling drinks and destroying the furniture as they fought.

"POWER W-"

"HISHOK-"

The rest of their words were lost in the roar of energy that resulted from Andy's blue white blast of energy slamming into Terry's Power Wave driving both men back. "I'm impressed bro. Didn't think you were that strong." Terry praised.

"Oh I'm much stronger than that." Andy smiled holding his hands straight out at his sides as his energy suddenly spiked. "This is for you Terry, and for you Mai. And for me. SEN-PU-KEN!" Andy vanished into the heart of his hurricane punch. Terry had only been on the receiving end of this move once before, when Wolfgang Krauser had mimicked the attack. He was no where near as proficient in the move as Andy was. All the tables and chairs were instantly lifted from the floor during the furious attack forcing the roaring crowd to duck behind whatever they could find to avoid the furniture. Blow after blow landed against Terry's flawless defense keeping barely able to hold up. He felt himself inching backwards till his back was flat against the wall as Andy grunted intensifying the assault. Andy roared again spinning faster and finally sweeping his older brother into the tornado.

"Holy shit!" The crowd roared as Terry vanished. A minute later Andy stopped facing the crowd as Terry landed with a thud behind him splitting a table in two.

"I'm sorry brother." Andy flipped back onto Terry's chest then brought his heel down snapping Terry's skull back against the floor.

Andy only got to take one step before Terry's hand shot out gripping his ankle. "It's not enough Andy, it'll never be enough." Andy watched in horror as his brother's head slowly settled back into its proper place on his shoulders. "I'm already dead."

"Don't hold back."

"Don't worry I won't." Terry replied. "BURN KNUCKLE!" Andy didn't get a chance to replied before the his brother's signature attack sent him back into the wall. Andy fought his way back to feet before collapsing to one knee. I won't.

Andy looked up at his older brother spitting up a mouthful of blood as she stared at Terry. "Finish it Terry."

"No." Andy growled and rushed Terry preparing to drive his shoulder into Terry's chest.

"Infernal Geyser!" Terry struck the ground summoning a purple and black flame beneath Andy that slammed him into the roof. Andy was about to hit the floor when Terry slammed his fist into the ground a second and third time juggling Andy's body between the roof and his power before letting him hit the floor. As soon as Andy hit the floor Terry was by his side cradling his head. "Andy!"

"Thank you." Andy whispered reaching one hand up to his brother's eyes. "Save Mai. Kill Geese for me." He gasped before collapsing in his brother's arms.

"We'll meet again someday bro." Terry reached up closing his brother's eyes and laying him down. Dipping one finger into the blood he painted a crow on Andy's bare chest. Then he stood up and started walking towards Choi. He gripped his cap and threw it back over his shoulder where it landed on his brother's chest.

"Let her go." Terry growled as he stood up and started walking calmly toward Choi and Mai.

"I'll kill her." He pushed the blade a little farther.

"I just killed my own brother. The fuck makes you think I won't let her die just to kill you?" Terry didn't hesitate at all as he walked toward the little man. He could practically smell the fear in the little man's sweat.

"Shit!" Choi shouted as he released Mai and attempted to run.

He only managed to take a single step before he felt Terry's fist between his shoulders. "Blaster Wolf!" The Blaster Wolf sent Choi flying through the air where he slammed head first into wall dying instantly. Mai ran past Terry to the corpse of her dead lover cradling his head and wailing.

"Damn Terr, you're amazing." Joe said as he and the others entered the club. When he turned his attention to Mai and Andy. "Oh my god."

Terry turned his back to his brother and walked out of the club. "I'm going to Geese Tower. It's time I finished this."

Chapter 4

Wolf and Cub

The crow soared over head in the light of the moon guiding Terry's footsteps through the dingy streets of South Town. Beneath the black starless sky Terry ran flanked by Joe and Benimaru toward the intimidating Geese Tower. From where the three of them were you could only see the bottom half of the fortress, the rest of it was shrouded in angry grey clouds that promised rain in the not to distant future. It always seemed to rain when Terry was in that damned place and today would be no different.

"What's the plan?" Joe shouted struggling to keep pace with Terry who was able to tirelessly keep up the same steady pace.

"Break in, destroy the Scrolls of Immortality, kill Geese." Terry replied keeping his eyes locked on the goal. The crow left his side suddenly to fly up to the tower showing Terry what he already knew. There was a welcoming committee standing at the gates of the Tower and farther up a blonde man in a black suit stared down as if he could see through the clouds to his men below. The bird landed on windowsill just outside of that office joining the man in staring down at the world below.

"Break in? He's got a small army Terry. Lead by Rock, I know you never met him he was out of the country when you were still alive. He's Geese's son and it definitely shows. Got some of your moves to man." Joe shot back.

"He's not that tough." Benimaru replied. "Just a punk with an army to back him. One on one I would dance all around him."

"I don't doubt you Terr but watch him." Terry didn't even bother to give that statement a reply as the three of them continued to run forward.

"Stop." A man shouted. He was dressed in a sleep black shirt that clung to his slender frame and pair of slacks. Over that he wore a red and white jacket that accentuated his red eyes and blonde hair. He looked exactly like Geese must have when he was a boy.

"Rock." Terry stopped in his tracks staring at the young man before him. He'd never ever met the boy before but he instantly had a kinship with him.

The two of them were standing in a dojo side by side practicing a kata. "I'm not like my father." Rock growled nearly missing one of his steps.

Terry turned slowly lifting one leg and pivoting on the other foot. "I know your not. Fighting is in your blood but you're no murderer."

"Then why does it feel like I'm cursed to be just like him?" Rock trembled as he continued to mirror his master's movements.

"I don't know but I'll help you find out. The tournament is starting again in New South Town, if there are answers for you there is no better place to start.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Rock sneered stepping forward and whipping his jacket off tossing it to the wind. "My father killed you once." Rock continued approaching. Behind him were at least a dozen fighters and behind them several units of Geese's private armor clad in their black Kevlar and helmets as they waited for instructions. "I'll kill you again."

"It's a shame." Terry pulled of his own jacket tossing it to one side. "In another time we might have been friends."

"I didn't choose this Terry. I didn't ask to be born the son of a criminal kingpin." Rock was holding his arms clenching down so tight that his nails had broken the skin. Blood was dripping down his arms as he looked up at him. "I try so hard to be good and then this happens!"

Terry stared at his teary eyed student then down at the man lying at his feet. He would live though he would probably never walk properly again. His name, not that it mattered was Duck King, a minor crook from the old days. Rock had beaten him pretty badly, a bloody lip and nose, one eye was swollen shut and probably a broken arm too. "He attacked you, it was self defense."

"Don't fucking lie to me Terry!" Rock screamed squeezing more blood from his arms. "It was self defense when I blocked his attack. It was self defense when I hit him with the Repuken and the Shine Knuckle. It stopped being self defense around the time I mounted him and started slamming his face into the concrete!"

Terry looked down at the man one last time before he heard something.

"Caw!" The crow had returned to sit on the wall watching the battle. What are these visions? The crow canted its head to one side cawing again. How things could be? Should be? Again his animal companion offered only a caw and nod in response.

Rock had simply smiled in response to Terry raising his fists and preparing to fight. He pointed one side and his gangsters instantly started circling the two fighters, with a second motion the soldiers did the same forming the other half of the semicircle.

"Get back." Terry motioned to Benimaru and Joe who joined the circle to watch the coming battle. "If you surrender now I might not kill you." Terry lowered his eyes glaring at the boy. Rock couldn't possibly be out of his teens yet Terry could feel his power in waves. He was certainly an impressive young man.

Terry was battered, beaten beyond even his ability to stand and deliver when Rock delivered the Shine Knuckle sending some demon flying through a distant wall. "Nobody touches my master." He growled in a low angry voice. The demon came flying back through the wall but Rock was waiting. Terry sensed what Rock was going to do, tried to plead with him but he didn't have the strength. Rock and Grant, the demon, flew at each other and vanished into a flash of light.