The Crow: The Ravenous Wolf

"If you surrender now I might take you to my father to die."

"Stop talking and fight. C'mon." Terry motioned him forward smiling at the young man.

Rock slammed his fist into the ground summoning a wave of energy then slammed the other. "INFINITE REPUKEN!" He roared sending wave after wave of energy against Terry. Even blocked the first blast was enough to grind Terry backwards. The night was lit up with the repeated blasts of energy engulfing the undead warrior.

"Holy shit." Joe muttered his jaw dropping at the show of power. Similar grunts of agreement echoed from all the fighters watching and their disbelief only increased.

Terry had his arms crossed to shield his face and he started walking forward through the barrage. He looked like he was stepping through a storm each new blast forcing him to slow down. "Not bad Rock!" He shouted as a purple and black flame formed around him slowly expanding till the Repukens were harmlessly crashing into them. "Senpuken." Terry shouted thrusting his arms out and becoming the terrible hurricane that blasted its way through the Infinite Repuken and into Rock.

There was a grin on Rock's face as the attack slammed into his defenses.

"I love a good fight don't you?" Rock asked as he parried Terry's Burn Knuckle following it quickly with a Shine Fist of his own.

"There's nothing like it." Terry ducking beneath the attack and then putting his hands up.

"One day you'll give me a real fight won't you?"

"Of course, as soon as your grown up cub." Terry taunted.

Rock grit his teeth and but held his ground as he stared into Terry's eyes starting to push back against the attack driving them towards the center of the circle. "SEN-PU-KEN!" Terry shouted increasing the power of his attack. The look on Rock's face turned from confident to excited as the attack started batting his fists aside nearly connecting with his face.

"POWER GEYSER!" Rock shouted slamming his gloved fist into the asphalt and sending a pillar of energy beneath his attacker. The blast sent Terry tumbling through the air landing on his back.

"Impossible." Joe whispered.

"What?" Beni replied still impressed with the attack.

"Only Geese has ever blocked the Senpuken and that Infinite Repuken was incredible. That alone would have been enough to put me down."

"I'm impressed Rock. You got some heart." Terry grinned reaching up to fix his hair before charging. Rock only grinned smugly and met Terry's charge the two clashing the center of the circle. The two warriors met in a flurry of attacks that left most of the spectators a behind. Only Joe and Benimaru were keeping up with the incredible speed of the two warriors. It was the kind of fight a man waited his entire life to see, two men who loved the fight fighting for the love of it. Even though they were fighting to the death there was none of the animosity of the earlier battles, just the thundering flow of adrenaline in their ears. Finally a blast knocked Terry into Joe's arms nearly knocking him over.

"Get up man."

"I'm up, I'm up. Kids pretty tough. Got some of my moves." Terry grinned getting back to his feet and pushing a stray strand of hair back behind his face. On the opposite side of the circle Rock was being helped back to his feet by one of the soldiers. "I don't want to hurt the kid anymore though."

"What are you saying?" Joe asked.

Terry glanced at his friend over his shoulder. "That it's over." He turned back toward Rock and grinned charging toward the younger warrior. Both men had covered about half the distance when they attacked.

"BLASTER WOLF!" Terry shouted nearly vanishing in the blur of motion.

He was met exactly in the center of the circle as Rock roared "SHINE KNUCKLE!"

Everybody could see what happened after that. The two warriors were locked fist to fist auras flaring as each braced waiting for the other to give way. Sweat beaded down Rock's face magnifying every detail of his grimacing face. Terry for his part showed no sign of the strain of maintaining the attack. The light from where the two men were joined grew in sparks until the sky itself responded drenching the two warriors in a deluge.

It felt like forever but it had only lasted fifteen seconds when a stroke of lightning marked the end of the struggle. There was a blast of energy so immense it knocked all the spectators flat on their backs blinding them all. A cloud of dust shrouded the crater where a single survivor stood with his arms hanging at his sides.

Chapter 5

Dark Gods for Eternity

The man standing in the center of the circle looked around slowly as the spectators got back to their feet.

"Terry got him." Joe bragged from his knees not even bothering to stand. Benimaru nodded slicking his pink hair back and looking at the victor with a smile.

The man left standing wasn't Terry however, it was Rock. His clothing had been left in shreds just barely hanging around his body. "Got him." Rock gasped before falling to his knees barely catching himself before hitting the ground face first. The dust that had shrouded him from sight a moment ago clung to his heaving sweaty body. "I got him." He put one knee up and then rested his hand on it pushing himself up.

"I don't believe it." Joe whispered as Rock got back to his feet. "Where is Terry?"

"Terry Bogard is dead father. What now?" Rock shouted.

"Kill the others. You my son come to the Tower."

"Wait." A hand shot up from the soft dirt of the crater searching for something solid to grasp onto. The only thing it found was Rock's leg so it kept its grip pulling upward. Inch by inch Terry's dirty frame once again pulled itself from a grave. As soon as he was back on his feet he smiled and snapped his head back getting his muddy hair out of his face.

Rock stared down at Terry emerging from the grave like he was staring at a ghost. The color dropped from his face as his knees started to buckle. "Impossible. Nothing could have survived that."

"I didn't survive it." Terry fought his way to his knees staring up at the awe struck Rock.

"You're not human." Rock muttered still unable to will any motion into his paralyzed body. "Why? Why'd you take the blast? I couldn't keep that up any longer."

"It's not your fault that you're life turned out like this. You deserve a chance to be good. We'll fight again cub." Terry growled as he pulled himself completely out of the dirt clenching one fist around Rock's throat and lifting the young warrior off the ground. Fists pummeled against him but he paid them no heed as he brought Rock intimately close to him. There was a moment when the two warriors, Hungry Wolf and Cub could have kissed if that had been the intention. Instead they stood together as Terry drew all of Rock's pain into himself.

"I don't want to do that father!" Rock shouted as he looked down at the beaten warrior whose skull was beneath his foot.

"No child of mine is going to be a worthless punk!" Geese shouted backhanding his son. It wasn't enough to knock him over, it was barely enough to split his lip but more than enough to get his attention. Rock's gaze snapped angrily towards his father, the dark energy inside him surging to the surface. "That's it. That is how you should feel in a fight!" Rock's hands curled back into angry fists as he stared up at his father. "Finish him and come one." A second slap across the face doubled Rock's rage. "And don't even think of raising your fists to me."

Rock looked down at the warrior. He never known that his name was Duck King, he used to work for his Father in the old days. It didn't matter; the man was an enemy of Geese and had to die. The idea of fighting his father brought back a pain to his side. The memory of having his right arm and three ribs broken was enough to cause him physical pain. With a sigh he looked down at the unconscious warrior and brought his foot up. A second later there was a dull pop as Rock's foot crushed the man's skull.

Terry dropped Rock and collapsed to his knees clutching his skull and screaming. Joe and Benimaru instantly ran to their friend's side resting their hands on Terry's shoulders. Rock stared at him dully not understanding why he felt so light. "What did you do?" Rock collapsed beside Terry one arm wrapped protectively around the man he'd just stopped fighting against.

"I took your pain." Terry gasped as he braced himself against his knee and stood back up. "Don't waste your chance kid." Terry grinned.

"I'm coming for you Geese!" Terry shouted staring at the incredible tower just beyond the guarded gates.

One of the soldiers lifted his hand his ear trying to drown out the sound of the rain. "Repeat orders please. Eliminate targets Rock Howard, Joe Higashi and Benimaru Nikaido. Orders received. What of Terry Bogard? Let him pass? Understood." The soldier speaking made a few quick motions and the others made an opening just large enough for a single man to pass through.

"I'll kill each and every one of you." Terry growled bringing his fists up and slowly looking around the circle.

"Terr man, we got this. It's only thirty of em." Joe smiled brazenly slicking his hair back and looking around the circle of men.

"And not a single of them can hold a candle to this kind of beauty." Beni added standing with his back to Joe's as he looked out at the men meaning to kill him.

"I can't-"

"You can." Rock assured him getting to his feet and looking out at the men who had obeyed his orders only minutes before.

"I-" Terry began.

Joe punched him hard on the arm. "You can. You didn't come back from the dead to protect us. You came back to kill Geese. So go do it!" Joe shouted as the fighters finally grew weary of the debate and attacked. "NOW GO!" Joe shouted shoving his best friend before ducking beneath a slashing blade.

Terry looked back. "I'll be back. I promise." He looked to the tower and ran as fast as he could manage. With little more encouragement than a caw the crow took flight just over Terry's shoulder flying along side him as he entered the tower.

The interior of the tower was exactly the way that Terry remembered it, imposing. It was designed to make anybody entering it feel miniscule. The halls were lined with portraits of Geese and even the occasional sculpture of the warrior. It had just the opposite on Terry as started climbing the stairs. It made him remember how small Geese actually was.

"Is this it?" Geese laughed as he blocked the Senpuken, the supposed ultimate technique of the Hakkyoukuseiken School of martial arts with ease. He didn't even bother to use his own Reppuken to repel the pathetic attack.

"What!" Terry's mind had been completely blown by the idea. Geese was still standing, and smiling at him.

"You have potential, but you insist on using those pathetic moves of your father." Geese grinned slightly. "Now let me show you how a real man fights!" Terry was too exhausted to even attempt to repel Geese's attack. He was like a rag doll being tossed around until Geese tired of pummeling him and gripped him by the back of the skull.

That fight should have, and would have ended in his death right there if Geese hadn't spent so much time running his mouth. He could easily have crushed Terry's skull, broken his neck or even ripped his heart from his chest. Instead he'd continued speaking.

"After I finish with you I'm going to kill your brother Andy and rid the world of your blood." Geese drew back preparing to drive his fist through Terry's face. He swung and Terry caught his fist. Neither man knew where the sudden burst of strength had come from but it was enough that Terry was able to hurl Geese across the room.

His legs were still too weak to support him so he was stuck on his knees staring at the man who was going to kill him when it happened. He saw his brother, Joe, Tung Fu Rue, and his father standing with him. He knew that he wasn't just fighting for his right to live or to avenge his father's death. He was fighting for all the lives Geese would ruin. That gave him the strength for the final Senpuken that had sent Geese plummeting from his own tower all those years ago.

Geese was man, it didn't matter how strong he was or had become he was just a man. A twisted smile crossed his lips as he realized that he was going to thoroughly enjoying killing Geese. The double doors leading into Geese's office were still just as intimidating as they had been the last time he'd come but he didn't waist any time blasting them off the hinges with a Power Wave.

"Always one for a big entrance weren't you Terry?" Geese sat behind a massive oak desk with his hands together as if in prayer as he stared at Terry. He was dressed in black suit and tie with a grey silk shirt beneath it. The entire room was done in the same dark wood as the desk giving it an almost dojo like appearance, complete with the Scrolls of Immortality displayed on the wall. "You've come to kill me of course."

The crow canted its head to one side regarding Geese before taking flight and landing on his coat rack cawing angrily. "Of course." Terry replied. That was the end of the conversation between the two men. No witty banter was shared between the two enemies. Instead Terry rushed forward leaping over the desk with a Power Dunk intending send Geese through the floor. Geese merely kicked the rolling chair away from the desk avoiding the attack and leapt to his feet rushing back to meet Terry in a thunderous clash.

The two warriors started off seemingly equally powered, trading powerful blows and shattering the furniture of the office with every new exchange. Slowly however Geese began to emerge as the dominant, first by hitting the Double Reppuken then following it with a series of punches that drove Terry to his knees. "So you're the big bad crow." Geese kneed Terry in the gut dropping him to his knees. "The amazing avenging angel who's going send me to hell where I belong!" Geese punctuated the sentence by gripping Terry by the hair and flinging him into the massive desk. It was the only piece of furniture the two hadn't already destroyed. "What is an angel when compared to a god?" Geese roared strutting toward Terry's prone form. "That's what I am. I'm a god!"

"You're no god." Terry growled standing back up and wiping a streak of lavender blood from his lip. "You're just a mad man at the end of his life." Terry smiled looking over his head where the Scrolls of Immortality hung. Terry had a moment of pure satisfaction as he saw Geese's eyes widening as he smashed the case and tore the Scrolls in half destroying their power. "Just a man. And I have something special to send you to Hell Geese. I call it the Ravenous Wolf." Terry grinned horribly and vanished in a sudden blur of motion. Where he'd stood only a moment before a wolf made of black and purple energy stood. It threw its head back and howled horribly before tackling Geese in an explosion.

Terry reappeared standing on the desk a moment later staring into the curtain of destroyed plaster shrouding where Geese had been only a moment before. "Didn't I tell you? I'm a god and you are only an angel!" Geese ran out of the cloud tackling Terry and slamming him into the wall where the scrolls had been a moment ago.

The force of the blow bent Terry in half staring at Geese's finely chiseled back gasping as he saw strange symbols tattooed all over his body. His coat and shirt had been completely destroyed by the Ravenous Wolf revealing the meticulously copied scrolls inked onto Geese Howard's flesh. "Its pathetic you know?" He gripped Terry by the skull and slammed him face first into the desk shattering the thick piece of furniture. "Get up from this Terry." He lifted his head up a second time and slammed it down. "INSANE MAELSTROM!" A black flame erupted directly beneath Terry's skull burning flesh and muscle away from the bone while Geese continued to grind his skull down. When he stopped Terry's head was gone, only shattered remains of his skull lingered.

Geese threw back his head and laughed. "I did it. I killed the crow!'

"Caw! Caw! CAW!" The crow angrily squawked at the god whose head was thrown back in laughter.

"Shut up bird." Geese sneered turning his attention to the bird just long enough to fire a blast of energy that should have obliterated the bird but it remained, laughing at the god at the top of its lungs. "I won. Its over, look at your master." He motioned to the headless corpse bleeding all over his thick carpeting and smiled. One more blast destroyed the troublesome bird. "To easy." Geese chuckled as he walked over to what remained of his desk searching around. After a moment he picked up the phone. "I'd like to have the trash taken out."

Below the storm that had started with Terry and Rock's battle was still raging. Geese imagined that like the storm the battle was probably still going as well but that was of little concern to him right now. He was too busy basking in his own glory until he heard something growling behind him. "What?"

A pure black wolf with glowing red eyes stood in doorway snarling. Saliva dripped from its fangs as it strode into the room to the spot where the crow's body should have been. Instead there was simply a blood stain in the shape of a wolf head. "You gotta do better than that if you want to stop me!" Terry sneered as he threw the doorway open and stepped back into the room.

"Impossible!" Geese gasped.

"That twice I've heard that today I'm starting to believe it!" Geese barely saw him move before he attacked. "INFERNAL GEYSER!" Terry struck the ground slamming Geese into ceiling, a second and third blast bounced him around like a rubber ball.

Geese got back to his feet spitting up a mouthful of blood. "You're not human!"

"I've heard that too." Terry lunged forward gripping Geese by the throat. "I think it's true! BLASTER WOLF!" The black purple flame engulfed Geese before Terry released him to twist through the air pulverizing a wall.

Geese still got back to his feet spit out a few teeth and snarled. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

"I know that. So are you. FINAL SEN-PU-KEN!" Terry thrusts his arms out and rushed Geese in a literal tornado of fists that easily pummeled the god to the ground. There was no more resistance left in the once mighty warrior.

When he hit the ground Geese was laughing through his busted lips. Through the blood bubbling up through his throat Geese was laughing insanely. "It doesn't matter! You can't kill me! I can't kill you we'll just fight for eternity!" He couldn't find the energy to stand but he could still lift one arm and point as he laughed. "I can already feel my strength returning. We'll just continue till we're bored Terry. Can you imagine it! Us fighting like dark gods for all time!"

"That would be too long. This will only take a second." Terry walked over to Geese and calmly gripped his skull in one hand. There was the slightest glow around Terry's hand before Geese started screaming and thrashing like his very blood was boiling inside him. As Terry watched the symbols written all over Geese's body literally lifted away from his skin existing for a moment in thin air before dissipating.

Joe, Rock and Benimaru ran into the room just in time to see Geese slamming his fists against the window. The first blow was enough to send web like cracks through out the glass. A second and the reinforced glass gave way and with a third the glass shattered away. Still screaming Geese leapt from the window diving down for the concrete below. A moment later a blinding flash of light cleared the storm so Terry could look down at Geese's body. The blood oozing out of his body had already taken the shape of a wolf's head when Terry turned his back on the window and looked back to his friends.

"The hell did you do?" Joe asked looking around the room in awe. "I mean damn Terr; I've never seen a battle like that. We could feel you guys's power from the street."