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King of Fighters '01
"Hmph, ridiculous. Completely!"
A man plopped down at his desk in the center of a darkened room rants.
Two women stand around the desk.
"Why?"
The girl who looks particularly distinctive with her hair gathered up answers him.
"Copies of the subject surfaced all over as a result of the previous battle. Hasn't his usefulness past?! Well?! Isn't that right, Foxxy?!"
"That's exactly why we need to do away with the original. ...Kyo Kusanagi, he is an impediment to our syndicate."
"Hmph, whatever. ...But where is the clone that received those abilities, huh? And what happened to K'? He successfully escaped our grasp, didn't he? Why do we have to wipe up after our predecessors' failures! Well, Leader?!"
"You should mind your tongue, K9999!"
The other tall woman with her arms crossed puts in her two cents.
"It's okay, Diana. He'll be our teammate after all...won't you?"
"Ugh, well, whatever. Then we'll meet at the tournament next. We all have piles of work to attend to, right?"
"Yes, very well. Until the tournament, then."
K9999 leaves the room and slams it shut, ignoring their farewells.
"How did it go?"
A figure waiting on the landing calls to K9999, who climbs up the stairs, stomping on each step as he goes along.
"Kah! Those freaks are making a monkey of me!"
The figure's face still remains visible, owing to the glare of the lighting behind it, but it's clear from the silhouette that the lithe body is that of a woman.
"I'm telling you that's just not so. Don't be so oversensitive, K9999!"
K9999 continues to rage, as if he didn't hear a word the woman said.
"Hmph. Compare me to K', will they?! Did you hear me, Angel? That walking defect!!!"
"You're the strongest in the world. You, K9999! K' is not fit to lick the soles of your shoes! And you'll always have me!"
"Eeeeeeee-nough!"
K9999's voice thunders through the dark corridor.
"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!!! Him, most of all! I and I alone will crush K' with my own two hands!!!"
Muttering his threat, he dashes up the stairs without giving a glance to Angel.
"Hey, wait up, K9999."
Angel hastily follows him up the stairs.
Meanwhile the two women that K9999 had previously argued with remain in the dark room.
"Hmph, what a troublesome bunch of team members we have this time, huh?"
"Yeah, sure is."
"We should watch ourselves, Foxxy. Not only Angel, that K9999 is no normal being. I don't think he has the syndicate's best interests at heart."
"Yeah, I got the same feeling. But his abilities are equal to the syndicate's number one and two. If we watch ourselves, we should come out on top."
"I'm sorry. But this time I haven't officially received the order to enter the tournament. ...So, it'll probably be the kid."
"Understood, Diana. Leave Kula to me."
The two fall silent. The affairs regarding this year's tournament, their duties, and KulaÑthis time something other than NESTS best interests concerns them. But orders are orders. And there's their loyalty to the syndicate. The two scan each other, as if conversing. The silence continues. The two continue facing each other wordlessly. Bidding each other leave with a glance, they exit the room.
It was a dream...A dream of falling earthward...Will I die...? But amazingly there is no fear of death...Someone watches over me...Yes...That's it...!!!"
"Candy-eeeeeeeeeee!!!"
She suddenly awakens. Tears run from her eyes. How much time has passed? The woman nears the window, without wiping her tear-filled eyes. The sunlight flowing in from the opened drapes is dazzling. Being here alive, able to see the sunlight, is all because of Candy. That's what she believes. Surely if she went to the syndicate, she could see Candy. Candy would surely come to her aid. But the Candy she knew then no longer exists. A robot...can always be rebuilt. I am a living being, and must die. But...these days, I know this: I, too, can be rebuilt, can't I? Am I, without my former memories, really a human being?
The woman looks at herself in the mirror in her room. Who...in the name of Creation am I? Am I nothing but a robot?
...As this feeling wells up inside her, a feeling of disgust throws her head back and she strives to suppress these thoughts.
In spite of this...In spite of this, the cursed one still lives! The traitor to the organization, the manipulator of the flame!!! He is in some way involved with me. He knows me, doesn't he? He is not of the syndicate, but closer to me....
"No, it cannot be!"
I sling my body from the bed. Enough thinking for today. I feel sick....
"Ah, do I have nothing to look forward to?"
Although I don't believe it, maybe if I start talking, things will change, but then providence calls...literally.
Bring, bring...bring, bring...bring, bring....
"Ah, it's from Diana!"
Kula quickly pounces on the telephone.
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