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King of Fighters 15, The
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Crimson Agent
Vanessa lives a double life between being a housewife and a mercenary agent.
She is highly skilled in boxing and is able to KO her opponents with ease. Her husband and kid don’t know anything about her secret activities.
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King of Fighters II
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King of Fighters '00
"Have you finished the preparations yet?"
The woman reflected in the rearview mirror asks her driver while she touches up her lipstick.
"The arrangements for the invitations were prepared one week ago. And I've just completed the preparations for the meeting. We'll be arriving at the meeting place in five minutes. Please be ready."
"Is that all that's on today's agenda?"
"Yes. I've heard nothing of any special options. Do you have any plans with your family?"
"Yes, we have reservations for dinner. But it's okay. It looks like we can do this without having to cancel it."
The woman finishes her preparations as she looks toward the hall from her car window.
The heat of the assembled mass is overwhelming. Among these members must be one who no one foresaw coming.
In spite of the hall being able to handle two to three thousand people, it's quite overwhelming when everyone is pickled into it like this. Even more, the majority of them are crazy with excitement at the event taking place in the hall before them. Not only is it hot in here, the heat of the bodies also takes its toll. For K' (K-Dash), at least, this is the worst situation imaginable.
"Is this some sort of torture?"
Not looking anywhere in particular, K' puts the question to Maxima in his usual surly matter.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want something to drink?"
Maxima, not looking particularly fazed by all this, offers the glass of beer he's taken a sip out of to K'.
It's clearly misunderstanding. But it puts an end to K''s listlessness.
"...That's not what I meant!"
"Care for another one?"
"Don't yank me around. That's not what I said.... How are we going to put an end to their plans?"
"You mean NESTS? Ah, I've got it under control. Once this little chore is over, that is."
Maxima answers K''s queries matter-of-factly and once again takes another gulp of beer.
"Chore...?"
"A meeting with our new teammate."
A suspicious expression seizes K''s face as Maxima offers him an envelope.
"An invitation...KOF? What is this?"
"We've been invited again. It requests our participation as invited athletes on the Special Team. I was accessed by our other teammates yesterday. And they told me to meet them here at this hall."
"Are you going to enter?"
"It seems that the finals are to be held in Southtown."
"Southtown...here?"
"It's just a stone's throw from here. There's evidence of their handiwork somewhere over there. No matter how you look at it, something is just not kosher about the tournament. I think it's best to check out anything dubious, don't you? ...So that's why I've entered."
The growing cheers signal the entry of the participants in the main event. The cheers well up, as if in waves. But as the participants near the ring, the cheers turn into a steady roar. Hidden by the onlookers, K' and Maxima are unable to make out what's going on. After a short while, some masked men spring into the ring. One, then another...one wrestler after another, wearing the same mask, climb into the ring. Before one knows, the roaring cheers change to laughter.
"This is hilarious! Aw, man, that's funny!"
K' stands beside the amused Maxima. K' looks even more bored than before.
"What a yawnfest!"
A gong chimes outside the pandemonium of the ring. Among the throng of small masked men, a larger hooded figure stands out, and he jumps at the smaller combatants as he removes his mask.
IT ENDS IN AN INSTANT.
The conclusion was as expected.
An explosion of cheers is directed to the man with a patch over his eye, standing in the ring.
"How stupid."
Maxima shoots a blunt look at his companion's blunt interjection.
"Oh, pipe down. Enough negativity. Some people here are actually enjoying themselves."
"I don't have the time for such amusements."
"Amusement? That guy? He does have a flare for presentation, but quite the contrary. He's quite a piece of work that man is."
Oblivious to K' who ignores this comment, Maxima takes readings on the man wearing the eye patch in the ring. The readings that register prove the man's extraordinary capabilities. The moment he attempts to examine the other traits, an alarm appears on the monitor.
"!"
A look of anxiety seizes Maxima's face. Next to K' sits a woman, her chin resting on her hands, in the seat that should have been open.
"Hi."
"Who are you?"
"Why, your partner, of course."
"Weren't you supposed to be a man?"
"Your manager contacted me yesterday. Did I surprise you?"
"No, I'm Maxima."
Maxima extends his hand, as if letting everything slide. The woman responds.
"The name's Vanessa."
"The other...Ramon, when will he grace us with his presence?"
"He already has."
The cheers drown out Maxima as he asks where Vanessa's partner is. When Maxima looks at the stage, the monolog of the man with the eye patch begins.
"I believe I sufficiently displayed my true abilities, but I'm think all of you aren't satisfied, huh? Maybe a further demonstration is necessary, so do not hesitate to try again! ...I dedicate my next victory to all of you in the audience!"
The man with the eyepatch points to the far-removed Vanessa. Vanessa responds with a wave.
"So he's Ramon?"
Maxima, seized by amazement, checks on Vanessa. Continuing to wave, Vanessa responds.
"Something wrong? I think I'm on the right track."
Before their exchange ends, K' rises from his seat. Vanessa looks over to K'.
"Are you leaving?"
"I have an errand. Maxima, I'm leaving."
He brushes by Vanessa as he passes. She whispers,
"How about learning a bit more amiability? It would make you more attractive, kiddo...."
"Put a sock in it, toots."
Without looking her in the eyes, K' bids these final words of farewell and leaves. Following his lead, Maxima rises from his seat.
"Sorry about that. My partner just hates being told what to do."
"Don't worry about it. If he weren't like that, he wouldn't be interesting. Do you think this is a good idea, you and us?"
"Let's hope so."
Unlike his partner, Maxima leaves the hall with a smile.
Vanessa removes a cell phone from her waist pocket as she sees him off.
"They've left now. Don't lose them."
Vanessa, too, leaves the hall, breaking into a jog.
It is underground, where the visibility is anything but satisfactory.
Following down along a line of a number of bunched up cables, a large object that is beyond K''s understanding emits a low hum. Maxima arrives late.
"This again. Just what time does that make it?"
"Near the area of the exhibition match there's an inexplicable object that lets out a moan. This is quite a piece of work, this is."
Touching the cords, K' mutters,
"But there's something different about this. It's the first time something like this has been placed in the center of a KOF venue."
Nearing the device, Maxima attempts to examine the data through the jack pin in his fingertip.
"It doesn't matter. Have you understood anything? Anything about its contents?"
"I'm working on that now. ...Hmph. It's the same. It has a transmitting device...that's all I know."
"Is it theirs?"
"No doubt. It's a product from NESTS. I recognize all the parts in it. But having one of these lying around a KOF venue.... Something must be up."
The alarm emitted by Maxima's sensors and the flashing is almost the same type.
A bullet zips by the eyes of K'. Maxima's sensors begin to count the number of enemies in succession.
"It looks like we got company today. A lot of them."
Rising up, he tugs at his thigh with his glove. The right hand of K' is burning red.
"Maybe they think if they group together they can win."
"Yeah, they just never learn; that's for sure."
Countless red points from laser gun sights light up the two.
Vanessa, returning to her car, gazes at the monitor installed in her seat.
The camera and K' continue to glare at each other momentarily.
And all of a sudden the image on the screen abruptly changes to snowy interference, and then it goes dead. The driver waiting for the end to the picture speaks,
"I'm sure you've already become aware of this. Someone came straight from the exit of the hall. He's lifted the back of this car and there's nothing I can do..."
She thinks about it a little and answers quickly.
"DO WHAT YOU CAN."
For Vanessa, this is the only option she can agree most with.
"It's OK, just go with it."
"Are you sure?"
As she tries to answer, Vanessa's voice is cut off by the sound of an explosion. The car shakes violently.
"What...?!"
The sound of the explosion is not one that occurred close by. But the smoke that climbs from the manhole visible from her car, however, indicates the force of the blast.
"Wow, that kid can really do the job."
"I was right to let him take a shot."
Maxima whispers as he returns to the arm responsible for the blast.
"Do you have anymore ammo left?"
Keeping his back to him, K' responds:
I have about two or three for the Vapor. What'll we do?"
"Give me all you got. I still have got this baby with me."
At the other end of K''s line of sight, he sees one of the objects that withstood the blast. Maxima loads the cartridge.
"Be careful there...Hey, what's the big idea?!"
K' shoots Maxima a sideways glance as he burns the KOF invitation.
"I can't just punch it directly, can I?"
"That's right, but if I don't have this..."
"We can't enter? As long as that woman's around, it should be no trouble."
Pondering his words for a moment, Maxima soon agrees.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
They place the cartridge inside the object and fling in the burning invitation.
It doesn't take long until the sound of another explosion is heard.
This time around it is a little smaller, but it is sufficient enough to be heard.
"Things look like there going to get pretty interesting from now on, eh?"
Vanessa does nothing more than look in the direction where K' and Maxima must be.
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King of Fighters '01
He has been followed for a long time.
But that is of no import to him.
If they come, he will crush them.
And that's all there is to it.
"Hmph. What a tremendous presence... Now I know why Benimaru was so on edge."
The man realizes he's been found out. The reason he knows this is because the red-haired man has gradually begun to head for more secluded alleyways.
When he approaches a shadowy blind alley, the red-haired man turns to face him.
"What...do you want...?"
Hearing his target's voice, the word "darkness" comes to Seth's mind. Darkness...the thing all humans fear primordially and continue to hate. Yes, this red-haired man seems to be "darkness" its very self.
Although there is a odious dryness in his mouth, Seth addresses the man.
"Iori...Yagami, is it? I've been looking for you...for quite a long time."
The area surrounding the confrontational Yagami begins to flicker as if it were shimmering with heat.
"Who are you?"
"Forgive me for my belated self-introduction. The name is Seth. It's a pleasure."
"...I don't care who you are...What's your business with me?"
"Pretty harsh ther, Yagami. Do you know that you've been invited to this year's King of Fighters?"
"...So, what's it to you?"
The surrounding space becomes even more violently warped. Seth feels like groaning within but continues to speak.
"If I told you that Kyo Kusanagi will be entering, what would you say to that?"
"Kyo Kusanagi?"
The expression on Yagami's face changes. The surrounding area simultaneously warps as if time and space were caving in on itself.
A normal human would probably have died suffering from these brutal emissions of Iori's psyche...the very power of Iori Yagami....
"...You're entering on my team...Did you know that?"
"...With you...?"
"That's right. And there are two more after that. ...So how about it?"
"...Yeah, I could enter with you...however...."
"What?"
"If you stand in my way, I'll crush you on the spot!"
Just then the wave of energy rushes like a violent gale from Yagami's body, causing Seth to involuntarily kneel on one knee.
An instant later, Seth looks up and notices the form of Yagami is no where to be found. Seth rises, revolves his neck around two or three times, and mutters...
"...Wow, that was intense. Can that guy be human?"
The amused voices of people enjoying themselves with the crashing of the waves can be heard all around.
It appears that it's another crowded day at the indoor pool. A scene that has little to do with combat fills the field of vision of a girl chatting on her cell phone.
"Yeah. I understand. I intend to meet you today, too. See you later."
She sprawls out on her mat after she hangs up.
"Ah, this is the life..."
She lays down her splendid limbs. A group of men begin to gather around her, transfixed by her charms. But she appears to be completely indifferent to their gaze as if dismissing the gaze of these men, and fends off their propositions.
"Wow! Now that's quite a view."
Emerging from the group of men, a single man calls to her in a particularly loud voice. The group of men assume he's intending to claim the girl as his own, but nonetheless scatter and disappear, overwhelmed by the man's well-sculpted physique.
"You've still got it."
"Oh, when did you get here, Ramon?"
The woman rises up and drinks from a glass of juice as she sits down in a chair.
"Well, when Vanessa calls, and we'll always have last year's tournament, too."
"Ooh, it gives me tingles when you put it that way. Well, I know it's a little out of the blue, but we decided on the final member of our team for this tournament."
"Oh, really. Who may that be?"
"Iori Yagami."
Ramon screws up his face when he hears Yagami's name.
"That's quite a big-shot addition...Hope we can handle him."
"Well, I think we'll manage something, don't you? And he does have more than enough of the power we require."
Vanessa purrs, pouring some more juice into her glass as she looks back toward Ramon.
"Well, I don't care...."
Ramon motions to receive the glass.
"By the way, what time is it now...Oh, no! The press conference is going to start! Vaya con dios; until we meet at the tournament!"
Ramon disappears in a flash, without even drinking his juice.
"Oh, you're always in such a rush...Well, so it goes. Things look like they're going to get interesting."
Vanessa gulps down her juice and makes her exit.
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King of Fighters XI
In a certain bar in Southtown, just as the clock struck 6:02, the back door opened. Though the bar had just opened, the refreshing scent of lime and gin wafted through the air.
"...You're two minutes late," said a beautiful young woman, as she sat looking at the clock with her elbow propped on the counter.
Not even a full day had passed since these three agents had been called upon to participate in KOF and investigate it. The actual client was unknown, but since the request had been delivered through Seth, it seemed to be on the up-and-up, and was therefore worth investigating. A few minutes ago, Vanessa and Ramon had arrived, followed shortly after by Blue Mary, a.k.a. Mary Ryan.
Ramon gave Mary a stern look, which looked thoroughly out of place on him. "Come on, now, chica," he said, "We could've been killed in those two minutes."
Vanessa nodded in assent. "I'm not fond of being overly serious, but you're cutting it kind of close, you know?"
Though she was unused to being reprimanded, much less by two people at once, Mary removed her jacket and sat on the stool next to Ramon. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
On hearing that, the two both seemed to relax. As free agents, it wasn't their place to interfere with the work of others, but each of them had duties to fulfill. This particular job could prove life-threatening.
Even so, after confirming a few things and a light toast, the conversation slipped into idle chat. Seth had conveyed the particulars of this investigation to each of them earlier. Each also understood the others' fighting styles. They were to participate in the tournament as a team, with the tacit implication that, once the job was done, they would be free to go about their respective business. In other words, they were all adults here.
Vanessa had already had more than few beers, and she had called the bartender over, explaining to him the recipe for a cocktail. It was an interesting sight, since she typically drank nothing stronger than beer. "You take three ounces of gin, one ounce of lemon juice, two teaspoons of sugar and blue Curacao. Then, get the sparkling wine and..."
"That's a ‘Blue Mary,' right?" replied the bartender.
Though she wasn't really listening in, Mary heard it anyway, and she recalled the recipe. Or rather, she more remembered the cocktail itself...
"You know that one?" she asked Vanessa.
Behind the counter, the shaker was already giving off a cool, refreshing sound. Vanessa returned a cheerful smile as she replied. "Yeah, someone taught it to me at school back home. His name was--"
Mary finished for her. "...Butch."
"Yes, Butch," Vanessa continued, slightly startled. "You know him?"
The bartender poured the contents of the shaker into a wine glass full of ice, then filled it to the top with sparkling wine.
"He was young, but he was a great teacher for his age," Vanessa went on. "Always wanted to join the Secret Service, as I recall. I wonder how he's doing these days."
"...He's dead." Mary said flatly.
The room suddenly grew very quiet. The only sound was the faint popping of the bubbles in the wine, leaving the atmosphere dark and cold.
"Butch used to work with my father," said Mary. "They were chief bodyguards of the President."
Mary spoke in a barely-audible whisper, reciting the old newspaper story. The assassination attempt on the President several years ago. The parade where it was almost carried out. How the two Secret Servicemen had given their lives that day. And how close Mary had been to them...
"Oh yeah!" interjected Ramon. "I remember that. It was all over the papers in Mexico." The condensation on the glass in his hand slid down its surface, soaking the coaster.
Mary continued, barely noticing his comment. "Butch was the one who gave me this leather jacket. He taught me Commando Sambo as well. It took me a long time to get over it."
Mary smiled, but even the most cursory glance from a casual observer would reveal that it was forced. The bartender silently continued polishing the glasses behind the counter, but turned an inquisitive ear toward the conversation.
"...I think I've been slacking off a bit lately," Mary muttered after some time.
"Hey, don't worry about earlier," Ramon said. "We're not Japanese, so it's not like two minutes is a big deal."
Vanessa nodded. "Yeah. We were just picking on you... you know, to lighten the mood a bit."
Mary silently shook her head. She hadn't forgotten how to smile like she did back then. But even so... "I think I've still got a little way to go before I'm back to normal."
The front door suddenly opened with a mighty clatter, and several customers came in, filling the place with the sound of footsteps. Gradually, the bar grew ever more crowded. The agents' moods were still just a little too dark from the stories of the evening. The three spoke to no one as they stood up.
As they left, they saw that night had fallen completely, and the street was dark. The walls everywhere were crowded with lamps which lit the way.
"What say we work on getting you back to normal tomorrow morning?" Ramon said. "I know a place nearby where they sell some honest-to-goodness authentic tequila."
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King of Fighters III
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Vanessa
Vanessa lives a double life as a housewife and a mercenary agent. She is highly skilled in boxing and is able to KO her opponents with ease. Her husband and kid don’t know anything about her secret activities. 。
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