*This and the two posts that shall follow are a "test screening" of sorts. Since playing KOF '94 for the first time, a fire was lit under me, and I decided to chronicle my own personal take on the Orochi saga based on story guides, character guides, playing the games, and what-not. But in writing it, I was kind of worried as to how the KOF "fanatics" would react to it. So, I'll post a few chapters, and any and all feedback, good or bad, is encouraged.*
March, 1994
The Blacknoah
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean
A man reawakens from his slumber, and takes in his surroundings. He is in his Master Bedroom, and once again he has full control of his vision. Looking in the mirror, he sees a black orb where once was his right eye. He smiles at the improvement over having nothing there but an empty socket, satisfied with the work his electronics experts and bioengineers have accomplished. “Now that the menial work is taken care of”, he thinks, “time to see to more entertaining prospects.”
He puts on the jacket of his blood-red suit, and walks out to the main hall, and into his gallery, where he is greeted by the macabre sight of a number of lifelike statues, each of a strong warrior. He looks at he plaque at the base of one of the newer ones, “Fei Long”, as one of his secretaries enters the room.
“Mr. Bernstein,” she says. “Your wine, as schedualed.”
“Thank you, Mature”, Bernstein utters.
“I see the new sight orb is working just fine, Mr. Bernstein.”
“Indeed it is. How could you tell?”
“The fact that you haven’t ordered anybody on your staff to be killed over it, yet.”
Bernstein laughs at Mature’s observation. She’s quite right, in fact. Any major problems with the sight orb would require him to correct them in a gruesome fashion. He takes a sip of his wine, and smiles.
“You have no idea how amazing this new power feels, Mature. It is as if I have been remade. I cannot wait to use it to help me expand my collection. But who to add… perhaps one of the heroes of Southtown that I’ve been hearing so much about these past years… or maybe it would be time to find that fool Heidern again…”
Mature simply smirks to herself, content that her boss does not know her secret. Such a powerful, ambitious man is Rugal Bernstein… were his new power actually granted to him by his bloodline, she might have been serving him earlier…
“How to decide,” Rugal continues to ponder out loud, as he looks through his collection. “So many of these fighters are tournament veterans… perhaps, I should hold my own tournament? Yes… that is the answer! It has been a year since Wolfgang Krauser has made the King of Fighters tournament an international event. And he has become a recluse since his defeat at the hands of Terry Bogard. Perhaps it is time that King of Fighters found a new host…”
Mature decides to speak up, now. “Mr. Bernstein, if may interject, you have more than enough power to handle one man alone. Why not make this years King of Fighters tournament a team event? This way, you can have an entire band of fighters added to the gallery.”
“Hmm… Mature, you have an excellent idea! Why just settle for just one fighter with my new powers? Prepare invitations to the following individuals. Let them know that they will be representing an assigned country where I have interests, so that my contacts in the black market can inform me directly. And do provide specific instructions to the ones who are not actual fighters themselves.”
“Yes, Mr. Bernstein.”
“These are the names…”
March, 1994
The Blacknoah
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean
A man reawakens from his slumber, and takes in his surroundings. He is in his Master Bedroom, and once again he has full control of his vision. Looking in the mirror, he sees a black orb where once was his right eye. He smiles at the improvement over having nothing there but an empty socket, satisfied with the work his electronics experts and bioengineers have accomplished. “Now that the menial work is taken care of”, he thinks, “time to see to more entertaining prospects.”
He puts on the jacket of his blood-red suit, and walks out to the main hall, and into his gallery, where he is greeted by the macabre sight of a number of lifelike statues, each of a strong warrior. He looks at he plaque at the base of one of the newer ones, “Fei Long”, as one of his secretaries enters the room.
“Mr. Bernstein,” she says. “Your wine, as schedualed.”
“Thank you, Mature”, Bernstein utters.
“I see the new sight orb is working just fine, Mr. Bernstein.”
“Indeed it is. How could you tell?”
“The fact that you haven’t ordered anybody on your staff to be killed over it, yet.”
Bernstein laughs at Mature’s observation. She’s quite right, in fact. Any major problems with the sight orb would require him to correct them in a gruesome fashion. He takes a sip of his wine, and smiles.
“You have no idea how amazing this new power feels, Mature. It is as if I have been remade. I cannot wait to use it to help me expand my collection. But who to add… perhaps one of the heroes of Southtown that I’ve been hearing so much about these past years… or maybe it would be time to find that fool Heidern again…”
Mature simply smirks to herself, content that her boss does not know her secret. Such a powerful, ambitious man is Rugal Bernstein… were his new power actually granted to him by his bloodline, she might have been serving him earlier…
“How to decide,” Rugal continues to ponder out loud, as he looks through his collection. “So many of these fighters are tournament veterans… perhaps, I should hold my own tournament? Yes… that is the answer! It has been a year since Wolfgang Krauser has made the King of Fighters tournament an international event. And he has become a recluse since his defeat at the hands of Terry Bogard. Perhaps it is time that King of Fighters found a new host…”
Mature decides to speak up, now. “Mr. Bernstein, if may interject, you have more than enough power to handle one man alone. Why not make this years King of Fighters tournament a team event? This way, you can have an entire band of fighters added to the gallery.”
“Hmm… Mature, you have an excellent idea! Why just settle for just one fighter with my new powers? Prepare invitations to the following individuals. Let them know that they will be representing an assigned country where I have interests, so that my contacts in the black market can inform me directly. And do provide specific instructions to the ones who are not actual fighters themselves.”
“Yes, Mr. Bernstein.”
“These are the names…”