As she looked down, Sakura realized this wasn't normal. And as the people looked up at her, she realized it was scary. It was scarier when she realized she was sitting down.

Panting, Sakura Kasugano attempted to get her bearings on the situation, looking down at the area below her. Her rival Karin Kanzuki, was down beneath her feet, along with the rest of the park. She had become enormous! By her estimates, she was now at least 200 feet tall! And yet somehow, her school uniform, not to mention her shoes, had somehow grown with her.

But how? The last thing she remembered was going to the park, sitting down on a bench, and drinking a soda, waiting for Karin to arrive for their match. This was extremely strange, almost comical if it wasn't terrifying to the people around her.

Ignoring the screaming Karin for the moment, Sakura began to try and think exactly where this would have happened.

Last week, she had finally returned from Thailand to start her new semester. During that incident, she remembered teaming with the Muay Thai champion Sagat and the American Ken Masters to save her sensei Ryu from the hands of the sinister drug lord M. Bison. No, nothing unusual there, except for the disappointment at Ryu retreating into training to overcome something he called the "Satsu no Hado". She never even got that match he promised her!

Then she flew home with her other "sensei" Dan Hibiki. So what if the guy didn't know a thing about martial arts? He took Sakura all over the world, or at least he did until last week.

"If my student is going to be here, then I'll just set up a Saikyo-dojo in town here!

"That's really not necessary, Hibiki-sensei..."

"Yeah it is! And I'll even get to sell this cola I found!"

"Cola?"

"Yeah, Saikyo energy cola! Straight from Thailand! Some guy named Birdie sold it to me."

And then, about an hour ago, while waiting for Karin, she drank a can of Dan's cola...from Thailand...where Bison and his drug empire was...

"DAN HIBIKI!"

The sound echoed throughout the park, and throughout most of the city. The people in the area could only stare as the enraged giantess stood up.

Standing to her full height, Sakura was preparing to head over to "sensei's" dojo and crush him into a billion pieces, which really wouldn't be too different from all the other times she and Dan sparred. But then she remembered the minute screaming form of Karin below her, the angry blonde going as far as to pound on Sakura's sneaker. She deserved an explanation, even if it wasn't exactly something she'd swallow.

************************************************** *******

"And that's how I got big."

"You're joking, right? Cola coming from a crime syndicate sold by your idiot-sensei?"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Well, I am big, aren't I?"

"Very," replied Karin. "But what makes you so sure it was this Saikyo crud that did it?"

Sitting down in the park with a large THUMP as she landed, Sakura moved into a position to better explain.

"I drank it, and a bit spilled onto my clothes. I figured any other way, I wouldn't, y'know..."

"Have clothes?"

"Right."

"So I suppose this means our match is postponed."

"Well, we could fight, but it wouldn't exactly be fair..." laughed Sakura.

Sighing, Karin relented. "OK, fine. You're off the hook for now Girlzilla. But the second we're the same size, I'm going to defeat you and prove the superiority of the Kanzuki clan!” Sakura nodded before Karin added, “But I'm tagging along."

"WHAT?!"

"I have to make sure that you don't try anything. Besides, for all I know this was part of some weird experiment so you wouldn't have to fight."

Sighing, Sakura stood back up and extended her hand, allowing Karin to climb into it. "OK, climb aboard."

Karin mounted Sakura's enormous hand as she raised it to her shoulder. With Karin in tow, Sakura marched off towards the Saikyo dojo, and towards the clueless Dan Hibiki. As she walked through the city, a sense of uneasiness settled around her. People would have tried to look up her already visible skirt if they weren't so terrified of what she could do to them.

"Nice going," chuckled Karin. "Any idea how you plan to explain this to the school?"

"Mass hallucination?"

"Yeah, you can say that when your panties end up on the internet."

Sakura couldn't help but blush. "W...what?"

"Calm down, I was only joking."

"Of course you think this is funny." She sighed, adding, "Why couldn't I have a normal start to the semester?"

************************************************** *******

Not too far away from Sakura's high school, renovation of an old, beat up store was taking place. Dan Hibiki, in his trademark pink gi and his brown hair back in a ponytail, was on a ladder painting the new sign for what he hoped to be his newest branch of Saikyo-dojos. In addition, he was hoping it would be a place for him to sell Saikyo energy cola.

"Yahoo! I knew Master Gouken said I would never amount to anything, but this'll show the guy! Now, where is that pupil of mine?"

As if to answer his question, an ominous rumble shook the street, and sent him, along with the ladder, falling to the ground. When he looked up, he saw an enormous sneaker right in front of him. Looking further up, he saw a massive feminine leg, toned through what looked like a lot of exercise. And a bit further up was her skirt, giving him a direct view of...

"SENSEI!"

Standing up, he noticed the face that the enormous body belonged to.

"Uh, well if it isn't my star pupil, hehehe. I had no ideas kids in Japan grew so fast."

"THEY DON'T!" shouted Sakura, the sheer force of her voice knocking him to the ground. "Your Saikyo-crud soda made me a giant!"

"Really? That wasn't on the label..."

Up until this point, Sakura had always found Dan dimwitted, but she could never bring herself to outright hate the guy. But this was a completely different story.

With extremely little effort, Sakura picked the diminutive martial artist up between her fingers, lifting her up to her face.

"OK, give me one good reason why I shouldn't give you a harder beating than usual..."

Dan was sweating bullets as Sakura angrily looked at her. He knew he was done for, unless he said something quickly.

"Hey, aren't you a lot stronger this way?"

"Huh?" Both Sakura and Karin looked at Dan with a surprised look as he continued.

"I mean, come on! At that size, what could hurt you? Not another martial artist, I'll tell you that much!"

2 minutes later…

Dan held his head. He thought for sure his double kick would bruise Sakura, but her kick knocked him right into a wall!

Then he thought that his signature Gadoken fireball would hurt her. No, it didn't travel very far, but it did hurt when it connected!

Unfortunately for Dan, he was picked up by the head between two of Sakura's fingers, negating any chance to get close enough to attack.

"S...Sakura, come on! What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? It's bad enough I'm huge, but you were about to sell this crap to the whole city!"

"But didn't you want to be stronger?"

"Yeah, but not like this! I mean, I was already making progress with normal training. Karin can't even touch me now..."

From atop Sakura's shoulder, Karin pouted.

"Sorry..."

"No, go on. Tell the world how great you are..."

Sakura sighed, but then turned her attention back to Dan.

"What would have done if you made the entire city huge?"

"That's obvious isn't it? I'd find the guy who sold me the cola, get an antidote, and charge people for it."

With a distinct nonchalant approach, Sakura threw Dan over her shoulder and through the roof of his Sayiko dojo, leaving a huge hole in it and knocking him out.

"I don't know how I got involved with him..."

"Now what?" asked Karin.

"Well, your family is rich. Can't they help me get back to normal?"

"Oh ho and why should I help you?"

Grinning, Sakura replied, "Because you'll never defeat a giantess in a fight."

Karin nodded. "Alright, you win this round. But the second that you're tiny, I'm going to show you who the strongest is!"

Four hours later...

Dan finally awoke from being thrown through the roof of his own dojo. He was pretty sure his arm was broken. He was also sure Sakura wouldn't be coming back for at least a few days.

"Well, so much for my grand opening. Guess I should head to the (huff) hospital."

Although the pain did convince him that his arm was broken, Dan wasn't entirely convinced that it was his cola that made Sakura huge. There had to be some other explanation, like food poisoning, or communism.

Taking a small bag filled with cans of Saikyo cola, Dan stood up and began to walk the two blocks to the hospital. Not only would he save money on a cab, he might make a little cash and prove his innocence.


 

Meanwhile, outside the city, in a small aircraft hangar, Sakura found herself alone sitting down, her brown hair and white headband brushing against the ceiling, bored out of her mind. It almost made her wish she didn’t leave the city right away, rather than being stuck in the cramped hangar. Why she agreed to let Karin put her here until she could find a cure was still beyond her comprehension.

She didn’t have too much time to dwell on it before Karin entered the hangar. Now wearing a blue variation of her normal class outfit and skirt, she walked up to Sakura smiling.

“Well?”

“Great news! My dad just got off the phone with an expert in human chemical substances. He’ll be able to fix you up without a problem!”

“Good,” replied Sakura. “That means I won’t be stuck in here for long.”

“Well, actually, he’s not going to be here for three days.”

A vein was about to pop in Sakura’s forehead. “Three…days?”

“It won’t be that long…”

“THREE DAYS?!”

Karin’s attempts to calm Sakura down were futile. The enraged giantess, unable to completely stand in the hangar, began pounding on the walls like she was possessed. Each blow, already rather formidable at normal size, was causing large dents to appear in the metal walls, and the entire hangar to shake.

“I CAN’T STAY HERE FOR THREE DAYS! I’LL GO CRAZY!”

Looking onward, Karin’s embarrassment at her rival’s tantrum quickly turned into shock and fear as she realized the dents, along with Sakura’s body, were getting larger. If she didn’t do something fast, she would be crushed.

“Look, Sakura! I promise I can make this comfortable! Just don’t kill me! I’ll get you a TV! A big one! And plenty of food!”

With a heavy sigh, Sakura’s punches, along with her growth, relented. Looking down at herself, she realized that the area had become a lot more cramped.

“This isn’t good.”

“You need to keep that temper of yours in check. Hard, I…”

“What?”

“Kidding!” hastily replied Karin. “But whatever made you grow seems to be responding to adrenaline levels. If you get really ticked off, you’ll end up growing again.”

“I was pretty mad at Dan. Why didn’t I grow then?”

Pausing for a few seconds, Karin replied “That’s probably because the chemical wasn’t fully in your system yet. You weren’t angry enough to set it off then, but it’s a lot easier to set it off now.”

“But what about my clothes?”

“My guess is that the stuff you spilled onto your clothes has spread through the fabric, or in some cases, the sweat glands have spread it to items like your headbands, shoes, and the like. They’ll grow with you.”

Sakura blinked at Karin’s effortless answering of her questions. “How do you know?” she asked.

“Look, I’m being raised to run a multinational conglomerate. I know these things.”

************************************************** *******

Walking the streets of Tokyo, ignoring the pain from his various bruises, Dan continued to look for someone to sell his cola to. Alas, people would rather buy their drinks from vending machines than a guy in a pink gi. Seeing as going from person to person on the street was ineffective, Dan decided to try selling his product at some local businesses.

His first stop was an upscale restaurant several blocks from his dojo. Walking through the large twin doors without a care, Dan suddenly found a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“Excuse me,” began a low voice, “but I don’t remember you checking in. Do you have a reservation?”

“And your name good…”

Turning around, Dan saw the bouncer wasn’t a “he”, but rather a “she”, even if she was wearing a suit designed for a male.

“My name is King. And yours?”

Grinning, Dan raised an eyebrow and replied “The famous Dan Hibiki. I’m giving out free samples of…”

King put her hand in front of Dan’s face before he could go further. “Look, pinkie, this is an upscale establishment, and I’m not about to let in a salesman.”

“And who’s the owner?”

“You’re talking to her. Now beat it before I call the cops.”

Moving a few steps back, although hardly dismayed, Dan decided to try a different approach.

“Bye!” Running into King, Dan knocked her down to the floor and ran inside the restaurant. When he made it inside, he saw a rather nice bar on the side wall, with several tables a few feet away. Further off were the booths by the windows, although at this hour, the area was mostly empty, save for a few oddly dressed people at the bar. As soon as he went up to the bar, a black haired man in a cream-colored business suit approached him.

“Ryo, what happened to your…wait a second. You’re not Ryo. Who the hell are you?”

“You look familiar,” replied Dan, ignoring the question.

The man in the business suit was joined by a girl in what appeared to be a white gi complete with a belt, along with red shoes and blue spandex pants. Dan was about to laugh at the clothes when she spoke up.

“Ryo?”

“I’m not Ryo!” shouted Dan. “I’m Dan Hibiki, and I’m selling new, cheap, and tasty…”

“Hey!” shouted a voice from the other side of the bar. Looking, Dan saw someone in an orange gi, with a black undershirt staring at him like he was from another planet.

“Robert, what gives? Is this your idea of a joke?”

“No, Ryo, it’s…”

“Will you all shut up!” shouted Dan. “I’m trying to sell you something!”

All three of the people looked on at Dan with confused looks before the girl spoke up and said “You’re not going to sell anything by telling customers to shut up. And how did you get past King?”

Once again ignoring a potentially dangerous question, Dan asked “And just what might your name be?”

“Yuri. But the pink on a guy, big turnoff.”

“Better than an overpriced suit.” Robert was about to say something when another noise interrupted him, namely, the sound of the doors swinging open once again.

“Nobody blindsides me and gets away with it!” shouted the now furious King.

As Ryo, Robert, and Yuri all looked on, Dan left two cans of cola, along with a business card on the bar.

“Uh, free samples!” Dan stammered. On the house! You can go to that address if you want…”

“GET OUT!”

Nodding, Dan ran out with his bag full of soda, not bothering to say anything else. Watching as he ran past her, King shook her head.

“I try to open a nice restaurant, and this is what happens. Makes me wish I stayed in Southtown.”

“Oh, come on King,” replied Yuri. “What’s one psycho in the way of business? Besides, he did leave us free drinks.”

“You’re actually gonna try it?” asked Robert.

“Why not? I like soda”

“I’ll try it,” added King, “as long as I can mix it with some liquor.”

“Drinking your problems away?” joked Ryo.

“Well, you should you be happy, knowing other people share the same fashion sense as you.”

************************************************** *******

Dan’s further efforts to find customers seemed futile, as it was getting late, and most of his attempts to enter stores were met with refusal, forcible resistance, or both. Although he would usually stay to fight, Dan realized that getting into fights wouldn't sell cola, and furthermore, wouldn't clear his name.

Unbeknownst to him however, several people were following him. The first, a man in a black sedan, went through the streets as Dan went from store to store. Other than playing "Gold Digger" on his car's stereo system louder than normal, the man didn't do anything to attract attention.

On the rooftops meanwhile, two women in black bodysuits resembling swimsuits were observing Dan via binoculars. Speaking into a small cellular phone, their almost robotic voices began reverberating on the empty roof.

"The potential target is on the move again. There is a 60% chance that he is the one we're looking for," began the first woman

"We cannot be sure unless he uses the chemical in a public area, or admits it, " continued the other woman.

"If that is him, we must retrieve the chemical and find out who sold us out. Find him, and bring him in, dead or alive."

"Yes sir."

************************************************** *******

When all hope seemed lost for Dan, he noticed a small crowd. Like a moth to the flame, he approached, and noticed who was attracting the attention.

"Hey! Isn't she that idol from the TV?"

"Yeah!" replied a nearby passerby. "Athena Asamiya! She's signing autographs before her concert tonight!"

The man wasn't lying. Athena, in a bright red dress which seemed to illuminate light onto the admiring crowd, was signing autographs and accepting gifts from the crowd of fans.

And it was then that Dan got his idea. If he gave Athena Saikyo cola, and she liked it, he'd have a celebrity endorsement, and be able to disprove Sakura's claims that it turned people into giants! After all, who are people going to believe, a schoolgirl or a pop idol?

Shoving his way through the crowd, Dan quickly made his way to the front.

"Ms. Asamiya!"

Looking towards Dan, the pop idol replied "Yes?" It was then that Dan held out the cola can.

"I was wondering if you were thirsty..."

Expecting some interruption, as was usually the case with these famous types, Dan was surprised when Athena happily took the can, saying "Actually, I am. Thanks!"

Dan couldn't believe his luck as Athena drank down the cola. He was ready to begin celebrating his financial success when the crowd gasped, looking at their idol.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know! It looks like...she's growing!"

As Dan turned around, he realized the people weren't lying. Athena, much to her own shock and the shock of the people around her, was getting bigger and bigger. Stunned, he could only watch as she continued to grow.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, he planned to apologize to Sakura. If he survived this.

Athena's growth finally ceased at an incredible 250 feet tall in front of the astonished crowd. No longer wearing her cheerful expression from earlier, the giantess looked down, furious.

"Little bugs...die!"

Shouting overtook the crowd as Athena dropped her foot into it, crushing several spectators under the sole of her shoe. Dan, meanwhile, was reducing to running in the street as fast as he could, bag of cola still in hand.

"I'm sorry! Don't kill me!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears; however, as the enormous Athena continued to chase Dan through the streets, crushing anything that was unfortunate enough to get in her way. The people of the city could do nothing as Athena plowed through it, intent on crushing her prey.

And it seemed that she would get him, as the Saikyo master became exhausted from the constant running. He was about to pass out on the street from exhaustion, leaving him easy prey for the gargantuan Athena.

Just when all hope seemed lost for Dan, however, a black sedan stopped in front of him, the driver, opening up the car window.

"Come with me if you want to live," hastily began the driver.

Not bothering to respond, Dan leapt in the car as it sped away from the giantess. Looking out the back window, Dan could only look on horrified as she turned her attention to the nearby crowd.

"Uh-oh..."

This was more like it, thought Sakura. After the discovery of what set off her growth earlier, Karin was able to convince her father that the formula was worth studying, and that Sakura herself was too valuable to leave alone for three days. So she was moved once again to a spacious laboratory a few miles from the city, and given the industrial sized TV she wanted, along with enough food to satisfy her newly enlarged appetite.

“Is that all,” asked Karin sarcastically, “or do you want a massage too?”

“Hey, don’t get me mad,” replied Sakura. “You don’t want me outgrowing this dollhouse, now do you?”

“Don’t you dare!” shouted Karin, but Sakura just laughed, munching on a massive bowl of white rice as she reached over to turn on the TV.

“That’s what you need,” smirked Karin. “A TV Guide.”

“So, why do I have to wait three days again?”

“The guy my dad knows is in India, and he’s working with some local guy on something. My dad didn’t say what exactly, but it supposedly fascinates the guy.”

Flipping through the channels, Sakura didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy until she flipped to one of the broadcast channels, noticing a rather flustered female reporter.

“What you see behind me isn’t any sort of special effect or illusion. That really is the pop idol known as Athena Asiyama destroying the city, and yes, she is 250 feet tall! At this time it is unknown why…”

Pressing the “off” button on the television, Sakura put down her bowl of rice and stood to her full height. Karin grimaced.

“Look, Sakura, I know what you’re thinking, and please don’t take it out on my family’s expensive equipment, OK?”

Sakura shook her head. “I’ve got to stop her. I’m the only one who can.”

“Yes, but you saw the screaming lady on TV! Athena’s not exactly a pushover you know! Heck, I heard that she competed in a bunch of fighting tournaments…”

“Really?!”

Karin hit her head as she saw Sakura’s eyes light up at the mention of a challenge. “Right, I forgot who I was talking to.”

“So, are you gonna open the steel doors, or do I need to rip them in half?”

Nodding, Karin walked up to a control panel on the wall, and pressed a few buttons, causing the twin steel doors to open, giving Sakura a clear view outside. Not wasting any time, Sakura ran outside as soon as the doors were open enough for her to go through.

“Look out Athena, you’re not the only big girl around!”

Rather than attempt to follow Sakura, Karin casually took out her cell phone and began dialing a number.

“Ms. Kanzuki?”

“I need a helicopter ready to go ASAP.”

“But Ms. Kanzuki, didn’t you hear about…”

“Exactly.”

************************************************** ********

“Ugh, what was in that soda?”

Opening her eyes, Yuri Sakazaki looked around, unaware of what had just transpired. She drank the free cola the guy in the pink gi left her, and then it felt like someone sealed her eyelids shut. Looking around, she was surprised to be outside, and even more surprised that the only person in sight was a similarly incapacitated King, lying on what appeared to be gravel.

“King, did you slip something into my drink?”

“Ugh,” replied the still groggy bar owner, “why would I do that?”

“Where are Robert and Ryo?”

“Got me.”

As the two sat up, they began to hear two familiar, if much quieter than normal voices. It was then that Yuri looked down and saw it.

“ROBERT?!”

“Yuri! You’re…huge!”

Staring at her miniature friend for a few moments, Yuri broke the awkward stare by raising her right finger, with the diminutive Robert Garcia looking on worried.

“Yuri?”

With a speed not suggested by her size, Yuri’s finger began to poke Robert, knocking him to the ground.

“Hey!”

“Wow! You’re tiny!” Yuri exclaimed. “Tiny, tiny, tiny!”

The massive finger continued to hit Robert in the stomach as Yuri giggled, looking on as the seemingly invincible karate master couldn’t defend himself from the curious pokes of his enormous girlfriend.

As Yuri continued to poke Robert, despite his objections, King sighed as she examined Ryo.

“Well, at least I’m alive. No way they’d let you in heaven.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” replied a rather irritated Ryo.

“You should know. By the way, where’s my restaurant? How did we get here?”

Not bothering to reply with words, Ryo pointed below King as the debris she was lying down on. It was at this moment that King realized the truth.

“My restaurant!” she exclaimed horrified. Backing up a few steps, King suddenly realized that not only had her restaurant been crushed, but the entire block.

“That cola! It made us huge!” exclaimed Yuri.

“Obviously!” shouted Ryo. “Don't bother pointing out that the sky is blue, we know already.”

King didn’t reply to either of them, but instead picked Ryo up by the leg.

“OK, OK! I’m sorry! But hey, your clothes didn’t rip…somehow. And there’s insurance, right?”

“Somehow I don’t think my policy covers Godzilla level growth spurts,” she sighed. “Well, at least you’re a lot more convenient at this size.”

“Convenient?”

“Feeling puny?” she joked. Ryo just blushed.

“By the way,” asked Yuri, “How did our clothes stay on? Magic?”

“Luck,” replied King as she placed Ryo on her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s find pinkie before he sells that crud to someone else.”

As Yuri stood up to her full height, carefully placing Robert on her shoulder, the two of them noticed a loud explosion, and an even angrier giantess destroying buildings and crushing anything in her path.

“Too late.”

************************************************** *******

“We’re here, Mr. Hibiki.”

“Nice…”

Looking up at the 70 story skyscraper (at least that was Dan’s original guess, give or take 5 stories), Dan couldn’t help but be impressed.

“So, I guess I should thank you for saving me from the, y’know, rampaging pop idol back…”

“No thanks are necessary. Just go to the 40th floor, room 4015. My employer is waiting for you.”

As Dan walked through the revolving doors, he, along with his black-suited escort, were unaware that they were still being watched from the rooftops. The two mysterious women from earlier had watched Dan enter the building, their almost robotic expressions unchanged since they began the pursuit.

“The target has entered a secured complex,” droned the first woman.

“There’s a specialist on her way in. Leave the infiltration to her and ensure nothing happens to the experiment.”

“Sir, there is a 50.4562% possibility that the target may have given the formula to others. What should we do in that case?”

“We only need one sample, and it seems like Ms. Asiyama is acting more like our test subjects than anyone else. Terminate any others that have received the formula if found.”

“Understood.”

************************************************** *******

Forty floors later, Dan found himself inside a rather large office suite, complete with bedroom, living room, and main office. By himself, Dan found himself facing an empty desk with a television screen behind it, built into the wall. No one was in sight.

“Uh, anyone home?”

Without warning, the television screen crackled to life, revealing the face of a man with long blond hair.

“This sucks. What else is on?”

“I can hear you you know,” replied the face. “This monitor is two-way Ry…”

“I’m not Ryo, dammit!” shouted Dan. "I am..."

“No, Ryo’s blonder, and has less…pink,” interrupted the man.

“Look blondie,” sternly replied Dan as he flung his hair back, “I don’t know who you are or why I should stay here…”

“Forgive me,” interrupted the man. “My name is Geese Howard, and I have an invested interest in the formula you’re carrying.”

“You mean my Saikyo energy cola Goose?”

The look on Geese’s face was one of total shock. But very quickly, that shock turned into laughter.

“You…thought that was soda pop you were carrying?! My God, who sold that to you?”

“Some guy in Thailand in a mohawk. How come?”

“He’s even dumber than you!” replied Geese. “That’s not a soft drink, that’s a formula Shadoloo designed for its Killer Bee squad.

Dan looked on confused. “You lost me.”

“I might as well spell it out for you,” replied Geese. “About two months ago, Shadoloo’s leader was presumed dead after a battle in Thailand. Before he died, he created that formula you were carrying for his elite Killer Bee force. A chemical formula that reacted with his own bizarre psychic abilities as well as stimulating incredible growth, turning a spy into a one-person army.”

Dan nodded, sitting down on a nearby sofa. “OK…”

“But when the leader of Shadoloo was presumed dead, his organization went into a bit of disarray, and every last dose of the formula was lost. Some low level agent must have found it and sold it to you in an attempt to make a quick buck. So now I’m here to ask you for the formula back. Give it to me, and I will see that you are reasonably compensated.”

Dan shook his head. “Nice offer, but no thanks. Anyone with this kind of setup is bound to be up to no good, and I’m not about to give you something that might be worth a lot.”

“Pity,” replied Geese as the monitor shut off. Dan just laughed.

“Yeah, you’d better run you stupid head in the box! You know that some underworld mobster like you would be no match for the master of Saikyo!”

From out of nowhere, a voice spoke up. “Oh really?” Looking at one of the doorways, Dan saw Geese, clad in a suit and tie, walking towards him.

“Since you don’t seem to want to go along with my plans, I guess this means I’ll have to use an alternate form of persuasion.”

“Bring it on Goose!” shouted Dan, as he clenched his fist in front of him. “OYAJI!”

************************************************** ********

In the middle of the city, things didn’t look good for the citizens. The relentless Athena continued her assault on the people and buildings of the city, not responding to any form of communication as she rampaged, instead choosing to attack whatever caught her eye.

And right now her eye was on a large skyscraper that just happened to be where a major newstation was broadcasting. From the top floor, several reporters, along with many members of the staff, looked on helplessly as Athena approached the building.

Speaking into the camera, one of the reporters began “Police are at a loss on how to stop the giant Athena, and so far all efforts at containment have failed. It doesn’t look like we’re going to…”

“LOOK!” shouted one of the crewmembers. As everyone looked up in dread, they saw Athena’s fist ready to plow right through the building.

“HADOKEN!”

But the moment never came. One minute, they saw Athena’s fist, the next, a bright flash appeared, and Athena was knocked to the ground. The reporter couldn’t believe it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we somehow seem to be still alive. How is a mystery to me, but…”

As she turned around, the reporter saw exactly who had saved them. A gigantic, grinning schoolgirl in a fighting stance. The reporters looked on shocked, while the crowds on the street were even more stunned. The few lucky one’s right underneath her skirt weren’t sure whether to enjoy the view or run for safety.

“You want to fight? Pick on someone your own size!”

Walking towards Dan with a confident gait, Geese stared at his opponent, a slight grin forming on his face.

“I must warn you Mr. Hibiki, I’m not an amateur in the martial arts.”

Dan shrugged his shoulders, unimpressed. “Oooh, I’m really scared of a drug kingpin that knows tae-bo! So did you get the 7 minute workout or the 30 minute?”

Geese shook his head. “Not tae-bo, and trust me, your pathetic style is no match for it.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you look like a hippie with that hair!”

“I’ve had enough of you!” shouted Geese as threw a kick right at Dan’s head. With little time to react, Dan was forced to block the blow with his skull, reeling as the force of the kick sent him to the ground.

“That all?” mocked Geese.

“You wish!” Leaping back up, Dan approached Geese and shouted “Gadoken!” attempting to channel his signature fireball.

“That won’t even hit me,” mocked Geese.

Normally, Geese would have been correct. However, on this occasion, he was leaning over slightly, allowing the Gadoken, despite its short range, to make contact with the nearest object it could hit.

Geese Howard’s hair.

And while normally it would amount to a blow on the level of a sharp slap, Geese’s hair, due to the carpeting and his own attacks, had an unusual charge of static cling. Combined with the ki from the Gadoken, only one result was inevitable, a result Dan quickly pointed out before Geese could attack again.

“Dude…your hair’s on fire!”

“WHAT?!”

Touching the burning embers on his head, Geese went into a panic.

“MY HAIR! AHHHH!”

Still caught in confusion, Geese began running around, vainly looking for something to extinguish the flame on his head.

“My beautiful hair! Putitoutputitoutputitout!”

Dan, looked on confused at first, but then noticing a chair near Geese’s desk, got an idea.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

“Huh?”

Without warning, Dan struck Geese’s head with the chair, knocking him to the ground and stifling some of the flames.

“HAHAHA! That’ll show you not to mess with the master of Saikyo. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to be going, but thanks for the workout.”

Ignoring the still moaning Geese, Dan casually walked out into the hallway with his bag of cola in hand.

“Who does he think he is going about a super soldier formula? Well, I didn’t need a super soldier formula to kick your ass!”

Unfortunately for Dan, his celebration was quickly interrupted when two men in black suits approached him.

“We heard noise! Where’s Mr. Howard?”

Dan could only watch nervously as the two men drew weapons. “Uh, got me!” he yelled as he quickly began running off. The two men, ignoring Dan for the moment, ran into Geese’s suite to see their employer getting up, and bizarrely enough, his hair looking burnt.

“Sir?”

“Don’t let him escape alive!” yelled Geese. “Lead him to the roof. And for God’s sake, get me some scissors and my fighting attire!”

“Yes sir!”

************************************************** *******

The attention was new to Sakura, but hardly unwelcome. Smiling, the cocky giantess looked down at the stunned crowds, observing their confused expression. As others began to take photos, she posed for a few, but was a bit demanding about what they take pictures of.

“Those had better be of my face y’know!” This remark caused several cameramen underneath her skirt to run in terror.

Before she could celebrate too much however, the giant Athena stood once more, charging towards Sakura as if possessed.

“Kill…enemy!”

Not bothering to reply, Sakura planted her feet, and leapt into the air, throwing a kick right at Athena’s head. The enraged giantess, not bothering to block the blow, took the full force right to the head and fell to the ground as the onlookers gasped.

Sakura shook her head at her fallen opponent, watching as she attempted to get up. “You’re not so tough! Karin could probably take you!”

“I heard that!” exclaimed a voice. Looking around, Sakura noticed a helicopter flying past her head, in which Karin Kanzuki was angrily waving a megaphone at Sakura.

“I was joking! Sorry!”

“Sorry nothing! You have to take the fight out of the city before more innocent people get hurt!”

Nodding, Sakura watched as the helicopter flew off. As she prepared to move in to finish off her opponent, something struck her from behind, knocking her to the ground face-first.

“The formula worked successfully. Unit 07- Juli, at 100%. Estimated size, 250.32 feet, 76.32 meters.”

“Unit 08- Juni- 100%. Estimated size, 249.11 feet, 75.93 meters.”

“Huh?” Turning around, Sakura, not to mention the crowds in the city, were shocked at the sight of two equally large giantesses, wearing uniforms that were all too familiar to her.

“Shadaloo?!”

“She knows who we are,” began the first girl.

“She must be terminated immediately,” continued the second.

Before Sakura could respond to the direct threats on her life, the sound of rubble being moved interrupted. Turning around, Sakura saw the form of Athena rising once more, at least fifty feet taller and just as furious. While a normal person would have cowered in fear, Sakura stood her ground.

“Come on!”

************************************************** *******

The battle raging in the middle of downtown Tokyo did not go unnoticed by the pair of Yuri and King. Originally off to look for Dan Hibiki, the two made a rapid detour when they saw the massive Athena Asiyama destroying parts of the city. And after the schoolgirl and the two women in the swimsuits showed up….

“How many people did he give that crap to?!” asked Yuri.

“I don’t know,” replied King, “but if we don’t do something, the whole city could be destroyed!”

“And that’s our problem why?” asked Ryo.

“Because I didn’t spend two months advertising my restaurant just to let all my clients be killed by a giant psycho pop idol!”

Taking the doll-sized forms of their friends over to a nearby building, Yuri and King put Robert and Ryo down on the rooftops.

“Be careful out there Yuri!” shouted Robert.

“I’ll be fine!” replied Yuri as she ran off. “Thanks!”

Ryo’s comments to King weren’t nearly so passive however.

“You’re just gonna leave us here? What gives?”

“Now look Ryo,” replied King is a voice similar to a mother scolding a child, “this is a job for us big girls to handle, so you stay here and try to stay out of trouble, OK?”

“So I’m just supposed to stay put while you go out and fight?”

Petting Ryo with her still-gloved hand, King smiled and nodded, and then finally ran off. “Don’t wait up!”

Ryo groaned as he watched the two giantesses run into the city. “Can you believe them?”

“I take it you have a better idea besides not getting killed?”

“Maybe we can find pinko,” replied Ryo. “I’d like to give him a piece of my mind!”

"How are we gonna do that?" asked Robert. "The city's huge, and it's not exactly safe to walk around."

"Right..."

************************************************** *******

Although spared from Athena’s initial attempt on their lives, the reporters on top of the skyscraper were still gripped with fear. One minute, it was a single giantess destroying the city, the next, four!

“We are unable to determine what they want, however it seems that the two women in the black bodysuits are at odds with the giant schoolgirl. And as ridiculous as this may sound, several buildings have been outright destroyed, with additional numbers coming in for people injured. At this time, casualties are unknown, but…”

“LOOK OUT!”

Ducking, the camera crew watched as a giant ball of energy flew overhead, smashing into a nearby building. The crew couldn’t help but gasp.

In the streets themselves, things were not going well for Sakura. Her attempts to hold off the attacks of three giantesses, one of which was even bigger than her, proved valiant, yet at the same time, rather useless. As quickly as Sakura was able to hit one of Bison’s henchmen, the other held her down to be assaulted by the berserker Athena, who knocked her to the ground.

Sakura wasn’t about to lose so easily. Every time she was knocked down, she got right back up, attacking the person closest to her with all of her power.

“You won’t beat me!”

“Personal comment is unnecessary,” replied the woman who called herself Juli. As she and her partner prepared to charge Sakura once more, two sudden blurs interrupted them.

“Huh? What in the world?”

“That’s a nice greeting. We’re on your side!”

Shaking her head, Sakura realized that the blurs were in fact, two more giantesses. Well, at least she thought the second one was a girl. She looked like a girl, even if she was wearing men’s clothing.

“Definitely a girl,” mumbled Sakura. By coincidence, she was the first one to speak.

“I guess we should save the introductions, right?”

“Sakura.”

“King.”

“Yuri. Ok, now that we’re all close friends, let’s take these freaks out!”

When the brute first showed his face in front of the tower, the two black-suited guards weren't sure what to make of it.

But when he appeared right in front of the entrance to the tower, they knew he was a problem. His thick voice, laden with something of a British accent, only saying one word.

"Yo."

"Sir," replied one of the guards. "This is a private building, and if you don’t have an appointment, I’ll be forced to…”

“Does Geese Howard live here?”

“I’m not at liberty to deliver that information.”

“That’s a yes.”

Grabbing the guard in front of him with relative ease, the man lifted him off the ground and with a quick motion, head-butted him. The ensuing shock knocked the man out, as he fell from his assailant’s grip limp. Before the other guard could attack, the assailant ran towards him, knocking him out with another head butt.

“Suits are nice, but the intro needs work.”

************************************************** *******

Sakura wasn’t sure what to make of the situation at the moment. True, having two allies to help in the fight with Bison’s henchmen is definitely preferable to having to fight them all by herself, but the question of exactly who they were, not to mention how they grew, still lingered in her mind.

“Three targets. Engage each individually.”

Her train of thought was quickly bought to a close as both of the Shadaloo agents and Athena all charged toward them, running right through the wreckage of destroyed buildings to attack their targets. As she deflected a blow aimed for her face, Sakura noticed the woman who called herself Yuri entering an oddly familiar fighting stance.

“Haow-Ken!”

Despite everything else going on, what she just did took importance.

“Hey! You just ripped off my master’s Hadoken!”

Now Sakura wasn’t exactly sure why she said that, but the moment she saw the other giantess execute an all too familiar technique, jealousy quickly overcame her. It didn’t matter that she knocked the Shadaloo woman right into a nearby building, or that someone else was attacking her. The jealousy, wherever it came from, was building too deeply to be ignored.

“What are you talking about? This is the secret technique of the Kyokugenryu school of karate!”

“No it’s not! You just ripped off my Hadoken!” To prove her point, she waited for her opponent to come close, and then fired a Hadoken at point blank, sending the agent reeling.

“You’re the one ripping me off!” Yuri yelled.

“No way!”

The rather calm King, meanwhile, could only look on as the two young girls continued to argue over whose style was real and who’s was the copy. Normally she would simply tell them to shut the hell up and focus on their opponents, but as they argued, something extremely strange was occurring.

Both girls seemed to be growing. Not only that, but when they actually fought their opponents, they looked more and more like Athena, attacking with more rage and less skill.

“KILL!”

King’s scientific evaluation, however, was quickly ended as she braced herself against Athena’s powerful attacks.

Pure rage, she thought. No wonder she’s so powerful. These…we grow when we get mad!

Creating a distance between her and her opponent with a series of well timed kicks, King realized that if she tried to fight Athena with anger, odds are the city wouldn’t survive the ensuing battle. But if she took too long, all the girls would end up dwarfing her, and she’d be forced to try and grow in order to simply contain the menace.

If I’m going to stop her, I need to calm her down. But how?

************************************************** ********

“Stu-pid…stairs…”

Huffing and wheezing as he climbed the 50th flight of stairs in order to escape the guards, Dan Hibiki finally found himself on the roof of the building. The guards appeared to be long gone, and he could sit down.

However, the rooftop was anything but a simple slab of concrete with a door. Looking around at the wooden architecture, the stairways, and the miniature building in the center, Dan was confused.

“A shrine?”

“Correct.”

Turning around, Dan’s jaw dropped at the sight in front of him.

“Weren’t you on fire? And what happened with your hair?”

Standing in front of Dan was Geese Howard, now with his hair cut short on all sides. No longer wearing his business suit, Geese was clad in the robes of a warrior monk, with white top and blood red pants, tied together with a cloth belt. His expression was nothing less than that of a man with the intent to kill.

“I decided to change my appearance, seeing as killing you with charred hair bits falling around wouldn’t be appealing.”

“How did you get up here anyway? I wasn’t followed.”

“Elevator.”

Dan groaned when he heard that, but quickly shrugged it off and assumed a fighting stance.

“Don’t think you’re a match for Saikyo! I guess I’ll just need to burn something else off!”

“Think? I know I’m more than a match for you!”

************************************************** *******

From her bird’s eye view of the city, Karin continued to vainly search for the source of the problems. Dan Hibiki was nowhere to be found, but the truth of the matter was that finding him was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“I don’t believe this! Odds are he skipped town!”

“Ms. Kanzuki,” interrupted the helicopter pilot, “would it not be prudent to leave this chase to the police and evacuate to somewhere safe?”

“Evacuate? With the city about to collapse? No way!”

The helicopter continued to hover over the area with no luck, until they passed over a very large skyscraper with a shrine on the roof. Karin recognized the pink figure on it instantly.

“There he is!”

“But with all due respect Ms. Kanzuki, how do you plan to get there?” asked the pilot. He was answered with the sight of Karin strapping on a nearby parachute.

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious. Get me in closer!”

“And after you’re gone?”

“Get Sakura! Tell her where I am!”

“How do I do that?”

“What are you being paid for?”

Wiping off the initial surprise, the pilot did as he was told, watching Karin parachute right onto the building. Flying off, he could only wonder what would happen if something happened to Karin. It’d be his job!

************************************************** *******

As fists, feet, and fireballs flew across downtown, Sakura wondered what it would take to keep her opponents down. Each time either she or Juli was knocked down, they got right back up, angrier and larger than before. The fact that Yuri was shamelessly copying her moves didn’t help either, it only served to make Sakura angrier.

“Why won’t you go down?” she yelled as her opponent jumped over a punch, then attacked her with a series of sharp kicks to the chest. Each one felt strong enough to level a mountain, but Sakura was barely fazed by their strikes. As cars and debris crunched underfoot, Sakura ran forward to continue her assault.

Likewise, Yuri fought Juni in much the same way, using every single technique that she knew in order to keep her opponent down. But the black spandex clad Shadaloo member absorbed every blow and continued to attack, forcing Yuri to respond in kind.

“What are you made of?”

“Personal commentary is unnecessary.”

And talking to them was like talking to a robot. Was there anything else she said?

“Response unneeded.”

“Oh shut up!” Yuri shouted as she kicked the thug in the face.

King, however, was attempting to use a different strategy against Athena. Instead of going blow to blow with the angry giantess, King carefully deflected each attack Athena threw at her. By keeping the enraged pop idol focused on her instead of the buildings, King was hoping to calm her down.

*WHAM!*

When the punch hit her face however, King found all logic slowly slipping away. That overgrown pop-idol skank hit her!

“You…hurt…I’m going to…”

NO! If she threw a punch now, then it’d be no better than what was happening with Yuri and the other girl. The entire city would be leveled before anyone got tired, much less ended the fight.

“Don’t be a Ryo, don’t be a Ryo…”

Breathing heavily, King watched as another of Athena’s punches rushed towards her with the intensity and accuracy of a volcanic eruption. This time, instead of simply dodging the blow, King grabbed the arm and twisted it, using the brief moment of distraction to move into position.

As Athena wildly flailed around, walking right into a nearby building, King used the distraction to get behind the berserk giantess and applied an old-fashioned chokehold.

“You may be tough, but you can’t last without air!”

Unfortunately for King, her plan wasn’t nearly as foolproof as she had hoped. Rather than struggling for air, Athena bucked and ran around the city like a mad bronco, occasionally stopping in an attempt to throw King off. Realizing the danger a now 350 foot tall body would cause if it was flung into the city, King tightened her grip on Athena's neck, hoping that the giantess would collapse sooner rather than later.

“Why me?” King lamented as she held on for dear life. “Maybe I was better off just hitting her!”

************************************************** *******

Landing on the building almost perfectly (a skill perfected through dozens of hours worth of skydiving lessons) Karin looked around to notice the roof of the building was decorated like a shrine. But more important than that, she recognized Dan, and the person he was attempting to fight.

Wait. I know him. That’s…Dan doesn’t stand a chance unless I do something!

As yet another round of kicks flew with the strength to break bones, and it seemed, that finally, the attacks were taking their toll.

The only problem was that it was Sakura and Yuri on the receiving end of the punishment. The two Shadaloo assassins, not succumbing to the same rage as their young opponents, began to coordinate their attacks, dodging the frantic blows of their opponents and responding with calculated strikes to the various vital points of the human body. Gasping could be heard as Sakura and Yuri both found it difficult to stand, their bodies, along with the bodies of their opponents, relentlessly increasing in size as the combat continued.

However, rage had completely taken over the minds of both girls. Neither was bothering to block the attacks being used against them. Grunting, they readied themselves to attack once more.

And that’s when they saw it.

King, holding onto the slightly larger Athena for dear life as she ran around the city, passing through the area like a bizarre rodeo. The sheer ridiculousness of the sight was enough to make Sakura and Yuri stop their attacks and just stare. Even the seemingly emotionless Shadaloo warriors couldn’t help but stare at the scene.

“Did…you see that?” asked Sakura as she turned to her counterpart, attempting to hold back a fit of laughter.

“And to think, I always thought King was the sophisticated one of the group.”

“So, what were we doing?”

“Fighting the two Shadaloo girl…HEY!”

Having gotten over the distraction much more quickly than their opponents, the two emotionless giantesses stepped over a small section of abandoned vehicles in order to attack their opponents, interrupting their brief conversation. This time, however, they met with a concentrated resistance that deflected each and every one of their blows.

“Any idea what were doing before?” asked Yuri as she continued to back up, only to stop as she saw her butt brushing against a comparatively tiny building. As she attempted to move, a new problem immediately came to Yuri’s attention. Namely, that after nearly tripling in size, the streets of Tokyo had become a lot more crowded than before, with the once wide roads difficult to squeeze into without bumping into nearby skyscrapers. And while Shadaloo assassins had no issues with destroying anything in their path, Yuri was a bit more self-conscious about whether or not she accidentally destroyed a building full of innocent people while trying to avoid getting hit.

“No, but I guess it’s gonna have to wait!”

************************************************** *******

The fight didn’t appear like it would last long at all. From her hiding place, Karin could only watch as the assailant moved his arms like blades in order to strike Dan. Each strike found its target all too easily, breaking Dan’s defenses apart and knocking the pink-wearing Saikyo master to the ground with a noticeable thud.

“Do you see the difference in our skills now Mr. Hibiki?”

Karin grimaced. The man in the fighting robes was Geese Howard, a powerful businessman with numerous connections to the underworld. As a businessman, Geese had locked horns with her father’s Kanzuki conglomerate multiple times. As a crime boss, he used his influence to interfere with the family’s attempts at establishing a factory in Southtown in America.

But what few people knew was that Geese was also a master of a rare fighting style called Hakkyokuseiken, and that he had an insatiable urge for combat. Even her father, master of Kanzukiryu martial arts, did not go far beyond that, only noting that Geese was a man of great power and skill, and one that Karin should not take lightly when she began her business ventures.

And right now, he was demonstrating that power and skill to Dan Hibiki’s face, attacking the Saikyo master so quickly that he didn’t know what to do.

Grunting, Dan attempted to kick Geese as he stood up, following the kick with a series of punches and elbow strikes, each one meeting with either a deflection from Geese or thin air. “I haven’t lost yet!”

“This battle was decided before it began. Observe.”

Moving back a few feet, Geese raised his arm into the air as Dan looked on. The opportunity was perfect for Karin to strike Geese.

But before she could, a thick metal chain wrapped itself around Geese’s arm, preventing him from moving it.

“Who’s foolish enough to interrupt my battle?!” shouted Geese as he turned around, only to find someone he had never seen before, a tall African-American man with an obviously dyed blonde mohawk and a ripped jacket that looked like it belonged on a biker.
“What business does a simple thug like you have here?!”

Dan, however, who had also turned to look, could only stare on shocked at the identity of the man who inadvertently saved him.

“I know you! You sold me the cola! You’re Birdie!”

The man could only blink at the strangely dressed fighter before it all came flashing back to him. Selling some excess chemicals in order to make a quick buck in the midst of Shadaloo’s demise,
Birdie soon came to regret the decision when a superior told him to recover the samples or else, as Shadaloo didn’t collapse as quickly as he thought it would.

Birdie grinned. He was able to sucker Dan into buying the cola, suckering him into giving it back wouldn’t be hard.

“Come on man, is that how you talk to the guy who just saved you?” began Birdie in his thick British accent.

Dan shrugged his shoulders as he crossed his arms in front of him. “I had the situation under control.”

“Look, I’m here to ask you for a little something. You know those soda cans I sold you? I kinda need them back.”

Expecting a simple “yes”, Birdie stood still, keeping his grip firmly on the chain restraining Geese’s arm.

Unfortunately, he did not expect Dan to assume a fighting stance and threaten him.

“I had enough people trying to get this stuff for me to know that it’s evil! If you want it, you’ll have to go through me!”

With his right hand still restrained, Geese laughed. “That will not be difficult!”

“Why are you laughing?” shouted Birdie. “I’ve got you tied up!”

“Oh?”

Faster than the gusts of wind that occasionally blew over the shrine, Geese’s left arm moved straight through the binding chains, shattering them as if they were made of paper. Pausing briefly to move his right arm, the fearsome warrior looked on at both challengers.

“Now, should I kill you one at a time or together?”

Dan and Birdie looked at each other for about a second before they both responded “I don’t need his help!”

“Then come at me, and the victor shall leave with the late Bison’s greatest weapon.”

“You’re on Goose!” shouted Dan as he charged forward. He had barely started to throw a kick before being knocked aside with a powerful chop to the face, which sent him flying right past where Karin was hiding. She could only look on as Dan slammed into a stone statue, falling to the ground after the forceful impact.

Not bothering with any taunts, Birdie attempted to throw his chain at Geese in the hopes of restraining him, an effort that made his opponent laugh.

“That old trick again? Figures coming from a low-class punk. Here, let me show you the skills of a true warrior!”

Standing in front of the approaching chain, Geese stood still and opened his palm, which emitted a bizarre blue glow. The glow stretched itself past Geese’s hand as a bright light emerged, shattering the chains and sending

Karin still looked on, not moving. She realized that the only way she would be able to hurt Geese would be to get the drop on him while he was preoccupied.

“So now, which one of you shall I kill first?”

Wait for it.

“You won’t get me!” shouted Birdie as he ran forward towards Geese, head first.

Not yet.

“Give up street urchin!” shouted Geese as he backed into a defensive stance.

That was it. Karin leapt from her hiding place in dramatic fashion, attempting to land a jump kick right on Geese’s face as he countered Birdie’s head butt.

Unfortunately for Karin, her timing was off by a split second. No sooner did Geese block Birdie’s attack did he notice the kick heading right for him, as he grabbed the incoming leg and threw it, along with Karin, into the floor.

“Another challenger? This should be amusing, if not any more difficult.”

“Hey, were you trying to save us or something?” asked Birdie. Karin could only look on annoyed.

************************************************** *******

The pounding of shoes against concrete and metal as they left deep craters in the crowd should have been her most important concern, followed by the fact that the mad giantess was going to plow into the skyscrapers headfirst if she didn’t collapse soon.

For King, none of that mattered as much as the ridiculous position she was in. Hanging onto Athena’s neck via a chokehold, King desperately attempted to hold on in the vain hope that she could starve the mad giantess of oxygen, rendering her unconscious. Instead, she was being dragged around on her back like a rider hanging onto a horse. King didn’t know what was worse, the actual situation, or the embarrassment.

As she saw that Athena was heading straight towards a crowded building with what appeared to be news cameras on the roof, she quickly realized the situation was worse than the embarrassment.

“Go down already!” King yelled as she redoubled her efforts, applying the hold as tightly as possible. Pulling like a rider on a horse’s reins, she attempted to drag Athena down to the ground before she could slam into the building, a force Athena made no effort to resist as she continued to plow forward. The people in the building could only look on in dread, not even bothering to use their cameras to take footage that may not exist in a few moments.

With Athena only (relatively) inches from the building, King heaved with all her effort. Finally, Athena feel backwards onto the streets, collapsing unconscious, and King moved out of the way, standing to her feet. Looking at the legions of reporters who were taking photos and shooting video of the gargantuan kick boxer, she only said one thing.

“Don’t tell them how I stopped her and we’ll call it even, OK?”

The chirping of collective agreement from the reporters eased King’s fears somewhat that she would be remembered as a hero and not as a complete moron. Smiling, she ran off in the opposite direction of the building.

I just hope those kids are still doing OK. They didn’t look too well when I went past them.

************************************************** *******

Between the need to avoid the flurry of strikes and attempts to break her neck and the task of not plowing into buildings with people trapped inside, most wouldn’t be thinking of anything else. Sakura however, as she juggled these tasks in her mind, noticed something about the area, something that may have seemed trivial to others, but not to her.

When watching her sensei Ryu fight a group of enemies once, he was positioned in nearly the exact same sort of position, only with walls and floor debris inside a building substituting for the tiny skyscrapers and that she now faced.

In any event, Ryu had used the surroundings to distract and trip up his attackers while he went in and dispatched each opponent without being struck. The movements that he used would have required expert timing and even more perfect technique.

Considering the situation, it was worth the risk.

“Hey! Yuri!”

“What? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“I’ve got an idea! Just follow my lead, OK?”

“Why the hell should I do that?” shouted Yuri as she blocked her assailants attempt to plow into her foot first.

Frustrated, Sakura replied “Do we have a choice?”

“Guess not. OK, do what you’re gonna do and I’ll follow. Just make it quick!”