The SuperBeast Chronicles 37

Hours later, Mike awakens. He sits up to realize he's in a hospital room. He pulls out his IV, and takes off the EKG stickers on his chest. Cammy is beside him, holding him down.

Cammy: Mike! Mike, you need to lie down.

Mike: To hell with that, I gotta find this prick.

Cammy: You took a pretty bad beating, you need to take it easy. Dan brought you here.

Mike: Where is he?

Cammy: He's in the hallway, I'll get him.

Mike: No. Just get me my clothes.

Cammy: This isn't the time for --

The lights flicker in his room. The monitors shut off. In his human form, Valconia appears as the floor gives way to flames He appears in front of them, adjusting his tie.

Valconia: We need to talk.

Cammy: Valconia? What's going on?

Valconia: Jin is bad news. He has something inside him that could possibly kill us all.

Mike: What do you mean?

Valconia: Jin's blood is tainted. Much like yours. Jin's more focused. Nothing would stop him to see the rest of this world go down. He's planning on making you first.

Mike: We'll see about that.

Valconia: You don't understand. Your powers have weakened with every time you've used them, and though they rejuvenate with every trip to Hell, they drain. Like the battery in your cell phone when you unplug it.

Cammy: Can he stop him?

Valconia: In order to permanently kill something with the kind of powers that Mike and Jin possess, it must be of God. Despite what you may read in books or see in movies, it's a lot more simpler than what you may think. Anything that has been blessed or crossed. However, the effects would take Mike with him if he fails.

Mike: So, what if I die trying to stop him?

Valconia: This would be a permanent death. You won't come back. I would say just take your loss and move on, but Jin won't let you. He cannot be stopped right now. He just took out the Mishima Zaibatsu. All of them.

Mike: The whole --

Valconia: Yes. All of them. Lower levels, even non-combatant personnel.

Cammy: What do we do?

The door breaks down. Jin is seen in the doorway, holding Dan's head as he drags him in with him.

Mike: Dan!

Valconia: Stay back, Kazama! This is not the place for this!

Jin: Enough! I come to make my challenge! There is room on this Earth for one evil entity! I've defeated you before, and the next time will be the final time!

Dan: Don't worry about me! Don't fight him, Mike!

Jin: You come and fight me, and I let your friends go on to live long happy lives! If you don't, they all suffer your eventual fate! Starting with him!

Jin applies pressure to Dan's temples. Dan winces and growls in pain.

Jin: Until then, I think I'll take Mr. Hibiki with me!

Jin runs off, dragging Dan behind him. The three look on in disbelief.

Mike: I've gotta stop him.

Cammy: But what Valconia said. You could die from this. No coming back from it!

Mike: Cammy, I love you. But if we do nothing, then we've already lost.

Valconia: You need to think on this.

Mike: What's there to think about? I need to take him out once and for all.

Cammy grabs Mike's neck, and kisses him.

Cammy: Be careful.

The wager is made. Mike has to risk the chance of permanent death to save Dan, his friends and his city, and possibly the world over this deadly game of cat and mouse and eventually leading into the battle for Earth's very existence.