Saturday, November 21, 1992, 5:30 PM

"Sagat,...it's time once again, it seems..." Ryu muttered to his nemesis.

"This time, Ryu, I shall finish the job!" Sagat taunted.

Ken slowly lurched up and stood upright. He looked at Sagat and shouted "Holy monkey! You sure did get him good, Ryu!"

"Yes, he did." Sagat agreed. He pointed to the diagonal scar which was slashed across his chest. "Ryu did this to me long ago in the first Street Fighter tournament. I have vowed revenge ever since for what he did to me. And now, I shall exact it."

"You talk big, Ugly," Ken mocked, "but do you have the moves to back up that talk?"

"Ken! This isn't your fight!" Ryu scorned. "This is between Sagat and me."

"No way, man!" Ken objected. "We're pals. When we trained as teenagers and stuff, we took a vow to help each other, no matter how strongly the other objects."

"Yes, Ryu." Sagat interrupted. "Let your cocky friend, Ken, back you up. He is nothing more than a pawn to me. A pawn who thinks he can possibly stand up to me. You are not a warrior! You are a beginner! I am not satisfied until I have the world's strongest title again!"

"This guy's pretty annoying, huh, Ryu?" Ken asked his friend.

"Sure is. Sic 'em, Ken!" Ryu replied, pointing at Sagat.

Ken leapt forward at Sagat and went into a Hurricane Kick. Just as Ken passed over a crouching Sagat, Sagat went into one of his special moves.

He went into a Dragon Punch-type of move, only he shouted "Tiger Uppercut!"

It hit Ken hard, knocking him into the air and back to the ground with a thud.

Upon regaining his senses, Ken mumbled "This just doesn't seem to be my day."

Ryu reared back and let loose a Hadoken.

But Sagat, cunning as ever, threw his own projectile, the Tiger Fireball. "Tiger!" he shouted to accompany it.

The two fireballs canceled each other out, to the dismay of both fighters.

"This time, I shall not fail!" Sagat declared. He stooped down and shot his Tiger Fireball again. Ryu had no choice but to evade it by jumping. But just as he did, he realized his grave error. Sagat got back into crouch position and let loose another Tiger Uppercut!

Ryu fell to the ground near Ken. Through his dizziness, Ryu could barely see the oncoming Sagat.

"Accept your weakness!" Sagat ordered. "Never return here!"

Ryu slowly got up. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't care. It was between him and Sagat.

"You want me, Sagat?" Ryu asked. "Come and get me!"

"Very well!" Sagat replied. "Tiger!"

A low Tiger Fireball came at Ryu's feet. Ryu jumped into the air, but just as Sagat pulled off his Tiger Uppercut, Ryu kicked downward to quicken his descent, just barely missing Sagat.

As Sagat descended from his Uppercut, Ryu screamed "Shoryuken!!!" and let loose a wide-arc Dragon Punch!

In that instant, Ryu realized one thing: he had won. The Dragon Punch had left no scar on Sagat this time, save for the emotional scars. Ryu ran to Ken and helped him up.

Just then, Ryu and Ken heard the familiar voices of some friends. In the audience, Captain N, Princess Lana, Mega Man, and Kid Icarus called out to their friend.

Ryu waved back, figuring they had won. Looking back at Ken, Ryu realized the next battle was truly the last.

The final arena was a dark place, save for some hideous torches lit up all about. There was no audience allowed in the arena, but cameras were set up to deliver the action.

Ryu walked into the center of the arena and shuddered. "Whoever this Bison is, he's one creepy guy."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Ryu." a voice said.

Ryu looked to where he thought the source would be, only to see darkness. Just then, a body materialized in that place. He was a muscular brute donning a red commander-type jacket, a hat to match, and a blue cape.

"You must be M. Bison." Ryu assumed.

"That I am, young one." Bison replied. "You have made it this far. Through all of the other six fighters, your own friend, my three henchmen, one of which was your grand nemesis. I am impressed. But the buck stops here, Ryu. I have a proposition for you."

"Being?"

"Join me in my legion of henchmen. That fool, Balrog, is easily expendable. Think, Ryu! You could have it all, just by joining me! Or you can die at my hands."

Ryu thought for a moment. "If I win?"

Bison laughed. "You won't win."

"I'm sorry, Bison." Ryu said. "I must refuse your offer. I am not in this business for world domination. I live for the fight and the fight only."

Bison laughed to himself. "Then you shall die."

And with that, the battle truly began. Ryu threw a high kick to Bison's face, but it hit only air. Bison had mysteriously vanished.

Ryu looked around calmly. "Where are you, Bison? Tell me!"

"Right behind you, Ryu." Bison replied, backhanding Ryu from behind. "You see, I don't fight fairly. I have my own array of special moves that I channel from the Psycho Energy."

"You talk way too much." Ryu interrupted.

Ryu jump-kicked Bison, but Bison disappeared and reappeared again on the other side of the room.

Ryu landed and said "I don't fight in unfair fights."

"Once someone has impressed me," Bison replied, "they don't leave until it's over. And you have impressed me. Scissor Kick!" Bison leapt up off the ground, flew at Ryu feet first, and kicked Ryu twice - one in the face, once in the gut.

Ryu fell to the ground, bleeding, but not too badly. He instantly got back up and said "Here's a favorite of mine. Hadoken!" Ryu let loose his fireball.

The only retaliation Bison put up was his open hand in front of him. Ryu thought this was it, but Bison did something unexpected.

The fireball went straight into his hand and did nothing.

Bison laughed. "Did you really think it could be done so easily?"

Ryu was angered and went into a flurry of punches and kicks aimed straight at Bison's face. Bison would either block them, dodge them, or teleport out of the way. It went on like this for a while, with Bison getting a few good licks in while Ryu stood there and helplessly punched and kicked something he could not hurt.

The N Teamsters were sitting in the arena where Ryu had fought Sagat. They were watching on a huge screen what was happening in Bison's arena.

Just then, somebody else sat by the N Teamsters. It was Ken Masters. "Hey, everyone. Hey, Captain N, glad you're out of Ryu's old monkey suit!"

"Ken! You all right, man? You look all beat up!" Rick said, startled at how many injuries Ken had suffered.

"Aw, it's nothin'." Ken said. "Just a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, two dislocated knees, some minor head injuries, broken ribs - stuff I'm used to." Ken put up his broken arm to hail the popcorn man, but instantly regretted it. "Ow!!!"

This got somes chuckles out of the N Teamsters, but they instantly turned back to the screen. Ken looked up to watch as well, but was horrified at what he saw.

Ryu lay on the ground, bleeding heavily now. Bison was destroying him with hundreds of different punch-and-kick combos.

"Get lost! You can't compare with my powers!" Bison proclaimed.

Ryu slowly stood up and staggered towards Bison in fight stance. "I've heard more threatening things out of Sagat, and that's not a compliment."

Bison laughed to himself. "Sagat was a fool. As were Vega and Balrog. They were but pawns in this game, and they are long gone. It is now between the two kings. And this king is about to go...'Checkmate!'"

The two continued to fight, with several more punches and kicks. Ryu succeeded in hitting Bison several times, but that was it.

Soon enough, Bison seemed triumphant. "You'll never beat me!"

Just then, two iron doors, which had seemed invisible in the darkness, swung open. In the bright light of the outer room, only four silhouettes could be seen. One with boxing gloves, one with a claw, one taller than all the rest.

And the last was one Ryu instantly recognized after those three. His old pal, Ken Masters.

"Hey, Ryu." Ken greeted. "It took a while to get past those guards, but y'know I don't stop for nothin'!"

"Away, insolent pest!" Bison commanded. He then looked at the other three. "Balrog, Vega, Sagat! What is the meaning of this?!"

"We heard you dissin' us." Balrog informed. "We don't much like bein' dissed."

"I shall not take such foul-mouthed treatment from you, you ugly fool." Vega added, pointing his claw at Bison.

"It has come to this. This is a matter of honor. I have no choice but to fight alongside you, Ryu." Sagat concluded.

"I told ya, Biso-rino!" Ken proclaimed. "It's five-to-one. I like the odds."

"You can all die, then!" Bison growled. "Flaming Torpedo!"

Bison flew towards Balrog, spinning head-first like a torpedo. Blue fire surrounded him. When he hit Balrog, Balrog was set ablaze, and he landed on the ground.

Vega leapt off a wall, shouted his battle cry, and shot down at Bison, hoping to suplex him. Bison instead teleported out of the way, leaving Vega to hit the ground without a hit. Vega soon dashed at Bison after regaining his balance on the ground. He jabbed his claw all about, but to no avail. Bison finally sent Vega into a wall with a throw.

Sagat and Balrog came at Bison. Sagat shot a Tiger Fireball, which Bison ducked under. Balrog threw an uppercut, then several jabs, but he pitifully missed.

Now it was Ryu and Ken's turn. They flew forward in jump kicks, but Bison teleported away. Ryu spun around in place and let loose a fireball. Ken unleashed a barrage of punches, some hitting Bison in the face. But Bison absorbed the fireball and threw Ken into the same wall he had Vega.

Ryu and Vega went into the fray with a series of kicks and punches. Balrog also joined in. Bison was finally starting to falter under the pressures of teamwork. Sagat shot a Tiger Fireball at Bison's feet, which connected.

Just then, Bison's body emitted a blue fire, instantly knocking everyone into walls. "Enough!!!" Bison commanded. "You shall all suffer!!! Feel my wrath!!!" He let loose a huge blue flame in the room, hitting all but Ryu and Ken.

Ryu and Ken huddled at the side of the room.

"We need a miracle, man." Ken said. "He's starting to come back."

Just then, the doors opened again.

"Who are you, insolent rats?" Bison asked.

"We're the N Team, Bison," Kevin answered, "and we're here to kick your sorry butt!"

The N Team let loose a barrage of Zapper shots and other attacks at Bison.

Bison could not evade all of them. He staggered in the middle of the room, bleeding.

"Ryu! Ken! Now!" Rick shouted.

Ryu and Ken nodded. They focused their chi energy from their minds into their fists. They pulled back, then flew forward at Bison. "Shoryuken!!!"

With those two flaming Dragon Punches, Bison screamed and disappeared.

It was over...for the time being.

The next concert of Captain N & The Video Game Masters was in the arena where the N Teamsters had fought. Thousands upon thousands had gathered in all of the arenas, watching on the large screens.

Backstage, Kevin, Lana, and Mike were talking.

"That was intense!" Kevin said about their previous battle.

"Man, I bet I coulda beat Bison myself!" Mike claimed.

Lana laughed. "Sure, Mike."

Ryu and Stacey were talking a few feet away from the others.

"Ryu, thanks for not dying or anything, ya know. That would've been a major drag."

Ryu laughed. "Not just for you. But seriously, the whole way, I felt you with me. Especially at the end, there."

Stacey looked at the other band members. "I gotta get going. "How's Ken feeling?"

"It's nothing he can't handle. Break a leg!"

"Same to you!" Stacey retorted with a frown.

Ryu laughed. "It means 'Have a good performance'."

Stacey grinned. "Okey-chokey!"

Ryu walked back to the audience, and Stacey walked onstage with the others.

The crowd cheered as the band walked onstage.

The band got their instruments ready and turned on their microphones.

Kevin waited until the cheering had died down. "This set of tunes is dedicated to Ryu Hoshi and Ken Masters, who are out in the audience."

Ken whooped.

"They are two of the bravest guys we know. So guys, these are for you."

The Video Game Masters went into an ensemble from Street Fighter II, entitled, well...'Street Fighter II'. It started with the main title theme. This went into 'Ryu's Dojo', 'Honda's Bath', 'Blanka's Village', 'Guile's Base', 'Ken's Harbor', 'Chun Li's Town', 'Zangief's Factory', 'Dhalsim's Temple', 'Balrog's Casino', 'Vega's Fight Pit', 'Sagat's Statue', 'M. Bison's Shadoloo Temple', and concluded with a reprise of the title theme.

The entire audience stood up and screamed and clapped with delight.

GAME OVER