Shin Dan Ch.15
By Dan

Dan knew Akuma was serious about the recently-appointed death match between the two. Ken, Ryu, Guy and Chun-Li all knew Dan most likely, no, wouldn't, stand a chance against Shin-Akuma. But yet, Dan was willing to fight Akuma.

"You're insane, Dan. You don't stand a chance against Akuma. You should let us help you.", Ken said. Dan shook his head no. "I'll show Akuma. I don't need any help from you guys, so don't worry about it."

"Don't worry? Akuma as Shin-Akuma is twice as strong!" Chun-Li said. "You'd be toast!" Dan shook his head no again. Chun-Li was getting visibly angry at Dan's insubordination. "Dan. What is this all about? Huh? Tell me. You don't want any help, you DO want to fight Akuma, and alone. What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" Dan finally rose to his feet. "It's not about anything! All the time, everybody underestimates little ol' Dan. They think I'm weak, YOU think I'm weak! Well, I'll show everybody that I'm not as weak as everybody thinks! I'll show Akuma that Saikyo-Ryuu is indeed the 'strongest style'! OSHAA!" Dan then ran away from his four friends and out the door. "DAN! GET BACK HERE!" Ryu and Ken yelled out. Too late. Dan was already gone.

Akuma was practicing his moves. Hmph, Dan, he thought. Should I actually waste time on him? Akuma channeled a fireball through his hands that burned straight through a statue with his likeness. It doesn't matter. It'll only help further my murderous intent... Akuma got into his horse stance, rising a foot, then bringing it down to the ground with tremendous impact, sending a shockwave of energy through the cave. Akuma's shoulder's burned red with an intense fire. Just then, something worth noticing crept into his mind. Dan. and he's coming here. "Very brave of him to try and stand up to something he cannot defeat." Akuma said out loud. Another evil thought: MAYBE...I should meet him where he is right now, and put him out of his self-induced misery... "Yess, THAT, is what shall be done..." Akuma said. Akuma' skin turned a darker shade, nearly jet-black, as he went to intercept Dan. In a flash he was out of the cave.

"Where in the heck could he have gotten to so far?" Guy asked. Of course, nobody knew. Dan had gotten out of the apartment where the foursome were staying, and practically dissappeared. Luckily, the four fighters tried to follow Dan, but now, they lost him. "He's probably hiding", Ken said blowing a strand of his his blond hair out of his eye. "He really thinks this is a game, but it isn't. This is DEAD serious."

"I don't want to seem like I'm hoping for the worst..." Ryu finally said something. he hadn't said much since Dan ran off. "...But I do believe that Akuma and Dan might be fighting already." Guy listened intently. "How do you suppose that, Ryu?" " I guess I really don't know. I'm just guessing." Chun-Li spoke up. " Guessing or not, we've got to find Dan before Ryu's guess becomes a reality." Ken snapped his fingers. "Guys! An idea! We should split up!" Ryu smiled. "An excellent idea, Ken. If we split up, we'll cover more ground." They all shook hands, and began their singular searches for Dan's whereabouts.

Dan wasn't too far from the waterfront. He figured a couple more miles, and he'd be there, by the waters. Is it?...Yes! Dan heard the splashing waters just up ahead. "Yeah. Akuma's gonna' suffer now!" Dan said excitedly. He started running, and promptly fell off a short cliff onto sand. WHUMP. "Ouch!! Whoa...", Dan chuckled. "I didn't see that coming." SMACK! Dan was sent flying by an unseen force. "I doubt you would've seen that coming as well, Hibiki..." Dan turned around to see Akuma standing before him. All-black gi, with sandals. His hair had changed to a strange white. Akuma picked Dan up."I could kill you right now, but I will not. I'll give you a fighting chance. That is, if you can call how you fight a...fighting chance." Akuma roared out laughter. He thinks...I'm a joke? Dan thought angrily. "That's IT. Shinkuu-!" Dan couldn't get the second word out because Akuma grabbed his arm, and cracked his fingers. "ARRRRRRRRR!!!...m-mm-my hand...OHHHhhh.." Dan whined. Akuma kicked him in the ribs, and Dan clutched his ribs with his near-broken right hand. "Get up.", Akuma said angrily. "I said, GET UP!" Akuma jumped slightly, then higher. Dan saw red fire accumulate in Akuma's left arm, then his right arm. "Oh God..." Dan said. "Messatsu! TENMA-GO-ZANKUU!" Akuma threw not one super fireball, but many fireballs of various sizes! Dan got to his feet, and ran for it. But tripped again. "ACK!" Dan rolled out of the way of a fireball that crashed to the sand, causing a mini-shockwave. Akuma tossed out a seemingly endless barrage of fireballs. Dan was hit several times by the onslaught of fireballs, and several minutes later, he lay broken, and just barely concious, on the sand. "Heh. What a waste of mortal skin.", Akuma said. He calmly walked over to a broken-up Dan, and raised him up by the front of his gi.. Akuma noticed Dan looked quite dead, with blood staining his pink gi, and eyes half-lidded. Dan WAS still alive though. Dan's body was in shock. Dan could still think." I gotta' find some way to defeat Shin-Akuma." Some...way...Somehow....Akuma was just about to break Dan, when he noticed something. "Energy? Hm, maybe I didn't kill the little bastard. No matter. I'll finish it now." He promptly stood Dan up, and jumped backwards. "Shun...Goku...Satsu..." Akuma slowly slid towards Dan. Akuma noticed Dan's energy level slowly getting higher. "Hm. A will to live, eh?" Akuma thought. He slid a little faster in Dan's direction. Dan could feel the rapidly-growing energy coursing through him. "It's time to accept what I really am...", Dan thought. Dan's head snapped up, to Akuma's surprise. Akuma was only a foot away from Dan, when Dan screamed rushedly, "FUKAI-GADOUKEN!"

Akuma hit the ground. NOW, he was angry. "Still alive, and you seemingly got the powers back, eh?"

"That's right, Shin-Akuma. I finally realized what you meant by us being alike. We share the same powers."

"Nonsense! I'm stronger than YOU will ever be!"

"Maybe so, but this power I hold isn't one of 'evil intent'. It's my untapped power!"

"Foolish boy! Prepare yourself. You are now officially dead to the world!" Akuma said. Dan got into his Saikyo stance. Akuma stomped into his horse stance. They both looked at each other. Akuma's eyes glowed a burning red. Dan's didn't glow. Not even pink. Akuma chuckled. "When you were Shin-Dan, you had the ability to do what I could. You are actaually telling me that you are stronger as you are now then when you were Shin-Dan?" "Wow. You ARE a fast learner", Dan said sarcastically. Dan yelled out, and attacked Akuma. Akuma easily knocked Dan back to the floor with a Hadoken. Akuma rushed Dan with a Hurricane Kick, which Dan ducked under. Akuma sensed the danger, and warped backwards. Akuma didn't expect Dan to remember how to counter the warp. But Dan did remember. Dan turned on his heels, and faced the opposite direction. "GADOUKEN!" Akuma was smacked in the face with a self-taught fireball.