KOF Extras

Super Holiday Special: Part 2

"Strip Canals? What does he mean by that?" Kensou panicked. "I thought mall Santas are supposed to be nice and unthreatening."
"Not the posers, that is," Kyo pointed out. "This guy clearly came with intentions."
Athena nodded. "Yes, it is true."
"Can you sense what?" Kanako asked. "I heard you can sense stuff..."
Athena frowned thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I can sense some hidden intentions, but I don't know what it is..."
Shingo sighed. "Why is it always when we're on a holiday? First Ireland, then Halloween, now this?"
Kyo sighed. "Those bad guys have a knack of disturbing us when we're trying to relax." He immediately turned serious, staring at the note again. "Strip Canals...? Are they any canals near The Strip?"
Everyone started thinking hard. Yuki suddenly gasped and pulled Kyo's coat sleeve. "I know!"
"Where?" Everyone asked.
"The Venetian Resort and Mall!" Yuki exclaimed. "I was viewing it before coming here and was amazed by the Venetian structure. I even asked Kyo if we could go!"
Kaoru nodded, realising that she was right. "You're right. I looked it up too. It does have canals, and it's located in The Strip."
"Let's go," Kyo said without a second thought.

Kyo, Athena, and Kensou entered the Grand Canal Shoppes. It was a mall connected to the Venetian Resort.
"Any signs of the bad Santa?" Kyo asked through his Bluetooth earpiece, walking along a row of shops with Yuki.

"No, not at all," Kensou informed, leaning over the railings that looked over the canal. "Athena?"

Athena sighed, shaking her head at the overpriced luxury goods in a store. "Nope, nothing here. Besides the overly expensive branded goods..."

"Yeah, I'm staying away from them too..." Honoka said, walking along a row of shops with Kula. She started running when Kula suddenly left her, going towards a shop. "Kula, wait!"
"Ice cream!" Kula exclaimed.
"Kula, no!" Honoka groaned. "It's too expensive!"
"It's okay, I have money," Kula's eyes shined at the deliciously displayed ice cream. "Can I get a Large Belgium Chocolate Wonderland? Extra hazelnuts, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, and sprinkles!"
The young woman behind the counter handed her a rather large paper cup of ice cream, much to her joy.
"That would be two dollars," the woman said, much to their surprise.
"But it says thirty dollars?" Honoka frowned at the menu overhead.
"It's on Christmas discount," the young woman chuckled behind her white surgical mask.
"Yay!" Kula giggled. She paid for it and followed Honoka out.
"Let's go," Kula said, nibbling on her ice cream.
"What just happened?" They both heard Kanako ask from their Bluetooth earpieces.
"Kula just bought some overpriced ice cream," Honoka sighed. "On discount."
"I should've known..." Kyo sighed. "I think we should tell the others. Bet they're confused."

***

No, they were not. They were still in the mall, window shopping while sipping on some hot drinks.
"Mmm... this apple cider is amazing..." Aiko murmured, swallowing her mouthful of warm apple cider. "It's really good..."
"I agree..." Iori added, slowly sipping his own cup. "This is the first time I'm having it warm. Not to detox."
Benimaru burst into laughter. "Welcome to Christmas in America, my friends. It's more than just chicken and parties."
"Very funny..." K' scowled, pausing from his cider. "Just be grateful you got to celebrate. This is the first time I'm celebrating properly, keep that in mind."
Iori frowned at Benimaru and changed the subject. "You guys wanna continue shopping or do you wanna go for a movie?"
"Let's go for a movie," K' said, rolling his head with a sigh.

***

"What's this?" Honoka asked, seeing something taped onto the ice cream tub Kula was eating from.
"Huh?" Kula uttered.
Honoka asked her to hold still and peeled it off the paper tub.
"I found something," Honoka informed.
She unfolded the note and read.
You're pretty smart, never thought you'd actually buy ice cream. Whatever, head to the Casino Bar at the South end of The Strip.
Honoka pulled Kula back to the ice cream shop. The woman that had served the ice cream was no longer there, replaced by an older African-American woman instead.
"Where was the Caucasian girl that was here just now?" Honoka asked her.
"Which girl, hun?" The woman asked. "I'm the only one who works here, and I just came."
Honoka gasped. Her gaze landed on Kula's ice cream, then she turned back to the dark-skimmed woman. "Is the Large Belgium Chocolate Wonderland on Christmas discount?"
"Why, yes it is," the woman smiled. "Instead of paying the usual thirty dollars, you only have to pay twenty."
Honoka felt cold sweat trickle down from her scalp, dripping down her forehead.
She pulled Kula out of the shop. She was still happily eating her ice cream.
"Kula, you better not eat that," Honoka frowned, trying to pull the ice cream cup out of her hands. "It might be poisoned."
Kula gulped. "But... but I finished it..."
Honoka gasped as she noticed how the younger girl had licked the tub clean. It practically looked unused, if it wasn't coated with saliva that is. "Oh no... Kula!"
"Is everything okay there?" They heard Kaoru ask.
"The lady that sold us ice cream was a phony, and Kula finished the whole thing alone," Honoka groaned, her shaky hands holding the cleaned tub. "I'm scared it might be poisoned."
"Oh no!" Everyone groaned.
"Kula, I need you to vomit all of the ice cream you've just eaten," Kyo sighed. "I don't want anything to happen to you as long as you're in our responsibility."
Kyo shuddered as he imagined K' forcing his head down the canals of the Venetian Resort for killing his precious girlfriend.
"No, I am fine!" Kula assured. "The ice cream was tasty!"
Honoka sighed. "I don't know what to do." She handed the note to them. "They want us to go to the South end of The Strip."
"Where is that...?" Kensou asked, scratching his head.
"What do you even know?" Momoko groaned. "It's the Sahara Avenue."
"No, that's the North end," Shingo chimed in. "It's Russell Road."
"Let's go," Kyo said again. "Meet me in the parking lot."