Before we begin with the Suicide Blast we all know and love... okay,
a few have heard of and one guy once said it had a good beat but
couldn't be danced too... have you guys ever wondered where this all
REALLY started? Where it all began?

    Ever wonder about how something like the Shishi Houkoudan got to be
a mining technique? Ever wonder where the name Lion Roar Shot came from?
Ever wonder just when it was first modified into the Jisatsu Bakuha?
Ever wonder what that those funky new paragraphs added to Suicide Blast
part 1 were all about? Liar! I haven't even posted it yet! Ahem,
anyways, answers to these questions and more coming forth in the newest
bit of side story to the Suicide Saga... Suicide Blast 0... The Lion's
Pride! Coming soon to an ML near you.

Begin teaser-

China, a long time ago, when dreams were never that far away...

    Sao scratched his neck absently, thinking thoughts on a rather small
scale, a useful practice and one that had served him well. He had joined
the army because it was the better end of the sword to be on, not for
honor or glory... he was rather adverse to the sorts of things men did
to attain such. War does not make one great, neither did dying for
someone else's property... or becoming the same. Still, all things
considered, he really couldn't complain. Make a bit of a show for the
locals, stand behind one of the larger warriors when things got bad, and
always be first in line when the spoils were handed
out.

    As for tonight, excitement was at an all time low and well trained
men chattered angrily while thumbing their spear's rather pointless...
points. Sao smiled to himself and made a good show of being bored, which
he was, but in that numily comfortable sort of bored that reminded one
of just how relaxing dull could be, to say nothing of the inherent
safety factor. Hero's were forged in battle, but it took boredom to make
a survivor.

    He turned to examine his captives again. Little more then a dozen,
hardly worth a single squad's trouble, let alone a full armies.
Campfires dotted the land before them, several score, all of them
feeding and keeping company with numerous soldiers, errand boys, cooks,
local... women. And for what? A few miners, nothing more.

    Oh well, Sao thought, none of my concern. He let his mind wander
about to more important matters. There were no more thoughts as to why
the Emperor had shown such care in dealing with just one man and his
pupils. There were no more thoughts as to why the general himself had
approached the same man's meager dwelling with a full squad of his best
and brightest. Instead, such high concepts as what will I eat tonight
and with which lucky lady should his "quality" time be spent. He hardly
even noticed when the wind arrived.

    It was always first to arrive, hair needed to be whipped about just
so and trees need the motion to chatter excitedly about coming events.
It dipped about, knocking a few helmets akilter, never letting anyone in
on it's little secrets, simply enjoying a bit of pre-game warm up.
Tasting the fires, blowing smoke about and flickering torches, it waited
for the clouds, it needn't have bothered. Clouds are never late.

    Darkness blanketed the countryside, wrapping the valley in a
starless, moonless void. A few men turned from their activities, the
older ones thinking ominous thoughts, the more youthful, like Sao,
thinking how much easier it would be to slip out and grab something to
munch on. The playful zephyr danced abit with a passing cumuli, letting
the final newcomer have it's own entrance.

    The silence crept in slowly, perhaps letting a fire crackle here, a
wondering expression there, but for the most part, it reined absolute,
overshadowing even the darkness. No one really knew why, just that they
found themselves holding breaths and bladders, listening to the all
encompassing nothing... and perhaps their own heartbeat. Sao coughed
nervously, but made no sound. Looking around curiously, he thought he
could just make out a faint glow to the north. Wasn't that where the old
man had kept his dojo? Then, silence carefully stepped aside, and
everything went white...

    BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

    Trees shattered, ground turned to jelly and a wave of force made
it's unstoppable way through the the valley mixing it all into a torrent
of earth, plant and mud. And men. There had been soldiers caught in that
motion, bodies suddenly attaining flight as Newton's force gave in to
something much greater. There were plenty of sounds now, painful
groanings, horrified screams, and the slow trickle of the coming rain.
Sao got to his feet, carefully checking to make sure his head was still
attached. He could hear the captives too, questioning, fearful voices.

    Before he could quieten them down or even really get his bearings
straight, another flash of light, another boom shock his tiny world.
This time, it was more or less a known quantity, having it's source from
the boiling clouds overhead. Whatever that first explosion had been, the
Gods were either very angry or incredibly inspired, lighting and thunder
filled both vision and hearing. Turning this way and that, trying to see
by the frequent light, peering beyond the pelting sheets of water, Sao
caught site of a figure approaching.

   The thoroughly soaked, thoroughly terrified young soldier grabbed the
runner by the elbow, and spun him around. Flash... BOOM. Staring into
his captives eyes, he peered into fear. Not as a metaphor, not as an
emotion, but fear as a solid, tangible substance, reaching out from the
mud and blood encrusted officer's eyes, reaching out toward Sao. "What
happened? Answer me!"

   "The old man, we- we told him about his daughter. The general said a
sad man is a weak man... then he- he told us to leave them alone for a
minute, let him handle things... The old guy was crying when we left.
Crying... something about being beyond care. Then- then... " The officer
fell to his knee's, letting himself sink deep into the fastly rising
mud. Then, he started laughing, a slow quivering of the body that opened
his mouth and poured in a salvia drenched gruel.

    "Then what?" Cried out Sao, lifting the crazed man to eye level, his
boots sinking into the murk as well.

    Flash... BOOM! The officer grabbed hold of Sao and looked long into
his face. His breath wet with spittle and hot with madness. The sudden
motion almost tossed them both to the smothering folds of the ground.
"I- I think, I think He exploded. He exploded... hehaha explode
hahhAHAHAHAHAH!"

    Mind reeling, Sao let the madman fall to the ground.

    Flash... BOOM!

Oh, BTW, the other two chapters plus the newly finished part three
should be in my prereaders hands tomorrow night, postage to come soon
afterward with forewards by the only people I could get to admit they
read my stuff... are you excited? I'm excited. ^_^

Revenge's End Mad Bad Bishonen Lad
Caretaker of the Dark and Lonely Place (COR Deaconate)
The Parrot King

(And the Moon was as blood, the Storms crashed and the Seas BOILED!)
(Typical, thought the Lobsters)
      /
 Oo
(~, )
 V