When the first morning light broke through thick drapes, Chun Li almost resisted the
temptation to roll over. To ignore the sunshine and return to her slumber. Something
which was much needed after spending too many hours on a jam-packed flight. The
noise alone would have been enough to prevent her from resting on the plane. Third
class no less. But her worries tacked onto the poor flight service had ensured that her
eyes would be blood red by morning.
And it was those concerns in the back of her mind which pushed her out of bed and into
the washroom. Splashing cold water onto her face and shivering when it chilled her
flesh. Her cheeks felt clammy and there were darkened circles surrounding her eyes. But
she was used to waking up to the monster in the mirror. Her job kept her on odd hours
and regular sleep deprivation. No use complaining about it now.
After her quick shower, she hurried into her uniform and tied back her hair as she
approached Ken’s room down the hall. They needed to act quickly. Time was
everything to them and wasting it was not an option.
“Ryu! You’d better be awake because our flight leaves in a little over an hour.” She
opened the door without knocking. The situation didn’t call for manners and she was all
business most of the time anyway. “Ryu?”
There lay Ryu, his leg and arm drooping over one side of the bed. The other arm was
draped over Ken’s body and his remaining leg caught both of Ken’s underneath him.
They were both exhausted from something. At that moment, Chun Li began to think
indecent thoughts. She knew that they were both her friends from childhood but their
positions conjured up images. Spending half of her life trailing after Shadowloo and
their strange warriors had prepared her for the unknown. Also implanted a wicked
imagination in her to go along with her familiarity with death. This was a different kind
of imagination, one which she didn’t use often.
“You have got to be joking,” she muttered as her long legs took her across the room. “I
can’t blame you for losing your head in this crisis but this…it’s too much.” Her hands
found Ryu’s shoulders, grabbed hold and shook. She shook him harder when he refused
to waver. But Ken began to stir.
“Huh?” He looked confused but one glance at her actions and he was ready to start
yelling. “Leave Ryu alone.” And then he crawled closer into Ryu’s embrace, closing his
eyes tightly. Another wave of nightmares was soon to begin.
“I’d like to, Ken. I really would. But you want to get well, don’t you? Ryu would sure
as hell kick himself if he knew that he was sleeping in. And now is the least perfect time
to develop flaws.”
“Ryu is tired.” Ken grit his teeth, breaking out into a cold sweat. Here it
comes…
“I’m tired too but Ryu and I had something planned for today. Nothing for you to worry
about though.” She stroked Ken’s face to feel his temperature rising. Not again. She
couldn’t deal with this. If anyone could calm Ken, it was Ryu. So why wasn’t he taking
the initiative and getting off of his lazy butt? Chun Li bent down to scoop up a handful
of ice water from the bucket on the floor. Ever so gently, her hand cooled Ken’s
forehead and cheeks with the liquid. Holding some water to his lips which he gratefully
sipped. And then the tremors began.
Ken moaned and started to thrash in Ryu’s arms, kicking off the bed sheets and nearly
knocking Chun Li to the floor. His eyes shielded him from the man in the cape. The
man who was far from being human. Evil. The hands belonging to him were filthy with
blood and a history of suffering. He had murdered, raped and pillaged and would do so
again. Starting with Ken. That thought caused Ken to scream louder than he ever had
before, eyes opening to blindness. Slapping off Chun Li’s comforting hands, shouting
over the words he couldn’t hear.
Suddenly, Ryu’s eyes snapped into focus, his arms enfolding Ken in a cocoon of
protection. Forcing his love to accept the embrace and calm within it. He held on,
receiving a fist in his ribs, a heeled kick to his shins. And yet he would not falter. No
matter what Ken did to him. No matter how hard Ken pushed him away, Ryu would
never let him go.
“It’s about time.” Chun Li exhaled shakily and continued tying her hair into her
trademark buns to either side of her head. Securing them tightly with ribbons before
tugging on the boots she had dragged along with her. “I thought you had contracted
Ken’s virus for a minute there.”
“No…” Ryu allowed Ken to simmer down somewhat before he released him and tried to
steady his legs to stand. “Ken was hurt last night…I performed a new technique to heal
him.”
“Heal him?” Was that even possible? Yes, she had heard rumors of martial arts masters
learning how to use their powers to revive and regenerate. But that took years of practice
and usually meant that the person was old and wise. Ryu was young and brash at times
for his defensive behavior around Ken. How had he managed to learn something it took
normal men decades of training to accomplish?
“Yes, Hadou-healing.”
“I’ve heard of it.” She put one finger to her lips, thinking. “Then aren’t you supposed to
lose a day to sleep? I thought that Hadou-healing was only a legend…a myth.”
“It isn’t. I guess that for some unknown reason, I didn’t need an entire day to
recuperate.” To prove his point, Ryu placed both feet flat on the floor and walked over
to a chair in the corner of the room. He pulled on the top half of his gi and summoned all
his strength to keep his face impassive. That would not help Ken, for him to lose control.
“Let’s go.”
As they were about to leave the room, Ken called after Ryu. “Don’t leave me…”
Ryu bristled and clenched his fists. Chun Li tugged on his arm to remind him of their
urgency. “I have to.”
“Take me.”
“Nani?!!” Ryu felt the color rise in his face and neck, ears turning red. Of all the times
for Ken to bring up such a thing. He could feel Chun Li gawking at him as if he had
three heads. “We’ll discuss this when I get back.”
“No. Take me…with you.”
“Oh, Ken…you can’t come. It isn’t safe.” Ryu couldn’t stand it any longer. He returned
to Ken’s bedside and took hold of his hands. The eyes which locked onto his were so
intensely beautiful that it took a great amount of courage to resist them. “You know I’ll
come back to you.”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
“You won’t be. Your parents are returning from Washington and I’ve sent for Sakura.
She may take a while in getting here but you’ve met her, she’s a nice girl. Maybe you
can teach her how to clear her mind of the opposite sex.” He smiled but Ken wasn’t
buying it.
“I’m coming.” And then he was stretching his arms and legs, stiffening when it brought
more pain. Ken hated to think that if Ryu chose to walk out the door, he would not be
able to follow. It would take minutes for him to work the circulation into his legs, maybe
more for him to be able to brace himself enough to stand. But he couldn’t face the
solitary silence he would be left with. The demons which would feast on him without
Ryu to ward them off. “Please, Ryu,” Ken pleaded, almost tearfully. “You promised…”
With Chun Li whispering for Ryu to not get emotional, the Shotokan master actually did.
He lifted Ken against him just as his love went limp, giving into the agonizing torment
which enveloped him. “Put him back down,” she instructed. “He’ll forgive you.”
But Ryu could not comply. Sure, Ken was in no condition to argue or plead anymore but
Ryu had made a promise. The last person he would break a promise with was Ken. It
was on his honor. “I won’t be able to forgive myself. Don’t lecture me, Chun Li. We’re
friends…that isn’t going to help this situation. We can debate what I did wrong once
Ken has recovered.”
“You’re right.” She led Ryu out of the room and downstairs to where a taxi was waiting.
“To the airport then.”
**
Tahiti. What a place to visit. Anywhere new was always fun to explore for someone like
Ryu who loved to travel. That was part of his learning, the long treks he made around the
world by foot. Most of his life had been spent wandering, to nowhere special. Just going
in the direction of the wind. And yes, Tahiti would have been a nice change from the
other places he was already familiar with. But they weren’t going to Tahiti. Their
destination was an uncharted island just off of the coast of it. Since it held no tourist
attractions, there hadn’t been any humans on this island. Only a stray scientist or two and
that was about it.
“Are you certain this is the island?” Ryu was beginning to get a horrible feeling in the pit
of his stomach. Like there was more awaiting them than some former British agent. Any
normal person without information was not aware of the fact that the island was indeed
inhabited. A Shadowloo base. But how many soldiers were hiding on it? If Shadowloo
could hide an entire base, they could surely manifest a herd of warriors. Just lurking
inside and waiting for some foolish people to wander on in.
The boat lurched to one side when Chun Li made a gesture of swatting Ryu over the
head. “I know what I’m doing, Ryu. I don’t question you so allow me that same
courtesy.”
“Gomen,” Ryu muttered.
They paddled over to the shore, neither paying attention to the ache in their shoulders.
Of course, Ken lay across Ryu’s lap, oblivious to his new location. He couldn’t have
helped them if he wanted to. A powerboat or submarine would have been faster but both
were impractical. The powerboat would make too much noise and draw the enemy’s
fire. A submarine could take days to get a hold of for all the forms which needed to be
filled out. This rowboat would have to suffice for now.
So far, Ken had remained docile and only wakened in short intervals to ask for a drink of
something cool. He was content to just lay there knowing that Ryu would not abandon
him.
“Now what?” Chun Li nudged an arm in Ken’s direction as they docked the boat. “Are
you going to just carry him into the base like that?”
“When we find the cure, I want to administer it to Ken immediately. He is already in
danger with this virus. Anything else is secondary. To answer your question; yes I am
going to carry him in.” And Ryu did carry Ken, tagging along behind Chun Li. His bare
feet sinking deep into warm, golden sand. At least their present destination was
hospitable.
Abruptly, Chun Li stopped and held up her hand for absolute silence and no movement.
She pointed to the far side of the island where a bunch of Shadowloo warriors were
marching down the beach. Heading in their direction too. “Quickly!” She motioned for
Ryu to get behind a sand dune with Ken.
“The boat…”
“Kuso!” She tiptoed forward and, giving the boat a good kick, sent it floating off into the
mist which crept towards them. A storm was on the horizon. Then, she took off her
jacket and dropped it onto the sand, pulling it behind her to erase their tracks. The
Shadowloo goons were almost on top of them. Finally! Chun Li ducked behind the hill
just as a handful of men stomped past their hiding spot.
Vega! Ryu froze as he glanced at the tall man who cackled insanely behind a porcelain
mask. Balrog. DJ. Blanka? The men kept their pace, stopped and then began to speak.
Had Shadowloo reformed their army?
“Balrog is supposed to be in jail.” Chun Li growled bloody murder. She had arrested the
bastard herself. It was a personal insult for him to be out and free as a bird.
“And Sagat?”
She narrowed her eyes and gasped. “He’s supposed to be dead!” But there he was, either
resurrected or an exact clone of the original. “How can this be?”
“If Bison was able to formulate a virus to tear Ken’s system apart then the cure might
have the means of restoring as well. I hate to think that the one thing which can save Ken
is the same antidote that is reviving these murderers.”
“They’re immersed in their own boasting. Now is our chance.” Chun Li crept further
into the rolling hills of sand behind her. Occasionally gritting her teeth when Ryu lost his
balance from holding Ken and stumbled into her. But they had to crawl to avoid being
seen and so they did. “If I swallow anymore sand because of you, Ryu Hoshi…I’m going
to…”
“Look!” There, at the center of the island, loomed a massive construct of a base. Its
walls were a pale beige in color, matching that of the sand. From far away, it would
appear to be nothing more than another hill. For the most part, its bulk rested beneath the
sand, probably burrowed deep into the ocean. That would make it accessible by
submarine or just by walking onto the compound. How convenient.
“Okay, remember what we agreed on. I do all the fighting while you concentrate on
saving Ken. In your state, you’ll only be a liability.”
Ryu knew that it was true. “Should I wait until you find an entrance?”
“Good idea.” She scanned the area with her eyes before rushing to the cover of another
sand hill. For a few minutes, Chun Li went from one corner to another, poking at
protruding objects which she recognized all too well. They were underground missile
silos. If Shadowloo wanted to wage war on anyone, all they had to do was open the
ports, erect the launchers and blow entire nations to kingdom-come. They had that
power and even several nuclear warheads were unaccounted for in the United States.
This was their new little nest of hatred and if organized properly, it would be more of a
threat than the first one had been.
“Here it is!” Her arm motioned for Ryu to join her at a shallow part of the base. It
turned out to be a cleverly buried staircase leading down into the sand. She found a
camouflaged door and a keypad protecting it. Within seconds, she had decoded the
access numbers and allowed them entry.
They descended into the heart of Shadowloo with great caution. For Ryu, it all seemed
just a little too easy. Everything was set up into a neat package of convenience that he
had trouble accepting. Ken was infected with a virus. A virus which had come from
Shadowloo and Bison himself. And the only cure was an antidote which Cammy White
carried in her bloodstream? The counter-agent permanently altering her cells, making
her the perfect candidate for future victims attacked with the virus. It was simple to just
walk up to the new head of Shadowloo and demand the cure. Take her into custody and
sap what they needed of her blood to remedy Ken. So simple. They might as well shoot
her down in the midst of her loyal followers to be killed as a result of being
outnumbered. And grossly misinformed. This was not the base they had been expecting,
not by any standards. It was on a scale which made Ryu entirely too somber.
“Where to?” Their journey had taken them to a junction point of corridors which ran on
for at least a mile each. Some sloping down underneath the island no doubt.
Chun Li struggled for a decision. Shadowloo had patterns just like every other psychotic
clan of would-be world dominators. The main control room had to be at the direct center
of the base which would lead them downwards. Cammy was bound to be there at this
very moment. Contemplating her first target as head ruler of Bison’s reformed army.
“This way.”
On the path went, sometimes turning right, other times left, but always going down. The
constant angle had their legs cramping, burning with fire but neither complained. Years
of harsh training had left Ryu and Chun Li as rigid and unyielding as a brick wall.
Nothing reached them anymore, not the pain or the impatience. They had been taught to
suppress whatever hindered their goals in life. This was one of those times.
Ryu didn’t even flinch when Ken fell into one of his fevered states and raked five hot
fingers over his face. The fingernails drew blood but Ryu said nothing, didn’t even
detain Ken from doing it again. If he did, he knew that Ken would panic and that would
only make it worse.
“I think we found it.” They reached an opening which led to a corridor that wound
around a very large room with several entrances. It was very quiet inside. “Ryu, you’d
better quiet Ken down before he starts to scream.”
For half an hour, they crouched in front of the room, not daring to move closer. Ryu was
pressing Ken into his shoulder, muffling the screams, enduring the fists which struck at
him. “This will all be over soon,” he whispered to Ken. His lips found Ken’s skin hot as
he kissed Ken’s forehead. Another day of watching Ken fade from him and Ryu would
feel himself go too.
“Come on. We need to set up an ambush for Cammy.” Chun Li peered inside the
enormous room filled with computer stations and beeping monitors. It was empty. She
stepped inside and ran to one of the computer stations. As she was hacking into
Shadowloo’s network, she barely noticed when Ryu walked up to her. Then, he stiffened
so violently that Chun Li looked at him. “What? What is it?”
But Ryu wouldn’t answer. He merely stared up, craning his neck at something which
held his gaze. When Chun Li looked up to see what had startled him, she nearly
screamed. There, suspended by wires and clamps, hung Cammy White. Her wrists and
ankles were encompassed in steel clamps which held her to the ceiling. A series of wires
protruded from her forehead, neck and arms. The manacles kept her that way, facing
down at them but with closed eyes. She appeared to be so serene in her sleep. Or was
she dead?
“Chun Li! We have to get her down from there.”
“Give me a second…”
And Cammy’s eyes opened. They watched as her lips pulled back in a smile, teeth
flashing a warning at them. “You came. I thought that you might.” Her head turned,
seeing no one but Ken. “Bison told me you would. I was hoping…”
Ken didn’t have the strength to look at her. He didn’t like her tone of voice either. “I
need…your help.”
“Do you?” Cammy slowly shook her head. “Bison told me you would ask me. Even
now, I can’t believe your arrogance.”
Ryu flashed her a look of hatred. “You won’t help us?”
“Help you?” Her laugh was full of mockery. “You…” She indicated Ken with her
death-like stare. “You took Bison from me. He didn’t want me anymore once he had
you. Bison was everything! Everything! I was his and he was mine. And then you
conveniently appear for him to obsess over. A new pretty thing to play with. He offered
you his kingdom, to rule by his side. In my place. Think of how bitter I am over that.
What really pisses me off is that you rejected him. You broke my lord’s heart!”
Did she actually believe her own words? Cammy was describing Bison as if he were
some wonderful person. Was she brainwashed or just as crazy as Bison had been?
“Bison was never the man you make him out to be.” Ryu would have spun into the air
and blasted her with his shouryuken. However, he would not risk hurting Ken to release
his anger.
“Bison still wants Ken.” Cammy frowned.
Ken paled and clung to Ryu even tighter. “Ryu…you told me…you said…”
“What are you trying to pull?” Now Chun Li had to hold Ryu back from hurling a
fireball into Cammy’s face. He was furious at the game they were playing. “Bison is
dead. I killed him myself. You are just as sick as he was.”
“Bison is far more than you gave him credit for. A lesser being such as yourself could
not possibly hope to extinguish his life force. Bison lives. And…he still wants Ken,” she
repeated. “He lured Ken here, implanted the cure inside my body. But he misjudged me.
I don’t want Ken to live. I want him to die.” She laughed when Ryu shifted to put Ken
down and prepared to blast his hadouken her way. “Go for it, Hoshi! Shoot me. Kill
me. Once I die, so does the antidote. Let me live and I won’t cooperate. What choice do
you have? Either way, Ken loses. You both do.”
Ryu turned to Chun Li to see her face dark and vengeful. As he bent down to embrace
Ken and level off his emotions, a large shadow cast over them. The sound of a steel boot
slapping cold metal alerted Ryu of the danger. Still, when he raised his head, he couldn’t
find words for what he felt. Chun Li backed up, fingers curled into claws, seething with
anger.
“Welcome to my Neo Shadowloo.” Bison took one look at their sorry expressions and
shook the room with his insane laughter.