By Chunli

Watching over you:

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Meanwhile, outside the Master's mansion...
**********

Ryu lay hidden behind a bush, peering into a telescope that pointed to ChunLi's room.

'I can't believe I agreed to this plan.' Ryu thought...

Opening the door, Ken was surprised to see a group of armed soldiers standing at his front door.

"Umm, can I help you?" Ken asked.

"Mr. Ken Masters?" A man with a blonde brush cut spoke up.

"Yes?" Ken replied.

"I am Colonel Guile, United States Air Force. We have reason to believe that Bison may be targeting you. May we speak to you in private?" Guile requested.

"Bison? What does he want with me?" Ken asked.

"I would prefer to not discuss it over here." Guile responded.

Motioning Guile to follow, Ken led the group of soldiers to the living room.

"Eliza, please take care of these soldiers. The colonel here has some explaining to do." Ken said.

Motioning the colonel to follow, Ken led him and Ryu into his dad's private study.

"Please sit down. What the heck is going on here?" Ken demanded sitting down on a nearby couch.

"Who is your friend?" Guile asked, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"His name is Ryu Hoshi. If it has something to do with Bison, then it will concern him too." Ken replied.

"Several weeks ago, we were monitoring a special Street Fighting tournament named Alpha, hosted by the leader of Shadowlaw, M. Bison. We discovered that he was searching the world for the best martial artists to join his cause. We were able to discover that he was using this tournament to search for worthy candidates. Since you were one of the finalists in that tournament, we suspect that you will be invited into his organization." Guile explained.

"After extensive monitoring, we were also able to discover that he also specifically wanted your friend over there and this girl, an agent of Interpol, to join his organization. The girl's name was ChunLi, I believe. When they refused, a battle erupted and your friend there ended up carrying ChunLi away as she apparently was injured in the fight. Where is she anyways?" Guile asked.

"She is upstairs sleeping." Ryu responded.

"What happened to her?" Guile asked.

"During the fight, an explosion injured her, it nearly killed her. She ended up losing her memories and her fighting abilities." Ryu responded.

"Hmm..." Guile thought.

"Excellent, we have the perfect bait." Guile said after a few moments of thought.

"What do you plan to do?" Ken asked.

"Bison would have no doubt learned of her memory loss and will no doubt try to use that to his advantage. Knowing him, he will probably try to use her to try to get to you. We will wait until he makes his move on her and when he does, we will strike. Guile explained.

"No!!!! I will not allow you to endanger ChunLi like that. She has already gone through a lot already. I will not allow her to be hurt by anyone." Ryu spoke out.

"It's the only chance you have Mr. Hoshi. If we can't take down Bison, then you will never be safe from him. Eventually he will find you two and take you into captivity. I can assure you that that is something you do not want to experience. Don't worry, we will have her constantly monitored. She will be safe." Guile explained.

Ryu thought for a moment.

"Alright" Ryu finally agreed.

"Nothing better happen to her." Ryu threatened.

**********
End flashback...
**********

Ryu, Ken and a sniper had been peering into her bedroom ever since, keeping a close eye on ChunLi and waiting for Bison to strike. All of a sudden, Ryu saw a shadow enter ChunLi's room.

"Hey someone just entered her room." Ryu said. Both Ken and the sniper started looking through the telescope.

"Colonel, the target is on the move." the sniper reported to Guile over a walkie-talkie.

"Good, do you have a clear shot on him?" Guile responded.

"No sir, the target is in her room, I have no clear shot." The soldier reported.

"Okay, wait till he emerges from her room, then take him down." Guile reported.

"Yes sir." the sniper reported.

Upon hearing Guile's orders, Ryu ripped the walkie-talkie from the sniper.

"WHAT?!?! THERE IS SOME UNKNOWN PERSON IN CHUNLI'S ROOM RIGHT NOW AND YOU ARE TELLING US TO WAIT?" Ryu yelled into the mic.

"Ryu, you are not in charge of this operation, sniper, do as you're ordered." Guile instructed.

"DAMN YOU, I AM GOING TO TAKE THAT GUY DOWN MYSELF!!!!" Ryu shouted into the mic.

"Detain him." Guile shouted to the sniper through the walkie-talkie.

But it was too late, Ryu had already ran from the bush and raced towards ChunLi's room. Two soldiers ran in front of his path, trying to detain him. Seeing them in front of him, Ryu cupped his hands to his side as he ran forward. An intense blue light lit up in Ryu's hands.

"Hadoken"

Ryu hurled the projectile at the two soldiers, which slammed into them and sent them flying against the mansion wall, knocking them unconscious. Finally reaching the mansion, Ryu leapt up and onto, ChunLi's balcony, hoping that he wasn't too late...

'Such beauty.' Vega thought, as he reached for her bra. ChunLi continued to cry silently, trembling in fear, her head turned away from her assailant as she shut her eyes, unwilling to look at the monster that was about to rape her. All of a sudden there was a loud boom outside that caught Vega's attention.

Curiously looking out, Vega turned around and stepped outside onto the balcony, only to have his face kiss his mask as it made contact with Ryu's fist. Vega staggered backwards, stunned and caught completely of guard. Ryu continued his attack by dashing forwards and side kicking Vega in the head with such force that Vega's mask shattered as he flew over a crying ChunLi and crashed against the wall.

Ryu hopped over ChunLi and continued his onslaught on a stunned Vega with 3 punches to the face, a sidekick to the ribs and a roundhouse to the side of his temple, nearly knocking him senseless. Ryu then took a step back and dashed forward again.

Let it flow.

Right elbow.

Let it flow.

Left hook.

"SHIN"

Let it flow.

Left uppercut.

Let it explode.

Left Shoryuken.

"SHORYUKEN"

Ryu's left hand made contact with Vega's chin, shattered it and sent him flying, embedding him face first in the roof before gravity finally took over and pulled him to the ground with a loud crash. Ryu then turned his attention to ChunLi. Breathing a sign of relief that he got there before anything happened, he quickly put her bed covers over her to cover her nearly naked body.

"ChunLi, are you alright?" Ryu asked, looking down at the silently crying girl.

"R...Ryu????" ChunLi sobbed as she slowly opened her eyes.

All of a sudden, Guile, Ken, Eliza and a group of soldiers burst into the room.

"What the hell were you doing?" Guile demanded.

"I was saving ChunLi from that psychopath, thats what." Ryu responded.

Checking to see that Vega was still alive. Guile spoke up again.

"You are very lucky that he is still alive." Guile threaten.

"LUCKY!!!! I'LL TELL YOU WHO'S LUCKY TO BE STANDING. YOU SAID THAT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER AND NOW LOOK AT HER!!!! SHE NEARLY GOT RAPED BECAUSE OF YOU AND STUPID PLAN. IF ANYTHING HAD HAPPENED TO HER, YOU WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!" Ryu yelled, rage building.

"IS THAT A THREAT?" Guile asked shoving Ryu back.

Shoving Guile back, Ryu responded, "NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS...."

"WHAT???? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN LITTLE MAN????" Guile interrupted, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Ryu as he regained his balance.

All of a sudden, Ryu's hand shot forward, grabbed Guile's wrists, twisted the gun from his hand and pointed the gun back at Guile.

"Next time...." Ryu said in a cold voice, pulling the trigger. There was a loud click.

"Next time the gun will be loaded!!!!" Ryu threatened before throwing the gun and its removed magazine back at Guile.

Ryu then lifted up ChunLi, who was still crying, with her covers covering her and left to his room. Eliza and Kefollowed. Gently placing her in his bed, he turned to Eliza.

"Eliza, please help her change." Ryu asked with a soft voice.

Ken and Ryu then left theroas Eliza tended to ChunLi.

"Dammit, that's almost the second time that I almost let her get hurt." Ryu yelled, as he relentlessly slammed his fists into the wall.

"Ryu, get a hold of yourself. Stop blaming yourself for all that's happened. Its not your fault. If you must blame someone, blame Bison. He is making her go through all of this." Ken pleaded.

"Bison, you're not going to get away with this, I will personally see to it." Ryu vowed. All of a sudden there was a loud scream from Ryu's room. Quickly running in, he saw ChunLi curled up in a ball, still crying, with her covers around her.

"She won't let me help her change." Eliza explained.

Ryu approached ChunLi. ChunLi screamed again and started to kick wildly. Blocking all of her wild kicks, he pinned her legs down.

"ChunLi, ChunLi, its me Ryu." Ryu called out to ChunLi.

"R...Ryu?" ChunLi replied, finally starting to calm down. Ryu offered his hand forward to ChunLi. She cautious reached for it. When she finally grasped it, she pulled forward and hugged Ryu fiercely, and buried her face in his chest as she continued to cry. Wrapping his arms around her, he motioned for Ken and Eliza to leave. When they left, Ryu laid beside ChunLi with his arms around her, protecting her, not wanting to let her go as she cried. Eventually she fell asleep again. Ryu never let her go.

Ryu didn't sleep all night. He watched over the girl sleeping in his arms intently, guarding her from all harm. Ryu had learned how to go for many hours without sleep long ago so he was still wide awake. Finally ChunLi woke up.

"Good morning sleepy head, How are you feeling?" Ryu asked softly.

"I..I am still scared from what happened yesterday. Where is that man with the mask? Who is he?" ChunLi asked, looking up at Ryu.

"His name is Vega, he is being interrogated over in the next room. He was sent by one of your old enemies." Ryu explained.

"Ryu?" ChunLi asked.

"Yes?" Ryu responded softly.

"Tell me about the old ChunLi, tell me about how I was before I lost memories." ChunLi asked.

"Well... before she was very strong, spirited and brave..." Ryu explained, thinking back several months ago.

"She was the strongest woman in the world, never willing to admit defeat." Ryu continued softly.

"Ryu?" ChunLi spoke up again.

"Yes?" Ryu responded.

"I'm sorry." ChunLi said.

"Sorry for what?" Ryu asked.

"The old ChunLi must have meant a lot to you. I am sorry that I am no longer that old ChunLi. I am now nothing more than a weak, cowardly cry baby." ChunLi replied sadly.

"Don't be…ChunLi, you may not be as strong and brave as you once were, but you are something that the old ChunLi never knew how to do. She never learned to be happy, she was much too consumed in her quest for vengeance than to look back and reflect on her life.

She no longer knew how to live. You are different now. You are now full of life, no longer consumed by vengeance. To tell you the truth, I think this is the better life for you, being loved and cared for by the people who love you." Ryu replied.

"Ryu promise that you will never leave me?" ChunLi asked.

"I won't." Ryu agreed.

"How can I be sure that I am safe when you are not around to protect me?" ChunLi asked.

Ryu thought for a moment. He then reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a package given to him by Master Gen. Remembering Gen's words, he handed it to ChunLi.

"This was given to me by Master Gen before we left Hong Kong, he told me to give it to you when you were unsure of yourself." Ryu explained.

Opening the package and saw a specialized Chinese wu shu uniform; a flowing blue silk tunic, trimmed with gold. A folded white sash embroidered with water dragons and a pair of white hair ornaments and long white ribbons lay in a neat bundle in one corner of the box.

"Master Gen explained that this belonged to your mother. This is her legacy left to you. When you were young, you were too small to fit into it despite its slight dimensions." Ryu explained.

ChunLi instinctively slipped on the uniform and tied her hair into 2 neat buns. It fit perfectly. She then slipped the hair ornaments over each bun and tied each of them down with the two long white ribbons in a double bow. She looked at herself in the mirror, with Ryu behind her.

"You look very beautiful. Wait here." Ryu commented softly.

Reaching into his duffel bag again, he pulled out 2 gold ribbons, 2 blue ribbons and another red headband similar to the one he wore on his head.

"These two gold ribbons were what you used before to tie your hair together." Ryu said, wrapping each bun with the gold ribbons in a double bow.

"These two blue ribbons were given to me by Eliza, she told me that if I tie one on my wrist and one on the girl that I loved that we would always be together." Ryu continued, wrapping each bun with the blue ribbons.

"This headband, belonged to my master, Gouken, before he pasted away." Ryu continued, wrapping it around her left bun in a double bow.

"This was given to me by Ken while we trained together." Ryu continued, untying his headband and wrapping it around her right bun in a double bow.

Looking in the mirror again. Ryu held ChunLi by the shoulders.

"These white ribbons and uniform represents your mother. These gold ribbons represents the courage and strength of the old ChunLi, these blue ribbons represent Eliza and your new friends and life." Ryu said.

Holding the left red hair band, Ryu continued, "This represents my master."

Holding the right red hair band, Ryu continued, "This represents Ken and I."

"Remember that whenever you have these on, know that we will always be with you in spirit, watching over you and protecting you." Ryu said, smiling.

ChunLi looked at herself in mirror and smiled. She felt loved and protected by her the people around her. She got up and hugged Ryu.

"Thank you for everything, for saving me all these times and looking after me." ChunLi said.

"Oh Ryu, I feel so warm and safe now with your arms around me, thank you." ChunLi said.

"I will always be here to keep you safe. I am going to protect you from anything that wants to harm you." Ryu replied.

In her mother's uniform, and the ribbons in her hair, with Ryu's strong arms around her, protecting her, ChunLi was finally safe...for now...