Vendetta Ch. 7 - The Finale
By Dare

"Let's double team 'im, bro!" Yun yelled to his brother.

"We shall." agreed Yang.

The two youths charged the big, burly American. Yun leapt into the air again, while Yang sped forward on his skates. While this Crank had a definite height and musculature advantage, the twins had something that was more of an edge: Teamwork.

In the past six years that their grandfather had been teaching them kung fu, he had focused on their relationship as twin brothers. He had trained them in such a way that the two worked best as a team. Their fighting styles were identical, a mixture of wu shu, chang chuan, animal styles such as crane, snake, and mantis such as their grandfather used; but how they used that knowledge was the extraordinary part.

Yun thrust his foot out in a diving kick, which Crank caught. The roughneck was about to do him some major harm, until Yang buried his fist in his voluminous gut. Unfortunately, the ruffian didn't seem to feel it, and backhanded Yun's brother across the face.

Fazed, but not out, Yang stepped back, and then came forward again with a high leaping kick. The attack was more of an distraction, as Yun finally found enough purchase to wrap one leg around Crank's arm and then suddenly pull backwards.

SNAP

With a bellow, Crank dropped Yun, who bounced back to his feet. The American's arm hung limp at his side, and his face turned red with rage. Yang inwardly cringed at the ugly mask of death. His brother gave him the nod to engage one of their more powerful strikes.

"Zesshou Hohou!" he yelled as he charged forward at a blinding speed. He then slammed his fist into the beefy man, knocking him back. Then it was Yun's turn.

He ran forward and then dropped into a roll. As soon as he was under the stunned American, he thrust his foot upwards in a technique taught to them from their grandfather's own repertoire.

"Senkyutai!" Yun's foot made contact with Crank's face, carrying them both up into the air. Yun caught himself and landed on one knee.

Crank hit the wooden floor with a thud, and that was that.

"Way t'go, bro!" Yun cheered as he and his otherwise very stoic brother leapt and exchanged a high-five.

Master Gen and his opponent, Helmut, circled each other like two lions competing for territory. Their faces were as hard and as cold as ice, eyes locked on each other, as both men were of little words.

Master Gen had dropped into his crane stance, hands with index finger outstretched as if to mimic the head of the animal. Klatsch was shuffling from one foot to another, making movements as if to welcome and invite the challenge.

Suddenly, he lashed out with a punch, which Master Gen had been waiting for. Crane style was highly defensive/reactionary. He grabbed the Austrian's wrist, pulled him forward and slammed the heel of his palm into his chest.

Klatsch was staggered, the wind knocked out of him, but was ready to come back for more. He threw a roundhouse kick to the master's head, which he dodged. He got lucky with a whirling punch, but Master Gen recovered in an instant.

"Hyakurenkou!" he shouted as his fist became an impossibly fast barrage of punches, making contact with several points on the assassin's body, sending him up and away.

Master Gen was about to close in, when he stumbled, having momentarily lost his balance. Time and his illness had hampered his once legendary fighting prowess, and he knew he couldn't perform too many of those techniques. He shook his head, as he saw his adversary get to his own feet.

Then, Klatsch did a rather peculiar thing: He backflipped a few feet away, and then dropped into a horse-straddle stance. Master Gen fell into his Mantis stance, preparing for whatever the killer might dish out.

"Komodo Strike!" yelled the Austrian, as in the blink of an eye, he hurtled forward like a human projectile and rammed both legs into the master's abdomen.

The pain was incredible, and only partly because Master Gen's condition was centered in his chest. He landed by hitting the far wall, and reflexively flipping back onto his feet. Klatsch's technique had done a fair bit of damage, and it was due to the master's otherwise top physical conditioning that he wasn't knocked cold right then and there. As it was, his vision had gone hazy at the edges.

Sensing his opponent's vulnerability, Klatsch pressed his advantage by leaping in and assailing Master Gen with a volley of punches and kicks. Even in his weakened state, the master was able to block or dodge most of the attacks, but a few got through. An uppercut got in through his defenses, knocking him to the side.

Master Gen found himself on the floor, struggling to get to his feet as he heard Klatsch approach from behind. There were few choices left to him at this point; either surrender or try for one last technique that could quite possibly kill him.

And, seeing as how surrendering was never one of his favorite options.........!

He whirled from his position on the floor and landed an kick on Klatsch's jaw. While the Austrian was knocked back, he thrust out with his hand and pressed several points strategically on his upper body. Then, the master rolled quickly away.

Klatsch was now quite enraged and began to shout expletives in German at his own stupidity. Whirling, he faced Master Gen who had been able to roll away to the other side of the hall.

When he tried to charge towards him, Klatsch found that, oddly enough, his left leg was beginning to go numb.

From where he was leaning against the wall for support, Master Gen breathed an exhausted sigh of relief as he saw his final attack begin to take effect. He could see the confused and shocked expression on his opponent's face, as he realized that feeling was draining from every part of his body.

As Klatsch's vision went hazy, he opened his mouth as if to say something, or perhaps scream. The only sound he could make his vocal cords produce was "Huuuunnnnnnnggghhhhhhh.........."

Then he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Master Gen joined him a few moments later. "Grandfather!" Yang cried as he saw Master Gen crumple. The two young boys quickly ran to where he lay. The old man was breathing hard, dazed, but seemed otherwise alive.

The two boys knew of his "condition", and also knew that exertion of this magnitude was hazardous.

"Gramps!" Yun called to him as Yang bid him to sit, leaning against the wall. "Grandpa, you okay?"

"I have been better, young one." Master Gen managed. "But, I suppose for having been out of action for a few years, I could be worse."

"Sheesh, Gramps, you really had us worried there for a moment." Yun went on in a scolding tone. "Ya better leave all the butt-kicking to us younger guys, from now on."

In an eyeblink, Master Gen bopped Yun upside the head. Not hard, but firmly.

"If it's one thing I must do before leaving this Earth, it is to teach you respect for your elders, boy." he sighed. "I trust you two prevailed."

"Yes Grandfather." Yang said, "he was no challenge."

"Hrnh. I see that humility must be your lesson to learn, Yang."

Then, the three turned to where Chun Li was doing battle with Vega. From what they could make out, the were locked in a game of cat and mouse, the Spaniard as the predator. He was the fastest thing they had ever seen. Chun Li was doing all she could do avoid his attacks with those blades attached to his hand.

"Grandfather, shall we go and assist Chun Li?"

Master Gen's brow furrowed in deep consideration. Then, after a moment: "No."

"What?" the two youths uttered in unison.

"You heard me. This battle is not ours to win."

"Grandfather." Yang protested. "Surely, this Vega is more than a match for her."

"Even so, she must face this threat alone." he responded simply.

"That's bull, Gramps!" Yun shouted angrily. "I'm not gonna sit by an' watch her get killed-" He started to rise.

"Yun." Master Gen said.

"What?!"

"SIT DOWN."

At that tone of voice, Yun knew his grandfather was serious, and obediently sat.

Chun Li was not faring as well as her friends had.

Whoever this Vega was, he was fast. One minute into the fight, and she had yet to land a blow on him, due to his incessant leaping, flipping, and rolling about. Most of the time, she had just been trying to get within striking distance, while at the same time avoiding that lethal claw he brandished.

She also had to fight empty handed, another disadvantage. Her kikoken was useless, as it required a short period of focus and concentration that would have been considered momentary at any other time. But as it was, her mastery of chi projection left much to be desired and she would most likely abandon the use of such techniques after this fight.

That is, if she survived.

All she knew was that she had to get away from that claw.

The metal talons seemed to be everywhere, taking on a life of their own, hungry for her blood. In the past few moments, there had been countless times she just barely avoided their steely kiss.

Chun Li leapt into the air towards the Spaniard, lashing out with a flying reverse kick, and missed him by mere centimeters. Landing, she quickly bent over backwards, as the claws passed over her. She then fell back into a flip, landing on all fours, keeping her eyes on her adversary.

Vega had taken to the air himself, and was hurtling at her with that claw extended in a deadly dive.

With no time even to scream, she rolled out of the way, but felt the cold steel bite into her side. Pain shot into her for only a second, but it was intense.

Flipping back onto her feet, her hand instinctively clapped to her side. It came away red. The cut wasn't deep, a glancing blow, so there would mostly likely be no permanent damage. But even so, adrenaline was the only thing keeping away the pain that would become most inconvenient if she didn't end this soon.

"Ah, me." Vega sighed wistfully, sliding his mask slightly up off his face to expose a forlorn expression. "What a pity it is that I must pluck the petals from such a lovely flower. But it was destined that we meet, I suppose."

"What are you talking about?" Chun Li stalled, taking full advantage of the arrogant noble's ill-timed choice to wax poetic. "You're just another one of Bison's henchmen, a boot licker."

"A henchman?" Vega laughed. "I suppose that is what I have sunk to. But you would be surprised at one must do in the name of beauty."

Chun Li struggled to her feet, mind racing to form a strategy.

"I was once a matador, a bull fighter, the best in all of Spain." the noble said. "But I soon became bored with dumb animals for sport and tried my hand at the underworld cage fights. That is where I amassed a fortune, and developed a taste for the finer things the world has to offer. And the finest of all is beauty."

Her side began to throb, but at least the bleeding had slowed. The narcissistic Spaniard went on.

"Until now, I believed myself to be the most beautiful person on the face of Earth, but when Lord Bison came to my estate asking for my support, he told me of you and showed me your picture. It was then that I saw I would have to be content with being the most beautiful man."

"Remind me to offer my congratulations after I'm done vomiting." Chun Li hissed.

"Such harsh words. I thought you would find it flattering. Then again, I suppose most of your virtue lies in your features and not in your manners."

He brought the mask down over his face again.

"Though I suspect etiquette will be the least -and the last- of your worries. Prepare to die, Inspector."

By now, Chun Li had formulated a battle plan. *He has a considerable advantage over me.* She contemplated. *That weapon. I must even the odds, but how?*

Vega somersaulted backwards into his stance, readying his claw. Reflexively, Chun Li began to rush forward and meet him, but stopped.

It dawned on her that she had been trying to play this game by Vega's rules. As he had kept flipping and leaping about the hall, all she had done was try to match him technique for technique. Tried to beat him by emulating him. She had tried to fight fire with fire and succeeded only in burning herself.

*The second advantage he has over me is the air. He's faster, more agile than I. But all of his most powerful attacks so far have been leaping and flying strikes. I must use that against him.*

The strategy she came up with was risky, dangerous, but it was perhaps her only hope.

She took a few steps backwards until her back touched the wall, and then sat down.

For a moment, there was total silence in the training hall as she just sat there, cross-legged with her hands folded into her lap. Vega, Master Gen, and the two boys all stared at Chun Li's incredibly vulnerable position.

Even so, the vain Spaniard was thrown from his stride for less than a second. His face curled into a haughty sneer behind that mask.

"Have you surrendered, then?" he said, eyeing her dubiously.

Chun Li said nothing. She fixed her eyes in a rock hard gaze that unnerved even him for a fleeting moment.

"Very well. I shall remember your beauty fondly."

With that, Vega leapt up into the air and began to descend in another swan dive, that gleaming claw outstretched before him. It was aimed directly at her throat.

The next few moments passed as if time had itself had slowed.

Vega continued in his descent-

Yun screamed Chun Li's name-

Yang and Master Gen looked on in abject horror-

Chun Li's breath was clutched by her heartbeat-

And then, in the one tenth of a second that it would have taken for Vega's claw to cleave her jugular, Chun Li-
-with all of her years of training both traditional and military-
-simply moved a few inches to the right.

It was less than a foot, only eight inches was the distance she moved her head, but it was enough for those steel blades to miss her completely and embed itself in the wall.

For another of those intense moments of confusion, Vega didn't understand what had happened. His hand should have been stained bright red by now, but he had felt no flesh give way to his Flying Barcelona Attack, the most deadly strike in his arsenal. It soon hit him that he, Vega, the deadliest fighter of all of Spain, the most lethal of M. Bison's lieutenants, the infamous "Beautiful Death" had been suckered by the ages-old tactic of his opponent getting out of the way.

His self-reproachment ended when Chun Li punched him in the gut.

The wind knocked out of him, he tried to wrench his hand free from the wall, but found that his weapon was stuck. Seeing as how the claw was strapped to his hand by leather bonds, he was trapped and defenseless. This was an opening soon taken.

Chun Li brought her elbow down on the top of his hand, where the blades were fastened. All three snapped like dead twigs. She then thrust a palm strike into his chest, sending him back now that his hand was free. She rose to meet him, the fury of battle now awakened within her.

Evidently, Vega's mastery of his claw weapon was something of a handicap, because his empty hand skills left much to be desired. He had a considerable propensity for kicks, but they were slow, exaggerated, predictable. It would seem that he hadn't had much use for such attacks in a while, always depending on the claw to deal the damage needed.

Chun Li tore into him with whirling kicks, lightning-fast punches, and other crushing blows. She parried a feeble punch, hooked her leg over his arm, and kicked him in the head, twice. The mask took the brunt of the impact, but Vega's eyes began to lose their focus; they were starting to become glassy, disoriented.

The tables had now turned, with Yun cheering her from the side, Yang uneasily joining in. Master Gen watched his former pupil fight with precision, skill, and efficiency, and yet he was wary of the savageness that increased with every strike, building in her.

Finally, Vega took to the air once again, if only to get away from the flurry of punches and kicks that his former prey had become. She had now become the predator.

Chun Li saw the Spaniard leap high up in the air, and smiled devilishly. Got you!

"HAZAN TENSHO KYAKU!!!" she screamed as she spun into the air like a tornado, bringing her foot back, around, and finally up into Vega's jaw. Once, twice, three times she delivered an explosive kick to his facade- sheathed face until the white Mask of Agony shattered into pieces.

Vega, countenance miraculously unscathed, fell to the ground in a heap.

When Chun Li landed a second later, her heartbeat had become the sound of a war drum, beating out an intense rhythm in her ears. She pounced upon the barely conscious Vega, bloodlust stirring in her once again.

She grabbed him by the silken shirt he wore, staring contemptuously down into that deceptively handsome visage.

And then, it began again.

The aquiline nose seemed to mutate, to metamorphose. It broadened, became shorter. The tone of his flesh darkened. The thin mouth became a mocking sneer filled with sharp teeth, and the narrow jawline hardened and sculpted itself into a rock hard cut. His eyes came alive with that evil light. The locks of flaxen hair seemed to disappear, replaced with a red general's cap bearing that same skull and wings insignia.

BISON.

Chun Li began to sweat profusely, her heart hammering away at her within her chest, muscles tensed and knotted. The rage and the hate came rushing back, drowning her in a red hot wave. She cocked her arm back, forming her hand into a claw, index and middle fingers protruding slightly out from her clenched fist.

From where he watching, Master Gen's eyes widened in shock. He recognized the hand position as that of the Leopard Paw Strike, a destructive blow known only by a few, and taught to even less. If used, the Leopard Paw Strike could do terrible damage. At the very least, it would break every bone in the Spaniard's face. At the very least. The blow could very easily kill.

Chun Li's head swam with the fury that was surging through her being. It the next moments she would end this man's life with one blow. Vega, whose face had lost all of its cocky swagger, stared with fear at her fist, ready to come crashing into him.

Chun Li began to bring her fist forward-
-and stopped.

Somewhere, in the recesses of her heart, a voice spoke.

*This won't solve your problems.* it said. *Killing him won't make the pain go away.*

*But he's my enemy* she argued incoherently *He works for Bison. I must do this.*

*True, he is an enemy, but it is not him you want to destroy. He is simply a lackey, a foulness branching out from the evil that is Bison, the source of your pain.*

*But-*

*Have you forgotten already what your father wanted for you?* Chun Li flashed back to the moment in the garden, just minutes ago. The anger began to subside.

*Calm yourself.* the voice went on. *You must not become what it is you despise.*

*Yes.* she agreed. *I must not let him beat me. If not physically, then emotionally. This man, Vega-*

*-is evil as well, but you must pluck out a weed from its black roots, not by its corrupted leaves.*

*I understand.*

*Good.*

Chun Li opened her eyes as her internal dialogue drew to an end. Her fist, still in the Leopard's Paw position, had stopped scant centimeters away from Vega's nose. If she had connected, she would have pushed his nasal bones into the back of his head, killing him.

She let out a breath, and slowly let go of his shirt. Then, she got up, and took a few steps backwards.

"Get up." she spat at him.

Vega, who wasn't exactly sure what to make of all this, blinked, and made a somewhat successful attempt at regaining his composure. He slowly, cautiously, stood up.

"Get out."

Vega glared at her most severely, cockiness and arrogance already finding their way back onto his face.

"You have made a most dire mistake, Inspector." he sniffed. "You have let me live after defeating me. I would most surely kill you for that, for making me live with my shame. However," he paused to caress his features momentarily, as if to make sure they were all there, "since you spared my face, I shall call this a draw. But be forewarned! We are now even. The next time we meet, I should think I will not be so merciful."

I'm looking forward to it." Chun Li said. "Now get out."

Vega, and his two barely coherent underlings began to limp their way to the exit, when she called out.

"One more thing."

Vega turned, half-expecting another attack.

"When you get back to Bison, tell him 'nice try'. And that I'm coming for him."

Having said that, Chun Li folded her arms and smiled. Vega glared at her fiercely, and then slunk away in silence.

After they had gone, she let out the breath she had been holding and found that her legs would barely support her. The renewed burning in her side reminded her of her sustained injury, and she fell to one knee.

"Chun Li!" Yun cried, rushing forward to her. Master Gen, aided by Yang, limped after him.

"Are you all right?" Yun asked, kneeling next to her. Chun Li took a few deep breaths and answered.

"I think I'll be all right." she smiled weakly. "It's not deep."

"Even so," Master Gen said, "we should get you to a hospital."

"Master, I don't-" she began.

"Hush. You may be a warrior now, but I'm still your elder and you'll listen to me. After all, we must teach this young rogue by example, no?"

Yun blushed. Chun Li chuckled, and then winced from the effort.

"Boys, go and call an ambulance, please." Gen instructed his grandsons. For the first time, both Yun and Yang obeyed without an argument.

As the two youths headed for the kwoon's office, Yun noticed an item on the floor.

"Hang on, bro." he said as he stopped to kneel and pick it up. It was Crank's baseball cap, the one they had knocked off him in their final attack. It was surprisingly clean, made out of blue material, with a long yellow bill.

Yun slipped it on, and found that it was almost a perfect fit, save for being a little too big. The bill drooped down covering his eyes.

"Whaddya think, bro?" he grinned. "Is it me, or what?"

"Why are you wearing that thing?" Yang asked, nose wrinkling in distaste. "You don't know where it's been!"

"Aw, c'mon, Yang. Haven't you ever heard the old term 'to the victor go the spoils?'. 'Sides, I know exactly where it's been. It's been on the head of some dude we just opened up a BIG ol' can of butt-whup on!"

"Whatever you say, brother." Yang sighed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say. All I know is that it makes you look like a duck, with that long bill. Still," Yang grinned, the first time he had done so that night, "whatever covers up that hair of yours is fine by me."

"Hey-!"

As the boys' arguing voices got quieter, Master Gen tended to Chun Li's wound as best he could. He bid her to lean against him for support as he inspected the gash on her side.

"You are right." he said. "It's not deep. It was just long enough to cause you discomfort. Still, stitches may be in order."

Chun Li just nodded.

"You must be more careful, though." Gen said in a slightly reproving tone. "You put yourself in grave danger recklessly this night. It would be wise to be more cautious next time."

Chun Li sighed. "Master, I appreciate your concern, but like you said, my injury is not serious."

"I wasn't talking about your physical condition."

"Master?"

Gen sighed, and sat down next to her, weary from exhaustion and his own injuries.

"Near the end," he began, "when you had Vega at your mercy, I thought..........." he trailed off suggestively.

"Yes, master?"

"I thought we had lost you."

Chun Li seemed to think for a moment.

"You almost did, master." she said at last. "You almost did, at that. But I see now, master, I finally see. My path is clear."

And then something strange happened.

For the first time in all the while she had known him, Master Gen smiled.

"That is good." he said, finally.

Chun Li smiled back, and then lay her head against his chest and rested.