Vendetta Epilogue - The End of the Beginning
By Dare

Patterson Air Force Base
2 weeks later

"Inspector?"

"Yes?" Chun Li said as she looked up, trying to stifle a yawn. With the seats in the back of the Interpol-commissioned limo being as comfortable as they were, she'd very nearly fallen asleep. Her internal clock still being on Hong Kong time didn't help matters any.

"We've arrived." said the driver.

"Good. Thank you."

She looked out the window and took in the sight of the air force base. It looked like any other military installation, but this place would have special significance in the days to come.

This is where it begins.* she thought to herself. *With this Major Guile's help, the operation will enter its final stages. The end to this all is near but it begins here.*

Or did it? With a bit of reflection, she would have considered that perhaps it began the day her father had died. When she had sworn vengeance on Shadowlaw and devoted her life to its destruction.

Perhaps it had begun the day she was admitted into Interpol, finally finding the means to an end, a way to finally find the answers she had sought.

Perhaps it had begun that day in the Brazilian rainforest years ago, facing the man she had come to despise. Bison, who revealed the truth about her father's death.

Perhaps it had begun the moment Donny Yinyang had been killed, opening her eyes to see the innocents she had all but forgotten about.

Perhaps it had begun the morning after the fight at the kwoon. Chun Li still chuckled to herself as she remembered the look on Zheng's face when she showed up in his office, bandaged and slightly limping, to accept her position in the final part of Operation: Shadowlaw. He was appalled not only at her condition, but at her newfound enthusiasm that seemed to have flourished despite the assassination attempt. Or maybe even because of it.

Perhaps it had even begun that night before. Master Gen's words and the long-cherished memories of her father finally letting her see the self- destruction she had been thrusting herself towards.

But no, it had truly begun the moment she had spared the life of her assassin, Vega. She had fought a battle not against just him, but at the black rage that had swelled within her for many years. And she had won. At that moment of truth, she had refused to let the hate control her and had found what she had really been searching for: Peace.

But she had realized a great many things that night, while in the hospital. One of them was the consideration of how selfish she had been in her endeavors. Her pain was justified, no doubt, but it dawned on her that Bison had ruined, was ruining, many other lives as long as he was in power.

She had told herself that if she was going to indeed participate in the operation, she would have to put aside her personal feelings, her own desire for vengeance, her. Bison was evil, and even though she was more than entitled to a role in his downfall, it had to be not just for her, but for the people that would suffer if she didn't go.

If she had declined participation, how much longer would it have been until Bison sent more people like Vega after her again? And if not her, then after the people she cared about. People like Donny Yinyang, Master Gen, Yun and Yang.

No this had to end now, and she would see it happen, even if it was not her who struck the final blow. It was her right, but not her reason to live, not any longer. It was no longer about her revenge, anymore, no longer about her vendetta.

It was about justice, pure and simple.

The car came to a halt in front of the hangar entrance. The driver exited and quickly scurried around to open the door for her. With a smile of thanks, Chun Li stepped out of the limousine, letting the sun fall on the blue silk uniform.

A few of the agents traveling with her had thought it strange that she would wear such unusual garb. So what? For some reason, wearing her mother's costume just seemed right to Chun Li, somehow. And if this American had a problem with it, well, they would have words, and many of them.

A short pale man wearing sergeant's stripes came running quickly out of one of the hangars to meet them. He was carrying a clipboard, which for some reason seemed appropriate to her, and adjusted his wire-frame spectacles as he greeted them.

"Interpol, right?" he said.

"Yes." Chun Li responded in her almost flawless English.

"The Major's just getting in from doing 'laps'. Felt the need to put a newly repaired fighter through its paces. He's like that."

"Well, I look forward to meeting him." Chun Li said in all sincerity, to which the sergeant raised an eyebrow, and just as quickly lowered it.

"Yes, well, Major Guile is in hangar 3-12. This way, please."

The soldier gestured for Chun Li and her entourage to follow him.

She hadn't lied. She was indeed looking forward to meeting Major William Guile. From his dossier, he had less than a sterling record but was nevertheless deemed the best man for the job. As Zheng had said, reliable.

Even so, she had doubts. She wondered whether he would be plagued by the same inner demons from losing his best friend. If so, she would have to do her best to reason with him, because for the most part, they were to be a team. If they could see eye-to-eye, so much the better. If not, well, her work would be cut out for her indeed. Either way, she felt that if anyone could understand him, it would be her.

The group continued down to where a large jet fighter was being checked over by technicians. The cockpit was opening and an imposing figure, well muscled physique distinct even through the flight suit, got out.

The sergeant quickly ran forward to notify the Major of her arrival. As he was doing so, the Major took off his helmet, and Chun Li saw that the photo in his dossier did little justice to him.

Unusual hairstyle aside, if he was stern, serious, and unsociable- looking in the picture, he was even more so in real life. And those expressions intensified as he caught sight of the young, slight Chinese girl and fixed those hard eyes on her.

It took most of her nerve just to smile and wave. With a look of extreme distaste, he hopped off the plane and started down towards her.

*Well, this is it.* she said to herself. *No turning back now.*

It was almost funny how redundant those words seemed at that moment.

Somewhere, far off in the distance, she could hear a rumble.

Thunder. A new storm had begun.