Of Love, Honour, and Revenge Prologue
By Matt Lawson

A Grassy field near the border of Thailand

As the night sky was filled with the light of a thunderstorm, the field was dampened by a torrent of rain, which blew almost horizontally by the huge gale that blew throughout the whole country of Thailand.

A night of terror and bloodshed was just about to reach it's conclusion.

Alone in the field, two men fought each other like wild animals, their spirit fueled by an endless desire, desires different between them, but still enough to fight for. One man, a young Japanese fighter looked as if this was a natural thing for him. His white karate gi looked torn and battered, with both of the gi's sleeves ripped off in order to aide his fight. He wore a red headband, a symbol that signified his presence like a formidable entity. The other man, a man who looked like the devil himself had been feared by his touch, stood in a position that defied all that he faced. His arms crossed, his head faced forward, his eyes glowing white as if they had no pupils. He was an evil man, a man who always took from others what he wanted himself, their money, their possessions, their spirits, their lives.

"Fine fighting. I had expected this from the man who has defeated what could have been an army of fighters the world over. Have you ever lost a fight to anyone, Ryu, physically or indeed mentally?"

"I defeated you once before Bison, I can sure as h*ll defeat you again, this time making sure that I and anyone else cannot fight you again…..ever."

"The last time you defeated me, you did so with the help of that f***in' idiot you once called your best friend. He should be dead by now, you realize that?"

"Guy's taking care of Ken, Bison. I can feel his Bushin healing emanating from him."

"Hmph. I doubt however that his healing will save even you after this fight! Enjoy this fight Ryu, It will your final one!!!"

"Better than being possessed I suppose. HADOKEN!!"

A white ball of pure energy shot forth from Ryu's hand. Before it reached his target, however, Bison disappeared. Ryu however, knew his tactics well, having fought him once before. He flicked his leg up and performed a backward kick, catching Bison right in the stomach as he reappeared behind. Doubling up in pain, Bison managed to see a sudden movement from below him before he was airborne from Ryu's pendulum kick.

Bison, however, was far from defeated, somersaulting and landing on his feet before launching into an attack of his own. He launched two dummy punches that Ryu blocked before trying a mid-kick to his ribs. Although Ryu blocked that, he didn't expect Bison to suddenly jump into the air and land a kick to his head, before flipping over and launching a stomp to the head which knocked Ryu down. Flipping back to his feet Ryu launched a series of punches that Bison avoided much to Ryu's annoyance. The two fighters continued to battle on as the lightning and rain crashed heavily down of them, doing little to persuade them to show even signs of stopping.

Elsewhere, Ken's still form laid on the grass, his body bruised and battered after the beating Ryu was forced to have given him after being brainwashed by Bison. He was not , however, dead, thanks to Guy's ability to heal people from even the brink of death. Guy's Kuji No In was taking remarkable effect as he chanted each of the healing signs. Standing beside him, Chun Li watched Ryu through her binoculars, with one hand on the intercom, praying desperately in the hope that Ryu would win. He was her only hope that the world would finally be freed from M. Bison and Shadowloo. Once Ryu had defeated Bison, she would give the call that would enable her allies from the USAF, Guile and Charlie to launch an air-strike that would destroy Bison's main headquarters. He has to win, Chun Li thought, C'mon! Although Ryu didn't realize it, the whole world was weighted on his shoulders. Besides, he had made a promise to her that he would help her avenge her father. They had known each other for so long. Although she felt that Ryu didn't feel it, she knew that a special bond had formed between them. Maybe after this final fight she would come and talk to him, open herself up to him.

Now was not the time to think of that though.

She held the binoculars firmly, oblivious to the fact that Ken had finally healed. Guy's treatment had done an amazing effect. He was persuaded to come with Chun Li to see his friend Ryu fight Bison, his new enemy, and to help Ken, whom she knew would be here. Guy looked at Chun Li, thinking about the way she observed the fight. Is something going on between them, he thought, she seems almost star-struck. A blinding flash snapped his attention towards his friend. He then realized that the unthinkable was happening.

Ryu was about to lose!

Ryu had just recovered from one of Bison's Scissor kicks, and launched a kick of his own.

A perfect roundhouse. However, Bison teleported back before he connected. Swearing in Japanese, Ryu landed his front leg….

……and saw Bison's Psycho Crusher coming straight towards him. Ryu cursed his inattentiveness. He had given Bison too long to charge up his Psycho energy, and he must pay the price for it. With no time to block, Ryu took the full force of the attack. A blue flame enveloped Ryu, surrounding him in pain that he had never felt before.

The next few seconds, Ryu collapsed onto the floor, his whole body racked with pain. He suddenly felt that he was floating. Bison picked him up psychically, leaving him completely defenseless.

"Ryu…. It is time. You will become my soul's new vessel, and the world will be mine. Say goodbye to your friends Ryu, the few that you actually have will soon die….BY YOUR OWN HANDS!!!!"

Bison launched a ball of psychotic energy towards Ryu. Ryu knew that Bison wanted to untap the evil energy inside Ryu, the energy that Akuma told him about, so that Bison could use it for his evil needs. This time he felt that there was no escape. It hit with the force of several of his own Hadokens. Ryu felt an immense surge welling up inside of him.

He felt a wave of emotion, something he never felt so much in his life before. He felt…anger…..pain…..regret….hatred. All this time, Bison laughed at his misfortune. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Burn Ryu, burn with your own energy!!"

Ryu suddenly saw other things beside his emotions. Was this his past life? Was he…going to die? He thought about his master. He thought about Ken, his best friend and his rival. He thought about his new-found friends. Guy, his friend from Metro City…Sakura, the little girl that worshiped him as his idol….Fei Long the Hong Kong film star……….and then his long-time friend from Interpol.....Chun Li!

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Ryu immediately rushed forward, closing his hands around a newly formed ball of energy.

"What? He's resisting!!!" Bison realized, trying to concentrate on his psychic link, and realizing that he was failing. He prepared for Ryu's Hadoken….and realized it was taking Ryu longer to power up. Does that mean he's weak? It was only when he heard Ryu say SHINKUUU, that he realized that he was wrong. He was completely defenseless. "HAAADOOOOKEN!!!!"

The huge fire ball connected. Bison's link was broken, and backfired with tremendous force. He realized that he was dying. But this was impossible. He couldn't die. He was immortal.

"MY SOUL WILL NEVER DIE!"

"UWWWAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Bison burst in a cloud of blue flames. And then it was over.

A few miles away, a lone figure sat meditating on the grassy banks by the river. He had seen what had happened earlier to Bison. Ryu had destroyed him.

The lone figure stood up to look at the river running through the open plains. His twisted mind thought of it as a river of blood, a river where dead souls will be carried down to the gates of heaven. There was something about Ryu that had made him so intrigued. It was not the fact that his teacher was in fact the very same Shotokan Sensei that he had killed years ago….his brother. Bison had given him a tough fight. He had only just won through his own power. A power that was yet to be unleashed unto the world.

Akuma thought about Bison's last words: "My soul will never die"

Slowly but surely, a plan was forming. "His soul will not die. But it will no longer be under his control. I, personally, shall see to that."