Of Love, Honour, and Revenge Ch. 19
By Matt Lawson

Traffic in Hong Kong is extremely dense after seven p.m. on Saturday night as shoppers, theatergoers and other assorted people arrive from out of town. Limousines clog the side streets, garages have cars lined up waiting to get in, and cabs and buses inch through the center of the shopping district.

Vega had allowed for the delay when he planned for this part of the operation. When he finally turned east and rolled towards Chun Li痴 apartment, he was relaxed and confident.

So were the members of the team Shadowloo had sent to him this morning, as well as Balrog. But then, if he hadn稚 served with them, seen that they were cool under pressure, Bison would never have recruited them for this mission.

Because of Vega痴 cunning attacks and planning, the team had no trouble with him leading the operation. Although Balrog had led the prostitution ring, showing he was capable as a leader, Vega had a mind that could calculate the odds and use them in his favour. Besides, Vega and Balrog would do the capturing, the team would be used as backup.

Vega drove slowly, carefully. He watched out for jaywalking pedestrians. He didn稚 tailgate. He didn稚 shout at taxi drivers who cut him off. He didn稚 do anything that would cause him to be stopped by the police. It was ironic. He was about to commit an act of kidnapping and murder that Interpol would soon not forget. Yet here he was, the model of tranquil, lawful motoring.

They were only about two blocks away from Chun Li痴 apartment when they stopped at a red light. They waited until the light began to flash. That meant they had about five seconds to be prepared. Vega痴 mask was tucked between his legs. He pulled it out and slipped it on. The Shadowloo men did likewise with their skimasks. They were already wearing thin black gloves so that they wouldn稚 leave fingerprints but could still handle their weapons, suppressed Heckler and Koch MP5Ks. Only Balrog kept his face visible.

The mask probably couldn稚 even fit his head, Vega thought.

The light turned.

So did Vega.

Chun Li still wore her Kung Fu dress when she and Ryu came back to their apartment a few minutes earlier. Ryu was in the shower, washing off the sweat that he had released during their sparring match.

Chun Li sat down and sighed. Something had happened when they had locked their arms together during the last few seconds of the match. They had been closer than they had ever been before, and though it seemed to Gen and the students to last only a second or two, to Ryu and Chun Li it seemed a lot longer.

There was something else. Even though Ryu made that taunt, his eyes were full of compassion, as if he meant something completely different.

She summed up her experiences with Ryu. The way he fought, the way he never used his fighting abilities for power, or money, or glory. She was happy about finding a man who would never fight to suit his own needs, or indeed fight to actually kill someone. He had only killed one man in his life, and because of the promise he made to Chun Li, he could do it without any fear or regret or the danger of harming anyone else, mainly because Bison killed so many people before, he didn稚 have anyone to feel any compassion towards him.

Her mind wandered back to their promise, the first time she and Ryu had actually been with each other for longer than a few hours・.

Back then, they had only met each other and seen each other for short periods of time, but the incident that occurred brought them together. Ryu had stopped her from killing a man who worked for Shadowloo and had earlier ambushed and tried to kill Ryu. Although Ryu knocked him down to the floor with a shoryuken, Chun Li saw the Shadowloo emblem on him, and had started to beat the life out of them. She was about to strike a punch to the man痴 throat when Ryu grabbed her hand and stopped her from doing so. She ran into the forest, tears in her eyes.

Eventually, Ryu managed to grab her, demanding to know why she almost killed him. He was the first to ever hear Chun Li痴 story about her father, about the way the tortured him after trapping him in an abandoned warehouse in Causeway bay, and finally about the way their leader, M.Bison threw him off a crane and sending him falling to his death.

While she sat there crying, Ryu held her in his arms. It was then he started to talk about what happened to his sensei. Chun Li stopped crying as she listened to Ryu痴 story about Gouken and his brother Goutetsu.

A strange feeling came over her. The Japanese fighter had turned from being just a friend to being a man who she could trust. They both had suffered the same experiences of a father figure being killed by another.

They both had a lot in common between them. They sat quietly, holding each other in their arms, watching the sun rise, and Ryu promised her that because since he had experienced the loss of his own father figure, he would do what ever he could to help her in her own fight against Bison・

A great love for Ryu began swelling in Chun Li. She had to tell him how she felt about him. She didn稚 just want him to stay in her apartment because of his safety, but because she wanted to be close with him.

She walked over to her stereo system in her bedroom and put on 典he look of love・by Dusty Springfield.

She sat on the bed and waited.

Ryu washed himself in the shower, also thinking about the fight he had with Chun Li, and about the last few seconds.

The reason he made that taunt was to hide the feeling of embarrassment that he suddenly had when they had locked each other closer than he had ever been. They had embraced before, but her head was always to his chest. This time, her head was to his own. He didn稚 know what to think. Chun Li was being so kind to him, a man with few friends and greater enemies because of his chosen lifestyle of walking around the world looking for a fight. For years, he cared about nothing else but the fight. But now, something wanted to stop him, to turn him away from that life.

In any case, the feelings he had for her now were convoluted ones ・warmth, connection, dependence, respect, affection, others he had no name for. And that scared him, because he壇 never felt so strongly about anyone before ・and because he wasn稚 sure how much of it was real and how much of it was based on the loss of Sensei Gouken and his need for someone to comfort him when no-one could.

Face it, he thought, stop bullsh*tting yourself. What you池e really afraid of is that you池e only here because she is, and you don稚 like what that says about you.

Ryu nodded inwardly, realizing that it was truth, the real reason behind his uncertainty. He壇 believed that want was okay, but need? He didn稚 like the idea of being led around by some neurotic compulsion to be close to Chun Li.

And what if it isn稚 need? Maybe it痴 want, and you just don稚 know it yet・. It really made him wonder about his feelings towards her. Chun Li was・she was an incredible woman. In the years before Ryu destroyed Bison痴 empire, they had talked a lot about their past lives, about how they managed to live through the trauma of their father figures deaths. Chun Li was able to put herself through so many risks and still come out alive at the end of it all. It was her who made Ryu promise her that he would help avenge her father. He understood the pain that Chun Li felt and would do anything to help her. One of Sensei Gouken痴 most important lessons appeared in Ryu痴 memory.

From strength, learn gentleness. Through gentleness, strength shall prevail. Chun Li had these attributes as well. That was what he liked about her. The way that she helped her friend Cammy through her trauma, the way she protected people from drug-dealers and killers over the world, the way that she could still remain so likeable despite her seriousness to her work. She never entered the Street Fighter tournament for power, money or fame, but to destroy a syndicate that had caused so much suffering. But she couldn稚 do it alone.

That was why Ryu had to help her. He was an important target to Bison because of his skills, and he used it to his advantage, finally meeting Bison and fulfilling his promise to Chun Li, saving his best friend Ken in the attempt. That is why he felt a need to protect her. That is why he began to love her.

He switched off the shower, dried himself and put on a pair of chinos and a polo shirt he had bought yesterday with Cammy and Chun Li, wondering if he should tell her his feelings. Tomorrow, he had to leave to continue his fighting and hopefully finding Akuma.

Maybe after then, he would return to her.

Vega ran up the stairs to the roof, Balrog walking behind him with the Shadowloo soldiers. They positioned themselves and waited for the signal. Vega walked out silently on the roof his claw gleaming in the moonlight, the shinken sword strapped inside the scabbard to his back. He sat quietly looking towards the ceiling window looking directly into Chun Li痴 bedroom. Balrog waited at the front door, while the Shadowloo soldiers waited one floor below. The plan was that if Balrog and Vega failed, they would storm in as backup. They waited patiently as the surveillance robot on the building opposite got into position for Bison to see when to strike.

典he look・of love, is in・.your eyes. The look・your smile, can稚 disguise・・p> Ryu went out of the bathroom to the sound of Chun Li痴 stereo playing quietly. He walked up to the room and peered in, listening to the music.

Chun Li sat peacefully, listening to the jazzy tune. Ryu took a few steps inside, and Chun Li turned her head towards his.

的t痴 beautiful.・said Ryu quietly.

的 love this song. It痴 so peaceful, so romantic.・p> Ryu sat down next to her on the bed, listening to the music with her.

的 can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you. How long I have waited, waited just to love you, now I致e finally found you・・p> Ryu started to speak, 滴ey, Chun・・p> Chun Li smiled, pressing the pause button to hear what he had to say. Only her closest friends called her Chun.

典here痴 something I want to say・ I値l be leaving tomorrow.・p> Chun Li痴 heart sank when she heard this.

釘ut, I just want to say that the time I致e spent here has been some of the most relaxing and peaceful time I致e ever had. I知 glad we were able to know more about each other.・p> 迭yu・.・She didn稚 know what to say, but started saying something anyway. 展here would you go?・p> 的 don稚 know. I still want to find Akuma, but I don稚 know where. I have to avenge my Sensei.・p> 釘ut why do you have to go so early?・p> 釘ecause I have to find him.・p> 迭yu・・A tear began to fall. She was trying so hard to be able to bring up the words, but the one she loved was leaving so soon. She didn稚 know how long it would be when he would come back.

Ryu put a hand to her cheek and wiped the tear away. Chun Li put her hand on his.

鼎hun Li, I・.・p> 的 love you.・p> Ryu stopped when he heard her say those words. This was something he did not expect, but it was something he wanted to hear anyway.

Chun Li continued. 摘ver since you promised that you would avenge my father, I knew there was a bond between us. I just couldn稚 bring it to myself to find out what the bond was. But I・I・

There were even more tears in her eyes, but Ryu still kept her hand on her cheek and wiped them away.

的 know what you池e going to say. Don稚 say it, because the answer is that I do as well.・Chun Li cried tears of joy when she heard Ryu say those words. With Ryu痴 gentle hand on her face, they slowly moved towards each other.

Their mouths opened slightly and they kissed. Chun Li dropped the remote control, and as it fell down, it hit the play button, continuing the CD. The song played on, unnoticed by the two lovers.

套.Let痴 take a pact of love, and then seal it with a kiss・・

鉄ir, the remote satellite is about to come on-line in three・two・one・..now.・Bison and Akuma were treated to a picture of the target and the detective・.kissing each other.

Bison couldn稚 hide his smirk as he watched the event. Akuma stood behind Bison, showing no expression as always, but inside, he grimaced at the sight. He never understood this concept of 鼠ove・ and he never will, but Ryu was actually falling in love.

This was a concept he had not expected at all. He raised a hand to his chin, and waited for what he would see next.

Bison gave his orders. 適ill the girl, but not the man. I want him alive!・p> Akuma thought about canceling the order, but instead waited to see what would happen.

If you had asked Ryu about how long his first kiss took, he would have probably said it was twenty minutes later. But he would have been wrong.

His kiss was one of the most emotional things that had ever happened to him, and he lost all trace of time itself, locked in this passionate kiss with the woman he loved. It was not to last, however. In the middle of the kiss he opened his eyes and saw a shadow looming above them both. At once he pulled away his kiss from a surprised Chun Li, looked up・and saw a figure in a white mask fall down onto them from the now-open ceiling window.

Ryu pulled himself and Chun Li away from the man, hitting the bedside table and making Chun Li痴 Beretta fall to the floor. The attacker fell on the bed with his claw outward, causing a deep hole in the duvet and the mattress. The couple stood up and saw their attacker. Chun Li instantly recognized who it was.

徹h God! Not you again!・p> Vega drew out the shinken sword from the scabbard behind him and leapt towards them both with a downward slash. Ryu and Chun Li released each other and jumped out of the way. Vega痴 foot accidentally hit the remote control and the CD changed to the radio, which was playing Leftfield痴 撤hat Planet・

While the music blared out, Ryu and Chun Li made a dash for the front door, but soon saw it fall to the ground, leaving the figure of Balrog standing there with his right fist, which was enveloped in a boxing glove, outstretched. He had punched the door down and proceeded to walk to the target.

Vega appeared from out of Chun Li痴 bedroom, facing Chun Li, who had her back against Ryu, who was facing Balrog.

Not for the first time, he wished them an unpleasant death・