Of Love, Honour, and Revenge Ch. 5
By Matt Lawson

A Jail in Hong Kong

Viktor Sagat sat in his cell, doing his evening training. None of the other prisoners wanted to be in a cell with him when they found out he was a Shadowloo second-in-command, with a talent for Muay Thai kickboxing. Sagat went about his new training routine, the cell was way too small for a man of his size to do his usual routine. He started with sit-ups, using the bed as support, after having to move the bed to the end of the cell from the door. He then proceeded on his kicks, using three targets he had marked on the wall in order to improve his aim, then moving to punches, hitting other targets that were in a horizontal line, between the middle and the top target.

If you made a line between the horizontal targets, then the vertical, they would form a cross. Sagat often improved his aim by imagining Ryu on that cross, hitting him where the targets were. He hated him that much. During those days he attacked the targets even harder than usual. There were even some dents in the wall from where Sagat had kicked. However, the wall was for to thick to completely break. Even his Tiger shot wouldn't set him free.

It was about 10 months since Sagat was caught and imprisoned. The crime? There were many of them around Sagat's person, but the only one they had evidence for was being Bison's second-in-command in an international crime syndicate, and even then he wasn't completely responsible for the drug handling, murder of important politicians, although Sagat killed a few people and the courts didn't know, and other major crimes that Shadowloo had committed.

It was still a serious crime though.

The sentence? Life imprisonment in a Hong Kong jail. Sagat felt that it would one day come, ever since he agreed to Bison. Sagat wasn't an evil man, but Bison promised he would lead Sagat to Ryu, his hated enemy. As if he ever kept his promises, Sagat thought. It was way too much of an acceptable offer to decline. During that time, he met Adon, another Muay Thai kickboxer under the service of Shadowloo, who wanted Sagat to train with him. Sagat trained with him during time off, noticing the strength that Adon had, his speed. He could perform kicks in a moments notice, but Sagat had always remained the stronger.

When he found out what Bison's real intentions were, to transform Ryu into a lethal killing machine under his control, he secretly left while Ryu was fighting Bison himself, but he was captured at the Thai border by that policewoman, what was her name, Chun Li a few days after Bison was destroyed.

Prison life wasn't too bad. He certainly gained respect from the other inmates, due to his tall size and immense strength. None of the sodomites would even come close to him. They tried once. Sagat ended up spending a week in the hold, or solitary as it was generally known. The gang spent a month in the infirmary.

Sagat finished his kicks, and looked at the wall. There was a fresh dent in the wall where Ryu's head was. Although Sagat's right foot hurt from the wall kicking, he didn't even care. Ryu, his rival, took too much thought to even notice. Ever since that time that he dragon punched Sagat's chest, causing a wound that ran the entire length of it, all he ever felt was hatred. He felt hatred before, when he was constantly attacked by the other children in the village.

During his childhood, all Sagat ever knew was violence. His father constantly beat him and his mother at home in their poor village in the south of Thailand. It was what created his meek personality during that time. At school his meekness was always a target for school bullies, including one by the name of Chiang Paulong, a brat who had learned Muay Thai from his father, Chaupeck Paulong, the village fighter, who often competed in early Street Fighter tournaments. Sagat was often hit and taunted by Chiang, even though he was bigger and more muscular than any of them.

When Sagat was fifteen, he realised that the only way you could be respected was by being stronger than anyone else. He was now very tall for his age, about 5 foot 10 inches at last count, and a lot muscular than he was at eight. He had enough of Chiang. One day, at school, Chiang went into his usual routine of insulting Sagat. Suddenly, Chiang launched a mid-kick at the sat-down Sagat, which hit his head, knocking his teeth out. Sagat turned his head at Chiang and growled, a low, menacing growl, and stood up, facing his attacker.

"Ah, the meek one actually challenges me!!" Chiang cried, and launched a punch at Sagat's chest. Sagat let the blow hit, but he was unfazed. He walked towards Chiang, who tried a flurry of attacks, and still no result. Chiang started to get scared, "What the h*ll are you?" He launched a high kick at Sagat's head.

Sagat grabbed it. There was a loud gasp and then silence from the other school boys, who were before cheering Chiang on. Sagat twisted the foot, sending Chiang to the floor face-first. Sagat then kicked at Chiang, then dived with his elbows towards Chiang's back. Sagat continued to beat him, kicking, punching and dropping on to him. Chiang could hear many of his bones crack, his arms, his legs and his ribs. Finally, Sagat knelt down, and delivered one final punch to Chiang's back, breaking his spinal cord. Sagat was expelled from the school.

Two days later, Sagat wondered around his village aimlessly, He returned home, to see his father drunk and abusive. His mother was already dead from committing suicide, stabbing herself with a kitchen knife two years ago. Sagat's father pulled him to the wall, and was about to hit him for no reason whatsoever, when suddenly, Chaupeck burst through the front door, rage in his eyes. Sagat's father walked up to him.

"What'sh going on you b*shtard!"

"Get out of my way, or I'll kill you."

"You wanna fight, come on then. I'll take you anyday!"

Chaupeck grabbed Sagat's father by his shirt, then twisted it round so that his back was facing him, and his eyes looking at Sagat. He twisted and broke the neck of the drunken father.

"YOU CRIPPLED MY SON, YOU F***ING B*ST*RD!!! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS, LIKE I KILLED YOUR FATHER!!!!!"

Sagat ran out of the back door towards the village square, Chaupeck in pursuit. A crowd was gathering, knowing that Chaupeck was about to fight, and cut of Sagat's escape routes.

Sagat turned to face Chaupeck, and saw a foot flying into his chest, knocking him backwards. He then saw an elbow into his stomach, and an uppercut into his chin. Sagat then felt a fist hit his left eye, and it was crushed. Blood was pouring out of his socket, as Sagat kneeled down in agony. A great anger was felt in him like he had never felt before. Sagat looked up and saw with his good eye Chaupeck taunting his kneeling opponent. "Not so strong are you. Well, I'll make your death as painful as possible, in return for what you did to my son!"

Sagat picked up sand from the floor, and threw it into Chaupeck's own eyes, blinding him. He then tackled him to the floor. Chaupeck's eyes recovered to see Sagat hammering his fists into his face. Sagat punched at his head, then stood up and kicked his body, battering it with kicks. He then walked and tore a piece of lead piping from a nearby house, and attacked Chaupeck with it. Striking his chest and his legs, shouting and yelling as he brought the pipe down onto the chest, arms and legs, breaking bones as he attacked. With a cry, he finally brought the pipe down onto his head, breaking the skull, and instantly killing Chaupeck. Sagat looked at his dead opponent. He then sat down, and began sobbing.

For killing Chaupeck, Sagat was expelled from the village. Sagat began training in Muay Thai, using what he saw from what both Chiang and Chaupeck did, using trees as opponents. For years he was unstoppable, defeating all of his opponents he came across, finally becoming Street Fighter champion. Then came Ryu, a mere boy. Sagat believed it was sheer luck on the boy's part that he was defeated, he swore revenge on Ryu for destroying his pride, and giving him a scar in the process.

Sagat pushed away the past, and went to bed, tired from his exercises, as the guards cried "LIGHTS OUT!"

The lights went out, and Sagat slept in the blackness that followed.

South America

Akuma sat, meditating, while the spirit of Bison waited impatiently for Akuma to give his word and bring him back to life.

"How Long are you going to take?"

Akuma did not reply, and continued meditating. The kanji on Akuma's back glowed brightly as Akuma finished the incantation. A great flash erupted into the room, which lasted for about five seconds, while Akuma cried out in a voice that, if it wasn't closed into this temple, would have been heard by half the world. "BISON! I COMMAND YOU TO LIVE ONCE AGAIN! SHOW YOURSELF TO ME, YOUR NEW MASTER, THE DEVIL! COME FORTH, BISON!!!!"

The flash died down, and there were now two people in the room, Akuma, and now, Bison himself, naked.

"Am I here?!"

"You are, Bison, my servant."

"As I said before, I answer to nobo....AGGGGHHHHH!!"

A pain erupted inside Bison's head, causing him to stagger wildly, while Akuma stood still, his arms folded.

"And as I said before, I am your new master."

The pain died in Bison's head.

Akuma continued, "Disobey me again, and the pain will increase. Disobey me further, and the pain may never stop till you die from it. I have given you power over Shadowloo again, but without the free will to do what you may want with me."

Bison recovered. "But how, Akuma? My base has surely been destroyed."

"You have a new base here. Before I awakened you from eternal sleep, I sent messages to your commanders, Sagat, Vega, and Balrog. Sagat is in a jail in Hong Kong. I have ordered Adon, one of your members, to retrieve him. Vega is back in Spain, hiding his face from what a woman did to it. Balrog had started a small crime syndicate in Chicago. He will help attract new members for your army. They should all be here in seven hours time. In the meantime, prepare yourself, for you have a long day ahead."

"I need a drink."

"There is a glass of water over there." Akuma pointed to a pedestal, where a glass was sitting atop it.

Bison outstretched his hand. "I am too weak to move. I need it. I want...it."

Suddenly, the glass moved into his awaiting hand, the water still inside, floating through thin air.

Bison was surprised, he was about to ask, when Akuma interrupted. "A psychic power. A little gift I have given you. Use it well, Bison. Your uniform is in the next room. This place may be but an Aztec temple at the moment, but this temple soon will be your fortress. I will help you, but you will still answer to me.

As Bison left to dress and prepare himself, Akuma thought to himself. The first stage of his plan is complete. Soon, Ryu, you will be mine!