Of Love, Honour, and Revenge Ch. 8
By Matt Lawson

Chun Li awoke with a start at the sound of a telephone ringing in the background. She moved her hand towards the bedside table, fingering away for the phone. She finally picked it up, fumbling it as she placed it to her head.

"Mppph.....yeah, hello?"

"Inspector Li, this is Inspector Feng. I'm sorry to wake you up like this, but I'm afraid there's a situation at the Hong Kong Prison. There's been an escape. A Shadowloo leader by the name of Viktor...."

"Sagat? I know him. I'll be right there."

Chun Li drove right outside the prison entrance. Flashing her I.D. to the guard, she walked over the driveway and walked up to where Sagat's cell had once been. The fire that was burning the entire prison had since been put out. A man suddenly ran up to her. "Inspector Li?" he called to her.

"Yes, that's me. You must be David Feng right?"

"Yes m'aam." Chun Li smirked a little. She gained a reputation as the woman who was responsible for the taking down of one of the biggest crime syndicate in world history, and had such been talked to by other officers with an air of superiority. It wasn't really her who destroyed Shadowloo though, she often felt. That accolade belonged to Ryu.

"So what happened?"

"Some Shadowloo agents broke into the prison and managed to get out with a number of jailed agents, including a second-in-command who I'm sure you're familiar with."

She was handed a file containing a personal bio on the second-in-command. She read the file out loud.

"Viktor Sagat. Ex-Street Fighter, now second-in-comand of what was once Bison's forces. Was grand champion for about 15 years till beaten by an as yet unknown person." Chun Li smiled, she knew that the 'unknown' was in fact Ryu. He had told her about how Sagat got the huge scar on his chest. "Was arrested in June 1999 and was charged for being a part of a known criminal organisation, and was put into Hong Kong city jail. I guess we can now add escaped in April 2000 to the file."

"Yes, but now we can't find him." Chun Li turned her head. Her superior, Captain Lau, was standing right behind her. "This was a proffesional escape plan. C4 was used to blow Sagat's cell after he escaped as a distraction. During the fire fight, about 7 guards were killed. A number of prisoners were also killed from the C4 explosion. Shadowloo didn't lose a single man. In total we have 12 deaths, none on their side."

Chun Li was shocked. Shadowloo missions very rarely had no losses on Shadowloo's side. Bison didn't care how many agents he lost, so long as he won in the end. Either some new guy was being more cost-effective, or the agents were strengthened somehow.

"How many other agents did Shadowloo retrieve?" she inquired.

"About twenty."

"D*mn. We spent ages looking for them, only to have them slip through our fingers. Something is going on, and I want to find out what. Sir?" She turned to Captain Lau, "I would like to be given this case."

"No."

"What?"

"You're on leave for three days after tommorow, and I am not letting you use up those days hunting a band of Shadowloo agents."

"But sir..."

"Have a rest. And that's an order."

Chun Li looked at Captain Lau as he walked off with Inspector Feng. She felt angry at not being able to do anything, but in a way, the captain was right. She had already made plans to visit Uncle Gen, and she wasn't going to let a threat that just wasn't as big as it had been spoil it. Bison was gone anyway.

She walked back to the car, determined to at least gain some semblance of sleep.

South America

Listening was a struggle. Sight was almost out of the question. His throat was a seam of anthracite inside the lighter pumice of his skull; black, dry, and with a faintly resinious taste. His tongue moved loosely over territory long forgotten. He tried to remember what speech was like. His lips parted. Air came rushing up from his lungs, and those long dormant bellows ached with the exertion. The result of this strenuous interplay between lips, tongue, palate, and lungs was a small triumph of one word. It drifted through the room.

"Thirsty."

He picked up a glass of water from a table about 7 feet away. He was going to have to get used to his new found psychic abilities. What he couldn't understand was how he was able to talk to Akuma properly, and then lapse into this tiredness when he stopped. He started drinking the water. a cool liquid rushed down his throat, quenching his thirst.

Ah. Much better, just wish it had something in it, like heroin.

He walked to the mirror. He could hear and taste, now it was time to see. He saw a man in his traditional red uniform, wearing a cap with a gold skull latched onto it. He looked at himself, then around the room, a traditional Aztec room. He remembered Akuma saying that this would be his new headquarters. It would obviously take a lot of work to get it shaped to his liking, but he'll get there in the end, as long as he got over the sedation.

Death had that effect on you.

Akuma walked through the door. "And how are we feeling today?"

"Like sh*t. I hope I look better than I actually feel."

"The others shall soon see. They are already here."

"I guess it is now time to announce my return."

Vega walked through the entrance tunnel, looking around at the marvelous splendour around him. It was almost like his mansion back home in Spain. Almost. He walked in, and spotted Balrog on his left.

"Balrog. I see you have been invited too."

"Vega. Whassup?"

Vega grimaced at his so-called 'comrade's' reply, though Balrog didn't see it behind his ever-present mask. Vega and Balrog never really got on with each other, due to cultural and personal preferences. Balrog often preferred to do things using brute force, while Vega prefered using a certain amount of stealth and strategy in order to kill his victims. However, differences were to be put aside. They had both been invited here, and they both wanted to find out what they were needed for.

They never spoke, walking toward the room they were told to go to. They both opened the door, and were greeted by nothing but blackness. They both stepped inside, and immediately, the door closed in on them. A number of torches on the wall suddenly flickered and lit up, and the room was lightened. Vega and Balrog saw an aztec chamber, with a round table an four chairs circling it. The chair that was farthest away was facing away from them. They also saw a man, dark, eyes red like fire, wearing a black gi and some large, heavy looking beads around his neck.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice."

"Who are you?" Vega inquired. The man looked dangerous, certainly, but he was unknown to him.

"You may call me Akuma. I was the one who invited you over."

"Yeah, so why did ya do this?" Balrog glared at the sinister figure.

"I wanted to help recreate Shadowloo again. I am looking for a man, and I thought that it might be beneficial to me if one of the most powerful crime syndicates would help me in my search.

"That is impossible. Shadowloo is destroyed."

"Yeah man. Bison's dead."

"Ah my friends, how easily I can surprise you." The voice came from the farthest chair, which turned round. What Vega and Balrog saw completely surprised them.

"L....Lord Bison?"

"Yes. I have returned."

"But how...." Vega stammered at these sudden turn of events. "I thought you were killed by Ryu."

"Yes I was. Destroyed. Ripped apart completely. But I still live. Master Akuma resurrected me right here in this very temple."

"Master? You mean this guy is running Shadowloo now?"

"No." Akuma turned to face the two men. "I have no time for such trivial affairs. Bison will continue to run Shadowloo, but as I was the one who revived him, he is obligated to serve me."

"Oh yeah?" Balrog faced Akuma with a wary look in his eyes. "And what about us? What's your angle here Akuma?"

"Angle? I have none. I only want one person. Ryu."

"Ryu?" Vega flashed his claws. "How would you like him killed?"

"Not killed. I want him alive."

"What?" Bison was stunned by this remark. Alive? "But Akuma, we've been trying to kill that son-of-a-b*tch for years. Why the f*** would we want him alive?"

"Wouldn't you prefer him to be working on your side? Ryu has the same evil intent as I have, all it needs is a little tapping into."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ryu was taught the highest arts of Shotokan Karate from his master Gouken. Every Light side has it's own dark energy. It is this dark energy that I have obtained. Sheng Long, the creator of Shotokan mastered both it's forces, after all, he created them. He was the most powerful man in the world. Ryu can have that power if he obtains the dark side. I am his only link to that dark side."

"But what about his friend, Ken? Couldn't you use him?"

"He is not as powerful. Ken may be good, yes, but his power pales into comparison, because he has not trained it as well as Ryu. I want Ryu. No-one else."

At that point Bison realised some-one was missing. "Where is Sagat? Why is he not here?"

Adon walked through the main door into the room. "Sagat......." He paused when he realised who the figure in the chair was, then resumed, ".....has betrayed you."

"WHAT?"

"He does not want to fight for you any more. When we retrieved you he said something about you breaking your promise. We have him now in the dungeon. He cannot escape."

"Hmpph. From one prison into another. Let him sit there."

"But Lord Bison, what about the 'four lords of Shadowloo'. We only have thre lords now."

"What do you mean, we have a fourth right here with us." Bison raised his hand towards Adon.

"I....I am honoured to serve you as one of the four lords, lord Bison."

"And you can start your service by overlooking the building of this base.We will be building our new headquarters right here in this Aztec temple."

"But.....that could take months."

Akuma raised his voice. "I had already built the central command room before you arrived. I can expect you can do more, with your own men!"

"I'll.....I'll do my best." Adon turned, and left to obey his master's orders.

Bison continued his instructions to his other lords. "Balrog, return to your country and gather up new agents for our new syndicate. You can bring your own men along if you want."

"Yes Lord Bison."

"Vega, you are now my second-in-command. I want you to find Ryu, and report back to me his location. Do not fail me."

"Yes Lord Bison."

"Now go."

As Balrog left. Vega approached the door and turned to face Bison. "It is good having you back my lord. The syndicate was not the same without you."

"I know."

Vega left, leaving only Akuma and Bison behind. Bison spoke to his master. "Do you think your plan will work?"

"It will, M. Bison. Ryu has only days before his old life is extinguished."