Beloved Enemies – A Street Fighter AU Fanfic
Written by Jasmine Andres
Disclaimer: I do not own Guile, Chun-Li, or any more Street Fighter characters mentioned or prominently shown in this story. They are all property of Capcom, and so are the settings in this story. Keegan Guile, a character based off of Gunloc from Capcom's Saturday Night Slam Masters game, is owned by Capcom, too.
However, I do own this story. Do not steal or else you will feel the wrath of a very angry author.
Author's Notes: Whoa! I've improved a lot since I had been gone! So...okay, I couldn't remember what I was doing, but what I do remember was that I was inspired by my love for Street Fighter to come up with this idea. And also by the fact that in the Street Fighter universe, Capcom was notorious for writing stories that were often inconsistent with the previously released games, specifically the Alpha series. Before you guys throw tomatoes and whatever kinds of junk at me, I will say that the only Street Fighter game I have played was Street Fighter Alpha 3, because a friend of mine had brought to school one time and I played as Dan; unfortunately I sucked because I for one did not own the game itself or any other games so therefore I did not have the chance to practice. However, via Youtube and extensive Internet searching, I have learned that Alpha 3 had the most confusing character storytelling ever. I will not even delve into every single one of them because it will take very long.
I also remember that the death of Charlie (a Street Fighter character introduced in the Alpha series) at the hands of Bison served as a powerful factor in influencing his army friend Guile to seek revenge. But the inconsistency of Alpha 3 continuously showed Charlie alive and well, as well as continuously bombing Shadowlaw's bases (In the game it is called "Shadaloo", but the original Japanese name was "Shadowlaw"), and that ticked me off. It didn't make sense to have a dead character make further canon appearances as nothing happened. To me, a dead character was a dead character. So the only option for me was to write a story that not only had Charlie alive, but also expand on the possibilities on Guile's ending in Alpha 3, or "what could have been".
P.S. - I always wondered what Bison's first name should be, since his first initials started with an "M". I decided with the name "Manfred" because every time I looked at him I always suspect that he is German.
Prelude
May 16.
A Shadowlaw base, deep in the mountains of Thailand
"Your Excellency?"
"YOUR EXCELLENCY!"
Manfred Bison of Shadowlaw jerked awake at the voice too loud for his ears and sat up, only to slouch slightly and rubbed his eyes vigorously. When he came to, he found a smallish, chubby, and round-looking midget man dressed in a dark blue, clean-cut uniform decorated with several medals. He was balding on the front of the head, had fists tightly balled up at his sides, and whatever skin he had uncovered were colored in a deep shade of red, like Bison's uniform. He looked like a really ripe tomato wanting to punch the first person who will try to eat him.
"...Y-Yes, yes, now what is it?" Bison yawned, partly tired, partly jittery.
"Your Excellency, are you even awake?" the diminutive General asked with a rising voice. "Were you even listening to me?"
The low-ranking soldiers standing guard at various entrances in the throne room clearly heard the yelling echoing through the walls, and a few looked at each other nervously. Bison, as usual, read his minions' minds – they didn't want to be there, not when Kosher was around kicking and screaming. But then again, he cared less.
General Joseph Kosher, one of Shadowlaw's top army commanders, steamed with anger at the indifference of his Lord. He only had been standing there for only four minutes, giving a daily report about a group of Thailand natives from a nearby city holding anti-Shadowlaw protests near one of their factories, when Manfred fell fast asleep in the middle of it. That was what he hated about giving reports – people tend to fall asleep when they listen to them, especially if they came from a small person like Kosher.
Same goes for Bison. Out of all the people, it was him who infuriated Kosher the most. This was the seventh time he had fallen asleep during one of his reports, and each time he did so it was starting to wear down on his patience pretty quickly. Everyone noticed from the way he did his job. But if it weren't for the fact that Bison was an all-powerful man who had the capability of blowing him up with his mind, Kosher would have strangled him to death a long time ago.
"No and yes..." Bison replied tiredly, stretching his arms and torso in his throne. "Why are you yelling at me at a time like this?" he mumbled. "Don't you see I...-"
The dictator was interrupted by a finger pointed at his face."You had nerve to fall asleep when I was talking, and when I finally get your attention, you act as if I'm not standing at a height worthy to be looked at! Do you think I just walked into your precious Shadowlaw hoping that you'll except my resume? NO!
"I had to travel across the world looking for you, then I went through great pains to disguise myself because some people were after me, then when I finally arrived in this place I had to convince those hulking brutes – though the one with the mask was somewhat polite – that I pledged my whole heart and soul to your vast empire!" Then Kosher sighed. "I have served you well, Your Excellency. I kept your soldiers in top shape, making sure they never slacked off on their jobs. And whenever war came I made sure they defended Shadowlaw with their lives! And this-" He stamped his tiny foot on the ground, "-is the thanks I get?"
The throne room was so quiet that even the sharp breathing of General Kosher was considered a very loud noise. Bison himself dared to take the opportunity to see if the guards standing at their posts were still there, and was secretly relieved to find a few brave ones still around. He turned back to Kosher, who was still breathing heavily. Never before has one employee in his life thrown a big hissy fit in front of him and still managed to remain in one piece. Bison admired the courage and guts to do so, but still, when it came to employees yelling about lack of respect, there was no toleration, and absolutely no patience, which he had just lost. That, and coupled with his tiredness and his intense disliking of anyone who threw hissy fits in front of him or his workers, made Bison a very very cranky dictator indeed.
He slowly stood up from the stone-hard throne he had been sitting on for what felt like forever and rose to his full height – a towering man with greater power that many people could not comprehend, an almighty figure who commanded loyalty and respect from his followers. A man who wore a blood-colored uniform like the General's, a cape draped over his broad shoulders, and a sailor's cap with a silver winged skull.
All of the sudden, his white, blank eyes suddenly crackled with sparks of purplish-white energy. The famed Psycho Power. Everyone working in Shadowlaw knew about it. Even Kosher, who looked up at the tremendous stature standing before him.
"Listen, General," Bison's voice sunk dangerously low, "you don't know what I have to deal with every single day of my life. I have to make sure my soldiers in the army forces are well paid and live in good condition! I have to watch over the territories Shadowlaw has gained over the years and make sure the people living in them don't rebel against us! I have to watch over the drug cartels and other shipments and make sure they get to their destinations on time! I have to make sure everything in this organization is running smoothly and not falling apart!"
Kosher opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't say anything, because possibly his Excellency was angrier than he had been, and saying even one word might get him killed.
"And to make matters worse, I have enemies! People who run around the world searching for me for the things I've done, wanting to have my head as their personal wall trophy! Do you know how much trouble this brings me? Because of that, I have to be extra prepared! Spare bodies ready to go if I suddenly die somewhere or get killed by those miserable Street Fighters! Psycho Drive working properly so I can charge myself and regain my strength when I need it! Defense systems upgraded and also working properly! Extra money on hand to bribe the justice systems so they don't investigate my work!
"And to top it all off, because that pathetic hulking mass of muscle Sagat left me some time ago, I have to be cautious as to watch out for any future attempts of betrayal!" Then Bison inhaled a huge gulp of air and shouted the loudest he can manage:
"DO YOU HAVE...ANY IDEA, GENERAL KOSHER...HOW MUCH TROUBLE I HAVE TO GO THROUGH...AS LEADER OF SHADOWLAW?"
The throne room was even quieter than before. The few soldiers left who were brave enough to withstand Kosher's anger fled from Bison's, so only the two men are left. Kosher, who was brave enough to yell at the most powerful figure in the world, now stood deathly pale and shaking like an insect under a looming foot.
Bison contained himself with another breath, but the anger remained. "General Kosher?"
"..."
"General Kosher!"
The small General jumped and stammered, "...Y-Yes?"
"Do you?" Bison asked him more quietly.
"...I'm terribly sorry for angering you, Your Excellency... Really I had no idea of all the things you're responsible for...I just get really angry when..." Kosher gulped, "...someone doesn't listen..."
The dictator felt a potential headache coming on and rubbed his temples. The sparks of Psycho Power have long faded away, but he still kept his eyes on the midget in front of him.
"I admire your guts, I'll give you that," he spoke with acknowledgment. "You are one of the most toughest Shadowlaw army commanders I have ever known during my time here, and I personally have noticed that the soldiers working under you have grown quite a backbone since day one.
"But you should consider yourself lucky that I am not at full power today, because I haven't gotten any sleep last night and right now I am feeling very cranky. So if you ever let out an outburst like that again, I shall personally see that your death should be as painful as possible. Is that clear, General?"
General Kosher nodded very fast and did a shaky salute, along with a forced "Long live Shadowlaw" before turning around and departing as quickly as he could.
Bison, left by himself now, backed up and dropped himself on the throne once more, resting his elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands while letting out a quiet, self-punishing groan. Ever since Sagat realized the deeds he had done and left Shadowlaw, along with help those damn Street Fighters things hadn't been the same. Bison kept worrying that the remaining "Grandmasters" Balrog and Vega would one day do the same. Especially them. Balrog was obvious, being a former prized boxer but was very greedy. Vega was loyal and very good at what he did, but Bison did not really know what his true intentions were. And besides, the Spanish assassin was obsessed with beauty, which many of Shadowlaw's forces did not possess. It was possible that he could eventually leave because of that.
His silent contemplation was interrupted several minutes later by footsteps coming from the left side. Bison expected them to belong to the soldiers who had left earlier, but they turned out to belong to the subjects of his thoughts once he turned his head.
"...Is it safe ta come out..., boss?" A low, husky voice spoke timidly.
'Coward,' Bison thought contemptuously. "Yes, Balrog, you can come out now."
A bulky, muscled African-American man with wide cornrows and red boxing gloves let out a loud sigh of relief and emerged from the left entrance with eagerness. His body sported all kinds of scars and bruises.
His companion, a lithe, athletic, brown-haired Spaniard wearing a white mask and a single metal claw, followed shortly but without the timidness of the boxer. He was less injured, but nonetheless there were a few wounds here and there. Bison noticed the two men were both blackened with soot residue.
"Thank god!" Balrog declared loudly. "I thought that little dude would never leave! He scared the hell out of me!"
The white-masked Spaniard simply shook his head and clicked his head. "Coward..." he muttered.
Balrog, angered at the name, pointed a red fist at the person behind him. "You lie, pretty boy! I betcha you'd be scared too if you eva had dat little turd yellin' in yo' face!"
"I was not scared, Balrog," Vega hissed and showed the boxer his claws, glinting maliciously. "Master Bison was simply occupied, that was all."
"Then why did ya stay behind wit' me then?"
"You saw how angry Master was! If he was at full power like he said..."
"Ha! Then you're a coward, then! Don't deny it, Vega! I always knew by yo' girly looks!"
Vega growled viciously. "Say that again and I'll make sure there is nothing left of you to bury!"
"You two start killing each other and I'll make your heads explode into next week," Bison threatened, dissipating the argument rather quickly. Then he rubbed his face as his two remaining subordinates stared at their boss in confusion.
"What's wrong, boss?" Balrog questioned.
Bison waved the question off. "It's nothing. Just pissed that damned Sagat left me when I needed him!"
"Who, that big-ass pirate with dat ugly scar of his?" Balrog's mouth curved into a sneer. "Hmph! Never liked da guy, anyway..."
Despite having the same thoughts about Sagat, Vega was silent.
"He never was the same after Ryu beat him in that fighting tournament back then. Pity he left us, because he was such a great fighter."
When no one replied, the dictator turned to his subordinates again. "I thought you two would be back early. What happened?"
Balrog and Vega stole glances at each other. "Oh, the guy with the shipments back at the docks had two big tough guys with him," the former explained. "We fought them off but one of them was stronger than we expected. But of course, one punch from me is all it takes!"
"Except the guy decided to blow himself up," Vega added, crossing his arms.
Bison gave the two men a cocked eyebrow. "Blow himself up?" he repeated.
"We were on our way to retrieve the man who was resisting payment when he revealed that he had bombs strapped under his shirt. He yelled at us, "You can send your men after me, but you Shadowlaw goons will never exploit me again!" Balrog and I barely escaped, but the ships containing the packs of cocaine were taken by the explosion as well."
"No wonder you two looked so banged up," Bison muttered before he sat up straight. "Don't worry, you two. I was expecting something like that would happen eventually. That poor man thought we demanded too much of his farms."
The dictator then sighed. "Another resource lost, and we end up with a costly setback on our hands. Oh well, no matter. The drug-running operation couldn't really be brought down, no matter how many times those pesky insects try. We'll just have to look for someone who is more...willing."
Suddenly the large double doors opened and the three men turned to see who was coming. Then, in walked two people wearing black leather suits fitted with sleek armor that offered little outside resistance during movement. The orbs on their chests and curved gauntlets glowed a bright light blue, while the squarish, broad build suggested the two people were both male. Both also wore sleek black helmets that had shiny visors where the eyes should be.
It would have been impossible for anyone to tell them apart, except the man on the left was slightly taller and the shorter one was the only one of the pair to have a sniper rifle with him. Both of them were armed, however, and suited for any occasion.
The two men passed by Balrog and Vega, ignoring them, but stopped in front of Bison and saluted. "Long live Shadowlaw," they both spoke in what Vega and Balrog both thought were the most robotic-sounding voices ever. Balrog turned to Vega and found the Spaniard glaring at them and hissing.
Bison's mood lightened up a little and he stood up before the two men before him, and returned the salute. "Ah, Agents Kage and Ignis," he greeted warmly. "I see your little trip went as expected, yes?"
"Yes Master," said the two men together.
"Did you dispose the target like I asked you to?"
"Yes Master," spoke the shorter man, Kage. "The target had men to protect him. We quickly disposed of them as well." Bison grinned at the confirmation.
"Wonderful!" Then he turned serious again and cleared his throat, but traces of a smile were still there. "Kage and Ignis, you have served me well. I want the two of you to go take a rest. You deserved it. But later I will need you again for another mission. When that happens, I want you to report to me so the scientists can fix you up."
With another "Yes Master", Kage and Ignis saluted the dictator again and quickly departed as they came.
Vega meanwhile, having had lost his patience by now, turned away and stomped off the way he arrived, presumably to vent his rising anger somewhere else. Balrog blinked after him, dumbfounded.
"What's his problem?" the boxer muttered to himself.
"Vega's just mad that I made a rather...unusual choice in employees," Bison explained dismissively. He reached into his pockets and took out two silver dog tags, with each individual description, which he threw at Balrog.
"Take a look at them, Balrog."
The boxer caught both of them and did just that. He ended up looking at his boss more confused than ever.
"Whose are these?"
"Those belonged to the two people I just talked to."
Balrog let out a small grunt and looked at the dog tags again. This time his eyes widened. "No! Boss, ya didn't pick these guys ta work for ya!"
Bison sighed wistfully. "I did, Balrog. It was a long time ago when I did that."
"But they're your enemies!" Balrog protested. He turned back to the entrance behind him. "No wonder pretty boy's so pissed off!"
"Yes...they were...once..." Then Bison turned and stared at the open doors, with a pensive look on his face.
"...Things were pretty hectic back then..."
OaOaOaOaO
Venice, Italy
A comfortable apartment near the marketplace
A purple-haired woman sat at a table near the open balcony, relishing in the fresh air the water canal city had brought and the quietness of her room. In front of her lay six brown cards, randomly picked from a deck, covered with the picture of a vortex swirling into black nothingness. In front of the cards sat a clear crystal ball, its glass surface winking under the rays of the sun.
The woman's name was Rose, a renowned psychic among the Street Fighter community. She was well known for her ability to tell the future and the psychic energy she possessed. That energy was dubbed "Soul Power", the pure opposite of Manfred Bison's corrupting Psycho Power. It was because of her Soul Power that Rose had sworn herself an enemy of the Lord of Shadowlaw himself, and it was true, because Bison, even without the people he worked, with was a powerful influence indeed.
It was also because of her Soul Power that Rose was able to cleanse the Street Fighters from the taint of evil itself, like British operative Cammy, who was a former Shadowlaw assassin, and famous Japanese fighter Ryu Hoshi, from his evil side tainted with Akuma's dark and murderous Satsui no Hadou. It was so pure that it had the potential to cleanse even the heart of Bison. But Rose knew that despite the chances, the evil man was irredeemable in every way and the only way was to destroy him; she had tried multiple times but alas, every time she did so, the results were temporary and her efforts were in vain.
Though she tried her best to help those in need, Rose had realized long ago with a sad heart that evil could never be truly vanquished; just the people that it inhabited.
Suddenly her powerful psychic senses kicked in, and Rose gasped as she sensed a presence familiar to her.
"...Bison?" she muttered to herself in surprise. "...Could it be that he's still alive?"
She tried focusing in on the mysterious presence, and managed to sense something she didn't know before, before the feeling vanished. With a curious frown, Rose looked down at her tarot cards and instead focused her powers on them, hoping she would get some answers to this.
The first card she turned over was titled "Lovers", and true to the title it held a picture of a man and woman embracing surrounded by doves, while being wrapped by a dark snake from below.
"Lovers? Hmm... This is strange..."
While the first card perplexed her, the last two cards made Rose gasp again.
The first card she picked was "Devil" with the picture of the namesake perched on a block of stone, with two people chained to it.
The second and last card that came after had a picture of a skeleton in a suit of armor, riding on a white horse through a barren wasteland. "Death".
Two lovers, chained by the Devil, will meet Death if they do not break free.
"No...!" Rose muttered, as if the answer itself injected fear into her veins. "This cannot be...!" It was then her eyes focused on the Devil and Death card. Immediately her expression turned serious. "I bet M. Bison is involved in this!"
She got up from her chair and departed to the balcony, where she turned her head up towards the sky. She tried sensing for Bison's presence again, but by now the traces were too weak to be interpreted. The only things she got were that of two people, bearing Bison's aura.
'Hmm, I sense faint traces of Psycho Power, Bison's main source of his tainting influence in the world,' the psychic thought to herself. 'Usually I can sense a great deal of it, but right now I can only sense two trails... Did Bison get himself new Dolls to play with?'
Curious than ever, Rose now turned to her trusty crystal ball. Hopefully the answer she got will be explained even further.