The World Warriors' Legacy
By Metal Harbinger
Author's Note: And so the almighty Metal Harbinger returns to you just in time for the holidays with his latest installment of "The World Warriors' Legacy!" I hope you've all been good boys and girls because this is another long ass chapter I managed to crank out and before I get on with the story, I will be delivering a few more shout outs:
Dune7: Always glad to impress and I kind of agree that there were parts of the American "Street Fighter" cartoon that pissed me off, but then again it did have points where I thought it was cool. One of the things that really pissed me off was when they made Cody into a white trash hillbilly, what the fuck man?
I also thought the movie itself was atrocious and I've refused to see "The Legend of Chun-Li" because I hear it's supposed to be twice as worse. In my honest opinion, the SF series should NEVER be made into a live action adaptation and they should stick solely to animated adaptations, or go 3-D CGI if they have to, that's the farthest I'd be willing to go with that.
I also agree that they should have included Haggar and Hugo in SF4; I think they would have made great additions to the roster. However, I've been hearing rumors that they may be adding Haggar to the lineup for the forthcoming "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" and that I would love to see right there. I'm hoping they follow through because it would promote a good nostalgia factor for the "Final Fight" days and nothing against Zangief, but personally I find it sad how Haggar has been so grossly overlooked over the years when in fact he was around before the Red Cyclone.
He is THE original big man who would go on to inspire the "big wrestler type" we find in practically every single hand-to-hand fighting game today, as well as the "big slow, but amazingly strong" character we would find in all those "side-scrolling beat 'em ups" back in the '90's.
I think it would be awesome to address the supposed rivalry between Haggar and Zangief.
MiggyMeista: Once again always glad to impress, and also making you feel nostalgic again with the SF2 anime reference, and also show you Gen is nowhere near being ready for the retirement home! Yeah I also wanted to include some kind of homage to Final Fight as always, hence Won Won's "guest appearance" or "beat down" to be more exact.
Iceangelmkx: Just for you *Turns on 'Kung Fu Fighting'.* Indeed Rufus' gut defies the laws of physics on so many different scales. If they ever include Gabriel Iglesias in a fighting game I'm sure he will have a style very similar to Rufus'.
FLUFFY POWER!
Now that I've ranted, on with the story!
Chapter 9: Sowing the Seeds of Battle
It took a great deal of effort, but Ryu's eyes finally began to flutter open, blinking them rapidly to adjust to the sunlight shining down upon him. He tried to look away, but moving his head felt like he was trying to roll a boulder to the side.
"It seems you are finally awake child," a raspy old voice spoke.
Hearing the voice brought the young vagabond back to life and he shot upright to find a familiar old man sitting across from him sipping from a cup of herbal tea.
"Hello Ryu, it has been far too long," Gen nodded.
"Gen?" he asked lowering his feet to the floor and rubbing his sore temples, "Where am I? How did you find me?"
"You are in my home above my restaurant," he replied lowering his cup and rising to his feet, "You are not a hard man to find. I simply followed your chi and found those Shadaloo operatives about to take you away. I could not allow that to happen and needless to say, they are no longer around to bring harm to anyone else."
Ryu shuddered at the man's words, feeling a mixture of shock and disgust at how the elderly man could so casually brush off having murdered a group of men with his own bare hands, regardless of whether or not they were on the right side of the law.
Seemingly able to sense his guest's thoughts, Gen turned to face him again, "You have followed the path of the warrior all your life, surely you would know such happenings are possible."
"I do not fight to kill. I fight to improve myself as a warrior," Ryu replied.
"Hmph, we all die at one point, that is simply how the universe around us flows," the aging assassin spoke as he made his way through an entranceway into a small conservatory kept at the corner of the upper level.
"So you said Shadaloo was in the area, I recall being challenged by some boxer before I passed out. He spoke of how his boss didn't like me and then we fought," Ryu explained as he followed Gen into the greenhouse, "I wonder what they could be doing around here. Whatever it is, it can't be good."
Gen had taken a trowel and was digging through several pots as Ryu spoke before grabbing a small bag of seeds and sprinkling them into the dirt.
"I have heard rumors that the organization has been attempting to rekindle its drug trade in the area," the old man spoke.
"Heh, I wouldn't put that past them at all," Ryu said looking over some native plants Gen had been growing.
"So has there been anything else to bring you here aside from yet another one of your fighting tournaments?" the elderly assassin inquired as he grabbed a watering can and poured it over the plants.
Ryu swallowed hard at the question before attempting a reply, "Well…to tell you the truth, I've been wondering about my master. I've heard a rumor that he might still be alive. I haven't seen him since his last encounter with Akuma."
Gen stopped everything at the mention of the dark warrior's name and turned to face his guest, giving him a hard gaze and placing a hand to his bearded chin, stroking his long white beard thoroughly as he chose his next words.
"Hmmm, it seems as though you too have been feeling the strong presences I've felt as of late."
Ryu's eyes widened, "No I haven't, Master Gouken's old friend Retsu told me. He said he had been feeling a strong presence and thought it could have been him, but he wasn't sure, that's what I've been trying to figure out."
Gen clasped his hands together, hidden beneath the cuffs of his long sleeves, "I have known your sensei for years Ryu, as I have his brother Akuma. They were both warriors of powerful spiritual presence, their chi making them difficult to tell apart until it was too late.
Again Ryu felt great unease in the assassin's words, "Do you think Akuma could still be alive? I had this strange dream as I was arriving here in Shanghai…a dream where I was confronted by my evil side, which only came out when I was within his presence. I wonder what that could mean."
Taking a few steps towards the vagabond Gen placed his hands behind his back. He knew Akuma was still alive but was hesitant to tell Ryu, knowing he would attempt to track him down.
"You cannot hide me from him forever old man," Akuma telepathically called out to Gen.
"Leave him be. He is not yet ready for you," Gen replied in similar fashion.
"You doubt his abilities too much. We must have our confrontation soon and I will not sit around waiting for your permission," the Dark Ansatsuken master spoke.
"Is everything alright?" Ryu asked, staring warily towards the man, who stood silently in place with his eyes closed. Hearing the younger man's voice he shot them open.
"I'm fine," he spoke just before breaking down into a coughing fit.
Ryu ran over and helped his old friend, whose coughing had grown worse and was left buckling over, catching him before he could fall to his knees.
"Leave me," the old man choked out, "I'll make it…this isn't my first," he spoke between gasps.
Ryu ignored the man's plea and led him back to a chair in his living room. He was well aware of Gen's leukemia and with that kind of disease, never knew when his latest attack could be his last. He maintained a protective vigil over the assassin until he motioned towards his teapot.
"Please…more tea…it will calm me," Gen pleaded as he reached for the pot.
With a nod, Ryu poured some tea into the same cup Gen had been drinking from earlier and handed it to him. The elderly assassin took a long swig and followed with a couple of deep breaths before he began to settle down. A knock soon came from the front door.
"Come in," he called out.
Two teenagers made their way into the apartment, both of whom wore matching black baggy pants and sneakers, along with yellow wristbands that ended with fingerless gloves, and that was where their similarities ended.
The first boy had long brown hair braided into a ponytail that was covered by a blue baseball cap with a yellow visor and sported a white sleeveless salmon shirt with blue trim.
Behind him was a boy of similar build and facial features with short brown spiky hair and wearing a red sleeveless shirt.
"Master Gen-" the boy in white spoke, only to halt when he spotted the stranger present, "Hmmm, you didn't mention anything about company."
"Oh where are my manners? Ryu, these are my students Yun and Yang Lee," he spoke motioning towards the two teenagers, "Boys, this is Ryu, an old friend of mine."
"Holy crap, you're THE Ryu!" Yun gasped, suddenly feeling star struck.
"I see you have heard of me, that I find surprising," the vagabond replied.
"Chun-Li told us much about you," Yang, the boy in red, spoke up, "We had no idea you knew our master."
"We heard you kicked Sagat's ass all those years ago," Yun cut in, much to his brother's annoyance, "It truly is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh," he said running over and grabbing the warrior's hand, pumping it vigorously. He only stopped when Gen cleared his throat behind them. "Oh sorry…" he said blushing in embarrassment.
"You must forgive my brother, he gets a little too excited sometimes," Yang spoke from the background.
"Ah yes, now if you will our guest here has been on an arduous journey," Gen said stepping into view, "Would you please be kind enough to fix him a meal?"
"Sure thing master," Yang nodded and then motioned for Ryu to follow, "Right this way please."
"You two go ahead, I need to get something quick," Yun spoke before making his way across the hall to the small apartment he and Yang shared.
Making his way into the kitchen the teenager went for the phone and dialed a familiar number.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Interpol Headquarters, Hong Kong
Chun-Li and Wallace stood at attention in their director's office where they were currently in the midst of going over their recent findings with Director Hong and a few of his subordinates.
"Judging by what we have told you, it is obvious Shadaloo is back in business," the detective said finishing her presentation.
"Indeed you provide a strong case and from what you have shown me, as has the intel we've gathered from our operatives around the world, they are embarking on an aggressive campaign to rebuild their operations and recruit new members to their ranks," the director spoke as he turned his attention towards a screen at the front of the room, "and this footage you've shown has to be a testament to that."
The director then proceeded to replay the surveillance footage shot at the coliseum where Chun-Li was shown fighting for her life against those two young women, up until Wallace's intervention. Using his remote, Director Hong zoomed in on the darker haired woman wielding the nunchaks, the one who seemed familiar. It was now time for Agent Giles, a tall African-American man with his hair styled into a crewcut, to speak.
"After some input from Agent Xiang, I have conducted an extensive search based on the images gathered and have managed to successfully determine the identity of the first young woman present. She is Mai Shuwen, daughter of the Shuwen Import and Export Conglomerate, who was first reported missing six years ago."
"Well looks like we know what happened to her now," Wallace sighed, earning a filthy glare from Chun-Li.
"What about the other lady?" inquired Agent Zack Takimoto, a young Japanese operative in a sleek black suit.
Agent Giles gave him a perplexed look before continuing, "Believe it or not, I wasn't able to dig up anything on her, which is odd because she and Ms. Shuwen almost look as if they could pass as twins," he said staring awkwardly towards the still frame.
"Well whoever she is, we have to find her and get her out of Bison's hands," Chun-Li declared as the image on the screen changed to a photograph she had taken of the cyborg she personally destroyed on that ship in Victoria Harbor.
"While we're at it, we also need to find these monitor cyborgs and intercept whatever data they have recorded," the woman continued, "If these units are afoot, then there has to be a good chance they are targeting street fighters."
"Is there any idea as to which particular fighters they could possibly be targeting?" Director Hong inquired as he looked to her and then the other agents present.
"Given the amount of these babies they produce, it's next to impossible to determine," the agent replied before a name suddenly popped into her head, "I have no doubt in my mind that one of them would be the warrior called Ryu."
"Ryu?" piped British agent Graham Sherringford from the back of the room, "As in the same Ryu who kicked Sagat's ass all those years ago?"
"There has been only one Ryu to defeat Sagat and yes that is the same man I speak of," Chun-Li replied, finding it hard not to smile slightly at the man's inquiry.
"And it's not just here in Hong Kong where these monitor cyborgs have recently been spotted," spoke Agent Inessa Kurchenko as several images flooded the screen at once, all taken from around the globe and blown up to show mysterious figures hidden in the background that would normally have been barely discernable to the naked eye had it not been for advanced technology.
"They have been spotted at various underground fighting tournaments all over the world and there is no telling who they may have taken at this point," the Russian operative explained.
"Well whatever the case is, it spells trouble," Director Hong continued, "They are notorious for kidnapping and brainwashing street fighters into joining their cause and they will go to great lengths to build their army. At this point, we should consider any renowned fighters as possible targets."
"But how can we locate all of these fighters? They're spread out all over the globe!" Wallace cut in, "It would be impossible."
"We must continue to maintain our surveillance of known fighting hotspots and given Agent Xiang's experience, she has valuable allies who could help us greatly in this matter," the director spoke turning his attention to Chun-Li, "Agent Xiang, I would suggest you reach through to your contacts immediately."
"I'm on it sir," the woman replied with a nod.
"That is all. You are dismissed," Director Hong said returning the gesture.
Chun-Li and Wallace both made their way out of the director's office and were walking down the hall towards the break room.
"Do you seriously think you would be able to track down that Ryu fellow you mentioned?" Wallace asked as he exchanged a friendly wave with some colleagues passing them in the hall, "I've heard he is quite elusive and that tracking him down can be like finding a needle in a haystack, for the lack of a better cliché."
"Hey, I was able to track down that monitor cyborg wasn't I?" Chun-Li shot back in mock annoyance, "Sometimes I swear you doubt my abilities too much. Besides, if I can't find him then I know his best friend Ken Masters can and he's only a phone call away."
As if on cue, the woman's cell phone began ringing.
"Wow, impeccable timing," Wallace chuckled.
"You go ahead, I'll meet up with you in a few minutes," Chun-Li said as she reached for the phone.
"Alright, I'll save you one of those lattes you like," the American agent replied as he entered the break room.
When her partner was out of sight Chun-Li switched on her phone, "Agent Chun-Li Xiang speaking."
"Chun-Li, it's Yun," a teenage voice spoke from the other end.
"Oh hey Yun, what's up?"
"Listen, you told me you were friends with that martial artist Ryu right?" the teen inquired.
"Yes I am, why is something up?" she spoke, her tone turning more serious.
"He's here right now at Master Gen's restaurant. I don't know what's up, but I figured you'd probably like to know."
The agent's eyes widened as she thought of what she had said in Hong's office.
"Yun, do you have any idea how long he said he would be there for?" she asked.
"No, and quite frankly Yang nor I expected to find him here of all places," Yun replied.
"Well, he does have a habit of showing up where he's least expected. He is a nomad you know," she laughed slightly before her tone again turned serious, "Listen, I need you to make sure he doesn't leave alright? I'm going to need to talk to him and I can be over later tonight. Promise me you will look out for him, okay?"
"Uh…yeah sure thing, we'll make sure he doesn't leave our sight," Yun spoke.
"Thank you," Chun-Li said before she hung up and immediately dialed the number of her pilot friend Harry.
"Harry, it's Chun-Li, I need you to get your jet ready pronto. I have to be in Shanghai on official business," the detective spoke.
"Okay, I'll get to it right away. Is there anything else you're going to need?" the pilot asked.
"No, I think I have everything I already need, but thank you anyway."
"Alright, no problem," he spoke before hanging up.
The Interpol detective now had a new objective ahead of her and had to let Wallace know before she headed out.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Pasadena, CA
The motorcycle skidded to a halt and Abel had to grip onto the sidecar's sides to avoid being thrown.
"Okay bub, I gotcha' here just as you wanted," Rufus rambled as the cycle sputtered, almost as if it were threatening to give out at any second.
"Can you please hurry up and get to wherever you need to be," the corpulent fighter's girlfriend Candy called out, nearly squashed to death by his massive bulk, "I love you and all baby, but Mama can barely breathe here," she spoke to Rufus.
With a nod, Abel climbed out of the sidecar and grabbed his travel bag, "I thank you very much for the ride friend and even though the wager was that I ride for free, this is on me," he said handing Rufus a stack of dollar bills.
"Really? Gee thanks pal!" the overweight biker roared eagerly accepting the dollar bills and cramming them into his pockets, "Man, I really gotta do this good deed stuff more often! Just think, I could be a real hero and then they'll start making action figures of me and have me starring in my own movies!"
"What are you talking about baby? You already are a hero," Candy replied wrapping her arms around the large man and started kissing along his podgy cheeks.
"Oh yeah, and I'm gonna be an even bigger hero when I kick Ken Masters' butt all over the globe again!" Rufus roared as he gunned his cycle's accelerator.
"Uh yeah, thanks again for the ride," Abel said with a wave, using the same hand to cover his mouth and nostrils as a cloud of exhaust suddenly shot into his face as the motorcycle took off down the street.
"Finally some peace and quiet," the Frenchman thought to himself as he stood quietly on the sidewalk.
It was a nice, calm day, the silence broken only by the chirping of birds and the faint buzz of a lawnmower from a distance. Such a tranquil environment was foreign to a man who had spent most of his time on the battlefield for as long as he could remember.
"No time to think about that now," he told himself as he turned around to face a one story white house and then pulled out a piece of paper with an address scribbled upon it to make sure he was at the right place. With a nod of satisfaction he made his way to the front door and knocked.
The barking of a dog came from within followed by a muffled voice telling it to quiet down before the door opened. When there was no face there to greet him, Abel looked down to find a blonde-haired girl of a about eight or nine years of age struggling to hold back a small brown and white dog.
"Deeply sorry, Safu settle down," the child gently ordered as the dog continued to disobey her and now tried to leap at their visitor.
"It's alright child. He isn't hurting anything," the Frenchman smiled and reached his hand downward so the dog could take a sniff before licking it.
The girl gasped at the sight of his massive hand and brought her light blue eyes up to take in the tall muscular man standing above her.
Abel could tell she was intimidated by him, but would do whatever he could to soothe the mood. "That's definitely a cute dog you have. I have one just like him," he said as the dog allowed him to scratch behind its ears.
"Amy, sweetie who's at the door?" an adult woman's voice called out and a second later, a blonde-haired woman appeared behind her daughter, also gasping at the heavily-scarred man standing before them.
"It's okay ma'am," Abel said rising to his full height, "I've come looking for William Guile."
The woman's mouth fell open in shock before she composed herself and spoke, "Amy, go to your room."
"But Mom-" the little girl started to protest before she was cut off.
"Please, just go to your room," the woman gently ordered and the little girl groaned in defeat as she scooped up her dog and made her way down a hall at the back of the living room. When her daughter was out of sight the woman turned to face Abel with a scowl upon her features.
"Alright, who are you and just what are you doing here looking for my husband?" she demanded crossing her arms in front of her and trying to block as much of the entrance as she could.
"It's okay; I mean neither you nor your daughter any harm. My name is Abel and I come in peace," the Frenchman said raising his hands and opening them to show he was unarmed. "Guile is…an old friend of mine…," he blurted out, "…yeah we met back in Africa…"
That story was a partial truth. Indeed Abel had his first face to face encounter with the American serviceman on that airfield after witnessing him launch a 'Sonic Boom' projectile from his crossing arms. He only knew of one other man on this planet who could execute such an attack and was determined to find out how Guile knew that maneuver and what he knew about the man.
In the end he didn't succeed in getting the answers he desired as their fight ended in a brutal stalemate, but he would encounter the Air Force major later on at that Shadaloo base. He and Guile set aside their differences to take down the genetically-engineered demon called Seth before finding the data they needed and rescuing the Interpol agent Chun-Li along the way.
Again, he was left with nothing in the end as both of his companions were recalled by their respective governments.
"Well he never mentioned anything about any friends named Abel," Mrs. Guile replied, her arms still crossed in front of her.
"Yeah…we didn't exactly work together under the most…ideal circumstances," Abel said muttering the last part, looking away for the first time during the encounter.
"Why have you come here?" she again asked.
The French mercenary took some time to compose himself before replying, knowing he had to be careful with his words and tone, "I came seeking information about someone your husband may know, someone I share a past with…whom I owe my very survival to."
Jane Guile's hardened gaze softened slightly into a more quizzical expression as she continued inspecting the mysterious man from head to toe. Judging by all the scars covering his body it was obvious he had seen his fair share of battles and hardship, aside from his obvious choice of attire, lending possible credence to him being a wandering warrior and with it, having a previous encounter with her husband.
"Please Mrs. Guile, I truly mean you no harm. I just wish to find some answers and then go about my way," Abel again spoke, "Is your husband available?"
"No, he's not," Jane replied, finally lowering her defenses, "He's away for his job. Last I heard he was heading down to Mexico as part of some investigation. I honestly can't tell you when he will be back."
Abel stared wordlessly in disbelief before beginning to nod slowly, realizing his trip had been in vain.
"Well then, I guess I'll be on my way-" he was speaking just as Mrs. Guile let out an ear-piercing shriek and began pointing frantically behind him.
Whirling around, the grappler turned to find a blond-haired man standing in the middle of the street wearing what appeared to be a dark blue flight suit with the lower half of his face covered by a flight mask, which amplified the sounds of his breathing.
"Who…who is that man?" Jane blurted out peeking around her visitor's massive shoulder.
Abel did not answer as he met the man's wide-eyed stare of insanity. He had dark blue eyes similar to those of the Frenchman, which suddenly began to glow an eerie shade of purple.
"Now that definitely looks familiar," he thought to himself as foot long blades extended from hidden compartments within the man's wrist guards, causing Jane to again scream in horror.
"Get inside! I'll handle him!" Abel shouted.
Jane said nothing and stood silent in shock, unable to take her eyes off of the mysterious madman, who had now begun to slowly stalk his way towards the house. She was paralyzed with fear.
"Quick! Get inside!" the mercenary repeated, standing before the entrance in his fighting stance, ready to hold off the masked man.
"But-"
"Just do it! I'll be alright!" Abel again shouted, reaching a hand back to push her back into the house.
Snapping to attention, she finally did as she was told and slammed the front door shut, locking it behind her.
"Alright, I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not going any further," Abel spoke to the mysterious man, whose only reply was his amplified breathing. He could tell this individual was there to cause damage and needed to be stopped right away.
Without warning, the man shot a thin wire towards him and it wrapped around his wrist.
Abel grimaced as the wire clamped down on his wrist, feeling it cutting off his circulation. Clenching his teeth in pain, he struggled vigorously to free himself from the masked attacker's grip.
The dark-clad man showed no signs of struggle in this tug of war, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Despite being smaller than his target, he seemed display much greater strength and narrowed his eyes as the other man struggled to free himself.
"C'mon…" Abel grunted through clenched teeth as he tried to move his wrist towards him, flexing all of his muscles in his arm through the struggle. At this point he felt if he let go he would risk having his arm torn from its socket. Mounting a Herculean effort to gather all his available strength, he finally managed to lift the man from his feet and send him flying towards him. Before he could hit the ground, the French fighter caught him in midair and slammed him hard to the pavement.
Unfortunately, the hard slam barely fazed the masked man as he quickly rolled back to his feet and delivered a high roundhouse kick that caught Abel in the face and sent him falling to his hands and knees.
The French fighter gagged as the pain shot throughout his face, but when he shot his eyes open he noticed the masked man's shadow enveloping him and rolled to the side before one of the man's blades could slice into his back.
Before Abel could shrug off the pain in his face, his opponent was once again charging towards him, bringing one of his blades in an upward arc that caught him across the chest. Again, the Frenchman had no time to take in what had just happened as his opponent remained on top of him with a combo of punches and kicks, a trail of blood cascading from the fresh gash all the while.
In desperation he shot his leg out and caught the masked man in his kneecap before crouching low and spinning him around, striking him in the back of the head with an overhead hook punch.
This time the man showed signs of feeling the blow, but quickly shook it off and lunged forward with a spinning crescent kick, which Abel would block high and nearly stagger from his feet before catching himself and answering with a high roundhouse kick the struck his opponent in the shoulder. With his opponent stunned, he executed his 'Wheel Kick' and knocked his challenger to the ground.
Abel was still reeling from the blow to his chest and brought his gloved hand away to find every inch of it drenched with blood and then looked down to see the entire lower half of his blue gi top turned crimson.
It was a distraction that would prove to be costly as the mysterious challenger laid a small, timed explosive on the ground near him.
"EXPLOSION!" the man announced as he rolled out of the way just in time.
Before Abel could react, the bomb detonated and sent him flying backwards.
"Damn it!" he grunted, feeling the burning pain all over his torso and arms, his gi top now mostly a tattered mess.
The mystery man now hovered over him with the same blade extended that had already drawn his own blood.
"You're not Guile, but you'll do just fine," the man spoke, his tone cold and robotic as his insane eyes again glowed purple.
"Move damn it move!" Abel thought to himself and he executed his 'Marseilles Roll' to evade yet another attempted swipe from the wrist-mounted blades.
The mercenary landed awkwardly on his feet and staggered down to a knee, huffing and puffing as he eyeballed his challenger, whom he now knew had been seeking out Guile himself, but for what reason he did not know.
Abel found himself crossing his arms to block another incoming blow as the man launched himself into the air, his boot bouncing off the Frenchman's scarred, muscular arms. He would then duck low to dodge another swipe of the man's blade that was aimed at his throat, then parry a fierce punch directed at his face before finding an opening and grabbing the man by his flight vest, swinging him around in circles before slamming him down onto the pavement.
The mystery man slowly pushed himself back to his feet after taking another slam that would have rendered a normal man unconscious. Popping his shoulder back into place he resumed his fighting stance. Abel would grant him no time to recover as he charged towards him and unleashed a flurry of punches before ending with a rising elbow strike that caught him on his covered chin and sent him airborne.
As soon as the man hit the ground, Abel was already mounting him and raining down a flurry of fists and elbows upon his face before wrapping his hands around the man's throat, hoping to choke him into submission.
Out of desperation, the masked man shot his arm upward and plunged his blade into the grappler's upper arm, causing him to cry out in pain. Finally forced to take his hand away from his throat, the man would shoot his boot into Abel's gut and force him off.
Freed from Abel's powerful grasp, the man grabbed him by the shoulders and fell backwards, again driving his foot into the mercenary's gut and shoving him off.
Pain traveled throughout Abel's body as he lay on the concrete, now a bloody mess thanks to the numerous cuts already inflicted upon his body. He was getting severely weakened from the loss of blood, but knew he had to keep fighting.
"Argh!" he grunted as he felt another powerful slash against his back and spun around to find his opponent glaring at him with his eerie purple eyes, his wrist-mounted blades drenched in fresh blood.
"You won't bring me down that easily," he thought to himself as he ducked low and shot his foot out, catching the masked man in the same kneecap as earlier and then driving his knee repeatedly into his gut before spinning him around and once again slamming him down into the pavement, hard enough to crack beneath his form this time around.
"Damn…" Abel grunted as he could feel himself getting weaker with every passing second, but doing whatever he could to stay in the fight. He was about to reach down for the fallen man when was again taken by surprise.
"RISING SLICE!" the mystery man announced as he suddenly launched himself spinning into the air with his blade extended, taking Abel with him and slicing him repeatedly.
Jane Guile screamed in horror as she watched the spectacle through her living room window, watching the stranger called Abel being slashed repeatedly by some blade-wielding madman who appeared to be on the verge of winning the confrontation and would no doubt kill the Frenchman if she didn't act quickly.
"Mommy, what's going on?" a little voice called out from behind her and she turned to find her daughter Amy in the hall with her faithful companion Safu behind her.
"Sweetie, go back to your room! Please!" she ordered, sounding a bit harsher than she had intended as she reached for a nearby cordless phone and dialed 911.
"911, what is the nature of your emergency?" an operator spoke from the other end.
"Please, you have to help me! An armed man is attacking another man outside of my home and he's going to kill him! You have to send somebody over here right away!" Jane shouted frantically.
"Ma'am please remain calm. May I ask who is calling and may I please have your address?" the woman on the other end spoke.
"My name is Jane Guile and I live at 124 East Evergreen Avenue. Please just send somebody right away! He's probably going to come after me if you don't!" she again screamed, feeling her pulse pounding rapidly.
"Okay, we will be sending police and emergency units immediately. Please stay on the line with me," the operator ordered.
Jane ignored the woman's plea and hung up, beginning to dial the numbers of other people whom she knew would help.
Abel gasped loudly as he lay struggling near the curb, his blood flowing into a nearby storm drain. His mysterious challenger drove his boot repeatedly into his side, stopping only to shove his head onto the curb and bring his boot down. The mercenary however would move his head at the last second and force himself into another roll, delivering a hard uppercut to the man's groin.
With his opponent left stunned by the blow, Abel forced himself back to his feet and with all his might, executed another 'Tornado Throw' that would again slam him back down into the pavement. It wouldn't end there as he knew that he now had to put this guy out for good.
"BREATHLESS!" Abel called out as he lifted the man onto his shoulders and began slamming him repeatedly into the ground, performing the ultra combo two more times to make sure he would put the man out of commission for good, eventually breaking the concrete beneath and slamming the man straight down into the sewers.
Heavily weakened from the blood loss and other injuries inflicted upon him, Abel could feel himself getting lightheaded and his vision began to spin before multiplying, making it look like there were hundreds of residents making their way out of their homes to see what all of the commotion had been about, when in truth there was only a small handful of people.
"No…it's not safe…" the Frenchman weakly gasped as a series of flashing red and blue lights approached him, accompanied by ear-piercing sirens that served only to rattle his bones and drop him to his knees, "…go…back inside…" he ordered before the screeching of tires followed and by then he was out cold.
Jane Guile watched in horror as the mysterious Frenchman collapsed onto her front lawn, literally having driven that creepy masked man through the street. By now a trio of squad cars had approached and some officers immediately got out and made their way towards the fallen man as an ambulance sped into view from the opposite direction. By now a majority of her neighbors were also making their way onto the street to get a better view of the goings on.
"Oh god…please be alright…" she muttered just as her phone rang again and she looked down towards the caller ID.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Fort McDaniel Air Force Base, Nevada, U.S.A.
Guile exhaled deeply as he stepped off the transport plane, glad to be back home, and furthermore, glad to be out of that stuff suit of his as he was once again clad in his typical fighting gear along with his dark blue jacket.
For now he had no idea of what he would do, aside from maybe going to that one bar outside the base.
"I need a break after that trip to Mexico. Come to think of it, I think Westinghouse has wanted to challenge me to a rematch for quite some time," he told himself, thinking of his primary rival at darts.
He was interrupted from his thought as a green jeep came speeding towards him and a young private came flying out.
"Major Guile, you need to get home right away. There's been an attack outside your home," Private Jensen reported, tensing as he knew of the major's temper.
"What?" the serviceman barked, "What the hell happened?"
"Your wife couldn't say much because she was about to be interviewed by the cops, but she said that there was some mysterious French guy who had been there looking for you when he was attacked by some other guy. She said his name was Abel or something along those lines."
Guile suddenly paled at the mention of the other man's name, remembering him as that guy who had barely been able to save him and Chun-Li from that Shadaloo base last year. What was he doing here and why?
Without a word, Guile climbed into the jeep and took off, leaving Private Jensen standing alone and ignoring the protests of his other colleagues present.
Meanwhile, assuming it was safe to get off, Little Eagle popped out from behind a wooden crate at the back of the transport plane, having stowed away after tracking Guile all the way back to that airport a couple miles outside the Thunderfoot reservation.
A loud squawk diverted her attention and she turned to the bald eagle perched on her shoulder, "Libertad, hush!" she hissed towards her avian friend.
"What was that?" she heard a voice call out and peeked around an opposite corner of the crate to find a serviceman stepping into view with his assault rifle drawn, flanked from both sides by two colleagues.
"That almost sounded like a bird," another operative reported.
"Wouldn't doubt it? We get them around here all the time," the third soldier added.
Little Eagle listened in for the soldiers and when she didn't hear anything within the next few moments she decided it was time to move. She would somehow have to find a way out of the air force base without being caught, knowing she would face serious charges if caught.
It wouldn't be anything new to her, having learned all about sneaking and infiltration tactics alongside Thunder Hawk as a child.
"Time to get started," she whispered as she prepared to exit the plane.
XXXXXXXXXXX
San Francisco, CA U.S.A.
Loud cries of battle echoed from the backyard of the Masters Estate and throughout the woods beyond.
"HADOKEN," Ken Masters shouted as he thrust his palms forward and sent a glowing blue ball of energy towards his opponent.
"JUSTICE FIST," Allen Snider replied as he shot his fist outward, negating the projectile.
The two fighters had been going back and forth for several minutes now while Ken's newly-acquired student Sean observed the proceedings from the nearby patio, soaking in everything he could in hopes he could one day be on their level of greatness.
Ken performed a forward flip to close the gap between him and Allen and the two men locked into a close range back and forth struggle, exchanging punches and kicks that were blocked, dodged or parried. Eventually both men would attempt a simultaneous fierce punch and their fists would collide, sending a shockwave of pain through their respective arms and forcing them to stumble backward clutching their sore appendages.
"I've gotta say Allen, you've gotten a lot better since our last encounter," Ken grunted, trying to shake the pain out of his arm.
"Heh, I'm not the 'big fish in a small pond' that I used to be," the Southern fighter chuckled, feigning fatigue before suddenly ducking low and delivering a spinning sweep that knocked the rich playboy from his feet. Bringing his foot high into the air, he attempted to bring it down upon Ken's face, but the former karate champion rolled out of the way before he could connect.
Launching himself back to his feet Ken leapt into the air and began spinning around with his leg extended.
"TATSUMAKI SENPUU-KYAKU!" he roared as he pelted his opponent with kicks, most of which Allen had brought his arms up to block, but finally connected wit the last kick that snapped his head off to the side. With his opponent stunned Ken saw his next opportunity.
"SHORYUKEN!" he called out as he delivered a flaming dragon punch to his opponent, temporarily setting him ablaze as he was launched into the air, the flames dissipating as he hit the grassy earth below.
"And I thought you said you weren't that big fish in the small pond anymore," Ken taunted as he hopped up and down.
Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Allen shoved himself back to his feet, "I ain't going down that easily," he growled before thrusting his hands forward.
"SOUL FORCE!" he shouted as he launched a reddish-yellow projectile towards his opponent, who would leap over the projectile, but it was a trap as Allen launched himself into the air with a vaulting kick that caught Ken in his stomach and sent him tumbling to the ground.
"You're not the only one who can do that Masters," Allen snickered as he resumed his fighting stance.
Ken only grunted in reply and charged head on towards his friendly rival, executing a backward roundabout kick that Allen would block and then a heel kick which he would bring his foot up to parry, again knocking both men backward, but it would be the playboy who would recover first as he grabbed his challenger and spun both of them backward, performing his 'Hell Spin' throw.
Just as both men rose back to their feet they were halted by the back door flying open.
"Ken! Ken!" Eliza called out as she came flying out with her cell phone in hand.
The sparring match ceased and the two Ansatsuken fighters turned to receive the distraught woman.
"Eliza, what's wrong?" Ken asked as she fell into his arms.
"It's Jane, some mysterious guy showed up at her doorstep looking for Will and then he was attacked by some assassin," she blurted out, taking time to catch her breath.
Ken and Allen both stared at each other in shock while Sean looked on from the background.
"What all happened? Did she say?" Ken asked his terrified wife.
"She said that they were both still alive and that they were taken to the nearby hospital. She also claimed that this guy knew Guile, Abel she said his name was," she spoke as the tears rolled freely from her blue eyes.
"Abel…crap I know that man!" Ken gasped and then looked over to Allen.
"You do?" his friend asked him with a dumbfounded expression.
"Yeah, Ryu and I briefly encountered him at one point when we had our run-in with those S.I.N. guys. We don't know what happened to him after that," Ken answered.
"Well Jane's there with him right now and said he was in the middle of surgery. She says that she's already gotten through to Will and that he's on his way as they speak. He wants to talk to that guy as soon as he wakes up," Eliza explained as she managed to calm herself.
"If he's decided to show up from out of the blue like this then something's gotta be up," Ken said to Allen, who only nodded in acknowledgment.
"So what are you going to do then?" Eliza asked him, tensing up at his possible response.
Ken again looked over to his friend, "We're gonna have to go down and pay them a visit. They're going to need all the support they can get. Besides, I've been looking to somehow make it up to them for being a pain in the ass all these years," looking down into Eliza's sapphire-colored eyes as he uttered the last sentence.
"I'll come with you," Allen chimed in, "For some reason, I'm getting a bad vibe about this whole deal."
"How so?" Ken asked, feeling Eliza tighten her grip on him.
"I don't know man; it just started eating away at me…especially when you mention somebody who has a past with Shadaloo," Allen replied rubbing the back of his neck.
"Fine, you can come along," Ken said as he released his grip on Eliza and started towards the estate.
"What about me? Can I come along too?" Sean eagerly called out, only to be halted by the Ansatsuken warrior raising his hand.
"Absolutely not," was Ken's direct reply.
"But Master-" Sean tried to continue.
"Sean, you are just beginning your training and I will not risk exposing you to this kind of danger," Ken shot back before the teen could even utter a protest.
The young Brazilian growled in anger and balled his fists until his veins threatened to pop through. Ken saw this and did what he could to calm him down.
"Look, I understand you are just beginning and probably want to do whatever you can to prove yourself, but as your sensei it is also my job to protect you from dangers of this magnitude," he said placing a hand on the youth's shoulder and looking him directly in the eye, "These Shadaloo creeps mean business and no doubt wouldn't have any qualms against harming an inexperienced fighter, let alone a teenager like yourself. They are monsters without remorse."
"I would listen to him if I were you," Allen stepped in, "I've seen what those maniacs are capable of and wouldn't think twice about doing God knows what on you."
"Please Sean," Ken again spoke, "I appreciate that you want to help us out, but you have to understand your limitations. I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying this for your own protection."
Sean continued staring at the two experienced warriors unable to say anything for a few moments before he finally grunted in defeat, "Fine, I'll stay behind then, but if you need anything I'll be there for you."
"Stay here and protect Eliza and Mel. That's something you can do for me," Ken said motioning towards his wife.
The red-clad warrior then turned to his friend, "Shall we?"
"Let's," Allen replied as they made their way towards the mansion.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shadaloo HQ
"Soon my beautiful children your time will come," Bison proclaimed as he closely inspected the reassembled Shadaloo Dolls standing at attention before him.
Altogether Juli, Enero, Fevrier, Satsuki, Santamu, Decapre, Jianyu and Xiayu were gathered, clad in their matching black bodysuits, the last operative with her leg bandaged after being shot.
The dictator's inspection was interrupted as the laboratory's double doors opened behind him and Dr. Senoh approached him flanked by two guards.
"Lord Bison, I've just been informed that Doctrine Dark has been defeated," the elderly researcher reported.
With a snort, he turned to face his subordinate, "By whom?" he demanded, his eyes glowing in annoyance.
"According to surveillance footage from one of our monitor units, we've determined it was that rogue specimen…Abel I believe his name is," Senoh spoke.
"Him?" Bison glowered, "I thought I had rid myself of him along with that nuisance Seth. I guess that is not to be. I do wonder what business he had with that troublesome scamp Guile though," he said placing a hand to his chin.
A while back some of his henchmen had successfully managed to capture the deranged killer Doctrine Dark, a costly operation that had resulted in the deaths of thirteen foot soldiers.
Bison was well aware of his past with Guile and decided it would be perfectly fitting to have him be the one to take out the bothersome serviceman who had been a thorn in his side for far too long.
Unfortunately, he had not foreseen the mercenary's interference.
"There are still plenty of ways I can deal with both of them. This is just a minor setback," the dictator thought to himself.
"What should we do about Dark my lord?" Senoh inquired clasping his hands together, "We've determined that he was taken away by the same medical team that was dispatched to handle Abel. There is a possibility his brainwashing may wear off once he awakens and that could make authorities suspicious."
Lord Bison smiled in reply, "Rest assured he will be dealt with immediately. I have already dispatched an agent to handle the matter."
"Very well my lord," the researcher nodded before taking his leave.
Once the elderly man was gone Bison turned to face another individual who had been lurking in the shadows the entire time.
"I understand you and him have a history as well. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, you will now have your chance to deal with him one on one. I would suggest you get ready," the dictator smirked.
The shadowy figure nodded in acknowledgment.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Shanghai, China
"Wow, that truly was impressive," Yang gasped as he sat across from the legendary vagabond warrior, who was in the process of finishing his plate of Peking duck.
"Impressive, but not easy," Ryu spoke before washing the last bits of meat down with his tea.
"Not every day you get to fight a demon-possessed karate expert," Yun added before shoving a cluster of dim sum into his mouth.
"Now cut that out Yun!" his girlfriend Houmei said elbowing him in the side and forcing him to cough some of it out.
"Hey watch it, you almost made me choke!" the teenager shouted with his mouth full, spitting out more chunks of food and causing the young woman to shudder in disgust.
"I swear sometimes I'm more like a mother to you than I am a girlfriend," she complained while Yang and his girlfriend Shaomei snickered in the background.
It was now in the later hours of the night and the Genhaten restaurant had just recently closed its doors. While a few other workers milled about their after hours routines, the four adolescents sat around a table towards the back of the room listening to stories from Ryu's many travels around the world. Needless to say, they were left awestruck by the wealth of material he had to share with them.
"So what about this Sagat guy?" Yang inquired, "Have you had any encounters with him since?"
"It has been over a year since I have had any form of contact with him," Ryu replied as he dabbed a napkin around the corners of his mouth, "I have no doubt in my mind he has been training for a rematch. Only when fate permits will it happen."
"And when it does happen it's going to be a battle of the ages," Yun added.
"I wouldn't view it as such, more so the final chapter of a long, winding story that has gone on much longer than it should have," the Ansatsuken master replied, "one that has seen some lapses into an unnecessary darkness, one that has seen a beacon of redemption for one."
"I don't know if I comprehend all of what you just said, but that sounds pretty deep," Shaomei spoke from behind Yang.
"The answers will come within due time. Nothing desired arrives within a short amount," Ryu explained.
Yun yawned loudly and stretched out his arms, "Oh man am I getting beat. This has been a long day and I've enjoyed listening to your stories Ryu, but right now I've gotta hit the sack," the youngster said standing up and cracking his knuckles.
"It has been a pleasure," the vagabond nodded in reply.
When the elder twin disappeared from sight Yang again spoke up, "So Ryu, this Akuma guy, do you think he's still out there? Master Gen has mentioned him before, but never told us as much as you did."
Ryu's gaze darkened at the mention of the demonic warrior.
"I'm sorry, but I do not like to discuss him. He is a dangerous man and if Gen hasn't mentioned much about him, then it was probably for your own protection."
Yang stopped himself and swallowed hard before speaking again, "Terribly sorry. Please forgive me."
"It is fine," Ryu nodded, "I shouldn't say anything else. With the way his brother acts so cocky, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried hunting down Akuma themselves if he ever came near them."
The feeling of dread returned to the Ansatsuken master as he thought of his inhuman adversary and he looked away, the three remaining teens staring intently at him.
"Are you sure you're alright Mr. Ryu?" asked Houmei.
"I'm fine," he replied rubbing the corners of his eyes, "I've had a long day. I think I might need to get myself some rest."
"Okay then, please let me show you to your room," Yang said rising to his feet while Houmei and Shaomei joined the other workers in cleaning the restaurant.
"I'm afraid we don't have much to offer, but please bear with us. Master Gen's restaurant has fallen on hard times lately," Yang explained as he led Ryu upstairs to the apartments.
"There is no need to worry. I appreciate your hospitality regardless of the circumstances," Ryu replied as he was being led to the apartment, when the teenager suddenly stopped and motioned for him to halt.
"Shh, do you hear that?" he asked.
The two of them listened for what sounded like a window opening and Yang crept closer towards the door to his and Yun's shared apartment. Grabbing the knob he twisted it as quietly as he could and opened it a crack before finally throwing it open.
"Ha! Gotcha' now-" he called out expecting to find his older brother, but was instead met by an opened window and the curtains fluttering in the nighttime breeze.
"What the hell?" Yang called out as he rushed over to the opened window and peeked outside to find the white-clad teen grinding down the nearby awning on his skateboard, letting out a loud "Yahoo!" as he bounced off the roof of a passing bus before finally hitting the ground and speeding down the street.
"I think I have an idea of where he is heading off to," Ryu spoke up and the younger Lee brother turned to find a flyer in his hand.
Snatching the leaflet from his guest's hand, Yang looked it over before crumpling it into a ball, "Another tournament? Damn it Yun! I should've known!"
Ryu smirked in the background, "I take it he does this quite a bit?"
"You could say that again," Yang grunted, "Damned showoff. Last time he snuck off like this, he nearly got us in trouble with some Triad goons. On top of all that, Master Gen found out and forced us to wake up at the crack of dawn every day for two weeks to have us repaint the entire building! I swear I'm gonna strangle him when I see him again!"
"Patience friend," Ryu said placing a hand on the teen's shoulder to calm him down.
Yang took a few deep breaths before sighing in defeat and opening the crumpled flyer, "I guess I'm going to have to track him down and get him back home before Master finds out."
"Let me look for him," the vagabond suggested, much to his surprise.
"Are you serious Ryu? You've had a long day and need your rest. Besides, I doubt you know this area very well," Yang protested.
"Relax; I've known your master and your Uncle Lee for years. They've been kind enough to show me around before," Ryu replied before leaning a little closer, "Besides, I think you should stay and watch over Master Gen. I don't think he is feeling very well at the moment."
"Okay, I'll stay behind," Yang replied with great reluctance, "Just be safe."
"I will," Ryu replied as he made his way out of the apartment on a mission to track down the wayward Lee brother.
Author's Notes:
In a bit of a spoiler, I was originally going to have it where Eagle from SF1 would have played the role of the brainwashed attacker outside of Guile's home, but then I remembered how I'm trying to incorporate SF EX characters into this story as well and it made me think of Doctrine Dark's past with Guile from that continuity, so I figured I'd make him the attacker instead, perhaps thinking that Guile was either home or just wanting to terrorize his family altogether.
Also, I will admit that I have never played any of the EX games, so I might not be accurate with how some of D. Dark's moves are executed, which might eat away at me at times because I'm very anal retentive about describing how special moves are carried out (i.e. the character does a forward flip and comes down with their heel ablaze, they launch a neon-blue projectile towards their opponent, they punch the ground and create a small explosion, etc.). I might have given this disclaimer in a past chapter, but figured I would repeat it anyway.
Tune in for the next chapter where I promise there will be a clash between two familiar rivals, I'm sure you'll probably figure out who I'm talking about once you read the chapter's title.
Until next time, read and review!
This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME…AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TOO! HO! HO! HO! \m/
