He didn't think, just bolted out into the hall and grabbed her around the waist. They crashed into the door of the women's bathroom as the machine made its move, the floor now a cracked and ruined mess where she'd been standing. She let out a terrified cry when she saw it, hand coming to her mouth. "What is that?!"

"We have to get out of here, now," he said, pushing the door closed and turning the lock. It wasn't much, but any second it'd buy them was worth it. The machine would come stomping in and waste them both if they didn't hurry. His heart was racing as he tried to reach the bathroom window, but they were too high. "Come here," he demanded, waving at her. It was a pleasant surprise that she still responded quickly in stressful situations. "Get on my shoulders, open the window, then pull me up." She nodded, eyes flicking up to her new target.

She wasn't heavy, but the heels made supporting her weight a little painful. The alternative made its presence known, the door slamming into the wall as it entered. He heard her cry out, felt her wobble before she took a very, very tight hold of his hair. He would've shouted at her for that, but there were more pressing matters to attend to, like not having his limbs torn from his body by a seven foot tall robot. "Keep going!" he ordered. Hesitation was going to mean death. He heard something squeal noisily, and she had the window open. He winced as she put too much pressure on his shoulders, but the sound of the tanden engine whirring again served as an horrific distraction. He looked up and she was halfway out the window. He looked back and the violet hued aiming reticle glittered in the row of mirrors. He thought certainly his heart was going to crash through his rib cage when he caught sight of her hand waving madly. He jumped, caught it, the machine lunged forward. They both screamed, she as her stomach was pulled painfully against the brick edge of the outer sill, him as he jumped up in time to avoid having his legs broken. The brick in the wall below crumpled to dusty pieces, and the machine drew its fist back, adjusting its sights.

He felt something grab his leg as he tried to climb up towards the window. His eyes flew wide, locking onto hers, and she cried his name desperately as she realized what that meant. He gritted his teeth, slammed his free foot into the machine's wrist. It didn't feel pain and he knew it. He could possibly throw its balance off and he gave it a blow to the side of the head. A shudder ran through it, but the grip never relented. It pulled, and he screamed, feeling like his ligaments were reaching their limit. He kicked again and finally he was free. Not wasting a moment, even as painful as it was, he got a hand on the sill and pulled himself up. She dropped down outside, and a small part of his mind made the time to note how impressive it was that she didn't even stumble in spite of her high heels. He pushed himself out, winced as he landed on his feet.

It was foolish of him to think that machine had been the only one.

They communicated wordlessly for the most part, sending signals to each other, and it gave them no reason to give away their locations by speaking. The one that found them in the bathroom must have relayed their position, and he heard metallic feet pounding noisily on the pavement. Its eyes, which couldn't even be called 'cold' because that implied too much in the way of humanity, were fixed on them as it approached steadily. "Come on," he said, and he took her by the wrist. Where could he go? Fighting them was suicide. Maybe one, he could deal with, but he remembered the tests. The painful, painful tests. These things learned from their mistakes instantly, and a punch from one felt what he imagined being hit by a car must feel like. They were faster than he had any hope of being in his lifetime, and they analyzed their surroundings just as quickly to utilize them as efficiently as possible.

He pulled her along with him as he tried to make it around the building. There was a road they could follow. The other direction was the shore, and the water wouldn't stop the machines. It'd do Bison little good to create these things if they had such a simple weakness. But he knew it was hopeless to think they could outrun them.

Their path to the road was cut short when a third android appeared from around the corner of the building. She shrieked at the sight of it, and he pulled on her again. Back inside, through the corridor they'd just escaped from. A few of the wedding guests were already inspecting the gouge left in the floor by the machine, the mangled door to the bathroom. People tried to point it out to them, but he was already pushing his way through, trying to think of how to best handle the situation. "Andres, what is going on?" She was pulling on him now, trying to get him to stop.

"Not a good time," he said. Things were about to get a bit messy. He smirked in spite of the situation. Messy was wrong. It was going to be a massacre.

A hand on his shoulder almost made him throw out a punch, but he stopped himself. He met Dorai's concerned gaze, and he wanted to scream at all of the distractions and interruptions. "What's the rush?" Dorai asked.

"Something-" Chun-Li started to explain, gesturing back towards the door they'd come in through. A series of screams and exclamations cut her off. They all looked towards the source of the noise. Towering over everyone in the room, the first of the machines stood stock still at the end of the hall as it scanned the crowd. Most everyone had scrambled away from it. Vega dropped lower, trying to keep from being seen by it. Tugging once on Chun-Li's wrist brought her to his level. If the Dolls had named her as collateral when they attacked, it probably wasn't too far-fetched to assume the androids would recognize her as a potential link to their target as well.

The place was in complete chaos. Music was still playing, people were shrieking and screaming, rushing out of the building. He tried to keep something between himself and the androids' lines of sight, but it was proving more difficult than he'd like. "What are those?" he heard Dorai say, and didn't the man ever feel any kind of panic or terror?

"Dad, get down!" Chun-Li said quickly. Vega almost told her it didn't matter if he stood up or not. The things weren't after him. They'd scan his face and realize it wasn't a match for his own, and ignore him unless he became hostile.

Dorai crouched beside her, glancing back at the machines that weaved their way through the panicked crowd. "What's going on here?" he asked. Finally, some hint of sternness, some concern. Human after all.

"We have to go," Vega said impatiently through gritted teeth. One of the androids was getting closer. The longer they stayed here, the more danger they were in. "But we have to move fast. A vehicle would be nice."

"I think Guile rented something for the weekend," Dorai said. "Or maybe Ken-"

"Hadoken!" The defiant but naive cry made all three of them freeze.

None of them wanted to face what had just happened. A few feet away, Sakura stood in a fighting stance. She refused to run, but she didn't understand that she couldn't defeat this enemy. Instead, she'd just made it stronger by teaching it how to throw a projectile. Where was Ryu? Weren't those two supposed to be attached at the hip? Vega scanned the few remaining people in the place and found the man. He looked out of place in that suit and without his headband, but he was pushing desperately towards her. The machine had already set its sites on her, and given her stance, she wasn't convinced she couldn't handle it. What choice did he have? The ugly monsters were going to crush her for interfering with them. They'd find him either way, so did it matter if he expedited the process and kept her from being maimed, if not killed? Drawing in another agitated breath, he forced himself to his feet and shouted, "Sakura, run!"

All three mechanical heads swiveled around at the sound of his voice. The distraction gave Ryu enough time to reach Sakura. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away, though Vega could hear her proclaiming stubbornly that she could help fight. "Consensus reached. Target confirmed: Andres Quesada Navarro." It wasn't unsettling when the three of them spoke in unison, not at all.

"No," he heard Chun-Li practically whimper. Something awful laced her voice-guilt, regret, shame, defeat, he didn't know. It'd be difficult for her to convince herself he wasn't at fault for something now. Multiple assassins had come to kill him. It couldn't be written off as a mistake.

"Let's find that car," Dorai said, nodding slowly as the trio of mechanical soldiers stalked calmly towards them. The one at the lead drew its arms back, and they scrambled out of the way as it threw a bright and powerful projectile. Dorai stumbled back into a chair. Chun-Li was beside him, trying to get him to his feet. Vega found himself halfway under one of the tables. He pushed himself back with his feet, trying to move quietly, but he knew they'd keep track of his movements. He was just about on the other side of the table when the whole thing went flying away to the right. On either side of him and at his feet, there towered the androids. The one to his left lifted its massive leg. This wasn't going to end well for him.

Suddenly, he felt something dig into his arms and he was moving backwards. A crack resounded through the room as the machine drove its foot through the floor about where his ribs had been. A gruff and angry voice came from behind him, "What the hell have you dragged us all into?" It was Guile yanking and dragging him back across the floor.

"Stop, stop!" Vega demanded, pushing himself up to walk on his own.

"Oh, you know, 'thanks' is the traditional response for someone saving your sorry ass!" Guile shouted back, shoving him towards the nearest door. Vega threw a glance over his shoulder to see Chun-Li and Dorai were gone. The machines were closing in. "Move it!" Guile all but barked, pushing again and Vega fought very hard not to shove him back. So what if he'd dragged him away from having his chest caved in? That didn't give him the right to rough him up and push him around.

They made it to the front without further incident, and he was relieved to see someone had the good sense to get a car started. He caught sight of Ryu scrambling into the back of a vehicle, too. Guile still had him by the collar, as if he were a petulant kid being led off to his punishment. The back door of the car was yanked open and Guile shoved him towards it before getting into the passenger seat himself. Dorai wasted no time, and they took off.

"Spill it kid, or I'm going to beat it out of you," Guile snapped, doing his best to turn around and face him.

"I don't-"

"Don't try to lie your way out of this!" It was good advice, as it obviously wasn't going to work for him. "Those things said your name! And you know, maybe Chun-Li has a thing for you, but I sure as hell don't! If pushing you out of this car right now will get those things off our tail, I'm inclined to do it!"

"Guile!" Chun-Li cried. Vega felt her hand on his arm, squeezing a little harder than necessary.

"Fine, you want to know?" Vega said, pulling his arm away roughly. They could have their answers. There was no point in trying to hide anymore. The next step in the line of threats would be Bison himself and he couldn't wait around for that encounter, if he even survived this one. The machines were relentless, powerful, fast. They didn't stop to sleep, or eat, or take any kind of break that a normal person might. So what use was there in trying to keep up the act with something like that on the prowl? "Not that I remotely understand what's going on, to be perfectly clear. I'm not from here, wherever or whatever 'here' is. I get out of a shower one day and I'm dropped into the middle of somebody else's life. That's what I know."

"What are you talking about?" Guile said, plainly dissatisfied with the response.

"This isn't my life!" he shouted, frustrated with everything. His near death experience-Jesus, what was the count by now?-the barrage of questions, the bizarre situation, his confused responses to it, it was all too much. Those machines were the final blow to the fragile lies he'd managed to keep up with, and now everything was crumbling down. Maybe that was a good thing, in a way. He was used to lying to people, but not like this. "I'm not a professor, the only thing I've ever taught anyone was how to kill things, I'm not cohabiting with somebody I hate, all of you are scrambling for my arrest-" He laughed as he glanced out the window, delirious and hysterical. "I've tried to kill you multiple times, how could any of this be possible?"

"You've lost me," Dorai muttered.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Guile asked.

"No, Andres, you need-" Chun-Li said, trying to calm him down.

"I need to get back home! I made a mistake, trying to contact Bison for help! Look where that got me!" He gestured back towards the beach they'd just left, towards the machines still in pursuit. They were still within their line of sight, but far enough away for them to feel safe for the moment.

"Why would you..." She shook her head slowly, still not following. Or maybe she just didn't want to. Maybe she loved him too much to be able to face that he'd go to a terrorist for help.

"Because I work for Shadaloo!"

There were no more protests, no more questions. She didn't try to defend him, only watching him sadly. Finally, she spoke, almost meekly, so uncharacteristic, what had he done to her? Did this mean he won? "No, you're just sick."

He laughed derisively. She'd take anything she could to try to make it out like he was blameless. He'd just admitted to her some of the more horrible things he did with his life and she couldn't face that someone she loved had the potential for such violence. "No, no. I work for him. I'm a commander, responsible for assassinations and the occasional bout of espionage."

Again, there was a silence. Dorai was the one to break it, in that infuriatingly even and calm tone of his. As though nothing could ever shock him or rile him up. "Why is Bison trying to kill you if you work for him?"

"Because this-" he waved his hand, unable to come up with a better word, "-version of me doesn't work for Shadaloo."

"The hell are you talking about?" Guile asked, not hiding for a moment how confused he was.

Vega sighed angrily. It seemed impossible to explain, and even if he could, what chance was there that any of them would believe him? He was allegedly delusional, it could all be waved away as part of an illness. The length of time he'd been here was beginning to make him question whether this was real or not. Maybe he was insane and his associations with Shadaloo were all imagined. How could he prove to himself it wasn't? Which was more likely, to be dropped into a parallel life, or to be suffering from a psychotic disorder? "This isn't my life," he repeated, maybe somewhat for his own benefit. "Here, the person you know, he didn't join Shadaloo. He didn't have anything to do with them so far as I can tell. So don't hate him if he ever comes back. But me?" He shrugged, glancing out the window. "I did. I still live in Barcelona. I'm a matador to most people. A Shadaloo assassin. Chun-Li, you're a detective with Interpol. Your dad has been dead for years. Shadaloo never got so...successful."

"Hell of a story, but if you're just trying to set yourself up as insane-" Guile began to say but the accusation stung too much for Vega to bear. He was sick of wondering about his own mental facilities. He was perfect and right, and he knew what he was doing was important. Most geniuses were never understood in their own time and he was certain, one day, people would realize that. He was fine. Maybe this other version of him wasn't, for whatever reason, but he was just fine.

"I'm not insane. I know who I am, and this is not it." He stopped, looked over his shoulder. He couldn't see the machines anymore as they merged onto a highway. Would they catch up again? Surely someone in the wedding party notified the police by now. How big of a scene was this going to cause? "It doesn't matter. Bison thinks I know more than I should. I shouldn't have tried to get in touch with him. It was a stupid mistake, but I didn't think he wouldn't know who I was. He'll kill me before you ever get a chance to bring me to whatever justice you feel I deserve for contacting him." He hadn't vocalized that concern out loud yet, and hearing the words finally made it real. He was dead. There was no escaping it. Everything he did from this point forward was just an attempt to prolong the inevitable.

"You need to see a psychiatrist," Dorai said. Again, no accusations in his tone, nothing that betrayed any kind of disgust or disappointment. It was just a simple statement of fact. "Obviously you have contacted Shadaloo in some way to get them to send these people after you, but all the rest, the story about having a different life, you're having delusions-"

He sighed loudly and groaned. "What do I have to say to prove myself here? If I'm just delusional, why would Bison waste resources on finding and killing me? He understands I know more than I should, more than a person who has no prior contact with Shadaloo could have, more than just some rambling mental patient. If I was just ill, he wouldn't bother with all of this! Ask me anything about them, I'll probably know it. Some things have changed, but I'm bound to know things someone who is just delusional shouldn't know!"

"Calm down," Dorai said. "You just need help, just like anyone else with an illness."

"Shit, Chun-Li," Guile muttered, sighing heavily.

For some reason, that only made Vega more irritated. It was like an implication that she'd made a mistake by being with him. Even if he didn't want to be with her, he couldn't stand to be thought of as an unwanted problem. "First Lieutenant Charlie Nash, that's his name and rank, isn't it? Your friend that would have gone missing maybe..." Christ, what year was it? This was all too complicated. "Well, maybe, four or five years ago? I would've called him 'Agent Shadow', and yes, I understand how awfully stupid that name is, but I'm not allowed to designate code names."

"What are you trying to prove?" Guile snapped.

"I met you for the first time last weekend," Vega said. "Why do I know this is your best friend if I've only met you once before?"

"Chun-Li told you!" Gule insisted.

"He's a Shadaloo commander now," he continued. "I'm sure that's quite painful for you."

"Sick or not, you're edging your way towards an ass beating," Guile growled.

"Will," Dorai said calmly. He shook his head at the other man. Take pity on the sick bastard whose brain is turning to mush before our eyes.

"And you," Vega said. He laughed once. "I'm sure you remember the horrendously ugly and pale face of Veikko Suominen. The man that was supposed to kill you. Finnish, blond, deep-set blue eyes. He was a commander before I joined Shadaloo, the former head assassin."

Dorai glanced back at him, brows drawn together. Maybe he was on the right track. Maybe he just had to keep telling them about Shadaloo and they'd believe that he wasn't insane. "How do you know that?"

"You people are thick," he said. "I told you. I. Work. For. Shadaloo. Maybe this version of me in this reality doesn't, but this is what I'm trying to explain-I'm not from here."

"Here is the only reality, kid," Guile said, refusing to accept such an outlandish claim.

"Right. That's why I know Shadaloo is located two hundred kilometers northwest of Bangkok's city center. That's why I know the identity of every Doll, where they are from, that two of them are genetically engineered humans created on site. That's why I know how to give them orders. That's why I know those androids pursuing us learn by example and that the tanden engines are their vulnerabilities. That's why I know where Bison's weak spot is. That's why-" He stopped suddenly. Bison's weakness was the psycho drive. If that was destroyed, it could buy him a lot of time. It would weaken Bison. Was it worth the risk to become a much bigger target? But then, what other option did he have? Sitting around waiting to be killed wasn't in his nature. If this was his best option, he had to take it. "That's why I know how I'm going to end this."

"No, you need to see a doctor," Chun-Li practically begged.

"If I destroy the psycho drive, he'll be significantly weakened for long enough to buy myself time to try to disappear." Getting home, he was beginning to realize, just didn't seem like an option. He knew how difficult it was to hide from Shadaloo, but in the confusion of Bison's death, he might be able to achieve it.

"How do you know about the psycho drive?" Guile said. "That's classified intel. We don't want him to know we know about it."

"I'm so tired of repeating myself," he said, sinking lower in his seat. These people weren't going to be any help to him, but they might try their hardest to stop him. He couldn't be confined now. He'd be a sitting duck. "It's going to be in Shadaloo."

"'Shadaloo' is about the entirety of Indochina, so that's really not narrowing it down."

"The original Shadaloo. Like I said, two hundred kilometers northwest of Bangkok. It should still be there, given how difficult it would be to move it, and only one can exist at any given time. He said otherwise, it'd split him up into pieces or some other nonsense, I don't know, this psycho power, it's complicated."

"No shit," Guile said. He still seemed skeptical, but ventured to ask, "You really know where it is?"

"Yes, definitely. If it isn't there, I slip out, no one will even know I was there." Possibly.

"How do you know you're that good?" Guile asked.

"You don't get to be the head assassin in Shadaloo by lumbering around like a bear, you realize?" It was terribly frustrating to be questioned and challenged at every turn. He knew he could do this if they just got out of his way and let him be.

"Let's entertain the notion that you're right about this," Dorai said. "With the right kind of help, could you-"

"Don't even think about it!" Chun-Li cried quickly. "He needs help, not a Navy SEALs team!"

"I'm going to do this one way or the other, and there's a much more significant likelihood of success if I have some assistance," Vega said. Even if they didn't believe him and gave him no help, he'd find a way to get to Thailand, make the trek to Shadaloo himself, with whatever explosives he could acquire, and get it done. It might take a lot longer, but it'd be worth it.

"Is it really wise to send a person who's been professionally diagnosed with a psychotic disorder on an incredibly dangerous mission into the middle of a terrorist warzone?" Chun-Li said. She couldn't believe she even had to ask something like that. "He's delusional, he needs help. You're making it worse by telling him you believe him. Even if you guys, for some reason, think he knows where this vulnerability is, why wouldn't you just drone strike it or something? Why send him? Or anyone?"

"Drones are taken down the second they cross into Shadaloo controlled airspace," Guile said. "A small squad traveling on foot has a higher chance of success. But I'm with you on this. I think it's a mistake to make such a high-risk move based on what could just be delusions."

"I don't care if you believe me or not," Vega said. "If I don't do this, I'm as good as dead."

"No, we'll figure this out," Chun-Li insisted. "There's got to be a way, some kind of witness protection thing, I don't-"

"I know for a fact that there is no hiding from Bison. I've seen the efforts people have gone through to hide from him. Once you're a mark, it's over. This is my best opportunity."

She looked up at him, and he'd never seen her so desperate and sad before. Something about him, he supposed. He couldn't make her happy, only crush her further and further until nothing was left but a bitter husk. Just like-

In an instant, their world was spinning. The squeal of crumpling metal and cracking glass whirled around them as the car tumbled over sideways. For a split second they felt weightless before being briefly suspended against their restraints. Vega tried to cover his head but found it difficult to move as the car flipped over one more time, jerked suddenly to the right. Tire tread flew by his window, and something big and heavy was flung over the side of the bridge. Another jolt ran through the vehicle as they hit the concrete barrier, he closed his eyes waiting to feel his stomach drop as they careened into the water. But they didn't go over, instead wedged in the barrier, the front of the car pointing down. There was something churning in the water, one of the machines, he realized. He'd opened his eyes again just in time to see a piece of concrete slam into its head. Wasn't that lucky. He held his breath, feeling for all the world like the slightest bit of movement would dislodge the car and send them over the edge. The fall probably wouldn't kill them, but it certainly wouldn't be ideal. Then he remembered the other two machines and a small debate broke out in his mind over which was really the worse fate. "Well, shit," Guile breathed, slowly pushing back the deflating airbag.

"Is everyone okay?" Dorai asked.

"Peachy keen," Chun-Li muttered, though her voice made it plain that she was pretty shaken up.

Vega turned slowly to see the two remaining machines already closing in. Traffic had all but stopped behind them, only the most oblivious and persistent of motorists continuing on past the wreckage. They'd been launched into the opposite lanes, he realized.

"Okay," Guile said, taking another deep breath. "Count of three, everybody out." He looked back over his shoulder at the bizarre robot assassins, took another breath. "One." He unbuckled his seat belt, heard the others do the same. The car made an awful, whining noise at the movements. "Two." He put his hand on the door handle, hoping for all the world the car didn't start sliding over the bridge. "Three!" He pushed hard, jumped out, feet on solid ground. One step towards safety. The car groaned, slid forward, the force of the four of them jumping out at once being just enough to tip it. The back tires caught briefly on what was left of the barrier before the whole thing took a nosedive into the water below. Now it was just them and that other threat of certain death.

The machines spoke at once. "Casualties may be minimized if the target willfully submits to termination."

An ultimatum. Not really Bison's style. Maybe it was supposed to be some kind of joke. As if Vega cared if there were any casualties when his own life was at stake here. He certainly wouldn't surrender himself in order to save people he didn't even know. How long before police arrived? And would they be smart enough to put bullets in these things the moment they laid eyes on them, or would he have to take a severe beating first? He sighed angrily.

"Andres, don't," he heard Chun-Li say.

"We're kind of backed into a corner here," Guile said, glancing over the side of the bridge and into the water where the car still bobbed. He didn't know what to think of Andres just yet, finding his claims absurd. Chun-Li's explanation was obviously right. But then, how did he know so much about Shadaloo if he wasn't involved with them in some capacity? He had to have done something to get Bison's attention, to have him throwing resources at him like this, tearing up two different cities to find him. Whatever he knew, it had to be pretty valuable in Bison's eyes, so should he see it as a boon himself? Could he get Andres to spill whatever he knew, and would it be useful? The only way to be certain was to keep him from dying.

"Confirm your decision," the machines said.

Guile glanced over at the target in question. Andres made an obscene gesture at the machines and shouted "¡Vete al carajo!" Guile snorted and shook his head. Well, at least he had some gumption and wasn't a useless heap of tears and ineffectual begging right now. Though, he guessed, that might have been a more sensible reaction from someone who knew they might die.

The machines didn't bother with another request or comment. The first bolted towards them, planting a foot in the roof of a passing car who soon after slammed on their breaks. The second machine approached slowly, waiting for its turn. Vega knew there wasn't a very high chance of success here if the others ran off. If he were in their shoes, he definitely would have. Not his problem, not his fight, why bother? He ducked low under the first attack, metal fist slammed into his stomach, breath rushed out of his lungs. Another massive hand took him by the collar, he squirmed away from the knee that would've probably ruptured a kidney if it made its mark. He dropped low again, swept out a leg, the machine fell back. No real success. It flipped backward with one hand planted in the ground, stood upright again, and the second one met him before he could even regain his stance. He was on his back, saw it jump towards him. He rolled away left, regained footing just in time to miss a kick that would've shattered his ribs.

Chun-Li threw herself into the nearest machine, a roundhouse kick to its lower back. It reacted quickly, reached back and took her by the arm. She kicked high, getting it in the face with a sharp cry. It wavered briefly, losing its grip. Just like a person, she decided, the head was a vulnerable spot. It found its balance again, catching her in the back with a fist. She'd never been hit so hard in her life, thought for sure something must've broken as she stumbled forward. Dorai sprang into action. a flurry of lightning-fast kicks sometimes finding their marks. Many of them were blocked, the machine moving much quicker than any human he'd ever fought. Finally, it caught hold of his leg, shoving hard. He flipped back, landed on his feet, and dodged aside just in time to avoid being struck square in the chest.

Guile knew a one-sided fight when he saw one. Even with their advantage in numbers these machines were just too strong. A fist smashed into his arms held up to block, rattling his bones. Vega took that as a chance to strike, bringing his foot towards the tanden engine. In a flash it snatched his ankle, and one handed, threw him into Guile. The two collapsed to the street. Sirens sounded in the distance and for once that sound meant relief.

"Hadouken!"

The machine dashed away at the cry, and turned to find the source of it. Guile snorted at the sight of Ken in his wedding tux, the jacket discarded and the tie a little loose. Ryu was right on his heels in a similar state of readiness, threading his way through the stopped traffic. The machine returned the attack with its own imitation. The projectile struck the vehicle Ken had been standing in front of. The metal crumpled, the car rolled back, and the driver bolted at the next opportunity. Ken dove into action without another word, a hurricane kick taking on the attention of the first machine. The first kick struck, but by the second, it wrapped its arms around Ken's waist and slammed him into the pavement below. Ken would say it smarted, but he really meant it felt like his skull had been cracked open. Trying to focus, he wrapped his legs around the machine's thick neck and managed to flip it over onto its back.

Ryu tried to take a more conservative approach. He faked high and struck low, taking the machine in its stomach. It wobbled, but shoved a knee into his gut. Dorai took the opportunity, slamming his fist into the machine's head. It wobbled again, Chun-Li caught it in the side with a knee. It first grabbed Ryu, and threw him into Dorai. It trapped Chun-Li's leg against its side with an arm, used its free hand to take on her weight, and with one smooth motion, threw her at Ryu and Dorai. She cried out when she hit them, and they all fell in a pile to the pavement.

Sirens wailed nearer now. Vega tried to look for them, but was forced to deal with the immediate threat of death when the machine threw its fist at his head. His brains would've been scattered across all four lanes if he hadn't ducked. He struck out, knuckles meeting the whirring tanden engine. Not hard enough. It only paused for a split-second. Guile tried to get in one of his own powerful kicks, but the machine blocked, shoved, flipped him on his back. Ken came up from behind, jumping into the air, leg drawn back. It ducked away, and Vega covered his head and crouched just in time to miss being on the receiving end of Ken's attack. Vega was seized by the arm, iron grip unrelenting. Panic took over, and he drew a knee up desperately, slamming it into the tanden engine. The machine wobbled, but didn't let go. Another kick, no use. He saw Guile getting up. If the man didn't hurry, he'd be dead. His leg was grabbed, pinned against the machine's stomach, and wasn't this an awkward position to be in? He hopped on one foot, tried to yank his arm, then his leg, free, but failed. The machine let go of his arm, and its hand searched for his throat. He wriggled and squirmed, doing anything he could to avoid its deadly grasp. Some frantic idea took him, and he pushed off the ground with his free leg, getting it around the back of the machines neck, the other still trapped against its side, and he pushed with all he had. It hurt a lot, the awkward position doing him no favors, but he'd rather be in pain than dead.

The machine stumbled forward, Guile's foot met its face with a flash kick. Vega fell to the ground when it lost its grip on him. Unwilling to lose its mark, metallic fingers took him by the shirt, pinning him to the ground. A flying knee from Ken had it on its side. "Ruin my wedding, will ya? Oh, you don't even know-" The threat was interrupted when the machine took his feet out from under him.

"Police!" Guile managed to shout out. The cops had finally shown up, only two cars able to make it to the battlefield that'd broken out on the bridge. The rest were moving through stopped cars, some abandoned, some still holding curious spectators. But those weren't just normal cops, Guile noticed. Their uniforms weren't right. Guns were drawn and searching for a decent shot. Ken was seized suddenly by the neck, and held out as a human shield. He struggled, managing to get one arm free for a brief second before he was held tighter. The other took a second longer, getting Guile by the wrist and throwing him around to serve as a barrier between itself and the line of armed police.

"Surrender your weapons," they ordered in unison.

Ryu wasn't playing their game, and with a cry, threw himself at the nearest one. It fell, pinning Guile's legs beneath it. It was utter chaos, and the police wouldn't ever get a clear shot if they couldn't put some distance between themselves and these machines. Ryu tried to help Guile up, but a foot to his stomach sent him falling back. A shot rang out. The machine twitched and whirred, rolling uselessly on the ground beside Guile. It was left disoriented, motor skills completely obliterated by the bullet through its skull.

The other machine paid little attention to that, keeping an arm tight around Ken's throat. It saw the mistake its partner had made by ineffectively gripping its hostage and allowing him to escape. Ken tried to trip it up by swiping at the back of its legs with his feet, but ultimately failed. It detected the nearby heat signatures of its primary target's associates. The primary target was-

It didn't flinch because it didn't feel pain. Damage was detected, something sharp driving its way into its tanden engine. It lost control of its limbs, and Ken bolted at the first sign of weakness. It tried to turn to face its primary target, but a kick sent it to the pavement. Mission failure. It sent the message back to base, then began to compile a more detailed report before the primary target dropped a chunk of cement onto the processor in its head. Damage critical, system failure.

Vega studied the machine, listening as well as he could for the variety of hums and whirs the different parts made. Like the last gasps of a dying man. He felt blood in his mouth, on his fingers. Satisfied with the dead machine at his feet, he took a breath. He was quite used to being the center of a good deal of attention, but this situation made even him feel a bit rattled. At least a dozen armed and uniformed men were watching and approaching cautiously, shouting out orders for them to stay where they were. He couldn't count the number of cell phones pointed at them, recording the whole altercation. Traffic stretched back along the bridge in both directions. A helicopter could be heard, maybe belonging to some news channel, or more police. Finally, he saw her and her friends, all of them bruised and battered because they'd chosen to help him. Ken pushed himself to his feet, kicking the machine in the head for good measure. Guile was assuring Ryu he was okay. Dorai was playing damage control with the first cop that approached them, still demanding they stay still and keep their hands visible. Worst of all was Chun-Li, staring at him, some mix of horrified and shocked. A look that plainly said she didn't know who he was anymore. And he couldn't place why that made him feel ashamed.

thank you for everybody who is reading/reviewing. :)