"So …" Kenny couldn't quite believe it. This simple looking girl had reunited him with the only guardian he ever had in his life. She sat beside him on the stairs outside that led straight into the house. Cammy … that's what she called herself. Kenny had never heard of a name quite like it, until she explained that it was short for Camilla.
"It was no problem for me, really," she had said. "Cranky's mentioned you a few times before – I know what it's like to have a sibling, but I've never known what it was like to lose one. And Cranky thought he lost you. I felt like I had to do something to help him."
"I can't believe he actually thought I was dead. Everyone thought so." Kenny stared down at his feet, that dangled inches above the ground from the porch. "And you know what's more unbelievable … until Cranky showed up in Raccoon City, I didn't even know he existed."
Cammy nodded, understanding everything. "Memory wipe. Shadowlaw has a tendency to do that to its subjects."
"How do you …?"
"I used to work for them," she explained, "a really long time ago and did the same thing to me. They took me hostage, screwed me up in unimaginable ways … kinda like what they did to you. I was the first subject of the Doll Program. Shadowlaw took me and killed my family. They did the same thing to Wagner."
"And to me …" Kenny whispered in a barely audible tone. This corporation had a way with ruining lives, and they were good at it, it seemed. Kenny had always felt sorry for himself, like the world was against him, having his family taken from him when he was just a child, having gone through two memory wipes – one just before Cranky first found him half dead on the streets, and the other shortly proceeding the Mount Fuji explosion. But his troubles were just an item on Shadowlaw's list of ruined lives. It was overwhelming.
"I was the first Shadowlaw Doll, and you were the first Shadow Soldier," Cammy said. "Here we are, the icons of two of that company's technological advances now fighting against them. How ironic."
"Cammy …" Kenny said, looking into her eyes like he had a million words to say. She looked back into his and gave him a sweet half smile. Without warning, he leaned into her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and neck, pulling her gently into a hug.
"H…hey," she said, noticing his shoulder bob up and down with sobs, "what's wrong?" She rubbed her hand soothingly across his back, hoping to calm him.
"Nine goddamn years of looking out for myself," he replied, "that's what's wrong - with nobody to tell me who I was or where I came from … nobody to understand the kind of shit that followed me from place to place, no matter where I went, not knowing if there were people out there who gave two shits whether I was dead or alive. Nine fucking years of not knowing …"
And then she understood. Cammy had been through a severe case of amnesia herself, but she had people by her side, people to support her. Guile and Wagner were her pillar of strength as she came to terms with what she did under Shadowlaw's command. They were there to stop her from mixing in with the wrong crowd, to keep her on the right path, and even saved her from committing suicide. But Kenny's amnesia was more permanent, without any catalysts to get his memory going again. She couldn't imagine going through that kind of suffering, wondering night after night if there were people wondering if he was okay, if he had a set of parents, or at least someone to support him.
"But you always knew that Ken Masters cared enough to help you out, right?" Cammy offered, hoping something would make him feel better.
"I didn't even know his first name was Ken," Kenny replied. "I only knew him as Mr. Masters. Sure, the money helped, but that's all it was. Money."
"I can imagine how that must feel …"
"Sorry," Kenny apologized, pulling himself away. "That was probably a little uncalled for cause … we never really met and all. It's just that I never thought anybody else could even begin to grasp what it was like."
"You're not alone. You never were, either. The only difference between you and me is I knew who was responsible for fucking me over."
"And I guess I just wanted to thank you," he continued. "Had Cranky not come to Raccoon, I would probably be wandering the globe like I have been for the last couple of years, nowhere closer to discovering my past. But since coming back here, I learned there are people who actually give two shits about my well being – they actually want me alive. Chun Li, Uncle Ken, Ryu, Cranky … and it's because of you that I know. It was you that sent Cranky after me."
"Like I said," she continued, "it was no problem for me to do it. I knew you were his brother – blood relation notwithstanding. I ran across a few files mentioning a certain "Kenneth Feng" that I found odd since you were supposed to have died. So I did a little research and discovered that you were actually … you. And I knew Cranky would flip. Besides, I love Cr…" Cammy bit her lip. But she'd said enough for Kenny to understand.
"You have got to be fucking around!"
"Actually, we …" Cammy was starting to turn red.
"Aw, GROSS! I meant you must've been joking! But you mean you two … he … you … aw, that's the last thing I wanted to know!"
"Maybe this was a mistake," Cammy said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Well did you at least use protection?"
"Umm … not exactly …"
"He got you pregnant!"
"Kenny, please …"
"Are you serious!"
"Kenny, be quiet, please! Cranky doesn't know about this."
"But how long are you going to hide it from him? I mean, after seven months, you can deny it all you like but your protruding belly button will be crying out for some attention."
"It won't happen. I had a miscarriage."
"Oh …" There was a brief moment of silence, each person wondering what to say next. "You still haven't told Cranky about the miscarriage? Won't he be … uh … mad?"
"He would blame me for losing it, I know that much. But whatever the case, please promise me you won't utter a word to him about this."
"Geez … that's a pretty gutsy thing to do. But ok, you have my word. I won't tell him anything."
Their intimate conversation was suddenly interrupted with a very panicked Ryu practically bursting through the screen door, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Ken's in trouble," he announced. "We have to get going, now!"
XXXXX
For the next few minutes, no words exchanged, except for the few sentences that notified Wolfman and the others of Ken's situation. The colonel led the way to his parked vehicle just on the sidewalk, cooking in the late afternoon heat. Cammy and Cranky ran to their rented car, the former extracting her battle gear with shaky hands from the trunk consisting of orange fighting gloves and a scarlet beret.
It had been years since Cammy had last seen Ken. He came back into her life professing his love for her, only to find out that he was married when he'd told her that. It had taken Cammy awhile to get over the guy. She was just a teenager when she fell in love with him, and he was her first serious relationship, despite Guile's disapproval of the young man. But that was a good few years ago and Cammy had left Ken and the memories of him to gather dust. And now, with Cranky in her life, it was that much easier for her to leave it that way.
This was the last thing she expected. One minute they're talking about Shadowlaw and ways to get Wagner and Julian back from them. And the next, she finds out her first love that she hadn't spoken to in years is in trouble. And even more surprising, everyone seems to know him! There was no time for Cammy to express her confusion as she just found herself running through the house, nearly crashing through the delicate paper walls, dashing towards the front of the house and to the car.
Up in the car ahead, Ryu scrambled into the passenger seat, sweat pouring from his brows. Chun Li climbed in after him, shutting the door behind her just in time to close off access to the vehicle from Kenny, who was tagging along a few paces behind.
"Hey, what's the big idea!" he asked.
"We're going after your Uncle Ken," Chun Li replied, rolling the window down as Wolfman started up the car. "He needs our help right now, and you're staying here where it's safe."
"Oh, I don't fucking think so!" Kenny protested.
"We don't have time to argue about this." Kenny wasn't given an opportunity to say anything back. Wolfman pulled the car away from the curb and zoomed down the street, leaving Kenny angry and confused, in a cloud of dust.
"You guys aren't gonna play along with this stupid game, are you?" Kenny called out to Cranky and Cammy, who we just speeding off now.
"It's for the best," Cammy explained as they vanished into the distance.
Kenny was shocked, to say the least, that they had the audacity to just leave him here. He stood at the sidewalk, wondering where the last five minutes had disappeared to. It had all gone by so quickly and it seemed like he was the only one who didn't know what was going on.
He spent his whole life living on his own, feeding, bathing and clothing himself with the money his Uncle Ken gave him. For the last nine years he had only himself to rely on. He survived being pursued all by himself. And now that he was in safe, Special Forces hands, they were treating him like a child. Kenny was well aware that people his age normally went through this stage where they want to be treated like real adults. But in most cases, that's all they were – teenagers, taking everything they have for granted, talking back and rebelling to the parents that provide everything for them.
But Kenny never had any of those luxuries, or parents to tell him the difference between right and wrong. All he had was Cranky. His growing up was based almost purely on his own experiences and close brushes with death. After being absent from his life for so long, who did Ryu, Chun Li and Cranky think they were to suddenly decide what was too dangerous for him after everything he went through? Off all the sixteen year olds in the world, Kenny was the least deserving of the childish, rebellious teenager label everyone else was tacking on him.
Well he knew he could handle himself in a proper fight. The only reason he couldn't back at the Shadowlaw base was because he was still under the influence of whatever they drugged him with. But this was a different story. His mind was clear and his wounds had more or less recovered. He'd handled monsters from the moon, an American most wanted criminal the "Red Dragon" also known as Jake Cavanaugh, a zombie infested city … a few Shadowlaw agents would be a walk in the park. He knew the Street Fighters normally stayed in one of the hotels flanking the Osaka dome, and that was most likely where Uncle Ken was staying, and where the others were headed. It was too far to walk, but a taxi would work just as well. But where was he going to get the money?
There was a middle aged woman approaching, thick layers of makeup on her face in a failed attempt to cover up some facial wrinkles. She wore a business shirt and a knee length gray skirt, handbag slung over her right shoulder. Handbags were the easiest steal things from as they were kept away from the owner's body. It was a lot harder, Kenny guessed, for someone to feel a hand going through their bag than it would be their pocket.
"Sumimasen, obasan," he said, approaching the woman. "Ima wa nanji desu ka?" The time – it was always best to ask for the time. The victim would sometimes crane their neck, but always focus their attention on a watch or cell phone.
"Let's see …" the woman said, focusing on her watch. Kenny leaned just a little, pretending he was trying to see her watch right side up, as she twisted her wrist to help him get a better look. Their shoulders were almost touching as he slipped his hand quietly in the handbag, and pulled out the thickest foldable object he could find. "It's about five thirty in the evening."
"Well, thank you!" he said with a cheerful smile, his left hand behind his back. The woman looked over her shoulder as she walked away and nodded in acknowledgement. Kenny headed in the opposite direction and began inspecting his loot. It was a nice tanned wallet that looked like it was made from alligator skin. Opening it up, he found forty thousand yen in bills, and another five hundred in coinage. It was the equivalent of around forty American dollars, which wasn't bad at all. Heading out of the quaint neighborhood and onto the main street, Kenny kept his eye out for a cab to wave down.
XXXXX
Ryu crashed through the door leading to Ken's suite, despite Wolfman demanding that he calmed down. Ryu wasn't going to listen to some man he'd known for a few minutes to save the life of the man he'd developed a brotherhood with since the two of them were kids. Chun Li seemed to understand this as despite being a well respected official, she didn't call for him to stop. Either that or Chun Li wasn't entirely sure she could stop Ryu even if she tried.
Cammy and Cranky, having arrived just a few seconds later than the others were trailing behind by a few meters. Cranky looked at Cammy as the both of them sprinted through the hallway, her wide eyes worried and teary. That look of concern told Cranky everything. Ken Masters meant something to her. And that something was very intense – though he wasn't sure what kind of a bond existed between them, if any.
She'd worn that expression since they zoomed off in the car, leaving Kenny by the curb. He'd rubbed her shoulder on the way over, trying to convince her that everything would be alright. If this Ken Masters was the very same one Cranky remembered from nine years ago, then he would have absolutely no problem taking care of himself. Then again, this was Shadowlaw they were dealing with, and he suddenly found himself sympathizing with Cammy.
Ken's suite stunk with the odor of chemicals and a strange smoky substance lingered in the air, not enough to maim the visibility though. Ryu looked around the corner towards the kitchen – the sight was clear. To his right was a short corridor leading to one washroom and a bedroom – nobody was in there either. Further up ahead from the entrance, he could see that a battle had taken place. The luxurious sofa was a mess – the leather casing ripped, its foam contents littering the carpeted floor. The television set lay face down, shards of its once proud screen pointing skyward, threatening to stab into anything that would dare bear its weight downward.
"Ken!" Out on the balcony, cradling the limp body of a beautiful blonde woman was Ryu's childhood friend, his bare arms and face bleeding from multiple cuts, probably from the glass. He had his face pressed down into the woman's shoulder, who Ryu recognized as Eliza, Ken's wife, and his shoulders were shaking with repressed sobs.
Ryu approached Ken slowly, careful to avoid stepping on any large chunks of glass. He went down on one knee, putting his hand on Ken's shoulder and asked softly, "Are you okay?"
Ken looked up at his friend with a tear streak face. "S…she's not waking up," Ken said. Ryu took a look at Eliza, with her eyes closed peacefully as if she were asleep. A quick scan of her body revealed no blood – except for the droplets spattered on her white dress which looked like they came from Ken.
"She looks alright," Ryu noted, "but you should take a look at yourself. I think you might be more hurt than…"
"No!" Ken protested, cutting his friend off. "She took a hit during the fight, but I didn't see it."
"And it looks like you took a thousand more," Ryu continued. "I'll get Chun Li and Cammy to look after Cammy but we have you get to you a hospital."
"C…Cammy?" Ken asked, composing himself suddenly.
"Yes, Ken," she said, stepping into view from the doorway, "I'm here."
XXXXX
It had been hell trying to pinpoint Chun Li's location. Yun had to get clearance at Interpol's headquarters and get confirmation from Chun Li's closest co-workers as to who he was and if he was a threat to her safety. Fortunately, a few of them seemed to recognize him – and apparently she'd talked about him and Yang a few times too. Yun and Yang never got a chance to get to know Chun Li at a more intimate level, but they were different generations of Master Gen's students. It was nice to know she still cared about the old man, and the students of his that she never met. But now Yun wanted to meet her and he had to make up a little fib that he always looked up to the woman like a big sister.
After realizing who he was, the folks at the Hong Kong Interpol branch didn't seem to have any trouble spilling the beans on what Chun Li was up to. Had she been on official business, it would've been a lot harder to attain that information, regardless of who he was.
Yun now walked down a rural Osaka street, watching the small tile roof houses pass him by, looking for the address scribbled down on a piece of paper by one of Chun Li's co-workers. The sun was beginning to set in the early evening, as a gentle breeze swept through the baked environment, cooling the sweat on his skin. Yun removed his blue baseball cap with one hand and wiped at the sweat on his forehead with the other. He'd always wanted to come to Japan on a nice visit, but not under these circumstances.
And speaking of which, there was a distressed woman just a few feet away, digging through her handbag. She was sitting on the sidewalk, mumbling urgently to herself. Yun had to snicker at the badly applied make up until he got closer and realized it had been smeared all over her face from crying. He dashed valiantly over to where he sat and squatted down to meet her at eye level.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked, his voice full of concern. His Japanese was a little rusty, but he figured the lady could understand him.
"M…my purse," she sobbed, "it had everything in it – my money, my keys, government ID ... And I think it got stolen!"
"Have you reported it to the police?"
"I only noticed it was gone a few minutes ago …" she continued, "it must've been that boy who took it. I thought he was standing a little too close for a stranger …"
Yun felt his sympathetic smile harden into a grim frown. Master Gen had warned him about such people – kids who purposely made wrong decisions in their life and forced others to live with the burden of their decisions. And these people apparently weren't exclusive to Hong Kong.
"Which way did he go?" Yun asked the lady.
"Towards the main street," she replied, pointing further ahead. "I don't know if you can catch him, but I'll tell you what he looked like. He had a scratch on his cheek, as if he had just gotten into a fight. Short hair, cut and styled like an American, jet black and not dyed." She ran her hands over her head to provide a vague visual of what he looked like.
"Thanks," Yun said. "You just wait here, I'm going to find this guy for you."
"He might be long gone."
"He's five minutes away. I think I can catch up." With a smug smile on his face, Yun turned his back on the lady and sprinted down the street. He put his baseball cap back onto his head and pumped his arms faster as he ran. Yun hoped that the kid who stole the purse was still there, probably waiting for his ride or was heading back home to his alley. Yun had decided he would show no mercy. It was petty robbers and thieves that had taken the lives of his parents, putting the burden on raising Yun and his brother in Master Gen's hands. It wasn't until the brothers had grown up some more that they realized Gen had taken them under his wing without complaining and if he ever regretted it, he never showed it. Yun hadn't even gotten a chance to thank Master Gen for everything he did for them before his life was taken so suddenly. Yun life and circumstances were practically dictated by the actions of criminals. But now that he was alone, forced to live life without a mentor, he vowed to take down these people so they could never hurt anyone else again. And it would all start with this thief.
XXXXX
"I've called for an ambulance," Chun Li informed, hanging up the phone and placing it back on the dresser where it originally was before they found it off the hook and beeping like there was no tomorrow. "I've checked for any sign of damage on Eliza, as instructed by the operator, but I can't find anything wrong with her. It looks like she's just in shock from the sudden attack."
"That's good to hear," Ken said, wrapping a blanket around himself as he sat at the dining table, having been recently cleared of the remains of a once proud flower vase. "So Cammy," he said, turning his attention to the other woman who was once so important to him in his life. "What brings you about?"
She sat across the table from him, her arms folded as she looked downward, desperate to avoid eye contact with him. It had been so long since they last spoke, and they hadn't left on the best of terms. She had been so eager to come and see him and now that he was here, right in front of her, she couldn't find the right words to say to make this reunion perfect.
"I came to see you." Shit! She bit her lip – that was definitely far from perfect. Cammy would've liked to settle for a "fuck you, you cheating liar," but realized the same could've been said about Cranky. Ken had told Cammy so long ago that he loved her – and conveniently failed to mention his WIFE! The same woman that he held minutes ago in his arms, sobbing over her unconscious body. If he truly loved Eliza and cared about her so much, why in the world would he go back to her all those years ago? No … Cammy forced herself out of this hormone driven rage. She was aware this was a long time ago, when she was in a different phase in her life. She thought she left those feelings far behind but seeing Ken helped them back out again – not something she had anticipated. And Ken, he had been younger too, a mere boy as much as Cammy had been a little girl. No doubt he had grown up into a man since they'd last met.
"Still having trouble getting this handsome face outta your mind, eh?" Ken asked with that cocky smile that Cammy used to melt for. But now she felt nothing but anger and had half a mind to put a permanent hand print on his face.
"We have no time for personal talk," Chun Li said, coming between the two of them. "Somebody attacked you, Ken. And no doubt Shadowlaw is behind this. You must give us a description of this character, and any other useful aspects you might have noticed. Anything unusual?"
"Yeah," Ken said, shooting a glance at Cammy. "It was Julian."
XXXXX
Cammy's blue eyes went wide as she tried to understand what Ken had just told her. But to her, it was impossible to understand. Of all the people to break in here like this and attack Ken and his wife this viciously … Julian would be the last one on earth! She looked around at the damage done to the hotel suite. Julian was certainly strong enough to do this much damage, alright. But perhaps Ken was mistaken? There was just no way …
"I know," Ken said, as if reading her thoughts, "I couldn't believe it either when he first showed up. I was so happy to see him, but then he did this …"
"Ken, are you sure?"
Ken nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line on his face, "there's not a doubt in my mind. It's been a few years since I've seen him – but that was him."
"Then you need to give us as much information on this individual as possible," Chun Li said, interrupting their conversation with her stone cold voice. "What ties does he have to Shadowlaw?"
"None," Ken replied. "In fact, he hates those bastards."
"Perhaps you were misinformed?"
"No!" Ken insisted. "I went through hell with Julian. And if I know anything about the man, it's his hatred for Shadowlaw."
"That doesn't explain his willingness to work for them – and what he just did to you."
"I may have an answer," Cammy piped up reluctantly, raising her hand. "It might sound a little far-fetched initially, but considering Shadowlaw, it just might make sense."
"There is nothing far-fetched about Shadowlaw," Chun Li said, "I know no limits to their sadism. So then, out with it."
"Julian might have been brainwashed."
"That's ridiculous!" Ken cried. "This is real life, Cammy, not some science fiction novel!"
"Really? Is what they did to me ten years ago all fiction to you?" Ken was silenced, but Cammy didn't take any time to savor her minor victory. She returned her attention to Chun Li. "It's the most likely scenario I can think of."
"I don't get it," the Interpol Detective said, rubbing her chin in deep thought. "I know Shadowlaw has performed brain washing before. But I thought such technology was only reserved for individuals with exceptional performance abilities. I mean, that's the whole point of the Street Fighter tournament, isn't it? To find warriors powerful enough for Shadowlaw's terrorist acts?"
"Yes," Cammy continued, "They've done it to me and twelve other girls they deemed worth of their Doll Program. And you probably remember when you were under the influence of the Shadow Technology, Detective." Chun Li nodded. "And I don't think Julian is an exception."
"I don't know how good of a warrior he is," Chun Li said, "but what I want to know is how they deemed him worthy of going through the trouble to brainwash him when he wasn't even in the Street Fighter circuit. Let's not just assume that your suggestion is the answer. I want to look into this more before making any judgment calls."
"Whatever happened to Julian, it definitely wasn't him who walked in here," Ken mumbled.
"But you just said …"
"I mean, physically, yeah, it was him. But the way he acted – it wasn't! He had these cold, emotionless eyes, like he didn't care he could've killed two people, let alone me and Eliza."
"He's killed before, Ken," Cammy said softly.
"Not unless he had no choice."
"Well just recently he kill my ba…" she clamped her mouth shut, realizing it had almost slipped out. This was the second time she'd made that mistake, letting someone know about miscarriage. It felt so good to let out, but she realized that doing it too often would eventually cause the word to get back to Cranky. And she'd already been stupid enough to leak it to Kenny, Cranky's brother who was close to him, of all people!
"What did he do to you, Cammy?"
"Nothing, just forget about it," she said, waving him off with her hand and a stern tone. Ken decided not to pursue the matter.
"Regardless of what Julian's motives were," Chun Li said, "there's no denying the fact that he came here and attacked you and your wife. Your fortune and your talents have made you a famous man, Mr. Masters. You travel all over the world with your beautiful wife. I can think of a number of groups who would like a piece of what you've got. Shadowlaw just happens to be the only organization capable of taking it. There's no telling what they're up to and how they Julian to do what he did. But we need to get to the bottom of this."
XXXXX
Kenny had no idea what had hit him at first. He was walking along the street, checking out the stash of money he'd found in the wallet, digging thoroughly through any hidden pockets of the purse to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Aside from a few credit cards, membership cards and receipts, forty five hundred yen was all he was able to find.
He passed a metal mesh garbage can and paused – wondering if it was right to discard the rest of the wallet's contents. Cranky had taught him to discard everything but the cash, but Kenny never felt right about it. After all, these pieces of plastic represented who the victim was – with names, homes and lives, more than just their financial situation. As a thief, they were completely worthless to Kenny, but he had always been certain that if the money was gone, at least they had their identity returned to them. Having his own credit card supplied by Mr. Masters also helped him come to this realization. And he vowed never to discard somebody's ID again. He now realized the danger of leaving one's identity out for the world to see.
Kenny had the purse in his hand, open for his prying eyes. He looked at the mouth of the garbage can, looking at the flies circling the rim, licking up the remains of dried coffee and juice, and pocketed the wallet. He should've taken some money out from the bank machines from his own account. But thievery so was much more convenient.
"Nothing I can do about it now," he said to himself. "I'll just make sure to return this when I've got the time."
Then something collided with his cheek, sending him towards the pavement at dangerous speeds. Kenny tucked into a shoulder roll, cushioning the impact, but held the side of his face with one hand. He could barely see out of one eye as it stung so badly, his tears were blocking his vision. Out of his good eye, he could see a young man, around his age, looking very angry with a hand curled into a vicious fist.
"Who the hell …?" he asked, but the other youth gave no reply and jumped towards him, ready to kick out his leg to strike Kenny in the face.
Kenny dodged again and collided with the garbage can, nearly knocking the thing over. As the other youth landed from his failed strike, Kenny threw himself onto his back, wrapping his arms around his head in a sleeper hold. The assailant elbowed him one, two, three times in the ribs, forcing Kenny to let go. Before he could recover from the rib blows, the boy threw a right hook into Kenny's face, but was successfully blocked by a single arm.
"So that's how you like to fight!" Kenny spat blood as he spoke. "Attacking people with their backs turned!" He launched into a side kick, catching the other boy just under the chin. Kenny thought his opponent would've been thrown off balance by the force behind the strike, but expertly caught himself in mid-air and landed softly, hinting at some form of long term martial arts training.
"Someone who picks on old ladies deserves no better!" The youth ran towards him again, fists out by the sides of his body, ready to be used if Kenny chose to retaliate. Kenny tried remembering the survival skills he'd learned off Cranky. If the opponent was larger and stronger than you, there was no use wasting energy fighting when that energy could be used to escape.
Looking at this strange boy, he looked to be Kenny's age and size, with a little more bulk. He couldn't have been more than thirty pounds heavier – and Kenny could handle thirty extra pounds. But perhaps it would've been better to escape? The answer was quick. No. This guy had a runner's build and would likely catch him quickly, especially with Kenny's smoker endurance. There was no choice but to engage in battle.
"And who the hell do you think you are!" Kenny shouted, running at the other boy. The both of them looked like they were about to fight to the death, running at full speeds towards each other, both boys with aggression written all over their faces, their tense bodies, the perspiration running down their faces. Kenny was the first to jump, turning his body in the air, head over heels, aligning his body so that it was parallel to the ground.
He shot out his feet and used his heels as a vice grip, grabbing the boy 's neck with his heels. Using the momentum gained from the jump, Kenny used that energy to help turn his body into a mid-air roll, flipping the other boy upside down, sending him into the ground head first.
But his opponent had impressive reflexes, cushioning his fall with his palms before his head could hit the pavement. He bounced off his arms and landed on his feet with Kenny absolutely floored that someone had neutralized his scissor throw.
"Not bad," the boy said, "but you have no idea who you're messing with."
"You boy scouts are a joke," Kenny scoffed.
"The name's Yun," he said with a smug smirk, "one half of the Twin Dragons."
"What is that, some kind of junior hockey team?"
"I'll show you junior!"
Yun threw a left hook this time, one that Kenny deflected with his right forearm. Yun had expected such retaliation and drove his right knee into Kenny's midsection, causing him to double over. Yun grasped one fist with his other and prepared for a double fisted overhead smash aimed for between Kenny's shoulder blades as he fought to catch his breath.
But Kenny would have none of it. Yun's reflexes were impressive but Kenny's own fighting had been refined after years on the streets, lashing out with a right hook to Yun's chest, a spinning back fist to his cheek, and a devastating uppercut to his jaw for a three hit combination attack.
"And apparently, you don't know just who you're dealing with, either!" Kenny shouted, the testosterone pumping through his system. "I've lived through everything from petty thieves," a sharp kick to Yun's side as he lay on the ground, "to the Raccoon disaster," another kick, "and to Shadowlaw!" He finished with a kick to Yun's head who was barely able to stop the strike.
"What the hell's going on!" someone yelled. Kenny looked up and saw that a few vehicles had slowed down on the side of the road, even stopped to watch the fight unfold. It just occurred to him that his little commotion with Yun had attracted a lot of attention. He had no idea who had been watching, what they saw, and for how long, but it was likely that someone had called the authorities by now. He looked around nervously, and back at Yun who had already picked himself off the ground, looking just as lost and confused as Kenny was, and the pair decided to split.
XXXXX
Cranky was leaned back in a nice wicker chair on the hotel restaurant's patio. He was thankful for the brief chance of peace as he stared at the sun, the bottom of the orb just dipping below a distant mountain chain. He'd excused himself from Ken's suite as Chun Li sat Cammy and Ken down and prepared for an investigation. There wasn't much left for him to do after the paramedics wheeled Ken's wife over to the hospital. Besides, he had the feeling there were some things Cammy and her childhood sweetheart needed to talk about and more than ever, he wanted to be out of the awkward situation. She was his now, and that was all that mattered.
And then Juli walked by.
They made eye contact, recognizing each other in the same instant. Cranky could feel his face betray him as it lit up into a beaming smile. He couldn't help it – he was genuinely happy to see her, even after what he did. But she had a much different reaction. Her deep brown eyes broke their contact with his, looking down at the pavement beneath her high heels trying to hide the sad look on her face, but Cranky noticed it.
"Juli, wait," he said, but that only caused her to walk faster. She left him no choice. He leapt out of the chair, off the patio and onto the lush green grass to catch up to her. He grabbed her by the elbow and with a little force, turned her around to face him. "I have a lot of explaining to do."
"Don't bother," she said softly.
"Well I want to."
"I don't want to listen."
"That's a lie."
She finally looked at him in the eye, but with a hateful glare Cranky never thought a sweet, quiet girl like Juli was capable of producing.
"We were objects, Cranky," Juli said, "Cammy and I. Empty shells made of flesh and bone used to serve a sadistic human being who sincerely believed he was some kind of deity. After the Doll Program's termination, we were set free to rebuild out lives and my God, it was a difficult process. I'm so happy to see that you can appreciate her for the woman she is. But me … I might as well have still been a doll as far as you're concerned. And don't even think for a second I'm going to let someone be another Lord Bison to me."
"It was a mistake!" Cranky insisted. He had never felt this low in his life, not even when he was just a teenager stealing money from old ladies. Juli spoke with such intensity, such genuine pain. She wasn't yelling at him like Cammy had been. At least with her, he knew he was getting the punishment he deserved. But Juli was extremely hurt on an emotional level, so much that it sucked all the strength out of her physically, and he could see it all in the reserved way she stood, rarely looking at him, holding herself in her arms – like she was afraid he would hurt her even more he elaborated on his motivations for cheating.
"Oh …" Juli nodded her head slowly, as large drops fell from her eyes. "I was your mistake."
"…No, that's not what I meant."
"This is why I didn't want to listen to what you had to say."
"You were NOT a mistake," Cranky insisted.
"How could I not have been? By no choice of my own, I became the other woman, Cranky! I was the home wrecker!" She was breathing so heavily, she might as well have been suffocating. "Here I was hopelessly in love with a man who didn't tell me he was taken! And what's worse … I was just a damn doll to you …" She was trembling now, her usual porcelain face now beet red with sadness and anger. She tried regaining her composure but her body wouldn't co-operate, not until it had cried out its new stock of tears.
"Juli, come have a seat," Cranky said, taking her gently by her shoulders, leading the broken girl back to where he was sitting. "I'll get you a coffee."
She wasn't resisting him, but she didn't exactly want to do it either. "Why are you doing this?" she asked through sobs. "Don't act like you care if it's not genuine."
XXXXX
"Good news, Kenny's back and well thanks to Delta Red's efforts."
Guile nearly steered off the road in shock as Chun Li uttered those words over the phone. Though she delivered the news in a cold, professional fashion, Guile could sense the excitement under her voice.
"That's fantastic, Chun!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe you were right this whole time! Kenny really is alive … although I'd still like to figure out how."
"I told you," she said, and this time, he could've sworn she was wearing a smug smile judging from her tone.
"Has he said anything about Wagner?" Guile asked, the concern for his son showing through.
"Apparently, he was imprisoned in the same cell as Wagner," Chun Li replied. "And according to Kenny, Wagner was nearly successful and busting the both of them out of captivity. The last Kenny saw of him, he was alright. Although I'm not sure what could've happened since then."
"We can only hope for the best," Guile said, aware that there was little Chun Li could say to ease his worries about Wagner. "So Kenny's okay … I suppose that's what Wolfman wanted to tell us when he called us over to his host residence. Sorry I couldn't make it – I had to make a report back home to the American Embassy and let the Air Force know when I'll be headed back to work. What a vacation this is turning out to be."
"It's okay," Chun Li assured him, "there was no way we could've anticipated Wolfman's call. I was lucky I was able to make it."
"Are you guys still there?" Guile asked. "I got the message and I've got the address written down and I'm just headed over there right now."
"Actually, you might want to turn around and head on back to the hotel," Chun Li suggested. "There's been attack on Ken Masters and we're checking out the situation right now. I'm phoning you from the suite."
"What!" Guile exclaimed, his second major surprise in one phone call. "Is anybody hurt?"
"Ken's hurt pretty badly but he refuses to admit it. His wife, Eliza Masters has been taken to the hospital for a thorough checkup, but the paramedics think she'll be fine. We're investigating the incident right now, and apparently, the assailant was a friend of Ken's. His name is Julian Marquez."
"That's odd …" Guile said. He wanted to rub his chin in thought, but realized he would have to either drop the phone in one hand, or release the steering wheel with the other – neither of which would've been smart. "Julian is Ken Master's friend, and was reported missing along with Wagner. Oh God, do you think they could've done something to his psyche? And if that's true maybe they did the same thing to Wagner …"
"Now let's not jump to conclusions," Chun Li said. "We don't know anything about Wagner yet. Right now, the most accurate information we can get on his status comes from Kenny. And he hasn't said anything about …"
"There's no way anything else could've happened, unless they decided to kill him, Chun. And quite frankly, I don't know which one I'd rather have."
A commotion at the side of the street caught Guile's eye. He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to pull over. Perhaps being an experienced street fighter, the energy of a fight had some kind of gravitational pull on him. "Chun Li, I gotta go," he said, closing the phone without even waiting for another word from her. A group of various automobiles had pulled over along a small stretch of sidewalk, with a wmall crowd of spectators watching some kind of event going on. Guile pulled up the car and got out, immediately hearing the grunts and groans of a brawl.
"Excuse me," he said pushing himself through the mass of people. It was strange – nobody even bothered to step in and break it up. They just stood there, watching with mild interest, some of them showing a hint of fear on their faces. When Guile got to the center of the group, he could see that it was two young teens brawling viciously. "What the hell's going on!" he cried in his most authoritative tone, trying his best to imitate his drill instructor from days long gone by.
The two boys looked up at him but only for a split second. But it was the expression of the second boy, the one farther away from Guile that caught his attention. The face – it was too familiar. Like the one in the photograph that Guile kept in his wallet? Kenny! He was here! Guile tried to say something but the kids sped off without another word, another punch.
They scurried through the crowd of people, pushing their way through. Given Guile's massive size after years of training with the American military, he just shoved his way through the little Japanese people, trying to catch up to Kenny. But from the distance, Guile could see a group of police vehicles pull up to corner the kids, with sirens blaring, stirring up the cool evening air.
Guile caught up to Kenny and seized him by the collar of his shirt, picking him up off the ground with one arm as the youth yelled in protest. The other boy ran up ahead, only to be stopped by the police officers as they got out of their vehicles, yelling at him in Japanese that Guile could not understand.
"What the hell do you want!" Kenny cried, noticing that the officers had seized Yun, and were now headings towards him and Guile. "You gotta let me go, I've gotta get somewhere!"
"I don't think so," Guile replied. "I think you're in trouble with the cops and the only way you're getting get out of this is if you come with me."
Three pudgy officers, red faced and sweaty approached Guile, yelling something incomprehensible to the veteran airman.
"I'm so-rry," Guile said, speaking slowly. "I no speak-y Japanese!" He realized he must've sounded stupid, but he would try whatever he could to get his point across.
"They want you to let me go and identify yourself," Kenny explained.
"Oh …" Guile set Kenny on the ground and dug his hands into his camouflage pants, extracting a wallet that Kenny eyed like a hawk. Judging from the quality leather and the gold embossed logo, it definitely looked worthy of taking just for the wallet itself!
"Colonel William Guile of the American Air Force," he said, flipping it open showing them his badge for a good few seconds as they inspected it curiously. The officers looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what Guile was showing was a legal document from the American government.
"Kare ga America no munjiteki no daihyousha desu," Kenny translated. He looked back at Guile and nodded.
"Tell them that you are under the protection of the American Military," Guile said, "and if they have any inquiries to take their concerns straight to the American Embassy. And give them my ID number."
"Which one is it?" Kenny asked.
"It's on the bottom of the identification."
The exchange went pretty smoothly, and Kenny had to admit, he wasn't sure the Japanese authorities would've let him go that easily, especially when his name was probably a regular occurrence in their incident files from way back in the day. Then again, it had been awhile since he's ended up in their records – nine years to be exact, nine years that he spent in the States. Not to mention he was officially dead according to their records …
"Thanks," he said, accompanying Guile back to the car. "I appreciate what you've done for me, but I've gotta get going, seriously."
"What are you even doing here?" Guile asked. "I thought you'd be safe somewhere instead of out in the open where anyone working for Shadowlaw could spot you and decide to finish the job they started on you."
"They tried to keep me cooped up in that house," Kenny explained. "But I wouldn't have it. I mean, something just happened to my Uncle Ken, and everyone just left me in that house while they went off to investigate."
"Who do you mean by 'they'?"
"Chun Li, Ryu, Cranky, Cammy, and Wolfman. And I want to get over there and see how Uncle Ken's doing."
"They must've left you here for a pretty good reason."
"Don't bring me back," Kenny requested. "Please, I have to know what's going on over there. I swear I won't get in the way of the investigation."
Guile sighed outwardly. "Fine. Just stay away from the off limit zones. Go hang out in the cafeteria and eat something, or do whatever. Okay?"
"Swear to God."
XXXXX
"You were not just a doll to me," Cranky explained, watching Juli's eyes, hoping they would rise from her coffee cup to meet his. "You are a woman. And don't let yourself believe otherwise."
"And what is a woman to you?" she asked.
"A woman …" Cranky sighed. It was his turn to be defeated, staring blankly at the black surface of the patio table, taking in the elaborate patterns of the darkened wood. That's what he felt like inside, just a dark hole where his answers for Juli should've been. "You were there when I needed someone," Cranky explained, "and I'll always be thankful for that. I was down and … well, you picked me up."
"You haven't answered my question."
"A woman is someone to love."
"No," Juli said. "Men don't love women. Men love the person that a woman is. Now, lust … men lust for women. Do you agree?"
"Yes."
"So which picked you up when you were down?" she continued inquiring. "Was it Juli the person, or the empty shell of a Shadowlaw doll?"
"I …" Cranky didn't know what to say. She was cutting to the chase. Juli knew exactly how she wanted him to respond, and was expertly setting up the question so the way he delivered his answer was unavoidable.
After the chance for him to respond had gone by, Juli decided to give up. She knew what his answer would be, and with every silent second that ticked by, she became surer of it. "Let me tell you what I loved," she said, leaning closer to him. "I loved Craig Crankurt. As a man, he could've been better at satisfying me. But as a person, he didn't need to. It had already been done."
Ouch. Juli had dissed him and exalted him in one sentence. He couldn't figure out what to say next. But Juli wasn't finished yet.
"I'm glad I was able to help you," she said, pushing her chair back as she shouldered her handbag. "But I know that you love Cammy. Love is a powerful thing alone, and even stronger when it's going both ways. That's why what you have with Cammy needs to be preserved, and my one way feelings need to be buried. There will be less to lose that way."
"Don't say that …" Cranky said, but his words were ignored.
Juli leaned down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. But Cranky was too busy feeling guilty to even take notice of it. He didn't want her to call it quits like that. He was happy with Cammy, but if Juli ever left, he would never be complete. He established that way back in England, before leaving for Raccoon to visit Kenny, and he intended it stayed that way. But ever since revealing his cheating to both girls, things started dwindling down from there. He wanted to avoid losing anyone he cared about. But was it his fault that he cared for them both? Did he even care for Juli if he was willing to let her walk away like this? He didn't know anything right now. Though he tried to understand, he couldn't come to terms with what was happening as he sat frozen in shock. Was she really calling it quits with him?
Juli's lips parted with Cranky's coarse stubble on his cheek, and she smiled. "As hard as I know it'll be, I will move on with my life. And as excruciating as it will be, I will get over you. At the very least, these painful experiences will serve as a constant reminder of my humanity … that I am NOT just a doll. Thanks for showing me that at least. I will never forget you, Cranky."
She said no more and headed off. The last sight of Juli that Cranky saw was her dark silhouette, highlighted by the final, orange rays of the sun as it prepared to hide behind the mountains. Cranky buried his face in his hands and for the first time for as long as he could remember, he cried.