The sun was setting by the time the Delta Red back up helicopter arrived on the tournament grounds. Bright rays of orange and red bathed the landscape with its brilliant hues against the silhouette of the exotic domes and pillars of the destroyed Thai temple. The chopper's blades, pounded the air in a loud, deep rhythm, kicking up a powerful gusts of wind and dust into the air.
The day was over and with it, Shadowlaw's looming threat. Akuma had retreated, Bison was eliminated, Shadowlaw's base sat it ruins, the bodyguard panel dispersed and nowhere to be found. But unlike the Alpha tournaments, there were no deaths, no missing fighters - the first true happy ending any of the Street Fighters could remember. They stood together, victorious against the cooling air as the sweat slowly began dissipating from the surface of their skins. Around them, the bodies of the unconscious spectators began coming to. Slowly, as each of them rose from their unconscious states, it was clear that they had only one thing on their minds.
"Where is the champion? Where is Ryu?"
Ken looked into the distance, toward the direction of the setting sun, shielding his eyes from the glare and spotted a lone figure walking towards the horizon, duffel bag slung over his shoulder and away from the arena grounds and into the tropical wilderness. He couldn't help but smile. "Take care, old friend," he whispered. "The fight is all." As soon as the aircraft had touched down, Cammy leapt out of the cabin and into Cranky's waiting arms. Once upon a time, it would have been him that she would have run to, but now, considering everything they had been through, it was only fitting that Crankurt now had taken his place as Cammy's protector.
His thoughts were interrupted suddenly, as he registered a force barreling towards him from his peripheral vision.
"Ken!" The woman ran towards his, arms outstretched. Her blonde hair flapped behind her as she ran to him, tears streaming out from the corners of her eyes. Ken was slightly winded from the force of her body crashing into his with a violent embrace. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders and hugged him like she never wanted to let go.
"Oh, Eliza," Ken said, returning the embrace. He stroked the back of her head, his thumb travelling down a short lock of her hair. He kissed her on the head, breathing in the scent of her hair. "What are you doing here?"
She cried into the crook of his neck. "I came here to find you," she said, "so we could be together." Ken's heart sank. Although she had accompanied him to the initial tournament fights in Osaka, she had not joined him for his final battle in Thailand. He realized then that she must have been watching the fights remotely, and when Akuma came and destroyed the base with his mere presence, Eliza had been cut off completely, not knowing whether or not Ken was all right. Truth was that he was very much in danger. But the way she held on to him now in a death grip of an embrace, the way she cried into him with relief, he realized it was probably better that she didn't know. He didn't know how she had got here from Japan, but something told him that upon seeing the tournament feed cut out, Eliza had fought by hook or by crook, to get herself here, in front of him.
Now.
And suddenly, any residual feelings he might have had for Cammy dissipated into the humid Thai air. His heart melted at the realization and the request popped from his lips, something that he'd been wanting to ask her for a long time but didn't know how to do it. He had thought about it, dreaming up of every scenario possible, but it never came. It was only now that he realized, after everything, now was the right time.
"Eliza ..." he whispered into her ear, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please marry me."
Katarina Feng stood alone, a single solitary porcelain figure wrapped in what remained of her lab coat - its frayed edges blowing gently in the evening wind. She watched the rest of the group reunite, helping each other to their feet, embracing, and crying into each others' shoulders. She looked gingerly to her left, then to her right and as expected, nobody was standing beside her. She'd heard the term before, but now was the first time she truly understood what being alone in a crowd felt like - and the realization was suffocating. It gripped her insides, making it difficult to breathe. The two people that meant the most to her were no longer there; Vega, the man she thought she loved ... the man she still loved ... having savagely betrayed her. Or perhaps she was too blinded by her love for the man who could only ever love himself, to see his true colors. And Aaron, her twin brother ... murdered by the men Vega sent after them, men working for the same organization she had devoted her life to.
She balled her hands into two white-knuckled fists trembling at her sides, forcing herself not to cry. Katarina knew this was what she deserved. She knew Shadowlaw was an evil organization but her success in her work elated her enough to turn a blind eye to their misgivings. And pride - it was the deadly sin that she allowed herself to get swallowed up by, and now stood here, alone repenting in rags while everyone else around her hugged and cried in relief for each other, displaying such acts of love she would never know, just out of arms reach.
"Hey."
The voice snapped Katarina out of her thoughts, and she quickly rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes and looked up at the man who had approached her unnoticed while she was in the midst of her darkest thoughts. It was the fiery haired man who stood before her, eyes expressing the deepest of sympathy. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, sniffing back more tears, trying to compose herself for present company.
"Hey," Katarina replied back, unsure of what else to say. After all, he was the one who came to her, so she let him continue.
He reached around his head, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I ... I'm not good at this comforting thing," he admitted sheepishly, "but I just want you to know that ... well ..."
"If you have something to say, Crankurt," Katarina said, getting impatient with him, "just say it. Your pity is making it worse."
"I know what it's like to lose a brother," Crankurt finished.
Katarina's impatience grew into confusion. She glanced over at Kenny a few paces away, embracing Killer Bee in a tight hug. "He looks perfectly fine to me," she said, nodding towards him.
Crankurt looked over his shoulder to Kenny as she did so, smirked, and then turned back around to face her. "I believed he was dead," he elaborated. "But an angel brought him back to me ... an angel who I hope I will spend the rest of my life with."
The confusion was ever more apparent on Katarina's exotic Asian features now, as she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you talking about Killer Bee?"
"Her name is Cammy," Crankurt said, almost defensively, but then shook his head. "But this isn't about her, it's about you. You may have lost your brother ... but you still have one who needs you."
Katarina understood what Crankurt was trying to get at. As lonely as she felt, he understood completely. And he was trying to convince her that the loneliness from her loss didn't need to be. Kenny was still there. He looked at her and gave her a warm smile.
"Do you think ..." Katarina began, not knowing how to phrase her question, "Kenneth and I ..."
He took her hand in his, and placed his other on her opposite shoulder - a gesture that comforted Katarina greater than she had expected. All of a sudden, just like that, she had someone by her side - and she didn't realize it, but leaned her head against his chest and let him take the lead, walking her towards Kenny and Killer Bee. "I'll introduce you," he whispered into her ear.
Kenny was animatedly retelling a story to Killer Bee. His hands flailed in the air as he spoke quickly, punctuated by a swift punch, or roundhouse kick. She stood facing him, one arm folded cross her torso, the other propped up at the elbow as she chewed on a nail, laughing tearfully at his words too hard to squeeze in a verbal response of her own.
But the jovial atmosphere dissipated just like that upon Katarina's arrival. Killer Bee stopped laughing and took her attention off Kenny, and onto Katarina with a fierce expression, ready to engage Katarina in combat if she tried anything funny. She took Kenny by the shoulder and pulled him closer to her.
Sensing the sudden tension, Crankurt jumped in to quickly diffuse it. "It's alright, she's just here to make amends." But his words didn't ease Kenny's or Killer Bee's postures. "Let him go, Cammy," he said gently. "Katarina just wants to meet her brother."
Killer Bee hesitantly released her hold on Kenny's shoulders. "We fought," she stated simply, nodding at her. "I've seen what she can do."
Katarina ignored the bitterness in her words, focusing her efforts on her younger sibling instead. "God, you look just like Aaron," she whispered to Kenny, holding a hand to her mouth in shock. And it was true - the way his lips were pressed into a thin line, the high cheekbones and narrow eyes, furrowed brows, the way his shoulders heaved up and down like he was ready for a fight - and she didn't care that the hostility was directed at her because for a moment, however brief, it was like Katarina's twin brother was still alive. But her words only cause Kenny to twitch, like she had deeply insulted him.
She reached out to hug him, but Kenny blocked her with his forearm, as if she had intended to strike him instead. He swung his arm downwards, throwing her hands back with momentum, crushing any intention Katarina may have had for an embrace. She recognized it in his expression as she had seen it before, on another face - his actions were meant to her hurt, but not physically. And it had worked. The loneliness returned once again, tenfold.
"No," Kenny said, adding insult to injury.
The look on Crankurt's face told Katarina that he too, was surprised by the retaliation Kenny displayed. A mix of anger and confusion crossed his features. "Kenny, she's just trying to ..."
"I said, no!" he repeated more firmly this time, this time directing it at Crankurt. Kenny shot him a glare, daring Crankurt to challenge him.
"Do you know who she is?" Crankurt interjected. Katarina didn't know what she had done to earn his sympathy, but she deeply appreciated the fact that he was here now speaking on her behalf - to say the words that she wanted, but didn't have the strength to. "She's your family."
"YOU'RE my family," Kenny insisted angrily, throwing Crankurt's words back at him. He stabbed an accusing finger at Katarina. "All SHE did was create this!" He motioned to the destruction surrounding them. "She, and her brother!"
"Yes, but ..."
"Stop talking, Cranky," Killer Bee advised harshly, pulling Kenny behind her, understanding exactly what he was saying. "Think hard about what you're saying to Kenny before you blurt it out. You've never been victimized by Shadowlaw. And neither has Katarina. More than that, she's the aggressor. She's nothing like us, whether or not she's turned a new leaf."
True to her name, Killer Bee's words had stung both Crankurt and Katarina herself. He removed his hands from her shoulders but still stood rooted to the spot, his posture deflated. She then turned to Katarina, speaking bluntly, careful to avoid any personal attacks.
"If you have truly had a change of heart, Yellow Hornet," she said coldly, "you'll leave us well alone and start your life over."
"I understand," Katarina whispered in guilt, defeated by the accusations thrown her way. It was at that moment that she understood exactly where she stood amongst the people that she had hoped to call her family. "I'm sorry to have disrupted your family." She didn't wait for another word from Kenny, Killer Bee nor Crankurt as she tore herself away from the group and trudged off towards the distance, in the direction of where Aaron's dead body lay. Katarina swore she could've heard the protests from Crankurts lips that she paid no need to. Any hope of establishing a relationship with her only remaining blood sibling had died in that five minute conversation. All she wanted was the comfort of the only family she had known her whole life.
But upon approaching the spot where Aaron's body lay, her heart leapt into her throat. Right there, in the very spot she had held his dead body in her lap with the handle of a knife sticking out from his heart, sobbing over her loss, there was nothing to see but a patch of blood-stained grass. Her brother Aaron had completely disappeared.
Guile stood before Bison's fallen form, unconscious and unmoving. The Shadowlaw Lord seemed peaceful, at rest even - but he was not going to let him have any of that. Guile thundered towards the body with purpose, arms swinging by his sides like pendulums. He bent down and grasped the dictator by the throat, lifting his upper body of the ground and hissed hatefully into his face.
"Hey Bison, remember me" He paused, waiting for Bison to open his eyes to take a good look at the very last this he would ever see - Guile's face. "Me and Charlie?" His grip around Bison's throat tightened, causing the dictator's eyes to bulge from their sockets. "Remember Cambodia?!" He shook Bison, but the dictator could only cough up a weak response.
"I ... remember, Guile," Bison surrendered weakly. He gasped for breath to speak. "You're not the runt you were back then." Guile glared hatefully into his eyes, remember the pain and torture Bison's forces had put him and Charlie through all those years ago, in a jungle not much different than the ones surrounding the tournament grounds. "Go ahead and kill me quickly," Bison pleaded. Guile's nostrils flared with rage. After all that Shadowlaw had put him through, after all that Bison had done to his best friend, his adoptive daughter, his own family, he had the nerve to beg for a swift, merciful end. Countless images of how Guile could end Bison's life flashed before his eyes but all seemed too quick to deliver the kind of torture that the Shadowlaw dictator undoubtedly deserved. There was no death that Guile could bring upon Bison that would bring the suffering of countless Shadowlaw victims to justice - the suffering of Charlie, Chun Li, T-Hawk, the thirteen dolls and their families, Wagner, Julian, Kenny and his own, and not to mention countless other victims Guile was not immediately aware of. But before he could deal the finishing blow, Cammy interrupted him.
"Tell me about my past, Bison!"
She stood a few feet away, braided pigtails blowing in the wind. Guile realized then that he wasn't the only one with a stake to claim in Bison's death. He paused, to let his adopted daughter get the justice that she too, undoubtedly deserved.
Through Guile's deadly grasp, he turned his head with as much effort as he could muster to face the woman that spoke to him. "How could you forget me, Cammy?" he croaked. "Don't you remember? I ..."
"All I remember is you set me up!" she spat bitterly. Though Cammy had been through much with Shadowlaw, there was no complete recovery from their brainwashing. The fact that Bison now put the last remnants of energy into some pitiful act to try and save his own skin disturbed her deeply. "But you only succeeded in scarring my face."
"How could you do this to me?" Bison asked innocently. " I had feelings for you! I did not try to destroy you. You had an unfortunate accident and lost your memory. Don't you remember? We were in love!" The shock at Bison's claims caused Guile to release his hold completely. Feelings? For Cammy who was no more than a teenager back then? Was there no end to his madman's psychotic mind?!
Guile's disgust was mirrored in Cammy's reactions to his words. She gripped her own stomach and lurched forward, as liquid sprouted from her mouth and splashed onto the dirt, forming warm pools at her feet. She took a moment to dry heave and with considerable effort, collected herself.
"No ... this can't be possible." She looked at him, cowering at Guile's feet, willing to say anything at all to save his own skin, to spare himself from the fate that he ultimately deserved. And yet in his defeated state, he still displayed his ability to toy with her mind. "I couldn't fall in love with a man like you!" Cammy's knees buckled, threatening to give out from under her. Guile instinctively reached out to support her weight, but stopped himself short of taking his attention off Bison.
Fortunately, Colonel Wolfman and the rest of Delta Red were there to support her, emotionally and physically. Wolfman reached out and grasped Cammy's elbow, partially supporting her weight. He spoke.
"Our mission is completed. Let's go home," he whispered encouragingly into her ear.
"Wait," Cammy pleaded, leaning against her superior. She whispered with horror, "If what he says is true ... I'm not the person I thought I was."
Luwanda stepped toward her comrade and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't believe that slime ball. No one could love a loser like him."
Cammy took Luwanda's hand into hers and, fight as she might, her tears had betrayed her. "You're right," she sobbed, pulling her team mate into a hug. Luwanda returned the gesture, rubbing her hand soothingly in a circular motion on Cammy's back. Cammy continued. "Now, Bison can be scarred with the nightmare of defeat. Let's go home, guys." The Delta Red team led a diminutive Cammy towards the chopper, once again leaving Bison to Guile's vengeful hands. As they led Cammy away, she stole a look over her shoulder at Guile and nodded and him, giving him the permission to finally deliver that devastating move that would end Bison once and for all.
He curled his fingers into a tight fist, veins and tendons popping through the skin on his forearms and the back of his hands, ready to deliver the final blow that would end the nightmare that Bison inflicted on everyone once and for all.
"Honey, stop!" It was a familiar voice that snapped Guile out of his enraged trance. It was Jane's voice, but not her usual tone. She sounded horrified, upset even. His grasp on Bison relaxed, but only a little. What was she doing here?
"Jane?" he asked, without turning to face his wife.
"Please dear," Jane begged, "killing Bison won't bring Charlie back." The fear and tension in her voice, it was alien to Guile. She wasn't afraid of what he would do - she was afraid of the man he would become if he had followed through with the act of dispatching Bison once and for all. He realized in that instant that if he enacted the revenge he'd hoped for all these years, what kind of man would he become? It seemed that Jane had already realized this long before he did - and that was why she was here now, stopping him, pleading with him to disengage. As if to drive her point home, she continued. "It will simply make you a murderer, just like Bison." Jane stepped closer to her husband, who had not moved an inch, and remained glaring angrily down at Bison's defeated form. "Please come home," she begged. "And we can start over."
"B...but I deserted you," Guile admitted shamefully.
It was his daughter, Melissa's turn to step up now, saying the words her mother could not in order to change Guile's mind. "Please daddy! Mommy and I still love you!"
Guile squeezed his eyes shut, Bison's form now warped behind his own fresh, hot tears. "Melissa?" he whispered. "Is that my little Melissa?" Guile could feel the insatiable drive for revenge leave his body at the words of his wife and daughter. With a few words, the desire to end Bison's life had fizzled out, and he now looked upon the fallen dictator not with hatred, but pity. He backed away from Bison, stealing a last glance at his half-dead body and threw himself at into the loving embrace of his family.
Wagner gazed at Juli's unconscious form, resting in his lap. She looked so serene, in her peaceful slumber; well deserved rest, no doubt. He stroked her forehead, brushing away stray hairs and tucked them behind her ear to give him a clearer view of her face. A thin layer of condensation coated her skin, but was otherwise flawless, especially in this humid tropical air. He didn't know how someone could look so perfect after a vicious battle she'd just fought - whittling Balrog down to weakness, just enough for Wagner to step in and knock him into unconsciousness, but not before Balrog had taken Juli out. And yet here she lay, looking like a princess at rest, not a bruise to be found on her body. Wagner attributed it to her healing capabilities as a Shadowlaw Doll that hadn't left her after the brainwashing wore off - but he was certain she'd still be beautiful without the genetic modifications.
But still, Juli had been out cold since their fight with Balrog and through the duration of Ryu and Ken's battle with Akuma, and Kenny and Genta's brawl. She hadn't made a movement since then. Her body was cold in his hold, but Wagner had pressed his fingers to her neck and detected a faint pulse. Just because she was alive didn't necessarily mean she would be all right. He leaned down to her, touching his forehead to hers and sobbed.
"Please, Juli," he cried quietly, "Please wake up." His pain at seeing her like this caught him by surprise. He couldn't explain how this former Shadowlaw Doll lying helplessly in his lap was able to evoke so much emotion out of him. She had given so much of herself to everyone around her - to Cranky who had ultimately hurt her in the end, and to his adopted sister Cammy, who made her own recovery from Shadowlaw's brainwashing that much more bearable. Nobody had given Juli anything in return, nor did she ask for pity herself, instead opting to continue supporting those she loved.
Her eyes suddenly stirred behind closed eyelids and Wagner shifted with excitement - Juli was coming round. He reacted then, driven by instinct, taking her head between his hands. "I'm here," he whispered. "Please come back to me." As if she was responding to his pleas, Wagner felt her eyelashes flutter against his cheek. He pulled his face away from hers to reveal Juli's wide brown eyes staring back at him. Relief washed over him and manifested itself through him through the form of hot tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. Wagner kissed her delicately on the forehead through his sobs and hugged her tightly.
"You're okay," he said, holding her in his embrace, "you're okay." After a few moments, he eased his hold and put some space between his gaze and hers, staring down lovingly at her. He shifted his body, and took her by the shoulders and prepared to pull her into a sitting position beside him but met resistance from her. Juli smiled back at him.
"No, not yet," she said weakly. "I'm not done yet. I like this."
"J-Juli," Wagner stammered with worry. "Balrog might have hit you a little too hard. How can you possibly like..."
"I like," she said, interrupting him, "waking up ... to you. Don't kill this moment for me, Wagner."
Her words, her smile - it was all Wagner needed to do what he needed next. He bent down again, and kissed her, gently at first. But his relief then evolved into the passion into which he now delivered it, growing stronger with every passing moment. Juli reciprocated the gesture with the first of her returning strength. Wagner suddenly felt the weight of her body on his - but he was too weak from her advances to resist her, and let himself fall to the ground as she descended on top of him, their lips locked the whole time.
"Maybe we should come back later," Wagner heard someone say, but he was too engrossed with Juli to even care that they were being noticed.
"We will throw every resource we can spare to find your son, Mr. Marquez." Colonel Wolfman was flanked by Luwanda and McCoy as he reassured the former priest. As the heat of the final battle faded, Julian had let the cold reality of what had happened barely an hour ago begin to sink in. He was minutes away from Dorian, his son. Delta Red and the Shadowlaw twins had been with him - even ... protected him. But it was Genta who had foiled their escape by shooting the chopper down, endangering Dorian's life. Julian had been so close to losing his son permanently, without even having the chance to hold him. Damn, Genta to hell. If Julian ever ran into that kid again, he resolved that Genta would not be walking out alive after their encounter.
"Did you hear the Colonel?" Luwanda asked, snapping Julian back from his vengeful thoughts.
"S-sorry," he quickly apologized, "thank you, Colonel. Thank you, and to Delta Red." He meant his words, but they came out sounding so hollow.
"He was healthy," Luwanda said, touching Julian's arm for assurance. "A truly determined kid . He had your eyes."
"Dorian's looking for you, too," McCoy added. "Said that the first thing he wanted to with his freedom was to find his family."
Their words washed over Julian like a tsunami of relief. His knees weakened, his hands tingled, and his vision swam. He collapsed into a heap at their feet and began sobbing uncontrollably. Luwanda and Colonel Wolfman rushed to his aid.
"Marquez!"
Luwanda hoisted Julian into a sitting position but he collapsed against her body, throwing his pair of limp arms over her shoulders. Luwanda's body felt strangely familiar against his. She ... she felt like Cammy. She hushed him gently, sparing him a few solid moments to cry it all out. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and cried into her shoulder.
He didn't dare picture what he must have looked like now, holding onto Luwanda and crying the way he did. But Julian had been so strong, for so long. He'd continued fighting along the street fighters, even after losing his son. He had to be their rock while everyone battled for their lives. And now that he had helped ensure their safety, it was his turn to crumble. Unlike everyone else present, his battle was only beginning.
"Dorian," Julian gasped between sobs, "he's looking for me?" He looked at Luwanda like a boy looking at his mother. "He's really looking for me?"
Colonel Wolfman rested his palm on Julian's shoulder. "Yes, Marquez. You're both looking for each other. And we're going to make sure that happens."
Cranky almost had to wrestle Kenny from Cammy's protective grip, even after Katarina had taken off to God knew where after her venomous words. He now held his little brother by the upper arm, who had put up little to no resistance, and spoke to her softly. She silently warned him, with her large green eyes, to be careful about what he said next.
"I just wanted to smooth things over for everyone," Cranky admitted to her. "I didn't know ..."
Cammy pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him. "I know," she said. "But unless you've been through what we have," she motioned to herself and Kenny, "you won't. And I pray you never will. But please don't try to jump in and fix things. I know that's just a part of your nature, Cranky, and that's why I love you. But there are some things that you just don't understand ."
"Then help me understand," he said to her, pleading. He felt Kenny tug away, registering that the youth was deeply uncomfortable at his moment with Cammy, but he didn't care. Cranky tightened his grip on Kenny's arm, continuing with exchange with her. "How can I help the people I love if you won't let me in?"
"Trust," Cammy said, placing her hand on the side of his jaw. "Trust, that we've got it covered." She glanced at Kenny, who continued to struggle against Cranky's grip. "Katarina is the last thing Kenny needs right now."
"I don't know, Cammy," he said, exasperated, throwing his free arm into the air. "I'm trying to give Kenny what I've never had - a real family. If he doesn't need his own flesh and blood right now, then what does he need?"
Saving Kenny from mortal teenage embarrassment, she leaned into Cranky and whispered into his ear.
"You."
As suddenly as she had closed the gap between them, Cammy pulled away allowing Cranky to absorb her words. She gave him a moment to process what she said before continuing. "After Shadowlaw, when you're struggling to remember who you are, love is the only hope you have of making it through in one piece. The faith that someone will have your back through your struggles. I had Wagner and Guile. But Juli ..." Cranky looked over his shoulder at Cammy's adopted brother and the unconscious former Shadowlaw Doll that he embraced in his arms. He turned back to Cammy, eyes wide downcast with regret.
"And now it's Kenny's turn," Cammy finished.
"You guys, I'm right here," Kenny interrupted uncomfortably, "because this lunk-head won't let me go." He gave a soft kick to Cranky's ankle.
"Take care of this, Cranky," Cammy said to him, ignoring Kenny's protest.
He nodded solemnly to her, understanding what he had to do. He released Kenny's arm and ushered him away. "Come on, Kenny. Let's go." Cranky marched him away, while Kenny looked back at her asking for some kind of explanation. Cammy only nodded at him, advising him with the subtle motion to cooperate with his big brother.
Cammy was wrong - while he wasn't going to outright abandon Kenny, he certainly didn't need Cranky to be by his side. She had strongly suggested that Cranky could never comprehend the bond she shared with Kenny over both of them having been victimized by Shadowlaw; that he didn't have the authority to determine what was good for Kenny as he struggled to reclaim his life. But she didn't know Kenny like he did, and it was never more apparent than now, as Kenny marched ahead of him, keeping pace. He stood strong knowing exactly where he was going next, and without a word of protest. Cranky couldn't have been prouder.
Cranky led Kenny over to Wagner and Juli. The two of them were locked in an embrace, sharing an intimate kiss and didn't look like they were going to let up anytime soon. It didn't take long for the brothers to realize what was going on, after such an important battle. Kenny looked up at Cranky and said, "Maybe we should come back later."
"Wagner," Cranky said, snapping Cammy's brother out of his moment, not caring about what he had interrupted. Her words rang fresh in his mind and that was the only thing that mattered to him at that moment.
Wagner paid them no heed, but it was Juli that had broken their embrace. She tore herself away from him, immediately straightening her hair and smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes. Wagner followed her cue and stood, pulling Juli along with him as he rose. Cranky felt heartache and happiness for Juli at the sight of the two of them together. He might have treated her badly, and the guilt would continue to haunt him for years to come, but at least he now had the confirmation that with Wagner, she was going to be all right.
"Crankurt, ahem," he cleared his throat as he stood, dusting off his clothes.
Cranky looked at Wagner, and felt a pang of pain in his chest as he released Kenny and gently ushered his little brother to the airman. Kenny stumbled towards Wagner, not from the force of Cranky's push, but from having subconsciously stopping dead in his tracks in resistance.
"This is it," Cranky said to Wagner. "Please take care of Kenny for me."
Remembering his earlier promise to Cranky, Wagner agreed. "Sure thing, Crankurt." He turned to Kenny who only responded with an expression of apprehension.
"Cranky," Kenny said, "You're really going now, huh?" He noticed that Kenny was trembling.
Cranky collapsed onto a knee in front of his little brother. He grasped Kenny tightly by the shoulders, feeling the shakes in Kenny's bones. "You trust me, right?" he asked.
"O-of course, Crank," Kenny replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Wagner is Cammy's brother," he said, although he knew Kenny had already grasped that fact. "She trusts him with her life. And that's why I trust him with you. So please, Kenny ... please ... be good. Listen to him. Wagner's going to be your guardian for the next little while. Abide by the rules he sets forth, don't question his judgment, be responsible ... I'm sorry that I ... "
"I know, Crank," Kenny replied. "Go be with Cammy. You guys need each other. With Wagner and Juli here, I'll be fine."
"You're sure?" Cranky asked. He gripped the sides of Kenny's face.
"Mmmm-ppphhhmmm" Kenny said, through stretched lips. Cranky realized the strength with which he held Kenny's face and released him, allowing him to speak truthfully and more importantly, comprehensively. "You deserve it Cranky."
Cranky released Kenny and upon registering Wagner's silent gaze of assurance, was finally able to let go, and took a step back. "If you fuck this up ..."
"You'll show me the meaning of trouble," Kenny said, finishing his sentence for him. "I know, Cranky. Don't worry about me. Just be with Cammy."
Cranky nodded in perfect understanding and stood back on his own two feet, surrendering Kenny to Wagner's jurisdiction. "Thank you, Wagner. If he gives you any trouble make sure you call me."
"I will Crankurt," Wagner agreed, "but I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. Kenny's right ... just be with Cammy. I'll handle everything else. I owe it to her."
As Cranky walked away, leaving his little brother in Wagner's care, he felt the burden of one more problem lifted off of his shoulders. He walked back to Cammy, who hadn't moved, rooted to the spot awaiting his return.
"I'm proud of you," she said, pulling him into a short kiss. As soon as their lips had parted, Cammy took him by the hand and led him towards the Delta Red helicopter that seemingly awaited for their arrival. Luwanda, McCoy, Wolfman and Ginzu awaited them in the aerial vehicle's cabin, pulling Cranky and Cammy up to join them for their return trip back to the United Kingdom.
It was the happy ending Cranky had hoped for. Nothing was left undone, every issue had been resolved. Kenny was safe, and he was now free to spend the next few years building his relationship with the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He surrendered his conscience to the setting sun, its peak now jutting out form the horizon, closing the latest chapter to his life. And it was ... peaceful.
"Let's do this now," Cranky promised her, "let's start our new life together now. There's nothing stopping us."
She eyed him slyly and smiled. "From now until eternity, Cranky. I love you." From her seated position in the cabin, she reached out and he took her hand, allowing her to pull him into the vehicle. "Forever."
"Kenny, no!"
Cranky glanced over his shoulder to see Kenny, with great effort, stubbornly tear himself from Wagner's grasp, and came barreling towards him at full speed. Cranky turned his body to absorb the impact but was unsuccessful as Kenny's body collided with his at full speed, knocking the wind from his lungs. How he remained standing, Cranky had no idea but didn't have time to think about it as Kenny now had his arms wrapped around his waist, surprisingly, with a vice like grip. Tears streaked down his red face as he buried it into Cranky's shoulder. Shocked at the sudden outburst of emotion, Cranky didn't know what else to do but return the gesture, pulling Kenny close, returning the hug. Kenny was trembling violently now, unable to constrain whatever it was he was feeling.
"Uso tsuketa," Kenny whispered, his voice trembling. "I lied." Cranky understood at that moment exactly what was going on. As kids, they'd only ever spoken in Japanese to each other when they didn't want anyone around them understanding what they were saying. It had protected them living under the watchful eyes of Kenny's parents in Osaka, just as it had protected their privacy now. Kenny, in all of his claims to independence and pride, had contradicted it all in this single act of desperation. "Daijoubu janai." I'm not all right. And he wasn't going to admit it to anyone but Cranky.
Cammy stood up from her seat in the chopper's cockpit to help comfort him, but Cranky held up a hand, motioning for her to stay where she was. "Let me take care of this." The words she'd spoken to him moments ago rang in his mind. Cammy was right after all. He returned his attention to Kenny.
"I know," he admitted, hugging his little brother tighter. "and neither am I. I'm not as strong as you, Kenny. I'm not someone you can be proud of."
"But I am proud, Crank," Kenny insisted.
Cranky shook his head. "I need to fix myself," he elaborated, "I can't continue to be an example if I don't even know what a good one is. And ... I think Cammy is the one who's going to show me. So in the meantime, I need you to do this - for me." Kenny removed his face from Cranky's shoulder and saw the honesty in his eyes. It had been difficult for Cranky to be completely candid with him but here they were, if that's what it was going to take to make him aware of the situation. "Please, Kenny," he said, choking back tears, "don't make this any harder than it already is."
"Okay, Crank." Kenny said agreed weakly. "For you." Cranky planted a kiss on the top of Kenny's head, and ruffled his hair before releasing him.
Juli was now at Kenny's back, pulling gently at his arm. "Come on," she coaxed. "This isn't goodbye." He stepped back, wiping the tears away from his eyes. Cranky nodded at her, and climbed into the chopper, letting Cammy help getting him strapped into his seat.
The chopper's propellers roared to life, violently kicking up more wind and dust. Juli began to retreat but Kenny remained near the entrance to the cabin. Cammy glanced at Kenny from her seat and pulled a lock of his hair away from his eyes, and stroked the side of his face.
"Take care of my big brother, Cammy," Kenny said. "Fix all of his stupid."
Through her tears, she chuckled. "I'll be expecting my check in the mail." And then she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "And you watch Wagner's back for me."
The wind kicked up by the chopper almost completely masked her words, forcing Kenny to retreat to a safe distance as it began its ascent into the sky. Cranky looked down from his view in the cabin to see Kenny retreat to his newfound refuge, into the care that Juli and Wagner had provided. The three of them waved upwards at them, now shrinking dark specks on the ground. He and Cammy waved back - and neither party stopped waving until the chopper turned and headed off into the sunset, breaking their line of sight.