::Chapter 13~ Encounter::

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It was the first time she felt fear since her last encounter with Bison. The strong arms clung around her and backed her into a wall, leaving no room for her to move.

"You're the experimental subject. I've finally found you. He requested that you be brought back alive... in one piece."

He lifted his flawless hand from her mouth. His grip was still tight around her petite frame.

"Experiment...? What do you mean? I'm under Bison's direct orders." She shook uneasily, lying through her teeth.

Vega's queer laughter was her only response for several moments. "Heh... Your lies are useless. In fact, I am truly under Bison's orders. To bring you back, that is..."

"Vega..." A fearful whisper came from her lips. "...Please don't..."

"I can hear it in your voice... A bit flustered, Cammy?" He said with a smirk. "I thought you would be glad to see me..."

Vega's fingertips stroked her jaw, trailing their way down her arm in an awkward way.

She tried to turn, but she couldn't move- He was too powerful. The thought came to her- He could do anything he wanted to her or with her.

"Vega, I'll do anything you want... Just don't take me to him..."

He only responded with an irrationally queer laugh.

"You have become so pathetic. Willing to give your body away, in turn for your life? How appalling…"

Vega let his grip of her waist go. His laugh got softer, until he finally spoke.

"You are to be exterminated by the Shadowloo hit squad..." He said softly, in a suddenly more serious tone, taking a step away from the assassin. "But it would be more of a pleasure for me to see you alive..."

Her body turned. Her eyes stared foreword into his, with a look of pure hate, and in ways, thankfulness. She dwelled into his deep blue eyes for many moments, still seeking the meaning behind his response, until a more quiet whisper began, and cleared her thoughts.

"I guess only time will tell, Cammy? Maybe I'll choose to save you..." He grinned. "Until then... I must take you to that ugly bastard..." He paused and took a step foreword. He then grasped her hand gently into his, surprisingly.

"...Don't make this hard on me, will you? After all, I am your only key to survival..." Vega hesitated, then ran his slender hand along her braided hair, waiting patiently for her reply.

Her breath calmed, but her heart sped up. It was up to her to make this stop. Even with how tempting Vega's insane offer was.

"...I'll never go back to him." She said in barely a whisper.

"What...?"

"You heard me. I'll never go back to him!" She repeated in a harsher tone.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. And, I won't have you severing my hopes of leaving Shadowloo permanently..."

"Why must you make things so difficult?" He shook his head sardonically and started to pace around her like a tiger would to it's prey.

"Heh... I have longed for your blood anyway... This will just make that an easy task."

"You wish..."

The movement was too fast for even him to see, all that was felt were the immense cold of her metal-clad knuckles as they rammed into his chest.

Vega was not shocked, but merely impressed by her actions.

"Feisty." He chuckled. "You've improved... Though, not nearly enough."

He withdrew his claw and attached it to his bare arm. Oddly pulling his mask off and throwing it to the ground, his smirk-filled expression was donned, more incriminating than ever.

"I'm going to enjoy this..." He hissed, licking his thin lips with the tip of his tongue.

Cammy stared in mystery as he strafed around her. The sheer metal of the claw unleashed inches away from her toned skin. She quickly dodged as he slashed the steel foreword again. He drew his claws away from her and backed up several feet, wearing the same taunting grin.

Cammy looked at him questionably while remaining in her stance. He hastily knelt down and tripped her with a swift roundhouse kick. Her eyes became unfocussed for a moment as she hit the solid concrete. Vega let out a quick cackle and flipped backwards against a solid brick wall. She rose slowly from the concrete, rubbing her bruised and sore jaw wincing, even more unprepared for what was to come.

The ex-soldier quickly glanced his way after regaining her dazed sight; to find Vega set against the brick, climbing up it expertly with exceeding grace. She backed away against another stone wall within the alley that surrounded them.

"What the hell?" She thought aloud.

She remembered Vega mentioning how he had learned to climb the walls at cage fights. For a brief second she wondered if he really was going to attack, until he leapt from the wall. She closed her eyes as he began to approach her in midair.

All that she heard was a loud high-pitch screech and the large crack of her body hitting the stone once again.

Cammy didn't want to open her eyes, in fear that she was dead. Her back felt broken from the force of the wall. She whimpered in pain, but he held her up. She feared that the fight would continue and this would actually be her death. Obviously he had used her body to take the impact, but the steel of his claw had not touched her at all. It only pressed against her leg in a threatening way. She slowly slid to the ground and opened her eyes slightly. Vega knelt down beside her and forward to whisper tranquilly into her ear.

"This was senseless, Cammy..."

She felt the heat of his body against hers. The coolness of his blade against her warm skin, sent shivers down her spine.

"Please don't... take me to him..." She sighed.

"Trust me..." He smiled at her as he could see her eyes begin to close. She drifted into a light sleep.

"...I'll never let him hurt you." He spoke gently to the unconscious doll.

But the words were true to him and him alone.

He looked down to the tip of the blade, only inches from her skin. For once in his life he had no urge to tear the pale flesh.

"I have longed for your blood..." He repeated. "But I'll never let myself hurt you again..."

Vega briskly leaned forward and planted a quick but soft kiss upon her cold lips. He sighed, and stared at her for a brief moment. He then slowly scooped her light body into his arms and began to walk toward the coast where a small boat awaited him.

"Now to defy our Master..."

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::Author's Notes::

I'm very sorry it took me a month to write this little =/

I'll make the next chapter a bit longer.