Jami: Yup, it's the one and only Bison! But continue reading this chapter and it may seem that Bison's bitten off a lot more than he can chew…
Vammy: Your questions are explained in this chapter. Kenny is very important to the development of Shadowlaw technology.
Edgar: Thanks for the encouragement! I'm so glad I have a lot of support for this story.
Chan: I'm glad that my story is getting more interesting for you! I'm going to need to have at least a SPARK of some Ryu and Chun Li interests because … I mean it's almost official! Maybe not in the SF games but definitely in the comics. But don't worry, they're not gonna be all lovey dovey. Just keep reading and you'll see.
Way of Water: If there weren't any cliffhangers, what would make you continue reading the story?!
Immortal: Haha! It'll take more than an earthquake to kill Ken Masters, wouldn't you say? No, I can't kill him off now. After all, my story has to tie into the official Street Fighter storyline. It's sort of a goal I set for myself.
Kikoken: Thanks! I really appreciate your support. This is where the story gets a little deeper, so I hope you'll continue reading!
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Bison glared evilly at the boy in front of him. He had been hunting this child for a solid week now, not even clueing in on where he could be, until now. Bison, as the head of the crime organization, Shadowlaw, had complete knowledge of a project that the technology department had been working on for some time. They were just in the beginning stages of mass producing a technologically advanced robot, capable of hunting down people and capturing them dead or alive. The robots were designed to replace the human infantry that they currently used, possessing the ability to track people down based on their physical appearance and DNA samples. The prototypes were currently in development but it would only be a matter of time before the technology was patented.
They were lacking in the robots, but the raw equipment with the technology to track people down was already being produced. This was its first test, having being proven to work perfectly. Bison decided to test it himself when hunting down the boy. Of all the luck, he had been injured in an unexplained explosion that took place in the Osaka Dome earlier today. Oddly enough, it had nothing to do with Shadowlaw, at least according to Bison's own knowledge.
But whatever its cause wasn't important right now. What mattered was the fact that they had Dr. Feng's kid in their possession. Bison scoffed at the recollection of Dr. Feng, a scientist that once worked for Shadowlaw, until he had grown too attached to the "Shadow" technology he'd been working on. When the arrogant doctor had threatened to keep the technology to himself, Bison threw a fit and had the man executed and his home burned to the ground. He didn't appreciate such selfishness, especially when the project was being funded by Shadowlaw.
The only person in Feng's family to escape execution was his six year old son. But at first, Bison could've cared less about the boy. What mattered was finding the chip that contained all the information of the "Shadow" technology. Before burning down the house, Shadowlaw soldiers searched it top to bottom, turning up floorboards and ceiling panels. They came out with nothing. The woman of the house also claimed she knew nothing about the technology, so she'd also been killed.
But the boy, perhaps he knew something. After the other scientists had searched Feng's personal records, including journal entries, they stated that Feng kept the technology with his son, although it didn't specify how exactly. Now that Kenny was under the possession of Shadowlaw, Bison intended to find out.
* * *
"He's gone," Maki sobbed into her hands. Her strong body now lay limp in a luxurious seat in the hospital waiting room. The cheerful paintings of cartoon characters on the pediatric ward didn't help lighten her mood, for she'd realized what happened to Kenny. In the seat beside her, the Interpol investigator sat looking at her sympathetically. Maki hadn't met her before, but she had to report the bad news to Ryu. When she found him, he was talking with this other woman. Maki thought she remembered her as Chun Li, when Ryu had introduced them, but she didn't really care right now. Instead of following the social etiquettes she strongly believed in, the urgency of the matter didn't let Maki keep it in. Now, on her other side, Ryu put a comforting hand on her shoulders.
"It's not your fault," he said. "You were just going to get Kenny some food to make him feel better. There was no way you could've known someone was going to come and kidnap him."
"You don't understand," Maki said, sniffing. She took her hands away from her red, tear streaked face. "I was there! If only I'd run faster."
"You heard him calling," the Interpol woman said. "You went to help him as fast as you could!"
"Not fast enough. Oh God, this is all my fault… I'm so sorry Ryu. If only I'd kept my eye on him."
"I don't understand. Why would Bison want Ryu?" Chun Li asked Ryu, racking her brain for some kind of answer herself.
"I can't answer that," he replied, "but I think there's someone who would."
"Who?"
"Kenny was telling me about a friend he had," Ryu said. "He lives in some alley near to the Osaka Dome. His name is Cranky and he's been helping Kenny survive the streets since he'd been found, almost dead outside his burning house."
"You know what I don't understand?" Chun Li said, rubbing her chin in deep thought. "If Kenny was found outside his house that was on fire, why didn't he need any medical attention? How did he get out all by himself? Did Cranky take him to the hospital?"
"You're right," Ryu agreed. "I don't think Kenny said anything about going to the hospital right after. He just said after his house burnt down, he lived on the streets."
"That means he should be on the missing persons list," Chun Li concluded. Ryu nodded. "I don't know, but I've got a gut feeling that Kenny's the kid I'm supposed to be looking for."
"What makes you think that?" Maki asked holding Chun Li's hand in hers, desperate for some kind of an answer.
"Because I've been sent here by Interpol to track down Bison. One of my secondary objectives is to find a boy named Kenneth Feng. He's six years old, black hair and about yay tall." She placed an open palm face down at about waist level. "He's the child of a recently murdered Shadowlaw scientist. And judging from what you're telling me now, Maki, Bison would have no reason to abduct your 'Kenny' unless there was something he needed from the boy. I know Shadowlaw too well and they are a terrorist organization, not a child kidnapping agency. He's important to them."
"There's no doubt in my mind either that our Kenny is the boy you're looking for, Chun Li," Ryu said. "But even if he isn't, searching for the child is secondary priority right now. Because in such a case, an innocent child would be in Bison's hands as we speak."
"You're right," she agreed. "What do you suggest we do now?"
"I'm going to have a talk with Cranky," Ryu said. "I'm gonna find that guy, and get all the information about Kenny out of him."
"Alright. While you're doing that, I'm going to search the missing person's archives on the internet. I'll get a picture of Kenneth Feng and print it out. You tell me if that's Kenny or not. I sure hope it is. It'll make my job that much easier for me."
"I'm going with you, Ryu," Maki insisted. "I can't help but feel responsible for Kenny's kidnapping. Please let me come with you."
Ryu shook his head. "I can't let you do that," he said. "You're hurt and there's no way the doctors are going to let me take you out of here. Besides, I think Guy, Ken, Cody and Sakura are gonna be needing some company."
Maki began to protest but decided against it. Ryu had a point and when he was right, she doubted he'd take her with him no matter how much she pleaded. He seemed to share a lot of Guy's traits. "Just … come back as soon as you've got any information. I need to know."
Chun Li placed a reassuring hand on Maki's shoulder. "Don't worry, Miss," she said. "You and the others will be the first to know when we discover anything about Kenny."
"Don't worry," Ryu backed her up. "He'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Ryu and Chun Li left Maki behind in the waiting room with a worried look on the Bushin kunoichi's face. Maki knew what she had to do. Telling just Ryu and Chun Li weren't enough. She'd have to tell the others about Kenny. But was it right to worry them when there was nothing they could do about it?
* * *
"I don't trust Ryu by himself," Ken said. He shook his head firmly, crossing his arms as he sat up like a child in his hospital bead. "The guy's like a brother to me, but with the Satsui no Hadou in him…"
"I'm sorry," Maki replied with her head hanging down in shame. "I know, if I'd only kept a better watch on Kenny, Ryu wouldn't have to do this. It's amazing that in the entire earthquake that made the Dome collapse, he was the only one to emerge unscathed."
Ken looked at her from the corners of his eyes, looking slightly confused. "What do you mean it was an earthquake?" he asked. "What happened back there wasn't an earthquake. Didn't you feel the surge of energy? It was an explosion that caused the building to collapse. That's why none of the surrounding buildings had a dent on them."
"What could have caused such a powerful explosion to make the Osaka Dome collapse?" Maki asked, scratching her head.
"How about the Satsui no Hadou?" Ken replied sarcastically. "I felt its energy flood the entire Dome. And it didn't just come from Ryu. He's too weak to possess that amount of power right now. He hasn't given it a chance to develop inside his body."
"So then, who else could it have come from?"
"Someone who's absorbed the Satsui no Hadou; someone who's allowed the evil energy to take over his body."
"Are you talking about that creature we fought yesterday? That demon-like man?"
Ken nodded grimly. "Akuma is a force to be reckoned with. And right now, with Kenny gone, Akuma's presence isn't helping much."
"I say we forget Akuma for now," a third voice, coming from across the room from Ken, said.
"Sakura…" Ken was at a loss for words. What the teenage girl was suggesting was ridiculous, but he was aware that she didn't fully understand what Ryu had gotten from Akuma. It was a force so powerful, it could literally destroy all humanity in the Street Fighter champion. "You're right. At the moment, Kenny's safety is important. But we can't just dismiss Ryu's problems."
The girl shrugged. "All Ryu needs to do is learn how to control the evil energy and use it to his advantage. He doesn't have to let it control him. I mean, if he chooses the path of a warrior, should part of it be about growing as both a person and a fighter? If he can control the Satsui no Hadou, he will grow that much more, don't you think?"
Ken nodded in agreement. He'd never considered it before, but what Sakura was saying made sense. Ryu would be a better person physically and mentally if he was able to conquer the Satsui no Hadou and even master it. "Maybe you've got a point, Sakura," Ken said.
Maki looked towards the empty bed beside Sakura, noticing the familiar name scribbled on the clipboard resting at the foot of the bed. "Where's Cody?" she asked.
"Right over here," the man replied, walking through the door frame with crackers in one hand and a tub of cream cheese in the other. "I got a little hungry so I decided to head out for some food. You want some?"
Maki shook her head. "I don't have the appetite to eat right now."
"You look pretty down," Cody commented. Maki snickered to herself. Cody was a street brawler who was very fond of fighting. He had a large, well built frame and his size generally suggested a threatening presence. But as he stood in front of her now, wearing a hospital gown that was somehow too big for him, he looked like little kid that just raided the fridge. He ignored Maki's laughing and rolled his shoulders. "My back still hurts from back when I protected you and the kid from all that flying shit." He covered his mouth as soon as he noticed Sakura had been listening to the conversation. "I mean …"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh God, it's not like I'm completely clueless about profanity. I'm a junior high student for SHIT sake." Maki and Cody seemed to reel back in surprise. Sakura shook her head.
Ken cocked his chin towards Maki's direction. "She says Bison came," he explained to Cody.
"Bison," Cody said, rubbing his chin. "That name sounds familiar."
"It's the name of the head of the Shadowlaw organization," Maki replied.
"And he took Kenny," Sakura chimed in, trying to sound more serious than excited. "So now, we have to help get him back!"
"Slow down, little lady," Ken said, holding his hands up. "Ryu and Chun Li are investigating Kenny's background right now. They're gonna get back here and let us know about what they find out and why Shadowlaw might want him. And who said anything about you tagging along?"
"What? Why won't you let me come along?!"
"Hmm, I don't know! Maybe because you've got more important things to worry about, like exams!"
"Ken, don't be so cold," Maki said. She turned to Sakura. "It's because … this mission isn't meant for someone like you. You're a junior high student. And right now, you have school to worry about. It's more dangerous for you to come along on this mission."
"What mission?" Sakura spat. "You guys don't even have a plan right now."
"No, but we will," Cody added. "And when that happens, it'll be too dangerous to have you involved."
"I don't believe this," Sakura said. She sounded crushed. "You don't understand. Street fighting is my dream. What better opportunity that this?"
"You will have other opportunities!" Ken said, trying to say something to please the flustered girl. "They will be safer, less dangerous opportunities!"
"Kono ko ha atashi tachi wo itteru koto ga wakarenai," Maki whispered under her breath to Cody. He smiled. Coming from Japan, Maki and Guy moved straight to Metro City where they were quickly befriended by Cody. Over the years of their friendship, they'd taught him some basic Japanese and used it whenever they wanted to say something to each other that they didn't want anyone else hearing.
"Wakasugiru kara yo," Cody replied, looking pretty smug.
Sakura folded her arms looking unimpressed. "Bakana futari! Atashi ga kimi tachi wo itteru koto ga zenzen wakaranai to omotteru ka?!"
"Alright, since when did we switch languages?!" Ken asked, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't understand what was going on, although having being raised in Japan himself.
"They think I don't understand what they're saying," she said. "They think I'm too young to get why it isn't a good idea to let me go on the mission with you guys."
"You'll understand in time," Maki said, who was now red with embarrassment. She was so used to that habit with Cody that she'd forgotten that Sakura, being a native to the country, would understand what she was saying. Maki turned to Cody. "Next time I do that, try to remind me I'm in Japan."
* * *
"I swear to God I didn't do anything to Kenny!" Cranky said, putting his hands up in front of his face to defend himself. Ryu knew instantly this was the boy Kenny was talking about, the one that had helped him survive on the streets, the one that taught him how to steal money.
The boy was slightly older than Kenny and had long, shaggy brown hair that reached down over his eyes and cheekbones. He glared at Ryu fearfully between the gaps in his bangs. Ryu had him cornered in an alley, as he now supported his weight on his arms resting on a tin garbage can. The chase was a long one, longer than Ryu had anticipated someone of the boy's caliber could hold up. But Ryu was just getting warmed up. He knew that Kenny lived around the alleys of the Osaka Dome and so did his friend Cranky, but he didn't know why Cranky had run, but he wanted to calm the boy now, so he could question the hell out of him.
"Don't worry," Ryu said, holding his hands up. "I just want to ask you for some help."
"Hell yeah," Cranky spat. "That's why you chased me all the way over here. Why don't you just go bother some other street kid? I ain't giving you want you want!"
"If you don't help me," Ryu began, "Kenny will die."
"What? How do you know him? What have you done to Kenny?"
"He's been kidnapped. I want to ask you some questions about him. Maybe you could help us figure out why." He could tell this boy was a true friend. Upon mentioning Kenny's name, he'd calmed down, as if willing to cooperate if it helped Kenny. Ryu couldn't have asked for more. "I want to begin by you telling me how you met him. Kenny's told me that he met because his parents were on vacation and you were supposed to take care of him. But it doesn't make sense that he used to live in a home and now he's living on the streets. He's a kid and he doesn't understand that. I'm sure you can tell me how he ended up here."
Cranky bowed his head, ashamed of himself. "I didn't want Kenny to know the truth," he admitted. "I didn't have the heart to tell him that his parents were dead."
"Just tell me how you found him," Ryu said.
"A few buddies and me were walking around this neighborhood at the edge of town," Cranky began. We were doing the typical thing we did every night, just getting drunk and hanging out. But then, we heard this explosion a few houses down the road and we saw this house burst into flames. I could hear screams." Cranky's eyes had dazed over, recalling the events he seemingly had tried to forget.
"There was this woman, begging for someone not to kill her. Then I heard a gunshot and the screaming stopped. I don't know why, but I wanted to get a closer look. My buddies just ran off. I walked up to the house, hiding behind a few bushes on their lawn, then I started to hear this kid screaming. Whoever killed the woman now had the kid. They were all still inside the house at this point and the fire was slowly starting to spread.
All I could hear the kid do was scream and cry. Then I heard another gunshot, and then it was quiet. At first, I thought that was the end of it, but then all of a sudden, I heard someone else scream. It came from a male and he was going, 'kill the little fucker, kill him!' Then a whole bunch more gunshots got fired, and then there was silence. I was so scared, I couldn't even move."
Ryu could see that Cranky was crying now. Recalling these events scared him too much, but he seemed determined to let it out. It was as if he'd kept them bottled up inside himself for so long that he had to let it out.
"It's okay," Ryu whispered sympathetically. "Continue, please."
Cranky swallowed hard, and continued. "But then, on the sidewalk right outside the house, I saw Kenny walking by himself. He didn't have any look on his face, just tears falling from his eyes like a tap. He looked like some kind of demon, straight out from hell. His eyes were glowing white like a ghost but his body was so dark … it looked like some kind of a shadow. There was blood splattered all over his hands, chest and face. Then he sort of fainted. I walked over to him to try and help him but he would move. But by the time I got to him, he looked just like a regular little boy, so then I thought maybe when he looked all scary, it was my imagination. When Kenny woke up the next morning, all he could remember was his name; absolutely nothing else, man. I couldn't tell him about his family, about his home.
I read in the papers the next few days that they'd discovered the bodies of Kenny's family all burnt to a crisp. And the police also found bullets in them. They also found other bodies, all sliced up and dismembered. They deaths were more painful than the others, but nobody could figure out who they were. The neighbors told authorities that only three people lived in that house, two adults and one kid. But nobody could come up with an explanation as to how five adult bodies were discovered, two being the couple of the household and three mysterious unknowns. Since they didn't find Kenny's body, they thought he was still alive. They are right."
"But if you knew the authorities were looking for Kenny, why did you decide to keep him?" Ryu asked. He hadn't expected such a dramatic story from Cranky, but slowly, as the boy continued to speak, the mystery of Kenny's background became mystery no more.
"I didn't want to turn him over for two reasons. First, he would have learned that his family was dead, and I can't bear to see him if he learned of the news. But mostly, it was because I think Kenny was responsible for killing those three mysterious people found in the burned remains of his house. The authorities couldn't explain why there were three extra bodies, all who died painful deaths. There were no survivors and I was the only witness."
"You should have come forth with the information then," Ryu said.
"Yeah right, like the authorities would believe some drunk street kid. I don't know if was because of my alcohol that night, but I swear, man, I know what I saw. Kenny's got something powerful inside him; powerful enough to cut up three adults into pieces."
"And why don't you fear him?"
"Because he did it to the people that killed his family. He's a good kid. But I sure as hell don't wanna get on his bad side."
"I can't believe you've kept all this from the authorities."
"I don't know how Kenny would react. I just don't want him getting upset … I don't want to see that … that demon inside him again." Cranky covered his face with his hands. His shoulders started shaking as he cried. "I tried to forget all that ever happened, man. I just wanted to help that kid live life after all that shit."
"That demon? Are you talking about how Kenny looked like when you first saw him?"
Cranky nodded, sniffing deeply. "Yeah. And I know it wasn't the alcohol inside me at the time. The guy was a demon, straight from hell. But when he collapsed, I just … I had to help."
"It's alright," Ryu said, trying to reassure the broken youth. "You've helped me a lot." He took out some money from the pockets of his jeans. "Take his as a token of my appreciation. It's fifty thousand yen. Get yourself some food and a blanket or something." Cranky didn't seem to notice as he continued sobbing into his hands. Ryu left it at the boy's feet, turned around, and walked slowly away.
Just as he was about to leave, Cranky spoke up. "I've tried my best to shield Kenny from all this shit," he said. "Whatever happens to him now, you're responsible."
Ryu closed his eyes, realizing the truth of Cranky's words. Ryu had forced the information out of the boy. Now that he understood where the boy came from, it was up to Ryu and the others to figure out why Bison would want him, and how they might get him back. Cranky was no longer responsible for what happened to Kenny.
The information he provided answered some of Ryu's questions, but opened up a whole set of new ones. What was this powerful force that Cranky believed Kenny possessed? Was he just intoxicated or was what he saw real? If he was just drunk, then why did his story fit so well with what the authorities found? And if Kenny really had some kind of evil energy inside him, then it would explain why Bison would want to kidnap him. And now, Ryu was surer than ever that the boy Chun Li was looking for was Kenny. She had to know about the kind of mysterious evil energy that could be flowing through the boy's veins.
Ryu could feel his heart break for Kenny, as he realized that he too had something evil manifesting itself inside his body. And it was up to Ryu to make sure Kenny didn't embrace it, as Ryu had been tempted to embrace the Satsui no Hadou. Chun Li, whose mission was to retrieve Kenny, had her life riding on the chance that Kenny would be able to conquer the evil inside him.
Both him and Ryu, coming from completely different backgrounds, now walked the same path of evil. And Ryu had the sinking feeling that only one of them would be strong enough to divert from it…