It just wouldn't come off. Cammy's skin was too sticky with the combination of salt water and blood, thankfully not her own, and the fine white sand just stuck to her. She had actually won a street fight. It was good news. But the better news was that her plan had worked. Fighting had prompted memories to return to her. They were shocking, but it was a relief. She thought back to the memories.
Cammy's eyes narrowed. She was now, obviously, going to concentrate on the task at hand. Killing him. Two guards were holding him. He had already been beaten a little.
"Cammy, stop this. It's me Ken."
She paid no attention to his words; she was oblivious to them. She stopped into front of him, reared her arm back and delivered a hard slap to his right cheek with the back of her hand. Blood came from his mouth. Ken looked directly into Cammy's eyes this time before he spoke.
"Don't do this. It's not who you are. These are the people that killed your father. Don't you remember?"
Again she ignored his words before stabbing her knee into his gut shifting his ribs. Ken cried out in pain. Doing this caused the blood from his mouth to spray into the air, and onto Cammy and the guards. The guards flinched, seeming disgusted. However Cammy didn't draw back. She simply stared forward, contemplating her next blow. The guards were distracted and Ken used this opportunity to pull away from them. He fell onto Cammy, catching her off guard, and pinned her to the ground with his weight. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and pleaded with her, his face mere inches away from hers.
"Cammy, please come back to me. Don't let these bastards defeat you. Not like they did your father. He almost beat it. You can."
Cammy's eyes squinted and she made a small distressed moan. Ken looked as if her was about to speak again. However, his voice was cut off as one of the guards kicked his body from hers. She stood and walked to his fallen form, he was flexed waiting for the next blow. She softly touched his back. He turned to her. Ken sat up, hope written all over his face. Cammy reached out and touched his cheek tenderly and spoke for the first time.
"Do not ever touch me again."
Before Ken could even mutter 'huh?' Cammy's palm connected directly with his nose creating a loud crack. Ken's body flew backwards. He was face down on the stone floor with a large pool of blood forming under it. She carried out a swift and hard kick to his side. Ken tried to get up but she effortlessly pushed her hand against his forehead sending him to the floor once more. He was like a rag doll then. Taking blow after blow, not being able to recover from one before the next came. While she was hitting him she heard one of the guards speak to the other.
"I think she's got it from here."
Then they left. Suddenly she stopped. Ken looked up at her with his left eye, the other swollen shut. She reached down and picked him up by his clothing. His body was practically limp. Cammy moved his body across the room and pinned him against the wall. She lifted his chin and leveled her eyes with his. She wrapped her petite, strong hands around his throat and began to constrict her fingers. She could hear air trying to enter and escape through the now tiny passageway of his throat. Ken reached up and pulled down on Cammy's arms. The strength she used to keep her arms up caused her grip to loosen on his throat, allowing air into Ken's lungs. He spoke to her again, his voice rasping.
"Please wake up Cammy. I need you. I love you."
Cammy released Ken and backed away from him, pulling her hands over her ears. Ken staggered towards her. He was getting to her, she needed to carry out orders! She had to kill him. He reached and grabbed her hands from her ears. She was sweating now, trying not to look at his familiar face. He pressed her against the wall and spoke frantically.
"Don't you remember the first time we met? And you had just gotten done beating up on that jerk. And when I tried to help you were ready to kick my ass? That's who you are Cammy. Remember your father. Be strong for him. Don't go out the same way."
She pulled her wrists from his grip roughly and screamed very high-pitched and angry.
"STTOOOPPPP!!!!!"
Cammy shook her head. It was a little hard to think of her beating Ken like that. What was he doing in the position to get beaten anyhow? She was relentless in her assaults. What could make her do something like this to someone she loved? That made Cammy think back to her father. It really was the same thing.
And why was he there? This was the biggest mystery. The only explanation was that he was trying to save her. Hell he had come close. Cammy sighed thinking about him. She did still love him and she wanted so much to see him again. She had almost killed him. He had almost died for her, by her.
Cammy got in the car, careful not to get blood anywhere, and drove towards home. By the time she arrived it was almost dawn. She saw a light on in the kitchen so she knew she couldn't get in through there. The front door was out of the question. Cammy crept towards her bedroom window and silently slid it open. She swung her leg over the ledge and crawled in. She sucked in her breath as she stretched a little too much and it pulled on the already forming scabs on her back. Once inside she tucked herself into her robe and made her way to the bathroom, moving quickly to avoid being seen.
From the noise throughout the house it sounded like Wagner and Guile were both up. She locked the door and removed the robe. Turning on the water to the bathtub, she peeled off the semi-wet and very sticky remains of her t-shirt. She arched her head back in an attempt to see the markings on her lower back. They weren't deep but they stung. She looked in the mirror at her face. A light bruise was beginning to appear on her jaw from when she had gotten distracted from the memories. She couldn't let that happen. She needed to be able to fight and not put herself in danger by zoning out.
Cammy lowered her body into the hot water. It felt good. She ran a washcloth over her arms removing any blood or sand. She noticed some minor scrapes up and down her arms. Looked kind of like rug burn. It must have been from the sand. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Right before sleep overtook her there was a banging on the door. Cammy's head snapped up and she covered her body. She laughed to herself remembering she had locked the door. But after all she did live in a house with two males and had to be careful. Better not to get out of practice. Wagner's voice sounded through the door.
"Cammy? Why are you up so early?"
"I just wanted to take a bath."
"At 5 am?"
"Yeah."
"Are you going to go jogging with me and Guile?"
"I think I'm staying right here Wagner."
"Okay, whatever you say. See you in a bit."
"Bye."
Cammy sighed in relief. Wagner wasn't as suspicious as Guile would have been. As soon as she heard them leave Cammy got out of the tub and dried off. None of her injuries were visible except the light bruise, and that could be covered. So she had gotten away with it. Hopefully she could do the same tonight. There was another fight. Invitation only. And she had received one. Every fight would get her closer to remembering everything, closer being with Ken again, and closer to Shadowlaw.
--
Julian sat and waited. He was supposed to be in a 'meeting' with Bison. He guessed they were getting tired of him coming and going as he pleased. But it wasn't like he could go and pray anywhere in this hellhole. He was getting out. Not too sure yet how he was going to work it, but he knew he would get out. The door opened and Bison walked in, speaking before he even met Julian's eyes.
"Marquez?"
"What?"
Bison stopped walking, obviously agitated by Julian's tone. Julian sunk back a little in his chair, silently cursing himself for forgetting this man's power. Bison leaned over slightly, now looking directly into his eyes. Julian kept his face neutral, but he was disturbed by his pure white eyes. Pure wasn't the right word. Bison reared back and swiftly and effortlessly slapped Julian's face, sending him flying from the chair and onto the floor. He then picked Julian up by his shirt and slammed him hard into the wall. He spoke, teeth clenched.
"You need to remember your place boy. You are not expendable."
"But my father's business is."
"I would cut my losses."
He continued.
"I think you've been bored. You need something to take up your time."
"I'm fine, thank you."
"No, no. You'll do fine at this. I want Ken Masters at the tournament."
"No way in hell I'm gonna to do that."
Bison tightened his grip on Julian and spoke as he lifted him higher.
"You will do it."
Julian stared Bison down, even though he was in a submissive position. His eyes blazed with hatred as he spat his words out.
"Fuck you!"
Bison moved his hands too quickly for Julian to even begin to react from his shirt to his neck and lifted him higher as he yelled.
"You will do it or you will die!"
He held Julian in the air for a few more moments before dropping him abruptly to the floor. Julian gasped for breath and rubbed his neck as Bison left the room, speaking.
"You need to be prepared to fight also. Maybe I'll arrange a match between you and your friend. He's the U.S. Martial Arts Champion you know."
He laughed as he slammed the door behind him. Julian punched the concrete floor.
"Dammit!"
He couldn't do this.