This is what two weeks of writer's block will do to you…a SUPER EXTRA LONG CHAPTER!!! Sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoy
-Vammy
--
Wagner's breath caught as he saw the young girl coming towards him. She was the best thing that had happened all night. He was very happy for Guile and all but he didn't know any of the people he was meeting. But this girl was someone he wanted to know. She was smiling too, her long red hair flowing behind her shoulders, light blue eyes shining in the light. Wagner stopping staring just in time to shake hands with the man standing in front of him. He was totally knocked out of his daze by Guile's voice.
"General McCall, this is my son, Scott Wagner. Wagner, General McCall. He's in charge of the Air Force base in Los Angeles"
Wagner shifted his gaze from the girl to General McCall. He was tall, of large build with auburn hair, graying slightly at the sides.
"Nice to meet you, Colonel Guile tells me you are interested in the Air Force."
"Yes sir."
"Well I have been trying to convince him to come to L.A. and work with me. But so far to no avail."
Guile jumped in.
"With all due respect sir, I'm very happy here, and so are Cammy and Wagner."
"Yes, yes of course. Oh I am so sorry dear. Colonel, Wagner, this is my daughter Liz."
Liz smiled on cue, showing off her perfectly straight, white teeth. She shook hands with Guile then with him. Wagner struggled not to let his hand linger to long. He smiled back as he spoke.
"N-nice to meet you Liz."
"It's cool that you want to be in the Air Force too."
"Too? Are you joining?"
General McCall broke in.
"As soon as she turns 18 she'll be an active enlisted member. But for now, she has to settle for R.O.T.C. at her high school."
"Dad, I can speak for myself. Colonel, didn't you mention a daughter?"
"Yes, but I don't know where Cammy's gone off to. Wagner, could you find her?"
Liz grabbed Wagner's hand a pulled him away.
"We'll both go. I'd love to meet her."
When they were outside and away from Guile and General McCall Liz spoke.
"I hate these things. Nothing against your father, but meeting every officer and their mom gets boring. I'm glad there was someone here my own age."
"Yeah me too. Are you really going to join as soon as you're old enough?"
"I guess so; I've been working towards it for a while. I want to follow through and see how far I can get."
"Yeah. Guile is who inspired me to join. He's worked really hard to get this promotion."
"You call your Dad by his last name?"
Wagner froze for a second but regained his logic.
"Yeah, and he calls me Wagner. Something we started when I was a kid. Kind of a game that has just stuck with us."
"Well I like Scott. It's a very refined name."
"You think so."
"Yeah, I like refined names."
"Then should I call you Elizabeth?"
She started laughing and smiled.
"No."
"Okay then, don't call me Scott. Makes me feel like I've done something wrong."
"Alright. So, Wagner, I wanted to tell you that you look very handsome in that suit."
He almost blushed, not used to a girl being like that towards him. It was supposed to be his job.
"Well don't get used to it. You more than likely won't see me like this again."
"I know what you mean. This dress and these shoes are about to kill me."
"Well don't worry. I bet you'd look beautiful in anything you wore."
She did blush then. Wagner smiled at her before speaking again.
"I had to do it. Sorry if I embarrassed you."
"No. No matter what they say, girls do like to be embarrassed from time to time."
There was a tortured silence then and then Liz gasped suddenly.
"What?!"
"Oh my gosh! You can see the stars."
"Yeah, it is night time."
"In L.A. you can't. The city is too bright. Oh it's so beautiful."
"I must take it for granted."
He studied her face then, using her distraction as a chance to study her. Her face glowed under the moonlight, at least to him at that moment. She looked down and was looking at him, but somehow past him. She leaned closer and Wagner leaned towards her, closed his eyes and was about to kiss her when he felt her stand up. She spoke.
"Isn't that your sister over there?"
"Huh?"
"Your sister. She's getting into a taxi."
Wagner turned and sure enough it was her. I wonder what she's doing. Wagner stood and ran towards the road to hail a taxi of his own.
"Tell Guile Cammy didn't feel good and I took her home."
"Okay but—"
"I'm sorry to leave you like this, Liz. I can't explain."
--
Running her fingers quickly through her hair, Cammy braided it in pigtails like she had a thousand times before. She figured that when Guile asked her later where she went, she'd say she felt sick and didn't want to interrupt him. She was a little more nervous tonight than last night. She knew what she was up against tonight. Cammy tucked her dress into the bag she had hidden in Guile's car hours before leaving tonight. She had planned ahead for this and so far everything had worked out okay. She arrived near the location and the taxi driver stopped. After handing him twenty dollars and telling him to keep the change she started walking towards the real location of the fight; behind a club located on the Boardwalk.
As she silently slipped through the thin and almost hidden alleyway that led to the fight, Cammy pulled the red fighting gloves from her bag. She stopped for a moment and looked at them before slipping them onto her arms. Gripping her fist tightly together she punched into her palm, making a loud slap. Now she was ready.
After clearing the alley she could already see the outskirts of the crowd. This was a way larger fight. Apparently the guy she had beaten at the fight last night was a defending champion, so she was advanced a lot with just one fight. Cammy got in line for the check in, soon she was talking to a man at the sign in desk.
"Name?"
"Ca-The Killer Bee."
"Killer Bee? Heard a lot about you. Didn't know you were British though. Alright by me, we need another Brit around here."
Cammy nodded and he spoke again.
"Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but you're fighting Birdie."
"What's the big deal?"
He just looked past her and called out for the next person. Cammy took the paper he offered and continued forward. She could handle this. Birdie didn't sound like the name of someone who would be too tough. After an hour or so Cammy heard her name, rather The Killer Bee's name called out. She stepped forward into the ring as a huge black man did. He was dressed in punk attire head to toe. Even completed the look with a neon green mow hawk type head piece. He looked comical, but then she met his eyes. They were pure intensity. He spoke to her in a gaudy British accent.
"Hey there luv. You don't look like a killer to me."
"And you don't look like a bird."
"That I don't. You're a smart one. Doesn't mean I'm not going to whip your tail."
Cammy only nodded and crouched low in a fighting stance. It felt better fighting here. The ground was solid, not soft like the sand.
She circled around him, not wanting to leave herself open by making the first move. She waited. He looked her up and down, not underestimating her like her last opponent. He ran forward, aiming a punch directly at her face. Cammy ducked and attempted to back hand him the stomach. His knee was there however, ready to block. She grabbed it, throwing him off balance, but he drug her down with him. Pinning her to the ground, he hit her three times, square in the jaw. Cammy blinked a few times, trying to get her sense back after the blows. She used her legs to throw his body from hers. Swinging her leg to standing, she reached up and touched her lip, coming back with blood. Birdie stood too, smiling.
"Looks good on you sweetheart."
Cammy grunted in anger and ran towards him. She leapt at the last moment and swung her leg into the side of his head. Her body already turning she hit him in the shoulder with her other leg as his body flew to the side. Cammy aimed a punch, towards his face, but he rolled to the side and her fist hit the wood deck. It cracked, and to Cammy's surprise, he fist wasn't hurt. It was the gloves. She had taken too long looking at the cracked plank. By the time she felt Birdie move behind her it was too late. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her into the air. Cammy's breath caught as a memory rushed over her.
"I won't help you with anything."
"Then you'll die."
"I'd rather die!"
"Such brave words. But are you willing to stand by them?"
The man reached forward and grabbed Cammy's neck with his large hand. She beat frantically at his arms and wrists as he slowly lifted her off the ground. Then he spoke coldly.
"Are you still willing to die now that death is only mere moments away?"
Cammy hardly managed to stammer.
"No—"
He dropped her onto the floor and left her gasping for air.
"We don't need your permission or cooperation anyway. I was just wondering how much it would take for you to give in."
"I'll do everything in my power to try and fight whatever you try and do to me."
"Like I said before, such brave words. But that's all they are words. They're as worthless as you are."
"CAMMY! FIGHT BACK!!"
A voice broke her away from the memory. She already felt weak with the combination of the memory and her air supply being cut off. Birdie had turned her around and was full on chocking her. Swinging her legs, Cammy was able to wrap them around his arms, relieving her neck. He let her neck go to pull her legs away and she back flipped away from him. Cammy looked into the crowd, trying to figure out who called out her name. Again distracted, Birdie's legs swept through hers and she slammed hard onto the ground. Before she could stand, he kicked her in the back. Cammy screamed out as she rolled onto her back, preventing him from hitting the same spot. She tried to stand but he kneed her in the stomach and she doubled over. He stood over her.
"Now take your punishment like a good little girl."
He grabbed her hair and pulled her to her knees, she felt queasy because of the kick to the stomach. She grabbed her own hair closer to the base of her neck than him, to relieve the pain, and with his 'help' she was standing now. He reared back to throw a punch at her face but she quickly ducked and rolled under him, using her size has an advantage. Her speed had surprised him, and luckily, he had let go of her hair.
She charged at him then, and ducked her body low hitting him square in the stomach with her elbow. Cammy heard all the air leave his body and he stumbled backwards coughing. While he tried to recover she quickly assaulted him with various blows. They were quick and didn't hold the strength of her last one, but together they would affect him. A high kick to his eye brow left blood flowing down the side of his face as he stood and wobbled side to side. Cammy ran towards him one last time. She flipped forward into a hand stand and grabbed his neck with her legs. Using all the strength in her arms and legs she flipped his body over and slammed it to the ground. He didn't move and Cammy stood over him. Relief hit her all at once and combined with her injuries, now apparent due to her adrenaline subsiding, she fell to one knee, breathing hard. She heard her name again from the crowd but when she looked up, everything was blurry and she passed out.
When Cammy woke up, she was in a taxi with her head in someone's lap. She looked up and saw Wagner. She tried to sit up but Wagner held her down.
"Cammy, just lay down until we get home."
She did as he said but spoke.
"What were you doing there?"
"I followed you from the party."
"Oh."
Cammy left it at that until they got home. Luckily Guile wasn't home yet. Wagner helped her into the house. He guided her to her room and she sat on the side of the bed. Cammy removed the gloves and set them carefully next to her.
"Where'd those come from?"
"Nowhere."
Cammy went to lie down and sucked in her breath at the pain in her back and stomach. Wagner spoke.
"Take off your shirt and lay on your stomach. I'll go get something for that."
He left the room and Cammy did what he said. Wagner came back with some warm water, a rag, anapestic cream, and bandages. He gently soaked the rag in warm water and ran it along her back.
"You didn't give these scratches time to heal either."
He spoke as he finished tending to the scrapes and bruises on her back.
"I don't know why you're doing this Cammy. But you have to tell Guile."
"No way. I can't. And neither can you Wagner."
"This is bigger than you think. I can feel it."
"I don't care. I have to know everything and this is helping me figure it out."
"But you're getting hurt."
"I don't care."
"I do."
He dropped a slip of paper on her nightstand before speaking again.
"You won. The next fight is in New Orleans. It's the final tournament."
"And I'm going to be there."
"I know you are strong from whatever Shadowlaw did to you, but your memories distract you. You won't be able to hold up. It isn't worth it."
"You remember your past. I don't. It's worth it to me. Don't tell Guile, he'll never let me go."
"I can't do that."
Wagner pulled her covers over her now bandaged back.
"I won't tell him about tonight and last night if you don't go to this last one."
Cammy nodded and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight Wagner."
"Goodnight."
Wagner left the room and Cammy whispered to herself.
"Like hell I'm not going."
--
Liz and General McCall belong to Jami. Check out Air Force Legacy to see more of them.
-Vammy