Her breath came in short, labored gasps and her eyes were clenched tight against the pain. The wounds on her body stung and burned as she stumbled and almost fell, dizzy from blood loss. Groaning and fiercely shaking her head, she forced open her eyes and tried to clear her vision.
Through hazy sight, she saw Vega, the Shadowlaw assassin, against the wall of her apartment, trashed in the fight that had just taken place. She saw the glint of the blade strapped to his hand, and she saw her blood staining it, the blade which had so ruthlessly tried to cut her to pieces.
Rage filled her. Growling, she used the last of her strength, sprinting forward and lashing out her leg. "Lightning kick!" she screamed, as she pummeled the dazed assassin with kick after kick. He didn't even have time to cry out as the wall behind him started to crack, and then broke. He flew out of her apartment and into the open air and fell 10 stories down.
Chun Li slumped down to her knees in pain and exhaustion as she heard his echoing scream. Clutching the bright red slashes across her chest and arm, she leaned against an unbroken section of the wall, trying to regain her senses. Her head began to spin and her wounds throbbed.
She barely heard the door being kicked in and someone rushing into the room calling her name urgently. Slowly, she felt herself numb over and her breathing became shallow.
Guile stormed into the room, breaking the door in the process. He looked around the, seeing broken furniture scattered everywhere. "Chun Li!" he shouted, when he spotted her lying against the wall.
He rushed towards her and stooped down, gently scooping her up in his arms. Cradling her head, he winced as he saw how badly she was hurt. "I'm here, kid. Open your eyes," he urged, softly shaking her.
Chun Li moaned and her eyelids fluttered open. "It was…Vega," she managed to say before her eyes slipped closed again.
"What?" gasped Guile. He suddenly noticed the gaping hole in her wall. He turned his head back to Chun Li when she let out another small moan. Her head fell to one side and her body became very limp. "Hang in there, Chun Li," he said.
Chun Li was falling through a black void. She couldn't see or feel anything around her. All she sensed was a dull, throbbing pain, and even that seemed far away. She tried to move but couldn't; she tried to speak but couldn't. Slowly, she felt herself slipping away from the world. The only sound was her heart pounding like drums in her ears.
"Chun Li," whispered Guile, holding her. As gently as he could, he brushed away some of the hair that had fallen onto her face. By the look of her wounds, he could tell she was probably not going to live. He could feel her breath leaving her body already. He felt despair, and an overwhelming misery. For the past few weeks, he hadn't even realized how much he had come to care for her.
"Chun Li," he whispered again. "Stay with me." He couldn't even tell if she was breathing. "Don't die on me now, kid. Hang on." Her eyelids, which had been clenched tight a minute ago, relaxed. Her fingers loosened and her mouth went slack. "Chun Li!" he whispered more insistently.
"Don't die! I…I love you." Guile soothingly stroked her hair and lowered his head to hers. Slowly and softly, he kissed her on her lips. Lingering on the kiss, he felt a tear slide down his cheek, something that rarely ever happened.
I love you, I love you……. The words echoed in Chun Li's head. She barely heard them, but they were enough to give her a jolt back into reality. Through her confusion, she realized what those words meant, and who spoke them. She felt herself becoming aware again, of her sensations returning to her. "I love you." She felt herself lifted up from the spiraling darkness and into warm light.
She awoke to find Guile's warm lips on hers. His arms surrounded her in a loving embrace. Haltingly, she brought up a hand to stroke his cheek. Guile pulled back in surprise to find her eyes open and filmed with tears.
"Chun Li! You're alright! Hang on, I'll call an ambulance." He eased her onto his lap and dug out his cell phone from a pocket. Quickly dialing the number of the nearest hospital, he called for paramedics to arrive as quickly as possible. He hung up and looked down to see Chun Li with her eyes closed again, but breathing more easily. Letting out a shaky laugh of relief, he tenderly put his arms around her again. "You're going to be ok now, kid. Don't worry."