Ryu stepped into the space cleared for the ring and waited for his opponent; "Syd the Kid" as she was being introduced. Ryu had watched everyone's fights when not actually fighting. "No such thing as too much information," he said to himself. As she stepped into the ring, Ryu got his first really good look at her.
Athletic, and slim without being petite and muscularly toned from head to foot. He could tell by the way she carried herself that she knew her skills, and her fighting spirit was good. "Strange", he said to himself, she reminds me of Chun-li a little. Next time I'm in Hong Kong, I'll have to tease her a little." The ring "Official" for lack of a better term stepped in and looking at Ryu said: "Are you ready?" Ryu nodded. Looking over at "Syd the Kid", he said the same thing: "Are you ready?" At her nod he lowered his arm and declared: "Let's get it on!"
Sydney had fared well so far in these fights. Only a black eye to show for it. When she could, she had watched Ryu's fights and was impressed at his demeanor. Simple, almost elegantly so in his techniques. No wasted motion, no showing off. He was here to better himself as fighter. No more and no less. She said to herself: "Cute too. But not as cute as Gage."
Off and on she had fought back a pang of jealousy when Gage buried himself in the part of the high roller and was talking to the woman hanging on his arm or grabbing his butt. It bothered her to see it and that was when she got hit. Nothing like a fist in the eye to bring your attention back to the here and now!
As she readied for her fight against Ryu she remembered back to when Gage had been injured by that explosion. The hearing loss that almost cost him his badge had been reversible thanks to an experimental surgery. While she watched over him she all but confessed her love for him. Then he woke up and said that he was too zoned on anesthesia to remember what she said only that he had heard her voice. Since then, she had kept her feelings to herself but knew she would have to tell him someday before he went on a bust and didn't come back. "Time for that later." she told herself sternly. "Only here and now matter." The Official looked over to Ryu and said: "Are you ready?" He nodded. Turning to her he said the same thing: "Are you ready?" She nodded. He dropped his arm and called out: "Let's get it on!"
Gage watched closely as the fight opened up. The blond bombshell on his arm tried whispering something to him but he shushed her a little too sternly and she looked like she'd been slapped but was quiet. Both fighters circled each other warily. Sydney was the first to probe for an opening. Ryu kept just out of range. As she recovered her stance, Ryu burst forward in motion that Gage only barely saw start. He moved in with a low left uppercut to the body, right punch to her face, high right round kick to the head and finishing with a mid-body spinning side kick. Sydney was able to stop the uppercut and almost avoided the right punch but it did connect some and sent her face to the right. She ducked under the round kick but ended up practically eating the spinning side kick. She fell back and almost went down but recovered and stood back up. She seemed a little dazed but recovered quickly. She charged forward and threw a double spin kick combo.
The first hit Ryu in the chest but he brought up his arm in time to block the second kick completely from hitting him in the head. Not that it mattered; it was as if he hadn't even felt the first hit. Sydney started a flurry of punches going high and low but Ryu slapped them down until she got too close at which point he spun into an elbow strike that connected with her solar plexus. The wind rushed out of her in a whoosh and before she could recover Ryu spun back to face her and cocking his right fist back, his left one tucked in at his waist, leapt up left leg extended his right bent up at the knee and yelled: "Shoryuken!"
Gage was at the same time amazed to see this technique and concerned for his partner because Ryu's right fist connected with her jaw and she was sent up into the air about a foot and backwards to crash into some truly startled onlookers. Ryu had only jumped up about three feet when he spiraled at the height of his leap and landed almost from where he had left the ground. He stood there a moment in his fighting stance then crossed his arms over his chest and looked away and down as a strong breeze came from somewhere and blew his belt and headband back. Gage gave up any pretense of unconcern and ran to Sydney's side. She was still breathing but unconscious. Gage checked her pulse and respiration, found them steady and strong as he saw red and looked for the man who had defeated his partner soundly . . .