TWENTY TWO

~Pheonix~

"Shit!"

A man with sable hair cursed as ran down a dark and filthy alleyway. He was angry and full of rage. He knew it was bad to allow his emotions to get the better of him, but he couldn't help it. The person he was after deserved more than death for what he had done. He was determined to catch him and make him pay.

He winced in pain as he ran. He was already shot a couple of times in his arm and torso. They were flesh wounds, nothing more. However, logic told him that he should fall back and tend to his injuries, but he was no longer thinking with a level head.

The man he was after ran right into a chain-linked fence at the end of the narrow alley. He cursed as he began to climb the metal obtrusion.

"Get back here!" The sable-haired man yelled out like a rabid dog. "Get your ass back here!" He roared as he yanked the person down from the seat of his pants.

They both fell to the ground and began to fight. They exchange blows, but eventually the sable-haired man got the upper hand. He beat the man bloody but it wasn't enough, he wanted him dead. He laughed as he beat the man and tossed his body around the narrow alley. Fueled by bloodlust he didn't notice what was happening. He didn't see when his enemy reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his gun.

Three shots. Three shots was all it took to stop the enraged man. He coughed up blood and collapse on the ground. He tried to get back up, but his body wouldn't listen to his command. It was drained of energy. The adrenalin that fueled it dissipated and gone.

His enemy pocketed his gun and proceeded to climb the fence. The sable-haired man watched helplessly as he got away.

How could this happen? He questioned to himself as he felt his blood escape his body. How!?

A small gust of wind blew. The stench of the alley invaded his nose and the cool breezed stung his dying skin. Unable to move, he noticed the red ribbon that was tied to his left arm. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he saw the small piece of fabric flutter in the wind.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered weakly hoping that she heard his dying words.

Bryan sat straight up in shock as he gasped for air.

That dream again…. He thought to himself as he clutched his left arm. He looked at it and immediately jumped in shock.

"What the fuck?" He cursed under his breath.

His arm had been replaced with robotic one. It had strips and pieces of metal that resemble and form the musculature of a human one. It looked very high tech and advanced. Bryan felt surprised and impressed at the same time. He stared at it in both awe and wonder as he moved it around and wiggled its fingers. He gasped again when he realized his right leg was new too. He examined his chest and was happy to see that there was no wound.

"Where the fuck am I?" He muttered as he observed his surroundings.

It seemed like he was in a lab… or what's left of it. The place was completely destroyed and it looked like no one has been here for a while.

Broken and busted equipment rested on lab tables. They were covered in dirt and debris. Some actually seemed to be still working. Papers were strewn across the floor. The ceiling had collapsed in some places. Wires dangled from it and some of its light fixtures lay broken on the floor. Despite that, a few of the ceiling lights still flickered.

Bryan sniffed when he noticed the musty odor. He then turned his attention to what he was resting on. It was a pod of some kind. The glass that kept him encapsulated in it was already opened. Was somebody here? He questioned quietly.

He peered over the edge of the pod and noticed his name was painted on it in big, bold font. He noticed another pod across from him. It said 'Alisa' on it, but it was empty.

Bryan grinned from ear to ear. "That old bastard did it." He whispered to himself.

He slowly got out of the pod. His body felt extremely stiff as if he had been laying for a while and quickly realized that he was completely naked. He looked around and his eyes widened when he saw some clothes neatly folded on a table that was behind his pod.

"Someone was definitely here." He muttered as he quickly put on his clothes. He wondered who. He put on a pair of brown, camouflage pants, a green, military jacket and black boots. There was also a gun and a knife that he strapped to leg.

He felt a little unhappy with his clothing. They fit his style, but something about it still bothered him. He pondered it for a second then quickly decided to rip off one of the sleeves to the jacket and one of the legs to the pants.

"Much better." He grinned as he admired his new cybernetic arm. He was proud of his new enhancements and wanted everyone he encountered to see it.

With that done, Bryan searched for an exit. He found a door after climbing around some rubble. He exited the lab and his eyes widen in shock when he saw the devastation that surrounded him.

The city that he once lived in was completely destroyed. Buildings lay in ruin. Glass, metal, and other huge debris littered the streets. There was no signs of life as if everyone had abandoned the city. He saw military helicopters zipped past overhead as the sun began to set.

"What the hell happened!?" Bryan said feeling thoroughly confused.

He walked around in a daze aimlessly as his mind raced with thoughts. Suddenly, he noticed a man sitting on a pile of rubble not too far away from him. From what he can tell, he was dressed in military attire. He wore a long trench coat and had a beret on his head. Bryan couldn't see his face since the man's back was facing him. He quickly decided to confront the man and ask him for some answers.

On his way there, Bryan saw a black piece of fabric fluttering in the wind. A rock rested on top of it preventing it from blowing away. Bryan bent down and picked it up. He looked at it and noticed that it was a bandana with a picture of a skull on it. The skull had a tongue sticking out in a humorous way.

Bryan smirked. He thought the bandana was very symbolic. It seemed to be making fun of death as if to taunt it. It suited his personality well. Bryan folded and tied the bandana to hang loosely around his neck.

He continued to walk towards the mysterious man. He started to question the man's identity as he gotten closer to him. He seemed familiar. Bryan suddenly cursed under his breath and quicken his pace. He knew who it was.

"Dragunov!?" He said feeling surprised as he approached him.

The Russian stood up from the rubble and turned to face him. He greeted him by giving him a nod.

Bryan chuckled. "I assume you are the one who woke me, huh?" He said as he passed a hand through his hair.

Dragunov nodded but quickly furrowed his brow when he saw the man's attire.

Bryan noticed his gaze and chuckled. "Yeah, I made some alterations to the clothing you left me."

Dragunov sighed dismissively as he picked up a shotgun from off the ground and tossed it at him. Bryan caught it and strapped the weapon around his back.

"So…" Bryan said as he looked at the silent man inquisitively. "How long was I out for?"

Dragunov looked at him for a moment then slowly raised two fingers on his hand.

"Two what?" Bryan asked as he shook his head in confusion. "Two weeks?"

The Russian shook his head no. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He turned it on to show him the date.

Bryan's eyes widened when he saw it. "TWO YEARS!?" Bryan exclaimed in utter shock. He immediately observed his surroundings once more as his mind raced with thoughts. He wondered what happened during his long slumber. Where's Nina and Anna? What happened to the Zaibatsu? Or Lee for that matter.

Bryan quickly calmed himself and chuckled. "Out of all the people that could have wake me, it had to be you." He grinned. "I'm guessing you won't tell me what happened here, huh?" He mocked as he looked at the silent Russian.

Bryan stared at the Russian for a response and was quickly surprised when he witnessed something he never thought possible. He saw the man's lips curved, very slightly, to form a subtle and minute smile. It would have been easily overlooked if he wasn't paying attention.

"Huh?" Bryan said dumbfounded. He thought the gesture was very unlike him.

Satisfied with his response, Dragunov turned around and flicked his hand as if to beckon him to follow.

Bryan got the impression that all his questions will be answered soon. He smiled as he lifted the bandana just above his nose.

"Alright then… Let's go."

He adjusted the gun on his back and walked alongside the Russian. They headed towards the sunset and into a new adventure.

~END

Authors Note:

Well that concludes 'Cruel Punishment!' I've changed up the original ending I had planned after seeing all the trailers for Tekken 7. Yay! I know my fic wasn't exactly canon, but I hope it was still enjoyable to read.

I know the last two chapters had hints that there will be a sequel, but I must be honest, I'm not sure that I have it in me to write anymore fics. I am happy that I've finally finished 'Cruel Punishment,' however, I can't help but feel that not many people like it, or had abandoned reading the story.

I enjoy writing, but I write in hopes that I will get a little feedback in return. I mean, how else will I know if people like what I'm writing, right? The lack of reviews and responses leads me to believe that maybe what I'm writing isn't good. Therefore I have to conclude that maybe I am wasting my time.

I will cut this short because I don't' want to come off as a whiner or a complainer, I'm just stating how I feel. The only reason why I've managed to complete this fic was the sheer motivation to finish what I've started. And I think I have fulfilled that goal.

With that said, if you've read this far and completed my fic, I am eternally grateful to you. It really, REALLY means a lot. *hugs!*

As for my future plans on this site, I want to edit and reword my first fic 'Knives and Bullets.' I will not delete and repost the whole story. I will simply edit and replace each chapter. So if you are interested, be on the lookout for that. Beyond that… I don't know…

Anyway, that's the end of my blathering!

Thanks for reading!