It was a windy cloudy day. A two-story house surrounded by white picket fences, A neat little garden by the drive way. A dark blue Harley Davidson drove in and stops. The black clad rider got out and headed to front door. She took off her helmet and shook her jaw length black hair loose before ringing the doorbell. 
  

She's in her late thirties but seem like twenty, but the cold dark brown eyes show the truth, the horror she was to those who got in her way. Little old ladies would cross the streets just to avoid her. 

Mothers would scare their children into being good by saying they would call in the bounty hunter on them. Her black jacket carried the Chinese words “Kuang Mo Long” (Psycho Demon Dragon). 
  

“Ding Dong Ding Dong.” The door opens to reveal the owner who is in her late forties but look like she's in her early thirties. 

Her natural beauty unmarred by the few wrinkles. Mature like fine wine, beautiful regardless. Seeing her guest she shed a few tears for they had not seen each other for almost a decade. The biker was unable to smile but only gave a twitch in her lip, the closest thing to a smile. 
  

“Li Jie.” The biker said as she hug the woman, she could feel the elder woman flinch in pain. The biker released the woman almost immediately. 
“What's wrong?” a cold voice but there was a hint of concern. 
“Nothing just a bruise, fell down yesterday. I hope I didn't take you away from your job.” ChunLi said timidly. 
  

The biker cock her head to right and raised her eyebrows in a slightly curious manner, there was something in her voice that bothered her and she suspected her friend was hiding something from her. 
“No I'm never too busy for you. I was waiting for my next hunt when I received your call. Is something wrong.” 
“No..no… I just miss you that's all…Iwa...stay a few days…please….” ChunLi said nervously. 
  

Iwa really suspected that something was wrong, it seems to her that ChunLi is hiding something from her. She was about to ask more when the door opened, she noted that ChunLi seem to jump a little and glance nervously towards the door. 

“MOM! I'm home!” The voice of a teenage girl. ChunLi relaxed. 
“Oh. We have a guest.” The girl in the denim jacket and jeans was carrying her schoolbooks. Her cheerful expression changed to one of curiosity on seeing Iwa. 
  
  

“Haru. Say hello to Iwa.” ChunLi said nervously. 
“Hi. How are you? Mom Can we talk in private? Excuse me a moment.” Haru said as she led her mother to the kitchen.” 

While Iwa looked around the mantelpiece. Feeling the stone statue that was holding the clock, she almost flinched when touched it. Her eyes wide open in disbelieve, as if she never expected this feeling here. 
<  Bad qi. Bad qi mixed with fear and anger flowing.  > she thought and suspected her earlier suspicions were correct. 
  
  

“Mom why did you bring her here? You know what Dad would do if he knew you had guests. You know Kage had a fallout with Dad because of what he did the last time. I didn't leave because I was afraid of what he might do to you.” Haru said in a hush tone. 
“No you don't understand. He'll change on seeing her. She serves as a reminder. She'll have a way to remind him.” She sounded desperate. 
  

“Speak the truth! The qi never lies. What's going on here?” Iwa asked as she stormed into the kitchen. 
“No Haru don't. She's better off not knowing. There's no telling what she might do.” 
  
  

Then the door opens. A man entered, carrying with him a sense of dread and fear to those around him. His moody face dark and foreboding. Staring at Iwa there was a sense of loathing and threat as if challenging her. 
  

<  Odd There was no qi on him?   > Iwa thought. 
Ryu said nothing and went upstairs. ChunLi relaxed a little and headed upstairs. There was a strong sense of fear in her. 
  

“Come. I tell you but not here.” Haru said. “Can you drive me to the café?” 
“Sure I've got a spare helmet.” Saying that they left. Iwa could hear the sound of crashing and arguing in Japanese, a language that she didn't understand. 
  
  

A little while later 
“How.” Iwa asked when they parked by the roadside. 
“You sure would like to get straight to point.” Haru said. 
“Hey long time no see.” A blond young man a few years older than Haru greeted them. Sitting down at the furthermost corner from the crowds. 
“Hi Mel.” 
“She finally decided called in the marker. Huh.” Mel said. 
“How. I hate repeating myself.” 
  

“Seven years ago, Gouki found him. They fought hard but Dad lost and Gouki destroyed his qi and martial arts. Dad nearly went crazy because of that. At first we tried to help him deal with it but he snapped when he had to be defended by his family. For a warrior losing one’s ability to fight is worst than death." 

"Of all places he came here to cope. He turned to drinking when Grand Master Gouken was murdered by Gouki and that's when the nightly beatings and the morning apologies started. She loved him too much to fight back. You know she used to be strong…..” Haru fought back the tears. 
  

“….But now its a 180 degrees change. Kage tried to defend Mom but ended up being thrown out of the house. The dojo down at Shadowlaw is run by him now. Mom made him swear never to tell anybody, not Granddad and especially not you, not anyone of the IC. She kept saying he would change. I think you know that she called you in as a last resort. When Mel found out she made him swore as well.” 
  

“I'm gonna kill that mo sum yan (heartless cad)!! After all that she had done for him. He treats her like this?!” Iwa said as she stood knocking down her chair. Haru grabbed her arm. 

“Please no. Mom said that he'll change when he sees you. Please don't hurt him. Do this for my mom. I know you respect her a lot. If you still do, hear her cause please.” Haru pleaded. Iwa set down and listen. 

“I try to visit more often when I found that he won't touch her when I was around.” 
“Losing his qi can be help. Why didn't you call me earlier?” 
“We wanted to but instead he wanted to heal himself. Stupid pride of his.” 
“If he dares touch a hair on her while I'm still here. I'll maim him right there and then. Don't you even try to stop me.” With that they went back to the house. 
  
  

Dinner was unusually quiet and was finish fast. Ryu could feel Iwa glaring at him silently sizing him up as if daring him to make a move. She had that classic ‘Touch her and die’ look on her face whenever she was overly defensive. After dinner They stayed out of each others line of sight. Ryu kept ChunLi closed to him. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. 

“I don't get it. They got love and fear relationship going on. He scares her so much yet she didn't mind staying by his side?” Iwa said. 
“Well at least he wasn't out looking for another woman. He knew that would hurt her the most but he didn't do it. Don't ask me why he does the things he does.” Haru said. 
  

“I thought his dark side would stop him from doing this? Or hers for that matter?” Iwa asked. 
“Losing his qi equals the death of his dark side. Hers, she's being controlling hers for that matter she locked it up somewhere in her head. I'm surprise she didn't snapped.” Haru explained. 

“I don't like it. Feels awful uncomfortable just now. I wanna stay over.” Mel said. 
“Sure you could take Kage’s room. Iwa jie I'll show you to the guest room.” Haru said as they headed upstairs. 
  
  

The night seem eventful until dawn when the cops and the medics came, the neighbours had alerted the authorities when it happened. Ryu was in a coma from the fall and the loss of blood. ChunLi in tears and a state of shock. Haru and Mel slightly confuse. Iwa was taken to the police station for questioning. 
  

Word was flowing around that the bounty hunter who is the wife's disciple was angry and had decided to kill the husband. 
Word had it that the bounty hunter was probably hired to do the job for that matter. 
Word had it that the neighbours thought it was the wife who fell and had call in the cops and would not have done so if they realised that it was the husband that had fell. 
Gossip had it that the wife hired the bounty hunter to murder her husband in but apparently the bounty hunter mess up. 
  
  

Downtown. 
  

Blue Mary shone the lamp in Iwa’s face. 
“You didn't like the way he was treating her so you tried to kill him?” she asked. 
“If I wanna kill him, it would be quick, clean and quiet. I don't believe in making too much noise. Besides I promise her that I'll hear out whatever fuzzy logic she intends give to me. I don't go back on my word.” She stared at Blue Mary, putting her legs up on the table. 

“You can't deny that the dagger isn't yours. Your trademark was on it. And you have more than a dozen on your person.” Irriated Mary slapped Iwa's feet off the table. 

“I admit that its mine. But I'm not the only one who owns such a dagger. Mel has one, so does Haru and so does the lady herself.” 
“So you say they could have done it.” 
“Think what you like BM. I know my deeds.” 
  

An officer came and spoke to Blue Mary who turned to Iwa. 
“Don't you even dare to leave town.” Mary said. 
“If I want to I would have left and you wouldn't even the chance to speak to me. I could leave anytime I want to. I'm staying cause I did nothing wrong.” Iwa said and stood up, Giving Blue Mary a wave she followed the officer out. 
“Don't you try anything stupid. I'll be keeping an eye on you.” 
“Yeah yeah whatever.” 
  

------------ 
  

SouthTown Hospital a day later 
Ryu's ward 
  

“You've being here the whole night go home and rest.” Iwa said 
“No I want to stay here with him.” ChunLi was still holding Ryu's hand. 
“Eat then.” Offering her a packet of chicken rice. 
“Already did. Haru brought me something earlier.” 

“Why? Hoi sang yat hai lei seng shiong chou hei. (He takes his anger out on you everyday)” 
“Not his fault.” Stroking Ryu's hair. Amidst the tears of sadness hides the love she will always have for the comatose man. 
“You would not understand.” 
“I don't think I could. I don't think I know you anymore. Why didn't you leave him even if for a while?” 
  

“I could never leave him. Not even if this is the reason to.” 
“Why do you have to walk the same path April once did?” 

“They made it through didn't they. If she could why can't I? You had never being in love and never love like I did. I called you in to remind him of his promise. I never expected this to happen. I would never want this to happen. Maybe it was predestined for us to suffer. Bad things happens to good people sometimes. Maybe this is the best way for us to start over.” She said in a soft voice. 
“Oh mortals. What is this thing called love.” Iwa quoted from a TV series called ‘Return of the Condor Heroes’. She could never recall the next line that follows. 
  

“Came to finish your job?” Blue Mary asked. “Iwa Hoshi or whatever-your-real-name-is. I hereby place you under arrest for the attempted murder of Ryu Hoshi. You have the right to remain silent.” 
“Blah blah blah and all that. I know my rights.” Iwa said interrupting Blue Mary who was annoyed. 

“Drop the charges against her.” ChunLi spoke softly but firmly, her attention was still on Ryu, tears was flowing down her cheeks as she watched her husband labour over each breath . 
“What?!" 
“It wasn't her if that's what you want to know.” 
“Evidence are against her. I hope you know what you're saying and not protecting her from the law.” 
  

ChunLi turned around focusing her attention on Blue Mary. 
“The dagger was mine, yes it was from her collection but I had it when I first met her.” ChunLi started. 

“That morning he was questioning me, maybe he was jealous that she came as soon as I called her. Maybe he felt threatened. Everything else happened so quickly. There was a struggle…… somehow I had the dagger in my hand and he was stabbed when he rushed towards me…. He was shocked, staggering backwards. Lost his balance and fell out the window….” She was silent. 

Iwa rubbed her wrists when Blue Mary took off the handcuffs. 
“Leave me alone the both of you.” 
They said nothing and left. ChunLi returned her attention to Ryu. 

------------------ 

“CUT!!! That was beautiful, people! Okay! That's a wrap! Now Its time for the editing people to get an ulcer or two.” The director yelled. There was a short cheer before the people started to dismantling the set. 

Pai (ChunLi) got up and stretched herself. Looking at Yashiro(Ryu) she smiled and shook his hand when he offered it. 
"As much as I hate the script, its a pleasure working with your band." 
"Thanks. same to you." Yashiro removes his wig. 
"Oww!." He winced as Shermie(Blue Mary) ripped the scotch tape off him. 
"I heard that guy who wrote this has issues with the main male character and that it was loosely based on real life." Kensou (Mel) added 
"I heard this script was changed or something." Athena(Haru) removed her wig 
"I demanded that. Its in my contract that I'm entitled to do so. He knows full well that I'll do this yet he hires me." Pai giggled 
"I'm not attending the opening of the movie. I got other projects. what about you guys." Pai asked 
"No we got to go back to Japan. there's a KOF tourney. Master will be upset if we miss that." Chris(Iwa) said and his two companions nodded. 
"Oh yeah that reminds me I gotta go get some costumes for KOF." Athena reminded herself. 
As the banter went on it was obvious that none of them have any intentions of promoting the movie. 
  
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Writer's comments: I wrote this fic because I wanted to explore what if such a thing did happen. It was actually meant to be a murder flick but hey. Somehow somewhere I ended up writing it this way. This one would never be a dream or even a nightmare for dreams and nightmares reflects thoughts and fears of real life. For it would emotionally scar the characters involved for there is a betrayal of trust in here. That's why it became an act.