Heart of Spring

Part 2 of 22nd March 1971 

A good three years later. 

  

A neighbourhood in Hong Kong, ordinary, bustling with life and various activities. This is one of Hong Kong’s safer neighbourhoods, where everybody seems to know each other. A couple and their child had finish touring the building they intend to stay at. 

  

“Well. This is a new building Mr Xiang. I doubt you’ll find another good place as this or this price for that matter ah.” The chatty woman in her late twenties said. 

“Markets are close by and traffic is not that heavy. Good schools nearby what more. No Ah-Feis (hoodlums) around here ah, I’m sure you noticed this too.” She continued 

“So Mrs Liu about deposit for the place.” 

“Mr Xiang ah. The price is already the lowest.” 

“No What I mean is. Is there a bank around here?” 

“Oh that ah. Go straight and turn right at the second crossing. So you’re taking the place?” 

“There is no reson not to.” 

“Well then. Here are your keys Mr Xiang.” She handed him the keys and squatted down beside ChunLi who was holding onto a brown-white wolf stuff toy that was half her height. 

  

“Aiyah. What a pretty little girl. Sweet like a princess. What’s her name ah?” Mrs Liu commented while patting ChunLi on the head. Si-Nian was taken aback slightly but Dohrai nudged her to regain her composure. 

“Her name’s ChunLi. Don’t mind her silence, she’s a very shy girl.” Dohrai spoke up. 

“It’s okay lah. Xiao Li(Little Li) ah. Just call me Auntie Liu. Do you like kittens? My cat is having kittens soon ah. If you like you can have one. Would you like that?” 

ChunLi nodded enthusiastically and Mrs Liu patted the young girl’s once more. 

“Aiyah look at the time. I have to go to work. You can move in now also. The furniture comes with the house you see. Bye see you later ah.” Mrs Liu waved and left. 

  

  

“What a talkative woman.” Dohrai shook his head as they headed upstairs 

“You think she knew who I was? I thought she saw my reaction. I think we should move.” 

“Si-Nian, it’s okay. We can hide out here until my superior can clarify things.” 

“Whatever. I don’t want to lead a life running from my husband.” 

“Don’t worry. He’ll be brought to justice. I can’t imagine why you wanted to bring your daughter along.” 

  

“She guarantees our safety, my friend. He would not try anything funny with us and risk compromising her safety. Now listen here you. Don’t ever talk to that woman again. Don’t ever even speak a word! If you do, I’ll send you to the bad man(Vega?). Understand!” Si-Nian warned 

ChunLi looked up, her eyes show slight defiance and slight fear, she held on to her toy tightly and nodded. 

  

“Now go to your room!” 

“She’s not mute is she?” Dohrai asked, watching the girl scramble to her room. 

“Don’t know why she won’t say anything…” 

  

—————– 

  

A dojo a few blocks away. 

  

Mrs Liu headed into the dojo and towards the man in charge. She whispered something to Gen and made two gestures with her fingers. One signifies important information and the other signal a major project. 

Gen excused himself and had Mrs Liu follow his to his study. From there they entered a secret chamber. Within the room there were a few other important people of the neighbourhood. They gathered around a monitor which flickered to life. They made a gesture of respect 

  

“Speak. This better be good.” The sinister voice said. 

“Lord I have found your consort and the young heir as well.” 

“Interesting. Here of all places. Do tell.” Vega(Bison) seem greatly interested. 

“I do not know why but the agent who infiltrated the palace three years ago had rented an apartment in my building.” 

“How is my daughter?” Vega was more interested in ChunLi’s condition than other things. His mood seem to have improve. 

“The young princess is in good health. Lord….May I say something?” Mrs Liu said suddenly 

“Speak.” 

“The young Princess is starting to bare a resemblance to the Dracona Lilian (Jiu Dao Nui).” 

“Ah. The lady of Dragons. A sign of her heritage indeed. Su Qing would you like a transfer back to base?” Vega asked. 

“I thank you Lord. But I wish to stay in Hong Kong with your permission of course.” 

“Then you shall stay. And be promoted.” 

“Thank you Lord. We await your orders.” 

  

“A VTOL will arrive at your location tonight. Bring my daughter back unharmed. The errant woman must be captured. As for the agent. I want him back alive. He has hell to pay…They must not escape…Ye chang mong duo(Long nights bring more dreams)…” Vega shook his head 

“Yes Lord, We will not fail.” They saluted Vega 

The screen flickered off. 

  

—————– 

  

That night 

There was a crescent moon in the lonely sky tonight, as few stars twinkle. A little girl sat quietly on her bed in the dark of her room. ChunLi had being sent to bed without dinner for being rude. 

She knew this wasn’t the first time and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Looking at her toy wolf she wished she could have more friends. She could have friends if they had not kept moving from place to place. 

She couldn’t help but have this feeling that things were changing, her mommy seem more agitated lately, constantly scolding her for every little thing. She blinked back tears as her imaginary friend told her to be strong and that he’ll always be here for her. 

She smiled a little,  her imaginary friend trying to cheer her up with tales of where he had being, how beautiful the waterfall is and what he had being doing. There was a loud crash outside. 

  

< Mommy and Uncle are fighting again…. > ChunLi thought as she hugged her wolf closer. There were shouting as well, other people in the house. Out of curiosity ChunLi decided to outside to look. As the door creaked open she could see Mommy screaming away, Uncle being beaten up by a couple of masked men. Uncle struggled free as Mommy used a vase to strike one of the masked men. 

ChunLi fell hard as Dohrai ran into her door, he made a grab for the young girl, shaking her up, frightening her in the process. The mask men froze on see ChunLi held captive. 

  

“I see….So he does want his child alive…..” Dohrai mumbled, narrowing his bloodied eye. He shook ChunLi make his point, frightening the young girl even more. 

“Give up Agent! You have no one to back you up.” 

“Never! I’m sure he wants his child alive! Soon people will come hearing such a commotion!” 

“Not likely considering this is a Shadowlaw run district.. Heh heh…” another one said. 

“You’re not likely to leave here alive agent.” 

“Oh yeah….She’ll die before you get to me!!!” tightening his grip around ChunLi neck. From the window of the room, nobody noticed a figure climbing in. A glint of cold steel glimmer through the air. 

  

“AAARRGGHH!!!” Dohrai screamed in pain as a knife pierced his arm, his grip loosen and ChunLi scrambled away, huddling in fear in a corner, her head hurting like crazy as what felt like fire burns within her mind. 

The masked men pounced on Dohrai once more beating him up till he could no longer resist. Two men restraint him as the knife thrower walked over. With one hand on the handle he gave it a little twist before pulling it out. Relishing the pained look on Dohrai’s face. He turned to Si-Nian. 

  

“Your call. To go back like him or as you are.” 

“As I am.” Si Nian said, pulling her hand away from another masked man. She moved over to ChunLi, slapping her to get her attention. 

“It’s all because of you that the bad man got us. Your fault, ley yi gor sway loi(you bad bad girl). You will suffer like we do.” Si Nian hissed, dragging ChunLi screaming and kicking they headed towards the roof where the VTOL is. 

  

———– 

  

Shadowlaw Palace helipad a few hours later 

The VTOL landed and the two prisoners were marched out. Vega stopped in front of Dohrai, his hand shot up gripping his neck tightly. 

“You denied me of my heir.” 

“You deserved no descendants. PTUI!!” He spat in Vega’s face. 

“You amuse me.” Increasing his grip while he wiped the saliva off with his other hand 

“You will be brought to justice!!!” 

“Considering that the one in charge of your assignment is dead. You were not only disavowed but your very existance is only known to that one person. Agent. You do not exist on this very earth. An empty assignment you were following. Yes?” 

  

“WHAT!!!!” Si Nian shouted. 

“Ah my beloved. Didn’t he tell you? Heh heh heh.” 

Si Nian shot a look at Dohrai, who refused to say anything. 

“You never have that child! She fears you more than anything!” her eyes narrowed knowing that a small victory was still hers. A smile form on her lips. 

“You dare turn my own child against me.” He grabbed Si Nian by the chin forcing her to look him in the eyes. Anger burns in his eyes while she showed defiance. 

“No…The cells are too good for the likes of you two. Bring them to my private dungeons. The rats will have company tonight. Yes.” Vega smiled, heading up the VTOL. 

  

  

ChunLi huddled in a corner, fear eating away at her as the words of her mother replayed in her mind, The fear increase when she heard the ‘click’ ‘click’ ‘click’ of metal boots coming up the VTOL and towards her. The pain in her head increased as the sound approached her, she tensed up as the sound stop right before her. A strong feeling of dread and fear wells up. 

Opening her eyes to see her worst nightmare in the flesh. The red uniformed bogeyman in front of her. The very presence of this monster had intensified the raw pain in her head. It spoke but she could not understand it. Like a cornered creature, wild and unstable in a frightened state 

  

“Wild Psycho Power….This is very bad.” Vega mumbled. He tried reaching to her through her mind. 

“Odd….her mind has already being bonded to someone else….” Vega offered his hand. Something within ChunLi’s mind snapped, she leap up towards him, sinking her teeth into his arm. 

  

“GGGAAAARRHHH!!!!” From outside the unearthly scream was heard. Soldiers all surrounded the VTOL, moments later Vega appeared with ChunLi still attached to his arm. 

“Leave us.” He growled withholding his pain, he headed downstairs to his private garden. 

  

—— 

  

“Could you two do something before the pain gets to me and I dash my daughter’s head to ground?” he said to the two figures playing chess. They rose and moved towards him, a low growl came from ChunLi as the young brunette pried her away. The silver hair woman raised one eyebrow as Vega related to her what happened. 

  

“What say the both of you?” he rubbed his arm. 

“Can’t reach her mind in this state. Something fueling her on and it blocks any attempt to reach her….” The brunette said, as she held ChunLi be the back of her shirt collar at arm’s length. The child was struggling in mid air. 

“That would be the Psycho Power. Helen.” Zannah said. 

“Can the power be sealed?” Vega asked 

“Yes. But it could come back stronger than ever.” Helen said 

“That is a risk I have to take.” 

“Shall we begin then?” Helen asked 

“Lets.” Zannah nodded, tapping an acupoint on ChunLi to make the young girl stop struggling and go into a sleep. She puts both hands on ChunLi forehead. 

“Wipe her earlier memories Zannah.” 

“You sure about this?” 

“It would be better for a young mind like hers.” 

“Your call.” Zannah returned to her task. 

“Power seal and memory wipe 101” Helen noted 

—– 

The mind of the young child was too chaotic for her age, fear eating her up from inside. The wispy strands of qi, gathered all memories, all that had being tainted by this event, becoming like a clean slate once again as the power was shut behind a door, sealed for her own sake. 

—— 

Some time later 

“So how might she react upon waking?” Vega asked as he place ChunLi on the bed, placing the brown-white wolf and grey-white wolf by her side. 

“Who knows.” Zannah shrugs 

“…..” 

  

ChunLi’s eyes slowly fluttered open, she found herself in new surroundings. Two toy wolves now. Strange faces that felt familiar in a certain way, she blinked and looked at them questioningly. 

“….What happened?…..” ChunLi asked softly. The two ladies looked towards Vega 

“You had a fall, Li. Daddy was worried for you.” Vega noticed that ChunLi was still a little lost and confuse. 

“Let me.” Zannah said sitting beside the young girl 

“Would you like to hear a story?” 

“Yes please.” Her eyes brightened up. 

“You’ll have to rest later okay.” 

“Okay.” 

“Well then. Long before you time in the Western Province of Shadowlaw, there live a little princess, who is a lot like you…….” Zannah started. 

  

Vega sighed a breath of relief seeing that there was a big change in ChunLi. His heir had returned to him now. All that he needed to do is find the one whose mind was bonded to ChunLi’s and hope that there be a way to train his daughter. For now he has some business to attend to in his private dungeons. He has a collection of rusty and blunt knifes that needed a place to stick in