One Shot 2

Japan  

Ryu had just finished his fight and was heading back to the locker room. He felt that he was being watched. Looking up at the rafters he saw a cold gleam.  

<  No.  >  he thought. Making a run for it. A shadow darted about beside him. The word ‘flea’ sprung to mind. Stopping right in front of the locker room door. She turned to face him.  

"Hello sensei…." She said but remained ready to attack  

"You… Return me what you had once stolen."  

Ryu was looking for a way to escape. He had no intention of fighting her. He knew what she’s capable of, he had no wish to hurt the disciple of his late wife.  

"Never! It was the last thing she gave me! You had no guts to return for her! You were the one who threw her down that cliff! You fear accepting responsibility for your own actions!! You can’t always run from the truth!! You wanna go. Fight me!"  

   

"Hado-kikoken!" A blast of qi came from behind his antagonist blasting her past Ryu slamming her into the wall.  

"Hurry!" she called out to him after clearing the way.  

   

The fifteen-year-old girl ran beside him. There was a familiar sparkle beneath the seriousness in her eyes. Black shoulder length hair with a tint of brown. Center parting fringe held away from her eyes by a red headband. Black bodysuit beneath dark blue gi, a black belt that signifies her level in Shotoken Karate. Black sport sandals on her feet. On her wrists she wore the knobbed bracelets that ChunLi had worn in her younger days. That face is a perfect the blend of his face and ChunLi’s. She had both their good looks it seems. He knew at once who the girl was.  

"This way!" he called out when they reached the carpark. Together they headed for his beat up jeep and revved off immediately.  

   

   

Back outside the locker room  

Ryu’s attacker got up and shook the dust off herself. Taking out a communicator she punch a button.  

"Report!" ordered a cold hoarse voice.  

"I had tracked down the subject. He is here after all."  

"Good. What of Haru?"  

"Little Simui(sister-in-training) ran off with her daddy."  

"Phase 1 is working fine. Proceed with Phase 1B"  

"You expect miscues (mistakes) in the first plan?"  

"With Ryu, nothing must go wrong. He is too important to lose to a simple miscalculation. I will have what was once mine. Iwa. Are questioning my orders?"  

"No! I would never!" Iwa’s uneasiness had not gone unnoticed.  

"Good. Expect my ETA at the Arena in 10 minutes. We shall meet up with my little darlings then." The screen went blank. Keeping the communicator she sigh a breath of relief. She had gotten off easy for questioning authority this time.  

   

While driving back to Ryu place, there was an awkward silence between father and daughter.  

"How have you…." They both started, then quiet down.  

"Haru… How did you find me?" Ryu started.  

"I had found the orders meant for Iwa Sijie(elder sister). It said that you were here and Sijie was ordered to take you back to Shadowlaw. To pay for what you did. Dad why did you not return to the Dojo?"  

   

<  I didn’t want to hurt the both of you.  > Ryu thought.  

Seeing young Haru again reminded him of ChunLi. The pain he had felt that day return to him. He still remembered what happened that day. Throwing the woman he loves so deeply, into that cliff. Gouki was had messed with his mind quite badly that day. Till now he feared having an overly close relationship, fearing that he might destroy what he loves. If only he had a chance to right what wrongs he done. He had being running away from the truth since then.  

   

"How is your brother?"  

"He hates you, for not being the warrior like you once was. For running away from being who you are."  

"Did your Sijie said anything about me?"  

"Although she was adamant that you kill mom. She said you were the best opponent she ever had. I had always believed that you had your reasons for doing what you did." They drove in the driveway and parked.  

   

Once inside there seem to be a silent confrontation as Ryu introduce Sakura to Haru.  

<  Dad left mom for this..this… woman?  > Haru thought as she eyed Sakura coldly It was Sakura who broke eye contact first.  

   

Father and daughter began talking again. Ryu realized that leaving his family was the biggest mistake of his life. But he had no choice. Nobody would understand his reasons even if he had told them. There were times when he wanted to return, he had seen members of the Inner Circle searching for him yet he was the one who avoided them. He didn’t want to make the same mistake once more. Ryu had asked Haru about how things were back in Shadowlaw but she kept avoiding the subject.  

   

"Dad why did you leave us?"  

"Yes Oyaji(father). Why indeed?" A voice asked as the door burst open.  

A boy no more than fifteen stood, He resembles Haru but is more masculine, short floppish hair. His stone gray dogi jacket was wrapped around his waist and secured by his black belt  With one punch Haru’s younger twin had shattered the door. He was looking straight at Ryu with stony unforgiving eyes. The boy was slightly taller and and larger than he was  

   

Ryu and Sakura had intention to fight but Haru was faster. Tapping certain qi points she left Sakura unable to move and speak. And Ryu was left unable to move.  

"Haru! What are you doing?" Ryu struggled attempt to removed block set in his qi.  

"Just doing what Mommy ordered. Daddy," She smiled.  

Kage moved aside and ChunLi walked in escorted by Iwa. ChunLi’s battle attire was jet black. With the Shadowlaw symbol upon her belt. A cape around her shoulders. Her eyes seem different as a cold fire burns in them.  

   

Ryu gasped as his heart missed a beat upon seeing her. More memories return. Eyes that scream fear and betrayal. The pain that had clouded his head, ordering him to destroy all that stands before him. Guilt that prevented him from going down to look for her. Fear of seeing what he had done. He had suppressed all those feelings but they return to haunt him every single night giving him not a single night’s rest.  

She is still as beautiful as he had remembered. Ryu shuddered as her warm hand lingered upon his cheek, for over ten years he missed that familiar warmth. Seeing her again makes him want to hold her in his arms once more. A rush of feelings hit on knowing his true love is still alive. But doubts nagged at him. Would she still want him back? Those eyes seem to have lost their coldness on seeing him.  

"You’re still alive?" Ryu asked.  

"Would you feel any better if I was not?" ChunLi asked in a hoarse voice. No change in her emotions.  

   

"How do you think I felt watching the man I love throw me to my death? How do you think I felt when it was my disciple and not my husband who found my nearly dead body hanging in the trees. How do you think I feel knowing that I owe Geotao a life debt for healing me, and not knowing when that stony Kage-bushi(Shadow Warrior) would call in the marker and at what price. Those nights when the incident kept replaying in my mind. YOU WERE NEVER THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU!!!!!!"  

Ryu realized that although Geotao had healed ChunLi’s physical injuries, the injuries of the heart and soul remained unhealed.  

"SLAAAP !!!" ChunLi suddenly struck him. Sakura gasped at ChunLi’s viciousness.  

"You hearts aches at what I do to him?"  

   

"How do you think the kids and I felt when we realized he has no intention of ever returning. Does it makes you happy to break up a family? You thought you were in heaven when he ended up here with you? Well then what does it feels like to love a man who kept you constantly at arm’s length? How does it feel at times when you needed his comfort the most and yet he never lets you into his heart." ChunLi stood in front of Sakura. Sakura was shocked, it seems that ChunLi knew more than she thought.  

   

"Don’t look so shock. I had always had people watching your every move. You could had left with Sean when you had the chance to. But instead you choose to be with a man who cares not for you, a marriage only in name. An accomplice to a plan that even he does not understand. Hmph."  

   

"And you my darling Ryu. You have always being a hard man to track down. Dragging Saky around for a few years before coming here. Changing your name and how you dress. But you can never stay away from the fights. That was your weakness." ChunLi was stroking Ryu’s hair. Staring at him face to face while her other hand remains on his face.  

"Worry not I will never kill you, my dearest partner of greatness." She grabbed his head pulling him forward and kissed him deeply. Ryu responded with a hunger. That sweetness he known so long ago was still here. But ChunLi drew away upon sensing his hunger for her. Her fingers on his lips, that soft gentle touch.  

"I hate you yet I love you…" she whispered into his ear  

   

"Hmph! What? After all these years you still want me? Why then did you not return sooner? You would had known that I was alive. You and your stupid pride. Thinking that you can have the same feeling for another woman? No other woman can satisfy you like I can."  

"Kage bring your father back with us."  

"You deserved your fate." Kage growled. Punching Ryu in the stomach.  

"Kage. Do not be rude to your father."  

"Yes mother." Kage heaved Ryu onto his shoulders.  

"What about her?" Haru asked  

"Leave Saky. She’s of no importance to us. Thank you for taking care of my darling Ryu though." ChunLi said to Sakura. With a swish of her cape they left for the VTOL.  

   

——–  

   

So they brought him back to Shadowlaw. On reaching the main palace they headed straight for the underground labs.  

"Soon my love we will have the chance to start over again" ChunLi said.  

As she increase the amount of Psycho Power she infuse to Ryu. Two figures came into view. Lord Vega (M Bison) on a wheelchair push by Rose.  

"I see you have accomplish part one of your plans."  

"Yes Father. As soon as our family is reunited. Phase two of world domination shall begin."  

"Ah Chun. I don’t understand why you still leave me alive to suffer from rheumatism."  

"Daddy.. Regicide maybe a tradition for our family’s heir to prove one’s worth to one’s predecessor. But there must be a limit to tradition. I had proven my worth in defeating you. I need not prove my point with your death. Afterall I still require your wisdom. Is he not the perfect warrior?"  

"Indeed the Psycho Power seems to have manifested it’s full strength in you. I was right to have chosen you as my heir. The strongest of my brood. My own flesh and blood."  

"We have to thank him for his Satsui no Hadou." ChunLi indicated Ryu. "My mate shall take over this weak shell in no time."  

"MWWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" Father and daughter laugh as they watch the Psycho Power bringing out the true Satsui no Hadou within Ryu…..  

   

———-  

   

Rose’s eyes shoot open. Glancing at her Tarot cards, she realised that it was the forth time the cards had given her the same answer. The answer is still the same. The Twisted Pair must not change back for now. Ryu’s unwilling betrayal will kill any goodness that remains in ChunLi. The first path will lead only to misery and destruction. What then would the second path leads to?  

   

   

———-  

Author’s Note: I admit now that One Shots are actually two stories in one. the top part being the What if stories. and the bottom being the story that takes place at certain points in Legacy of Blood’s timeline.