Zero
Chapter 19Day 10
Standing by the window of his room, Ryu was finishing off the remainder of his buns. ChunLi had already finished her breakfast and was now taking a shower. They had both spent the whole night on the floor huddled together. With him trying to comfort her the best he could.
Looking out the window, the sun had just risen but the market place was already buzzing with activities, Both sides of the streets were filled with people milling about the tented stalls of vegetables, fish, meat and other essential products. The odd tuk-tuk trying to push through the crowd. Barefooted monks heading back to their temple receiving alms from devout followers along the way. The crowd clearing out a circle drew his attention.
In the circle that the crowd had surrounded, a young man with a unique crested hairstyle of red hair drew his attention. He remembered seeing that kickboxer but had difficulty recalling exactly where.
"Something going on?" ChunLi whispered in his ear, pressing close to him to see what had drawn his attention, she had just finished her shower and now dressed in the blue leotards that she worn back at the dojo, while the little vest was lying on the bed. A strange fragrance in the air made Ryu a little heady, but the feeling soon passed. Their attention now fixed by the scene below.
"The great Adon, just like his sensei defeated by Ryu. Now afraid to take on the ladyboy! HOOOOO!!!"
"Say that again I’ll kick your scrawny ass Higashi!" the red headed kickboxer yelled at another who was younger than him. Higashi was the one with wild broom like hair. It made Ryu wonder what made this pre-teen dare take on the fearsome redhead.
"The student of the great King of Muay Thai my ass! You’re afraid of the ladyboy!" Higashi hooted again. Sitting on a crate a little to Higashi’s right is a rather feminine looking boy with very short blond hair. Who seem no older than Higashi. No wonder Higashi called ‘him’ ladyboy.
The crowd gasped when Higashi lowered his pants slightly to moon Adon. The red headed kickboxer was so enraged that he dashes towards the taunting boy only to have his lethal kick deflected by the ladyboy.
"You’re opponent is me." ‘He’ said with a hint of a French accent as ‘he’ cracks ‘his’ fist.
ChunLi gasped, drawing Ryu’s attention. She pointed it out for Ryu’s sake. No it wasn’t the ensuing fight she was pointing at, but someone in the crowd.
"Beside the one with the golden monkey." Her voice was trembling.
Ryu found what she was pointing at, standing amongst the crowd was a girl in a dark blue bodysuit. She had a golden lion tamarin (small golden fur monkey) on her shoulder.
As for the one beside her, the girl with the short brown hair cut in a slightly messy shoulder length bob. She was wearing a similar bodysuit, holding a katana in her hand. As if she knew she was watched, the girl looks up in ChunLi’s direction and waved! A hiss escaped from ChunLi.
"She
she knows where daddy is! She knows where daddy is, Ryu!" ChunLi exclaimed rushing to put on her vest. By the time Ryu joined her by the bed, ChunLi just grabbed him by the hand and ran towards the door. She cannot afford to lose track of that girl.
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Alighting from the bus the first thing that drew Fei Long’s attention was the gathering crowd. Ken had simply wandered into the crowd forcing Fei Long to follow since he had this suspicion that Ken knows exactly where Ryu had taken his simui. But Ken had chosen to ignore his threats and instead watch the red headed kickboxer taunted by a scrawny Japanese boy and a rather effeminate looking French boy.
Disgusted by the Japanese boy’s mooning he looked away only to find himself looking up the third floor window of a budget hotel. He gasped when he thought he saw the white gi Ryu with a rather scantily clad ChunLi in his arms with a very agitated look upon her face.
He watched in horror as she dragged Ryu away from the window, just what is going on?! What the hell did Ryu do her?! Anxiously he fought his way through the crowd to her.
————-
Reaching the ground floor she made her way through the crowd to the spot where that girl was. Reaching the spot, the Dolls were already gone.
"No!!" she almost screamed, she couldn’t have lost her! She had to find her father and that girl was the only clue given to her.
"Ryu!!!!!!" Someone yelled at her companion. The crowd parted way for him. It was the red headed kickboxer whose fight with the ladyboy was still unfinished.
ChunLi could tell by the way Ryu stood between her and the kickboxer that he was ready to fight his way through this. But she don’t have the time for this! She had to find that girl! She had to find her father. But she can’t leave Ryu alone for this. She had already lost her father, if she lose Ryu as well she wouldn’t know what to do.
"Hoy Adon?! Can’t finish a fight? Anxious to get pummel by the big bad Ryu again?!" Higashi laughed again prancing around to make the redhead lose his temper.
"Shut up Higashi!"
"Simui!" another voice shot through the crowd. She spotted him trying to make his way through the uncooperative crowd.
Of all people it had to be him, he would only slow her down by getting in the way. Ignoring Fei Long, she kept scanning the sea of faces for the Japanese girl. She almost lost heart until she caught sight of the little golden monkey perched upon the other girl’s shoulder, the Japanese Doll was with her as well. As if they know she caught sight of them, the two Dolls turn to leave. ChunLi glanced at Ryu, he understand her need to find her father.
"Simui!"
Fei Long finally broke through the crowd towards them, while Adon was approaching them as well. She can’t lose track of Dolls! Not when she’s so close.
"Venom strike!!!"
A qi projectile sped its way into Adon’s back sending him flying into the ground face first. There was a mild panic in the crowd which somehow blocks off Fei Long again , The ladyboy gave ChunLi a thumbs-
up sign. Nodding her thanks ChunLi and Ryu took the opportunity to chase down the Dolls.
"Simui!!!" Fei Long shouted as the crowd forces him away in the opposing direction. The couple was trying to get to the Dolls as fast as they could, the dolls seems to be toying with ChunLi when they weave through crowded streets on purpose.
———-
"Simui!!!!!" Fei Long yelled when he saw her dashing out of the hotel with that dammed Ryu in tow. It took him some effort to push his way to them, he couldn’t be bothered to find Ken as that blond would only hinder him.
He managed to find some kind of view into that circle. ChunLi was standing behind Ryu, all the while holding onto his hand, while he was facing the angry red headed kickboxer. Fei Long tried harder to push his way through the uncooperative crowd, his simui would be dragged unwittingly into the fray should Ryu start a fight. He didn’t want that silly girl to get hurt.
Dammed that Ryu! Nothing but trouble!
"Simui!!!" he yelled once more hoping to get her attention and perhaps get her out of trouble before it starts. His heart lifted when she seems to catch onto fact that he was here but she looks away again. Finally free of the crowd he made his way towards her.
Fei Long felt a rush of qi and saw the red headed kickboxer stumble. He saw her looking to Ryu for advice and to his horror they both bolted off. The confused crowd once again hindered him from his chase.
In anger he shoved a number of people out of his way and sprinted off in the direction his simui has taken. Things are getting out of hand. Who knows where he’s taking her! When he does get his hands on Ryu he’ll make sure to pound the living daylights out of him that he would stop bothering ChunLi again .
He caught sight of them turning into a side street, he followed, almost falling over piles of broken crates. It forced him to wonder about what his silly simui is doing and who they were going after.
Turning another corner he had to fight off panicky fluttering chickens who got into his way and underfoot. The broken eggs almost made him stumble. With the panicky chickens out of his way he watched in horror as ChunLi pulled Ryu up a wall.
"Simui!!!!! Come down at once!!!!!!"
That got her attention as their heads snapped in his directions.
"Damm you Ryu!! Come down here and fight me like a man!!!" Fei Long yelled, his fist clenching and unclenching.
Ryu then turned to ChunLi whose attention return to whatever was on the other side of the wall. She looked to Ryu once more and hand in hand they leapt off towards the other side of wall.
It took the sight of Ken scaling the wall to snap him out of his fury. Dashing towards the blond, Fei Long scaled the wall with ease and leapt down on Ken, pinning him to the ground.
"Where is he taking her?!" Fei Long roared with one fist looming in the air to threaten the blond.
"How the hell would I know? I’m here while they’re running away." Ken reminded him with a smirk, forcing him to think. It gave the blond the opportunity to shove him away and follow the escaping couple.
"Arrghhh!!!" Fei Long growled chasing after the blond into the forest at the outskirts of town.
Note – Apprently King and joe Higashi are younger than Ryu and CL. Found out about that information when I was at www.orochi.com Never realise that the KOF folks are actually younger than Ryu. Always thought that Terry, Ryo and King would be about the same age as Ryu and CL