Street Fighter 2
Chapter 24
The dinner was exquisite. Shadowloo obviously spared no
expense on it.
The whole dining room was a new room built near the top of the
Aztec temple. Bison's slaves had been working so hard to make
this room as lavish as he wanted it to be. Around the three
warriors, ornate Aztec carvings and pottery decorated the Aztec
brickwork. The huge pine table was covered with silver cutlery
and crystal glasses. On gold plates (obviously stolen) there were
such delicacies from around the world. A large red lobster lay in
the center of the table, both of its claws broken off. Several
Chinese and Japanese dishes surrounded the lobster. A roast beef
lay near one end of the table, a large salmon on the other end.
Vegetable dishes lay in various places. A chicken-dish cooked
quietly in a giant silver salver. Red and white wines, as well as
a bottle of champagne chilled themselves in ice-buckets.
In the background, classical music played quietly out of the four
speakers in each corner at the top of the room. It was Au
fond du temple saint, the duet from Georges Bizet's Les
Pêcheurs de Perles; The Pearl Fishers, one of the most
popular duets in classical history. As the baritone and tenor
singers sang the song of friendship between the two fishermen,
Bison sat eating the food before him on the china plate, showing
no hint of bad table manners, and listened to the beautiful music
at the same time. He wore his traditional red uniform and hat,
this time with decorations and robes, to show his true authority.
He looked up and noticed that Ryu and Chun Li, his two captives,
had not even touched the food that was set out in front of them.
They simply sat at the table side by side, Ryu in his dinner
jacket, Chun Li in her ball gown, two guards standing beside them
both.
"Are you not eating, Ryu?" Bison asked with a smile,
"Your passion for eating is as legendary as your passion for
fighting. Surely, even you would not turn down a meal like this?"
Ryu said nothing, but just picked up the plate and dropped it on
the floor, anger apparent in his face. The plate shattered,
spreading food across the floor. Bison simply shrugged his
shoulders and continued eating.
For a minute, they sat in silence while Bison ate. Then Bison
spoke again.
"Perhaps it is my taste in music, then? You probably find it
confusing that you would listen to such calming music in a place
such as this?"
This time Ryu answered, "I just find it ironic that a man
who causes so much destruction and pain in his own anger, would
find such delight in such peaceful music."
"Well, Ryu, a man must find his peace somewhere. I listen to
this when I want to feel relaxed. It is said that a civilized man
seeks out good and intelligent company in pleasant surroundings
so that through learned discourse he may rise above the savage
and be closer to God."
"God?" Chun Li asked with a laugh, "How can you
want to be closer to a God you obviously don't believe in?"
"Well, personally, my dear, I prefer to sit myself with a
couple of captives to remind myself that I'm best."
Bison chuckled at this remark. Ryu and Chun Li just sat in
silence.
"You must find yourself amusing, Bison." Ryu said.
"Unlike you, I try not to fly in the face of public opinion.
You know, I've been wanting to have you captured for a very long
time, Ryu. I'm amazed that I even have you in my grasp."
"I suppose it's not because I would have killed you again
were it not for the fact that I didn't know you were still alive?
How is it that you're still alive anyway?"
"All in good time. I wouldn't try a war of words with me if
I were you Ryu. You'd only lose."
Typical master criminal, thought Chun Li, so sure of
himself.
The sat again in silence. The music changed to another duet, this
time it was Che suave zefritto from Mozart's Le
nozze di Figaro; the Marriage of Figaro.
"Ahhh." Bison rose from the table to listen. "This
is one of my favourite pieces. Have you ever listened to the
Marriage of Figaro, Ryu?"
Ryu shook his head, not willing to verbally give an answer.
"This is the scene where Suzanna and Contessa, or the
countess, wishes to punish the Count's profligate behavior by
writing a note, inviting the Count to meet Susanna in the garden
in the evening of Figaro and Susanna's wedding ceremony. Later on,
Figaro believes that because of this, his beloved Susanna has
betrayed him on their first night. But this is so beautiful, is
it not?"
Ryu had to agree , even though it was coming from Bison. He didn't
know what exactly the two Italian lady singers were singing about.
Truth is, he didn't want to know. Some things are best kept
unsaid. He would have liked to believe that they were singing
about something so beautiful it couldn't be expressed in words,
and it made your heart ache because of it. He turned his head and
smiled, because as he looked into her eyes, he knew that Chun Li
was thinking exactly the same.
Bison continued. "You know, in the film, 'The Shawshank
Redemption' there is a scene where this tune is played to the
entire prison from the speaker system. The whole prison is set to
a standstill as they stand there watching the speaker, listening
to the music. That's the beauty and power of music, is it not. To
be able to stop a prison because you realize it is something they
can't take away from you."
After another minute and a half, the final notes were sung by the
two ladies, and Bison sat down. The music was now Samuel Barber's
Adagio for strings, in its orchestral form.
Bison returned to the matter at hand. "Ryu, I brought you
here because you have a power in you. A power that I have very
much liked to acquire. Satsui no Hado?"
Ryu was shocked, but kept his composure. "How do you know
about……"
"I've been watching you for a long time, Ryu. You know, the
only reason I wanted you at first was because I wanted your body
to house my soul, my current body was too weak to hold my
increasing psycho power. But now, I realize what is the use of
having a body when the soul that it originally holds is that much
more powerful?"
"What are you talking about, Bison?" Chun Li asked,
confused but concerned.
"I have been told that Ryu has an untapped power deep within
himself that was drawn into him when he learned his art from his
master Gouken. It can only be released when Ryu invokes the
forbidden art of the Shotokan, the Shun Goku Satsu. I captured
him so that we can push him into using it."
"You're only kidding yourself, Bison. Your using your
imagination. I know that Ryu does not have any evil power in him
whatsoever."
"Albert Einstein once said that 'Imagination is more
important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination
encircles the world.' My empire will increase in power once
we bring the power of Satsui no Hado from Ryu's soul. We will tap
that power and use it for our own needs."
"We? Who else is there? How do you know all this?" Ryu
asked.
"With that in mind, I would like to introduce your friend
Miss Li to an old friend of yours."
With that the door opened. Ryu's eyes widened as he stared into
the eyes of his most hated enemy. Akuma walked into the room, a
grim smile on his face.
Ryu pushed the seat back, ready to charge at Akuma, when the two
guards behind him grabbed him and pulled him away. Akuma simply
walked up to Ryu and studied him.
"Who do you think had the power to bring me back to life,
Ryu?" Bison said, laughing.
Chun Li watched as Ryu was held back, a gun aimed at her from one
of the guards so that she couldn't do anything. Ryu had told her
about Akuma before, but she never expected to actually see him.
Indeed, he was as Ryu had described him. Evil.
He ruined Ryu's life by taking away his father figure, just
like Bison had done with me! she thought with fear.
Akuma continued to study Ryu, but didn't say anything about him.
"Take him away and give him his gi. Then throw him into the
chamber."
The guards dragged Ryu away. Chun Li stood up to try and help him,
but she was suddenly pushed away by unseen hands. Bison forced a
surprised Chun Li away with a psychic push, even though she was
several feet away from him.
"CHUN LI!" Ryu cried out as she hit the far wall. He
managed to release himself from the guards and ran to Chun Li.
She groaned as he knelt down, holding her in his arms.
"Are you alright?" Ryu asked, a scared look of concern
and worry in his eyes.
Chun Li managed to make one brief smile, then her head slumped
down, unconscious.
Ryu tried to shake her back to consciousness, but the butt of a
FAMAS assault rifle hit the back of his head, and he fell. He was
only a step away from unconsciousness when he saw himself being
pulled farther and farther away from the woman he loved, and the
man he hated.
Then, he blacked out.
Bison and Akuma watched as Ryu was dragged out towards the
chamber. A few seconds later, two more guards arrived to take
Chun Li's unconscious form back to her cell.
"Do you think this will work?" Bison asked Akuma.
"It will. I will be able to draw out Ryu's inner strength.
And he will be mine."
"Not until after I've used that power to recharge the
generator for my Psycho beam device, like we discussed."
"You shall have your power. Do not be so impatient, Bison.
Your chance will come."
Akuma walked out. Bison stood inside the dining room as the music
played. He laughed.
Dan was walking down the corridor as he saw the two guards
dragging Ryu behind them.
"Where are you taking him?" Dan asked the two guards.
"We're taking him to the chamber, sir. Akuma wants to
confront him directly tomorrow."
Dan watched as Ryu was picked up and slung over one of the guard's
shoulder.
He'll be slaughtered….Dan thought with concern as
he walked towards the cell.
Chun Li was pushed back into her cell, still unconscious. Sagat
immediately rushed to her aid and laid her down on the stone bed
while she still slept.
In the cell next door, Sakura wondered what was going on. "Mr.
Sagat. What's happening?"
"It's Chun Li. She's unconscious."
Sakura ran to the small hole and saw Sagat taking care of the
sleeping Chinese lady. She then noticed that Ryu was still
missing.
"Where's Ryu?" she asked
"I don't know. She was the only one who came in."
At that moment, Dan entered the cell. Sagat stood up.
"You come here to torture me again, Hibiki?"
"Not today. I just came here to give you some news."
Sakura's voice could be heard from next door. "Where's Ryu?
Is he okay?"
"Ryu's been taken away. He's going to fight Akuma tomorrow
in the chamber where he resurrected Bison."
"Why the hell does he want to fight Ryu?" Sagat asked,
confused.
"I've no idea. I think Chun Li knows, but we can't ask her
now. We'll just have to wait the outcome."
As Dan turned to walk away, Sagat called out. "I'm surprised,
Hibiki. You're not going to punish me."
"Let's just say I'm not in the mood for such an act. I'll
see you tomorrow."
Dan disappeared, leaving Sagat with an unconscious girl. Sakura
walked away with a heavy heart. She was afraid the Ryu would lose
the upcoming fight.
Ryu, please don't die……