By Mayumi H

DISCLAIMER: The characters of Chun-Li, Vega, Bison, Balrog, Ken, Ryu, Sagat, etc., belong to CAPCOM, INC.

Garden Delights
Part 6 - The Spider

Chun-Li had managed to drift off to sleep.

She had spent the first few hours checking the locks on the doors and windows, but they were all bolted shut. She had even shimmied up the bedpost to reach the central air duct, but it was far too small to serve as a possible escape route. So she had sat down on the bed again, legs curled up under her, and ran over the details of what she knew about Vega, Bison, and Shadowlaw in general.

After a while, the pillows looked so inviting that she put her head down on them and looked up at the ceiling. The pattern of the interconnecting tiles was mesmerizing, and the smell from the pillows - a scent that reminded her of lavender, only sweeter - made her hazy. Faintly, she was aware that something was wrong here, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

For all that she tried to fight the urge, her thoughts kept circling back to that look on Vega's face when Sagat had come calling for him. Eventually, with the handsome Spaniard's face foremost in her mind, she had fallen asleep.

It was evening when she woke, and she started up from the bed in surprise. She looked down at herself, and realized with mixed parts anger and perplexity that she had been redressed, into a short-sleeved, red and gold dress that showed off a lot of leg and more than a fair amount of cleavage.

She stood up and was struck by a sudden wave of nausea. She sat back down and held her head. Her gaze darted to the pillows, and she shoved her hand under them. After a few seconds of searching, she was rewarded for her efforts with a small pouch that gave off a strong, sweet odor.

Chun-Li was more offended by the drugs than anything else. She was obviously a prisoner here; they could have just told her to get into the dress and she would have done it. She might have taken out her frustration on a few Shadowlaw guards first, but she would have changed eventually.

She looked around the room for her clothes (or those of Vega's that she'd been wearing earlier), but there was no sign of them. So, it was either walk around naked or wear the stupid, objectifying dress.

The main door to the room creaked open, and she was greeted by the silhouette of a large, burly man, half again as tall as she was and about as wide.

"He's waiting for you," the man said. He was American; she could tell from his voice even though he was still backlit.

"Who?" Chun-Li queried. "Vega?"

"He doesn't like to be kept waiting," the man reiterated. He swung the doors wider, to accommodate his massive frame, and took a step into the room.

Chun-Li leaned away from him as he approached, and with good reason. This was Balrog, one of Bison's attaches: a big bruiser with a nasty taste for violence. He was dressed in a tuxedo that strained against his frame, but it didn't detract from his menacing demeanor. If anything, it exacerbated it.

Balrog grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to her feet. "No more wasting time," he grumbled, and shoved her toward the door.

"Ah!" Chun-Li protested, reaching for her arm with her free hand. Balrog's grip was strong, stronger than anyone she'd met or fought. She almost ran into the opposite wall when he maneuvered her into the hall.

She planted her feet and pulled her arm loose, and she shot the boxer an icy glare. "I can walk, thank you."

"Then walk," Balrog snarled, and gave her a shove.

Chun-Li glared at him again, then started walking.

At the far end of the hall, there was a set of large double doors. They were slightly ajar, and light flickered from inside and spilled into the hallway. She paused in front of them for a moment, but then Balrog pushed her forward.

Chun-Li opened the doors and moved inside, and she gasped. "Bison!"

There, at the head of a long dining table, sat the head of Shadowlaw himself, M. Bison. He was dressed in formal military regalia, except for his hat, which sat on the table beside his hand. He raised a glass to her.

"Chun-Li," Bison said, and it gave her chills to hear him say her name. "Please, sit down. Dinner is about to be served."

Chun-Li stood still, while she stared daggers at him. There he was, the man she was after, the man who had consumed her life ever since her father's death all of those years ago. And he dared to act so nonchalant about all of this.

Balrog put a hand on her shoulder and shoved her down into a seat at the table.
Bison shook his head, then turned his attention back to Chun-Li. "You'll have to excuse Balrog. He's not quite as cultured as most."

"Like you?" Chun-Li said stonily.

Bison smiled, but there was malice in it. "Beautiful flower, indeed," he muttered. He glanced up at the boxer again. "Balrog. We seem to be missing someone. Would you?"

Balrog muttered some disparaging words as he walked out of the room again, leaving Chun-Li to speak with Bison alone.

Bison nodded after him. "It shouldn't be long, now." He smiled again. "I must say, you look lovely."

"Thanks to you, I'm sure," Chun-Li said, playing along with the game.

Bison gave a chuckle. "Well, you must admit, that dress is certainly more flattering than what you were wearing. I hope that the fit is right."

Chun-Li studied him. It was obvious to where his gaze was drawn, but she didn't cover or try to hide herself. Rather, she sat upright, daring him. "See anything you like?" She asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Bison grinned. "Excuse me. I'm not used to being in the company of a beautiful lady." He nodded to her. "I'll mind my manners from now on." He spread his arm over the many plates of food on the table. "Please, feel free to help yourself. No need to wait."

Chun-Li's gaze never left him, even though her stomach was growling and the odors coming from the high-piled plates were delightful. She refused to show any kind of weakness to him.

They played at their staring match for several long seconds, until a ruckus from the far end of the room distracted them. Bison smiled, and Chun-Li turned to the commotion. What she saw nearly made her bolt out of her seat.

"Vega!" Chun-Li breathed anxiously.

Balrog had dragged the Spanish Ninja into the room, so that his feet trailed slackly behind him. He lifted Vega by the hair, and though there were no marks on his face, his eyes were glazed over, as if he'd been drugged. The arrogance, the flair, the grace - all of it was gone and replaced with an eerie emptiness.

"Ah, Vega." Bison rumbled. "So kind of you to join us."

Chun-Li turned back to Bison. "What have you done?"

Bison shrugged. "I have done nothing. But surely I cannot be held responsible for the actions of my subordinates. Whomever they should be."

"That was unnecessary," Chun-Li told him, as if scolding a child. "Why does he need to be punished?"

Bison stood up from the table and began to walk toward her, placing his hand on the table at regular intervals. "Why do you defend him? He's just a pawn. A fighting pawn, to be sure...but I can stick a claw on anyone and make a new Vega." He reached her end of the table and towered over her. "He's nothing," he snarled.

"He's still a man," she said.

Bison laughed, a terrible sound to her ears. When he looked at her again, there was mirth in his eyes, but it was cruel. "Don't tell me you've fallen prey to that pretty face." He grabbed her chin and forced her face up. "There's much more to a man than that."

Chun-Li squinted. "Not from where I'm standing," she snickered.

Bison shook his head and turned from her. "Take her away," he said, and he waved an arm in her general direction. "She bores me."

Balrog let Vega fall to the floor and moved toward Chun-Li. He reached out a hand the size of a hamhock.

Chun-Li could do little to struggle out of Balrog's grip, so she took the moment to speak freely. "You can't hide behind your lackeys forever, Bison. I'll see you in the Arena."

Bison closed the doors behind her and Balrog, and he murmured, "Doubtful." Then, slowly, he turned toward the figure slumped on the floor. He smiled. "And now, Vega, we shall see how good you really are."