Hero of Heroes Ch. 3 - Flashbacks
By Night

Hong Kong

Students were training long and hard in the style of both the praying mantis and the crane. Grand Master Gen overlooked his students, remembering the days when he was their age. He was still one of the best grand masters of the world but his age was against him and he decided to leave the world teaching as many students as possible the ways of mantis and crane kung-fu. Class ran for about a few hours and Gen decided to retire and let his aide take over for the remainder of the session. His aide was a woman... beautiful... hair shaped in two buns... dressed in white kung-fu uniform rather than her usual blue tradional Chinese uniform she always wore to tournaments.

Chun-Li learned quite a bit from Grand Master Gen already. Already an expert in the Wushu style of kung-fu, she's added the praying mantis and crane style to her repertoire. She took over Gen's place and instructed the students for the remainder of the session.

After Bison's sudden death to a mysterious warrior, Chun-Li decided to retire from HK Interpol and settle down and teach other students the true way of martial arts. She realized she only trained to fight for revenge and didn't want other students to take the same angry path. She seemed content with her life right now, but something was empty inside her. And she knew exactly what it was...

***

"I must be crazy to have followed him here in Japan..." Chun-Li thought to herself as she washed her body in a hot spring.

"Hey! Check out the two cuties fighting over there!" another woman in the spring pointed. She had long hair that flowed all the way down her back and wore a spiked guard pad on her right shoulder. Chun-Li identified her has Linn Kurosawa, a Japanese warrior rumored to really be a cyborg created to battle large armies of alien infestations. However, those rumors were definitely false and Linn was 100% human. Chun-Li looked in the direction Linn was pointing at and finally saw the person who she followed all the way here to Japan. It was indeed Ryu... the man who defeated her in the second Street Fighter tournament and went on to defeat her arch nemesis. She sighed in relief seeing that she finally found him.

Ryu was in engaged in battle with his best friend and rival, Ken Masters. Chun-Li, as well as other spectators around the hot springs, watched as one of the two best warriors in the world fought. It was clear that Ryu had the upper-hand and Chun-Li sighed and thought to herself, "That Ryu... he's so powerful..."

"You got lucky this time! Next time the outcome won't be the same, I swear!" Ken said as he recovered from his eventual defeat.

"Not surprising to hear such a phrase from you my good friend," Ryu replied.

"Well, I let you win this time so you'll be all pumped up for your next challenge ha ha! I hear the holder of this tournament is some freaky half-red half-blue guy... and I don't want my best buddy to lose to a freak!"

"He is probably very powerful... but no matter what his appearance is... he is still defeatable. Do not worry."

"That's you all right! Well, ha ha, I guess this tournament is over for me then... time to go back to SF to my WIFE and SON... something you don't have!" Ken jokingly said.

Ryu didn't react to Ken's humor. "Farewell then. I hope to fight you again soon my friend."

"I'll look forward to defeating you after you win this tournament! But do ya need a lift? I got a jet right outside here to take you there right now!"

"Thank you, but I am afraid not. I will walk as usual."

"Okay, but if you're late, don't blame me! See ya!" Ken headed to his private jet which was right outside the springs. He said his goodbyes and wished Ryu good luck on his next battle.

As Ryu picked up his duffel bag and began to head out, Chun-Li hopped up from her spring and dashed down to the walkway to try and talk to Ryu.

"Whoa whoa wait honey! You're gonna go talk to that cute guy NUDE? You've got some guts there!" Linn called out as Chun-Li finally realized she had no clothes on.

"Eeep!" she shrieked as she ran back and picked up a towel and wrapped it around her wet body. She headed back down to the walkway right in front of Ryu. "Ryu, wait!" She looked right into his eyes, and they looked just the same as she saw them in the last tournament.

Ryu stood stunned for a brief moment at the beautiful figure in front of him, wet and only in a towel. "Ch-Ch-Chun-Li? W-What are you doing here...? It's been so long since I've last seen you!"

"I... I came... to see..." 'you' was the word she wanted to say, "...the tournament!"

"I see. You didn't want to compete in the tournament yourself?"

"Well... no, because Bison was the only reason I came to the last tournament. And since you killed him already, which I thank you SO much for, I decided not to compete anymore and just be an observer."

"That's understandable. But Chun-Li... I may have defeated Bison... but I wasn't the one who killed him."

"R-Really? But I thought you were the winner! And since Bison was killed..."

"It was Akuma, Chun-Li..." Ryu interrupted, "...after I defeated him, Akuma suddenly showed up and performed the Shun Goku Satsu on him... instantly killing him. It was the same technique he used to kill his brother... and my master. He then disappeared from me once again, telling me that I must find my true power..."

Chun-Li was surprised by this information. "Oh Ryu... I'm... I'm so sorry!"

"That is perfectly all right. But I suppose I'm doing what you did in the last tournament... seeking the man who killed the most influential man of my life."

Chun-Li smiled in with a complete understanding. "So Ryu, you participated hoping Akuma will appear in this tournament?"

"Yes, but I also participated for the fight as usual! My next challege... a mysterious man named 'Gill' is supposedly a very powerful warrior. I want to see if I can defeat him!"

"Your fighting spirit never changes Ryu..." Chun-Li smiled. Ryu was so single minded. Chun-Li loved how he dedicated his life so much to fighting that it made him naive to the real world. "So what are you going to do after this tournament?"

Ryu thought a bit. "I really don't know, Chun-Li... I suppose I'll just keep on fighting..."

Chun-Li bit her lip a bit, nervous at asking the next question, "Don't you want to... someday have a social life? Meet more people? Maybe even... get married, like your friend Ken?"

Stunned at her sudden questions, Ryu replied, "I... I am... content with my life how it is right now. I... I don't need anyone."

Sloping her eyebrows, Chun-Li said slowly, "...I... I see..." Even though she was disappointed in Ryu's response, she could still sense that Ryu's words were not completely truthful. Or at least she hoped.

"Well... I guess I should be going then. It was really nice seeing you again, Chun-Li. I hope one day we can see each other again." Ryu said as began to walk his own way.

"Wait! Ryu!"

"Yes?"

"...good luck. And I hope you find Akuma..." That was all she could say. She wasn't sure if she could say anymore.

"Thanks. Farewell!" Ryu walked off, disappearing into the sunset... his hair and red bandanna flowing in the wind. Chun-Li reached out for him as he walked away, but just grabbed at the air...

Chun-Li slowly walked back to her spring next to Linn.

"Hey Chun, you and that guy have a thing going or something?" Linn asked as Chun-Li returned.

"I... I think I'm.... falling in love with him. I guess the main reason why I was here was just to get another chance to see him again..." Chun-Li replied.

"Whoa! I don't blame you!"

"It's not just his looks Linn... there's something about him that makes me not stop thinking about him. H-He seems so alone... just like me... and he's really naive about the real world.

Linn smiled in response.

"We... we both feel the same emptiness inside... I know we do. Ever since he promised he'd avenge my father for me... I somehow knew when I looked into his eyes that he could be a man who could take care of me... and I want to do the same for him. I know he has a huge heart the size of his dedication to his fighting... and I want to make him happy... forever..."

"Wow... he must really be something special..."

Chun-Li smiled and closed her eyes enjoying the warmth of the hot spring. She rubbed the towel against her neck, and down in the valley between her breasts...

"Oh... R..."

***

"...Ryu..." Chun-Li said out loud, holding her hands at her chest.

"Huh...? Chun-Li sifu, who is Ryu?" a student asked.

"Oh... sorry... I was just thinking about something. Continue my student." Chun-Li said confusingly, coming back to reality. She continued instructing the class until it was over, and she picked up her belongings and walked towards her apartment.

Oh Ryu... Chun-Li thought to herself, I hope we do meet again like you said...