Chapter 17: Vanished
It was well after sunset when the trio had finally came back to the hotel from their shopping trip. Ken was more than relieved when a few bellhops came to take Eliza?s bags to her room for him. He generously tipped them for the trouble.
"Why don?t we all go out tonight for dinner. Sort of a ?double date?". Eliza said walking with Ken to the elevator. "I?m sure you can convince Ryu to come".
"Sure, I?ll ask him, but I would think it better if Chun li did the asking. He can?t say no to her". Ken flashed a smile towards Chun li.
They rode the elevator to the suite, and proceed to the room. Once inside, Ken walked over to the door to Ryu?s room.
"Hey Ryu! You here pal?" Ken said knocking on his door. "We?re all going out for some dinner tonight. You have to come with us? NO EXCUSES!!!" he yelled towards the door. Ken paused at the door, but got no answer. "Hmmm, I wonder where he is?" Ken thought aloud.
"There is a note here on the counter." Eliza pointed out.
"What?s it say?" He replied heading toward Eliza.
"I have no clue, it looks like it is written in Japanese." She said.
"Dammit! He knows I am not to good at reading Japanese." Ken muttered.
Eliza handed him the folded note. Ken opened it and he started to read it to himself. After reading it for a minute, he looked up to the pair of women staring at him waiting for an answer.
"What the hell..." he said looking shocked.
"What does it say?" Chun li was the first to ask.
Ken just shook his head in disbelief. He reread the letter once again to make sure he did not make a mistake translating it.
"He left." Ken said still shocked.
"Well, I can tell that much." Eliza replied. "Gone to where? Does it say what time he will be back?"
"That?s just it! He's GONE! I don?t think he is ever coming back." Ken said. Chun li?s heart sank.
"This is what it says"? Ken translates.
MY FRIENDS, I AM SORRY I WILL NOT BE THERE TO SAY GOODBYE TO YOU ALL. I MUST TAKE MY LEAVE NOW. THANK YOU FOR YOU KINDNESS KEN, I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK FOR ELIZA AND YOURSELF. PLEASE TAKE CARE OF CHUN LI ?.
"Something is just not right here." Ryu is one not much for words, but he has never left without saying goodbye face to face." Ken said trying to think.
"Ken? There is a crumpled up parchment here on the table with a dagger." Chun li pointed out. She felt as if a piece of her heart was taken away from her. "I never got the chance to tell him," she thought to herself
Ken picked up the crumpled parchment and straightened it out so he could read it.
"Damn! More Japanese writing, but this is not Ryu?s." he said looking intently at the parchment.
"Well? What does that one say?" Eliza said impatiently.
"?" Ken was speechless as he looked up from the paper. His face turning pale.
"WHAT??!!!" Eliza and Chun li asked in unison.
"I know why he left now?." Ken paused. " He has gone after the Demon alone."
"Who is the hell is Demon?" Eliza asked confused.
Chun li felt her blood run cold. She remembered back to the first time that she had encountered Gouki. If not for Ryu, she would have died that day. Ryu had barely survived himself, and now he was heading off to face him alone.
"Remember when I told you about our Sensei being murdered by his own brother?" Ken said to Eliza. She nodded her head.
"Well, that is what we call him. Seems he followed us here. Now he has issued a challenge to Ryu". Ken replied with a note of worry in his voice.
"Oh my! And Ryu is going off to face him alone? He killed your Sensei, is Ryu strong enough to beat him?" She asked.
"I?I don?t know?" Ken said shaking his head.
"Why would Ryu go off alone? I know it is a matter of honor, but it was your Sensei too." Eliza asked.
"Gouki said that if Ryu did not accept his challenge, that he would destroy all that he held dear to him. Starting with his friends and?" Ken?s voice trailed off as he looked at Chun li.
Chun li felt tears start to rise up deep within her. She fought hard to keep them surpressed.
"KEN!! You must stop Ryu from throwing his life away! If this man killed you Sensei, he will surely kill Ryu!" Eliza said with tears in her eyes.
"It does not say were he was to meet him at. It just says ?you know the place?." Ken replied. "Maybe I can catch up to him before he disappears completely".
"You two stay here. There?s no telling if the Demon is still around. I?ll go out and look around for Ryu." Ken said running to the door.
"Ken?" Chun li said starting to follow after him.
"I know what he means to you, but the Demon has it in for you as well. Please just stay here with Eliza. I?ll find him." Ken said trying to smile reassuringly.
"Be careful Ken!" Eliza said with tears in her eyes.
"Always." He replied as he closed the door.
Ken ran down the stairs, taking three at a time. His thoughts started to wander as he sped down each flight. ?Damn you Ryu! Why did you go off with out me?? Finally reaching the bottom floor, Ken ran through the lobby, dodging people as he made his way to the front entrance.
As he ran out, his thoughts had distracted him so much that he slammed into a large man. Both toppled to the ground. Ken quickly recovered to his feet.
"So sorry." He said hastily as he turned to continue his mad dash.
"You have insulted me sir! I seek retribution for your lack of manners!" The large man said climbing to his feet.
"Look, I said I was sorry." Ken replied turning to face the man. Ken caught a rather hard * slap * against his face from a leather glove. Ken recoiled slightly from the blow.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!" Ken yelled, holding his hand to his cheek.
"You have knocked down a gentleman in your clumsy flight oaf! I challenge you to a duel of fisticuffs. For I, Sir Dudley, will know retribution. The man spoke holding his head high and proud.
The man was English by his accent, and was rather well muscled in his short sleeve white shirt. Ken struggled to control his rising anger.
"Look, I said I was sorry. I am in a major rush to find someone right now, so if you will excuse me, I really have no time for this. Ken gave a short bow and turned once again to head down the street. When he suddenly felt a sharp pain to the back of his head as the man lashed out with a punch. Ken fell to the ground and rolled to stop.
"You have FOUND someone swine!" Dudley spat at him assuming a fighting stance.
Ken looked up at the man who had * clocked * him upside the head and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Ken?s anger finally flooded through him. He was trying to save his best friend, and this guy was holding him up.
"Alright! If you want a piece of me, THEN COME GET SOME!!!" Ken yelled as he ripped off his shirt and hoped to his feet, assuming his fighting stance. Ken?s vision was going red with rage. ?You picked the wrong man to challenge today? Ken thought to himself feeling his beserker rage fueling him.