Princess

Note: ::insert the "I don't own Street Fighter or King of Fighters OR
Fatal Fury, but this is my fic. I make no money off of this, only
hopefully happy feedback" note here::

"Princess: British Knight"
By: Domino

It was another late night. While the rest of Southtown slept Geese
Howard sat at the negotiation table, his brown, pressed suit wrinkling slightly.
At his side were his usual bodyguards: two drones by the names of Ripper and
Hopper in dark suits and sunglasses, and his main bodyguard Billy Kane.

Billy hated these kinds of meetings. He had better things to do with his
spare time such as sleep or at least do that load of laundry he'd been meaning
to wash. He crossed his arms, holding his bo to his chest while he and Geese
waited for their newest prospective business partners to show up.

"Why'd they 'ave to choose such a late hour to talk?" Billy yawned while Geese
looked over the paperwork.

"The man insisted for some unknown reason. They have an... impressive arsenal
to say the least, so I'm willing to at least hear them out." Geese began to
organize the papers when there was a knock at the door.

A fire-engine red blur shot past Geese, a blur that belonged to Billy's trusted
staff. He was on guard as the door was opened by one of the other goons. Geese
growled and used his arm to have Billy lower his staff, "Stop it. Last thing
I need is to start a crime war in the middle of the night." Billy nodded and
stood back, adjusting his dark blue suit.

At first it seemed like one of the shadows standing in the doorway was
glowing violet, but then it faded as the group walked into the room. All four
shadows were men, each of different heights and nationalities. One was
obcenely tall with no hair, another wore boxing gloves, the leader had on a
cape, but the shortest one caught Billy's attention for some reason. There
was something about that long, blonde hair, mask, and razor-sharp claw that made
the Brit raise an eyebrow, but he shook those thoughts from his mind for now
as Geese rose up to greet the men. "You must be General Bison," Geese held his
hand out, "Welcome to Southtown."

Bison's hand reached out and shook Geese's, "Thank you Mr. Howard. I'm
greatful that you were able to meet with me at such an odd hour. This way
it can stay as inconspicuous as possible." The man sat down across from Geese
after his subordinates stood behind him.

"(I don't trust this man, sir. Somethin' about 'im gives me the creeps,)" Billy
leaned in and whispered to his boss.

Geese waved his hand, "(If somethin'happens, we can handle it.)"

Billy nodded and stood back behind his boss while Geese began his talks with
Bison. Billy only heard bits and pieces of the talks, mainly about high-powered
weapons and chemicals, but he focused on catching glimpes of the masked man.
"(Wot a buncha freaks....)" Billy snorted to himself, though he couldn't stop
watching the other blonde.

One hour passed.. and then two... and finally three. Geese shook
Bison's hand again and told the man he'd be in touch. Bison nodded and beckoned
for his crew. The men left, but the masked one turned back to look at Geese
along with Ripper, Hopper, and Billy. The masked man's eyes narrowed before
turning back to follow his teammates out of the room. Geese blinked and
looked over at Billy, "Wonder what his problem was..."

"I dunno, sir, but I'll be sure to pile on some extra security measures tonight.
I just don't trust that man." Billy leaned against the wall, "Trust me on this
one."

Geese yawned, "Thank you for your concern, Billy." The older man stood up and
stretched, "And I'm getting to bed. Be sure to secure the perimiter before you
go to bed, all right?"

Billy nodded, "Of course sir, but can I have the day off tomorrow? I know I'm
gonna be tired."

"How about no?"

"Fine....."

~*~

Dressed in more comfortable denim now, Billy completed his usual rounds.
He entered an old warehouse that had been long since abandonded. Geese wanted
to keep it for some reason, so Billy decided to make this his final patrol
before he went to sleep. It was almost three in the morning, and he was beat.
"(Well, at least those freaks seem to be keepin' away from us... they better
too since I'm not in the mood to deal with 'em.)" The moment he turned to
leave he saw a dark blur flash past him. He sighed hard, "(Oh bloody 'ell...)"

Billy watched the rafters carefully while keeping a steel grip on his
bo. "Come on now, ya coward.. I won't 'urt you much..." He taunted. He
walked through the warehouse, as alert as he could be on such little sleep.
It didn't take long for the shadow to swan dive at him, forcing Billy to parry
with his staff. He heard a shredding noise, and it turned out to be his jacket
sleeve. The attack was a bit too close for comfort. Billy swiped his bo in
the direction of attack, but only caught air. "FUCK!" He cursed loudly as he
tried to scan the warehouse for the one who sliced his favorite jacket. Soon
he caught a shadow in the rafters, and a silvery-white mask glinting in the
waning moonlight. "Oh, so it's you, eh?" Billy recognized the shape of the mask
from the meeting before. "You wanna play? Then let's go!" He screamed before
the shadow dove at him again, this time nailing Billy's leg with a powerful
slash. He grunted and knelt down, trying to ignore the pain. That's when he
looked up to see the masked man walking towards him, his eyes almost shining
in the badly lit warehouse. Billy was thankful that his leg was bleeding just
a little rather than gushing, so he stood up, only to find out that the man
was taller than even him. And to think this guy was the shortest of Bison's
group! "Let's see wot you got, you weirdo..." Billy grasped his staff and
rushed the other fighter.

The taller blonde flipped backward, avoiding Billy's staff easily. He
then jumped and bounced off a wall before extending his claw to stab his
opponent. Billy dodged a bit slower than he wanted to, but managed to fend off
the incoming blades. He pistoned his staff into the other fighter's mid-section,
causing him to recoil and get the wind knocked out of him. The masked man
sneered and somersaulted forward, rolling and then attempting to stab the Brit's
knees. Billy easily swept-kicked him and smacked his legs with his staff
afterwards. The Brit wasted no time as he pinned the other man to the ground,
panting profusely.

"So I'm takin' it that freak Bison sent you 'ere. Now I 'ave to ask why..?"
Billy pinned his staff against the other blonde's throat, "If you talk I
might actually let you live..."

A pair of very defiant green eyes narrowed at Billy underneath that mask,
"I am telling you nothing!" The voice caught the Brit off-guard. It sounded
very refined, with an underlying hint of pure danger. Billy chuckled, "You're
a fellow Euro too I see... I'm guessin' Spain?"

"Do not talk to me like I'm your friend, you low class scum. Now let me go
or I will shred you to pieces."

Billy scoffed, "You're a tough talker, mystery man. But It's safe for me to say
that you're gutted..." He reached for the mask, "Now to see wot the whole
disguise is for, eh..?"

The other man desperately tried to pull away, "No! You're not worthy to see my
face!"

"Cut the 'I'm too good for you' shit. You lost. Accept it," With one swift
motion Billy ripped the mask off the man's face, tossing it away. "There. Now
I can..." The sentence trailed off when Billy actually gazed upon the man's
face. His blue eyes widened as they looked up and down the arguably perfect
features. The man seemed to be a boy..? "Wot the bloody 'ell..? 'ow old are
you anyway? Twelve?" He scoffed as the Spaniard tried to get up.

"Are you done humiliating me?" The man asked gruffly.

"Well if you're still insisting on talking to me like that, I'll just take you
as my prisoner. You're lucky I'm a sucker for a pretty face, or I woulda just
killed you," Billy smiled and finally got up, making sure to keep the other man
on a short leash, so to speak. He reached for his radio and told his guards
to beef up around Geese's home, as there were assassins running loose. He then
cut transmission and walked the other fighter out of the warehouse.

~*~

"So wot's your name?" Billy asked to keep the atmosphere somewhat
pleasant as he walked his quarry back to his apartment. The Spaniard just
shot him a very dirty look and kept quiet.

Billy just shrugged, "Fine.... don't tell me. I'll just call you Princess.
How's that, eh?" He grinned as he watched the would-be assassin's frustrated
visage. Billy removed his stripped bandanna and smirked at the Spaniard,
"So Princess, wot's Bison really like?"

Stil res response. Billy snorted, "Are you really that stuck up about this
whole thing? Man you need to take that rod outta your arse."

Saying that made the Spaniard hiss, "Don't use such foul language in my
presence."

"You didn't complain when I said shit earlier. Don't worry, Princess.... I
won't curse too much around you," Billy kept walking the other man all the
way to his upscale apartment. He was still wondering why the assassin made
no attempt to escape while in his custody, and that really made him quite
nervous...

~*~

The moment the two entered the apartment, the lights turned on to a very
spacious, elegantly decorated condominium. The assassin's eyes widened, as if
he didn't believe that a man like Billy could afford such a high-class place.

"Please tell me this is just a ruse and your real home is a total hole in the
wall. I refuse to believe this house is actually yours," The assassin turned
to him, "You don't deserve such a pretty house."

"Put a sock in it, Princess."

"My name is Vega," The assassin finally revealed.

"Wot kinda name is Vega? Were your parents hippies?" Billy raised an
eyebrow while shutting and locking his door. "I like Princess better."

"Silence! I am not in the mood," Vega snapped, narrowing his eyes at
Billy.

"Awwww... that's too bad, luv. I was hopin' I coulda 'ad my way wif you," Billy
shot back with a very disgusted frown while shrugging off his slightly
shredded jacket. He stretched his arms above his head, flexing his revealed
muscles, "Oi, I need some bloody rest. Listen, Princess... Don't think I'm
goin' soft on ya. The place 'as alarms out the arse, so you're stuck 'ere
wif me for the night. You can sleep on the couch." He began to unbuckle and
unzip his pants when Vega crossed his arms.

"I have never met such a vulgar, disrespectful Englishman in my life!"

Billy scratched his groin and narrowed his blue eyes at Vega, "Oh bitch bitch
bitch.... Don't you 'ave anything better to do than complain? Just... go
to bed, Princess... Good fucking night..." The Brit stormed off to his
bedroom, leaving Vega to sit and pout on the ample couch. About twenty seconds
later Billy came back out and grabbed Vega's arm violently, pulling off the
claw that was attached to one of Vega's wristbands. Billy ped ped back with
the claw in hand, "Just in case you get some stupid idea..." He spat before
going back to his bedroom.

Vega lay back and began to figure out ways he could eliminate the
loud Brit, but unfortunately, he had left his mask at the warehouse, and
his prized claw was just snatched by that.. neanderthal. Who was the
Brit trying to impress with nearly stripping in front of him? "(So rude...
I wish I had my talons so I could paint his home red with his blood..)" Not
that Vega actually needed his claw to kill, but it made the whole process more
satisfying. "(He is undeserving of such a posh life. I've had it... I -will-
destroy...!)" Soon the door opened again, shut, and locked. A feminine
voice sighed softly, throwing a coat onto the sofa where Vega was laying.
The spaniard shot up, making the other person scream, "WOT THE RUDDY HELL?!"

Billy Kane ran into the living room, wearing only boxer-briefs and wielding his
bo, "Lily?! Are you all roight?"

The blonde woman panted hard, "Billy... who is this bloke?! Your new
boyfriend?"

"Wot..? No!! Lily, this is.. um..." Billy eased his stance and held his staff
in one hand, "This is Vega. He looked a bit helpless, so I took 'im in for the
night."

Lily looked at Vega and then back at Billy, "Nice to meet you. Billy,
next time let me know when you decide to bring strangers into our house.
Good night,he she shook her head before hugging her brother and trudging off
to her bedroom. Vega just sat there, "So your name is Billy then..."

"Yeah, so?" Billy shrugged, walking over to the couch. "Better'n Vega,
Princess." He plopped down right next to the other blonde, "Billy Kane.
Geese Howard's top bodyguard. And you? Wot's your thing with Bison?"

Vega turned away, "Why do you insist on talking to me like I'm actually going
to reveal my life story to you?! I am not your friend nor do I want to be.
So just leave me alone!"

"I was hoping you'd be more than just a stuck-up princess... I guess I was
wrong," Billy turned to look at the clock, "Five already. And no thanks to
you scarin' my sister I gotta be up in about two hours. If you lay even a
finger on her, I will throw you out the window."

"Hn... like you can actually kill me..." Vega sighed.

Billy sneered, "Don't push me, Princess. Good night." He grasped his staff
and left. Vega lay right back down and tried to get some sleep.

~*~

"Good morning, Bil You You look like shit," Geese looked up and down
at his head bodyguard's current state. Billy though was relieved that Geese
hadn't been hurt or killed in any kind of attack. "So how did it go last
night? I heard you really did have to beef up security after your patrol."

"Well, it's the reason for me bein' a little dishev thi this mornin'. I
got into it wif one of Bison's men. It was that masked bloke with a claw.."

"And?"

"And I managed to stop him, but," Billy rubbed the back of his neck anxiously,
"Geese, If you don't mind me sayin', that Bison's got some weird tastes in
hired killers."

Geese raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that..? And by 'I managed to stop
him'?"

Billy groaned, and then yawned, "First, that masked guy can't be older than
twenty, and second... um... he... escaped."

"He.... what?" Geese narrowed his eyes at Billy, "Did you just say he escaped?"

"The bloke was too fast for me.. I pinned him down, I did, but then he used this
powder stuff and pushed me off when I was blinded. Next thing I knew he had
vanished," Billy was a bit thrown off on how well that lie had come out. "I
tried to catch 'im, I really did."

Geese sat back and grunted, "Hmmm... You know what this means... Bison can't
be trusted in the slightest. I don't think I'll be doing business with him
at all." He went to pick up the phone, but before he did, "And for your
little mess-up your pay's being cut in half this month."

Billy cursed loudly and left Geese's office, dragging himself to begin his
rounds.

~*~

"Lily! Are you awake?" The boisterous voice called out as the young
woman walked into the living room. "Billy! You're home! I'm so glad..." She
hugged her older brother, "That man you brought home isn't very pleasant...
why are you still lettin' 'im stay 'ere? And why did you 'ave to tie him to
your bed?" Billy bit his lip, recalling what happened earlier in the morning.

//"You're doing WHAT to me?" Vega gasped while Billy scratched his
head, "Well, I gotta watch out for my sis. Nothin' personal, Princess."
Billy wrestled the young Spaniard down and pinned his slender wrists to the
brass posts. "Get the rope, sis!"// That's when Billy shook his head.

"Sorry, sis, but if I let him go, that Bison will be after my arse for sure.
Not to mention yours and Geese's, and I simply can't have that," He let her go
and made a beeline for his bedroom, where his eyes focused on the bed.

There lay Vega, his wrists tied to each side of the bedposts with
a very tough rope, dressed in a very large dress shirt and a pair of boxers that
barely fit him as they were way too loose. A very angry look marred Vega's
otherwise perfect face, "Bienvenidos, cabron," He spat venomously.

Billy couldn't stop staring though. Vega's hair was a bit mussed, but still very
silken. His shirt gave a nice view of his chest, and those boxers were
threatening to come off if Vega decided to struggle. The image in front of
the Brit was inviting to the point of being overwhelming, and the idea of
ravishing Vega while he was tied up crossed his mind. "Nice to see you too,
Princess," Billy kept his voice calm, trying to dissolve those very erotic
images from his hopelessly dirty mind. "I'm gonna untie you for the night,
but if you even -try- to attack, you're out the window. Got it?" Billy
walked over and sat down to unfasten the rope.

Lily watched from the doorway, "I did look after him like you asked."

"I am not an animal," Vega growled while he rubbed his wrists. "I do not
appreciate being tied up like one."

"Well I wouldn't 'ave to do it if you weren't such a huge risk to keep 'ere.
Plus I couldn't think of anything else that was a sure way to keep my Lily
safe. You'da done the same if you 'ad a sister at home alone with a killer,
roight?" Billy gave Vega a cheesy grin. Even he didn't believe what he
just told Vega.

The Spaniard just glared at him, "If Bison finds me you are in serious danger."

"That ain't happenin' for a while, Princess. And you don't seem to be in a big
rush to leave. Even if I did threaten to toss you out the window," Billy
shrugged, "Eh, you 'ave your reasons for stayin'. I ain't gonna argue. So,
Lily," He turned to his sister, "Wot's for dinner?"

~*~

Thankfully dinner passed by quietly for the group. Though Vega was
quite apalled by the lack of quality of the food, he was impressed with the
taste. He did not, however, admit such a thing to either of the Kanes. After
dinner Lily went to get ready for work, and Billy started to clear the dishes,
"I won't even bother makin' threats anymore, Princess, but can you be so kind
as to 'elp me clear these?" He made a slight puppy-dog face, hoping to sway the
young noble.

Vega shrugged and got up, taking only his own dishes with them to the sink.
Billy smiled inwardly, "(Eh it's a start)." He then took the rest to be washed
later on. Vega left the dining room and sat down on the couch, not even aware
that Billy was watching him intently. Vega was so gful ful even if he was just
sitting down to watch television. Billy hated to admit it, but Vega was
growing on him. He just watched the Spanish noble for what seemed like hours,
but soon Lily rustling around with her shoes caught his attention, "Have fun
at work, all roight sis?" Billy smiled and hugged his sister.

"I'll try, luv. And you be careful," She smiled back and pecked her brother's
cheek. "I'll see you tonight," Lily let go of Billy and left the house,
letting Billy lock the door. He then turned his attention back to the couch,
where Vega was looking right back at him, frowning a bit.

"Wot's wif you?" Billy ran a hand through his hair and walked over to
sit by Vega. "You looked like you were about to cry or somethin'."

"It's nothing," Vega quickly snapped and turned back to the television.

Billy sighed hard and looked at Vega, "(And 'ere it comes again.. the patented
'Princess Mode'.) Vega, you 'ave no reason to be afraid of talkin' to me or
Lily."

"Who said I was afraid? I fear nothing!"

"Your eyes say otherwise," Billy reached over and gently rubbed Vega's cheek
with his thumb. At first Vega leaned in, but then realized he was weakening,
and pulled back quickly, "Stop."

"Sorry, Prin.."

"NO!" Vega got up and stormed off to Billy's room, shutting the door
violently. Billy sighed and got up, He walked down the hall and opened his
bedroom door carefully, keeping himself alert in case Vega wanted
to fight.

The Brit raised an eyebrow when he heard a whimpering noise. He
slowly opened the door to Vega, who was sobbing into his pillow. "(Wot
the...?)" He blinked, sitting down on the bed, "You all roight?"

Vega turned his head towards Billy. His eyes were red and puffy from crying,
"Please... just leave me alone."

"Well, I can't. I feel responsible for your cryin', so I gotta make you feel
better. Or at least I'll try," Billy lay down and very, very gently wrapped his
arms around Vega. Soon Billy's gesture was met with a very strong elbow to
his gut.

"OOOOOF!" He gasped while Vega curled up.

"I warned you, Billy Kane."

Billy coughed a bit, "Damn, Princess... you got power..." He chuckled as he
sat up, "Well I learnedlesslesson for touchin' you, but you're still cryin'.
Believe me, Princess... it 'elps alot if you talk and let it out."

Vega sniffled, "I.... what's it like to have siblings?" He decided to let the
Brit have his way. Anything to have the other man leave him alone, but deep
down he felt like he needed to talk to someone. Bison wasn't exactly the
type to go to when feeling a little down.

Billy raised an eyebrow, "It's all roight. Lily and I 'ave been on our own
for most of our lives, so we're really close and stuff. Geese is kinda like
my dad in a way. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I don't remember my family. Bison's raised me for the past seven years.
He said I was a great matador for my age, and wanted to train me to become his
right hand man."

Billy's eye twitched but hoped Vega didn't notice, "Seven years, Princess?
But you can't be older than twenty."

"I'm eighteen," Vega admitted.

"I.... see," The older man bit his lip, "Um, Vega...?" Billy asked quietly,
not wanting to know any more about Vega's "relationship" with Bison.

"What is it now?" Vega sniffled.

"I.. I promise I won't tie you to the bed tomorrow. And I won't throw you
out the window."

"Are you done?"

"And..." Billy sighed hard, "I'm callin' in sick. I'll take care of you. So
will Lily. Right now Geese can kiss my arse. I need the rest."

Vega sat up, "Why are you so insistant.."

Billy grinned and pressed two of his fingers to Vega's lips, promptly shutting
him up, "Must you question everything I do, Princess?" He winked, "Come on.
It's too early for bed. Let's see wot's on the tele." Billy gently grabbed
Vega's hand and led him off the bed and back to the couch, where a movie just
started on the TV. Billy sat down with Vega next to him.

~*~

"WHERE is he?" A fist slammed into Geese's desk, "I demand to know where
Vega is."

Geese sat back, not afraid of this man in the slightest, "Listen to me Bison,
I have absolutely no idea where he could be. The last time I checked however,
he was attempting to kill one of my main bodyguards. Is that how you treat
your potential partners?"

Bison growled, "That's irrelevant. Vega acts on his own sometimes."

"That's no excuse. But honestly, I haven't seen your subordinate. I'm sorry,"
Geese shrugged.

Violet flames began to emit from Bison's large form, "If I
find out you're lying, you can kiss Southtown goodbye. Although I'm still
tempted to lay waste to this horrid city even if you are telling the truth."

"I will ask my staff again if they have seen Vega, but I can't guarantee
anything. I'll contact you if I have any new information," Geese nodded once,
making Bison back off slightly, "Very well." He stood back up and left the
office, and once he did Geese reached for the phone to call his "sick"
bodyguard Billy Kane.

~*~

The phone dropped to the ground, and a powerful wave of fear washed
over the Brit. He knelt down to pick up the receiver, "A... are you sure, sir?"
He asked, doing his best to maintain a cool tone of voice. He gulped as
his boss told him about Bison.

/Are you -sure- you haven't seen him, Billy?/

"Geese, there's alot I gotta tell you, but not over the phone. Listen, I'll
come by and explain evertyhin', all roight?" He hung up, and then went to
find Vega and . T. Thankfully Lily was still asl but but Vega wasn't anywhere
to be found. Billy swore loudly before noticing a figure on the balcony.

Vega stood there silently, looking at the sky.

Billy rushed outside, "Bad news, Princess."

"I know," Vega turned to him. Did his eyes just flash green?

"Wot's goin' on 'ere? Are you feeling all roight?"

"He's close. I must go back to him, Billy," Vega turned back to look out,
"I must go home. I belong to him..."

"WOT?! No bleedin' way, Princess! Not after seein' you blubber over havin'
no family," Billy yelled as Vega began to climb up on the rail, "I must..."

"HELL NO!!" The Brit grabbed Vega by his waist and pulled him back down,
running into the house and shutting the sliding door. He threw Vega onto the
couch, albiet a bit more roughly than he wanted, "Wot were you gonna do out
there?! Jump and 'ope Bison catches you?!"

Vega looked up at him with glazed eyes, "You don't understand. I must return
to Master Bison."

"You're going nowhere, Princess. Call me stupid, but... I think your
'relationship' with Bison ends 'ere and now," Billy sat down next to Vega,
"Methinks I need to 'ave a word with this man. Even if he and I end up throwin'
fists."

"You can't!" Vega cried, clinging to Billy as he got up, "He will destroy you
within seconds!"

"Like you actually care about me, Princess," Billy scoffed, though saying
that stung his heart.

Vega frowned, letting the Brit go and curling up on the couch, "I'm sorry. I
didn't mean to..."

"Look, Bison's goin' down."

"There's something you must know about me, Billy."

~*~

//"You have such talents, young man. What's your name?"

"My name is Vega, sir."

"Such an astral name. You've risen above the others like a star in the
twilight. You'd be perfect for my apprentice."

"Thank you!"//

//"Two years already. Once again you've risen above the rest of my
organization. Soon you will attain your fullest potential."

"I know I can, sir. I want to be the best and most beautiful!"//

//"Vega, you didn't tell me it was your birthday. How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen, sir. It's no big deal, though."

"Why of course it is! You haven't become a man just yet. I'd like to have the
honor to make you a man."

"What do you mean?"

"We can start with learning to feel another man's body..."//

"Wot?! You can't be serious!!" Billy suddenly felt very ill. His
heart dropped to his feet while he gagged. Lily rubbed his back while Vega
frowned at both of them, "It's true, Billy. Bison and I are.."

"No... You were just a kid. That's disgusting!"

"I'm still his lover, Billy. Even you can't change that."

"Like hell I can't. That freak gives me all tore ore reason to bash his
brains in," Billy got up abruptly and walked to claim his staff and bandanna.

Vega turned to him, "Don't Billy. You're no match for his power."

Billy tied his striped bandanna firmly to his head, "It doesn't matter to me.
To quote my late grandfather, 'Love makes a man do stupid things'." His blue
eyes sparkled with tears before leaving Vega in Lily's care. The Spaniard
turned to Lily, "Love...?"

~*~

With a burning rage Billy kicked open the door to Geese's office,
"Where is Bison, sir? I must have a word wif him before I rip his throat out."

"You seem to be better," Geese smiled dryly, "Bison went to the shopping
district to see if Vega's there. I sent him there on false information since
I figured you've been harboring him since he attacked you."

"It's a long story, sir. I'll be happy to explain later. Cheerio!" Billy
grinned slyly and left his office.

Geese sat back and began to loosen his tie, "(Billy, if you're even thinking
of taking Bison on your own you've either lost your mind or you have a stake
in all this. Either way...)" He chuckled and got up.

~*~

Billy ran through the shopping area, searching for the crime boss. He
had way too much on his mind at this point, but did his best to clear them
while he tried to focus on Bison's whereabouts. Before he could react he
saw a flaming ball zoom right at him. He jumped and managed to clear it, only
to have a second fireball nail him in his chest. Billy fell to the ground,
panting hard, "Oi... that's gonna leave a mark..." He looked up to see
a tall shadow over him. One eye glinted from the shadows, "You must be Billy
Kane. Nothing personal, but Bison's ordered you to be eliminated."

Billy looked up and smirked, "Why couldn't you be as cute as my Princess also?"
He took his staff and smacked the man's legs. He then bounced on top of the man
and punched him in the face, sending the immensely tall man to the ground.
"Don't screw with a man in love, okay?" Billy ran before the other could
recover fully.

Soon Billy reached an open courtyard in the district, where he felt
the wind grow a bit colder. A violet glow caught his eye as he turned around.
Standing before him was M. Bison himself. "So I finally found you," Billy
tapped the bo on his shoulder, "The head Shadowloo lech."

"Watch your mouth, Kane. My men have been looking for my Vega, and I've just
been informed he's been recovered, along with a young lady named Lily."

Billy's face paled, "L... Lily.. and Vega...?"

"See for yourself," Bison pointed to behind Billy, where Balrog, the boxer/
Shadowloo bodyguard, carried in two limp forms: Vega and Lily Kane. He dropped
both of them to the ground, bound and gagged.

Billy hissed, "I won't let you lay a finger on 'im again, Bison... and if
you even -think- of hurting Lily.."

"All you have to do is defeat me, Billy. If you can do that, then I will give
Vega up to you and Lily's free to go. Of course that won't happen," He
laughed haughtily.

"Don't bet on it," Billy snorted, tightening his grip on the staff.

Swirls of violet flames danced around Bison's form, shooting some of them
at the other fighter. Billy dodged the best he could, but unlike Bison,
he was only human. When one of the flames stunned Billy, Bison flew in and
punched the Brit in his stomach, and then his face. Billy fell back, but the
moment he got back his senses he growled and slapped Bison with his staff,
nailing him in the legs and then jumping to complete the move into a very
painful uppercut. Billy then bounced backward, going on the defensive.
Bison grinned and evaporated, appearing behind Billy and crashing into him with
his aptly named Psycho Crusher. Billy lay on the ground, panting as he sat up
carefully. His jacket was slightly burned as well as scratched, while his
bandanna was charred. Billy removed it while Bison floated over him, "I told
you iuldnuldn't happen. Vega belongs to me. Give up now and I might
actually spare you."

"To think you 'ad those dirty hands on 'is body... I won't forgive you.."
Billy looked up and spat at him as he got to his feet, using most of his
strength to swing his bo. He managed to catch Bison off-guard and nailed him
in his face. Bison was knocked back, but was still standing while he wiped
his mouth, "You actually drew blood. I'm impressed. Sadly, this is where your
chivalry ends." Bison summoned a fraction of his dark power and flew at Billy
again, hitting him full-on with another of his dreaded Psycho Crushers.

The Brit screamed as he flew back, falling to the ground. He could barely
breathe while he sat up again, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, his
body aching with intense pain, "(V... Vega... Lily... I'm sorry...)" He did
his best to keep conscious while Bison floated over him again, "You won't be
meddling in my affairs anymore, Billy Kane. He's mine."

Strangely though a soft, blue-white aura began to appear behind Bison, "(No...
Am I.. dead...?)" Billy thought as it became brighter. Then he heard a
familiar voice....

"RISING STOOOORRRRM!!!!"

Bison turned around, but it was too late. Several pillars of light blasted
through the Shadowloo Master's body, tearing through him easily. Bison
screamed, but soon even that faded away along with his dark form. Billy looked
up slowly to see his boss smiling down at him, "Looks like you did a number
on him, Billy, but sometimes even you need a little help once in a while."

Billy smiled, "Thanks, Geese."

Geese turned to Balrog, who stepped back and ran away, leaving Vega's and Lily's
tied up bodies on the ground. He knelt down to untie them as Billy got to his
feet to help out, "I wish I was strong enough, Princess..." His smile slightly
bitter as he picked Vega up, "Now can I have tomorrow off, Geese?"

Geese shrugged, "Eh, I think you deserve it this time." He laughed a bit and
helped Billy with Vega and Lily as they walked home.

~*~

"Oi... so where's Vega, Lily?" Billy asked while sipping on a cup of
tea.

"He's been sleeping for the past three hours, luv. I don't think you should
disturb him."

"Awwww, I'm not gonna do that, sis. I just wanna make sure he's not 'aving any
nightmares and stuff," Billy grinned and got up, albiet slowly due to his
bandages. He crept into his bedroom quietly, kneeling down to watch Vega
sleep, "(I really did wish I was strong enough to stop 'im, Princess...
but at least you're free now, roight?)" He smiled and licked his lips before
pressing them against Vega's, gently tasting the Spaniard's before pulling
back. He grinned, leaving the room and closing the door. Vega then blinked,
sitting up and touching his wet lips with his fingers, "(Billy...? Was that
a dream...?)" He wondered for a bit before settling back down into his sleep.

~*~

Lily worked on dinner while Vega set the table. Billy was to be home
soon from work, and Vega insisted on helping for a change. An hour later
Billy set foot through the door and shut it, "Finally.. Geese 'ad me workin'
like crazy since that whole Shadowloo thing. He doesn't want any more
screwups I guess." He shrugged and stretched out a bit. "Though I did get
Princess something..."

Vega blinked when he heard that. He was getting used to being called Princess
now, but what could Billy have gotten him? "What did you bring?"

Billy took out a plane ticket from his coat pocket, "First class airfare to
Spain. So you can go back to your family."

Vega ran up to him and hugged him.
He was acting like his age for once, "Thank you, Billy." He looked at the
ticket, "This says one-way though." Vega frowned a bit and let his hold on
the Brit loosen, "Do you want to be rid of me?"

"Wot the..? No! I just thought you might want to be wif your family again.
You said you didn't remember them really, roight? So I figured you'd want
to search for them. I bet they miss you alot."

"But... I... I do want to find them, but I want to come back to you, Billy,"
Vega looked at him, his green eyes blinking back tears. Billy raised an
eyebrow, "You do? I thought you 'ated me, Princess."

"You fought Bison for my honor. I can't hate you for that. And I remember
what you told me, 'love makes a man do stupid things'."

Billy blushed a little and scratched his head, "Well.. I um..."

"You.. fell in love with me..?" Vega asked softly while Lily smiled and
concentrated on dinner. It was her way of letting her brother have his privacy.
Billy moved in and seized Vega's lips, letting the Spaniard feel his love
and desire. Once Billy pulled back Vega blushed, "So it wasn't a dream..."
Vega smiled a little and hugged Billy tight, "Promise me you'll be here when
I come back, Billy Kane."

"I promise, Vega. I love you. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't. And Billy..." Vega blushed.

"Wot is it?"

"Will you still call me Princess when I come back?"

Billy laughed and tipped Vega's chin up, "You bet, Princess."

~END PART 1~