Street Fighter: Dream Never Ends

by Talyn Rahman-Figueroa

  It was unbearable to breathe in such a toxic atmosphere. Dim hues of smoke sifted from the hot floodlights that dangled from the ceiling. Leveled seats were filled with drunken spectators, who shouted obscenities at the main action brought on by the excitement of watching a live fight.

  Guy ignored the disruptive noise around him, and nervously watched Rena scuttle away from him. She wasn’t going far and having her back turned wasn’t enough to make him feel free to touch Maki, who stood just an arm’s length away. The embrace would be short, he thought to himself anxiously, but simply holding her would set off an insatiable urge to take her. His heart fluttered uncomfortably. He didn’t trust himself to be adequately cautious with Rena so close by. She was just a tiny speckle in the crowd now, but she would be coming back.

  Shaking, Guy squeezed a water bottle over his face, running his hand briskly through his damp hair. The heat was enough to cause shimmering hallucinations, and that was the last thing he needed. He had to keep cool, levelheaded, and able to perform at his best.

  Suddenly his body jerked from the feel of a hand cupping his butt cheek. Maki smiled beside him, her arms now folded into her chest. Guy gulped. Her momentary touch was too much for him.

  “On edge, are we?” Maki said, licking her lips with a sparkling fresh coat of saliva.

  Despite his great efforts to keep away from her, he felt himself drawn forward. He looked over Maki’s shoulder into the messy crowd. All eyes were gazing at center stage where the Turkish brawler and Korean martial artist fought defensively. Rena was nowhere to be seen, completely consumed by the barrage of filthy shouting men in the distance.

  “Being in a muggy room with hot sweaty men fighting...kinda intoxicating, don’t ya think?” Maki said in her best husky voice.

  “Seriously, Maki, we can’t here,” Guy whimpered, pushing her off gently.

  “It never stopped you before. Remember the Alpha Tournament? Rena was only a few yards away.”

  “And we almost got caught.”

  “Ha! Almost.” Maki winked.

  Guy clenched his jaw tight, wishing he didn’t feel captive of her touch. “Not before the fight, Maki. I’m up next and I need complete focus.”

  She stole the towel off Guy’s shoulder and dabbed her wet neck with it slowly, with intention.

  “Oh, I know,” she said, dipping her head low. She looked up at him flirtatiously. “The thrill of starting a fight,” Maki tried again, this time catching his face with a sweaty hand, “is a totally sexy thought.”

  She leaned over to kiss him. Her cool breath was a pleasant change from the asphyxiating air he was breathing. “You’ll have your fun,” she moaned, in between their kisses. “Let me have mine.”

  With a thrusting effort, Guy lifted her up to the wall with his hands resting brazenly on her chest. Their lips locked tight with desperation and urgency. It had been too long since they touched each other, and her teasing had become too torturous. She gasped, grabbing tightly with her legs around Guy’s waist.

  The hotel room they had stayed in the night before was hardly luxurious. With only one room available, they all had to share it. Maki had jealously watched Rena bask into Guy’s bed. Now, in her sister’s short absence, Maki’s fit of passion was pure revenge.

  She ignored the heat from the large panel, gasping loudly as Guy caressed her nape with his moist wet lips. People were too busy watching the fight on stage to be concerned with the couple making out against the big screen. Their panting grew faster and more frantic.

  “Damn it, this is way too hard,” Guy groaned, having no control of his hands.

  “Just take it off,” Maki demanded, struggling to unclasp the button of her jeans.

  Guy stifled laughter, feeling his arms tremble with Maki’s full weight on them. She gripped both hands over the buckle, tugging and pulling. Her determination was admirable, if the circumstance wasn’t so ridiculous.

  “You gonna help me at all?” she yelled in frustration, ripping at his belt strap. Her eyebrows were furrowed with apparent irritation and the desperation in her voice was clear.

  “Oh forget it,” she sighed, steadying her feet back onto the hard ground, then pushing Guy against the panel.

  “Maki,” he said, but his murmur was drowned by the howls and yells of the crowd. The audience got to their feet, stamping with anticipation, as the mighty Turkish brawler pounded his punches into his opponent. A few seconds later, the harsh tone of the bell rang twice in quick succession.

  “MAKI!” Guy bellowed. His mind panicked, pushing her off. Her large, dark eyes went to his, looking hurt.

  “What’re you doing?” her voice trembled, uncharacteristically weakened by the fluttering emotions she felt.

  Her face dropped, disappointed by this unexpected end, but the reason for Guy’s action soon became clear. Maki heard the despicably cheery tone of her sister’s voice that made her spine tingle.

  “Thought you’d like this,” Rena said with a bright smile, passing a bottle of beer to Maki.

  She gripped the neck of the bottle automatically, her body shaking with frustration. She suppressed a smile, looking down at Guy’s waist. He had been quick to bunch a towel over himself. Taking a quick swig of beer, her face contorted unpleasantly.

  “Yeah sorry,” Rena said sympathetically. “The beer is cheap, so it doesn’t taste that good, but I’m sure we’ll get used to it after a few more.”

  Maki sighed looking at the four bottles that were cradled in her sister’s arms. One bottle was more than enough to get a small Japanese woman drunk.

  “Beer?” Guy said, taking one from Rena for inspection. “But you hate beer.”

  Rena smiled at Maki, whose cheeks were flushed pink.

  “Yeah,” she agreed, “but I want to make sure that Maki and I are your loudest cheer leaders. These,” she said raising a bottle into the air, “will help us.”

  Maki rolled her eyes, dropping the empty bottle near her feet. She hated beer too, but needed a little distraction.

  “You okay, hubby? You look a little pale,” Rena said, stroking his cheek.

  “I’m fine,” he said, swatting her hand away. “Just tense I guess. It’s been a while since I fought like this.”

  Rena laughed. “The great ninja, nervous? That doesn’t sound like you.”

  Guy smiled, kicking the dusty ground with his red sneakers. Then he froze, feeling Rena’s cold lips on his. Her face looked so different up close. Sparkling white eye shadow swept across her lids and her freshly shaped eyebrows plucked a little too thin. He gulped, pushing back the revulsion he felt for her. The stench of the beer on her breath almost made him gag.

  “A kiss for luck,” Rena beamed with a toothy grin. “Not that you need it really. Right, Maki?”

  Maki convulsed at the mention of her name. As usual, her over-affectionate sister had taken away her pleasure. Selfish bitch, Maki thought sourly. She couldn’t even look at Rena right now.

  Hurriedly, she took another guzzle of beer, dripping some over her clothes. She wished she could pour the nasty drink all over her sister’s dark hair, and snatch Guy away. That should stop her from smiling. “Yeah,” Maki said without listening. “Whatever.”

  The loud thud of the fallen Turk amplified across the stadium. His head banged hard against the floor. Dust sprang to the air from his impact. The Korean fighter froze in his stance, dumbfounded that he had won. The stadium resounded with fresh screams and bountiful yells.

  “Okay, okay break it up now,” Maki finally snapped, tearing the couple apart. “Shouldn’t we go take our seats? I bet a fat trucker has already warmed it up for us. Needa use all our energy to push the beast off.”

  Guy’s attention momentarily escaped to the main arena. He watched the bleeding Turk dragged away by two burly men. He unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and splashed the last drops over his head. The stage lay empty for his big debut.