The phone call had been made as promptly as Ken would expect from an official like Guile. He and Chun Li had decided the plan of action. They were going to register for the Street Fighter II tournaments. Ken was hoping for it. It had been awhile since he'd gotten to test his martial arts skills against anyone worth taking a punch from him. Ryu was Ken's traditional training partner but it had been years ago when they'd last met, and Ken was worried that his skills were getting stale.

"You're sounding quite excited about this," Guile noted passively on the phone.

"Ha! Get ready for some ass kicking, old man!" Ken laughed contentedly into his cell phone. "Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just cause you've got a family!"

"Don't get your hopes up too high, junior," Guile replied. "The air force doesn't go lightly on its cadets."

"Whatever!"

"Okay look, you realize that this is the fun part right? We've got to infiltrate the Shadowlaw base, find out what they're up to and put a stop to it."

"Yeah," Ken said, his voice lowering in tone, "and hopefully we'll find Kenny and get him out of there too. Are you sure four people are enough for this task? I mean, Shadowlaw's a pretty established organization."

"They won't suspect us," Guile assured. "As far as they know, we're just a bunch of testosterone pumped street fighters eager to prove ourselves in the arena."

"If they were that presumptuous, I doubt they would've gotten as far as they have."

"Okay look, I don't have much time to talk. The long distance bill I must be racking up on this thing is growing exponentially by the second. I'll meet you at the registration gates in thirty minutes."

Ken glanced at his watch. It was 11:30 am and registration didn't start for another hour and a half. "Looks like we got a keener on our hands, huh, Guile?"

"We can't afford to miss registration, Ken. If we're denied entrance into the tournaments, our whole plan is screwed. Now listen to me and get there as fast as you can!"

"Alright, alright, I'm on it!" Ken snapped his phone shut and pocketed the miniature machine, leaning his body against the metal railing of the suite balcony, taking in the beautiful morning view of Osaka city. The streets were clogged with vehicles and had been this way since dawn. Across the street, magnificent skyscrapers shot straight up into the sky – a whole forest of them – and stretched all the way to the horizon.

Ken sighed to himself as the breeze whipped his long blond hair around his face. He hoped Eliza didn't mind him participating this year. She'd always had a problem with his fighting for as long as the two had been romantically involved. She liked to express her concerns for Ken's safety but he would always try and avoid the topic with her. It always ended up messy. He turned around and looked at her delicate form, lying on her side on the sofa bed sleeping peacefully – and then heard a soft snore escape from her lips. Ken found himself stifling a laugh.

He heard a noise from inside the hotel suite, the sound of a door closing gently. Out from a short corridor walked Ryu, the reigning street fighter champion. Dressed in only long white pants, he rubbed his wet hair with a towel as he walked into the main room.

"You didn't have to give me the bed," Ryu said. "I'm sure you and Eliza needed it more than I did."

"Ryu, you've been sleeping on dirt and floors and dirt floors for most of your life. I figured you could use a change once in awhile. Besides, Eliza gladly took the sofa bed. She thinks it'll toughen her up."

Ryu smirked.

"Anyway," Ken said, taking the cell phone out from his pocket again, "I just got the call from Guile."

"And?"

"We're going in, man.

"We're participating in the street fighter tournaments?"

"Yes!"

"Why do you sound so surprised? That's why we came here in the first place, isn't it?"

"Easy for you to say. You're the long time Street Fighter champ. Not showing up this year unannounced would ruin the whole event! Besides, I thought Kenny's kidnapping would've detracted from my participation."

"His kidnapping places more importance on our participation in the tournament. When are we meeting Guile and Chun Li?"

"We've got thirty minutes. And the guy told us to leave now."

XXXXX

Cranky's vision slowly came into focus and the first thing he saw was the blurry image of a dark haired man standing above him. As his vision returned, he could see the features of a kind looking priest staring right back at him.

"F…Father Marquez? What happened?"

"The demon owned you, buddy," Julian replied. "You're lucky he decided to spare you. It seemed like he had more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Cranky moved to get up, but the splitting pain coming from behind his eyes, wrapping around his entire head halted his efforts. He put a hand to his temple and groaned, feeling a piece of cloth tied tightly around his skull.

"Try not to move," Julian advised.

"I said, what else did that demon have to worry about besides me?" Cranky repeated.

Julian broke eye contact with Cranky as he looked regretfully at the ground. "A friend of mine is in danger."

"You mean Ken Masters?" Cranky spat bitterly. He'd never been fond of Masters, though the closest of Cranky's friends were. Cammy White of Delta Red, now his ex-girlfriend had once adored the man during her childhood, and was hurt by him as a result. Even after Cranky had stolen her heart, it was clear to him that there were some things Masters could give Cammy that he could not. Cranky's best friend and adopted brother, little Kenny, looked to him as a father. How could Kenny have such a high opinion? Just because Masters financed his life? Money can't buy everything … and Cranky was surprised to catch himself thinking that. Money was supposed to buy everything. That's what his life on the street had taught him. Though he tried to deny it to himself, perhaps his involvement with Cammy had changed his perceptions after all.

"Why is Ken in danger?"

"Not him, specifically," Julian replied. "But the demon was looking for Ryu, a close friend of his."

"The street fighter champion? How the hell would they be connected?"

"It's a long story, but it's also nothing to worry yourself over. I would've taken you to a hospital to get your head checked out, but somehow, I got the feeling I should wait until day broke."

From the looks of things, the sun was already shining, its warm rays passing through the stained glass windows of Julian's church, forming beautifully coloured images on the stone floor. Incense laced the air, not too strong, but enough to establish the atmosphere. Using his arms to support him, Cranky raised himself from the church pew, but not before Julian rushed to his side.

"Try not to move too much," the priest advised. "I'll send for a doctor."

"No," Cranky said, raising a hand. "I'm fine."

"I have to get going. There's a mass to be held in an hour. Would you like to rest in the residence?"

"I have to get going," Cranky replied, "but thanks for the offer. I'm gonna get back home and get something to eat."

XXXXX

Bison rubbed at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, trying to ease the pain in his head from the incessant screaming and wailing in the background. He sat on a large metallic seat, not adorned with elaborate roman decorations like his other thrones were. This one was built right into the floor, complete with swivel feature. A single light hanging a few feet above his head was the only source of light in this room, save for the distant glow of countless computer panels lining the walls. A red carpet extended from the seat, situated in the center of the room, towards the wall were it met the bottom of a pair of large automatic doors, contructed with welded sheets of metal. The doors slid open with an electronic whir, giving way to Sagat, his prized Muay Thai warrior.

"You've done well, Sagat," Bison addressed. Sagat nodded his head, the dull light shining off his bald head.

"I live only to serve," he replied modestly.

"With your help, we've successfully emerged from Shadowlaw's weakest point. We will eventually build ourselves to our former glory, but it will be some time. However, I'm sure there will be participants in the tournament worthy of the Agent Initiative."

"The Agent Initiative?" Sagat asked curiously.

"It's a new brainwashing system developed by our scientists, superior to the Doll Program in every possible way."

"Sir …" Sagat said, "the Doll program was perfect!"

Bison grunted in response. "If it was perfect, the Killer Bee Cammy White would've never defected. The twelve other Dolls would've never recovered from their brainwashing from simply destroying the Psycho Drive."

"Still, you have the Shadow Technology at your disposal! Kenneth Feng is in confinement as we speak!" Sagat's voice was starting to raise in anger. Bison knew that although Sagat was a fine warrior, he had a rather large ego to contend with. Sagat wouldn't be pleased to think that his efforts retrieving Kenneth Feng, the first Shadow Solider, was all for nothing.

"The Shadow Technology and the Doll Program are both finished!" Bison declared. "But they had their merits – which we are using for the Agent Initiative."

"I don't understand, sir."

"The Dolls were perfectly loyal creatures. The brainwashing process they underwent was flawless – save for Cammy's. But my mistake was entrusting them with Psycho power to enhance their abilities, the very same Psycho power that dissolved upon the destruction of the Psycho Drive of the Alpha 3 tournaments nine years ago."

"I still fail to see how Kenneth Feng and his Shadow Technology fit into all of this."

"I relied on Psycho Power to enhance the performance of the dolls," Bison explained. "The Shadow Technology has the same effect on people, but it is self sustaining, and even supports life! How else do you think Kenny's been able to cheat death all these years?"

"So using the brainwashing power of the Doll Program and the self sustaining ability enhancement of the Shadow Technology …"

Bison grinned evilly. "We will create a new, elite force of Shadowlaw agents using the best of the tournament participants. The Agent Initiative will be the key to our success."

In the background, Kenneth Feng continued to scream as he hung by cables, suspended three feet into the air, a sharp data collector rod made of cold steel embedded painfully into his back where the Shadow Technology chip had been embedded nine years ago.