Time to get this chapter taken care of. When we last left Logan, he was meeting Helen after locking Black Mask up with help from Sharel, Nate (whose Prime Earth counterpart I need to fully establish along with his two new hires that were seen in his debut chapter), and Cloak. As he meets her crew, he immediately recognizes the members: Juri and Rashid. Time to get started.


The Mysterious Helen!

In St. Louis, Logan had locked eyes with the new visitor. Weary from his trip in Gotham, his expression made it clear that he was in no mood for small talk. The woman, Helen, was a beauty for sure, but the Assassin had one thing on his mind and that was getting back home to his family. The blonde beauty saw the stern look on his face, which told her that she needed to tread carefully. "I'm not going to humor anyone's crap," he said. "Why are you here?"

"I told you," said Helen. "I'm here to recruit you into a team dedicated to ridding the world of Shadaloo. It will not be easy, but with your skills, you should suffice." She saw the scowl on his face deepen, which told her that he didn't believe her. "You have my word that it is the truth."

"Take a rain check on that. I just got back from Gotham and I am tired."

"Gotham?" she asked before running in front of him. "You were in Gotham? I'm amazed you weren't killed. What were you doing there?"

"None of your business. I really have to be heading home." He walked past her, only to be grabbed by the arm. He anticipated this, however, so he lit up a 'Chidori Sphere' and blinded her for a moment, allowing him to escape to a tunnel entrance. Helen's vision cleared after a bit, but when she opened her eyes, Logan was gone. She smirked however, knowing and enjoying that he was going to be a bit of a challenge.


Logan, going through the tunnels, checked around to ensure that he was safe. Something about the mysterious woman didn't sit well with him. Still going until he was in front of his hideout entrance, he tiredly put his hand on the scanner and went through the door. After putting his stuff up, he greeted Chun-Li and Cammy each with a kiss on the lips and went to the training room, sitting down cross-legged with his hands on his knees, his encounter with Helen fresh on his mind. He noticed Francis sitting across from him in the same way. "Bonjour, Monsieur," the apprentice Assassin greeted. "How was your trip?"

"It was interesting, to say the least," said Logan. "Rothchild and Black Mask are in Blackgate, along with Oswald Cobblepot. At the same time, the Joker was returned to Arkham. With Edward Nygma and Harvey Dent there as well, and Rupert Thorne, Tobias Whale, and Steven Mandragora behind bars, we can safely say that there's a large power vacuum in Gotham's criminal underworld. This should give the Commissioner, James Gordon, the edge he needs to put the small-time crooks and goons that worked under these guys behind bars."

"That news is fantastique. However, I sense that you have something else on your mind."

"You sense right. You were told about Shadaloo, correct?"

"Oui. You yourself told me."

"Well, when I got back here, I came across a mysterious woman. She claimed to be a member of a group that's dedicated to getting rid of them."

"That's great, non? She might be our key to doing so."

"Francis, here's a lesson for you: Always judge a person by their actions, never their words. Just because a person says one thing doesn't mean jack if they don't back it up. It's why people hate politicians, lawyers, and the weatherman." He then sensed Kiryo coming into the hideout with another familiar presence, one he hasn't seen in a long time. He smirked, knowing who it was. "Come with me." Francis did as he was told, following Logan to greet his old friend.

Kiryo came through the entrance with an overweight Japanese man he had a blindfold on. The man had on red face-paint, a white suit, a purple-and-gold towel, and white shoes. His black hair was also in a topknot. "Okay, Honda-san, you can remove the blindfold now." The man did as Kiryo said, taking his blindfold off. He looked around and gave and impressed whistle. "What do you think?"

"Multi-cultural. I like it!" said the man, who then saw Logan and Francis approaching.

"Long time no see, Mr. Honda," Logan greeted.

"You got that right, pal. Still training, I see. You look even stronger."

"I should hope so. I've been getting into plenty of fights. So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm still trying to spread the joys of Sumo all over the world. I thought that since it was in the middle of the U.S., I figured your home state would be a good place to start."

"Spreading from the middle, huh? Not a bad strategy."

"Monsieur, who is this man?"

"This is Edmond Honda, a Sumo wrestler from Japan. His main goal is to make Sumo very popular around the world. He's also got a bathhouse in Higashi Komagata from what I hear."

"You look like you could use a bit of relaxing there, pal," said Honda.

"Trust me, you have no idea."


Meanwhile, at a hotel in the city, Helen was staying by herself. She had changed into a pair of pajama shorts and a white T-shirt. It was form-fitting, so her legs weren't the only thing that were accentuated. She had gotten on her laptop and made contact with her superiors. "How did the meeting go?" asked a man in the shadows.

"Not as well as we had planned, sir," she said to him. "Unfortunately, he's my type of target: The kind that plays hard-to-get. He had just got back from Gotham, so he's fatigued at the moment."

"Let him get his rest, then try again. From what I hear, he's a favorite of beautiful women. Perhaps you can try to charm him."

"His most frequent lovers are Chun-Li, Cammy White, and Shannon Youngblood. All of them are very beautiful, so I can see why. Perhaps that might be a good idea, sir."

"Inform me of the result of your mission." Helen nodded as they hung up. She looked out the window at the city before closing the curtains.

"Such a wonderful city," she said to herself. "A shame about the crime rate." She got in her bed and pulled the covers over her, thinking about her encounter with Logan and her boss' plan before drifting off to sleep.


The next morning, after breakfast, Logan took the group to the ITF to show it to Honda. He took Honda, Cammy, and Chun-Li in one car while Kiryo rode with Francis and Angel (who was driving) in another. They got to their destination, which Honda liked the size of. They got out of the cars and went through the door. Naturally, the sumo wrestler was impressed with the inside as well. "Metal floors, metal chains," he observed. "I can see why you call this an 'Intense Training Facility'."

"Yeah, but because of the sheer size of it, I use it to host contact events here," Logan said. "Wildcat helped me set this place up, so because he's not fond of the McMahon family, I don't host the WWE."

"But you hold others here, right? Like MMA, Boxing, and non-WWE events?"

"Yeah, we those along with the CWF. I believe we can accommodate for Sumo as well."

"That'd be much appreciated."

"I'll contact Wildcat and find out," said Kiryo, getting a nod from his ancestor.

"While the kid's doing that, how about a match? I still haven't gotten to fight you yet."

"Sounds like a good time-killer," Logan said. "The locker rooms are down the hall. I don't want to mess up that suit of yours."

"Got it. Thanks, bud."

"I know that he's a Sumo wrestler, but isn't Sumo supposed to be used in the ring?" Angel asked.

"Well, when you think about it, this facility, if we can get the OK from Wildcat, would count," said Chun-Li.

"Honda uses a Street Sumo style outside of the ring," Cammy added. "It utilizes hand slaps, flying headbutts, and Sumo Slams."

"'Sumo Slams'?"

"You'll see, Angel." At this, Honda came back wearing his usual gear, which consisted of a blue-and-white mawashi and red fundoshi underneath. He had the mawashi around his waist. The Sumo wrestler took notice of the salt buckets on both sides of the ring. "Logan's always been fond of tradition. Before a match, Sumo wrestlers throw a handful of salt into the ring as a means of purification. Because Logan's facing a Sumo wrestler, he feels he should do likewise as a means of respect."

"I see…"

"I knew there was something I liked about you, kid," Honda said as he and Logan grabbed a handful of salt. "You ready?"

"Yep," said Logan. They smirked and threw the salt in the middle of the ring and got into their fighting stances. Honda started things off with his Sumo Headbutt, hurling toward Logan like a projectile. The Assassin held his hands out and grabbed him by his shoulders. Logan then performed a knee strike before sending Honda backward by kicking him in the gut. The younger of the two then charged toward his foe, who responded by jumping above him and plummeting down with a Sumo Slam, much to Angel, Kiryo, and Francis' shocks. After Honda got off of him, Logan quickly got up and jumped back. Honda tried another Sumo Headbutt, but he got shocked as soon as he made contact.

Logan grabbed the Sumo wrestler from behind and threw him backward, revealing that he had used the Afterimage technique. As the two fighters continued their spar, Cammy and Chun-Li took notice of Helen's presence. They figured out that Logan was enjoying the fight too much to notice. Helen watched with wonder as Logan parried Honda's Hundred-Hand Slap. On the last one, Logan blocked it, jumped from Honda's shoulder into the air, and put him off balance. "Skydive Assault!" the Assassin exclaimed, getting the Sumo wrestler to look up. Logan grabbed Honda's face and slammed him down, making a small shockwave. This got Helen to look at the Assassin in wonder while the others were excited about Logan's win.

As Logan helped Honda to his feet, he heard someone clapping. He finally took notice of Helen, much to his chagrin. "That was a wonderful display of skill," she said. "I am very, dare I say, impressed by you, Logan."

"Logan, is this that 'Helen' woman you told us about?" Chun-Li asked.

"Afraid so," he answered before returning to the unwanted guest. "What are you doing here, Helen? How did you even know about this place?"

"I didn't," answered the blonde. "I followed you."

"You WHAT!?"

"I saw you and your crew in your cars heading here, so I followed you. I would've put a tracking device on you, but you were too fast."

"Okay then, why are you following me? I thought I made it clear that your team does not interest me."

"You did, but I haven't even told you who the other two members were, besides myself."

"Why should I care?"

"The other two are good friends of yours. As I normally lead from home base, you'd be filling in the third spot on the roster, as well as the position of field leader. I need you, so we can get our fourth member under control."

"Pretend we're interested," Cammy said, crossing her arms. "Who are the other two?"

"The Master of the Turbulent Wind and the Feng Shui Assailant." Chun-Li noticed the disgruntled tone in Helen's voice as she answered the soldier.

"Rashid and Juri!?" Logan asked, the surprise evident in his voice. "You got them involved!?"

"They hate Shadaloo as much as you do. Remember that Bison was the one who forcibly removed Juri's original Feng Shui Engine, hence why she has the prototype and the eyepatch. As for Rashid, a scientist friend of his was captured and forced to work on a project that Bison's second-in-command has created to bring his boss more power."

"I'm aware of the Nguuhao and his tendencies. I got the information out of Vega by threatening to smash his face onto bricks in our last fight. Superman witnessed the whole thing."

"It's amazing, then, that you're still in good standing with the Justice League." Helen took note of the distrusting look on Logan's face. "You don't believe me. I understand. However…" She gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "I believe that you can help us. You help us, and we'll help you. We have a common enemy in Bison. And working together, I believe we can knock Lex Luthor down a few notches as well. What do you say?"

"Let me talk it over with the others first."

"Very well, but do not take too long." With that, Helen went outside of the building.

"Well? What do you guys think?" Logan asked the others.

"It's hard to determine," Chun-Li said. "On one hand, we can't let slip any opportunities to take down Shadaloo and Luthor."

"On the other, there's something fishy about this woman," Cammy said. "Something tells me that she's not very fond of soldiers."

"You picked up on that too, huh?" Logan said, getting a nod from his girlfriend. "Then it's a good thing Guile and Captain Atom aren't here. Still, she's made her presence known and she's willing to work with us. I just don't know what to do."

"Try contacting Pearl. She might be able to provide a bit of insight to this."

"I sent her a text while Helen was talking," said Chun-Li. "She still hasn't responded yet." Just then, Chun-Li's phone rang. She looked and saw that it was the All-Seer in question, so she answered it and put it on speakerphone. "Pearl, what's going on?"

"Not much," said the spy. "You got me on speakerphone?"

"Afraid so, Pearl," Logan said. "We need your input."

"Ah, the Helen thing. Thanks to Chun-Li's text, I know what's going on. What does she have to gain in taking down Shadaloo?"

"We neither know nor trust her. She also wants to help us knock Luthor down a peg, or so she says."

"That reminds me, I heard you had a bit of help tracking and taking down Rothchild the other night."

"Yep. Shannon was tech support while I had her friend DeMarcus, Robin, Batwoman, and Signal helping to track him down. After that, we went after his real boss, which was Black Mask." They heard Pearl let out a whistle.

"Yeah, Nate told me about the Black Mask part. Thankfully, all four of you are still alive. If you want my opinion, Logan…"

"That's why we wanted you to call."

"…Go with her to see what she's got in store. Find out who this 'fourth member' is that you need to knock some sense into. Report the events to us, so we could plan accordingly."

"Sure thing." With that, Chun-Li hung up the phone. "Okay, Helen. I'll come with. No funny business, though."

"Of course. I would never dream of it. Though, your association with Juri might cause her to try something." As soon as she said that, they left to go to the airport, with Logan saying his goodbyes to the others.


After several hours, they got to their destination, which was Russia. Logan sensed around and figured out that Zangief was on a pro-wrestling tour. He had on a thick coat and a mask covering his mouth and nose, knowing how cold it was, as he and Helen rode in a jeep toward the headquarters. They arrived at the base, which was a large metal building. After entering, Logan saw that it was a wrestling ring, complete with dining areas and a bar. He looked and saw Rashid with an elderly man whose hair was white and in a ponytail, wearing a vest and a pair of white pants. Like Gouken, he was well-muscled. Rashid was checking his phone when he saw him and Helen come in, not immediately recognizing his friend right off the bat.

The same could be said for Juri, who narrowed her eyes at the alleged newbie. "I apologize for the long wait," Helen said. "You two were right when you said he'd be a bit stubborn."

"You don't mean that that's…?" Juri said, prompting Logan to remove his hood and lower his mask. "Logan! It is you! Just as handsome as ever, I see. Want to hit the hay together?"

"He just got here, Juri," said Rashid, who was happy to see his old friend again. "How are you, my friend? I haven't seen you since we took down Deathstroke."

"You fought Deathstroke the Terminator?" Helen asked.

"He tried to kill me," said Logan. "If not for Rashid and another friend of mine, he would've succeeded. Anyway, I'm still itching to get this mission done and over with."

"As I said, it will be a solo mission. I am certain you can handle this. Your mission is to go to these coordinates in New Zealand. There is a tomb there with a sarcophagus that will free its captive once you enter. It is past time for him to awaken, but he will attack anyone who is near. I figured you could knock some sense into him, as I said before."

"Succeed or fail, I'll have a 'special reward' waiting for you," Juri said, making Logan blush and smirk as she seductively licked her lips. "As long as you make it back alive that is."

"Sure thing," Logan said before heading to a Zeta platform that Helen had. He knew why: It was because she, thankfully, didn't have the codes for his. She input the coordinates and sent him to New Zealand. He had to travel the rest of the way there by foot.


After a while, Logan finally reached his destination. The nearby waterfall reminded him of his adventure with Sakura that had them searching for a Chupacabra, only to find Blanka. He entered the tomb, seeing the many statues surrounding him. He finally took notice of the sarcophagus, which had a peculiar jewel on the center of it, and approached it, accidentally pushing a button in the floor. Once Logan took notice, he prepared for a trap, seeing the statues' eyes glow. The statues fired beams of light from their eyes and onto the jewel, which caused Logan to have to cover his eyes.

When the light disappeared, he looked and saw that the sarcophagus was opened. In the dust cloud, Logan could make out a silhouette climbing out. The silhouette grabbed the lid and threw it at Logan, who ducked and got ready to fight. "Smart move," said the silhouette, whose voice sounded familiar to Logan. He sped right behind the Assassin, whose battle instinct kicked in. Logan sent the figure back with a ki gust. He finally got a good look at his attacker, who wore brown cargo pants, a brown vest with yellow linings, green combat boots, and a pair of glasses. His platinum blonde hair was in a forelock. Despite the skin grafts on his right hand and forearm, his right shoulder, the right side of his chest, and the right side of his face, Logan knew all too well who this was.

"Charlie?" the Assassin asked. "Is that you?" The revived soldier said nothing as he attacked Logan with a moonsault kick, which the latter blocked. Logan then rolled under Charlie and tried to put him in a sleeper hold but ended up being thrown to the ground. After getting back up, the Assassin ended up in a grappling contest with his opponent, neither one letting up. Charlie and Logan used their 'Flash Steps' to get behind one another and clashed with the same physical attacks. They then jumped back and fired a 'Sonic Boom' at each other, which stirred up the dust. Spotting Charlie charging for him again, Logan got ready to counter. Sure enough, Charlie sped past Logan, who grabbed his fist, elbowed his underarm, and threw him over his shoulder before he sent a surge of energy powerful enough to knock him out. "Helen, it's Logan," he said through the communicator. "I have our fourth member, but you and I are going to have a little chat when we get back."

"Sounds fair," said Helen. "I await your return."

"Got it." They then hung up as Charlie groaned, waking up again. "Well, that didn't take you long."

"That voice…" said the ex-soldier. "Logan? Is that you?"

"In the flesh. You've been gone for a long time, Charlie. What happened?"

"I was in Cambodia when I went on an unsanctioned mission. I left the hospital without the authority to do so. I was so hellbent on taking down Bison. After I beat him in a one-on-one fight, my troops that I thought were coming as backup fired at me. I was shot in the back and fell down a ravine. I don't remember anything after that."

"I think I can fill in one of the blanks. Bison turned your troops against you and had you killed. You've been dead for several years. How you're here is beyond me. Once I get you back to Helen's base, she'll explain the details."

"Hopefully, this includes why she chose me specifically." Logan nodded before helping his old friend up. "I will say, old friend, that you're a lot more powerful than when we first met."

"I have our friends to thank for that. This includes Guile and Abel."

"I see…"


They got back to the headquarters and were greeted by Helen, Juri, and Rashid. Helen was happy that they returned safe, but noted the scowl on both of their faces, especially Logan's. "I guess it's time I answered a few questions," she said. "So, where can we start?"

"How about the reason why you resurrected Charlie here," Logan said. "And how you knew the two of us knew each other."

"I see you've put two-and-two together. You see, there is a prophecy of one who would bring the world back from dark times by eliminating a dark force. In the place of darkness, light will rise. We believe this one to defeat the dark force is Nash. We had a look at known associates and found your name among them. That should answer both of those questions."

"And I'm guessing this so-called 'light' is your boss, correct?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. He despises Shadaloo, just as you do. However, unlike you, he doesn't see Lex Luthor as a threat." They then heard a set of steps coming down.

"Is that him?" Logan asked, pointing out a man in a pinstripe suit, purple shirt, and tan skin. He had short white hair and a gem in his forehead like Charlie.

"L-Lord Urien!" Helen said, getting up and bowing.

"So, this is where you've been wasting your time, you little mouse?" Urien said, insulting Helen. "Not much of an impressive team."

"Talk about judging a book by its cover," Rashid said.

"You dare speak out of turn, whelp!? How about you show me what you can do!" Rashid responded by dashing forward and using a spin chop, which Urien countered by grabbing his hands, slamming him down, and throwing him into the air before firing an electrical blast and hitting him. Juri tried to attack him with a moonsault kick, but he simply grabbed her ankle and threw her to the ground. Logan and Charlie then attacked, prompting Urien to put up a square shield in front of him. Both moved out of the way, but Charlie continued the assault, becoming the first to land a few hits on the madman. "Loathsome whelp!" Urien then used his aura to encase himself in a type of armor before attacking the revived soldier.

Charlie parried one of his punches and held Urien in a Full Nelson. "Now, Logan!" he exclaimed.

"Skydive Lightning Assault!" Logan exclaimed, coming from the ceiling with an electrified version of his signature attack. The attack shattered Urien's armor with a surge of lightning and knocked him out. Logan then went over to Juri and helped her to her feet while Helen checked on Charlie and the old man helped Rashid. "Is everyone okay?" the Assassin asked.

"Yeah, we'll live," said Juri, getting a nod from the others.

"I'm guessing that wasn't the boss you were talking about."

"No," said Helen. "That's his younger brother. I am sorry about the trouble he has caused. At any rate, you should all get some rest. I will let you know of your next mission when it comes." Logan nodded, taking Juri to her room.

"Do you mind waiting for that reward, Logan?" the South Korean fighter said. "I'm in no shape to give it to you right now." Logan nodded in understanding before kissing her on the lips.

"If you want, I can wait. Fighting Urien killed my mood anyway."

"A rain check it is then." The two shared a smile before Juri went to sleep. Logan then went outside after Helen gave him the okay to go home.

"J'onn, it's Logan. I need a Zeta beam back to St. Louis, please."

"Sorry, but we're doing a routine maintenance check," said the Martian on the communicator. "The Zeta transporter is offline at this time. You will have to contact Cyborg for a Boom Tube."

"Got it. Thanks." Logan then texted Cyborg and got him to Boom Tube him to St. Louis.


As soon as the Assassin got back to his city, he took in the sights. He was relieved to have gotten his mission over with. "Home Sweet Home. Maybe now, I can get some rest." He made his way back to his den, seeing Cammy, Chun-Li, Kiryo, Angel, and Francis waiting on him.

"So, how was it?" Chun-Li asked.

"Well, we're going to have to call Pearl and tell her too." Chun-Li nodded and called said All-Seer on video chat and put up the hologram.

"Hey, Chun-Li," Pearl greeted. "I take it Logan's back?"

"Right here, Pearl."

"How was the trip?"

"Well, would you believe me if I told you I ran into a dead man walking?"

"Oh? Did you get a name?"

"Oh yeah. It was Charlie Nash." This shocked everyone but Angel and Francis, who were both confused.

"Ch-Charlie…!?" Chun-Li asked.

"How!?" asked Cammy.

"Helen never said how because her boss' brother Urien ambushed us," Logan said. "In addition to me and Charlie, the others are Rashid of the Turbulent Wind and Juri Han."

"Damn. They've revealed themselves sooner than I thought," said Pearl.

"Pearl? What's wrong?"

"I've been delving into a group called the Secret Society for quite some time, Logan, especially during the S.I.N Tournament you guys competed in. Their leader is shrouded in mystery, but Helen and Urien are two key members of it. It is true that they have no love for Shadaloo. When you mentioned a woman named Helen, I chalked it up to mere coincidence. However, when you mentioned Urien, you proved the connection. Logan, you're dealing with the Secret Society, otherwise known as the Illuminati."

"What!?"

"Sorry, Love, but while I know you're good at infiltration missions, this one is going to be your most difficult one."

"I'm going to need your help, guys," Logan said.

"Then we'll be ready," said Kiryo, the others agreeing with him.

"Jakar and I will help out too," said Pearl. "I'd like to keep Nate out of this mess as much as possible, but since Shadaloo has a presence in Jakar's timeline as well, he'll want to know about this one."

"Sounds good. However, if I know Nate, he'll get involved no matter what. If he does, then we'll just have to let him." Pearl nodded, agreeing with her ex.

"In all your missions for Helen, Logan, I want you to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise me that you'll come back alive. We may not be together anymore, but I don't know what my life would be like without you. You're the only one in the entire multiverse who can surprise me after all."

"I promise." They tried to high-five, but went through each other and laughed, remembering that they were speaking on hologram chat.

"Sometimes I wonder why those two broke up," Chun-Li whispered to Cammy, who giggled. After Pearl hung up, Logan went to the shower to clean up. After he got done, he, Cammy, and Chun-Li went to bed while Kiryo and Angel went to his room. Francis shut the lights off and activated the security system before going to his room.

CHAPTER 55 END


Logan on consecutive missions? He needs a break. Okay, so that's the first time I've used Kolin, Urien, and Charlie Nash at all, as well as the first time I've used Honda in Big Leagues. I wonder what's next. Stay tuned.