Chapter Three: The Investigation Begins...
-Pacific High School, the next day...-
It was a special day for the students of Pacific High. Today, the students had a guest speaker come in from San Francisco.
The student body was gathered in the auditorium, watching the speaker, listening to his every word. The speaker was dressed in a navy blue Armani suit with a black necktie. His shoulder-length blond hair was tied into a ponytail.
Ken Masters was many things. American karate champion, heir to the Masters family fortune, businessman. Now he was a speaker, representing the Masters Foundation, which was one of the primary benefactors of Pacific High.
His speech finished, the Pacific High School student body erupted into cheers.
***
In the student courtyard, Ken was stopped by one of the students. "Mr. Masters! Mr. Masters!"
"Huh?" Ken turned around. One of the students--a junior--was running up to him. "Yes? Can I help you?" He looked at the student closely, trying to remember his name. "Um...Roy, isn't it? Roy Bromwell?"
Roy nodded. "You know me?"
Ken shook his head. "No. I know your father, Jason Bromwell. What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you fould personally speak to my father about letting me come back home," Roy said.
Ken blinked. "Why don't you talk to him yourself?"
"He won't listen to me."
Ken nodded. He knew where this was going. "Ah, I see. Either you're homesick, or you don't think very much of Japan."
Roy nodded. Ken was right on the money.
The Shotokan fighter leaned in closer. "You may not know this, but I'm half-Japanese."
Roy was admonished. "Really?"
Ken grinned. "I take after my dad, mostly. Hell, my best friend and rival is also Japanese. But seriously, you really should give this whole exchange student thing a chance."
"It's--"
"There you are!"
Roy paled. "Uh-oh."
A sexy, blonde-haired teenager bounced over and enveloped Roy in a bear hug. "I've been looking all over for you," the blonde said.
"Gak!" Roy choked. "Tiffany, can you let me go, please?"
Tiffany released her (supposed?) boyfriend. She then looked at Ken. "You're Ken Masters, the American Karate champ, right?"
Ken nodded. "Yup. That's me."
Tiffany produced a autograph book. "Can I have your autograph, please?" she asked, using her best puppy-dog impression.
Roy simply shook his head.
Ken simply smiled, took the book, and signed his name. "Here you go."
"Thank you! Thank you!" Tiffany gushed out. She then started to tug on Roy's arm. "Come on Roy. Let's go to the mall."
"Uh, actually..."
"Well, well," a cool female voice interrupted. "Martial artist, businessman, and now speaker. Bravo, Masters. Bravo."
Ken and the two teenagers turned to the source of the voice. Chun Li was standing behind him, arms akimbo. Instead of her usual Interpol uniform, she was dressed in casual attire: a black turtleneck sweater, khaki pants, tennis shoes and a light jacket. Her hair was done in a single braid that fell down her back.
"Chun Li!" Ken greeted his longtime friend with a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on assignment. It's a long story," Chun Li replied.
Ken shook it off as he introduced the two teenagers to the Interpol agent. "Roy, Tiffany, this the wife of a good friend of mine, Chun Li Hoshi. Chun Li, Roy Bromwell and Tiffany Lords."
Chun Li's mind clicked as she recognized the two names from the list. "Ken, would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak with these two students. Alone."
Roy and Tiffany exchanged worried glances.
***
Inside an empty classroom, Chun Li questioned the two teens. "Have you noticed anything strange in the past few days?"
"Well, Boman didn't show up to school today," Tiffany replied.
"He didn't even return to the dorms last night," Roy affirmed. "I thought that he was in the chapel, but he wasn't. It's as if he disappeared."
"Do you really think that Justice High School is behind all this?" Roy asked.
Chun Li shook her head. "Dunno. In the meantime, I'd watch your backs if I were the both of you. Thanks for your cooperation."
***
Outside, Ken was listening on the whole conversation with Chun Li and the two teenagers. When Chun Li emerged from the classroom, Ken followed her. "So what was that all about?" he asked.
"High school students are disappearing all over the Tokyo area," the Chinese martial artist replied. "And guess who's got the case?"
"And why do you care?"
Chun Li pulled out the list of names and handed it to Ken. Ken scanned it for a moment. "Karin's name is on the list. As well as Sakura's. Does Ryu know about this?"
"Of course," Chun Li replied, taking the list back. "Remember Edmond Honda?"
Ken scoffed. "Who doesn't? He almost outdrank Guile at you and Ryu's wedding reception."
Chun Li told Ken about the attack on Honda and Mika's school. The blond Shotokan fighter was shocked to find out that Mika was in the hospital. "There's something strange going on, and I have only two weeks to find out." She looked at the list. "You gonna be by the dojo later?"
Ken grinned. "I'll drop by tomorrow. You know I gotta stop by and spar with Ryu."
***
As Chun Li exited the school grounds, she failed to notice the black sedan parked nearby. Inside, in the driver's seat, was the female in the nurse's jacket that had put Mika in the hospital. Riding shotgun, was a male teacher, who appeared to be into his late thirties, also wearing a pair of eyeglasses. He was dressed in a slightly wrinkled white suit, with a red necktie and a pair of shoulder harnesses that would remind someone of Bison's, brown pants, and red fighting gloves.
"Is that the woman snooping around?" the male teacher asked.
The woman nodded. "Yes. Lord Imawano will not tolerate any hinderance to his master plan," the woman replied. "Soon, we must deal with that woman."
"Why not now?" the man asked.
"Lord Imawano wishes to find out more information on the woman. Should he find her suitable for his master plan, then she shall be taken just like the others. In the meantime, send a team of students to capture Justice's next candidate."
"And who is the next student to join our ranks?" he asked.
"Kasugano Sakura."
-Pacific High School, the next day...-
It was a special day for the students of Pacific High. Today, the students had a guest speaker come in from San Francisco.
The student body was gathered in the auditorium, watching the speaker, listening to his every word. The speaker was dressed in a navy blue Armani suit with a black necktie. His shoulder-length blond hair was tied into a ponytail.
Ken Masters was many things. American karate champion, heir to the Masters family fortune, businessman. Now he was a speaker, representing the Masters Foundation, which was one of the primary benefactors of Pacific High.
His speech finished, the Pacific High School student body erupted into cheers.
***
In the student courtyard, Ken was stopped by one of the students. "Mr. Masters! Mr. Masters!"
"Huh?" Ken turned around. One of the students--a junior--was running up to him. "Yes? Can I help you?" He looked at the student closely, trying to remember his name. "Um...Roy, isn't it? Roy Bromwell?"
Roy nodded. "You know me?"
Ken shook his head. "No. I know your father, Jason Bromwell. What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you fould personally speak to my father about letting me come back home," Roy said.
Ken blinked. "Why don't you talk to him yourself?"
"He won't listen to me."
Ken nodded. He knew where this was going. "Ah, I see. Either you're homesick, or you don't think very much of Japan."
Roy nodded. Ken was right on the money.
The Shotokan fighter leaned in closer. "You may not know this, but I'm half-Japanese."
Roy was admonished. "Really?"
Ken grinned. "I take after my dad, mostly. Hell, my best friend and rival is also Japanese. But seriously, you really should give this whole exchange student thing a chance."
"It's--"
"There you are!"
Roy paled. "Uh-oh."
A sexy, blonde-haired teenager bounced over and enveloped Roy in a bear hug. "I've been looking all over for you," the blonde said.
"Gak!" Roy choked. "Tiffany, can you let me go, please?"
Tiffany released her (supposed?) boyfriend. She then looked at Ken. "You're Ken Masters, the American Karate champ, right?"
Ken nodded. "Yup. That's me."
Tiffany produced a autograph book. "Can I have your autograph, please?" she asked, using her best puppy-dog impression.
Roy simply shook his head.
Ken simply smiled, took the book, and signed his name. "Here you go."
"Thank you! Thank you!" Tiffany gushed out. She then started to tug on Roy's arm. "Come on Roy. Let's go to the mall."
"Uh, actually..."
"Well, well," a cool female voice interrupted. "Martial artist, businessman, and now speaker. Bravo, Masters. Bravo."
Ken and the two teenagers turned to the source of the voice. Chun Li was standing behind him, arms akimbo. Instead of her usual Interpol uniform, she was dressed in casual attire: a black turtleneck sweater, khaki pants, tennis shoes and a light jacket. Her hair was done in a single braid that fell down her back.
"Chun Li!" Ken greeted his longtime friend with a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on assignment. It's a long story," Chun Li replied.
Ken shook it off as he introduced the two teenagers to the Interpol agent. "Roy, Tiffany, this the wife of a good friend of mine, Chun Li Hoshi. Chun Li, Roy Bromwell and Tiffany Lords."
Chun Li's mind clicked as she recognized the two names from the list. "Ken, would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak with these two students. Alone."
Roy and Tiffany exchanged worried glances.
***
Inside an empty classroom, Chun Li questioned the two teens. "Have you noticed anything strange in the past few days?"
"Well, Boman didn't show up to school today," Tiffany replied.
"He didn't even return to the dorms last night," Roy affirmed. "I thought that he was in the chapel, but he wasn't. It's as if he disappeared."
"Do you really think that Justice High School is behind all this?" Roy asked.
Chun Li shook her head. "Dunno. In the meantime, I'd watch your backs if I were the both of you. Thanks for your cooperation."
***
Outside, Ken was listening on the whole conversation with Chun Li and the two teenagers. When Chun Li emerged from the classroom, Ken followed her. "So what was that all about?" he asked.
"High school students are disappearing all over the Tokyo area," the Chinese martial artist replied. "And guess who's got the case?"
"And why do you care?"
Chun Li pulled out the list of names and handed it to Ken. Ken scanned it for a moment. "Karin's name is on the list. As well as Sakura's. Does Ryu know about this?"
"Of course," Chun Li replied, taking the list back. "Remember Edmond Honda?"
Ken scoffed. "Who doesn't? He almost outdrank Guile at you and Ryu's wedding reception."
Chun Li told Ken about the attack on Honda and Mika's school. The blond Shotokan fighter was shocked to find out that Mika was in the hospital. "There's something strange going on, and I have only two weeks to find out." She looked at the list. "You gonna be by the dojo later?"
Ken grinned. "I'll drop by tomorrow. You know I gotta stop by and spar with Ryu."
***
As Chun Li exited the school grounds, she failed to notice the black sedan parked nearby. Inside, in the driver's seat, was the female in the nurse's jacket that had put Mika in the hospital. Riding shotgun, was a male teacher, who appeared to be into his late thirties, also wearing a pair of eyeglasses. He was dressed in a slightly wrinkled white suit, with a red necktie and a pair of shoulder harnesses that would remind someone of Bison's, brown pants, and red fighting gloves.
"Is that the woman snooping around?" the male teacher asked.
The woman nodded. "Yes. Lord Imawano will not tolerate any hinderance to his master plan," the woman replied. "Soon, we must deal with that woman."
"Why not now?" the man asked.
"Lord Imawano wishes to find out more information on the woman. Should he find her suitable for his master plan, then she shall be taken just like the others. In the meantime, send a team of students to capture Justice's next candidate."
"And who is the next student to join our ranks?" he asked.
"Kasugano Sakura."