-Day 3, Shanghai-

Adel sat on the balcony of the hotel in the morning, a large cup of coffee in his hand. He had ordered some tea eggs, youtiao and sweet milk from the room service and decided to enjoy it there. The balcony was closed off, due to the them being so high up that the hotel would risk a bit of insurance issue if it was left open, but it was nonetheless pleasant. There was a slow drizzle happening at the moment, making a soft sound on the glass above. He had an ever so mild hangover-it probably couldn't even be properly called one, more like he felt like he drank a few the night before and was a little thirsty and tired-but he was comfortable, and the food was awesome on his stomach.

All in all, the morning felt peaceful. He only wore his shorts at the moment, and the balcony was temperature controlled rather nicely. The sound of the drizzle relaxed him, as well.

Whip came out, sitting next to him with her coffee, wearing her tank top and underwear. She kissed the top of his head before she settled next to him, grabbing some of the fried, oily dough herself.

"I had fun last night," she grinned. "Never got to meet Shen before. He seems to be a good fellow."

"Yeah. I can tell by the way Duo Lon was acting around him. Hope we get to see him again."

"I'm sure we will. I don't think he's going anywhere."

"What's on the agenda today, anyway?" He dipped another piece of dough into the milk, polishing it off before reaching for a tea egg, which he had before, as well, in his time, but this hotel made them rather deliciously.

"I have no idea. I'm not much of a planning type when it comes to vacation." Military or no, when she relaxed, Whip just liked to sort of lounge around without any super-strict planning for it. On the job, she was much more prudent, but on her downtime, she was fairly laid back.

"Yeah, me neither. I'm hoping to go get some dumplings tonight for dinner, at least."

"I'm sure our friend can point us to a spot. Hopefully the four of us can go."

"Definitely. I think he mentioned something about Leona wanting to see another industrial part of town today and then go look up some of those underground music stores they like. I wouldn't mind just wandering and seeing where it takes us."

"Well, you like to eat. How about a food tour? Just go wander around a part of town and get stuff from kiosks or street vendors."

He grinned. "Now that sounds fun." He polished off his breakfast, which for him, was relatively light.

She took another piece of dough to swirl in the milk and grabbed a tea egg along with a pancake; this one was sweet as well rather than savory. "Let's just settle in this morning and head out for lunch, then."

Sitting back in his chair, he shut his eyes as Whip pushed next to him to finish her own breakfast.

"Is this place in a basement or something?" Leona asked, smirking at the musty, outdoor stairs on the side street they had gone down before opening the door to the small store.

"Basically," Duo Lon said, greeting the man behind the counter in his native tongue. The man waved back; he looked barely older than Duo Lon, with long, black hair and a few piercings in his eyebrow, wearing a t-shirt with a similarly indistinguishable band name. Leona actually recognized the logo from one of Duo Lon's albums.

"Good place, I take it?" she asked.

"Yes, this is one of my favorites. As you see, it's small-two rooms-but a lot of vinyl, and some of it is hard to find." He started combing the racks, Leona smiling warmly at how he seemed to disappear somewhat into his actual age when he was dealing with his music.

She went over to poke around some of the other bands he had introduced her to-besides Delirium Void, Blightwinter, and the now defunct Abyssal Shadow, she had quite taken to an act by the name of Icevein from somewhere in Canada. The shopkeeper seemed fairly impressed with the speed the two of them picked out what they liked; Duo Lon was a bit faster, but when it came to underground metal fans, they could always sniff out who was quite into it. As they browsed the store-the smell of vinyl, the wood of the shelves, and the slight scent of candles permeating the air-music played in the background which her friend asked the owner about.

Maneuvering into the back, the two continued combing through the various shelves and racks, coming across some albums that were quite old. Eventually Duo Lon had found six records and two CDs he was interested in, while Leona grabbed two CDs for herself and piled them all on the counter. He poked around for a couple of demos that he had been looking for, but to no avail this time. He seemed happy with his finds, however.

No one spoke much, which was fine for all three of them; the man was cordial, though, smiling and nodding at their choices.

"Good one," he said in English about one of the picks. Having heard them speaking English he decided to continue with it.

Finishing their little trip, they stood outside of the basement store with black bags holding their acquisitions. Duo Lon took one of the CDs out and checked it.

"Which one's that?" she asked, not recognizing one of the albums, which had a slightly sort of evil machine-look on the front.

"This is actually a side band from one of Delirium Void's guitarists. It's more industrial sounding, though still keeps the raw edge. I heard a bit of it and liked it. A little different than usual...but if he branched out, I can listen."

"Hmm, looks cool at least. Hope it's good."

"It is, from what I've heard so far, at least," he said.

Leona looked around, curious. "Anything else I should see while we're out?" She sort of wanted to stay out a little more.

"Depends what you're into. I know you liked the industrial area we went to yesterday. Want to go to a bar there I like? It's small, out of the way, and quiet. They have some good beer there that you can't get anywhere else in the city."

"I'd like that," she said, smiling softly.

"We can call the others later to see what they're up to," he added as he began to lead the soldier down some various side-streets.

"You okay?" she asked him after they walked for some time, feeling something a little strange.

"Hm? I'm fine. Just thinking over a few things."

She touched his arm lightly. "Let me know if you need something," she said quietly.

Turning toward her for a moment, he pushed a strand of her hair back; this wasn't usually something he did in public, but he seemed to do it without even thinking about it.

"I will."

-Day 3, Shanghai, Shen Woo's Apartment-

Having spent some nice time around the city-Adel had found an arcade that he and Whip enjoyed messing around in, not having seen one of those around Köln for a long time that hadn't turned into some weird mall attraction-the four all ended up meeting a few blocks from the hotel to figure out what to do next. They mostly just ended up wandering around the city, occasionally stopping by a shop or store.

At one point, they had uncovered an adult bookstore that had them snickering like they were twelve, proving that no matter what they went through or how much older than their ages they tended to act, some things never changed.

Dinner followed, the four ending up at a place where Duo Lon had assured them had excellent dumplings...and he was not wrong. They ended up staying there for about an hour, going through the menu and having a few drinks.

The assassin had told them he had business with Shen afterward, and bid goodbye to his friends, knowing they'd be fine around the city. The brawler had asked him to meet in private the day before, and Duo Lon could tell there was something bothering him, so he wasn't about to bail on this. Shen was a friend, and he would be there for him if necessary, vacation or no.

He had this on his mind the entire day, and Leona could tell. He seemed to hide it well from the other two-their instinct was incredibly sharp, but Duo Lon's ability to hide his true feelings was uncanny-but somehow, Leona could tell.

Being alone, he took the 'short way' to Shen's apartment complex; rather than just sticking to streets, he ran down alleys, kicking off the walls and running along the fire escapes to get there as the crow might fly, as one might say.

As usual, no one saw him.

Reaching the complex after about twenty minutes, he buzzed up to Shen on the old comm outside and waited patiently.

"Yeah?" a voice said.

"I'm here."

There was a buzz, and Duo Lon let himself into the hot hallway. He proceeded to take the steps in triples with his long legs, leaping up over the last railing as Shen opened the door, smirking.

"You just have to show off, don't you?" he said, a beer in his hand.

Duo Lon just shrugged, walking in and shutting the door behind him. He let the cooler air hit him for a few moments before sliding his boots off.

"Jumping a flight of stairs isn't what I'd call showing off," he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Nice to see you brought those guys last night, by the way. Even nicer to see you have some more friends."

He nodded. "I've been enjoying visiting them when I can."

"How often do you go to Europe these days, anyway?" He got a beer from the fridge and handed it to him.

"I try to go at least two weekends a month. It depends on my schedule, of course. I'm going to try to put aside a week next month."

"I won't ask how you got involved, but...I admit, I'm curious."

"Adel asked for my help with something in the spring. Some advice. I helped out. I ended up growing to like their company very much."

Shen eyed him for a moment, having a feeling there was more to it-but he said nothing here, as for one, he figured his friend's personal life wasn't his business, and for two, if the assassin wanted to hide it, he would, and there would be no getting it out of him. He had a feeling it had to do with Leona-Shen may not have been the most scholastically-inclined individual in the world, but he had loads of street smarts and a keen instinct.

"It's hot, but...wanna go on the balcony?" he asked.

Duo Lon nodded.

Following the blonde man outside, he lit his pipe and Shen lit a cigarette; the two had their cold beers in front of them. The sun had only recently set-it was around eight-but it was still very hot.

"Tell me straight," Duo Lon started, not the type to beat around the bush, especially when he saw the look on Shen's face when he pulled him aside the night before. "You always deal with problems on your own. I'm usually the one who leaves you to them since I get bored fighting rabble." Duo Lon did not enjoy easy, useless brawls, as most knew. If he fought for enjoyment, it was against a skilled friend. "Do you need money?"

The brawler sighed deeply, running a hand through his wild hair as he sat outside, overlooking the lit-up city. "Nah, it's not that. I got enough. My side gigs pay plenty these days. And I know I deal with shit on my own. But...this time, I can't. My fists are tied."

"Why?"

"Because they're gettin' the families involved now. I make a move, and they're in trouble."

Duo lon sipped his beer, sighing. "They'll know it was you."

"Exactly. And I don't know where they are," he said. "Some of them. Not the guys ordering them."

"How did this happen?"

"Well...as usual, I got tangled up in some triad bullshit. They edged into my neighborhood. Wasn't having it. Beat the shit out of a bunch of them."

"Did you…"

"No. That ain't me. You know that." He knew what he was implying. Shen Woo would beat someone within an inch of their life with little issue if they were dirty, nasty types, but he disliked taking lives. He had to, one time, and he felt filthy afterward-this was someone whom the streets would have been much safer not existing, but he still felt dirty to the point where he drank himself out pretty heavily spilling to his assassin friend, wondering how he did it. Shen, in his experience, found mostly just beating them to the point of fear was enough, anyway.

"I know," the assassin said calmly.

Shen sighed, taking a deep swig of his beer. "So it turns out they were trying to extort the neighborhood. Protection racket type of thing, you know how they love that. Kicked them out and made sure the place stayed good on my own. Wouldn't let them bring their petty gang bullshit in." He spoke about them as if they weren't members of an entire criminal underworld.

"What next?"

"They started losing more money. They don't like that. So they started sending other assholes to go after the neighbourhood. A couple of kids got beat up. 're alright, but it pissed me off. Feels like they're threatening them to get to me."

Duo Lon stayed silent a moment, taking a draw on his pipe, looking knowingly at him. He finally spoke.

"You wouldn't be telling me this unless things have gotten to the point of no return."

Shen sighed deeply. "They almost killed someone. Guy has kids. He's still in the hospital. I kinda drop by to make sure they're alright. I'm afraid though. And you know I don't say that easy. Not for me, I can handle them, but for the rest of them. It's gettin' bad and I dunno where to find the head of the snake. Or at least the crew heading this racket. The real leader we ain't finding for months."

"Do you have anything you can give me?" the assassin asked. "Any sort of hints on where the ones in charge of the... protections are running from?"

"Yeah, I got stuff. I definitely got stuff, since I managed to beat some bits out of a couple of them, and I know where some of the dumbass lower rungs hang out. I...look, can you use some of your...whatever the hell it is to find the rotten core to that bunch? At least to get 'em out of this neighborhood so they don't kill someone? I know how the thugs run. If their superiors go down, they'll take off."

"Yes." Duo Lon looked pointedly at him, waiting for the second part.

Shen sighed, looking out over the city. "Do I have to say the second part? You...know I wouldn't consider this unless it was the end. But after I saw the kids worried about their old man...and how badly they hurt him...I can't let 'em live in fear. And they're gonna end up killing someone. I know it. I've seen them go that far in the past. You know they've tried to kill me before. When I drop in on the kids to make sure they're okay-bring 'em some things, you know-they always look worried. He's doing better apparently-out of intensive care-but he ain't out yet. And he could be in danger there, too. I dunno. The kids are like fifteen and twelve. Too young to be without their old man, and he's their only parent." Shen himself was sometimes referred to as a 'stray dog', having no family that he remembered, and he didn't want to see some kids who didn't deserve any of that end up the same.

Duo Lon finished his pipe, setting it on the table. He then turned and looked calmly at him.

"I'll take care of it," he said.

"Thank you," he said, sighing in relief. "I'd take care of it myself if I had the balls to. I am...so sorry that I had to drag you off your goddamn vacation for this since I know you don't go on vacation, but...I didn't know where else to go."

The assassin shook his head. "You and I both know they would know it's you, and they would strike back. And trust me when I say you do not lack in any sort of bravery department. For once you're actually showing temperance. And I don't...really go on vacation. I suppose I just...rest sometimes."

"And trust me, this ain't for me. Not at all. It's for the rest of 'em. That's why I'm askin' you to help. I can't find the others as fast as you can. You...seem to be able to sniff those sons of bitches out in seconds. And I don't have the balls to...bury them. Bah, fuck it. I'll scrub the slime off myself later tonight for hiring a hit on them." He shook his head again.

His assassin friend was his opposite in ways. While Shen loved a good brawl-anywhere, anytime-he didn't like ending lives at all. He would even easily let grudges go once he kicked someone's ass. Duo Lon, however, disliked what he called 'useless' fights-against unskilled thugs, or otherwise fights with no point...but had no problem snuffing someone out on a job; he always sought out deserving targets, and it simply did not bother him; he knew he was making the world a better place. He didn't relish it, but he was simply indifferent. He liked sparring with skilled friends, but otherwise would just plow through what thugs he had to and leave the rest to Shen, as they bored him.

"I don't think that will be necessary. It's not your hands getting dirty, friend."

"Yeah, just scrubbing off the fact I asked you to. I had to take one dude out that one time, and I hated how it felt. I'd do it if I have to but...I feel wrong, and more importantly, they'd know it's me."

"That's why I'm doing it."

"They just don't listen to threats sometimes. Some do. But I can tell these ones don't. I sent a bunch packing, and they came back and beat up a couple of the teens. I sent them packing even worse-one of 'em in the hospital with ruptures...and they almost killed those kids' old man. I…I'll keep fighting them, you know me, but..."

Duo Lon put his hand on his shoulder. Truth be told, he knew exactly the types he was talking about, and he knew organized crime. He knew that any further escalation, and bodies would start piling up. He'd seen it happen. It wasn't the first time he had been hired to take out members of organized crime-even before he helped Adelheid out, he had been hired to take out more than a few by others. And probably higher ranking than the ones Shen was asking him to go after.

That said, he also knew they wouldn't listen even if he sent one of their lackeys back in a body bag. They only listened when higher-ups were taken out...and right now, they were beyond Shen's reach. While it could take months to find the big bosses, he knew this direct group was probably working nearby-protection rackets almost always stuck close to the neighborhoods they were extorting-and he could have this wrapped up in hours.

No one could hide from one of his clan for long. And that was even if they knew someone was after them.

"Just tell me where I can start looking. They're close, I'm guessing?"

"Yes. I can give you a few ideas. I think I know where they run out of, in fact. I'm almost sure of it since I recognized a couple of things with the guys whose asses I kicked. I rifled through their stuff and found some little things-cards and the like-all having to do with some seedy clubs in the general area."

"The more you give me, the faster I can get this taken care of. Give me just one of the men and I'll have it done by the morning, unless they've left the city."

Shen sighed. "So soon? And here I thought I'd have a buffer to where I'd get to hear about the aftermath."

Finishing his pipe, he went inside, relaxing on the couch for a moment, before turning his head toward the blonde man coming inside.

"Just let me know everything."

Shen immediately went to his room to get a pile of odds and ends-cards from clubs and bars, numbers, and the like. He told him descriptions. Filling him in on the neighborhood's location and where he found several of them gambling one night, Duo Lon was already getting ideas.

If there was one thing the Hizoku were good at, it was finding targets quickly. Sometimes very quickly. There were times where they had to locate a high-profile target in the span of a few hours before they could skip the country; dirty politicians were notorious for this.

If there were other things they were good at, it was eliminating them.

-Day 3, Shanghai, Hotel-

Whip went to the hallway to restock some of the soft drinks; she decided to explore the floor a little bit, as she really liked the decor of the place.

Catching Leona as she walked out of her room, she waved.

"Hey!" she said. "Getting something?"

"Yeah. Was in the mood to try some of the flavored soda."

They walked together, poking down the luxurious hallways as they checked the place. "Duo Lon there?" Whip asked.

"I haven't seen him since dinner. Must still be with Shen."

She grinned. "Guess the two are wanting to catch up."

"Yeah," the blue-haired woman smiled. "Last night was fun."

"I was surprised we got to try any of the food the way Adel and Shen were eating."

"Luckily I ate a little before we left," Leona said, hitting her room.

"Want a drink?" Whip said.

"Sure. I wouldn't touch the absinthe, though, unless you're used to it," she chuckled.

Heading into Leona and Duo Lon's suite, they had set up fairly well for the day. His long coat was hanging on a hangar at the side; looking impressive as it always would. It was so hot he didn't wear it often here, though would if they went somewhere nicer, which they hadn't done yet. They wandered over to the bar to fix a couple of drinks. Leona opted for bourbon, while Whip made rum and coke for herself.

Whip glanced over at the bed; they clearly shared one, as the other king-sized bed in the room seemed to be used for a few clothing items, which made her smile slightly. Taking a sip of her drink, she pushed back her hair.

"How's the vacation been? We've only been here two nights so far, but I know it's been awhile for you."

"It's been great. It really has. I forgot how much I missed traveling. And this time it's not on business."

"Yeah. I...get away more, but it still feels weird not working. At the Sky Noah I'm mostly just working there. It's been nice to see you around there a little bit more, at least."

She nodded quietly, sipping her bourbon. "I liked that match."

"Still on for the two versus two?"

"When Duo Lon ties it up," she smirked.

"You seem quite confident."

"I am. I watched that last one."

Laughing softly, Whip sipped her drink again and sat there silently. "Can't believe it's been a year since I took the job with Heidern."

"It has been. Nice anniversary vacation for you two, it seems like."

"It is. Just turned out that way."

"Where is Adel?"

"Oh he's just in the shower. We're going to have a few drinks tonight there ourselves."

Leona smiled at that. She did like how those two were; she liked Adel after she had gotten to know him-despite his dark side he kept control over, he was a good person. She, out of anyone, knew what it was like to have to keep another side of yourself in check, and when she knew he had been struggling, she always silently hoped beyond anything that he would be okay. She knew how much he cared for Seirah, and how much he meant to her.

It was those two that caused her to suddenly want to experience physical contact.

"Enjoy those."

"What are you doing?"

"Probably just sleeping. I admit I'm still a little tired from last night," she chuckled. "I usually get over jet lag quickly, but it might just be because I haven't traveled in so long, I'm a little sleepier than normal."

"That can happen, I think." She drank off most of the rest of her rum and coke. "How have you been, anyway? Besides the vacation."

She smiled at that. "Doing decently. Feeling better these days. The work isn't as bad, I don't think." She at least now had a friend to send emails to. Leona always had her companions-they never left her, of course-but there was something different about having someone else whom she shared a bond with to contact. "Thanks," she added.

"Can always come to the Sky Noah to visit no matter what, of course."

"I know. I think I just like to bury myself in work."

"Do you talk to him at all?" Whip nodded toward the coat hanging up.

"Yeah. We email a lot." A slightly shy smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she said nothing more.

"I saw you bought another CD."

Leona chuckled at that. "Yeah. I don't know what it was. But I really liked what I heard. I wasn't really into...music at all before this. I would listen to whatever was on and liked some but I didn't care."

"We all need hobbies."

"Yeah...it's kept me busy looking around online if I get bored. Going to go see a few of the little side-stores he knows about here sometime soon. Would love to hear what some of the local extreme metal sounds like."

"It definitely sounded different, what I heard at the Sky Noah. And the party."

"Yeah, the vinyl somehow makes it sound better. More raw. It's a shame I don't have a record player yet...but I might actually get one."

Whip smiled at the idea of Leona getting into collecting black metal vinyl of all things, but was again glad she found a hobby to enjoy, and apparently someone to enjoy it with.

"By the way, do you guys have any plans tomorrow?"

"Don't think so."

"We could all check out that one hotel restaurant. I heard it's supposed to be pretty good? Maybe for dinner. Adel and I were going to go check out this one mall tomorrow."

"I'd be up for it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have to convince Duo Lon, either."

"And Adel is always up for eating, so there's that."

Leona chuckled at that, sipping her bourbon. "Feels like I should be training, or something."

"Yeah, I know it's hard to forget. I know Adel still does some stuff in the room."

"I mean we work out," she said, "But no real training or anything."

"It is vacation. Though...I know it's been awhile for you for the field training."

The other soldier actually smiled slightly at that, which surprised Whip. "Well...actually, I sort of made my own. Finally."

"Really?" she blinked.

"Duo Lon and I. We went around Köln one night. Ended up on the roof of a place near the hotel."

"You...sparred in the city?"

"Only around alleys and stuff. It...felt so good." She had laughed more that night than she had in absolute ages. She didn't really 'win', but they weren't sparring for any sort of victories. It was mostly training...with a part of letting Leona do one of the things she sorely missed.

Whip smiled warmly at that, imagining the two of them dashing about in between derelict buildings. "I'm glad you found a way to do that," she said, finally finishing her drink. "Going to try again here?"

"Maybe," she said, giving her a sly smirk before polishing off her bourbon. "I noticed you're getting better with a few things, too. Better at getting inside."

"Well, Adel and I spar. I need to figure out ways to get in on him. It's...difficult."

"Trust me, I know. It took the lot of us to barely get the match on him as it was. And then he just stood up afterward like it was a fun time. Practice getting in on him and you'll feel a lot better if you're without your whip."

She nodded. "It's already helped a little." Whip disliked being without a weapon; while she was skilled in hand to hand, she was just so used to using them that being without one made her feel naked, but some of the things she had done with Adel had helped alleviate at least some of that. "I have to ask. What's it like sparring with Duo Lon?"

Leona grinned. "He can beat Adel one on one. We barely beat Adel three on one."

"So...difficult."

"Very. And I love it. It's just the practice I want. Talk about learning to get in on someone. It was hard enough getting in on Adel-I had to use every ounce of speed I had to land the hits I did. Now imagine trying to get in on someone with even longer limbs, a fifth one consisting of his hair, and about even striking power."

"...Yikes."

"He doesn't open himself up as much, either. But like I said that night, Adel can formulate on-the-fly tactics for a longer period of time in a head to head fight." Getting thirsty from chatting, she poured herself some bubbly water from behind the bar, and offered her some.

"Thanks, but I think I need to head back."

"Yeah, time did pass by," she said. "What time tomorrow did you want to meet?"

"That, I'm not sure about yet. We'll figure that out. I'm going to get back there now since I think we're going to probably eat soon. Or something. Again," she laughed.

"Room service must be having a field day with him."

"Oh, I'm sure they are." She stood. "Thanks for the drink. And the chat."

"Hey, it's on Adel's dime," the other woman laughed. "He's the one paying for all the booze."

"True."

"The chat was nice, though. Tell Adel I said hi. I'm going to lay here with some music and look at some maps around on the laptop."

"See ya tomorrow," Whip replied, waving as she walked out.

Getting back to their suite, she saw Adel with a towel around his waist and his hair combed back; she could smell the aftershave on him. Adel didn't get much in the way of hair on his face, but his chin, she noticed, could get slightly fuzzy, but he usually would keep it smooth.

"Hi," he smiled, pouring a drink as he went to throw his trousers on, going commando as they would just be sitting around the hotel tonight.

"Got the mixers. Swung by Leona's room for a drink."

"Oh! Are they coming?" he asked.

"Duo Lon isn't around tonight. He's seeing Shen. She said she just wanted to lounge around."

"That's fine," he said, pouring her another drink. "Well then, shall we?"

"Yes," she grinned, already figuring they'd be getting a little buzz going tonight.

A/N: In the KOF XIII team stories(that came later), Shen had trouble with the triads. So I figured this was something that probably came into play long before that(and there wasn't a lot of time between XI and XIII anyway.) So, yeah, this was probably some of those problems. (He dealt with them in a rather over the top way in XIII's stories, heh, as they tried to kill him and he drove a truck through a restaurant wall and beat them up.)

But in this case, I set it up where I wanted to expand his character some more. I like the idea of him being Duo Lon's opposite in ways-he not only doesn't mind, but loves getting into fights-but doesn't necessarily like ending people(he threatens Mature/Vice with death, but who doesn't.) Meanwhile, Duo Lon doesn't like useless fights-an occasional spar with a skilled friend, otherwise fighting thugs for him is boring and unnecessary-but he has little issue with taking lives-on a job-due to his profession.

Shen has some background, but he doesn't have a lot more except for 'loves to fight, loves food, in trouble with the underworld', so I decided to spin it. He is a decent guy as the game shows in the end; loyal and protective.