The Tournament Begins!

Morning came and Logan was on the balcony at his suite looking over the city. Like at the interrogation room, he was still depressed. Even still, he had to admit that St. Louis looked good enough to participate in the Tournament that his new partner suggested that they enter in. However, it seemed to him that fate would play a series of cruel pranks with him through her as she still reminded him of Soifon. In turn, he also knew that there was something special about Chun-Li that made her completely different from the Squad 2 Captain. 'St. Louis always looked great in the rising sun,' he thought as he looked up to the sky. 'Soifon, I'm sure Yoruichi already told you, but I'm teaming up with a new partner on an investigation as well as in a tournament. It doesn't mean I don't miss you, though.'

Speaking of Chun-Li, she woke up wearing a dark blue nightgown she wore to bed. Naturally, she had her hair in the Ox-Horn style. The Interpol Officer stretched and got out of bed, happy that she got to sleep in the bed as opposed to the couch that Logan took. Still, she wished that he took the bed while she got the couch. This was one argument that, for once, the guy won. Chun-Li giggled at the thought, knowing that never happens. She was going to make sure to win the arguments in the future.

She went to the bathroom and got ready for the day. Once she came out in the qipao that she was wearing when she met Logan, she noticed an envelope with a paw print and a kanji on it that she had never seen before. She went to the balcony and saw Logan overlooking the city with the same depressed look on his face. Chun-Li decided to bring him out of his funk. "Whatever you're kicking yourself in the butt for, you might as well stop before you bruise your heel," she jokingly said, surprising him.

"Oh you're up," Logan said as casually as he could. He noticed the envelope in Chun-Li's hand. "When did that come in?"

"I don't know. It might've come last night while we were asleep. Do you care to read it?" He answered by taking the envelope from her when she handed it to him.

"Thanks. It's from an old friend that I haven't seen in a month. And don't worry, Officer, it's in English, so I can read it naturally." He then decided to read the letter.

"'Dear Logan,

I hate to add fuel to the fires of your depression, but I have to inform you that the Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki and Squad 13 Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki have gone missing. We have so far found no trace of them. Head Captain Kyoraku and I figured you'd probably have better luck finding them due to the accuracy of your Spirit Sense. The 13 Court Guard Squads—with the exception of Marechiyo Omaeda—also extend our deepest apologies for not contacting you in two months. The bastards at Central 46 are just being jackasses who want to cut off contact between you and us. Luckily, they have just as much control over me as they do you.

Again with my deepest apologies,

Lady Yoruichi Shihoin.'"

Logan smirked at the letter, knowing how typical it was for Yoruichi to live outside of Central's laws like he does. There was more to the letter, but it was depressing to read. He also didn't want to reveal the rest to Chun-Li, who knew he was the way he was for a reason. She figured it was personal, so she didn't press him for it; it was something that she'd ask him in the future when he felt like opening up. "Ichigo is the Soul Reaper that helped you stop the giant cyborg, isn't he?" Chun-Li asked.

"That's right. There was another hero, though. He's not from this world, but he's traveling it. His name's Cloak and he warned us about the cyborgs in the first place. Ichigo and I had our bouts with him due to his initial mistrust about us. I managed to get the information out of him through a promise I made. It's a good thing he knew I was serious, otherwise, we'd be having problems."

"Well I guess we have a new mission from the Soul Society." Logan quirked his eyebrow at the statement. "We're partners. When Yoruichi wrote that letter to you, she probably didn't know about our partnership yet. If you received it, then on a technical note, so did I, right?" she asked.

Logan thought about it before giving an answer. "I guess you have a point there. You win this argument. If Shadaloo has Ichigo and Rukia as well as the Sash of Eden, then that gives us another reason to destroy their organization," he said. They heard a screaming noise from the street level, so they looked down and saw a man wearing blue shorts with yellow lines on them, bandages on his wrists and ankles, and blue and yellow bands on his arms. He had a flattop haircut that was peaked like Logan's hood and also wore a yellow headband. "What's going on?"

"It looks like the tournament started already. That's Adon, the former apprentice to the Muay Thai King Sagat. After Sagat lost to Ryu in the first tournament the latter participated in, Adon kept his distance, ashamed of his former master. He's been trying to get out of his shadow." They saw that Adon was beating up a random fighter, even kicking her while she was on the ground. "It looks like we're postponing breakfast 'till later. We have to get down there."

"Right, but I'll fight Adon. You do the manual sign-in. I'll let you have the next one."

"I'm way ahead of you," Chun-Li said as they went out the door.

They got to Adon and noticed that the person he was beating up was a girl with a shortcut hairstyle. She wore a scarf around her neck and a karate gi. "And now, bow to the Muay Thai King, kid! I am far superior! You are out or your league!" Adon shouted, cackling like a madman until he got kicked to the side. "Alright, who dares assault the King of Muay Thai!?"

He looked and saw what he thought was a teenager wearing a black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers, along with an angry look on his face. "That would be me, Adon!" Logan exclaimed. "By the way, last time I checked, Sagat was the Muay Thai King." This served to anger Adon more than he already was. He ran towards the Assassin with reckless abandon, something Logan learned to take advantage of over the years.

He moved to the side and stuck his arm out, clotheslining the Muay Thai fighter and making him fall to the ground. Adon tried to trip him up, but Logan jumped out of the way. "Rising Jaguar!" he shouted, going for a jumping knee attack on his opponent. Logan saw this as an opportunity to pick on Adon's flattop. He jumped on top of him and caused Adon to fall back on the ground face first.

All the while, Chun-Li was helping the girl Adon assaulted and admiring Logan's skill. She was also shooting a few glances at his physique, which is the same as any teenager or young adult who's in good shape. She figured that, being an Assassin, he was more or less the acrobatic type to help with his speed. She turned her attention back to Adon's victim who was starting to stir. "Did somebody get the license number on that bus?" she asked. She saw the fight and was still scared of Adon's presence.

Logan assaulted Adon with strike after strike, not allowing the Muay Thai fighter any room to counter. He figured that he got him down enough that he could use a new Chidori technique that he came up with. "You're not even worth using this attack on, Adon, but I have to show my partner what I can do." He charged up the Chidori on his right arm and formed a blue electrical current around it. "Shinku…Chidori!" he exclaimed. He dashed towards Adon and struck him with the attack from one side, then the other, and finally firing it from his hand like he would a Chidori Blast.

The blast sent Adon flying backwards towards a wall and knocked him out. "So much for boasting all that power," Logan said. He rejoined Chun-Li and the girl afterwards. "Hey, how's our patient doing?"

"I'm fine," the girl said. "That fighting style you used didn't look that familiar to me, but I picked up hints of Ninjutsu in there. Are you a Mixed Martial Artist?" Logan was taken aback by the question. He was unaware that this girl could pick up a fighting style simply by observation. That was something he expected from Ryu or his buddy Ken Masters.

"I guess so. I use Shorin-Ryu Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do, and self-taught Boxing as well. I'm Logan Washburn. What's your name?" he asked, extending his hand out.

"My name's Makoto and I use Rindo-Kan style Karate. I actually entered this tournament to earn money for fixing up the dojo we use."

"Can we see what it looks like, Makoto?" Chun-Li asked. Makoto grunted and nodded while getting some pictures out. "Oh my, that's horrible. It needs to be fixed up alright." The dojo had some rotted boards and broken windows among other problems.

"I can appreciate the reason you're doing this, Makoto, but I think it was a bad idea for you to challenge Adon. You might want to try some friendlier competition," Logan said.

"Yeah, I figured that out. I'm also promoting the Rindo-Kan style, Logan. If you want, since you're a Shorin-Ryu user, we can check on each other's progress. It'll be like I have a big brother in martial arts," she said excitedly. Chun-Li giggled at her antics while Logan just looked at her before smirking.

"I guess you're right," he said. The two shook hands and Makoto left to find another challenge. "Now how about we have some breakfast? My treat." Chun-Li nodded her head in excitement.

The two of them went to a 50s diner that Logan loved to eat at. However, with the last month that he spent with Soifon and Yoruichi, they kept winning the discussion over where they were eating at. Logan missed this place a lot, but he still missed Soifon now. Unfortunately, since this 50s diner didn't start serving fish until after Soifon left him, he couldn't have both, so he had to sacrifice his favorite diner for her.

It was a good thing Chun-Li liked waffles and bacon anyways, something else that Logan picked up that was different than Soifon. The Squad 2 Captain hated meat, but loved fish. Chun-Li, on the other hand, wasn't very picky; she'd eat the same things Logan did, but to a certain degree. He knew that there was no way he could convince her to try a peanut butter and cheese sandwich, much less the recipes of Ichigo's friend Orihime Inoue. They got finished and sighed. "That was the best meal I've had in a long time," Logan said.

"You got that right. By the way, I didn't say it because I was worried about Makoto and her injuries, but that was some pretty good fighting you did back there. I'm impressed," she commented.

"Thanks. Like I said, you can have the next one."

"You know we're going to have to travel the world during this tournament, right? Not every fight can occur in St. Louis or the U.S. in general."

"I know that. That's why we're going to have to go back to the hotel so we can pack a few things. Bill did say that I'll still have the suite until my den gets repaired. This could be fun." As he was saying that, Chun-Li knew that he was still trying to get over his emotional time. She was determined to help him in one way or another.

"Well, let's get out of here and get our stuff."

"Good idea."

(Meanwhile…)

Soifon woke up after crying herself to sleep. She still remembered the details of what happened, including Logan losing to Vega and meeting Chun-Li on the same night. She got out of her bed and noticed that she was still wearing her Stealth Force uniform, but thought nothing of it. She exited her room and entered her office where Yoruichi was sitting cross-legged looking through what looked like a Kido circle. "Good Morning, Sunshine," the Flash Goddess said, trying to lighten Soifon's mood.

"Lady Yoruichi, what type of Kido is that? It looks like you're trying to use Ichigo's laptop," Soifon pointed out.

"I wish. Ichigo wouldn't let me anywhere near his laptop. This is actually a special Kido spell that I can use to track Logan's progress in the tournament. It turns out that he's the first of his and Chun-Li's duo to fight. His opponent was a Muay Thai fighter that he disposed of quickly with his Shinku Chidori. The fighter's name is Adon and he got to be pretty arrogant."

"Of course, that was probably his downfall, right?"

"Yes it was, Soifon," Yoruichi said, noticing that Soifon was genuinely smiling for the first time in a month. "You seem to still love Logan, don't you?"

"Yeah, but he's still trying to figure out where he went wrong so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. I can definitely feel it now. It wasn't him that made any mistakes. I was the idiot who made the biggest one," Soifon said with tears streaming down her face. "I broke off our relationship."

Yoruichi smiled at her former apprentice, happy that she finally figured it out. She took another look at the Kido as Logan and Chun-Li exited the hotel. "Logan promised that Chun-Li would get the next fight. It looks like we get to see how good she really is."

"Yes, but he's got front row seats."

(Back to the World of the Living…)

"Let's see here…Hidden Blades, check; sword, check; revolvers, check; laptop, check. I think we're good to go," he said as he went through his duffel bag.

"You did pack your jacket in there, right?" Chun-Li asked. Logan confirmed with a nod. Even with the return to his 50s diner, Logan still had what he called the 'Ichigo scowl' on his face. "Try smiling a little more. If you keep that scowl up, you'll ruin your looks." She then thought about what she said with an embarrassed face as he looked at her funny. "W-What I meant was that normal people would be scared of you if you kept that up, which in turn means that it'll be tough for you to get a girlfriend in one night."

Once his eyes closed and he walked off, she immediately figured out that she worded that wrong. "Note to self: choose your words carefully with him. Chances are you could hurt his feelings," she said to herself. She thought about his reaction and discovered that he used to have a girlfriend. "Logan!" she called out after she caught up. "Look, I'm sorry I insulted you. You're a good-looking guy who can get any girl he wants. All you have to do is smile more. I've caught a glimpse of it and I think it looks great."

This managed to get him to smile a little bit. "Thanks, Officer. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm," he said. "Come to think of it, you've got a beautiful smile yourself." This made Chun-Li blush for the umpteenth time.

"Uh, thank you. By the way, just call me Chun-Li, alright?" They heard some coughing going on, so they ran towards the source and saw a red guy with blue hair on the ground coughing up on what looks like something he ate. They saw a guy in Lucha Libre pants and a mask.

"Hey, I recognize both of those two. The red guy is Hakan, the Turkish King of the Oil Industry as well as the champion of Turkish Oil Wrestling. The Lucha Libre fighter is El Fuerte. He runs a restaurant that serves food at 5-star prices. Unfortunately, the food is 1-star quality," Logan explained. El Fuerte heard his voice and approached them.

"Come, amigo. Try my new Salsa Piscado. It'll send you straight to Heaven!" he exclaimed while Hakan was crossing his arms in an 'X' pattern. Chun-Li looked like she was about to throw up just by looking at it while Logan grimaced.

"Or Hell, depending on what you've done," the Assassin commented while rubbing her back.

Chun-Li regained her composure and pointed a finger at the Lucha Libre chef. "El Fuerte, I challenge you to a tournament battle!" she exclaimed.

After a moment, El Fuerte let out a grin. "Ah, but of course you'd be here to challenge me to a tournament fight. I did sign up after all," he said. "I have given a demonstration of my top-notch cooking. Now it is time for me to show the wonder that is Lucha Libre!" They got into their respective fighting stances with Logan noting that El Fuerte looked like he was dancing around like an idiot.

Chun-Li made the first attack with a projectile similar to Logan's own Chidori Blast. "Kikoken!" she exclaimed. The projectile was powerful, as he sensed, but it was also slower than the Chidori Blast. El Fuerte dodged it and performed his Habanero Dash complete with an attempt at a body slam. Chun-Li countered with a series of rapid-fired kicks, knocking the Lucha Libre Wrestler out of the air. Trying for another Habanero Dash/Body Slam combination, El Fuerte hurled himself at her again.

Chun-Li dodged it and fired another Kikoken at him, this time hitting him. She flipped upside-down and spun like a top and kicking El Fuerte in the face multiple times. Each time El Fuerte tried to hit her, Chun-Li would always counter. She would give him a chance unlike Logan during his fight against Adon. The Interpol Officer got tired of playing around and decided to finally end it. She attacked the lousy chef until he was dazed and gathered chi to the palms of her hands. "Kikosho!" she exclaimed as she fired the attack.

It hit El Fuerte and knocked him out, relieving Hakan of trying his foods. "Thank you, pretty lady. I don't think I could've lived anymore if I had to try any more of his food," Hakan said in relief.

"You're welcome, Mr. Hakan, but I actually did it to show my partner what I can do," Chun-Li said.

"Your partner? You don't mean this kid, do you?" he asked while pointing towards Logan.

"Don't forget who kicked the hides off those punks who tried to steal the secrets to your oil, Mr. Hakan," Logan said, reminding Hakan of who he was.

"Wait a minute, I recognize you now. You came to Istanbul to help the Assassin's Guild retrieve stolen goods there, didn't you?" asked the Oil King. "Come to think of it, were you not awarded with Altair's sword? Where is it? I want to see how good a shape you have it in." Logan smirked as he dug into his duffel bag and got out his scabbard. Hakan recognized the hilt on the sword before the Assassin unsheathed it. He revealed the blade and impressed the Turkish Wrestler with the condition that it was in. "That's incredible. Even after 4 years, you have managed to maintain the blade's condition. I'm surprised that a young man like you knows value when you see it," he said while looking at the sword.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Logan asked, offended that Hakan thought the same as an elderly person.

"It's just a surprise to me, that's all." Hakan handed the sword back to Logan, who re-sheathed it and put it back into the duffel bag. "Why don't you have your gear showing?"

"I'm actually participating in this as a martial artist. I don't need to advertise who I'm working for. If I did, I'd be putting Chun-Li in danger by having a giant bulls-eye on my back."

"Hmm. I never thought of that. Well, enjoy each other's company, you two. I'm off to find someone to challenge," he said, embarrassing Logan and Chun-Li.

Once he was out of sight and hearing range, and while El Fuerte was still knocked out, they decided to talk. "Your fighting style has hints of Tai Chi, doesn't it?" Logan asked. Chun-Li nodded in confirmation. "I'll have to admit, it was funny to see you toying with El Fuerte."

Chun-Li giggled at the statement. "It was actually fun doing it. I'm glad that you got to see what I can do. Also, while I was signing us up, I discovered that up to five people could be on a team, so I added my friends Abel, Cammy, and Guile to the team as well, though you and Guile won't get along at first," she explained.

"Why's that?"

"Because…he…kind of…has this philosophy where he hates all kinds of killers, no matter whom they're aligned with. Of course, he is with the Air Force and they taught him quite a bit." This came as a shock to Logan initially, but when he thought about it, it wasn't much of a surprise anymore.

"Well I've got news for him: I'm not that crazy about the U.S. Military or the Police Departments. My two favorite cops are you and the Chief."

"Why don't you like the Military?"

"My mother's in the Navy. Like with Interpol and the St. Louis PD, there are corrupt higher-ups, most likely thanks to Bison and his goons at Shadaloo. My mom's not one of the corrupt sailors, though. Really, my biggest beef before becoming an Assassin was that it kept me away from home and didn't give me enough time to dig some roots. Now as an Assassin, I keep getting chased by the Army. Hell, there's a guy in New York City that hates me not because I am what I am, but because I happen to be from Missouri."

"I guess he thinks very little of you guys?" Chun-Li asked.

"He called me a 'dumb hillbilly'," Logan responded.

"Well enough of this. Let's go meet up with them at the Air Force Base."

"Good idea. By the way, what about the other two?"

"Cammy is a member of Britain's Military organization Delta Red while Abel has no organization he works for. Instead, he's an MMA fighter like you."

"I've had some pleasant meetings with Delta Red before. I should get along well with Cammy. I don't know about Abel, though."

Soul Society…

Yoruichi was smiling down at the two teammates as they each demonstrated their skill. While she already knew what Logan was capable of, she was particularly impressed with Chun-Li. Soifon, on the other hand, saw the Chun-Li who could be the new girl in her ex's life. Since she felt that she didn't deserve him, she hoped that the Interpol Officer could pick up the pieces of the heart that she left broken and put it back together. "Well, Soifon, what do you think?" Yoruichi asked.

Soifon took another look at them before giving her mentor an answer. "As a fighter, she's pretty skilled, even if she was facing an imbecile in a mask." She took a closer look at Chun-Li. "As a girl, though, she's perfect for Logan. She's sweet, caring, likes what he likes. Hell, she even makes him smile now. I don't think I could ever do that again," she finished with tears.

Yoruichi was a bit peeved to see Soifon like this. "Well he won't smile for you if you keep up the water works." Soifon looked up at her. "Sure he loved both sides of you, but it was Soifon that made him smile more, not Shaolin Feng. Drop the insecure little girl look the next time you see him in person and speak to him as Soifon. If you two can manage to restore your bond to at least a friendship—and I know you can—you can go back to being Shaolin again."

"Thank you, Lady Yoruichi," Soifon said humbly. Yoruichi smiled down at her.

CHAPTER 2 END

Okay, the first two fights of Logan and Chun-Li's team have ended in a victory for each of them. Logan also discovered that Chun-Li also included her friends U.S.A.F. Major William F. Guile, Delta Red's Cammy White, and an MMA fighter named Abel. I wonder what their reactions are going to be once they discover that Logan is their new teammate. Stay tuned.