Byakuya Appears! Logan's Departure!

Standing in the streets of Venice face-to-face with his old mentor, Logan stood astonished. He was afraid that if Byakuya knew about his losses against Vega and Ken, then he would turn his back on him. Luckily, the old Byakuya vanished and was replace with the new one by the time the Assassin's Hollow control mission in Karakura Town came about. Even still, he had a feeling that the Squad Six Captain already knew. "Why do you just stand there?" Byakuya asked, getting Logan's attention. "Why won't you say something? Is it because you're afraid that I know of your losses?"

After a while, Logan still wouldn't speak. The Captain merely shook his head. "It would seem that what Captain Soifon has done to you has affected you worse than I originally thought. While I am appalled at the losses you've suffered the night before and during this tournament, they were only two. I know that thanks to the efforts that you and your team have put in, you have more victories than defeats. So what if you lost against Vega, or even Ken Masters? The former is an agent of Shadaloo after all, and Masters was trained in the Ansatsuken Karate style by a master by the name of Gouken. I wouldn't expect any victories."

This astonished Logan even more and it seems as though Yoruichi, Chun-Li and the others were just as surprised. "Captain, Ken never told me his master's name. Then again, I never asked. But he never brought it up while I was training with him in Chicago. I'm guessing it's a personal issue for him, though," he said. "And as for Vega, yes, Soifon did affect me on that one. That narcissistic bastard threw me from the top of a building and down into the asphalt of the parking lot of the St. Louis PD."

"And what do you expect me to do about that? Unless I'm participating in this tournament like Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto, or Lady Shihoin, I can't fight against Shadaloo."

"I know that. The reason I brought it up was because Vega owes me a rematch."

"Don't tell me you've forgotten that your top priority in this world right now is looking for my sister and Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I haven't forgotten about Ichigo and Rukia. On our way here, though, Guile did let us in on a little information that could help us. I won't reveal it until we get the situation with the Patrol Corp. settled and rescue Soifon," Logan stated firmly.

After taking in the resolve his apprentice had in his voice, Byakuya closed his eyes and flung of his Captain's haori. "I can hear the resolve in your words. Let's see if you can back them up," he said, getting ready to fight. He even had his Zanpakuto in his hand. "Remember, I won't go easy on you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Captain." As per habit, Logan took the first attack, which was a sliding kick. Byakuya jumped out of the way, surprised that his apprentice would start with a move like that. Normally, Logan would throw a punch first, or if he had his sword in his hand, a slash from that.

"It would seem that you modified your fighting style a bit. That's good. Unpredictability is a key weapon in victory."

"That's enough talk! Chidori Blast!" Logan shouted, gathering his energy and firing it from his hand. Once again, Byakuya moved out of the way. 'Captain Kuchiki's no coward. He's got something planned for this fight. And it obviously involves Senbonzakura,' he thought.

"Hado no. 4: Byakurai," the Captain chanted, sending a blast towards Logan at breakneck speeds. Logan didn't have enough time to dodge, so he braced for the impact. When the dust cleared, they saw that the Assassin was already bruised up. They also saw sparks of electricity emitting from his body. 'So he took what little time he had before the impact to put up a Chidori Shield. I commend Rukia for helping him find that power in the first place.'

'Damn. Even with the Chidori Shield up, I still took a lot of damage. If he had said the incantation, I'd be dead.' Byakuya got his Zanpakuto in position. "Chun-Li, you're about to see a Soul Reaper activate a Shikai!" Logan exclaimed to the Interpol Officer, who was surprised. She had never thought (or hoped) that her fellow Co-Captain and good friend would be at the receiving end of one, much less a Bankai.

"Good eyes. Scatter, Senbonzakura," said the Squad Six Captain. The familiar Sakura blades detached from Senbonzakura's hilt and floated all around Byakuya. "I remember in the past that you were able to outrun my Shikai. Let's see if you're still capable of doing that." The blades went towards Logan at high speeds, causing him to use his Flash Step in quicker succession than he usually does. Byakuya tried to blindside him by sending a barrage towards his right.

Logan thought of a trick that he never thought he would have to use in the tournament: he threw a smoke bomb on the ground and disappeared, hiding his Spiritual Pressure so that neither of the Soul Reapers could find him. While Byakuya was looking around trying to anticipate his next attack, Logan tripped him up and pinned him to the ground. "Well, Captain, how'd I do?" he asked the elder fighter.

"Your unpredictability knows no bounds, apprentice. You forgot one small thing however," said Byakuya, prompting the Assassin to look at his mentor's right hand to find it empty. "Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

"Dammit!" Logan jumped off of the Captain and got his distance. Giant blades came in rows out of the ground standing at about 15'-20' tall. The blades scattered into the Sakura 'petals' again and spun around Byakuya, who just got up. He sent another barrage towards him while making sure to not hit Yoruichi or any of the others. Logan tried Flash Stepping towards Byakuya, but the Bankai was making that feat a little difficult to achieve.

Logan continued to Flash Step out of the way of the 'petals' until Byakuya formed a cluster into a giant hand and grabbed Logan, preventing him from using a Chidori Shockwave as well. "Shoryuken!" the martial artist exclaimed, busting out of the giant 'hand' with his newest technique. Everyone saw that he was cut up, shirt ripped to shreds and chest and arms in a bloody mess. Byakuya and Yoruichi were both surprised that he managed to escape the cluster, as were the others.

Logan fell on one knee and was panting heavily, blood and sweat falling on the ground as he knew he was beaten. Byakuya recalled the blades and reformed them into Senbonzakura's sealed state, signaling the end of the fight. "You fought well. I could definitely see that you have the ability to back up your resolve," he stated. "I never expected you to learn the Shoryuken though. Did you learn that from Ken Masters?" Logan nodded. "Then it's a good thing you have that in your arsenal. Use it wisely, and especially during this rescue mission. I suggest you get a good night's sleep. Captain Soifon's dilemma will be worse at 1500 hours tomorrow."

"Got it, Captain," said Logan, acknowledging the order.

Later that night, much to Logan's chagrin, he was convinced of taking in a roommate. That roommate turned out to be Cammy again. Since Byakuya was practically an insomniac, he went Hollow hunting, Guile got stuck with Abel again as a roommate, and Chun-Li was with Yoruichi. Logan and Cammy discovered that they couldn't sleep. "Logan, are you awake?" Cammy asked.

"Yeah, I can't sleep. What about you?" he answered.

"No, I can't either. I'm too sad to go to sleep," she said, surprising her roommate.

"What are you sad about?" He saw the tears in Cammy's eyes as she began her explanation.

"Well I'm sad that you'll have to leave us, even if it's for a little bit…I'm sad that I didn't get to know you very well…I-I may know enough about you to know you care for your comrades…a-and that you love cats…I-I didn't know you'd risk your life to save even your ex-girlfriend from something that she didn't want to be a part of…Now that I know you'd risk your own life to achieve a mission and rescue your friends, i-it makes me love you even more," she explained while crying.

The revelation surprised Logan quite a bit. He had no idea that the Brit fell for him during this tournament. "Cammy…" he began, wiping Cammy's tears away.

"Yes…that's right. I said it. I love you. And I'd love you 'til I died." Before she could continue, her instinct kicked in, making her kiss him. Lucky for her, he responded back in kind. Her fiery passion for him seemed unrivaled except for his and Soifon's passion. They had to breathe, though, so they broke the kiss and panted. "I'm sorry…I didn't tell you…sooner. I-I just didn't know how to say it."

"I understand. But I can't leave Soifon to suffer and you know it. I hate to break the moment, but I told Chun-Li that I'd take things slow with her. I mean, I love you too, Cammy, but I also love her. It's a little hard for me to pick," he said. Cammy was surprised by the confession. She thought of an idea, however, that won't leave either girl in the dust.

"I'll talk with Chun-Li after you leave for the Soul Society. I also have an idea to help us both sleep." The idea caught Logan's attention. "Why don't we cuddle up to each other? That always helps even the biggest insomniac, or at least that's what I heard." The Assassin noticed Cammy's blush as she was saying that.

"Okay, Cammy, we'll cuddle." They snuggled up to one another and drifted off to sleep.

Morning came and Logan was up bright and early. He even buckled his sheath over his shoulder. Cammy also got ready for the tournament and also to see him and Yoruichi off. She and Chun-Li were both sad to see him go, but they knew that he needed to do this. They met at the plaza where the battle took place and saw Yoruichi standing there waiting for them. "So, did you two get a good night's sleep?" she asked suggestively, teasing both Cammy and Logan.

"Quit teasing them, Lady Shihoin," Byakuya said, Flash Stepping within the group. "Are you ready to go?" Logan nodded in serious determination. "That's good. I hope you haven't had breakfast yet. I can tell that you're still not used to the Senkaimon, so it could upset your stomach."

"Nah, just a few glasses of water," Logan answered.

"Good. Then we leave now." As Byakuya opened up the Senkaimon, Logan turned around and looked at his team.

"Chun-Li, I'm putting you in charge. You're the only one who can keep them out of trouble, got it?" he asked his Co-Captain.

"You don't have to worry about me, Logan. I won't let you down." They hugged each other as she whispered in his ear. "And I don't have to worry about you either. I don't have to hope or wish you will come back. I know you will." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him blush and smile. He looked at Abel, who smiled back and nodded his head. Guile gave him a military salute. And Cammy hugged him as well as kissed him on the other cheek.

"Well, I'll see you guys when I get back."

"Where would the return trip take you?" Guile asked.

"Most likely Japan. Your best bet would be either Tokyo or Karakura Town. I'll see you all later." The Assassin went with the Soul Reapers through the Senkaimon. Cammy dropped to her knees after it disappeared.

"Well…he's gone," she said after a moment.

"Yeah…" said Chun-Li. "But hey, we can still win this. And we'll win it for him!" she exclaimed, trying to cheer her friend up. It worked as Cammy dried her tears and smiled.

"You're right, Chun-Li. Until he gets back, our wins are for him."

"Your wins are for who, the guy who just pulled off the ultimate disappearing act?" said a voice. Guile and Chun-Li knew that sound since it was in a New York accent.

"Cody Travers? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be behind bars?" Guile asked.

"Meh, I got bored. I heard of the S.I.N. Tournament, so I thought I'd participate." Cody wore a blue-and-white prison jumpsuit with Adidas sneakers and pair of cuffs with a long chain, which Guile and Chun-Li knew he could take off at any moment. He also had a mop of blonde hair and some fuzz growing on his face.

"It's funny. We ran into your friends Poison and Hugo back in Paris."

"And we met Rolento F. Schugerg in Florence," Abel added as Chun-Li checked the roster.

"Is that so? I had no idea they were in the tournament."

"Guys, Cody's not just in the tournament. He's also on a team with Guy and a ninja girl named Ibuki," stated the Interpol Officer, surprising Guile and Cammy.

"Well, well, I had no idea. So Guy's the one responsible for signing me up in the first place, huh? Guess I better not disappoint him," Cody said. He looked at the group of now-4 and saw Abel. "Alright, big fella, how about we rumble?"

"No!" Cammy exclaimed, surprising the others. "I'll take you on, Cody! This one's for our other Co-Captain!" After hearing that, Cody started to chuckle, which turned into a full-blown laugh. Cammy and Chun-Li got angry with this. "Do you mind telling me what's so funny about that?"

"Oh nothing, just that I might need my hearing checked!" the escaped convict said. "Did you…Did you say you want to fight me for HIM!? That's got to be one of the dumbest things I've heard you say, toots!" The girls were red in the face with Cammy having tears in her eyes. Abel kept a stoic look on his face while Guile was really starting to lose it. "Alright, I'll humor you. I won't go easy on you, though." The others gave them some space so Cammy could cut loose.

"Wow, what an arrogant jerk. I can't believe I used to look up to him," Chun-Li commented.

"He's obviously forgotten what Cammy could do. That's going to be his downfall since she still remembers Cody's skills."

"Yes, Guile, I know. But if Cammy has an emotional outburst, then she could have a high chance of losing the fight as well as win it."

As they talked amongst themselves, Cody and Cammy got into position. He could see that Cammy was still angry. "Hey, toots, why don't you try some breathing exercises? Breathe in, breathe out," he said.

"I don't need it, Cody! What I need is to kick your cocky ass back to the Metro City Jail!" Cammy barked back. She jumped up into the air for a kick to his head, prompting Cody to do an uppercut to try and hit her. She stepped on the fist and kicked his arm back before landing back on the ground. "Spiral Arrow!" she shouted while doing the spin kick towards the convict. The attack hit Cody and prepared Cammy for her next attack. "Cannon Spike!"

The kick sent Cody into the air, but he landed on his feet and threw a stone at the Delta Red Agent. This stunned her for his next attack. "Criminal Upper!" he shouted. The Criminal upper sent Cammy in a whirlwind and into the air. She landed on her back, but she got up. Chun-Li noticed the bruises and saw a potential injury coming along. However, Cammy's determination wouldn't let that show. "Well, it looks like you're still up. You certainly know how to rumble. I'm still bored, though." Cammy got angry with this and attacked him recklessly, in spite of her training. Guile saw that he was toying with her. It took her a while, but Cammy did manage to get a few hits in. Cody attacked with his Last Dread Dust combo, which consisted of a series of punches and kicks. He sent Cammy into the air with an uppercut, pulled out a crowbar, and hit her towards a wall as she was about to land.

Cody started laughing, but stopped and saw Cammy getting up. He figured that he had enough fooling around. He threw a punch at Cammy, who countered it with her CQC, effectively putting Cody out of commission for a bit and winning the fight. She fell backwards, but Abel caught her in time. "Way to go, Cammy. You won. Now let's get you some rest. It shouldn't take Logan all day to rescue Soifon," Chun-Li said as she looked at the sky.

As Logan, Byakuya, and Yoruichi were walking through the Senkaimon to the Kuchiki compound, Logan had a smile on his face. "Well, Cammy won a fight as soon as we left," he said.

"You sensed it?" Yoruichi asked, getting a nod from him. "Who did she fight?"

"Metro City's fallen hero Cody Travers from the looks of things," he said while looking at the hologram list. "He was framed by Poison, who was beaten by Rangiku earlier in Paris the other day. It looks like he's on a team with a ninja girl named Ibuki as well as his friend and rival, the Bushin-Ryu master Guy."

"Bushin-Ryu is a deadly art of Ninjutsu. If you face Guy, be careful," Byakuya said.

"Yes sir."

CHAPTER 9 END

Okay, that was a good one in my personal opinion. Logan has left with Byakuya and Yoruichi for the Soul Society after he lost against the former in a battle. Cammy fights Cody Travers and wins as well. I bet you know Logan's next fight as well. Keep your eyes peeled.