Satsui no Hado!
At Chun-Li's apartment, she had just gotten some Gatorade for her, Logan, and their friends that were in the building. After passing Abel, Guile, Toshiro, Yoruichi, and Cammy theirs, she headed back into her room. Logan was supposed to be resting, but when the Interpol Officer entered, she saw that he was wide awake with a troubled look on his face. She knew something was up, but she didn't know what. Her biggest fear at the current moment was that Ryu lost to Sagat, but she didn't think past that. "What's got you so worried?" she asked Logan.
"It's Ryu," he answered.
"What happened? Don't tell me he lost."
"He won against Sagat, but lost himself at that moment. I should've known letting him face his rival was the worst idea at the time. He's got some kind of dark power inside of him that he hasn't told me about yet. He knows that I've sensed it, but it's somewhat of a touchy subject for the guy."
"'Dark power', huh? You're talking about the Satsui no Hado. It's a power that Ryu detests with every fiber in his being. In fact, it was Sagat who awakened it in the first place. Ryu hates it because of its destructive tendencies. When he's been taken over, there are very few people who can snap him out of it. I'm one of them, but I have to watch over you until your nerves recover. The others, as far as I know, are Ken, Sakura, Rose, and Sagat. I'm sure his old master could as well if he's still alive."
"And with Sagat out cold, Ken's the only hope we have of getting the old Ryu back."
Back at the battlefield, Ken couldn't believe the sight before him. It frustrated him that he had to look upon his best friend in the current condition he was in. The American Champ was in no mood to joke around. He had to get serious to help Ryu out of his current predicament. "Okay, man, playtime's over before it even begun. I'm afraid of the Satsui no Hado, true. But if I have to beat my best bud around to get him back, then I will!" Both fighters began the battle by firing their 'Hadoken' blasts. This stirred up dust in between them. Ken stood there anticipating Ryu's next move.
The possessed man dashed forward past Ken and got behind him. Ryu then tried to punch him, but Ken grabbed his fist. "Shoryuken!" the wandering warrior shouted. His fist made contact with Ken's chin. Ryu continued to brutally beat Ken up with his attacks, showing that he was stronger than he was before the Satsui no Hado took over. Ryu did the dash move again, but followed up with an unseen series of attacks, causing Ken to black out for a second.
After Ken recovered, it was time for a little payback. He slammed Ryu's face with a left jab and followed it up with a 'Shoryuken' of his own. Since Ryu didn't let up on his attacks, Ken didn't either. After dealing out several punches and kicks, he grabbed Ryu and rolled him back several feet before tossing him. Before Ryu could regain himself, Ken spiraled towards him with a fiery version of their 'Tatsumaki Senpukyaku'. After sending Ryu up in the air, he attacked with one more. After they landed, Ken was already showing signs of weariness due to the beating he took earlier. Ryu, on the other hand, was getting ready to attack again with the 'Metsu Hadoken'.
Ken put his arms up to prepare for the worst, but the blast never came. He looked and saw that Ryu was knocked out…and back to his original self, albeit with his gi top torn. He looked and saw a man with his arm extended and palm facing outward. Like him and Ryu, he wore no shoes. The man was of obvious elderly age, as he had a white beard, was bald on top, and had a white ponytail. He wore white pants, a green robe on one shoulder, and had a very muscular build. He looked at the battle-weary Ken with a slight smile. "Hello, Ken. It's good to see you again," he said.
Ken widened his eyes. "Master…Gouken?" he asked.
(Soul Society…)
Momo watched both fights with keen interest, mainly wondering who the old guy was and the power that took over Ryu during his fight with Sagat. She wasn't one to fight much, but she did enjoy Ken's spontaneous version of their style. She was mainly worried about Ryu, though. 'That power that took over Ryu was something else. I've never seen anything like it before. I haven't seen any power like what came from the old man either,' she thought. 'I wonder if Renji or Captain Soifon might know a thing or two about this.' Just as she finished thinking, the door opened and Soifon entered the room. "Welcome back, Captain."
"Thank you, Momo. How did Ryu's fight go?"
"Um…well…he beat Sagat, but was taken over by this strange power. The guy in the red, Ken Masters, wound up fighting him because of it. After they traded a series of attacks, Ryu was knocked out by this old man who used some sort of power as a countermeasure to the one that possessed him."
Soifon took a look at the visual and saw the old man that Momo was talking about. "That's Gouken. He's the man who taught Ryu and Ken their moves. What color was the aura that took Ryu over?"
"It was red. Why?" Momo asked.
"That power was the Satsui no Hado. It's a power that can harm the user as much as it does those around him if he doesn't know how to control it. The rage they're driven by is demonic in nature alone. If the person is a good person, then their personality will be the polar opposite of what they normally are. As for the power that Gouken used, I don't even know what it's called. In fact, I thought Gouken was dead."
"Maybe he's a ghost or something." Soifon had no choice but to chuckle at her imagination.
"That's cute, Momo, but I believe he might've just been in a coma," said the Squad 2 Captain.
(World of the Living...)
Gouken had just filled Ken in on what he's been doing and vice versa. The old master was certainly proud of how he and Ryu had both grown, even though Ryu was knocked out at the moment. He was especially proud that Ken was married and was going to have a child of his own soon, even laughing when the Masters heir went from proud fighter to worrywart over Eliza's safety. Gouken even learned about Ken and Guile being family rivals due to being each other's brothers-in-law, even revealing the fact that their wives were sisters. "It sounds like you've been living a good life, Ken. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryu's been training hard himself," Gouken said. "I need to meet your family and friends sometime."
"They'd be honored if you did, Master," said Ken, still weary. "We even have one who probably sensed the Satsui no Hado within Ryu during their training sessions. This guy trains as hard as Ryu by having St. Louis as a playground of his own."
"So where is this friend of yours?"
"He's at Chun-Li's apartment resting up after getting his nerves shocked by the very reason Ryu went berserk in the first place. Sagat over there beat him with his 'Tiger Genocide' attack. After that, he had a grudge match against Ryu and that's what kicked in the Satsui no Hado. Before he was completely possessed, though, he managed to fire a 'Metsu Hadoken' and beat Sagat as himself. That's when I wound up fighting him." Ken looked and saw that Gouken was looking up with a serious expression on his face. "Master?"
"He's here, Ken. Watch yourself." Ken got the same serious expression from before on his face and looked behind him. The two fighters stood up and saw a figure landing on the ground. He wore a black gi and had ropes on his wrists. His eyes were the same demonic red as his wild hair. "Ken, guard Ryu and Sagat. Make sure they're safe. The last thing we need is a couple of casualties." Ken acknowledged Gouken's order with a nod, taking Ryu to safety before going after Sagat. "I know why you're here. You're too late, brother." The figure growled at the master.
Logan had a shocked look on his face that Chun-Li picked up on. She knew something was up, but didn't know what. Logan had told her that Ryu was conked out of his Satsui no Hado state, technically making Ken the winner, but that was it. He tried moving his fingers, but he was still in a little pain. Chun-Li was relieved since he could feel things now. Chun-Li helped him to his feet so he could try and walk. As Logan was a quick healer, he was able to get a few steps on his own, showing that he was alright. "I sensed a deeper concentration of the Satsui no Hado. Whoever has it is facing the man who knocked out Ryu," the Assassin said, shocking the Interpol Officer.
As they were waiting for Chun-LI to give them news on Logan, Guile and the others saw an uneasy look on Toshiro and Yoruichi's faces. Makoto and Rangiku had gotten back from their shopping as the other two Soul Reapers were in fear on what's going on. "Toshiro, what's wrong?" Guile asked. Suddenly, the room to Chun-Li's room burst open and the woman had Logan behind her. She had a fearful look on her face. "Chun-Li, what's going on?"
"Guys, I've got good news and I've got bad news," Chun-Li said. "The good news is that Ken beat Ryu after he was taken over by the Satsui no Hado. Ryu was knocked out by some force that must've sealed it within him. The bad news is that the said source could be fighting Akuma." The news shocked the others who knew about Akuma and the Satsui no Hado. For Makoto and Rangiku, however, it had to be explained.
"What's Akuma even doing here?" Cammy asked.
"Um, who's Akuma?" asked Makoto.
"Come with us and find out at your own peril, Makoto," said Logan. They saw that Logan was stumbling a little, but they saw that he had a white aura around him. He looked at the Soul Reapers and figured out that they weren't the ones using it. The conclusion came down to his ex-girlfriend. He noticed that he felt no pain now. "Thanks, Soifon. I owe you one…again," he whispered, referring to the first time they met.
(Soul Society…)
Soifon was out of energy, having strained herself to use what little Healing Kido on Logan through the Viewing Kido she was watching him on. She was breathing heavily from the extended use that was out of her usual specialty. Momo got her a towel to wipe the sweat off her brow. "Captain, you look worn down," she said.
"Well thanks to checking on our Substitute and Squad 13 Lieutenant, this wore me down easily," said Soifon. "I could use some rest, but I'm worried about Logan and his friends. That took the rest of my energy, but I know Logan will appreciate it. Maybe I should've had Lieutenant Kotetsu do that." The Squad 2 Captain went to lie down on her cot to get some rest. This meant that Momo had to look at the fight on her own. She sent a message to Shinji via Hell Butterfly asking him to not wait up for her.
'I can't really blame her. Captain Soifon's had a rough time since Logan met Chun-Li. I really wish those two would make amends and really get back together,' she thought, looking at Soifon. 'Sosuke Aizen may have been like a father to me, but Captain Soifon's like a big sister ever since her clan's promotion.' Momo wetted a wash cloth and placed it on the Captain's head. 'I hope Logan and his friends are okay.'
(World of the Living…)
Gouken and Akuma were glaring each other down, getting ready to fight. Ken looked on with anticipation as Ryu and Sagat regained consciousness. Ryu shook his head to clear his vision. He looked and saw his and Ken's master, to his shock and joy. However, he knew he was about to fight. He looked again and saw that it was Akuma. He wasn't real shocked on that one, though. "Ken, what's going on? The last thing I remember was my Satsui no Hado taking over," he said.
"Yeah, about that," said Ken. "Master Gouken came out of nowhere and knocked you out while I was fighting you. He still has yet to explain it in detail, but he said something about the 'Power of Nothingness'. It still makes no sense to me."
"It does me. That means that he sealed the Satsui no Hado that's inside me. It won't work on Akuma since he embraced it."
"Well that's helpful," Sagat sarcastically said. "Your master must be pretty strong anyways since he taught you guys."
"He is. I know he'll at least match Akuma." As the conversation continued, Akuma made the first move, ticked off that Gouken had sealed Ryu's dark power. He used the phasing move that Ryu used against Ken. He tried to punch his brother, but Gouken used the 'Kongoshin' to counter and stomp him. Akuma retaliated with a 'Tatsumaki Zankukyaku', his rendition of the 'Senpukyaku'. Though it was faster than Ryu and Ken's, Gouken easily blocked it.
"Tatsumaki Gorasen!" he exclaimed, kicking Akuma high into the air. He then stepped back and reeled his arm back. "Gohadoken!" The attack was used as an anti-air attack, keeping Akuma in the air. Once Akuma finally landed on the ground, he was pissed. He used the 'Ashura Senku' again, this time getting close to Gouken.
"Now, brother, die 1,000 deaths!" he shouted. Like Ken, Gouken blacked out for a second. Akuma prepared another strike to finish Gouken off, but he had another trick up his sleeve.
He punched Akuma in the stomach, then in the chin. "Shin…Shoryuken!" he exclaimed, using the 'Shoryuken' variation to finish his work on Akuma for this round. Once Akuma fell on his back, Gouken saw that Ryu was fully recovered. "Are you feeling better, Ryu?" he asked.
"Yes, master, I am."
"That's good." They saw a car come up and the others step out, Logan fully recovered. They saw Gouken as well as the number that he did on Akuma. "Ah, these must be the friends that Ken told me about."
"You're Master Gouken?" Logan asked. Gouken nodded in confirmation.
"Damn. And here I thought he was dead," said Guile.
"No, my young friends, I'm not dead."
"Well, you will be soon enough!" said Akuma, surprising the others. He was being covered in an intense glow. His muscle mass grew, his skin color changed, his gi top was torn, and his hair changed to a glowing yellow. He also gained protrusions on his head and fangs as well. "You've fought Akuma! Now prepare to face Oni!" Gouken got in his stance, but Ryu stepped in instead, having had enough of Akuma. "So you wish to die, boy! I don't need you to embrace the Satsui no Hado to kill you anymore! You will bow in defeat before a god!"
"You're no god, Oni. You're just a demon with a superiority complex!" said the Wandering Warrior. "And I will defeat you without the Satsui no Hado!"
"Master, do something! Is Ryu even in the right shape to face him?" Ken asked, seeing Gouken relax a little bit.
"He's just fine, Ken. The Power of Nothingness has sealed the Satsui no Hado within Ryu. As such, he can fight without holding back now. I'll stand by in case he needs help, though."
"Yeah, but how long can that seal last?"
"Long enough for this fight to get over with," Gouken answered, making Ken and Sagat fall over. Logan and the others watched on in anticipation while Chun-Li, Cammy, Makoto, and Rangiku were hiding behind the Assassin. Oni fired a 'Gohadoken' while Ryu countered with his own 'Hadoken'. Oni slid towards his foe and hit him with a couple of palm strikes. He went for another attack, but Ryu countered with a 'Shoryuken', followed by a 'Tatsumaki Senpukyaku'.
Oni finally landed before jumping into the air and firing a 'Zanku Hadosho' down at Ryu. The younger fighter dodged it, but Oni landed, grabbed his face, and slammed him down. Ryu kicked him off and chained a few punches and kicks, sending the demon back. "Shinku…Hadoken!" he shouted, firing his Super attack at Oni. He finally ended it by reeling his arms back and gathering even more energy. "Metsu…Hadoken!" The Ultra Attack hit Oni dead on and knocked him out, turning him back into Akuma. Ryu was panting hard, happy that the fight was finally over. "At last, he's beaten," he said.
"Yes, Ryu, it is," said Gouken. "Rest up, son. I can get to know your friends in the meantime." Ryu nodded as Ken picked him up and used himself as a human crutch. Gouken turned to the others, knowing which one was Logan since he was the only one wearing jeans and black sparring gloves. "You must be the one who sensed the dark power within Ryu. Ken told me about you and your friends." He saw Makoto behind Logan's leg. "He never told me about you, little one. The same goes with you three," he said, referring to the Soul Reapers.
The youngest got out from behind Logan and bowed. "M-My name's Makoto. I'm in this tournament to get the money to fix up my family's dojo," she said. "I'm a practitioner of the Rindo-Kan style."
"I see. Ken said your friend here practices the Shorin-Ryu style."
"Yes, Master Gouken, I do practice that…well, it's actually more of a blend of Shorin-Ryu, Ninjutsu, and Tae Kwon Do. I have Boxing as an alternate style just for kicks," he said.
"I get it. You enjoy fighting just for fun when the world's not at stake."
"Yes sir. Guys, don't you think you should introduce yourselves?"
"Got it, Logan," said Chun-Li. "My name's Chun-Li. I practiced under Master Lee, who participated in the first World Martial Arts Tournament that Ryu and Ken took part in. That's where they met Sagat." Gouken had a good look at Sagat and immediately figured out that the scar on his chest was from Ryu's 'Metsu Shoryuken'.
"I'm William F. Guile, Ken's brother-in-law. My mentor was my late Lieutenant Charlie Nash."
"Cammy White. I'm with Delta Red, but I was brainwashed into working with Bison, but Chun-Li and Lieutenant Nash helped me get through it. I don't remember anything I did during that time, but I still retained my techniques."
"I believe it, Ms. White," said Gouken. That's when Abel stepped up.
"My name's Abel. I'm an MMA fighter, but that's all I can remember." This revelation surprised the elderly fighter a little, but he had faith that Abel would be able to regain his memory.
"I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya, Soul Society's Squad 10 Captain," said Toshiro, which surprised Gouken and Makoto. "This is my Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto."
"I should've known. No child I know has hair as white as my beard at a young age."
"Believe me. Our Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki got picked on for his orange hair until he met one of our comrades." He looked over at Logan, who was opening his hand and sending a personal Hell Butterfly to the Soul Society to deliver a message. "What are you doing Logan?"
"I just remembered that I haven't asked about Ichigo and Rukia since Decapre rescued them. I just wanted to know how they're doing," the Missourian said. Yoruichi stepped up and introduced herself.
"My name is Yoruichi Shihoin. I'm the mentor to Ichigo and the Squad 2 Captain. Sometimes, I feel like I still have to babysit them," she said, getting a laugh from the old man. He knew that it would embarrass them to know end if they heard that.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Gouken. Any friend of Ken and Ryu's is a friend of mine. I'll be especially happy to see how well Makoto fights." At the master's words, Makoto grew excited. Logan and Chun-Li were especially happy for her, the former rubbing her head and messing up her hair.
(Soul Society…)
Momo looked in wonder at the fight and saw the brother-sister relationship between Logan and Makoto, which reminded her of the same type of relationship he shared with Rukia. She was also in awe of Gouken, Ryu, and Ken's power overall. Akuma and his 'Oni' state still scared her. She saw Logan's Hell Butterfly fly through the window as Soifon was just waking up, feeling a little bit rejuvenated after draining her power earlier. She took the cloth off, but the Hell Butterfly landed on her nose. She saw the pattern and figured out that Logan was sending a message asking about Ichigo and Rukia. "Hell Butterflies: a much better system than carrier pigeons," she joked. Soifon carefully removed the butterfly from her nose and had it perched on her finger. "Logan's asking about the patients."
"What are you going to tell him?" asked Momo.
"I'm just going to tell him the truth. Ichigo and Rukia are recovering quicker than we thought after all. How did Gouken's fight against Akuma go?"
"Gouken emerged victorious, but Akuma turned into this creature called 'Oni'. He was about to fight him again, but Ryu stepped in and fought Oni instead." The revelation surprised Soifon. "Ryu came out of it the winner and Oni was changed back into Akuma. After that, Logan and the others introduced themselves to Gouken. It turns out that Gouken knows who the Soul Society is, but he's especially interested in seeing how well Makoto fights. I'm sort of interested myself."
"Yeah, same here. If Makoto's a child prodigy, she should be interesting to watch. I especially like that she and Logan treat each other like family. It's a good trait, really."
"You got that right."
CHAPTER 17 END
Okay, guys, sorry for the long wait on this one. I just got inspiration after seeing some photos on Facebook showing that Cammy and Birdie were confirmed for Street Fighter V. I've been working on some other stories of mine, such as 'Big Leagues', which features the most OCs I've used yet, including a few from a couple of friends of mine. Naturally, Logan is a part of it as well as his relationship with Cammy. It's a three-way crossover between Street Fighter,Bleach, and DC Comics, including Mortal Kombat, so I brought in Hanzo Hasashi in it with his Injustice design.
So Gouken has brought Ryu out of his possessed state and saved Ken before defeating Akuma. Afterwards, Ryu took on Oni and emerged victorious without the Satsui no Hado acting up again. Meanwhile, Soifon, using her bond with Logan, healed him through the Viewing Kido she and Momo were using, which cost her the rest of her energy and made her lie down. Now, Gouken's interested in seeing Makoto fight. Who will she enter the 'ring' with? Stay tuned to find out.