The Results Are In! The Preliminaries Begin!

After his battle against Fei Long, Logan rejoined his group, joined by Dan and Dudley. Dan was surprised to see his old master Gouken alive and well. They came across Sakura waking up as well as Makoto practicing a kata, Guile and Abel taking a break from their sparring practice, and Ryu and Ken brushing up on their techniques. It still surprised everyone how Ryu was still able to use the 'Metsu Hadoken' and 'Metsu Shoryuken' with his Satsui no Hado sealed. Yoruichi was kicking back and relaxing. "Logan!" Chun-Li excitedly greeted, getting the attention of the others. "How'd you enjoy your fight against Fei Long?"

"I needed it. Thank you," he said with a smile. "I also know you guys figured out that Decapre was there as well. She left for somewhere else, and Fei Long went to look for more competitors. As you can see, I also brought Dan and Dudley with me."

"I thought that ponytail looked familiar to me," said Gouken. "So tell me, Dan. Have you got your vengeance against Sagat yet?"

"Yes, Master Gouken, I did! I also opened up my own dojo!" Dan answered with a smile and a thumbs-up, making Gouken chuckle. "However, I'm not getting a whole lot of applicants for some reason."

"Hibiki-san," Sakura said after Makoto apologized. "Didn't you leave an advertisement?"

"I did, but I couldn't leave a number. My phone line was cut because I didn't pay my phone bill."

"Dan, I saw that advertisement for your dojo on YouTube. While it is somewhat convincing, what Sakura's trying to say is that you should've left an address," Logan said, making Dan fall over.

"Great. I know! Sakura, when we win this tournament, we can use the money to fund a website, pay the phone bill, and even make a new commercial!"

"Hmm…The power of the internet does come in handy," said Gouken. "But you'll have to prove yourself in your battles. So far, you have 3 losses in this tournament."

"Actually, he has 4, Master Gouken. His fourth loss was against Dudley here." At Logan's statement, Sakura and Ken face-palmed, ashamed of Dan's losing streak.

"You know what? I know what'll get people coming to my dojo! I'll beat Logan here!"

"Don't bother, Hibiki-dobe. That's going to be a waste of my time."

"Oh yeah? Face me and I'll prove you wrong!" The others let out an exasperated sigh while Gouken sat down. While he knew that Dan was far from being the greatest fighter in the tournament, he was eager to see what his hard work paid off in.

"Stop and think, Dan," Ryu said. "You have four losses in the tournament. If you get a fifth one, you won't be able to fight for your team in the main matches. Sakura and Blanka will have to do the fighting for you. If you pick a fight with Logan, you're bound to get that fifth loss without him breaking a sweat." Suddenly, a drone flew by with the S.I.N. insignia on it. "Well now, it looks like we'll get to see who's in the main tournament." They looked and saw that Toshiro and Rangiku were in it, as well as Yoruichi. Surprisingly enough, the Saikyo Dojo, which consisted of Dan, Sakura, and Blanka, were in as well. Logan and his team chalked it up to Blanka. Makoto, Dudley, and Elena made it, as did the Lee brothers (Yun and Yang). Logan saw that, due to the extra efforts, including what little bit Guile and Abel did, he and his team made it as well.

They weren't a bit surprised to see that Ryu, Ken, and Gouken as a team made it too, given their skill. Guile also pointed out that Shadaloo was being represented by Sagat, Decapre, Vega, Balrog, and Logan and Chun-Li's original target: M. Bison. Everyone knew that Sagat's representation was a reluctant one, as was Decapre's. It didn't sit well with Logan, Cammy, and Ryu that they were forced to represent an organization that has tormented most of them over time. Logan only hoped that he could save Decapre soon and help her reconcile with Cammy.

Chun-Li had a look at the brackets and saw that the championship prize was a battle against S.I.N., which was being represented by Juri and two people named 'Crimson Viper' and 'Seth'. She also found that their first opponent was a one-on-one match. It turned out to be an opponent that was around. As the teams had gotten their brackets and matchups, she pointed out to the others the opponent in question: Dudley. The British dandy caught notice of the looks and saw his match up on his cell phone—which Logan was impressed that he could operate with his gloves on. "So, dear chaps, who will it be?" he asked. "The announcements did say that the tournament's bracket rounds started once the brackets were decided."

"Since Logan just got finished in a tie with Fei Long, I think I'll face you," said Guile. "I know you wouldn't want to hit a woman. Plus, Abel here's had one official match more than me."

"I see then. Common courtesy has definitely not escaped the clutches of the military. What is your rank and name, sir?"

"I'm a Major in the U.S. Air Force. And my name's Guile."

"'Guile'? It's always nice to meet a soldier in the Air Force, especially one who made the rank of Major. Well then, let's fight...like gentlemen!" Guile didn't need to be told twice, as he started with a 'Sonic Boom'. Dudley blocked that and dashed towards the soldier with a few rapid punches, showing the others that he was definitely different from Balrog. Guile retaliated with an upside-down kick and a series of punches of his own after that, all of which got Dudley to stumble back a bit. "Not bad, Major. Not bad at all. Machine Gun Blow!" he shouted, performing seven powerful punches and launching Guile into the air, much to the shock of the others. "Keep it classy!"

Guile himself was shocked at the speed and precision with which Dudley was knocking him around. Of course, it set him up for a comeback, but he needed the right moment. 'Damn! He's better than I thought! He's definitely no Balrog, but I have to find his weakness and exploit it!' he thought. Dudley got ready to charge in again, but he timed the charge wrong. "Flash Kick!" Guile exclaimed, using the bicycle kick to send Dudley into the air. He followed this up with several more punches and kicks, including another upside-down kick. Guile charged for him, but Dudley countered with a power-packed punch to his chest, sending him into a vicious cyclone. Logan recognized his as the move Dudley used to defeat Dan.

True to form, Dudley dashed into the cyclone with another punch ready. "Corkscrew...Cross!" he shouted, sending Guile passed his team and into a tree. This scared Sakura and Makoto to the point where they had to move. "Do get up, sir. I know that you're not knocked out after that little bit."

Dudley (as well as the others) were confused when they heard Guile laughing. "Got you," he said before kicking Dudley again. "One! Two!" he said, performing his 'Flash Explosion'. "Strike!" The final kick was enough to knock the pugilist out, but Guile's energy was worn down from the beatings he took earlier, especially the 'Corkscrew Cross'. "Well that's that. Fighting him was definitely different from fighting Balrog."

"You got that right," Logan said. "But Dudley is definitely a lot more tolerable than that ugly bastard."

"And it looks like the first to be eliminated is the British Boxing Champion, Dudley!" said the announcer over the intercom. "Congratulations, Guile! You and your team are going to proceed to the next round!"

"Nice work, Guile. You better rest up," said Chun-Li. "That 'Corkscrew Cross looks like it did quite a number on you."

"Thanks," Guile said. "The next several rounds are going to be at a stadium. But which one?" As he asked this, Cammy was looking on her phone to find out. They noted the shocked look on her face.

"What's up, Cammy?" Abel asked.

"The stadium in question is on a cruise ship," she said. "From the looks of things, it's called the Cruise Ship Stern. It's one of the most luxurious ships of all time."

"I've always wanted to go on that one," said Chun-Li. "I hear their caviar is the best there is."

"Then it's a good thing that Yoruichi knocked El Fuerte out of the tournament," Logan said, making her and the said 'Flash Goddess' giggle in agreement.

(Soul Society...)

In her office at Squad Two, Soifon had her door locked and wouldn't let anyone in, or even answer the door when Momo, Ichigo, Rukia, or Byakuya knocked. Initially, the full-blooded Soul Reapers were confused as to why, but when Ichigo clarified that the reason was that Logan actually got to meet their favorite action star—which is Fei Long—Momo was shocked, Rukia got quite a laugh, and Byakuya shook his head, noting how immature that was for a Soul Reaper Captain. Byakuya, not knowing who Fei Long was due to not seeing any of his movies, underestimated his abilities by stating that Logan should've won. Ichigo had to explain that Fei Long's skills were real, adding that it was no wonder Logan tied with him.

In her room, Soifon was clinging onto a picture of her and Logan like she was going to lose it. "Captain Soifon, if you don't open this door, I'm going to break it down!" Byakuya exclaimed, losing his patience with her.

"Go away!" she yelled back. Before Byakuya could break the door down with Senbonzakura, Ichigo and Rukia stopped him.

"Soifon, it's me!" Ichigo said. "Momo and I would like to have a talk with you!" After a bit of silence, the Squad 2 Captain quickly opened the door, grabbed him and Momo by their Shihakushos, and closed the door, to the shock of the Kuchiki siblings. "There, that's better. Look, Logan's meeting with Fei Long was just by chance. There's no way it would happen again."

"No, Ichigo. Him meeting Ryu and his master Gouken was by chance. Meeting Fei Long was arranged by Chun-Li, just like his meeting with Ken Masters was arranged by Guile," she said with a stern look on her face. Both of the younger Soul Reapers noted the tear stains on her face. "I've missed out on so much! Unfortunately, I can't go to the World of the Living right now! In case you haven't noticed, I don't have an official Lieutenant to cover the paperwork!"

"I'm well aware of that, Soifon, but that doesn't mean you can't at least communicate with him. By now, the tournament's bracket rounds must've been decided."

"They have. Logan's team has already won their prelim match," Soifon said, showing them the Viewing Kido. "In order to do that, Guile has managed to defeat the British Boxing Champion Dudley. That's saying something considering he's much more refined in skill than that 'Balrog' character."

"Well, do you know where the bracket rounds are going to take place?" Momo asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. It's taking place on a cruise ship. Apparently, their caviar is top-notch according to Chun-Li."

"It's called the Cruise Ship Stern. It's one of the best ones out there that host only the wealthy and guests in a special event, such as this tournament," Ichigo explained.

"Ichigo, you better get ready in case Logan needs help against Seth. Since he's an android, he won't be able to see you in your Soul Reaper form. Do you know how to transfer energy in case he needs it?"

"Yeah. Yoruichi taught me."

"She taught me as well, but I'm afraid to use my Kido to affect him from here again. Last time, it cost me my energy. Who knows what kind of an effect it'll have this time?"

"Don't worry. Rukia and I can handle that."

"You better take Renji with you too, Ichigo," Momo said. "You never know if you might need backup."

"Momo's right. You're the strongest Soul Reaper out of all of us since Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Unohana, and Kenpachi Zaraki, but Renji's been training. I'd say that he and Rukia are almost at your level."

"But the question is, am I up to snuff? Rukia and I have been out of it for two months after all."

"It's not your fault, Ichigo," said Momo. "You were caught off-guard by S.I.N."

"That doesn't make me feel better, Momo, but thanks anyway."

"Good luck, Ichigo. Logan's going to need it too," Soifon said, indicating the two of them to the Viewing Kido.

(World of the Living...)

Logan and his team were admiring the layout of the ship. One could tell that it lived up to its reputation. The chandeliers added to the atmosphere of the ballroom. As the Masters family was one of the richest families in the world, Ken wasn't as impressed as the others. The same applied for Ryu, but that was because he took the time to analyze the competition, as did Gouken. Still, that didn't stop Logan and his team from admiring the place. He and Makoto got in line to get something for the others and had a look at the selection. Logan managed to get a look at one particular group. It was the members of the Shadaloo team that he had encountered before: Decapre, Vega, Balrog, and Sagat. There was a fifth member there as well, wearing red clothes and a hat, all befitting a dictator. The jacket had military decorum on it, as well as silver shoulder pads. His hat had the Shadaloo insignia on it and the Boots were black. His eyes were pupil-less and his hair was black.

Logan determined this character to be the one he and his team were out to take down: M. Bison. However, he decided to leave them alone for now. "Aren't you dressed a little bit...low society for this ship?" said a female voice, making Logan's face scowl. Makoto figured out that he knew this voice, so they turned around and saw a woman dressed in dress shoes, dress pants, an open jacket, buttoned shirt, and a tie between her cleavage. Her skin was tan and her hair was red in a lobster-style. "I thought it was you, Logan. How old are you now? 24?"

"You're dead-on, Maya," Logan said with a scowl. "I'm still not going to take you up on your offer, though."

"That's too bad. Lauren could certainly learn from you more than she could me. You're certainly admirable...and handsome."

"Look, I have no desire raising a girl who's twelve years my junior. I've told you this before, Maya. If you want your daughter to have a good upbringing, you should do it yourself instead of trying to con me into it. It's not going to work."

"But I know that you'd like to be a father, especially since your own father hasn't been there for you."

"You leave my dad out of this, Maya!" Logan said through gritted teeth. "Anything regarding him is none of your business! I hate saying this to women, but unless you want Lauren to be raised by her grandparents, I suggest you don't bring my dad up again!"

"Fine, but I can tell you this: A more mature woman is what you need. Those two you're with, Chun-Li and Cammy, are both pretty much children." This time, it was Logan's turn to smirk.

"Yeah, and you almost became a pedophile when you were 22. I was 16 then."

"Age is just a number, Logan," Maya said before walking away.

"Now I can't wait 'til we win the final match," he said.

"You seemed to have a bad history with her," Makoto said.

"Makoto, one of my old high school's extracurricular activities is fighting and I was a big participant of it. Unfortunately, the C.I.A. barged in and quarantined it for a short time during my Junior Year. After Maya, or 'Crimson Viper', threatened one of my best friends that challenged her, I did the same thing, partly to avenge her, but mostly to lift that quarantine. I won and I haven't seen Maya for years. It's safe to say that she's still a big pain in the neck after all this time."

"Don't worry. At least you have a new style to face her with."

"Yeah that's true. Let's get something to eat." When the two of them turned around, they saw someone else who would give Chun-Li and Cammy a hard time. "Oh, hey, Juri," Logan greeted as the said woman gave him a provocative look.

"It's been a long time, Darling. I missed you," Juri said. "I was hoping for a dance today."

"I'm afraid that 'dance' will have to wait until after the finals, Honey. You know the drill."

"That's not the dance I was talking about. I was referring to an actual one."

"Now the pretty lady tells me." At this time, Makoto went to Logan's team to fill Chun-Li and Cammy in on what's happening. "So, beautiful, you ain't been hitting on other guys, have you?" he asked, continuing their flirting.

"Nah, you're the only one. I'm glad for it, too, especially since you rejected Crimson Viper's offer. I don't trust her."

"Well, both of you look like you could hide a dead body somewhere. Sexy women always do."

"Don't worry, Sweety. If you die, it won't be because of me. Viper's not the only one who wants to get you in bed with her. That 'Decapre' girl does too, as do I. You could say that we're kind of envious of both of your girls and the one who had you before."

"Well, my ex isn't getting me back anytime soon, Dear. As for Chun-Li and Cammy, well...They're a different story. See you later, Love."

"Later, Handsome," Juri said.

After Logan made his way back to his friends, he saw that Chun-Li and Cammy were glaring at him. "I take it Makoto told you Juri was here?" he asked.

"Not just that, Darling," Cammy said. "She also mentioned that you two were flirting with one another."

"I know it's part of your charm, Logan," said Chun-Li. "And I can understand you flirting with another girl like Decapre, but Juri? That's a dangerous one."

"Yeah, sorry about that. But I have this funny feeling that she's going to keep doing it in the future."

"I hate to say it, Logan, but you might have to keep that up."

"Seriously. With her crush on you, you two may just become flirtatious rivals," Cammy said. "I don't like it any better than you do, but if it's the only way to keep Juri from annoying me and Chun-Li, then that has to be the case."

"Well we're going to have to find out who on our team is going to face S.I.N. should we win the finals. After all, the grand prize is a whole lot of dough plus a chance to face them."

"You can worry about that later, Logan," Yoruichi said, approaching the group. "First, you actually have to win your matches."

"That's true. I wonder how many 'Metsu Hadokens' Ryu still has left in him."

"If we're lucky, not too many. His dark side is a problem that can only be rectified by Ken, Chun-Li, Gouken, and Sakura."

"Yes, but Evil Ryu's 'Messatsu Gohado' is much more powerful and dangerous. So long as Ryu can channel his dark energy into a 'Metsu Hadoken', he should be in good shape. For now, we'll just have to wait and see." Logan then had a look at his phone to check on Ryu's team. Their opponent was a Wrestler named Zangief, who wore a simple pair of red wrestling trunks, red boots, and red and gold armbands, His entire body was covered in scars, his chest and shins in hair, and his face in a beard. His hair was styled in the form of a mohawk. "Okay, so Ryu's team is up against Zangief. He never was too fond of projectiles."

"Yes, comrade!" said a voice. Logan knew it was Russian, but extremely different from Decapre. He looked behind him and saw Zangief standing tall. "However, it's not Ryu or Ken I wish to face. I'd like to challenge the old man!" He exclaimed, making sure Gouken heard him, which he did.

"So, you're the one called the 'Red Cyclone', eh?" Gouken asked.

"I'm the 'Red Cyclone' alright, old man. I am Zangief! And It looks like you'll be my next opponent!"

"I am Ryu and Ken's old master, Zangief. My name is Gouken." The two of them squeezed each other's hands, showing that they were ready for their match. "I'll see you in the ring, 'Cyclone'."

"I'm looking forward to it." After that, Zangief and Gouken went separate directions. "Oh, a little piece of advice, comrade," Zangief said to Logan. "Don't let pretty women catch your eye. They're a distraction." After that, Yoruichi, Cammy, and Chun-Li got angry with him.

After a while, everyone went to sleep, preparing for the matches tomorrow. Logan shared a room with Cammy again while Chun-Li shared one with Yoruichi. However, the latter wasn't in the room. This time, Abel and Guile each got their own rooms. Abel couldn't exactly sleep, though, so he got out of bed and onto the deck to clear his mind. He stared out to the sea and the sky, mainly admiring the stars. "Is there something on your mind, Abel?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes. I'm still trying to comprehend a lot of things, Yoruichi," he said. Yoruichi just silently listened, wondering what was on his mind. "For starters, I'm still trying to figure out who I really am and trying to find my place in this world. All I know is that I was rescued from a burning building by a strange man, who then left me with a group of mercenaries. After that, I became a mercenary myself. But they understood my wish to find my memories, so they let me go look for them."

"This has been one weird journey for you, hasn't it?"

"Yes it has. For starters, I've never even seen spirits of any kind until Logan introduced you to the rest of us. And even after he, Dhalsim, and Thunder Hawk have mentioned them, I still haven't seen them. However, I am surprised I could see you and the other Soul Reapers from before."

"That's because I'm in a gigai, Abel. The same went with the Soul Reapers who chased after me, as well as Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki. Ichigo was in his normal body." The statement surprised Abel, causing Yoruichi to chuckle. "To be honest, me, Logan, Thunder Hawk, and Dhalsim were all unable to sense anything from you, not even any Spirit Energy. Yet, you're very much alive."

"I see. It does not mean I'm any less troubled, though."

"Perhaps I could help, Comrade," said a voice. Yoruichi and Abel turned around and saw Zangief on the deck. "Fighting should help you to clear your mind. So how about it?" Abel glared at the wrestler and got away from the rails to face him.

"How do I know you're not working for S.I.N. or Shadaloo?" Abel asked. "You could be out to wear me down, or help this 'Seth' person assimilate my attacks!"

"You've got it all wrong, Abel. I'm here to help you get over your troubles. You and that lady there will be the first in the main tournament to catch a glimpse of my power!" Abel narrowed his eyes at Zangief and got ready. Yoruichi looked on in concern; While she knew that Abel beat Hugo, Zangief, a man about the size of Haggar and with the same techniques, was a different story since the 'Red Cyclone' was smarter. Zangief started the fight by jumping up and attempting to kick Abel, who rolled out of the way with a 'Marseilles Roll'. Abel tried to roll to Zangief's other side, but he was prepared.

Zangief grabbed him, jumped into the air with him, and slammed him face-first in a 'Spinning Pile Driver'. Abel got up and did several hard punches and elbow strikes. He even grabbed Zangief and spun him around a couple of times before throwing him to the other side of the arena. Zangief grinned after getting up and seeing Abel give him the signal to try it again. Zangief ran towards him, but did a 'Spinning Clothesline' to decrease his opponent's chance of getting near him. Abel crouched down and dashed towards the 'Red Cyclone' at the right time, grabbed him, and performed his 'Breathless' combo, dealing a decent amount of damage to Zangief.

Zangief got back up, making Abel get ready to fight again. The 'Cyclone' put his hand up, though, signaling a stop to the match. "Why did you stop?" Abel asked.

"Because, Comrade, you look like you've gotten over your troubles just now. That was my intent, after all," Zangief said before leaving. "We had better get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us, tomorrow."

"He's right," Yoruichi said. "So, do you feel better?"

"I feel a little better," Abel said as he yawned. "I'm also feeling tired. We better hit the sack."

"Abel," said another voice. It turned out to be Logan, who was with Chun-Li.

"Hey, guys. I guess your fight alarm went off?"

"Not just that. We felt the ship move as well," said Chun-Li. "Fighting someone like Zangief, you have to be careful."

"It doesn't look like you did too much damage," Logan said. "That's good. The last thing we need is for this ship to sink." Abel nodded and apologized, but the two co-captains told him not to worry about it. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

CHAPTER 19 END

Okay, so I finally decided to finish this chapter. Just so you know, the Zangief vs. Abel fight wasn't part of the tournament, so Zangief's still in. I just wanted to allude to 'Gief's rival battle with Abel in Street Fighter IV. The next one will feature the Gouken vs. Zangief fight, which will be the second time Gouken fights in this story. After that, I'll have to think of the next matchup.