Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 24

Los Angeles

"I dreadfully sorry, Master Ryu. But I'm afraid Master Kenneth has left with his family to Europe."

Ryu sighed. After the boat ride, he and Chun Li took a plane to the Americas where they split up to their separate affairs. Chun Li promised that if things went smoothly, she would come and visit for a while. But upon arrival, he found out that Ken and his family had left the country.

"Hm. Well I better go then." He nodded to the servant and began to leave. "Thank you, Samuel. Tell Ken I came by."

"Wait." The servant called. "I have instructions from Master Kenneth that if you were to ever come by, this place would be treated as your home."

Ryu blinked, "Really? Well…I couldn't impose…"

Samuel waved his hand, "Master Ryu. You are the closest person I've seen with the master. He trusts you enough with his home, as do we."

Ryu looked at the mansion. It wasn't his style, but this was an offer Ken had given him. No, it was a gift. A gift and an assurance of trust. Just like the red headband that he wore over his brow.

"Very well then."

The servant gave a slight nod and motioned the door, "Very good sir. Your room is just as it was when you left."

Ryu smiled and entered inside. 'Perhaps it won't be so bad…'

Elsewhere, Chun Li had gone straight into the city, her mind now focused on her mission. She knew she told Ryu that she might stop by, but in all honesty, she didn't think she would. It pained her a little to met her friend after all these years only to have a short visit delayed. But she had work to do, regardless. Who knew? Perhaps this would turn out to be another false lead. She had many of them over the years. But she doubted very much that it was. Her captain had told her of a possible contact within Shadowloo itself. She had to find him and determine whether that was true and if the contact was genuine. She knew better Shadowloo had no contacts. If anyone defected, they would be eliminated immediately. Still, it was too promising for her to pass up.

'Doesn't hurt to hope.'

The bus came to its stop and the Chinese immortal stepped out. According to her intel, the contact was hiding out in an apartment room within one of these alleyways. She had to look out for a sign for him, but she didn't know what kind. 'I'll probably know it when I see it.' She moved in toward the apartment building and up the stairs. Upon reaching the door, she gave it a light rap, only to have it slide open on the first tap. It didn't take her long to get caution and she entered the apartment, carefully scanning over it. The place was quiet. 'Way too quiet…' She didn't like this at all. First an unlocked door and now this? She moved slowly into the next room and found quite a different scene. Papers and objects were scattered all over the floor. Looking in the corner behind her, her eyes were set on a figure lying still on the floor. She moved over to see a thin man on the ground, with his eyes opened, but blank. Checking his pulse, she wasn't surprised to find him dead. In fact, his neck had been snapped. She moved her hand away and her head was suddenly filled with a familiar sensation.

'What? Here?'

A rustle from outside caught her attention and she quickly looked out the window just in time to see a dark leg swing over the rooftop above. Chun Li quickly slid through the window and into the fire escape where she climbed up in pursuit. Reaching the top, she was only faced with an empty roof. Yet the sensation of the immortal was still strong. Chun Li slowly slid her sword out of her jacket.

"I know you're here. Come out."

Nothing. Chun Li slowly strode over the roof, repeating her demand as she passed the roof door. But there was still no answer. Chun Li tightened her grip on the sword and suddenly whirled around, bringing the blade up in a high arc as it clashed…with another blade.

"Secondary target confirmed."

Chun Li was faced off with a woman wearing a dark jumpsuit and a red tie. She wore a short cap over her dark brown hair and her blue eyes were clear as crystal. The woman had came out from the back of the rooftop door and attacked with a thin saber. Chun Li pushed away and twirled while the unknown woman backed up and lunged. She attacked with a low vertical strike to the left and followed up with a second to the right. Chun Li managed to deflect both attacks, but the woman suddenly pulled back and spun around, delivering a fierce horizontal slash.

Chun Li was caught off guard and when the blades hit, they clashed heavily, causing her to almost lose her grip on her sword. Chun Li wheeled back and the assailant came in aggressively, strike higher this time. Chun Li barely had time to raise her sword to block and when she did, her hand flared with pain. It took a lot for her not the drop the sword and she stepped far back hoping to recover. But her attacker did not give her the chance asshe came at Chun Li again, blade glistening in the sun.

'No!'

Chun Li swiftly switched hands and she held her sword reversed in her left hand. Lashing at the incoming attack, the swords clashed loudly, but not heavily as before. Chun Li soon went on the offensive, swinging the blade in sequenced directions. The dark attacker was now being pushed back and she soon found herself on the edge of the roof.

"Who are you?" Chun Li demanded. The woman simply stared back coldly, giving no reply. Chun Li's eyes then lowered to the woman's shoulder and saw what she had figured. The skull insignia. Shadowloo…

"You're coming with me."

The woman continued to stare and her eyes briefly looked over the side. Chun Li saw this, but it was too late to stop the woman from jumping off the side and into the alley. Chun Li thought she was trying to escape by killing herself, but rather the woman grabbed hold of a metal pole that was stretched out and swing around it, hitting the ground safely and dashing away. Chun Li could only watch as the woman ran away.

'One dead witness and an escaped assassin. I must be getting close.'

An hour later, Ryu decided to take a walk outside. He was grateful that Ken decided to leave him his home. This would save him the trouble of finance and time. Not that money or shelter had ever been an issue for Ryu, but it was nice all the same. He didn't know how long he would stay there though. He had come to visit Ken, but now that he wasn't here, there was nothing really to bind him to this place. Perhaps he could leave tomorrow, after he informed Chun Li of the situat… 'Oh no. Chun Li!'

It had just reoccurred to him that Chun Li had said she would stop by to visit. But since Ken wasn't there, would she simply take off? That was possible. Ryu shook the thought away, only to be accompanied by a grimmer thought. What if she didn't come at all? Although that didn't sound like something she would do, her mission of justice has always occupied her life. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise if the trip there was the last he ever saw of her in a while. Possibly ever. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about the Gathering now. For once, it would not cast a shadow over him. Not today.

But that didn't mean immortals would care…

Ryu soon stopped in his tracks, sensing the familiar presence of an immortal nearby. His eyes darted around and across the street. It was then that he saw it. A figure was looking right at him hiddenwithin a black cloak and hood. The figure quickly turned and ran away.

"Hey, wait!"

Ryu soon found himself chasing the figure down the street where it turned down into an alley. Ryu stopped for a moment, hesitant about entering. It was far too suspicious. He had to be on alert. Lowering off his wrapped sword from his back, he slowly loosened it as he entered the alley, looking around for the dark figure. He moved deeper in and turned into a corner where the figure stood against the side of a wall seemingly slouched against it. Ryu took a careful step forward.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

The figure it seemed didn't share that remark because in a flash, the dark cloak was flungoff into Ryu's face. Ryu quickly tossed it aside and he caught a glimpse of light coming right at him. He raised his sword, partially sheathed, to block the incoming saber from his assailant. It was a young woman, with short blond hair wearing a black jumpsuit. A short tie was on her neck and a black cap was on her head. Her eyes were brown, and clear as water.

"Secondary target confirmed."

The woman pulled back a bit, only to stab forward. Ryu rotated his hand to deflect the blow and took a step back. The woman spun the sword around and attacked again with another stab. Ryu parried this time, spun around and slashed horizontally, but the woman was quick and she ducked right under the slash. Retaliating, she gave a sweeping slash to the legs, causing Ryu to jump up to avoid it. The woman followed quickly and Ryu was being forced back by her rapid slashes and stabs. He could she that it was a fencing style she was using, but much faster than normal techniques. He had to slow her down quickly or he would lose.

She came in with a high-angle cut, nearly hitting his shoulder. Ryu managed to sidestep the blow and clashed his sword against the lower part of hers. Then before she could do anything else, he switched around the strike, hitting the saber on the opposite end of the same side, resulting in a major strain that caused her to drop the weapon. Now open, Ryu lifted his blade to her and backed her against the wall.

"Who are you? Why have you attacked me?"

The woman didn't respond. Rather she reached into her back and produced a dagger. With a flick of her wrist, she flung it out at him. Ryu seemed to have dodged it the first second, but then his hand flickered out and he caught the dagger in his fist. But when he looked back, his captive opponent had disappeared, along with her saber. Ryu frowned in confusion and he looked at the dagger; the only thing she had left. It was a simple weapon, aside from one identifying mark.

There was a skull on the end of it…

She figured it was the least she could do. She just hoped that it wouldn't be too long. She had to find out what that man knew that would make him important enough to kill over. With any luck, she would have something by tomorrow. She approached the door and knocked on it. It didn't take long for it to be answered, but she was surprised at by whom.

"Ryu?"

Ryu was equally surprised, not really expecting her to arrive at all, but glad nonetheless. He opened the door widergesturing for her to enter, but she remained where she was.

"Where's Ken?"

"He's out of town. I'm told that he's allowing me to stay here for a while." Ryu noticed her stiffness and cocked his head slightly, "Is something wrong?"

She nodded, "I was attacked earlier today by a Shadowloo agent. And an immortal at that."

Ryu blinked in surprise, "As was I."

"What?" she asked, equally as surprised, perhaps more so.

"A woman in a black jumpsuit attacked me some hours ago." he replied as he reached into his back and took out a dagger; the very same dagger the woman tried to attack him with. Continuing, "I think she was watching me."

Chun Li took the dagger into her hands and examined it, particularly the skull insignia on its end. "So…you could be a target?" she whispered.

"It's possible. But I don't understand why."

Chun Li continued to study the dagger, thinking about what could be happening. 'If they are targeting him, then they will be back.' Clenching the weapon, she looked back up at the Japanese immortal. "Ryu. Is it alright if I stay here with you for awhile? Just in case they come back."

Ryu, who had been watching her gaze on the dagger, knew what she was thinking, "You want to watch over me?"

"Well, yes. If they really are after you, then I don't want to take any chances." She replied firmly. She had already lost Fei Long to these killersand she had been forced to kill one of her oldest friends and former lover. All because they did something to him. The woman she had fought had the same expression in her eyes. The blank, lifeless eyes… It was as though she didn't have a will of her own. Chun Li didn't know what had happened to them or how it was done, but she wanted to make sure that didn't happen to Ryu. Not again. Not on my watch.

"Well, this really isn't my place, but I believe Ken would want you here as well as me."

"Thank you."

And at last, she entered the house, unaware that they were both being watched from a block away. The two darkly clad women were stationed on the rooftop of a building. The blond one was watching the mansion house with binoculars while the second one was on a radio in contact with someone.

"The target has been eliminated. Contact has been broken."

A deep voice came back over the radio, "Well done, Agent Juli."

Juli continued, "Secondary targets have been confirmed within the vicinity."

"Which targets?"

"Chun-Li Xiang and Ryu of the Hoshi Clan."

"Ryu…" the speaker said softly. "So he has finally shown his face."

"Your orders, sir?"

"Observation. Watch over him and await further instructions."

"And the other target?"

"Miss Xiang has been interfering with me for more than long enough. Terminate her."

"Yes sir."