“You have a what?!” Cammy exclaimed.

Chun Li sighed. “A partner. A civilian partner…”

Cammy shook her head. “Love, I know how you like to work alone…unless you’re with me or Mr. Wonderful…”

Chun Li felt her cheeks flush, knowing exactly who her friend was talking about. The two women decided to meet at Louisa’s Tea Room, a quaint little restaurant that specialized in serving coffee, tea, and cakes.

“Cammy…I haven’t seen him in months…”

“Ever tried tracking him down?” Her eyes took on a mischievous gleam. “You have the skills…”

Chun Li shook her head and drank some tea. “I’d rather not…I have a job to do…I can’t waste time searching the West for him…”

“If he’s still in the West…” Cammy trailed off. At Chun Li’s sigh, she added, “Sorry, love. So tell me about this new partner…”

“His name is Kyo Kusanagi. Guile thinks he’ll be a great help on my next case….” Chun Li wrinkled her nose. “My target and my new partner go way back…as enemies…and yet…I get the feeling that they know each other like family…know the strengths, weaknesses…”

“Maybe you do need him, love…” Cammy smiled. “Is he cute?”

Chun Li shook her head. “I think he’s too young for me…”

“Is he cute?” Cammy pressed.

Chun Li put a finger to her chin and stared at the ceiling.

“Definitely. You’d like him,” Chun Li concluded.

“Really? When is he coming in?” Cammy asked.

“Today at three.”

“What does he look like?” Cammy asked. “Is he tall, like Mr. Wonderful?”

Chun Li nodded. “Yes, he’s tall. And well-built, but lean. A little on the tanned side…and he has dark brown ‘come-hither’ eyes…”

“Can I go with you to meet him?” Cammy asked. “Does he have a girlfriend?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can I meet him anyway?” Cammy asked.

Chun Li laughed. “I guess…but why are you so intent on seeing him? Didn’t Charlie ask you out before you two went on a mission?”

Cammy dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “Oh…posh…he only asked me out just so he could get over you…”

Chun Li’s eyes widened. “He what?!”

Cammy bit her lip, looking contrite. “Oops…you weren’t supposed to know…Charlie’s had the hots for you, love…but ever since you met Mr. Wonderful…he’s backed off…”

“You’re kidding?! I never knew he liked me…”

Cammy shushed her. “You aren’t supposed to know, love…”

Chun Li giggled. “Right. Sorry.”

At two-fifty p.m., Kyo entered the front door of the Huntington Agency. The receptionist at the front was clacking away on the keys of a typewriter. She looked to be about thirty years old, and her blond hair was pulled up, scrunched in tight curls. She wore a blouse that buttoned to her throat, and a gray skirt. She looked up, greeting him with a smile as he took off his hat.

“Hello,” she started. “You’re here to see Guile?”

Kyo nodded.

“He’s expecting you. Just head down to his office.”

“Thanks.”

Kyo followed a narrow hallway to Guile’s office. He could hear some faint shouting…from the direction he was heading. He frowned slightly, coming to a stop five feet in front of Guile’s office door. Sure enough, the shouting was coming from inside. He could hear Guile’s deep rumble, trying to assure, and a high-pitched voice, sounding very angry.

“You’re here,” came a voice.

 Kyo turned, seeing Chun Li. “I told you that I would be here.”

Chun Li nodded. She was wearing a white silk blouse, denim pants, and her long brown hair was pulled in a single braid, tied back with a blue ribbon. To her left was a blonde girl, dressed in a pale green blouse and black jeans. Her hair was pulled into two pigtail braids.

Chun Li gestured to her friend. “Kyo, this is Cammy, my friend, and one of the agency’s best operatives.”

 Cammy held out her hand, and Kyo brushed the back of it with his lips.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Kyo responded.

 Cammy giggled.

 Suddenly, the door to Guile’s office burst open, and a woman dressed in a blue silk dress stomped past them, ignoring Kyo’s greeting. Chun Li and Cammy were wide-eyed, and the three looked towards the office, noting that Guile stood in the doorway, looking frustrated and weary.

“Everything all right, sir?” Cammy asked.

Guile nodded. “Yes…it’s just that sometimes…clients have difficulty understanding that we don’t do our job in the name of revenge…Kyo, Chun Li, why don’t you come into my office? Cammy, you go…somewhere…”

 Cammy’s lips drooped into a frown. “B-But sir! I-”

 “Look, I know you haven’t seen Chun Li in a while, but that will have to wait. I need to speak to these two…alone.”

 Cammy sighed. “Very well, sir…” She walked away, shoulders hunched.

 Kyo and Chun Li filed into Guile’s office. Chun Li took a seat across from Guile’s desk, while Kyo stood.

 “First of all,” Guile began. “Thank you for coming on time…”

“It’s no problem,” Chun Li declared.

“Second…I suggest you keep your mission under a low profile. The couple that came in asking for the target is suing him for harassment…so I want you two not to attract attention.” Guile handed Chun Li a brown folder with papers inside. “That’s all the information we have on this Yagami. Kyo, please tell me if there’s anything else you feel we should add…”

 Chun Li opened the folder, noting that it contained a sketch of the target, a physical description, and information such as his birthday, his height and weight. She wrinkled her nose slightly. “It’s kind of short.” She handed the folder to Kyo.

Kyo flipped it open, scanned the contents, frowning in thought.

“There isn’t much on his family history…” Guile added apologetically.

 “So far, all I know is that his mother died while giving birth to him and his dad…well…his dad isn’t a candidate for father-of-the-year…” Kyo replied.

 “What about this ongoing feud between you two?” Chun Li pressed.

Kyo rolled his eyes. “Oh…that…well…before the Yagamis and Kusanagis settled in the West, there was a settler in the colonies who was actual a very rich man. He had acquired all kinds of riches while he was traveling over the world. When he got here, he was kind of paranoid…figured someone would try to rob him…steal his property…so he decided to have two bodyguards. One was a Kusanagi, the other a Yagami. He only wanted loyal, strong people to look after his riches, but the two families were good friends, and equals. So he though two was better than one. Anyway, in exchange, he would entitle each guardian and their families a certain amount of land. Years later, the Yagamis got a little more greedy, so they cut a deal with the rich man, and they were entitled to more land, and they also got some of the rich man’s wealth. The Kusanagis thought the Yagamis were too greedy, so they tried to confront them about that. Basically, my family got jealous of the special treatment. So they poisoned half the cattle of the Yagami family, and both families had been at war since…”

Guile cleared his throat. Chun Li shot Kyo an odd look.

“That’s what this big family feud is about?” Chun Li asked.

 Kyo shrugged. “Ever since the poisoning, each family has been told that it’s their sole mission in life to kill the youngest family member. Since I’m the last of the Kusanagis, and Iori Yagami of the Yagamis, it’s his mission to kill me. But my dad stopped caring about that feud. His influence rubbed off on me. Even if we were the ones that started it…I’m not going to continue it.”

“I’ve never heard of anything so bizarre…” Chun Li said.

Kyo arched a brow. “Is your family history perfect?”

She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry…”

“Back to business…” Guile said loudly. “Kyo, we can offer one thousand dollars as payment.” He picked up two sheets of paper with writing on them. “This is your contract. One is for our records, and the other is for yours. We will provide for you during this case from the moment you sign these documents until Yagami is brought here. After that…should something happen to you, you’ll be on your own. This contract also indicates that you know the dangers of this assignment, were of sound mind when you decided to assist us…so your family cannot sue us should anything happen to you.”

Kyo tossed Iori Yagami’s file on the desk and studied the documents Guile held out to him. “That sounds fair enough…but I’d like half of the payment now in cash, and the rest when Yagami is in custody.”

 Guile narrowed his eyes in thought. “All right. I can agree with that. How soon can you start?”

Kyo glanced at Chun Li, who cleared her throat. “Tomorrow. Is that all right?”

 At Kyo’s nod of approval, Guile responded, “That’s fine.” He added some additional details to the documents.

Kyo looked them over once more then signed both. Guile then signed the documents, and Chun Li signed as a witness. Kyo tucked one of the documents in his jacket pocket.

“The morning before you leave, report for more last minute instructions and I’ll give you your money,” Guile told them.

“Will do,” Chun Li declared.

The two headed to the door. Kyo reached out to open it for Chun Li, hearing someone stumble. Kyo and Chun Li looked down in surprise, noticing that Cammy was sprawled on the floor.

“Uh…Hello, loves…” she stammered. “I…I wasn’t listening in on the conversation, I swear…I just…thought you might need me close by, that’s all…”

 Kyo smiled, Chun Li sighed in defeat, and Guile rolled his eyes.

"That girl needs to get back to work..." Guile muttered.