Shadowlaw Airport.
 

A large group of fighters gathered near departure gate 15,

"Are you sure you do not require reinforcement, Elder Missy?" Sagat aaked.
"No. We will get them back ourselves or die trying." ChunLi said firmly.

Sagat handed Iwa a little package.

"It’s not a parcel bomb from the Master right?" Iwa asked skeptically.
"It is not, Little one. Please take care of Elder Missy. And bring Ryu back safely." Sagat said
"Sure thing."
"Mrs Masters are you sure about going along with them? This is a rather dangerous trip."
"I appreciate your concern but I will not sit around waiting in fear over the safety of my baby and husband."

"Li jie, is it wise to give them Volume 7 of Art of Shotoken?" Yun and Yang asked.
"Oh yeah about that book can I safekeep it?" Iwa asked.
"Lei yao you mei zhui yi ah? (What idea do you have)" ChunLi asked.

"Ngo mn gong de, Tian ji bu ke xie lou.(I cannot say. Heaven’s secrets are meant to be kept)" Iwa winked at her as she put the book into her backpack where the weapons other others and her own sword are, a faint blue light flicker as she stuff the book in.
 

"You’ll need someone to carry that heavy bag for you." Sean asked.
"Be my guest." She said coldly.
Sean tried to lift the backpack with all his strength, beads of sweat began to develop upon his brows but the bag remained stuck on the floor.

"What do you….keep in this bag… A 100 ton weight? " Sean said through his teeth. He was huffing and puffing by the time he gave up.

Iwa said nothing and lifted the backpack up with ease.
"Li Jie, can you hold on to this while I take my passport out?" she turned to ChunLi.
"Sure." While ChunLi was holding onto the backpack, Iwa search the front pockets, a little while later she found her passport in the side pocket. With that the five of them headed in to await their flight
 

------------
 

Twin Towers

In the dark dungeons, Gill and Urien went to see the ‘visitors’ who were brought in that morning. Awaiting them at the gate was the same brown hair woman. She lead them to see the prisoners. The three men and the boy were shackled and drugged as well.

"I was right to hire your team Vanessa. But who is this other blond one? I did not order his capture, Kill him."

"Kill him and our deal is off!" The warrior woman threatened. Gill and Urien back off, they know better and headed back upstairs to the control room.

"Yes boss, they have just left the Shadowlaw Airport. The little one has custody of the book. Our contact will be awaiting them at the Airport to send them to the Hotel where they would await more instructions.

"Good. Keep an eye on them. Nothing must be allow to go wrong."
 

While Gill and Urien are in the control room, the prisoners were visited by a shadowy figure.

"Ryu…..If you had chose to follow me those years ago, you would not have ended up in such a pathetic state." The figure shook his head.

"Why do you cling so tightly to hope? What did that Kurayami no Hanayome(Bride of Darkness) offer you to spare her life? When you fully accept the Satsui no Hado and it’s darkness, you would have power. Answer me my boy. Why do you reject me all the time? I know that though drugged you can still hear me. Bah! If you chose to hide in there I’ll come in after you!" he continued. Putting a hand on Ryu’s forehead, Akuma closes his eyes in concentration.
 

-------
 

He was now in Ryu’s mind. A dark place full of shadows.

<    This is not where I’m suppose to be. Even if affected by the Satsui no Hado, his mind has a place where he feels most at home….  > Gouki thought to himself.
 

There he was, Ryu and beside him was his dark side, Gouki thought he saw something darting about behind the Ryu. Oddly enough there was no ‘qi’ coming from whatever it was.

"Why do you not welcome me at the proper place instead of this defensive part of your mind."
 

Neither answered his question.

"You do know if I defeat you here you would be mine." Gouki said as he moves closer. Then it appeared from behind Ryu, though a shadowy figure, Gouki could make out a pair of sharp straight goat like horns on the shadow’s head, long sharp ears and a long tail with a fiery fan like crest at end. It crouched between Akuma and Ryu, ready to attack if he should make any move. Its eyes glowing with blue fire.

"So this pet demon is what she place in you to keep away my influence on you. Call it away!" Gouki growled.

"Why should I. I don’t really trust you old man." Evil Ryu spoke.
"How did that witch satisfied you enough to make you give up the Way of the Warrior?"

"I did not give up the Way of the Warrior! The Satsui no Hado is but a tool, the one who use it either corrupts with his evil intentions or let it leads him to the right path!" Ryu said.

"Mwahahahaha! Is that what my foolish and weak brother told you. Come with me and
I shall teach you the true meaning of the Satsui no Hado."

Neither made any attempt to follow Akuma. Akuma took one step forward, the shadowy demon dragon slashes his leg with its claws. Akuma moved backwards and growled.
 

"All three of you will tired, then I’ll have you Ryu one way or the other and Your mistress shall be here soon. Maybe I should find out for myself how satisfying she is for myself. Prehaps then I’ll know why you chose not to be my disciple. Then I’ll destroy that Kurayami no Hanayome and you! MWAAA HA HA HA HA!" Gouki pointed at the Demon dragon. He left Ryu’s mind and thought to himself.
 

<  There is a chance I can use these three others to make Ryu submit to me…  >  Gouki tried to enter the minds of the other three, but that same menacing creature was there as well keeping all of them out of his reach. Whoever had left that creature in them knew full well what he was capable of.

<  Best drained them of their ‘qi’ again. I don’t want them to use their ‘qi’ to shake of the effects of the drugs.   >  Gouki thought as he absorbed the ‘qi’ of the three men. He left Mel’s ‘qi’ alone thinking that the boy would have no idea how to use the ‘qi’ properly.
 

-----------
 

Greece Airspace

"Under different circumstances I would not mind coming to Athens with Ryu." ChunLi mumbled as she stared out the window before returning to stare at the ring on her finger

Eliza patted her hand, she understand how ChunLi felt. ChunLi closed her eyes in concentration, trying to trace his ‘qi’. It was as if Ryu’s ‘qi’ had disappeared from the face of the earth. She was unable to sense that strong and gentle ‘qi’, it was like something had covered up his ‘qi’, she tried tracing the ‘qi’ of the others but the results were the same.

Bending over with her face in her hands ChunLi tried hard to fight back her tears. She had never expected herself to feel so helpless about a situation.
 

Eliza look towards Zannah for guidance, but she knew the expressionless Zannah had tried to trace the four of them as well and had the same results. Yuri was in front of their seats, translating the text for Iwa who was busy scribbling down notes. A few moments later ChunLi steeled herself up
 

<   It would upset him to see me this way. I am not the Strongest woman in the world for nothing. I swear I’ll get them back or die trying.  > she thought to herself as she wiped away some tears.
 

-------
 

Their plane landed and they headed outside, there was a car waiting for them.

"Who sent you." ChunLi asked coldly as she offered him some money.
"The boss only told me what to do and nothing else. You are suppose to wait for another contact who should be meeting you with more information in the evening." The driver dared not take the money.

After dropping the five women off at a hotel the driver called back to Gill.

"Yes, boss they have arrived." He reported back.
"Good, report back to nearest base. Make sure nobody follows you."
"Yes. Boss."

They all checked into the same room. Yuri flipped through the papers.

"Local news. Man dies in hit and run….blah, blah, blah… Nothing much beyond this." Yuri said to herself.
"Yuri?" Eliza called, nothing wanting to upset ChunLi and Zannah any further.
"Yeah?"
"Why is she exceptionally quiet since we arrive to this place?" Eliza pointed at Iwa who was standing at the balcony.
"She’s trying to find them too…."
 
 

Time pass quickly evening came and still no contact arrived. They would have left this place conduct their own search if they knew where to start.

Late into the night ChunLi awoke to the sound of sobbing. Waking up she saw Eliza sitting on the couch, she was looking at the picture of Mel and Ken. She decided to let Eliza cry for ChunLi was unable to afford the luxury of crying In some way Eliza was crying for her as well.

ChunLi tried to comfort Eliza the best she could, she knew that herself is still rather emotional about Ryu’s disappearance. She had not a proper night’s rest since. ChunLi knew that no amount of crying could settle things at once. But she was unable to deny the fact the she missed his comforting presence.

<  Six years of marriage and hardly apart....  > ChunLi thought to herself.
 

Ryu had always being her pillar of strength, so patient he was to train her up to her present level. Always by her side when she needed him the most. Even when he was away from training she could always trace his ‘qi’, this time is like someone had hide his ‘qi’ to prevent her from tracking him down. For Ryu she had decided to suppress the urge to give into anything the Gill and Urien wants.
 

Suddenly Iwa jerk up from the floor where she had being sleeping, it was like her sensei was trying to find her. The first thing she did was grabbed her sword and rushed straight to the balcony, knocking into the table along the way. Everybody else was awake by this time.

Iwa sat cross-legged on the balcony floor, her sword standing vertically slotted between her ankles. The rainbow coloured dust within the orb gathered forming a blue flame in the centre.
 

"What’s going on?" Eliza asked
"Quiet! I think she sense something." ChunLi called for silence.

<<   Iwa….Don’t ask, Don’t speak. Just listen…. Good thing you were trained…. to…pick up weak signals…..   >> Ryu’s voice sounded in her head.
<<  Hey..Ryu! hurry it up We’re losing Ken!  >> Cole’s voice was in the background.
<<  We’re not dying or anything…. Just that pooling our ‘qi’ together is so draining…. Akuma didn’t realise that we stored some….. amount of our ‘qi’ in Mel…..  >> Ryu’s voice was weaknening.
<<  Hurry! We just lost Ken!  >> Cole called out again

<<  You’re tracking…us right…..you better….be….Tell the wives we’re fine….be careful Akuma is in this plan….. as well…… >>
<<  Uncle Ryu!…we lost Uncle Cole!..  >> Mel called out.
<<  Tell Li that I love her…..Her life and …..yours …..in danger……protect ….her…… Mel!…. He’s gone….. too…. Tell whoever is with you……..to be careful……>>  Silence as Ryu was gone as well.

"Map!….Map! Map!" Iwa shouted as Yuri brought it to her.
"South…….Off Crete Island……In Mediterranean Sea….I got em!! That’s where they are! " Iwa shouted. The rest hugged her in delight, they are now closer to their goals.
 

For the first time since Ryu’s disappearance, ChunLi was able to sleep a little better knowing that Ryu was safe for the time being. Her confidence renewed knowing she was not on a wild goose chase. She will not disappoint him by giving up no matter how hard it will be. ChunLi felt less guilty as she slowly drifts of to sleep with thoughts of Ryu and her together. Tomorrow they will be on their way……