as long as you use english to tell the story im good LOL
Nice entry, i can almost see where this is going, i hope you enlighten up as to what happen to Mel.
nice work Ryunnosuke cant wait to see more nice job showing the differences between yun and yang
Nice storytelling, there.
Btw, may I suggest you use the latest version of the Plot Guide (4.4) if ur gonna be referencing it.
http://fightingstreet.com/folders/variousinfofolder/variousinfopages/streetfighterplotguide.txt
Keep tha goodness coming. Peace.
Chapter 2, Part 2: Missing Persons
Birth of the Cold Dragon
Chapter 2: Dragon of Wind, Dragon of Water
Part 2: Missing Persons
Author: Ryunnosuke
Date: May 14, 2006
Author’s Preword: Well, it would appear that The Street Fighter Plot Guide has 180’ed on me about some of Yun and Yang’s origins. In the 4.4 version, it states that they were born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong, and in my version it is vice versa. So for my purposes, I will have to stay with Shanghai being their home. Ah well. Special thanks goes out once again to gouki10 and S.Long Forever, as well as Golden Dragon who provided me with 4.4 SFPG. Thanks and enjoy!
Story Synopsis: The fourteen-year-old boy known as Mel Masters lived a happy, carefree life, until the day when he received a disturbing cellphone message from his mother. Making his way home, he discovered his mother and father, Eliza and Ken Masters, had been murdered. Traumatized by their deaths, Mel lapsed into a deep depression. As his family tried to decide what to do with the young man, Mel’s friend Kyoko revealed possible evidence that his parents had been murdered by very different circumstances than what the police had revealed. Together, they began to dig for the truth. Mel was hindered by his uncle, Commander Guile, who appeared to be following him. Needing time to himself, Mel ran and hid in a secluded park, where he witnessed a gang harassing an old man and young girl. Despite his best efforts, Mel failed to protect the two victims, and was rescued by his uncle. After a week of recovering from his wounds, Mel came to terms with his uncle, and learned more about his parents deaths from Kyoko’s sources. Their suspicions proved accurate, as the FBI and Interpol were working together to cover up the facts. It became apparent to Mel that the only way to find out the truth was to leave his home and investigate on his own. Thus, he accepted the agreement and decision his parents had made years before, and went to look for his godfather, the legendary fighter Ryu, but only so that he could seek his own answers.
China, Hong Kong, Airport (two days earlier)
The first thing Mel did when he reached Hong Kong on his trip to Japan was to find a telephone store and buy a prepaid cellphone with plenty of worldwide and air time minutes. He quickly ripped off the protective plastic and registered the phone under a fake name. If he intended to do any digging into Interpol, he was going to need alternate methods of communication. Prepaid phones were harder to trace and were expendable. When he reached Japan, he would pick up a Japanese phone as well. Mel had the insight to secretly switch over a sizeable amount of money he had in his account into hard currency, and redirected the rest of it into foreign bank account.
After his purchase, Mel asked a clerk how many more hours until his switch over flight to Japan. Finding he had around seven more hours to spare, Mel decided to make the most of it. He was going to need supplies when he reached Japan. The first thing on his checklist was to purchase software upgrades for his laptop computer. Mel needed more space as well as tracking and hacking programs. He didn’t want to buy them in Hong Kong, since the selection would be poorer than in Japan, and because he didn’t speak Mandarin. Second, Mel would need a fake ID and birth certificate. If he got those items in Hong Kong, his person wouldn’t fit the description. However, it would still be handy to have if he ever had to purchase items that direct involvement wasn’t required. Finally, Mel decided that a backpack filled with utility equipment, such as flashlight, batteries, radio, and the like would be ideal if he ever had to lay low. Anything beyond that, he would be able to buy with the substantial amount of money he had already withdrawn.
You see, Mel had no intentions of staying with his supposed godfather. As soon as he reached Japan, Mel intended to make a direct line to the University of Tokyo. Under the pretense that he was an exchange student looking for college possibilities, Mel intended to sneak into the personal office of a man by the name Kanbei Matsuno, a professor in the fields of criminal behavior and criminal profiling. From his wireless internet connection, Mel had learned that Kanbei-san had been working by special permission by the dean of the school, due to his special expertise in his field. But more importantly, Mel had learned that Kanbei-san had served as a criminal profiler for Interpol. It was Mel’s best chance to learn more about Interpol directly, rather than rely on electronic sources that could be tampered or fabricated.
Sorry, “uncle” Ryu, Mel thought, but I’m going to have to cancel our happy little family get together. I’ve got more important things to do. The young teen hailed a taxi, and left the airport for the shopping districts of Hong Kong.
China, Hong Kong, Shopping District
After a extended shopping trip, Mel had almost everything he needed. He had a back pack of emergency supplies, as well as a few new outfits to wear. He even managed to find a computer store that sold compatible software and upgrades for his laptop. Now, as he sat in front of a ramen shop in northern Hong Kong, Mel patiently awaited the arrival of a forgery specialist who could provide him with the proper documentation for a fake ID. It’s funny, he thought, but I never would have found this out if my old buddies hadn’t hosted drinking parties while their parents were away. They told him the quickest way to get fake ID’s were to ask the bartenders themselves. Mel smiled. I guess I know a guy who knows a guy…
While shopping, Mel had been unable to resist the urge to spend a little money on himself. He had picked up several chic looking outfits, as well as a long sleeved white gong-fu style training uniform. It had wooden button ties and dark, sturdy pants. Mel made a mental note to actually use it for training from time to time, instead of simply to impress people. Putting his outfit down, Mel surveyed his surroundings.
Hong Kong lived up to its description, as the city where East meets West. Mel had been worried that he would be unable to operate in a culture that was so vastly different from his own, but it had turned out that he had nothing to worry about. The city itself was rife with everything from the latest European fashion to the traditional Chinese fares. Malls dotted the landscape, and it seemed that every district had a Chinese herbal shop. The thick smells of herbs and spices from what seemed like a thousand different restaurants almost drove Mel to his knees in hunger. The ramen he was currently eating was laden with vegetables and pork. It had taken a lot of effort not to wolf it down. Any type of food was available, from American to Korean cuisines.
In the distance, Mel could see towering structures made from the most modern architectural designs. Business was booming in Hong Kong. It had always been known as a major trading city. Metro systems kept the railway public transport going day and night. Mel really would have loved to stay the night in Hong Kong, just to see the nightlife of the metropolis.
Mel was roused from his musings by a tiny man with a thin Fu Manchu mustache that stretched well below his chin. His circular dark eyeglasses made it impossible to see his eyes. His yellow Han Fu robes hid his thin frame. The man pulled a yellow packet from under his overrobe and slid it in front of the young man.
“You know,” Mel said in English, “I might not be the person you are expecting, huh? What if you have the wrong person?”
“No one acts like they aren’t suspicious if they truly had nothing to hide.” the man replied in accented English.
“Does that even make any sense?” Mel said, a little confused.
“Perhaps. But no else here fits your description, even by the mixed standards of Hong Kong. Also, no one else here is trying his hardest to be noticed, and yet remain discreet. Finally, no else here would order the pork special from Huang Mu’s ramen shop.”
“Fair enough.” Mel said. “But what’s wrong with the ramen?”
The man waved his hand in front of his face in disgust. “Nothing I would want to mention.”
Mel began to regret ordering the ramen. Food even the Chinese wouldn’t eat? These people eat cats and dogs, right? Mel slid the bowl away and pulled the packet to him, trying hard not to think about the food. Looking inside, he found a birth certificate and ID made out to ‘Hou Li Won’. “Is this some kind of joke?” Mel asked. “Holy one? Only an idiot wouldn’t catch the word play around here.”
The man grunted. “I had hoped that the irony would please you. Besides, it’s the only one I have on such short notice; you aren’t the only one who wasn’t fooled.” The man looked around nervously. “Look, take it or leave it. I have to go soon.”
The light at the table dimmed as five Chinese men walked up to the table. Mel shaded his eyes to get a look at them. They wore plain, nondescript cheongsams, and large shades that covered their eyes. Mel’s senses screamed danger and warning. One of the men stepped forward. He was slightly taller than the rest, and he walked with the grace of one ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. He glared at Mel’s contact. “Leave.” he said, roughly.
The contact gulped and left while the leaving was good. He left the packet and ran for his life. Mel came to the conclusion that he would be alone for this. Which was not a good thing, since he was still quite beaten from his fight in San Francisco. His leg and ribs were still broken, and bruises covered most of his body. Mel leaned back in his chair. “What can I do for you?”
“Just come along quietly.” The leader said. He reached for Mel’s shoulder, grasping it hard enough for Mel to suck air in through his teeth in pain.
To hell with this, Mel thought. Using his good leg, Mel kicked the small table he was sitting at into the man, knocking him back into his comrades. All but one of them was stunned. He ran towards Mel, fist raised. Mel looked around quickly and spied a waiter standing nearby. The customers of the ramen shop were looking around in shock and surprise. Mel quickly grabbed a bowl of hot, steaming ramen. The heat burned his hand, but he forced himself to ignore the pain. As the man got near, Mel lobbed the bowl into the man’s face.
The resulting scream alerted most of the people in the surrounding area. Mel had hoped that they would come to his aid, but it appeared that the civilians in this neighborhood were unwilling to get involved. They quickly began to clear out. A police officer seemed to be attempting to make his way over to help, but was being hindered by the traffic. Mel found himself standing, well, sitting alone, as his assailants recovered. I’m in for it now, Mel thought.
Stuffing the yellow packet into his backpack, Mel grabbed his crutches and quickly limped towards a nearby alley. He knew he was in trouble as soon as he entered the mouth of the path; at the other end, five more men dressed in a similar manner as his attackers spied him and began to run towards him. Mel wheeled around, only to find that his exit was also blocked off by angry looking men. “Look, I’m sure we can talk about this, right guys?” Mel said, smiling nervously while backing up to the wall.
Well, Mel thought as rough hands grabbed him and forced a foul smelling, chloroform laced rag over his face. At least I tried.
China, Shanghai, Downtown, current day
“So where do you wanna look first?”
It was the eleventh time Yun had asked the question, and his younger brother was getting pretty tired of it. The two brothers were sitting on a bus on it’s way through downtown Shanghai to meet with contacts of theirs who may have information about their mission. Yang sat next to his brother with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper, while Yun slouched in his seat with his arm over the banister. “We will look where our informants tell us to look.” Yang replied. “We don’t have much else to go upon.”
Silence fell between the two brothers. The bus slowed and let off a few passengers. As it started up again, a few people sat down nearby. “Yeah, but,” Yun began again, “If you had to guess where they would tell us to look, where would you look first?”
Yang angrily threw down his paper and rubbed his forehead. “Is there a reason you’re asking these questions?”
“Not particularly.” Yun paused. “Well, maybe.” Yang groaned. “I was just wondering if you had any ideas where the kid could be. I mean, if it were me- you know, if I was the one who had kidnaped him- then I would have locked him up in a warehouse with about a hundred guards.”
Yang picked up his paper and began studying it again. After a moment, just as Yun thought he wouldn’t answer, he said, “And you would do all this just for anyone?”
“What do you mean?” Yun asked.
Yang gave him a skeptical look. “I mean, you would use a hundred guards for just anyone? What if it was an old woman? Would you guard her so closely?”
“Well, maybe not. I doubt an old lady would get away quickly.” Yun looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe just fifty.”
Yang sighed. “What I’m trying to point out is that we don’t even know why the young man has been taken. We don’t know who he is or why he was in Hong Kong to begin with. Most people who are kidnaped are taken for a reason.”
“Hm. You have a point. Maybe it was a guy who’s wife got the kids?” Yun shaded his eyes and looked out the window. They were almost there. He prodded his brother.
Yang reached up and pulled the cord that signaled the driver to stop. “He is young enough that it could be a possibility. However, I highly doubt it.”
“Why not?” Yun asked as the two disembarked from the public transport.
Yang ran his finger down the length of his chin as he answered. “Because Interpol is involved. An organization like Interpol wouldn’t be involved if it was something as trivial as protection from a scorned parent. No, the kid has to be important in some way.”
“And that’s what we need to find out?”
“Exactly.”
“…” Yun mulled over this new information. “So like, where would you look?”
Yang sighed. He honestly wondered what he had done to deserve a brother like Yun.
The two men walked up to a store at the intersection of downtown Shanghai. The sign outside indicated that it was a computer hardware store, but it was front for an information broker by the name of Chiang Sho. Chiang Sho was an elderly woman who’s husband had left her at the tender age of 24 with four children at her side. Now 61, Ms. Sho had worked hard over the years to provide for her family, but never truly succeeded at manual labor. However, she had a real knack for digging for information. Yang had helped Ms. Sho many times over the years, including teaching her about electronics and introducing her to skilled hackers. From then on, Sho had incorporated computers into her work, and had become very successful at information gathering. It was time to call in a favor or two.
Walking inside, Yang called out a greeting, but quickly choked on his own words. The scene that greeted him was the last thing that he had ever expected to see. The familiar cramped store, that had once held the oldest and newest electronic gadgets, had been ransacked. The shelves that held Sho’s latest display of computer equipment was smashed in, and the tables of her wares turned over. But worst of all, a bloody trail left a red streak from the front into the back room.
Recovering from the shock, Yang ran into the back room, Yun not far behind. The two slid to a stop on the wet floor. Ms. Sho’s backroom, which had once been her work den, was also devastated. A coppery odor permeated the area. The old woman they were looking for laid in the middle of the room, a dark pool of blood spilled around her. Yang walked forward, and turned his friend on her side. Her white face was locked in a frozen grimace, a red line trailing her throat. Her neck had been slit from ear to ear. A sob forced its way through Yang’s mouth. He hadn’t meant to let it escape, but he couldn’t help it.
“Come on,” Yun said softly, his hand grasping his brother’s shoulder. “We have to go.” He bit his lip when Yang shook his head. “Please, Yang, we have to go. We don’t know if anybody else is here, and we don’t want to get caught here if the police come. Please, Yang…”
Damn you, Yang thought. It figures you act mature now. He looked around the room, horror and sadness threatening to overwhelm him. Something suddenly attracted his attention. A small red arrow, drawn in blood, was pointing towards Ms. Sho’s computer. “Wait.” Yang said, standing and walking over to the desktop. The machine was on standby, with the screen saver flashing an old Chinese proverb across in monitor. Yang pressed Enter on the keyboard, and the screen flashed out of the marquee. A file was opened on the old woman’s computer. It was an image file of a police report from two days ago. The article was about a disturbance in downtown Hong Kong, about a group of men who disappeared with a disabled young foreigner. The description of the young man fit the picture of the child the brothers were looking for.
“What are doing?” Yun said, urgency in his voice. Yang was reaching behind and ripping the cords out of the back of the computer. “We gotta go! What do you need that for?”
“We need to take this. The hard drive has information on our target.” Yang quickly opened the case and slipped the drive out and into his inner pocket. It bulged slightly, but was less conspicuous than the whole desktop. “Okay, let’s go.” The two brothers slipped through the back door, and quickly left the scene.
China, Shanghai, Twin Shanghai
Yang plugged the hard drive into his computer. That should do it. The two brothers had just gotten back to the restaurant from downtown. After a quick report to their uncle Lee, the three men had gathered in Yangs room to see what the hard drive contained.
Yun and Lee were acting gently around Yang. While Yun had always been outgoing and brash, Yang had always been the emotional one. Despite his new attitude, Yun knew his younger brother was a torrent of emotion at the moment, and he didnt want to upset him anymore than he already was.
The screen booted up, and the desktop menu flashed unto the screen. Yang quickly brought up the police report that Ms. Sho had been investigating. After reading it, Yang located the folder the image file was in, and began to sift through the files. There was two other image files and a text file in the folder. The text file was a copy of the image file of the police report. The first image file was a exact copy of the picture that Interpol had given Lee.
Coincidence? Lee asked.
Not likely. Yang responded. The next image file was a picture of the young man at Huangs ramen shop in downtown Hong Kong. It looked like a enlarged picture cut from the original image. He was sitting across from a thin man, who appeared to be having a conversation with him. I know this man. Hes a black marketeer in Hong Kong. I think his name is Mao Han. I wonder what he was doing with the child…
Yun pumped his arm into the air. This is great! Weve got a lead!
One second. Yang tapped a few commands into his computer. He brought up a filter program. I introduced Ms. Chiang to computers, but it was her passion, not mine. In the end, she taught me a few things. She may have some hidden files… Got it! A new document file had appeared on the computer. Yang double-clicked it. The document was a background file on the young man.
Mel Masters? Yun asked, perturbed. That name sounds familiar…
Yang scanned the document again. He is the son of Ken and Julia Masters. His family is famous for their chain of five star hotels across the globe. And according to this, he is the heir to the Masters fortune. His parents died about two weeks ago.
Ken Masters? Lee asked. He was a Fighter, as I recall. A famous one in his own right, from what I understand. Ive never actually met the man. The older man stroked his chin. But why would Chiang have this information?
Because of us. Yang said. His uncle and brother looked at him uncomfortably, obviously dreading what he was about to say next. Someone knew we were going to pay Ms. Sho a visit; information gathering was her specialty and she was one of our best informants. Also, this information is too new and recent to assume that just anyone would have it. Someone wanted this information to stay hidden and quiet in Shanghai. I daresay our other informants are also being silenced. Yun and Lees eyes widened as Yang continued. Also, whoever killed Ms. Chiang wasnt a professional. First, discretion wasnt a priority in their task; anybody could walk in and see what had happened. Second, the fact that they left the information on her hard drive intact shows that they must have assumed that killing Sho would be enough to solve their problem. And finally, no one was at the scene when we arrived, meaning that we must have missed her attackers by mere minutes. Otherwise, someone would have called it in to the police by then.
Yun cursed. He ran out of the room to alert the gang. Lee shook his head. This is getting worse by the minute, and time is something we are quickly running out of. There are no guarantees. he said, looking at Yang.
No, uncle, Yang disagreed. Theres only one guarantee. He held up his fist and clenched it into a fist. Someone is going to pay very, very dearly for this.
*End of Chapter 2, Part 2: Missing Persons
Author’s Afterward: Comments always welcome, I read all of them! Also, heres a question: How did you rate the combat written in Chapter 1? Good? Bad?
nice job Ryunnosuke and the combat in chapter 1 was good
Very nice, this maybe better than Udon…
This is an apology. I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to update this fic as I should have, but life has been hectic for me lately. I’ve been sucked into the MMORPG goodness of MapleStory again, my little sister is graduating, and my boss has to leave my city, in which I may be out of a job in a month.
Sigh.
I promise that I will try and get the next installment out by Sunday night. And if your fanfiction craving asses can’t wait, go check out Hokuto’s Old Guys Rule fanfic featured in the fanfic section. It’s pretty good.
Laters,
Ryunnosuke
dude you don’t need to apologize for anything…lol.
fact is you DON’T got to write another chapter. We appreciate everything you’ve written so don’t feel bad ever.