** One day later, Small café, central Barcelona, Spain **

“Splendid dish, eh Sister?” He asks, chewing a slice of sizzling beef, sautéed with a very unique collection of spices, the texture full of juices, the meat succulent and emitting a very alluring aroma, one that makes any onlooker’s taste buds water.

Her smirks lightly, quirking a slender brow at his sibling, she returns the smirk “It’s ok, though I’ve had better, though I’m not surprised so excited, after all anything that’s meat and has some spices turns to a gourmet meal to you,” she jokes and winks.

He scowls and tosses a piece of bread at her, she giggles and catches it neatly, pushing it into her mouth with her finger and grinning at him “Mmm…You…mmm…need to learn to control that temmm…per bro” she muses as she wipes her lips with a napkin with an amused glint flickering in her eyes.

“You brat…” he mutters and glares playfully at his sis and whips her hand with his napkin, the rolled up cloth leaving a small mark, laughing lightly soon after.

She yelps lightly as it hits and rubs her wrist and pouts, “Meanie…” she says and hmphs , folding her hands together and leaning her chin on her hands, looking at him with a small offended frown.

He chuckles and almost chokes on his garlic bread before coughing and drinking some water. Suddenly his sister hushes him by lifting her finger to her lips and points behind him, giving him a knowing look.

He nods once and crosses his arms as someone walks over to their table, standing beside it and sitting in an empty third chair. Looking at both siblings coldly, eyes concealed behind dark shades, “Do you have it?” he asks calmly.

“It’s on me, the question is… “ The brother asks, while munching lightly on a piece of bread, gulping and wiping some sauce off the corner of his lip, he eyes him calmly “Do you have the payment?” he asks calmly.

“That I do; Hwang and Mei Hasigawa, the woman known as Ibuki is located in Southern Eastern Barcelona, This is the region she is estimated to find accommodations at, all the information you need is written down here, now the chip” he muses, putting down a large note, then lifting and opening his hand to receive the chip.

Mei nods and takes something out of the cleavage of Deep V-cut shirt, she holds it so he can see it and tosses it to him, the man remains motionless, if the slightly provocative and sultry move bothered or affected him, it is unknown; he grabs it and nods his head once before turning to leave.

Both siblings eye him as he leaves “You trust him?” Mei asks, as she wipes her mouth and puts the napkin down, leaning back into her chair and cradling her head with her hands.

“Not one bit” He muses, “But It can’t hurt to follow a lead, even if it’s false, it was worth the thought of how pissed off old man Geki will be when he figures out we’ve gotten the better of one of his dim witted students, again” he adds, flashing a grin.

Mei giggles and reflects his grin and winks “I guess you’re right, well, shall we my brother?” she asks as she gets up. Hwang nods and rises to his feet too, both leave some cash on the table, overall narrowly splitting the price of the meal and head for the door.

** Meanwhile, side street alleys of South Eastern, Barcelona, Spain **

She walks the midnight streets, her body melding within the darkness like a living part of the shapeless blanket of darkness. Her eyes are fixed forward with a cold look, a piercing brown gaze scanning the alley she traverses with calm and calculation.

Her hair flails in the evening winds, carried upon its currents, unseen fingers weaving through it and letting it dance majestically in the nocturnal light of the pale street lamps.

Her sneakers emitting gentle footsteps that reverberate silently through the empty alley, joining the gentle thuds of an backpack hitting her back lightly every minute or so as she walks slowly.

Upon her body a long jacket lies, flapping slightly with the wind, covering her body, her arms at her sides and her hands in her pockets, the warm fabric keeping her warm despite the relatively low temperature.

“Alone…” she whispers quietly, sliding one hand out of her pocket, holding a familiar silk mask, the mask that had accompanied her for over a decade, a trademark symbol of her origin and heritage, a thing she had become attached to and had used many a time.

A spark of pain and longing flashes in her eyes, her breathing hitching once, very silently as she shuts her eyes, gritting her teeth, clenching her hand around the soft cloth and grasping it with unyielding strength.

“I hate life, it’s the most unfair of things. After I had done all I could for all the people I know, all the days of my life. After I endlessly I fought, struggled and agonized in loneliness as I sunk deeper into the depths of my training, I am discarded, and for good reason, all because that son of a b*tch…” she thinks and lowers her gaze, gulping.

“Why? Why me? Now, at the apex of my life, when things were finally becoming normal., when I was finally due to finally see some results from my hard work and equally attend to college and begin my adult life…he had to show up and ruin my life…” she thinks and exhales through her tightly grit teeth.

She growls quietly and spins around, lifting and then extending her foot while hopping lightly on her other foot, using her momentum to augment the force behind the blow, kicking at a nearby garbage can hard, the thin metal denting and the metallic object hurtling away.

She lowers her leg, sighing heavily, she remembers clearly the day he life had been turned upside down, she was coming home from the movies, rushing after building suspicions of his true intentions, she had felt so foolish, blind to the truth due to her mother’s happiness.

The most loathsome villain she had ever encountered, Jason, the man she had foolishly trusted, he had planned to kill her, horridly underestimating her, and being beaten, then the essence of a more powerful had confronted her, the cunning power than had infused the cybernetic bastard was the power of X, a once mysterious lord shroud in secrecy.

He had beaten her, and mocked her, leaving a promise before he left her to cry and collect the shattered remnants of her life. Looming over her, he laughed as he promised he was watching her and the Shinobi closely, and if he ever had reason to believe the Shinobi know of his actions, not only would her mother die, but she would also be the catalyst of far worse consequences.

Meanwhile, Dark room, unknown location **

A soft moan escapes her throat; her eyes are heavy and the room though unseen is most definitely spinning, at least from her point of view. Her body is limp and weak, gentle touches of pain stabbing through her, though she strains to remember their origin or what happened in the last several days, her efforts are in vain, her memories seem to shy from her, slipping through her grasp like water.

It is cold, so very cold, chills running up her spine, as the air seems to ripple with her movements, the sensations off, her body very cold and she shivers unwillingly, coughing lightly in a silent manner.

To add to that, as absurd as it may seem, her clothing is so light, it is as if she is wearing nothing at all, she blames the sensations on exhaustion and mental strain.

To add to that, her hair that usually lies perfectly still seems to dance with a live of its own, an unknown reason acting like unseen piper leading it to an silent tune, her long hair dancing across her face, and licking against the milky white skin of her shoulders and back, in between her shoulder blades.

She shakes her head lightly and coughs lightly, dreading the light, feeling any touch of it will exert much pain from her, she dares not resort to that as of yet, she tries to move her hands, her wrists pained and an uncomfortable feel to them for some odd reason.

When she does, a gentle metallic ringing ensues and she pauses abruptly, her hands refuse to move, and that silent sound was a bad omen, something is terribly wrong, a sense of dread and fear filling her as familiar dark memories fill her mind, she grits her teeth and tries to move her legs, once more, she fails.

She then, seeing she has no choice, opens her eyes; the variety of bizarre reasons causing her to overcome her fear, she looks around, and the room is shroud in darkness. She strains to see, squinting her eyes, the room a black haze of liquid like raven. She exhales heavily and then hears her exhale being muffled by something.

She blinks, and looks down at herself, and then a look of shock rises to her face, her body tensing and a muffled cry of anger and disbelief escaping her throat as she thrashes her arms.

She grunts and strains, yet her arms still stubbornly refuse to move, her panic rising as she looks around, eyes darting quickly, her chest heaves as they recognize lie on someone who is watching her, seeing his silhouette now visible, if barely.

Her eyes seem to scan the figure, trying to recognize it, remaining narrowed and angry, then it hits her like lightning in broad daylight and her eyes widen, gasping in shock, disbelief and confusion exchanging her rage.

She looks at the figure, her shock slowly fading, a sense of vertigo overcoming her, as everything comes flushing through her like a tidal wave, all the small warnings, all the small doubts now making sense, her fears revisited and her eyes turning solemn and dark.

** Back in the Alley way **

Her eyes darken as she tosses the mask, the symbolic gesture meaning she has now burned down the bridges behind her, she has no more past, and she will never again be Ibuki Hasigawa heir to the Shinobi clan. From now on she shall be what she has always been, Ibuki Hasigawa: independent woman, street fighter and soon to be bearer of revenge toward the empire of Shadowlaw, just as soon as she can make sure her mom is somewhere safe.

She then weaves one hand through her hair, looking up at her bangs, it was time for a change, in image, as well as she feels it’s time she sew herself a new battle garment, for the usage of the Shinobi one will only trigger the ninja clan to hound her, now that she has been denounced and banished.

A pang of regret and longing pinch her heart as she thinks of having to put aside all she ever was, and begin anew, but she was strong enough. After all, she was one of the most skilled and strong willed Shinobi ever to grace her former clan, and was well known throughout the fighting circles as one heck of a street fight, if they had confidence in her, why shouldn’t she have the same musing on her ability.

She concludes with a small sigh and weary frown that she had not been though worse, but every bottom is only the beginning of a rising point, that’s what they say, so she knows she will rise from these ashes, just as she had been able to overcome the obstacles of last summer’s dreadful quest.

She looks down at her now empty hand and curls her fingers to her palm, shutting her hand to a tightly held first, shutting her eyes and letting her chi fuel her, wisps of blue soon encircling her fingers, a gentle hue emitting from her skin.

The gentle bluish glow lightens up her face a bit, the light reflecting against her dark eyes as she lets it intensify, looking at the essence of her inner power with silent admiration and slightly fascination. She realizes now, that she should toss off the silken gloves and fight with all she has, even at the price of killing a foe, only at last resort of course, but she was now alone, and could not afford to die or be left injured severely, not anymore, she had no more backup.

Her life force, the embodiment of her soul and inner being was her best weapon should she be cornered and helpless, should she let all her inner force focalize into her palm. She lets her mind linger on the many uses she had for it, she could unleash an energetic storm of power at her foe, and she could fuel her muscles with power and unleash blows of crushing force or even use her power to jab through nerve clusters to cripple of even kill a foe.

She had worked on several new techniques since last year, Geki teaching her some, and other being adaptations of other fighters she had witnessed in battle, of course they were most likely far less deadly or powerful than the original but with some artistic freedom she was able to make some very interesting new moves.

Being able to adapt the different styles and techniques into her native Shinobi stance was no walk in the park, many hours of training through sweat and blood had it cost her, leaving her spent and wounded many a time.

Though she had yet to use them, for she was unsure if she should dare cause such an uproar as mixing the purebred Shinobi techniques, treated as something almost as important as the bible to her former clan mates, she had no need to worry now it seems.

She then runs her hand gently across the wall, her fingers smoothing over the small cracks in the brick, smiling lightly to herself; it reminds her of her own home, fond memories filling her shortly, nostalgia invigorating her shortly as she envisions her mom’s face.

“It’s been so long since she I’ve seen you, I missed you immensely ma” she whispers very softly, her eyes glaze a bit and she shuts them, leaning her head against the brick wall a moment to push down the woe and longing.

“Awww, isn’t this a Kodak moment” a voice pierces through the darkness, cutting her sentimental moment, causing her to tense immediately, her eyes narrowing and seeming to blaze with cold rage and contempt as she slowly turns her gaze to the dark alley, “You…” she utters venomously.

** Meanwhile, At the unknown location **

“Ahh, so you’ve finally risen from your slumber mother, Welcome to Shadowlaw’s secret research facility, my own private laboratory, I know the scenery isn’t the best in the world, but you’ll learn to love it…” Xavier’s voice muses in almost a chip, with a hint of amusement, a silky chuckle escaping his throat as he taps the handle of a large leather chair, sitting before the suspended Rose, wearing a smug expression, obviously taunting her.

Rose is hanging inside a tube full of murky liquid, metallic bands constraining her from her wrists and ankles. She is unclothes and many electrodes are placed against her spine, also two are procuring from her temples as well as some from the area connecting her neck to her skull, all connected to long wires.

A black mask is connected to her mouth, pumping oxygen into her lungs and releasing the carbon Dioxide into the water, where small filters keep the water clean of the excrement. In addition, some tubes are inserted into her arms, pumping odd various liquids into her blood, mainly Glycogen and several types of minerals needed to keep the Homeostasis in her blood and sustain her body.

“I should’ve known…I should’ve known you use me! Just like the others!” Rose muses angrily, thrashing angrily at the binding bands holding her in place, her eyes cold and murderous, as she battles with her inability to move.

Xavier claps and rubs his chin, “very observant mother, I’m impressed, though you’re a tad late, as you always were, in seeing the trap set before you,” Xavier muses and waves his fingers and his power dances lightly at his fingertips.

Rose’s eyes erupt into violent fire, power encircling her irises and dancing inside around her like serpents, the tendrils licking against her as she tries to create a psychic shockwave around her to free herself.

She suddenly gasps and convulses as the electrodes seem to leech her the power from her, the violent violet power being pumped through wires, her body being jolted horribly and bubbles filling the large tube as she screams in agony and writhes against the pain.

Rose finally stops as she stops summoning her power and hangs limp from the binding chains, some blood spilling into the murky liquid, mixing with it, her thrashing so violet she had wounded her wrists; she pants heavily, her chest heaving.

“Why? What did…I do to…deserve this?” she asks quietly through heavy pants, looking at him, with a weak, desperate and dark look, her eyes a bit hollow and dead in their glint, life seeming to drain from her.

“Did you honestly think I’d embrace you as my mother? What spur of stupidity filled you when you thought I’d truly take in my father’s murderer and love her? I was expecting some resistance, but you seemed so needy of affection or kindness you played right into my plans perfectly, I didn’t even have to manipulate you much.” He muses.

“You…” she mutters and her eyes fill with bloodlust and murderous intent as she grits her teeth, her pants deepening, but this time not from pain or exhaustion, but under the strain of controlling her rage.

“Oh pipe down woman, escaping won’t be very possible, and besides, you won’t be conscious most of the time, I’m only giving you the treat of knowing what I’m going to do with you, as a gift, to repay you for your gratitude in killing those annoying little psychics…” he muses, chuckling lightly.

“I…I lost control, that wasn’t me…it was…the da…” she mutters quietly, lowering her gaze, biting her lower lip under the mask, guilt filling her and regret of being played with so easily and submitting to the darkness. She had sought release through freeing the negative emotions, only to be bound far worse than ever before, she feels her heart sink at that notion and shuts her eyes, sighing heavily as her son’s laughter rings in her head.

** Meanwhile, Interpol Gym, Main Interpol NY branch complex **

“Kick, move, breath, pause; sidestep, leap, spin, kick, land, pause, breath. Punch, jab, step back, kick, pause, roll” Chunli thinks as she pants lightly, currently hard at work in performing a training Kata. Her skin is glistening with a layer of perspiration, her chest heaving with small pants.

She eyes a punching bag, her eyes narrowing, calming her breath. She swallows and licks her lower lip, envisioning Jason in its place, her fingers curling into her palms, her fists being drawn up to her Wu Shu kung fu Stance.

“Concentrate on your foe, read his movements, strike!” she thinks and steps forward, shifting her hips sideways while lifting her leg, swinging her foot in whip fast speed , her limb hitting the bag, it swinging sideways under the powerful blow.

Then the second her legs returns to the ground she shifts her body alongside a movement of her hips, using her legs to add leverage and momentum to her movement while sending her fist screeching forth, hitting the bag in its center. She then exhales while following the movement while bringing her other leg closer to the first and leaning her body forward with an elbow jab, hitting the sack heavily and causing it to fly back a bit.

She then leaps upward, “You are a wave, hit upon the shore, break against the rocks,” she thinks and as she catapults herself from the ground, she begins a spinning motion. She inhales deeply while bringing her legs to her chest before turning toward the punching bag with her spin and then extending her leg quickly, stabbing it high, where a man’s head would normally be.

“D*mn you! You Bastard! Why?!” she whispers to herself, her eyes glazing a bit, reminiscing upon Guile, one of her only real friends, the thought of his demise painful, punching the bag repeatedly, her punches sinking into the punching bag, the sound of it shuddering filling the empty gym, as well as heavy pants, as small tears threaten to engulf Chunli’s eyes.

“You won’t escape me…Jason…I swear…” she mutters and envisions his smirking face, his deep laughter and glowing red eyes eyeing her with sheer amusement, and her anger boils inside her, as she pulls her hand back and feels her Ki build inside. It flows through her like a gush of furious water, drowning her in power as she lets it accumulate into her fists.

“Let it flow within, let it swirl, let is grow…hold it…let it grow…unleash it! Let it explode!” she thinks and sends her hands forward, cupping both together and narrowing her eyes, furious blue glows within her irises as she screams, venting her rage and releases it in the form of waves of pulsing, raging energy.

“KIKOSHOU!” she screams as her power expands from her open palms, gushing outwards in waves of rippling energy, the crackling blue electricity beginning to meld into a huge sphere that illuminates the whole hall. It is blinding in intensity, the collision of the chi against the chi creates a powerful recoil that sends it off its hinges and flying backward, exploding, the sand spilling everywhere.

She then exhales heavily and lets her hands fall to her sides, panting heavily, sweating, quite spent, barely able to stand, the usage of chi and long hours of training quite a experience, barely keeping her footing and putting her hands on her legs as she crouches lightly, breathing heavily.

The door opens behind her, and someone whistles, looking impressed, footsteps pacing behind her, Chunli brushes her sweaty, damp hair from her face and stands up, stretching, sniffling lightly and turning to the speaker, flashing a small smile.

“Cammy, what brings you to the US?” She asks, curiously while walking over to a bench, sitting down, grabbing a water bottle and drinking the cool liquid thirstily, shutting her eyes, shuddering slightly at the coldness as it slides down her throat.

Cammy sits down near her “We got a lead, on new Shadowlaw operations…” Cammy says, her smile fading a bit, turning to her, looking solemn and serious, “I reckon you won’t be liking this…” Cammy muses.

Chunli quirks a brow and stops drinking, putting the water bottle down, turning to look at Cammy curiously, “Why the long face? I thought these are good news,” Chunli says quietly and looks a bit intimidated at Cammy’s unusually serious look.

Cammy hands her a file, taking it out of a small bag she has with her, Chunli wipes her hands with small towel and grabs it, browsing through it, her eyes narrowing, and turning angry as her grip on the paper tightens,

** Back in the unknown location **

“Hahaha, do you honestly believe that mumbo jumbo about the dark entity? How amusing, It is but a fable and myth you fool, a bedtime story meant to scare little children of the psychic world, the voice your heard in you head was my own, I simply released your rage to blinding levels, that is psycho power, not some ghost feeding off psychics…” he says.

“Father was also consumed by his little delusions of being possessed while in sense he suffered from what you do now, schizophrenia, the trauma is what made him plummet into the darkness you gullible twit, just as you are now, the raping, pain and betrayal of your loved ones and peers caused you to partition you mind into two. When I beckoned before you to feel the darkness, you embraced both sides and let the suppressed emotions to surface, the psycho power you fear so, is nothing but psionic energy fueled by dark emotions, as soul power is the polar opposite, feeding off the positive emotions in one’s soul” He explains to Rose.

“That’s…impossible…” she says, though doubt flushes through her, gulping, not wanting to believe, shutting her eyes “YOU LIE!” she screams, thrashing and glaring at him angrily.

“It’s amusing so many psychics could be deluded by the little myths erected, meant to try and prevent following the darkness to avoid from most psychics to lose sanity at the furious force of the dark emotions, suppressed at almost all times. Once unleashed, the psionic potential is augmented by hormones and chemicals that flush the brain, triggered by the release of adrenaline caused by emotional turmoil, from glands in one’s body. Thousands of years of lies, and fear are all a result of trying to avoid simple biological processes” he muses, his eyes glowing, fire of soft violet surrounding his fingers and dancing between them gracefully.

“I researched the biologic processes and reactions secretly, by monitoring father, of course the experimentation had some side effects, but it was all well used, for I know how to manipulate your mind, and augment your power. I will manipulate it carefully, it channeled and controlled through a special device I’ve built upon father’s obsolete little psycho drive shall harness your power to my goals, be proud mother, you’re helping your baby boy take over the world” Xavier says cheerfully and shrugs.

Rose is about to speak out in rage as his inhumanity and how monstrous his actions are, but Xavier beats her to it, smiling lightly, pushing some buttons on a console near his chair and then turning to her, smiling brightly.

“Now now Rose, I have little time to stay and chitchat, but I’ll let you think about my words as you swim upon the euphoric waves of the chemicals infused into your veins. Do take care mom, hehe, good day” he muses quickly and performs a quick curtsey bow, before his eyes glow once, in bright blue, and his body emits a bright flash, when it subsides he has already melted into thin air, teleporting elsewhere.

Rose growls angrily and screams in frustration as the tubes in her arms pump liquids into her veins, she whips her head from side to side, trying to keep herself awake, but she was never an expert in biology, her muscles only causing her blood to pump faster through her veins and spread more quickly, very soon falling asleep.

** Back in the alley **

“In the flesh baby” the man says and chuckles, stepping out from the darkness of the alley behind her, leaning against the wall, being bathed in the pale light of a streetlamp, he’s wearing a long black trench coat, black shades concealing his eyes, his long blond hair flailing in the gentle wind.

Ibuki scowls and glares at him “What do you want you overgrown paper weight?” she asks him, coldly, while crossing her arms under her breasts.

“Aw, dun get jumpy little has been, former ninja brat, you wouldn’t want mommy to get in trouble, would you?” he asks, sneering at her while chuckling and toying with his fingers idly.

Ibuki’s eyes smolder with cold rage as glares at him, the remark stinging and causing her heart to scream and veins to pump with the intensity of hatred and indignation filling her soul, she doesn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction other than that though. “I want proof my mother’s alive, when I have it, you’ll get your chip, I don’t trust you bastards anymore…” she says, quietly. “I can’t trust anyone anymore…” She adds to herself in her mind and sighs inwardly, but continues wearing her calm facade.

Jason rubs his chin and weighs her words “That’s a fair request, I guess. Although I can’t predict what the boss will say about it. I don’t think he likes you Shinobi clan reject, it might be problematic…” he muses with a shrug.

“I don’t give a sh*t about his opinion, tell that rotten little SoB, if he doesn’t get my the proof of life, you’ve got no deal, you’ve been pushing my goat for far too long, I find it unacceptable,” she muses quietly.

I’ll tell ya what girlie, I’ll give you the proof you need, and you give me the chip, but I’ll need some time, why don’t you meet me here, in 2 days” he muses, handing her a note, holding it so she sees it.

Ibuki eyes him suspiciously, “This better not be a trick tinfoil man, or I’ll smash the chip,” she says coldly as she takes it, reading the information on the note and lifting her gaze to him. “Why there?” she asks, coldly.

“You’ll see when you get there, you’ll need to work to get the little info you want, if you amuse me enough you’ll get it” he muses, “what do you say?” he asks, quirking a brow, wearing a neutral expression.

”He’s up to something, I’m probably going to get screwed by Shadowlaw again, his eyes show slight anticipation and his body tenses with the same notion, It’s walking into the hornet’s nest…but, what other choice do I have? I got nothing else I can do anyway, he knows very well I’ll say yes, that SoB, Grr…I hate this all…” She thinks and nods slowly.

“I don’t have much choice, do I? I’ll be there,” she says quietly in a solemn voice, turning from him and walking away, she could use those 2 days to do make some modifications in herself, to adapt to her new status and situation.

Jason smiles and nods “Good…I’ll be waiting” he muses, with a coy grin, cracking his knuckles once and turning in the opposite direction. ”This should prove amusing…either way, if it works or not, I still benefit, because plan B, is even worse…Sometimes I could just kiss the boss for his golden idea…” Jason thinks as he walks off.