No Event - Medium Aphros

[lightningkick]

1:51 A.M.The apartment was dimly-lit and quiet, save for the patter of running water, shortly cut off by the squeak of the turning faucet. Chun-Li wrung the water out of her long hair before stepping onto the fluffy mat laid out next to the shower stall. An old yellow towel was wound around her body, another being scrubbed through her hair before

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PARTNER YOU SAY?!

[leftjoker]

Her partner, Hidari Shoutaro, might have some complaints about that as he enters the living room. "Yare yare, still up, are we?" The Kamen Rider had been called onto the case a few days ago, and had been especially cooperative in helping Chun-Li. It was his first assignment with Interpol, but that didn't mean his experiences in taking down Museum didn't help. "I would have thought you smart enough to at least take a nap."

PARTNER! And sorry for the delay!

[lightningkick]

"And I would have thought you were smart enough to knock first," she replied with an easygoing grin. Chun-Li certainly didn't mind the intrusion; welcomed it, in fact, since it was more difficult to drift off and wake up with a temporary QWERTY tattoo embedded in her cheek if there was someone else to chat with. "Besides, you're just as awake as I am, so you're not allowed to criticize."

She shifted on the couch, tucking her strong legs comfortably beneath her and to the side. "There's some fresh coffee in the pot. You remember where the mugs are kept, right?"

Her eyes followed Hidari as he crossed the room. A late night visit wasn't terribly unusual, but more often than not it was to drop off private documents or report in on what he'd managed to pick up on surveillance. "What have you got for me tonight, anything good?"

Late tags are late. :P

[leftjoker]

Bah, I'm still not used to this timezone. Jetlag is a bitch. [Grabs mug, Coffee Get-to!] But as for why I'm here...

[And suddenly, a USB drive MAFIA is tossed by the hard-boiled detective, and lands near Chun-li.] I lucked out. Philip phoned me this evening while he was looking up restaurant chains. [The less said about that conversation the better.] Apparently, our good friends at EXE have been buying out the local Bistros under the Shadowloo name to fund their Memory production in New York. As it happens, that place we went to when we first met? Owned by them.

[lightningkick]

[OOC: Ahhhhhh I'm not familiar with his canon, I don't really know anything about all that mentioned above! D:]

[demonicgene]

The foothold that had been established had used the name Shadaloo primarily because of the connotation it held within the circles of New York's criminal underground. However, the true origins of the recent encroachment belonged to a corporation - G Corp. - that had been steadily expanding its influence for years. They were rivaled only by the Mishima Zaibatsu in terms of sheer size, and likewise their illegal movements were challenged by the Zaibatsu as well

[lightningkick]

Her fingers stilled for just a moment on the keyboard, the only sign that he'd managed to surprise her. But she resumed typing as if she wasn't particularly concerned, her eyes directed at the screen while keeping her attention on her peripheral vision and the direction of the intruder's voice.

It wasn't one she recognized, but that hardly mattered. She would find out who he was one way or another.

"It's rude to enter a lady's apartment if she hasn't invited you," she replied mildly, continuing to type and click, dispatching an e-mail to her partner to call the police. Someone would need to take this guy in, and she didn't own a vehicle. Of course, she doubted her partner was still awake at this point, but it wouldn't matter in the end. Once he was subdued, she could place the call herself.

"What do you want?"

[demonicgene]

Kazuya had taken the possibility she would try something like this, and had made arrangements to have the people on his payroll manning the dispatch lines of the police department. He stood, stepping out of the shadows, clad only in his white and red gi pants. Part of it was intimidation, letting her see the myriad scars that covered his chest, but mainly, he knew she was a fighter, and wanted to make her aware that he was as well.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but it's not every day that 'the world's strongest woman' comes to New York to shake down my employees."

He absentmindedly adjusted his gloves, what looked like a small blue lightning bolt dancing across the metal studs. "I'll make this short. I'm prepared to pay you generously to drop the investigation."

[lightningkick]

Chun-Li closed the laptop with a light click, before her gaze rose to lock eyes directly with Kazuya's. She looked at him steadily, unblinking, setting aside the computer as she planted her feet on the ground and rose to her full height.

"For a businessman, I can't help noticing that you're not exactly dressed for business." Her dark eyes flicked momentarily over his shirtless attire. The way he stood, she knew he had martial combat abilities. He was relaxed, for now, but that would change.

She stood in front of her coffee table, arms at her sides, regarding him suspiciously. "You've done your research on me...and now that you're here, and seen my non-luxury penthouse suite, I'm sure you can see that money doesn't interest me." Chun-Li didn't smile. "Justice does."

Sure! :D

[lightningkick]

Chun-Li nearly choked on her coffee. She probably would have, if not for the music playing. A sudden knock when there was at least a little background noise was much easier to handle than a knock when it was dead quiet.

She closed the laptop and set the coffee mug on the table, swinging out her legs and planting her bare feet on the floor before quietly padding to the door and peeping through the hole. That was Hei, all right. The code and the sight of him were enough to confirm his identity. Undoing the latch, she opened the door with a sheepish smile.

"Come on in. Awfully late, isn't it?" He was probably just as dedicated as she was to wrapping up this case.

[lightningkick]

Trouble? Chun-Li's brow furrowed, and her gaze quickly flicked over him to assure herself that he was telling the truth. Thankfully, Hei didn't appear to be hiding any injuries as far as she could tell, so she relaxed, smiling a little and closing the door behind him.

"That's a relief. Seems like we're on the right track, then, if they're starting to take notice. I'll get my robe." She turned away to disappear back inside her bedroom. "Help yourself to some coffee! Mugs are in the cupboard above the sink."