Seven Deadly S.I.N.s -Day 1-

Day 1 – Wednesday: The Beginning of a New Reign

---

Thankfully, no one decided to murder Juri in her sleep. Why would they? A group of security guards always patrolled the hallway, cameras saw everything, and all the rooms in this area of the facility had unique locks. As a bonus to her security, her room was located fairly close to Seth's, an idea of his to raise trust in his pawn. Plus, whoever tried to assassinate her would be killed in a heartbeat.

The rooms in the facility were adequate enough for a normal worker or guard to live comfortably in. The quality of the room reflected the rank or status of the occupant. Juri was neither a researcher nor a head of some project, yet she carried some weight as Seth's confidante.

She stirred, disturbing the sea of violet velvet she was submerged in. The feel of the sheets was pleasant against her beautiful skin. She slowly opened her eyes and yawned, lifting a hand up from under the covers to rub her eyes. The covers were quickly pawed off when her yawn was finished, revealing her half-naked body. Of course, she had some sense of decency: a black bra and panties.

Lifting herself up from her position on the mattress, Juri crawled across the ravaged covers to sit on the end of the bed. She looked around her room in a weary manner. None of the walls were painted, instead being made of dull grey steel. The floor was made of cold stone. A black and white rug lay in the middle of the room in front of an ornate but simple stone fireplace. Near the bed was a mahogany end table, and on it was a flashing alarm clock.

The alarm had already gone off; Juri had overslept by three hours. She shrugged off the device's scolding, flashing lights. She would get up when she damn well felt like it. With a swipe of her finger she switched the digital clock off and on, removing the flashing lights. She sighed and stood up to stretch her back.

With her hands held high above her head, Juri jut her chest out as she stretched. After maintaining the position for a few seconds, she dropped her arms and scratched her exposed back, casting a glance towards a steel and glass door. It lead to her private bathroom, which contained a vanity and shower stall. Shrugging, she approached the door and pushed it open. A shower was what she needed to wake herself up, along with a cup of coffee.

Caffeine in the morning was a luxury Juri loved. A steaming cup of coffee always perked her up long enough to deal with the monotony that plagued most of her days. Down in the S.I.N. facility, coffee, milk, and water were readily available for the staff. Once the afternoon came along, Juri would find pleasure in hunting down a can of soda before downing it. She would much rather be buzzed on caffeine than in a drunken stupor.

A few minutes later she left the bathroom wrapped in a white towel. Steam rushed out from the little room, eager to spread through the larger room. Juri shut the door behind her and walked over to a shutter control switch located on the wall directly in front of the bed. She flicked the switch up, revealing a hidden section in the wall. Inside the alcove was a large wall mirror and a wardrobe. She tugged at her towel as she looked at her reflection.

Her raven-colored hair flowed down to her shoulders without her purple hair rings to hold them in place. A desire to grow her hair out more surfaced in her mind, but she pushed it back down. There were more things to think about than just hair. She looked at her violet colored irises, taking pride in the beauty of them. It didn't matter to her that one eye was natural while the other was synthetic, a machine built in a lab. Sure it was a curse at times, but the fact that it was so useful perished any doubting thoughts.

The towel slid off her body as she opened her wardrobe. No one else came in her room, and no one else lived in it besides her and one other. Undergarments were pulled from a bottom compartment, returning a sense of decency that before was taken when it was time for a shower. She slipped another set of dark panties on, looking at her reflection as she did so. Her body was indeed something to marvel at, having been through so many trials that the muscles were well-toned and the skin left beautifully pale. The black bra came on later, along with modest self-admiration of the chest.

She then picked through a rack of clothes, attempting to find something suitable to wear. Her hand hovered over her taekwondo outfit that served as her casual-wear until Juri pushed it away with the other sets. She wouldn't have to wear the outfit as much now, remembering the events from yesterday. While she would have loved to get dressed as normal, she couldn't use this outfit. As the new leader of S.I.N., she would have to wear something else for today.

A dress wouldn't work. She wouldn't show up looking prissy, but she didn't want to look like she didn't deserve the position of a leader. Her eyes rested on a black kimono with a purple trim and sash. She reached out to feel the material, finding it felt comfortable enough to wear. The leggings of the outfit could be laced up, and the kimono was open enough to show enough skin if Juri chose to go without a bra. It was, in a way, rather inappropriate to wear if one was to make a public speech.

She released her grip on the outfit and found another one that grabbed her interest. Consisting of black leather boots, gloves, pants, and a short sleeved shirt, the outfit appealed to her. So, she put it on. After a look in the mirror, Juri figured that something was missing. A black leather trench coat completed the look easily, giving her a sinister appearance. A pair of dark sunglasses was sticking out from one of the pockets, but she ignored them. It would be silly to wear sunglasses inside.

With the outfit on, Juri closed the wardrobe and turned to walk out. Acting on impulse, she turned back around to pull out another drawer, one that was directly below her undergarment compartment. Inside were numerous 'souvenirs' from her targets and items from past triumphs. Nothing jumped out at her quite as much as that dictator's red military cap.

But yet there was one item that grabbed her attention. Hidden beneath stolen items and articles of exotic clothing was a small notebook-like object. She reached for it and examined the leather covering, turning the object over in her hands. When she tried to open it, her action was met with resistance. A silver lock prevented her from seeing what was within.

She sighed and tossed the object back into the drawer. Without a key the object was not worth her time. She then walked out of the alcove to flip the shutter control switch, hiding the area and its contents again. Her stomach growled, attracting her attention. Giving into the need, Juri moved to a small refrigerator in the corner of her room. Short and squat, the fridge held leftover food items and drinks. She took a knee in front of the appliance, opening the small door.

Inside the door were cans of soda and a decent-looking plastic bottle of milk. The bottle was removed and set on the top of the fridge with a peach danish set on a white plate. She undid the cap on the bottle and drank from it, pausing only to take a bite at the breakfast pastry. The meager meal would please her stomach long enough until the afternoon came along. She wiped her hands on the inside of her shirt when she finished, leaving the plate and bottle on top of the fridge.

Then came the preening. Teeth were brushed, hands were washed, and a touch of makeup was applied. She decided to leave her hair the way it was, at shoulder length. The outfit she wore was intimidating enough without her devilish horns. Somewhere in the back of her mind she felt as if the staff was waiting for her to show up. They would have to get used to waiting on a woman.

"Well," Juri said, approaching a glass tank filled with foliage, "how do I look?"

Leaves rustled and parted to show a large and hairy brown spider. It moved forward to the glass wall, feeling the surface with two of its eight legs. The tarantula simply stared at Juri with its black eyes, neither answering her question nor ignoring it. This creature was the other that Juri shared her room with.

"Oh stop," Juri replied, smiling, "you're making me blush."

She averted her eyes from the spider when she heard noises coming from the hallway. The voices of the guards were recognizable, as was a more feminine but domineering voice. Juri went to the steel door that was the exit and opened it via an adjacent touchpad. She stepped out into the hallway between two guards in white fatigues, locking eyes with a red-haired woman. Her eyes trailed down her face and to her chest, where there was enough cleavage to get her through the day.

"I don't care if she's not up yet, she was supposed to do her damned hostile takeover announcement an hour ago! I intend to-"

The woman stopped ranting when she saw Juri standing in the doorway ogling her breasts.

"My, my... you certainly are pissed off today," she said, maintaining her lecherous gaze.

"And I have every reason to be pissed off," Viper retorted. "The staff is in disarray because 15 is dead and you're the one who took over! How the hell are we supposed to go about our projects now?"

"Don't expect me to hold your hand," Juri replied, meeting the other woman's eyes with a sneer. "You carry on as normal, but with a few minor changes."

Viper scoffed and folded her arms. Crimson Viper- that was her codename- was none too happy about this situation. She was the head of the battle suit project and the only one who had put the suit to good use in the field. The suit in question was hidden beneath her white lab coat, leaving the shock gloves and fire heels to stick out. She was a woman who exuded respect and got everything done that was asked of her, earning the nickname "Ms. Perfect".

"Is that all? Everyone is in the core, waiting for your little speech." She tapped her watch and shook her head. "You're off by an hour, Juri. We're getting tired of waiting."

"Good. You know if I got there early, I would be waiting on you instead." She waved her hand off towards the hallway. "Run along Crimmy, I'll be right behind you."

The woman with the red hair frowned and unfolded her arms, clenching her fists. She slowly unclenched them and turned to sulk down the hallway with the black garbed Korean leader trailing behind her. The two guards who were stationed by Juri's quarters followed behind the two, their weapons strapped to their backs. Soon, Viper took a turn to the left down a flight of stairs while Juri continued straight ahead. Viper's path would lead her to the core room with the other members of S.I.N. while Juri's would lead to a balcony overlooking the area. It would be perfect for asserting herself.

The sharp sound of boots on metal reached the ears of the scientists and researchers of S.I.N. Their mild ramblings and conversations came to an abrupt close when they caught sight of their new leader walking out onto the balcony that 15 always used when he observed. She gripped the railing and looked out over the room. It was eerily quiet at that time; no person dared to speak, for they did not know how Juri would react to it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Juri spoke.

"I trust that you spent your free time wisely. No doubt you've heard of 15's demise yesterday through word of mouth." She grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Tragic, I know. You may be wondering what will happen now, and the answer is nothing."

Soft murmurs rose throughout the body of people, some of them angry, others curious.

"By nothing, I mean things will continue on as usual, but with a few changes."

"I don't believe this," came a voice from the crowd, "you're our new leader?"

Juri looked down into the group, pinpointing the source of the voice. A middle-aged Asian man stood with his arms crossed in front of the large circular core machine, his white lab coat stitched with a red cross symbol. A name tag was pinned to the front left pocket of his coat, identifying him as Satoya Yasutoki, head of the medical division. Given his status, he had a voice that would be heard.

"Why yes, yes I am. You may have some doubts over my leadership capabilities, and that's predictable. But, who better to run this organization than someone who joined it when it was born, someone who can defend herself, someone who knows the ins and outs of everything, and someone who was the late 15's confidante?" She removed her grip from the railing and stood with her arms akimbo, leaning forward in a cruel stare. "Me."

Viper looked between the two from her position amongst her team of scientists. Satoya was one to gossip and talk behind the backs of others if it was to his advantage to do so. To her, a confrontation between him and Juri was inevitable. You couldn't put the two in a room without one of them trying to show the other who was the dominant one.

"What kind of changes will be made?" interjected a young researcher.

"Simple ones." Juri stood up straight and dropped her arms to her sides. "There are few big ones, one of them being the issue of publicity."

"Publicity?"

"Yes, yes, publicity. I'm not going to make the same fatal mistake as my predecessor." She wagged her finger and said in a parenting tone: "No more stupid fighting tournaments. It'll only draw unwanted attention from law enforcement. Now, I don't expect you all to be happy with the change in leadership, but let me tell you this: Bison's dead, 15's dead, I'm in charge, get used to it." With a flick of her coat she turned to leave, shouting over her shoulder. "I want all project heads and chiefs up here in seven minutes! There are some things we need to discuss..."

There were no sighs of relief when she left. How could the employees feel such an emotion with her in charge? The researchers and scientists looked to their project heads, giving them tacit sympathy for being in their position. Viper grumbled and bid farewell to her team while Satoya folded his arms in disgust. She stopped near him and removed her yellow tinted shades, frowning.

"I don't like this either. Some of us are much better qualified than she is."

"I fear for what she'll do with her stolen power," Satoya spat, angrily moving to the exit of the room. "This Korean murderess will be the end of us!"

"Give her a few days. Watch closely to see if she screws up, if she can't handle the responsibility." She climbed the flight of stairs with the other heads, her attention focused on Satoya. "Don't do anything stupid..."

---

The discussion the heads had with Juri was short and surprising. She gave them a rundown of things that would change and how things would work with her in charge. It was not much of a change from Seth's style. She would walk around the facility as he had done, answering problems when a worker presented her with one. If she wasn't observing, she would be found in Seth's above-ground study.

Surprising was the fact that when the heads presented her with problems during the discussion, she replied with agreeable answers. She knew much about the projects; she had tagged along with Seth many times on his observation walks. The chief engineer of the facility remarked about the damage in the main utility room. He was told to use parts from the defunct Seth clones. The head of an experimental energy project needed a fix to a formula. Juri suggested changing data numbers until the researchers came up with a finite number that could be worked with. Satoya begrudgingly asked for guidance on what to do with Bison's body. It was to be burned in an enclosed space as to trap any remaining psycho power.

The BLECE project did not have a head to look after it. Seth had overseen all of its doings, hoping to find someone competent to become the head of the project. With Seth dead, Juri had complete control. Another tournament to gather fighters would be a foolish move. Instead, the data storing parts of the Tandem Engines would be fitted into Viper's battle suit production line. Assassins in the suits would track down targets, acquiring data when the target was eliminated/defeated. This was going to happen, of course, when Viper finished the suits.

Juri seemed to win over all of the heads during the discussion, except for Satoya and Viper. He voiced his discomfort numerous times, only to have them fall on deaf ears. To save face, he would work for the psychotic woman, but he would not enjoy it. A complaint was about to be fired at the end of her discussion when the security chief interjected.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?"

"What is it," Juri responded in a dull tone.

"Did you want to see the two detainees? They're still in the detention block."

"I do." She turned to the other members in the room and nodded. "You have your orders, get to work." As they started to leave, she turned back to the security chief. "Lead the way. Why don't you tell me more about these intruders?"

The chief gulped and walked forward, turning her head slightly to look to her superior. Even when wearing boots and garbed in a more decorated guard's uniform, she was a little shorter than Juri. She had short blond hair and blue eyes, a staple appearance for her German heritage. To Juri, she reminded her of a certain British woman that was determined to be a thorn in her side.

"Well, one of them is a large African American man while the other is a tall Spaniard. A team of better equipped guards managed to subdue them yesterday when that one man... Bison, was it? Yes, they subdued the two men after Bison broke in."

"Did you take their weapons?"

"Yes," the chief replied. "The black one, oddly enough, was wearing boxing gloves while the Spaniard wielded a three-blade claw and wore a mask."

"Did you get his mask?"

"At first, no. He lashed out at any guard who tried to take it. When I went to see him myself, he demanded that only I was in the same room as he. I gave in to his demand and sent the other men off so that we were alone." She turned her head to hide a blush as she continued to speak. "A-after a while, I got the mask from him."

"Good work," Juri replied sarcastically, glaring at the woman.

The woman bit her lip when she met her glare. Before more conversation could be made, the two women reached the detainment block. In the deepest depths of the facility sat this area. Cold, uncomfortable, and clean. To those who were new to S.I.N., the idea that the detention block's cells were clean frightened them. Rumors about Juri and her savageness towards detainees were as abundant as they were true. Almost every month the cells needed to be cleaned because she "broke a new toy" during interrogation.

A small group of armed guards were stationed at the entrance to the block. With a tip of their hats they parted to allow Juri and their chief through. The block itself was tiny; hardly anyone stepped out of line in the facility. The two women moved to the only two occupied cells, standing outside the doors.

Made of reinforced steel, these cells could take an entire salvo from heavy artillery or from powerful firearms before breaking. The men in the cells did not have such weapons on their person, and they couldn't break the walls with body blows, even though one of them had tried. A sheet of highly resistant bulletproof glass allowed people to look into the cells. Following traditional cells, the glass was one-way.

Juri looked into the cell to her right. A large black man in a ripped blue shirt was lounging in an old wooden chair, his feet on a nearby table. In his hands were American dollar bills, neatly organized. He had a stoic expression on his face as he seemed to be counting the money. Juri turned to the chief and raised an eyebrow.

"Forgot to take his wallet?"

"No no, we took his wallet. His name is Balrog."

"Last name?"

"It was crossed out," the chief replied.

"If you took his wallet, how does that explain the money in his hand?"

"He was bribed for his cooperation. He's not that bright; money has no use in his position, yet he doesn't know that."

The new leader turned back to the cell and nodded. She remembered hearing about Balrog during her time in Shadaloo. Greedy as a pig this man was. This was someone who would sell his own mother just to make some cash. There was no job he wouldn't do, just so long as he got paid in the end.

She moved her attention to the cell on her left, which was occupied by a tall man who was preening himself in a mirror. His long brown hair was elegantly braided to flow down his uncovered back. In fact, his entire upper body was uncovered to show his well-toned muscles and purple snake tattoo. He wore purple and yellow ceremonial trousers, a red sash, loafers, and white leggings of a matador, making him seem more suited for bullfighting. All in all, he was attractive to the Korean leader.

"Who's this one?" Juri asked.

"I uh... I didn't get his name, Ma'am," she said with a blush.

"Forgot to ask that during "interrogation"?"

The chief blushed furiously, hanging her head in shame.

"Must I do everything myself?"

Juri calmly shoved the other woman out of her way of the cell door. All the doors required either a six-digit pin number or an eye scan in order to open. Juri couldn't be bothered to punch in a bunch of numbers, so she leaned over to the eye scanner. The machine scanned her eye for a few seconds before giving a low, disappointing beep. She had scanned her right eye... Sighing, she placed her left eye in the scanner. Rays of light drifted over her Feng Shui Engine, identifying it as a creation of Seth's.

The machine showed a green confirmation light and beeped happily for her, unlocking the cell door. Disappearing into the ceiling, the now vacant door allowed her to move inside, catching the attention of the inhabitant. He turned and stared at her with a grin on his face. Juri just glared at him as she shut the door behind her.

"Well now," he started, rubbing his muzzle in curiosity, "just who is this beauty? You're not the guardsman who had the honor of meeting me yesterday..."

"No, I'm much worse," Juri said with a sinister smile. "You're one of Bison's henchmen, right? How about we start off with your name, pretty boy..."

"You don't remember me?" He smirked and wagged his finger from side to side in a mocking manner. "Tsk tsk, that is a shame... I would of thought a woman wouldn't dare to forget my beautiful face."

"Your face? You mean that one you hide behind the white mask all the time?"

"Oh my dear, I do not hide my face, I merely protect it from harm."

A spark of realization shot through Juri's mind. Of course... this man was famous for his vanity, for his narcissism. Just like Balrog, she had not met the man, but she had heard about him. She was dealing with one of Bison's three lieutenants, and this one just so happened to be a master of assassination. And seduction.

"I remember you," she said, pointing at the narcissist. "Vega D'Ellsadro, the effeminate bastard that destroyed the dam base in India! You had something planned for this facility, didn't you?"

Vega smiled and closed his eyes, reveling in his name being said.

"Mmmm... can you say my name again? It rolls off your tongue so beautifully."

"I don't think you understand the act of questioning." She stepped forward and stabbed his chest with her finger. "I ask questions, I get answers."

"That's a strange way to act," Vega replied, looking down his nose at her. "Very domineering... you haven't changed at all, Ms. Han."

"Oh I've changed alright," she muttered, pointing to herself. "With Seth dead, I'm in charge. That's the only good thing your boss did in this world..."

Vega looked at Juri closely, noticing her strange choice of clothing. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

"That's a strange outfit you chose to wear, my dear. Black is a good color for you, but wearing it to excess along with masculine clothing does not fare well for your features."

"Hmph," Juri pouted, allowing her lips to form into a sneer. "And you would know what looks good on a woman, wouldn't you?"

"You speak of that gift as if it were a curse... For some unknown reason, I've been quite popular with comely women, hence I do know what looks good on them." He walked around her in a circle, looking at her curves. "You could wear something related to spiders... a spiderweb design, perhaps? Bison did mention a Korean woman passed out in a cobwebbed storage room during one of his visits... that would be-"

A high-pitched cry of pain interrupted his sentence. Juri removed her boot from Vega's foot with a giggle.

"The day's not complete until someone gets hurt!" She snarled. "Focus, pretty boy... What else did you plan to do here?"

"Now Juri," Vega sighed, smiling despite the pain in his foot, "do you take me for a scheming psychopath?"

"No. I also take you for an egotistical bastard who thinks of every pretty woman as his next conquest."

"Now that's not true, my beauty."

"..."

Shaking his head, Vega frowned.

"Do not pout, I'll gladly answer your questions just to see that lovely smile of yours again."

Juri smiled again, but with less feeling. She moved closer to Vega, touching his bare chest. As she traced his purple snake tattoo, she spoke in a serious matter.

"Is there another attack coming?"

"I think not. Bison wanted to do this personally, with his two most trusted men at his side."

"Hmm... what happened to Sagat?"

"That old fool?" Vega laughed, reaching for Juri's hand. "He left Shadaloo four years ago. Good riddance too, his scar always disturbed me."

"What do you think happened to Bison," Juri asked, ignoring the feeling of Vega rubbing her hand between his thumb and fingers.

"Judging by our impromptu imprisonment, Bison has either died or... he no longer values my services."

"Oh yeah, he's dead." She tugged her hand away and grinned, raising an eyebrow. "How does that feel, knowing your boss is dead?"

"Well, it usually takes a week for him to be resurrected," Vega thought out loud, turning his gaze to the mirror, "so I would say it feels like a minor inconvenience..."

"Why do you still work for him? Bison is such an ugly man."

"So was Seth, Juri." He turned back to face her. "But you do have a point."

The Korean licked her lips in glee. She could use Vega in her plans against Shadaloo, just as long as she continued to feed him what he wanted to hear.

"Hmm...I may have a job for you... one you can't refuse."

"By "can't refuse", do you mean it appeals to me in such a way that it would be a sin to not accept, or...," he smirked and brought his voice down an octave, "do I have no choice?"

"You always have a choice. You can stay here in this little cell for the rest of your life, or you can work for this beautiful woman and mingle with the employees. Hell, I'll even introduce you to Viper. She could use some loosening up." She started for the door, looking over her shoulder back at Vega. "Why don't you stay here for awhile and think it over, huh? I'll check back in the morning for your decision."

"My decision would be based on the beauty of Shadaloo and S.I.N. So far, you've made a fair impression."

"How fortunate for me," she said with a smirk, walking out of the cell.

As she closed the cell door, the security chief came up behind her and stood at attention. Juri sighed and turned around, folding her arms. She glared at the woman again, making her uneasy. After a few seconds, the chief spoke.

"M-ma'am, will that be all?"

"Yes." She pointed to the cell with Vega, a sly grin forming on her lips. "Feel free to keep him company. I think he likes you."