Seven Deadly S.I.N.s -Day 7-2- Fin

Day 7-2 - Tuesday: Atonement

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Everything had gone according to plan. From the destruction of the power generators to the pacifications of certain troublesome groups of S.I.N. guards, everything had turned up diamonds. Never mind the fact the whole thing had been planned in a mere hour and on such short notice. Juri attributed most of her operation's current success to the old Shadaloo dolls. Without them, the path to her would be riddled with opposition, which would severely dampen the efforts of the intruding military forces.

Balrog had played his part well, for it was tailored to him. A lithe and tiny doll couldn't possibly take on his task. It called for more strength and constitution than what they possessed, and Balrog was just the welcoming wagon needed to secure that detention block. Men and women of the guard had tried, but their efforts to stop him from beating them senseless were fruitless. But even a hulk of a man like the crazy buffalo couldn't best everyone on brute force alone.

Juri folded her arms and looked to her left from her position near Seth's unnecessary and out of place throne. The crazy buffalo was leaning against a wall in the room, massaging his knuckles and looking quite singed. He had recently returned from his task at an unfortunate time, but, despite the ringing in his ears, he did not suffer much from Juri's seemingly impromptu act. Aprile was at his side, tending to a few cuts the boxer earned from his scuffles with the guards. She may have been seen as a mouse compared to his size, as he gave no indication of her presence other than a few grunts when she touched a sore spot.

An audible scoff tore Juri's attention away from the two and onto a particularly displeased individual skulking in the shadows of the room. She couldn't help but grin wickedly at his displeasure. Gone were the women, the dolls, that he used to handle. Now they took up positions on either side of the red carpet leading up to the throne, to their new master. Inwardly he was seething, but all that he showed on the outside were his eyes, which peered out into the room from his white mask like a hungry predator.

'Pretty smart, Vega,' he could remember the Korean witch say to him when he confronted her, 'using the fact that you're the dolls' handler to get close enough to eavesdrop on us. Now that you know what I'm up to, just what will you do now? I'll save you from thinking and give you the same offer that I gave Balrog, or I can kill you right here and now. It's entirely up to you either way,' she said with a sneer, as if the right to choose was a gift she gave and took often.

Oh how he wanted to drive his claw through her wretched body and be done with her. Chivalry guided his hand then, betraying him in his time of great want. He returned the Korean's arrogant expression with an upturn of his lips, deciding to humor her. He would listen to her offer, which he later came to realize was for money. He would be offered payment to stand at her side. In essence, he may have well been a mercenary.

Declining her offer and watching her face fall was utterly hilarious, and it took a great deal of effort to bite back the laughter. He was a nobleman; money was no problem for him. However, as he soon came to realize, Juri wasn't known to take no for an answer. Like a spoiled child, she always got what she wanted. If Vega couldn't be bought, he would be persuaded. He was a wanted criminal, yet he flew free like a bird. But even a free bird needed to roost every now and then.

'What will happen when you finally get caught, Vega? Don't say 'if', because today you certainly will. Perhaps you'll get lucky and you'll go to an insane asylum. They've got silky straightjackets and nice, clean white padded rooms for you to sulk in. Or,' she said, rolling her eyes nonchalantly, 'maybe the thought of a public prison suits your fancy. With a pretty name like Vega, I'm sure you'll fit in nicely. Just a few scars and bruises, but you're not afraid of that now… are you?'

He couldn't remember what exactly he did at that point, but to end up in the position he was in now, it was unforgivable. She threatened his face, and none who did that were able to see the light of the next day. But he couldn't kill her; it wouldn't solve anything, and she had a plan that could benefit him in the long run. It was the short run that troubled him, to give in and invest his freedom in hopes of receiving more in the future.

No doubt Juri was reveling in her triumph of 'convincing' Vega to stand by her side. He was a valuable ally after all. But not even the lanky Spaniard or the buff boxer were close to the level of worth as Crimson Viper. It was she who provided the plan and guidelines for Juri to follow, and follow them she did… to a degree. Her plan took a turn when it came to the fate of the BLECE project. Even when reassured by Viper, her mind was set and wouldn't be changed. She put up a façade of acceptance during the negotiation, fooling the agent into a false sense of accomplishment.

The sound of heavy footsteps caught the leader's attention and directed it towards an opening out of the throne room. She took a few tentative steps over to stand at the railing of the balcony overlooking the core room, which, after Juri's touch, seemed about ready to collapse. Cackling fires bathed the area in an unholy orange light, illuminating broken computer consoles and screens. The floor was a mess, and many of the hexagonal tiles had fallen into a water abyss, leaving behind few tiles that rested on stable rock. They would provide enough room to maneuver fully around the main core, which lay in smoldering ruins.

Juri had her reasons for destroying the core and all of its data, including the BLECE project. It was not done as a spontaneous act, but as a justified, righteous one.

As she looked down to the ruins of the core she could both see and hear Viper's lamenting. The agent was standing at the base of it despite her condition, staring up at the destroyed top. Two large balls of energy were circling the top of the core, dancing around as if they had been freed. In reality, they were free, for the energy was in fact the ki stolen from test subjects over the years in S.I.N.'s quest to bring the BLECE project to fruition. Juri shook her head at the sight of Viper bending down to pick up what seemed to be the remains of a crimson flash drive. She would want her head for this, but after this stunt and all that Juri did, who wouldn't?

"Years of investigation down the goddamned drain," she mumbled, drooping her shoulders.

As Viper angrily threw the destroyed flash drive to the side, a man came up from behind and grumbled a few words of encouragement. His blond, flattop hairstyle and military fatigues told Juri that this was the soldier she fought in the mountains. She felt a tinge of relief at seeing that he was alive, for if he died, negotiation with her favorite Chinese officer would be out of the question. She was there beside the soldier, dressed in a crisp Interpol uniform that exuded a sense of professionalism, more so that when she wore that blue qipao. Her auburn hair was done up in ox-horns, which were covered by tiny bits of cloth. It would be demeaning to call her cute… she was beautiful, even in the darkness of the core room.

Juri's stomach fluttered at the sight. She had believed she wouldn't come, and mentally cursed herself for goading that soldier about her. But that didn't matter now, as she was here. Chun-Li could be reasoned with, which brought hope back into her heart. Before Juri could even grin, she felt a pair of eyes on her. She sighed and searched for the source, standing up straight.

How odd that she hadn't noticed the Delta Red operative earlier, as she was rooted to Chun-Li's side like the ever faithful partner she believed herself to be. She stood to one side with a tilted gaze and a look that could kill outright. In her hands she cradled a submachine gun, but thankfully it was not pointed at Juri. Yet. It was a room clearing firearm, not a rifle, and even if she really wanted to, the Korean would either kill her before she aimed her gun or run off as soon as the first bullet left the chamber. But the purpose of this operation was to take her alive, even if the operative's finger was twitchy.

And she knew someone deserved revenge just as much as she did, and she would partake in it hand in hand with her.

'Dear god,' Juri thought as she shook her head at the pigtailed woman, 'do you ever wear pants?'

Before the tension in the room reached a dangerous point, Juri removed herself from the balcony and turned to return to the throne room. Viper yelled her name, but it fell on deaf ears. She wouldn't be intruding in her plans anymore, but the very least she could do was direct the other two women where to go. As Juri walked back to lean against the lavish seat, she swore she could see a smirk beneath Vega's mask. No doubt he would enjoy the inevitable verbal fight and her capture.

Juri knew she wouldn't get out of this, but it was her intention to get caught. What was there left to do in her eyes? Her eyes had been opened, her thirst for revenge was sated, she finally avenged her parents' deaths, and her part in this world was drawing to a close. Yet she couldn't help the sinking feeling that surfaced in her stomach that screamed this idea was nothing more than a terrible plot, that she was not destined to seek atonement. Destiny and fate were but walls that prevented beings from making progress, and to do so, the walls needed to come crashing down.

She wanted this to happen.

The last of the Han family stood at the top of the steps, awaiting capture. She felt complete, and she had nothing left to lose. There were no loved ones to encourage or dissuade her, no friends to support or discourage her, and no ties that bound her. She severed all ties over the years; most of them were done unintentionally in her work while the rest were done today, intentionally. If it were any other person in her position, they would face their capture with sad resignation, feeling that they deserved it and whatever would come their way for giving up. But Juri had not given up, she had given in. Despite her good intentions and meanings, she wouldn't go down without a fight, or at least a one-sided verbal debate.

Suddenly the big double doors at the beginning of the red carpet opened, revealing the Delta Red operative. Immediately her left hand whisked away from the material of the door and back to her firearm, which she aimed at Juri. Nothing could prepare her for the sight in front of her. Seeing not only Vega and Balrog standing idly by, her sisters were glaring at her with their weapons drawn. She felt cold metal at her throat and risked a glance to her right, seeing one of her Japanese sisters with a sword pressed dangerously close to her jugular vein.

She heard a gasp from behind and knew to belonged to Chun-Li. But her partner wasn't on her mind; it was the fact that her sisters were being used against her, and Juri was the one pulling their strings that probed her brain. A dark chuckle filled the room, followed closely by a clap. The doll to Cammy's right removed the sword from her and sheathed it, obeying a tacit order.

Juri brought attention to herself by clearing her throat. Although the dolls had the tendency to loyally defend their master, they would have to stand down today. The thought of turning them over to Cammy was interesting, but unacceptable. Judging by the scowl on the woman's face, she detested the idea of commanding her fellow sisters, but not as much as having her nemesis use them as her own personal guard. But if she did- no, she was too proud to do it. She readjusted her firearm, not aiming it at Juri but not exactly holstered. Surprisingly, the dolls did not mind the weapon, nor did they care about the Chinese officer bringing up the rear with her pistol drawn.

Upon seeing Vega, Chun-Li's expression soured.

"Vega? Shouldn't you be dead?"

The shock in her voice overshadowed the spite that came disguised with it. Juri raised an eyebrow at her tone, slightly surprised. Perhaps the two had run into each other numerous times before she got in on the action herself. She turned her head to look at Vega, who folded his arms across his chest and mumbled a few curses. By all means, he would rather be dead than suffer any upcoming humiliation. If there was any light to gather in this situation, he would at least be handled by beautiful women. Balrog grunted, glad to be ignored for once.

Cammy began to move forward, paying close attention to the dolls in the corners of her eyes. They followed her every movement, and their hands were hovering over their sheathed weapons. While the pink haired doll with the unholstered handguns was particularly unnerving, Cammy found the fact that she could only count ten was more so. Where was the doll with the auburn eyes and hair: Juli? She returned her full attention to Juri, raising her submachine gun yet again.

"My sisters… you're missing one!"

Slowly raising both of her hands above her head, Juri sneered.

"Two exactly."

"Don't get smart with me," Cammy replied as she took one of the steps up to her. Her tone started off calmly enough, but as she continued, the anger in voice became impossible to miss. "Brown hair, brown eyes, goes by the name of Juli… the one I saw you kidnap in the mountains?"

As Chun-Li followed, she swore she could see Juri's expression falter. Before she could verify it, Juri's sneer returned.

"She's not here. But other than that, isn't this one big family reunion?"

"What did you do to her?" was the reply.

"Honestly, I didn't do anything to her. If you really want to see how she is now, I'm sure you can poke around in the infirmary ward nearby. She's alive, that's all that matters, right?"

Ignoring Cammy, Juri focused on Chun-Li. Her violet eyes connected with her brown. She wasn't delighted to see Juri as she was to see her, but she wasn't visibly frustrated like her partner. Like the professional that she was, she wore a stoic mask that was untouched by the tense atmosphere. The mask, however, was cracking with every snide comment the Korean was making towards her partner. In those eyes she found a message: make a move and you'll regret it.

Juri wished the situation could be resolved quickly and efficiently, and the only way to do so was to keep up her current insensitive and demeaning façade. She wouldn't drop to her knees and offer her wrists to be bound, for whatever pride she retained would not permit it. Coming off too soft and resigned would alert the officer and soldier to believe in a trap, and acting as if the whole ordeal was a joke and threatening them wouldn't help her either. To walk out in one piece, she needed to show them the Juri they were accustomed to while abstaining from stirring the waters of their acquaintanceship too much.

But just how much could she get away with?

"Here you stand," Cammy said, only a few steps away from Juri, "a wanted murderer and terrorist, and now you've given up?"

"Me? A terrorist? And here I thought terrorists had funny names and silly hats. Who said anything about giving up? Certainly not moi," she said, turning her head up and to the side as if she was disgusted. "Are you going to go somewhere with this, like, start monologuing or something? I've had enough crazy for one week."

"Juri," Chun-Li interjected as she gripped her pistol with two hands to aim it at the Korean, "I suggest you stop talking now before-"

"You suggest? Pfft… hehehe! Why don't you order me to be quiet?" Narrowing her eyes at the officer, Juri continued. "Here I was, standing idly by awaiting capture before your little kitten pops a question and sparks up a conversation. Not that I mind. I like beating her on the verbal front. Now, are you going to stand there seething or are you going to act?"

The goading was beginning to take its toll on the officer, if the bared teeth were any indication. She wanted to tell Juri to get on her knees, as her legs would become deadly if she decided to fight back, but she feared that if she opened her mouth, she would supply her with more material to be used against her. Would she be cooperative enough to tie? Only then would the officer be able to read her the only right she has.

Cammy shook her head, her face becoming the same shade of red as her beret. Still the witch insisted on fighting, even if it wasn't a physical battle. She would pay for her insolence, one way or another. If she so much as mocked Chun-Li, would that count as impersonating an officer? The operative dared Juri to try. She wouldn't be made a mockery of; especially in front of a group of terrorists.

Juri's sneer began to die down as she looked at the weapons in her rivals' hands. A look of genuine sincerity flashed across her features before she sighed.

"Look… if you're going to shoot me, shoot me. If not, put the guns away."

Once again, Cammy was reminded of the purpose of the mission. Juri, despite the overwhelming hate she garnished, needed to be taken alive. She orchestrated this entire operation, and without her the two wouldn't be here. The least she deserved was a little credit, and a sliver of trust. If she wanted them dead, she would have killed them as soon as she saw them, or she could have ordered that doll to slit their throats. Cammy mumbled and slung her firearm over her shoulder as Chun-Li holstered her pistol. Maybe things weren't always as they seemed. But… on the other hand…

"Excellent," Juri exclaimed sarcastically, "we're making so much progress today! Now, if only-"

A punch to the stomach silenced her, leaving her to slump over the pigtailed assailant. Juri's eyes widened as the wind was pushed out from her; she wasn't expecting that from Cammy. She could see Chun-Li watching over the scene with a resigned expression, and she knew that she wouldn't step in to stop her partner. Nearby the trio could hear the grunts from Balrog as well as the muffled giggles from Vega, who was enjoying the schadenfreude of the situation.

The soldier took hold of Juri's arm and turned to fling the Korean over her shoulder. Once she landed painfully on her back, Cammy grabbed her hand and gave it a twist to lock her in a painful position with a boot to her stomach. She risked a glance up and saw that her sisters were surrounding her, prepared to pry the Killer Bee away. Juri waved them off with her other hand from the floor as she attempted to regain her breath. When she did, she began to giggle, much to Cammy and Chun-Li's chagrin.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Cammy shouted, her hands digging into the fabric of Juri's gloves. "This isn't funny at all!"

"I beg to differ!" Juri retorted, trying in vain to stifle her giggles.

"You'll be begging for a lot more if you keep this up."

"The BLECE project," Chun-Li piped as she crouched down next to Juri, "why did you destroy it?"

"BLECE? Damn! That's what you came for?" She put on a pouting face. "Chunny, I'm hurt! I thought you came for me! It would have been such a romantic occasion… you, me, a big burning fire…"

Cammy pressed her boot further into Juri's stomach, winding her.

"Answer the question," she barked.

"I don't have enough people trying to kill me," Juri replied, sarcastically. "Might as well add Viper and all of S.I.N. And don't forget: I love explosions!"

"Last chance," Chun-Li growled. "Why did you destroy the BLECE project?"

"Persistent, aren't you?" Juri growled back. "You're an enigma, Chun. Just when I think I have you figured out you throw this at me. Shouldn't you be happy that the project's dead? You're so concerned about the reasons and meaning behind this little action that you fail to see the consequences of it. The fact of the matter is this: with BLECE gone, there's one less source of power for idiots in big chairs to squabble over. Don't believe anything Viper or whatever she calls herself says about it. Yes, BLECE is a tool, and while tools are meant to be used, they're also meant to be broken." She frowned and looked up at Cammy. "Who knows what could happen if the project fell into already powerful hands…"

"If you're implying that the American CIA will use this data to the worst of intentions-"

"Worst of intentions? Ha! They'd probably try to do some good with it; nothing but the best of intentions. But some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions, and no matter whose hands they are, they'll screw up. It's a matter of corruption, you see." Juri turned her head to stare at Chun-Li. "Don't give me that face. You and your 'partner' would have done the same thing as I did if you knew what BLECE could do. You've seen corruption in the police force, seen fellow officers kill each other over weapons or some stash they confiscated. Can you imagine the chaos if everyone had the thought they could take and take without consequence?"

The officer turned away and absentmindedly fiddled with a ziptie as she spoke.

"Why should I believe you? You confined me to a hospital bed for a long time, attempted to kill both Guile and Cammy, and stole her sisters."

"Oh yes, yes! But that was then, this is now," Juri said quickly, albeit exuberantly. "Look Chunners, I can break free from your kitten right now if I wanted to. I'm not cornered, so I'm not lying to get out of it."

She had a point there. With the power radiating from her Feng Shui Engine, she could crush them as if they were paper and toss them aside. The fact that she hadn't fought them or let alone retaliated against Cammy confused Chun-Li. She was allowing them to back her into a corner, but instead of striking out like an animal, she was offering her wrists. Was this whole operation her idea of atoning for her sins? The thought sparked an inkling of respect for the Korean, and just a little more trust. It seemed likely, but Chun-Li needed to find out for herself.

"Cammy, let her get up," Chun-Li ordered, turning back to look at her.

The Delta Red operative gave her a questioning look. The words 'are you sure' were evident on her face. Sighing, Chun-Li nodded and approached Juri as she was released from Cammy's death grip on her hand and stomach.

"Good to know you're not barking mad… this makes things easier," she said dully as Juri picked herself up. She could feel her eyes on her holstered sidearm, and the hand that hovered near it. "Turn around and give me your hands."

Oddly enough, Juri complied. She rolled her shoulders, turned around and offered her hands without so much as a word. Skepticism gripped Chun-Li, as she was expecting a few words or at the very least a gesture of insolence. Just as doubt began to overtake her, Juri turned her head to give her a lewd smile as she clenched and unclenched her hands. The Interpol officer saw her smile and raised her one glare, quickly grabbing one hand. She removed her gloves and spiked bracelets and pocketed them before placing the material of one ziptie against her naked wrist.

"I'll go tend to the other two," Cammy said, detaching her gaze from the two women to focus on Vega and Balrog.

She carefully nudged a doll out of her way as she went, sadly finding that they were apathetic to her presence. It pained her to see her sisters like this. Juri was a provocative sort as well as a sadistic one, so the idea of her doing things to her sisters plagued her mind. As she shook her head to clear that thought Chun-Li began to speak in a stern- if not monotonous- tone.

"You have the right to remain silent," she said, tying both of Juri's hands together. "Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak t-"

Juri blew a raspberry.

"Yeah yeah, I know the Miranda Rights. Can we get on with this?"

"I wasn't finished, Juri," Chun-Li growled.

"Would it help at all if I said you're my favorite officer?"

Chun-Li reached for the ziptie and pulled to put it into a tighter increment. Ignoring the cry of surprise, she continued.

"You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

"…Yeah," Juri muttered in a despondent tone.

"We meet again, Ms. White," Vega said from nearby, his voice easily reaching the officer and Korean. "If only we-"

"Not now Vega," Cammy interjected curtly, swiftly tying him and taking him by surprise.

"This is stupid," Balrog muttered, wiggling his bound wrists. "The dog gets chained and the cats get to run free?"

"Those 'cats' are my sisters, and if I hear you refer to them again like that, I swear I won't be so lenient with you."

"You put two goddamned ties on me! You ain't taking it easy on me!"

The dolls weren't a threat to anyone as long as no one provoked them or the person controlling them. Juri was the one in charge, yet she left them be. Cammy was perplexed by their calm demeanor, but realized they weren't exactly paying attention to the situation, instead only casting quick glances at their master every time Chun-Li touched her. If only there was some way to force the dolls to follow her orders, then Cammy would be able to coax them outside and to safety, and eventually to freedom.

"You're worried about them," Chun-Li said in a hushed aside to Cammy. "I can tell."

"If we get them out of here, I can call upon Dhalsim and Rose to help them." Cammy glanced at a red-haired medical doll for a few seconds before leaning into Chun-Li. "The problem is how we are going to do that. They don't seem to mind being pushed or lead, so I could herd them back to the surface."

"The helicopters should be humming right now and ready for touch-off, but don't forget Juli."

"I won't," Cammy said, nodding. "No sister of mine is being left behind." She turned to look over at Juri, who was mulling about on the left arm of the throne. "Do you need any help with her?"

"I think I can handle her." She shook her head and gave Cammy a guilty look. "Look, I know this is hard to take, but I trust her just enough to walk out of here and straight into the helicopter. When she gets there, I swear I will watch her like a hawk."

Cammy frowned and raised her eyebrows.

"You're going to ride in the helicopter with her? No no no, I won't allow this!" Her voice changed into a harsh whisper. "Please tell me you're joking. You heard what I had to say about her, and what she wants."

"Exactly, and because of that, I'm riding with her," Chun-Li retorted. "You said it yourself. She's not interested in killing me; she's just interested in me. If I'm hundreds of feet up in the air in the same helicopter as she is, the last thing she would ever want to do is kill me to escape." She caught Cammy's shocked expression and grabbed her by the arms to look directly into her eyes. "Listen, this is our only chance. You need to take care of your sisters. I'll be alright with Juri." Sighing, she released her from her grip. "Don't you trust your partner?"

Cammy drooped her head and averted her gaze from Chun-Li. She looked to Juri again. Trust… she trusted Chun-Li of course, but not that Korean murderess. If her partner had enough trust in Juri to believe that she would be compliant enough for transport, then who was she to stand in a determined officer's way? She wetted her lips and looked back at Chun-Li.

"Alright… Just be careful."

Chun-Li nodded and smiled softly. It quickly vanished as she turned around and approached Juri to grab her by the arm.

"We're leaving," she said matter of factly.

"Where to?" Juri questioned softly.

"A half-hour's flight to a nearby airfield, then England. You'll answer for your crimes there."

The officer watched as Juri nodded slowly before pushing her forward. There was something about the way the woman moved as she walked while constrained. Plenty of criminals, when escorted out by law enforcement, either reacted with anger or immense regret at being caught. Juri's gait was somewhat depressed, as indicated by her gaze on the floor, but in her stride Chun-Li could detect something she had never witnessed before in a defeated criminal: pride. Was she proud because she had another card to play, or was she proud because she had accomplished something?

Yet again, Chun-Li was uncertain. She had thought she knew Juri. Like any other criminal, she had the potential to be a monster, and at times she strived to be just like one. She was capable of much unbridled cruelty, savagery, and callousness too, but despite all of that, she was capable of other things as well. Selflessness, compassion, honor… Most people had two sides, and Juri always had shown one to Chun-Li. It didn't take long for her to realize that this was the other side she was witnessing.

"Hey… do you remember how we first met?"

The question from the Korean was unexpected, and Chun-Li stopped for a brief moment to register it.

"How could I forget?" she mumbled before moving forward again.

"It was one hell of a show, huh?" Juri mumbled with an awkward chuckle. "Uh… I remember there was this kid and his mother when we were there. I didn't leave you in the best condition, but do you know if… if they're alright?"

"…They're alright. The mother was in intensive care for some time, but she's doing better. The child's fine too." With an inquisitive tilt of her head, Chun-Li asked, "Why do you want to know?"

Juri was silent for a moment.

"Just wondering," she said softly before she looked away.

No-one could see the small smile on her face.

---

Present Day, Rindokan Dojo, Japan

Juri sighed and stretched, stifling a yawn. She scratched her nose afterward, rolling her eyes to the left to stare at the patiently waiting trio of young women. Her story had both entertained and moved them, and now it was nearing its close.

"What is it? Did you forget something?" Ibuki asked, clutching her knees close to her body.

"Na," Juri replied. "I just don't know how to end this little story."

"Well… what happened in the helicopter with the officer?" Makoto wondered, curious.

Groaning, Juri folded her arms before her tone became a disgusted one.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"What? Nothing?" Sakura raised an eyebrow and frowned. "You're Juri. She's Chun-Li. Something had to have happened between you two when you were alone."

"I wanted to talk, girl to girl, but Chunners would have none of it. I don't know what the hell I said that day to deserve the cold shoulder, but she refused to speak to me."

"Maybe you got to her," Ibuki chimed in.

"No no, I don't think I pissed her off. Now Cammy's a different story. Oh she was pissed at me for Juli, even when I insisted I had nothing to do with it." She smiled and unfolded her arms. "Thankfully Chun flew in the same plane as she and I did. I could feel a fight was about to break out at any minute."

"I don't think Ibuki means that you made Chun-Li angry," Makoto said, understanding her friend. "You made her think, and I believe because of that Chun-Li threw in a word of support for you at your hearing."

"Is that so? I thought I was coming off as someone I wasn't after she tied me." Juri chuckled and pushed herself up from the roof. "Certainly didn't score any points with her when I referred to Cammy as 'that one chick with the ass'."

Ibuki giggled at that while Makoto and Sakura laughed nervously. The day was hardly over, as it was just the late afternoon. A gentle breeze picked up, making the women shudder out of reflex.

"What will you do now, Juri?" Sakura asked, assuming her story was finished.

"Now?" She turned to the nearby ladder for a moment and smiled. "Meh. Whatever I feel like, I guess. Grab some lunch, paint something, do some sparing, put Gregor in a shoebox and bury him somewhere. Who knows?"

"Want some help?" she could hear the girls ask.

"…Yeah, if you want to."