Author's Note: Greetings! Now, this story is designed as a prequel of sorts to my other story, Juri's Jaguar. It is strongly advised you read that story thoroughly to understand that this Juri is not as psychotic as we've envisioned her to be. Specifically, read chapter 4: Explanation before reading this story.
Disclaimer: Street Fighter and its characters and story are owned by CAPCOM.
"No no no! Get it away from me!"
"Come on Ibuki," a woman playfully whined, calmly following the young ninja, "he just wants to play."
Ibuki backed up as far as she could, which wasn't far enough. Her retreat was stopped when she backed up against a wall in the room. With her eyes still on the approaching woman, Ibuki clumsily felt around her, hoping that she at least backed into a door. Sadly, she did not.
"Mak! Help me, please!"
The young woman sitting in the adjacent room, the spacious dojo area of the dojo, paid no mind to the plea. Her expression was calm, but with every rumble and vibration that came from the two women moving around, her brow twitched. Makoto was not about to stop her meditation to break the two up again. She sighed and hummed softly to herself, attempting to drown out the sounds.
Meanwhile, Ibuki slid down the wall into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around herself. Timidly, she looked up at the woman that was standing over her holding something in her hands. The black, purple and white taekwondo outfit and devilish horns the woman wore gave her a menacing look, but that was not the reason why Ibuki was terrified. She was more frightened of the thing in the woman's hands than the woman holding it.
Eight tiny eyes glared at the cowering ninja, a gleam of hunger evident in the ebony pools. Eight legs slowly pushed a hairy brown body across two open palms, eager to inspect. Two fangs hung from the body, and to Ibuki, it seemed they were clicking against each other in sadistic glee. Insects were always a problem for her, and this tarantula was no exception.
The master that held the hairy instrument of terror giggled and gently wiggled her hands, edging the spider out to her fingertips.
"I think he likes you," the woman said softly. "Go on, pet him…"
"No way Juri! I'm not touching that ugly thing!"
"Ugly?"
The spider in her hands turned around and looked up at Juri, seeming to ask for reassurance.
"Don't you listen to her Gregor, you're not ugly. On the contrary, I think you're quite handsome for a tarantula…"
At that time, a young woman appeared from a nearby room, her brown hair held up by a red ribbon acting as a headband. She frowned at the sight of the cowering ninja, giving her sympathies. However, when she looked at Juri, she smiled. Juri held the spider close to her face, showering it with gentle coos of affection. The action seemed motherly to Sakura; it was a side of Juri she rarely showed, even amongst the three girls. Her baby-talk continued, and, oddly enough, the arachnid in her hands appeared to be enjoying the attention.
"Who's a good scary little boy? You are!"
With the spider garnishing Juri's attention, Ibuki quickly scurried away from the wall and her two tormentors. She brushed past Sakura, moving into the new kitchen in the dojo. Makoto's old dojo had recently gone through a heavy renovation and addition phase- one that had created more rooms- which was enough to make the place more suitable for people to live in. Ibuki ran a hand through her hair as she sat down at a counter, closing her eyes and sighing with relief.
"Why do you insist on showing her that thing?" Sakura asked Juri, gazing at the tarantula.
"I'm helping her overcome her fear of spiders of course!" she replied enthusiastically.
"The only person I know that is afraid of spiders is Ryu. That fear of spiders is just something that comes naturally to girls."
"Not me," Makoto mumbled, turning her head to look at the two.
"Ok, most girls, but most girls aren't tomboys!"
Makoto angrily muttered under her breath, swiveling her head back to its original position to get back to meditating.
"If Ryu really is terrified of spiders, you can invite him to spend the night here." Juri softly stroked her spider, grinning. "I'll leave him a gift on his pillow before he wakes up."
"I'm surprised that you would even try to-" Sakura stopped herself, shaking her head. "Well, no, I'm not surprised that you would think of that."
"I'm surprised that you even ran an evil organization," Ibuki said to Juri from the counter, trying to avoid eye contact with the spider in her hands. "Given the way you act, I wonder how you managed to run anything for a week."
"What," Juri snapped, lowering the tarantula to the arm of the living room couch to let it hop off, "you think I failed on accident instead of on purpose?"
"I didn't say that, I was just wondering how you even managed to run an organization…"
"If you've been working with S.I.N. for years and you are suddenly thrust into the position of leader, you should know what to do then." Juri sighed and sat down on the black leather couch, slouching back and putting her hands behind her head. "Naa, I'm kidding. Leadership just comes naturally. You either lead by example or you lead by fear."
Ibuki and Sakura looked at each other, concerned expressions on their faces. They doubted that Juri would lead by example. If it was so, they would imagine things like how to kill others in a quick and efficient manner. It would be obvious Juri would lead by fear and intimidation in S.I.N., not because within that acronym was the word "Intimidation", but because it was Juri who was leading.
"I ever tell you about my time in there?"
"Yes," Sakura replied, taking a seat in an armchair, "many times. Even Nikki knows enough to run out of the room when you start going into a monologue about it."
"Huh, ok then."
"What time is it Sakura?" Ibuki asked her friend, yawning.
"You could look out the window, or better yet you could just look at your watch if you're desperate," Juri said, tilting her head back to look at Ibuki.
Sakura shrugged, agreeing somewhat with Juri's words. Ibuki huffed and looked to a window, finding night had fallen. She then looked to her watch.
"Cripes, there's nothing to do except sleep, and it's too early for that at 8 o'clock."
"Hey Juri, you've told us all about your time in England, but…" Sakura leaned forward in her seat, "what about that infamous week in S.I.N?"
"What about it?"
"Well, can you tell us about it? Did you immediately start running it into the ground?"
Juri glared at Sakura.
"Although I'd like to say that was the first thing on my mind, no. I had other plans."
"So," Ibuki muttered, walking over to the living room, "you lied back there in England?"
"I didn't lie, and I didn't con my way out of court. Unknowingly, I was well on my way to becoming the next Bison when one minor event in that week stopped that idea, reminding me of my true goal."
Sighing, Juri leaned back in her seat. The tarantula, Gregor, was nowhere to be found, but at the moment that wasn't something to worry about. He always turned up in plain sight or near a screaming ninja.
"It actually feels good to get this stuff off my chest. Are you girls busy? Do you have any plans for tonight?"
"There's nothing left to do tonight," Sakura mumbled.
"I've got absolutely nothing left to do," Ibuki said, taking a seat on the couch next to Juri, leaving some generous room between the two. "I was thinking about going out, but after eating I don't much feel for it anymore."
Juri nodded and moved over on the couch, resting her back on the arm. She placed one foot on the middle seat and another on the carpet, getting comfortable. She glanced over the couch to look at Makoto, still on her knees with her eyes closed in meditation.
"Mak? Are you listening?"
Makoto grunted. In her position it was hard to tell if she cared or not. Still, she gave a small nod to answer her question.
"Is this going to be a long story?" Ibuki asked, looking around for the spider. "Should I make popcorn or something?"
"With all the lazy snacking you do, I'm amazed you can keep your figure… I'm not going to babble into the night, maybe just talk about a day or two." She yawned and stretched, brushing a strand of hair away from her face after she was finished. "It took me awhile for the realization to set in; that Bison and Seth were dead at my feet…"
'Now what?'
Juri sat upon the body of her former boss, asking a question knowing that she wouldn't receive an answer for it. She had just killed the one who gave her directions for years and the vile dictator behind the murders of many innocents. The only one who could truly give direction was herself now.
It was an odd feeling, having no one left to order her around. She had been taken to following his orders for years, occasionally deviating from her tasks to find her own fun when things got boring. It was all the same sorts of assignments that failed to excite her: go here, take that, drop off here, assist field agent with that. She had become more of a courier and assistant than a valuable fighter, and she longed for days in which an operation would backfire, leaving her to fight her way out.
It was the thrill of the fight that gave birth to her idea of getting involved in the S.I.N. tournament. Seth played that to his advantage and reinforced her idea, allowing her to enter and take care of a few 'unworthy' fighters. It would have been advantageous for Seth had Bison not shown up at a bad time, which he did. Angered by the fact that Ryu was knocked out and Ken Masters had forfeited, Seth's mind was elsewhere and not in the fight against Bison, a mistake that had cost him dearly. Adding insult to injury, the pawn he had been so accustomed to using had finally turned against him.
She sighed and looked at Seth, smiling devilishly at his unmoving form. The Tandem Engine was smashed in by her foot, an arm was bent and mangled, and his chrome skin had numerous 'dents'.
"So far the only one paying is you," she muttered, lifting herself up.
Moving away from the chrome puppet-master, Juri rested her eyes on the soulless dictator nearby.
Bison was the deadliest opponent she had ever fought. His psycho power far outmatched her ki abilities and strength, making the battle more of a fight for life rather than mindless fun. Maybe it was that sheer disadvantage that excited Juri, to finally fight someone who was a level above her. Still, there was a thought that lingered in the back of her mind: if Bison had not been weakened in the fight against Seth, there would have been nothing to hinder him from killing her.
A red military cap with a golden skull emblem lay neglected and away from its master's caved-in head, a parting gift given by the Korean fighter. Juri picked up the hat and wiped traces of blood away from it, running her fingers across the black brim. A great evil once resided beneath this hat, but no more. She turned the hat around, looking inside it as if there was a hidden prize or reward for obtaining it.
She loved picking up items from vanquished opponents, whether it was a pair of red sneakers ripped from a ninja, a careless researcher's lab coat and sunglasses, or a symbol of an evil dictator. The only time where she had failed to pick up a trophy was a day ago in Europe. The headband of the self-proclaimed god of Muay Thai was just within her grasp when that Interpol officer chased her off.
Chun-Li… That name was enough to make Juri sigh longingly. She accused that woman of having a "school-girl crush", when she herself was guilty of the same thing. What had started as an unwelcome feeling blossomed into strange infatuation for the Chinese woman. It was obviously a one-sided relationship, as Juri had made many provocative statements in hopes of getting a blush out of her, only to receive a glare and a missed kick. She would never be attracted to Juri, but that never stopped the S.I.N. agent from dreaming about it, or hoping for a chance to capture and… interrogate her.
Juri sighed and held the hat in one hand, using the other to rub her temples. She was exhausted from the fight, yet she began to chuckle softly to herself. After a few seconds, that chuckle soon pitched to become maniacal laughter, and she reared her head back as she continued. Oh, the amount of euphoria she felt! Revenge was swift and cold, just the way it should be served. She couldn't recall what the revenge was for, but at the time it didn't matter.
She was in charge now.
While a pawn was easy to manipulate due to low intelligence or the fact of usually being kept in the dark, Juri was one exception. She had always eavesdropped on conversations that would benefit her, even more so when she learned Japanese. No one yet knew that she knew the language. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage in the near future, or at least reveal that fact soon to dishearten any employee who would think about talking behind her back.
Now, Juri wasn't just bright, she was also cunning. She had planned the death of Seth for awhile, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. With him and his mindless clones out of the way, she could direct S.I.N. to turn against Shadaloo. The death of Bison and Seth at the same time was expected, given that Juri had lured Bison to the base with her constant harassing attacks on Shadaloo and their dolls. Everything went exactly as planned, except for one hiccup.
Bison was a strange one; he was never one to stay dead. His body was broken, yes, but his soul was still alive. It would find its way back to the Shadaloo base in California, where the ever so obedient scientists would put it into yet another ugly body. The process would take a week, finishing up with a new Bison that would contain all the memories and powers of the old one. Juri could not allow that to happen. She would find a way to stop Bison from returning in time.
Coming down from her bout of laughter, Juri kicked Bison's body over to roll onto its stomach. Those lifeless white eyes always bothered her; there was no emotion or color inside them. She wouldn't have to put up with them again if she played her cards right.
She looked around the room she was in. The cold, bright fluorescent lights in the area were few. Many had been destroyed in the fight, and a few had shorted out. Those that were left filled the dank area with dim light, enough for anyone with good vision to make out shapes in it. Machine parts were lying around, broken and mangled. Juri would have to order a few engineers to fix some of the water heaters, lest she face numerous complaints from the most likely disgruntled employees.
Fighting in a large utility room wasn't Seth's best idea, but that was where Bison found him and his clones. The clones were not as valuable as 15 was, but at least each one held a Tandem Engine. The empty shells would be disposed of while the sphere would be saved for analysis. Seth's work would still continue, regardless of whether or not he was alive.
Sounds of footsteps reached Juri's ears. Most likely the footsteps belonged to the few remaining security guards that haven't been killed by Bison on his way in. Sure enough, a party of five uniformed men rushed into the room, flashlights and pistols at the ready. From Juri's standpoint, it was as if she was reliving the time when she assassinated all those operatives in public, watching as all the men with guns shot at her, smiling when her swirling ki energy deflected every bullet. It was ultimately futile in the end for them.
"What happened in here?" one guard asked, shining his light around. When the beam of light illuminated Juri, he stepped back in shock. "Han?"
"That's right," she sneered, folding her arms over her chest. "Glad you could make it on such short notice. If you'd care to look around, you would find a lot of mangled bodies and machines."
The guards shrugged and illuminated the floor, widening their eyes as the lights bounced off the chrome skin of Seth and his copies. They moved forward as a group towards the body of Bison, pistols down but still ready to fire. One of them nudged the dictator with his foot before looking up at the killer.
"15 did everything he could, but ultimately he fell by Bison's hand," Juri lied, glancing at a destroyed camera. How fortuitous for her that she could take the throne when the peasants were none the wiser! "Unfortunately, I arrived much too late for him." She produced Bison's military cap, grinning. "I don't think Bison will need this anymore, seeing as he doesn't have the head for it."
"So," one guard started, tapping his fingers on the surface of a destroyed machine, "with 15 dead… what does this mean for S.I.N.?"
"Why, it means we're under new leadership boys," Juri replied, twirling the hat around on her finger. "Don't be afraid, I'll take good care of this place, and all of you too."
"You're going to lead us?" questioned another guard, the glare from the visor of his helmet preventing the woman from seeing his stunned face.
"Of course I am. I've been his "apprentice" for years. He would have wanted me to take over if he met an untimely and completely unfortunate demise." She scowled and slowly advanced towards the group, stopping at the dictator's body. "Is there a problem?"
"…N-no Ma'am..."
"Good. Get some workers and engineers down here to get this place cleaned up. The bodies will be disposed of, while the Engines will be spared for retrieving data." She walked forward, stepping on Bison's body as she went. "Now if you excuse me…"
The guards quickly separated from their group, allowing the woman to pass through them. Attacking her or going against the spider's words was considered a death wish amongst the employees in the facility. With her as the new leader, things would be changing for the worse, or, things would hardly change at all. While the latter wasn't that favorable with her in charge, it was the best option.
"Uh… Ma'am?"
Juri turned her head to stare at the lone guard in front, his pistol in his holster and his right hand out in apprehension.
"What is it?"
"There were two other intruders besides this one, Ma'am. They've been captured and pacified..."
"Hmm," she began, tilting her head. "I don't have time for interrogation right now. There's just so much paperwork to do, so many people to inform. I'll break the news and get to those intruders tomorrow. For now, keep them in the detainment bay. Feel free to spread the news, as I'm sure you're all devastated over Seth's death."
With that, she stepped out of the room to proceed down the hall, twirling her black and purple belt as she hummed a soft tune. It was late, and many events would be happening tomorrow. The guards turned to each other, staring in complete silence. It was quickly interrupted by a cold shout from down the hall.
"You can all grieve when you're not on duty!"