Chapter 1: One Thing After Another
San Francisco National Cemetery, Final resting place of Nathaniel and Akemi Masters, 10:26am
"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. May god have mercy on their souls. Amen."
Ken is whirlwind of emotions as he stares into the twin coffins containing his parents' remains. His face betrays how he's feeling, but his eyes…
The father makes eye contact with Ken just as he looks up. He gives a slight nod at Ken giving him his cue to take the podium to give his final speech, his final tribute, his final goodbye to his parents. Ken raises, looking to Eliza before making his way to the podium. The padre intercepts his path and puts a hand on Ken's shoulder, "Be strong, Kenneth," he says. Ken nods tears just nearly falling from his eyes, but he wills them back down.
He stops as come to the coffins, eyeing the portraits of his parents at heads of each casket.
Dad.
The sky blue back drop with his father's slightly tanned image eyes him right back. His dark brown eyes complete with crow's feet show sternness, yet also have a kindness and wisdom about him. His thick black eyebrows a clone of his son's. His closed mouth smile and square jaw also reveals who's his son. But his fading blonde hair, in contrast to Ken's, is a buzz cut reminiscent of Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. And his broad, but not bulky shoulders covered in a gray suit coat with white button-up shirt underneath just barely above the bottom edge of the picture.
Mom.
The other portrait reveals a woman with slightly aged, obviously Asian features with warm, loving and welcoming brown eyes. And like her husband's, her eyes look right at her son. Her slightly bronzed skin practically glows along with her wide, toothy smile. Her raven colored hair is done up in bun, and her neck and shoulders are bare baring the black straps of what appear to be a part of a dress.
Ken then completes his path with much trepidation taking the podium. He takes in the crowd some family, mostly employees. And a few friends.
Ryu (in a suit no less) looks on with a sad and stern look with a comforting arm around the teary-eyed Chun-Li, and his other hand holding hers in her lap. Guile as stone-faced as ever, with his arm around Jane while she quietly sobs into his shoulder. Cammy looks on with a determined look on her face, no tears, but apparent sadness in her eyes. To her left and right, are Juni and Sakura respectively. Juni, sullenness in her eyes, and Sakura wiping her eyes. Rounding his friends and acquaintances from his street fighter days are Sean, Karin, Sagat, and even his master Gouken. But noticeably missing is his son Mel Masters, but only due to his college commitments. Eliza, who had been distant these past few months (even with the advent of her husband's parents' deaths) offers a rare display of support for her husband, offering him a look as if to say 'it's ok, go on.'
Ken then takes a deep breath and with a great effort to delivers the eulogy for his mother and father.
The Home of Nathaniel and Akemi Masters, 12:02pm
The funeral concluded without incident, except when Ken unleashed all the grief he'd been holding back at the sight of his parents' caskets being lowered and buried. Friends, and family were invited back to Ken's parent's home for smaller informal get together. People have started to arrive upon the expansive estate. Pleasantries are exchanged between guests and Eliza as they arrive and, Ken is upstairs on the phone talking to his son Mel.
"How was the service?" Asks Mel.
"It was good. There was a small controversy with aunt Leandra in the planning though. She wanted a motorcade to be part of the service. I swear she took the old man a lot of serious then he did. In end we went with the dad's wishes, and I quote 'I'm not so important that my death should interrupt the regular flow of traffic,'" Ken laughs reverently "A lot of old stories came up, a lot of old faces, a lot of tears." He finishes sullenly.
"Did you speak at it?"
"The old man actually requested that I go up after Father Patrick, best for last I guess."
"Dad, are you okay? You sound down, but I guess that's normal for the circumstances. But you also sound tired."
"Yeah I'm fine, and a little tired I guess. I kinda had a mini freak out when they lowered and buried mom and dad. I guess that and the entire ordeal has taken a lot out of me."
"How's mom?"
That's a good question. Ken thought bitterly to himself.
"Your mother is your mother I guess. She's been rather distant since a little before you shipped off to school. She's around, but we rarely ever speak anymore let alone see each other. And you know our estate is large enough to where if you don't want to be found, you won't be found. I just need her right now and it's like she wants nothing to do with me!" Ken finishes franticly. "God I just…"
"It'll work out dad, just, I don't know weather the storm I guess."
After Ken finishes talking to Mel, he makes his way down stairs joining in mingling with his guests. He gloomily trudges through the get-together as he's showered with 'it was a great service', 'your father was a great man', 'your mother was so vibrant', and all sorts of other canned sayings a bereaved man would expect to receive. He sees Guile at the bar having a drink with Sagat. The two old timers acknowledge Ken with a nod and a raise of their glasses. He sees Gouken and Ryu at a shrine they likely erected in tribute to the deceased. He then turns his gaze to Karin and Sakura having a conversation. Sakura, noticing Ken nods and gives him a sad smile. Then to Cammy and Juni comforting a still sullen Chun-Li. And he finally sees Eliza talking animatedly to her parents and Jane in a far off corner. Jane and her mother look sadly at Eliza, then Ken and back again, while father her looks at the floor in disgust.
A hand finds its way to his shoulder, "Ken..." says a soft English accented voice.
He turns to find a short, slender blonde woman. Her hair, not in its usual pigtails, reaching down to her backside. Her head tilted back accentuating the height difference between them. Her big baby blue eyes are boring up into his with a look of concern another woman should be giving him. Her shoulders covered in small, black long sleeved jacket, and under that a long black dress ending just below her knees. A woman of practicality, her look is completed with pair of black flats.
"Cammy…" says Ken.
"You alright?"
"No, not really."
"Well, I'm here for you," she stops wide eyed. "I mean we're here for you," she finishes lamely, looking away.
Ken merely looks on, jadedly shrugging. "I appreciate that Cammy, I really do…" he trails off, looking to that far off corner again. "I need to get to Eliza."
Hurt briefly flashes across Cammy's face. She shrugs it off and pulls Ken into an embrace, "Well I…we're still here for you." Ken, relishing in long yearned after intimate contact immediately returns the embrace. Cammy, by no means a weak woman squeezes harder. "We all are…"
The Next Morning, Ken's Estate 7:07am
Ken wakes with start, sweating and alone. As per the usual. He throws the blanket and sheets off of himself as he makes his way to the master bath. He hits the light, making his way to the sink, turning on the cold water and splashing a handful on his face. The water does nothing to ease his grief and frustrations.
He was unable to talk to Eliza last night. When left Cammy, he made a straight beeline to the little corner his wife and in-laws occupied. When Eliza spotted him, she took off like a thief in the night. When he questioned his in-laws about what Eliza was so animated about, her father took off angrily dragging her mother with him, leaving Jane alone to face a distressed and confused Ken. "It's not my place to tell. I'm sorry," she said while hugging Ken, "about everything."
He leaves bathroom, and starts to make his way downstairs for some breakfast. Last night was his first restful night's sleep he's gotten in while and hasn't been eating right since he got word of his parents' untimely demise. As he reaches the bottom of the staircase he hear a voice.
"Look, Mel, it's complicated. I just can't… No! It's…" he hears Eliza seemingly on the phone with their son.
Ken follows the voice to the end of the winding hall, to the front of the home, and he sees Eliza. She wearing a tan jacket, with a plan white shirt underneath, tan pants and black walking shoes. She's got a small travel bag hanging off her shoulder, and two larger suitcases at her feet. Her left arm is crossed around her chest, while the other is upright hand holding a phone.
"I love you…" she finishes lamely, but not before Mel audibly hangs up.
She then turns to Ken. Her mouth in a straight line, dull navy blue eyes full of apprehension staring right into Ken's, as confused and distressed as last night.
"What's all this?" Ken says barely audible.
"Ken, I'm leaving. I'm…"
"Why?"
"I'm not happy. I haven't been in a while."
"Is it something I did?"
"No. It's just, things have changed. The brash, vibrant young man I fell in love with is no longer here. He's been replaced by a corporate, suit wearing sellout! There's no excitement between us. No globetrotting! No street fights! Hell, Sean doesn't even hang around here anymore. There's…"
"Bullshit…"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me! I said bullshit! I grew up, Eliza! Like you said I should. After that ordeal with Gill and the Illuminati, you said I shouldn't shirk my responsibilities as father, a husband and as executive leadership at the Master's foundation. I settled down because I didn't want lose you and Mel or have you guys lose me because I got killed or maimed chasing some terrorists in some tournament."
A cab pulls up to the property. "Good bye, Ken," she says bitterly.
"There's someone else isn't?"
She looks away biting her lip.
"Were you after my money?" Ken says without thinking.
"Ken! Good bye," she says with finality.
She adjusts the strap on her shoulder, turns, opens the decorative door, picks up her suitcases and makes her way to the cab. The cabbie opens the trunk and places her bags in it. She takes a seat in the back, and they drive off.
Ken scoffs, tightens his fist, unintentionally gathering ki giving his clenched hand and it begins to glow a faint orange. He then thinks, almost a little too clearly to himself, I'll skip the meal. Yeah. I think I'll train this morning. He calls his butler, telling him prep the training room and a spare gi and starts to make his way to his private gym on the property. The home phone rings just as Ken exits the room, caller ID reveals the caller to his son Mel Masters.
A/N:
Ok folks, welcome to my first long term project for this site. I hope this first chapter wasn't too rough. I tried to make it all as realistic as I can. Hope you like it!
Don't own the cover photo nor the characters.