Gypsy Lounge Tavern, Bay Area, Metro City, United States, two months before the events of Street Fighter III 2nd Impact
Juri Han found a table outside, reclined in her chair and took a sip of beer, savoring the bitter taste. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she inhaled the warm early evening air. The distant mixed stench of the sea and garbage from the harbor, combined with the rank smell of nearby sewage and stale sweat, assaulted her senses. Metro City was a dump, everyone knew it.
The outdoor seating area was empty for the moment, which suited her just fine. Despite the odor, Juri preferred being alone. She really didn't want to deal with the several lowlifes inside making potential advances towards her. Any persistence on their part would likely lead to fatal outcomes. Juri's worldview was perversely divided into three sorts: those she truly hated, fight challengers who kept her entertained and the rest of the muck. Unfortunately for her, the people in the first two categories were on very short lists. Dispatching a few stupid drunks would hardly stimulate Juri. A dead or severely beaten body or two would certainly attract the wrong kind of public attention. There were more important matters to deal with for the moment and she didn't need the distraction of police involvement.
Normally, she would have chugged a couple of glasses just to feel the relaxing alcoholic buzz and perhaps forget about life for a while. She never allowed herself to get shitfaced though. It was a luxury that Juri could ill afford as a street fighter and she was still on the run from authorities. Besides, Juri was here for business, not pleasure. She checked the time on her smartphone. Her contact would be arriving soon.
A pair of young street toughs strolling by sized Juri up as she lounged. Despite the relaxed posture, she remained alert. A cold and intimidating stare in their direction discouraged any further interest. They wisely hurried along, searching for easier pickings. The taekwondo expert sniffed with contempt and shook her head after they moved on. They were hardly a test for her and there were bigger fish to fry tonight.
Although Shadaloo had been crushed a couple of years back, Juri continued to wage a one-woman war against them. No matter how many times people thought the criminal organization was defeated, it would eventually rise again from the ashes, like some twisted phoenix. She had indirectly participated in the operation led by multibillionaire Karin Kanzuki to take it down previously. Although Lord Bison was presumably killed, the size of the network meant that several of his lieutenants, as well as various rank and file, had gone to ground. But Juri was convinced that they would eventually reappear. They always returned. While the rest of the temporary alliance had declared victory and moved on with their lives, she alone continued to relentlessly hunt her enemies down.
'Well, that wasn't entirely true,' Juri admitted to herself. CIA operative Crimson Viper and British Delta Red member Cammy White also tracked down Shadaloo, but their efforts were comparatively half-hearted. She rarely cooperated with the former and unless it was an opportunity for a tortuous beat down, had no desire to interact with Cammy.
Furthermore, their methods were too soft for her taste. She much preferred a more permanent approach compared to their procedures, which often involved the boring rigmarole of lengthy interrogations and a legal trial which could end with a plea deal. As far as Juri was concerned, anyone still with the organization deserved to die. Besides, given her own history with Shadaloo's weapons division offshoot S.I.N., she was still wanted in several countries. Even if Juri desired to cooperate, it would make coordination difficult at best.
'Nah, I definitely prefer to work on my own,' she reasoned. 'Besides, it's a lot more fun this way. No bullshit rules to worry about, just take them out and move on to the next target.'
Her thoughts were interrupted by a car coming down the road. A blue sedan pulled up and parked almost directly in front of the bar across the street. Remaining seated, she nonetheless tensed up, ready for trouble. Due to several close calls in the past, the interaction could easily wind up being an ambush. Not this time, however. A lone tall man dressed in blue jeans and a light grey chambray shirt opened the door and casually stepped out. He looked both ways before crossing the street, noticed Juri and strode directly towards her. The man gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and carried a manila envelope in his right hand.
'Good,' Juri thought, cautiously relaxing her posture a fraction. 'He came alone.' The odds of an ambush dropped considerably. Juri returned the nod and leaned back in her chair as he stopped in front of the table. She gestured for him to sit.
"You're on time," she said with a smirk. "I really hope you have the info I asked for."
The informant sat down, nodded and handed the envelope over, trying and mostly failing to keep his eyes focused on her face. Juri snorted, reveling in his discomfort. The white dudou barely covering her chest revealed a well-muscled physique. The scrutiny didn't bother her in the least. On the contrary, she absolutely thrived on it. She knew her striking appearance was an attention grabber and flaunted it whenever possible.
"Hey, I'm good at what I do. Info's all there," he replied. "Did you think otherwise?"
"I paid you 20% in advance," Juri said, reaching over to take the slip. She tore open the top of the envelope and slowly perused the contents. Her smirk transformed into a grin. "Perfect. And the package is definitely there?"
The tall man nodded, still trying to maintain a sense of professionalism. Juri's grin slipped back to a smirk while rolling her eyes.
"I was in there. Saw it with my own eyes," he answered. The informant waited expectantly for a few moments. Juri knew what he wanted. Well, apart from the peep show. She pulled out a strap of cash from the right pocket of her black gym pants and tossed it on the table in front of him. "It's all there, unless you want to count it..."
The man flicked the bills quickly in the wrap, gently slapped it against his left hand and shook his head. He had run errands of this sort for Juri in the past and knew that as long as the information was good, she was a reliable buyer. On the other hand, the people who double crossed her...
"Nah, looks to be all there," he responded. "So, we're good?"
Juri waved him off with a flick of her hand. He let out a sigh of relief, got up and headed back to the car. Naturally, she kept an eye on the informant until he drove out of sight.
Delightful laughter escaped Juri's lips as she reexamined the information in front of her. Balrog, an ex-Shadaloo enforcer/lieutenant, was selling something of great value to an unknown party later tonight. The question was how he got his hands on this item to begin with. She already knew the generalities, but now she had a specific time when it would take place. Juri suspected the buyers were associated with the Illuminati, given the technology involved.
Balrog's love of making money was matched only by his ability to blow it. Real currency, not those Monopoly-style Bisonbucks he was often paid with in service with Shadaloo. This deal indicated that he was running out and needed a new reservoir of capital. Juri knew that Balrog had fallen onto hard times since Bison's demise a couple of years ago. She slowly licked her lips in anticipation. Not only would Juri get a crack at taking out someone she despised, there was also the chance to retrieve something very dear to her.
Uptown East City Hospital, Uptown, Metro City
Kara Neiland ran her hands through her hair and stretched as she clocked out. It had been her third straight day working a grueling final 12+ hour shift at Uptown East. The young nurse couldn't complain much since she picked the 36 for 40 schedule. It meant that Kara worked three straight days for 12 hours, but the upside was having four days off. A lot of nurses actually picked that option compared to the standard eight-hour, five days scheme. It was a hell of a way to finish her two-year stint as a registered nurse.
The time as an RN at Uptown East was an invaluable experience, but she had her mind set on becoming a nurse practitioner and she needed a master's degree for that. It was a tough decision, but ultimately Kara decided to focus entirely on school. As much as she wanted to continue nursing, the academic load combined with working part-time at the hospital would have been extremely difficult. As such, Kara planned to take a couple of months off to unwind before classes started in the fall. The next couple of years would be strenuous, but her desire to get into family care as an NP remained unchanged.
Once she was off the clock, Kara decided to find Mary, her co-worker and mentor who was working a standard shift that evening. The two had become close friends since Kara started at the hospital and she definitely wanted to say goodbye before leaving. They both worked on the medical surgical floor or med-surg, so Kara proceeded to the charge nurse's desk to find out where Mary was. After a short discussion, Kara was directed to the room where Mary was checking on a patient. It didn't take long to find it. Kara peeked in to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything before walking in. Mary looked up from her chart and waved Kara in.
"Hey girl," she said. "You're all done now, right?" Kara nodded.
"I just wanted to see you before I left but I didn't want to keep you from anything," she responded.
"Not a problem. Just checking on patients at the moment," Mary remarked. "I'm gonna miss you. You'll be hard to replace."
Kara smiled and thanked her warmly, looking down momentarily to blink back a few tears. The compliment from the 12-year veteran meant a lot to her.
"Well, to be honest, I'll probably be back here in a couple of years once I finish my degree," she replied, recovering her composure. "It's been a good challenge working here."
Kara happened to glance up at the overhead TV to see what was going on. The channel was set to the 24-hour local news network METN. Both nurses began watching with curiosity. The stories concentrated on a number of street battles between gangs that had flared up once again throughout the Uptown District. One scene displayed city police in riot gear advancing in line towards some rioters the night before. Another showed a young blonde cop roughly pinning a rowdy suspect against the side of a building while handcuffing him.
The footage cut away live to city hall, where Mayor Cody Travers announced in a short speech that an 11pm curfew would be enacted for tonight. Deployment of the National Guard was granted by the governor to help the city police maintain order amid the growing clashes. He then opened the floor for a few questions.
"Mr. Mayor, do you think the current violence is better or worse than during the Haggar administration?" a male reporter asked from the front row. Mayor Travers rubbed his forehead before answering.
"Well, you gotta remember that instead of dealing with a couple of major gangs, there's a lot of smaller ones out there now," he replied. "Despite what it looks like, we're continuing to regain control of this city bit by bit. Next question."
Another journalist stood up, this time a female several rows back.
"Mr. Mayor, how much of a negative impact do you think the gang violence will have on your reelection campaign?" Mayor Travers' jaw tightened.
"Are you kidding me?" he shot back as he threw up his hands. "Innocent people are getting hurt and you're asking me about my campaign? Unbelievable! One more question."
A young male reporter in the second row remained seated while asking.
"Mr. Mayor, can you respond to reports that the city council has rejected your proposal to add additional police to the payroll?"
The mayor glared, opened his mouth and then shut it again. He took a deep breath before answering.
"No comment," he answered. "I'll say this though. Law enforcement officers are working tirelessly day and night to keep the people in this city safe. However, if need be, I'll personally go out on the streets and kick some ass myself. As you probably already know, it wouldn't be the first time. Thank you."
The cameras followed the mayor as he turned and stalked away from the podium with a female aide before the news switched to a city map. A number of areas in Uptown and the Bay Area were marked red to denote no-go zones where the worst disturbances were occurring. Kara's eyes furrowed at the screen as she examined the map.
"Terrific, most of those areas are right where I need to go through," she grumbled, shaking her head. "That'll add a ton of time to my drive home. Everyone's gonna try to get out of the city now with the curfew four hours off."
Mary nodded sympathetically. She knew Kara had a long commute home in the best of circumstances.
"Can't be helped," she replied. "It'll certainly be a busy night tonight though. This looks bad."
Kara blushed and looked down. The rioting guaranteed a lot of inbound patients for the night shift. Riots produced casualties, ensuring that Uptown East ER would be a busy place later.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry," she answered, her face still flushed with embarrassment. "I wasn't thinking. Are you all going to be alright tonight?"
The older nurse bobbed her head and shrugged.
"We'll manage," Mary said. "Won't be the first time. You should get going. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner you get home. Call me when you get in though, ok?"
"Will do and take care," Kara responded and gave her co-worker a quick hug. She knew her friend had rounds to make and she didn't want to keep her from those tasks. She turned back at the door to wish Mary luck and waved before disappearing down the hallway.
Bay Area, Metro City
Juri wove around several potholes as she rode her motorbike westwards through a number of quiet back streets. This model was the standard two-wheel variety compared to her old trike. Unfortunately, that one was destroyed by Vega a couple of years back during the battle at the Shadaloo base. The tekko kagi blades had sliced off the top half of the trike as she tried to ram him. Juri was still pissed at him for doing that. She loved that one, but it didn't have the maneuverability of her current model.
The former S.I.N. enforcer ran into a couple of police checkpoints as she made her way towards the Uptown area. It was at the first checkpoint that Juri found out about the curfew. Her jaw clenched at the delays as she had to recalculate her reduced timetable. Her hands clenched the bike handles tighter. Apparently, every gang in the city decided to pick this particular night to create mayhem. Juri was no stranger to chaos, but the information she received was a bit time sensitive. These obstructions were interfering with her own damn plans!
Luckily the cops at the roadblocks failed to recognize Juri. Her appearance had changed slightly over the last couple of years, particularly her hair. The trademark horn-like bangs on either side of her head were replaced with a simpler straight down look that ran down to her upper back. Juri also recently opted for a tuft of purple color in her front bangs to break up the rest of her jet-black hair. That said, it was more likely that law enforcement was simply swamped with routing traffic around the disturbances to even bother giving her more than a cursory glance.
'These losers picked the wrong time to pull this shit!' Juri thought darkly as she rode onwards. 'If I have time, I might even make an example of some of these idiots on the way.'
Another detour placed Juri back on the main route west. The traffic, though not bumper to bumper, was fairly heavy and had no signs of lightening as she continued. At this rate, her destination in the western Uptown area might as well be on the moon. The only way to gain time was to take a longer but lesser used road network through the Industrial Area. An increasingly frustrated Juri made a decision and took matters into her own hands. Observing a break in the traffic in the opposite lane, she accelerated and cut across two lanes to make a hard left-hand turn onto a side road. She then juked a couple more cars moving up in the opposite lane. A number of vehicles swerved and slammed on their brakes. It was a small miracle that there were no accidents, though traffic stopped momentarily. Juri could hear the irate horns of motorists as she turned hard, feeling the adrenaline rush. It was thrills like this that made her feel truly alive. She whooped and flipped the bird as she sped away down the side road which took her south into the Industrial area. Juri was still laughing as she rode through the evening dim, her irritation momentarily lifted. The idea of finding some troublemakers to take her resentment out on was looking better by the minute. A good beat down would really cheer her up.
East Industrial Parkway, Industrial District, Metro City
Kara glared in disgust at the sharp, rectangular piece of metal embedded in her right rear tire. She had known as soon as it occurred due to the steady clomping sound on the pavement as the air fizzled out of the rotating tire. Although the young nurse preferred to keep driving, the possibility of a blowout loomed heavily on her mind. The idea of careening out of control held little appeal, so Kara reluctantly pulled the car over to the shoulder to change tires.
The various detours forced Kara from her normal direct route home to the lesser traveled northern edges of the Metro City Industrial Zone. However, the prevalent gang rioting coupled with Mayor Traver's curfew announcement ensured a mass exodus of commuters all trying to leave at the same time. Kara finally decided to deviate from the main route, which pushed her further south. The idea was to avoid the worst of the congestion and eventually get back onto one of the main roads. Instead, Kara was stuck on a very quiet stretch of roadway where little assistance could be expected if unwanted company showed up. She reluctantly switched on the hazard lights. The last thing Kara needed was to have a car plowing into her in the gathering darkness.
On her side of the road lay a large fenced off factory complex, the multiple empty buildings stretching back from the thoroughfare. Several smaller garage-like structures were lined up along the other side, which was also fenced off. The EMP charge set off by the Black Moon satellite over New York City a couple of years ago had knocked out power throughout the surrounding area, including nearby Metro City. Due to the extensive electrical damage and the sporadic gang violence which spilled over in the aftermath, most of the manufacturers had left for greener pastures.
Kara recalled Mayor Travers' plans for economic incentives to encourage a return. However, the city council largely blocked his proposals, insisting on a number of tax conditions before any industry moved back in. Unsurprisingly, the deals fell through, leading to even more bitterness and recriminations between City Hall and the Council. Certain undesirables took advantage of the vacancies, establishing unwanted residences among many of the abandoned factories.
"Goddammit," Kara fumed, fists clenched at her sides. "Of all the times and no cops around either. Just freaking great!"
Further complaining wasn't going to get the tire fixed any sooner so she stepped to the back of the car, popped the trunk, grabbed the car jack and a cross-shaped lug wrench. The young nurse took a quick scan around to see if anyone had noticed her situation. An occasional car zoomed by, but otherwise, it was quiet. No one stopped to help, leaving Kara disappointed but not surprised. If the circumstances were reversed, she probably wouldn't stop either. Satisfied that she was in no immediate danger, Kara worked as fast as possible in the dusk, not wishing to linger more than necessary.
The nurse had switched the typical replacement donut with a regular tire and frame. It was unusual, but she preferred the flexibility. Kara could bring the flat in to get it repaired or replaced without losing the car in the shop for a day. She couldn't afford to take any more time off than necessary due to staff shortages, especially in a place like Metro City.
She managed to remove the flat and was wrestling the spare on when voices echoed from down the road and got louder. Kara's worst fears were realized as her endeavors finally attracted unwelcome attention. She could see five large men approaching the rear of her car. They were laughing and started jogging towards the vehicle. Kara muttered a curse since a quick getaway wasn't even an option. About fifteen minutes more and she would have been on her way! As they got closer, she recognized some of the symbols on their vests. Gang members were constantly laid up in the hospital for numerous wounds.
Kara stood up to face them, chewing her lip. She set the spare tire down and gripped the lug wrench in her right hand. It could serve as a makeshift weapon, but the cross-shaped wrench was awkward to handle. Another option was the can of pepper spray in her handbag, but that was in the car on the passenger seat. There was no way she could reach it in time. Besides, Kara was under no illusion that either one was an ideal defense against so many potential attackers.
"Whada we have here?" the leader announced, leering at the young woman. "Need some help, sweetie?" Kara's hands began to sweat, so she gripped the lug wrench tighter. She observed a long scar running down the left cheek of the speaker. He also stood at least a head taller than her.
"No thanks, I've got everything under control," she replied, flashing an unsteady smile. She felt her stomach beginning to knot up. "Thanks anyway though!"
Three of the men started to edge to her right, trying to block her escape. She backed up to match their movements. The leader snickered and shook his head. He edged closer to her.
"Someone like yourself shouldn't be out here all alone," 'Scar' replied, crossing his arms. "A lot of unpleasant things could happen to you out here."
"Really awful things," he emphasized. "A…ah, donation would go a long way towards helping your, how should I put it...circumstances."
Kara shook her head and swallowed. Her eyes darted between the pair in front of her and the others flanking her.
"Well, I don't have any money, so, um, sorry. I'll, uh, be careful though," she stammered and continued to back away, nearing the front of her vehicle to avoid being pinned against it. Several of the gang members chuckled while Scar grinned, jerking his left thumb towards the car. He spied the handbag sitting on the passenger seat.
"Well, I'm sure there's something in there that would be worthwhile," Scar said, reaching for the front door handle. His colleague standing next to him chuckled and reached for the nurse. Kara panicked and awkwardly but forcefully swung the tire iron with both hands but missed her assailant. Instead, Kara connected with Scar's right forearm. He yelped, took several steps back, clutching his arm. Her eyes widened in shock at her action. Instinctively, Kara brought both hands quickly to her mouth and gasped. The tire iron dropped to the ground, clanging loudly on the pavement. Running was her only option now, so she pivoted and fled.
The rest of the gang stood rooted to their spots for several seconds. They had not expected her to do anything, much less provoke a fight. Scar rolled his fist a few times to shake off the pain and looked around to see where Kara went. He observed her sprinting down the darkened road, occasionally illuminated by a few lot lights in the nearby empty factory.
"You fucking bitch, you're dead now!" Scar roared. He snatched the lug wrench off the ground and chased after her. The rest recovered from their momentary daze and followed suit.
"If any of you manage to catch up to her, just hold up and wait for the rest of us, nothin' else," Scar shouted as they charged off after the fleeing nurse. "She's mine!"
Adrenaline coursed through Kara's veins as she pumped her legs. She had always loved running and did so whenever she had the chance. The muscle memory from her time in high school track helped her to gain speed quickly. Unfortunately for Kara, she had no plan other than to take flight, so she continued running. Beads of sweat began to trickle down her flushed face. Her legs continued to chew up the pavement for several more minutes.
Unfortunately, the pursuers were catching up to her due to their longer running strides. In fact, Kara could hear pounding footsteps just behind over her heavy breathing. Kara, despite her running background, was only 5'4" while each of her chasers was at least several inches taller. She dared not look back for fear of slowing down and vainly forced a burst of speed from her aching legs. Suddenly, a hand struck her left shoulder and Kara went sprawling onto the pavement. She cried out in pain as her hands skidded along the asphalt. Kara tried to bounce back up but didn't have her balance when another pair of hands shoved her sideways off the road. The momentum caused her to crash into the fence face first, rebounding violently before sprawling on the ground once more. A factory parking lot light nearby lent enough illumination for her to see.
Kara lay heaving on the ground, slightly dazed, as more hands roughly hauled her up and slammed her against the chain link fence. It shuddered from the impact, though the slight give cushioned her from a worse jolt. The gang then backed off a couple of steps, everyone panting and puffing from the long run. Kara grimaced in pain; her hands were bloodied from being skinned on the blacktop. She could feel grit mixed in a couple of the cuts, but that was the least of her problems at the moment. Kara wasn't sure if her head was bleeding from the fence collision, but it was throbbing. She placed the back of her hand to her aching nose to check for blood but couldn't see anything. Kara sank back down into a sitting position; her arms wrapped around her knees. She was unable to hold back choking sobs and was shaking violently. She didn't make eye contact with the gang members as they caught their breath. The group collected itself and stood in a rough semicircle around her, with Scar in the center, holding her tire iron. The roar of a motorcycle could be heard in the distance.
East Industrial Parkway, Industrial Area
Juri headed west along the mostly deserted parkway, her hair blowing freely in the night air. She made good time given the scarcity of traffic but still needed to hook up with one of the major routes to Uptown eventually. The initial elation from earlier had dissipated some time ago and Juri's glower returned. She was still very much in the mood to kick some ass.
"Dammit, this freaking sucks," she growled. "At the very least this shithole could provide me with some entertainment before the main event!"
Juri then noticed an abandoned car with hazard lights blinking on the side of the road. She slowed down and pulled up in front of the vehicle to investigate, curiosity getting the better of her. It clearly hadn't been there very long. Juri checked the motorbike's clock. There was time and she still wanted to see some action. This might be a lead to the fun she was looking for.
'Hmmm...interesting,' she thought, looking over the scene. 'Someone had a flat tire, started to fix it but stopped. Where did the driver go?'
Juri started to get off the bike when she heard something down the road. Her head turned in that direction and spotted a group of people near the fence line about a half mile away. Normal eyesight would never have picked it up in the darkness, but the Feng Shui engine in Juri's left eye did. The bionic device, a gift from Seth during her employment at S.I.N., enabled her to 'see' out of her left eye as well as increase her strength, speed and reaction time above her already natural high levels.
The artificial eye zoomed in and Juri felt a twinge of excitement. The gathering must have had something to do with the driver of the vehicle who did something to piss them off. The gang blocked the view of the victim. Juri couldn't care less about the driver, whoever it was. The stupid shit probably had it coming. But this group was a promising challenge for Juri and she was never one to pass up a good fight. Besides, she still wanted to strike back at the people who were causing her all sorts of problems getting to her destination. This would probably be the only chance she would get at some satisfaction. Juri hated people getting in her way. A wide grin formed on her lips as she anticipated the coming fight. She was a predator and it was time for these guys to feel her wrath. She glanced back to the car before starting up her bike. The engine roared to life.
"Alright, whoever you are, this looks like your lucky day," the street fighter purred, cracking her knuckles. "I could definitely unwind after all the shit I've been through today. And I'm itching for some action."