Return of Princess Punch

By: YesterdayAgain

Yuri Sakazaki crossed her arms and slouched lower in her seat. The seat belt slagged around her as her posture changed. The wind from the driver's window kept blowing a strand of her hair into her mouth. Yuri sighed loudly, freeing the hair from between her lips.

Realizing that her gestures of dissatisfaction were going unnoticed by the front seat occupants of the car, she straightened up in her seat but only to get at a better angle for what she was about to do. She pulled up her left leg close to her chest and let loose a kick to the driver's seat. Not being a girl of average strength, the seat visibly rocked and the driver along with it. The seat gave an unhealthy creak and the driver grunted as his chest slammed into the stirring wheel.

The brunette growled, "Ryo, stop driving like a woman and hurry the hell up!"

King, sitting in the passenger seat, turned toward Yuri, "Dear, if you hadn't noticed, you're a woman."

Yuri glared at King. The blond woman just smiled mockingly. Yuri pouted harder and redirected her glare at the back of her brother's head. Ryo was rubbing his chest and going about as if he hadn't even noticed the kick or the rude comment from his sister.

"She can't stay mad forever," shrugged King, leaning back in her seat.

"Want a bet!" came the reply from the back seat.

"You can find another team this year. You really don't need to throw a fit about it. In fact, maybe a one year break for training would be a good idea."

"Absolutely not! Pops will freak! He'll think I'm backing out or something. Not holding up Kyokugenryu properly and blahbeblah blah. That whole song and dance."

King kept grinning and knew damn well that what her father thought was not the issue. She knew Yuri had become half addicted to it, like most the KOF fighters who really didn't know why they kept coming back to the tournament. Fighting was a rush that couldn't be obtained anywhere else in human interactions, except for maybe sex. And King was doubly sure that Yuri wasn't getting any of that. With Robert gone and the all-seeing eye of Takuma, Yuri had entered quite a dry spell.

The brunette continued her moping as the car moved along closer to it's destination. Soon they'd be at the airport and soon she'd be able to see Robert again. Robert's return would alleviate some of her tension, but it was also the cause for some of it.

With Robert back in the picture, he was ready to rejoin the Kyokugenryu team in the next KOF tourney. This meant someone had to step down and open a spot for him. Ryo certainly wasn't going anywhere and since Robert wasn't around for any of the team decision making, it was up to the men of the Sakazaki family (even though, Yuri realized, that Robert was the only reason the Sakazaki's had money for anything).

Takuma, wanting any opportunity to get the couple engaged, had agreed that King was the better choice. Ryo, too irritated and unsure of his sister's ability, had also decided King was superior. Besides, who wanted to fight with their sister when a completely capable of herself cutie like King was the alternative?

Yuri, not taking it out on King, knew it was another annoying move by her family to "protect" her. Even though she hadn't needed protecting since '94! King was also her only other hope for a teammate. After all, the blond had been in charge of almost all the Women Fighters teams.

Her other options didn't seem to be working out either. Mai was off on some crazy mission involving Andy. Kasumi never really liked Yuri in the first place. Hinako was with some super cute teen girl team that Yuri was too old for.

There was that Iori Yagami fellow, he was always the last person to form a full team. However, no one was eager to join the long line of "friendly fire casualties" that accompanied being Yagami's partner. Besides, her father would probably lock her in a shed if she went that route.

Yuri was running out of ideas.