Disclaimer: Sakura Kasugano belongs to Capcom. Mickey V. belongs to me.
Last time on First Impressions, Mickey and Sakura's grilled meat adventure kicked off with a surprising reveal. Soundclash, Mickey's chaotic alter-ego, introduced himself to Sakura. Upon learning of his ill-fated younger sister, Sakura consoles Mickey during a nervous breakdown. Now understanding one another, the two kindred souls enjoy the rest of the meal. Last time we met them, they were face-to-face with an aggressive group of individuals...
And now... Our inevitable conclusion...
Mickey and Sakura quietly scan the group of individuals in front of them. Quite young, they all have piercing eyes and uninviting sneers on their faces. Though unremarkable in their physical appearance, the men are all dressed in white leather jackets. They also wear an odd, pyramidal necklace around their necks.
There's eight of them, all armed with crude weaponry. Their hands are wound tightly around baseball bats and bike chains. Some of the men even show the glint of small knives, hidden on their person. Sakura tries to divert the scene away from her home as she leans in close to Mickey.
"Bōsōzoku? The Rising Tide? …That's strange," Sakura whispers.
Never breaking eye contact with the one who spoke to him, Mickey smirks. "Don't know what that means, but judging from those jackets, I assume the 'Rising Tide' are bikers or gangsters. What's strange about 'em?"
"Both. ...Bōsōzoku are quite uncommon around here, especially the Rising Tide. Like, really uncommon."
"Really?" Mickey scans the scene as the members inch closer to them. "Huh. You think something weird is goin' on?"
"These guys probably didn't come here just to cause a scene. …They said they want you gone, but I don't know why."
The gang moves closer as Mickey and Sakura slowly shift into their fighting stances. Mickey nods and smiles. "Well, let's show them that we're here to stay. You ready?"
"I'm a bit full, but these guys are pretty okay for a warmup! I'll set the trap," Sakura whispers as she nods with a wink. She makes her way over to the gang.
A stunned Mickey sees Sakura arguing loudly with the gang, yelling in a string of fast, dissonant Japanese. The man, wearing a funny little pompadour, scoffs and pushes Sakura into Mickey as the latter helps her.
A flash of red dances in Mickey's eyes before it quickly disappears.
"Soundclash, chill. I got this," he whispers before yelling to the man. "Well, amigos, we tried to be nice!" He steps forth, cracking his knuckles.
As the man with the pompadour swings his baseball bat in Mickey's direction, Sakura whips around and does a spinning wheel kick, shattering the weapon. The man takes a step back with the gang as Sakura smiles. The gang, sensing that the time for talk is over, decides to charge the fighters.
She hops up and down in excitement before settling into her stance once more, turning to Mickey. Mickey smiles at Sakura. Without exchanging words, the two nod before they engage.
Two of the gang members crowd Sakura as she expertly dodges chains, bats, and punches. Using their momentum to her advantage, she takes the first gangster's arm and twirls him around like blades on a windmill. The other gangster isn't as lucky as he gets treated to a high-low combo of leg kicks and back elbows from the young fighter. Wobbling back, a launching kick to the jaw knocks out the unlucky gangster.
Mickey deals with three more, including the man with the pompadour. One gangster tries to use a knife to attack him, but Mickey uses his momentum to smack the knife out with a knee to the face.
"Ooh, that's gotta hurt!" Mickey shouts, listening to the attacker's pained groans. "DDT!"
After grabbing him in a headlock and using the others as stepping stones, he plants the gangster's face into the asphalt with a Tornado DDT.
"Woo! Whoa!" Mickey exclaims before leaping up to his feet.
Mickey sees the pompadour-wearing gangster grin, approaching Mickey with a wild left hook to the cheek. However, Mickey avoids it just in time to catch his assailant with an upward elbow/thrust kick combination.
"Up and at 'em, Sakura!" Mickey shouts as Sakura leaps into the air and catches the gangster with a twisting Hurricanrana. "Nice moves!"
"Hey, what can I say? I'm a fast learner," Sakura replies with a wink, using one of Mickey's pro-wrestling moves during their fight at the countryside. She quickly dispatches Mickey's third attacker with a Shunpukyaku, toppling him to the ground with whirling kicks.
Mickey and Sakura pose as Sakura performs a kiai, sending the last two gangsters running like cowards. The pompadour-wearing gangster stumbles and tries to attack Sakura as revenge, but Mickey cuts in.
"Hold this for me," he whispers before vocalizing, sending a mysterious blue-and-white ball of energy into the gangster's chest, hurling him away.
"We did it!" Sakura shouts before hugging Mickey. "We make a good team, Mickey-san!"
"Yeah." Mickey hugs her back. "...I guess we do," He laughs, stretching his limbs.
Mickey now sees a group of people cheering the two fighters nearby, grateful towards running the Rising Tide out of their Tokyo prefecture. Mickey bows and waves with his toothy grin before escorting Sakura into her home.
The stars are shining brightly as peace and quiet once again fill the streets.
"Well, what a day. That was an experience," Mickey yawns.
"I know, but it was fun," Sakura whispers back. "This is probably one of the best days I've had this year."
Mickey nods and chuckles. "Food, fighting and fun. What's not to love?"
In front of her residence, the two smile as Sakura suddenly hugs Mickey. "Mickey-san? ...If you feel sad or alone, remember this night, okay? It's okay to struggle, but that's life. Get back up. Always. And remember that people care about you, no matter where you are in your life."
Mickey's eyes open wide.
Silence.
"Mickey-san?"
He sheds a few tears as he hugs back, touched by his friend's words. "And if you ever feel like you're not strong enough, Sakura, stay true to you. You're a strong woman, a strong fighter, and an even stronger person. Ryu should be proud for inspiring someone like you. I know I would."
Sakura smiles before she hears something that touches her to the core.
"And I'm happy now, meine Freundin. Happier that someone like you is a part of my life, Sakura Kasugano," Mickey whispers before their tender moment ends. Sakura sheds some tears before Mickey wipes them away.
"I just put on...makeup today. Jeez!" Sakura chuckles.
"Oh, come on! Hey! I'll still be here! We'll meet again real soon, 'kay?"
Sakura smiles while she nods, sniffling a little bit. "Heh, 'kay. Good night. And keep in touch."
Mickey nods. "You got it. Good night."
Before he leaves, Sakura stops the young man as she makes her way inside her residence. "And hey, Mickey-san? Don't be a stranger, 'big bro'."
A real hearty laugh bellows from Mickey's soul. It's a laugh that warms Sakura's heart. "Be seein' you, 'sis'," he grins with a wink.
As Mickey leaves, Sakura suddenly catches a small tattoo peeking under the back of his neck. It's a portion of what seems like a large bird raising its wings in a large circle.
"Heh," Sakura mutters to herself, "Cool." She smiles before entering her home.
In the quiet, tranquil Tokyo streets, Mickey thinks about his new friend Sakura and the impact she's had on him over a short time. Nodding to himself with a slight smile, he expertly ducks into a dark alley before turning on his phone.
On his phone, he sorts through pictures of his life: pictures of his friends, family, and one with a small group of fellow superheroes…with special uniforms. Finally, he stops as he sees a picture of him and Sakura posing during their ride on the train to Tokyo. He chuckles.
"Guess you were right, Goldie," Mickey says, "I gotta fight to keep makin' the world a better place." He sets his phone in his pocket before dematerializing into wisps of sonic energy.
"Every day. No matter what."
The wisps soar high, far above the rooftops, and into the stars, sailing away for whatever might be in Mickey Villanueva's future.
The End
Author's Notes: Finally! The conclusion to First Impressions. This is actually my first completed short story as a new fanfic writer. I hope that you enjoyed this. I truly want to make Mickey feel like part of both the Marvel and Street Fighter world. I also want to deepen the brother-sister-like relationship he has w/ Sakura. Seeing them be happy together fills my heart with joy.
Thank you for taking the time out of your life to read my story. Thank you for being you. And Sakura's right. People care about you, you know. :) Stay Golden, Be Excellent, and of course...
Later days, my lovely readers. - Thicket
