A/N: I'd like to thank everybody that still likes, favorites and follows my work. I really do apricate it. This idea's been kicking around my head for a while, but I don't really have any expectations for this story, so if there's a theme or plot you notice it may be entirely by accident.
Also, I claim no ownership of Street Fighter or any referenced copyrighted material.
A man dressed simply in a white t-shirt tucked into blue jeans makes his way down the street, his white sneakers beating down the path of well looked after sidewalks; the young man passing homes and businesses in his wake.
A pleasant breeze drifts in, mussing his naturally spiky brown hair.
He stops, correcting his hair to his liking.
Ryu wished he could clear the weight off his mind as easy as he could fix his slightly tussled hair.
He'd been wandering the world to test himself, improve his strength as a martial artist and prove himself among the best since his early 20s and had recently been struggling to find any further motivation in his journey.
Through countless street fights, more than a handful of fighting tournaments, playing the hero a few times (and not to mention the friendships forged and strengthened by those experiences) it simply can't be argued that he hasn't attained what he set for.
Has he been tested? No doubt.
Has he improved? Most certainly.
Has he proven himself the best? There are less than a handful of people on the planet who can compete with him hand-to-hand.
He had expressed this feeling of emptiness to his longtime friend Ken.
"Well, why don't you come out to San Fran while you decide your next move? Maybe not think of it as your journey coming to an end, huh? Maybe you should think of it being pulled into another direction. Eliza and Mel complain about not seeing you. Your family, you know? Plus, Chun-Li's latest assignment has her out here. It'll be like the World Warrior tournament with the ol' crew together! Ah, good times buddy," Ryu remembered the-kind-of-mild-but-not-really-arm-twisting pitch of his longtime friend to come stay in San Francisco.
Additionally seeing and spending time with those that mean the most to him doesn't seem like a bad plan while he tries to get himself together.
Perhaps he can find fulfillment in building memories in those closest to him?
But then, both Ken and Chun-Li juggle major responsibilities in their personal and professional lives; Ken's father has been aggressively grooming him to take the reigns of their family's hotel/resort company and he's got Eliza and Mel at home. Interpol has recently Chun-Li promoted to Chief-Inspector working out of the area while she liaisons for major cases for the San Francisco Police Department's Investigation Division and a young girl by the name of Li-Fen has been taken into Chun-Li's care.
He'll need to squeeze himself in the between times, but he'll still need his own life outside of that.
He releases a sigh in defeat. A pit grows in his stomach the more he thinks about it.
Journeying to grow my own pawer, and what to show for it? He thinks.
He then stops in front of a restaurant, his gazing meeting his reflection in the glass of the entry door, his expression low-spirited.
I barely recognize myself without my karate gi and red headband, he thought as flexed his hands open and closed missing the feel of his gloves and wiggling his toes inside his shoes and socks, now former vagabond way too used to beating the concrete on bare feet.
His reflection flickers, as he considers the possible consequence of abandoning his pursuit of strength. His image in the glass changes into a twisted visage of a shirtless man with a glowing hole where his heart would be. Glowing eyes reminiscent of hellfire and a sadistic smile showing sharpened, inhuman teeth on a face he recognizes all too well.
His face.
TUNK, TUNK, TUNK, TUNK!
Four quick, successive knocks on the glass abruptly removed Ryu from his trance, the dark replication changing into a patron of the restaurant Ryu's standing in front of.
"Hey buddy," yelled the man behind the glass, gesturing impatiently to the door and the martial artist.
"Oh, uh," stammered a mortified Ryu. "Sorry," stated lowly as stepped back allowing the man to leave as the glass entry door swung to the outside.
"Get it together, man," said the patron as he left with his wife/girlfriend in tow.
"Yo! Over here!" Called a familiar husky voice from patio of the restaurant.
He turned to the direction of the voice and saw Juri Han.
She was sitting at a small dark brown oak table fit for two, an empty chair across from her matching the finish of the table. In front of her was what Ryu presumed was her meal for this early evening on top of it, shrimp, dipping sauces, two sides he couldn't identify and glass of wine and a glass of water flanking the plate. Her hair was done up in her usual fang-like tails toward the top-rear part of her head with two purple bands on each holding them in place, her bangs covering most of her forehead and ends of her bob cut stopping just below her jaw line. The taekwondo specialist was waiving at him excitedly, her purple eyes trained on him, and her smile was missing its usual ferocity, more bright and inviting than he remembered. She was dressed in a short sleeved, purple romper with a black disjointed spider design on the front, the garment meeting its end just above her knees. While her attire was a bit baggy, it was far from uncomplimentary to her figure, Ryu had noticed. On her feet were purple flat shoes, with black soles and she wore no socks.
She stopped her waiving, placing both hands on the table, pushing herself from her seat.
She sauntered up to him, hair bouncing in conjunction and hips slightly swaying in line with her steps.
Ryu tears his eyes from her lower body to her eyes immediately before Juri can realize it.
He walks away from the front door, meeting her at the black railing/gate separating the patio area from the sidewalk.
"Fancy seeing you here," Said Juri, placing her hands on the rail, balancing herself as she leaned into his personal space, a slight tilt to her head as she looked up at him.
She continued, eyeing him up down as he just had her, no shame evident anywhere on her features, "You look good without the gi."
Seeing the Taekwondo specialist now threw Ryu for a loop. Whenever he met with her during a tournament or a fight away from an organized event, she always was a great challenge, but no amount of training could ever prepare Ryu for her aggressive form of flirting.
Hearing from Chun-Li and the others, it was how she treated everyone.
Or at least everyone she found attractive.
"I questioned your fashion sense since you wore you that gi everywhere. Now I see you're sporting the 80s gym teacher look," she said as she smiled brightly at him. "But you're pulling it off though. The shirt is kinda tight, isn't it? Can you breathe in that thing or are you showing off the goods?"
The goods? Thought Ryu.
As if picking up on the question, Juri then brought both hands to her chest, lightly adjusting her own…
Ahem… goods.
"Juri, hey, Yeah, um," stammered Ryu, verbally powering past Juri's coyness as he unconsciously brought his hand to his face to hide his blush, "I'm thinking about staying around here for bit," he finished lamely.
The brightness faded from her face slightly as her eyes met his, taking in his somber expression and tone of voice, despite him still blushing at her teasing.
He observed her pausing as if contemplating something, maybe even contemplating him.
He'd never had a chance to see her in a light like this, noticing the slight lighter shade of purple in her artificial eye when compared to her natural one.
She turned around and beckoned him to follow with her hand. "You look like you can use a drink and an ear to vent to. Garçon!" She called as she approached a nearby waiter, abandoning Ryu at the barrier, slipping some bills into restaurant worker's shirt pocket. "Can you prep my table for one more. My friend over there's joining me," she stated, craning her head in Ryu's direction.
"You got it miss," responded the waiter.
"And yeah, don't jump the railing, they hate it when you do that," she called as she returned to her table, sitting down, picking up her glass of wine as she did so, "Don't keep me waiting, tough guy," said Juri looking at him over her glass as she drunk from it, brightness returning to her eyes.
Ryu isn't sure what to think as he walks back to the front door.
He shrugs resigning himself to joining the taekwondo practitioner for a meal, though he's not without his nerves.
He crossed the threshold of door.
"Good afternoon, sir," intoned a long dark brown haired, green-eyed hostess in a high-pitched voice. She was dressed in a black short sleeved dress, smiling in welcome as she stood behind a dark oak brown host/hostess station, "I'm Rachel! Will you be looking to take a seat at the bar, or are you looking for a table?"
"Actually," Ryu responded somewhat apprehensively, wiping his hands on his shirt to get rid of his nervous energy, "I'll be joining someone who's already seated, she's outside on the patio."
The hostess grabs a menu, stepping from behind the station. She steps down from something behind the stand, accentuating the height difference between the two.
"On the patio…" the hostess trailed off. Her smile broadens, her face then lighting up and eyes twinkling like Christmas lights. "You'll be joining Juri I presume? You guys are friends? What's your relationship with her? Are you meeting her for a date? I've been trying to set her up for the longest time," The hostess rapidly shot off, as she stepped into Ryu's personal space.
Ryu took a step back, taken off guard at hostess sudden burst of energy.
She frowns slightly, blushing in embarrassment as she looks away from Ryu.
"Sorry," said the hostess, "Juri's a regular customer. One of my favorites. We talk from time to time in and out of the restaurant. I see us as friends, but we've never really clarified the relationship. Sometimes I feel like she just tolerates me. She almost always eats here alone. She puts on a brave front, but I see these solemn looks on face sometimes when she thinks no one's looking. It's nice to see her spend time with someone other than cops." The hostess then sighs.
She brings a smile back up to her face, seemingly falling back into the server's façade, but still lacking its previous brightness. "How's about we start over and just get you to your table." She finished as she gestured them to move forward.
Ryu decides to throw the hostess a bone as they start to walk. "We're acquaintances, I guess you can say."
The hostess turns her head slightly back, brightness returning to her face, paying attention as the Ansatsuken fighter speaks as she led him on to Juri's table.
"From our days as fighters. Though I really didn't start to run into her until the later days of my time as fighter." Said Ryu.
"Did you fight her a lot during your career?" The hostess said.
"We fought a few times. She was always a very challenging opponent. Her stance would make an inexperienced or unknowledgeable fighter think she was easy pickings, but that might be the entire point of her fighting stance." Said Ryu. "Wait did you call it a career?"
"It wasn't?" Responded the hostess, as they continued walking.
"I guess it was when I think about it. I just never thought of it as a career. I feel I got so much more out of it, despite it coming to an end, to just call it career. I always thought of it as more of a journey."
"Hm," responds the hostess as they stopped, having reached Juri's table on the patio.
"Journey implies that you're searching for something," said the hostess. She places the menu down, "Well I hope you find what you're looking in the future."
Ryu always wore a serious, determined expression most of the time and if Juri's memory served her correctly, he'd occasionally show a very slight, subdued smile if he was in a good fight.
Seeing him with that forlorn expression she observed when she first spotted him, tugged at something inside of her. Maybe with the way her life is going now she can help him by at least being an eat to vent to.
Plus, Chun-Li's always mentioning how she needs something outside of their meetings and her odd jobs.
Juri eyes the hostess and Ryu warily as they approached her table.
The hostess asks something of him.
Probably fair to say Rachel's talking his ear off, thought Juri.
Whatever discomfort Ryu showed, he seems to be over it as they continue their way towards Juri.
Juri hears the tail end of the conversation as they reach her table.
She hears Rachel saying something about a search on a journey and hoping Ryu finds whatever he's looking for.
"The waiter will be with you shortly," stated the hostess as Ryu sat, picking up the menu, reading it over.
The hostess then sets her eyes to Juri, the hostess giving her a mischievous smile, as she waggled her eyebrows at Juri.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, kid?" Juri said, returning her own smile but narrowing her eyes at the hostess.
"Sorry!" Squeaked Rachel as she scampered off.
Rachel got a good distance away before she mouthed to Juri, "He's cute."
Juri picks up a piece of silverware, a fork, motioning as if she's going to throw it at the hostess.
Ryu up looks from the menu to Juri curiously, then to turning around to see what activity is causing the Korean to be menacing with silverware.
He turns back to Juri, raising his eyebrow at her.
"What?" Juri playfully demanded, as she returned Ryu's stare.
"I guess you two are friends," said Ryu as he quietly laughed, getting back to browsing the menu rubbing at his neck as he did so.
Maybe I can have a little fun with this, thought Juri.
Her face scrunches up, eyes narrowing, showing some agitation.
"Oh," she said, as she stabbed a piece of shrimp on her plate.
She carelessly twirled her fork, a bit of ki crackling from her left eye as she looked at Ryu, "What did Rachel say?"
As she narrowed her eyes, she could see Ryu, almost recoil as if stepped over some line or boundary. He nervously fiddled with the menu, going from rubbing his neck to scratching his face. "I'm sorry Juri, if I…"
She giggled, smiling at Ryu, "Don't worry. I know you meant no offense. The kid means no harm, plus I like her energy." She shrugging she continued, "So I guess you can say yes, I do consider her a friend."
"Hm, I think she'd be happy to hear that," replied Ryu as an easiness returned to his face, but she still observes the forlornness he showed on the street before she invited him to dine with her.
At that moment, the waiter approached, "Hey! I'm John, I'll be your waiter today. Have you had a chance look at the menu, sir."
Ryu looked to him, simply replying, "I'll have the sirloin and a side of potatoes. I'd like that medium well."
"And a drink, sir?" Replied the waiter.
"Let me get an ice water and warm tea if you have it."
"Got it," said the waiter writing Ryu's order, he them looked to Juri, "and I can get you anything else, Miss Han?"
"I'm good, J. And for the millionth time you don't need to call me Miss. You make feel like an old crone when you all say that! Do I need to make a sign and post it in the break room?" Juri finished playfully as finally stuck the piece of shrimp she's been playing with into cup a of sauce.
"Uh," said the waiter, "you don't need to do that. Management is still on Rachel from that time you barged into the kitchen to complement our chefs."
"I though your bosses would want some positive feedback!"
Juri's smile broadened.
"Leave a review!" Demanded the waiter. He continued, "that stunt disrupted the line setting us back maybe an hour for orders. You," the waiter stopped short, recognizing she's deliberately antagonizing him and starting to see this exchange is attracting the attention of the other dinners. "Nevermind, I'll go put this order in. Jeez." He took the menu from Ryu, looking back to the man, "Good luck," he said lowly to Ryu as he took his leave.
"I heard that!" Said Juri, "Love ya anyway Johnny Boy!"
"So, I see you're on good terms with a lot of the staff hear," asked Ryu, "enough so that the management is aware of you."
"Yeah, I like it here. They make the cocktail sauce here in house, a lot of horseradish," as she stuck the piece of shrimp she'd been toying with between her lips.
She shakes her head, wiping a few tears from eye as she chewed and swallowed the morsel. She then grabbed her glass of water, taking a sip and saying, "burns so good. But anyway, what are doing in San Fran? You said you were staying around her for a bit. Here for vacation? Visiting your boy?"
The waiter returns with the water and tea in tow. "I'm not sure if wanted that tea sweet. Can get you some sugar? Honey? Artificial sweetener?" John the waiter asked as placed both glasses on the table.
Ryu smiles dejected at her, his shoulders slumping as he sat his elbows on the table. "I wish things were that simple," he said as he rested his chin on his hands. He then shot his gaze to the waiter, "Honey, please."
She takes her wine glass, taking a sip. She then points to her ear, "remember what I said."
"Right," he said as Juri saw his brow crease in contemplation.
"I've been traveling around the world for a long time, with the intent of testing my abilities and becoming more powerful," he said.
He went to speak further but stopped himself short, looking away from Juri. She recognized he was leaving something out but wouldn't pry further. He cut his eyes back to her as he continued, "I can't help but feel that I've hit a wall. Like I'm not finding as much satisfaction or progress in what I do and that I need find some way else to spend my time, you know?"
"Don't I know it?" Said Juri, "Maybe more than you think."
Ryu shrugs. The waiter returns to the martial artists once more, dropping a small cup of honey and handing a cocktail stirring stick to Ryu. "We got your steak and potatoes coming soon, sir."
Ryu nodded his thanks.
"So maybe I take a month or two to get my head on straight," said Ryu, as he poured the honey into his glass of tea. He began to stir it as he continued, "Take that time think about what I want to do."
"I'm curious though," stated Juri, "why Cali? You could've been anywhere else?"
"Oh, that. It was Ken's idea. He and I are like brothers, and it's been a good while since he and I have been in the same place. Plus, he gave me a job, so I can have some walk-around money. But I think he's being too generous with what he's paying me. I need to talk to him about that," Ryu finished quietly.
"What are you doing, he's got you working in accounting or HR?" Juri joked, as she dug into her meal.
"No, personal security guard," answered Ryu.
Juri gave Ryu a look of bewilderment, her eyebrows shooting up as she swallowed a mouthful of food. "He's too much of a corporate big-shot these days to be bothered with his own protection?"
"I know, I know," said Ryu, with his face lighting up. She noticed she's been able to drag a smile out of him a few times, "I had the same thought when he offered me the job. It's like I said, just for me to have cash. I haven't even been called for shift and I've been on the payroll for a few weeks now."
"I guess it pays to have friends in high places. Only high-up people in my life are expecting me to slip up."
She gives a quick, subtle tilt of her head calling attention to a man a few tables behind where they're seated. He was dressed in a navy-blue suit coat, matching pants, black shoes and a collared white shirt with no tie, the top button undone.
"Guy in the sunglasses?" Said Juri, "looks like he's paying a little too much attention to us? He's FBI."
"Wait, really?" Injured Ryu, eyeballing the agent freely.
Juri replied with an exaggerated "Yup."
She turned around and shouted, "Hey, you can tell the special agent in charge I don't plan on snatching any wallets or jaywalking today! Feel free to call it a day! I know you've been on me since I left my apartment this afternoon!"
The agent muttered, "Shit, I've been made," to himself, but it's probably more for his comrades as there's no way he doesn't have wire or microphone on him.
He hurriedly pulled a few bills from his pocket, dropping them on his table as hastily left the patio.
"Don't take it personal rookie," She waived after the agent, as she turned back to face Ryu.
She noticed Ryu was trying to hide his smile behind his glass of tea, as his shoulders shook with laughter.
She returned a smile as she took another sip of her wine.
Placing her glass back down, "Don't feel too bad that guy. It used to be they had whole surveillance teams dedicated to keeping tabs on me. I noticed them and made sure they knew I noticed them every single time. Taxpayer dollars at work. It took Chun-Li raising some hell at the local branch to get them to back off this much, but someone still thinks Chun-Li isn't an effective deterrent for my persisting career as criminal." Juri sighed.
Then came the waiter, placing Ryu's meal carefully on the table, "Is there anything else I can get you," asked John.
"That will be fine, thank you," replied Ryu.
He started to cut into his steak as said, "Yeah, I heard about that from Chun-Li."
She continued, "they still keep tabs on me as you can see, but now I think they just use me as a training exercise for their less experienced agents. Hopefully is comes to an end soon."
"No not just that, I'm talking about why you're here to being with. I'm kind of interested to hear your side of things. I've seen the newspapers and TV reports; I think I'd rather get the full story from you."
"You're supposed to be venting to me tough guy, but I can see I lifted your mood a bit. I guess I'll enlighten you." Replied Juri, finishing off her meal.
She smiles at Ryu one more time before stating, "So the wandering warrior wonders no more. I finished my own journey about seven or eight months ago. I had a bit of a crisis, like what you're having. And trust me when I say that power isn't everything, kiddo. There was a time where I was the most powerful woman in the underworld. A grand total of 3 days, maybe even less."