Street Fighter: The Tale of the Dragon and the Spider

by Nanto99

In the end, Juri wasn't strong enough. Soundly defeated by Bison and kept alive only by her burning desire of revenge, she found a replacement for her Feng Shui Eye, stronger than the first. She resumes her quest for vengeance, but umberknownst to her, this time it will lead her down a path she never knew she would take. One that will be intertwined with that of a Wandering Warrior

6. Chapter 6

Is this chapter a foreshadowing of what will eventually happen to Ryu and Juri and their relationship? Only time will tell XD

Had a lot of fun with this one because i mean, c'mon…. Frikkin' Ken Masters. Do i really need to explain why he's such a classic character in spite of starting out as a pallette swap of Ryu? I think not XD

And for those who are wondering why Guile shows up at the beginning of the chapter, well…. He'll have quite the role in the next one. That's all i can say about it.

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Chapter 6: The Uncertainties of Change

Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

Within its 161.5 acres, it is the final resting place of many brave men and women who valiantly served in the armed forced of the United States of America, most of the buried having given their lives for the sake of the country they loved with all their heart in the wars it fought in the past. The flag of the United States stood proudly at the center of the cemetery's hill, accompanied by many more that lined the streets that lead to the many graves in the green fields.

(OST: "Irreversible Sadness" = Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable soundtrack = https/watch?v=aLhR2M7rw3Q )

One man could be seen kneeling in front of one of the many tombstones. Massively built, with arms as wide as a woman's torso, blue eyes, no eyebrows, a chiseled jaw and most notably, a three-inch, flattop, military-cut blonde hair. The flag of the Unites States was tattooed on each of his shoulders and he wore a green tank top, military pants of various shades of green in a camo pattern as well as black military boots. The stoic man calmly placed a bottle of beer on the pedestal of the tombstone, one that will forever remain sealed, alongside another bottle of the same brand of beer and several white flowers. His reason for doing so was the name that was engraved on that tombstone.

CHARLIE NASH

CAPTAIN

US AIR FORCE

JUNE 19 1961

SEPTEMBER 26 1989

"It's been a while since i've been here, Charlie. Sorry. I hope this makes you feel better." Major William Guile somberly spoke as he paid his respects to his late comrade and dear friend, Charlie Nash. They first met many years ago, when Guile was still a trainee and Charlie, a sergeant and former marine who had requested to be transferred to the Air Force, both stationed at Lackland Air Base in Texas. Despite their difference in rank at the time, the two became close friends, to such an extent that Charlie personally took it upon himself to train Guile in his own fighting style, one he that mixed martial arts, wrestling and the experience he learned at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and that had allowed Guile to go from a relatively scrawny young man fresh from high school, who had joined the Air Force out of a desire for a life of action, to the mountain of muscles he was now. Charlie even taught him his signature move, the Sonic Boom, a rapidly spinning crescent-shaped, gold and blue projectile of ki energy faster than the speed of sound, but due to his hot temper, Guile needed both hands to shoot the attack while Charlie only needed one, a fact his former friend never stopped teasing him about.

A year after he learned the Sonic Boom, Guile, as a pilot, was shot down during a reconnaisance mission, while operating around the Thailand-Laos border during the December 1987- February 1988 Border War between the two countries and taken prisoner. He still remembered his captors during those days of captivity, not ordinary soldiers, but men wearing state-of-the-art body armor and being way too heavily built and way too well equipped to be part of either the Thai or Laos armies. Umberknownst to him, the ones who shot him down and took him prisoner were none other than members of Shadaloo, who had orchestrated the three month war between the two South-East Asian countries. He only survived his first encounter with the criminal organization due to a search and rescue operation that, against orders, had been devised and lead by Charlie and many more dozen men, who against all odds, managed to rescue Guile and many other POWs held in what was actually a secret Shadaloo base. Thus, their friendship grew to near brotherhood and thus, their battle against Shadaloo began on that day, one they swore they would undertake together.

But as fate turned out, that wasn't meant to be.

The scene played itself again in Guile's mind as it would every day since that awful day. Charlie was battling Shadaloo's nefarious leader, Bison, after he along with Guile and Chun-Li, as part of a joint operation between the US Armed Forces and Interpol, led an assault on the organization's main base in Brazil, with the aim to take down Shadaloo in one fell swoop. Charlie threw every single attack he could at the warlord, but to no avail. Guile rushed to his friend's aid but it was too late.

"Little maggot! Now you will learn what happens to those who dare oppose me!" Bison venomously roared as he held Charlie by the neck before uppercutting him in the stomach with a Psycho Power infused fist. Guile could only watch aghast in horror as the warlord blasted a hole in his friend's chest with a point-blank beam of purple energy, obliterating his lungs and heart.

Time itself slowed to a crawl as Bison let go of Charlie's body, allowing it to fall on the ground limp while Guile could only scream in a mix of horror and anguish "CHARLIEEEEE!"

Mortally wounded and with much crimson blood staining the ground beneath him, Charlie could only weakly turn his head towards his friend and mutter his last words as he attempted to reach out to him with his right hand "G-Guile…..R-Run….. He's t-too strong….. Save yourself….." before he drew his last breath, his right arm falling limp on the floor.

"Charlie…" Guile could only call out once more, his voice cracking in sorrow and denial before Bison spread his arms and cackled "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! How fitting for you to wake up to the truth as you draw your last breath! That the justice you've held so dear has and always has amounted to nothing! The one and only thing that matters in this world, IS POWER! NYAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!"

Hearing the monstrous warlord gloat upon the death of his best friend and ridicule everything he stood for, made Guile snap and in a fit of guttural rage, he roared "BISOOOOONNNNNNN!" and launched himself towards him, hell-bent on slaughtering him for what he had done, but ultimately, to no avail.

Just as he threw a Sonic Boom which Bison easily avoided by teleporting away, the explosives planted by the thousands of soldiers that had assaulted the base began to detonate, blowing it sky high and Guile had just enough time to board one of the escaping helicopters and flee before the explosion caught him. But all he could do as he returned to base, was collapsing on his knees and hands and cry for many hours, having been broken by the loss of his best friend. But the worst part was having to personally tell Charlie's wife and son about his death and how his body was not recovered and then attending his funeral alongside them and the surviving brave men who took part in that daring raid to destroy Shadaloo in one swift strike, ultimately unsuccesful due to Bison having survived the explosion relatively unscathed. It wasn't just Charlie who lost his life on that awful day, but many young men and women who gave their lives in the name of justice and freedom. And yet, this would harden Guile's heart and give him the strength to soldier on, to continue their battle against Shadaloo until nothing about it was left. And seemingly, the apparent death of Bison three years ago and the destruction of S.I.N. meant that they had finally succeeded.

But deep down, something told Guile that this was still not the end.

"We managed to put an end to S.I.N.'s plans. But still, something tells me we haven't seen the last of Shadaloo just yet." he solemnly spoke as he rose back up on his feet and, with his expression softening slightly he declared "It's not time for a toast just yet, old friend. The day will come when our mission is complete." before turning around and walking away from his fallen comrade's grave. And no matter how much he tried with the resolute and solemn expression, nothing could hide the pain he felt, nor the single tear he shed as he walked away.

All he wanted was his best friend back.

Luckily for him, someone else was also there to ease his pain. His wife, Julia and his 14 year old daughter Chris, accompanied him as he visit his late friend's grave and respectfully watched from afar, giving him the space he needed to mourn Charlie once more. But as he returned to them, Julia's heart immediately began to ache upon seeing the tears that now stained her beloved husband's face "William….." she called out sorrowfully, followed immediately after by her daughter "Daddy….."

No matter how many years had passed, every time Guile returned in this place to visit his best friend's grave, he would always cry, his mask of the archetipal and indomitable soldier shattering and revealing just how much the loss of Charlie had broken him. He didn't say anything in reply and he kept the manliest, strongest face he could muster but even it was not enough to hide the tears that kept falling over and over again from his eyes "Oh, William….." Julia immediately embraced her husband along with her daughter making the Air Force Major gasp the moment he was pulled into the warmth and love of his family "Daddy…. It's okay…. We're here….." Chris's tender words finally compelled him to embrace his wife and daughter back with his strong arms, once again being reminded of what he still had left to protect.

"Julia….. Chris…." he softly called out, the shame of having left them three years prior, due to his obsession for revenge having consumed him still burning brightly in his heart. He thought they would hate him forever for that, only to be proven wrong when they forgave him on the spot and accepted him back upon seeing him mourning his fallen comrade on his grave. And now, just like before, having realised just how hollow revenge felt, especially after witnessing Bison committing suicide three years ago during the fall of Shadaloo, as he was hugged by them once more, he was reminded once again of what his true purpose in life was and should have always been.

To the best husband and father he could be. And he'll be damned if he'll fail at that again.

(Soundtrack Ends)

"What's wrong? Something seems to trouble you." Juri, with her hair tied back into her signature horn-like buns, asked Ryu as she sat on her seat inside an SV-011 VTOL/STOL jet aircraft derived from the V-22 Osprey but differing in having a much bulkier fuselage and jet engines instead of rotors and developed by none other than Shadaloo and its weapons division for various purposes. While S.I.N. had indeed fallen, not all of its members and equipment had been captured and Juri, being still in contact with a select few of them, contacted and paid the aircraft's pilots handsomely with money from her private bank account, through a credit card she carried in a pocket of her sweatpants, the only personal belonging she carried with her ever since she left her country, to come to Japan and fly her and Ryu to the US, specifically to Ken's hometown, San Francisco, which was exactly were the aircraft was headed as it soared through the sky, 10.000 meters above the ground "Not accustomed to travelling by plane, i presume?" she teased, glass of red wine in between her left fingers, right leg on top of the other and signature teasing smile on her lips.

"On the contrary." the Wandering Warrior stated stoically as he looked at the aircraft's elegant interior, all in pristine white, with 40 seats arranged in lines and two more after them, one in front of the other with a wooden table in between them, the one he and Juri sat on at the moment, giving away the role the aircraft was designed for, transportation of troops "But i distinctly remember you stating that you had cut all of your ties with S.I.N." he pointed out as he turned back towards her, his expression almost one of dissappointment.

Which fully became one when Juri merely sipped some wine from her glass before smugly telling him "I did, but in times like this, a girl has to be resourceful and coming from a rich family has its benefits. And either way, the organization is no more and these guys would have been left unemployed otherwise so we both profit something from this, don't you think?" while pointing at the two pilots in the plane's cockpit with her free hand. Ryu sighed, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left thumb and index finger in exasperation as Juri dodged the question, prompting her to sigh as well and complain "What, did you really expect me to just board a ship and spend more than two weeks at sea in the not-so-pacific waters of the Pacific Ocean? My stomach would have turned itself upside-down after only just an hour of navigation in such seas and, most importantly, need i remind you that time is of the essence and that we can't afford to lose it over such insignificant, trivial-"

"That's not the point, Juri." Ryu interrupted her whining as he took his left hand off his nose and explained in much seriousness "If you truly meant everything you said to me yesterday, you have to stop taking the easy route and resorting to things such as this. I'm worried it could lead you back to-"

"Yeah, right." the Taekwondo fighter casually returned the favor, interrupting Ryu mid-speech as she put her glass of wine on the table and proceeded to count the reasons behind having "rented" this flight on her fingers "One, i'm a wanted criminal meaning that if i get caught, i get jailed. Two, you're travelling with said criminal so, if people find that out, you'll get trialed and sentenced as well just for having helped me and i don't want that to happen. Three, even if i were to buy new clothes or change my hairstyle, it still doesn't fully take away the risk of people potentially recognizing me so that leaves commercial flights and normal ship travelling out of the question. Four, even if i had a false passport, i still can't take a normal flight because of reason number three. And finally, Five, a nine-hour flight beats more than two weeks at sea all day, everyday, thank you very much." putting much sarcasm on her last words just to spite Ryu for having proposed that before she convinced him to board the S.I.N. aircraft. He eased up upon hearing her reasoning which ultimately was a sound one as she didn't want to take any chances of being found out. Still, it didn't quite sit right with him to rely on illegal resources, especially those of the same criminal organization which, not only Juri used to be a part of, but whose leader also kidnapped Ken's wife, Eliza for the purpose of getting his hands on Ryu, specifically on the Satsui No Hado that dwelled inside him.

"Look, i know that for a saint like you this isn't ideal. But put yourself in my shoes for a moment and imagine if you were in my predicament instead. What would you have done?" she asked him upon seeing him still with his frown on his face. As she predicted, Ryu just looked at her in silence and defeat, his lips slightly apart, not knowing what to say but at the same time, realizing that maybe he would have acted no different "Thought as much. Oh well, i guess i'll just take a nap for the rest of the trip." she remarked before stretching, turning towards the pilots in the cockpit and telling them "Wake me up when we reach the US coast." before finally closing her eyes, folding her arms beneath her breasts and lay the back of her head against the seat, quickly falling into sleep.

Ryu sighed once more before laying his head on the back of his own seat as well, thinking over what Juri said to him "She's right. I never once considered how life must have been like for those on the run, from those who broke the law. For such people, there are no things such as honor and fairness. To them, everything is fair game since they don't fight for some ideal or cause, or even for the fun of it. They fight merely to survive, so that they may live to fight for another day, just like animals do in the wild. It really is true then, that not everybody has the luxury of free-will." having realized the importance of the lesson he had just learned, his expression became one of sympathy as he gazed upon the sleeping beauty in front of him, looking so peaceful and completely unlike the charismatic and provocative woman she was "As strange as it is for me to admit it, i'm learning more not only about myself, but also about how the world operates thanks to this woman, even moreso than what Master and all my friends have taught and shown me. Ironic really, that i'd learn so much from someone who used to be just as evil as Bison and Seth." those were his last thoughts before he too, decided to sleep for the remaining duration of the flight.

The V/TOL aircraft landed on the shorelines of the San Francisco Peninsula which the Golden Gate Bridge connected with the Marin Peninsula, in the mid-afternoon. Ryu and Juri disembarked from the plane through its rear cargo door and ramp and after the latter smiled, winked and waved at the pilots within the cockpit, she told them "Thanks for the trip! Should i ever need your services again, i'll contact you again, provided you're still around of course!" earning a nod from them before the plane's engines roared into life once more, lifting it off the ground by fifty meters before they rotated backwards and thus, just as it landed, the bulky aircraft flew away.

Ryu remarked as he watched it dissappear into the horizon from which it came, bag still slumped over his shoulder "I have to admit, it was quite the comfy ride, much confier than what i had anticipated. Not something i can say for some of the airlines i've been on." before realizing that Juri wasn't near him, but rather ten meters away, her back turned towards him. Thus he came at her side and asked her "Juri?" after realising that she was gazing in awe at the entrance of the Golden Gate Strait and at the eponymous bridge that connected it in awe. Ships and boats could also be seen entering or leaving the bay underneath the bridge.

"Wow… So that's the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Never thought i'd see it with my own eyes someday." she spoke in awe, admiring its enormous towers that stood proudly on the pedestals installed beneath the waters of the strait, the supporting cables that held up the two main rope-like cables giving it its distinct hyperbola shape and it's one and a half kilometer lenght and most of all, its industrial orange color which, when under the sun's rays, almost looked…. Golden, like the name of the strait it stood over "It's beautiful…" Juri remarked in joy with both of her hands over her chest, her heart moved by the sight, by the dychotomy between the Earth's natural beauty and one of the greatest expressions of mankind's architecture.

Ryu coudn't help but smile upon seeing the softer and gentler side of Juri being brought out by the sight before her, making him realize that just because she still resorted to illegal resources, it still didn't refute the fact that she had begun to change for the better "I know, right? I pretty much felt the same when i saw it for the first time, when i paid Ken a visit to his house for the first time a good five years ago. I still can't believe it took them just four years to build it." he told her as he gazed upon the tallest suspension bridge of the world ever built at the time it was opened to the public for the first time, before turning towards her and adding "And you'll be happy to know we're going to cross it."

"Really?" Juri asked him with a surprising amount of excitement for someone her age and Ryu replied just as he began to head towards the bridge "Yeah, Ken's house is on the other side of the strait, in the woods outside the city." smile still on his lips.

"Cool! Uh, i mean, yeah, what are we waiting for, let's go!" Ryu chuckled upon seeing her exclaim so cutely and with such eagerness and excitement, only to blush upon realizing just how…. Girly she sounded. It really was the opposite of the whole "Alpha Female" image she always projeted and always prided herself for. But then again, deep down, this was the kind of person she was "I guess there are many things she didn't have the privilege to explore with her youth. Oh well, better late than never." he thought as he began to walk with Juri following closely behind.

Both fighters soon found themselves on the bridge's west sidewalk and for a while, they remained silent, not exchanging a word as they kept going forward, ignoring the many looks they got from the bystanders around them, in part because of how they were dressed and especially because both of them were barefoot, partially in Juri's case. But after a while, when they reached the center of the bridge, the Taekwondo fighter turned her head towards Ryu and asked "I was wondering….. How is your best friend like?"

Ryu raised an eyebrow "You mean, Ken?" he asked, earning a nod and a hum in return. He thus smiled and proceeded to describe his best friend to her "I won't deny that he can be a bit…. Arrogant, brash even. He'll always use any excuse to get himself into a fight. But in the end, he is kind, friendly, easy-going and above all else, he values his family."

Intrigued, Juri remarked with a smug smile "And i bet he's just as strong as you."

"Of course he is. After all, we trained under the same master." Ryu confirmed before revealing his backstory to Juri "When he was 12, about 17 years ago, his father sent him to train with master Gouken during the summer. At the time apparently, he was a delinquent and started skipping school, while also dyeing his hair blonde. This, as he would later tell me one day, was because at the time both of his parents were at odds with each other, which in turn caused them to begin neglecting him. When they came on the verge of divorcing, Ken purposelly began to misbehave in retaliation and as result, his parents put their differences aside and put all the effort they could to properly raise and educate him, for ultimately, the one thing they both shared was their love for their son. And that's ultimately why Ken kept his hair blonde for the rest of his life, to make sure his parents would never forget the irreparable damage they were about to cause not just to him, but on their family as a whole."

Juri in part already knew quite a bit about Ken as a whole, from his skills and reputation as a fighter, to him coming from a family so rich that they owned not just one, but two enterprises at the same time, one being a massive hotel chain named "Masters Hotel" and the other, a charity enterprise that went by the name "Masters Foundation". But to hear that his adolescence and his relationship with his parents was quite….. Complicated, came off as quite the surprise to her "Damn….. I had no idea he actually went through that. Then again, owning not one but two enterprises at the same time is no easy feat. I take it his parents neglected him and came at odds with each other because of how busy they were?" she asked, earning a nod from Ryu "Jeez, how my parents always managed to get along and never argue is beyond me, then. It wasn't uncommon for dad to stay away from home for protracted periods of time because of his job and mom was so busy with her own job that she had to hire a butler for housework."

Amused, Ryu told her "Then i think you and him will get along just fine due to your similar backgrounds."

A 10-day old baby with blonde hair peacefully slept in his cradle, pacifier in mouth. Moments later, the hand of an adult, as big as his head slowly and gently reached out and it's index finger caressed his left cheek. It belonged to the baby's father, a handsome, muscular 29-year old man with blonde, longish hair, black eyebrows and brown eyes that wore a blue jacket with a black tie and white trousers with a belt.

"I still can't believe i'm actually a dad…." Ken mused to himself in his mind as he looked at his son, Mel with a tender smile, still in disbelief at how much his life had changed in just a couple of years "First i get myself into a bunch of fighting tournaments…. Then all of a sudden i have a girlfriend…. Then my old man dies and i gotta take over the Foundation…. Then i up and get married and here we are. Some journey it was, huh? From just a plain ol' fighter to a dad and a business man. Times really do change quickly." he then felt a soft and slender hand touch his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him turn towards its owner, a tall and beautiful woman with eyes as blue as the sea, long, wavy blonde hair that almost looked like a lion's mane, perfectly complementing her buxom, attractive figure. Wearing a black sweater and white pants, the woman was Ken's wife and the mother of the baby that now slept in the cradle.

"Would you look at that. Seven days old and he already looks a lot like you. I wonder if he'll get his father's big ego or his mother's kindness. Or perhaps both." Eliza jokingly and tenderly spoke as her beautiful blue eyes met Ken's own before shifting to her son resting in the cradle.

Ken smiled and joked "Well for one, he's definetely got my nose, hehehe…." before removing his finger from Mel's little cheek, turning towards Eliza and passionately telling her "But i'm glad he got your eyes since they're quite possibly the most beautiful thing i've ever seen in my whole life."

Eliza closed her eyes and chuckled "Oh please, Ken, you give me way too much credit. After all, i'm just a country girl. Well, a country girl with a red Porsche, but a country girl all the same, hehehe…." only for her to gasp upon feeling Ken's arms wrap around her back and pulling her close. And when she reopened her eyes, she saw her husband smiling with such tenderness and love that for a moment, she struggled to believe that he was the same cocky and brash man she met five years prior, during one of the many US Martial Arts Tournaments he took part in.

"No, Eliza. You've always been so much more than that, and i knew it the moment i first met you. Remember what it was you asked me?" he asked her, making her blue eyes shake in passion as she remembered that day five years ago, when the at the time, cocky, taunting and brash Ken caught her eye " "You fight well, but what is it you're fighting for? Money, fame, the attention?" Truth is, i didn't know for a while what i was fighting for, same way Ryu did. That was of course, before i met you. And long before i knew it, i had found my reason for fighting. Well…." he paused for a moment as he looked at Mel before remarking jokingly "Now i have two. The more, the merrier, heh?"

Eliza chuckled once more and remarked "And here i was, thinking all that work you've had lately was making you melancholic, hehehe…." before reaching out for Ken's cheeks with her slender hands and declaring lovingly "But i'm glad to see that deep down, you're still the same kind-hearted, laid-back and carefree man i fell in love with all those years ago and i coudn't be happier to be your wife and the mother of your son."

"Eliza…." Ken tenderly spoke her name, his soothing voice overwhelming Eliza's heart with joy and love. For a moment they both gazed into each other's eyes before closing them and beginning to close the distance between each other's lips. But before they could share the latest of the many kisses they had shared ever since the first, the door bell rang, snapping both husband and wife out of it.

"That's odd. The sun is about to set. Who could it be this late in the afternoon?" Eliza wondered as she took her hands off her husband's cheeks and watched as Ken walked towards the windows of his house's terrace while remarking "I sure hope it's not yet another of those goddamn reporters. They're constantly finding new ways to annoy the crap outta me." such was one of the cons of being a wealthy man in charge of two enterprises: having many reporters who want to interview you and often resorting to anything to get an interview.

But as he pulled the curtains away, his eyes widened in surprise "Ryu?" he spoke in disbelief upon recognizing his best friend standing just outside the gate leading into his villa, a disbelief that only grew the moment he noticed a woman he had never seen before standing up next to him and with quite the unusual attire.

"Ryu's here?" Eliza asked, with the same bewilderment her husband had as she came at his side, which only grew upon noticing the one standing next to him which prompted her to ask "And who is that woman?"

"No idea. I didn't even know Ryu was gonna show up these days. He usually always sends me a letter when he comes here to visit me." Ken replied, still not quite understanding why his best friend had not only suddenly showed up to visit him out of the blue, he had also brought someone else they both didn't know.

"Well, either way, i'm glad he's come to visit us, especially now that Mel's born." Eliza smiled and told her husband "Didn't you say you wanted to tell him next time you two would meet that he's a godfather now?"

Ken smiled and replied "Well, i didn't expect next time to be so soon but hey, better sooner than later. Plus, i'm really curious to know who that woman is and what kind of relationship she has with him." before heading off the stairs to greet his best friend again.

"Well, this brings back memories." Juri remarked with her trademark smug smile and with her hands on her hips as she gazed upon Ken Masters's residence, quickly noticing just how modern the large mansion looked, all in pristine white with two rows of lamps lining the sides of the courtyard leading up to it which cut through a green field all the way to the gate, attached to two pillars of a stone wall three meters high that surrounded the entire edifice.

"You used to live in a house like this too?" Ryu asked her after he rang the bell by pressing the button near the gate. Juri nodded and replied "Yep. One of the benefits of having a lot of wealth. Though even mine wasn't this… Grandiose and luxurious." the gate unlocked as soon as she finished her sentence but just as Ryu opened it and began to step inside the courtyard….

He sensed someone approaching him from the left, having used the wall to hide and slowly come towards him. He dropped his bag on the ground and just as he turned towards the left, he was met with a right high kick that he only managed to block at the last second by raising his left arm to meet it. He smiled upon seeing who it was that threw it "Fancy seeing you here, Ryu. Didn't think we'd meet again so soon." Ken greeted him with a smile of his own as he withdrew his leg and placed his foot back on the ground.

"You'd be surprised by how quickly things can change in a short amount of time. Still, it's nice to see you again, Ken." Ryu likewise greeted his best friend after relaxing his stance before offering a hand which Ken quickly shook "And you seem to be doing just fine, in spite of everything you and Eliza must have gone through lately."

"We're both doing okay, thank you. Though i see you still haven't done your laundry, hehehe….." Ken joked as he removed his hand from Ryu's, referring to the state of the white GI Ryu always wore, making him chuckle in slight embarassment and remark "Well, i don't always have your…. Luxuries, so to speak." making the former chuckle more….

Before Juri chimed in, arms crossed beneath her chest "So you're Ken Masters, huh?" earning the attention of both fighters who turned towards her and watched her smile and remark "Gotta say, for being America's most famous martial artist and the head of not one, but two companies, you seem to be quite the chill and carefree guy. Not something you often see with businessmen, know what i'm sayin'?"

Ken looked at Juri for several seconds, quickly realizing from her outfit and from her athletic, curvaceous and muscular build that, not only was she a fighter much like him and Ryu, she was also quite attractive. He could also quickly deduce from her facial features that she was of asian origin. With an amused smile, he spoke, back of his left hand on his hip "Heh, apparently, i have more fans outside the US than i thought." he then glanced towards Ryu, pointed at him with his right thumb and remarked "Know what else is something you don't see every day? My pal here, Ryu, travelling with someone instead of being the lone wolf he is all the time." making his best friend chuckle again before finally asking Juri "So who are you, tall, strong and gorgeous?"

Flattered and amused at how similar Ken's personality was to hers, Juri smiled even more and introduced herself "Juri Han, just a Korean gal who also happens to be quite skilled in Taekwondo." while also extending her hand towards the blonde man in front of her and just as he shook it, she remarked, teasingly "And you sure do know how to flatter a girl, unlike your friend over there." while glancing towards Ryu, who felt somewhat awkward at that statement, to the point he put a hand behind his head, scratching it as he replied with a sheepish chuckle "Well, like you said several days ago, Master Gouken didn't quite teach me that, hehehe….." making Ken chuckle as well while, at the same time, Eliza finally came down the stairs and opened the house door, immediately spotting her husband conversing with his best friend and that unusually dressed woman, which immediately drew her interest.

"So, how and when did you two meet?" Ken asked after his chuckling finally died down.

"It's kind of a long story. I guess i'll start with-" Ryu began to speak, only for Juri to quickly come to his right, place her left elbow on his right shoulder and promptly cutting him off by stating, her voice ever casual and teasing "We merely just so happened to run into each other while handsome here, was returning to his home several days ago. And after we fought and talked a bit about each other and our past experiences, i've decided to tag along with him, at least for the time being, so yeah, you could say we're hangin' out."

"It's a lot more complicated than that, but yeah, you could say that." Ryu specified, still feeling somewhat awkward at putting their current relationship like that.

Ken's eyes widened in incredulity and his jaw dropped slightly as he put two and two together "Oh my God….." was all he could utter before turning towards Ryu and as he did, his expression went from one of utter disbelief, to one of joy "You did it, Ryu! You finally found yourself a girlfriend!" he exclaimed before spreading his arms and quickly pulling his best friend into a hug, completely catching both him and Juri off guard "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'm so proud of you!" while Eliza, having heard from afar, smiled happily, overjoyed to have learned this wonderful new development in the life of her husband's best friend.

Feeling himself even more uncomfortable and not at all used to situations such as these, Ryu pointed out "Well, hummmm… I woudn't exactly say we're dating each other, we were just-"

Deciding to go along with it, Juri teased him "You sure about that? Far as i can tell, we definetely did a lot of foreplay in our first fight." while sticking her tongue at him, making the Wandering Warrior downright blush. Thankfully, Eliza arrived just in time to rescue him from that awkward situation.

"Easy now, Ken." her lovely voice caught the attention of both of Gouken's students and Juri "After all, Ryu has gone through the trouble of visiting us, with or without having informed us beforehand. And i'm sure he'll be more than happy to hear about what's happened in these last weeks." the Taekwondo fighter for a moment was smitten by how….. Heavenly Ken's wife looked, with that beautiful blonde hair, elegant clothes and beautiful blue eyes, so beautiful and filled with such cheerfulness and tranquillity, they looked like two calm lakes. In a way, it felt like seeing her mother again.

"Eliza….." Ryu called out, a wave of guilt and self-loathing suddenly washing over him as soon as her eyes gazed upon him as she came to a stop just before him and her husband "You're looking good, for one who's always travelling around the w-" she politely greeted him only to pause mid-sentence upon seeing him lower his head and look away from her, causing her cheerful expression to become a concerned one "Ryu? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Buddy, you're not still blaming yourself for what happened several months ago, right?" Ken, just as concerned as his wife, asked his best friend as he placed his right hand on Ryu's left shoulder, his empathetic touch making Ryu reply "I'm sorry. You and your family were hurt because of me. If by then, i had fully learned how to control the Satsui no Hado, you woudn't have been kidnapped and used as-"

Eliza wasted no time and promptly grabbed Ryu's left hand with both of hers and reassured him "Ryu, none of that was your fault. Even without the Satsui no Hado, S.I.N. would have still come after you and Ken, just like all those other martial artists they captured and experimented upon in order to complete that monstrous weapon of theirs. And hey, all that matters is that things ended well for everybody involved and we all lived to see the day after." her words also making Juri's eyes widen in realization as, during her time in S.I.N. she was well aware of the BLECE bio-weapon project aimed to create an army of extremely powerful soldiers, each capable of controlling a great amount of extremely powerful, artificial KI. When activated, BLECE would greatly amplify the KI energy of anyone in its vicinity. The resulting energy pulse would resonate within the subject, causing the mithochondria within its cells to overflow with excessive kinetic energy and that meant that, as a side-effect, if a subject was unable to properly control its KI, the strain caused by the sudden augmentation of the kinetic energy in the cells caused boiling of moisture within living tissue, in turn making those cells expand and eventually detonate, in short, killing the subject. It functioned almost exactly the same way as Seth's Tanden Engine and the Feng Shui Engine but on dozens of people at the same time and unlike the latter, could only augment others's KI instead of bestowing newfound energy that its wielder would otherwise not have.

And now before her, stood three people who were hunted down, kidnapped and almost used as literal guinea pigs all for the sake of a madman's plan for world domination. A week ago, Juri woudn't have cared in the slightest: but all she could feel now was nothing but pure shame and self-loathing, for having willingly helped people who were just as vile as the ones who took the lives of her parents.

She was taken out of her thoughts first by Ryu declaring "It is heartening then to hear that you bear no ill will towards me for what happened. Thank you." and then by a satisfied Eliza stating "You're welcome. But enough about you, i'm curious to see who is it you've brought along w-" only for her words to falter, replaced by a surprised gasp as soon as she saw Juri standing just behind her husband's best friend "Oh my….." was all she could say as she put a hand just beneath her lower lip and gazed upon the beautiful and athletic young woman before her, how her unusual and striking purple, black and white attire perfectly showed Juri's curvaceous phisique, along with her well-developed muscles, especially the abdominal ones, and her beautiful face and light purple eyes, along with those distinctive horn-like buns. Yet, something about Juri she coudn't quite fathom, unnerved her. Was it her somewhat sinister outfit, what with the spider motif of her breastplate, the distinctive horn-like buns or just the way her eyes looked and how they seemed to carry some sort of malice? She didn't know but something told her that this woman was quite dangerous.

Juri smiled deviously, having already figured out that Ken's wife, for all her cheerfulness, was also quite shy and easy to impress. Therefore, she put her right hand on her hip, let her left arm hang loose against her side and teased "What's wrong, honey? Not used to girls who like to show off some skin?" her provocative voice succeding in her intent of snapping Eliza out of her thoughts and making her blush slightly.

"Oh! No it's not that….. it's just…." she turned her gaze away from her for a moment before eventually managing to say "I've never seen a woman with a fashion sense like yours. Those buns are certainly unique." Ryu and Ken coudn't help but chuckle upon hearing just how embarrassed Eliza sounded and upon seeing just how much she was blushing. They also coudn't help but notice just how cute and girly she sounded for such a mature and well-endowed woman.

"I know, right?" Juri replied, clearly proud of her buns from what could be heard from her voice as she grabbed her left one, fondling it "They totally fit the whole "Bad Girl" aestethic, don't you think? Perhaps you should try 'em one day." she proposed.

"I'll give it some thought, thank you…." Eliza meekly replied with a smile before Ken, with another chuckle, told his best friend "Man, i love this girl already! For being your first ever crush, you sure hit the jackpot, buddy! And i thought Chun-Li was gonna be your first! Hahahaha!" while giving his best friend a big pat on the back, making him chuckle even more, before all of a sudden, he began to feel quite hungry.

Therefore, Ryu asked Ken "Hehe, i'm sure there are many other things you'd like me to tell you. But if it's okay, can we do that over some food? I'm kinda starving right now." who immediately and cheerfully replied "But of course, buddy! You two came in just in time! I can't wait to show Eliza's cooking to your girlfriend!" as he wrapped his right arm around Ryu's back and began to lead him inside his house.

Juri on the other hand, quickly became concerned upon hearing Ken mentioning Chun-Li, whom she just so happened to have beaten to an inch of her life many months ago during her time in S.I.N. after she blew up that shopping center where all those S.I.N. soldiers that deserted the organization and took refuge within said center. The Interpol Officer came after her after she devastated the shopping center and unintentionally killed several bystanders in the process of eliminating the S.I.N. traitors and the two women soon battled in a fight that, while initially quite balanced, ended up becoming one-sided in Juri's favor after she activated the Feng Shui Engine and broke nearly all the bones in Chun-Li's chest with a single kick, hospitalizing her for a whole month. The upbeat and casual way Ken spoke about her meant that the two were friends to an extent and thus, Juri was now afraid of how would react if he were to find out what she had done to the chinese woman.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Eliza coming towards her and introducing herself "By the way, i'm Eliza, Ken's wife. It's a pleasure to meet a woman as vibrant and charming as you." while offering her a hand.

Caught completely off-guard, Juri smiled, this time politely and as she shook Eliza's hand, she replied "Likewise, honey. And you know, you do kinda remind me of my mom, somehow. Must be the caring and gentle way you talk to others and how that smile never leaves those lips of yours."

The blonde haired woman giggled in amusement at the Taekwondo fighter's compliments as she withdrew her hand and she remarked "That's actually pretty flattering considering that i've become a mother myself quite recently." making Juri's eyes go wide slightly in surprise, her disbelieved expression actually making her look quite cute in Eliza's eyes due to how much it clashed with her somewhat provocative outfit's dark and aggressive colors as well as her horn-like buns "Hehehe….. If this was your reaction then i'm dying to see just how Ryu will react when Ken will tell him about it." she replied with another chuckle, now more at ease with her due to the softer side Juri had shown before turning towards her house and beckoning the korean woman to follow her "Come, i'm sure you must be quite hungry from all that travelling. Don't worry, i consider myself a good cook and i'll make sure you'll eat the best San Francisco has to offer!"

Charmed even more by just how caring she was and the hospitality she was offering, Juri smiled even more and as she began to follow Eliza, she told her "Thanks. By the way, name's Juri and i'm from Korea. I also happen to be quite skilled in Taekwondo as handsome over there found out when we first fought several days ago." while pointing at Ryu, who was being led by Ken inside the house, chatting with his best friend along the way.

Eliza closed her eyes and cheerfully replied "Then i'm sure you and Ryu will have quite a lot to talk about. Now i wonder if you two have already started thinking about taking your relationship to the next level if you know what i mean." making Juri feel somewhat uncomfortable all of a sudden, at the thought of falling in love with and having children with Ryu. After all, they were just two people who just so happened to stumble upon each other, find out about each other's past before swearing an oath to each other, to finally bring down Shadaloo and Bison once and for all. At most, Juri could consider him an ally, if not a friend, somewhat.

But of course, she coudn't foresee what the future had in store for her.

Nor could she foresee that Eliza's cooking would taste so good, especially something with a name as absurd as "Explosive Chicken" which basically were deep-fried chunks of chicken sitting atop a bed of dried chili peppers. And even though spicy food was her all-time favorite, even she wasn't prepared for just flavorfoul and delightful the chicken tasted the moment she took the first bite, to the point her eyes widened in astonishment "Mmmmmm….. this is really good!" she remarked happily as she took several more bites, this time eating much more elegantly than the last time Ryu had seen her eat "Don't wanna inflate your ego, but you sure weren't exaggerating when you claimed to be a good cook, Eliza! This is some of the best chicken i've ever had and believe me when i say that i'm not somebody who's easy to impress in regards to food!" she complimented Ken's wife after turning towards her.

Eliza chuckled and replied cheerfully "Then i'm glad i was able to live up to your expectations, Juri!" as she took another bite from her own dish, a Chicken Parmigiana. The two women and their two respective companions sat on their chairs around the dark blue table of the dining room, which looked as modern and luxurious as the rest of Ken's house, with pristine white walls and floor, futuristic kitchenware nearby, the likes of which Juri had never seen before, with Ryu and Ken sitting next to each other and with Juri and Eliza in front of them. All of them were enjoying the food Eliza made, thought surprisingly, Ryu and Ken had the simpler of the four dishes she made, with the former enjoying simple and delicious noodles with crab and the latter, "Spaghetti alla Carbonara", an italian recipe that basically consisted of spaghetti with eggs, bacon and black pepper, his favorite food of all time in fact.

"It's always a pleasure to taste your cooking, Eliza." Ryu kindly told her, as he took after he took another bite from his noodles, pleasing Ken's wife even more "Awwww, you're so sweet, Ryu! It truly means a lot for me to hear others say that to me besides my husband who almost always only wants to eat spaghetti all the time! Because of that, i rarely get to show my cooking skills with other types of food!" making the three fighters that shared the table with her chuckle.

"Well, what can i say? Italian cuisine's my favorite, always has been." Ken remarked as he wrapped several spaghetti around his fork and looked at them for several seconds "There's just something to it, a quality, an elegance, a purity that no other cuisine in the world has." but just as he was about to eat them….

"I don't know Ken, to me that just looks like pasta with eggs and bacon and i can't imagine food more american than that. I don't see how that is more elegant and pure than japanese noodles and dumplings to be honest, hehehe….." Ryu teased his best friend, making him gasp and drop his fork in the plate, at the same time, surprising Juri for she didn't know that he would also be able to crack out jokes from time to time.

With a devious smile, Ken elbowed him on the shoulder in response and taunted him "Heh, this coming from the guy who is more than willing to eat everything he can stuff inside his mouth, even friggin' raw fish? Yeah, it doesn't really surprise me all that much that it took you so long to find yourself a girlfriend, Ryu. But hey,you know what they say: better late then never." his statement making Ryu and the two women chuckle, the former in nervousness and the latter in amusement. Juri in particular was all the more delighted to learn another of Ryu's perks, the fact that he could basically eat everything he could get his hands, or rather, his mouth on.

"And as it turns out, Juri and i do share a lot more than just our enjoyment of fighting. Right now, she's being refined but she can gobble down a whole pot of rice even faster than i can if she wants to, hehe…." Ryu stated with a chuckle, making Juri gasp in surprise, momentarily stopping eating and she could only look at him in shock as he stated "She's just as big and messy of an eater as i am, hehehehe…" making Ken and Eliza chuckle too, especially the latter, upon seeing the look of sheer embarassment on her face.

Quickly recomposing herself however, she gave him a devious smile and returned the favor "Heh, this your way of flirting, handsome?" while taking another bite from her chicken with the fork, this time trying to make it look as seductive as she could "I'd be really careful not to push my luck though if i were you. After all….." she teased, blinking twice in an equally seductive matter "You've seen how frisky i can get when i want to…. Or did you already forget how much i enjoyed fighting you, seeing you go all out and hold nothing back against me?" Ryu's cheeks finally turned a deep shade of red when Juri licked her lips and moaned "That determination, that fighting spirit….Ahhh, it turned me on so much. We should definetely do that again sometime." her alluring, seductive words even managing to make Eliza, seated next to her, blush slightly

Ken burst out laughing, having never seen his best friend blushing so hard in such embarrassment before in his whole life "HAHA! Man, you really got yourself quite the alpha female now didn't you, Ryu? You should consider yourself lucky, cause most guys can only dream of ending up with someone as badass as this girl, nevermind attractive." he teasingly told him as he wrapped his left arm around his shoulders and pointed at Juri with his palm.

"Well, what can i say? I'm just the whole package." the Taekwondo fighter confidently declared as she took another bite out of the chicken while Eliza could only look at her in awe and admiration. For one to be able to carry herself with such confidence and nonchalance…. Deep down she wished she could be more like that, given the many doubts, insecurities and uncertainties she faced ever since she married Ken, especially around the time she got pregnant with Mel…..

"I….. I guess so." Ryu simply replied, confirming both Ken and Juri's statements, nervous smile still on his lips.

Afterwards both couples continued to eat in silence for several more minutes until Eliza spoke up "So, Ryu." earning the Wandering Warrior's attention "Usually you always send us a letter in advance to let us know when you come to visit us so i was wondering if you came here for any particular reason other than just wanting to see your best friend again?" she inquired curiously, and all of a sudden both Ryu and Juri's expressions became ones of surprise and puzzlement as, umberknownst to the Masters, both of them had no idea how to bring up the whole "Return of Bison and Shadaloo" matter without making it seem sudden and therefore, ruining the moment they were sharing.

"Well, uhmm….." Ryu began to answer, sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he looked at Juri with much nervousness and the Taekwondo fighter found herself struck with the same feeling and she could only shrug her shoulders, spread her shoulders and lift her palms up in the classic "I don't know" pose, likewise having no idea how to bring up the true reason why they came here. But eventually, Ryu recomposed himself and stated "I just wanted to introduce Juri to you guys…." he then turned towards Ken and pointed out "Especially after all the times you teased me through the years that i'd never get laid, hehehe….." chucking nervously as he did so. Juri facepalmed in embarassment as the Wandering Warrior made a complete fool out of himself in front of not just her but his best friend and his wife too, but then Ryu turned towards Eliza and asked her "And if memory serves me right, you guys were expecting a child the last time we met?"

Ken had begun to grow suspicious towards his best friend, knowing full well that he was lying through his teeth. Having known him for almost 20 years, he knew him too well to assume otherwise, especially from the way he was talking and the anxiety in his voice, which he never had in such conversations. Eliza however, didn't quite share the sentiment "Yes we were! In fact…." she replied as she stood up from her seat "There's something i'd really love to show you two!" she turned towards her husband and asked him for approval "Of course, if that's okay for you, darling."

Seeing that everyone had pretty much almost finished their dinner, Ken shrugged and declared "Don't see why not. Plus, i was looking forward to seeing Ryu's reaction to this." and he too, got off his chair and began to follow his wife as she headed upstairs and, with a movement of her head, motioned Ryu and Juri to follow them.

But before they could do that, the latter grabbed the Wandering Warrior by his left wrist and made him turn towards her "You're gonna have to tell him sooner or later. That's what we came here for, remember?" she whispered to him, trying to keep her voice as low as she possibly could to avoid being heard. Ryu nodded and whispered back "I know. I'll just have to wait for the right opportunity."

Satisfied, Juri let him go and thus, followed him as he in turn, went after Ken and Eliza upstairs, until the Masters led him in a relatively small room with pristine white walls, an armchair on the left, a storage cabinet on the right and, most importantly, a cradle right in the center. And the moment Ryu saw it, he immediately understood everything, even before Ken and Eliza came towards it and placed their hands on the side rail, both of them happily smiling at him in anticipation for what they were about to show him.

(OST: "Rain from a Cloudless Sky" = Naruto Shippuden Movie Soundtrack = https/watch?v=fFfFgCvnKDY )

"Ken…. Eliza….." he called out in amazement while Juri observed as she stood just besides the threshold of the room's door, already knowing what was about to unfold before her eyes due to Eliza having already told her beforehand. Nonetheless, for some reason she coudn't quite fathom, something within her made her hesitate to come beyond the door. She felt like she didn't belong here, that she didn't deserve to be in this almost holy place due to the things she had done in the past. Thus she decided to stay back and watch.

"That's right, Ryu. You're a godfather now." his best friend cheerfully told him while beckoning him to come forward. Ryu hesitated for a few seconds before walking towards the cradle….

Only to gasp slightly in even more amazement as soon as he saw Mel, peacefully sleeping within it.

"Ryu, this is Mel. Our son." Eliza tenderly declared and all at once, the martial artist found himself overwhelmed by an unfamiliar sense of affection, of awe, of tenderness. Never would he have expected his heart to be so moved by the sight of an infant sleeping peacefully in its cradle, covered in its tender and adorable little pijamas, a new life, barely a week-old and yet full of innocence….Of hope for its future.

"My God…." was all Ryu could utter in awe, not knowing what else to say or do. Part of him instinctively wanted to reach out for Mel with his fingers but just as he began to do so, he stopped, unsure if this was the right thing to do or not. Ken however, was more than happy to encourage him "It's okay, he doesn't bite….. Yet." how he managed to crack out a joke even in such a situation was beyond him, but regardless, his encouragement finally gave Ryu the courage to reach out and place his right index finger on Mel's tiny left cheek, stroking it as carefully and tenderly as he could. And as he did so, he marvelled at how…. Soft and delicate he felt to the touch, realizing that it was indeed true, that all great things had humble, small beginnings. And that life indeed was precious, sacred.

"He's so small…." the Wandering Warrior hesitantly remarked, his voice still full of awe and tenderness as he kept caressing Mel's cheek "Fufufu…. Ken said the same thing when he saw him for the first time….." Eliza remarked in amusement, while trying to keep her voice as low as possible in order to not suddenly wake Mel up. Unfortunately though, Ryu wasn't quite careful enough with his touch and thus, he ended up waking the infant up. Thus, Mel opened his eyes, revealing them to be a beautiful blue, the same color as that of his mother's eyes, startling his father's best friend slightly and causing him to pull away from him as he believed to have scared the 10-day old baby.

He was proven wrong when Mel, as soon as his eyes saw Ryu, immediately smiled and cooed, showing the single natal tooth he had in his upper jaw as he extended his little arms forward, almost as if he wanted to be held by him. While the Wandering Warrior was disbelieved by the sight and completely unsure of what to do, Eliza smiled even more tenderly and remarked "Awwww….. that's so sweet. He's already taking a liking to you, Ryu," before she reached out and took hold of him in her arms, slowly but gently lifting him off the cradle.

And the moment Juri saw him from afar, within Eliza's tender arms, she felt something stir inside her, something she had never felt before. Something instinctive, that made her watch as Mel was taken in his mother's arms, completely comfortable about being carried like that. Perhaps it was the innocence that Mel represented, that all babies represented: life at its purest point, the start. Or perhaps it was a sad reminder of the life she had before her parents were taken away from her. Of the life she wished she could still have.

She was snapped out of her trance by Eliza asking Ryu "Would you like to hold him?" who, after much hesitation, managed a nod. Ken and Juri watched, the former in tenderness and the latter in even more awe, as Eliza passed Mel onto Ryu, allowing him to momentarily hold his best friend's son in his strong arms. He held the week-old infant with his right hand under his tiny legs and with his left hand behind his back, and the moment he gazed upon Mel's blue eyes and adorable near-toothless smile with the exception of that one tooth in the center of his upper jaw, Ryu's heart was suddenly overwhelmed with sudden affection. And apparently, his awestruck face made Mel quite happy, as evidenced by his cooing and by him inching closer towards Ryu's chest, where his heart was, until the 10-day old infant hugged him with his tiny arms.

"Awww… Look at him! It's almost like he thinks you're his second father!" Eliza tenderly spoke, both of her hands on her chest, near her heart, which was beating faster in unbridled joy at the heartwarming sight.

"I…. I don't even know what to say…." Ryu tried to speak, his words faltering. Eventually, he managed to turn towards Ken and tell him "I'm happy for you two. It must have been so beautiful to see him for the first time….."

Heartwarmed by Ryu's sincere words, Ken replied as he came closer to his best friend and placed a hand on his shoulder "I know, right? You and i used to be just plain old fighters, didn't we, Ryu? And now here we are." first with a smile and then with an uncertainty the Wandering Warrior had never seen from his best friend's face and words, as he lowered his eyes and remarked "I can't believe how much things have changed, buddy. I wish i could say i feel the same way as i did when we trained together, but….. i don't, and that kinda scares me. I guess it's what change is all about, not knowing what the future holds when it happens, heh?"

"Ken….." Ryu called out in empathy, wishing he had some advice he could give him, but he didn't. He had never once believed that a person's life could really change so much and so suddenly. And yet it had happened to his best friend. He began to wonder if one day, the same would happen to him and how he would cope with the prospect of stopping to be what he is, a fighter who just travels the world in search of worthy opponents to fight.

But most importantly, if he could find the strength to leave the only life he once knew behind in order to start something new.

Eliza's voice brought him out of his newfound internal conflict and doubts "It's okay, Juri, don't be shy. You can come in." she spoke, encouraging the troubled korean woman to finally enter the room and as Ryu turned towards her with Mel still in his arms, he immediately saw in just how much turmoil the normally provocative and taunting fighter was, just by looking at her expression.

Her light purple eyes widened the moment she saw Mel in Ryu's hands, happily resting his face on the muscular man's chest. She put a hand close to her heart before closing her eyes and turning her head away, clearly discomforted not only because she had no idea what to say or do, but because of how the sight of such innocence and purity reminded her of the life she once had, before it was all brutally ripped away from her. And now she could feel nothing but self-loathing towards herself, for what she had allowed herself to become, for allowing her hatred and bitterness to twist her into such a monstrous and sadistic woman.

"Juri?" Eliza called her name once again, confused as to why that seemingly charismatic and vibrant woman she saw just mere minutes ago, now bore an expression of such pain and hurt in her face almost as if the mere sight of her son made her feel like this.

But just before Ken, equally as bewildered as his wife was, could ask why Juri was feeling the way she was, Ryu came towards her and, with a tender and empathetic smile, told her "Don't be afraid, Juri. Remember what it was that Abe told you?" his kind words making her turn back towards him, allowing him to once again see her for what she truly was: a broken woman whose provocative and charismatic facade she put up most of the time to hide her trauma, was of no help to her in such a scenario, one that reminded her of what she once had. But he wanted to be there for her, to help her out in becoming a better person and thus, he told her "You are no longer your mistakes, what you once were. Now, you are who you choose to be and you shoudn't let the past hold you back from becoming a better person." he then looked at the young Mel in his arms and asked her "Would you like to hold him yourself?" while sparing a look at the infant's parents behind him, which they did, in spite of his newfound suspicion towards Juri. Her reaction was simply too emotional, there had to be a reason as for why she had reacted with such discomfort upon seeing a baby and its family.

Those encouraging words made Juri's eyes shake due to how much peace and comfort they brought to her. In a way it felt like speaking to her father again, steadfast in his sense of justice but equally capable of great kindness and empathy. She meekly nodded and then Ryu passed Mel onto her, allowing her to hold him in her arms. She had expected the baby to be frightened by her aggressive and dark looks but no, Mel's adorable smile didn't leave his lips even for a second as his young eyes looked into Juri's doubtful, insecure face.

But then he reached out for her cheeks with his tiny hands and that simple, innocent and pure gesture was enough to remove all the discomfort and insecurity in Juri's heart. She smiled tenderly and her expression became a soft and caring one as she instinctively and carefully caressed Mel's cheek with her right fingers. Why was her heart filled with so much happiness right now that she was holding and caressing a baby that wasn't even hers? She didn't know for certain, but perhaps it was because it made her remember the cheerful and carefree girl she used to be, and that she too, once used to be so small, so vulnerable.

"Wow….. I can't believe i used to be so small too, once upon a time….. Hehe, and apparently i wasn't quite as calm as this little guy is right now. Mom and dad woudn't stop reminding me the older i got, hehehe….." Juri remarked, her voice now gentle and caring as that of any mother, yet at the same time it was filled with melancholy as she reminisced those happy times in her life, long gone. The sight of the provocative and confident fighter being turned into a motherly and gentle woman by the baby she was now holding in her arms, warmed the hearts of Ken, Eliza and especially of Ryu, given how well aware he was of her backstory.

Mel's mother then came towards Juri and remarked "Funnily enough, he's never been this calm and playful to anyone else besides me." which compelled the Taekwondo fighter to give her baby back to Eliza's arms and after she did that, the wife of Ken Masters told her "You're pretty good with babies, you know that? I think you'll make for a wonderful mother if you will ever become one, Juri." her words making the korean fighter gasp slightly and blush heavily, to the point that she had to turn her gaze away from Eliza.

"Hehehe….. That's kind of a stretch, really, given well….. my usual disposition." Juri remarked, her shy words making Eliza chuckle in much amusement and Ryu, smile joyfully, the sight once again proving that Juri had truly begun to let go of the darkness that resided inside her soul for so many years and that she was now well underway in becoming a better person.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Ken coming alongside him and telling him "Oh, by the way, i forgot to mention that tomorrow me and the guys of the Masters Foundation will hold a party in the main building of the enterprise to celebrate Mel's birth. I was wondering if you and your gal were interested in coming along." also earning the attention of Eliza and Juri.

It didn't take long for Ryu to answer "Of course. It would be an honor for us be your guests." he then turned towards Juri and asked her "What about you, Juri?"

The korean figher shrugged and replied "Heh, why not. Been a while since the last time i went to a party, anyway." figuring out by the way Ryu looked at her that this would have been the perfect opportunity for him to let him know about Shadaloo's return.

(Soundtrack Ends)

She just hoped that he could finally bring himself to tell his best friend about it, even if it meant ruining the happiness and peace the parents of Mel had found in their new roles of their lives.