Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Because it’s pajama day, fuck you!”

            The rules of pajama day are pretty simple.

1. Wear pajamas
2. Get your teeth kicked in if you don’t.

Shame not every can get with the program. As I walked down the street, I kept seeing some real smug idiots walking around in normal clothes like they owned the joint. Imagine being that crazy. Everyone knows today is pajama day, or at least funky leggings and sweatshirts day. And yet here they all are, blatantly ignoring the rules. Maggots.

As I was curb stomping some dumbass thug who wouldn’t comply, I heard a window open up above me. I swore I’d fucking destroy them if they hacked a loogie down on me, even though that’s pretty fun, not gonna lie. Instead, I was frozen mid jaw stomp at a familiar voice.

“Juri, what the bloody hell are you doing?”

I looked up at the window, a tad stunned for a moment. Just a moment though. No idea what Cammy was doing squatting in some Metro City apartment, but there she was, staring at me with a bewildered expression, her blonde hair poking out of the black cat hoodie pajamas she was wearing. I love when I can make a woman look at me like that. The skeptical ones are the most satisfying. I kicked the box headed dork I’d been jumping on and grinned up at… what are we? Friends? Rivals? I don’t know, all I know is things have been awkward for the last several years. Every time we meet up, we inevitably end up kicking each other’s asses then chilling out afterwards, to the point I don’t fully know where the kicking stops and tea slurping starts. I don’t know if she likes me, still resents me, or worst of all pities me, but I gotta admit, I like hanging out. Not that I’d ever say that. That’s loser shit. But she’s at least closer to being on my wavelength than I originally thought, girl’s even in jammies.

“Finally, someone else knows what today is!”

“What are you on about now?”

“It’s pajama day,” I said in the most serious tone I could muster, though it just made me feel like a little kid playing in daddy’s suit coat whenever I had to pull that voice. Still, damn effective against the boys and girlies below me when I need shit done. “And you’re wearing pajamas too.”

“I’m in my rental flat at night, not running around the street like this.” Cammy quirked an eyebrow at me. I just shrugged.

“Still complying with it though. Come on, we gotta get everyone else in on this.”

“Why are you so worried about it?”

I gasped, feigning surprise, “Why it’s against the rules to not be in jammies, and you KNOW I love making sure all the rules are followed, crossing them i’s and dotting them t’s.”

“Crossing I-never mind. Get inside and stop making an arse of yourself, I’m not bailing you out tonight over this,” Cammy sighed in exasperation. I guess she didn’t find it too bad, me curb stomping these thugs anyways.

“Can’t, I’m hungry, gotta go get some snackies.”

“I have some crisps and-“

“HOT CHEETOS AND MOUNTAIN DEW!”

“Why do I even bother with you?” she sighed and left her window, closing it with a harsh slam. I figured that was the last I’d hear of her that night, but then she came down the stairs, pulling her hood over her head more to try to hide her face. “If I help you get your snacks, will you please stop… whatever this is?”

“Cammmmyyy, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were just trying to get me on your couch and out of these.” I winked and began walking towards the nearest convenience store, swinging one leg in front of the other lazily. Kinda cold, maybe socks should be a new pajama day tradition? “Shit, my feet are cold, I need them grippy socks next time.”

“Figured you were allergic to sensible clothes.” Cammy murmured as she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with everyone else around us. I don’t know why some people are so uptight, like, don’t they ever get fucking tired of giving a shit about everyone else’s opinions? So long as nobody thinks I’m some softie, loser, dumb fuck, I don’t care if everyone thinks I’m a nutter.

“Sensible is boring. Besides, that’s some shit come from someone who runs around in a fucking leotard half the time.” I pointed out. Out of the corner of my fleshy eye I could see Cammy pouting a bit at that assessment. Heh, Ass-sessment.

“I suppose you have a point. Though I also didn’t know you intended on dragging me to Russia or I would’ve worn pants.”

“That frostbite was such a bitch.”

She looked up briefly to see where we were going, smiling ever so slightly, “At least we can agree on that… How far before we get to the commissary?”

“I think it’s around this block, but I actually just got here yesterday.” I decided to leave out the part about how I decided to sleep in some rando’s apartment that was left unlocked. Though I think my shenanigans might be below her paygrade at this point, which is kinda a bummer cause the chase is half the fun.

“Oh, I believe that’s it,” She said as she pointed to a nearby gas station, which was the one I had been looking for that I noticed the other day. “There should be what you want there.” The bright lights illuminated the little white building, dark in some places and bright neon in others. That intoxicating smell of gasoline ripe for the taking filled the air, making me feel a small rush in my veins. Made me wanna get on my bikes and just drive as fast as I could. Running into the moon, running from responsibility, running from my problems- I mean what?

I grinned, “Fuck yeah, dinner time.” I picked up the pace, done with my playful stroll next to my snack snacc. As I pushed off against the cold concrete across the still busy road, I felt as though I could take off flying from the wind against my hoodie, almost deafening mixed with the honks of pissed off drivers I cut off. I kicked open the door with my foot, pulling my phone out of my pocket so I could check my shopping list. That strong hot dog water and cheap cleaner smell hit my face as I walked in. If you see them kitchy name tag souvenirs and some weirdly specific tee shirt? You know you’re gonna find the good shit. Even better if it’s one of those giant ones with the beavers inside, but this little one would have to do. “Mkay, I need mountain dew, hot Cheetos, cup of noodles, poptarts, hot sauce, spam, nacho cheese, and a slurpy.”

“For… dinner?” Cammy asked, raising an eyebrow in concern. Oh like this bitch can cook, why all the judgement?

I started grabbing what I needed on my list, “Yeah, can I borrow your microwave for the noodles? I’ll buy you a slurpy.”

She smiled a little and headed over to the slushie machine, seemingly forgetting that she out in public in cat pajamas. Or maybe she was starting to roll with it. Either way it made me feel weirdly proud, “Ok, but you have to stay inside and out of trouble when we get back.”

“Well are you gonna let me crash on your couch then?” I asked, grabbing a cup of shin noodles off the shelf of ramen. Rows upon rows of noodles from every manufacturer were in the aisle, nearly overwhelming my eyes as I scanned it for the shiny red packaging I needed. That’s the great thing about gas stations, you get to feed your bike and feed yourself with nearly endless options for junk food. Snack cakes, ramen, chips, jerky, candy, and sodas are piled up from the floor to the ceiling, there’s no better place to find dinner on the go. “I actually don’t have a place to crash tonight, I didn’t think that far ahead when I came here.”

“Why did you come here anyways?” Cammy asked.

I paused for a moment, staring into the soda cabinet in uncertainty. I honestly didn’t have an answer. Ran here with no plan. No agenda, no real purpose, just got on the first plane I could get a ticket for with only a duffle bag on my back. “I… Just wanted to. What about you? Thought you were living in London.”

“I’m on a temporary assignment here. It’ll last about a year, but I appreciate the opportunity to visit some friends here in the states while I’m effectively on deployment,” Cammy said as she put the cap on her blue raspberry slushie, then grabbed another cup, “Which flavor do you want?”

“Gimme a little bit of each, I like to mix them all together.”

“… Even the coke one?”

“ESPECIALLY THE COKE ONE.”

I could feel her eyes in the back off my head somehow, so I hugged my groceries to my chest and bent all the way back until my head nearly hit the questionably clean tile floor, staring her right in the eyes to assert dominance. Or something like that. Cammy just finished off my slurpie with the coke one and stared back, but I couldn’t read her expression. I just kinda smiled and tried to hide the fact that I was kinda stuck that way for a moment because I usually don’t end up in this position without my eye giving me a kickback. I slowly slinked back up into a normal standing position, never breaking eye contact.

“You threw out your back this time, didn’t you?” She asked, stoic, judging stare piercing into my brain.

“I DID NOT! You did!”

“Mhm.”

“My back is fine, I just wanted to stay like that for a moment cause it’s comfy so there.” I knew anyone could see through my bullshit on that one, but I wasn’t about to let it go. Cammy thankfully seemed uninterested in arguing about it, just heading over to the cash register with me. I whipped out some credit card I snagged from my cousin while I was in Seoul and paid for the snacks, dumping everything but the slushies into the bag so we could head back unimpeded. The crinkle of the plastic bags at stores always filled me with a weird sense of nostalgia. Made me think of my mom hoarding them in the kitchen then reusing them until they broke. She wasn’t about choking fishes and killing trees without getting her money’s worth for their trouble. Maybe if I had a permanent place, I’d be jamming grocery bags into the pantry too. A mystery for the next tenant to figure out among other things. But it feels like no place is permanent, you learn to pack light. Keep a good toolbox, some clothes, and a bag full of other people’s cash when you can.

As we walked out of the store, the cold autumn wind sucker-punched us in the face and I zipped up my pajamas a bit more to try to keep myself warm. Didn’t do much for my nose though. Cammy shivered and put one arm around herself while holding her slushie with her shirt sleeve around the cup. “Let’s hurry up home, it’s getting colder, and I feel silly out in this.”

“At least the slushie won’t melt, yeah?” I shrugged and slung my bag of junk food over my shoulder and picked up the pace back to Cammy’s temporary apartment. Couldn’t help but wonder if she was still getting displaced all the time too. Guess it’s different when you’re the one pursuing bad guys opposed to being on the run, but still, can’t be anymore comfortable. “How often are you getting deployed these days?”

“Things have slowed down a bit, but I choose to stay busy. Even if these recent supposed Shadaloo remnants end up being nothing, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my time. There’s always bad actors, it doesn’t matter if they’re related to Shadaloo or not, they need dealt with. So I still end up on international assignments often,” She explained, fumbling with her keys that had gone hella cold during our walk so she could unlock the door. “Would you like some socks? Also, the cats might come and inspect you, don’t rub Mittens’ belly, it’s a trap, she is out for blood.”

“Sure, which one is Mittens? Sounds like a riot,” I chuckled as I kicked the door shut and looked down at the three cats staring up at me like I was invading their space. Well, I kinda was. They were all mutts? Mutt cats? They look like strays Cammy picked up instead of those high end ones from breeders. One was white with brown and black ‘socks’, another was black with a missing eye, and another was an orange polydactl cat.

“The one who has mittens is Mittens….” Cammy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And then the orange one is Marmalade, and the black one is Aldous, the Bringer of Darkness and a Thousand Years of Suffering… Decapre named him, but I just call him Al.”

I couldn’t help but burst out into laughter, “Ha, Aldous Bringer of Suffering, that’s fucking nuts. Think he’s up for swapping trade secrets?”

Cammy sighed, “Actually, Al is a sweetheart, Mittens is the devious one. She hates humanity and wants to watch everyone that isn’t me bleed. Marmalade just wants to play all day.” She took my bag from me and set it on the counter before chucking a pair of socks at me from the laundry basket scooping up Aldous for a snuggle. The apartment expectedly smelled like cats and there was hair all over the place. I inspected the socks, smirking a little to myself when I realized they were made to look like cat paws. Can’t fault the girl for having her hobbies. I hopped around in a circle while putting them on before heading to the kitchen, careful not to step on any fuzzy roommates on my way there. The apartment was pretty bare bones and boxes were still stacked up, unopened or half unpacked. Marmalade immediately made herself comfortable in one of the said boxes in the kitchen, mewing at me as I opened my cup of noodles. The kitchen was a small, open concept set up facing the living room. There were no tables or chairs, but two barstools at the counter to save space. Some essentials were scattered around the counters along with boxes of dishes and food stuff.

“They’re cute, thousands of years of suffering aside,” I joked, popping my dinner in the microwave and opening up my bag of Cheetos and can of spam. “You got a knife and like, some chopsticks or a fork I can use?”

“Yes, but don’t put the fork in the microwave,” Cammy said as she grabbed a fork and butter knife from one of the half-opened boxes, disturbing Mittens who had been settled in that box. “Sorry, the state of this place. It’s a bloody mess because I’ve been busy and just got here this week.”

“I’ve seen worse, you’re good, Bumblebee.” I shrugged and started slicing the spam. Once the microwave went off, I dumped the spam and a bunch of Cheetos into my cup, along with a bit of hot sauce and a dollop of cheese. I mixed it up and started eating, grinning a bit when I noticed the horrified look on Cammy’s face.

“How are you still alive eating like that?”

“Spite mostly.”

She just rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably, watching me eat. I slurped my noodles dramatically and really crunched down on the Cheetos I dumped into my soup, just so I could watch her skin crawl. I stabbed a piece of spam with my fork and used it to scoop up more noodles. It was the most normal part of the meal to be fair. “It’s good shit, actually. You can dump a lot of stuff into the cup, so long as you got the noodles and spam, it’s technically a meal.”

“When’s the last time you’ve eaten a vegetable? Or non processed meat for that matter?” Cammy asked, eyebrows furrowing together in concern. I had to do a big think on that one. It had definitely been a year at least, maybe longer. Well, unless you count the pickles on a chicken sandwich and burger. Is popcorn a vegetable?

“Uh… It’s been over a year. Unless pickles and popcorn count as vegetables. I don’t have time or a place to cook, so I eat on the go. Stuff from fast food places, gas stations, that kind of thing,” I explained as I leaned against the counter, staring down a cat in a box. No wonder she was having so much trouble getting unpacked, these fuzzy fuckers claimed dominion over the boxes. “But I doubt you’re eating much better, you’re busy too.”

“I actually have a balanced diet and usually cook for myself when I’m not in the field.” Cammy said as she grabbed a few cans of cat food from the pantry and cracked them open one by one. She poured the foul smelling, wet, mushy schlock into the cats’ bowls, carefully lining them up in a row for her feline friends. The cats went nuts, jumping to the floor to eat the wet food like it was a fine delicacy. It’s kinda baffling that animals can eat such gross stuff and lose their shit over it like it’s gourmet. I added a splash of Mountain Dew to my noodles and SLURPED.

“Where’d you learn to cook?”

“Lots of places, I learned from some members of Delta Red how to make MREs more appealing, some basic cooking, like how to make eggs for breakfast. When I began living alone, I realized I needed to live off of more than premade food, so I bought some cookbooks and taught myself. It helps that Chun Li taught me a few things to help me get started. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a great cook, but I think I do an adequate job for myself.”

“Heh… I never learned how to cook,” I admitted, chucking my empty cup in the trashcan before making myself comfortable on the couch in the living room. I stretched out, draping my legs over the side of the arm rest and resting my head on the cushions below me and hugging my bottle of Mountain Dew to protect it from the cats. Cammy threw away the garbage I had left on the counter then joined me in the living room, muttering under her breath. Still, she sat next to me, hugging her knees comfortably so I had room to continue lying on the couch like a drunk goblin. Or maybe she was repulsed by the idea of our skin even slightly touching outside of battle. I could never read her, but that almost made me wanna stick around more to figure out how the gears were turning up there.

Most people are easy to figure out. Even if they don’t say what they want, their demeanor shows it if you care enough to watch them. You know where you stand with them. But with Cammy and I? Fuck it’s been a rollercoaster. I kinda tried to kill her and one of her sisters when we met. And also one of her best friends. And everyone else who looked at me funny that day. Needless to say she fucking hated my guts. Then I saved her ass in Brazil and we had to work together. I could tell she didn’t wanna be anywhere near me, that she still hated me for everything, and fuck, who could blame her? But things started to feel different. Less hostile, more like an adventure. I find myself thinking about those days we spent trying to survive out at sea, traveling around and kicking ass together, a lot. Then I remember she’s supposed to hate me. And it’s not like I NEED anyone. It’s just… kinda nice to be able to just sit here together. I’d always be up for fighting, stomping on someone’s face is really the purest form of greeting, but in that moment, I just wanted to relax in quiet company. Pajama Day felt…incomplete somehow though.

“Pajama day has been great, but something’s missing…” I said, looking up at the ceiling. “But I’m in pajamas, I beat up people who weren’t in pajamas, I had my dew and Cheetos, you’re in pajamas, I don’t know what I’m forgetting.”

Cammy looked down at me with a small, mischievous smile growing across her face, eyes twinkling in thought as she reached to the side of the couch for something, “Hm… Perhaps it’s missing something like… THIS!” AND BAM! She walloped me with a fucking pillow, making me jump and scramble up off the couch while she laughed. I grabbed another pillow, grinning ear to ear as I took a fighting stance, charging her with the feathery flail.

“HA! I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“You’re welcome to try!” She chided as she held up her pillow as a shield to protect her face from my flurry of attacks, which should probably be illegal in pillow fights. I hopped up onto the table and slammed the pillow down on top of her head, but she took the opportunity to whack me with hers in the abdomen then slide out of my reach.

I watched her movements, trying to predict her next attack. She was waving that pillow around by the case, getting ready for a quick attack so I dodged and swung my pillow at her with a quick flick of the wrist. She responded with a heavy pillow attack to my face. I stumbled back, but crouched down to regain balance.

“Good hit.”

She grinned a little, tucking a piece of her short, blonde hair behind her ears and charging me with her pillow raised high. She was going for the heavy attack. I threw my pillow in front of me and kicked it into her to slow her down, sliding out of the way and lunging for my weapon again. But instead of my pillow, I got knocked back on my ass by a pillow to the fucking face. Cammy went to whack me again with the pillow, but I lunged at her to knock her backwards onto the carpet. She yelped and looked up at me, reaching for the pillow I knocked out of her reach. I couldn’t help but smirk down at her, dropping my weight down on her belly so I could pin her for the final blow. I whacked her with her own pillow then held it above my head triumphantly, “You’re good, but I still beat you.” I was gloating and soaking in my victory when suddenly I was flipped onto my back on the ground before I could react. I kicked my legs up into the air and tried to push her off, because holy tap dancing fuck I do not like being the one on my back, that’s all ass backwards.

Cammy chuckled and pinned me down with her knee, “Actually you cheated.”

“It’s a pillow fight, there’s no rules, my cousin said so,” I argued, wriggling out from under her easily, since her heart wasn’t really into that pin I guess. I sat up and cracked my neck. Feathers were spilling out around us. The force we pummeled each other with was too much for the pillows.

“Liar, there’s rules to pillow fights, Decapre and I wrote them down once,” Cammy insisted, relaxing against the coffee table we nearly broke from trampling on.

I rolled my eyes, “Sure, I guess there’s rules if you’re a weirdo, but I don’t play by rules on a normal day.” I couldn’t keep myself from smiling though. What a dork.

“I had fun regardless,” she said as she smiled, giggling as Aldous ran over to see what was going on with us. Sitting there on the floor of a half-unpacked apartment with my former rival, laughing surrounded by flying feathers made me feel something I hadn’t really felt in a long time. It was so foreign I wasn’t even sure what it was. But it was good. Maybe it was pride in a successful Pajama Day, maybe it was the start of something new.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            Time always felt irrelevant at the compound. In cold, windowless rooms painted sterile shades of white and gray, the outside world was an abstract thought rather than reality. Day in, day out, everything was the same. Time passed, but I could barely tell until I noticed changes in people around me. Perhaps years passed since I last noticed, or maybe it was weeks. How was I to conceptualize it when I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I saw the sun?

            The real world didn’t exist for us. All we knew was our compound, the routine, training, and the master’s orders. Nothing else mattered. It was a monotonous existence that numbed the mind, but that was by design. But try as they might, they couldn’t hide the real world from us forever. Every so often, things would slip through the cracks, like little rays of light shining under the door into a dark room. And little by little, these pieces of the outside world wriggled into my mind, bringing out the human being who was hiding in the dark recesses of my mind. They couldn’t change the fact that they had created human beings. They couldn’t destroy our humanity, only suppress it.

            My first memory of something slipping in came from the janitor. A lanky fellow who would listen to loud music while he mopped the room we slept in. I would sit cross legged on my bed, the bottom bunk because Decapre had taken the top bed, listening to his music and tapping my fingers against my knees. I tried to envision what the songs would talk about. How is this woman like a rainbow? How did she find all these beautiful colors to drape herself in? I’d hum along and daydream about what this could mean when I was alone, which was admittedly rare. If someone so sheltered from society, someone who had never set foot outside of the compound I was born in, could find meaning in music, there must be something universally human about that experience. Something that nobody could deprive me of once I had discovered it.

            I couldn’t help but reflect on it all as that song came onto my commute playlist. All these years later, I still can’t think of a song I like more than She’s Like A Rainbow, the first song I learned to love. It brings a bit of levity to the uncomfortable morning commute.

I kept a tight grip on my phone as the bus lurched to another stop, sending us all forward in our seats momentarily. Another few passengers climbed aboard and sat across from me. Two adults, one child. Unlikely to be a threat. It is silly to assess random civilians, perhaps, but hypervigilance never killed anyone. Letting your guard down and losing yourself in fantasy is what makes you vulnerable around other people; it is not a habit I let myself fall into. Even if music does make it quite tempting.

            In a blink we’ve moved another several meters without me realizing. Perhaps that’s a sign to put my phone away. I took out my earbuds and put them in my jacket pocket and my phone in my pants pocket. I could just review the mission briefing when I got to headquarters in the next ten minutes or so. Hopefully once I have my second round of coffee my head will be back where it should be again.

Last night threw everything in my mind off a bit. Admittedly, I’m not quite sure why I keep letting Juri occupy my time, but it seems like since the fall of Shadaloo, we have spent an inexplicably large amount of time together. And somehow, I don’t mind this, which in itself is quite concerning. I’m not entirely sure how to classify our relationship. I initially saw her as an enemy, someone I wanted to completely and utterly defeat, perhaps discreetly throw her out of a helicopter for good measure. However, since we worked together to bring down Shadaloo, since she rescued Decapre and I, I can’t exactly see her as entirely horrendous. Frankly, the more time we spend together, the more I realize she’s just some unhinged dork with social skills akin to a grammar school kid with a slurpy and a book full of swear words to consult. Dangerous, sadistic, and selfish? Yes, but on a day to day basis, she’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I would honestly be lying to say I don’t enjoy her company at times though. Even if that means making an arse of myself like yesterday. But I did get to beat her with a pillow, and that was, if nothing else, cathartic.

Still, spending time with someone like her is ill advised. Though I doubt anyone would even know I let her crash on the couch last night. And hopefully nobody recognized me running around in my pajamas like a lunatic last night. I was pulled from my thoughts as the bus came to a stop once more. A handful of people and myself exited at the stop near the new Interpol Headquarters building. It was an imposing structure jutting out into the city’s skyline with sleek, tinted windows that hid the office space inside. In the front were a handful of security guards who escorted guests without badges to and from the building, while also checking our badges as we walked up to the doors. I fished my badge and lanyard out of my pocket and held it out for security to see before scanning it at the door. A shrill beep emitted as the doors opened for me, just one of many I’d have to repeat the process for. Floor by floor, room by room, I scanned the badge, the system assaulted my ears, and I would get access to the preapproved areas. Mainly Delta Red’s office space, though really, I had access to most of the building if I really needed it. I just rarely left my office unless I was needed in a meeting or needed to analyze some evidence in the laboratory in the basement.

I closed the door behind me as I entered my office, dropping my badge onto my desk unceremoniously. Dull, beige offices. Dull, beige, and gray hallways. Everything is always so dull, so monochromatic, so BEIGE. It’s like an incognito version of the sterile, mind numbing white hallways I grew up in, except now I can bring some color into my office with a cat calendar and a handful of pictures or trinkets to stuff onto my desk; but it does little to bring life to the room. It’s not that I WANT there to be a calamity, but when work devolves into writing and reviewing tedious documents on security protocols, reading the texts of someone suspicious as they talk about picking up milk from the store, or sitting in meetings where someone drones on and on and ON because they love the sound of their own voice, it makes me miss more hands on assignments. But my work life being boring is generally a sign that life for the average person is safer, and I can’t be upset about that.

Just as I opened my work laptop to begin reviewing my emails, the door creaked open. Chun-Li was peering into the office, carrying a laptop bag on her shoulder.

“Good morning, Cammy. We have a meeting in the enclosed room in an hour, I just thought I’d let you know,” She explained, walking in so we could talk more. I paused, briefly glancing at my emails.

“Strange, I must have missed the memo.”

“Actually, it’s very sudden. I don’t know the details yet, but it has something to do with the Shadaloo remnants we’ve been investigating,” she said. I bit my lip and leaned back in my chair. The case to chase down remnants had mostly died out a few years back when Delta Red shut down a facility in the Philippines. That facility was believed to be the last, and like most, had just come under control of whatever local mafia had been integrated into Shadaloo previously. I knew in my gut that couldn’t be the last, but with no real leads, the case all but closed and I was put on other assignments.

“Do you think this has to do with the massacre at the Honduras facility?”

Chun-Li went quiet, as if pondering what details she did have. “It’s possible, but I don’t know. There were never definitive answers to that one. But if that was caused by infighting instead of a local uprising, it could be possible that whichever member perpetrated the massacre could have defected and waited until now to act again.”

“The injuries felt too familiar to be some local militia… At least for what I could see. There wasn’t much left, they had all been sitting there for days before we arrived on the scene.” I recalled, then just, stopped myself from dwelling on it, lest I want the smell of rotting meat to linger in my nose again.

“It might be best to text anyone who might need to get a hold of you, because I think this is going to be a long meeting. I already told Li-Fen to get a ride home from school with a friend because I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to pick her up later,” Chun-Li warned me and pat my shoulder. “I have to take care of a document before we go, but I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Right, I’ll see you then.”

She left quietly, shutting the door behind her, leaving me with my thoughts.

It’s the most putrid smell I’ve ever had the displeasure of smelling. I creep into the seemingly facility with Decapre by my side, and all I can see is piles upon piles of rotting, bloated bodies. The once sterile white rooms we spent day in and day out hoping to escape are stained red and rust. I kneel beside a trainee, dead and still clutching her stomach where she’d been impaled. Maybe fourteen? Too young for real missions. Who knows if she even had taken to the brainwashing yet. Decapre returns from the other side of the room.

“No survivors. Same in the rooms still standing.”

I never thought I would begrudge a splash of color on those sterile, white walls, but now, all I want is for the security of the white walls over the horror of the red ones.

            I locked my phone, wallet, and earbuds in my locker before entering the enclosed room. Before I had gone to the meeting, I made sure to text Decapre to let her know I couldn’t respond to any urgent medical news while I was in a meeting. She just sent me a gif of a cat making biscuits, which was honestly needed. I turned off my phone and locked it away before scanning my badge to enter the room. It was already packed with those of us in the office with the highest security clearances, those of us who worked on previous Shadaloo related cases. I took my seat between Chun-Li and Guile, hoping I was one of the last people to file in so we could rip the band-aid off now. I wanted whatever bad news there was to just be plopped into my lap so I could stop worrying myself to death over it. Two more people arrived and the lights went dim, the only light in the room being the projector.

            “We found evidence of activity in multiple old Shadaloo networks previously thought to be terminated after the fall. We still don’t have a lot of information, mainly that data has been transferred to other devices using the network. We believe hidden money is also being moved into an account set up in Nayshall.” The director explained, displaying the evidence on the screen for us all to see. I stared up at it, taking in every detail I could before the slides would change. “Our intel tells us that this interference is coming from Metro City, Nayshall, Seoul, Berlin, and a remote region of Honduras.”

            “Honduras?” I asked. “Where exactly in Honduras?”

            “Olancho. In the wilderness, not near any major cities.”

            “I thought everything in that base had been destroyed… but it’s possible that some of the devices or data were spared and taken when the survivors fled the scene.”

“The last signal was local, so our plan is to focus our attention here until there’s more activity abroad.”

I rested my head in my hand as I watched the screen for the rest of the meeting, which took up the rest of the workday. Debates on how to handle the situation, the source, and the likelihood of an imminent threat filled the room and my mind, culminating into a giant headache. I’m not proud of it, but by the end, I was spacing off and didn’t realize it until the conversation had moved without me. Not that it was going anywhere but in a circle.

            By the time I arrived home, I had completely forgotten about the previous night’s ‘slumber party’, so you could imagine my surprise when Juri popped out of the kitchen in… My clothes and a fake mustache, holding Aldous in her arms. Photograph by Def Leppard was blaring from the radio, making me wince from the sudden blast of noise.

            “Heeeey, got a tip for Han Moving Services?” she asked with a big grin.

            I blinked, “What?”

            “I unpacked your shit for you because there was fuck all to do,” Juri said with a roll of the eyes. I didn’t even know prosthetic eyes could do that. I glanced around the flat to see what she had done. My living room was completely set up with the photos I had packed hung on the walls and set out on end tables which were adorned with little crocheted drink coasters. The xbox was hooked up to the tv and the box of games and movies was empty while the drawers to the tv console were slightly ajar. My record player had been set up with all my vinyls stack neatly on the shelf in the stand, while my radio was set up on the coffee table with all my CDs resting in their box next to the table. The kitchen was devoid of miscellaneous boxes. The previously filled moving boxes were stacked all together with a blanket dumped inside, which Marmalade and Mittens were taking full advantage of. I turned down the music so I could actually hear Juri talking to me. Though I had to admit, it was a good song to blast.

            “You unpacked this place for me? Why?” I asked, frankly, flabbergasted by this situation. If anything, I expected Juri to rummage through my things, steal something, and flee. But everything was so neatly put away and nothing APPEARED to be missing. So far.

            “Ugh, I told you, it’s boring around here! I had to unpack all your shit just to feel sane and find where you kept the booze in this place.” Juri said defensively. “Also, I ordered pizza, you took forever to get home so we need to nuke it.”

            Despite the… confusion that still resonated, I couldn’t help but smile a bit, “Thank you, Juri, this is actually super helpful.”

            “I just did it cause I’m bored… You can repay me by letting me crash on your couch again, I like the cats.” She blepped playfully and skedaddled off to the kitchen, flipping open the pizza box eagerly. I checked the clock to make sure I wasn’t feeding the gremlin after midnight before taking a slice myself.

            “I see Aldous likes you.”

            “Yeah, we match.” Juri joked as she held the kitty up to her face. They were missing the same eye, though I had never noticed it before. Aldous whined and launched himself out of Juri’s arms and onto the counter so he could try steal a piece of pizza, much to Juri’s dismay. “Damn, kicked to the curb.”

            I chuckled and scooped up my cat, “No, Aldous, naughty kitty. I’ll get you your food in a minute.” Aldous meowed mournfully in protest, juggling my heart in his little paws, but I couldn’t give in. He had to eat his cat food instead. I’m certain he’ll recover from this inhumane treatment. I held my cat in one arm and opened three tins of wet food with my other hand, carefully dumping them into the bowls in the kitchen. Aldous jumped out of my arms so he could get to his food before his sisters did. Before I could blink, all three cats descended upon me and the kitchen, nudging each other out of the way so they could eat their dinner. “Not that I mind the company, but why haven’t you secured your own place to stay?”

            “What do you mean, that’s literally what I was doing all day?” Juri asked. She hopped up onto the counter to sit while she ate, one leg lazily propped up over the other.

            “No, I mean why haven’t you gotten yourself a hotel or flat? Don’t you have business here you should be focused on?”

            She just shrugged, “Nah, not really… I just kinda needed to get out of Seoul really quickly, so I hopped on the first flight I could get my hands on. Turned out to be here. So now I’m here and don’t have anything to do. Guess I could pick up some jobs from the locals, but let’s be real, Mad Gear just ain’t what they used to be and that’s below my paygrade.”

            “Did something happen in Seoul?”

            “The usual. Kicked ass, pissed some people off, and had to leave. Nothing serious,” She insisted. “Ugh, but I’m so bored, there’s been nothing FUN to do in months! And I lost my stupid apartment last month so who knows where all my shit is now.”

            “How’d you lose your flat?”

            “Didn’t pay the rent and got locked out.”

            I quirked an eyebrow at her. Wasn’t she swimming in cash last time I saw her? Maybe she was really that remarkably lazy. “I see… Well, I suppose if you keep your nose clean you can stay here until you’re back on your feet. But you really have to keep a low profile, Juri, I’m serious, this could put my clearance at risk.” I warned, holding a finger up to drive home the point.

            “Ok, I’ll be a good noodle or whatever, calm your tits,” Juri said semi dismissively, though there was a small smile forming on her lips. She kicked her legs in the air and against the cabinet below pensively before turning back to her playful demeanor, “I didn’t know you were such a hipster or whatever, you got a ton of vinyls and cds. Who still uses cds?”

            “I’m not a hipster, I just think they’re nice. Besides, I inherited most of the records. They were Keith’s originally. He passed them down to me one Christmas because I kept borrowing them,” I explained, smiling a little at the memory. “I like having physical copies of things too. And honestly, most of my cds are just mixtapes from back in the day. It’s nostalgic.”

            “That’d explain all the oldies,” She snickered.

            “Some oldies are good. Def Leppard, Led Zepplin, Rolling Stones, Poison, Motley Crue, David Bowie, plenty of good old artists,” I scoffed and took a bite of my pizza.

            “Nah, I getcha. My dad was really into Poison and Kiss, so I still listen to them sometimes too.” Juri sipped her mountain dew… straight from the two liter just like the night before, but I ignored that.

            “Keith is the closest I’ve ever had to a dad myself. He did name me after all. I think I got a lot of my music taste from hanging out with him. Though of course, I found new music I like on my own later.”

            “My parents hated the shit I’d listen to back in the day. Sometimes when I was in a bad mood, I’d turn it up extra loud to get on Mom’s nerves.”

            “Yeah, I believe that.”

            “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Juri shouted,

            I snickered, “I just mean it sounds like something you’d do.”

            “Oh. Right. Yeah, I was a little shit.” Juri agreed, getting back to her dew and wings. How this woman hasn’t keeled over from pancreatitis or something is beyond me. It became my new mission right then and there to force her to eat a vegetable during her stay. Just a single vegetable would suffice.

            “Color me surprised,” I said as I got myself some water from the fridge. “Anyways, if you want more blankets for the futon, let me know. Also, don’t mind the blood stains, Decapre got really sick while she was staying with me and I wasn’t able to get all the stains out. I swear nobody died there.”

            “Dude, what?”

            “She started throwing up blood one night, and I couldn’t get the stains out, so that’s why there’s some on the sheets on the futon,” I clarified. “Her health varies. Sometimes she’s fine, then the next day we’re rushing her to the hospital for something. It’s… stressful.”

            Juri bit her lip, tapping her fingers on the bottle she held between her legs, “Damn, that’s rough, man. Figured she woulda bounced back.”

            “Well, she’s not dying anymore, she’s just got… a plethora of health problems. But honestly, most of the former Dolls have had something come up. I suppose I’m just the lucky one…” I trailed off before shaking my head to clear it, “Point is, don’t freak out, nobody died on my couch, and the sheet has been washed many times so everything is perfectly clean and safe.”

            “Right, thanks for the heads up.” Juri said awkwardly before hopping down from the counter. “Hey uh, thanks for letting me couch surf for a bit, Cammy.”

            “I don’t mind helping you out, but I wasn’t kidding about what I said, you really have to keep a low profile because I could get in serious trouble at work for helping you.” I reminded her, feeling my stomach twist itself in knots at the thought.

            “Then why bother?” she asked, putting a hand on her hip.

I paused, unconsciously glancing over at the picture of myself and Decapre together on the wall, “Because you put your arse on the line to help me. And even though I still don’t understand why, I haven’t forgotten what you did for my sister and I.”

At that Juri grinned a little and murmured to herself, “Score.”

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            A jolt next to me brought me out of my sleep. Again. I groaned and rubbed my eyes as Crimson sat up, alert as ever. I swear this woman has the world’s worst sleep schedule. She turned on the lamp on the nightstand and put on her glasses.

            “What is it now?” I whined, wincing as the light hit my eyes.

            “I thought I heard something; I’m going to check on Lauren.”

            “Dude, she’s fine, this is the second time tonight you’ve ‘heard something’.”

            Crimson got up and grabbed her pistol from the bedside table, checking the safety on it, “I’d rather be safe than sorry. Help me check the house.”

            “Fine, but I’m going back to sleep afterwards.” I relented, climbing out of bed and giving my girlfriend a quick kiss before heading out to the hallway. I scanned the room for any signs of life only to get nothing before moving on to the bathroom, guest room, office, kitchen, and living room. As I ended my quick patrol, I peaked into Lauren’s room with Crimson, looking around for anything unusual. I shook my head to indicate there was nothing there. She sighed in relief and stood in the doorway, watching the ten year old sleep with her favorite, expensive ass doll a while longer. I moved her basketball out of the walkway and onto the desk chair so the ankle biter wouldn’t trip over it on her way to the bathroom at night and tapped my lady’s arm. “Come on, let her sleep.” I whispered. The mama nodded and closed the door quietly behind her as to not wake up the kid.

            We headed back to our room and I face planted back in bed, “Told ya it was nothing.”

            “Sometimes I wake up and worry she’s not going to be there… And when morning comes it’ll be too late to find her alive.” Crimson said softly as she put away her gun, locking it in the drawer with a key she hid in her jewelry box. “The longer someone’s gone, less likely you’ll find them alive. Most victims are dead within an hour of abduction. And every hour that passes afterwards the chances of finding them alive get lower and lower.”

            “I get that… Though the usual boogieman is dead.”

            “One out of millions. Shadaloo was hardly the only organization involved with abducting minors.”

            I frowned a little before chuckling, “Yeah, it’d be fucking suicide to go after Lauren though. Between her tough mama and me? Fucker would be dead within a minute. I think every criminal with a brain knows not to fuck with you.”

            “All but one, apparently,” Crimson joked, seeming to break from her anxious stupor.

            “I like a challenge,” I winked and turned out the light again. “Goodnight, babe.”

So cat yoga is a thing. Apparently. It’s like normal yoga, but you do it in the hallway while a bunch of cats harass you and some deranged criminal watches you from the futon. At least I assume those are the essential elements. I couldn’t help but watch with morbid curiosity as Cammy stretched on a mat she plopped down in the hallway, holding her back perfectly straight as an orange tabby cat walked along her spine like a tight rope. She looked weirdly zen, despite the tv blaring from the show I was watching and Mittens and Aldous getting in a fight over one of those electronic flopping fish toys on the ground. I think she was just ignoring my existence. Not sure what is remotely relaxing about this, but if she wants to stretch in the dark with a cat harassing her then I guess that’s her prerogative. I watched her for a while, totally not staring at her ass or anything because I’m a good girl scout, and sipped my dew.

Cammy finished her yoga and dried the sweat from her forehead with a towel before sitting on the edge of the futon with me, “What are we watching this morning?”

“I dunno, I can’t find anything.” I said as I handed her the remote. “So… you do yoga a lot?”

“Usually I take a class every week with my sisters, but they’re fighting amongst themselves right now. I swear to god, if those three don’t quit arguing I’m going to realign their throat chakras with my fist until they learn to communicate like bloody adults.” She grumbled, turning off the tv and setting the remote on the coffee table.

“Huh, that’s the kind of yoga I could get behind,” I joked.

Cammy just glared at me, “You’ve already hit them enough… And I wouldn’t actually hit my sisters outside of sparring. I mostly just go home and scream into a pillow after dealing with their crap.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“Yes, it turns out when you are the one that eleven socially stunted women turn to for all of their drama amongst each other and problems, and you also aren’t the best at navigating those situations, things tend to get a bit stressful. Sometimes I feel like just telling them to bugger off. I’m just one woman. A woman with poor enough social skills as is and a busy job. I don’t have the mental energy to remember why Julia and Juni are arguing with Decapre, and why Enero keeps picking fights with Aprile, or what godforsaken incident involving the monkey has Noembelu in a tizzy this time. Like why is it always the bloody monkey, it always comes back to the monkey and Enero sucking at the one thing she was supposed to be good at, how are you so bad with people when your whole job for over a decade was communication?! And then Decapre decided to pick a fight with Julia over Brexit and somehow that’s my problem, why is it always my job to sort them out?” She vented, flopping onto her back with a deep sigh. “I love them all. They are my family, like Delta Red. But sometimes they’re exhausting. And I understand my sisters often come talk to me because I have been out of the cult longer, had more time to deprogram and live on the outside, but I’m really not equipped to handle all of their problems, even though I wish I was. But who else can understand?”

“Why don’t you just tell them to figure out their drama with each other instead of dragging you in?” I asked.

“Because… What if they don’t work it out and all stop talking to each other, then stop talking to me? And we all become strangers…” Cammy frowned and pet Mittens who had hopped up to stick her whiskers in her face. “But maybe that’s selfish. But if we can’t be there for each other, can’t have each other as family, then nothing good came out of this mess. It’s just pain.”

I watched the former Doll staring off into space for a while before sighing and getting up, “Ooookaay, you twisted my arm. I guess we’ll go do something fun.”

“Er, what?” Cammy asked in confusion.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, you can stop begging, girlie, I gotcha. We gonna go out on the town, distract you from all the family drama and apparently literal monkey business, you’ll forget you even have sisters, it’ll be great.”

Cammy flinched at that before sighing, “I…suppose it beats sitting around the flat all day.”

“See, that’s the spirit, I’m gonna throw on some clothes then we’re heading out.” I said as I headed into the bathroom to get changed. I’m sure if we wander around Metro City long enough, fun will materialize in front of us somehow. At least that’s what I’m counting on.

            Cool, fall wind blew against my cheeks as we walked down the sidewalk, making me wish I’d grabbed a thicker jacket, but live and learn I guess. The neighborhood Cammy ended up renting in was actually fairly cute, on the better side of town for sure. Everywhere you looked you could see people’s Halloween and general fall decorations, jack-o-lanterns, plastic skeletons, and leafy wreaths as far as the eye could see. Best townhouse we passed by had this fuck off big, plastic werewolf wearing a Santa hat in the front yard holding a sign reminding us to keep the Christ in Christmas. According to the neighbors the wolf stayed up all year round and the person forgot to take down their Christmas decorations for the werewolf.

“What’s your plans for Halloween?” I asked, grinning a bit as I moved a hanging ghostie out of the way as we walked under a tree.

“I usually sit on the porch and hand out candy to the kids, though part of me just wants to pick up a pie and watch a movie or two with my cats,” Cammy said, tugging at a loose thread on her orange sweater. “I didn’t pack a costume or anything. Usually Decapre sits with me and tries to flirt with all the moms, unless she’s decided to scare the crap out of everyone. She has this old porcelain doll costume she wears every other year, and she’ll sit freakishly motionless with this mask on the scarred portion of her face that looks like cracked porcelain. Then whenever a new group of trick or treaters comes up to the bowl in her lap, she sits up and flexes her cheek muscles so the mask falls off and scares them. All the other times she just goes as Phantom of the Opera.”

“I mean, milfs love that shit.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.” She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. “I usually go as a bog witch or zombie bride, sometimes I get lazy and just wear whatever Harry Potter sweater I have that year and call it a day. The scary witch costume worked better when my hair was longer though, because I could just brush it down into my face. What do you usually do?”

“Me? Oh, I like to dress up like the devil and hang around haunted houses, wait for people to walk out, then jump them.” I explained, feeling a giddy laugh bubbling in my gut. “It’s so funny, you should see their stupid faces! My favorite ones to do this at are those Hell Houses set up by churches. You got some kid walking out thinking they ain’t gonna see the devil cause they prayed with some youth pastor then BAM! I jump out and tackle them, give the whole group fucking aneurysms!”

“Mugging teenagers, how classy.”

“No, no, you see, I don’t rob them, I just hold them to the ground and tell them I’m gonna drag them down to Hell.”

            “My point still stands… Though I suppose it could be funny if it was one of those little shits that keeps breaking my mailbox.” Cammy grumbled the last part a bit, but I could see her smiling ever so slightly at the thought of avenging her long-suffering mailbox. “Oh, what’s that over there?” She pointed off to the distance, where a bunch of booths were set up around the park. Tons of fall decorations littered the park and a crowd ebbed and flowed between booths and pop up carnival rides set up there.

            I grinned, totally vindicated, “See, I told you if we walked around we’d find SOMETHING to do. You didn’t believe me, did ya?”

            Cammy just shook her head with an amused grin, “Yes, yes, you were right, don’t gloat. Do you want to go play some carnival games?”

            “Yeah, whatever you wanna do works, dude, we’re here to make you quit acting all emo and shit.”

            She huffed indignantly at that, but the irritation seemed to fade away fairly quickly given how she didn’t respond, opting to just grab my wrist and drag me to the admission booth at the front. We’d been dealing with just normal domestic shit for like a week by that point, and I almost forgot how freakishly strong she really was. Guess we hadn’t brawled in a while. Weird shit, huh? Never thought I’d be buying tickets to some local fair, hanging out with some former Doll like it’s nothing, but there I was, standing in line next to her like two normal friends who totally don’t beat the shit out of each other. Had someone told me that I’d be sleeping on Cammy’s couch when I was young, I would’ve kicked their fucking teeth in for being so stupid. Life is whack. And also kinda stupid.

            Cammy paid for our tickets before I could, handing me my ticket stub after they were handed to her, “Here, I think they might check these again so hold onto it.”

            “This is for the rides, right?” I asked.

            “Yes, that’s what the woman at the counter told me,” She confirmed as she put the ticket stub in her pocket with her phone. “What would you like to try first?”

            “Ha! Bet I could kick your ass at balloon darts!” I said proudly. “I won my ex’s kid like, four plushies with that once.”

            “Alright, but the loser has to buy lunch.” Cammy said with a small, pixie-like grin. Lot of fucking confidence for someone about to lose.

            “I’m holding you to that, I heard the fairs around here have deep fried twinkies and chicken strips breaded with hot Cheetos and dunked in nacho cheese.”

            Cammy dry heaved, crinkling her face in disgust, “That’s disgusting! Why would you do that?”

            “Why not? I mean, once I was inspecting some work my boys were doing in the Ozarks. They had deep fried snickers bars. I did pass out, but it was so worth it.”

            “You are going to have a heart attack before you’re forty… And frankly I’m surprised you’re in such good shape given how to eat.”

            I scoffed, “I eat whatever I want and I train day in day out, so it’s fiiiine.”

            “That’s still gross, I’m sorry.”

            “You put bland ass canned beans on toast and call it a meal, don’t lecture me about gross food,” I said, poking her in the side. She rolled her eyes.

            “Food doesn’t have to be spicy to be good,” Cammy argued, paying for a round of balloon darts for herself. I slapped down my own money for a round.

            “Yeah, but it should have a flavor other than depression.”

            “Frankly, Juri, if anyone eats like they have clinical depression, it’s you,” Cammy said definitively as she picked up her darts. I could see her eyes all but flash as her entire expression changed from annoyed amusement to complete concentration. She changed her stance and scanned the layout of balloons in relation to the smug ass carney standing at the front. In a blink, she threw the dart at an angle, taking out the top row of balloons in one throw. The dart shot through them like a bullet before embedding itself into the wall of the wooden booth. The carney jumped in shock and climbed out of the booth to get out of the way of her next throw, which took out the bottom row of balloons. Finally she threw the last dart into the very middle, taking out the smallest balloon with the biggest payout. She blinked and grinned a little, “Ok, your turn.”

            “Fuck me sideways…” I mumbled, realizing I had fucking LOST before I even took my turn. “How’d you do that shit?!”

            “Um… I just aimed it at an angle and threw it hard enough to pierce multiple targets. It’s simple,” Cammy explained like it was the most obvious thing ever. “If you can take out multiple targets with a single hit, you conserve your ammunition and are able to acquire more points in the long run. It also saves time.”

            I picked up the first dart of mine once the balloons were all set up. Cammy was letting a child who was in line with his mom pick out the prize she had won, since she wasn’t really worried about carrying around a massive stuffed animal all day. I tried to ignore her so I could focus on the game, but my gaze shifted from the target to her and back to the target way too many times to really get any good throws in. I managed to get four balloons with three darts, and also handed off my prize to the same little boy who was asking Cammy what England is like. Little ankle-biter nearly flipped in like a good way getting to walk off with some massive blue raccoon thingy and a green hedgehog thingy. Honestly the whole thing was cute enough I almost didn’t care that I was on the hook for lunch.

             We were sitting at a little picnic table next to the food stalls and the Ferris Wheel, finishing up our lunch. I had managed to get myself those Cheeto tenders and some hot sauce smothered nachos while Cammy was finally digging into the apple pie she’d been drooling over since she saw it. She had been all responsible and shit, eating her sandwich first, but frankly, I didn’t get why she didn’t just get two slices of pie. Double desert won’t kill you for a day.

            “Is it good?” I asked.

            “It’s amazing, look how flakey the crust is and it’s just stuffed with filling, I swear I could eat the whole pie if I didn’t have the self control not to!” Cammy enthused as she drizzled some caramel over top of her desert. It was good to see her so excited after she’d been so glum this morning. It was kinda killing my vibe.

            “Glad it’s up to par.”

            “Do you ever have something, and it just tastes like home?” Cammy asked. I pursed my lips in thought, tapping my short, blue nails against the wooden table.

            “You know, it’s kinda crazy now that you mention it. I was just in Seoul. Literally in the same neighborhood I grew up in, and it’s still been years since I’ve had some good homestyle food. I ate fast food and out of convenience stores the entire time I was there. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I had kimchi that wasn’t prepackaged, and I used to help my mom make hers every time we ran out. I guess that’s just life on the road,” I said. “I never really learned how to cook and I’m never in one place long enough to have a working kitchen anyways.”

            “Well, I don’t know how to cook Korean food, but I know the basics of cooking. Maybe if we got a cookbook, we could learn together,” she suggested. “I learned to cook from Matthew. It helps when there’s someone who knows what they’re doing looking over your shoulder.”

            I felt a small sense of happiness welling up in me. Part of me wanted to tell her no, because it’s kinda embarrassing to be an adult with no cooking skills, but at the same time, I wanted to learn and learning with her would probably be fun. I pushed down the embarrassment and nodded, “Yeah, sound great. Thanks, Cammy… I’m still not eating beans on toast though.”

            “I think even you could figure out how to make toast and warm up some beans in the microwave, that wasn’t a part of the lesson plan.” 

            Just then, out of the corner of my eye I could see a familiar face walking away from a stand with a jumbo pretzel. Firey orange hair cut jankily by hand, camouflage cargo pants and a neon orange and pink Hawaiian shirt, and some hella old pink Vans I bought her a while ago. I leaned to the side to catch a better glance over Cammy’s shoulder, wondering if I was tripping or if that was really Lauren. When the fuck did she get so tall?!

            “Are you ok?” Cammy asked.

            “Look behind you, I think that’s Viper’s kid with Chun-Li’s kid,” I said as I pointed to the teenagers splitting a pretzel, doing that kinda gross couple thing where you stick food in each other’s faces. Fucking lame, Lauren, come on. Chun-Li’s girl, I think it was Li-Fen or something, was giggling uncontrollably as she dusted some salt off of Lauren’s shirt. Cammy looked behind her and smiled a little.

            “Well, I’m glad to see Li-Fen is having a nice time. She’s a good kid, I’m sure she’ll be back by curfew,” she said, turning back to face me. “I haven’t met the other girl.”

            “That’s Lauren, I banged her mom a while back. She’s Crimson Viper’s crotch goblin.”

            “Juri.” Cammy said sternly, narrowing her eyes at me.

            “I say crouch goblin affectionately, chill your tits. I used to take her to basketball practice and take her and her friends out to Buffalo Wild Wings after games sometimes. Haven’t seen the kid in a while though.” I admitted, frowning a little. I guess I missed the little gremlin more than I thought. “Uh, her mom and I dated for a while, but it didn’t work out. You live off and on with someone long enough, you get to know them at least a bit.”

            “Why would she put her clearance at risk like that?” Cammy asked, blinking in confusion. “Who would throw away their whole career for sex?”

            “First of all, ouch, I’m worth it,” I grumbled. “And secondly, we were kinda gaming the system. She’d act like she was hunting me and since she was already paranoid, she’d just turn in the footage from her house she was already recording to work when I was over. I drew the line at the camera in the bathroom though. The feds don’t need to know how much time I waste watching K-dramas in the bath. That’s between me and the cloud.”

            “That’s creepy.”

            “It wasn’t pointed like, at the shitter or tub, it was in the mirror. Uh, Crimson worked on the missing children Shadaloo cases early in her career. So whenever Bison decided he needed a new Doll, she was usually the one investigating the disappearance. Apparently, the crime scenes, and then some of the shit she’d find while looking for these girls was enough to fuck her up for a while. She’d get up some nights, check on Lauren, sweep the house, then just sleep out in the hallway by Lauren’s room because she was thinking about the abductions.”

            Cammy frowned and picked at her pie, eyes down at the table, “I can’t imagine what some of my sisters’ families went through, not knowing what had happened, or knowing and being powerless to stop it. I suppose I was too desensitized to it all when I was working on adjacent cases. Knowing what I know, that’d have to be any mother’s nightmare.”

            “Yeah, heard the training gets pretty fucked.”

            “Decapre and I didn’t know any different. The other girls however? It was quite the hellish ordeal. I mean, it was hellish for me too, but if you don’t know life can be better, it’s easier to just accept it… Can we talk about something else?”

            “Shit, yeah. New topic, what do you wanna do after this?”

            Cammy thought for a moment, “Uh, how about the ferris wheel or some of the craft vendors? I want to see if there’s any of those cute cat beanies.” She finished her pie and tossed the Styrofoam packaging, shaking her head a few times as we got ready to depart.  I glanced at the kids once more, who were goofing off without a care in the world. I remember those days still, but even so, they’re so fucking lucky to be in a time and place where you don’t gotta keep playing the no homo game with your girlfriend in public. But I wouldn’t wish that stress for Lauren, or even Chun-Li’s girl. I’m glad they can act just as dumb and annoying as straight teenagers.

            “Aunt Cammy!” Li-Fen shouted and waved her arms in the air dramatically. “I’m glad you’re here, can you help us with something?”

            Cammy and I froze in our tracks, not expecting to be noticed or encountered, but she quickly shifted from frowns to smiles when the girls approached us. “What do you need, is everything alright?”

            “So we were trying to win this cute plushie from the strength tester thingy, you know, where you hit it with a hammer, and we kept hitting it and hitting it and we cannot win this thing, but maybe you could? We’ll pay for the game, you just play it for us, is that ok?”

            “Sure, I can do that for you,” Cammy chuckled. “Who’s your little friend?”

            “Oh, this is Lauren, my girlfriend. Is that your girlfriend?” Li-Fen asked.

            I started to snicker, “Oh man, she wishes.”

            “Absolutely not, Juri is a friend from overseas, she just happened to be in town at the same time. We are not dating each other, I’m way too busy for that!” Cammy said defensively, immediately looking flustered as she pulled her arms back like someone was gonna drag her into this conversation kicking and screaming.

            “Oh, uh, cool.” Li-Fen said awkwardly, rocking back and forth on her heels. “I’ll be back, Lauren, we’re gonna go get the giant Blanka-Chan!”

            “Ah, we’ll walk with you two, have fun catching up for a bit,” Lauren said as she motioned for Cammy and Li-Fen to walk in front of us. The two of us lagged behind in silence, letting the girls in front of us update each other on life stuff, but the more Li-Fen rambled on at Cammy about her school shit and Kung Fu, I wished Lauren would talk to me. The teenager kept her eyes on the ground and didn’t look at me, arms closed off like she expected something to jump out at her or something. It felt like looking at someone from behind glass.

            “So… How are you and your mom doing these days?” I asked finally, breaking the tense silence.

            Lauren frowned bitterly, “Not sure why you care, you’re the one who left.”

            “Right… Listen, things with your mom and I just didn’t work out. She and I thought it’d just be better for everyone if I took a hike.”

            “You could’ve at least told me,” she said softly. “I… I missed you taking me to practice. And watching My Love from the Star and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim with you… And shopping for school clothes.”

            “I missed you too, kiddo… I’m sorry for just walking out and calling it a day. That was fucking shitty. You didn’t deserve to get the shaft cause I was mad at your mom,” I admitted, looking over at the kid as we walked.

            “Yeah… It was shitty.” Lauren murmured. “But thanks anyways I guess.”

            We all walked to the high striker and stood in line, Lauren talking with her girlfriend and Cammy while I scrolled through reddit on my phone. When we finally got to the front Li-Fen handed off the money to the sleazy looking guy running the game. Cammy took hold of the hammer, adjusting her grip on it before slamming the hammer down on the sensor as hard as she could. The puck shot up quickly before suddenly stopping midway up the tower abruptly. I narrowed my eyes at the high striker then glanced to Cammy, who looked thoroughly annoyed.

            “One moment, let me try again.” She handed off some more cash to the carney then struck the machine again, only for it to stop at the exact same place. A third attempt, and another ten bucks later, no progress. The puck vibrated in it’s place, as if trying to escape the confines of the middle to shoot to the top, but still, it didn’t budge.

            “Ah just hand it to me.” I said, grabbing the mallet from Cammy, who grumbled a bit at being pushed aside. Li-Fen paid for my game and I tightened my grip on the mallet. With a deep breath and grunt I activated my eye, giving me a kick back as every nerve from my face down to my toes lit up like it was on fire. Every muscle twitch felt so intense, tingling and burning as I shot myself up from the backwards bend I was in, swinging the hammer down on the lever as hard as I could as a battle cry escaped my lungs. The puck shot up so fast it flew off the tower, past the bell, then made a dent in the ground next to the carney when it landed. The sensor was thoroughly fucked and mallet bent from the force. I panted and tossed aside the mallet, staring down the cowering conman before me, “Now give the crotch goblins their jungle man and the lady whatever she wants.”

            “O-Ok…” the man whispered, handing off a massive Blanka-Chan plushie to Li-Fen and Lauren, who were squealing in excitement. Cammy just stared at the small crater then at me in shock before slowly pointing to a pink cheetah plushie. I couldn’t tell if she was impressed, weirded out, or embarrassed. Maybe all three. Either way her face was all red as the man handed her the big stuffed cat.

            “Er, thank you, Juri,” she said softly.

            “Ah, don’t sweat it, the rigging on that piece of shit was pissing me off.” I grinned a little and pat Lauren on the head, “Now go fuck off with your girlfriend, stay under street lights, use protection, all that shit. And don’t lose the fucking plushie.”

            “Uh, thanks, Juri,” Lauren said as she linked her arm around Li-Fen, who was carrying the massive stuffed animal? Jungle man? Thing? Plushie.

            “Yeah, thanks! Bye, Aunt Cammy, bye Juri!” Li-Fen said as she and Lauren ran off to continue their date without us old farts watching over them. Hoped to myself they wouldn’t get in any trouble. At least not anything I wouldn’t do. I turned to face Cammy, who was playfully waving her stuffed animal’s paw at me.

            “Blimey, you jolly well showed that wanker, didn’t you, miss Juri?” she asked in a weird Winnie the Pooh like voice, grinning ear to ear like a kid in a candy store from behind the stuffed cheetah.

            “You bet your ass I did!” I said proudly, folding my arms behind my head as I looked up at the setting sun, “Fucking smashed it.” Cammy snickered and looked out at the vibrant sky over the water, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Hey… Wanna go check out the ferris wheel while the view’s this good?”

            “I’d love to.” She said with a small smile, orange light illuminating her face like a halo of light. It all felt so soft and warm, like the last rays of sun beaming against our faces. I wondered if my face was warm from the sun slapping me or because I was watching her, but I couldn’t be bothered to care either way. The lighting was a good disguise either way.

            The sun was continuing to set before finally going down while we were on an almost painfully slow ferris wheel ride. As Metro City’s lights illuminated the night sky, I rocked myself in the cart to make it swing back and forth when we came to a stop at the top of the wheel.

            “You can’t give me motion sickness, just so you know.” Cammy hummed as she looked out at the cityscape.

            “Wasn’t trying to.” I looked over her shoulder at the pier, admiring the carnival’s lights reflected in the water below. “So what’s the cheetah’s name?”

            “Strawberry. The shade of pink reminds me a bit of strawberry milkshakes,” Cammy explained. “Cheetahs are interesting because they are essentially giant house cats with anxiety disorders.”

            “Er… what?”

            “Cheetahs are extremely anxious. Actually, they’re far more docile than most felines. Still effective hunters, mind you, but they are easy to frighten. In fact they have such intense social anxiety with each other, they routinely die of stress when mating season comes around and they have to see each other.” Cammy pursed her lips in thought, “Though I suppose if I was expected to just have children with some random man I would probably have a stress induced heart attack too.”

            “Yikes, how are they not extinct?”

            “Well, they’re endangered. And zoos give them emotional support dogs-“

            “How do they know the cheetah won’t eat the dog?”

            “Well clearly they introduce them to each other when they’re babies,” Cammy said in exasperation. “Anyways, the ones with emotional support dogs are more likely to survive, have kittens, all that good stuff. Oh, and they also meow like house cats and out of all the big cats are most likely to let you give them some scritchies.”

            I chuckled, “I didn’t know you liked them that much.”

            “Yes, they’re quite lovely animals. But then again, I just like all cats. It’s like someone designed the perfect hunter, an apex predator, and then said ‘let’s make it fluffy and adorable’. I can appreciate that.”

            “When’d you get your first cat?”

            “Ah, I was twenty. I found Muffin wandering around outside the barracks, looking for scraps. She began eating some leftover MREs in the trash, then she made this awful gagging noise. I couldn’t blame her so I shared a muffin with her and she just decided to stay with me. Later, she stayed with Juni in the hospital and they really hit it off. Muffin chose Juni and I let her stay with her. I think they needed each other more than I needed her. But a year later, I found Mittens in the bins between an Aldi’s and a Starbucks and brought her home. A few years later, I found Marmalade in the backyard and started feeding her. And then earlier this year, I got Aldous from an animal shelter. Nobody wanted him because of his injuries, and I knew he needed lots of love, so I took him home that same day.”

            “Damn… You’re great to those animals,” I said as I relaxed a bit.

            “Well, with cats, I’m not very good with dogs, they actually scare me a bit. I’m trying to make my peace with Decapre’s new puppy though,” Cammy said sheepishly, shifting in her seat.

            Suddenly, we heard a scream from below. I looked down at the pier with Cammy, making the cart we were in shift forward from our weight. Down on the isolated walkway, four shitheads from Mad Gear had a hold of Lauren and had Li-Fen in a leg lock, which she was screaming from. Cammy immediately began climbing out of the fair ride and down the side of the wheel before leaping to the wall overlooking the boardwalk. I climbed down after her and launched myself from the wall at the jackass holding onto Lauren, kicking him in the face hard enough to make him let go of her. Cammy on the other hand had grabbed the fucker holding on Li-Fen with her thighs and thrown him to the ground with enough force I was surprise she didn’t break his fucking neck.

            Four more burly guys who think they’re hot shit emerged from the darkness and I could feel the excitement building up in me. This was one hell of a way to end the day, and they fucked with the wrong fucking kid. I pulled my leg up and snap kicked one of them in the groin, jumping into a roundhouse kick with my back leg. It was like I lost track of my plan and just went into a flurry of kicks, letting the momentum of one lead into the other as I flew across the boardwalk. I threw a thug onto the ground only for Cammy to throw another onto him. I stomped on the fuckers for good measure, grinning ear to ear as my gaze met hers. She launched herself like a missile past me to defend Li-Fen, who had joined the fight herself. I roundhouse kicked the asshole trying to grab Lauren again as hard as I could, knocking him to the ground. I pulled his chin up with my foot and grinned. I loved the fear in that fucker’s eyes. That helplessness, that realization he had fucked up so fucking bad he might never recover. I briefly considered gouging his fucking eyes out but decided to just smash his face with my back foot as hard as possible instead. That’d teach the creep what happens when you leer at little girls. He cried out in pain and reached his hand up in vain to beg for mercy.

            I laughed, “What’s the matter, dontcha want more?”

            In the midst of the frenzy, someone grabbed from behind under my arms and lifted me up so it was hard to wriggle out. Cammy slid across the ground to knock his feet out from under him, knocking me free before slamming his face into her knee. I gave her a hand up and we stood back to back, assessing the scene. Eight mangled thugs begging for mercy laid at our feet, like the worthless maggots they are. I stomped on the bodies as I walked over to Lauren, who was huddled under a street lamp, hugging her knees and crying. I squatted down to her level and tapped her arm.

            “Hey, kiddo, it’s over now, they can’t hurt you.” She threw her arms around me and sobbed into my chest, clinging to me like she’d die if she let go. I hugged her back after a moment, patting the kid on the back. “It’s ok, I’m right here, Lauren.”

            “Juri!” She sobbed and held onto me tighter. “They just came out of nowhere and…”

            “Are you hurt?”

            “Not really,” She said softly, starting to calm down, hicc-ing and sniffling like a mess. I sighed in relief.

            “Good. It’s over now, you’re ok. Your girl is ok too. It’s all gonna be fine,” I assured her, helping her stand up. She sniffled and wiped her face on the bottom of her shirt. In the distance, I could hear the sirens getting closer and closer while Cammy talked on the phone to the officers, explaining the situation. I gave Lauren a hug before patting her on the arm, “I gotta go before the cops get here.”

            “Don’t go, not again! Not now!” She screamed, grabbing my arm to try to keep me from walking away. “Please, Juri, I don’t wanna be alone, stay until Mom gets here, please.” Looking at this crying, sniveling teenager in front of me just reminded me of the little girl she was when I met her. A creative little girl who loved sports and her dolls, hugging her favorite one nervously as she looked up at me standing on the porch, waiting on her mom. That was the girl who hugged me all excited when her team won a game, who cozied up on the couch with me and her mother in front of the tv when we were home. Domesticity never suited me…but I couldn’t leave her there. So, I stayed, watching the blue lights drawing near in as I held the scared girl close to me. Maybe I could chase away the nightmares again.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            I was lying in bed, staring up at the bunk above me, the cold air in the room lingering on my nose and cheeks. They never turned the heat up enough to keep us warm. I suppose it was an unnecessary expense. The lights were all out and we waited several minutes until the talking in the hallway subsided, and all the lingering adults were gone.

            Decapre slid down from the top bunk quietly, looking around for a moment to double check that there wasn’t anyone else nearby, her amber eyes nearly glowing like a cat’s in the darkness. The little bits of light reflected off of her eyes and hair in the darkness, like a nightlight to make me feel safe. But that was just my sister. She was always there to light up the dark and warm up the cold. I couldn’t be smothered by it all if she was there to fight it all away.

            She sat on the edge of my bed and tucked the blankets around my small body to keep the heat in. She smiled a little and wrapped her arms around me, nuzzling her cheek to mine.

            “Goodnight, Bee. I love you.” She whispered.

            “Buzz buzz.” I said softly, smiling at her. “I love you too, sis.”

            “Sleep good, ok, more training tomorrow, you don’t want to get in trouble.” Decapre said before she ascended the ladder to her own bed again. I frowned a little to myself, keeping my feelings on the matter quiet. Sometimes I wished the few moments we had to be children, not soldiers, could last forever. Then I felt guilty. The weight of a war you’ve never seen, to fight an enemy you’ve been told wants to destroy the only world you know, to protect a leader you see as on par with a god, is a lot for a little girl’s shoulders. But we carried that every day because we didn’t know any different. The abuse was normal. There was nothing else to compare it to. But even in those dark times, we had each other. So long as I had my big sister with me, I felt safe. I knew everything would be ok. I couldn’t imagine life without the only protector I’d ever had.

            It didn’t take long for the police and parents of the teenagers to arrive on the scene. As two familiar cars I saw parked outside of work every day rolled up, I felt a small sense of relief that the kids would be out of my hands and back where they belong. Nothing against Li-Fen, but this is above Auntie’s paygrade; I don’t have the skills or relationship with her to be adequately comforting in this situation. Li-Fen let go of me as soon as she saw Chun-Li’s car pull up and ran over to her, nearly knocking over the responding officer that was interviewing her. I took a deep breath of relief.

            “Mom!” she screamed as she threw her arms around my friend like her life depended on it. I’d only heard Li-Fen use the term ‘mom’ a handful of times, though I don’t think that makes the relationship any less a mother daughter one. Chun-Li held her daughter close to her and immediately started to comfort the distressed child. It all seemed so second nature to her. I guess some women just have the maternal touch about them. I smiled a little at seeing them reunited before turning my attention to Crimson, who was rushing over to Lauren and Juri. Lauren let go of Juri and met her mother half way.

            “Mom, I’m so sorry, I know I wasn’t supposed to be out- “

            “Are you hurt?” Crimson asked worriedly as she checked over her daughter for any injuries. “What happened, tell me everything.”

            “I’m ok…” Lauren said softly, looking down at the ground. “Li-Fen and I were walking on the pier when these guys jumped us and tried to drag us off. Li-Fen fought back but there were like, four of them. Then there was like, eight or something. Ms. White and Juri heard us screaming and jumped in to save us.”

            In a glimpse of a moment, Juri had begun to take off, jumping up onto the wall overlooking the crime scene. She glanced back at me and gave a slight wave before running off, disappearing into the shadows without a word. Crimson stared up at her for a moment before turning her attention to me.

            “Thank you for protecting them, Agent White,” she said with a relieved sigh. “I owe you one.”

            I shook my head, “Don’t thank me for doing the bare minimum, any skilled fighter who’s a decent person would have stepped in.”

            “I’m more surprised Juri got off her lazy ass to help.”

            “You shouldn’t be, she clearly cares a lot about your daughter,” I said simply. Crimson grunted something incoherently before getting back to holding her daughter like she’d disappear if she let go for a moment. Lauren didn’t seem to mind too much, clinging to her mom and crying into her shoulder like she had with Juri just moments before. I stared up at the wall where Juri had been standing just moments before. I suppose it was too much to expect her to stay and make a statement, but I almost wish she had if for no other reason than to prove she actually had good intentions here. Then I wondered why I cared. This was a case that deserved my full attention and public opinion of my temporary flatmate was hardly the biggest issue at hand. I turned back to the officer I was speaking to and continued to help out with the crime scene.

            As I opened the door to my flat, a tense feeling lingered in the air. Something just... felt wrong. I glanced around before whistling for the cats. Marmalade looked up at me from her box and meowed, but there was no sign of Aldous or Mittens. I gave the orange kitty some scritches, frowning a little, “Where are you two hiding?”

            Suddenly, my tv turned on and was immediately in the Spotify app. It began to blare music so loud I could feel the vibrations on the floor under me. I dropped the pink cheetah plushie in surprise and held my ears. As I ran through my living room in search of the remote, Marmalade crying and running away from the noise, I noticed a dark red carnation on the table with a note. “Come Find Me” written in red ink. It was too bright and clean to be blood. Honestly, either go through with your vision or don’t bother at all. Still, the fact remained that this was NOT here before and someone had been in my flat. I hoped it was just Juri as I walked down the hallway to my bedroom when the

Mama, we all go to Hell

Mama we all go to Hell,

I’m writing this letter and wishing you well.

Mama we all go to Hell.

            Mittens was perched on my bed, playing with one of her favorite feather toys as if nothing was amiss. I checked in the closet for an intruder hiding when suddenly someone dropped from the ceiling and tried to tackle me to the ground. I rolled out of the way slightly and swung my leg out to trip the intruder, who was wearing a weird, pink goat mask with a pentagram on it. Real lowkey, love. How discreet. She managed to evade my attempt to trip her but that gave me time to get back on my feet. I charged her with a flurry of punches followed by a kick which she caught in her arms, shoving my leg aside to throw me off balance. In a blink, she had me in a hold from behind, pinning my arms to my sides in a bearhug. I yelled out and dropped my weight so she couldn’t try to pick me up and headbutt her. She yelped and shouted at me, tightening her grip around my torso.

            “Bee! Prekratite drat’sya! Day obnimu tebya! (Stop fighting. Let me hug you)” She screeched. I paused and nudged the mask up with my head only to see Decapre’s laughing face. She grinned cheekily, “We got you, didn’t we?”

            “We?” I asked. “What the fuck, Decapre, you scared the hell out of me!”

            I heard familiar laughter from the bathroom and narrowed my eyes in annoyance as my sister released me from her death-grip hug. George emerged into the hallway, carrying Aldous with a shit eating smirk, “Did we scare you?”

            “Yes!”

            “You should have seen her face,” Decapre giggled as she took off the stupid goat mask and hugged me. I tried to wriggle away, but ultimately, I can’t really say no to her. I hugged my asshole older sister and grumbled.

            “You two are such assholes. Two wanking donkeys, that’s what I think of you lot.”

            “But you missed us?” George asked, joining the hug. I sighed and nodded. The anger was beginning to subside. Slightly. I still wanted to body slam Decapre and hang George from the coat rack. But I didn’t. Maybe it’s because I’ve always had a soft spot for my baby brother and older sister, but frankly, I can’t swear they’ll be safe if they ever pull this shit again.

            “Yes, of course, but please, never do this again. I could have seriously hurt the two of you, I thought there was a real intruder… wait, how’d you even get in here?” I asked.

            George immediately pointed at Decapre, “Hey, don’t look at me, she’s the one who picked the lock, I just fucked with the tv and hid in the bathroom with the cat.”

            “Liar, you helped plan this just as much,” Decapre said with a roll of her eyes. “He’s such a kiss up.”

            “It’s called survival!”

            “Kiss up, why don’t you go schmooze somewhere else?”

            I groaned, “Ok, ok, I get it, you both suck, I’ve got a headache now so shut up.”

            “And here I thought you would be happy to see us,” Decapre said dramatically. “We just got off a seven hour flight.”

            “Ungrateful,” George said, tutting at me and shaking his head. “It’s official, she doesn’t love us anymore, she’s pissed off to America and forgotten all about us, it’s tragic.”

            “Why are the two of you here anyways? This seems… Spontaneous.” I asked.

            “Dad moved us to your assignment. There’s been more movement in the case and he wants more hands on deck. So we flew in today. Did he call you about it?” George asked.

            I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked the notifications… Oh no. I had somehow ignored about four calls and even more texts. I winced and sighed, closing my eyes for a moment to try to force the stress to roll off my back. It didn’t help. “I was uh… distracted. I should probably call him back.”

            “Keith is going to be pissed,” Decapre murmured.

            “What did you have going on today that you didn’t look at your phone this whole time?” George asked.

            “I went to a carnival with a friend, then I had to stop a kidnapping, then I had to help with the crime scene. It’s been… A long day. A good day until the end of it, but a long one.”

            “Oooh, did you go on a daaaaaate?” George asked.

            “Is she hot?” Decapre asked. “You should have worn the jacket, ladies love leather jackets.”

            “Who is she?”

            “Is she coming over, should we leave?” Decapre asked with a big grin, elbowing me playfully. “Seriously though, is she treating you well? Did you have fun? And we really can leave if you have someone coming over.”

            “It wasn’t a date, it was just a friendly outing,” I groaned in annoyance. “But I really do need to get some rest for work in the morning. Do you have a place to stay tonight?” I asked, glancing down at my texts before realizing… I didn’t have Juri’s number to warn her. Shit. “I was helping a neighbor out who needed a place to sleep while her flat was being fumigated, but I think she’s staying somewhere else tonight. You can have the bed, and George can take the futon.”

            “We have our own hotel rooms, it will be fine. Is this neighbor your mysterious carnival friend?” Decapre asked.

            “Yes, and nothing more, please drop it,” I sighed. “We can catch up tomorrow, I really need to call Dad back to make sure everything is ok.”

            “He’s in town for a meeting tomorrow. We got ahold of some important data for the case, and we’re all supposed to go over it in the morning. I’m not allowed to say any more outside the enclosed areas, sorry,” George explained. “Just uh, it’s gonna suck. So, brace yourself.”

            “Noted.”

            George grabbed his laptop bag, a Sanrio patterned backpack covered in pins for punk bands and anime. He jammed his laptop back into the bag and tossed me my remote for the tv, which I caught with ease.

“I’m going to just leave Sapphomet here for good luck. Let’s get lunch tomorrow, you can tell me all about this new friend.” Decapre set her goat mask on my dresser and gave me a quick hug, “I’ll see you tomorrow, rest easy, Bee.” I smiled a little and hugged my sister back briefly.

“Buzz buzz.”

“Ok, we’ll get out of your hair,” She said as she headed out the door with a wave.

“Bye, Gym-Ropes!” George shouted as he walked out with Decapre. Again, with the bloody gym ropes!

“Bugger off, Shrimp!” I yelled affectionately. He knows I would never let anyone else call him that. It’s my sisterly privilege. I can call him a shrimp, he can call me gym ropes, and nobody else can pick on him because I’ll break their spine. I sighed and pet Aldous, who was whining at me for attention. I scooped him and my plushie up, carrying the kitty back to my room. I set them down on my bed and lied down, staring at my texts.

Dad: I’m sending Decapre and George to the states to assist you. The case just got bigger and we need more people working with you.

Dad: Are you there?

Dad: We’ll be there in a few hours, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Love you

Dad: Goodnight, Cammy. Stay safe and text back when you get these.

Me: Sorry, I had a very busy day

Me: I went to a local fair at the park with a friend and unfortunately got pulled into work.

Me: Love you too, Dad. Don’t worry, I’m safe.

Me: No thanks to D and G -_-

Dad: What did they do this time?

Me: Broke into my flat as a prank. Don’t worry, I took care of it.

Dad: Figures. I will talk to them about that.

Me: Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.

Me: Goodnight, Dad.

Dad: Goodnight

            I plugged the charger into my phone and turned on the white noise app so I could go to bed. Honestly, I was so exhausted I could’ve just passed out in my normal clothes, but going to bed in clothes you’ve worn all day feels unsanitary, so I made sure to change into some pajamas and brush my teeth. As I glanced at the pink cheetah on my bed and then at the clock. 2:30 AM. Juri probably isn’t coming home tonight. Home… Not that this is her home. Well, I suppose it’s her home about as much as a hotel room is home for a few days. Still, I couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of sleeping out in the cold. I grabbed the spare key and hid it under the welcome mat before writing a short note.

            “Juri, please look down for the answer you seek – Cammy”

            Seemed vague enough for comfort, or at least, I told myself that. Though perhaps Juri could just pick the lock to get in like Decapre did. I’d rather not test that theory and leave the key out for her anyways. For better or worse, she’s an invited guest and shouldn’t have to break in to sleep on the couch.

            I lied down in bed and turned out the lights, snuggling with my cats and new plushie as I reflected on the day. Up until we had to stop a kidnapping… This was the most fun I’d had in a long time. As much as I hated to admit it, Juri was simply fun to be around. She had a contagious energy that I enjoyed being around. She made me feel like I was walking on air and living in the moment, like the rest of the world didn’t matter for just a few minutes. I don’t feel like I have to be the perfect soldier, perfect sister, perfect daughter. I just have to be Cammy. And that’s somehow enough. Not that anyone EXPECTS perfection from me, but at the same time, I always want to give my family the best I can. And they always treat me with love and praise me regardless, but I always feel like I could do better by them. Protect them, give them more reasons to be proud. I don’t feel like I have to live up to any expectations with Juri though. She has no real investment in me, so how could I possibly disappoint her?

 It doesn’t feel like I’m talking to the same monster I met all those years ago… But what if that’s what she wants me to believe? And yet, time and time again after the incident Juri has come through for me. Saving Decapre and I, fighting alongside me, being a friend whenever she decides to pop into my life. Cheering me up today for the sake of it. Could the old Juri really be gone? Or is this new Juri a ruse? Seems too… Long and unproductive to be an act. What would even be the goal? What does hanging out with me get her other than my company? Especially when I didn’t like or trust her for years. I snuggled the cheetah plushie and closed my eyes. It just didn’t feel like the same person… And people change. I changed. Decapre changed twice over. And Juri… maybe she’s changing too.

            “Fuck you, Eastern European gymnast trafficked here is the only logical explanation!”

            “Why would someone bother smuggling her here just to kill her? And gymnastics aren’t the same skill as fighting, she’s clearly a child soldier of some sort. Why else would she have dogtags? Maybe she’s from Bosnia?”

            “Does she sound Bosnian to you Keith? She’s clearly Russian.”

            “Bosnia was behind the iron curtain.”

            Matthew piped up, interrupting Keith and Lita’s argument, “Counterpoint, she speaks perfect English with a British accent. She’s probably from here but was never registered for whatever reason. That’s the real mystery.”

            “Then why does she yell in Russian in her sleep?”

            “It could be Serbian, they sound pretty similar- “

            “It’s Russian and you fucking know it, I swear to God almighty, that girl is from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, SOMEWHERE in that area!”

            “Ok, keep your voices down, you’re going to wake the kids up if you keep shouting like that,” Matthew interjected. “I don’t think we’re going to find the perfect answer until she starts remembering things. And even so, I’m not sure she has a family to go back to. We’ve exhausted all our resources. She doesn’t match any missing person’s descriptions locally or internationally, nobody’s responded to the photos or age regressed sketches, her DNA and fingerprints match no medical records, she has no relatives, not even distant ones that could be found through DNA analysis, no dental records, nothing. It’s like she materialized out of thin air. And after how we found George, I’m not entirely convinced that any family she might have weren’t involved in the murder attempt, if they exist at all.”

            I was curled up in the corner of the hallway, letting the darkness cloak me from view. I knew Keith, Lita, and Matthew didn’t want me to hear them speculating on where I could have come from, but I always tried to listen in, just in case something said made me remember. But it never helped. I just felt more upset the more listened. I knew they meant well, they desperately wanted to reunite me with any family who was missing me. They wanted to know who the man in the mask was and why he tried to kill me. I knew they cared about me enough to pool resources together to try to find my family, or at least, my real identity, but every avenue led to dead ends. It was like I didn’t exist at all, and the only proof of my existence was my crumpled body found discarded on their doorstep. Even if it was true… It was distressing to hear that my family may have been responsible for my near death. I wondered why they would never register me, send me to school, give proof of my existence, and why they would want to end my life. But I also hated the idea of being stolen away from my loved ones, who could’ve been worried sick about me in another country. And if I had nobody at all? Well, that was just a sense of loneliness that crushed me when I thought about it at night.

            I felt tears welling up in my eyes as someone tapped my shoulder. I looked up to see George, waving a little in the dark hallway. He offered me a hand up, which I accepted. The scrawny teenage boy and I were often left out of these late night discussions. I suppose it made sense. He was fourteen and I was… Uh, I wasn’t quite sure how old I was, but I was told by the doctors I was a teenager. So, I suppose we were in the same boat. I followed him back to his room, which was honestly just a collection of miscellaneous computer parts, wall scrolls, mangas, and overdue video game rentals loosely held together with twine. Still, the colorful lights emitting from the computers and keyboards gave it a nice ambiance.

            “Um, I know it sucks hearing them say all that, but Dad’s trying to do right by you. I mean, we all are.” George said after shutting the door behind him. I dried my cheeks on my pajama top sleeve, nodding in understanding.

            “I know, I appreciate everything you all have done for me. I just feel guilty for continuing to occupy everyone’s time and resources… And some of the speculation is troubling.”

            “Yeah, I can’t blame you on that…”

            “Why… would someone, especially my family, do this to me?” I asked softly, looking down at my still bandaged legs and torso. “What did I do?”

            “Nothing, they didn’t deserve you. They’re not your real family, we are.” George insisted. “You can just stay here, not worry about remembering all the people who hurt you. We can be a family. Dad can adopt you too, you can be my annoying older sister. Finish school and work here with us! Or maybe go to university if you don’t wanna work here. Cammy, you’re our family, we aren’t going to throw you out on your face. So to hell with it, fuck that bastard and anyone else involved. Fuck em right in their arseholes.”

            I hugged my knees, ignoring the sharp pain from aggravating my wounds. “I suppose the thing I keep wondering is why I was attacked…. I remember bits and pieces of it. The man in the mask was kneeling over me, and he was talking about cutting me open like an animal. I was too weak to fight back anymore. And just as he was about to plunge his claws into my chest, he stopped, and said ‘you’re too beautiful to kill’. And then he hit me in the head and I lost consciousness.” I glanced over at George, who looked a bit green but motioned for me to keep talking. “I remember waking up intermittently, being dragged somewhere dark. I just kept trying to get away and when I couldn’t I just kept asking why. He said something to the affect of me being worthless, replaceable, a nameless husk with no purpose anymore. He took an armband and a hat off of me, I’m not sure why he left the dogtags though. Seems a bit careless, especially when he already had his hands around my neck to try to knock me out again. Or maybe to just keep me from screaming since we were in front of this building. I remember seeing him walk away, and my neck still hurt, I couldn’t breathe very well, and it was raining. It was all so cold, the rain, the pavement… I was almost thankful to be bleeding so badly because blood is warm. It was terrifying. I just wish I knew why someone would do that to me, why I was so worthless I could just be cut up and left to die alone in the rain like that.” I sniffled and rubbed my sleeve across my face to try to dry up the tears, but it all seemed pointless when they just kept coming.

            “There’s never going to be a reason that makes you feel better, Cammy. There’s just some really fucked up, evil people and they hurt people for no good reason. I don’t think knowing whatever sick reason he had to try to kill you will make you feel better. But nothing like that is ever going to happen again. We won’t let it.”

            I hugged George tightly, trying to keep myself from blubbering and soaking his shirt in tears. Or snot. I wasn’t crying delicately. “What if he comes back?”

            “Then you got three people who can kick serious ass protecting you, and I’ll throw bricks or something. You’ll be ok. You’re safe here, this is your new home.”

            “Ok… Ok… Thank you.”

            The next morning I got ready for work and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Set out on the counter was an egg and bacon breakfast sandwich from a local fast food place. The kind with an American biscuit holding the fillings in that come with chunks of fried potatoes on the side. A note in sloppy English handwriting was left on the counter next to the sandwich.

            “I got you breakfast. I also fucked off for the day. See you later – Juri”

            I couldn’t help but smile a little as I picked up breakfast and headed out to work with it and my coffee. I could probably catch Dad, Decapre, and George before we had to go into the enclosed room if I just ate on the way.

            I took the bus as always, doing my best not to make a complete mess. American ‘biscuits’ always fall apart on you and get crumbs everywhere though. Still, it was nice to have something portable. When I arrived at my stop I scanned my badge and looked around for my family. I figured they couldn’t be far behind me. Or maybe they were knowing George. Still, Dad was generally punctual when it came to professional matters. I stood around for a moment before feeling someone clap their hand on my shoulder.

            “Morning, kiddo!” Dad’s voice boomed like a jet engine next to my ear. I smiled a little bit and nodded.

            “Good, I have my coffee.”

            “Ah, might wanna add a splash of liquid courage this morning, I won’t tell nobody!” He laughed, also equally as loud. “I put some in mine this morning, don’t tell your brother!” I don’t need to with you announcing that to the entire lobby, Dad…

            “Dad, you left your hearing aids at the hotel, didn’t you?”

            “What?”

            “HEARING AIDS!” I shouted. Dad flinched before shrugging it off.

            “I don’ need them, I can hear just fine. You don’t need to shout, lass, you don’ want the whole building hearing you, do ya?”

            I could physically feel my eyebrow twitching at that comment. People were staring. Great. Nothing’s classier than a guy with a cockney accent yelling about booze at his daughter in a government office.

            “Dad, you really need to start wearing your hearing aids to work.”

            “I ain’t an old man just yet.”

            “Of course not, but you do have substantial hearing loss, you really can’t be yelling at work like this… Especially about booze. Or how sour someone’s face is. You either must save it for the car or get hearing aids.”

            “Ok, fine, I’ll wear them tomorrow.”

            “Did you even bring them?”

            Just as he was about to respond we were cut off by George, who was attempting to tie his tie as he walked, handing off his computer bag to Decapre, who looked thoroughly annoyed.

            “I refuse to share a rental care with you again.”

            “We’re not THAT late.”

            I chuckled, “Congratulations, Dweeb, you’re finally on time.”

            “Ah piss off, Alzheimer’s,” George snapped before taking his bag back, slinging it over his shoulder like a drama queen.

            “Knock it off, you two. You represent Delta Red and the British government; I don’t need you bickering like children.” Dad said sternly as we walked down to the enclosed meeting room. I put my phone and wallet in my locker and nodded in understanding, straightening my posture, and smoothing out my blue dress shirt. Perhaps I could stand to look a bit nicer at work, but I didn’t have time to have my suit dry cleaned. So, slacks and a button-down shirt would just have to do. Decapre leaned over from her locker to mine, grinning a little as she whispered.

            “Did you see carnival woman this morning?”

            “She bought me breakfast, but no.” I said quickly, shutting the door and locking my things inside quickly.

            Decapre clasped her hands together and spun on her heels, “Ah, a gentlewoman I see.”

            “A friend, yes.”

            “You must tell me about her over lunch. I insist,” She said as she took her seat next to mine, amber eyes lighting up in happiness. It was nice to see her so animated these days.

            “Why do you care so much?” I asked.

            “Why do I care if my little sister is happy?” Decapre asked. “Well, someone has to. You work so much and spend all your free time with us. Which I appreciate the company, obviously I want my best friend around. But, Bee, you really need to branch out more. I mean, before last night when was the last time you went on a date? Or even gone out with friends that doesn’t include siblings?”

            “What’s wrong with being close with your family?”

            “Nothing, but I want you to have more people than just us. I just worry about you getting lonely, especially here. I would hate for you to lock yourself in your flat with the cats every weekend.”

            I was about to interject but the lights went out and the projector illuminated the screen in front of us. Dad got up in the front of the room addressed us all.

            “Two days ago we received transmission from an old Shadaloo network, somewhere in the Pacific ocean. We believe it’s coming from an oil rig or perhaps a submersible base.”

            “That thing is still operational?” I asked.

            “Sounds a little… Fishy to me,” Decapre snickered a little. “But I distinctly remember the leaks becoming unbearable and having to evacuate.”

            “Well based on our coordinates it seems likely at least part of the old base is operational. We were sent a video message from the group that has taken over that location. What we know so far is that they call themselves ‘The Sisters of the Killswitch Truth’ and are led by a masked woman who calls herself ‘Matryoshka’. They have been connected to disappearances of former Dolls, mainly low level foot soldiers, and the assassination of three former SIN scientists in prison.”

            “… Nesting dolls?” Decapre asked in confusion. “Seems an oddly specific comparison.”

            “Maybe she picked a vaguely doll related name that sounds menacing?” I suggested.

            “Wooo, everyone look out, Polly Pocket is coming for us next,” She said sarcastically before murmuring. “Matryoshka toys are cute, how dare she.”

            “We were sent a video transmission of the leader talking as well as the execution of three people. One man, two women. Agent Ginzu has already began analyzing the footage but I believe it will be beneficial for everyone on this case to see the video.” Dad said slowly, keeping an eye on Decapre and I with concern. But I just sat up straighter and stared right on ahead at the screen. I would be ok. It’s nothing I haven’t already seen over the years. Decapre grasped my arm and watched the screen, stone faced and expressionless.

            The footage began to roll, showing a short woman with gray hair poking out of a loosely tied orange headscarf. Her face was covered by a creepy, oval mask painted to look like a matryoshka doll, but the stark white of the mask blended in eerily well with the skin on her neck and hands. She had an unnerving presence with her slow, fluid movements and obscured face. She spoke in a thick, Russian accent.

            “Greetings citizens, soldiers, officials, my old comrades. I will not waste your time with endless pleasantries. You have had your parties and celebrations, pat yourselves on the back now that Bison is dead. You see yourself victorious, because you believe Shadaloo has fallen and your crimes can now go unnoticed. But I noticed. I am one of the many people you all failed at every level. Every corrupt politician, officer, and opportunistic capitalist pig who sacrificed lives on the alter of money and convenience must die to truly kill the beast. It does not matter who you are, how you were involved, if you have contributed to these countless atrocities, your time to die has come. I will tear down every person who led to this generations long ordeal. Evil cannot go unpunished and only through God’s mercy can you be redeemed. I will gladly sacrifice my place in Heaven to baptize the children of war in blood. But no soldier goes unpunished, we cannot tolerate evil. We were never meant to survive in a world cleansed of Bison’s sins. The Dolls are intrinsically linked to evil. Every one of them is a liability to the peace. No amount of charity, therapy, education, and heartfelt memoirs can erase the evil lurking below, built into their minds by design. Redemption and repentance only comes through death, and we understand this. We are the Sisters of the Killswitch Truth and we have come to purge the earth of evil.”

            Before the woman were three people, blindfolded and kneeling. A young woman with sores along her face and arms in a low level Doll uniform handed Matryoshka a gun before kneeling at her feet.

            “May you be released from your sins and offered salvation by God.” The woman said as she shot the man in the head and a horrible, high pitched squealing sound began to blare from the speakers. Immediately, it felt as though my head would explode, a deep pain that radiating from the inside out as every muscle in my body tensed up. Decapre started having a seizure, shaking violently in her chair with jerky motions that nearly hit me. I stared up at the screen, watching the women on screen succumb to similar fates, the last thing I remembered before the world went dark was Dad yelling at George to cut the tape.

            My head pounded like I’d been hit with a hammer, or like I got another concussion. The bright lights of the infirmary just made the headache worse. Bad enough I felt like I was going to throw up. I forced my eyes open, glancing over to the bed next to mine. Decapre was staring at the ceiling, her left arm twitching a bit.

            “Are you ok?” I asked quietly, though really any sound felt like a yell. She turned to face me and sighed in relief.

            “I’m glad you’re awake. I was worried.”

            “What was that?”

            “A seizure, similar to the ones I usually have, but the feeling was a bit… Different. More intense. I could feel a sharp pain deep in my head. It’s still hurting to be honest.” She replied, forcing herself out of bed so she could come sit on the edge of mine. “It’s alright, you’ll be ok.”

            “I feel awful, how do you put up with this all the time?”

            “I’m used to it.” She shrugged and lowered the lights so they wouldn’t shine right into my face. “Listen to me… I don’t know what that was, but I don’t want you going off alone to find this woman. We need to stick together.”

            “What if pursuing this just makes you sicker?” I asked, voice croaking a bit.

            “I don’t care. You cannot do this one on your own. I won’t allow it, I can’t lose you again. Not for real this time. You are not allowed to die first, I won’t let it happen.” Decapre spat, digging her nails into her own skin as she stared down at me. “Please… Let’s take this on together. If this woman comes after our family, we will need to stand together if we want to survive.”

            I sat up and hugged my sister tightly, just like it would be the last time. Really, how many times have I thought it would be? Between being separated so young and her poor health, it always felt like she was going to be pulled out of my grip if I didn’t hold on tight enough. Pulled apart like we were as children. Pulled apart by monsters and disease. I couldn’t deny her help. This affected all of us. Everyone even tangentially associated with Shadaloo, victim or not. Me, my sisters… Even Juri.

            “Ok… Ok. It’s going to be alright.” I whispered.

Chapter Text

Juri POV

“DADDY! DADDY!” I screamed as I jumped up onto my bed, holding onto my pink baseball bat for dear life. I swung it at nothing in particular, squeaking in fear like a freaked out little dog. “DAAAADD!”

            “What’s going on, why are you screaming?” Dad asked as he walked into my room, face calm as usual. Sometimes I’d think that he couldn’t be phased by anything, but that’s one of the things I loved about him. Dad was always so calm and collected, he didn’t get scared like me or fly off the handle like Mom.

            “There’s a spider in the dollhouse!” I cried, dramatically pointing my bat at the little daddy long legs chilling out on the barbie couch like a gangster. That long boy was staring me down, doing a little jig across the plastic like he owned the place. I guess to a spider, a dollhouse is a frickin mansion.

            “That little thing?” Dad asked as he knelt on the floor to inspect the spider. “Don’t you think you’re scaring him with all your shouting?”

            “Scaring him?”

            Dad nodded and set his large hand on my baseball bat, lowering it steadily until I put it down. He pointed to the spider and said, “What’s so scary about the spider? Why are you afraid of it?”

            “Because it’s big, and weird, and it’s got too many legs! It’s gonna bite me!” I said as I threw my arms around to make my point, but the motions just looked like I was exaggerating the size of a fish I caught.

            “Well, think about how you must look to him. If you think he’s big and scary, how big and scary must you be to him? And you have funny legs to a spider, don’t you?” Dad asked. I thought about it, what I must look like to a spider. Heckin’ kaiju sized. I felt weirdly powerful knowing that all the creepy crawlies that scared me actually just saw me as Godzilla. I sat criss cross on my bed, looking down at the little spider. “And he probably thinks you’re gonna squish him.”

            “I was gonna ask you to squish him…”

            “Well, that’s not very nice, is it?” Dad asked.

            I sighed and shook my head, “No, it’s not… I’m sorry, Daddy, he scared me.”

            “It’s alright. Let’s take Mr. Spider outside so he can go home, how does that sound?” Dad asked, helping me up.

I grinned and nodded, grabbing a piece of construction paper from the little desk I had to do my homework at. Dad got a glass from the kitchen and carefully trapped the absolute unit of a spider between the paper and cup. I ran out to the backyard with Dad, who knelt down to release the spider into Mom’s flowers. In hindsight, I’m sure she really appreciated that later, but hey, life lessons and all that crap. As I was sitting in the grass, watching the spider wander off into the garden, I couldn’t help but feel a newfound fondness for the weird little bugs. They weren’t as scary when they were just vibing and you stopped worrying about them taking a chomp out of you.

“Sometimes, you have to look at things from a different perspective, Juri.” Dad said slowly, putting his arm around me as we watched the bug. “When I’m working on a case, I can’t help the police officers and judge punish bad guys unless I’m willing to look at all of the facts. And some bad guys need different things. Some can change and did bad things because they need help. They can’t get that help and become good people unless I’m willing to look at them from a different angle.”

“Why do people become bad guys?” I asked.

“Some people are just mean, you know that from school. But some people are hurting inside and hurt other people. Or their brains get sick and they need doctors to help them get better. None of that is an excuse to break the law, but it changes what punishment they should get, whether they get a chance to be better or not. I have to consider all those things at my job.”

“When I grow up, I wanna be a lawyer too!” I proclaimed with pride, thumping my fist against my chest.

Dad smiled and pat me on the head, “When you graduate law school, you get half of my firm. And when I retire it’s all yours. But one step at a time. You’ll have to work very hard if you wanna be a good lawyer one day.”

“I will, don’t worry. Love you, Daddy.” I said with a smile, hugging my dad tightly.

“Love you too, Princess.”

…………………………………….

            I perched on the railing of an abandoned apartment I had crashed at for the night, mainly to avoid having to deal with the police. I was pretty certain that I didn’t have a warrant on my ass in this particular country, but I wasn’t willing to risk it. Besides, Crimson and Chun-Li were bound to stay at the scene for a LONG fucking time, and I wasn’t ready for that headache. Cammy was at work, hopefully enjoying a biscuit because I stood in line for too long for her to be snooty about that shit. People are kinda unhinged about their Bojangles here, it’s like how people in the south wet themselves over Chick-Fil-A. I stared out at the city below me, the people wandering around like little ants. Ants I could easily squish if I wanted to. But that’s rude to ants, they actually do shit with their lives. A lesson I could probably stand to learn. I sighed, bored out of my mind as I opened and closed Reddit over and over. No new messages on Instagram, nothing new on YouTube, and nothing eye catching on Reddit. Nothing was giving me the dopamine my brain was craving. Cammy needed to hurry and finish work. Like what could be going on in the world that’s more important than entertaining me? I groaned and shoved my phone back in my pocket. So. Fucking. BORED.

            Down the road from me was a college campus, I figured I might be able to steal some of the free food left out for the little shits there. I could smell pizza, I bet some company was trying to flex, offer free food, and act like they got everything together. Happens a lot at them mini career fairs. Part of me wishes I had gone to college, maybe I’d have something to do right now instead of contemplating cheap corporate pizza. Hell, maybe I’d be a lawyer down the road and could flick spitballs at Chun-Li and Cammy all day. Maybe I could tell my ex she’s a corrupt piece of shit whose strap game sucks in the eyes of the law. I’m sure that’s easy to prove, CIA folks get busted all the time. That’s why so many of them are in prison (Sarcasm).

            But let’s be real, as fun as annoying the crap out of those three all day sounds, I’d make a pretty terrible lawyer. The law is stupid more times than not for me to care enough to be a prosecutor and I don’t like people enough to defend their sorry asses either. There’s rarely any real justice, just druggies getting life in prison while rapists get five years before being inflicted on the world again. Who would wanna be a part of that pipeline? Putting the real shitheads back in society while a bunch of nuisance petty criminals rot for life? Can’t be any satisfaction in that. Dad would be… Real disappointed if he knew I thought that way. Sometimes I wonder if he would put me away for the rest of my life if he was alive today. Maybe he’d be pissed enough at me to really do it. Or maybe he’d try to defend me because I’m his daughter. I’ll never know, but part of me hopes I never see him on the other side because I know I got the chewing out of a lifetime waiting on me. I think Mom would just be more pissed that I got my tits out in the open, that was always the biggest crime in her book.

            I was pulled from my thoughts when someone jumped right in front of me.

            “Juri!”

            I looked up from my phone, ever present in my hand, to see Lauren with her backpack. The fuck she doing out of school?

            “Bitch what the fuck you doing out of school, get your candy ass back, I know for certain you ain’t supposed to be here! What, you gonna waste your time walking around the city like a hoodlum? Get back to your studies and don’t talk to me until your homework’s done!” I shouted, slightly channeling my mom for a minute. Ugh.

            “Uh, I am at school, I just got out of Biology. I don’t have another class today because my English teacher has COVID,” Lauren explained, pointing to the large science building behind her. “I’m a dual enrollment student, I take all my classes at the college and they count towards high school and college.”

            “Fuck me, that’s genius…” I grumbled. If my parents had known about that, I would’ve been sitting around a place like this around her age too. “You must be pretty damn smart, huh?”

            “Mom thinks so…” Lauren mumbled. “Not as smart as Li-Fen though, she’s literally a genius. I’m kinda jealous to be honest.”

            “Meh, I’m sure you’re keeping up just fine. Whatcha got in your classes?” I asked.

            “Well I got an A in English, an A in psychology, and a B in programming.”

            “And in Biology?”

            “… I got a C…”

            “LAUREN!” I screeched. “Come on, you’re better than that, we gotta get that up, when’s your next test?”

            “Uh… I don’t know.”

            “You don’t know? Where’s the fucking syllabus, gimme your backpack right now.” I demanded, holding out my free hand. Lauren shrank back a bit before handing her bag over. I quick dug through the bag, pulled out her science binder, and looking for the syllabus. “Ok, here’s your fucking problem, you didn’t highlight the test dates. Bitch, you got a test TOMORROW. Have you studied at all?”

            Lauren shook her head, looking down at her feet, “No, I’m sorry… I was actually wanting to ask you something-“

            “Well here’s what’s gonna happen, we’re gonna get lunch and then I’m sitting your ass down and we’re cramming for your test. Fucking hell, Lauren, it’s OCTOBER. You might be able to bring this up to a B if you work hard and these last two tests, the final, and do the extra credit essay. Your homework is due next Monday, so test takes priority. Tomorrow, after class, you start working on it. IMMEDIATELY. No swapping spit with your girlfriend until it’s done, got it? Good. Now let’s eat I’m starving.”

            “Ok… Um, the cafeteria is this way.” Lauren murmured, sluggishly putting her backpack back on her shoulders as we walked to the other building. It wasn’t too much of a hike, but enough of one for an awkward silence to linger in the air. “Hey, Juri, about last night…”

            “What about it?”

            “I’ve never been so scared in my life… I always thought I was pretty strong, but I don’t know the first thing about defending myself. And I let Li-Fen take them on alone. Like a bitch. I couldn’t fucking move, I was so scared I felt like I couldn’t breathe. And when I tried to fight back, I just made it worse…” she explained, keeping her eyes down at the pavement. “They could’ve dragged us away last night. Who knows what could’ve happened. I don’t really wanna think about what they had in mind. I don’t wanna ever feel helpless like that again.”

            “It’s a shitty feeling, I get that,” I replied, looking down at the teenager as we walked. Lauren was athletic, she’d always been a great basketball player, but she sure as hell wasn’t a martial artist. And she was ultimately a lanky teenage girl. I can see why someone would see her as an easy target. Especially if they know they can get money out of her mama.

            “Would you be willing to train me? I wanna learn to fight, so I don’t have to ever feel like that again!” Lauren said enthusiastically, gray eyes flickering with drive. Motivation. Kid wanted to SUPLEX SOMEONE. I could feel the intensity. “I’ll pay you, just teach me how to do the kicky thingy you did last night!”

            I did a think. I wasn’t exactly DOING anything besides keeping Cammy’s couch warm and putting her cats in increasingly dumber looking hats for my own amusement. I wasn’t a teacher by any means. Don’t have the patience for that crap. But this is Lauren. Not long ago, I saw her as my own kid, and in a way, part of me probably always will. Who would say no to that determined little face? Reminded me of myself a bit.  Finally, I rolled my eyes, “Ok, fine, but I have two rules. School first, and don’t waste my time. I’ll teach you, ain’t gonna charge nothing, but you need to bring up your grades, mkay? And secondly, I don’t have all day. I’m very busy,” watching tv in someone else’s house, “and I need you to take this seriously. That means you practice and you do what I fucking tell you to, got it? No whining. I can turn you into a certifiable killing machine, but you gotta work for it, nobody gets good overnight.”

            “Got it!” Lauren said eagerly, grinning ear to ear. “Oh man, we can’t tell Mom, she’d be mad if she knew I was even talking to you right now. But I’m really excited, this is gonna be epic and-“

            “Yeah yeah, test first, girlie, I wasn’t kidding about your grades. If you think you can skate by fucking around, you’re gonna find out real quick. School’s important, I should’ve finished it.”

            “I mean, you turned out pretty cool.”

            “I could have been cooler, with like, more money and shit,” I argued and kicked open the door to the cafeteria. “Your mom is a bitch, but she’s worked her ass off to make sure you can get ahead in life, don’t fuck it up.”

            “Hey, don’t call my mom a bitch!”

            “Bruh, I dated her for five years, I speak with authority on this one.”

            Lauren frowned, “Well maybe she’d be better if you had stayed.”

            “Bring it up with her, she’s the one that dumped me. What doesn’t taste like shit here?” I asked.

            “Uh… It’s all passable. Except for the pizza. I was thinking some chicken tenders and fries,” Lauren said as she pointed to some generic chicken place in the building.

I didn’t have any objections, so we grabbed our food and got a table. While Lauren was eating, I whipped out her biology textbook and some flashcards. I flipped to the chapters she’d be testing on tomorrow and began taking notes I could drill into her head on short notice. Mitosis, meiosis, and parts of a cell. Ok, I can do that. It was a bit nostalgic, having my nose in a book while I took notes with color coded pens. Wish my English handwriting wasn’t so shitty though, I need to work on that. Or maybe I’ll just make her learn Korean. That could give her a competitive edge if she goes into business and… FUCK ME SIDEWAYS I SOUND LIKE MY MOM! I’m getting old. How did I let someone else’s crotch goblin make me an old lady? Ah fuck it, I got nothing better to do.

………………………………………………….

            We were outside, I had the newly highlighted textbook in my hands and Lauren was doing crunches in the grass while I read the important sections out loud to her, occasionally barking a question for her to answer.

            “WHAT IS MITOSIS?!”

            “THE PROCESS OF CELLULAR DIVISION, MA’AM!”

            “AND WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS?!”

            “AN IDENTICAL DAUGHTER CELL, MA’AM!”

            “That’s right, now gimme the steps of mitosis and twenty pushups, Jwi Agi (Rat-Baby), I don’t got all day.” Well, I do, but she doesn’t need to know that.

            “Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase!” Lauren replied as she got on the ground and started doing some of the worst pushups I’ve ever seen. Honestly, I didn’t care, I more wanted her sweating; if she hurts her back, she hurts her back.

            “Yeah, and what does all that junk mean? Tell me about it?” I asked as I stuck a watermelon lollipop in my mouth, pacing in front of her with the book to check the information.

            “Prophase is the beginning, the miotic spindle is made. Metaphase is when the chromosomes are pulled apart. Anaphase is when they’re put together-“

            “Nope! Wrong, in anaphase the chromatids migrate to opposite sides of the cell.”

            “And in telophase the new cell splits off with identical genetic information.”

            “Yeah, yeah, you’re still doing twenty more push ups, then you tell it to me right. Tell me about the cells, what kinds are there?”

            “Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic, the prokaryotic don’t got a nucleus and the eukaryotic do. And the prokaryotic cells are uh… they’re like bacteria and shit. Eukaryotic cells make up plants and animals. And the prokaryotes, their DNA is in a circle and it’s buck naked, just in the middle of the cell like it owns the place. DNA in eukaryotes is in the nucleus in the middle. And also in the mitochondria.”

            “What’s the mitochondria do?”

            “Makes ATP!”

            “Good.” I said as I flipped the page. “Finish that then get up, I’m gonna teach you some basic shit, mkay?”

            “Oh, yay!” Lauren said as she did the last few pushups I needed from her then got up. “Ok, what are you gonna show me?”

            “First of all, fighting stance, put you right leg back, right, shoulders length apart, ok?” I said, demonstrating a basic fighting stance. It wasn’t my usual one, but frankly, I wanted to make sure she could at least get down basic shit before I tried to teach her my style. “Ok, so you’re gonna look forward, front hand up at your face, back hand at your belly. Front one blocks for the face, back one blocks for the belly and groin, got it? Good. So from here, you can defend, you can hit shit, all the good shit.”

            “How do I move?”

            “Are you retarded?” I asked. Lauren frowned. “Ugh, ok, so front foot first, then back foot. Move around, get the hang of it, then I’m gonna show you how to block.” Lauren kinda shuffled around with the coordination of a baby horse, it was a little concerning. Like, doesn’t this bitch run around while dribbling a ball on the regular? I tried to keep that to myself. “Ok, a bit sloppy…” Understatement. “But you’ll get better.”

            “How?”

            “Because I’m gonna do this.” I charged at her with a roundhouse kick but withheld my strength a bit. Just a bit. Can’t go TOO easy on the kid. Lauren yelped and quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the kick. I followed up with a front snap-kick at her chin, which she managed to block with her front hand. Good, she’s learning. “Hands in fists, but keep ‘em loose for your blocks, cause then you can grab your opponent, drag ‘em off balance, make ‘em your bitch.”

            “I can do that?”

            “No shit, listen, there’s no fucking rules in a real fight. Anything goes. Someone attacks you again? BREAK THEM. Be mean, make sure they remember to NEVER fuck with you again. If you gotta break all their bones and stomp on their necks and nads, do it. You winning and getting away is more important than whatever bullshit tournament rules they got going these days. Hit below the belt, it’s a free second shot.” I threw a punch at her face and she blocked it, trying to grab my wrist. I just grabbed her arm back and pulled her into an armlock. Lauren swung her other arm at me, but I just tightened my grip on her other arm until she gave up, limply swinging her arm in a futile motion.

            “Fuck.”

            “Yeah, the goal is to not end up like this, cause I could just break your arm if I wanted to.” I let go of her and Lauren stood back up straight, getting back into her fighting stance like I showed her.

            “Ok, I won’t, I wanna try again!”

            I felt a small sense of pride at that. Maybe this wasn’t a colossal waste of my time. So long as she kept it up. Reminded me of myself, getting tossed around on the mat then popping back up to try to kick Sabum in the face. Got his fucking nose a few times, that was sweet.

            “Ok, focus on blocking right now, got it? Holds come later.”

            “Got it!”

………………………………………………………….

            By the time Lauren got a text from her mom saying she was there to pick her up, I had literally beaten the flashcards into her and taught her how to block and punch correctly. I was gonna teach her a front snap-kick, but then I realized she should probably work on labeling the parts of a cell and draw out the Kreb’s Cycle just to be sure. So, I made her do that instead. I’m a great not step parent.

            I walked her to the parking lot, quizzing her on the flashcards I made her on the way.

            “What’s the golgi apparatus?”

            “It’s kinda squiggly looking-“

            “What’s it do, Lauren?”

            “It modifies molecules brought in from the rough endoplasmic rectum.”

            “Reticulum, not rectum.”

            “Oh.”

            I snickered a little, “Ah, I don’t think you’d get marked off too much for that if you write rectum. Anyways, that’s your mom, I gotta go, remember to review your notes before bed and before the test. And no girlfriend until that homework is done, I mean it!”

            “Juri, what the hell are you doing here?!” Crimson yelled from her car. “Lauren, come on, you’re going to be late for basketball practice if you don’t hurry.”

            “Bye, Juri.” Lauren said as she ran over to the car and climbed into the passenger’s seat, quickly whipping out her phone so she could set the music for the ride.

            “Oi, flashcards, take them!” I shouted and went over to hand them over, because I spent too much time writing these out for her to forget them.

            “What are you doing talking to my daughter?”

            “Making sure she fucking studies, you’re welcome.”

            Lauren sighed, “Mom, it’s not a big deal, Juri just happened to pass by and we talked about school.”

            “You have a lot of nerve just showing up in her life after all these years, I’m not going to let you jerk her around and make a delinquent out of her,” Crimson said, glaring at me from under her sunglasses. “Lauren’s a good kid, Juri. I’m glad you did the bare fucking minimum by helping her last night, but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to just pop back in like nothing happened.”

            “Hey, I wanted to keep seeing her, you’re the one who told me to take a hike, don’t act like I walked out, you cunt-waffle.” I said, feeling heated. I love her, but also, I fucking hate her. Smug, sexy, awesome BITCH!

            “Cunt-waffle? Real mature, Juri. But I should expect as much from YOU. You sure as hell didn’t make any effort to say goodbye to her,” Crimson spat. “Guess you were just jumping at the opportunity to get your hands on that blonde bimbo.”

            “Oh for fucks sake, we’re not even dating and I wasn’t even talking to her much when we were dating. We were like, acquaintances at best. Do you really think I would ask to adopt Lauren if I was planning to jump ship for another woman?”

            “Wait, you wanted to adopt me?” Lauren perked up, looking up from her phone for the first time.

            “Shut up, Lauren, adults are talking,” I said.

            “How dare you tell my daughter to shut up! Lauren, baby, you talk all you want, except not right now, I have to deal with this skank.” Crimson said, patting Lauren on the knee, and glaring daggers at me. “I don’t want you to bring out the worst in her like you bring out the worst in me. Stay away from my family, Juri, it’s over, it’s BEEN over.”

            I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, Lauren’s almost an adult, she can choose who she talks to.”

            “She’s still a kid and she’s under my protection for the next year at LEAST, I absolutely can tell you to leave.”

            “Pah, whatever. Don’t let the door hit you, bitch.” I flipped off my ex and waved to Lauren. “Bye, Jwi Agi, good luck on the test.”

            Crimson put the car in drive, shaking her head for a moment before looking up at me, “Listen, I don’t hate you so I’ll go ahead and let you know, you’re new little girlfriend had a seizure at work. Her family’s taking her home, so you might need to find a new couch if you don’t want Cammy to have to explain why she’s chosen to let a criminal shack up with her. So, I’d recommend going and getting yourself a phone charger and staying in a hotel for the night.”

            “Wait, a seizure, holy shit, is she ok?”

            “Infirmary cleared her to go home, so she should be,” Crimson replied. “Juri, seriously, this is pathetic. Go fuck over the career of someone who’s actually with it enough to see through your bullshit. That girl is literally programmed to take shit from other people.”

            “Ah, that’s bullshit, dude.”

            “Well, you’re her and the Colonel’s problem now.” She said simply before rolling up the windows and driving away. I kicked a rock on the ground. Fuck that rock in particular. There was a lot to be pissed of about, I really just wanted to hit something. Namely Crimson. But you don’t smack around your lady, and she was my lady not too long ago, so no dice. Plus, I couldn’t do that shit to Lauren. But holy hell she made it tempting sometimes.

            My thoughts wandered to Cammy as I began walking to the nearby convenience store for a phone charger for the night. Since when did her health go to hell? I guess it was bound to happen eventually, but damn. I figured she was spared the usual bullshit health problems the other Dolls have had since she got out early, but I guess spending the first decade plus of your life in those labs would mess you up regardless. I felt a bit stupid for assuming otherwise now. I picked up a phone charger and glanced up at the keychains, practically eye level with this goofy looking one of a cat wearing a beanie. I kinda felt like it was smirking at me, kinda like Marmalade does when she knows you have food. I mean, it’s only like… five dollars… Fuck it. I grabbed the keychain. Then some food for the night and one of those little single serve apple pies that come in cardboard. I paid for it and snuck off with a pen from the register, writing a small note on the receipt. Needed to make a detour on my way back to the second apartment I’ve squatted in this week.

…………………………………………………………………………..

            I was yawning, looking out the window of the limousine as we headed to the airport. Sometimes I wished Dad would pick a flight that wasn’t at the ass crack of dawn, but I guess it couldn’t be helped. He was always more of a morning person than me. Frankly if I could have stayed up all night and slept all day, I would have in a heartbeat, especially as a teenager. Man, I used to stay up talking on the phone with Jin Ae all night back then. Listen to her ramble on about makeup and shoes till my damn ears fell out. I adjusted my pigtails and rested my head against the window. Too. Damn. Early. Fucking hell, Dad, why? I guess that’s what I get for staying up till three thirty when Dad told me he was gonna wake us up at five. I just hoped Mom would let me go back to bed when we got home from the airport.

            Across from us in a sleek, black truck was a white girl around my age, staring off into the distance, pale brows furrowed in thought. Maybe she was being dragged out of bed by her parents too. I watched her for a few minutes, playing with the tips of her bangs, before our eyes met. Maybe she could feel me staring. I smiled and winked at her, because she was kinda cute. The girl blushed and shyly waved at me with a small smile. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she snapped away from the window instantly, staring forward obediently, but occasionally glancing my way without moving her head.

            I leaned against my dad, resting my head on his chest sleepily. I kinda wished I was still capable of sleeping like that, like when I was little. But I’m too scared of what kind of weird crap I’ll say in my sleep. Dad didn’t need to know I dreamed throwing down with bad guys and getting copious amounts of attention from chicks. That’d be embarrassing. I snuggled with my dad and closed my eyes, enjoying the music he’d put on in the back. That’s when the deafening popping sounds happened, and I heard Mom scream.

…………………………………………………………..

            I knocked on Cammy’s door, rocking back and forth on my heels. I knocked again when she didn’t open the door right away. I could hear some people talking inside, two British guys and some Russian chick, presumably Decapre.

            “I’ll get it,” Cammy said as she walked up to the door and opened it. She was in some sweatpants and an oversized Rolling Stones tee shirt, looking like she had a massive fucking headache. “Oh, uh, Juri, my family is over at the moment, do you think you can find another place for the night?”

            “Yeah, I heard Decapre. Crimson said you got hella sick at work, are you ok?” I asked, keeping my voice down so we wouldn’t be heard.

            “I’m ok, just don’t feel very well. I’m sorry for kicking you off the couch for the night,” She said quietly.

            “It’s fine, it was fun while it lasted.” I shrugged and handed her the pie and keychain, receipt folded text side inwards so she could read the note.

            “Feel better soon  (phone number) Text me – J”

            Cammy’s face lit up with a small, cheerful smile as she picked up the keychain. She held it up, admiring the cute little cat, “Oh my goodness, it’s so cute!”

            “Who are you talking to?” Decapre asked from the kitchen, making Cammy jump a little and call back.

            “Nobody, it was a cat!” She awkwardly blushed and held the pie and keychain close to her. “Thank you, Juri, this is really sweet.”

            “Eh, don’t mention it.” I turned on my heels to leave, walking a few paces before pausing. “You know, my first thoughts about you were spot on.”

            “Uh, and what would that be?” she asked nervously.

            I looked back at her and winked, “You’re pretty fucking cute.” I waved and ran off before any consequences could be faced, though I could hear Decapre gasp.

            “It was carnival woman, wasn’t it?!”

            “Decapre!... Yes, it was carnival woman...”

            I smirked a little and disappeared from the apartment, feeling proud of myself for getting that kind of reaction out of her. And for getting away before sister dearest could see me. Felt like one hell of an accomplishment cause that lot have a habit of just appearing behind you and wondering why you’re freaked out.

…………………………………………..

            I was leaning against Dad, face bleeding profusely. Felt like my fucking eye was on fire, and honestly, Dad holding his jacket up against my eye socket to try to stop the bleeding just made it hurt worse. I didn’t have the heart to tell him though. Or really the words in general.

            “Dad…” I mumbled, wincing in pain, vision in my remaining eye blurry from hitting my head in the crash. Mom was hunched over Dad’s other shoulder, staring wide eyed right at me, but I knew she wasn’t actually looking at me because of the little red spot bleeding in the middle of her forehead. It was like looking at a wax replica, staring at those lifeless eyes. It was Mom, I recognized her just fine, she wasn’t disfigured or anything, but she was dead. Dead people just… don’t look like themselves anymore.

            “Keep your head down, it’s going to be ok, Baby Girl.” Dad whispered, keeping pressure on my eye and making sure I was below the now thoroughly broken windows, just in case more shots were fired.

            “Mom’s dead…” I whispered, though I knew he knew too. Dad just nodded and craned his head around to see if someone was coming towards us. And as luck would have it, yes. Three people actually. A man and woman in masks, and the girl from the car were heading right towards us. “The fuck are these crazy foreigners coming at us for?”

            “Sh, they’re getting closer.” Dad whispered reaching forward to the front to try to get a hold of our dead security guard’s taser, but he couldn’t reach and the seatbelt would release no matter how much we pressed the button. I could hear someone trying to pry the crunched up door open, and I kept hoping in my head that it’d stay jammed, that they’d fuck off and we could either die in there or wait for the ambulance. After what felt like an eternity of clinging to my dad, watching them yank on the door, it got pulled open and off the fucking hinges by the woman in the mask. Crazy bitch. She yanked Dad out of the car when the man with her told her to.

            “Dad!” I screeched, trying to hold onto him, but he was pulled out of my grasp and dragged out of the car, over Mom’s body, which fell limply onto me. I watched with blurred vision as they dragged Dad away.

            “Don’t hurt my daughter; leave her out of this!”

            “Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” I mumbled as I fiddled with my seatbelt before finally getting it undone. I pressed my full body weight against the other door to open it and fell out onto the concrete on the other side. I tried to get up, but my right leg got broken in the crash, so I just fell flat on my face again, skinning my chin on the pavement. I looked up at Mom, lying dead in the seat. For the first time I kinda wanted her to tell me what to do.

            From the other side of the car I could hear two people talking.

            “Go make sure the wife and daughter are dead.”

            “But I thought the mission was just the extract Prosecutor Han?”

            “Don’t talk back to me, just do it!”

            I tried to crawl away from the crash, but between my leg, broken ribs, and bullet ridden face, I didn’t get far before just, collapsing. Standing before me was the blonde girl from the car, shaking as she held a pistol in her hands. She looked fucking terrified, eyes wide with shock as she stared me down. I tried to get up, but ended up just falling backwards again on my ass. She looked around the scene and noticed Mom was definitely dead and took a deep breath, saying in broken Korean.

            “Go sleep now.”

            She shot Mom from a distance then walked over to the car and shot her again. I jumped a little and noticed her mouthing  ‘lay down’ at me. I didn’t exactly have to be told twice. I lied on my back and closed my good eye, hoping I’d pass for a body. I heard footsteps and the girl talk again.

            “I killed them. Shot the woman in the head, the girl in the eye, she is dead.”

            “Hand me that.”

            More footsteps. I held completely still, trying to slow my breathing so I would look dead. And then someone shot me in the fucking chest. I screamed, opening my eye and writhing in pain on the ground. Another shot went off and the girl my age was screaming, holding her leg in pain.

            “Bee!” the other girl yelled, running over to the blonde only to stop when the gun was pointed at her next. She froze and regained her posture, picking up Dad and dragging him away. The man grabbed the injured girl by the neck.

            “Don’t ever disobey me again.”

            She wheezed, struggling to stand, “Yes, Sir.” The man let go of her and they both walked away from the scene, the girl limping pretty bad. She took one last glance back at me before closing her eyes and turning back to her group, stumbling after them while Dad screamed for me. It was the last thing I heard before the world went dark and quiet.

………………………………………………..

            I was watching the rain come down on the dirt window of the apartment I was squatting in, feeling a bit bored. Maybe a tad lonely, but fuck anyone who’d point that shit out. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out to check.

Unknown Number: Hello. This is Cammy, is this Juri?

Me: Yep, it’s me

Cammy: Oh good

Cammy: I was worried I put in the wrong number

Cammy: Did you find somewhere to stay?

Me: Yeah, I found a place to crash.

Me: Thanks for letting me borrow your couch.

Cammy: Good good

Cammy: Listen, I just wanted to say I like your company.

Cammy: When I’m with you, I feel like I’m having more fun. And like I can just relax and be me. So I suppose what I’m trying to say is thank you. I appreciate your friendship.

Me: Same, bruh

Me: Thanks for putting up with my bullshit lately.

Me: Don’t tell nobody but I ain’t got anyone. No friends, no family.

Me: You’re the only person putting up with me anymore.

 Me: Maybe Lauren, but her mom don’t want me around.

Cammy: That’s unfortunate

Me: It’s fine

Me: Do you really see us as friends?

Cammy: Yes? Why would I let someone I don’t like stay in my flat?

Me: Fucking sweet

Me: Uh, you’re my friend too

Me: But roll out the red carpet next time, I’m fancy as fuck

Cammy: As fancy as Fancy Feast perhaps

Me: Ouch

Cammy: Speaking of which, would you like to catch dinner with me tomorrow?

Me: Fuck yeah!

Me: Where?

Cammy: Just meet me at the bus stop at 19:00

            I grinned a little and put my phone down next to me, hugging my knees in happiness. Fucking sweet, man. I tried not to wonder how long it would take before I inevitably send her packing, how long before my bullshit gets to be too much. In the moment it just… Felt nice to have someone WANT to spend time with me. To have like, a single friend for the first time in years. I’d never let anyone see it, but I was smiling like a dork and excited to see her again. Today had been good, losing the couch aside. I had a meetup with Cammy to look forward to, Lauren wanted to be around me, sure I had to deal with Crimson and Cammy’s sick, apparently, but fuck, I kinda won today.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            I felt smothered with someone breathing down my neck as I sent my last text to Juri. White hair fell down like snowfall over my shoulder as Decapre rested her chin on my shoulder, mischievous grin wide on her face.

            “Did you do it, did you text Carnival Woman? Did you ask her out?”

            “Bloody hell, yes, will you drop it now?” I grumbled, setting my phone down as I looked over at my sister, who looked rather pleased with herself, much like a stoat that got away with burrowing into your garden and digging up all your flowers. Or maybe a sable digging its claws into your drywall to hide food for the winter. Or a badger. Definitely a honey badger, literally nothing can contain her when she’s pissed off.  My sister is a weasel who can’t mind her own business.

            “Where are you going? Oh, can I do your makeup tomorrow? We have to make you fabulous.” She giggled, excitedly wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I wanna hear all about Carnival Woman.”

            “Why are you so invested in this?” I asked.

            “I’m being supportive, hush.” Decapre poked my cheek, knowing it would get on my nerves before letting go of me and sitting next to me at the table. “In all seriousness, I do worry about you sometimes. You’re always working, and when you’re not working, you’re focusing on the family. I mean, when’s the last time you went out and did something fun without me, George, Juni, or Julia?”

            “Well the carn-“

            “Yes, the carnival! Thus, why I am excited about Carnival Woman!”

            “Decapre, quit shouting, I’m right next to you,” I winced, holding my ears for a moment. I was a bit thankful that George and Dad had gone out to pick up some groceries for us, because no doubt if they were there, they’d be butting into the conversation wanting to know all about Carnival Woman. “I see your point I guess, but I’m happy with my life. I have a big family I love, a job I’m passionate about, three sweet cats, and sometimes I get to see old friends, I don’t really need anything else.”

            “All I’m saying is that it might be good for you to get out and talk to people unrelated to work, unrelated to family life. Because everyone you talk to ties back to one or the other,” Decapre said, and as much as I wanted to argue with her, she was completely right. “Nothing wrong with going on some fun dates and or making friends. I’m not trying to get rid of you, but I want to see you spread your wings more.”

            “Yeah, just don’t expect me to go about it all the way you do. I’m not really into the whole casual hookup thing, if I’m going to put my energy into someone I want something serious.”

            “That’s your business, Bee. I don’t like much beyond a fun time, you want something different. My point about branching out stands regardless,” Decapre shrugged, resting her chin on her palm. “Will you give me ANY details about Carnival Woman? Or should I guess?”

            I rolled my eyes and smiled a little, “Sure, guess away.”

            “Ok, um, is she tall?”

            “I guess for an Asian girl?”

            “Oh, getting warmer!” Decapre clapped and tapped her chin in thought, “Is she athletic?”

            “Very.”

            “Ok, ok, I’m going to take a wild guess. Is she a bad girl?”

            “Yeah… Kinda…”

            “Is she Juri?”

            I paused, staring at my overly pleased with herself sister, tapping her fingertips together like a Bond villain. How the fuck did she know?! I just froze, frankly flabbergasted that she managed to figure it out. Did she see Juri leave? Or hear her voice at the door? Surely that had to be the case, how else would she get that idea?

            I suppose my silence spoke more than a proper answer ever could have, because Decapre burst into a fit of giggles, “I knew it, I knew it, I’ve been saying to the others for years, she likes the strange motorcycle lady, it’s going to happen eventually, and nobody believed me. Juni owes me money.”

            “Wait a minute, what gave you the idea I ever liked her in the first place?” I asked suspiciously.

            “I’m your big sister, I just know things,” she said pridefully, tapping an index finger to her forehead. “But also, a few other things. One, every time you just so happen to bump into her post the fall, you seem happier. Even if you end up fighting with her, you end up getting a coffee or something, and then you come home all smiles. Secondly, your general taste in women. I don’t know how to break this to you, but your taste is questionable at best. It’s always the crazy ones, and I mean, they make sex great, but everything else can go to shit if you’re not careful. So be cautious, dear.” I winced a little at that. “Thirdly, I wasn’t unconscious the ENTIRE time we traveled together, you know? I was starting to come out of the haze, ate a snickers, felt a bit more like myself, and I noticed the way you looked at her. The way she looked at you. How cozy you both looked while chatting in that nasty motel in Panama. Sidenote, that place was disgusting, so many bugs…” She winced. “Point is, I’ve noticed you’ve liked her for quite a while.”

            “It’s… a problem.” I admitted, biting my lip. “If it got out that I was spending this much time with her, or even worse, dating her, I could lose my clearance. It’s already a fight every year to prove that I’m trustworthy, even after all these years of service, and I’m the only family you have who can vouch for you, if I lose my clearance, it could put yours at risk and then what? We’re both unemployed with no other skills.”

            “Do you really think Keith would let that happen?

            “He’s already put so much on the line to support me, support all of us in starting over and getting proper jobs. If I lost my clearance doing something stupid like dating a known convict, I could never ask him to vouch for me again… And then what would I do? I know nothing else; this is my entire life. This is all I know, all I understand. I have minimal education, what education I have is all related to my job. I’ve worked for the government for nearly two decades now. It’s not like my skills could translate into something else, I’d just be… Stuck.” I whispered the last part, putting my head down on the table. “Sometimes… I feel like I’m nothing without it. Without my work, without my family. I don’t even want to consider what would happen if I lost it all.”

            “Bee… Listen. You’ve spent so long trying to be perfect. And frankly, you’ve done a freakish job at it.”

            “Uh, thanks?”

            “By Keith’s own admission, you’ve only disobeyed his orders twice in your entire career. Once, when he completely expected you to, and was frankly banking on you doing so. And the other time, you did it to save me. Your record is otherwise squeaky clean. No shady partners or business dealings, no debt you haven’t immediately paid off, nothing. You’ve been the perfect agent. The only thing you put above work is family, and frankly, those two things are so intertwined that that choice has only come up, what, once? Maybe twice?” Decapre frowned a little and held onto my shoulder. “You are completely and utterly trustworthy. And you deserve to be happy.”

            “Decapre, I’m a foreign national from Russia with ties to a dangerous crime syndicate, and so are you. This… This could sink both of us, we’re already on thin ice with the government’s trust in us as is. They always look at us, look at me, like I’m dangerous. Like I’m a loose cannon that will just snap free and destroy them.” I blinked a few times to keep myself from getting to upset. “They won’t hesitate to rip it all away from us. Just pull the rug out from under me and leave me with nothing.”

            “You won’t lose everything. You’ll always have your family, and for as long as I’m alive, you will have me. Never forget that.” My sister rubbed my back and combed through my hair with her fingers like she would when we were young, looking down at me with a concerned expression. “I think you should at least go on a date or two, see if Juri makes you happy. I will bet my next paycheck she likes you back. You can have it if she’s not interested. I’m that confident because I’m always right.”

            I chuckled a little at that, “Sure you are.”

            “If this is something you want to pursue, we talk to Keith. See what can be done to make this work out. For now, keep it on the downlow, and if it’s what you want, we find a solution. I won’t let you fall, and I won’t let you be robbed of happiness when you have worked so hard and tirelessly to give that to others. For once, do something for just you. And if you don’t I’ll make you, kicking and screaming as usual,” Decapre half joked. “I love you, Bee.”

            “I love you too, sis. Thanks.” I smiled a little up at her. “and yes, you can do my makeup tomorrow, just don’t make me look slutty, please.”

            “Makeup can’t be slutty, don’t be ridiculous. You’ll look gorgeous, just trust me.”

             It was times like these I was the most grateful to have my sister back. I’ve had unconditional love and acceptance from my family for as long as I’ve been in their lives, but Decapre gives unconditional support. One loves you no matter what, the other will help you dispose of a body, no questions asked. Not that I have needed that, but I think Decapre has already come up with plans for that scenario given the amount of times she’s peered menacingly over the Thames, wondering who all is down there. I couldn’t imagine ever losing her again. I refuse to let my mind go there. It would be too much.

            “Hold still, stop squirming.”

            “Is the eyeliner REALLY necessary?” I asked, flinching as Decapre held the back of my head with a death grip, trying to keep me from moving away from the black pencil of death coming right for my eyes.

            “Yes, just hold still, it’s not that bad.”

            “I don’t want that thing near my eyes.”

            “God this is like bathing a cat,” she mumbled as she drew the pencil across my flinching eyelids, trying to make it look somewhat even. I really wished she’d just drop it, but she was insistent on trying to make me look glamorous. Which seems like a futile mission. I never was that girly. I’m not opposed to it, but it doesn’t come as naturally to me as it seems to for Juni, Julia, and Decapre. Still, I knew she meant well, so I just swallowed my pride and let her finish rubbing gunk all over my face. “There, all done, you can stop acting like I’m torturing you.” She let go of my head and pointed over to the mirror. “Go look, I think I did a great job!”

            I didn’t have to be told twice to get out of that chair, it felt like I had been sitting there for an eternity. Decapre had immediately gone into outfit planning mode when we returned to my flat after work, digging through my closet and through her makeup bag to try to put something together for my date. I had makeup, but I hadn’t used it in so long Decapre didn’t trust it was still decent quality and tossed it all out on me. I’m not buying more. I’ve already wasted too much money on it when I could easily just call up one of my sisters and ask them to let me borrow theirs when the occasion calls for it.

            We had decided on a royal blue blouson dress with a short ruffled skirt, v neckline, and long sleeves paired with brown boots and my favorite locket. Decapre had done battle with my hair and flat-iron to achieve a feathery, slightly spikey look to it. The makeup matched the outfit, with heavy eyeshadow and mascara and a mauve lipstick. I smiled a little, happy with the look even though it had taken an ungodly amount of time to achieve.

            “Well, I think you look great. That color brings out your eyes, you should try wearing it more,” Decapre mentioned, pridefully crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, it’s almost time, you need to go. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your flat by the time you come home.”

            “Yeah uh…” I glanced down at my phone, and by extension my hands. Yeah, detour time. “I need to use the loo, then I’ll leave. Take your time, you’re always welcome here.”

            “I just want a shower and a crumpet. Can you believe they didn’t have any orange marmalade at the hotel breakfast? The AUDACITY,” Decapre ranted as she headed off to the kitchen to make herself a snack.

            I ducked into the bathroom and grabbed my nail clippers. Was anything going to happen? Of course not, it’s a first date that we didn’t even technically clarify as a date. But it’s just respectful. Even if you know with absolute certainty you’re not going to sleep with the woman, you should always trim your nails before a date. She could get the wrong idea if you don’t. She might think you’re not serious, or careless, or a pillow princess, or a straight girl looking for an experiment. I wasn’t about to tell Decapre I was going to trim them though; she would be so obnoxious about it. I put the clippers away, flushed the toilet and ran the sink for a moment to keep up the façade before heading out of my flat, “I’m off!”

            “Good luck!”

            I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. It was just dinner, there was no need to be nervous. It’s not like this was the first time I’ve gone out with this woman. I knew Juri, so it would be far easier than going on a date with someone you barely know. No awkward ‘so where’d you grow up’ or ‘what do you do for a living’ questions. Just skip past the small talk and have an interesting conversation, which is honestly idyllic.

            As the cold autumn breeze hit my cheeks, I felt a sense of excitement rising in me. And anxiety, but that felt like the background noise of my life sometimes. I was eager to see Juri again, but at the same time, I was worried she wouldn’t bother to show up. Or that I would somehow mess up the whole night. As I arrived at the city center where we had agreed to meet, I looked around to see if she was already there. I didn’t see her immediately, so I decided to send her a quick text.

Me: I’m waiting by the pizza cart.

Juri: Hold up, I’m almost there.

            A few more minutes passed before I could see Juri approaching, grinning ear to ear like she just got away with something. Maybe she just realized how stunning she was; she was certainly confident enough. She was wearing a backless, hot pink halter dress with a black rhinestone belt, black studded leather jacket, and the same worn black sneakers she had been wearing every other time I’ve seen her with shoes. I’m pretty certain that she only owns one pair upon further reflection.

            “Cammy?” she asked, looking over at me as if to try to figure out if it was really me.

            “Hello, Juri, I’m glad you could meet me tonight,” I replied, smiling nervously at her. Just when I thought I was done being intimidated by her she shows up in that…

            “Holy shit, love the dress, you look beautiful tonight. I almost didn’t recognize you at first,” Juri laughed a little. That familiar feeling akin to being dropped in a pool of ice water hit me, that dreadful feeling in my spine creeping up to wrap around my neck to strangle me. I tried to push him out of my mind, and the dread off of my neck.

            ‘It was a harmless compliment. She’s trying to be nice, you need to get over this,’ I thought to myself, trying to push down the feelings of repulsion, the bad memories and discomfort. ‘I can’t let this ruin my night. Get a hold of yourself, she thinks you look nice. And he’s in a maximum-security prison, you’re fine, this is fine. Everything is FINE.’

            “Um… Juri, I really appreciate the sentiment, but would you mind using a different word? It makes me uncomfortable to be called beautiful. Honestly, I don’t even like hearing it used in other contexts…”

            “Oh, shit, sorry, I’ll keep that in mind. Uh, the outfit is fire, really brings out your eyes and shit,” Juri replied, looking a tad flustered about the beginning of the conversation. And I immediately felt like I had ruined the night before it began.

            “Thank you, Juri. You look lovely yourself,” I said quietly, playing with the hem of my skirt to try to calm my nerves. But also cursing myself for making things awkward immediately. Literally within the first minute, that had to be a record of some sort. “If there is nothing you need to do here first, we should try to catch the next bus to the other side of town. I heard about a family run restaurant that I thought could be fun to try, but it’s a bit of a hike from here.”

            “Yeah, I’m just along for the ride, lead the way,” she said, resting her hand on her hip. Well, if I wasn’t nauseous from nerves before, I certainly was then. I felt like I something was crawling under my skin as we waited for the bus but tried to ignore the feeling. I really hope she didn’t notice. Juri glanced over at me and quirked an eyebrow before speaking again, “Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?”

            “A motorcycle?” I asked, a bit surprised. “No, I actually don’t have my driver’s license at all. I live in London, petrol can be expensive and the metro is right there so I just take the train everywhere or wait for the bus. I live just down the road from headquarters, so I walk to work every morning. I can drive a car in an emergency, but only British ones.”

            “Did you like riding on the back of mine? Like, back in South America. And then Europe. Goddamn that was a long ass trip.”

            “I suppose it was fun once we figured out how to secure Decapre so I wasn’t holding her the entire time,” I mused, starting to feel a little bit better. “Why do you ask?”

            “Well, I was thinking of staying here in Metro City indefinitely, and I was gonna have my bikes brought in. I could teach you how to drive one if you want. Then maybe we could go for a ride together without you having to ride bitch in the back,” Juri laughed. “Ha, unless you WANT to, then knock yourself out.”

            “Ride bitch?”

            “Yeah, that’s what it’s called.”

            “You’re a terrible liar.”

            Juri smirked and crossed her arms, “No, I ain’t lying! But seriously, you wanna learn or not? I have an extra bike you can borrow, test her out, see if you like it.”

            “I suppose it would be a good skill to have. Thank you.” I chuckled, stepping onto the bus with Juri. “I do get a bit annoyed with public transport sometimes.”

            “Who doesn’t?” she asked. I paid for our ride and took a seat with my date, who was telling me about the different kinds of motorcycles she has owned over the years. I was listening, really, I just didn’t understand most of it. Still, it was nice to see Juri’s whole face light up in happiness over something that didn’t involve curb stomping someone. She was quite cute when she was excited to talk about something. Like a cute little mogwai.

            “So what exactly are we eating?” Juri asked as we walked to our destination, side by side.

            “Well, you mentioned not having had comfort food from home in a while, so I asked around work for any good Korean restaurants that would fit that description. This place got glowing reviews online and from my coworkers, so I thought it might be a nice spot to try. I’m not exactly familiar with Korean food and I’ve never been here before, so I can’t swear by it unfortunately,” I explained, studying Juri’s face and posture to see how she would react. She paused, face contorting in a strange way I didn’t quite understand before smiling ever so slightly.

            “Well… You swore you’d make me eat a vegetable, so I guess you win, huh?” She chuckled. “Sounds good to me. If you want, we can split some things so you can try more, we got a lot of good fucking food, it’s gonna blow your mind.”

            “I’m excited to try then.”

            Juri grinned, “Better be!” I opened the door to the restaurant for her and we went inside. The restaurant was on the smaller side and mostly empty since the dinner crowd was already going home by that time. There were a few other customers inside, but it looked like it would mostly just be Juri and I. The walls were a dark navy color with some paintings hanging around to bring some life to the dining room. A waitress took us to a table for two in a quieter corner or the room, away from the speakers. Juri immediately picked up a bottle of hot sauce and squirted a bit on her fingers, tasting it hesitantly before nodding in approval, “Ok, they got the good shit, this is promising.”

            “What is that?”

            “Gochujang, it’s hot sauce. They obviously made theirs, it tastes fresh. Whenever I can get my hands on some, I dowse everything with it,” Juri explained as she set the bottle down and opened the menu, scanning it with an ever-widening smile. “The writing is in Hangul.”

            “I noticed that on the pictures uploaded to Google,” I said. “Does… the menu look good? I wasn’t sure what to look for.”

            “Yeah, this all looks good, just let me order.”

            “What would you suggest?” I asked.

            “Just trust me, I’ll get us some stuff to split, you can sample a bunch since you’ve never had any of this before,” Juri assured, waving her hand dismissively as she looked at the menu. “Are you gonna have a drink?”

            “Perhaps a beer, though I try not to get drunk too much.” I rested my chin on my hand. “I tend to get a bit stupid when I drink.”

            “Doesn’t everyone?”

            “Well, yes, but last time I got wasted I got three piercings I completely forgot about until the next day,” I sighed, tapping my fingers against my face as I thought about my younger, dumber self… five years ago. Juri didn’t need to know that.

            “Ok, I gotta know what happened, what the fuck did you do?”

            “Alright, so I was on a mission in France with a woman I had a massive crush on at the time. We finished the job and had a bit of time to kill before our flight home, so we went to a local pub to celebrate. Well, I had a bit too much, and we started talking. I’m not sure how the topic came up, but I mentioned that I really wanted to get my navel pierced when I was a teenager, because that was trendy at the time and I thought it was cute. I had asked Dad if I could, but he said no. That it was inappropriate and a liability in a fight anyways. So I never did it when it was trendy and I was young enough to pull it off,” I explained.

            “Cams, we’re not that old, you could totally get one if you wanted.”

            “I appreciate that, but it’d look silly on me and we both know it. Since we’re sober,” I added on. “Anyways, I told this woman I liked about that, and a few more beers in, we decide it would be a great idea to go get my belly button pierced. So, we stumbled into a tattoo parlor to do that, and she decided to suggest I should also get my nipples pierced. And I thought she was really hot, and I was quite drunk, so I just said ‘sure, why not?’ and got that done. So, by the time we got back to our hotel, I was wasted with three new piercings I would have never gotten if I had all my faculties in check. I forgot about them when I woke up, that was quite the surprise. I was still using my leotard for some missions, so uh, you can imagine how great that looked. I went home in a sweatshirt overtop, because I was not about to have that conversation with my family. It was so stupid, and I decided then and there to never get drunk around cute girls again, because apparently it makes me stupid.”

            “Bwahahaha!” Juri cackled like a hyena, slapping the table repeatedly. “That’s fucking great, do you still have them?”

            “Of course not, I got rid of them when I got home because they were impractical, itchy, and frankly, I looked like a moron. It’s not like you can just scratch your boobs in public and those kinds of piercings itch so bad, it was driving me crazy.”

            Juri rolled her eyes, “That’s a shame, sounds hot.”

            “Ok, it kinda was, but nobody’s going to be looking at them anyways, so it seems silly.”

            “Did you ever get with nipple ring girl?”

            “Almost, it didn’t work out. We had been flirting with each other for a while, been out on some unofficial dates, but really that night ended up causing us to split entirely. She actually transferred to a different unit a month later because things were awkward,” I explained, frowning a little. “It wasn’t her fault; she’s a good person and I hope she’s happy.”

            “What happened?” Juri asked. “Get in a fight while drunk off your ass?”

            “Sort of? I had a panic attack because I wasn’t fully with it and yelled at her to get the fuck away from me before taking off and ending up spending the rest of the night hiding out in a vineyard, where I eventually passed out. We were making out and she started speaking Castilian-“

            “The fuck is that?”

            “Ok, so you know how proper English sounds different compared to American or Australian English?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Same with Spanish. Castilian Spanish is proper Spanish, from the largest region of Spain, also known as the Castile region. It has different grammar rules, words, and accents compared to Spanish spoken in Latin American countries. I can’t speak it well, though I’ve been around it enough to understand it and notice the differences,” I explained. “She had accent training, so she sounded British when she was speaking English. But then she broke out into Spanish and I just… Freaked out. It was stupid. I feel terrible about it still, she really didn’t do anything wrong. My brain just… Went ballistic I suppose. It’s like every hair on my body stood on end and I couldn’t think about anything but getting as far away as possible. It’s a bit hard to just say ‘sorry, my bad, love, your native tongue makes me want to put continents between us’, so I just didn’t say anything at all when she found me. So, we stopped talking. I don’t blame her for wanting nothing to do with me after that.”

            Juri winced a bit, “Yeah… Can’t say I blame you too much though. Maybe stay away from Spanish girls then?”

            “Certainly, lesson learned,” I sighed. “I feel awful about it though. I hate it when I can’t control my emotions like that. Even now, there’s different things that will set me off and I feel like there’s a threat when nothing is afoot.”

            “Sounds like PTSD.”

            I shook my head, “Absolutely not. I do NOT have that.” That could sink me if that was ever put down after a psyche evaluation… Nobody would ever trust me again if I was certifiably mentally ill. I’m not even a veteran, I don’t have an excuse. I don’t have PTSD.

            Juri raised an eyebrow at me, but didn’t say anything, deciding to wave down the waitress and order. She and the waitress talked back and forth in Korean, making Juri laugh and point to me with a big grin. I never wished I understood what someone was saying more than I did in that moment. The waitress left and brought back some tea for us, but which I was thankful for. Thinking about everything plus nerves from being out with Juri made me a little bit nauseous.

            “What were you pointing at me for?”

            “I was just telling her not to bring you the white people shit because you’re with me,” Juri explained, pouring herself a cup of green tea. “Oh, you’ll never fucking guess what I did today, you’re gonna be fucking proud of me.”

            “Oh no…”

            “Hey!” Juri pouted a little before grinning again, “I was like, a good fucking citizen. I took on a taekwondo student. Lauren, you know, Crimson’s kid? The one I basically helped raise for like, five years? Yeah, I’m teaching her now. And because I forced her to study yesterday, she got an A on her Biology test she didn’t even realize was today when we talked yesterday. I’m fucking nailing this teaching thing already.”

            “Oh, you’re reconnecting with Lauren?” I asked, smiling a little. “I’m glad you and Crimson worked something out for her sake.”

            “Oh, nah, Crimson told me the fuck off, I just didn’t listen,” Juri clarified, rolling her eyes a bit. “Word of advice? Don’t U-Haul someone with kids. She’s gonna insist on you guys playing house, you getting close with her kid, then when you break up, you can’t do jackshit about it, so you wasted years of your life raising a kid, seeing that little fucker like yours, and now you can’t see them anymore because they didn’t come out of your cooch… I missed my Jwi Agi…”

            “I’m sorry, that sounds heartbreaking… What does that mean?”

            “Rat baby. Kid had fuck off big ears when she was little.”

            “Juri, that’s horrible…”

            “What?” She squawked. “Rats are cute, she was a cute kid, I call her a rat affectionately. But also because she has big ass ears and can put away some food. We actually got her a pet rat, fuzzy little fuck was adorable.”

            I just sipped my tea, trying to keep a straight face. I can’t blame Crimson for being skeptical if Juri thinks comparing her daughter to a rodent is affectionate. At the same time, seeing her soften a bit when talking about Lauren made my heart hurt a bit on Juri’s behalf. Being separated from family members you love dearly, even if they’re not yours by blood, hurts. It feels like a wound on your soul. Juri Han was many things. Unhinged, bitchy, sadistic, someone who drinks milk straight from the carton… Fun, talented, smart, passionate, driven, and apparently more family oriented than I expected. That’s something I could relate to, respect even. Though I wouldn’t have been at that restaurant if I hadn’t found things to like and respect about Juri already.

            “Well, I’ll just assume you mean well by it then. I never expected you to be the domestic type,” I mused.

            “Fucking hell, Girly, neither did I. When Crimson and I got together, it was from a series of hookups we had while working together. We used to take turns scamming our bosses and running off with all the money. Cash, chaos, and kink, it’s like the holy trinity!” she enthused, smiling wildly. “But things kinda evolved. Got more personal. Then I started staying at her house off and on and met Lauren. Crimson didn’t want me around Lauren at first, but then she really needed someone to pick her up from school, or take her to the dentist, or help her with homework while she was working… And I picked up that role because I was there and even though I had tried to keep things casual, I started really falling for her and caring about Lauren. She was only seven when I met her. Daddy wasn’t in the picture, just her, her mom, and grandparents. And then over time, I just kinda became her second parents. Saw her as my own. I never wanted kids before, but I guess she’s just a special little girl. She’s such a sweet kid, Cams. Basically, everything her mom and I ain’t. Well, I take that back, she’s smart, and Crimson and I are smart.”

            “I understand.”

            Juri set her cup down and looked down at the liquid inside, blinking a few times to keep a straight face, “I know I’m a shitty person. But I thought, hey, the asshole’s dead, maybe I can have a normal life now. I TRIED. I tried to be a good girlfriend, a good stepmom, but she just wouldn’t let me in, ya know? Crimson never stopped seeing me as Juri Han, mob boss, and started seeing me as Juri Han, girlfriend who takes the kid to basketball practice. I think us doing shady shit to make money together on the side soured it all. Cause she wanted to pin it all on me, but that bitch is just as shady as me, trust me. I didn’t corrupt her, she was corrupt and that’s why we got along initially. Things started to fall apart, and I didn’t realize she didn’t like me anymore until I asked if I could adopt Lauren and she broke up with me. Fucking kick in the metaphor nads, man… she told me I was a terrible influence on Lauren, that I brought out the worst in her, and she wanted me out of their lives before I ruined them both. We got in several huge fights, throwing shit, screaming at each other at all hours of the night for days after that. I didn’t wanna go. She wanted me the FUCK out. I realized it was a lost cause, packed my shit, and left. Didn’t see her and Lauren again until a few days ago. Lauren was fourteen when I left, she’s sixteen now. I don’t blame her for being pissed, maybe I could’ve tried harder to see her. Though frankly, that’s on her mom. Was I supposed to risk getting arrested by the fucking CIA because Crimson can’t deal with me talking to our kid? Fucking bullshit.”

            “I’m sorry, Juri, I can’t imagine how hard that must have been. I’ve never had a child in my life like that, but I understand how hard it can be to be separated from your family through no fault of your own,” I said softly. “I used to stay up at night wondering if my sisters were ok, if they were hurt, hungry, cold… I’d imagine the feeling is amplified when kids are involved.”

            Juri nodded and looked up at me, “I never thought I’d become such a fucking softy. It’s embarrassing as fuck.”

            “Why are you embarrassed?”

            “It kinda ruins my street cred.”

            “Oh, bollocks to that, you’re a human. Humans want connection, have feelings other than rage and sadistic glee, and generally want some sort of familial connection. It doesn’t make you any less of the dangerous warrior you always have been,” I scoffed. “What would you do if someone hurt Lauren?”

            “Uh… probably torture them to death.”

            “There you go, reputation maintained, Juri.”

            Juri snickered a little, “Good to know you still think I’m dangerous.”

            “Anyone who doesn’t is either stupid or suicidal. My older sister babies me constantly and she’s one of the most dangerous people I know. She cannot be contained. If she’s pissed off, there is not a cell, restraint, or police force that can restrain her; someone’s bloody well in for a pummeling. And yet she’s also one of the sweetest, sometimes to a smothering degree, sister you could ask for. Dangerous and nurturing aren’t mutually exclusive.”

            “How is she holding up these days?” Juri asked.

            “She’s doing better, she’s on a new medication for the nerve pain and she hasn’t been having as many seizures. She lives a fairly active life. We work together and outside of work she likes to go to parties, concerts, clubs, stuff like that. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing books. Decapre keeps fairly busy between her social life, work, and side projects,” I explained. “She’s been writing this series of children’s books about weasels. It’s a bit like a mixture between Redwall, Warrior Cats, and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.”

            Juri blinked a bit, “That’s a combination.”

            “I’m her beta reader and I have to remind her what her audience is a lot.” I sighed. “Because the average ten year old is going to be upset by the snake villain literally wearing pieces of the protagonist’s sister’s skin like Ed Gein.” 

            “Bruh.”

            “The snake collects fur because he doesn’t have any.”

            “That probably would have made me cry as a kid, but I gotta admit, sounds pretty cool,” Juri mused. “Never really took her for the partying type.”

            I chuckled a little, “You didn’t see her authentic self. Decapre was always a bit… Wild. Free spirited. It didn’t serve her well. Her favorite missions were ones where we would have to infiltrate social events. She would spend the whole time flirting with girls our age, dancing, drinking if she could find alcohol, and I would have to pick up the slack to make sure the job actually got done. It was rather annoying… She’s very extraverted.”

            “Yikes, they really fucked up her head, huh?”

            “Yeah…” I frowned and shook my head. “It was heartbreaking. Seeing her so… Robotic. Unfeeling. Cold. Growing up, she was my protector. She was the only warm person in my life, the only person who loved me and cared about my well-being. She was so full of life. She was curious, independent, she saw things I didn’t at the time but cooperated for our safety. She wanted to escape but never tried because she didn’t want to leave me behind. She knew I wasn’t ready for the real world; it terrified me to even consider being independent. The brainwashing and indoctrination worked perfectly for me. I guess Decapre was just stronger,” I said. “Sometimes I feel guilty that I was the one who escaped. I never meant to leave her there, I was trying to figure out how to liberate her, and all my sisters. Vega just found me first. I can’t imagine what she was put through to break her spirit so much.”

            Juri reached across the table, pensive expression resting on her features. She held my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, “I’m just glad you got your family back. Before they were gone forever.”

            “Me too, I can’t imagine life without them, especially Decapre, Juni, Julia, and George,” I replied, taking a deep breath to clear my mind of the sadness, “We seem to keep getting onto sad topics, I’m sorry.”

            “It’s all good, this is more cathartic than I expected,” Juri assured, chuckling a bit before her eyes widened at the sight of our waitress. “Oh hell yeah, food’s here! Gamsahamnida.” She said to the waitress and started arranging everything on center of the table so we could both reach. “Ok, so I ordered some spicy fried chicken, bulgogi bibimbap, cheese tteokbokki, and gochujang jjigae. On the side, you got cabbage and cucumber kimchi and that’s beansprouts and radishes.”

            “This is… a lot of food, Juri.”

            “It’ll reheat!” she exclaimed, excitedly scooping out small portions of everything except the soup onto a plate for me to try. “Man, it smells so good. Wait, can you handle spicy food?”

            “Of course, I have Indian food all the time,” I assured. “What should I try first?”

            “Go for the chicken, that’s one of my favorites. I wanna get in on this soup first, mkay?” Juri pulled the bowl over to her and dipped her spoon in to the broth eagerly. She looked like a little kid on Christmas morning, bright eyed and all smiles. It made me wonder why she chose to live out of convenience stores instead of finding somewhere to eat like this. I pushed that thought aside as I took a bite of the fried chicken.

            “This is really good.”

            “I told you so!” Juri laughed and took a bite of her soup, freezing and going dead silent. A small sense of dread crept up my back as I watched her stare down at the bowl, eyes wide in shock. “Fuck.”

            “Did it not turn out like you hoped?” I asked worriedly.

            “No, it’s perfect… Have you ever taken a bite of something, and it feels like you’re in the past again? That kinda just happened it tastes just like the one Mom would make when I was a kid…” Juri explained, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. “Fucking spicy, had my eyes watering a bit.”

            I knew that was bullshit given this is the woman who eats hot sauce for the hell of it, but I let it go. “I’m glad you like it.”

            “Yeah, uh… Cammy, this was thoughtful as fuck. Thanks,” Juri said softly, smiling a little as she got back to her soup. “Mom used to make this in the winter a lot. I’d come home from school all cold and this would be on the stove waiting on Dad and I. It makes me think of walking home in the winter, or when my friends and I would go sledding.”

            “Is winter your favorite season?”

            “Fuck yeah. It’s SOUP SEASON! Plus I like to go skiing. What’s your favorite season?”

            I smiled a little and began eating some of the other food on the table, “I like fall. I love the changing leaves and apples are in season. I like to go up to the countryside and take pictures every year. Juni and I usually take a trip around this time every year.”

            “That sounds cool,” she said. “Crimson used to take Lauren and I down to Colardo so we could ski and snowboard. Kiddo got pretty good.”

            “I’ve been skiing a few times, though nobody in my family is super into it. When we went to the Alps, George sat under a blanket in the lodge looking pissed off at the snow the whole time. I almost felt sorry for him.”

            Juri snickered, “Ha, sounds like my Mom.”

            We both chuckled and continued talking over our meal for the next hour or so. It was nice, discussing life, family, and favorite seasonal activities. I think this is the first time I had ever seen Juri truly and uncomplicatedly happy. She had a warm glow about her that shone differently than the cold fire of her eye. It was a different side. A kinder, softer side I felt lucky to be allowed to see. And in that moment, I felt truly happy to have her company, speaking openly and honestly about our lives together. It was the beginning of something new. Something wonderful.

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            After our date, I walked Cammy back to her apartment and headed home. Well, ‘home’. I was squatting somewhere while I did a big think on where I wanted to park myself in the city going forward, and how I was gonna go about my business. The Black Widows had done business with Mad Gear before in the past, so it shouldn’t be too hard to start up some work here and get some cash flowing. Then again, I was getting myself entangled with a less shady fed than before. Might wanna be careful about that. I suppose I could just manage my boys and girls from here, my lieutenants got my number and know what to do. And what I’ll do to them if they fucking challenge my authority. So I could just keep things running back in South Korea while I chill out here with my new fling and teach Lauren some kickass moves. Everything was being done hands on by my underlings, so what’s it matter? I ain’t doing jackshit, it’s a perfect cover. Governments love technicalities. I’m a goddamn genius.

            Just as I was about to pat myself on the back, I noticed something strange out of the corner of my good eye. A woman fervently praying into her phone, dark burn scar of a familiar sigil on her wrist. She noticed me and slipped into her apartment, eyes locking with mine for a moment before she squirreled herself away. Her eyes looked fucking scared, and she oughta be when I’m staring her down. I guess there’s all sorts of shady types chilling out in this building. I pushed it out of my mind and stuck my leftovers in the fridge. I gave Cammy half of the leftovers, cause I want her to get a taste of Korean. Heh, in more ways than one preferably. So hopefully we can go back to that little joint together.  Can’t say I’ve been wined and dined much recently, it was kinda nice to be the one asked out and taken out for once. Usually I’m having to make the first move, pay for everything, spoil the girl for a little bit of action before we lose interest in each other. Can’t say I’ve really had many true relationships. Maybe four? Most girls in my circle want themselves a sugar mommy, I want some fun, it’s mutually beneficial for a few months then we move on. It’s transactional. Was like that ever since after my first major breakup… er, by breakup I mean death, but hey, semantics. Either way, I graduated from sugar baby to sugar mommy when I took over the Black Widows and kept it that way until Crimson and I got together.

            I lied down on the couch and looked at my phone. Was gonna need to get my shit here… Guess that’s what your little ants under you are for. I sent a few texts to my boys about needing my shit and some money sent over stateside before passing out to some shitty k-drama about Subway. Like a GIRL BOSS.

…………………………………………………………………………

            It was like in a flash I graduated from underling to the boss. One swift strike of my foot turned into a flurry, vicious, powerful, for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had taken the power back in my life.

            Seo-ah never expected me to challenge her, or to fight back. She thought she could keep me a docile, submissive piece of arm candy forever, but I was made for more. I was made to break the competition over my knee and bring my foes to beg for mercy at my feet. Mercy… Which is a fucking joke.

            As Seo-ah’s blood splattered against my leg from the final blow, I panted, trying to catch my breath before I passed out. I felt as though I hadn’t been breathing since the beginning of our encounter. Like she was holding her hands over my nose and mouth. But I could breathe now that she was dead and rolling off of me like droplets of blood on my skin.

            I dropped to the floor next to her, exhausted. Violence just incites more violence… I think Dad was wrong. Some people just can’t be redeemed. Most people can’t be redeemed. I am one of them. But she was too. She can’t hurt me or anyone else again, so in a way, I did a good thing. But to take down the first leader of the Black Widows, I had to shed my old skin. No more scared little girl, no more desperate teenager looking for validation, no more weak loser who can’t hold her own. I emerged from my old exoskeleton a powerful woman who can’t be fucked with. A creature who can’t be hurt, a beautiful and strong spider ready to devour her prey whole. It’s the only good thing that woman gave me.

…………………………………………………………………………

            Suddenly, I woke from my deep, dreamless sleep where even God can’t get to me, and I jolted up and ready fight when I felt a gun pressed up against my head. Pussy, come at me when I’m awake, you cuntwaffle! I grabbed that bitch’s wrist and flung her to the ground, knocking the gun out of her hand. She screeched and kicked me in the gut, trying to get back to her feet. I took a fighting stance, letting her get to her feet. It was no fun if I took her out in one hit, now, was it?

            The woman scrambled to her feet and shakily got into a familiar one. Low level Doll fighting stance and training. Would explain why she sucked so hard at assassinating me, they left that shit for the top girls. This was just a foot solider. A former pop up target and occasional toy for bored commanders. I’d feel a bit bad for the bitch if she wasn’t trying to take my ass out for some reason. I didn’t even beat you, what’s your problem?

            We clashed, her trying so desperately to pin me while I just toyed with her as I shook the cobwebs off from sleeping. I yawned as I flung a roundhouse kick as hard as I could into her face then jumped onto her gut. Normally, this would be fun. But man, it’s just boring when you’re so much better than your opponent. Like shooting people in a barrel. That’s the saying, right?

            “Death or victory! Death before surrender! Dignity in blood!” she screeched.

            “Aww, that’s cute, Barbie, but your ass is still heading to the thrift store,” I sneered.

            “The mother will have your head!”

            I stomped on her head to knock her out. She doesn’t strictly need her front teeth and nose unbroken, right? I climbed off of the passed out woman on my floor and stared down at her. She was a southeast Asian woman with long, scraggly hair that hadn’t been brushed in a few days. She wore an old Doll uniform with a unique patch of a saint like figure rising from the ocean sewn into her shoulder. I couldn’t read the writing cause it was in Russian I think. Around her neck was some Nayshali beads I’d seen on my last trip there. That was my best guess for her origin. And then it hit me. I probably needed to call my lady about this bullshit. Oh no, guess she has to come over in the dead of the night to help me take care of whatever this is and maybe watch tv with me. Darn, how disappointing.

            I whipped out my phone and called Cammy’s number, tapping my foot impatiently on the floor next to the knocked out Doll next to me. It rang for a while before she answered.

            “This better be important,” She mumbled sleepily. “Who is this, why are you calling?”

            “Hey, Kitten, it’s Juri. Listen, some low rank Doll broke into my apartment and tried to shoot me in the face. Naturally I knocked her ass out. But can you come take care of this? Oh, also, I got someone else’s Netflix account if you wanna stay over after we toss out the body.”

            “There’s a body?!”

            “Nah, not yet, she’s breathing.”

            “Don’t kill her, just keep her from escaping, do as minimal harm as possible for the love of god, Juri!” she shouted over the phone.

            “Relax, I ain’t gonna hurt her. Uh, unless she hits me again. Just come get her,” I clarified, massaging my temples in annoyance. Cammy hung up on me and I plopped down on the intruder to browse my phone while she was out. Kinda regretted not having any rope or handcuffs on me, but oh well.

………………………………………………………….

            After maybe thirty minutes, Cammy was rushing into my apartment, looking a bit frazzled. Like a lesbian fashion disaster. Camouflage cargo pants that looked like they hadn’t been washed in a hot second clashing with the red flannel shirt that was half buttoned up, all pulled together with some brown doc martins. I knew it was just that she got dressed in a hurry, but there were a lot of clashing yet very gay elements, I kinda had to dig it.

            “I’m here, what exactly happened?” She asked, looking around before zeroing in on the woman I was sitting on.

            I decided to clarify, “Before you freak out, I’m just keeping her from getting up and escaping, she’s fine.”

            “Alright, but what happened exactly? Tell me everything.”

            “I was sleeping and I woke up with a gun in my face. I threw her onto the floor and knocked it out of her hand. She tried to take me down, but I kicked her in the head and knocked her out. Before she passed out, she was yelling some creepy bullshit, I guess trying to hype herself up?”

            “What did she say?” Cammy asked as she checked the branding scar on the woman’s arm, taking a picture of it with her phone while she read the number out loud in a soft tone.

            “It was like ‘death before surrender’ something something dignity and blood, her mama’s gonna have my head. Incoherent shit. She doesn’t seem to be under any psycho power influence though, so maybe she’s just fucking crazy.”

            “Death or victory, death before surrender, dignity in blood. Does that sound like what she said?” Cammy asked plainly, not bothering to look up at me.

            “Yeah. I think that’s it,” I replied, getting up off of the woman so Cammy could assess her. “How’d you know?”

            “It was a common mantra we had to chant sometimes. Part of the indoctrination and was sometimes used as a thought stopping technique. It’s hard to think for yourself when you’re tired, hungry, and yelling propaganda at the top of your lungs. We were taught to recite that before battle to ourselves, or with each other. And to chant it again if we were faced with defeat,” She explained, a thousand yard stare growing on her face. “We thought it would be better to die in battle than to fail or be captured. At least, that’s what we were taught, I don’t know how many of my sisters and the other Dolls shared the sentiment in earnest.”

            “Yikes.”

            “Mhm.” She mumbled softly, eyes still laser focused on the scar on the woman’s wrist. “Her unit is from Nayshal. This unit was made up of some trafficking victims like usual, but also a lot of willing volunteers. Some just didn’t have anywhere else to turn, some were just fanatics. Nayshal was one of Shadaloo’s largest hubs for recruits.”

            “What crazy ass girl would sign up for that?”

            “People who are desperate. People who are already indoctrinated. You have to realize, at the time there was massive civil unrest in the region and Shadaloo did manage to stabilize the region through force. There was at least the façade of improvement. And the Dolls were a good chunk of the soldiers used to accomplish this. Not to mention propaganda in the region, one that’s already cut off from much of the rest of the world. They didn’t know what they were really signing up for,” Cammy explained. “Vulnerable people are easy to manipulate. Especially children.”

            Just as I was about to say how fucked that all was, the woman woke up and stared up at Cammy with a look of absolute fucking horror. She looked like she was staring down the barrel of a flame thrower. She contorted her face like she was sticking her tongue in her cheek, making Cammy jump into action, trying to pry open her jaw.

            “Oh no you don’t!”

            The woman screeched and tried to wrestle Cammy off of her, gagging and yelling incoherently as Cammy tried to pry something out of the back of her mouth. They struggled on the ground, the woman chomping down on Cammy’s hand while Cammy yelled at her to stop and not to swallow. I resisted the urge to make a spitters are quitters joke because I didn’t want to piss off my lady more than she already was. After a few minutes Cammy knocked out the woman again and pulled her hand free, clutching a little white and yellow pill in her bloody fingers.

            “Got it.” She said in exhausted triumph. “I need to take her in for questioning… Uh, Juri, I’m sorry, but you have to come with. You’re in the middle of this now.”

            “What the fuck was that all about?”

            “It’s a cyanide pill, we all kept them in a false molar to kill ourselves with if we were ever to be captured and interrogated. So we wouldn’t give out any important information when being tortured,” Cammy replied, putting the pill in a ziplock bag in the meantime. “I need to call for backup.”

            “Ah hell, you’re gonna make me talk to the feds, aren’t you?”

            “Frankly, Love, if you want any information on the situation to protect yourself going forward, you have no other choice.”

            I sighed, “God damn it, I just wanna go back to bed… But fine. I want you to make sure they don’t toss my ass in prison though. I haven’t done anything here in years, and nothing any of y’all can prove anyways.”

            “You’re not going to prison, you’re a victim of a crime I’m investigating… And I’ll defend you if they want to put you away,” Cammy assured, frowning a little as she looked up at me. “Please, attacks like this on anyone even slightly associated with Shadaloo or SIN are on the rise. Not just perpetrators, victims too. If you can help even a little bit, it would mean a lot to me. It would help me sleep better knowing my family is safe.”

            “Fucking hell, Kitten… Yeah, ok. What’s our story for why I called you in particular?” I asked, watching the agent look down at her phone. “I doubt you want everyone knowing we’ve been hanging out and went on a date.”

            “I… would like to keep that confidential for now, yes.” Cammy admitted, a guilty look growing on her face. “I really like you, Juri, I mean it. And I want to keep seeing you, but I could lose everything if this got out right now. I need to be strategic in who I tell and how.”

            “Does anyone know?” I asked.

            “Just Decapre. George knows I went to the carnival with a woman, but he doesn’t know who. Decapre uh… She figured it out and asked me point blank if you were the woman I was seeing, so that gave me a bit of a fright.” Cammy sat down on the couch, holding her head in her hands. “I feel like such an arsehole about this.”

            I shrugged and sat next to her, resting my hand on her back, “Ain’t the first time I’ve been someone’s secret. I get it. No need to risk your whole fucking career for something this new. Crimson and I had to keep things on the downlow for a while, then she had to pretend she was dating me for information. I don’t know if anyone actually bought it, but it worked for a few years.”

            “I’ve been someone’s secret before too, but it was because she wouldn’t just come out of the closet. It hurts and I hate doing something similar.”

            “This isn’t you being too scared to pull up your big girl panties and tell everyone you’re gay, this is a matter of your livelihood. I get it. I’m not upset. Kinda wondering how big sis knew, but hey, I’m an only child, I don’t know how much siblings actually know about each other,” I said, rubbing Cammy’s back to comfort her. “I don’t like it, but I uh… I care enough about you to put up with it. And prefer you don’t shoot yourself in the foot over me.”

            “If we… If we continue seeing each other. This relationship… I don’t want to hide it. If this continues, I intend to tell my dad about it. He should be able to help… I hope,” she said softly, leaning closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder. “What are we right now?”

            “I don’t know, why label it? I just wanna enjoy whatever time we got together. If it’s another day, or like, a few years, whatever, I just wanna enjoy it with you while we got each other,” I explained, just enjoying a few moments alone with her before I’d be having to deal with Chun-Li and whoever else was on their way. I just wanted a little bit of peace before having to deal with all the bullshit from pompous government workers who think they’re better than me. Cammy didn’t make me feel that way though. I think she knew what it was like to have those types look down on you. I kinda wished she could be the only person I’d have to deal with, but I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. It never is. But for now, for these few moments, I just wanted to keep my arm around my girl.

            “Alright… We take things one day at a time,” she said softly, closing her eyes as she rested against me for a bit.

………………………………………………………………………………..

            Once backup arrived, everything went on ultra speed it seemed. I picked out a few familiar faces from the crowd, mainly Chun-Li, Crimson, and Decapre. Some officers loaded the passed out Doll into an armored SWAT vehicle and Cammy explained that she had been contacted by me due to her being the only Doll I knew of in the area. I just went with her story, leaving all the bureaucratic bullshit to the professional. Really I was just trying to keep from talking to my ex and Chun-Li, which went about as well as possible when the two of them insisted on being the ones to interview me. Seriously, fuck my life.

            So there I was, walking down the hallway of Interpol’s Metro City headquarters, in my pajamas, being guarded by two people I hate while my partner trails behind me with her sister. And I couldn’t hit any of these people. It sucked ass, dude.

            Bland beige hallways faded into sterile gray ones as I was led to an interrogation room. A sense of dread built up in my gut as I stared down the cold, empty room. I’d been on both sides of the table in my life. I’d been the one being interrogated, and the one fishing for information. I knew how ugly that shit could get first hand and felt a little sick thinking about it. I glanced back at Cammy, mouthing ‘help me’. She winced and sheepishly piped up.

            “Um, Chun-Li, perhaps I should help interview Ms. Han,” she said after clearing her throat.

            “I appreciate the offer, but we really need you and Decapre to handle interrogating the prisoner. This could be connected to the case you’ve been on,” Chun-Li replied. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Crimson and I can handle it.”

            “Yes, I’m not questioning your skill, but I think given she has been the least hostile towards me so far, I might be able to get her to talk easier,” Cammy reasoned.

            Crimson scoffed, “You’d just get useless flirting, Juri doesn’t cooperate for anyone. She can’t even put together a bookcase properly because she refuses to read the directions.”

            “Hey, I put it together and it held up just fine!” I argued, because I ain’t about to be slandered right now.

            “You spent another hundred dollars in extra materials you didn’t need and it took five hours after you got home from Lowes!” Crimson argued. “It was the most basic bitch bookcase I could get from IKEA.”

            “Regardless of… All of that, I think I can convince Juri to tell us what we need,” Chun-Li said, patting Cammy on the shoulder. “You just focus on getting what you can out of the Doll.”

            “Right… Keep me updated.”

            “How do you know I won’t only talk to her?” I asked. Cammy face palmed, clearly irritated at this point.

            “Because this concerns your safety, Ms. Han,” Chun-Li reminded. I rolled my eyes.

            “Yeah, because she was such a threat,” I grumbled. “It’s not like they sent anyone with actual skill. Whoever ‘they’ are… Fuck me, I’ve pissed off a lot of people.”

            “Exactly why cooperating with us is in your best interest. I’m sure you can go annoy Agent White later if you really want to,” Chun-Li said in a half serious, half friendly tone. I kinda hate when she does that shit. Don’t act like you’re being nice to me, damn it! It’s condescending as fuck. She’s condescending, Crimson’s just a bitch, it’s like the ultimate combination to piss me off. Still… I wasn’t exactly getting out of this. And I told Cammy I’d play nice. So I swallowed my pride and nodded.

            “Mhm… yeah. Well, I’ll tell you what happened, but I don’t have much to tell.”

            “That’s alright, any little bit can help,” Chun-Li assured as she ever so slightly pushed me towards the interrogation room. Great. No escape now, I’m stuck with both of them. I sighed and just took a seat, glancing back at Cammy and Decapre, who were watching on for a moment. Decapre grabbed her sister’s wrist and led her away so they could get to their own assignment. I guess I can’t hold it against her. It’d be weird if she was TOO insistent on interviewing me. People would find it sus. Still, I wish she’d just tell everyone that’s how this is going down. Wait, who outranks who here?

            I leaned back in my seat and tapped my foot against rung on the chair expectantly, anticipating the long hours of questioning. Maybe some roughhousing with Crimson. She was always an at all cost kind of agent. Hell, I think she fucked up Cammy just to piss off one of her buddies at some point. She’s a scary fucking woman, but that’s kinda my type. I love a woman who can literal destroy me, because hey, I like a challenge. What’s the fun in topping someone who’s weak? Loser shit. If I’m gonna be with a woman long term, I want someone who’s my equal.

            Chun-Li? I can’t really see her as the police brutality type. She takes her job seriously, and as much as I hate to admit it, she’s clearly got a code of honor and acts accordingly. I can begrudgingly respect that, because I’m the same way. Though I doubt she’d be able to understand there’s honor among criminals. There’s boundaries, lines you just don’t fucking cross, or the rest of us will eat ya alive. I mean, why do you think predators get killed in prison all the time? It’s cause the rest of us see them as scum and don’t wanna cohabitate with them. Tangent aside, I feel like I can at least expect humane treatment from Chun-Li, which is the only reason I was thankful she was there. Her holier than thou bullshit, trying to drag my family into shit all the time, fucking pisses me off. She’s not better than me because she decided to become a cop. She just took the socially acceptable route to revenge, but revenge is revenge and the only difference between her killing Bison and me killing Bison is one of us would be labeled a criminal and one of us would be labeled a hero. It’s all about who big daddy government likes better. And I just ain’t willing to suck up to people who are just as corrupt as me. Hell, back home I don’t have basic human rights as a lesbian, so fuck them and their whole system. Crime and politics are one in the same.

            My ex and my rival sat across from me after locking the door and starting the tape recorder. Felt archaic, but also a bit nostalgic, like those old crime dramas I’d watch with my dad. Man, if he was here, he’d be yelling at me not to say anything until I got a defense attorney present. Sorry, Dad.

            “So, it’s pretty much exactly what I told Cammy at the scene. I was sleeping, and I woke up to a gun against my forehead. I knocked it out of the broad’s hand before she could shoot me, kicked her ass, and I called the only person I could think of who might be able to handle the situation,” I explained once the tape was running. “The Doll and Cammy fought briefly, she knocked her out and pulled a pill out of her mouth. She-uh, by she I mean Cammy, said it was a suicide pill she had in false tooth and that it was apparently a standard thing.”

            “How did you even know how to get into contact with Agent White?” Crimson asked.

            “Bought her number off of someone. Guess it came in useful after all.”

            “Of course you would.” Crimson grumbled. I tapped my foot faster, trying not to let myself get too annoyed with her. Didn’t need to give these fuckers a reason to toss my ass in jail for the night. Thump thump thump thump thump.

            “Did the Doll say anything to you during the assassination attempt? Anything that might give you a clue to who sent her?” Chun-Li asked.

            “She started doing some of those creepy chants the Dolls would do when amping themselves up, at least that’s what I was told she was doing. She said something along the lines of ‘my mother will have your head’ then I knocked her ass out.”

            “Her mother?” Chun-Li asked in confusion. “That’s a bit strange.”

            “Yeah, I thought so too, maybe it doesn’t mean anything though. I mean, it sounds absurd, though maybe she’s the daughter of someone important who got kidnapped. She had some Nayshali beads on her, and this strange patch on her uniform I haven’t seen before though. It looked like Mary raising out of the ocean,” I recalled. “My grandma was catholic, it kinda reminded me of something she would have.”

            “That is a bit unexpected, but worth noting. I know a lot of low level Dolls were recruited from Nayshal when Shadaloo moved in there during the civil war, so I suppose that’s fairly expected. Still, every detail is important. Can you remember anything else?”

            “She was scared shitless of Cammy and tried to kill herself when she saw her. So I’d go ask her what’s up with that one,” I said as I crossed my arms in discomfort. “I saw her outside my apartment-“

            “You mean the apartment you’re squatting in?” Crimson corrected. I grumbled.

            “My temporary sleeping place. I saw her outside on the phone. She looked intimidated by me and went into her apartment quickly. No idea who she was on the phone with and what they were talking about. I think she was speaking Nayshali, but for all I know it was French; I only know Korean and English.”

            Chun-Li tapped her fingers on the table in thought, pursing her lips together as she listened to me talk. “It sounds like a hit rather than a random attack, but we won’t know who sent her or if she went rogue until we get her side of the story. The suicide attempt isn’t too out of the ordinary. Most Dolls we attempted to capture would swallow hidden cyanide tablets before we could even transfer them to a facility. It made getting information on the program very difficult until we found Cammy.”

            “Think she would’ve done the same if she hadn’t hit her head?” I asked. Morbid curiosity, but like, would she?

            “Obviously, she was a fanatic,” Crimson scoffed.

            “She was a child,” Chun-Li interrupted. “And yes, it’s very possible she would have. I’m thankful she didn’t have the ability to do so when she was found or the drive to do so when she had the opportunity.”

            “Yeah, same…” I couldn’t help but cringe a little at the thought of it. Not just because I cared about Cammy at this point in life, but because she wouldn’t have been any older than Lauren when she was discovered. I guess the horror of that is two-fold: losing the woman I care about, the idea of someone Lauren’s age being so scared of other people she’d poison herself. Scary shit. I didn’t say any of that though. I doubted Crimson wanted to think about Lauren committing suicide.

            Crimson rested her face on her palm, “You just say that because you think she’s hot.”

            “Fucking hell, this shit again? I mention she’s hot once in passing and you act like I ran off with her.”

            “Why’d you keep running into her then? What else am I supposed to think? You were so clearly trying to get in her pants,” Crimson slammed her hands against the table.

            I laughed, “You mean occasionally bumping into her, getting in a fight, and then going home to you? Yeah, sounds like a whirlwind affair. If that’s your standard for fucking, then man, I got some bad news for you. I’ve fucked Chun-Li, you’ve probably fucked Chun-Li, we’ve both fucked Cammy, hell, I did most of her family if that’s the metric we’re using. Oh! You should go tell her that, tell her that you beating the shit out of her is basically the same as hooking up, I’m sure she’d love to hear all about it!”

            “Ok, that’s enough! This is highly inappropriate.” Chun-Li shouted and glared at the both of us. “I expected more professionalism from you, Agent Viper.”

            “I’m not the one talking about shagging everyone here, that’s on Juri,” Crimson said smoothly.

            “Well bringing your old relationship baggage into the workplace is unacceptable. And frankly, I’d prefer if you’d BOTH keep my friend out of whatever petty dispute you’re having. Stop acting like children, my daughter is more mature than you two,” Chun-Li chastised, looking more heated than usual. “Like it or not, Juri is here as the victim of a crime. Not as your ex, not as a suspect, not as our enemy. Be professional about this. And I can guarantee whatever you think happened with Cammy is false, she wouldn’t settle for someone like Juri-“   

            “Hey, I’m great!”

            “She’s got high standards. And actually takes her job seriously unlike some people,” Chun-Li finished, glaring at both of us. “Now if that’s all you can recall about tonight, you two are free to take your argument outside for the night.”

            “Aw, don’t wanna join in?” I winked at Chun-Li as I got up out of my chair, cracking my back and neck. “Ah, man, stiff as fuck.” I need to stop sleeping on couches.

            “Out.”

            I cackled and headed out of the room once it was unlocked. I was so ready to get the fuck out of there.

………………………………………………………………………

            We were hiding out in a cheap motel somewhere in South America, or maybe it was Central America? I couldn’t remember where we were anymore. It’d been nonstop driving since we left Brazil. Only breaks we took were to refuel at gas stations. But it was getting too exhausting. And I was getting pretty jealous of the knocked out towhead in Cammy’s arms. Talk about the comfiest seat on the bike, plus she gets to nap this whole time. Goddamn, how hard did she get hit? I tried not to dwell on it, because frankly. Decapre being out cold was a godsend. She’d probably just wake up more pissed off and try to take off our heads, and honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d win this time around.

            As we checked into our room, Cammy set her sister down on one of the beds and pulled the blankets up over her. Decapre mumbled in her sleep, rolling around a bit and reach out in front of her.

            “Please, no… no. Bring her back, please, don’t hurt her, please please, don’t hurt Bee, just bring her back, she’ll listen to me, you know she will. I can fix her, just bring her home, please, don’t hurt her.”

            Cammy pat her on the head, “It’s alright, I’m right here… We’re safe.”

            It didn’t seem to help much at first, grief wracked sobs filling the room for a few minutes before Decapre grew calm and quiet. I guess the nightmare passed. Cammy stayed with her for a while, just petting her hair to try to comfort her sister for a while before pulling away to join me at the window. I could see her cheeks were red and puffy like she’d been crying, but I wasn’t about to draw attention to it. It wasn’t my place.

            “We should probably get some sleep. I was able to find a boat, we should be able to make our way to Europe soon,” I explained, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “Uh, do you have any experience navigating… You ok?”

            “No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “I’m really not.”

            “Long ride or is it about her?” I asked.

            “She’s… She’s not the sister I remember. Except for a few lucid moments…” Cammy hugged herself and closed her eyes for a moment. “It’s like for just a moment, I see my sister again, and the next it’s like she’s not even the same person, she’s either cold or screaming. It’s like she was lobotomized. It’s… It’s just so hard hearing the same voice that used to comfort me as a child screaming that she hates me. To have to defend myself from the person who always tried to protect me when we were small. It’s like I’m staring into her face, but she’s not there anymore. And then she’ll do something, say something, and I know she’s not gone completely, but it’s never for long. I don’t know how much of my sister is even left to save and that scares me so much.”

            “That’s… heavy,” I murmured. “Shit.”

            “I… I just want my sister back,” she said in a wavering voice, beginning to cry again. “I just want her to wake up, be her old self, and tell me it’s going to be ok. That the world isn’t going to explode, and if it does we’ll still be fine. And I shouldn’t need that, I’m not a little girl anymore, but this…this is complete insanity, all of it!”

            “I get it, I’m kinda scared of what’s gonna happen if we fuck this up too,” I admitted. Last year, I saw her as the sky blue monster in my nightmares, the girl holding the gun without the guts to look me in the eye and kill me. But I couldn’t see her like that anymore. All I saw was a scared woman missing her family. And looking back on it all, the coward who failed to shoot me… was a scared kid who didn’t want to kill another kid. It was like all the anger finally melted away in that moment.

            I had saved Cammy and Decapre because they were useful. I begrudgingly took them with because I knew I needed them for my plan to work and I figured I could just get my revenge on them afterwards. But I didn’t want revenge on them. I didn’t NEED revenge on them. Not anymore. We were all victims of the same assholes in power. The remainder of the animosity I had towards Cammy was just gone. Truthfully it had been fading for a while or I wouldn’t have been able to put up with them for hours on end, but it was just completely gone at that moment.

            I looked out the window at the night sky before speaking, “Sometimes, when I’m scared or hurt, I still want my parents to come make it better. Hell, there’ve been a few times I started crying and yelling for them, even though they couldn’t do anything about it cause they’ve been gone for so long. I… I understand what it’s like to want the person who made you feel safe back.”

            “Did you have anyone else in your life to fill that role?” Cammy asked.

            “No… I thought I did, but she was just using me,” I admitted. “But it’s fine, I don’t need anyone, I’m strong on my own.”

            “I suppose I’m the lucky one of us. I have people to catch me when I fall.”

            “Honestly, good for you.” I sighed. “I don’t hold any of this against you anymore… I used to think you and your sisters were monsters, but I don’t really feel that way anymore.”

            Cammy dried her tears on one of those cheap tissues they had in the room. “I’m glad to hear that. Not really for myself, but for them. They deserve a second chance, we didn’t… We didn’t want to do the things we did. We were all brought in as kids, Decapre and I were born into it, and we were just trying to survive. I know that doesn’t make all the pain I’ve caused any better, I would take it all back if I could. But I can’t. I don’t want my family to suffer more because of all of this when it was never their choice though.”

            “What would you say if you ever met the family of one of your victims?” I asked.

            “I… I’d say that I’m sorry, that I regret everything I ever did to hurt them and other people. That I can’t take it back and I know apologies don’t make that kind of pain better, but I have tried to use the rest of my life trying to protect people and keep this sort of atrocity from happening again,” she said as she leaned against the windowsill. “I’m always scared that day will come… But if it does, I can’t run away, I must face what happened and be honest. I doubt it’d be of any comfort to people I’ve hurt though.”

            I looked down at her then back up at the stars, “Nah… I think they’d get what you’re saying. I think it’d help.”

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            Parties were honestly a foreign concept. I guess depending on how you look at it, the mission assignment being given to Decapre and I was smart or stupid. On the one hand, I had never been to a party, and Decapre had only gone to ones where the mission required it. On the other hand, I had no social graces and Decapre was just itching to get her hands on some drinks and a willing woman. I highly doubt THAT went unnoticed. But then again, we had a perfect rate of success when working together and I was always a stickler for rules, so I guess Vega assumed I could keep her in line.

            As I watched my sister throw back another champagne flute while flirting with some oligarch’s daughter, I realized how naïve that assumption was. Two hours in, we still hadn’t even begun searching for our target. Correction: DECAPRE hadn’t started searching, I had been running myself ragged trying to get us back on track. She had ignored me and the mission the entire night, leaving me to track down our target alone and navigate the social bullshit of a society and situation I had very little context for. Ironic, considering I was born and raised in Russia, but the crowd I was trying to integrate in here felt as foreign to me as a room full of Americans or Egyptians. I felt like every five minutes I was having to think of a new excuse to tell some guy asking me to dance or figure out how to act natural when I am so clearly just standing around by myself doing nothing. It was frustrating, I just wanted to kill the bastard and go home. And shower. Makeup made my skin feel itchy. The dress was also itchy. I was barely able to walk in the heels I was given, and that’s after Juni had me prancing around our room in them for over an hour trying to get me used to them. How I was supposed to engage in combat in them was beyond me.

            ‘Maybe I can just chuck them over the balcony when I have to engage the target… Or use them as an improvised weapon.’ I thought, and narrowed my eyes at Decapre, who was laughing and walking over to me.

            “Ah, this is so fun, don’t you think?”

            “No, I want to do my job and go home,” I replied flatly. “How does drinking and chatting with random women help us?”

            “Relax, how often do we get to leave home? Talk to people, enjoy finer things? Wear something different? This is like a little slice of paradise,” She said wistfully as she leaned against the railing overlooking the dance floor. “When we win, when the world is perfect and we’re not needed as much anymore, this is what I want from life. Good food and drink, music, beautiful clothes, and even more beautiful women. And maybe they’ll keep the libraries. Can you imagine it? A whole building with nothing but books! I wish I could go to one.”

            “I guess I haven’t thought much about that… I don’t know what I would do with myself if didn’t have guidance or a mission. What would I do all day? How would I know when it’s time to eat, or wake up, or shower, or train, or get dressed, what to wear and when. That’s just… So many choices.”

            “Does that scare you?”

            “Yeah, I don’t think I could do that. So maybe you could just decide for both of us.” I mused, though honestly, it felt heretical to even talk about letting Decapre decide things for me instead of Vega or Bison. But total victory was so far away it felt safe enough to have the hypothetical conversation when we were alone.

            Decapre chuckled and smiled a little, “I just wish every night could be like this. Hanging out, nobody watching us, wonderful food, people to talk to, drinks, I feel… Nice wearing this dress. It makes me happy. Only thing that could make it better would be if Juni could join us.”

            “Happy like a mission well done?” I asked.

            “Yes.” She replied, but I could tell the party made her happier than any praise from the lord ever could. Decapre was different. She wanted more. She got a glimpse of the outside world from our missions and craved it. I saw the outside world and wanted to run back to the security of the lab. The options were like a drug to her, but like torture to me. Back then, my mind just couldn’t wrap around the concept of personal autonomy. It was terrifying, I didn’t trust my own thoughts, and that was by design. The indoctrination, rewards, and punishments had worked perfectly on me, but somehow, my sister stood resilient in her individuality, she just grew better at hiding it for her own safety. And I would never rat her out because I loved her. I cared about her more than I cared about our leaders, as blasphemous as that was to me. So, I ignored the tiny signs of rebellion in her. 

            “I’m glad you’re happy, but we really should get to work. We could get in trouble for drawing this out for so long.”

            “Bee, come on, just have a little bit of fun. Just a smidge, come on, have a drink, have a dance, Lord Bison will be just as safe if the target dies at midnight as he would have been if he died at eight. We’re still following orders, I mean, we were never told NOT to enjoy ourselves. Just to kill the guy at the party. The rest is… Up to interpretation, right?”

            I pouted a little and sighed in defeat, “Ok, ok, one drink, one dance, then I want to get this stuff off my face, it’s itchy.”

            “That’s the spirit!” Decapre laughed and grabbed two flutes of champagne, raising it to the air for a toast. “Поехали!”

            I chuckled and took a swig, wincing a little from the sour taste. I finished the drink then just took Decapre’s from her, because if she was going to talk me into drinking she could deal with the consequences. My sister laughed and danced a little in place while I choked back the second glass, less annoyed with me than I had hoped. What a shame. Ultimately, the joke was on me when I launched myself through the air, right into some poor musician’s tuba instead of our target, broke my ankle, and had to be carried back to the safe house by Decapre while she laughed. The ENITRE. WAY.

………………………………………………….

            Decapre and I stood side by side as we looked down at the restrained woman in front of us. 3019, Squad 10, Nayshalli Doll Unit, legal name: Saanvi Anand. I couldn’t pretend I knew much else about her; this was the first time we had ever met, however, I could hypothesize a few things about her.

First, her clean brand mark implies one of two scenarios: a willing volunteer or she was sedated. Nayshalli Dolls rarely had access to such a luxury, which means she was probably holding still for the brand on purpose. It’s at least a good possibility. Most Nayshalli Dolls who were kidnapped had messy brands on their arms, because they would, understandably, move and try to get away from the iron. The volunteers had cleaner ones, much like my Squad 1, who were all sedated during the process.

            Secondly, her patch. Sewn onto the left shoulder of her uniform was a unique patch that would have NEVER been allowed during her service to Shadaloo. The patch depicted a woman in traditional Slavic dress raising up out of the ocean with a pose reminiscent of the Virgin Mary in Eastern Orthodox iconography. Which was an unusual choice for someone from Nayshall, where the dominant religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. It was similar to the patch sewn onto the uniform of the Doll who died in the video sent from Matryoshka to us… my head still hurts whenever I think of that awful sound…

            Finally, her attack on Juri Han, a former SIN researcher so close to the announcement of Matryoshka’s intentions to cleanse the world of all people even slightly associated with Shadaloo… it all lined up too perfectly. My theory? This woman fell out of one cult and right into the arms of another.

            We would never get anywhere just staring at her though, so I cleared my throat to begin the conversation, “Saanvi, we need to ask you some questions.”

            Saanvi looked up at us with bloodshot eyes, her posture hunched over in pain. I couldn’t blame her, Juri did a number on her… And then I did immediately afterwards. If she hadn’t just tried to kill my… Partner? Roommate? Very close friend historically speaking? Juri. If she hadn’t just tried to kill Juri, I would probably feel sorry for her. But I didn’t really have it in me to feel too bad for the woman who tried to kill someone I care about, especially at 300 in the morning.

            “Do not bother with your act, Killer Bee, I know who you are,” she said with venom in her voice. This shit again.

            “Then you should know how to speak to your superiors,” Decapre said before I could get a word in, crossing her arms sternly. “We out rank you, you answer to us.”

            “I wouldn’t put it that way, Decapre,” I reminded, feeling the dull roar of my former headache begin to awaken in the back of my skull. “What was that all about? Why did you attempt to kill someone?”

            “I am cleansing our world of stains. Han Juri is one such blight preventing our planet from being made clean,” she replied simply. “Matryoshka promised me an honorable death if I completed this mission.”

            “So, you work for her?” I asked.

            “I serve our mother and savior like every Doll should. She’s the only one who can cleanse our souls, give us the death we deserve with a clean slate.”

            Decapre blinked very slowly, the way she would when she was uncomfortable and trying not to say something sarcastic. I was rather proud she kept whatever was rattling around in her head inside. Though I’m sure we were thinking the exact same thing I was. What disgusting horse-shit.

            “Really?” I asked, pushing down the urge to tell her how I really felt about that. “Why call her ‘mother’, is she your mother?”

            “She’s all of our mother, she’s the Mother of all Dolls. The first Doll, the only one who can bare our sins. We… were never meant to survive this world. We all should have died with Lord Bison, it was the only way to cleanse this world of the evil blight. Matryoshka offers us peace and redemption through the killswitch truth. We are the only ones who can cleanse this world of the remnants of Shadaloo, and once they are all dead, we shall all die honorable deaths with purified souls.”

            I glanced over at Decapre, realizing despite outranking all other Doll Units, I had no idea who the first Doll even was. The foot soldiers, low, mid, and even high rank Dolls all existed when we were children. We grew up training with them, learning the most basic skills we would need before we began our special operations training for our squad. The Doll program had existed for as long as we could remember, even though the thirteen of us hadn’t been trained and assembled yet. Who was the first? It was beyond me. I never thought about it. I didn’t find it comforting to wonder about how, why, and when Bison decided to start kidnapping young girls for child soldiers. It’s hard enough to sleep just knowing it did happen and I was born into it.

            “The first Doll?” I asked pensively. “I can’t say I’m familiar with the woman.”

            “You wouldn’t be here without her,” Saanvi insisted.

            “Well, YOU wouldn’t be here without her. Decapre and I were just clones that got transferred into the program, we would be here regardless,” I clarified. Saanvi blinked, then started laughing.

            “Wait… You still believe that bullshit story?!” She cackled. “That’s not how cloning works, dillweed, if you were a clone of Bison, you’d be a man that looks just like him, chin and all, not a couple of blonde women! Do you seriously know nothing about cloning? I mean, at best, you’re lab grown monozygotic twins, and one of you mutated along the way to have a different eye colors, clones of each other, but certainly not of him.” Saanvi stopped laughing after several long, annoying minutes. “But seriously, have you really never thought about it?”

            “I try to think as little about that situation as possible, thank you very much,” I replied flatly, trying to keep myself from getting angry with the smug little bitch. “But I suppose it does seem strange that we are women…and look very little like him…”

            “I always wondered why he’d want his backup bodies to be two girls,” Decapre piped up. “Do you ever wonder about that, Bee?”

            “No, no, I don’t like to think about it, ever. Ever. Some answers I just don’t need or want.” I said, trying to shut this conversation down. “This is drastically off topic. We were discussing Matryoshka.”

            Saanvi blinked a few times before looking down at her hands, “You know nothing about old school cloning, huh?”

            “I don’t want to talk about that damn it, tell me about your bloody boss!” I shouted, slamming my hands against the table in frustration. Saanvi squeaked and jumped in her chair, struggling against the restraints before looking up at me with a look I couldn’t understand. Like I was both a monster and a starving kitten on the street. I hated it, I fucking hated that look.

            “You just proved my point, Killer Bee. We can’t change what we are. All this time you’ve spent playing soldier with the British, cozying up to Interpol and the CIA, it has done nothing to erase what you really are, who you really are. You can change your name, dedicate yourself to whatever new god you’ve chosen, but it won’t change your nature. You will always be Killer Bee. Do you think this charade does anything for the people you’ve hurt, the lives you destroyed without a second thought? We are all disgusting, filthy, and our only redemption comes through death, dying so the rest of the world can finally be safe from us. Safe from me, from you, and every other fool who bowed a knee to the devil.”

            “I am NOT the same person I was back then,” I said firmly, taking a deep breath through my nostrils to try to calm myself.

            “Do you really think there is ANYTHING you can do to make this better other than lay down and die like you should have ten years ago? Oh, the little brat who killed my husband works for MI6 now, I feel so much better, I mean come on, you can’t be that delusional. You’re just trying to save your skin because you’re too much of a coward to face the truth-“

            “SHUT UP!” I screamed. “The only coward I see here is you! Instead of doing the work it takes to actually become a better person, to redeem yourself, you’re killing other people so someone will assist you with your self-righteous suicide! I can’t think of anything more cowardly. Face your past like a big girl and make better choices, don’t just lay down and die like a bitch!”

            Decapre grabbed my arm, keeping me from getting any closer to the prisoner, and I snapped back to reality. I am at work. Interrogating a suspect. And I was about to hit her. Repeatedly. Bugger it all. My sister pulled me back and towards the door; I followed her lead like a limp noodle. “I think you need to leave this to me. Go have coffee.”

            “I…”

            “Cammy, go.” Decapre said in a softer tone, pointing towards the door. I paused and looked back Saanvi and that smug grin on her face. I couldn’t take it. I left the interrogation room and slammed the door behind me, trying to keep my insides from falling out of my eyes and throat.

……………………………………………………………….

            I was sitting in the breakroom, clutching a paper cup of coffee close to my face to let the steam soothe my puffy eyes. Perhaps some caffeine and quiet would bring me back to reality, back to Cammy. I didn’t like slipping into Killer Bee. She’s not me. But she’s always there in the back of my mind. She’s always anxious, always shaking, always ready to attack. I hate that part of myself.

            The part of me that’s still my younger self aches and screams in my mind and responds in anger and violence. She knows fear, hunger, obedience, and crippling anxiety, very little else, and like a petulant child stomps her foot until I acknowledge her inconvenient feelings… My inconvenient feelings.

            Killer Bee couldn’t have feelings. She wasn’t allowed to feel the anxiety that permeated daily existence. She was never meant to be human. But… I always was. Even if they couldn’t dignify me with humanity, a real name, acknowledge the person I am and always was, my soul couldn’t be snuffed out. It just ached for validation, and I suppose in some ways, it still does.

            I took a deep breath, breathing in the warm steam to soothe myself and sipped my coffee. It felt surreal to be called that repeatedly again. Decapre always opted to call me Bee, but that never felt the same. ‘Bee’ was what my sister called me. Was an affectionate nickname growing up. It’s how I introduced myself to my new sisters when I met them. Killer Bee was a title, an expectation. Bee could never just exist as just Bee, she had to serve a purpose. Bee couldn’t be innocent.

            “Hey, Kiddo.”

            “My name is Cammy!” I snapped, then immediately felt awkward as I stared at Dad, who paused mid step before just nodding in understanding.

            “That it is,” he said calmly before ripping open a tea packet for himself and dumping the bag into his insulated metal cup he brought with him everywhere. We stood in silence for a while, me staring into my coffee and Dad filling his cup with boiling water. He set the cup down on the counter to let the leaves steep for a while and turned to face me. “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

            “I… I’m just not used to being called Killer Bee so much in one conversation anymore. I don’t like it much,” I said.

            “Can’t imagine I would either. I suppose the Bee part is nice, but I don’t think it suits you much,” Dad said simply as swirled his cup around, filling the air with the nostalgic smell of black tea. “Was the suspect addressing you by that name?”

            “Yeah… Though honestly, it’s not just that.”

            “Oh?”

            “She believes the only good thing former Dolls can do is die, specifically by letting her new cult leader kill us to ‘purify’ our souls… Purity. What a gross word.”

            “The only purity I give a damn about is if they’re using cane sugar for the fizzy pop,” Dad chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, though his face grew serious soon afterwards. “Sounds like a load of shit to me. She’s quite the narrow-minded cunt, ain’t she?”

            “Dad, lower your voice, the Americans are fussy about curses,” I said worriedly, looking around to make sure nobody was listening in. Dad just rolled his eyes and shrugged.

            “Good thing they ain’t in charge of my payroll. But back to the matter at hand, it sounds like our suspect is putting her own failure to improve on other people. Or if you’re feeling empathetic this morning, she didn’t deprogram well and someone’s feeding on those insecurities and turning them into hatred. Either way, it’s still on everyone to sort through their shit and try to do better. You can’t change the past, you can learn from it, and you can do better. That’s all anyone can ask of you kids.”

            “Well we’re hardly children anymore…”

            “You’ll always be my little girl though,” Dad chided and pinched my cheek, smiling like a bit of a dork. “I know you’re all grown women, but all that indoctrination happened so young. I don’t hold those actions against any of you. You were kids when it all started and too ensnared to get away when everyone grew up. I know you for certain wouldn’t have done anything to hurt anyone of your own volition. Talking with Decapre and Juni only strengthens that conviction.”

            “I doubt they’d mention anything unflattering.”

            “You give your sisters way too much credit, they’ve all told on you plenty,” Dad laughed. “Apparently, Juni thought you were slow for a while.”

            I nearly dropped my coffee I was so offended, sputtering out curses, “Juni, what the fuck, why would you think that?”

            “Just your naivety as a kid and cult personality came across that way. Juni doesn’t think that about you now,” he clarified. “Point is, everyone has always told me what I already know: that you have a good heart, you look out for others, you’re diligent, loyal, and thoughtful. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that, I know you, but it’s good to know you were always that way. But like, think about it, most shithead kids at their worst? They ain’t like that deep down. You were a manipulated and scared little girl forced to hurt others against your will. When I was that age, I was deeply lonely and browbeaten, so I broke shit, started fires, and robbed corner stores. We ain’t that bad when people actually treat us right, yeah? You can’t live life like your worst day defines you, because we’d all be absolute bellends all the time if we did. You’re on the right track, have been for years. Don’t let that lazy cunt tell you otherwise, she just doesn’t want to improve and wants to tear you down because she won’t put in the leg work.”

            I sipped my coffee and smiled a little, “Thanks, Dad.”

            “Anytime, Cam-a-Blam,” Dad chuckled and hugged me from the side before getting back to his tea. “Finish your coffee then go talk with George, he’s looking through some old files and will need you and Decapre’s help in narrowing down our persons of interest for this Matryoshka.”

            “Understood, Colonel.” I saluted and finished my coffee. Back to work, back to formalities, coffee in the system, brain working again. Dad rolled his eyes and pat me on the shoulder before getting back to his own part of the assignment.

………………………………………………….

            The air was hot and steamy, raising the smell of battle up from the lowlands to the mountain path where we were camped out. The smoldering embers of the fire were dying, snuffed out by tepid well water that was standing a bit too still for comfort. But despite the near unbearable humidity, I could see the moon shining down on me like a nightlight, as well as the occasional bright light from the battlefield below. I tried to avoid the noise and focus on the whispering next to me.

            “And then the princess realized the stairway had been before her all along, hidden in the trees and rocks. She crawled out of the water and climbed the stairway to paradise, dragging her broken body upwards. As she rose from the depths of the lake, her wounds began to heal and her old tattered rags turned to a dress of gold and silver,” Decapre whispered, keeping her voice low as to not wake anyone else up.

            “What happened when the Princess got to paradise?” Juni asked in a hushed whisper.

            “She dropped jewels down from the sky like a trail, and all her loved ones who found them could follow the path to safety.”

            “What color were they?” I asked.

            Decapre paused for a moment before shrugging, “They’re rose quartz.”

            “Why?”

            “I think it’s pretty and it’s my story,” she asserted. “You can pick when you come up with the story.”

            “I don’t have any ideas for a story…” I said softly. “I like listening to the ones you and Juni tell.”

            Decapre rolled onto her back, staring up at the moon sleepily, “Well I’ve told my last story tonight, Little Bee, it’s time to rest.”

            “What? Already?” I whined, only to get shushed by Juni. I quieted down.

            “Goodnight, Bee.”

            “buzz buzz,” I whispered,

            Juni chuckled and pat my arm, “One more story, then we’re going to sleep, ok?”

            “Ok,” I smiled a little and propped my head on my arm, resting on my side so I could face my friend. I was thirteen, Juni was fourteen, and Decapre was fifteen at the time. A bit unconventional, but this was the closest to a ‘slumber party’ we were going to get. Not that any of us awake had ever been to one. Juni had a vague idea of what they were supposed to be like, and Decapre and I had only ever heard about them from Aprile and Enero. It sounded fun though, I wished the other girls could have stayed awake to talk with us, but the more voices whispering in the night, the more likely we were to get in trouble. It was ok though, I was happy to have attention from my favorite sisters on something that didn’t involve combat.

            “What do you want the story to be about?” Juni asked.

            “Uh… Cats.”

            “Ok, once upon a time, there was a sweet little cat with fluffy, tan fur. Her cheeks were chubby from how thick her fur was, and she was always warm in the winter from her coat. This cat needs a name, you pick it.”

            “Uh…”

            “Pick a name, Bee.”

            I just kinda stared at Juni, “What? But I don’t know the cat’s name.”

            “Yes, you do, you just pick one.”

            “What if I pick the wrong one?” I asked worriedly.

            Juni sighed and cracked her neck, “The only wrong answer is no answer, Bee. Any name is ok, you just have to pick it yourself. What’s the cat’s name?”

            “Um…” I thought for a moment on it, feeling a little overwhelmed by choice before settling on the first thing to come to mind, “Her name is Anya.”

            “Anya the cat was charming and agile, a fast hunter who could take down any matter of prey. She expertly climbed and pounced, catching many birds, mice, and even the occasional passerby’s foot,”

            “Oh no, what if she gets stepped on?”

            “She’d be very offended and probably give that person a very angry look,” Juni giggled. “Anya had everything a cat should need. A warm box for a bed, lots of yummy food, and sunshine to bask in. But something was missing in her life. She was quite lonely. Anya lived all alone, no family or friends, no other cats or humans to play with. All the humans ignored her, they didn’t want to play with or pet Anya because she was a stray.”

            “Poor Anya… I’d pet her,” I murmured. I hadn’t actually MET a cat before, but I’d seen them. And I really REALLY wanted to pet one. One day. One day I would.

            “One day, Anya was very sad because nobody had taken her up on her offer to play or cuddle. She was walking home to her favorite box alone when she saw a little girl crying on the road. Anya was worried about her, so she ran over and rubbed up against the girl’s leg, purring to try to make her feel better. The little girl pet Anya and the two of them shared a delicious snack of packaged apples. They became very good friends and Anya went home with the girl, riding in her arms. She finally had everything she wanted and she was content. The end.”

            I smiled and curled up in my sleeping bag, yawning a little. Under my breath, quiet enough that only Juni could hear I whispered, “One day… One day I would like to have a cat.”

            “I hope you do,” Juni said softly as she zipped up her own sleeping bag. “Goodnight, Bee.”

            “Goodnight, Juni.”

            Suddenly, something rustled nearby and I opened my eyes to see what it was. Trotting out of the bushes was a shaggy, stray tabby cat with a mouse in his mouth. He looked rather pleased with himself as he strutted around our little campsite, much to my awe. He was so fluffy! And close. Very very close. I shook Juni.

            “Juni, Juni, look,” I whispered close to her face to try to wake her up. She opened her eyes and flinched a bit, just as surprised as I was. Then again, Juni always flinched when someone tried to wake her up by getting close. “There’s a cat!” I whispered excitedly.

            Juni rubbed her eyes and looked around our area. She grabbed a piece of leftover jerky from Decapre’s pack and began to whisper, “pspspspspspsp.”

            The cat perked up and watched us, trying to decide if he wanted to come any closer. After mulling it over, he sauntered closer and took the jerky from Juni’s hand, much to my amazement. I hesitantly reached my hand out and touched his back, marveling at how soft his fur was. It was like a dream come true.

            “This is the best day ever,” I said to her as I pet the stray gently.

            Meanwhile, the battle raged on below us, our sisters in arms bleeding out in ruined village for a war none of us understood. The next morning, we would assist the Nayshali units and assassinate the king of this nation, putting his son who’s sympathetic to Bison in charge of the country. But that was normal, any other Tuesday for us. But getting to stay up late talking to my sisters and pet a real live cat? That was a very special day that only came every once in a while. 

………………………………………………………………………………………

            I peaked into George’s temporary office to see if he was there yet. I don’t think he ever went back to his hotel… Or went to sleep for that matter. He had that bloodshot, scruffy look about him that he had when he decided to stay up all night at the computer. I think he’s starting to pay for doing that all the time now that he’s getting older, it’s not as easy as it is when you’re a kid.

            He poked his head to the side of his main monitor, “Hey. Do you need something?”

            “I need you to pull up and review as many files as possible on Project Dolls, see if you can find any subjects that would qualify as the first Doll. That’s our only lead on Matryoshka at the moment,” I explained, leaning against the doorway as we talked.

            “Yeah, and how about I download you a rainbow farting Pegasus while we’re at it?” George laughed before staring at me with a serious look, “I’ll see what I can do, but a lot of that data was corrupted or lost during the fall. We weren’t able to recover that much on the program because of damage to the servers.”

            “I see… That makes this a bit more difficult, huh?”

            “It’s not impossible, I’ll see what I can do, but it might take a bit longer than usual,” George clarified, feeding a pizza roll to Oracle, who was chilling out on his head. “Can you hand me a Monster from the fridge?”

            “Sure.” I crouched down by the mini fridge, grabbed the energy drink, and handed it off to my brother. “You really need to stop pulling all-nighters like this, it’s not good for you.”

            “Look, all the guys were online, you know trying to schedule a game with all our time zones is a pain in the ass. I’ll take what I can get,” George whined and sighed. “Anyways, I’ll start seeing what I can pull up, but no promises.”

            “Do you think an old SIN laptop might help?” A voice asked from behind me, making me jump, a bit startled. I quickly turned around to face Juri, who was standing in the doorway sleepily. “I still got mine if you want it.”

            “Actually, that’d be pretty helpful,” George piped up, then blinked a few times, “Wait, who’s this?”

            “Juri, I worked for them for a while,” she introduced herself. “I still have some of my old equipment from back then. You can have it if it’ll help catch whoever’s running around trying to ice us.”

            “That’s actually very helpful, thank you, Juri,” I replied, feeling a small sense of pride. I didn’t expect her to want to help us, hell, I was half preparing myself to find out she ran off mid interview out of boredom. Maybe it was self-preservation, or maybe she actually cared about the case and my work. Either way, I’d take what I could get.

            George mumbled to himself, “Bloody weird how often you two run into each other but I ain’t complaining.”

            “Heh, you must be Georgie, I heard about you.”

            “Yo.” He waved but didn’t look up from his computer. “Just drop anything you got off here once you got it, Cammy can make sure you get paid for it. Or she can tell Dad and he’ll handle it.”

            “I’ll handle it. When can you have the laptop here?”

            “Gonna be a hot second, it’s in Seoul with my boys and girlies. But I’m moving more of my shit out here because I’m thinking of parking out here for a while. Though if I’m gonna help y’all, I’m gonna need to be sure you and your buddies ain’t gonna just toss my ass in prison, so… Take care of that, or no laptop.”

            “I’ll… See what I can do about that. But if you’re getting involved, it might be helpful to have someone who was on the inside help with our investigation. Would you consider a temporary partnership?” I asked. Juri grinned a little, pacing back and forth.

            “Gee, I don’t know, I mean, I’d have to be around you a lot, and my schedule is pretty packed with all the shows I have to watch and browsing reddit, but maybe I can make the time. Just for you,” she winked. I narrowed my eyes at her, mouthing ‘on the down low’. She rolled her eyes. “Aw, don’t take it personally, Kitten, I flirt with all the pretty girls here.”  Nice save. But at the same time, I really hoped that she wouldn’t flirt with anyone else. I didn’t want anyone else getting that kind of attention from Juri… even though it was suspicious if she only flirted with me.

            “Oof.”

            “Shut up, George!”

            He snickered to himself, “Well at least she called you pretty.”

            “I don’t need your opinion.”

            “Well then take this to another room, I’m kinda in the middle of something anyways,” he said in exasperation. I grabbed Juri and pulled her out of his office. She just cackled and followed me, closing the door behind us with her foot.

            I sighed deeply and ran a hand through my hair, “Ok, ok, I’ll get you that paperwork and bring up with situation with my boss, we’ll see what we can do. Just start getting that laptop over here, preferably sooner than later.”

            “Gotcha, Kitten,” Juri winked before whispering to me, “See you around, babe, get some sleep today, ok?”

            “I will… Thank you.” I said softly. She smiled at me then started walking off to leave for the morning.

            “Later.”

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            I didn’t expect to be back in South Korea so soon, but I also didn’t expect to get pulled into Cammy’s investigation into some crazy bitch out for my blood, so I guess this week just wasn’t going according to plan any way you sliced it. I just hoped I could get my shit sorted out without drawing too much attention to myself or getting the cops called on me. It’s like you crash one funeral and burn down one house and everyone thinks you’re the bad guy.

            I readjusted my pink duffle bag on my shoulder as I waited in line to turn in my ticket and get on the plane back to my homeland. Feels like I never go home for good reasons. Last time I went back for an extended period of time, Crimson and I had just broken up and I got kicked out of her house. So, I went home to focus on my gang and businesses back in Seoul, to try to forget how much it fucking hurt to think about my two favorite girls slipping through my fingers. Going home is never pleasant, it’s always painful, a reminder that somewhere along the lines, I fucked up and now I’m back at square one. But damn, what a depressing way to look at your home. But I don’t exactly feel at home anywhere and can’t say I have since I was a teenager.

            “Juri!”

            I snapped out of my thoughts and looked behind me, “Lauren, what the fuck are you doing here?!”

            “I heard you’re leaving again, what the fuck?” Lauren squawked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot like a pissed off cartoon rabbit. She had that same look her mom would get when she was miffed about something, it’s kinda cute. Like a cub trying to imitate mama lion’s roar.

            “I’ll be back, I’m just getting some of my shit and coming back to Metro City. You can handle yourself for like, a week, right?” I asked.

            “Well, I found these plane tickets in a barrel I kicked open-“

            “What?”

            Lauren sighed and waved the tickets in front of my face, “I found these in a barrel I broke with my sweet ass moves!” She struck an admittedly better fighting stance and did a roundhouse kick in the air to show me. Aww, her form is fucking terrible, she’d get wrecked in a real fight. But she destroyed someone else’s shit, so I think I’m proud of her? She at least hasn’t disappointed me yet. Wait, why were there plane tickets for this specific flight in a random ass trash can- ah fuck it, who cares.

            “Ok, I’ll bite. Did you ask your mom if you could go on this little field trip?” I asked.

            “Well no-“

            “Of course you did, and she thought it was a great idea, she totally said ‘Lauren, you should go to Seoul with Juri, that’s fine with me’ and then you ran right over here like the good lil’ munchkin you are, didn’t you?” I said dramatically, putting my arm around my student. “Play along, I’m covering my ass here.” I whispered.

            “Oh, yeah, Mom’s totally ok with this, she thought it’d be like, a culturally enriching experience or something,” Lauren said awkwardly to anyone who was listening. “I’m totally allowed to leave the country right now with you.”

            “Good, now don’t bring it up again unless someone asks.”

            “Can’t I just say you’re my other mom?”

            I laughed, “Nice try, kiddo, but nobody’s gonna buy that one. I ain’t exactly a fire crotch like your mama and you’re so white you might as well be transparent.”

            “Well like, we could say my pops was white, like, he probably was, and I just look like him.”

            “Ew, no, best you’re getting is that you’re adopted,” I stuck my tongue out in distaste. “Nothing against you, Lauren, but the day I pop out my own crotch goblin is the day the chickens take over the earth. That mess ain’t for me.”

            “Yeah, I guess you’d be an unbearable bitch if you were pregnant.”

            “That’d be excusable at least,” I laughed. “But fine, I’ll tell anyone who asks you’re adopted.” Which felt a bit like a stab in the gut considering I WANTED to adopt her but never will. I pushed that down, it wasn’t worth rubbing salt in that wound. Lauren smiled a little and rocked back and forth on her heels as we stood in line together.

            “Just like before.”

            “Heh… yeah. Just like before.” I couldn’t help but smile a bit at Lauren, who was eagerly standing with her backpack and little suitcase, same as she would when her mom and I would take her one vacation as a kid. She always insisted on carrying her own stuff to prove how big and strong she was, but I always ended up carrying some of it in the end. Crimson and I would take her out on big trips every summer. The money we made together was outrageous and we blew it on luxurious bullshit constantly. But using the cash to give Lauren the world always felt the most fulfilling. Hell… even saying that makes me sound like such a softie. Gross. Can’t help how I feel about it though. Back then… No, even now, I’d give that kid everything I got if it gave her a better life than mine.

            As we boarded our flight, I put on my headphones and curled up to take a bit of a nap after Lauren got adjusted with her laptop and snacks. Peaking out of her bag was one of those old American Girl dolls she used to take with her everywhere. I guess she’s still got some time to grow up. I smiled a little and closed my eyes to sleep through some of the long ass flight ahead of us.

            “Mommy, Umma, look!” Lauren squealed in excitement as she pointed to a mint green hanbok in the window of a store. We had taken a small trip back home as a family, though I did need to take care of some work while I was in the country. As a family… it felt weird to say that. But after two years of dating, that’s what we were. Crimson and I made great partners, in crime, in life, and by that point I had started letting Lauren call me Umma. It felt a little weird, but it made her happy, and I had to admit, the little gremlin grew on me. It felt nice to have a family again. People that were mine, that I loved. It’d been so long I almost forgot what it felt like.

            I walked over to the store window, holding my girlfriend’s hand tightly, “You like it?”

            “Yeah, it’s one of those dresses from tv!” Lauren enthused.

            “It’s called a hanbok, it’s a traditional dress here. We wear them on special occasions and sometimes just because. I had a few when I was your age,” I explained. “I had this pink one that used to belong to my umma.”

            “Can I have one?”

            “It’s fine with me if it’s fine with your mom,” I shrugged and looked to Crimson, who seemed amused.

            “That’d be cute,” she said with a small smile. “Why don’t you and Umma go pick one out, Mommy has to take a work call.”

            “Ok.” Lauren hugged her doll as she went into the shop. I leaned over and gave Crimson a quick kiss, ignoring any dirty looks we got. I was out with my two favorite girls in the whole world and nobody was gonna take that from me. She pat me on the cheek affectionately.

            “Don’t get in too much trouble while I’m busy.”

            “And let you miss all the fun? Never.” I chuckled. “Besides, Jwi Agi is running the show right now.”

            “She always does,” Crimson rolled her eyes playfully before answering her phone. I followed Lauren into the shop. As we picked out a little hanbok for her, I wondered if my parents would be proud of me making sure my adoptive daughter was dressed well and learned our manners. I think they would’ve adored her, red hair and all.

            When we arrived in Seoul, Lauren was passed out with her phone in her hands, mumbling to herself about cobras and tanks. I didn’t try to figure out what that was about. I woke her up once the plane had mostly unloaded so we could get out without being trampled. It’s a new habit of mine, admittedly; I used to just pick her up and charge through the crowd to get off the plane first, but Lauren’s too big for me to do that anymore. So, we waited.

            Lauren yawned and shook the sleep from her eyes as we walked through the airport, passing high end shops meant to lure in traveling businessmen with pissed off wives. I wondered how many times Dad had to drop by one of those jewelry stores to get Mom something when she was mad at him for traveling so much. He usually came home with something for me, but like, duh, I was the little princess, why wouldn’t he?

            “We’re gonna get picked up by a business partner of mine, you remember Hyuk?” I asked.

            “I remember him,” Lauren nodded. “Where are we going first?”

            “Back to the office, that’s where the shit I need to send back is chilling out. I’m gonna make sure the laptop is secure then we can catch dinner. You still like barbecue?” I asked.

            “Hell yeah!”

            “Good, that makes this easier. So we’ll catch dinner, then go crash at the warehouse for the night. Tomorrow morning I gotta take care of some business, you can do whatever you want, just don’t get arrested or hurt. I need to pack up my stuff, you can help me with that, then I need to send it back to the states.”

            “Are you moving back?” Lauren asked excitedly. I smiled a little.

            “Yeah, I’m moving back for a bit. At least until you’re off to university,” I assured. “Besides, I got myself tangled up in some bullshit with the feds and I’m supposed to be getting some legal protection there for a bit.”

            “Like when you were with Mom?”

            “Kinda, I’m actually giving them some old junk they wanted from me, I didn’t do jackshit for the feds when your mom and I were together.”

            “What’s different this time?”

            “Well, I’m handing it off to a PMC that’s contracted to the feds,” I explained. “So, I’m only working with those fuckers directly. And that’s more of a favor to a friend than anything else.”

            Lauren frowned, “Aren’t PMCs just the military but without the patriotism?”

            “You’d think so, but Cammy is really into being British, so I think she’s got than one covered,” I laughed.

            “Ew, Brits.”

            “Don’t be a cunt, Lauren, most of your family came from there at some point.”

            “Nuh uh, I’m Irish.”

            “And they all jumped around between islands and banged.”

            Lauren rolled her eyes but didn’t argue it, “Yeah, yeah. Well, I’m tired of girls at school going on about British men all the time. All day, all the time, it’s British men this, British men that, it’s a different accent, whoppity fucking doo, shut up about Doctor Who and Harry Styles, my brain is literally melting having to listen to y’all go on about it all the time. And the ones that don’t wanna talk about British men won’t shut up about Korean men. What is it with girls and constantly talking about foreign guys nonstop? What’s so special about them, they’re just guys.”

            “Fuck if I know, I think that’s just the age you’re at, Jwi Agi,” I shrugged. “It was that way when I was in school, it’ll probably be like this until the end of time.”

            “Why would I wanna talk about a bunch of guys when we could talk about hot girls or action figures, or sports, or games, or literally anything else?” Lauren wondered aloud.

            “Sorry, Lauren, but that’s just part of growing up a lesbian,” I chuckled. “I used to get annoyed by all that too, but it gets better as you choose your own people to hang with growing up.”

            “I don’t get what they have that I don’t,” Lauren sighed and folded her arms behind her head. “But I guess I’m the weird one cause I don’t get it. I never got it.”

            “Nothing wrong with either. Who wants to bump uglies with who is a real shitty reason to get pissy with other people. Especially when there’s so many valid reasons to fucking hate people,” I laughed a little and waited for Hyuk to pick us up.

            “I don’t hate guys, I just get sick of that being all the girls on the basketball team wanna talk about.”

            “I know, kiddo, it sucks to feel out of place.”

            “Yeah…” Lauren sighed and leaned against me as we waited on our ride. “I missed talking to you like this.”

            “Me too.” I pat her on the head. “We’ll talk more once I’m moved back. Speaking of which, is your mom blowing up your phone yet.”

            “Nah, she thinks I’m at a sports retreat with the youth group at my Memaw and Pepaw’s church.”

            “Ha, youth group my ass!”

            Just as I was laughing my ass off at the idea of Lauren running off with a youth group, Hyuk finally showed up with my ride. Took long enough. The bastard was dapper as always, dressed to the nines and looking us over like we were something he scraped off of his shoes.

            “I was beginning to think you were distracted with some new, shiny project again,” Hyuk said as he opened the door to the limo for me.

            “I am, you’re gonna have to hold down the fort for a while. I got me a new fling and I need to get Lauren’s ass into an ivy league.”

            “Wait, new fling?” Lauren asked in confusion.

            “And you’re going to somewhere with name recognition, so when Christmas break is over, I wanna see that nose in a textbook, we gotta get those grades up and start making you a competitive applicant,” I explained, propping one leg over the other in the back of the car. “Actually, we gotta milk the whole ‘my daddy walked out’ thing, make it sound way worse than it is, schools love a good sob story. Actually, you could probably use your mom and I splitting too, really tug at those heart strings.”

            “When were you gonna tell me you got a girlfriend, I mean, what about Mom?!”

            I blinked, staring down at Lauren, who was starting to cry.

            “Lauren, your mom and I have been broken up for years, it’s long passed time to move on,” I explained.

            “But… I thought you moving back meant y’all were getting back together…”

            “That’s not gonna happen, kiddo. I don’t want that, your mom doesn’t want that, I found someone I may end up happy with, I’m sure your Mom is gonna do the same soon,” I explained. “Besides, she ain’t my girlfriend yet, we’re just going on some dates and seeing where things go. It’s not like I’m getting married or something, so chill the fuck out.”

            “Would you CONSIDER getting back together with Mom instead?” Lauren asked.

            “Nope, no way in hell,” I shook my head. “We’ll talk about this later.”

            Lauren just pulled out her phone and turned away from me, facing the window in complete silence. This is gonna be a pain in the ass.  Hyuk cleared his throat and adjusted his scarf.

            “Well, while you’re here I’d like your input on a few issues coming up for management. Mainly related to the stores. We’ve been having some issues with mass robberies, but at the moment it looks like the dumbass kids involved don’t realize they’re on our turf.”

            I rolled my eyes, “And you can’t handle it? Kick their asses, tell them to get the fuck off our turf, and pop a cap in any who fuck around and find out afterwards, problem solved.”

            “Yeah, because sitting and talking about shit would be too mature for Juri to do,” Lauren grumbled. I whacked her in the back of the head and opened a can of Mountain Dew for myself. “Ow.”

            “You’re fine.”

            Lauren huffed in response. That’s her problem, I ain’t afraid to wallop a kid for talking shit. My kid, your kid, the prime minister’s kid, I don’t give a fuck. Honestly, my parents always did the same, they didn’t take any backtalk from me when I was a kid. My mom was the threaten to whoop you in the bathroom type, and then actually do it because you cried about it. I can at least say I’ve never spanked Lauren. Or anyone under eighteen for that matter. It’d be weird to spank the kid and then spank her mom later. I’ll whack her in the back of the head if for being a smartass though.

            “Get all the shit you need me to take care of together because I’m heading back soon,” I told Hyuk as I sipped my dew.

            “It’ll all be ready for you tomorrow morning, Ms. Han.”

            “Good.”

            As we rolled up to the office space we rented out in our territory of the city, I crushed the empty soda can against my head and chucked it out the window at someone walking by, laughing when it hit them. Fuck that chick in particular. It’s ok, she works for me. I grabbed my duffle bag and hopped out of the limo with Lauren and Hyuk, then headed up to my office. Hyuk left the group, answering his phone to go to his own office. Wonder if he and the hubby are joining us for dinner later.

            Everything was left the way I left it a month ago, which meant my underlings didn’t have to be too worried. Honestly, it was way more space than I needed, but you kinda gotta take the penthouse office when you’re top bitch even if you struggle to fill the space. It felt like I was just putting junk around and hoping for cohesiveness, shelves of trophies, figures, and books pressed up against wall scrolls, weights, kick pads, a punching bag, and an assortment of bean bag chairs I keep buying while wasted. I left my shoes at the door and headed over to one of the safes lining the back wall by my desk. All those files, flash drives, old phones, and my work laptop from my time at SIN were locked away in a safe, in a safety deposit box, with new passcodes to protect the data. I wasn’t sure if they’d ever be important, but I figured it was worth the extra security in case anyone ever tried to use it to bring back Bison somehow. I’ve stopped trying to make sense of how or why that’s possible, and if my piece of shit company phone somehow holds the secret to immortality I ain’t about to hand it over that easy.

            I pulled the safety deposit boxes from the safe and opened them to make sure everything I needed was inside. Lauren sat on one of the bean bags to browse her phone while she waited on me, leaving her shoes at the door. Good, at least she remembers. My phone buzzed as I was checking the documents.

Unknown Number:

This is Cammy White’s WORK PHONE.

All texts and calls are monitored by Delta Red and subject to government surveillance.

Please update me on your mission.

Me: I got the documents and tech.

I’ll be back in the states soon.

Cammy’s Work Phone: Excellent. Keep me updated.

            A few moments later my phone pinged again with a message from Cammy’s personal phone number.

Cammy: Sorry for the formalities, I needed to check on your progress officially.

Me: It’s fine, Kitten.

I’m just hanging here in Seoul with Lauren for a bit. Gotta check some business stuff.

Cammy: Crimson let you take Lauren on a trip? That’s wonderful news.

Me: Well she didn’t NOT let me take her.

Lauren tagged along without telling her, but I didn’t have anything to do with that.

I’ll bring her home soon.

Cammy: Did you just admit to taking a minor you have no legal guardianship over out of the country without her mother’s permission?

You can’t just do that!

Or tell me that!

Juri, you need to take her home ASAP

I’m quite certain that legally counts as kidnapping.

Me: Oh chill, I’m her other parent.

You can’t kidnap your own kid, her mom can piss off

I’m just taking her for a little shopping, little taekwondo training, then we’re home.

Cammy: Bring the child home tomorrow. I won’t ask again.

I know she’s practically your daughter and you mean her no harm.

But you have no legal right to take her out of the country, Juri.

I don’t think a court would allow this even if you had partial custody due to how contentious the breakup was.

If you want to be able to just take her for a while, you need to get a lawyer and a mediator, and work out a custody agreement with your ex because this is ludicrous, dangerous, and I don’t want to be involved with it.

But if you want to pursue legal rights to Lauren, I’m more than willing to support you in that endeavor.

Me: Alright, calm down, I’ll bring her home tomorrow night.

Promise.

Just let me talk to her for a bit. She found out I was seeing someone and she’s really upset.

Cammy: Bugger, how much does she know?

Me: Just that I’ve been dating another woman

And that I’m not moving back to get back with Crimson.

She really wants us back together.

Cammy: I can’t say I blame her.

Changes in family dynamics are so hard.

And so is being separated from family.

You and Crimson really need to work something out for her.

Me: She’s the one who kicked me out of their lives

Don’t act like I’m the fucking problem

Cammy: I never said you were -_-

I only said shared custody is something you need to work towards and she needs to stop being a dippy cunt about it.

Lauren’s old enough to choose if she wants to be around you if I remember correctly.

Wasn’t she when you broke up?

Me: IF we’d been married.

She kicked me out when I asked if I could legally adopt Lauren.

So I have no legal leg to stand on.

It fucking sucks.

Cammy: Focus on the documents and Lauren.

I’m going to do some research on this.

Stay safe, I’ll be thinking of you.

Me: Thinking of you too, Kitten <3

            I put my phone back in my pocket and locked the documents back up in the safe for the night. Well I guess any business I needed to get done needed done tonight and tomorrow morning. I’ll have to crunch a bit. I got up and pat Lauren on the shoulder, “Hey, Rat Baby, you wanna train a bit before dinner? I got some equipment here, we can do pad drills.”

            “Yeah… Were you texting that woman?” Lauren asked.

            I paused for a moment, “Yeah, just letting her know the plane landed alright.”

            Lauren sighed and got up, arms hanging limply by her sides, “Mhm. Ok, what do you want me doing?”

            “Gimme a fighting stance, left leg back.” I said as I grabbed a clapper pad and held it up about waist level for Lauren. “Back leg roundhouse kick, hit the pad, not me.”

            Lauren took up a fighting stance, though she still looked annoyed with me. She hesitated for a moment before pulling up her back leg and snapping it into a fairly clean looking roundhouse kick on the pad. CLAP! The pad flapped a bit from the impact of the kick. Lauren grinned a little, clearly surprised by the sound. “Badass.”

            “Yeah, these ones are fun. Come on, put your leg back, don’t be sloppy. Nine more then switch legs.”

            She put her left leg back behind her and spun back into a roundhouse kick, though she set it back down in front of her again. I handed her the pad.

            “Hold this up for me.”

            “Ok.”

            I took a basic fighting stance and pivoted my front foot, pulling up my knee and aiming it at the pad. I extended my roundhouse kick against the pad, whacking it hard with the top of my foot, with enough force Lauren nearly dropped it. “Look, you rechamber your kick,” I said as I pulled my knee back in and rotated my body back to its original stance, never setting my foot down until I could comfortably put it back down behind me. “And you pivot back to your original stance to put it back down. At least for this drill, we’re working on balance.”

            “I thought you used your back leg to move forward and get in your opponent’s face.”

            “Sometimes, it’s all on context. Back leg has more power a lot, but it’s slower. So you can use it for a more powerful kick, move forward, or hell, fake em out then whack em in the face! Get in their business, figure out what annoys them, then do it. REPEATEDLY.”

            “What if what annoys them isn’t doing much damage?”

            “You piss them off until they let down their guard, then you can get in your real powerful hits. Sometimes it’s all about getting in their head,” I replied. “But that’s for a real fight, right now, you’re teaching the pad who’s top bitch around here, so come on, finish the drill and put that leg back. Or I’ll step on your toes.”

            Lauren rolled her eyes with a small smile and took a fighting stance again after passing off the pad to me. She hit the pad hard enough the clap echoed throughout the office with a triumphant SMACK. I grinned in pride. I’m a great fucking teacher. Lauren hobbled a little trying to put her leg back behind her but was able to get it back without falling over. It’s a start at least. “Three.” She kicked the pad again, slowly recoiling back to her original stance. Good, good, work on those leg muscles. “Four.”  CLAP! Good. “Five.” Lauren flung her leg out and overextended herself, crashing to the floor.

            “Fuck!”

            “Ha!” I laughed and helped Lauren back up. “Your balance is shit, work on it.”

            “Never sugarcoat things for me, huh?” Lauren grumbled.

            “Nah, I hate when people dance around the issue, try to lighten the blow instead of saying what they mean,” I said. Lauren pursed her lips in thought and began kicking the pad again.

            “Ok. I’m mad at you,” she said simply.

            “Wanna tell me why?”

            She took a deep breath and kicked the pad as hard as she could, “I haven’t seen you in two years. Then when I see you again, you come back to America, but it’s not even for me. It’s like, for some woman. When you and Mom broke up, everything went to shit and you didn’t even bother to call, or text, or send a letter, or card, or anything. You didn’t even TRY to see me for years, then when I fall into your lap again we pick things up, and I don’t want you to go again, but I’m mad that I wasn’t worth it, it had to be an accident. You were my other mom, one of my heroes, and you just walked out on us, left the country and didn’t talk to me for years! And now you won’t even try to work things out with Mom, as if people don’t stay married when they hate each other for WAY longer than the two years left until I go to college. And Mom hates you, she talks about it any time I try to bring you up. Says you made your choice, you left, and now you want back and keep saying you want to be around me, so which is it?!”

            “I ALWAYS wanted to be around you, Lauren. Do you know when your mom decided to dump me? It was the day I told her I wanted to adopt you legally. I told her that, and she told me to fuck off out of your lives,” I explained. “Switch legs.”

            “That’s not what she told me…”

            “Well she lies to everyone, we both do. You don’t have to believe me Lauren, but I tried to fix things, stay in your life, but she threatened to have me thrown in prison if I stayed in contact with you, so what was I supposed to do? She’s got too much dirt on my ass,” I sighed. “I sent you birthday money for the last two years. At least to your mom to give to you, but anything more, I didn’t know how to make that work. Listen closely cause I don’t say this pussy ass bullshit often, but I’m sorry, Lauren. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to stay in your life. You didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of your mom and I’s shitshow.” I lowered the pad as Lauren moved into a more neutral stance, looking away from me.

            “I missed my Umma.”

            “I’m here now.”

            Lauren started crying and hugged me tightly, sniffling a little. I just accepted snot was gonna be all over my shirt. It was ok, it didn’t matter. I just held Lauren… my daughter, close. Blood just didn’t mean anything, I was there taking care of her, holding her when she had a nightmare, taking her to basketball practice, packing her lunch, staying home with her when she was sick and Crimson couldn’t get out of work. She was my daughter in every way that actually mattered. And it ripped me open like a wound to realize how much I really loved that kid all over again.

            I never thought I would be this kind of person. I never wanted kids. Especially after my parents died. I always thought I’d be alone, at best a ride or die girlfriend, but no children, no family, nobody I could see as my kin. Life doesn’t work like you think sometimes. I thought I’d have Mom and Dad with me forever, but that sure as hell didn’t work out. I didn’t think I was capable of having a family anymore. Every relative turned their backs on me, took my money and left me to rot. If they couldn’t love me, then who could? And could I love anyone after being fucked over so much for caring about people? By those people or by losing those people?

            I guess there’s still something soft in my heart. Something I failed to kill, something that the world failed to crush inside me. Seo-ah, Crimson, Grandma, Grandpa, Bison, fuck, God himself, they couldn’t kill the part of me that cares after-all. Maybe it’s not over for me. Lauren still wants me around, Cammy cares about me, maybe they’re not idiots for that. I don’t wanna make fools out of either of them.

            I held Lauren close and sighed, “I love you, Lauren.”

            “I love you too, Umma.”

            The next evening, we were waiting on the plane to board. I had already gotten all my stuff ready to ship including the safety deposit box, and I was ready to go settle in Metro City for a little. And take Lauren home before Cammy killed me. I was more scared of her than Crimson at this point. I guess what I did sort of is smuggling a minor out of country if we’re being technical…

            This good girl shit is too hard.

            Cammy’s clearance is fucked if she tells anyone about us.

            Lauren was listening to her music while she tapped away on her phone, texting her girlfriend like any other time she had her phone out. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d been telling Li-Fen EVERYTHING about her little vacation, and if in turn Li-Fen was telling Chun-Li about it. Ha, I might get arrested… Good thing Delta Red needs me right now. For more reasons than one heh.

            Out of the corner of my eye I could see a familiar face reading a book next to me. I stared at her for a while, trying to think of where I saw the woman before. It was a white woman with short, auburn hair and blue eyes. She didn’t seem to notice me, too engrossed in her book, at least for a while. She glanced up at me after a moment then sighed.

            “Really? I just want an uneventful flight…”

            “Do I know you from somewhere?” I asked her.

            She narrowed her eyes at me, “You threw me out of a plane a decade ago…”

            “Oh, right… Juni?” I asked, trying to remember which one that was. There’s twelve of them, give me a break.

            “Yeah,” she said as she closed her book and put it into her carry-on bag. “Listen, I’m just trying to get on my next flight so I can report to my commanding officer, can we just leave any issues we may have with each other aside until we get to Metro City?”

            “I don’t actually have anything against you, I was just trying to uh…” there is no good explanation. “I… Sorry for almost killing you. It wasn’t about you, I was kinda just using you as a weapon against Cammy because she’s the one I was mad at.”

            “You and everyone else I suppose. Sunshine seems to make a lot of enemies,” Juni said with a slightly amused smile. “Ironic.”

            “Sunshine?”

            “Cammy. It’s what I’d call her when she was a kid. You might not believe this, but she was actually really sweet and sunshine-y when we were children. She was the first one to reach out to anyone new. Naïve and not always the best comfort, she didn’t really understand why any of us would want to go home, but she meant well. Honestly, I was terrified for her at the time, I thought for sure she was going to get crushed if I didn’t intervene for her. In reality, she kept me out of trouble more than I kept her out of trouble,” she explained.

            “Eh, I can see it I guess.” I said with a shrug. I was a bit surprised Juni was bothering to talk to me, though I guess it was to stay amicable and defuse the situation. I couldn’t get a read on her. She had looked so annoyed then snapped in a perfectly pleasant smile, folding her hands in her lap elegantly. Maybe she was playing me to get my guard down. Maybe she was gonna toss my ass out of the plane once we took off.

            “It’s a bit of a disconnect. I understand why she has enemies, but to me, she’ll always be that dorky kid that got excited over a baggy of apple slices.”

            “I didn’t exactly see that side for a while, just Killer Bee.”

            “I figured. That’s what people see us as, and I can’t blame them even if I don’t like it,” Juni admitted.

            “I kinda get that. You fuck over enough people and nobody’s gonna wanna let you try to be better,” I said slowly, checking to see if Lauren had her headphones on still. She didn’t give a flying fuck about my conversation thankfully.

            “Hm, somewhat. Other degenerates usually like you whether you want them to or not,” she giggled. “And good thing too. If people weren’t crazy enough to take a chance on us, I know I would definitely be in a worse place.”

            “Cammy wouldn’t let any of you fall on your asses. Any time I see her, she talks about you all the time.”

            “She talks about you sometimes too. I think she wants a lot of people to have a second chance like her,” Juni said simply before getting up and pulling her ticket out of her purse. “That’s my row being called, I’ll see you when we land.”

            “Heh, maybe.” I chuckled. “Don’t chuck me out the emergency exit.”

            “I would never do that. It’d be easier to just poison you in your sleep,” she said with a cheerful smile before leaving. I guess I ain’t sleeping on this flight.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            I was carrying some of the files George had pulled up, deeply regretting having to be the one to deliver them to Crimson’s office. Why me? Of all the people who could deliver these documents to her, why did it have to be me? Why couldn’t Decapre, Dad, or George do it? Why couldn’t we hand them off to Chun-Li so she could do it?

            I didn’t like the woman already, but there’s an extra layer of awkwardness now because she’s Juri’s ex. Not even ex fling, she’s an ex-partner. They have a kid together. They basically did everything but get married, and frankly, I think that’s because Juri would rather die than file her taxes. I wonder if she would have gotten dual citizenship? She wouldn’t have been able to legally claim Crimson or Lauren back in South Korea though; I wonder if that played a part in it. Regardless, this feels like the equivalent of having to go talk to my new partner’s ex wife and I don’t like it.

            As I took a deep breath and held it for a moment to try to calm myself, I peeked through the window of her door. Crimson was reclining in her office chair, holding a framed picture in her hands. I took a few more deep breaths then knocked on the door before opening it slowly, “Agent Viper? I have documents for you to review in relation to the case. On Saanvi Anand.”

            She turned around in her chair, setting the picture face down on her desk, “Yeah, I heard y’all were bringing them this way. Set them down right there, I’ll get to them in a moment.” I was a bit surprised to hear her speaking with more of an accent. Southeastern one, I believe? She usually spoke with a neutral American accent so it surprised me. I set the files on her desk, eyes wandering to the rows of pictures lining it. Framed photographs of her daughter took up much of the space, though one that stood out to me was of her in desert camouflage fatigues with some other soldiers.

            “Were you in the military?” I asked.

            “Huh? Oh, yes, I served in Afghanistan before I got out of the Air Force and joined the CIA,” she explained, smiling slightly.

            “Oh, so did I, though it was quite brief. Delta Red went on several missions in the area, and we would often stay with other British and American servicemen during deployment,” I said, feeling a bit less on edge since it was a familiar topic for me. “What years were you there?”

            “2001 through 2005. I finished up my degree while in the military and then the CIA paid for me to go on and get my master’s while I was working for them. But it doesn’t surprise me they wanted me, my dad worked down at the arsenal-er, Redstone Arsenal, he had a TS clearance. So, it was fairly easy to get mine.”

            “I wish it was that easy for me, every year I get interrogated thoroughly to try to keep mine.”

            Crimson pursed her lips and clasped her hands together, “Well honey, that sucks, but can you really blame everyone for doing their due diligence about it? Professional record aside, you carry a lot of potential security risks.”

            “I understand that, but I also thought I had proven myself trustworthy by now,” I admitted.

            “Never trust anyone, that’s what safeguards national security and yourself. I have to be evaluated every year too, so don’t make a mountain out of a molehill about it. It’s like I always tell Lauren, paranoia pays off,” Crimson checked her phone, “Speaking of which, Lauren’s back in country, I need to pick her up soon.”

            “Back in the country?” I feigned surprise.

            “Juri decided to take her to Seoul.” She rolled her eyes and put her phone away in her purse. “I’m meeting them at the airport.”

            “Well, that was nice of you to allow Juri to take Lauren on a trip…”

            “I didn’t, I’m going to get my daughter back and arrest Juri,” Crimson clarified as she got up. “Though I have a feeling it won’t stick with y’all sticking your noses in the case.”

            “She is an important asset to Delta Red currently…”

            Crimson sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “I’m gonna give you some free advice. Juri can be charming, even sweet when she really wants to be. But she ain’t gonna change, she stubborn as a mule. You ain’t got a lot to stand on with your clearance, Agent White, don’t fuck your life up for her sake. Juri will be fine with or without you, but she will ruin you, make you worse, if you let her. I almost lost my job because I let her coil around me, bring out the worst in me. If you know what’s good for you, finish this mission, and cut contact with her.”

            “How… how do you know if I’m involved with her-“

            “I’m not stupid, Cammy. Juri made it clear to me, whether she meant to or not, that she’s at least sweet on you. I don’t know your situation, but I know my ex and I can promise you, if you fall for her sweet, wounded puppy act, it’s gonna end poorly for you,” she said pointedly. “There’s other women in the world, I promise. You’re not the only lesbian in the village.”

            “I’m not involved with Juri in that way… We are acquaintances at best. We occasionally talk about life and spar. Bringing her on to work on this case is the most contact I’ve had with Juri consistently since The Fall,” I said, trying to smooth over the situation. “What makes you think she’s sweet on me?”

            “She’s thought highly of you for a long time now. And she was quick to defend you when we interrogated her and asked why she was with you that night. Juri doesn’t care about anyone’s reputation, the woman I know would have thrown you under the bus to try to make herself seem like more of a player, and I would have known she was lying. But she vehemently denied any involvement with you, got real defensive. That’s how I knew. I don’t think Agent Chang suspects anything, though, so you’re safe if it is mutual. Just think about what I said,” Crimson sighed. “Don’t shoot yourself in the foot over her.” She got her stuff together and paused at the door. “Just come with and pick up your temp agent, it’s not worth the hassle.”

            “Right, thank you for uh… Not arresting the person bringing us data.” I said slowly. I did NOT want to get in a car with this woman, but at this point I’m in too deep and I have to go bail Juri out. I hope this doesn’t become a pattern. And that Crimson doesn’t intend to become a problem. Though this unexpected moment of sincerity made me feel as though she might not be as vindictive as I initially thought. That does raise the question on why she has been so unwilling to coparent with Juri. It was all a complicated… What did I just walk into in all of this?

………………………………………………………………………………….

            It was an uneventful ride to the airport, though awkward. We sat in silence, listening to country music while Crimson drove and I just tried to figure out whether I should look at her, or the floor, or out the window. What do you do in that situation? Do you talk to your current partner’s ex who just tried to talk you out of a relationship with your partner? Do you ask about the weather or music, or do you stay quiet? Where do you look, what do you do with your hands? I was so happy when we got to the airport because I could finally get out of that car and away from the tension in the air. Or so I thought.

            First thing I see when we go into the airport is Juri, Lauren, and Juni talking by the baggage claim. And my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. Oh bugger, what is going on, and how bad is this about to escalate?

Crimson composed herself then approached the group, “Good to see you brought her back in one piece, Juri.”

“Ah fuck me. Hey, Crimson, found the kiddo on the plane with me and I brought her back for you,” Juri said, pushing Lauren towards her mother. “Please don’t arrest me.”

“You’re lucky Agent White deems you an important asset to her mission, or I would have you thrown in prison for child abduction,” Crimson said matter of factly. “Stay away from my daughter or I’m getting a restraining order.”

“Restraining orders are just paper,” Juniper mumbled to herself. Juni had changed her name legally from Silka Van Houten to Juniper Howards when she immigrated to England, partially to keep the nickname Juni and partially to start a new life separate from her family.

(A/N – I really need a way to distinguish Juni and Juri at a glance in shared scenes, please just roll with it)

            “Mom, why did you break up with Umma?” Lauren blurted out.

            “Not now, Lauren, do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in? You could’ve been seriously hurt!” Crimson shouted. “I can’t believe you’d even think to do this, how could you be so reckless? You are incredibly lucky that Juri has standards, because I can guarantee that if she wasn’t with you, someone else would have taken advantage of your stupidity.” 

            “Your mother is right,” Juniper added. “You really shouldn’t wander around by yourself like that.”

            Crimson scoffed, “That’s the understatement of the century.”

            “I just wanted to stop Umma from leaving the country…” Lauren said softly, looking down at her feet. “Mom, I wanna spend weekends with her now, can’t you just kinda put up with each other for two years, then I graduate, and you never have to speak to each other again? We can alternate holidays, and like… I guess I can have like two weddings, and like, if I have kids, you can come to the hospital for one and she can come to for the other? And like, I guess I could just sit you on opposite sides of the stadium at graduation…” she looked rather overwhelmed thinking of the logistics. “Just two years, put up with each other for two years, like normal old people who hate each other.”

            “Who the fuck you calling old?” Juri snapped. “Ugh, whatever, Crimson, this shit ain’t fair and you know it, do you really want her to keep doing stupid shit just to try to see me? Cause I don’t, just let me take her for the weekends, or hell, just let me take her for a couple of hours on the weekends, that’d be enough.”

            “This is not the place to hash this out and the answer is no!” Crimson shouted, visibly flustered. “You’ve done enough damage in our lives, why can’t you just leave us alone?!”

            “I want to see my daughter, Crimson-“

            “YOUR daughter?! She is not your daughter, she is my daughter, and I am protecting her damn it!”

            Juniper scooted away from the group and over to me, “Hi, Sunshine, did Decapre send you to pick me up?”

            “I… Didn’t even know you were coming, I came to pick of Juri since she had the data we need…” I said softly, not wanting to get dragged into the gigantic shit show that was playing out in front of us. I wanted to sink into the floor just being in the middle of this conversation, this verbal brawl over custody rights. I am sincerely glad I’m not the mediator of this.

            “Ah bugger, we have to wait for them to finish up, don’t we?” Juniper murmured, fiddling with the tags on her suitcase as we stood off to the side of the feuding exes and Lauren.

            Juri crossed her arms, “All I ever did was make us richer, and then you act like you’re fucking mother teresea or something-“

            “You bring out the worst in everyone around you!”

            “Let me fucking finish!”

            “Lauren wouldn’t have become such a goddamn delinquent if it weren’t for you! You and your glorified thug bullshit, I’m still trying to break her out of that!”

            “Crimson, come on, she’s too fucking pasty to be a real gangster, she went to one Mad Gear party, she’s a teenager, what the hell did you expect?” Juri rolled her eyes.

            “I expected my daughter to be a better person than you, than me, and to make good decisions,” Crimson said in a quieter voice. “I can’t be around you, WE can’t be around you, because you bring out the worst in me, and Lauren deserves better than two glorified thugs as parents. You’re not gonna change, and I can’t change when you’re around me. If you really care about Lauren, then you need to stay back and realize if she turns out like us, she’ll be in for life of hardship.”

            Juri went silent and visibly swallowed hard. She kicked the ground, biting her bottom lip enough to draw blood, “Nothing’s gonna change your mind, huh?”

            “I’m trying to do what’s best for my child.”

            Lauren tugged on Crimson’s sleeve to get her attention, “Mom, I’m sorry… I’ll be good, and study harder, and whatever else y’all want, I just want Umma back. I miss my other mom, I won’t be a thug, she keeps trying to make me a better student anyways. And she’s teaching me how to defend myself. Mom, please, please, just let me talk to Umma again, I miss her, I miss my family!” 

            “Baby Girl…” Crimson sighed and hugged her daughter tightly, looking up at Juri for a moment then back at Lauren in her arms. “We’ll… talk about it.”

            “Really?” Lauren asked.

            “I’m not promising anything.” Crimson reminded. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you are grounded, what you did was dangerous, sneaky, and just, absolutely reckless and stupid, and it’s exactly the kind of behavior I’m trying to keep you away from. I expected better from you, Lauren.”

            “I’m sorry, Mom…”

            Crimson grabbed Lauren’s bag and looked back to me, “I’ll leave the rest to you, Agent White. She’s your problem now.”

            “R-Right, thank you, Agent Viper.” I replied, a bit flabbergasted because I had been a fly on the wall throughout this entire conversation. I felt like I had left my own body for a moment until Crimson scared me back into it. It was surreal to be in the middle of this, and yet completely and utterly uninvolved. It felt voyeuristic to listen to their conversation.

Juri rubbed the back of her neck and waved to me, “I got the data you needed. Sorry you had to sit in on… all that shit.”

“Are you going to be alright?” I asked.

“I’m fine, I just want to go to my hotel and sleep. So just take it and your sister, and have at it,” Juri said as she handed me a briefcase and walked away from us. I wanted to grab her hand, stop her from leaving, tell her she could talk to me, but Juniper was right next to me and I couldn’t… I couldn’t comfort Juri in that moment and it hurt.

“Alright…” I murmured, even though she was already gone. I looked over to my sister, who was cringing a bit from having been a fly on the wall for this entire situation.

“How about we go pick up lunch for the office and get back to work?” Juni suggested. “Let the tension come down a few notches before I give you my report?”

I nodded and forced a small smile, “Sounds wonderful. How was your flight?”

“Oh, it was alright, I got to finish that book Decapre recommended, so she’ll finally be off my case about it,” Juni giggled and pulled her suitcase along behind her as we headed outside to hail a cab. “The mission was rough, but Nayshall can be lovely this time of year when the weather cools down. Julia headed back to Mexico, she’s spending the holidays with her husband and asked me to give you our report. Hope that’s alright.”

“Of course. I’m just happy to see you, it’s been so long since we’ve spoken face to face.”

“I know, I missed you. And maybe Decapre and George, but don’t tell them,” Juni joked, hugging my arm briefly. “Come on, I’m hungry.” She said as she climbed into the back of a taxi and pat the spot next to her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

            We were all sitting around George’s office, eating bagels and reviewing case files together. George had Juri’s laptop on his desk, scrolling through the files on the device and recovering any missing ones he could.

            “It looks like she’s still connected to one of the old networks,” George said. He had a glint in his eyes as he pat Oracle and kept looking through the old computer. “I might be able to access more of the Doll files if I can get into the network. Though Juri has the main thirteen’s files here. Doesn’t exactly help me find the first one though. Also something about Doll Unit Zero?”

            “Oh, you mean the creepy robot?” Decapre asked. “It was like the other robot bodies, but feminine… Again with the body hopping into women, does anyone else notice this pattern?”

            “Yes, Decapre, we noticed…” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I really really don’t want to speculate on it, so please drop the subject.”

            “I’m just trying to figure out why it always comes back to that, but he never used any of them, so was it just for shits and giggles or was the bastard too icked out about periods to actually go through with it-“

            “Well he would’ve been in for one hell of a rude awakening on that one, at least there’s that,” I winced. I really did not like thinking about the situation. It was creepy. And also, the idea of having my entire consciousness overwritten and replaced with Bison’s was frankly my greatest nightmare next to my family being harmed. To lose everything that makes me me… To have my body become some nightmare-ish meat puppet for a man who would commit atrocities while wearing my face, then throw what’s left of me away for a new body once more is honestly horrifying. It haunts me. To have my entire mind destroyed while my body lives on to be used by someone makes me sick to think about. Never mind the plethora of questions brought on by why he wanted to take over the body of a young woman specifically. I suppose I’ll never know if that was out of some sick malice or internal struggle on his part, but I don’t think it would make it any better if he was a woman in a man’s body, because he’d still be effectively killing me to steal my body, and that’d just be an insult to women in general, trans-women included.

            I don’t understand how Decapre can be so laisse-fare with the situation. She never seems bothered by it when we talk. She acts as though our mental deaths for him are just neutral possibilities of the past: a curiosity rather than a nightmare. I don’t understand how she’s not scared of it. But I suppose that’s just because of how different our lives turned out. As a child, it would’ve scared me, but I would have accepted it because I believed I was serving a higher purpose. Decapre never felt that way, but they put her under direct mind control so much after I left I suppose she’s already lived that hell and come out the other side. Her mind survived, albeit, not completely intact. Maybe she’s earned the right to not care anymore.

            “Apparently Seth got uploaded into it,” George snickered.

            Decapre burst out laughing, “Woof. Insult to injury much?”

            “That’s disturbing…” I mumbled. “Who thought of that one?”

            “According to Juri’s notes ‘activated the weird sex robot and Seth is in it, so it sucks now, but not in a good way’. I’m guessing it was an accident,” George said as he read off the notes. Yeah… that sounds like Juri. Weird to think of Juri not being able to get any, she’s pretty hot with great legs and boobs-

            NO

            Stop that!

            Cammy, that’s creepy, knock it off.

            But titty go boing when she jumps-

            That’s ENOUGH!

            In the corner of my mind, I could imagine my Id, or Killer Bee as I’ve dubbed it, laughing and pointing at some crude drawing of Juri. But my higher brain, sensible, respectful Cammy knew better and walloped her in the back of the head for being such a pervert. No more of that, you know better. The less refined part of me that’s as gay as the day is long is less than thrilled but will fall into compliance or else.

            “Well at least we know she’s capable of taking notes,” I conjured up to say. Maybe she also made an excel spreadsheet about how titty goes boing. Ha, that’d make her a freak in the sheets-OH MY GOD SHUT UP! Back to work, no more! “Let us know if you’re able to find anything on the network.”

            “Nice of you to all sit around while I do the work,” George rolled his eyes and reached for a macaron from the box we were all sharing. I pat him on the shoulder and went back to sitting with Juni and Decapre on the floor.

            “Oh, George, don’t be such a baby, you know you have to do all the work here so we can finish the job in person later,” Decapre laughed. “Though I suppose I could just throw you into our enemies if you desperately want to be included.”

            “You’d have better luck throwing Cammy, at least she’d hit them when they collide,” Juni joked.

            George flipped them off briefly before getting back to the computer, “You three wanna go punch terrorists, then knock yourselves out, I’m staying where there’s less bullets flying next to my face.”

            “Every role is important, we couldn’t do what we do without George’s expertise,” I reminded them. “And it wouldn’t do much if we weren’t willing to follow up on his findings. No need to bicker about it.”

            “Speaking of which… Does Project Nesting Doll ring any bells?” George asked as he looked over to me.

            “Matryoshkas, the dolls, are sometimes called nesting dolls… But I’m not familiar with any program called that. Have you heard of it, Decapre?”

            “No, never.”

            “I haven’t either,” Juni confirmed.

            George was quiet for a while longer while he browsed whatever information he was pulling up with his techno-wizardry. To me, it might as well had been real magic, but I respected my brother’s talent for it all. He really was a priceless member of our team when it came to gathering data. After some silence he spoke again, “A lot of data is corrupted, but I found a file on subject zero of this program. A woman named Oksana Petrova, age fifteen. She’s from Leningrad and is an accomplished figure skater.”

            “Oksana Petrova, is there a birth year?” I asked.

            “1970. Program led by Dr. Aleksandr Vorobev, Vega, and Master Bison began in 1985 at the Siberian base. That’s all I can get from it right now; I’ll have to try to decipher these files. All the images and a lot of the text is corrupted at the moment,” George explained.

            “How long do you think that’ll take?”

            “I don’t know, there’s a lot here to work on… Could be a few days depending on how smoothly it all goes,” he warned. I sighed and hugged my knees. We might not have that much time before the Sisters of the Killswitch Truth strike again, and they could come for any of us. Juri, me, Decapre, Juniper, Julia, any of my other sisters, all prime targets. But what else could be done about the matter? Unless… Unless…

            “What if she’s not the right person and we waste all this time on some wild goose chase?” Juni asked.

            “Well, there’s no way to know until those files are fixed,” Decapre said decisively. “And getting any information on these old Shadaloo programs is like pulling teeth according to George. Our best bet is to warn potential victims and have them shelter somewhere safe.”

            “I’m not denying that part is a good idea, but we might be able to get answers on this program and Oksana even if the file is corrupted,” I said slowly.

            “How?” Juni asked.

            I took a deep breath in through my nostrils, distaste growing in me at the mere thought of my suggestion, “Vega is being held at the maximum security prison here in Metro City. Perhaps I can get him to tell me about Project Nesting Doll and Oksana since he was one of the program leaders.” It feels like suicide to even suggest speaking to him. After all these years, did I even still have the tolerance to withstand his manipulation tactics, the unbearable narcissism, the eerie staring? Or had it been chipped away at by distance, time, and the peace of there being reinforced steel walls and usually an entire continent between us? I felt ill just thinking about being in an enclosed space with him.

            “Absolutely not,” Decapre said firmly. “You’re not going anywhere near that man; I won’t let you. Juni and I will handle the interview.”

            “Hey, don’t volunteer me for it!” Juni yelped. “But I’m with you on one thing, I don’t think Cammy talking to him is a good idea.”

            “I just don’t know if he’ll be willing to hear anyone else out, it’s not like I WANT to talk to him,” I said defensively. “I just don’t want to waste any time when lives could be on the line right now. If he can give us information on Oksana, on the program, then it might be worth a try. I think we should see what Interpol has on Oksana Petrova first, and if there’s nothing useful and George can’t fix the files, then we should attempt to get Vega to talk.”

            “I’m not against interrogating him on it, Bee, I’m against you being the one to do it. I can’t stomach the idea of you being in a room alone with him, I think we should go together,” Decapre explained. “Besides, would you really deny me the opportunity to smack him around for a little bit?”

            “That’s the thing, Decapre, you can’t just do that, there’s protocols we have to follow and that would be an abuse of power.”

            “Well then we’d be even, yeah?!” she shouted, making me jump a bit in my skin. I held my trembling, gloved wrist to steady it, hoping my siblings didn’t notice. Dead nerves in my hands burned again, like a blade cutting into them all over again, then went back to the comfortable, ever-present numbness I had become accustomed to. Numb was better.

            “I’m not jumping for joy about this, but people I love are in danger and I need to use every resource available to me to protect them,” I explained. “Decapre, you know he’s not going to tell you anything; he always disliked you. As much as I hate it, hate him, his fixation on me might be an advantage in getting him to talk.”

            “Even so, are you really going to be ok seeing him again? Especially without one of us or Dad there?” George asked, turning around in his swivel chair to face me. “I don’t want you to put yourself in a bad place, sis.”

            “I’m just worried he won’t talk if I bring anyone with me… And I’d be a pretty horrible sister if I dragged Juni or Decapre along given everything he’s done to them.” I said softly and got up off the floor. It was hard to breathe, and I just wanted to get some fresh air. “It’s not a forgone conclusion, we might find what we need in the meantime. I’m just not willing to risk anyone getting hurt over me being too cowardly to do my due diligence.”

            “What’s the point of putting him away if we can’t be rid of him?” Decapre asked.

            “The advantage is having control of the environment; he can’t hurt us if he’s chained to the interrogation table,” I said, trying to project more confidence in my words than I really felt. Were those restraints, the guards, and the walls of the prison really going to be that effective? Or was I walking into a slaughterhouse like a blind sheep?

            “I’m not afraid of him anymore but I’ve never hated someone so much in my life,” Decapre said as she got up and reached for my trembling hand. I pulled away and opened the door to leave.

            “I’m going to let Chun-Li know we need any information they have on our person of interest, best we start on that now,” I said quickly then slipped out the door and down the hallways in one swift motion. In reality, I just wanted to get my head to stop spinning and Killer Bee to stop kicking my skull in protest. The hallways felt long and dizzying, ever stretching and compressing as if they’d crush me before I could reach the end. Internal screaming turned to numbness, and by the time I got into the elevator, I forgot I was even in my own body anymore, just a floating, detached spirit in the stale, office air. But my hand was still shaking. At least it was numb. Numb is good.

……………………………………

            Blood is warm, but concrete’s colder. I always hated that feeling of being so hot and so cold at the same time. It’s the way you feel when you’ve been forced to run laps in the cold for hours, and your body is sweating and hot, but your skin and throat is freezing. My throat wasn’t exactly frozen, rather crushed and burning as I tried to get any air in my lungs. As cold rain fell down onto my motionless body, I wondered what would get me first? The blood seeping from my head or from my arms and legs? Or would I suffocate on my own neck bones? As I watched the shadow of my attacker leave me in the darkness, the last words echoed around my head.

            “You’re too beautiful to kill.”

            But what does it matter if you slit my throat now or just let me die here? He was killing me the same, but leaving me alone to succumb to my injuries felt more cruel. I would’ve been less scared if he had just ended it, but instead he left me there, dying slowly. Maybe he knew that was inflicting more terror on me and liked it, or maybe he thought he was doing me a solid by letting me die alone. I’ll never know.

            My head pounded with the sound of every falling drop of rain hitting the concrete, but my last thoughts lingered on my sisters, especially Decapre. I just hoped with every fiber of my being he wouldn’t hurt her because of me. As I thought of Decapre, hot tears rolled down my cheeks. In that moment, I would give anything to have her with me, holding me and telling me that everything would be ok. I just wanted my big sister to come hold me until I died. But I was all alone, and as my struggling lungs finally fell numb, she slipped away along with the rest of the world. All that remained were those words echoing in my mind and the terror inflicted on me by the man in the mask.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

            I didn’t feel much better after my… panic attack? I guess that’s what I have to call them. I can fake professional indifference throughout the day regardless of how I feel, but it left me exhausted by the time I got home. I just wanted to avoid my family and their prying questions trying to crack me open. I just wanted to shower, put on my pajamas, and snuggle with my cats. It had been a long, mentally taxing day, I wasn’t even sure I had the energy to eat anymore. Just shower and cat cuddles. Maybe fall asleep watching Ted Lasso again.

            I opened the door to my apartment and blinked a few times when I saw Juri standing in the kitchen. She hopped off the counter and flashed me a sheepish smile.

            “Uh… Sorry, I was just really wanting to see you…”

            I just dropped my work backpack on the floor and stumbled over to her. My feet felt heavy. My whole body felt heavy. My head felt so heavy. Juri’s face contorted into a frown.

            “Cammy? You ok?” she asked.

            I just leaned forward and rested my forehead on her shoulder, letting her catch me as I let go of the metaphorical sack of rocks I was dragging. “I’m just glad you’re here.” I said softly and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to thinking about dying, fighting, the past, the future, the mission, Vega, Decapre, I didn’t want to think about anything. Just Juri, and how breathing in her distinct gas station-y scent made me feel safe. I just wanted her to hold me and not ask questions. I wish more people in my life would do that, to be perfectly honest.

            Juri wrapped her arms around me and pat the back of my head, “I’m happy to see you too, Kitten.”

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            I held Cammy for a while after she walked into the apartment, silence lingering in the air between us. She was holding onto me like I’d turn tail and run if she let go of me. Maybe that’s fair, I kinda suck at relationships, Juri’s greatest hits have been like, that girl I dated for two weeks in middle school and Crimson, both of which went up in flames. Not literally. Well, I did set a car on fire, but no PEOPLE went up in flames, which means I’m actually a very amicable ex if you think about it.

            “Did something happen?” I asked after a while, running my fingers through her short, blonde hair.

            “Work was stressful. I just want to go take a shower then snuggle with you and the cats on the couch,” Cammy replied in a low voice, barely speaking above a mumble. She begrudgingly let go of me and pulled her head off of my shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

            “I getcha. Want me to order takeout for us?” I asked.

            “That would be nice, you just get whatever you want, ok?”

            “Lauren told me her girlfriend is super into this Chinese restaurant nearby that has delivery, sound ok to you?”

            “Anything is fine, I just really really don’t want to have to make any hard decisions right now,” she said as she set her union jack jacket on the back of a dining room chair and massaged her temples. “I’m going to get washed up if you won’t be too offended.”

            “Yeah, babe, go get comfortable, I already got my shower,” I assured. Cammy seemed semi pleased with that and disappeared into the bathroom while I looked up the restaurant on my phone and perused the menu. I ended up opting to order some bao, fried rice, spring rolls, kung pao chicken, and orange chicken. Not the most authentic order in the world, but whatever. I figured playing it safe would be good given Cammy’s mood. Plus, I wasn’t entirely sure what she liked on this one. I assume she eats at least SOMETHING on that list.

            I placed the order then cracked open a couple of cans of wet food for the cats so they wouldn’t harass Cammy over it. I dumped out some kitty treats on the floor and just let the little freeloaders have at it. Mittens probably got the lion’s share because she’s fucking mean. Marmalade and Aldous are sweethearts though, they kinda grew on me after being in and out of Cammy’s apartment for a while. I pat Aldous on the back, because us ‘cyclops’ gotta stick together I figure. Looking back, it’s kinda fucked up my cousins kept calling me that.

            I decided to quickly toss on my own pajamas while Cammy was in the shower then make myself comfortable on the couch. What happened at work to have her looking so glum? Maybe a fight with one of the sister-coworkers? Or maybe dealing with Crimson earlier just left a bad taste in her mouth for the rest of the day. It wouldn’t be surprising if she was a bit of a cunt to Cammy… Again. How many coworkers of hers have beaten the ever living shit out of her at some point? There’s me, Crimson, Decapre, has Juni ever kicked her ass? A question for another day, I wasn’t ready for a dirt nap quite yet.

            Just as I was turning on the tv, Cammy walked out of the bathroom in some orange pajama pants and gray sweatshirt with ‘Show Me Your Kitties’ written on it under a screened picture of a grinning cat. She rubbed a towel against her head to get the excess water out of her hair before hanging it on the doorknob and curling up next to me on the couch. I put my arm around her and nuzzled my face to her head, breathing in the sweet scent of her conditioner. I pulled away and wiped the moisture from her hair off of my face and smiled a little at her, “Feel any better?”

            “A little bit, now that you’re here.”

            “Heh… And I thought you were the one that was gonna be making me feel better,” I chuckled a little and held her hand, which was mostly obscured by her oversized sweatshirt. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her hands without gloves or sleeves covering them for the most part. She wore those gauntlets everywhere and when she wasn’t she was in oversized long sleeve shirts. “Do you keep cold hands?”

            “Hm?”

            “It’s just every time I see you, you got them covered with something.”

            Cammy paused for a moment before shaking her head, “No, they’re not perpetually cold, I just don’t like people looking at my arms or hands. I have some really intense scarring there and I hate the way people look at me when they see them. They either pity me or they think less of me because they think I did it to myself. I didn’t.”

            “Combat?”

            “Yes, well, more a fight I lost…” She trailed off and squeezed my hand from underneath her sweatshirt sleeve. “When I was sixteen, I almost died. I lost a lot of blood and nearly suffocated due to my injuries. That’s how my family found me. I was bleeding out and gasping for air outside the barracks on an enclosed base. Nobody could figure out how I got there because there wasn’t any damage to the fence, none of the security cameras or MPs saw anything, and the cameras in the area I was left in had been damaged. Delta Red had their own office space and barracks on the base and that’s where I was left. But to get there, you had to get through one of the gates with a badge and claim anything or anyone you had in your car or jump the walls or barbed wire covered fences. Plus, military police roaming about, soldiers, military families in housing there, it was astonishing I wasn’t found for so many hours upon further reflection.”

            “Fucking hell, dude…” I murmured.  “Sounds like the cops really fucked that one up.”

            “Maybe they did. My dad said the doctors told him if they had found me any later than they did, or hadn’t given me first aid at the scene, I would have been dead…The reason I have so many scars on my hands and arms is because I was trying to defend myself when my legs were too damaged to fight or run. I was holding my arms up in front of my face to try to protect myself and they were cut badly. I’m used to seeing them, though I don’t particularly like to, and I think people feel entitled to an explanation, which I don’t feel like handing out to every person who asks.”

            “Sorry I asked then.”

            Cammy shook her head and rested it on my shoulder, “I told you because I wanted to.”

            “Does it still hurt?” I asked.

            “No, not really. I can’t feel much in my hands and forearms anymore… Though when I think about him sometimes, I can feel the blade going into my palms again. It stings, and then it’s numb again.”

            “Vega?”

            “Mhm.”

            “Yeah… Fucking hated working with him,” I said, unsure of what to do with the awkward tension in the room. “Sometimes I can still feel my eye burning when I have nightmares. Or other injuries I’ve had. And it’s like my whole face hurts again some days for no reason.”

            “I’m sorry, sounds like it’d be worse if it was your face,” she murmured.

            “Nah, it’s ok. It is what it is.”

            We sat in silence for a while, me with my arm around her and her resting her head on my shoulder as we avoided looking at each other. I tried to keep my eye off her hands, so she didn’t feel like I was looking for the scars. I guess with my prosthetic, you could never tell something happened, that a piece of me was missing. I guess now all my scars are invisible, people don’t look at me the same way they did when I had nothing in my socket and was wearing an eyepatch every day. Pity? Disgust? People don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so they refuse to look at you at all. Nobody would look me in the eye. People who gushed about my looks before I lost my eye suddenly shut up. Nobody called me beautiful or cute again, not for a while at least. I missed it, even if I didn’t really like the compliments before. I missed my family telling me how cute I looked. My parents weren’t around to build me up and my grandma refused to look at me because she hated how my face looked with an eyepatch. She said it was too shameful to look at.

            Cammy touched my cheek with her uncovered hand and gently pulled my gaze over to her, “Please look at me.”

            I leaned into her touch like one of those lazy freeloaders when they want petted. She smiled at me and caressed my cheek with her thumb. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a series of deep scars along her hands and forearms. They were jagged and came in three pronged lines going across her skin. On her right arm there were the remnants of a burn that had been damaged by the blades, though if you looked hard enough you could see the branded insignia of Shadaloo buried underneath the other scars.

            “You don’t gotta roll up your sleeves if you don’t want to, Kitten,” I assured.

            “I don’t want to be with someone who can’t see me,” she said softly as she stared up into my eyes as if searching for something. Pensive, anxious. She rarely looked calm, and she looked just as exhausted now as she did when she walked through the door earlier. “What’s the point in falling for someone who can’t stand to look at the real you?”

            “I see you, Cammy,” I said as I brought her other hand up to my face and kissed the back of it gently. “And I like what I see. Wouldn’t want you any other way.” She blushed and looked down at our legs for a moment before smiling a little. Cammy’s smiles usually never reached her eyes, but when they did, they were like vibrant rainbows lighting up a gray sky after a storm. They were perfect. She wasn’t perfect, but to me, that didn’t matter. She was perfect to me, and that smile was worth protecting. Worth fighting for. 

            “It’s rude not to kiss a girl properly, you know?” she said shyly, looking back up at me and leaning closer to me. Normally, I’d know just what to say, something quick that’d… honestly, probably kill the mood. But my brain was just static the closer she got. I could feel her breath against my face, smell the slight spray in conditioner she put in her hair. It knocked the smartass comments out of me. I didn’t even know that was possible!

            “U-Uh… Yeah, I’m being a bitch right now, huh?” I asked as I rested my forehead against hers for a moment, nose to nose so I could look into her eyes. Last time our faces were this close, I headbutted her in a fight. And then she broke my big toe stomping on me in revenge. This time around there was no malice, no anger, no jagged, heated breaths from battle: just understanding and the calming warmth of mutual affection. I leaned in and kissed her gently like she deserved. I squeezed her hand affectionately and closed my eyes. I didn’t want that moment to end; I just wanted to stay there with her like that for a while.

            She broke the kiss and just rested her forehead against mine, moving her hand from my cheek to my other hand to hold. We just stayed like that for a while, wordlessly close and living in the moment. Cammy leaned in and gave me another quick peck on the lips before pulling away so our faces weren’t so close. I almost wished she hadn’t. I just wanted to be close to her in that moment.

            “I wanna call you my girlfriend,” I blurted out. “To hell with everyone else.”

            “I feel the same way,” she said softly. “I want to be with you. I feel safe with you, I don’t feel that way about many people and never really have with women I’ve dated before. At least not since the memories came back.”

            “I haven’t really cared about anyone since Crimson and I broke up. I… I think I loved her, cause that break up? Fucking destroyed me, babe. Never really felt that way before and I ain’t been really looking to go through that again… But I think you’re worth it.” I admitted. “I think you’re worth the risk.”

            “I won’t break your heart, it’s not my place,” Cammy said as she caressed my cheek. “I’m more worried you’ll break mine.”

            “Can’t say it ain’t my MO to get bored and piss off, but this has been so slow if I was just around for sex and fun, I would’ve moved on like, a week or two ago,” I said as I leaned my cheek into her hand. “I can’t get you out of my head. Haven’t for a while.”

            “Blunt, but I appreciate it… I don’t want a few month long physical fling. I want a long term partner. I want someone I can trust and grow to love,” Cammy explained. “I want that woman to be you...”

            “I think Crimson kept a piece of me when I left… but for whatever it’s worth, you can keep what’s left of me. Just don’t know if it’s worth it for you,” I said softly. It felt like spiritual suicide to let her in, let her see me this vulnerable, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather let see me fully. I think Crimson already got the best of me and kept it herself, but if I can give whatever good is left to Cammy, she can keep it. There won’t be a third. I’ll let there be two heartbreaks, but not three. Nobody else could ever be worth the pain, not like she is.

            “I like you just the way you are,” she assured and nuzzled her nose to mine. “So let’s give this our best, honest try?”

            “Ok… You’re my girl and I’m yours.” I said and held my girlfriend close to me. It was worth the risk to enjoy that moment with her, to feel something again. A dumber person than I might even call it love.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

            The next morning we headed into the Interpol building together, much to my dismay. Man, I did not want to get dragged in, but Cammy needed to document my assignment officially rather than just letting me go about my own research. Lame as that was, I didn’t hold it against her; she was just doing her job. Still, it felt like wandering around the lion’s den and hoping not to get bitten. Especially since Crimson was also stationed at this location for now. At least I had the excuse of being a temporary employee to back me up if she got pissy.

            For the time being, we kept things on the down low even though we were official. Cammy wanted some time to discuss things with her family and honestly, neither one of us needed the stress of my ex and all of Cammy’s friends and family giving us crap about this. Our relationship was our business, and they didn’t have the right to squeeze themselves into the middle of it; they could all just shove their opinions up their asses for all I cared. But that attitude was just gonna give her a harder time, so we had to stop holding hands once we got off of the bus.

            The workday started out as a clusterfuck; as soon as we approached Delta Red’s office space, we could hear Juni and Decapre screaming at each other. Those two were absolutely feral but didn’t start pulling hair or anything which was disappointing. For me. Cammy just looked like she wanted to sit on the floor and cry, which made me feel guilty for wanting to see a little blood. 

            “Why don’t you just hurry up and die so the rest of us can move on, because you are not the person I knew before, you’re just… Just a fucking husk!” Juni shouted as she gathered up her things, slinging her bag and sweatshirt over her shoulder. “You’re a selfish, cold, unfeeling whore and I feel stupid for ever thinking otherwise. You have two days to clear out your stuff when we get home, I want you out of my flat.”

            “Well then quit reviving me, Suka, I don’t want to be here anymore either! Don’t let Bee drag me back from the dead next time.”

            “I don’t have that power! I wish she would just let you die.”

            “Well at least we’re in agreement. I don’t know why you think you’re entitled to ‘the old Decapre’, whatever that means, but whatever version of me you want died a LONG time ago, you’re just digging up an old corpse and getting disappointed when it doesn’t dance for you.”

            “Well excuse me if I expected you to wake up and be a decent person again. I don’t even recognize you anymore.” Juni said tearfully as she ran off, nearly knocking the two of us over in the process.

            “Juni, wait! That’s my sweatshirt!” Decapre screeched as she ran out of the office before stopping in front of Cammy. “Bee, thank god, you have to stop her, I paid a hundred quid for that thing!”

            “…” Cammy just blinked, looking utterly exhausted already, “Ok.”

            “Thank you, you’re the best.” Decapre hugged Cammy, who didn’t bother hugging her back, just limply standing there, letting her sister move her about as she wished. “Don’t worry, George and I already had a breakthrough before… er, that.”

            “Ok.”

            “Are you alright?” Decapre asked worriedly, caressing Cammy’s hair though she pulled away like a displeased cat. “Bee?”

            “I’m tired,” Cammy said simply. “I’m tired from work. I’m tired from having to play mediator for all the people I love. I’m tired of there always being some problem I have to solve, bloody hell, Decapre, I am just one woman! One socially stunted woman! You all have to stop expecting me to fix your problems with each other, we’re supposed to be a family, why are you like this?!”

            “Bee, outside of Juni, I never bonded with anyone other than you. They’re not my family, they’re my long term roommates I finally have some space from. You can’t keep expecting us to all be best friends, we never were, we cooperated and commiserated, that doesn’t make us close. Nobody supported me when I lost you, nobody but… Nobody but Juni, and she just ran out the door wishing I was dead.”

            “Is that how you all really feel about each other?” Cammy asked softly.

            “It’s my feelings, yeah… But that varies, I know Noembelu and Santamu are inseparable and call each other and you their sisters. Juni considers you and Julia sisters, she and I never really saw each other that way.”

            “But you were like best friends?”

            “Yeah, best friends, that doesn’t mean I saw her as family the same as I saw you.”

            Cammy sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Ok… Well I’m going to check on Juni.”

            “Wait, what am I supposed to do?” I asked.

            “Go find Chun-Li and help her with following up on the person of interest while I’m busy,” Cammy said as she started walking back to the elevator.  I followed her.

            “Wait wait wait, are you serious?”

            “Juri, please, can you PLEASE just handle this for me? It’s not an all day thing, I’ll take over, and you can go eat Cheetos in the breakroom, but for now, can you just do this for me?” Cammy asked earnestly. She had that tired, dead look in her eyes, like she wouldn’t even get enough rest from a dirt nap.

I sighed and nodded, “Yeah, ok, I’ll go talk to the copper. But only for you.”

“That’s all I can ask,” she said softly before leaving. At that point, it was just Decapre and I standing in the hallway looking dopey, unsure of what to say to each other. Decapre snuck a flask out of her coat pocket and took a swig, leaning against the wall of the hallway quietly. I held my hand out to her.

“Share the liquid courage, I’m gonna need it.”

“Another ex?” Decapre asked as she handed over her flask to me. It was an old, standard issue canteen all Shadaloo Dolls had that she had held onto for all those years. By now, the symbols and her name were faded, covered up with a few strategically placed stickers.

“Nah, but Chun-Li and I don’t exactly get along. She wants to fix me I guess, not sure why she cares unless she’s got a little school girl crush on me,” I chuckled. “Is Juni yours?”

“Something like that…” she murmured. “She was my only friend other than Bee. I never really got along with or bonded with the other girls. We didn’t hate each other, but I kept to myself. Bee wasn’t like that though, she had a friendship with every one of them, called them her sisters, and I was happy to see it. I just never saw anyone but her as family. I’m not as… Open to people?”

It was weird hearing anyone describe Cammy as open to relationships and good with people, but I guess the bar was pretty low for that group. I just nodded in understanding, “Yeah, I get it.”

“When Bee ‘died’, it broke me. I was just a shell of myself, I couldn’t stop crying. All I could think about was how much I had failed to protect her, how my little sister was dead and suffered, and I wasn’t there to protect her like I always said I would. Juni was my only support. Everyone was upset about what happened, but it wasn’t exactly an environment conducive to mourning. We all had to find our way to handle it and survive. Enero became overly ambitious and tried to take over the role she left behind, Noembelu started looking out for the youngest girls like Bee would, Aprile would make sure Bee’s old things were always in their perfect spot, and Juni… Juni and I would stay up talking about her: the things we missed, the memories, our regrets, etcetera. We had always prided ourselves on taking care of Bee, trying to keep her safe, so it hit us both the hardest. We had already been best friends for a while, and we ended up having a thing for a little bit, mostly just when we were alone on missions. But it just couldn’t last, my mind just kept breaking and breaking until there was nothing left, and it’s kinda hard to shag a murderous vegetable. Juni just expected things to pick back up when I came home, but I’m not the same person, how could I be? I’ve been through hell and back, I’m chronically ill, I’ve wanted to die most of my life and I’m only holding on for Bee because she’s not ready to let me go yet. When she is, I’m not sticking around.”

“Does Cammy know about any of this?”

“No, she’s really caught up in us all being a happy little family, so we didn’t tell her,” Decapre admitted. “Wouldn’t be surprised if Juni spills her guts at her about it. But really, it’s not like we were ever officially together. I don’t know if you can call a series of trauma hookups a relationship, even if there were genuine feelings… I wish I could be the person she remembers, but that Decapre died when Bee was taken away from her. Mourning killed her more than any blade ever could.”

“I kinda relate.” I said as I handed her back her canteen of cheap vodka. “Some shit just… Kills the old you.”

“Mhm…” She hid the flask in her pocket and closed her eyes for a moment before standing up straight. “I need to get back to work. Agent Chang’s office is down the hall, just read the plaques.”

“Right… Thanks.” I sighed and started looking for Chun-Li’s office. She was honestly one of the last people I wanted to deal with, especially when I was worried about my girlfriend, but Cammy really needed me to just help her with this and be a good noodle. Maybe if I’m a good enough noodle, she’ll finally let me eat after midnight.

………………………………………………………………….

            Chun-Li’s office was more comfortable than I expected. She kept it tidy, but not sterile and uninviting, with little trinkets on her desk. Behind her desk was a shelf full of various awards for her work in the field, kung-fu, and pictures her kid drew for her. I couldn’t help but smile a little at that, remembering putting Lauren’s drawings up on my corkboard whenever I’d be stuck in the office for a while. She had a handful of pictures on her desk, ones of her and Li-Fen, a few of herself and her friends, and front and center was her and her dad after her black belt test. Her dad looked so proud, eyes lighting up as he tied his daughter’s first black belt around her. It reminded me a bit of when I got mine. My dad couldn’t be there because he was away on business, but he called me afterwards and asked me how it went, gushed about how proud he was of me, and promised to celebrate with me when he got home. Mom took me for hot wings afterwards, then I took the longest nap of my life. Well, outside of being in a coma. When I woke up, I was just so giddy I had finally done it, but also hungry and sore because I messed up my right ankle during the test.

            Chun-Li looked up from her computer and flinched in surprise before quickly composing herself again, “Juri? I didn’t expect you, did Cammy need you to deliver a document?”

            “Uh, nah, so apparently her family can’t keep their shit together for five minutes, so she sent me to help you with looking into the person of interest. I got no idea what she expects me to do about it, but she looked stressed so… Here I am.” I explained. “So what do you got for me? Who do we think the crazy bitch is?”

            “Our current person of interest is a woman named Oksana Petrova, age 53, born in Leningrad, USSR. She’s a former figure skater who went missing in 1985, then was found in 1991 in the bathroom of a gas station in a small town in Siberia. She was delirious and rushed to a hospital, where they determined she was mute and about two days postpartum. Eight years later Oksana jumped from a building in Saint Petersburg in a suicide attempt, but survived. She spent some time in a mental hospital then immigrated to the United States by marrying her husband, Kevin Eli Johnson of Metro City. About eleven years ago, Kevin was found dead in his home and his daughter was dropped off at the police station by an unknown woman. The daughter reported that her stepmother, Oksana, had also been killed, but when the police arrived Oksana wasn’t there.” Chun-Li explained as she laid out a file in front of me. I opened the folder to look at the information and paused at the picture clipped to the front page.

            Oksana was a beautiful woman with caramel colored hair that hung in loose curls around her face, warm, but sad amber eyes, and a face reminiscent of a porcelain doll. A familiar face. She looked a lot like Cammy and Decapre, but with darker hair and a hooked nose. She had no visible scars in the picture, which was of her with her husband and stepchild. It took me back a moment, but I can’t say I’ve seen a LOT of Eastern European women. Maybe they just look like that.

            “Did you notice that she looks a bit…?”

            “Yes, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions until we’ve investigated the situation further,” Chun-Li confirmed. “Luckily for us, Oksana’s stepdaughter, Lacey, agreed to an interview with me today. Can you sit in with us and take notes?”

            “Notes… Uh, my English handwriting ain’t that good.”

            “Trust me when I say if I can read Cammy’s handwriting, I can read anyone’s,” Chun-Li giggled. “She still switches language mid sentence when she writes sometimes, it can be a bit difficult to decipher her notes. Or she’ll write the whole thing in English, but with a bunch of Russian letters instead of the Latin ones.”

            “That sounds like a headache…” I was kinda glad the few notes she’d left me were all coherent upon hearing that. “When’s the stepdaughter supposed to be here?”

            “About noon. Speaking of stepdaughters, I was actually hoping to speak with you about something,” Chun-Li said as she set her pen down.

            “Ah hell, did Lauren get your kid in trouble?” I asked.

            “No, no, not at all, she’s a lovely girl, I enjoy having her over at our home. She’s so polite and always remembers to leave her shoes at the door without being asked, and she treats Li-Fen so kindly, it makes me happy to see them together. But… not everyone feels the same way,” she explained slowly. “I’ve known several gay people throughout my life, Cammy was probably the first that I know of, and I fully support Li-Fen. She’s perfect the way she is, and she can’t change that about herself anyways so why would I make a fuss about it? Unfortunately, our community can be quite conservative about the issue, and I’ve been hearing a lot gossip around the neighborhood about Li-Fen. I always do my best to shut it down, nobody has the right to talk ill about a kid who’s just minding her own business, but I think I’ve accidentally made the problem worse by unintentionally confirming it. Nobody’s been outright homophobic towards her that I know of, but I’ve noticed some of her friends in the neighborhood have pulled away from her, and some of my students haven’t been coming to class. I can take the criticism. But she’s just sixteen, and I know it’s starting to eat at her.”

            “Yeah, I remember what that was like. She’s really lucky to have you though. A supportive parent can make a big difference.”

            “That’s part of why I wanted to talk to you. A lot of the cultural stigma around gay people is similar in China as it is in Korea, and that’s why I thought you might have better insight into the situation than Cammy.”

            “Yeah, I get that. From here, you and Li-Fen are already an unconventional family. You’re a single mom by choice to an adoptive kid you’re not remotely related to. That’s already a bit weird even by western standards. So… Li-Fen was always gonna run into some crap, ya know? My dad did, he was also adopted. Being gay is like, an extra layer of isolation, ya know?” I mused. “I lost all my friends at school when I got outed. People acted like I was a lepper.  Like they’d catch a bad case of the gay if they touched something I touched. It was hard. My parents, well, my dad was supportive. My mom thought I’d grow out of it. When they died, my grandparents got custody of me and they tried to send me to conversion therapy, planning it out so by the time I’d get back from that they could marry me off quickly to the match they had in mind. I ran away from home to protect myself from that. Shit can be… hard. Even if you’re not faced with all that bullshit, people act like your existence is inherently deviant or sexual, regardless of how clean you keep it. Just mentioning you want a girlfriend, not a boyfriend, is inappropriate somehow, even though they’re the one who brought it up. It can get lonely… But I think I would’ve been able to handle it all a lot better if my dad had still been around to tell me there was nothing wrong with me, that he loved me, and that it was going to be ok eventually. What Li-Fen needs from you is for you to be the comforting voice. She needs you to shut down what she might be hearing, to build her up when people are knocking her confidence down, to remind her she’s not broken, just queer, and there’s nothing wrong with it. You can’t protect her from all the homophobia she’s gonna go through in life, but you can be her safe person to go to.”

            “I just wish I could shield her from it all,” Chun-Li sighed. “She’s a wonderful kid, so smart and kind. She can be a bit too mischievous for her own good sometimes, but she means well. I don’t want her to be judged over something so insignificant when she has so many wonderful qualities.”

            “You’re a good mom for that. You can’t protect her from everything, but you can make her feel safe with you and sometimes that makes all the difference. Keep standing up for her when you can. These attitudes persist because people who don’t have skin in the game are too scared or indifferent to tell the crazy people to shove it up their asses. It’s not just your adult friend anymore, you got something to lose if you stay quiet. Thankfully, Metro City is pretty good about that, but not every place in the country is, and if you go abroad, you gotta be careful.”

            “I understand that. I think Lauren is quite lucky to have parents who understand what she’s going through.”

            “Crimson more than me. I didn’t grow up in the United States, so the experience is different even if there’s some parallels. Heard being a lesbian in the south can be real rough though, so I’m glad Crimson took a transfer out to Metro City by the time Lauren started noticing girls and stuff.”

            “So I’ve heard,” Chun-Li said as she pulled out her phone to check a text from Li-Fen. “Feel free to go get yourself some lunch, the interview will likely take a while. Just be back here by noon.”

            “See you around, Copper.” I rolled my eyes and headed out the door, hoping to find Cammy outside the building. She and Juni weren’t anywhere to be found, so I just sat outside on my phone for a while, contemplating my conversation with Chun-Li. I had expected a series of lectures when I was told to work with her. Being asked for advice was the last thing I expected. But… it was nice. She could be nice. I could kinda see why Cammy liked hanging out with her so much.

………………………………………………………………………………

            Around noon, a woman dark skinned woman with curly hair entered Chun-Li’s office and took a seat. She looked tired, nervous, like she was walking to her execution. I couldn’t blame her, from what little I heard it sounded like she had a rough go of it.

            “Welcome, Ms. Johnson, I’m glad you could come by to talk with us.” Chun-Li said as she offered Lacey a handshake. The woman accepted it and sat down after shaking her hand.

            “It’s no problem, I’m hoping this means they’ll re-open my dad’s case soon.”

            “I can’t guarantee that will happen, but Oksana has been tied to a different case and movement in our current investigation might help us with your father’s case,” Chun-Li explained. “I’m Agent Chang, and this is Agent Han. We’re just going to ask you some questions about your stepmother if that’s alright.”

            “Of course.”

            “Great, we’ll start from the beginning, what can you remember about Oksana when you first met her?”

            “My mom had walked out a few years before, and Dad decided to get a mail order bride because he thought she’d be forced to stay with him and do what he said. My parents… neither one of them were winners, let’s just say that. Oksana arrived and they got married right away. I thought she was intimidating because she didn’t smile and when she did, it always looked…wrong.” Lacey explained. “Oksana was nervous more times than not. She used to stroke my hair and tell me to be careful when I’d go anywhere. She was weird, but she meant well and tried to be good to me. I was still sore over losing my mother though, so I didn’t really like when she’d try to mother me.”

            I wrote down the cliffnotes of what Lacey was saying.

            She continued, “Over time, we realized Oksana was deeply mentally ill. She was delusional, paranoid, and had a very loose hold of reality. She was convinced she’d been abducted by a cult, that her ex boyfriend took her kid, and that they were looking for her. She was obsessed with following this group of female assassins that worked for a crime syndicate called Shadaloo. Are you familiar with them?”

            “Yes, I’ve worked on cases pertaining to them,” Chun-Li said briefly. “Does the term Doll ring any bells?”

            “Yeah, that’s what she called the women. It was weird. She was really obsessed with them, she’d print out pictures of them the press got a hold of and keep them in her desk. She had a strong interest in two in particular, one she kept saying was her baby. This woman with white hair and a mask. She was thoroughly convinced that random lady was her kid, but Dad said all of Oksana’s kids had passed away, and that she was having a psychotic break. Then of course, she and Dad drank heavily on top of that, which just made the delusions worse. At one point she told me her ex boyfriend was a Spanish ninja she met in Russia. Like I said, absolutely nuts.”

            “A Spanish ninja?”

            “Yeah, she brought that one up a lot. She believed this imaginary ex boyfriend stole her daughter. There’s not records of her having any kids, I think the daughter was another delusion. She’d tell me she wanted to ‘bring my big sister home’ and it just made me really uncomfortable. She was crazy, but she wasn’t cruel or anything. It was just kinda scary living with someone who was that detached from reality.”

            “Did anything change leading up to the murder?” Chun-Li asked gently.

            “Yes,” Lacey said softly. “I started hearing strange sounds coming from the basement. And Oksana wouldn’t let me go down there, kept telling me there was a rat infestiation and we had to keep it contained. I was fourteen, and I wasn’t sure if that’s how it worked, so I believed her. But I needed my sleeping bag I kept down there for a sleepover I was gonna attend, so I went down there. And I found a woman chained up in our basement, screaming, thrashing around, kinda what you’d expect from someone in that situation. She was yelling at me in Russian, I didn’t know what she was saying and it scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just ran upstairs and hid in my room. She looked like the woman Oksana was obsessed with, and I was scared that if Oksana could do that, then she could hurt me. It… Didn’t feel like her. I eavesdropped on her and Dad talking. Dad was trying to convince her that this woman wasn’t who she thought she was, and that they should kill her and dump the body so she wouldn’t get in trouble for abducting her. They got in a screaming match about it, and Oksana attacked my dad when he said he was going to go down there and take care of the problem. I ran downstairs and freed the woman, who ran upstairs and attacked Oksana and my dad. From what I could see, it looked like she killed both of them, then she turned to me and told me to pack a bag right that minute. I… I was too scared to argue with her. So, I did what she told me. She took the keys to my dad’s car, a bottle of vodka from the fridge, and we drove around for what felt like forever until she dropped me off at the police station and left with the car.”

            I piped up, “Can you describe the woman?”

            “White hair, amber eyes, fucked up left side of her face. Not sure if it was like that before or after her time in our basement, but I think it was an old wound. She didn’t seem badly injured or anything, and she was dressed, I think Oksana literally just had her sitting down there; I don’t think she was torturing her or had her there for sexual purposes. I think she really did think this random lady was her daughter and was trying to force her to say with her.”

            I looked over to Chun-Li. The woman fit Decapre’s description and it all just felt eerie. I wrote that down as a possibility and let Chun-Li finish the interview.

            “Do you have any idea of where Oksana could have gone? What were her injuries?”

            “I… I don’t remember, it all happened so fast.”

            “I understand. Were there any other cars at the home?”

            “No, she had to have left by foot. Or maybe someone took her? I don’t know, Oksana was hurt, bleeding, so I’m not sure how she left without drawing attention to herself. Especially once the police got involved. But she was able to sneak up on people in this really eerie way, so maybe she just disappeared and is out spreading her crazy somewhere else now. Or maybe she fell into the ocean and died. Who knows.” Lacey said bitterly. “Did… Oksana hurt someone else?”

            “It’s a possibility.” Chun-Li said after a moment. “But it’s also possible that she didn’t. We’re investigating every lead we have. She happens to be a person of interest in a case of conspiracy to murder.”

            “Fuck.” Lacey groaned and held her face in her hands. “What happens if she comes to find me?”

            “We will provide you protection, I can lead you to someone who can help you apply for that.”

            “Ok… Ok… I brought a USB with the translations of Oksana’s journals. The translator fixed her spelling mistakes, but you should be able to find the original with all her terrible spelling intact if that’s important.”

            “Thank you, that’s very helpful, Ms. Johnson.” Chun-Li said as she accepted the USB stick.

            “What kind of spelling mistakes?” I asked.

            “Apparently, she can’t spell December, Nadia, Lacey, husband, blood, suicide, dog, Spain, several basic words, she just really sucks at spelling. She can’t even spell her own birthplace properly. She’ll add extra letters or switch letters around, or just write something that vaguely sounds like some words if you sound it out. And it’s not a second language issue, this was all written in Russian. She’s just really stupid when it comes to writing I guess.”

            “Did she ever mention the word Decapre?”

            “That does sound familiar.”

            “Fucking knew it.” I said proudly.

            “Juri!”

            “What?” I squawked then looked at the perturbed victim sitting in front of us. I cleared my throat. “Uh, thanks for telling us, that was helpful.”

            “Right… is that all you needed?”

            “That should be enough for now, thank you very much,” Chun-Li said as she turned her attention back to Lacey. “Please, take all the time you need, I know this is difficult. When you’re ready, follow me and we’ll fill out some paperwork to make sure you’ll be protected in the event Oksana comes looking for you.”

            “Ok… Thank you, Agent Chang.” The woman said softly as she dried her tears and got up to follow Chun-Li out of her office.

            I whipped out my phone and immediately started taking pictures of my notes so I could tell Cammy about the interview later. Everything just got a lot more complicated over night it seemed.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            In the dreamscape I wandered through a field of wildflowers and decaying soldiers being reclaimed by nature. I watched my step, trying not to step on anyone. The overwhelming floral scent did little to mask the putrid smell of death, but it’s so solidly burned into my nose I doubt anything will ever really cover it up. It’s futile, like setting out potpourri over an uncleaned litterbox. In the center of the endless field of tall grass and death, was a piano where my younger self sat, plunking a key occasionally like she didn’t know what it would do. I didn’t know how to play back then, despite my fascination with instruments. I’m not sure I can really say I know how to play now; my knowledge of piano is highly rudimentary and I haven’t practiced in ages. Maybe I should try to make the time for it again…

            I sat next to Killer Bee on the bench, listening to the eerie whistling of the wind and her humming.

            “Are you trying to recreate that song you’re humming?” I asked.

            She nodded, “Yeah. It’s the one Juri was humming earlier.”

            “Ah, I see.” I nodded. “Let’s see…” I began to plunk out the tune on the keys, struggling to get the melody just right. “No, that’s not right, that’s embarrassing.”

            My younger self giggled a little, “I think she’d be happy with it anyways.”

            “Only so she could laugh,” I rolled my eyes. “But that’s cute enough I can tolerate it.”

            “Crimson and clover over and over~”

            I played my vague approximation of the melody for her again. Killer Bee kicked her legs gleefully at having recreated what was playing in her head. I let my hands rest gently on the keys as I watched her finish humming and swaying. She smiled and looked up at the sky, “I like her a lot.”

            “Juri?”

            “Mhm.”

            “Hm. Me too.”

            “Well yeah, I’m you and you’re me.”

            “I suppose so… Though I don’t feel like the same person I was when I was a kid.”

            “Things were always weird and broken, you just grew up and realized it. The fundamentals are the same though,” Killer Bee replied and played with one of her braids. “Held together with duct tape and misplaced faith in the glue.”

            “Right,” I conceded.

            “I wish this part of the relationship could last forever. These early days, when she’s happy with me and things are pleasant. She doesn’t expect too much from me yet, and we can just be together. I… I really really like Juri, I don’t want it to end.”

            “Do you think it will?”

            “It always does! Everyone gets tired and leaves. Face it, Cammy, we’re exhausting and just can’t meet women’s needs,” Killer Bee proclaimed dramatically. Though I felt it in my soul. Again, she wasn’t wrong, and I hated that. “I just can’t. I can’t and I don’t know why. It’s like I’m willing to set myself on fire, but when it’s time to light the match I just can’t do it.”

            “Seeing sex as lighting myself on fire is pretty reductive and doesn’t help I’d wager.”

            “I want it, but I don’t want it, and that part of me always wins, always runs, always pushes girls away and then they leave because I just can’t do it. But… let’s be honest, it’d never be enough. Nothing ever is. They can rip the flesh from my body, break the bones to scoop out the marrow, and they’d still complain there wasn’t enough. I… I will never be enough and I can never give enough of myself to satisfy anyone,” she said as she dried a few tears. “But it breaks me down more to think I can never be enough for her because I really want this one to stay. I don’t want to die alone. I’m tired of love hurting. Why do we keep letting people in? They always leave. We’re too broken to make them stay.”

            I felt a few tears well up in my eyes, and deep down I knew it wasn’t from the awful smell of the field. I wrapped an arm around my younger self so she had a shoulder to cry on, because one of us should. “Sometimes it’s ok to let things die.”

            “Our relationships always go septic… What’s wrong with me? What’s so wrong with me?”

            “I wish I knew because maybe then I could fix it. But it’s like you said: I was always held together with tape and misguided faith.” I sighed and pat her (my own?) back to soothe her as she cried. These dreams always felt uncanny, and yet, a bit cathartic. I think if I told anyone about it they’d think I’m a lunatic, so it can stay with me. I can take my strange conversations with my younger self to my grave, like so many other things. Some memories deserve to rot in an early grave, but they just go gangrene in your mind and rot the rest of you. I think Bee holds out on me. Which is impressive considering she’s me, and you wouldn’t think you could withhold information from yourself. Amnesia is… Confusing and frustrating. Just aggravating more times than not, like trying to dig through your brain with a drill just to let the offending memories resurface. And then half the time, it’s something you wish stayed under because at least the confusion was less painful. Yet, there’s pain in ignorance, in knowing that something is missing and wondering what could possibly be so bad that you can’t retrieve it. I don’t know what kills me more: uncertainty or burdensome knowledge.

            “I care a lot about Juri, and I don’t want to lose her too.”

            “Maybe… Things will be different this time… I just want to hold onto that hope until it’s ripped from my hands.”

            Killer Bee dried her tears, “Take her with me tomorrow. I don’t wanna see him again all by myself. If Decapre can’t come, and Juniper can’t, then I want Juri. I want Juri to care enough that I’m hurting to show up.”

            “I’ll... ask her.”

            “If she loves me, then she can at least wait in the hallway… And we’ll know for sure.” Killer Bee said decisively as she faded into me, and I sat alone in the field with the piano. I shook my head and closed my eyes, “If she loves me… Then maybe she will stay.”

            When I woke up, the smell of decay and flowers faded, replaced with whiffs of motor oil and what I can only assume is Hot Cheetos. Juri’s scent was distinct, not exactly pleasant if I’m honest, but I felt fairly confident I could bully her into doing the laundry later so those pajamas she insists on wearing all day every day finally get clean.

            I didn’t really care about that in the moment, just snuggling her and nuzzling my face to her back while she snoozed. I just wanted to cuddle with my girlfriend for a while longer while I prepared myself for the day ahead.

            Per usual, my gut instinct was more helpful than anyone wanted to give me credit for. Our person of interest, Oksana Petrova, was absolutely connected to Vega. And perhaps to myself. I couldn’t deny the picture Juri showed me… That she took of a file with restricted access which I swiftly deleted off of her phone, but I digress… That picture did have an uncanny resemblance to Decapre and I. Perhaps she was the first “model”, somehow. My head hurt trying to think about it and I already was feeling nauseous at the idea of having to talk to Vega later that day.

            Decapre, Juni, and George were all going to be angry with me for it, but I elected to schedule the meeting under their noses and conduct the interrogation on my own.  I knew they’d object to it, but George doesn’t have experience with this sort of thing, he openly dislikes Decapre and has since we were kids, and Juni is far too sensitive at the moment over whatever is going on with her and Decapre. It just feels like the best solution for me to handle it myself. Sure, that man was a large source of my trauma, but whether I liked it or not, he was fond of me in his own twisted way. That could be an advantage when asking him about Oksana. And hopefully Juri would be with me for moral support. So… It’d be fine.

            Juri began to grumble and shift in her sleep when Aldous hopped up onto the bed and lapped at her face to wake her up. I tightened my grip around her waist, resting my head between her shoulder blades for a moment. Nothing could stop the day from commencing; I was no exception.

            “Ugh, what time is it?”

            “Eight thirty. We slept in,” I reminded her.

            “Your sleep schedule sucks, Kitten,” Juri grumbled and turned around to face me, giving me a quick peck on the lips. “G’morning.”

            “Good morning. Most normal people aren’t nocturnal, Love.” I said as I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m not looking forward to today.”

            “You sure you don’t wanna just have Juni handle this one? She seems capable enough.”

            “No, no, I care too much about my sister to toss her to the wolves like that,” I sighed.

            “Ah, quit acting all noble about it, babe.” Juri rolled her eyes and gave me another kiss before getting up out of bed, tossing the blankets off of both of us. I whined when the cold air hit me, trying to bargain with the morning not to start. But the cold woke me up the rest of the way and I had to just get up now.

            I stretched out my back and arms before standing up to crack my neck. Juri winced as she dug through her box of clothes she had sitting next to my closet and I chuckled, “Sorry, my joints get stiff.”

            “That was a freakishly loud neck pop, are you ok?”

            “I’m fine, it actually feels nice when it’s that loud because you get that really deep pop that kinda makes you wonder if you actually popped a bone out of place. Ah, that’s the spot,” I cracked my neck a few more times before grabbing the clothes a set out the day before. “How do you want your eggs?”

            “Fried egg sandwich sounds good. You got plans for after visiting our jailbird?”

            “Not particularly, I left my schedule clear on purpose. Speaking of which, I was actually wanting to talk to you about that.”

            “Ah hell, babe, I already passed everything I got off to the twink and thunder thighs has the other documents. Don’t quiz me on this.” Juri whined as she jammed a stick of deodorant under her arms then slipped on the rest of bodysuit. That poor, hard working zipper… You served well, mate.

            I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts about the outfit, “No, no, I was um… I was hoping you’d come with me, actually. Not into the interrogation room, you don’t have the clearance for that, but could you… Wait in the hall for me? Or outside if you prefer, that’s fine too. I just don’t want to be alone; this is hard for me.”

            Juri’s expression softened and she nodded, “Sure, Kitten. I’ll be right outside the door. Hollar if you need me to bust it down and play bad cop for you.”

            “Thanks, Juri.”

            “Don’t mention it.” She pat me on the shoulder and headed to the kitchen. “I’ll start breakfast.”

            “Don’t burn my flat down,” I reminded.

            “Have some faith in me, I can at LEAST make fried eggs and toast.”

            “Well, I suppose it beats my MRE concoctions I came up with as a teenager.”

            “Bet your ass it does,” Juri laughed pridefully as she headed to the kitchen. I’m not sure if that barely zipped up suit is the best thing to wear in the kitchen, but it’s fried eggs, so I’ll just assume she’s not going to hurt herself.

I threw on my clothes quickly: black shorts and matching knit turtleneck, my usual red gauntlets, red boots, a red jacket, and my favorite locket. The loose, baggy jacket reached my thighs and made me feel cute when I flipped the hood over my head. I debated if I should change anything in the mirror. Perhaps full pants and shirt would invite less attention. Baggy pants from Juri could help hide my figure. On the one hand, I didn’t want to let Vega look at my ass again, but on the other hand, it’s my body, my clothes, I should be able to wear whatever I want and not worry about what people are thinking about it. But I don’t live in a vacuum, what I wear does reflect how people perceive me, where they look, and I’d be a fool not to consider that these days. It almost feels like a no-win situation. I cover up and it feels pointless because the whole world has seen my ass between the propaganda posters when I was a teenager and the televised tournaments. But sometimes I don’t want people to look there or I’m just comfy in trousers that day. On the flip side, I almost feel like I never learned my lesson when I do wear something short again, because if they were going to look before, they’re going to look now, and do I mind it? Maybe there’s people I DO want to look at me, think I’m hot, but you can’t control who looks or who thinks what, only what you put out there. And maybe it’s shallow that whenever I’m in the leotard I hope women think I’m attractive, but it almost feels like I have to convince myself to reclaim it. My superiors had no business dressing me in a fucking thong as a teenager, as a child, and I always feel gross looking back at that. But I’m a grown woman now so if I WANT to that should be my prerogative, I shouldn’t feel sore about it because it’s not a problem with the article of clothing itself, but the system that put it on me when it wasn’t appropriate. Even now, I still feel the most comfortable fighting and training in the leotard, even though I have mixed feelings about it. I think being gay adds an extra layer of confusing emotions to it all. As a woman, I don’t want to be sexualized and I want to wear whatever makes me comfortable, whatever makes me feel pretty, and not have to worry about what people think of me. As a lesbian, I want women to find me attractive and I know full well if a woman was wearing a thong in front of me, I would have a hard time not staring and not thinking about her ass. So really, there’s no way to win. The only real victory is I absolutely refuse to wear a leotard around Vega any time I have to see him again because I think that’s what he wants for me, and I refuse to give him anything.

            I crept into the kitchen and snuck up behind Juri to give her a kiss on the cheek. Juri jumped a little and looked back at me with a befuddled expression.

            “Fuck me sideways, where did you come from?”

            “Sorry, I walk quietly,” I replied as I started brewing us some coffee. Juri pulled the toast from the toaster oven and slopped on the eggs and cheese. She flipped the second piece of bread on top quickly and slid the paper plate over to me.

            “Look, I didn’t burn down your kitchen,” Juri said, beaming with pride like a kid that just completed a minor chore all by herself. Ridiculous as it was, it was really cute. And maybe positive reinforcement will convince her to complete the laundry some time this week.

            “Good job, Sweetheart, gold star,” I chuckled and picked up my sandwich. Juri preened and grabbed her own to eat, sitting cross legged on the counter next to me. Marmalade immediately started rubbing up against Juri to try to steal her sandwich, though Juri seemed to have adjusted to eating around cats, so she was able to protect her breakfast from the fuzzy thief.

            “Oh please, I already have a gold star,” Juri joked.

            “Oh, of course, my apologies.”

            “Not that it matters, but are you?”

            “Me?” I asked. “I don’t really like to think about it as a ranking, but yes. I haven’t dated any men, I figured out I wasn’t interested pretty much immediately. Some of my sisters were always excited to talk to some of the male soldiers our age and I never understood the hype. Then when I escaped, I actually found the language to articulate my feelings on the matter. I was really into tAtU, I was so mad when they ended up being a scam. Lena Katina’s new music is really good though, and she didn’t turn out to be homophobic too, so that’s nice.”

            “Big same,” Juri chuckled.

            “I liked their Russian music the best. It felt like… home.” I poured us both a cup of coffee and sipped it. “I’m fluent in Russian, I grew up speaking it and English. There weren’t really other people around me in England I could speak Russian with, so I think I clung pretty tightly to anything that used the language back then.”

            “I can get that. Had to be rough knowing you weren’t even in the right country.”

            “There were some people who made their opinion of where I belonged quite clear. It’s not that I needed reminded that I’m not really British, but I’ve spent most of my life there now. As a teenager, my adoptive family were British, so I became British just like my little brother did. But I’m still Russian and he’s still Singaporean, it’s just we’re both now,” I explained. “I never wanted to lose my original heritage even though I was embracing my new home. Me being Eastern European was one of the only things I knew about myself back when the amnesia was really bad, and I didn’t want to let that go.”

            “I kinda see myself as a world citizen at this point. I’ve lived so many places, usually on the go, but I’ll always be South Korean first and foremost. That’s part of why I always hated it when people would assume I was with Crimson for a green card. Not sure what made them think I even wanted one. I go where I want, I don’t need permission, and I have no intention of giving up my citizenship. Not out of any blind patriotism, but that’s my home, that’s my culture, they have rejected me but they’re still a part of me. I ain’t willing to just abandon ship and claim something else,” Juri shrugged and tossed her paper plate in the bin. “I kinda get what you mean. There really isn’t any place I would claim other than Korea, but I made a home here in the States for a while, and my daughter is definitively American, so I can sorta understand what you’re saying. It’s a balancing act. Learning to be in a new place while keeping your own culture. It could be hard with Lauren because I’d have to remind myself that she’s not Korean. Which, duh, kid’s a fucking ginger, but she’s mine in ways that count. We don’t have the same culture, even if I do share some of mine with her, she’s always going to be an American first and foremost, and I gotta remember that.”

            “That’s got to be difficult. I think my dad did a good job of trying to keep my brother and I stayed connected to our heritage while also making sure we were British. I commend him for that, especially when we were not easy children. Two older, highly traumatized adoptees? He had his hands full managing us. I was an uneducated sixteen year old who struggled to read and write in English and had trauma induced amnesia. My little brother was eight when he was adopted and quickly developed severe PTSD because he was a victim of human trafficking. That’s how Dad found him, during a mission. Everyone thought I acted a little like him, so that’s what they thought had happened to me. The truth turned out being a lot stranger, but I can’t blame them for not coming to that conclusion. I’m more just bitter that Chun-Li identified me, told Dad, and he didn’t believe her. I’m not sure if that was genuine or denial, but it would have been better for my mental health if I had been told the truth by my family and my case worker, not from the man responsible for all my trauma in the first place… I can’t blame Dad too much though, I know he tried his best with a difficult situation.”

            “I hope Lauren looks back at me with that much grace.” Juri sighed. “And as much as I don’t fucking like my ex, I hope she’s easy on her mom too. Crimson did the hardest parts by herself with that judgy ass family of hers breathing down her neck. Shitty partner, but she’s a good mom, I won’t take that from her.”

            “I’m sure she will. It’s a lot easier to be objective and merciful once you’ve grown up a bit and remove yourself from the situation,” I assured. “Parents aren’t perfect. I think that’s why I don’t want kids. I’m too much of a perfectionist and I don’t want to mess another small person up.”

            “I didn’t want kids, I just kinda ended up adopting one accidentally?” Juri explained. “All I wanted was ASS. I just wanted to bang my girlfriend who happened to have a kid. It’s the fucking puppy eyes those little fuckers have I swear. Ended up wrapped around that little goblin’s finger after having to babysit her for my woman enough times. I once spent 2,000 dollars on her birthday. I mean, it’s not like it was legitimately my money but goddamn.”

            “That’s excessive…”

            “Don’t judge me! I was trying my best.”

            “My dad got angry with me because I spent too much of my allowance on Bellasara trading cards once…” I started to snicker a little. “They were kinda a waste of money to be fair, but it was pretty horses and I didn’t need much to make me happy I guess.”

            “Horses?”

            “Yeah, I like them,” I said as I glanced up at the clock on the microwave. “Oh, shit, we need to get going.”

            Juri hopped down from the counter and grabbed our wallets from the counter for us. “Yeah, tell me about the pretty horses on the bus, it’ll keep your mind off the creep.”

            Metro City Maximum security prison was on an island off the coast of Metro City and could only be reached by ferry. It was a large, menacing building meant to house only the most dangerous criminals in the United States. Almost everyone in the facility was a violent offender. Murderers, terrorists, mob bosses, those types of people. The faded red brick walls and rows of barbed wire fencing overlooking the sea felt like an imposing presence even to guests. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live inside those walls… though frankly, I’m lucky not to. I probably deserve to be serving time in prison for my past crimes, maybe not for my entire life because I was a child, but I still killed so many people I earnestly can’t remember them all. I want to feel like I’m above the people in that prison, like I’m different because I changed my life around, I never wanted to harm people, but that doesn’t change the reality for the victims. Those people are still dead, those families still lost loved ones, and I still am the angel of death who snapped their necks with all my strength.

            My head was flooded with feelings I didn’t want to address. Guilt, anger, sorrow, but I pushed it all down and kept a blank face. Blank face, the blankest eyes you can muster. Stand at attention, salute, and never let them see your pain. Or as Juni would always phrase it ‘stay sweet and never give them a reason to hurt you’. I suppose in these situations, I’m grateful I learned to mask my emotions young. Nobody can use them against me if I keep them hidden.

            Juri squeezed my hand gently as we walked down the hallway to the interrogation room where I was to meet with Vega.

            “I’ll be right outside that door, Kitten,” she whispered in my ear before letting go of my hand and leaning against the wall across from the door. The guard scanned his badge then mine before letting me go inside. I left my personal cell phone out with Juri, bringing in only my work phone and lockable briefcase with files pertaining to the investigation.

            It was a featureless, gray metal room, much like the ones my sisters and I would be locked in as punishment sometimes. Cold, steel walls and floor, no windows, and a heavy vault like door that closed too hard for comfort. It felt like being locked up again myself, but instead of being alone, I was staring across the room at the man who plagued my nightmares. The man in the mask that nearly ended my life as a teenager, the imposing leader of my unit when I was a child, the man who taught me most of what I know about combat and in some ways, raised me, was just reduced to another prisoner chained to the table. He had gotten older too, but I never realized how much older he must have been until that moment. Without all the skin care products to reverse time’s affects on his skin, or dye to mask the gray in his hair, he looked less like the ageless model I remembered him as and more like a lonely, aging man living out the rest of his life in squalor. Still, he maintained himself well given the circumstances. His long hair was clean, trimmed, and braided per usual even if wiry gray hairs began to take over the brown. His skin was clean, moisturized, but visibly aging. He still held himself with the same pride he always did, and in a way, I was glad. He was the monster I knew, not a new one to learn.

            I sat down across from him and opened my briefcase quietly, waiting for him to speak first. Force of habit, I suppose.

            “You… cut your hair?” Vega asked in disappointment after a moment of awkward silence. “Why?”

            “It’s easier to maintain this way. And a crazy woman mistook me for Decapre, then tried to attack me with a shopping cart,” I explained.

            “What, was she blind? Speaking of, how is your sister.”

            “That’s not what we’re here to talk about. I want to know everything you know about this woman here.” I said as I pulled out Oksana’s case file and opened it up for him to see the picture. “Oksana Petrova, born in Leningrad in 1970. Former figure skater who mysteriously disappeared in 1985. She resurfaced again in the early 2000s, when she married an American man and immigrated, only to be caught up in a murder and kidnapping investigation in 2012. She’s been missing ever since. Records say she had ties to Shadaloo, spoke highly of a Spanish ninja, and this file right here,” I pulled the records retrieved from Juri’s SIN laptop, “State she was the subject of a Shadaloo project called Project Nesting Doll in the 80s and 90s. A project you were a part of. I want to know everything about this woman and how she relates to Shadaloo.”

            Vega looked down at the files pensively, smiling ever so slightly at the picture of Oksana with her husband and stepdaughter, “I see she lived after all. And that you finally found remnants of her.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “I know her, you’re right about that,” Vega said as he leaned back in his seat. “Oksana was… a beautiful young lady. Talented, kind, and rather stupid if we’re being honest. But she had a natural grace about her that was captivating. She would have certainly medaled if she had made it to the Olympics like she hoped.”

            “How did you know her?” I asked.

            “We met in 1983 when I was looking for subjects for a new, rather ambitious project Bison had in mind. We needed a subject that was fairly strong and healthy, so I looked at athletes.”

            “But not martial artists as usual?”

            “No, we needed someone easier to control and combat was not important for this project. Someone who knew how to fight would be disadvantageous at that point in the project,” Vega clarified. “I looked for local athletic girls fifteen and older. Oksana’s older sister, Nadia, was the original target. She was sixteen at the time and had done well for herself in her career as a figure skater. They were orphans in custody of the state and had few friends. Perfect candidates. Nadia saw rather quickly that something was amiss and refused to engage with me, but Oksana, she wouldn’t leave me alone. When I would go to visit Nadia, Oksana would be the one clinging to my arm, wanting my attention, and talking… So much talking. About nothing of substance, it’s amazing how much she could talk and say nothing notable at all.” Vega rolled his eyes in annoyance but smiled a little. “Despite being needy idiot, she was charming. Oksana was kind and excitable. She wanted to travel and loved anything I could bring her from the west. Especially cassettes. She loved her portable cassette player more than anything else. So, I’d buy her things she couldn’t get in Russia at the time: western music, fashion, her crimper, she used to crimp her hair every day, shoes, foreign magazines, and jewelry. She was always asking about Spain, though she couldn’t point it out on a map if she tried.”

            I took notes, but felt uncomfortable thinking about the situation, “That’s a lot of money to spend on someone you could have easily just kidnapped.”

            “Hm… This was before Project Dolls began. Back then it seemed too barbaric to just grab her and run. Besides, I genuinely did like her, so playing along like I was her boyfriend seemed fine. It became apparent to me that Oksana would make a better candidate than Nadia, so I chose to take her to the Siberian base for the project. She went willingly. I told her we were going to stay somewhere while I secured us flights to Spain… As if Spain wasn’t still under a dictatorship at the time. She assumed we were just going to the United States but Spanish speaking. Again, not a smart girl.”

            “She was a child, you absolute bellend,” I grumbled.

            “Do you want me to tell you what happened or not?” Vega asked, quirking an eyebrow at me like I was a disobedient child again. I hated that look, but pushed down the feelings and nodded.

            “Continue… What was the point of kidnapping Oksana if she wasn’t a warrior?”

            Vega’s expression grew darker as he looked down at Oksana’s picture, avoiding eye contact with me, “Have you ever wondered why you and Decapre were the way you were? Supposed clones, spare bodies, and yet, you look nothing like Bison? You’re both women, don’t look like him, and yet you both are genetically similar enough to serve as replacement bodies with little trouble. In your body, he could wield the same level of psycho power, something he couldn’t do if he chose an unrelated candidate.”

            “I… Never thought about it until recently,” I admitted, tensing up a bit in discomfort. “I try not to wonder why he wanted to be a teenage girl so badly.”

            “It wasn’t ideal. Our first attempts at cloning were to create a perfect copy. But cloning at the time was limited. We couldn’t yet grow perfect, fully formed clones of him. In those days, cloning worked more the way it’s done commercially for cloning dogs and such. Take a fertilized egg, remove the genetic material, and replace it with the genetic code for the subject being cloned. Implant the embryo and hope for the best. It didn’t work well for human subjects, even with our top scientists’ best efforts. In light of this, we took a different approach to ensure by the time Bison’s original body needed replaced, the subjects would be old enough to be of use. The research team decided to use IVF to engineer genetically similar embryos that would be capable of wielding psycho power that could serve as replacement bodies. In laymen’s terms, you and Decapre are Bison’s lab grown children, not his clones. Genetically similar enough to serve as a replacement body, but not a perfect genetic copy.”

            I paused between my notes and looked over at him, “Why are you telling me all of this?”

            “Because that was what Project Nesting Doll was. Oksana was the surrogate for the failed clones, you, and your sister. She’s your mother,” he said as he pushed the file with her photo back to me. I dropped my pen, letting it roll off onto the floor as the world came to a stop. It all clicked in my mind, starting to come together like pieces of a puzzle, but the image was unbearable. The phenotypical differences between Bison, myself, and Decapre, the resemblance between myself and Oksana, Vega’s strange infatuation with me, Oksana’s new goal to destroy everyone related to the people who hurt her, it all came together and weighed a ton on my mind. I felt ill thinking about it all. I wanted to scream, cry, hit Vega, tell him exactly what I thought, but I ground my teeth and kept it in. Juni’s words echoed in my mind ‘stay sweet’ ‘stay sweet’. I don’t want to!

            “You… Are a vile man. I guess it’s comforting to know you were always an unredeemable monster.” I muttered, tightening my fists so hard I was glad my nails were short so they wouldn’t cut into my palms. “How… No, I shouldn’t be surprised, you contributed to the abduction of my sisters. This is… You threw her to the wolves knowing what would happen, I don’t understand how someone could be so heartless!”

            “She came willingly.”

            “She didn’t know what was going to happen, you tricked her!”

            “I did,” Vega conceded. “But you really have no right to be this angry, you are not the victim in this situation, Killer Bee. Don’t get offended on Oksana’s behalf because she’d be highly offended.”

            “Since when do you give a shit about her feelings?”

            “I always did. I really did intend on taking her with me once the project was over. I had permission to take her to live with me in Spain once you and Decapre were born, at least, that was the original plan. Oksana tried to escape the base with you and Decapre when she found out what your purpose was to be. She actually got farther than any of us anticipated, but she nearly drowned the three of you trying to swim away. She was about…” Vega paused in thought before continuing, “Six to seven months pregnant with you at the time, having complications, and decided that it would be a great idea to swim across a half frozen river and walk miles to the nearest town. I was able to catch her before she got you all killed. The deal I was trying to broker to let her keep Decapre fell through and she lost access to her immediately. Oksana decided she hated me after that.”

            “She didn’t hate you before?” I asked skeptically.

            “No. She still saw me as her partner up until that point. She’d go through phases of being furious with me, screaming that she wanted to break up, I wouldn’t talk to her for a few days, and then she’d beg to get back together. It wasn’t ideal, but that’s what it was,” he explained. “She didn’t want to get back together that time though. She refused to speak to me the rest of the time she spent at the base. Which was admittedly not long. You were born shortly after the incident, though it did not go well. You both nearly died, and Oksana was sterile afterwards. There was nothing else Shadaloo needed from her with you being a perfect specimen and Decapre being a suitable spare, so I was allowed to let her go. I left her in a nearby town once she’d recovered enough to not need constant monitoring.”

            “Why was she allowed to leave? Why not just kill her?” I asked softly.

            “She was deemed not to be a threat and I advocated for her to be released. I didn’t want her to die,” Vega said as he looked up at me. “She was beautiful, she had a beautiful soul and reminded me of someone important to me. I hoped to earn her affection again one day.”

            “What made you think you could ever make it up to her?”

            “She did. We dated again for a few months when you were about eight. One night she gave me an ultimatum: bring her back her children, or I would never see her again. I told her I couldn’t, and she said ok, then left without another word. When I found her, she was on the roof of the hotel we were at and jumped. That was the last time I saw Oksana. I assumed that she died that night and tried to leave that chapter of my life behind.”

            I closed my eyes and tried to gather my thoughts so I could stay calm. The anger was burning like a furnace under the surface and threatening to set the whole room ablaze if I wasn’t careful. I closed my notes and put the files back into my briefcase.

            “I think I’ve heard enough.”

            “Wait,” Vega said as he dug into the front shirt pocket of his orange uniform. “There’s something you should have before you go.” I narrowed my eyes at him as he pulled out a handful of photos and sorted through them quietly before handing one to me. I was almost too scared to look, but I peaked at the image after a moment. It was an old photo of Oksana and Decapre when she was a baby. Oksana cradled my older sister to her chest and caressed her face with a gentle affection that shone through the picture. Decapre’s unscarred face looked peaceful, happy, like nothing could hurt her. I blinked a few times to keep back tears that threatened to escape. “I think you should have it. Oksana would want you and Decapre to have that picture.”

            “Vega… Do you regret any of this?” I asked as I looked at the picture, trying to keep a straight face.

            “My biggest regret was taking her away from her children. She was a good mother and that was her most beautiful quality,” Vega responded after a moment. “I didn’t want to kill you when I was ordered to. I tried to leave you somewhere near a hospital, but that would still be beneficial to Shadaloo as a warning if you were dead. I took solace in that if you died, I was giving Oksana one of her girls back early.”

            I put the picture in my pocket and picked up my things, unsure of what to say. As I walked away, I took one last glance at the former Shadaloo king, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. I turned away and left without a word.

            Juri glanced up from her phone, “Did you get what you need?”

            “I… Yes. I got everything I needed, we can leave now,” I said with as blank of an expression as I could muster, though I suppose it must not have shone through as well as I hoped because Juri stared at me skeptically.

            “Well then let’s get out of here before someone decides to give me a free stay here,” she joked and held my hand as we left. I squeezed her hand tightly, thankful to have her there with me. We left the prison together, but I took back more remnants of the past with me than I had hoped, unable to leave them all at the cell door.

            Juri paced our living room with a contorted face, working through everything I had just told her. I was curled up on the couch with my cats and the old photograph of Oksana, still trying to process everything myself.

            “So what you’re saying is the woman who’s trying to kill us right now is your mom?” Juri asked after a moment, still trying to walk a bald spot into the carpet. I nodded.

            “Mhm… That’s what it looks like.”

            “Fuck me.” Juri groaned as she paced, shuffling her feet like a prisoner walking her execution. “I always assumed something fucked up was going on, but this is rough.”

            “I can’t help but feel sorry for her, even if she’s threatening the people I love… She didn’t deserve what happened to her. And I was a part of that pain,” I murmured. “But I also don’t understand why she wants to kill Decapre and I…”

            “Don’t feel sorry for her when she’s trying to kill you, Kitten, that’s a pretty shitty move for a parent.”

            “What if she doesn’t know?”

            “Oh she knows, I’m pretty certain you can recognize things that take up rent in you for nine months,” Juri said pointedly before sighing and taking a seat next to me. “I’m sorry about all this, Cammy… I know this has gotta be really difficult for you.”

            I leaned against my girlfriend, resting my head against her shoulder as I gazed at the photo, “I just… Don’t know how to feel about everything. Or how to tell Decapre about all of this…”

            “I… Don’t worry about all that right now. Just stay in with me and we’ll figure it out tomorrow. Together,” Juri assured as she kissed my forehead and hugged me close to her, shifting to pull me into her arms. I hid my face in her chest and tried to fight back the tears, only to lose and give in to the wave of heartache.

            “Ok… Just don’t go anywhere tonight.”

            “I won’t.”

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            Cammy and I spent most the night snuggling and watching cartoons since she really needed some comfort after everything that happened. I couldn’t blame her for being upset and frazzled about the situation, hell, I’m mad about it and I don’t have skin in the game. Ain’t my mom, ain’t me, but I think it’s just a decent human instinct to see grooming some teenage orphan to be your personal human incubator as fucked up. Even more fucked up for said mama to decide she wants to kill her kids over it. I didn’t really have a problem with the bitch wanting me dead, that’s fine, it’s not like I was a saint, but I couldn’t wrap my head around her wanting to kill Cammy and Decapre. I wasn’t even a parent in a biological sense and the idea of anyone trying to hurt Lauren makes me want to start stomping faces. I literally couldn’t imagine harming Lauren myself. My mind wouldn’t let me go there. I think that just made me more angry about the whole situation. I didn’t want Cammy getting blamed for something she didn’t cause. She was the result, but not the perpetrator, it seemed unfair and fucked up for her to be attacked over the situation.

            I woke up first, which was weird. Wouldn’t surprise me if she was still awake long after me, upset, and not waking me up like I told her to. I reached over to her phone and turned off the alarm, because my woman deserved her sleep after the day she had. I’m sure Decapre, Juni, and George can handle themselves without her for a while, or at least not kill each other. They better not fucking kill each other or I’m gonna be pissed. Cammy has enough crap to deal with, she doesn’t need someone to take another proverbial shit in her cereal bowl.

            I sighed and quietly caressed her hair, letting her snuggle me like a plushie for as long as she wanted. I hate being on my back to rest, but she wanted to lay her head on my chest so I just made do with the discomfort so she could feel better. It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated at least. Cammy tends to sleep very still; it’s hard to even tell if she’s having a nightmare until she jolts up speaking Russian. I don’t ask. She can tell me when she’s ready. That’s what I’d want.

            I picked up my phone to doom-scroll for a while only to get a text.

Crimson: Can you meet me for dinner tonight?

I’m bringing Lauren.

And a mediator. Chun-Li is bringing Li-Fen too. The girls can go distract each other while we discuss business.

It’s about visitation.

Me: Only if I can bring my own mediator so it’s even.

How’s Lauren?

Crimson: Fine, bring Cammy but keep your hands to yourself.

Also, that’s not how mediators work…

But I’ll allow it.

Lauren has been cleaning up her act lately. We got back her semester grades yesterday, they look pretty good. I think she has a good chance of getting accepted into her school of choice. She’s wanting to get into BU because her girlfriend already got accepted into MIT.

Me: She needs to be applying for Ivy League schools.

We got a great backstory to use for applications. Colleges love a good sob story. She’s a smart kid, I want her to go to the best school possible. What is she going for? Premed? Prelaw? Engineering?

Crimson: Relax. BU is a private college, it’s still a good education.

Ivy Leagues are just for the networking, the education is the same.

Me: Bitch what is her MAJOR?

Crimson: Undecided.

Me: What is she looking at?

It better be good.

I didn’t raise no stripper

Crimson: You didn’t raise nobody, Sugar -_-

She’s looking at doing something for the Air Force.

Or something about engineering? She was interested in an internship for some company down in Nashville called “Calendar Strikes”. They’re tagline is something along the lines of “We can’t be worse than Umbrella” which… I’m not entirely confident about. I told her she should look and see what Raytheon is up to because they have good benefits and usually hire interns after the internship ends. She said she just wanted to be a part of blowing things up if she can’t be a spy or pilot.

Me: You’re ok with this?

She ain’t doing fucking espionage, fucking hell, Crimson.

Crimson: Relax. It’s a phase she’ll grow out of.

Like thinking influencer is a career.

I’m sure she’ll pick something sensible.

Me: I guess I’ll start pushing for surgeon or lawyer. Thanks for the info.

Anyway, where we meeting?

Crimson: Dodge Rolls. It’s a sushi bar with an arcade. Lauren loves it.

Me: Fuck yeah!

Sounds sweet, we’ll be there.

Crimson: Excellent.

            I smiled a little and put my phone back on the end table. Cammy started to shift and grumble, reaching for her phone with her eyes closed. I sighed and handed it to her.

            “Babe, just sleep in, we can go in later.”

            “I just… have to check the group chat,” Cammy murmured as she forced her eyes open and tapped the passcode into her phone. “I had a dream… I dreamt that Fevrier was having another kid and offered to drop it off with Julia, and I need to check to make sure it was a dream.”

            “I didn’t know you were an actual auntie.”

            “Mhm. I have three nephews and a niece from Fevrier, a niece from Noembelu, and Li-Fen is like a niece to me. Julia and her husband have been trying to have children for a while, but it hasn’t worked out,” Cammy explained as she scrolled through the group chat. “Noembelu adopted a child in her tribe, Fevrier got married to her long-term boyfriend and had several kids back to back. Chun-Li has been my friend for so long she might as well be family.”

            “Damn, sucks for Julia.”

            “I think they’re looking into adoption now… oh good, nobody’s pregnant and Kiki hasn’t terrorized anyone,” she said with a sigh of relief. “Wait… That might be insensitive. Drat.”

            “You’re happy for no drama… On that specific front. It’s fine,” I pulled her up into my arms again so we could snuggle more. “Can we just tell Decapre tomorrow? And just lay in until dinner?”

            “Can’t… this is too urgent.”

            “How long do you think… you know, the discussion will go?”

            “I’ll handle it, she’s my sister.” Cammy assured.

            “Yeah, I get that, Kitten, but I really need you to come with me to dinner. Crimson wants to discuss visitation and she’s bringing Chun-Li as backup, so I need you to come too so they can’t gang up on me.”

            “You… know Chun-Li likes you, right?”

            “Pfft, she’s got a school girl crush on me, maybe,” I laughed. “We’re enemies, and not even the kind with sexual tension like us.”

            Cammy rolled her eyes and rested her head on my chest, “You’re an imbecile.”

            “You love it though.”  Cammy just grunted and closed her eyes, ignoring me. It didn’t bother me. She could pretend not to love the chaos all she wanted; I knew the truth. “In all seriousness, babe, I really could use the moral support if nothing else.”

            “I’ll go, I promise.”

            “Thanks, Kitten.”

            She grunted a confirmation, drifting off again for a moment before her phone began to buzz several times in succession and she reflexively checked it again. “And… Juni is sending a bunch of vague texts to the group chat about ‘unreliable people’. Real subtle, she kicked Decapre from the chat like, three times yesterday…”

            “Ignore it, they managed like a decade without you mediating for them before, they’ll be fine if you turn off notifications for a day or two,” I sighed. “Gimme your phone.”

            “What? No.”

            “Cammy, seriously, turn it off, you got enough bullshit on your plate. Put the phone down and get another hour or two of shut eye.” Cammy pouted as she handed me her phone so I could set it back up on the nightstand. “Good girl.”

            “Sh-Shut up!” Cammy squeaked and rolled over so she was facing away from me immediately. I just laughed and wrapped my arms and legs around her like a koala.

            “Got to sleep, Kitten.”

            “You’re the worst,” she grumbled and leaned back against me, holding one of my hands as she drifted off again. I just held her while we snoozed more of the day away, ignoring our… Er, her responsibilities, for a little while.

       We left Cammy’s apartment around noon after sleeping in for a while. She kept switching between fidgeting, jittering around in her seat, then going completely still like a statue while we were on the bus. She must’ve checked her phone every other minute, shooting off texts at the speed of light to someone. I didn’t ask, I just hugged her arm and tried to get her to calm her candy ass down. It wasn’t that effective. Cammy refused to eat anything when we left, she just wanted to get on the bus, go to work, and talk to Decapre about her findings. About their mother… I wanted to be there for her, but she insisted she needed to talk to her sister alone. I get it, it doesn’t really concern me, but I couldn’t help but worry about how she was holding up. It didn’t look good for the home team.

            When we finally got to the office, I stuck close to Cammy so she could get us past all the security measures, scanning her badge left and right like a shopping ninja with a limitless credit card. We arrived at the Delta Red offices in the building where Juni and George were working on something together on the computer in his office while Decapre lied on the floor, reading a book and ignoring the world around her. I swear she’s never working when I see her, I kinda wonder what her job even is. To be Cammy’s keeper? Emotional support goth? Wait, that’s actually a great idea… Why don’t we have those?

            “Decapre, I need to brief you on something in my office,” Cammy said after clearing her throat. Decapre glanced up from her book and quirked an eyebrow.

            “Just me?”

            “For now? Yes, just you… Can we please talk?” Cammy asked, offering Decapre a hand up off of the floor. Decapre glanced at Juni for a moment, quizzical expression growing across her scarred face before she took Cammy’s hand up.

            “You can always talk to me, you know that, Little Bee,” Decapre said softly, patting Cammy’s shoulder affectionately before making her way across the hall to Cammy’s office, leaving me, Juni, and George awkwardly hanging around while the sisters discussed recent revelations.

            “What was that about?” Juni asked.

            “Personal shit; Cammy found something that concerns Decapre and her. She wants to talk about it with her sister alone first,” I explained.

            “And yet she told you?”

            “I was there when she found out. Shit happens,” I said with a shrug. “Not sure why you’d care though. She’s gonna tell you, she’s just telling Decapre first.”

            Juni narrowed her eyes at me in suspicion before turning her attention back to George’s monitor, “I don’t hate you, Juri, but I don’t trust you. What is your angle?”

            “Not getting killed mainly. Why? You scared of getting your ass kicked again?” I asked.

            “You’re not as tough with that weaker eye,” Juni said pointedly before breaking into that creepy smile again. It’s like this sickeningly sweet expression, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Her eyes just scream with pure, unbridled rage, bubbling down below the forced pleasantness. “Don’t forget that you’re our guest so to speak. Stay sweet and don’t bite that feeds you.”

            “I only bite chicks who want me to bite them.”

            “Don’t fuck over my sister or I’ll tie you up with barbed wire, lock you in the crawlspace of an abandoned house, and suffocate you with Raid,” Juni said with the same false smile before seeming to actually go back to being in a good mood as she got back to work.

I… kinda believed she’d do it.  Cammy’s sisters were all various levels of fucked in the head. I mean, who could blame them. They all had been severely traumatized from years of psychological and physical abuse, being abducted and forced into what was essentially a murder cult of personality, then having to suddenly pick up the pieces after all those years of having every facet of their lives controlled by the cult. I think Juni always scared me the most though. Sure, Aprile was the resident torture specialist now treating unsuspecting patients, Fevrier was a conspiracy theorist who was probably on a watchlist or two, and Enero had gone from the cult, to girl bossing, to politics, but Juni… Juni SEEMED pleasant. Sweet, almost stupid at times. Juni seemed harmless and that was her greatest weapon. I could see through it though. I could sense the rage under the surface. It was hiding in plain sight, cleverly disguised as joyful smiles and agreeable statements. But she had the same anger Decapre did… I could see why they were drawn to each other. And why they were going through a spectacular breakup. That rage couldn’t be good for them.

            I think Decapre would openly murder me if I ever hurt Cammy, and I know where I stand with her. Juni… I think she’d tell me to have a lovely day while drowning me in the pier.

            “Doubt Cammy would like hearing you talk like that,” I said, shaking the thoughts from my head.

            “I’m just protecting her… It’s what we do for each other,” Juni said softly, an earnest expression spreading across her features. No false smile, no anger, just genuine worry. I decided to back off. It wasn’t funny when she looked actually concerned.

            “Yeah uh… Good for you.”

            Dodge Rolls was a trendy sushi restaurant in downtown Metro City that sold specialty rolls and local brews. It had a full arcade attached to it as a main feature, including cabinets upon cabinets of everything you could think of. Retro arcade cabinets from the 80s and 90s, pinball machines every color of the rainbow, driving games, shooting games, dance dance revolution, even some simulated carnival games. I could see why Lauren liked it, hell, I kinda wished I didn’t have to see my ex and Chun-Li, because it would’ve been a kickass date night otherwise. Cammy and I rolled in at the agreed upon time, but apparently Crimson and Chun-Li had already gotten themselves a table. I kinda hated that. I was actual on time for once, and they get there early just to be smug assholes about it. I kinda hate my ex.

            “Ugh, this is gonna be painful,” I grumbled as I spotted them.

            “None of that, Love. Focus on the mission at hand. We need to make a compelling case for why you are a good presence in Lauren’s life and argue your case with facts and finesse,” Cammy said determinedly. “Focus only on the mission. No distractions.”

            “… Babe, it’s not… Actually, yeah, thanks, baby.” I sighed, just accepting her point of view. If she wanted to see this as a mission then good on her, she usually comes out on top during those so it probably was best for me if she took it that seriously. “Do we tell them?”

            “I…It might be best to be honest if we are asked about it. It would show that you’re not hiding things from her and willing to be upfront about your life situation. It also shows that you have moved on from her.”

            “Yeah, that might piss her off though,” I chuckled. “Alright, game time, into the lion’s den.”

            “Be cordial,” Cammy whispered as we approached the table. “Hello, thank you for the invitation to dinner.”

            “Thank Juri, she’s the one who insisted you tag along,” Crimson said as she motioned to the booth across from her and Chun-Li.

            “Hi, ladies,” she waved to us. “It’s nice to meet up outside of work again, it’s been a long time.”

            “Absolutely… Sorry, my case has been hectic,” Cammy said apologetically.

            “It’s alright, I understand.”

            My gaze moved from my girlfriend to my ex, who was watching me like a lioness stalking her prey, waiting for the perfect time to strike me down.

            “Thanks for arranging this, Crimson,” I said after a moment, trying to play it cool even though I was anxious as fuck inside.

            “I… Realized after talking with Lauren for a while that the current arrangement really hasn’t been fair to her,” Crimson admitted, clearing her throat. “I only want what’s best for Lauren.”

            “Me too.”

            “Right, well, with that in mind…” Crimson bit her lip and adjusted her glasses, pausing as she thought about her next sentence. “I would like to discuss a visitation plan. From what I understand, you don’t have a current residence in the city, am I correct?”

            “Uh, I mean, I do, but it’s because I uhauled with Cammy,” I replied, pointing a thumb to my girlfriend next to me, who jumped a bit in her seat.

            “Well that was fast.”

            Cammy looked a bit embarrassed, sighing, “Sorry, Chun-Li, I thought that would come up a bit more tactfully…”

            “Wait, are you two dating?” Chun-Li asked.

            “Uh… Yes,” Cammy said softly.

            “That’s wonderful news!”

            Crimson, Cammy, and I all stared at her in shock, cause frankly, that’s the last reaction I expected. Minorly upset, resigned resignation? Sure. But excitement? Never would’ve guessed that in a million years.

            “It is?” I asked.

            “I think you’re great for each other,” she assured and folded her hands on the table, wearing a big grin on her face. I felt like she was mocking me somehow and I wanted to throw down, but that would probably end the conversation there. So I decided to just sit there and look pretty; it seemed like the best strategy to not piss off my ex and the woman I have to go home with later.

            “I’m… surprised you think that but glad to hear,” Cammy said after a few confused blinks. “I haven’t spoken about this at work, but I’m telling the people at this table because I think it’s important that Juri and I are upfront about this situation with the two of you.”

            “Why haven’t you told your dad yet?” Chun-Li asked.

            “Um, well…”

            “Who cares? Juri’s her problem now and that’s all that matters,” Crimson said, rolling her eyes as she stirred her drink with her straw. “At any rate, I don’t like the idea of Lauren slumming it with you and Shadaloo’s misplaced defense budget all weekend quite yet.”

            “Oi, don’t call her that, she’s like, the best use of the defense budget!” I shouted. Cammy face palmed but whispered.

            “Thanks…”

            “We won’t get anywhere if everyone at this table fails to act like a reasonable adult,” Chun-Li said pointedly. “You don’t have to like Juri, or Cammy, and they don’t have to like you, but we all need to leave any grievances at the door for Lauren’s sake.”

            “I agree with Chun-Li, this really is not the time to bring up unrelated topics,” Cammy said, stone faced and focused.

            “It’s not unrelated though, I don’t entirely trust you so why would I let my child stay in your home?” Crimson argued.

            “I don’t want your child in my flat, I don’t have anywhere to put her. She’d be sleeping on the couch because it’s a one bedroom flat and I don’t think that would be appropriate. It was difficult enough navigating around Juri when she was sleeping on the sofa, three people consistently staying there would be too cramped. If Juri wants to help put down the deposit for a larger flat where Lauren would have a dedicated room, then I’m willing to work with you both on that, but clearly nobody here wants that at this time so it’s irrelevant to the current conversation.”

            “Lauren could totally bum it on the couch, it’d be fine,” I mumbled. “Actually, no, wait,  those cats are territorial as fuck.”

            “Well stop messing with Mittens’ favorite spot and maybe she won’t scratch you so much.”

            “She would, Mittens just hates everybody.”

            Crimson pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, “The point is, we’re talking about visitation, not partial custody. Not now at least. I’ll consider it if you can actually keep your shit together for a while.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I get it, so are you gonna give me your terms or what?” I asked in annoyance. Cammy elbowed me in the side and gave me a pointed look, as if to tell me to play nice. I sighed, “Seriously, Crimson, what do you want from me?”

            “Here’s what Chun-Li and I discussed earlier. Lauren has been really enjoying learning taekwondo from you and she’s been practicing quite a bit lately. She’s actually getting fairly good and she wants to enter juniors tournament this summer with Li-Fen. I think it would be beneficial for her if you continued to train her, provided you don’t go too hard on her. Don’t break my daughter, don’t break the law around her, and don’t take her out of Metro City. I don’t want her to be alone with your girlfriend, and I want you to keep your hands to yourself when she and Lauren are in the same area. She may go over to your current apartment so long as she calls me first. I expect texts once an hour while she is in said apartment and for her to call me when she leaves. If I cannot pick her up, it will be your responsibility to escort her home. You will not be allowed in my home unless I am there to supervise. I would prefer you and Lauren train in public locations. I will not ask you to cover any of Lauren’s expenses. The only expense you must cover is your own gas to pick her up or drop her off. I will give her money to cover her food if you eat together. Are these terms acceptable to you?” Crimson asked after reading the long list of qualifications off of her phone.

            “She wants to enter a tournament already? She knows she only has like, six months to train for it, right?” I asked. I didn’t think Lauren realized what kind of competition she’d be up against, but hey, I could work with it. “I agree to your terms. But also, quit being bitchy to my girlfriend. Cammy is one of the most trustworthy and hardworking people I’ve ever met; if you’re willing to trust me with Lauren, then you really shouldn’t have a problem with those two sitting together in the living room while I go take a dump.”

            “Obviously, I’m not talking about that. I mean I don’t want her and Cammy hanging out just the two of them for an extended period.”

            “… Why would I want to privately hang out with Lauren? She’s sixteen and we’re not related. I barely know her and my only business with her relates to her being Juri’s child and my niece’s girlfriend,” Cammy questioned. “I can assure you, I will not be taking Lauren out for girl’s night just the two of us. That is not my place.”

            “Yeah, that’d be weird,” I agreed. “But yeah, you don’t got anything to worry about. If you’re busy, I can drop her off at school and home too. She still doing basketball too?”

            “Yeah, same school as before. She’s mostly down to dual enrollment classes but she’s still technically enrolled at the same private school she was attending before,” Crimson clarified. “So, she still plays on that basketball team. Honestly, if you could take a turn dropping her off at basketball or class, that would be great. Work hasn’t calmed down any in the last two years.”

            “Yeah… Lot of bad weather lately,” Cammy agreed.

            Crimson nodded and put her phone away, smiling ever so slightly, “I think we are all in agreement then. You can pick her up at my place tomorrow if you’d like. Just don’t show up before ten, it’s my day to sleep in.”

            “Gotcha. I’ll pick her up and noon,” I said, making a note of it in my phone. “Uh, Crimson… Thanks.”

            “Just… Don’t make me regret this. I want her to be better than both of us,” she said as she sipped her drink. I couldn’t disagree with that sentiment.

            “Me too. She will be, she already is. You’ve done a good job, I’ll never deny that.”

            “Well… You seem to have done something right with Lauren too.”

            Chun-Li smiled at us before getting up tapping Cammy on the shoulder, “Come on, I’ll pay for a few rounds of Mario Kart.” Cammy glanced between the three of us before giving me a quick peck on the cheek and leaving with Chun-Li to play a few games.

Crimson and I sat alone at the table, looking over the menu and enjoying the silence. In some ways, my heart still ached from the breakup. She was my first love, someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. We had raised Lauren together for seven years. I’m… never gonna get those years back. But at the same time, hashing things out a bit and coming to some kind of truce for Lauren’s sake felt good. I felt like I didn’t hate her anymore. I’m not sure if I still loved her or not, but I knew it felt like a weight off of my shoulders to realize I didn’t hate her. It’d probably be better for everyone in the long run if we could leave it behind and be amicable.

            Crimson smiled little before breaking into a playful expression, like she was about to go commit some absolute fuckery, “What is it with you and white women?”

            “Hell, if I know, I usually like to eat spicy so it’s weird,” I joked. We both chuckled, Crimson shaking her head.

            “Well, that’s her problem now.”

            “Yeah, I really like her…” I said as I glanced over to the arcade area where Cammy and Chun-Li were playing a game together. Li-Fen and Lauren were playing some fighting game and shouting at the screen nearby, getting a bit too into it. Maybe they sank too many quarters in and needed to win to satisfy their sunk cost. “You don’t gotta like her, Crim, but seriously, quit prodding at her. She’s going through a lot right now, she really doesn’t need someone picking at old wounds.”

            “I’ve seen a lot of the stuff she and her sisters are capable of, Juri. Some of the crime scenes the Dolls left behind were… they keep me up at night sometimes. Look up Shadaloo’s involvement in the Nayshali Civil War back in the 2000s and you’ll see why I’m wary.”

            “I know what shit they’ve done. How do you think this happened?” I pointed to my false eye and sighed. “I really don’t got much of a leg to stand on though. I’ve killed people, she’s killed people, you’ve killed people. We’re all fucked up. I don’t think the Cammy I know is capable of that kind of violence anymore. It’s just… Not her nature.”

            “If Bison comes back… I fear he won’t hesitate to take full control of them all again. He could use her as his vessel for his next plan and what could any of us do about it? All that classified information would be compromised and we would have to fight Killer Bee at her full potential. Fully realized, she and Decapre could level cities and bring nations to their knees. That scares me. I just… Don’t want Lauren to be in the line of fire if that ever happens.”

            “I don’t think it will. I think Delta Red already took precautions for that. Not sure what they are, but Cammy’s mentioned that that scenario has a handful of backup plans. I think we’re all safe,” I said as I watched my girlfriend absolutely suck at Mario Kart. “DID she called it. Detain, investigate, destroy. That’s all she said about the matter though. I ain’t gonna pry into that can of worms.”

            “If you want to stay with her, you will have to face that possibility eventually. Project Dolls was always fucked up, but the level of direct mind control only got worse the more power he lost. And cases like Decapre? She downright went insane. I’m surprised she’s not dead. If Bison takes control of Cammy again, he will have to essentially lobotomize her to keep her in line if not completely destroy her consciousness and take her body himself. How are you prepared to handle that?” Crimson asked.

            “I won’t let that happen,” I whispered. “I’ll literally take them all down with me to keep that from happening to her. And I’d kill everyone and their dog if they dared fuck with Lauren.”

            Crimson sighed, “Let’s hope it’s just hypervigilance then.”

            I spent the rest of the night playing some arcade games with Lauren and Cammy. We all ordered a massive amount of sushi and talked about random stuff for hours. Lauren and Li-Fen made a habit of running between the table and the arcade area together, basically trying to ignore us adults existed so they could have their little date. I didn’t mind her ignoring me, because hell, I would’ve done the same if my parents had let me have a girlfriend growing up.

            After an admittedly nice evening out, we all went our separate ways. I was just happy to have Lauren officially back in my life and to see Cammy smiling after the last two days. She seemed momentarily happy, rubbing in that one time she managed to kick my ass that day. I let her gloat, she needed it.

            As we were walking back to my bike, we heard a distressed screech like mewing coming from a nearby alleyway. I ran over to the alleyway, nearly getting knocked over by some punk ass kids running away from the scene. Cammy clotheslined one of them when she saw the injured cat in the alleyway. Good for you, babe, fuck them up.

            She carefully approached the cat and picked her up gently, cradling the kitty in her arms protectively.

            “Is the cat ok?”

            “She’s bleeding, we need to take her to the vet,” Cammy shook her head and kept a secure hold of it. The cat was a tubby black and white cat with yellow eyes. Her face, paws, and tip of her tail were white while the rest of her body was black. I think they’re called tuxedos or something? She didn’t have a collar and was dirty and bleeding because those shitheads were throwing stuff at her. Seriously, who the fuck does that? I mean, I can understand throwing rocks at people, that’s fucking hilarious, but animals? That’s just uncalled for and serious beta behavior. Only losers pick fights with defenseless animals who can’t fight back.

            “Let’s get going. Ain’t the one you’ve been taking the cats to a 24 hour one?”

            “Yes, drive us there,” Cammy replied before getting back to talking to the cat. “It’s alright, we’ve got you, sweetie. We’re going to bring you to the vet, it’s all going to be alright.” I put on my helmet and put Cammy’s on for her so she wouldn’t have to set the kitty down, then we took off to the emergency vet office.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            My hands and stomach ached as I held another limp rabbit in my hands, staring down at the floor to avoid meeting the gaze of whatever other animal was in front of me. I sniffled as quietly as possible, trying to keep them from seeing me cry. The more I cried, the more they made me kill and I just wanted the whole ordeal to finally end. I couldn’t help it though. What normal seven year old wouldn’t be crying over having to kill several of small, fuzzy animals? But I wasn’t supposed to be a normal child. I was supposed to be a fearless warrior, valiantly slaughtering the enemies of my lord with a smile. My empathy was a flaw they were determined to beat out of me before I would have to kill an actual person. I dropped the carcass next to me with the others, trying to keep a plain, steady face as I looked up at the researchers.

            “Very good, Killer Bee.” He pat me on the head and I flinched, not wanting that asshole to touch me. But I also knew better than to move away or hit him. He was enforcing Bison’s will and I needed to respect him for that, at least, that’s what I was told. “Let’s try something different now, a little bigger.”

            “A bigger rabbit?” I asked.

            “No, not a rabbit,” he replied, motioning to the others to bring out the next victim. A mama beagle and her puppies. Five dogs total. “Kill them and you may be excused for the rest of the day.”

            I… Never liked dogs. They were loud and frightening. The guard dogs that patrolled our compound were known to be quite vicious and often charged anyone and everyone. I had watched Dolls trying to escape get mauled and torn apart by the attack dogs that kept us all in the confines of the base walls. But this dog was different. Calm, quiet, and looking up at me with a gentle friendliness I was only used to seeing from my sister. I froze, staring into the dog’s eyes as the tears began to fall again. I brought up my fists like before, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill it. I shook my head and backed away.

            “No… No more. I can’t,” I whispered. The malicious man just smirked at me and grabbed one of the puppies to demonstrate what he wanted me to do. Another pair brandished electric rods at me threateningly. The heat from the bolts heated up my already battered skin from earlier beatings as they drew closer to me. The whole room felt like an oven, cooking my brain in my head like a rotisserie chicken. I pulled in my arms to try to draw away from the researchers closing in on me, peering down at me like the walls of a prison cell.

            “You WILL do it.”

            “Stop!” I screamed, beginning to cry again.

            He began to harm the dog and the world turned purple, burning in my skin like fire. Maybe it was the rage, maybe it was the weapons I was being beaten with, but it BURNED deep, under my skin, under my muscles, like the infernal blaze of Hell. All I could focus on was the hate, the anger. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to hold that man’s entrails in my hands and strangle him with it. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill everyone in that room for tormenting me and all those animals for hours on end. This desire, this malice and hatred burned in me like fuel in an engine and lunged at the scientist, screaming and pounding my purple flame coated fists into his belly with all my might.

            “I HATE YOU!”

            The world faded to white… White and red, with hues of purple.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

            I didn’t know how I was supposed to address the situation with Decapre. My sister was… Emotionally volatile. I didn’t hold it against her, but it made having serious discussions with her difficult sometimes. I never wanted to step on sore spots or rub salt in her wounds, but there was no way to speak about our mother without causing pain. I was in pain over the situation. The full context of our births was a heavy weight on my mind, never mind the fact that the woman trying to kill me and so many of my loved ones was my own mother.

            I felt cheated on so many fronts. I was cheated out of a relationship with my mum, a normal childhood, and in a way, I couldn’t help but wonder if Vega would have left me alone if Oksana had stayed in his life. Not that Oksana in anyway deserved to be stuck with him, but how much of his fixation was just my resemblance to Oksana? And why me? Decapre resembled her far more than I did, burn aside.

            Perhaps I answered my own question. Decapre’s scar ended up dictating so much of her life… But it never should have happened. None of this should have happened in the first place. We should have never been born, but if we had to be, then our mum should have protected us. I can’t help but resent her in some way. There had to have been something, anything she could have done, she should have tried harder, she should have fought for us, we were her daughters and…

            It was an impossible task.

            I know that.

            I was often powerless against Shadaloo, so how could she face them down?

            It stung, but I had to let that thought go. Blaming the victim wasn’t fair and took the light from the real culprits. Bison, Vega, and everyone else involved with Oksana’s abduction, the abuse of my sister and I, the abduction of the other Dolls, they were the ones who deserved my anger. They are the ones who stole my life from me, the ones who stole a mother from my sister and I, and left me to clean up the pieces left behind. They created the monsters inside of Oksana, Decapre, and I. 

            It settled uncomfortably in my gut as I closed the door to my office behind Decapre. She looked exhausted, carrying around her tumbler full of iced coffee with a blank expression. I wondered how much sleep she got, or if she and Juni had been fighting last night again while she looked for a new place. She sipped her coffee sleepily, leaving mauve lipstick marks on the straw.

            “What did you need to talk to me about?” she asked after a moment, leaning against the wall and tapping her nails against her cup.

            “I… I interviewed Vega yesterday on the Oksana case.”

            “Bee!”

            “I’m sorry, I had to do it, I didn’t feel like it was fair to get you and Juni involved!”

            “You should have brought us; I don’t like the idea of you being alone with that creep again,” Decapre sighed. “We need to stick together, Bee. Especially with Matryoshka lurking around, looking to ice us.”

            “I know… I’m sorry,” I sighed, fishing the picture of Oksana and Decapre out of my jacket pocket. “I don’t think you could have kept your cool over what I found out though. I barely could keep myself from pummeling him where he sat.”

            “What’d he say?”

            I paused for a moment before closing my eyes to block out the picture of Oksana, but she still remained prevalent in my mind, cradling my sister and smiling ever so slightly. I couldn’t escape it. “Oksana was patient zero for the cloning efforts,” I started slowly. “Vega groomed her and brought her to the base. She was a surrogate for the initial cloning efforts, all of which failed because the technology just wasn’t capable of producing stable copies of Bison yet.” I opened my eyes and looked over to Decapre to try to gage her reaction. She stared at me, sipping her coffee and nodding at me to continue with the story. I looked down at the picture and swallowed hard, like trying to force an oversized pill down my throat. “When that failed, they made us using IVF. Oksana is our mother. He… Had a picture of the two of you together.”

            Decapre froze for a moment, staring at me intently as if she was trying to figure out if I was joking. We stood there in deafening silence for a moment before I passed the picture over to her. She gazed at the photo before shaking her head and setting it down on my desk, “No… I can’t do this right now.” She whispered and left, slamming the door behind her before I could follow her out.

            “Wait, Decapre!” I scrambled to grab the photo and chased her out of the office, down the hall, and out of the building. She was always a few steps ahead, ignoring me as we left. “Decapre, please don’t go, we need to talk about this.”

            “Leave me alone, Bee!” she snapped turned around to face me, tears welling up in her eyes. “I have enough shit in my life right now, I don’t need this, I can’t deal with this right now, just leave me alone! For once in your life, fuck off and leave me alone!”

            “Decapre…”

            “Bee, for fuck’s sake, just leave me alone, you have other people to talk to about this, you’ll be fine,” she said bitterly as she left, turning away from me and walking away. I… Just let her and gave Decapre her space. All I wanted was to chase her down, to have my sister by my side, but I knew I couldn’t. Like all those years apart, I just wanted my big sister but she wasn’t there. I just never thought it would be by choice.

……………………………………………………………………

            I felt as though I was flying through my strikes, bending the screaming scientists to my will. For the first time, I wasn’t the victim, I was the victor, and they knew they couldn’t stop me. My hits were unrefined, inelegant, and lacked finesse, but somehow, I had more power in my little body than anyone could have anticipated. More anger, more hatred, than I ever realized I had. As purple flames enveloped the people around me; I just kept hitting the leader of the pack, over and over and over again. My fists were burning and bloody, his face was burned and looked like melting gum from my strikes. This all-encompassing power… The power to burn, to smother, and control, the power of anger, the power of unbridled hatred… That’s what I had been born to wield. In that moment I had finally become the weapon I was born to be and they were reaping what they sowed. I couldn’t control it. I was quite literally blinded by my own hatred as the world faded into brighter and brighter shades of white.

            I was never an aggressive child. I was obedient, sensitive, and eager to please the people around me. I thrived on praise. I was easy to break with any amount of criticism. But Shadaloo specialized in extremes, and it was never a simple scolding. Their punishments were sadistic, and the rewards were miniscule. I had been abused my whole life and I suppose that anger just kept building where I couldn’t find it. Until that day, it just bubbled over into psycho power.

            In the heat of the moment, I felt arms wrap around my waist and panicked, slamming one of my hands back against the person, “LET GO OF ME! NO MORE NO MORE LET GO!”

            There was a scream, and a sob, “Bee, please, you have to stop.”

            I froze and stopped fighting, looking down at my hands encased in purple. Decapre just kept a death grip around me, whimpering quietly.

            “It’s alright, it’s alright. They’re down, they can’t hurt you. It’s just me,” she continued speaking. I felt weak, exhausted, as the adrenalin began to wear off and the pyscho power left my body. I collapsed on the floor, but my sister caught me, helping me down to the ground gently. My vision was blurry, but I could see the outline of Decapre peering down at me, caressing my hair to comfort me. “It’s alright, it’s alright.”

            “What’s happening?” I asked, trying to look around, but she kept me from turning my head. “Decapre?”

            “It’s all going to be ok. Are you hurt?”

            “I… I don’t know, I’m numb. I can’t see. I just… I just hit them,”

            Decapre glanced around, wincing a bit at the scene, “Y-Yeah, you hit them. They won’t get up and hit you back.”

            “Promise?”

            “I promise.”

            I closed my eyes and rested my head on my big sister’s lap, reaching up to hold her hand for comfort. I just wanted Decapre to protect me from the monsters. I just wanted them to leave us alone. I just wanted to sleep.

………………………………….

            Hours passed and Decapre didn’t come back to work or contact me. I sent a few texts that were left on read and gave up. She didn’t want to be around me and I had promised Juri I would go with her to the meeting with her ex. I did my best to pretend nothing was bothering me and support my girlfriend. It was the right thing to do.

            Still, throughout dinner I felt this sickening anxiety building up under my skin, threatening to bubble up for the world to see. I wouldn’t let it though; nobody needs to see me like that. I just pushed it down. Decapre would talk to me again, even if it took a day or two. It’s not like she had other friends since she and Juni had a falling out. She literally could not avoid me forever. Even so, leaving things on such a sour note earlier in the day reminded me of the years when we were pit against each other. Me trying to help her, her too brainwashed to be helped, and the painful realization she might die before we’re reunited. I didn’t like thinking about those days. They were painful in their own way. Sure, I wasn’t being abused anymore, and I had a loving adoptive family to support me, but knowing my sisters were being abused and being effectively powerless to stop it was enough to leave me sleepless more times than not.

            After dinner, Juri and I found an injured cat. She was black with white paws and a white face, a little tuxedo kitty. Some pathetic excuses for human beings were throwing rocks at her, but I got a hit in on one of the bastards as they ran away. I partially regretted not giving them a taste of their own medicine, but I was more worried about the injured cat than revenge.

As I cradled the cat in my arms, Juri put a helmet on me and we rushed to the 24 hour veterinary hospital with much haste. Trying to hold a cat while balancing on the back of a motorcycle turned out to be a little bit challenging but we made it work.

Finally, we arrived at the veterinary clinic and checked in.

“You’re just in luck, Dr. Amare is in tonight. She should be able to help this poor baby promptly.” The receptionist said as she called over a veterinary technician and paged the doctor. “What happened?”

“Some cunts were throwing rocks at her,” I replied, gently petting the purring cat in my arms. “My girlfriend and I found her before things could escalate.”

“Disgusting.” The receptionist shook her head in distaste before motioning to the vet tech for me to hand over the cat. I carefully set her in the man’s arms and let them leave, feeling a small sense of sorrow at having to let the cat go back there alone. Nobody likes going to the doctor, myself included. Actually, I think I might be an extreme example of reluctance to seek medical treatment. I would rather ask a medic in Delta Red to get me hammered and perform DIY back-alley surgery on me than have to go to a doctor’s office and answer a bunch of invasive questions about my health.

Tell me what your family history of lupus is, tell me about your family history of cancer, have you been screened? Did you remember to get your pap this year, or any year in the last decade? You have a headache? It’s probably epilepsy, or cancer, or maybe COVID. Have you checked on that weird tumor on your kidney in a while? Maybe it’s getting ambitious, never know. Are you on birth control, are you sexually active, do you eat gluten, did you know that you’re allergic to beets?

Ew.

Please stop asking me about my insides, I beg of you. If they work enough that my fingers don’t turn black and fall off, I’m fine.

I suppose I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I make my cats get regular checkups and give them all their medicine meticulously. I sat with my sister every time she needed chemotherapy and took her to every doctor’s appointment without hesitation. I make sure Decapre takes care of herself, that all my sister do, but the moment someone tries to drag me into an Urgent Care, I make excuses and no longer care about healthy lifestyles.

            Juri rested her head on my shoulder and held my hand, “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s gonna be fine.” I wrapped my arm around her, snapping out of my thoughts and kissing her forehead.

            “I know, I just feel sorry for the poor kitty. I don’t understand why someone would want to hurt an animal for kicks.”

            “I don’t get it either. People, sure, they suck and it’s kinda funny to put them in their place, but animals? They don’t fuck with anyone, leave them alone. And even animals that are dicks are still just, you know, fucking animals. Cats don’t understand that they’re being dicks to birds when they randomly kill them for fun. They’re fucking cats.”

            “Agreed,” I nodded. “Cats hunt for fun, but they aren’t trying to be malicious. I don’t think they really have the ability to understand prey as anything but food. They take care of each other and their owners, they’re sweet animals.”

            “I wouldn’t call them sweet, they’re kinda assholes. But that’s ok,” Juri shrugged. “Al is the sweetest cat I’ve ever met though. That little guy wants to cuddle all day.”

            “He is. I think he likes you more than me though,” I giggled. “He cries when you leave.”

            “Well yeah, we match.” Juri pointed to her prosthetic eye and chuckled. “What is it with people losing eyes around you?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Me, Aprile, Aldous? Is this an insurance scam?” Juri joked.

            “Oh please, I’d have a far nicer house if I was committing fraud. And you’d never find the trail,” I huffed. “And it would be tax evasion, thank you very much.”

            “Oh, fancy, it’s not like I do that all the time,” Juri rolled her eyes then started to chuckle. “You’re too much of a goody two shoes to cheat on your taxes, you ain’t fooling me.”

            “Yes, though it’s always a tad depressing to see my check shrink after taxes,” I sighed. “But they’re important so I try not to complain. It would be nice to have some extra cash though. I’m hoping when I retire I’ll have enough money saved up to buy a small house in the countryside. I’d like to own my own horse again.”

            “When did you own a horse?”

            “Remember how I told you that my dad already knew about my identity and kept it from me?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Well, when I found out, I was rather angry with him. Among other things. I was struggling with my mental health over the situation. I ended up spending some time on suicide watch because my family thought I was going to kill myself-“

            “Holy shit.”

            “Well, in my defense, I was hyperaware that my body could just be randomly possessed by a psychotic murderer at any given moment and that scared me, you can understand why I’d think that was the ethical solution. That’s not the point of the story though! My birthday came around and my dad asked me what he could give me to make it up to me. I sarcastically told him I’d forgive him if he got me a pony. Well… He actually got me a horse,” I chuckled. “I was ecstatic though. I love horses, had for years at that point. Her name was Toffee, she was a light brown hackney horse. She was a rescue animal and very sweet, but rather stubborn.  I spent a lot of time out in the field with her.”

            “Did that make things cool between the two of you?” Juri asked.

            “Well, yes. I was angry and hurt, but I understood why he did what he did. He was trying to protect me. Legally, emotionally, physically. He was afraid of what could happen to me if that information got out and he didn’t want those memories to cause me pain when I was beginning to live a healthy life. He didn’t want me to be prosecuted for things I didn’t even remember doing. Dad meant well, but I wish he had just told me the truth when he found out. It hurt more finding out that he hid it from me. I forgave him fairly quickly. It was just a very stressful time in my life because I was starting to remember so many traumatic things and every innocuous little thing ended up being a trigger. I felt like I was losing my mind.” I shook my head. “Toffee helped. Having a supportive family helped a lot too.”

            “Sometimes I wonder if my dad would still accept me if he was around today. Saw me now, all the shit I’ve done, people I’ve hurt, and laws I’ve stepped on. Would I still be his princess? Or just another criminal to put away…” Juri said softly. “I think he’d probably be ashamed of me and that sucks.”

            “I think he would forgive you and want you to do better. I don’t think he would treat you just like any other thug down the street. Dads are like that, you know? They don’t want to see you fail. Plus, I think they’ll always see you as a little girl anyways.”

            Juri chuckled, “Yeah… I think our folks woulda gotten along alright. Mom and Dad would’ve adored you, that’s for fucking certain. I think they would’ve made a real fuss about having y’all over and making sure I was acting right during the hoopla.”

            “I don’t think I’ve ever actually met the parents of a girl I’ve dated…”

            “You’re kidding…”

            “No.” I shook my head. “Never.”

            “Well fuck, I’d be happy to be the first, but that’s kinda a little too late,” Juri huffed, puffing out her cheeks like a frustrated chipmunk. “Damn.”

            “I… would have been honored to meet them, Juri. They sound like wonderful people,” I assured.

            “Bet your ass you would’ve been,” Juri awkwardly wrapped her arms around me. Her face was contorted somewhere between pain and nonchalance, like a melting mask. I just held her close to me and didn’t pry. I don’t think she wanted me to see her upset. I caressed her hair and gave her a gentle kiss before turning my attention to a text from my sister.

Decapre: I’m at your place. When you get home, we can talk.

Me: Are you ok?

Decapre: Never am haha

I’ll tell you what I remember about Mama.

Me: What you REMEMBER?

Decapre: Don’t get too excited. I was two. It’s not riveting information.

Me: Why did you never mention her?

Decapre: I’ll tell you in person. Stay safe, Bee.

            I turned off my phone and put it back in my jacket pocket, taking a deep breath through my nose and exhaled to calm myself. Way to drop that bomb on me, Decapre, would’ve been nice to know we had a mum like two decades ago, but you keep that you yourself, that’s fine. This is fine. I’m not mad, I’m not mad, this is completely fine and-

            “Kitten, they called us,” Juri said as she untangled herself from me and got up with a stretch. “Let’s go see what the damage is.”

            “Don’t say it like that…”

            “I meant how much this is gonna cost, not like, the damage to the cat, I’m sure she’s fine,” Juri flicked my forehead before grabbing my hand and leading me down the hallway after the nurse to the room Dr. Amare was in. Dr. Jade Amare was a great veterinarian who had been taking care of my cats during my stay. I felt a bit of comfort knowing she was the one treating the cat tonight. As we entered the room, I could hear some purring and the veterinarian talking to the cat in her thick southern drawl, telling her she was a good kitty, which, of course she was, all kitties are good kitties.

            “Look who’s here, sug,” Jade said softly to the cat and motioned to Juri and I. I walked over and offered my hand to the cat to sniff.

            “Hello, dear, are you feeling better?” I asked.

            “She’s doing well, the damage was very minor thankfully. She’ll need to stay off that front paw for a while, but other than that, just some bruises. The kittens are ok too.”

            “Wait, kittens?” I asked, briefly stopping my petting, much to the cat’s annoyance. She mewed and headbutt my hand to tell me to resume stroking her ears, which I did of course.

            “She’s knocked up?” Juri asked.

            “Yeah, but everything’s fine. She’s a bit young though, so I’d recommend bringing her in again soon to make sure everything’s ok,” Jade replied as she took off her gloves and tossed them in the bin. “She’s a very sweet cat, so affectionate. Are you planning on bringing her home?”

            “Of course,” I replied, before looking up at Juri. “I mean, we can’t let her go to a shelter, that’d be so mean.”

            “Yeah, but we can’t keep ALL of the kittens, Cammy,” Juri replied. “Like you’re gonna have to rehome them. That’s gonna be like, eight cats in the house if you don’t.”

            “Hm, yes… The flat is a bit small for eight cats… But so long as the kittens find good homes, we can easily house four or five cats.”

            “Four is the maximum amount of cats I’m willing to cohabitate with long term, Babe, I’m just gonna stop you there. We’re already in crazy cat lady territory here,” Juri snickered.

            “I’m not a crazy cat lady, I have a girlfriend, which means we’re a perfectly normal lesbian couple, thank you very much,” I huffed and snuggled the new cat in my arms before offering her to Juri, “Come on, who could say no to that little face?”

            Juri blinked and sighed, picking up the cat and snuggling her in her arms like a baby, “Damn it, she’s too cute… Ok, ok, one more cat. Then I’m cutting you off though.”

            “One more cat once the kittens are old enough to find homes.”

            “One more PERMANENT cat,” Juri clarified and smiled a little at her, seeming to have fallen under the kitty’s spell as well. “Damn it, ok, yeah, you’re sweet, I like you too.” The cat meowed at her and kept making biscuits at Juri. It was honestly one of the cutest things I’d ever seen and somehow that was the most attractive Juri had ever been. I snuck a picture and put my phone away quickly before she could notice. “Got any ideas for a name?”

            “Uh…” I stared at the cat, our eyes meeting for a brief moment. She mewed and waved her paw at me playfully, seeming to have gotten comfortable already. She was a black tuxedo cat with a white face, paws, and belly. She had big, friendly yellow eyes and whiskers that stuck out every random direction possible, much like a well loved plushie. I reached out to pet her ears, contemplating names. “Cookie? Like oreo cookies?”

            “That’s cute.”

            “I’m not good at naming animals, I keep coming back to food inevitably,” I admitted. “Muffin, Marmalade, Cookie, Toffee…” I sighed. I was really showing my sweet tooth with all of those. “I did name Mittens though. And I helped George name his cat, Cortana.”

            “Cortana?”

            “She’s the blue computer waifu from Halo,” I explained.

            “Oh, blue titty lady!” Juri exclaimed as we walked out to the front desk where we could pay our bill and take the cat home. I paid the copay, wincing a bit at the bill. Vet visits were always pricey, but an emergency room visit? I would need to tighten my budget for a while. Still, it was worth it to make sure Cookie was alright. Juri and I left the office and I texted Decapre once more.

Me: I’m coming home now.

Decapre: Safe travels, comrade :P

………………………………………………………………..

            When we arrived home, Decapre was waiting on the couch, looking a bit worse for wear if I’m perfectly honest. She was drinking some tea while she waited, tapping her foot against the floor impatiently. Her long, braided hair was disheveled, and she had an inexplicable bruise forming on the side of her left jawline. She looked up at Juri and I and gave a halfhearted wave before noticing Cookie.

            “Um… Another cat?”

            “...Yes…”

            Decapre broke into a small smile and shook her head, “Ok then. What’s this one’s name?”

            “Cookie, we found her injured behind a sushi restaurant,” I explained as I took the cat from Juri. “Can I get you anything, Decapre? What happened to you, you have a bruise?”

            “Nah, I already got myself some tea, I’m fine. I just went bounty hunting to blow off some steam; you should see the other guy,” she assured. “Uh… Could you send your girlfriend away so we can talk in private?”

            Juri paused before grabbing her headphones, “I’m gonna go take a bath and watch my shows. Talk away.”

            “Thank you, Juri,” I said softly and leaned over to give my girlfriend a gentle peck on the lips. She grinned a little and decked into our room to grab her pajamas (which I washed twice just to make certain they were actually clean) before going to take her bath. This was one of the few situations when I didn’t mind her monopolizing bathroom time so she could binge Netflix. Normally, I wasn’t too fond of her sitting in the bath or on the toilet with her headphones for ungodly long periods of time, but it actually worked out in my favor this time around.

            As she closed the door behind her, I joined my sister on the couch, setting Cookie down next to me. Decapre pet the cat a few times before looking over to me with a strained expression. Her demeanor was stiff, as if steel rods were connected to her back and arms. She breathed in sharply before closing her eyes and scrunching up her face in thought.

            “When Mama was pregnant with you, I was rather upset. I didn’t want a little sister. I didn’t want to share my mother. She scolded me when I told her. She said, ‘sisters take care of each other, and you’re so much bigger than her, you have to show her these things’. Mama said she would always be there to take care of both of us, that she’d always be my mom too, but going forward we would have each other too,” Decapre recalled, never looking me in the eye. “So, I was able to make my peace with it, even though it scared me… When Mama left, she left you behind too, and it was just you and me. We were all that we had. I was so angry and scared. But I realized she was right about one thing even if she abandoned me. We had to be there for each other. And I was so much bigger than you, you needed me. I held out hope that she’d come back, and she’d praise me for taking good care of you, but when I realized she was gone for good, I never wanted to think or speak about her again. So, I never told you. It’s not like we were around other kids with parents, so not having parents was just… the norm, you know?”

            “I remember realizing we weren’t normal when the other girls joined our group…” I trailed off. “Mum didn’t leave us on purpose though, Decapre… Shadaloo separated us from her and dumped her somewhere.”

            “I suppose that makes more sense, but that doesn’t make me feel any better to be honest.”

            “I can’t hold that against you… I feel robbed too. We were robbed of having a mother, of being taken care of-“

            “No, you weren’t, Bee! For fuck’s sake, I know I wasn’t the best, but you were taken care of! I raised you, I took care of you, I did everything I could to protect you, and I know it wasn’t enough, but I tried…”

            I bit my lip, leaning over to hug my sister, who was starting to cry as she wrapped her arms around herself. We held each other for a while, Decapre crying but not saying anything more on the topic. I just held onto her and rested my head against her shoulder like I would when we were little. I couldn’t shake the guilt building up inside me. She was right. My whole childhood until I left Shadaloo, Decapre was right there, taking care of me, protecting me even when it got her hurt. She taught me everything she knew, cared for me no matter what conditions we were in. She was who I went to when I needed comfort, when I was hurt, when I was afraid, when I was confused. She was my hero, my rock; she was the one constant in my life that I could always trust. My sister gave up her childhood to try to give me one. She always took care of me, but nobody was ever there to take care of her. I could be as supportive as possible, but I was still a child, a smaller child than her, and she would never lean on me the way I leaned on her... Not even now.

            “I know… I’m sorry,” I said softly. “Nobody was ever there for you, but you were always there for me. You never should have had to take care of me the way you did, and I’m so sorry you were put through that.”

            “I don’t regret it… I’d take care of you all over again if I had to, you’re my baby sister, that’s just how it is, but it was hard always having to be the strong one. I was still a kid, a small kid, and I didn’t have anyone to lean on. But I couldn’t just break, I had to be strong for you because you needed me and I didn’t want to leave you feeling as defenseless as I did,” Decapre explained. “And our mother not being around… Thinking she abandoned us, I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you to know we were thrown away. I didn’t want her to swoop in one day and take the credit. I wanted it to just be us, and I could be the big sister that protected you, and Mama would never know the satisfaction of your trust, your affection, being the one you wanted to confide it. I didn’t want you to know about her… Maybe that was petty but that’s how I felt. And as time went on, I suppose I just forgot about her. Her memory faded. Especially when we began going on missions, and by the time I… By the time I lost you, she was the last thing on my mind.”

            “Even if she stopped what she was doing and came back to be in our lives, she could never take your place, Decapre. Nobody ever could. I have some many people who are family to me, but our relationship will always be special. You were my first protector, my first friend, and nobody could ever replace or change that. Not even you could,” I assured. “I love you.”

            “I love you too, little Bee,” Decapre said as she hugged me back. “I’m sorry for never telling you about our mother. I’m sorry you had to find out she existed from Vega. I should have told you.”

            “It’s alright. I should have told you I was going to speak to him.”

            “Yeah… But I understand why you didn’t.”

            I chuckled, “I’m sorry, I’m stubborn.”

            “Gee, wonder who taught you that,” Decapre joked. We both laughed and relaxed with each other. I grabbed a tissue and batted her face dry with it before tossing it in the empty takeout bag she left on my coffee table.

            “I learned from the best.”

            “You were always better than me though. You learned to pick your battles wisely. I never had that,” Decapre shook her head and smiled a little bit. “I’m glad you’re better than I can be. I’m proud of you.”

            “Better than you? Please, you’re better than me at so many things,” I shook my head. “You’re stronger, you’re more creative, you’re better at meeting people, you’re more stylish, you’re good at just… Relaxing and having fun.”

            “And you’re smarter, faster, and better at maintaining long term relationships.”

            “Uh, my relationships fall apart as soon as my girlfriend gets horny.”

            “No, I mean like, friendships, family relationships, that sort of thing,” Decapre clarified. “I think it’s evident we both suck at keeping girlfriends. But you have friends, friends you keep over a lifetime. You bonded with the other Dolls when I couldn’t. You found a new family, but you’ve maintained your relationships with all of us, even after being separated for so long. You have friends you can talk to. I… I never really learned to bond with people. I think the only friends I’ve ever really had have been you, Jianyu, and… And Juni.”

            “Hey… Things will work out. You and Juni can talk things out,” I assured. “She’s not the kind of person to hold a grudge.”

            “It’s more complicated than that, Bee…”

            “What happened? What were you fighting about?”

            “Truth is… Juni and I always kinda had crushes on each other. I didn’t feel the same connection to the other girls you did. I didn’t see them as sisters, I just saw them as teammates. Or like we were all in the same orphanage or something. And frankly, I didn’t really trust most of them, not for a long time.”

            “Oh…” Well that’s awkward. “Does Juni know?”

            “We had a bit of a fling when you left. Grief does some weird shit to you; I don’t really know how to put it any other way. Everything just kinda boiled over after a few months, and we were kinda sorta girlfriends, but not really because of circumstances. My health just kept plummeting, I was having seizures, I tried to kill myself a few times, I was just an absolute mess. Too out of control, and simultaneously, too much of a sunk cost to kill and replace. So that’s when they started putting me under direct control more. More severe brainwashing, basically lobotomizing me, and of course that kinda broke us up because it’s hard to have a mutually beneficial relationship with a potato.”

            “So, you never actually broke up?”

            “Or got back together…”

            “And you’ve been hooking up with everyone under the sun,” I groaned.

            “I didn’t really think about it until she got pissed off about it a few days ago!”

            “Decapre, you’re an asshole, go apologize.”

            “We were never actually exclusive, or least, we never talked about it. We got back together sort of, and she didn’t say anything until recently, but we’ve been living together since for two years now, so I thought it was just an open relationship.”

            “I…” My head was starting to hurt. “Ok, you two are worse at this stuff than I am, that’s impressive. Did neither of you communicate about this ever?”

            “No… Not really, we’re not good at that. Never have been. You know how she is, she tries to make everything seem fine to keep sweet. And I’m not good at talking about my feelings either, you know, nobody ever wanted to hear it,” Decapre explained. “So, we get in this cycle of asking each other stuff then lying our asses off to save face. I don’t wanna be the one to tell her that I’m scared she’s gonna leave me alone again or that I wanna have sex more. And apparently, she didn’t wanna be the one to tell me that she wants to be exclusive or that she felt like I didn’t care. It’s… It’s a mess and I don’t think I can make it better.”

            “I’m not good at this stuff, but I know communicating is important…” I sighed. “Look, I think you should give her space for a few days, then maybe you can try to talk it out. Just, don’t lie to her, be as blunt with her as you’re being with me. Show her that you care and be honest. Write it all down if you have to.”

            “Writing is a lot easier for me than talking about these things out loud, but written words are cheap,” Decapre shook her head. “I’m a writer, that’s my side gig. It’s not as meaningful.”

            “That’s flawed logic, but fine. Write what you want to say, then tell her.”

            “That… might be a good idea,” Decapre said softly as she played with the charm bracelet Juni had given her for her birthday a few years ago. “Thanks, Bee.”

            “It’s nothing, Capy.” I shrugged. “I’m glad we talked tonight.”

            “Me too.”

…………………………………………………………………………

             I was exhausted, but my vision finally began to clear up. Instead of shadows and vague outlines, I could see the details of the world around me. Decapre was sitting at my bedside in the infirmary, holding my hand. Half her face was covered with bandages and gauze. I was sore and felt a bit ill after what had happened, but I was more worried about my sister.

            “Decapre? What happened?”

            “You’re awake… Do you remember anything?”

            “I… I lost control and started hitting the scientists. I was really angry, and I couldn’t stop. Then you were able to stop me, and I couldn’t stand anymore.”

            “Right, yes.”

            “Am… Am I in trouble?” I asked worriedly.

            “No. Lord Bison is actually very pleased with you right now,” Decapre responded in a soft tone, though her speech was muffled by half her face being restricted. I reached out to touch the bandages, trying to figure out what happened to her.

            “Did… they hurt you too? The scientists?”

            Decapre paused for a moment, smiling ever so slightly despite her pained expression, “Mhm. But you made sure they can’t do it anymore; those ones are gone. It’s alright.”

            “Does… Does it hurt?” I asked.

            She shook her head and rested the uninjured portion of her face on my pillow, curling up into bed with me. “It’s alright. It’s alright,” Decapre assured me and pulled the blankets over both of us to fend off the Siberian cold. I couldn’t shake the feeling she was lying, but she was my big sister, so I trusted her. I knew it would all be alright even if it wasn’t at that moment.

………………………………………………………………….

            I was snuggling with Juri and the cats later that night, reflecting on the mission. All the creatures taking up residence in my bed were fast asleep, some snoring, some wriggling around, some chasing invisible bunnies. I was wide awake and knew I would be for the rest of the night. I could hear Decapre muttering in her sleep in the living room down the hall. Juri was holding onto me like a teddy bear and squeezing the life out of me every so often, uttering something in Korean I couldn’t make out in her sleep. Needless to say, I wasn’t all that comfortable with my girlfriend’s death grip on me and the cats kicking me in the head and gut every so often, claws out for the kill.

            I linked my fingers underneath Juri’s palm to hold her hand, smiling a little at the feeling. Even if it wasn’t the most comfortable position, it was nice to be held. It was nice to feel loved in a non-platonic way. In a way, I was grateful I wasn’t too in love to be stupid. It was a high, sure, but I saw Juri’s flaws, and they annoyed me sometimes. She’s not perfect, I’ve never seen her as an idol in my midst. I’m thankful for that. I always hate when my partner feels perfect, almost goddess like, because when those feelings wear off, it’s like falling out of the cult again. I struggle with it. My mind always wants to latch onto someone as the perfect person, someone beyond criticism who I can follow like a duckling. 

            That always leads to disappointment.

            It’s a mindset that attracts unsavory people I run myself ragged trying to please. I’ve been with some women who’ve treated me poorly because they saw I was eager to please. In a way, that could never be deprogrammed out of me. It’s not just romantic relationships, mind you, I keep looking for perfection, for a savior in my platonic ones too. Realizing my adoptive dad wasn’t perfect, that he had lied to me, felt similar to realizing Lord Bison wasn’t the god I thought he was. Like the veneer of perfection faded and I saw the flaws.

Sometimes it scares me how much I unconsciously want to put my faith in other people, how much I miss having someone else give me the answers. When you’re never taught to think for yourself and smacked hard on the nose every time you question things growing up, it’s extremely hard to make decisions as an adult. Something as simple as what to wear or what to make for lunch can feel stressful, because there was always a right answer before and now there isn’t one. Now it’s just what you think, but if nobody ever let you have opinions then how do you know if your own thoughts are yours or gross approximations of what you think everyone wants you to feel? I desperately want to be a strong and independent woman, in many ways I am, but there are days I miss the feeling of strict rules and structure I had in the cult and that scares me. I never want to be controlled like that again, so why do I wish someone would tell me what to do sometimes? Why is it difficult to make decisions when I want to?

            I think some of my partners in the past have taken advantage of my background to try to control everything. Then when the mask falls, I’m in a precarious position. Yet somehow… I don’t feel like that is going to happen with Juri. Sure, she’s domineering at times, but our dynamic has always been different. I hated her for a while, and even when I started to like her, I still wasn’t willing to put up with her bullshit. Things I would let other women get away with because I was in love I don’t let her do. Maybe that’s the wisdom of being older, or maybe we’re meant to be. Either way, I feel safe and secure with her, and that’s more than enough to make me content despite the pain of external circumstances.

            I leaned back against Juri, resting my head against her chest for comfort. In that moment, I was just happy to have her there with me. And perhaps against my better judgement, I trusted her and felt completely safe.

Chapter Text

Juri POV –

            Cammy’s sister needs to move the fuck out I swear to god.

            It was a normal morning.

            I got up, got dressed, debated brushing my teeth, walked into the kitchen for breakfast. Cammy was putting jam on toast in her underwear in the kitchen. Her hair was up in an old towel, and she wore a black thong with an oversized My Chemical Romance tee shirt. Naturally, I walked up behind her, grabbed her ass, and kissed her cheek. 

            “I’m flattered but I don’t think Cammy would want to share,” the woman said in a Russian accent thick enough to cut with a knife. I jumped backwards, retracting my hand and before I could stop myself, I screamed.

            “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!”

            “Though I’d be down if you weren’t Cammy’s girl, I suppose, you seem fun,” Decapre continued nonchalantly, a smug grin spreading across her half-burned face as she took a sip of her orange juice. “How’d you sleep?”

            “Fuck me, I’m never gonna hear the end of this,” I grumbled, rubbing my eyes and pulling at my bangs in stress. This was gonna be a real stimulating conversation with the lady later, seriously, fuck my life. “I thought you were Cammy.”

            “I figured,” Decapre chuckled. “Be easy on her though, Juri. I won’t be as cordial if you make my baby Bee cry.”

            “Yeah, yeah, gentle as a feather, can we move on please,” I mumbled, wishing I could just sink into the floor. Normally, I wouldn’t care about grabbing the wrong sister’s ass, but this was a real relationship, and I really didn’t want to fuck it up over an accident. Genuinely, I can ruin things on my own in a far more spectacular fashion than this, so if I’m going to nuke my relationship with Cammy, it sure as hell shouldn’t be over Decapre’s matching aversion to wearing fucking pants in the house.

            “Is everything alright?” Cammy asked sleepily as she emerged from the bathroom, still wrapped up in her bathrobe. She looked exhausted, like she needed a few more hours to sleep. She’d been up with the new cat again, late into the night, convinced something would go wrong if she left Cookie alone for too long.

            “Oh, funny story that, Juri was just-“

            “Wow, I gotta go pick up Lauren, see you later, Kitten!” I darted over to Cammy, pulled her into a quick kiss, clacking our teeth together enough it radiated in my jaw, then ran out the door as fast as I could before she could break up with me on the spot for goosing the wrong woman. I ran like a demon was on my tail, beating feet down the street towards the college. I didn’t dare look back to see if my woman was chasing me, because frankly, I wanted to survive to pester her another day.

………………………………………………………………..

            After that fiasco, I managed to get far enough away to (hopefully) avoid Cammy’s wrath, and turned me focus to the task at hand. With my phone in one hand and a takeout bag in the other, I read up on the tournament details.

Under 18 Novice League Tournament.

Mike Haggar Memorial Stadium.

Sponsored by some dipshits I don’t care about.

Parents’ permission to compete. Yeah, no shit.

First place prize includes a trip to Nayshall and opportunity to compete there?

The fuck?

            I quirked an eyebrow at the webpage, scrolling further to try to surmise what exactly this thing was. The more I read, the more it seemed shady. The tournament was a qualification round for an international tournament overseas in some little south Asian country called Nayshall. Where had I heard that name before? There was a cash prize and an all expenses paid trip for the winner and their guardian to go overseas for the next competition, but who’s gonna send some amateur ass children out of country for another tourney? Seemed sus.

            “Umma!”

            I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up from my phone. Lauren was darting out of class, waving to me with her sticker covered water bottle in hand. She was in loose fitting pants and a black tank top, ready to work out like we planned. Well, if she wants to try for this shady ass competition, she better be aiming for gold. I put my phone back in my pocket and waved.

            “Over here, Rat Baby, I got you lunch.”

            “Sweet! Thanks!” Lauren chirped and dug into the bag for her sandwich. Spicy chicken sandwich, double pickles, side of ranch. Same order she always got. I was proud of myself for remembering. I think I get extra mom points for remembering the pickles or something. “I got an A on my test.”

            “Good.” I nodded, keeping as neutral of an expression as I could muster. I didn’t want her to think she needed over praised for what was expected. “I knew you would. Eat up then start stretching, I’m gonna show you some new moves today. If you wanna enter this tournament, I’ll train you, but you’re gonna give me all the effort, you hear? We ain’t fucking around, you’re going in to win or get your ass kicked trying, got it?”

            “Got it.” Lauren murmured as she dunked her sandwich in the ranch. “Didn’t you used to compete a lot too?”

            “Mhm. When I was like, a year younger than you,” I mused. Man, it’s weird how old she’s gotten. By her age, I was homeless, joining a gang, stealing what I could, and moving in with my first girlfriend so I could finish school. I wasn’t a normal kid anymore, I was a pariah, a disabled delinquent with a criminal record. I only finished high school because of my girlfriend at the time’s influence, changing my records around so I could study under a different name. There wasn’t any peace in that though. What if a teacher realized who I was? Or that my “mother” was actually just my partner who was too old for me? What if they tried to take me back to my grandparents? What if she got sick of me and kicked me out for another sixteen year old? What if she sent me home…? It was endless stress. I had no family, no friends, no safe people in my life. All I had was my taekwondo and my rage.

            Lauren’s nothing like that. She’s a dorky kid living with her mom, going to college at sixteen, with endless opportunities for her to grab. She collects action figures and dolls, gets super into her video games, routes for her favorite basketball team every season, and has sleepovers with her friends. Fighting is fun. A hobby. Something she learned to defend herself but now just does to bond with me. Her girlfriend is her own age, and she doesn’t have to worry about the adults around her finding out because everything’s fine. She has two parents, grandparents, and an aunt with her best interest in mind. She’s never suffered a serious injury, lost a loved one to death, or had to go hungry. She’s never had to put herself in danger to survive. She’s never had someone she loves throw her to the wolves.

            Part of me felt jealous. The other part of me was relieved. This kid had no idea how good she had it, and that’s exactly how I liked it. I hoped she never would realize how lucky she was. I never wanted her to even contemplate what it would be like to go through the things I had to when I was her age. Still, it hurt to focus on it for too long. How could the people who were supposed to protect me betray me like that? Wasn’t I as small and vulnerable then as Lauren is now?

            “Did you do well?” Lauren asked.

            “Won most them. Made my parents real fucking proud,” I chuckled. “I was a good kid once upon a time, a real lame little shit, but egghead nerds get actual jobs and make an impact on the world, so stay lame and focus on the shit that matters.”

            “I don’t wanna be boring.”

            “Boring doesn’t get shot up or tossed in prison,” I reasoned. “Back when I had two eyes, they’d call me the ‘beautiful genius’ cause I was a fucking nerd who didn’t do much outside of taekwondo and studying.”

            “Did they stop calling you that?”

            “Fuck yeah they did, I got my eye shot out and started robbing convenience stores and slacking on my studies. Now I’m a criminal and use run on sentences. Stay in school, kid. And also try not to get shot if you can help it.”

            “Um…. I’ll try?” Lauren said awkwardly, tossing her trash into the empty fast food paper bag. “So what are you gonna teach me today?”

            “Fuhajin,” I demonstrated the kick after taking my normal stance, balancing easily on my back foot. “Saihasho.” I moved easily into my next strike, crouching down to demonstrate the leg sweep before jumping up into my next attack, “Ankesatsu.” I demonstrated the full combo for Lauren, moving my legs through the kicks quickly like it was a real fight, then once more again slowly so she could study the intricacies of the moves. “You got that? Good. Now practice that combo until you can’t stand anymore.”

            “Got it!” Lauren leapt to her feet and began to copy my motions along with me. She was clumsy. Her kicks looked more like flails and painful imitations of my own work, but still, she was keeping up with my pace better than I expected. Lauren was resilient and had some real talent buried down there like her mother. Maybe once she got the hang of my style, I could convince Crimson to teach her some of her own moves. I slowed down my kicks, making Lauren copy them motion by motion, real slow and precise so she’d learn the mechanics properly. Lauren wobbled and strained her muscles, struggling to keep balance on with her kicks. I just kept having her repeat it. She could keep up. I knew she could. She was strong and getting stronger. She was my student, my rat baby, my ex’s crotch goblin I yoinked to treat like my own. She could handle the sore muscles and get the fuck over it.

            We practiced for a while, training in the grass of the campus courtyard among the students rushing to classes, busy professors making office appointments, and confused hungover frat bros. Some stopped to watch, some ignored us, but we just kept it up. Then it hit me that I was the parent of a student on the campus and I died a bit inside.

            I’m not that old.

            Early thirties.

            Ok, mid thirties.

            It wasn’t my uterus; I swear I’m not that fucking old!

            “Juri, her stance is off.”

            I jumped out of my skin for a moment, snapping around to see Cammy standing behind me, watching us with a pensive expression. “Fuck me sideways, when’d you get her, Kitten? How’d you find me?”

            “You didn’t answer your phone so I came to make sure you’re alright,” Cammy replied nonchalantly.

            “That’s a bit creepy, Babe, but ok.”

            Lauren stopped what she was doing and quirked an eyebrow.

            “Lauren, you remember Cammy from last week, right?”

            “Yeah, the chick from dinner you brought to mediate?”

            “Yeah, that’s the one,” I confirmed. “So, Cams, you got an issue with my teaching?”

            “Yes,” Cammy nodded. “You’re teaching her bad habits with that fighting stance. Staying stationary like that is a liability in a real fight, especially for a beginner. She should have a stance that keeps her mobile and ready to dodge incoming attacks at a moment’s notice. She should also have her hands at her face to protect it. As it stands now, I could easily knock her over, punch her in the face, or tackle her and she likely wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

            “Well no fucking shit, you’re a super soldier.”

            “Ok, let me rephrase that, anyone who knows what they are doing could overpower her,” Cammy replied, rolling her eyes before coming alongside Lauren and springing into her fighting stance. “Try this. Feet shoulder width apart, front hand at your face, back hand at your abdomen. Bounce on the balls of your feet, back and forth, back and forth, just like this. From here you can block, you can dodge, you can move to punch or lift your legs to kick, just pause to pivot your foot and strike quickly with finesse.”

            “Like this?” Lauren asked as she changed her fighting stance, jirating around inelegantly in an attempt to copy Cammy. She smiled a little and nodded.

            “Mhm, that’s a start. Good. Practice dodging, alright? I’m going to try to hit you, your job is to block or dodge my strikes, understood?”

            “Yep, got it!”

            “Good.” Cammy immediately tossed out a backhand punch to Lauren’s temple, causing her to yelp and jump back.

            “Dude!”

            “You have to block, your enemies are going to hit far harder than I am.”

            “Right…” Lauren grumbled and jumped back to avoid Cammy’s kick, narrowly missing. “Holy shit, you’re fast.”

            “Then be faster. Watch my body closely, what do you think I’m going to do next based on my stance? The position of my hands and feet? Anticipate the strike and plan accordingly.”

            “Ok, ok, I can do that!” Lauren said determinedly as she watched Cammy like a hawk, bouncing around like she was gonna spring a leak. She didn’t have that stance down at all, but hey, I commend the effort, she was going toe to toe with my woman who’s kinda terrifying and I can respect that. Cammy quickly tossed a punch Lauren’s way, which the kid managed to block,albeit sloppily. A small grin formed on Cammy’s lips.

            “Very good. Remember to dodge too. Block and move out of the way simultaneously and you will have better results. Sidestep or back up, either works, but moving to the side will likely yield better results.”

            “Right, ok!” Lauren nodded and attempted to side step Cammy’s next attack, a few simple kicks.

            “Very good. Keep practicing that. Offense is all well and good, but you should never neglect defensive skills. Starting on the defensive can help you analyze your opponent and plan your offense appropriately. Not every enemy will be vulnerable to the same attacks, you have to adjust your plan to the situation. A lot of combat is using what skills you have to improvise,” Cammy explained as she ran Lauren through a few more blocking drills before returning to a normal stance. “Alright, back to your original lesson.”

            “Where’d you learn to fight? Did you do martial arts as a kid like Umma?”

            “I suppose you could say that,” Cammy said awkwardly. “I began training when I was four. I didn’t compete in my first tournament until I was nineteen however.”

            “Oh why train for so long if you’re not gonna compete?”

            “I just competed with my sisters on an unofficial basis I suppose. But that’s enough about me. Why have you decided to compete?”

            Lauren pursed her lips in thought, “Well, it’s fun, I like doing martial arts with my umma. And my girlfriend and I spar sometimes too now, and that’s been really fun. Li-Fen and I thought it’d be really cool if we both entered to see if we could win. If one of us wins, we have to take the other one with us to Nayshall for the big tourney over there! It’d be like, the biggest date ever, which is pretty kickass and I think you legally have to marry someone if they take you on an international vacation.”

            I snickered, “Nah, if that was the case I’d be married to at least three, if not four or five women already.”

            “Yeah, but you don’t do rules so…” Lauren stuck her tongue out at me. “We’re like totally gonna get married after high school and move to Massachusetts together and I’m gonna like, get a cool car and take her on lots of dates and stuff.”

            “You ain’t marrying nobody until you’re done with college, kid,” I sneered and shook my head. “You can get hitched on graduation day if you really want, but your hoe ass better have a degree in hand before you tie yourself to anyone, I don’t care how much you love her, you need an exit plan if shit goes tits up.”

            “Juri is right, it’s best to have some financial stability,” Cammy agreed. “It’s rather foolish to rush moving in and getting legally involved with another person. They could set you back in life if they choose to. You really should have your own way to support yourself and wait a while before uhauling with a girl.”

            I suddenly felt pretty sheepish for having this discussion with Lauren. I had pretty much moved in with Cammy after a couple dates and a long time of being frenemies… And I moved in with Crimson after shagging her for a few months because I was too lazy to keep moving my stuff around. So I probably didn’t have a leg to stand on. Maybe Cammy had more sense. She was the one with the power in our relationship if I was honest. Sure, I’m richer, more experienced in every way, and we’re equally matched in a fight, but Cammy could send me to prison for the rest of my life and is the only one legally attached to the lease on the apartment. She had more than enough dirt on me to keep me from being able to move freely around multiple countries if she wanted… And yet I never felt scared of that. I just can’t see her doing that to me, even if we break up. She’s never seemed vindictive to me.

            “Yeah, all that.”

            Lauren rolled her eyes at us and gave a half hearted ‘uhuh’ at us shitting all over her plans. Don’t have stupid plans then, kid, your mother would tell you the same shit. I snapped my fingers to tell her to get back to practicing the combo I was teaching her then turned to face Cammy, who was glaring at her phone

            “Are you ok, Kitten?” I asked. She motioned over to a nearby tree far enough away that we could talk without Lauren listening in on our conversation. I followed her over, keeping an eye on the kid in case she fucked threw out her back or something while we were talking, but the look on Cammy’s face fully captured my attention when I saw it.

            “Nayshall, Juri? You’re willing to let her go to Nayshall? Are you dense?” Cammy chastised in a hushed voice.

            “What, is it a shithole or something?”

            She closed her eyes slowly, nostrils flaring as she took in a deep breath, “Nayshall has been unstable since the nineties. The civil war completely ravaged the country, then they were under a dictatorship run by Bison, you know the current king was the prince who brought Shadaloo into the country in the first place? He worshipped Bison like a god and now he’s running that country. It’s just a mass grave with some slums and temples slapped on top, it’s not a place I would recommend taking Lauren to. It’s dangerous. There’s still civil unrest there. You… You don’t know what kind of things happened there, Juri, it’s bad.”

            “I always hear about it as an upcoming resort hotspot,” I murmured, reaching out to hold my girlfriend’s hand. “Look, I don’t think Crimson would let her actually go overseas and if she did, we’d both be going with to supervise.”

            “Who would want to build a resort in that place…? It reeks of death,” Cammy shook her head and bit her lip hard enough to leave an indent. “I just don’t want either of you to be in danger, Juri. You don’t know the things that went on in that country, not like I do, you weren’t there.”

            “Bison’s dead, Kitten, he can’t hurt us there or anywhere now.”

            “He may be dead, but a living god doesn’t lose all his followers in death. Not on that scale. He ran the country dictatorially for years, Juri, put the whole nation under his cult of personality with the barrel of a gun. He… We killed all the detractors we could. But the more you kill, the more radicals you create, and the more violent their own ideology becomes… it became dangerous even for us as the supreme leader’s bodyguards years after the war.”

            I sighed, “I get what you’re saying babe, but I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Lauren’s got talent, but she’s not been training that long. I don’t think she’s gonna get sent over and we can always just say no. It’ll be ok, so try not to stress about it, ok?”

            “I just don’t want to see either of you hurt… They used gas on us, on civilians and children. The crown would lock people in buildings and set them on fire routinely. They used chemical weapons, nerve gas, poisoned bullets… Them and the other factions? They’d rig bodies, or even injured people who were still alive to blow up. One of my sisters was injured because they put a bomb on a baby and it blew up when she reach out to move it from the street. The faction in charge today used to execute people with decapitation and line their heads along the roads. A lot of doll recruits…” Cammy ran a hand through her hair and dragged her nails across her scalp. “Bison tortured people publicly to make examples out of them. Horrible public executions, just these sadistic spectacles to keep the public in line. I just had to stand there and smile like it was ok… You don’t want to go to a place with so much suffering.” Cammy closed her eyes and just stood stiff like a statue, like she was frozen in place. I squeezed her hand and checked to see that Lauren was distracted before sneaking a gentle kiss.

            “I hear you, Cammy, it’s ok. It’s over, and you never have to go there again, ok?”

            “… Ok.” She nodded and breathed in sharply. “Don’t take Lauren there, Juri. Please just listen to me on this.”

            “I’ll figure something out, Kitten, I promise. It’ll be ok.” I assured and squeezed her hand. “Ya know… I think you could probably help make her a bit less shit in a fight if you want. She seems to be moving a bit more nimble and shit since you showed her that.”

            Cammy chuckled and shook her head, “I don’t want to intrude.”

            “Nah, babe, seriously, I help us out, I wanna see how many asses she can kick when we’re done with her.”

            “You just wanna see blood,” Cammy rolled her eyes, but smiled ever so slightly. “I suppose I can help show her a few moves, though I don’t think Doll training translates very well to casual martial arts in the park.”

            “Well don’t fuck her up for real.”

            “Well, the loser in sparring matches usually got beaten unconscious either by the victor or our trainers after the match, so…” Cammy frowned a bit then started to snicker, “Santamu still doesn’t get that I let her win.”

            “That’s dark as fuck, babe, why are you smiling?”

            Cammy shrugged, seeming in better spirits despite the dark subject matter, “It was cute. I’m a bit older than Santamu and she was always so proud, bragging to everyone about how she beat me for the rest of the day. I was happy to see her so happy about it. And you know, less roughed up than me. We took care of each other, you know? I really see them all as my sisters… Even in that hell, there were moments where we could smile together. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

            “Nah, I get it. Sometimes even shitty situations have moments where you’re happy.”

            “Yes… That’s what makes leaving hard. Especially if you don’t know anything else. All the abuse was normal to me. The constant violence was just how life was, I didn’t know life could be any different. Adjusting to a normal life, a safe home, it was strange and confusing. Sometimes I still catch myself expecting to get punished over something minor. I guess just hearing Lauren’s outlook on training being so causal and pleasant struck a chord with me and got me thinking about the past. It’s so foreign, so different to my own. But I’m happy for her.”

            “Heh… I was actually thinking the same thing earlier.” I chuckled and put my arm around Cammy, pulling her in close so she could lean her head against my shoulder. “I sure hope nothing fucks her up as much as us.”

            “That would be quite the accomplishment,” Cammy scoffed.

            “Damn straight.” I chuckled and watched Lauren successfully pull off the combo, gliding through her kicks with precision. I grinned. I’d make a winner out of her soon enough.

………………………………………………………………………………

            I dropped Lauren back off with her mother and went back home. Cammy and Decapre were pouring over documents in the living room. Cookie was snuggled up to Cammy, purring like a brand new engine and making biscuits against her stomach while Decapre held Aldous like a baby, mumbling something in Russian to her sister. Cammy replied in kind. It was a bit weird to hear her speak her native tongue with such ease. Her voice sounded… Different in a way. The perfect British accent she adopted long before we met melted away in that moment, replaced with a casual, but dower Russian voice similar to her sister’s. She spoke softer than Decapre, almost like she was deferring to her. I could only guess what they were talking about.

            “I’m home,” I announced as I walked into the living room and flopped down onto the floor next to Cammy, wrapping my arms around her and giving her a quick kiss. “Working late again?”

            “We think we’ve found the next targets,” Cammy murmured, her accent cracking into a hybrid of her natural Russian one and her learned British one. “They’re…. Connected to the tournament…”

            “It would certainly send a message to kill JP at his own event… It has a certain flare about it, yes?” Decapre said as she set down two files she had been looking at. “We will need to plan accordingly.”

            “Ya ne khochu vozvraschat’sya v ad (I don’t want to go back to that hell),” Cammy said softly as she pet the cat.

            “Vse gorit, vse umirayet. Odnako my sgorim i vyzhivem.” (Everything burns, everything dies. We will burn and survive, however.)

            The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, so I said the only Russian word I knew.

            “Borscht.”

            And that’s how I spent the night on the couch.

…………………………………………………………………..

            “Holy fucking shit, what the fuck, dude?!” I shouted as I looked over Dad’s shoulder. He was taking notes along some gory images of war. Dead civilians melted by chemical weapons, decapitated bodies, public executions meant to torture the victim to death for all to see… It was a lot.

            Dad quickly covered the photos with another piece of paper and adjusted his glasses, but a stray photo floated to the ground. I knelt down and picked it up, my eyes meeting the ones of the girl in the picture. A blonde teenager my age with the saddest eyes I had ever seen was standing at attention beside a large man in a red uniform among impaled bodies. A few other girls were also standing with them, all in the same rigid pose, but the girl with the blonde braids caught my eye. I felt as though she was staring right at me with those big, blue eyes. The strain was written all over her face. She looked exhausted and dead inside, hopeless, hurt… I stared back at her as dad tried to take the photo from me.

            “I’m sorry you saw that, it’s for an important international case,” Dad said as he took the photo. “Please knock next time, Juri. I will be pouring over unsavory documents as I prepare for this trial.”

            “Who is that girl?” I asked.

            “Which girl?”

            I pointed to the one who caught my eye.

            “She hasn’t been identified, but likely another trafficking victim like the others. They call her Killer Bee, but we don’t currently know her true identity. The organization I will be prosecuting, Shadaloo, has kidnapped many girls around your age, she’s one of them. They’re connected to numerous assassinations, corrupt dealings, weapons dealing rings, human trafficking, and war crimes, especially in Nayshall.”

            “I think I saw that in the news…”

            “What’d they do to her…?”

            “I don’t know, we’re still gathering information. She likely was already in an abusive situation before ending up a part of the leader’s personal guard.”

            I frowned and let Dad take the photo from me, hiding it under the others, but I could still feel her gazing at me. “What will happen to her when you win the case?”

            “It all depends, baby, we’re going to try to save all the kidnapping victims but it’s not a guarantee and they will still need a lot of help if we can. The best I can do is prepare to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and hope Interpol can get them to safety.”

            “Do you think she misses her dad?” I asked softly, pulling up a chair so I could sit next to him, hugging his arm for comfort.

            “Maybe… I can only hope she has someone who loves her to go home to if she’s rescued.” 

            “I hope so too.”

            The war in Nayshall had been on the news off and on, but I had never seen the extent of the depravity until that day in my dad’s office. Shadaloo’s crimes were all photographed, sometimes with the soldiers posed with their victims with pride. It was sickening. Even then, I thought they had to be the lowest of the low, but the thing that stuck out in my head wasn’t the tortured deserters, or the dead civilians, but the sad girl standing at Bison’s side. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to break her so completely. I wondered if she thought about the same things I did, what clothes would look cute for school, which idol is the cutest, whether that cute girl in class likes me back… But our lives were nothing alike. Her world was as foreign to me as mine was to her. We probably had nothing in common, but still, I wondered if she would be a normal teenager like me underneath all that sorrow. It stuck with me until my parents’ deaths, when no amount of sad gazes could elicit sympathy anymore.

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

No matter how hard I breathed, I just couldn’t get enough air. Billowing black smoke mixed with the ever present rain around me, rising up from the burning enemy encampment. I fell to my knees, hugging my rifle close to my chest as I watched the camp burn, the screams of the soldiers echoing in my ears. I was happy to hear it. Good. Suffer. As some men managed to break free from the mess hall I had locked them in and set ablaze, I fired at them, knocking them down where they stood. The air was filled with the suffocating chemicals from weaponry that was now engulfed by the flames, but rather than cleansing the world of them, it simply unleashed the toxicity into the environment in a different way. I took solace in the fact that the gas canisters could no longer be used on my sisters and I on the field, that the acid could not be thrown upon another Doll, that the bombs would detonate on their owners in a glorious display of karmic justice. 

No more men escaped the building, presumably, the flames and gas killed all but the ten I shot. I dropped the rifle I had stolen and lied on my back, exhausted and unable to catch my breath. How long had I been in there? How long had I gone without seeing the outside, without communication with my sisters? I tried to patch into Shadaloo’s signal with the radio I stole, but all I got was static and the occasional transmission between Enero and Juli. I think they were speaking Spanish at each other. Not to, at. Discussions between my Latin sisters were rarely productive, two wildly different dialects of Spanish and Italian clashing at lightning speed, leaving each other behind five sentences ago. Egos clashed, languages clashed, but that was just the nature of things. The unbearable stress of the war weighed heavily on us all, even those of us who got along were antsy. How could we not be? Any moment of leisure we found was interrupted by bombs, gas, bullets, the screaming and unending noise, fleeing from the enemy, charging the enemy, a civilian being brutalized or a call to execute a traitor. War. Is. RELENTLESS. Hell on earth, from the trenches to the bombed out apartments of the city, to the decimated villages and farmland left destroyed in the wake of countless mens’ hubris. But at the time, I was certain that my mission was one of utmost importance, a holy crusade against the heretics who denied Bison his power and rightful place as the king of this land. We were the liberators, overthrowing the cruel monarchy and the theocrats who brutalized the people and dropped bio weapons on civilian centers… Except we were no different. We did all the same things. We were an oppressive regime of fascists and religious fanatics the same as the old monarchy, the separatists, and the jihadists. It was a messy, bloody affair where the people of Nayshall lost regardless of the outcome and I was in the eye of the storm, fighting endlessly for my lord, oblivious to that fact. 

“Enero?” I whispered into the radio. “This is Killer Bee, do you copy? Over.” 

“Killer Bee, I copy, where’s your location? Over.” 

“Just outside the Lotus Party’s camp. Target has been killed and deserters found… They weren’t deserters, Enero. It was horrible…” I shook my head. “The camp is burning as we speak along with all their supplies. We can pave through this area and set up outside the city by the end of the week. Over.” 

“We lost contact with your entire unit, what happened? Over.” 

“We were overwhelmed. I’m all that’s left. Please come get me, I don’t know if I can walk back like this, I need medical attention. Over.” 

“Stay where you are. Over. Ending Transmission.” 

I lied on my back and stared up at the sky, jungle foliage of the southern wetlands of Nayshall hanging overhead. It reminded me a bit of Thailand, wet, hot, and lush. The land was so alive in contrast to the death that reigned supreme among the populous. It smelled of rot, no matter where in the country we went. Was it a normal smell from the humidity, or was it because of the war? Who’s to know, the ones who could tell us died before we caught their names or attacked us on sight. I had been hobbling and dragging myself on a broken leg and I was pretty certain there was a maggot writhing in one of my wounds, but the pain didn’t register until that moment. I had been so focused on my escape, and on dishing out bloody revenge on the entire camp, that I didn’t notice the pain. It definitely registered then, and I began to sob, trying not to lose what breath I had left and suffocate myself completely. With every cry, I felt as though I was being smothered, invisible hands throttling me about the neck like a ragdoll. 

That’s when I looked up to see a soldier in an unknown uniform standing over me. A tall man in blue with a red beret, tactical backpack, and freckled face looking down at me. He had a buzz cut and light eyebrows, vibrant green eyes. On his backpack was a patch of the union jack, though I at the time, it wasn’t as recognizable due to my state of educational neglect. He drew closer, and I backed away. 

“Stay back!” I warned, holding my hands up to the air as I tried to crawl away, but my leg betrayed me and kept me firmly in place. 

“It’s ok, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said as he pulled out a radio and began to talk to someone. “Colonel, I’m gonna need a medic. There’s a little girl hurt out here. White eleven or twelve year old with an Eastern European accent. Over.” 

I was fourteen, I was just small for my age.

“Sending help your way. Over.” 

The soldier knelt over me and tried to inspect my leg. In hindsight, he was just trying to help, but I had just escaped being a prisoner of war, watching the people under my command die, a girl my age dying slowly over the day after having acid dumped on her. I wasn’t letting him get anywhere near me! 

I grabbed the combat knife strapped to his leg and lunged myself at him with all my might, stabbing the man over and over in the chest and neck. We struggled on the ground, he was bigger, but I had knocked the wind out of him and knocked him back. I could feel my leg shift and crunch uncomfortably, making me want to cry but I kept my flurry of attacks going until I felt someone pull me from him by my waist. I screamed and flailed, nearly hitting the person behind me who screeched. 

“BEE! Stop!” 

Enero yanked me back, pulled out her pistol, and shot the soldier in the head before he could retaliate against us, then pulled me into her arms in a rare show of affection. I clung to my older sister, not caring if she berated me for my failure, or if she thought it was proof of my inadequacy. I just wanted to be comforted and whisked away from the darkness of the last several days. We could hear people talking, and coming our way. Enero picked me up and we fled, hiding in the jungle undergrowth as more Delta Red operatives came over to inspect their fallen comrade. Enero held her hand over my mouth to muffle my crying, staring ahead coldly as she thought through a plan. I never thought I’d want her to be the leader so badly, but at that moment, my bossiest sister took charge and I couldn’t be more grateful as we escaped into the jungle. 

………………………………………..

Nayshall had been the setting of the bloodiest conflict the Dolls fought in. Most of our other expeditions were simple and quick. Go in, kill the target(s), make the message clear, then leave. In and out, over in a few days. Nayshall was different; it was a multifaceted civil war that lasted for years, even after we had won, even after the fighting should have ended. Every faction committed unspeakable atrocities. There was no peace, nowhere to run, no safety, just endless suffering brought about by war. 

Seeing the war torn landscape raised and replaced with fancy villas and resorts felt like a slap in the face. How could anyone want to relax in such an awful place? The hotel the contestant winners were slated to stay at stood atop a mass grave of a village that betrayed Shadaloo and paid the consequences. Men, women, and children all lined up and shot into mass graves until we ran out of bullets. Then it was just shove them in, drop a grenade in the hole, and fill it in with the bulldozer. Efficient. Brutal. And unforgettable. I could still hear Fevrier and Jianyu shouting “boom!” as they tossed the grenades, then being chastised by Aprile and Juli for making asses of themselves. Where the hotel pool led to the beach, deserters were nailed to stakes facing the ocean, left to bake and slowly die in the blistering sun. I had to just stand there and force a smile. It was Bison’s will and I had to be happy about it, but inside my mind was screaming, I just wanted to flee into the ocean and let it drown me, drown out the screaming, kill me before they could get their hands on me. That stupid resort stands on the scene of one of the worst massacres I witnessed… no, was an active part of… One of the worst scenes in the entire war. 

Why would Enero allow this thing to be built under her family name? Why would she sponsor this tournament? She knows damn well what we did there, what transpired in that god forsaken country, why would she go back? Why would she choose to live there? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throttle her or hug her. Either way, we needed to talk and talk soon.

“It’s like she’s flaunting it,” Decapre murmured. “Look.” 

“Are those… My old prayer beads?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow at the photo. There was Enero, now Eulalia “Lala” Ricoma, standing with the new king of Nayshall and other government officials in a designer, low cut dress that exposed the three pronged scar across her chest. Resting on her neckline was a necklace of prayer beads with the Shadaloo insignia in the center. Those were mine when I was younger. 

“She went through my stuff again! I told her to stop snooping in my trunk!” 

“Bee, you went through her stuff all the time,” Decapre said, narrowing her eyebrows at me. “You literally took her sweater and refused to give it back.” 

“That’s different… I was going to give it back, she just wasn’t using it, but then I got sick and it was really comfy-” 

“Bee. There’s better hills to die on.” 

I sighed. Ok, maybe I stole some of her stuff, but that didn’t explain why she still openly wore my old cult paraphernalia. Why would she want to? Why would she wear something that used to be a holy symbol for us, something that inherently reveres Bison, and why would she wear it around the son of the man we killed in his name? Is it a power move? Or does she still believe in it all? She had mentioned to us that she was on a ‘spiritual journey’, whatever that means, but then she was telling us she had been going to traditional mass with her uncle, so I assumed she was just Roman Catholic again. What was she doing? My head was spinning. 

“Is she still a believer?” I whispered. 

“How should I know? I never liked her and her holier than thou bullshit.” 

“I suppose it’s not impossible. I always envied her and Aprile. Their faith was always the strongest and I admired that when I was young.” 

Decapre pursed her lips and clicked her tongue in disgust, “There is absolutely nothing worth envying besides her wealth that dear ol’ grandpappy left her. Even more if he hadn’t blown so much on trying to appease Bison into bringing her home. Enero was a snake, she swept in and took your place like you were nothing when we were told you had been killed, immediately kissing up to Vega and Bison as if they hadn’t murdered you. She took your prayer beads even though I told her to stay the fuck out of your stuff, it was fucking mine, and she’d make a big deal about how much more pious and devoted she was than you, god, I could fucking strangle her even now.” 

“Easy, Decapre…” 

“Let Mama take her out, I don’t give a fuck.” 

I sighed, “I do though. And it’s not just about her. This whole tournament feels familiar… It’s got to be a part of a bigger picture, especially if Enero and JP are involved with it. Matryoshka might know what they’re planning too. But if she kills them, she gets away with her crimes and we’ll never know what they’re planning.” 

“What do YOU intend to do about it? Joining would be too obvious… Enero would know you’re onto her if you decided to compete because you already used that strategy with Bison and SIN. She was always watching you during those tournaments. Fucking pissed me off.” 

I fell quiet in contemplation before it struck me. We had two potential candidates to get us to Nayshall without many questions…

“Juri’s daughter and Li-Fen are competing in the under 18 division…” 

“So we serve the lucky winner up to them like a piece of meat?” Decapre quirked an eyebrow. 

“Absolutely not! What I’m saying is that if they’re determined to compete regardless, if they win, it would be perfectly reasonable for us to go along as extra security for the children and investigate while we’re there,” I clarified. “And once we’re there under the pretense of helping either my girlfriend’s child or my niece, Enero should be far more receptive to talking, less suspicious. Maybe ask her to get Sangrias with us, you know how chatty she gets after she’s had some wine.” 

“Us?” 

“You can cooperate for the mission, you did for Julia’s bachelorette party!” 

“Yes, well I like Julia, and Enero paid for all the booze, strippers, and resorts we hopped between, so that’s far different than having to go hang out with her at her house,” Decapre said defensively. “Besides, I was just with Juni the whole time.” 

“Yes, I remember, you ditched me!” 

“And you had the time of your life.” 

“That’s only because I completely misunderstood what you meant by ‘tonight is consequence free’... Glad I got to pet that lion though,” I murmured. Twelve wasted super soldiers partying for two weeks straight yields some peculiar results. At some point we ended up in Rio and after Decapre ditched me at the dinghy titty bar she dragged me to, I broke into a zoo and passed out while petting a lion. Juri found me and returned me to the party, where the bride was hungover and crying about how her abuela wasn’t being supportive of her decision to wear a big white dress or use orange flowers. I think the lions were a bit more peaceful. They definitely did less vomiting and random brawling. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t get eaten in any way… Man, Juri dropped the ball.” 

“She was taken and I was drunk, she absolutely should not have. And that’s way off topic, Decapre. The point I was trying to make is if we go without it being obvious we’re suspicious of her, or that she’s about to be killed, she might open up more about what she’s involved with,” I explained. “I don’t want to see ANY of my sisters hurt again.” 

 Decapre went quiet and leaned against me, looking down at the file sprawled out upon the floor. Pictures of our former teammate throughout her life were spread out, her piercing red gaze staring back at us at every turn. I could hear her throwing her voice to get our attention, her prissy squawking and delighted squeals, her laughter, her sobs she would try to hide from the rest of us. From a wild teenage heiress, to kidnapping victim, to child soldier, to general, to wealthy business woman and aspiring politician, Enero’s life in photos was laid out before me in all its messy, complicated glory. But a collection of notes and photos, articles, propaganda, and reports, none of those things could capture the full truth of my sister. Not of any of my sisters. The depth of our trauma, both collectively and individually, could never be summarized in a government file. Our lives couldn’t be understood in photos and bland interrogations. We were children playing soldiers, girls playing women, conquerors and conquered, oppressors and oppressed, guilty and innocent. We grew up too fast, but we were kept young. We knew too much and too little. We fought day in and day out, against Bison’s enemies, but also, for our own survival. Even a decade after the fall of Shadaloo… I couldn’t recount all the abuse. How could I begin to? And to try would impede on my beloved sisters’ rights to tell their own stories. Our fates were intertwined. My trauma was their trauma. In a way…. It was trauma that brought us together, trauma that tore us apart, but the glue of our bond kept pieces of ourselves attached to each other.  

I held an old Shadaloo propaganda poster from the war, written in Nayshalli, but even I knew the mantras. My sisters and I posed before a statue of Bison, our leader, our lord, our god, smiling in pride in our uniforms. I was fourteen, my younger sisters, Marz and Santamu, were only twelve, my oldest sister, Aprile, was only nineteen. Only Aprile and Juli were legal adults, and even so, still teenagers. We were child soldiers dressed up like pinups for the masses in the hopes it would encourage more people to join our paramilitary cult. 

“The Dolls, the proud, chosen few. The Elite Guard, the Holy Blade of Lord Bison, his hand, his will,” I read aloud, running my finger along Marz’s little face, her big glasses and wiry braces catching the flash of the camera. “How did anyone fall for this…?” 

The door to my flat slammed open with the distinct sound of Juri kicking it, her hands full with the takeaway she had picked up for us all for dinner. We had all been working on the case since the night before, and even after returning home, Decapre and I poured over the files together. 

“Time to take a break, Kitten, your eyes are gonna bleed if you keep it up,” Juri said in a stern tone, dumping the chipotle bag onto the table. She sashayed over and grabbed me from under my arms to pull me to my feet. Normally I’d protest, but I was too tired to fight her. As far as I was concerned, she could drag me around the flat and I wouldn’t care. “Is that Shadaloo poster?” 

“It’s just here because it’s evidence. It’s quite old, from the Nayshalli Civil War,” I explained. Juri kissed my cheek and peeked at the poster curiously, her face scrunching up in disgust. “Goddamn, look at you, fucking battle fetus in a thong. Fuck.” 

“Thanks for the commentary, Love.” I narrowed my eyes at Juri, though really, I couldn’t blame her reaction. I was younger than her daughter in that picture. Of course it would bother her; it bothered me and I was there, front and center. The poster slipped from my fingers and drifted to the ground as I walked to the table with Juri. Her arm around my shoulders felt like armor as I leaned into her embrace. She didn’t need to know the extent of the war, the horrors I saw, was a part of, at least, not now. I wanted to keep her longer, to lie in her embrace, to soak up the affection for as long as I could. Facing down what I had done… Well perhaps that would be enough to scare away even the infamous Juri Han. I dared not risk it or speak a word of the war to her that night. 

When we returned to our bed that night, Juri wrapped around me like a cloak, arms and legs clammered around my body to keep me in place, or keep me safe. Perhaps it was meant to serve both functions. Who am I to know her intentions? Juri was warm, yet cold, kind, yet sadistic, easy to read, yet completely unknowable.She was a liar, and yet brutally honest. She loved me, and yet I knew I could lose her in a moment. She was a beautiful portrait painted in contradictions. How could I ever understand her fully? And how could I ever let her see the darkest parts of me? Perhaps it was best we kept those pieces of ourselves hidden. Still, I longed to tell her about warzone in my mind. War… My whole early life had been nothing but war, a fight to survive every day. How could I ever expect her to understand? 

…………………………………………………………….

Our temporary base wasn’t anything to write home about. It wasn’t nearly as structurally sound as our usual base and lacked the amenities we had come to expect. Still, it was a warzone, I tried to remind myself that I was lucky to have lights and running water. We had fans and a window unit to try to keep the room cool, though it didn’t help much when the weather was that miserable. The bathroom had three shower heads in an open area we’d rotate in and out of, one stall with a toilet, and a double sink. It was more of a challenge to get ready in the morning than usual, as everyone fought over the one tiny mirror to try to tend to their looks as much as they could. I wasn’t as worried about it, I found. Decapre brushed and braided my hair every morning and I trusted her judgment. I did not wear makeup like my older sisters, so I had no reason to try to fight them for the mirror. 

As I lied in my bed, finally clean and bandaged, I tried to rest. All around me the chatter of my sisters filled the room. Aprile tended to a wound Juni returned with while Juli hung close by to assess the damage. It didn’t seem to be anything major, thankfully. Santamu played with Kiki, Fevrier and Satsuki shared cigarettes in the corner, and the twins played a game of cards with Marz. Enero walked into the common area in her bathrobe, carrying her makeup bag with her. She sat on her cot and opened her robe ever so slightly, just enough that she could apply concealer and foundation to the scar along her chest, trying to lessen its angry, red appearance. The coloring returned to that of her healthy skin, but the large, inflamed bump remained. It couldn’t be hidden. She narrowed her eyes at me a clicked her tongue. 

“Stop staring, I saved you earlier. Show a little respect, geez.” 

“Sorry,” I whispered. “Does… does it still hurt?” 

Enero frowned and pursed her lips in thought. She seemed to mull over the question, rolling it around in her head as she spun her makeup brush between her fingers. “I… Suppose a little bit. It hurts my pride mostly.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I deserve to be beautiful,” Enero said decisively, blending out the makeup on the scar before putting her brush pack into the bag. “But life is unfair and Vega can’t stand competition. So I suppose it’s a compliment.” 

“I suppose I must be ugly.” 

“Hardly. You’re just young. And Decapre runs interference for you. Give it time, you’ll be marked up like the rest of us soon enough. Just hope you won’t have to switch uniforms to cover it up.” 

I flinched, though I wasn’t entirely sure what I was afraid of. All my older sisters had large, deep scars somewhere on them. Enero’s chest, Fevrier’s shoulder, Juni and Decapre’s backs, Juli’s leg from her hip to her ankle, and so on. Only myself, Santamu, and Marz didn’t have the deep gashes at that point. I suppose it paid to have older sisters who loved us very much. The scars were always hidden by their uniforms, but we were sisters, we lived in close quarters and we were all aware of each other’s scars, our imperfections, and our injuries. Secrets weren’t exactly easy to keep. 

Some of my sisters had more scars. Juni had come to us with a back covered in white, bubbling lines across her back that were sensitive to touch, Fevrier had track marks on her arms, and Decapre’s face had been mysteriously burned when we were children. Scars were just a part of life. Pain was inevitable and we couldn’t run from it. I didn’t find my sisters’ scars ugly; they just made me sad. I didn’t want to see the people who meant the world to me hurt. Scars mean pain, and some wounds never heal. 

I fiddled with one of my prayer beads as Enero lit a candle and sat beside me, bowing her head reverently towards the flame. Perhaps she meant to compete with me on who could pray more, who could be the most pious, who was the most holy, but I didn’t feel that at the time. To me, it just felt like solidarity. Our competition was at a truce, and for that day, there was no petty arguing over who was more devoted to our lord, just sisterly affection and a shared prayer for the safety of our little family. Faith is stronger when shared. 

The building shook from the impact of missiles nearby and the lights flickered off, leaving only the candle in its tin lamp. Outside the barrage of missiles filled the air with a noise that couldn’t be escaped, but the little flame that glew purple in the darkness brought us light and cloaked us in holy shadows. Preserved by shadows, embraced by the holy flame. I bowed my head in prayer and thanked Bison for the candle’s merciful light, a rare kindness I refused to let slip by unacknowledged. As I pulled one bead across the string, the ceiling collapsed. 

………………………………………………

The next day, I sat at the park, watching Juri and Lauren train together. Juri had insisted on me tagging along to give Lauren some advice, though I think she just didn’t want me to keep dissociating on the couch. I didn’t complain and just sipped my boba tea while Lauren attempted to kick Juri in the nose, which was apparently the goal of the session. 

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I checked my caller ID to see it was Enero. Quickly, I dragged my finger along the screen and answered the call. 

“Hello?” 

“Bee? Do you have a moment to chat? I may have a tip for you.” 

“A tip?” 

“Mhm,” Enero hummed. I could imagine her swirling a drink in her hand to try to draw my curiosity, even over the phone. “I just had a lovely little chat with little Edward. Have you kept tabs on the child and his little tree house club? Neoshadaloo they call themselves. It’s quite adorable.” 

“Neoshadaloo?” 

“I wouldn’t fret over it. It’s just a bunch of children playing dress up, pretending to be half the soldiers we were. Santamu is supervising them from what I understand, so I’m certain they won’t be any trouble. But I also know you like to know of any ‘remnants’ so I figured I would let you know that they have returned to the holy land.” 

“Er…”

“Nayshall, dummy.” 

“It’s hardly the holy land,” I muttered. 

“You always were slow to understand the true spiritual significance of this country,” Enero tsked. “But it’s alright, hermana. Perhaps with a little guidance you can begin your own path to enlightenment, I’m sure I can find the time to help you.” 

“Enlightenment you say?” I asked, trying not to sound annoyed. 

“The false prophet should not determine your faith, hermana… Disentangling the truth from his lies is a process but… I think you would benefit from it.” 

“I don’t really follow… Do you still believe in Bison?” 

“Hardly,” Enero laughed. “But I believe in the miracles I saw, in the raw, spiritual power he manipulated. He was NOT God, he was a false prophet, but not everything we were taught was bullshit. Just… Most of it. I don’t have time to get into it right now, perhaps we can talk over tea soon? It would be lovely to see you again.” 

“It would be. I’d like that, Enero.” 

“We shall plan on it then. Well, I must go, I have business to attend to, but you have a good day, hermana. Adios.” Click. I set my phone down on the grass next to me and stared up at the sky. Faith… Can’t say I’ve discussed that in a while. I watched my girlfriend and her daughter train together and sighed. I could play along if it meant protecting my family and lover in the long run. Finding out what Enero was on about could help piece the puzzle together. Still, the question lingered. What had my sister gotten herself into? 

Chapter Text

Juri POV 

“I just can’t believe I fucking lost, it’s bullshit!” I vented as I sliced vegetables at lightning fast speed, nearly lopping off my clumsy fingers as I dug my knife into them. Yeah, that’s right, fuck you in particular, cucumber. 

“Language.” Mom chastised. “Juri, I don’t know what to tell you, sometimes you’re going to fail. It’s not the end of the world.” 

“But I’m supposed to be great.” I sliced and sliced and “OW! DAMN IT!” 

“What did you learn?” she asked with a stoic, unamused expression. I was too busy nursing my cut pinkie and bruised ego to get what she was going on about, and frankly, I was offended by her seeming lack of concern. FINGER HURTY, EOMMA!

“What?” 

Mom rolled her eyes as she began tending to my injured hand, “You just learned to go slow and pay attention when cutting vegetables, didn’t you? You learned that because you, mind my french, fucked up royally. So what did you learn from losing that sparring match today? Because I can guarantee you can learn a lot more from failure than you can from success.” 

“I… I wasn’t focusing on my balance so she was able to knock me down easier.” 

“And now you know,” Mom hummed. 

“AND KNOWING’S HALF THE BATTLE!” Dad shouted from his office. I giggled and Mom sighed. 

“I swear that man has a radar.” 

“Yo Joe!” I shouted back at Dad, who was laughing in his office, presumably humming the theme song. I guess having friends from the base makes you have to learn whatever American shit is out there, though I suspect Dad just really liked Saturday morning cartoons because there’s no other explanation for why he knew so much about that stuff if it was just to make conversation with his buddies. Mom kissed my finger and ruffled my hair affectionately. 

“Go set the table and watch that mouth of yours. I don’t wanna hear anymore fucking cussing out of you tonight, got it?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I gots it, Mom,” I snickered and picked up the plates and chopsticks set out for that night’s dinner, carrying them off to the dining room. You watch your fucking language, Mom, shit dude. But she had a point… I learned a hell of a lot more from my fuck ups than I did from my successes. 

……………………………………………….

“Get up, we’re going on a field trip!” I shouted, yanking the blankets off of Lauren one Saturday morning. I could fucking feel the contempt radiating off of this child, holy shit she was pissed. It was hilarious, she had like, this scrunched up little face, all red because she’s a pale little shit that changes color whenever a gnat farts. Glorious. Keep that energy up, you funky little lesbian. 

“Eomma, it’s Saturday, what the fuck? Aren’t you not supposed to be in the house?” Lauren grumbled, hand still coiled around her cellphone like a cat claw. “Like Mom’s gonna be fucking pissed if she catches you in here.” 

“She let me in, she wants you to get off your lazy ass and quit texting your girlfriend all weekend,” I explained, turning on the light and grabbing some comfy clothes for training out of Lauren’s closet then chucking them at her. “Get up, we’re gonna take a little trip around the city for your training today.” 

“What are we doing?” Lauren asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily, impulsively checking her phone to see what she missed while she was asleep. I’d judge, but damn, she probably gets it from me. “Fuck me sideways, the group chat fucking exploded this morning.”  

“You can worry about it later, put on a sports bra and get your ass downstairs. We’re getting breakfast on the way, but it’s gonna be a long fucking day so I hope you’re ready to sweat your little ass off.” 

“You don’t gotta rub it in I gots a flat ass, fuck.” Lauren flipped me off and pushed me out of her room so she could get dressed. I chuckled and headed downstairs to the living room where Crimson was busying herself with some documents on her work laptop while watching CNN. I glanced around the house, familiar and yet different from how I left it. Some of our old pictures were still up, collecting dust but still staring us down with the past. I picked up a framed photo of myself, Crimson, and Lauren at Crimson’s sister’s wedding. We had so much fun taking the piss out of Scarlet and her divorce while she married her new, older, richer man as is tradition, but I think I realized that day I’d never really be accepted by Crim’s folks. Those assholes didn’t like that their oldest daughter was a queer single mom who chose to settle down with a foreign, shady bitch for a time. The army wife jokes really pissed me off. It was just to be assholes, racist assholes at that. Like as if I needed her to scoop me up and whisk me off to America. They just couldn’t handle that I was as much of a boss bitch as she was, so they had to put me down as Crimson’s ‘army wife’ to feel better about the situation. I guess writing me off as a greencard hungry whore in their eyes was easier than accepting that their bi daughter was in a happier relationship than their straight daughter who did it all right. I couldn’t stand her fucking family, and they sure as shit didn’t like me… Sometimes I wonder if she started to crack under the pressure. 

Crimson glanced over to me and pushed up her glasses as she started to speak, “My parents still bring you up sometimes. But I don’t let them make me feel stupid for it.” 

“For what?” 

“For loving you. Scarlet’s choices in men were far worse than my choice of a woman,” Crimson replied simply. “They wouldn’t be happy regardless of who I was with because I’m not Scarlet.” 

“Why’d you keep it up?” 

“I can’t erase all those years we had together… Most of Lauren’s childhood. Even if I want to.” She sighed. “Have her back at a reasonable time, ok?”

“Yeah, you got it, mama,” I nodded, giving my ex a thumbs up and looking up to the stairs, where Lauren was sleepily trudging down to us. “Took ya long enough, let’s go!” I grabbed Lauren by the arm and dragged her outside, not daring to stop to look back at her mom. She squawked as she stumbled on after me. 

“Eomma, come on, it’s early!” 

“Yeah, bitch, you want some motherfucking chickfila or not?” 

“Oh shit, biscuits?” 

“Yeah, kid, we’re getting biscuits, now put on your helmet.” I tossed her her helmet as she put my own on and climbed onto my bike. Lauren followed suit, holding onto me like she would when she was little. When she was younger, I’d drop her off at school on my bike sometimes, she loved it. The school, not so much, but fuck those guys, it’s not my fault I’m cooler than the other moms. As we took off, I couldn’t help but grin at my own genius. I was gonna make a champion out of this kid and make a shit ton of money doing it. 

………………………………………………

As Lauren sat outside on the curb, eating her one man one woman chicken biscuit, I crouched on the wall around Cammy’s work building, waiting for her to walk outside so I could chuck her breakfast at her. I texted her so she’d meet me outside, but as some guy went to walk into work, I grinned. An opportunity. 

“Oi, you! I bet my kid could kick your ass!” I shouted, pulling both the guy and Lauren’s attention. “I bet twenty bucks she’ll make you her little bitch.” 

“Are… you mentally ill.” 

“You bet your sweet ass I am, now you gonna scrap with my kid or what?” 

Lauren nearly choked on her biscuit, coughing and shaking her head, “Eomma what the fuck?” 

“I mean twenty bucks is twenty bucks…” the guy considered. 

“Lauren, baby, Eomma needs you to go beat up that random office worker,” I informed, pulling her to her feet and shoving  her at the random coworker of my lady. Lauren shook a bit, but took her fighting stance she’d become comfortable with, gyrating around like she was gonna spring a leak but keeping her legs ready to snap off kicks with speed and precision. As the two went at it, I dropped the bag down to Cammy, who was watching through the gate with a concerned expression. 

“Juri?”

“Yeah, Kitten?” 

“Why is Lauren beating up that intern?” 

“Because I told her to. We’re training today,” I replied. “Come on, babe, why the long face? I know you love my chaotic whimsy or whatever.” 

“I do, but I also don’t like when it makes me more work to do.” 

“Aw, don’t be like that, baby, I’ll be a total good girl, we’re just having… Impromptu sparring matches. Everyone in the city is just dying to throw hands, it’ll be ok,” I assured, leaning over the wall to give my girlfriend a quick kiss. “I’ll see you after work, I’ll text you where we’re meeting for dinner.” 

“Need I be worried?” 

“Not if you like waffles.” 

Cammy shrugged, and watched Lauren tussle with the intern with a stern look, crossing her arms as if she was the token snooty British judge on some competition show from the 2000s. “Watch your stance, Lauren!” 

“Ah, shit, right!” Lauren shouted as she took a fall from the indignant intern. Cammy winced. 

“Bugger me with a stick, that had to hurt.” 

“Walk it off, baby, you’re doing great!” I shouted. “Go win Eomma money!” 

“I hate you!” Lauren screamed as she got up and roundhouse kicked the guy so hard in the head he fall over and was seeing fucking stars. I grinned in pride. That was MY kid that just kicked his ass. Fuck yeah, I’m a great teacher. I collected my money from the stunned guy and slung my arm around Lauren’s shoulders. 

“Good job, jwi agi, I’m proud of you. Now onto the next one, we got a helluva lot more of that to go.” 

“What, for real?” 

“Oh yeah, kiddo, it’s gonna long day. Be ready to kick ass and get your ass kicked.” 

Lauren deflated, but followed along. I blew a kiss to Cammy as we went about our little field trip. 

Our next stop was over by the construction site, where some guys were having their breaks and shooting the shit. My ex was always freaked out by the idea of Lauren walking past construction workers because she thought they'd kidnap her and sell her off, which to be fair, a distinct possibility where we lived. Not really a reasonable concern in most places though, and frankly, the guys in Metro City were pretty chill, just a bunch of meatheads who were better as putting shit together than studying. All with a fixation on beating each other up for funsies because it's Metro City where the iconic food is the knuckle sandwich and the most popular politician of all time was a former wrestler. 

But we weren't there for no meathead jock with a hammer, or at least, not just any meathead with a hammer oh no, if my daughter was gonna get her shit wrecked it was gonna fucking matter. I'm a good mother after all (I think).

“Hey, Trust Fund! You gotten in a good street fight in a while or are you still moping about the divorce?!” I shouted. 

“Who the fuck are you talking to?” Lauren asked. “Wait, is that Ken Masters?” 

“I bet twenty bucks you could beat up my daughter!” 

Ken looked… unamused as I motioned at Lauren. He narrowed his eyes at me and sighed, “Are you trying to collect insurance money? That's a kid.” 

“Yep, but she's my whole ass child and I'm a damn good teacher. What, you scared she's gonna kick your ass?” 

Ken looked over to Lauren with an exhausted expression, but I could see he was itching for a fight. That's the thing about once you get real good at kicking ass. It's addicting and you can never really stop because literally the most satisfying thing in the world is tossing some shithead on their ass in a high octane brawl. He got up and chucked his can of monster into the trash, walking over to Lauren to look her in the eye. 

“Are you actually wanting to spar, or are you being held hostage?” 

“Both,” Lauren admitted. “I wanna learn to be the best fighter I can, get like super strong and ripped so I can pick my girlfriend up like a princess and kick people in the face while doing it! And I never wanna feel powerless again, I wanna be able to defend myself beyond running.”

“Alright, I'll spar with you, but I'm not taking or giving any money for it,” Ken said as he cracked his knuckles. Jerk, I'm trying to buy her a car with this. Oh well. “And once we’re done, you both need to get out of here before you get yourselves hurt.” 

“Deal!” Lauren grinned and held her fists out to start the match all proper. I taught her manners, kinda. My mom would be so proud of me. Not really. Ken fist bumped Lauren then took a fighting stance. As Lauren began to stumble around the construction site, he charged her first, hitting her with a roundhouse kick followed by a spinning sidekick to push her back. She stumbled and held up her hands like Cammy had shown her, cussing a bit as he continued to charge her. I could tell he was holding back his strength as to not hurt her, but he sure as shit didn’t slow down. Lauren was just shimmying her torso back and forth while holding her forearms to her ears. 

“Move first, think later,” Ken huffed as he went in for a punch. Lauren’s eyes flickered as she rolled out of the way, grabbed a spare construction helmet and put it on, then right as Ken went to punch her, she blocked the hit and jumped up to headbutt him. He stumbled back a step, stunned, but grinning in amusement as Lauren squealed in excitement.

“HA! I GOT A HELMET!” 

Ken just pulled back a sidekick and struck her in the gut, deflating Lauren’s previous excitement when she realized her armor only worked for her head. Sorta. She got knocked on her ass, but stumbled up and  attacked him with a flurry of kicks. Crescent, roundhouse, and hook kicks flew by him, but he easily dodged everyone before pushing Lauren’s spinning hook kick off course, causing her to crash to the ground. Thinking the fight was over, Ken turned to get another drink before he got back to work, only for Lauren to pop up and charge him from behind with another atomic headbutt, followed by a spinning hook kick that had her stumbling into some unstable piles of lumber. Ken grabbed her quickly before disaster could strike, gasping quietly and giving me a pissed off glance. I shrugged. That was all her, not sure what your problem is, bud. 

“When I said move first think later, I didn’t mean don’t think at all,” Ken clarified with a sigh. “I think I see your problem. You either get so nervous you don’t move, you overthink and don’t get any hits in, or you don’t think at all, get cocky, and your strikes don’t land because you’re throwing all strategy to the wind. If you want to be a good martial artist, you can’t do either. Don’t clam up, but don’t lose your head, kid. And uh, enjoy your weekend with your mom. Do your homework, she’s not gonna remember to remind you.” 

“Dude, all she does is remind me…” 

“Oh… Right,” Ken awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Watch where you’re kicking and keep practicing, kiddo.” 

“Thanks for the match!” Lauren grinned and waved to Ken before running back to me,  not bothering to take off her new hat. Frankly I wasn’t about to make her return it because improvised headgear was the best idea she had in a while. I put my arm around my daughter as we left the construction site to find our next match. 

………………………………………………………………

By the end of the day, Lauren had won some and lost some, and I had capitalized on all her fights by being damn good at predicting who would and would not kick her ass. As I was counting our winnings at the Waffle House, Lauren shuffled some eggs and gravy into her mouth with reckless abandon. Cammy leaned over my shoulder, mentally counting the money with me. I had made a good amount, a few more weeks of this and I could probably buy Lauren a car or bike for her birthday. 

“Did you gamble on your daughter all day?” Cammy whispered. 

“Yeah, why waste the opportunity to monetize?” I asked. “It’s birthday money, don’t worry.” 

Cammy sighed and nodded. She didn’t question my parenting, and frankly I appreciated it because she lets her cats literally walk all over her. My girlfriend simply occupied herself with her waffle, sleepily leaning against me after a long day of whatever she does at work. 

“Hey, Lauren, look over there…” I pointed to the kitchen where a muscular woman was cooking on a griddle. She was tall with long, red box braids, tan skin, and scars along her face and hands. “That’s Red, she used to do some bounties for me. Girlie got real fucked over by life, two of her sisters were abducted when she was young and by the time they came home, her parents got iced and the family got screwed out of their businesses by some old partners of the parents. Red’s real talented in the kitchen, but she’s stuck working at shitholes like this cause she gots three little sisters and niece to support. She’s mean as a snake, got the temper of a honey badger, and one hell of a bounty hunter. I wouldn’t even fuck with her.”

“Damn…” Lauren whispered, frowning a little. 

“HEY RED, THIS GINGER THINKS YOUR COOKING IS SHIT!” 

The Filipina glared over at me and walked over with a spatula in her hand, wielding it with malicious intent. Lauren shrank down in her seat.

“I didn’t say nothing!” 

“If you gots something to say, then get your ass up and face me like a woman, ya cunt.” 

“Oh fuck you, I ain’t scared of you!” Lauren growled and hopped up. Cammy sighed deeply and put her face in her hands, sighing in exhaustion as the Waffle House brawl commenced. Lauren began combining her lessons from all her instructors, but it wasn’t enough to match Red’s experience and natural, unbridled rage. As fists and hair flew, the two young women went at it across the dining hall, beating each other with fists, feet, and the occasional chair or plate stolen from some unlucky patron. Red grabbed Lauren by the hair and threw her out of the Waffle House and dusted herself off before getting back to work. Cammy was staring in horror as I grinned. Lauren got a taste of the final boss; the Waffle House chef and manager. 

“Did you just let your daughter get thrown out of the restaurant?” Cammy whispered. 

“It was a supposed to lose fight, she needs motivation, a big bad to dedicate her training to defeating. Trust the method, Cams, it worked for me,” I explained. “Kitten, Imma make the toughest bitch in Metro City out of that kid by dueling her like a goddamn pokemon and motivating her to take on the current baddest bitch in this place.” 

“You think the Waffle House chef is the baddest bitch in Metro City?” Cammy quirked an eyebrow at me. 

“Clearly, you haven’t been to a Waffle House before… Yes. Because the thing about people like you, and Chun-Li, and the other fighters around here is they have restraint, things they can stand to lose. Red don’t. So is she as strong as you, or our other prize winning fighters here? No. But she’s the best challenge Lauren’s gonna get.” 

Cammy sighed, “If you insist. Maybe don’t tell your ex about this.” 

“It’s my weekend with the kid, it’ll be fine.” I grinned and pulled Cammy into my arms and kissed her gently on the lips. Lauren was throwing hands with someone else in the parking lot, which made me proud, and gave me a moment alone with my lady. Cammy settled in next to me, smiling ever so slightly. It was a good fight, and who doesn’t love dinner and a show? 

“Good, her stance looks so much better…” Cammy whispered. 

………………………………………………………………………………..

And so this continued every weekend. I took Lauren around town, fighting every motherfucker we could. She kicked ass and got her ass kicked. I sought out decorated martial artists for her to fight while we were training, ones I knew would absolutely wreck her shit, but that she’d learn a hell of a lot from. Some became recurring tutors so to say. Ken seemed to like Lauren, as did Chun-Li and some kid called Jamie that might just be a functional alcoholic to be honest. But she fought more than them. By the time Lauren was ready for the final showdown, she’d taken on Ken, Chun-Li, E. Honda, Jamie, Kimberly, Luke, Cammy, Decapre, myself, even Crimson joined in for some good old fashion child beating. She’d failed a lot, and she learned more than I could ever teach her myself. Every Saturday night, she lost to Red, but got closer to taking her down a peg as she improved her skills with each new tutor she acquired. 

We stood in the parking lot of the Waffle House months after the first brawl there. Lauren was hardened by battle, but facing down her opponent with a new sense of confidence. She had training for a while now. She was practiced, precise, and fast. She was a real warrior now, I had made sure of it. I drew some war paint on her face and put my hands on her shoulder as I prepared to send her off. I knew win or lose, my little girl was gonna leave this battle a woman and that filled my heart with pride and melancholy. My sweet little Lauren was growing up and taking on her battles all on her own… She was going to be independent one day soon, throwing hands with the best of them, but she’d always carry with her my original teaching. Makes a girl sentimental, ya know? 

“You go in there, and you make Eomma a fuck ton of money, baby. I’m betting the farm on you.” 

“I’ll make us fucking rich, Eomma, I promise.” Lauren said tearfully as she hugged me tightly. “Thanks for everything…” 

“Ah, don’t get all mushy, you’re gonna make me cry,” I laughed and smiled down at my daughter. “Now go kick that minimum wage worker’s ass.” 

I let Lauren walk into the Waffle House first, a silence over taking the dining hall as she entered. We had become regulars, and all the patrons new what was about to go down.  I strolled in afterwards, leaning against the counter as Lauren and Red stared down each other, both just waiting for the other to flinch, even for a moment. 

“What do you want this time, cunt?” 

“We're gonna finish this, me and you!” Lauren said dramatically, taking a fighting stance in preparation for battle. 

“Fuck off, I don't have time for this.” Red rolled her eyes and went back behind the counter, but Lauren flew over the counter with a back leg roundhouse kick. Red growled and grabbed her leg when it was brought up for a second kick, swinging her over the counter and into some poor old couple's table. Ha, think next time before you vote to screw the crazy bitch over, ya old fucks! 

Lauren and Red began to tussle, grappling each other on the ground before springing back to their feet. Lauren spun through her kicks, each stroke fluid like a rushing wave, quickly overwhelming Red. Red was powerful, but she sure as shit wasn't fast, and Lauren's speed gave her an advantage to make up for her lack of power. Still, it was close. Lauren might be fast, but Red is strong. Real strong. One good hit would send Lauren tumbling back into a counter or table, completely throwing her off her groove. But she persisted.  Like a tigress hunting her prey she was RUTHLESS. Red swung a chair at Lauren, who managed to kick it out of her hand and land one final kick, knocking the Waffle House chef clean out with a blow to the head.  

I couldn't contain my excitement. I cheered and pointed to Lauren, slinging an arm around some random old pensioner, “That's my daughter, holy fucking shit she did it!” 

Lauren held up her arms triumphantly, squealing in glee, “Eomma I did it!” 

“You fucking did, you just earned yourself a goddamn vehicle, all y'all gotta pay up now!” I laughed and pointed to the disappointed patrons who had bet on Red. 

As we were celebrating, Red came back to reality and got up, stumbling over to Lauren, who looked a tad freaked out upon seeing her. 

“That was a good fight,” she said in a gruff tone, smiling ever so slightly. “you earned yourself some free waffles.” 

“Wait, for real?” 

Red chuckled dryly, “I'm gonna be real, this has been the highlight of my week for months now. You should apply here, lots of opportunities to smash skulls throughout the day, I think you'd make a great coworker.” 

“Oh, uh, thanks!” Lauren grinned, awkwardly scratching the back of her head as the chef went to the back to prepare our usual order, a to go box for Cams because we're all predictable as fuck. 

“Here, y'all eat then get the fuck out so we can clean up.” 

We gladly took our order and ate at a table outside. It tasted like complete and utter victory, like the bag of Cheetos I demolished on the plane away from Siberia when Shadaloo fell. Lauren sliced into her waffles with pride, shoveling them in her face as if she hadn't eaten in a week. I dont think I've ever been so proud in my life. We rode back to Crimson's house triumphant. 

,.........

When we arrived at my ex’s house, the sun was beginning to set over the horizon and Lauren was beaming with excitement. 

“Mom, I finally beat Red! Knocked her clean out!” 

“Good, I'm glad to hear,” Crimson smiled a little and pat Lauren on the head. “There's plenty of hot water in the shower for you. You go on down there, alright?” 

“Oki!” Lauren hugged me one more time before running upstairs to shower and revel in her victory. I chuckled as I watched her, leaning against the doorway lazily. 

“Well, she's ready for the tournament if nothing else.” 

“Thanks for training her. She's… seemed a lot happier these days,” Crimson mused. “would you like to come in?” 

“Eh, sure, you need help with something?” I asked. 

“No, I just wanted to talk.” Crimson said softly as she walked into the living room, motioning for me to sit with her. I did, setting the doggy bag on the coffee table. An uncomfortable silence hung over us as we sat surrounded by the remnants of our old life together. It was suffocating. Finally, Crimson spoke, keeping her eyes down, “I was wrong about you, Juri… I'm sorry. I thought you were making Lauren and I worse, but honestly, you make her better and I'm not really any better or worse without you. But I was happy with you, we were happy, we were a functional family, and I fucked that all up.” 

“Ah hell… I forgive you, Crim, I just wanna be there for Lauren. It's best we move on from all that bullshit for her sake.” Part of me wanted to tell her off for being a bitch all this time, for breaking things off, for kicking me out, for breaking my heart… but I guess I've gone soft these days. Guess it's a side effect of the company I keep. Or maybe I'm just getting old and tired. Maybe the burning anger that's kept me alive all this time has finally started to burnout and something else is sustaining me. I’d wonder if it's love if that wasn't the lamest fucking bullshit I've heard in my life. Being redeemed by love? That ain't very girl boss of me. Still, part of me forgave her, even if the other part of me wanted to hit her. 

“Let's get back together,” Crimson said as she held my hand, looking me in the eye. “we can still fix this, you can move back in, we'll share custody of Lauren legally, we can just, make it work again. It'll be for the best, I mean, Lauren is so much happier with you back and… and I missed you. I missed you and no matter how hard I try to deny it, I love you and I miss you. Just… come back to us, come back to me, Juri.” Her blue eyes shimmered with hope, or maybe just tears, as she held my hand, pulling it to her cheek. 

“Crimson… if you had asked last year, I woulda said yes in a heartbeat,” I said softly, looking down at my crying ex girlfriend. “but I can't and you know that. I have a girlfriend now, I'm moving on. We're co-parenting Lauren and it's working out great. We don't have to be together to be a family. You're always gonna be my kid's mom. I'll always be the step parent that stuck around afterwards. And honestly? I think I'll always love you in some way… but I'm in love with Cammy now, we have a relationship and we're happy together. I'm not going to throw that away when what we had ended years ago.” 

“You've only been dating her for what? Six months? We have history, Juri.” 

“Not a fucking good one. You completely broke my heart, why should I fucking trust you now?” I snapped. “I'm sorry, Crimson, but it's over, it's been over.”

“Why don't you stay the night? Just think about it.” Oh you bitch…. My eyes darted from her face to floor a few times. It'd been a while since I'd gotten lucky, and well, we were together for years on end for multiple reasons. I'd be lying to say the offer wasn't a bit tempting. But at the same time… I couldn't. Nah. Things weren't ever gonna be the same. No amount of makeup sex was gonna fix our relationship. And I couldn't do that to Cammy even if it was just a one night stand. Much to the carnal side of my soul’s displeasure, I'd just have to be patient if I wanted to keep from destroying my relationship. I loved her, I knew that by then. I loved her and I didn't want to fuck shit up, I wanted to make her stay with me. And I wanted to be faithful even if my body was screaming at me to just take the L and fuck my ex. Can't say I've felt that way about many women. Those are the ones you wanna keep. I pulled my hand away from her. 

“Stop. It's not gonna happen. I need to go.” I got up off the couch and headed for the door. “just… let's just meet somewhere next time I take Lauren for the day, yeah? Text me when it's my turn to take her for a bit and I'll be there.” 

“Just think about it…” Crimson said as she followed me, but stopped at the doorway. “you're never going to get what you want with her, Juri. She's never going to be able to satisfy you. You'll be confined to a boring life where you can't do business anymore, stuck in England because she's refuses to be portable, living with way too many cats, and having sex with one of Bison's harem girls for however long you decide to stick it out. And that's if she's not too messed up to put out at all. You're going to be completely stifled by her, Juri, and we all know you aren't good at playing by the rules or being patient. We're just more compatible and we already have a family.”

“Fuck off, Crimson, you already got my answer.” I grumbled and walked off, not bothering to look back the porch, at her… and for the first time since our initial break up, I fully cut things off and left our old life behind. As I drove back home, the sinking feeling in my gut set in… I had made my choice. And I didn't regret it. I just… regretted considering choosing her for a moment. But in the end, I chose Cammy. I chose the woman I had been falling for, who brought out the best in me, and who had become my best friend. I chose her and didn't look back. 

….

When I got back to Cammy's apartment, I was surprised to find it quieter than usual. Decapre usually had her music blaring while she wrote her books at that time, but the apartment was quiet. Aldous and Marmalade came scampering over and I picked them both up. 

“I'm home!” 

I heard Cammy jump, knocking over her laptop from being suddenly woken up. “Ah, bugger.” 

“I brought… ah shit, I forgot the food!” I shouted in annoyance, plopping down on the couch next to my girlfriend, who was yawning. 

“That's ok, I was kinda tired of having the Waffle House every Saturday to be honest…”

“Why didn't you tell me?” 

Cammy shrugged, “I know you like it and I don't hate it. I'd just rather have something else.”

“I'll door dash it, what do you want?” 

“Indian food,” Cammy replied, curling back up on the couch with Cookie, who was about to pop. “Thank you, I forgot to eat. I was working a bit of overtime on the case.” 

“You need to quit doing that, Kitten, you're gonna make yourself sick,” I said as I sat next to her, pulling up the app so I could order the usual takeout she liked. 

“Hush… just cuddle with me until the food gets here.” 

I didn't need much more prompting, curling up with Cammy and resting my head on her shoulder while she rested her eyes. I guess Decapre must have been out for the night. That was nice. Not that I hated the woman or anything, but having Cammy's needy ass sister shacking up with us was annoying sometimes. I think that woman is allergic to being alone because she had more than enough opportunities to get her own place but insisted on staying on the futon in the living room instead. I was glad she was gone for a bit so it would just be Cammy and I. 

I kissed her cheek and nuzzled my face to her shoulder, but deep down I wanted more. I needed more. I longed to caress her, kiss every inch of her body, to pleasure her, and to make her moan my name. I wanted to touch, I needed to be touched, but she always pulled away from me any time things got heated, like she had touched a hot stove. We could be making out real hot and heavy, her grinding on my knee, me with a handful of ass or titty, but the moment I’d slip my hand under her clothes, everything stops. She'd push me away, sometimes just leaving the room entirely depending on the day. There was never any conversation, no explanation, just silence and blank stares, or if I'm lucky, she'd change the subject. All I wanted was for her to want me as much as I wanted her…

“Your storm clouds are heavy,” Cammy whispered. 

“What?” 

“Sorry. That's always what my sister would say when I was thinking something to death… what's on your mind? I can tell you're thinking about something.” 

“Thinking about stealing some of your curry,” I joked. 

“Juri…” 

How many times had I blown it already by fucking up talking to my girls? Hide this, hide that, dismiss it all and make her think she's crazy for daring to assume I got feelings… I thought I learned from my failure with Seo-ah, never to let anyone have control over me again. I’d never let someone have physical or emotional control over me, never let someone dictate my livelihood, my psyche, let her know my deepest most personal feelings…then I blocked out everyone until Crimson wriggled her way into my stupid mushy heart like the bitch she is, and I let her in too. Let her have too much, but never gave her enough. She had enough of my heart to hurt, but not enough of my mind to understand me. And then there's Cammy… mistake after mistake and I fail to learn from them when it comes to women. But what was the mistake? Saying too much? Saying too little? Letting them in or pushing them back? I could hear my mom chastising me in the back of my mind ‘what have we learned, Juri?’ but damn it, Mom, I don't fucking know what I learned! I learned fuck all! 

What have we learned? 

Why is Decapre still sleeping on our futon?

Communication is important but everyone sucks at it? 

But say too much and you got no fucking tact. 

Sugar coat it and you miss the fucking point.  

What HAVE I learned? 

I learned…. I learned that I want her. Just her. Crimson just reinforced that lesson. 

“Look, I get you're not really into talking about this stuff, but I think we really need to talk about sex, Cams.” 

She tensed up and pet the cat quietly, not responding with anything but a non committal nod. I guess that's my due to keep talking. 

“I feel like I'm getting mixed signals from you sometimes. And like you're either not attracted to me or you're like, asexual and never told me.” 

“I'm not asexual and I am attracted to you… I just need time,” Cammy whispered. “I haven't actually slept with any of my girlfriends before, it's got nothing to do with you specifically.” 

“Are you interested in having sex at all?” 

“Of course I am.” 

“That's not very obvious, Babe…” 

“Does… does it have to be this fast?” 

I bit my lip and caressed the back her hand with my thumb, “No… I think we have different ideas of what is and isn't fast to fuck though. Most of my relationships started out sexual, the only one that didn't was my first girlfriend and that's because I was Lauren's age. And we still slept together like, four months into dating because I mean, she kinda tied up my grandparents and got me back a huge chunk of the money my parents left me, so like, I kinda had to sleep with her, ya know?” 

“Uh… you got turned on by someone beating up old people?” 

“Not really, I was her sugar baby and I wanted to continue having a place to live, and to be able to go to school and train. And she had just done this big favor for me, so I kinda felt like I had to pay her back, and I knew it'd piss off my super conservative grandparents if we shagged in their house, so like… two birds one stone,” I explained. “Seo-ah was really only into me because I was completely reliant on her and still in high school though. She liked her girls helpless and underage. It wasn't a great situation to be honest; she was the kind of person my dad would get tossed in a hole then throw away the key.” 

“That's horrifying… I'm so sorry.” 

“Nah, it ain't that bad, I got a sweet ass gang out of the gig once she was dead.” I shrugged and closed my eyes as I rested my head on her arm. “I won in the end… what was my point again?” 

“You sleep with women quickly from what I understand,” Cammy said awkwardly. “Though I feel like you should probably unpack that uh, situation with Seo-ah. That's really concerning, are you ok?”

“I literally do not care about her or that clusterfuck, Cams. She's long dead, I got what I needed from the relationship, and sure, she threatened to kill me when I wanted to go to college, but I turned out fine.”

“That's horrific, Juri and you really didn't… no offense.” Ouch. But fair I guess…

“My point,” I said a bit louder to end any more arguments over my other ex, “is for me, sex is kinda a big part of my relationships usually. It's important to me. It's fine if you don't feel the same way, but I would really rather we address that sooner than later.” 

“I just… want to hold onto the part of the relationship where you don't expect too much, when we're happy together…” Cammy whispered. “But that's over, isn't it? You're going to leave like everyone else…” 

“Who said anything about leaving?” I scrunched up my face, opening my eyes to look up at her. Cammy's eyes were glassy, but she didn't let herself cry, even though her body shook to hold it in. 

“They always do. I can't do it, I just can't, and I hate myself for that. No woman is ever going to put up with this long term and I don't blame you for wanting to leave,” she said softly. “I want to, but I can't. I'm too scared. I'm not like my sister, but I wish I was…” 

“I don't. I wouldn't wanna date Decapre; she's a fucking mess who can't get her shit together,” I said matter of factly. “I'm not going anywhere, Cammy. I want YOU. Just you. Nobody else.” 

“Are you mad at me for not having sex with you yet?” 

“No, I ain't mad. I just wanna talk about it and know where we stand,” I explained. “don't feel pressured to do nothing you're not comfortable with, it ain't fun if not everyone's enjoying themselves.” 

Cammy was quiet for a moment before giving me a kiss and getting up off the couch, “I need… some time to think about all of this. Can we continue this conversation tomorrow?” 

“Sure, Kitten, take your time, just like, fucking talk to me cause I'm trying.” 

She gave me a tired smile and nodded, “I'm trying too. I love you, Juri.” 

“I love you too, Cammy.” 

She looked a bit calmer as she headed to the kitchen to grab us utensils for dinner and I'd be lying to say I was relieved to have at least gotten a bit of this discussion over with. As I pet the cats, I sighed and leaned back against the couch. I was fucking exhausted and just wanted to spend the rest of the night relaxing with my favorite person. Forget the stress of the day and just celebrate my victory.  

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

            It was in the oppressively muggy nighttime air outside I considered suicide for the first time. The walk to the balcony was longer than I anticipated I could walk, though I wonder why in hindsight. Adrenaline is one hell of a drug. You can go a lot farther than you think when you’re hurt and I had honestly survived worse. Nerve gas, stab wounds, broken bones, internal bleeding, a botched surgery that led to a severe infection, and somehow, I hit my breaking point that night and I thought I would surely die. Perhaps not of my injuries, but from shame. Who are you to deny the will of a god? To grovel in your pain instead of rejoicing in being chosen? I felt sick. I just wanted Decapre, but I wasn’t sure where she was, or if it was even possible to see her in that moment. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone and it scared me. In a fucked up kind of way, it’s funny; all my life I had been simultaneously isolated and yet I was never alone. With twelve sisters, how could I be? Even before the others came along, Decapre and I were each other’s shadows, never separated for more than an hour or two. I knew nothing of isolation…and yet I knew everything about it because I had so little understanding of the outside world and as my missions increased that ignorance became so loud.

            I must’ve sat there, curled up with my knees to my chest for an hour at least, once I had found my comfy spot, I was stuck. I couldn’t move. My bones and flesh had settled and solidified where they were, as if rigor mortis set in before I had even died. To move would surely break me. I didn’t dare try. I couldn’t think seriously about escaping. That would be a heretical move that would surely damn me to the deepest depths of Hell, that would make me an enemy, and where would I go? How could I survive without my dear sisters? And I couldn’t dare drag them into my sin with me. No, not even the ones who had thought about it as well. Shadaloo would always find us, and even if they never found us physically, Bison’s all knowing gaze would always be on our backs, an oppressive reminds that you can never hide from the eyes of god. Even on that balcony by myself, with only the chirps and murmurs of local wildlife for company, I could feel his piercing gaze, stabbing me, unraveling me bare until I could hide no more secrets, no thoughts or agenda that could remain private. The only way to escape was to die. But even then, it would have to be a holy death, or else I would still go to hell. No pressure.

            I thought long and hard about it. Perhaps I could set myself on fire as a tribute. A sacrifice. That would be a holy death, one befitting of Lord Bison’s blessing. I could go to sleep and wake up when the paradise planet was completed. I would just be waiting quietly in death, then when the mission was complete, I’d be with my sisters once more. But the more I contemplated, the more the flames scared me. I couldn’t do it. So I would have to just endure or hope someone managed to kill me. Because once his claws dig into your flesh, you can’t escape him. You can never escape.

…………………………………………………………………………..

            Maybe it’s selfish to hog the shower for so long. But I think Juri and Decapre could forgive me. I needed the alone time to think. So I just sat on the floor under the water, letting the hot water cascade down me for as long as it would take for me either to have an epiphany or the water to grow cold. It’d probably freeze me out first. It’s not like I haven’t already thought this issue to death, beaten the metaphorical dead horse into putty. But Juri… Juri was special.

            Being with Juri is like falling in love for the first time. She lights your senses ablaze, makes you feel as if you’ve been dead until she kisses you. At least, that’s how I felt about it. I don’t think I felt that way about anyone before. I’d had girlfriends before, women I did feel strongly for, but never as much as I loved Juri. Juri was special. If there was ever to be some magical ‘the one’ like in fairytales, I knew without a doubt it had to be her. I had to make her stay. There would never be another.

            But there lies the problem, the reoccurring infection that refused to die; how do I have sex with this woman?

            I mean, not literally how. I understood the mechanics fine enough, and honestly, I had enough people I could ask if I didn’t. Jianyu and Decapre overshare like it’s an Olympic sport and I really would get far more information than necessary if I asked. I suppose Juni or Lita could probably walk the line of explanation and exhibition better than their partners, or I guess ex partner, in Juni’s case, but I was pretty certain that wouldn’t be an issue. Bloody hell, I hoped it wouldn’t be, I don’t want to look stupid on top of prudish.

            No, the issue was with me as a person. I lived the paradox of wanting intimacy and running like prey from a hunter from it. This issue destroyed every relationship I got in eventually, because quite frankly, nobody is that patient, and after all those years, I still couldn’t fix the issue. I couldn’t just turn my brain off and have sex with my girlfriends like a normal person and someone can only take their partner pushing them away and occasionally fleeing the scene so many times before they had enough. I don’t blame them. Normal people have needs. Hell, even I had needs, I just can’t satisfy them for some reason. Or talk about it. I’d surely sound mad if I even tried.

            As I rested my head on my knees and sulked, the door to the bathroom creaked open. “Hey, Kitten? I get that you’re having a depression shower and all, but I left my makeup in here.”

            “Sorry, do you need the bathroom?”

            “Nah, baby, I just need to get my bag.”

            “You can use the mirror here if you’d like, I won’t be getting out for a while…” I offered, reaching my arm out to grab my phone. I turned down the music before setting my phone back down and retreating fully back behind the curtain. Juri’s shadow crept up to the mirror and the clanking of her makeup echoed throughout the small bathroom. Between the steady stream of the shower and Juri tapping brushes against containers and cracking open palettes, I could barely hear the music. Normally that would annoy me, but somehow, I was glad she was there. She was just out of reach, but close enough for comfort. As we sat in the noise of our respective activities, I turned my music off and leaned my head against the wall of the shower, staring up at the spout above me. “Juri?”

            “Yeah?”

            “I… I love you. And I want you to stay. But I don’t know how to make you stay with me, I’m too afraid.”

            There was a rustling and Juri’s shadow grew closer before sitting on the floor next to the tub, still obscured by the curtain. She sighed and spoke, “I’m sorry if I was being pushy last weekend, Cammy. I’m not going anywhere if that makes you feel better.”

            “It’s not fair to you, that I’m such a coward about it,” I sighed. “I understand if you want to find someone more sexually compatible.”

            “That ship’s sailed, Kitten. Crimson, she… She asked me to get back with her last Saturday. She wanted me to stay the night, have a little fun, and maybe get back together for Lauren’s sake. I told her to fuck off and left,” Juri explained in a soft tone. “I usually don’t build relationships, and my only serious relationship was based on a booty call. I like that what we have is based on our feelings for each other and not just how much we like fucking each other, but this is new for me. The only serious girlfriends I ever had were Seo-Ah and Crimson. Seo-Ah was just a shitty old pedophile who liked that I was a vulnerable kid with no family to intervene. Crimson was my best friend, but she broke my heart so bad I thought I could never love anyone else until I fell for you. If things don’t work out with us, which like, I’m not gonna try to keep you down if you wanna go, I’m not doing the whole relationship thing again because I’m fucking shit at it.”

            “I… I wouldn’t call the first one reflective on you being ‘shit at relationships’.”

            “Heh, yeah… I wasn’t much older than Lauren now that I think about it. And she was around my age. I was a kid with nothing, you know? Lost my parents, had to run away from my extended family, I was homeless, couldn’t go to school or train anymore, I was down an eye and people didn’t wanna look at me because it made them uncomfortable. Then this hot woman comes around and gives me a job, then starts treating me like I’m worth a damn, telling me I’m beautiful when nobody’s said that since I lost my eye. She gives me a place to stay, an opportunity to continue my education, food, clothes, the works, and I was just too young and desperate to realize I was just a glorified purse pet. Though I probably didn’t have to kill her, but really, had I not? She probably woulda done the same shit to someone else cause I was getting too old for her,” Juri shrugged and stretched her arms. “Fucking pisses me off to think someone like that could go after my kid, but it don’t make me feel any smarter about it.”

            “I’m sorry that happened to you, Juri.”

            “Don’t be, ain’t your fault…Fuck, there was a point to this conversation, but I lost it,” Juri muttered. “Uh…”

            “I just wish I could make myself have sex with you, but it scares me, I feel like I’m going to like, be lit on fire or something. It’s like I want to, but I’m scared to, and that side always wins out in the end. And I know that people can only take so much of that bullshit before they leave… I don’t want you to go.” I hugged my knees tightly, trying to keep my voice steady even though I couldn’t stop myself from crying at the thought. “It’s frustrating and I’m scared. Why can’t I just be normal about this?”

            There was a silence between us, only the sound of the shower lingering in the air before Juri spoke again. “I’m not going to leave you, Cammy. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, cause frankly that just sucks for both of us then.”

            “It’s never really mattered what I wanted growing up. I wasn’t brought up to question things, say no, or make my feelings on the matter anyone else’s problem. In Shadaloo, you shut up, repress those inconvenient feelings, and keep going until you break. Any thoughts or feelings contrary to the doctrine, or to what we were told we were supposed to feel, were dangerous to express.”

            “You ain’t stuck there anymore, Kitten,” Juri said softly. “I care about how you feel and what you want. Right now, I just wanna talk like we are now. I just want transparency, to know where we stand on things.”

            “Ok… I can do that.”

            “Baby, be honest, did something happen to you back there?”

            “No! God, no, why would you ask that?”

            “Chill the fuck out, I’m just worried about you.”

            “Well, I’m FINE.”

            Juri sighed, “Ok. Well, I gotta finish getting ready. I gotta get Lauren’s paperwork for the tournament finished up today. God, what a drag, you’d think they were a hospital or some shit with all the questions they’re asking.”

            “Ok, I’ll uh… I’ll be in here,” I replied, hugging my knees tighter to try feel smaller, easier to hide, but it did little to fix the fact that the only thing between us was the curtain. Though frankly, I felt as though she had ripped the curtain back and exposed me. How long before my skin is peeled back too?

…………………………………………………………………

            After my shower, I didn’t feel any more ready to take on the day. I just wanted to collapse back into bed and be alone for a while longer instead of facing Juri for another taxing conversation.  I wandered into the kitchen to make myself a snack and cup of tea, hoping it would make me feel better, but the day had different plans. My phone started ringing off the hook. It was from Chun-Li, so I answered.

            “Hello?”

            “Cammy, thank you so much for answering, I need your help!”

            “What happened?” I blinked, a bit surprised at the outburst.

            “Li-Fen is missing, I can’t find her. I’m going to search for her, I need some help, can you please look for her too?”

            “Absolutely, I can do that.”

            “I’m going to search the south side of the city, you search the north.”

            “Roger. Leaving the flat now,” I replied and grabbed my jacket and wallet before heading for the door. Juri glanced up from her paperwork she was filling out for Lauren.

            “What’s up, babe?”

            “Li-Fen went missing, I’m going to help Chun-Li look for her,” I replied.

            Juri grimaced, setting her pen down and standing in a swift motion. She sighed and cracked her back before heading out the door with me, “Well, I’ll see if any of my contacts have seen the girl.”

            “You want to help?”

            “Don’t get it twisted, Kitten, I don’t like Chun-Li, she’s nosey and self righteous, always in my fuckin’ business, we ain’t friends. But I also know if Lauren went missing, she’d look for her… So, I’m gonna return the favor,” Juri said darkly. “Whether she’s my girl’s girl, or Chun-Li’s kid, don’t really matter. The world ain’t fucking nice to lost little girls and I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

            “A moral compass looks great on you,” I joked before shaking my head and squeezing Juri’s hand. “Thank you. I’ll add you to a group chat with Chun-Li so we can keep each other updated.”

            “What? No, no, don’t you give her my number!”

            I was already texting the two of them to inform Chun-Li of this newest development, and before Juri could tackle the phone from my hands, I hit send, damning her to the apparently terrible fate of… getting texted by my friend. The way Juri hung her head and cursed in Korean would make a passerby think she got dumped.

            “You fucking owe me for this…”

            I shook my head in annoyance and took off, leaving my girlfriend to sulk and investigate in her own way. I wasn’t about to question Juri’s methods when Li-Fen’s safety was on the line… So long as she didn’t kill anyone, I could accept whatever happened. As I took to the streets, my heart pounded in my chest harder than before. This was so sudden, all I could do was plan to find Li-Fen and extract her from whatever situation she got herself in safely. This was an important mission and I needed to go through every scenario to be successful, regardless of how it made my chest hurt to think of her in danger.

…………………….

            As I searched for Li-Fen, in the north near the docks, I was nearly hit by some dumb ass teenagers in the most gawdy van I’ve ever laid eyes on. It was bright orange and pink with a million bumper stickers all over and some surfboards haphazardly strapped to the top. The van skidded to a stop near an ally and two teenagers hopped out of the back in matching long coats with some of the most poorly embroidered kanji I’ve seen in my life. One was blonde with a million Hello Kitty barrettes and the other was a redhead with short hair, but I couldn’t tell much else at a distance. The redhead slung a black duffle bag over her shoulder and walked into the alleyway with the confidence of a feral cat who stole someone’s lunch. I crept closer to make sure they weren’t about to get themselves into any danger, watching quietly from the shadows. It was second nature for me to slink around and hide, to strike when nobody expected it… I was raised in the shadows and learned to hide young.

I shook the thought from my head and watched as the girls approached a man in the alley. He was unassuming, just a normal looking middle aged man in business casual wear with a brown buzz cut and freckles.

“You got the money?” the redhead asked in a thick southern accent. Wait… I’ve heard that voice again. I crept closer to get a better look and nearly gasped in shock. This punk ass thug selling… Something? A large of something, in an alleyway, in some cringeworthy approximation of gang paraphernalia, was Lauren. The man handed Lauren a large stack of cash in exchange for multiple thermoses. Lauren and the other girl split it before parting ways, giggling amongst themselves as if they were going about normal teen girl activities. Could Lauren have sucked Li-Fen into something dangerous? And when did she become a hooligan? Juri was such a hardass with her, I couldn’t imagine even she would approve. I bit my lip and began tailing the girls, hoping they would lead me to some clues about Li-Fen’s whereabouts.

As the morning went on, the girls went from place to place, selling their thermoses, laughing obnoxiously, and blarring their music… Oh bugger I sound old complaining about these damn kids. But it was shady! And they could be connected to a missing person.

I finally had an opportunity to approach them when Lauren, her blonde Asian friend, and her Indian friend with big orange glasses were standing around a claw machine, blowing their earnings on trying to win plushies.

“Lauren, I need to talk to you.”

Lauren snapped her attention away from her friends and snarled at me, “Oh fucking hell, what do you want?”

“What are doing? Do your mothers know about this?”

“What do you care, homewrecker?”

“…Pardon?”

“Get out of my business, you already fucked up my family!”

“What are on about? Lauren, I don’t have time for this, have you seen Li-Fen?”

“No, we broke up!” Lauren shouted and jammed her hands in her pockets with a growl. “Leave me alone! Let’s go.”

“Is that your eomma’s new girlfriend?”

“Shut up, Himari!”

“Oh shit, wasn’t she like a cop or something?”

“I dunno, like in England or something, she can’t do shit to you, Niki, it’s not like she got anything on us,” Lauren muttered as the girls walked back to their car. I watched them, stunned a bit by that random outburst. Last I had interacted with Lauren, about two weeks ago, we seemed to be on good terms. I guess not? Either way, the break up was worth bringing up.

Me: I found Lauren playing thug with her friends. She informed me that she and Li-Fen broke up.

Chun-Li: I know, they broke up last week.

Li-Fen has been devastated.

Juri: Why’d they break up?

Chun-Li: Something about liking someone else’s Instagram? It’s stupid.

Juri: Who dumped who?

Chun-Li: Lauren broke up with Li-Fen.

Me: Do you think the breakup could be related to Li-Fen’s disappearance?

Chun-Li: I don’t see why it would be, up until today she’s been sulking in her room.

Juri: Lauren won’t pick up the fucking phone

I’m gonna kick her ass if she keeps that shit up.

Me: We need to have a talk about Lauren.

Juri: This ain’t the time, Kitten

Chun-Li: It can wait. This is urgent!

Me: Why is your daughter calling me a homewrecker?

Juri: Fucked if I know, Babe :/

Want me to kick her ass over it?

Me: No. Tailing the kids.

I have a feeling Lauren knows more than she’s fessing up.

Juri: Of course she does, she’s mine and Crimson’s, she’s shady AF.

Chun-Li: She was such a nice girl when they were dating : (

Juri: I’d talk to your girl about her taste in women or she might turn out like Cammy ;P

Chun-Li: Li-Fen’s taste isn’t quite that bad yet.

            Just as I was about to turn off my phone for a bit, George came in clutch with Li-Fen’s phone’s location.

George: Found her phone. Here’s her coordinates. Don’t talk to me again unless someone’s dead, I’m at a con.

Me: Thank you, George, enjoy your convention and remember to stay hydrated.

George: I think she’s hiding in the subway for some reason.

She has run away to commune with the rats .-.

Me: This could be serious, George…

George: But it won’t be.

Lita did this shit all the time as a teenager.

Tomie will be like Lita on steroids so get ready

Me: Better to be like Lita than to be like Jianyu…

That baby is doomed.

            I can’t believe Lita and Jianyu named that poor kid fucking Tomie. She’s going to be mocked relentlessly when she grows up I swear my sisters can be such bloody idiots sometimes. I breathed in deeply through my nostrils at the thought then sent Chun-Li and Juri an update on Li-Fen’s cell phone’s location, then I made my way towards the coordinates.

            The further I got towards the locations, the deeper into the darkest parts of the city I had wandered. I was undoubtedly in the heart of Mad Gear territory, the gang’s tags covering buildings, their members loitering around, harassing people, being menaces. I breathed in sharply through my nostrils, the awful smell of a burning tire filling my nose. It was familiar, like the smell of war, but with less of that distinctive, rotting smell of the dead left to steam in the humid heat of Nayshalli summer scent… The decay was unbearable, millions of bugs swarming the bodies to lay their spawn in the mushy remains, maggots crawling from their eyes, writhing about in their bodies further desecrated by nature itself… I longed for the smell of burning rubber and gasoline instead, even Fevrier and Satsuki’s cigarettes. Anything was better than that. I was grateful for the smell of burning rubber over blood.

            I did my best to be inconspicuous as I made my way towards my destination. Espionage, blending in… Those have never been my specialty. I can hide to an extent, but when someone looks me in the eye, I can’t hide. No matter how hard I try to sew myself shut, my innards spill out and people can see through me. Just like he could. The missions that go the easiest are the ones with no talking. Run, fight, retrieve what’s needed, and return. Sometimes words are completely unnecessary. Leave the negotiating and charm to Enero and Santamu, leave me at the base, I don’t want to look them in the eye.

            But then, there was a dead end…

            A dead end with nowhere to go, and yet somehow, Li-Fen was beyond it. There was NO OTHER WAY. I scrunched my face up, puzzled by the predicament. Surely her phone wasn’t IN THE WALL. Or was it? My eyes lingered upon some lewd graffiti of faceless women, the pictures cut off at the neck, or her gaze averted, perhaps because the painting next to her was of the mayor sucking the gang leader’s cock and giving a thumbs up, Ew. But those eyes felt off. Like they were staring back at me. I poked them with my fingers and was met with a button in the wall. It began to open up like a previously sealed tomb, revealing a dark staircase. Loud music could be heard from below and the deeper I descended the staircase, the more the darkness was overtaken with strobe lights and flashing colorful laser like lights. The door closed behind me and I was in the lion’s den. Step softly.

            Deep in the bowls of the city was this large underground club where the gangs partied, invading tunnels meant for maintenance to render them unusable. I followed the signal, until there was Li-Fen’s phone, haphazardly thrown to the ground of the dance floor. Just as I crouched down to pick it up, a familiar voice rang out.

            “Oi, we had a deal, fuckface, pay up!”

            I popped up to look around. Lauren was yelling someone easily three times her size, who shoved her back into another thug, who grabbed her from under her arms. She flailed and stomped on their feet, attempting to break free, but her flailing stopped when the gangster pulled Li-Fen into the scene, her hands tied behind her back. She seemed otherwise unharmed, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.

            “Motherfucker!” Lauren screamed. “What are you doing let her go! I’m gonna fucking kill you and make a maraca out of your goddamn teeth you fucking sorry cock sucking pussy ass beta bitch!”

In a flash, it all escalated. I flew across the room in a spiral arrow, my feet colliding with the bastard’s chest full force to knock Li-Fen free. She tumbled to the ground and Lauren broke free, running to her defense when someone else attempted to pick her up. And so the fight began. Strike after strike I took on the thugs, Lauren’s glasses doning from cutting Li-Fen free. And the kids joined the fight, albeit, sloppily. Lauren and Li-Fen fighting side by side, their kicks unrefined, and yet showing promise of a future as great martial artists, Niki attacking with a knife, Himari picking up a table and smashing some poor bastard’s head with it. In an odd way, it reminded me of my sisters… but all that mattered was the mission, get those kids out of there alive. I beat every man and woman who challenged me, throwing them about until a path was cleared. Footsteps pounded against the stairs and I was prepared to fight the newcomers, but to my relief it was Juri and Chun-Li.

            With backup there, we laid waste to the club full of Mad Gear thugs, leaving not a single one conscious. The battle felt long, and yet it lasted barely five minutes after they arrived. By the end, Li-Fen slipped when kicking one of her kidnappers in the face, falling into Lauren’s arms. Their eyes met and they both burst into tears, hugging each other tightly.

            “I’m sorry,” Lauren whispered. “I’ve been an asshole.”

            “I love you, you fucking bitch!” Li-Fen screamed and pounded her fists against Lauren’s back futilely a few times before looking back up at her. “Why?”

            “I… What’s the point? You’re just gonna replace me eventually. My mom’s one of the prettiest women I know, gots a good job, money, and she still got the shaft,” Lauren said, looking away from Li-Fen, who grabbed her face and kissed her. They pulled away and stared at each other as if in a daze. “Uh… Yeah, good point.”

            “You’re an idiot. I just want you, you big dummy. I want my Lauren… I want my bad girl who’s not so bad after all,” Li-Fen said softly. “I want my best friend.”

            “I… I want to be with you too. Just don’t go,” Lauren whispered and held Li-Fen tightly to her, squeezing her eyes shut.

            Juri and Chun-Li finally caught their breath and ran over to their daughters, pulling them apart and checking them for any injuries. Lauren’s friends had escaped but left the mysterious duffle bag behind. I investigated it and…

            “Uh, Lauren… What is this?”

            “Uh…” Lauren scrunched up, almost hiding behind Juri. “I’m invoking my right to an attorney.”

            “Like hell you are, what the fuck is it, Lauren?!” Juri shouted.

            “It’s raw goat milk! I know it’s illegal but people pay a fortune for that shit, especially crunchy religious people, hippies, libertarians, and the guy who’s face you just caved in! I was hustling it after you left, but then I met Li-Fen and… Well. She changed me,” Lauren explained with a blush. “But then we broke up so I got back into the game with my friends. Niki’s got the hookup with this chick down in Mexico with massive purple goats that pump this shit out like crazy. Himari’s really good at those skill tester machines, and Santamu gives us our supply for free so long as we can win her some of the more rare plushies-“

            “Santamu is your supplier? And the goats are purple?” I questioned, pinching the bridge of my nose in exhaustion. “Santamu Kebede? She has a monkey on her shoulder?”

            “Yeah, how’d you know? Oh god, did she get arrested, am I going to prison?!”

            “No, Lauren… This is the lamest crime I’ve ever heard of, and Cammy and Chun-Li have bigger problems than your lame ass side gig… How much money are you making?”

            “We’re one of the only suppliers in the city so…. Twenty bucks a gallon.”

            “Huh… Ok, that’s actually pretty solid,” Juri conceded. “Maybe you’re not a total poser after all.”

            “Nah, I’m leaving my life of crime behind. I gotta clean up for my lady,” Lauren said dramatically. I’d hardly call selling weird, purple, bacteria infested goat juice a life of crime but…

            “Awww,” Li-Fen squealed.

            “No, you’re cutting this shit out because I fucking say so, your candy ass is going to college, you’re gonna be a doctor or a lawyer, and if you ever pull this shit again I’m gonna kick your ass so hard you’ll wish you were in prison,” Juri chastised, whacking Lauren on the back of the head. “What the actual fuck, Lauren, are you stupid? Are you fucking stupid?!”

            “Eomma, don’t yell at me in front of my girlfriend!”

            “No, you clearly don’t get how good you fucking got it so lemme spell this shit out for ya. There ain’t no excuse for you to be playing thug with your punk ass friends, you think you’re tough? You think you’re hot shit? You ain’t shit, Lauren! You’re a rich kid from the deep south, with endless opportunities, two parents who love you and are ALIVE-“

            “Well clearly not enough to stick it out like everyone else’s parents! If you loved me, you’d come back and stop tearing our family apart!” Lauren shouted.

            “Lauren. Get the fuck over it. People break up. You think you’re the only kid who’s mommies broke up? Get real,” Juri spat. “Do you really think that acting like a total shithead is going to make us get back together?”

            “…well…”

            Juri took a deep breath and grew silent for a moment, her face scrunching up as if she had licked a lemon. It was that face she made when she was too pissed off to think but couldn’t kick her way out of the problem.

            I sighed and walked over, “Lauren. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear this from, but I understand.” She looked over at me, about to argue, but she frowned and kicked some dust up on the floor.

            “What, did your parents get divorced too?”

            “No, but when I was your age, my entire family dynamic changed forever. I was separated from the only family I ever had, my sisters, and I had to learn how to live with that. Even though I had new people in my life who loved me, it was lonely… And when I finally was reunited with my sisters, I realized things would never be the same again. We couldn’t go back to the way things used to be. And even though they weren’t good… I missed that security. I missed the way we were. But it was toxic, and things had to change for us to have good lives. It didn’t mean we couldn’t have lives together, or that we didn’t love each other anymore, but our family changed regardless,” I explained, surprised when Lauren looked up at me. We met eye to eye, and I couldn’t hold my anger towards her. “Change is scary. Having your family change is difficult and alarming, but sometimes it really is for the best. Your mums love you more than anything, Lauren, but they would be failing you if they stayed miserable together. Regardless of if Juri stays with me, she will be a better mum to you, and so will Crimson, if they remain separated but civil. It’s ok to be angry, or sad, or to feel whatever feelings you have about it, but you must learn to accept this because change is inevitable. And I know your mums want to do right by you. So, talk to them and trust them, ok?”

            “I’m… sorry about your sisters,” Lauren said softly.

            “It’s alright… I don’t expect you to be happy about this, or even to like me, but please, Lauren, stop this. We don’t want you to do something you’ll regret,” I said softly.

            “Besides,” Juri said, “if I was another shithead kid and your cellmate, and I found out you got busted for selling fucking dairy, you’d absolutely be my bitch.”

-           Chun-Li sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Juri…”

            “I’m just giving her a reality check! If you’re gonna go to prison, you better have a rep for being a dangerous motherfucker or assert dominance quickly, or it’s gonna go tits up fast. Lauren would need to cozy up to some beefy bitch not to get her ass kicked with this pussy ass shit, it’s fucking shitty goat tit juice! Like if you’re gonna break the law, at least sell some heroin too, have some goddamn self-respect.”

            “Juri,” I warned.

            “I’m just giving her a reality check, Kitten.”

            Lauren huffed, “Well that’s easy for you to say, Eomma, but I don’t live in fucking Ohio, where would I even get heroin? My supplier is just some crunchy ex cultist with weird pets, she doesn’t have the good shit.”

            “Santamu actually has prescription opioids on her most of the time to manager her pain… But that’s not the point…” I trailed off.

            “Are you going to handle this with your sister?” Chun-Li asked quietly. I sighed and nodded, as if it was even a question. I knew she could be bribed to do questionable things for plushies, but I suppose it was good luck that this was minimally dangerous for everyone. Mostly harmless. Mostly. I was simply happy that the issue was resolved and that everyone was safe.

…………………………………

            We just went back to the flat after the fiasco. I didn’t bother writing a report, at least, not that night. I was too exhausted. Lauren joined Juri and I so that she could be watched until Crimson came back into town from her business trip. Supposedly Lauren was supposed to be staying at youth group camp out function, or something along those lines? Either way she escaped to get on her shenanigans. I assumed it would be the most acceptable for Lauren to remain with Juri given the situation, and just hoped that Crimson would be reasonable about it. I mean, she ought to be, it’s her damn kid causing such a fuss; I’m being a responsible adult and making sure that Lauren stays with one of her mothers even if it is in my flat for the night. We can’t just leave her at her house alone. That would be far worse and I think even Crimson would agree if she was willing to quit being a twat for five minutes.

            Lauren was wandering around in a pair of pajamas that she was borrowing from Juri, looking a bit like a drenched rat after her shower, hair plastered against her head as she stared into the fridge. Huh, I guess she really does have massive ears that make her look like a rat baby, well played, Juri… I’m going to hell for thinking that, surely... Decapre was hunched over at the table with a huge tin of colored pencils, painstakingly hand drawing the illustrations for her new book she had been working on while couch surfing. That left just Juri and I on the couch with the cats. I was putting in our doordash order when I realized I hadn’t seen Cookie since I got home.

            “Decapre, have you seen Cookie?”

            “Hm? Oh, yeah, she’s chilling in her box, giving birth, I think there’s a couple kittens if you want to go see,” Decapre said in a casual tone.

            “What?! Why didn’t you TELL me? Have you even checked?!” I sprung to my feet and ran to my room to check on the cat; I could throttle my stupid, lazy cunt of a sister later. Low and behold Cookie was two out of four kittens into the ordeal and I just couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I sat on the floor next to Cookie’s box and pet her ears to comfort her, trying to fight back tears. The stress… It was just too much. And I felt awful for my sweet kitty. The two kittens seemed healthy, curled up against Cookie as their sleeping forms rose and fell with every breath. That was a relief at least.

            “Bee, would you please calm down? Cats have been doing this by themselves for centuries and I’ve been checking on her. Would you want someone staring right at your hooha when it objectively looks the worst it’s ever going to look?” Decapre asked, standing in the doorway.  “I wouldn’t even let Aprile if I could still kick her in the face.”

            “Why did you not tell me this was happening? Why did you just leave her alone, don’t you think she’s scared?” I asked, half torn between wanting to snuggle with my cat and wanting to hit my sister.

            “Maybe?” Decapre shrugged. “I wouldn’t find any comfort in some strange woman hovering over me if it were me. I would want to be alone, wouldn’t you?”

            “Well, I sure as shit wouldn’t ask you to be there after this, that’s for bloody certain.”

            “You are way too emotional about this…”

            “I’m too emotional about the welfare of my pet, are you fucking serious right now?!”

            “Your pet is alright! I’ve been checking intermittently and she’s doing fine, Bee! It’s ridiculous to just sit and stare at a cat giving birth, crying at it like that’s going to help, you’re probably just stressing her out, you’re stressing me out and I’m not even in labor!”

            “Oh shit, are you knocked up to?” Juri asked as she fumbled into the room.

            “Obviously not, Juri,” Decapre rolled her eyes. “I’d probably be in the hospital if I was, I have a plethora of health issues that would be complicated. I’m talking hypotheticals.”

            “Ew, birth is gross across the board I guess,” Juri said with a wince before sitting down next to me, rubbing my back gently. “Are you ok, you look really upset?”

            “I just feel bad that I wasn’t there for her when this all started, I’m mad at Decapre for not staying with her, I’m worried, Cookie’s young, isn’t she scared? I’m scared for her, this is just awful, I don’t even want to imagine what she’s going through right now, it makes me want to cry to even consider it,” I explained, curling up into myself to try to soothe myself. Decapre took the hint and retreated to the living room while Juri and I sat on the floor together in silence for a bit. She kept her arm around me, but said nothing. I was grateful that, nestling up to my girlfriend and closing my eyes in the hopes that the stress would dissipate. It didn’t.

            “Cammy… Is this really about the cat?”

            “Somewhat,” I answered honestly. “I am worried about her. But I’m also just so stressed… I haven’t slept well lately. It’s probably for the best. Insomnia is an alternative to nightmares. Maybe not a good one, but an alternative nonetheless.”

            “Do you wanna talk about it?”

            “Do we really need another heavy conversation today? It hurts, Juri, it just bloody hurts, digging up all these feelings and pain. Some things just deserve to stay buried. Some thoughts are meant to stay private.”

            Juri was quiet for a minute before speaking, squeezing me tight, “You don’t gotta say anything but… I wanna know what’s going on in your head, Kitten.”

            “Bad timing on the nickname…”

            “Babe. I. Am. TRYING.” Juri breathed in harshly. “Cammy, listen, I… I loved Crimson so much I was willing to marry her, had she let me, I would’ve. And I never told her about Seo-ah, like, beyond her being my boss I overthrew… I told you. I’ve never told anyone else. I’m not fucking good at this stupid vulnerability bullshit, but I’m trying for you, because damn it I want to be with you, I want to be a better woman for you, but I can’t be the only one spilling my fucking guts about the shit I’m going through, been through and-“ 

            “Why do you have to taunt me, make me say the obvious?!” I snapped, tears rolling down my cheeks, but whether or not from anger or sadness I couldn’t decipher. “I was born in a cult devoted to the literal worship of our lord as a god. The man who created me wasn’t my father to me, he was god, and when Bison first spoke to me when I was six years old, I cried because I was so honored that he knew my name. I was raised in an insular group of thirteen girls hand picked by Bison to be his most trusted assassins and some of the closest people in his inner circle. I didn’t see the sky and sun until I was eight years old. I was raised partially by Vega, a man so creepy even you pointed it out-“

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “You flirt with everyone, so if he’s creeping you out obviously he’s off. And clearly so, he groomed and abducted my mother, which makes so many things make more sense in hindsight,” I sighed and rested my head against Juri’s shoulder. “Of course shit happened. I was the poster girl for the scantily clad, underage assassin girls, do you really think any of us got out unscathed? Un-fucking-likely… I wish I could forget again. The things they did to me, my sisters, the constant violence, the war. Amnesia doesn’t make the pain disappear, but it’s sharper when you remember the details. It’s the difference between a bruise and a knife in your gut.”

            “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have dug all that up…”

            “I suppose… I suppose I should’ve told you earlier. I’m sorry.”

            Juri shook her head, “I was being a bitch. I’m sorry I pried that out of you. I just… I wanted to know what was wrong, I want to fix it.”

            “You can’t fix it, Juri. You can’t fix me. Some things just never get better, never stop hurting, they can’t be fixed, they just scar over so you can stay alive,” I explained. “You know this.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I do…” Juri trailed off, squeezing me tighter. “I was sixteen when it happened to me.”

            “Fourteen, though I saw a lot of abuse happening to my older sisters before then. Still, I didn’t have the slightest idea what was happening, I suppose I was a bit stupid… My older sisters, Decapre especially, tried to protect me. My luck just ran out. When you’re in a cult, you can’t say no, you just do what you’re told because that’s the only way to survive. I was extremely uneducated, I didn’t really have language to describe what was going on even if someone could have helped us. But it was just a part of life after a while, like all the other violence. I’d spent my entire life witnessing and experiencing severe abuse. I’ve been beaten, starved, isolated for days, psychologically tortured, I’ve had unnecessary medical procedures including but not limited to sterilization done to me, I was born solely to serve as a replacement body for Bison. Being raped was… Probably the worst thing anyone ever did to me, but also, just kinda reinforced the constant theme in my life growing up that my body does not belong to me, my feelings do not matter, and that suffering is the highest form of holiness. As fucked up as it is, it was just another indignity to add to the pile. I think the worst, but inevitable. Why would they stop sometime before? I was never treated like a person when I was in Shadaloo. I was a weapon, a spare body, a warm body, and that’s it. The only people who treated me like the child I was was my sisters, AS-Q, and Dr. Foster, but they were also victims of the cult who ultimately couldn’t protect me. The only people who could have I was trained from birth to be terrified of. I thought it the pain was that bad at home… What outsiders would do to me would be unfathomable. Then I went to war and my first real experience with the outside world was so horrific. I was seeing just the worst of humanity every single day, and with every psychotic general I took down, I felt more assured that my lord was the only truly good one,” I explained. “My biggest regret is letting Decapre take so much abuse for me when we were kids. I wasn’t taught to think for myself, or question orders, so when my big sister would tell me to hide and be quiet, I did it. I didn’t question it, I trusted her. But looking back, even though I know she did this all to protect me, that she so hard to keep me safe, I wish I had disobeyed her and protected her too. I think I was a bad sister for not.”

            “I think Decapre would be more mad if you’d gotten in the way… Look, your sister annoys the ever living shit out of me sometimes, like she has been interrupting my designated time to sit on the couch naked and play Animal Crossing, and she always interrupts my watching K-dramas on the toilet time, and she eats my fucking Cheetos when I told her to go get her own and- That’s not the point. The point is, I know without a doubt, Decapre loves you to pieces, and I don’t think she regrets trying to keep you safe. There’s no… There’s no fucking good solution, and neither one of you ever should have been in that position. No kid deserves that. You’re not a bad sister, you and Decapre were being abused and that’s entirely on the literally evil adults in your life.”

            “Thank you… Though I still don’t understand why you have to have the bathroom to yourself for an entire hour.”

            “Toilet time is sacred, Cammy,” Juri said pointedly. “Where else will I catch up on my shows?”

            “… In the living room?”

            “I can’t take a dump in the living room, now can I? That’s not the point though…” Juri trailed off. I loved her, but even I was getting sick of her hogging the bathroom. Honestly, if Decapre wanted to kick her out like she’d kick out Fevi and Satsuki whenever they’d go hide in the porta loos to smoke I wouldn’t be against it. SHIT AND LEAVE. “The point is, like, you’ve been here for me, I’m here for you back and stuff…”

            “Thank you, Juri…” I dried a few stray tears on my sleeve then leaned over to give her a quick kiss. I rested against my lover and pet Cookie’s ears as the last of the kittens were delivered. She purred and groomed her four little kittens diligently. Maybe it was her sweet nature, or maybe instinct, but I felt proud of her for being a good mummy. She was still quite young, so I wasn’t entirely sure she would know what to do, but I suppose cats have more sense than people once again.

            “Hey uh, the door dash guy is here,” Lauren said, poking her head into the room. “Ooooh kittens! Can I see them?”

            “I’ll pay the driver,” Juri pat me on the back and hopped up off the floor, stumbling to the front door. I looked up at Lauren and nodded, patting the spot next to me where Juri had once sat. She scampered over and plopped down on the floor, quietly peering into the box to watch Cookie and her kittens with me. A small smile spread on her cheeks.

            “I’ve never seen kittens that little before.”

            “They were born today… That one a couple of minutes ago, actually,” I pointed to one with white and gray fur. Lauren offered her hand to Cookie, who sniffed her before determining that she was harmless and allowing her to pet her and the kittens. The little white kitten nuzzled up against Lauren’s hand, as if to choose her.

            “So fucking cool…” Lauren whispered.

            “I think that one likes you.”

            “You think?”

            “Mhm… Cats choose you, it’s not the other way around,” I explained. “My dad had a cat. His name was Sarge. Sargeant Fuzzy Pants of the Royal Marines, the meanest bastard the British armed forces ever had.” I chuckled a little at the memory of the mustached donning cat, a grumpy prick who’d sooner bitch about his dinner being late than care about you being murdered by an intruder. “Dad rescued him against his will, and Sarge never forgave him for it. Sarge was mean to everyone in the house, but then George had the great idea to bring him to the hospital where I was recovering. He dumped Sarge out of his crate onto my lap while I was still breathing and eating through tubes and could barely move. Lita started yelling at him that I was injured enough, that George was being so careless! But Sarge just curled up on my chest and began to purr. He groomed my hair and stayed right there by my side, purring and making biscuits until he was physically removed by Dad and a nurse the next morning. Sarge never liked anyone else, but he chose me. I was his human. My first cat, Muffins, chose Juni. And another cat I rescued named Rosie chose my dad. He was over the moon that one of the cats finally liked him; I think he was happier adopting the cat than he was adopting me.” Not really, but… Maybe a little bit. “Aldous loves your mum, I think it’s because they match.”

            “Which cat is Aldous?”

            “The black cat with one eye. He’s a sensitive little man, he just loves to snuggle with Juri all day if she’ll let him.”

            “Do you think a cat would ever want me?”

            “I think that one already does.”

            “Really?” Lauren asked in awe.

            I pat her shoulder, “How about this: if it is alright with your mothers, especially Agent Viper since you live with her, then once that kitten has been weened you may keep them.”

            “You’d really let me have them?”

            “Of course, who am I to separate a cat from their human? Besides… Juri said our limit is four cats, and I think she might only allow five, but certainly not eight…”

            Lauren giggled, “Just give her the sad rat face, it works every time.”

            “Maybe for you, but I’m too old for that to work,” I chuckled. Lauren seemed amused by that, gently petting the kitten a while longer.

            “Hey, Cammy?”

            “Mhm?”

            “I’m sorry for blaming you for my moms breaking up… Mom said Eomma always liked you and that’s why they stayed broken up. It made me mad. I just wanted my family back… But you’re not too bad for a redcoat, ya know?” she said with a joking smile. “But in all seriousness… I’ve been thinking about what you said and Eomma seems a lot happier. I just wish Mom was happy too. I think she regrets breaking up with Eomma and wants her back. And I miss us all living together… But I’m glad to have Eomma back in my life and we’ve been having a lot of fun training together. She and Mom don’t scream at each other and break shit whenever a job goes all tits up anymore. One time, Eomma was so mad at Mom for inviting Chun-Li over for dinner, she set the car on fire. It was a shared car so all she really did was force her and Mom to have to carpool everywhere while they were fighting, and it was really stupid. Also, one time, Mom told Eomma her parents would be fucking disgusted with her, and she just stopped talking to all of us for like a week. Like she just flat out ignored everyone and sat on the couch in her pajamas staring at the tv. But like, nothing was on. It was depressing actually, like she wouldn’t even look at me, and I didn’t do anything, I just live there, ya know? Looking back… My moms never had their fucking shit together. They just pretended to because they loved each other and me. I guess I just thought that’s what you did as adults.”

            “That sounds troubling…”

            “I don’t wanna be that way with Li-Fen. When we get married and have kids, I’m not gonna burn the car, I’m going to sell it instead. That way we are forced to talk it out on the way to work but also get money out of. Or maybe I’ll burn it, but make it look like an accident so we can get insurance money, and then I’ll buy her a nice present so she’ll let me sleep in the bed again. We’re gonna be better than my moms. And I won’t even hold her following Jianyu and Xiayu on Instagram against her anymore because by the time we’re legal, they’ll be too old to do it anymore, so I won’t have to worry about her ever cheating on me with them.”

            “I… That’s good to hear, Lauren…” That’s not how it works…  And we’re not that fucking old. “But I think Li-Fen loves you very much. And also, the twins are old enough, one of them could be her mother technically. Also, Jianyu is married and just had a baby. And Xiayu is dating someone. I don’t think you have any reason to worry. They’re two of my sisters, I trust them not to cradle rob.”

            “Wait how?”

            “Adoption.”

            “Ah.” Lauren nodded in understanding. “Either way, I’m gonna be the best fucking girlfriend, I’m gonna get ripped and pick her up because chicks love that!”

            “Good idea, Lauren, you work on being the best version of yourself…” What is this conversation?  Is this what having kids is like?  I didn’t know how to respond to all the dribble but Lauren gave my arm a quick hug before getting up to go get her food from Juri, who was calling us for dinner. I didn’t want kids but… I can be a safe adult for Lauren. I owe it to her and to Juri. As I pet Cookie one last time, I felt a small sense of relief… The day was finally over. And I could finally just relax with the people I cared about.

Chapter Text

Juri POV

“Juri, come on, put a fucking tampon in it and let’s go, we paid too much for you to pull this bullshit!” 

I stayed hunched up in the bathroom upstairs, trying to convince my mom I was far too unwell to compete, but you know how moms are: they don’t have none of that shit. 

“I feel really bad, Mom!” 

“Well you can come feel really bad at the match, hurry up, we’re going, don’t make me come in there.” 

With my mom, that wasn’t an idol threat. Had I been on the toilet, she would literally drag me off if I was taking too long. That’s just the kinda lady Eomma Han was, ya know? Fucking unhinged and taking no shit from me. I exited the bathroom quickly and grumbled my way down to the car, slinging my taekwondo bag over my shoulder. I had been trying really hard to avoid having to go to the tournament, but it was all for naught.  Mom was gonna whoop me on the mat herself if she had to. 

“Took you long enough.” 

I said nothing, because it was better than getting in a screaming match. I just curled up into the backseat of the car with my sack of rice heating pad and really played up how much pain I was in, hoping my dad would have some mercy on me. Mom just rolled her eyes and set her purse down beside her. 

“Juri, for fucks sake, it’s not the bad and you know it. You’re fifteen years old, this is pathetic. You can’t avoid your cousins forever and acting like you’re in that much pain might work on your father, but it sure as shit won’t work on me.” 

“It’s not my cousins I’m scared of dealing with… and the cramps are bad, you’re just not listening.”

“They’re always bad, you take some midol and move on,” Mom said matter of factly. “What are you so worried about?” 

“Grandma.” 

“Juri.” 

“I don’t want her to fucking scream at me again, and go sticking her nose in my goddamn business-“

“You watch your fucking language, young lady, I didn’t raise a classless skank who talks like that, shit!” Mom snapped. 

“Well maybe if you didn’t cuss every other word I wouldn’t too, fucking listen to yourself!”

“Juri, you are on thin fucking ice!” 

“Would you two cut it out?” Dad huffed, finally looking up from his work laptop. “This is ridiculous, I’m sick of mediating for you two. Juri doesn’t have to go if it’s going to be this much of a problem.” 

“You know what, I’m gonna go, and I’m gonna show Grandma and Grandpa that their faggot grandkid is their best one, I’m gonna kick everyone’s asses, and then they’ll be sorry.”

“That’s the spirit, sweetheart.” 

“Are you really going to allow this attitude?” Mom chastised. 

“Whatever gets her working, sure,” Dad replied as he motioned for the driver to get going. “I really want to see your parents seething myself.” 

“Jihun!”

“They had no right to talk to Juri the way they did and you know it. I won’t apologize for standing up for my daughter, and I want to see those bigots knocked down a few pegs. The fact that you’re still defending our parents and trying to make nice with your family is ridiculous, Miyeong.”

“You wouldn’t understand, you don’t have parents,” Mom spat. Dad narrowed his eyes at her and closed his laptop, adjusting his glasses in angry silence. 

“Better than being their bitch.” 

I tried to pretend I wasn’t sitting in the middle of their shit storm, the stress of needing to kick LITERALLY everyone’s asses starting to weigh on me. I wanted to make my parents proud, of course, but mostly… I wanted to prove my shitty grandparents wrong. I wasn’t a failure, I was BETTER than my shithead cousins, my parents weren’t bad parents, I wasn’t a bad kid, and I would be endlessly successful and reject them as my family every day because they rejected me. 

…….

In reality….

I never went to college. I’m a career criminal, a rich one, but a criminal nonetheless. My relationship with my child’s mother fell apart and I spent a lot of time living out of a suitcase after that.  I spent my grandmother’s funeral getting in fights with my extended family when they refused to let me participate and then I robbed her house to get back at my aunts and uncles.  I fled the scene with a warrant and ran off to Metro City to lick my wounds over the rejection that never healed. 

My cousins are all lawyers and doctors… . 

My grandparents should have loved me, should have protected me and supported me when my parents died. But they were abusive, bigoted assholes. They treated me like they treated my mom, but they had a better excuse. I’m a raging lesbian. I’m rebellious. I lost my eye. A troubled orphan that brought them shame with my new, ugly face. Assholes.  

I caressed my daughter’s hair as she lay curled up against me the morning of the tournament, just like she would when she was small and had a nightmare. Back when she was a real little baby rat, she’d hug her favorite doll and lay her head on my chest while I sang to her.  Usually the Mentos freshmaker commercial jingle and Rainbow Connection because I kinda freeze up when put on the spot to sing something in English.  Lauren and I were in the bed while Cammy slept on the floor with her cat. I tried to tell her it’d be fine, she could just sleep on the other side of me, but she insisted on camping out down there with Cookie anyways.  I guess it will be easier to keep Crimson from flipping her shit that way. 

As I held my daughter close, my dumbass, precious rat baby, it hit me like a ton of bricks. This tournament was ours and it could be a positive memory for her. We could look back on this and smile. So many of my memories of tournaments are marred by my mom being so goddamn critical all the time, never happy with anything, always telling me how I could do better. I can’t claim to not be a hard ass on my kid, but I made the active decision to make that tournament fun. I was gonna tell her she did good even if she fucked up. Taekwondo was our thing, something I never thought I’d truly share with anyone, but my little girl and I, it was ours. I wanted to keep that something worth loving. Something that made her happy.  We could fight over other shit, but I wanted to keep martial arts ours. 

My parents wouldn’t be remotely proud of me, but I think they’d love Lauren. They’d adore her… and I think they’d know I’m trying. I ain’t perfect. But they weren’t either. Maybe the punches of my grandma passed down will have landed so lightly on Lauren, it’ll be nonexistent if she ends up with a crotch goblin of her own one day.  I just keep thinking that. Pass down a softer punch. I think that’s what my mom tried to do.  She didn’t know how to be a mom, at least, not a good one. But she tried. I always knew I was loved even when she could be a total bitch.  I wish I could tell her she was a good mom. She defied the odds, she wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t abuse me like grandma abused her, and I’m a better mom because she broke the cycle.  But I can’t.  The last few days of her life we spent bickering about bullshit. Mothers and daughters always end up at each other’s throats…. But most moms don’t die before you grow out of fighting with her.  I don’t regret standing up for myself, but I wish I had tried to understand where she was coming from. I wish we had been closer.  If there’s something after this, I hope she’ll forgive me for being a brat.  And for dressing with my titties to the wind.  

I checked my phone for new messages and scrolled through a few notifications. Crimson seemed to be taking the situation surprisingly well. Maybe I should have been relieved, but I honestly felt more annoyed by it. Like why can’t you throw a fit over this shit when you actually have an excuse? Maybe she over exerted herself on little shit and ran out of fucks to give about Lauren’s wannabe gangster bullshit. I love my little rat, but she’s a fucking idiot sometimes. She’s real fucking lucky I’m feeling particularly forgiving at the moment. Chalk it up to nostalgia, I guess.  

I yawned and gently shook Lauren, “Wake up, Jwi Agi, we got a tournament.” She grumbled and rolled onto her other side, pulling the blankets up over her head. 

“No…” 

“Get up.” I grabbed her up from under her arms and pulled her out of bed with me, yanking the sheets and blankets off in the process. Lauren whined but rose to her feet, the hood of her pajamas hanging over her face like a sad, sad grim reaper. “Come on, we got early check in and you gotta warm up before you go in the ring. Ya wanna win right?” 

“Yeah but so early,” she mumbled. 

“Don’t stay up texting your girlfriend next time then. Come on. Go get dressed, I’ll make breakfast, ok? Just get changed in the bathroom, yeah, but make it quick, everyone else needs to change and shit, mkay?” 

“Yeah, but at what cost?” Lauren said dramatically as she trudged to the bathroom. I rolled my eyes and just went to get breakfast started. It’d been a lot of trial and error, but I finally was starting to get the hang of cooking. At least simple stuff. Cammy and I made a point to cook dinner together when she got home from work. It was a bit of a learning experience for both of us: I couldn’t cook at all and she couldn’t cook Korean dishes I wanted to make, so we had some spectacular fuck ups in the process. But now I can somewhat make a meal by myself if your standards aren’t too high. I cracked a bunch of eggs into a mixing bowl and began beating them like a red headed stepchild, which might be in poor taste given the circumstances. Eggs went into the first wok with a bunch of garlic, then the rice and kimchi went into the second wok. Fuck yeah, double fisting it. I dumped some spam in with the rice along with some soy sauce and extra hot sauce, by that point it was just me desperately trying to keep both woks mixed. I was feeling rather proud of myself because I had easily prepared enough food for the whole house, and I was gonna dropkick anyone who complained about the food. 

At some point Lauren emerged from the bathroom and the rest of the house was springing to life. She looked so cute in her little dobok, I totally need to go see about getting her belt tested because I don’t even know where she stands right now. She’s learned some pretty advanced shit from me, but at the same time, she’s a sloppy little beginner in a lot of areas. Who knows. I don’t think it’s gonna be important for the tournament, it’s one of those old school street fight tournaments like bitch face mc big chin would throw where the only thing that matters is kicking ass! Honestly, belts don’t really matter in the real world, just who can win. I’ve seen a lot of black belts who ain’t worth shit in a real fight. And I’ve seen some newbies who can scrap with the big dogs. It’s all about landing a good hit. 

“Eat up, Jwi Agi, you’re gonna need it. I’m packing your lunchbox in a minute, do you want the mango body armor, the fruit punch flavor, or both?” 

“Both please.” 

“Gotcha.” I finished dumping the food onto everyone’s plates then started jamming sports drinks and those little meat and cheese protein snacks into a lunch box full of ice “you may need more but I’ll figure it out if you need another drink. Ok, cold towels, sports drinks, protein, sparring gear, phone charger, what am I missing?” 

“Did you remember to grab a first aid kit?” Cammy asked, stumbling into the kitchen all red eyed from lack of sleep. I told her to either bum on the couch with Decapre or sleep next to me, but did she listen? No, she never listens, she’s so stubborn and headstrong ugh. 

Yeah, yeah pot meet kettle or whatever. I think she’s still pissed about the kitten situation. 

“It’s a junior tourney, how bad could it be?” 

“She could still need something, you should pack it just in case,” she insisted, grabbing a stocked kit from her bathroom and setting it at the bottom of the duffle bag I was packing. I didn’t think anything would happen, but I guess it’s a good idea. Lauren was busy stuffing her face while I got her shit together, just like when I’d have to haul her ass to school when she was younger. Guess some shit never changes. I’ve become my own overbearing mother in some ways. Maybe it’d be best to die now: ya know, for my own sanity and it’ll look phenomenal on those college applications. Actually, so long as Crimson stays alive, dying might be the best thing I could do for this kid - if it’s violent her martial arts will get superbly better while she’s off to avenge me, if I die in some tragic accident she gets to write a heartfelt essay on her applications about how she lost her parent, maybe kicking the bucket would be the kick in the ass she needs to get her ass into law school or med school. I’ll keep that idea on the back burner in case Cammy’s mom keeps being a total cunt. 

Just as I contemplating how great Lauren’s life was gonna turn out with a little dash of that deep, indescribable sorrow of having a dead mom, I was pulled from my thoughts by the alarm I set on my phone. “Ah shit. Ok, eat on the way, we gotta go, come on.” I grabbed the bag, the paperwork, and Lauren, who was still trying to wolf down breakfast. “You wanna come with or meet us there, Kitten?” 

“I’m ready to go, I think Decapre is tagging along,” Cammy said as she jammed her wallet and phone into her jacket pockets. “Decapre! You coming?” 

“Yes, Bee, it’s a shady tournament, attendance is mandated by the scriptures,” Decapre replied with an eye roll as she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and jammed her feet into her big, gothy boots covered in chains and tied together with ribbon laces. “I’m coming.” 

“Alright, everyone into the bitch mobile!” I cheered, leading my little group, my household, fuck me, what a lame fucking word, ugh, anyways I took them to my suped up, armored jeep. I turned up my music and drove us down to the Mike Haggar Memorial Stadium for the tournament. Parking was a bitch and a half with overwhelmed parking attendants trying to direct traffic threw the parking garage. Dad always said those things were made for two things - lawsuits and suicides.  Heh. Maybe that’s how I’ll kick the bucket to get Lauren into med school. Death by parking garage. 

After a while we finally found a parking spot, but not before I had to hear a helluva lot of backseat driving from Cammy, who can’t even drive in her own country so frankly I don’t know why she felt the need to nag me for speeding, or let me know someone was fixing to cut me off when I can clearly see that. She was like that on the bike and boat too, probably the worst in England but at least I can excuse her nagging about the road there. Anyways, we parked then I grabbed my kid, her shit, and made a b-line for the check in area, screaming over my shoulder, “GET US GOOD SEATS;KILL SOMEONE IF YOU GOTTA!” 

“DO YOU WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT OR A SUICIDE!?” Decapre called back, earning an annoyed slap to the arm from Cammy. 

“Decapre!” 

“What? I could do it, I bet I could forge a suicide note, draw up some tears for the paper to make it believable.” 

“We don’t have to do that to get good seats.” 

“I could push them over the edge, it would look like a drunk fell.” 

“No, Decapre.” 

I snickered a little to myself as Lauren and I got in line. She rocked herself on her heels, eyebrows furrowing in thought as she played with the hem of her dobok. 

“What’s on your mind, kid?” 

“Uh, I’m just nervous…”

“Why? You trained like hell.” 

“But I still wasn’t strong enough yesterday. Cammy, you, and Ms. Chang had to come save us.” 

“Oh cry me a river,” I groaned. “Lauren, listen, it’s a junior tourney, you’re probably gonna kick all these motherfuckers’ asses cause you could hold your own yesterday, against me, and against the meanest damn Waffle House chef I’ve ever met. You’re gonna be just fine, rat baby.” 

“But what if I have to fight Li-Fen? Like what’s the right thing to do there, do I kick her ass or let her win to be all chivalrous and shit?” 

“I dunno, Lauren, how badly you wanna get laid in the future?” 

“Long into the future I would assume,” a familiar voice came from behind. I groaned. 

“Fuck me…” 

Lauren lit up and waved, “Hi, Sug! Wanna sit together while we wait for our rounds?” 

“Yeah!” Li-Fen chirped and scampered over to hold Lauren’s hand. It’d be cute if I wasn’t annoyed at having to put up with Chun-Li, who was standing right behind me and putting her weird hand on my shoulder ugh! 

“Nope, sorry, Cammy and Decapre are only looking for four seats, you’re shit outta luck.” 

“Damn it!” Lauren huffed. “Can’t you just sit on Cammy’s lap or something?” 

“Nope, no can do, I mean, I’m sure Thunder Thighs wants to stay with her student it’s only fair.” 

“Great to see you too, Juri,” Chun-Li rolled her eyes. “And here I thought you were starting to calm down.” 

“I’m not causing Cammy problems, but that’s fucking it,” I retorted. God I hate how she does that whole oh I know how you feel, you can be reformed crap, I don’t need to ‘switch sides’, I’m good at what I do! I bet she doesn’t even know how to change the oil in her car, or how to intimidate a rival gang leader, I’d like to see Miss Police Girl do my job and see how easy it is. And I hate how she’s occasionally got a fucking point and she talks to me like my cousin Hae would and how she’s always trying to actually be civil with me, what an asshole!

“Of course.” Chun-Li sighed. “Well good luck keeping track of her, you know she’s probably going to be catching up with her sisters, right?”

“What do you mean catching up, Decapre’s been bumming on our couch, interrupting my soaps time and crying about her ex for like a month!” 

“You do realize this tournament is being hosted by one of the former Dolls, right? She’s massively wealthy and took the opportunity to fly everyone in for a little reunion. They’ve probably already taken Cammy to the VIP section,” Chun-Li explained. “There’s no harm in letting the girls sit together, we all know you’re going to ignore me anyways.” 

“Pah, you don’t make it easy though!” I growled in exasperation. “But fine, I’d rather avoid getting got by the cheerleader death squad for kicking their asses that one time.” 

“Do you even regret that?” She asked in exasperation. By this time Lauren and Li-Fen had fucked off to go mess with an arcade cabinet while Chun-Li and I signed them in. The line moved while I stood still. 

“Come on you coward, do it!” I stared down at Decapre, who spat out blood and glared up at me. “Do it, you fucking pussy, kill me. End it now!” 

All I could see when I looked at her crumpled form, broken and bloodied, covered in self inflicted scars, was my mom’s face with a hole in it and her dragging my dad away. Death would be too merciful. No, I wanted her to suffer. I wanted to find out what fucked up shit SIN wanted to do to her. I didn’t really care about the others, but I wanted Decapre to suffer. 

I stomped on her spine and laughed, “Oh please… you’ll never escape. You’re not getting off that easy, sweetheart, no, we’re going to keep breaking you and putting you back together until you forget you’re even human. You deserve nothing but agony.” 

“Cyka blyat!” 

I frowned. “I don’t know why I’m saying this but… yeah, but I’m mostly thankful. I thought about killing one of them back there, but decided not to for personal reasons. I’m glad I didn’t kill her, but knowing what I know now? I’m pretty ashamed of my reasoning. I wanted that girl to suffer, I knew leaving her alive in that cult was torture, what SIN would do would be torture, and somehow I never looked at them as victims. I just wanted them to suffer like I was suffering. Thinking about it now? Yeah, it’s satisfying, any time you get to utterly dominate an opponent  like that, and I felt good having taken it all out on them, but they weren’t the right people for that.  They weren’t the ones who deserved to be beaten, but I couldn’t see that at the time.”

Chun-Li furrowed her brows in thought as she signed the last bit of paperwork and slid the pen over to me. “I wish I could say I don’t understand but… one time, when my father had just died, I went too far interrogating a Shadaloo agent. Broke their nose on the table. My boss pulled me aside and reprimanded me, sent me off the case for a while. I ended up handling a completely unrelated case. I was so angry. I just wanted to bring Shadaloo to justice for my dad!. But I let that desire for revenge overshadow what really mattered. What he would’ve wanted. I worked a case that ended in me returning a girl not much younger than myself to her worried father, and when I saw them together, I remembered why I wanted to work for Interpol in the first place. Why my dad did, what really mattered in bringing Shadaloo down. I still have this pendent that girl and her dad gave me to remind me to keep a level head, and that what matters is protecting others from having to endure the pain I went through, not inflicting it on others. But I had to learn that lesson. I remember the anger, Juri.” Chun-Li pilled a little pendent of Hyeonmu the Black Tortoise. I frowned. Damn it. She got me. 

“Can’t say introspection has ever been my strong suit. Or that anyone would be willing to listen up until now,” I admitted. 

“Well Juri, as I see it, you’re on a journey, and by the looks of it, you have been for a while, whether you like it or not,” Chun-Li said. “And… I think if you stop spending the trip kicking the back of the seat in front of you, you’ll find contentment and introspection isn’t as hard as you once thought.” 

“Maybe I wanna kick the seat, maybe they’re reclining into my lap or got a screaming toddler, you don’t know me.” 

“Juri, seriously… do you remember our conversation about a year ago? Back at the restaurant in China?” You mean the end of my story campaign-I mean what?

“Yeah… you overstepped.” I muttered. “I don’t have these kinds of conversations with someone outside of my partner, so let’s just change the subject, mkay?” 

“I think,” Chun-Li said in a delicate tone, “it would be good if you had someone other than Cammy in your life to talk to about these feelings. She has her friends and family after all. You can’t rely solely on one person.”

“And you want me to lean on you so you can get dirt on me?” I asked. 

“No, I’d like to be your friend, but I’m not about to force it,” she said with a shrug. “I hope your journey is fulfilling, Juri Han.” 

“Ugh… yeah, right back atcha, Police Girl, maybe I can hook you up with one of my girls so you can finally live out your schoolgirl fantasy of shagging a bad girl.” I laughed.  

Chun-Li rolled her eyes, “I’ll have you know I’m taken.” 

“Wait what? Who is he?! Who’s the sucker? Are you gonna get him to pay for Li-Fen’s shit cause lemme tell ya, he ain’t shit if he don’t prioritize your girl too.” 

“She’s given Li-Fen many gifts, yes,and I don’t think that’s any of your business, Ms. Han.” Chun-Li grinned ever so slightly as she went to collect her daughter. I followed, dragging mine by the arm. 

“Oi!” Lauren complained. “Who gives a shit about Li-Fen’s weird step mom, you know she wears bad disguises to take them out, right?”

“This is the first interesting thing you’ve said to me ever! Come on, gimme the details! Is she a girl from work?” 

“No, we’ve never worked together,” Chun-Li said slyly as she made her way towards some empty seats. I, naturally, followed her ass to try to figure out who she was shagging. I almost forgot that Cammy had betrayed me by running off until I caught a glimpse of her Decapre mixed into this tornado of people that moved around the area, squealing, laughing, shouting incoherently, throwing beer cans. Real posh, babe.  

A loud voice screeched, “WHERE’S THE MYSTERY GIRL WE HAVE TO MEET HER!” It seemed to come from the pink one. Fuck me, I’m gonna have to learn all their names aren’t I? 

“JJ! BEER ME!” the one with brown hair screeched, prompting a man in the crowd to pop up from his seat and chuck a beer can at her, but it missed her hand and knocked the woman next to her in the head. I snickered at her pained expression and ensuing, ‘watch it!’. 

Cammy looked sheepishly at her sisters, tapping her locket as she tried to avoid the question. My stomach twisted like a rag, squeezing out the anxiety, or maybe the shame, just bubbling down below. Was she ashamed to be with me? Or was her hesitation practicality? Cammy breathed in sharply through her nose, “I’ll introduce you… But you have to promise not to freak out.” 

“Oh my god, is she hot?” 

“Is she ugly?” 

“Is she rich?” 

“Do we know her?” 

“Is she married? Is that why you’re at her kid’s thing?” 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”

“We should all catch dinner after this and she can come!” 

“...I’ll bring the rope, you inject her with the serum, we’ll figure out what her intentions are.” 

Cammy grimaced, “Bloody hell, calm down, it’s really not any of your business how our relationship is going. Look, just calm down, yeah, don’t make such a fuss.” She broke off from her little group and put her arm around me. “My sisters really wanna meet you.” 

“Do they though?” I asked. She smiled sheepishly. 

“Please?” 

I sighed and nodded, following her back to the group. There was no reason to fight it, I was kinda whipped. It’s not very girl boss of me, but I’ll do anything to make her happy even if it involves meeting her kinda insane family. She’s been dealing with my ex and kid so I guess it’s fair. “Lauren, stay with your girl and her mama, yeah?” 

She gave me a thumbs up, too busy discussing the other competitors with her girlfriend to notice. 

“Everyone, this is Juri, my girlfriend. We’ve been dating since October, so about… eight months,” Cammy began, nervously clearing her throat. “I… I know this looks a bit questionable, but I would not be with her if I didn’t believe she was a better person. I hope you can find it in you to accept this and not be angry.” 

The group stared, slack jawed, save for Decapre and Juni, who were already in the loop and too busy staring awkwardly at each other from opposite sides of the horde. The tallest one, the black girl with the pet monkey, hid behind the second tallest girl, I think she’s Mexican or something, who was glaring at me in rage. The brunette with glasses and Japanese chick were snickered and passing a vape back and forth, which like, gross? Did their cult not believe in germs or something? Pink one spoke first, stomping her foot like a pissed off toddler. 

“CAMMY! This is unacceptable!” 

“Enero, please-” 

“JURI HAN! Juri Han! You chose to date someone from one of the most influential families in South Korea and you picked the one so called heiress without a trust fund? What were you thinking! You know her cousin Hae owes me favors, right? I could like totally make her divorce her husband and take you instead, one phone call, Bee, one! You picked the poor one! How is she supposed to take care of you properly if she has no access to the family fortune, hm? This makes no strategic sense, this is why I told you to come to me when you want to settle down, I can make you a good match, hermana, dios mio!” Enero ranted and crossed her arms. 

One of the Chinese twins, the one with long hair, was breathing heavily, “You’re that hot chick with the massive feet who beat me up and so rudely refused to fuck me and break my spine.”

“Ew, you’re the creepy one!” I shouted, putting as much distance between me and psycho as I could. 

“I have an only fans, Juri, we could  make so much and Enero’s point will be moot!” she called. 

“Jianyu, she’s MY girlfriend, and you’re married, back the fuck off!” Cammy shouted in anger. Jianyu, aka PYSCHO BITCH, just shrugged and giggled. 

“All I’m saying is with her clodhoppers and my ability to fit literally anything in me, we could dominate the algorithm,” Jianyu said. “And Lita like totally doesn’t mind, it’s just work.” 

“Ew,” Cammy and I both said, almost in unison. The haunting memory of being chased by this crazy bitch while I was trying to abduct her, too late to change my mind, her screaming at me to shove my foot up her ass, break her spine, rail her into the snow and call her slurs; I’m a kinky bitch but she scared me. And kept moaning every time I hit her. And all throughout the transport process. It was one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life and I had an eye shot out then later gouged out. 

“Damn, Shadaloo really scrambled that one’s brain,” I whispered to Cammy, who shook her head. 

“No, she actually came to us that way,” she whispered back. I gave her an incredulous look. Girl you serious? I’m seeing where the trauma actually comes from, geez. 

Enero cleared her throat, “What I’m trying to say is, I could really set you up with someone who would have the funds and connections to actually take care of you, what can she do for you? She’s just a disgraced heiress who decided to go be SIN’s attack dog. Like literally, that branch was just for financial and research purposes, the research fell through when Dr. Foster escaped for a few years, like it was a total failure, almost as bad as Fang getting promoted, like ew. What’s Juri got to offer you other than beauty and some cheap thrills? You can get that on vacation, Cammy, relationships are meant to be practical and strategic.” 

“I don’t care if you think you could pick someone better for me, I don’t want strategic, I want Juri. Why would I want one of her cousins when I can have the best one?” Cammy asked in an annoyed tone. “She makes me happy, she’s becoming a better person, and if you love me you’ll shut up and support me.” 

“I just want you to be taken care of, Cammy. You’re set to inherit from me if I  die soon, but that money is split thirteen ways, hermana. If you’re going to marry, it needs to count.” 

“I can support and take care of myself, I don’t need anyone else’s money, Enero, not even yours. And who said anything about marriage- bloody hell it hasn’t even been a full year yet!” Cammy squawked. 

I piped up, “I’d just like to add that I’m not fucking poor, I just don’t shower much.” Shit. That didn’t help. “My grandparents were total assholes and didn’t leave me any money so I made my own. And Cammy’s a big girl now, she can make her own decisions and pay her own bills, ya know?” 

“She deserves someone who can give her luxury, stability and safety,” Enero retorted. 

“Who says I can’t? And who died and left you head bitch of the cunt brigade?” I scoffed. 

“Bison did,” Enero said plainly before rolling her eyes. “Fine, have your fun, there’s no point in talking you out of this. You’re too stubborn for your own good and it’s hardly worth the argument. I’ll support you regardless. Your kid is in the tournament, Juri?” 

“Yeah, Lauren’s competing…” 

“I wish her well,” Enero said, but I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic. “Cammy, are you coming? It’s about to start.” 

Cammy turned to face me, “Do you mind if I sit with my sisters?” 

“Go for it, Kitten, I’ll meet you after the tourney.” 

“Thank you, Juri, you’re the best.” she smiled and gave me a quick peck on the lips before rejoining her sisters, all bickering amongst themselves about us. I guess that went about as well as it could have gone. I sighed and went back to my seat, damned to sit with Chun-Li the whole day. 

……………………………….

I readjusted my black belt and stared down my older cousin, Hae, who was the other finalist. It had been a long day of match after match, getting tired, feeling sore and angry. Oh man, was I angry. But I felt like I had a reason to fight the more I focused on it, and after a while… I realized I was having fun. 

When you push yourself extremely hard in something you’re passionate about, when that work load between all your responsibilities come crashing down on you, it can be easy to forget why you loved it in the first place. As my cousin and I began to spar, I felt as though I was flying, and it made me remember one simple truth: I love taekwondo. I love fighting. I love competing. The pressure my parents had put on me, the pressure of impressing my grandparents who would never love me, the satisfaction of beating my older, more perfect cousin, it was all irrelevant. I was doing what I loved. And with that realization, I knew nobody could take it from me. 

As I hit Hae’s headgear with one final roundhouse kick to win the match, she smiled a little to me. 

“Good fight, Juri.” 

“Why are you smiling? You just lost,” I asked. 

Hae giggled and glanced back to our extended family members, who all looked hella pissed while my parents were squealing and hollering from the stands in excitement. She shook her head and said, “Just because I’m not allowed to talk to you doesn’t mean you stopped being my favorite cousin. Congratulations, Juri. We are missing out on a beautiful genius as they say.” 

“Well… I guess I’ll look forward to the next tourney to see ya, Hae…” 

“Bye, Juri.” Hae and I bowed to each other, then parted ways… There wouldn’t be another tournament with Hae. 

……………………………………

There were a bunch of kids up before Lauren’s first fight. I grinned a little as she walked onto the stage, looking real cute. I leaned over the railing to get a better view, pulling out my phone to take some pictures. Crimson had joined us by then and was doing the same.

“Send me any good ones you get, sugar.” 

“Yep, don’t call me that.” I murmured as I began snapping some pictures of her bumping gloves with her opponent. The juniors tournament was way less intense than the adult one. Hand, foot, and head sparring gear was required though mouth guards were optional. All competitors were expected to perform only legal strikes to the head, torso, and arms. Strikes to the back, groin, and any strike to the legs which was not a throw were prohibited. Throws and grappling were permitted however judges were keeping a close eye on all competitors to ensure everyone was safe. They weren’t keeping points like in traditional matches, but they were judging the competition based on who could make the other opponent tap out first, which was still similar to the adult version without anyone getting a concussion. Which is good, because I can’t get her into med school if she gets a bunch of brain damage doing martial arts. That’s why I wouldn’t let her sign up for full contact football when she asked. 

The fight began and it was Lauren vs some other kid using kick boxing. She kicked her in the head with a clean roundhouse kick followed by and hook kick. The opponent stumbled back before going in for a punch to the gut, which she landed because Lauren sucks at blocking at the best of times. Lauren grunted and stumbled back before going into a spinning crescent kick to knock her hands down then following it up with a knee strike to the gut. The two tussled a while longer, Lauren flying through a flurry of kicks until her opponent was overwhelmed and tapped out. I screeched in glee.

“GOOD JOB, LAUREN, YOU FUCK HER UP, JWI AGI!” 

Crimson giggled and snapped another picture, waving to get her attention, “SAY HI TO MEMAW AND PEPAW!” 

Lauren turned beet red and hid her face in her hands, “Y’all are too much-stop!” But her torment was only getting started as the next opponent came up. They fought and of course Crim and I gushed, because if my parents embarrassed me, I’m gonna embarrass her. It’s generational trauma or whatever the fuck Disney has been harping on about lately.  I just know that Encanto soundtrack slaps. 

Round after round, my big rat baby cut through her opponents like butter, dishing out her strikes hard, fast, and with as much precision as she could muster. She would get pinned and fight like hell to get back up, she’d take a hit to the face and kick her opponent in the head with all her might.  As some kid got dragged away with a bloody nose, I truly knew what it was like to be a proud parent. 

Finally, we got the final round. And… fuck. 

Li-Fen vs Lauren. I gritted my teeth, knowing this was going to be a clusterfuck because there was no way either one of them would give it their A game. Come on, kids, I came here to see blood! Stop being chivalrous and beat your girlfriend to a pulp! It’s a free opportunity to get out all the frustrations that come with dealing with another person, I mean, sparring is great for relationships because any other time you can’t beat the stupid out of your partner but in sparring? Absolutely! Kick her in her smug face! The occasional match really has been helpful for Cammy and I, I think she’s holding back though because she super wanted to break my spine the other day when we had a little friendly match.  Which is fair, because I’m not exactly trying to break her ribs like I usually would.  That’s how you know you love a girl. 

The match was as pathetic as I expected, both Li-Fen and Lauren barely tapping each other and getting real clumsy with their strikes. Chun-Li looked equally disappointed because Li-Fen had made it all the way to the final round, and this last match anyone would be what everyone remembered. I almost felt bad for her. Our little idiots were gonna act afool up there. 

“Come on, Li-Fen, lightning kicks, lightning kicks,” Chun-Li whispered to herself as she leaned over the balcony. Crimson kept adjusting her glasses and breathing out harshly through her nose.  I pat her on the back to let her know it’d be fine. I was satisfied regardless of the outcome and she should be too.  

They kept dancing around each other, trying not to be the first one to land a hard strike on the other. It was cute even if it was annoying for the rest of us. Finally, they both attempted some sort of shitty spin kick, locked legs by accident, and went crashing to the ground.  I sighed. The two girls burst into laughter and started playfully slapping each other. 

“You go down!”

“No, you!” 

Crimson groaned, “This is embarrassing.”

“Come on, hit her like you mean it!” Chun-Li shouted. Yeah! Hit her like you mean it-wait, that’s my kid, I shouldn’t be routing for that.

“Pin her, Lauren!” I screamed, but the two of them were too busy laughing and making asses of themselves on stage. Crimson breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled just as hard. 

Lauren grinned a little and offered Li-Fen a hand up. When she took her hand, Lauren quickly swept her leg again and very gently, like freakishly gently, threw her to the ground then booped her nose. 

“Tap out.”  

Li-Fen stared up at her with a blush and tapped her hand against the floor, signaling to the judge to call the match. It was the most anticlimactic thing, but damn, was it smooth. Lauren scooped Li-Fen up bridal style and spun around with her, whooping and hollering.

“Wooo! Wooo! Imma fuck all y’all! Y’all’s a buncha bitches!” Lauren yelled out into the stadium, laughing all the way along with Li-Fen, who burst into laughter. 

“You made them all your BITCH!” Li-Fen said, playing along. 

“Not you, you’re my girl.” 

“Awww, you’re cute and such a dummy.” Li-Fen giggled and gave Lauren a quick peck on the lips. Lauren blushed a little and set her down, walking back to us while the judges awkwardly called the three champions. 

Chun-Li wasn’t exactly amused, but I was laughing my ass off. 

“This is your fault,” Crimson muttered. 

“Hey, don’t be salty cause she turned out to be a pimp like her Eomma,” I said proudly. 

Chun-Li sighed, “At least they’re too big of nerds to actually get themselves into trouble that way. I’m pretty confident Li-Fen will be fine.” 

“She would be even if my kid wasn’t a loser, Lauren knows how to treat a person with respect even if she don’t talk like it,” I retorted. “Hey, Kiddo, that last fight was dog shit, but otherwise ya did fucking great! I’m proud of you, little rat.” I pulled Lauren into a big hug and slapped her back, “Next time don’t threaten to rawdog the whole stadium, yeah?” 

Lauren blushed, “Sorry, I was excited and just shouted the first thing that came to mind.” 

“Finale aside,” Crimson said, “You did amazing, Lauren, I’m so proud of you.” 

Lauren pulled away from me and hugged her mother tightly, “Today was fucking awesome, thanks for letting me sign up.” 

“Don’t forget to thank Eomma, she’s the one who trained you,” Crimson insisted. Lauren hopped back over to me and threw her arms around me lazily. 

“Thanks, Eomma.” 

I smiled a little, thinking back to celebrating my tourney wins with my parents as a kid. Sure, the pressure was overwhelming at times, but I knew they were proud of me. I knew they loved me. And I was happy. I held my daughter close, resting my chin against the top of her head, imagining my parents with me. I knew they’d be as proud of her as I was. Ghosts and spirits and shit have never been my jam- I’m a skeptic by nature, but in that moment, I chose to believe they were there with us. To pass down such a precious tradition I didn’t know I missed, it’s enough. I’m content.

………………………………………….

After the tournament we celebrated over which was Cammy’s rich sister’s treat. Enero, the one who mentioned Hae. Pink one. Lauren and Li-Fen were soaking up the attention, as the two Americans chosen to go compete in the junior tournament in Nayshall. Cammy picked at her food whenever the country came up and leaned against me, watching Enero and her assistant like a hawk. 

“You ok, Kitten?” I whispered. 

She was quiet for a moment before shaking her head, “I can’t fathom going back to that awful place, but we have to. Mum is hiding out there, I know it, but how can we allow Lauren and Li-Fen to run through the gas and napalm?” 

“The war’s been over, baby, you gotta let it go. I know you’re gonna protect them, I ain’t got any worries about Lauren’s safety. You’ll be there, I’ll be there, Crimson will be there, Chun-Li, hell, even Decapre and Juni, I like those odds. The girls get to have the time of their lives in a new place, we get to rip the child support out of your deadbeat mom’s hands, and case closed, we all drive off into the sunset together,” I explained. “It’ll be ok.” 

“This is bigger than we thought… I can feel it in my bones, like a storm rolling in.” 

“We can outlast the storm. Just like before.” 

Cammy rested her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes as I watched the rest of the group eat and cook a large selection of meats on the grill in the middle of the table. My eyes lingered on Lauren and Li-Fen, who were destroying a bowl of dumplings, then trailed over to Cammy’s sisters. The Dolls… Even as normal women living their lives, Shadaloo’s scar marred their visage. Enero sat in the center, smiling proudly as she boasted of the accommodations she had planned for the girls. And for just a moment… Her eyes flashed white. 

Chapter Text

Cammy POV

After celebrating Lauren’s victory, Juri and I parted ways for the night. Not that we had much of a choice. My sisters had all flown out for a little reunion, on Enero’s behalf specifically. As our little get together continued on to the hotel she had rented out for everyone, I watched my bossiest sister closely, studying every movement like I would as a child. In a way, I was still looking up at her, studying her, trying to understand. I suppose some things never change…

It was baffling to me that she would want to host a tournament, and even more so that she would want to work so closely with JP. I’m even more surprised he lets her go anywhere near him because her demands made him look like he wanted to cry back when he was an accountant. He dreaded Bison letting Enero pick a reward, because it was never anything reasonable. No, Enero wasn’t satisfied with a smidge of coke or a fresh apple or a cult approved  book, of course not, Enero needs the most expensive box of chocolates and bottle of wine known to man. 

And even as I reflect on this… I feel horrified with myself. Reasonable? How could we possibly be unreasonable? Even her? We were prisoners, even Enero’s expensive requests weren’t particularly unreasonable, it was unreasonable for her be put in that position to start with. 

I sighed and got myself another beer from the fridge, heading out to the balcony to escape the noise from everyone’s partying, and the smell of Satsuki’s vape. I popped the cap off and took a sip, staring out into the bright lights of Metro City’s skyline. Drinking was such a mixed bag for me… sometimes it helped, sometimes it made it worse. Being drunk makes you lose some of your faculties, makes you vulnerable, so being drunk around other people can be frightening and remind me of my time in Shadaloo. However, being drunk makes the pain, the physical pain from the memories, all go away. The memories are still there, but I can’t feel them in my body anymore. It’s the only thing that’s ever given me any relief for those pains. I’m sure there’s healthier ways, but they don’t work for me. I can hide under a weighted blanket, make some tea, do some meditation breathing, or journal, or tell someone I’m in pain, it won’t fix the pain. I’m just in pain and under a blanket. Alcohol is at least effective, but the more you drink, the more the people around you get angry. And the more guilty you feel for conducting yourself so poorly.  That left me at a crossroads, always wanting relief, knowing how to get it, but denying myself the peace for my family’s sake, for my career’s sake, for Juri’s sake… Juri won’t even touch it.  Juri, who was by far the least disciplined person I’d ever met (which is saying something given a few of my sisters), couldn’t stand drinking. That’s a kick in the teeth if there’s ever been one. I’m technically worse than Juri when it comes to substance abuse, how fun.

As I was moping, I heard someone come back in from behind me, popping the cap off of a bottle. 

“And here I thought this local brewery was supposed to be good,” Enero said with a tsk. “It’s very mid.” 

“And yet this is your second one?” I asked.

“Well all alcohol gets better if you keep drinking it,” Enero snickered. “What has you moping, hermana?” 

“I’m not moping,” I said defensively. “I’m just… overwhelmed by having to go back to that shithole.”

“Nayshall is nothing like you remember. It’s a lovely place, beautiful, clear beaches by the resorts, a great nightlife, every spa, casino, bar, and massage parlor a tourist could ask for… it’s cleaned up well since the war. And with big tech companies investing in the area, as well as myself, there’s industry. Jobs. We have a growing middle class there, and that sure wasn’t the case before,” Enero explained. “As much as you hate to hear this, fascism has done those people well. Some people can’t govern themselves, they need a strongman. Bison kept order in the area through fear, and I’ll admit, so does the current king, but less overtly. Think Putin over Saddam Hussein.” 

“That doesn’t inspire confidence.” 

“Every improvement is worth it.” Enero shrugged and leaned against the balcony, admiring the skyline. “We did a good thing overthrowing the monarchy there. The old king was burning people in their houses and theaters… and the other guys? Theocratic monsters who treat women like cattle. Shadaloo was the best option.” 

“Enero. WE were theocratic assholes who burned people in their homes and treated women like cattle, the difference was we called our god and king Bison and he wanted us in thongs, not burkas!” I snapped. “It was all bullshit. There was no good option for that country, they suffered no matter who had control on what given day. This grand crusade for the holy land of his birth was all a sham. We were lied to. We hurt so many innocent people trying to take back a nation that was never ours. We killed and were injured repeatedly because of a lie, because Bison’s ego demanded it.” 

“I know that, Cammy, I’m not stupid. Bison was not and is not God… but I know what I saw, and what I experienced: they were nothing short of miracles. You,” Enero said pointedly, grabbing my hands to hold between her own, “are a miracle.  You were born with the holy flame, a gift from the divine, Cammy, why would you hide from that? It’s a gift. It’s not about psycho power, or even soul power, this energy, this divine nirvana, it’s so much more. If you would only try to get in touch with that power, that divinity very few will ever have the honor of harnessing, you could do amazing things.” 

“Psycho power has no place in civilized society, Enero, it’s fueled by pain and hate,” I argued. 

She tsked and flicked my forehead, “You’re so narrow minded and dense sometimes. Think beyond psycho power, Cammy. It’s just one side of the Holy Flame. Our dogma was so messed up because focusing on only one side of the Holy Flame alone is not only foolish, but dangerous. I remind Ed of this often. Bison was a monster, a fool, and he was NOT God, he was a liar, but that energy, those things we experienced, they were real, and you know it.” 

“I don’t see how this could ever be used for good,” I said softly. “The times I’ve used it… all turned out terrible. It hurt me and others. All I felt was rage, unspeakable, blinding rage. I don’t like that feeling.” 

“I know… that’s why I suggest balance…” Enero put her arm around me protectively, like she would sometimes when we were little. “I want you to stay strong… be the best you can be. You have something the rest of us don’t. Don’t waste your resources. If you want to learn to control the flame, talk to me. I think I can help.” 

“Ok. Fine. Show me this great enlightenment if you’re so confident in it.”

“Lovely.  Summon the flame, please.” 

“Er…” I just stared at my own hands, perplexed. It had been so long since I had handled psycho power, and I was definitely sober last time I did. Not to mention, it turned out not to be the best idea. As it happens, tapping into your inner most rage and hatred isn’t healthy. Still, I’d be lying to say my tipsy self wasn’t a little intrigued by Enero’s so called discovery, and partially, I wanted to prove my annoying big sister wrong. So I concentrated on it… the anger. The hate. The ever present pain below. It wasn’t hard to dig up the pain… it just hurt. It hurt everywhere. In that moment, I was trapped again, hiding from monsters, listening to Decapre cry, letting the rage boil over. I was back in the war, running from monsters, from the deadly mist that made my body feel as though it was on fire, then before Bison, dragging a half dead monarch up to his feet and begging him to let me end this war. I was back in front of Vega, his claw cutting my face, the sting sharper now than in that moment. I was watching my sisters in pain from afar, helpless. I was falling from a plane, the woman I love laughing at me, leaving with my family. I could feel the pain, that physical, phantom pain, like a million bugs, a million parasites, trying crawl and eat their way out of me. Every old wound, every puncture, every bleeding gash filled with an invasive blade, it was on fire. And so was I. My vision went blurry. And then purple. All I could see was purple in my hands.  

“You’re angry, right?”

“Yes,” I growled. “And for what point, just get on with it!” 

Enero conjured a similar flame in her hand, but it burned pure white. I blinked, confused. It was similar to soul power, to psycho power, but the energy… it was almost indecipherable, simultaneously both, and neither, it was everything and nothing, rage and tranquility, pain and pleasure, it was overwhelming. As Enero held my burning hands, I saw the purple of my own power flicker. 

“Breathe, Hermana, focus on me. You have your rage, and that’s good, but we need balance. What is the other side?” Enero asked me. 

“Other side?”

“Pain is useful. What good have you made out of it? You have to put the joy and the suffering together. Hope, despair, combined into realistic clarity. Focus on that, whatever it is, where these two worlds meet. What brings joy and anger? What means so much, and yet brings conflict?” 

I pondered that for a while… where could I even start? Where does the anger and joy intersect? I could argue most of my loved ones fit the bill, but one face stared back at me from the flame, her wicked smile as enticing as enraging dependent on the circumstance. I could feel Juri’s strikes against me, and her arms around me as we lied in bed together. I could hear her laughter, at my injured sisters and also at my stupid joke I told her at one in the morning. Thinking about what she was capable of, people I loved she hurt, it still made me angry, but thinking about her dragging me out of my flat to the carnival, of the kindness and patience she showed me over my pain… the anger begins to numb and dissipate… Juri’s not perfect. I see her. All of her.  And I accept her. The pain in my body began to grow numb like a soreness from a hard workout, and less like fresh wounds from battle. My flames turned from purple to blue with Enero’s, and I felt… peace. Peace. The writhing under my muscles ceased, the screaming in my mind grew quiet, and I couldn’t feel Vega’s claw against my cheek anymore. Phantoms of the past left, their hands withdrawing from my body, their voices growing mute. 

The flame dissipated in my hands and Enero’s did soon after. Sweat rolled down her brow as she panted, smiling through them like a hound during playtime. 

“This is the true power, Cammy,” Enero said between short breaths. “And I told you so.” 

“Yeah? Yeah, you told me so, you annoying cunt,” I grumbled. “I… thank you, Enero. I…” 

“When you come to Nayshall, it would mean a lot to me if you would join me in meditation. To be born with an inherent proclivity towards the flame is a gift, Cammy.  Don’t let those bastards rob you of it. Don’t let them steal your peace,” Enero said softly. “I love you. I know we bicker a lot, and I haven’t always been the best sister, but I love you, and I always have. I’m sorry for having been cruel to you when we were kids… and for being a little controlling sometimes. I stick my nose in your business because I care. Ultimately… if you’re happy with the poor Han girl, I support you, Cammy. Don’t think any of us are privy to allowing her to treat you however she wishes though!” Enero pointed her index finger at me, inches away from my face. “I’m not above having her killed if she lays hands on you.” 

“What makes you think I’d LET her?” I asked. 

“Basic pattern recognition. You never date women who treat you well, and frankly, I’m sick of seeing it. Juri can treat you with the respect you’re due, or she can feed the children of the rot.” 

I rolled my eyes, “Oh no, we got a badass in the room, everyone be careful, she’s very dangerous.” 

“Ugh, you’re like soooo insufferable sometimes.” Enero gave me a light shove. “I’m being serious! You still go on about that woman who stabbed you in neck like she’s the one who got away!” 

“Anne was the one that got away… mostly because she died,” I murmured.

“She stabbed you! And Lita! She was literally a Shadaloo plant put in your life with the sole purpose of killing you!” Enero shrieked. Bugger me with a stick, how long is she gonna winge on about it? 

“I know that, and it was bad, but I loved her, ok? You can’t take that from me,” I argued. “And Anne wasn’t a bad person, Shadaloo had her drugged out of her mind, I don’t think she actually wanted to hurt me.” 

“She stabbed you in the neck, drugged you at least once, and attacked every blonde within a 15 kilometer radius!” 

“Yeah but you didn’t see how sweet and gentle she was when we were alone. She was like a fluffy sheep…” I trailed off. “What does this have to do with Juri?” 

Enero pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled deeply, “My POINT is that you have terrible taste in women; the girls and I are tired of seeing you simp over women who treat you like garbage. You are a strong, smart woman, I don’t know why you routinely put yourself in those situations. Enough is enough. If Juri starts being controlling, or hitting, or trying to make you put out, you need to DUMP her. If you can’t walk away, you call us. Any of us. Me, Decapre, hell, even that stupid slut, Jianyu would help you get her out of your life. I know your papí would too. Know your worth, damn it!” 

“Bloody hell, Enero, I get it! Juri’s not like that, we have a good relationship. Honestly it’s a little freaky, I’m not used to functional relationships and she’s kinda the last person you’d expect to be, you know… a great partner. You can drop the bloody pitchfork,” I said with a deep sigh. 

Enero laughed and sipped her beer, grimacing at the taste. Heh... Lightweight. She shook her head and smiled a little, “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll make certain that the two of you are provided with the best Nayshall has to offer. Though you already know Ricoma resorts are ALWAYS top notch. Shall I make the two of you reservations for the best spots in the capital? A little extended get away while the kid is busy?” 

“Well, I’d imagine Juri and her ex will be taking turns taking care of Lauren there as they already do, so maybe don’t have us booked the entire time…” I said softly. “Just… ok. Thank you, Enero. Just please, promise me, there’s no more gas and bombs? You won’t take me to the countryside with all the old trenches? Or make me go to that god forsaken palace?” 

“No gas or bombs, Hermana. I think it would do you well to see how the land has healed but… if you’re that adverse, I won’t force you. I think you should spend a night in my villa at least. It’s a beautiful area in the hills surrounded by farmland. You can barely tell the war happened at all,” Enero said, a confident smile growing across her face. “I won’t force you, but I think confronting this situation will do you good. It might give you closure.” 

“I don’t think closure is necessary or even possible but… ok. I’ll try,” I said. Enero pat me on the back and turned her gaze back to the sky.  I reached my hands up to the moon, smiling a little. She giggled and did the same, like we would when we were kids in the trenches. “The moon is out to play,” I whispered. 

“Out to play indeed…” 

……….

A week passed as we prepared for the next phase of our plan in Nayshall. Delta Red continued tracking Matryoshka, who had mostly gone silent. Still, I felt more certain than ever based on the movements we observed that she planned to attack Enero and the under 18 tournament.  I felt confident in my trajectory for this investigation, even if every fiber of my being begged me to stay away. She was my mum though… I couldn’t let my cowardice keep me from protecting other people from her. And possibly her from herself. 

Lauren’s sweet sixteen came and passed. Juri went all out, designing a custom paint job and interior for this big bubba truck she got her. She claimed the money came from betting on Lauren’s fights, but I know Juri sank her own cash into it. She spent so much time on that truck, painting it, ripping out the guts to replace it with new stuff, until it was practically unrecognizable. She worked day and night until this monstrosity was the neon pink and green nightmare Lauren dreamed of, with a big American Flag on the back, cheetah print seats, a bedazzled steering wheel, tires far larger than they had any right to be, and of course, a plethora of snarky bumper stickers about how hot girls always hit the curb.  I feared it,  but admired it. This is the craftsmanship of a mad woman… a mad woman I am in love with. As Juri put the finishing touches on the truck, she told me I was a big help from sitting there looking pretty.  I told her she was demented and that she should save that talk for our bikes she was fixing up. 

Those final weeks in the United States were hectic from gathering the last intel I needed, getting my things together to go home again, rehoming Cookie’s kittens, and mentally preparing myself for what was likely to be the most taxing family dinner of my life.  

You see, my dad was quite aware Juri was working with us.  What he didn’t know was that I was dating Juri.  Or that I was seeing anyone at all. That in itself can be a hurdle, but add the less than stellar history Juri and I have to that? I fully anticipated my dad to throw a winge fest of epic proportions. 

As I sat on the couch, surrounded by boxes and cats, I struggled to really focus on the zoom call. It was my adoptive family and I, so George from his temp flat, myself, then Lita, Dad, and Uncle Matt on the third line. 

“Tomie said her first word yesterday!” Lita enthused. “Oh I wish you two could’ve been there, it was at the office, Jianyu swung by with her so we could have lunch together and you know what she said?” 

“Uh… mama?” I guessed. 

Lita frowned a little and looked away in a bit of embarrassment, “Uh… no. She said like, ah, how do you say it?” She scrunched up her face. “Bào bào? Yes. This is the word. Jianyu tells me she was asking for a hug, which is very cute. She was talking to the bunny though… not us.” 

“Ah, I see Little Git wins once more,” I joked. 

“He always does, he’s so lucky he’s cute,” Lita whined, though the little smile pulling at the corners of her mouth betrayed her attempt to look mournful. “I’m excited to see you, it’s been too long. I’m getting Tomie involved in prepping for you coming home.” 

“Aww, that’s sweet,” I said, smiling a little at the thought. I did look forward to seeing my family again, to giving them all a big hug, to watching the telly with my dad, to playing with my little niece, to arguing about the rules of whatever game we were to play with Lita and George. Having Decapre, Juni, and George abroad with me certainly was a comfort. Whenever I was at work, I had my baby brother and two of my big sisters by my side, which made the US less lonely. Juri’s presence and our need to stay busy certainly helped with this as well. A lump in my throat grew, itchy and unpleasant, as I thought of Juri. I needed to warn them. And lecture them about being on their best behavior. 

“So… I’m bringing home a woman for family dinner. We have been dating for almost a year, and I would like to introduce her to the whole family now,” I announced, ripping the bandaid clean off. Dad’s eyebrows furrowed as he paused mid sip of his tea. Slowly but firmly, he set his mug down. 

“Why are we only now hearing of this woman if she’s important enough to bring home?” He asked. 

George gasped, “Oh shit, I think I know who the broad is!”

“Shut up, George!” I snapped.

“Oi, don’t talk to your brother like that, I’ll have none of that! Cammy, why haven’t you brought this up before now?” 

“I’ve been busy with the case, it didn’t seem relevant to disclose who I was dating when there’s important work to be done. I’m telling you now because we’ve been dating and living together for a good while, and I feel optimistic that we will be in a serious relationship going forward. She’s really nervous about meeting you all, and I want to be open about our relationship now that I know I want to be with her long term.” 

“Is it Juri?” George asked. 

Dad blinked very slowly and took another sip of his tea, though that felt like a calculated judgement. “As in Juri Han? Who you brought in to assist with the Matryoshka case?” I took a deep breath through my nostrils and nodded. Dad shook his head, “Bloody hell, unbelievable. This is absurd. Cammy, have you gone fucking mad? You know damn well this woman’s got a criminal record miles long! She even victimized you and your sisters, how do you intend to tell Decapre of this? Or anyone else for that matter?” 

“Oh, I knew, she was scared of me when she introduced us,” Jianyu snickered. 

“You told Jianyu before anyone else?!” Dad exclaimed, a hurt look reflecting in his eyes. 

“Uh… I told Decapre first… the other girls happened to be at an event Juri and I were attending.  Juri’s daughter was in a local martial arts tournament Enero was funding and she had used the opportunity to fly everyone out for a little party,” I explained. “I’ve been wanting to tell you, Dad, but it just hasn’t been the right time, and you’d react this way-“ 

“I’m being perfectly reasonable, Love! This woman has beaten you in the past, she’s dangerous; what kind of father would I be if I didn’t make a fuss about my daughter shacking up with a dangerous woman AGAIN.  This isn’t healthy, Cammy, this is a pattern. You can’t pick a good woman, Love, none of them have been worth your time, your energy, your love. It hurts me to see you gallivanting around with these women who treat you like rubbish, it’s not ok, you deserve better than that. I don’t want to find my little girl bleeding out because another one of her insane bitches of a partner attacked her. I can’t do that again, Cammy, my heart can’t take seeing you like that again, I can’t fail you that thoroughly twice.” A few stray tears rolled down Dad’s cheeks, and it felt like a crushing weight on my soul. I instinctively held my hand to my neck, where Anne’s blade once pierced… sometimes it still felt fresh, but it stung more in my gut than in my neck. It did even then.  The pain wasn’t the knife, it was the dead look in her eyes as she brought the knife down into my throat. The pain was watching her come back to her senses and cry over me. The worst pain was watching the woman I loved end her life in front of me while I bled out, helpless to stop her, helpless to save her from herself.  But my family cannot understand that. To them, Anne was a monster, not because of her past with Shadaloo, but because her psychotic break nearly cost me my life, and no good dad could ever forgive someone who hurts his children in such a visceral way.  My dad is a good dad. He’s trying to protect me. But I’m a grown woman.  Juri isn’t Anne, and even so, I refuse to remember Anne as she was when she was high because the woman I fell for was kind, gentle, and perhaps a little dense but with a sensitive nature that lured me to her. 

“Don’t cry, Dad,” I whispered. “Please don’t cry. It’s not like that, I’m not in danger. I know it’s hard to believe, but Juri has changed a lot. She’s respected me more than most of my previous partners have. I feel safe with her and love her so much, that’s why I want to introduce her to my family.” 

“This woman has proven to be dangerous and even if she is changing… this could cost you your clearance, Cammy. You would have to train in something else that wouldn’t require you to maintain a security clearance if you wanted to be involved with Juri long term. Juri is a foreign national with ties to SIN and other criminal activities. Doesn’t she run an organized crime syndicate in South Korea?” Dad asked. 

“The Black Widows, yes… but they do have legitimate businesses and do community outreach, mostly establishing women and children’s shelters,” I explained. 

“Al Capone had a soup kitchen and legitimate businesses too,” Dad countered. “What you just described sounds suspiciously like a mafia boss.” 

“I don’t think Juri would count, she’s too unrefined to be a mafioso,” George piped up. “She barely wears shoes and usually has her tits hanging out. She’s more like a super rich gangster.” 

“That’s basically what the mafia is, you traitor,” I argued. 

“Nuh uh, mafia are a gang comprised of people with similar characteristics, usually based on ethnicity, money and dress have nothing to do with it,” Jianyu said. “Right, honey?” 

“My wife is correct, neither one of you stupid gits understand what a mafia is,” Lita agreed as she cracked open a parcel of baby crackers for Tomie, who’s little wisps of black hair I could see peaking up in the corner of the screen.  

I huffed, “All I know is that she runs an organization composed almost entirely of South Korean queer people, mostly women, and that they started out as a street gang, but Juri owns some legitimate businesses throughout the country that make up a good chunk of her profit margin. I don’t make a habit of questioning her on this, she’s agreed to stay out of trouble around me and she’s upheld this mostly.” 

“So what you’re saying,” George said softly. “Is that your girlfriend runs the Korean lesbian mafia?” 

“Damn it, George, this is a serious conversation.” 

“I am being serious,” George retorted. 

Jianyu sighed, “Look, everyone needs to just calm down.” Dad, Lita, and Matthew all looked her way. “Juri hasn’t even come by yet. I know it’s possible to be a shitty person when you’re young and slowly get better. I also know having a family helps. When I was young, I used to kill small animals and hurt the other children at the orphanage on purpose. I’ve killed people, I never felt bad about it. I used to put sharps in people’s shoes, I force fed my sister maggots once because I was angry with her, I slammed another girl’s head into the side of a hot oven, I killed rabbits and mice for no reason other than to feel some sense of control in my life… Now I'm a good wife, mom, pet mom, and sister. I love my family and I protect them. I don’t hurt people anymore. I don’t WANT to hurt people or animals anymore. And I think having you guys in my life helped me become a good person. Juri has no family. I guess she’s got a stepkid she cares about, but no parents, no siblings. If I can change, and if being a part of this family has helped me so much, then I think Juri can too. I trust Cammy’s judgement. She’s a little dense sometimes-” 

“Hey!”

“But she’s not an idiot. She understands what it’s like to be abused, she’s not gonna sign up for that again. She helped me get out of an abusive relationship, and she’s got all of us and the other girls to breathe down her neck if Juri acts a fool. I’m going to trust Cammy and give Juri a chance to fuck up all on her own. I think you guys should do the same,” Jianyu concluded. 

There was silence, then a deep sigh from Dad. 

“Ok. Jianyu has a good point. Bring her over, Cammy, but don’t think for a moment I’m willing to tolerate poor behavior on her part. I don’t care how much you love her or think she loves you, your safety, and the safety of your siblings, that comes first. But I will give her a chance to dig her own grave,” Keith concluded. “Well, right then, on that note what do you want for dinner?” 

I paused, a little shell shocked by the conversation, “Uh… pie.” 

“What kind.” 

“Any pie, just pie. Also spinach dip.” 

“Why is it always spinach dip, we never have fondue anymore,” George complained. “Cowards. Cheddar is the superior pretzel dip.” 

“Well if you’re gonna be that way we’ll have cheddar now will we?” I snapped. 

“Cammy, that’s enough, stop being snippy with him because he called you out on your poor decisions,” Dad scolded. 

“It really wasn’t George’s place to tell you, and I was getting to it,” I said defensively. 

“You two work it out, this has already given me a bloody headache,” Dad sighed. “I love you both. Stay safe and I’ll be right there at the airport to pick you up, ok?” 

“Thanks, Dad, love you too,” I replied. 

“Love you too, Dad, see you tomorrow,” George said before dropping off the call and I soon followed. I closed my laptop and sighed, massaging my temples in my hands in exhaustion. It can never just be one problem. I sank down onto the mattress, groaning a bit in exhaustion. I would be going home again the next day, and I was more than eager to see my family again, to be back in my own home even for a short amount of time before returning to the warzone. At the same time, bringing a woman home for the first time in… Gosh, over a decade? Who was the last one I formally introduced to my family, like planned it out and made a fuss of it? I couldn’t even remember. It had been a while, because frankly, nobody was all that worth it until Juri came along. It would be an uphill battle, but… I was determined to make it work. I had fought even worse odds and somehow won. Perhaps that’s flawed, gambler’s logic, but I was willing to risk that for her. It had to work… Juri changed. She was someone my dad could respect. She was someone my siblings could like. I knew it. 

As I rolled over onto my side, I heard Juri come out of the shower and stumble into the room, Girls’ Generation blaring full blast from her phone as she moved about looking for her pajamas. Thankfully, I cleaned them, because I knew she’d wear them on the plane. 

“How’d the talk with the fam go?” Juri asked. 

“It um… Well, Dad’s not exactly thrilled about our relationship and George ratted me out, the brown nosing tosser, I could throttle him right now!” I sighed, admittedly, I was probably being far more dramatic than warranted but… Stress. Just stress. 

Juri winced, “Heh… Yeah, that tracks. Don’t worry, I’m gonna be on my best behavior, good noodle shit all the way, Kitten, you know. And I know how to be all proper for this. Already got phase one of the gift sorted out.” 

“Er… What?” 

“Phase one, expensive brandy. Bottle is packed in hella bubble rap. Phase two, seasonal fruit basket with fancy cheeses, will have to get that in the country as soon as we land. And then after dinner, I’m gonna finish the old man off with phase three, antique watch that cost a few grand… If it all goes according to plan, your pops will have nothing to worry about by the end of the night.” 

“How does trying to buy my dad’s approval give him reassurance?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow at this logic. “It’s not like this is the olden days and there’s a dowry.” 

“No, but proper gift giving when you’re meeting a girl’s parents is just respectful. You give your best to your elders, her elders I guess, to show you’re a good, polite person, and you make sure your wealth is on display so they know you can take care of their daughter. Frankly, I’m still pissed that Pinkie thinks I’m poor. I’m not poor, I can afford to give you the best,” Juri grumbled the last bit. “But in all seriousness… I wanna make a good impression, so I’m gonna do for your dad what my dad woulda wanted you to do for him, ya know? It’s a sign of respect. I ain’t trying to buy you, or him, it’s a sign of respect.” 

“I’m just a little worried he’ll be suspicious of all the expensive gifts when he already sees you as a dangerous criminal,” I explained. 

“Well, this is a cultural thing, ya know?” 

“I know, I’ll try to help explain that.. Thank you for taking this so seriously.” 

Juri shrugged and plopped down next to me, smiling a little, “Yeah, yeah, no need to get all mushy, Kitten.”

“Let me, I’m stressed,” I said as I ran my hand over her arm. “I just… This is really important to me. My family is everything to me. And so are you… I just really want things to work out.” 

“We’ll figure it out no matter what, Cammy,” Juri said as she leaned over to rest her head on my shoulder. “I ain’t giving up on you, you gotta give up on me first, ok?” 

“What makes you think I would?” 

“I like to think you won’t, but I’m talented,” she chuckled awkwardly. “It’s gonna work out. I’m gonna do my best to make a good impression on your family, ok?” 

“Ok… I trust you.” 

……………………………………………………..

The airport was absolutely bustling with activity, people all in a rush to get to their holidays, but for me, I was just going home. Juri had wandered off to peruse some high end boutiques at the airport as we waited by the gate. George was leaning against me, headphones on and snoring as we waited on our flight, and a few seats away, I could see Juni and Decapre sitting next to each other, both with their noses in books. It felt nostalgic in a way… I was used to seeing them curled up somewhere with a book, whispering judgemental remarks about the characters and prose, what kind of author the person must be, how the characters were bound to fail in the most delicious fashion. Or they’d debate what kind of fluffy animal everyone would be, and inevitably land on the conclusion that the entire cast of any given book would be exponentially more likable if they were composed of schnauzers instead. 

Juni closed her book, having finished only one of the stack she had packed for the plane with a sigh. Decapre glanced up and bit her lip before reaching into her bag. 

“Here,” she said as she pulled a hand bound and illustrated picture book out of her bag. “I…I made this for you.” 

Juni quirked an eyebrow in suspicion but accepted the book, “What is this?” 

“I’m bad at talking, you know that… But it’s what I wish I could say to you. And there’s also a schnauzer in it,” Decapre said, pointing to a colored pencil sketch of a fluffy little dog on the cover. “Um… I don’t expect anything from you, Juni. I’ve been a horrible partner to you. I’m immature and it scares me to think if I love you, you can hurt me. It scares me to have restrictions. I think I’ve lived the last ten years like I’ll drop dead any minute, I didn’t want to get attached, I didn’t want you to get attached but I reckon we already were.” 

“I should have told you I wanted to be exclusive instead of letting myself get angrier,” Juni admitted. “We… Why did we never talk about this before?” 

“I don’t know. I suppose we’re both too damn broken to function.” 

“Being agreeable is safer, I don’t really know who I am without the rage bubbling under everything. It’s familiar.” 

“And I don’t think I know how to let someone love me. It feels like being flayed alive, which would be fine if I didn’t mind letting you see how gross my liver looks right now,” Decapre joked, chuckling awkwardly. “I never meant to hurt you, Juni. But I know I did. And I’m sorry. I just… There’s no excuse, I’m a shitty person. I’m sorry.” 

“... I forgive you.” Juni said softly as she opened the book. “What’s this one about?” 

“Um, it’s really cheesy now that I think about it,” Decapre admitted. “So there’s this porcelain doll who fell off a shelf, and she’s got some jagged edges from she got glued back together, and because of this, when the other toys get to close, they end up with cuts in their fabric, or scratches on their porcelain. She doesn’t want to let them get close. They might get hurt, or maybe they’d push her off the shelf if her edges cut them, and she doesn’t want to break again. But there’s this cloth doll, and she’s simply wonderful. She got close, and she got a tear in her fabric, because the porcelain doll was being careless around her. So they stop being friends. The porcelain doll wants to make things right, so she cuts a good patch of fabric to repair the cloth doll out of her nicest dress and leaves it on her side of the shelf so she can repair herself in peace.” 

Juni flipped through the book, admiring the vibrant sketches. In the corner of my eye I could see the colors spilling out from the pages, like the colored pencil tin dumped out on my kitchen table for weeks. “I think a good friend wouldn’t be a coward and would come help her sew the patch on. That’s what friends do.” She glanced up at Decapre. “I think what they need is a good mending kit and some sandpaper. It’s what people who love each other do.” 

“Wouldn’t sand paper mess up the paint?” 

“Maybe… But I think to be loved is to be changed. Especially for toys.” Juni said with a shrug as she held Decapre’s hand. “This is good. This is a very good book. But I think it needs a new ending.” 

“Would you help me write a new ending?” Decapre asked. 

“I will,” Juni nodded, smiling a little. Decapre leaned against her, resting her head on Juni’s shoulder as they looked over the last page of the handmade picture book. 

“I love you.” 

“...I love you too.” 

I turned my gaze away from them and to Juri, who was coming back from some bamboozled boutique clerk in all her pajama clad glory, shopping bags in hand. She plopped down on the other side of me, nearly waking George up from the noise of her bags hitting the floor. 

“We boarding soon or not?” 

“Hm… I think we can wait a few more minutes…” I said as our group began to line up. I held her hand and smiled, looking out the window one last time at Metro City before returning home. 

Chapter Text

Juri POV

            I’ve never spent an extended period in London. I don’t hate it, but I only go if I got shit I gotta get done there. I kept my visits brief. Mainly because the traffic makes me wanna pull my hair out. Those buses are ballsier than they have any right to be and I only have time to beat up one foreign taxi cab driver at a stop sign at a time. Trying to do a traffic circle backwards makes my head hurt a bit. But so does my girlfriend shrieking and lurching like she’s gonna throw up next to me.

            “That was the exit you needed.”

            “It’s a fucking circle, we’ll get it next time.”

            “Stop holding my hand, focus on the roundabout, both hands on the wheel,” Cammy said, looking increasingly green. “But also hurry up, I’m going to be sick.”

            “Well maybe you shouldn’t have gotten drunk on the plane and you wouldn’t be nauseous,” I argued, narrowly avoiding rear ending some fiat and cutting off a double-decker bus in the process. Cammy yelped and stuck her head into the empty Greggs bag she was holding.

            “Don’t kill me.”

            “I’m not gonna kill you, quit bitching,” I huffed. “Ok, I’m gonna bust a u-y, this fucking thing is bullshit.”

            “Wait no!” Cammy shouted, but it was too late, I committed. I turned that car around, soared into my exit, and flew down the ramp into another roundabout, which had traffic lights in it and at that point I just screamed. Cammy threw up all the booze she spent the flight chugging like a sailor, making the rental car smell like a shady bar. I took the bag from her a chucked it out the window because I wasn’t about the spend the next hour smelling her insides. “Juri!”

            “It’s fine, it’s fine, stick your head out the window next time.”

            Cammy groaned and leaned back in her seat, “You’re the worst. I’m putting the flat in the nav, you figure it out, I’m not watching you cause a wreck anymore, I’m too hungover for that!”

            “Why do you drink so much on the flight?”

            “What’s the point in flying business class if you don’t spend the whole flight drinking beer, napping, and watching football in your little cube?” Cammy asked. “And it calms my nerves. I don’t do well on planes sober. I had bad experiences with planes growing up. And also YOU pushed me out of one!”

            “Oh, so I get to hear about that again just because you have a headache?” I said, cutting across a couple lanes of traffic to get to my next exit. “I said I’m sorry, will you let it go?”

            “Damn it, Juri, watch where you’re driving!”

            “IS this your apartment complex, HOE?!” I shouted as I parked outside the first row of flats I found.

            Cammy paused, “Yeah, this is it. And you’re parked wrong. Turn in there, park in one of the slots. You fucking cunt.”

            “We shouldn’t ride in cars together,” I decided as I turned into the residential parking and parked the car. “… Sorry for calling you a hoe and a drunk.”

            “It’s fine, I’m sure I’ll regret calling you a cunt later even though it’s kinda true,” Cammy groaned as she rolled out of the passenger’s seat onto the gravel parking lot. “I’m just gonna sit here and try to make the world stop spinning.”

            “You can’t sleep here, come on, it’s not that far,” I sighed, getting out of the car and picking up my drunk ass girlfriend. “Which number am I looking for, do you have your keys.”

            “116. They’re in my pocket,” Cammy said as she clung to me. “Don’t divorce me, I wanna cuddle and watch our shows.”

            “Cams, it’s not been nearly long enough to call breaking up a divorce,” I laughed as she hugged my girlfriend close to me. “It’s fine, we’re just jetlagged. Let’s get you and the cats settled, I’ll get takeout, it’ll be fine.”

            “There’s a really good takeaway place across the street; you don’t have to go too far.”

            “There we go, one problem solved,” I muttered as I unlocked the door to her house and carried her inside. Most of it was furnished, since she had rented furniture in Metro City. Still, some of our stuff was being sent to us, and we planned to unpack before shipping off to Nayshall for the tourney. I set my drunk ass girlfriend on her couch then ran back to the car to retrieve the cats, all pissed off to different degrees, but they were fixing to be even more ticked off when they realized I wasn’t gonna make a third trip. I picked all those grouchy bastards up out of their carriers and hauled them up the stairs to their home, ignoring their hissing and claws digging into my shoulders. I set them on the couch with Cammy, who was already curled up under a blanket with the tv remote in her hands. I gave her a gentle kiss then took off to get dinner. Honestly, she lucked out, I’m basically the domestic equivalent of a knight in shining armor…at least when she’s wasted. 

As I made my way outside, I watched the rain fall onto the pavement in contemplation. Not that I make a habit of deep thinking, but it happens from time to time. I hadn’t had a lot of serious relationships; sure, I had a lot of situationships and fuck buddies, but I guess I really only had two serious relationships, ones where I honest to god wanted to spend my life with that woman, do all the domestic bullshit and drudgery with. Only two women made it worth it to me. Things blew up with Crimson, mainly because we brought out the worst in each other. We’re shady to equal degrees and it turns out that’s pretty bad for trust long term. I wish things hadn’t turned out like they did, but the more I look back, the cracks were always there, they were foundational. It’s hard to have a good relationship when your whole dynamic is based on scamming people out of money and hooking up. Even as we spent our lives together, we shrouded ourselves in secrecy and shadows. We’re liars by trade. Crimson’s position leads her to lie to my face over and over again, and I lie back because deception is how I’ve kept myself alive this long. Our jobs require us to be backstabbing, deceptive, cruel, and detached. No matter how much we bonded, there were always walls. We’d break down one then put up another. She’d sooner slit her own throat than be truly vulnerable in front of ANYONE and I wasn’t about to let her see my weak points either. You can’t maintain a relationship on excitement and affection alone. You can’t work it out if you’re not willing to have hard conversations.

 I loved her, in some ways, I always will. We spent seven years together. We raised a kid together. That’s not something that you can just erase feelings on. And I think she meant it when she said she still loved me, that she wanted me back. A year ago I would’ve taken her up on that. I would’ve gotten back together with her in a heartbeat. But it’s different now. It would be easier on Lauren if I got back together with Crimson, but I can’t forgive her for breaking my heart and I fell in love with Cammy. I’m not willing to throw away a relationship where I’m happy for a chance at rekindling with my ex who I don’t trust anymore. I’ve spilled my guts to Cammy more than I have to anyone, frankly, it scares me a bit how much she knows about me now. If she wanted, she could truly hurt me. She could fucking wreck my shit. But I trust that she won’t. And I think she’s probably in the same spot.

I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She’s really family oriented so this little trip home to meet the rest of the family could really make or break things. I don’t have a great track record with getting people’s parents to like me.  Crimson’s dad kept calling me ‘the army wife’ and accusing me of stealing her money, which was just some racist bullshit. Her mom couldn’t cope with me being a woman. Most of my casual girlfriends were girls with daddy issues who wanted a rich, powerful sugar mommy and I wanted hot chicks to fuck. So not exactly the kind of situation where you’re getting in good with someone’s folks. Cammy’s old man already doesn’t like me, and I don’t know how hard it’s gonna be to change that, but damn it, I’m gonna try…

…………………………

            The next evening Cammy and I walked across the road to her dad’s house. I think Cammy would’ve made us walk regardless because she’s still unhappy about my driving. I made sure to look snazzy, but put my titties away cause you gotta do that for family shindigs. I ended up going with some dark jeans, a hot pink dressy tank top, and a purple suit jacket. Classy enough to kiss old man ass, but casual enough for family dinner. I made sure to wear my most expensive watch so everyone would know I have money to blow on making Cammy happy. I also made sure to wear a cute charm bracelet she gave me a couple weeks ago, because obviously you always wear anything your woman gives you to meet the family provided it’s not lingerie. The bracelet had a few little charms, a spider, a yin yang, a motorcycle, a Mountain Dew can, a lollipop, and a tiny bowl of tteokbokki. I’m not even sure where she found all those charms, maybe Etsy? It was my new favorite accessory.  In my coat pocket I had a jewelry box with a vintage hand watch since Cammy’s old man likes antiques. In my arms was a big ass basket of seasonal fruits, fancy cheese, and a couple fancy cracker meats like summer sausage, as well as a good bottle of brandy wrapped to hell and back with bubble wrap. Cammy was in cargo pants, a blue sleeveless turtleneck, her red raincoat, and a horse charm necklace I got her for Valentine’s day. She was holding an umbrella over me, letting the rain pound down on her while shielding me from it. I felt spoiled, but I would’ve felt more spoiled if she hadn’t insisted on walking.

            “Don’t be nervous. I think Dad will warm up to you once he gets to know you. And I don’t think Lita or Uncle Matt will have any issue with you. You already know Decapre, George, and Juni, Jianyu went to bat for you on zoom, and well, Tomie is a baby. I don’t think she really cares,” Cammy said as we walked up to the front door of the townhouse. “Just be respectful and don’t say anything crude about me. They can be a little overprotective sometimes.”

            “Yeah, here goes nothing.”

            Cammy rapped her knuckles against the door a few times then waited, closing the umbrella since we were standing under the shade of the front porch. There was shuffling and muffled voices in the background, and I just stood there, holding this oversized basket looking dopey. It’s pretty humbling if nothing else. After what felt like forever, a tall, middle aged man with red hair opened the door. He seemed annoyed but his expression softened.

            “Oh good, you’re home safe,” he said, smiling at Cammy, who threw her arms around him.

            “I missed you.”

            “I missed you too, Cammy. Come on inside, get dry and comfortable. Your brother and sister are in the living room,” Keith said before averting his gaze to me. He cleared his throat, staring me down like he was assessing a crime scene. “Is this your guest?”

            “Dad, this is Juri, my girlfriend. She’s a little stubborn, I couldn’t talk her out of bringing something for the table,” Cammy said, motioning for me to come into the mud room with her. “We’ve been dating since October, and she’s been an immense help in the Matryoshka case.”

            “You moved in September…” Keith adjusted his glasses and nodded to me. “Come in, please make yourself comfortable. Can I get you some tea or water?”

            “Uh, I’ll have tea, thanks,” I replied, following my girlfriend and her dad into the house. Once I stepped inside, I shuffled out of my shoes and used my toes to rearrange them nicely by the door since my hands were full. I set the basket down on the kitchen counter in front of the sink.  As we walked down the short hallway, I noticed a plethora of family photos, some I’d seen copies of in Cammy’s house, but mostly new ones. The wall was lined with images of Cammy, her dad, uncle, and siblings, their vacation snapshots, daily life, just cozy, comfortable family vibes until I got to this formal portrait of them that was like the bargain bin of JC Penny’s photography department. Cammy was probably like, sixteen or seventeen, clearly a kid, and it was of her with her brother and sister lined up on one side of the photo while her dad and uncle’s giant disembodied heads floated in the black void next to them. I stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. There was just too much. Like, where to start? You had Cammy, who was holding this pissed off looking cat, wearing a sweater with a seagull on it, Lita in this long floral dress, and George was in a Sonic tee shirt rocking more makeup than his sisters. Then there’s just Matthew and Keith’s disembodied heads staring into the distance. I don’t know who thought this clusterfuck looked good, but apparently it was a special picture since it had a spot of honor among all the other photos.

            “That’s our first family portrait all together,” Cammy explained. “This was right after Dad legally adopted me.”

            “I’m not even gonna question your brother or the seagull sweater, but what’s with the floating void heads?”

            “I don’t know, the photographer told us it was artsy and refined. I think she was taking the piss in hindsight though.”

            “Gee, ya think?” I snickered. “You look really cute though. Is that Sarge?”

            “Yes, that’s Sarge. We called him Sarge because he looked and acted like a drill sergeant. See, he had a fluffy white mustache and was angry,” Cammy explained as she pointed to the cat in the picture then motioned to another photo on the wall of her and the cat curled up on the couch together. “He only liked me. He used to sleep with me in my room every night and wake me up as soon as the sun rose so I could give him his tuna. That grumpy git wouldn’t touch his cat food unless he got to start his day with a can of tuna. Real entitled bugger, but I miss him.” She led me over to the living room so we could socialize with the rest of the family and I followed, though my thoughts lingered on those old pictures. Ironically, she got a parent around the time I lost mine. I wish I still had all my old family photos, but I lost them when I had to leave my grandparents; all I had left were the ones I could physically carry with me. Who knows if the others still exist.

The townhouse was a little cramped given the amount of people inside; five of Cammy’s siblings were inside along with her uncle and niece. Plus two cats. The cats looked less happy than Papa Bear with my presence. So normal cats I guess.

            “That’s Mewy Shelly and Jane Pawsten,” Cammy whispered as she pointed out the cats, who were lounging on the back of the couch. “That’s Lita and that’s my niece, Tomie.”

            “Does she have a middle name if she grows up to not wanna be named after the seductive schoolgirl demon?” I whispered.

            “… her middle name is Constance-Merciful-Faith… And it’s hyphenated.”  Cammy whispered back.

            I breathed in sharply through my nose. That child was going to be relentlessly bullied. I always thought Lauren’s name was a bit plain but holy shit Tomie Constance-Merciful-Faith is overboard. What in the Bible thumping hell is that middle name? But I kept it in. Mainly because one of the toddler’s mommy was rushing over to say hi to Cammy.

            “Oh my goodness, look, it’s Auntie Cammy,” Lita said, holding the toddler on her hip as she approached. “Say hi to Auntie.”

            “Hello, Tomie,” Cammy smiled and waved to her niece, who shyly hugged her mom’s neck.

            “Why are you being shy?” Lita asked her daughter.

            “Lita, she was three months old last time she saw me, it’s ok,” Cammy reminded. “It’s good to be home.”

            “We missed you. I’m going to be so angry next time they deploy you, you missed the birthday party, it’s so unfair,” Lita complained. “Jianyu’s in the kitchen with Uncle Matt. They’re making dinner.”

            “I’ll say hi in a moment.”

            “So, this is the woman you’ve brought home?” Lita asked, eyeing me up. “I don’t think you need to be living together before marriage. It’s been eight months, why has she not proposed?”

            “What?” I asked.

            “Proposed? It’s not even been a year, Lita, are you daft?!” Cammy exclaimed.

            “You’re not getting any younger, Cammy, how much longer do you need? It’s been eight months, you should know if she’s marriage material by now. I married Jianyu after six months,” Lita said proudly, because apparently she’s insane. “If she’s good enough to bring home, she’s good enough to marry, isn’t she?”

            Decapre piped up, “Juri can change tire, drive, and fix leaky faucet. If she survive family dinner, she is marriage material, yes.”

            “Lita, Decapre. No. I mean, I’d be willing to, I love her, but not right this very minute, calm down,” Cammy sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

            “Premarital cohabitation is the fast pass lane to premarital sex, you’re playing with fire, specifically hell fire. God only approves of pussy eating within the confines of marriage. Have you read our book yet? Jianyu was supposed to give you a copy.”

            “SHUT UP PLEASE!” Cammy yelped, hiding her face in her hands. “None of that is going on, and it wouldn’t be your business anyways, stop embarrassing me!”

            “I’m just trying to save you some of the shame I dealt with, ok, I stumbled, it happens, but what kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t warn you about the demons lurking around to tempt you into sin?”

            “Wow, you’re just fucking crazy,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. “…and that came out of my mouth...” Fuck!

            “Aww, honey, don’t be so harsh on Cammy, she’s on her own walk,” Jianyu said as she scampered out of the kitchen and began massaging Lita’s shoulders. “Juri’s been taking good care of her, I hear she’s very patient and sweet from Decapre. I’m sure they’ll get hitched soon, there’s no need to be so worried. Besides, Cammy’s a total wuss, I doubt they’ve done anything.” Jianyu somehow managed to talk with her hands while massaging her wife, moving her fingers off and onto Lita’s shoulders for emphasis as she spoke.

            “Hey!” Cammy exclaimed in protest to Jianyu’s description of her.

            “Juri is remarkably tolerable all things considered,” Juni added. “That’s more than I can say for some people.”

            “Agreed, that last one was terrible. Useless woman.  Did absolutely nothing but expected everything. Like men. Waste of time, I told her, but she didn’t listen,” Decapre scoffed.

            “I don’t think anyone needs to be discussing marriage right now,” Keith interjected. “We barely know this woman, it hasn’t even been a year, Cammy is too sensible to humor this madness. Lita, stop harassing your sister. Cammy, don’t bring up cohabitation around Lita.”

            “I didn’t even bring it up, she did!” Cammy whined into her hands, hiding her face like she would when she was all flustered. She lowered her hands and snapped back, “And I don’t need relationship advice from someone who got married in secret to a woman she knew for less than a year.”

            “And I’ve still had more successful relationships than you despite it,” Lita clapped back. “Besides, Jianyu thinks she’s good for you and I trust my wife.”

            “That doesn’t mean we have to run off and elope in the dead of night like you people. Juri would probably kill herself before she’d pay taxes.”

            I nodded, because she’s kinda right, my hesitancy to get hitched is entirely the way it would make tax evasion harder, “Plus that’d throw the custody agreement I got going with my ex into the air, cause like, Crimson doesn’t really want Lauren staying at Cammy’s place, so if she came here that’d throw things off, but I can’t really fly between countries every weekend. Wouldn’t really be fair to anyone to get hitched right now, I mean, Lauren’s super sore about her mom and I breaking up and she’s only now starting to like Cammy. I don’t wanna disorient her more right now.”

            “You have a kid?” Keith asked, quirking an eyebrow.

            “Adopted, she’s my ex’s daughter. But yeah, I mean, I helped raise her so she’s mine. She’s not super stoked on this situation, she’s pretty disappointed her mom and I ain’t getting back together so even if we were ready, it really wouldn’t be a great time because it would stress Lauren out. She needs more time to get used to things and I’d rather wait until she’s in college.”

            Keith paused before nodding, “That’s admirable. The kids should always come first. How old is she?”

            “Just turned sixteen. She’s already doing college classes but she technically ain’t out of high school yet. I’m trying to get her into an ivy league; I want her to do well. I didn’t go to college, super regret it. She’s gonna be a doctor or a lawyer, something worth a damn, ya know? I don’t need her getting involved in shady shit like her mother and I. She likes to pretend she’s a badass and a gangster but she’s really some freckly ass ginger redneck with money from the asscrack of Alabama. She’d get fucking demolished in my shoes,” I explained, shaking my head a bit at Lauren’s last escapade. “She and Cammy are getting along pretty good since Cammy handed her a kitten though.”

            “Fishcake is a very cute cat and it’s not like I’m trying to be her stepmum or anything, I mean, that would be ludicrous. She would have three mums, and that’s entirely too many mums. You must always have an even number of mums, if it’s an odd number it’s chaos,” Cammy said, shaking her head with a tsk. “The optimal number is two or four. Never three.”

            “Your tism is showing,” I snickered.

            “Well, it would be one thing is Crimson also had a partner, because then the mums would be even,” Cammy explained. “But Crimson doesn’t. So, I can’t be stepmum until she has an additional stepmum to even out the distribution.”

            Lita scoffed, “Cammy, you can’t be serious. This child needs stability, and three is always the most stable number of parents because they represent the Trinity.”

            “Three is not an even number, Lita! It’s like having a three legged table!”

            Jianyu sighed and pulled Cammy off into the kitchen, “Ok, enough of this, girl talk, you and me.”

            “wait, don’t leave me here-“ I said but they completely ignored me and ran off.

……………………………………………

            While Cammy and Jianyu were talking, I sat on the couch, watching George, Decapre, and Juni play Rock-Band on an old xbox 360.  Lita was on the couch next to me with Tomie, reading her a book quietly. That left Keith and I sitting in silence, drinking tea and watching everyone else make noise.  I was slicing some of the fruit I had brought over a tray on my lap, trying to remember how to make the damn persimmon swan. Mom had insisted that being able to slice fruit in fancy ways would impress my in laws one day. So far, I had carved up multiple fruit flowers and swans and decorated the tray with all the berries, but it didn’t seem to make a dent in that old man’s attitude. Again. At least he hadn’t said anything racist like Crimson’s dad when I did this.

            “…”

            “…”

            Keith sighed, “Cammy seems quite certain about your relationship. I don’t think either one of you quite understand how much of a liability this is. Cammy’s clearance is extremely difficult to renew because of her past with Shadaloo. She’s a Russian immigrant, she has ties to a dangerous cult and terrorism, even though she’s our best agent the government has always looked at her as a potential threat. Do you realize her publicly being associated with you could damage her career?”

            “She’s brought it up…” I admitted. “But I can support Cammy if work falls through. Through clean money. I own many businesses across South Korea and I own several in Alabama where I was living with my ex for a while.”

            “I don’t give a rat’s ass if you can support her, she needs her own income, her independence, I don’t want my daughter relying on anyone for her financial stability,” Keith said, narrowing his eyes at me. “Cammy was exploited from the time she was born. She comes from an extremely abusive background and has one of the worst cases of PTSD I’ve ever seen, even if she refuses to admit it. She’s been in abusive relationships before, she doesn’t know how have a healthy relationship because of her past. I hope that changes, because I don’t want her to be lonely, but I don’t trust her judgement given her choices in partners before. I don’t want her relying on a woman because she’s proven time and time again she can’t pick a good one. What gives you the right to sabotage her career? Why do you want to be the one bringing in income but not her?”

            “Uh… Well, I know that’s what my dad would wanna hear from her if it was the other way around,” Juri blinked. “I dunno, dude, she seems stressed a lot. I don’t want her to lose her job, obviously, but I also think she’s a workaholic who could chill a bit. I think exposing her to all the shit with Shadaloo remnants day in and day out is making her mental health worse to be honest. It’s been that way for me too.”

            Keith’s lips pursed into a straight, tense line across his face as he processed that, “Juri, do you actually care about her, or is this a ploy? I don’t have time for games. Not when it comes to my kids.”

            “To be frank? Cammy ain’t an easy person to live with. I love her to pieces but if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have put up with living with her, her fragile psyche, her sister crashing in our living room, my ex and kid trying to start shit with us, all to be with someone who I don’t care about who doesn’t wanna have sex. That’s just the blunt truth of it. Things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for us, I’m here because I love her, because I want to spend our lives together, and I know family is the most important thing to her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you, I would’ve just gone right on to Nayshall without her,” I explained. “I’m not a good person, but she makes me want to be.”

            “… Cammy’s mental health has always been turbulent,” Keith said softly. “When I adopted her, she couldn’t tell me much about her past, she couldn’t even remember her name. When she would remember things, they were usually horrific and difficult for her to handle. People weren’t meant to endure the kind of trauma she did. She was diagnosed with severe PTSD as a teenager, but when she turned eighteen I couldn’t make her see professionals anymore. She’s insisted that she doesn’t have PTSD and learned to lie her way through psyche evaluations for the sake of her career, but she needs help. I’ve tried everything. I’ve begged, and bartered, and harassed her to get help but she won’t listen to me. If you really love her, try to get her to a therapist who specializes in cases like hers. If she won’t listen to me, maybe she’ll listen to you.”

            I sat with that for a moment. Cammy’s mental health was clearly spiraling, I guess it really had been for a while. She was almost a textbook case. There were nights she wouldn’t sleep at all, or nights were she’d wake me up turning on all the lights and hugging her knees, freaking out that someone was going to sneak up on her. She’ll just sit in the shower until the water runs cold, crying because she thinks Decapre and I won’t notice. She barricades doors. She stops talking entirely sometimes, snaps at people over minor shit, and isolates herself from even Decapre and I. To be honest, it was like looking at a mirror sometimes and that’s what scared the shit out of me. Maybe we both needed a shrink. “I… I’ll try. Maybe we both need it. I want the best for her.”

            “That we can agree on then,” Keith softened, smiling ever so slightly for the first time since we had met, petting one of the cats that had settled on his lap. The background noise of clunky plastic instruments, karaoke, and pots and pans clanging around in the kitchen felt a bit less intense somehow.

            “Juri, we don’t have Mountain Dew, we have juice though, is that ok?” Cammy asked as she came walking into the living room. “Oh, Dad, did you want to try the brandy Juri brought us? It’s a good one, I was going to have a glass myself.”

            “I’ll have one, thank you,” Ketih replied.

            “Juice works for me, thanks, Kitten.”

            George perked up, “I just realized what we should call Juri, Lita!”

            “What?”

            “She’s a hobbit. Because she runs around without shoes all the time,” George grinned.

            “Fucking excuse me?” I asked.

            Cammy sighed, “Right, I forgot. Lita and George call anyone I bring home a fantasy creature because when I was dating this Irish girl as a teenager and my English was still iffy, I told them she was Elvish.”

            “I don’t wanna be a hobbit, I wanna be something cool, like a fox demon or some shit,” I argued.

            “Too bad, they christened you a hobbit, now come eat supper, you haven’t eaten since second breakfast,” Cammy winked and ran off to the kitchen to help her family put out the spread. I glared at George, who was rather pleased with himself.

            “I may be a hobbit, but you’re a furry so who’s really losing?”

            “Still you, I’m the gainfully employed kind,” George laughed. “Off to Mordor with you.”

            “Hey, it could be worse, we called her last girlfriend a kraken,” Lita shared. “And the one before an orc. And they called my wife a succubus.”

            George grinned, “Well yeah, that’s because she be succubusing every pecker around and we didn’t realize you had a God-honoring cuck fetish.”

            “I do not! Tomie is a miracle, ok, and my wife is a sex worker, yes, but so were a lot of great women in the Bible!”

            “George, stop calling your sister in a law a whore, we all agreed not to ask about Tomie, we’re just happy she’s here,” Keith scolded.

            I couldn’t help but crack up as I carried the tray of fruit over to the table for everyone to enjoy. Maybe I fit in with these lunatics more than I thought. “God-honoring cuck fetish, he drug her for filth.”

            “Don’t remind me,” Cammy sighed, making Jianyu cackle behind her.