Street Fighter: Road Trip!
Part 4
By Foxtrot Tango Alpha
 
 

A soft landing started off the American adventure. Guile's military base was a few miles away, & they were also going to need a helicopter to enter Brazil, where they would pick up Blanka. It seemed someone was expecting the group. What seemed like a military convoy was ready to pick them up. They all got into a troop carrier & rode to Guile's base. While in the carrier, Chun Li & Cammy had a girl-to-girl talk.
        "Hey, Chun Li!" Cammy whispered.
        "What?" Chun Li asked.
        "I have something to share with you!"
        "Is it about Guile?"
        "Yes, how did you know?"
        "She found out about my relationship with Dan like that, too." Sakura said, entering the conversation.
        "You're dating Dan?" Cammy asked, scratching her head. "I thought you were with Ryu!"
        "Yeah, but then he trained me & told me that Chun Li was his only true love..." Sakura replied. Chun Li blushed at this.
        "Then what?" Chun Li asked, trying to cover up her blushing.
        "He asked me if I had any other martial arts teachers that I liked, so I pointed to one of Dan's signed photos on the wall. He told me to go with him, so I did, & now we're dating." Sakura said, her face blushing a crimson red when she mentioned her boyfriend's name.
        "I never thought of you two getting together..." Cammy said, quickly becoming interested. "How is he?"
        "In love? Well, since he's stopped trying to force his love & his ego on everyone else, he's actually become...charming!"
        Dan? Charming? How could this be? Has the end come & gone? Cammy pondered very hard. She then asked Sakura...
        "How could Dan change so much?"
        "I dunno, but I like it a lot!" Sakura said, her face blushing now whenever the name "Dan" was mentioned by anyone.
        "I mean, isn't it a bit, erm..."
        "Yes?"
        "Unusual?"
        Cammy was about to earn a slap, Sakura thought, but she actually had good reasoning. Sakura decided to think about it after the subject changed.
        "So, anyway Cammy. What were you going to say about Guile?" Sakura said, effectively changing the subject. She was totally surprised to see Cammy blush a bit at this.
        "Well...'y see...Guile..."
        "Spit it out, lover girl!" Sakura said hastily. Cammy got pissed off at this & smacked Sakura, but at the same time, she blew her cover. Looks like I'll have to tell, Cammy thought.
        "Ouch!" Sakura said, "What on Earth was that for?"
        "Sorry, I just got mad that...you told my secret. Well, I kind of like Guile. I mean, if he wasn't married, I would ask him out sometime..." Cammy admitted.
        "How long have you been filing out paperwork? Guile has long been single." Chun Li told her. Cammy blushed so far red that it made Sakura's crimson blushes look bad. "So, you're going to..."
        "I don't know. I'll think about it, & if I want to, I'll ask him out."
        "You should take the opportunity to start a relationship, Cammy, before you split up again!" Chun Li remarked. "If I didn't speak up, I might not have Ryu for a fiance right now!"
        "True, Chun Li. I will ask him out before we leave on the chopper!"
        The girls nodded & then they started telling secrets about the guy Street Fighters. Each had some photos to share of their favorite men. If the guys in another troop carrier could hear them, they would have heard oohs & ahhs, & maybe swoons! But, unfortunately, none of them could hear the women in the other troop carrier, even though they were side by side. Dan & the guys were doing the same thing the girls were doing: passing around photos of their girlfriends. Ryu only shared 1 picture of Chun Li. He explained that the others weren't fully clothed. Ken's & Dan's eyebrows raised at this. Ken had a couple pics of Eliza, but he didn't even show one. Dan explained it as they were all coated with whipped cream, then got a punch in the face, to which Dan responded with a Gadoken. Ryu calmed them down, but Dan was egging it on, saying "My Gadoken hurt more!" Dan had a picture that Sakura had, too, & both were showing them off: It was a picture of Dan & Sakura making out on top of a skyscraper in front of a full moon. Both groups had different reactions...
        "Wow, Dan! I knew you were good at cameras, but I didn't know you could do this! Hey, do you want to be my photographer?" Ken asked in bewilderment.
        "Got cash?" Dan asked. This netted him 200 bucks.
        "That picture reminds me of the fight!" Ryu said.
        "Everything beautiful reminds you of the fight, Ryu." Dan & Ken said. Just then, when Ryu had a good look at the picture, something flashed inside his mind. He woke up a few seconds later in cold sweat.
        "What the heck happened, bud?" Ken asked.
        "Yeah, it's just like you fainted with your eyes open!" Dan said.
        "I don't know, it's like something entered my mind & became part of me." Ryu explained.
        "Huh?" Dan & Ken asked in unison. Back in the women's troop carrier...
        "It's an amazing photo, isn't it?" Sakura asked. Her friends were practically bent over the photo.
        "It's completely romantic, mate! When did Dan get so good at photos?" Cammy asked.
        "Pfft! He's always been good at photos, Cammy! He's become our go-to guy for photography!" Sakura said.
        "Oh, if only Dan was around to take our picture when Ryu proposed..." Chun Li sighed.
        "HEY!" Sakura yelled. "That's my boyfriend!"
        "But he could easliy take a picture of our wedding, right?" Chun Li said hastily, a sweatdrop appearing on her hairline.
        "Hey! Let me show you guys another picture!" Cammy butted in. "I got this one of my boyfriend off the Internet!"
        "Wow!" Chun Li said.
        "He ain't that good. Dan could easily beat that..." Sakura said, sticking by her man. Sakura was, of course, correct on this remark, but only Karin knew that.

        Karin was still busy trying to break up Dan & Sakura. She tried a cheap jealousy trick first...
        "I'll order 100 signed photos of my hubby, & that ought to make Sakura jealous! I wonder when she'll crack!" Karin said with evil intentions, then she laughed & picked up her cellphone. She dialed Dan's cellphone number, which she learned during her one night stand with him. Soon, Dan heard his theme song ringtone...
        "Hello! This is Dan Hibiki! The world's premier master of Saikyo at your service!"
        "I wouldn't have it any other way, Dan!"
        "Errr...who is this?"
        "I want 100 signed photographs of yourself delivered to this address today!" Karin ordered, IMing Dan the address.
        "OK, it might take a while to get there though, cause I'm in the USA."
        "That's alright, when do you think it will get here?"
        "Four days, you know those postal planes, they take forever to cross one ocean!" Dan joked. Karin laughed, but her characteristic laugh blew her element of surprise.
        "Karin? Why do you want 100 of my autographs? Is it to make Sakura jealous?" Dan yelled. Karin lost all progress & was quickly entering the emotional red..."Well I love her, & nothing you can do will break us apart!"
        "But...Dan...I love you!" Karin said, falsely trying to make herself sound like she was heartbroken. It didn't work.
        "Yeah, Karin? You should have said it sooner, because now, I have a girlfriend! It's not like you could have admitted it when Sakura wasn't my girlfriend! No! You had to blurt it out, right when I was feeling peachy!" Dan yelled. He then turned off his cellphone & the other two guys were speechless. Karin was speechless on the other end, too. She actually had tears coming out of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away & tried to think up a new plan. Just at that moment, Constan the butler came in.
        "Do you have anything to report, Constan?" Karin said, trying to hide the bottomless feeling she now had.
        "Yes ma'am! I found out that the brainwashing helmet was actually put on Ryu after the Shinkuu Hadoken!"
        "Good work, Constan."
        "Thank you ma'am! I shall be off now ma'am!"
        As the dumpy Constan ran, or rather flopped, down the hall, Karin was wondering what would happen if she met Dan again...would she get yelled at? She didn't want that hurtful lecture again. She somehow felt that Sakura had caught a good man for a change, instead of following a guy around with emotions like a human boulder.

        Ryu, Ken, Dan, Chun Li, Sakura, & Cammy arrived at the Military Base at last. When they got out, they were greeted by none other than Guile. Cammy pocketed her picture of him...well, pocketed as in stuffed under her battle suit. They had a good meal & Guile said that they'd leave in a chopper for Brazil very early, so they'd better hit the sack before they went up. Guile had a special VIP barracks for high profile characters in his base, & our friends were welcome to it. It was late before anyone would get to sleep. Dan & Chun Li hit the hay almost immediately, & Ryu fell asleep a little later. Ken wanted to tell Sakura about Dan's over-the-phone argument. He got out of his bed & tapped on her shoulder...
        "Wha? Ken?"
        "Shhh..." Ken told Sakura, mentioning to the door. "Follow me!"
        She did as she was told. They closed the door on their way out & Cammy got up.
        "Ahhh, now to get that picture out & look at it again! Waitaminute...where did I put it?" Cammy said nervously. "Uh-oh!"

        Ken started relating to Sakura what Dan said over the phone. Ken didn't know who Karin was, so he asked Sakura. Couldn't have asked for a better time bomb!
        "KARIN IS AFTER MY BOYFRIEND?!?!?!" Sakura exploded.
        "Shhh! Our friends can hear you!" Ken cautioned.
        "I DON'T CARE IF THE WHOLE BASE HEARS ME!!! KARIN IS IN LOVE WITH DAN & SHE'S TRYING TO STEAL HIM AWAY!!!" Sakura bellowed. "WELL DON'T THIS JUST BEAT ALL!!!"
        "Need a phone call, Sakura?" Ken suggested.
        "Yeah, hand it over..." Sakura replied, surprisingly calm & quiet. Ken did so & Sakura phoned a number she knew for a while.
        "Hello! Is this the Kanzuki residence? I'd like to talk to Miss Karin please! OK..."
        "Hello! This is Karin! To whom am I speaking to?" Karin asked. Her voice sounded a bit nervous, cause she though it was Dan back on the phone to give her another lecture, but then she heard the voice of the only person who could tell her off worse...
        "Yeah, Karin. This is Sakura."
        "Oh!" Karin said, there was definite fear in her voice now. "Sakura! I didn't know you would be calling at this late hour!"
        "Yeah? Cause I had a situation. Three words would sum it up nicely: MY, DAN, HIBIKI!!!"
        "Now listen, Sakura! I can explain!"
        "OH YEAH! I'M PRETTY SURE YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE FACT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BREAK US UP!!! WHAT NEXT? YOU GONNA TRY & MARRY HIM?" Sakura exploded.
        "...*sniff*......*sob*...Sakura...I didn't mean to! It's just that your boyfriend is so hot!" Karin said, but she hit the entirely wrong note...
        "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY DAN THAT WAY!!! IF I COULD, I WOULD COME OVER THERE & KNOCK YOU FLAT!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?"
        "........yes!"
        "Good! Now, go get another boyfriend before I decide to make do on my threat!" Sakura said fiercely.
        "Alright..." Karin said, mortified.
        Sakura turned off the cellphone & said "I feel better, don't you?"
        "Sakura, Dan already accosted Karin on the way here!" Ken said. Sakura now felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of guilt & pity for Karin. If Dan already yelled at Karin, that means that her own treatment might have mentally & emotionally scarred Karin. Sakura started to tear up. She asked for the phone again. No answer, so she left a message.
        "Ummm...Karin? This is Sakura. I didn't know that Dan had already yelled at you, otherwise I would have given a fair, calm warning to stay away from him! I'm terribly sorry that I yelled at you! Just, give me a call when you hear this message. Call Ken's cellphone. I'll be here to comfort you...goodbye!" Sakura said, with obvious sadness in her voice.
        Karin heard the message over speakerphone. She was already laying eagle-sprawled on the hard marble floor, crying her heart out, but when she heard the message, the feeling of being a worthless excuse for a human lump of scum stopped, & she felt a little better knowing that Sakura would have never said that if she knew that Dan had attacked her. She took Sakura's offer & called Ken's cell number. Ken had already fallen asleep, but Sakura had stayed awake, expecting this call. She heard the ring & picked up.
        "Hello?"
        "...*sniffle*...This is...Karin..."
        "Oh, my god, Karin! Are you alright? You sound awful! But it's probably my fault, anyway. Making you feel like trash..."
        "No! I...deserve it...I should have never tried to brake you up! You two were made for each other, but I let pride & lust get in the way of my better judgment!"
        "Lust?!" Sakura replied, baffled.
        "YES! I did do it! I did do your boyfriend! It was that night at London, when Dan was walking around outside, he came outside & my limo pulled up. I pulled him in & drove away! I'm so sorry!!!" Karin admitted. She was now crying as if her entire family had been wiped out in a nuclear blast. She admitted everything as if she were on her deathbed with only half a day left to live. Sakura learned about her one night stand with Dan, the drugging, everything. Even though Sakura didn't ask, or even suspect this kind of behavior from Karin, Karin told the absolute truth. Actually, Sakura was touched by this sudden display of honesty & caring.
        "So now you know everything! I know if you don't want to be my friend any more, that's fine, I deserve that, too! Just don't yell at me anymore!" Karin cried. Panic had clearly settled in Karin's heart. She was positively afraid! Sakura knew what happened to people who's souls are crushed like this: suicide. But Sakura also knew one of the only ways to repair a crushed soul: forgiveness.
        "Karin?"
        "Y..yes, Sakura?"
        "I forgive you!"
        "I knew it, I knew you wouldn't want to be my...what?"
        "I forgive you, silly!" Sakura said, trying to make Karin happy.
        "Really?" Karin said, a glimmer of hope & joy entering her.
        "Yes! In fact I should be congratulating you & thanking you!"
        "What for? I destroyed any aspect of innocence Dan ever had!" Karin said sadly, depression threatening to settle in if Sakura didn't stop it.
        "I know you kind of acted irrationally, but Dan would have to feel the experience sooner or later, & I figure why not sooner? Also, I think you taught him some things! Even though he might not remember, it won't be his first time when he actually does marry someone..."
        "You, Sakura."
        "I'm hoping!" Sakura said cheerfully, "And you both got your wings!"
        "Don't go all birds & bees on me Sakura, just say it..." Karin replied. She was now as wonderful as ever.
        "OK, you both lost your virginity at the same time..." Sakura said, embarassed.
        "Better." Karin complemented.
        "...And that gives Dan an advantage on me, if..."
        "When, Sakura. You know it's gonna happen!"
        "Karin, I feel like giving you a hug right now!"
        "Awww!"
        "Well, when we get married, that gives him an advantage on me, cause I'm still a virgin." Sakura said, getting more embarrassed by the minute.
        "Come on, Sakura! I've seen the same things you have on the Internet & I went through it fine! We actually shook the car!" Karin said, now equally embarrassed.
        "Thanks! Oh, & Karin?"
        "Yes?"
        "When you...did it...with Dan. Did you happen to..."
        "Oh!" Karin laughed, catching when she was asking easily. "It's a foot long."
        "Wow! That must put Guile to shame!" Sakura said, now with a hint of swooning in her voice.
        "Glad I could help, Sakura!" Karin replied. "Oh, & on your wedding night..."
        Later...
        "Wow! I never knew he could do that! Thanks for those tips, Karin! I've got them written down! I'll need them!"
        "You're welcome!"
        "Goodbye, Karin!"
        "Goodbye, Sakura!"
        Karin hung up the phone & wiped a tear from her eye.
        "Way to go, Sakura!" Karin said to herself as she punched the air.
        Sakura hung up the phone & wiped a tear from her eye.
        "Thanks, Karin! Now I have everything I need to make a good wife! Ummm...in everything bedroom related!" Sakura said to herself as she punched the air. "Woah! Is that the time? I better hit the sack! I'm beat!" Sakura walked off to bed. She soon fell fast asleep. Now the only one up is Cammy. She was in a private bathroom in the upstairs of the barracks, trying to find that photo. She came down a half an hour later, wearing her old Shadaloo outfit & carrying a crowbar. She put the crowbar in her backpack & went to bed.