Chun-li: The Nerdiest Woman in the Library (WIP Preview) (Patreon)

   With Shadaloo dissolved and its leaders defeated, it fell upon people like Chun-li to take care of cleaning up the remnants of the organization. Her mission for the day was a standard one, rummaging through an abandoned base to find any leftover pieces of technology. On occasion these visits had her run into some of Shadaloo’s former members still clinging to the belief that their leader would return. However, these grunts were nothing compared to the strongest woman in the world.

   Chun-li stood out amongst the drab walls of the base with her usual attire of a blue qipao lined with gold trimmings. The dress and her brown stockings were a staple of her fighting outfit, going well with her white combat boots and the pair of spiked bracelets she used for both intimidation and weight training. Coming up around the corner, she brushed her hand through her black hair until she could feel the pair of ox horn styled buns neatly contained with her white adornments.

   Turning down the hall made her stop as she spotted a door that looked completely out of place from the rest of the base. The ornate double wooden doors appeared to have spontaneously emerged from the metal. Stepping up to the oddity, she ran her fingers along various pieces of finely crafted décor. Continuing to examine the doors revealed the strange absences of any doorknobs or ways to open it. As her hands reached the impression of a black and white eye in the center of the piece, a shiver went up her arm. Reeling her hand back, she watched the doors begin to creak open.

   Awaiting Chun-li inside was a desk dimly lit by a small lamp. The desk went along with the muted red carpet and beige walls to create a sense of enclosed comfort. Looking past the desk, Chun-li was left awestruck by the sight of seemingly infinite shelves of books stacked up to the ceiling. So lost in trying to comprehend how and why there was a library in a Shadaloo base, she almost didn’t notice the woman sitting behind the desk.

   Hearing the woman clear her throat brought Chun-li’s attention to the pair of silver eyes partially obscured by her square-rimmed glasses. Her dark brown hair was tied into a neat bun that doubled as a holder for two red pencils. A red tie stood out from the white blouse and black pencil skirt that showed off her hourglass figure. The woman carried a knowing smile across her lips, her black eyebrows raised against her light brown skin accentuating her interest in Chun-li.

   “Hello,” the woman said, giving a polite bow towards Chun-li. “My name is Lochana Jaanavar. However, you may call me just Lochana if you’d like.”

   Chun-li got into a battle stance. “Who are you? What are your connections to Shadaloo?”

   Lochana stood up from her seat and rounded the desk. “Apologies, I have no idea who this Shadaloo is. I am merely the caretaker of the All Seeing One’s grand library.”

   Chun-li let herself relax. “You’re a librarian?”

   “And an excellent one at that,” she replied with a beaming smile. “I have a knack for finding just the right book for anyone who manages to discover this place. For…quite some time, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing knowledge and fantastical experiences with visitors.” Taking a step closer, she leaned forward to have her face mere inches from Chun-li’s. “If you would like, I can direct you to exactly what you’re looking for.”

   “Is that so?” Chun-li asked, taking a step back to watch Lochana nod in approval. “Do you have information pertaining to Shadaloo?”

   “Perhaps,” Lochana replied, “the only way to find out for sure though is to look for yourself. The library tends to only give out what it believes is best suited for its visitors.”

   “If that’s the case, can you point me in the right direction?”

   Lochana put her fingers to her chin. “Well, I typically don’t let visitors peruse the shelves without a library card, but I can make an exception.” Walking back behind the desk, she pulled out a folder of papers and removed one of the pencils from her bun. “I’ll go ahead and write you up a library card while you’re browsing. I’ll bring it to you when you’re done.”

   “Thank you, my name is-“

   “Chun-li, I’m aware,” Lochana replied without looking up from her paperwork.

   “How did you-“

   “No need to worry about it. Go on ahead. You’ll find what you’re looking for in section NDTF, shelf 1.”

   “Where is that?”

   “Just start walking that way,” she said, waving her hand in a general direction.

   Figuring out there was little hope of getting a straight answer from the librarian, Chun-li began walking. Left with little in the way of guidance, her only option was to go down each aisle in hopes of finding a trail to follow. Despite her methodical searching, she soon lost sight of Lochana and the front entrance. Becoming concerned on if she would even be able to leave, she could swear she heard the shelves moving when she wasn’t looking.

   Her wandering came to an end as she noticed familiar sets of numbers and letters plastered across the shelves. Following down the line, she found herself staring down aisle NDTF. Unsure how or why she had managed to find the spot the librarian had mentioned, she kept her eyes trained on the bottom shelf in hopes of finding something worth the time she lost aimlessly wandering the library.

   She stopped as she swore she heard a voice calling to her from the bottom shelf. Squatting down to examine the books, she traced her finger along the spines until she found a tome titled, “The Strongest Woman in the World.” Sliding the tome from its spot revealed an elaborate cover of blue and gold similar in style to her qipao.

   Opening up the book to the front page she glanced at the summary. Her interest in the tome gradually replaced her drive to search for information on Shadaloo. The novel claimed to tell the tale of a woman of extraordinary fighting strength that used her skills as an international police officer. As the summary dove into the sheer evil of the force she fought against, she couldn’t help feeling like she had heard the story before. More than a little intrigued by the novel, she turned to first page and began to read.