California giggled as Maine winked at her from the other side of the Briefing Room. All the Agents on the board were there (including California, who is not on the board) being briefed on the upcoming mission. The Director was in the middle of speaking when California giggled.
"Is there something funny, Agent California?"
California felt all eyes on her. She turned to him and answered, "No, sir, I-"
"California and I were merely speaking our opinions about how the Insurrectionist leader does not just simply give up, knowing that we, Project Freelancer, will find him," interrupted Texas.
The Director raised an eyebrow, "Very well, Agent." He turned his head to the Counselor. "Counselor, where was I?" The Counselor tapped a few buttons on the holo table. California turned to her best friend and smiled a thanks.
"No problem, Cali, but you might want to pay attention now, he's going to start asking for your opinions."
The Director eyed California as he continued the briefing. "It's easy at that. Go in, captured him, then bring him here, this mission cannot, and should not, fail, I'm counting on y'all! Dismissed." With that he and the Counselor left the room, leaving everyone to themselves.
"So, Tex, where are we going?"
"To crash a party!"
California and Texas rounded the corner, guns raised and ready to fire upon anything that gets in their way. They continued going down the hallway, kicking down all the doors and sweeping the area. California and Texas went on either side of the last door. With a nod from Tex, California kicked down the door, letting Tex enter first sweeping the area with her SMG.
"What the fuck?" Tex shouted from inside the room.
California entered, gun raised, to find the room empty. Lowering her weapon, she looked at Tex with confusion and saw that she was looking at the huge window on the wall. The window had a clear view of the club: People dancing, lights, loud music playing. It also had a view of the other rooms there and one room caught California's attention. The room was just like the room they were in but it had someone in it. He was standing in front of the window staring at them in shock.
The Insurrectionist leader stared at the two Agents in shock.
How the fuck did they find me? Did someone use an insecure radio or something? Fuck!
He was too distracted to notice the man walk into the room. The man took the time to walk to a chair and slowly sit down. "Something wrong?" The man asked.
The insurrectionist leader turned to see a man sitting on the chair across the room. "How did you- Forget it. Who the fuck are you?" He said pointing his gun at the man.
The man remained sitting, not caring that he has a gun pointed at him, but answered, "My name is Shang Tsung and I would like to make a deal."
"What makes you think I would make a deal with you, I barely know you?"
"Well, it's either make a deal with me and I'll get you out of here or you can stay here and deal with your friends?" Shang Tsung said, jerking his head to the Freelancers.
California pointed her gun at him and was just about to fire, when she noticed he was talking. "Who the fuck is he talking to...us?"
"No, he wouldn't talk to the people trying to kill him, Cali!"
"Well there's nobody else in the fucking big ass room!"
"Hey, don't yell at me! I'm just stating my opinion!" Hissed Texas.
"You're right," California sighed looking down at the floor, "I should be yelling at that bitch, Carolina, for ordering us to go this way! She said he was in this room!"
Tex snapped her head towards California, "You know what," she said as she stopped in front of California, "You're probably right on that one."
"I know I am!"
"No, because usually she wouldn't partner you up with me...she does it on purpose because she knows you're my best friend."
"So?"
"She hates us, especially me! She told us to go this way, the wrong way, while she goes the right way. She wants all the credit, so the Director would be proud of her!" Tex ran out of the room, most likely heading for the room the leader's in.
"We're idiots, why didn't we think of this!"
California ran out of the room after Tex. They jumped down the stairs and pushed past the dancing crowd of people. Finally, they made their way to the other side of the room, they ran up the stairs, and into the room, only to find a grate on the floor opened. The two freelancers were about to jump, when they heard their names being called from behind them. Turning around, the Director stood in front of them.
"I've been looking all over for you two!"
"Director? You're not suppose to be here, it's dangerous, you could be killed!" California said, shocked at how he's here then at headquarters.
"Never mind that, Agent. I came here to give you this." He handed them a scroll, the paper was attached to a block of wood. He told them that there is going to be a tournament. The Tournament. "It's held once a generation. The best fighters in the world are invited. You win the tournament, you win their respect. They'll tell the whole world that you're the real deal."
"So how do we..." Tex started.
"There's a boat. First follow the leader, capture him and then head to that tournament!" He said pointing to the opened grate.
They turned to look t the grate, "How do we know..." But before they finished, he was already gone. The two freelancers jumped down into the sewer and searched for the Insurrectionist leader. They tracked him all the way to a harbor, where they saw many people standing there.
California kicked the manhole cover back into its place and used a storage container for cover. She examined the group. The leader was nowhere to be seen. It was also dark so she couldn't see much. Before she was about to say something to Tex, who was also scanning the group, out of the fog came a boat. A wooden boat. You know, the ones from the medieval times. The two watched as the group stared at the boat until finally boarding. California turned to Tex, "Should we go?"
"I don't know. Didn't the Director say something about a boat." She said. "Wait...look!"
They turned to see the Insurrectionist leader board the boat as well. He stopped to turn and look at them with a smirk and then disappeared aboard the boat.
"That's him!" California ran off towards him.
"Wait, Cali!" But Tex was only heard by deaf ears, California continued to run after him. She boarded and disappeared into the boat.
