TEKKEN VS MORTAL KOMBAT
The realms of the universe have always been unique in their own ways. However, never did the Elder Gods expect their judgement day come as soon as possible. With the threat of Outworld and Netherrealm long gone, the Earthrealmers believed that their fears were over, or so they thought. For many generations, the Elder Gods had always expressed intrigue about the powers of the Devil and the Angel and how they represented the spitting images of evil and good respectively. In their eyes, the two creatures were comparable to Yin and Yang. However, the Elder Gods failed to realize how destructive those powers were and how it came to affect their existence, especially with the fallen Elder God Shinnok plotting his vengeance with the help of the first human to be carrying the Devil Gene: Kazumi Mishima. But was it those two individual's the Elder Gods feared? No. Because deep down in the underground beneath Earthrealm, a powerful entity had been sealed and was now waiting for the two sides to clash. Only then, would Satori emerge out of his capture and conquer all combatants in the universe. This was more than just a battle. This was a battle between Gods and Devils.
Two days ago…..
Inside a building in Kyoto, Japan. General Sonya Blade and Jackson "Jax" Briggs had brought with them their new group consisting of Cassandra Cage, Jacqueline Briggs, Takeda Takahashi and Kung Jin on a very particular mission. The reason why was yet to come for the youngsters.
"I'm glad you could all come here" Sonya said as she glanced at the team sitting by the long table, which included her daughter Cassie. "The Special Forces must tread lightly in Japan. The Mishima Zaibatsu have established a criminal network so strong that not even the Japanese government can stop them. At this rate, the Zaibatsu has become Japan's new rulers" the blonde-haired woman remarked grimly.
"Japan's new rulers? More like the world's new rulers" Cassie pointed out.
Sonya merely stared at her with a dismal glance, yet Jax intervened between them. "They may be strong, but they still haven't managed to take control of the United States. Never forget, Cass, the Special Forces is the last line of defense between the US and the Zaibatsu. However, now we're also forced to contend with the G Corporation" the man with metallic arms pointed out.
"Is this why you decided to rejoin the frontlines, dad?" Jacqui asked her father with a smug smile. However, once she saw her father sigh deeply, she regretted asking him. "Sorry, dad" she told him.
"I'm doing this to save the world from this hellish war, Jacqui. So many innocent lives are sacrificed and someone needs to put a stop to those two bastards who are treating our world as a battlefield" Jax answered while putting a cigar in his mouth.
"Is that what this mission's about?" Takeda asked both Sonya and Jax while raising a hand in the air. They both looked at him and Takeda felt somewhat awkward. "Sorry, I was trying to change the subject" the young man said.
Sonya nodded her head. "You're correct. We're here in Japan to figure out what the motives of both the Zaibatsu and Corporation are. To this end, we have contacted one of our allies: the Manji Clan. Kenshi is already seeking out its leader Yoshimitsu as we speak" the blonde-haired woman replied before turning on a giant screen in which showed them a map of the entire world. The screen eventually showed them a map of Eastern Asia, which included Japan and China.
"What about the Shirai Ryu? Have you contacted them?" Kung Jin asked while he looked at Takeda.
"The Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei will be assisting Raiden. They both suspect that both the Zaibatsu and the Corporation may begin to view him as a threat. Furthermore, Raiden says that Jin Kazama or Kazuya Mishima are not just the enemy here. There is more" Takeda answered his comrade.
Kung Jin simply nodded his head in return. "Hmmm, I guess that Raiden's gonna need all the defenders he can find, not just the Shaolin monks and ninjas" he then pointed out.
The giant screen suddenly showed them two pictures of Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, the leaders of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation respectively. The screen began to analyze their whereabouts in Japan. Sonya faced the team once again.
"These two men are to be apprehended and stand for crimes against humanity. Interpol has already issued an arrest warrant for each one of them" Sonya told them strictly.
Kung Jin smirked by what he was seeing. "Father and son ending up in jail together. Sounds like a good time for them to bond, I must admit" he said while glancing at his teammates, who understood his sense of humor.
"Apprehending them won't be easy, Jin" Sonya reminded him. "These two men aren't even human by our standards. They're demons on the inside. Our sources tell us that each of them carries the Devil Gene. Therefore, we must tread carefully" the general told them.
"What is this Devil Gene you're talking about, mom?" Cassie asked causally, only for her mother to give her a cold glare. "I mean, general" she then corrected her statement.
"We don't know what it is. But for years, we always believed that the curse of the Devil started with the Mishima clan a long time ago. But recently, we have made a discovery" Sonya said.
"It appears that the Zaibatsu's founder Jinpachi Mishima was not the first one to carry the Devil Gene. He was only possessed by a vengeful spirit with close ties to the Devil" Jax revealed while the screen showed them a picture of Jinpachi Mishima. "No, something else must be the reason for why Kazuya and Jin are like those monsters" the man with metallic arms added while puffing out some smoke.
"Whatever those guys are, they're nothing we can't handle" Cassie said with a shrug. "So, where do we start?" she then asked her superiors.
The screen suddenly showed them a picture of seven individuals, many of them at the same age as the teammates themselves. Sonya stood and pointed out who these individuals were. "These seven people may have some form of connection to Jin Kazama, as well as knowing his whereabouts. Rumor is that they are all living in a hotel due to the annual King of Iron Fist Tournament being held. These suspects are Ling Xiaoyu, Asuka Kazama, Emilie De Rochefort, Steve Fox, Hwoarang, Alisa Bosconovitch and Lars Alexsandersson. They are your targets. Extract information from them as soon as you see them" the blonde-haired woman told them strictly.
"Roger!" all four newcomers said together, signalizing their intention to complete this mission.
Inside an onsen in Tokyo, Lars Alexsandersson, Alisa Bosconovitch and the agent called Raven were sitting across the table of a mysterious person dressed in a hooded cape. His voice sounded elderly, yet his facial hair didn't necessarily make him seem old. They were very skeptical of him at first, but when the person offered to tell them about the whereabouts of Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, they decided to hear him.
"Okay. We came here as you wanted. Now tell us what you know about Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima" Lars demanded, yet he remained calm when speaking.
The hooded stranger formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "I have no quarrel with you, illegitimate son of Heihachi Mishima. However, I have quarrels with your relatives, as well as my former employers in Outworld" the man pointed out to them. But Lars narrowed his eyes slightly as he heard Heihachi being mentioned before him.
"When you say Outworld, which twisted leader are you talking about? Mileena or Kotal Khan?" Raven asked coldly, his face never offer a smile in the slightest.
The stranger still smiled smugly. "Mileena is only a rebel with her Tarkatan and Shokan allies. The true authority lies in the Osh-Tekk's hands. However, Kotal Khan has now foolishly entered into an alliance with the fallen Elder God: Shinnok. Quite pathetic, for an emperor" he said while even frowning at the mentioning of Outworld's current ruler.
"So which side are you on? Are you on Raiden's side?" Alisa asked, even though her question seemed kind of naïve.
"I am on my side in this conflict. But truth be told, I do share some common goals with you Earthrealmers about ending this conflict. I could care less for the lives being lost in the war. I am more concerned about the powers that will awaken beneath Raiden's Sky Temple" the stranger said.
Lars had to admit that he was interested and so was Raven. However, he still refused to trust him fully. "What does that have to do with us finding Kazuya and Jin?" the spikey-haired man asked, starting to feel annoyed.
The stranger returned his smirk. "You think those two are the only ones responsible for this world being raged in conflict? There is actually a third player in this battle between the Zaibatsu and Corporation. Someone who seeks to strike back at them from the shadows" he revealed before pointing his finger at Lars. "Haven't you realized the clue I gave you when I mentioned who you were?" he then asked him.
Lars' eyed widened. "Heihachi…he plans on fighting Raiden…." Lars noted as he heard what was being said.
"Of course. Then, he plans on making the Thunder God's power as his own. But then again, he is the least you should concern yourselves with" the stranger said before fixing a smug grin underneath his moustache. "Shinnok will also head towards the temple, but he is not the only one. A young woman with destructive powers will also show up, to confront the fallen Elder God" he then added.
Alisa remained concerned while Lars and Raven only glared at this with nothing but suspiciousness. "You seem to know a lot about certain things, old man. Who are you?" Raven asked, his voice as stern as iron itself.
The stranger removed his hood, thus revealing to them his true identity. His visitors were slightly shocked, which only made it more amusing for him to watch. This stranger was actually a real sorcerer.
"I believe your files have already informed you on who I am. And they tell you the truth. I am Shang Tsung. Once an esteemed councilor to Shao Khan, the former Emperor of Outworld" the moustached man told them, still smirking. But that smirk soon faded and was replaced by a deep frown. "Now that you know who I am, I can only tell you this: head for Raiden's Sly Temple. And hurry! Kotal Kahn has probably agents scouring around Earthrealm as we speak! And beware of the evil spirit that lies beneath the Sky Temple" he then told them strictly.
Alisa faced Lars. "He actually has a point, Lars. Perhaps we should head to….." Alisa stopped as she could see that Lars was not yet satisfied with the answer. Neither was Raven.
"Don't think we're idiots, sorcerer! We have studied your deception! There's no way we will…" Lars was interrupted as they could feel a powerful explosion coming to them from the left side. It tore down the whole wall.
Standing in the broken wall was several fighters that served Kotal Khan. They were Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black and Ferra/Torr. Apparently, they had been tracking down the whereabouts of Shang Tsung.
"We're under attack!" Alisa uttered out words in slight fear.
"Damn, those are Kotal Khan's lackeys!" Raven said while fixing his gaze upon Shang Tsung. "Is this your doing, sorcerer!?" he then demanded from him.
Shang Tsung was mostly concentrated on the four fighters that had showed up and had their eyes focused on him. The sorcerer gritted his teeth in frustration by seeing this.
"Look what we found? An old man living as a hermit inside an onsen. Quite illogical if you ask me" Erron remarked while slightly adjusting his cowboy hat.
"There is no place to hide, sorcerer!" Reptile spoke up while acid was dripping from his jaws. "You will die for disobeying the emperor's call!" the green-scaled creature added.
Shang Tsung simply had to muse underneath his breath. "So Kotal Khan has sent his pets to catch me?" he asked while glancing specifically at Reptile. "I always knew you were easy to manipulate into servitude, Zaterran" he then directed a jab towards Reptile.
"I am no one's pet!" Reptile growled, his hands itching to rip the old man's flesh apart.
"Enough of this idiocy!" the ethereal voice came from Ermac as he fixed his green eyes upon Shang Tsung. "None shall insult us and get away with it. We will see to you being forced into submission, sorcerer" he then told the sorcerer.
"You are ignorant to battle against your creator's councilor, Ermac! And must I remind you that I played a role in experimenting you?" Shang Tsung told the creation.
Erron had already loaded his revolvers and held them up. "Screw this! And all of you stand still! You three as well!" he said while aiming his revolvers at Alisa, Raven and Lars. His eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you are, but you're guilty by association with this dirty man" he then added
"Ferra/Torr crush those three!" Ferra said and commanded her mount to move towards the three fighters.
But the destructive duo was suddenly hit by a rocket and they were sent flying towards the wall, thus causing some kind of explosion. Everyone looked to see someone enter the room and it was a young brunette, accompanied by three people who seemed to not be of Earthrealm origins. The one who had fired the rocket was Anna Williams, while those accompanying her were Mileena and her Edenian cohorts: Tanya and Rain. Anna simply smirked as she carried her rocket launcher on her neck.
"Oops, did I do that?" Anna asked while acting innocently towards those she saw. "Sorry to interrupt your little charade, but someone has placed a huge bounty on your heads" the brunette added as Mileena stepped forward, drawing out her twin sai.
"Those of you who have betrayed me for the Osh-Tekk brute will suffer! Especially you three!" Mileena said while glaring at Erron, Reptile and Ermac. However, her eyes also concentrated on the aging sorcerer. "You will die as well, Shang Tsung!" she then yelled at him.
"Have you no idea who you are talking to? I am your creator!" Shang Tsung hit back, but he could soon notice that Lars, Raven and Alisa were on the move escaping. This only made the sorcerer want to do the same thing. With a smirk, Shang Tsung vanished. "We will talk some other time, simpletons!" he then taunted those around him.
Reptile growled. "Shang Tsung! He is getting away, as are those Earthrealm fools!" the green-robed ninja yelled to his comrades.
"Tch, then how come you're not stopping them!?" Erron said while jumping down to pursue them with his rifle. Reptile and Ermac did the same thing. But they were stopped by the sound of helicopters flying over and eventually sending down groups of JACKs to prevent them from moving. "What in the hell….." Erron noted while glaring at Mileena and her allies.
"None of you are going anywhere! Not until I see your corpses being turned into pulps!" the demented woman yelled out towards Kotal Khan's allies before glancing at Anna. "I must thank you and your superior for loaning us these JACKs, Anna Williams. The G Corporation has been more valuable allies to us than the Special Forces" she then thanked Anna, who seemed to be on her way out.
"Just do what it takes to finish these fools. My boss doesn't want a cowardly appeaser like Kotal Khan to meddle in his affairs" Anna told them before jumping out of the hole.
Tanya mused to herself from what she was seeing. "Hmm…..let's see how those fools fight against these machines" the cunning Edenian remarked to her allies.
"They better do their job. Otherwise, we have paid the Corporation for nothing" Rain remarked while crossing his arms in displeasure.
Ermac's green eyes narrowed from what he and his allies were surrounded with. "These infernal machines! The G Corporation is funding Mileena and her pets!?" the construct of souls asked while preparing himself for combat.
"The Hell I know. But screw this hunting for Shang Tsung! We better head back to the emperor" Erron suggested to his comrades.
"I will not go down so easily by machines!" Reptile said in defiance.
While the battle commences inside the onsen, Lars and Alisa had managed to make it out of the place. Right now, they were hiding in an alleyway in the Shibuya-district.
"It looks like we made it out alive" Lars said while trying to catch his breath. The spikey-haired man looked around to see if either Raven or Shang Tsung had come with them, yet he didn't see them. "I suppose Raven must've returned to whoever he's working for. But I'm not sure what happened with Shang Tsung" Lars remarked.
"Do you think Shang Tsung speaks the truth, Lars?" Alisa asked him. "Is there really an evil being that lies underneath Raiden's Sky Temple?" she asked him one more time, feeling concerned.
Lars sighed deeply before responding to Alisa's question. "I wish that we could stay longer to figure out whether he was telling us the truth or not. But considering the fact that Kotal Khan's lackeys are suddenly skulking around, there is little time left" he told Alisa before beginning walking. Alisa began accompanying him as he went. They were now running towards a nearby SUV that was parked at the end of the alleyway. "We best hurry. I'll contact Lee and see if we should head towards Raiden's Sky Temple. There's a feeling in my gut telling me that something big is about to take place there, not to mention that Heihachi himself is on the move" Lars suggested.
"Right. Then we best head there once we've contacted Lee" Alisa said in return.
The two got inside the SUV and began speeding out of the alleyway. But what those two failed to notice was that there was another car parked in that alleyway. It was a green car and the one who was driving in it was none other than Lei Wulong, a detective from Hong Kong, as well as an agent from Interpol. He had been sitting in the car and waited for Lars and Alisa to get into the SUV.
"Good thing that tracker I placed on their SUV is small. Neither of them will take notice of it" the Chinese man said before reaching for his phone to call somebody. Who was he calling for exactly? "Bob, it's Lei. I managed to put on the tracker as you asked me to. With it, they will lead us straight to wherever Raiden's Sky Temple is. But I hope this Master Bo' Rai Cho really is there as you say he is" the detective spoke to Bob through his phone.
Inside a fancy hotel in the Japanese capital of Tokyo, Cassie and her teammates were on their mission searching for their targets of suspicion. Even now, they were now standing in the lobby, where they could already see so many people moving to and from.
King Jin whistled in amazement by what he was seeing. "Quite a fancy hotel. Just how rich is the Mishima Zaibatsu?" he remarked as he looked around in the lobby.
"Beats me. But it's probably the only zaibatsu in the world who are this filthy rich" Takeda remarked while scratching the back of his head. He glanced at Cassie. "So where to now, Cass?" he asked her.
Cassie motioned her head towards a certain group of girls sitting by the couch in the lobby. Her teammates could see several groups of young people and they started to recognize their faces. They were Ling Xiaoyu, Asuka Kazama, Emilie "Lilli" De Rochefort, Steve Fox and Hwoarang.
"That's them. Those are some of the people we've been looking for" Cassie told her teammates before making a gesture towards the group on the couch. "Let's say we go and have a little chat with them" the blondie then said and her group did as she told them to.
The group of fighters were stunned to see the Special Forces groups appear before them. Some of them even wondered whether they were police or not.
"Woah…..what's going on here?" Steve quizzed, feeling slightly surprised to see these young adults.
"This is an order from Special Forces. We're here to apprehend you five for questioning" Cassie told them sternly.
Hwoarang suddenly rose up from his seat and so did Asuka and Xiaoyu. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you are!? You can't just waltz in here and make such a demand! You're not even from the military" the auburn-haired man told them.
"We're from the military, smart-guy. But not just any ordinary military!" Jacqui told him sternly while she and her teammates showed them their passports. "We're from the Special Forces, an elite group of operatives who's been tracking down activities on the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. We understand that some of you have links to the Zaibatsu's current CEO: Jin Kazama" she told them while even glancing at Asuka, who took an issue with this.
"You got it all wrong! I've nothing to do with the Zaibatsu!" the brash brunette told the team.
"Yeah! None of us are allies with them!" Steve said while suddenly lifting up the left sleeve of his jacket to show them the scar across his arm. "I was one of their guniea pigs once. There's no way I would work for the Zaibatsu!" the blonde-haired man tried to convince them.
"All of you can drop the details. We know all about each of you. Ling Xiaoyu, Asuka Kazama, Steve Fox, Emilie De Rochefort and Hwoarang. The Special Forces has listed you as persons of interests" Takeda suddenly told the group. "But look, we don't seek to antagonize you guys. All that we want is for you to share us what you know about Jin Kazama. It's just that simple" the young ninjas told them.
Lili had to giggle when hearing this and she even stood up from her seat while facing the group smugly. "I see. You must be searching for both Jin and Kazuya Mishima. That would explain who you're so worked up about it. Very well, perhaps we should….." Lili was about to cooperate until she was pushed aside by Xiaoyu, the young woman with pigtails glaring at the team.
"Hold it! I know what you're planning on! You wanna capture Jin, is that it!?" Xiaoyu demanded an answer out of the team. "Well I will be the one to stop him, not you! So all of you can butt out for all I care!" she snapped at them, much to the outrage of those around her.
"Damn it, what are you doing!?" Asuka snapped at Xiaoyu and the two women were about to get into a glaring contest.
"Yeah! I wanna have my rematch with him! So no way I'm letting you arrest him!" Hwoarang suddenly snapped at the team.
Cassie and her teammates didn't know how to respond to this, yet she herself felt dispassionate when hearing how Xiaoyu and Hwoarang were opposed to telling them about Jin. "Listen, morons. Jin Kazama has committed serious crimes against people across the world. He needs to answer for what he's done" she told them firmly.
Xiaoyu refocused her attention on Cassie. "Who are you to judge him!?" she demanded an answer out of her.
Cassie only narrowed her eyes at Xiaoyu in return. "And who are you to kiss his ass!?" she hit back.
"You take back what you just said!" Xiaoyu snapped, feeling very confrontational against Cassie.
"But listen, there must be some misunderstanding here!" Steve called out, while trying to deescalate the situation. "None of us have any business ties to the Zaibatsu or any other….." Steve was interrupted by someone's voice, and it sounded rude.
"Don't make this harder for you, brats" the voice came from Kung Jin as he glared at the group of friends with seriousness. "If you're not willing to cooperate, then we'll have to do this the hard way. And trust me, I don't mind swatting your head with my bow" the archer then told them.
Hwoarang only scoffed when hearing Kung Jin's warning. "Are we supposed to take you seriously? I mean, look at you! You almost like you're cosplaying" he told him, even laughing in the process. "What are you, some cheap-ass wannabe of Robin Hood?" the auburn-haired man began asking him once again.
Kung Jin narrowed his eyes at him in return. Apparently, he did not take kindly to the young Korean's words. "If you must now, it's a traditional clothing worn by those in my family. Now how about you shut up and let me teach you how dangerous I actually can be, delinquent!?" he taunted Hwoarang.
Hwoarang felt pissed. "Who're you calling a delinquent!?" he snapped and charged towards Kung Jin. The Shaolin responded by combating Hwoarang in return. "I'm gonna shove my foot in your face! Then you'll see how much of a delinquent I am!" he added.
"Just go ahead and try, punk!" Kung Jin spat back
"Damn it. This isn't the time for….." Cassie was suddenly interrupted by Xiaoyu trying to land a kick on her, only for Cassie to dodge it. The blondie faced the girl with pigtails sternly. "You're only asking to get hurt, kiddo!" she told Xiaoyu before charging towards the Chinese girl, thus engaging her in combat.
Xiaoyu remained defiant towards Cassie. "I don't care who you guys work for! I'll never sell out, Jin!" she retorted while continuing attacking Cassie.
"You asked for it!" Cassie said in return.
Asuka was currently dealing with Jacqui, and the two girls were about to fight one another, since they were both trying to help Xiaoyu and Cassie respectively. But they would eventually become more focused on each other.
"So you're Asuka Kazama? Now that's curious. I didn't know Jin Kazama had a sister" Jacqui remarked as she clashed with her.
The young brunette's eyes grew furious over hearing this. "That brooding jackass is no brother of mine!" she retorted and prepared to deliver a powerful punch at her opponent, only for Jacqui to block it with her metal gloves.
"Okay. Cousins then?" Jacqui told her, still curious to know more about Asuka's relation to Jin.
"As if!" the brunette spat back before blocking a punch from Jacqui.
Both Takeda and Steve were unsure of what to do, especially since their friends were now fighting. But the fighting was interrupted when a squadron of the Tekken Force suddenly appeared inside the lobby, their rifles aimed at the Special Forces-team. Cassie, Jacqui and Kung Jin stopped fighting and focused their attentions on the enemy soldiers surrounding them.
"Oh shit! The Tekken Force" Cassie cursed underneath her breath.
"You four! Put your hands in the air!" one of the soldiers demanded and the four friends gradually obliged.
"Cassandra Cage, Jacqueline Briggs, Takeda Takahashi and Kung Jin. We know who you're working for! You're spies of the US Special Forces!" another soldier told them, thus exposing their identities.
"GUYS! COVER YOUR NOSES!" Takeda suddenly yelled at his teammates before throwing a smoke grenade in the middle of the lobby. This was actually smoke screen and it made the soldiers of the Tekken Force confused.
As soon as the smoke screen ended, the group of four was gone. This made the soldiers move throughout the hotel to search out for the Special Forces group. This left the group of friends alone in the lobby.
"Talk about some military showdown. Who were these people?" Steve asked.
"Hell if I know" Hwoarang said in return before growling to himself. "I swear, the next time I see that bowman, I'm gonna beat until he bleeds like a pig!" the auburn-haired man said, feeling very aggressive at the moment.
Xiaoyu stood up and faced those around her. "Well, I'm not gonna let those guys capture Jin! That will be me!" she said.
But Xiaoyu suddenly had Asuka up in her face and the two girls were almost on the verge of fighting. "Why do you always have to act stupid!? Do you always let your emotions get in your way of thinking!?" the brunette asked her with open dispassion.
"Shut up, Asuka!" Xiaoyu said in return and they were about to fight until they were stopped by someone they would've at least expected to: Lili.
The blonde-haired girl simply glanced at the two girls with a bored expression. "You really are a couple of angry kids. All this talk about Jin only infuriates you for no reason" she told them while stroking her blonde hair. "If you wanna go after him so badly, then be my guest. I would rather do something more suitable than wasting time with such nonsense" she told them before she took off without so much as saying farewell.
Asuka and Xiaoyu only glanced at Lille with confusion and so did Hwoarang. Only Steve seemed to know the reason she had decided to walk away from all this.
"Well I can't blame here. All this bickering has really given me a headache" Steve told his friends. But he suddenly began facing them in a more serious manner than usual. "But look, if you guys wanna see Jin so badly then I'll gladly help. As a matter of fact, I know someone's who's been searching for his whereabouts" he told them while forming a smirk at the end of his sentence.
Steve's friends only glanced at him curiously and it became apparent to the young boxer that they were interested. "What do you mean?" Hwoarang asked while folding his arms.
"You guys know Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law, yes?" Steve asked them and the three nodded their heads in return. "Well, they are looking for someone to accompany them to temple or some sort. From what I can remember, this temple holds so many valuables and treasures. But they are guarded by a man with great power" the blonde-haired man began filling in the details.
Xiaoyu only huffed at him in return. "You gotta be kidding me. You think I'm interested in going on a treasure hunt or something!? Those two are always looking after treasures, nothing new about that!" the Chinese girl told him.
"But what if those treasures attract the attention of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation?" Hwoarang pointed out to her, causing Xiaoyu to widen in realization. "That's the point, Xiao. If that temple or whatever the hell it is possesses such, then it means that…." Hwoarang was interrupted as Asuka finished that sentence for him.
"Jin will be there, probably to acquire it's riches" the brunette finished. "But I think there's more to that story than meets the eye. There must be more than treasures if the Zaibatsu and the Corporation wants to go there" she added.
"All the more reason for why we should try and find out the reason ourselves. Sow what do you say? Are you with me?" Steve asked them, trying to make sure that his friends were ready for whatever challenge they would partake in. The only response he got was three nods. Steve smiled and reached for his phone somewhere. "Good. I'll call Paul and Marshall, letting them know about you wanna come with us" the blonde-haired man told them.
In a fortress in the Netherrealm, the fallen Elder God named Shinnok was gloating to himself while observing the chaotic atmosphere surrounding him. Shinnok was accompanied by two of his closest accomplices: the Kytinn named D'Vorah and the sorcerer named Quan Chi. There was a reason for why he had summoned them to his side.
"We are here, Lord Shinnok" Quan Chi said, the sorcerer bowing his head formally.
"You both know why I have called you here" Shinnok spoke up, his voice ringing bells in the fortress. "The time is almost here. We will begin our invasion of Earthrealm and destroy the Elder Gods and their servants. Raiden will fall by my hands" the fallen Elder God revealed to them before he looked over his shoulder to face D'Vorah. "Have you informed the Emperor of Outworld about this?" he asked her.
D'Vorah nodded her head at him in return. "The Osh-Tekk says that his armies and loyalists are yours to command. But this one isn't sure about his "commitment" to the alliance" the insectoid spoke up, her voice only signalizing her strange demeanor. "He may become a liability to our cause" she then added to her opinions
"Useless or not, Kotal Kahn and his allies are essential to the disposal of Earthrealm's protectors, as well as the meddling forces of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation" Shinnok spoke up, not caring about the lack of trust between him and Kotal Khan. "As a matter of fact, I'm sending you back to Outworld. And make sure that the Osh-Tekk sticks by the agreement. If he crosses me, he will suffer a fate more terrible than Shao Khan did" the fallen Elder God commanded her.
The Kytinn bowed to Shinnok in respect. "It shall be done, Lord Shinnok" D'Vorah told him before taking her leave.
This left Shinnok alone with Quan Chi and they would now be having a conversation of their own. And this time, it was the sorcerer who spoke up first.
"D'Vorah has been a great ally to you, my lord. Of that there is no question" Quan Chi told his master before moving over to more pressing matters. "But the same thing can't be said for this new ally of yours: Kazumi Mishima. I am not sure if she is the one we had hoped for: a powerful deomonic ally" the pale-skinned man told Shinnok.
"You worry too much, Quan Chi. That demented woman is all but a misguided soul. She was born into a clan of assassins who would go to any lengths to make sure their precious home was safe, even if that meant performing rituals on their youngest" Shinnok spoke up, musing to himself over the fact. "And she failed to fulfill her mission to stop her own husband from becoming a madman. That alone demonstrated her weakness" he added.
"Yes. She died at the hands of Heihachi Mishima, which is tragic indeed" Quan Chi spoke up. "But however, we must never underestimate the power Kazumi possesses, Lord Shinnok. This Devil Gene…..it's unlike anything I've ever seen…..we best….." Quan Chi was interrupted when Shinnok used his powers to call forth a giant bone hand that clutched onto the sorcerer, therefore almost chocking him.
"Are you suggesting that I fear the powers of a mere creature!?" Shinnok angrily berated his servant as Quan Chi struggled to breath. "I am Shinnok! One of the Elder Gods! I fear no creature that exist! The Devil, the Angel, the Elder Gods and the lesser Gods, none of them surpasses me! No creature in the world could possibly frighten the likes of me!" the Elder God boasted before releasing his grip.
Quan Chi fell on the floor, struggling to catch his breath, yet Shinnok didn't seem to have any remorse for his servant. That's just what he was. After gaining enough breath to speak, the sorcerer bowed his head in shame.
"Forgive me, Lord Shinnok. I meant to offense" the pale-skinned man apologized.
Felling satisfied, Shinnok made his move. "Rally my servants! We invade Earthrealms now!" he then declared.
Two days later…
In Raiden's temple, the God of Thunder was meditating all by himself, knowing well what he would face. The door to his temple opened and in came an elderly man dressed in black cloth. He grinned as he caught a glimpse of Raiden, although the God himself sat still, never moving a muscle.
"So this is the Sky Temple? Reminds me of Honmaru with lightning" the elderly man said while crossing his arms, his eyes fixed on all corners of the temple. "I must say, it would be a perfect place for me to stay at, considering I am now without a home" he added, never caring that he was in someone else's home.
Raiden opened his eyes and faced the stranger who had rudely interrupted his meditation. However, he remained seated on the floor. The elderly man started taking small steps towards him, yet the Thunder God remained seated.
"You are foolish to barge into my temple, Heihachi Mishima. I had expected you to have better sense of direction" Raiden said, finally standing up facing his opponent. "Reconsider your reckless moves before I make you regret it! I have little patience for arrogant mortals such as you" he warned and began readying his fighting stance, lightning covering his hands.
However, Heihachi was not backing down and proceeded to release his full power, readying his stance in the process. Lightning began forming all around him. "You think I fear you, Thunder God!? We Mishimas possesses the same powers as you do! Therefore, it would be unwise to underestimate my strength!" he said, standing ready to attack at any minute. "If you had any sense, you would be careful not to underestimate me!" Heihachi added to his statement.
The God of Thunder narrowed his blue eyes in return. "My existence predates the birth of the Mishima clan, fallen patriarch. As long as I live, power-hungry fools like you will never be allowed to roam free on Earthrealm!" he said in return as he gathered his power. "The world is in chaos right now, and I personally hold you and your family responsible for creating this carnage. None of you are fit to be its savior or protector!" the God added.
Heihachi sneered by hearing this. "This world does not need you! It needs men with ambition, like me!" he yelled and charged against the Thunder God, who did the exact same thing. They both tried to push the other away, but to no avail, as they were engaging in hand-to-hand combat. "I am the King of the Iron Fist! As such, only I am fit to rule the world" Heihachi roared as he tried to bring lighting into his opponent, only for Raiden to withstand it with his own.
"You will taste real lightning!" Raiden yelled as he and Heihachi battled.
As the two powerful beings clashed, lightning erupted on all corners, leaving destruction in their wake. Walls had gotten holes, as had the floor the two were currently fighting on.
But the fight even got uglier outside the temple's entrance, as Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima were ready to face off, both men wanting to challenge Raiden, only for them to know that Heihachi is one step ahead of them. Both the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation saw Raiden as a potential threat to their plans, and as such, they wanted to deal with him quickly. The two CEOs had expected to run into each other.
"Whatever your plans are, I won't let you do as you please, Kazuya" Jin said and readied his fighting stance. "You and your men better pull back!" he added.
Kazuya merely scoffed by seeing this. "I spit upon your empty threats. You and Heihachi have been nuisances to me for the last time" he said while crossing his arms. Kazuya then readied his fighting stance. "But if you refuse to walk away, I might as well take your powers away from you, Jin!" he said with a smirk. Both his and Jin's soldiers were aiming their rifles at one another.
Jin stood ready, his gaze filled with determination. "Then you choose to die here" the young man said in return.
But before they could commence this fight, both Kazuya and Jin stopped once some of their soldiers were easily killed by kunais and ninja stars. Only a few still remained, but both Kazuya and Jin knew that they were not alone. Someone else were at the temple, not just Heihachi.
"Neither of you are welcome here" a chilly voice could be heard as Sub-Zero appeared from hiding among the temple's ice-covered walls. "Raiden knew that you along with Heihachi Mishima would seek him out, so he made some preparations by asking for our aid against the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation" he went on explaining while facing them coldly.
Jin's eyes narrowed by seeing him. "The Lin Kuei..." he muttered in irritation and started facing the ninja. "You and your assassins have no business with the Zaibatsu's affairs" he added while facing Sub-Zero, who was being accompanied by ninjas of the Lin Kuei.
"We have indeed, Jin Kazama" the ninja said in return. "But the Lin Kuei are not doing this alone. We have sought assistance from a former rival in order to defend this temple from you" Sub-Zero suddenly revealed.
Kazuya immediately turned around to see a kunai heading straight towards him. But he easily shoved it aside by blocking and began seeing someone approaching from the hole in the nearby cave. Kazuya's face was filled with anger over seeing who that person was.
"You..." Kazuya said lowly as the ninja called Scorpion revealed himself out in the open, his eyes engulfed by flames. "The Shirai Ryu is defending the Thunder God as well!?" Kazuya wondered in his head angrily.
Scorpion emerged out of the cave accompanied by ninjas of the Shirai Ryu. "I thought I sensed demon scum lurking around the temple. And it seems that my instincts were telling me the truth" Scorpion noted while facing Kazuya and Jin, as well their groups of soldiers. "Beware my flames! They can even burn devils like you!" he added with anger in his voice.
Kazuya only got angered by seeing this and began facing Scorpion. "Insolent spectre! Stay out of my business!" he said while readying his fighting stance.
Scorpion only readied his fighting stance while facing Kazuya with his pale eyes of hatred. "Your soul will burn!" he said as both he and Kazuya charged at each other. But Scorpion appeared behind Kazuya by using his teleportation and kicked him. While his opponent fell on the ground, Scorpion began raising flames from where Kazuya was lying on. "Feel the agony of hellfire!" he shouted as flames rose from the ground.
But the yellow ninja was in for a surprise as he could see Kazuya jumping straight out of the flames and heading straight towards him. Kazuya used his Dorya on Scorpion, sending the spectre in the air, before delivering a powerful kick. The black-haired man only frowned deeply. "Hmmm pathetic creature" he said.
Meanwhile, Jin could feel a blast of ice coming towards him from behind and he narrowly dodged it. The young man began facing Sub-Zero in combat as the ninja charged. "You will not stand in my way, Sub-Zero!" Jin said before clashing with Sub-Zero.
"Do not be so overconfident, boy!" Sub-Zero replied as he clashed with the young man. The blue ninja managed to freeze the young man, and then proceeded to kick him in his stomach. "If you think that I fear you because of your hidden powers, then you have sadly mistaken. I have fought monsters far deadlier than the likes of you" he added, as Jin quickly got up on his feet.
The raven-haired man gritted his teeth in anger over being spoken to like that and he charged towards Sub-Zero. "Then do your worst, Cryomancer. I won't go easy on you!" Jin replied as they clashed.
While they are fighting, Jin could notice some soldiers of the Special Forces heading towards them. But he had better things to focus on and resumed his fight with Sub-Zero. Before the soldiers could go up the stairs, mines went off. The blonde-haired general, who was in fact Sonya Blade, was filled with anger over seeing this trap. Only a few of her soldiers had managed to stay alive by her side.
"What the hell!? Who did this shit!?" the woman called out in anger while facing her surroundings.
"It was me" Sonya paused and turned around to see a similar blonde-haired woman land before her, wearing her purple outfit. She smirked at the general. "Sorry to ruin your parade, Sonya Blade. But that's all part of earning a living" she called out the general's name smugly.
Sonya fixed a scowl by seeing this. "Nina Williams..." she said with disgust in her voice. "How could I not forget you and your smartass reputation? Hard to believe that you've ended up becoming the Zaibatsu's pet, the same group you despise" she added.
Nina simply shrugged her shoulders. "I'm doing my job. Therefore, I won't let you or your men interrupt my boss on his mission" she told her and readied her fighting stance. "Now run back home before I break your legs by accident" she warned coldly, not even having a slightest sense of remorse in her voice.
Sonya also readied her fighting stance and faced Nina with a similar glance. "You talk way too much, assassin. How about I make it up to you by stomping my feels on your mouth!?" she suggested and the two blondies began clashing, resulting them in a deadly catfight.
As they fought with the help of both firearms and hand-to-hand combat, Nina mused to herself. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I enjoy fighting you" she admitted while clashing against her elbow.
Surprisingly, Sonya felt the same thing. "One of us is going down, bitch! And it sure as hell won't be me!" she said while she and Nina fought by using their legs.
Back in the sky temple, Raiden and Heihachi continued to go toe to toe against one another. Raiden even fired a bolt of lightning at the old man, thus sending him flying towards the wall. The wall collapsed and Heihachi was sent flying towards the sky temple's balcony. But Heihachi got back on his feet quickly and charged himself at the Thunder God, resulting in yet another explosion of lightning. But Heihachi managed to block Raiden's punch and then head-butted him, sending Raiden to the wall.
"Hah! Not so almighty now, are you, Thunder God!?" Heihachi taunted while walking towards the hole in the wall. But Heihachi is in for a surprise as Raiden comes flying towards him with lightning in his palms. Heihachi tried to block it but it was no use, as he was sent flying, almost falling off the balcony. The old man managed to land in the nick of time by punching his fist onto the floor. Heihachi gritted his teeth as he glared up to Raiden. "You are so damn unpredictable!" he cursed beneath his breath.
Raiden was standing while having his arms rested behind his back. "You will suffer for this intrusion, Mishima! You along with your son and grandson were never destined to rule what your father had built from the ground!" the God of Thunder told him strictly.
Hearing this only fueled anger within Heihachi and he made his move against Raiden. "Do not speak as if you know the Mishima Zaibatsu, false god! I am the rightful and legitimate ruler of it!" he yelled while charging with his fist.
To Heihachi's surprise, Raiden grabbed his fast and tossed him away by shocking him. "I know more than you realize, fallen patriarch. Including the fact that the Curse of the Mishima-bloodline…..never began with the Mishimas in the first place" he revealed to his opponent. "Yes, while your lust for power and greed is inheritable from the Mishima clan, the Devil Gene is not. The answer to that lies with your deceased wife: Kazumi Hachijou" the God revealed to him.
Heihachi's elderly eyes widened when hearing this. It was stunning, considering the fact that only he himself knew of the story itself. But the shocking eyes soon turned into eyes of anger and rage and he immediately charged towards the God of Thunder, only for Raiden to teleport away from him. Heihachi's thoughts was boiling with anger.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THIS! A FALSE GOD SUCH AS YOU HAS NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CHOICES I'VE MADE!" Heihachi roared, feeling extreme resentment towards Raiden.
The God of Thunder simply folded his arms while hearing this. "As I said before, I know more than you realize. But even after knowing the story, there is nothing that suggests to me that you are a hero, let alone a victim" Raiden told him before readying his fighting stance once again. "But I know that beneath your arrogance and hunger for power lies despair. You along with Kazumi has influenced Earthrealm to the chaos it currently finds itself in. The Elder Gods have already delivered their verdict: you and your offspring must be punished!" Raiden told his opponent.
Heihachi stood his ground while preparing to resume his fight with Raiden. "I grow tired of you, Raiden. And as such, I will end this fight with one blow! You will snap like a twig!" he taunted Raiden as the God flew towards him.
Underneath where Raiden and Heihachi were fighting, Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch were sneaking in the sky temple's catacombs. Apparently, they had entered while the fight was commencing upstairs. They made sure that they were not followed or even spotted by whoever lurked in these catacombs.
"Are you sure about this, Lars?" Alisa asked him with concern. "These catacombs might not be a safe place to be in, especially with the destructive fight happening above us" she added.
"The temple's entrance is already a battlefield, Alisa. And with both Heihachi and Raiden too distracted, this is the only option we have" Lars told her in return before continuing the sneaking. "It seems that we were too slow to realize how quickly Jin and Kazuya were in tracking the location of this temple" he noted to himself.
But they both stopped once they could feel how funny the air around them felt. Lars began coughing intensively as smoke began covering all around him. Alisa immediately noticed this and used her jet pack to drag Lars to safety. He stopped coughing after this, and Alisa was relieved to see that.
"Lars! Is your throat okay?" the pink-haired android wondered.
"Thanks Alisa. I'm fine" Lars said to her with a smile. But the spikey-haired man turned his attention to the figure of smoke that was appearing before them. His serious eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Show yourself!" he demanded while readying his fighting stance.
The figure appeared to be a ninja dressed in greyish-black while covered in smoke. It was the once called Smoke "What business do you have in the catacombs of Raiden's Sky Temple?" he asked and readied his fighting stance. "Come to assist your father perhaps, Lars Alexandersson?" the ninja asked him sternly, surprising Lars in the process.
"You know my name? As well as my relation to Heihachi?" Lars asked before returning his serious gaze upon the ninja. "You caught me by figuring out my identity. But apparently you misunderstand. We only came here to speak with Raiden" he explained as best as he could.
"Your words does not deceive me, Mishima!" Smoke hit back. "Even now, my brothers in the Lin Kuei and their allies are battling against your relatives as we speak" the ninja added. The ninja gathered smoke around him as he faced the duo, or perhaps more specifically Lars. "Retreat if you both wish to live. I will not let either of you get past me so easily!" he added with a warning.
Realizing that this ninja was determined to fight him, Lars cursed underneath his breath and looked over his shoulder to face Alisa. "Alisa, you better go on without me. I will deal with this ninja first" he told her, who seemed very reluctant to leave him behind. "Don't worry, I will join you when I can. Right now, all that matters is that you reach Raiden before it's too late" he said with a smile given to her. He then began charging towards Smoke, who used teleportation to vanish.
But as Smoke was intending to attack Lars from behind, the spikey-haired man caught wind of the ninja, and he blocked his attack and began clashing with the ninja. Lars smirked while he was doing that. "So, you're from the Lin Kuei, like Sub-Zero? This should be an interesting match" he remarked.
Smoke only faced him with serious eyes. "It will be more than interesting. I am different from Sub-Zero. I am Smoke! And where there is smoke, there is fire!" he said while he and Lars began to fight in combat.
Knowing that Lars was counting on her to go on without him, Alisa activated her jet pack and flew towards the opened doorway that lead to the stairs. With Smoke distracted, she would be free to go. But the young girl stopped as she could see a man wearing an oxygen mask blocking her way with his arms. He stood there way before she could even reach it. It was the man named Kabal, a former member of the Black Dragon.
"Sorry lady. I can't let you pass. Raiden said so" Kabal said and readied his fighting stance. "Fly away, unless you wanna fight me. But I'll warn you, I'm faster than even the fastest robot" he added and began taking slow steps towards her while drawing the hookswords he carried behind his back.
Alisa was already filled with uncertainty, but she did in fact activate her chainsaws, all the more reason for Kabal to go against her at his best. The pink-haired android fixed a determined look on her face. "Do not make me hurt you. I will resort to drastic measures if necessary" she warned him, but Kabal didn't take her threats seriously.
"Heh, you just sealed your fate, girly!" Kabal said and used his incredible speed to charge towards him. Alisa was stressed about not being able to predict his speed. But before Kabal could officially attack her, someone interrupted him and was now clashing against him with two daggers. The masked man was filled with surprise. "What the hell..." he said as he stared at the man who was blocking his attack. It was a man with an x-formed scar running across his face. He was also noticeable by the sunglasses he was wearing. This was Raven, the agent Alisa and Lars had been with a couple of days ago.
"Raven!" Alisa exclaimed in both surprise and shock at the same time.
"You should pay attention to your surroundings. Even now, I could've just sneaked past you like a shadow" Raven told Kabal and they both stopped the clashing.
Kabal stepped back and faced the agent with a scoff. "Who the hell are you?" he asked rudely.
Raven crossed his arms in return. "I've no obligation to answer you, Kabal of the Black Dragon" he said, thus enraging the masked man. The agent looked over his shoulder to face Alisa. "Listen, I know what your intentions are. That's why I came here to assist you. I will hold him off while you may use the hole in the wall I created to reach Raiden" he told her while motioning his head towards the hole in the wall. "But be quick about it, Bosconovitch. Time is short" Raven told her.
Realizing what he meant, Alisa thanked him and used her jet pack to fly through the hole, while Raven engaged in combat with Kabal.
"Tch, what's your game?" Kabal asked and he suddenly used his fast speed to run around Raven in a circle. Eventually delivered a kick on the agent, thus sending him towards the stairway. While it felt painful to Raven, he quickly got up on his feet. But Kabal was still onto him. "You honestly think that Raiden's gonna listen to any of you? He's got more pressing issues to deal with!" the masked man told the agent.
"His conflict with Heihachi Mishima will only make the situation worse" Raven pointed out and readied his ninjutsu. "You know as well as I do" he added and then jumped at Kabal, with the masked man drawing his hookswords.
"Well, no one told me about that!" Kabal said in return. "But who gives a crap, anyway? I'm itching for a good fight right now" the man with the oxygen mask told the agent.
"Then don't be surprised when you're defeated" Raven replied sternly before they continued clashing with their weapons, as well as using their speed against one another.
Outside the temple's entrance, there was still chaos, with Jin and Kazuya going toe to toe against their respective opponents: Sub-Zero and Scorpion. At the same time, Nina and Sonya were continuing their deadly catfight. But Nina had planted a mine on the wall, the place where Sonya stood. Sonya caught wind of this and jumped to the side as quickly as possible to avoid the explosion. She landed on her stomach. She was slowly getting up on her feet, only to feel someone kicking in her face, thus sending her rolling.
The one who had kicked her began grinning sadistically, as it was the cyborg named Bryan Fury. "Yeah, now we're talking about some real action here!" he exclaimed and looked at Nina. "Mind if I steal her for a while?" he asked her.
Nina was not amused by the fact, but she only shrugged her shoulders in return. "Whatever. It's not like I care about her anyways" she said with no remorse in her voice. "Do with her as you please, I've got more pressing matters to attend to" she told him.
Bryan was filled with glee as he walked towards Sonya, her face having blood running across it. She spat at him with open hostility. "Screw you, pale-skinned bastard!" Sonya retorted, only for Bryan to pull his gun at her.
"Shut up, bitch! I wanna have some of the joy in this fight as well by killing you!" Bryan said and was about to pull the trigger, only for a knife to interrupt him, leaving a few cuts on his fingers. Bryan groaned in pain as blood dripped from his fingers. "Motherfucker! Who the hell threw this at me!?" he demanded angrily but as he looked to his left, he was greeted by a hard fist delivered at his face.
Sonya could not believe who had just saved her now, and she quickly got up on her feet while fixing a deep scowl across her face. "You gotta be shitting me!" she said in disbelief at the man who saved her. "Of all the people I know, YOU must be the one to save me, Kano!?" she called out the man's name.
The man with the laser-eye on his right and black dragon tattoos running across his body only smirked at her in return. "Don't get the wrong idea, sweetheart! I didn't save ya!" Kano said and began approaching Bryan, who wiped off the blood from his mouth. "Allow me to tell you something, sport! If someone's gonna kill this lovely girl, it will be me! So stay away from my prey!" he told Bryan.
"Your prey!?" Bryan asked him with a scowl and drew his knife. "No one tells me what is theirs and gets away with it! Not even scum such as you!" he roared and charged at Kano.
The one-eyed man only grinned in return by seeing this. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy cutting ya, mate!" he said and charged towards Bryan. They both clashed with their knives. But Kano used his signature ball technique and sent Bryan flying. But the pale-skinned man quickly landed on his feet and faced the one-eyed man with a psychotic grin, similar to Kano's.
"Heh, playtime's over!" Bryan said and ran straight towards Kano once again. "This time, I will carve out your only eye!" he shouted with delight.
"Just go ahead and try, you fucking wanker!" Kano replied in his Aussie accent, resuming his battle with the cyborg. "Now this is what I call action! I'm starting to enjoy this!" he exclaimed in delight.
Bryan only grinned viciously in return. "Feeling's mutual!" he replied.
Nina was watching the two men enjoying their battle, but eventually got a kick landed on her hip. This sent her sideways and she immediately stood on her feet to see Sonya still intending on fighting her. The blonde-haired general only smirked by seeing her outraged reaction.
"Don't count me as out of the game yet! I won't stop until I've beaten your slutty ass!" Sonya retorted in her foul language.
Nina only glared at her deadly in return. "You'll regret this, military brat!" she said before the two blondies resumed their deadly catfight.
Hearing this only infuriated Sonya on the inside. "A military brat has more honor than an assassin!" she snapped at her as they clashed.
Meanwhile, Johnny Cage and his assembled team consisting of Cassandra Cage, Jacqueline Briggs, Takeda Takahashi and Kung Jin were on their way to Raiden's temple by running through the woods. The woods were harsh and the winds blew through them. But Johnny and his team proceeded running, as they could already see the lightning bolts that slammed by the temple.
"Keep it up, kids! We gotta reach the temple. It's positively obvious that Heihachi has already reached Raiden and is now fighting him!" Johnny called out to them while panting. "And both Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama are outside, based upon what General Blade just told me!" he added.
"I heard that Master Hanzo is joining Sub-Zero in preventing them from entering the temple" Takeda said with a smile. "I'm confident that we'll make it in time!" he added while panting.
Johnny mused by hearing this. "You have a point there, Takeda!" he said while guiding his team through the harsh environment.
But unbeknownst to Johnny and his team, someone had been watching them from afar, he stepped out in the woods and revealed himself. It was the exorcist named Claudio Serafino, he and his followers were also headed for the Sky Temple. Claudio was the leader of the infamous Archers of Sirius, a secret order of exorcists who had been battling against demons for generations. They had mostly remained hidden from the outside world, until now.
"So, the battle has already begun?" Claudio wondered while staring at the direction the team was running. The young man formed a smug smile with his face. "Then perhaps it would be a perfect opportunity for us to make our move. We go to Raiden's Sky Temple, brothers!" he commanded his followers and they did as he said. However, something happened to Claudio's right eye, as it began showing markings and become black.
Standing on a mountain and overlooking the disastrous conflict happening outside the temple were Julia Chang and Nightwolf. They had begun to notice how uneasy the elements around them had become. Julia was filled with concern and Nightwolf could see that.
"This conflict only fuels whatever evil lies in this area! I can feel the elements being in disharmony" Julia said while noticing the winds blowing in them. "Somehow, it feels similar to Ogre or Azazel. But it isn't. No, this is something far worse" the brunette realized.
"You are correct, Julia. But we only let this happen if we do not find a way to stop it" Nightwolf told her and faced the other side of the mountain. "We must find those who are willing to put their prejudices aside for the greater good" he told the young woman, who nodded in return.
"Where do we start?" Julia asked him, really wanting to know some answers.
"We best find Kenshi Takahashi and the ninja you call Yoshimitsu. Like us, they know what must be done" he answered her and the two Native American fighters began their quest by finding a way down.
"The idea sounds good, but do you know where they are?" Julia asked Nightwolf as they were walking down the mountain.
Nightwolf nodded his head as a yes to her question. "They were supposed to arrive in this region in a helicopter with Jackson Briggs. But I fear that because of the ongoing battle taking place outside Raiden's Sky Temple, it will be exported to the surrounding areas as well. Even now, I sense strong activity in that area…..activity of Outworld" he told her, forcing Julia to slightly gasp in astonishment.
After Alisa had managed to escape through the hole in the wall, she was up high in the air besides the temple, which was after all located on a cliff. But as she flew to reach Raiden, someone had shot her, thereby damaging her jet pack. This made Alisa lose control of her flying and she was forced to make a crash-landing on a lower balcony belonging to the temple. Her systems were damaged, but she still managed to get up on her feet. But as she got up, she was treated for an ugly surprise, as a Tarkatan landed before her, his blades hanging out along his arms.
"A Tarkatan…..." Alisa noted with worry as the wild creature growled at her. She also noticed that there was one way out: through the Tarkatan. "My jet pack is damaged and the only way is past him" she added to her thoughts.
"My blades are desperate to feast on your flesh, woman!" the Tarkatan named Baraka growled and readied his fighting stance with his blades.
Alisa quickly activated her chainsaws and was prepared to engage in combat, knowing that it was Baraka who had somehow shot her and forced her to land like this. She even fixed a slight determined look on her face. "I'm not afraid of you, monster!" she said to him. "Let me pass, or else I will resort to drastic measures" Alisa warned him.
Baraka was unfazed, even as he saw the chainsaws coming from Alisa. "So you're a machine? A different type of Earthrealm machine than from those I have witnessed" the Tarkatan noted. "No matter, I will make a pile of scrap out of you!" Baraka roared before charging towards Alisa.
While they were ready to combat, someone had been watching the upcoming fight from above. It was Mileena and two of her closest allies: the Edenians Tanya and Rain. She chuckled as she saw Baraka already engaging Alisa. "Well done, Baraka. You may have the honor of killing this pathetic girl" she said. She then began facing her associates. "It's time for us to make our move. With Raiden too distracted by the conflict, we must use it to our advantage" she said, peeling at them with her monstrous eyes.
"A splendid suggestion, my empress" Tanya remarked cunningly
"Then let us make haste. It won't be long before Kotal Khan and his minions arrive here on Earthrealm" Rain suggested to them.
Hearing that name only infuriated Mileena, as she couldn't wait to stab the Osh-Tekk with her twin sai. "Worry about that cowardly slave, later! Our priority should be Raiden and his foolish servants!" she told them and they began their operations.
As the conflict raged around Raiden's Sky Temple, life in the surrounding nature had taken notice of it. While thunder and lightning danced in the black clouds, the wildlife had hoped to avoid this chaos encroaching on them. As such, they deserted the nearby forests, leaving them almost haunted. However, because of the wildlife being thrown out, various fighters would only use the woods as their battlefield, especially with regards to gaining prominence from the carnage that was taking place.
Beyond the mountains surrounding the temple, a ninja stepped out of a cave at the foot of a nearby mountain. He looked up to the dark skies and saw how it rumbled and it never stopped. This was the ninja called Tremor, who possessed the ability to control the earth elements. His bright eyes never left the rumbling clouds.
"The spirits are restless" Tremor noted while feeling the wind breezing through him.
But the ninja was interrupted when he could feel someone approaching him. Tremor was treated for a surprise, as it was a young Chinese man who was dressed in colorful clothes and scarf. He also wore gloves that were reminiscent of Chinese demons. For some reason, Tremor had seen those clothes somewhere, but he could tell that this man was no Shaolin monk.
The young man smirked while facing Tremor, his dragon-like eyes piercing through him. "Are you the one they call Tremor?" he asked the ninja. But he got no answer from Tremor, who continued to glare at him coldly. "Your mute response confirms that you are indeed him" he remarked.
Tremor narrowed his bright eyes. "Who are you, stranger? Why have you come to me?" he asked the young man warily.
"I am called Feng Wei and you have something that I really desire" the young man introduced himself before readying his fighting stance. "If you wish to avoid conflict, then I suggest you hand over the things I am seeking. Give me the God Fist scrolls, weapon dealer!" he demanded from Tremor.
The ninja only readied his stance in return. "I see. You must be the Kenpo master who has laid waste to dojos across China and Japan to satisfy your lust for combat" Tremor remarked before facing Feng with a similar glance. "For that, you are unworthy of possessing those scrolls! Walk away before I destroy your pride, Kenpo oaf!" he said threateningly.
Hearing this only made Feng grit his teeth in anger and he began charging towards him. "Then I shall take them once I have finished you!" the young man exclaimed and they engaged in combat. "Prepare for combat!" Feng added as they clashed.
As they fought, the ground beneath them began to shake while the mountain's walls began to crack. It was apparent that their fight was becoming destructive as the minutes passed. Some of the clashes even caused the ground itself to shake.
Inside the woods, Armor King was struggling against two four-armed creatures called Shokans. They were Goro and Kintaro and the man in black jaguar mask was at great disadvantage by the ruthless monsters.
"You are weak, Earthrealmer! Prepare to meet your demise!" Kintaro shouted and was about to use two of his arms to crush the wrestler, only for someone to jump on him and make him fall onto the ground. Kintaro himself was surprised by this turn of events, as was Goro.
"Who are you!?" Goro demanded as he watched another human dressed in a jaguar mask walk away from Kintaro and towards Armor King. The Shokan felt insulted by being ignored like this. "Damn him….." Goro muttered beneath his breath.
Armor King crossed his arms as he faced the wrestler with disdain, and he knew who it was. It was King, or the second King to be more specific. And he had been mentored by both the first King and the first Armor King, who was also this Armor King's brother. "You shouldn't have come here!" Armor King told King. "I can take these two monsters out by myself! Your assistance is not required here!" he pointed out to King, who didn't seem convinced by his statement.
"From what I see, you don't stand a chance against them" King said only to be met by a growl by Armor King, who really resented him. The professional wrestler sighed deeply. "I understand that you still hate me, but why don't you swallow your pride and let me help you? You and I both carry masks of great champions" King tried to convince the wrestler in black armor, who still wasn't keen on cooperation.
But both wrestler could hear a large and angry growl come from Kintaro as he and Goro began facing both of them with threatening looks. Goro smirked by seeing them. "Two against two? Sounds perfect to me. Shall we play with these Earthrealmers, Kintaro?" he asked his fellow Shokan who growled in return.
"You cowards better show us your true faces!" Kintaro said while cracking his knuckles. "Otherwise, we will rip them off your heads!" the tiger-skinned Shokan said
Realizing the situation, Armor King faced King with a serious glance. "Make no mistake. This will only be an alliance of convenience. I'm only doing this out of respect for your predecessor" Armor King told King, but he was not finished talking to him. "But after we're done with them, I will have Marduk's head! Mark my words!" he warned before charging against Kintaro.
King was left to face Goro, who was very fast and quite impossible to dodge. In fact, the Shokan managed to grab King, landing him a few hits on his face, before tossing him in the air. Meanwhile, Armor King was doing his best in avoiding Kintaro's deadly flames. Both wrestlers were doing their best in trying combat the Shokans, who appeared both larger and stronger physically. Surprisingly, they even managed to force them to the ground, although Goro and Kintaro only tossed them easily.
Back at the cave's entrance, Tremor was going toe to toe against Feng. He had managed to use a rolling stone to send him away and was about to throw a giant rock in the air. That giant rock would eventually land on Feng, or so he thought.
Feng caught wind of the giant rock falling above him and with a powerful attack in the air with his hand palm, the rock shattered into many pieces. The young man then began folding his hands, while Tremor was filled with outrage.
"You managed to break my rock. This only confirms how dangerous you truly are" Tremor noted and began charging towards him.
Feng unfolded his hands and readied himself for combat. "Is this the best you have to offer?" Feng mockingly asked him with a smug smile. "I have crushed things harder than a mere rock!" he added as he clashed with Tremor.
But the ninja managed to cause quakes that left Feng stunned. The Kenpo master lost his balance and fell on his back. Tremor ran towards him and was about to crush Feng with a boulder in his right arm, only for Feng to roll over and dodge the attack. But Tremor quickly caught wind of it and shot a rock from his left arm. Feng was too slow to react, so he got hit by it.
Tremor let rocks cover his arms once again, before breaking them. "You cannot match my power!" he told Feng, who had quickly got up on his feet.
"I do not require your powers, ninja" Feng said and wiped off blood on his face. His strong fists began clenching together. His eyes also began showing that of a dragon. "My palms alone can break the earth! Therefore, they can break you as well!" he said before charging towards his opponent.
Tremor's bright eyes slightly widened as he witnessed the look on Feng's face. But still, it didn't stop him from responding to his attack. "You will not break me so easily! The earth will consume you!" the ninja yelled back as he and Feng clashed.
Inside the woods, Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort was having a lovely picnic in the middle of the cursed woods, along with her trustworthy butler Sebastian. Because she didn't wish to get involved in Xiaoyu's search for Jin, Lili decided to do things her way. That is the reason why she currently had this picnic.
"Ah, nothing beats a picnic in the woods. Although these woods are a bit gloomy, it won't stop me from enjoying some relaxation" the blonde-haired girl exclaimed happily before glancing over to her butler. "Wouldn't you agree, Sebastian?" she asked him.
Sebastian smiled as he was standing beside her holding a tea cane. "Of course, madam" he told her gently.
But Lili's picnic would take a drastic turn, when a green-scaled creature showed himself, trying to attack both Lili and Sebastian. It was the Zaterran ninja named Reptile. He had been skulking around the woods since arriving at Earthrealm and happened to stumble upon Lili and his butler as he was searching for a target to devour with his teeth.
"Disgusting Earthrealmers! I long for something to bite on!" Reptile roared, his acid salvia dripping from his teeth.
But instead of being terrified of it, Lili was rather curious about it. This only made Reptile confused while Sebastian only stood and watched as his young mistress began inspecting Reptile.
"My, a giant lizard that walks on two feet" Lili remarked and then faced her butler. "Just how many purses do you think we can make with this skin, Sebastian?" she asked him, now wanting to make purses out of Reptile.
"Well…...that is indeed a good question, milady" Sebastian noted while scratching his white hair.
The creature felt insulted by being dismissed so easily, so he began opening his mouth to show them his fury. "Respect me, humans! I am Reptile, the last of the Zaterrans!" he shouted, his venomous spit dripping from his mouth as he tried to intimidate Lili and her butler.
Lili gasped in surprise when hearing what Reptile just did. "It also talks! What an interesting creature" she remarked and began slowly approaching Reptile. "Would you like to become a servant of mine? I can give you a nice and comfy home to your liking" she asked while trying to encourage him.
Reptile could not stand this stupid girl, so he decided to kill her and be done with it. "I would rather eat your annoying, little head!" the green ninja said and was about to bite Lili, until he felt a boot on his chin. This sent Reptile to the ground and he groaned while rubbing his chin.
Lili only waved her finger at him as a no. "Uh, uh, uh, there will be no attitude when speaking to me. If not, your will taste my heels" she scolded Reptile, who was infuriated in return. But Lili suddenly began sniffing in the air and she felt disgusted. "Goodness, what a terrible stench I smell from you! You know, there exists something called a shower and a toothbrush!" the blonde-haired girl told him.
Sebastian mused to himself when hearing Lili say it. "A fabulous suggestion, milady. This stranger could perhaps learn from you with regards to taking care of his own hygiene" the butler told her.
The green-robed ninja was outraged over hearing the simplicity existing in both Lili and Sebastian. "You dare insult me, humans!?" Reptile asked as he got up, readying his fighting stance. His glowing eyes was focused on Lili. "Perhaps I underestimated your strength, little girl! But now, I shall not repeat that mistake and slay where you stand!" he said and charged towards the young and sweet-looking girl.
Despite seeing the killing intent in Reptile's eyes, Lili felt so much confidence grow within her. She wanted to fight this stranger creature. "Now this looks like fun! I think I will try and see how tough you are, lizardman!" she told him in a snobbish manner before charging towards the ninja.
While the battles were commencing in the woods beneath it, a helicopter could be seen flying and it belonged to the Special Forces. Among those onboard were Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs, Kenshi Takahashi and Yoshimitsu from the Manji Clan. They were viewing the thundering skies beyond the mountainous range. It was apparent that they were on their way to Raiden's Sky Temple.
"Damn! It's even worse than what I imagined!" Jax cursed as he looked outside from one of the helicopter's windows.
"It is apparent that Heihachi Mishima is fighting Raiden as we speak" Yoshimitsu remarked grimly. "I pray that we are not too late" he added with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Any word from General Blade, major?" Kenshi asked Jax.
The man with metallic arms faced them grimly. "It's a hellhole over there! Not only do we have Heihachi, but now both the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation are there as well, including Kazuya and Jin. And from what scouts have told me, Mileena and her lackeys were spotted snooping around the Sky Temple. Shit just got real!" Jax explained the situation.
Yoshimitsu nodded his head before him in respect. "I see. Then we must make haste. It is only a matter of time before…..." before the ninja could continue, they all fell from their seats as the helicopter began losing control. It was beginning to go down.
"SHIT! WHAT THE HELL'S GOIN' ON!?" Jax asked out in anger.
"WE'VE BEEN HIT, MAJOR BRIGGS! I REPEAT: WE'VE BEEN HIT!" the pilot replied as the helicopter's system was completely out of control.
"FUCK!" Jax cursed and tried to make some communications with Special Forces HQ. "Mayday, mayday! We're going down! I repeat, we're going down!" the major shouted in the communication system.
The helicopter spun around in the air and it fell down towards the woods below. But someone was watching it going down through binoculars. Those binoculars belonged to Sergei Dragunov, a top member of SPETZNAZ, the Russian Special Operations unit. He had earned his reputation on the battlefields as the White Angel of Death. The young man only watched as the helicopter disappeared from his sight through the binoculars.
He then turned to face one of his soldiers, who saluted in return. "Comrade sir, from what we can describe, the helicopter's motors were not shot by a rocket launcher. No, our scanners indicate that it was a bullet from a rifle! But that sounds preposterous" the Russian soldier noted while filling in on what they had discovered.
Dragunov took his time to think through and once again, he faced the soldier and pointed his finger towards the direction the helicopter disappeared.
"As you command" the Russian soldier saluted before facing his fellow soldiers. "Alright comrades! We are to search the wreckage for any survivors as well as to find out who did this! It is apparent that we are not alone in these forsaken woods" the soldier said to his comrades and they saluted in return.
The regiment of Russian troops began moving through the woods, not just with soldiers. As Dragunov walked, several Russian tanks were seen moving alongside the regiment. It was apparent that he would lead these soldiers over to the Sky Temple.
Dragunov hadn't been the only one to take notice of the helicopter being hit. Among them was the Vale Tudo fighter Craig Marduk, who had struggled to find his way through the woods. He was currently trying to reach out to King.
"Damn it! I can't get a signal from this spot!" Marduk cursed. But his attention was caught somewhere else when he could hear the sounds of growling and roaring not far from where he stood. The muscular man snapped. "That voice…it has to be King! I just know it! HOLD ON TIGHT, PAL! I'M COMING!" Marduk yelled as he ran to the direction he heard the voice.
Not far from where the helicopter had flown above, Zafina was wandering through the woods, hoping to see what had happened and where the helicopter was off to. She knew it belonged to the Special Forces.
"I must hurry!" Zafina thought while running and jumping through hindrances. "Obviously that helicopter was headed for Raiden's Sky Temple. It seems that I must pace up the speed if I am to reach there in time" she added and sprinted.
But the young woman stopped in her tracks, as two black-haired women landed in her way. It was the Edenians: Kitana and Jade. She drew her deadly fans and readied her fighting stance, only for Zafina to do the same thing. Jade meanwhile held out her stick and readied herself.
Zafina realized that she would have difficulties against those two Edinians. "We don't have to do this, Princess Kitana" Zafina told her with a reasonable voice. "Lay down your weapons and we can sort this out, without bloodshed" she urged the two Edinians.
Kitana glared daggers at the young woman. "Shut it, brat! I only came here to ask you one thing! Why is reaching Raiden's Sky Temple THAT important?" the Edenian asked her impatiently, only for Jade to restrain her anger.
"Calm down, Kitana. Let me talk to her" Jade told her before glancing warily at Zafina. "You better have a good explanation for why we should listen to you, human. We do trust Earthrealmers, but you are not one of them" the woman dressed in green told her.
Still feeling not trustworthy about Kitana and Jade, Zafina decided to tell her anyways. "Raiden and Heihachi Mishima's conflict have managed to draw the attention of three powerful beings. We already know who the two first are, but the third one….….is sealed somewhere beneath the Jinsei Chamber" she revealed to her grimly.
By hearing this, the eyes of the two Edinians widened and they began lowering their weapons, although not necessarily putting them away. The expression on their faces were filled with anger and shock. Jade looked at Kitana, realizing why she was feeling this way.
"If what she says is true, then that means…." Jade was trying to come up with the words, only for Kitana to run away as quickly as she could.
"No…...Shinnok cannot be allowed to reach the Jinsei Chamber! We must hurry!" she yelled and headed straight for the rumbling mountains. Jade kept up with her. As the two friends ran, there was something on Kitana's mind at the moment. "Liu Kang…..….please be safe" she thought about the human she had made friends with. Kitana knew that he was currently positioned within the Jinsei Chamber.
Zafina was filled with satisfaction over seeing Kitana and Jade heeding to her warnings. Smiling to herself, she followed the Edenians, in hopes of aiding them in stopping this threat. She also had some thoughts at the moment.
"I have a feeling that the upcoming battle will be far worse than the case with Azazel" Zafina noted in her head as she ran towards the rumbling mountains. "If what the Guru says is true, then this Satori….is indeed a far deadlier entity than Azazel" she added grimly.
Jax, Kenshi an Yoshimitsu woke up from their crash-landing, only to find themselves being locked in enchanted chains, along with other soldiers from the Special Forces. They were still in the woods, but could see familiar faces standing before them, coupled with a pack of soldiers. Jax and Kenshi knew who they were.
"The hell's goin' on? Soldiers from Outworld?" Jax wondered as he saw what was standing before him and his friends.
"What is the meaning of this capture?" Kenshi spoke up and could feel three people showing themselves. The blind swordsman could feel their essence and he recognized one of them, considering how powerful it felt. "Kotal Khan…...what are you doing?" Kenshi asked.
The Emperor of Outworld was accompanied by the marksman named Erron Black and the Kytinn called D'Vorah. D'Vorah stepped forward to speak up. "Lord Shinnok has convinced the Osh-Tekk to ally himself with him. This one makes sure the emperor honors his agreement" the Kytinn told them. D'Vorah then took her glance at Kotal Khan. "You would do well to remember the concessions you agreed to, Ko'atal. Never go back on them" she reminded him.
The Osh-Tekk faced her warily. "Do not trifle with me, Kytinn! I only agreed to this pact so that Outworld would be spared from his wrath!" Kotal Khan reminded her, although D'Vorah didn't seem intimidated. "Outworld will battle the Earthrealmers, but we will do so on our terms, not on Netherrealm's!" the emperor added to his statement.
"Whatever you say, Ko'atal. All that matters is that you and your allies take care of Earthrealm's protectors" she told him.
"Tch, so you're Shinnok's pet now, Kotal Khan?" Jax mockingly asked him, earning him a death glare from the Osh-Tekk. "Your reaction alone proves it. I didn't realize you were such a cowardly emperor" he added with amusement in his voice.
In his anger, Kotal Khan drew his dagger and placed it near Jax's throat, almost cutting it. "Hold your tongue, Jackson Briggs! An arrogant Earthrealmer such as you have no idea what it means to be an emperor!" he spat without remorse. But Jax didn't seem scared of being that close to Kotal Khan. "Say one more word and I will personally cut off your tongue!" the Osh-Tekk warned, before returning to D'Vorah's side.
"Why have you captured us?" Yoshimitsu asked all of them, specifically D'Vorah. "From what I hear, you know something about Shinnok's plans! Tell us what you know" the ninja demanded answers from the woman.
"This one has no obligation in telling you of our plans, swordsman" D'Vorah told him in return, before unleashing her wings, while facing Kotal Khan. "Come emperor, Lord Shinnok awaits us" she said to him.
Kotal Khan began facing Erron who nodded at him in return. "We will head towards Raiden's Sky Temple. Make sure that none of them escapes. I will let you know when you are needed at my side. And make sure Reptile, Ermac and Ferra/Torr knows of this as well" the emperor told the bounty hunter before joining D'Vorah.
With them gone, Erron and his men were left in charge of Jax, the two swordsmen and the surviving Special Forces soldiers. He faced them coldly, especially Jax. "You can try say anything you want, but it won't change my mind. My loyalties lie with Kotal Khan and his money" Erron told them, once he felt that one of them were trying to speak to him with reason.
"You are a despicable fiend" Yoshimitsu spat at him. "Serving under a hopeless tyrant earns you no honor" the ninja told him.
Erron only narrowed his shady eyes at him. "Honor? Don't give me that bullshit!" he told Yoshimitsu. "In this world, there ain't no such thing as honor! Get it through your thick metallic skull. The only thing that matters is survival by any means" the marksman told him.
"Of course someone like you would never understand the meaning of honor" the voice of Kenshi came as he caught Erron's attention. "You and Kotal Khan are now serving under both Shinnok and his newfound ally: Kazumi Mishima, who has ties to the Mishima clan as a whole" he told him in a smug manner.
"Kazumi Mishima….." Yoshimitsu uttered out the name lowly. "There is another member of that accursed Mishima clan?" he wondered.
Erron snapped in outrage and drew one of his guns, aiming it at Kenshi's head. "You're one hell of a snooper! How did you find out!?" he demanded from him.
Kenshi formed a smirk with his mouth. "Actually, I have you to thank for it, Erron Black" the blind swordsman told him. "I know that deep down inside, you doubt yourself, as well as question your commitment to a sour and damn loser like Kotal Khan. It's not so difficult to see why. Even a lone wanderer such as you have some dignity left in you" he added while explaining Erron's own thoughts.
The marksman glared daggers at him. "You son of a bitch! You read my mind!" Erron snapped and loaded his gun, placing it on Kenshi's forehead. "Obviously you know of our plans, so I can't let you walk away from this alive. That said, I'll put a bullet in each of you" he said coldly.
But he was interrupted as various Russian soldiers appeared shooting down Erron's men. Both him and Jax knew whose leader was, and amidst the gunpowder, their leader appeared and kicked the marksman, thus making him land on the ground. He then proceeded to take out a couple of Outworld soldiers. After he was done with them he faced Jax and the swordsmen with a smug look, satisfied by seeing the three in chains.
"I know this man! He's…." Yoshimitsu was interrupted by Jax speaking out.
"Sergei Dragunov…you creepy bastard" Jax remarked warily. "So even SPETZNAZ is interested in this conflict? Should've seen that coming" he added.
Erron quickly got up on his feet and faced the young man deadly while holding his guns. "Bad idea to butt into Outworld affairs, rusky" he told him while aiming his guns at Dragunov. "I know who you are, and I tell you now. Go back to Russia or whatever hell you came from, White Angel of Death" the marksman warned him without remorse.
But Dragunov didn't seem threatened by Erron's warning and he only pointed his finger towards him, before turning his thumb upside down, indicating that he laughed at the marksman's threats, as well as his weapons.
"My bullets just got a vacant spot between your eyes!" Erron said before firing his guns.
Dragunov quickly avoided the bullets and he launched himself towards Erron, starting a hand to hand combat between the two of them. They were so focused on one another that they completely ignored the captives. The Russian soldiers and tanks also distracted the Outworld troops.
While seeing Erron and Dragunov in combat, Jax and the others tried to figure a way of breaking loose from those magical chains. Surprisingly, they could feel he chains weakening and it made it easier for them to break loose. They turned around to see Nightwolf and Julia Chang, having recently wandered down a mountain to search for Kenshi and Yoshimitsu. And now, they seemed to have found the two swordsmen.
"We have been looking for you: Kenshi Takahashi and Yoshimitsu" Nightwolf said before facing Jax. "And I see that you've brought Jackson Briggs with you" the Native American fighter remarked while smiling.
Kenshi smiled. "It's great to see you again, Nightwolf" he said while repossessing his sword called Sento. "As you can see, Outworld is now aligned with Shinnok and his Netherrealm-minions" he explained.
Julia's eyed became filled with concern. "No way. Is he an ally of the fallen Elder God now?" she asked them.
"I am afraid it is true, young girl" Yoshimitsu told her with a hint of disappointment. "He along with that Kytinn are headed towards Raiden's Sky Temple. The Thunder God already has his hands fill with the Mishima invaders" he added to his answer.
"Then we best head back there as quickly as possible" Nightwolf suggested to them. "There is already chaos taking place at the temple, with the Mishima Zaibatsu, G Corporation and other factions showing up to find Raiden" he informed.
"But there is also one more thing" Kenshi said. "It appears that Shinnok has found a new powerful ally on Earthrealm: a woman called Kazumi Mishima" the swordsman added, thus surprising the two Native American fighters.
"Kazumi Mishima….." Julia spoke up in confusion. "Are you saying that there is another member of the Mishima clan involved in this? But I don't get it" the brunette told them.
"We'll find more about that, later" Jax assured his comrades before glancing over at the rumbling mountains. "Right now, we best head towards Raiden and see if he needs help. I know that Sonya and the others are already there as we speak. We might as well go and give them a hand" the man with the metal arms told them.
The group began moving towards their destination, and both Dragunov and Erron would soon take notice of them leaving the scene. However, they didn't bother pursuing them, as they were also focused on the rumbling mountains that caused so much havoc in the area.
The moment Johnny Cage and his assembled team entered the hidden passage to the temple, they were filled with horror by what they saw. Clashes were happening outside and the thundering had almost torn the temple asunder. Johnny took off his sunglasses to get a glimpse of what he was seeing.
"Woah…now that's just fucked up" Johnny said and began facing his team. "Alright rookies, this is it! We better aid General Blade, Scorpion and Sub-Zero in their defense against the Zaibatsu and G Corporation!" he said and tried to find an opening for them to enter.
"Wait….is that…." Jacqui gasped and pointed her metal finger towards Kano fighting Bryan. From her standpoint, they were enjoying fighting one another.
Johnny formed a deep scowl over seeing this. "Great! So now Kano has joined the party, as well as that psycho cyborg pal of his!" he said while facepalming. "But screw them, your priorities are General Blade and the others" he said and was about to leave.
But Cassie stopped her father by grabbing his shoulder. "Hold on just a damn minute! You've never told us where you'd been heading off to!" Cassie pointed out.
Johnny only smiled smugly at his daughter in return by hearing this and put on his sunglasses. "Isn't that obvious, Cass. To the Jinsei Chamber" he told her and patted on her shoulder before running towards his destination.
As she could see her father running, Cassie only shrugged her shoulders. "You're such a jackass sometimes, dad" she remarked with annoyance.
Takeda approached by her side. "Worry about him later. You heard what he told us. We better help turn the tide against these invaders" he suggested to her.
"Well said, Takeda" Cassie remarked before facing the entire team. "Alright team, let's get to work!" she said only for Kung Jin to interrupt her.
"Over there, near the cliffs! I see someone coming there! It looks like a group or some kind" the young Shaolin remarked
"Hold on…...I know four of those people" Jacqui remarked as she got a closer look. "Hey Cass, don't they look familiar" she asked her blonde-haired friend.
Cassie only gasped in disbelief by seeing them. "Say this isn't what I think it is" she said. "Great, it's those damn fighters we tried to interrogate the other day! What the hell are they doing here!?" she snapped in disbelief.
"Beats me. But something tells me that these punks must've followed those four" Kung Jin said as he got a better look at who they were. "Hold on, that man with the shaved hair-top is…Paul Phoenix?" he wondered.
"Paul Phoenix? You mean that guy whom constantly harasses Cassie's dad?" Jacqui asked before looking over at Cassie. She smiled. "Looks like your dad will have company" she told her.
Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "Please don't remind me. It's freaking embarrassing" the she told Jacqui.
"Not just him, you see the Chinese guy with the ponytail?" Takeda pointed out to them. "We've read his files before. He's Lei Wulong, a detective from Hong Kong and an agent from Interpol" he told them.
Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Lei Wulong and Robert "Bob" Richards were had been taken a different route to arrive at the temple's outskirts. But accompanying them were Ling Xiaoyu, Asuka Kazama, Hwoarang and Steve Fox. The four veteran fighters watched in awe by seeing the battle happening before their eyes as did their young companions.
"Woah! This is insane man!" Paul remarked and faced Lei. "Are you sure this is the right place?" he began asking the Chinese man.
"I'm positive" Lei said in return. "It's a good thing I planted that tracker on the SUV belonging to Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch. But we had to take a different route to reach the temple's entrance, given that those two didn't drive all the way here" he pointed out.
Xiaoyu's face was filled with concern over seeing Jin fighting Sub-Zero. She was about to make her move until she was stopped by Asuka, who looked at her sternly.
"Don't you even think about it! We didn't come here to help Jin! We came here to stop him and Kazuya from doing whatever kind of messed up crap!" Asuka reminded her.
But Xiaoyu shoved her hand aside. "Back off, Asuka! Jin has no involvement in this chaos!" she hit back. "And I wanna prove to everyone that he's not the bad-guy here!" Xiaoyu added.
Asuka did not back down from this fight. "Yes, he is, you numbskull! Why else do you think he has sought out this Raiden-dude!?" she asked angrily.
Bob separated the girls from one another and decided to take the initiative to speak. "Alright, enough bickering, girls! We've got more pressing matters to attend to" he said and began facing Paul and the others. "Okay, from what Master Bo' Rai Cho told me, he requested that I bring with me some trustworthy fighters and meet him in the Jinsei Chamber" he told them.
"I think I see the entrance! It will probably take us to the place called the Jinsei Chamber" Law spoke up and pointed his finger towards the entrance. He then noticed someone running into it. "Hey that guy with the sunglasses…isn't he…." Law was confused, but his best friend Paul decided to check out what he was getting at.
The moment Paul got a glimpse of who the man was, he stormed after him in anger while shouting out a name loudly. "CAAAAAAAAAGEEEEEEE!" Paul screamed as he ran for the entrance to the Jinsei Chamber. "I'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU!" he added while running, not stopping at once.
Law was worried about Paul and ran after him. "Wait! Slow down, Paul!" he shouted as he followed his best friend, hoping to save him from any trouble. "Damn it! Wait up!" Law added while sounding distressed
"What the hell are you guys doing!?" Bob asked angrily and he looked at Lei. "Lei, cover me! We're going after them!" he said and ran away.
"Hold on, what about them!?" Lei asked while facing Xiaoyu and her group. The detective was filled with concern over their young companions' safety, so he was very unsure of what to do. He eventually decided to catch up to Bob, but not before saying something to them. "Sorry about this, kids! But I really gotta go join those lunatics! Try not to get caught in this storm!" he told them before vanishing.
The young adults could only stare dumbfounded as Lei and the others headed straight towards the Jinsei Chamber. Hwoarang was filled with disbelief. "Is this for real? Did they just leave us to go inside a cave?" he asked his friends.
"I don't know about what you guys think, but I seriously doubt that we should even interfere in their matches" Steve suggested while pointing out the duels happening between Jin, Sub-Zero, Kazuya and Scorpion. "Hell, I even my own mother is over there fighting General Sonya Blade" he pointed out while seeing the two blondies being engaged in a deadly catfight.
"You think I give a crap!?" Hwoarang asked him while seeing Jin. "That Kung Fu snowman is stealing my opponent!" he said while describing Sub-Zero.
"Can you guys start getting serious!?" Asuka asked both boys with irritation on her voice. She then faced Xiaoyu. "Listen, we should do what Lei suggested to us. If not, we'll be dragged into this…" before Asuka could continue, she and her friends were interrupted by a familiar voice they knew.
"Hold it right there!" the voice came from Cassie, as she and her teammates were standing face to face with the group of friends. "What the hell are you four doing here!?" she demanded an answer from them.
Asuka stepped forward and was about to answer them, only for Xiaoyu to stand before her and confronting Cassie and her team. "We came here to save Jin and protect him from the likes of you! So stay out of our business!" the Chinese girl said, much to Asuka's anger.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Cassie remarked while facepalming. "Are you seriously that delusional? Jin isn't who you think he is!" the blondie told Xiaoyu, who only felt angered by her statement in return.
"This place is off limits for civilians like you!" Jacqui told them. "And if you plan on assisting Jin Kazama with his schemes, we will arrest you along with him" she added while cracking her metal hands.
Steve knew he had to do something. "Hold on just a second. You got the wrong idea! We're here to help you end this bloodshed, not to save Jin" he tried to convince them. "Look, we only came here because some Kung Fu master had called for some assistance fighters to defend the Jinsei Chamber from the enemy. That is why we're here!" Steve told them.
Hwoarang joined him. "And you won't be taking Jin to prison, not before I've had my rematch with him!" the young Korean man told them.
Kung Jin only mused by seeing Hwoarang's determination. "You think you're strong enough to take on him?" he asked smugly before starting to laugh. "Dream on! The only thing you're good with is your attitude and irrational thinking!" he added with taunts directed at Hwoarang.
Hearing this made Hwoarang immediately snap in anger, so he launched himself at the young Shaolin, starting a fight between those two. "You'll not talk to me like that again! I've been waiting to kick your ass since our fight in the lobby! This time, no one shall stop us!" the Korean told him a he kept kicking Kung Jin.
"That's fine by me! Because when I'm finished with you, I'm gonna fire an arrow up your ass! That outta teach you how to address strangers!" Kung Jin retorted as he fought Hwoarang.
Seeing this a violation, Xiaoyu launched herself at Cassie, who immediately blocked her attack. The blonde-haired woman gritted her teeth by seeing this. "Don't make me whoop your ass, Zaibatsu-fangirl! You're only embarrassing yourself!" she told her.
"Shut up, blondie! I will be the one to save Jin, not some foulmouthed tramp like you!" Xiaoyu retorted as they began fighting. "If you wanna stop, you're gonna have to kill me!" she added to her angry statement.
"Honestly, that's preferable!" Cassie replied as she defended herself against Xiaoyu's moves.
Asuka was reluctantly dragged into fighting Jacqui, while Steve and Takeda had already begun sparring, albeit reluctantly. These two men were already trying to make the other stop, but to no avail.
"We don't have to do this!" Steve told Takeda, as the blonde-haired man blocked his kicks.
"Tell that to your Chinese psychopath of a friend!" Takeda replied as he dodged Steve's punches.
Scorpion unleashed his kunai against Kazuya and he managed to hit him. "Get over here!" Scorpion yelled as he pulled the black-haired man over to his side. The spectre then proceeded to give him a fiery punch. Kazuya was sent on the ground as a result.
"You are finished, Kazuya Mishima!" Scorpion said while flames began enveloping on his hands. "I will burn your demonic insides until there is nothing left!" he added with angered words.
Kazuya only chuckled evilly by hearing this. As a matter of fact, dark energy began enveloping around his body. The Japanese man smirked by seeing his opponent. "You think I fear you, a mere puppet created by a cowardly imp!? YOU ARE BLIND!" he spat at him and unleashed his devilish power. Before realizing it, Kazuya had now activated his Devil Form and he stood there smirking at his opponent.
Scorpion's eyes narrowed as he saw what his opponent before him really was. "I am no one's puppet!" he shouted and unleashed his true power. As a matter of fact, his human head was removed and a burning skull could be seen on the top of his body. Scorpion had now revealed his true form. "YOU WILL JOIN ME IN HELL!" Scorpion yelled as the spectre and the devil clashed once again.
Jin could see what Kazuya was doing and it made him feel angered. "Damn! He's allowing the darkness to take hold on him again!" he said, only to be attacked by Sub-Zero's kick.
"It is unwise to take your eyes off your opponent, cursed man" Sub-Zero reminded him. The Cryomancer faced his opponent struggling to get on his feet. He formed an ice sword in his right hand and slowly began approaching Jin. "You have betrayed yourself by starting those senseless wars, Kazama. Your mother would have been disappointed in you" Sub-Zero told him.
By hearing the mentioning of his mother, Jin's power was unleashed, the young man too distracted to be restraining it. His devilish power grew stronger and Sub-Zero could feel it. "What do you…...know of my mother!?" Jin asked as if he demanded an answer.
Sub-Zero continued to stare at him warily. "I fought beside her once. She was a great ally to the Lin Kuei, long before the cyber initiative. But above all, she knew me and my brother Bi-Han. It was she who helped me but Bi-Han's corrupted soul to rest, as well as freeing me and the Lin Kuei from the cyber initiative" he told him with a deep frown forming underneath his mask. "Your actions do not resemble those of Jun, but rather those of Kazuya and Heihachi. It all stems from the Mishima-bloodline" he then revealed.
Jin gritted his teeth in anger and charged towards the ninja. "Shut up!" he angrily yelled with his demonic power taking hold on him. "I won't let false rumors twist my mind! I will end it by destroying you!" he yelled as red lightning began enveloping all around him.
In the catacombs of the temple, Lars and Smoke were continuing their intensive battle. While drying to avoid the ninja's dirty tricks, the spikey-haired man also tried to land a few punches on him. He had almost managed to beat Smoke out, but the grey ninja escaped in a nick of time. Instead, Lars managed to blow a hole in the wall.
Through that hole, Lars could see Alisa defending herself against Baraka. So far, they were clashing one another with Alisa's chainsaws and Baraka's blades. While Alisa was fast, she was not fast enough to avoid Baraka's barbarity. He was faster than what the young girls had actually expected.
"Alisa's fighting one of those Tarkatans" Lars noted grimly. "This one sure looks more dangerous than the ones we've fought before" he added to his thoughts.
Smoke was about to launch his attack, only for Lars to catch wind of him and block it. The two clashed once again, with Lars facing the ninja sternly.
"Bad idea to write me off as your opponent!" Smoke told him and suddenly vanished in smoke. This made Lars confused, but the grey ninja attacked him from above. With the spikey-haired man on the floor, Smoke took notice of not only Baraka, but also Mileena and her compatriots. He then faced Lars. "What is the meaning of this!? Are you in league with Mileena!?" he demanded from the spikey-haired man.
Lars got up on his feet and brushed off the dust on his outfit. "I've already told you! We are not in league with anyone but ourselves!" he said while readying his fighting stance. "We can both do this the easy way or the hard way. Let us stop fighting and deal with those intruders. Isn't that what Raiden would've wanted?" he asked Smoke with his serious demeanor.
The grey ninja continued to face him and eventually he nodded his head. "Very well. Consider our fight postponed…...momentarily" he replied with a not-so-pleasant voice. And thus, those two had decided to end their stalemate and see if they could help around in the temple.
As Alisa tried to avoid Baraka's deadly blades, she paused as she could hear the sounds of a helicopter. Eventually, Baraka also took notice of it and he also looked up. The brutish Tarkatan wondered who they were.
"Those are not from the Special Forces" Baraka noted and then fixed his deadly gaze upon Alisa. "Little girl! You seem to know who they are! Tell me before I slice off your throat!" he demanded an answer without remorse.
Hoping that Baraka would at least focus less on her, Alisa decided to answer him. "Those are helicopters from the Mishima Zaibatsu. They are bringing the Tekken Force to Raiden's Sky Temple" she answered as honest as she could.
"The Tekken Force….why are they here?" Baraka wondered before something snapped in his mind. "No, they must be reinforcements! For the arrival of Kotal Khan and his minions!" the Tarkatan exclaimed, although Alisa was stunned to know what she heard from him
They stopped fighting by seeing Tekken Force soldiers climbing up to their platform. Baraka immediately charged at them and Alisa was eventually forced to defend herself from both the Tarkatan and the Tekken Force. However, Baraka seemed more occupied with the soldiers, much to the young girl's relief. Looking up, she could see the balcony belonging to Raiden's temple.
"This is my chance! I must reach Raiden before it's too late!" Alisa said as she activated her jetpack and began flying.
Mileena and her compatriots had seen the Tekken Force arrive in the catacombs and they were shocked to see them. "The Tekken Force is here!?" Tanya wondered and the trio began heading for the upper reaches of the temple, only for the helicopters to launch missiles at where they were headed towards. An opening was created and the helicopters dropped the soldiers, much to Mileena's anger.
"Damn! More Zaibatsu-lapdogs!" she cursed, only to notice Tanya and some Tarkatans standing before her. Mileena smirked beneath her cover. "You never cease to flatter me, Tanya" she told the Edenian.
Tanya and some Tarkatan soldiers began confronting the Tekken Force. "You go ahead without me. I will make sure that the Tekken Force is slowed down" she looked over her shoulder to face Mileena and Rain.
As the two ran away, Tanya could now battle the Tekken Force along with her Tarkatans. Although many Tarkatans died thanks to their disadvantage, Tanya's flexibility helped turn the tide of the battle.
"Give it up, Tanya. You are outmatched!" the Edenian heard a familiar voice and formed a smug look. She turned around to see one of the Tekken Force's commanders, Eddy Gordo standing before her.
"Eddy Gordo. Still looking as handsome as ever" Tanya remarked while readying her fighting stance. "I don't know what your Zaibatsu's plans are, but me and my compatriots have our own plans for Raiden. So unless you don't value your own life, take your men and go home" she warned him.
Eddy only narrowed his eyes in return before starting his moves. They both clashed with their flexibility and eventually began a fighting dance. "You will be the one taking your beasts home when I'm done with you" he told her sternly while fighting. They were combating by using their flexibility against one another. "So how's this gonna end?" Eddy asked her.
Tanyu smirked at him in return. "The answer to that is obvious, handsome. With either one of us unconscious or dead" the sultry woman told him as they continued their match.
Mileena and Rain were walking up the stairs, hoping to carry out their plan. The corridor they ran through was very long and its end seemed to be far from their standpoint. Unbeknownst to them, someone was aiming a bazooka at those two and fired a rocket. Mileena and Rain quickly took notice of this and ducked to avoid the rocket. As they turned around to see who it was, it was apparent that someone had been waiting until they were left vulnerable to whoever the shooter was. But as Mileena got a glimpse of the shooter, she hissed in anger.
"Anna Williams! What is the meaning of this!?" the Tarkatan-Edenian hybrid demanded an answer, as the attractive brunette smirked by seeing their reaction. She was standing beside Bruce Irvin, who was an accomplice of hers. "I thought you and I had an agreement!" she added, very furious over seeing her trying to kill them.
Anna chuckled. "I am terribly sorry, Mileena. But my employers at the G Corporation pays me more than what you could've ever hope to do" she said in an apologetic manner and aimed her bazooka at Mileena and Rain once more. "So I have to end our contract. So, nothing personal, my dear friend" she concluded and fired another rocket towards them.
Mileena dived on the floor once again to avoid the rocket and it proceeded to hit the other end, causing an explosion as a result. She looked at Rain, who was now liquefying his body, much to her outrage.
"Rain! What are you doing!?" she demanded angrily. But Rain continued to vanish and he even chuckled deeply by seeing her anger. This only made Mileena angrier by the minute. "Treacherous scum! You dare betray your own empress!?" she spat out angrily.
"Foolish girl! Did you honestly believe that I, a son of Argus, would serve under some half-Tarkatan mongrel like you!?" he asked while revealing his true intentions. "You were merely an instrument so that I could carry on what I had been planning! Enjoy your final moments, "Princess" Mileena!" the purple ninja concluded before disappearing
Anna mused at what she was seeing. "Hmmm, it looks like you are an unpopular ruler, Mileena" she noted and put away her bazooka. "How sad to see one princess lose her subjects!" she added mockingly.
Mileena drew her twin sai and angrily charged towards Anna, as she couldn't stand being humiliated before a mere human. Anna happily accepted her challenge and their fight had begun. "YOU WILL NOT RIDICULE ME AGAIN!" she yelled as she and Anna clashed.
Bruce only shrugged his shoulders by seeing this. "You take care of that filthy woman! I'm gonna go and see where Eddy Gordo is!" Bruce told Anna before leaving her. "Tell Kazuya that I'm just having some fun cracking a few skulls!" he then called out to Anna before disappearing fully.
"Very well. Have fun. But don't forget our objectives here!" Anna reminded her, yet Bruce had already begun moving to find Eddy. Realizing this, she decided to resume her fighting with Mileena, and she did that by first avoiding her twin sai.
Rain was moving to reach Raiden, only to see a rose being thrown at him. Narrowly, he avoided getting hit by the rose's thorns. The purple-robed ninja soon knew who that person was. It was a white-haired man dressed in a purple jacket. He had been hiding in the corners for too long, and was now showing himself while holding onto another rose. It was Lee Chaolan: CEO of Violet Systems.
"Forgive my actions. I thought you were wither Anna or Mileena coming inside here" Lee told Rain while looking at him smugly. "But truth be told, I'm actually happy to see you here, Rain. I've heard about you" Lee told the ninja.
"What's the meaning of this!?" Rain demanded an answer out of Lee. "Are you some kind of lapdog from the Zaibatsu or the G Corporation?" he asked.
Hearing this made Lee chuckle in amusement. "I'm afraid none of that is true, my friend. I actually work solo" Lee told him before bowing to him formally. "Call me Lee Chaolan: CEO of Violet Systems, lead designer of humanoid robots" he introduced himself.
"I see. So you're the entrepreneur adopted by Heihachi Mishima?" Rain asked before readying his fighting stance. "But that doesn't make a difference! You don't have the power of the Mishimas! As such, you're nothing but an easy prey for me" the Edenian told Lee.
Lee facepalmed when seeing this. "How unfortunate. And here I thought we would become friends, given the fact that we both share a common love for the color on our clothes" Lee noted, while mentioning the color violet as he and Rain were noted for wearing. But still, Lee prepared his fighting stance and faced the ninja smugly. "But that said, I still could use a sparring partner. What do you say we have some fun?" he then asked him
Rain called water to his side, preparing to attack Lee. "You think you can best a son of Argus? You are such a deluded mortal! My ancestry lives with the Gods!" Rain exclaimed before he and Lee began fighting one another.
Back at Raiden's Sky Temple, Bo' Rai Cho, Liu Kang and Kung Lao were standing guard over the Jinsei Chamber, where Earthrealm's source of power was located. But they were eventually joined by Johnny, who had been running to get to the chamber.
"Johnny Cage. I am humbled that you could come" Bo' Rai Cho exclaimed, while the two Shaolins only give him an approving nod. "We had started to worry whether something had happened to you" he then admitted.
Johnny took his time to catch his breath before facing the trio. "Sorry for being late. I just needed to give my team a couple of lessons" he told them. "And besides, I tried to avoid the carnage that's currently taking place outside right now" he added.
"Well that's just typical of you, isn't it?" Liu Kang remarked while shaking his head at him.
"Tch, showoff" Johnny said in return.
Kung Lao approached the chubby fighter. "Master Bo' Rai Cho, are you certain that Shinnok will seek out this place?" he asked him.
"Absolutely, Lao. And I fear that he will allow his minions to battle those outside Raiden's temple, while he enters the Jinsei Chamber" Bo'Rai Cho told him and began facing Johnny. "I take it that you sent your team to help defend the entrance, right?" he asked the actor.
Johnny nodded. "Yeah, General Blade, Sub-Zero and Scorpion hands their hands full with the G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu. But right now, Raiden is fighting Heihachi Mishima. I just hope he's still holding up at the….." the actor paused once he could hear an angry shout.
"JOHNNY CAGE!" everyone was surprised once they could see Paul and his friends coming straight to them, with the blonde-haired man panting before facing the actor with angry eyes. "I finally found you…...you asswipe!" Paul said to him.
Johnny had only groaned in annoyance by seeing this. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" he asked in disbelief. "Look, that thing with your bike was only an accident! I didn't see you until you drove past me!" he told him.
"I don't give a crap about the accident!" Paul barked while getting closer to Johnny's face. "I only care about kicking your ass until it bleeds!" he said and the two men glared at one another with fiery eyes. However, Paul was pulled back by both Law and Lei.
Bo' Rai Cho smiled by seeing the group of four. "Ah, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Lei Wulong and Robert Richards. Your timing is perfect!" he said to them and approached Bob. "You picked the right men for this job, young one. I am thankful that you could come here" he commended Bob, who only scratched his hair.
"Eh, no big deal. We came here by following Lars Alexandersson and that young girl to this temple, since we technically didn't know the way" Bob said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "But even so, we're here" he then said while smiling at Bo' Rai Cho.
Kung Lao approached them and faced the black-bearded man. "Master Bo' Rai Cho. What is the meaning of this?" the Shaolin asked him. "You don't suppose that these outsiders can help us" he added to his question.
Lei was taken aback by hearing his words. "Hey, there's no need to be rude. We came here by Bo' Rai Cho's request" he told the Shaolin, who faced him sternly in return. "You oughta be thankful that we showed some decency to answer his call!" the detective added.
"In my eyes, I doubt you are strong enough to help us defend against Shinnok" Kung Lao told the Chinese man. He then began facing Bo' Rai Cho. "Master, you must reconsider your decision" the Shaolin told him
Lei faced him with a stern look. "Can't you put your pride away for once!? If it's one thing that will not make us strong enough, it is your know-it-all attitude!" he said to the Shaolin.
Kung Lao faced him deadly. "Say one more thing about me and I will personally cut your head off!" he warned the detective, who did not back down.
Liu Kang tried to restrain Kung Lao from escalating this confrontation. Lei was very calm and didn't make any move towards Kung Lao. That is hwy none of his friends moved to restrain him. "Easy there, Lao. We don't have time for this" he told his rival.
"Enough of this" Bo' Rai Cho intervened and made sure that he got everyone's attention. "It is time that I let you all in on a secret. All of you are gathered here for a reason. Shinnok and his newfound ally Kazumi Mishima will enter the Jinsei Chamber and eventually seek out Earthrealm's power. But what they do not know, is the fact that deep within this chamber…an ancient evil lies beneath sleeping. That ancient evil will feed upon the powers Shinnok and Kazumi possess. The powers of an Elder God and a Devil" the chubby master explained to them.
"Which reminds me, what is this evil thing you and Raiden keep speaking off?" Liu Kang asked Bo' Rai Cho. "What is it really? I've only heard about from Shaolin teachers telling me it as a story" he then asked Bo' Rai Cho once again.
But this question did not get an answer, as a pair of bone hands rose up from the ground. Once the black smoke disappeared, the fallen Elder God Shinnok revealed himself, while the bone hands disintegrated. He faced the defenders smugly, knowing that he was far more superior in terms of skills and power. But he was not alone, as a portal appeared and out came the sorcerer, as well as Shinnok's most trusted servant: Quan Chi.
The pale-skinned man mused over what he was seeing. "It seems that we arrived at the right time, Lord Shinnok" Quan Chi said. "The celebration for your arrival in Earthrealm is about to begin" he added in delight.
But the fallen Elder God was not pleased. "Hmmm, all I see are nothing but a pack of insects!" Shinnok said while walking towards them. "And I see that Raiden is too occupied with the old fool Heihachi Mishima. How tragic" he remarked with sarcasm.
Bo' Rai Cho and his group stood their guard before him. "You are not welcome here, Shinnok! We have sworn to protect Earthrealm's source of power until our dying breaths!" he said with determination. "You and your lackeys will stop this madness before it's too late!" he added.
But Shinnok only laughed at his words. "If you are so desperate to protect it, then you will all fall one by one and be recreated in my image" he said while taking a few steps forward. "Earthrealm's source of power WILL be mine!" he said.
"How about I do the honor and assist you, Lord Shinnok?" Quan Chi asked him.
"Do as you please, Quan Chi" Shinnok said and the sorcerer stepped before him.
All of a sudden, the wall in the cave collapsed and once the dust settled, Kazumi Mishima herself appeared, accompanied by her tiger. The young-looking woman faced the Shinnok with disapproving eyes. But she was actually accompanied by Jinpachi Mishima, who was now in his cursed form.
"My lord, let me….." Quan Chi was about to confront her, only for Shinnok to block his way with his arm.
"Shinnok…." She began uttering the fallen Elder God's name. "You betrayed me!" she said while taking steps towards him.
"What is the meaning of this, Mishima!?" Shinnok demanded while facing her deadly.
"You swore to me that you would use this power to create peace, to end conflicts!" she said and readied her fighting stance. "Instead, you want to use it to empower yourself! I hereby declare our alliance terminated!" she declared and Jinpachi began charging towards the fallen Elder God, only for Quan Chi to stand before him.
This resulted in the elderly man clashing with the sorcerer. "Crawl back to your hole, imp!" Jinpachi began taunting the sorcerer.
"I do not fear you, old fool!" Quan Chi said in return and they both continued their clashing.
Jinpachi only scoffed by hearing this. "Then you will fear death!" he said and swung the sorcerer, throwing him to the rocky wall. He then proceeded to fire a beam at him with his stomach, only for Quan Chi to fire something in return.
Shinnok readied his fighting stance and was ready to actually face Kazumi in combat. "My pledges and promises are my own, succubus! If you intend on standing in my way of exacting my revenge, then so be it!" he said and both him and Kazumi began their fight.
"You will not succeed, fallen one!" Kazumi taunted him as they fought. "My powers will make you realize it!" she added while calling her tiger to her side. This giant tiger seemed to belong to Kazumi and she had also trained it to fight her opponents.
Shinnok became irritated by her statements. "I do not fear the Angel and the Devil, woman! Their powers are feeble compared to that of an Elder God!" he relied and used his magic to draw Kazumi to the rocky wall. Shinnok approached her and made a staff with bones. "I always knew you to be a trickster, Kazumi Mishima. And now, I shall begin my path towards vengeance by starting with you!" he said and shouted.
But Kazumi's tiger suddenly attacked him, thus freeing her from Shinnok's spell. The young woman charged straight towards the old man delivering her a powerful kick that sent Shinnok flying. The fallen Elder God landed right before Earthrealm's lifeforce and due to his amulet being close, he absorbed it.
"NO!" Liu Kang yelled.
"HE'S ABORSBING EARTHREALM'S LIFEFORCE!" Kung Lao said.
Bo' Rai Cho watched this in horror. "But how!? How can his amulet absorb it by not even facing the lifeforce itself!?" the stout man wondered in his head before watching the lifeforce disappear, thus making the Jinsei Chamber orange, as it was now corrupted. "But at any rate, now that Shinnok has absorbed it….HE WILL AWAKEN!" he then realized what this meant.
Shinnok was chuckling to himself as his amulet began flowing moving close to his stomach. "Tremble before me, as I absorb Earthrealm's power!" he exclaimed and the amulet hit him. The fallen Elder God was now transformed into a demonic being with immense power. He was now becoming Corrupted Shinnok.
But while the others were afraid, Kazumi was not and she simply faced Shinnok with her angry eyes. Even now, those around her could feel the demonic energies within her. "So this is how it is. A cowardly Elder God relying upon this world's energy to battle his foes. But it does not matter to me. BECAUSE I CAN STILL HARM YOU!" Kazumi yelled as she suddenly began transforming herself into something so horrendous. The young woman was now in her Devil Form.
"What kind of form is this!?" Lei wondered loudly. "I never knew there were female members of the Mishima clan who possessed the Devil Gene! But that is unless…" the detective began pondering on some research he had done with regards to the Misihimas and their feuds. "Wait…Jinpachi only draws his powers from an evil spirit…Heihachi was never born with the Devil Gene…that means…" Lei was stopped as Bo' Rai Cho spoke up for him.
"Yes, you are correct, Lei Wulong" the stout man told him. "The Mishima's cursed bloodline…began with this woman: Kazumi Mishima or known before as Kazumi Hachijou. She was the wife of Heihachi, mother of Kazuya and grandmother of Jin. That being said, she was the first Mishima to carry the Devil Gene inside of her, and it would eventually be spread to her son and grandson. She is the true root of the demon corruption that lies in the Mishima clan" Bo' Rai Cho told Lei while making sure that the other listened.
Kazumi stood in her Devil Form and she had called her tiger to her side once again. This time, the tiger's fur had changed into white. The demonic woman with white skin, white hair, red markings, red horns and burning wings glared at the corrupted Elder God before him.
"I will grind your bones to dust!" Kazumi told him menacingly.
Shinnok only stood faced her opponent with his fiery eyes. "You cannot defeat me, succubus! I AM A TRUE ELDER GOD OF DESTRUCTION! NO DEMENTED WOMAN CAN BEST ME!" the corrupted Elder God taunted her.
With her anger, Kazumi charged towards Shinnok and the fallen Elder God did the same thing. Both powerful beings clashed against one another and it caused the Jinsei Chamber to crumble. But as the two continued fighting, an earthquake began shaking the earth itself.
The fighting stopped, yet the earthquake was still happening. Even those outside Raiden's temple had been distracted by what was happening now. From where Earthrealm's source of power had once stood, a dangerous being was created. It almost looked like a Buddha, only much deadlier than the one most humans have heard about. It even had four arms, but it was not a Shokan. It seemed human. Even so, Bo' Rai Cho and his allies awed in shock as the creature landed on the ground. To Paul and his friends, this creature seemed very similar to Ogre, but it was not the case here.
"No…...he has awaken…..Satori has returned" the chubby master said as the being opened his azure blue eyes.
As Satori finally opened his eyes. He began gathering energy all around him, before releasing it fully. This caused an enormous shockwave through the entire area, not just the Jinsei Chamber. An azure pillar shot straight up towards the dark skies and it only signalized one thing: the creature that the Elder Gods had long since struggled to defeat, was now free. He was now free to do anything.
Cast
Tekken side
Kazuya Mishima – Lex Lang
Jin Kazama – Brad Swaile
Heihachi Mishima – Clancy Brown
Nina Williams – Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Anna Williams – Tara Platt
Lars Alexandersson – Taliesin Jaffe
Alisa Bosconovitch – Cristina Vee
Paul Phoenix – Eric Kelso
Marshall Law – Dave Vincent
Lei Wulong – Robert Jeremiah
Bob – Patrick Seitz
Asuka Kazama – GK Bowes
Emilie De Rochefort – Joy Jacobson
Ling Xiaoyu – Carrie Keranen
Steve Fox – Gideon Emery
Hwoarang – Chris Rickabaugh
Eddy Gordo – Roger Craig Smith
Raven – DC Douglas
Yoshimitsu – Richard Newman
Bryan Fury – Keith Silverstein
Julia Chang – Annie Wood
Feng Wei – JB Blanc
Craig Marduk – TJ Storm
Lee Chaolan – Grant George
Bruce Irvin – Crispin Freeman
Claudio Serafino – Troy Baker
Zafina – Leslie Wilkerson
Jinpachi Mishima – Steve Kramer
Kazumi Mishima – Hynden Walch.
Other characters included King, Amor King and Sergei Dragunov, who does not speak.
Mortal Kombat side
Scorpion – Patrick Seitz
Sub-Zero – Steve Blum
Raiden – Richard Epcar
Sonya Blade – Tricia Heifer
Johnny Cage – Andrew Bowen
Jackson Briggs – Greg Eagles
Liu Kang – Tom Choi
Kung Lao – Will Yun Lee
Kitana – Karen Strassman
Jade – Linda Lee
Kenshi Takahashi – Vic Chao
Shang Tsung – James Kyson-Lee
Cassandra Cage – Ashly Burch
Kung Jin – Johnny Young Bosch
Jacqueline Briggs – Danielle Nicolet
Takeda Takahashi – Perry Shen
Bo' Rai Cho – Steve Blum
Erron Black – Troy Baker
Reptile – Steve Blum
Ermac – Jamieson Price
Ferra/Torr – Tara Strong/Fred Tatasciore
Goro – Vic Chao
Kintaro – Rhassan Orange
Mileena – Karen Strassman
Rain – Andrew Bowen
Tanya – Jennifer Hale
Baraka - Bob Carter
Kano – Michael McConnohie
Kabal – David Lodge
Nightwolf - Larry Omaha
Tremor – Fred Tatasciore
Smoke – Ken Lally
Kotal Khan – Phil LaMarr
D'Vorah – Kelly Hu
Quan Chi – Ronald M. Banks
Shinnok – Troy Baker
