"LET'S GO," I step up right behind her, my twelve guage pump action at the ready.  I follow her into the crowded nightclub, matching her stride.  A young Chinese man rounds the corner, carrying an uzi.  As soon as he raises it, we both fire.  The impact alone sends him flying through the two way glass of the office.  She glances at me, "Nice shot."

            "GOOD MORNING!  This is Gregory Micheals spinning the greatest hits of the . . ."  I open my eyes, looking at the alarm. 3 AM.  Well, at least I'm cool enough to hang with her in my dreams.  Five more minutes.  I wish!  I have to be at Burger world in an hour to start breakfast.  Some fucking job, huh?  Someone, somewhere up there, is getting a huge laugh out of this.  Sighing, I turn off the radio, and grab my smokes.  Lighting one, I get up, and stumble to the kitchen.  I turn on the light, and pour myself a cup of coffee.  I'm useless without my first cup.  Aren't we all?  Sitting down, I glance at my MK collection in the living room.  Yes, I still collect, even after Annihilation and Special Forces.  God, what a disappointment Special Forces was, but I digress.  Bet she's cool before her first cup of coffee.  Hell, that woman's probably cool in her sleep.  I finish the coffee and smoke, and take a shower.  As I step out, I step onto the scale.  194, YES!  Well, you'll never look like Sonya Blade, but, at least you won't scare small children anymore, if you keep loosing like this.  I get dressed in my uniform and leather jacket, grab my gym bag and helmet, and run out of the door.  Getting on my motor scooter, I ride to work.  If it's the last thing I do, I'm getting a Harley.  Who am I kidding?  The 6.50 an hour I make at burger world barely keeps a roof over my head.  My manager is waiting as I pull up.

            "You're late, Jessie."  I flip the faceplate on my dragon watch.

            "What are you talking about?  It's 4 AM."

            "What was yesterday?"

            "Saturday."

            "Sunday, actually, but you forgot about the time change."

            "Oh, shit.  That means it's . . ."

            "5 AM."  I follow him inside, and hang up my jacket.  Boy, this morning's turning out bloody wonderful, ain't it?  I manage to somehow get through breakfast.  As soon as the lunch crew comes in, he sends me on break.  I go into the hot dog shop across the street, drop my fifty cents in the MK3 machine, and start playing.

            "Don't you EVER play another game?"  I look back, seeing Brian at the counter.

            "Sure, but the ones you got around here SUCK."

            "They got in that MK4 machine yesterday."

            "Fuck that, MK4 blows."

            "Yeah, Sonya buys it in the end.  About damn time, if you ask me."  I spin around, glaring at Chuck, who just came on.

            "And what THE FUCK is that supposed to mean?"

            "It means no woman will ever be as good as a man."  I can feel my temper rising.  Come on, Jessie, chill out.  He's trying to get a rise out of you.  10, 9, 8

            "Yeah, you've said that before.  Why don't you come over here, drop your fifty cents, and get your ass kicked all over outworld?"

            "Because, unlike you, I have a life."  Check.

            "And you spend it flipping dogs and tossing off."  Checkmate, asshole.

            "You're lucky I'm on the clock."

            "Hey, Chuck, feel free to punch out anytime.  I'd pay to see her kick your ass."

            "Yeah, well, fuck both of yunz."  I look at Brian, and smile.

            "You want the usual?"

            "Maybe when I get off."  I turn my attention back to the game.  Too late, I'm dead.  Just the way my day is turning out.  Kano did it.  I don't mind loosing, but not to that piece of.

            "Come on, man, I haven't eaten in days." I look over, to see a homeless guy at one of the counters.

            "Get a job, then."  I walk over to Brian.

            "Change your mind?"

            "No," I pull a ten from my wallet, "Give him whatever he wants."  Brian takes the ten.

            "You're a sucker, you know that?"

            "Yeah, see ya when I get off."  I go back, and finish my shift.  Picking up my salad from Brian, I head to the gym.  I spend about two hours a day pounding that bag.  Sorry sack of shit.  I hit the bag harder.

            No woman will ever be as good as a man.  The last guy that popped off his mouth like that goaded me into playing MK for the first time.  Picked Sonya, of course, and got my ass kicked.  Double flawless, fatality.  So, the first check I got, I bought a hundred dollars in quarters.  I talked my dad into dropping me off at the arcade.  I ducked him for a good month, learning the game.  I got so good, I could beat the entire game with Sonya on two quarters, no losses, and all flawless victories.  I finally went bowling with my dad again.  I found him, as usual, on the machine.  I watched him go through a line of opponents.  He was laughing when I stepped up.  I dropped my quarters, and dropped his ass.  Double flawless, fatality, NOW WHAT!   He was pissed.  171 wins, and a WOMAN playing a WOMAN kicked his ass!  CHA-CHING!

            "Jess, take it easy.  I can't afford to keep buying new bags."  I look up, seeing my instructor.

            "Sorry, Marcus."

            "You know, you really shouldn't let people get to you like that."

            "You didn't tell me you were telepathic."

            "I've been teaching you for five years, I know when something's bothering my best pupil."

            "Just people talking shit."

            "You're too easy to play with."

            "Yeah, I probably am."

            "Probably?"  I hit the bag one more time.

            "Yeah, I am."  He tosses me a bottle of water.  I take a drink.

            "At least you hit the bag, and not the guy's head this time.  You ready for that fight Wednesday?"

            "Yeah, I already requested off for it."

            "Good.  You're our best shot at winning that belt."

            "Don't worry, I'll bring the belt home."

            "Just do your best.  That's worth more to me than a belt."

            "See you tomorrow."

            "Yeap.  By the way, you lost some more weight, huh?"

            "Yeah, thanks for noticing.  See ya, Marcus."  I get on my motor scooter, and ride home.  I drop the gym bag on the floor, and get a pop out of the fridge.  I pop in the MK movie, and have my salad.

            I LOVE THIS MOVIE!  Seen it so many times, I could dictate it WHILE it was in the cinema.  God, she's awesome.  The moves, the look, the skills, the 'tude, the heart.  She is simply awesome.  The phone rings.

            "You got her."

            "Jess, this is Frank."

            "I know who it is.  Liu's fighting Reptile, so make it fast."

            "We need you to come in tonight."

            "Come on, man.  This is the first night I've had off in three weeks.  You're joking, right?"

            "Sorry.  Krista and Tamisha called off.  Can you do it?"

            "Yeah, I'll be there."

            "Thanks."

            "Later, Sonya's on."  I hang up, just in time to see the final scenes.  Even when she's stuck, she's cool.  I stop the tape, rewinding it.  Cool as hell!  Damn, Jessie, why can't you be that cool?  Because you spend too much time working at Burger world.  I change back into my uniform, and ride to work.

            "I thought you were off tonight."

            "YOU called me in."

            "Why would I do that, everybody's here."

            "If this is some kind of fucking joke, I'm not amused."

            "I swear, Jess, I didn't call."

            "Man, I could be home right now watching RAW, and instead I'm here?  Well, this sucks!  DON'T call me again."  I walk out.

            "HELP ME!  SOMEBODY HELP ME!"  The scream sounds like it's coming from the alley behind the store.  I go back inside.

            "Frank, call 911."

            "What's wrong?"

            "Just call, I'll be right back."  I cautiously walk to the alley.  I find a guy pinning a woman against the wall.  She sees me.

            "HELP ME, PLEASE!  HE'S GONNA KILL ME!"  The guy keeps her pinned with one arm, and turns to me.  I see the knife in his hand.  Oh, shit.

            "You got a problem?"  You always wanted to be like Sonya, here's your chance.

            "Yeah, you."

            "Then solve it."  He knocks the woman to the ground, and lunges at me with the knife.  I sidestep him.

            "You don't want to do this," I didn't really think that would work, did I?  He charges at me again.  I kick the knife out of his hand.  He settles for driving me back first into the dumpster, bouncing my head off the metal.  I lay, stunned, as he stomps me twice in the stomach.  I let him go for a third, and grab his ankle, flipping him over me.  I get on his chest, and grab a cinderblock nearby.  I send it crashing into his head, as he goes limp, "I warned you, didn't I," I light a smoke, going over to the girl, "You OK?"  Before I can react, the knife she's holding plunges into my stomach.

            "SUCKER!"  The kick to my head sends me down, as she runs off with the guy.  I look down at the knife, and have to laugh.  It's a replica of the knife Kano used in the fight with Sonya.  Now this is ironic.  The wanna be taken out by Kano's blade.  First the game, now this.  When I have a bad day, it's all bad.  Of the thirty or so billion knives in existence, I get taken out by this one.  The ultimate irony.  I laugh again, passing out.