AN: Hey, I'm back! In honor of revamps, even shitty ones like MK2011, I decided to revamp the original Dreams of a Sonya Blade junkie with a co author this time, Minij19. So any cool new ideas were probably hers! We also did a sequal, which should be up shortly. Reads are appreciated, reviews even more so. Any criticism good or bad, works. Anywhoo, here it goes.
"Let's go," Lieutenant Sonya Blade said, entering the club, her twelve gauge pump action readied. Another woman, a mountain of muscles with short brown hair, and wearing a combat uniform similar to Sonya's basic black but significantly shorter with her 5-5 stocky frame, stepped up next to her, matching her stride. A young Chinese man rounded the corner, brandishing an uzi. As soon as he raised it, both women fired. The impact alone sent him flying through the glass window of the office. Scarily, the music was so loud, no one else in the club seemed to notice, "Nice shot." Sonya said, brining a smirk to the girl's stoic face.
"Good morning! This is Gregory Micheals spinning the greatest hits of the . . ." The girl from the dream turned over, sleepily slapping at the alarm radio. Come on, Jessie, let's go back to bed for five minutes. I wish! Jessie thought to herself, stumbling three feet through her bedroom door to the kitchen. To say the apartment was small was to say that hell was a little hot. There was barely room in the kitchen for the small stove, refrigerator, coffee pot, and table with two chairs, connected to the living room, crammed with a love seat, TV and DVD player, playstation 2, and a tiny computer desk with an out of date computer complete with a dot matrix printer.
The rest of the room was filled with Mortal Kombat memorabilia, including action figures, comic books, and posters. If it was Star Trek, you would have called her a trekkie, but Mortal Kombat followers seemed to lack a name. She gave one to herself years ago. A self professed Sonya Blade junkie. That pretty much described the boyish looking woman drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette at her kitchen table. She made her way past the promotional material for Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, punching Kano on her way to her morning shower. What a fucking disappointment that game was. Jessie thought, as she stepped into the shower. Minutes later, she stepped out, stepping onto the scale. 194. Yes! You'll never look like Sonya, but at least you won't scare small kids if you keep loosing like this! Jessie thought to herself, as she dressed in her uniform, sliding a fingerless leather glove on her hand. She slipped on a brown jacket with the words Mortal Kombat embroidered on the back, and grabbed her keys, almost running out the door.
Jessie was a creature of habit, if nothing else. She took the same route to work everyday on her Vespa scooter. She dreamed of someday owning a Harley Davidson Softtail. But, she knew the minimum wage she made at her job barely kept a roof over her head, much less anything else. She pulled the scooter to a stop on the side street next to Burger World, as her manager came storming out, already sweating through his button down uniform shirt.
"You're late, Jessie." He said, angrily.
"What in the hell are you talking about, Luke? It's 4:30." Jessie said, flipping the faceplate on her dragon watch.
"What was yesterday?" He asked, smirking.
"Saturday, right?"
"Sunday, actually, but you forgot the time change." He said, causing Jessie to groan.
"Oh, shit. That means it's . . ."
"5:30." He said. as Jessie hurried inside. Taking off her jacket, she went to work. The same thing every day. Same customers, same bullshit job. As the lunch crew slowly drifted in, most of them later than she was without being told a word about it, Luke sent her on lunch. Truth be told, that was her favorite part of the shift. Flipping her hat around backwards, she headed straight for the hot dog shop across the street. She got fifty cents out of her pocket, dropped it in the Mortal Kombat 3 machine, selected Sonya, and started playing. For thirty minutes she wasn't Jessie Reynolds, menial fast food worker. She was Sonya Blade, the most powerful female warrior Earth Realm had to offer. And she was badass. By the end of her break, on a normal day, she had beaten the game easily. But this was not a normal day. She struggled through the first fight with Liu Kang.
"Don't you ever play another game?" Jessie smiled, recognizing the voice behind her.
"Sure, Brian, but the rest of the games you have around here suck." She said, not looking back.
"I got in that MK4 machine for you yesterday."
"You didn't get it for me. I'd like to burn that fucking thing." Jessie said, as she executed the fatality.
"Yeah, Sonya buys it in the end. About damn time if you ask me." Jessie released the joystick, spinning on her heels, glaring at the spiky black haired twentysomething behind the bar. Chuck wasn't a bad looking guy, but the minute he opened his mouth, there went the fantasy.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Chuck?" Jessie said, her temper rising, as Brian, a handsome slightly older blonde, turned to face him.
"Lay off her, before she kicks your ass." Brian warned, as Chuck laughed.
"What she gonna do? When are you gonna learn, no woman will ever be as good as a man." Chuck said, laughing, as Jessie glared a hole through him. Come on, Jess. He's just trying to get a rise out of you. 10, 9, 8 . . .
"Yeah, you've said that before. Why don't you come your scrawny ass out from behind that counter, drop your fifty cents, and get your ass kicked all over outworld?" Jessie said, smirking.
"Because, unlike you, Jess, I have a life." Chuck said, smugly.
"And you spend it flipping dogs and tossing off. Boy, aren't you special?" Jessie said, sarcastically, as Brian laughed.
"You're lucky I'm on the clock." Chuck said, threatening, as Jessie grins. Swing, batter, batter, batter.
"Hey, you don't need to punch out. I'd pay to see her kick your ass." Brain said, winking at Jessie, who smiled confidently.
"Yeah, well, fuck both yunz." Chuck said, storming off. Jessie turned her attention back to the game, just in time to see Kano execute a fatality.
"God damn it. Capper to my fucking morning." Jessie said, frustrated.
"Bad day?" Brian asked, rounding the corner, a drink in his hand. Jessie takes it, gratefully, sitting at one of the tables, as Brian sat across from her. She sighs, nodding.
"I was thirty minutes late. I got my ass handed to me by Kano thanks to that overgrown hormone. Just another day in paradise. What about you?" Jessie asked, as he played with his apron. Jessie was used to seeing him do that, especially when something was on his mind.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just two call offs today. Gonna be a long one." He said, groaning.
"Want me to come over and give you a hand when I'm done?" Jessie offered.
"You don't work here anymore, remember?"
"So? Who said I was worried about getting paid?" Jessie said, grinning mischievously. Brian smiled, shaking his head.
"Thanks for the offer, but you and Chuck on the same shift? Might as well call in some cameras and broadcast it on pay per view." Brian said, as Jessie laughed, sipping her coke. She couldn't help but notice his bulging biceps through the black t-shirt he wore. That was the only reason she stuck around this neighborhood for work. Truth was, she was crushing hard on him, although she never said anything. She just smiled, her smile hiding most of what she was thinking.
"Well, it would make the store some extra cash." Jessie said, chuckling.
"Until I had to refund for a thirty second knockout. If it took you that long." He said, causing Jessie to grin, shyly, "Hey, I was wondering . . ." Jessie happened to glance at the clock, before he could finish.
"Oh, shit. I'm late again." Jessie said, growling, as she got up.
"You want the usual when you get off?" Brian asked, as she nodded.
"Please and thank you." Jessie was headed for the door when she heard Chuck tell somebody to get a job. Getting her wallet out, she pulled out a ten, "Brian?"
"Yeah?" He asked, as Jessie handed him the ten, motioning to the homeless guy at the counter.
"Give him whatever he wants." She said, as Brian frowned.
"You are a world class sucker, you know that?" He said, scoldingly.
"Yeah, I am. See you when I get off." Jessie said, heading out.
Jessie wrapped up her shift a few hours later. She stuck around a little while to make sure they weren't shorthanded, before going across the street again. Brian had her salad waiting for her behind the counter, handing it to her as she walked in. She headed right back out. She was already running late for her training session. Getting on her motor scooter, she rode off.
Jessie parked the scooter outside of the old brick building in the warehouse district. Graffiti lined the bricks, and was the first thing she saw, as she walked through the door. Marcus Raimes, her trainer, wasn't much on advertising. When you were a four time international kickboxing champion, you didn't need to be. He was extremely selective about who he trained. He didn't believe in assistants. Everything he did was hands on. In fact, the entire gym consisted of twenty fighters and Marcus. He had this thing about making sure to surround himself with only the best, which is why Jessie couldn't understand for the life of her why he would choose her. But she was damn grateful he did, and made sure she didn't disappoint him. She changed out of her uniform, and into an OD green t-shirt and black fighting shorts, and put her uniform into the gym bag, carrying it out with her. She threw it unceremoniously against the wall next to the door, and started immediately hitting a bag. Sorry sack of shit. She thought to herself, as each blow got harder.
The last fool that ran off at the mouth, like Chuck had to her, goaded her into playing Mortal Kombat for the first time. She lost, badly, angrily storming away as his friends laughter echoed in her head. If there was one thing Jessie hated to do, even at that young age, it was loose. She saved her allowance, ducking him for a month, while hitting the arcade. She became a powerhouse using the character of Sonya. So good, in fact, she could beat the entire game on two quarters, no losses, and with all flawless victories. She found him, as usual, in the bowling alley dominating the MK machine. He was laughing when she stepped up. That laughter stopped almost immediately when she beat him double flawless, fatality. He declared it a fluke. He must've been distracted. Anything but she just beat him. He didn't have anything left to say when she did it twice more in a row. He was beyond pissed. 171 wins, and a woman playing a woman owned his ass. It was also during that time she became invested in the story and myth surrounding Sonya, hooking her into the games almost immediately.
"Take it easy, Jess. I can't afford to keep buying new bags." Marcus' voice broke her concentration, and she found the bag flying back at her. She quickly threw herself backwards, landing a kick on the bag. Flipping back to her feet, she caught the bag, steadying it on it's return trip.
"Sorry, Marcus." She said, as he handed her a bottle of water.
"You shouldn't let people get to you like that." He said, scolding.
"You didn't tell me you were psychic, Marcus. Think you could get next week's powerball numbers for me?" She asked, grinning, as she opened the ice cold water.
"I don't have to be for you. I've been teaching you for five years, I know when something's bothering my best pupil." He said, causing her to blush.
"Just people talking shit." She explained, taking a drink of water.
"You're too easy to play with." He said, as she nodded.
"Yeah, I probably am." She said, sitting on the bench.
"Probably?"
"Yeah, I am." She admitted, bitterly.
"Well, at least you smashed the bag, and not the guy's head this time. You ready for that fight Wednesday?"
"Oh, yeah. Already requested off for it." She said, as he grinned.
"Good. Your first championship fight. Nervous?"
"Not at all. I'm going to Sonya up, and take her ass out." Jessie said, as Marcus laughed.
"Still on that Mortal Kombat kick?" Marcus said, shaking his head.
"Been on it since I was a kid. Don't expect it to change." She informed him, slipping out of her fight shoes and back into her black combat boots.
"Well, just make sure you're ready. You're our best chance of bringing home a belt."
"Don't worry, Marcus. Failure is not an option." Jessie said, getting up.
"Just do your best. That's worth more than the belt," He said, looking her over, "You lost some more weight, huh?"
"Yeah, thanks for noticing, Marcus. See you tomorrow." Jessie said, as she gave him a quick hug, before getting her gym bag, and heading home. After taking a quick shower, she sat on her couch, and turned on the TV. She pressed play on the DVD remote. She grinned excitedly, as Mortal Kombat the movie started. She ate her salad, watching the movie. That was as close as she came to an evening ritual.
Jessie could dictate the entire movie while it was in the cinema. The owner got so used to seeing her, he offered her a job. She helped him with ticket sales and ushering, got a paycheck, and got to watch the movie as often as she wanted for free. Her definition of a win-win. He even saved all the promotional advertising for her, accounting for the four mint condition framed Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilationposters hanging on her wall. Although she'd be lying if she said she watched Annihilation half as much as the first one. It really only had one thing going for it. More Sonya fight scenes. She just fast forwarded through the debacle of a movie to those. Nothing like the one she was completely engrossed in now. The phone rang loudly. Picking it up, she saw Burger world on the caller ID. She groaned, answering.
"You got her." She said, begrudgingly.
"Jess, it's Frank."
"I know who it is. Liu's fighting Reptile, so make it fast." Jessie said, half watching the entirely too long fight.
"Can you come in tonight? We had two call offs." He said, as Jessie rolled her eyes.
"You are kidding, aren't you? Come on, this is the first night I've had off in two weeks." She said, bitterly.
"Sorry. Can you do it?"
"Yeah, I'll be there." She said, yawning, as the camera panned up the tower.
"Thanks."
"Later, Sonya's on." Jessie said, hanging up, just in time to see the final scenes. Damn, even when she's stuck she's cool. Cool as hell! Why can't I be that cool? Jessie thought to herself, as she stopped the tape, and walked to the back, getting a fresh uniform.
"Because I spend entirely too much time at burger world." She answered herself, as she changed and left.
Jessie was a band-aid worker. She knew every position in the restaurant, and when somebody called off, she was there to pick up the shift. It was a rare week she didn't have at least ten hours overtime. They would've made her a salaried manager by now, but her temper and her lack of desire to be one made it impossible. It's not like she did this for anything but paying the bills. Her real passion was the eagle claw and cage fighting she studied with Marcus, and the Parkour she was trying to add to her skill set. Her past drew her to martial arts, as she had felt helpless so many times in her life until she met Marcus: she never wanted to be in that situation again. And when she was fighting, more often than not, it was the opponent she was fighting that found themselves helpless. Jessie parked the scooter in front of the store, heading in. Frank, her scheduling manager, looked at her strange.
"Aren't you off tonight?" He asked, as she grabbed a small cup over the counter.
"You called me in." Jessie said, as he looked at her confused.
"Why would I do that? Everybody's here." He said, as Jessie glared at him.
"I could be home watching Monday Night Raw, and instead I'm here? Well, this sucks. Do not call me again." Jessie warned, as she left. She heard a woman's voice screaming for help from the back of the store. She quickly walked back inside, "Frank, call 911, somebody's in trouble."
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Just do it. I'll be right back." Jessie said, walking back out, hearing the woman's cries become more desperate. She quickly walked to the alley, finding a taller, thin man pinning a thin, red haired woman against the wall. He kept her pinned by her throat with his left hand. Jessie sees the knife in his right hand, moving threatening towards the helpless girl's throat, "Hey, asshole." Jessie spoke up, as the girl looks at her terrified.
"Help me, please! He's going to kill me!" The woman pleaded. The man laughed, backhanding her with the knifed hand, busting her mouth open.
"You think that bitch is gonna do something? She don't even know you," He told the woman, before turning his attention to Jessie, with a grin, "You got a problem?" The man said, looking Jessie over. You always wanted to be like Sonya, here's your chance. Jessie thought to herself, eyeing the man up.
"Yeah, you." Jessie answered, smirking, as he kicked the woman in the stomach, letting her go, as she fell forward. He turned his attention to Jessie.
"I'll teach you to mind your business." He said, charging her. She sidesteps him, moving farther into the alley.
"You really don't want to do this." I really didn't think that would work, did I? This ain't a movie, take this motherfucker down quick. Jessie told herself, as the man charged her again. She quickly kicked the knife out of his hand. Not sidestepping this time, she found herself flying back first into the dumpster, her head bouncing off the metal. She laid, stunned, as the man stomped her twice in the stomach. Letting him go for a third, she grabbed his foot, turning onto her side. He quickly fell over her, and face first to the concrete. Jessie flipped back to her feet, stepping on his back full weight, as she made her way to a blue tarp covering the side of the abandoned building next door. She grabbed one of the bricks, and turned back around, finding the man's foot flying at her head. She ducked it in a backbend, kicking up, and caught him in the groin as he came down. He curled up in a ball, coughing. Jessie got back to her feet, brick in hand. She sent it crashing into the side of his head, "I told you, you didn't really want to do this," She said, catching her breath. She got a cigarette out of her pack, lighting it, and walked to the girl, who was slumped against the wall. Jessie leaned over her, "You OK?" Jessie asked, gently lifting her head. Before Jessie could react, she drove the knife into Jessie's stomach, "What the . . ." Jessie fell to one knee, as a kick to the back of her head sent her head first into the brick wall. A hand grabbed her shoulder spinning her around. The man she thought she had knocked out pinned her against the wall.
"You should learn to mind your business." He said, as Jessie groaned, her hands instinctively reaching for the man's neck. The man laughed cruelly, as he moved the handle up and down, not intending to cut her further, just cause her more pain. Jessie screamed, her arms retracting, as the back door flew open, and Frank and two others came out, butcher knives and pans in hand. The man let her go, quickly running off, as Jessie slid down the wall in a heap, crying.
"Jess, hang on." Frank said, going back inside, as her two coworkers knelt next to her. Jessie looked down at the knife, and laughed through her tears. It was a Raptor knife. How ironic. The wanna be taken out by Kano's blade. Talk about the perfect capper to this beyond fucked day. Jessie thought to herself, as she felt herself blacking out.
