Disclaimer: We do not own Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, or any of their associated characters or universes. They belong to NetherRealm Studios, Warner Bros. and Capcom.
Summary:
The realms are growing closer together, as Outworld and Earth become deeply entwined many grow nervous of a potential unknown power sitting just beyond the threshold of their world. Juri Han has been tasked by S.I.N. to retrieve a weapon from the Palace of Outworld, while the Emperor has dispatched his loyal servant Reptile to stop her. Rated M for Mature Content.
The artifact, as always, sat neatly on a pedestal in the middle of a round room, surrounded by three watchful guards, each one fitted with weaponry and armor, as well as a way to alert the rest of the building in case they spotted any disturbances. There were two others outside of the chamber, standing ready to assist their fellow soldiers, call for reinforcements or stop anyone foolish enough to make an attempt at getting inside. To some, this may have seemed like extreme measures, but the importance of the object locked within justified the security measures. It also justified the location, a small chamber deep underground, beneath the palace of the Kahn, hidden away from the outside world and protected by magic to prevent teleporters from getting inside without notice.
On the pedestal lay the small dagger, given to Kotal Kahn by the elder gods. The kamidogu.
To the untrained eye, it didn't look particularly threatening and certainly didn't possess the appearance of a fearsome weapon, but each guard knew of it's powers of mass destruction, therefore, they all feared and respected it. Per the Kahn's instructions, even during duty they kept their distance from it. But time without anything to do, as we all know, can dull the senses and lull one into the false belief of safety, making them careless and vulnerable.
And that was just what she needed.
It didn't take her long to find the place and utilizig her skills as best as she could, she slipped in one night, during the changing of the guards, before the fresh ones settled in. It was hard to navigate through the narrow hallways without being spotted, mostly because of the lack of cover and the fact that the woman herself didn't usually favor stealth jobs. She liked to go all-in, enjoying the carnage, but her superiors specifically warned her of that, not wanting the guards to lock away or escape with the dagger upon noticing her. When something is so powerful Shadaloo will open a portal to another world and sends her to fetch it, there are no lengths too great, she supposed.
After a few twists and turns through the building that looked more and more like a prison the deeper she went, the newly arrived guards eventually stopped at a metal plated door and went in, giving her the opportunity she needed to hide nearby, while the others were preparing to leave for the night. The thief gave herself a small smile as she hid in a small sideroom the night-shift guards failed to check, assuming the people before them did. Oh, she knew what she would do with them on the way out.
Finally, some fun in all her boredom.
"Do you boys mind if I take this home?" she asked, launching from her position and with a swift kick catching the first guard right in the jaw, she launched the man into a wall, before just as quickly dispatching the second one, launching him into the air with an uppercut and then slamming him into the ground with a jump-kick, both of them dead from the impact of either the thief's leg or the solid surface. Her strikes were lightning quick and devastatingly powerful for such a small frame. It was akin to being struck by a battering ram or lightning bolt. Her path into the room was now completely free.
She likewise made quick work of the other three inside. First breaking the first one's neck with her ankles after she jumped and planted her feet onto his shoulders. Then, after a roll backwards and dodging two slashes from the second one's sword, she trapped his arm with her raised leg, squeezing it into her knee joint. With a grin, the thief leapt at him, using her full weight to push the man onto the ground and then aiming a her fist at his forehead, bashing his head in with a powerful punch.
Having now stepped into the light of the chamber, the thief's features were made visible, though she killed almost all, who could appreciate them. It was a young woman, no older than twenty five at most, with ivory skin and the most jet black hair done up in a pair of twisted horns. She wore a pair of white sweatpants and a purple top emblazed with the black emblem of a spider, as well as some fingerless gloves and some spate on her otherwise bare feet. She held a psychotic grin of delight at the prospect of shedding more blood, as she advanced on the sole remaining guard like an angel of death. Her left eye glowed with an eldritch, fuschia glow.
She was Juri Han. And she was having fun.
The last guard looked to be a bit younger and seemed like a fresh recruit, or possibly even conscript, because of his shivering and the way she looked at Juri, unable to move out of fear. Oh, how she loved that look. The woman slowly turned around and began advancing on the young man, wanting to savor the look on his face before she distorted it with the pain she caused him. He backed away for a short time, until something happened. Something not at all good.
Through some strange, newfound resolve, the young guard looked down, spotting the warhorn he, like all the others, carried on his belt to call for reinforcements in case of an emergency. Juri's expression quickly turned from amusement to annoyance, as he picked it up and put it to his mouth, breathing in.
Before she could reach the man, he blew into the horn, making it emit an earth-shattering sound. By the time Juri managed to kick the horn out of his mouth and smash his head into the wall, crushing it along with the helmet he wore, it was all too late. She already heard the boots slamming on the floor. The cavalry was coming.
Hissing in annoyance, the assassin grabbed the dagger and fled as quickly as she could, following the path back to the surface, trying to backtrack from memory through the labyrinth of palace passageways. After getting out, she would have plenty of time to contact Shadaloo and get back to their own universe.
She had what she'd come here for. Now it was time to get back and get paid.
S.I.N. operative Juri Han had been sent to Outworld a few days ago by her shadowy employers on a mission that she personally hated. A fetch-quest, as she called it. At first, she had been angry, completely confused as to why she was sent to steal a small dagger from God knows where. But, since they promised her that she would be allowed to kill anyone she saw during her infiltration, the psychotic assassin eventually gave a nod and was promptly sent through a portal constructed by the best Shadaloo engineers, disguised in a long robe and taking a pair of boots and some additional gear to protect herself from the wasteland environment. With all the equipment needed and having charged up herFeng Shui Engine, Juri embarked on her newest mission. One she already knew would be the most boring she ever was on.
Now that it was over, she planned to get back to her employers, collect her fee, and going back to what she enjoyed doing best. Picking fights and killing people.
Except her mission wasn't over just yet.
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, somewhere higher up in the building, Kotal Kahn was awoken from a deep, relaxing sleep by the sound of an alert horn, making the emperor of Outworld grunt in annoyance. He swiftly sat up, let out a short yawn, before rising to his feet and putting on his armor, as well as his decorated headdress. Just as the kahn was about to leave the room, one of his soldiers burst in and with visible fear, began explaining the situation.
"M-my apologies, oh great kahn, but it appears someone has managed to break into the kamidogu vault. They managed to dispatch the guards and escape from the chamber. The guards are looking for them as we speak." he spoke, earning an unimpressed expression from the emperor.
"Has anything else been stolen from the vaults?" he asked calmly, taking his weapons and leaving the room, leading the way to his throne room. The guard followed after, answering any questions the kahn had, explaining the details of the situation. By the time Kotal Kahn reached the gigantic throne room of his palace, two of his most trusted enforcers were already waiting for him.
"We have already located the intruder, great Kotal Kahn," Ermac spoke, his voice echoing with itself as many souls talked at once. "They are headed for the portal chamber, no doubt to get access to the Earthrealm portal." they said, bowing before the kahn, much like their companion did. "We would be honored to punish them for their insolence and bring you back the artifact," they continued, looking ready to leave, but the kahn's raised hand stopped them in their tracks.
"No. I want you to stay and observe the thief through their soul energy," he turned to the other of his elite soldiers. "I want you to hunt them down. We cannot let them escape to the other realms."
The one he addressed bowed once more, then took off running in the direction Ermac said the intruder would be, determined to carry out his emperor's orders.
"Are you convinced the thief is headed to Earthrealm?" Kotal Kahn asked his hooded enforcer, looking skeptical about the situation. "Why would Raiden launch an attack on us during this time of peace and rejuvenation? After Shinnok's final defeat, we made peace with Earthrealm. Forged an alliance. Why would he want to attack when his realm is still recovering from a siege that nearly wiped all the realms clean of life?"
"Earthrealm is the most likely aggressor, great Kahn." Ermac explained, nodding their head. "Since the Netherrealm lost both of it's leaders, the new ones are struggling with inner conflicts, so we have already ruled them out as suspects. The Black Dragon Crime Syndicate has been decimated by the capture of their leader, Kano, leaving the only possible culprits remaining to be the Lin Kuei, the Special Forces and the White Lotus, all of which are forces of Earthrealm," their voices boomed, their green eyes glowing. "There is also the possibility of other forces at work here. Earthrealm is not as united as Outworld. Other factions could be in play."
"Then, we'll determine the truth of the matter once we have the thief. If Raiden wants a war, he shall have it. We will show them Outworld still has it's own strength and has no fear even from a Thundergod." the kahn replied, clenching a fist in annoyance, as he started in the direction of his own personal portal chamber, which led to Raiden's sky temple in Earthrealm. The emperor would find the ones responsible for this insolent attack on his nation and would punish them brutally for what they have attempted, be it the Thundergod himself or anyone other.
Juri could already taste the success of her mission. The front gates were out of the question, as the guards have probably locked them down way before she got there. She needed a new path and luckily, the assassin found her way into a room containing a device similar to the portal Shadaloo built and with a few quick button presses, Juri could reactivate it and quickly set the coordinates to Earth. Though, what she didn't know was exactly where she set them.
Rushing through the portal, she found herself in a snowy landscape, atop some kind of cliffside on a mountain. Her legs burrowed into the deep snow, making her toes twitch as the cold hit them. Before she could retreat, the portal closed behind her. "Oh great. Now I can deal with frostbite AND a murderous army of Aztec psychos breathing down my neck." she groaned, rubbing her arms against her torso as her legs slowly began moving, carrying her away from the portal and towards the only place she saw fit. A large temple-like building she saw higher up on the mountain. Juri never heard of a place like this before, but figuring they might provide her with food and shelter if she posed as a lost traveler, perhaps they would prove useful. Or she could just break down the doors, kill everyone and take what she wanted like she usually did. Still, she liked to know all her options.
She had been walking for about fifteen minutes, climbing higher and higher in the snow, when something caught her attention. As if someone was running through the snow far away, Juri heard the white carpet cracking under someone's feet, far behind her. Knowing not to take risks, the assassin spun back, her eye glowing and her hands ready to strike, but she didn't do anything. She know what she heard, but turning back, even the advanced mechanical eye resting in her left eye socket couldn't pick up anything. All she saw were sets of footprints, slowly getting filled up by the blizzard and... wait. Two sets of footprints?
Next to her own footprints were something else's. They were clawed and a bit bigger than Juri's own feet. It looked like they belonged to some form of really big reptile, only they stopped about five feet before her, their creator nowhere to be found. Thinking it was probably some animal she scared, the assassin turned to continue her walk through the snow, only to be stopped by something slamming into her face.
Juri recoiled, immediately launching a kick at wherever the invisible wall was, but after her leg sweeped through the clean air, another blow came, this time hitting the back of her head and sending her stumbling forward in surprise. The assassin launched a few kicks, punches and even a fuhajin (I'd skip the fancy move names if I were you) into the snow, hitting nothing time and time again. Finally, as she stopped, staying completely still and listening, she again heard the cracking of fresh snow right behind her and jumped into the air, kicking backwards at the attacker with both feet and this time, actually hitting something with full force.
"Gotcha."
As the woman landed back on her feet and took up a fighting stance, her eyes went wide for a moment. In front of her very eyes lay in the snow, slowly turning visible again, a tall, lizard-like man, with green scales and clothes akin to a ninja covering it's body. It quickly sprung back to its feet, taking up a fighting stance as well, so Juri had the opportunity to look at it better. On its face was a mask that seemingly hid humanoid features, though scaly and reptilian-looking face, with green, snake-like eyes that narrowed, eyeing her.
"Well well, this is definitely interesting," Juri chuckled as the two began circling each other, trying to position themselves better and preparing for the now obviously inevitable battle. "What's your name, lizard-boy?" she said, tilting her head to the point where her neck gave a slight crack.
"I am Reptile," he hissed. "And your filthy hands don't belong on an artifact of the great Kotal Kahn. Surrender now and I will grant you a swift death," he said, making Juri smile instead of cower in fear. Not quite what he wanted, but Reptile was confident he could beat her, even if she wasn't willing to surrender.
"And who would make me do that? You and what army, little dinosaur? I got a better idea. How about I just break every bone in your body instead?" she asked, her grin ever present on her face. She'd never fought someone who could turn invisible like a chameleon. This job just might prove interesting after all.
"Do not think that I am such an easy foe. You are nothing compared to us. A mere wretched back alley brawler. A simple street fighter!" Reptile spoke, obvious detest in his voice, which only made his opponent chuckle.
"If you're so confident you'll win, then why don't you come and take this from me?" she asked, wiggling the object of interest in her right hand before pocketing it, taking her fighting stance again.
"Your wish is granted," Reptile spoke, readying himself as well, his reptilian eyes scanning Juri, already calculating what he would do and how he would do it.
The wind hissed through the area, fluttering Juri's pants and hair, as the two combatants eyed each other. The wind blew across their bodies, seemingly giving them an inaudible, silent, yet unmistakeable order.
It was giving the cue to fight.
Authors Notes:
Hello, my dear League of Readers. I apologize foir my absence, but I had so much work to do outside of that I simply could not tend to my stories as often as I would have liked. But now, the work is finally over and I can focus on improving and continuing the stories I love to write and what I hope you love to read. I will continue the other stories too, but first, this little collaboration (that's a first from this author) is going to be completed. You can expect much more frequent updates, than my usual stories and much better quality too. No hiccups like with the others. As I've said so, this story is a first time collaboration between yours truly and Rassilon001. The idea came up during a discussion of the respective franchises and the authors favorite characters therein, Reptile and Juri Han. And now they must fight each other. (Yaaaaaaaaaay!)