Chapter 6

Liu and Cheng slowly opened their eyes, and let the sunrise give beautiful, radiant light to the island. Such beauty, perfection in simplicity. As the sunlight crept further into the island, the stains of blood grew brighter in the otherwise perfect sand. A grim reminder that not everything and everyone is as they appear. With the familiar crackle of lightning, Raiden walked towards the pair, who proceeded to get up and bow.

"You fought well, Liu Kang," Raiden spoke. "There was nothing we could do yesterday about Lotus and Ti'an. As capable as they were, the forces of Outworld were beyond their ability."

"These things happen," Liu replied. "We are ready to give everything we have to secure Earthrealm's safety." Raiden nodded. He had already known that, but their devotion to the cause was little reason to assume an easy victory for them all.

By high noon, they were all gathered back into the fighting arena. Sonya and Cage were standing shoulder to shoulder. Their opposites: Rain and Kitana. Shang Tsung rose from his chair.

"Today, a partnered fight. A real warrior is not only one who can face an adversary, but is aware of the conditions around them. To lend a hand if needed, to capitalize in momentum, or struggle to regain a lead. Those are all true considerations in the field of battle."

"So when I was talking about a four-some last night, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Zip it, Johnny."

Shang Tsung continued. "Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, versus Kitana and Rain."

"I will put aside your treachery for now," Kitana spoke softly, "only to ensure a victory for our emperor." Rain looked at her. "I will forget your childish grudges for now," he quipped back, "because for once we are both in agreement. These two much not be allowed to advance."

The four fighters assumed their combat stances. The ocean breeze blew at the trees, the tides melted in and out of the shore.

"FIGHT!"

Rain cupped his hands, and flung them forward. A solid sphere of water shot out towards Cage, who for a split second mistook it for a beach ball or something? SMACK.

He could no longer move, as he helplessly watched Rain move his hands, forcing him to involuntarily be moved about like a hamster in a ball, but caught like a fly in a spider's web. Rain flicked his wrist, and sent Cage flying upwards, then downwards with a brutal impact. He staggered and composed himself.

"Purple Rain, really? Bet he's got no problem getting the ladies wet-"

Cage was interrupted by a metal fan flying through the air, missing his neck by inches, trained on Sonya. With a deft side step, she avoid the bladed weapon, and heard it embed itself into a rock. She stared at it, then back at Kitana, in disbelief. The blue-clad woman gracefully raised her hand, and a soft blue light appeared, brightening, and then manifested in the form of another fan. You have got to be shitting me, Sonya groaned inside.

Rain launched a flurry of water balls, each trailed by Kitana's razor sharp fans. Cage and Sonya ducked, jumped, stepped, and danced like they never had before. "If this keeps up," Sonya told Cage, "we're going to be dead. Really quick." "Tell me about it, sweetheart," Cage replied, as a fan skinned his hair. "Wait until she has to conjure some more of those God damn fans, and Prince over there has to charge another ball. We can't fight from this far away." "Johnny, that's the smartest thing you've said all day. Actually, since I've met you."

Before Johnny could come up with a snappy remark, a water ball slapped his chest, and he was back in the terrible place he never wanted to be in. "Sonya, for the love of God do something!" Damn it, as annoying as he is, we need to fight together. But if he's up there...

Everything slowed down. Sonya glanced at Kitana, raising her hands to materialize more fans. She looked at Cage, floating into the sky. She turned to Rain, who was currently engaged with Cage at the moment. That's it.

Without Rain to add pressure to the attack, Sonya dashed forward.

"God damn it Sonya, pull out your gun and shoot them or something!"

Way ahead of you. Safety off. Hammer cocked. Two fans in front, closing in.

BANG, BANG, and the projectiles stopped in the air, and fell to the ground. Rain was startled, and dropped Cage prematurely in order to deal with Sonya's advance. The gunfire from her handgun would not let up.

BANG, BANG, BANGBANGBANGBANG, BANG.

Rain weaved and dodged, unable attack. Before he knew it, Sonya had closed the distance, tackled him, and given him a less-than-friendly elbow to the face, and followed up with an ankle lock as her victim yelled in pain. A pistol whip to the cheek, then the shoulder.

BANG BANG BANG BANG.

Rain struggled no more, his forehead a gruesome mess of brain matter and .40 caliber rounds. Kitana kicked the gun out of Sonya's hands, and the blonde commando responded grabbing Kitana's foot, and rolling on her side to bring her down. She placed her boots around the assassin's neck, and began to twist with a conviction that she thought she saved only for Kano.

Kitana fought back, though her hands were the only things separating her from a separated neck. With a yell, she forced Sonya's feet inwards and to the side. A classic sprained ankle. Getting back up as Sonya registered the pain in her feet, Kitana conjured another fan, only to be interrupted by a flying kick from Cage. He checked on Sonya. "Are you alri-" "GOD DAMN IT JOHNNY SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU."

I know she is.

Caught off guard, Kitana quickly went from hunter to hunted. Faster than she could imagine, Cage spun around and kicked Kitana's right knee to the side. Pop. Using the momentum of his kick, he leapt upwards an unimpressive foot and a half, and landed an impressive elbow drop to her arm, turned her around, and put his weight on top of her. A disabled foot and arm, pinned on the floor; Kitana was at the mercy of Cage.

"Welcome to the Cage, baby." Kitana responded with futile grunts to escape. Movie lines were lost on her.

"Come on," he continued, "you haven't seen 'Caged Crime?' If you're not doing anything after this tournament, I'd be glad to-"

"ENOUGH. Kill the bitch already!"

"Sonya, I don't kill beautiful women."

"Did you forget that she was throwing sharp metal fans at us, and her boyfriend was throwing your sorry ass to the ground from the sky?"

"You know what they say about a pretty lady like this," Cage replied. A chop to Kitana's neck and she was unconscious. He rose to his feet, and put his sunglasses on. "She's a real knock-out, if you know what I mean."

For a brief moment, Sonya forgot about her body's pain signals and sighed in disbelief, as she was helped up.

Shang Tsung fumed from his seat. At his side, Jade looked to her best friend laying in the sand, then eyed the cocky fighter, walking away with Sonya trailing on his shoulder, limping. "You're a lot more fun than I thought, Mr. Cage."