A/N: First and foremost, I want to give a HUGE apology for not updating for two-in-a-half years. I never intended to be on hiatus for this long (again). My goal when I started this story was to make sure this didn't happened and, well...
There were a million different factors during the first year. I honestly thought I'd be back into the full-grove by early 2018... but that ended up being the worst year of my life – nearly going homeless, one of my cats dying suddenly, losing a job (even though I hated working there in the first place... still, loss of income generally sucks...), having to look for a second job on top of my new one just so I don't go homeless (which only FINALLY happened this month – for those who knew I aimed to post this chapter this month, this was why I posted today instead of earlier), finding out the hard way who actually cares about you (people I know off the internet, I mean), and worst of all, my SO and I breaking up after 14 years together. It also didn't help that there were a ton of little things that built all of this crap up, causing more stress, anxiety, and depression than I needed. Things are still tough, but now it's at a manageable stage. Hopefully, it stays that way and it only gets better from here...
Yeah, so, literal sob story all around. I wish I was making it all up...
Another factor was how I began to question my writing abilities. Writing is one of the few things in my life that brings me joy, even though I'm not the best at it. I admit... I nearly considered quitting altogether, but towards the end of the year, I was reminded of the reasons why I love writing... and it's a very, very long list.
I do want to make one thing clear... no matter how long it takes, I WILL complete this Quadrilogy because I do, in fact, love writing this series and wish to see to its completion. There are so many things in this story that I look forward to writing. The ideas for Part 4 excite me and I cannot wait to share them with my readers. I know it can be hard to wait for updates, so I understand if you decide at one point to get off this long train ride. Just know that the only thing that will ever stop me from completing the series is my own demise.
Anyway, to those coming back on the train ride, I thank you for your patience. To those who knew what was going on before this message, I thank you for your support and understanding.
I'm also thrilled that two of my readers, gordhanx and GreatLordVADER, have been working on a TVTropes Wiki page dedicated to my series. This was something that really motivated me to get back into writing the series. Thank you both.
Okay... this A/N is already taking up a page... but one last thing! I did this a while ago, but I updated the Prologue for Chishio No Me, so check that out when you can if you haven't already!
Now, on with the story... FINALLY!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mishima Casino
The large meeting room at the casino was nearly hushed in silence as those inside focused on the match that played on multiple screens placed against the walls. Who could blame them when the fight involved one team that included a mystic enigma from Outworld, and a blind psychokinetic warrior with impressive swordsmanship? At least that's what Wagner believed. After all, between their powers and fighting abilities, Ermac and Kenshi were a deadly team.
Just ask Shang Tsung, he thought to himself. He wasn't there during that particular fight after The Blood Tournament, but like the other chosen ones, he heard all about it after the fact.
It was eleven o'clock in the morning, and Wagner was glad he enjoyed a big breakfast earlier, even if he had to get up at the crack of dawn. He and his tag team partner, Alex Walker, were scheduled to fight today. Hopefully, they would be called up sooner than later, preferably before lunch. Sure, he could go eat during a match, but knowing his luck, it would end quickly and his team would be called up while he was still in the middle of ordering a cheeseburger. That would be embarrassing.
"Damn, I could go for a cheeseburger right now," Wagner mumbled more to himself than anyone else.
"When was the last time you ate?" Alex ended up asking him.
"Around six in the morning. Juli and I went to that buffet restaurant on the other side of the hotel and tried almost everything they had. Almost stuffed myself to the gills." Wagner lightly patted his stomach. "I'm sure I'd be a fat-ass if I wasn't in the military."
"If you want to keep the weight off, don't ever leave like I did. The weight gain soon after is inevitable."
"So I hear."
They fell into silence as they watched the match on the screen in front of them. One opponent of Ermac and Kenshi's was already knocked out cold. The other made an attempt to deliver a punch, but Ermac, who floated just a few inches off the ground for most of the fight, quickly used his telekinesis to lift his opponent above his head. The opponent yelled out in surprise as he was surrounded in an ethereal green glow that matched the one covering Ermac's hands. While 'holding' with one hand, Ermac used the other to throw a green projectile at the opponent's mid-section, sending him hurling anyway. Before he landed on the pavement, Ermac clapped his hands once and another glow of green energy popped up from the ground and smashing into the man's back, pushing him up, forward, and towards Ermac. The enigma waited until his opponent was within reach before he spun himself and delivered a spin kick to the man's side, sending him into the wall before he tumbled onto the ground.
"Whoa!" half the audience cried out after Ermac's opponent fell. One person in the room yelled, "Dayum!" while a few others clapped, clearly impressed by Ermac's abilities.
Due to the beating he took, it was no surprise that Ermac's opponent called off the match moments after that showmanship.
"Concede announced. Ermac and Takahashi Kenshi win the match!"
As the impressed audience cheered and clapped over the results, Wagner had a sudden realization, something he missed just before the match began. "Wait a minute... Takahashi? You never told me Kenshi had a surname."
That got a raised eyebrow from Alex. "Eh... he's always had a surname. Where have you been?"
Wagner shrugged. "Guile was the one who did the joint reports between the Air Force and Special Forces. Other than that, no one ever said anything to me, not even Sonya when she first introduced us before the Blood Tournament." A sigh escaped his lips. "Man... that tournament feels like ages ago. It feels like... over 14 years since this whole thing started, actually."
Alex snorted over his words. "That's WAY too much of a stretch, and you know that... it's only been nearly two years since the Blood Tournament."
"Only that short amount of time?" Wagner gasped. "Feels longer... so, so much longer..."
"Wars can make time feel longer," Alex pointed out.
"True..."
A moment later, the portal machine in the room activated and it wasn't long before Ermac and Kenshi walked through it, returning from their chosen match location. As soon as they appeared, they were met with some of the spectators clapping and cheering, their way of showing their appreciation of what they witnessed. The cheering stopped the moment their opponents came through the portal a few seconds later.
"Nice job, you two," Wagner greeted as the two warriors approached him and Alex. "As you might be able to tell by the reaction in the room, you two gave quite the show in your match. It's bound to get them pumped up for their own fights."
"Then it's good that we inspired them," Kenshi admitted as he sat down in the empty chair next to Wagner. The fight gave him a little challenge, but not to the point of exhaustion at least.
"We'll be departing for the forests to meditate and reflect on the battle," Ermac mentioned.
"See ya," Wagner said as the enigma began to leave the viewing room. Once Ermac was gone, Wagner turned his attention to the swordsman. "You gonna stick around, Kenshi?"
"Just for a little bit," Kenshi replied. "It's not like I can actually see the matches."
"Trust me, you're not missing much," Alex mentioned. "Except your own match of course."
"Well if you decide to leave before our match," Wagner started. "Pleeease go to the Okan Bar and Grill and get me a cheeseburger to go and bring it back here. I'll buy you a case of beer of your choice later."
Kenshi paused for a bit before he answered. "Make it a bottle of Gekkeikan. It's not as good as Hiroki, but at least it's at a fair price."
"In that case, deal!"
The trio fell silent during the next match, which didn't last more than ten minutes. The fight itself was okay, but hardly what was considered compelling. Even the rest of the audience wasn't as enthusiastic about it. The room was almost filled with murmurs and the sounds coming from the TVs.
Soon, the match ended with a concede, and all four fighters reappeared through the portal. Moments later, the PA system in the viewing room crackled with life.
"For the next match," an female announcer over the loudspeaker spoke with enthusiasm. "We ask the following tag team to step forward and through the portal; Walker and Wagner!"
"Hooray!" Wagner said as he stood up from his chair. He looked over at the swordsman. "Guess buying me that cheeseburger isn't necessary anymore."
"Shame, I was willing to share the sake you were going to get me," Kenshi pointed out.
"That's okay, maybe next time."
After Wagner walked past him, Kenshi turned his attention to Alex as she began to walk past him. "Good luck," he said with a small smile.
Alex smiled back at him despite knowing he couldn't see it (maybe? ...It was hard to tell with him sometimes). "Thanks," she replied before she and Wagner headed to the front of the room where the man-made portal was located.
The portal activated again once the duo reached it. After walking through it, they were momentarily inside a swirling blue vortex. Once everything cleared not long after, they were able to get a better view of where the portal took them.
They found themselves in a wooden building with a wide panoramic view of the ocean and what looked like a small town off in the distance to the left. The building was so close to the ocean that waves crashed against it, leaving some water along the floor area below the window. The weather outside was cloudy and the winds were pretty strong, bringing in a cool breeze into the building.
Aside from the fact everything was made of wood, there wasn't really anything else that stood out with the exception of the two drones monitoring that match. As a matter of fact, the place looked abandoned for quite some time.
"Welcome to the historic Noh Theater in the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, Alex Walker and Scott Wagner," one of the drone monitoring the upcoming fight announced. "You opponents will arrive momentarily."
Wagner grumbled, "I told them to leave my first name out... At least the announcer back at the casino got it right."
"Pfft, you would've loved my high school chemistry teacher, Mrs. Nielson," Alex brought up. "Throughout the entirety of my sophomore year, she kept insisting that my name was Alexis for some reason despite correcting her multiple times. It finally took the entire class to scream out my name in unison for her to finally get it. Of course, that only happened a month before the year was over."
"Dayum, that sounds annoying. Where did she get the idea to call you that?"
"No clue, especially since my name is not even short for Alexis. Apparently, Alexandra was too long to say for her."
"Pfft, that wouldn't surprise me if true."
Their conversation was cut short as soon as the portal opened on the other side of the room. Stepping through it were two young women who both looked to be Wagner's age. One had long, pin-straight brown hair that fell to her waist and dark green eyes. She wore a simple outfit consisting of blue jeans, a white mid-drift halter top, and blue and white sneakers. On her upper arm was a blue and black butterfly tattoo. Her partner was slightly taller with shoulder length, curly black hair streaked with bright red strands and bright blue eyes. She wore a black choker and a matching arm band over her left arm, black fingercut gloves, loose black windbreaker pants, and an orange sports bra. Her shoes were all black except for the orange check mark on each shoe.
"Welcome to the historic Noh Theater in the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, Jasmine and Veronica," the drone spoke aloud. "You may begin the match at anytime."
Wagner couldn't help but quip to Alex in a whisper, "It would've been pretty funny if the other girl's name was Be-"
"Yeah yeah, I get it," Alex cut in. She took a moment to tighten her gloves before stepping forward. "I'll go first."
"Have fun," Wagner replied as he leaned against a nearly railing.
The brown-haired girl – Jasmine – chose to go first. She and Alex met halfway before they stopped a few feet away in the middle of the wooden, ancient building they were standing in. The breeze coming from outside made the room nice and cool.
Alex got herself in a fighting stance. "Good luck," she said to her opponent.
A smirk came over Jasmine's lips. "Thanks, but I think you'll need it more than me."
Alex raised an eyebrow over that. "Hmph... smug and overconfident, aren't we?"
That wiped the smirk off Jasmine's face. "HII-YAH!" she bellowed as she jumped forward. Alex was ready for her as she blocked an incoming right hook with her forearm. This went on for a few moments with Jasmine throwing various punches and kicks at Alex, who was forced to defend herself until she found an opening. Alex eventually ducked under an incoming punch before jabbing a palm strike to her opponent's ribs. Jasmine gasped from the pain that hit her and she quickly back away in order to take a moment to recover.
It didn't take long for Jasmine to jump back into the fight. Alex was waiting for her in a defensive stance. The former military officer anticipated the next punch Jasmine delivered and quickly maneuvered herself around. As she did, Alex extended her leg and got it behind Jasmine's knee before striking, making Jasmine yell out as she fell on her knee. Alex then attempted to grab from behind, but Jasmine managed to deliver an elbow to her stomach. Now it was Alex's turn to gasp for breath as she fell onto both of her knees. Even after that, Alex was still able to get her arms around Jasmine in hold, forcing the latter to use her strength to fight out of it.
Meanwhile, Wagner was watching the fight from the sidelines. He looked at the time on his watch and saw that they were two minutes into the match. Another three minutes and then this match can turn into a two-on-two battle if he so desired.
It took Jasmine a minute to finally get out of Alex's grip. She let out another yell as she used the back of her head to hit Alex in the face, the sudden pain causing Alex to gasp and forcing her to let go. She quickly rolled away before Jasmine had the chance to attack while she was down. Getting on one knee, Alex took a few seconds to recover from the hit.
Jasmine quickly closed in on her again, but Alex swiftly stood up and walloped Jasmine with an uppercut to the chin, causing her to stumble back. Alex then stepped forward before delivering some open palm strikes to her opponent. After a few hits, Jasmine backed up in order to get some space in between them.
"Clearly I underestimated you," Jasmine admitted as she took a moment to catch her breath.
"Trust me when I say that's the last thing you want to do in any fight," Alex advised.
"...Noted."
Quickly, Jasmine performed a cartwheel kick, which Alex managed to avoid by sidestepping away. As soon as Jasmine was back on her feet, Alex attempted a roundhouse kick, but Jasmine managed to grab her by the ankle before twisting herself, taking Alex's leg with her. Caught by surprise, Alex attempted to pull back, but she quickly smashed against the ground face first before she had time to get her hands out to protect her face.
"ARGH!" Alex screamed out in pain after making impact with the floor.
While Alex was down, that gave Jasmine the option to tag her partner, Veronica. "Your turn, sis," Jasmine said as the two women high-fived.
Veronica flipped a couple of times towards Alex after the latter managed to get back on her feet and wait in a defensive pose. As soon as Veronica was close enough, she threw various punches and kicks at Alex, who either blocked or dodged away from the attacks. This went on for a few seconds.
Wagner eventually looked at his watch and realized that more than five minutes had passed. Now was the time to step in, but he figured that his partner need some rest first, especially after the nasty fall she took a few moments ago. "Walker!" he called out. "You can tag me anytime!"
"In a sec!" Alex yelled out in reply as she managed to dodge another punch from her opponent.
Wagner was just beginning to wonder if there were any tag teams in this tournament who managed to win using only one active opponent. In that second, Veronica knocked Alex back hard enough to make her stumble until her low back hit right into the railing Wagner was leaning against.
"Ugh, fuck!" Alex groaned as pain shot through her back. She gingerly rubbed the sore spot that took the most impact. "I'm gonna feel that one in the morning..."
Wagner raised his hand up to her as he gave her a sheepish look. "My turn?" he asked.
"Knock yourself out," Alex answered as she high-fived him, marking in their tag. She then realized what she said as another groan escaped her lips. "Not literally!"
That got a laugh from Wagner. "I know what you meant," he said before he headed towards the spot where Veronica waited. He then stopped, got himself in a fighting stance, and beckoned her over with his hand. "I'm ready," he said. "Are you?"
"Ha! Always!" Veronica called out before she quickly covered the space between them. Once more, she threw various punches and kicks at Wagner, who dodged away from the maneuvers. He the finally found an opening as he stepped sideways from one punch. Wagner took the opportunity to grab for Veronica's wrist before using a free hand to deliver a hand chop just below her collarbone. That earned a gasp of pain from Veronica as she backed away in order to recover from the hit.
"Hey," Wagner began to mention as he stood in a stance again. "Just wanna let you know that I'm usually not a fan of hitting a lady. But we are in a tournament after all, sooo..."
That got a small chuckle from Veronica. "That's very sweet. Too bad flattery won't win this fight for you."
That caught Wagner off guard. "Hey, no, wait! That wasn't a-"
Wagner didn't get a chance to finish Before Veronica suddenly jumped up and towards Wagner. He attempted to back up, but Veronica was able to stand on his shoulders with her feet. Grasping onto his neck and jaw with her feet, Veronica used all of her strength to flip backwards, taking Wagner with her. She finally let go mid-flip, sending him flying (and screaming) across the room until he crashed onto the floor with enough force to disturb the dust in the room.
"Ow..." Wagner grumbled after the hard landing.
Veronica was just about to go after Wagner when Alex, now recovered and ready to go, jumped right in front of her and began to throw her own punches, distracting Veronica from going after Alex's tag team partner.
At the same time, Jasmine decided to take this opportunity to go after Wagner. He wasn't too far from where she stood, so she only had to run a few feet before she attempted to crouch down and slide forward with one foot out. Luckily, Wagner saw the incoming kick heading towards him and he rolled away before he was hit.
"Two-on-two battle initiated by both participating teams," one of the drones watching the match announced. Unknown to either teams, this was the first time in the tournament that this kind of announcement was made. It was usually one team initiation prior, not both.
Back in the middle of the room, Alex continued to remain on offense, forcing Veronica on defense. This went on for a few more seconds before Veronica ducked under a roundhouse kick. She moved to Alex's side before pushing her with her shoulder. As Alex stumbled, Veronica moved in and landed a punch of Alex's face, causing the latter's head to snap sideways as she fell to the ground on her back.
Veronica kneeled over her and was about to swing her fist again, but Alex used her leg to kick up and smash the back of Veronica's head with the tip of her boot. That caused Veronica to yelp out as she fell forward. Alex used that moment to strike her under the chin with an uppercut. It was Veronica's turn to fall onto her back.
This gave Alex time to get back on her feet. She waited in a defensive pose until Veronica got back up as well.
Veronica glared at Alex as she rubbed the back of her head. "Not cool," she growled.
Alex said nothing and merely glared at her. This seemed to make Veronica even more mad. With a shout, she darted towards Alex, her fist up and ready to pummel her.
As soon as Veronica was close enough, she swung her fist... which was quickly parried by Alex's hands as she stepped to the side, making Veronica nearly lose her balance. Alex then flipped into a handstand and, as soon as Veronica turned to her, she bent her knees before kicking up as hard she could until both of her feet connected to Veronica's face, the impact forcing her to flip once before smashing front first into the ground.
Alex flipped to stand after that. Looking back down at her opponent, however, it was clear that Veronica lost consciousness.
"Knockout detected," the drone soon called out.
That stopped the fight momentarily between Wagner and Jasmine as they both turned their heads to see who was taken out of the fight. Wagner was able to relax once he saw Alex standing over the now-unconscious Veronica. That moment of victory didn't last long, of course. With a roar, Jasmine quickly back-kicked Wagner with enough force to make him stumble back a few feet.
"That's it!" she yelled out with anger as she raised both of her hands up. Blue energy quickly surrounded her hands as she twirled her arms in front of her. With each twirl and second that passed, the chi grew bigger and bigger. Before Wagner and Alex knew it, the energy reached both the ceiling and the floor and was spread out a few feet from each side of Jasmine. This made both Wagner and Alex widened their eyes with both awe, curiosity... and a little terror since they both knew that this power was aimed at them!
"Oh hell!" Wagner called out as he charged up his own powers, making yellow-colored electricity course over his right arm. Unknowingly, a few moments after, the charge began to do the same on his left arm as well.
Within seconds, the blue energy that Jasmine built formed into a butterfly shape. Wagner was almost sure the butterfly's face was that of a skull, but he didn't have time to comprehend what he was seeing before Jasmine suddenly pushed her arms forward.
"Batafurai Kōgeki!" Jasmine shouted as she sent her chi power hurling towards her opponent.
Only then did Wagner notice his other arm surrounded by his own powers. It left him both confused and a little nervous... but considering the huge butterfly-shaped wall projectile that was coming towards him at this very second, he didn't have much more time to think. Instead, he simply reacted.
With a yell, Wagner swung both his arms upwards until they overlapped each other into an X. Mid-way through the throw, two yellow disc-like projectiles emerged from his arms and shot towards Jasmine. The amount of energy used to even shoot them both somehow made Wagner feel suddenly drained, and he ended up falling on his hands and knees.
He did manage to gaze up and see the discs not only form into one giant projectile, but also cut right through the middle of his opponent's attack with ease. The cut edges of the chi pulled apart and barely passed Wagner and Alex, who stood directly behind him, before it dissipated altogether.
Jasmine didn't have time to react. The shock she felt wore out too late after witnessing Wagner cut through her chi with his own projectile. She started to back up, but the disc smashed into her right after, the force sending her hurling back until she crashed against the wooden wall. Then like a rag doll, she fell face first onto the floor.
She didn't get up after that.
Wagner barely heard the drone announce his team the winners as he gazed down at both of his hands. Years ago, when he first discovered his powers, the moment left him terrified to the core. He heard about chi powers before, and he wasn't sure if it was something he could control. Although not identical to Guile's sonic boom powers, the older man did what he could to teach Wagner how to harness his gift. The younger man liked to think it worked out for the best, even if it wasn't perfect.
Even after all this time, his powers still had the means to surprise him every once in a while, like today.
Huh, Wagner thought in amusement. Didn't realize I could do that. I wonder if I should call this new move the Super Double Ultra Disc... or maybe something less lame.
His thoughts stopped as soon as he heard Alex walk up to him. "You all right?" she asked. "That was a hell of a move you pulled off at the end there. Not that I'm complaining since it won us our match, but it looked like it took a lot out of you."
"Yeah, I'm cool," he assured her, even though he was still trying to catch his breath. "Tired, but cool. ...Remember how I said I wanted a cheeseburger for lunch?"
"Yeah? What about it?" Alex replied, her eyebrow raised.
"...I think a nice long nap sounds better right about now."
That got a chuckle out of his tag team partner.
Lotus Garden, China
Five minutes had passed since the match began and Lili was already growing bored. And here she thought the lotus garden setting (nearly filled to the rim with various flowers, a pond filled with lilies and lotus, and a nearby gazebo all set up in front of an ancient imperial castle) she was sent to would make the match seem even more exquisite than the scene already was.
At least her tag team partner, Karin, seemed to be having fun. Karin attempted a low kick, which her opponent jumped over. Karin then spin around as she got back up, stepped forward, and attempted to push with her right palm. However, the woman she was fighting managed to block the move with her forearm and used all of her strength to keep Karin from pushing her away.
Not bad, I guess, Lili thought after witnessing that block.
Karin's opponent, Marigold, was dressed in a black one-piece sleeveless leotard decorated with a brown belt with a pouch on the side, and patterned with (not surprisingly given her name) marigold flowers. Her hair was black and pulled back into a ponytail, and decorated with more marigold flowers. Whether they were real or fake was anyone's guess.
Marigold attempted to throw a punch at Karin with her free hand, but the Kanzuki heiress pulled her head back before the move connected. She then used the hand on Marigold's forearm to quickly grab for her wrist, twist it a bit (shooting some pain in her opponent), before landing two punches to the face with her free fist. Karin then followed with a knee to the stomach, causing Marigold to keel over in more pain. Finally, Karin spun her opponent until her back was to the heiress, who quickly shoved her forward. Marigold stumbled until she tripped and fell face first into the ground, close to where her tag team waited.
Karin couldn't help her old ways as she let out loud, condescending laugh, her hand covering her mouth out of habit.
"Tag me!" Marigold's partner, Zinnia, called out almost frantically as she reached her hand out. Thankfully, Marigold was still able to respond as she raised her hand up and tagged Zinnia with a high-five.
Karin decided to take that opportunity to turn to Lili and walk over to where the Monaco native stood. After five minutes fighting, she deserved a momentary break. "Ready?" she asked her partner.
"Of course I am," Lili replied as they both high-fived. Once the tag was done, Lili walked to the middle of the battlefield, as did Zinnia (who wore the same outfit as Marigold, only her white leotard and blond hair was decorated with zinnia flowers... again, it was hard to tell if those flowers in her hair were real or not).
Lili smirked at Zinnia as she raised her hands up, seemingly pointing around the lotus garden they were fighting in at this moment. "This is a great place to fight, don't you think?" she said a little too sweetly.
Zinnia was having none of it, however, and she swiftly jumped into the fight. Her quick speed forced Lili to defend herself before she was hit. It didn't last long before a punch sent Lili's head snapping sideways to the right. Another punch send her head in the opposite direction before, finally, an ax-kick knocked her face first onto the stoned walkway.
Lili found herself coughing as some dust from the ground got into her mouth. Ugh... I really hope father isn't watching this match from home right now, she thought with a small frown. As she moved onto her knees, Zinnia suddenly moved into Lili's space again. As her arms swung downward, Lili quickly noticed something in her hand. Not waiting to see what was about to hit her, Lili rolled back a few times and avoided the attack.
Finally back on her feet again, Lili stood in a defensive position again as Zinnia came back towards her. This time, Lili was able to get a clear view of the pair of kali sticks her opponent wielded, one in each hand.
Lili waited until Zinnia was close enough to attack again. The young woman dodged the first two moves before she ducked under the third attempted hit. Grabbing an opportunity, she used her legs to trip Zinnia, then swiftly straightened up and delivered a forward kick before Zinnia landed. The moved sent Lili's foe hurling away a few feet before she crashed into the nearby grassy field that bordered the walkway they were fighting on.
Zinnia attempted to crawl towards one of the sticks she lost. Seeing this, Lili quickly moved towards the weapon and managed to kick it away. The stick rolled until it unintentionally fell into a nearby pond.
"Hey!" Zinnia yelled out in anger as she rolled back and got up on her feet again. "You had no right to do that!"
Lili laughed condescending at that – almost similar to Karin's from a few moments ago. "It's a shame, isn't it? At any other time, I would've cared. But this is a fighting match we're in. Which reminds me... how long can you stand my attacks?"
That earned a growl from Zinnia. "You'll regret those words!"
To Lili's surprise, Zinnia managed to teleport close to her before she performed a roundhouse kick, sending Lili stumbling sideways. Zinnia then tried to attack again, but Lili was ready for her this time. Once her opponent was close enough, Lili ducked under an incoming punch before she pushed her back with both hands. As Zinnia stumbled away, Lili went in close and threw a couple of own punches – the same that was given to her moments ago – and followed with an elbow strike just before the collarbone. The last hit made Zinnia stumble back and gasp for breath momentarily.
Lili attempted to get in close again, but Zinnia quickly ducked down, moved forward, and tacked the Monaco native to the ground. Lili gasped in pain at the impact with the grass. With her head turned sideways, Lili quickly noticed the second kali stick Zinnia lost earlier than the fight. She also noticed that was it was most definitely within reach.
"Now to end this!" Zinnia called out as she drew her fist back.
Just before Zinnia delivered the blow – and knowing she had to do something now before she was hit - Lili grabbed for the stick and, with a roar, swung the weapon, which managed to connect to the side of Zinnia's head. Zinnia let out a small cry of pain before she fell and collapsed onto her side. Lili threw the stick far away from the fight after that (which also landed in the nearby pond) but it didn't matter at that point. Zinnia wasn't getting up for a while.
"Knockout detected," one of the drones watching the fight announced.
Hearing that, Marigold quickly jumped into the fray and went straight after Lili. Back on her feet again, Lili was ready for Marigold. With a yell, she jumped forward in a somersault, spin around to deliver a kick to Marigold's side, then followed a hand strike to the face, then finally a jumping double kick which send her new opponent stumbling back.
By now, Lili felt that she had her fun. Quickly, she flipped back a couple of times to reach her tag team partner. "Ready for more?" she questioned her.
"Did you have to ask?" Karin replied. With that, they high-fived, marking the tag for the cameras. Karin ran towards Marigold while Lili chose to sit down at a nearby bench and watch the fight from there.
Karin realized that Marigold was still a little woozy from their earlier fight, so it was easy for her to get in by jumping up and delivering a downward kick. That forced Marigold away and Karin moved in before she could recover. Upon reaching her foe, Karin spun around and hit with a side kick and, from there, attempted another palm strike.
However, Marigold jumped back and, as she did, pulled out something from her pouch on her belt before throwing them forward. Karin nearly laughed when she saw that they were stemmed marigolds... but then she saw the blades emerge from within the petals!
"AAH!" Karin cried out with surprise as she ducked and dodged away from the flying blades. As they passed her, she felt a couple of them cut through her clothes and scratch her, but there would be no real damage at the end of the day... besides some parts of her clothes, of course.
However, one of the blades did manage to get close enough to cut through Karin's blue bow, sending it falling into two pieces. Karin only realized what happened the moment her blond ringlets surrounded the frame of her face. She felt for the back of her head and realized that her ribbon was gone. She then looked down and saw it on the ground by her feet.
"Oh, now I'm not happy," Karin growled under her breath.
With a roar, Karin slid forward, her hands quickly covered in a fire-like chi. Using her hands, she delivered two, very rapid palm strikes that forced Marigold to stumble away. From there, Karin somersaulted forward until she was within reach and wrapped her thighs around Marigold's neck from behind. After that, Karin pushed forward with enough force to smash her face first into the grass.
Karin got back on her feet and got in a fighting pose as she expected Marigold to get back up as well. However, after a few moments, it was apparent that Marigold had lost consciousness from Karin's last attack.
"Knockout detected. Team Karin and Lili win the match!" the nearby drone called out.
Upon that announcement, Lili shot up from her bench and raised one arm up in excitement. "Yes! The moment of victory! I love it!"
By now Karin joined Lili and raised a hand up. "I'd say we deserve a nice, refreshing glass of lemonade when we get back to our hotel."
That got a smile from Lili as she high-fived her tag team partner. "Yes, we do."
The Bridge, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The next fight brought the two tag teams to what was simply known as The Bridge, which was part of Wacker Drive in the heart of Chicago. Living up to the city's nickname, the wind was strong and it howled with increasing frequency. Various flying debris also seemed like a constant thing in this area.
The match was ready to begin, but neither teams moved just yet... at least until one of them spoke up.
"Look at that dude in black, Chan," a warrior named Yi, a monk dressed all in brown except for his tabi socks, said to his tag team partner. "Sooo edgy. This is gonna be an easy fight." He followed that with a laugh.
Hearing that, Noob Saibot glared at his opponent. Without taking his eyes off him, Noob reached for his chest and seemingly pulled out a sickle right where his heart should've been. The weapon formed from a liquid-like oil, its outer edge glowing a dark purple color and the blade itself shimmered under the sun.
Seeing how quickly his opponent's smugness was wiped off his face, the wraith got the desired effect.
"Oh... shit..." Yi uttered.
Chan, who dressed exactly like his partner, threw his hands up in exasperation. "I told you, Yi, you gotta stop underestimating people!"
Suddenly, Noob's tag team partner, Reptile, appeared behind the two men after sneaking around in his invisible form. They were so focused on Noob that they forgot about him. Reptile managed to grab Yi and threw him to the side before throwing a couple of punches at Chan. As Chan stumbled back from the second hit, Reptile went back into his invisibility, completely disappearing from sight.
"What the-" Chan breathed as he frantically searched his surroundings for his opponent. "Where did you-" he started to say before he was hit from behind. He staggered forward before an uppercut sent him up in the air before he fell and crashed into the pavement. Reptile then appeared from thin air by Chan's feet.
"You won't lasssst in thissss fight for long," Reptile promised.
Chan swiftly kipped up, but Reptile glided forward and punched his face as soon as his feet hit the ground. That caused Chan to stumble back, but he was able to retain his balance. Reptile turned invisible again, moved behind Chan, and reappeared behind them. Once more, he glided forward and landed another punch to his back, knocking Chan down face first.
Reptile then went to stomp on his opponent, but Chan rolled out of the way before he somersaulted forward and stood up. From there, he covered the space between them and began to throw some punches, forcing Reptile to defend himself.
The fight continued for a few more minutes, at least until it was beyond the five-minute mark. By that time, Noob grew bored and decided to make the fight two-on-two. He quickly sunk through the ground before reappearing right in front of Yi, who screamed with surprise by the wraith's sudden appearance.
"Now you will face me," Noob's said, his deep, demonic voice chilling Yi to the core.
"What the hell are you?" Yi ended up asking as he forced himself in a defensive pose.
Noob didn't bother to answer. Instead, he extended his arm to his side as his black scythe materialized in his hand. The blue jewels on the blade shimmered under the sunlight with each movement.
Yi had his own weapons, but even he knew a pair nunchakus wasn't going to cut it compared to the seven-foot tall weapon that Noob wielded. They were made of steel at least, so blocking Noob's attacks wasn't an issue... for the moment. Taking out his nunchakus, he managed to block a swing from Noob's scythe, keeping the tip of the blade just a few inches away from his face.
The weapon battle went on for only a few seconds before Noob suddenly backed away and pointed a finger at Yi. Before Yi knew it, a shadow figured quickly seemed to appeared from nowhere and tackled Yi to the ground before disappearing again. Noob then sunk back into the ground and, as Yi stood back up, Noob reappeared and performed an uppercut, the move forcing Yi into the air.
Then, while Yi was still in mid-air, Noob vanished and then came back from behind. He grabbed his opponent around the waist. By then, two portals – one below and the other above – materialized before Noob maneuvered them both through the two portals five times in quick succession. After the fifth time, Noob threw Yi, sending him a few feet away before Yi hit the pavement again.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Yi cried out as he felt dizzy from the sensation of going through hell and back multiple times in under a second.
Meanwhile, Yi's tag team partner wasn't faring any better as he was knocked down by a sweep kick from Reptile after he managed to knock the humanoid lizard down. After that, Reptile kipped up as Chan rolled away before he stood up once more.
Swiftly, Chan shot out a green projectile from his hand and hurled it towards Reptile. The saurian stepped away from the attack before he grinned at him. "I can do that, too," he said with amusement in his voice.
Bending down on one knee, Reptile clasped his hands together before he pulled them apart. As he did this, he formed a green-colored force ball made of acid before he unleashed it. Chan was able to move before it hit him and the ball hit a nearby street pole, the metal sizzling and melting from the ashes.
Chan was distracted by what the acid did to the pole. It gave Reptile the chance to dart his tongue out far enough to grab onto to Chan's ankles. Chan screamed as he was suddenly pulled back and, before he knew it, was turned upside down and facing his opponent.
Reptile grinned at him before he hands clawed at his chest, leaving a behind a few gashes that immediately made him bleed. Chan screamed from the pain until, finally satisfied, Reptile punched him in the head before he tossed him across the road. Chan hit a road barrier on his side before he rolled a couple times on the street, soon stopping in between two orange traffic cones that were placed there specifically for the match.
The hard landing knocked Chan unconscious. Seconds later, one of the drones soon said, "Knockout detected."
Yi heard that announcement right after being knocked to the ground once again. He looked up as both Noob and Reptile turned their heads to glare at him. Then suddenly, they both stalked towards him at the same time, seemingly quickening their pace with each step their took.
"Wait wait wait wait!" Yi cried out as he did what he could to back away, but he ended up stopping as his back hit the bridge barrier that kept him from falling to the street below. "I concede, I concede! Just... g- get away from me!"
With that, Noob kneeled beside Yi and brought up the tip of his sickle to Yi's throat. The wraith had to give him credit... he didn't so much as quiver. But the widen gaze in his eyes gave away his fear nonetheless.
He wasn't even worth being one of his shadow warriors of the Netherrealm.
"...You are lucky this wasn't a death match," Noob murmured low enough for only Yi to hear. He then pulled his sickle away, 'stabbed' it back into his chest, and stood up. From there, he and Reptile turned their back to Yi and walked away.
"This fight was too easy," Noob said to his tag team partner. "This tournament better be worth it once the amateurs are out of the way."
Reptile nodded. "Agreed."
The drone soon made its formal announcement. "Concede announced. Team Noob Saibot and Reptile win the match!"
A second later, the pole that was hit by Reptile's acid ball fell over and crashed onto the empty street. The only 'damage' it did was startling Yi (and make him shriek at the top of his lungs).
Times Square, New York City
The streets surrounding Times Square was busy and filled with cars and pedestrians, all rushing in an attempt to get to where they needed to go, save for those who stopped to watch the match that was taking place beyond some metal barriers. Fighting on the blocked off portion of a walkway between the ESPN Sports Bar and the Hard Rock Cafe seemed safe enough – in theory. But as Lita quickly learned at the start of her match, having some more space would've been nice.
Right as the match was called to begin, Lita's opponent – Svea, a woman with a neon green mohawk, and one of two women dressed in all black leather and chains as most bikers do – drew out a switch blade and began swinging at Lita. Lita was forced back and away – at least until she hit the barrier that kept her from falling into the crowd that was watching the match.
Shit! Lita yelled out in her head. Thinking quickly, she reached for three small blades that were attacked to a strap that was wrapped around her left thigh. With a growl, she threw her knives forward at once.
Svea screamed with surprise upon realizing there were flying knives coming towards her. She dodged the first two and blocked the last one with her switchblade. That served enough of a distraction for Lita to jump in and deliver a roundhouse kick to Svea's side, sending the biker staggering sideways before she got her footing.
"My turn!" Lita called out with a grin as she pulled out her own weapon that she had strapped behind her – a longsword that was nearly as tall as she was. Holding the blade with both hands, she began to swing back and forth at Svea, making her be the one to back away.
By then, the five minute mark ended and Svea's tag team partner, Linnea (who was dressed the same, only her long curly hair was dyed bright purple), went after Lita's partner, Lucia. Lucia was focused on the fight going on in front of that the punch to the face that sent her stumbling sideways caught her by surprise.
"HEY!" Lucia yelled out in anger as she moved to give some space between herself and Linnea.
"Sorry, got bored," Linnea replied almost sarcastically.
"Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Svea and Linnea," announced one of the two drones monitoring the match.
Lucia quickly got into a defense stance as soon as Linnea started to close in. Linnea attempted to throw a punch, but Lucia ducked right underneath. Linnea then tried to knee her face, but Lucia pulled back before it connected. Then as the biker attempted to go in for another punch, the Metro City cop stepped to the side before she moved in, grabbed Linnea's shoulders, and quickly kneed her twice in the stomach. Linnea shouted in pain as she started to keel over, but Lucia was able to hold her up before she fell. After that, Lucia shoved her back, creating a wider berth between them.
"That was for the cheap shot!" Lucia shouted.
That earned a growl from Linnea before she quickly took out one of her chains and began swinging like a mad woman. Of course, Lucia was forced to move and dodge away from the attack... at least until she was able to catch the end of the chain with her hand before she swiftly pulled her opponent towards her with all of her strength.
Linnea hadn't expected this and screamed as she was pulled in. As soon as she was close enough, Lucia jumped up, delivered an axe kick that made Linnea stumble, followed with a punch to the face, and ended with a roundhouse that made her stagger and fall on her side into the sidewalk.
Linnea didn't stay on the ground for too long as she rolled away from Lucia and stood back on her feet. Both on defense, she and Lucia circled each other momentarily before Linnea closed in on her once more. She tried another punch, but Lucia moved to the side and managed to deliver a few various kicks, hitting Linnea on most of her sides and the front of her torso, before one last kick to the chest sent Linnea flying until her back smashed into the metal barrier with a loud clang! The barrier nearly toppled over from the force, but it managed to remain upright nevertheless.
"OOOH!" the crowd winced after witnessing that.
The biker struggled to get up this time due to the pain that coursed through her body, but it was clear that she wasn't ready to give up just yet. Lucia watched as she waited, and it wasn't any surprise when she saw how pissed off her opponent was. Linnea narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth at Lucia.
"I will not let you win!" Linnea seethed. Right after, she let out a roar as she moved in towards Lucia, who once again waited for her in a defensive pose...
Meanwhile nearby, Lita was throwing punches coming from different directions at her opponent, but Svea seemed relentless as she was able to move and block the maneuvers with ease. Finally frustrated, Lita waited until one dodge let Svea open before Lita struck her with a forward kick.
"Argh!" Svea yelled as she flew back. She crashed and skidded on the pavement, leaving nasty cuts on her face and hands that bled almost right away, The sudden sharpness that came with the scratches, mixed with the dirt and debris that went into the cuts, made Svea scream until the skidding stopped completely.
"UUUGH!" the crowd winced after seeing what happened.
Despite the sharp pain from all the cuts and scratches that developed, Svea forced herself to get back up, clenching her teeth all through it. Narrowing her eyes at her opponent, Svea took out her switchblade again and began to run towards her with a long, loud shriek.
Okay, I'm not dealing with this crap again, Lita grumbled in her head.
She reached for the hilt of her sword as she waited for Svea to get close. As soon as she did, Lita crouched low and attempted a sweep kick. As Svea jumped over the kick – just as the Delta Red soldier hoped for – Lita quickly straightened back up, spun once as she pulled out her sword, and smashed the flat side of it right on Svea's head. Svea cried out from the hit before she crumpled to the ground, the maneuver knocking her out cold.
At the same time, Lucia delivered a spinning crescent kick to Linnea's head, the force of the move sending Linnea flying back before crashing to the ground right next to Svea fell. She was already unconscious before she even landed.
"Knockouts detected," the drone declared. "Team Lita and Lucia win the match!"
As the crowd watching the fight on the sidelines clapped and cheered, Lita grinned as Lucia as she patted her shoulder. "Nice! One match down, seven to go."
Lita's optimism earned a small smile from Lucia. "Hopefully, we won't wait too long for our next match."
A/N: For those who've been reading my fics for years, or at least have gone back and read my super old (and super embarrassing) fics, did you recognize one of the jobber tag teams? If so... Congratulations! throws confetti up in the air And no, they're not coming out of retirement. This was just for fun and nothing more.
And before you ask, yes, the next chapter will be released this June. I'm just not sure when exactly.