Mortal Kombat
Season 1, Chapter 6: Round One
The following day had come to pass on the island the Mortal Kombat tournament was being held. All the fighters participating had gathered in a courtyard, where several monks were seated to watch, and Shang Tsung was sitting on a throne.
"For our first fight of the tournament. Johnny Cage from Earthrealm." Shang Tsung said.
Johnny walked into the courtyard. He wore shades, black pants with blue leg guards, and straps along his hands and lower arms. Having "Johnny" tattooed on his shirtless chest and a big gold plaque of "CAGE" on his belt.
"Fighting Johnny Cage is Nitara of Outworld." Shang Tsung said; a woman wearing a skimpy outfit with a small red jacket, brown leggings, and large bat wings on her back flew down and landed in the courtyard on the opposite side as Johnny Cage.
"Woah, you a bat lady or something?" Johnny asked
"A vampire. And I highly doubt you'll be able to beat me." Nitara said before taking a stance in a Leopard Kung Fu style.
"Fight!" Shang Tsung said. Johnny Cage took a Shorin Ryu stance as Nitara dashed at him; she gave Johnny many fast strikes, some he could block, but some managed to hit him. Johnny attempted to strike Nitara a few times, but Nitara was able to dodge and quickly counter-attack them. She delivered an angled strike to Johnny, which sent him stumbling back.
"Hmm, you are not very good at fighting." Nitara said before she dashed towards Johnny to strike. However, Johnny then performed a kick, sending him flying toward Nitara. The kick hit Nitara right in the stomach, sending her flying to the other side of the courtyard. Nitara got up and groaned, looking surprised at Johnny. He was glowing green with afterimages of him following his kick movement.
"I love the face they make afterwards." Johnny said as the glow faded and he returned to normal. "You see, my fans and critics think my films are all wirework and special effects. Truth is...I AM the special effects." Johnny smirks before he takes back his stance. Nitara hissed at him, showing her large vampire fangs before she spat a ball of blood at Johnny; Johnny formed a ball of green energy and tossed it at the blood ball, destroying it in mid-air.
"Yeah, learned these years ago. I call them the shadow moves." Johnny smirked before he performed another shadow kick toward Nitara. Nitara used her wings to jump above and over Johnny. However, Johnny then formed another energy ball and threw it behind him, hitting Nirara in the face. Nitara stumbled back from the hit before Johnny then delivered an uppercut to Nitara with his elbow. She used her wings to decrease the distance she was sent. Nitara landed on the ground and sneered at Johnny. She performed several flips toward Johnny and kicked him in the face, sending him back. Nitara delivered several strikes to Johnny before Johnny performed a green-glowing flip kick to Nitara, sending her into the air before he then jumped up and performed another elbow uppercut in mid-air. Nitara fell hard on the ground and groaned before passing out.
"Looks like you...just got Caged." Johnny Cage smirked. "Better luck next time, vampire lady. And I ain't killing her, ya hear that, Shang Tsung?" Johnny said.
"Very well. Johnny Cage wins." Shang Tsung said. Johnny went back to where the other fighters were standing while guards carried Nitara away.
"An unpredicted move to show mercy. I like that." said a voice; Johnny turned to see a man wearing a black and red outfit with metal pieces here and there. His top looked half-finished, with only half of it covering his chest, but that wasn't the most noticeable thing about him. The most noticeable things about him were his blank white eyes and the fact that any skin over his nose or mouth had been torn off, revealing only the bone.
"For our next match. Cyrax of Earthrealm vs. Havik of Chaosrealm." Shang Tsung announces.
"Ah, that's my call. Stay chaotic." the weird-looking man said to Johnny, patting his shoulder and grinning at him despite the lack of flesh on his mouth. Havik walked to the courtyard as Cyrax walked to the spot across from him. Cyrax wearing his gold and black Lin Kuei outfit.
"Fight!" Shang Tsung called out; the two warriors charged at each other before clashing. Cyrax delivered several strikes to Havik, the Chaosrealmer not being able to keep up with the fast ninjitsu of the Lin Kuei warrior. Cyrax grabbed Havik's arm and struck his elbow, bending the arm entirely in the wrong direction; he then grabbed Havik's head and, with great force, twisted the head, sending it a full 180 degrees.
"Hmm, too easy." Cyrax said; he turned to walk back to the other fighters before he heard laughing. He turned to see Havik's arm easily snap back into place; both arms then grabbed his head and twisted it back to its proper position. Havik looked at the surprised look on Cyrax's face.
"Hmm, I see your surprise. You must be unfamiliar with the ways of Chaos." Havik said. Cyrax threw a vial of liquid at Havik, but the Chaosrealmer bent his legs backwards to duck under the vial. He then shot a projectile from his hands that hit Cyrax, making the ninja stumble back. Havik then spun his own torso around several times with his arms out. Said arms landing several hits on Cyrax. Cyrax then threw a vial down on the ground, and a wall of smoke formed between him and Havik. Havik looked around the smoke before Cyrax's wrist-mounted device formed a buzz saw that sliced into Havik's neck. Cyrax then did a flip kick, kicking Havik's head right off. For good measure, Cyrax put in a sequence of buttons on his wrist device and launched a green energy net at Havik's headless body. The net sliced through the body and diced it into pieces.
"Cyrax wins." Shang Tsung said. Cyrax walked by Havik's body before he noticed it start to come back together. After a few minutes, the body was good as new; it even put the head back on.
"A good fight. Even if your fighting style was a little too orderly for my tastes." Havik said before walking back to the crowd of fighters. Cyrax just stared at the strange man in shock and awe.
"For our next match, Hideyoshi of Orderrealm vs. Princess Kitana of Outworld." Shang Tsung announced. A large man walked to his spot in the courtyard; he must have been about 8-feet tall. He was covered head-to-toe in head samurai-like armor colored black with gold rims. He wore a helmet that covered his face and wielded a large naginata. The man's opponent was a woman with long black hair; she had a revealing blue outfit, thigh-high boots, a long flap on both sides, and a blue cloth face mask.
"Fight!" Shang Tsung called out. Hideyoshi screamed out in kombat and charged at Kitana with his naginata. Kitana dodged the large blade and effortlessly slid under Hideyoshi. The large warrior turned around and swung the naginata at Kitana, but she was clearly faster than his attacks as she leaped over Hideyoshi. She pulled out a long curved blade and opened it, revealing a blue fan with printed patterns and sharp knives between the fan pieces. She swung the fan blade at Hideyoshi's exposed ankle, slicing right into it. Hideyoshi grunted in pain before Kitana used her other fan blade to slash his other ankle. Hideyoshi grunted in pain again as he collapsed onto his knees. He attempted to get back up, but Kitana jumped over him and spun herself around, swinging the fans directly at his head. Kitana closed the fans as Hideyoshi's head fell off of his shoulders and rolled to her feet.
"Princess Kitana wins. Flawless victory." Shang Tsung said. Kitana folded her fans and walked back to the other fighters.
"Our next match. Liu Kang of Earthrealm vs. Reptile of Outworld." Shang Tsung announced as the two warriors took their places. Liu Kang bowed respectfully at Reptile before taking his Jeet Kune Do stance. Reptile taking a Hun Gar stance. After Shang Tsung announced the two to fight, they charged and clashed against each other. They both high-kicked each other only for their legs to clash. Reptile attempted several strikes on Liu Kang, but the Shaolin monk was able to dodge the hits.
"You are skilled in martial arts. A shame that I am as well." Liu Kang said.
Reptile turned invisible. Liu Kang looked around, Reptile successfully striking him several times. Liu Kang then took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing. He then delivered a devastating punch directly to Reptile's gut; he delivered rapid-fire punches to Reptile before he leg swept the saurian. Reptile flipped back up, but Liu Kang then bicycle kicked him. Reptile spat acid at him, but Liu Kang was able to dodge it and shoot a fireball from his hands, sending Reptile back. Liu Kang then gave a flying kick directly to Reptile's face, sending the saurian flying and knocking him out.
"Finish him." Shang Tsung said.
"I will not, Shang Tsung." Liu Kang protested.
"Hmm, very well. Liu Kang wins." Shang Tsung announced as Liu Kang returned to the crowd of fighters. The next fight was Sektor vs. another fighter from Earthrealm. The fight did not last long, and Sektor burned his opponent to death with his wrist-mounted flamethrowers.
"For our next match, Hsu Hao of Earthrealm vs. Scorpion of the Neatherrealm." Shang Tsung said; Hsu Hao got to his spot before a fiery hole opened up in the floor, the yellow and black spectre leaping out of the hole and landing on the ground. Two Mugai Ryu swords were now sheathed on his back. Shang Tsung called for the fight to begin, and Hsu Hao's chest core lit up; he fired a large laser beam at Scorpion, but the spectre vanished in a fiery trail before appearing behind the Red Dragon member and punching him in the face. Hsu Hao fired a gust of wind from his hands at Scorpion, sending him back. Hsu Hao jumped back up, pulled out his Sun-Moon Spear Swords, and attempted to strike Scorpion with them, but Scorpion blocked the blades with his Mugai Ryu. Scorpion kicked Hsu Hao away, and the two stood off before clashing their blades. Scorpion then kneed Hsu Hao in the gut and kicked him in the face. Hsu Hao fired another laser blast from his chest, but Scorpion dodged the blast as his fist caught flame, and he punched Hsu Hao with the flaming fist, sending him back and knocking him out.
"Finish him." Shang Tsung said.
"I do not follow the rules of your tournament, sorcerer. I am only here for my revenge." Scorpion said.
"Very well. Scorpion wins. Now return to the other fighters."
"You waste my time! I demand Sub-Zero!" Scorpion said angrily. Hearing this caught the attention of Sub-Zero, Sektor, and Cyrax.
"You will demand nothing, spectre." Shang Tsung said. Scorpion growled and tried to leap over and attack Shang Tsung, but the sorcerer used his magic to stop Scorpion in place and push him back toward the other fighters.
"With that interruption out of the way. Our next battle will be Sonya Blade of Earthrealm vs. Karbrac of Outworld."
Sonya walked to her spot; walking to the other spot was a bald man wearing armor over brown and red clothing. The man had a mouth filled with exposed sharp teeth and small spike-looking things on his arms.
"Fuck, you're ugly." Sonya said, readying herself.
"You will look worse when I am done with you." Karbrac said before long bone blades came out of his arms. He charged and slashed them at Sonya, but she dodged most of them and was able to avoid deep cuts on the ones that did hit. She grabbed him by the neck and started kneeing him in the gut, but then Karbrac bit down on Sonya's shoulder. She screamed in pain before she head-butted Karbrac, making him stumble back a bit. Sonya then flipped over Karbrac and grabbed him by the shoulders, kneeing him in the back before tossing him over her. Sonya then slammed her boot down on Karbrac's face, knocking him out.
"I'm not killing him. I'm not playing your psycho-game." Sonya said.
"Sonya Blade wins." Shang Tsung announced as Sonya returned to the other fighters.
The next fight was between a man with a bo staff and a woman with wrist blades. The man won and snapped the woman's neck. The next fight was between a monstrous-looking lizard man and a punk-attired man with a chain weapon. The lizard creature won and ate the man's head. Next was Kano vs. a freakish-looking pig-man warrior. Kano had won the fight and gutted the pig man with his knives. There was then a fight between a monk with hook swords and a man wearing an outfit similar to Liu Kang's, only the red was replaced with green. The monk won and spared the opponent's life.
"For our final match for the first round of the tournament, Sub-Zero of Earthrealm vs. K'berah of Outworld." Shang Tsung announced. Sub-Zero walked to his spot, followed by an insectoid woman with yellow and cyan skin, wearing a tattered black cloak.
"This one will feed you to the hive, fleshling." K'berah said.
"From my experience, insects die from the cold." Sub-Zero said as he readied himself. K'berah shot a swarm of insects at Sub-Zero, but he froze them before they reached him. He then used his ice powers to slide into the bug woman, hitting her legs. She spouted out four insect limbs from her back that lifted herself up. She tried to strike Sub-Zero with the legs, but the ninja grabbed one leg before it hit and began freezing it with his powers. He then struck the leg and shattered it to pieces. K'berah screamed in pain before she tried striking him with the other legs. Sub-Zero formed a sword of ice and sliced off another leg. Her stomach then opened up, and a swarm of tiny flying insects poured out, them flying all around Sub-Zero's head. Sub-Zero then formed an ice ball in his hand and shoved it right into the swarming bugs, freezing all of them. K'berah formed insect wings and tackled Sub-Zero, lifting him up in the air and raising her remaining insect legs to try and stab him. However, Sub-Zero fired an ice blast at the remaining insect limbs; he then moved his hands up for the blast, freezing her wings and causing them to fall. Sub-Zero formed an ice slide for him to slide down while K'berah fell on the hard ground, her frozen wings and insect limbs shattering on impact. She got up and hissed at him. Sub-Zero's hands then glowed, and he fired a large blast at K'Berah, freezing her in a large block of ice except for her head. He then formed a long axe made of ice and brought it down on the big woman, chopping her head off. Despite that, K'berah still hissed at him and was still alive. Her neck hole started forming insect limbs. Sub-Zero glared and picked up the still-living head. The head then froze over entirely in his hand before he gave a hard punch to it, shattering the head to pieces.
"Sub-Zero wins." Shang Tsung said, "This concludes our first round of matches. The next round will begin tomorrow at the same time." He announced before leaving. The fighters began leaving the courtyard. Liu Kang walked over to Princess Kitana.
"You showed impressive skill against your opponent. I look forward to our fight tomorrow." he said in a friendly tone.
"I will show as much mercy to you as I did him." Kitana said as she brushed the monk off.
"Nice moves you had there." Johnny said to Sonya.
"Thanks." Sonya said, "Special Forces training."
"This Scorpion wants revenge on me." Sub-Zero said to Sektor and Cyrax, "I have only ever fought one man named Scorpion, and he is dead."
"The Lin Kuei have many enemies. This Scorpion may want us all dead." Sektor said.
"Then we will need to be on high alert." Cyrax said as the three walked out. The tournament's kombatants return to the temple to get some needed rest for the next round tomorrow.