Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with DOA, Temco, or Team Ninja. I do not own these purely-fictional characters.

Hey, Kyoshi here! This is my first shot at a fanfic, and I think it's going pretty well. I wrote half of this story already, but I'm posting a few chapters at a time to get some input, so if you're bored, please give me some input!

A little about Against All Odds I started this when I was inspired by the beautiful movies in DOA 3, but before DOAU came out when I understood the whole back story. By that time, I was like "My story isn't right", but ran with it anyway, just so everyone knows before I get a barrage of emails. I put my own twist to the plot, relating the characters a little bit more than the whole fighting tournament thing, and with a pinch of Ninja Gaiden, this story was born! I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue:
For the Future!

The needle pierced the soft tissue of Kasumi's neck as she struggled helplessly on the steel cold table. Soft, senseless waves began to wash over her body, but her mind raced with anxiety, still quick with reflex. She could still feel the blade of the knife cut through her stomach.

Swallowing the pain, her hazel brown eyes rolled to the back of her skull, catching a glimpse of her tormentor before she shut them to prevent any tears. Every night, he came to her, chaining her, dehumanizing her. Kasumi's temples throbbed with hatred for the solitary figure, shadowed by the white light straining her vision. The drugs didn't help either.

"It's no use to fight, Kasumi," his velvety voice cooed, a sound so smooth trying to overpower the twitching, the slicing, the screaming. "This is for the future!"

There will be no future if I am to die here like this, she thought bitterly. She, Kasumi of the Mugen-Tenshin clan, conquered foes near and far, transcended the centuries as the superior warriors of their world, but yet, their fiercest woman was degraded to a floundering test animal at the mercy of science. Who was this man? And why must she be the tortured one? The man's insane laughter continued the hurt.

A bead of sweat fell into her eye as she tried to with hold another pained yell. Her own warm blood oozed into her mouth as she bit further onto her swollen lips. Her mysterious tormentor ignored her pain and continued to prick and slice his will into her soft flesh.

A few more needle punctures stung Kasumi until the scariest part of the ceremony. She dreaded it the most. The acidic bubbles cheered hungrily for their daily meal. Every muscle in Kasumi's body protested being thrown into their green sludge and toxic fumes. But she was still their prisoner, their lab rat, chained to the operating table with the thickest of steel cuffs.

Four surly men grunted in unison as the table shot up five more feet into the air. Shakily, they made their somber march to the toxic substance. Kasumi's nostrils soured within seconds, her pupils shrinking in fear of the impending submergence. She didn't remember what the drowning feeling was like, and Kasumi fought to keep her memory impervious to the near prospect of her defeat. She didn't know what she did to deserve this treatment, bleeding and torn from her abuse, but here was the horrible end.

The henchmen stopped inches from the bubbling concoction. The shadowy figure nodded, and everything turned green. Kasumi struggled with the rest of her strength, but the toxins invaded her body. She had no choice. Air fled her body. The darkness came swiftly.

Drenched in sweat, Kasumi shot straight up in her bed. Her lungs fought for air, still free around her. She glanced around her and realized she was safe, on her cot in her wooden home. Kasumi soon breathed relief, although disappointed she sweated through another set of sheets with the same dream. She hugged her middle tightly and closed her eyes. Then, with the same raw fear as in her dream, Kasumi let her fingers caress her side, along the long, hair-thin scar still red and throbbing from the dream.