III

A Taste of Insanity

"I find myself confused" Rabbit said. "Very confused"

He was indeed confused and this was the confusion of the 'hard to comprehend' sort. What he saw in his eyes makes little sense to his brain and he doesn't like what it means. It means that he was clueless and the thing that he despises the most was being clueless. Being clueless to him is synonymous to danger, it was a state that he rarely experiences because he does his absolute best just to keep himself from being clueless. Yet appearances need to be kept, and the visage of the ridiculously masked Rabbit on the outside was confident, even if the man behind the mask was quite unsure.

He looked around and his confusion only grew. There were a variety of interesting individuals wearing equally interesting attire. There was a man that looked like a ninja for example, clad in yellow-themed armor and with two katanas on the man's back. There was also a man similarly dressed a little bit far away from the yellow one, and this one was blue, though Rabbit was sure that the blue one was of a more Chinese design than the yellow one, who looked positively Japanese. There was also a man that was dressed like Bruce Lee on a movie standing beside a man with an interesting straw hat who exuded a rather … regal aura.

Then he saw a movie star.

Rabbit grinned under his mask when he saw Johnny Cage. He doesn't know the man in person, but he once had secretly funded one of the guy's movie, solely in the hopes of extending his influence, and by extension his business, to Hollywood. Unfortunately, he failed. Drug competition was tough in Los Angeles. But what really caught his attention was the old man sitting on some sort of a throne, but he was staring more on the scantily clad women sitting on each side of him. One was wearing intricate blue clothing and there were some sort of fans attached to her hips, a blue half-mask on her face and a tiara on her head. On the other side was a woman wearing similar clothing with some slight modifications, mainly the coloration of her clothes, she wore green unlike the other one which was blue.

They caught his eyes not only because they look like living goddesses, but because they look like the woman in red.

Speaking of the woman in red …

"I was wondering when you'll attack" Rabbit said as he ducked and delivered a sweep kick to the woman's legs. He saw that she had attacked using her tantos and it opened her feet for many attacks. She didn't trip though, instead she turned her fall into a cartwheel. Just like what he did earlier in their fight.

Her only reply was a grunt before she slashed; starting from his abdomen rising upwards to his chin. Skipping to his left, the woman made of blood's attack missed completely as he delivered a reverse roundhouse kick which his enemy blocked, as expected. Then, to Rabbit's surprise, his enemy also did a reverse roundhouse kick and it struck his mask. His mask didn't shatter, it was made of tougher materials but her kick disoriented him for a while. He recovered in time to spot the woman leaping, her tantos falling towards him to jab him either in the chest or the shoulders. He didn't want to know which.

He parted her nearly joined hands, opening the way towards her torso and making the attack miss by a wide margin while Rabbit's right leg lashed forward in a devastating kick towards her abdomen. Surprise was obvious on her face and Rabbit was quite satisfied that he finally ended the cycle of counter-attacks that they have danced through.

She fell towards the floor in a heap, but she stood again, this time more slowly and with one hand clutching her abdomen, hateful eyes staring at his visor.

In other words, it's time to taunt.

"I'm sorry, dear" he said in a faux sweet tone, obviously in mockery. "Did it hurt?"

"You'll die" she promised through gritted teeth, "Painfully" she added in a grim promise.

"ENOUGH!"

The smile that was starting to form underneath his mask vanished as he slowly and lazily turned his head towards the source; the old man on the throne. By no means was he glad of the interruption. The fight was starting to get truly interesting.

"I'm sorry but can't you see we're busy?" Rabbit asked, annoyed.

"Do not interfere in this, Shang Tsung!" his enemy snarled and now he has a name for the annoying old man. "This is my kill!"

Rabbit raised a brow, though no one—obviously—saw it. 'Kill?'

Before Rabbit could spout a snarky quip or two, the old man rose and his face was contorted in anger. What was disturbing about his face was that the old man's eyes were glowing green. Rabbit quickly tensed and became alert, though it wasn't obvious on the outside. Again, appearances need to be kept.

"You DARE interfere in the Mortal Kombat Tournament!?" Shang Tsung said, his voice dangerously rising in anger, there were baleful flames on each of his hands and that obviously wasn't a good sign. He saw the woman in red throw something that looked like blood towards him earlier so he wasn't that surprised to see that this Shang Tsung wasn't your normal and mundane old chinese man.

"Cool effects"

Rabbit didn't need to turn around to know that it was Johnny Cage. He obviously won't believe that those were true green flames at first.

Then Shang Tsung threw one of the flames at him.

Rabbit held no illusions that his suit could take those flames without damage, he dodged by rolling to the side. The green fireball struck the ground and it exploded and Rabbit felt an unnatural heat and force from the explosion. There was no smoke and he saw that his red-clad opponent was alive and standing still, glaring at the old man. As he stood, the old man looked at the both of them, a smug look on his face.

"You missed" he deadpanned, and Shang Tsung's smug face vanished.

Rabbit knew that, one day, he will get to smash that face with his feet.

"You interfered in this Mortal Kombat Tournament" he looked at the both of us. "It is punishable by death, but I want you two to suffer, not die"

Rabbit could only tilt his head sideways, he wasn't in the least bit frightened by the words. He wasn't afraid of death, nor torture.

"Instead, the two of you will fight in the tournament"

Now Rabbit was surprised. Fighting in a tournament was something that he didn't expect, it was also something that he hasn't done in years. He shook his head, memories like those were something that he doesn't want to relive as of the moment.

'Still, it was better than death' he thought as he looked at his opponent; the woman in scarlet. She had unknowingly awakened his love to fight, and he was thankful to her for it. If she will include herself in the tournament, Rabbit will too.

Their fight was unfinished and he means to finish it properly.

"We're still not done yet, earthrealmer" the woman said as she walked off to the side of this stage they were standing in (something that he just noticed) and leapt off the ledge.

"Of course, my dear" he said, "I look forward to our next fight"

With those flamboyantly said words, Rabbit walk to the opposite side of the arena. Sighting the movie star Johnny Cage flirting with someone that looks like from the military. If the military was wearing a bra that looks like a combat vest. No wonder Cage was flirting with her.

He also knew her from a safety standpoint. That means that he knows her because he has to make a run for it if he spots her on a deal.

They will hopefully be a source of entertainment for him.

…

Sonya Blade was getting increasingly annoyed.

Her thoughts were focused at the unexpected spectacle that happened in the arena, and by extension, to the possibly insane and weird man that was now walking towards her direction. She, and likely the others in the surrounding area, was surprised when, in a flash of blinding light, two people appeared in the arena. One was wearing a three-piece suit and a ridiculous rabbit mask while the other was a pale woman wearing what she could only label as a swimsuit, she didn't fail to note that the woman's appearance was similar to the ones that were standing beside their 'host'.

"Hey there, babe" And there goes her source of annoyance. "Name's Johnny Cage, you may have heard of me …"

"No" Sonya said, hoping that this obnoxious movie actor would get the hint and lay off.

"No? I think I'm kinda fam—"

Something black fell in the space between Sonya and the obnoxious actor known as Johnny Cage, cutting his bragging off. She might have been relieved or elated that the actor has stopped talking if she wasn't spooked by whatever that black thing was! Her thoughts focused and her heart rate relatively back to normal, the blonde realized that the 'black thing' was the man in the bunny mask.

"I'm sorry did I interrupt something?" he said and Sonya was mildly surprised by how smooth his voice was. He was also mildly surprised by what he said. To her, it was like the guy was trying to annoy Johnny Cage.

"Yeah, chum" If he was annoying him then it was apparently very effective. "I'm trying to make the moves here, know what I mean?"

"Yet you're clearly agitating Ms …?" His reply to Cage turned into a question for her.

Sonya narrowed her eyes and briefly thought if she should tell him his name or not. She decided to tell him. "Blade. Sonya Blade"

"You're clearly agitating Ms. Blade, Johnny Carlton" he said.

'Johnny Cage's true last name is Carlton?' Sonya thought. No wonder he goes by 'Cage'. Good thing that her last name was kinda cool.

"Finally! Someone that knows who I am!" he exclaimed, then he realized something. "Wait! How'd you know my name!?"

"Oh it doesn't really matter how I know your name, Mr. Carlton" the man said, "What matters is that I know who you really are"

With those words said, the man more infamously known as Johnny Cage walked out away from the man in the bunny mask and, by extension, Sonya.

She watched as Johnny Cage walked farther away from her and stood beside someone that looks like a ninja in yellow armor. Said guy glared at Johnny Cage and the latter raised his hands in defeat and moved away again, farther away and out of Sonya's line of sight. In a way she felt pity for the obnoxious man, very little pity.

"Now that Mr. Carlton has left us in peace" the man in the mask started, "I would like to ask a favor, Ms. Blade"

Sonya could only raise a brow in response. She doesn't know much about the guy, not even the guy's name and here he was, asking a favor out of her. She wasn't sure what to feel or what to do about it.

Before she could utter a response however, the man spoke again. "Would you kindly not arrest me for the whole duration of this tournament?"

The way he spoke his proposition so kindly made her more suspicious than the fact that he basically told her that he's a criminal but the way he said it made her unsure. Only a man who was not afraid could have the tone of voice that this man uses. To Sonya, it made him dangerous … or foolish. She needs to put a name to that mask of his.

"Why?" Sonya asked, narrowing her eyes. "Who are you, anyway?"

"People call me Rabbit, Ms. Blade" he replied in the same tone of voice, bowing shortly afterwards. "You may have heard of me"

Sonya tensed, she has heard of him indeed. Rabbit, one of Interpol's most wanted criminals. That directly translates that he's one of the most skilled, elusive and, most importantly, dangerous men on the whole planet. Rabbit is one of the most important men to apprehend because he was a drug dealer and a weapons dealer. So far the only big shot dealer that hasn't been apprehended, targeted and even found in the whole world. He was so good that he was considered a legend, not only in the criminal underground, but even in the Interpol, where cops and other people were starting to respect his reputation. And his mask.

Sonya was mentally slapping herself by the fact that she hadn't noticed that iconic mask of his. That mask was the only thing that indicates Rabbit, and she hadn't noticed it.

Realizing that Rabbit was waiting for the answer, Sonya spoke, though not without difficulty. "I have heard of you"

He clapped his hands, and the action made her tense for a while, right before calming herself that he was here to ask a favor and not to stuff drugs on her rotting body. "Wonderful! Then will you do me the favour that I asked of you, Ms. Blade?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'll think about it"

"Please do" was his immediate response. Sonya might have replied but Shang Tsung was starting to talk again.

…

Satisfied with her words, Rabbit returned his attention to the old man named Shang Tsung, who was starting to speak again.

"Before the tournament begins …"

Rabbit drowned out the old man's words, which obviously were the rules and regulations of this tournament. He didn't need to know what those rules were, everything was blatantly obvious to the dealer.

Kill or be killed.

That was the theme of this tournament of epically unusual proportions. How he found this out was quite simple; Shang Tsung stopped him and the woman he was fighting because they were interrupting the tournament that he hosts and not because they were killing each other. Well, in the red-clad woman's thoughts probably, Rabbit just wants to live another day. Then Shang Tsung through mystical projectiles at him, obviously with the intention of killing him, he only lived because of his reflexes, his rusty reflexes.

This tournament was totally unlike the tournaments that he had participated in when he was younger and a whole lot more innocent. This was a type of tournament that Rabbit sometimes funds when he was bored and bloodsport took his fancy. It was like an underground deathmatch. No holds barred and with little rules in terms of restrictions, this tournament was like that. And the fact that most, if not all, of the participants have some sort of mystical abilities like the woman that accidentally introduced her to this deathmatch and Shang Tsung.

"Fights happen every noon but any kombatant can challenge another anytime as long as the challenged wishes to fight" Shang Tsung said as he looked around the room. "I am the only one that can dictate challenges and no one else"

"For now, dinner has been prepared along with your respective rooms" Shang Tsung beckoned at the table first then he beckoned at a monk—at least in Rabbit's eyes they were monks. "Kindly approach or ask for a servant to guide you to your room"

Rabbit wasn't in the mood for dinner and it's not because he doesn't have the appetite but because he's sure that dinner would be a time for socializing and mingling, a time for forming factions and finding allies amidst a place of enemies. Gears were turning inside Rabbit's mind, a dangerous and diabolical mind as the urban legends about him too often say, and in his mind, the socializing aspect of his stay would have to wait for a while. Instead, Rabbit asked for a servant to lead him into his room.

The room wasn't really much. The room was as large as a traveller inn's room, which isn't really that large. There was a bed that was—quite curiously—good for two people and then there was a drawer on the rightmost side of the little room. Instead of fluorescent lights or whatnot, braziers around the room provided light and warmth.

Rabbit took off his mask and he was the drug and weapons dealer called Rabbit no more, he was just Francis; an apparently—and admittedly—insane man with an appetite for danger and a body addicted to adrenaline and fight.

With the thought of battles ahead with the interesting characters in this … whatever this place is, Francis slowly drifted to sleep. Yet not before thinking of the interesting woman in red lingerie that accidentally brought him to this tournament.

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