Mortal Kombat II
CHAPTER 10: MARY MELODY

Down in the Armory, Dag and a Tarkatan henchman were inspecting the firearms.

The Tarkatan lackey snarled greedily. "It is all of them." He then picked up a shotgun and fiddled around with it.

Seeing that, Dag snarled and curtly snatched it out of his compatriot's hands. "It is no toy! It belongs to Walter! . . . We are finished. Return to your post."

As the Tarkatan goon exited, Dag carefully put the shotgun back in the crate. He then heard someone enter. Looking up, he saw a determined-looking Mary Melody approach him.

With a stink-eye, the Tarkatan general decided to confront the Edenian.

"Stand aside—" ordered Mary— "I will see Kimiko."

Crouching for a fight, Dag unsheathed his blades. "No one enters the Tower."

"You are an excellent guard coyote, Dag. But you must learn to heal."

"I do not take orders from you."

With that said, Mary got into her fighting stance and was the first to strike as she executed Boomerang Up move. It seems like it failed as the Tarkatan general ducked out of the way before he barked out a snicker. However, Mary smirked under her veil as her boomerang came back and smacked Dag in the back of his head, face-planting the ground.

Mary then took her staff and performed her Staff Overhead move and clobbered the Tarkatan general over his head.

Heated, Dag used his blades and attempted his Blade Spin move, only to be thwarted by Mary as she jumped out of the way, which was followed up by her Staff Grab move. Finally, the green-clad Edenian clobbered the Tarkatan general over the head again before taking either end of her staff and struck him in the back (with a barely-audible cracking sound).

Mary smiled beneath her veil as she looked down and mocked her defeated enemy. "Good boy."

Breathing heavily from the fighting (and the well-deserved injuries), Dag looked up at the green-clad Edenian as the latter approached him. "Edenians have no loyalty."

"Blind loyalty is not a good thing, as I have learned. You must keep your eyes open—to anticipate the finishing blow."

"What're you talking a—?" started the Tarkatan general, before being knocked unconscious by Mary with a single stomp on the face.

Mary just smirked at the unconscious loathsome being. "You make it too easy."

Up in the Tower, the princess Kimiko Tohomiko was bound by some sort of magic. Rubella Mucus was with her glowering with disapproval. "If you had not dishonored yerself by—"

Kimiko then notice her friend coming to her aid. "Mary!"

Ms. Mucus then snorted angrily. "My orders were clear. No one is allowed in the Tower."

Mary just ignored the Shokan. "As you can see, I am here."

"Here to help the princess escape!" Ms. Mucus then stepped forth and crouched into a fighting stance. "You would deny her execution? Thuh only means of regainin' her honor?"

The green-clad Edenian then prepared herself for another fight. "We have very different concepts of honor, Shokan."

Ms. Mucus was the first to strike with a fireball. She then grabbed Mary and smacked her a few times before punching her.

Flash the Sloth appeared from under the screen with that slow Sloth-laughter of his. "HA. . . . HA. . . . HA."

Noticing Flash before he disappeared again, Ms. Mucus looked dumb-founded as she scratched her head. Fortunately, though, it gave Mary the opportunity to execute her Staff Grab move twice, followed by her Staff Overhead move, and finally her Shadow Kick move, rendering the pig-faced female Shokan unconscious.

"Not much of a jailor, are you?" taunted Mary. She then directed her attention to saving Kimiko. "Now then, Your Highness . . . Let us see how quickly we can remove these bonds."

"Mary, I—" Kimiko started to say, apologetically.

But the green-clad Edenian interrupted her friend, in understanding. "I am too."

"Stop her!" shouted Dag's voice from the other side of the door.

"Do not let her get away!" shouted a whiny-sounding female voice. That voice was all-too familiar to the princess.

"Go," commanded Kimiko, "find Samurai Jack. Ask for his help."

Mary, reluctant with leaving her friend at first, obeyed the princess' command and ran off.

In the Wastelands of Outworld, Mary ran before stopping. "That should distance me from any pursuers."

It was then that what appeared to be a female Edenian wearing a purplish-pink leotard and veil teleported to where Mary was. However, it was no ordinary "Edenian" Mary was facing. (Hint: She's carrying a sai in each hand.)

Mary gasped.

Vicky taunted. "Others pursue. I find."

"By the Elder Gods. You are Vicky!" gasped Mary again.

"You must return with me!" Vicky attempted coaxing, somewhat dancing over to the green-clad Edenian. "There is to be a celebration for my sister!" The abomination then taunted in a sing-song tone. "She's going away. . . ."

Soon the fighting start, with Vicky attempting the first strike with one of her sais. Fortunately for Mary, she dodged the attack in time before attacking the purplish-pink-clad mutant the same way she attacked Dag and Ms. Mucus earlier: from tossing one of her boomerangs, to her Staff Overhead move, to her Staff Grab move (twice performed), to her Shadow Kick move, and finally incapacitating the mutant with a strike to the head and back.

Mary looked down at the loathsome abomination. "I am more of a sister to Kimiko than you." After Vicky's unconscious form got teleported elsewhere, the green-clad Edenian then went back to her original mission. "I must find Samurai Jack."

However, the aforementioned Thunder God's voice could be heard from off-screen: "He is here."

As Samurai Jack, Omi, Ron Stoppable, Timmy Turner, and Danny Fenton appeared on-screen, the aforementioned Lin Kuei Enera slammed the green-clad Edenian with misplaced accusations. "Kimiko turns away from Aku and you attack her rather than join her!?"

Mary tried to explain herself. "Wait dude, let me expla—"

"I know what Kimiko's voice sounds like! Where have you taken her!?"

Omi was about to follow suit before Samurai Jack held him back.

"Danny, stop!" warned the Thunder God in desperation to the Enera. "That was not Kimiko!"

However, Danny didn't hear a word from Samurai Jack as he prepared to fight Mary. "You will come no closer!"

After dodging the Lin Kuei Enera's attacks, Mary then performed a low spin-attack and knocked Danny off his feet, ending the fight.

Mary looked down at the defeated Enera. "I did not wish to do that."

As Danny picked himself back up, the green-clad Edenian turned her attention to the Thunder God as he approached her. "Samurai Jack, my lord. I have come at the request—"

"Lord?" asked Ron confusedly, speaking to Omi and Timmy as Mary and the Thunder God conversed. "I was with Danny. I thought she was a bad guy—err girl. Guess he turned another one. . . . What's Samurai Jack got that I haven't got?"

"God-like power?" snarked Omi.

Timmy smirked at his friend's wit before poking fun as well. "A personality that is not at all like sanding paper?"

With a stink-eye under his shades, the cocky actor stated blandly, "Jerks."

". . . if we do not save her," continued Mary, "she will be executed. Kimiko does not have much time."

Hearing the word "executed," the other three heroes became concerned.

But not as concerned as Omi was. "Kimiko . . . executed? Where is she?"

Mary informed, "Held captive in the Tower of Aku's fortress."

As the bald Shaolin was about to say something, Samurai Jack interrupted. "I am not pleased with the outcome either, Omi. But there is no time. We must return to the tournament."

"But you are responsible for her capture!" snapped Omi. "You persuaded her to turn against Aku!"

"Samurai Jack," spoke up Timmy, "we can free her as others fight in our stead, and join you thereafter."

The Thunder God paused for a moment before finally coming to a conclusion. ". . . Very well."

Looking to one and the other, Timmy and Omi nodded their heads once in agreement before departing from their allies.

The buck-toothed Shaolin called to his friends from off-screen. "We will meet you at the Coliseum."

However, as he watched the two Shaolin leave, Samurai Jack couldn't help but look . . . concerned.

And here we are, everyone—the end of the second part of Mortal Kartoons! What do you think so far? The third and final commentary, along with chapters 11-16 will be written and published ASAP, but again I might be swamped by college work, so please bear with me. Oh, and wish me luck in my new semester.

Until then, fellow writers/readers, remember: Keep up the good writing!