"You're cheating." Stated Johnny in disbelief.
"I am blind." Stated Kenshi. "How can I cheat?"
"That's exactly how I know you're cheating. This is a test of sight, so there is literally no way you should be able to know which cup the ball is under. I pull this trick on people all the time." Said Johnny as he sat at a table with Kenshi aboard their vessel.
"In what way is this game a trick?" Asked Kenshi as he raised an eyebrow.
"Well, because I….." paused Johnny as he took note of the five people standing behind Kenshi who had already all lost fifty dollars each to the actor beforehand.
"You wouldn't be cheating yourself? Would you, Cage?" Kenshi asked with a smirk. The five men behind Kenshi all shifted their attention to Johnny swiftly.
"Of course not!" Said Johnny quickly. "Here's your winnings as promised." Said Johnny before sliding all the cash over to Kenshi. The swordsman collected the money happily as Johnny put some distance between him and the suspicious crowd. He found a spot on the edge of the boat next to Liu to hide.
"Grown bored of your games already?" Liu Kang Asked.
"Already? It's been like four hours, Liu." Stated Johnny. "What else am I supposed to do?"
"I wouldn't be in such a hurry if I were you, Cage. After all…." Began Liu.
"Yeah, fate of the world. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not big into roleplay, plus I do some of my best work improvising." Explained Johnny.
"If you're not going to listen to me then you should go bug someone else." Suggested Liu. Johnny looked over to Art who'd been throwing up over the side of the ship for the past couple hours then over to Stryker who was giving Johnny an angry stare along with the four other men Johnny had swindled out of their cash. Of course there was Kenshi who was busy counting his new stack of money.
"You know what…? Maybe I'll hear what you have to say after all. A little background information never hurts." Said Johnny as he hoped Kenshi hadn't explained Johnny's trick to the upset crowd. Liu smiled as he finally had the chance to reveal some secrets to the actor, but before he could explain the duo was interrupted.
"Excuse me." A woman said sternly. "I'm looking for someone. Goes by Kano, and from what I heard you two exchanged words with him at the pier." Said the blonde woman. She wore mostly black, but it was tactical gear and she was armed as well. Johnny was clearly attracted to the woman as his jaw dropped. Liu couldn't help but sigh.
"Whoa… I'd way rather talk about you, Beautiful. How about you and I ..." Began Johnny as he approached her. Sonya quickly grabbed and twisted the actor's wrist in defense. He dropped to his knees just as fast before she had the chance to break anything. Liu didn't immediately feel the need to help the actor, and even thought that he needed to be put in his place. Yet, she was rather aggressive with her hold, and Liu didn't want any of earth's fighters getting beaten to a pulp before the tournament even started.
"I would prefer you didn't hurt the buffoon." Said Liu after giving Sonya a light push off the actor.
"Didn't anyone teach you not to put your hands on a lady." Said Edward Lance as he approached. The soldier towered over Liu Kang. He wore dark black tactical gear as well, and was armed to the teeth. Another man appeared from below deck and it was clear they were a team.
"Apologies." Said Liu genuinely. "However, I cannot allow you to hurt my companion. I'm sure there is a way we can solve this without hostilities."
"Don't worry, Kid." Said Lance as he cracked his knuckles. "This won't take but a minute." He said threateningly. Liu prepared to defend himself hoping Johnny would be able to take at least one of the three off him.
"I do not think that would be smart, Lieutenant." Said Kenshi as he approached to help Liu. Edward smiled and backed up slightly.
"How'd you know my rank?" Asked Lance as he crossed his arms. A valid question considering he had no insignia on his gear, and that Kenshi was blind.
"Heard someone say it earlier." Replied Kenshi. "My hearing is very sharp." He added. Lance, Sonya and their teammate prepared to fight when Liu spoke again.
"We briefly exchanged blows with Kano on the pier." Began Liu Kang. "It was the first time we'd met. He was assaulting a minor, so Johnny and I intervened. We have no further information for you." Suggested Liu. Sonya gave a nod of appreciation and understanding before she and her team moved away.
"You just make friends everywhere you go." Said Stryker sarcastically after approaching.
"Shutup." Replied Johnny quickly as he nursed his wrist.
"You need to start being more careful, Johnny." Stated Liu Kang. The actor nodded as Liu Kang examined his wrist.
"Or perhaps you just need to watch out for yourself, Liu Kang." Suggested Kenshi.
"Not everyone here is as cold as you Kenshi." Replied Liu Kang. The two held glares at one another for a moment before Stryker spoke up.
"You two met before or something?"
"No, but I've heard enough to know that I do not want or need his advice." Answered Liu Kang. Kenshi scuffed.
"Do as you wish, but know I will be the one to win this tournament. If you try to get in the way of that you will find no mercy." Finished Kenshi before walking away.
"What a jerk." Said Johnny, with Stryker actually agreeing with him for once.
Several more hours passed of the warriors passing time. Art Lean and Johnny Cage had a pickup card game with some of the other random contestants, Stryker cleaned some of his weapons, and Kenshi spent most of his time practicing some basic sword forms. The special forces soldiers had made a few appearances, but mostly kept to themselves. Liu Kang interacted with everyone he'd met thus far. He played cards with Johnny and Art. Then he sat with Stryker for a while as he cleaned his weapons. He even ran into Nightwolf who shared some stories of his own adventures. Eventually he started introducing himself to some of the fighters he hadn't met yet. Dozens of strong warriors that each had accomplished impressive feats. For some they found glory in an arena, while others forged their skills on the battlefield. Soldiers, athletes, and even some criminals made up most of their force. Liu was impressed with nearly every single warrior he'd met, and noted some of the best.
The first was John McAleese. British SAS and a true weapons specialist. He didn't have the high tech gear of Sonya Blade, or the street smarts of Stryker, but had his own set of unique skills. His most impressive was his ability to use and build explosives. Apparently that was how he'd begun his military career.
The next fighter was Eddy Tobias. He dominated martial arts circuits around the world before age and injury pulled him from the fighting world. Of course Art Lean was currently the big name in fighting sports, but before him was Eddy Tobias. Raiden had helped him recover from some of his more permanent injuries so he could compete in mortal kombat, but he couldn't fix everything. Eddy Tobias was a fighter relying mostly on experience of which he had plenty.
Another warrior Liu had noted was Ivan Kozlov. Ivan was a member of the Russian Spetsnaz, and spoke six languages somehow excluding English; this would probably be a problem, if not for the fact that he'd befriended John McAleese who could translate for him.
Of course Liu had already taken a liking to Stryker, Art Lean, and even Johnny Cage, as well as having an established relationship with Nightwolf. He hoped each of these men would survive at least for a while, but knew that not everyone could. He also knew Sub Zero was aboard, but had yet to spot him, which was likely not a mistake. Confident in the amount of mingling he'd done, Liu Kang found a secluded spot below deck. He only had to wait a few moments before…
"Well, Liu Kang? What did you think of our fighters?" Asked Raiden after seemingly appearing from thin air.
"I'm mostly confident, Lord Raiden. Yet there's a few ..." Began Liu.
"I know which you speak of, Liu Kang. Trust that each is here for a reason, and some may surprise you." Stated Raiden.
"I understand." Said Liu Kang. "Where is Sub Zero?"
"I'm here, Boy." Said the Cryomancer as he entered the room. "Hopefully you've gotten better since the last time we met, otherwise earthrealm doesn't stand a chance." He said, reminding Liu that he defeated him to obtain Shinnok's amulet from the Shaolin temple.
"Be silent, Bi Han." Ordered Raiden. "I trust you already know that Sub Zero was put forward as my champion?" Asked Raiden to which Liu replied only with a disappointed look. "You're still the chosen one, Liu Kang. This is only a formality."
"Say it as it is, Raiden." Interjected Sub Zero. "You merely want the outworld assassins after me instead of your chosen one."
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Bi Han. You're more than capable of winning this tournament. As are several others." Replied Raiden.
"How much longer until we arrive, Lord Raiden?" Asked Liu Kang.
"Soon. And I suspect Shang Tsung will be in a hurry to begin the tournament. His hunger for victory has overtaken him almost as much as Shao Kahn." Answered Raiden.
"I will volunteer to fight first, and I'll kill any freak foolish enough to challenge me." Stated Sub Zero.
"Even if that freak is Lin Kuei?" Liu Kang questioned.
"We don't all practice pacifism, Liu Kang. Your opponents will surely kill you given the chance. Why shouldn't we take that same approach?"
"Because we're better than them. Or most of us at least." Said Liu Kang, somewhat aggravated.
"Enough." Spoke Raiden. "Focus on what is coming. This is the tenth tournament. That means victory or death for all of us."
"Yes, Lord Raiden." Answered Liu Kang while Sub Zero simply nodded.
