In the dimly lit locker room, the air was thick with anticipation as Kobra prepared for the impending cage match. He carelessly threw his jacket and trainers into a locker before taping up his feet and putting on his gloves. His karate gi was already on, he'd always wear it beneath a matching hoodie. The locker room was completely empty and it was simply to test the venue that Rojack had chosen out for his fight club endeavours.
The locker room was surprisingly hygienic for Black Dragon standards, this was due to the fact that everything was new or at least in better hands beforehand. Rojack saw a ton of profit in this investment and purchased all the lockers, benches, training equipment, and the ring itself. Many more Black Dragon members put their amateur skills to use to put the arena together, as well as building a wall for a small backstage area separate from the main fighting stage.
Kobra appreciated the quietness, but knew the locker room wouldn't be so spacious when it'd actually open up. He approached one of a few old punching bags dangling from chains put to the ceiling and began practising his strikes until Rojack entered the room, cigarette in hand.
"Ya ready, champ?" Rojack asked.
"Is it time?" Kobra cracked his knuckles, eager to get into action.
"My guy's already in the ring," Rojack confirmed between smokes.
"Great," Kobra replied as he went to leave the room but Rojack stood in his way. "What now?"
"I need some feedback on the arena first!" Rojack demanded.
"This shithole on the outskirts of New York?" Kobra asked.
"Well it had to be discreet!" Rojack explained. "Nobody inspects every single warehouse in this industrial park."
"And how do you expect to get customers?" Kobra asked.
"Word of mouth," Rojack told him as he put his cigarette out on the recently cleaned floor. "I'll have a symbol or something sprayed on the warehouse to indicate that this is the place!"
"That'll be too obvious," Kobra crossed his arms.
"Not if it's a symbol telling a secret message," Rojack elaborated. "Trust me, I know how to spread signals like this."
"Settle down, Batman," Kobra rolled his eyes.
"I mean I do cripple criminals," Rojack laughed. "By putting them in the ring, I mean!"
"I'm not like the rest of you," Kobra claimed.
"Of course, you're not really in on this whole criminal underworld thing," Rojack agreed as he patted Kobra on his muscular arm. "Which is why I wouldn't question my methods."
"The other criminals are probably too fuckin' stupid to tell you that your ideas are dumb," Kobra stated which made Rojack laugh.
"I'll ask for feedback from someone else then," Rojack decided.
"Why is this even downstairs if the warehouse itself is hidden?" Kobra asked.
"Because we use the main floor for actual storage purposes."
"Like what?" Kobra couldn't believe it.
"Why do you care?!" Rojack asked. "Get in the ring, lad!"
"Gladly," Kobra smirked as he speed walked down to the entranceway.
The entrance was nothing impressive, but Kobra could identify that it was an arena. Steel guardrails created a path leading to the caged octagon, and several cheap plastic chairs were scattered throughout the space around it. The basement area to the warehouse left enough space to turn a profit for the Black Dragon, if Rojack could actually spread the message of it discreetly. Kobra squinted to look at his challenger from afar, noticing a shirtless Asian American standing in the ring already. Kobra's key takeaway was that the man was about his size as Kobra joined him inside the cage.
"Who's this guy?" Kobra asked as Rojack locked the cage door.
"Born and orphaned in the South Side of Chicago, your opponent has scratched and clawed his way to survive," Rojack began to introduce the challenger. "An MMA expert and former champion, his name is Cole… what was it again? Turnip? Turner?"
"Young," Cole introduced himself.
"I don't care," Rojack admitted.
"Me neither," Kobra agreed. "Wait a sec, MMA champion?"
"Long time ago," Cole admitted. "But I've still got my skills!"
"Don't bullshit me, dude!" Kobra raised his voice. "You fell off hard, you used to be relevant and yet now I barely remember you!"
"I take it you weren't a fan," Cole concluded.
"Saw your fight with that Ramirez guy," Kobra recalled. "You should've brought me him instead, Rojack, maybe then I'd have an actual challenge."
"This kid's arrogant, huh?" Cole noted. "Can we get on with this fight?"
"I'd be happy to," Kobra smirked.
"Some rules first," Rojack announced. "There's… no rules."
"Win conditions?" Kobra asked.
"Knockout or submission," Rojack informed them. "There's no rounds and nothing is off the table."
"Except escaping the cage," Cole added.
"That won't be a problem for me," Kobra assured him. "Let's throw down."
"Fight!" Rojack announced to signal the start of their battle.
Upon Rojack yelling the one important word, Kobra rushed at Cole Young. He tackled Cole into the rusty metal of the makeshift cage and began pounding down rapid fire blows with his powerful fists. Cole pushed Kobra back but Kobra just dashed back forward, meeting Cole's elbow. Kobra ducked the strike and reached up to grab his arm, snapping it over his shoulder and lifting Cole up for a backbreaker. Whilst folded over his knee, Kobra began punching at his face until Cole managed to block a few blows and grab Kobra's own arm, whipping him to the mat.
"This is what I've wanted!" Kobra relished the violence as Cole got on top of him and began throwing punches, Kobra casually blocking each one. "A true fighting environment!"
"Kid's eager," Rojack assessed as he watched from outside the cage.
"I just hope you bring in actual challengers, Rojack!" Kobra yelled as he stopped holding back and rolled Cole over with ease. "I would say you disappoint, old man, but I expected you to not be on my level."
"That ego is bigger than your stupid haircut!" Cole grunted as Kobra began to throttle him with his bare hands.
"Better than looking like a self insert!" Kobra laughed as he lifted Cole up for a chokeslam just for fun. "Get up!"
"You're a story writer?" Rojack asked, deciphering from Kobra's insults. "You just became much less intimidating, kid!"
"How's this to make it up to you?" Kobra asked as he threw Cole up into the air and connected with a flip kick on the way down, knocking Cole against the cage.
"That'll do…" Rojack replied as even he flinched a bit at the sight of Cole's body being kicked towards him.
"I said get up!" Kobra demanded, getting angry at Cole's lack of challenge. "I've fought old perverts who were better fighters than you!"
Cole tried to stand, clutching onto Kobra's jogging bottoms, but he was punched in the jaw and knocked down. Blood was spat from Cole's mouth, staining the white canvas they fought on that was clearly old as that wasn't the only stain there. Kobra placed his foot under Cole's chin, dragging him up with just his leg. Cole Young was too stunned to even do anything, his body completely loopy.
"Pathetic," Kobra winced at him.
"Fuck you…" Cole coughed up more blood that covered Kobra's face.
Kobra clenched his right fist, he kicked Cole back into the cage whilst he was stunned. Kobra then charged his fist up and lunged at him, gasping as flames suddenly burst from his fist right before it punched through Cole. The blow was so powerful on its own, but the flames pushed Cole back through the old cage wall. Rojack gasped in shock as he knelt down to check on Cole's lifeless body.
"Holy shit!" Rojack gasped. "He's out cold, so I guess I'll count that as a KO win?"
"What the fuck happened to my hand?!" Kobra asked, looking at his fist which now just had a small cloud of smoke where the flames once were.
"It's that Chi bullshit!" Rojack realised.
"What?!"
"I saw some documentary on it," Rojack tried to recall. "That's how that Liu Kang guy got his powers."
"That monk hero?"
"The Bruce Lee wannabe yeah!" Rojack confirmed. "Heard he passed away the other day."
"Shit," Kobra cussed. "How?"
"The Shaolin aren't providing any info on it right now."
"We're fucked then," Kobra sighed. "Someone definitely killed him."
"No way," Rojack denied it. "Who would be able to?"
"I don't know!" Kobra shrugged. "Anyway, what about that Chi thing?"
"Well it was on at like two in the morning and I was hammered," Rojack admitted. "I do remember it was some crap about how everyone has it, allegedly, but only a few passionate and skilled enough can unlock it."
"That sounds about as legit as a fortune teller," Kobra couldn't believe it without evidence.
"Well that's as good of an explanation as you're gonna get!" Rojack shouted.
"I'm surprised you're capable of at least giving a theory," Kobra replied. "Regardless, I've gotta learn how to harness this power!"
"The Black Dragon could absolutely do with a guy like you," Rojack told him. "I'm going back to our headquarters, I trust you to keep quiet if I show you around."
"You'd be wasting your time," Kobra told him. "I'm not joining."
"Sorry," Rojack apologised sarcastically. "I forgot you're so high and mighty, vigilante."
"I'll check it out," Kobra decided. "Don't expect anything in return."
"Sure," Rojack agreed as Kobra exited the cage by walking down the wall he had knocked over. "Don't break anymore of my cages."
"Get new ones," Kobra suggested.
"Real fucking funny," Rojack said as Kobra laughed at him.
"What about this guy?" Kobra said as he stepped over Cole Young.
"I thought he'd wake up by now," Rojack said as he knelt down to check on him. "Shit!"
"What is it?"
"He's not breathing!" Rojack realised. "Your punch killed him!"
"Shit!" Kobra was now swearing too. "I didn't mean to!"
"I know, kid," Rojack replied as he picked the corpse up. "I know."
"I couldn't control my power!" Kobra yelled as he angrily kicked over a guardrail.
"Chill out!" Rojack ordered. "That loser turned to crime when his MMA career went to shit!"
"So he wasn't innocent?" Kobra asked.
"No," Rojack confirmed. "Your silly little code of honour is intact."
"Silly?!" Kobra scoffed. "I'm not a senseless killer!"
"Sure," Rojack replied. "I need a new bitch boy to do my petty work now that you've killed Cole though!"
"I'm not his replacement," Kobra assured him.
"Get your things," Rojack instructed. "I'll have to discard the body on the way to the base…"
Once Kobra gathered his belongings, Rojack locked up the warehouse for the night and carried Cole's corpse into the trunk of his car. Kobra got in the car as Rojack drove him to the Black Dragon headquarters that was located just outside New York, their fight club warehouse on the outskirts only being about a fifteen minute drive away. It took several minutes longer to make it to the headquarters, however, as Rojack had already written down several notes with the location of the fight club including its start and end time, cost to spectate, cost to participate and even the number of the warehouse which made Kobra eye roll at the lack of discretion but Rojack promised he'd sketch out a hidden symbol at a later date. After handing the notes around, Rojack then drove through an isolated forest, parking his car on the opposite side of the woods before leading Kobra to the Black Dragon bunker that was shrouded in leaves and hidden between dirt mounds.
"Heya, Jack!" Tread greeted as he stood beside the hidden bunker, covering a handgun behind the sleeves of a puffer jacket.
"Are you guarding?" Rojack asked.
"Sure am," Tread confirmed. "Head on in and we'll catch up later."
"Sounds like a plan," Rojack replied. "Oh and this kid's just getting a tour."
"Do you trust him?" Tread questioned.
"He's legit," Rojack confirmed. "Is that cool?"
"I don't give a toss," Tread admitted. "Head on in, boys."
"This is gonna be an even bigger shithole than the warehouse," Kobra quipped as Rojack crouched down to rummage at the leaves to partially uncover the bunker.
"You'd be surprised," Rojack replied as he used a hidden retina scanner to identify himself, unlocking the solid steel bunker door. "The boss invested a lot in this new base."
"Impress me," Kobra challenged as they both climbed down a ladder leading to the underground headquarters.
Once reaching the bottom of the sturdy ladder, Rojack showed Kobra around the corridors, each leading to numbered rooms each with a specific purpose. Kobra was most surprised to see such solid organising and was impressed at how the entire facility was made underground. The floor was clean and the walls were painted a pitch black with shoddy, although charming paintings of the Black Dragon logo decorating the walls in random patches. Some of the rooms they walked past included chemistry labs, weapons storage, a firing range, and more.
"This is what I was expecting when I think of the Black Dragon clan that was being treated as this great threat to Earth in the news," Kobra complimented as Rojack stopped at an office door. "Is your boss in there?"
"I'll just let him know I invited you here," Rojack decided before turning the doorknob and entering the office. "Heya, Doc, I-"
"Didn't knock," Rotwang replied as he sat at his desk busy typing away on a hacking mission.
"What?!" Rojack was most confused.
"You need permission to enter," Rotwang clarified as he looked up from his computer and adjusted his glasses.
"Fuck your rules!" Rojack yelled. "I was just saying I brought this kid over!"
"You brought someone to the base?!" Rotwang stood up immediately. "Our main base?!"
"It's that martial arts guy I told you about," Rojack explained in an attempt to calm him down. "He's no snitch, Doc, he just killed a man!"
"Lovely," Rotwang sighed. "Because he's a murderer, you see him as a friend."
"Kinda?" Rojack said with uncertainty. "Come here, Kobra, meet the boss."
"Sup?" Kobra greeted as he peeked through the office doorway.
"Are you here to join then?" Rotwang cut to the chase. "We have been searching for new recruits."
"I'm not really looking to," Kobra admitted. "I'll just be the champion for Rojack's fight club thing."
"He has fire powers!" Rojack revealed. "We could have our own Liu Kang helping the clan!"
"Like Kano, Liu Kang's dead," Rotwang replied, which made Rojack sigh.
"Kano was a fucking asshole," Rojack couldn't deny it. "But at least he wasn't such a stickler for the rules."
"Because he made no rules!" Rotwang yelled as he slammed his fist against his maple desk. "That alone tells the sheer incompetence of his leadership, or rather lack of!"
"You're asking for another clan break off like what created this clan," Rojack argued. "Authoritarian douche."
"Do you remember the White Dragon?"
"Not really," Rojack stared blankly at his boss.
"Don't blame you," Rotwang admitted. "They were only around for a cup of coffee, but it created a big division that halved our dwindling following… all because of Kano."
"Your changes have been better," Rojack couldn't deny it. "You're just annoying and it feels like I've found myself wearing the wrong Dragon clan colours."
"We already stole the Red Dragon name," Rotwang argued. "Why not take some inspiration from some of their more effective practices?"
"Like?"
"This new base for starters," Rotwang revealed. "I cannot deny that my vision for it was heavily inspired by the Red Dragon's own headquarters."
"You've been there?!"
"Yes," Rotwang confirmed. "Which gives us an advantage at something… but we are far from ready to attack them!"
"Why am I here again?" Kobra asked as he leant against the door.
"Sorry," Rojack apologised. "I need to get back to giving the kid a tour."
"If you need to talk with a competent member of the clan, you can always come to my office," Rotwang offered as he waved goodbye to Kobra.
"Just don't forget to knock," Rojack muttered as they continued walking. "Let me take you to the canteen."
"I'm not hungry," Kobra told him sternly.
"But you'll get to meet more of the others," Rojack explained as he checked his fancy watch. "It's about dinner time anyway."
"Great," Kobra said sarcastically, "can't wait to meet the other degenerates."
"Here we are," Rojack pointed through a sharp turn in the corridor leading to a spacious rendezvous.
"It's like I just walked into a prison," Kobra muttered. "Who's she?"
Kobra was looking at a far table at the back of the cafeteria where Libby and Kira sat together by themselves, Kira putting her boots on the table whilst Libby scrolled through her mobile phone.
"I dunno," Rojack replied. "They're two of the new hires."
"She seems… cool," Kobra complimented.
"Which one?" Rojack asked. "The one with the red hair?"
Kobra nodded.
"Well let me tell you, Mr. Writer, this isn't the place to start a highschool romance," Rojack remarked as they walked past the tables.
"Shut up," Kobra said, which made Rojack chuckle.
"Hey!" No Face greeted the pair as he erratically approached them. "You another new member?"
"No," Kobra deconfirmed.
"Not yet," Rojack corrected him. "This is No Face."
"What a… lovely name," Kobra continued to be sarcastic.
"Thanks!" No Face smiled behind his mask, not reading the lack of sincerity from Kobra for a moment. "Wait a minute!"
"You can't be a dick about names," Rojack told the young fighter. "Your names fucking Kobra… with a K!"
"It's not on my birth certificate at least," Kobra fired back. "I can't say the same for Rojack."
"It's a nickname, dumbass," Rojack revealed. "My real name's Jack Morris."
"That's probably the most normal thing about you," Kobra said, which made No Face laugh uncontrollably.
"Don't laugh at me, freak," Rojack insulted, which made No Face abruptly stop as the red goggles of his mask fixated on him. "What's your actual name anyway, kid?"
"Nunya," Kobra said casually.
"You're the whitest loser I've ever met," Rojack continued to giveaway insults. "No fucking chance is your name Nunya!"
"Nunya Business," Kobra replied as he flipped off Rojack before leaving to approach Kira and Libby.
"Nice to meet ya, Nunya!" No Face waved to Kobra as he left.
"I need to get something to eat," Rojack sighed. "Definitely need a drink too!"
"Can I sit with you?" No Face asked. "Tread's out on watch duty."
"Fine," Rojack groaned as they headed over to the kitchen to get a plate each.
Meanwhile, Kobra had reached Libby and Kira's tables and he stood opposite them. The two were laughing about something until Kira turned to see Kobra whilst Libby looked up from her phone. Kira put her feet down during an awkward moment of silence.
"Uh…" Kobra froze up and didn't know what to say.
"Who the fuck's this?" Libby asked.
"Hello?" Kira greeted, moving a lollipop stick around her mouth.
"Hi," Kobra greeted quietly. "I'm the-"
"New recruit," Kira assumed. "We're the other two rookies."
"Well I haven't joined yet," Kobra admitted whilst Libby looked back down to her phone, immediately losing interest in him.
"Why not?" Kira raised an eyebrow. "There's not really a better opportunity in our line of work than joining this clan."
"I'm not a criminal," Kobra confessed, which made Kira laugh, almost choking on her lollipop.
"You're in the wrong place then," Kira told him.
"Well I technically am," Kobra clarified. "I unlawfully handle criminals… and I'm doing some illegal fight stuff but that's all consensual!"
"Big words," Libby commented.
"You're that vigilante person!" Kira clapped her hands together upon the realisation.
"Wow," Libby muttered, "a tiny cock too."
"What is she saying?" Kobra asked, not hearing her from the other side of the table.
"What's that stupid name you give yourself?" Kira asked. "It's a snake right?"
"Kobra," Libby revealed after a quick internet search. "Ooh, here's some news footage of him saving a pet from some catnappers the other day."
"You're definitely too fragile for this place, mate," Kira concluded as she leant over Libby's shoulder to watch the video. "Why do people bother reporting this shit?"
"Because I don't target innocents, you're judging me?" Kobra scoffed.
"I help people all the time," Libby told him, "but I'm not shitty enough to label myself a 'vigilante' over it!"
"The media does that," Kobra clarified. "I don't."
"I mean I respect it," Kira told him.
"It makes you as much of a pussy as the cat you saved though," Libby added which made Kira giggle.
"I don't understand you," Kobra admitted. "Wait… you respect it?"
"Sure!" Kira confirmed. "It's kinda cute."
"You um… you really think so?" Kobra began blushing.
"God!" Libby loudly groaned. "Hit on someone else, you twink."
"It's cool, Lib," Kira told her. "You're funny, mate, why not have a seat?"
"You sure?" Kobra asked. "I don't think your friend likes me."
"She just doesn't like men in general," Kira joked as Libby sighed before plugging her earphones into her phone to ignore them as she continued eating her dinner. "Why exactly have you bothered coming down here if you're not interested in joining?"
"I'm like… kinda interested," Kobra believed as he sat down opposite Kira. "It seems like a fun gig, but immoral."
"Haven't the deaths of several of your victims been described as some violent shit?" Kira tried to recall what she had heard in the news herself. "Caved in skulls and whatnot."
"My victims had it coming," Kobra justified it. "Those who got injured in my fights literally asked for it, the rest are criminals."
"Why not fight us?" Kira asked as she put her pair of knives on the table. "Scared of an actual challenge."
"None of you have done anything fucked up yet," Kobra stated. "Cool blades though."
"Thanks," Kira said as she put them back in her leg holsters. "I call them the Dragon Teeth."
"That's stupid," Kobra muttered.
"You fucking what?!" Kira asked as she stabbed a knife instead of returning it to her holster.
"That's uh… really awesome!" Kobra corrected himself. "Totally cool!"
"Better," Kira replied as she put the Dragon Teeth away. "Anyway yeah, I've heard a lot about you and I'm not even from here."
"Where are you from?" Kobra asked.
"I don't give a toss for small talk, mate," Kira sighed. "Australia. I was born in Sydney."
"Cool," Kobra said casually.
"Not cool!" Kira denied.
"Sorry!" Kobra apologised, flinching in reaction to Kira's sudden outburst.
"My deadbeat mom's Australian," Kira elaborated, "and my dad was an Afghan arms dealer, travelled to Australia to start a partnership with this clan's old leader and I assume that's when he met and ruined my mom's life."
"Does everyone in this clan have as much baggage as you?" Kobra asked.
"Sorry," Kira said sarcastically as she dramatically rolled her eyes. "Nice to know you have a stable family life and are just being a criminal for shits and giggles."
"My parents fucking suck," Kobra clarified, "I'm just surprised that you're so open."
"Because I don't care what people think of me," Kira told him. "Anyway, I eventually had to kill my dad and steal his identity upon returning to Afghanistan."
"Christ," Kobra gasped. "Sorry to hear."
"It's fine."
"It really isn't," Kobra tried telling her. "That's a pretty fucked up past."
"I'm a murdering arms dealing anarchist," Kira reminded him. "Are you surprised?"
"Not really," Kobra admitted as he nervously scratched his messy blonde hair. "It's just a bit frightening, not gonna lie."
"Relax," Kira said in a calming tone of voice, "I take antipsychotics so I'm not gonna snap and kill you or anything."
"You take what?"
"It's a type of drug," Kira explained. "It helps with psychosis and shit."
"How reassuring," Kobra murmured.
"The fuck was that?!"
"Nothing!" Kobra put his hands up. "Sorry if it seems like I'm judging, but you seem-"
"I swear to god if you call me bipolar," Kira stood up.
"You seem lovely!" Kobra corrected himself. "I was just wondering when you last had this psycho drug thingy."
"I've been a bit busy!" Kira yelled.
"Which kind are you even on?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have a prescription right?" Kobra asked. "Right?"
"Fuck no," Kira shook her head. "I just steal various types, I don't care about the individual differences of each one."
"That surely can't be good for you," Kobra remarked.
"I couldn't give less of a fuck about what some bitch boy vigilante thinks," Kira dismissed him.
"Sorry!" Kobra apologised again. "Moving on, um… you said your dad knew the old leader?"
"Old as in the last one," Kira clarified. "Not the current one who's just old."
"The Doctor?"
"You've met him?" Kira asked as she sat back down. "The guy in the office who looks like Walter White if he took his own product."
"I don't know who that is," Kobra admitted. "But yes, I saw the guy in the office."
"That'd be Rotwang then," Kira confirmed. "The old leader was some piece of shit named Kano."
"You're a new recruit but have history with the old leader?"
"Just because of my dad," Kira elaborated as she slammed a fist on the table just thinking about them. "If money was shit then the pair of them would be flies."
"Unpleasant guy I assume," Kobra could only imagine.
"My dad or Kano?" Kira asked. "You'd be right either way."
"Both I guess," Kobra told her.
"Kano would visit our gross crackhouse so I had the displeasure of interacting with the world's most wanted as a fucking minor!" Kira complained. "I swear he was noncing me half the time too."
"You two are still talking?" Libby asked as she took her earphones out.
"He's not so bad," Kira reassured her. "We were talking about Kano."
"Eww," Libby gagged. "That guy nearly sank this whole clan."
"I'm here now because the Black Dragon's becoming competent again with him removed," Kira explained to Kobra who nodded along. "We would become even stronger if you did join."
"It seems like fun," Kobra admitted. "But I don't think I can."
"He's still a boy, Kira," Libby mocked.
"Nah," Kira disagreed. "He's just too sane for us."
"Check again later because I'm slowly losing it," Kobra laughed at his own joke that had a partial truth to it.
"That wasn't that funny," Libby told him as Kira snickered.
"You're fun, Kobra," Kira told him, which made his blush return.
"Thanks," Kobra replied. "I never caught your name."
"Kira," she introduced herself.
"I think I'm gonna head out now, Kira," Kobra told her as he stood up in preparation to leave. "I wouldn't mind seeing you again though."
"You're in that underground fight club Rotwang's starting right?" Kira asked which Kobra nodded to. "Maybe you'll see me in the crowd then."
"See ya," Kobra said goodbye as he left the Black Dragon headquarters, Kira watching him as he walked away.
"Holy shit!" Libby yelled in a shocking realisation. "You like him!"
"What about it?!" Kira glared at her.
"You like like him!" Libby repeated.
"Bitch, keep your voice down," Kira whispered aggressively.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes!" Kira admitted. "He's fucking cute, okay?"
"You have terrible taste," Libby giggled.
"I must do," Kira agreed, "since I find you hot too."
"Woah!" Libby's eyes widened. "What a bombshell!"
"Hold up," Kira pointed across the room as Kobra returned with two men beside him entering the cafeteria. "Who the fuck are these posers?"
"They're dressed like weird roleplayers," Libby said between her continuous laughter.
"Oi!" Kira yelled. "Who the fuck are you lot?!"
"Greetings!" A pasty white skinned bald man in gothic attire spoke up. "I am Quan Chi! Beside me is my business partner and close personal friend Shang Tsung!"
"A pleasure," Shang Tsung greeted. "Together we are known as the Deadly Alliance!"
"Are you that boisterous everytime you enter a room?" Rojack asked as he approached them.
"You didn't invite these dorks?" Kira asked Rojack as she and Libby joined him.
"Absolutely not," Rojack assured them.
"What the fuck?!" No Face screamed as he approached with his flamethrower at hand. "It's them!"
"Of course he'd know the other freaks," Libby rolled her eyes.
"The pasty fucker attacked our old headquarters!" No Face yelled as he pointed the flamethrower at Quan Chi. "He single handedly took us down!"
"And I could most certainly do it again," Quan Chi threatened.
"Calm down, everybody!" Rotwang yelled as he exited his office. "How can I help you, gentlemen?"
"We would like to strike a deal," Shang Tsung announced.
"How did you find us?!" Kira questioned.
"This fellow wasn't very discreet with his word of mouth," Quan Chi pointed to Rojack. "Tsung had spies keeping tabs on you criminals, managed to overhear you talking about returning to your headquarters and so you were followed."
"Verdammt, Rojack!" Rotwang punched him in the arm weakly. "Schesse!"
"I warned you, Rojack," Kobra reminded him. "And no, they're not with me!"
"We're with Outworld," Tsung announced. "It's a world we rule!"
"What?!" Kira exclaimed.
"They're insane," Libby concluded.
"I know what they're on about," Rotwang told them. "I have some explaining to do apparently."
"A lot," Quan Chi agreed.
"What do you want?" Rotwang questioned.
"The realms at my feet," Quan Chi said which made Shang Tsung chuckle. "More specifically, your clan's services."
"What for?" Rotwang asked, curious at the proposition.
"Not much," Tsung assured them. "Your clan is microscopic after all."
"Like your dick?" Libby asked.
"And your minions are so…" Quan sought the word to describe the Black Dragon members.
"Irritating?" Tsung suggested. "Obnoxious?"
"Those will do," Quan grinned.
"State your offer," Rotwang demanded as he grew impatient.
"We need you to simply act as a distraction for us here in Earthrealm," Tsung cut to the chase. "A simple aid to divert the self proclaimed heroes of your realm to become scattered due to pressing matters at home."
"It's not as simple as you think," Rotwang explained, "those forces to refer to aren't even supposed to know anything about the great reforms I've been up to."
"And they sure as shit would learn a whole lot more if we make ourselves a target intentionally," Rojack added in a rare display of his genuine wisdom. "Kano made nonsense calls like that which led to a lot of failures."
"You'd receive ample compensation of course," Quan Chi announced.
"Like what?" Rotwang was most intrigued.
"In terms of simple financial gain, I have a servant who can create an infinite supply of gold," Tsung revealed by shapeshifting into Orelia and demonstrating her powers by handing a real golden bar to Rotwang.
"The goal of your crime is simple riches, yes?" Quan Chi asked rhetorically. "Then how can you resist an infinite vault!"
"Tempting," Rotwang admitted as he examined the gold bar. "Very tempting indeed."
"That's not all," Tsung continued as he returned to his natural form. "We've already struck a deal with the Red Dragon clan."
"Then no," Rotwang declined. "This is a death sentence on both sides!"
"It'd be a death sentence to refuse us," Quan threatened Rotwang by summoning his broadswords and pressing them against his chest. "Be thankful we aren't just enslaving your clan of rodents."
"The Red Dragon's leader is far more rigid than you," Shang Tsung continued his speech, "so I've yet to truly disclose any missions to them, but we'd ensure they'd help you in fighting your enemies."
"Like the Earthrealm Special Forces," Quan Chi noted. "A mutual threat to bond over."
"And when my back is turned I'll have Daegon's swords driven through them!" Rotwang shouted.
"We can separate you if that's what you really want," Tsung offered an alternative. "We'll even help you eliminate them."
"I bet you ordered the Red Dragon the same thing!" Rotwang argued.
"We would never!" Quan Chi spoke with blatant sarcasm in his tone of voice.
"We did," Tsung confessed, "but with you we mean it."
"Bullshit!" No Face cussed loudly.
"The Red Dragon is honestly powerful enough to be considered a threat to even us," Shang Tsung swallowed his ego momentarily to make such an admittance. "But you little insects? We'd have nothing to worry about by retaining your services for a more permanent deal."
"I know I'm an outsider to all this," Kobra spoke up, "but I would absolutely not take these two psychoes words for shit!"
"Agreed," Kira stated.
"Aren't you forgetting something," Shang Tsung nodded to his Deadly Ally who lifted his broadswords up and pretended to slice through Rotwang with them, stopping at his shoulders. "Decide now, Dragons."
"I say we toast these Outworld pricks!" No Face yelled.
"Also agreed," Kira said as she retrieved her Dragon Teeth.
"You cannot possibly take us on," Quan Chi laughed at their attempt to stand up to the Deadly Alliance.
"Because you're some other worldly alien?!" Libby asked. "Nice imagination, creep!"
"They aren't lying," No Face revealed. "But I don't care! They'll burn!"
"Stop!" Rotwang ordered.
It was too late, however, as Kobra already struck the Deadly Alliance with a pair of elbows. Shang Tsung staggered back into the crowd of Black Dragons. Kira wrapped her arms around Tsung's neck, leaping into the air to deliver a devastating jumping bulldog grapple through one of the cafeteria tables. No Face went to burn the sorcerer's body, but Quan Chi made a portal to protect Shang Tsung and stuck Shinnok's Amulet through it. Unleashing the power of the Fire God Torch, Quan Chi unleashed a literal wall of fire to catch the flames of No Face's flamethrower.
"Holy shit!" Libby swore as she gasped at the sight of the portal. "They weren't kidding!"
"Get down, Libby!" Rojack ordered as he cowered under a table.
"You're such a pussy!" Libby insulted Rojack before she decided to run at Quan Chi only to have her punch caught by a single hand, Quan twisted her around into a kick that knocked her down with ease.
Kobra rushed at Quan Chi, but the sorcerer blasted him at point blank range with a skull projectile. Quan sent another skull that exploded the table that Rojack was hiding under. Rojack sighed before rushing at the sorcerer, who blasted him through a wall using Shinnok's Amulet.
Quan laughed as No Face turned his flamethrower towards him.
"You need a tan, skull fucker!" No Face yelled as he attempted to burn the sorcerer.
Quan Chi juggled the Amulet to his other hand, launching a beam of ice cold water courtesy of the Water God Splash. The water doused No Face's flamethrower as well as pushing him into Kira with the pair falling over each other.
"Quinn!" Rotwang shouted through a radio. "Get my mech!"
"You're not planning to fight us too, old man?" Quan Chi asked as he summoned his broadswords, clipping Shinnok's Amulet to a teal sash on his gothic belt.
Before Rotwang could even answer the sorcerer, Kobra tackled Quan Chi from behind and began slamming his face repeatedly off the tiled floor. Shang Tsung rushed over, pushing Kobra off Quan Chi with a flaming fist. Kobra gasped as he rolled back, believing that Tsung shared his power.
"How can you control that?" Kobra asked as he stood up.
"Align with us," Shang Tsung offered, "and I'll show you."
"No way," Kobra refused before launching at Tsung with a superman punch.
The sorcerer staggered back into a running kick from Kira who had shoved No Face off of herself to get up and charge at Tsung. This pushed the sorcerer between the two young Earthrealmers, who bounced him between punches and kicks. A kick to the back of Tsung's ankle brought him to a knee. He laughed, applauding the effort of the inexperienced but aggressive fighters. He then shapeshifted into Kano and shot an eye laser from his eye, burning Kira's chest and pushing her back. Kobra rushed at Tsung but he knocked him down with a rolling leg sweep. Shang Tsung swapped to the form of Jax Briggs of the Special Forces as he got on top of Kobra, using the metal cybernetic arms Major Briggs possessed to deliver brutal punches down on Kobra.
"Last words?" Tsung asked as he shapeshifted into the Shokan Prince Goro and placed a massive foot on Kobra's head.
"What the fuck?!" Kobra yelled as he tried pushing the foot away from his face.
"Poor choice," Tsung laughed before leaping up.
Kobra rolled out of the way, Tsung stomping through the tiles with the Shokan Stomp. As Shang Tsung turned around, Kobra charged at him with a war cry before unleashing a flurry of punches at the massive toros of Goro, knocking Tsung into his true form. Tsung fired a flaming skull at Kobra who instinctively put his fists up to block it. As he looked at his hands, Kobra realised his fists absorbed the flames. His pair of gloves disintegrated but his skin remained unharmed.
"Fuck you!" Kobra yelled as he hurled a fireball of his own back at Shang Tsung.
The sorcerer was blasted into a wall, slamming back first off the bricks and staggering into a fiery right hook followed by a leg sweep, Kobra using his kickboxing skills to good use. Kobra let out a yell of rage as he began wailing down punch after punch onto Shang Tsung. Quan Chi made a portal at Kobra's feet that brought the fired up fighter away from Tsung. As Quan went to grab Kobra he wrapped his legs around Quan Chi's arm, trapping him in an armbar.
"Pathetic!" Quan Chi laughed through the pain but soon gasped as Kira jumped on top of him.
"Time to die!" Kira yelled as she went to slit Quan Chi's throat with her Dragon Teeth.
Just then, Kira looked up at the sound of something approaching. She quickly moved aside as she saw a missile coming forth. Evading the missile, it blew up a wall behind everyone. Entering the cafeteria was a large mecha machine that barely fit in the room. The robot was controlled by Quinn who exited from a pod in the centre of the robot. It was painted black and resembled a Dragon with a human-like shape with strong legs and cannons for arms, with a pod hidden in the large chest compartment for the controller to stand inside. The person operating the mech could see through the mouth of a Dragon shaped head. The mech had a steel tail that it lifted above the floor to prevent drag.
"Now what's this?!" Kira asked as Kobra released Quan Chi and Kira pulled her up. "Nice fighting, mate."
"We were holding back," Quan Chi claimed as he dusted himself off whilst getting to his feet.
"Whatever," Kira dismissed him. "Why the fuck did you shoot a rocket at me, Quinn?!"
"For your attention," Quinn clarified.
"Thank you, Quinn," Rotwang expressed his gratitude as all eyes fell upon him as he stood in front of the mech suit. "This is just one of my new projects that will help me actually engage in physical missions."
"Not stealth ones," Libby muttered.
"Quan Chi and Shang Tsung," Rotwang nodded to the two sorcerers. "Surely we can compromise!"
"No can do," Quan Chi shook his head.
"There those assholes are!" Tread yelled as he stormed into the room. "They attacked me and forced me to let them in!"
"I forgot about him!" Shang Tsung admitted.
"The one matching my hairstyle," Quan Chi recalled. "You were poor security."
"You're about to be a poor dead man!" Tread threatened as he rushed at Quan Chi.
"I'll handle this," Quan insisted as he summoned his broadswords and sliced each one through one of Tread's legs as he ran at him.
"Fuck!" Tread screamed in an ear piercing cry of agony as he looked down to see his legs severed from the rest of his body as he lay in a puddle of his own blood.
"Tread!" Rojack cried out as he rushed to his side, Tread suddenly passing out from a mixture of shock and blood loss.
"That was completely unnecessary!" Rotwang yelled as he stepped in the way of Quan Chi and Tread. "I accept your deal… if it still stands after what these lunatics have tried pulling!"
"It certainly is," Quan confirmed.
"Welcome aboard," Tsung said with a twisted grin.
"Fucking why?!" Kira questioned. "These cunts will ruin us!"
"Clearly the threat of them is greater than that of our current enemies," Rotwang had concluded.
"We're just surrendering?!" Libby asked.
"Yeah what the fuck?!" Kira continued swearing loudly. "She's literally called the Liberator, do you think Lib's happy about this?!"
"I am enraged," Libby admitted.
"As long as I'm not getting killed it's alright," Rojack stated as he stood up. "Those fuckers should pay for what they've done to Tread though."
"I'm sorry," Rotwang apologised. "Quinn will help him."
"Fucking hurry up then!" Rojack yelled as Quinn calmly approached to pick Tread's body up before carrying him to get some far from professional medical treatment.
"We're teaming with two freaks who just dismembered one of our guys!" Kira complained as she stomped her foot. "How is this acceptable?!"
"None of you even truly understand the gravity of this situation!" Rotwang yelled as he tried to assert his leadership. "If these two are telling the truth then our money situation is completely solved, we make plenty of new allies including potentially the Red Dragon and even if not then this can be the chance to get one over on them!"
"That's a big if!" Kobra yelled.
"Be quiet, boy," Rotwang requested. "Or are you now interested in joining?"
"He fought well," Tsung complimented as he rubbed his face from all the punches he took. "I of course allowed him to show off his strikes and fire just a bit."
"Bullshit!" Kobra denied it.
"I do like his fire," Quan Chi complimented.
"A new term," Shang Tsung decided. "Kobra has to join the Black Dragon for us to confirm the alliance."
"What?!" Kobra scoffed. "No way!"
"Refusal will get you killed," Tsung threatened.
"I'd prefer that," Kobra told him as he spat in Tsung's face which made Quan Chi laugh.
"Then I'll kill all your new friends here instead," Tsung decided as he drew his straight sword and pointed it at Kira. "Perhaps I'll start with her."
"Why me?!" Kira complained.
"I give the kid orders!" Rojack offered. "Does that count?!"
"If he says he's a Black Dragon," Tsung decided. "So then, boy, are you?"
"I…" Kobra paused as he looked around at all the Black Dragon members. "I'm a Black Dragon…"
"Then it's settled," Tsung said as he offered Rotwang a handshake. "The deal is complete."
"Thank you, Shang Tsung," Rotwang said as he slowly shook the sorcerer's hand, his own hand shaking from fear.
"It's Lord Shang Tsung to you all," he corrected him. "We shall return with specific orders that you will have to carry out one way or another."
"It'll be fun!" Quan Chi reassured them as he made a portal back to Outworld. "Are we done here?"
"Certainly," Tsung confirmed. "I'll be seeing you all very soon. Have a nice day!"
The Deadly Alliance departed through the portal, leaving the Black Dragon by themselves to discuss the decision that Doctor Rotwang had just made…
"What the fuck?!" Kira yelled once again. "You basically just sold us to slave owners!"
"I'm sorry!" Rotwang apologised. "But we had no choice!"
"He's right," Rojack admitted. "They would've destroyed our clan before we had a chance of rebuilding."
"We're screwed either way," Libby sighed. "We can't take on the Special Forces!"
"This clan couldn't when it was just the US," Rojack recalled. "Now it's got backing from NATO!"
"They can provide us with ample support!" Rotwang assured them. "They wouldn't just use us without putting some support into our tasks!"
"What happens if we complete them anyway?" Kira asked. "They're deffo bullshitting."
"They wouldn't betray us unless they had a reason to," Rotwang believed.
"Because you know these two weirdos from another world," Kira said sarcastically.
"I know more than the lot of you!" Rotwang argued. "The realms have been public knowledge on Earth since the Shinnok incident but there's little information about them, and a lot of misinformation!"
"Isn't the ruler of Outworld meant to be some boss queen?" Libby asked.
"For real?" Kira asked. "Slay!"
"Focus!" Rotwang ordered as if he were teaching children. "I will work on a contingency plan for if things go awry, but had I refused we'd all be dead."
"Don't think you're safe from this either, Kobra!" Libby shouted in his face.
"He saved my life, Lib, shut up," Kira told her. "We just had Tread bleeding out at our feet!"
"He saved us all," Rotwang stated as he placed a hand on Kobra's shoulder. "Thank you for your compliance, Kobra."
"I'm not gonna have to do shit for this clan now am I?" Kobra asked.
"Not until you're ready," Rojack decided. "We can't just force you to do shit because you said you joined so let's just stick to the fight club for now."
"If those two ask for your services you'll have to comply though," Rotwang warned him.
"We just had Tread bleeding out at our feet!" Kira yelled. "No shit!"
"On my new boots too," Libby sighed.
"Seriously though, is that guy gonna be alright?" Kobra asked.
"His name is Tread," Kira told him, "he was already fucked up before."
"I think that name's fine!" No Face defended him.
"I'm surprised you shut up for so long," Libby quipped. "I almost forgot you were there if it wasn't for your burnt shit scent."
"Also your name's fucking No Face," Kira told him. "Anything will look like a good name by comparison."
"No Face beats his birth name," Rojack revealed. "Ain't that right, Damien Phoenix?"
"Holy shit that is worse," Kira agreed.
"Shut up!" No Face screamed.
"If you all shut up I can tell you more about this Outworld!" Rotwang shouted over the others. "All of you have a lot to learn…"
As Rotwang lectured his band of criminals on the realms of the universe, the Deadly Alliance arrived at the Highlands Tower of the Shadow Priests. Shang Tsung wished to assess the recovery of Orelia, the newest leader of the Shadow Priests. Entering the monastery, the Deadly Alliance had made it to the conclusion of the ritual that would heal Orelia from her grievous wounds. Many Shadow Priests gathered around her as she lay on the floor having spent the past hour casting spells to prevent the blood loss of Orelia's severed limbs and to repair her countless cuts from her battle with Talon.
"Is it done?" Shang Tsung asked as he peered over.
"Just finishing up," a Shadow Priest informed him as another casted a final spell that awakened her from her unconscious state as she had passed out from her injuries on her way to being treated. "There we go."
"Orelia," Tsung greeted. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Orelia said slowly as she looked around the room, gathering her senses. "Thank you, brothers and sisters."
"Leave us," Tsung instructed the Shadow Priests who immediately complied and quickly levitated to the exit of the room. "What use are you in this state, Orelia?"
"I can make new limbs!" Orelia insisted as she focused her powers.
It took her a moment, but she soon managed to use her gold manipulation powers to create golden hands and legs. She carefully pulled herself up and tried to remain balanced, needing to get used to her new legs. She then knelt before the Deadly Alliance, Quan Chi applauding her efforts.
"Are these prosthetics effective?" Tsung questioned.
"I kind of wanted this…" Orelia confessed. "I will have greater control over my creations, without the obstruction of my arms… the legs were unintentionally lost."
"This Talon sorceress you have spoken of must be powerful," Quan Chi assessed.
"She didn't do this," Orelia clarified. "Some sea monster did."
"How pathetic," Tsung audibly sighed.
"Sea monster?" Quan Chi was intrigued. "Tell me more."
"We call them Kraken," Orelia explained. "They're giant creatures with eight tentacles."
"Fascinating!" Quan Chi said as he scratched his chin in contemplation. "Apologies, Shang Tsung, please continue."
"Orelia, need I remind you that your mission had nothing to do with fighting Talon?" Shang Tsung asked her.
"She started it!" Orelia lied. "I tried offering her a chance to rejoin but she-"
"You ordered my Shadow Priests to slaughter the old guard," Tsung revealed his knowledge. "If I ask for a recounting of events, those lower sorcerers will be honest."
"And I'm not?!"
"You're a deranged, power hungry woman," Shang Tsung told her bluntly as Orelia stared at the floor. "I know what ambition for power can make a person do."
"Betrayal," Quan Chi stated.
"Correct," Shang Tsung confirmed. "Know that if you continue to let your ambition overwrite my orders, I will replace you."
"I…" Orelia was lost for words. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Another lie," Quan Chi said before bursting into laughter as Shang Tsung pulled Orelia to her feet.
"I've granted you the rank of Shadow Priest leader!" Tsung yelled as he held Orelia by the neck. "You lead them, that is true, but my orders and commands will always overwrite yours!"
"I'm sorry!" Orelia apologised. "I won't fail you again!"
"Good," Shang Tsung replied as he released his tight grip on Orelia. "I taught you and many of the other Shadow Priests sorcery, and whilst many of you have learnt powers that I'm unfamiliar with… that was the point."
"Because of your shapeshifting!" Quan Chi realised.
"I wanted to see if any new recruits could offer me forms with new powers I could copy," Tsung confirmed which made Quan Chi smile, impressed by his scheming. "You should also know, Orelia, that my shapeshifting becomes much more potent when used on souls in my collection… you don't want to join that."
"Of course not!" Orelia replied with panic in her voice. "You won't have to worry!"
"We can only hope," Shang Tsung said as he turned away. "Continue practising with the others and I will return when you're needed."
"Yes, Lord Shang Tsung," Orelia obeyed.
The Deadly Alliance didn't even reply to her, both sorcerers being hasty to depart through another portal onto their next dastardly mission…