Present Day – Less than two weeks before the Shikoken Tournament.
Osaka, Japan
Osaka – it's a city considered one of the most modern in Japan. The city was mostly nestled in between mountains with the Yodo River running through it and into Osaka Bay. They gave its residents a beautiful sight when standing on one of the city's tall skyscrapers on a clear day. However, a majority of those living here were mainly occupied with their own work, activities, and other concerns and rarely had an opportunity to notice the nature beyond the urban streets.
At night, the city lights sparkled and gleamed just like any other in the world. However, even the city's beauty couldn't completely hide its dark secrets.
A young, raven-haired woman was minding her own business as she walked down the street after a long shift at her job. She kept to herself despite the people around her. With how late the night was, her primarily goal was to get back to her apartment safely.
Nearly every night, she walked these streets, knowing every corner and what to avoid. Sometimes, however, one could arrive at the wrong place at the wrong time, even if that place is part of a well-known path.
Three men spotted her as they smoked cigarettes in front of a convenience store. It didn't take long for them to imagine the things they wanted to do to the pretty lady who just walked by. The three agreed on it, laughing sadistically at the thought alone. Putting out their cigarettes, they began to walk behind her while they somewhat kept their distance.
At first, the young woman didn't realize she was being followed, not until five blocks down when she noticed how consistent the footsteps behind her were. She only turned her head just enough to get a look at the three men, and it didn't take her long to realize they were the ones she walked by just a few minutes ago.
She quickened her pace, but the men ended up doing the same thing. She tried to get a better look at her surroundings with the intention to find help or a safer escape. But many of the stores were closed, and anyone who were on the streets were either similar looking to the men following her or drunk. She would've called someone as well, but her cell phone's battery drained during her work shift earlier in the evening.
Still, despite her efforts, the three men were faster than her. Before she could scream out for help, one of the men grabbed a hold of her while they covered her mouth to muffle her sounds. Immediately, she was dragged into an nearby alley before being slammed back first into the brick wall. The three men quickly pinned her against the building despite her struggling to escape.
One immediately took out a knife and held it near her throat, which immediately stopped her struggle. "If you don't scream, we might go easier on you."
The men laughed, and the woman shook in fear. "Please, let me go!" she begged with a shaky voice.
They continued to sneer at her. "Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But first, we're going to have some fun, so you might as well relax and enjoy it. Trust me when I say it'll make things easier on you."
Unknown to anyone, and luckily for the young woman, someone witnessed her situation nearby. And unfortunately for the three men, it was the last kind of witness they wanted to encounter.
The woman swore she saw a shadow move behind the men, but she thought it was nothing more than her imagination. That was, until the tip of a sword suddenly plunged through the throat of the thug holding the knife from behind, which stopped just inches from his victim's now blood-splatted face. The woman went into shock upon witnessing that and she barely noticed how her assailant was suddenly pulled back and seemingly disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway.
"What the h-" one of the other thugs called out, but before he could finish, he and his other pal were suddenly lifted from the ground, their bodies surrounded by a light blue aura. They briefly screamed out before they were thrown into different directions. One fell head first to the ground, and the woman couldn't tell if he had just died right then and there or was just knocked out cold. The other one, however, landed on his side, and he was just about to get up when a shadow quickly whizzed by, stopping only briefly to take a moment to snap his neck, which instantly killed him.
Before the woman could comprehend everything that she just saw, it was all over, and she found herself completely alone.
The woman was afraid to move at first and wondered if she would be any safer than where she stood now. That was until she heard a nearby voice that clearly belonged to a male speak directly to her. "You're safe now." She tried to see where he was, but it was clear that he preferred to keep himself hidden. "They won't harm you anymore. I'll stay nearby until you get yourself home."
The woman managed to gather herself just enough to meekly thank her savior before she, despite the shaky legs, left the dark alley.
Later, when the lady finally arrived at her apartment, she realized that the TV was left on. Looking towards the single couch in the living room, she realized that her roommate fell asleep there, more than likely watching a movie earlier.
She went to turn off the television, but then something caught her interest on the news that was being broadcasted by a female reporter...
"Ever since the end of the Universal War, many around the world have done their part in rebuilding prior to the current war initiated by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Amongst them, one has truly risen to the occasion beyond what we expected, and even eight months later since their presence began to be felt in Osaka, their identity still remains largely unknown, though eyewitness accounts have confirmed that this hero is male. Some rumors suggest that this may be the same mysterious figure who helped protect the city of Los Angeles in the United States more than year ago, and the crime rate there has remained low even without his presence being felt since those days. Though crime has remained low since the end of the Universal War here in our city, this hero, known as Daitenshi as dubbed by the media, has been keeping what remains of the criminal world from falling through the cracks. If you are hearing this, Daitenshi, we thank you for your continued efforts in keeping Osaka safe for our civilians."
Feeling stunned suddenly, the young woman realized who had rescued her from a horrible fate tonight. At first, she thought that the Daitenshi was nothing more than a myth, something made up by the media to raise morale for the citizens of Osaka. Though much of the modern city had survived the last war, and seemingly standing well against the current war, there was still a deep wound that was still healing for those who lived here.
Now however, she realized that he was real... and she'll be forever thankful for that.
From the darkened skies, Liu Kang witnessed the entire scenario with the woman and the hero of Osaka, this Daitenshi. He could see why this hero was considered a chosen one... his qualities were exactly what was needed in the battle ahead.
Liu Kang kept himself shrouded, waiting for the right moment to approach the Daitenshi, who kept himself in the shadows while he ran through and jumped over the rooftops of the city buildings. Suddenly, however, he stopped in his tracks. Even before Liu Kang saw him pull out his katana from the scabbard behind his back, he realized that the Daitenshi figured out that he was near.
"Friend or foe?" he called out suspiciously.
Liu Kang didn't hesitate as he left the shadow he created around himself. A fire-like glow surrounded his body before it dissipated. "I assure you that I'm a friend, Daitenshi," he assured the hero. "...Or should I call you Kenshi?"
He realized his mistake as Kenshi turned to fully face him. The swordsman got himself in a defensive position, his hands clutched tightly around the hilt of his sword, Sento, as the blade glowed in a light blue aura. Behind him, the slightly tattered twin tails of his crimson blindfold, which covered his blind eyes, swayed in the wind behind him.
"Who are you, and how do you know who I am?" Kenshi demanded from him.
Liu Kang scratched his head a little. He wondered if gathering the other chosen ones was going be similar to this, especially since most of them never met him back when he was a mortal. Perhaps it was a good thing Fujin volunteered to take care of gathering the other group of chosen ones outside his original home realm. Getting the ones from Earthrealm together was going to be a challenge in itself as it is. He could tell already, and this was only his first stop!
"Well, I'll answer the latter question first. My knowledge of you came pretty easy considering how I'm the new Protector of Earthrealm. You could also say I'm Raiden's successor, though I'm actually a God of Fire, not Thunder as he was. As for who I am, I'm sure you've heard the name Liu Kang at some point in the last few years."
As Liu Kang spoke, Kenshi was able to immediately sense the truth in his words. Also, the fact that his energy within was similar to both Raiden's and Fujin's was proof enough that Liu Kang was indeed a God. It would explain how he came back from the dead... so to speak.
Straightening himself up, Kenshi placed his sword back in its scabbard before he replied. "The fact that you're here tonight tells me that you've come with important news."
"Indeed I do," Liu Kang answered. "I'm sure you've heard of the upcoming Shikoken Tournament by now." Kenshi nodded his confirmation before Liu Kang proceeded. "I'm also sure that you realize this tournament may be more than it seems."
"I'm sure Jin's reasons for the tournament to begin with - to draw in those who want to claim the bounty - is why he's even hosting it at all. What I'm more interested in is why he even started this war to begin with not even a year after we ended the last one. He ends one war, but then starts another? It doesn't make sense."
"I can tell you that there is more to it," Liu Kang mentioned. "But even the information that was given to me was somewhat vague. One of my goals is to learn the entire truth, as well as stopping a new threat from emerging and destroying what remains of Earthrealm."
Kenshi raised an eyebrow at that. "There's another threat beyond this war?"
"Let me put it this way... this new war, with the kind of negative energy it's sending out... it's nothing like any other, even the last war. Considering how much time we have before the tournament begins, I can only be brief with what's to come, but I promise that you'll receive all the details once we're on Mishima Island. It'll make much more sense then."
Kenshi then realized exactly why Liu Kang came to him tonight. "I assume you want my help."
Liu Kang nodded. "Aside from the fact that you're one of The Four, you are a chosen one in general. The more we have on our side, the better our chances are in ending this new threat. A warrior like you would be very beneficial to our cause."
There was a brief silence before, to Liu Kang astonishment, Kenshi shook his head. A frown formed on the swordsman's lips. "I eventually plan to stop Jin myself once I figure out his security and what his preferred hideouts are. I intend to walk this path alone. And... to be honest, the last war left it's mark on me."
Liu Kang was disappointed to hear this. However, he wasn't about to give up just yet. "I'm sorry the last war affected you, Kenshi, but I'll be frank... we're not sure what to expect this time around, and as I said, we need any help we can get. Even if you weren't one of The Four, to not have you as an ally would truly be felt amongst the other chosen ones. We need you in this fight to come."
Briefly, Kenshi was slightly annoyed by Liu Kang's persistence. He was about to respond to his last words when he suddenly felt energy build up from Sento, which grabbed his attention. The words of Sento reached Kenshi through his mind, and the swordsman, though never saying a word himself, listened.
Liu Kang cocked his head to the side, curious to know what that was about. "If I didn't know better, I'd say your sword was speaking to you."
Kenshi sighed a little. He still felt annoyed, but now he was a little relaxed. "It seems that Sento agrees with you."
"Even your sword wants you to fight this new threat," Liu Kang pointed out. "Here, let me make a deal... if you feel that you still wish to walk this path alone after I explain everything on the island, then you may leave and return to what you were doing. I think that sounds fair enough."
Secretly, Liu Kang hoped that the swordsman would change his mind once they were on the island... the entire story just had to convince Kenshi to stay. The God of Fire sensed that his reluctance doesn't stem from him not wanting to save the world... far from it, especially considering his current occupation. What he sensed was that his experience in the Universal War had an affect on him to the point of not wanting to potentially experience those dark times all over again. Being one of The Four, Liu Kang guessed, must've surely given Kenshi a unique perspective that possibly still haunted him to this day.
Although still hesitant about going to the island, Kenshi finally nodded. "Okay... that I can do. If I remember from the broadcast, the port of call is in Nagato."
"You're correct," Liu Kang confirmed. He was just about to head off when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, there is one last thing."
"And that is...?"
"Ms. Walker is invited to the tournament as well."
Kenshi was quiet for another moment before he simply said, "We'll see."
Liu Kang was confused by that response, but chose not to question him about it. "In that case, I hope to see you both on the island eleven days from now."
And with a quick flash of fire, Liu Kang disappeared and headed to his next destination; San Francisco.
Valentine Mansion, Brittanian Empire, Keisei
Come forward, my dear... do not fear me...
….Souls...
I will NOT be swayed by a mere legend!
…Souls... more souls...
You treacherous cur!
… Must have... more souls...
Hope is... not lost. Not completely.
The various whispers forced Ivy Valentine to snap her eyes open, a startled gasp escaping through her lips before the voices stopped. Taking a deep breath, she sat up on the large, feathered bed she laid upon as she briefly covered her forehead with her han, her eyes closed. A frown came over her lips.
These whispers... Ivy thought to herself. Even over a year later, they won't stop... when will it end?
Her eyes open, Ivy took in her surroundings in the darkness of her large bedroom within the walls of her isolated mansion... the place she confined herself to ever since returning to Keisei after the Universal War. Even after all this time, the weight of her actions in Outworld, amongst others, was nearly to the point of suffocating her that Ivy was surprised she still had room to breathe. She promised to seek redemption for herself, but even she wasn't sure if she was deserving of it.
The only people Ivy trusted since then were her servants. Many of them worked in the mansion since her adoptive father, Earl Valentine, was the head of the household. Their loyalty to her each day assured her that not all was hopeless.
Ivy turned to gaze at the double glass doors in her room that led to the balcony outside. She didn't miss how the branches of the tall trees surrounding the mansion shook almost violently from the strong winds, its whistles the only sound that was heard. For some reason, the sight reminded her of a time in her childhood when a severe thunderstorm caused one of the branches to snap off a tree and smash through the glass window in the living room. Ivy was sitting by the fireplace with her mother, who was reading a book aloud to her, when the glass shattering made them both jump in fright. Due to her young age at the time, Ivy was naturally frightened, thinking that a demon invaded the home. However, seeing her scared, her mother held her close and assured her in soft whispers that there was nothing to be afraid of.
Not for the first time, Ivy longed for her adopted parents to be alive again. Then again, she wondered what they'd think of her after everything that's happened in the last few years... all due to her goal to seek and destroy Soul Edge, the artifact that stole her family from her.
Even now, Ivy wasn't sure whether or not the essence of Soul Edge died with Shao Kahn last year, who claimed the powers after breaking the blade connected to it nearly two years ago. Once in a while, she had dreams of the artifact. Lately her self-made sword, one that she fondly named Valentine, remained silent for the most part since she returned home... so perhaps maybe Soul Edge really was gone... or maybe not...
The thoughts left her paranoid and she hated it.
Ivy's thoughts were suddenly disrupted when, to her surprise, the glass doors to her balcony suddenly blew wide open by the wind. The curtains immediately flew up towards the ceiling and any light-weight items in the room were thrown into different directions.
Ivy was startled at first, but quickly grew annoyed as she forced herself out of the warmth of her bed. "Dammit," she growled as she approached the double doors. She grabbed for the first door and began to swing it back inward, but as she went to grab for the second one, she jumped in surprise as she suddenly noticed a figure standing right there on the balcony! They were shrouded in darkness, so she didn't see who it was right away.
"Leave this place, intruder!" she yelled out.
Ivy was just about to go grab for her sword before the figure spoke. "My apologies for startling you, Ivy. This is the only way to alert you of my presence without your servants finding out."
She stopped in her tracks as she instantly recognized the owner of that voice. As she tyrbed to look at them, the person approached the doors. She was able to see their face more clearly as they stepped into the moonlight. She also didn't miss how the strong winds slowly died down.
"Fujin," Ivy greeted as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "It's... been a while."
"About a year I believe," Fujin said. "May I come in?"
Ivy was hesitant at first but soon gave him a brief nod before she walked back into her room. She reached for a robe that laid at the edge of the bed and wrapped it around herself to keep warm. "I recall that you're an Earth God. What brings you to Keisei of all places?"
As Ivy began to light an oil candle on her nightstand, Fujin replied to her question. "I'll get straight to the point of my visit. There's a war occurring on Earth as we speak. Normally, us Gods wouldn't think too much of it... wars happen on Earth all the time... but this one threatens the very fabric of the universe."
Ivy turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "Like the Universal War?"
"Not to that scale... but that's only because this time, we've caught this one much sooner than we did last time. Either that, or the other Elder Gods are paying much more attention these days... hard to tell to be honest."
"And if I recall, you're an Elder God yourself. I've always been curious... why did you involve yourself into the last war? I thought Elder Gods couldn't be involved unless someone breaks the rules or something like that... at least that's what... he... told me..."
The Wind God knew Ivy was referring to Shao Kahn, but chose not to mention it. "I had to relinquish my status in order to get involved at all," he explained. "It was a risk I was willing to take, but my efforts were not in vain... the others renewed my status upon my return to the Heavens."
"Now you've relinquished it again to be involved in this new war on Earth?" Ivy guessed.
Fujin shook his head. "No. I'm merely a messenger. The reason I'm here, Ivy, is because the new Protector of Earthrealm was hoping to gather all the chosen ones together to fight this new threat. I volunteered to gather those here in Keisei because all of you know who I am, thus making the approach easier."
Hearing that made Ivy baffled. "Are you... asking me of all people to help fight against this new threat?"
Fujin confirmed this with a nod. "Yes, I am."
Ivy didn't let him continue as she scowled. "You know damn well why my involvement will not go well!"
Fujin knew there were a few reasons, but he wanted to hear them from Ivy. "Tell me, then. I'd like for you to list why you think helping us will not benefit our cause."
The Keisei woman paced around her room. "Once upon a time, I was the Empress of Outworld... and from the last time I was around your chosen ones, not all of them took kindly to my presence, which I don't blame them for, even after the likes of Queen Sindel forgave my actions. I also led the invasion of Keisei, my home."
"Which, need I remind you, that it was Shao Kahn who made the order... you were just following it," Fujin pointed out.
"It doesn't matter," Ivy continued with a shake of her head. "I can write an entire novel about what happened and why... but even then, people will continue to hold their judgment. I appreciate your consideration for me, Fujin, but I do not need it. Unless the essence of Soul Edge returns from the dead, I wish to be left alone and live out the rest of my days in peace. Good night."
As she turned her back to him and walked towards her vanity, Fujin spoke. "Before I depart, let me ask you something. As far as I can see, you haven't left your home since the end of the Universal War. I also recall that you said that you would atone for your atrocities as soon as you returned home. All I can ask is... what are you waiting for?"
As Fujin spoke, Ivy grazed her fingers over the hilt of her beloved sword, which was sheathed in its brown scabbard on top of the vanity table. It didn't surprise her when she felt the weapon's life force hum within its steel even through the scabbard. It was giving off a positive vibe, which made Ivy raise an eyebrow.
She then heard a voice in her mind... one that sounded like her mother's. 'Do not be afraid, my dear. There is much darkness in this world, but as long as you hold your head high and face your fears, there is nothing to be afraid of.'
Ivy frowned at that as she realized now how foolish she'd been this whole year. She tried to convince herself that she was merely preparing herself for her journey of atonement, but... was she really scared the whole time and was using that as an excuse to not leave her mansion this whole year?
As she clutched onto her sword's scabbard, Ivy made a decision right then and there... she was not going to be afraid anymore.
Finally, with only a little reluctance, Ivy took a deep breath. "Okay... I'll go to Earth and help your cause... however, there are a few things I need to make clear if I'm going to be joining with the chosen ones.
Fujin nodded in agreement. "Name your terms."
Ivy turned to face him. "One, I wish to be sent to Earth alone, without accompanying the other natives here. Two, I want all discussions between the chosen ones and their leader be done on my own time as I do not want to be part of any group meeting, at least not until I feel that I am ready. Three, I am only to be part of the group effort if it involves a battle to save the realms. Do not involve me in any side quests that doesn't directly affect the real reason we're fighting together. And four... no one is to remind me that I'm one of The Four... I may have helped to see the end of the last war, but that doesn't make up for all that I've done before that... I'm no hero. A hero is supposed to have achieved great things and possess noble qualities... I have none."
Fujin nodded to her once she was done.. "Fair enough. I'll let Liu Kang know all this as soon as I return to Earth."
Hearing that name made Ivy raise an eyebrow. "Why is that name is familiar to me?"
"He was the Champion of Mortal Kombat who once defeated both Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. He passed away more than two years ago and his soul ascended to the Heavens. He replaced the Thunder God Raiden as Protector of Earthrealm after the Universal War."
"... I see. But again, even with yours and Liu Kang's endorsement, most of the other chosen ones will be weary of me. Do you think my involvement is a good idea at all?"
"In the long run, yes," Fujin answered. "Despite what some of the chosen ones will think of you, you are a very skilled warrior. Besides, Dhalsim himself said you had a good heart and soul despite your past deeds."
Ivy frowned at the mentioned of the late Dhalsim. "Yes... I remember."
"That alone is enough for you to join us in this fight ahead as all of our chosen ones have a good heart and soul.. A tournament will be involved as part of the fight. The only fact about it that even I know of is the tournament's location... but once you're there, you'll get all the details on what we're fighting against."
Ivy nodded at that. "All right... as I said, I'll join the fight as long as Liu Kang adheres to my terms, and not just for my sake... but for the others as well."
Fujin decided to make his departure then and began to float a few feet into the air. Before he left, he said, "Liu Kang will summon you in less than two weeks. That should give you enough time to prepare." With that, he left the balcony and began to fly up towards the starry night sky and into the Heavens.
Once she was alone again, Ivy couldn't help but feel a sudden, dreaded feeling about her next journey.
San Francisco, California, USA
"So... I guess this is the closest we'll get to our around-the-world trip at this point, huh?" asked Ken Masters. He stared at one of the traveling brochures that were stacked on the wooden dark brown table he was sitting in front of. The brochure in question involved details to tourists on the city of Casablanca.
Across from him at the same table, Julia Chang was looking at another trip brochure, this one for Niagara Falls. "Until this new war is over at least... not that it gave us enough time to recover from the last one."
"At least a lot of us did good work during that time, including yourself," Ken pointed out. "The results of your reforestation project is really benefiting greatly in the recovery efforts after the Universal War."
Julia sighed. "To think someone stole the disk during the war... thanks to those tips I've received, I would've never have attended the 5th King of Iron Fist Tournament and meet the person who retrieved it for me. All the hard work I've done after wouldn't have been possible otherwise."
Next to Julia, Ryu spoke up for the first time since they sat down at the table in the kitchen of Ken Masters' mansion. "You never really said exactly who retrieved that disk for you."
Julia rolled her eyes at that. "A strange, middle-aged man. That's all I'm saying."
"He probably asked you on a date and you're embarrassed to admit it," Ken joked with a devilish grin.
That was met with the Niagara Falls brochure flying in Ken's direction, and he immediately ducked under it before it hit him. "Hey, that wasn't very nice!" he called out.
"Actually, I just thought Niagara Falls is overrated," Julia replied with a joking grin. She then went to pick up a brochure for Shanghai. "Besides, I knew you'd duck away from that throw. I wouldn't have done that otherwise."
"...Very true. But about Niagara Falls, I hear it's a better view on the Canadian side," Ken mentioned. He then wanted to ask the question that's been on his mind since Ryu and Julia arrived here in his San Francisco home two days ago. "What's with all these brochures anyway? Wouldn't it be easier to just... look this all up on the internet?"
"My mother mostly collected these during her travels," Julia replied. "I thought I'd bring them with us on this trip to kind of give us more ideas on where to go once this war ends. It's easier than spending hours going through different window browsers and comparing each one anyway."
"That explains why some of this pictures look outdated," Ken mentioned as he continued to look at the Casablanca brochure. "I'm surprised Humphrey Bogart isn't on the cover of this one."
Julia snorted at that. "They're not THAT old! Besides, I happen to think they're very useful."
"You're definitely old school, even at your young age," Ken said in a matter of fact. He grinned as he pointed at both Julia and Ryu. "It kind of explains why you two work so well together."
Julia immediately blushed a little over that while Ryu rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I'm not THAT technically disadvantaged if that's what you're getting at," Ryu pointed out.
"Yeah, you actually do know how to work a Nintendo system," Ken remembered. He looked at Julia. "Back when we were in training as teens, we had an old TV and the original Nintendo to entertain us. Played endless hours of Megaman and Mario in those days. Good times. I should buy another Nintendo system for myself and relive those days."
Julia pointed at Ken with a smirk on her face. "And you say I'm old school?"
Ken raised his hands up in defeat. "All right, all right, you got me there."
Ryu leaned forward on the table as he reached for one piece of paper. "All this talk about wanting to travel the world... and we're already forgetting the fact that we actually are going on a trip in less than two weeks."
He lifted up the paper Julia printed from the internet this morning - an advertisement for the upcoming Shikoken Tournament hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu.
"That reminds me," Ken spoke. "I already booked our hotel and flight to Japan this morning. We'll be there two days before we're expected on Mishima Island."
Ryu nodded as he placed the paper back down on the table. "Yeah. Too bad it won't be much of a challenge like other tournaments we've been in."
"What do you mean?" Ken asked, shocked to hear that from his best friend of all people.
Ryu stood up from his chair before he began to pace around the room. "You saw it on the news. The reason the tournament's even happening is because of that large bounty. That's going to bring out the worst people who think this tournament will be an easy win. That's not a challenge. You might as well just fight inexperienced thugs in a city alley at that point."
"I'm surprised to hear that from you, Ryu. You've always accepted any kind of challenge that comes your way to better yourself as a warrior. Maybe this tournament won't be like that. Sure, they'll be a few dumbasses trying to fight for the money, but you and I both know that only the real fighters will advance. I bet most of those scum won't make it past Round One."
The wandering warrior sighed a little before he began to leave the kitchen. "I'll be back," was all he said before he disappeared through the swinging doors.
Ken shrugged. "Sounds like nature called." He then turned to Julia. "Any idea what that was all about?"
Julia took a deep breath before replying. "This whole war has been bothering him ever since it was declared. I mean, can you imagine... fighting alongside someone to end one war, only for that person to turn around and start a new one?"
Ken realized who she meant. "Jin Kazama..."
She slowly nodded. "We all thought he'd do good for the world when he became CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Instead, he does the total opposite. I think Ryu's more bothered by the fact that he can't understand Jin's reasons for going down that path. I'll tell you something... when we saw Jin's tournament announcement on the news back in Arizona two days before we arrived here, it was heartbreaking to see the disappointed look on Ryu's face..."
Julia sighed. "I known none of The Four wanted to be called 'heroes,' but in a small sense, they really were. For one of them to suddenly turn around and... make a new war for seemingly no reason, it's really disheartening."
"I know," Ken agreed. "Jin was a good guy, and I think we're all confused by his change. Hopefully we'll know the truth soon... if we live long enough. At least I take comfort in knowing that not all of The Four is like that. I don't know about Ivy - I'm personally still in the middle about how I feel about her - but at least we both know where Ryu stands. I'm also pretty certain Kenshi is that vigilante out in Kyoto. Sooo... we can be sure that at least half of them haven't done a heel turn at this point."
Julia shrugged. "Better than all of them, I suppose."
The two of them fell quiet for a few minutes until Ryu returned to the kitchen and sat back down with them. He then suddenly said, "Do you think we should try to get close to Jin while we're on Mishima Island?"
That surprised both Ken and Julia. "I'm sure that'll happen if at least one of us advances to the top of the tournament," Ken said.
"But there is the off-chance that we may not get that far," Ryu pointed out. "I'm not sure how we can even begin to search for his whereabouts, but it's something we could try... because if anyone could try to talk to him and figure out where his mind-set is, it's one of us chosen ones."
"If anything, he'll listen to you more than any of the other chosen ones," Julia said. "At least that could be an okay plan. You and Jin got along well, so it seems right to have you go in to talk to him."
"Or Cammy," Ken threw in.
Julia immediately shook her head. "I don't think that would be wise. Jeez, I can't even begin to imagine what she's thinking right now. I know they've been separated for a long while, but... just wow... it makes me wonder how she feels about this whole thing."
"Pissed off I bet," Ken guessed. "She always had a bit of an angry streak, so it wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure I would've heard about it by now, but she and both Guile and Wagner have been deployed by their respective military branches since the day after war was declared. So needless to say, I haven't had the chance to talk to them."
Before either Ryu or Julia could respond, The swinging door to the kitchen opened, and the three turned to see Ken's wife, Eliza, walk up to him. Ken smiled at her. "Hey babe, what's up?"
"Well," Eliza began to say. "You have a visitor who asked for all three of you. He said his name is Liu Kang."
Ryu immediately gave Eliza a confused look, knowing that name. "Are you sure?"
Eliza nodded. "That's what he told me. He's waiting at the foyer."
Ken groaned as he got up from his chair along with Ryu and Julia. "Well, I guess we'll see what this is all about soon enough. If you don't mind, Eliza, I think it might be best to hang back while we talk to this guy."
"Actually, that's good timing," Eliza mentioned. "I'm about to leave to go pick up Mel from school. My mother also called earlier and was hoping I'd swing by with him for a couple of hours, so that should leave you plenty of time."
Ken leaned over to give his wife a brief kiss, who returned it. "Sounds good. I'll see you both at dinner."
From there, Ken, Ryu and Julia began heading to the foyer while Eliza went the other way towards the garage. At one point, Julia whispered, "Liu Kang? The champion of Mortal Kombat? I thought he was dead."
"I thought so too," Ryu replied. "It was said that he died some months before the Blood Tournament."
"Hopefully, this is not a prank," Ken mentioned.
The three fell quiet as they headed to the foyer of the mansion. Once they walked past the large staircase after they exited the kitchen and through the dining room, the three of them soon noticed a lone Chinese man who stood in the middle of the foyer. His outfit reminded them right away of Raiden's attire, only the vest was red, his hair was black and shoulder length, and he bore a red bandana that wrapped around his forehead, just like Ryu's.
The stranger smiled upon noticing the trio. "You must be Ryu, Julia, and Ken," he greeted.
Ryu's eyes immediately widened, and he spoke up before Ken and Julia had the chance to speak. "You claim to be Liu Kang... and from pictures I've seen of you, you sure look like the Champion himself. But last I heard, you died at the hands of Shang Tsung just before the Blood Tournament."
Raising one hand with the palm open, Liu Kang ignited a small fire just above it. He gazed at it as he explained himself. "Well, for one thing, I'm now the God of Fire, and secondly, I've taken the place of Raiden as Protector of Earthrealm."
"That explains the outfit," Ken replied.
Ryu sensed the truth in the God's words and gave him a small smile. "I see. I admit, ever since I've heard of you after you won the Mortal Kombat Tournament, I always hoped to spar with you and test each other's skills."
"Why am I not surprised to hear that?" Ken quipped, which made Julia stiffen a giggle with her hand.
Liu Kang replied. "And I'm sure I would've accepted your challenge. A sparring session with the World Warriors Champion would have been very memorable." He then frowned. "Unfortunately, I've come to you all today because something important has come up."
Julia frowned. "Don't tell me there's another threat. It's already bad enough with this war we're having right now..."
Liu Kang confirmed her suspicions with a nod. "The truth is that this new threat is connected to the war we're having now." From there, he explained everything he had mentioned to Kenshi earlier in Kyoto; the tournament, his plans, and the threat's connections to the war... however, like before, he couldn't reveal everything just yet.
"Everything else will be explained once we're on Mishima Island," Liu Kang said once he was finished. "However, if you feel that there's no need to assist after everything is explained, you may leave the island if you wish."
"I'm sure there's a very good reason for all of us to reunite again," Ryu said. "I'd be very surprised if anyone backed down once we get the gist of what's going on."
"I have a good feeling that won't be the case. In the meantime, I'll be working on gathering all of the other chosen ones together. I just hope they'll arrive regardless of the lack of information."
"Are those from other realms like Keisei going to join us here?" asked Julia.
Liu Kang nodded. "Fujin will be personally speaking with them, though he won't be joining us in the fight since he's returned to his Elder God status after the Universal War."
"Shame, he's good leader," Ken pointed out. "Both he and Dhalsim really kept us all together during the last fight... not to undermine Raiden and Rose as they did a good job too during the Blood Tournament... they just argued a lot."
"I assume you'll be leading us this time around," guessed Ryu.
"Myself as well as another who has connections to this whole thing," Liu Kang mentioned. "You'll be meeting her once we're on the island." He then smiled. "And I promise we won't get into any unnecessary arguments either. I recall Fujin telling me about that some time ago."
"Sounds good," Ken said with a laugh. "Well, the three of us planned to be on the island in the first place, so I'm definitely joining your cause, whatever it is. I'm sure my friends here will do the same."
"I definitely am," confirmed Ryu.
"Me too," replied Julia.
Liu Kang nodded. "Good. In that case, I'll be seeing you three on the island." With that, the God of Fire was immediately surrounded by flames before he and the embers dispersed into nothing, only leaving behind a small cloud of smoke.
Once that was done, Ken took a deep breath. "Well, that was unexpected..."
"You're telling me," agreed Julia. "What kind of threat do you think this is about this time?"
"Whatever it is, it's enough for the Gods to be concerned," mentioned Ryu. "Last time that happened, it was during the Blood Tournament."
"Which led to near genocide," Ken added. He shook his head at that. "Great... that might happen all over again if we end up following the same pattern."
"Maybe this time, we'll actually find a way to stop the threat before it escalates," Julia hoped.
"Let's... just enjoy the next couple of weeks in the meantime," Ken suggested. "You guys want some pizza tonight?"
"I guess," replied Ryu, sounding somewhat distracted.
Julia shrugged. "Sure, why not? Just make sure to add some mushrooms on mine."
"No problem. Come on, let's go through those traveling brochures again in the meantime."
From there, Ken began to head back to the kitchen. Julia began to follow, but quickly stopped in her spot as she realized that Ryu wasn't following. She turned to him and saw that he was still standing in the spot he stood in since they began to talk to Liu Kang, his back turned to her.
Julia walked back to Ryu until she was standing next to him. She slowly slipped one hand around the crook of his elbow as she gazed up at him with concern in her brown eyes. "You okay?" she asked him.
Ryu slightly turned his head in her direction. "I was just thinking... Shao Kahn was the last big threat against humanity. With the way this whole thing is sounding from what Liu Kang told us... what if Jin is the next big threat like Shao Kahn was?"
Julia frowned. "Spirits, I hope not. I'm thinking whatever it is, it might've been aggravated by this war. Jin may be on the wrong side of things now, but honestly? I don't think he's the real threat. Something else is... I'm not sure what, but whatever it is, something tells me it's not him..."
Ryu shifted his eyes to her and gave her a ghost of a smile. "I hope you're right."
Julia then moved herself so that she fully faced him. She then reached one hand up to brush a few strands of black hair from his face. "No matter what happens, it'll be okay in the end. We've faced worse before... like I've said, if we find a way to stop this new threat early, it'll be better in the long run."
"I just hope we don't get caught by surprise again," Ryu mentioned. "We had a retreat plan last time. Something tells me we won't have one this time. Maybe to Keisei, but where did that get us last time?"
By then, Julia moved her hand so that it rested on the side of Ryu's face, her fingers gently brushed across his cheek. A smirk came over her lips as she felt him slightly lean his head into her hand in response.
"We can't think about the worst that could happen," Julia advised. "I know things were grim in the past, but it can't be all the same like before. History doesn't always repeat itself... and even if it tried, we've all learned from it, and we'll fight to make sure it doesn't happen again."
That last part made Ryu feel a little better. To show his appreciation, he leaned down to leave a lingering kiss on Julia's lips, which she returned. They were both like this for a moment before they pulled away.
Ryu sighed. "Just... try to keep reminding me of that. I'm going to need it for the next few weeks."
"You know I will," Julia said with a smile. "Now... I think we should head back and look at those brochures before Ken thinks we ran off to play '7 minutes in Heaven.'"
That earned a small chuckle from Ryu as the two of them began to head back to the kitchen. "You know... Ken would assume that." That statement made Julia laugh.
Isolated Outskirts of Osaka, Japan
An hour after Liu Kang's visit, Kenshi returned to a small cabin located on the edge of a natural forest with a river running behind the home, which was separated by large trees. With mountains nearby, Kenshi was sure the surrounding area had quite a view. It was a shame that it was the kind of beauty he couldn't enjoy the sight of. Still, the heavy scent of pine as well as the clean, crisp water and cool air was enough for him.
If Kenshi had to guess, there were still a couple of hours left before dawn. So even before he opened the door to the isolated cabin, he was somewhat surprised to hear that the television from the living room was turned on. In the back of his mind, he figured out why that was the case.
Quietly, Kenshi unlocked the cabin door before he entered. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, then proceeded to secure all four locks and bolts. With his secret vigilante status, one could never be too careful.
Kenshi didn't bother to pay attention to what was playing on TV. Instead, his focus went to the single occupant who laid on the couch a few feet away. He walked to the furniture before he kneeled down next to it and reached his hand to her. He briefly brushed a few strands of long hair from her face and then moved to her arm. They were bent at the elbow with her hand resting just near her collar bone.
He wasn't surprised to find a pistol clutched in between her fingers.
The swordsman frowned at that, especially because it's been at least two months since she slept with a gun this close to her. As gently as possible, he removed the gun from her hand. He checked on it briefly, noting that she kept the gun's safety on, before it was placed on the nearby coffee table.
Kenshi wasn't the only person the Universal War left its mark on. He knew just from brief conversations with his allies since those days that they felt they were still trying to move on from it. Some handled it well while others were still plagued with nightmares. Kenshi figured that it depended on what kind of experience they had in the war.
The woman on the couch, Alex Walker, had her good days and bad days.
The events Alex experienced in the war affected her to the point that she resigned from her position in Special Forces. Whether or not her decision was temporary was still up in the air. Either way, she planned to take a long break, more for her sanity than anything else.
Right after her resignation, she received a message that confirmed the death of her aunt, her last living relative. That message was the last straw for Alex after all she had to deal with throughout the war. She found herself in a depressed state on and off for a while. That summer, Alex made the decision to take Kenshi's offer to go to Japan with him as she felt that this could be a way for her to have a new beginning. She managed to secure a working visa and found a job at the American Embassy in their Osaka offices thanks to a few strings pulled by her former Special Forces superior, Jax Briggs.
The move helped her somewhat, at least until the winter season. The snow, the cold, and the trees that surrounded their new home ended up serving as a reminder of those dark days in the Universal War. Alex never said it outright as she claimed that she didn't want to 'burden him any more than she needed to,' but Kenshi knew exactly what the scenery reminded her of; that quiet, cold, snowy morning when Shang Tsung attacked her as a way to get back at him for sending the sorcerer to the Netherrealm during the Blood Tournament.
The nightmares weren't bad at first after the war, but they increased that winter to the point where she began to sleep with a gun within reach. She never did that until then. Alex hadn't realized how bad her PTSD was getting until one night, a few days after Christmas, she almost shot Kenshi after he came home from another night in Osaka. Thankfully, she forgot to unlock the gun's safety in her panic, though she didn't miss how Kenshi was prepared to deflect the bullet with his telekinesis. The former soldier was in that haze between asleep and awake at the time. She was just waking up from another nightmare - this one involved Shang Tsung – and in that brief haze, she thought the person kneeling next to her was him. Naturally, she was very upset when she realized who she almost killed.
That was when Alex sought out help. The medication did its job getting her through the rest of winter at least. At the same time, she hated taking them. Alex didn't want to fall into any kind of dependency. As an adolescent, she witnessed what that had done to a couple of her father's colleagues after they left the military. The young woman didn't want the same thing to happen to her.
By the time the spring season rolled around, even with the new war Jin Kazama started, Alex felt more at peace than she had in a long time. Each morning, she went out for a run on the main roads as it helped to relax her. It was also a way for her to shed the weight she gained since she left Special Forces. She was no couch potato, but those inevitable few pounds that were expected after leaving the military made her feel self-conscious.
Only occasionally, she still slept with a gun in her hand, and that's usually because her medication didn't help against whatever nightmare she had that night. Kenshi guessed that tonight was one of those nights.
After the gun was placed down on the coffee table, Kenshi turned his attention back to Alex, who just began to open her blue eyes after she heard some small noises from his movements. She stretched one arm out in front of her as she gazed up at the swordsman.
"When did you get in?" Alex asked, her voice groggy from just waking up.
"Just a few minutes ago," Kenshi replied. "You okay?"
Briefly, Alex was confused by that question. "Yeah, why?"
"You were sleeping with your gun in your hand again."
Alex frowned as she recalled that. After she slowly sat up from the couch, the former soldier took a deep breath before she responded. "Meds decided not to work tonight... got spooked from a nightmare again. And before you ask, I still haven't considered upping the dose. You know I'm trying to hold off for as long as I can."
"Wasn't going to," Kenshi said as he sat down on the couch next to her.
The two fell silent for a few minutes after that. During that time, Kenshi realized that the TV in front of them was broadcasting the news. Like many people seemed to be doing these days, the reporter talked about the war and the devastation it left around the world in the past three months since it began. At one point, the reporter began to talk about the upcoming Shikoken Tournament and what it could mean for the war.
Three days ago, the TV had been on when Jin Kazama disrupted the networks and announced the tournament. Naturally, neither of them missed the fact that Jin called out the 'heroes who helped end the Universal War.' They were sure he meant 'everyone' who was in Outworld over a year ago, but they were sure he was especially expecting the rest of The Four to show up.
The subject wasn't brought up again since. For Kenshi, he hadn't really thought about the tournament, at least until an hour ago when Liu Kang came to him. The swordsman wished that the new Protector of Earthrealm was more forthcoming with the details and why this war was more of a threat to the universe than anyone realized. He knew he would get his answer at Mishima Island, but the whole thing was still frustrating.
Even though he pretty much told the new God of Fire that he'll 'think about it,' Kenshi was certain he'd help out regardless. His sword, Sento, seemed pretty insistent on it even after Liu Kang departed.
Eventually, Alex reached for the TV remote and pressed the mute button. Once that was done, she leaned back against the couch. "I still find it hard to believe Jin started this damn war. I wish we knew his motivation for all this crap."
"We all do," Kenshi said in a matter of fact. "But something tells me we'll find out soon enough."
Alex raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?"
Kenshi hadn't plan to tell her what happened tonight until later in the day, but he changed his mind right then and there. "The new Protector of Earthrealm approached me tonight in Osaka."
She was surprised to hear this. "Really?"
Kenshi nodded. "It's Liu Kang of all people. But considering his past status prior to the Blood Tournament, it's not surprising that he ascended to that position. He mentioned that the war's causing more of a threat than anyone realizes. He was hoping to gather all of us together again at the tournament to end it. I assume he means ending this war and whatever other threat is behind it. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly forthcoming with all the details."
"Of course..." Alex grumbled. "But at least Liu Kang will tell us what's going on."
Kenshi then realized what she said. "Us?"
Alex folded her arms in front of her. "What? You think I'm just going to sit around and do nothing? Sure, I've been enjoying the peace of being a normal civilian, but... I can't just sit by and not help end this threat. I already feel bad enough not being with Sonya and the others fighting against this war."
Kenshi sighed at that. "Well, Liu Kang did invite you to the tournament..."
Alex frowned a little. "It sounds like you think I shouldn't go."
"Only for one reason... you're just getting back on your feet after what happened this past winter. Don't think that just because there's a war going that you feel that you have a duty to join the effort in ending it."
"Surprisingly, I have a different reason to rejoin our allies," Alex began. "It has nothing to do with some old soldier instinct. If there's one thing I learned about dealing with PTSD, it's that, someday, I'll be put in a situation where I need to face my old fears, perhaps unexpectedly. I've always had a feeling that us chosen ones will be called upon again to fight yet another threat. Some nights, I've wondered, if the opportunity arose, would I be able to get through it again without compromising my emotions due to the past? I can't let that question bog me forever. If the only way to get any kind of answer means attending this tournament and fighting this new threat, then so be it. At least I'll know for sure once it's all over.
"And for the record, this isn't just about Shang Tsung's attack. It's about all the other things I experienced and seen last year. I'm done being haunted by it and I'm done with wondering what would happen if I sit by and let it eat away at me. If anything, I'd rather jump into the problem and fight it than let it sneak up on me and grab me in a choke hold."
Though he was still unsure about Alex's resolve to join the tournament and fight the new threat that loomed over Earth, Kenshi could understand where she was coming from. Even a year later, it was clear that she was still fighting to move on from the events that still plagued her.
If there was one thing he learned about PTSD, it's that everyone dealt with it in their own way. This was just her way of dealing, and he won't stop her just because he had a different opinion. He just hoped that she was making the right decision for herself.
Finally, Kenshi said, "Only if you're certain. I won't stop you from going to the tournament, but keep this in mind... even if going eases your mind in the aftermath, that won't completely end the nightmares or the memories. Even if years pass by, it can still sneak up on you when you least expect it."
Alex nodded. "I'm sure. And I know... but I need to do this, more so for me than anything else. At least I'll be helping people along the way."
A smirk suddenly appeared on the swordsman's face, which made her raise an eyebrow suspiciously. "That, or you're just secretly planning to tag along with me," he replied.
Upon realizing that he was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke, Alex chuckled in response as she decided to go along with it. "Nope! Sorry to deflate your precious ego. And for the record, that wasn't the case at the Blood Tournament either."
"And here I thought you made up that story of the suspicious stowaway that got you on the boat to begin with."
Alex snorted at that. "You wish." She then realized something. "Is it me, or have you somewhat developed a little bit of a sense of humor since we moved to Osaka?"
Kenshi shrugged a little. "I blame some of the other chosen ones. Curiously, I'm not the only one."
"Yeah, they apparently rub off on you after spending enough time with them."
"Just... don't tell someone like Wagner about it. He'll never let me hear the end of it."
"Noted." Alex then thought of something that occurred a few months ago. "You know... do you ever wonder if one of our allies might be that anonymous source that sent us that twenty thousand dollar check to us over the fall season?"
"Maybe," Kenshi replied. "What I really want to know is the meaning behind the one-word memo part of the anonymous check."
"'Compensation,'" Alex stated. "Compensation for what, though?"
Kenshi decided to move on from the subject. "You should get some sleep," he suggest. "I imagine you'd want to prepare for the tournament for the next few days."
"Yeah, I was thinking of calling Jax some time today to see if he can pull some strings to give me time off from the Embassy," Alex hoped. "The war's been keeping us busy over there, so I imagine getting time off to attend the tournament won't be simple." She stared up at the swordsman. "You should get some sleep, too. I know you're insomnia can be one and off these days, but that shouldn't stop you from trying."
"I knew you'd say that..." he grumbled.
Alex leaned herself closer to Kenshi. "It's true, though," she said before she gave him a brief kiss, which he returned. "Besides, I also imagine you'd also want to prepare for the tournament for the next few days." She smirked after that last sentence.
"Using my words against me now," Kenshi stated, but there was a hint of humor in his voice. He then thought of something. "How much do you want to bet that this new threat is worse than we thought it would be, and this tournament will end with us chosen ones suddenly fighting for our lives and saving the realms again?"
"I'm so confident in that prediction that I would bet all the 'compensation' money we got."
"... Sounds about right."