Chapter Four
Violet Systems Headquarters, The Bahamas
A young woman dressed in a gray business suit walked through an open door and into a large office with ceiling-to-floor windows. The office overlooked a beach and the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eyes could see. Her high heels clicked against the marble floor as she headed straight to the large black desk in the back of the room. The single leather chair that accompanied the furniture had its back turned, but she knew her boss occupied it at this moment. More than likely, he was admiring the view outside his window.
"Mr. Lee Chaolan, sir," she began, her voice enthusiastic. "I came to inform you that the new prototypes for the Combot project have been delivered to our warehouse safely and successfully."
Lee Chaolan – the owner of Violet Systems - immediately turned his chair to face her. A smile graced his face. "Excellent!" he called out, clearly pleased. "And they came right on time."
"Indeed they have," the young woman agreed. "Shall I schedule a time for you to oversee their testing?"
Lee thought about this for a moment before he answered. "Yes, and within the next two weeks preferably. Which reminds me... do I have anything important scheduled beyond two weeks from today's date, Miss Umeda?"
His secretary briefly looked over her tablet to browse through her boss's schedule. "The only thing I have is in exactly five weeks – a brunch conference with the Foreign Ministry Official."
"Hmm," Lee pondered. He then made a decision. "Cancel that and clear my entire schedule for a month after two weeks from today. I'm planning to take some time off from my work during the month."
Miss Umeda smiled. "If I may ask, sir, where are you going for your time off?"
Lee turned his head to gaze out one of the windows of his office. "Just... somewhere special. You're dismissed for now, Miss Umeda. I'll call you if anything else comes up."
"Yes, sir. And I'll get back to you on the testing schedule within the hour." His secretary bowed her head to him briefly before she departed.
As soon as the door closed behind her, the smile on Lee's face faded. His attention focused on his laptop, he brought up a video and pressed the 'play' button. Not for the first time, and probably not the last, he played Jin Kazama's tournament announcement.
He listened in on it as he looked over some papers that involved G-Corporation... his own personal investigation, no less. As a shareholder of the company, ever since they took military action against Jin and the Mishima Zaibatsu, Lee discreetly went through every file he could obtain to figure out the truth.
Lee eventually discovered – and was not surprised – that the current CEO of G-Corporation was Kazuya Mishima... his adoptive brother. He made this discovery long before Kazuya's anonymous dinner conference announcement last week in Cairo.
Many years ago as a child, Lee was left on the streets to fend for himself after his parents suddenly died. A skilled scrapper with reflexes that were fast for a young boy, he managed to catch the attention of Kazuya's father, Heihachi Mishima, after the young boy was forced to fight off several kids who tried to steal what food he had left. Heihachi took him back home to Japan, where Lee was given a life more privileged than most.
As a young boy, Lee believed that Heihachi took him in was out of the kindness of his own heart. However, the older Lee got, the more it became clear that the old man was merely using him to 'inspire' Kazuya to shape up. He only wished it didn't take him so damn long to realize the truth. As much as he appreciated the life Heihachi gave him, the truth behind his seemingly selfless gesture all those years ago still stung quite a bit.
Lee was forced to serve under Kazuya when the latter briefly took over the Mishima Zaibatsu more than twenty years ago... 'lesser of two evils' was his excuse at the time when it came to eventually choosing between him and Heihachi. Heihachi considered Kazuya a traitor then, so with Lee's decision to stick by Kazuya's side, despite his rivalry with him, Heihachi saw him as a traitor as well. When Kazuya fell and Heihachi took back the Zaibatsu, Lee was kicked out of the clan.
For years, Lee thought of revenge against the old man, but after a while, he realized that it would be pointless since he was sure that Heihachi only had a few years left to live anyway. So instead, he created his own company that focused on developing robotics technology primarily for combat stimulation. Today, he calls the Bahamas his home.
Lee was aware of Heihachi's MIA status since the end of the Universal War. Most thought him dead, but Lee knew better... he was sure that the old man would reappear eventually. Lee did attend the 5th King of Iron Fist Tournament months ago, but only because he thought Kazuya took over the Zaibatsu again... only to find out it was ruled by another at the time. Lee withdrew from the tournament the minute he discovered the truth.
In his opinion, the current Mishima Zaibatsu CEO, Jin Kazama – his adoptive nephew – was just as ruthless as Kazuya was ever since this new war began. But he knew with Kazuya opposing, Lee feared what would happen if G-Corp succeeded... he imagined that the results would be more devastating than anyone realized, knowing Kazuya's sadistic nature if his own time in the Mishima Zaibatsu was anything to go by.
It disgusted Lee how misplaced the hopes of the innocent were. If only they knew the full story like he did...
Just this morning, Lee signed up for the Shikoken Tournament. He obtained a shareholder's preferential treatment ticket for the event. His only plan for now? Get close to G-Corp and figure out Kazuya's true plan...
Unknown Science Facility – Japan, Unknown Area
The night was nearly pitch black, which was perfect for the group of soldiers who managed to get into a facility. Working as a team, they were able to get inside with relative ease... by crashing two vehicles through the windows. However, there was gunfire right at the lobby of the building. That came as no surprise to any of the soldiers – that was part of the plan after all.
The gunfight lasted a couple of minutes with only two casualties so far from their enemies. It was just enough time to distract them from their main weapon. The weapon in question entered the building.
Despite the flying bullets and yelling, a pair of steel-toed boots were heard clicking against the tiled floor in the lobby. Soon, the figure emerged from the shadows and into the light to reveal his face. He was Lars Alexandersson – the leader of Yggdrasil, a group of rebel soldiers who once served under the enemies they were fighting against now; The Mishima Zaibatsu's Tekken Force.
At the same time Lars entered, one Tekken Force soldier came out with a missile launcher and immediately fired it in his direction. Lars didn't bother to move away until the missile was just a foot away when he reflected it away from him with his forearm. The missile flew over his head and away from the fight before it exploded into a ball of flames behind him. He ignored the sudden heat that filled the room.
Seconds later, Lars sprinted forward as his allies covered for him. Headed towards the first two enemies, he immediately jumped up and performed a double kick. Each foot landed on their faces and knocked them to the floor. After landing, another enemy came from his right, and Lars immediately turned around to land a forward punch to his face. The force of it shattered the front of the helmet. He then followed with a knee to another soldier in the stomach before Lars brought him crashing down onto the floor with enough force to shatter the tile. At the same time, Lars landed another punch on that soldier's face, the helmet shattered right after.
Lars then noticed there were only two soldiers left. His allies could only watch as he ran forward and knocked down another enemy. Then, with a yell, he went after the last remaining soldier... who held another missile launcher in his arms...
Then, a sudden explosion hit where their leader was, which immediately made his men worried about his fate. However, it didn't take long for the smoke and fire to clear and, to their relief, Lars was just standing up and unharmed.
It was no wonder the members of Yggdrasil called Lars, 'the super human.' His strength, speed, fighting prowess, and finding ways to survive the unthinkable was quite above human comprehension. How he managed to obtain such a gift was something even he himself never talked about. All they knew was that it gave him the kind of fighting advantage not many had. It was clear that he didn't plan to squander it any time soon.
Soon, Lars turned to his troops. "It's about to begin. Let's go!" he ordered before he walked towards a set of stairs.
From there, the group followed him, their guns out and ready in case more enemies showed up. Deep within the facility, Lars split the team into three small groups in order to cover as much of the building in as little time as possible.
Their reason for being here tonight? It was one of many recon missions against the Mishima Zaibatsu to stop their operations. With Yggdrasil opposing both the Zaibatsu and G-Corp, their primary goal was to find a way to end the current war. They received an anonymous tip that the seemingly abandoned facility were filled with Tekken Force soldiers. Their goal was to find out what's going on in this building and what interest the Mishima Zaibatsu had in it.
Lars led Team Alpha One to the lowest level, deep underground, where they were met with resistance from the Tekken Force. At one point, his team had their enemies distracted enough to give him a small window frame to find out the status of some of the other teams.
"This is Alpha leader," he said. "All teams report."
"Alpha Two, ground level is clear."
"Alpha Three. Basements one, two, and three all clear. Just your team on the bottom level, sir."
Lars continued. "Roger that. Converge on my position, and stay sharp."
"Alpha two, roger."
"Alpha three, roger."
Lars then stood up and signaled the soldier next to him to cover him in order to take down whoever was left of their opposition just down the hallway. With a quick peak, Lars saw that there was only one left... and who immediately tried to shoot. After a few bullets, Lars heard the familiar sounds of a gun's empty chamber.
Lars took the opportunity to run to the corner as the enemy hid again to reload. He just finished when Lars punch the wall with enough force to leave a large dent and actually hit the enemy behind it. The action knocked him out cold.
Once that was done, Lars straightened back up before he walked forward. His soldiers followed close behind until they reached the only door in the hallway. The door had a keypad right next to it. Considering how guarded the area was, it didn't take much to figure out that there was something important on the other side.
Lars gazed at one ally who was ready to unlock the door. "Pop it," he ordered.
The soldier slipped a stolen key card in through the pad, then used a tablet to type in a hacking code. This only took mere moments before the door slid open with ease. Immediately, the group walked in, their guard up.
Inside, the room was bright with its white, fluorescent lights. Eight large computer monitors sat in one corner over machines that looked like a control panel. Just above it was a viewing window to another room. Lars could clearly see three more large monitors suspended close to the ceiling. To the right was a door that lead into that room. Once more, a keypad was against the wall to the door's left, one that didn't require a card like before.
Lars approached the door and decided to use an old keycode he memorized from his time as a Tekken Force soldier. To his surprise, the door opened for him. Once more, he and his soldiers entered while on full alert.
The first thing Lars noticed was the countless wires that ran across the floor and plugged into a white pod in the middle of the room, which rested just below the three monitors. Quietly, Lars approached the pod. He walked up the small platform before he peered through the glass encasing.
To his surprise, a young lady laid within the pod.
If he had to guess her age, she looked to be in her late teens, between sixteen and nineteen years old. Her porcelain skin looked to be of normal color, and she looked at peace with her white gloved hands folded in front of her and a ghost of a smile that graced her face. Her hair, each side a different shade of pink, was decorated with a single hair clip filled with daisies and green leaves. Aside from her white gloves, her remaining outfit consisted of a pink and purple dress with black short, a belt with purple flowers decorated by her left hip, knee-high black stockings, the left one longer than the right, white boots, and a white collar with more purple flowers decorating it.
It was like gazing down at someone who was recently deceased, someone lying peacefully in their casket at their wake. That thought somewhat disturbed the soldier.
"What the hell...?" Lars mumbled, unsure of what to think.
"Captain," one of his soldiers called out... Jenkins, he realized. Lars didn't bother to turn around as his ally approached his side. Jenkins looked at the pod as well before he realized something. "She looks like Bosconovitch's daughter from the reports." He sounded confused at his next words. "But she's supposed to be deceased."
"Right," Lars agreed. He was just as confused as Jenkins was. "Then... who have we got here?"
Before he could think more on it, his radio suddenly went off. "Omega One to Alpha Leader! Do you read?"
Lars immediately went to his radio. "Alpha leader, go ahead."
"We're detecting several bogeys heading in your direction. Be on guard."
Lars immediately looked to Jenkins, who also heard the communication. Lars nodded to him, which signaled Jenkins to join with the others at the door. "All right, you heard the man," he began to say to everyone on the communication. "All teams-"
A suddenly explosion somewhere within the facility quickly shook the building, which caused Lars and his team to stop in their tracks. A few seconds passed before someone spoke on the radio.
"Alpha Two, we are engaging with hostiles! They're Jacks! It's the G-Corporation!"
Shit! Lars thought to himself over the turn of events. He and Jenkins left the pod room to rejoin the others in the main operating room.
The radio went off again. "Alpha Three, we can't hold them off! They're heading for the bottom level-"
The building shook once again. This time, the source felt much closer than before. The Jacks were already here. All Lars and his team could do was prepare to take them down. In the operating room, their stood on guard with guns out, ready to fight...
The sliding door to the room busted open and dented with just enough room for the three Jacks to enter the area one by one...
"This is going to be fun..." one soldier uttered once they realized what they were up against...
Lars wasn't sure how he and his team fought against the three Jacks who went after them. The battle was the only thing Lars could worry about right now despite other thoughts lingering in the back of his mind - what was going on with the other teams? And how did G-Corporation know of their operation?
It took a lot of work and manpower between everyone considering the prowess of the three machines. Even their guns were no match. Many of them were knocked down easily, Lars included. Still, the group managed to work together in order to shut the machines down.
Everyone took a breath before assessing their surroundings. Lars gazed at his surroundings to make sure all was safe before he approached the closest soldier nearby.
"Is everyone all right?" he asked with concern as he grabbed his ally's soldier.
"Yeah," the soldier replied with a nod.
"Couldn't be better," another said.
"Captain!" a third cried out with worry. Not liking the sound of that, Lars approached the soldier, who with a couple of more kneeled in a small circle.
The soldiers stood up to give Lars room... and that was when their leader noticed one of the men laid out on the ground, his helmet removed. His eyes were open, but clearly unfocused, and there was a large bruise on the side of his head. It was very clear to Lars what happened - blunt force trauma during the fight killed him.
Jenkins, Lars thought with a frown as he kneeled beside him. It was insane to think about - Lars was just talking to him mere minutes ago, business as usual. If he had known Jenkins would die today, he could've asked him how his wife and daughter were doing instead of getting down to their work during the ride to the facility. His wife had been pregnant during the Universal War and Jenkins had confided in Lars about his worry back when they were both in the Tekken Force. After the war, Lars helped him reunite Jenkins with his wife and unborn daughter while the Mishima Zaibatsu was in disarray during that period, something that the latter was forever grateful for.
And now Jenkins died in one of the most pointless wars in recent history. Lars knew he would be delivering the news to his wife soon enough. He was already dreading it considering everything the couple had been through...
With a hand reached out, Lars took a moment to brush his fingers over Jenkins' eyes. They would be closed forever. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.
Moments later, one of the soldiers asked, "You hear that?"
That caught Lars' attention, and he immediately turned in the direction behind him... one of his men stood near him and, just behind that soldier, one of the Jacks stood up! Electricity surrounding it as a rapid, beeping noise was heard.
Not liking where this was going, Lars quickly stood up and pushed his ally away from the machine. "Get down!" he yelled out, which prompted everyone else to get out of the way.
Then, a bright, white light hit his eyes before everything went black...
Lin Kuei Temple, China – Two months ago...
In the Himalayan Mountains, a temple was nearly camouflaged due to the heavy snow and ice that covered and surrounded it. Still, those who knew the location of the sacred grounds would find it much easier than strangers passing by. Either way, only a selected few were allowed to pass beyond the gates.
For only the second time since they formed an alliance with the clan that owned the temple, Yoshimitsu entered the grounds, accompanied by blue and black-garbed members of the Lin Kuei and a few of his own members of the Manji Clan. Since the end of the Universal War, the Lin Kuei and the Manji Clan worked tirelessly to help each other with rebuilding and recovery, especially in villages that surrounded their respective headquarters. The current war, unfortunately, put their efforts on hold, though they've since focused on fortifying the villages they were helping to protect them from being affected by the war.
However, that wasn't why Yoshimitsu was here today. Instead, he was here to personally deliver some news to the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster, news that he'd been waiting on for quite some time.
It wasn't long since he passed the gates and walked through the courtyard before Yoshimitsu and the others were taken inside. The Manji Clan leader immediately felt the warmth of whatever heaters were being used within the temple.
The group stopped walking suddenly as one member of the Lin Kuei turned around and spoke to him. "Grandmaster Sub-Zero has been expecting you since your message was received two days ago. I will personally be taking you up to his quarters so that you two may talk. You may bring one member of your clan with you until we reach the doors. However the others must remain here in the foyer until you business with him is concluded."
Yoshimitsu nodded. It was an arrangement that's been done before on their last visit. "That sounds fair," he agreed. He then turned to his clan members and nodded to one of them; Ukon. Ukon briefly bowed his head to his leader before he stepped forward to join his side.
From there, Yoshimitsu and Ukon followed the Lin Kuei member through the temple and up the stairs until they reached the Grandmaster's quarters. The Lin Kuei immediately knocked on the door, which caused the sound to echo through the narrow hallway.
"Enter!" someone on the other side called out.
The ninja warrior cracked the door open just enough to peek in. "Grandmaster, Yoshimitsu of the Manji Clan has arrived."
"Send him in," the voice of Sub-Zero encouraged.
The warrior looked at Yoshimitsu before he nodded, a sign that gave him the okay. The Manji Clan leader entered the room before he closed the door behind him. He found himself in the dining section of the Grandmaster's personal quarters.
There was a slight chill in the room once Yoshimitsu was inside, but that was nothing new to him, especially when one considered how the room belonged to an ice-wielding warrior. Speaking of which, Sub-Zero himself stood in the middle of the room, having paced around while awaiting for the Manji Clan leader's arrival.
Sub-Zero began to walk towards his ally, his hand stretched out in front of him. "Welcome back, Yoshimitsu," the Lin Kuei Grandmaster greeted.
"Yes, it's been some time since my last visit," Yoshimitsu replied as he took Sub-Zero's hand in a handshake. "This new war has kept me busy these days. Though I admit, this morning was the most relaxing I've had in a while."
"How so?" the ice warrior asked.
"My men and I arrived at the base of the mountain last night," Yoshmitsu mentioned. "Very early this morning, before the sun rose, we went ice fishing. We didn't really catch much, but it was a good morning. But anyway, of course I'm not here to talk about ice fishing."
"Of course not," Sub-Zero agreed with a brief chuckle. "I... assume you're here to talk about Smoke."
Yoshimitsu nodded. "Yes. I finally heard from Dr. Bosconovitch about that this week. The good news is that procedure has been successful for the most part, and the doctor feels that Smoke is ready to be awaken. He wants you there at the laboratory when it happens."
Despite the good news, Sub-Zero still looked somewhat concerned. "For the most part?"
Yoshimitsu shrugged. "He didn't specify to me, but those were his exact words. I'm very sure he'll explain everything once we're there."
Sub-Zero nodded. "In that case, let's not waste any more time."
"Agreed."
With that, Yoshimitsu took out his katana, its blade glowed in a green aura. At the same time, he drew out a second katana from its scabbard, but kept it close to his side.
"I see you carry two swords now," Sub-Zero pointed out.
Under his mask, Yoshimitsu frowned. There was a reason he was carrying two swords these days, but he decided not to discuss it right now... maybe another day. "Yes... let's just say it keeps things nice and balanced."
Sub-Zero was curious, but he decided not to pry in about it. After swiping down the glowing katana through the air, it opened a portal which would lead them to one of Dr. Bosconovitch's laboratories in another part of China. Once that was done, Yoshimitsu let Sub-Zero go through the portal first before he followed.
No longer at the Lin Kuei Temple, they found themselves in front of the laboratory entrance, where a few members of the Manji Clan were guarding. The two of them began walking towards the door where two of the guards stood. Both clan members bowed in greeting upon noticing the duo's approach.
"Dr. Bosconovitch is expecting you both," one clan member informed him. "Just head up to his office, he'll meet you there."
"Thank you," Yoshimitsu said just before he and Sub-Zero went through the doors.
Once inside the building, and as they went up the stairs, Yoshimitsu spoke up again. "There is something I want to mention to you... I wanted to apologize."
"What do you mean?" Sub-Zero asked with confusion.
"Months ago, when Smoke contacted me about reversing his automation, I suggested taking him to one of the doctor's labs in Japan, but you had been insistent on using one of his labs here in China so that you were close to his location in case anything happened. I was reluctant about it because the doctor had people wanting him dead for years, and I felt that he was safer in Japan since my clan is more focused in that region.
"... In the end, your call was the right call. After the Mishima Zaibatsu declared war, the doctor's labs in Japan were either captured and used to their own advantage, destroyed completely, or damaged. In the ones my clan were able to explore, many of his experiments, some which he had worked on for so many years, were destroyed beyond repair, and many of his living specimens had died. Smoke would have been one of them have you not convinced me to keep him in this region. As I said, you made the right call, and I apologize for trying to convince you otherwise."
"There's no need to be sorry," Sub-Zero assured him. "Even the best of us cannot predict the outcome of any situation."
"Yes," Yoshimitsu said. "I recall even Dhalsim couldn't predict whether or not The Four would win the fight against Shao Kahn last night from the details given to us afterwards... and he had incredible psychic abilities."
Sub-Zero nodded in agreement. "Yes, he did... he was a good man. Men like him don't deserve to die."
"Unless they're the worst scum in the universe."
"What about people like Jin Kazama?"
That actually made Yoshimitsu pause briefly. "Unfortunately, that situation is not as black and white as my clan and I prefer it to be. Then again, you and I both worked alongside him only just a year ago. Perhaps my mindset would've be different if I only learned of his existence on the day he declared war. But in the end... whatever happens, happens."
By then, they reached the office door that belonged to Dr. Bosconovitch, which was also guarded by a pair of Manji Clan members. Yoshimitsu assumed that they were aware of why he was here as they immediately reached for the door to open it.
At his desk, Dr. Gepetto Bosconovitch looked up from his paper work while he adjusted his round glasses. His face beamed with delight as soon as he recognized his most trusted friend. "Yoshimitsu," the doctor greeted as he stood up from his desk. "I'm so glad to see you alive, especially in these dark times."
"Same to you, doctor," Yoshimitsu said. "I suspect that my men are protecting you well since you left Japan."
"They have indeed." Dr. Bosconovitch then noticed the second person in the room. "And this must be Grandmaster Sub-Zero. It is nice to finally meet you, I have heard much about you from Yoshimitsu."
Sub-Zero nodded to him in reply. "The feeling's mutual. Yoshimitsu here tells me that Smoke is ready to be awakened."
The doctor nodded as he began to walk to his left and towards what looked like an elevator. "It is true, and I will explain everything once we get to the lab. Follow me."
From there, the three of them took the doctor's private elevator, which moved downward towards one of the lower levels below the building. Once the elevator doors finally opened, they were met with a long hallway with countless doors on either side of the walls.
The three walked out of the elevator and headed down the hallway. Walking behind Dr. Bosconovitch, Yoshimitsu and Sub-Zero kept the same, slow walking pace as the doctor due to his old age.
"As you can see, many of my experiments are done here," the doctor explained to Sub-Zero. "Some are simply biological to help with curing diseases around the world while others focus on mechanics and robotics."
"I see," replied Sub-Zero. "One thing I wanted to ask. Yoshimitsu mentioned that your exact words about Smoke was that 'the procedure has been successful for the most part.' What does that mean?"
That was when they happen to reach a particular door to the left. Dr. Bosconovitch removed a folder which contained the name, 'Tomas Vrbada' - Smoke's real name. "I'll explain that in just a moment."
With that, he pressed a code just below the door handle before a clicking sound was heard. The doctor opened the door and walked inside with Yoshimitu and Sub-Zero once again following him.
The room looked like an operating room with various medical tools neatly placed on tables and rolling stands. A single light was lit in the middle of the room, which shined down on the bed with a single male occupant resting on it. His hair was short and gray and he had pale skin from lack of sunlight alongside surgical scars crossing his arms, chest, and legs. Only a white sheet covered his modesty, and an IV was inserted into his left arm. A breathing mask covered his nose and mouth and a large white patch just below his collarbone monitored his heartbeat.
Despite being a cyborg for the last few years, Sub-Zero was able to instantly recognize his friend.
"Wow," Yoshimitsu ended up saying. "You've managed to make him human again. I'm very impressed."
"That's where the 'for the most part' plays in," Dr. Bosconovitch mentioned as he looked over the folder in his hand. He walked towards Smoke as he proceeded. "I've managed to successfully restore his humanity from the outside. As you both predicted, many of his parts were vital to his life, so they couldn't be removed. I was able to make some of those vitals into something that can be operated internally without complications. With those internal components, he'll still bleed black as he did before.
"He also still has cyborg capabilities, like not needing much food to sustain himself as well as net surfing within his internal computer."
Yoshimitsu couldn't help but chuckle at that last point. "That's a nice advantage."
"There's also a good chance that his mechanics have slowed his aging, so the possibility of him living for many years is on the table. Time will tell. I also have an entire list of what he can still do," the doctor continued. He then pointed to the top of Smoke's head. "He was also completely bald when we removed his helmet. I took that opportunity to use a hair growth treatment to restore it. This is about six month's worth of growth you are seeing here."
Now it was Sub-Zero's turn to chuckle. "Before he was automated, his hair was shoulder length and, well... he was pretty proud of it. I'm sure he'll grow it long again." He then became serious. "Were there any complications, or will there be any in the future?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses as he continued to look over his folder. "It's hard to tell what long term effects it'll have at this point, though I imagine routine maintenance will be involved somehow. Short term is looking good as of right now... though there was two strange things that happened during the procedures."
Sub-Zero frowned at that. "What is it?"
"Twice, there was a strange gray smoke that emitted from him. Both times, I thought it was his mechanics going haywire, but after running various tests, everything was fine... but Yoshimitsu did mention of his natural abilities to control the smoke element at will, so we eventually came to the conclusion that this was the source.
"The smoke element was the only thing that happened the first time while we had his chest cavity open. The second time it happened, while we were working on his legs, he briefly woke up, seemingly in a haze of sorts. As I sedated him while my assistants held him down, he was yelling in his native tongue. I know a little bit of the Czech language myself and managed to catch a few words he said; 'Help me,' and 'don't burn me.' I'm... not sure if that has anything to do with his past, especially the latter quote..."
"Even Smoke wouldn't know," Sub-Zero pointed out. "He has no memories of his life prior to joining the Lin Kuei as a child. The only thing he knew then was his name."
"I see," Dr. Bosconovitch said. "As far as I can tell, he has no previous scars from any burn trauma... maybe I'm over analyzing it...
"Now then... I believe it's time to wake him up. Once I remove his breathing mask, it may take him a moment to wake up."
All was silent as the doctor placed the folder down on a table and went to work. He first pressed a few buttons on the machine connected to the breathing mask before he slowly removed it and placed it down on another table next to the bed Smoke laid on.
For a minute, Smoke was still except for the subtle, up and down chest movements from his inhales and exhales. Soon, a soft groan escaped his chapped lips before he struggled to open his eyes. He blinked a few times before he was able to keep them open despite the bright light in his face.
"You're finally awake, Tomas," Dr. Bosconovitch greeted, his voice soft, warm, and friendly. "If you're curious about how much time has passed, it's been seven months since you came to me."
Smoke's eyes shift to him and he coughed for a moment before finally speaking his first words in seven months. "Did... did it work out?"
"I'll explain everything once you're fully awake, but for the most part, yes," the doctor replied. At that point, Smoke lifted his arms up to get a better look at them. The doctor noticed the hint of awe in Smoke's face.
"Your scars will heal with time," Dr. Bosconovitch explained. "Also, you have some visitors who want to say hello."
Smoke turned his head to where the doctor pointed and soon noticed both his best friend and the Manji Clan leader on the left side of his bed. He managed to crack his first smile since he became a cyborg. "Hey," he greeted.
"How do you feel, old friend?" Sub-Zero asked him.
"Like I got hit by an 18-wheeler... twice," Smoke mentioned. "But other than that, I'm okay."
During that time, Dr. Bosconovitch went into one of his draws and grabbed for a hand-held mirror. He spoke as he walked back to the bed. "I have a mirror for you once you're ready."
Smoke barely chuckled as he saw the mirror in the doctor's hand. "Damn... and I was just getting ready to demand, 'mirror!' I admit, I was looking forward to that moment."
Yoshimitsu laughed at that, getting the joke, while Sub-Zero simply raised an eyebrow as he wondered what that meant. By then, Smoke reached a hand out, and the doctor placed the mirror in his hand. He then took a deep breath before he turned the mirror in his direction.
Once again, a look of awe and amazement came over Smoke as he saw his human face for the very first time since he became a cyborg. For a moment, he forgot that he wasn't alone as he grazed his fingers over his face. The scars were very small and minimum, and he imagined that they would heal in no time compared to his arms. He was astonished to see pale blue eyes stare back at him as they were originally brown, but he figured that was the effects of the automation. Most notable to him was his regrown hair. Of course, he didn't expect it to be like it was before just yet, but it was clearly starting to get there as there was, what he guessed, two inches of gray locks on top of his head. He reached for his hair with his fingers and brushed over them, overwhelmed at the reversal.
Finally, he felt like himself again. He was free.
He soon snapped out of it as Sub-Zero placed a hand on his shoulder, a rare smile on the Grandmaster's face. "Welcome back, Smoke."
Lin Kuei Temple – Present Day
Early in the morning, Sub-Zero just finished getting ready in his quarters for yet another routine day at the Lin Kuei Temple. Despite it being the spring season, their location high in the mountains was covered in more snow, though the flurries outside were falling slower than usual. The outside world seemingly peaceful... though the Grandmaster imagined that the cold was bitter.
However, that peace was quickly interrupted as he heard a quick shout within his quarters. Knowing it came from the bedroom area, Sub-Zero immediately went over there to see what was going on. After reaching the room, he pushed aside the heavy black curtains that separated the bedroom from the rest of his quarters and walked in.
In the king size bed covered in animal furs was Sareena. She sat up, her face clearly startled as her onyx eyes gazed around the room as though she was trying to remember where she was. Sub-Zero frowned as he realized she most likely had a nightmare again.
The two of them formed a close bond a year ago immediately after the Universal War. It was only recently that Sareena started to share this room with him, specifically right before the current war. As he hoped after they returned from Outworld, Sareena earned the respect of the other Lin Kuei members here in the temple. Though even now, some of them were still weary of her due to her demon blood... but thankfully they were a very small minority. Sub-Zero always made it clear that despite his relationship with Sareena, she was still treated as an equal member of the clan and will not receive any special treatments, which she personally preferred anyway. The two sharing a room was the only exception.
"Is everything okay?" Sub-Zero asked as he approached the bed.
Sareena shook her head as she mentally gathered herself back together. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied. By then, Sub-Zero sat down next to her. "Just another nightmare, that's all."
"About the Netherrealm?" the Grandmaster guessed.
Sareena took a deep breath before she slowly nodded. "You'd think I'd be over it by now, but for some reason, it's increased ever since this new war started." She then looked up at him. "Though I wonder if it's going to get worse now since Liu Kang visited the temple two days ago... I'm hoping it's a coincidence that these dreams have been getting worse in the past three months..."
"You're probably just getting reminders through these dreams after surviving the Universal War," Sub-Zero guessed. He then reached out and grazed his cool fingers over her cheek. "Between that and what you've been through, it's not surprising. Trauma like that can bring about those dreams. Even I still have nightmares about the things I've been through in the past. Even when we conquer our past, they can still sneak up on your unexpectedly."
Sareena sighed at that as she reached up grasp his hand. "Yeah... you're probably right." She then turned her head to him. "When's the meeting we're having with Smoke and Matrik?"
"In one hour," Sub-Zero answered. "In the meantime, I'm going to a brief training session with some of the younger students. I'll meet up with you later."
He then leaned forward to share a brief kiss with her, which she returned before he pulled away. He then got up and began to head out of the room, which left Sareena alone. It wasn't long before she moved from the comfort of the bed to get ready for the meeting.
An hour later, Sub-Zero and Sareena sat a round table alongside Smoke, second-in-command of the Lin Kuei who was doing well after he woke up from his procedure two months ago, and Matrik, a cyborg who became a member of the Lin Kuei after the end of the Universal War. She mostly served to provide backup in fights as well as being a medic for the injured.
"So," Smoke began as he decided to start the meeting. "Who was spooked when Liu Kang suddenly showed up in the middle of that training session?"
"It was good that Grandmaster recognized him when he did," Matrik pointed out. "I imagine there would have been a large brawl if that wasn't the case."
"At least until we discovered that he's the new Protector of Earthrealm," Smoke mentioned. "That... would've been an embarrassing way to welcome him to the temple."
"That's not important anymore," Sub-Zero cut in. "What's important is the fact that he wants us to reunite with the other chosen ones to fight a new threat to the universe."
"And yet, you mentioned earlier that he chose not to go into details until we get to Mishima Island," Sareena said. "Why is that?"
"He said even he didn't know all the details... some woman name Zafina does and will tell us everything when we get there. Either way, it all connects to this new threat that's inadvertently caused by the Mishima Zaibatsu from what I've gathered. However, there is one curious thing..."
"And that is...?" asked Smoke.
"I was speaking with Sakon, one of Yoshimitsu's right hand men, who was here on business yesterday. He mentioned that there was a lot of concentrated activity surrounding an ancient temple in the Middle East, a legend called Majin Seiryu Ki. He didn't go into much details of what that's about, but he did point out that not only were there plenty of members of both the Tekken Force and G-Corp's military forces there, but a mysterious dome-like building was recently seen not too far from the temple's location. As far as they know, no one has been able to get close enough to it without losing their lives."
"The Demon Rectifier," Matrik said, translating what Sub-Zero said earlier with her internal computer. "That and with everything else we do know it... doesn't sound good to say the least."
"It sure doesn't," Smoke agreed. "But as you said, Sub-Zero, I imagine we'll learn more from this Zafina once we're on the island."
"I'm sure of that, too," Sub-Zero agreed. "And though Liu Kang spoke directly to me only, he said that I can invite whoever I want to the Shikoken Tournament. I'd like to invite all three of you to accompany me to the island."
"Of course I'll go," answered Sareena.
"I'd be honored to accompany you, Grandmaster," said Matrik.
"Of course, I'll go," Smoke replied. "Threats to the world or not, I'm not going to miss out on a tournament. Besides, it'll be a good time for me to see what capabilities I still have."
"Then it's settled," Sub-Zero continued. "We'll leave in seven days and begin the journey. Port of call to the island is in Nagato, Japan. I imagine many of of our allies from the Universal War will be there."
"Except Jin Kazama, clearly," Smoke pointed out. "You think us four and the other chosen ones will find a way to get close to him to figure out what's going and why he started this war?"
Sub-Zero leaned back in his chair as he exhaled through his nose. "For now, with the focus seemingly on ending the general threat, whatever it is... that remains to be seen."
Unknown Science Facility – Japan, Unknown Area
At first everything was fuzzy as Lars attempted to open his eyes. He saw nothing but blur at first, but his vision soon cleared as he realized he was lying face down on the floor. With some struggle, he got himself back on his feet before he took in his surroundings, even as a massive headache hit him like a ton of bricks.
Lars saw that parts of the room of the building was heavily damaged, but he didn't get the chance to truly survey it before dizziness swept over him. Stumbling back a bit, he suddenly tripped over the single step up to the platform, but he managed to turn around and put his hands out before he really hurt himself.
He ended up pressing a button on the side of the large, white pod that stood on that platform. In that moment, a new noise was heard... it was a though engines were powering up with the volume increasing with every second.
A feminine, robotic voice somewhere in the room spoke. "Now commencing, -static- activation. Counting sequence commenced. -Static- in 10... 9... 8..."
Lars managed to stand up then and looked inside the pod he just activated. Seeing the young lady inside, seemingly asleep, he couldn't help but wonder what button his pressed and whether or not he disrupted a sensitive experiment. Either way, he backed away to wait and see what would happen.
"...4... 3... 2... 1... Main sequence boot system complete. Booting into safe mode."
The engines in the machines connected to the pod seemed to get louder and louder. Lars came back closer to the pod. He went to reach his hands towards it until, finally, the door to the pod opened up, the bottom end of the glass cover raising until it was pointed up towards the ceiling.
Then, the young lady opened her eyes, revealing brilliant green irises. Almost nonchalantly, she sat up, swung her legs over the edge of the pod, and stood up. She stepped off the platform and gazed at her surroundings, noting the heavy damage in the room she woke up in.
The young lady then heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and found herself face to face with a man she didn't recognize. Nevertheless, she gave him a warm smile. "Who are you?" she asked curiously.
"I'm..." Lars began to say... but then he suddenly couldn't answer such a simple question. Mentally, he was drawing a blank. Confusion swept over him as he struggled to remember his own name. Suddenly thoughts ran through his head, making his headache even worse as he brought a hand to his temple. Who am I?! What is going on?!
"Where am I?" he ended up asking the young lady. He then got frustrated and turned his attention to her. "Who are you?!"
She frowned as she realized his predicament. "You don't remember anything, do you?" But before he answered, she went ahead and answered one of his questions. As she pointed at herself, she said, "My name is Alisa. Alisa Bosconovitch."
Lars was silent for a moment as he still tried to remember, well... anything - his own name, where he was, and why he was here. He didn't even know where to begin with getting the proper answers he needed.
Before he could figure out what to do, a heavy drop was heard right behind him. He quickly turned around and saw a seven-foot robot that began to approach them from the corner of the room, it's red eyes glowed through the light smoke. It more than likely jumped in from the hole in the ceiling above. Lars immediately stepped back in order to give himself some berth.
Lars was just about to launch forward instinctively when he suddenly saw Alisa fly forward. He back now contained four metal prods that poked out like a pair of wings. They contained boosters thhat emitted a white and purple glow, along with another pair in the back of her calves, that helped to her fly and propel forward. Lars realized then that she was an android... or a cyborg, he wasn't sure just yet.
The robot went to throw a punch, but Alisa managed to dodge it by swinging herself overhead. She waited until the machine turned to face her before it was met with a heavy kick to the face that was hard enough to send flying across the room. Still, it didn't seem to faze the robot as he immediately got back up as Alisa flew towards them.
She went in for a punch, but then the robot managed to grab her arms, and the two began to struggle against each other while they attempted to overpower the other. Eventually, Alisa won and was able to push him back, which left some room to maneuver. The machine attempted to run towards her, but Alisa was ready for him and rolled around behind him.
Then, to Lars' surprise, as she stood back up, Alisa unleashed a chainsaw from her right arm. The weapon immediately buzzed loudly as she waited for the machine to turn around to face her again. As soon as he did, she quickly propelled forward before she stabbed the chainsaw through his chest cavity. She pushed the saw in a downward motion before she quickly moved up, sawing the enemy in half. It then fell before it splitted into two. It's parts on the inside fell into pieces.
Once it was over, Alisa's mechanics retracted back into her before she straightened herself up. For a moment, all was quiet as Lars tried to comprehend what he just witnessed. He walked closer to the downed robot Alisa just destroyed and briefly inspected the damage from where he stood.
He then had to ask again, despite knowledge of her name. "Who are you?"
Before Alisa could answer, another set of heavy footsteps were heard, and before he even turned around, Lars knew that another one of those robots arrived. How many of these things are there?! he yelled out in his mind.
Even Alisa was surprised to the point that she tripped backwards as she attempted to turn to face the second large robot. By then, it had raised his fists, ready to smash her head in, but Lars was prepared this time. He quickly moved behind it, grabbed for its wrists, and used all of his strength to stop it. The robot then tried to face him, but instinctively and without thinking about it, Lars grabbed for its face, not knowing that he was throwing off its sensors. Then with a yell, he used the same hand to pull his fist back - briefly surrounded by red electricity – before he landed a punch hard enough to leave a huge dent behind... enough damage to disable the robot.
Alisa couldn't help but watch all of it unfold. She noted the damage that was left behind on the face of the machine – Jacks, she realized after she scanned some data within her own internal computer system. She then looked up at Lars, who gazed at his own hands... she didn't miss the confusion on his face as though he was trying to figure out how he managed to defeat the Jack.
Lars then turned his head and noticed Alisa, who still sat on the ground. He walked over a few feet towards her as the building they were in suddenly shook. He reached a hand out to her.
"Come on," Lars suggested. "We're not safe here."
Despite the suggestion, and the dangers, Alisa's programming told her of an order that she had. She spoke as she took Lars' hand and pulled herself onto her feet with his help. "But Father said I must stay here."
"I'm sure he'll understand," Lars quickly said. Before Alisa could answer, he began to run and he pulled her with him by the hand. Alisa realized then that Lars was right... she was sure that Father would understand...
Special Forces Base, Los Angeles, California, USA
"First, I want to thank you, General White, for your willingness to be part of this meeting to hear what we have to say," began Colonel Jackson 'Jax' Briggs after he stepped forward with a folder in his hands. Once within reach, he handed it to the General. "This contains all the information we've collected on the Mishima Zaibatsu since this war began three months ago, as well as information on what we know about the CEO, Jin Kazama."
After adjusting his reading glasses on his face, General White laid the folder out on his desk before he opened it up to briefly look at the files. In the meantime, Jax sat back down at one of the chairs in his superior's office, all which were occupied by his team. They include Major Sonya Blade, Special Agent Cyrax, and the newest member of the team, Special Agent Kurtis Stryker, who joined them not long after the Universal War.
Originally, they were part of the Outerworld Investigation Agency, but recent changes after the war merged their agency with the main branch and they were now called 'Earthrealm Special Forces.' They were one of many spec-ops teams that operated around the world as well as in other realms, specifically the realm of Keisei, Earth's closest ally. They formed an alliance with Keisei's Coastal Forces, the new name of the Coast Guards, and the two groups have been assisting each other with recovery and rebuilding after the Universal War.
Since the Mishima Zaibatsu declared war on Earth, however, Special Forces had no choice but to temporarily pull out from Keisei. They didn't want the Coastal Forces to be involved in their problems.
After looking over the folder, General White closed it before he gazed back up at the team. "I assume the four of you have heard of the recent announcement of the Shikoken Tournament that the Mishima Zaibatsu are hosting in ten days."
"That's exactly what we're here to talk about, sir," said Sonya.
"My team and I have talked it over last night," began Jax. "We're aware of how important this war is and how much you need us on the front lines."
"Though we definitely appreciate the week-long shore leave we're having right now," quipped Cyrax. "Not that we don't like fighting, but after nearly three months overseas fighting against the Mishima Zaibatsu, it's nice to have a small break, even if it's brief."
"We all can agree on that, Cyrax, but that's not what we're here to talk about," Jax mentioned.
The yellow cyborg sunk a little in his chair. "I know, Colonel. It was just a thought I had. I apologize."
"Forgiven," Jax replied before he turned his attention back to the General. "Anyway, sir, the four of us discussed this last night, and we feel that it would benefit the war greatly if my team and I attend this tournament. The reason being is because, as you know, this tournament will be hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu. What better way to get close to the corporation than to be participants of the tournament and find a way to infiltrate their operations?"
"And perhaps find a way to end the war from the inside," added Sonya. "After all, the tournament is taking place on Mishima Island, which is considered to be a very luxurious resort. I'm almost confident there's some kind of hideout somewhere on the island that may give us some information on how we can end this war they declared."
"If that's the case, then why would they invite a whole bunch of people to this tournament and stay on the island to boot?" asked Cyrax. "I can't imagine risking a whole bunch of soldiers like us getting onto the island."
"Best way to hide is leave yourself out in the open," mentioned Stryker. "It's something I've learned over the years."
"And Stryker here has the best point," said Jax. "If anything, we may not be able to find a way to actually end the war... however, the tournament may be our best chance to get closer to their operation than anyone else has since this war began."
After that explanation, General White seemed to think this over for a moment before he definally making a decision. "Okay... I'll make the arrangements. However, Colonel, I will only be sending you, Major Blade, and Agent Cyrax as representatives of Special Forces to the tournament."
That confused Stryker. "If I may ask, sir, why am I not included?"
"I have another assignment for you," the General mentioned. "We can start discussing it right away. Jax, I'd like for you to stay for this briefing. Major Blade, Agent Cyrax, you're both dismissed."
With that, Sonya and Cyrax stood up and saluted the General before they headed out of the office. Once they closed the door behind them and began to walk down the busy hallway, Cyrax joked, "Well, I suddenly don't feel very special after being pushed out of the office so quickly."
"Well, that's the breaks," Sonya replied.
"I wonder what assignment Stryker will be getting," Cyrax wondered. "Hopefully it's related to the tournament, but I doubt it. I do wonder, however... do you think the General would've believed you and Jax if you told them about that visit from Liu Kang yesterday?"
The usually-serious Major couldn't help but a chuckle a little at that. "Honestly," she said. "I doubt it."
Back at the office, General White stood up from his desk, which prompted both Jax and Stryker to stand up from their chairs as well. The General immediately got down to business once the door closed behind Sonya and Cyrax.
"First of all, Stryker, I want to mention that there's a very good chance that you'll still be part of the tournament... it's just that the assignment I'm planning for you requires you to temporarily break away from the team."
"The tournament wasn't my main concern, but I appreciate the thought, sir," Stryker mentioned. "I was more curious as to why I'll be breaking the away from the team, but I imagine that you'll be explaining that now."
"Indeed," the General said. "Now... this is a sensitive operation I'm going to be giving you No one but you, Colonel Briggs, and myself are to know about it. To get to my point, as you both know, G-Corporation has risen against the Mishima Zaibatsu. The media has called them the best hope to end the war."
As he spoke, White pulled out a file and gave it to Jax, who looked through it... it was a file on what they had on G-Corporation so far.
"However," he proceeded. "Our spies in both their Nebraska facility as well as their China facility have brought up not only a shady past, but questionable tactics in their operation. Though they are getting the job done, some of their tactics are completely unnecessary. They include shaking innocent people for money in less-developed countries as well as putting civilian lives at risk in their missions. That's just a small percentage of some of the things that raised a red flag... personally, for a corporation that call themselves 'saviors,' I can't help but wonder if they're truly living up to it. But again, that's just a personal opinion of mine and shouldn't reflect on this assignment."
"The fact that the identity of their CEO is a secret does raise a lot of questions, at least to me," Jax brought up. "Do you think they may have motives that go beyond being the 'saviors' of Earthrealm?"
"That is a question we don't have an answer to at this time," the General replied. "Either way, I'm sending Stryker to figure out the truth. I'm sending him to Nepal, where the heart of G-Corp is located. I'll be temporarily erasing all existence of you, Stryker, and give you a new identity as well as enough of a good record to prove your worth as well as getting as close to working with the CEO as possible. Though you may be lucky to get as close to working with a second-in-command."
"So if I understand this," Stryker began. "My assignment is go undercover at G-Corp's main headquarters in Nepal and figure out their true motives in this war."
"Exactly," General White confirmed. "I've chosen you for this because of your outstanding record and accomplishments in both your earlier days in the Army and the SWAT for NYPD. We appreciate your willingness to volunteer to help the military during the Universal War when were were low on soldiers. The fact that you've remained with us afterwards shows the kind of dedication you have. You've proven yourself to be quite a soldier, especially in recon missions."
"I admit, I plan to return to wearing the blue someday," Stryker mentioned. "But before, I personally felt it was wrong to leave Special Forces during recovery and rebuilding. Though I could've easily done that with the police force, I felt that I had more resources to help here. It's harder to leave now with this new war brewing for the past three months. I feel it's my duty to help anyway I can, so until we're completely in the clear, my dedication to helping others and getting the job done will happen here in Special Forces."
"I wish more soldiers had that kind of heart," General White admitted. "It's a refreshing thing to hear."
"I think you've picked the right man for this assignment, sir," Jax mentioned.
"Indeed," his superior agreed. "That brings me to you, Briggs. As G-Corp's involvement in the Shikoken Tournament is more than likely inevitable, with Stryker's combat skills, there's a good chance that he'll be attending the tournament. Since you'll be there as well, you will be serving as an informant, someone for Stryker to pass the word to on his findings. You are both to speak to each other in person as I do not want to take any chances on using any electronic devices for contact with the exception of satellite phones, which will only serve the purpose of setting up a meeting place. From there, Jax, you will pass on Stryker's findings to me. Again, Stryker's involvement is between the three of us. Not even Major Blade and Agent Cyrax are to know about it."
"We understand, sir," Jax responded. Stryker simply nodded to the deal.
"I'll get all the arrangement set up within the next forty-eight hours," General White said. "I'll also have you fly out to Nepal within four days. Relax until then, Stryker. Something tells me this assignment is going to take a while."
With that, Stryker saluted the General in reply. "Yes, sir."
Near the Proving Grounds, Ming Empire, Keisei
"I seriously feel like it hasn't been that long since I've been here," said Maxi as he and Xianghua walked up a pathway on a hill in the forest. Both he and his companion used thick, long branches as walking sticks in order to keep themselves from slipping and falling. Despite the snow on the ground and the cold air, the mid-afternoon sky above was a perfect blue.
"Has it been a year already?" asked Xianghua as she followed Maxi close behind. "That's probably why it hasn't felt all that long ago."
"Perhaps. Then again, I always felt that the Universal War was another lifetime." Maxi stretched one arm above his head. "Well, the good news is that there isn't too much snow around here... there was quite a bit of it last time. Either way, we're almost at the temple on top."
Xianghua raised an eyebrow. "Almost there? Are you sure about that?"
"I'm positive," Maxi responded. He pointed an index finger in front of him. "I'm sure that's the top of the hill just ahead over there."
The young lady shook her head a little with a sigh. "I hope you're right, Maxi." She ended up smiling. "I'm starting to have seconds thoughts on this journey to find yet another adventure."
"You know it's a great excuse to not only go on vacation from the Imperial Castle," Maxi began to point out. "But also to reunite with our good pal, Kilik."
Xianghua was quiet for a moment before she answered. "Well... both are good excuses... I'm surprised my superiors let me take a few months off from guard duty, but I guess since there's nothing of concern present right now, it's all right. Plus, it would be nice to see Kilik again since we both haven't seen him since we returned from Outworld last year."
Maxi turned his head to give her a knowing grin. "I thought as much," he said.
Xianghua narrowed her eyes at him as she stopped in her tracks. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing," her friend said almost innocently.
The young woman shook her head as she began to move again. "I'm starting to have seconds thoughts again, you know."
"Hey, you wouldn't be traveling again if I hadn't showed up when I did... of course, it would've been nice if my new ship wasn't destroyed by looters."
"At least they didn't steal anything valuable from what you've told me," Xianghua mentioned.
Maxi took a deep breath at that. "Yeah... and my new crew's still alive."
That comment left the air heavy as Xianghua frowned. She remembered the story of how his last crew were slaughtered while at port a few years ago. Still, she ended up asking, "What are your new crew doing now?"
"I sent them home for right now," Maxi replied. "Though I imagine most will get new jobs afterwards. I don't expect them to wait around for their captain's return." He quickly changed the subject as he noticed something. "Aha! I was right, there's the top of the hill. We're almost there."
Xianghua smiled. "In that case, I'm sorry I doubted you."
"That's all right," Maxi replied. "It's not the first time that's happened to me."
The two fell quiet for the rest of the walk uphill. Before they knew it, they made it to the top of the hill. From there, they were able to see the Proving Grounds and the tall, snow-capped mountains that surrounded it. A clear blue river ran underneath what looked like a training platform. There were very few buildings placed here and there around the grounds. The most noticeable feature was a one-floored temple built within what used to look like a cave on the side of a hill opposite from where the two travelers came from.
Xianghua couldn't help but gaze at the sight in awe. "Wow... it's beautiful."
"Yeah," Maxi agreed as the two of them walked forward. "Wouldn't mind training here myself, but I have a feeling only a few selected are able to do so."
"You never know unless you ask," Xianghua said in almost a sing-song voice.
"Oh come on, you know better than that," Maxi said as they began to walk over the training platform, the wood slightly creaking underneath their feet. "Kilik's master is the kind of guy where you can't just go up and say, 'Train me, please!' You have to prove yourself first before they consider whether or not you're worthy of their time."
"Hmm," Xianghua hummed. "I guess you're right since he is the legendary Edgemaster after all. Well... in any case, let's hope somebody's home."
"Yeah," Maxi agreed. "I'd hate to think we came all this way for nothing. The place doesn't look abandoned at least."
After reaching the temple, Maxi was just about to knock when the door suddenly opened, nearly startling him and Xianghua. Once the door was fully open, they were surprised to see none other than Kilik on the other side.
"Hey Kilik!" Maxi called out with a quick wave. "Long time, no see!"
"Hey Maxi, hey Xianghua," Kilik started to say. He lightly smiled. "Wow... Fujin was right... you two did show up today."
"Nice to see you too, Kilik," Maxi chuckled.
"Wait a minute," Xianghua called out suddenly. "Fujin? Did I hear that right?"
Kilik nodded. "He came to visit this morning to ask for a favor."
Xianghua frowned. "Don't tell me there's another Universal War..."
"Thankfully no," Kilik replied. "But... there will be soon if we don't do something about it."
"What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
Before he answered, Kilik stepped outside and closed the door behind him. In his hand was his red Kali-Yuga bo staff. He then began to head over to the training platform, and his two friends followed close behind him.
"I guess there's been a war taking place on Earthrealm for the past three months," Kilik explained. "Fujin said the current scale it's at right now isn't usually a cause for concern for him and the other Elder Gods. However, the way it's falling into place, the war is potentially causing a new threat that could result in more devastation than even the Universal War did."
"Lovely," Maxi groaned. "I do have one question... what does a war on Earth have to do with us?"
"He wants us to go to Earth to help," Kilik said. "There's a tournament that's going to take place soon, and it's connected to the war. Unfortunately, he said that no more could be explained until we get there."
"Ah," Maxi responded. "That's even more lovely. We get invited to fight a war in another world that none of us have been to before that could threatened all of mankind... again... and we won't know the details until we get there."
"I'm not a fan of the secrecy either," Kilik said. "But the way I see, if someone like Fujin is asking us to leave our home to assist, then whatever this threat is, it's pretty bad."
Maxi nodded at that. "Okay... I can accept that."
"Any chance we'll reunite with the other chosen ones?" Xianghua asked curiously.
"He said we would," Kilik answered. "Right now, he and the new Earthrealm Protector are gathering everyone together, and we'll be at the tournament within the next two weeks or less. In the meantime, he wants us to travel to Chiri-san to meet with our allies there as soon as possible."
"As I remember, that's a week-long trip," Xianghua mentioned.
Kilik nodded. "So I was thinking the two of us can leave tomorrow and take the stagecoach out to Chiri-san then."
"Sounds good."
"Just... I have a couple of questions," Maxi began to say. "First of all... I know Fujin is a God, and I assume his status pretty much let him figure that Xianghua and I were both coming. Why didn't he wait around to speak to us?"
"'Time is of the essence' were his exact words," Kilik pointed out. "He guessed you two were being delayed by something, but unfortunately, he couldn't stay long... but he does send his regards."
"Well, Xianghua did want to stop for a quick snack at this vendor at the village below these hills, so that's probably the delay Fujin was talking about."
"Not my fault I was hungry!" Xianghua called out. "We ran out of snacks the other day, and were about to spend three hours climbing up the hills to the Proving Grounds."
"One other thing," Maxi began again. "Where's Edgemaster? I thought he of all people would know we'd arrive today."
"He actually left a few days ago to travel to visit a friend," Kilik replied. "Funny thing... he was very sure that I wouldn't be there by the time he returned. I wasn't sure what he meant at first, at least until Fujin arrived."
"I see."
"Maxi was hoping he could ask Edgemaster to train him someday," Xianghua suddenly mentioned.
"Xianghua..." Maxi groaned.
The young woman giggled. "Just kidding! Besides, that was revenge from that 'I thought so' comment from before!"
Kilik chuckled. "Either way, Edgemaster doesn't just let anyone train under him... he chooses who he thinks is most worthy of his time."
Maxi eyed Xianghua. "Told you."
"But it didn't hurt to ask, am I right?" she asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Since we won't leave until tomorrow morning," Kilik began. "I think now's a good time to have a sparring session to see what we've all learned in the past year."
"Sounds good," Xianghua agreed.
"You always never let me rest whenever I come to visit," Maxi pointed out.
"As they say," Kilik began. "Even when you're tired, always be prepared. That includes getting ready to travel to new places."
"Speaking of traveling," Maxi started. "Aside from fighting against a new threat, are we not suddenly overwhelmed by the fact that we're about to head off to a realm with more advanced technology than us? Does that not affected either one of you?"
"I bet it'll be amazing based on the things that we've seen brought there," Xianghua said as she pulled out her sword to join Kilik in the sparring session.
Maxi sighed as he took out his nunchaku. "Something tells me that all we've seen is nothing more than an understatement..."
Near an Unknown Science Facility, Japan, Unknown Area
Daybreak loomed by the time Lars and Alisa left the building that they were in, though the clouds were heavy above them. Then again, the trees of the forests in the surroundings seemed to make things even darker than it should be.
After reaching a trail, Alisa spoke for the first time since they began to run. "We should hurry. I'm sensing more people in our vicinity."
"In that case, we'll have to be careful," Lars suggested.
They ran through the trail only briefly until they were forced to go deeper into the woods once Lars noted people nearby. Whether they were friends, foes, or more of those robots, he didn't want to find out... especially not while he was trying to figure out what was going on.
Neither one of them were sure how long they were running. Their surroundings did get lighter, though a light rain was beginning to fall on them along with the sound of distant thunder. Throughout the whole run, he never let go of Alisa's hand. Eventually, Lars realized that they hadn't seen anyone in a while and guessed that they were mostly likely safe for now.
"We should be safe here," he said as she and Alisa stopped running.
"Yes," Alisa agreed as she took in her surroundings. "I can locate no immediate cause for concern."
She turned her head and noticed Lars' back turned to her. His head was bowed a little as he reached his right hand to his temple. With a small frown on her lips, she approached his left and gazed at his face, noting how tense he looked.
"Are you all right?" Alisa asked with concern.
Lars sighed as he began to walk forward. "More or less." He decided to change the subject as he turned to the android. "Why were you down there?"
"I was waiting for Father," Alisa responded.
"Your father?"
"Yes. Dr. Geppetto Bosconovitch. My father is an authority on robotics. That building was his laboratory."
Another sigh escaped Lars' lips as he began to pace around a little. "What was I doing there?" he ended up asking more to himself than Alisa.
Alisa paced around him as she ended up answering him after going through her internal computer system. "The equipment you are wearing is Tekken Force standard issue. I scanned the Mishima Zaibatsu's database, but... all records of your existence have been deleted."
She realized that he was about to tell him even more bad news, but Alisa pressed on. "However, an order has been issued to capture and/or terminate you on sight."
Shocked to hear this, Lars quickly whirled around to face Alisa. "What?! Even though I don't exist?!"
"Correct," Alisa confirmed. "No name is given, but you match the suspect's description."
While trying to grasp all of this, Lars paced even more until, eventually feeling defeated, he ended up leaning forward against a tree. "Who am I...?" he wondered out loud for what felt like the hundredth time. He then turned back to the tree and slid down until he was in a sitting position.
"You seem to be suffering from some form of amnesia," the android girl guessed. After realizing how distressed he was, Alisa approached him before she sat herself down next to him on his right. "Probably caused by head trauma incurred by the explosion at Father's laboratory."
Lars felt confused. "Amnesia?"
Alisa frowned. "No cure or treatment has been found for amnesia. Perhaps with time, or hypnotic therapy, some of your memory may return. There is no way to know for certain."
Anger and frustration built up within as Lars spoke bitterly at his next words. "So you're saying that I have to cross my fingers and wait?"
Alisa turned away from him. "Unfortunately, yes," she quietly replied.
With an exhale, Lars leaned his head back against the tree. "Well... at least you're nice about it. I... guess I better figure out what to do next since people are out to get me and I have no idea who I am."
Once more going through some data, Alisa found two things of importance. "There is an event that's coming up... a tournament hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu called Shikoken. All potential challengers have been invited. The main purpose is to give the challengers a chance to defeat the CEO and claim the bounty on his head."
Lars sighed. "I'm not sure how that would help me in my own situation."
"Considering their current security measures, and the location of the tournament, it may be the closest you can get to them, and figure out who you are and why they want you dead."
Lars seemed to think through this for a moment before he answered. "We'll see. I'll have to learn more about it before I end up trapping myself into a web like a fly. Remind me about it later."
"In the meantime," Alisa continued. "There is a facility up ahead that the G-Corporation was using up until five years ago. Unverified records indicate it is deserted at present."
With that in mind, Lars stood himself up. "Couldn't hurt to take a look," he finally said. "I can hopefully figure things out from there. If not... the tournament may be my only other option."
Alisa stood up as well. "Agreed," she said with a nod.
From there, the two of them began to head in the direction of the abandoned facility.