Chapter Six
Unknown Area, Keisei
In an isolated forest, a large bonfire burned bright as a group of humanoid wolves with glowing red eyes surrounded it. They kept themselves hidden away from civilization as, unlike the lizardmen, they were not from the realm of Keisei, but of the Netherrealm. They were looking to appease their deity through rituals... which was their plan for tonight.
They chanted prayers in an unknown language, their volume increasing louder and louder with each passing moment. Eventually, they stopped as two of their kind came forward. In between them was a young human girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin who looked no older than twelve years old. They held her arms firmly as they brought her closer to the bonfire. She struggled to free herself against their hold, but her captors were having none of it.
"Our deity!" one of the demons called out in their language. "We offer another sacrifice in order to quench your hunger for souls of the young... and we will feast tonight in your honor!"
Despite not understanding what they were saying, the young girl continued to struggle to get free. Considering how close they had her near the fire, there was no doubt in her mind that they planned to throw her into the flames.
"Stop it!" she yelled out. "Let me go!" To her dismay, however, none of the demons listened to her as they continued with their prays.
However, unknown to her, someone unseen listened nearby. Having witnessed the girl's kidnapping earlier in the evening, a stranger followed the demons to their encampment. Going in their direction, they hoped that many others of their kind would be there... they were glad to be right. Knowing that there had been other victims before the girl, they could end these demons' tyranny once and for all.
Within the trees they hid behind, they pulled out an asymmetrical sword – a kriss - from a sheath behind their back. The blade shimmered under the moonlight.
The figure quickly moved forward and, without being detected, decapitated the heads of the two demons who were holding the girl. One of the heads fell into the bonfire, which fed the flames, while the other rolled away somewhere in the tall grass. The girl fell to the ground onto her back, and she quickly backed away as their remains turned to ash.
Upon realizing they had an intruder in the encampment, the other six demons let out an inhumane howl in anger. It was easy for them to see the intruder – a female – in the darkness as she wore an all-white attire.
The first two went after the woman, who quickly shot out a white projectile from her left hand. The projectile managed to hit one of the demons in the chest and pushed him away. By then, the other was within arm's reach, and she swiftly stabbed them in the chest where the heart was located. They screamed in terror as, once more, their bodies disintegrated. Another humanoid wolf tried to approach from behind, but she sensed their presence. Without turning around, she spun her sword before she jabbed the blade past her side and into the belly of her attacker. Like with the other, he screamed as his body turned to ash. She then quickly stepped forward as another came up to her, and with fast precision, sliced their throat open. Black blood oozed from the fatal wound. With a choking sound, the latest victim collapsed to the ground into yet another blackened pile of dust.
It didn't take long for the other three still alive to noticed that the more of their allies were slain, the more the blade of the kriss she carried glowed in almost a divine light... it was more than likely a purifying weapon, which explained why the five who were killed off so far disintegrated the way they did.
Two more went after her, while the last demon simply watched. They lashed their claws at her, but the woman jumped over them to evade their attack. On the way, she chopped off the head of one and, after landing, stabbed her sword into back of the other before they had the chance to turn to face her.
Once that was done, the last remaining demon, the one she shot with her projectile moments ago, spoke up. "The infamous kriss... it was rumored that it would purify the one who wielded it. However, the truth is that-"
However, the woman didn't listen as she closed in on the demon before she silenced him forever with yet another decapitation. As the head rolled away, the rest of the body collapsed into a heap before it turned into dust like the others. The head soon followed after.
Quickly shaking the blood off the weapon, the woman gazed down brief at her kriss as she saw the white light that surrounded the blade. A soft smiled came upon her lips. "Another evil eradicated... and another step closer to my absolute purification."
After sheathing her kriss back into the scabbard, the woman in white approached the young girl she just saved. The girl looked shaken, but at least she was physically unharmed. The woman kneeled down next to her. "Are you all right?" she asked with concern.
The girl gazed up at the woman with wide eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay... thank you. Are you an angel?"
The elder of the two smiled at that question. "Not quite yet. Come... let's get you home. Your family must be worried about you."
The next morning, after spending the night at the girl's village, the woman in white decided to make her departure and head East. At this point, she wasn't exactly sure where her next destination would be. One thing was for sure, however... there were more demons out there who needed to be eradicated. None of them could hide within this universe forever...
She felt the wind blow against her back, but then the woman felt a presence close to her. The person's energy didn't seem threatening... however, she wasn't taking any chances. After drawing out her kriss from her sheath, she whirled around to face the stranger. For a moment, she thought that she was gazing at Earthrealm's Protector, Raiden... though last she heard, he had died. But just as fast, the woman realized that this was someone else entirely.
"Who are you?" the woman asked, feeling unsure.
The man seemed confused for a moment, but then his eyes widened a bit as though he suddenly remembered something. "That's right... you weren't with Raiden and Rose's chosen ones during the Universal War... Ashrah."
The woman, Ashrah, frowned a bit. "My time with Raiden and Rose was two years ago. I haven't had contact with them, nor any of the chosen ones since then. But you didn't answer my question; who are you?"
"I am Fujin, the God of Wind and one of the Elder Gods. I've come to you because I need your assistance."
Not about to deny a request from an Elder God, Ashrah immediately put away her weapon. "How can I help?"
"Well, before we begin, I notice these days that you walk Keisei and slaying the demons that roam here," Fujin pointed out.
"It's all I've done ever since the end of the Blood Tournament. I came here before the Universal War reached this realm. I'd been isolated most of the time from the rest of the world, so I had no idea what was going on until Outworld attacked Keisei. I was heading to Joseon Dynasty to meet with the Manji Clan since I am allies with a couple of their members... but the war was over by the time I reached the city of Chiri-san."
"That would explain why you were hard to find during the war," Fujin said. "We had gathered the other chosen ones together to fight Outworld. You were the only one who we couldn't locate. Last we heard, you were still on Earthrealm."
"I was given a mission and was sent here months before," Ashrah explained. "I'm sorry I was hard to find. I would have assisted in the fight against Outworld had you found me."
"Well, we found you during this new threat at least," Fujin mentioned.
Ashrah frowned. "What new threat?"
"One that hasn't been fully realized yet. Most will be explained in full once you're back on Earthrealm since time is of the essence," Fujin replied. "The gist of it is there's a war currently taking place on Earthrealm. That very war is threatening to spill into the rest of the universe if it's not stopped soon. The instigator of the war has set up a tournament on Earthrealm, and it will be the starting point on this new mission for the chosen ones. You will know everything once you are at the main location of the tournament. With that in mind, we wish for you to assist us in this fight against evil once more, Ashrah."
In the back of her mind, a small part of her wanted to continue her mission to slay the demons that roamed Keisei. However, the former demon knew how important this was. After all, an Elder God was making this request.
After a moment of silence, Ashrah nodded to the Wind God. "Okay... I will assist anyway I can. What do you need me to do?"
"Head to the city of Chiri-san right away and meet with Hwang Seong-Gyeong and the Coastal Forces," Fujin suggested. "They have a way of taking you to Earthrealm. There, the new Protector of Earthrealm, Liu Kang, will meet you all there and guide you from that point forward."
Ashrah nodded, remembering Hwang from the Blood Tournament. "I will begin my travel immediately."
Fujin nodded. "Good luck." And with that, he flew up towards the clear blue sky and headed back towards the Heavens. Ashrah watched until she could no longer see him.
Although she was weary about setting off her course from her original mission, Ashrah was looking forward to reuniting with the chosen ones for the first time in two years...
Hong Kong, China
A large shopping center in downtown Hong Kong was crowded with people who were looking for things to buy. Just like with the rest of the city, the center was just as crowded as the streets were outside with just enough room to stretch ever so slightly.
Amongst the crowd, Dan Hibiki, who was wearing his pink karate gi over a black tank top, beamed as he spotted one store in particular. "There it is!" he called out. "The supply store is just straight ahead. It should have exactly what we need for the trip!"
Right behind him, a tall man who was wearing a heavy sweater with a hood over his head, gazed up at the store. "It's not exactly a trip for you if we're just going to Japan since that's where you live now. We're just here to visit your mama and your sister."
"Very true," Dan said. "But I've never been to Mishima Island before and that's somewhat of a vacation in itself." He turned to his ally and frowned a little. "Oh come on, Jimmy, the neighborhood already knows of your presence. There's no need to hide under that hood."
Peaking through the hoodie was Jimmy's green-skinned face and wisps of his bright orange hair. Although Dan called him by his real name, most others knew him as Blanka. Over three months ago, Dan visited his old friend in Brazil after not hearing from him for some time after the Universal War. It was during that trip when the Mishima Zaibatsu declared war on the world. Not wanting to leave his friend behind at a time like this, Dan offered to bring Blanka and his mother, Samantha, with him to Hong Kong where Dan's mother and sister live. Although reluctant at first, Blanka and Samantha eventually took the Saikyo fighter's kind offer. Last time, the Universal War came too close for comfort in their remote area.
Blanka opened his mouth to speak, which revealed some sharp teeth. "I know, Dan, but... what about the tourists? They'd run away screaming if they saw me."
That made Dan frown even more. As a child, Blanka was lost in the jungles of Brazil after a plane he was flying crashed. For years, he survived in the jungle, and it was later speculated that his skin color changed to green due to the consumption of chlorophyll plants. It was during the World Warriors Tournament, broadcasted on television, that his mother recognized him by the anklets he wore over his ankles. The two hardly separated since.
Even in his form after so many years, Blanka still wasn't used to the staring from strangers due to his appearance. It also didn't help that he was used to being in a remote location with only one small village nearby rather than a large city like Hong Kong. Still, he would always let Dan take him to places in order to experience what the world had to offer, even if it was just shopping for supplies in preparation for the upcoming Shikoken Tournament. Dan was always a good friend to him, and he trusted that the Saikyo fighter wouldn't push him to do something he didn't want to do.
Right after entering the shop, Dan pulled out a small list from his pocket. "Let's see now... we need backpacks, snacks, and some more pink karate gis, but that's for me of course... reusable water bottles, fighting gloves and other protective gear-"
"Eh, Dan," Blanka began to say. "Don't you already have some of this stuff back at your apartment in Japan?"
"A few," Dan admitted. "But it wouldn't hurt to buy more. Last time, especially during the Universal War, I felt that I wasn't prepared enough. This time, I plan to be prepared. Plus, I still have a promise to keep."
"What kind of promise?" Blanka asked. "I don't think you've mentioned it before."
Fondness seemed to come over Dan's face. "I told you about my training with a shaman named Nightwolf during the Blood Tournament two years ago, correct?"
"More times than I can count," Blanka pointed out.
"Well... I swore to not forget his teachings and apply it to my training everyday. I've always kept up with that. I feel that I've improved, especially during the Universal War. I even saved a life or two then. But even after my heroics, life still feels... the same... and sometimes, I feel like I can't help but think that maybe I'm not applying Nightwolf's teachings the way it was meant to be... either that, or people are not seeing it and I'm just being paranoid..."
"Maybe this upcoming tournament will show what you can really do," Blanka guessed. "Just like how I hope people can respect me and not think that I'm a monster."
Dan smiled at that. "You know... I think Nightwolf would've said the same thing. It's not about winning... it's about how you can prove yourself. And if you can prove yourself, then people can respect you because you've earned it."
"Exactly!" Blanka called out.
Dan tapped his friend on the shoulder. "That's the plan, Jimmy! We're not going to go the tournament just to win... though the money would be nice to have. We're going to show the world that we're not the losers and freaks the rest of the world thinks we are!"
"You think Mama can come with us?" Blanka asked. "I think she'd like to spend time on the island with all the things we can do there."
"Of course she can," Dan agreed. "I bet Samantha would love what the resort has to offer. She deserves the vacation." He then looked down at his list again. "Okay, we also need flashlights, a first aid kit, batteries..."
Blanka sighed a little as he realized that this shopping trip was going to take a while...
Wastelands, Outworld
In a small encampment in the middle of nowhere, the tarkatans guarding the area were able to smell someone approaching close long before a hooded figure appeared from beyond the broken statues and long-dead trees. The heavy black cloak they wore completely covered them from head to toe and concealed their identity.
From where he stood, the General of the Tarkatan Militia, Baraka, narrowed his eyes at the figure, unsure of if they were friend or foe. It was hard to tell by their cloak whether they were an ally of their resistance group, a wandering civilian of Outworld, or one of Quan Chi's men.
"There's something off about their smell," one of his men mentioned, breaking the silence around . "They're clearly alive, but... not really..."
"You think I don't know that?!" Baraka balked. It always annoyed him when someone started the obvious, especially when it came to his own species. He then began to walk forward. "Stand guard, I'll make the approach."
Even with Baraka stalking towards them, and even after he unleashed his two natural blades from his forearms, the mysterious stranger never faltered once by his presence. At this point, Baraka figured that this was definitely not a civilian. Unless they were foolish to face a tarkatan, many of them feared his kind. Their ancestors starting out as scavengers long ago, many eventually offered their services to the now-deceased Emperor, Shao Kahn, which instilled more fear.
When Quan Chi managed to grab the Outworld throne, Baraka was one of the first to resist the new ruler. Not only did he have some animosity against the necromancer, having no trust in him since day one, but he felt that the Outworld throne belonged to Shao Kahn's 'daughter,' Mileena. It was both Baraka and Mileena who formed the Outworld Resistance, which officially split Shao Kahn's Outworld Forces in half. The split did gain strong allies on Baraka's side, which included the Shokans and the Black Dragon.
Since then, the Outworld Resistance's primary focus was to find a way to overthrow Quan Chi from his throne. In the meantime however, Baraka's focus was on the cloaked stranger who was approaching the camp.
When he was twenty feet away from the stranger, the General stood where he was and raised one bladed arm out. "I am Baraka, leader of the Resistance," he announced. "You better have a good reason to approach our camp. Speak now, or your head will join the others on a spike!"
The cloaked figure seemed to look over Baraka's shoulders. They clearly noticed the rotting heads of those who attempted, and failed, to invade the campsite. The spikes were indeed used as warnings to those who tried to trespass.
The figure turned their head back in the tarkatan's direction before speaking. "I must admit, that was quite a nice 'welcome back' greeting." They then reached both hands up and pulled back their hood, revealing their face.
Baraka's eyes widened for only a split second, but then quickly narrowed them. With an annoyed growl, he retracted his blades back into his arms before shaking his head a little. "Havik, you idiot..."
"And I thought you'd recognize my smell," Havik pointed out. "Shame... I think you're losing your touch, my tarkatan friend."
"Just shut up and report," Baraka responded in annoyance.
Havik replied as the two of them began to walk back towards the camp entrance. "Well, I must say that being able to gain access to that G-Corp portal in order to return here was easier than I imagined, especially considering how sneaking through with Reptile's invisibility made the 'going in' very simple. Those soldiers are more intelligent than the guards Shao Kahn had. Still, they're too busy with their new alliance with Quan Chi to notice one man sneaking back through."
"For some reason, I don't believe that," Baraka grumbled.
"I'll explain more once we gather the others."
"Fine. Just try not to beat around the bush with you 'chaos' talk while you explain whatever you have in mind. That's not an order, but a 'request.'"
"Well... that's no fun."
Baraka only rolled his eyes at that. Thankfully for him, the rest of the walk to the camp was silent, and he sent one of his men to begin gathering the ones he considered 'additional Generals' of the Outworld Resistance. Aside from himself, Havik, and Mileena, they also contained Havik's own allies and members of the Black Dragon, Kabal and Tira. There was also the leader of the Shokans, Sheeva, and Reptile, the last of his Saurian race.
Once they were all gathered together, Baraka realized there was one person missing from the group. "Where's Noob Saibot?" he asked.
"He issss sscouting for both food and enemiesss outssside the camp," answered Reptile.
Or... having a nice little 'chat' with Quan Chi, Havik bemused. Only he knew that Noob Saibot and the Brotherhood were allied with both the Outworld Resistance and the Outworld Forces. The alliance with the latter was meant to be kept secret, and the Cleric of Chaos was amused at the idea of it all.
"Well in that case, Havik is reporting back from his recent trip to Earthrealm," Baraka announced.
"He's not going to praise 'Chaos' again in the middle of his explanation, is he?" asked a skeptical Sheeva. "I don't have the patience for it today."
"And if he did, what's wrong with that?" questioned Tira.
"Now children," cut in Havik. "I appreciate all the nice thoughts, but it's not necessary."
Mileena rolled her eyes. "Just report already."
"All right," Havik began. "So thanks to Reptile's invisibility here..." he pointed at the saurian before he proceeded. "I was able to sneak into the base that Quan Chi's new allies, G-Corp, set up at the edge of the Wastelands, and go through their portal to Earthrealm. Shame really... I was hoping to break some necks along the way. Didn't happen when I returned either...
"Anyway, during the few days I was gone, I was able to make some arrangements with G-Corp's opposition, the Mishima Zaibatsu. Such a wonderful alliance, I must say. For someone so young, their CEO is very intelligent. I admire a leader who knows what he wants and goes for it... especially while leaving behind his own kind of... chaos... to achieve it."
Kabal shook his head. "I still can't believe you managed to not only get diplomatic with the Mishima Zaibatsu, but you also managed to gain an alliance with Jin Kazama of all people. I still wonder how you did that."
"Sometimes, certain strategies need to be used in order to get one on the right course," Havik said. "But as you know, none of us care about this little war on Earthrealm. What we only care about is our war with Quan Chi and his Outworld Forces. G-Corp and the Mishima Zaibatsu oppose each other in their war, and for whatever reason, Quan Chi allied with G-Corp. Therefore, it made a lot of sense for us, the Resistance, to ally with the Mishima Zaibatsu in Earthrealm."
"So what kind of... arrangement did you make with them?" asked Mileena.
Havik raised his arms in a way that made it seem like he wanted to hug someone. "As I had hoped, they're welcoming us to their home! They need more allies in their war. In exchange for our services under them, they'll make sure that we have the opportunity to eradicate Quan Chi and his minions for good."
Kabal immediately turned his head to Mileena with a laugh. "I told you Havik would get the job done! Guess who owes me twenty gold koins?"
"Damn it..." she growled. "I'll pay you later..."
"Oh and they're also running some tournament that starts real soon," Havik added. "Kazama guarantees that with G-Corp being there, the Outworld Forces will be as well, giving us the chance to get closer to them."
"You'll think we'll have the opportunity to shed blood?" asked Tira, sounding cheerful at the thought.
"... You know, I hadn't asked if it was one of those death tournaments," the cleric replied.
"I doubt it," said Baraka. "Humans seem to be... sensitive when it comes to death in general."
"That's not always true," Kabal pointed out. "I've seen plenty of it long before I ended up here. Never bothered me in the least. It's part of reality."
"You're one of the few exceptions. Either way, after months of attempting to overthrow Quan Chi, we'll be bringing the fight to Earthrealm. Kazama better know the consequences if he doesn't keep his word."
"If he does try to turn his back on us, I'll eat his face, handsome or not," Mileena added.
Baraka rolled his eyes at that comment, but chose to ignore it. "When are we expected to be there?"
"Within the next three days," Havik replied. "Kazama wants us there before the tournament begins. He'll send some of his forces to pick us up with their own portal tech."
"Fine... until then, we prepare for the trip."
Sheeva seemed to huff about that. "I don't know if any of you recall, but Kazama was one of The Four who killed Shao Kahn alongside the former Empress, Ivy Valentine."
"Of course we know that," said Mileena with a roll of her eyes. "You've been harping about wanting to kill them all for months."
"When you've witnessed Shao Kahn's demise like I did, you'd understand," the shokan pointed out. "What's the point of joining with him if he was directly responsible for opening up the throne for Quan Chi to grab in the first place? We wouldn't be in this predicament otherwise. We should just kill him instead."
"As much as I'm sure Havik - and Tira for that matter - would enjoy seeing you kill Kazama," Kabal began to say. It wasn't hard for him to notice the creepy, sweet-like smile from Tira at the mention of her name as he proceeded. "We kind of need Kazama alive in order to reach our primary objective. It'd be kind of pointless if we ended up killing him instead."
"You can do whatever you want once we're rid of Quan Chi," Mileena informed.
"But until then," Baraka continued. "If you so much as scratch Kazama, you and the rest of the shokan will be permanently kicked out of the resistance and left to die in the wastelands!"
Sheeva scowled at that, but she did reply with, "Fine. I'll follow for now, but don't expect me to like it."
"Besides, you may find out who the other two are during this trip," Kabal pointed out. "There may be a chance that Kazama could tell you who they are. We're not sure of one of them, only that they're male, but you did mention before that the other is a blind guy with a sword. How many of those are around the universe?"
"... You know," Havik began to say. "Now that you mentioned it, I actually do remember fighting a blind guy with a sword at the Blood Tournament-"
Everyone groaned as they threw their hands up in exasperation. "Now you tell usss!" called out Reptile.
"Hey, it's not like I know his name or anything or else I would've said something by now... maybe," Havik said. "If it makes you feel better, I did actually try to kill him, but the gun I grabbed from someone wasn't loaded."
"That means nothing," growled Sheeva. "You didn't follow through with your initial plan. If you were a shokan, you would have dishonored your people!"
"Well... I'm pretty sure I broke his nose when I chuckled the empty gun at his face."
Baraka growled while he placed a hand over his face. "This conversation is getting us nowhere, just off the subject!"
"Well we were talking about The Four," Havik said. "I was just saying that I'm sure that I saw one of The Four with my own two eyes..." He then chuckled at a thought. "Too bad he couldn't say the same."
"Anyway!" Baraka called out. "We leave for Earthrealm in three days. As I said, prepare yourselves until then. This may be our best chance to take out Quan Chi for good."
Mileena's eyes gleamed at a thought. "And when it's over, the throne will go to it's rightful heir... Me."
MI-6 Headquarters, London, England
A meeting just finished up in the conference room of the MI-6 military base. A handful of soldiers had been a part of that meeting including Cammy White, Lita Luwanda, and Juni. All three of them were in formal forest green uniforms, and each of them held a thermos that contained fresh coffee they took with them to the meeting.
"You know," Lita began. "I feel good about this Shikoken Tournament our superiors are sending us to."
"Why is that?" asked Cammy.
"You have to admit, flying to Mishima Island sounds much safer than going through a portal to Outworld like we did two years ago."
"I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up," Cammy grumbled.
"It's true though," Lita pointed out. "At least this time, we'll remain on Earth."
"I'm just glad I managed to visit my hometown in Germany before this war even started," Juni mentioned. She took a deep breath. "I feel... better about going back, even if it was brief."
"I can only imagine," Lita said. "At least you know your father is still alive, even if you didn't speak to him directly."
"I will someday," Juni replied somberly. "I don't know why I was hesitant about it. It's been so long since... Shadaloo... but anyway, let's try to end this war first. Once it's over, I'll consider... speaking to him."
"Sounds like a plan," Cammy agreed. "In the meantime, I'm sure after that visit from the new Protector of Earthrealm we all received the other night, it won't be long before we see the other chosen ones."
"I'm just more glad you were able to convince the General to let us go to this tournament in the first place," Lita said.
"I merely just took Guile's advice by showing how we can get closer to the Mishima Zaibatsu and end this war," Cammy mentioned. "I'm glad I spoke to him last night since it hasn't been easy in the last three months..."
There was a brief pause before Juni hesitantly began to ask what she and Lita were both thinking. "How are you feeling about this... war?"
Cammy quickly answered. "Just like everyone else, I want to find a way to end it. It's completely needless. That'll be all."
Juni gazed at Lita, who gave her a quick shake of her head as though she was saying, 'Don't push the subject any further.' With a frown, Juni turned her head forward as the three continued to walk through the hallway. None of the three soldiers spoke to each other for the rest of their shifts as they each went into their own offices to get some much-needed paperwork done...
Later that evening, Lita returned to her flat, and it didn't take her long to notice that the television was playing in the living room. After shifting her eyes over to the couch, she saw her boyfriend, Steve Fox, laid out on the couch. His tired eyes gazed at whatever was playing on the screen.
Lita frowned at the sight. She knew that Steve didn't want any pity over his latest situation. Unlike some sports organization, the boxing industry he joined not long after the Universal War - once it was confirmed that the syndicate out for his life went debunked - canceled all of their events until further notice. This left Steve without a job, and with boxing the only trade he could offer, he didn't have any other options. Lita tried to find him a temporary spot in MI-6, but anything he was qualified for were positions that were already filled.
After turning her head, Lita spotted an old photograph she kept on a small table near the front door. It consisted of herself and Cammy alongside three others – Colonel Keith Wolfman, Major Matthew McCoy, and Tech Expert George Ginzu... the old Delta Red Team.
Has it been almost two years already since our men died in Outworld? Lita thought sadly. Seems so long ago...
"When did you get in?" she heard Steve ask out loud. Lita turned her head and saw that he sat up on the couch and looked straight at her with his dark blue eyes.
Lita approached before she sat closely next to him on the couch. "Just a few moments ago," she replied. "Cammy managed to convince the General to send us to the tournament next week."
"Good," Steve replied as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Glad to hear it worked out."
"I hate to think what would've happen if he said no," Lita wondered as she leaned her head into his shoulder. "But it doesn't matter. As you said, it worked out. Now, if I can get Cammy to talk to me about more than business, I'm good to go..."
Steve frowned at that. "At least you two are talking after the Universal War..."
"I know," Lita replied. "But until last year, we were able to talk about almost anything... she used to confide in me about everything until... I kind stole you away from her..."
"You didn't steal me away from her," Steve reminded her. "We were already broken up by the time you and I got together."
"Days later after the break-up, need I remind you. Besides, I think her pride took over more than it did. Not surprisingly, she's become a little more stoic since this new war began. Juni and I have been trying to avoid asking how she was feeling... until today at least when Juni opened her mouth."
"And...?"
"All Cammy said was along the lines of, 'I just want this war to end.' Honestly, not a good idea to push the issue any further than that." Lita turned so that she gazed up at him. "Let's not talk about it anymore. I want to try to relax for the rest of the night if possible."
Steve leaned his head towards Lita to leave a brief kiss on her lips, which Lita returned before he pulled away. "I don't blame you. At least once we're on the island for the tournament, I'll finally be able to ease my boredom."
Lita gave him a faux frown. "What? I don't give you enough entertainment?"
Steve chuckled at that. "You know what I mean."
Lita gave him a serious look. "This tournament might be a good thing, and not just to give you something to do with your skills... but this could be a chance for any of us wanting to end this war for good. Hopefully by the time the tournament is over, everything will go back to normal, including the boxing industry."
He sighed at that. "I hope you're right..."
In another part of London, Cammy entered her own flat, a bag of Chinese take-out in one hand. After heading to the couch, she set up her dinner on the coffee table before she reached for the remote to turn on the television. Once she turned up the volume, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks along with a box of chicken lo mein. She then leaned back against the couch before she began to chow down.
Not surprisingly, the TV played the news, which always seems to talk about nothing but the current war these days. At first, it talked of the loss of lives, both military and civilian, and the efforts the oppositions were making... which didn't seem like all that much to Cammy.
And then... Jin's face suddenly appeared on the screen as they re-broadcast his announcement of the Shikoken Tournament...
"Do not mind the interruption to your networks, I will be short and to the point. This is in response to the bounty that was recently placed upon my own head by G-Corp's CEO. I'm sure they are more than plenty of you who wish to seek me out. In that case, I will give you one chance to earn that opportunity.
"Your chance will come in a form of a tournament created by yours truly. The Shikoken Tournament will take place on the resort Mishima Island located in the Sea of Japan. If you have what it takes, arrive at the port in Nagato, Japan at nine o'clock in the morning local time, two weeks from today, where the ferries will take you to the island. You can make reservations at any of the island's hotels and resorts. More details on the tournament will come in due time.
"On a small note, I personally would like to extend my... invitation... to the heroes who helped in seeing to the end of the Universal War." Jin then gave the camera a small, knowing smirk. "You know who you are."
The screen then went back to the news reporter, but Cammy no longer paid attention. Instead, her mind drifted off into an old memory from just over a year ago... one that involved her last conversation in Jin just days after the end of the Universal War...
"Jin?" Cammy began with a little bit of hesitantance.
Jin gaze down at her. "Yeah?"
"Now that it's all over, what will you do when we get back to Earth?"
It was a question that he knew the answer to. "End my curse."
Hearing this made Cammy frown more, but she figured this would be his answer. Considering what she saw a few nights ago while kissing him in the lounge, plus the fact that he brought up 'the monster inside him,' Cammy realized that, whatever this curse was, it was definitely supernatural…and clearly, it was something Jin was haunted by. Knowing this, Cammy knew right away that once they were back on Earth, they would go their separate ways again. At least she was going to have the chance to say goodbye… maybe after, it would be easier to move on.
Before Cammy had the chance to say anything, Jin turned around and began to head to the washroom nearby. He spoke as he walked. "When we get back to Earth, I'll be taking care of it. I'm not sure how, but I'm going to find any means necessary to get rid of it."
As soon as he reached the door, Jin stopped in his tracks. He looked down at his feet again before he turned his head to gaze at Cammy. "And when I do finally lift this curse, well… I can't make any promises... but I'll try to find you."
He walked into the washroom before he closed the door behind him, and Cammy found herself alone. She only stood there for another few seconds before she began to leave the room. She stopped briefly at the threshold and turned her head to look at the washroom door.
No… she didn't come into this room expecting them to start where they left off all those months ago in London… but at least she took comfort in knowing that, when he was ready, he would come back to her. Truthfully, however, Cammy knew that she wouldn't be waiting for him forever. She had a life to live and she could only hope that was something that he understood but didn't bother to mention.
"Good luck," Cammy whispered before she closed the door behind her.
The memory left her mind as Cammy looked down at the take-out box in her hand. Her food was hardly eaten, but at some point while deep in through, she clenched her chopsticks tight enough to snap them in half. Cammy ended up staring at them with wide eyes for a moment before she scowled.
"Bloody hell, we weren't even a couple for THAT long!" Cammy yelled out loud before she chucked her broken chopsticks across the living room. She then placed her dinner down on the coffee table before she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, doing what she can to calm her nerves.
Jin, I know you weren't perfect and you had you demons... literally, Cammy ended up thinking. But you had good intentions... why are you doing this? You've become a terrorist... Why? Why...?
In the back of her mind, Cammy knew what she would do if she had the chance to come face to face with Jin during this war... she would demand answers for his atrocities and why he suddenly had a change of heart after saving the universe from destruction last year.
Cammy knew what she stood for; peace and justice. It was one of many reasons why she joined MI-6. But she couldn't help but wonder how strong her resolve would be if she ever came face to face with Jin for real. Would her convictions keep her afloat in that moment, or would memories of the past and what could've been shake her? Never had she felt so conflicted in her life... and it was something she planned to take to the grave.
Perhaps, in the end, it would depend on how Jin answers her. Only then would her own questions be revealed. Maybe then, it would be easier to move on with her life...
3 Months Ago, Unknown Location
At his desk, Jin Kazama stood up from his seat as a group of Tekken Force soldiers entered his large office. There were eight of them in total, all with guns in their hands and were escorting two people that they surrounding. It was a way for them to make sure that neither of them tried to escape. It was nighttime outside, and the city lights outside shined through the large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked his office (the windows acted as a one-way mirror from the other side in order to minimize any assassination attempts on his life, even at nighttime).
Eventually, one of the masked soldiers approached Jin's desk. He briskly saluted the CEO before he spoke up. "Sir, we managed to capture the two criminals you requested to be brought to you."
Jin nodded. "Bring them closer to my desk," he requested.
The soldiers obliged as they turned their attention to the two men they surrounded. "All right, move it!" the soldier called out as the others shoved the two forward.
"Hey, watch it!" one with an Australian accent grumbled as he was pushed towards the desk. The second man merely narrowed his eyes at the soldiers.
By now, Jin was able to get a good look at them. The Australian man was the older of the two with dark hair that had only a few strands of gray, and a full beard to match. The right half of his face was covered with a metal plate, and his eye was replaced by a glowing red orb. His left brown eye, however, was still intact.
The younger man next to him had light blonde hair parted in the middle and blue eyes with lids that seemed unnaturally wide open. A large, navy colored breathing mask covered the bottom half of his face, and he wore a dark blue skin-tight suit with a black sleeveless vest over his torso.
Before Jin said anything, the older man with the metal plate spat out some phlegm onto the marble floor before he spoke up. "You better have a good reason for dragging our arses all the way out here!" he called out.
Jin narrowed his eyes at him. "I assume you're Kano. The files on you warned that you had a big mouth."
"What of it?" Kano dared to ask. "Clearly, it hasn't gotten me killed yet."
"No shit," Jin replied non-nonchalantly. "Anyway, before we begin, let me see if these files I have on you are correct..." The young man turned his head to his computer before he proceeded. "Both of you are highly-wanted criminals who've made the Wanted List posted by Interpol... which as you know, is a pretty big deal. Kano - born in Australia, former leader of the Black Dragon clan, and a mercenary for hire. You were wanted for the following crimes – trafficking of drugs and illegal weapons that included the realm of Outworld, and multiple murders which include soldiers and officers of the law."
"For the record, that's all an understatement," Kano said. "I'm surprised Interpol remembers me after all these years. I'm almost touched."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Jin turned his attention to the other man in the room. "And you are Hans Holger-"
"Doctrine Dark," the masked man corrected with annoyance in his voice. "I don't go by that name anymore."
"...Yes, I was going to mentioned your preferred name. Doctrine Dark - born in Germany but raised in the States, you once offered your services to the United States Air Force as a recon scout under the direction of William Guile. A mission left you... disfigured, hence your breathing mask. You also were a mercenary for hire and were wanted for murder.
"Both of your ended up spending time at San Quentin State Prison, and I assume that's where you two met and became pals... until the Universal War damaged the facility enough to give you both the chance to escape. And for almost a year, you were at large... at least until now."
"So what?" Kano began, clearly unimpressed. "You gonna get yourself the reward money? What good will that do for such an important CEO like yourself? I'm sure it's only a small fraction of what you already have in the bank." Those last two sentences seeped with sarcasm.
Jin smirked a little. "No... far from it. The real reason I had you two brought here is because I need more talent in my Tekken Force. Interpol doesn't hesitate to list all known skills in any criminal file. You two not only have military training and vast knowledge of explosives weapons, but you also have exceptional combat skills. You will only be needed for this war... once it's over, you'll be free to leave to do as you please."
"And what's in it for us?" Kano asked. "I don't just work for free, you know. And considering how you decided to just have your soldiers drag us both out of hiding instead of asking nicely, don't expect the price tag to be a bargain."
"I thought as much," Jin said. "Just name your price and we'll set it up."
"Heh," Kano hummed. "Not even a limit? You're more loaded than I gave you credit for. Well, as long as the pay is good, I'll go along with it. Might be fun. Better than hiding, I suppose."
Jin turned head to Doctrine Dark. "What about you? How much do you want to get paid?"
"I don't need money," Doctrine Dark replied. "If you want me to work under you, I only want one simple thing in return."
"Name it."
"...The opportunity to assassinate my former superior, Guile."
There was a brief pause before Jin spoke. "If I may ask, why do you wish to see him dead?"
Doctrine Dark's fists clenched tightly as old memories fogged his mind. He breathed hard as he answered. "It was he who sent my unit and I into a death trap! All were killed except me! And I have to live with this!" He pointed at his breathing mask. "It's all I've thought about for years! I will not know peace and my unit will not rest eternally until he is dead!"
Kano looked at Jin. "Needless to say, it's a bit of a sensitive subject."
There were a few moments of silence as Jin turned his back to the two criminals. He walked a few feet away from his desk to gaze up at a large painting that looked over his office - a scene of a battlefield with two opposing sides fighting each other in the time of the samurai. The painted had been placed here long before he took over this company
"Is that all you want?" Jin asked the younger criminal. "To have the chance to murder your former superior?"
"Nothing else will satisfy me more," Doctrine Dark replied.
Once again, Jin was silent as he thought about Guile... someone he once considered an ally during the Blood Tournament two years ago. They even had a match against each other during that same tournament. The Air Force soldier was brainwashed into serving Shao Kahn during the Universal War, so after he was freed, Jin only spoke to him for a very short time last year. Although Jin didn't know him all that well, he did consider Guile a good man, and he wondered what it was that he did years ago that earned such a hateful, psychotic wrath from his former recon scout. The file on Docrtine Dark didn't give much detail on what had transpired when he was disfigured.
For once since he took over the Mishima Zaibatsu, Jin felt his conscience seeping into his mind. Although he knew that his former allies would be affected by this war he created, it was suddenly a different story when he found himself personally holding one of their lives in their hands. He could decide right then and there whether to spare Guile or oblige Doctrine Dark's 'payment.'
There was also the fact that Guile was, in a way, a surrogate father to Cammy White - a woman Jin was once close to during the Blood Tournament. He remembered how fondly she spoke of the older man in those days...
"Well?" he heard Doctrine Dark ask, his words breaking through the CEO's thoughts.
Knowing that he had to appease Doctrine Dark to get him on his side, Jin knew what to do... for now. After turning around to face the former recon scout, he said, "Here's the deal. Hold your end of the bargain until the end of the war. If I feel that you deserve your... payment... I will make it happen. Take it or leave it."
Doctrine Dark narrowed his eyes at the CEO. "And if I happen to... run into him?"
"Do not actively seek him out or this deal is off," Jin demanded firmly. "You are to wait until after the tournament, once I feel that your end of the bargain, a simple one at that, is sufficient. Is that understood?"
There was a moment of silence before Doctrine Dark finally said with a small groan, "Fine. I'll accept those terms."
"Good... then I can assume you both understand your side of the bargain. As long as you do what needs to be done, then I will fulfill my end of the deal. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," was Kano's reply. Doctrine Dark only nodded in reply.
Somewhere in Japan - One week after the Shikoken Tournament was announced...
The sun had long set for the evening as an ambassador entered his office. He had forgotten some paperwork he planned to take home with him. His security team stood by his door as they waited for him to grab his papers. Even in the dark, the ambassador knew his way around the office, so there was no need to turn on the lights. After walking over to his desk, he went through the upper draw to the right, grabbed what he needed, and pushed the draw back.
Unknown to the politician, however, Doctrine Dark was already in the office... and within the shadows, he stood right behind him!
Just as he was about to leave, a wire suddenly wrapped tightly around his neck, which cut off his oxygen. After dropping his papers on the floor in panic, the ambassador attempted to struggle against it, but the more he did, the worse the wire tightened. The wire eventually began to cut into his neck and drew blood.
That was when he noticed a second person enter his office - Kano. From the office door, the ambassador could see his security team were on the floor. Their blood pooled onto the floor around them. Kano held a large, bloody knife in his right hand, which gleamed under what little light there was in the room
"Shame your security team isn't as sufficient as you thought, don't you agree, Ambassador?" Kano asked, a sadistic grin etched onto his face.
The ambassador felt the wire loosen a bit on his neck, which gave him the chance to gasp for breath as well as speak. "What... are you..." he managed to rasp.
"Nothing personal, mate," Kano said. "But we were sent here to... take care of things, if you catch my drift."
"Let me... guess..." the politician began with a cough. "The... Zaibatsu."
"Guilty as charged," Kano admitted. "Too bad you didn't play their game... or else you wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. Don't you agree?"
When the ambassador didn't answer, Kano continued. "Luckily for you, mate, I'll be nice enough to give you a choice. You can either let my good mate over here slice your head off, or... make me an offer... the cash kind of course."
"Ten thousand," the ambassador offered quickly.
Kano shook his head as he planted the tip of his knife onto the office desk. He then began to let the weapon spin on top of the desk, and he let it go around a few times, catching the hilt in between before it fell to its side.
"Tsk tsk tsk, you'll have to do better than that."
"Twenty thousand... that's my final offer! Please, don't kill me!" the politician begged.
Kano was silent for a moment as he seemed to contemplate the offer. Finally, he picked up the knife before slipping it back in his scabbard on his hip. "Sorry, no can do. The Zaibatsu pays me more than that." He then nodded to his ally, his signal to end the man's life.
Quickly, Doctrine Dark took one step behind him before he violently jerked back his wire, causing his victim to choke even more. He then struggled with two more tugs before the wire sliced right through the ambassador's neck, decapitating him. A loud thud was heard as his head landed on the ground and rolled underneath his desk. The rest of his body soon collapsed onto the ground. The fresh blood stained the rug in the office.
"Heh," Kano huffed once that was over. He gazed down at the body. "Clean as a dandelion. Good job, mate. Best we leave now before anyone else sees us."
From there, the two of them began to sneak out of the embassy they managed to sneak into hours earlier. They just reached the barrier on the side of the grounds before the alarms began to go off and alert other security of the incident. However, the two criminals were able to escape over the gate before anyone saw them. From there, neither one of them stopped in their tracks until they put a good distance between themselves and the embassy.
"And that's how it's done," Doctrine Dark said once they stopped running. "Though the map the Forces provided helped with this mission. Another opposition off the list..."
"Now all we have left between now and next week is that tournament Kazama is hosting," Kano pointed out. "Gonna be interesting, I bet, especially since he allied with the Outworld Resistance recently."
Doctrine Dark gazed up at his ally. "He mentioned there were members of the new Black Dragon who are part of this resistance."
"So he tells me," Kano replied. "Oh I plan to take the clan back and bring it to it's former glory... bet your life on it. I would like to know who managed to revive the clan while I was stuck in San Quentin two years ago."
"One thing I wonder..." the former recon scout began. "You and I are both aware of the bounty on Kazama's head... what's stopping you for killing him and claiming the money for yourself?"
"I'm simply waiting to see who's the likely winner of this little war the Zaibatsu and G-Corp are playing," Kano replied. "Why? You want a cut of the money, too?"
"Far from it," Doctrine Dark replied. "You already know why I'm even working for the Zaibatsu to begin with."
"Yeah yeah, assassinate your former boss," Kano said. "Lemme give you some quick advice. You do what you think needs to be done, but sometimes, you can't rely on even the boss giving you what you want. Sometimes, certain circumstances might put them in a position bad enough to not be able to hold their end of the deal. Not that they don't want to sometimes, but you have to remember... with this bounty on his head, there are a lot of people who are going to be after him, especially at this tournament. What I'm telling you is that he might not live quite long enough to fulfill your wish."
"Trust me when I say I have my own back up plans in mind," Doctrine Dark said. "I'm just biding my time."
Kano patted the assassin on the shoulder. "Good man. Now then, best we head back to headquarters before the Tekken Forces write us off as dead."
From there, the two criminals began to head back to the offices of the Mishima Zaibatsu while keeping themselves hidden within the shadows...
Mikros Village, Ottoman Empire, Keisei
Sophitia Alexandra walked herself inside a small cottage. All was quiet around her, so she figured that both her parents and her younger brother were at their family-owned bakery a few blocks away in their village. However, she knew that her younger sister was home at least.
"Cassandra!" Sophitia called out from the living room. "I'm here!"
"I'll be out in a minute!" Cassandra responded from her bedroom before she turned her attention back to what she was doing. "Okay... I think I have everything I need," the younger woman uttered as she closed and locked a suitcase full of clothes. "Now I just have to remember to retrieve my sword from Rothion before I leave tomorrow. Knowing my luck, I would forget to bring that with me..."
She then went and closed her remaining suitcase which contained more clothes and a few books, which included a personal journal. No way Lucius is going to get his hands on that while I'm gone!
Cassandra then decided to not keep her older sister waiting. After leaving her bedroom, she headed out to the living room, where Sophitia was located. To her surprise, a familiar weapon was placed on the small coffee table in front of the settee alongside her shield.
"Is that my sword?" Cassandra asked.
Sophitia nodded. "Rothion finished sharpening it early, so I thought since I was coming by anyway that I'd take it here with me. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd forget to visit his shop before he closed shop."
Cassandra rolled her eyes and decided not to admit that her sister was probably right. "No I wouldn't. I was just about to head down there to see if he had it ready."
"Mmm hmm," Sophitia hummed teasingly. "Are you ready for the trip?"
"Just about," Cassandra replied. "Though the journey to Chiri-san will be a little daunting, but I'm sure once I'm there, things will get... interesting to say the least."
"I'm sure it would, especially once you're transported to Earth. I bet that alone is exciting."
"Oh I'm sure it would be if this wasn't my second trip," Cassandra chuckled. "I'm a little nervous because of how Fujin described this new threat, as subtle as he was, but the fact that I'll be seeing my Earth friends again already has me excited." After that statement, she frowned a little. "Are you sure you still don't want to come with me? Fujin invited us both to help out on Earth after all."
"I know, and I appreciate him considering me," Sophitia answered. "But ever since the Universal War ended, I've been more at peace than I've had in a long time. I don't feel ready for the journey just yet, especially with Pyrrha and Patroklos still being so young."
"You still feel weary from the last journey you went on before the Blood Tournament two years ago?"
"It was daunting, but I'm over it now," Sophitia admitted. "But something tells me that it's best for me to stay home this time around."
"I'm surprised mother and father are letting me go on the trip at all," Cassandra mentioned. "Then again, I only told them that I was going to visit my friends on Earth, not fight against a new threat. I'm sure mother would've especially locked me in my room for weeks in order to prevent me from going if they knew the truth. I feel bad about lying, but I realize that this is the only way I can leave to help out."
"I hate lying too, but for once I agree," Sophitia said. "Especially when a God like Fujin asks you to assist."
For some reason, hearing that left somewhat of a bad taste in Cassandra's mouth. In the past, Sophitia would heed the calling of one of their Keisei Gods, Hephaestus, and she did everything he asked her to do then. Hephaestus had asked Sophitia to go on her last journey two years ago to seek the fragments of Soul Edge, Keisei's infamous artifact. This was not long after Patroklos, the youngest of her two children, was born. Sophitia was exhausted and weary upon her return despite not quite succeeding in her mission.
So Cassandra couldn't help but wonder... what if it was Hephaestus who asked Sophitia to help fight against this new threat instead of Fujin? Would she have declined the request like she did with Fujin, or would she drop everything to assist? Cassandra had a small feeling that she knew the true answer to that...
However, Cassandra chose not to point that out. The sisters have been in a couple of shouting matches over Sophitia's loyalty to Hephaestus in the past. The last thing Cassandra wanted to do right now was to leave home on a bad note, especially since she didn't know how long her newest journey would last.
"You'll be fine," Sophitia finally said. "With your friends there, I'm sure the journey will be much more bearable. Also, when you get back, you have to tell me everything that happened."
"Of course I will," Cassandra said. "I'm not just bringing my journal with me just so our brother Lucius couldn't get the chance snoop around my stuff while I was gone. I'll have a full account of everything... though I may be selective on what I tell you."
"You know you have to tell me if you meet a cute Earthrealm boy while you're gone."
"It's already annoying to hear mother asking me every other day, 'when are you going to settle down and get married?'" Cassandra pointed out. "I almost lose my sanity every time."
Sophitia chuckled. "Well then, you tell me whatever you want to tell me when you get back." She then gave her a serious look. "Just... make sure you get home safely and as soon as you can. None of us in the family want to go through what we did last year..."
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen again," Cassandra promised. "We just have to hope that things turn out for the better."
Sophitia nodded at that. "I hope so, too..."
The next morning, Cassandra began her journey to rejoin the chosen ones once more...
Unknown Temple Ruins, Zhangjajie National Forest, China
The chirping birds out in the distance was the only sound that could be heard all around. The bright sun shone past the thick green leaves of the tall trees. Only a few small rays reached the dirt ground. Within the forest, remains of a seemingly long-forgotten temple stood on a small hill with the majority of the bricks collapsed into a large unorganized pile. Miraculously, the pillars still stood. Surrounding the temple, aside from the trees, was a small field with a few patches of grass and different color wildflowers that were sprinkled all around.
For the kenpo master Feng Wei, not only was this the perfect place to practice his katas, but it was also a place where he could enjoy the peace and quiet the area offered him.
Training was what Feng Wei was focused on these days. Before that and after the Universal War, Feng Wei continued on his mission to find the God Fist Scroll that his deceased master had told him about many years ago. It was almost hard to believe how much he let his frustration and anger get the best of him during his search for what was called 'the ultimate power.' He left destruction behind in many temples and injured those who got in his way in his search... he thirsted for power that much.
His path would lead him to the Shaolin Temple just as the Universal War began. Both the war and the presence of Detective Lei Wulong, who he knew was out to arrest him for his crimes, forced Feng Wei to keep a low profile while he searched around for the scroll. He was eventually caught, but Lei begrudgingly decided not to arrested him then as he realized that Feng Wei would potentially be an ally in the fight ahead of them.
Even to this day, Feng Wei was still baffled by the fact that the likes of the Wind God, Fujin, and the yoga master Dhalsim, were willing to have someone like him as one of the chosen ones. Aside from destroying temples and injuring those who got in his way, he was also responsible for the death of his master, the man who practically raised him since he was a boy.
Fujin explained it when he inquired about it; '… You should not have let anger take over, but Dhalsim saw that you had regrets. You have your sins, we all do, but there is still some good in you despite what you think.'
Feng Wei was left with a lot of thoughts that night. It seemed that Dhalsim figured out an inner struggle he long buried within himself for years; the remorse he had after he blindly murdered his master in a fit of anger after the older man scolded him. It was all due to a desire to better challenge himself outside of the temple, which was forbidden.
One day, he would make amends for his foolish mistake. He almost wished to go back to the temple he was raised in to ask for forgiveness, but as of now, he was sure that the other students there would not be so forgiving of him.
Throughout the journey, as well as the aftermath of the Universal War, Feng Wei spent most of the time not only training, but observing the other chosen ones around him. He sparred with a couple of them during his stay in the realm of Keisei, most notably with the Muay Thai warrior Sagat, but other than that he kept to himself. He was very much fond of the united spirit he witnessed the chosen ones possessed as a group. Everyone in the group, including himself, all walked different paths in their lives, each born and bred into warriors of different styles, their experiences marked by how they fought against their enemies. The common goal of ending a horrible war against the universe joined everyone in a way that Feng Wei believed will never see the likes of again in his life.
After they returned to Earthrealm after the Universal War ended, Feng Wei made the decision to continue with his mission to find the God Fist scroll... only this time, he would go about it more peacefully. It wasn't long before the 5th King of Iron Fist Tournament was announced by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Long ago, his master mentioned a rumor of the corporation possibly being in possession of the scroll. Despite never believing it, he decided to enter the tournament to try his luck there...
Feng Wei advanced far in the tournament and ended up being in the top four, but ultimately lost to the tournament's eventual winner, fellow chosen one and one quarter of The Four Jin Kazama. Despite that loss, the two earned each other's respect and became acquainted, their conversations mainly about martial arts and the Universal War. When Jin won the tournament and earned the CEO seat of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Feng Wei requested for him to see if the Zaibatsu held the relic in their possession. Jin promised to look into it as soon as he was able. Feng Wei stayed in Japan, where the tournament took place, in the meantime.
Two weeks later, Jin personally came to him with the God Fist Scroll in his hand. The legend was true, and the ultimate power was finally in his hands.
However, when Feng Wei opened the scroll that night, there was only a small inscription inside...
Destroyer of all styles, the one true ultimate style, it transcends the power of The Dragon God, which exceeds all human ability.
"...The hell is this?!" were the first words that flew out of his mouth then. All that passage did was leave him dumbfounded.
For months, Feng Wei tried to contact Jin in hopes of getting more information about the scroll, but with no success. Once the current war initiated by the Mishima Zaibatsu took place, the lack of communication made more sense to him.
Feng Wei imagined that most of the chosen ones were angry by Jin's change, especially after his role in ending the last war. With no reason being stated as of now for why he started the war, the kenpo warrior decided to withhold judgment on his acquaintance until he learned more. If the plight of the former Outworld Empress Ivy Valentine taught him anything the night she explained herself to the group during their stop in Edenia, it was that one should not be too fast to judge a person's character no matter how unreasonable their roles in the atrocity may be... not until you hear the full story from that said person.
There was always a reason for everything... and Feng Wei planned to stay neutral on Jin's decision to start a war until he learns of the younger man's reasons...
For three months, Feng Wei could only wonder how long the war would last and how much it would affect the world. He also wondered if there was a chance for him to figure out more about the God Fist Scroll any time soon, but he figured at this point that it was going to be quite a while before that happened...
Then yesterday, right in this very spot, the new God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm, Liu Kang, visited him. He didn't go into much details of his visit, but the gist of it was that the new war threatened the universe once more. Liu Kang promised to go into more details on Mishima Island, the destined meeting place. The warrior figured that if the new Earthrealm Protector was concerned enough to gather the chosen ones again, whatever this new threat was, he wasn't fooling around.
Feng Wei didn't hesitate to accept Liu Kang's request to rejoin the chosen ones for two reasons, aside from helping to end this new war. One, he would rejoin the chosen ones for the first time in over a year, and he actually looked forward to being part of the group dynamic again. More importantly however, he realized that this may be the closest chance he would have to find more information on the God Fist Scroll.
Either way, there was also a chance that he and the others would find out the story behind Jin's actions. Only then will Feng Wei either judge him or forgive him...