Chapter Fourteen
Mishima Island, The Next Morning
The night before during the reunion feast, one of the last things Liu Kang announced to the chosen ones was that the picnic area they were in would serve as their official meeting spot for whenever came the need to gather together to discuss the events that surrounded why they were here to begin with. Everyone agreed to the choice of meeting spot as it was isolated and away from prying eyes and ears.
In light of last night's announcement of the Shikoken Tournament's tag team involvement, Liu Kang immediately sent out notes to all of the chosen ones' hotel rooms. The notes told them to meet him back at the picnic at ten in the morning. That at least should allow them enough time to enjoy breakfast and get some morning training in.
Like last night, the only two chosen ones he hadn't expected to arrive were Ivy and Scorpion. He planned to address them individually later before the day was over. One big question on his mind was whether or not either one of them would even bother to seek out a tag team partner in the tournament. He almost expected them both, especially Ivy, to pretty much forgo the tournament altogether and just wait around until the threat of Azazel's awakening became much more apparent.
When Liu Kang arrived on the small field where the feast took place, he noted that only the unlit lanterns and the two long picnic tables were all that remained from last night. Already though, Zafina occupied one edge of the picnic bench when he got there.
"You're early," the fire God pointed out.
"Yes I am," Zafina responded. "And I must admit, it's unusual for me."
"Why so?"
"Mostly due to my two occupations. Being an astrologist doesn't require for me to be up at an early hour, and being a guardian keeps me up half the night. Perhaps it could also be the time zones. Then again, my long travels leading to here gave me time to adjust."
Liu Kang lightly laughed. "I admit, ever since my ascension, the concept of time has long since alluded me."
Zafina smirked. "I'm sure it must be one of the nice perks of being a God."
"Perhaps it is," he said. "But if there's anything I've learned, it's that Gods are not as perfect as most mortals have made us out to be over the centuries."
"How so?"
After turning his head away from the young woman, Liu Kang frowned as thoughts of his mentor Raiden came to his mind, specifically the moment of their battle that determined Liu Kang's ascension to Protector of Earthrealm. "Even we have a dark side that can awaken if we're not careful."
"Good morning!" the cheerful voice of Kung Lao called out from the edge of the forest. Liu Kang and Zafina turned their heads and noticed the Shaolin Monk, along with Kai, approaching the picnic tables.
"Morning," Zafina replied.
"And here I thought you'd be the last to show up," Liu Kang said with a hint of humor.
Kung Lao chuckled. "Liu, you're thinking of those old days when I was much more irrational and hotheaded."
"What are you talking about?" Kai began to quip. "You're still like that."
"Ahahaha, you have quite a way of displaying exaggeration, Kai," Kung Lao called out before he nudged him a little too sharply on his arm, which caused Kai to let out a yelp before he rubbed the sudden sore spot on his right bicep.
Liu Kang spoke as he ignored what just happened. "It'll be a bit before the others show up. Go ahead and relax until then."
"Actually, Kai and I were thinking of sparring right here while we wait as a way to prep for tomorrow," Kung Lao mentioned. "Which reminds me, were you planning to compete in this tournament, Liu?"
"Actually, I've chosen to bow out of the competition," Liu Kang answered. "Perhaps I would've taken the opportunity if I was still mortal, but I believe there's no need for me to compete."
"Well, you did prove yourself at the Mortal Kombat tournament all that time ago," Kai pointed out. "Even without your God status, I don't think you need to prove to anyone that you can wipe out the entire competition at this point."
Liu Kang lightly laughed at his former student's praising. "I appreciate the thought, Kai."
"Anyway," Kung Lao cut in. "The reason I asked, Liu, is because if you were going to compete, I was going t mention that you might be disappointed over the fact that Kai and I have already signed up as a tag team for the tournament. We both agreed on it last night and put our names down at the registration room this morning."
"That's good to hear since that's exactly what the meeting will be about," Liu Kang said. "My goal for today is to make sure every chosen one has a partner, or at least starting seeking one out before the deadline tonight."
"Are you planning to compete?" Kai asked the young woman who sat at the picnic table.
Zafina nodded. "I am. I just need to find a tag team partner."
"I'm sure you'll find someone by the end of the day. If today's meeting is anything like last night, they'll definitely be plenty to choose from."
"Come on, Kai," Kung Lao started. "Let's get some sparring done before the meeting starts."
From there, Kung Lao and Kai walked over to one part of the field before they promptly began their sparring session. It wasn't long after that the other chosen ones began to arrive; some in groups, some in duos or trios, and some by themselves.
At one point during the sparring session, Kung Lao decided to give Kai a quick scare just to keep the younger warrior on his toes by throwing his bladed-rimmed hat at him. Kai managed to dodge out of the way in time, as the monk anticipated. Kung Lao then expected his hat to turn around and fly right back to him like a boomerang, but the hat instead embedded itself into a nearby tree, which stopped it in its tracks.
"WHOA!" yelled out a startled Cody, who happened to just walk past that very tree that got hit by Kung Lao's hat. The Metro City native stared at the hat with wide-eyes. As he knew who the hat's owner was, he turned to face the Shaolin before he yelled, "What the hell, Lao?! Are you trying to take my head off?!"
"Sorry!" Kung Lao called out sheepishly.
"I'd say you almost pissed your trousers there a second ago," chuckled Lita, who witnessed what just happened.
"Shut up, Luwanda," Cody grumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"Ooo, someone's grouchy this morning," said Lucia, who was right behind Cody.
"You'll find that most of us are like that in the morning, actually," Lita pointed out to the cop.
"No kidding," Cody mentioned. "I still remember you throwing a mug at someone for waking you up too early back during the Blood Tournament."
"You sure you're not mixing me up with Rose?" Lita asked. "Sure, I'm usually grouchy in the morning, but I've only thrown a bowl at my partner, McCoy, that one time... and that was before we even knew of Outworld's existence."
Cody chuckled as he remembered those old days of shattered mugs on more than one occasion. "I might be, actually."
"A lot of dinnerware broke during that time, did they?" guessed Lucia.
Lita chuckled as she also remembered all the mugs that were broken during the tournament. "You have noooo idea."
Soon, everyone was gathered together and all except Liu Kang sat at the two picnic tables and awaited for the meeting to start. The Fire God made sure that all the chosen ones were accounted for (except Ivy and Scorpion of course) before he commenced the meeting.
"Good morning, everyone," the Protector of Earthrealm started. "As I'm sure all of you know, the Mishima Zaibatsu made a formal announcement last night regarding how the tournament works. Since we're all in this for the long-haul, the goal of today's meeting is simply to make sure you all have a tag team partner, or at least encourage it if you haven't found someone yet."
"Jeez, this whole finding a partner thing almost makes it seem like I'm back in high school," mentioned Yun.
"Are we actually expected to get a partner right now during this meeting?" asked Johnny Cage.
"Not necessarily," Liu Kang mentioned to his old friend. "But I'm hoping that everyone here gets a tag team partner by the time registration closes tonight."
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I know just the person I want to team up with!"
From across the way, Sonya's eyes widened in near-horror after she heard those words from Cage. She knew with complete certainty that the person Cage wanted to partner with was her. He's a good fighter and all, but no way in hell am I dealing with being his partner the whole time! He'll drive me crazy before Round One is over!
Sonya knew she had to act quick. After looking to her left, she noticed Cammy who sat next to her and quickly grabbed her shoulder. "Cammy, my friend! I'd be honored if you became my tag team partner for the tournament!"
Cammy gave the Major a very baffled look as she not expect Sonya to be so... eager to tag team with her. "Um... yeah, eh, sure..."
"Fei Long!" Cage called out to his friend next to him. He clearly did not not hear Sonya's partner claim. "How would you like to team up with me for the tournament? We'd make a great team! Think about it; two martial arts actors teaming up for the tournament."
"Sure, why not?" Fei Long agreed. "It'll also be a good way to promote our movie, if it ever gets done."
Cage patted his ally's shoulder. "That's the spirit!"
After hearing that, Sonya wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed for jumping to conclusions so quickly, or insulted that Cage didn't even try to pick her despite her initial reservations. She ended up growling to herself. He's going to be the second death of me...
"Eh, you okay Sonya?" Alex Walker asked with a raised eyebrow as she noticed that her former superior looked flustered from across the table.
Sonya blinked a couple of times before she turned her attention to the younger woman. "Um... yeah... didn't get enough sleep last night, so... yeah..."
"Whatever you say."
"I was gonna ask you to be my partner, Cammy," said Lita. "But it looks like Blade here claimed you first." She then turned to Lucia. "How about you be my partner? Unless you already found someone, of course."
"Sure, I don't mind," Lucia replied.
"Not partnering with Steve?" asked a surprised Cammy.
"We decided to seek out our own partners just for the fun of seeing who makes it the furthest in the tournament," brought up Steve in which Lita nodded to.
"Okay everyone!" Liu Kang called out to stop the murmuring amongst the chosen ones. "Before everyone else starts partnering up, I need to know if there are any teams here who have already registered at the hotel to be a tag team prior to this meeting."
"Ryu and I already registered this morning," announced Ken.
"Ryu and Ken... that is probably going to be the least surprising team of them all," chuckled Yun.
"And we're not?" mentioned Yang. "Since you and I registered this morning too."
"Yeah, yeah," the younger of the Lee brothers grumbled. "And here I was so sure you and Maki would be Team Lovebirds."
"I decided to partner up with Cassandra this morning," Maki mentioned. "Like Steve and Lita, Yang and I thought it'd be more fun to see which one of us makes it the furthest in the competition."
"I'm surprised you didn't partner with Ryu, Julia," pointed out Hilde.
Julia shrugged with a smile. "Ryu and I are okay with it, and I actually encouraged him to partner with Ken last night. I'm sure I'll find a partner by the end of the night."
"Siegfried and I partnered this morning, too," Hilde mentioned. "Makes sense for me since I don't really know a lot of people here yet. However, I would've partnered with you if Siegfried wasn't here."
"That's nice of you, but it's okay. Like I said, I'm sure I'll find someone by the end of the day."
"Guy and I registered too," Cody brought up. "Which I'm sure comes to the surprise of no one here."
"As did Chun Li and I," said Lei.
"And Blanka and me," said Dan.
"King and I being a tag team in this competition was destiny," mentioned Marduk. "And let it be known that we're gonna crush the competition and make it to the top! It'll be no different from the wrestling world!"
"Not unless Marshall and I crush you both first!" called out Paul.
"Ha! Big talk from a guy who once got destroyed by a be-"
"HEY! Don't bring that up, man!"
"Sakura and I registered together," said Asuka.
"As did Karin and I," brought up Lili as she gave Liu Kang a sweet smile. "It was only natural, of course."
Asuka nearly rolled her eyes at that. Naturally... and again, how the hell is she a chosen one?
"I managed to convince my pal Miharu to be my partner," said Xiaoyu.
"I thought you'd partner up with Panda," mentioned Makoto.
"I was going to, but Panda managed to convey to me last night that she just wants to cheer me on," Xiaoyu explained. "So I got Miharu to get in on the fun and, well... we're registered now, so there's no turning back."
"So I learned..." said Miharu with a small sigh. "Good thing I already know how to fight."
Xiaoyu patted her best friend's shoulder. "I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
"I also insisted on my daughter and I to register together," said Sindel as she turned her head to Kitana.
"Insisted?" Kitana questioned with some humor. "You practically begged me, mother."
"Only because I just had to convince you before Jade had the chance to ask you," the older woman admitted with a wink.
"That is quite sneaky, my Queen," said Jade.
"It seemed right for Yun-seong and I to be a tag team," brought up Talim.
"Well someone has to keep him in line," joked Seong Mi-na.
"Har har," Yun-seong uttered, but then he smirked. "And I'm sure Hwang partnered up with you in order to make sure he still has the reins on you."
"You wish," Mi-na said right before she spat her tongue out at him. That caused Hwoarang to chuckled, which made her turn her head to glare at him. "What are you laughing at?"
"Oh nothing," Hwoarang said almost innocently.
"Hmph..." She then turned back to Yun-seong. "I told you you and Hwoarang would probably get along just fine."
"Is that Hwoarang?" Yun-seong called out at he pointed at the young man on Mi-na's left. He then noticed the Korean's flaming red-hair, which practically mirrored his own, only Yun-seong's was short and spiky while Hwoarang's was shoulder-length and sleeked back by hair gel. "...Nice hair."
"You too," Hwoarang replied as he looked at the Keisei native's hair.
Maxi spoke up then. "I got Kilik to team up with me this morning during training."
"And that was before I had the chance to ask too," teased Xianghua.
"I'm sure you'll find a partner before the day is over," encouraged Kilik.
"Uh huh."
"Jax and I also registered today, too," mentioned Guile.
That news surprised Wagner. "When did this happen?"
"We ended up going to the same bar after last night's meeting," replied Jax. We happened to both see Kazama's announcement on the TV and decided that tag teaming together would benefit us both."
"Just like that, huh?"
"That reminds me, Scott," Juli spoke up suddenly. "I know we haven't had the chance to talk about it yet, but since we're here, I wanted to ask if you were okay with me partnering with Juni for the tournament since I was originally going to ask you. She brought it up to me last night, but I said that I would talk to you first."
"I'm fine with that," Wagner encouraged. He then grinned. "Just don't kick my ass too much if we end up in a match against each other."
That made Juli chuckle. "If it comes to that, I'll try not to. In that case, who would you want to tag team with?"
"Well, I was going to ask Guile, but it seems like he went off and teamed up with Briggs."
"Sorry, kid," Guile replied sincerely.
Wagner waved a hand. "It's cool."
"Zafina!" Ruby Heart suddenly called out as she stood up from her seat, which startled the astrologist. "Be my partner! Your abilities and my clairvoyant powers would make a perfect combination to sweep through the competition... most of it, at least."
Not expecting that and unsure of how to answer yet, Zafina looked to Liu Kang for confirmation, mainly to see what he thought of the pirate's suggestion. The Fire God merely nodded to her, which gave the astrologist her answer.
"Um... all right," Zafina soon agreed. "Though before we register, I'd like to see what you can do in battle. Perhaps we can train after the meeting."
"No problem," Ruby Heart answered.
"Is there anyone else who's registered already?" Liu Kang asked after a few moments of silence. He then waited to see if anyone said anything, but no one said a word for a few moments.
Bo' Rai Cho then spoke up before the Fire God said anything. "Well, since we're on the subject, I'd like to ask my new friend, Baek Doo San, to tag team with me for this tournament. I figured it would be smart for us older and wiser masters and teachers to stick together in this tournament."
Baek nodded. "I'd be honored, Bo'."
Steve Fox turned to Hwoarang after that. "And here I thought you'd and Baek would be a team."
Hwoarang shrugged. "Funny thing is, we both decided this morning that we'd both seek out different tag teams. Master Baek thinks getting my own partner would benefit as a learning experience... or something like that."
"Well in the case, how about we'd be a tag team?" Steve suggested. "Your kicks and my fists ought to make a deadly combination in the tournament."
Hwoarang smirked. He liked the way the boxer described the kind of tag team they would be. "Sure, why the hell not?"
"All right," Liu Kang called out. "It sounds like all current registrations have been accounted for as well as some new partnerships. Just remember, registrations close at eleven o'clock tonight. I would very much like to see everyone have a partner by then as it will benefit us all. Does anyone have any questions before we disperse?"
"Just one," started Cyrax. "If for some reason we can't find a partner within our group, would it be all right to find someone from outside the group?"
"That is fine," Liu Kang replied. "But unless I know they are worthy to be a chosen one, do not share your knowledge of anything involving our mission."
"Hmph, throwback to the Blood Tournament yet again," said Asuka.
"It's for the best," R. Mika responded. "Less of a chance of letting a potential enemy in on what we know."
"That's true," Sakura said. She then gazed at the wrestler. "Say Mika, do you have a partner yet?"
"Not yet, but hopefully I'll find one by dinnertime."
"I feel bad now," admitted Cassandra. "I would've encouraged Maki to partner with Yang instead and I could've been your partner."
"It's okay, really," Mika assured her friends. "Actually, I'm glad Liu Kang mentioned that we can look for partners outside the group. After lunch, I was thinking about going down to the hotel gym and scout out for a wrestler to be my tag team partner. My wrestling trainer was thinking - before this war happened of course - that being part of a tag team would benefit me for my path to world-wide fame. If there's really a good time to promote myself, it's now, especially with this tournament being broadcasted."
"In that case, hopefully you find yourself a good tag team partner," said Sakura.
By now, everyone started to stand up from their seats and either began to leave or stay behind to chat with their allies, mainly to catch up on what they've been up to. At the end of one picnic table, Sub-Zero turned to Smoke and said, "Tomas, I think it would benefit you and Matrik if the both of you teamed up."
A bit surprised to hear this, Smoke glanced at him in confusion. "I thought you'd want to partner with me, Kuai."
"As much as I would like to," the Grandmaster started. "I think the two of you teaming up would benefit you both, given the gadgets you both possess. Besides..." Sub-Zero then smirk. "Your opponents would focus on being more careful around Matrik while your human look will provide the element of surprise."
"The element of surprise would just be the same if we teamed up," the cyborg pointed out. Smoke then turned his head to where Matrik stood. The green cyborg was pressing a few commands on her arm panel, likely analyzing something in her data.
After thinking it over, Smoke gave his friend a nod. "You're right. It would benefit us both in the long-run. Besides, I'm pretty sure you really want to partner up with your lady." He ended that last sentence with a wink, which caused Sub-Zero to roll his eyes. Then again, it wasn't hard to miss the fact that the ice ninja just managed to suppress a smile.
Smoke laughed upon seeing that. "I thought so." He then went over to where Matrik was with the intention of asking her to be his tag team partner. Sub-Zero then went to look for Sareena (Smoke was right about the ice warrior wanting to partner with her, but chose not to say anything), only to find her missing from the meeting spot. Hmm... She must've decided to head right back to the hotel, he figured before he decided to depart.
Meanwhile, Ryu, Julia, and Ken were just on their way back to the hotel when they ran into Kenshi and Alex before they reached the edge of the forest that stood between their meeting point and downtown where their hotel was located.
"And here I thought we'd talk more about the tournament," Kenshi grumbled with a small shrug.
"Well, I think Liu Kang just wants to make sure we're aware of how important it is for us to get a tag team partner by tonight," Ryu replied. "Especially since we're in this fight in the long-run."
"To be honest," Alex started. "Well... I shouldn't be complaining since I know why this particular meeting place was chosen... but why in the middle of the forest? Why not on the other side of the island on a beach or something?"
"At least we're in a big group," Julia mentioned. "It's not so bad as long as all stick together."
Alex sighed at that. "Yeah, that's true..."
"Say," Ken started as he pointed at the swordsman and the former Lieutenant. "Are you two tag teaming for this tournament?"
To Ken's surprise, neither one of them answered his question right away, but instead regarded each other silently with her looking at him, and he slightly turning his head in her direction. There was only a brief pause between the group as Ken awaited an answer to his question.
"We... haven't even had the chance to discuss that yet," Kenshi confessed.
"I admit, I was thinking about it this morning after I saw the announcement," Alex said to the swordsman. "And honestly, I think it's best if we both find ourselves different partners for this tournament."
Kenshi tilted his head at that. "How come?" he asked her with some curiosity.
Alex folded her arms in front of her. "Let's face it... you're a skilled swordsman with supernatural abilities who, out of every chosen one who was in Outworld two years ago, you came the second closest to winning the Blood Tournament."
"Technically, Siegfried actually came the second closest," Ken corrected her. "With that in mind, as well as Jin being the closest as you know, Kenshi actually came the third closest."
"...I meant every chosen one in Outworld who was a chosen one then since Siegfried - and Ivy the tournament winner for that matter - didn't join us until later," Alex said with a quick wave of her hand. She then continued to address the swordsman. "You also beat Shang Tsung, with Ermac's help of course. More importantly, you're one of The Four. That last fact alone is kind of a big deal whether you want to admit it or not. A lowly, former Lieutenant - with only a mix array of Jiu-Jitsu, Kajukenbo, and weapon knowledge, specifically guns, with no supernatural abilities at all, who wasn't even meant to be in Outworld in the first place two years ago - would simply just hold someone of your caliber back. You'd make it much further in this tournament if you find a more suitable partner."
There was a long silence afterwards in which Kenshi said nothing. Instead, he took the time to adjust the knot of his blindfold behind his head. At that point, Ryu, Julia, and Ken could only wonder what was going through the swordsman's mind.
Finally, a smug smirk came over Kenshi's lips before he said, "Yeah. You're right."
That made Ryu and Ken hold their breath and Julia's mouth gape in surprise over the response. They were almost sure that Alex would be insulted by the simply reply. But clearly she was around the swordsman long enough to catch his subtle humor as she smirked back at him. She then took her hand and light slapped his arm with the back of it.
"You jerk," she responded with humor in her voice. "A simple 'okay, that's fine' would've sufficed." That got a light laugh out of the swordsman.
That also earned a sigh of relief from the other three.
"But seriously... you're still a good fighter," Kenshi reminded Alex as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Try not to sell yourself short."
Alex gave him a small smirk, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Thanks..."
After a few minutes, only a few remained near the meeting spot, Sagat included. He intended to head back to the hotel for a light lunch before he returned to this area to train for tomorrow. However, as he began to leave and head towards the forest, he noticed Feng Wei just a few feet away, and the latter noticed him as well. Briefly, the two stared at each other before Sagat nodded to the Kenpo fighter with respect as he remembered the sparring session they had in Keisei during the Universal War. They drew a tie then and promised a rematch someday to see who would come on top.
That day will come... perhaps maybe sooner than they thought.
"If you wish," the Muay Thai warrior began. "We can spar right here in these forests after lunch. It's best to train in case one of us ends up competing tomorrow."
Feng Wei nodded in agreement. "In that case, if you haven't yet, we can be a tag team for this competition. You and I know that we are both capable warriors. Our combined skills will bring us both far in the tournament."
Sagat was surprised by the offer, but didn't hesitate to accept it with a nod of his head. Until a moment ago, he wasn't sure who to seek out to be his tag team partner in the tournament. It made perfect sense for him and Feng Wei to team up for this competition.
And perhaps maybe, if he was lucky, Sagat may get a taste of the glory he once had before his days as a Shadaloo agent...
Mishima Hotel
"This tag team deal was the best thing to have happened to us at a time like this!" called out an excited Poison as she and Hugo made their way through the hotel they stayed in. The two of them just finished registering their tag team partnership in the hotel lobby and were headed out the front door. After some rest yesterday, the two of them, mainly Poison, were ready to explore downtown.
"You said that it's because we would be a powerhouse in the competition," Hugo reminded his manager.
"Not just that, big guy," Poison began to explain as she barely contained her excitement. "But also because this tournament is going to be broadcasted all over the world! We'll get even more exposure than we can even start to imagine! Just think about it, Hugo; you and I taking on the competition one by one... or rather two by two. As long as we can prove ourselves, the opportunity to receive great career offers will go up in chances! And heck, even if we don't get any offers, if we can just get to the top and win this thing, that bounty will be ours! And then, you and I can split it even and live the rest of our lives lavishly. No more struggles, no more bills, no more going hungry!"
Despite Poison's enthusiasm over her hopes for this tournament, Hugo couldn't help but feel somewhat weary the more she talked. Sure, he was pursuing the same hopes and dreams that Poison had for the most part (and he imagined himself on a big field and grow potatoes so he could sell some and eat the rest for himself... then everyone could appreciate the kind of potatoes his mother grew back home), but he also remembered times when Poison would be upset when things didn't go right for them, like their recent loss in Las Vegas. He could only hope that things will go well in this tournament this time around, more for Poison's sake than anything.
Either way, he didn't have it in him to tell her all that, not while she was optimistic and happy.
"Anyway, thanks to the fact that our stay here is free, I have some extra money to buy us some new clothes," Poison said. "Clothes for the tournament, of course. There's a store that sells wrestling gear, and they have stuff for just your size.
"Sure," Hugo agreed. "As long as you don't buy me something with rhinestones or sequins on it."
Poison frowned a little at that comment, remembering a time she did buy him an outfit with rhinestones on it.. "That was one time for an eighties theme night, you know that!"
"I still hated it. Half of them were on the floor after the match!"
"Hmm, that's true. Well anyway, once we get our new outfits, then we can grab some lunch. Despite my hatred for food courts, I guess we can go to one just this once so we don't needlessly argue over where to go to eat today. We'll also order in for dinner at the hotel tonight, if you want."
"That's a good idea," Hugo agreed.
Tek-ken Steakhouse, Mishima Island
In the middle of downtown, Edmund Honda and Hakan decided to enjoy a hearty lunch at the Tek-ken Steakhouse, which received rave reviews on the internet. They both realized beforehand that this really should be the kind of place to enjoy a nice, hearty dinner, but they decided on lunch instead. It was mainly to see if this place was any good. If so, they'll come back for dinner here on another day.
"I think this is the best steak I've ever had!" E. Honda announced after he had a few bites of the red meat from his plate. The beef in front of the were cut into chunks and mixed in with red potatoes, green beans, carrots, and chopped onions. "And I've had plenty of great steaks in my life!"
While sitting in front of him, Hakan bit into a piece of his t-bone steak. Into those first few bites, he leaned back with his eyes closed as he savored the taste, "My friend, you are right, this IS the best! I wonder what kind of marinade they used for this."
"There's definitely a hint of cooking sake in the marinade, at least in my meal," E. Honda mentioned. "Some herb, too... thyme, I think."
"I'd say we'd try to find out this little recipe before the tournament's over," Hakan suggested.
"Why, you want to turn this stuff into oil for your company?" E. Honda joked, which followed with a brief, hearty laugh. "I thought your oils were meant to lather the skin for your precious wrestling style, not to marinade people."
"Very funny," Hakan grumbled. "And not all my oils are meant for lathering the skin, you know that! Maybe I should go back to the hotel and cancel our tournament partnership if you're going to joke like that."
"Sorry friend," E. Honda laughed, though he felt a bit bad for offending his ally. "Remember what they said... once you're signed up, there's no going back! You're stuck with me until we either lose or win the tournament."
Hakan pointed a fork at him. "We'll see who's laughing once people realize that Turkish Wrestling is the best wrestling in the world!"
"Uh huh, sure," E. Honda uttered before he took a bit of a red potato from his lunch. He chewed a few times before he spoke again. "So, where are Melike and the girls this afternoon?"
"She took them to see the park and playground that's not too far from here and plans to take them to have lunch at... King Burger or something like that," Hakan explained. "You know, they actually have a day care service at the hotel we're staying at. It'll be good to have for our tournament days and on evenings when I want to take Melike to a nice, fine restaurant. I'm sure there's plenty around for us to choose from."
"I think this island has almost everything a tourist can hope for," E. Honda mentioned. "I think if I read correctly, they even have a magic act somewhere in one of the theaters. Wouldn't mind seeing that myself in between matches."
It was during the last sentence when E. Honda noticed Hakan's eyes widen in surprise as he looked over past his shoulder. Before E. Honda began to turn to see what his friend was looking at, Hakan quickly flashed a grin before he lifted one arm up to wave. Clearly he was trying to get the attention of whoever he spotted.
"Dudley!" Hakan suddenly called out. "Long time, no see, how are you?!"
"Huh?" E. Honda uttered in confusion as he finally whirled around to see who was approaching their table.
It didn't take long before E. Honda spotted Dudley walk up to them with a blonde-haired companion right behind him. E. Honda didn't know him personally (like Hakan did apparently judging by Dudley's response by smiling at the oil industry owner), but he knew Dudley through his boxing career, something that E. Honda would watch on television once in a while when he had the time.
Soon, Dudley and his friend reached the table. Hakan stood up and shook the boxer's hand. "I'd say, it has been quite a while since we last met," Dudley responded to Hakan. "And I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking. How are you and your family?"
"Very well," Hakan replied with some enthusiasm. "Melike and the girls are here with me on the island as we speak, but she decided to take the girls to the park today. I didn't realize you were planning to attend this tournament."
"Well, I must admit, the decision to attend this tournament was decided nearly at the last minute," Dudley said. He then patted the shoulder of the blonde-haired man with him. "I'd like you to meet my long-time friend, Eagle. It was actually his idea for us to attend this tournament, and needless to say, we've registered to be a team."
Eagle nodded to Hakan in greeting. "Nice to meet you."
"Same here," Hakan said before he pointed to the sumo wrestler in front of him. "And this is my good friend, Edmund Honda. We're both teaming up in the tournament, too."
"Hi," E. Honda greeted with a wave of his hand. "I've heard a lot of good things about you through what I know of the boxing industry, Dudley. It's nice to have another good fighter in this tournament."
"Thank you, I appreciate that," Dudley replied.
"Though I have to ask one question... how do you and Hakan know each other?"
"We've done business together a few times over the years," Hakan explained. "Whenever Dudley's in Istanbul, he comes to my business to buy some of my oils."
"Some for cooking, but also some to help the flowers in my garden grow," Dudley said proudly. "The latter especially have been wonderful with bringing out the beauty of my home garden."
"Must be quite a garden the way you talk about it," E. Honda said.
"Edmund and I just began digging into our lunches," Hakan started. "And as you can see, we have two extras chairs at our table. Come sit with us for lunch. Your meals will be my treat."
"Thank you," Dudley said as he and Eagle joined them at the table.
"Try the chuck roast or the t-bone steak," E. Honda suggested as he stabbed his fork into both a beef and a carrot. "The marinade they use is excellent."
"Perhaps I may, but I would like to see a menu first," Dudley said.
"I wouldn't mind the t-bone steak myself," brought up Eagle.
For the next hour, the four of them mostly talked about food and their own fighting styles. The latter, of course, mostly brought on a brief, quick argument between E. Honda and Hakan, much to the amusement of Dudley and Eagle from time to time.
On the other side of the restaurant, Lars Alexandersson was eating his own lunch while his new-found friend, Alisa Bosconovitch, sat in front of him. Beforehand, when he offered to take Alisa out for lunch, he forgot until after they arrived at the restaurant that she probably couldn't eat like humans do at all! Still, she accepted his invitation and went with him, and he figured at first that she was just being polite.
But apparently that didn't matter. Alisa had ordered herself a glass of water with lemon and a plate of chicken cordon bleu with french fries on the side. And before Lars even ate his Philly cheese steak sandwich, Alisa already took a few bites of her fries, which she dipped into a side of ranch that she asked for in a small condiment bowl.
"I'm curious," Lars began as he stared at her plate. "Is... eating... even necessary for you?"
"It's actually part of my programming," Alisa replied politely. "Although it's not necessary for me, I can still eat whatever meals are offered to me. This is in the case of any needed infiltration missions when eating is required to keep with appearances and not giving myself away to the fact that I'm an android."
"That's... good," Lars said before he took a bite of his sandwich. He took a moment to chew and swallow before he proceeded. "Are you ready for the tournament tomorrow?"
Alisa smiled. "Yes, I am. And you know, I'm glad we both came here. I don't think we would've found a tag team partner as easily as we did."
"Well, you did suggest we go to this tournament to begin with as a way to try to figure out who I am," Lars said. "Though I'm not sure about this 'John Doe' name you picked for me."
"As I said to them, it's just a temporary name until we can figure our your real name. Besides, it might be safer for you to have a different name for this tournament."
Lars raised an eyebrow at that. "I recall you mentioning how the wanted notices for me doesn't even mention my name. Only my description. There's more of a chance that they'll recognize me before they even know my own name."
The android pursed her lips over the reminder. "Oh... yes... well... then maybe we'll have to change your hair a little."
"How?"
Alisa took a moment to ponder over this for a moment. "We could dye it, maybe? Cut it short or gel it down so it's not sticking upward the way it does."
"Hmm, maybe," Lars said. "I'll have to think about this. I must admit, I kind of like the way my hair looks."
"It is a unique style, but not unlike the similar hairstyle of the Mishima family from the pictures I've seen in my data."
For some reason, the second Alisa mentioned the Mishima name, a sharp pain in his head suddenly hit either side of his temples. After promptly putting his sandwich down back on the plate, Lars reached both hands to either side of his head before he rubbed his temples with the tip of his fingers. He then shut his eyes as he tried to focus on getting rid of the sudden headache.
Alisa frowned as she stared at her friend with concern in her green eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked him.
Lars shook his head as he looked back up at the android. "Yeah, it's nothing... I just got this headache all of a sudden."
"I see... perhaps it's from the lingering effects of the concussion you suffered back at the facility you found me in. Maybe after lunch and a quick stop at the drug store for aspirin, it's best to rest a little. It might do you some good."
Lars silently nodded in agreement to that. From there, the two enjoyed the remainder of their lunch in silence...
At the bar area of the restaurant, T. Hawk sat on one of the bar stools with a mug of beer in front of him. Despite it being a bit early, T. Hawk found himself in the mood for the refreshing drink. He decided ahead of time to have only one mug full before he went about the rest of his day.
When he was halfway done with his drink, T. Hawk gazed up at the television that played above the bar table. On the screen was a wrestling match not unlike the seemingly rigged 'entertainment' kind that most people seem to like nowadays.
He shook his head a little after he took another sip of his beer. "Bunch of clowns if you ask me," he grumbled.
"What about clowns?" someone to his left suddenly spoke.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a hefty gentleman who sat near him with just one empty bar stool in between them. "The wrestlers here," T. Hawk said as he pointed at the television in front of them.
"I hope you don't mean all wrestlers," the stranger deadpanned.
Suddenly feeling that he might've just offended the stranger, T. Hawk turned his head fully to get a better look at the heavy set man. Despite wearing a full red jogging suit, the sleek-backed top-knot hairstyle the man wore immediately gave away the fact that he was indeed a wrestler, specifically a sumo wrestler.
"Oh, no," T. Hawk began to explain. "I didn't mean all wrestlers. I'm talk about those wrestling in the 'entertainment' corporations that set-up these matches and what happens in them. in advance"
"Oh! I see!" the man called out, clearly satisfied with that answer. "Guess you don't mind sumo then."
"I have respect for the real thing," T. Hawk said. He gestured a hand at the television. "Just not... this crap." He took another sip of his beer before he proceeded "I'm guess you're a sumo wrestler yourself."
"Well, I used to be. Though last I checked, I still had the chops," the man responded. "Not sure if you know the name Ganryu. Youngest sumo wrestler to ever earn the title of Ozeki?"
T. Hawk shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to the world of sumo."
"That's okay. Anyway, as I'm sure you figured out by now, I'm Ganryu."
"I'm Thunder Hawk," the Native American replied. "But most call me T. Hawk."
"Nice to meet you," Ganryu said. "I'm guessing you're here for the bounty this tournament is offering."
"Actually, I'm here to try to find a way to stop this war the Mishima Zaibatsu started."
"Oh... I see," Ganryu uttered, unsure how to really respond to that. He was so sure that pretty much everyone here was attending the tournament for the bounty that G-Corporation offered. "I guess not everyone is in it for the money."
"Are you?" T. Hawk asked.
"I guess so... but I'm also here to promote my restaurant back in Hawaii, and... eh..." Ganryu wasn't sure why he was compelled to mention it, but while he rubbed the back of his neck, he spewed out his next words. "I want to impress this woman I, eh... kind of, well, love... unrequited, and... yeah..."
And then, Ganryu felt like he was light years away from maturity despite being in his fifties. While looking at T. Hawk, the former Ozeki had to guess that the young man had to be somewhere in his mid to late twenties and was much more mature than the sumo wrestler was within the last five minutes of their conversation.
Pretty much sure he's thinks I'm an old, crazy coot right about now, Ganryu guessed in his head.
"I can kind of understand that last part," T. Hawk said with an answer that surprised Ganryu. "Having a woman who you care about, but you can only do so much..."
"Unrequited, too?"
"Kind of. It's... more complicated than that."
"Say no more," Ganryu said. He then had an idea considering what this tournament was about. "Say, let me ask you something if you don't mind. Have you found a tag team partner for this tournament?"
That raised both of T. Hawk's eyebrows. "I actually haven't yet. I came here by myself. I didn't realize this was going to be a tag team tournament."
"Same here!" Ganryu called out. "Let me make a suggestion. After we finish our drinks, let's go back to the hotel's gym and spar so we can test each other's fighting skills. Then, if we're both satisfied, we can sign up as a tag team in this tournament. What do you say?"
T. Hawk shrugged at his suggestion. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. What do I have to lose?"
G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal
Ever since Jin Kazama made his official announcement concerning the tournament late last night, everyone was in a bit of a frenzy mainly because there was a big question as to whether or not it was a good idea for anyone associated with G-Corp to attend. The tag team aspect basically lessened the chances of G-Corp making it to the final round of the tournament to face Kazama himself for the win. Quickly however, Bruce personally calmed the situation after he let them know, without beating around the bush, that nothing has changed. Their original plan remained the same.
The next day, Kazuya Mishima announced a meeting amongst himself and those selected to attend the tournament. The room itself was small with just enough chairs to fit everyone. Aside from Kazuya himself, who sat at the head of the table, there was also Bruce, Mavado, Kira, Vega, Anna, Rain, Tanya, Reiko, Hotaru, Stryker, Skarlet, Kunimitsu, and some soldiers of G-Corp's military that were selected days before.
Stryker sat at the end of the table while only Hotaru sat next to him. The officer was seeing Kazuya in person for the second time since he started his undercover mission, but much more up close than last time. Bruce never mentioned exactly why Stryker was allowed to be in the CEO's presence so soon after he joined, especially after the XO's explanation over the time it could take to meet Kazuya. It wasn't something the officer was going to inquire about right away as he did not want to trigger any kind of suspicion so soon.
One thing was for sure based on this action... it was clear that, so far, no one suspected a thing about Stryker, not even Kazuya himself. Then again, this was only the beginning and anything could happen. Needless to say, especially after the Outworld Forces joined with G-Corp, things have been a bit... eccentric, especially with those he was working with.
Soon, however, the tournament would begin. Which meant that, very soon, they would be visiting the island. Hopefully, I can find Jax on the island during that time and make my report, Stryker thought to himself. Thank goodness for the transporters they gave us.
"Before we begin," Kazuya began once everyone quieted down in the meeting room after the G-Corp CEO walked in. "Has any of you partnered with anyone for this tournament yet?"
"Vega and I partnered up last night," announced Anna.
"As did Rain and I," mentioned Tanya.
"Skarlet and I thought it would benefit us both to combine our skills in this tournament," spoke Kunimitsu. Next to her, Skarlet nodded silently in agreement.
"Are you planning to attend the tournament?" Bruce asked his boss.
Kazuya shook his head in response. "There's no need for me to participate. Same with Quan Chi and Motaro in case you were wondering. If I wanted to go after Kazama, I could do so at anytime."
Then why don't you? Stryker thought as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As far as I know, no one's stopping you.
"If you're looking for a partner, Bruce," Mavado spoke up. "May I suggest Kira? She's learned how to fight on the streets, has worked with terrorists in the past, and is very dangerous with a knife."
"And here I thought you wouldn't mind partnering with Kira, Mavado," spoke up Tanya as she gave him a sweet smile. "You two have been working together so much this past year that I wouldn't be surprised if you two were sharing the same bed."
While Mavado glared at the Edenian, Kira rolled her eyes. "Are we back in high school or something?" she replied in annoyance. That earned a small laugh from Anna while Kunimitsu, Vega, and Bruce simply shook her heads.
Tanya growled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Enough," Kazuya groaned before the conversation escalated into a brawl. "If you want to fight about immaturity, do so after the meeting." He then turned his head to Bruce. "You do whatever you want."
Bruce nodded as he turned to Kira. "I don't mind if you don't."
Kira shrugged. "Doesn't bother me as long as you can fight well."
Bruce huffed a small laugh. "In that case, we're good."
Once that deal was done, Mavado turned his head to Reiko. "I suggest you an I form a partnership for this tournament. Aside from us serving G-Corp, of course, it would benefit the alliance between my Red Dragon and your Outworld Forces."
Reiko nodded in agreement. "I imagine it would be a partnership Quan Chi would be most pleased with."
While this went on, Hotaru turned his head to Stryker. "It would benefit us both to be partners in the tournament, especially since we'll be working together throughout our stay here."
Stryker resisted the urge to sigh as he felt weary about the suggestion. At this point, however, what choice did he have? Only those in the room were going to the tournament, and he and Hotaru were the only ones without a partner at this point. Then again, after Bruce (and maybe Kira), Hotaru was the most sane person in the room... and that was saying a lot.
"That is true, especially since Bruce did assign us together in the first place," was Stryker's only reply. He saw Hotaru nod at him. He was clearly satisfied with the answer.
Kazuya overheard the conversation between the Seidan and the officer and decided to speak up then. "In that case, everyone at the table is settled. For those standing, has everyone set up their partnerships as well?"
"We'll began setting things up after this meeting and report back to you tonight," one soldier spoke up. "I'll personally send in all partnerships to the lobby registration this evening, preferably before eleven o'clock, Japan time."
"Good. Now, are there any questions before I end this meeting?"
"Just one," spoke up Rain. "I imagine that the Mishima Zaibatsu is not expecting G-Corp's presence at the tournament. Should we even bother to try to hide the fact that we're there?"
Kazuya smirked in reply. "I guarantee that Kazama is expecting our presence at the tournament if he hasn't already. I imagine he would also welcome the opportunity, and it's one that we should take. I don't think we should 'hide' within the tournament. Let us remind him that we're still going after him and we're using this tournament to do that."
"And think of it as a way for us to keep the bounty," Vega pointed out. "So long as one of us teams makes it far enough, of course."
"Exactly. If there is nothing else, you are all dismissed."
As everyone stood and the room got a little more noisy, Stryker took the opportunity to take a deep breath. This is just getting better and better...