Chapter Fifteen
Mishima Forest
As soon as the morning meeting between the chosen ones ended, Sareena decided to slip away and head deeper into the forest. She lingered between both the meeting point and the location of the hotel she was staying in, but she also remained off the trail so that she had some alone time to herself.
She almost forgot how much she hated crowds. Even after all this time living among humans, it was still something she was trying to get used to. It wasn't that she was afraid, far from it. The great thing about being around the other chosen ones was that most of them seemed to have accept her. Then again, they've yet to see the demon behind the veil of her human form. Hopefully, it would never come to that, especially around Sub-Zero.
After taking a deep breath, Sareena decided to head back to the hotel. She looked forward to a quick shower before she grabbed a bite to eat. She was about to head back towards where the trail was located when she suddenly heard footsteps nearby. At first, she thought it was her own feet that echoed in the vastness of the green forest, but when she stopped in her track and craned her head to the left a little, she could still hear the steps not too far from her location.
Damn it, the demon mumbled in her mind as she began to pull out a knife from its scabbard on her belt. Staying where she was, she continued to listen in on the footsteps until they were close enough for her to be sure that they would attack her at any second. After deciding to give them a warning, Sareena quickly whirled around and threw the knife towards a nearby tree. The blade embedded itself into the tree just a few yards away.
Sareena soon saw the person approach her and stood next to the tree she just threw the knife at. There appeared a young woman with long black hair that was tied into a low ponytail. Some bangs covered her forehead and one side of her face. The woman briefly craned her head to see the knife in the tree. She stared at it with her brown eyes without any concern before she turned her head back to the blade's owner.
It wasn't hard for Sareena to notice the woman's strange outfit. She wore a black, low-cut sleeveless tunic with white designs in the front, purple wrist bands, and a matching sash around her waist that held a pair of sheathed katanas and wakizakis, one each on either side of her hips. The woman also wore what looked like black leather chaps - with the same white designs as her tunic - on her legs along with purple knee-high tabby socks and black sandals. The most prominent of all was the single pauldron that sat on her left shoulder – a gray human skull with horns on its temples at the base, its lower jaw missing.
Sareena could only guess one thing from her state of dress. Something tells me she's not from Earthrealm...
"Well, I'll give credit where it's due," the woman suddenly said after a brief pause. She smirked at Sareena. "You sure know how to detect others in your presence."
"Who are you?!" Sareena demanded sternly as she glared at her. "What are you doing here?!"
"Can't a girl simply explore this forest before the tournament begins?" the stranger responded with a little annoyance. "I thought everyone on the island was free to roam as they pleased."
In a way, perhaps the woman was right... still, as far as Sareena was concerned, she was uncomfortably close to where the chosen ones' meeting place was. She wondered if anyone else who may still be at the meeting point detected the stranger's presence. She wouldn't be surprised if Liu Kang showed up at any moment.
Before Sareena said anything, the woman began to chuckle. "Funny... I've only known you for a mere five seconds, and I can already sense that you are a demon."
Sareena narrowed her onyx eyes at her. "And you know this how?"
"Because who else can detect a demon disguised as a human aside from Gods? Other demons, of course."
That got a raised eyebrow from the former assassin. "Are you a demon, too?"
"Me? No." The woman turned her attention to her pauldron. "But he is..."
It took Sareena a moment to notice it, but she soon saw the empty sockets of the skull on the woman's shoulder glow a smokey blue. It remained like this for a few seconds while Sareena simply stared at the skull before the glow disappeared altogether.
"It's a long story over how we met," the stranger mentioned. "But let's just say that we're both... working together to satisfy our own ends. And this tournament is the perfect opportunity to get what we want."
"And... that is?" Sareena questioned.
"Oh trust me, you don't want me to get into that, not when we just met. But I will say that despite our own reservations - he and I, I mean - we'll be going along with the tournament rules. Outside of it? We'll only harm others if they provoke us first." Despite being vague in her words, the last sentence at least assured Sareena that the woman's intention was not malicious and she was going with what the tournament offered her.
A smirk suddenly appeared on the stranger's face. "Say... you wouldn't happen to have a tag team partner for this tournament yet, would you?"
"Why?" Sareena asked almost suspiciously.
"Well, it's a funny thing, really... I thought this tournament was going to be filled with the usual one-on-one matches, but it turns out that we need a partner in order to compete. My... friend here doesn't exactly have his own body, so participating would be a tad bit difficult for him, so I'm on my own with this one. Unfortunately, other than him, I'm completely by myself. This morning, I began searching the woods to find a suitable tag team partner."
"Downtown would've made finding someone much easier."
"Perhaps... but honestly, I prefer someone who's a loner like me, and not someone who's... bubbly, if that's the right word. These woods seemed to be the perfect place to find someone... and you happen to be the first person I ran into this morning. I hope that answers your latter question from earlier."
Sareena took a deep breath. "I guess you could say I'm somewhere between loner and... someone who isn't. I have my allies, but I also prefer my alone time."
"That's what some people call an 'extroverted introvert.' Someone who doesn't mind the company of others, but need their alone time to recharge."
Sareena shrugged. "Yeah... something like that."
"I'm sure your friends wouldn't mind if you and I tag teamed in the tournament though," the woman persisted. "Unless, of course, someone already picked you."
"Not yet," Sareena admitted. In a way, she expected herself to tag team with Sub-Zero, though neither of them had the chance to talk about it yet... but maybe, in a way, it might be better if he found a more suitable partner, someone who could fight as well as he could, thus giving him the chance to advance far into the tournament.
Besides, Liu Kang did say it was okay for the chosen ones to tag team with someone outside the group. And this woman did come here alone after all. In a way, it could be considered a 'charitable case,' as Sub-Zero would call it.
Perhaps it would've been more convenient if Kazama announced this tournament as a tag team before any of us arrived on this island, Sareena thought.
"I'll have to think about it," Sareena finally said after a moment of silence. "After all, we only met a few minutes ago. I mean, how do I know you're any good? Plus, you never told me your name."
"Shura," the woman responded. "My name is Shura. What's yours?"
The former assassin frowned. "Sareena."
"There, now we're starting to know each other," Shura said with a smile. "And I suppose it is fair for us both to see what we're capable of in a fight. I found a nice spot earlier about a half mile from here, an empty field believe it or not. That should give us enough room to spar if that's okay with you."
Sareena shrugged before the two of them began to walk away from the direction of the trail. "Sure... I suppose it wouldn't hurt."
Mishima Hotel, Gym
About a half hour ago, Rainbow Mika made her way to the hotel's gymnasium, which was located one floor below the main lobby. Throughout her life since she began to aspire to become a professional wrestler, Mika had seen countless gyms for training, mainly in high school, college, the nearby fitness center by her apartment back in Tokyo, and even the personal gym of her trainer, the former wrestler Yoko Harmageddon - someone who she began to train with not long after the end of the Universal War after she finally found her place in the professional wrestling world.
The gym at the Mishima Hotel, however, was the most impressive place Mika had ever seen. Well, aside from the fact that it looked like a typical gym, the place was sprawling with enough exercise equipment to make one have trouble deciding where to start first. There was also a section in the back filled with mats, more than likely for those who wished to practice yoga or tai chi. And separated by a wall and a large window was an Olympic-size swimming pool with ropes that crossed over the water and served as lanes for those who wanted to practice their swim techniques.
It's like this island was meant to host a fighting tournament! she thought to herself.
It wasn't hard for her to notice the four-sided wrestling ring that was placed in the middle of the gym. Already, there was a small crowd who were viewing the match within the ring. Some simply watched while others cheered their respective favorites. A few were dressed up as though they were ready to fight someone in the ring as well, like Mika was.
Here's where I can start finding someone to partner with, she thought enthusiastically as she approached one side of the ring. Luckily, there was enough room right next to ring side for her to stand.
To Mika's surprise, she immediately recognized one of the fighters in the ring – the newcomer, Makoto. By the looks of her messy, short black hair, and the beads of sweat that poured down her face, it was clear that the match had been going on for a while. In concentration, Makoto stepped forward to jab an open palm at her opponent's abdomen. The fighter took a step back to avoid the hit before they threw at punch at Makoto, who deflected the maneuver with her hand. As the two went back and forth, the spectators around them cheered them on and even attempted to make suggestions on their next strategy, but it was clear that the two chose to ignore them.
Makoto's opponent was a stranger to Mika. They wore a white jacket with red and black sleeves, red and black finger-cut fighting gloves, a black shirt underneath with buckles on the front, a red bandana around their neck, blue jeans, and brown boots with a matching belt. Short, cropped blond hair was just as messy as Makoto's own hair was.
With a yell, Makoto pulled herself back a foot before lifting her leg. With a jump, she attempted to kick downward, but her opponent quickly grabbed on to her calf before using a free hand to connect a jab to Makoto's stomach. The Rindo-kan fighter let out a gasp as she pulled away, being forced to hobble as she rubbed her hand over where she was hit.
"Dammit..." she grumbled through clenched teeth.
Her opponent then flew forward before they jumped up to perform a double spin kick. Makoto was able to get out of the way before being hit. From the sideline, Mika realized that the dodge only left Makoto open as her opponent followed through with a knee to her side. Makoto stumbled, but didn't look too fazed by the hit. However, it did piss her off judging by the scowl on her face.
"Oh that's it!" Makoto called out after a brief recovery. She moved fast enough to where it looked like she was gliding towards her opponent before she delivered an uppercut that sent her opponent flying upward. Makoto then jumped up just as the other fighter fell back towards the ring. She executed a hand chop with all her strength at her opponent's stomach and knocked the air out of their lungs even before they hit the floor back first. The impacting causing instant dizziness.
Ten seconds were counted out loud by those who watched the match. Though Makoto's opponent managed to crawl to the turnbuckle of the ring and sat up, they never got back on their feet before time was up. That declared Makoto the winner of the match.
"Yeah!" Makoto cheered in triumph over her victory. Soon, however, she wiped a bead of sweat off her brow before she approached the corner of the ring where her opponent sat.
Makoto's opponent gazed up at her with light blue eyes. They seemed indifferent about their loss at first, but they soon smirked a little. "I'll have to brush up on my skills after that. And you won the bet. I guess we're a tag team in this tournament now."
Makoto smirked at them. "Guess we are... but you know what? I look forward to it. You gave me quite a challenge. I imagine that our opponents would feel the same, maybe even more so with our combined skills. What's your name?"
Her new tag team partner gave a genuine smile before they took Makoto's outstretched hand and pulled themselves forward to stand up. "I'm Leo. What's your name?"
"I'm Makoto. I don't know about you, but I'm starving! How about we grab something to eat. I'll pay."
"Sounds good," Leo agreed before the two of them began to leave the gym's ring.
Once the ring was cleared, Mika decided to take her opportunity. Quickly, she jumped in and went in the middle of it. "All right, everyone!" she called out from the ring as her voice grabbed everyone's attention around the sidelines. "I'm going to make it no secret that I'm here not just to show that I'm best up-and-coming wrestler around, but I'm also here because I believe that I have what it takes to get far in this tournament! With that, I'm looking for a tag team partner who has the same mindset as I do! If you want to be that partner, come into the ring now and face me; Rainbow Mika! The up-and-coming professional wrestler personally trained by the great, legendary Yoko Harmageddon! Win or lose, if I think you're a worthy opponent, then I'm confident that you'll surely be a worthy tag team partner! Whose willing to come up here and prove themselves?!"
One person didn't hesitate to volunteer. "I am!" a female voice called out as they stepped into the ring from behind. Mika turned to see who her challenger was. She was almost taken by surprise once she saw who it was, but managed to keep herself composed. Mika was very aware of many of the wrestling circuits around the world and the popular wrestlers from each one. The one in front of her was a luchadora who was popular in her all-female circuit in North America. Although not high on Mika's 'most want to wrestle against' list, she still had a lot of respect for the pink and white-masked lady for her accomplishments in the wrestling world.
Strangely though, as Mika stared at her from her spot, she realized that there was something oddly familiar about the luchadora, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what that was just yet.
"Wow!" Mika called. "Aren't you Jaycee?"
Mika swore that Jaycee nearly gave away a nervous smile as she nodded to her. Still, Mika got herself in her fighting stance, ready to go. "All right, let's see what you've got!"
The only thing missing at this point was a ringside bell, but Mika didn't care at the moment as she jumped forward to started the match. Neither did Jaycee, apparently, as she did the same, and met her opponent halfway...
While the match started, the wrestler Alex was nearby working on lifting weights; squats to be specific. He was careful about lifting as he didn't have a spotter, but he figured that at the same time, he wasn't exactly alone in the gym at the moment. He partially paid attention to the match between the two masked women in the ring and realized that the blue one's way of finding a tag team partner was pretty clever, especially if it turned out that she came to this island by herself.
That reminded him... he needed to find himself a tag team partner by tonight.
Guess I'll jump in the ring tonight and see if I can find someone then, Alex thought to himself. One thing was for sure – if he didn't find someone by eleven o'clock tonight, this trip would be for nothing. With that, it would be that much harder to find a way to stop the Mishima Zaibatsu's war.
His lingering thoughts were then cut off as he noted someone from the corner of his eye as they walked over to the area he was lifting at. While he still worked on his squats, Alex slightly turned his head to get a better look at who approached him and was soon surprised to see that it was one of his wrestling idols, Mike Haggar.
Alex wanted to greet him right then and there, but he didn't say anything at first as he wasn't sure if Haggar remembered their meeting back in Nagato yesterday. However, the second the two made eye contact, Haggar gave the young man a friendly grin. "Good afternoon, Alex," the mayor greeted.
Oh that's awesome, he does remember me! Alex thought to himself. He then nodded to the older man and gave him a smirk. "What's up, Haggar?"
"Not much, I just thought I'd get in some bench presses before tomorrow's tournament," Haggar replied as he sat down at a bench near where Alex was working out. After looking at the equipment, Haggar soon began to set up his preferred weights prior to lifting. "If you like to, you can spot me and see if I can get past one thousand lifts in one sitting."
"Sure, no problem," Alex agreed before he slowly put down the weights he was working with. He then released the weights from the rod and placed everything back on a nearby rack before he walked over to the bench where the Mayor of Metro City laid down on. It didn't take long for the older man to be ready and start lifting the weights.
"So," Haggar started. "Did you find yourself a tag team partner for the tournament yet?"
"Not yet," Alex replied as he started counting in his head each time Haggar lifted the weights high above his head. "Personally, I think it's dumb how the Mishima Zaibatsu decides on this tag team aspect after we all get here. It's not exactly fair to those who came here alone. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the plan all along as a way to 'eliminate' some of the potential competition. But that's just my guess."
"I hear you," Haggar agreed. "Had I known ahead of time that this was a tag team tournament, I would've tried harder to convince my friend, Carlos, to attend."
"What about your other friends? The ones who came with you, I mean."
"Guy and Cody, naturally, decided to tag team, and I'm okay with Lucia tag teaming with a new friend she met yesterday. My daughter Jessica was never into fighting and, as I mentioned before, she's here to spectate and cheer me on. With all that in mind, I'll have to find someone to tag team with before the registration ends tonight. How many am I at now?"
"Ten so far," Alex answered regarding the older man's lift count. He then smirked as an idea came to him. "Say... since I don't have a partner and you don't either-"
Before the young man could finish, at the fourteenth lift, Haggar stopped and looked up at the young man as he placed the weights down to rest on the rack. "You want to tag team with me at the tournament?"
Alex nodded. "Makes sense considering the circumstances, at least to me. And if you need further proof of my abilities as a wrestler, we can duke it out in that ring over there once it's mostly cleared out."
"No need to," Haggar said as he began to sit up. "I admit, after our meeting in Nagato, and once we were settled at the hotel, I looked up your records over the internet through the company you wrestle under. Very impressive, and you've seemed to have spent a very long time training."
"Since I was ten years old," Alex added. "That's twelve years of wrestling experience under my belt. I may be in the amateur circuit right now, but I like to think that I'm no amateur."
"I suppose," Haggar said. His voice turned serious at his next words. "However, I recall that the same reports mentions two flaws of your. Your pride and-"
"My short temper... I know," Alex finished as he felt somewhat disappointed in himself. "It's... still something I'm trying to work on."
"I'll tell you something I don't usually talk about to a lot of people," Haggar suddenly started. "I was the same way you were when I was about your age. When I started out in the wrestling world all those years ago, I was prideful and confident in my abilities that I would get mad at myself over even the slightest mistakes. It's easier said than done, but as you grow older, you eventually learn to keep your outbursts under control, lest it costs you a victory in the ring. The more you get into the habit of letting things roll off your shoulders, the easier it is to maintain it. I realized it was especially important when I finally had the opportunity to join the CPWA.
"If anything, I'll mention one positive thing that impressed me about you – your role in the Universal War. I saw the articles connected to your profile, and it sounded like to me that you really went out of your way to protect the civilians in your neighborhood."
Alex couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "Yeah, well... you helped protect an entire city in those dark days."
"I wasn't alone in the fight, but neither were you," Haggar reminded him.
The older man was right about that. Those who were strong enough to fight back, like he was, did assist him in fighting back against their Outworld enemies. At the same, they kept those who couldn't fight back safe from harm. The most prominent memory of those days was how Alex worried about his surrogate family. Tom was military-trained and did help during the first wave of the invasion, but he was injured during that time. Patricia had been at a friend's house at that time, and it would be days before she reunited with the two men.
"Yeah... you're right," Alex said.
"The point I'm trying to make," Haggar continued. "Is that you're still young and learning. I of all people understand that. But if you and I are going to be a team in this tournament, I need you to be able to put a cap on your temper. Outbursts can lead to a messy loss in a match. It's something you need to remember."
Though a bit annoyed at the comment, Alex, again, realized that the mayor was right. He remembered the similar lectures Tom gave him after one of his outbursts in the middle of a fight that ended up being his undoing in a match. Even so, as the young man said to Haggar, it was still something he was working on.
"I... can't make any promises," Alex said truthfully. "But I'll definitely work on my temper if you and I tag team at this tournament."
Haggar nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Then it's settled. And I like your honesty. At least you didn't go off and make a promise you can't keep like most politicians I know."
Alex laughed that. "Must be a pain in the ass dealing with politicians like that in your career."
"You have no idea... Anyway, what number did we leave off at?"
"Fourteen."
Haggar chuckled as he laid back down. "I'm not that far along in my one-thousand count. I'll just start over."
"Suit yourself."
Back in the gym's wrestling ring, the match between Rainbow Mika and Jaycee continued. At the moment, Mika found herself on the defensive as Jaycee crouched low for a sweep kick, which Mika jumped over. At the blonde-haired wrestler landed, she noticed the luchadora attempted a roundhouse kick, which forced her to duck this time. As Mika stood up again, Jaycee swiftly lifted her other leg to try to kick forward, but Mika was able to jump back in time before the maneuver connected.
Oh man, she's giving me a run for my money! Mika thought.
Jaycee lurched forward to perform a spear. Knowing she was close to the edge of the ring, Mika chose to jump over Jaycee's head with a somersault. She soon landed on both feet behind her opponent. She gave Jaycee the chance to recover briefly, but as the brunette turned around, she was met with a fist to the face, which stunned the luchadora. Mika then attempted a kick, but Jaycee was able to focus by then and managed to grab onto Mika's ankle. Before Mika could react, Jaycee pulled her opponent towards her before lifting a free arm up to clothesline her, which knocked Mika onto her back.
Mika found herself gasping for breath, but as soon as she noticed Jaycee about to perform an elbow drop, she quickly rolled away before she was hit. As she got back on her feet however, Jaycee swiftly covered the space between them before she landed two blows to the face, which stunned Mika. She then followed with a low kick to the thigh that nearly knocked Mika down, but the blue-clad wrestler only stumbled a bit. With that, Jaycee then jumped up, wrapped her legs around Mika's neck, then flipped foward and tossing her opponent across the ring. Mika was able to grab onto the rope before she fell out completely. From there, she pulled herself back up before she rolled back into the ring.
"I am not going to stay down... not yet I won't," Mika growled as she performed a kip up and put herself back on her feet. She stood where she was until Jaycee was within arm's reach. After bracing herself, Mika quickly headbutted the luchadora in the face, which caused her to cry out in pain. Mika then grabbed onto her head, turned herself around, and dropped herself into a seated position onto the ringing. The move forced Jaycee's chin to slam into Mika's shoulder before she was released and tumbled onto the ring mat.
While Jaycee was still stunned, Mika decided to to finish the match. After grabbing onto Jaycee, she flipped her onto her stomach before Mika lifted her up over her head. In that moment, it wasn't hard to see the wide-eyed looks of the mesmerized onlookers who watched the match. They clearly wondered what was about to happen next. Mika waited a moment before she finally dropped herself down on one knee. She then brought Jaycee's back down onto her other knee, which caused Jaycee to yell out in pain. With that done, Mika simply tossed her to the side.
Once that was done, Mika reached out for her opponent, rolled her onto her back, and laid on her top of her for the pin. To be certain that Jaycee didn't try to lift her shoulders up, she grabbed the luchadora's thighs and lifted it high above her head.
"One! Two! Three!" the onlookers yelled out in unison. The last count ended the match.
"YEAH!" Mika cried out in victory as she stood up. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a sneak peek at what you may see at the tournament!" Quickly, she jumped onto the second set of ropes on one turnbuckle corner, then raised her arms up in triumph as the the onlookers who rooted for her clapped and cheered for her victory. It almost felt like she was back in the professional gym in her home city. The only thing missing was, if she had done well today, the approving look from her trainer, Yoko Harmageddon.
Once she got her win out of her system, she jumped off the turnbuckle to face Jaycee, who just got up from her pin-fall. Mika made her decision then. "Hey, that was a great match!" she called out to her. She reached a hand out for a handshake. "I'd love to have you as my tag team partner! Do you accept?"
At first, Jaycee said nothing. Within moments, she gave Mika a small smile and a nod before she left the ring, not bothering to take her handshake offer. Mika wondered what that was about, but soon decided to shrug it off since it seemed like Jaycee accepted her offer. After accomplishing her goal for the day, Mika decided to head to the lockers.
Ten minutes later, Mika was in the gym's women's locker room. Already dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt, and white sneakers, she just finished packing her wrestling clothes into her gym bag when she heard footsteps echoing against the wall behind her. She turned to see who was coming when she noticed Jaycee approaching. The luchadora stopped just a few feet away from her.
"Hey there," Mika greeted with a smile. "I just wanted to-"
She was quickly cut off when Jaycee raised a hand to silence her before she said, "Before you say anything, Mika... there's something you should know."
Before Mika could inquire what it was, Jaycee turned her back to Mike, reached for the edge of her mask, and pulled it over her head. She then took a moment to pull out her two, long ponytails from out of the mask before she turned her attention back to the blonde-haired wrestler.
Mika's jaw went slack the second she saw who was behind the luchadora mask. There was a time, nearly two years ago, when they were enemies over something that Mika herself now considered trivial and childish. However, neither of them ever spoke about those days, even when they fought side-by-side during the Universal War.
Mika wondered what Jaycee's motive was... or rather...
"J... Julia... Chang?!" Mika stammered. "What the... how... I... you're actually the Jaycee?!"
"Actually, I'm not the real Jaycee," Julia admitted. "Though I kind of know her personally. Her little sister happens to be my former roommate in college."
Mika was still confused. "So, if you're not Jaycee, then why the costume?"
"The real Jaycee got injured in a car accident a couple of weeks ago," Julia explained. "A couple of days after Liu Kang visited us about going to the tournament, I received a phone call from her sister explaining what happened. Jaycee already made it known to her fans that she planned to attend this tournament. I guess one could explain her absence, but I imagine you'd know about luchadores and their passion for keeping their identities a secret."
Mika nodded at that before Julia continued. "Anyway, her sister begged me to take her place in the tournament. I admit, I was reluctant at first, but then she explained that the only reason she wanted to attend was to help fight against this war somehow... she wasn't sure how, but she was going to find a way. That was when I knew I couldn't say no... because that's why I'm here as well. So instead of going as myself, I've decided to don her mask and set out to do what she aimed to do here. In a way, it's a win for both of us. She'll most likely recover by the time the tournament is over, so getting back into the circuit after this won't cause anyone to suspect anything."
"That's... very kind of you," Mika sighed. She then frowned over her next question. "Does... Ryu know?"
"He knows, yes, but no else does... except you of course," Julia replied. "I figured after... our match in the Blood Tournament, it was better for me to show you the face behind the mask now... in case you wanted to back out of our partnership. I mean, you and I never got to talk about what happened at the Blood Tournament, so I wasn't sure how you still felt about me after all this time..."
Mika couldn't help but smile at that. Apparently, Julia was just as hesitant as she was about the subject. "Well... we were both pretty immature then... and it seems like we've both done some growing up since then."
Julia also smiled. "We have, haven't we?"
"Though you have to admit... we gave our audience a good match that day. Too bad you'll be wearing a mask in this tournament. Aside from our friends, if anyone else had been there that day, they'd be wondering how us former rivals are now tag teaming together."
Julia chuckled. "Yeah, that is a shame... though I think Ryu would be relieved. He was... quite embarrassed over what happened that day."
"Ah. So I guess Ryu knew about... how I had... well... you know..."
"He had an inkling. You didn't exactly hide it too well back then."
"Neither did you," Mika laughed. "But the important thing is that he's treating you well, at least I hope he is."
Julia nodded. "He is, for sure."
"I'm glad to hear that! Anyway, I hope you're ready for tomorrow... or whenever we have our first match. If anything..." Mika outstretched her right hand out. She hoped to give her a handshake this time. "Let's show them that us former rivals can put the past behind us and work together to kick ass!"
Julia agreed to that statement by outstretching her arm and clasping her hand with Mika's.
Mishima Hotel, Okan Bar and Grill
While sitting at the bar table on a stool, Wagner decided to have a late lunch that consisted of a cheeseburger, fries, and a mug of beer. Of course, it wasn't the greatest combination of food, nor was the cheeseburger the greatest thing he ever tasted, but one thing was for sure – he was starving, and he was also in the mood for a nice, cold beer.
At the moment, there were a few other patrons at the nearby tables. That included Li Mei and Ashrah, who sat together while they enjoyed some soup and bread. The two women did notice him earlier and they acknowledged him with a wave of their hands. He responded by raising their mug to them.
They must be tag teaming for the tournament, Wagner guessed.
The only other person at the bar sat three stools to his left; a well-dressed, gray-haired man who was looking down at the tablet in his hands. Just in front of the man was a dry martini with three olives drenching in the liquid on a long toothpick. With a small shrug, Wagner focused on his own drink and briefly wondered whether to get another beer or just settle with a glass of water in order to not increase his lunch bill.
The TV above played a show that was clearly native to Japan – a game show, Wagner guessed, but he didn't really pay too much attention to it. Even if he could understand Japanese, it wasn't like he could hear it with how low the volume was at the moment.
It was then that someone sat right next to Wagner to his right. Briefly, he was annoyed. If there was one thing he hated, it was when a complete stranger sat right next to him when there plenty of other empty stools around them... and away from his personal space. It was funny because, only three years ago, he would've gladly welcomed the seater... if he was at a bar (illegally... he was only nineteen three years ago) that was holding a wet t-shirt contest that night and that person next to him was a hot woman in one of those wet t-shirts.
He couldn't help but ponder over exactly when he 'grew up.' It was probably a slow build-up, he figured... especially with his life experiences in the last three years as well as finding a wonderful girl in Juli.
"Hey stranger," a familiar voice said to him while they cut through his thoughts. After turning his head, Wagner soon noticed that it was Alex Walker sitting next to him. He immediately noted how tired she looked, which seemed to be emphasized a bit by the light bags under her eyes. Despite that however, she managed to give him a small smile in greeting, which he returned.
"Sup?" Wagner greeted the woman, glad to know that she wasn't actually a random stranger.
"Not much," Alex replied. "Is that an early dinner you're having?"
"More like a late lunch," Wagner explained. "I was thinking my 'dinner' might be cake and ice-cream once Juli goes to bed."
Alex snorted. "You're one of those people with a high metabolism, aren't you?"
"Being a soldier helps too," Wagner replied with a grin. "Though I bet it'll catch up to me in twenty or thirty years when I retire."
By then, the lone bartender approached the two. Before he spoke, Alex requested, "Kokakōra to ramu sake." The bartender nodded before he left to make her drink.
Noting that she spoke the local language, Wagner asked, "What did you order?"
"Coke and rum," Alex answered simply.
Wagner raised an eyebrow at that. "Isn't it a bit early for that kind of drink?"
"To be honest, my nerves are a little shot," she admitted as she brushed her fingers through her long hair. "I need something to relax me. I made the mistake of taking a nap a couple of hours ago."
"Nightmare, I assume?"
She slowly nodded at that. "Even after a year. I thought maybe going on leave from Special Forces would help." She shrugged. "Guess not. Maybe it's because I now have too much time to think about these things, especially after I went on medical leave from my current job. It's been better now than it was though... I was a mess around Christmas. I've been on medication ever since. It's helped, but I'm also trying to resist upping my doses."
"What about a therapist?" Wagner asked.
Alex shook her head. "Haven't really found one yet that took me seriously. Plus, living in Japan now, there's the language barrier. Toddlers speak better Japanese than I do. I'm still trying to learn, though." She huffed dryly. "I can order a drink in Japanese at least."
"It's not an easy language to learn from what I hear," Wagner said. "I've only learned a few phrases from Ken." He chuckled. "Mostly involving swear words and insults."
Alex huffed dryly again. "That sounds like more than I know."
"Just don't push yourself too hard," he suggested. "And I'm not just talking about learning a new language either."
She nodded as she knew that he was right. "Yeah... I know. I forget that sometimes. Thanks for the reminder." By then, the bartender served her drink. She nodded a thanks before the bartender walked away. She took a quick sip before she continued. "So how are you and Juli doing?"
"Fine, except for the three-month deployment that separated us thanks to this war," Wagner answered. "We only reunited just yesterday in Nagato."
"Oh, wow. Guess it's good that this tournament is happening then, huh?"
Wagner chuckled. "Yeah, in a way." He decided to move on from there. "How are you and Kenshi?"
"Fine, he's currently training near our chosen ones' meeting point with Ermac," Alex replied. She managed to smile. "Not long before coming here, Kenshi told me that he and Ermac will be tag teaming for this tournament. Ermac approached him about it while Kenshi was meditating at the gardens after lunch."
Wagner raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprise you two aren't tag teaming."
She shrugged. "Considering what he's done for this universe in the past year, I think you and I both know that I'm not exactly up to par in his skills as a fighter. Ermac definitely is for sure."
"Oh, come on, Walker," he started. "You have to give yourself better credit than that. As I recall, you did make it to Round four of the Blood Tournament..." He then gave her a grin. "Until Kenshi literally kicked your ass."
"Don't remind me or else I'll remind you of that girl you fought in round one at the same tournament," Alex retorted with a smug smirk.
"Oh lord, please don't," Wagner groaned as he remembered that embarrassing match. "Well then... I assume you don't have a partner then?"
"At the moment, no. You?"
"Nope. Juli is partnering with Juni, Guile's partnering with Jax, my new friend Abel just recently partnered with Marshall's son Forest during training at the gym earlier..."
"And Sonya was quite quick to partner with Cammy for some reason," Alex added. She then pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the two allies who were at the table behind them. "And as you can see over there, Li Mei decided to team up with Ashrah. Apparently, they had a really deep conversation about redemption last night after the feast, so... yeah."
"So in that case, let's you and I tag team," Wagner suggested. He playfully nudged her arm with his elbow. "Besides, us little people should stick together at a time like this."
"Sure, but only if you can let me have one thing," Alex began to ask.
"And that is...?"
"...Some of your fries. I'm starving, but I just want enough food to hold me over until dinner."
"Sure, go out of town if you want," he said as he pushed his plate towards her.
As Alex reached for a fry, heavy steps were heard from behind them. The two were turned around just as they heard a voice with a robotic tone say, "Hey Walker, hey Wagner."
"Hi Cyrax," Alex replied as she recognized who it was. "Here for a drink?"
"You drink?" Wagner asked, clearly confused.
"Once in a while," Cyrax said as he sat in the stool next to Wagner. "Not that food sustains me like it used to or anything, but thanks to some upgrades from a couple of years ago, I can enjoy some good food and spirits like a normal human being. The best part is that I can eat and drink as much as I want without getting fat or drunk."
Wagner chuckled at the thought of something. He turned to Alex. "I think he beats me in the high metabolism department."
It was then that they heard the bar stool over to their left scrap against the hardwood floor as it was pushed back. The three of them turned their heads and saw the well-dressed, gray haired occupant stand up from his seat before he took a few steps up to the three of them. He nodded at the two humans before he turned his attention to the cyborg.
"Eh... can we help you?" Wagner asked cautiously after what felt like a long pause.
"Forgive my staring," the man started as he stared at the yellow cyborg. "But I couldn't help but marvel at your technology."
"Eh," Cyrax started. "Most people usual do. In other words, I'm used to it."
"And if I'm guessing right by the tone and the way you speak, you're a cyborg rather than fully robotic."
"Ding ding, we have a winner!" Wagner called out.
The man ignored the soldier as he continued to speak with Cyrax. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lee Chaolan, I'm the CEO of Violet Systems. My company specializes in robotic technology. We build our robots with the goal to use them for various tasks in everyday life, big or small."
"These... 'robots'... wouldn't happen to be people being changed against their will, are they?" Cyrax couldn't help but ask suspiciously.
"No, not at all," Lee explained quickly. "I assure you that's something we've never explored before and don't plan to. My company is only focused on robotics and artificial intelligence as well as studying them with the use of combat. Though I imagine if we did something like cyborgs, all those who would wish to be involved will all be voluntary."
"Good to hear," Cyrax said. His next words came out bitter. "This cyborg thing wasn't exactly my choice."
Lee frowned at that. "I'm sorry to hear that. In either case, I'm very interested in studying your tech, with your permission of course."
"You think you have the time for that sort of study?" Cyrax asked. "My tech is considered complex, and considering this tournament, it may take you ages to go through everything."
Lee nodded. "Perhaps you're right. Unless, of course, you are willing to accept my offer to be my tag team partner at the tournament."
"You're pretty quick to make such an offer, especially since we've only known you for only a minute," Wagner pointed out.
"Perhaps, and I don't blame you for being suspicious," Lee said to the young man. "But as you know, this tag team aspect came up at a bad time. Although I'm here with my secretary, she's unfortunately not a fighter like you and I are, I imagine. I know of no one else on this island to team with."
"I'm surprised you didn't bring one of your robots with you," Alex mentioned. "I bet that would've made searching for a partner easier."
"Of course it would have, but my current models aren't up to par for such an endeavor just yet, or else I would've already brought one with me to see how far they'd go in the tournament," Lee explained.
"I admit, that would've been something to see," Wagner mentioned.
"If you like, Mr..." Lee started as he turned his attention back to the cyborg.
"Just call me Cyrax," Cyrax replied.
"All right. If you like to, Cyrax, I can offer you compensation at the end of the tournament for the trouble. I simply wish to learn more about your tech with the possibility of applying them to future projects if possible."
Cyrax rubbed his 'chin' with his hands at the offer. "Hmm... the idea of compensation does sound nice..."
Alex rolled her eyes while she smirked. "Of course when money's involved, Cyrax..."
"Well, to be honest," Cyrax started. "My former asshole Grandmaster should've owed Smoke and I compensation for what we had to go through years ago, so this will make up for it. Though now that I think about it, he probably would've said that my enhancements were 'compensation' enough."
"Why not go and ask him, or beat the crap out of him?" Wagner suggested.
"I would delightfully take your advice on the latter... except he's dead."
"...Oh. Nevermind then."
Cyrax turned his attention back to Lee. "All right, Mr. Chaolan. I admit to be somewhat reluctant, but you convinced me. You've got a deal."
Lee smiled. "Excellent! In that case, let me head out so I can let my secretary know the good news. For now, Cyrax, enjoy yourself with your friends... um..." He stumbled a bit in his words as he realized that he never got the two humans' names.
"Wagner."
"Walker."
"Right," Lee continued. "Enjoy yourself with your friends, Mr. Wagner and Ms. Walker, and I'll meet you at the lobby for the tournament registration in forty-five minutes."
With that, the CEO made his departure from the bar and grill. Once Lee was out of earshot, Alex ended up asking, "You think you can trust him, Cyrax?"
"For now, I suppose," Cyrax replied. "If anything, I can always introduce his neck to my arm saw tech."
Wagner couldn't help but laugh at that.
Mishima Hotel, Third Floor
"So let me get this straight," started Smoke. "Sareena managed to find herself a partner with someone outside our group?"
"She said that this... Shura... didn't have anyone to tag team with," Sub-Zero explained as he and his friend walked down the hallway. They were headed towards their respective hotel rooms - which were next door to each other - after the two of them, along with Sareena and Matrik, enjoyed lunch at a sandwich shop not too far from the hotel.
Smoke shook his head a little. "I knew it was stupid of Kazama to announce that this tournament was a tag team one after we all arrive on the island. Then again, he's made even worse decisions in the past few months..." He then turned his head to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. "I should've tag teamed with you. Not that I don't want to team with Matrik, but now you don't have a partner for the tournament... and I'm sure most of us have one by now."
"I'll find someone by the end of the registration deadline," Sub-Zero assured the cyborg. "And if not, well..." He shrugged. "I'll just be a spectator."
"I bet you'll be bored most of the time."
"Perhaps... but we'll see. If anything, I admire Sareena for her willingness to work alongside a stranger in need. And who knows... Shura may end up being one of the new chosen ones if she proves herself."
"That reminds me," Smoke started. "You realize that the name 'Shura' means 'bloodshed,' right?"
"So?"
Smoke shrugged. "Just thought the name was curious, that's all."
"Might not mean the same thing where she comes from," Sub-Zero mentioned. "Sareena did mention that Shura's from Keisei."
"That's true."
Unknown to them, another group of the chosen ones came towards them in the same hotel hallway. The group consisted of Asuka, Sakura, Elena, Cassandra, and Xianghua. The five of them talked amongst themselves.
"I'm so glad we got this worked out," said an excited Asuka. "Now that you two are tag teaming, thanks to our intervention, I think we've covered our little group."
"And hopefully, Mika found someone by now, too," mentioned Sakura.
Xianghua smiled. "I appreciate you finding me a tag team partner. I'm sure Elena and I will make a great team once the tournament is underway."
"I'm sure we will," a beaming Elena replied.
"Now we just need the two of your to spar and we'll be set," Cassandra brought up.
As the girls were come closer, Sub-Zero and Smoke noted their presence... though it wasn't too hard considering how loud their current conversation was. "Well, well," Smoke whispered with humor. "It's those chatty school girls along with one very tall new girl."
"Be nice, Tomas," Sub-Zero warned him. "Remember, they're just as capable of fighting as we are."
"I know, I know, I was just remembering that conversation we had last year," Smoke said. "Besides, I didn't say that with any kind of mean spirit, Kuai."
"I know... but still."
By then, the girls noticed the Lin Kuei duo. It was Asuka who smiled and waved at them. "Hi Sub-Zero, how are you?" she greeted. "You're looking even younger than the last time I saw you!"
"Uh, thanks," Sub-Zero replied. He knew the reason she said that was because his hair was actually a dark gray and his face had a few more wrinkles when they first met thanks to the power of his Dragon Medallion. These days, he was looking his own age thanks to the power behind the suit he obtained from his ancestors' resting place in Outworld at the tail end of the Universal War. He did bring the outfit with him, but he only planned to wear it during any missions that involved why they were here in the first place rather than during the tournament matches.
"Who's your friend?" Sakura asked as she gazed at the cyborg next to him.
Smoke couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't you girls recognize me?" he joked.
"You remember Smoke?" Sub-Zero informed them. "We got him fixed up to look human again a couple of months ago."
At first, none of the five girls said anything at first, though the new girl Elena did give Smoke a brief hello and a smile, which the cyborg returned.
Finally, it was Sakura who spoke first. "My word... how could the old Lin Kuei do such a thing to you?"
"I know," Smoke started. "They weren't exactly kind to us in those day-"
"I mean, jeez, you're one handsome guy! How could they cover up such a handsome face like yours?!"
Now Smoke was bewildered... did he actually hear what she just said, or was it just his imagination... or a literal loose screw in his head? Either way, he furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at Sakura. "Eh... come again?"
"I agree with Sakura, you are handsome!" Asuka called out with a big smile of her own.
"Have you thought about growing out your hair?" Cassandra asked. "I bet it would be so luscious if you do!"
Even the more reserved Xianghua's cheeks flushed a little red. "Your eyes are beautiful, too! It's so blue, like the sky!"
At that point, the four girls were talking over each other to the point where it was difficult to understand what any of them said, though it wasn't hard to notice the big smile on Elena's face. And here I thought the tall one was being friendly! Smoke called out in his mind.
While this went on, Smoke and Sub-Zero slowly craned their necks towards the other's direction before they stared each other with odd looks on their faces. Clearly they were both thinking the same thing – This is crazy!
Then, while the girls were clearly distracted over their own gushing, Smoke silently pointed to his utility belt while he still stared at his friend. Without needing to look, Sub-Zero gave him a very slow nod, his silent way of giving Smoke permission to proceed.
The cyborg immediately pulled out a smoke pellet. Oh sure, he could've used his own powers, but he didn't actually want to harm the girls. Either way, he didn't hesitate as he threw the pellet onto the ground. Upon impact, the pellet immediately caused a heavy gray smoke to release into the air in between the Lin Kuei members and the girls, and the only other sound being heard was the pellet's whistle. As soon as the smoke covered them, Sub-Zero and Smoke made a run for it as silently as the ninjas they both were.
Smoke couldn't help but feel amused the second the girls fell into a coughing fit before he and Sub-Zero turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
Tek-Ken Steakhouse
"That's really nice of you, Chun Li," Christie Monteiro said as she added bits of croutons and ranch dressing to her small side salad while she waited for her dinner to arrive. "You didn't have to go out of your way to find me a tag team partner."
While sitting in front of her, Chun Li added her own croutons and thousand island dressing to her side salad. Next to her, Lei Wulong was content with munching on the complimentary breadsticks that were served at the start of their dinner service.
"I know," Chun Li replied. "But I wanted to because I didn't want you to miss out on the tournament. And to be honest, my friend Sonya Blade was the one who managed to find someone amongst us chosen ones. A conversation with Princess Kitana led her to realize that Jade didn't have a partner yet either, so I figuring it would be a great idea to put the two of you on the same tag team."
"Remind me to thank Sonya too that next time we see her," Christie said. "So is Jade a good fighter?"
"I'd say she is," Chun Li assured her. "Not only is she the General of the Royal Edenian Militia, but from what I remember, she made it to the fifth round, out of eight, of the Blood Tournament two years ago. Trust me when I say that's pretty far for many of us chosen ones."
"She also knocked me out cold in the second round..." Lei uttered as he rubbed his forehead. After all this time, he still remembered the lump that developed on his head from Jade's flying boomerang. "Though actually, a year after that, she mentioned later that she didn't mean to. Apparently, she was only trying to give me a good scare."
"Ouch," Christie winced as she rubbed her own forehead out of sympathy for the detective. "I bet you had quite a headache after that."
"You have no idea. Though it's no worse than after my first try of Outworld Liquor." Then Lei thought of something. "Wait... I thought Jade intended to be partners with Yoshimitsu. From what I remember, the two became pretty good allies after their mission to Shao Kahn's fortress in Outworld during the last few days of the Universal War."
"I think that was the initial plan, but from what Kitana mentioned to Sonya, Yoshimitsu already found a partner, but he didn't mention who," Chun Li explained. She shrugged a little as she looked at Christie. "But it doesn't matter now. At this point, just look forward to tonight when the two of you meet up in the gardens outside the hotel for a sparring session. Think of it as a way for the two of you to get to know each other. You'll do fine."
Christie managed to smile. "I hope so. I'd hate to disappoint if I'm not up to par." Her smile faded as another thought came to her. "Well... don't get me wrong, I do look forward to the tournament, and I'm honored to be part of the chosen ones, but... I can't help but wonder what this will mean regarding my case..."
"I'm not sure," Lei answered. He took a quick bite out of his breadstick before he proceeded. "But I can tell you this... with Liu Kang on our side, there's a pretty good chance that things will move along a little faster. Us chosen ones just need to put our heads together and figure this stuff out. The more information we have, the easier it'll be to figure out the behind-the-scenes stuff with the Mishima Zaibatsu... and G-Corp for that matter, but that's another story. For now, we just need to keep our eyes and ear opened... and most importantly, we need to be patient. I know time can be of the essence, but the worst thing we can do now is rush into something we don't know squat about. The more we learn, the better it'll be in the long-run for both your grandfather and Eddy."
The Caepoira fighter sighed as she slowly nodded without a word. She knew even before Lei said it that not much could be done at this time...
On the opposite side of the restaurant, Crimson Viper was having dinner in one of the restaurant booths. In front of her, her daughter Lauren was switching between playing a game on her personal iPad and coloring on a piece of paper with crayons that their waiter provided when they first sat down at their booth.
"So," Crimson Viper started to say. "Are you looking forward to watching the tournament tomorrow?"
"I guess," Lauren replied with a little shrug as she picked up a green crayon. "How long do you have to wait to fight, Mommy?" she asked as she began to draw what looked like a tree on the paper.
"I'm not quite sure yet, but I imagine I'll find out tomorrow." Of course, the only problem was that the woman had yet to find a tag team partner for this tournament. Normally, she would contact her boss and have someone from the CIA join her here to serve as her tag team partner. Unfortunately, with the limited time the Mishima Zaibatsu had given her - and the fact that she only found out about the tournament details this morning - the agent most likely wouldn't be able to get here before the eleven o'clock deadline.
If she didn't find a tag team partner tonight, she would have to figure out a new course of action during the tournament.
"I hope it's not too long," her daughter mentioned after a brief pause. "I hate waiting for too long."
For some reason, that last sentence left a sudden pang within Crimson Viper's chest. She was far from blind from the fact that Lauren seemed to spend most of her eight years of life doing a lot of waiting. That is, waiting for her mother to return from yet another assignment after many weeks of absence. She was always grateful that her daughter was patient and aware of how important her mother's job was, but Crimson Viper couldn't help but wonder what all that waiting had done to her over the years. She had the feeling that, when Lauren was old enough, she was going to get an earful of how the young girl really felt about her mother's absence over the years.
No, Crimson Viper thought. Let's not think about the future. Take your own mother's advice... cherish all the time you do spend with her...
"Believe it or not, I hate waiting, too," the older woman mentioned.
Before any more was said, Crimson Viper noted someone standing at the table from the corner of her eye. Thinking it was their waiter at first, she turned her head to them, only to see that it wasn't their waiter. Instead, she was met with a dark-skinned man with bleach blonde hair, sunglasses with no hinges or temples to rest behind his ears and, most notably, an x-shaped scar carved over his face.
Unsure of what he wanted, Crimson Viper raised her eyebrow at him suspiciously. "May I help you?" she asked in annoyance.
"Cool sunglasses, sir!" Lauren said with enthusiasm and a big smile. "I bet you're an agent. Am I right?"
The stranger managed a small smirk in reply. Briefly, the older woman at the table wasn't sure he was playing along or not, at least until he said, "You're a very smart girl. But I'm sure you can figure out something like that out since your mother is also an agent."
"Clearly you know me from somewhere," Crimson Viper replied coolly.
Realizing then how he approached the woman and her daughter, the stranger responded, "You're Crimson Viper. You're not exactly a well-kept secret amongst my superiors in my agency. You're pretty well known for some of the work that you've done over the years."
"And you are...?"
"The codename is Raven."
Instantly recognizing that codename, Crimson Viper's eyebrows shot up in surprise, which made her green eyes widen. "Well then... in my agency, we consider you a legend. You're so good at your job that my own boss wanted you to be apart of our team a few years ago. If I recall correctly, you declined."
"Because being part of the CIA doesn't offer me the same freedom to work as a one-man team when needed," Raven said. He then pointed at the table she sat at. "Mind if I join you for a couple of minutes?"
Crimson Viper thought about it for a moment before she turned to Lauren. "Sweetheart, why don't you sit next to me so Raven can sit down with us for a little bit."
"Okay," Lauren complied before she got up and moved to the other bench to sit next to her mother.
Raven sat in the side of the booth Lauren was in moments ago before he continued the conversation. "I assume this is your daughter."
"Yes," Crimson Viper confirmed. "We figured this tournament would also double as a vacation. To be frank, this is my real first chance to spend time with her in a long while. Do you have a family?"
"No," Raven replied. "To me, it'd just be another complication in this current point of my life. I prefer to have as less complications as possible."
"I know what you mean," she said. "I can say for sure that one can learn to make it work to the best of their ability. But then again, it's not for everybody." The agent decided then to move on. "So tell me... what is a prestigious agent like yourself doing at my table? Since this sort of thing is usually classified, I assume that you're on some kind of mission pertaining to the Mishima Zaibatsu."
"In a way," Raven admitted. "I'm also here to ask you if you have a tag team partner for this tournament yet."
"Huh," Crimson Viper huffed. "I'm surprised you're asking me of all people to tag team with you. Why is that?"
"Because from what I recall from the docks in Nagato, you came to this island with only your daughter. I have my allies, but they all have their tag team partners... so it made sense for me to seek you out as a potential partner."
"Is that all?" Crimson Viper ended up asking, not fully convinced just yet.
"Let me ask you this," Raven started. "Are you here to investigate the Mishima Zaibatsu? Because if you are, let's face it... any agents, detectives, and military personnel here are attending this tournament for the same exact reason we are... the Mishima Zaibatsu and this war they started needs to be stopped."
"That's barely a subtle way to admit why you're here," the woman replied as she adjusted her yellow-tinted sunglasses. "But... I suppose you do have a point. Not all of us fighters in this tournament are here just for the bounty.
"All right then, Raven. We'll be partners for this tournament, as long as we don't get too in the way of the other's mission, unless it calls for it, of course."
"I couldn't agree more."
It was then that he heard someone talk loud at the bar near their table. Even from only looking at the back of his head and his brown military uniform, Raven recognized Dragunov at the bar table. The militant's dinner was in front of him along with what looked like beer. An older man - who wore a yellow uniform, brown boots, and a red beret - stood to his left. A big flashy smile was on his face.
Raven quickly realized who was talking in high volume as he had seen him before in Nagato.
"So what do you say?" the loud stranger asked. Unknown to Raven, the name of the man was Rolento Schugerg, the leader of his own nation's army. "It'll benefit us military men to tag team in this tournament. What do you say?"
Raven nearly snorted at that question as he knew that Rolento wasn't exactly going to get an actual verbal answer. At first, Dragunov didn't respond and seemed to think it over as he rubbed his chin with his leather-gloved hand. He then eventually used the same hand to extent it out for a handshake, clearly agreeing to the general's offer.
"Great!" Rolento called out in enthusiasm as he shook Dragunov's hand. "And I guarantee that we'll be a great team; the General of his own army and nation tag teaming with the famous White Angel of Death."
Raven nearly rolled his eyes at that. More like 'The Loudmouth and the Mime.' Hope that guy knows what stealth is when it matters most.
Mishima Forest, Evening
Near the other side of the island, Liu Kang visited one of the few cabins within the forest, which was isolated and far from downtown. It was the cabin Ivy was staying in, away from prying eyes just as she wanted. As far as Liu Kang knew, no one else was in the nearby cabins, though he planned to check in on them after he was done. Once he reached Ivy's cabin, he didn't hesitate to reach the front door and knocked a few times. Considering how he saw one single light on through the window, he was certain that the Keisei native was inside and awake.
It didn't take long for Ivy to open the door, though she did so slowly before she peaked one blue eye through the crack of the door. She stared at Liu Kang briefly before she stepped back and opened the door some more.
"And here I thought you'd summon me tomorrow morning when the tournament began," Ivy mentioned with confusion as Liu Kang walked inside the cabin. "I hope you're not expecting me to mingle with anyone tonight."
Liu Kang took a deep breath at that. "Well... you may have to a little bit in general. I came with some news regarding the tournament." He decided then to cut to the chase before he gave Ivy the chance to say anything. "The official rules were released yesterday, and well... the tournament involves tag teams, no exceptions. Anyone without a partner by eleven o'clock tonight will be forfeited from attending the tournament."
Ivy scowled at that as she folded her arms in front of her. "Well, that complicates things. Would've been nice if I knew this prior to my arrival on Earthrealm."
"I didn't know about it either until last night," Liu Kang assured her.
"And let me guess, you expect me to find a partner. Considering how many 'chosen ones' you have at your disposal, is my further involvement in this conflict even necessary?"
Liu Kang glared at her over that last sentence. "Because as Fujin said to you, we need all the help we can get. This isn't just about Jin and his war, but also about Quan Chi and his Outworld Forces and, most importantly, the threat of Azazel's awakening. The more we have on our side, the better our chances. And to make one thing clear, Ivy... no one is here at my 'disposal.' You try to remember that."
Ivy unfolded her arms to her sides. She clenched her fists as she glared at the God of Fire. "You expect my involvement to be so easy, do you? Maybe if you were there at the meeting in Edenia after the war last year, you would understand!"
"Fujin told me the story," Liu Kang informed her as calmly as possible as he felt somewhat annoyed with her outburst. "But perhaps it would be best if I heard the story of what the chosen ones thought of from you..."
"You know damn well what they think of me!" Ivy called out to him. She then shook her head. "I should've never came here... My presence will only cause more conflict."
"They know you're here," Liu Kang said. "Not everyone will agree, of course, but with time, they'll come around."
Ivy stared at him. "Are you so certain of that?"
"The fact that there are people here who've forgiven you for your actions - Queen Sindel included - is a start in itself."
She frowned as she knew that he was right. It was hard to forget Sindel who forgave her on behalf of the realm of Edenia, the former slave of Soul Edge Siegfried who vouched for her experience with the evil entity, or the blind swordsman Kenshi - one of The Four - who stood up for her from the very beginning when Jin and Ryu had their initial doubts about her. She guessed it was an okay start, even if was only three out of the current seventy plus chosen ones that she was certain of, plus Liu Kang.
"Maybe," Ivy murmured. "But even if I wanted to be part of this tournament, who would be willing to partner with me at all?"
To her surprise, Liu Kang smirked at her almost knowingly. Before she could inquire as to what that was about, Liu Kang stepped to the side and opened the front door some more. "You can come in now," he called out.
Ivy heard footsteps approach the door, and soon the person stepped in and revealed themselves to her. To her shock, the person who stepped into the cabin was the Manji Clan leader, Yoshimitsu.
"What...?" Ivy uttered in surprised. After everything with the Universal War, he was one of the last people she expected to step into the cabin.
"Yoshimitsu personally came to me and volunteered to be your tag team partner for the tournament," Liu Kang mentioned to her.
Ivy looked to the Manji Clan leader, who nodded to her in confirmation. "But... why?" she asked.
"For a number of reasons," Yoshimitsu explained as he took a couple of more steps forward. "Most importantly, I've long forgiven you for your actions in the Universal War ever since your explanation in Edenia. I believed you when you explained the influence both the war and the essence of Soul Edge had over you. I would've said something that evening, but Siegfried expressed my exact sentiments then.
"Also, our alliance in the tournament would show that former enemies of war can unite as allies if given the chance. The way I see it, if Liu Kang and Fujin trust you enough to join us chosen ones, then I can trust you. Not everyone will agree, but I think the more time that passes, the more the others will come around.
"Despite our alliance, I will continue to respect your wishes to remain isolated from the rest of the group unless you say otherwise," Yoshimitsu promised. "Do you agree to the partnership?"
Ivy didn't answer right away because she was trying to comprehend the clan leader's offer. After all, the Manji Clan had once been Shao Kahn's biggest enemies in the Universal War. The Outworld Forces were responsible for many of the deaths of their clan members, and Ivy always imagined that it was the kind of atrocity the clan would never forgive.
But as Yoshimitsu himself said, he knew why she did was she did and forgave her just mere days after the end of the war.
Finally, after a long silence, Ivy gave him a nod. "Okay... I'll agree to the partnership, as long as you respect my requests."
"Great," Yoshimitsu replied. "In that case, I'll personally head down to the hotel right away to register us both in the tournament. I'll return once I get information on when our first match is. Until then, I bid you goodbye." With that, Yoshimitsu exited the cabin. Liu Kang gave Ivy a small smile before he followed and closed the door behind him, which left the Keisei native alone again.
Well... if anything, at least it beat being bored throughout Ivy's stay on Earthrealm...
Botanical Garden Near Mishima Hotel, Evening
It was ten thirty at night when Sub-Zero decided to head over to the back of the hotel, where a botanical garden was located. There, he sat in a lotus position to meditate by the man-made pond that filled with different-colored koi fish. Despite feeling relaxed, there were still some thoughts that ran through his mind, especially ones that pertained to current events.
There was only another half hour before the end of the registration for the tag team tournament, which would begin tomorrow. At this point however, Sub-Zero was resigned to the fact that he was not going to find a partner by eleven o'clock. Many of the chosen ones he was willing to team with already partnered with someone. And as far as he was concerned - even though he admired Sareena for partnering with a lonely warrior for the tournament - it was not something that he was going to do himself.
Sub-Zero wondered what he could do while the tournament was underway. Perhaps it would be a good excuse for him to help out Liu Kang with anything related to their mission, mainly anything that could be done while most of the other chosen ones were still contenders in the tournament. He recalled a time, during the Blood Tournament, when he, Smoke, Matrik, and Ashrah served as guardians of the cave and its surroundings after the chosen ones were ambushed by the combined might of Noob Saibot and Sektor. He didn't think that sort of thing was needed again since they weren't staying someplace considered a secret this time around, but perhaps maybe something similar could happen again, especially during their meetings in the island's forest.
For now, it was all just a guess on how he could help while he wasn't in the tournament. The only thing he knew for sure at this point was that he planned to watch his fellow chosen ones throughout the event... and hope that one of the teams make it far enough to be able to confront Jin Kazama, get their answers for his atrocities, and stop him before the monster Azazel is awakened.
With that in mind, Sub-Zero decided to head back to his hotel room to get some rest. He figured that meditating wasn't going to help his racing mind much tonight. After getting up from his lotus position, he turned towards the direction of the hotel and began to walk through the garden's stoned pathway.
He only took about fifteen feet when an intense heat suddenly hit his back, which made him stop walking. With a raised eyebrow, Sub-Zero could only wonder where it came from. The sun was gone, the air was chilly moments ago, and as far as he knew, he hadn't walked past any lit lanterns just now.
"Sub-Zero!" a chilling, deep voice suddenly called out.
The ice warrior realized how close the voice was... no more than ten feet, he guessed. Without hesitation, he whirled around to face whoever was behind him. Upon seeing them, he instantly recognized the figure dressed in black and yellow shinobi attire. Pale eyes glared at him... and it very much explained why the heat appeared in the first place when they teleported here...
"Scorpion..." Sub-Zero uttered. He gave his old nemesis a neutral stare, unsure of whether or not to be ready for a battle.
In that moment, however, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster almost forgot one fact... according to Liu Kang, Scorpion was amongst the chosen ones, but preferred to be isolated from the group like Ivy.
So why was he here?
When Scorpion didn't say anything right away, Sub-Zero knew he had to get rid of the tension that suddenly hung in the air. He spoke, "It's... been a while."
"Two years ago this summer if I recall," Scorpion reminded him. "We last saw each other at the Blood Tournament. And as I told you then, I've continued to keep my promise that was made long ago..."
"So you did," Sub-Zero replied. "You also said that day that any future encounters would just be a 'coincidence.' I doubt that's the case this time, especially since I've heard that you're one of us – a chosen one. You've always been a lone wolf... why the change?"
"Because there is much at stake this time," Scorpion answered simply.
It didn't take a lot of thought from Sub-Zero to know that Scorpion's involvement definitely had something to do with Quan Chi since the sorcerer was mentioned as part of what the chosen ones were up against this time around. "I see," Sub-Zero said. "Though I admit to be curious... Liu Kang did mention you in our group meeting. He made it clear that you would keep your distance from us unless it was necessary."
"That still stands," Scorpion mentioned. "But believe it or not, considering the circumstances surrounding this tournament, I find that attending as a contender is a necessity. And from what I've gathered, all contenders are required to have a tag team partner..."
Sub-Zero immediately realized where the spectre was going with this. "You're... seeking me out to be your partner for the tournament?" he said with surprise.
"Why else would I be here?" Scorpion asked with some annoyance in his voice.
Sub-Zero nearly rolled his eyes at the response. "I don't know... I thought maybe you were expecting me to welcome you to the 'chosen ones club' with a tea party."
Now it was Scorpion's turn to roll his eyes, though it was barely noticeable. "Your attempt at humor is a poor one."
"You're not the first person who's told me that." Oh, how many times has Smoke brought up Sub-Zero's bad attempts at humor over the years, even when he wasn't trying...
The former Shirai Ryu leader chosen to move on. "To answer your question... yes, I am seeking you out as a potential partner in this tournament despite the rivalry of our respective clans. I'm not aware of who these other 'chosen ones' are, but as far as I'm concerned, you're the only one worthy. That is, unless, you've already found someone else to team up with."
Sub-Zero then made a hasty decision, one that he wasn't sure he would regret or not later down the road. The only thing he knew for sure, however, was that this was one step to perhaps mending the past between them.
"I was ready to accept the fact that I'd be a spectator," Sub-Zero admitted. "But the fact that you're willing to seek me out of all people, well... I can't say no. Our clans have a dark history. I know it's a moot point after what happened to the Shirai Ryu, but... I'd like for this to be a step in a new direction for us both as a way to put it behind us."
Sub-Zero wasn't sure if those were even the right words to use, and he expected Scorpion to not react too well to them. But then Scorpion said, "It is not as moot as you think it is."
That statement greatly confused the Lin Kuei warrior. "What do you mean by that?"
"When the right time comes, you will know." The spectre left it at that, and Sub-Zero chose not to inquire further... for now.
Soon, the two headed to the hotel to register for the tournament. They would be the last team to sign up before the clock struck eleven. For the rest of the night afterwards, Sub-Zero could only imagine how his allies would react to the partnership.