Chapter Nineteen
Mishima Hotel
On the ground floor of the hotel, there were two types of rooms that visitors could use during their stay. One was a room that was meant to host banquet-style gatherings. It was large with plenty of round dinner tables and chairs, and the middle was cleared for dancing. The other type of room had long, rectangular tables with chairs that served as a meeting place for those who traveled to the island on business.
The latter was perfect for some of the chosen ones to have their own meeting. In this case, the group involved were those who were either part of the military or the police force. Everyone in the room were either soldiers, officers, agents, or - in the case of Juli, Abel, and Steve - close enough allies to know what's going on prior to the meeting. Led by Guile and Jax, the others in the room were Yoshimitsu, Jade, Cammy, Lita, Juni, Chun Li, Lei, Lucia, Sonya, Cyrax, Dragunov, Raven, Hwang, Yun-seong, and Wagner.
"First off," Jax began once everyone was settled in the room. "Let me begin by mentioning that I got in contact with my informant yesterday. He confirmed everything we know about G-Corp from our first meeting."
"Our files also confirmed that criminals Kano, Juri Han, and Doctrine Dark are indeed working with the Mishima Zaibatsu," Guile added with a frown, especially over the mention of Dark... the soldier he formerly commanded years ago. "They're all registered to participate in the tournament. However, none of them are registered in any of the hotels on the island, and Jax's informant confirmed that none of those three names are associated with G-Corp, so..."
"Which makes sense that they're indeed with the Zaibatsu as we initially thought after they extracted their files from Interpol's system," finished Chun Li. "How else would those three have access to the island?"
"I find it interesting how they're willing to put their names out in the open when I'm sure they're aware of the fact that they're wanted dead or alive," mentioned Cyrax.
"Well to be fair, Doctrine Dark is not his real name," Guile mentioned grimly. "Though I'm sure that doesn't help his case. Either way it doesn't matter. He and the others are loose and need to be dealt it as soon as we figure out their current location."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," agreed Sonya.
Jax proceeded. "There was something else my informant brought up involving Kazuya's second-in-command that may be of interest to one of you in this room. Perhaps you may be able to give a little more information than what the news reports shared." He then turned his head to one of the two Interpol detectives in the room. "Lei... does the name Bruce Irvin sound familiar to you?"
Lei's eyes widened upon hearing that. It was a name he had not heard of in a very long time. "I'll say it is," he replied. "About twenty or so years ago, he botched a kickboxing match that enraged someone enough for them to hire an assassin to go after him. Funny thing is, I knew nothing about that until the whole investigation on my end was over. My partner, at the time, and I were after the assassin himself for other crimes. Well, the four of us ended up crossing path. Bruce apparently knew about the hired killer and that killer figured he was screwed once he ran into the both of us. Well... a lot of lines were blurred that day and everything just turned into an all-out brawl. Problem was... that brawl took place on an airplane. Let's just say we end up causing some... decompression."
"Oh damn," uttered Lucia. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of airplane was it?"
"Luckily, it was one of those private charter planes Bruce rented that day so no innocent bystanders were involved. Aside from the two pilots, who turned out to be working for the assassin, it was just the four of us. Anyway, it was sheer luck that none of us were sucked out of the plane as we all managed to grab onto something, though we all got dizzy from the sudden loss of air... luckily the plane wasn't quite high enough in the sky at that point, so there was still enough oxygen to where we didn't lose consciousness. Still, the debris hit both engines and practically obliterated them. No way it was coming back from that.
"The plane ended up crashing into a remote jungle. Bruce and I were the only ones thrown from the plane and that saved us both. The pilots, the assassin... my partner... they weren't so lucky. Separately, we were both picked up by the Mishima Zaibatsu, believe it or not, and this was back when Kazuya Mishima had a brief hold on the company when the world thought his father Heihachi was dead. I think he saw potential in Bruce and it's why they've been working together... clearly to this day.
"Unfortunately, I don't have all the details, though at some point after I defeated Bruce in the second King of Iron Fist Tournament, his plane flight home ironically crashed and he was assumed dead. Well... it wasn't until the fifth King of Iron Fist Tournament months ago when I learned that he was alive. There was no inkling as to what he was up to these days... but clearly he's been working for G-Corp. My guess is that he's been with them since at least Kazuya became CEO."
"How dangerous of an enemy do you think he could be?" inquired Lita.
"Well, he sure as hell gave me a run for my money in the tournament," Lei replied. "But that was also more than twenty years ago. We didn't face each other in the last Iron Fist tournament. Then again, if he's still working under Kazuya, I'd say he's still as good of a fighter now as he was all those years ago. Other than that, he does have a record for beating up on criminals who are out to harm young children. That's about the only good thing I can say about him."
"So in other words, he's not a complete bastard," guessed Yun-seong.
"Perhaps, but he can still snap your neck with a hard enough kick to the jaw."
"Okay," started Hwang. "So we've got three Earthrealm criminals dangerous enough to consider extreme caution and a questionable G-Corp second-in-command who will not harm any kids. Anything else?"
"You mean aside from the fact that Quan Chi and his minions are hanging around Earthrealm for whatever reason and that the more this war continues, especially between Kazuya and Jin, the bigger the chances of catastrophe occurring on the universe if that demon thing escaped his temple?" questioned Wagner.
That statement only served to remind Jax that there were two other important things to mention. The first would be easy. The second? Not so much... but he knew it had to be said.
"There is more that my informant reported," the Special Forces Colonel started. "He doesn't know all the details, but he did say that the whole 'savior' title the news gave to G-Corp is actually a ploy. G-Corp's real plan is to get rid of Jin and his allies. I know that doesn't sound much different, but my informant suspects there's more to it... he just doesn't know what yet, but the fact that Kazuya was once CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu himself might hold water. Plus, all the rumored money-shaking they've been doing is them trying to get protection money from those located at places of interest, most likely to develop new facilities."
"I think we figured that out once Kazuya was revealed to be G-Corp's CEO," said Cammy. "But then again, the bastard could surprise us later down the road."
Jax then took a deep breath as a way to prepare himself to reveal the second part of the news... the one he was dreading to announce since last night. "The next thing he reported... well... keep in mind that we're still trying to get more information, but one thing is for sure... Quan Chi and his Outworld minions have connected themselves to this war after all. As a matter of fact... they have allied themselves with Kazuya and G-Corp. And whoever isn't with them joined with the Mishima Zaibatsu under Jin's command."
That news made everyone fall silent as they were unsure of how to process that. They knew since their first chosen ones meeting that Quan Chi and his minions were hanging around Azazel's temple for unknown reasons. But to ally with G-Corp? And those not with them were with the Zaibatsu? The latter was more shocking, especially after knowing what Jin stood for just last year.
"...Well, that just made this mission more complicated," grumbled Raven.
"Just wait until the others hear about this," said Abel.
"Tell me about it," agreed Steve. "At least with the Universal War, it was pretty straight forward. This conflict? Not so much. It's more like a confusing mess, at least from our point of view."
"Maybe someone found out about the whole evil stars prophecy somehow, long before we, did and decided to try to get ahead as a way to possibly unleash Azazel," guessed Cyrax. "Especially if it's true that Quan Chi was always interested in Azazel and that temple as Zafina mentioned."
"That's a good possibility," replied Yoshimitsu. "But at this time, the reason for these alliances are nothing more than guesses. We need to be patient and figure out more information before we proceed forward." He turned his head to Jax. "How soon do you think your informant can report more to us?"
"As soon as he is able," Jax replied. "At the same time, especially with Outworld now involved, he's trying to not act suspicious in front of anyone. Other than that, he did give me a little information on those with Outworld. There are members of the elusive Red Dragon clan present as well as at least one former member of Shadaloo – Vega."
"Lovely..." sighed Chun Li.
"Tell me about," agreed Cammy.
Jax then turned his attention to Sonya. "We also found your 'friend' Kira amongst them, too."
Sonya narrowed her blue eyes in response. "That only tells me that there's finally an opportunity to take her out like there is with Kano. And if I ever run into her, I'll personally see to it."
"The only other person of interest from that group is Vega's tag team partner, Anna Williams," Guile said. "Some of you may remember her as the younger sister of Nina Williams."
"Is Nina even with us at all these days?" asked Wagner. "I'm sure I would've noticed already, but considering how big our group is this time around..."
"No," Steve answered while he tried not to sound bitter at the thought of his mother - a fact he didn't plan to tell anyone anytime soon, not even his girlfriend Lita. "She's not."
"But interestingly enough, when we looked at the partial list of participants for this tournament, her name actually appeared on the log," Guile mentioned. "I would've shrugged it off as just someone possibly with the same name, but her registration mentions her being from Ireland and we all know that's where she's from... and Anna is registered under the same country. That, to me, is more than a coincidence."
"So let me get this straight," started Cyrax. "She's not amongst us chosen ones, but is still at this tournament? Why is that?"
"That's something I plan to ask Liu Kang the next time I see him," Jax said.
"If she's in the tournament," said Juli. "Then she definitely has a tag team partner. Do we have a name, and is it anyone of interest?"
"We do have a name, but no one of interest at this time," Guile replied as he looked at the notepad in front of him. He took a moment to search for that info before he proceeded. "Someone named... Eddy Gordo."
That name immediately got Lei's attention. "Wait a minute... did I hear that right? Eddy Gordo?"
"Yeah. Why, do you know him?"
"No, but my client, Christie - the one whose with us - she came to me because Eddy and her grandfather went missing several months ago. Here's the gist of it... Her grandfather was Eddy's mentor and Christie trained under Eddy himself. Her grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He and Eddy disappeared not long after. Christie had no clue what became of them until an anonymous letter was sent to her. It let her know that her grandfather was safe and being treated at a medical facility in hopes of curing his cancer. Thing is... the letter contained the current Mishima Zaibatsu insignia. She came to me for help not long after."
"Do you think Christie's mentor joined the Mishima Zaibatsu?" asked Chun Li.
"If I had to follow my hunch," Lei answered. "I believe he did, perhaps as a trade-off for access to their medical facilities to help his mentor."
"If that's the case, then that means Nina most likely joined the Zaibatsu herself," said Jade.
"Oh great," sighed Wagner. "And here I thought she was always bitter because being with us chosen ones complicated her lone wolf persona... at least that's the impression I got since our time in Outworld."
"You're right on the mark if my time with her is anything to go by," said Juni.
"So that makes two chosen ones from the past who decided to turn their backs on us," groaned Sonya. "First Jin, now Nina. Anyone else we're missing that could've joined with our enemies?"
"I don't see Sophitia being the type to do that," Hwang replied. "And besides, her sister Cassandra confirmed that she was staying put in Keisei to focus on caring for her family.."
"Aside from Jin, Nina, and Sophitia, and except for those who are deceased, I believe everyone else is accounted for," said Guile. "And I also believe that's everything important to mention. We'll, of course, pass the word to Liu Kang so that he can inform the rest of the chosen ones on everything we learned today at the next group meeting."
Wagner suddenly turned to the quietest person in the room. "Dragunov, do you have anything to add?"
Everyone turned their attention to the Russian soldier who sat in the back of the meeting room. He gave Wagner a brief glare before he simply shook his head in response.
"Thought you might say that," he said before he turned to Juli to whisper just low enough for only her to hear, "I know he's on our side, but that dude always freaked me out."
"I do have one more thing to add," Sonya said as she stood up from her seat. "I recall that despite the large size of our group, Liu Kang wanted us to potentially recruit more people for our cause. I know a couple of you in this room have a tag team partner outside the group. At this point in our mission, do you think they might be worthy enough to join?"
"I'm still trying to figure out my tag team partner," replied Cyrax. "The only thing I know about him is that he's currently interested in my tech since he owns a corporation that specializes in robotics."
"Also he likes martinis with olives," Wagner pointed out.
"I believe my partner may be a candidate," spoke Raven. "My agency knows of her reputation and she relies on tech in combat. She goes by the codename Crimson Viper."
Chun Li took a deep breath at that. "Oooh boy... of all the names to bring up, it had to be that one..."
Raven raised an eyebrow as he turned to the Interpol agent. "How do you know her?"
"When I was investigating SIN several months ago, she was working as an informant for them. Cammy, Wagner, Guile, Abel, and I were investigating the group at the time and we had a knack for running into her a few times. I can definitely attest to her fighting abilities, though there was a while where we couldn't figure out her motives. We only found out after submitting our reports in the end that she was a double agent... and technically on our side. Still, in our encounters, she was... a bit ruthless to say the least... though for all I know, she was possibly overcompensating for her cover-up."
"Do you think she could be trusted in your opinion?" Raven asked her.
"To be honest... I'm not sure."
"Why don't we let Liu Kang make that call?" Lei suggested.
"I agree," Jade said. "If she has the right balance of good and bad in her heart, then her joining us shouldn't be a problem. Then again... we have the former Empress apparently on our side..."
"Leeet's not touch that subject right now..."
As they talked about possible recruitment, Abel decided to tune out the part of the conversation that concerned SIN. The memories he did have about SIN and it's now-deceased leader, Seth, were not pleasant. He turned his chair to face forward while the others continued to talk.
When he did, he ended up facing one of the others in the group - Juni, who was turned in her chair and looking on at the conversation behind him. She noticed him shifting from the corner from her eye and instinctively turned her head. At the same time, they made eye contact. Out of politeness, Juni gave him a close-mouthed smile. He did the same in response before she turned her head back to the conversation at hand. Abel leaned back into his chair before he gazed his blue eyes on a spot at the table he sat at.
"In that case," said Guile. "Raven, set up a meeting with Crimson Viper. Be subtle about any questions she may have just in case she declines. If she doesn't decline, send me a message so Jax and I can meet you on the trail leading up to the chosen ones' meeting point."
"In the meantime, I'll talk to Liu Kang so he can evaluate her," Jax added.
Raven nodded in agreement to the plan. "Sounds good."
Okayama Bar, Mishima Island
While sitting on a stool at the long bar table, Balrog enjoyed a mug of beer and sipped the last of his second round of the day. Out of habit thanks to his time hiding out in Rio de Janeiro, he pulled up the hood of his black sweater over his head. As far as he knew, it was the universal sign that told the people around him to 'fuck off.'
Then again, the bar he sat in was quiet enough that it practically assured him that no one but the bartender would bother him. Aside of the occasional clinking of glass, the only other noise was the music on the speakers that played on low while the two big television screens were showing the tournament matches above the bar table. Balrog paid no attention to it. He didn't care about his potential competition.
All he cared about was winning the bounty.
Balrog had just finished ordering his third round when someone leaned against the table on his left. He didn't have to look at them to know that they were glaring right at him. "The hell do you want, chump?" Balrog demanded to know.
"Well well well, if it isn't Balrog," a familiar voice with a Spanish accent hummed in amusement. "And here I thought you were dead after all this time."
In annoyance, Balrog turned his head to eye his former ally and fellow Shadaloo agent, Vega Fabio de Cerna. At this point, Balrog wasn't sure whether or not to punch in that so-called pretty face of his just by principle alone. He decided to withhold... for the moment.
"And last I heard, you and Sagat were mingling with Outworld business," Balrog pointed out. "At least that's what Interpol was reporting in the news about two years ago."
"Actually, Sagat is no longer associated with them," Vega explained. "As a matter of fact, Outworld wants him dead since he became a goody two-shoe in recent days." He then decided to move on from the subject. "Let me take a wild guess... you're here at this pathetic tournament for the bounty. Figured your greed would override what little honor you probably have left."
"Like your vanity is any different," Balrog spat. "And if you think this tournament is pathetic, why bother participating? I recall you won your match yesterday." He then gave Vega a sly grin. "That reminds me... your tag team partner has one hell of a rack! I like a woman who isn't afraid to show off her assets, if ya know what I mean."
Vega sighed as he rolled his eyes, especially over the comment that concerned Anna. "I figured as much... you're as revolting now as you were in our Shadaloo days. At this point, I'm surprised you even have your own tag team partner at all. They must be as repulsive as you are."
Balrog huffed dryly at that. "Listen prissy boy, I don't know why you're even in my space in the first place, but unless you came here to buy me a beer, get out of my face before I crush ya into tiny pieces."
Vega shrugged indifferently. "Believe it or not, I thought it would be nice to say hola to an old comrade. Guess I should've known better." He pushed off the bar table and began to depart, but as he walked past Balrog from behind, he said one last thing to him. "The days of being one of the Four Kings of Shadaloo was something... even with you as the ugly brute."
In response, Balrog simply rolled his eyes.
Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters
While leaning against the balcony's metal-fenced barrier that overlooked a thick forest, Bryan Fury gazed up towards the cloudless blue sky while he enjoyed a smoke. Last time he had one was when he was hanging around in Keisei during the Universal War. He almost missed the tobacco smell and the way the fumes burned at the back of his throat. The fact that he was a cyborg with tech in his lungs was a great guarantee that the habit wasn't going to kill him anytime soon.
Upon thinking of death, had he really died twice already? It was something he never feared, even back when he was fully mortal. It was one heck of a thing to be able to die and live to tell about it... twice. Even better, both deaths made the possibility of his 'recovery' extremely slim, especially the last time when when he combusted into pieces. If he had to give Dr. Bosconovitch credit for one thing, it was his alternative plan to give him a generator instead of a new body. That decision ultimately saved his life the second time around.
The new body thing was taken care of by Sektor and the Tekunin. These days, he felt better than ever despite his position being stuck hanging around this place. A part of him wanted to go rogue again and cause all sorts of mischief, mainly the kind that gave the Manji Clan more than a huge headache.
With narrowed eyes, his thoughts became filled with the event that led up to his second demise as he blew cigarette smoke from his mouth...
On the ground, Bryan reached up and punched Yoshimitsu twice in the face before an uppercut knocked the Manji clan back, which left some space between them. After standing up, Bryan found himself angrier. Having enough of their fight, He quickly pulled out his machine gun, which he had been saving for this moment. Yoshimitsu turned himself around just in time to see Bryan point his gun at him.
"Crap!" he yelled just a split second before Bryan began shooting. Yoshimitsu swiftly moved as he got himself to the edge of the battle, the only way he could guarantee that his allies would not be harmed by Bryan's pursuit. He ran with all he could with a countless bullets trailing just behind him and coming closer and closer to him with each second that past. Finally Yoshimitsu got himself behind a burned tree before he quickly got himself into invisible mode.
Bryan quickly stopped shooting when Yoshimitsu disappeared. Using his sensors, the cyborg searched around for the clan leader's whereabouts. Even if he was in invisible mode, his sensors could still find him. Bryan smirked at that thought alone. It wouldn't be long before the Manji Clan leader was in his sights…
Suddenly, he heard a whoosh just above and behind him, and Bryan turned his head in that direction. Yoshimitsu suddenly appeared in his sensors, and his eyes widened in surprise. He was close… much too close!
A shing! was heard before Yoshimitsu landed on the ground, and he crouched low with his mechanical arm outstretched and holding his sword. The blade immediately emitted a green glow. Aside from the pouring rain and the fights around them, all was quiet.
Behind him, Bryan stood in shock for just a few seconds. Then, he stretched out his arms and dropped his gun as he let out a blood curdling scream, which was immediately cut off when the mechanics inside him caused his body to combust into a fiery explosion. It wasn't long before what remained of him began to rain down around the area...
As the memories faded away, Bryan drew in another puff of smoke from his cigarette. As he did, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. At first, he figured that it was Sektor coming in to inform him of some development or whatever... usually he didn't care half of time as most of it was business he didn't have much involvement in. Sure, working with both the Tekunin and the Mishima Zaibatsu was dull, but at least he had his freedom... and he planned to make sure it remained that way long after this war was over.
Bryan kept an indifferent gaze etched on his face as he turned to see who approached... only for his eyes to widen a bit upon recognizing a face he had not seen since before his second demise. Well... actually, it was a mostly masked faced he looked at, but it was still recognizable nevertheless.
"Bryan Fury," Kabal greeted through the filters of his oxygen tube. He folded his scarred arms in front of his chest while he leaned on the door frame that led out to the balcony. "I heard a rumor that you weren't exactly dead despite that big explosion in Outworld. I just had to see for myself."
Bryan huffed dryly, which forced some of the cigarette smoke his sucked in to blow out through his nostrils like an angry bull. "And I heard a rumor that the Black Dragon were working with the Zaibatsu... though I figured it was likely just Havik and his so-called 'diabolical' schemes. Guess Kazama isn't fond of group introductions."
"Tell me about it," Kabal agreed as he thought about his 'meeting' with Kano and some of the Outworld rebels yesterday.
"I assume you're still hanging out with those two freaks," Bryan guessed as he referred to Havik and Tira.
"Yes, and they're both here as we speak," Kabal replied with a glare, his voice slightly hardened.
Upon noting that reaction, Bryan threw his finished cigarette onto the ground before he stepped on it to put it out. "Well I've said it before and I'll say it again, I always thought you were an okay guy... and I usually hate people by principle. I like to think we 'bonded' over the fact that you and I were former cops who got sick of the world's shitty attempt at 'civilized society' after our respective near-death experiences... twice too might I add if Kira stabbing you in Outworld two years ago counts."
"I'd say 'near-death' is an understatement in your case," Kabal added. "Why mention this? You don't seem like the sentimental type."
"And don't you forget it," Bryan reminded him concerning the last sentence. "I was just curious about something... I think you were the only one who was clear about the Black Dragon's goals. And I think things would be just fine right about now had your clan followed through with your vision... but you let Havik run the show despite him 'advising' you otherwise."
"He saved my life," Kabal reminded him.
"Yeah, well, Sektor just saved mine recently and I'm not planning to owe him shit anytime soon despite what he thinks." Bryan took a couple of steps forward towards Kabal. "The only reason I'm even part of this tournament shenanigan to begin with is for shits and giggles... and test out this new body, of course. Plus, I only sided with the Zaibatsu because I hate G-Corp as much as Kazama apparently hates his father. Actually, I hate the Zaibatsu too, but at least Heihachi isn't running the show this time around. If he was, well... this facility would've gone up in flames by now."
"Sounds personal."
Bryan chose to ignore him as he proceeded. "Anyway, the point is this... you're smarter than those freaks. If you want to get something done, you're better off being on your own... or a like-mind group, whatever the hell you prefer. Just because you feel like you owe someone something doesn't mean you should. Sometimes, you just have to do your own thing."
"Like you?"
Bryan gave him a smug smirk. "Something like that. Sometimes, the only way you can achieve blowing shit up is to not be held back. Just go do it, especially on your own terms. Fuck the rest."
He chose that time to head back inside. As he walked past Kabal, Bryan briefly patted his shoulder. "Besides... we both know that civilized society is overrated anyway. We don't need some cleric from another realm to tell us that. Or keep reminding us for that matter."
The smug smirk remained on Bryan's face as he walked back inside the lounge room in the Zaibatsu's isolated hideout. In a way, Bryan wondered if Havik's chaos philosophy had some affect on him during his time with the Black Dragon... then again, he liked to think that he was insane to begin with. He didn't need a cleric to verify that. As Bryan walked away, he didn't realize that his words had an affect...
For the first time since he became leader of the Black Dragon, Kabal began to question himself over the last few years since he assumed the clan's leadership...
Okan Bar and Grill, Mishima Hotel
Immediately after the meeting with Guile, Jax, and the others, Raven sent a message to Crimson Viper and informed her to meet with him at the Okan Bar and Grill located near the hotel's lobby. The only other thing he mentioned was that it 'pertained to the mission they were both here for.' He knew it would be the best way to get her to come to the bar at all.
Within minutes, he received a small reply; Give me a half hour.
Raven decided to wait at the place either way, especially since he had yet to have lunch despite it being late in the afternoon. After he arrived, he decided to sit at the back corner of the establishment and away from prying eyes.
While he waited for the time to pass, Raven ordered a steak sandwich with au jus to dip it in and a side of coleslaw. The only drink he ordered was a glass of water. The order didn't take long to be made and once it was done and ready, he ate his lunch while he viewed the matches of the tournament on the television above the bar table.
While watching the matches, it was almost like how things were at the start of the Blood Tournament two years ago. Most matches went by quickly and they were usually pretty unremarkable. In a way, these early matches were always a way to weave out the weaker fighters. Later, as the tournament came closer to the later rounds, the matches were almost guarantee to be much more interesting and fun to watch... and challenging to those who were still fighting as well.
Other than that, the only question at this point was who was going to win the tournament and face Jin in the final round? And whoever the winners were, would they be strong enough to take down Jin?
Two years ago, it was Ivy Valentine who defeated Jin in the final round of the Blood Tournament. She could potentially emerge the victor alongside her tag team partner Yoshimitsu again... but two years had passed and a lot happened since then. As far as Raven could tell, both Jin and Ivy had changed. Those changes could affect the outcome if it came down to it.
Raven finished his coleslaw and was almost done with his sandwich when he noticed Crimson Viper walking into the bar. She took a moment to search around through her yellow-tinted glasses. Raven noticed right away that her daughter wasn't with her. Most likely, Lauren was at the hotel's daycare center while her mother was out on business, which was for the best in this case.
Crimson Viper soon noticed Raven and walked to his table. "So," she began as she sat down opposite of her tag team partner. "What did you find out recently?"
Raven wasn't sure how she would react to what he was about to tell her, but that thought alone wasn't about to stop him. "Nothing at all," he said. He quickly spoke up again when he noticed the confused gaze from her. "But I promise that it does have to do with our respective missions."
"Hmph, sounds mysterious. Now you have me curious," she replied while she leaned back against the booth she was sat in. "I figured that even if you didn't mention that this had anything to with our missions to begin with in your message, I knew it would be important. No offense, but you don't seem like the type who would call me randomly for a lunch date. Frankly though, I'm not the type either."
Raven huffed at that in amusement as that gave him a thought. If some of the chosen ones saw the two of them together right at this moment, they would quickly assume that he was on a date with Crimson Viper rather than meeting up regarding their reason for being here on this island in the first place. This was all based on his observation on his allies the past two times he worked with them.
"Anyway," Raven began. "The actual reason I called you here is to potentially let you in on a bit of a secret. I can't quite go into details yet. All I can say to you is to trust your own instincts and make your own judgment before you jump into this."
Crimson Viper raised an eyebrow at that. "O... kay," she uttered uncertainly. "I'll surely take your advice, but just know that I don't like the sound of this the way you're describing it. Or lack thereof."
"I know that feeling," Raven admitted. "Trust me, I was in the same position as you were two years ago. The gist of it is that I have allies who are part of the same mission that I am. The thing is, despite having plenty of people, we could use more assistance, and I feel that you could help us. We're here for the same reason... to investigate and stop the Mishima Zaibatsu and their war on the world. I recommended you as I feel that you'll be a great asset to the team."
"Well, that doesn't sound like that much of a secret," the female agent pointed out.
Raven shrugged a bit. "I know... but there is more to it, I can assure you that. You and I both prefer to work alone, but in a case such as this one, it's too big for either of us to handle alone. We both might as well get together with those out for the same goal to make our job easier. If you don't like it, you can always leave as long as you keep quiet about what you do learn. No one will be out for your head if you change your mind, I can assure you that."
Crimson Viper seemed to think about this for a moment before she pursed her lips. "Are these allies of yours agents as well?"
Raven tilted his head sideways almost in question. "Not... necessarily... but before you can join, you'll need to be evaluated... Again, I was the same position as you were two years ago, and I'm sure that not knowing what's going on is frustrating. You don't have to decide today... or ever... but at least you'll know that we're not the only one with the same, genuine goal in this tournament."
Finally, Crimson Viper took a deep breath. "All right... I'm going to go with my instincts and trust you on this. If they're here to stop the Mishima Zaibatsu too, I guess it wouldn't hurt to join with them... if they let me of course."
"If my own instincts are right, it shouldn't be a problem."
Fifteen minutes later, Raven paid for his lunch before he sent a message to Guile through his phone to let him know that they were ready. He received a reply a minute later that informed him that he and Jax were ready and to meet them at their meeting spot in the forest.
As the two agents departed, they walked past Armor King, who sat in his own corner of the bar and nursing his own drink. He kept himself in the shadow so that no one but the server bothered him. At first, he didn't really think much of anything except for the fact that the beer he ordered tasted like crap. Then again, it was a recommendation from his tag team partner in this tournament. Clearly the man had bad taste in beer.
Speaking of his tag team partner, Armor King found himself thinking about how he ended up with him in the first place, which occurred right in this very bar...
The bartender handed the stranger a mug of beer, the best kind the bar offered. The blue-hooded figured stared at the glass in confusion before he became angry. "The fuck? I didn't order this!"
"No, but he did," the bartender said as he pointed to Armor King three stools down. He then walked away and headed to the back before the hooded figure said anything. The bartender's departure left the two men alone in the bar.
The figure nearly laughed when he saw Armor King. They literally ran into each other just yesterday and the stranger complimented his mask. He wondered if this was his way of saying 'thanks.'
He took a long sip of his beer before he said, "Thanks stranger. I don't know what I did, but anyone who gets me a beer for free for no reason is definitely a friend of mine."
Armor King turned to stare at him through his leopard mask. "Don't jump to conclusions about our 'friendship' just yet."
That earned a suspicious eye from the stranger. "Da hell are ya getting at? Who are you, anyway?"
"Just a pro-wrestler in the Mexican circuit," Armor King replied. "And you're Balrog, formerly of Shadaloo."
At that moment, Balrog was annoyed as he clenched his free fist on the table. He was clearly ready to knock out the wrestler with one punch. "How the hell do you know that?!"
"Your face is practically plastered all over the internet," Armor King pointed out. "You've been wanted by Interpol since Shadaloo's fall. I hear that they're offering a nice bounty for anyone providing information leading to your capture, dead or alive."
"So what? You gonna get me arrested or something? Or kill me?"
Armor King huffed in amusement. "I'm not interested in money. My own agenda is all I care about."
"I assume this agenda is why you're at this tournament to begin with?" Balrog guessed.
"And I assume the bounty on Kazama is why you're here," Armor King replied. "Or else why else would you come out of hiding?"
"Then why are you bothering me?" Balrog asked in annoyance.
"Because I'm guessing you don't have a tag team partner in this tournament," Armor King guessed.
"Who said I wanted one at this point?"
"You're here for the bounty, no? How are you going to get that bounty if you can't attend the tournament without a tag team partner?"
Balrog rolled his eyes. "No shit. Whoever thought about this tag team thing is a fucking idiot. I spent three years by myself without relying on anyone. Then this shit comes up. Besides, I don't need to be in this tournament. I can always use my old resources to get closer to Kazama and that bounty."
"Why not kill the time until then?" Armor King suggested. "If you're lucky, you might not have to go through all that trouble. I'm in this tournament to kill time, too. Might as well fight through this thing while I wait for my own agenda to finish through. And think about it... I have absolutely no interest in the bounty. If you and I win this tournament, you and you alone, Balrog, will have your hands on every single cent of that bounty. I won't ask for a single penny of it."
It was almost like Armor King read Balrog's mind. The former pro-boxer thought about throwing in the towel on this tournament and try to get to the bounty himself somehow. But Armor King was right about one thing... he might as well kill some time while he waited for his old contacts to help him out. Why not attend the tournament in the meantime? The fact that he would have a tag team partner who was in no way interested in the bounty made the offer that much sweeter.
"Well... at least ya look like you can kick ass," Balrog finally said after some silence. He gave the wrestler a smug grin. "All right then... you got yourself a deal."
While thinking back on it, Armor King only had one deal-breaker... if Balrog got in the way of his personal agenda, he would make sure that their team was disqualified from the tournament. However, the wrestler sincerely doubt that it would come to that.
As he took a sip of the crappy beer through his mask, Armor King happened to look up at the television screen above the bar table. As with most places on the island, the bar played the tournament matches for viewers to watch. He noted that the match on the screen had just finished and the drones that filmed the event announced the winning team.
And then he noticed the team that won their match. Of every team in this tournament, he just happened to be staring up at King and Marduk. They would be moving on to Round Two. It shouldn't be no surprise that they were able to advance on, but Armor King couldn't help but clench his fist tightly around his beer mug in anger at the sight of Marduk alone.
Then, it was like the TV screen read his mind and decided to mock him. As the team celebrated their victory, the drones happen to focus the camera view on Marduk. The large Vale Tudo fighter pounded his chest a couple of times with his fist before he gave the camera the 'one' sign with his index finger.
"King and Marduk are number one!" Marduk yelled out as he stared into the camera. "Remember that! We're gonna beat the competition fair and square!"
All Armor King could think about was that this was the face of his brother's murderer!
With a roar, Armor King stood up from his seat and threw his beer mug towards the television that showed Marduk's face. The mug was thrown with such force that upon impact, the television screen shattered and turned into nothing more than cracked, blotted colors. Some of the pieces of the screen fell to the floor behind the bar table. The action startled everyone in the room and the entire place fell quiet.
"Hey!" one of the servers in the bar soon yelled out as he approached Armor King. "What the hell was that for?! You know you're gonna have to pay for that-"
With another roar, Armor King quickly turned around and grabbed the server's throat before the wrestler lifting him up into the air. He glared at the server as those around him yelled out and tried to get help from outside the bar. The wrestler didn't miss the fear that suddenly came over the young server's face.
In that moment, Armor King realized what he was doing. He was letting his own anger get the best of him... at a bar of all places. After all, Marduk's anger was what led to the demise of his brother in the first place. His brother had tried to help Marduk with his rage in a bar... only to end up losing his life instead.
No! He will never be like him!
Gently, he put the server back on his feet. The server stood where he was, clearly afraid to move from his spot in case he pissed off the leopard-masked patron again. With a deep breath, Armor King only said two words to him.
"I'm sorry..."
Armor King reached into his pocket pulled out a wad of cash that he was sure was enough to pay for his drink as well as the broken television, plus tip for all the workers present. He then tossed the wrapped money onto his table before he exited the bar, which left everyone bewildered.
Armor King left not knowing if the bar planned to ban him for life. Either way, his guilt for his actions alone was enough for him to never return again.
Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters
There were two feelings in life that Juri Han hated more than anything; boredom and annoyance. It made her irritated to even feel one of those two. Both at the same time was worse... and right at the moment, she felt both bored and annoyed.
She blamed it all on Tira.
The Taekwando practitioner could only roll her eyes when the Keisei girl cheerfully announced that she killed someone who tried to sneak into the Zaibatsu base this afternoon. The way she came up to her, Tira was like a proud puppy who managed to catch the fetched frisbee that waited for more as it never tired of the sport. It was beyond disgusting... and usually, Juri didn't mind unleashing some suffering herself out of amusement in battle. Tira, however, was starting to ruin that for her for the rest of her life.
Juri had it in mind to ask Jin's permission to kill Tira herself. All she had to do was kick her in the jaw at the right angle...
"Let me remind you," Juri started to say as she cut Tira mid-sentence. "That the only interaction I'm interesting in having with you involves the tournament. Other than that, I don't give a shit what you do with your time and I don't care how long it's been since you last killed someone. Leave. Me. Alone."
Juri wasn't surprised when Tira's cheerful face turned into one of malice like she was ready to kill her tag team partner. "You're no fun!" she growled bitterly.
Juri rolled her eyes. How the hell does her direct boss deal with this psycho all the time?
As if almost on cue, Tira's boss, Havik, suddenly showed up in the lounge room they were in. He started speaking as a way of announcing himself. "The chaos here is wonderful!" he called out. "And I got great news for you, Tira. I got a few prisoners for you to torture down in the basement."
"Yippee!" Tira cried out in excitement... it was quite a quick change when one considered how mad she was a split second ago. "I can hardly wait!"
Havik then turned to Juri, who leaned back against the black leather recliner she was sat in. "Hey Juri, wanna come with us?"
Normally, torturing prisoners for fun was an offer she could never refuse. However, in this case, that would mean spending more time with Tira. That's the last thing she wanted to do. So instead, Juri gave Havik an annoyed glance. "I'd rather eat the only real eye I have left," she deadpanned.
The Cleric shrugged in reply. "Suit yourself. Let's go, Tira." With that, they both departed the lounge with Tira nearly skipping away while she followed her master out the door.
If Juri rolled her eyes any more than she already had, there was a good chance that the Feng Shui Engine in her artificial left eye would break. "That... explains a lot..." she mumbled concerning how Havik tolerated Tira.
Juri contemplated whether to get a drink from the lounge when one of her two cell phones buzzed, which indicated an incoming text. Upon realizing that it was her personal phone, she took a moment to use her eye's tech to make sure there were no cameras in the room... or any bug devices for that matter. Luckily, and to her surprise, there were none. She pulled out her phone and checked the text message that was sent to her. The more Juri read the words, the more bored she became. The messenger might as well have repeated why she was really here in the first place.
Juri let out an exasperated sigh after she put her phone away. "Whatever... I'm just doing this for kicks anyway..."
Forest, Mishima Island
Crimson Viper couldn't help but feel surprised upon reaching the small clearing in the forest that revealed two long wooden picnic tables in the middle with paper lanterns decorated above it. Raven led her here from the hotel with neither of them saying a word to each other throughout the whole walk.
If there was one thing Crimson Viper learned since she became an agent for the CIA, it was to trust her own instincts. Despite the mystery of whatever Raven was a part of, her gut feeling told her that everything was fine and that there was nothing to be worried about. Perhaps the fact that Raven was a well-known agent himself with an impressive reputation helped the matter. Still, on that very small off-chance that anything went wrong, she quietly turned on the tech in her Battle Suit.
Once the two agents reached the clearing in the forest, it wasn't hard for Crimson Viper to notice two men who waited for them. One of them she recognized instantly from her days in SIN while she was undercover for the CIA.
"Brigadier General Guile," Crimson Viper greeted the Air Force pilot. "It's been a while."
"Only less than a year," Guile replied. He then pointed to the second person next to him. "This is Colonel Jax Briggs of Special Forces."
"Nice to meet you," Jax said. "Guile was just telling me about your role in the SIN investigation. I also took the time to look over your dossier with the CIA."
"Then I assume you're aware of what I'm capable of," Crimson Viper replied. "I admit, I'm curious to know why there's such an interest in me." She turned her head to look at Guile. "I mean, in our last encounter, I wasn't exactly trying to be friends with you."
"You were doing your job while undercover, and I don't blame you for it," Guile mentioned. "Though I will admit, if I hadn't known that you were with the CIA the whole time, I would've rejected Raven's suggestion to let you help us out in our mission. I imagine you realize that this does have to do with the Mishima Zaibatsu."
"Yes, I figured," the female agent said as she adjusted her yellow-tinted glasses before she folded her arms in front of her. "Though Raven was very subtle about the details. He did mention something about some evaluation I need to pass before I can join your cause. What kind of test are we talking about? Combat?"
Jax nearly chuckled at that. "Believe it or not, your evaluation started long before you showed up here. As a matter of fact, I imagine it's already been completed."
To no one's surprise, that confused Crimson Viper as she knitted her eyebrows with a bit of irritation. "What do you mean? What's going on here? Was someone spying on me?"
"Only for a moment," a new voice suddenly spoke from behind her. "It was out of necessity... and you've passed the test."
Naturally, Crimson Viper quickly whirled around and came face to face with a Chinese man with shoulder-length black hair and a red bandana around his forehead, the two tails of the bandana flapping in the light wind behind him. Unsure of what to think, she got herself in a defensive stance, ready to fight.
Raven looked between the two before he said, "That... was almost about the same reaction I had two years ago. Except I didn't fight Liu Kang at the time."
Crimson Viper became even more baffled upon hearing that name. "Liu Kang? I've heard of you before... Champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament and all that, but... I thought you were dead."
"We all thought that too," Jax mentioned. "Then he decided to come out of hiding from the Heavens as the God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm once the threat of this war became apparent."
Crimson Viper scowled as she clenched her fists tightly while she remained in her fighting stance. "Heavens? God of Fire?! What the hell, is this some kind of joke?!"
Raven spoke up. "I know what it looks like, and I understand how you feel, but you'll need to keep an open mind on this. Besides, do you really think an agent like me, a Special Forces Colonel, and a Brigadier General of the US Air Force would go out of our way for this meeting only to just to make it all a prank?"
There was a brief pause before Crimson Viper took a deep breath. "Okay... maybe it's not a joke... but are you seriously telling me that this man standing in front of me is actually dead and came down from above our heads to... help us? And he's a God? How do you expect me to believe that?"
Liu Kang managed a smile. "Perhaps I should start from the very beginning..."
From there, the God of Fire explained everything from the past two years... Shao Kahn himself, the Chishio No Me medallion, the threat that eventually built into the Universal War, how the chosen ones came together to fight against the threat, the important events in Outworld during the Blood Tournament and how it was all to bring the fighters together only to slaughter them like lambs so that their plans move forward faster. Then Liu Kang moved on to the Universal War itself, the chosen ones' slow-coming reunion, their journey back to Outworld, the prophecy of the Ano Sentaku Bou legend and how three of the chosen ones, plus one outsider who now was part of their group (he didn't give away their names to Crimson Viper), were the ones who managed to defeated Shao Kahn and end the war for good. Now they were all together to not only stop the Mishima Zaibatsu's war, but also the threat of Azazel's awakening as well as stopping the presence of the leftover minions of Outworld and whatever plan they had in mind. He also mentioned the truth behind G-Corporation and their possible real motivation.
By the time Liu Kang finished telling her everything, Crimson Viper was sitting on a bench as she tried to comprehend everything she just learned. She took a couple of breaths before the agent finally said, "Okay... I almost believe it."
"Almost?" inquired Raven. "Even after all that explaining?"
"I'm still not sure about this God thing," she said. The agent then decided on something... her own type of test, in fact. "All right Liu Kang... if you really are a God, then I want you to answer a question about me that's considered highly classified and would never be given away by the few superiors who know the truth. I registered in this tournament under my codename, Crimson Viper. It's practically the only name I go by these days unless you're family... and I don't have a lot of them around these days. In that case... what's my real given name?"
Liu Kang answered without missing a beat. "Maya Sunee."
Crimson Viper's green eyes widened in response. Now she was convinced. "...All right... you got me..." She then pointed at the three mortals with them. "And my real name can't be repeated to anyone else, even to the other chosen ones."
"Understood, ma'am," Jax nodded.
"There is another reason I believe all this now," Crimson Viper began to say. "When you were mentioning about Azazel as well as where his temple is located, well... I recalled something my former 'employer' mentioned not long before SIN's fall. His tech detected a strange, dormant power in that area. It was like whatever it was, it was asleep, but if disturbed, the consequences would be severe. That was all we knew about it because there were other pressing matters for him to focus on." She shrugged her shoulders. "He didn't think it was important enough, so I moved on from it too... guess since I know what it is now, it was a lot more than we thought. I'd hate to think what would happen if Number 15 knew what I know now, especially since he believed that any kind of power was power to behold for himself."
"You never called him by Seth?" Guile inquired out of curiosity.
Crimson Viper shrugged again. "It didn't matter to me. It's not like I interacted with him all that much unless it had anything to do with the BLECE project. But I guess I can understand him wanting to be more than just a number..."
After a few more seconds of silence, Crimson Viper stood up from her seat before she looked at Liu Kang. "Okay... at least Raven was right about one thing... this does have to do with my own investigation. What do you need me to do?"
"Continue with what you're doing now," Liu Kang suggested. "If you discover anything important, you can report to either myself, my partner Zafina, or any of these three men. Also know this... if at any time you feel that you no longer wish to be tied to us, you are free to walk away, no strings attached. None of us will judge you for it."
Crimson Viper smirked. "I admit... it'll be hard to back out at this point now that I know what you all know... but I guess I can be grateful for the fact that you trust me enough to share all this information with me. I don't know exactly how I can help besides continuing with my original objective... but I'll help anyway I can."
Liu Kang smiled at her. "Thank you, Crimson Viper. I'm confident that you'll be a great asset to our group."
Crimson Viper smirked in reply. At this point, she could only hope that her investigation came easier than what the chosen ones had to deal with in the past... though that was clearly easier said than done.
A/N: About Crimson Viper's real name, Capcom did at least confirm that her real first name is Maya. As for her last name, 'Sunee,' that came from the dreadful Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li film. It made sense to use it considering the scene in question.