Chapter Twenty-Three

Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters, Unknown Location

Night had long fallen and the large office that belonged to Jin Kazama was dark, save for the 3D monitor display that gave a soft, ethereal glow in various colors above his desk. One display showed multiple data that involved the operations of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Another showed a model sphere of Earth with some areas marked with red dots; locations being considered for Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament, which would begin in three days (with Round One's last day beginning tomorrow if all goes as planned). The computer screen at his desk showed more data on the tournament itself, but that display's brightness was dimmed for the moment.

One of his most trusted bodyguards, Nina Williams, leaned against the edge of Jin's desk. She looked over the display of Earthrealm with no expression on her face before she pressed one finger at a particular location. The Earth model disappeared and was replaced by a statue of a Buddha that laid on his side with his head propped up by his own hand. "What about this one?" she started to ask. "The Ayutthaya ruins in Thailand is a popular tourist destination if I recall."

"Hmm," Jin hummed over the suggestion. "Maybe in round three. We already have quite a few Thailand locations in consideration for the second round. Add it to the list."

Nina picked up a tablet and keyed in the information in the file simply named, 'Locations.' While she did this, a thought came to her, something that had been on her mind since this tournament began. "Something caught my curiosity a while back, though I'm sure you've noticed already."

That made Jin raise an eyebrow, though he didn't bother to look up at her as he chose to stare at the operations display instead. "I didn't think you were the type to be curious about anything… unless it affected any of your personal assignments."

"Hmph, it's a rare moment," Nina quipped dryly. She proceeded with her initial thoughts. "I'm just surprised Kazuya isn't participating in this tournament. You'd think it would be in his best interest to get closer to you, especially since he wants you dead so badly."

Jin leaned back in his chair before he rested his cheek on his hand. "I'm certain he has his reasons. But I doubt it matters in the grand scheme of things. Besides, I'm sure when he's ready to fight me, he'll come out of hiding. All in good time."

Nina gazed at him with indifference, though there was a small hint of uncertainty in her blue eyes, something Jin noticed when he chose to look up at her. "You do remember what will happen if you and Kazuya fight, right?" Nina reminded him.

Jin glared at her. Nina was lucky that she was one of the select few he let question his motives. In a way, it kept him grounded, but he would never admit that out loud. "Of course I do," he replied. "We fight long enough, and Azazel awakens."

"...Is that what you want? Even if it means the end of the world?"

Jin didn't answer right away as he rubbed his hand over his chin thoughtfully. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Nina knew about the legend of Azazel and the two evil stars as foretold by the demon himself from beyond the grave in Jin's mind. What Nina didn't know, however, was Jin's reasons for provoking the Zaibatsu's war against the world. It was why she kept asking if he was certain about the future.

Jin leaned forward in his chair. His amber eyes glared at his bodyguard as he made the decision - not for the first time - to be vague. "If the end justifies the means, then so be it."

Azazel must be released from his prison, no matter the cost.

Mishima Hotel

A knock was heard at the door to the two bedroom suite that belonged to Yun, Yang, and Maki. Yang was the only one who was in the suite as Yun decided to explore downtown this morning. Meanwhile, Maki left about fifteen minutes ago to get the Thai food they planned to share for lunch. While Yabg watched a match from the tournament on TV, that was when he heard the knock.

Who could that be? Yang thought with confusion. As he stood up from the couch and headed to the door, he tried to figure out who wanted to swing by at this time as he was certain most of his allies were watching the tournament. He quickly checked to make sure he was decent and figured that the red t-shirt and black sweatpants he slept in last night was good enough.

Then another thought came to him. Maybe it's Maki and she needs help getting the door open. With a small smile on his face, Yang went to the door, unlocked the bolt, and opened it.

"Welcome ba-" he started to say.

"Where is he?!" A voice suddenly yelled out in anger as a young woman - dressed in a red qipao shirt, matching slippers, and blue capri jeans - barged right through the door and into the suite. Yang was almost winded by how startled he was by this person's sudden appearance, but his brain thankfully caught up to him over who this was before he ended up saying something he would regret.

"Hoimei?!" Yang called out with surprise. Yun's girlfriend's (yelling) voice alone was recognizable without looking at her face. Of course, he expected her to show up, but there was one little detail that confused him. "I thought-"

"Your brother was supposed to meet me at the docks at 11 a.m. today!" Hoimei yelled as she paced around the room, her fist clenched by her sides. She whirled to Yang and pointed a finger at him a few feet away from him. "I waited for almost 2 hours for him!"

"I can understand you'd be pissed about that," Yang started as he tried to keep his voice calm. "But seriously, Hoimei, could you listen to me for a second?"

Hoimei drew in a sharp breath before she placed the hand that point at Yang back to her side. "About what?"

Yang sighed. On a normal day, Hoimei was actually a nice, responsible person. She also didn't take crap from anyone. The problem was that she occasionally had a temper and, between that and Yun's stubbornness, Yang usually didn't go more than a couple of days without hearing the two of them bicker about something.

On this day, however, Hoimei's bickering was a bit unusual for two reasons. One, she was yelling at Yang this time, more than likely to let off some steam if anything. And two, well... it was the reason why Yang attempted to try to calm Hoimei down. That way, he could tell her why Yun didn't pick her up at the port earlier. Hoimei was usually good about organization and punctuality otherwise.

Suddenly, before he had the chance to say anything else, Yang heard his brother's voice from behind him. "Hoimei? What are you doing here?!" Yun called out with a surprise.

Oh boy… Yang thought as he swallowed almost nervously as he saw the look on Hoimei's face. If it was possible, so much smoke would be pouring out of her ears that it would give Smoke himself a run for his money.

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?!'" She yelled as she marched towards her boyfriend until her face was mere inches from his. "You were the one who invited me to join you here as soon as I got time off from the grocery stand, remember?!"

"Well, yeah, but-" Yun tried to say.

"But what? You actually didn't want me here? Because if you didn't, why didn't you tell me in the first place?! Do you realize how hard it was to convince my dad to travel all the way here to spend however long it takes for this tournament to last?!"

Yun rubbed the back of his neck apprehensively. "Hoimei, of course I want you here or else I wouldn't invite you here at all, but the thing is-"

"Hi Hoimei!" Both brothers sighed with relief as Maki's cheerful voice called out as soon as she reached the suite. In her right hand was the lunch she retrieved for herself and Yang. "You're early! We weren't expecting you until tomorrow!"

Hoimei almost didn't hear Maki as she glared at Yun. "What?! The thing is wh-'' She suddenly stopped and her eyes widened the moment her brain caught up to what Maki just said to her. Hoimei turned her head to the blond-haired woman. "Wait... What? What are you talking about?"

Yang took a deep breath. "Yun and I have been trying to tell you for the last couple of minutes that the reason Yun wasn't at the dock today was because we weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

Hoimei looked at all three people in the room, her brown eyes wide and mouth partially agaped. Yang held back a chuckle as soon as her face quickly turned red out of embarrassment. "I… eh… gosh, no wonder the ticket man back in Nagato was arguing with me about the date on the ticket... I convinced him that it was a mistake and traded the tickets before I boarded the ferry." She looked at Yang. "I'm sorry for barging in like that and yelling at you."

She frowned as she turned her full attention to her boyfriend. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you and assumed you didn't want me here."

Yun smirked, and Yang was almost certain his brother was going to say something smart-ass in response. Don't do it, don't do it! he begged in his head.

Luckily, Yun smiled more and said, "It's fine. I like it when you're feisty, but even I admit that was a little over the top."

Hoimei leaned closer to Yun. Even though she whispered her next words, Yang unfortunately caught it. "If you think I was feisty before, mister, wait until later tonight."

Yun grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "As long as your parents didn't follow you here."

Hoimei rolled her eyes as she slipped her arms around Yun's shoulders. "Great Buddha, I hope not, especially after the way Dad embarrassed me that time we went on a date to the park in broad daylight of all times… ugh, let's not think about it."

"Agreed," Yun said right before he leaned his head to kiss Hoimei, who returned it eagerly.

Yang ground as he rolled his eyes."Ugh, get a room, you two."

Yun pulled back from the kiss before he shifted his eyes to his brother. "Ha! That's what you get for all the times you and Maki sucked faces while I was standing five feet away!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Yang grumbled as he left to join Maki in the kitchenette for their lunch.

Mishima Hotel - Gym

For most of the afternoon, the small group consisting of Cody, Guy, Marshall, Paul, Forest, and Abel took turns sparring in the hotel's gym. Not many people were in the gym in the first place as they were likely watching the matches at the nearby meeting rooms (and they occasionally heard cheering from the observers in those rooms). So, it was a good time for them to spar and not worry about sharing the ring with anyone else. Plus, it gave them the opportunity to listen to music via Marshall's cell phone connected to Cody's portable speakers.

Cody and Marshall had just finished sparring in the four-sided ring after the two of them called it a draw (for the time being). They both jumped out of the ring and sipped some water from their respective sports bottles. Marshall happened to look at Forest and noted that he seemed mildly irritated by something.

"Something on your mind, son?" Marshall asked him.

Forest's face relaxed as he gazed up at his dad. "Just a question. Why are we listening to songs from the seventies?"

"Eighties, actually," Cody corrected him.

"Whatever. Just... why? Can we just play something, like... new?"

"Why?" Paul questioned him with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well... The song, like the one playing right now. It's... old."

"What's wrong with breaking the law?" Marshall asked him.

"Um, there's a lot wrong with that," mentioned Guy, who was only half paying attention to the conversation.

"No! I was talking about the song that was playing just now during our spar session. It's called 'Breaking the Law' by Judas Priest."

"It even has your name in it," Abel quipped.

"Haha, very funny. Anyway, Paul introduced it to me back during the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament." Fondness seemed to come over Marshall's face. "Good times."

It was Forest's turn to shrug. "I guess I prefer to keep up with today's music."

Paul patted the younger man's shoulder. "You'll understand when you get older. When I was younger than you, I used to make fun of my old man for listening to Sinatra and whatever music was thirty plus years old around that time. Now look at me, listening to music from thirty to forty years ago. Apparently, I've become like my old man in that regard."

It was Guy's turn to look up at Paul, who swore that the Bushin warrior subtly glared daggers at him. "What's wrong with Sinatra?"

Paul snorted. "His music's old. Still is and always will be, in fact."

"Careful," Cody spoke up while he tried to suppress a laugh. "Guy here is a jazz and oldies enthusiast, and Sinatra's one of his top favorites. He also once smacked me upside the head when I tried to sing like Dean Martin during a Christmas party not long after our tango with Mad Gear. Years later and I'm still feeling that sting."

"Serves you right," Guy said, though there was a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I admit, Guy," Marshall started. "I... actually see you as the jazz type. It's not my type of music, but I respect it." He then stared at his son. "Unlike someone's obnoxious modern synthwave and Dojo Kitty or whatever."

"That's Doja Cat, Dad! Jeez!" Forest groaned. "And there's nothing wrong with modern synthwave, unlike your old Judo Priest crap."

"Judas Priest," Paul corrected him... though he did rub his chin thoughtfully. "Though I admit, Judo Priest has a nice ring to it."

"Of course it would…" Marshall grumbled, but chuckled nevertheless. "By the way, I'm in the mood to swim. Anyone want to join?"

"I do!" called out Forest.

"Same," said Paul.

"Sounds cool," replied Abel.

"I'm good," mentioned Cody as he stretched his arms over his head. "I think I'm gonna lift some weights before I head back to my room."

"Speaking of rooms, I'm going to head back myself," said Guy as he stood up from the bench he sat on.

"Suit yourselves," Marshall said. He turned to Cody. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Maybe in two days," Cody answered. "I hear that the last day of round one is actually tomorrow. I don't want to miss that."

"Oh yeah, that's right," said Abel. "They announced that fact this morning. That went by pretty quick."

"Feels way longer, but whatever," Paul replied. He then started sprinting towards the direction where the Olympic size swimming pool was. "Last one at the pool is a rotten egg!"

"Oh shit!" Forest called out as he sprinted after Paul with Abel not far behind.

Marshall was baffled, but quickly shook his head. "What the hell are we, children?!" He called out as he followed his son and two friends to the pool.

Cody chuckled as the four disappeared, which left him and Guy behind. "I haven't heard that saying in a while. Usually these days, it's something like, 'last one there buys a beer!'"

"Good thing no beers were involved in this case," Guy said. "I'm certain Paul doesn't want to spend the money anyway. Besides, I get the strange feeling that Forest is a lightweight."

Cody scratched his head. "Yeeeah… after the Outworld Liquor Incident during the Blood Tournament, something tells me it's for the best. Besides, I noticed it's been imported here to Earth this past year, sooo..."

"Hmph," Guy huffed with a little amusement. "If I recall, you were the one who tossed half the bottle into the fire and caused that explosion."

"Actually, that was Ken," Cody corrected... but then suddenly tried to recall that day... at least what he could remember. "...Or maybe it was me. Or maybe it was Wagner? Well, it was definitely someone who was blonde." He shook his head. "Anyway, no matter who threw the bottle, that got us all sober in record time."

"Except for the massive headache you got the next morning. Lesson learned, right?"

"Don't remind me…" Cody groaned. "Worst. Hangover. Ever."

Guy managed to suppress a smile. "Anyway, I'm going to head back to the room. I'll see you around."

"See ya," Cody bided as Guy turned to leave the gym. Once he was gone, Cody checked the bandages on his hands to make sure that they were still secure. Satisfied, he headed to the nearest available punching bag. After some more arm stretches, he took a breath before he began to delivered his punch attacks on the bag. He used most of his strength behind each maneuver.

Feels good to let loose without restrictions, he thought to himself. Normally he didn't mind sparring, especially with friends, but holding back was usually a challenge for him. Before his time in prison, he had too much aggression to the point where one punch was all it took to end a fight. It eventually got to the point where he would use handcuffs as a way to hold back and challenge himself in the process... That was something he discovered during his first year in prison. He still used cuffs to this day, even during the tournament.

Great way to give my opponents a fair chance in a fight, he thought with a smirk.

Cody barely began his exercise when he heard footsteps behind him. He was able to ignore them at first, and planned to do just that if they tried to take his punching bag... especially considering there were five others to pick from in the room.

Gonna have to wait your turn, buddy, if you want the one I'm using, the Metro City native grumbled in his head.

"Hey Cody," a familiar female voice said.

Cody stopped what he was doing before he turned to face the woman who greeted him; Haggar's daughter, Jessica. Her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded down to her waist and was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She also wore a red tank top, a black frill skirt, and black velvet Mary Jane flats.

She was always beautiful, of course. Seeing her each and every time always gave the Metro City hero that reminder.

"Hey Jessica," Cody replied. "What brings you here?"

"You mean aside from my boredom?" Jessica said with a sigh.

Cody frowned a little. "Ouch. And here I thought-"

"Oh no no!" Jessica called out. She felt a little embarrassed as her cheeks began to flush a little red. "I mean I'm currently bored and started walking around. I saw you from the windows and thought I'd say hi."

Cody tilted his head as he noticed that she seemed to be holding something back. After knowing Jessica for years, he could always tell when she wanted to say more whenever she averted her gaze away from him while they talked. She also bit her lips a couple of times in between words.

Before he could say anything, Jessica spoke up. "Also I'm a little frustrated. I just got off the phone about 20 minutes ago with my ex-husband. That bastard called me while drunk and is still complaining about the divorce settlement despite him getting more out of it than I did!"

That made Cody frown more. During his time in prison, he heard that Jessica got married to a rich man; the son of a bank owner, if he recalled. The marriage only lasted a couple of years before Jessica divorced him, which was officially settled a month before the Blood Tournament.

"You never told me why you two divorced," Cody mentioned before he thought better to keep his mouth shut.

However, Jessica didn't seem to mind answering. "About a year into the marriage, I realized he only married me to advance his own ambitious political career. I'm sure being the daughter of the most well-beloved Mayor of Metro City had that kind of benefit. I should've left him as soon as I figured it out, but I stupidly didn't. Coming home earlier than expected from a business trip and catching him cheating in the marriage bed was what finally convinced me to walk away for good. I was so disgusted with him that I legally reverted my surname back to Haggar."

Cody hissed at that. He remembered her describing the divorce as 'not pretty', but he didn't realize how ugly it was until this moment. "Damn," he uttered. "Do you... want me to break his legs if I happen to run into him?"

Jessica smirked. "I appreciate it, but nah. Aside from that one time Dad clocked him in the face after he called me a certain word that rhymes with chore, karma's taking good care of him. He got that same girl pregnant. She eventually left him and he's now paying child support in addition to our divorce settlement. He can still live comfortably, but it's doubtful he'll be running political campaigns anytime soon. Probably for the best considering some of his... ideals."

"Nice," Cody chuckled. He then gave her a serious look. "For what it's worth, Jessica, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Like I've always said, you deserve better."

Jessica gazed down at the floor. "Yeah…"

At that moment, a new person walked into the gym. Neither of them noticed their approach until they spoke. "Hey pumpkin, is everything all right?" asked the familiar voice of Haggar.

Jessica turned her head to look at her father. "Hi Dad. Yeah, I'm good. I was just about to leave and get something to eat." She turned back to Cody and gave him a small wave. "I'll see you around."

"See ya," Cody said as Jessica walked away. As she did, he turned his head to look at Haggar... and wasn't surprised at all to see the former wrestler glare at Cody, his brown eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. Funny how that could be seen so easily with his thick mustache present.

It was the same look he gave the younger man years ago when he and Jessica first started dating as teenagers.

"What?" Cody balked as soon as Jessica was out of earshot. "She was the one who said hi to me."

Before Cody said more, a smirk came over Haggar. The older man then patted Cody's shoulder... a little harder than necessary. "I'm just testing you, Cody," he assured him before he walked past him and headed towards the weights.

While rubbing his tender shoulder, Cody raised an eyebrow as he turned to watch Haggar walk away. Trust me, Mike. Your daughter deserves better than some low life like me...

G-Corp Headquarters

Despite today's matches going on, most of those at G-Corp had the day to themselves since hardly any of them had much else to do. The only thing they could do for now was wait for whatever orders came from the higher ups.

Until then, that left those with time to do whatever they wanted.

For Tanya, that was a nice hot bath in peace and quiet, even with Rain supporting her from behind. The two had been together ever since the events of the Universal War. In the beginning, she personally considered Rain a source of comfort in stressful times. He was handsome and was, in fact, not too bad in bed. Perhaps, if given the chance, she might've eventually grown fond of him.

At this point, however, she was growing bored of the self acclaimed 'prince.'

Tanya couldn't quite pinpoint when the realization hit her. All she knew was that it was a slow burn that happened over time. Was it because things always felt the same and neither of them were willing to move things along? Or perhaps she was starting to grow irritated by his vain overconfidence? Or maybe she - or him - changed in some way? It was hard to tell.

When it came to working under whoever was ruling at this time (in this case, Quan Chi), they both worked well together to the point where they could predict what the other was thinking… perhaps too predictable at times. At this point, all it did was make her want to roll her eyes and just wish for things to be a little more exciting.

She didn't mind sharing a bath with him at the moment. At least he was keeping his mouth shut for the time being.

Just as that thought passed Tanya's mind, Rain spoke, "You're quieter than usual."

Of course you would break the silence, she thought with irritation. You should take your own damn advice!

"Just trying to relax," she said aloud and, perhaps, more sweetly than she meant to.

She felt the tip of Rain's fingers gently caress over her upper arm. Tanya barely noticed it as her thoughts seemed to drift somewhere else, more specifically to their mission here on Earthrealm, the tournament, and those who attended..

Tanya wondered if the rumors of Edenian fighters participating in the tournament were true. If so, she couldn't help but wonder if her long-time enemy, Jade, was among them. She would be delighted to see her again. After all, it's been far too long since they last fought each other. It was about time they met once more… and perhaps for the last time.

A sadistic smirk came over Tanya's lips. The thought of putting Jade's head on a spike and ending their rivalry once and for all delighted her… more than Rain was at the moment...

Meanwhile on the other side of headquarters, Anna Williams just finished getting dressed in an outfit she just recently purchased; a zebra-patterned catsuit with white fur trimmings over her shoulders and cuffs, a matching bowler fur hat, open toe black platform sling-backs, black leather gloves, and embellished with a gold collar around her neck.

After spending a very long time in Outworld, Anna felt she deserved to pamper herself while she was here in her home world. She even considered spending a day at a luxury spa in between tournament rounds. It had been far too long since she visited one.

She decided to try on another one of the outfits she purchased during her shopping spree. Before she could, however, the door to her room opened. There was only one person who was allowed to just barge into her room the way they did…

"That outfit is quite lovely," Vega Fabio de Cerna purred just after he closed the door behind him. "Especially on you, my dear."

Anna didn't miss how Vega's blue eyes looked over her. He was clearly admiring her body. Out of habit, Anna smiled sweetly as she gently swayed her hips while she turned to him. She always enjoyed that kind of attention from men… a perfect means of distracting them before she struck them like a viper in order to get what she needed - or wanted - from them.

It was different with Vega, however. There was never a need to strike. Maybe in the beginning when they first met and she wanted something from him, but these days? What they had was more than just a passing fancy of each other.

Has it already been nearly two years since we met in Outworld? she found herself thinking.

Focusing back on their conversation, Anna gently brushed a hand over her side and down to her thigh. "Does it - emphasize in all the right places?" she asked in a low, breathy voice.

She didn't miss the amused smirk on Vega's lips. He gently hummed as he walked towards Anna. His eyes never left her.

Times like these, Anna was glad that Vega's mask was off. To her - and as she always told him - he was much too handsome to keep it on. But at the same time, she understood that he wanted to protect his face.

That didn't stop one of the chosen ones by the name of Maxi to stomp his foot hard enough on Vega's face to actually shatter his mask and leave behind scars during the Universal War. Anna recalled how the event came very close to completely unhinging Vega's mind. She didn't scare easily, but even he made her feel uneasy during those days in the aftermath. Still, she made it known that she still accepted him, scars and all.

Although Vega's scars from the stomping incident had since healed (thanks to Quan Chi… the reason they joined his side after the Outworld Forces split in half), something shifted in their relationship ever since Anna made that declaration to him. She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was exactly, but one thing was for sure…

Anna was happy. More happy than she ever felt in all of her years of living.

And nothing, especially not her sister Nina, was going to take that away from her.

When he was within reach, Vega raised an arm and brushed a finger along one of the furs that decorated her outfit. He stared at it momentarily before he gazed back up at her. "If I may offer an opinion, I think it would look much better off of you. What do you think?"

Anna laughed lightly as she gently grabbed for his hand. "You realize this is the first outfit I bought from Earth in ages." She gave him a faux pout, her face slightly bowed and her blue eyes looking up at him. "Surely you don't want to get it all dirty on the floor, do you darling?" she teased.

Before Anna realized it, Vega's arms were around her and he pulled her close to him. His smirk grew wider. "I'm certain we can work it out. If I recall, we've been through worse, haven't we?"

It was Anna's turn to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Her fingers brushing along his braided dark blonde hair. "Indeed we have, darling."

With that, Vega kissed her deeply and Anna returned it eagerly.

In another part of G-Corp Headquarters, Kira was outside her balcony smoking a cigarette… rare for her, but one that was needed due to the recent stress of her position; being a wanted criminal who was not only a former Black Dragon, but was also responsible for murdering the now-resurrected Sonya Blade - one of the top soldiers of the US Special Forces.

...Not that she was scared of being found - after all, G-Corp was heavily fortified and had their own army to boot - but if Special Forces was known for anything, it was their element of surprise. In that case, Kira had to always remain on her toes, even when things were calm like it was at this moment.

It didn't help that she was on Earth either. At least last time, Outworld's war against the universe protected her for the most part. Here… not so much, even with Earth's own war in action. With all that in mind, Kira started to think it might be best to finish off her cigarette and head inside for the night.

She put out her cigarette in an ashtray and began to turn to go inside. However, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Mavado at the door that lead into her room. He leaned against the door's frame with his arms crossed in front of him. It was as though he was waiting for her to notice him.

"Are you always this jumpy?" Mavado asked nonchalantly.

Kira groaned inwardly as she folded her arms in front of her. "No. I was just thinking how I'd rather go back to Outworld. Had I known Sonya would be resurrected, I would've personally made sure to incinerate her body, or thrown it through a woodchipper, or one of Outworld's lava rivers. Now I have her and the rest of the Special Forces hunting for me. Earth is their playground, and I'm also a former Black Dragon."

"Hrm," Mavado hummed as he joined Kira on the balcony. He gazed out towards the forest that surrounded G-Corp headquarters. On a clear, sunny day, they usually had a decent view of the Himalayan Mountains from the isolated compound. Tonight, clouds blanketed over the starry night and made their surroundings darker than usual.

"Do not worry about them," Mavado answered. "Their war here is keeping them occupied. I doubt a single former Black Dragon clan member is high on their priority list. Except maybe their former leader, Kano."

"...Either way, I should've never taken Kabal's offer," Kira grumbled. "Bastard. I should've known better."

"Before Kabal took over, the Black Dragon were scoundrels with reckless ideals. Because of that, they made themselves infamous. Kano's rivalry with Sonya Blade didn't help their cause either. He became even more reckless and overconfident the moment he killed Blade's old partner all those years ago." Mavado turned to look at Kira. "I understand why you joined up with them when you did. You believed they would change for the better. More secretive and more leaning towards anarchy."

"I was a fool to believe that's how it would be, even with the guidance of a cleric from Chaosrealm," Kira reminded him with a roll of her eyes. "I don't plan to make that mistake again."

"You've proven yourself since then," Mavado replied. "Too bad… you really would've been an invaluable member of my clan."

Kira nearly smirked at him. "If I recall," she began to tease. "You are the second-in-command of the entire Red Dragon. Surely you could find a way to convince your boss to make an exception."

Mavado gave her a rare smile, even if it was only a ghost of one. He knew she joked, but he went along with it anyway. "Even if he did allow it, none of the other clan members would agree to it. Years of conditioning - some as far back as childhood - tends to do that."

"Shame," Kira shrugged. She stretched her arms above her head. "My skill sets are perfect for what your clan is looking for, if I recall."

She didn't miss how Mavado moved closer to her. "It is a shame, indeed. I imagine, with time, you would've been one of our top ranking members."

Kira's eyes stared into his as she moved closer to him. "Is that a professional opinion, or a little bit of bias?"

Mavado's arms went around Kira's waist. Kira felt that small thrill run through her body whenever they got this close when no one was watching. Especially when no one was watching.

The second-in-command of the Red Dragon in bed with a Black Dragon (former or not) was both scandalous and dangerous. And yet, neither of them were willing to stop their rendezvous. After all, they've been playing this game for over a year. If they ever got caught, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Maybe a little bit of both," Mavado finally admitted after a moment's silence.

That earned a passionate kiss from Kira right after she threw her arms around him.

Mishima Gardens

The sun was in the beginning stages of setting, which caused the spring flowers and trees within the gardens to cast shadows along the grass and stone pathways. The air was cool with only a light wind present.

Here, Ryu and Ken sparred along the walkway, both dressed in their gi - white and red respectively, as always. Nearby, Julia Chang sat on one of the walkway's benches. She would split her time between watching the spar between her lover and their friend, and admiring the nature around her. At one point, she spotted a black, gray, and white ryukyu minivet bird perched on top of one of the white painted street lights that was placed along the path. She stared at it for a while and thought about taking out her phone to take a picture of it.

She then barely heard Ken yell, "Hadouken!" just before she saw a bright blue energy ball at the corner of her eye. She turned her head - and saw that the hadouken came straight for her!

"AHH!" Julia cried out as she jumped off the bench she sat on and flew off to the side before she dived onto the grass. The projectile managed to hit the bench and only left black scorch marks in its wake.

That was WAY too close for comfort, Julia thought as she sat up from where she landed.

"Oh crap!" Ken yelled as he and Ryu ran towards her. "Are you okay, Julia? That was not meant to happen!"

"Yeah I'm fine," Julia replied as she got back on her feet. She then turned to Ken and lightly punched his upper arm with her fist. "Watch where you throw that thing next time!"

"Sorry," Ken said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I got carried away in our sparring match."

"That's an understatement," Ryu suddenly said.

Julia giggled at that as Ken glared at his best friend. "That's cruel! And since when did you become such a smartass?"

"Since I started hanging around you as kids," Ryu quipped without missing a beat. That made Julia laugh even more.

"Har har," Ken grumbled. He then turned to Julia. "And what are you laughing at?"

"Your own expense," she replied - also without missing a beat.

"...You're both so mean."

"And yet, we like having you around," Julia said. "Seriously, Ken, times like these wouldn't be the same without you."

"That's nice to hear," Ken said. An idea came to him then. "Say, why don't we head back to the hotel and order a bite to eat." A grin came over his face. "Unless the two of you want to go out on your own date night alone. I'm cool with that too, you know."

He then noticed something between Ryu and Julia; not only did they fall quiet (which wasn't all that unusual, really), but the way they turned to look at each other, it was as though there was an unspoken question between them.

That, of course, made Ken curious. "What's up? Is everything all right between you two?"

It was Ryu's turn to rub the back of his neck a little sheepishly. "Well… um… it's just… eh… I'm not sure…"

"We've… never been on a date before," Julia finished. "At least… not in the traditional sense."

Ken pondered over that. "Hmm… I can understand why. You two spent most of the Blood Tournament getting to know each other, then, well… that year-long drought happened before you got back together last year. Then there were the two tournaments after that and so on and so on."

"Pretty much," Julia agreed with a small sigh. Some of those memories in question weren't… pleasant to say the least.

Ken snapped his fingers as an idea popped in his head. "Well, let's change that then, shall we? Leave it to me! Two nights from now, when we have a break in between Rounds 1 and 2 of this tournament, you're both going to find yourselves experiencing a magical night created by yours truly!"

"Are you sure?" Ryu asked as he suddenly felt a little nervous. "You really don't have to go through all the trouble..."

"I'm positive," Ken assured him. He moved himself between the two and put each arm around their shoulders. "Besides, I'm not going to miss an opportunity to help out my life-long best friend and the love of his life with planning out their first date together!"

"I bet Eliza would be impressed with your initiative," Julia pointed out.

"If she was here, she'd be helping out and -" Ken suddenly stopped mid-sentence and his smile quickly dropped. He heavily sighed as he bowed his head as though ashamed of himself. "...I've spent so long with Eliza, I've turned into her…"

"Is it really such a bad thing?" Julia asked.

"...That depends. Do I have to wear a frilly dress? Because seriously, I prefer not to, not even if I was completely drunk."

That got a laugh from his friends.

Mishima Island Forest

With the exception of fighting in her match during the tournament (which she and Yoshimitsu won a couple of days ago, of course), Ivy Valentine spent ninety-five percent of her time in the cabin that Liu Kang provided for her. Away from prying eyes - and away from other chosen ones - she was very much content with being alone.

Ivy thought it would be another quiet night, but a knock at the front door caught her attention quickly, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. Who in the world could that be? she thought. She wasn't expecting anyone at this time... unless it was Liu Kang and there was an emergency?

Just to be safe, Ivy grabbed for her sword before she approached the front door. As soon as she reached it, she peeked through the peephole and saw that it was Yoshimitsu. With a small sigh, she unlocked the bolt, but not the chain, which gave her room to open the door and peek through and still be protected.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"I figured you were hungry and could use a break from cooking," Yoshimitsu offered as he raised a large white flat box that he held in his hands. "If not, that's okay. I have the ability to eat this whole thing in one sitting."

With a sigh - and while her stomach growled in protest - Ivy unlocked the door's chain and let him inside. "What is that?" she asked him as she pointed at the box in his hands.

"The one food that has the potential power of uniting the people of Earth," Yoshimitsu started as he walked past Ivy and set the box down at the dinner table. He then opened it to reveal what was inside as the hot steam flowed out in waves.

Ivy looked inside the box and at the round, flat food that laid before her. She recognized the melted cheese, tomato sauce, and the flatbread that laid underneath, but she couldn't quite recognize the other stuff that laid on top - something small, red, and round that covered most of the surface.

"Generally, we call it pizza!" Yoshimitsu announced with a little more enthusiasm than necessary. "And on top there is pepperoni, the most popular topping among other options. I'd teach you the wonders of pizza delivery, but since you don't have a phone in here, me coming here with pizza is the next closest thing."

To be honest, Ivy wasn't sure what to think of it. The food in question did look... interesting... but the one thing that did turn her off a little was the thin, shiny layer of grease from the cheese.

"That looks... unappetizing," she finally admitted despite her stomach rumbling in hunger.

"Maybe," Yoshimitsu said. He then put down the plastic bag he had also carried onto the table and took out a couple of plates. "But once you bite into it, I guarantee that you'll want to take the recipe back to Keisei with you!"

"I doubt that," Ivy grumbled. "But I suppose trying it is better than not eating at all.

"In that case, would you be willing to try san-nakji in the future?"

That confused Ivy. "The... what?"

"...Never mind. One thing at a time, I suppose." Yoshimitsu pointed to the pizza and handed her a plate with his other hand. "Have a slice."

With a little hesitation, Ivy took the plate before she picked up a slice. As she did, she noted how the cheese stretched before it broke off. After sitting down at the table, she stared at the pizza again with a wrinkled nose. "This isn't going to make me ill, is it?"

Yoshimitsu chuckled as he sat down on the opposite side of the table and grabbed his own slice. "Only if you overeat."

Ivy huffed. "That shouldn't be a problem then." With the plate underneath the food, she took a bite, and expected to gag. But to her surprise, the taste of pizza - with its savory sauce, garlicky bread, melted cheese, and slight spiciness of the pepperoni - made her blue eyes light up. It wasn't something she would eat every day, but she wouldn't mind enjoying it once in a while.

"That... was not what I expected," she admitted.

"Tasty?" Yoshimitsu asked with some amusement.

Ivy simply nodded as she took another bite.

"If you think that's good, maybe we'll get lucky and the tournament will take us to New York. That place has the best pizza in the entire world!"

"...I'll think about it," Ivy said.

Yoshimitsu nodded before he turned his back to her with the plate of pizza in hand. Ivy was confused before she saw him lift his mask before he took a bite. She noticed a small amount of black hair against pale skin near the ear, but she otherwise couldn't see his face. With a shrug, she ignored his presence and took her time with her meal.

After she finished her slice, Ivy wiped her face and hands with a napkin before she looked up at her tag team partner. "Listen," she started as she felt motivated to speak before she changed her mind. "This tournament... If we win the money, do me a favor."

Even with his back turned to her, Yoshimitsu tilted his head with curiosity. "And that is…"

"...Keep the prize. All of it."

Yoshimitsu slightly craned his head in her direction. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Ivy insisted. "For one thing, it's one way for me to atone for my atrocities after everything that happened with Shao Kahn. Secondly, I came from an aristocratic family. I'm more financially comfortable than most will ever be. Your clan - and those you give the money to - we'll need it more than I do."

The Manji warrior gave her a small nod in appreciation. "Thank you. The poor will appreciate your kind generosity." He then said out of the blue, "Tell me about your family."

Ivy glared a little. "Only if you tell me about yours."

"Not much to say considering I was an orphan to begin with," Yoshimitsu confessed. Ivy was taken aback as she hadn't expected him to actually answer, but rather evade the question altogether like she just tried to do.

"I was an orphan, too," she mentioned, unsure why she decided to share that with them.. or what followed after. "That doesn't mean you didn't have someone who raised you as their own, like the couple who became my parents."

"Perhaps. But the clan has always been my family. The Yoshimitsu before me found me abandoned as an infant a long time ago. He and the clan raised me from that day forward."

Ivy nodded, satisfied with his answer. She also had a better understanding as to why his clan always seemed to be very tight-knit, even with the thousands of soldiers stationed across the realms they protected.

She was also a little perturbed by the fact that she gave a little too much away of herself, more than she was used to. She had been mostly on her own ever since her parents died, and the few times she joined a group, it always went to hell (mainly thanks to the essence of Soul Edge). Being alone was always her preference, especially after all that she's experienced.

Perhaps, through Yoshimitsu and the other chosen ones, she may slowly come to find a new family. But like some families, there were some who likely wouldn't accept her. Part of her wondered if there was anyone else amongst the chosen ones who felt the same as she did, someone who was part of the group but was judged for their past.

Probably not, Ivy thought. From what I've gathered, Jin and Nina are pretty much kicked out from their group. I got lucky. But then again, people like Liu Kang, Fujin, and Yoshimitsu supporting you can help move things along...

For now, she'll continue to keep her distance. While she continued to eat her slice of pizza, Ivy enjoyed the comfortable silence between herself and her tag team partner.

In another part of the forest on the island, Zafina met with Liu Kang, who summoned her to the official chosen ones' meeting spot that was away from the main resort. In between the trees and down the hill, the sparkling lights from the resort could be seen within the darkness. The only light source at the meeting spot was a single lantern that Zafina carried with her through her hike moments before.

"I received your message," Zafina spoke as soon as she spotted the Fire God nearby. "You said that it was important."

Liu Kang nodded in confirmation. "Yes… but first, I wanted to mention that things are going well with our chosen ones in this tournament thus far. With the exception of three of our tag teams - all who will be competing tomorrow - everyone else has made it to Round Two. I imagine the remaining three teams will make it as well."

"That's good," Zafina said. "As long as they win, then this mission, well... as they would say, 'so far, so good.'"

"Indeed," Liu Kang agreed. "Speaking of the remaining chosen ones, there is one team in particular whose match I need you to observe tomorrow."

That got Zafina's curiosity, especially since the Fire God didn't seem to be concerned about what he had in mind… either that, or he was very good at hiding it. "Which team and why?"

"Well, to answer your latter question," Liu Kang began to answer. "I need you to observe their mind with your powers, specifically on one person. I'll be watching the match as well. After the match is over, we meet up here at the same time tomorrow night. 'Compare notes,' as they would say."

"I see," Zafina replied.

"As for the team in question," the Fire God continued. "Only one half is a chosen one - Haggar. In short, I want to observe his tag team partner and see their potential."

"And see if we can recruit them to our side," Zafina finished for him. "If I recall, Haggar's partner is..."

Liu Kang craned his head to look up towards the sky, his eyes on the stars above. He completed Zafina's sentence for her...

"A New York-based wrestler named Alex."