A/N: Thank you gordhanx for the 100th review!

Chapter Twenty-Five

Mishima Hotel

In her hotel room, Christie Montiero was distracted when a knock at the door disrupted her thoughts. She briefly looked at the time and saw that it was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. Curious to know who came knocking, she got up from her desk and went straight to the door. She undid the bolt lock before she opened it.

On the other side of the door and in the hallway of the hotel was her new ally, Chun Li, who gave her a smile. "Good afternoon," she greeted. The Interpol detective then gave a perplexed gaze as she tilted her head to the side a little. "Or is it evening already? I'm not quite sure exactly what time it is."

Christie smiled a little. "It's still the afternoon, at least for a little bit longer."

Chun Li nodded. "Good to know. May I come in?"

Christie stepped back a bit and opened the door a bit wider. "Sure."

Chun Li walked inside the hotel room. As Christie closed and locked the door behind her, Chun Li looked around the room, which contained one double bed with a neatly made olive comforter on top of white sheets and two pillows. It was one of the more modest rooms at the Mishima Hotel, and it was one that Christie managed to snag just for herself on the day they arrived here.

Across from Christie's bed was a desk that leaned against the wall. Aside from a couple of stationary supplies provided by the hotel, the only other object on top of the desk was Christie's laptop. It was opened and Chun Li could see - on the screen as the laptop's main background - a picture of the young capoeira warrior, who stood with a smile on her face that reached her eyes. She stood alongside two other men. One man was a few years older than Christie, who stood to her right with his shoulder-length dreads pulled up into a ponytail. The other, who sat down in front of them, was much older judging by his white hair, wrinkles, and thin figure. Both men had smirks on their faces as their picture was taken in front of what looked like a fountain in the middle of a city in broad daylight.

Chun Li quickly figured out who the two men were in the picture. "I assume that's Eddy and your grandfather?"

Christie frowned a little as she slowly nodded. "Yeah. That was taken, I think, over a year ago just before the Universal War."

Chun Li then thought of something. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Eddy?"

Christie gave her a small smile. "Not at all. Actually, Grandpa met Eddy first… back when they were both incarcerated in the same prison less than a decade ago. Grandpa was originally there after he committed a serious crime to protect his family. I was just a kid when that happened. Eddy never really talked about why he was there, only that it was 'for the best.' Grandpa was the one who taught Eddy everything he knew about Capoeira. When Eddy was released from prison four years ago, he made a promise to Grandpa; to find me and teach me the ways of Capoeira.

"Eddy eventually found me. I was eager to learn from him mainly because I saw it as a way to bring me closer to Grandpa. I didn't see Grandpa often throughout his time in prison. I usually only went for visits with my Dad on birthdays and special holidays. Anyway, I trained under Eddy for two years. Then the 4th King of Iron Fist Tournament happened and Eddy disappeared. I still remember what he told me before he left; 'Those responsible for my father's death must pay.' Even now, I don't understand what he meant. He was never forthcoming with his past, as I'm sure you can tell. I eventually found him at the tournament. I don't know if he ever achieved whatever goal he set out for, but it didn't matter at that point. We went home together."

Chun Li was curious about one detail in Christie's story. "So, this isn't the first time he disappeared?"

Christie sighed a little. "Right. But last time, the tournament was my ultimate clue, so I was able to pursue the matter on my own. This time… not so much. That's why I contacted Lei, especially once I realized that the Mishima Zaibatsu might've had a connection with his disappearance. It was starting to become bigger than I could handle."

Christie frowned as she gazed her brown eyes at the picture on her laptop. "And now we know that Eddy is working with the Zaibatsu and fighting as a contender in this tournament. I really hope Lei's theory is right - that he only joined the Zaibatsu temporarily as 'payment' for access to their tech to help cure Grandpa's illness."

"Hopefully, we'll find out the truth sooner than later," Chun Li offered in reassurance. "Like Lei said, he likely didn't inform you of his plans in order to protect you."

Christie nodded in agreement. "That thought alone is about the only comfort I have right now. Like you said, hopefully we'll know more soon enough."

Christie then realized something as she looked up at the detective. "By the way, what brings you here?"

"Huh? …Oh!" Chun Li called out as she remembered why she was here in Christie's room to begin with. "Well, some of the girls and I plan to go on a girls' night out in a few hours. If you don't mind me saying it, I noticed that you've been a little isolated from the rest of our group, so I wanted to invite you to come along and get to know everyone better. Especially since we're likely going to be on this mission for the long haul."

Christie thought over this for a moment before she frowned a bit. "I appreciate the invite, but… I don't really feel like much of a social butterfly tonight. And I admit, I'm a little intimidated by everyone."

"How come?" Chun Li asked curiously.

"Everyone seems so serious," Christie admitted. "I have to admit, you and Lei are the only ones I've talked to since we arrived here."

"What about your tag team partner?"

"Jade is nice and she's an amazing fighter if our match during Round One is anything to go by. But like the others, she seems very serious. Honestly, I'm not sure if she's the social type."

"I get that," Chun Li replied. "Jade was a little stoic when I first met her, but she's actually really kind once you get to know her." She then placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I don't think Jade has really talked about herself personally since we've met."

"Well… that makes me feel a little better, I guess," Christie said. She tilted her head a bit. "What kind of girls' night out will it be?"

"We're still working out the details, but it's likely us going out to one of the local clubs, have some drinks, and maybe some dancing. Sonya of all people is working out the details as we speak."

"Sonya? The Special Forces officer with blonde hair, right?"

"Right. Cammy and Lita are also on board. I know Sonya will be inviting Walker, and Lita will try to invite Lucia and Juni, too. We may round up a few others on the way, but that's the list for now."

There was a momentary pause as Christie thought about going. The more details Chun Li provided, the more she felt a little convinced to accept Chun Li's invitation.

Finally, she gave her Interpol friend a nod. "Well… the dancing part sounds like a lot of fun. Okay! I'm on board!"

"Great!" Chun Li called out with a little excitement. "I'll let Sonya know you'll be coming along. I'll let you know the details as soon as I find out. Since we plan to go tonight, I don't think you'll be waiting too long. I'd start picking out something to wear while you wait."

At that point, Christie found herself looking forward to the evening. She had to admit to herself that she needed at least one night for herself after everything that's happened for the last several months.

Gym - Mishima Hotel

In the early evening, the gym was surprisingly empty, so Haggar and Cody decided to take the opportunity to spar on the mats. The only others in the room who watched the spar between them were Guy, Lucia, and Haggar's daughter, Jessica.

"So," Lucia started to say as she watched the sparring session in front of her. "Sonya was telling me earlier today that everyone amongst our group made it to Round Two of the tournament."

"If I recall, pretty much everyone made it to the second round back at the Blood Tournament," Guy replied. "So, it's no surprise. Let's just hope more of us make it to the last couple of rounds this time."

"Blood Tournament…" Jessica muttered. "That name wasn't ominous at all…"

Guy sighed a little at that. "Yeah… we figured as much even back then."

"What was it like?" Lucia asked. "That Outworld place, I mean."

Guy was silent for a moment as he slowly leaned his back against the wall and folded his arms in front of him. He closed his eyes as he recalled what he remembered about his time in Outworld… when he wasn't in a brainwashed state.

"Nature-wise, the only difference was the purple sky during the day, rumors of lava rivers, and a dense forest with faces. It's mostly barren, at least it was in the area where we were during the tournament. What little architecture there was seemed to have a mixture of old East Asian and Middle Eastern influences, at least by Earthrealm standards. The people there were a mixed array. Humans like us, Shokans, Tarkatans, Centaurs… who knows if any of them were actually native or not. Shao Kahn's reign on Outworld, and all of his attempts to merge the realms into one over the centuries, likely left the realm as unstable as it is. I previously planned to inquire to either Bo' Rai Cho or Li Mei on how things have improved since Kahn's demise. But with Quan Chi being the realm's new Emperor, I doubt little has changed for the better since last year."

"Huh," Lucia muttered after she heard all that. "As much as I complain about the problems we have here on Earth, I'm glad I was born here. I can't imagine living under all that chaos."

Guy opened his eyes as he stared at the sparring match that continued in front of them. "From what I can remember… we should count ourselves lucky."

It was then that the door opened. The sound caught everyone's attention and they turned to see the wrestler Alex, who started to walk towards them. Dressed in green cargo pants held up by suspenders over a bare torso, it was clear that he was here to take advantage of the gym's offers.

"Ah, there you are," Haggar greeted as his tag team partner reached the small group. "And right on time. Cody and I were just finishing our sparring session."

"Too bad I missed out," Alex replied. He then turned to see the trio who sat on the bench. "Nice to see you again," he greeted.

Guy nodded to him and Jessica smiled. Lucia waved to him. "Same here. Hey, if you'd like, wanna spar with me? I could use the exercise if you're up for it."

"Yeah, that sounds fun," Alex answered.

"No way!" Cody called out before either one of them moved. "I'm still pumped up over here. How about you spar with me first, Alex. Then after, if you feel like it, you can spar with Pipsqueak over here."

Lucia glared at her long-time friend. "I'm five-foot-eight! That is not pipsqueak-worthy!"

Cody chuckled. "Well, me being taller than you makes you a pipsqueak to me."

Lucia was tempted then and there to deliver a roundhouse kick in order to wipe the smug look off Cody's face. However, she changed her mind. Too many witnesses, she joked to herself.

"Just… keep it legal, you two," Lucia warned as she sat back down on the bench between Haggar and Jessica.

Cody snorted at that. "Morgan, you have absolutely no jurisdiction on this island."

"Says the former criminal," Guy deadpanned.

"Ha ha, very funny," Cody grumbled as he took a few steps back towards the middle of the mat. He then beckoned Alex over to him. "Time to get this party started."

Alex smirked as he got himself into a fighting stance. "Bring it."

Cody immediately covered the distance between them and didn't hesitate to start throwing some punches at Alex, who immediately blocked and parried them each time. This went on for a few moments before Cody lifted one leg and practically glided forward with the other. His lifted foot connected to Alex's chest, and the force of it made him lose his balance.

Alex shook his head a bit to get himself back in the game. Cody started to close in on him, so the larger wrestler sidestepped as soon as Cody threw a punch at him. That left Alex's opponent wide open and he immediately delivered his own punch to his face. Cody's head immediately snapped sideways as he nearly stumbled away. Despite this, he was able to keep his footing.

"OWE! Crap!" Cody called out as he briefly let himself recover from the hit. He rubbed the part of his face he knew was going to feel tender after this spar between them was over. "I figured you were a powerhouse, but damn you hit like a truck!"

"Personal experience?" Alex ended up asking.

"No, but one time, I was hit in the face by an empty oil drum at full speed. Aside from a broken nose, I'm still shocked over how I retained my good looks after that kind of hit."

Alex snorted at that. "I wouldn't go that far."

Cody smirked. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the love child of Hulk Hogan and Axl Rose and got their worst features?"

Alex laughed a little at that. "I like you, Travers. But I'm still gonna kick your ass."

He flew forward just as he finished that last sentence. Cody realized that his opponent was going in for a spear move and quickly jumped over him. He ended up behind the wrestler and waited for him to turn to face him. Once Alex did, he moved towards him with his fist clenched to his side.

"Criminal upper!" Cody called out as he performed an uppercut. Alex managed to back away from the hit… only for a tornado to suddenly appear between him and his opponent. The force of it knocked him back, but the wrestler was still able to keep himself on his feet.

"Nice," Alex grumbled right before he jumped back towards Cody once more.

As the two continued to spar, the door to the gym opened once more. The noise caught the attention of those who sat on the bench and they turned their heads to see who just walked in. To their surprise, it was one of the two leaders of their group, Zafina. It was mainly a surprise because none of them ever saw her here at the gym until this moment. It likely meant one thing; she was here because something important came up.

Zafina approached the group as Lucia gave her a wave. "Hey there," she greeted with a smile. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Zafina looked at the four on the bench, though her eyes stopped momentarily upon noticing Guy. He saw this and promptly gave her a subtle nod, which she returned in kind before she spoke to the group. "Something came up. And it concerns everyone in this room."

By then, Cody noticed Zafina in the room. Because Alex didn't notice, Cody was almost hit by another spear, but he managed to step to the side before Alex smashed into him. As soon as Alex whirled around to face him, Cody raised both of his hands up in an attempt to stop him.

"Hey!" Cody called out. "Let's call it for now."

"What?" Alex started smugly as he raised his fists up, still pumped for more. "Can't take the pressure anymore?"

"We have a visitor," Cody simply said.

That stopped Alex. He turned to see who walked in and soon noticed the dark-haired woman who stood between him and Haggar. "Um, hi," Alex greeted with a wave of his hand. "And who are you?"

"My name is Zafina," the young woman answered. "I'm here to summon everyone to a meeting place."

Alex admitted that he was a little curious over what was going on despite it not likely being his concern. "Cool." He turned to Cody. "Good spar. Maybe tomorrow-"

"You're invited as well, Alex," Zafina cut in.

Alex was confused by that. "Really? What for? …Wait a sec, how did you know my name?!"

"Until we get there, I cannot give out any more details."

Alex furrowed his eyebrows at her. "No offense, lady, but if I'm going to follow you, I'd rather not be left in the dark."

"Just do it, Alex," Haggar firmly advised. He had already realized by that point exactly why Alex was invited to go with them in the first place. "Trust me on this."

Alex was silent for a moment before he finally nodded to his tag team partner. "All right then." He turned back to Zafina. "Lead the way."

As everyone started to gather their items, Jessica stood up and stretched her arms a bit above her head. "I guess that's my cue to head back upstairs. I'm craving Thai food. Does anyone want me to order anything for when you get back?"

"No thanks," Cody replied. "Some of the guys and I plan to go to the casino to hang out in a couple of hours."

"I'll be with some of the other girls at a nightclub at about the same time," added Lucia.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry," Guy said. "Actually, I was planning to go up to the hill to meditate. I'll probably do that as soon as this meeting's over."

"Just go ahead and order for me," answered Haggar. "You know what I like. I'll likely be back within the hour."

Jessica then took her leave, but not before she said, "Have fun at the meeting."

"See ya," Lucia called out.

Once Jessica was gone, everyone else fell quiet as they began to follow Zafina. As they did, Alex couldn't help but feel confused during the entire walk. But as impatient as he was, at least he didn't have to wait too long to see what this was all about.

Botanical Gardens

As the sun slowly started to set for the evening, Hwang watched from a bench as Baek Doo San trained two of his students - the clearly irritable Hwoarang and the much more patient Seong Mi-na.

Mi-na had invited Hwang earlier in the day to watch her train with the two men she stayed with during her time on Earthrealm last year. She wanted to demonstrate what she learned under Master Baek's tutelage and as well as letting Hwang see what a typical training session with the older man looked like.

While he thought back on the past, Hwang couldn't help but remember why Mi-na ended up on Earthrealm to begin with - to escape what she knew would be an abusive marriage her father (not knowing the truth about her potential suitor) tried to arrange for her. When she ran away, Hwang followed her and they both ended up on the ship that took them to Outworld… and to the Blood Tournament. When it came time to go home - and in the midst of a bloody battle - Mi-na was hesitant to return to Keisei.

I pushed her to go to Earth back then, Hwang thought to himself with a small frown as he thought back on that terrible day. Things could've been so much worse. She was very lucky to find these two at that time.

Still, despite everything, it all worked out for the best in the end. Mi-na returned to Keisei, and her relationship with her father improved greatly, especially once he promised to let her choose her own destiny in life. Time apart, let alone the Universal War, made them both appreciate each other more than ever.

Mi-na was always strong-willed and determined ever since Hwang had known her. He even felt sympathy for her when she desired to join the Coastal Forces, which was unfortunately a men-only militia (there had been calls to change that in the city in recent years, but the movement had yet to go forward). Despite the odds and tragedies thrown at her over the years, none of it ever got her down.

Seong Mi-na was a spirited woman who always went for what she wanted. At the same time, she had grown to become the person that she was to this day.

Before Hwang knew it, the trio in front of him stopped their training session. The two students bowed to their master with respect. Baek did the same soon after. Upon gazing at both students, there was pride written on his face, the kind that reminded Hwang of his own master back in Chiri-san.

"You have very much improved your Taekwondo techniques since we last trained, Mi-na," Baek announced proudly. "I'm glad to see that you've kept up with your training over the past year since your stay at my dojang."

"Thank you, Master Baek," Mi-na replied with a small smile.

"Of course," the older man continued as he turned his attention to Hwoarang. "You've improved much as well, my student. You are more focused in recent days despite your… frustrations with general training from time to time. I'm very proud of both of you."

He took a deep breath before a rare grin came up Baek's face. "I have a surprise for you Hwoarang."

That got a raised eyebrow from the younger man. "Really? Should I be worried?"

"That depends," Baek said. "I've decided to change things up with your training. After today, with everything going on with this tournament and the war…I'll be cutting your training down with me in half."

Baek was amused over Hwoarang's reaction to that. The younger man was… baffled to say the least. He then looked around as he tried to comprehend his master's words. He even stared at Mi-na for a moment, and the young woman only gave him a simple shrug in response.

Finally, Hwoarang turned back to Baek. "Who are you, and have you done with my master?!"

Baek laughed at this as he approached the younger man and patted his shoulder. "I assure you, my student, it is no joke."

Hwoarang was nearly giddy from all this newfound excitement. He turned to Mi-na as he said, "Imagine that! Suddenly, there's so much time on my hands, and so much to do! I think I'll-"

"Hold on a moment!" Baek called out, his voice raised just enough to catch the younger man's attention. "You clearly misunderstood me. I said that I'll be cutting your training down in half… with me."

The grin on Hwoarang's face faded as soon as those words reached his ears. He scowled a little as he grumbled aloud, "I knew it was too good to be true…"

"And you fell for it," Hwang couldn't help but quip from his bench.

Hwoarang glared at the Keiseian. "Who asked you?" he growled.

"Temper, Hwoarang," Baek warned firmly. "Remember, Hwang is a guest who is here to observe how I teach my students. It would disappoint me greatly if he left this session with negative ideas concerning the attitude of my students. Mi-na may have invited him here, but you are just as responsible for conducting yourself in a proper manner as she is. Am I clear?"

Hwoarang huffed a little at that. "Understood, master."

A smirk came over Baek's face. "That's better. Now then… the reason for this action is because I came to realize that even though you've improved greatly, Hwoarang, there are still habits of yours that are hard to break. And I believe that you've grown too accustomed to me. Therefore, I'll be bringing in another teacher who is more experienced in teaching than even I am."

Hwoarang narrowed his eyes a bit at his master. "Who?"

That was the moment when someone appeared from behind the bushes and statues that surrounded their training ground. The person walked - no… stumbled a little towards the trio. Mi-na and Hworang gazed at the new arrival… and Hwoarang's eyes went wide upon noting who his new teacher was.

It was none other than Baek's tag team partner, Bo' Rai Cho.

"I should've known," he grumbled. "Are you certain of this, master?"

"Positive," Baek confirmed a little more enthusiastically than it was probably needed. "The arrangement is this; I'll be teaching you as usual in the mornings. And Master Bo' Rai Cho will teach you before dinner each evening. This will be as such until our time on the island comes to an end."

Hwoarang narrowed his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Wonderful… I hope you have some really good special moves to teach, old man."

"You may not be enthusiastic about this now, Hwoarang," Bo' Rai Cho started. "But let me promise you that you will benefit greatly from my teachings. After all, I once taught Liu Kang himself when he was a mortal. It was my teachings that helped him win the Mortal Kombat Tournament that decided the fate of Earthrealm."

"Hmm," Hwoarang grumbled, but with a little more perk. "Well… I admit, that is a very good selling point."

As they spoke, Baek turned his attention to Mi-na. He smirked as he noticed the subtle amusement on her face. It was time. "Mi-na, I have a surprise for you, too!" Baek called out to her. "You will also have your lessons with me cut in half… and will be taught by Master Bo' Rai Cho in the afternoons as well!"

Mi-na knew that Bo' Rai Cho was one of the best teachers in all the realms. Anyone would benefit from learning from the man who once trained Liu Kang himself before he became the God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm. But she couldn't help but think over what the actual training was going to be like. She witnessed it herself when Bo' Rai Cho trained Kung Lao and Li Mei during their stay in Keisei last year. The alcohol, the puking 'technique,' the occasional… flatulence. The more she thought about it, the more she became perturbed over it.

There was something about the sudden but very subtle horrified glance on Mi-na's face that made Hwang start to lose control of his usually-stoic facade. His body shook with laughter, and he was forced to slightly bend at the stomach and cover his face with one hand in order to suppress his laughter as much as he could.

Mi-na sighed as she looked around a bit. "Okay, if that is your wish, Master Baek, I'd be honored to-" she then stopped mid-sentence as soon as she noticed Hwang on the bench. Never, in all the years she's known him, had she ever seen him suppress his laughter so hard in his life to the point where his face started to turn red.

Actually, come to think of it, she never saw him laugh this much before… maybe ever. And of course, it was at her expense.

Why you little-! She started to yell out in her head.

Mi-na briefly turned to Baek to say, "Forgive me for my brief slip of conduct, Master Baek," before she quickly brought her attention to Hwang and pointed at him. "What are you laughing at?!" she called out.

Hwang quickly wiped the smirk off his face as he straightened himself back up. He then tilted his head slightly and shifted his eyes to his right as though he tried to pretend he didn't witness a thing. "Nothing!" he called out as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

Mishima Hotel

For the first time since he could remember, Ryu felt physically uncomfortable. Actually, scratch that - the last time Ryu remembered feeling this uncomfortable was the day he was the best man at Ken's wedding.

At least he wasn't in a tuxedo this time. Still, he found himself confined in a long-sleeved white button-down shirt, black slacks, black leather loafers, and a red tie that barely clinged to his throat. Having showered an hour ago, his dark hair was still a little wet and was spiked up a bit per Ken's suggestion. It was the nicest Ryu's hair looked since the aforementioned wedding. Otherwise, he usually left his hair alone save for a quick comb over and the monthly haircut.

And yet, Ryu still felt a bit vulnerable, especially since he wasn't wearing the red bandana Ken gave him many years ago when they were training under Master Gouken.

"Okay," Ryu started to say as he stood in the living room of Ken's hotel suite. "I can guess why I have to dress like this for this evening. But tell me again why I have to take off my bandana."

"Because not only will you stand out," Ken started to say as he checked over some contents in an envelope in the kitchenette area.. "It doesn't exactly coordinate well with your suit. That's kind of why I got you a red tie to make up for it."

Ryu looked down at the tie Ken provided for him. "I see…"

Ken then suddenly clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. "Okay now! Let's run down tonight's plans one more time. At exactly 7:30pm, Julia should arrive here. You'll then give her the bouquet of flowers that are in the fridge - Eliza's idea, by the way. You'll then take her down outside the lobby where a driver and his autoette will await. Normally, I'd get you a limo, but they don't have that service here, so that's the best I can do. That'll take you to the Kojima Theatre where there'll be a dinner and a live show called, 'Chang'e Flying to the Moon.' I didn't look up what that's about, but it's apparently such a popular show that the locals have decided to show the play during the tournament despite it usually showing during the autumn season."

There was a moment of silence before Ryu asked, "Then what?"

"Well… whatever you want after the show is over," Ken replied as he moved to join Ryu in the living room, the envelope in one hand. "You can go sightseeing around the island, visit the boardwalk, maybe get some ice-cream - that's what Eliza and I like to do after we see a live show. Ooor you two can just go straight back to the hotel aaand…" Ken left that last sentence hanging, but gave Ryu a wink and a nudge with his elbow to subtly get his point across.

Ryu, surprisingly, knew exactly what Ken meant, though it did take him a few seconds to catch on. Suddenly feeling a little nervous over the thought, Ryu rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, Ken?" he started to quietly stammer.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"...Even though Julia and I have been together for a while, we, umm… we… haven't… taken that step yet."

With understanding, Ken patted Ryu's shoulder. "That's cool. Not every couple jumps into their first time together right away. Some do, but it's not for everyone." He then gave his long-time friend a small, sheepish grin. "Even Eliza and I waited a bit before our first time."

That actually surprised Ryu to hear. "Really?"

"Yeah. And you know what? I'm glad for it. Somehow, it made our first time together all the more special. The only advice I can give in this case is that only you and Julia will know when the time is right. Don't rush into it unless you're absolutely sure that you're both ready."

Ryu slowly nodded at that. "Thanks, Ken. You're a great friend. And you really didn't have to go all out on this planning."

"Well," Ken started to say. "Aside from the fact that being your wingman is fun, I'm just really happy for you and Julia. I'm glad you both found each other."

Ryu smirked a little. "Only because you were the one who ran into her on your way to the Blood Tournament."

Ken laughed as he patted Ryu's shoulder again. "Well, to be fair, Julia was the one who sat down at my table and started a conversation between us that day. If she hadn't, you'd still be living like an isolated hermit."

Ryu narrowed his eyes to Ken. "There's nothing wrong with being an isolated hermit. And besides, Julia likes the idea of traveling the world by foot, remember?"

"I know, I just like to tease you about it." He then looked at the time and saw that there was still forty-five minutes left before Julia arrived at the suite. "All right, I'll leave you to it." He then handed Ryu the envelope he had in his hand. "Here are the tickets to the dinner and show. Don't forget them like I did that one time I tried to take Eliza to the ballet. On the one hand, I was glad not to go, but on the other hand, Eliza was quite upset after that night."

"Noted," Ryu answered.

Ken gave his friend a thumb's up as he began to head to the door. "Well, best of luck tonight. You'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow."

"What are you planning to do in the meantime?" Ryu asked.

"Probably a poker game with Paul, Marshall, and a few others at the casino. Might as well have some fun before my family gets here after Round Two of this tournament. There also might be beer involved, but as long as it's not Outworld Liquor, I'm game."

Ryu huffed with a little humor at the mention of the infamous liquor. He never tasted it himself, but he heard - and witnessed - the liquor's power over the last two years. "Stay safe. And have a good night."

"You, too." With that, Ken took his exit and closed the door behind him.

As soon as Ken was gone, Ryu immediately went into Ken's bathroom. After he spotted his red bandana over the tension rod holding the shower curtain, Ryu grabbed it and promptly placed it back on over his forehead while he looked at himself in the mirror. He then briefly made sure that the knot at the back of his head was secured.

"There, that's better," Ryu said aloud.

Mishima Forest

The sun was barely setting when some of the chosen ones entered the hiking trail that led to their meeting point. With Zafina in lead, Haggar, Guy, Cody, Lucia, and the wrestler Alex remained silent as they followed her through the Mishima Forest.

Alex himself was both confused and very skeptical over what this was about. He felt like an outsider being dragged into some secret meeting with secrets he was out of the loop of. What was the point of any of this? And why the woods? What kind of 'secret club' was this? Why was everyone so damn quiet?

And why the interest in him?

Why the hell won't they tell me anything?! he groaned in his mind with frustration. The more time passed, the antsier he got. He even thought about punching a nearby tree just to unleash some of his pent-up energy, but quickly decided against it.

After a few minutes in the forest, Alex finally reached his breaking point. He stopped in his tracks and yelled, "Okay, that's enough! What is going on and why am I being summoned all the way out here?"

"We're almost there," Haggar promised them. "Once we-"

"No!" Alex yelled. That prompted everyone to stop walking. They all turned to him as he continued to speak. "None of you have told me a damn thing in nearly ten minutes! You tell me to trust you, but then you drag me all the way out here without a single word. Why?"

"Because you have a great warrior spirit," someone from behind suddenly spoke. "But your attitude is left to be desired."

Alex quickly whirled around and came face to face with a Chinese man wearing a red bandana over his forehead, a white shirt with a red vest over it, black gauntlets, black pants, and black beijing shoes over white tabi socks. The only thing that threw Alex off was his pale eyes that seemed to have a small amount of glow to it.

Still, that didn't stop Alex from staring the newcomer down in an attempt to intimidate him. "Who are you?! And who the hell gave you the right to make assumptions about me?!" the young wrestler demanded to know.

The stranger glared at him with those pale eyes with annoyance. "I am Liu Kang, God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm," he announced firmly. "Show some respect!"

Alex - pissed off at this point - gritted his teeth as he lifted his fists in front of him. "Oh I'll show some respect all right!"

"Eh, Alex?!" Lucia tried to call out. "You might not wanna-!"

But Alex completely ignored her as he quickly jumped forward and towards Liu Kang. The Protector of Earthrealm, of course, was ready for him and was able to block the wrestler's maneuvers with ease.

"Hey!" Liu Kang called out in between blocks. "Listen to me! You wanna-! Wait!"

"You think you can just show up and make demands out of me?!" Alex called out as he continually swung his fists at him. "You're gonna regret it!"

Lucia sighed as she looked over at Zafina. "Sorry, ma'am. I tried to stop him."

Zafina nodded to her with a small, defeated sigh. Behind her, Haggar pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Damn kids…" he grumbled.

Next to them, Cody leaned a little towards Guy while he kept his eyes on the fight. "Do you think he'll still be a Chosen One after this?"

Guy's only response was a shrug of his shoulders.

Okan Bar and Grill, Mishima Hotel

With two fingers of whiskey on the table, Lee Chaolan sat in a booth in one of the restaurants within the Mishima Hotel. It was still a bit early for dinner, so it wasn't all that crowded at the moment. Lee didn't mind as he looked to have a relaxing day. After all, the tournament was in between rounds at this point.

He also gave his secretary, Chieko Umeda, the night off. Before that, in the morning, she wrote up some paperwork for him to look over during his meal. Normally, he went through the work on his tablet, but he decided to take a break from tech (ironically) for one day.

On the papers was a little bit of information on his tag team partner's technology. Initially, they weren't sure where to start when they began their partnership, but Cyrax eventually decided to begin with some of the stealth equipment he used both as a former Lin Kuei warrior and a current agent of Special Forces. This included nighttime vision, sensors, and body heat detection using infrared vision ("Like the Predator, only I am not one ugly mofo," Cyrax had said after the mention of that feature).

The sensors aren't as updated as I thought they would be, Lee thought with a little disappointment. Perhaps I may suggest an upgrade and see how they might improve his reconnaissance missions.

Lee then felt his stomach rumble. After deciding he should eat something, he pressed the call button on his table. It didn't take long for his waitress - who looked to be in her early thirties and was strikingly beautiful - to arrive with a notepad in hand. "What would you like, sir?"

Lee briefly looked over his menu, which was placed open on his left. "For now, I'd like to have the agebitashi and the gyūniku negi maki."

"Thank you, coming right up," she said before she left his table.

Once he was alone again, Lee gazed up at some of the posters on the wall. Some were themed with the restaurant's bar and grill aesthetic, but there were a couple of Mishima Zaibatsu propaganda posters as well. A couple of them looked recently torn, but not completely taken off the walls.

One caught Lee's attention just across the other side of the restaurant. On the poster was Heihachi Mishima - back when he had a full set of black hair. He pointed at whoever would've been looking at the viewer. The poster demanded the viewer to join Tekken Force. It was obviously inspired (or rather, downright copied) off the old United States war posters with Uncle Sam.

Not surprising considering how big his ego was, Lee thought as he slightly shook his head.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget that he was on an island owned by the Mishima Zaibatsu - the corporation once owned by Heihachi Mishima, the man who took Lee in to raise as his own.

Lee always believed that his first meeting with Heihachi was fate. However, he initially believed that it was because he finally had a family. His own parents died - his mother from illness, his father from an industrial accident - before he was ten years old. With no other relatives, he was left an orphan. Initially, he was placed in an orphanage, but it didn't take him long to start living on the streets. Even as a child, he saw how corrupt the overcrowded orphanage he ended up in was. He was lucky to escape before the corruption had any personal effects on him. Very few kids were as fortunate as he was.

The streets were no better, but Lee at least had his freedom. Overtime, he learned to scrap by, stay on top of the food chain, and be quick on his toes. It was why he survived for as long as he had.

One day, those skills caught the attention of Heihachi Mishima. The older man was in Lee's city on business when he spotted the boy fighting off several other kids.

Heihachi approached him after the fight. Lee still remembered what he said to him then; "Your skills are impressive for a boy your age. Perhaps I can help you harness those skills."

Heihachi had sounded so caring and genuine then. He was also loaded with cash judging by the suit he wore that day. Lee took his offer then, certain that his life was about to finally change for more than the better.

In some ways, his life did improve. Lee received the best education money could buy. Heihachi himself trained him in the family's Mishima-Style Martial Arts. His teachings, admittingly, were tough and grueling to where Lee thought about running away again, but he pressed on.

His rivalry with his adopted brother - Kazuya Mishima - was what fueled him more than anything else at the time.

Lee didn't know it then, but Heihachi pitted the two youngsters against each other over the years. For years, he believed that Kazuya's anger towards him was out of jealousy. As Lee would learn in his adulthood later, their rivalry was only born because of Heihachi himself.

The old man never actually felt an ounce of emotion for the boy he adopted all those years ago. He saw Lee's potential and took it while he had the chance. Lee was nothing more than a tool to use to shape-up Kazuya both physically and emotionally.

Still, Lee's skills became just as equal as Kazuya's. In the underground fighting world in his younger days, Lee was nicknamed, 'The Silver-Haired Demon' for his strong fighting prowess and his silver hair - which turned that color from black before his 20th birthday.

Only when Lee lost to Kazuya in the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament did all those years start to destroy him mentally. Fueled by his defeat and anger, Lee initially served as Kazuya's secretary when Kazuya became the CEO of the Zaibatsu. It was his way of biding his time until he had the chance to challenge Kazuya again.

To Lee's surprise one day, he was approached by an old man named Wang Jinrei. Wang Jinrei was once a close old friend to Heihachi's father, Jinpachi, so the man's knowledge on the Zaibatsu was vast. He feared the Zaibatsu's future and offered to train Lee to become stronger both physically and mentally. Lee only took the offer at the time because he saw it as a way to get back at Kazuya.

It was during his training when Wang Jinrei told Lee the entire history of the Zaibatsu up to that point, including the horrific details of the death of Jinpachi. Only then did Lee understand his role in the Mishima family. Only then did he also understand the abuse Kazuya endured from his father for all those years.

Later, when Heihachi made attempts to take back the Zaibatsu, Lee did something he never thought he'd do - he sided with Kazuya.

Unfortunately, Heihachi 'killed' Kazuya by throwing him into a volcano (clearly he survived - no one should've, but Lee wasn't surprised by anything any more). He then promptly took back the Zaibatsu and cut ties with Lee. The old man even gave him a decent sum of money and called it 'payment for his work.' Lee wasn't sure what stung worse - the money or the rejection. He swore revenge on Heihachi that day.

Eventually, however, Lee decided that revenge wasn't worth it, especially after all this time. Instead, he moved to the Bahamas and started Violet Systems, using the 'payment' Heihachi gave him to start it.

Despite everything, Lee recognized how fortunate he was. Going from street urchin to one of the richest men in the world was not a path many would see in their lifetime. Lee always knew that it was the circumstances of his life that led him to who he was to this day. Still, he swore to be a better man than his adoptive 'father' ever was.

Heihachi wanted to rule the world with an iron fist. Lee wanted to improve it with his brilliant mind.

Over a year ago, not long after the end of the Universal War, Lee heard on the news that Heihachi went missing somewhere in Outworld. Most would believe him to be dead, but Lee had a feeling that was far from the case. Wherever Heihachi was, he was likely biding his time, especially with this war in place.

"Here are your appetizers, sir," his waitress said as she placed the plates down on the table.

Lee quickly shook his head from his thoughts as he gazed up at the waitress. He gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, um-" He briefly looked at her name tag. "Nayoko. I'll use the call button when I'm ready to place my main order. And perhaps maybe later, you can recommend the best desserts on the menu if I'm still hungry."

That got a blush from Nayoko as she gave him a bashful smile. "I-I of course, sir! Enjoy your appetizers!"

Lee couldn't help the amused smirk on his face as Nayoko left his table. He then decided to focus on his food. His stomach was protesting by this point.

Just as he started to grab a negi maki with his chopsticks, Lee happened to look up again. This time, he finally noticed the other two customers who sat in a booth not too far from him. What really stood out was their hair. The young lady's hair was pink dyed in two different colors. The man's hair was a sandy brown with much of it sweeped up along the backside and the right side of his head.

There was something about that man's hair… and that face…

Lee was able to hear their conversation. It was nothing interesting, just about the tournament and what Round Two would be like. There was also something about a 'lack of progress.' Lee didn't really catch that part of the conversation.

He did, however, catch their names - Lars and Alisa.

Lee shook his head a little and took a couple of bites of his food. He then happened to gaze up at the propaganda poster with Heihachi's face. At that moment, something clicked in Lee's head and his eyes immediately shifted to Lars and Alisa at the nearby table.

But by then, the two were on their way out of the restaurant and Lars' back was turned to Lee. He then stared at Lars' hair again until the latter disappeared around a corner.

No… Lee started to think. He then laughed it off a little. I'm just imagining things. There's no way.

G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal

Bruce Irvin couldn't help but pace around a bit in his boss's office. Frankly, he was surprised that Kazuya - who sat patiently with his usual stern expression on his face - hadn't kicked him out of the room yet. Still, he couldn't help the energy he felt built up within his chest…

Especially ever since Quan Chi and the Outworld Forces joined their side.

"Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament starts tomorrow," Bruce reminded his boss. "And all of our teams made it so far."

"As it should be," Kazuya said nonchalantly. "Why mention it?"

"Well," Bruce started. "I was thinking about the prize money we plan to give out. Aside from our people, we are still giving it anyway to the other fighters, right?"

Kazuya narrowed his eyes on him. "Of course we are. Unless the winner that emerges happens to be with the Zaibatsu. Otherwise, it'll make this company look bad. They defeat Jin, they win the prize. Simple as that. Anyone associated with the Zaibatsu, well… we'll deal with that if it happens."

"I'm certain a lot of people would be happy to hear that," Bruce said. "Anyway, I mentioned it because -"

Bruce was suddenly cut off as the intercom at Kazuya's desk went off. "Sir, this is General Begum," the male voice on the other side spoke. "Quan Chi wants to see you in person. He's waiting in your lobby beyond our checkpoint. You should also know that he brought along that… horse."

"Motaro…" Bruce grumbled under his breath as he referred to the Centaurian who worked under the Outworld Emperor. "This oughta be interesting."

Kazuya's expression didn't change as he pressed a button on the intercom. "Send them in. And be prepared, just in case."

Moments later, the door to his office opened. In walked Quan Chi with Motaro right behind him. The Centaurian's hooves clicked against the tiled floor and created an echo around the room with each step.

As soon as Quan Chi reached Kazuya's desk, he momentarily noted Bruce's presence before he turned to the man at his desk. "The matter in which I plan to discuss is a private one. Perhaps it is best if you send your soldier here outside."

Kazuya narrowed his eyes at him. "Bruce is my second-in-command. Anything you say to me, you can say in front of him."

Quan Chi clearly looked annoyed at that, but proceeded anyway. "Very well then. I come here to deliver some information that may prove… quite interesting to say the least."

"And that is…?"

"...Some information I've had for some time. It's about… The Four. Have you heard of them?"

"Who hasn't?" Kazuya said with some disinterest. "The Four were the reason the Universal War ended in the first place when they eradicated your predecessor. Why mention them?"

A smirk came over Quan Chi's lips. "A while ago, before I became Emperor, a shokan named Sheeva witnessed the end of the battle between The Four and Shao Kahn. She lost consciousness upon his demise when the yellow wall of light spread through Outworld. The Four were gone by the time she woke up. Still, she recognized two of them and named them. A third she only had a vague description of. She has since joined the Resistance, however, so that investigation has ended for the time being."

Kazuya realized something during the necromancer's explanation. "We've been working together for some time now. And only now you're revealing this information to me. Why?"

"The reason I didn't bring it up in the first place was because I had no reason to, not when our alliance was new. Now, however, I thought you'd be interested to know the identity of the two are - the former Empress Ivy Valentine… and your son."

Kazuya was silent for a moment before he answered. "The irony of Jin ending one war and starting another is not lost on me. Otherwise, what use is this information to me? Unless Ivy and the other two plan to get in my way, I have no interest in them."

The smirk on Quan Chi's face faded. "A shame. I would've imagined a powerful warrior such as yourself would be interested in the challenge. Ivy herself won the Blood Tournament. She, herself, dealt the ultimate blow to Shao Kahn. If she -"

"I said I have no interest," Kazuya balked sternly. "Do what you want with her and the other two once you know who they are, I don't care as long as you don't get in the way of my path to destroy Jin. Are we clear?"

"...Very well then," Quan Chi said as he began to turn to leave. "At least now you're aware." He and Motaro then departed the office and closed the door behind them.

Bruce turned to Kazuya once the two were gone. "That was… weird. It's interesting that we know now who two of The Four are, but… I'm certain there's a reason he brought this up."

"Clearly," Kazuya agreed. "It's likely a warning of some kind, just… in his own way."

"Or he has a plan for himself and wants to throw you off for whatever reason," Bruce guessed. "It really doesn't make sense at all."

"We just have to continue to keep an eye on him. However… If you happen to learn the names of the other two of The Four, let me know. I likely don't have any use for it, but it may prove valuable in the future. Talk to the others in the Outworld Forces. They may have more information Quan Chi didn't share with us."

Bruce nodded at that. "Got it."

On the other side of the door, Quan Chi looked over at Motaro as they walked away from the office. At this point, no one else was around. "Tomorrow, during the tournament, summon Noob Saibot. It's about time he reported back on more of his findings while he serves the Mishima Zaibatsu under my direction."

"As you wish, my Emperor," replied Motaro.

A smirk came over Quan Chi's face as a new plan began to form in his mind.

Mishima Forest

The fight between the wrestler Alex and the God of Fire Liu Kang continued. As Alex pummeled his fists, Liu Kang blocked and parried them with ease. There were moments where their witnesses - Zafina, Haggar, Cody, Guy, and Lucia - wondered if they should step in to help, or at least stop the brawl. But of course they knew… it's Liu Kang after all. He was more than able to handle one brash wrestler.

Liu Kang remained patient as he let Alex continue to unleash his anger and energy. He blocked all of his maneuvers as he waited for the right moment to strike and end this attempted brawl between them.

At one point however, Alex performed a spear and actually knocked Liu Kang back into a nearby tree. The witnesses held their breath at that, though there was a small 'Ouch' that came from Cody as he winced at the sight.

Liu Kang finally had enough. As soon as Alex straightened himself up, the God of Fire pushed him back before he lifted up his hands, which were surrounded by fire. It took less than a second for Alex's body to be surrounded by fire as well - only an invisible barrier Liu Kang created kept his skin from being licked by the heat and flames. He yelled out with surprise at both that and being suddenly lifted five feet off the ground.

"Holy crap!" Lucia couldn't help but call out after she witnessed that.

"Literally," Cody quipped… then he realized what he said. "The holy part I mean, not… nevermind."

Liu Kang stared up at Alex as he struggled against the hold that surrounded him with fire. "Let me go, dammit!" he demanded. "I'm not messing around here!"

"Calm yourself!" Liu Kang demanded from him. "I'm not here to fight you, Alex."

"The fuck - how do you people know my name?!"

"Because he's a God and Zafina has spiritual abilities," Guy explained.

Alex was silent for a moment before he turned his head slightly to the witnesses. "Someone here should've said that in the first place!"

"Um, Liu Kang did say he was a God before you picked a fight with him," Lucia pointed out.

"...Oh. Yeah…"

"Now," Liu Kang started. "Will you calm yourself if I let you go?"

"Only if you explain to me what the hell is going on?" Alex bargained.

Liu Kang nodded in agreement. "That's a promise."

With that, he let the wrestler go. Alex fell straight back to the ground and landed on his feet. "Okay," he started. "Spell it out to me."

"Despite your attitude," Liu Kang started to say. He quickly raised a hand just as Alex's eyes narrowed at those words. "You possess what we need in the battle ahead."

Alex tilted his head at that with confusion. "What battle?"

From there, Liu Kang started from the beginning. Once more, he explained about the two evil stars, the threat of Azazel's awakening, and the involvement of Quan Chi and his Outworld Forces.

Alex was a lot calmer by the time Liu Kang finished his explanation. He seemed to ponder over his words for a bit before he finally answered. "A year in a half ago, I would've thought of all this as insane. The existence of Gods and Demons would've been very far fetched for me. I always thought they were just part of whatever mythology you followed. But after everything I witnessed in the Universal War, well… I guess it's not as far-fetched as we believed it to be."

He frowned a little as he looked at Liu Kang. "I regret my initial reaction. I'm sorry I attacked you. Because I grew up being told my entire life that I'd never amount to anything, I tend to be skeptical of others, especially authority figures."

"I admit," Liu Kang began to reply. "Your means of jumping to conclusions is concerning. But… I can also see that this fight gave you some humility."

Alex couldn't help the small smirk that came upon his face. "I know, I can be quite the hotshot."

It was Liu Kang's turn to smile. "At least you're honest about it. I admire that. Despite our… initial introduction, I'd still like to extend my invitation to you to join us in our fight against this war."

"Absolutely," Alex said without hesitation. "The whole reason I came to this tournament was to find a way to stop this war. The money is a nice bonus that could help out my neighborhood, but… yeah, count me in for sure."

"I'm glad to hear it," Liu Kang replied.

"Sorry to disrupt the moment, but I just realized something," Cody called out as he walked towards the duo. He then turned to Alex. "I'm not likely to get an answer, but… what's your last name?"

The wrestler narrowed his eyes at him with a little suspicion. "That's none of your damn business. Why do you want to know?"

"Figured as much. I only ask because now we have two Alex's in our group. I think this is the first time we have two people with the same first name in our group."

Alex snorted at that. "Then tell the other guy to be called by his surname."

"We already switch between her first name and last," mentioned Lucia.

"I'm sure we'll all adjust fine," Haggar assured them.

A smirk came over Zafina's face as she approached Alex. She beckoned a finger to him so he could bend down a bit to her height. She then seemingly whispered one word in his ear before she turned and headed back down the hiking trail alongside Lucia, Haggar, and Cody.

Alex groaned a little as soon as Zafina was out of earshot. "This day has been a very strange one."

Guy couldn't help his curiosity. "What did she say?"

"...My surname. If I didn't know she was psychic before, I sure as hell know now."

That got a very rare smirk out of Guy.