A/N: At this point, as this fic updates, I recommend going to the MSK website (link is in my profile) and check out the Tag Teams page as the best way to track which teams are still in the tournament and who are not. Rounds 2 and 3 will still see fights against 'jobbers,' but we'll also start to see the main cast face each other in the tournament from this point forward. The ratio for this is about 50/50.
Onward we go!
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The start of Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament had finally arrived. Those still in the competition were pumped and ready to go (for the most part in some cases). Those no longer in the tournament either stayed to cheer their friends on, or had since left the island as there was no longer a reason for them to remain.
Like before, each fighter received an envelope at their hotel door. Inside was a note that indicated what day they were scheduled to fight.
Each team hoped to make it to Round Three… and one step closer to the grand-prize; G-Corporation's one-hundred million dollar bounty - if they manage to defeat the Mishima Zaibatsu CEO Jin Kazama first.
Mishima Hotel, Early Morning
"Uuuughh my heeeaaad…" Maxi groaned as he woke up from a very deep sleep. Despite that, he had absolutely no energy to move. Even the attempt of opening his eyes seemed like a huge effort. It was only when something was placed in his hand did Maxi try to move. He just barely forced one eye open and saw a bottle of water in his hand.
"I suggest you drink that as soon as you get your bearings," a voice told him. It took him a few seconds to realize that it belonged to his friend, Kilik. Max shifted his one opened eye and spotted his friend, who sat on one of the two chairs in the hotel room they shared. Kilik had moved the chair from one of the desks so that it was next to Maxi's bed.
"Erm… thanks pal," Maxi muttered. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to recall last night. "Hey, eh… we did go to the casino with the Earthrealmers last night, right?"
"Yeah, we did," Kilik answered.
"...How come I don't remember?"
"You got drunk. Really drunk. You blacked out before we even got back here. Four of us had to carry you."
"...How much?"
"I'm not certain of the exact measurements, but at least one quarter of a bottle of Outworld Liquor."
"...Wait, Outwor-...Damn, no wonder why I feel like shit," Maxi grumbled as he slowly moved to open the water bottle. "And all this time, I thought everyone was exaggerating about its potency."
"Well, you didn't drink as much as your personal limit," Kilik informed him. "But the bartender gave you what he claimed was 'the best stuff,' I don't recall him mentioning what it was exactly. But Lei Wulong was concerned enough to start his own little investigation when I talked to him this morning. I'm not sure if anything will come of it, however. Then again, you did end up being taken to the hospital."
"...Oooh man. That bad?"
"It wasn't as bad as Lei thought it would be, but the doctor did mention that it was a good idea to be cautious. It was still very concerning, to be honest."
"Did anyone else suffer with me?" Maxi asked.
Kilik nodded. "Just Forest. He drank just as much as you did from the same bottle. If I had to guess, he's likely feeling just as bad as you do right about now."
That was when they heard Forest - who was next door to the duo in the room he shared with Paul and Marshall - cry out through the walls. "Oh my GOD it's awfuuul! My head feels like it got caved in with a grand pianooo!"
"...There's our answer," Maxi grumbled just before he slowly took a couple of sips of water. "Did I, eh… do anything weird in my drunken stupor?"
"Aside from singing and trying to grab Cage's sunglasses? No," Kilik answered. "Though, eh… you did start shouting, and you kept asking where Kyam was."
Upon hearing that, Maxi took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn. I'm guessing the other guys know the story now."
"Just Abel, but only because he was the only one who inquired. I only told him who Kyam was and the simple fact that he was killed. The others figured it was someone you knew, but didn't want to ask any questions. 'It sounded personal,' was what Steve said."
Maxi nodded as a frown came over his face. "I haven't thought about Kyam in a while. Isn't that terrible?"
"No," Kilik said as the thought of his own long-deceased sworn sister, Xianglian, crossed his mind. "Not at all. When enough time has passed, those who are no longer with us are not as at the forefront of our minds like they used to be so soon after they passed on. But they never go away from our memory regardless. They're always there, lingering in our minds somewhere."
"Yeah… that's true." Maxi took another sip of his water before he proceeded. "After my father died, Kyam was the only other family from my childhood I had left. He was my best friend and the brother I never had. It took me a long time to accept that I was never going to see him again."
Maxi huffed a little over a thought. "Huh… I don't think I've ever talked about this before. I guess I was due to air it out a little."
At least I was able to avenge Kyam and my crew, Maxi thought as he remembered his last fight against his crew's murderer, Astaroth, two years ago during his time in Outworld.
Something then occurred to Maxi and he quickly shot up from the bed… perhaps too quickly. "NO! The tournam- UGH! My HEAD!" he shouted as he held his head with one hand. "Uuugh, I didn't think it was possible for my head to spin like this!"
"Relax," Kilik assured him. "Luckily, we weren't scheduled for a match today."
"Oh thank the - oh no… I'm gonna -" Maxi suddenly started to wretch, but he quickly covered his mouth, which made his cheeks puff a little. His friend swore that his face started to turn a little green.
"Bucket's on your left on the floor," Kilik directed.
"Oh tha-" But Maxi didn't finish as he quickly leaned over the left side of the bed, grabbed for the bucket, and proceeded to hurl. Thankfully, he managed not to miss.
Kilik sighed as he shook his head a little. This is going to be a looong day.
Szechwan Fields, Rural China
"Of all the coincidences in the world," started Hakan just after he and E. Honda went through the portal at the start of their match. "This one has got to take the cake."
"Heeey, we finally have something else to agree on!" called out E. Honda.
"Very funny," Hakan grumbled.
The two of them looked over at the team they were fighting against - the reason for the coincidence. Just last night, E. Honda and Hakan were hanging out with Ganryu and T. Hawk at the Mishima Casino, which followed with a late night nabemono meal. At this moment, the two teams were about to go head to head in their upcoming match - and of course, only one team would emerge the victor.
The teams stood on a completely empty green field, save for the jagged mountains in the distances. The sky above was a beautiful blue with no cloud in sight. The air was warm, but not unbearable, especially with the light wind that was present. The seemingly untouched part of this world made the two drones 'watching' the upcoming match look out of place.
"Sooo," started Ganryu as he stretched his arms above his head. "How do you want to start this? Sumo versus sumo? Turkish oil wrestling vs Thunderfoot martial arts? Or a bit of a mix-up?"
"Hmm good question," Hakan said. He patted the wooden oil drum he brought with him for his match. "I'm ready for action whenever either of you are." Hakan suddenly noticed something about Ganryu, which made him tilt his head a little. "Is that an advertisement you're wearing?"
Ganryu looked down at the outfit he was wearing. Aside from his traditional purple mawashi loincloth and bandages around his wrists and ankles, he also wore a black t-shirt, which bore the green, white, red, and yellow circular Chanko Paradise logo.
"Well, yeah," Ganryu replied. "How else am I supposed to advertise my restaurant during a match without paying the Zaibatsu? I tried to put the logo on my mawashi, but I figured that no one's likely going to see it, so I grabbed one of my t-shirts from the restaurant gift shop." He suddenly turned to one of the drone cameras and pointed a finger at it. "Sizes go up to American 8x, by the way!"
"Uh, fair enough," Hakan said with a raised eyebrow.
"I have an idea," T. Hawk suddenly spoke up. He took a few steps forward. "I'll go first, and I challenge you, Edmond. Just like old times."
E. Honda grinned as he stepped forward to meet T. Hawk halfway. "Ha! I like the way you think! But unlike the World Warriors Tournament, I'm the one who's gonna come out on top this time!" From there, he got himself into his sumo stance and was ready to fight.
T. Hawk got into his own fighting stance. "Hmph, we'll see about that."
From there the two warriors circled each other as their respective tag team partners stepped back to give them some space. The two eyed each other as they waited for the other to make the first move.
Eventually, it was T. Hawk who decided to start. Swiftly, he moved forward towards E. Honda, who quickly got himself on defense as T. Hawk reached him and delivered a downward palm strike, which E. Honda blocked with his forearm. For a while, the two went back and forth and it seemed as though there was no end in sight.
That was until T. Hawk managed to grab E. Honda's shoulder. Before the older man had the chance to retaliate, T. Hawk quickly pulled him closer and promptly delivered a headbutt, which forced the older man to stumble back a few feet.
"Ow! Damn!" E. Honda yelled as he rubbed his forehead. He then shook off the pain the best he could before he narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "You call that a headbutt?! I'll show you what a real headbutt looks like!"
Swiftly, E. Honda launched himself forward. The sumo wrestler practically turned himself in a human torpedo as he flew towards his opponent. T. Hawk made an attempt to jump over him, but his much taller body didn't make the clearance he wanted and E. Honda was able to trip him mid-air. This sent T. Hawk flying forward before he crashed face first into the grass.
"Oomph!" the younger man yelled upon landing.
By then, E. Honda was back on his feet and attempted to cover the space between them. T. Hawk managed to get back up just as E. Honda started to deliver a bunch of hand-slaps in rapid paced, which forced T. Hawk to back away before he was hit.
As soon as E. Honda pulled his hands back, T. Hawk went in and grabbed E. Honda's arm. He then jumped up, took his opponent with him, spun him a couple of times, then slammed him back on the ground. Pain coursed through E. Honda's body as T. Hawk landed on his feet nearby.
"Ow…" E. Honda grumbled. "Now I'm remembering why I lost our last match…"
"Hawk!" Ganryu called out as he extended his arm out. "Tag me! Tag me!"
T. Hawk thought about this for a moment before he shrugged and walked over to his opponent. "All right, you got your wish," he said as the two high-fived.
E. Honda was just standing again when he noticed Ganryu sprint towards him. He waited until the older man was within reach before he reached out and grabbed for his shoulders. Ganryu did the same and the two sumo wrestlers began to attempt to push the other in order to get on offense.
This lasted for a while and the two men seemed to barely budge from their respective grappling maneuvers. The five minute timer went off at one point, but neither T. Hawk nor Hakan took advantage of it. Instead, they both stood in their places and watched to see which one of their respective tag team partners would come out on top.
Eventually, E. Honda decided on a new strategy. Quickly, he moved his arms and, despite his opponent's large girth, managed to get them around Ganryu's waist. He then lifted him up and delivered the most painful bear hug he could muster.
"AAAH!" Ganryu yelled as he tried to get himself out of E. Honda's grip.
Ganryu tried to wiggle out, but once he realized that his opponent had a good grip on him, he decided on another strategy. First, he slapped E. Honda as hard as he could with his hands on top of his head, but that barely fazed him. He then closed a fist and punched his face.
That did the trick as E. Honda yelled out in pain and stumbled sideways. Though he was able to keep himself from falling, his grip did loosen. That gave Ganryu the chance to escape and land back on his feet. Then, as E. Honda pulled away, Ganryu jumped in and delivered a small uppercut, and then followed with a flurry of hand slaps to the side of the head.
"YEOW!" E. Honda yelled as pulled away.
"Tag me if you need a break, my friend!" Hakan shouted from nearby.
Feeling a little dizzy from the last hit, E. Honda decided to take Hakan's advice and reached out with his hand. Hakan promptly tagged in and took a few seconds to lift up his wooden oil drum and poured some olive oil onto his skin.
"All right, now I'm ready!" Hakan called out as he placed his oil drum back down.
Seeing that he had a new opponent in the match, Ganryu swiftly ran towards Hakan. Hakan ran as well, but when he was within five feet, he jumped forward and actually was able to slide forward like he was on a slip n slide despite the ground being made of grass and dirt.
Surprised by this, Ganryu actually stopped to watch the spectacle - only to realize his mistake as soon as Hakan grabbed both of his ankles. Before Ganryu reacted, Hakan swiftly pulled Ganryu's ankles towards him, which forced the bigger man to promptly fall back before he slammed into the ground.
Despite the pain that ran through Ganryu, he was still able to roll away when Hakan jumped up and made an attempt to land an elbow into his stomach. Ganryu managed to get himself back up in the process. He then waited until Hakan recovered from the miss and, once he was ready, the two men ran towards each other again.
Ganryu was the one who got the upperhand when he slammed his shoulder into Hakan's chest. The Turkish wrestler stumbled back, which allowed the former ozeki to move in to grab him around the waist and lift up. He had intended to slam him back down against the ground.
…But the moment he stepped forward to balance himself, Ganryu suddenly slipped, his leg flying forward, after he ended up stepping on the olive oil left behind from Hakan's previous slide maneuver. "AH!" Ganryu shouted just as he landed on his side. Worse, The crash was hard enough that he knew he was going to really feel it in the morning.
"Ooo," T. Hawk mumbled under his breath from where he stood. He subtly shook his head. "That's embarrassing…"
"Yikes!" Hakan called out as he stepped back up and gazed down at his opponent with some concern. "That was quite a slip. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, I'm okay," Ganryu called out as he stood back up despite the pain in his body. He took a moment to brush off some dirt and grass from his shirt before he unleashed a breath as a way to get back into focus before he stood up again. "Okay, I'm ready."
Without a word, Hakan moved to perform a spear move. Ganryu was unable to get out of the way in time and practically flew back while still being in Hakan's arms. As soon as he stopped running, Hakan - with his arms still around Ganryu - lifted him up some more and mustered a painful bear hug - the second one Ganryu received today.
"Not again-!" Ganryu shouted - right before the slickness from the oil on Hakan's skin launched the sumo wrestler straight into the air. "WOAAAAAAHHH!" Ganryu screamed as he went flying towards the sky. From the ground, T. Hawk, E. Honda, and Hakan could only watch.
"...Wow," T. Hawk said as he gazed up towards where his opponent flew. "That's… quite the oil you have, Hakan."
Hakan grinned at that. "Why do you think I like to boast about my oils? They're made from the finest ingredients from around the world, guaranteed to work for all your oil needs."
"Oh boy," E. Honda grumbled as he placed a hand over his face. "Right in the middle of a match, we managed to bring up Hakan's favorite subject and his company."
"Hey! If Ganryu can advertise his restaurant on his t-shirt, then I can talk about my oil company to the world right here and right now!"
…Speaking of Ganryu, the poor man was screaming when he started to head back down to Earth. Though it was actually a short drop that would bruise him more than break anything, the fall still felt very long to him. Eventually though, he landed back first against the ground just a few feet from his tag team partner and their opponents. From there the three waited to see if Ganryu would get back up after that.
"Knockout detected," announced one of the drones. The three men looked at where Ganryu landed before they turned to each other without a word.
"Eh…" E. Honda started. "I hope Ganryu's okay after that landing."
"He'll be fine, I'm sure," Hakan assured. "The drone would've said something otherwise."
"Besides," T. Hawk started. "There's something else you have to deal with at the moment."
"And what's that?"
T. Hawk gave him a smirk. "You still have me to deal with."
Before Hakan had the chance to respond, T. Hawk suddenly flew forward, which forced the Turkish wrestler to step sideways to evade the attack. Once they both recovered, they turned to face each other, but it was Hakan who swifty got the upperhand when he grabbed T. Hawk, rolled forward, slammed him against the ground, then quickly got up and attempted to slam his elbow down. However, T. Hawk - like Ganryu before him - rolled out of the way before the move connected.
Despite Hakan's miss with the last maneuver, it was an impressive feat from E. Honda's point of view, especially given T. Hawk's size in both height and muscle mass. Despite T. Hawk's size, however, he was quite fast with not only getting back up, but also literally flying forward to get closer to Hakan before he had the chance to get ready to fight again.
"Whoa," E. Honda uttered, clearly stunned by the display.
When T. Hawk was close, he promptly delivered a roundhouse kick. Hakan attempted to block the maneuver, but was unable to get his arms up in time before T. Hawk's foot connected to the side of his head. Hakan shouted as the force of the blow sent him flying and spinning sideways before he landed hard on the ground.
Hakan didn't move after that.
"Knockout detected," the drone called out. That left only one fighter from each team left standing.
"Well then!" E. Honda called out as he quickly got into a fighting stance. "It's just you and me now, Hawk! You ready?"
"Always," T. Hawk replied.
"Good!"
With that, E. Honda let out a yell as he launched himself forward towards his younger opponent. T. Hawk stood where he was until E. Honda close. From there, he promptly turned and delivered a back kick, which E. Honda evaded by jumping back. As he jumped, T. Hawk crouched low before he delivered an uppercut under his opponent's chin.
It launched E. Honda mid-air, and T. Hawk expected him to crash down onto the grass - but was shocked to see the sumo wrestler flip back gracefully and regain himself.
"What the-!" T. Hawk called out with surprise.
As soon as E. Honda was on the ground again, T. Hawk dashed forward to deliver a punch, but E. Honda sidestepped away before he extended both of his hands out and, for the second time in this match, delivered a quick series of rapid hand slaps. Most connected and hit T. Hawk on various spots on his chest, stomach, and arms. T. Hawk, to his credit, tried to block the maneuvers, but the fast speed of the slaps made it almost impossible.
Once he was done, E. Honda promptly delivered a headbutt into T. Hawk's face with enough force to make T. Hawk's head snap back. E. Honda expected the younger man to stumble, but to his surprise, he promptly fell back before he landed on the ground.
From there, E. Honda waited to see if T. Hawk would get up after that hit, though he expected him to be quite dizzy afterward. Then, a few long moments passed…
"Knockout detected," a drone said aloud. "Hakan and Edmond Honda win the match!"
Though happy to have won the match and move on to Round Three, E. Honda could help but look at his two opponents as well as his tag team partner - all out like a light. "Oh boy," the sumo wrestler said aloud as he scratched his head. "I can only imagine their headaches once they wake up."
Abandoned Graveyard, New Jersey, USA
It was late morning in Japan, so by the time two fighters named Maso and Whittaker arrived at an old graveyard in New Jersey (just within sight of Manhattan), the sun had started to set in that part of the world.
The two fighters were both grizzled, middle-aged mercenaries who wore black and gray customized military armor that included black vests. The duo gazed at their surroundings as they noted that they were in a very old cemetery that had been long abandoned judging by the worn out gravestones - some toppled over or broken - with overgrown grasses and long-dead trees. The paved 'road' - which was marked as the 'fighting area' in order for the fighters to try to remain in that spot so that the graves weren't disturbed - was just as cracked and broken as the gravestones were.
"A cemetery, eh?" Maso grumbled as he continued to gaze at his surroundings. "This oughta be interestin'."
Right after he said that, the portal opened directly across from them, and it didn't take long for their opponents to arrive. The two eyed the men who appeared, both well defined in muscle and, in a more subtle way, confidence. Both wore black ninja garb which, had it not been for the fact that one wore yellow and the other wore blue, they would've been easily mistaken as being part of the same clan.
One of the two drones soon made its usual announcement. "Welcome to The Graveyard in New Jersey, USA, Sub-Zero and Scorpion. You may begin the match at any time."
"Well," Whittaker spoke. "They look tough, at least."
"We'll see about that," Maso replied without much enthusiasm.
From where they stood, Sub-Zero and Scorpion eyed each other as though they were silently deciding who should go first. Eventually, it was Scorpion who stepped forward towards their opponents while Sub-Zero hung back.
"I got this," Whittaker said as he took a step forward. Maso said nothing as he took out a cigar and began to light it up with his lighter.
Suddenly, Scorpion shot his arm out from where he stood. It took Whittaker a split second to realize that a short spear connected to a rope was hurled towards him. Swiftly, Whittaker took a sidestep before he reached out and grabbed for the rope from just behind the spear. He smirked confidently, believing that he outsmarted his opponent.
It turned out to be a big mistake.
"Get over here!" Scorpion shouted, his voice echoing through the cemetery, as he quickly pulled his opponent towards him. Whittaker shouted with surprise as he was dragged across the area and closer to the yellow-clad warrior.
As soon as his opponent was within arm's reach, Scorpion delivered an uppercut, which snapped Whittaker's head back. From there, the spectre disappeared in a burst of flames before he reappeared behind the mercenary, who didn't have a chance to figure out what was happening before he was kicked at the small of his back.
"Fuck!" Whittaker screamed as he stumbled forward. He barely managed to keep himself upright before he whirled around to face Scorpion - only to be met with a kick to the face that sent him spinning before he fell to the floor.
Despite being stunned, Whittaker rolled back and got himself back up. Scorpion swiftly moved closer and attempted to deliver a kick. This time, his foot was surrounded by flames. Scorpion saw Whittaker's eyes widen momentarily before he dodged the move by side stepping away before it connected.
"Who the hell are you?!" a bewildered Whittaker called out.
"The winner of this match," Scorpion answered confidently.
Whittaker clenched his teeth at that. "Smug bastard." Then with a shout, he closed the space between them and attempted to throw various punches and kicks, all which Scorpion managed to block and dodge from. Nearby, Whittaker's tag team partner was yelling at him to win the match.
Eventually, Scorpion parried a kick, the force of the push causing Whittaker to stumble back once more. He then glided forward, threw three punches to the midsection to stun his opponent, then teleported behind him once more. He appeared just as fast as he slid forward and rammed a shoulder to Whittaker's back. The mortal went flying forward before he landed face first into the ground.
"Dammit!" Whittaker screamed as Scorpion waited for him to get back up.
"Arise!" Scorpion shouted as he raised his flaming palms upwards. Before Whittaker reached, some suddenly grabbed his ankles and kept him from moving.
"What the- SHIT!" he screamed as he gazed down and saw clawed demon hands grab for his ankles. He attempted to free himself, but the demon's arms had a good grip on him.
From there, Scorpion moved closer and threw more punches at him until he finally delivered a swift roundhouse kick, his foot full of flames. The demon had let go of his opponent, who screamed as he flew across part of the cemetery before he crashed into an old tree. From there, Whittaker fell into a heap on the hallowed ground.
"Knockout detected," one of the drones called out soon after.
"Dammit," Maso grumbled after he took a puff of his cigar.
Scorpion turned his head to Sub-Zero, who had waited patiently for his turn in the match. He didn't say a word as he walked over to the ice warrior, tagged his arm, then tilted his head towards their remaining opponent. Sub-Zero didn't say a word either as he stepped forward.
Maso took one last puff of his cigar before he glared at the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. "Don't expect this to be as easy as your partner's fight," he warned. "You'll be out cold before you know it."
Sub-Zero raised a hand as he formed a ball of ice just above his palm. "Say that again," he said nonchalantly.
Maso rolled his eyes as he flicked his cigar, the ember ashes flying in various directions. "Bring it on, ya son of a bitch!"
He then promptly threw his still-lit cigar at Sub-Zero, who swiftly used his ice powers to freeze it before it got halfway towards him. As soon as the object was close, Sub-Zero quickly kicked it away towards his opponent. Of course, this served as a distraction for Maso, who ducked underneath the frozen cigar, to get closer to him, but Sub-Zero was ready for him by the time he was within arm's reach.
A sheen of ice formed around Sub-Zero before he jumped back and left behind an ice statue of himself. As he expected, Maso punched the form, which shattered into pieces upon impact. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Sub-Zero jumped forward and kicked Maso's chest with both of his feet. This caused Maso to yell out as he was forced to stumble back from the hit.
"Goddamn ninja tricks…" Maso growled as he glared at his opponent. He took a moment to wipe the side of his mouth with the back of his fist before he launched himself forward once more.
Immediately, Maso threw various punches and kicks at Sub-Zero, who blocked and parried them with ease. This lasted for a bit until Sub-Zero ducked underneath one incoming punch, which left his opponent wide open. The ice warrior promptly delivered a palm strike to the mercenary's stomach, which caused him to keel over in pain.
"Oof!" Maso breathed as he moved back. Just as he did, Sub-Zero grabbed him by the shoulder. Maso was just reacting when a thin sheen of ice came over his body, slowing him down from the punch he was about to throw. From there, Sub-Zero pulled Maso towards him before he punched his face. The thin ice shattered, and Maso fell back to the ground as a result.
Sub-Zero stood in a fighting stance as he waited for Maso to return to his feet. As the mercenary did, he glared at his opponent and gritted his teeth. There was determination, but also a hint of something more subtle - one that Sub-Zero had seen far too many times over the course of his life.
"You're angry," Sub-Zero soon pointed out. "I assume this war is personal to you."
Maso glared at his opponent. "Why do you care? Besides, a wise man once told me that rage is a hell of an anesthetic."
Sub-Zero decided not to push the issue and simply said, "Whatever helps."
With a yell, Maso ran forward and three more punches and kicks at Sub-Zero, who once again blocked, parried, and dodged them with ease. The Grandmaster remained patient until he spotted an opening after he jumped back from an incoming front kick.
Quickly, Sub-Zero slid forward, leaving behind a sheen of ice that formed on the ground below his feet. Upon seeing this, Maso jumped to the side before Sub-Zero made contact, and it forced him to slide past him.
Initially, Maso thought he saw an opportunity as he attempted to move behind Sub-Zero - only to completely forget about the sheet of ice he left behind on the ground. As soon as he tried to position himself, Maso began to feel him slip and lose his balance.
"SHIT!" the mercenary screamed as he tried all he could to get his balance back.
After he stood up to face his opponent, who was trying all he could to not end up on his ass, Sub-Zero saw his chance. Quickly, he extended a hand and shot out a projectile that promptly hit Maso square in the chest. The projectile froze Maso in place as it created a thin sheen of ice around his body. Sub-Zero then moved in close enough and, with all of his strength, delivered an uppercut underneath his opponent's chin.
The ice shattered into pieces, and Maso screamed as he flew back and towards where his tag team partner had fallen a few minutes ago. It wasn't long before he landed hard on the ground. From where he stood, Sub-Zero got himself in a fighting chance in case Maso got up again.
"Goddamn… fuck…" Maso grumbled before he completely collapsed onto the ground.
The two warriors stared at each other silently as one of the drones soon said, "Knockout detected. Sub-Zero and Scorpion win the match." A moment later, Scorpion gave his tag team partner a single but respectful nod of his head.
Two rounds down, six to go, Sub-Zero thought to himself as he returned the simple nod to Scorpion. And that's assuming we make it that far.
Skyring Overlooking Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico
Armor King was grateful for the fact that the tournament actually had a five-minute timer. If not, there was a likely chance that his tag team partner, Balrog, would've hogged the entire match for himself. It was something he learned after their last match during the first round of the tournament.
In the middle of the Skyring that had a view of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Balrog was throwing punches with Amancio - one of two opponents who clearly were MMA fighters based on their style of combat as well as the black skin tight gym spandex they wore. Amancio's tag team partner, Micaela, was on the opposite side where Armor King stood.
At one point, Balrog jumped up and attempted to deliver a downward punch on top of Amancio's head. However, the MMA fighter evaded it by taking a step back.
"Hold still while I knock ya teeth out!" Balrog demanded as he tried to throw another punch at his opponent's face. However, Amancio blocked it with his forearm before he attempted to shove his knee into Balrog's stomach, but the boxer jumped away before it connected.
At that point, the five-minute timer was up. Armor King immediately moved towards his opponent. He saw that Micaela was ready as she glared her brown eyes at him and immediately raised her fists up in front of her. Armor King went in for a low kick as soon as he was close, but Micaela jumped over it before he was able to trip her.
"Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Armor King and Balrog," announced one of the drones.
Armor King managed to get himself on offense, forcing Micaela on defense as she blocked his incoming punches. However, it didn't take long for him to break through her blocks and deliver a punch to the stomach that forced her to keel over. With that, Armor King kneeled down on one knee, grabbed the back of Micaela's head, and smashed her face into his knee.
"ARGH!" Micaela screamed as she stumbled back while holding her nose.
As she attempted to recover, Armor King took the chance to run forward until he was close enough to jump and attempted to hit her with his knee again and aimed at her midsection. However, Micaela managed to dodge the move before it connected. She got herself behind him and went in for a roundhouse, but Armor King turned around in time to block it with his forearm. From there, the two went back and forth with various punches and kicks.
Nearby, Balrog managed to break through Amancio's defense and deliver a few rapid punches before the last one forced his opponent to stumble back. As he did, Balrog quickly slid forward and, with a yell, delivered a low punch to the gut before he followed with an uppercut. The last hit sent Amancio flying up a few feet into the air before he landed hard on the ground on his side.
"That all ya got?!" Balrog yelled as he glared down at his opponent. "Get up, you wimp!"
That seemed to have motivated Amancio as he got himself back on his feet, his teeth clenched in pain. With determination written on his face, he lifted his fists in front of his face and was ready to fight again.
Balrog gave him a sly grin. "So long, chump!" He then swiftly covered the space between them and threw a punch - only to psych him as soon as Amancio lifted his arm up to block. After a quick spin, the boxer threw a hard punch forward, only for his opponent to evade the attack by moving off to the side.
Damn, Balrog grumbled in his mind. No way I'm gonna lose to this puny insect!
The boxer then pulled his right arm back and began to spin it at his side. The more he spun, the more it created a magenta-colored electric charge along his arm. Amancio tried to take advantage while Balrog was charging up.
Unfortunately for him, Balrog was ready by the time Amancio was within reach.
With a yell, the boxer punched Amancio in the face, which caused his head to snap sideways. A few more hard punches followed before, finally, the last punch to the midsection forced Amancio to fly back with a scream. He didn't stop until his back smashed against the metal pillar, one of four on each corner of the skyring, with a loud bang! Amancio then fell into a heap onto the floor.
"Knockout detected," a drone soon called a few moments after.
Balrog clenched his teeth with annoyance as he looked down at his unconscious opponent. "Hmph! Is that it? What a waste of time!"
Meanwhile, the fight between Armor King and Micaela continued nearby. The two continued to exchange punches and kicks. Micaela was able to land a few punches on her opponent, but it had little effect on the leopard masked wrestler.
At one point, Armor King grabbed Micaela's fist just as she attempted to punch her face. She then went in for another hit with her other fist, but Armor King grabbed that as well. With a grunt, he forcefully pushed her away and she nearly lost her footing in the process.
Just before his opponent could regain her balance, Armor King lifted his foot and kicked her midsection, knocking her onto her back with a pained cry. He then went in for an elbow slam, but she was able to roll out of the way and get back on her feet before it connected.
Micaela then tried to kick Armor King in the face while he was still on the ground, but he quickly grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto her back. She clenched her teeth in pain upon landing.
"I admit, you're tough," Micaela said aloud as she tried to recover from the fall.
"I better be," Armor King replied in a matter of fact. He thought of his late brother momentarily. "I was taught by the best."
With another yell, Micaela jumped forward and attempted another punch, but Armor King dodged from it easily. It left his opponent open, and he lunged in to slam his elbow into the side of her face.
"AH!" Micaela screamed in pain as she, for the second time in the match, stumbled away while holding her face.
This gave Armor King the chance to close the space between them. He got himself behind her, grabbed her by her clothes, then promptly lifted her up halfway above his head. With a leopard's roar, Armor King fell back to perform a German suplex, taking Micaela with him. She screamed along the way until they both hit the floor.
The move rendered her out cold.
The drone soon made its usual announcement. "Knockout detected! Armor King and Balrog win the match!"
Balrog shook his head after the announcement. "Man, these matches are weak. There better be a real challenge soon. Then again, they do make it easier to get closer to the prize money."
Armor King remained silent at that. In the back of his mind, he wondered if the chance to face Marduk would come in this tournament. If not, well… he would personally make sure that the fight will happen before any of them leave Mishima Island.
You will be avenged, brother, Armor King thought to himself. And Marduk will pay!
Mishima Casino
"The one time I overserved myself and got drunk…" Julia Chang started to grumble. "And on wine of all things… and of course. Of course I'm scheduled for a match the very next day…"
R. Mika couldn't help but giggle at her tag team partner's predicament. "And that is why I only drink every once in a while. I did have Outworld Liquor once. All it did was put me to sleep after a few sips. Besides, moderation is best."
"I usually drink in moderation, too. But the play I saw last night was so mesmerizing," Julia mentioned. "I wasn't paying attention to how much I was drinking. And now… ugh. I'm surprised I haven't puked yet. I'm also surprised I remembered anything from last night. Aaand I can stand, though I have to take it slow."
"Well, as my trainer Yoko Harmageddon once said, 'press on through hardships with confidence.'"
Julia nodded just as the participants of the latest match that ended a few moments ago came. "That's great advice… thought I don't think she would consider a hangover to be a 'hardship.'"
R. Mika laughed. "Probably not."
"Well… hopefully, we won't get called up to our match for a little while longer."
That was when the intercom crackled with life before the female announcer spoke. "For the next match, we ask the following tag team to step forward and through the portal; Jaycee and Rainbow Mika!"
"...Nooo…" Julia whimpered as she buried her face into her hands.
"All right!" R. Mika shouted as she jumped up from her seat.
Her shout made Julia wince as a sharp pain seemed to hit her like a lightning bolt right through her head. "Please, Mika… not so loud…" Julia quietly begged as she slowly stood up from her chair and adjusted her luchador mask.
Julia followed Mika as they both headed to the portal in front of the auditorium. As soon as they went through it, Julia immediately closed her eyes as she believed that the blue swirling vortex would likely give her a bad case of vertigo. She kept them closed even once her feet were on the ground again.
The drone soon said, "Welcome to Wonder Eggs Carnival in Beijing, China, Jaycee and Rainbow Mika. Your opponents will arrive momentarily."
Julia opened her eyes to get an idea of her surroundings. Clearly, they were at a family carnival and were situated on a large walkway that led to a set of stairs. On top of the stairs was an old-fashioned carousel with horses and seats to ride on. Other rides were placed seemingly in the background.
Normally, Julia loved carnivals, but in this case, the abandoned atmosphere - in addition to the heavy gray clouds in the sky with the threat of an incoming storm - made her surroundings look like something out of a horror film.
"It would be just our luck if we got attacked by a bunch of knife-wielding clowns right about now," Julia grumbled aloud.
R. Mika laughed at that. "Well, if that happens, they're in for a really bad time."
Julia sighed. "Well, the way I'm feeling-"
She didn't finish that sentence as another portal opened up nearby. As soon as the second tag team came through, the two women instantly recognized who they were about to have a match with.
"Welcome to Wonder Eggs Carnival in Beijing, China, Ling Xiaoyu and Hirano Miharu. You may begin the match at any time."
"Hey there!" R. Mika called out with a wave of her hand.
Miharu waved back with a smile. "Hi! Guess only one of us teams is going to go forward today."
"Yup." R. Mika replied. "But I bet it's gonna be fun regardless of who wins. Of course, we'll start as soon as Xiaoyu is ready."
Miharu was a little confused for a moment until she turned her head to her tag team partner. Xiaoyu's brown eyes were nearly as wide as saucers and nearly starry-eyed. She also had a lingering smile on her face and seemed to want to take her time to take in her surroundings.
Only then did Miharu notice where they were. "Of course…" She turned to her opponents. "Don't mind Xiaoyu, she's a carnival enthusiast."
"Let her take all the time she needs," Julia said only because she hoped for a small delay, especially as her hangover headache started to get a little more tense.
"Well, not too long," R. Mika pointed out. "I'm ready to go, and I'll take on whoever is ready."
As they spoke, Xiaoyu couldn't help but take in the view. Miharu was right about one thing - she was indeed a carnival enthusiast. She even had a dream to one day build her version of the perfect amusement park. Thinking over it as she looked at her surroundings, Xiaoyu was reminded that she shared this dream with a particular someone before in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
I wonder… is my match being placed here a coincidence? Xiaoyu began to think. …Or is this Jin's way of telling me that he remembered?
It was a few more seconds before Xiaoyu realized that everyone was waiting for her. Suddenly a little embarrassed, she gave her friends a sheepish grin. "Eh, sorry. Daydream moment."
"Well, since you went first last time," Miharu said. "I guess I'll go first this time."
"All right!" R. Mika called out as she got into a fighting stance. "Let's get started! And remember, don't hold back."
Miharu smiled as she got into her own fighting stance. "Okay, I'm ready."
R. Mika didn't hesitate any longer as she swiftly moved forward in an attempt to deliver a spear maneuver. Miharu moved out of the way before she lifted her foot and kicked her opponent's mid-section, then followed with a palm strike to the stomach.
"OW!" R. Mika screamed as she nearly lost her footing.
Miharu moved closer to her opponent and went in for a high kick, which R. Mika was able to lean away from. Miharu then followed with a quick spin before she attempted to attack with a palm strike, but the wrestler parried it away before it connected.
The parry left Miharu open, and R. Mika took the chance to grab Miharu by the waist, spun around, pushed her, then promptly crouched low for a side sweep. "WHOA!" Miharu screamed as she stumbled backwards after the move hit her ankle. Luckily, she was able to remain standing even after the near trip.
As soon as the young woman looked up, R. mika was running towards her. Before Miharu knew it, the wrestler spun herself around, pushed herself backwards with her feet, and then began to fly towards her opponent.
"Flying peach!" R. Mika yelled.
Miharu's eyes went wide momentarily and she quickly jumped out of the way before she was hit. This forced R. Mika to land awkwardly on her side. "Ah!" she cried out as she landed. Despite the sudden pain that hit her, R. Mika managed to get herself back up with ease.
By then, Miharu was in her fighting stance and ready for more. With a yell, R. Mika covered the distance between them and tried to deliver a clothesline. Miharu ducked underneath it before she delivered three punches to the wrestler's side, which caused her to gasp in pain. The last punch forced R. Mika back a few feet, and this gave Miharu the moment to run forward and swiftly hit her with a flying kick just below her collar bone. The hit was hard enough for R. Mika to nearly fly back, but she was able to keep herself from falling.
"Damn!" R. Mika gasped after that. She quickly shook her head in order to get back into focus. "I underestimated your strength."
Miharu smiled a little at the compliment, but it wasn't long before R. Mika let out a yell and launched forward again. From there, the two fighters exchanged punches and kicks in an attempt to overtake the other.
During that, the five-minute timer went off. Upon hearing this, Julia took a deep breath. The way she was feeling, she was definitely not going to take advantage of it.
However, Xiaoyu had other ideas. "Here I come!" she announced as she started to run towards Julia.
Ugh, dammit… Julia sighed inwardly. Of course she would take advantage of the timer. Well, hopefully I can make this quick.
As soon as she was within reach, Xiaoyu spun to strike her elbow at Julia's mid-section, but the luchadora parried it away before it connected. That didn't stop Xiaoyu from spinning once more and unleashing a palm strike, which hit Julia just below the collar. Julia gasped as she was forced to stumble backwards.
She's definitely not going to make this quick, Julia realized.
Julia took a moment to breathe in order to calm her queasy stomach. At the same time, Xiaoyu launched herself towards the luchadora and tried another palm strike. Ready this time, Julia kicked upward, which her smaller opponent leaned away from. However, just as Xiaoyu straightened back up, Julia brought her leg down and promptly kicked her heel on top of her opponent's head.
"AH!" Xiaoyu cried out as she was nearly shoved face first into the ground. However, she was able to pull away and rebalance herself before that happened.
From there, Julia tried to slide in and deliver a punch, but Xiaoyu blocked it before it hit her face. Julia threw more punches, but her smaller opponent blocked and parried them away as she waited for the chance to find an opening. Eventually, however, Julia was able to break through Xiaoyu's defense and threw three punches to her midsection before she crouched low and performed a sweep. Xiaoyu shouted as she fell back from being tripped. Still, that didn't stop her from rolling away before she got into a fighting stance.
Seeing that she was ready, Julia moved forward and was prepared when Xiaoyu stood up again, turned around, and extended her leg in a mule kick that connected right at her opponent's stomach.
"Argh!" Julia screamed as the pain in her stomach worsened. She also felt her nausea increase and she was almost certain that she was going to puke right then and there.
Noting Julia's hesitancy, Xiaoyu moved back (though it was technically towards her opponent) with a somersault before she leaned forward and kicked back and up twice, one foot after the other. One kick hit Julia's hip, but the second one she was able to jump away from.
With space between them, Xiaoyu lifted both of her arms and her hands were promptly surrounded in yellow auras that had a bit of sparkle to them. She then promptly turned around and attacked with a double palm strike, the hit knocking Julia back and onto her side.
"Ugh…" Julia groaned as she held her stomach in pain. She took more long, deep breaths to calm her worsening nausea.
A few feet away, Xiaoyu stood in a fighting stance as she waited for her opponent to be ready again. "You know, you look really sick. You can concede if you want. I won't judge you."
"Uh huh," Julia replied. She was unsure if her opponent was being genuine, or was gloating over what she assumed was an easy victory.
Julia took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and promptly rolled herself forward along the ground. Xiaoyu hadn't expected that, and she soon found herself flying in the air after her opponent delivered an upward kick.
Despite this, Xiaoyu performed a mid-air somersault in order to land back on her feet gracefully. By then, Julia was standing as well and the two women ran towards each other to continue the fight. Xiaoyu momentarily got the upperhand as she lifted her left leg for a high spin kick, which Julia ducked under. However, a double jumping kick to the face and chest caused her to snap her head back before she stumbled. Luckily, she saw that her smaller opponent was going in for another palm strike.
Julia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and evaded the maneuver by performing a moonsault over her opponent. As soon as she landed, Xiaoyu predictably tried another mule kick, but Julia promptly grabbed Xiaoyu's leg.
Once more, Julia closed her eyes and performed a forward flip, taking Xiaoyu's leg with her. Xiaoyu let out a surprised yelp as she suddenly found herself being flipped mid-air. Once Julia was on her feet, she promptly let go of her ankle.
Xiaoyu thought she would simply land on her back… only for Julia to grab her waist and jump upward. Xiaoyu screamed as they came back down to Earth and, before she knew it, she was slammed into the ground. Julia let go of her and quickly got herself on her feet.
Only then did she realize that Xiaoyu lost consciousness.
"Knockout detected," announced a drone.
"Ugh, finally…" Julia muttered under her breath. Her pained stomach was practically doing flip flops by that point and she was forced to lean a hand against a nearby light pole before she collapsed. Her body feeling a little chilled and her skin covered in sweat, she closed her eyes as vertigo hit her. She also had to take some deep breaths as her nausea seemed to increase with intensity.
She just had to hope her tag team partner finishes the match, and soon!
Both R. Mika and Miharu turned their heads the moment the drone made its announcement. Both wondered whether their respective tag team partners were still in the game. Miharu gasped as soon as she spotted her unconscious tag team partner lying on her side nearby. "Xiaoyu!" she called out with worry.
Unfortunately, R. Mika took her opponent's distraction as an opportunity. The wrestler immediately moved behind her, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her up before she had them falling backwards.
"AAAAH!" Miharu screamed just before she impacted the floor. Dizziness hit her vision as R. Mika moved onto her feet.
"Gomen," R. Mika said as she promptly grabbed Miharu's ankles, lifted her up, and spun a couple of times before she let go. Miharu screamed as she flew across the area before her back hit against the staircase.
With her teeth clenching, Miharu pushed herself up with her hands and looked up at her opponent. R. Mika stood in a fighting stance and was waiting for her to get back up.
Technically, the younger woman was only in this match for her best friend's sake. But with Xiaoyu out of the match, not being strong enough to take on R. Mika, and R. Mika's partner still standing, Miharu knew that their time in the tournament was over.
"Stop!" Miharu called out. "I concede."
It didn't take for the drone to declare, "Concede announced. Jaycee and Rainbow Mika win the match!"
"Yeah!" R. Mika cheered after the call was made. She then gave Miharu a thumb's up. "Hey Miharu, I know losing isn't fun, but I hope this was an exciting learning experience."
Miharu had to smile a little at that. Despite how she felt about fighting in general - and losing for that matter - the truth was that she did actually enjoy the match. "It was… for me at least. Just expect Xiaoyu to demand a rematch in the future."
"Oh I'm definitely expecting it," R. Mika replied. "And you bet I'll accept the challenge." She then turned to where Julia stood - and quickly noted how green she looked, even with her mask on. "Uh, Jaycee? Are you okay?"
"Ugh, yeah, I-" Julia tried to say, but her cheeks suddenly puffed a little as her nausea finally got the best of her. "'Cuse me!" she called out as she promptly ran off to the side and away from the view of the drones. As soon as she got in between two gaming booths, Julia promptly puked.
R. Mika turned her attention to one of the drone cameras. "Jaycee's okay, folks! Just so we're clear, she's just sick and not pregnant!"
"MIKA!" Julia shouted from the sideline before she hurled again. Thank the spirits my mask doesn't cover my mouth! And Mika is SO dead - if this hangover doesn't kill me first!
As she watched all of this, Miharu sighed a little. "Well… could be worse, I guess. At least I didn't lose while sick." She then frowned a little as she noted her unconscious best friend. "Xiaoyu's totally not gonna be happy when she wakes up…"
G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal
"Operations at the Zaibatsu Headquarters remain unchanged," Noob Saibot reported to Quan Chi not long after his arrival. "But what is most important is that Kazama and the Outworld Resistance still do not suspect the fact that I am, in fact, working for you."
"Good," Quan Chi replied. "Are your shadow warriors still posted around the island?"
"They are, but once more, there is nothing significant to report. I suspect there will be more the closer we are to the end of the tournament."
At that point, Quan Chi happened to notice movement from behind Noob Saibot and looked over his shoulder. There stood Reiko, Skarlet, and Kunimitsu, all who waited to approach the Outworld Emperor.
He had expected the trio to arrive as he summoned them moments before Noob Saibot's arrival. The necromancer turned his attention back to his dark minion as he raised a hand to summon a portal to return Noob Saibot to the Zaibatsu Headquarters. "There is something else - a small task, in fact. As you recall, thanks to Sheeva, we are aware of the identity of two of The Four - Jin being one of them. As you may also recall, Sheeva was… quite upset over the demise of Shao Kahn. I have a hunch that she may attempt to assassinate him when the time is right. If so, make sure it does not happen by any means necessary. We need Jin alive for the time being, no matter what."
"Understood, my lord," Noob Saibot answered.
"You are dismissed."
With that, the dark warrior walked through the portal Quan Chi summoned, which soon closed once he disappeared. The necromancer then turned his attention to the General and the two kunoichi warriors.
"You summoned us, my lord?" asked Kunimitsu.
Quan Chi nodded. "I did. Have you learned anything from Scorpion's participation in this tournament?"
"Not yet," replied Reiko. "He's as elusive as we suspected he would be. He attended a match today with his tag team partner and won, of course, but as soon as we attempted to confront him, they both disappeared without a trace."
"Could it be possible that he's traveling between the Netherrealm and Earthrealm between tournament matches?" asked Skarlet.
"Unlikely," Quan Chi answered. "Very few reborn in the Netherrealm can travel beyond it."
"Unless he suddenly became one of the very few," Kunimitsu guessed.
"I doubt that. In the meantime, however, I have another assignment for the three of you." Quan Chi started to inform. "I doubt you know much about The Four, Kunimitsu, but I'm certain you - Reiko and Skarlet - are aware of the identity of two of them from the other generals."
"Jin Kazama and the former Empress Ivy Valentine herself," said Reiko.
Skarlet nodded at the confirmation. "Clearly from your conversation with Noob Saibot, you want Jin to be left alone. Can we assume that this assignment is about the former Empress?"
Quan Chi smirked. "Indeed. She's very likely somewhere on the island. Your task is simple; find Ivy and kill her."