Chapter Thirty
Later in the Day…
Botanical Gardens
Earlier in the day, the tag team of Ermac and Kenshi won their match and earned the right to go forward to Round Three of the tournament. In the aftermath, they left the casino and headed towards where the island's botanical garden was located.
Since it was just after lunch time, most of the other fighters were either watching or attending the tournament. It was a good time for Ermac and Kenshi to visit the gardens to practice their respective katas and reflect on the match they won today. Neither of them said a word, but the both of them were okay with that. They knew what to expect from the other by that point in the tournament.
The botanical garden they practiced in had few people present, even less so in the isolated area they picked to practice. The sky above was partially cloudy and the sun was just beginning its descent to the west. The light breeze felt cool against one's face and the smell of plant life and wood was faint but pleasant.
For a while, Ermac focused on his katas, his movements slow and focused and his mind momentarily clear. Kenshi was ten feet away and was practicing his own movements. He, too, was fully focused with his mind free from any thoughts.
Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, Ermac felt a strange stir deep within his chest, which made him immediately stop his practices. He stood still momentarily before the feeling came back again with increased intensity. It forced him to clutch his chest as though in pain.
A thousand whispers engulfed his head, which forced the enigma to shut his glowing green eyes tight. He tried all he could to quell them, but it was no use, especially as the whispers became more harsh, frequent, and desperate. Ermac was only able to make out a few words…
-My calling!
I am the true ruler!
Never!
Fight for-
I'll kill-
End it!
Only the dominant-
Long live S-
ENOUGH!
"One of your souls fights for dominance," Kenshi suddenly said aloud with a hint of concern. Despite all the whispers, Ermac was able to hear him. It also managed to silence the voices within.
From where he stood, the swordsman's keen senses were able to detect the battle amongst the collective souls within his tag team partner. One soul in particular, he noticed, had an air of great importance. However, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what that importance was - or even if this particular soul was good or evil.
It didn't take long for the collective souls within Ermac to calm down, and the stirring ceased for the time being. The enigma drew in a long, even breath as though he tried to will the souls within to remain that way.
"It is fine," Ermac assured his tag team partner. "It's just a side effect from our disconnect from Shao Kahn."
Kenshi simply nodded at that. He trusted his tag team partner's word mainly because Ermac himself believed it.
Since there was no danger involved at the moment, Kenshi decided to move on for the time being and continued with his kata practice. Ermac followed not long after, albeit with some uncertainty.
Gombak, Malaysia
"Welcome to the Batu Cave Entrance in Gombak, Malaysia, Lee Yun and Lee Yang. Your opponents will arrive momentarily."
As the twin brothers waited for their opponents to show up, they took a moment to gaze at their surroundings. The sky above was cloudy, but there looked to be no threats of rain. The entrance to the shrine - which was usually filled with tourists - contained a long staircase that went up along the mountainside filled with bright green trees, statues, and columns that were painted in bright and vastly different colors. The most prominent feature of the entrance, just to the right of the stairs, was the one-hundred and forty-two feet tall golden statue of Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War.
A thought suddenly occurred to Yang and his eyes widened. "You don't think our opponents will be -" he started to say to his brother.
But Yang didn't finish his sentence before the portal opened and two more fighters stepped out. As soon as they saw who their opponents were, Yun absolutely lost it and he began to unleash fits of laughter without shame. He bent over at the waist, held on to his stomach with one hand, and slapped his knee with the other as his laughter echoed around the area.
Yang was absolutely not amused by all of this. "Yun, this is not funny."
"Oh yes it is!" Yun called out. "Because we're about to fight against-"
One of the drones promptly cut him off. "Welcome to the Batu Cave Entrance in Gombak, Malaysia, Cassandra Alexandra and Genryusai Maki. You may begin the match at any time."
Yun went ahead and finished his sentence with a big grin on his face. "-Your girlfriend!"
Yang shook his head disapprovingly. Meanwhile, Maki placed her hand on her hips while her fists clutched her batons. "I hardly find this funny, Yun," she growled.
"I'm sorry, but I do!" Yun said as he still giggled. "I mean, what are the odds that you two would fight against each other in this tournament? It's such a fascinating coincidence!"
Yang suddenly decided to get his revenge. "I seem to recall a fascinating coincidence that night when Hoimei's Dad caught you two-"
"DUDE!" Yun shouted as he straightened himself up, turned to glare at his twin brother, and threw his arms up in the air in frustration. "People are watching this match, remember?! That includes Hoimei!"
"I know," Yang replied with a smirk.
"Okay, let's get serious," Maki spoke as she straightened herself up. "How do you want to go about this match?"
"Weeeell," Yun started as he looked at Yang and both girls. "Clearly Yang will kill me if you and I fight, sooo…" He turned to Cassandra. "Let's you and I fight for as long as possible, at least until one of us either gets knocked out, or concedes."
Cassandra snorted at that as she began to walk forward. "Me? Concede? Never."
Yun rolled his eyes as he started to meet her halfway. "Of course you'd say that."
"Just remember," Cassandra said as she got into a fighting stance. "I'm going all out."
Yun happened to stare at the hilt of the weapon that was strapped behind his opponent's back as he prepared for the fight. "...Hopefully not with that sword?"
Cassandra's blue eyes widened as she gasped dramatically and tilted her head to the side. "Whatever do you mean?"
Yun gulped at that as he posed in his own fighting stance. He wasn't surprised when Cassandra quickly jumped forward to begin their match. Of course, he was prepared as he quickly ducked underneath her punch, then swiftly moved to the side as she tried a knee to the stomach. Yun then blocked another punch with his forearm before he delivered a palm strike just below her collarbone to push her back a few feet.
As soon as she got her footing, Cassandra took out her sword and stabbed it into the ground. Yun was just starting to wonder what that was about when he felt something suddenly hit the bottom of his feet and hurled up upward.
"YAAAH!" Yun screamed as he flew up into the air. He then fell back down towards the earth, but before he landed, Cassandra ran towards him and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent him back until he hit his side against a wall. After that, he practically slumped downward.
"...Ow," Yun grumbled. Despite the pain in his body, he forced himself to get back up.
Cassandra grinned with satisfaction as she walked towards her opponent. "Just remember, don't cry when you lose."
In response, Yun jumped forward at a fast speed and landed a punch just below Cassandra's collarbone again. With a cry, Cassandra flew back until she crashed into the ground.
"And they said I'm overconfident," Yun grumbled under his breath.
A few feet away, Cassandra rolled back before she got herself on her feet. The smile that was on her face a few moments was replaced with a scowl. "Oh now I'm mad!"
With a yell, she flew forward before she performed a spear move - one she learned from R. Mika during her long stay on Earthrealm last year - that knocked the wind out of Yun before they hit the floor.
Before Yun had the chance to budge, Cassandra promptly moved and, to his surprise, sat on his chest. "What the-" he started to shout. That was when he noticed Cassandra grab for her shield and raise it above her head.
"Eat this!" Cassandra yelled as she began to shove the shield downward.
"AAH!" Yun screamed as his hands flew up to stop the shield in its tracks. Luckily, he managed to hold it back just barely a couple of inches from his face. The palm of his hands did hurt from the force of the hit he held back, but it definitely could've been worse (at least he figured so).
With another yell, Yun shoved the shield back with enough force to knock Cassandra off balance before he flipped her off him completely. As she fell and rolled away, Yun swiftly got himself back up, gave himself some berth, then promptly got into a fighting stance.
"That was not cool!" Yun shouted at her with annoyance.
By then, Cassandra was on her feet again. The two fighters glared at each other momentarily before the Keiseian spoke. "Then maybe you should forfeit."
"Ha! You wish!"
Cassandra gave him a smug smirk. "Aren't you brave? Well then, in that case, I'll show you how to win."
"...Are you flirting with me?" Yun suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow.
Cassandra quickly scowled at him, though her cheeks definitely did turn a little red from embarrassment. "What?! NO! You're definitely not my type!"
"...Well that was just cruel."
"Eh, cameras!" Yang called out from the sidelines.
A nervous grin came over Yun as he turned his attention to one of the drones and waved at it. "Hi Hoimei! Love you deaAAAHH!" he suddenly screamed as he moved away from Cassandra's own version of R. Mika's Flying Peach maneuver.
From the sidelines, Maki chuckled as she turned to Yang. "Someone's sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Mmhm," Yang agreed with a smirk.
Back in the fight, after Cassandra recovered from her maneuver, Yun swiftly covered the space between them and attempted two elbow strikes, both which Cassandra dodged away from. He then followed with a back punch to the face, which caused her head to snap sideways. After that, he turned to face her and unleashed a double palm strike to her stomach. For the third time in the match, Cassandra yelled out as she flew back a few feet before she crashed into the ground.
"Now you've done it," Cassandra growled underneath her breath after the hard landing. She got her feet again, then grabbed for her shield once more in preparation for her next move.
"Chew on this!" the young woman shouted as she tossed her shield in the air, spun around, and back-kicked the object towards her opponent as hard as she could.
As soon as he saw the shield fly forward, Yun took a moment to charge up some aura. The second the object was within reach, he unleashed a forward punch and managed to hit it. The shield flew back in fast speed and directly back towards its owner!
"SHIT!" Cassandra screamed as she tried to duck down - only for her own shield to hit her right in the face! The force of the hit practically flew her back a couple of feet before she crashed back first onto the floor.
"Holy crap! I did it!" Yun shouted as he turned to Yang and gave him a thumbs up - only for Cassandra's still-flying shield to turn back like a boomerang and promptly bash him on the side of the head and knock him to the ground sideways! The shield soon bounced off a wall and eventually landed near the first steps up to the cave.
"...Ouch," Maki and Yang uttered at the same time after that.
"Double knockouts detected," one of the drones soon announced when neither Yun nor Cassandra got up after a few seconds.
Both Yang and Maki's eyes widened in shock over that result as they looked down at their respective tag team partners. They then gazed up at each other as their eyes still remained wide. They both realized that the match was on them at that point. And only one of them would emerge the victor.
Yang took a deep breath as he got himself in a fighting stance. "Well… guess it's just you and me, Maki."
"Yeah," Maki replied as she posed in her own stance. She managed to grin at him. "Well, Yang, think of it like it's a sparring session between us. Except with a little less kinki-"
"Maki!" Yang cut in quickly as his cheeks flushed a little. "Um… people are watching this match, remember?"
Maki gasped upon that reminder and her cheeks flushed a little, too. "Eh… riiight." She quickly shook her head and tightened her grip on her batons. "By the way, sweetie, don't you dare hold back."
Yang smirked at her. "I wasn't planning on it, dear."
"That's the spirit!" Maki called out.
From there, the Bushin warrior launched herself up into the air. She then angled herself back before she performed a downward kick. Yang swiftly dodged back out of the way before her foot connected to his face. As she landed back on her feet, Yang rolled forward and attempted an upward kick while he pushed himself off the ground. However, Maki also moved away from him before the move hit her.
As soon as Yang flipped back and stood again, Maki moved in to cover the space between them before she launched a series of punches and swings from her batons. This forced Yang to either block or dodge the maneuvers for a few moments. Eventually however, Maki managed to grab his shoulder before she delivered a punch to the face, then followed with a kick that landed on his chest. With a gasp of pain, Yang stumbled out of Maki's reach, but was able to keep himself standing regardless.
Maki attempted to move in again, and Yang took a moment to charge up some chi within his hands. As soon as she was in reach, the young man unleashed an open palm chop to her chest. With a yell, Maki flew back until she hit the ground with a loud thud.
Damn, Yang thought with a frown as he gazed at where his girlfriend landed. I hope I didn't hit her too hard!
Though Maki wobbled a bit as she stood back up, the hit otherwise didn't seem to leave behind too much damage. From there, Yang ran forward and attempted a series of kicks, but Maki was able to move away before the first one connected, which left him wide open.
Crap! he yelled in his head.
Noting an opportunity, Maki quickly launched forward and grabbed Yang before she promptly turned him so that they faced each other. Yang's brown eyes widened as he quickly realized what she was about to do.
No… Yang uttered in defeat in his head.
Maki then jumped up and took Yang with her. She then flipped over before she performed a supplex with Yang's back crashing against the ground. As soon as the maneuver was done, she rolled off of him, stepped back a couple of feet, then waited until her boyfriend was able to get back up.
"Uuugh…" Yang grumbled after the hard landing.
Maki couldn't help the grin on her face as she placed her hands on her hips. "Are you okay? I wouldn't blame you if you want to concede."
"Uhhh… heck nooo," Yang uttered as he started to push himself off the ground. "I'm good. Just, ehh… give me a second. Or five."
"All right, but that ten second countdown goes faster than you think," Maki reminded him.
By that point, Yang was up again and ended the drone's ten second countdown. As soon as she noticed he was ready, Maki moved forward in a hayagake run before she crouched down, glided forward, and attempted an uppercut with her baton.
To her dismay, Yang managed to back away from the hit, which promptly left her wide open.
The young man immediately posed in a snake stance. "Raishin Mahhaken!" he shouted right before he moved forward with lightning speed. He twisted his hand and swiped it upwards, which knocked Maki up into the air slightly. He then jumped up to her height and promptly threw four rapid punches at her, one after the other. The last hit launched her far back until she smashed into one of the painted walls of the cave entrance they were fighting at.
As Yang landed back on the ground, he watched to see if Maki moved at all - only to realize that she wasn't.
"Knockout detected," the drone called out. "Lee Yun and Lee Yang win the match!"
"Maki!" Yang called out as he ran to where his girlfriend fell. As soon as he reached her, he immediately got down on his knees and checked over her to make sure he didn't leave behind too much damage.
Yang sighed. Maki was okay, that he knew or else the drones would've said something, but he also knew that his girlfriend was going to wake up with a wicked headache and a bump on the head. And then there was how she was going to feel once she was awake and got her bearings. After all, Maki usually never took losing too well.
"Oh maaan…" Yang mumbled with a frown as something dawned on him. "She's gonna be so mad at me when she wakes up…"
Seido, Over a year ago…
The realm of Seido was not a very large realm, so it was likely that Shao Kahn saw it fit to send a small army to attack Seido and its citizens. Between that and the fact that the realm had long known of the coming invasion thanks to those from other realms who found sanctuary, the people of Seido were prepared far ahead of time.
The Seidan Guardsmen were well prepared for the onslaught by the time The Outworld Forces arrived. Later, they would learn that there was not a single civilian casualty thanks to the safety and new law measures they placed ahead of time to protect their people and their lawful haven.
Led by the supreme General Hotaru, the Guardsmen overwhelmed the Outworld Forces swifty. The Outworld Forces also had the worst luck that day - the invasion occurred on the very day that The Four ended Shao Kahn's reign.
A yellow wall of light engulfed the area briefly and swept over the land. It would later be learned that the light came from Outworld and spread over not just that realm, but of every realm in the universe.
The Outworld Forces, however, were suddenly frightened even after the wall of light had passed. It was as though the light had sent a message to them - that their beloved Emperor was dead.
There was no more reason for them to fight any longer.
Hotaru himself came face to face with the two Generals who led the invasion - Reiko and Skarlet. He alone fought the two until the light came over them. When the two Generals both realized that the battle was moot - and with no way to get back to Outworld - they raised their arms in defeat and dropped their weapons.
Hotaru pointed the blade of his naginata at the two Generals along with his men. Hotaru spoke the first words said upon victory - "On behalf of Seido and the Seidan government, you and your cohorts are under arrest for inciting chaos and disregarding the laws of this realm. You will remain here to face trial."
G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal
Hotaru frowned as he thought back on that day. It wasn't long before those who remained of the Outworld Forces snuck into Seido and broke their cohorts out of prison with the help of the Seidan Resistance - so it was later learned.
If only the rebellion hadn't occurred in Lei Chen years ago, Hotaru thought at the time. Then we would've brought them back to Outworld for justice and set an example.
When he joined with G-Corporation to help with their mission to stop the Mishima Zaibatsu's war, Hotaru didn't realize that they also allied with the Outworld Forces. He immediately sought advice from his government on how to proceed. After much discussion, they concluded that - since the Outworld Forces were under a new rule and were on Earthrealm to take care of the resistance who opposed them and joined with the Mishima Zaibatsu - working alongside them was the better option. Otherwise, they were primarily focused on working with Kazuya and G-Corporation.
Of course, Reiko and Skarlet were there and were, not surprisingly, on guard every time they walked by the Seidan. Hotaru made it clear to them that he was not under orders to arrest them. However, if the orders came, he would not hesitate to proceed.
"At least you are honest," Reiko admitted at the time.
"A true Seidan is always honest," Hotaru replied then.
Within the confines of his sleeping quarters, the Seidan Guardsman sat at his desk with a hologram turned on in front of him. The device, which he brought with him from Seido, acted like a miniature projector which gave him a feed that lit up against the wall like the screen of Earthrealm's television. On the projector was the face of an older man wearing yellow and white robes and a thin rimmed hat that revealed the top of his balding head.
"There's not much to report as of now, Governor Tallen," Hotaru said as soon as the man in the hologram asked for a status report. "As of this report, all is in order despite a lack of progress on my end."
"In that case, continue your mission to stop the path of chaos from potentially spilling into Seido," Tallen ordered. "As you recall, we cannot allow chaos to encroach on our realm, especially not after the Universal War."
"I highly agree," Hotaru said. "Had we not received warning from the other realms, we would not have been as prepared as we were. Seido remains the safe and lawful haven as it was always meant to be from the very beginning."
"There is one other thing," Tallen started. "Has your tag team partner strayed from order? You were concerned about that the last time we spoke."
"No," Hotaru answered. "Stryker is actually on an honorable and orderly path. If this continues, he could have the potential to become a Guardsman himself. However, he asks many questions, more than what would be allowed in Seido. As you know, Governor, that leads to insubordination."
"If this was Seido, you would be correct," Tallen said. "But he is an Earthrealmer, and our Guardsman do not have any jurisdiction in any Earthrealm territory at this time. Just make sure he doesn't stray away from the path of order. If even an ounce of chaos affects him, it could affect your partnership with him. If this happens, do what you must to protect yourself. We've already lost too many guardsmen to the Resistance here as it is."
"How is that situation?" the guardsman inquired.
"Under control as of now, but I doubt Darrius and the others will remain quiet for long. For now, focus on your task. Contact me directly if anything changes."
"Understood, Governor," Hotaru said. The hologram turned off right after and ended the conversation.
Mishima Forest
After a forty minute walk, Ivy made her way inside her isolated cabin within the forest and away from prying eyes. Ever since her arrival on Earthrealm, this was where she spent most of her time in between matches. The only two people who came by were Liu Kang and Yoshimitsu. Liu Kang was the one who would give her important updates, though she noted that there hadn't really been one in some time. Meanwhile, her tag team partner Yoshimitsu usually came by to provide provisions and other necessary supplies.
Even after more than two weeks on this island, Ivy was still baffled over Yoshimitsu's alliance with her. After all, he was the leader of the very clan that became one of the Outworld Forces' biggest enemies during the Universal War. Until recently, she was certain that he would've held a big grudge against her for her actions during the war.
Granted, Yoshimitsu explained himself - not only would it show unity, but on a personal level, he forgave her back during their time in Edenia when she revealed Soul Edge's influence within her blood.
I doubt many of his other clan members would agree with him about our partnership, Ivy thought to herself. If the Chosen Ones are anything to go by, well…
She decided to not dwell on it for the time being. Famished, the Keiseian just started to walk over to the kitchen area when she suddenly stopped in her tracks as a strange feeling began to wash over her. Seconds later, she felt the lifeforce of her beloved sword come to life. The weapon sensed the strange energy as well. Ivy reached for the hilt of her blade and partially pulled it out from its scabbard. Her blue eyes glared at the front door.
"Someone's here…" she uttered.
Then, as though on cue, the door of her cabin practically blew wide open as someone kicked it down hard enough for it to fly right off the hinges. In pieces, they scattered around the cabin and a handful of them landed in front of Ivy's feet.
By the time all the pieces were on the ground, three people already made their way into the cabin, their weapons out and their cloaks discarded. Ivy glared at the trio. She didn't recognize the woman in the half-kitsune mask, but she definitely recognized the other two as former Generals for Shao Kahn.
Ivy got herself into a fighting stance. "Reiko and Skarlet," she greeted sweetly and with a hint of malice. "And here I thought you two were dead after you didn't come back from the Seido invasion."
"That's really funny," Skarlet replied as she narrowed her eyes at the former Empress. "Because we're here precisely to make sure you die for good." Skarlet then conjured a short sword from the blood power she wielded. "Especially after your betrayal."
Ivy glared at her and remained calm as a part of her wondered if any of them knew of her role in ending Shao Kahn's life. If so, did they also know of The Four and their identities?
Reiko ended up answering her question. "Sheeva saw you that day, Ivy. You killed the Kahn alongside that whelp Kazama and those other two warriors."
Damn it! Ivy shouted in her mind. So the Outworld Forces did know about The Four, Quan Chi included! However, from how it sounded, they seemed to only know her and Jin's identities. Kenshi and Ryu were safe for the time being, but she could only wonder for how long.
"So," Ivy started. "I can assume it was Quan Chi who sent you both here to take me out."
"It makes no difference to me," the woman in the half-kitsune mask said. "Though it would've made all the difference in the world if your tag team partner was here."
"What do you know about Yoshimitsu?" Ivy inquired firmly.
"...Just tell him Kunimitsu says konnichiwa." She slyly grinned. "Trust me. He'll understand. Of course, that's largely assuming you survive this."
Ivy furrowed her brows as she wondered what that was all about. She also caught on to the fact that her name rhymed with her tag team partner's. She must've been a Manji Clan warrior at one time, the Keiseian guessed.
She didn't have any more time to ponder over it before Reiko spoke. "We may let you live. Well, Skarlet may not, but I'll personally make sure she stands down only if you answer one question; aside from yourself and Jin, who are the other two who helped kill the Kahn."
Ivy nearly laughed at that. "Do you really think I'd give that secret away so easily? You're a fool! Besides, you'll be dead before you ever learn their identities!"
"As incautiously overconfident as ever," Skarlet pointed out.
No longer wanting to wait, Kunimitsu jumped forward towards Ivy, her twin kunais out and ready to taste blood. Ivy was long prepared as she whipped out her blade, uncoiled it, and wrapped it around Kunimitsu's waist. Before the kunoichi could react, Ivy pulled her back and right passed her before her sword released the enforcer. With a scream, Kunimitsu flew across the room before she crashed right through the wall and into Ivy's private quarters.
By that point, Skarlet and Reiko attempted to use the distraction to go after the Keiseian, but Ivy was able to turn to them and swing her uncoiled sword sideways. Skarlet tried to block the maneuver with her short sword, but the force of the attack sent her hurling across the room before she crashed into a table and knocked it sideways. Reiko, however, managed to use his strength to block the attack and keep himself upright.
As Ivy pulled back her sword to coil it again, Reiko flew forward with a battle cry and tried to swing his war hammer in an up-down motion. Upon seeing this, Ivy raised her sword and blocked the move on the hilt just below the head of the hammer itself. However, Reiko used her distraction to lift a foot and kicked her squarely in the stomach.
With the wind knocked out of her, Ivy flew back until she hit the wall behind her. She stumbled a bit forward after, but she managed to regain her balance. She then looked up and her blue eyes glared at her opponents. By then, Reiko, Skarlet, and Kunitmitsu surrounded her and practically cornered her in her own cabin.
Considering how weary she still was from her earlier tournament match, Ivy could only wonder how long she could fight the three of them on her own…
Mishima Gardens
Just after enjoying some lunch, Abel decided to make his way through the hotel gardens as a shortcut back to the main building. The area was pretty and peaceful, at least from what Abel noticed. He had yet to really take in this particular surrounding and what it had to offer.
Maybe I should do that soon enough, he thought to himself.
There were a few people in the gardens who were either walking around or sitting down. When he was close to the hotel entrance, Abel spotted a familiar face who sat by herself on a bench while she looked at her phone - Juni.
The two had seen each other a handful of times since the start of their stay on the island - mainly through the Chosen One meetings as well as seeing each other around here and there. Each time, they always acknowledged each other with either a nod or a small smile. This was the first time that he found Juni by herself. Despite her attention on her phone, Abel didn't miss that she seemed to look both disappointed and slightly agitated.
Maybe she received some bad news recently, he guessed.
After briefly considering it in his mind, Abel decided to approach her. He walked over to her until he was just a few feet away from the bench she sat on. "Is everything all right?" he asked with some concern in his voice.
Juni gazed up at him from her phone momentarily before she gave him a simple shrug. "I guess. I eh… just lost the tournament earlier today. Worse, we lost to former minions of Shao Kahn. We already reported it to Liu Kang after the match, but… yeah."
Abel frowned at that news. "That's terrible. I'm sorry to hear that," he replied.
"Well," Juni continued as she placed her phone in her jean pocket. "It's not like Juli and I expected to make it very far in the tournament. But it still stings, you know? I mean, here I was hoping to help however I can this time because I felt completely helpless after I got injured during the Universal War and… yeah."
"You were injured during the last war?" Abel ended up inquiring with some surprise.
Juni nodded. "An Outworld guard stabbed me right in the shoulder when the forces invaded Keisei. I still have the scar. Had it not been for Lita's quick thinking and Fujin's healing powers, I wouldn't be alive right now." She averted her eyes away from him. "Though after being a doll assassin for Shadaloo, I'm surprised I've lived this long."
That last part surprised Abel even more and his blue eyes widened.. "You were an assassin?"
"A brainwashed assassin," Juni firmly corrected him. "It wasn't my choice and… I'm not exactly proud of it."
Abel nodded at that. "I don't blame you. If it helps… I was created by Shadaloo. But as you can see, I broke free from their hold."
That made Juni gaze up at him. "Really? I… didn't know that. I mean, Juli and Cammy both mentioned you had past involvement, but she didn't specify. That's all I knew until just now."
"With some help from Guile, we both figured that I was created as a spare body for Bison… Apparently, I was a failed experiment, but I managed to escape the Shadaloo base I was in before he had the chance to… dispose of me."
Juni shook her head solemnly. "His horrors clearly had no limits." She patted the empty spot on the bench she sat on and gave him a small smile. "Come sit. You don't have to stand there."
Abel nodded as he moved to join her at the bench. Once he sat down next to her, he continued. "For a while, I thought I was simply suffering from amnesia, but after I found out what was likely the truth, well… turns out I have no past at all. All I have was the moment I woke up and up until now."
"Sounds like Cammy's experience," Juni mentioned. "I don't know if you know, but she was a doll assassin too, just like Juli and I were."
"Yeah… Cammy and I talked briefly about it earlier during our stay here."
"I see." Juni looked down at his arm. "I assume those scars of yours were from… whatever experiments Shadaloo performed on you."
"I think so, too," Abel replied as he looked at his arm, which contained a handful of scars of different shapes and sizes. "Something tells me it's best if I didn't know how I got them exactly."
Juni frowned as she rubbed her shoulder - the one with the scar she received in Keisei. "Yeah…"
An idea suddenly came to Abel, though he was momentarily hesitant about it. However, he thought about all the times he was advised to 'live in the now and not in the past,' which helped him find his confidence.
"I know we haven't known each other for long," Abel started as he turned to face Juni. "But considering how… solemn this conversation was, I was thinking it might be nice if we both had a light-hearted conversation later."
"About what?" Juni asked.
Abel said the first thing that came to mind. "Maybe about dogs. Do you like dogs?"
That got a small chuckle from Juni. "I'm more of a cat person, but I do like dogs. I like bears, too."
That got a smile out of Abel. "Really? Me too! Maybe we can, eh… talk about all the animals we like over dinner later tonight. I mean, as friends, of course."
Juni couldn't help but grin at his offer. "Sure. I'd like that."
G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal
In his private quarters, Stryker was on his bed looking over some papers. The TV in his room was on and was playing the tournament.
The papers in question involved a handful of examples of G-Corporation's past and present operations. Stryker had asked Bruce to see them under the guise of 'wanting to get to know and understand more about the company he was working for.'
"And who knows," Stryker had said at the time of the request. "I might even stick around if I'm impressed enough."
Of course, he was actually trying to figure out clues that could lead to anything incriminating, or at least figure out more about G-Corp's current operations and/or partnership with the Outworld Forces. Speaking of the latter, no one from the forces had yet to recognize him despite his involvement fighting against Shao Kahn's first Earthrealm invasion a few years ago.
Then again, I didn't exactly stand out compared to the likes of Liu Kang, Stryker guessed. At this point, that may be a blessing in disguise.
The papers in question weren't all that remarkable in regards to his own mission, but there were some things that stood out. Bruce even provided Stryker with a report regarding Kazuya's 'death and resurrection' after his burned corpse was accidentally found within an active volcano and brought back to their labs in Nebraska to study… well, that part was redacted as there was nothing but a black rectangle that covered the words in question.
Resurrection - it wasn't far-fetched, given everything Stryker witnessed over the last few years (especially after he heard what happened to Sonya), but it was still something that was a little hard to grasp in his mind. But what exactly were they studying that was worth bringing Kazuya back from the dead? Stryker asked himself. At that thought, he made a mental note to report this particular finding to Jax at their next meet-up.
Other reports included robotics, medical, and two that were a bit concerning - animal and human testing. A lot of the information on the testings were redacted, though Stryker caught on to the very small list of animals in question, which included a kangaroo and a dinosaur… needless to say, Stryker found the latter very hard to swallow.
Maybe they used an old dinosaur DNA that was found by a paleontologist or something? he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Before Stryker had more time to analyze his findings, he heard the television announce the next tournament. "- in Cairo, Egypt, Havik and Kabal. Your opponents will arrive momentarily."
Stryker's eyes widened as soon as he heard the names announced. "Wait… did I just hear…" he started to say as he placed his papers down and sat up from his bed.
From where he sat, Stryker glared at the TV screen just as one of the drones that filmed the match finished panning the area the fight would take place at. It didn't take long for the camera to focus on a man with long black hair who wore a full-face breathing mask, the 'eyes' glowing red. His black trench coat was sleeveless and revealed long-healed burn scars on his bare arms. In each hand was a hook sword.
Without knowing what his face looked like, Stryker recognized the person. His eyes widened more in shock. "Holy shit! You're alive…"
An old memory came over his mind…
New York City, 5 Years Ago…
The streets were littered with chaos - crashed cars, fires, people running for their lives, and soldiers fighting against various types of species, the likes which had never been seen before, at least in Stryker's lifetime.
While standing on the rooftop not far from Times Square, Stryker counted the amount of bogies he spotted on the street. "Fifteen… sixteen… seventeen… eighteen. Kabal, call it in."
Stryker's rookie, Kabal - who joined the police force just a few months ago - reached for his radio to give his report to headquarters - assuming anyone was still there. "Base. Eagle Two. We count eighteen. One-eight bogies. Southbound on Olympic."
"Roger that," someone replied just as a large, giant-like demon grabbed a car and tossed it through the street before it crashed into a nearby bus.
"Eagle two, out."
Stryker couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in dismay. "This is not happening."
Kabal gazed at him. "Not what I was thinking when I swore to protect and serve," he tried to jest.
Stryker appreciated his rookie's attempt at humor, but he found himself more focused on what was going on below the building they stood on - especially when they saw a reptile-like creature start crawling up the side of the building while staring directly at them.
"What is that?" Stryker asked with some confusion.
Kabal already had an answer to that. "I'm thinking shoot first, ask questions later."
"Fine with me."
They both pulled their guns out and began to shoot at the creature - only for it to evade the bullets by jumping back and forth while it still climbed upwards. It didn't take long for it to jump forward and reach the top of the building.
For the next ten minutes, the two officers fought for their lives. They were able to defeat the reptilian creature, made their way back down to street level, fought a woman with razor sharp teeth, then came face to face with a tiger-like creature twice their size and with four arms.
"Spread out!" Stryker commanded. "Give 'im multiple targets!"
They were words that he would later come to regret. As soon as they separated, the creature blew a line of fire like a blowtorch right at Kabal. As the fire licked his skin, Kabal screamed in both sheer pain and terror before he collasped to the ground.
Stryker had seen many horrifying things in his lifetime both in the army and the police force. But seeing a colleague burn mere feets away in front of his eyes and being left a charred mess made Stryker sick to his stomach.
He would also never forget the smell of burned flesh.
Stryker became pissed at the creature not just for what he did to his rookie, but also for what he said next; "Humans. Less ugly when they burn."
Stryker sighed to himself as the memory left him. He managed to defeat the creature he later learned was a shokan, but he didn't get the chance to take him out like he initially wanted to.
Despite his disfigurement and the scars left behind, it was a miracle that Kabal survived that day.
Though he and Kabal managed to talk about the aftermath of that day, Stryker still felt some guilt over his rookie's injuries. The last time they spoke, Kabal decided to pursue the vigilante life. Stryker wasn't a fan of it, but he respected his friend's decision given everything he experienced.
After the Netherrealm War a year after the first invasion, Stryker received word from a mutual friend that Kabal was killed by an unknown assailant - likely by someone who had it out against former Black Dragon clan members.
So seeing his friend well and alive after all was a relief to Stryker. However, the feeling didn't last long as soon as he saw what was on the back of Kabal's trench coat.
It contained the familiar Black Dragon emblem.
Stryker couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment over his friend's fall from grace, especially after all the stories Kabal told him of wanting to leave his old life behind and redeem himself. "What has become of you…?"
Mishima Island - Downtown
The shopping district in the downtown part of Mishima Island had many local stores owned by those who lived in the area. It even included a small square section of stores that sold high end items only the rich could afford.
This was where Lili and Karin chose to spend part of their afternoon after they enjoyed a nice lunch together along with their butlers, Sebastain and Ishizaki respectively. After they finished shopping for the day, they moved to the front of the last store where they made their purchase and waited for the two butlers to bring around the autoette they rented for the day.
"I must say, it's quite a lovely day," Lili commented as they waited for the autoettes to come around. She tucked a few strands of her platinum blond hair behind her ear. "At least it's not too windy, nor too hot."
"I'll say," started Karin. "I'm not certain if you've ever spent a summer in Japan, but the humidity here is the worst. Thankfully, they have special hair products that keep my hair from frizzing, but the mosquitoes are the absolute worst."
"So I've heard," Lili replied with a smile. "Thankfully, I'll be going back to Monaco as soon as this tournament is over. I'll return when the next semester starts, of course, but at least I can mostly avoid the humidity. We have long, cold winters where I live, but that gives me an excuse to show off my beautiful long coats."
"I would love to see your collection when you have the chance."
"Certainly. When we get back to our room, I'll have Sebastian pull up my personal catalog and-"
Lili suddenly stopped mid-sentence as she spotted something just past Karin's shoulder. The smile on her face immediately faded and her light blue eyes practically narrowed into slits.
Karin turned to see what Lili was looking at, but it took only a second for her to spot Asuka and Sakura. While carrying their own shopping bags, the two were occupied with their own conversation to notice the two rich girls right away.
"That bake shop we just passed by looked sooo good," Asuka mentioned. "All those cakes and cookies and confections… yeeeah, I'm gonna be thinking about it all day now."
"I know, right?!" Sakura called out. "Maybe if we win our next match, we can reward ourselves and -"
Asuka suddenly stopped in her tracks as she spotted Lili and Karin just a few feet away. Sakura stopped mid-sentence, confused by the way Asuka glared at something in front of her. Sakura turned her head and soon spotted the two blonde-haired rich girls.
Uh oh, Sakura thought in her mind. Not for the first time since she met Lili, she was reminded of her old rivalry with Karin who, ironically, stood just a few feet away.
"Oh," Asuka sighed with a hint of disappointment. "It's you…"
Lili rolled her eyes. "As if I'm glad to see you," she replied with some bitterness. She then looked Asuka straight in the eyes and said, "I hope you're buying yourself some nice new clothes because the one you're wearing now is quite… unflattering."
Asuka clenched her teeth at her. "Unless you plan to buy me new clothes, keep your damn opinion to yourself!"
Lili gave her a smirk. "I may actually take you up on that former offer."
Asuka narrowed her eyes in anger. "Oh go to-"
"HELLO!" Sakura called out suddenly as she stepped in between Lili and Asuka. She then looked at Lili. "Eh, not that it's any of my business, buuut why do you feel so… strongly about Asuka as you do?"
"Because not only did Asuka beat me in the last King of Iron Fist tournament," Lili explained. "But after my defeat, she dared to mock me over my loss."
"Oh my God…" Asuka grumbled with an eye roll. "All I told you was, 'better luck next time.'"
"That's not what happened and you know it!" Lili yelled out.
"You know, Lili," Asuka started. "You could just, you know… accept your defeat with grace and honor like many other fighters do."
That set Lili off. She started to barge towards Asuka, but Sakura managed to remain standing between the two, and thus kept them apart. "Now now," she started. "Let's save it for the tournament."
"That's assuming we face each other in a match!" Lili answered. She glared at Asuka and pointed at her. "And if that time comes, you're gonna be the one who'll need to accept defeat with grace and honor!"
Before Asuka had the chance to retort, Lili whirled around and stomped away from the group. When she was far enough away, Karin sighed and gave her two friends a small shrug. "Was I like that during our high school rivalry?"
Sakura smiled. "A little."
"Hmm," Karin hummed. She then thought of something. "Well, if I can be humbled, then there might be hope for Lili?"
"I doubt that," Asuka said. "To be fair, Karin, it took a big war against every world in existence to humble you. As for Lili, it would be nice if she ate some humble pie too, at least for the sake of her ego if nothing else."
"Maybe. Well, I better check on her regardless. I'll see you two around."
"Bye," both Asuka and Sakura said as the heiress turned and went in the same direction Lili stomped off to.
Asuka sighed once Karin was out of earshot. "Yeeah, I doubt Lili will get humbled any time soon."
"You never know," Sakura said. "You know what? Forget waiting to win the next match! After all this, I'd say we deserve to grab some dorayaki at that bake shop. Maybe a mochi or two. And a whole cake to share!"
"That sounds great!" Asuka agreed.
From there, the two girls headed over to the nearby bake shop.
Mishima Island - Another Part of Downtown
"We received a request for assistance from someone on the island. Since you're the only agent of ours present at the tournament, we need you to meet with them. We'll send you the coordinates momentarily. They warned that their armor is similar to that of the Tekken Force, but they're actually former members. They're part of the rebellion group called Yggdrasil. The one named Lieutenant Tougou will be seeking you out. He is Yggdrasil's second-in-command."
"Understood. I'll report back after the meeting."
While standing in a quiet alleyway in between the buildings of downtown, Raven remained hidden in the shadows as he waited for Tougou and his crew to arrive. He briefly thought over the communication he received from his superior earlier in the day.
He heard of Yggdrasil of course - a rebellion group that once served the Mishima Zaibatsu as part of the Tekken Force, the company's military branch. They had been in the news from time to time since the war began. Aside from learning from intelligence reports that the movement fractured the Tekken Force in half and there were over thirty thousand members (which was quite impressive - clearly whoever started the movement was very influential), not much else was known about them.
Perhaps he may learn more in the upcoming meeting.
It wasn't long after Raven's arrival when five men wearing black and red armor arrived. Indeed they were Tekken Force standard uniforms, but the only difference Raven noticed right away was the lion emblem they wore on the armors. All of the soldiers in question wore helmets, save for one - a Japanese name with short dark brown hair and a scar that ran down the right side of his face. At his left hip was a sword strapped in its scabbard.
I'm guessing that's the Lieutenant, the agent thought.
Raven decided to call out from the shadows first - just in case. "Are you Lieutenant Tougou?"
Tougou's men immediately drew out their weapons out of caution and began to search for the caller's location. Considering the circumstances, Raven wasn't surprised by this.
"And I assume you're the intelligence agent we requested?" Tougou called out. "Raven, if I'm correct."
Upon deciding to show himself, Raven jumped from the shadows and landed gracefully just a few feet away in front of Tougou. The other soldiers momentarily pointed their guns at him, but Tougou quickly raised a hand up without looking back at them.
"Stand down," Tougou demanded of his troops. "That won't be necessary."
"I assume you're here for the tournament?" Raven ended up asking.
"Yes and no, actually," Tougou began to explain. "We've been keeping low these past couple of weeks in order to oversee the events, but we're not actually participants. Which reminds me - we discovered not too long ago that low level members of G-Corporation have been sent here to spy on the island's activities."
"I'm not surprised to hear that," Raven replied. "G-Corp would send spies to oversee things. Or perhaps try to find a way to sabotage the Zaibatsu's operations."
Despite only low end mooks being involved, Raven kept it in mind to report it to Liu Kang and Zafina regardless as soon as possible. From his own experience, even something that insignificant could turn into a much bigger threat than they anticipated.
"I assume this meeting is about G-Corporation," Raven guessed.
"No, though I'm certain you keeping an eye on them in the meantime wouldn't hurt," Tougou informed. "But something came up on the mainland recently, and we need to temporarily leave the island to check up on it. We'll likely only be gone for about a week, maybe two at most depending on what we run into.
"The leader of our rebellion - Lars Alexandersson - is here as a tournament participant. Unfortunately, as we speak, he's suffering from memory loss and doesn't remember much about anything. During our absence, we need you to keep an eye on him."
Raven furrowed his eyebrows at the request. "You mean to tell me that you called me here to become a glorified babysitter?"
Tougou nearly laughed at that. "Hardly. Lars may have amnesia, but muscle memory never forgets. Trust me when I say that he can take care of himself just fine. However, both G-Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu want him dead. A couple of them already tried to go after him, but we took care of them without him noticing. We just simply want you to make sure neither companies get to him."
Tougou's face turned serious. "We wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important. Lars is the only reason this rebellion has become as large as it has. Morale has been low since he fell with amnesia. It would shatter if anything were to happen to him."
Raven took a deep, quiet breath after hearing this. "If it's that important to you, then I'll accept the task. But only until you and the other return from your mission."
"Good, that's all we ask for," Tougou agreed. "Lars is staying at the Mishima Hotel, room 206. His tag team partner is a human-like android named Alisa, who has been staying in room 208 next door. She's not hard to miss."
"Should we be concerned about her in any way?" Raven asked.
"I don't think so," Tougou answered. "...But it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her, especially since she was found within a Mishima Zaibatsu compound."
"I see," Raven said.
Tougou suddenly seemed to remember something as his eyes widened a bit. He promptly opened a small pouch that was connected to his utility belt and took out a small object before he closed it back up.
"One last thing," Tougou started as he approached the agent. He then extended his hand out. "If Lars regains his memories - and I'm dead - give this to him. He'll understand its meaning."
Raven extended his own hand out and took the object. He briefly took a look at it and saw that it was a badge containing Yggdrasil's lion emblem. "Understood," Raven said as he placed the object in his own pouch. "Though I doubt it won't come to that."
"One can never be too careful," Tougou replied.
Then, without another word, Raven and the Yggdrasil members went their separate ways.
Mishima Forest
For the last few minutes, Ivy Valentine found herself fighting alone against the trio of Reiko, Skarlet, and Kunimitsu - all who were there to kill her for her part in Shao Kahn's demise. At the moment, Ivy held on her own, but considering the fact that she had just returned to her cabin from her fighting match barely five minutes ago, she could only wonder how long she could hold her own against three assassins at once. Meanwhile, her isolated cabin became a massive mess. Furniture was broken, items were strewn about, and there was a large hole between the living room and her bedroom from when she threw Kunimitsu through it at the start of the battle.
At one point, all three of them came at her at once. Her sword uncoiled, Ivy first used her weapon to wrap it around Skarlet's wrist to keep her on hold before she delivered a high kick to Kunimitsu's chest, which knocked her back. Just as she straightened herself back up, Reiko got himself behind Ivy, grabbed the wrist connected to the hand that held her sword, and made an attempt to stab her in the heart with a dagger.
Ivy's eyes widened as soon as she noticed the weapon, but with her free hand, she was able to grab for Reiko's wrist before the dagger pierced her. From there, it was a power struggle between the two of them.
At the same time, Skarlet tried to take advantage of her own situation by pulling the weapon around her wrist towards her with force. Noting this, Ivy pressed a small button on her sword's hilt, which immediately released the eight pieces of her blade. The sharp pieces pulled back before they flew forward like shurikens. Skarlet's eyes widened momentarily at the display and she was forced to sink through the ground. She left behind a pool of blood before it disappeared a second later.
That left Ivy able to focus on Reiko, who was still trying to stab her. With a growl, Ivy attempted to stomp his foot with her heel, but quickly found that his boot was heavily protected by steel. She then tried to kick him in the shin, but once more it was protected by the armor plating of his shin guards. She then did the next best thing - leaned forward for a moment before she promptly threw her head back to hit the back of it into his nose. With a scream, Reiko dropped his dagger and pulled back, letting Ivy go in the process. He held his bleeding nose as he was momentarily blinded by the pain her attack caused.
At that moment, Skarlet reappeared in front of Ivy and took the chance to try to stab the Keiseian with her sword. By then, Ivy's sword was coiled back into one and she swiftly blocked the attack with it. From there, the two women's swords clashed in combat.
The Kahn loyalist seethed with rage each time Ivy blocked one of her moves. At one point, their weapons clashed and the two women started to push against the other in an attempt to dominate the fight. That gave Skarlet the chance to speak. "I will never forgive you for what you've done to Shao Kahn!" she shouted in anger.
Ivy nearly rolled her eyes at those words. "Oh sweetheart, just because Shao Kahn took you in as an orphan and gave you the power of hemomancy, that doesn't mean he was as loyal to you as you were to him. You were nothing more than a pawn in his long-term plans. We all were."
Skarlet narrowed her eyes at her. "I should've killed you and sucked you dry of your blood when I had the chance!"
With a yell, Skarlet pulled back to give herself some berth before she threw a blood projectile at Ivy, who swiftly ducked underneath it and moved herself forward. She then performed an uppercut that sent Skarlet flying upward. As soon as she fell back down, Ivy lifted her leg and performed a spin kick that hurled her opponent to the opposite side of the room. A loud crash was heard as Skarlet smashed into a cabinet and shattered the glass doors.
Ivy then noticed movement to her left and she promptly turned her attention to it. She then noticed too late that Reiko performed a shoulder charge, and his speed didn't give her the chance to move away before she was hit in the front torso. With a surprise shout, she flew back before she crashed hard into the ground.
Reiko then stalked towards Ivy before she could begin to start to sit up. As soon as he was within reach, Reiko raised his war hammer to her face. "If I was Emperor," he started. "I would've long since killed you. You were never worthy of being Outworld's Empress."
Ivy gave him a half smirk. "Why? Was it because I caught you in his quarters trying on his helmet?"
That made Reiko clenched his teeth in anger. "That was one time!"
"Everyone else had said otherwise," Ivy deadpanned. "Do you also want me to tell me what your hammer reminds me of?"
That clearly hit a nerve as Reiko let out a roar and began to swing his hammer down at her. Ivy quickly rolled sideways just before Reiko smashed the hammer onto the ground. The hit left behind a dent on the planks, which shattered and splintered under the weight.
Ivy straightened herself back up after, but suddenly wobbled a bit and nearly lost her balance. She knew why - the fight was starting to take its toll on her. Not now, dammit! she demanded to herself as she forced herself to focus.
That was when she noticed Kunitmitsu move towards her. Ivy made an attempt to swing her sword at her, but then Kunimitsu jumped up and delivered a flying kick that landed just below her collar bone. With a gasp, the Keiseian flew back until she hit the couch and flipped over it. The force of the flip ended up making her take the couch with her, and the top half nearly collapsed right on her throat. Only the broken coffee table nearby prevented that from happening.
Kunimitsu jumped over and raised her kunai to stab Ivy with it, but the former Empress rolled over before she got on her feet - and promptly crashed her back against the wall. With a battle cry, Kunimitsu tried to stab her again, but Ivy ducked down. This made the kunoichi stab the wall instead where Ivy's head had been a split second ago. As Ivy moved back, Kunimitsu attempted to remove her blade, but it was completely stuck to the wall. Upon realizing that it would be no use, the enforcer swiftly turned her attention back to her target, her second kunai in hand.
"No matter," Kunimitsu said aloud. "I'll just use one blade to take you out."
"I know you said this fight makes no difference to you," Ivy started. "But really? You have to have a reason to agree to this folly."
"Just my continued loyalty to the new Emperor," the woman said simply.
Ivy narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "That can't just be it. No one joins Quan Chi unless they have a good reason."
"Was that the case when you decided to become the former Kahn's consort?"
"Empress," Ivy corrected her firmly. "And I had my reasons in the beginning. But you'll never find out what they were."
Then quickly, Ivy kneed Kunitmitsu in the stomach, which caused the kunoichi to keel over with a gasp. Ivy then took a couple of steps back and delivered a snap kick to the face, which made Kunimitsu flip back before she crashed onto the ground.
It was then that Reiko came from her right and swung his hammer to the small of Ivy's back. With a scream, Ivy flew forward before she crashed face first to the floor. At the same time, she had lost her grip on her sword and had dropped it somewhere behind her. Unknown to her, Reiko approached the sword and kicked it away and further out of her reach.
Ivy tried to get up after that, but Skarlet took that opportunity to walk over to where she laid before she lifted a heel and smashed it into the spot on her back where Reiko hit her. The pain became too much as Ivy unleashed a blood curdling and anguished scream that she was sure anyone within a one-mile radius could've heard.
"Ahh, that sound is so beautiful," Skarlet sighed. "Though frankly, you deserve so much worse."
Dammit! Ivy shouted in her mind as she shut her eyes tight and clenched her teeth. A part of her began to wonder where Liu Kang was. He had to know somehow what was happening. Or perhaps not… she thought solemnly.
The Keiseian then forced herself to turn onto her back before she gazed up and saw Reiko, Skarlet, and Kunimitsu surround and stand over her. All three had their weapons out and were ready to strike her down. Ivy narrowed her eyes at them and clenched her teeth in defiance. If this was the end for her, then so be it, but she refused to give them the satisfaction to show any semblance of fear.
"I want the first taste," Skarlet announced as she hovered over the Keiseian. She then raised her sword and was ready to take Ivy's life. She especially looked forward to obtaining her blood and consuming it with glee.
Then suddenly out of nowhere, the nearby window shattered into countless pieces, which caught the attention of Ivy's would-be killers. Reiko and Skarlet's eyes widened as they noticed a spear attached to a rope coming at them at fast speed. They promptly moved out of the way while Kunimitsu ducked underneath it to evade it. The spear ended up embedding itself into the opposite wall.
What the - Ivy started to think as confusion swept over her.
Forcing herself to ignore the pain in her back, she sat up just in time to get a glimpse of her savior, who just pulled the spear back towards them before they jumped through the window and into the cabin. He wore a black and yellow shinobi outfit, and Ivy didn't miss the fact that his eyes were completely white. She also didn't miss the shocked looks on both Reiko and Skarlet's faces. Clearly they recognized him.
"Scorpion!" Reiko shouted as he and the others raised the weapons and were ready to fight him.
"As they say," Skarlet said. "Two birds with one stone…"
Ivy's eyes widened as she recognized the name Reiko shouted. Scorpion's a Chosen One, but a lone wolf like me. What is he doing here?
With a yell, Skarlet ran towards Scorpion, her sword raised up, but the spectre performed a flaming flip kick as soon as she was within reach. His heels smashed into her face and, with a scream, she flew back until she crashed through the wall and into the cabin's bathroom.
Kunimitsu decided to try her luck and go after him from behind. However, Scorpion sensed her presence and performed a mule kick at her stomach, which caused her to keel over. Scorpion then spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of her head hard enough to not only send her crashing to the side against the way, but also render her out cold.
That left only Reiko, who ran after him next. Scorpion's fists were immediately surrounded by flames, and he didn't hesitate to shoot out a ball of fire towards the enforcer. Reiko, however, was ready as he swung his hammer at the projectile and bashed it off the side. The flames hurled towards the nearby overturned couch and immediately ignited it. It wasn't long before a large fire began to form and burn everything in its path. Considering how the place was mostly made of wood, it would take barely a minute for the flames to consume the entire cabin.
Ivy's eyes widened at that. Clearly I won't be staying here for long, she thought upon realizing that her cabin would soon be engulfed in flames.
By then, Skarlet stumbled out of the bathroom and joined Reiko. The two likely realized the situation as they stared at each other momentarily. "What now?" Skarlet ended up asking.
"We'll finish this later," Reiko soon said before he started coughing. The two then headed outside, only stopping for a moment for Reiko to pick up the unconscious Kunimitsu and throw her over his shoulder. Scorpion tried to chase after them, but then stopped as soon as reached the threshold of the front door. Quickly, he turned around. As the smoke in the air began to thicken, he could still see that Ivy was on her feet and just barely walking in a straight line. She was also clearly searching for something on the ground.
"Get out of here!" Scorpion shouted.
"No!" Ivy called out firmly. She coughed momentarily before she spoke again. "Not without my sword! It's too important to leave behind!"
Unknown to her, Scorpion shook his head at that.
Thankfully, she found her sword on the floor within seconds near the kitchenette. She immediately grabbed for the hilt before she began to make her way out of her cabin. The smoke was heavy by that point and she was forced to cover her mouth with a free hand. The natural light that came through the broken front door was her main focus.
Still, Scorpion didn't take any chances as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside with him. From there, the two of them ran far from the cabin as it became completely engulfed in flames. It likely wouldn't be long before the rest of the island spotted the smoke rising above the trees.
Ivy realized that the only personal items she lost were her clothes - aside from the battle outfit she was wearing - and a couple of books that were easily replaceable back in Keisei. However, those weren't important. Her one place of solitude on this island was completely gone.
"...I'm not sure whether to thank you, or slap you," Ivy admitted just as one part of her former cabin collapsed.
"You're alive, are you not?" Scorpion asked with some annoyance.
Ivy sighed at that as she realized that she should be more grateful. As the former Outworld Empress, Scorpion could've very well have let her just die instead. "Yes. I am. Thank you."
"Why were they here?" the spectre asked, referring to Reiko, Skarlet, and Kunimitsu.
"They were sent by Quan Chi to assassinate me," Ivy explained. "Not just for my former role as Empress, but… they figured out that I was one of The Four. Jin, too."
"Then it's best that we report this to Liu Kang and Zafina immediately," Scorpion suggested.
Ivy took a deep breath. "Agreed."