The Ketsueki Quadrilogy: Majin Seiryu Ki

by iceangelmkx

Part 3 of the Quadrilogy. Earth is at war, and the awakening of a legendary demon is imminent. The chosen ones unite once more at a new tournament in hopes of stopping their enemies... and one of their own. A Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Soulcalibur, and Tekken Crossover.

35. Chapter Thirty Four

A/N: Aaand I'm back… mostly. An unexpected event that occurred during my hiatus has me backed up more than I wanted, so I'm still in the process of catching up. In the meantime, enjoy this new chapter!

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Later in the day after the end of Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament…

Mishima Forest

For the first time since just prior to the start of the Shikoken Tournament, Liu Kang and Zafina's Chosen Ones gathered together at the meeting point to enjoy yet another dinner feast. The multi-colored lanterns were lit once more as the sun began its descent on the west side of the island. A large amount of various foods and dishes were offered to the Chosen Ones on the two, long wooden picnic tables.

The purpose of the meeting - as told in the invitations Liu Kang passed around earlier in the day - was to get everyone fully caught up on all that's happened during the first and second round of the tournament. And there was quite a bit to catch up on for certain… but first, Liu Kang decided it was best to let the warriors enjoy their meal.

Johnny Cage felt nervous as he absentmindedly picked at the dinner roll in his hand. Through his sunglasses, he couldn't keep his eyes off the person who sat directly across from him - Cyrax.

The yellow cyborg spent the majority of dinner downright glaring at the martial arts actor. Since day one, Cyrax promised Johnny that he would someday get back at him for wasting his money on the actor's infamous movie, Ninja Mime. He also promised that when the time came to strike, the actor would not be expecting it.

Johnny wasn't sure whether the agent was messing with him, or was ready to knock his head off and pickpocket his wallet.

"Sooo," Johnny started as a means to ease the tension between them. "Hooow about I give you a hundred bucks and call it a day, huh?"

"No," Cyrax responded firmly.

"Oh come on, man!" Johnny shouted. He nearly slammed his fist onto the top of the table, but he stopped himself before that happened. He then took a moment to calm himself before he said, "Seriously, it's only just a movie!"

"A movie I saw with my hard-earned cash!" Cyrax pointed out.

"Dude, who even still uses cash in this day in age?"

"Actually, most people still do," Lei Wulong mentioned. He was sitting next to Johnny, so it was easy for him to hear the whole conversation. "And I'm sorry, but I agree with Cyrax. Ninja Mime was… how do I put it… oh yeah - bad."

"What?! Why?!"

"Oh where do I begin," Lei started. He counted with his fingers as he went through the list in his head. "Bad lighting, uninspired costumes, terrible fight choreography, irritating dialogue… and did I mention the advertisements? Because those were the worst I've ever seen. I mean - silent, but deadly? Who comes up with that crap?!"

Johnny was about to argue, but then Abel - who sat across from Lei - suddenly spoke up. "Actually, I thought Ninja Mime was one of the most refined martial arts films in recent history with a unique concept and story."

Except for Johnny, those within hearing distance turned to Abel and stared at him as though he had lobsters crawling out of his ears. Abel noticed this and gave them a simple shrug. "What's that saying… different strokes for different folks?"

"Finally, someone here with good taste!" Johnny called out. "If you like, I can give you an autograph with a picture of me as my character in the movie."

"That would be great!" Abel replied with some enthusiasm.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," Cyrax began as he pointed a finger at the actor. "I'll get back at you when I'm good and ready. It may be tomorrow, next week, a month from now… maybe in the next few minutes. I'll know when the mood strikes me."

"You're not scaring me, Cyrax," Johnny said. "Besides, clowns are scarier than robots. Certified fact."

"He's got you there, Cyrax," replied Lei. He then pointed a thumb at the actor. "His clown getup still haunts my dreams to this day."

"Lei!" Chun Li called out as she playfully smacked her husband's arm - while she tried not to burst out laughing herself.

Johnny glared at the two detectives. "You guys are just cruel!"

"Well, it could be worse," Chun Li started. "We could've just-"

The Interpol agent suddenly stopped mid-sentence as she noticed someone arriving at the meeting point - a familiar face she had not seen since the end of the SIN investigation prior to the current war.

"Crimson Viper," Chun Li greet curtly.

"Chun Li," Crimson Viper replied in kind as she adjusted her yellow-tinted sunglasses. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has," Chun Li said. "The last time we saw each other, we had a bit of a… misunderstanding."

"That we have," Crimson Viper agreed.

"Ooo I sense tension!" Johnny called out. "Tell me there's gonna be a cat fight."

As Lei glared at the martial arts actor, the two women ignored his words and continued their own conversation. "I imagine my superiors… explained things once our respective investigations closed out," Crimson Viper mentioned.

"They did," a new voice suddenly spoke up. Those within hearing distance turned their heads and saw Cammy approach until she stood behind Chun Li. The MI-6 agent then folded her arms in front of her as she narrowed her blue eyes at her former rival. "Guess it was good that there was a backup chip after I initially deleted the file."

"Luckily," Crimson Viper answered. "Turns out that years of investigation wasn't wasted after all. The only thing I can assure you is that what we learned from the BLECE project will never be used by anyone else."

"Good to hear," Cammy said with a slightly hardened voice. "Now then… I hear you're one of us now. I know Liu Kang trusts you, but really… can we trust you this time around?"

"Yes," the CIA agent promised without hesitation. "I'm here for the same reason all of you are - to stop this war from getting worse than it already is. And if you need further assurance aside from Guile and Jax, my tag team partner Raven can vouch for me. It would interest you to know that Raven himself was the one who approached me to be his tag team partner when this tournament started."

"Yeah, Wesley Snipes does seem like the no-nonsense type," Johnny interjected.

Chun Li took a deep breath before she spoke. "Well… as long as we all put the SIN investigation behind us, I'm certain we will get along a little better this time around."

"I'm sure," Cammy said coolly. She then turned to return to her seat at the other table, but not before she said, "I'll see you around."

Chun Li sighed as she turned back to her former rival. "The whole SIN investigation was… not exactly memorable for her. And that's besides her run-ins with you."

"I see," Crimson Viper said. She then gazed at her surroundings. "Well, I suppose I should find a place to sit-"

"You can sit with us if you like," Chun Li offered. "Just grab a plate and take whatever you like."

Crimson Viper gave the Interpol agent a small smile - the first time Chun Li had ever seen since they first met. "Thank you."

Not long after that exchange, the wrestler Alex showed up to the meeting point. From where he stood, he was a little taken aback by the fact that there was quite the crowd in his mist.

Huh, Alex thought to himself. That's a lot of Chosen Ones…

He then took a deep breath before he stepped towards the meeting and into the light of the lanterns. Of course, those nearby noticed him then, but they were more curious than hostile towards him with the way they looked at him.

They might've been expecting me? he guessed.

It was within a minute that the young wrestler noticed Cody Travers get up from his spot at the table and approached him. "Hey man," Cody greeted as he patted the wrestler's shoulder. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Well, I got that invitation from an 'L.K.'," Alex replied. "I assume that's Liu Kang who managed to somehow sneak it into my hotel room."

"Yup," Cody replied. "You know how it is… Gods work in mysterious ways and all that."

That got a snort from the young wrestler. "And now that saying takes on a whole new meaning."

"Tell me about it. By the way, sorry about your tournament loss. As I'm sure you, eh, noticed, Hugo is one hell of a powerhouse."

"You're telling me," Alex grumbled. He then decided to change the subject as he noted his surroundings. "I knew there were plenty of you guys, but this is bigger than I thought."

"Yeah, we've become our own little army of ragtag warriors from various parts of the universe - mostly Earthrealm. Two years on and still growing."

"Two years, huh? And I assume Liu Kang has been leading this whole way?"

Cody took a deep breath at that. "Actually, Liu Kang, and the other leader Zafina for that matter, are leading us for the first time in this particular mission. I'll, eh, save that story for another time."

"All right," Alex replied. "So, how many are here exactly?"

"A lot," Cody started. "I didn't bother to count, to be honest. Right now, you should know that I personally volunteered to take care of what I call, 'the inevitable.'" He waved a hand as he turned and started to walk forward. "Follow me."

Alex narrowed his eyes as he followed the former criminal. "You do remember what occurred the last time this happened, right?"

That got a chuckle from Cody. "Yeah, I do. But the good news is you'll only be left in the dark for no more than fifteen seconds."

The two blondes then walked along between the two picnic tables until they were near the middle. Cody then turned his head to the young brunette woman who wore a black leather jacket. She sat on the other side of the table and was facing the two men who just approached.

"Hey Walker," Cody greeted.

"Hey Travers," the former Special Forces agent answered. "What's up?"

"Just here to introduce you to our newest Chosen One," Cody said. He then pointed to the wrestler. "Alex, this is Alex. Alex…" He then pointed to the young woman. "This is Alex."

"...You've been waiting since day one to do that, haven't you?" the young wrestler asked suspiciously.

Cody rubbed the back of his neck as he gave off a smirk. "Maybe."

"Well either way, it's nice to meet you," Walker said with a small smile. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your surname? Just to, you know, make it less confusing."

"Yeeeah he's refusing to reveal that," Cody pointed out. "Though Zafina knows, apparently."

"And that is how it's gonna stay," the wrestler Alex answered firmly. "I guess we'll just let it work out for itself. Unless you want everyone here to start calling us Alexander and Alexandra."

"Agreed," Walker said. "And hell no to that last suggestion!"

"Right?!" the young man agreed enthusiastically. "I mean, I get it, our names mean 'defender of men' and all that, but still. And I bet your parents only used your full name whenever you were in big trouble."

"Yup," Walker confirmed. "My Dad was great to me, but he was still a military man. Imagine hearing your full name with loud, militant precision by a US Army General when you get yourself in trouble."

That got a laugh from the wrestler. "I can, in fact. My old man was military, too, except he made it up to US Air Force Major. I wonder if they both sounded the same."

"It wouldn't surprise me if they did," Walker chuckled.

That was when a burst of flames caught everyone's attention. The flames appeared in between one end of the two tables and aware from anything flammable, especially the trees. As soon as the flames cleared, the Chosen Ones noticed Liu Kang who stood a few feet away from the end of the tables.

"SHIT!" Paul Phoenix shouted nearby. "I will likely never get used to that!"

"Better than sneaking up on you out of nowhere," mentioned Dan. "And that did happen when we first met Raiden."

"Yeah, he did have his way with stealth for someone with the power of thunder and lightning," Liu Kang admitted with some fondness. He then turned to Zafina, who sat not too far from where he stood. "Let's get the meeting started, shall we?"

Zafina, who sat at one end of a table, nodded to the God of Fire before she stood up to join him.

"To start," Liu Kang began, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "I'd like to introduce everyone to our two newest Chosen Ones - Alex and Crimson Viper. Crimson was in our last meeting, but we didn't formally introduce her then. I know a few of you had a… shaky history with Crimson during the thick of the SIN investigation. However, in light of her reveal that she was, in fact, an undercover agent at the time, I'd like to think that we can put that part of the past behind you and look towards what matters most - working together against a common cause. As for Alex, well… we have two Alexs, now. And our new Alex personally contributed greatly against our enemies during the Universal War.

"Both are caught up on what our mission is - stopping Jin's war, our continued investigation into G-Corp, stopping both the Outworld Forces and the Outworld Rebellion from adding more chaos to this war, and of course… find a way to keep Azazel from awakening."

Liu Kang paused for a moment as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Now then… as you all know, a lot has happened since our last group meeting. And today, Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament has ended and Round Three begins in thirty-six hours. Many of our teams have made it to the next round. If it's all right, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge those who have been eliminated from the tournament…

"Cassandra and Maki… Juli and Juni… Ashrah and Li Mei… Yun-seong and Talim… Lita and Lucia… Xianghua and Elena… Haggar and Alex… Xiaoyu and her tag team partner, Miharu… and Makoto and her tag team partner, Leo… all of you fought valiantly through the tournament and I expected no less. Do not dwell on your loss. You are all strong and capable regardless of the outcome of your respective matches."

"Thank you," said Elena, who smiled at the God of Fire. "That means a lot."

"You're very welcome," Liu Kang replied. He then continued. "At this time, I'd like to invite up Colonel Jax Briggs, who has his own report that relates to our mission."

Jax, who sat not too far from where Liu Kang and Zafina stood, got up from his seat and joined the two leaders. He also had a tablet in his hand, which he used to keep notes on what he planned to talk to everyone about.

"As many of you are aware," the Colonel started. "I have an informant currently undercover within G-Corporation. They've been reporting back to me from time to time on their findings. The latest was, in fact, this morning despite a meeting two days ago. In our last group meeting, we were able to confirm the alliances of both G-Corp and the Outworld Forces, led by the new Emperor Quan Chi, and that of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the Outworld Rebellion. As for why Outworld involved themselves at all in this war, all we have are theories. We were also able to confirm that one of our former Chosen Ones, Nina Williams, has sided with Jin and the Zaibatsu in this war. However, why she chose to join the Zaibatsu is yet to be confirmed."

"Maybe it's simply because she hates us," mentioned Maxi.

"You only say that because she nearly punched your teeth out last year," chuckled Wagner.

Maxi instinctively rubbed the side of his face where Nina punched him last year. "You jest, Wagner, but in all seriousness… I'm just a great judge of character. Take Kazuya for example; I didn't like him from day one. It wasn't just because of his attitude, but there was just something about him back then that bothered me. I just couldn't pinpoint it at the time." Maxi gestured a hand at his surroundings. "Look where he's at now. Letting himself side with that conniving sorcerer. I won't say I told you so, buuut…"

"What about Jin?" Li Mei suddenly asked the Keiseian.

"...Okay, you got me there. That one came out of nowhere, as I'm sure many of you figured on your own…"

"Anyway," Jax proceeded. "In recent meetings, including this morning's, my informant reported some… interesting involvements. As many of you probably figured, especially if you were with us either last time or before that, it was expected that many of those with Shao Kahn's forces would likely be seen again. Juli and Juni's last tournament match were against two of them. The names may be familiar to some - Rain and Tanya."

That earned a groan from the Edenians, especially Jade. "Great," the green-clad woman grumbled. "I figured it was too much to hope that Tanya would've met her end by now…"

"Same with Rain," Kitana mentioned. "His narcissism seems to be keeping him well and alive."

"He definitely acted like one during the match," said Juli. "Trust me, I tried all I could to actually kick his teeth in."

"Yeah, he can definitely make someone want to do that without even trying," the Edenian Princess agreed.

"Anyone else of interest?" asked Lei.

"Actually, a few more," Jax said. "And Sonya… this is gonna be a double whammy for you."

"Lovely," Sonya grumbled. "Well, let's get it over with…"

"All right. Well, we already know about Kazuya's XO, Bruce Irvin. Turns out his tag team partner is none other than Kira…"

"Who's Kira?" asked the wrestler Alex.

"One of the FBI's top most wanted," informed Chun Li. "She's been very good at evading capture after all this time."

"She also tried to kill me, so to speak," Sonya mentioned. "Clearly, she's been staying in Outworld this whole time to avoid facing the consequences."

"And her being on G-Corp's side likely has her as part of Quan Chi's Outworld Forces," guessed Walker. "Unless she decided to join G-Corp instead."

"Doubtful, but possible." Sonya then turned back to her superior. "What's the other whammy?"

Jax pressed a couple of commands on his table before he proceeded. "He's not with G-Corp or Outworld Forces, but… the informant confirmed the presence of another former Black Dragon - Kabal."

"Kabal?" called out Cyrax. "I thought our past investigations confirmed that he was killed by an unknown assailant."

"So did the rest of our team as you recall, but it turns out to not be the case." He then turned his tablet around, mainly for Sonya to see - a picture of Kabal himself. "But this is really him fighting a few days ago in this very tournament. More importantly - he was wearing a trenchcoat with the Black Dragon logo on it."

"Dammit!" Sonya growled. "So what, he revitalized the clan after our hard work to take them out?"

"Unconfirmed but… it wouldn't surprise me if they came back somehow."

Sonya shook her head. "If that's the case… then Kano's not too far from him. And as you remember, Kano's Interpol file was one of three pulled up by the Mishima Zaibatsu along with Juri Han's and Doctrine Dark's."

"Which means there's a chance that they're likely working for the Zaibatsu," Raven reminded them. "Does that mean Kabal might be working for them, too?"

"All but confirmed at this point," Jax said. "And for the record, his tag team partner is someone called Havik."

"Havik?" called out Sagat. "That crazy bastard's still alive?"

"You met him?" asked Julia.

"Yeah, back when I used to work for the Outworld Forces during the Blood Tournament. He also had a deathmatch with my former student, Adon. You can guess who won that fight."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sindel as she frowned.

"Don't be," Sagat assured her. "Adon was the one who suggested the challenge to Havik. In the end, he chose his fate."

"Going back to the Interpol files, I remember Juri," Crimson Viper suddenly spoke up. "She and I worked together at SIN, obviously when I was undercover. We had nothing more than a professional relationship. However, from my personal observations, she was ruthless in battle… more so than I was. The Feng Shui Engine truly boasted that."

"The what engine?" asked a confused Hwoarang.

"It's a miniature device that replaced her left eye that enhances her abilities," Crimson Viper answered. "SIN themselves created it for her. It's the precise thing that makes her a very dangerous enemy."

"Any other information on Juri?" asked Cammy.

"Aside from her complete and utter hatred for Shadaloo and how much glee she takes when it comes to destruction, I have nothing else on her aside from what you already likely know. Though if I remember anything, I won't hesitate to share it."

"Anything else on your files?" Liu Kang asked Jax.

"Just one more thing," the Colonel answered. "I received a request not too long ago to check to see if any shokans were involved in this war, particularly the one named Sheeva. My informant disconfirmed their presence within both the Outworld Forces and G-Corp. However, he did confirm one centaurian with Forces - particularly Shao Kahn's former bodyguard, Motaro."

"Wait!" the wrestler Alex started. "Now you're telling me that centaurians exist?!"

"Yes!" most of the Chosen Ones called out nearly at the same time.

Alex was quick to raise both his hands up in defeat. "...Just askin'."

"As I was sayin'," Jax started again. "Sheeva is not with G-Corp. But given that both her people and Motaro's people are bitter enemies, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was part of the Rebellion, and in extension, the Zaibatsu. However, when looking at the tag team registry, she was not listed."

"That's good to hear!" called out Asuka. "It's best for everyone that she wasn't a tournament participant. Even two years later, I'm still salty that she got a cheap win over me."

"She beat you in the tournament?" started Lili as a smug smirk came over her lips. "And in a cheap way? How… unfortunate."

Asuka clenched her teeth as she suddenly stood up and pointed at her rival. "If you even took one look at Sheeva, you'd be running away like a crybaby! You wouldn't last a second against her, either!"

"Why I-!"

"Hey!" Liu Kang shouted as he raised his hands out to quell fight. "This is not the time to argue! I suggest you two at least save it for after the meeting."

Asuka drew in a sharp breath to calm herself down before she placed her hand back to her side and sat in her seat. Her eyes never left Lili. "Sorry, Liu Kang."

"I'm sorry, too," said Lili, who also didn't take her eyes off Asuka.

"Thank you, ladies," Liu Kang replied. He then turned his head to Jax. "If there's nothing else, Zafina and I will take it from here. Thank you."

The Colonel nodded before he sat back down with the others. As he did, Zafina spoke up. "As of now, things around Azazel's Temple have not changed as far as we know. Yoshimitsu's people continue to watch over things as well as Quan Chi's hideout near that vicinity."

"So we can safely say that the war is… steady enough to not stir him further for the time being," guessed Ken.

"For now, yes," Zafina replied. "But that doesn't mean that it won't change even a minute from now."

"Speaking of change," Liu Kang started. "We did have an incident occur a couple of days ago. You may or may not have noticed some black smoke rising from the forest not too far from where we are right now."

"I was wondering what that was about," said Hilde.

"Well, you can rest assure that-"

"What the FUCK!?" Paul Phoenix suddenly shouted out, which made some of the Chosen Ones jump with surprise.

Liu Kang was confused by the man's sudden outburst. It was then that everyone started murmuring to themselves while most looked in one direction. The God of Fire realized someone showed up, so he turned his head in the direction where most everyone was staring…

Standing not too far from him - to his shock - were Ivy and Scorpion.

Zafina - who was just as confused as he was - walked to stand next to him before she whispered. "Why are they here? I thought they declared from the start that they weren't going to be involved in these meetings."

"Something tells me it has something to do with what happened the other day," Liu Kang guessed. "We'll find out soon enough."

"What the flying hell are you doing here?!" Paul shouted as he stood up - as did a few others in the group.

Ivy, who expected this kind of reaction, narrowed her eyes at the older man. "This might come as a shock to you, but I'm-"

"Not you!" Paul yelled. He then pointed right at Scorpion. "I meant you! I thought the name 'Scorpion' was just a coincidence, but… you're the asshole who beat me in the Blood Tournament!"

Scorpion narrowed his eyes at Paul. "And…?"

"Aaand I lost consciousness because of your damn spear! Before I knew it, I woke up being tortured and prepped for that hulking cannibal zombie bastard!"

"That's hardly my fault," explained Scorpion as he folded his arms and glared at Paul. "I had nothing to do with what happened to you."

"But you still let it happen!"

"I left right after I was declared the winner! How was I to know what the Outworld Forces planned for you?"

"This is great and all," Jade cut in with seething sarcasm. She then glared at Ivy. "But I'm interested in knowing why she showed her face here!"

"Hello to you too, Jade," Ivy greeted nonchalantly. "How's Edenia?"

"Better now no thanks to you!"

"Calm yourself, Jade," suggested Sindel as she stood up and placed a hand on Jade's shoulder. "I'm certain there's a reason she's here."

"Hey Ivy!" Yun suddenly yelled out in anger. "Were you involved with brainwashing me and the others, or were you just complacent?!"

Suddenly, there was a lot of shouting from most of the Chosen Ones. They were either yelling questions at Ivy, or defending her. While Ivy looked at everyone like a deer in headlights, Scorpion looked at everyone in a disapproving manner, his arms still folded in front of him.

"Liu Kang?" Zafina started with concern in her voice. "We're losing control of the crowd."

"Agreed," the Fire God said. "We need to try to stop this before-"

Suddenly, Sagat stood up from his seat, grabbed one of the empty serving plates, and threw it against one of the nearby trees. The shattering sound was loud enough to catch everyone off guard - and even more so as he stood up and towered over the group. Being one of the biggest and tallest of the Chosen Ones, it was an easy feat.

"ENOUGH!" Sagat shouted as loud as he could muster. That was what ultimately silenced everyone. Once he knew he had everyone's attention, the Muay Thai fighter proceeded. "I get it - the Universal War left a mark on everyone in their own way. It did for me, too. We may have won the war and defeated Shao Kahn for good, but there are still reminders of what we all faced." He turned to stare at the former Empress. "Ivy's face alone is clearly one of those reminders."

Ivy only stared back at Sagat and managed to keep her face neutral as he continued his speech. "Maybe because Ivy's involvement is still fresh, or maybe because she was Empress, but I'll ask the question anyway; why is it so damn easy for many of you here to accept and forgive my own past sins as both a former Shadaloo and Outworld Forces General, and not Ivy's sins?"

It took a split moment for the question to sink in, but it eventually got a small reaction. Some gasped upon the realization. A few looked ashamed. Others, however, were still seething with anger. That was to be expected.

Sagat proceeded. "You don't have to forgive her. That is your right. But you need to keep one thing in mind; Ivy Valentine is a Chosen One whether you like it or not. Liu Kang trusts her. Zafina trusts her. Yoshimitsu trusts her enough to be her tag team partner in this tournament. More importantly, Fujin trusts her. If they can all trust her to work with us and give her the chance to seek redemption, then why can't the rest of us?"

"Were you complacent when it came to the victims of those who suffered under whoever you worked for, Sagat?" Maki suddenly asked.

"I was," Sagat admitted without hesitation. He then happened to look over at Cammy, Juli, and Juni, all who sat near each other. "And it's something I deeply regret. I was also complacent later when Vega… well… I won't get into that, but just know it was bad. I'm aware that I'll be making up for my own atrocities for the remainder of my life." He turned to the former Empress again. "And I know Ivy will be, too. Many of you gave me a chance during the Universal War. Ivy should receive that same chance this time around."

"It won't happen overnight," Liu Kang said. "And it may be easier said than done, but we all need to put our differences aside to stop this current threat. It may not be as big as the Universal War - but if we don't stop it, it'll get worse. And the remaining universe will suffer for it."

"Now then," Zafina started. She approached Ivy and Scorpion and looked between the two of them. "You both initially declared that you wanted no involvement in these meetings. And yet, here you both are. What changed your mind?"

"I have my reasons," was all Scorpion shared.

However, Ivy was more willing to answer the question. "It was only a matter of time. The recent attempt on my life - and moving to the Kazumi Hotel - put things into perspective. At this point, with our mission still being early, it's best if the other Chosen Ones and I deal with our differences now. The sooner we do, the more focused we'll all be by the time we face our mission head on."

"I'm really glad to hear that," Liu Kang said. "And I hope, by the time we near the end of this war, that we are able to get past this point."

Jade took a deep breath before she simply said, "We'll see…"

---

The Chosen Ones meeting ended not long after. Some stayed to finish their meals. Others took their departures. And others remained to have a one-on-one or small group chat before they decided to call it a night.

Ivy initially decided to depart after Liu Kang briefly talked to her about how she was settling in her hotel room. There wasn't much to say, though she admitted that the room was very nice, it was just a lot to get used to. Once they finished their conversation, Ivy turned on her feet and barely took a step forward when she noticed someone who stood right in front of her. Ivy gazed up and her eyes nearly widened as she instantly recognized him - Guy.

For a brief moment, Ivy wondered what was different about him, only to suddenly remember - his eyes were no longer white from his time under Shao Kahn's brainwash. The thought brought a small frown on her face. She could only imagine what was going through his mind, especially when faced with the woman who once sided with the Outworld Emperor - the same Emperor who messed with his head enough to make him serve against his will.

It was no wonder the word 'complacency' was brought up a lot…

"I suppose you want to say your peace," Ivy said simply.

"I already did when we 'met' on Ruby Heart's ship at the end of the war," Guy reminded her, his voice neutral.

Ivy remembered that evening well…

---

Edenia, just over a year ago…

Long after the sun had set, Ivy believed that all the Chosen Ones disembarked Ruby Heart's ship for their celebration dinner on Edenia. So when the Keiseian emerged from her private quarters, she hadn't felt the need to put the hood of her cloak over her head as she headed to the lavatory. Her room was one of the few that didn't have its own private bathroom.

A few minutes later, Ivy opened the door to return to her room - only to come directly face to face with the woman she later learned was Nina Williams.

Damn! she shouted in her head.

In mere seconds, the two women went from glaring at each other at the threshold of the door, to an all-out brawl right there in the ship's narrow hallway. For a few moments, they practically wrestled against the walls as they both attempted to overtake the other.

Then suddenly, Nina jabbed a palm strike right into Ivy's neck, which caused the Keiseian woman to gasp in pain and cough uncontrollably. While she keeled over from the attack, Nina managed to grab for the back of her hair to hold her in place before she kneed her directly in the face with full force.

With a pained scream, Ivy fell back onto the floor. Her vision was momentarily blurred - but it wasn't hard to miss the fact that Nina pulled out a gun and aimed it a few inches from the former Empress's face.

Ivy's eyes widened in a momentary surprise, but she quickly narrowed them as she glared at Nina. "Do as you wish," she growled.

"With pleasure," Nina replied as she unlocked the gun's safety with her thumb. She then began to adjust her index finger over the trigger in preparation to end Ivy's life.

"Wait!" a male voice called out - one that was oddly familiar to Ivy.

Nina stopped her movement, but she was clearly annoyed by the newcomer with the way she rolled her eyes. She momentarily flicked back the gun's safety before she grumbled, "What?"

That was when he approached - and Ivy's eyes widened with surprise as she instantly recognized him. It was Guy - one of Shao Kahn's brainwashed enforcers during the last eight months. And judging by the fact that his eyes were no longer completely white, he was freed and himself once more.

"What are you d-" Guy started… but then stopped mid-question as soon as he saw Ivy's face.

His face had a grim expression to begin with, but Ivy still noticed the subtle reaction - first confusion, followed by surprise - but that quickly changed back to grim… before it gave off a hint of malice.

Before she realized it, Guy kneeled right in front of her - and it was only then that Ivy remembered how formidable of a warrior he was. After all, it was the very reason Shao Kahn chose him all those months ago.

He could very easily snap her neck in an instant if he wanted to.

"What are you doing here?" Guy growled, his voice low and firm. When Ivy didn't answer right away, he actually grabbed for the collar of her cloak with near violent force. He shouted through clenched teeth this time, "I won't ask again! What are you doing here?!"

Ivy didn't miss how his fist subtly shook against her cloak.

"Just let me kill her," Nina suggested with a hint of boredom. "The sooner she's dead, the better off we'll all be."

"No," Guy ordered. His eyes - narrowed with barely contained anger - never left Ivy's as he spoke to Nina. "She's on this ship for a reason. I sincerely doubt her presence would escape Fujin's notice."

"Then let's drag her out and show her to Fujin," Nina suggested. "I'm sure the others would be 'interested' in this as well."

Guy didn't say anything at first - not until after he let Ivy go and stood on his feet. "Get up so you can face justice for those you've inflicted your horrors upon!"

It took a moment for Ivy to get on her feet as she was still in pain from her fight with Nina. She used the wall as a guide to keep herself from falling. As soon as Ivy was up, Nina grabbed for her left arm so that she didn't try to flee.

"You sure this is how you want to do this?" Nina asked with indifference.

"I'm certain," Guy answered. "The others should know about this. I also want to know why Fujin kept her presence quiet."

Ivy took a breath. "For what it's worth-"

"Save it!" the Bushin warrior seethed. "I don't want to hear your excuses."

Despite his response, Ivy dared to ask one thing. "Do you remember anything?"

Guy grabbed her right arm with some force. He followed that by pulling her hood over her head with his free hand. "That doesn't matter. What matters are the lives of all the innocent people who suffered because of Shao Kahn's war, the war which you supported."

It would be the last thing Guy said to Ivy. He had nothing more to say as he and Nina pulled her off the ship and over to the other Chosen Ones who were celebrating their victory at an Edenian campsite…

---

The memory of that evening left Ivy's mind as Guy continued. "However, you can say that my statement has since… changed somewhat."

That made the Keiseian somewhat curious. "How so?"

There was a brief pause before Guy answered her. "On the ship, I was not aware of your changed allegiance. It was why I said what I said then. Now that I'm aware and… after this meeting, I will abide by the teachings of my clan - to not stand in the way of those who wish to redeem themselves for their atrocities."

Ivy furrowed her brows a little with some perplexion. "So… does that mean-"

"Do not get ahead of yourself," Guy warned as he narrowed his brown eyes at her. "Prove yourself, first. Then we shall see."

Guy then chose to turn his back to Ivy and head back down the hill and towards where the Mishima Hotel was located. Unknown to either of them, Zafina had witnessed the exchange between them. Admittingly to herself, she almost thought their exchange would be a lot more heated. Thankfully it wasn't, but it did leave two questions behind. The first was… what happened on the ship that day?

However, the second question in mind was one she could ask right away. At that thought, Zafina approached Ivy until she was just a foot away from her. Ivy stared back at the younger woman and waited for her to speak.

"So, tell me," Zafina started to ask as she bore her dark brown eyes into Ivy's. She also spoke in a whisper so that no one else around them heard. "Was it Guy you tried to free during your 'lucidity'?"

"No," Ivy confirmed right away with a small shake of her head. "It wasn't. To be honest, if I had that chance, freeing him would've been… very difficult."

Zafina furrowed her brows with confusion. "How?"

Ivy took a deep breath before she answered. "I'll spare you the finer details, but Shao Kahn saw him as, in his exact words, 'the ideal enforcer.' One-track minded, serving without question, beyond capable in battle, and very rarely ever fails in his given missions. Shao Kahn was… most impressed with him by the time he was given the assignment to kill his old friend. In the battles I've witnessed him in, he was swift, powerful, and precise. He was also able to take on a group of warriors all on his own. I dare say he's nearly as formidable as Jin Kazama. The point I'm trying to make is that had that chance to free him presented itself to me… let's just say it would've been a very bloody battle."

The more Ivy explained, the more she noticed how Zafina's face slowly changed; from confusion to dread, then from dread… to subtle anger. There were a few seconds where Ivy was certain that the young woman would lash out at her. Frankly, however, Ivy expected pretty much most of the Chosen Ones to lash out at some point during the mission.

However, when Zafina finally replied, her voice was calm but even. "Do you have any idea what those who were brainwashed are experiencing since they've been freed?

Ivy shook her head solemnly. "No. I really don't."

"Well, you should know. At first, they didn't remember anything when they were first freed, except perhaps their last few moments in their brainwashed states. But the more time passes, the more they remember their actions and the events through intense nightmares. Have you ever had such nightmares? So frequent and real that you wake up screaming and gasping for breath with your heart pounding so hard that it threatens to burst through you?"

Ivy gazed into Zafina's eyes. "More than you will ever comprehend."

"Maybe," Zafina continued. "But that's what they're experiencing now. Sagat's right. Shao Kahn may be dead, but his war has left a terrible mark on everything and everyone he touched. That mark still lingers even over a year later."

"What is your point?" Ivy ended up asking.

Zafina didn't hesitate to answer. "I simply just want you to understand the consequences of Shao Kahn's terror. Then that way, someday, you will take what you learned and help create a better future for all of mankind."

"I'm aware that my sins will take more than a lifetime to make up for," Ivy pointed out. "I'm also aware that many will never forgive me. No matter how much I make up for my atrocities, it will never be enough. I've long since accepted that. And I sincerely hope you never have to experience that burden, Zafina."

Zafina had no response to that. In the young woman's silence, something occurred to Ivy. And she couldn't help but inquire. "There is one thing I'm curious about if you don't mind me asking."

Zafina stared at her. "And that is…?"

"...You asked if I tried to free Guy, but you didn't ask about the others. Why is that?"

Zafina actually paused at that momentarily before she answered the Keiseian. "He… experienced being brainwashed longer than anyone else here. And for that, his mind is not at ease. I've been trying to help him sort out his mental state so that he is fully prepared for our battle against Azazel or anyone else we come across."

As Zafina spoke, Ivy noted the hint of fervent in her words, like one who was defensive. The swordswoman couldn't help the subtle side smirk on her face before she dared herself to say her next words; "You care about him."

"...As much as anyone with empathy would," Zafina answered evenly. However, Ivy didn't miss how her brows twitched a little just before she replied.

"I see." Ivy chose that moment to take her leave. As she turned around and started to walk forward, she spoke one more time. "Well then… I'm certain I'll see you around."

Unknown to Ivy, Zafina shook her head a little before she headed in the opposite direction…

Nearby, Scorpion was just about to take his leave when a familiar voice called his name. The spectre turned and saw Sub-Zero approach him. At the same time, Scorpion noticed his ally's friend Smoke, who was a couple of yards away. Clearly the cyborg was there to oversee the meeting between them.

Considering the past, it didn't surprise the spectre one bit.

"What is it?" Scorpion asked the ice warrior with no emotion in his voice.

Sub-Zero didn't hesitate to speak up. "Ivy. You trust her?"

"She is searching for her redemption and admits to her wrongdoings. That alone earns her some credit. However, there is no denying that her initial actions during the war are… questionable. Then again, whatever this 'essence' is that subtly influenced her actions, it may hold some merit. But I would need to learn more about it."

"It had something to do with an ancient, evil sword from her home world," Sub-Zero mentioned. "A couple of Keiseians vouched for her in that regard back when she first explained herself. You noticed the mixed reaction to her presence. There seems to be three sides to this - those who are still against her, those who are willing to forgive her… and those who've yet to make up their minds."

"Where do you stand?"

Sub-Zero took a deep breath before he answered. "Momentarily, in the middle. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I also cannot forget that she initially sided with Outworld as far back as the Blood Tournament. Perhaps once I learn more about this 'essence,' I may choose another side."

Sub-Zero then chose to change the subject and move on to why he approached the spectre to begin with. "Speaking of lone wolves… this is the first time you've shown yourselves in front of the other Chosen Ones. Liu Kang said you planned to stay out of it unless it was dire. Ivy shared why she changed her mind. So what changed your mind?"

Scorpion - who hadn't been willing to share his answer during the meeting - didn't hesitate to answer Sub-Zero. "After the attempt on Ivy's life, I came to realize how far Quan Chi is willing to go to eliminate his foes; stalk, hunt, get them alone, use assassins desperate to see one dead. It's the sorcerer's usual modus operandi. I'm sure you can figure out how I know…"

Sub-Zero simply nodded at that. "I can only imagine."

"Don't. It is not worth thinking about." Scorpion then narrowed his eyes at the ice warrior. "Aside from all that, someone has to keep an eye on the other Chosen Ones whenever they enter the forest.'"

Sub-Zero gave him a perplexed gaze. "Are you joking?"

"No. You and the others are formidable, but here, even you may be caught off guard if the right assassin comes after you."

"...Noted."

Scorpion then turned his back to Sub-Zero and began to walk away. "I will see you at the next match. Unless you find yourself being hunted in these woods."

Once the spectre was far enough away, Smoke chose that moment to approach his long-time friend to stand next to him. "You know… I feel much better about your partnership with him now."

Sub-Zero turned to his second-in-command. "Really?"

"Yeah. Not only does Scorpion seem to be in the right headspace for once, but the fact that he's willing to go out of his way to watch over the others while in hiding is… kind of nice." Smoke tilted his head a little. "However, let's try to remember that I'm the expert at staying hidden in the forest in secret."

Sub-Zero huffed dryly at that. "Always."

At that moment, Smoke saw how tired the grandmaster looked. In his mind, he figured that Sub-Zero hadn't relaxed all that much since they arrived on the island. Sure, Sub-Zero had his sleep, meals, and a couple of nice evenings with Sareena, but as far as Smoke figured, the man needed at least one full day of not worrying about business, matches, and wars.

"You know," Smoke started to say. "Since we're currently in between tournament rounds, and there's a full day for everyone to enjoy tomorrow, why don't we take advantage of it and just do something that has nothing to do with being heroes. And don't you dare say no. You really could use the break. Trust me, it's good for the soul."

Sub-Zero tilted his head a little in response. "What do you suggest?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Smoke started. Then an idea came to him. "How about we explore the other side of the island. We've been here for a while now and I don't think we know what's on the other side."

"It's probably nothing but more trees, beaches, and a ton of rocks."

"And if that's all we find, so what? I call it a change in scenery. Downtown is nice, but I want to see what else is out there. And if you want to, let's invite Sareena to come with us. And if she wants to invite her tag team partner, the more the merrier. Besides, we haven't really seen Shura around since we first invited her over for dinner."

"I'm sure she's been away keeping an eye on whoever she's targeting for assassination," Sub-Zero guessed.

"Maybe, but that would be a good excuse for her to take a day off, too. What do you say, old friend?"

Sub-Zero thought about it momentarily before he eventually nodded. "Alright. You convinced me. But nothing better go wrong or else I'm blaming it on you."

Smoke chuckled at that. "Now that you said that, something will go wrong."

Sub-Zero huffed at that.

While that was going on, Marduk approached his tag team partner King, who started to head back down the hill. Since yesterday, the incident at the Okayama Bar rattled back and forth in his head. He had yet to talk to anyone about it because of it, but he figured that it was best if he told King sooner than later. After all, the luchador had somewhat of a connection to what was going on… maybe? Maybe not? Marduk wasn't really sure, but he figured talking to his tag team partner was better safe than sorry.

"Hey King," Marduk started. "Got a sec?"

"Sure," King replied. "What's going on?"

Marduk briefly looked at their surroundings to make sure no one around them was listening in. He then turned his attention back to King. "Something weird is going on. And I'm gonna sound nutty, but… I saw Armor King yesterday."

King took a small step back. "Wait, what?! What are you talking about?"

"I know, I told you it sounds nutty," Marduk answered. "But I saw him with my own two eyes! …Wait. King, were you at the Okayama Bar at some point yesterday?"

"I know of the place, but I've never stepped foot in it," King confirmed.

"Damn it, I was hoping that was the actual answer," Marduk grumbled. "Anyway, I saw a guy in a leopard mask like yours, but gray darker. One eye green, one eye red… just like his were."

"You sure it wasn't someone just wearing a mask because they happen to be a fan?"

"Maybe, but he was just as tall and muscular as your mentor. Listen… I'm SO certain of this that I actually ditched a beautiful woman who was flirting with me to hunt him down."

King tilted his head at that. "...Well I'll be damned. You are serious."

"Damn right I am! And you know as well as I do that I want to know what the hell is going on! Like… is he alive? Is it a fan? Or someone else entirely who wants to play a dumbass prank?"

"Who knows," King said. "All I know is that there was always one Armor King. The mantle died when he did. The whole wrestling circuit knows that."

"Well something's going on and I don't like it," Marduk said. "Next time I see him, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this. You with me?"

"...If I see him, I'll let you know."

"Good. And maybe if I'm lucky, it would be nothing more than his ghost trying to haunt me for the remainder of my life."

"That would be your kind of luck."

"Well… admittingly, I would deserve it. Still sucks, though."

A few feet away, Johnny Cage managed to spot Sonya on his way down the hill and back to the hotel. She had her phone out and looked to be browsing through something. If he had to guess, she was looking up something related to the Black Dragon. Johnny momentarily thought to continue back to the hotel… but he started to approach her before he gave himself the chance to change his mind.

"Hey Sony-, eh… Major," Johnny started as soon as he was within a couple of feet from her. He managed to attempt to not rub the back of his neck with his hand. "Too bad about the Black Dragon reveal."

"Tell me about it," Sonya grumbled. She still kept her blue eyes on her phone as she looked over some of the information Jax sent her immediately after the meeting. "I knew the Black Dragon being wiped out permanently was too good to be true. What I'm more curious about now is what made Kabal revive them at all."

"I was wondering that, too," Johnny agreed. "As you recall, Kabal was technically on our side back when Kahn attempted to merge Earthrealm with Outworld the first time. Even when he became a vigilante later, he still had the best of intentions. Why return to his old ways?"

"No idea, but if you happen to find the answer, let me know."

"Will do." There was a brief pause before Johnny dared himself to ask the next question. "Sooo… you really think Kano's not too far behind Kabal?"

"I bet my life on it," Sonya answered without hesitation. She chose that moment to place her phone back in her belt pouch before she gazed up at the actor. "Bastard's been in San Quentin up until last year when the last war destroyed the facility he was in. You remember how big his pride and ego were? I doubt he would let someone else run his show while he's still capable of breathing."

"That makes sense." A slight frown came over Johnny's face. "Just… do yourself a favor. No matter how you investigate this, don't try to overthink it. Trust me, it just causes more headaches than necessary."

There was a brief twitch at the corner of Sonya's lips as though she was about to give him a side smirk - but the moment passed in a blink of an eye. "I'll take that under advisement. …But I appreciate it, Cage."

Sonya then chose that moment to walk past Johnny to leave the area. After she went by him, Johnny turned to watch her leave for just a few moments before he walked off in another direction.

---

Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters

Within the headquarters' main lounge, the small group that consisted of Baraka, Mileena, Sheeva, Reptile, Havik, Tira, Kabal, Noob Saibot, and Sektor sat around the room. Only Tira and Sheeva were enjoying a drink while the others pretty much did nothing else but lounge around.

"Earthrealm's liquor is weak," Sheeva grumbled aloud to no one in particular.

"That's because mead is not exactly 'strong' compared to the likes of, say… vodka," Kabal pointed out. "Apparently, they sell Outworld Liquor on Mishima Island. I bet someone here wouldn't mind getting you a bottle next time there on the island."

Sheeva thought it over for a brief moment before she shook her head. "No. I've had too much of that over the centuries. Now if only they had Hoea, then I may consider the offer."

"What the hell is 'hoea?'" asked a grumpy Tira.

"Liquor made for shokan tastes," explained Reptile.

Baraka suddenly shook his head. "Sitting around isn't getting us anywhere," he grumbled.

"No, it's not," answered Noob Saibot. "But clearly, there's a lull in this… mission as of now. Besides, we're not even halfway through this tournament."

"Speaking of the tournament," started Mileena. "I noticed that every single tag team - on both the side of this Rebellion and the Zaibatsu - made it to the third round of this tournament."

"As did those with the Forces and G-Corp," Baraka mentioned. "What is your point?"

Mileena's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement. "Have you not noticed that some of the late Raiden's 'chosen ones' haven't made it past the second round? Perhaps the chances of one of our teams making it to the final round may be a possibility."

"Once again, we're not even halfway through this tournament," Noob Saibot reminded her. "Anything can change."

"Which makes it all the more unpredictable and delightful!" called out Havik. "Which reminds me…" The cleric of chaos turned his head to the only shokan in the room. "When do you plan on killing those we know as 'The Four?'"

Before Sheeva could answer, Mileena rolled her eyes. "Ugh. She's been moaning about wanting to kill Ivy and the others since the war ended!" She glared at the shokan. "If you're so eager to kill them, then do it, especially once you figure out who exactly the other two are! And you do realize that Jin himself is right above our heads as we speak!"

"If you've changed your mind, I'll do it!" Tira called out with both glee and a maniacal smile on her face. "I actually don't have anything against The Four, really. I just like killing!"

"Isn't she just marvelous?" Havik said about the Keiseian to no one in particular.

Mileena ignored the Chaosrealmer as she glared at both Tira and Sheeva. "If anyone should do it, it should be me! After all, The Four are the reason my father is dead!"

Next to her, Reptile resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Which is clearly a false notion, you Flesh-Pit-Kitana-clone! He all but bit his tongue from saying that out loud.

Sheeva placed her drink down on the bar table and glared at Mileena. "If you want Jin dead, then why haven't you assassinated him yet?"

"Because I was waiting to see if you would do it first! Clearly you hesitate for some reason! Why?"

"It's called 'biding my time!' I have patience, which you lack!"

"Enough!" Sektor shouted as he took a couple of steps forward towards the group. "Trivial bickering will get you nowhere. Either leave your targets be, or do the job."

"Besides," Noob Saibot stepped in. "We need Jin alive during this tournament. Until then, we will move forward with this mission as usual."

"Agreed," Sheeva said. She then started to make her way out of the lounge room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be retiring for the evening. Enjoy… whatever it is you enjoy."

"Good night," Kabal called out just as Sheeva left the lounge room.

"I will make my departure as well," Sektor said. He then used his teleporter to sink through the floor. Without a single word, Noob Saibot followed with his own powers a mere second later.

"You know what, I think I should do that, too," Mileena said. She then drank the last of her drink before she, too, sank through the floor with her teleporting abilities.

Baraka shook his head before he stood up from his seat. "I'm going to go to the rooftop. Summon me if anything interesting actually happens around here." With that, he turned on his heel and left the room the same way Sheeva did.

"I'll go with you," said Reptile as he began to follow his comrade. "Your idea sounds sane right about now."

With that, the tartakan and the saurian departed the room. That left only Kabal, Tira, and Havik in the lounge room.

"Well, that was fun…" Kabal grumbled. "Remind me never to invite any of them to an actual fun party."

"Would they include delightful torture and murder?" asked Tira as she grinned over the idea.

"...Not really."

"Speaking of chaos," Havik began. "It's been quite a while since we've talked about how we were going to spread chaos this time around. I must admit, it was much easier when we were in Keisei. Not as many… laws like Earthrealm has…"

"I'm sure a few areas on Earthrealm still have lawless land," Kabal said. "I knew a couple of them back when I… started out in the criminal underworld. However, I doubt they're still operational. And even if they were, the contacts I had that used to assist with helping me gain access are long dead."

"Ah, that's a shame…. Well then! I'd say let's start close to 'home,' then work up from there."

"And how do we start like that exactly?" asked Tira.

"Right here, of course! And our first new recruits will be the Tekken Force soldiers here."

"Do we still have those Chaos Pendants we used on the Manji Clan?" the Keiseian asked.

"Not this time, sadly," Havik answered. "It would be quite… convenient if we had them again."

It was at that point of the cleric's babbling that Kabal's mind began to glaze over somewhat. He barely noticed how his head started to fall back slowly, which only stopped once the back of his head touched the top half of his seat.

I think I need a drink… the former cop thought to himself.

It was only the opening of the door to his left that got him out of his stupor. He turned his head just enough to notice that it was Bryan Fury who came into the room. He glared at both Havik and Tira as soon as he noticed their presence. Not surprisingly, Tira narrowed her purple eyes at the cyborg with contempt.

A year later and she's still sour over their first meeting, Kabal bemused in his head.

"...This is NOT a reunion 'party' on my part," Bryan grumbled. "I'm just here to grab some cigarettes."

"Top left cabinet," Kabal mentioned.

As Bryan moved to the cabinet, Havik spoke up. "You know what, I think it might be fun to bring a little chaos up on the rooftop. Reptile wanting some 'sanity' earlier didn't sit too well with me. I'm not sure what I'll do when I get up there… buuut I'm sure I'll know when I get there."

"I'll tag along!" Tira said with some enthusiasm.

"I think I'll hang out here a little while longer," Kabal said.

"Suit yourself," Havik said. Both he and Tira - who skipped a little behind him - headed out of the lounge.

As soon as the door closed behind the duo, Bryan spoke just as he found the pack of cigarettes he was looking for. "You know you have two choices at this point. Either let that insane duo go on their merry way, or… let it be Kano's problem."

"Easier said than done," Kabal grumbled.

That statement piqued Bryan's interest. "So you are conflicted."

Kabal narrowed his eyes at the cyborg. "Need I remind you that you are no longer part of the Black Dragon. Stay out of it."

Bryan smirked at the response. "Whatever. At the end of the day, I don't care what you decide."

"Then why press it?"

"...For my own amusement."

"...Havik would like that."

It was Bryan's turn to roll his eyes. "Bastard rubbed off on me during my… tenure."

"While we're on the subject of 'sticking your nose where it doesn't belong,'" Kabal started. "You never told me how you became a cyborg."

…That was a story Bryan hadn't thought out in a while. He took a moment to light up a cigarette before he inhaled it, then slowly released the smoke. "Fine, but we're even after this. Long story short, I got riddled with bullets, died, had my corpse taken and experimented on for a Cyborg Army project, was later 'abandoned' by my 'creator,' and was left to die."

Kabal let out a small whistle at that. "Sounds… complicated. Let me guess… 'Cyborg Army' was a G-Corp project."

Bryan growled at that. "I was really hoping you'd forgotten that conversation."

Kabal shrugged. "Well… I won't repeat the story to anyone else if that helps."

"Not really," Bryan said. "But I suppose I should acknowledge the gesture. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go off and destroy shit at that abandoned construction site."

"See ya," Kabal said as Bryan promptly left the room and closed the door behind him. Alone at that point, the former cop let out a breath as he leaned himself back against his seat once more.

He's right about one thing, Kabal began to think. I do have some choices regarding the future…

Meanwhile, in the Zaibatsu training room, Juri was alone as she mostly kicked at the heavy punching bag that hung in the middle of the room. In all honesty, she was bored to the point of annoyance. Sure, the tournament was okay and at least she moved on to the third round (even if her tag team partner Tira bugged the crap out of her), but there wasn't much else to do from time to time. She hated being bored.

She also hadn't heard a peep from her 'contact' in over a week. Juri figured nothing important had occurred as of this point, hence the lack of calls and reports. Despite this, Juri was willing to stick it out a little while longer.

Her thoughts were then cut off as she heard footsteps from behind him. Juri delivered one last kick to the punching bag before she turned around to see who entered the training room. She expected it to be a Tekken Force soldier, but she soon came face to face with the criminal and mercenary, Doctrine Dark.

Despite the two of them working on the same side, Juri barely knew Doctrine Dark. He usually kept to himself, though he occasionally hung out with Kano from time to time. There was that day not too long ago when he went crazy and destroyed the poker table in the lounge room, but he hadn't really lost his marbles since then. She figured that whatever it was about, he at least got it out of his system for the time being.

A part of her was curious over what exactly made him… ticked off.

Of course, Doctrine Dark didn't miss that she noticed his presence. Initially, he was there to unleash some steam by beating up one of the punching bags in the room. However, once he saw Juri, he had a better idea. Without saying a word, the mercenary walked over in her direction before he reached the black gym mat. He then promptly got himself into a fighting stance without ever taking his eyes off of her.

Juri immediately got the message, and a smug smirk came over her face. About time I found a way to ease my boredom! she thought. This oughta be fun.

Juri beckoned him over with her fingers. "Hmm… You look like you're in good shape."

Doctrine Dark narrowed his eyes at her briefly before he rushed towards her. Noting this, Juri ran after him as well - and her left eye momentarily glowed in a magenta hue as the Feng Shui Engine activated. As soon as they were both within reach of each other, Doctrine Dark attempted a left hook, but Juri was able to duck underneath the attack before she promptly swept his leg. Juri barely gave her opponent the chance to hit the ground as she attacked with a roundhouse kick to his side with enough momentum to send him flying across the room. His back smashed into one of the exercise machines, which fell over into a loud crash behind him.

Despite the pain that coursed through his body from the impact, Doctrine Dark shook it off as he returned to his feet. With a growl, he quickly sprinted towards Juri, who promptly unleashed a projectile from her foot after she kicked forward in his direction. Doctrine Dark noted this and narrowly ducked under the quick shot. By the time he straightened back up, the mercenary was within reach and launched a barrage of punches at his opponent.

Though Juri was able to block and parry Doctrine Dark's maneuvers, she was delighted to realize that the man was actually giving her a much-needed challenge. She couldn't remember the last time she fought someone who kept her on her toes.

Still, she could only wonder how long that would last.

A magenta hue surged around Juri's body momentarily before one of her hands arched around one of Doctrine Dark's defenses and struck his chest with her palm. As he staggered back from the hit, Juri lifted her leg and extended it to connect the bottom of her foot to the same spot on his chest where she hit him a second ago. With a grunt, the criminal stumbled back, but he was still able to keep himself upright. He clutched his chest with some pain as he glared at her once more.

Juri grinned with near maniacal glee as she placed one hand on her hip. The other was raised up to eye level as though she was about to shrug. "Been a while since I got a real challenge," she admitted aloud. When her opponent didn't respond to that, she dropped her smile to a half smirk. "Well, don't just stand there! Come on! Fight already!"

That seemed to motivate Doctrine Dark. He let out a battle cry as he sprinted forward once more. He was faster than expected as Juri barely blocked yet another punch for him. A second punch passed her defenses and his fist landed on her face with enough force to lurch her head awkwardly to the side. He didn't give Juri the chance to recover before he unleashed a few more punches at her before a palm strike to her stomach sent her staggering a few feet away until her back hit the wall behind her.

Juri shook off the pain before she bared her teeth at him. "Oh, now I'm pissed," she growled. The magenta hue that surrounded her body moments ago returned, seemingly stronger than before. Usually at this point, any opponent she fought since she received the Feng Shui Engine would've at least looked even subtly uncomfortable over the idea of what was about to come.

But Doctrine Dark didn't flinch. As a matter of fact, he looked unimpressed by the power she wielded. That made her madder.

With a yell, Juri jumped forward in a cartwheel motion in midair. She delivered a downward kick that connected on top of Doctrine Dark's left shoulder and with enough force to smash him face first into the ground. Juri landed just next to him and made an attempt to lift her foot with the intention to slam it into his lower back.

But before she could do so, Doctrine Dark rolled over onto his back, extended his left arm out, and shot out a rope that managed to wrap around Juri's ankle. Before she had the chance to react, the assassin yanked the rope back and momentarily had her in mid-air before she fell back to Earth with crash.

As soon as Juri's back hit the ground, Doctrine Dark swiftly moved until he was right on top of her. He didn't hesitate to raise his fist and punch downward - but stopped just above her head to off to the left. Juri nearly rolled her eyes over the fake-out.

"Oh come on, don't be such a -"

Then to Juri's surprise - a rarity in itself for her - a knife quickly extended out from a gadget on Doctrine's Dark wrist with enough speed and force to stab through the gym mat next to Juri's face. The only reason it didn't go through all the way was due to the solid concrete underneath the mat. Juri didn't flinch one bit from the maneuver - even though the blade was uncomfortably close to her left eye. And for a few moments, the two of them glared at each other as they waited for the other to make the next move.

Juri then grinned at him - one that was a mix of both manical… and somewhat seductive. "You know that was a really close call… and kinda hot."

Doctrine Dark narrowed his eyes before he growled, pulled his knife out of the ground, then promptly stood back up. "I'm not playing any games with you, or anyone for that matter."

It was Juri's turn to narrow her eyes as she gave him a faux frown. "Aww you're no fun."

It was then that a new voice suddenly called out from the room's entrance. "You know what's really fun, doll," the familiar voice of Kano said as he walked into the training room. "The idea of having you with the Black Dragon once I take it back. The way ya fight and the way ya don't flinch at nearly gettin' killed… ya might actually bring it back to its former glory."

Juri rolled her eyes with annoyance as she maneuvered herself back onto her feet. "First of all, don't call me 'doll.' Secondly, why should I join you? So I can be stuck with whatever rules you decide? No thanks! Besides, Kazama's paying me real good. I even dare say that it may set me for life."

Kano shrugged at that. "Suit yourself. Lemme know if ya change ya mind, though I doubt this offer will remain on the table for long."

"Pfft, not likely. Though I'd like to see you try to take it back."

That earned a scowl from the former Black Dragon leader. "Ya takin' Kabal's side?"

"Ha! You can't see it, can you? Kabal may be the clan leader, but it's Havik who's running the show. So you'll have to fight Havik, not Kabal, to take back what's yours. And to be clear, I'm not on either side."

"Good point." Kano then immediately pointed a finger at the right eye that was replaced with a glowing red prosthetic. "Also, I have an excuse for not seeing it sooner. Only got one eye."

Juri immediately pointed to her own prosthetic left eye. "So do I."

"...Touché."

"At least you two can breathe," growled Doctrine Dark.

"Hey, mate, no need to bring that up," Kano said. "Besides, you'll get your revenge soon enough."

"Ooo, I love revenge," Juri mentioned as she clasped her hands together in front of her. "Hopefully it's a nice, juicy story when it's all said and done."

"Oh it will be," Doctrine Dark hissed as he gazed down at his knife. "It will be."

---

Mishima Zaibatsu Facility - Unknown Location

After quietly walking through the halls of a medical facility, Eddy Gordo entered one of the patient rooms and silently closed the door behind him. As he'd done before, his brown eyes shifted in the direction of the single bed in the room.

It was empty.

Eddy furrowed his brows for a moment as his eyes scanned the room. It barely took him a second to find his Capoeira master. To his surprise, the old man was not only out of bed, but was actually (albeit very slowly) practicing his Capoeira katas.

"Master," Eddy started, his voice mildly laced with worry. "You should be in bed."

"Perhaps," the old man balked as he stood on one foot and extended his other leg nearly above his head. "But this is the first time in a while that I felt well enough to practice. Granted, my strength - and the amount of space in this room - are limiting… but I'd like to think of it as nothing more than a challenge."

Eddy sighed with defeat - and decided to practice alongside him. He left a few feet of space between them. "Suit yourself. If it's too much…"

"I know my limits, my student," the Capoeira master assured him. "But I appreciate the concern."

Nothing more was said between the two men for a while. As they practiced their katas in sync, Eddy pondered, not for the time, about Christie getting herself involved in the tournament. Occasionally, especially when he visited her grandfather, the younger man wondered whether or not he should tell his master of her presence - and that she was likely looking for the both of them.

For the moment, however, Eddy decided to remain quiet. What was important was - as of the last report he received - she was safe.

---

Mishima Park

While he sat on a bench eating a bento box full of good food, Edmond Honda looked on with amusement as his friend and tag team partner, Hakan, played with his daughters with both delight and fatherly pride. His wife, Melike, sat next to him on the park's grass picking dandelions with their two youngest, Zeytin and Ayçiçeği. Their oldest daughter, Abla, was attempting to teach a game with the twins, Susam and Hurması. Meanwhile, the remaining sisters - Tereyağı and Kanola - were focused on their father.

"All right, you two!" Hakan called out to them. He spread his arms out on either side of him. "You know what to do. Ready! One! Two! THREE!"

"RAGH!" the two girls shouted as they jumped up in the air and practically flew into Hakan's arms. As soon as he caught them in his arms, Hakan moved himself so that he was completely flat on his back. The girls immediately climbed on top of him in an attempt to pin him to the ground like wrestlers.

"AH! You got me!" Hakan shouted in feigned defeat. "You both win!"

"YAAAY!" the girls shouted as they moved off their father before they began to jump up and down in triumph, their little fists raised up in the air. "We won! We won!"

It was then that young Abla shouted at E. Honda from where she stood. "Come play with us, Mr. Honda!"

"Maybe after I finish my meal," E. Honda replied.

"Okay!" called out Susam. "When you're done, you can teach us some sumo!"

"Heeey!" Hakan called out.

"Oh dear," said Melike, though she couldn't help but giggle a little to herself over her husband's reaction.

Honda chuckled at that as well before he continued with his meal. As he grabbed a piece of harumaki from his box with his chopsticks, he heard footsteps to his right. He turned his head and soon spotted Ganryu just next to the bench he sat on.

"Hey pal," E. Honda greeted. "How ya doin'?"

However, Ganryu didn't quite hear him. He was busy being a bit astonished as he spotted Hakan and his family. "...Wow! I knew he had a family, but I didn't realize he had so many daughters. And they look so close in age, too."

"Well," E. Honda started to explain. "Two of the girls are twins, and three of them are triplets."

"...Wow! Hakan must be very proud of them. And I must admit, his wife… she looks very good for a mother of seven." Ganryu's eyes suddenly widened as he realized what he said. "Eh, not in that way, just that that-"

E. Honda chuckled. "Relax, I know what you meant. Come sit, I have a couple of sushi rolls here that I'm willing to share."

"Sounds good," Ganryu said as he promptly sat down next to the younger sumo wrestler. E. Honda promptly extended his bento box over to the older man, who didn't hesitate to grab a piece of yellowtail maki roll before he popped it in his mouth. "Arigato."

Once he finished, Ganryu's attention was back on Hakan and his family. "You know," the older man started. "I can't remember the last time I thought about wanting my own family."

"Really?" E. Honda questioned with some interest.

"Yeah. But between my sumo career, my downfall, my… unfortunate association with the Zaibatsu, trying to rebuild myself afterwards, and… never finding the right woman to share my life with, it just never happened." Ganryu smiled a little. "But you know what? At this point in my life, I'm okay with that." He turned his head to the younger sumo wrestler. "How about you? Ever want your own family?"

E. Honda tilted his head a little at the question. "You know… I never really stopped to think about it. Ever since I was a child, I practically lived and breathed sumo. All that mattered for so long was to become the greatest sumo wrestler of all time. My desire was so great that I eventually found myself traveling the world to show everyone the best of the sport. Along the way, I learned so much about the world - and the people - beyond what I already knew. I'm still setting out to achieve my goals, of course, but admittingly, my recent travel experiences made me realize there's so much to learn - and apply to what I already know. Sure, some people might see it as 'unorthodox,' but I personally see it as 'modernizing.' I figured that's the best way to show the world the best of sumo. One should not forget their past, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't learn for the future. Any other way would just slow the progress down."

Ganryu's brows rose up a little after hearing that. "Those… are quite some wise words there, Honda-san. Wise words indeed."

"What are you two talking about over there?" Hakan suddenly called out.

E. Honda didn't miss a beat. "You know exactly what we're talking about!"

Hakan immediately gritted his teeth and shook a fist at him. "If you're bashing my Turkish oil wrestling, I oughta-!"

"Honey," Melike groaned. "Not in front of the girls."

Hakan blew out a breath before he put his fist down at his side. "Fine! We'll 'talk' about this later, Edmond!"

"Heh heh heh," E. Honda chuckled as he leaned back against the bench. "I knew that would set him off."

"You two really like to rib each other over your respective wrestling styles, don't you?" Ganryu asked curiously.

E. Honda grinned. "Yeah, but only because he started it back when we first met a few years back. During my first trip to Istanbul, I came into his shop, he boasted about his style, I boasted about sumo, we argued, then we wrestled. Then suddenly - and I don't remember how the conversation started - Hakan mentioned being a huge fan of enka music and wanted some recommendations. We spent the rest of the evening listening to enka music over a few pints at his mansion. He's been my good friend ever since."

"Huh, that's quite a story," Ganryu answered. "And you've since become like a family friend."

"Yup. The girls see me like an uncle, and Melike knows that I won't get her husband into too much trouble."

A thought came over Ganryu, and he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "Sounds like you do have a family after all. The 'found' kind."

That earned a fond smile from E. Honda. "You know… you're onto something there. You're wiser than you realize, Ganryu."

Ganryu felt a little bashful at the compliment. From there, the two sumo wrestlers fell silent as they watched Hakan enjoy his family time.

---

Senzaki Port, Nagato, Japan

The sun had set beyond the horizon, but there was still some light that lingered in the sky. The stars began to make themselves known the darker it became. The only other lights were those from the street lamps that began to turn on one by one around the port.

While sitting on his motorcycle, Jin Kazama stared at the horizon through his sunglasses. Out in the sea, he knew that Mishima Island was there, but of course it was too far away to see with the naked eye from where he stood. But in that spot at port, it was the closest he would get to the resort island.

No thoughts filled his mind as he simply took in the view. However, it wasn't long before someone on a black and red motorcycle pulled up next to him. They took a moment to turn off the small vehicle before they removed their helmet to reveal the face of Nina Williams.

"There you are," Nina said aloud. "Security said you were heading here. What brought you all the way out here?"

"...Just taking in the view," was all Jin said.

Nina inwardly shrugged at that as she leaned back a little on the seat of her motorcycle. "All right then."

For a long while, neither one of them said a word as they gazed on towards the horizon where they knew Mishima Island was. The more time passed, the darker their surroundings became save for the street lamps around the dock. Aside from the small waves of the sea and the light wind, it was very quiet.

Nina had a feeling as to what was on her boss's mind. The fact they were at the very spot where the tournament participants left for Mishima Island more than two weeks ago was no coincidence to her. Personally, it meant nothing to the bodyguard as she had been reluctantly involved in that part of their past. But she was very well aware of Jin's significance in that same involvement during a time that suddenly felt so long ago.

"You knew they'd all come, didn't you?" Nina suddenly asked aloud. "Back when you made your tournament announcement."

Jin knew exactly who she was talking about - The Chosen Ones. "I expected nothing less of them," he simply said.

Nina turned to him for the first time since she arrived. "You do realize they won't look at you the same way after this is all over - if they haven't already."

Unknown to Nina, in his own mind, Jin imagined the scenario if he ever came face to face with those he knew were out there on the island;

The doleful sorrow from Xiaoyu.

The annoyed glare from Hwoarang.

The seething rage from Asuka.

The sad eyes from Sakura.

The pissed-off scowl from Ivy.

The subtle disapproving frown from Kenshi.

The disappointing stare from Ryu.

…He stopped his mind before he thought about Cammy's face.

Jin took a deep, silent breath before he responded to Nina's words. "...I'm well aware. And it's a sacrifice that I needed to make." He then realized something as he turned his head to his second-in-command. "What brought you out here?"

Nina answered straight away. "HQ received a report that G-Corp soldiers are attempting to infiltrate one of our facilities in Brunei. We sent additional forces, but… it might be best if you return to oversee the results."

Jin released another quiet breath before he grabbed for his helmet. "Then let's head back."

Nothing more was said between the two former Chosen Ones as they geared up to leave. Once their respective helmets were on their heads, the two revved their motorcycles before they departed the port and began their ride back to headquarters.