Author's Note: Here we go! Nothing but fighting for the next few chapters as this is what MK is about after all!
-Chapter 9: The Tournament - Johnny and Sonya-
When the light faded, Johnny Cage was confused.
He was no longer within the Great Hall. Cool mountain air kissed his face and as much as he was grateful for the sudden solitude he was experiencing, the actor was left thoroughly perplexed as to how he'd come here. Spread out before him was a glorious view of Shang Tsung's Island from a very high elevation. From here, through the clouds, he could see the sea below, the kove, the dock, even part of the sorcerer's own hall. The fact it all looked so small was a testament to how high up he was. "Uh… oooookay, that was pretty trippy." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
He glanced further down, revealing the extent of his new surroundings. He was standing atop some sort of fortress built into the mountain. Like the rest of the buildings on the island, it bore many classical Chinese design elements, as well as significant signs of disuse. The bright sun above beamed down unfiltered and he withdrew a pair of shades from his jacket pocket. "That's better. Now… Sonya? Raiden?" He called out, beginning to search his surroundings for signs of his allies. "Hat man? Bruce Lee Junior?" No one answered his summons, the courtyard appearing as lifeless as it was desolate. A nearby stairwell beckoned him, the only possible route to take. "This better not be like one of those prank shows." He grumbled as he started down.
The fortress was impossibly massive as Johnny Cage descended, crossing catwalks that spanned over dizzying heights as he journeyed further down into the ancient structure. One look over any edge and he was certain the fall would kill him. The remainder of the fortress certainly seemed kept, albeit just barely. Lit torches hung on walls, granting enough light to reveal stacks of boxes and barrels, dated supplies from bygone years laying unused in flickering shadows. The notion of supplies had the actor pondering his situation. "Man, I should've snagged some of that food in the hall before shit went sideways and I wound up here." He muttered to himself.
A new course decided, Johnny went prowling around for a kitchen… and failed to notice the figure lurking behind him, stalking the actor from the shadows…
Cracking open one of the barrels, Johnny dipped a hand in and withdrew a palm full of a dark gunmetal grey substance that clung to his skin. The graininess between his fingertips was the only clue he needed. "Gunpowder. Who'd leave this stuff just laying around?" He murmured. Leaving the stuff be, Johnny ventured into a more ruined section of the fortress. Broken doors lay shattered on the ground along with splintered shelves and otherwise dishevelled furnishings. Evidently a battle had been held here but how long ago remained unknowable.
Finding his way into a storeroom, Johnny began cracking open cupboards and cabinets in search of anything edible. So far only dusty bowls and empty flasks could be found in various states of neglect. The actor quickly deemed this room a bust and turned to leave-
Only to be stopped suddenly by the sight of a burly Tarkatan standing in the doorway.
He recoiled in surprise. "Oh shit!" The snarling mass of muscle and teeth bore down on him and Johnny could see that the depictions in the Wu Shi library were entirely accurate, down to the last brushstroke. "Okay, teeth-guys… what'd the library say about teeth-guys…?" Johnny asked himself, tensing in preparation for some unanticipated action. At that moment the Tarkatan popped his arm blades with a growl, revealing metre-long sharpened bone projectiles that seemed even more intimidating in person.
"That's right! Stay the fuck away from the blades!"
The Tarkatan surged ahead and attacked with rapid slashes, Johnny quickly dodging before leaping back to put some distance between himself and his foe. The Tarkatan charged after him and spun around, his blades passing perilously close to Johnny's ducking face. When he missed, he shot a bundle of sparks from his blade, Johnny bending over backwards to avoid it. Springing to his feet, Johnny was unable to avoid the next slash that split through his sports blazer and dress shirt, missing his skin by millimeters. "Hey! That was custom, asshole!" Either the Tarkatan did not understand english or didn't care (both was most likely) because he paid Johnny no heed and continued to attack.
Johnny ducked, dodged and generally avoided sweep after sweep of his deadly blades, the Tarkatan always getting close but never actually scoring a hit. As his blades became a blur of motion, leaving him with no room to maneuver, Johnny finally engaged in kombat. "You want some of this, dickhead? Alright, let's do this!" He shouted, leaping up and executing a snap kick that caught the Tarkatan in the face. The Outworld creature recoiled as Johnny laid into him with a rising knee followed by a somersault kick that clubbed the Tarkatan in the teeth.
Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Johnny grinned. "You got Caged!" He remarked, amping himself up.
The Tarkatan was quick to get back in the fight, lashing out with a swift thrust from his weapon only for Johnny to drop down and perform the splits, landing a sharp punch right between the Tarkatan's legs. With a whimper, the savage doubled over as Johnny spun to his feet and landed a back kick that struck the Tarkatan full in the face, launching him into the air with the crunch of fractured bone. The actor then caught the Tarkatan with a shadow kick, propelling the Outworlder across the room. "Boom, baby!" Johnny celebrated, albeit a little too soon. "Aw, man. Blood on my… these are name brand!" He complained, spotting splatters of red across his expensive loafers.
The Tarkatan bolted back to his feet and rushed Johnny with a savage snarl, plowing his shoulder into the actor before he flexed his muscles. Bone spines shot from his shoulders and back, many of them getting stuck in the actor's jacket. Lunging with a push kick, the Tarkatan bashed Johnny with enough force to pitch him through the broken remains of the door and into the hall. Johnny hit the ground and hurried back to his feet as the Tarkatan came in with a sweeping lunge. Johnny quickly retaliated with a forceball, blinding the Tarkatan long enough for Johnny to land a right hook, an uppercut, and then two straight blows that nailed the savage in his chest. The Tarkatan staggered only to steady himself and Johnny soon found himself lifted off the ground again as the savage's hands encircled his throat, choking him out before applying a massive headbutt that cracked his skull.
The actor hurried to get up off the floor as his foe unsheathed his arm blades again. Swinging his blades, Johnny missed the first swipe while the second cut through the back of his clothes. A hopping kick to the back of his legs caused Johnny to stumble so the Tarkatan could land an elbow strike that powered him through a fragile wall, putting him right back into the room where he found the gunpowder barrels. Johnny pushed himself to his feet, but then- "OOF!" the air rushed from his lungs as the Tarkatan drove a knee into his gut which he then converted into a push kick that slammed Johnny against the opposite wall. "Okay… Okay… timeout…" Johnny wheezed, forcing himself to duck, tuck and roll as the Tarkatan snapped out his arm and loosed a burst of sparks that struck the wall where his head had once been.
The sparks rained everywhere, striking nearby banners and causing the aged cloth to combust and a sudden fire to spread quickly throughout the room. A wide-eyed Johnny realized the trouble immediately. "Uh oh! You've done it now, fang-face!" He cried, scrambling to escape the room as the fire drew ever closer to the gunpowder barrels. The Tarkatan was hot on his heels, desperate to continue kombat, and chased Johnny down the hall towards a room with a view. Open windows revealed the grassy cliffs beside them, a stark contrast from the dated masonry and carpentry that was rapidly filling with smoke.
And then a deafening BOOM announced the destruction of the stored gunpowder.
The fortress reduced to fire and debris behind them, once-intact rooms turned to jagged heaps of rubble, the shockwave from the explosion was enough to pitch both kombatants into the same room and leave them winded for a moment as a chaotic scene played out behind them. But the hellbent Tarkatan would not be so easily subdued and rose to his feet in moments, looking much more prepared to continue than Johnny Cage. "I don't suppose you're interested in a lunch break?" The actor quipped, picking himself up as his Outworld foe snarled in retorted.
The Tarkatan pounced, clawed fingers reaching, grabbing the actor by the shoulders and pinning him to the ground. An open maw filled with teeth snarled in his face and Johnny grimaced. "Pro tip: always use breath mints!" He gagged, rolling back and throwing the savage off of him. The Tarkatan was quickly on his feet but Johnny was just as quick to catch him on the chin with a swift uppercut and then an overhead punch before laying into the Tarkatan with multiple left and right crosses, beating the savage black and blue until he finally sent him flying with with a shadow-powered roundhouse kick.
The Tarkatan hit the wall but landed on his feet, loosing a war cry as he struck with blades out. Johnny bent over backwards as one arm blade became imbedded in the wall, only for the Tarkatan to use his other blade to cut it clean off. He pulled it free, turning it into a weapon, and threw the blade at Johnny like a spear. Eyes wide behind his shades, Johnny spun around and hurled two shadow bolts to blind the Tarkatan. His foe stumbled with a growl, clutching his face as Johnny summoned the power to throw a pair of forceballs to keep the Tarkatan busy. But the Outworlder was quick to roll under his attack and leap ahead, forcing Johnny to act on instinct.
"And now for the money shot!"
Johnny executed a shadow kickflip that cracked the defenceless Tarkatan across the jaw, opening him up for the actor to give it his all. Surging ahead with a shadow-powered punch, Johnny followed up with two back-kicks that sent blood spurting from the savage's mouth. The force of his kick was enough to pitch the Tarkatan back across the burning hall… right onto a jutting piece of broken timber.
Impaled on the wood, the Tarkatan loosed an unholy shriek as the wood stake burst through his chest, blood splattering everywhere. He struggled to move, faintly grasping at the end sticking out from between shattered ribs as blood poured from between his teeth. Eyes darting back down the hall, he spied his opponent hunched over the window ledge. Johnny looked over his shoulder and flashed a pearly-white grin. "Sayonara, Butterface!" He remarked, flipping the bird as he hopped out the window, spun, and lobbed one last forceball. The Tarkatan loosed a furious roar as he lost his prey, one cut short as Johnny put an end to the kombat… his forceball smashing into the Tarkatan's face and snapping his head back with enough force to break his neck.
Taking control of his fall, the actor used a fast-approaching tree limb to catch himself and somersault to a near-perfect landing. Despite the fact his suit was now covered in dust, dirt, soot, blood and who knew how many other stains that would be a nightmare for any dry cleaner, the A-List actor crossed his arms smugly and watched as the fortress continued to detonate as the fire within spread to more gunpowder reserves and left no doubt that his opponent was dead as a doornail.
"And I only needed one take." He mused, taking a seat to enjoy a well-earned break.
Elsewhere on the island…
Sonya Blade found herself teleported to the middle of one of the dense jungles of the island. The blonde immediately started moving, surveying her surroundings as her inner soldier took over. Her footsteps felt heavy as she pieced her way through the terrain, her mind plagued by images of a bloodied and armless Jax.
Despite his being her commanding officer, Jax Briggs had become something of a friend to Sonya during her training in the special forces. As a recruit, he'd been hard on her, pushing her to go further and do more than any other. It was because of him that she succeed. Without Jax and his coaching (and eventual status as a friend) Sonya would not be the lieutenant she was today.
'Fucking monster… ripping him apart like that… who the hell does that to people? Why would he do it to Jax? He didn't do anything. It was just-' Her thoughts slowed, Sonya pinching the bridge of her nose and loosing a soft sigh. 'It was just what they do. Damn bastards just want to kill us all.' Calming herself down, the blonde hardened her gaze and turned the jungle into her objective. 'Come on, Blade, get your shit together. Can't save Jax if you die first. Think. Focus. How did Jax get here? Last I heard the Black Dragon got him… must mean they're here too. Fight everyone who gets in your way until you find those bastards.'
Her mind made up and her course set, Sonya continued walking, pushing aside broad leaves as she began following a small stream… as an invisible creature tracked her every step.
It wasn't long before Sonya's sixth brought a sense of uneasiness to the lieutenant, as if unseen eyes were watching her from among the trees. She tensed, slowing her pace, gaze darting this way and that as she attempted to find some trace of her newfound foe. The Special Forces had trained her well. No enemy could remain hidden for long…
An invisible fist came crashing into her jaw. Sonya stumbled, hurrying to raise her fists as she scanned for some sign of her assailant. She saw none. 'Weird-ass magic island full of weird-ass magic people. Makes sense some unexplainable shit would happen.' Her reasoning proved well-founded when an another invisible fist struck her cheek, an unseen foot came crashing into her gut, and an uppercut rammed into her chin and pitched her back with enough force to send Sonya careening into the water out of control.
With a groan, the blonde propped herself up. 'Damn thing hits fast. Faster than I could get the wind back into me.' Realizing she didn't yet know nearly enough about her foe (and was currently at a severe disadvantage) Sonya realized that she needed to rethink her approach. Scrambling to her feet, she took off at a sprint in the opposite direction and heard additional splashing behind her. Sonya didn't look back and kept moving forward, until the distinct sensation of a scissor kick struck her in the spine, pitching her forward so she slammed into a tree.
Wiping blood from her split lip, Sonya whirled around with fists raised. "Fight like a man, dammit!" She shouted at the jungle. No response came. Sonya held her breath and listened… The whistle of air being split caused her instincts to scream DUCK and she was glad she heeded them. The tree behind her was split in two by a single swipe of three vicious claws, narrowly passing above the blonde's head. Sonya bolted again, coming to a halt only when she stood in ankle-deep water. 'Okay… if you won't listen when I ask nicely, I'll just have to force you to…'
Reaching for her belt, she whipped out an emergency flare and struck the tip against a nearby rock. A plume of scarlet fire erupted from one end, burning bright enough to shift the hue of her environment. Sonya whipped around, glancing around with the hope her new light might be enough to pierce her foe's kamouflage. Turning slowly, nothing jumped out at her…
Until she noticed a non-natural ripple in the water.
She grinned. "Gotcha, bitch!" Lunging forward, she slammed her flare up against an invisible thigh while simultaneously drawing a knife from her belt. In one swift thrust, she pinned the flare to her stalker, earning a spurt of green blood and an inhuman shriek from her quarry. The air before Sonya shimmered quite suddenly as the assailant lost control of their stealthiness. The blonde took advantage of being able to see her opponent and struck with an overhead punch followed by shin snap kick and then spun around to deliver a hard-hitting elbow strike.
She heard the faint sound of cracking bone as her krushing blow made contact and Sonya capitalized by executing a dropkick that pitched her foe back into the stream. Back on her feet, she watched with mixed reactions as her assailant revealed himself…
The kamouflage lowered. It was a Saurian. A walking, sentient reptile that looked like a human-alligator hybrid. It stood on two powerful legs, arms dangling that ended in a set of razor-sharp claws, and a long snout full of sharp teeth perfect for gripping and shredding. A long, thick tail flicked dangerously behind, and Sonya couldn't help but frown as she realized there was nothing remotely human about this creature. Her time spent studying the species of Outworld lept to the forefront of her mind, all that time spent reading in the Wu Shi library about to pay off. 'Time for some in-field experience.'
"Alright, asshole, let's see what you've got." She challenged.
In response, the Saurian flicked out a long tongue that snared the knife buried in its thigh. Whipping it into its jaws, the Saurian bit down as slimy green liquid bubbled out from between its fangs, smoke rising as metal was melted by acid. With a snap of its jaws, the Saurian shattered Sonya's knife and loosed a low hiss, the kind an alligator would make. Flicking its head forward, a bolt of acidic split came crashing into Sonya's hastily raised arm. The blonde realized to her horror that one of her power gloves was gone, eaten to useless scrap by the acid.
Ripping off the ruined device, Sonya make a break for it as the Saurian spewed more acid bolts her way. Bouncing off a rock, she spun through the air and landed an overhead heel kick right between his eyes and a resounding CRACK echoed throughout the jungle. The Saurian recoiled as Sonya landed back on her feet, only to find her feet tripped out from underneath her as the Saurian's tail struck her ankles and took her down. The lizard-man dove, trapping her legs between his jaws as he executed a death roll, slamming Sonya into the muddy waters over and over again until the blonde found the clarity to grab one of her stun grenades and throw it down.
The ensuing explosion forced the Saurian to stop, giving Sonya enough time to kick her legs free and then land an arc kick that struck the lizard-man in the chin. The Saurian rolled backwards before sliding forward on the ground to slam into Sonya's legs before he rolled forward and executed an overhead slash with his claws, raking through Sonya's clothes and even splitting skin. The blonde backpeddled, closing her arms in front of her to block a rising knee only to suffer when a clawed overhead and uppercut sliced through her skin like it was nothing.
The Saurian started moving, bursting past her with a surprising speed comparable to Earth's own predatory reptiles before he landed a palm strike between her shoulder blades that pitched the blonde forward with a cry. Covered in mud, Sonya rolled as the lizard-man rushed after her, flailing its arms in wild, wide motions that tried to slice her to ribbons with its claws. Having learned enough about the species, Sonya stayed just out of reach, always on the backstep until the creature appeared to learn it was getting nowhere.
The blonde promptly tossed out a grenade, the force of the explosion charring the skin of its raised arms as speckles of blood rained down all around. The Saurian hissed in pain, abruptly cut short when Sonya rounded on it with a sharp backhand and then a right hook, using her momentum to carry her into a hook kick and then an axe kick that slammed hard into the Saurian's snout. She dove low and snapped out her legs, trapping him in a hold that threw him into the ground where Sonya rolled over him and drove her knee back between the Saurian's golden eyes.
The blonde scrambled back to her feet, whipping around as the bloody Saurian picked itself up. It spewed excess spit into its open hands, forming a slimeball that was thrown at Sonya at high speed. The blonde raised her arms, the goo splattering against her and grossing her out for a moment until she realized the Saurian was using it to cover his next approach: spewing a rapid-fire barrage of acidic slime. Sonya hit the deck and darted for cover as the sizzle of acid filled her hearing. She dove behind a sizeable boulder, wincing reflexively as she heard impacts struck her cover and an organic stench filled the air. Glancing to her side, she could see piece of boulder disappear with every round of spittle that struck. 'Dammit. I've got nothing against that.' She realized. But her thoughts were too emotional, coming too quickly before she could assess her situation.
Reaching for the rack on her thigh, Sonya primed one of the electrical grenades before executing a commando roll out from behind her cover, tossing it out as she did. The grenade detonated, electrifying the water and giving the Saurian a nasty shock that jolted him long enough for Sonya to close the gap and land two sweeping hook kicks that sent the lizard-man spinning. It whirled back around and snapped open it's jaws, attempting to snare her as its long, vaguely-prehensile tongue shot out like a spear thrust.
But with lightning-fast reflexes, the lieutenant snatched his appendage inches from her face. "Hey! No tongue on the first date!" Reefing hard on his appendage to close the gap, Sonya released him and lunged forward into a handstand, her legs lashing out to come slamming into either side of the Saurian's torso, cracking his ribs. With the raw strength she possessed, she threw the Saurian overhead and slammed him into the ground where his face smashed into a rock. That's when the blonde pounced. "Not so fun is it? You cold-blooded bastard!" Sonya growled while wrapping her garrotte wire around the neck of the Saurian.
Bracing one foot against the lizard-man's back, Sonya pulled. Hard.
The razor wire sliced through scaly flesh like it was nothing, the Saurian loosing a strangled cry of pain as his blood turned the water green. "Heads up!" Sonya roared as a final, vicious tug shredded skin, muscle, and bone, decapitating the Saurian with enough force to throw his severed head up into the air.
Acting quickly, Sonya snapped up her arm and fired her still-functioning power glove, an energy ring blowing the Saurian's head to smithereens with a burst of violet photons. The gore came raining down as the blonde lowered her arm and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. And then she grew cross with herself. "'Head's up'? Fucking really? Dammit, Blade, that's something Cage would say… ugh!" She cursed, smacking herself in the forehead in a moment of self-chastisement. Hardening her expression, Sonya focused on the task at hand. "One down and whole mess to go," she glanced up, half expecting to see some astral projection of Shang Tsung congratulating her. Nothing appeared but she still spoke aloud, "bring it on you sonnuva bitch. I'm getting Jax outta here. That's a promise." With that, Sonya took off into the jungle, leaving the Saurian's body to fill the water with its verdant blood.