"This place is a shithole." Stated Bo; Johnny Cage's Bodyguard. The actor pulled his bags from the backseat and threw his signature shades over his face as Bo took in a breath of not so fresh air.
"What kind of driver lets the passenger grab his own bags?" Asked Johnny as he pulled the last couple from his car.
"The kind that doesn't get paid enough." Replied Bo to which Johnny Scoffed. They looked out to the docks where a large group of people gathered. It seemed to be a very diverse group, but they all looked like fighters. Johnny assumed they were all here to participate in the tournament as well.
"I still don't like this, Johnny." Said the actor's agent, Chuck. "Nobody's heard of this thing! And trust me, I've asked everyone."
"Relax Chuck, this is exactly what I need to get my career back on track. Show off my skills a little." Stated Johnny. "I'll be fine from here Bo." Said Johnny as he walked down to the docks. His Bodyguard and agent left to watch as the actor disappeared into the huge crowd. Johnny quickly found a spot near the water where he dropped his bags. He was about to begin looking for a bag boy, but someone came running by and pushed him as they shoved through the crowd.
"Just another star struck fan, huh?" Asked a bystander. He was well built with a black leather jacket and he wore a cap that read swat.
"Not exactly." Answered Johnny as he shook hands with the man. "Johnny Cage." He introduced.
"I pieced that together." Said the man. "Names Kurtis, but most people just call me Stryker. I'm guessing you're here for the tournament?"
"Yeah, my agent thought it might help me get my movies back in the spotlight if I did some flashy kicks for the cameras." Replied the actor.
"Well, hopefully you brought your stuntman this time." Said Stryker.
"I do my own stunts." Replied Johnny Cage. "I've practiced martial arts since I was a kid."
"That's not what the media thinks." Replied Stryker as he pointed over to a man reading a newspaper.
"Oh, give me a break." Said Johnny before storming away from Stryker. He swiped the newspaper away from the stranger. The title read 'Johnny Cage, A Fake' with a not so flattering shirtless picture of him on the front.
"Hey man, don't let them get to you." Said the stranger that Johnny had taken the paper from.
"Sure." Said Johnny, looking away from the paper. "Hey, you're Art Lean aren't you?" Asked Johnny to which the stranger nodded. "I saw you fight in London. You were great."
"Thanks, I actually saw some of your films. You can't fake those moves."
"Yeah, well tell that to the press." Answered Johnny as he handed back the newspaper. "What brings you here anyway?"
"Supposed to be some of the best fighters in the world at this tournament." Stated Stryker as he joined the conversation.
"Yeah, that's right, I recognize a few guys already." Said Art looking out into the crowd of people that all waited for the boat.
"That's what I heard too. My old sensei told me about it." Explained Johnny. They couldn't continue the conversation as someone yelled behind them. A fight broke out and someone was getting kicked on the ground repeatedly. He wasn't really putting up much of a fight and was rather just getting beaten by the other man. Johnny didn't recognize either the assailant or victim, but the attacker had a red glowing eye that was surrounded by a metallic plate. The same guy that pushed him just a couple minutes ago. Johnny didn't much care about a shove, but after watching for a moment he noticed the victim was just a kid.
"Hey terminator!" Yelled Johnny shoving the assailant to the ground. The circle of people watching backed up in excitement to watch the fight. Johnny noticed the kid getting beaten wasn't looking so good. A couple of people rushed to help him, so Johnny figured he'd put on a show for the crowd instead. He turned back towards Kano who seemed rather pissed off.
"Oi! Who the fuck do you think you are eh? I'll fucking skin you alive!" Threatened Kano as he pulled a knife out. Johnny was ready for the slash and caught Kanos arm before flipping the black dragon over his shoulder. Kano rolled right back to his feet and rushed Johnny again. The actor was ready and hit Kano with a few jabs, and crosses before jumping up with a kick that sent Kano to the ground sliding. The crowd cringed as Kano took the hits.
"I'm Johnny fucking Cage!" Said the actor to the crowd's amusement. Kano was far from done and picked himself up.
"Hollywood? Clearly you ain't fuckin heard of me, mate. I'M KANO! Of the black dragon! Nobody pulls that shit on my watch!" Kano screamed.
Kano rushed Johnny with a flying knee that sent the actor stumbling. It was the perfect set up for his classic Kano ball that knocked Johnny back further. The actor picked himself up, but Kano grabbed his shoulder and began hitting the actor with hit after hit to his face before a front kick sent Johnny onto his back. Kano approached the actor; ready to finish the fight. With a swift move Johnny rolled off his back into the splits and hit Kano with an incredible nut punch that the entire crowd saw connect. Kano dropped his knife and grabbed his groin as everyone around cringed. Then Johnny followed it with a high kick that sent Kano down a small set of stairs into a nearby market. The merc came to a stop when he tumbled into a pile of crates.
"Oh yeah!" Exclaimed Johnny Cage before doing a front flip with his arms crossed.
Several feet in front of him Kano returned to his feet before spitting a wad of spit and blood.
"You're gonna pay for that Hollywood!" Threatened the Australian man. A crowd gathered quickly with Liu Kang among them.
"Well ring the bell son!" Said Johnny Cage with an extremely cocky attitude and giant grin. Kano rushed the actor flying into a spinning backfist. Johnny caught the attack, drove an elbow into Kano's face then followed it up with a right hook. He connected with a few more hooks and jabs before grabbing Kano and sack tapping him. Kano clutched his groin painfully again as Johnny spun around to deliver a kick to Kano's back. The Australian went tumbling from the market down yet another small set of stairs onto the dock. Johnny followed once again..
By the time Johnny had reached Kano, the merc had already recovered and lunged at Johnny with a flying knee. It connected right with the actor's stomach. The actor hunched over just enough for Kano's uppercut to be devastating. Johnny nearly went unconscious, but countered quickly with a spin kick that sent Kano right to the ground. He returned with a tackle that sent the duo rolling as both wrestled for control. Johnny Cage quickly gained control and wrestled Kano into an armbar. The fight should've ended there with Johnny either breaking something or Kano just flat out submitting. However, Kano had tricks of his own.
"That's It!" He shouted as his eye erupted a fiery red beam. It flew into the night sky before he began to turn his head towards Johnny. The actor quickly kicked Kano in the head and released his grip. The head kick led to Kano's head snapping in a different direction. The beam cut right through a shipping container at least fifty yards away.
"Oh shit." Said Johnny as he watched Kano turn the beam towards him. The actor prepared to activate his shadow abilities which would hopefully give him enough protection to survive the attack. However, a young man stepped between the two and deflected the beam in one swift motion. The beam whizzed right at Kano. The merc narrowly avoided the attack which left him a little shocked.
"You nearly killed me, you little shit!" Yelled Kano.
"It was your attack." Replied Liu Kang flatly. Kano was about to start yelling again when he noticed the crowd before had gone from excited to visibly angry. Some were passing civilians and others were to be contestants in the tournament, but they were all equally pissed at Kano for nearly lasering the entire crowd. He had not only found himself surrounded by now hostile persons, but drawing a rather large amount of attention. Something he'd intended to do as little as possible. The mercenary decided the best course of action was to bolt, leaving Liu Kang with a crowd who were applauding his skill.
"You got a name, kid?" Asked Johnny as he approached Liu Kang.
"Liu Kang." He answered with a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Yeah, those were some quick reflexes there. Guessing you plan to compete in this tournament?" Asked Johnny.
"Indeed, I have trained with the Shaolin for many years in preparation for this tournament."
"Maybe we'll see each other in the finals." Said Johnny before giving Liu a pat on the back. "Unfortunately you don't stand a chance now that I'm here." Liu was about to respond when…
"Nice moves, Kid." Said Art Lean as he and Stryker approached from the crowd. "Must be some pretty strong braces to stop a… whatever that was."
"What was with that anyway?" Asked Stryker. "I've never seen tech like that in my life, and that guy was armed too." He added.
"I was actually wondering the same thing." Began Johnny before switching to a more sarcastic tone. "Then I started thinking about why the actual cop I just met wasn't stepping in to help me out? Dick."
"I'm not on the clock." Answered Stryker. "Plus you had things handled… mostly." Johnny and him glared at one another before the four fighters' attention shifted to the sound of a horn in the distance.
Shang Tsung's ship emerged from the thick fog above the water. It was dark wood, with weak boards all over the outside. The few dim lights didn't make it very clear to make anything out on the carrier, but its shadow was massive. It grew closer with many of the warriors gathering to board. Johnny Cage was the closest to where the ship would be docking and he felt the others gathering behind him. He would be the first to board.
The bridge fell before Johnny Cage as he looked onto the ship with some reservations. A pit formed in his stomach as he stood at the end of the bridge looking up. Johnny assumed everyone else must've felt the same way as no one pushed past him to board the ship. He eventually took that first step with Liu Kang following closely behind. The rest of the fighters waited an extra few seconds with Art Lean and Stryker being the next two that boarded the ship before everyone else followed suit. Before long the vessel would leave on what would be a one way journey for most of these warriors.