Gordonut
New member
This is the continuation of a story based on MK1 (see earlier posts).
All feedback welcome!
-----
Shang Tsung nodded his consent for the duel to begin.
"Scorpion!"
The Shirai Ryu warrior dressed in black and yellow bowed to the sorcerer. He drew his weapon, a "kyoketsu-shogi" – a spear blade attached to a length of sturdy cord.
"Sub Zero!"
The Lin Kuei warrior dressed in black and pale blue also bowed. He had no weapon but displayed a confidence that suggested he would not need it.
"Fight!"
-----
The boat with Kano aboard was long gone.
Sonya's partner, Hsu Hao, had arrived at the jetty within five minutes, but the Dock Police took another half hour to arrive. Sonya was growing angrier by the minute, watching Hsu Hao and a Police Sergeant shout at each other in Chinese, when Liu Kang tugged on her sleeve and beckoned for her to follow. Sonya glanced around, grabbed the kit bag that her partner had brought, and walked after Liu Kang.
.....
Johnny Cage watched the Oriental man and American woman approach. He sighed and mentally prepared himself for an encounter with adoring fans. Maybe if he could ditch the little man, he could have some fun with the blonde?
Liu Kang and Sonya ignored the man in the sunglasses.
"OK, start talking, what's going on?" Sonya asked Liu Kang.
"I would like to help you - " Liu Kang began to reply.
"Excuse me" said Johnny Cage.
Slowly pulling up to the dock was another old looking boat.
"How does that wreck help me catch Kano?" Sonya asked.
"This boat will take us to the tournament - " responded Liu Kang.
"Excuse me" interrupted Johnny Cage.
Sailors in dirty clothes ran out to secure the boat to the dock.
"Why should I care about this tournament?" Sonya asked, talking loudly over Cage.
"Because the boat that rescued Kano - " Liu Kang began.
"Is heading to the tournament" finished Johnny Cage, climbing aboard the vessel. "And so am I. Somebody get my bags".
-----
Shang Tsung leaned forward in his chair.
Scorpion and Sub Zero seemed evenly matched, but he could sense that both were holding back, trying to test the limits of their enemy. Scorpion kept his spear on a short cord despite his opponent having no weapon, and Sub Zero was constantly keeping his distance, apparently giving him a disadvantage against Scorpion's ranged attack.
Scorpion had been concentrating on high attacks – lunging with his blade, punching, or kicking out with his forward leg. He took two quick steps then hopped forward in a short jump kick that was weak, but disguised his true attack - he crouched as he landed, sweeping his foot out.
Sub Zero felt the low impact of the kick and knew the real attack was to come. He leapt forward over the sweep, and with his knee extended caught Scorpion on the shoulder, knocking him to the side. Scorpion rose and saw Sub Zero's cold blue eyes staring at him. Scorpion glared back, and shook out the full length of his weapon's cord.
-----
Sonya and Liu Kang leaned on the aft rail of the boat and looked at the perpetual storm clouds above. The boat had been sailing for several hours, and the weather had turned sour a mile or two offshore.
"Damn clouds must be full of static, I can't reach anyone on this thing." Sonya shook her radio before stuffing it back in her kit bag. "And I can't call my Agent to fire his ass." Johnny Cage said, emerging from below decks, and flipping shut his cell phone. "Clearly he's not been pushing my image enough. Hi, I'm Johnny Cage"
Liu Kang and Sonya looked blankly back at him.
"You guys ever go to the movies? Dragon Fist, Dragon Fist 2?" Cage said.
Liu Kang and Sonya looked at each other.
"Blood and Guts? Twin-Sane Killer? Cage Match, everyone's heard of Cage Match!"
Liu Kang scratched his head, and Sonya shrugged.
"I definitely gotta fire my Agent" Cage muttered. "Still, at least that means you never heard of the whole body-double scandal."
"Oh, you're THAT Johnny Cage!" said Sonya and Liu Kang together, as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled overhead.
"So now you are all acquainted." said a voice from behind them. "That is good. When annihilation is so close, it is better to face it in the company of friends."
-----
Shang Tsung sensed the end was near.
Scorpion had used the full advantage of his weapon – swinging the blade out in swooping arcs or powerful linear thrusts, attempting trips and grapples with the cord. But Sub Zero had suffered none of it. The distance he had created was giving him enough warning to avoid everything Scorpion attempted. And Scorpion was using more energy in maintaining the kyoketsu-shogi's momentum than Sub Zero was using to avoid it.
But Scorpion had yet to use his most powerful attack, the one that had given him his name, the one that had never failed him. He pulled on the cord, the spear blade curving behind him at full speed. Grunting with the exertion, he yanked the rope forward, the blade blurring, speeding in a line aimed directly at Sub Zero's throat.
-----
On the old boat, in an empty cabin, the assassin sat in the lotus position.
He could hear the voices, and he knew his target was aboard. It would be a simple matter to eliminate a sleeping victim, and the assassin knew many ways to make such deaths seems natural. All he had to do was bide his time until nightfall.
A rat scampered across the cabin floor, sniffing at the wall. The assassin slowly and silently stretched out one arm and pointed a finger at the rodent. A blue aura formed, and a beam of energy flew towards the rat, encompassing it entirely. When the energy dissipated, the assassin studied the rat. It was encased in a block of ice, immobile and helpless, and soon it would suffocate to death.
The warrior called Scorpion had been dispatched in exactly the same way.
Sub Zero's finger traced the thin scar that the spear had caused as it grazed his neck. The wound was not important – for his victory had ensured that Shang Tsung would continue to favour the Lin Kuei for another generation. And through his patronage, the Lin Kuei would know supreme power as masters of Earth ...
Sub Zero returned to the lotus position.
All feedback welcome!
-----
Shang Tsung nodded his consent for the duel to begin.
"Scorpion!"
The Shirai Ryu warrior dressed in black and yellow bowed to the sorcerer. He drew his weapon, a "kyoketsu-shogi" – a spear blade attached to a length of sturdy cord.
"Sub Zero!"
The Lin Kuei warrior dressed in black and pale blue also bowed. He had no weapon but displayed a confidence that suggested he would not need it.
"Fight!"
-----
The boat with Kano aboard was long gone.
Sonya's partner, Hsu Hao, had arrived at the jetty within five minutes, but the Dock Police took another half hour to arrive. Sonya was growing angrier by the minute, watching Hsu Hao and a Police Sergeant shout at each other in Chinese, when Liu Kang tugged on her sleeve and beckoned for her to follow. Sonya glanced around, grabbed the kit bag that her partner had brought, and walked after Liu Kang.
.....
Johnny Cage watched the Oriental man and American woman approach. He sighed and mentally prepared himself for an encounter with adoring fans. Maybe if he could ditch the little man, he could have some fun with the blonde?
Liu Kang and Sonya ignored the man in the sunglasses.
"OK, start talking, what's going on?" Sonya asked Liu Kang.
"I would like to help you - " Liu Kang began to reply.
"Excuse me" said Johnny Cage.
Slowly pulling up to the dock was another old looking boat.
"How does that wreck help me catch Kano?" Sonya asked.
"This boat will take us to the tournament - " responded Liu Kang.
"Excuse me" interrupted Johnny Cage.
Sailors in dirty clothes ran out to secure the boat to the dock.
"Why should I care about this tournament?" Sonya asked, talking loudly over Cage.
"Because the boat that rescued Kano - " Liu Kang began.
"Is heading to the tournament" finished Johnny Cage, climbing aboard the vessel. "And so am I. Somebody get my bags".
-----
Shang Tsung leaned forward in his chair.
Scorpion and Sub Zero seemed evenly matched, but he could sense that both were holding back, trying to test the limits of their enemy. Scorpion kept his spear on a short cord despite his opponent having no weapon, and Sub Zero was constantly keeping his distance, apparently giving him a disadvantage against Scorpion's ranged attack.
Scorpion had been concentrating on high attacks – lunging with his blade, punching, or kicking out with his forward leg. He took two quick steps then hopped forward in a short jump kick that was weak, but disguised his true attack - he crouched as he landed, sweeping his foot out.
Sub Zero felt the low impact of the kick and knew the real attack was to come. He leapt forward over the sweep, and with his knee extended caught Scorpion on the shoulder, knocking him to the side. Scorpion rose and saw Sub Zero's cold blue eyes staring at him. Scorpion glared back, and shook out the full length of his weapon's cord.
-----
Sonya and Liu Kang leaned on the aft rail of the boat and looked at the perpetual storm clouds above. The boat had been sailing for several hours, and the weather had turned sour a mile or two offshore.
"Damn clouds must be full of static, I can't reach anyone on this thing." Sonya shook her radio before stuffing it back in her kit bag. "And I can't call my Agent to fire his ass." Johnny Cage said, emerging from below decks, and flipping shut his cell phone. "Clearly he's not been pushing my image enough. Hi, I'm Johnny Cage"
Liu Kang and Sonya looked blankly back at him.
"You guys ever go to the movies? Dragon Fist, Dragon Fist 2?" Cage said.
Liu Kang and Sonya looked at each other.
"Blood and Guts? Twin-Sane Killer? Cage Match, everyone's heard of Cage Match!"
Liu Kang scratched his head, and Sonya shrugged.
"I definitely gotta fire my Agent" Cage muttered. "Still, at least that means you never heard of the whole body-double scandal."
"Oh, you're THAT Johnny Cage!" said Sonya and Liu Kang together, as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled overhead.
"So now you are all acquainted." said a voice from behind them. "That is good. When annihilation is so close, it is better to face it in the company of friends."
-----
Shang Tsung sensed the end was near.
Scorpion had used the full advantage of his weapon – swinging the blade out in swooping arcs or powerful linear thrusts, attempting trips and grapples with the cord. But Sub Zero had suffered none of it. The distance he had created was giving him enough warning to avoid everything Scorpion attempted. And Scorpion was using more energy in maintaining the kyoketsu-shogi's momentum than Sub Zero was using to avoid it.
But Scorpion had yet to use his most powerful attack, the one that had given him his name, the one that had never failed him. He pulled on the cord, the spear blade curving behind him at full speed. Grunting with the exertion, he yanked the rope forward, the blade blurring, speeding in a line aimed directly at Sub Zero's throat.
-----
On the old boat, in an empty cabin, the assassin sat in the lotus position.
He could hear the voices, and he knew his target was aboard. It would be a simple matter to eliminate a sleeping victim, and the assassin knew many ways to make such deaths seems natural. All he had to do was bide his time until nightfall.
A rat scampered across the cabin floor, sniffing at the wall. The assassin slowly and silently stretched out one arm and pointed a finger at the rodent. A blue aura formed, and a beam of energy flew towards the rat, encompassing it entirely. When the energy dissipated, the assassin studied the rat. It was encased in a block of ice, immobile and helpless, and soon it would suffocate to death.
The warrior called Scorpion had been dispatched in exactly the same way.
Sub Zero's finger traced the thin scar that the spear had caused as it grazed his neck. The wound was not important – for his victory had ensured that Shang Tsung would continue to favour the Lin Kuei for another generation. And through his patronage, the Lin Kuei would know supreme power as masters of Earth ...
Sub Zero returned to the lotus position.
