The sun rose a while ago, but I am still sitting here next to Smoke, just looking at the dim sky. Kombat will start soon, and I may be one of the fighters today. The beginning of my fighting means the beginning of my plan. Things will finally be set in motion.
“I’m still alive huh? Shocker,” Smoke says sarcastically over a yawn.
“Who the hell falls asleep on a roof anyway?” I ask, mocking his actions.
“People like me of course. Who wouldn’t?” he shoots back jokingly and turns to me.
I grin and giggle slightly at this then turn to face him.
“I may be one of the fighters for Outworld today…” I say in a low voice.
“Why, you sound as if you don’t want to fight,” Smoke says a little confused.
It’s like he read my mind. I don’t want to fight unless it’s with that bitch Kitana…the rest of the fighters are a waste of my time. Even being this Earth Realmer’s friend is a waste of time, but at least it’s a decent waste. This tournament is utterly pointless.
“It’s not that, it’s just--” the kombat gong interrupts me.
“Speaking of fighting,” Smoke looks at me. I stand and start to walk down the roof slowly.
“Where are you going?” Smoke inquires.
“To father’s side, he’ll expect me early today,” I say.
“That isn’t what I meant,” he says and walks down to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“What do you mean?” I ask confused.
“This is the easy way down,” he says before a medium cloud of smoke engulfs us both, and teleports us down to the first floor in what feels like a split second.
The smoke dissolves into the air as if it were never there as we stand in a currently empty hall.
“Oh, that was…” I pause not knowing what to call that.
“Amazing, I know,” he smirks under his mask.
“I had better get back to my forces, see ya in there Mileena,” Smoke says.
“Alright,” I nod as he vanishes into a puff of smoke again before my eyes.
I walk and turn the corner, making my way through the light crowd of fighters. I enter the room quickly, walking past the arena and to father’s throne chair. I join father at his side like usual, Kitana is also there. The sound of the drums hits the atmosphere strongly.
As usual I watch the same fighters enter the room. Our forces all have this smug and or confident look on their faces, while the Earth Realmers are more serious and blank. They are really determined. They should be, this is their last chance to be free of father.
“Daughters,” father says. We both turn to him quickly.
“Yes father,” we both say.
“Over the course of this day and the next, you will get rid of the rest of the weak peasants that follow under the Thunder God, and you will advance to the semi-finals. When we go to EarthRealm for the second part of the tournament, it will all be up to you. My powers will be taken temporarily by the Elder Gods to ensure I will not invade upon arrival. That means all relies upon this tournament. You will fight and bring me victory or the consequences will be massive. Understood?” his voice is harsh and stern, and I know failure is not an option.
“Yes father,” we both reply in unison.
Kitana looks over at me with eyes that said if we don’t win we’re finished. I shoot a devious look back. Either way, she won’t survive this, so she has nothing to worry about so far as father. I just turn and face the fighters entering the room. I spot the Thunder God walking in with Jax and the blonde woman I had seen a while back when I was training. Smoke also follows behind them.
They proceed to go to the opposite side of where Shang Tsung stands, waiting for him to announce the battle ahead, as always. They come to a stop in the middle of the thick crowd of fighters. I notice the Thunder God is speaking something to them. I wonder what exactly. He appears more encouraging than father judging by their faces when they respond. I see Smoke look up and spot me. I stare at him and he stares back at me.
He winks an eye at me, and then nods. He is encouraging me, even in front of Thunder God. That’s something I can’t exactly pull off with father. I just turn my head slightly trying my best not to smile, but it fails, and I know he sees it. I see him return to his conversation with the Thunder God and I look over cautiously to make sure neither father nor Kitana saw what just took place. Thankfully, there are many people near Smoke, so spotting him in the heavy crowd will prove to be difficult if you do not already know him. I also spot Rain in the crowd, engaging in conversation with Motaro.
“Welcome back kombatans,” Shang Tsung’s words stop all conversation and noise.
“As some of you may know, the first part of the tournament is ending. Only two kombatans from Earth Realm remain, and only three from Outworld. Only five kombatans from each side can proceed to the semi-finals. With that being said, there will be three grand battles, two today, and the final battle tomorrow. Those who have yet to secure their spot in the semi-finals, expect to participate in this battle, so you know who you are,” Shang Tsung’s voice echoes and holds a serious and informative tone.
“So for the time being, our first battle will be Sonya Blade versus Kano,” as soon as he announced it, I look over to where Smoke was. I notice the blonde woman steps onto the arena, brushing past the Thunder God. Kano then made his way to the arena, jumping on.
“Looks like you found me baby, did you miss me?” Kano snickers with sarcasm and a grin as they circle the ring. Sonya gazes at him with fierce eyes.
“If you think I’m letting you walk away from here alive Kano, then you’re fucking crazy! You killed my partner, now you’re gonna pay,” she clenches her fists.
Kano smiles at this and lets out a slight shout as he runs towards her. His fist aims for her head as she dodges it. She gives him a knee to the stomach and then a straight jab to his face. Kano kneels a moment and she steps back. He spits a little blood out to the side of the arena, then faces Sonya with intense eyes.
“You think you’re defeating me, huh baby,” he stands and Sonya flips using her hands, kicking the top of his head.
He spun for a moment, and then dizzily faces Sonya just to get another jab to the face. He falls back and Sonya waits for him to get back on his feet. The determination in her eyes is undeniable. She is going to defeat him. Her head strong attitude towards Kano reminds me of my lifetime rivalry with Kitana. I guess I’m not the only one here for someone’s life in particular.
He takes to his feet again then curls into a ball, advancing in a circular motion towards Sonya, striking her stomach and knocking her down. She grunts in pain, but Kano doesn’t stop, he stomps on her and kicks her making her body roll around the arena. She takes to her hands and knees trying to stand, but he just kicks her again. He goes to stomp her once more, but she trips him, bringing him down. She stands and goes into her stance again, waiting for Kano to get on his feet.
“It’s time to end this here,” Kano says with anger.
The look in his eyes alone says if he wins, he’ll definitely murder her. He pulls a knife from his boot straps and spins it, staring strongly at Sonya with a murderous expression. She does not lose concentration; she gets ready for his attack.
He dashes forward swinging his knife right and left. Sonya’s arm gets cut at an attempt to dodge both strikes. The blood drips down her arm as she fends off other attacks from Kano. He swings at her face and it grazes her cheek. He sends another swing her way, but she ducks it and upper cuts him, sending him falling backwards with blood filling his mouth.
He struggles to get back to his feet. Its over for him, he knows as well as anyone in this colossal room its over too. Kano stands finally and faced Sonya, but he is unable to continue attacking.
“Finish him!” Shang Tsung booms.
Sonya advances to Kano, kicking him down, and then gazes at him squirming on the floor.
She eyes him for a moment with eyes of murder. Howver, something calms her, and she faces Kano with angry pity.
“Lucky for you, we’re different people. I won’t stoop to your level,” she says with disgust on her face before exiting the arena, joining the Thunder God’s side again.
“Sonya wins. However, you are not done fighting just yet dear, you must secure your spot if you are to continue on to the finals,” Shang Tsung announces.
I see what is happening here now; it’s the process of elimination.
Either she wins every match she’s in, or she may die.
“Master Mileena,” I hear. I turn to my right to see my true sister, Li Mei, bowing down at me.
“Yes,” I say calmly.
“You are needed at your headquarters, with the emperor’s permission of course,” she turns to father, as do I.
He raises his hand giving me permission to leave and she leads me through the crowd of fighters quickly. She holds the door open for me, and I walk through as she closes it behind me. Li Mei turns to me and grabs my hand, leading me around the corridor with speed then stops.
“What’s the meaning of this sister?” I ask.
She faced me with shocked eyes.
“Sister! This was the only way I could get you out of there. I’ve been meaning to tell you this morning, but you didn’t return to our quarters,” she says low enough so no one else could hear if anyone was near.
“What happened?” I ask unsurely.
“I know how much you’ve been looking for a good reason to keep a close eye on Kitana, so I have info for you,” Li Mei leans in closer to my ear.
“I saw her talking to Raiden, the Thunder God, last night,” she whispers.
“What did she say?” I whisper back.
“That I do not know, but any info is better than none,” she reassures me.
“Yes, thank you sister,” I say.
“Yes, If she does it once, she’ll surely do it again, be on your guard, you never know what she’s plotting,” Li Mei cautions me.
“I will, besides, if she plots against our forces in any way, she’s as good as dead regardless. She knows that,” I reply in a sure voice.
“You’re right, she wouldn’t dare, but in case she does, just be wary,” she adds.
“Alright,” I say and embrace her. She wraps her arms around me.
“There’s something else, you aren’t fighting today,” she says into my ear.
“I’m the final battle tomorrow?” I question.
“Yes, it seems as though the emperor has a lot of faith in your skills,” Li Mei says softly.
We end our embrace and her brown, green tinted eyes meet mine.
“You should get back in there, I’ll also keep my eyes open for Kitana’s actions,” she states with a sincere voice.
“Yes, I’ll meet you right here after the fighting is done,” I promise. She nods and walks away.
I turn the corner of the blue corridor again and re-enter the kombat room. The crowd is heavy like always, so I make my way through, shoving some out my way. As I make my way back to father’s side, I pause. Kitana is in the ring with Sonya. I see Sonya lying on the ground as Kitana stands over her with one of her fans drawn.
“Finish her!” father shouts. Instead of returning to his side, I stand near the ring a moment, looking over the fighter’s heads.
Kitana sheaths her fan and walks away, leaving her alive. She walks back to father’s side, and I do as well. Johnny Cage goes to help Sonya up, and they both stumble off the arena.
“Kombatans. There are two of you who have yet to claim your spot. Expect to be here tomorrow at sunset for the final battle,” Shang Tsung announces with pride, his jet black hair almost moving from the loud echo.
I know I’m the Outworld finalist, what I do not know is who I’ll be facing.
“Well done Kitana,” I hear father say.
She just bows her head and walks away with the rest of the crowd, making her way out the door. I turn my head and bow to father once Kitana exits.
“Any word on Kitana?” he questions sternly.
“No father, but I shall keep an eye on her, as you wish,” I say innocently, betraying my thoughts.
“Very well, you are dismissed,” he says and I walk, joining the crowd leaving the room.
I could have told father the truth about Kitana associating with the Thunder God, but he does not need to know about the little details at the moment. He just needs it all to come down on him at one time, and then he’ll want to kill her just as much as I. I dodge through the crowd and walk down the corridor. It is time to meet my true sister. I turn the corner and walk to where we decided to meet, but there is no sign of her yet.
“Sister,” I hear and turn around to meet the voice.
There stands Li Mei in a purple two piece outfit that shows part of her chest and compliments her legs with a sash that hangs from her hip. Her hair somewhat passes her shoulders and is wrapped in a purple like scarf-hat.
“Shall we train?” she asks enthusiastically.
“Yes we shall,” I say with a smile under my veil.
“Mileena, there you are!” I hear Smoke say from a distance.
Li Mei and I turn to see him speed walking towards us.
“Sister, you know him?” she questions a little suspicious.
“More or less, he’s a friend within the enemy,” I reply with a grin facing Smoke.
“Sister huh? That’s pretty neat,” he grins under his black mask.
“He’s an EarthRealmer? By the Elder Gods, You really are bad,” Li Mei giggles.
I guess the thought of me befriending anyone besides her is absurd to her, especially from the opposing realm.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I giggle a little myself trying to hold back a laugh.
“Hey, not just an Earth Realmer,” he gets closer, placing his left hand on Li Mei’s shoulder and his right hand on mine.
Within a second, we are at the training ground, on one of the hard-sand arenas surrounded by a puff of smoke.
“I’m Smoke,” he finishes with the cloud vanishing from around us. I look around and notice we are the only fighters out here, most likely due to the first part of the tournament coming to an end.
“Well if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re originally from Outworld, your ability is incredible,” Li Mei compliments.
“No, our forces have much better abilities,” I tease.
“Like pink vanishing mid-air kicks?” he jokes turning to me.
“You make it sound so ‘EarthRealm womanly’; it’s just a little illusion,” I say with a grin concealed by my veil.
“Little illusion? It hurt to walk after that,” he says with laughter on his voice.
“Did it? You should teach me that first then sister,” Li Mei suggests.
“Then I shall, let us begin.”
“I’d like to watch,” Smoke says and steps off to the side of the arena, with his eyes locked onto us.
“There is no real secret to this technique, just concentration and manipulation, something we are both equally gifted in,” I explain.
“Simply stand firm and concentrate on your target. Take in your surroundings and utilize your power deep within. Then when they least expect it or once you see them readying their attack…” I vanish underground momentarily with magenta energy surrounding me and reappear in mid-air, landing in front of Li Mei.
“I see,” she says with a smile.
“Now, you try it,” I say and walk behind her.
I analyze her movements, seeing how well she does this move. She concentrates. A moment later, she makes her move. She suddenly flips into the air, and glides downward with a kick. A white-blue tinted aura surrounds her feet as she does so. She lands on the other side of the arena and turns to face me.
“Well done! You have the concentration down, and you even added your own little twist to it. I am impressed,” I compliment.
“It’s not as hard as it looks after all sister! Thank you,” she shouts loud enough for me to hear.
I turn to Smoke and see him walking over to me.
“Care to spar Mileena?” he asks kindly.
“After last time, really?” I jokingly reply.
“This time is different,” he says softly. His eyes meet mine for a moment.
“Fine, let’s go,” I say competitively.
“We’ll resume our training another time sister,” I add calmly.
Li Mei smiles at us, then steps off to the right of the arena, watching us with her hands on her hips. Smoke gets into his stance, but I do not, I kneel, just as he did the day we fought.
“Seriously?” he complains humorously.
“Your move Earth Realmer,” I mock.
He comes at me swiftly and attempts to kick me. I move quickly, avoiding it, and kneel again.
“Now this is just cruelly too familiar,” he says with a smile on his face beneath his mask.
“Oh yeah?” I sarcastically ask before sending a kick to his stomach.
He took it like it was nothing and sends a kick back. All of a sudden we start to throw a series of punches and kicks to each other. I dodge most of his as he dodges most of mine. I am not going to stop, and I knew he isn’t going to either. I throw an open palm forward, striking his chest. I dodge his fist and go for another open palm strike, but he catches my hand and grabs my arm as his leg trips me. I try and stand but he gets on top of me, pinning me down.
“Submit to me,” he mocks my voice.
I can’t help but giggle at his little ‘I’m Mileena’ attempt. I look up at Smoke and we lock eyes for a moment.
Before I could reply I hear someone say “Hitting on the Outworld hottie Smoke?” and we both turn to see Johnny Cage walking to the right with a grin the size of his ego across his face.
Smoke stands and offers his hand to me.
I take it as Smoke says “Oh Cage, we were just sparing,” as he helps me get to my feet.
“Right and I’m not a ladies man,” Cage replies sarcastically as he enters the ring along with Li Mei.
“You certainly know a few Earth Realmers well,” Li Mei adds.
“This one I don’t know exactly,” I say facing her.
“Me? I’m Johnny Cage babe,” he says to Li Mei with a smile, making her giggle a bit.
“A pleasure to meet you Mr. Cage,” Li Mei replies.
“You know, I noticed you two training earlier,” Cage looks at me then Li Mei.
“And I think I can teach you a few things that will be useful,” he says to Li Mei with sincerity.
“Oh alright,” she smiles.
“But why? I work for your enemy,” she adds.
Smoke put his arm around my shoulder then whispers, “He has a crush on her huh,” while Li Mei and Cage conversate.
“I suppose so, I have never been one to notice such feelings,” I whisper back then face him.
He looks at me with worried eyes and asks, “Why not?” in a low enough voice so they cannot hear.
I want to tell him about my hatred for Kitana. I want to tell him about my appearance. However, I have to remember he’s my enemy no matter how well we get along.
“It’s just not really a thing in Outworld,” I lie.
“Hmm I see, well for what it’s worth, it’s a huge thing in Earth Realm. Ya know, feelings,” he replies.
I wonder what it is like in Earth Realm and why father desires it so deeply. From what I hear, it is amazing.
“Tomorrow when I fight to secure my spot in the second part of the tournament, and we go to Earth Realm…” I say facing him.
“Yes?” he says curiously.
“I want you to show me around, because if we end up merging it with Outworld, it will no longer be beautiful like the stories say,” I say in a serious tone.
“Oh don’t worry Miss Outworld, we don’t plan on losing this tournament,” he replies with joy in his voice.
“But I will do that for you, I promise,” he reassures me.
He was right the whole time. If I’m going to be in this damn tournament, I’m going to make the most of it.