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Today started with a normal morning for Fox. His early morning routine, before the sun even rises, consists of a series of stretches and exercises to loosen his muscles. His morning workout, which is done before breakfast, is an extensive and explosive series of high-intensity mini routines during which he works up an incredible sweat. After showering and cleansing his body and mind through meditation, he proceeds to the dining facility for a simple but nutritious breakfast. Many of the mornings, particularly of late, he eats alone. This is primarily due to the fact that Takeda, his fellow Shirai Ryu and longtime friend, has found himself distracted most mornings, busy with quite the handful. Or perhaps it would be more apt to say four handfuls. Fox doesn't mind and doesn't judge.

As the team consists of a variety of martially-minded individuals, there are usually an assortment of them who eat as early as he does. Yet still he often eats alone, by choice. He does not do this necessarily out of any degree of social awkwardness or shyness, but rather he does this because he is always serious and focused. Very rarely does he ever have a conversation that is not meaningful and all of his actions tends to have a measured and thought-out purpose. Not all of the others do.

Today, after a typical solo breakfast, Fox found himself putting aside his plans for his daily routine comma as an emergency meeting was called in the rec room. The seriousness of this meeting was communicated clearly by others on the team who had heard the news first, and upon entering the rec room, Fox found quite the gathering indeed. The entire team had gathered, including several individuals closely associated with the team. As Fox entered, others filtered in behind him. The man in the center of the room, the one who had called this gathering, was Kaito.

>Stand in the back, alone
>Stand in the back with Takeda and Sheeva
>Stand near the middle with Vapor and Ling
>Sit in the front with Cassie and Tundra
>Other

>>1430286
>Stand in the back, alone
In the designated "shadowy corner."

>>1430310

Fox finds a place for himself near a corner, leaning up against the refrigerator. The others who entered behind him quickly find a place of their own and the room settles.

The rec room of the New Defenders base is a place that often hosts much activity and mirth, but this meeting is in stark contrast to that. The entire team is present, along with various others that include Sonya, Johnny, Jax, Kenshi, as well as Mileena and certain members of her crew. Each of them was informed of the utmost importance and seriousness of this meeting, hence their reason for silence, but very few of them knew the entire reason why.

Kaito stands with a look of uncertainty on his face and his hands on his hips. He stares at the ground for a moment, then looks up into the eyes of his love, Mileena, before clearing his throat and mustering whatever it is he needs to speak.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush," he begins, slowly turning to look the entire room in the eyes. He does this before continuing, "Every single one of you are some of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You're all warriors, but more than that you are good people through and through. Self-sacrificing, honest and true. In all the time that I've been fighting, I've never fought alongside a more worthy and capable team of individuals, and I mean every word of that."

At this point, several eyes across the room break contact from him and look at each other, wondering what the truth behind this meeting really is. Some of them have looks of worry while others remain firm and stoic, ready for whatever it may be. Kaito runs a hand through his hair and says, "That's why you deserve to know the truth, a truth I've kept hidden for a very long time. But I have never felt it more important than now to reveal it."

>Remain silent
>Move closer
>Speak
>Whisper to another
>Other

>>1430286

> Takeda and Sheeva

>>1430340
>Remain silent

>>1430340

> Silenct, but straighten up.

>>1430350
This.

>>1430347
>>1430369

Fox straightens up and pays close attention while remaining silent. Many of the others do the same.

He takes a deep breath, as if to prepare once more, and goes on. "Twenty years ago, during the time between Shao Kahn's first defeat in Outworld and subsequent return, taking his throne back from Kitana after we had helped win her win it from his loyalists, I was introduced to an orb. We all know this artifact and what it did. After the Emperor returned, I used this orb to speak to Turana, who at the time was his prisoner."

Bringing a hand up to his mouth and rubbing his jaw, his brow furrows as he gestures with his other hand while he says, "Shao Kahn somehow sensed the presence of my soul, and cast some kind of spell. I was hurled out of our reality and sent adrift... elsewhere."

Cassie is the first to speak up. "Where?"

"Outside of time and space. It was there I met a being not unlike the Elder Gods: Chronosis. This was the only time I met him. He explained to me that he and the Elder Gods worked together to hold not only our own reality together, but multiple realities. Infinite realities. Alternate universes, parallel timelines, mirror dimensions, however you want to phrase them. They exist, all around us."

Fox's brow narrows. Near him, Takeda excitedly exclaims, "I knew it!"

"Infinite earths?" Cassie asks.

"Not just infinite earths, but infinite Outworlds, Netherrealms, Orderrealms, every realm that we know existing alongside each other in their own specific universe. Chronosis showed me glimpses of these other worlds, some of them radically different from our own. I gained a lot of perspective on that day, to say the least."

"Why did you never tell us this?" Mileena asks, her voice difficult to place with an emotion. He looks into her eyes and doesn't waver.

"I was told that one could glimpse into other worlds, other times, but could not cross over. That to do so would threaten the existence of both realities. But, it wasn't until we defeated Shao Kahn in Earthrealm, and my soul was kicked out of my body by the Crimson Thunderbolt that I met someone named Ryan."

>Remain silent.
>Ryan?
>What does this have to do with us?
>Think quietly to yourself
>Other

>>1430404
>>Ryan?

>>1430404
>>Ryan?
It returns

>>1430404
>Ryan?
After all of the shit we have been around, the least plausable part of this is the dude's name.

>>1430404
>Ryan?

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>>1430414
>>1430447
>>1430451
>>1430531

"...Ryan?" Fox says with a cocked brow.

"Yeah, uh, what?" Jacqui adds.

"I know, just bear with me. Ryan is a man, or perhaps it's better to say he is a being in the guise of a man, who watches over our reality. In fact, he's probably listening in right now."

"Does he watch us when we're sleeping?" Takeda asks, and Sheeva nudges him in the ribs.

"I think he has better things to do, but the point is that Ryan exists on a plane outside of our own reality, but one connected to it. He's a watcher, a guardian who makes sure things don't go wrong. He told me that when I was first ejected from reality, I created a gap through which something that didn't belong in our reality crawled in."

"What was it?" Fireseed asks.

"I can't quite describe it. I only ever called it the Entity. It was this... eldritch thing, eyes and mouths and tentacles, that wanted only to destroy our existence through merging it with several others. This would have caused untold devastation and resulted in the utter unraveling of existence as we know it."

Cassie looks over at Tundra. "Hashtag 'Lovecraft was right', eh?"

"Why did the Elder Gods not do anything?" Sonya asks.

"They couldn't. It was blocking them, and I don't know how. I was the only one in a unique position who could stop it. It was during this time my body, my real body, was placed in the Jinsei Chamber by Raiden. I was forced to take a new form, a very different form, and find the person this Entity had latched onto."

Now Jax asks, after lowering his cigar, "What were you, exactly?"

"I was a saurian, named Otiak."

"Dude, seriously?" Cassie asks. "That's just your name spelt backwards."

He shakes his head. "It seemed smart at the time. The point is, I hunted down the trail of this thing across all of the realms, and the further I went, the more reality broke around me. People and places from alternate dimensions started attempting to hamper me, especially once this Entity knew I was hunting it." He looks at Cassie. "I even met you, Cassie. A different version of you."

She whistles lowly. "Woah."

"And a few others things I won't mention. As it turns out, the person attempting to destroy all of reality was Havik, but that wasn't the being the Entity latched onto. It was Scorpion."

>Remain silent
>Defend Grandmaster Hasashi
>He never told us this. How can it be true?
>Think quietly to yourself
>Other

>>1430594
>"Dude, seriously?" Cassie asks. "That's just your name spelt backwards."

Hey! Nobody figured it out, not even you.

>>1430594
>Think quietly to yourself

>>1430594
>Think quietly to yourself
I don't know which is more unnerving. That he tells us this now apparently out of nowhere, or there are multiple Lin Kuei clans across the universe.

>>1430594

> thinking

is super IC

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>>1430614
>>1430616

Fox's gaze lowers slightly. 'Grandmaster...? He never mentioned any of this. What could it mean?' Nearby, Takeda seems to be having similar doubts.

Kaito goes on to explain, "I defeated Scorpion and the Entity was defeated along with him. The Elder Gods were able to come in and fix everything, repairing the realities that had merged into one. Everyone's memory was repaired as well to forget that any of it ever happened, leaving me the only one who knew the truth. I thought I would go back into my body and wake up, but... Well, that didn't happen."

He looks now back to Mileena and says, "The true reason that I didn't wake up for twenty years was because of a being named Aegis, who took over Ryan's position. Ryan had been sent to the bottom of the Edenian Sea where he became Captain Farragut."

"What?!" Mileena says, taking a few steps forward. "I don't understand. Explain it."

"I will, I promise you," he says, taking her hands in his. "But later. It's... complicated, to borrow a phrase from Ryan. I promise to tell you everything about Captain Farragut, but it doesn't apply to why I've brought everyone else here. Trust me." After a moment of intentful staring, she seems to bedgrudgingly agree and lets go of his hands, allowing him to walk back to the center of the room.

Vapor then speaks up. "Wait, I'm confused, who is this Aegis again?"

Johnny smirks. "A twenty-foot-tall tin can with plenty of fist-shaped dents in it."

Nobody seems to understand. Kaito coughs into his hand and goes on, "Aegis was a problem. He kept me from waking up for twenty years as a kind of petty revenge. Though it wasn't my responsibility that the Entity had made such a mess---it was, like so many other things, Shao Kahn's fault---he blamed me and kept me from waking up. When I reunited with Ryan at the bottom of the Edenian Sea, he explained that he needed the orb to get his job back, that we would have to break reality again. Eventually, as it turns out, I wasn't the one to get the orb back. All of you were."

"When we went to assault Noob Saibot's spire," Jin recalls. "At the time, you and all the other old Defenders were suffering from a bad case of Wraith-Plague."

Ling then raises a question of her own. "But if you needed it to help this... 'Ryan', why didn't we take it straight to him?"

"It was on my mind, but I thought it would be best to wait and see if we could use the orb to our advantage, perhaps to spy on our enemies or deliver important messages to our allies. But then..."

Fox watches his body language keenly as Kaito stops speaking, and seems to take a moment to ready himself. "Then, you all died."

>Remain silent
>What?!
>But, we're not dead.
>Think quietly to yourself
>Other

>>1430637
>Other
Poke Takeda with something sharp. If he reacts then indeed, we are not dead.

>>1430637
>But, we're not dead.

>>1430637

> Other

> Are you going to tell us you're a time traveller too?

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>>1430644
>>1430666
>>1430680

The room is, appropriately enough, dead quiet. At first, the only things that speak are the eyes and expressions of everyone's faces. Cassie, perhaps, phrases their confusion best when she asks, "Care to run that by us one more time, boss?"

"Yes," Fox nods. "I'm not dead. None of us are."

"Not anymore," Kaito replies cryptically. "But let me start from the beginning... Well, there's no easy way to say it. The training android gained sentience, took over the base, assimilated our technology at a rapid pace, took down the OWEA headquarters and raided Area 51 for advanced technology. Before any of us could react, it had already completely wiped us out in less than twenty-four hours. Some of us died fighting the machines that it spread its consciousness to, while others died in... lesser ways." He closes his eyes and momentarily shudders.

Cassie nearly stands up, scooting to the edge of her seat. "Wait, seriously? The machines went full Skynet on us and killed us?"

"I'm confused, was this another reality we're talking about?" Takeda asks.

Kaito shakes his head. "It was ours. This reality. I returned to the island on the Dragon Wing, only to find it destroyed. The machines had taken over a Dragon Jet and bombed the base, killing almost all of you. Those that weren't were taken to be turned into cyborgs." He shares a look with Johnny and adds, "Johnny saw this happen."

The room now turns towards the actor, who is no longer smiling. His eyes are closed and his face is downcast. "Yeah. Cass, you and your mother... came for me. You were machines."

The blonde sergeant looks between her father and mother, who also seems to know this already. "How, how can this be?" she asks. "None of this happened."

"No, it did," Kaito replies. "Just not anymore. Let me explain... The machines destroyed the Dragon Wing. Killed Mileena and her crew, but I survived. I saw this machine, Triborg, speaking with Havik on the shore before they launched missiles at us from the VTOL. I then spoke with Shang Tsung and Raiden, retrieved the orb and made for Edenia. My plan was to help Ryan, get revenge on Aegis and then use Ryan's portals to travel back in time and stop the machines."

"Holy shit," Cassie whispers. "That's why you took down the training android! You stopped Skynet before it ever took off!"

"And I came with him," Johnny says. "So, all this stuff he's saying? About this Ryan guy, and Aegis? It's all true. Every word. The machines killed almost everyone in this room, and Ryan showed us most of it so we could better prevent it." He looks around, eventually settling on Jax and Jacqui. "I, uh, don't want to go into too many details, but... It wasn't pretty."

>Remain silent
>How did I die?
>Can we time travel to fix more of our problems?
>So what do we do now?
>Other

>>1430688
>Can we time travel to fix more of our problems?
ever the pragmatist

>>1430701
>>1430688

This, someone is ought to ask that question, sooner or alter anyways.

>>1430688
>How did I die?
I figure Fox is the sort to worry about that sort of question.

>>1430688
>>1430701
>>1430707
>>1430710

i support both.

>>1430701
>>1430707
>>1430710
>>1430758
Yes upon further consideration I would like to inquire as well of what manner of mortal and successful danger have befallen upon us in the past.

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>>1430701
>>1430707
>>1430758

Fox speaks up. "So, does this mean we can time travel to solve more of our problems?"

Takeda snaps his fingers. "Hey, yeah! Like the Deadly Alliance, or Noob Saibot!"

Kaito holds up a hand. "I'm afraid it doesn't---"

"You can't just go messing with time," Cassie interrupts. She then stops herself and looks at Kaito. "...Right?" Several others in the room begin asking questions at a rapid pace before Kaito cuts them off.

"It doesn't matter because we can't anymore. It was a one-time thing. I have no way of getting back to Ryan, and even then it was difficult to convince him to allow us to time travel in the first place." Kaito paces for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.

"How did I die?" Fox suddenly asks, finding himself intensely curious about a fate he apparently couldn't escape from.

"Yeah, and me?" Cao asks.

"I don't want to get into details. You'll have to forgive me." He takes another breath. "After we defeated Aegis, Johnny, Ryan and I, he showed us what had happened and how. And we learned... some very, very bad things." Everyone looks at each other as he says, "Well, there's no way to smooth over this part, so I'll just come out and say it: the governments of Earthrealm have been infiltrated by saurians in human disguise, and Secretary Blake is one of them. We don't know why he's created the New Defenders, but deep in Area 51 they have stockpiled weapons that are specifically designed to kill us. Triborg and his machines found these weapons, and they used them against us."

Again, the room is silent for a moment. Sam, who up until this point has been completely silent, then asks, "So... were rumors about lizard people running the government and the Illuminati actually true?"

"It seems so, yes," Kaito nods. "And our government, or at least certain parts of it, who up until now have financed and supported us, seems to only be keeping us around until they no longer need us."

>Remain silent
>We need to get those weapons.
>How do we stop these saurians?
>Who else has been compromised?
>Other

>>1430826
>Who else has been compromised?
who needs to be assassinated?

>>1430826

> Who else has been compromised

Subtle gear check if possible.

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>>1430838
>>1430861

Fox puts a hand on his belt, not far from a kunai. "Who else has been compromised?"

Johnny turns and says, "We have comfirmation on a number of high-ranking individuals. Thankfully, none of them are one of us. Everyone in this room is who they say they are, as are plenty of our allies. The saurians haven't tried taking anyone's place who could easily fight back, so if they're a fighter, chances are good that they're who they say they are."

Kaito nods. "It seems that their plan has mostly extended towards infiltrating the governments of Earth. For one of them to have become the Secretary of Defense means this runs far, far deeper than we may know. What we are talking about is an invasion scheme that is far beyond our ability to easily combat, and if any of these raptors have access to nuclear launch codes..."

Cassie stands up. "We have to stop them. Now."

"Calm down, sergeant," Sonya says. "We realize the dire nature of the situation, far better than most. If we don't handle this correctly, it could get much, much worse. We can't risk open warfare against these infiltrators that may be in a position to assassinate major figures in countless world governments."

"Where did they even come from?" Frost asks. "How did they do this?"

"Technically, they've always been here," Kaito replies. "They lived underground. Saurians were the original inhabitants of this realm, long before humans evolved. When Shao Kahn invaded and nearly merged the realms, they decided to begin this plan... whatever it may be."

"Does that mean our team is a lie?" Tundra asks, and many look at him. "I mean... Secretary Blake started this team. How many of the staff on this base are like him? If we stop him, what's going to become of us?"

Kaito puts his hands on his hips. "We're a team. Nothing is going to change that, but things ARE going to change. Once we expose these lizards, we can bet a lot of our funding is going to be pulled, but we're more than capable of operating independently at this point."

"Who needs money, anyway?" Ling shrugs.

Cao stands up. "I would like to point out that I had no idea about any of this."

"...Nobody said you did," Jacqui replies.

"Well I just wanted to put it out there, because of my, you know, history. With Khameleon."

"Like we needed to be reminded about THAT," Cassie says distastefully.

Kaito urges Cao to sit down. "We know these saurians have no connection to Reptile, Khameleon or any of the others we've known. Not even they knew about them, that's how well-hidden they were here in Earthrealm. Hell, Khameleon was convinced she was the last of her kind. It was only in these last twenty years that this group became active. The problem is we don't know how many there are or how deep this goes."

>Remain silent
>Then let's find one and interrogate them.
>I say we take away their weapons first.
>We need to warn our allies and the people.
>Other

>>1430945
>We need to warn our allies and their people.

>>1430945
>We need to warn our allies and the people.
>Then let's find one and interrogate them.

>>1430945

> interrogate first

Gain intel

> Alert allies

Gather resources

> Remove weapons

Remove enemies assests

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>>1430953
>>1430966
>>1430970

"We should warn everyone," Fox suggests, though as the others begin to speak his words are lost in the corner. Many in the room begin quietly discussing this saurian revelation amongst themselves.

"How in the hell did I never find any of them with my telepathy?" Takeda wonders aloud.

Kenshi places a hand on his son's shoulder. "Fret not, my son. Not even I knew about this. My guess is that these saurians knew well about our telepathic abilities---the government has documented all of our team's powers, after all---and intentionally avoided us. In fact, I've never been in the same room as Secretary Blake."

"Really? How is that?"

"Come to think of it... I was always given an assignment not too long before the general would meet with him. What a suddenly suspicious series of coincidences, is it not?" He smiles.

Sheeva folds all four of her arms. "I do not like this. The governments of Earthrealm could be severely weakened by this. Their military, if turned against other realms, would be devastating."

Fox slips around them and approaches Kaito, who speaks with Sonya and Johnny while Cassie and Fireseed look on. He repeats his point to them, "We should warn everyone."

Kaito looks over at Fox, and his expression changes slightly. "It's not quite that simple. Our allies in other realms, yes. Some of them already know, ones we can trust. But if we start some kind of panic over this, it will give the saurians a bigger chance to hide."

"Not to mention that they may control certain aspects of the media," Sonya points out. "If they tarnish our credibiltiy it will be that much harder to get a message out."

"That's why we need to capture Blake and make him talk," Johnny says. "Get him to spill the beans on where and who all of his scaly buddies are. Once we have proof, we can take them out and expose them all at once."

>I volunteer for this assignment.
>Where will we lure him?
>What if the trap backfires?
>Let me send a warning to the Shirai Ryu.
>Other

>>1431079
>I volunteer for this assignment.

>>1431079
>What if the trap backfires?

>>1431079
>What if the trap backfires?
Once we catch him, there is no turning back. If we don't move fast enough the others will find out and scatter. Also how will we make them talk?

>>1431079
>>What if the trap backfires?
Fox is the best bet for this kind of work, but I dunno

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>>1431099
>>1431112
>>1431147

"What if this trap backfires?" Fox asks. "If we don't move fast enough the others will find out and scatter, or do more damage like you said. And how will we make him talk?"

"Leave that to us," Johnny says, lightly clasping Fox on the shoulder. "Trust me, if my wife wants something out of a man, she'll get it. She's scary like that." Sonya shoots him a narrow-eyed glance. Johnny turns back and says, "See? What'd I say?"

"Don't worry, Fox. We have it in hand." Kaito looks at Sonya. "Have you got it covered from here, general? I'd like to pursue that other matter we talked about." She switches from looking at Johnny to Kaito and nods. The team leader then takes Fox off to one side. "Follow me, if you would."

Cassie steps up. "Is there something going on?"

"Trust me, Cass, you'll do better if you stay here. Your mother and father have a plan, and they'll need you. I have a plan as well, and for that I need Fox."

Fox looks at Kaito with some curiosity, as does Cassie. The Shirai Ryu follows Kaito out of the rec room, down the halls and into the Special Forces portion of the base. As they walk, he talks. "I've been suspecting something for a while now, you know. My first big tip-off that something wasn't right was when Sylence was taken to Chicago without our knowing. Seeing these saurians and the weapons they produced to kill us, well, it's like having the curtains lifted from my eyes."

He approaches a vault door and enters a code on the numpad alongside it. The doors open as he continues, "These saurians aren't the only ones working behind the scenes. I mentioned Havik, the cleric of chaos, during my story. Havik had something to do with the machines. He set a long series of things in motion, plots withing plots within plots, culminating in this."

A final door opens, revealing an empty metal pedestal. "There's supposed to be a Kamidogu here. The Kamidogu of Chaosrealm." Kaito turns around and looks at Fox. "Somehow, against all reason, Havik engineered a scenario in which I would break reality and go back in time. Yet, even after the timeline was repaired, he somehow still retained the Kamidogu he took from the ruins of our destroyed base in the previous timeline."

"...How?" Fox asks, though all Kaito can do is shake his head without an answer. Fox's brow furrows as he thinks about all he has learned, but the fact that Kaito has taken him off to speak to him alone compells him to ask, "What do you need me to do?"

"I have an assignment for you, Fox. A solo mission. I need you to go to Chaosrealm."

>Remain silent
>And retrieve the Kamidogu?
>And kill Havik?
>Solo? Will I have any backup at all?

>>1431170
>>And retrieve the Kamidogu?

>>1431170
>Solo?

>>1431170
>Solo? Will I have any backup at all?

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>>1431178
>>1431247
>>1431253

"Alone?" Fox replies. "Will I have any backup at all?"

"We'll be keeping the standard number of reserve team members here in case of an emergency. But if at all possible, you need to do this by yourself."

"To do what, exactly? Steal back this Kamidogu?"

Kaito leans back slightly. "I want you to spy. To see what you can learn about Havik and what he's done. And, if at all possible, retrieve it. But not if it would cost your life or that of anyone else."

At first, Fox is silent as he contemplates this information. "Why me?"

Kaito is deadly serious. "Because you are the absolute best man for the job."

Fox reflectively states, "I appreciate your confidence. But, why?"

"You've only been to Chaosrealm once before, on a brief scouting mission. I'm sure you remember it well."

"I do."

"What you might not remember is what didn't happen to you, because you may not have realized it at the time. In comparing your report on the mission to everyone else's, it became clear not only to me but to General Cage that Chaosrealm does not affect you like it does for most other people."

Fox's eyes drift off to one side then snap back. "I don't like to ask many questions, so forgive me. What do you mean by that?"

"Fox, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a loner and everyone here knows it. This doesn't stem from you lacking certain qualities, but possessing them: you're a professional. You're down-to-earth, and you take things exactly as seriously as you need to. You have a level of control and self-discipline that only the more senior members of this team possess. You like like to do things your way, not out of a rebel nature but because you're a traditionalist. This means that Chaosrealm, a hypercharged realm of madness and backward thought is least likely to affect you."

"You mean, my emotional state?"

"Or lack of it, if I may be blunt. Chaosrealm is partially shaped by those within it; they can affect their environment. Someone like Havik can use this to his benefit, but a non-chaosrealmer does it unintentionally and often to their disadvantage. It works on a subconscious level, and once it starts affecting you it becomes more severe. We've noticed this on smaller scales with other people on the team, that's why any mission to Chaosrealm is kept to a strict timetable. Except this one."

>What does my self-control have to do with the mission?
>Then why me? There are others with as much discipline, like Fireseed.
>You're placing a lot of faith in me. I'm hardly the most important person here.
>What kind of negative effects does exposure to Chaosrealm bring?
>Other

>>1431302
>>Then why me? There are others with as much discipline, like Fireseed.

>>1431302
>Then why me? There are others with as much discipline, like Fireseed.
>You're placing a lot of faith in me. I'm hardly the most important person here.

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>>1431306
>>1431308

"Then why me? There are others with as much discipline, like Fireseed."

"Yes, there are. But Fireseed has other issues at hand, and there is a concern among the higher-ups that extended time in Chaosrealm could negatively impact him. For that reason, he will be assigned to the Blake mission."

"What about you, then?"

"I have a lot going on at this moment, Fox. I just time travelled to save everyone's lives and am dealing with a conspiracy of lizard people. This issue with Havik weighs heavily on my mind, but I've made the choice to focus on one at a time. This matter with trapping Secretary Blake demands my immediate attention. What's more, I have complete confidence in you."

"I don't mean anything by it, sir. It's just that you're placing a lot of faith in me. I'm hardly the most important person here."

Kaito seems to stall and blinks a few times. He then narrows his eyes and repeats one word Fox spoke: "Important?"

Fox takes a sharp breath through his nostrils. "That was a poor choice of words. I just meant that I haven't proven myself exceptional enough to warrant this kind of assignment, or this much trust from you. I often work best when I'm with the others."

"Fox... I didn't know you were modest to a fault."

"Sir?"

"You are an exceptional warrior, and you have never failed a task that you have set your mind to. You might think that you haven't stood out, but you have, even if you meant not to. Make no mistake: you are important here. Everyone has a role, and this mission I am sending you on is yours. Chaosrealm will not affect you like it would the others. This means you will be harder to detect, because these chaosrealmers can pick up on strange currents in their realm, the kind that are generated by people more susceptable to them. You? You're practically going to be invisible."

Kaito places a hand on his shoulder. "You're a rock, Fox. Chaos is going to wash around you like water. Not only are you the best man for this mission, but you are a member of this team even if I'm asking you to go it alone. We'll have backup waiting, of course, but you need to know that, in this moment, you are perhaps the most important member of our team. We don't know what Havik is scheming, and with so little time on our hands, the team needs you. I need you." Lightly gripping him, he asks, "Do you understand what I am asking of you, and the risks involved?"

Fox's response is characteristically simple: "Yes."

>Gather your gear
>Confer with Takeda
>Plan with Kaito
>Contact Grandmaster Hasashi
>Other

>>1431387
>Plan with Kaito
know the target, know the mission

>>1431387
>>Plan with Kaito
>>Contact Grandmaster Hasashi

>>1431489
Seconded

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>>1431484
>>1431489
>>1431513

Less than an hour later, Fox and Kaito are in the briefing room, going over their plan.

"Strange as though it may seem, large populations of people live in Chaosrealm. These inhabitants are as much a curiosity as they are unpredictable. Some may be friendly and helpful one moment before stabbing you in the back the next, while others will simply try to stab you through the front." Pulling up several images depiting changing landscapes, he continues, "I can't tell you what kind of terrain you'll encounter, so expect everything, especially the unexpected."

"This advice is very helpful," Fox deadpans.

"I know, believe me, I know. But for as long as we've operated in and existed alongside the realm of chaos, the only thing we truly know is that we don't know much. But, here are some facts."

As his hand slides across the touchscreen table, more images appear. "The chaosrealmers worship chaos in all its forms, from butterfly effects to cataclysmic storms and everything inbetween. Their god, Zaggot, exemplifies this in a number of ways. Despite seemingly contradictory, a clergy of worship exists around him and chaos in general, with an established heiarchy. Havik, as far as we know, is the chief cleric." Several images of Havik appear, most of them blurry or captured with him out-of-focus. "One thing that has been proven time and time again is that the depth of Havik's schemes is always deeper than it seems, pardon the rhyme. If we're unlucky, Havik will be expecting us. But something tells me he isn't going to expect just one of us, and it won't be you."

The images change to a rough map of an area. "This region may be completely different when you arrive---that's the nature of Chaosrealm. But the settlement situated near Havik's cathedral is never too far away. We're going to send you there, or at least where we think it may be. Again, it may have moved, so you'll have to be as adaptable as the realm itself."

"I'm prepared," Fox swears.

"Once you find the settlement, you'll find the cathedral. Infiltrate it by any means necessary. Once you're in, find Havik, find the Kamidogu. Learn as much as you can, but remember that you're on your own. You'll have to be doubly careful once you're in that church. So close to their chaotic altars may have strange effects on our equipment and could hamper any effort on our part to rescue you."

"Understood."

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>>1431557

Not long thereafter, Fox is alone in his room, sitting on his knees. He places a communicator in front of himself and enters a special code. Moments later, his call is answered.

"Forrest Fox."

"Grandmaster." He bows to the image of Hanzo Hasashi on the screen. "I wish to confer with you, if you have the time."

"I understand time is something your team has little of."

"You have been told?"

"I have been told enough. Kaito has called us to action. The Shirai Ryu are preparing to mount an offensive against several politician targets. I will not speak more on this over this connection."

"Understood, Grandmaster."

>Ask for advice about Chaosrealm
>Inquire about Havik
>Express doubt in yourself to accomplish this mission on your own
>Let him get back to his duties
>Other

>>1431560
>Inquire about Havik
also
no way can a bunch of ninja assassin clans ninja assassinating politicians go wrong.

>>1431560
>Express self-doubt
No one has ever given Fox a vote of confidence like Kaito has just now.

>>1431560
>>Express doubt in yourself to accomplish this mission on your own
>Inquire about Havik

>>1431560
>>Ask for advice about Chaosrealm
>>Express doubt in yourself to accomplish this mission on your own

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>>1431575
>>1431589
>>1431617
>>1431656

"I have been assigned a mission to Chaosrealm. I was hoping you could tell me about Havik."

Hanzo nods. "I see. Havik has always been an enigma wrapped up in a riddle. He surrounds himself with what he thinks is an impenetrable layer of foresight, but this can be his weakness. The smallest detail that he overlooks can become the very thing that undoes his plans. But with how long he has survived, he always seems to have a backup plan in place. If you do come to face him, I would not recommend attempting to outsmart or outthink him. Follow your instincts. He is still just a man and can be beaten, no matter what mind games he plays."

"I understand, Grandmaster. I will attempt to be resolute during my time there. Kaito seems to think that the control over my emotion makes me an ideal candidate for this assignment, but..." His voice drifts off as he stops himself.

"But what? Speak."

"I am to face this assignment alone. I have doubts."

"Doubt in your ability?"

"I have undertaken solo assignments before. But not to a place like this."

"That is understandable. But you must not let this doubt cloud your mind. It must be focused and sharp as a razor."

Fox quietly sits for several seconds. "Grandmaster, if I may speak openly... Ever since coming to this team, I have strived to be as good a teammate as I can be. I have grown accustomed to relying on others, like Takeda. Even while we were both under your direct supervision, we worked together. I protected him. Though I will have backup, I must go in alone, and I find the thought... unnerving. I do not quite know why."

The Grandmaster's reply comes quickly. "There come times for us all to face some things by ourselves, Fox. Even one such as you."

"I've often set myself apart from the team," Fox admits. "Training alone, eating alone. But now that I am being sent off alone, I do not know why I am feeling this way."

"What you feel is fear," Hanzo tells him. "But not fear for your life. This team, much like the Shirai Ryu, has become something of a family for you, even if you do not show it or admit it to yourself. You fear in disappointing them, in not being there for them when they may need you. Kaito is the one who is sending you on this mission?"

"Yes, Grandmaster."

"Then you must be there for him. He, too, is Shirai Ryu. Honorary, but of your clan nonetheless."

Fox straightens and bows his head. "Thank you, Grandmaster."

His next few words are in Japanese. "May fortune smile on you, Forrest Fox."

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>>1431731

The communication is cut and Fox remains still as he contemplates the words of his grandmaster. 'Have I truly come to rely on them, as they rely on me? I have always kept myself apart, feeling almost alienated on this team. But somewhere that stopped and now I truly do feel that they are something of a family. Is that what this is? Not wanting to let them down? Or is it something more?'

Nearby is his kusarigama, set neatly to his right side. Not wanting to waste time, he grabs it and attaches it to his belt, securing it so that it is easily reached and ready to be used. Next he dons his mask, sliding it over his face. He takes only a moment more to mentally prepare himself before leaving.

>Find Takeda
>Find Kaito
>Head to the Portal Chamber
>Secure some additional equipment
>Other

>>1431734
>>Find Takeda
>Secure some additional equipment
Rations, extra smoke bombs and shurikens, and maybe some poison

>>1431734
do >>1431774

>>1431734
>Secure some additional equipment

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>>1431774
>>1431797
>>1431808

Stopping at the armory, Fox picks up a number of useful items. He prefers a low-technological approach, arming himself with shuriken, smoke bombs and poison. The poison is usually homemade, as they don't allow him to requisition it. Still, extra shuriken, smoke bombs and some rations will do nicely for now. Armed with his kusarigama, kunai, climbing claws and more, he departs from the armory and finds Takeda walking down the hallway towards him. His friend is clad in his own battle-gear, his technologically-advanced suit with its whip harness and other numerous gadgets drawing a night-and-day contrast between the two of them.

Yet even though they disagree when it comes to their gear, their personalities couldn't be more welcoming towards one another. Takeda holds up an arm and they clasp hands, tightly squeezing each other in a strong grip.

"Kaito told me you're going off on a solo mission. I'm actually jealous."

"You often are," Fox snidely remarks.

"Of you? Please. If I wanted someone to be jealous of I'd look in a mirror."

Fox smirks as they lower their arms. "How about you? Can I count on you to be my backup?"

"I'm sorry buddy, they've got me on another mission. Looks like I can't watch your back this time."

"That's fine. I usually end up having to watch out for yours, anyway."

Takeda's smile slowly vanishes. "Hey, Fox. Be careful out there. Chaosrealm is no joke. When I was there, I kept hearing voices in my head. That's probably why they don't want me going back---my telepathy is like a beacon out there."

"I see..."

Takeda clears his throat after a quiet moment. "So, yeah. Good luck. You'll have to tell me about it when you get back."

"You too," Fox says, and they part ways. Fox pauses and looks back at his old friend. Memories of their time together at the Shirai Ryu temple flash before his eyes, though he doesn't know why. He assumes it is due to his nerves, which he strives to keep calm and controlled.

'You will protect him,' Grandmaster Hasashi's voice reaches his ears from the depths of his memory. He shakes his head and reminds himself that Takeda no longer needs his brotherly protection. Being a few years older than he, Fox had been very loving to the younger warrior, in a tough brother-like manner. But now Takeda is faster than he, and though he is stronger, speed can win out over strength if used correctly.

'That's how he landed Sheeva after all,' he thinks with a smirk. 'In our own last fight under Grandmaster's supervision, he won.'

Fox rounds the corner and heads towards the portal chamber.

>Talk to Kaito
>Get straight to the mission
>Take one last moment to prepare yourself
>Go over your backup
>Other

I'll stop there for the night. We'll resume tomorrow!

>>1431920
>>Get straight to the mission

>>1431920
>Take one last moment to prepare

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>>1431962
>>1431971

Upon entering the room, various technicians and soldiers hustle about, preparing for a lot of activity today. Sonya is here, along with Kaito, and Fox approaches them both.

"Sir, Ma'am. I'm ready for my assignment."

Kaito walks around the console and hands a device to Fox, a personal portal generator and beacon. "Use this to call for backup or for a hasty retreat." Fox takes the device and straps it to his belt, securing it soundly. "Remember, you don't have to engage Havik or attempt to steal the Kamidogu if it seems too dangerous. Anything you learn on this mission will be valuable to us."

"I understand."

Sonya and Kaito both input the commands for the nearby gate to generate a portal to Chaosrealm. The three of them watch as the energy fluctuates around the steel circle that forms the rim of the portal, bright green and electrical in nature. A bright flash occurs and the room fills up with a current of strange air as the portal is made, a spinning vortrex of green, black and bits of gold. Lightning runs about its watery surface as it stabilizes.

"The portal is ready," one of the nearby technicians reports. "We have a stable connection to Chaosrealm."

Fox moves up in front of it, taking a deep breath. He steadies himself and prepares for what is to come. He feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see Kaito.

"Just remember what I told you," he says with a smile. "And good luck."

Fox nods and, without a moment more of hesitation, runs into the portal. Travelling by portal is always a dizzying thing, but it is doubly so in the realm of Chaos. He loses his footing as he enters and tumbles through the inter-realm tube, spinning and feeling both stretched and compacted at once.

When he is spat out the other end, it is upwards and into the air. The world rotates confusingly in his vision, but like a cat he manages to land on his feet, planting them both and his hands upon dirt. Almost immediately, all the way to the very core of his being, he knows he is in a different place. Looking up only adds to the feeling of alienation from normality.

Chaosrealm stretches seemingly infinitely in all directions, and in all directions there is no consistency. Mountains that float, rivers that spiral upwards, a sky that changes colors on a whim. The air itself alternates between feeling too thick and too thin, while the ground beneath his feet feels like it is moving. Fox has been here before, and he liked it just as little back then.

'How could anyone live here?' he thinks, standing up and looking around. Above him, the portal closes. He catches one last glimpse of it and takes another deep breath. 'On my own. Let's get to work.'

Walking to nearby ledge, he looks down into a vast void of nothing. To his immediate left and right are pillars of jagged stone and a bridge of floating rocks respectively. Though these portal coordinates were for a settlement, it appears Kaito was right: it has moved.

>>1432497

>Find a high point to climb up to get a look around
>Cross the floating bridge; leap from stone to stone
>See if you can find some ruins or life around here
>Spend some time adjusting your body and mind to Chaosrealm's energies
>Other

>>1432497
>Find a high point to climb up to get a look around
We have to find that chatedral

>>1432503
>>Find a high point to climb up to get a look around

Then once we've got a lay of the land and are sure we're in a quiet spot with no locals around to surprise us

>>Spend some time adjusting your body and mind to Chaosrealm's energies

>>1432503
>>Spend some time adjusting your body and mind to Chaosrealm's energies
>> Find a high point to climb up to get a look around
Let's just take this slow and stay as safe as we can. No need to rush and get frazzled by the realm.

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>>1432508
>>1432522
>>1432523

Fox dashes towards the large columns nearby and leaps upon one, using his climbing claws on his hands and feet to great effectiveness. He scales the unnusually-wet stone to its peak and perches there, slowly turning his head to look around. While he can see more, it would help if it were even higher.

A tingling goes up his spine as he senses movement in the rock. He looks down and realizes it is moving, sliding out of the ground and floating straight upwards. Fox holds tightly onto the stone as it levitates, carrying him into the sky.

'Is it doing this because I wanted it to?' he wonders. Perched as he is upon this floating pillar, he can now see for miles and miles around him, though the details of this realm are often hard to make out. Fox squints as he tries to discern buildings or structures in the distance amid the frothing chaos of this land. The landscape shifts in subtle ways, making one double-take more often than not and causing doubt as to if it had changed at all.

He closes his eyes and moves from a hunched-over position to a sitting one. He calms himself, exercising great control over his emotions. Atop this pillar floating in the void, he allows his body and mind some more time to adjust to the currents of this realm. Though he will never feel at ease in a place so foreign to his wordly sensibilities, he will power through this unease and do what must be done.

When he opens his eyes again, the pillar has rotated to face the direction of a great valley of sorts, a lowland surrounded by large mountains of unnusual shape. But within this lowland are unmistable signs of some manner of civilization; towers, square buildings, domes and other structures. The area appears curiously tropical, as he can see palm trees, thick vines and sand alongside swirling rivers.

'Perhaps they decided they wanted to take a vacation,' he muses. 'I see no cathedral, but it's a good place to start.'

>Float over the town and spy on it from above
>Land and sneak into the town
>Head towards one of those mountains and land there
>Simply walk into the town
>Other

>>1432538
>>Land and sneak into the town

>>1432538
>>Land and sneak into the town

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>>1432553
>>1432590

Placing his hands back upon the stone, Fox focuses and watches as it lowers down to the ground. When it touches upon solid rock, he leaps off of it and looks back, amazed to find that it continues onwards, boring into the ground and leaving a tunnel behind. Shaking his head, he begins to approach the town.

Remembering Kaito's words about how he should seem almost invisible to the inhabitants of this realm, and hoping that they will ring true, Fox sneaks towards the settlement. The area itself is covered in a kind of mist that grows thicker the closer he gets, until he can barely see more than twenty feet away from himself.

However, upon entering the town proper, he discovers there are in fact people here, but they are a strange and pale lot. Covered in odd clothing of leather and fetishes of leather, piercings and tattoos, these people all seem as though they are trying to stand out in a crowd. Some of them have wild hairstyles, while others have parts of their own flesh and musculature exposed, held open by wire and rings. Fox observes them from a distance as they interract; some speak words he is familiar with, but most of the time it seems as though nothing more than babble.

From a hidden vantage point, he watches as one of them takes out a knife and stabs another in the throat; several others around them applaud. The one with the knife in his throat falls to his knees and seems to laugh as blood pours out of his mouth. Fox slips past this bizarre scene and passes by a home in which a man is hanging from the ceiling by hooks dug into his back. He is snoring, and that is apparently his bed.

Despite this, the town appears to have some familiar things about it; there is a market, there appear to be guards, and people seem to be going about a daily routine. Then again, he doesn't know if this is just what they happen to be doing today, and if they may do completely different things depending on what day it is.

>Attempt to blend in with a disguise
>Find someone you can interrogate
>Search the entire village for clues
>Remain hidden and observe the people more
>Other

>>1432629
>>Search the entire village for clues
This is chaosrealm, blending in would be as bad as shouting into a megaphone saying: "I'm an Orderrealm sympathizer".

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>>1432698

Fox begins a dedicated search of the town, getting a feel for its layout. He keeps an eye out around every corner, moving only when none are looking. Dashing between the alleys and buildings, he searches for any sign or hint of the worship of chaos, but despite his efforts he only finds stranger folk doing stranger things. The closest thing he finds is someone sacrificing a two-headed goat in the town square (which is really more of a town triangle, due to the interraction of the roads) but this appears to be more of a public ritual, as several other members of the community come by with skull-ups to collect the blood to drink.

'This place,' Fox thinks distastefully as he shakes his head.

Just when he's about to give up and see if he could find another community, he spies something that looks more in line with what he's been searching for. Several figures in black robes move about the town, going from door to door and collecting things in bags. These objects seem rather bland, from a collection of hair wrapped in twine to a finger or two. Fox watches them closely, though he cannot understand their speech, which sounds almost like they're talking backwards.

After collecting this odd tithe from the people, the hooded figures proceed out of town to a nearby pond surrounded by a thick grove of dead trees. Peering through the fog, Fox notes as each of them descends one-by-one into the water, vanishing from sight and leaving only bubbles behind. None of them walk back up.

'Well that's too curious,' he thinks. He knows that the chaosrealmers have a particular affinity towards water, as it represents an ever-shifting and flowing freedom in their religion, so seeing this coupled with their collecting leads him to believe he is on the right trail.

He waits for a moment before sneaking closer. The water is dark and murky, not permitting any sight within. Fox prepares to follow them when suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stands up; he isn't alone.

Turning around, he sees a figure in a ragged brown robe standing over him, the only facial feature visible being a pair of glowing white eyes staring down at him menacingly.

>Attack!
>Threaten
>Gain distance
>Remain still
>Other

>>1432748
>Other
Do something weird and Chaos-like, and ask "What?"

>>1432759
Can we even talk? Aren't we underwater?

>>1432748
>>Remain still

I say we let them make the first move rather than jump to the conclusion that it's an enemy.

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>>1432759
>>1432764

Fox tenses and prepares to draw a weapon, but stops himself, thinking he may yet have a chance to blend in. He looks up at the figure and asks simply, "What?"

The glowing eyes of the figure spark for a moment with electricity, then blink back to normal. As the light of the eyes goes away, the rest of his face becomes visible, along with his long white hair. He recognizes this face, for he has met this man before. Or rather, this god before.

The Shirai Ryu's eyes widen. "Lord Raiden! What are you---?"

The thunder god holds up a hand. "Calm, Forrest Fox. I am here to help you."

Fox stands up, but still keeps a hand on his kusarigama. "How is it you are here?"

"My power is weakened in other realms, but I am able to travel to them for short periods of time. I have come to this place to set right what I helped make wrong."

Fox looks him up and down. "Forgive me for saying this, but it is rather fortunate to suddenly run into you. Suspiciously so."

"I am who you think I am, Fox." The same hand turns palm-up to display a small ball of lightning which he then clenches his fingers around. "It is partially my fault that Havik retrieved the Kamidogu of Chaosrealm. The cleric blocked my sight through means I am only beginning to understand, and took advantage of my more passive role in protecting Earthrealm. But I will no longer sit idly by while he schemes. He must be stopped."

"Why did you not come to the island and speak to us, if you knew I would be coming here?"

Raiden looks away and folds his arms behind his back. "I am afraid that I am not on good terms with your team's leadership. The fact is, I should have seen Havik's schemes and the saurian infiltration. But I did not. My mind has been clouded and dark."

Fox continues to watch him carefully. 'His words make sense... He knows why I am here, where I would be and the current situation at hand. Still, how do I truly know I can trust him?'

>Refuse his help
>Ask him something only the true Raiden would know
>Accept his help and continue the mission
>Inquire if he has a plan of his own
>Other

>>1432805

> Ask him something

What was Kaito's secret technique he used on Shang Tsung?

>>1432830
Yeah this works

>>1432830
Wait, do we know the answer to that?

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>>1432830
>>1432866
>>1432877

Reaching into his memory, he focuses upon a story that Kaito once told them around a fire. The subject was Shang Tsung, prompted by a question from Takeda. Fox remembers the details well, gives Raiden a discerning look and asks, "Tell me this, then. What was Kaito's secret technique he used on Shang Tsung?"

Raiden pauses, turns and looks him back in the eyes. Then, he smiles. "A move he borrowed from one Mr. Cage, I believe."

Fox smirks beneath his mask. "Alright. I suppose I do believe you. I followed chaos worshippers to this pond and they travelled within. Nobody has emerged."

"Chaosrealm is full of strange doorways, portals and other such things," Raiden says, kneeling by the water's edge. His hand hovers over it. "This pond may very well conceal such a passage."

Removing his robe and revealing a white outfit beneath, Raiden takes a moment to summon up a straw conical hat and place it upon his head. "Shall we?"

Fox leads the way, wading into the water, which he discovers becomes quite deep. Taking a deep breath, he fully submerges himself and finds a tunnel that leads deep down into the ground.

Raiden follows him, and in addition to swimming behind him, provides light in the dark passage with his powers. He runs a thin current that follows the walls, illuminating them in a thin, blue-green haze. Fox realizes the passage becomes quite jagged up ahead and adjusts his body so as not to cut himself on the rocks.

As they proceed deeper, Fox realizes that gravity is changing around them. Now it feels as though he is swimming upwards, or is it just his imagination? He sees an end to the tunnel up ahead, resembling the very pond he initially entered, and upon surfacing realizes that they are now in a completely different location, some kind of vast underground chamber filled with thick foliage.

Raiden emerges alongside him, his hat and eyes poking out of the water.

"Where are we?" Fox whispers.

"Deep underground, in the center of the landmass we were previously standing upon."

"But we went straight down."

"Indeed. This chamber has its own gravity. As far as Chaosrealm goes, this is rather simple."

"So where are we?"

Raiden points ahead, past the leaves. Fox peers and sees a great structure taking up the center of the cave. "The cathedral," Raiden replies in a low tone. "We must be careful."

'So the community did move after all,' Fox thinks. 'And so did the cathedral. They moved it under the ground itself.'

>Spy on the building from afar
>Attempt to sneak in
>Knock out some worshippers and steal some robes
>Split up
>Other

>>1432924
>Spy on the building from afar

>>1432924
>Spy on the building from afar

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>>1432928
>>1432987

They both move closer, wading through hip-deep water. The entire temple appears partially submerged, with pillars and archways half-sunk and the structure itself seemingly partially lopsided, as though one corner of it has sunk more deeply than the others. The area is lit by strange runes which eerily glow, along with torches that burn green, blue and many other colors that fire shouldn't burn in. The building itself is a strange mismash of architectural styles and clashing layers of stonework that creates a confusing maze-like structure that all at once appears both an ancient ruin and freshly built.

Fox and Raiden stay low amongst a series of reeds as they observe the building. Occasional hooded figures can be seen walking around its mishapen paths, as well as other things that do not quite adhere to description. Snake-like beasts with eel heads and crocodile legs slurp about the base of the ruin while turtle-frogs sit and cry like birds. Strange motions in the water indicate the presence of otherworldly creatures, and occasionally a glimpse of a tentacle can be seen.

As they peer on, figures in boats begin to arrive through a large entrance from which a river flows. These nondescript hooded chaos worshippers carry more bags, some of them moving with muffled screams of an unknown nature, into the temple under the watch of gargoyle-like guards.

"They are preparing something," Raiden whispers as they watch. "These sacks are ritual components."

"What kind of ritual?"

"That I do not know. We must learn more."

>Attempt to swim under the temple
>Climb the cavern walls and drop down on the roof
>Use your smokebombs to cause a distraction
>Have Raiden teleport you both inside
>Other

>>1433056
>Climb the cavern walls and drop down on the roof
Raiden has limited powers here, smokebombs might point to Fox, since they might not be abundant in Chaosrealm. Swimming is dangerous.

>>1433056
>Climb the cavern walls and drop down on the roof

>>1433056

> Climb

I mean we brought our gear brah.

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>>1433062
>>1433066
>>1433068

"I'll climb," Fox says to Raiden. "Can you? I only have one set with me."

"I will find another way inside," Raiden replies. "One that will not draw attention."

Fox nods and proceeds to the cavern wall. With his climing claws on, he digs into the side and begins to find hand and footholds to support his weight as he scales the wall as quickly yet silently as he can. Hand over hand, foot over foot, Fox makes his way towards the ceiling of the cavern. This task would be nearly impossible were it not for his claws, as soon he finds himself hanging from the rocks. Thankfully it does not take long for him to get over the roof, and so when he judges the time right, he lets go and falls.

Landing upon the stone without a sound, he moves quickly to cover. Two hooded figures with odd weapons walk by and pass without noticing him. Fox then finds a passage with a stairway and follows it down into the temple. The shadows of this place are deceptive, and things that seem to be walls are tricks upon the eye. The ninja feels a strange sensation that fogs his head but he shakes it away. The energies of this realm are concentrated here, seemingly thicker than before, and it dizzies him slightly.

He moves further into the temple, his ears open for any sign of its occupants. He hides behind a statue when a door opens near him and a strange creature emerges. He doesn't get a good look at it, but its breathing is heavy and its feet drag on the floor, not to mention the horrid smell that accompanies it. It seemed as though a fish-man, but he only saw a glimpse of its scales before it is gone, vanishing into a pool of water at the end of a hallway.

>Follow the hooded figures
>Attempt to navitage the water in the halls
>Listen for odd noises and follow them
>Wait where you are
>Other

>>1433092

> Wait

Honestly I don't like following right after we got dizzied. Gather ourselves and then enter.

>>1433092
>>Wait where you are

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>>1433144
>>1433180

With not many worthwhile options available, Fox decides to sit and wait where he is. 'Perhaps someone important will pass,' he thinks. 'I can at least wait until someone who looks worthwhile to follow passes.'

The truth couldn't be closer to his thoughts. But a few moments later a passage opens in the walls with two statues parting. The chamber becomes awash in red light as none other than Havik appears, walking down the hall with several of his followers behind him carrying red lamps. Fox's eyes go wide as he catches a glimpse of the cleric, half his face missing and framed by a metal headdress. The cleric walks with his eyes straight forward, but for a moment Fox is worried he may have been seen and hides.

The procession passes by his hiding place, evidently having not noticed him. Fox pokes his head out and watches them go, seeing them walk straight into a solid wall and passing through it as though it weren't solid at all. When they are all gone and the light from their lamps snuffed out by the wall, the ninja creeps out and approaches it. He places his hand against it only to discover that it is but an illusion, and so he sneaks through it to follow them.

He finds himself in a hallway leading to the heart of the temple. Havik and his minions split off into smaller groups, walking around the circular chamber which seems almost to exude a life of its own. The walls, floor and ceiling all seem to shift like something is crawling behind them while some surfaces seem almost flesh-like, pulsing with the beat of an unknown heart.

Fox moves across the slick floors and peers down into a ritual chamber. His eyes widen as he beholds a grand altar, and upon it is the Kamidogu of Chaosrealm! It glows orange and hovers above a stone hand ending in claws. The altar is adorned in countless items, odd fetishes and baubles, components for some manner of ritual. Dull chanting in an alien tongue bounces off the walls from all directions.

The faceless hooded minions move about the area, taking their places in a circle around the altar. Havik himself strides up onto it, taking the Kamidogu at hand. The low chanting filling the room becomes louder, but none more so than Havik himself, holding the artifact aloft and looking upon it with wide, white eyes.

>Watch and see what happens
>Attempt to steal the Kamidogu
>See if you can find Raiden
>Attack Havik and his minions
>Other

>>1433285
>>>See if you can find Raiden

>>1433285
>See if you can find Raiden

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>>1433303
>>1433334

'There they are, right there! But I can't do anything without Raiden... What if this ritual is something bad? Even though Kaito told me I only need to recon, what if leaving causes something worse to happen?'

Amid his thoughts, there is a new noise from one end of the room. The chanting in the area stops as a chaosrealmer is suddenly flung up against the wall and blasted with electricity. Havik pauses and slowly turns around, leaving the Kamidogu on the pedestal.

Raiden enters the room calmly, even as Havik's minions move to stand between them. Fox watches from his hiding place above as the thunder god stops and looks up at the cleric of chaos, his eyes sparking beneath his hat.

"Well, this is unexpected, and that's saying something," Havik cackles. "I expected you to send one of your lackeys from that team of children."

"I have come to destroy you, Havik."

"Bold words from an old, weak god who has done nothing for two decades." Havik claps his hands and laughs again. "You, destroy me? I've already beaten you at every turn, fool. The ritual is nearly complete; the six Kamidogu will become one."

"What are you blathering about? The Kamidogu cannot merge."

"Not as you know it," he laughs. "It's already too late for you to stop it. Wheels greater than even the mind of a god can comprehend are in motion, and I am the one in control of their direction."

"Your words are meaningless, Havik. It is time we ended this!" He raises his hands and blasts his minions with lightning, frying them on the spot. They crumble to the ground in heaps of smoking robes.

"Pretty show, but pointless!" Havik takes out his morningstar and holds it in front of him. "Come then, Thunder God! Let's see if an old battery can still give off a charge!"

The cleric leaps from the altar, bringing his weapon down upon the thunder god as he howls with laughter. Fox's eyes widen as he realizes that the Kamidogu is open for the taking!

>Help Raiden fight Havik
>Secure the Kamidogu and help Raiden from a distance
>Secure the Kamidogu and portal out
>Wait and see what happens
>Other

>>1433717
>Secure the Kamidogu and portal out
Taking the Kamidogu is the best way to fuck up Havik and his plans.

>>1433717

> Secure and portal out

Raiden can teleport back to the realm on his own.

I'm just worried Havik's foresight bullshit will have this be a decoy; all according to keikkaku.

>>1433717
>>Secure the Kamidogu and portal out
This is the mission, yo.

>>1433717
>Secure the Kamidogu and portal out
can't merge the kamidogu if you have no kamidogu

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>>1433723
>>1433726
>>1433778
>>1433792

Fox knows what he must do. He is on a mission, and Raiden is helping him. He must accomplish his task---Havik was never anything more than a secondary target. Leaping from his hiding place, the ninja lands upon the altar and grabs the Kamidogu. Almost immediately, Havik's head turns completely around even as his body continues to fight Raiden off.

"What?! YOU?!"

Fox takes out his personal portal generator and activates it; the coordinates to Shang Tsung's Island were already pre-set. The portal forms alongside him, the vortex growing quickly until it is the size of a man.

The cleric's torso spins in the opposite direction, forcing Raiden backwards as his morningstar swipes across. Havik runs towards Fox with backwards-legs, his joints snapping as he goes. Fox makes eye contact with the cleric but once before diving into the portal, which closes behind him.

Fox comes out the other side in the gardens of Shang Tsung's Island, not far from the old warrior shrine. He looks back at the sealing portal just to make sure nothing comes through and breathes a sigh of relief.

'It's over,' he grins, looking down at the Kamidogu in his hands. 'I can hardly believe it. That was almost too easy!'

Tucking it under one arm, he takes out his communicator on his wrist. "Forrest Fox to base, Forrest Fox to base. Come in."

After a moment of radio static, there is no answer. He shakes his arm and tries again, but still there is nothing.

'Perhaps it broke during transit...'

He decides to simply walk back to base. Along the way he passes many statues, including one that catches his eye: Goro. Something compels him to stop and look up at it.

'Wait... That statue was destroyed... by Ling.' He has seen the remnants of it multiple times, but there it is in prestine condition. He then looks around at the other statues, seeing some that he recognizes... and others he does not. He turns around and reassesses the area, realizing that the foliage is not quite so overgrown as he remembers it. In fact, one statue of a centaurian isn't covered in vines like he knows it would be.

'Something's wrong here,' he thinks. 'Very, very wrong...'

>Enter the direct coordinates for the base and portal there
>Run to the base through the jungle
>Attempt communicating with someone else
>Head towards Shang Tsung's palace
>Other

>>1433849
>Run to the base through the jungle
but carefully and stealthy. This might not be our Shag Tsung's Island

>>1433849

> Be very very quiet. We're hunting wabbits.

AKA Observe the base first and move stealthily.

We know time travel is bullshit. We were in chaosrealm. Shit may be fucked.

>>1433849
>Run to the base through the jungle

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>>1433855
>>1433882
>>1433861

Using all of his training, Fox silently runs through the jungle. He knows exactly where the base is, having spent long enough on this island to know the terrain and the most optimal path to take. His breathing is controlled as he sprints across a small stream, leaping over the water so as not to disturb it. His mind is racing nearly as fast as he is, wondering what could be going on.

He breaks through the forest and onto the beach, where his eyes grow wide and panic surges through him. The base is gone. It is not destroyed, or in ruins, or anything that would indicate it was ever there to begin with: it is simply not there at all.

"This is impossible," Fox says between pants. "This is..."

"Perhaps you are looking for a boat to escape on?" an unknown voice calls out. Fox whirls around to behold a man upon the beach wearing a black coat that reaches down to his feet. His stern face and narrow, viper-like eyes seem familiar, but the slick-backed hair and general physique of the man do not.

"Who are you?" Fox demands to know. "Where are the Defenders?"

"Defenders?" the man asks, his face twisting into a confused scowl. "I think you are mistaken. This is my property and you are tresspassing."

"Shang... Shang Tsung?!" He looks the man up and down. 'It's can't be... He's young!'

"I'm glad you have heard of me. But have you heard of what I do to thieves?" He looks down at the Kamidogu, then his eyes gain a different expression. "That is... Curious. I know not why you have brought this to me, but I will be taking it now."

>Explain yourself
>Run
>Fight
>Offer it to him
>Other

>>1433936
>Run
smokebomb.

>>1433936
>Run

>>1433936
>>Explain yourself
>>Point out that he actually seems to enjoy having friendly company on the island in the future.

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>>1433941
>>1434005

Thinking quickly, Fox throws a smokebomb at his feet. Shang Tsung steps back, surprised by this turn of events as Fox takes advantage of his confusion and dashes off into the jungle.

"Get back here you little rat!" the sorcerer calls out, taking chase. "You think you can run and hide from me on my island?!"

Fox throws out two more smoke bombs on either side of himself as a distraction and leaps up into the trees. He spies the sorcerer below, who scans the area in search of the ninja.

"I'll find you sooner or later," he calls out. Raising a hand, he conjures forth shadows that travel out to the statues in the gardens. These statues then break apart from within, revealing ancient warriors under his bidding! "Find the intruder!" he commands them. "Bring him to ME!"

Fox watches as the warriors spread out. Shang Tsung, meanwhile, walks off in the direction of his palace. The ninja remains still until all danger has passed before he attempts to figure out what is going on.

'Shang couldn't have moved the base.It's full of people who have beaten him before. No, no, the only logical answer is that I'm not on the island... Or MY island. I must be in, what did Kaito say? An alternate reality? But how?'

He takes out the Kamidogu and looks at it. 'This must be the reason. Or, it's something Havik did... In either case, what the hell do I do now?'

>Search the island
>Attempt to make another portal
>Destroy the Kamidogu
>Try to ambush Shang Tsung
>Other

>>1434175
>Search the island

>>1434175
>>Attempt to make another portal

And if that doesn't work

>Search the island

But, y'know, discreetly. Like a ninja. Let's not do something stupid like trip over a tournament winner and change history.

>>1434175
DESTROY

>>1434246
>Piece of tool that created the universe
>Possible elemental pillar of reality
>Fuckin' smash it!

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>>1434229
>>1434237

After taking a moment to secure the Kamidogu to his back, Fox leaps down from the tree. Slowly he makes his way across the jungle, taking care to leave no trace and make no noise.

'What do I do in this kind of situation?' he thinks to himself. 'An alternate reality... How the hell do I get out of here? Perhaps the sorcerer has some means, but I don't think he's going to help me.'

Following a path up the mountain, he finds himself entering a cavern and soon enough walking across the notorious Pit. Looking down at the spikes, he thinks, 'So, this is what this place looked like back in the day...' As he looks back up, he sees Shang Tsung at the other end. 'Oh, hell.'

"There you are," the sorcerer smiles. "I think it is about time I finished you! But first, the Kamidogu. Hand it over."

"Wait," Fox says, holding up a hand. "There has been a very big mistake."

"Yes, I think so. It started with you coming to my island!" He puts his hands together and throws out a screaming fireball, which Fox barely manages to dodge. Taking out his kusarigama and wielding it in front of him, he continues to try to reason.

"Shang Tsung, stop! I don't belong here, you are right! But it was not my choice to come here!"

"Words won't save you!" The sorcerer waves his hands and is then covered with fire. From these flames emerges a massive serpent of fire! It looks down upon him and hisses before sliding towards him. The body of the snake alone takes up the entirety of the narrow stone path!

Fox thinks fast and leaps off the side, dodging the fiery serpent! Throwing the sickle end of his weapon up to the bridge, he hooks it onto a spike and swings back up onto the platform from the other side, dislodging his chain and yanking it back up to his hand before landing.

The snake vanishes and Shang Tsung remains in its place. As he turns around, he seems to notice something behind Fox, and against his better judgment the ninja looks back as well. It is a portal, bright blue in nature and covered in electricity.

'Raiden?' Fox thinks.

>Run through!
>Try to talk with Shang
>Fight the sorcerer
>Tackle him through the portal
>Other

>>1434357
>Run through!

>>1434357
>>Run through!

>>1434357
>Run through!

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>>1434368
>>1434399
>>1434448

Without a second thought, and figuring that just about any place is better than here, Fox turns and runs towards the opening.

"Don't run from me you worm!" Shang Tsung calls out. "I'm not done with you yet!"

Ignoring him, Fox dives headfirst through the vortex and hits the ground hard. It is stone, not like the bridge he was just on, and as he rises he realizes he is in a very, very different place indeed. Before he can fully understand it, he is pulled to his feet by Raiden.

"There you are!" he says urgently. "I attempted to find you but you were scattered. I am glad that you are unharmed, Fox."

"Where are we?" he asks, looking around.

"This is the Nexus," Raiden explains. Fox turns and beholds the floating stone platform upon which they stand, suspended in a void of foggy clouds. Around them are several differently-colored portals. As he turns, Raiden sees what is on his back. "You still have the Kamidogu! Excellent! This means there is time yet to undo the damage Havik has wrought!"

"Raiden, I was on the island. Our base wasn't there, and Shang Tsung was younger! I think it may have been an alternate reality."

"You are precisely correct," Raiden says, taking him over to a stone table at the center of the platform. "Havik's plot has run afoul of the design of not only our universe, but others as well. From what I have gathered, he is working with several parallel duplicates of himself to merge all of their Chaosrealms into one!"

Fox stares at him as though he is mad. "Then... that is what he meant when he spoke of merging Kamidogu! He meant to merge the Kamidogu of his own realm from multiple realities? But how would that even work?"

"He means to unite six realms of Chaos into one, thus linking these realities by one ultra-realm of chaos. He and his parallel brethren have somehow hatched this scheme and have already begun to enact it, but they are not finished yet."

"How do we stop them?"

Raiden turns towards the portals nearby. "We must steal the Kamidogu from them. All of them. Once here, in this place, I can perform a counter-ritual with the Elder Gods. I know not how these Haviks have managed to accomplish this feat so far, as the very fabrics of our realities set forth by the Elder Gods make this impossible, yet still they have done it... or nearly so."

"Could this have anything to do with that Kaito told us about? Time travel, breaking reality to escape it...?"

"It could only be so," Raiden nods. "Havik somehow not only knew the timeline would change, but prevented himself from changing with it. This is how he retained his realm's Kamidogu, taken from the ruin of your base... The sheer scope and magnitude of this scheme is mind-boggling..."

Fox runs a hand over his head. 'This mission started with stealing only one Kamidogu... Now I must steal six?!'

>Ask more questions
>Where do I go first?
>How do we know this isn't all part of Havik's plan?
>Where is Havik now?
>Other

>>1434528
>How do we know this isn't all part of Havik's plan?
sounds like we end up with 6 kamidogu in one place. That sounds like a net benefit to Havoc. And there is no proof you are Raiden and not Havoc making me do all the hard work

>>1434528
>How do we know this isn't all part of Havik's plan?
Fox may be a bit of a Luddite, but he's watched enough movies with Takeda to know that whole "thanks for gathering all the McGuffins for me, fools!" plan some villains use.

>>1434528
>>Ask more questions
Could we somehow prevent what happened to Kaitos original timeline with this?

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>>1434541
>>1434543
>>1434546

Fox's brow furrows in thought as he tries to comprehend all of this. "Bring all of the Chaosrealm Kamidogus into one place... How do we know this isn't all part of Havik's plan as well? What if he's just using us?"

"That's a risk we may just have to take," Raiden says with a forlorn look. "One of us will remain here to guard this place. Havik himself cannot enter this Nexus so long as I am here to keep him out---this means I will have to be that one. You, Fox, must track down the others and bring them here."

Looking over at the portals, he asks, "How do we know these portals lead to where I need to go?"

"The Nexus has always existed independently of the realms. Havik and his other selves have linked six realities together through their ritual. With guidance from the Elder Gods, I have located each of the realms the other Kamidogus are located in, and with my power I have adjusted each of these portals to link to one of those realities---the yellow one, there, leads to our Chaosrealm. That is where I came through to this place."

"We need to get the others," Fox suggests. "Send individuals or teams after all of them."

"I'm afriad that isn't possible. They are beyond our reach. You and I were both in Chaosrealm when Havik cast his spell, linking his realm with the five others. When you attempted to create a portal to the island, it led you to another reality's island. The only realm from our prime reality we can access is our version of Chaosrealm---and we already have that Kamidogu."

"This is mad," Fox mutters as he stalks off. "Five different realities? Kaito is supposed to be the one who hops across dimensions, not me."

"I understand that this is much to ask of you, Fox. But this is what must happen." Raiden takes the Kamidogu from his hands and places it upon the stone table, over one of seven spaces. "My power is limited, and we do not have much time. If I run out of energy before we can reclaim all of the Kamidogu and Havik breaches this Nexus... Terrible things will happen."

"That's putting it mildly," Fox replies. "Kaito told us what would happen if realities should merge."

>What does Havik stand to gain from all of this?
>Where should I go first?
>How long will I have?
>Is there any way I can track the Kamidogu in each realm?
>Other

>>1434669
>Is there any way I can track the Kamidogu in each realm?

>>1434669
>>Is there any way I can track the Kamidogu in each realm?

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>>1434677
>>1434727

Fox stares at the portals, his shoulders slightly slumped, before pulling himself up and taking a deep breath. "Okay. I know what I need to do. Is there any way I can track the Kamidogu in each realm?"

"I am afraid not. But, in my efforts to track them down with the aid of the Elder Gods, I have set each portal as closely linked to the location of the Kamidogu as I could manage. What's more, you can take this." Raiden reaches into his belt and removes a small seal. He hands it to Fox, who inspects it. "With this, you can communicate with me, even across realms. With these realities linked as they are, this too will work."

"Will the portals remain open, allowing me to get back?"

"Yes. How many charges are left on your personal portal generator?"

Fox checks. "Only three."

"If you need to use it to return to the Nexus, it will bring you back here."

Fox nods and closes his hand around the small seal before sliding it into a pocket. "Alright... I think I'm ready." He approaches the portals before looking back at the thunder god and giving him a thumbs-up.

"I have faith in you, Fox. You will do what must be done."

'You're not the only one,' he thinks. 'I will do what I need to do. To get back to the others and stop all of this.'

Looking at each of the portals, he considers which one to travel through first. He has not the slightest idea what each may hold, as every single reality could be wildly different from the one he knows... but still he must venture to each of them and face whatever lies beyond.

'I have to remember what Kaito told me. In this moment, I am the most important member of the team... I have a mission to do. I have to see it through to the end, no matter where it takes me.'

Filled with determination, Fox makes his choice.

>Earthrealm
>Outworld
>Edenia
>Netherrealm
>Orderrealm

>>1434870
>>Orderrealm
we might fit in there

>>1434870
>Orderrealm

>>1434870
>Orderrealm

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>>1434878
>>1434880
>>1434889

Approaching the dark blue portal with the symbol of Orderrealm upon it, Fox thinks, 'Orderrealm is usually a boring place, filled with orderly and business-oriented people. I should fit right in. Finding the Kamidogu here should be simple...'

Steeling himself for whatever may come, he steps through and finds himself in a dark room with a single exit stairway leading up. He walks up and outside and discovers that he is flat-out unprepared for what he beholds. Having been to Orderrealm only once before on a scouting/diplomatic mission, he finds himself staring at nearly a completely different world.

The sky is split down the middle; one half is blue, while the other is fiery orange. These two halves seem to be continually battling each other, pushing back with strands of color like oil trying to mix with water, and this battle in the heavens is reflected down below. Orderrealm, at least the one he remembered, was a place of function over form, where aesthetics mattered little. Here, however, the realm itself seems split down the middle. What was once a series of perfect stone rings that supported an entire civilization is now host to two different communities, one of fire and ice.

The ice side of things are more in line with what he remembers: structures of square and pyramid-like shape, domes and spires of order lining the rings. Only now they are covered in snow.

By contrast, the other half of this Orderrealm is a place of fire and ruin, with scorching heat bearing down upon charred buildings. Ruins line its shattered rings, held aloft by some mysterious means. While the normal Orderrealm was suspented in a beautiful sky, the red half here rains down burning fireballs which occasionally impact on the ground.

And, bizarrely enough, there are people here, who seem to be going about their daily lives. Fox sees one walking past, clad in wildly clashing robes of blue and red. "Excuse me," he says to the man, who turns and reveals that half of his face is missing. "Gah!" He swallows and tries to maintain his composure. "Is this... Orderrealm?"

The man laughs and then stops, growing deadly serious. "Orderrealm? You should know where you are, wearing that symbol!" He points at Fox's chest, at the yellow scorpion, the symbol of this clan.

"Wait... you know this symbol? How is that?"

"How long have you been gone?" the man asks, seemingly concerned. Then his mood changes in an instant again to one of anger. "This isn't Orderrealm. This is Disorderrealm!"

"What?! How?"

"When Orderrealm defeated Chaosrealm in Mortal Kombat a thousand years, you fool!" The man's expression then changes to wide smile. "Have a blessed day." He walks off leaving a very confused Fox behind.

'Disorderrealm...'

>Explore the fire side
>Explore the ice side
>Ask him again how he knew your clan's symbol
>Ask why this realm is split down the middle
>Other

>>1435022
>Ask him again how he knew your clan's symbol
>Other
If Orderealm won, why is it disorder realm?

>>1435022
>Ask him again how he knew your clan's symbol

>>1435076
im guessing that orderrealm fused with chaos real and this was the outcome.

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>>1435076
>>1435177
>>1435197

Fox runs to catch up with the man. "Wait, you mentioned my symbol. Why?"

"You should ask your buddies, they're never far away." Stopping to look at the town center, he notices something Fox does not. "In fact, there they are now!"

Fox walks around him to get a better look and what he sees he can hardly believe. From the fire side emerge several warriors clad in yellow and black, wielding swords and spears. They charge across the stone plain of the center and into the snowy half, where they meet and engage a group of warriors who spring forth from the ice. These opponents are clad in blue and black, almost exactly the same except for the difference in color.

"Shirai Ryu... and Lin Kuei?" Fox mutters aloud.

"Been like this ever since Order and Chaos became one. Whole realm's been ruined ever since they showed up," the man replies. Then his tone changes. "I love it! It's never a dull moment, haha!" Fox watches him leave and then turns his attention back to the warriors battling each other. Reinforcements from both sides rush to join in and soon the entire town center is alive with battle. A Shirai Ryu decapitates a Lin Kuei, but is then kicked over the edge by another. Nearby, two enemies wrestle on the ground, each trying to gain control of a knife.

Fox watches all this happen, too bewildered to move. At least until two Shirai Ryu take notice of him and mistake him for one of their own. "Come on, brother! We must destroy these infidels for the glory of Scorpion and Takeda!"

Those jarring words shake him out of his stupor. "For the glory of WHO?!"

>Join the fight
>Sneak away
>Continue to observe the battle from afar
>Contact Raiden
>Other

>>1435237
>Sneak away
I'm just gonna...sabotage some Lin Kuei...over there.

>>1435237
>>Sneak away
lets see if we can find the biggest most important looking buiding

>>1435237
>Sneak away

>>1435237
>>Sneak away

Smoke bomb while shouting "Ninja VANISH!"

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>>1435241
>>1435244
>>1435271
>>1435341

Slowly, Fox backs away and slips around a corner. He takes a moment to take his shirt and turn it inside-out. 'I've already had three people recognize my symbol. In this place, that could be very dangerous.'

He walks out onto a street and into the colder half of the realm. 'This place makes no sense. Orderrealm and Chaosrealm combined? The Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei fighting over it?' He looks up at the sky, seeing the clash of the red and blue colors twisting in a maelstrom of eternal conflict. 'The history of this realm is very different from mine... but there are some disturbing parallels.'

"HOLD!" a loud voice calls out. Fox stops in his snowy tracks and looks up to see three armored figures approaching him, wearing what appears to be a combination of seidan guardsmen armor and that of the ancient cryomancers. Proudly displayed upon their chests is the symbol of the Lin Kuei clan. "Who are you to tresspass upon our territory?"

"I am merely walking," Fox says in defense of himself.

"You were not given permission," one of the guards notes. Another pulls out a checklist. "Nor do we have your identity logged. Where is your identification scroll? Present it along with your written authorization to use these streets."

'My what...?' Fox clears his throat. "I, that is... don't have it on me."

"That is a class-five offense and a grievous error on your part. You are being detained."

The guards begin to approach him and Fox quickly realizes that the infamous Orderrealm legal system appears to have fallen upon the Lin Kuei to enforce in this reality, but it was never this bad. Clearly, things have gotten far too out of hand in this realm...

>Run
>Surrender
>Attack
>Explain yourself
>Other

>>1435354
>>Run
smokebomb, then ninjutsu away

>>1435354
>Run
LEGGIT

>>1435354
>>Run

Smoke bomb. So many smoke bombs. All of the smoke bombs.

Until we run out.

Then pocket sand.

>>1435354
>Run
maybe the Shirai Ryi are more lax

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>>1435373
>>1435378
>>1435381
>>1435391

Taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh, Fox reaches behind him. 'I've had to do this too many times today.'

In an instant, he takes out a pair of smoke bombs and throws them at the ground, detonating them before they can be buried in the snow. The guards step back, coughing and hacking, swinging their weapons into the smoke. But Fox is gone.

Specifically, he is up on the rooftops, dashing from structure to structure until sufficient space between him and those guards has been acheived.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Fox scans his eyes around the half-frozen, half-hellish wasteland of a landscape. 'This realm is terrible. I need to spend as little time here as possible.' Standing up, he walks to the edge of the frozen rooftop and looks down upon the Lin Kuei half of the realm. 'Cold, regimented, orderly...' He then looks back at the burning half. 'Fiery, free, chaotic...'

As he gazes across the way, he sees something in particular---a figure moving amongst the rooftops on the Shirai Ryu side. Fox moves to the opposite end of the roof and squints as he tries to get eyes upon this figure.

A dark figure rises amidst the flames of that half of the realm, walking to stand upon a spire of rock jutting from an ancient building. He looks down upon the war, overseeing his side in their efforts to overcome the Lin Kuei. As the flames part, Fox gets a good look at who it is.

It's Takeda, clad in black and yellow, wearing his skull-mask. His eyes blaze orange, but it is unmistakeably him---just not the Takeda that Fox knows. The ninja looks upon his best friend's parallel universe self and wonders if he knows who he is, or where the Kamidogu would be.

>Go to Takeda and speak with him
>Observe him from a distance
>See if you can find the leader of the Lin Kuei
>Nevermind that; you must search for the Kamidogu
>Other

>>1435416
>Go to Takeda and speak with him

>>1435416
>Go to Takeda and speak with him
he'd just detect us with his psychic powers anyways

Heading to bed for the night. Need to run an errand early in the morning, but we'll resume when I return.

>>1435416
>>Go to Takeda and speak with him

File: trade__mkx_takeda_by_shwo(...).png (639 KB, 900x1260)

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>>1435422
>>1435437
>>1436222

Seeing Takeda turn as if to depart, Fox makes a run for it. Landing amongst snow and disturbing several of the frost-guards, who take up chase of him as he runs off, the Shirai Ryu sprints towards the center of the realm where the war between the clans rages on. He runs past several clashing figures as he makes his way across the battlefield, into the fiery half of the realm, where he leaps up onto a ruin. Jumping between chunks of debris and dodging bursts of flame, he jumps onto a wall and climbs it to its peak where he sees Takeda walking away.

Taking a deep breath, he shouts, "TAKEDA!"

The parallel copy of his friend ceases and turns, his eyes aflame. At first he suspects a foe, but then upon seeing who has called out his name he turns around. "Fox?"

"So you do know me," he says, walking towards him.

"I know that you are dead," Takeda replies. Fox stops several meters away from the man and realizes that there is something greatly different about this Takeda. His skin is paler and he is taller; older, perhaps? In addition to his flaming eyes, his long hair and very different armor, there is some kind of aura surrounding this man, something that keeps Fox on edge. "How have you come back to life?"

"I never died," Fox replies. "The Forrest Fox you knew is from this dimension, but I am not. I am from another reality altogether." He looks Takeda up and down. "What happened to you?"

"If you were the real Fox, you would know." Takeda narrows his eyes. "You think to trick me with some sorcerery? Sub-Zero sent you, didn't he? To stoop this low is dishonorable even by his standards."

"I do not know what is going on, but I promise you what I say is true. I have come from a different time and place, a different reality altogether."

"I won't be fooled by such a tall tale!" He holds up both hands, his palms splitting open to reveal serpents emerging. Fox stares on in horror as his friend threatens, "I will not allow this slight to go on. Prepare to die!"

He launches both serpents towards Fox, their mouths snapping and filled with poisonous bile!

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>1436389
Slice up the snakes with the kusari-gama and trip him with the chain.

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>1436389
Pocket sand!

File: 75352525.png (1.21 MB, 1054x997)

1.21 MB PNG

>>1436395

Fox attempts to bring his kusarigama up in time to slice the serpents, but the living whips weave around his strike, both of them biting into the gauntlet of his arm. The sting of their bite only barely reaches his skin but already he feels a thin burning sensation. Next, Takeda retracts them, yanking Fox towards him, with a resounding cry, "GET OVER HERE!"

>>1436399

Gritting his teeth, Fox reaches down to his belt with another hand, taking out a smoke bomb. Just as he reaches Takeda, he hurls it as hard as he can into the parallel universe warrior's face, detonating it upon impact. Takeda falls back, coughing and shaking his head as Fox takes cover and hides from sight.

Takeda waves a hand and banishes the smoke. His flaming eyes scan the area as he shouts, "Whoever you are, you do a good impression of Fox. You even fight like he did!"

Taking off his gauntlet to inspect the bite, the ninja shakes his arm and looks out. "That's because I am Fox," he calls out, throwing his voice to remain undetected.

"That remains to be seen!" Again the snake-whips emerge from Takeda's palms. They begin to spread out in search of Fox, their tongues slipping in and out as they probe behind rocks and debris. "I will find you, imposter..."

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>1436418
Shuriken the snakes before they get close.

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>1436418
Chain sweep.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>1436418
Dart behind him, trip him with the chain end of the kusarigama, then swing the hook end into his back while he's down.

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>1436418
Sneak up and bear hug to talk more.

Test

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196 KB JPG

Sorry for the wait. Connection issues.

>>1436422

Fox waits for the opportune moment before leaping out and throwing several shuriken at the snakes, impaling them upon the stone and slicing them into pieces. The heads of the snakes let out shrieks of pain as Takeda withdraws the now-headless whips back into his hands.

"You'll pay for that," he mutters beneath his mask. Reaching up, he tears the mask from his face, revealing not flesh beneath, but an actual skull, its mouth barely containing flames that he begins to spew forth in Fox's direction!

The nimble warrior dodges the spout of flames, looking up Takeda in shock. "That power... A flaming skull... That is what Grandmaster Hasashi once was! That is Scorpion!"

"I AM SCORPION!" Takeda shouts, his eyes erupting in fire. "And Scorpion is me! We are one!" He unleashes another burst of flame in Fox's direction.

'How can that be?' Fox's mind races. 'He is possessed... by the spirit of vengeance!'

>>1436427

As he dodges the fire, Fox throws the blunt end of his weapon out towards Takeda, hoping to wrap it around him and then trip him, but Takeda flips over it and stomps down onto the chain, pulling Fox towards him. He then brings up a foot and kicks Fox in the face, knocking him back instead.

>>1436429

As Fox hits the ground, he flips backwards onto his feet and darts around Takeda, hoping to strike at him from behind. Instead his foe vanishes in a column of flame, only to appear behind him! Takeda rushes forward on fiery feet and shoulder-slams Fox to the ground.

"Now, you die!" he declares, preparing to unleash another burst of flame.

File: _commish____scorpion_love(...).jpg (1.06 MB, 1364x1382)

1.06 MB JPG

>>1436515
>>1436455

"Takeda, wait!" Fox says, holding up a hand, and the spectre does stall. This gives Fox the perfect opportunity to drop a smoke bomb, vanishing even as the surprised Takeda breathes flame into the smoke.

Fox appears behind him, having snuck around, and throws him into a tight bear hug. As Takeda struggles, Fox nearly shouts into his ear, "What happened? What made you this way? You weren't always host to a demon of vengeance!"

Takeda's eyes burn with rage. "You died!"

He then lifts both arms, thrusting Fox off of his back. He howls in anger and turns, ready to finish this.

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>1436519
Catch Takeda's neck with the chain and force him to the ground.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>1436519
Whip the kusarigama around in a figure-8 to buy some space, then kick out the head into Takeda's face

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>1436519
kick out his knee and then smash his head

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554 KB JPG

>>1436525

Takeda brings up a fist and smashes it into Fox's face, then follows it up with three more rapid punches before throwing a kick into his stomach. Using the same foot, he then kicks Fox in the face and puts him on his back. The possessed warrior stands over Takeda and takes out a knife, preparing to plunge it down into his chest.

>>1436549

Fox doesn't intend on giving him the opportunity. Bringing up both feet, he kicks the dagger out of Takeda's hands and rolls backwards. As the spectre rushes towards him, he brings up his kusarigama and begins spinning both heads in a figure-eight pattern. Takeda stops running and holds his ground, staring into his eyes through the whirling chain.

That's when Fox kicks the heavy head of the weapon up into Takeda's face, partially dislodging his jaw.

>>1436566

Fox then dashes forward and kicks at his leg, hooking his foot into the knee before following up with an elbow smash to his head in the opposite direction. Takeda goes down as Fox steps back.

"You should've been able to dodge that," Fox says. "You're supposed to be faster than me. That's why I stopped protecting you."

Takeda's eyes flare open. "You... You what?" He picks himself up. "How did you know that?"

"Because I told you, I'm from another time." He still holds his weapon, but he feels he is starting to get through to him. "I've been sent here on a mission. To recover the Kamidogu of Chaosrealm."

"The Kamidogu... I... I don't have it." He stands up and stares at Fox. "If you truly are from another world... How did you come here?"

"It's a long story. Do you know Havik, cleric of chaos?"

"Of course I do," he says. "He's the one who engineered the disastrous Mortal Kombat tournament that merged Chaos and Order, uniting the brothers Zaggot and Abacus. It is because of him that the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei are at eternal war..."

"Then we have a mutual enemy. Havik, several versions of him, are attempting to merge the Chaosrealms of multiple realities into one Ultra-Ream, linking these realities. That means this place, Disorderrealm? It'll be destroyed, and likely you along with it."

Takeda slowly lowers his hands. "Let's say for a moment that I believe you, Fox. The problem we face then is doubly mutual: Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei possess the Chaosrealm Kamidogu. We, in turn, have held onto the Orderrealm Kamidogu. We have warred over control of both in order to bring balance to this realm, but always we are matched."

"That was before I got here," Fox says, holding out his hand. "Will you help me? For old time's sake?"

After a moment, Takeda clasps it. "It shall be done."

>Where do they keep it?
>Let's lure Sub-Zero out.
>Can we sneak past the guards on the frozen side?
>We need to change your plan of attack.
>Other

>>1436623
>Where do they keep it?

>>1436623
>Can we sneak past the guards on the frozen side?

>>1436623
>Where do they keep it?

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135 KB JPG

>>1436631
>>1436702

"Where do they keep it?"

"Sub-Zero and his ice queen, Frost, command their forces from what was once the court halls of justice in Orderrealm. There, they sit as judges, jury and executioners, dishing out their own brand of cold-hearted law."

"Yes... I caught a glimpse of that earlier. Why have things gone so wrong here? The Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei do not fight anymore where I come from. They work together."

"Any chance of that is long gone," Takeda explains. "We fight because it is all we know. There is no other fate for us, until one side can reclaim both Kamidogu."

Fox watches him walk off and look over the side of the roof down at the central ring platform. The battle has ended, with neither side having truly won. The dead are many and the wounded are dragged off.

'This place really does seem hopeless in a way,' Fox thinks. 'In this timeline, order and chaos are one. How is anything supposed to make sense in this world?'

He walks alongside Takeda and watches the scene with him. "Earlier, while we fought, you mentioned something," he changes the subject. "You said that I had died."

"Here, you did. Sub-Zero killed you, and it drove me to assume the mantle of Scorpion for the Shirai Ryu clan after Grandmaster Hasashi perished." Takeda clenches his fists. "Now, I seek revenge."

"But if you know that Havik is the one who engineered all of this, why do you fight? Why not work together, and forge a new purpose?"

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>>1436872
Takeda looks over at Fox. "I don't know what it's like where you come from, but if you are looking for hope here, there is none. We lost our purpose beyond this kombat long ago. There is too much blood spilt to count or to ever be repaid. There's nothing left for us but to fight and try to win. Look." He points upwards. "The sky itself is a reflection of our struggle. We face each other eternally, destined to always push and be pushed back equally. Our fight will never end." He drops his hand. "Unless you help me claim the Chaosrealm Kamidogu. Then I can end this fight once and for all."

Fox is quiet at first, knowing that once he reclaims the Kamidogu he will not be able to hand it back to Takeda, but rather he must return it to the Nexus. He decides to remain silent on this matter.

>You must attack Sub-Zero's stronghold, and I will sneak in.
>There must be way to unite your clans, if only temporarily.
>I will speak with Sub-Zero and Frost.
>Do you have a plan?
>Other

>>1436878
>>You must attack Sub-Zero's stronghold, and I will sneak in.

>>1436878
>I will speak with Sub-Zero and Frost.

>>1436878
>There must be way to unite your clans, if only temporarily.
What would uncle twice-removed Kaito do?

>>1436883
>>1436897
>>1436901

Can I get a tie breaker?

>>1436878
>There must be way to unite your clans, if only temporarily.
some enemy everyone hates as much as each other

File: endt2.gif (8 KB, 97x129)

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>>1436901
>>1436985

"Takeda, you must listen to me. I have told you that this very realm, the very lives of everyone in your clan---and their clan---is at stake!" He pulls on Takeda's shoulder to make him face forward as he says, "Now, even where I come from, I don't like the Lin Kuei. I am Shirai Ryu. But I work with them, fight side by side with them, against common enemies! And I am telling you now that even here, in this place of madness, common ground can be fought for! But it takes two!"

Takeda blinks before saying, "Even if what you say is true, the Lin Kuei would never agree to it. They are lost to the ways of this realm, as are we. Things cannot change."

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>>1437065

"That's not true. This place is supposed to be some kind of combination of chaos and order, but rather than combine, you have kept it separate! One half is chaos, one half is order---there is no harmony here. If you stopped the fighting, if you moved past all of this senseless violence, you could set your sights on a greater enemy who has taken advantage of your conflict!"

"It makes no difference!" Takeda says, throwing Fox's hand off. "All we do is fight and die. Fight, and die! That is all we are good for! There can be no peace. There can be no harmony while both live!" He stalks off and stares out at the fiery ruins that surround them. "This place is called Disorderrealm for a reason. If ever it is to change... one must die."

>>1437070
Fox folds his arms. "Have you ever tried talking with them?"

"Swords cut deeper than words," Takeda mutters. "Now... If you think we can end this, I will launch an assult on the frozen courthouse where they keep the Kamidogu. You retrieve it and bring it here, that we may join the two together and once and for all cease this struggle. The, the Shirai Ryu will wipe out the Lin Kuei."

>Go with his plan
>Tell him to hold off until you speak with Sub-Zero
>Seek out a third party
>Subdue Takeda
>Other

>>1437074
>Tell him to hold off until you speak with Sub-Zero

>>1437074

I'm getting a very strange error where it's not letting me post. These three posts would normally be one, but when I try to post it just says "Connection error." There's no way in hell I'm hitting the character limit and it doesn't say that I am but for some reason it's only letting me post in chunks.

I honestly have no idea why this is happening.

>>1437074
>>Go with his plan

>>1437074
>Tell him to hold off until you speak with Sub-Zero
We have been chosen for our calmness and porfessionalism. But we are also members of the New Defenders, and if we learned something, is to never give up on hope.

We have to try.

That and maybe taking the advice from the Spirit of Vegnance -even if he is our best friend- is not the wisest thing to do.

>>1437074
>Go with his plan
y'know its not even our world.

>>1437077
>>1437094
>>1437121
>>1437122

If I don't get a tie breaker, I'll go with a combo.

>>1437077
>>1437094
>>1437121
>>1437122

"You go and make your play when your forces are ready," Fox tells him. "I'll do my part."

Takeda nods at him before leaping off the roof. Fox looks out over the way, across the platform at the frozen half of the realm. 'I can't just take him at his word. If the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu could unite in one world, they can unite here as well. He is blinded by the spirit of vengeance, but there is something in there of the Takeda I know... somewhere.'

He begins to carefully make his way towards the frozen half. Knowing it will only be a matter of time until the Shirai Ryu attacks, he begins to formulate a plan to get Sub-Zero to stand down.

>Attempt to corner Sub-Zero outside
>Sneak into the courthouse and observe
>See if you can find Frost
>Claim immunity from this realm's laws due to you being an interdimensional traveller
>Other

>>1437275
>Sneak into the courthouse and observe
maybe Tundra would be more open

>>1437275
>Sneak into the courthouse and observe

>>1437275
>Sneak into the courthouse and observe
do what we supposedly do best

why did we argue about diplomancing... Should've just stolen the damn thing and be done with it.

>>1437275
>>Sneak into the courthouse and observe

>>1437316
We might end up doing that regardless.
or steal both just in case?

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>>1437281
>>1437285
>>1437296
>>1437326

It is no trivial thing to infiltrate the courthouse, but Fox manages. Using every skill in his arsenal he avoids detection from the guards as he moves from shadow to shadow in the ancient stone building, even managing to blend into the occasional icy terrain with some makeshift camouflage. Eventually he comes to an ancient room which resembles a domed amphitheater, with large seats behind a great tablet. Two figures sit upon these thrones: Frost and Sub-Zero.

But it is not the Sub-Zero that Fox had expected. It is Tundra! As he beholds these two from his place of hiding, he realizes that in this timeline Tundra must have taken upon the mantle of Sub-Zero. 'That would explain it, then,' he surmises. 'And Frost... Well, she seems to be doing well for herself.'

Frost lounges upon her chair, seeming bored. This version seems much older than the one he knows. Her hair is longer and her outfit much more revealing; he has to admit that she looks good. He snaps his eyes away from her to the scene at hand. It seems they are currently sitting in judgment of some captured Shirai Ryu warrior.

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>>1437380

"I'll never accept your sentence, you Lin Kuei cowards!"

"You don't have to accept it," Zian says. "Since the judgment is death, it doesn't matter." He motions for one of the guards, who steps up and immediately stabs the warrior through the heart, leaving him to bleed out on the courtroom's icy floor.

"How uninteresting," Frost yawns. "He didn't even put up a fight."

Fox looks up behind them. Frozen to the wall by a thick layer of ice is the Kamidogu he seeks!

>>1437385

>Wait for the courtroom to clear out
>Reveal yourself
>Create a distraction
>Wait for the attack
>Other

>>1437385
>>Wait for the courtroom to clear out

>>1437388
>>Create a distraction outside
>>Wait for the courtroom to clear out

>>1437388
>Wait for the courtroom to clear out

>>1437392
>>1437437
>>1437444

As two more guards drag the body out with a trail of fresh blood behind it, Fox watches as Tundra---Sub-Zero, rather---stands up. "I'm needed elsewhere," he announces. "No further trails for the day. Execute the remaining prisoners in accordance with the law."

Frost uncrosses her legs and tosses aside the icicle she was filing her nails with. "As am I." She exits the chamber through a different door, leaving four guards behind. Fox watches as the two cryomancers leave and begins to think about what he should do next. He looks up at the Kamidogu frozen in the ice. It looks like thick ice, too---the kind that could take quite a while to cut into without proper tools.

>Knock out the guards
>Cause a distraction to get them out of the room
>Fill the room with smoke and try to grab the Kamidogu
>Follow one of them

>>1437503
>Cause a distraction to get them out of the room

>>1437523

Working quickly, Fox takes out a series of smoke bombs and hurls them down one of the corridors at another guard. They go off and the man lets out a surprised yelp, drawing the guards in the room to his noise. As they move, Fox dashes out from cover and looks up at the Kamidogu.

'Well, great. Now what?' He looks around the room but finds few options to assist him, until his eyes settle on a large ice-hammer kept near the judge's chair. 'A gavel, perhaps?' he briefly muses before he hears noise from the hall indicating that he doesn't have much time.

>Try to smash the ice with a super-punch
>Attempt to cut it out with your tools
>Use the hammer and smash the ice
>Wait until the guards return and start throwing them at it
>Other

Sorry if these updates seem shorter and without pictures, but I'm still getting that odd error message when I try doing larger posts. Don't know why.

>>1437643
>Use the hammer and smash the ice

>>1437643
>>Use the hammer and smash the ice

>>1437643
>Use the hammer and smash the ice

>>1437679
>>1437708

'Well, I don't see anything else very helpful!' Leaping up onto the judge's chair, Fox grasps the handle of the hammer and hefts it upwards. It's very heavy, but the ninja grits his teeth before shouting and swinging it up at the ice containing his target. The head of the hammer impacts the ice with a resounding crash, shattering it completely! The head bounces back with a force that causes Fox to let go of it in order to remain standing, and it skids along the floor.

Fox looks up and sees the remainder of the ice crumble away as the Kamidogu begins to levitate freely. Just then, the guards run into the room and point their lances at him. "Halt! You are under arrest! Come with us and be executed!"

"Don't you mean, 'or' be executed?" he asks with a raised brow. "What am I saying, of course not."

>>1437749

The nearest guard stabs up at him, but he jumps upwards and grabs the Kamidogu before kicking off the wall and landing at the center of the room. The guards move to surround him, but as they do something suddenly catches on all of their necks. Fox turns around, holding tightly onto the Kamidogu as each of them are hoisted upwards, dropping their weapons to clutch at their throats, by thin web-like strands of wire. These warriors choke and die in moments, and from the ceiling drops a figure clad in clashing red and black armor.

>>1437750

"Greetings," the Havik of this reality introduces himself. Fox looks upon his different form; this Havik appears to have more of a duality to him, with his face split vertically instead of horizontally and his armor follows this pattern. "Thank you for retrieving that for me. I'll be taking that Kamidogu, now."

>>1437774

'Like hell I have time for this,' Fox thinks as he reaches for his personal portal device. But as he does, Havik strikes, detaching his own hand and launching it at him!

>1d100 and an action!

I have no idea why my posts are not going through at full length. Sorry for this mess.

File: Havikredesign.png (120 KB, 254x435)

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>>1437780

This fucking error I keep getting seems like it's letting less and less go through with each post. I have no idea why this is happening and it is very frustrating.

Is anyone encountering anything remotely like this anywhere? Because I've never had this problem with the site before. Closing my browser, restarting my computer and internet, nothing changes.

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>1437780
throw a knife to intercept the hand, then throw the gavel at Havoc

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>1437780
Exploding kunai the hand, portal the fuck out

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>1437780
Dodge the hand.

>>1437787
>>1437810
>>1437841

As quick as Havik is, Fox is quicker. He reaches down to his belt and removes a kunai from its pouch and expertly hurls it at the oncoming hand. The blade pierces the palm and sinks into the flesh, hooking it and sending it flying back at the offender. Havik lets out a satisfying squeal as the blade pierces his chest, nailing his hand right over his heart.

"Gah! That's just rude!"

Fox smirks and goes to his personal portal generator, activating it to create a portal to the Nexus. But when he does, nothing happens other than a small error sign on the screen referring to electrical interferrence.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you trying to leave?" Havik cackles. "You'll find that rather difficult with the spell I cast just before revealing myself!"

"Dispell it then, before I rip you to pieces."

They begin to circle the room while Fox gets nearer to the door. "I've been warned about you, but the warning wasn't very concerning," Havik says, staring at him with his one bloodshot eye. "You don't really think that a nobody like you can stop us, do you? You're a fifth-rate, z-grade background character! You're nothing!"

"I'm a whole lot of things," Fox replies, now with his back to the exit. "Care to find out?"

Just then, a tremor rocks the building. Havik laughs and cries, "It seems the Shirai Ryu have arrived. Good! That'll keep everyone good and busy until I finish you off."

Taking out a pair of morningstars, he leaps towards Fox and attacks by swinging them at him in a wide arc!

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>1437896
hook the jaw off his smug face with the kusarigama

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>1437896
Head back outside. Toss him in a snowbank.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>1437896
Give him a face full of poison.

>>1437900
>>1437908
>>1438018

Kusarigama in hand, Fox hurls it towards Havik, who stands there with a smile on his half-face. His free hand, skeletal with no flesh, splays outwards like a spider. One of the corpses from the ceiling drops down suddenly, still hanging by the neck, and serves as his meat-shield: the blade of Fox's chain weapon sinks into his flesh between two plates of his armor.

"Goodness me, who saw that coming?" Havik taunts. "Oh wait, I did!"

Raising his hand high and gesturing with his fingers in impossible ways, two more guards lower down. They touch onto the ground and become animated like literal puppets dangling on the ends of his strings.

>>1437908

As Fox yanks the head of his weapon back, one of the puppets strikes him from behind. As he stumbles forward, the fourth puppet swings down from the ceiling and kicks him in the face. Havik howls with mad laughter as the first puppet now leaps at him, wrapping its arms around him and forcing Fox to stare into his cold, dead face.

>>1438018

Though he struggles to escape from the dead man's grasp, it is in vain. The other three puppets quickly join him and surround Fox, burying him in a mass of flesh animated by Havik's spell. The cleric walks around and reaches into the pile, rooting around for a moment before pulling out the Kamidogu.

"Thank you ever so much," he says, bowing to Fox. As he does, he brings his stump up to the hand on his chest and reconnects it, tearing off the kunai. "Pity. I was hoping for one of your other friends... someone more competent and flashy. You're just... boring."

He tosses the kunai aside and walks towards the exit, chuckling to himself. Beneath the dogpile of dead corpses, Fox continues to struggle to free himself, and all the while the sounds of battle outside continue to reach his ears underneath the mocking laughter of the cleric.

'I can't let him escape with the Kamidogu! I... won't... let him!'

>Current Meter: 3
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>1438118
NINJA VANISH

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>1438118
After Vanishing, surprise X-ray him

god I hope this roll is good

>>1438126
>>1438142

Fox closes his eyes and clenches his jaw as he tenses up. His muscles pound in time with his heartbeat as his hands ball into fists. His body shakes as he builds up everything he has, every ounce of energy and determination in every fiber of his being. Deep within he finds strength he did not know he had and begins to realize what he can truly do with it---what this determination means not only to him, but to all of the others he is fighting for!

'I won't let them down... I won't let myself down... I won't fail my family!'

With nearly explosive force, Fox stands and thrusts his arms upwards, hurling all four bodies off of himself. They fly across the room and fall to the floor in cluttered heaps of armor and flesh. Fox breathes heavily, standing in the center of the room, but not for long. He knows what he must do. With one foot he kicks up the sickle head of his kusarigama and with the other he throws a smoke bomb at his feet. When it clears, he is gone.

>>1438263
>>1438142

Outside, the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei war with each other. At the center of this throng of blue and yellow are Takeda, Sub-Zero and Frost, the former facing both of them at once with his hellspawned powers. Havik, having just exited the building on the second level, takes a moment to pause and reflect on the beautiful chaos of this moment. Though the cries of battle and death form music to his ears, it is precisely this moment of reflection that spells his ruin. For Fox appears behind him and tackles him from the second story balcony to the frozen ground below, not far from where Takeda, Zian and Frost are fighting.

As they fall, Fox positions his feet on his foe's back and kicks off, landing nimbly while Havik crashes to the floor. The Kamidogu loosens from his grasp and slides away on the slippery surface. As the cleric watches it go, he scrambles to crawl after it, but Fox won't let him.