File: Saurian-MKX-Mortal-Kombat(...).png (696 KB, 848x974)

696 KB PNG

Deep within the Syrian Desert, hidden within a range of mountains and obscured by natural terrain and the heat of the sun lies an entrance to a deep, dark, subterranean cavern. There are many such lairs spread across the deserts of the world, claimed by the true inhabitants of Earthrealm: the raptors. Having remained hidden for millennia after the Great Migration split their peoples in two and they learned of the horrible fate that befel their Zaterran brethren, their grand scheme to take over the surface world from the disgusting humans had been going flawlessly... until recently.

It is not exactly known how the accursed New Defenders learned of their plot, but that matters little to the sentry known as Xantus. He is a strong, proud warrior, though his talents do not lie in matters of subtlety. Unable to change his appearance as convincingly as the infiltrator caste, he is nevertheless a valuable asset to his kind, tall and strong and he has been waiting patiently for his chance to strike at the humans. The whispers of the New Defenders attacking their secret facilities and kidnapping the infiltrators who were sent to integrate into human governments has sent the saurians and their beloved queen into high alert; every remaining infiltrator was recalled to these lairs with captives, several of whom are within this very cave.

Xantus remains in his position, seemingly highly alert but the truth is that his mind is elsewhere, imagining the coming conquest of the human capitals. While he is but a low guard, he dreams of the great glory he will achieve when he is finally given the chance to test his mettle in combat against the humans, perhaps even the New Defenders! In the meantime, he will remain vigilant, though he knows it is impossible that they could have found this cavern, for only the highest and most elite of the royal caste knows of this place. It will not be long before he gets his chance to face a human, and when that time comes, he will---

An arm wraps around his throat while a firm, vice-like grip, augmented by advanced gauntlets, holds onto the top of his head. His yellow eyes nearly bulge out of his green skull as he struggles, trying to shriek out a warning, but the arm is tight and unyielding. He kicks and scratches at the gauntlets, but within moments he is out of breath and out of consciousness.

Jacqui Briggs drops him to the floor, then cracks her gauntlet-covered knuckles. Nearby, Takeda finishes another sentry, dropping down upon him from the cave roof and knocking him out with a single stroke. Somewhat more elegant than her takedown, perhaps, but then again he is a ninja and she is a soldier. So long as the job gets done, she doesn't much care how elegant it is performed.

Frost sneaks up on her takedown with a kori dagger in hand, ready to slit his throat, but Jacqui holds up a metal hand. "No killing," she says.

File: 2f8cc1981f6be0e0086324e6b(...).jpg (56 KB, 1191x670)

56 KB JPG

>>3527000

"You still hoping to sue for peace with these guys?" Frost says with narrowed eyes. This is still a stealth mission, however, and so she speaks softly. "You haven't been on the receiving end of one of their needles. I have. Need I remind you that they developed weapons that were meant specifically to kill us, and wouldn't hesitate to use them?"

"We have our orders," Jacqui replies, looking over at Takeda as he and Kung Jin drag their sentry off into the shadows. She grabs digs her hands under the arms of the one she just knocked out and hoists him halfway off the ground.

Frost grunts in a dissatisfied manner. "Whatever you say, Army boots." The Lin Kuei picks up the saurian by the feet so that he doesn't drag and they hide him behind a rock. They take a moment to bind his hands and feet, along with gagging him with an acid-resistant fabric. Their previous encounters with the saurians has given them plenty of ideas on how to deal with the slippery serpents. Takeda and Jin silently hop back over to them, bounding across the open floor of the cavern.

Jacqui kneels and gathers her team around. "Remember, if we get caught, the secretary's life is assuredly forfeit. That's why no killing," she says to Frost in particular. "Any hint of blood in the air and we risk them sniffing it out."

"I just wish we didn't have to wear these rediculous outfits," Jin mutters, indicating their green-colored attire, taken from previous saurian owners in prior conflicts. "I know it's to mask our scent, but what about our poor noses?"

Jacqui takes a moment to swallow back her gag reflex. She agrees with Jin that the outfits are horrible, but they have allowed them to sneak upon saurian sentries without being detected, so the discomfort is a small price to pay for their success so far.

"We need to move," Jacqui says. "If they send someone to relieve the sentries and finds them, we need to at least have reached the secretary first, and any other captives."

>Move in a spread-out fashion
>Move in a group, keeping close
>Move in groups of two
>Send someone ahead to scout out while the other three follow a short ways behind
>Other

>>3527001
>Send someone ahead to scout out while the other three follow a short ways behind
>Move in a group, keeping close

>>3527001
Good day Damashi. It's good to see you running again.

>Move in a group, keeping close
>Other

Put Frost ahead of us in order to slow down any Raptors because of her freezing abilities

>>3527024
Thanks friend, good to be back.

>>3527030
Also this

>>3527001
>Move in groups of two

File: Cave_2.jpg (1 MB, 1900x932)

1 MB JPG

>>3527030
>>3527021
>>3527061

Jacqui looks at the Lin Kuei. "You take point. The three of us will follow behind."

If Frost has a snappy remark, she keeps it to herself. The green-clad cryomancer keeps low and moves forward, putting her years of experience in stealing on the streets and training from the Lin Kuei to good use. Kung Jin is no slouch either when it comes to stealth, and Takeda is Shirai Ryu. If she is being honest with herself, and she rarely isn't, Jacqui is somewhat intimidated by their prowess, to the point where she isn't certain she should have been put in charge of this mission.

But she is in command of this team, and she'll not let doubt over how stealthy she can be get in her way. After all, she's already taken out one saurian; how hard could the rest of this mission be?

The come to an opening in the cavern leading to a much larger chamber. They hug the wall as Frost leads them on, but Jacqui steals more than a few glances towards the center of the cave. Unlike their technologically-advanced laboratories, these ancestral homes for the saurians seem to be more traditional in nature, with large stone structures, archways and hand-made holes in walls leading to small chambers. The cavern is lit by large fires and a thin mote of sunlight coming in from a hole in the ceiling, and saurians can be seen going about their lives all around it.

She estimates at least several dozen men, women and lizardlings scurrying about. Her brow furrows as she realizes this is a civilian population, but she knows that all saurians can be dangerous, with their claws, acidic bile, long tongues, camouflage and other natural talents.

Up ahead, Frost pauses. Takeda and Jin pause in front of Jacqui, nearly making her bump into them. She snaps her attention back to the mission at hand.

The Lin Kuei is keeping very still as two saurians walk by, speaking something in their native hissing tongue. They pause, inconveniently holding their conversation in a place where Frost would be easily seen were she to move.

>Attempt to create a distraction
>Signal to Frost to return to you three
>Wait for them to pass, then keep going
>Take this time to observe more features of the cavern
>Other

>>3527103
>Take this time to observe more features of the cavern
Don't force the issue.

>Wait for them to pass, then keep going
>Take this time to observe more features of the cavern
>Other

Ask Kung Jin for any quick knowledge of Saurians from his experience in the Shaolin library/archives

>>3527103
>Wait for them to pass, then keep going
>Take this time to observe more features of the cavern

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

639 KB PNG

>>3527111
>>3527112
>>3527143

Jacqui signals to her to hold position, and she does so, with her hands close to her chest. Frost slows her breathing, knowing that it often comes out in puffs of white, especially in a hot place like this, and despite the desert outside, this cave is surprisingly humid. Jacqui notes a bead of sweat forming on her brow, and hopes that the scent of the costumes they are wearing will not be overpowered by it.

Takeda and Jin seem cool, like they were born to be here. Jacqui reminds herself that she was, too. Gently reaching over to Jin's shoulder, she leans in to whisper, "Anything in those Shaolin scrolls about the saurians that might come in handy right about now?"

The monk slowly shakes his head. "The Shaolin, like everyone else, thought the saurians were long gone. Not even Lord Raiden knew they were here. I suppose that's a testiment to how far they've gone to conceal themselves." He looks around the cave. "But if I were to make an educated guess, based on the general surroundings and what we've learned from our prior encounters, that," he points with a low finger, "is where we want to go."

Jacqui follows his gaze towards a far corner, dimly-lit and guarded, with a narrow tunnel. "You think the prisoners are kept there because of the guards?"

"Well, that and the shoe in front of it."

She squints. Sure enough, a white shoe lies in the dirt and sand, one that is decidedly human in origin, unless the saurians have taken up wearing high heels.

"Huh. Good eye."

He smirks over his shoulder. "Archer."

The two saurians near Frost move on, and Jacqui signals with a hand sign for the direction to travel in. She finds a cut in the floor and hops into it, moving along the combination of natural and worked stone with the three of them following. Soon enough, they're near the guarded area. These saurians are alert, with serpent-staffs topped with curving blades. Much more vigilant than the ones up front.

Takeda gives Jacqui a look, one that boosts her confidence. She's always admired him in a way, how easily he can carry himself into any situation with a smile and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Had she not been dating Cao at the time, and had he not pursued Sheeva, perhaps there would be something there worth exploring... With but a glance, he communicates that he's ready when she is; she need only give the order.

>Distract the guards and attempt to lure them away
>Sneak up on them and knock them out again
>Leave one of your team here as a lookout
>Attempt to sneak past the guards
>Other

>>3527187
>Sneak up on them and knock them out again
With VIP prisoners behind them and ordres to keep guard, getting them to leave their post will be more trouble than it's worth.

>>3527187
>Sneak up on them and knock them out again
>>Other
Hide their bodies somewhere no one will look into.

I second that.

>>3527187
>>Sneak up on them and knock them out again

File: 43634636.png (119 KB, 324x346)

119 KB PNG

>>3527191
>>3527200
>>3527208
>>3527209

Jacqui clenches and unclenches her hands a few times, feeling the subtle servos within gently whir beneath the metal surface. She admits to herself that it was somewhat impulsive when she took out the first guard; Frost, with her superior stealth, should have done it, but she was worried she would kill the raptor. She looks at Frost now, who gives her an unreadable expression. There has always been difficulty working with Frost, due to her trouble with following authority and desire to do things her own way, that and numerous personality problems and conflicts, and her past trauma, and---

She blinks and refocuses. She could attempt to sneak up on this more vigilant guard, but one mistake and it could be over. Takeda can handle one of them, of that she has no doubt, but can she take the other? Jin likely could. Frost most definitely could, but can she trust her to remain non-lethal? She looks again at Takeda. Perhaps he could take them both down, but that would be risky as well...

The others look to her for the call.

>Jacqui will take the other guard
>Jin will take the other guard
>Frost will take the other guard
>Takeda will attempt to take both
>Other

>>3527229
>Frost will take the other guard
The flat truth is that Frost and Takeda are the most silent people in the squad.

>>3527229
>>Frost will take the other guard

>>3527229
>Jacqui will take the other guard

>Frost will take the other guard

File: prison-bars-shutterstock.jpg (56 KB, 1200x771)

56 KB JPG

>>3527238
>>3527239
>>3527252

Jacqui looks back again at Frost. She's had her problems with the Lin Kuei girl in the past, as have most of the team, but recent events have resulted in something of a change in her. The situation with losing her powers and learning about her parents, though Jacqui is only vaguely aware of the finer details, has caused her to seemingly make more of an effort to open up and become more of a team player.

'Now's a good chance to prove herself,' she thinks. 'But then again, if she screws up here, things could get... messy.'

She's taken too long to decide. As her heart takes another beat, she nods at Frost and Takeda, and they get to work. Jacqui and Jin keep low as the two of them break away, each splitting up to get into position for an attack. She watches Frost carefully.

'Stick to the plan,' Jacqui says, subconsciously gripping the stone in front of her as she looks on. 'Stick to the plan...'

Takeda darts in from the side, striking the saurian with a kick to the back of the knee before hook his arm around his foe's neck and taking him down. Frost lingers for a moment, and Jacqui worries she may have made a horrible mistake in trusting her, but then the Lin Kuei leaps upon the back of the sentry, wrapping her legs around his chest from behind and striking both sides of his head with two powerful chops.

Frost catches both herself and the saurian as he falls forward. She signals to Jacqui, and for a moment she thinks she catches a hint of cockiness in the cryomancer's expression---but only for a moment.

With the sentries disposed of quietly, they approach the cells. There are several people here, and Jacqui takes a moment to retrieve a datapad from her belt. It scans their scared faces, immediately identifying them in the registry built from the list of suspected saurian kidnapping victims.

Including, in the most secluded cell, one Secretary Blake, kidnapped and replaced with an infiltrator years ago, long before the New Defenders was even a concept. "Mr. Secretary," Jacqui says with a smile. "We're here to rescue you and the others."

He looks up with weak eyes. "Oh, thank God..." he whispers in a hoarse voice. "I knew... I knew one day..."

Takeda takes out a pulse blade, preparing to cut the cells, when suddenly there is a sound from the great cavern. Drums, a strange beat with an odd rythym, begin to pound. The prisoners all freeze.

"What's that?" Takeda asks.

"It means someone is coming," one of the prisoners, a lady in a white suit and likely the owner of the missing shoe if her bare foot is any indication, tells them.

"They found us out?" Jin wonders.

"No," another one says. "Someone important... one of their leaders, we think..."

Jacqui pauses as the tactical situation shifts.

>Go and investigate while the others rescue the prisoners
>The prisoners are the focus: get them and portal out
>Send someone to go see what is happening
>Hold off on rescuing the prisoners
>Other

>The prisoners are the focus: get them and portal out

Gotta get the fuck out of here

>>3527322
>The prisoners are the focus: get them and portal out

File: Master Hasashi breeding plan.png (1.92 MB, 781x2054)

1.92 MB PNG

>>3526998
>but everyone has their limit
How many psychic children can she bear?

File: body.png (207 KB, 924x879)

207 KB PNG

>>3526998
>>3527328

"Focus on the prisoners," Jacqui instructs them, and Takeda nods. He strikes up the pulse blade and begins cutting through the bars while Jin gets to work on the opposite side, using his chakram to cut open one of the locks. Frost puts her hands together and blasts one set of bars after instructing the prisoners to back away, lest they feel some of the cold bite of her cryomancy.

Jacqui approaches the cell containing Secretary Blake. "You might want to stand back, Mr. Secretary." Raising her gauntlets, she cocks her arms and charges them up before thrusting them forward, smashing through the lock with a bright flash. The metal bends and yields to her attack and the cell door swings open.

She takes a moment to admire her newest gauntlets, forged from studying the technology of Rellim Ohcanep. "These babies will do nicely," she says, stepping into the cell to help the captive up to his feet.

The attack on the door made a great noise, but it will not be much trouble for long---they are on their way out. Takeda is already prepping the personal portal generator. Outside the prison cells, the drumming is growing louder; hopefully it masked the use of her gauntlets.

Within moments, the portal is up and running, and though frightened, the people are coaxed through it by the team. Jacqui helps Blake through and Jin follows in last, his bow at the ready. A saurian leaps into the chamber, perhaps having overheard them or having discovered the guards, but all he receives is an arrow in the chest. The portal closes behind them as Jin leaps backwards into it, and the team and all of the captives are now safely within the New Defenders base.

Special Forces personnel were on standby for this moment and rush forward with blankets and medical supplies, quickly tending to the captives, some of whom are in worse condition than others. As the real Secretary Blake is placed upon a stretcher to be taken to the infirmiry, he grabs onto Jacqui's arm. "Thank you..." he says as a breathing mask is fit over his face.

Jacqui smiles warmly as Takeda lightly clasps her shoulder. "I'll be damned. That's got to be the smoothest mission against those green suckers we've ever had."

Jin leans on his staff as Frost folds her arms. "Wasn't bad," the cryomancer admits. "Can I get out of this outfit now? Green's not my color."

"I think it looks good on you," Jin says with a smirk. "Really brings out the eyes."

"Heads up," Jacqui says as General Sonya approaches. She snaps to attention.

"Specialist Briggs, fine work, damn fine," the general compliments her. "At ease. You'll need to be debriefed, but you have the go-ahead to change first."

"Thank you," Frost mutters, tearing off the hood and exposing her bright blue hair. "If the raptors don't get me, their stink will."

Sonya cocks a brow. "Yes, well... change and shower, then. Report to the debriefing room when ready."

Jacqui nods. "Yes ma'am."

File: _frost__by_sisteranne_db3(...).jpg (138 KB, 1024x1045)

138 KB JPG

>>3527360

As Jin and Takeda break away, enthusing about the mission, Frost gives Jacqui a funny look before, in a mockery of her voice, she says, "Yes ma'am, right away ma'am, will do ma'am."

Jacqui takes it in stride. "Upset that you didn't get the praise for the mission?"

"Please. As if I'm looking for that."

"Well, you'll get it from me anyway. You did good work there. I'm glad we had you along."

Frost avoids eye contact. "Yeah, well... Whatever."

She pushes on ahead, intent on not looking back at Jacqui's satisfied expression. 'She's warming up, if that was even possible,' she thinks. She smiles wider, exceptionally pleased with the mission. The team has been needing a good operation like this to boost morale, and her morale is considerably boosted.

>Shower, change, report for debriefing
>Find Cassie
>See what Cao is up to
>Wait for the others after you're done changing/showering
>Other

>>3527361
>>Shower, change, report for debriefing

>Shower, change, report for debriefing

>>3527361
>Shower, change, report for debriefing

>>3527361
>>Shower, change, report for debriefing

>>3527361
>Shower, change, report for debriefing

File: jacqui_briggs_wip_by_jass(...).png (957 KB, 1280x1425)

957 KB PNG

>>3527363
>>3527365
>>3527372
>>3527378
>>3527386
>>3527390

In a fast and efficient manner bred out of military training, Jacqui sheds her foul-smelling disguise once in her room, showers and changes into a proper work uniform. Once she has laced on her boots and tucked in her sleeves, she slides her gauntlets back onto her hands.

She takes but a moment to run her fingers over them. She isn't quite sure what about these tools that she finds so attractive and right. There is her father, of course, and his famously augmented arms, but then is it a matter of blood? Or is it purely admiration, or a combination of the two?

Either way, she knows that few things feel more satisfying than giving someone or something a good pummeling with them. After properly securing them, she heads out. She is the first at the mission room, which gives her some time to enjoy the pleasant surprise of her father waiting for her inside.

"I thought I smelled cigars," she says, moving around the table to give her father a hug. He throws his arms around her and chuckles around the stogie in his teeth.

"The general told me all about your mission. In and out, objectives secured, no casualties, mission accomplished. You do your old man proud."

Jacqui hides a blush from her father's praise. "Wasn't so bad. Something funny was happening at the end there, though..."

His brow furrows. "Hm?"

At that moment, the general walks in, alongside Fireseed and Sheeva. Jacqui takes her place at the table as Takeda, Jin and Frost filter in behind them.

Sonya listens to their report on the mission in relative silence. "Good work," she says when they are complete. "The captives are recovering. We're hoping they can provide us further intel on the saurian operation, particularly these strange rituals you began to hear."

Sheeva stands up. "These drums you describe. They are similar in function to the drums we play for royal guests in Kuatan."

"You suspect royalty was visiting them?" Jax asks.

"It is possible," Sheeva replies. "We know they make use of portals, and their society is caste-based. From our interrogations of the one who pretended to be Blake that they are matriarchal, and follow a queen."

"A hive queen," Sonya nods. "One above all of the others, a mother for the entire saurian population. It might not have been her visiting that hive you were infiltrating, however."

"Do we have another suspect?" Fireseed asks.

"Not entirely, but I'm willing to bet that once they learn we've infiltrated this hive and rescued some of their prisoners, they'll be extra careful." Sonya stands up, putting her arms behind her back. "That's why we'll need a new plan."

Jax puts his cigar out on his metal palm. "You aren't still considering that idea you had that I told you was damn foolish, are you?"

Sonya looks over at him. "I am, colonel."

"With all due respect, general, I think it's a damn foolish thing to do."

Jacqui cocks her brow, her interest piqued.

File: passion-republic-mkx-layo(...).jpg (102 KB, 388x1048)

102 KB JPG

>>3527424

>What plan?
>Stay quiet and listen.
>Shouldn't we have the other team leaders as well?
>Suggest a plan of your own
>Other

>>3527425
>Stay quiet and listen.

>>3527425
>Stay quiet and listen.

>Stay quiet and listen.

File: mk_reptile_by_llirik_13-d(...).jpg (397 KB, 1100x672)

397 KB JPG

>>3527429
>>3527431
>>3527443

Sonya puts her hands on her hips. "Reptile."

Several others look around at each other, then back at her. "Reptile?" Sheeva asks.

"Currently held in a cell in Z'unkahrah by Kotal Kahn after he was defeated in the form of Onaga, he might just be what we need to track down the leadership of the saurians here in Earthrealm."

"How, exactly?" Fireseed asks.

"We plant a tracker on him without him knowing it and ensure he makes contact with his fellow saurians. Once we've determined he's made his way to the top, we bust them in a surprise operation and put an end to this raptor nonsense once and for all."

"How do we even known he'll get to queen lizzie?" Jax asks.

Sheeva folds her arms while two of them rest on the table in front of her. "Reptile is a fool, but he is strong. He is likely the strongest of the saurians, though that isn't saying much. If he were to pledge himself to their service, it would only be a matter of time before he was brought before their queen."

"And how long will that be?" Jax points out. "There are too many variables. Too much risk in letting Reptile out of his cage. That, and Kotal might not agree."

"I'm willing to enter into negotiations with Kotal Kahn," Sonya replies. "He may need our assistance in a number of ways. The alternative is springing Reptile ourselves."

Sheeva's brow furrows. "To free an enemy from an ally's captivity without that ally's consent is hardly honorable."

"It's merely an option, and one I don't want to take myself. We have Kotal's adopted son on the team. I'm sure we can get him to play ball."

"Kotal is not interested in playing sports," Sheeva says, and the room is silent. Takeda leans over to whisper in her ear, and her eyes burn for a moment and she sighs. "And here I had thought I had spent enough time among you to not make such a fool of myself." Takeda's amused look doesn't escape her sight and the one she gives him promises that he will come to regret it later.

Sonya brushes the awkward moment aside and continues. "The saurians are well-entrenched and might very well abandon their caves soon, especially after this raid. We do have an opportunity, however. Now that we have proven we can find them and strike at their heart, they may be more willing to negotiate a prisoner exchange: our saurians for their remaining captives."

Jin frowns. "Is that a fair trade? Every saurian we give them back is a fighter for their side."

"Hostages are hostages," Sonya says. "We must try to save them however we can, and there is no certainty that we can continue these raids. In their desperation, they might threaten the hostages and even kill them. Our raid should have them scared, but we don't want them so scared they make a mistake like that."

>Can we send them to another realm?
>Remain silent
>Let's try a prisoner swap
>Let's spring Reptile
>Other

>Can we send them to another realm?

>>3527527
>Can we send them to another realm?
If all the saurians want is a home, then give them another realm and tell them to fuck off. Never mind that Reptile himself is a huge wildcard, and there's no guarantee that a tracker on him can't be turned against us if they inevitably find it. They've been subtle for as long as they have because they know how to evade detection; I think they can spot a bug.

File: 1441514275908.jpg (96 KB, 1020x783)

96 KB JPG

>>3527550
>>3527552
We'll be resuming tomorrow. See you then!

>>3527527
>>Can we send them to another realm?

>>3527527
>Can we send them to another realm?

File: sketch142153645_by_koldoo(...).jpg (438 KB, 730x800)

438 KB JPG

>>3527550
>>3527552
>>3527625
>>3528105

Jacqui speaks up. "Can't we send them to another realm? They have women and children of their own. We can't exactly just exterminate them."

Jax nods softly, agreeing with his daughter, but the general shakes her head. "Unfortunately, they think Earthrealm is their home. When their people split long ago and the other half went to Zaterra, which was eventually conquered by Shao Kahn, it only served to further convince them that they were right to remain."

"They didn't defend Earthrealm when Shao Kahn turned his gaze upon it," Fireseed says in a dark tone. "They don't deserve it."

"True, but they only started infiltrating us after Shao Kahn's invasion," Takeda points out. "They're doing this out of some kind of misguided notion of survival. They even helped form this team specifically to take out threats from other realms." He looks around the room. "Ironic that we're now working to take them down."

"The only way we could get them to move is through forceful eviction, and that will only make them vengeful," Sonya continues. "We have enough enemies from other realms. This one is from our own, and we have to deal with it here."

"But is peace possible?" Jin asks. "They've co-existed with us without us even knowing it for thousands of years. If we can secure an audience with this matriarch, perhaps terms could be discussed. Earthrealm is big enough for all of us."

"But not if they don't see it that way," Sonya says with her arms folded. Jin frowns, rubbing the side of his forehead.

"We could always go for that total extermination option," Frost points out. Jacqui shoots her a shocked look and is about to retort when Frost goes on, "Not totally, just enough. You know, beat them into submission. Force their hand. They tried to infiltrate, they were caught, now their secrecy is gone. We know about them. They can't go back to the way things were before now that we do, when all they did was live in caves and hide from us. I say we treat them like any other enemy and just keep chipping away at them until they surrender."

"That would work just fine were it not for their captives," Jax reminds her.

"Then we capture their queen," Fireseed offers. "Why trade one-for-one, when we could trade their queen for all of their human captives?"

Sheeva seems to like the plan, but raises a point, "The problem is finding this queen."

"Which is precisely why I suggest using Reptile," Sonya nods in her direction.

>Remain silent
>We should attempt peaceful negotiations and prisoner trades.
>If we can capture their queen, we can end this conflict.
>Frost is right, we should fight them until they surrender.
>Other

>>3528223
>Other
This is regardless of what we decide, though the option of capturing the queen seems the most powerful on the table.
Reiterating >>3527552, need I remind you that
a) Reptile is an idiot and is bound to mess something up somewhere, and
b) the saurians must be pretty good at counterintelligence if they've remained hidden until now. There's a good chance they'll sniff out the rat immediately if Reptile is bugged and sent back.

>>3528223
>We should attempt peaceful negotiations and prisoner trades.
>If we can capture their queen, we can end this conflict.

>We should attempt peaceful negotiations and prisoner trades.
>If we can capture their queen, we can end this conflict.

>>3528223

> Frost is right, treat this like any other war.

File: sheeva_by_kachakacha-d5d5gaf.jpg (463 KB, 833x1197)

463 KB JPG

>>3528243
>>3528256
>>3528277

Several smaller conversations happen across the room while Jacqui sits and ponders for a moment. She looks up at the general and places her hands on the table. "Ma'am, with all due respect, I don't think using Reptile is a very good idea. He's a wild card, and one we already have locked up. Throwing him into the mix is dangerous."

Sheeva nods in agreement. "The fool became the vessel for the Dragon King thinking it would grant him power and Outworld suffered for it. He can do nothing right."

Jacqui adds on, "And the saurians are good at counterintelligence. They might sniff out any bug we plant on him."

"Not if he doesn't know it is there," Sonya replies. "We plant a subdermal tracker on him while he is unconscious and link it to our global satellite network. Anywhere he goes, we can open a portal to. There'd be nowhere in the world he could hide."

"Why not do it on someone else? One of the saurians we've already captured?" Jax asks.

"There's no guarantee that they'll see the queen. Reptile might be a fool, but to the saurians, he's an oddity: the one survivor of the Zaterran breed, and a warrior strong enough to have fought in the Mortal Kombat tournaments. I'd bet my rank that he'd get an audience with their queen."

Jacqui can see her point, but still has doubts. "I still think we should play with the cards we have instead of bringing in another player, ma'am. We should attempt negotiations for peace, prisoner trades, even try capturing the queen ourselves, but I can't get behind bringing Reptile in on this."

Sonya looks around the room; most seem to agree. "Your objections are understood, but I still intend on discussing the matter with Kotal Kahn. For now, you are dismissed. Remain on base: all temporary portal activity is restricted."

"May we ask why?" Takeda says, leaning forward.

"We have another mission, but we're still sorting through the details. Remain on standby for the time being. Move out."

Jacqui pushes back her chair and stands with the others as she nods at her superior. Outside in the hall, she and her fellow teammates discuss the meeting while Sheeva and Fireseed split off to speak with themselves. Jacqui catches a brief nonverbal exchange between Takeda and Sheeva; a small wink from him and a nudge to his side from her.

"Seems like the general is set on her Reptile idea," Jin says. "Too bad nobody in that room has enough rank to talk her out of it."

Jacqui shakes her head and replies, "It's not always about rank. A good leader listens to her subordinates, but ultimately it is her call to make. She has a bigger picture than any of us."

"Maybe, but she's not the one getting punched by the picture," Frost says. "We're the ones who have to carry out the hard work."

"She can fight if she needs to," Jacqui says, feeling slightly defensive of her superior officer and the namesake of her middle name. Frost merely shrugs in response.

>>3528353

>Spend some time with your father
>See what Cassie is up to
>Go to the gym/training room and get some work in
>Chill in the rec room with the others
>Other

>>3528355
>See what Cassie is up to

>See what Cassie is up to
>Go to the gym/training room and get some work in

File: ot1n7kkq3T1rz8zs3o1_1280.jpg (156 KB, 630x891)

156 KB JPG

>>3528367
>>3528396

After splitting up from the others, Jacqui heads towards the gym where she suspects her best friend is. Her suspicion is proven correct, for Cassie is within, wearing light workout clothing and beating on a punching bag. Jacqui smirks as she enters, and the blonde sergeant sees her almost immediately.

"Whatup, girlfriend?" Cassie says with a bright smile. She drops her fists and puts her hands on the punching bag to stop it from swinging. "Heard you had a good mission."

"Damn good," Jacqui replies, setting her gauntlets down on a bench and unzipping her armored top before shedding it so that she can work out in her tanktop. "I'm in a great mood because of it."

"Well if you feel half as good as you look, then I'm definitely jealous. Them muscles, girl!"

"Careful now," Jacqui says with coy look and a wag of her finger.

"Just being friendly, old habbits and all," Cassie says with a shrug. "Wanna join me for a set?"

"Always."

For the next hour, the two of them engage in a variety of exercises, from lifting weights to core workouts and some light aerobics. As they do, they chat and catch up, having not had much of a chance lately with all of the chaos their lives have been caught up in. At the end of the hour, they're both thoroughly warmed up for their final workout of choice: sparring.

Cassie throws her friend a pair of kickboxing gloves, which Jacqui catches and looks at. "You sure?"

"You always said how you want to go pro, so let's use their rules." She approaches the ring and climbs under its ropes, and Jacqui follows, putting on the gloves as she does. Cassie chides at her, "I know those aren't as advanced as the gloves you're used to wearing, but you can still punch, right?"

"Oh, you're about to find out," Jacqui says, balling her fists and holding them up high.

"Just like the good ol' days," Cassie comments as she punches the air in front of her, bouncing on her toes as she does.

"We'll see how long you'll say that when you're on the floor with me on top of you."

"Promises, promises!"

>Go all out on her
>Go easy on her
>Match her output
>Other

File: muay-thai-eps-vector_csp3(...).jpg (25 KB, 257x470)

25 KB JPG

>>3528528
>Go all out on her
Muay Thai is no joke and shouldn't be disrespected. That, plus Cassie of all people is the one who can keep up with Jacqui, and we wouldn't want to insult her either with some feather punches.

>>3528528
>>Go all out on her

>>3528528
>Go all out on her

>>3528528
>>Go all out on her

File: a50fa56f15a5ba6d2cd15d670(...).jpg (54 KB, 500x500)

54 KB JPG

>>3528560
>>3528616
>>3528620
>>3528691

Cassie is more lithe than Jacqui, but Jacqui is much more grounded, more centered and stronger. Cassie darts in with a few jabs and a kick, and Jacqui begins things defensively, conserving her inner power for an explosive outburst, merely waiting for the right opportunity. She knows that Cassie can handle anything she can throw at her, and always has. For years they've fought and played and, until recently, loved on occasion. But right now, they're fighting, and she intends to hold nothing back against the daughter of Cage.

Jacqui grabs Cassie's leg as she kicks and brings her to the floor, taking her down effortlessly. Cassie slips away from her with a clever twist, springing back up to her feet. Jacqui attempts to sweep her leg, but the lighter girl bounds over it and attempts a falling punch upon her. Jacqui blocks with with both forearms and deflects her back with a kick, giving her room to get up on her own feet.

The two of them square off, testing each other with probing strikes and quick footwork. Jacqui's arms are poised and ready, framing her upper body and face, knuckles inward and gaze fierce. Cassie blows her a kiss and goes in again, but Jacqui is ready for her.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3528819
Dempsey roll her.

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>3528819
Thow some low kicks to scuff Cassie's tempo.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>3528819
Go for a clinch and bring some knees up into Cassie's side

File: jacqui_by_countess_noir-d(...).png (585 KB, 1024x1408)

585 KB PNG

>>3528825

Cassie charges and Jacqui steps forward and to the side, putting all her weight on it, before wheeling to the opposite side and bringing her fist swiping in front of her like a comet. Cassie stops and blocks it, the blow forcing her arms to follow its tragectory, but the Briggs girl isn't done yet. She follows it up by thrusting her body in the opposite direction and following through with another punch, and then another, and another---left, right, left, right---with each blow containing enough force to knock a man off his feet.

Cassie is blown away by this pure offensive volley and her arms drop after the third strike, allowing Jacqui to connect solidly to her. In Jacqui's mind, she recalls the hours she spent with her father honing and practicing techniques not only in the ring, but on the screen, watching old film reels he had collected of some of the greatest boxers in history. She performs the Dempsey Roll flawlessly, forcing Cassie back as she slams a fist into her jaw, but she isn't done yet.

>>3528830

This isn't a boxing match, and Jacqui isn't just a boxer. She brings up a knee and jabs it into Cassie's gut, and then another, each one stepping forward like a train of fists, elbows and knees. Cassie is forced into the corner, assaulted from every angle and winded.

>>3528847

Left with no option, her body suddenly glows green and she surges forward, headbutting Jacqui and forcing her back. Jacqui shakes her head and rids herself of the fuzziness, but when she is ready to fight again she stops when she gets a good looks at Cassie, whose last attack was one of desperation. The Cage girl is leaning on the ropes, barely holding herself up and breathing heavily.

"Holy... shit..." she manages to say, her head leaning forward. "Damn girl, were you... trying to... kill me?"

Jacqui smirks. "Nah. Just evening the score from our last little bout that I let you win." She holds out her hand and helps Cassie up, putting an arm under her and kneeling to help her out of the ring. "I can always go easy on you next time, though."

In spite of her winded state, Cassie laughs. "As if I would... ever have it any other way."

Once they are out of the ring, the two of them towel off and grab some water bottles. Jacqui tries not to giggle at Cassie's nice new bruise. The blonde fighter feels under her nose and observes some blood on her fingers. "First blood. I'll remember that."

"I'm shaking in my boots," Jacqui quips back at her.

As Cassie sits down, she compliments her friend again on her technique. "I suddenly had a lot of sympathy for that punching bag I was using earlier."

She suddenly grabs Jacqui and pulls her in close, putting her bruised face next to hers while taking out her cell phone and snapping a quick selfie. "I think I'll tag it as 'girl talk' or 'cat fight.' What do you think?"

"I think you spend too much time worrying about what to put on social media," Jacqui says as she rolls her eyes.

File: Kung-Jin-MKX-Mortal-Komba(...).png (818 KB, 667x986)

818 KB PNG

>>3528942

At that moment, Jin enters the room and looks around, his eyes focusing on them. He approaches. "Pardon me, oh-so-sweaty ones, but the general has another assignment for us. Word is, we're going to Japan."

"What for?" Cassie asks.

Jin cocks his brow when he gets a good look at her. "Nice shiner. Not sure. Something related to the saurians, so gear up and get ready to move."

Jacqui doesn't need to be told twice. She heads towards her vest and gauntlets as Cassie stands up. "I'll meet you there, Briggs," she says as she leaves the gym.

As she walks past Jin, he gets another look at her bruise, and Cassie sticks her tongue out at him. He then looks at her. "She piss you off or something?"

"Nah, just tough love."

"Right. You know, we had that at the temple, too, except we'd get hit with sticks."

"If you're homesick, we can always arrange to beat you up with sticks."

"I'll pass, sister. See you there."

>Round up some of the others
>Head to the briefing room
>Find your father
>Check Cassie's Friendships page
>Other

>>3528944
>Round up some of the others
>Find your father
Then
>Head to the briefing room

>>3528944
>Check Cassie's Friendships page
>Find your father
I don't know what kind of mugs would follow Cassie.

>>3528944
>>Find your father
>>Check Cassie's Friendships page

>>3528961
I somehow get the feeling Johnny would immediately retweet almost anything his daughter does, and Johnny most likely has way more followers than Cassie.

File: jax_mortal_kombat_x_by_pa(...).jpg (206 KB, 1024x1611)

206 KB JPG

>>3528960
>>3528961
>>3528964

As Jacqui leaves the gym, her phone buzzes softly in its pouch. She takes it out and sees that Cassie tagged her on her Friendships page, and there are already a thousand likes and a hundred or so comments. A quick glance at the comments has her regretting it immediately.

>Laurie13: Kick ass gurl!
>SniperBlackOps33: Did you tape it?
>B.M.D.: Give it to them good!
>BigJB21: God I wish that were me
>JohnnyC: That's my girl!

Jacqui rolls her eyes again and turns off notifications for the post. Ever since the public press conference, Cassie's been running the online fan groups for the team and her social media has blown up with every rando and creep on the internet. 'It doesn't help that she takes lord knows how many selfies in a day. She must have a million stalkers by now.'

Once, she received a random message from a man in Georgia asking to marry her. She couldn't have blocked him or changed her messenging settings to 'friends only' faster.

"The internet was a mistake," she muses with a small grin. She turns the corner and sees her father on his phone.

"Nice pic," he says, looking up with a grin. "Dempsey Roll?"

"Dempsey Roll," she says with pride as he hugs her under one arm.

"So, another mission?"

"You tired?"

"Sir, no sir! I'm ready for three missions in a row!"

"Haha, that's my girl. Just don't blow yourself out. Remember, endurance is important, but everyone has their limit."

"You never hit yours."

"Not that you ever saw," he says, lighting tapping her jaw. "C'mon."

He takes her into the briefing room. Within sits Jin, Vapor, Takeda and Sam. Jacqui looks around. "No Frost?"

"She's needed for another assignment," Sonya says. "Have a seat, specialist." Jacqui takes her place alongside the others. "We've been honing our portal tracking for some time now. As you know, every kind of portal uses different energy signatures and everyone has their preferred style: demons, Outworld sorcerers, Chaosrealm mystics and so on. We haven't been able to track the saurians, but we think we found a way. We just got a hit in Japan, and we're sending you to scout out the area."

"Ah, to be home again," Takeda muses.

"This isn't a sightseeing trip, Takahashi. We believe the saurians might restrictively use their portals because they know we're close to figuring them out. Once you're on the ground, spread out and look for any signs of saurian activity."

>Ask a question about the area
>Suggest bringing more of the team
>Remain silent
>Inquire about saurian portals
>Other

>>3528998
>Inquire about saurian portals

>>3528998
>Ask a question about the area
>Inquire about saurian portals
Any point(s) of contact on site? No surprise visit from Kenshi or anything?

>>3528998
>>Inquire about saurian portals

>Ask a question about the area
>Inquire about saurian portals

File: nick-bouldin-mkx-jaquaiga(...).jpg (526 KB, 1920x960)

526 KB JPG

>>3529000
>>3529007
>>3529010
>>3529022

"What is the area?" Jacqui asks.

"Just outside of Tokyo, the city of Hiratsuka in the Kanagawa Prefecture."

"I've been there," Takeda says. "Once or twice."

"We're picking up portal activity in both the underground and warehouse districts. The only reason it popped up on our radar was its consistency; multiple portals in a short period of time."

"Multiple portals, multiple saurians? Some kind of invasion force, perhaps?" Jin wonders aloud.

Jacqui looks up from the briefing notes in front of her. "Ma'am, what makes saurian portals different from most others?"

"Saurian magic isn't something we fully understand yet. We believe they use certain artifacts passed down from ancient times, as their magic doesn't appear to utilize souls. Their portals are subtle and stealthy, not unlike themselves. They've been using them for years without us knowing it, but we're finally finding them."

"Any help on the ground?" Takeda asks, his voice light with implication. "Perhaps a local agent...?"

"Yes, Takeda. Your father has been called in to assist us."

Takeda smiles and nods at the others. "This'll be a piece of cake."

At that moment, Cassie enters the briefing room. "Apologies for being late, ma'am."

Sonya gives her a discerning look. "Sergeant, you seem injured."

"Just a bruise, ma'am." Cassie shoots Jacqui a look and a tiny smile before stiffling it.

Sonya frowns. "I've already given the briefing and there are notes on the table. The more time we spend here, the more time the saurians have to slip through our fingers. Proceed to the portal chamber."

Jacqui stands up and gives Cassie an apologetic look, but the girl waves her away. Whatever chewing out she'll receive from her mother for her tardiness will come later.

>Select your variation for this mission:

>Shotgun Gauntlets
>Full-Auto Gauntlets
>Pneumatic Gauntlets
>High Tech Gauntlets

>>3529080
>>Full-Auto Gauntlets

>>3529080
>Full-Auto Gauntlets

>Full-Auto Gauntlets

The saurians are most likely going to attack in a swarm so the more firepower, the better.

File: blueportal.gif (52 KB, 400x256)

52 KB GIF

>>3529096
>>3529100
>>3529101

Sliding on her full-auto gauntlets, heavy things with weathered-green finishes and mahine gun barrels built into the forearms, she joins her team in the portal chamber. They have their gear prepped, and technicians busy themselves around the chamber as they look up at the circular ring. A low humming noise begins to rise in intensity as Cassie smirks.

"This is always my favorite part of Stargate," she says over her shoulder to her friend.

Vapor looks over. "What is that? You bring it up almost every time we use the portal."

"I'll show you later," she says with a wave of her hand.

They shield their eyes as the portal fires up, lightning-like discharges flaring out from its edges. Wasting no time, they march into it in single-file, quickly rushing through. On the other side, they take up positions and Jacqui points her arms forward, ready to establish a perimeter.

They are in an empty warehouse. The portal seals shut behind them.

"Area's secure," Cassie says after performing a sweep. Her pistol in hand, she takes out her radio and communicates their successful passage into Japan. The group closes in and prepares to receive their orders.

Cassie slides her radio back into its holster. "We're going to split up into teams of two, maintain comms, and sweep the local area. Use your scanners to pick up any trace hints of abnormal energy signatures."

>Go with Cassie
>Go with Takeda
>Go with Jin
>Go with Vapor
>Go with Sam

>>3529281
>Go with Cassie

>Go with Vapor

>>3529281
>>Go with Vapor

>>3529281
>>Go with Vapor

>>3529281
>Go with Vapor
Jacqui goes loud so Vapor can go quiet.

File: 1403506412345.jpg (86 KB, 410x900)

86 KB JPG

>>3529313
>>3529326
>>3529401
>>3529464

"I'll go with Vapor," Jacqui suggests. Cassie nods. Takeda volunteers to take Sam out, but Jin nudges him in the ribs and says he'll take her instead.

"What?" Takeda says, holding up his palms. Cassie taps him on the shoulder and drags him off with her. Sam mouths a silent 'Thank you' to Jin and they head towards another exit.

Jacqui and Vapor take a back entrance out into an old parking lot and begin walking down the streets and alleyways of the town. They get a few odd looks from the locals and a few photos taken from not-so-discreet onlookers, but they pay them little heed. At least, Jacqui does.

"You think it's wise, being out in the open like this?" Vapor asks, looking around nervously. "The saurians have an extensive network..."

"We can afford a little indescretion, I think," Jacqui replies. "Of course, if you'd like, you can always go invisible. I'll be the one who sticks out like a sore thumb."

Vapor nods and vanishes, but remains close to her.

"Ever been to Japan?" Jacqui asks, trying to make small talk.

"Not this part of it... and not for a very long time."

"You saw the world as part of your Lin Kuei training?"

"Something like that. We went to a few places to see what the world is like so that we would know what we are fighting for. I spent a lot of it like I am right now, invisible, watching people..."

"You still do that a lot?"

"W-what?"

"Go invisible and watch people."

"N-no. Not anymore. Not really, at all. Why?"

Jacqui looks over her shoulder as if looking at Vapor despite the girl being little more than a wisp of invisible cloud. Her reaction was a little odd, but Jacqui knows when to drop things.

After coming to an alleyway, Jacqui's scanner suddenly beeps. She takes it out and holds it up. A relatively simple device despite how complex its task is, the screen displays strange energy readings nearby. "Come on," Jacqui says, though she knows she doesn't need to; Vapor will be by her side the entire time, and her other side, and all around her really.

She jogs into the alleyway and stops when she comes upon a green puddle of bubbling goo. The scanner detected an unnusual concentration of acid, and this is it. "Looks like saurian stomach bile, alright," Jacqui says, taking out her radio. "Cage, this is Briggs. I've got a pile of green goo over here eating through the cement." She looks around. "No sign of the one who puked it up, though... or why."

As Cassie begins to respond, Vapor's voice in her ear suddenly shouts, "Jacqui, up there!"

Jacqui's head shoots up to the roof, catching the vague outline of a cloaked humanoid figure vanishing on the rooftop. Whoever it was was staring down at them. She immediately cuts off Cassie's response. "Possible target sighted on the roof! Giving pursuit!"

File: No Tail here.jpg (195 KB, 900x1190)

195 KB JPG

>>3529520

Vapor doesn't need to be told what to do. She whisks Jacqui up into her cloud and soars upwards before reforming them both onto the rooftop. The cloaked figure is dashing with inhuman speed across the rooftops, and they both immediately give chase.

When it reaches the edge of one roof, it leaps to another like a frog. Jacqui digs her heels onto the edge before leaping off, and Vapor's powers carry them both to the next one.

'Definitely not a local,' Jacqui thinks, watching the way the figure moves. She raises her arms and attempts to fire, spraying at the backside of the saurian, but he leaps down into another alleyway to avoid it. Jacqui flips off the roof and lands on the ground, trusting on Vapor to catch her which she does.

After rounding a corner, they come upon a dead end. "Where'd he go?" Vapor asks.

Jacqui notices that part of the wall is sticking out too far too late. The camouflaged saurian, his body textured like brick, kicks out and strikes Vapor in the face before attacking Jacqui, a living wall of brick and mortar coming at her with sharp claws. She brings up a hand and blocks the first strike, then gains some distance by backing up and prepares to fire on him again. He throws his cloak at her and she fires into it, shredding it with full-auto fire, but when the tattered remnants of the cloak fall away, he is gone.

"How in the...?"

Suddenly she takes a roundhouse kick to the back of the head and is sent rolling forward. She gets back up and aims her arms as the saurian moves his hands like a pair of snakes.

Finally, she gets a good look at him. He's dressed unlike any saurian she's ever seen before, almost regal-looking in a way, with a black cobra-like hood and gold trimmings lining his sleek outfit. His movements are graceful, and each seems to carry a purpose, even as he simply stands there slowly moving his narrow clawed hands into attack position. He surprises her again by speaking in an almost eloquent, yet nonetheless threatening tone beneath his black mask.

"I'll say this once: leave this place. I am not the enemy you seek. If you do not let me go, I will lose him."

Jacqui's face twists into one of confusion. "What?"

Cassie's voice comes over the radio, saying that they are closing in on their position for backup.

>Attack him
>Try to keep him talking; stall for time
>Maneuver him into a trap with Vapor
>What enemy?
>Other

>>3529525
>>Try to keep him talking; stall for time

>>3529525
>Try to keep him talking; stall for time
>What enemy?

>Try to keep him talking; stall for time
>What enemy?

>>3529525
>>What enemy?

>>3529535
>>3529541
>>3529543
>>3529570
Sorry for the delay; had to go see a movie.

Writing now.

File: reptile_concept_render_by(...).jpg (233 KB, 868x1140)

233 KB JPG

>>3529535
>>3529541
>>3529543
>>3529570

As Vapor picks herself back up, Jacqui carefully steps to her left, keeping her guard up. She knows that the others will be here within moments and quickly comes up with a plan to keep him talking, which he so far seems to be willing to do.

"What enemy? Who will get away?"

Underneath his cobra hood, his eyes narrow. "I don't have time for this."

He puts his hands together and they glow green as he creates a ball of force between his palms. As he seperates them, the ball launches towards her. Jacqui's eyes widen and she punches at it, but the ball explodes in a wave of green-colored energy that sends her hurtling backward.

The saurian turns and leaps onto the wall, scaling it quickly like a spider. Vapor, however, is not so keen on letting him get away, and throws a ball of smoke at him. He looks back just in time to see it hit him, causing him to dematerialize and reappear a few feet behind where he was, causing him to fall straight down. He hits the ground and rolls, clawing at the cement as he gets back up.

"I said... I don't have time for this!" His body glows green and he vanishes from sight, appearing behind Vapor. He strikes her back and she dissipates into fog. Jacqui kicks aside a garbage can she landed near and aims her weapon at him to fire, but he waves a hand and creates a shimmering emerald shield in front of him that deflects her rapid-fire onslaught.

She and the saurian make eye contact one last time before he says. "Don't follow me." He turns and leaps high, back onto the wall, crawling to the top.

Vapor, however, is a poor listener, appearing at the top to continue fighting him. Jacqui stands up and reaches for her belt, taking out a grappling hook. "I knew this would eventually come in handy," she says, affixing it to her gauntlet and firing it. The powerful grapnel latches onto the edge of the roof and pulls her up, shooting her up the side of the building. At the top, it disconnects, allowing her to leap up with the momentum of the ascension and deliver a powerful punch to the back of the saurian.

She lands next to Vapor as their green-clad foe rolls forward, skidding to a top on the metal surface, claws on his hands and feet leaving marks in the metal. "You fools," he mutters. Then, in a bizarre moment, he pulls back the leather of his bracer to reveal a silver wristwatch and checks the time. "Now I've lost him for sure."

He turns and runs.

>1d100 and an action!
>Or, let him get away.

Rolled 84 (1d100)

Blast two rockets from your gauntlet towards a large object, causing it to crash in front of the saurian, blocking his path

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>3529940
Use your Full-Auto Gauntlets to shoot machine gun bullets at his legs to slow him down.

File: reptile_re_design_by_soys(...).jpg (118 KB, 680x968)

118 KB JPG

>>3529952

Pointing an arm at the saurian, but not aiming directly at him, she clenches her fist and activates a rocket which flies out towards him. It sails past him and hits the base of an antenna tower, causing it to fall in his path, causing him to skid to a stop.

>>3529953

With her target no longer moving, she raises her other arm and fires a volley of rounds at his legs. The saurian turns and creates another shield, causing her bullets to harmlessly bounce off, but he doesn't stop there. Putting his palms flat against the shield, he then strikes it, sending it flying towards them both. Vapor dodges out of the way but Jacqui tries to take it head-on; this proves to be a mistake. The shield crashes into her and sends her flying back, over the edge of the rooftop. Fortunately she grabs the ledge and holds on, then hoists herself back up to look.

She does this in time to see the saurian backflip onto the fallen antenna tower and pause to look at them. Then, he turns and continues running in the opposite direction.

"Oh, hell no," Jacqui says, pulling herself completely up. "Not... giving up... that easily!"

>1d100 to give chase!

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>3529994

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>3530009
Oof

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>3529994

File: british-museum-knife-display.jpg (3.14 MB, 4320x3240)

3.14 MB JPG

>>3529998

"Vapor, give me a boost!" Jacqui shouts as she runs up to the antenna tower. Vapor puts her hands together and creates a gust of smoke that lifts Jacqui over the wreck. She flips as she soars clear over it, hitting the ground and sprinting as hard and as fast as she can towards the saurian, who jumps off of the edge of the roof and through the skylight of another building. Jacqui follows after him, falling and breaking through the glass before landing roughly. It isn't pretty, and she is covered in numerous small scrapes, but she is back on her feet in an instant and aiming at the saurian, breathing heavily.

He has his back turned to her, and he is standing in front of a broken case filled with strange works of art. In fact, the entire room is---it seems like some kind of private collection, or an art gallery.

"He's already been here," the saurian mutters, turning around with eyes flaring yellow. "Twenty years I've been after him... And you... You!" His fists clench in fury and she prepares to defend herself.

>>3530009

Jacqui blinks and then he's gone. She fires in a wide arc, tearing the place up, but there is no sign of her hitting her target. 'Did he turn invisible? Teleport?' She looks around for any hint of movement; a door opening, someone stepping on glass, but there is nothing. Only silence, and her breathing.

"What the hell..." she mutters.

>>3530034

Vapor wafts in behind her, coming through the skylight as a trail of fog. "Where'd he go?"

"I wish I knew," she says, taking out her scanner. There are some strange patterns in the room, but nothing solid and no trace left behind. "He said he's been after someone for twenty years..." She pauses. "Twenty years... That lines up with the invasion, alright. That's when the saurians started to emerge. But..."

"But what?" Vapor asks.

"Something about all of this doesn't add up..." She looks at the white-haired girl. "Why would a saurian have been chasing someone for twenty years?"

She looks back at the case he was standing in front of. It contains several exotic daggers, mostly ceremonial in nature, from many cultures and time periods. There is a space in the display for another, but it is missing, likely stolen.

'What's this all mean?' she wonders.

>Leave
>Search the room
>Radio Cassie
>Take photos of the scene
>Other

>Search the room
>Radio Cassie
>Take photos of the scene

>>3530041
>Search the room
>Radio Cassie
>Take photos of the scene

File: Mkx-comic-reddragon.jpg (114 KB, 900x1356)

114 KB JPG

>>3530047
>>3530049

Jacqui takes out her phone and starts snapping photos of the scene as Vapor looks around. With her other hand, she takes out her radio and begins to speak. "Cass, come in."

"JB! Where the hell did you guys go?"

"A few buildings down. Some kind of private gallery. Shot the place up, but no sign of the gecko. Can you hone in on my signal?"

"Yeah, we're enroute."

"Briggs out."

As she slides the radio back away, the entrance to the room suddenly bursts open and three figures enter. Jacqui is about to prepare an apology and an explanation until she gets a good look at them. Clad from head to toe in black and red jumpsuits with glowing crimson goggles set into faceless metal masks, she immediately recognizes them from the threat files the SF keep on hand.

Red Dragon mooks.

"Uh... this is all a big misunderstanding," Jacqui begins.

"Kill them," the one in the middle says, and they take out electro-batons.

"Not so much anymore, though," she says, cocking her arms. "Vapor! Company!"

The three Red Dragons charge!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 84 (1d100)

Use Hand Cannon to fire a volley of ammo into the rest of the glass case, to confuse the RD and allow Vapor cover to attack

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3530096
GUN EM DOWN

File: 2362362356232622.png (628 KB, 395x917)

628 KB PNG

>>3530108

Jacqui aims and fires, but not at them---instead, at a nearby glass case, showering them with shards. This gives Vapor the opportunity to slip past them and whisk them off of their feet with a sweep of her leg once she appears behind them.

One of them gets up and throws his stun baton at Jacqui, who deflects it with her arm. He charges at her with the remaining baton and swings it fiercely, wildly, but predictably and clumsily. She dodges every swing before following up with an uppercut to the man's jaw that dents his mask and sends him falling back into another case.

'Saurians, now Red Dragons... If the Deadly Alliance shows up today, it'll be a new record!'

Vapor blocks an attack from one before another jabs her in the leg with his baton, causing her to let out a cry.

>>3530133

Raising her arms, she fires at them, but they both scatter and take cover behind pillars of marble. Keeping them both suppressed as she fires and walks forward at the same time, each arm pointed at one of them, she prepares to help Vapor when suddenly the one she had thought knocked out pops up behind her. He gets his baton around her throat and pulls, attempting to choke her out and causing her to stop firing on his allies.

Jacqui backs up and grasps at the baton as she tries to keep breathing.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>3530139
This is precisely what a shot to the groin is for.

Rolled 52 (1d100)

Aim both your gauntlets behind into his abdomen and fire multiple rounds into his fucking corpse

File: Kenshi-MKX-Mortal-Kombat-(...).png (721 KB, 968x980)

721 KB PNG

>>3530145

Jacqui tries aiming downwards with one arm, but the Red Dragon is skilled at what he does, keeping control over her as he continues to attempt to choke her out. Vapor moves to help him, but another throws his baton into her back, shocking her and making her fall forward.

>>3530148

With the last of her breath fading and her vision swimming, Jacqui grabs one of her arms by the elbow and pulls, forcing it as far around her side as she can before firing into the man's chest. The baton around her throat drops away and Jacqui whirls around, blasting him with both cannons and absolutely shredding him. The man's chest explodes in a shower of blood as he falls onto a table that had been displaying a miniature city, crushing it beneath his twitching body as he is annihilated by her shower of fire. All told, she likely pumps more rounds than needed into him, but it makes her feel good.

She turns around as the other two Red Dragon come for her, but at that moment, another as-of-yet unbroken section of the skylight shatters from two figures leaping through it, despite there already being two perfectly fine pre-existing holes to jump through. Takeda and his father Kenshi fall, each with their weapons drawn, and when they land they strike their targets in one smooth, beautiful attack.

The two Red Dragons fall back, their chests and throats slashed by the blind samurai and his ninja son.

Kenshi stands up and looks in Jacqui's direction, though not directly at her. "Apologies for dropping by, but we thought we'd cut into the situation."

Takeda facepalms. "Ugh, dad... Seriously?"

Before more dialogue or dad jokes can be made, another door opens and more Red Dragons run in. Kenshi turns to face them, though again does not look directly at them. "Oh, good. I was worried I had missed out on all of the fun."

Takeda's bladed whips emerge and he looks at Jacqui. "You alright?"

"Fine," she insists, rubbing her throat. "Let's finish this."

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>3530158
Put at least one Red Dragon's head into the wall.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

Blast the ceiling with two rockets, sending a large chandelier/object to crush two or more RD screaming a Wilhelm scream

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3530158
Uppercut a goon and while he's in the air, grab him, spin and throw him into his buddies

File: 1546150893634.jpg (88 KB, 1366x768)

88 KB JPG

>>3530159

Takeda and his father rush in, but Jacqui lingers for a moment when she realizes one of her weapons is jammed. She looks up in time to see one of the Red Dragons leap in front of her and kick her in the stomach before following up with his batons to her back. Electricity surges through her and she falls down, whereupon she is kicked once more. After attempting to get back up, a second Red Dragon strikes at her, and soon she is trying to defend herself from two attackers kicking her while she is down.

Vapor takes notice and immediately turns into a cloud of violent wind, blowing onto them both and knocking them back. Nearby, Takeda and Kenshi work together to cut down several of their foes, slicing them where they stand.

>>3530166

As Vapor reforms over her, offering her a hand, Jacqui looks up past at the ceiling and sees a panel open up along the upper wall. A Red Dragon soldier appears in it, armed with a rocket launcher!

"Look out!" she shouts as the rocket is fired into the room, apparently disregarding that their own soldiers are within it. The rocket hits the ground and the four of them are sent flying in different directions; Jacqui lands in a case and breaks several works of art within it as the room fills up with smoke, fire and debris.

She groans as she tries to pick herself up. Just then, another Red Dragon appears in front of her, shoving the stun baton into her midsection. She lets out a painful shout as he continues to press it harder into her, holding her down as she spasms.

The attack stops when a sword from the collection is shoved through his face, and Takeda withdraws it. Kenshi picks himself up nearby, reaching for his sword. The man with the rocket launcher, having reloaded it, fires it again. The samurai faces it and holds his sword aloft, which glows blue, before motioning with his hand in a circle around him. The rocket flies past him, turns around and swings back towards where it came from, following his fluid-like dancing motion. It strikes the man in the hole and explodes, destroying him and that corner of the room entirely.

Jacqui is showered with more debris and chips of paint and wood as Takeda helps her up. "I'm fine," she insists, though his face still shows his concern. She wipes some blood off of her forehead and tries not to limp towards Kenshi. Vapor joins her, putting a worried hand on her shoulder, but she again ignores it and focuses on the situation at hand. "Let's just get out of here."

Cassie and the others bust in at that moment, conveniently providing their means of escape from the burning room.

>Portal back to base
>Continue your search for the saurian
>Lay low for a short while
>See if any of the Red Dragon are alive for questioning
>Other

>>3530256
>Continue your search for the saurian

>See if any of the Red Dragon are alive for questioning
>Continue your search for the saurian

>>3530256
>>Continue your search for the saurian
The others can deal with the Red dragons

>>3530256
>See if any of the Red Dragon are alive for questioning
>Continue your search for the saurian

>>3530259
>>3530263
>>3530597
>>3530735
I'm back and we're resuming, writing now.

File: c64b8d9cf7014710be3cc4c8e(...).jpg (20 KB, 564x311)

20 KB JPG

>>3530259
>>3530263
>>3530597
>>3530735

"Are any of them alive?" Jacqui asks, looking around.

Kenshi kneels down alongside one and rips off his mask with a telekinetic fling. The man is very still, his mouth dripping foam. He speaks in a dark, angry tone. "That monster Daegon has them kill themselves before they ever reveal anything about their organization. It's how they've managed to elude us for so long. Not even the Black Dragon inspires such vicious, fanatical loyalty..."

Jacqui leans up against a pillar, an action that doesn't escape Cassie's notice. She moves in close. "JB? You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Jacqui insists, shrugging off her hand. "C'mon. We need to continue the mission and find those saurians."

Cassie doesn't press her. She turns towards Kenshi and his son and asks, "Do the Red Dragon have some kind of connection with the saurians?"

"We're not sure," Kenshi replies. "I've been tracking this particular cell lately. It would certainly be an odd coincidence if this cell and your saurians appearing in this area were not connected."

"I say we assume there is a connection until we find proof that there isn't," Takeda suggests. "The saurians and the Red Dragon are two of the most secretive groups we've ever come across. They must know of each other."

"Yes, except the Red Dragon doesn't usually make mistakes like the saurians have been making," Kenshi replies. "If they are allies, the Red Dragon might see them as a liability."

"Well, technically the saurians didn't make a mistake, we just have a time traveller on our side," Takeda points out. "Allowed us to learn about them without them ever having a chance to slip up."

"That gives me hope," Kenshi says, standing up and wiping off his blade before sheathing it.

"What about?" Sam asks, gingerly stepping over one of the dead bodies.

"That the Red Dragon will soon make a mistake, and I will find my wife's murderer," Kenshi coldly replies, and Takeda stands silently off to the side.

Within minutes, they have left the building, avoiding locals and any authorities looking into the situation. They regroup nearby.

"We've lost the trail of the saurian that Briggs and Vapor were trailing, so we need to pick it back up," Cassie says. "Let's sweep the area."

Kenshi half-turns towards them. "I will continue searching as well. I will be in touch."

Takeda bows his head. "Thank you for your help, papa-san."

As he takes off, Jacqui rubs her arm, trying to keep the soreness down. She stiffles any outward signs of pain she may be giving off and stays strong, like she knows her father would.

"We'll split into teams again, only this time teams of three," Cassie says. "Just in case."

>Go with Cassie and Sam
>Go with Takeda and Jin
>Go with Vapor and Cassie
>Go with Sam and Takeda
>Other combination

>Go with Sam and Takeda

>>3532129
>Go with Sam and Takeda

File: 1428333718803.jpg (78 KB, 599x600)

78 KB JPG

>>3532136
>>3532150

"I'll go with Sam and Takeda," Jacqui suggests. "Let's try mixing up the groups."

Cassie seems to like the idea, but Vapor's eyes drift down. Jacqui takes note that she seems almost... dejected. As the two teams prepare to split apart, Jacqui breaks away from her two and approaches her. "Andela."

She turns. "Y-yes?"

Jacqui gives Cass a nod that says, 'I'll be a moment,' before taking her off to the side. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

"C'mon. What is it?"

She casts her eyes downwards. "I... felt like I should've been more help to you. I know my powers are some of the strongest here, and yet we lost that saurian, and you got hurt in that last fight..."

"Hey," Jacqui says in a low voice, stepping closer. "This is what we do. Sometimes, we get hurt. Besides, I'm fine."

"Really?" she asks, her green eyes wide.

"Really."

"Because... there's something else. And it, it's..." She squints as words fail her.

"What is it?"

"That saurian... when I was near him, or looking at him, there was something... strange. I felt odd. Like nothing I've ever felt before. It made me... sluggish. Did you feel anything like that?"

"No, why? Sluggish how?"

"My thoughts were hazy and I was reacting slowly... When he kicked me, I felt... like, I was kicked out of my own head for a moment."

Jacqui listens very carefully, taking in every word. "I didn't get that feeling."

"It's... probably nothing," she says. "Some trick."

"...Yeah, you're right. He was some kind of wizard, it must've been a trick."

"Please be careful," Vapor says, nervously rubbing her arm. "I, I know you said you're fine, but... please?"

Jacqui smiles. "I will be. Don't worry about me: we Briggs are built tough like trucks, and we hit as hard as one, too!"

She returns to her group as Vapor leaves with hers.

>Search the streets
>Search the sewers
>Search the warehouses
>Search the rooftops
>Other

>Search the warehouses

>>3532196
>Search the warehouses

>>3532196
>Search the warehouses

File: sektor_by_code_166-d3bqn26.jpg (661 KB, 768x1024)

661 KB JPG

>>3532200
>>3532205
>>3532292

Takeda takes point and begins leading them back towards the warehouse district. All three of them have their scanners out and are keeping a keen eye on them, though Takeda seems content to talk while he works.

"I know a pretty decent joint not far from here. After this is over, we could grab a bite. Good stuff! I know everyone thinks Japan is all about sushi and ramen, but we've also got---"

Jacqui puts a stop to his rambling with a hand over his mouth. "Quiet. I'm picking something up."

"Me too," Sam says, looking at her screen. Takeda looks at his. Several strange energy signatures can be read nearby, moving in a consistent formation.

As Jacqui drops her hand and takes the lead, Takeda mutters, "Alright, so food later, then."

They come to a warehouse and crouch beneath a window, peering up and over. At first they don't see anything in the dark interior, but then they see them, and it makes their blood run cold. Several figures emerge from the shadows, walking towards the center of the warehouse, clad head-to-toe in thick armor of various colors, with glowing eyes.

"I don't believe it," Takeda says.

"I thought they were all destroyed?" Jacqui whispers.

"Uh, guys? Cue me in?" Sam asks.

"Cyber-ninjas," Takeda replies. "Like our training dummy..."

"The one who killed all of us before Kaito travelled back in time?" Sam asks, her face draining of color. "But... how?"

"I don't know," Jacqui says, her hands nearly bending the metal window sill with how tightly she is gripping it, "But this is a problem. Big time."

>Radio for backup
>Attempt to discern why they are here
>Attack them and attempt to preserve one
>Fall back and regroup
>Other

>Radio for backup
>Attempt to discern why they are here

>>3532355
>Radio for backup
>Attempt to discern why they are here

File: sektor_and_cyrax_by_jacob(...).jpg (104 KB, 821x974)

104 KB JPG

>>3532361
>>3532365

Jacqui takes out her radio. "Cage, we've got cyber-ninjas on our position."

"What? Cyber-ninjas? Are you serious? You sure they're not more Red Dragon?"

"Definitely cyber-ninjas."

Within the warehouse, one of them turns and looks directly out the window, his eyes flashing red. They duck down.

"And... apparently they can detect radio signals."

His voice, deep and low and robotic, can be heard from their position. "Three life signatures identified. Outside that window."

"And they can see through walls."

Another one with an identical voice says, "Terminate them."

"And they're hostile!"

Takeda grits his teeth. "And they're fans of movies!"

The three of them get up and run as the window smashes from within. Three flying cyborgs shoot out of the structure and quickly land in front of them, cutting off any escape route. Takeda throws out his arms and extends his bladed whips as Sam takes out her batons. Jacqui smashes her fists together and raises them up high.

The cyborgs stand straight and scan them. "Takahashi Takeda. Jacqueline Briggs. Samantha Stryker. Submit and be destroyed."

Takeda cocks his head. "Don't you mean, 'Submit OR be destroyed?'"

The red one's chest opens, revealing a pod of missiles. "No." He then fires them.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 66 (1d100)

Use 'Up Rocket' to block incoming missiles

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3532385
Throw some of the missiles back at them.

File: Mortal_Kombat___Sektor_by(...).jpg (169 KB, 670x1192)

169 KB JPG

>>3532387

Thinking quickly, Jacqui raises her arms and fires two rockets of her own, which impact on and destroy the cyborg's rockets with an impressive explosion between both groups.

>>3532394

A dark shadow in the fire is seen as a cyborg flies right through it, thrusting forward and delivering a flying punch straight into Jacqui's face. She is taken back with the cyborg through the wall of a warehouse, whereupon it stops flying and she is sent hurtling to the floor, rolling along the cold, hard cement.

She struggles to get up to her feet, but the cyborg gives no quarter and is on her in an instant, attempting to strike her while she is down. She holds up her gauntlets and blocks a kick and then a punch as the hard-hitting machine pummels at her arms. She shouts and brings up a foot, managing to force it back and get some distance before hopping up onto her feet.

"Come on, tin can! Let's go!"

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3532418
Shoot the cyborg with machine gun rounds

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>3532418
We don't need to hold back against cyber-ninjas, so slug him with some of the heaviest augmented haymakers we got.

Rolled 59 (1d100)

Grab a crowbar or large long metal object from the environment and smash it across the cyborg's face

File: uninvited_feral_nightmare(...).jpg (148 KB, 900x1273)

148 KB JPG

>>3532422

The cyborg's eyes flash. "Your technology is inferior."

"I call it 'old-school!'" She points her arms and fires, shouting as she showers him in a hailstorm of bullets. The cyborg steps back as his armor is dented and, in some places, pierced. Black oil pours out as she shreds him, using up the last of her ammo to destroy him completely.

She drops her arms to her sides as her barrels smoke and she smiles while sighing in reflief.

At least until two more cyborgs drop in from the roof, crashing through and landing in standing positions.

>>3532429

They close in rapidly and attack, striking at her with punches, kicks and powerful chops. She attempts to block, duck and weave, but she is winded and wounded and only getting worse. A blow to her side is followed by a kick from the other to her left leg, then she takes a metal fist to the face and falls back a few paces. They are relentless, brutal and efficient, working in tandem; one strikes, then another from a completely different angle, then the first comes in again.

She tries her best, but it is no good. They push her back with devastating blows until she nearly trips over some construction equipment.

>>3532431

Through the haze and the blood in her vision, she reaches for a tool and grabs it, swinging it with sudden fierce power. She smashes it aross the faceplate of one, then clocks the other. They had thought her beaten, but she is filled with newfound energy as she desperately strikes them with the long-handle wrench.

For a moment, she flashes back to when she was working on a truck with her father, and smacked the engine when it wounded start with a wrench. It then immediately started back up and her father laughed and hugged her.

"RRAAAAGH!" Jacqui screams as she brings the wrench down upon the head of one of the cyborgs, smashing it and showering her in bloody oil. Bringing up her boot, she kicks the body away while pulling the wrench free and looking at the other one.

She pauses for only a moment before rushing towards it, ready to take him apart like an old muscle car.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>3532439
Kneecap the sumbitch.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

Blast through the cyborg's circuitry with machine gun fire and start manually ripping out the cyborg's internal wirings

File: Python.jpg (207 KB, 900x1116)

207 KB JPG

>>3532442

The machine anticipates a high swing, until Jacqui suddenly goes low, sliding on her knees. She slams the wrench against the knee of the machine, bending his leg backwards and causing him to tumble forward.

She gets back up and grips the wrench tightly in both hands and looks down at him as he tries to snap his robotic leg back into position.

>>3532444

Dropping the wrench, she cocks her arms and loads in two new mazines from her side pouches into her gauntlets, slapping them into the sides. As he fixes his leg, she aims down at him and fires, destroying his faceplate and exposing a wire-covered skull.

Jacqui kneels down over the machine and punches into his skull, her augmented fist crushing bone and allowing her to grab some of the wires and rip them out. She throws them behind her as she stands up.

"Damn," a voice from behind says, making Jacqui whirl around in alarm and then relax when she realizes it is only Cassie. "Rough day?"

"Girl, you have no idea."

"I've got some," she says, jogging up with gun in hand. "The others are outside, dealing with more of these things. Come on, we've got to---"

She is cut off by a glob of acid fired between the two of them, landing on the floor nearby and causing it to bubble and hiss. They both aim at its source: a saurian up on the ceiling, along with two others, both of them falling to land on the ground in low stances.

"Looks like we found our saurians," Jacqui says distastefully.

"Did we, or did we stumble onto something bigger?" Cassie replies. "Look, nine o'clock."

Jacqui looks to her left, through a window. Outside, a cyborg can be seen, shooting a flamethrower at something before a saurian leaps upon his back and attacks him, clawing at its armor. Somewhere nearby, an explosion can be heard, along with more gunshots.

"What the hell is going on?" Jacqui mutters.

"Turf war?" Cassie suggests. "Now all we need is the Yakuza to show up and this little rumble in Japan will be complete."

Before they can say another word, the raptor above fires a gob of acid to force them to separate some more, allowing the two on the floor to dash in and attack!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 75 (1d100)

Grab the saurian by the throat and fling him towards Cassie for her to perform an attack

File: 01-27-402x536.jpg (43 KB, 402x536)

43 KB JPG

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>3532456
Argentine Backbreaker. We've got the augmented arm strength to just pick him up.

File: Usai.jpg (476 KB, 520x796)

476 KB JPG

>>3532458

The saurian coming after Jacqui leaps at her, and so she simply reaches up and grasps him by the throat, squeezing hard. Using his momentum, she turns around once and hurls him at Cassie. "Head's up!"

Cassie, having just roundhouse-kicked her own saurian, maintains her twisting motion and performs another, this time with her leg glowing green with shadow power as she delivers a second roundhouse to her flying foe, putting him down on the ground. Once she brings her foot back, she strikes a pose with her fists curled and up, ready for more action.

>>3532462

As Cassie's saurian tries to get back up, Jacqui charges at him and tackles him, but rather than take him to the floor, she scoops him up onto her shoulders and keeps going. Gripping him tightly with her augmented arms, she pulls hard as she bounces him while charging towards a nearby window. Upon reaching it, she bends forward while throwing him off of her, out the window and out of her cares.

A long, sticky tongue reaches out and lashes around her neck. Jacqui gasps and pulls at it, but the sudden force of its pull catches her by surprise as it reels her in.

Cassie sees this happening and rushes in, but the saurian that Jacqui threw grabs her by the leg, wrapping his own tongue around her thigh and causing her to trip and fall forwards, her glasses falling from her face and shattering.

Jacqui continues to gasp and struggle as the saurian pulls her towards its gnashing jaws.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3532466
Shoot or slice the tongue. We have at least one knife on our person, right?

Rolled 68 (1d100)

"Open wide."

Blast a rocket into the saurian's open maw

File: 7177776ad9deee5fdac950bec(...).jpg (61 KB, 564x685)

61 KB JPG

>>3532467

Jacqui brings up her knee, reaching down to slide a knife out of its sheath strapped to her lower leg. With one desperate move, she stops resisting and goes with the pull, allowing her to turn around and bring the knife up to slash at the tongue. It is a strong muscle and she only cuts halfway through it, but that is enough; green blood spills onto the floor and the saurian unwraps it from her neck, retracting it quickly.

>>3532468

With her other arm, she points her fist at his open maw and locks on with a rocket. "Open wide."

She fires it down his throat and it explodes, showering her in green blood as the headless corpse falls back.

Jacqui breathes hard as Cassie turns around and puts a bullet in the brain of the saurian who had tripped her. She gets up and dusts herself off. "Those were four-hundred and ninety-nine dollar sunglasses, asshole."

Jacqui looks over her shoulder. "I'm currently covered in red, black and green blood, and you're worried about your shades?"

"Well, they were nice."

"So have your dad buy you some new ones!"

"Hey! I'll have you know I make more than enough to buy my own replacements. But yeah, he probably still will." She checks the chamber of her pistol as she approaches. "Today sure took a turn for the worse, eh?"

"You can say that again."

"I'm calling for backup. This place is becoming a warzone. If the Red Dragon show up again and get mixed up in this, it WILL be a warzone. We're still near a civilian population."

"We need to evacuate the people," Jacqui suggests.

"Well, right now keeping the fight here, focused on us is what's best." They both aim their weapons as a cyborg breaks through part of the wall with two saurians on him, flies across the ceiling and crashes through the opposite wall. "...Then again, they're just as interested in each other as us, apparently."

>Start evacuating civilians
>Help Cassie radio for backup
>Open a portal back to base
>Join the others and help them fight the cyborgs and saurians
>Other

>>3532480
>Help Cassie radio for backup

>Start evacuating civilians

>>3532480
>>Start evacuating civilians

>>3532480
>>Start evacuating civilians

>>3532480
>Start evacuating civilians
>Help Cassie radio for backup

File: _no_mercy__by_madiblitz-d(...).jpg (253 KB, 866x838)

253 KB JPG

>>3532482
>>3532483
>>3532510
>>3532787
>>3532929

"I'll get the people out of here and try to radio for help too," Jacqui says, running towards one of the openings in the walls. Once she is outside, she sees a group of construction workers huddled behind a series of vehicles and moves to them, urging them to get out of the area. She cannot speak their language, and so only communicates with body language, motioning for them to run.

She holds up her communicator. "Takeda! We've got civilians in the area, and I don't speak Japanese!"

The reply that comes back is fuzzy and he is clearly talking whilst fighting. "I'm a little... busy... at the moment!"

Movement on a nearby rooftop catches her attention as Takeda leaps onto it, duelling with a cyborg armed with pulse blades. Takeda has his own and they clash, at least until the robot is shot in the back with an arrow. Jacqui looks up at another rooftop, where Kung Jin is kneeling, firing arrow after arrow at targets all around, saurian and cyborg alike.

On the ground, Sam and Vapor work as a team, with Sam serving as the lead, tanking hits and getting their enemies into a position for Vapor to take down. A cyborg attempts to crash into Sam from behind, but only ends up crippling itself as if it had flown into a steel wall, crumbling its armor and breaking its spine. She turns around for a brief moment, looking rather surprised, but then continues fighting the cyborg in front of her with her tonfas.

Jacqui helps the group of civilians towards the edge of the combat zone, taking out her radio as she does. "Dragon Base, come in, Dragon Base, do you read? We need backup! Multiple hostiles in the area! Requesting immediate reinforcements!"

She doesn't have time to listen to whatever response she receives as a truck drives past, screaming along the road at top speeds. Jacqui whirls around as the civilians run past, watching the truck strike the building that Kung Jin is atop and explode. She immediately realizes that the truck itself was loaded with explosives, as the force of the blast is far too powerful for a mere vehicle to make. Jin stumbles as the building begins to topple.

Her eyes wide, Jacqui takes out her grapnel and fires it at a nearby billboard, shooting herself upwards. Jin leaps from the rooftop, and halfway towards the ground, sees Jacqui coming and reaches out to her. She grabs him by the arm and holds on tight as the grapnel pulls them both up. Behind them, the building collapses, covering the area in dust and smoke.

File: Kung-Jin-Mortal-Kombat-X-(...).jpg (213 KB, 1920x1088)

213 KB JPG

>>3533003

Once on the small adjacent rooftop, they shield themselves from the aerial debris, feeling the force of it wash over them. Jin positions his palm upon the ground and swings his staff, summoning a gust of wind with a Shaolin manuever to give them some breathing room, but it doesn't do much.

"What was that?" he asks, coughing.

"A truck," she says, standing up. She squints as she tries to see through the smoke. Their comms are filled with the sounds of battle, and she gets no response. "I can't see anyone."

He strings another arrow. "Those cyborgs have the advantage now. They can see through all of this smoke. We're spread out and outnumbered."

>Remain with Jin and fight from a distance
>Get on ground level and help find your team
>Attempt to fall back so your team can regroup
>Try again to radio for backup
>Other

>Attempt to fall back so your team can regroup
>Try again to radio for backup

>>3533005
>>Attempt to fall back so your team can regroup

>>3533005
>>Attempt to fall back so your team can regroup

File: 685434543553.png (1.53 MB, 950x1025)

1.53 MB PNG

>>3533006
>>3533011
>>3533048

"We need to fall back and regroup," Jacqui says. "Come on!"

They use her grapnel to get back down to ground level, searching for the others. They find Sam trapped under some rubble and Jin uses his staff to pry it off of her while Jacqui helps her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm not hurt," she insists. "I guess it's good to know that a building falling on me wouldn't kill me, but being stuck under it would..."

Vapor appears nearby, bringing Takeda and Cassie with her. They materialize and join up with them.

"This whole situation has escalated far too quickly for my liking," Cassie says. "Something is going on."

"I can't feel my father's presence," Takeda says, his hand on his forehead. "But I feel something... else..."

Cassie faces him. "What is it?"

He turns towards his left, his eyes narrow. "More trouble."

A truck, just like the one that was driven into the building, pulls up nearby, turning around so that its rear faces the team. It opens, the back sliding up as Red Dragon soldiers begin to pile out of it. Jacqui feels her stomach tighten as a dozen men emerge, led by one man in particular, a swarthy stranger in a black trenchcoat. Within his hands are a pair of hookswords.

"You kids found yourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time," he says, holding up his swords and smiling. "But I'm sure we can fix that."

"Here we go again," Cassie says, preparing to lead her team into battle. But then the smoke in the area begins to clear some more, revealing a group of saurians approaching from the east... and a group of cyborgs approaching from the west.

The four parties all end up staring at each other, each one waiting for the other to make their move.

>Focus on the Red Dragon
>Focus on the saurians
>Focus on the cyborgs
>Advocate falling back until more backup can arrive
>Other

>>3533061
>>Focus on the Red Dragon
The saurians and the cyborgs are hopefully going to be more focused on each other

>>3533061
>Focus on the Red Dragon

>>3533061
>Focus on the Red Dragon

File: versus.png (159 KB, 358x257)

159 KB PNG

>>3533070
>>3533080
>>3533097

After a moment more, all four groups run in. Jacqui and Takeda leap over the heads of several foes, landing in front of the Red Dragon leader.

"I do not know you," he says, holding up his hookswords, "but all the same I'll cut you down."

Takeda spits. "But I know you, Mavado. And you know my father, Takahashi Kenshi!"

"Ah, so the brat is all grown up..." He slides the blades of his weapons against each other. "Why don't we send you along to go and see your mother?"

Takeda shouts and dashes forward, with Jacqui on his heels as Mavado prepares to face them both.

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

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>3533125
Try to shoot his swords out of his hands.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3533125
Go for a straight punch to the face into kicking his knee out so you can knee him in the face.

File: 1546144637525.png (389 KB, 643x835)

389 KB PNG

>>3533136

As Takeda ducks low, Jacqui recognizes the practiced manuever he is setting up and she fires over him at their enemy. Mavado spins his hookswords in front of him in an attempt to deflect her bullets, but the force and surprise of the attack causes him to become disarmed as they fly from his fingers.

Takeda goes for a swipe with his whips, but Mavado jumps over him, landing between them both.

>>3533143

Not wasting any time, Jacqui's fist shoots straight up into the Red Dragon's face, followed by her kicking his knee, forcing him to fall forward on his other foot. This allows her to bring up her own knee to smash it into his face.

Takeda spins around and delivers an equally devastating roundhouse to the back of Mavado's head, kicking him aside. He looks up at Jacqui and smiles. "Well, that was easy."

A red laser blast hits him from behind, causing him to shout and fall forward. Jacqui catches him and looks up as a new foe enters the brawl, the one who was driving the truck. This one Jacqui knows, for he is a traitor whose face is well-known to the Special Forces: Hsu Hao.

He folds his arms over his glowing chest augmentation, smiling down at her. "Well, well, well... aren't you just the spitting image of your mother's beauty and father's oafishness?"

"You," Jacqui says, helping Takeda back up. "You betrayed the Special Forces! Infiltrated us and blew up a compound!"

"And I'd do it again for the glory of the Red Dragon."

Nearby, Mavado recovers and rolls over to his hookswords to retrieve them. "I'll handle that one," Takeda says to Jacqui, then motions to Hsu Hao and says, "This one's all yours."

Jacqui and Takeda split up to face their opponents as Hsu Hao chuckles. "Overconfident. Just like your father."

"My father is confident because he knows that any problem in his path he can crush." She punches her hands together, then cocks them. "And I'm the same."

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

Rolled 21 (1d100)

"It's funny that your 'master' sent you the two out in the open. Why doesn't he greet us instead of hiding behind his goons?"

Fire a valley of bullets into Hsu Hao's red chest thing

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>3533168
Shoot a cluster of rockets as a distraction to rush in for a superman punch

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>3533168
Dashpunch 'im so hard the hat goes flying

File: PressF.jpg (1.89 MB, 2715x1527)

1.89 MB JPG

>>3533202
>>3533251

My fucking sides XD

File: versus.png (123 KB, 253x225)

123 KB PNG

>>3533202

Jacqui aims at Hsu Hao's chest, but he thrusts it forwards, the cybernetic implant glowing red-hot before unleashing a beam of energy that knocks Jacqui off her feet. She feels the burn against her own chest, charring part of her chest armor as his laughter echoes in her ears.

She moves to get back up, but then suddenly he is standing over her, reaching down to grapple her. He picks her up and throws her into a nearby dumpster before walking up to it and slamming the lid shut.

He dusts off his hands and chuckles softly to himself.

>>3533250

Jacqui twists into a sitting position, lying atop foul-smelling bags of trash. "That son of a bitch..." She reaches into a pouch and removes several rockets, quickly loading them all onto her gauntlets.

The dumpster lid bursts open and Jacqui pops up, a look of pure rage and indignation on her face. She fires a cluster of missiles at him, using up the last of her stock. Hsu Hao brings up his arms as they impact around him, one of them hitting him and forcing him back a few paces.

Jacqui leaps through the smoke, punching him in the face as hard as she can. Again he stumbles backwards.

>>3533251

Slowly, he turns his head, gazing upon her with glowing red eyes. Jacqui looks at his arms, seeing bits of charred flesh fall off, revealing even further cybernetic augmentation beneath.

"Your father hits harder."

The speed at which he rushes at her takes her by surprise. She attempts to get a few shots off but he tackles her, wraps both arms around her midsection before thrusting her up and over while bending backwards, performing a suplex that smashes her against the stone floor. He lets go and Jacqui crumbles on the spot.

Hsu Hao turns around and kicks her in the stomach. He takes out a pair of strange blades sheathed behind his belt, odd weapons little more than handles with crescent blades connecting both ends with a sun-like pattern.

"I only wish he were here to see this," Hsu Hao says with a sinister smile.

Suddenly, he is lashed from behind by Takeda, who has broken away from his fight with Mavado to help Jacqui. Hsu Hao turns around and begins to duel with him, using his sun-moon blades to deflect further whip attacks as he closes the distance.

On the ground, discarded, Jacqui feels like a small girl again. Long ago, she picked a fight with a group of bullies who were bigger, stronger and far more numerous than she. They surrounded her and beat her, knocking her down again and again. In that time, she recalled the words of her father: "Never stay down if you can get back up."

So, she kept getting up, no matter how hard they knocked her down. Eventually they tired of her and moved on. Jax was upset, because he had felt his advice had pushed her into only hurting herself more. He blamed himself for what had happened to her, but Jacqui didn't. Even though she had been beaten up, she was proud that she never stopped getting back up, because that's what she imagined he would do.

File: Jacquirendermkx23.jpg (70 KB, 1214x684)

70 KB JPG

>>3533308

Jacqui is snapped back to the moment as her eyes open and she gasps for breath. All around her, the sounds of battle rage. Her arms feel weak and she is sore all over, but she pushes herself up on shaking limbs until she can stand.

"I'll never... stay... down," she mutters, though her vision is somewhat blurry. Her eyes focus on the sight of Takeda holding off both Hsu Hao and Mavado, mostly defending himself from both attackers.

That's her teammate, her friend, having to do twice the work in a fight because she was lying down on the job! She curls her fingers into fists and works herself back into a state of focused rage. Her heart pounds in her chest as blood pumps in her arms and legs, bringing life and energy back into her limbs.

"Time for round two!" she shouts, charging at Hsu Hao from behind.

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

Rolled 83 (1d100)

Hand Cannon his hamstrings from behind

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>3533310
All-out sprint and jumping Muay Thai knee to the bridge of his nose

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3533310
Kick out his legs.

And now for an appropriate motivational theme for Jacqui

https://youtu.be/_srFCiwiy-Y

File: fujin___mka_alt__costume_(...).jpg (324 KB, 1600x1200)

324 KB JPG

>>3533317

With a roar of righteous fury, she blasts Hsu Hao in the hamstrings from behind, forcing him onto his knees. He falls forward, allowing Takeda to focus on facing Mavado.

>>3533324

Jacqui's opponent turns his head, but only in time to see her perfoming a jumping Muay Thai knee from a sprint right into his face, smashing his nose and knocking him to the ground.

>>3533328

Without skipping a beat, Jacqui grabs one of his legs and hoists it up, intent on giving him something to remember her by. Bringing up her boot, she smashes it down upon his leg, breaking it at the knee, causing him to unleash a fierce cry of pain that sends satisfying chills down her spine.

Nearby, a Red Dragon with a rocket launcher fires it near them, blasting the area and causing Jacqui to let go and back up. Mavado takes advantage of the distraction and kicks Takeda in the chest, then throws out a red rope with a clawed hook on the end which latches onto Hsu Hao's prone form. He pulls Hsu Hao towards him as a strange, swirling portal opens nearby, one that resembles a long, coiling spectral dragon. Mavado drags himself and Hsu Hao into it as the remaining Red Dragon escape through it.

Jacqui falls back, wondering why they they suddenly retreated, when she notices that the sky is darkening. The wind picks up speed, rapidly blowing out any fires and sweeping away any lingering smoke or debris. The wind rapidly grows stronger and stronger.

Evidently, the cyborgs realize what is happening and make their retreat as well, all stopping their fights and taking off into the sky with their thrusters. Or at least, they attempt to retreat, as Jacqui and her team look on, a funnel opens up in the sky, moving like a serpent; a living, guided tornado that sucks up the cyborgs, smashing them all against each other and ripping them apart.

The saurians, for their part, scatter, though the sudden storm picks up more than a few of them as well. The New Defenders gather and look on as a figure descends from the heavens: Fujin, the new Protector of Earthrealm.

As he lands, the storm ceases, and the saurians and shattered cyborgs fall from the sky. Fujin pays them no heed as he approaches their team. "I apologize that I did not arrive earlier. My attention was drawn elsewhere."

>Have a seat and relax for a moment
>Search for any survivors
>Recommend leaving the area
>Ask Fujin some questions
>Other

>>3533387
>Search for any survivors
No breaks. The job's not done.

>Search for any survivors

>>3533387
>>Search for any survivors

File: gabe-sapienza-randosketch(...).jpg (479 KB, 1920x1920)

479 KB JPG

>>3533396
>>3533401
>>3533469

As Cassie goes to speak with Fujin about the wild situation that they were just swept up in, Jacqui focuses solely upon finding survivors among their enemies. Scanner in hand, she begins to sweep the area, limping softly but ignoring it.

Vapor and Sam come running over to her side. "Jacqui? Jacqui! You're bleeding!" Vapor says.

She and Sam rush in to help, but Jacqui keeps walking. "The remaining saurians can't have gotten too far," she says. "Even if they are camouflaged, we'll pick up their heartbeats and other signs. Come on."

Vapor forces herself in front of her. "Jacqui, stop! The fight's over."

"But the mission isn't."

"We aren't equipped or prepared to keep going on like this!" Vapor tries to talk sense into her. "Our enemies are running. We're wounded and low on supplies; you're nearly out of ammo!" Jacqui looks at her gauntlets and tries to ignore that she is correct. "And you're bleeding!"

Jacqui finally looks down at her side. She isn't sure where she scored this wound; perhaps some shrapnel from that last rocket, but her side is indeed soaked in fresh blood. "Oh, shit," she whispers, suddenly feeling very light-headed.

Sam and Vapor help her when she stumbles, getting her to a sitting position against a telephone pole. As they do, Sam sniff the air. "Anyone else smell that?"

Vapor ignores her as she takes out Jacqui's medical pack and begins taking things out. "Um, I'm not really, uh, trained in this sort of thing..."

"I am," Sam says, taking the kit from her.

At that moment, Cassie runs up, leaving Takeda and Jin with Fujin. "JB!" She kneels alongside her childhood best friend. "Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Jacqui raises a finger of her own, the middle one. Cassie smirks. "Well, at least your sparkling personality is in tact." She stands up and continues, "We're bugging out of here. We got hit by two groups we didn't expect to be here and tore up half of Tokyo."

Vapor looks up. "I thought we were outside of---"

"It's a joke," Cassie cuts her off.

"We can't leave yet," Jacqui insists, worry suddenly surging through her. A great nervous fear of disappointing her superiors (but mostly her father) for having not stopped the saurians nor found out why they were here, and also for losing Hsu Hao, races through her. "The mission---"

"Is completely fubar at this point, JB. I'm calling it. We're pulling back to base." She takes out her personal portal generator and prepares to activate it.

>No, we can't leave yet!
>Get back to base and get medical attention
>Get back to base and report for immediate debriefing
>Get bak to base, but avoid superiors
>Other

>Get bak to base, but avoid superiors

>>3533512
>>Get back to base and report for immediate debriefing
Cassie is mission leader, I think.

>>3533512
>Get back to base and get medical attention
>Get back to base and report for immediate debriefing

Good point.

Changing my vote to:

>Get back to base and report for immediate debriefing

File: Sonya-Blade-MKX-Mortal-Ko(...).png (570 KB, 642x937)

570 KB PNG

>>3533527
>>3533540
>>3533545

As Vapor and Sam help Jacqui to her feet, with Sam ensuring that the new bandaging is holding, Takeda and Jin rejoin them with Fujin walking behind.

"Fujin says that my father was lured away by the Red Dragon before they sprung their ambush on us here," Takeda says to them. "He's going to remain here in Japan and try and continue the hunt."

"Any idea on why they were all here at once?" Jacqui asks.

Fujin steps forward. "There are strange winds blowing... I detect an unnusual presence whose invisible hand is guiding these events, though perhaps not intentionally."

Jacqui gives him a confused look. "What do you mean? Something or someone could have lured them all here?"

"I suspect they were all here for different reasons, but something drew them together. Perhaps to obscure our vision from something else..."

"Another patented Deadly Alliance distraction, perhaps?" Jin offers.

A few more ideas are thrown out, but Jacqui looks at Vapor, who seems to share her thoughts on the matter. Neither of them can get that strange saurian out of their minds, nor stop questioning what his mysterious motives were.

The portal opens and they return to the island. There, they are immediately debriefed and give their reports. Sonya, Johnny and Jax question them thoroughly, taking in all of their intel. Needless to say, none of them are too pleased, but not with the team's performance.

"I thought all the cyborgs were dead or erased from history," Johnny says. "What's up with that?"

"It's possible that Lin Kuei technology could have fallen into other's hands," Jax suggests.

Sonya shakes her head. "The Cyber Initiative was shut down for good more than fifteen years ago and we've stopped all production on our end at Kaito's warning of Triborg becoming a threat. If someone had access to that technology, we would have seen them much earlier. Something smells fishy."

"No, that's just Jacqui," Takeda quips, but a nasty look from her shuts him down. "Sorry."

"The Red Dragon also very rarely make public appearances. If Fujin's hunch is correct, that someone guided all four groups that were present into fighting each other just to cover something else up, then we're dealing with someone exceedingly clever."

Jax sits back. "So, what do we do?"

"Kaito was the one who time-travelled. We should bring him in on this," Johnny says.

"Kaito is unavailable," Sonya replies. She attempts to move on, but Johnny cuts her off.

"Woah, woah, hold on now, what do you mean unavailble? He's on the team, isn't he? What's going on?"

"It's a personal matter and right now it doesn't need to be brought into the open," Sonya says firmly. "Have some discretion, Johnny."

He clearly wants to press the matter, but drops it, folding his arms and pursing his lips in thought.

Jacqui looks over at her father, who catches her gaze but says nothing. She resumes staring at the general.

File: 1402802478465.jpg (46 KB, 753x500)

46 KB JPG

>>3533721

"Thank you all for your reports. Get whatever medical attention you need; I'm pulling you off of assignments for forty-two hours to recover."

Jacqui stands up. "Ma'am, with all due respect, I can keep going."

Sonya cocks her brow. "Your bravado is noted, Specialist Briggs. Forty-two hour mandatory downtime. Move out."

She wants to press the point, but realizes there is no way to be tactful in doing so. "Yes, ma'am."

Upon leaving the room, she proceeds straight to her own, not stopping to speak with Cass or her father. She strips out of her filthy, bloody and charred uniform and steps into the shower, carefully removing her bandaging and inspecting her numerous bruises and wounds. She winces slightly as she washes blood off of her skin, watching it swirl down into the drain.

She closes her eyes, trying to focus on cleaning, but her mind wanders to other places. She is constantly replaying moments from the mission in her mind, thinking about things she could have done better. While no one died, she should have done better. In spite of all of her effort, she came up short in capturing that saurian or stopping Hsu Hao, though she is pleased at having snapped his leg.

A stray thought passes through her mind. 'Things must've been easier in the old days, when things were handled in the Mortal Kombat tournament.'

She then brushes that thought aside. There were always fights happening around the tournaments, unfair fights and skirmishes and more, not to mention the invasion. The convenience of a one-on-one fight isn't always something one can afford in war, and that's what the team is waging.

With her hair hanging low, she towels off and wraps it around her body. She is about to change when she stops in the middle of her room, pausing for a moment.

"Come out from hiding, Andela."

It was honestly nothing more than a guess. She knows that most of the team were worried about her but that none of them could enter her room... except one. Andela appears, pressing her back up against the wall like a frightened child.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers, her eyes wide.

Jacqui takes a deep breath. "It's fine," she replies, walking over to sit on her bed while wringing out some of her hair. "So, I was right earlier, you do go invisible and watch people."

"I'm... trying to stop. I was worried. What if you had collapsed in the shower, o-or---"

"I thank you, really I do." She takes another deep breath and looks down at the floor where her kicked-off boots lie. "Look, I'm not going to lie and say that I'm perfectly fine, because I'm hurt. But really, I'm okay. I'm tough."

Andela wrings her hands together. "I'm... really sorry I came in here without your permission."

"You've probably done it to everyone else's room too, huh?"

"N-no!"

She fixes her with a knowing look. "Andela..."

"...N-not while they're usually around..."

She smirks. "Well, as long as you're not stealing things." She pauses. "You aren't, are you?"

"No!"

"Good."

>>3533723

>Ask her to leave.
>Talk about the mission.
>Ask for help with your wounds.
>Ask her a personal question.

>Ask her a personal question.

>>3533725
>Ask for help with your wounds.

>>3533725
>>Ask for help with your wounds.

>>3533725
>Ask for help with your wounds.
>Talk about the mission.

File: katybear_rule63_smoke_by_(...).png (134 KB, 655x900)

134 KB PNG

>>3533745
>>3533756
>>3533761

Jacqui looks down at her side. Her towel is damp with water and a small amount of blood. "Would you like to help me with this?"

"Your... wound? I don't have training..."

"I heard. We should fix that. Come on, sit."

Slowly, the timid girl moves to sit alongside Jacqui, though not quite too close. The older girl opens a nearby drawer and takes out a fresh medkit and hands it to her, then opens her towel enough so that only her clean wound is showing. Vapor avoid making eye contact as Jacqui guides her through the proper treatment procedures and what from the kit to use. The smaller, white-haired girl is nervous, her fingers trembling as she delicately presses the bandage to the wound.

"More pressure than that," Jacqui says with a smile, putting her hand atop Andela's and pressing more firmly upon it. Andela looks away, hiding behind her stark bangs. "See? I'm fine."

After a moment of silence, Jacqui takes her hand off, allowing hers to slip away. Vapor stands up from the bed and takes a nervous step away. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"Again? There's no need to."

"No, for earlier. For not being better."

Jacqui is about to tell her that she already apologized for that too, but she stops herself and sighs. "Yeah, I felt like I could have done better, too." She manages to chuckle. "I guess we all feel that way on some level, but what can I say, except that hindsight is twenty-twenty? We shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. Besides, you tried your best, right? Me too."

"I really admire that about you, you know," she says, her fingers intertwining and fidgiting. "I see it all the time, your ability to just pick yourself up and keep going. You're stronger than I am. I feel like I would quit a lot earlier than you ever would."

"Hey," Jacqui says, readjusting the towel over the wound, "that's not true. You've got just as much drive as me." She stands up to walk over next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You just need to believe in yourself, like I do."

Her green eyes stare up into Jacqui's. "You really mean that?"

"I do."

Vapor is quiet at first, but then reaches up to gently touch the hand on her shoulder. "Jacqui, there's... someting I want to say."

She blinks and tilts her head. "What is it?"

"I... that is, um, I wanted to say, for a while now, that... I, I just..." Words continue to fail her as her eyes begin to dart around. She stutters several more times as her cheeks become more and more flushed beneath her mask.

Her brow arched, Jacqui waits patiently for her to finish, but the conclusion is never reached.

"Nermind," Vapor suddenly insists. "It was n-nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

The small girl swallows. "I just... wanted to know if we... I mean, you and I could..." She pauses and Jacqui can see a light turn on in her head. "Train together?"

File: tumblr_inline_np42vl99dI1(...).png (131 KB, 435x353)

131 KB PNG

>>3533943

"Train?"

"Yes," she answers quickly.

"Well, what do you mean? Sparring? Working out? Running?"

"Whatever you like," Vapor says, taking her hands back to her sides before hiding them behind her back. "That's it. That's all."

>Yeah, that's fine.
>Are you sure that's all?
>I don't know...
>I'm not looking for a training partner at the moment.
>Other

>>3533944
>>Yeah, that's fine.

>>3533944
>Yeah, that's fine.

>Yeah, that's fine.
>Are you sure that's all?

Vapor needs more time to socialize, especially after the events that happened in her own thread. Lets give it to her.

>>3533944
>Yeah, that's fine.

File: 64574574545576.jpg (237 KB, 1288x1080)

237 KB JPG

>>3533948
>>3533949
>>3533951
>>3533953

Jacqui gies her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, that's fine. I can do for you what Cassie does for Sam. But aren't you a bit out of my league?"

"W-what?"

"You're Lin Kuei. Trained from childhood to fight. At least, that's what I assumed, I don't really know if Sub-Zero runs all that tight a ship."

"I am! We are! He does!" Vapor is quick to blurt out. She coils back somewhat, averting her gaze again. "I just thought we could... train together, is all."

"Okay, calm down," she replies in a warm tone. "What's got you so on edge?"

"I guess I'm just nervous from being in your room, ha..."

"Well, you're welcome any time. Not that I could stop you from getting in if you wanted to," she teases.

"I won't do that anymore! I promise!"

"I'll hold you to that," Jacqui says, taking her over to the door. "I'll meet up with you later to train?"

"Right," Andela says with a nod. "Thank you."

Jacqui opens the door for her and lets her out, closing it behind her. She shakes her head. 'That was strange...'

She gets dressed in some loose-fitting clothing and decides to take things easy for a while, at least until her wound stops hurting.

>Spend time in your room
>Go to the rec room
>Requisition a personal portal generator and go home to see mom
>Take a walk around the island
>Other

>>3533968
>Go to the rec room

>>3533968
>>Go to the rec room

>Go to the rec room

>>3533968
>Go to the rec room

File: takedaaaaa_by_daydream_di(...).png (659 KB, 900x1273)

659 KB PNG

>>3533976
>>3533979
>>3533981
>>3534040

Deciding to relax and perhaps have a drink in the rec room, Jacqui walks down the stairs and enters it, discovering that its sole other occupant is Takeda. He looks up as she enters.

"Hey," he says, walking over. He is similarly dressed, in a dark hooded jacket and sweat pants. "Same idea, huh?"

"I guess so," she replies. The two of them walk over and sit on the couch.

"How's your side?"

"Not too bad."

"You really pushed yourself out there."

She shrugs. "I got a little carried away at the end."

"Hey, as long as you save it for the bad guys, right?"

She smiles and lies her head back. After a moment, she shakes her head and says, "I can't believe how poorly that all went. Felt like we had no control, that we were completely swept up in something bigger."

"Well, yeah. We were."

"After that first mission today, I felt kind of invincible. Guess I got knocked down a peg."

"Yeah, I know how you felt."

She narrows her eyes. "Because you read my mind?"

"What? No. I meant I can sympathize. I was with you for both."

"Right," she says with a coy smile.

He holds up his hands. "Hey, believe whatever you want to believe."

"I think you know exactly what I believe."

"Okay, sister. I can see there's no winning here. I can't exactly prove that I don't read your mind."

"Alright then, what am I thinking about right now?" Jacqui says, concentrating hard on the first random thought to pop into her head, which in this case is about Frost's hair gel.

He shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. Not gonna do it."

"Suit yourself, but I don't think you're off the hook."

He throws up his hands in mock-exasperation. "Oh, no, whatever shall I do?"

>Watch a movie
>Invite some of the others down
>Grab some food and drinks
>Sit and talk some more
>Other

>>3534052
>Grab some food and drinks

>>3534052
>Watch a movie
>Invite some of the others down
>Grab some food and drinks

>Grab some food and drinks
>Watch a movie
>Invite some of the others down

>>3534052
>>Grab some food and drinks

File: 1554576718520.jpg (107 KB, 774x1032)

107 KB JPG

>>3534054
>>3534060
>>3534061
>>3534062

Jacqui hops off the couch and heads towards the fridge. "You can start by picked out a good movie."

He slides over to the movie cabinent and peruses their options. "Which Cage flick should it be today?"

"We've got the real Johnny Cage three rooms over, and you want to watch one of his movies?" Jacqui rolls her eyes. "Sure, just pick one."

"You know, I'm a fan of 7 Poisons myself."

As he puts the movie in and settles back on the couch, Jacqui returns to his side with a few drinks and some popcorn. Just as the movie is about to begin, however, Sheeva enters the room.

"Oh, hey!" Takeda says. "Come join us!"

Sheeva walks over and sits between them, forcing Jacqui to scoot more to her left. The shokan places two of her arms around Takeda's shoulder and digs a large hand into the popcorn bowl.

"I prefer the Ninja Mime film," she says.

Takeda clears his throat. "Well, we could change it, I suppose."

"No. This will do."

As the movie progresses, Jacqui finds herself feeling like something of a third wheel. She can't help but feel strange around Sheeva, particular with Takeda in the room and with her hands around him. She certainly has no qualms with a human and a shokan being in a relationship, but the two of them in particular raise strange feelings within her.

Though she is loathe to admit it, she is somewhat jealous of the shokan; not only for her physical strength, but sinking her fingers into Takeda before anyone else could get the chance. There isn't any denying that she finds him attractive, but...

She sighs and chomps down on some popcorn, trying to get lost in the movie. 'It's like I'm back in highschool,' she thinks distastefully.

Nearby, Sheeva and Takeda share their drink while she whispers something in his ear.

>Bear with it and watch the movie
>Find someone else to hang out with
>Seek out your father
>Go for a walk on the beach
>Other

>Find someone else to hang out with

>>3534105
>Bear with it and watch the movie
>Go for a walk on the beach

>>3534105
>>Go for a walk on the beach