JohnnyChany

I'm going with the heroes for this one. Gunmen just always equals cannon fodder to me so Black Terror and Miss Masque for the win.

Tournament Summary for combatant Mai Shiranui (King of Fighters) defeated Tira (Soul Calibur) in Round 1, Katarina Alves (Tekken) in Round 2, and Maki Genryusai (Street Fighter) in Round 3 Dhalsim (Street Fighter) defeated Voldo (Soul Calibur) in Round 1, Lei Fei (Virtua Fighter) in Round 2, and Ryuji Yamazaki (King of Fighters) in Round 3

Tournament summary for combatants Rachel (Dead or Alive/Ninja Gaiden) defeated Shura (Soul Calibur) in Round 1 and Chun-Li (Street Fighter) in Round 2 Zafina (Tekken) defeated Menat (Street Fighter) in Round 1 and Rose (Street Fighter) in Round 2

Tournament Summary for combatants: Kokoro (Dead Alive) defeated Aoi Umenokouji (Virtua Fighter) in Round 1 and Ganryu (Tekken) in Round 2 Shiki (Samurai Shodown) defeated Kage-Maru (Virtua Fighter) in Round 1 and Yang (Street Fighter) in Round 2

My money is on Lara coming out on top.

The Kingpin is riled up when new sleuth in town, the Question, begins looking into his affairs. He turns to an old ally to rid him of this nuisance. Can the Answer be the answer that Kingpin needs to solve the question of how to get rid of the Question?

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 176 Inside the hospital where they had taken Terry Bogard for medical treatment, Dhalsim was engaged in an intense extending limbs battle with the psychotic yakuza enforcer, Ryuji Yamazaki. (REF: DHALSIM VS. RYUJI YAMAZAKI) After using their outstretched arms to fight each other at a distance, Ryuji attempted to get closer and slash at the Indian fighter with his knife. Dhalsim swiftly grabbed Yamazaki’s knife hand and threw the large man into a nearby filing cabinet. Dhalsim jumped into the air and corkscrewed his body head first at Yamazaki. Ryuji recovered and blocked most of the attack. He then grabbed Dhalsim by the head before he could attempt another technique. Yamazki slammed Dhalsim into the ground several times face first. He picked Dhalsim up again by his head and began to laugh maniacally. Yamazaki intended to do one of his favorite moves next which was running while dragging his opponent’s head across the ground. Before he could do this, Dhalsin spit out a small yoga fire that Yamazaki didn’t even immediately register until it set him ablaze. Once set free, Dhalsim cooked Yamazaki with a strong Yoga Flame. With momentum now on his side, Dhalsim began to calculate a plan to deal with this dangerous adversary. Outside the darkened room where the battle was ongoing, Rose stood blissfully unaware of the violence transpiring inside. She was curious about Dhalsim taking so long but did not want to interrupt his meditation. She heard a loud noise and thought it might have come from the room that Dhalsim was meditating in, but she changed her mind when a group of people suddenly ran by her, much to her confusion “What is going on?” asked the fortune teller. “This hospital is not safe,” replied a woman. “There are crazy people with weapons attacking anyone in sight. (REF: CHUN-LI VS. RACHEL) You should get out of here while you can.” Rose decided to investigate and went in the direction all the people were running away from. She did not hear any active confrontations, only the shouts and screams of scared people. She walked by a room where two Interpol agents were sprawled out on the ground by the open doorway. Rose gazed inside the room and saw a familiar face also prone on the ground. “Chun-Li!” Rose cried out. Rose rushed over and knelt next to her fallen ally. She utitlized her Soul Power to try and resuscitate Chiun-Li safely. After a few minutes, Chun-Li’s eyes fluttered open. “Rose? Is that you?” she said weakly. “Yes, it is me,” Rose confirmed. “What happened? Who did this to you?” (REF: RACHEL VS. ZAFINA) “I had a fight with a very strong woman. I wasn’t good enough…” Rose helped Chun-Li to her feet and allowed Chun to lean on her for support. “I still have so many questions.” Dread spread across Chun-Li’s face. ”Hold on a minute, Yang! We need to check on him!” (REF: SHIKI VS. YANG) “Ok. Just tell me where to go,” stated Rose as she assisted Chun-Li walk through the doorway. Chun-Li directed her to a nearby waiting room, where they arrived just in time to see two orderlies lifting up a bloody Yang to place him on a transport bed. Next to them was Helena Douglas’s right hand man, Zack. “Yang!” shouted Chun-Li as the orderlies rushed him out of the room. Zack’s eyes widened. “Chun;Li?!? What are you doing here? Haven’t seen you in awhile. You…uh… don’t look so good.” “What happened to Yang?” Zack shrugged. “Is that who this is? Kokoro and I just found him like this. Kokoro went after the woman responsible.” Zack looked down with shame. “I..I didn’t get a good look at the one responsible. She was already gone.” (REF: KOKORO VS. SHIKI) “You are saying it was a woman? Could it have been the same one who knocked me out?” Chun-Li wondered. “He appeared to have suffered multiple stab wounds,” Rose observed. “Was your opponent using a sharp object like a sword or a spear?” “No,” replied Chun-Li. “We need to follow them.” “You should probably be getting looked at yourself,” Zack suggested. “Yoga!” Dhalsim teleported into the waiting room. His sudden appearance startled Zack and he shrieked. “Apologies,” stated Dhalsim. “I’m in a bit of a hurry and did not want to walk.” “Dhalsim, did you just finish meditat…” Before she could finish the question, she had a vision of Dhalsim’s fight with Yamazaki. ”Oh no.” Dhalsim picked up on this. “I have become quite the popular target in the sadistic killer community. (REF: DHALSIM VS. VOLDO) I have been fortunate to find success, but it is turning into a major impediment. That’s not why I rushed over here. Look at the TV.” Dhalsim pointed at a TV in the upper right corner. On the screen, the news was broadcasting helicopter footage of a small explosion near the G-Corporation building, and the mysterious orange cloud that now hung over the area. “Authorities at the moment are unsure of what this orange mist is and want to be careful before rushing in,” the tv reporter announced. “I am now getting word that the G-Corporation has just announced that they have the equipment to deal with this and will seal off the area to protect the public.” “From one of the camera angles I’m pretty sure I saw Guy and it looked like he was fighting someone,” noted Dhalsim. (REF: GUY VS. RYO SAZAKI) “We need to get back there and get them out of that area,” Rose declared. Dhalsim nodded in agreement. Rose turned to her injured friend, Chun-Li, who was still leaning against her shoulder. “You guys do what you need to do, I’ll take care of Miss Chun-Li,” Zack announced. He walked over and offered his hand to help her walk. “And once we find you some help that hasn’t fled or is in hiding, I will go check on Yang. I promise.” “We thank you for your help,” stated Dhalsim. Chun-Li smiled at Dhalsim. “It was nice to see you. I wish it could have been under better circumstances.” “As do I. Take care of yourself.” Dhalsim and Rose both teleported out of the room. “Are you worried that whoever did this to Yang might do it to Kokoro too?” Chun-Li asked Zack. Zack hesitated and then he scoffed. “Kokoro is tough, a lot tougher than she looks. I bet she has fought worse. I am not worried.” Chun-Li regarded him skeptically. “It is okay to admit that you are concerned about people you care about.” —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the streets outside of the G-Corporation building, Maki Genryusai was struggling to bat away the fan projectiles thrown at her with her tonfas. (REF: MAKI GENRYUSAI VS. MAI SHIRANUI) The malfested Mai Shiranui tossed each one with more rage fueled aggression than the last. As Maki began to stumble, Mai seized on an opportunity. She dashed toward Maki and impacted Maki’s jaw with her elbow. She followed this by twirling in the air and hitting Maki with a fire attack that sent the blonde martial artist to the ground. Mai could hear that Guy was fighting another man nearby and decided she needed to end her fight with Maki quickly and thus not miss an opportunity to take out her anger on its biggest target, the man responsible for hurting her dearest Andy. (REF: ANDY BOGARD VS. GUY) This moment to listen to the surroundings gave Maki a brief opportunity to try and get back into the fight. Maki jumped to her feet and swung at Mai with her tonfas. She then did a single hand stand and attempted to strike Mai with a twirling kick. Mai rolled away from the technique. Maki remained aggressive and launched herself left foot first at Mai. Mai parried the kick by performing a cartwheel. Both female fighters jumped back in the air and Maki tried to grab her opponent to slam her against the wall. Mai countered by crouching into a ball and spinning in the air causing a wheel of fire that inflamed Maki. Mai returned to the ground first and placed her two index fingers together in front of her face. She summoned a column of fire to roast Maki even more. Before Maki’s burned body could hit the ground, Mai struck her with a series of blurring speed dash attacks culminating in placing her feet around Maki’s head, twirling, and smashing Maki face first into the pavement. Usually after successfully performing such an impressive combo of attacks, Mai would pose and declare herself the best. However, in her current state she felt no joy, only hate. “Guy, you’re next!” she screamed. A short distance away, Rose and Dhalsim teleported on the scene. Rose utilized her Soul Power to clear out some lingering orange mist. As soon as it had been removed, her eyes immediately found Guy unconscious on the ground. She rushed over to him and noticed another man, Ryo Sakazaki, also unconscious nearby. “Do you think Kazuya launched an attack on them and used the orange mist as cover or for confusion?” asked Dhalsim. “The orange mist was the attack,” Rose declared. “This entire area has the foul stench of Soul Edge. It feels stronger here than it did when I felt it from that woman I battled in Venice. (REF: ROSE VS. VIOLA) They were most likely fighting one another.” “Ahhhh! Nooo!” The angry scream from Mai Shiranui caught Rose and Dhalsim off guard. The buxom kunoichi stomped over to where Rose was knelt down next to Guy. “Vengeance for what he did to Andy was supposed to be mine!! You have all left me with nothing!” she shouted. Dhalsim was disheartened when he saw Mai’s face. “Her eyes.” “I see them, the orange glow of the malfested,” stated Rose. “You were right about what has happened here,” noted Dhalsim. “What has happened is that I have lost all my patience with the whole lot of you. You have had me running everywhere supposedly to fight evil and yet the only evil I see has been brought upon us by you!” Mai exclaimed. She focused in on Rose. “You are the one responsible for dragging us all into the hellhole. I blame you for what has happened to Terry (REF: BRUCE IRVIN VS. CRIMSON VIPER), to Andy, to me!!” (REF: MAI SHIRANUI VS. TIRA) A pillar of fire swirled around Mai Shiranui. “If I can’t take out my vengeance on Guy, then I will settle for destroying you!” “Rose, take them and anyone else you can find in this area out of here, get them back to the hospital. I will deal with her,” Dhalsim proclaimed. Rose protested. “Are you sure about this? You are just coming off of another fight.” “From the looks of it, so is she,” he replied. “You are not listening, I make the decisions now!” Mai insisted. Mai prepared to launch a steel fan at Rose, but Dhalsim teleported in front of her. “Not this one. Rose, get the others out of here, quickly.” “If you are so determined to feel my wrath as well, then so be it,” Mai threatened. Dhalsim remained calm. “Hopefully the flames of our battle will cleanse this area of the wicked aura that has tainted it.”

I was excited to see the Sly/Snipes reunion match and was not expecting this. A very interesting mix of characters. I'll have to think about this for a little bit.

I agree.

To be fair the short set-up just says "have her killed" I don't think Juno would be looking for any kind of one on one fight

The implication is that overexposure to Paul cause her to get infected. As you alluded to in the Guile v. King match, there are still a lot of twists and turns. Mostly because there are few antagonists who haven't already lost lol.

Indy any day of the week. It would be super entertaining though.

It could be the nostalgia glasses or the fact that I heard it first and many times before the original, but I always preferred Cassandra's scream/singy version. Also, I have never seen Kull the Conqueror but I was wondering if there was a way to get Nani from Lilo & Stitch involved.

Although it's not canon to anything obviously, I always appreciated Hitomi's showing in Dead Fantasy against Tifa. Even if I was a little suspect on the conclusion lol.

THE BATTLE OF TIA CARRERE Sydney discovers an ancient artifact that shady arts and antiques dealer, Juno Skinner, has been trying to get her hands on for a deal with some angry terrorists. Will Juno successfully have Sydney killed and recover the artifact for nefarious means? Will Sydney survive and expose Juno for the villain she really is? Most importantly, will Ballroom Blitz by Crucial Taunt and sung by lead singer Cassandra Wong be playing in the background during the climax? The answer to the last one is obviously yes.

The half barbarian/half gladiator warrior from Golden Axe faces off in the fighter pits against the South American Amazon warrior from Killer Instinct

A good question, I hadn't thought about that yet. Although if Rachel wins my intent is not to necessarily kill Zafina. Rachel has been very stubborn so far but not bloodthirsty, at least when it doesn't involve fiends. There is a very formidable challenger waiting in the wings for whomever wins this fight that will require all of their attention rather quickly.

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 175 After having successfully left the Freedom Survivor undetected on a Agencja Wywiadu small jet during the chaos caused by a fight between Guile and King (REF: GUILE VS. KING), the group of Shermie, Vice, and two Polish intelligence officers/CYS superfans landed in an abandoned airplane hangar in Japan. The four people exited the jet and Krystina pointed to a nearby building. “The message from Yashiro was that they should be in there.” They walked toward the building and Vice walked closely to Shermie. “We should keep our guard up. I still don’t trust these two. We still don’t even know for sure that Chris and Yashiro are here,” she whispered. Shermie momentarily doubled over in pain and her hair color began to change. Krystina quickly turned toward Shermie. “Oh my god, is she okay?” Vice recognized the Orochi transformation instantly and smirked. “She is fine.” Shermie stood back up with her hair now purple and with her posture changed as well. “They are definitely here,” She announced. They foursome then entered the building and spotted both Chris and Yashiro, whom had also been visibly activated by Orochi, complete with glowing eyes and menacing expressions. Standing next to them was an unexpected surprise in the form of Vice’s usual partner, Mature. “What are you doing here?” Vice questioned. “Saving your ass if you couldn’t tell,” Mature responded. “Where were you to save my ass when it was being kicked by that warrior woman?” Vice shot back. (REF: VICE VS. CASSANDRA ALEXANDRA) “I didn’t make it in time to do anything about it,” Mature insisted. (REF: IORI YAGAMI VS. CHARLIE NASH) “None of that matters now,” Yashiro declared. “How did you guys find me?” Shermie wondered. “That’s all thanks to the woman right here.” Yashiro pointed at Mature. “We had no idea where you were and found ourselves in a bit of a bind dealing with a mud monster bounty hunter,” Chris informed. (REF: BASARA VS. NECALLI) “Fortunately, we were able to get away while it fought a vengeful spirit that we summoned,” Yashiro added. “We weren’t sure where to go or what to do, but then our master activated us and guided us to Mature,” Chris explained. “We found her outside of the Yata Clan village.” Vice was confused. “The Yata Clan? Were you seeking out Chizuru?” Mature shook her head no. “I went there only because I was tracking Iori, and that was his location. When everything went sideways, I went to him to offer a chance to go into business for ourselves.” Mature frowned. “Unfortunately, he was already tagging around with one of Urien’s lackeys. (REF: KOLIN VS. MATURE) After she defeated me, he made the decision to remain with her.” Mature then looked to the ground. “I was angered and also lost on what to do next until I ran into these two, and then the path became clear.” Chris raised his fist in the air. “Urien will be judged by Orochi just like all the others.” Vice put the pieces together. “So you told them about Urien’s plan and his mission for Shermie." (REF: SARAH BRYANT VS. MATURE) Mature nodded. “Shermie, can’t you feel it? The surging power inside us!” Yashiro shouted. “The seal is all but broken from all of this fighting and chaos brought about by Urien’s silly plans. Our moment is here, the time is now to finally complete our destiny that was denied from us before.” Shermie joined in their excitement. “Our master will return to balance Gaia once more.” Both Polish Intelligence officers had been silent up until this moment, in awe of the spectacle around them. Suddenly, the male officer spoke up. “Wait a minute!” He drew out his gun and pointed it at the Orochi versions of his favorite band. “I don’t have a good feeling about this anymore.” Krystina’s eyes bulged. “What are you doing?” “Krystina, listen to me, I think we made a mistake. I was good with freeing Shermie and reuniting CYS, and I was even okay with resurrecting their friend Orochi, because Yashiro said he is a big environmentalist. But, seeing it now in person unfold like this, and feeling this aura just feels….wrong… doesn’t it?” “Easy now,” Vice said softly. Vice quickly knocked his gun from his hand and snapped his neck. Krystina panicked and attempted to grab for her own weapon, but was stopped by Mature clawing at her eyes. Mature then pummeled the CYS enthusiast to death. Yashiro cackled. “Now that that is settled, let us begin.” —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zack landed his DOATEC helicopter on a rooftop close to the G Corporation building. “Best not to get too close to the building itself, I don’t know what kind of anti-aircraft weapons they are packing over there,” he reasoned. “This will do, we can travel the rest of the way by foot,” said Kokoro. “Yeah, we probably would have to anyway since I’m not sure where we are going,” Zack reasoned. “We are going to find if there are any more people here inflicted by Soul Edge like that woman in the viral video,” Kokoro explained. “We should start with her.” (REF: MAI SHIRANUI VS. KATARINA ALVES) “Great. Judging by how badly she was getting her ass beat in that video (REF: BAIKEN VS. SOPHITIA ALEXANDRA) we should start with the closest medical facility,” Zack suggested. “Right.” Kokoro and Zack exited the helicopter, entered the building, then took an elevator down to the first floor. On the elevator, Zack had only one question. “Assuming we do find her there, what are we going to do then? If she is malfested, I doubt she will be in a talkative mood.” “My hope is that we can bring her back to the Freedom Survivor with us so that she can get the treatment that she needs,” Kokoro explained. “After of course we have determined if there are any more infected in the area.” “Wow, you really went from being backup for Major Guile to really taking charge of this operation,” Zack marveled. “Those last two (REF: KOKORO VS. AOI UMENOKOUJI) fights (REF: KOKORO VS. GANRYU) must have done wonders for your confidence. I’m impressed.” Kokoro smiled. “Thanks.” The two stepped out of the elevator, left the building, and Zack used his phone to locate the nearest hospital. They walked several blocks and as they neared the hospital, Zack noticed a peculiar sight. “Hey Kokoro, it looks like there are a lot of people running away from the hospital. You usually don’t see that,” he remarked. “Which just tells me we are going to the right place if we want to help,” Kokoro declared. “I hope you are right.” Kokoro and Zack walked into the front entrance. “Hey don’t go in there until the police arrive,” a voice called out. Kokoro found a nurse hiding behind a counter. “What’s going on?” Kokoro inquired. “Violence. Everywhere. There is one Interpol agent fighting a woman with some crazy ax/hammer thing (REF: CHUN-LI VS. RACHEL) and another fight between a woman with swords and a young Chinese man (REF: SHIKI VS. YANG). I think they are worried about another fight going on on the other side of the building. (REF: DHALSIM VS. RYUJI YAMAZAKI) Our security has already been put down. Our only hope is to hold out until law enforcement arrives,” she answered. “I can help,” Kokoro offered. “Where are the fights happening?” “The woman with the swords is down the hall, but I wouldn’t go there if I were you.” Kokoro ignored this plea and ran in that direction. “Why are you still inside, why didn’t you flee with the others?” Zack asked the nurse. “I didn’t want to abandon my patients. Many of them are stuck here,” she answered. "That's some job dedication." Kokoro walked into the waiting room just in time to see the deadly ninja, Shiki, standing over a bloodied Yang with her swords crisscrossed above his neck ready to execute him. “Stop!” shouted Kokoro. Shiki looked up at Kokoro. Zack’s voice rang down the hall. “I’m on the way, Kokoro!” Kokoro briefly turned her head back toward him, when she turned her attention back to Shiki, the short haired killer was gone. Kokoro gasped. “What’s going on?” asked Zack. “Did we miss the fight?” “She just ran away,” exclaimed Kokoro. “I’m going after her. Stay with the boy, make sure he gets medical attention. It may not be too late to save him.” “Uh, yeah, sure.” Kokoro ran through an emergency exit corridor that led her back outside in a courtyard full of trees. She looked around carefully. “She couldn’t have gone far.” Shiki stepped into the moonlight behind Kokoro. “You are not one of the ones I am after. (REF: SHIKI VS. KAGE-MARU) You should not follow me.” Kokoro spun on her heel. “You were going to behead that boy!” “The boy is going to die anyway. I was going to end his suffering,” Shiki said coldly. “You don’t know that,” Kokoro retorted. “And you are the cause of his suffering. That is unforgivable." Shiki did not speak. “Are you connected to Soul Edge? To Urien?” Kokoro asked. “I have no answers for you,” stated Shiki. “Not good enough.”

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 174 At the hospital near the G-Corporation building, Chun-Li was experiencing a much tougher fight than she had anticipated against the statuesque blonde in skin tight leather, Rachel. (REF: CHUN-LI VS. RACHEL) Rachel was proving herself to be stronger than any woman Chun-Li had ever come across before. Chun-Li attempted her arm tackle technique, but Rachel held her ground, picked Chun-Li up, cradled her like a baby, and then chucked her against the wall. Chun-Li quickly scrambled to her feet, ducked a double ax handle strike from Rachel, then kicked at Rachel’s feet to try and trip up the fiend hunter. She then spun around upside down and charged at Rachel with her Spinning Bird Kick. Rachel shielded herself with her arms from the technique so that she would receive minimal impact. Chun-Li decided to keep up the pressure and transitioned into rapid fire lightning kicks. Rachel continued to try and block the assault, but the force of Chun-Li’s powerful leg strikes pushed her back and a few of the kicks hit their mark. Chun Li clasped her hands together and shouted, “Kikousho!” Chun-Li created a large blue ball of energy that finally knocked Rachel down. However, Rachel was soon back on her feet. “Not bad, for a human,” Rachel remarked. “You are…. Not human?” Chun-Li wondered. “Not completely.” “That would explain some things.” Chun-Li charged again at Rachel, who swatted away a punch from the Chinese martial artist. Rachel grabbed Chun-Li by the hair, lifted her into the air, and punched her hard in the gut. She then slammed her face first on the ground so hard that Chun-Li’s body bounced back into the air and was greeted with a strong kick to the face by one of Rachel’s long black boots. Chun-Li slowly returned to her feet and she was now bleeding from one of her eyes. Rachel continued her offense with a combo of slow, but impactful punches and kicks. Chun-Li’s blurred vision made it hard for her to defend herself so she took the full force of most of the punishment. “There is no escape,” Rachel declared. She levitated into the air, surrounded by mystical purple energy, that soon exploded and knocked Chun-Li back to the ground. Rachel picked up her war hammer. “Stay down human, I don’t want to kill you. You are a formidable warrior, and you have my respect.” Chun-Li struggled to stand. “I will never give up.” Rachel swung her war hammer viciously through the air and smashed it into Chun-Li, knocking the Interpol agent back to the ground for good. “Verify the kill just in case she’s not dead,” noted the demon possessing Rachel. (REF: NYOTENGU VS. ELIZA) “I wasn’t trying to kill her, only knock her out,” Rachel responded. “I needn't any input from you.” The loud crashing from the fight woke up Katarina Alves who started violently fidgeting on her bed. “Must kill! Must destroy!” she yelled. Rachel was disheartened to see that Katarina was still very much a malfested. (REF: KATARINA ALVES VS. MAI SHIRANUI) “It’s going to be tough to get any useful information out of her like this,” the demon observed. “Shut up!” Rachel quickly knocked Katarina out with the butt of her war hammer. “Both of you.” “I told you it was a bad idea to come here. We have a much better chance of finding someone in control of the Soul Edge influence closer to the G-Corporation building,” the demon reiterated. “Let’s just get moving.” —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Closer to the G Corporation building, Hwang and Zafina took cover in an adjacent alley way away from the explosion that produced the orange cloud hovering over Guy, Mai Shiranui, and the others. (REF: GUY VS. RYO SAKAZAKI) “I hope they are okay,” said Zafina. “We can hope for the best, but we should expect the worst,” Hwang replied. (REF: MAKI GENRYUSAI VS. MAI SHIRANUI) Hwang leaned against a dumpster in pain. Zafina rushed to his side. “Are you still feeling the effects of your fight with Guy?” she asked. “Yes. (REF: HWANG VS. GUY) It has been a very long time since I lost a fight.” Hwang chuckled to himself. “I was spoiled by testing all those would-be heroes in Korea. (REF: HWANG VS. HWOARANG) I was not keeping my mind and body prepared for the real battles. I doubt I would be any help in a fight if a new Azure Knight rises. Not in my current condition.” “If you can help us find Seigfried and the Soul Edge that Rose and I saw (REF: KILIK VS. ASH CRIMSON) then that will be more than enough,” stated Zafina. “There is more than one way to be a hero.” "I hope for all of our sakes, you are correct," Hwang lamented. The Egyptian tomb defender glanced back at the direction they came from. “Why don’t you rest here, I’ll see if I can find a good vantage point to check on the others,” she suggested. Hwang agreed with this and sat down against a brick wall. A short while after Zafina left, a different woman entered the alley way. “I can feel the Soul Edge shards inside you from here,” Rachel declared. “The fact that you are not blinded with rage tells me that it may have been your choice to ingest the shards. Which means you can tell me the sword’s location.” “It can’t do that,” Hwang replied. “It would only bring more misery.” “I don’t intend to use it to rule the world or any such nonsense,” Rachel informed. “I only wish to use it to rid myself of this foul possession and then I will destroy it.” “I have heard sentiments like that before, it never ends well,” claimed Hwang. Rachel aimed her war hammer at Hwang in a threatening fashion. “I am not here to ask for your approval of my plan.” “Step away from him!” Rachel tilted her head to see Zafina rejoin them in the alleyway. “He is needed to save the world,” said Zafina. “Any beef you have with him can wait.” Rachel felt an ominous presence inside Zafina instantly. “What is that inside you? You are not a fiend. No, it’s something else.” “She is possessed by the spirit of the legendary demon, Azazel,” the demon inside Rachel noted. “I had heard he had been destroyed. Amazing.” “Woman, are you seeking Soul Edge to rid yourself of demonic possession as well?” Rachel wondered. “I would never use the sword for such a thing,” Zafina insisted. “I took the spirit of Azazel into my body willingly, using a ritual passed down by my clan to seal it in. My body shall remain Azazel’s prison until a proper way to destroy it presents itself.” The demon inside Rachel felt threatened. “No mere mortal could successfully seal Azazel away in their own body for very long. He is too powerful. This woman can not be trusted.” “Do you really not believe that Soul Edge has the power to destroy Azazel once and for all?” Rachel asked Zafina. “I believe the utilization of such tactics would only bring a stronger presence of evil to the world,” Zafina replied. “Using evil to fight evil is never the answer.” This logic seemed hypocritical to Rachel and also made no sense to her. She thought of how Ryu Hayabusa had used the cursed Dragon Sword countless times to great effect in his battle against evil, and she thought of all these other warriors unwilling to repurpose Soul Edge’s vast power to do good things as cowards. “Typical human,” she sneered. “Too afraid to do what needs to be done. If you are too scared to use Soul Edge to destroy Azazel then I will, once it is in my possession.” “That is not the path,” Zafina declared. “Perhaps we can find out if the other sword, Soul Calibur, can accomplish these things in due time, but it is not the priority.” “It’s a trick,” the demon inside Rachel insisted. “My goal is to obtain Soul Edge, and I will not be dissuaded or distracted from my mission. Get in my way at your own peril,” Rachel threatened.

Wow, a small part of me thought the Streets or Rage team may be underestimated. Certainly didn't forecast a sweep for them.

Probably an 80s kid's dream crossover. Although you would probably have to throw in some Decepticons and Mumm-Ra. I just can't take this Legion of Doom seriously so I'm going with the Evil Warriors.

Going with the trained assassin.

I'm going with Team 2, I think their combination of abilities will get them the win, even with Team 1 having a former Black Widow.

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 173 During their helicopter ride to the Kanzuki Estate in Japan, (REF: GEN VS. ASH CRIMSON) Eliot sat pensively next to Hitomi. He had known her for years now, but she still made him nervous. He tried to think of a conversation starter, and the only thing that came to mind was current events. “Did you stay away from the infected fighters like they asked us to do?” Eliot finally blurted out. “I did when that nice woman, Sophitia, explained the situation, but I can’t lie, before that I spent a lot of time by Paul Phoenix’s bedside,” Hitomi admitted. “I felt really bad for him. (REF: HITOMI VS. PAUL PHOENIX). I feel really bad about the brainwashed girl too (REF: HITOMI VS. KASUMI TODOH), but I felt more responsibility for Paul's condition. ” “I know what you mean,” Eliot stated. “I spent a lot of time close to that girl, Josie. I had to reach down deep to put her down (REF: ELIOT VS. JOSIE RIZAL), but I felt really awful afterwards. It was really important for me that I didn’t hurt her too badly. After talking to Sogetsu I felt even worse. I wanted to be by her side to help her recover in any way I could.” Hitomi smiled. “That’s so sweet. I will say that I still did still sneak in a couple of times to see Paul just to check in on him.” “I guess that makes us both rule breakers.” Eliot’s tone then turned from jovial to concerned. “I hope neither of us put ourselves in jeopardy with that much exposure.” Hitomi was confident in her reply. “They said that a lot of Soul Edge’s power is driven by anger, rage, and hate, right? Well, I am a generally positive person that doesn’t get angered too easily and you are one of the kindest fighters I have ever come across. I feel like if any two people will survive extended exposure to the shards unaffected, it will be us.” Eliot found comfort in Hitomi’s words and exhaled a sigh of relief. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Hitomi declared. “If we were going to be changed into rage monsters, I think it would have happened by now.” “I guess you’re right,” agreed Elitot. “Should probably focus on something else.” “Do you know any of the fighters we are about to see or are you excited to meet any of them?” asked Hitomi. Eliot thought it over. “Well…. Even my master has heard of Ryu so I guess it will be pretty exciting to meet him. And I think someone told me a few stories about Kyo Kusanagi, and he seems like a cool guy." “Kyo. I’ve seen a picture of him. He's cute,” Hitomi noted. “The fighter I’m most psyched to meet is Ken Masters. You know he’s the United States Martial Arts champion. I’ve watched some of his fights on tv, he is really good. Although he throws fireballs which feels like cheating.” “Do you think you could beat him one on one?” Eliot questioned. Hitomi shrugged and then smiled. “I don’t know, but I would love to try. Maybe I can convince him to do an exhibition match when this is all over.” —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryu and Ken stood in the back court area of the Kanzuki estate trading stories (REF: K' vs. KEN MASTERS) when they were joined by Kyo. “How is Athena?” Ryu asked. “That little ninja girl did quite a number on her,” Kyo answered honestly. (REF: IBUKI VS. ATHENA ASAMIYA) “I thought the biggest damage from that squabble was going to be Karin’s family piano (REF: SHIKI VS. KAGE-MARU), but Athena is going to be out of action for a bit.” “Do you think it could be some collective wear and tear from your other battles?” Ryu inquired. (REF: ATHENA ASAMIYA VS. CHAI XIANGHUA) “Yeah, We’ve been through a lot and I’m still worried about Benimaru. Have either of you seen or heard from Maki? she should have been here by now.” (REF: DHALSIM VS. RYUJI YAMAZAKI) Both Ryu and Ken shook their heads no. (REF: MAKI GENRYUSAI VS. MAI SHIRANUI) Just then, the trio of fighters were joined in the back of the estate by Karin Kanzuki, who was followed by Hitomi and Eliot. “I’ve got a couple of pieces of good news, gentlemen,” Karin announced. “First, Kolin was spotted at a train station not too far from here. If we hurry, I believe we can catch her. Second, to help us with that and establish a stronger link to Helena and her team we have two guests, Eliot and Hitomi.” Karin presented the two Dead or Alive veterans and Kyo, Ken, and Ryu all shook their hands. “Ok, who wants to go talk to Kolin? I have a corvette waiting for whomever steps up to the plate,” stated Karin. Ken volunteered himself. “I am the reason she’s still not here, so it should be me.” (REF: KEN MASTERS VS. IORI YAGAMI) He turned to Ryu. “Want to tag along?” “Not really,” Ryu answered honestly. “Fine, have it your way, enjoy babysitting here while I’m gone. You know that once Honoka finds out how badly Athena is hurt, it's going to be up to you to keep her from fighting Ibuki and destroying more of this house,” Ken foretold. Ryu frowned and folded his arms. Hitomi raised her hand. “I’ll go.” Ken smiled. “Fantastic, let’s get going.” On the road and on their way to the train station, Ken chatted up Hitomi. “So, Hitomi, tell me a little about yourself. I take it you are a fighter if you were with Helena and she sent you to help us.” “That’s right,” Hitomi confirmed. “I have participated in the last four Dead or Alive tournaments.” “Oh, so you fight in the tournaments that Helena’s company runs,” Ken observed. “Yes. I haven’t won yet, but I did reach the finals in the fifth tournament, so it is only a matter of time,” Hitomi reasoned. Ken furrowed his eyebrow. “Wait a minute isn’t that the fighting tournament where that guy tricks all the female fighters into going onto his private island to run around in swimsuits?” Hitomi was aghast. “Zack doesn’t trick people, not that I know of. He has simply invited some of us he that has befriended over the years to hang out at his resort a few times for vacation. I never took it as anything other than a friendly gesture.” Ken took one hand off the steering wheel and rubbed his chin. “Hmmm, I don’t know, it always seemed a little sleazy to me when I heard about it.” “You shouldn’t always believe what you hear,” Hitomi insisted. “That’s fair. You are probably right. Most of what I have heard about that tournament and the people who participate in it is fairly derogatory. It made me never want to check it out.” Hitomi was disheartened to hear Ken speak about a tournament she held dear to her heart in such a way. She even felt disrespected. Hitomi pondered if this was how Paul felt right before the Soul Edge shards consumed him. Ken pointed to the left. “We’re here. Train station is right over there.” Inside the train station, Ken spotted Kolin almost instantly and ran up to her. “Hey Kolin!” Kolin fired an ice projectile at Ken and tried to run the other way. Hitomi stood in her path in a fighting position. “Os!” “Listen, we didn't come here to attack you,” Ken clarified. “We came because we need your help.” Kolin was confused. “Before you didn’t want anything to do with me, and hours later you are asking for my help?” “Yeah, well, we received some crucial information recently. Namely, that Urien’s name has been linked to setting in motion all of these events that are connected to the legendary Soul Edge sword,” Ken explained. Kolin’s heart sank inside as her suspicions were finally confirmed out loud, but she didn’t want to give Ken the satisfaction of seeing her reaction. She attempted to feign indifference. “Don’t try to grasp at things far beyond your understanding,” she quipped. Ken saw right through her facade. “You didn’t know, did you?” he asked. Kolin rolled her eyes. “No. I was starting to piece it together though.” “So you are not actively helping him with his plans?” Ken inquired. “My only recent interaction with Urien was when he asked me to keep tabs on Iori Yagami, that was it,” Kolin replied. (REF: IORI YAGAMI VS. CHARLIE NASH) “Why would he want to do that?” Ken wondered. “I am not sure. My best guess is to keep one of the Sacred Treasures occupied so that Orochi can be reborn. It is Iori’s main purpose and destiny to keep the demon sealed,” Kolin explained. “I don’t know if we can trust her,” Hitomi commented. “You said she works with this guy, right?” “Be quiet, girl, this doesn’t concern you,” snapped Kolin. “My loyalty is to Gill, not his brother.” “It is okay, Hitomi. No one is less trustful of her than me, but we should hear her out,” Ken reassured. “The ones who brought Orochi back last time have recently returned and Urien showed great interest in them,” continued Kolin. (REF: SARAH BRYANT VS. MATURE) “If his goal was the return of Orochi it may tie into the rise of Soul Edge. I don’t have enough information on how the two things would tie together, but both mean plunging the world into chaos. I know that is not part of Gill’s plan. However, I have not been able to get a hold of Gill, (REF: SIEGFRIED VS. GILL) and that makes me believe Urien’s plan may be further along than we realize.” “Are you sure about this, Ken? We came here to find out about Soul Edge and she could be trying to distract us with this whole other story,” Hitomi suggested. Kolin glared at the German martial artist. “Shut your mouth, karate barbie, you're not helping!” Hitomi gasped. The resentment from losing a fight to Dead or Alive alumni, Honoka, (REF: KOLIN VS. HONOKA) and subsequently being abandoned by Iori bubbled up inside Kolin and she verbally unleashed on Hitomi. “I know who you are and I know where you’re from. The Secret Society is well aware of the Dead or Alive participants, we have just not made our presence known in your little world because it has not been deemed all that important, save for a source of some light amusement from time to time. Not a single one of you has displayed the kind of potential that would interest anyone with real power, except for the Mugen Tenshin clan. Ken and his friends on the other hand, irritating as they are, have shown that numerous times. I want to find out what happened to my leader, so as much as I don’t want to, I will work with them. You are not necessary to the equation, so why don’t you leave the serious talk to us and go play some beach volleyball!” Ken worked hard to stifle a chuckle at Kolin’s dig. However, Hitomi was not amused. She didn’t even feel it happening when out of nowhere she was blitzed by rage. She savagely beat an unexpecting Kolin unconscious before Ken could even react. “I show you power and potential!” she screamed. “Hitomi! What are you doing?” Ken demanded. Hitomi’s eyes darted over to Ken. They were glowing the dull orange glow of Soul Edge. Ken was confused at first by the sudden change in her demeanor, but then the reality of the situation struck him as he remembered Guile’s stories about the Soul Edge malfested aboard the cruise liner. “I will beat respect into both of you!” Hitomi exclaimed.