JohnnyChany

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 172 Aboard the Freedom Survivor, Helena Douglas approached Guile. “Major Guile, all preparations have been completed for your flight to Japan. (REF: BAIKEN VS. SOPHITIA ALEXANDRA) Utilizing the DOATEC helicopter, Zack should be able to get you close to where your friend, Dhalsim, was filmed fighting one of the malfested,” Helena explained. (REF: LEI FEI VS. DHALSIM) “I have also arranged for Kokoro to join you. She has expressed a strong desire to help and she even fought one of Kazuya’s former lackeys on this very ship. (REF: KOKORO VS. GANRYU) She will be very helpful for you in any potential confrontation with G-Corporation.” Guile was about to thank Helena then he suddenly looked down at his phone. “It’s Cammy, she is requesting a video chat. I know this is last minute, Helena, but she says it is an emergency.” “Of course.” Back inside the video conference room, Guile was slightly startled at the sight of Cammy and Blue Mary on the big screen. Cammy was bruised and bandaged, and Blue Mary’s arm was in a sling. “So, was the mission a success or a failure?” asked Guile. “A failure in every sense of the word,” responded Cammy. “What happened?” asked Guile. “To make a long story short, the man that Heidern and his team came out to recruit is dead. He was killed by Heidern’s adopted daughter, (REF: DARLI DAGGER VS. EDDY GORDO) who went mad and also demolished a couple of my ‘sisters’ as well as did this to me,” Cammy explained. (REF: CAMMY WHITE VS. LEONA HEIDERN) “Also there were a couple of odd looking warrior women there. One was decked out in medieval armor and the other had a sword and shield. It’s because of her that I have this.” Blue Mary motioned to her sling. (REF: BLUE MARY VS. CASSANDRA ALEXANDRA) “The one with the sword and shield told Heidern something about a powerful weapon of legend called…" Guile interrupted. “Soul Edge.” “You’ve heard of it. So I was right, it is connected to Helena’s mission,” stated Cammy. “Is it real Major Guile?” asked Mary. “It’s very real and it’s very dangerous,” Guile confirmed. “I have only been exposed to a small fragment of it and it turned me into a man I never want to be again.” (REF: LEI WULONG VS. GUILE) "You think it could have triggered the Orochi blood inside of Leona Heidern?" Blue Mary inquired. "I would not be surprised." Guile paused for a moment. “Tell me more about the woman with the sword and shield. What did she look like?” “She looked young,” Mary answered. “Blonde hair tied into a ponytail, she had an orange and white top with brown pants. Her shield was blue. I think she is Greek.” “Have you met her?” Cammy inquired. “No. But if it is who I think it is, then I have met her sister. She saved me from my malfestation by Soul Edge,” Guile informed. “They are both heroes and I believe both sisters are vital to stopping Soul Edge” “She left the village we were at for the nearby port in search of an ally. (REF: KING VS. HAKAN) After Seth picked us up, Heidern sent an agent there to keep an eye on her. She hasn’t left as of yet, but we wanted to get some concrete intel first before we rushed in again, seeing how badly it went for us last time,” Mary lamented. “However, if we did go in as a truce I don’t know if she would trust us much given our recent history.” “I should talk to her,” Guile decided. “I think she will trust me. Can you send me the coordinates to the port?” “Yes. On it now,” stated Cammy. “You should probably hurry. There have been some interesting scuffles going on at the port (REF: CHRISTIE MONTEIRO VS. DEE JAY), but there is no telling how long she will stay there. Looking forward to catching up when you get here.” Guile nodded and then turned to leave the video conference room. As soon as he walked out the door, he saw Helena and Kokoro waiting for him. “Is Miss White okay?” asked Helena. “She has had better days, and also worse days. She will tough it out like she always does,” said Guile. “Wonderful, then we can continue with the mission…” “Actually plans have changed. Sophitia’s sister, Cassandra, was spotted at Cammy’s location in Mexico. I need to go there so that we can bring her in before we lose track of her. I just know that she and Sophitia are a key to all of this.” “What makes you say that?” Kokoro wondered. “Call it a gut feeling.” Guile responded. “I know this is a drastic change in priorities, but I firmly believe it is the best course of action.” Helena felt some irritation toward Guile for this last second audible. She thought about her fight with Prime Minister Sobieska and how it was sparked by an inability to cede some control (REF: LIDIA SOBIESKA VS. HELENA DOUGLAS), so she decided to go with a different approach and simply offered her support. “Very well, Major. I trust your judgment. We will get you there promptly.” “Thank you. M;am.” Guile walked away from Helena and Kokoro. “Well..” “I still want to go,” Kokoro declared. “I feel like I need to go. Zack can still take me.” “Kokoro?” “Helena, I have seen what that horrible magic does up close (REF: KOKORO VS. AOI UMENOKOUJI), and if I can save even one more person from that fate then I want to do it.” Helena was wary of sending Kokoro around G Corporation without more backup, but she could see look of determination on her half sister’s face and she acquiesced. “Be careful out there, Kokoro and good luck.” —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elsewhere on the Freedom Survivor Cruise Liner, two members of the Agenja Wywiadu, the Polish Intelligence Agency, walked up to the holding cells. “State your business,” said one of the guards. Both agents flashed their badges. “We are here by request of Prime Minister Sobieska to determine if your current prisoners may pose any potential threat to Poland.” “I wouldn’t think so,” stated the other DOATEC guard. “You can talk to them and find out for yourself.” “Thank you.” Both Intelligence officers and the two DOATEC guards walked into the hallway and approached the cell containing Shermie and Vice. Vice glared at all four of them. “What do you want?” “We have just one question for you.” The two Polish Intelligence Agents swiftly knocked out the two DOATEC guards. “Are you ready to leave?” Vice was confused. “What is going on here?” “We are breaking you out this instant,” answered the female Polish agent. The male agent picked up the two unconscious guards. “Quick change into these clothes and we will walk right out of here.” “Huh?” “Most of the fighters aboard the ship have left on various missions from Miss Helena (REF: GEN VS. ASH CRIMSON), and there are a lot of moving parts going on right now so it should not be a problem,” the male agent explained. Vice was dubious. “Even if that is the case, there is still a lot of DOATEC security on this ship and 'Bangs' over her will stick out like a sore thumb, new theads and all.” Shermie shrugged. The two agents thought for a moment until the male agent’s eyes sparked with an idea. “Miss Shermie do you still have any of the Soul Edge shards left over or did you give them all away?” he asked. “I gave most of them to that Mexican wrestler, but not all of them,” Shermie answered with a smile. (REF: ELIOT VS. JOSIE RIZAL) “Never know when they might come in handy.” “If you would allow me to use some I think I can solve all our potential problems. There is a new fighter that just came on board (REF: SOGETSU KAZAMA VS. JIN KAZAMA), some leopard wrestler guy, he doesn’t really understand what has been happening here. I think I can infect him and set him loose on security. That should keep them busy,” the agent suggested. Shermie looked over to Vice. Vice sighed. “What do we have to lose? There are not a ton of options right now.” Shermie handed small Soul Edge shards wrapped in cloth to the male Polish intelligence agent. He took them, nodded respectfully, and excited the holding cell area. The female agent was already undressing the DOATEC security guards. “Why are you helping us to escape?” Vice asked bluntly. “My partner and I are huge CYS fans. They are our favorite band. We would try to go to all the shows that we could until you all disappeared. We were so excited when Chris recently posted on the CYS discord,” the female agent explained. A look of recognition appeared on Shermie’s face. “Wait a minute, Krystina, is that you?” The female agent held her arms close to her chest. “You remembered, that is so awesome. Yeah, it’s me.” “And you heard from Chris?” asked Shermie. “Yeah, he and Yashiro told us that you had probably been captured, where to find you, and where to bring you once we set you free,” Krystina answered. “I’ve been wondering where those clowns were.” Shermie remarked. (REF: BASARA VS. NECALLI) “Quite the loyal fans you have, Shermie,” noted Vice. Out on the helipad, Guile watched as Zack and Kokoro took off toward Japan and prepared to get in a separate helicopter charted for Mexico when without warning a commotion grabbed his attention. A small distance away, a group of DOATEC security guards were being thrown left and right, and standing in the center was the renowned wrestler, King. (REF: KING VS. EL BLAZE) It was immediately clear that the masked fighter was trying to injure if not kill everyone in his vicinity. Guile rushed over to intervene. Once he got closer, he saw the orange tint in King’s eyes. Guile was stunned to see that all remnants of Soul Edge hadn’t been removed. It was his first time seeing the effect from the outside and it was chilling. King suddenly being malfested brought up many questions, but the first priority was taking the muscular grappler down before anyone else was hurt

Ah! I commented but forgot to vote and rate, although it looks like Peggy would have lost anyway. Nice wrap up, sir, looking forward to what is next.

The question is does Xanatos start to flirt with Thrawn like he did the time Fox beat him in a game of a chess.

"Duffman has challenged the Kool-Aid Man to a celebrity exhibition wrestling match. Kool-Aid Man may be able to punch through walls, but Duffman can punch through thirst with the delicious taste of Duff. When Duffman wins, all the kids will see that beer is superior to kool-aid, I mean everyone will see, I mean the adults will see. Duffman will not be taking any questions at this time."

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 171 Things were moving quickly aboard the Freedom Survivor cruise liner. Guile was preparing to fly over to the G Corporation building to investigate the Soul Edge sightings there and Helena was looking for volunteers to fly off to the Kanzuki Estate in Japan to help that group find and interrogate Kolin about Urien. (REF: BAIKEN VS. SOPHITIA ALEXANDRA) Hitomi was the first to offer her services. “You are telling me if I go there I will have a chance to interact with the United States Martial Arts Champion, Ken Masters. Count me in,” she declared cheerfully. Helena clasped her hands together. “Wonderful. We will probably need just one more volunteer so that we are not depleting too much of our own forces.” Hitomi looked around and spotted whom she believed to be the perfect candidate. “Leave it to me.” The karate enthusiast snuck up behind Eliot and Brad Wong. The two were talking about the newest fighter that arrived on the cruise liner, the Leopard mask wearing wrestler, King. (REF: SOGETSU KAZAMA VS. JIN KAZAMA) Hitomi jumped in front of Eliot and growled playfully. Eliot’s eyes bulged out in shock and Brad let out a genuine belly laugh. “Hey, uh, what’s up Hitomi?” asked Eliot. “I think you should go with me to the Kanzuki Estate. Helena needs our help and it would be fun,” she answered. “Oh, I don’t know,” Eliot said shyly. “C’mon it will give us the chance to meet some more fighters and I know they will all be super impressed with what you when they hear what you did both on this boat (REF: ELIOT vs. JOSIE RIZAL) and at the MIST facility,” stated Hitomi. (REF: ELIOT VS. LEO KLIESEN) “She’s right. You should go on and get out of here. Not much happening on the boat right now anyway,” Brad added. “What about you?” Eliot inquired. “I hate to admit it, but I’m still pretty dinged up from that tussle with the cop,” Brad admitted. (REF: BRAD WONG VS. LEI WULONG) “I would only slow you down. And you won't need me there with this lovely lady by your side. Did you not hear about her fight with the blonde eraser head?” (REF: HITOMI VS. PAUL PHOENIX) “Besides, Helena said she only wants two volunteers,” Hitomi clarified as she held up two fingers. Eliot gulped. “So, just you and me?” Hitomi nodded. “Yep… until we get there of course.” Brad patted Eliot on the back. “Go on, show those other fighters what you can do.” Eliot acquiesced. “Ok.” He then turned to Brad. “Hey can you do me a favor after I leave? Can you ask Helena if maybe she can get a hold of Master Gen Fu. I still haven’t heard from him and I am a little concerned.” (REF: GEN VS. GEN FU) “Sure thing, kid.” —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The elder assassin, Gen, had finally tracked down Heihachi Mishima’s location and readied himself for a fight that he had long wanted. He had completed all his contracts and now he was able to indulge in a fight he wanted for himself. (REF: YANG VS. LI LONG) It is true, he had been offered a handsome sum of money to take out this man as a target, but Gen’s desire to face this man went beyond monetary compensation. Gen had long held something of a begrudging respect from a distance for the former CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu. He saw some of himself in Heihachi, with the big exception being the latter’s insatiable lust for power. Still, he had respected Heihachi’s willingness and sometimes eagerness to fight his own battles even as he progressed far into old age and didn’t need to. There was a pride in being the King of the Iron Fist that Heihachi had that Gen respected. Also, the numerous stories of Heihachi staring certain death in the face and surviving was objectively impressive. The time was right, and Gen was genuinely curious how their contrasting styles would match up. When he arrived at the pagoda temple, Gen was surprised to find that Heihachi didn’t have men stationed outside to secure the building. The Chinese martial artist had expected that he was going to have to fight his way through to get to Heihachi. As he got closer, he noticed that men were around the pagoda, but they were all incapacitated and rendered unconscious. (REF: ALGOL VS. HEIHACHI MISHIMA) Gen wondered if he was walking into one of the numerous battles that he had read about between Heihachi and his son or Heihachi and his grandson. Either of those two scenarios would have been less surprising than what Gen found once he walked into the pagoda temple. Heihachi was face first on the ground, not moving and not breathing. (REF: KASUMI VS. KAZUMI MISHIMA) Bitterness filled Gen’s body. Was he too late? He spotted another muscular man with long white braided hair that he did not recognize, also laid out on the temple floor. He approached the mysterious figure and immediately felt a strange and immense power radiating from him. It was unlike anything Gen had ever felt before. Gen wondered if this powerful stranger was the cause of Heihachi’s current state or if the two had fought together possibly against Kazuya and the G Corporation or Jin and the Mishima Zaibatsu. Either way, the longer Gen stood next to the man’s body, the more he felt the surging energy inside of him, and the more wary Gen became of the ominous nature of this power. Gen turned to leave. At that moment, Ash Crimson strutted into the pagoda temple, with the Kali-Yuga staff in his hand. (REF: KILIK VS. ASH CRIMSON) “It looks like I missed the party.” Ash’s eyes immediately found the fallen Algol. “There you are!” (REF: BONNE JENET VS. DARLI DAGGER) Ash waltzed over to Algol’s body and looked down at the legendary hero king with a mix of surprise and disappointment. “I was expecting so much more from you. Something epic and dramatic, definitely not a collapsed, defeated heap.” Ash sighed. “Although this is definitely a preferential turn of events after having to deal with that mud demon.” (REF: ASH CRIMSON VS. NECALLI) Ash finally took note of the only other man standing in the temple. “Hey you, old man, do I have you to thank for this?” Gen bristled a little, but simply responded. “They were both like this when I arrived.” Ash rubbed his chin. “Hmmm, curious. Oh well, down to work then.” Ash phased his hand in Algol’s back in an attempt to steal the power of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur residing inside him. This alarmed Gen. “What are you doing!?!” he shouted. Ash rolled his eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? Stealing his power, obviously. He doesn’t need it anymore.” “Stop it right now, you vulture!” Gen demanded. Ash scoffed. “Relax old man, I’m not stealing it to use on you.” “You young arrogant punk,” Gen declared. Ash interrupted his own attempt to gain Algol’s powers and stood up. “Do you even know who this is?” “I know pure evil when I feel it, and the power in that warrior is entangled with it. It is a power best laid to rest with him,” stated Gen. Ash shook his head. “You have no idea what you are talking about.” Ash knelt back down to restart the process of taking Algol’s power when he was caught off guard by a quick kick from Gen that knocked him away from Algol. “That power is not meant for you, and you have certainly not done anything to earn it,” accused Gen. Ash nonchalantly pushed some of his blonde hair away from his eyes. “Alright then old geezer, since you are the expert. What are you sensing from me right now?” A half smile developed on Gen’s face as he stepped into his fighting stance. “A formidable power of your own, and perhaps the true challenge I came here looking for. If in an unexpected package.” Ash chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The ultimate side scroller beat em up showdown Final Fight vs. Streets of Rage vs. Double Dragon

If normal but determined teenagers can stop the grusome twosome I assume Daredevil and Batman can get the job done.

I know the Mirage version of the Foot Clan is a more serious threat, but I think Daredevil and Nightwing together should be more than up to the task to taking them as well as the Shredder out in a hard fought battle.

Hmm I wonder if Zatanna is a Yugi-Oh card collector for just the occasion, seems like an occult type thing she would be into lol. Regardless I think she wins this. Unique magic pairing, Broadwaybeyonder.

Give me Jon Snow for the win. Will Turner I guess looked okay in a few fights in the Pirates franchise, but he doesn't have anything on the battle record of the King of the North, Jon Snow.

Sonya has faced tougher opposition so I'm giving her the edge.

Yeah Terry all day. I don't think Johnny Cage can hang with him.

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 170 Cammy White’s eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was the bandages on her body and instantly she remembered the intense pain of being subjected to Leona Heidern’s energy blades for an extended period of time. (REF: LARS ALEXANDERSSON VS. LEONA HEIDERN) She looked to her right where she saw a tall black man with a blonde mohawk, green pants, and a purple tie sitting at a table drinking coffee. “Cool. You have finally woken up,” he remarked. “Who are you? Where am I?” “Stay calm, Cammy. You are among friends,” declared a voice from behind her. Cammy adjusted her point of view to see Blue Mary standing with her arm in a sling looking over her. “We are in a safe house recovering and regrouping,” informed Mary. “It’s fortunate for us that Seth came along when he did or we might still be toiling away on the streets of that poor cursed village.” Seth put down his mug of coffee. “I just wish I could have arrived sooner.” Their commander, Heidern, limped into the room. (REF: KULA DIAMOND VS. ALISA BOSKONOVICH) “No one blames you, you were busy picking up the pieces of the beatdown that Vanessa suffered.” (REF: VANESSA VS. CRIMSON VIPER) A burst of anger erupted in Cammy. “What are you doing here?!?” “There is no need for hostilities, Miss White,” Heidern assured. “As Agent Mary stated, you are among allies. It may not seem that way due to our last interaction (REF: CAMMY WHITE VS. LEONA HEIDERN), but it is true. I hold no ill will toward you….. And the vengeance you sought against Leona for what happened to your ‘sisters’ has been granted. She was impaled and killed by Lars Alexandersson.” (REF: DARLI DAGGER VS. EDDY GORDO) Both Seth and Mary looked down in sadness for their fallen comrade. “It is a real shame you never got the chance to meet the real Leona,” stated Mary. “Your personalities weren’t exactly the same, but you two had a lot in common. You may have been kindred spirits.” “Before the horror that you witnessed, the Orochi blood inside Leona had been dormant for years,” Heidern added. “The best information I could muster from the few survivors I found was that she was triggered by Ralf Jones being stabbed to death by some vampire sword fighter,” Seth input. “Another horrible loss, but I suspect another sinister force at play that resulted in the loss of my daughter,” Heidern opined. Blue Mary sat on Cammy’s bed. “The boss overheard the woman warrior who roughed me up (REF: BLUE MARY VS. CASSANDRA ALEXANDRA) talking about an ancient weapon called Soul Edge before she left. (REF: KING VS. HAKAN) Most information we can find on it right now is folklore and legends. But trust me, as someone who got up close to one of those warriors, this isn’t a fairy tale. Soul Edge is a magical weapon believed to feed off all the anger and hate in the world and then push it right back out and spread it like a virus.” “Enough bad juju to stoke up Orochi blood?” Seth wondered. “It’s a theory,” Mary responded. She turned back toward Cammy. “Anyway, there is no way something potentially this forceful and dangerous is not being noticed by the most power hungry people in the world.” “You think this is tied into the mission that Guile and I recruited you for, don’t you?” Cammy guessed. (REF: RAPHAEL SOREL VS. LARS ALEXANDERSSON) Blue Mary nodded “I do. You guys told me Helena Douglas was worried that the most fearsome and formidable villains in the world were in a fight over some weapon. This has to be the weapon she was referring to, right?” “I still say if we want direct answers we go after the source,” Seth interjected. “Just give me the word and I will track down that swordswoman.” Heidern was firm in his refusal. “No, Seth. Look around. Mary is out of commission, so is Kula (REF: KULA DIAMOND VS. CASSANDRA ALEXANDRA), Vanessa, and Lieutenant Clark Still. Colonel Ralf Jones and Leona are dead. I will not risk anyone else in this unit until we fully understand the mission. I had originally thought we were in a battle against the Mishima Zaibatsu. (REF: BAYMAN VS. CLARK STILL) It is clearly much bigger than that. If we are to quell this threat we need to understand exactly what it is.” “I will call Major Guile,” said Cammy. —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the immortal Zasalamel left a potential showdown against Sophitia Alexandra, Charlotte, Bass Armstrong, and Sogetsu Kazama, (REF: JIN KAZAMA VS. KAZUKI KAZAMA) he started to rethink his strategy on how to obtain Soul Edge. It was obvious that all the disparate warriors he once knew had been bonded by their victory over the Azure Knight, Nightmare centuries earlier. Defeating the Muay Thai master, Sagat, gave Zasalamel the confidence that his fighting abilities had not diminished over the years. (REF: ZASALAMEL VS. SAGAT) However, picking the Soul Calibur warriors apart one by one would not be as easy as it once had been if they were now traveling in groups. On the other hand, Zasalamel could use this new bond between them to his advantage, by leveraging them against one another. Zasalamel decided he needed to first go after the strays and use them as bait. Zasalamel’s ability to teleport over long distances made this a plan that could be executed rather quickly. His first choice was the wandering samurai, Heishiro Mitsurugi. A loner at his very core, Mitsurugi was the least likely to be in the company of other Soul Calibur warriors. Unfortunately for Zasalamel. Mitsurugi’s wandering nature also made it so that he may be anywhere currently (REF: BAIKEN VS. HEISHIRO MITSURUGI) and a little hard to pin down. So, Zasalamel turned his attention to the nunchaku wielding pirate, Maxi. Maxi was certainly more likely to be in the company of his friends, but was also a bit of a wanderer himself. Zasalamel knew two things for sure about Maxi. He was a bit of a showoff, which would mean he would definitely have a reputation on the high seas, and he was obsessed with the destruction of the Fygul Cestemus cult. Utilizing these two facts, Zasalamel was able to find Maxi’s location in a short period of time. (REF: MAXI VS. CLAUDIO SERAFINO) He walked into a bar in a small port city in Mexico, and watched with amusement as Jamaican music sensation and elite kickboxer, Dee Jay and one of his stage hands struggled to prop up the unconscious body of Zasalamel’s target. (REF: BONNE JENET VS. DARLI DAGGER) “Be careful mon, his crew will be here any minute and any more damage to this guy may affect the price of saving and returning him,” Dee Jay noted. (REF: CHRISTIE MONTIERO VS. DEE JAY) “I hear ya mon. I’m just wondering how this guy is still unconscious after all this time,” Dee Jay’s friend remarked. Zasalamel spoke up. “It is because he is very old. When you have lived as long as we have you can sleep for days at a time, whether by choice or otherwise.” The two Jamaicans twisted their heads and took note of Zasalamel’s imposing stature decked out in a flowing white robe. “But you don’t have to worry about that, because I am here to take him off your hands,” Zasalamel announced. Dee Jay shook his head no. “I don’t think so, man. You don’t look like one of his crew. I don’t imagine you do a lot of sailing in that big robe, mon.” Zasalamel smiled. “How very perceptive. You are correct, I am not a sailor. But, wearing this robe makes it much easier to carry around this…” Zasalamel unveiled his long scythe. “Now, I am in a bit of a rush so give him to me.” “Yeah no way are we going to let you cut in on our action,” Dee Jay’s stage hand responded. “Dee Jack, kick this guy’s ass.” Zasalamel momentarily paused time and instantly appeared next to Dee Jay’s friend and slammed him into the wall with his scythe. “How did you do that?” asked Dee Jay. “You are about to find out first hand if you don’t hand Maxi over to me,” Zasalamel threatened. Dee Jay smirked and lifted his hands up into his fighting stance. “It’s going to take a whole lot more than a few magic tricks to intimidate me, mon.”

There are some fights I do in this arc where I have a good idea of who should win, and there are others where I honestly could see it going either way, like this one just due to Baiken's wide array of weaponry. I appreciate your analysis.

Paging Jessica Rabbit. Peggy probably wouldn't win in close quarters combat, but with her revolver I think she can pull it off. Of course, this may just be my Peggy Carter bias speaking lol. Another great pull of a character from the era, Broadwaybeyonder.

So, I will let my Power Rangers ignorance from past the first few seasons show. Isn't each new iteration supposed to be stronger than the last, or was that just with the originals?

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 169 In a conference room aboard the Freedom Survivor cruise liner, Helena Douglas and Guile sat in front of a large screen talking to Karin Kanzuki and Ken Masters remotely from the Kanzuki estate. Ken detailed how he ended up at the Kanzuki estate with Ryu, Kyo Kusanagi, and Athena Asamiya instead of his planned trip to the Freedom Survivor. (REF: KEN MASTERS VS. IORI YAGAMI) Then, Guile explained why he and Helena were reaching out. (REF: SHIKI VS. YANG) “You’re trying to find Urien?” asked Karen. “Affirmative,” answered Guile. “We have very strong intel that he is behind most of what is going on.” (REF: ASUKA KAZAMA VS. MAKOTO) Karin appeared uneasy. “This is some cosmically bad timing. Kolin was recently here. We could have interrogated her about him.” Guile was shocked. “Kolin was there?” “Yeah, but this guy over here chased her off. He even fought the guy that was with her,” replied Karin as she pointed over to Ken. Ken defended his actions. “I try not to make it a habit of being in the company of shady guys and girls. Also, that didn’t stop her from trying to kidnap that Honoka girl.” (REF: KOLIN VS. HONOKA) The name caught Helena’s attention. “What Honoka girl?” “I didn’t catch a last name. On the younger side. She has a cool ability to mimic moves she sees. It’s a little sloppy, but it’s effective,” remarked Ken. “Incredible that this ordeal has even pulled her in,” stated Helena. “Karin, do you think you guys can bring Kolin back?” asked Guile. “We can try,” Karin responded. “I have no idea how far she has gone or where she would go and our impromptu team here isn’t very big. We have also had some unforeseen setbacks.” (REF: IBUKI VS. ATHENA ASAMIYA) “Do not feel bad, so have we,” Helena reassured. “Our best chance to win is to pool our resources. To that end, I will send some fighters over there to help out.” “Ok. I will also see what else I can turn up about the Secret Society,” Karin promised. Helena smiled. “Thank you. I have faith that all of us together can get the job done.” Helena disconnected the call and immediately Guile turned to her and asked. “Who were you planning on sending over there?” Helena lifted an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering?” “I will help wherever I am needed,” replied Guile. “But, I think I need to go here.” Guile showed a viral video to Helena of a fight in a Japanese restaurant between Dhalsim and Lei Fei as well as Mai Shiranui and Katarina Alves. (REF: LEI FEI VS. DHALSIM) He pointed at Katarina “You see her eyes. She was infected by Soul Edge. Who knows how many others there have been exposed like we were. I can help them. You see the stretchy guy there, that is Dhalsim, he has been an ally of mine many times. I am sure he can tell me what is going on down there.” “Are you sure it is wise to expose yourself again given what has happened?” Helena wondered. (REF: LEI WULONG VS. GUILE) “Yes. Having been through it, I know the danger and I know the temptation. I can avoid it,” Guile assured. “Also Sophitia was gracious enough to teach me some defensive techniques for the mind. Maybe she would be interested in accompanying me.” “Sophitia is no longer on the ship,” Helena informed. “Where did she go?” asked Guile. “She. like us, has decided to turn to allies to find whatever information she can about the Secret Society. Unfortunately, not all of her allies use phones,” Helena explained. —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Tatami Gaeshi!” shouted Baiken. The one armed samurai stomped on the floorboards of the underground gambling facility where she was squaring off against the grizzled ancient samurai, Heishiro Mitsurugi. (REF: BAIKEN VS. MITSURUGI) The defensive tactic was successful as the floorboard shooting into the air caught Mitsurugi off guard and struck him in the chin. He stumbled backward. Baiken attacked Mitsurugi with a series of jumping knee strikes. She then took her blade and performed a vertical slash that disarmed Mitsurugi. Heishiro took a moment and looked down at his dropped weapon, Baiken took advantage of this opening and shot her grappling hook from her armless sleeve at Mitsurugi. She yanked him close and and slashed wildly with her sword. Baiken cut him three times across the chest and as Mitsurugi groaned in pain, she blasted him with her hidden cannon. Mitsurugi fell to his knees, unable to continue the fight. He exhaled loudly and resigned himself to his fate. “You have bested me,” he lamented. “Go ahead and finish the job.” Baiken lifted her blade to strike, but then hesitated. “If I kill you now, I will be back to where I started. No closer to finding this mysterious Soul Edge.” “You may think you want that sword, but it will only bring you misery,” stated Mitsurugi. “Wrong. It will bring me the key to getting me home. Home to my world,” Baiken corrected. “At least according to that magical bird lady.” Mitsurugi chuckled. “Magical bird lady? You must have run into Iroha.” (REF: BAIKEN VS. IROHA) “Are you claiming she is wrong?” asked Baiken. Mitsurugi shook his head. “I have no idea. You say you are from a different world? It is possible you were brought here by the immense power of Soul Calibur as its new champion against Soul Edge.” Mitsurugi thought about it some more. “Or you could have been brought here by Soul Edge itself to be its new vessel.” Baiken reacted with disgust. “I am no entity’s potential vessel. Are you sure about this?” Mitsurugi held his chest in pain momentarily before he answered. “I am not an expert on the ways of Soul Edge. I was just a wandering mercenary looking for a challenge and the ultimate sword all those centuries ago. I just happened to get mixed up in all of this. Just like you. With that being said, from what I have seen I would have no trouble believing you have been marked and brought here as a champion for one side… or the other.” “Only one way to find out.” Baiken placed her blade under Mitsurugi’s chin. “How do I get to Soul Edge?” “Are you trying to threaten me? What good would that do? I already told you to finish me off,” said Mitsurugi. “However, once you do you should know the Soul Edge shards inside me will be a danger to this entire town if not absorbed in one strong enough to control them.” Baiken snickered. “What happens to the people of this town, this world, is not my concern.” “You are currently in this town and this world, so it means you would be vulnerable to the shards as well,” Mitsurugi retorted. “What if I absorb them? Wouldn’t that connect me to the sword and help me locate the blade?” Baiken inquired. “Yes,” answered Mitsurugi. “If they don’t drive you crazy with rage first.” “I can take it. Tell me how to absorb them.” “Step away from him!” shouted a voice. Baiken looked back with her left eye at a blonde woman with a long braid, a sword, and a shield. “Sophitia,” Mitsurugi whispered. “Heishiro, you look horrible,” said Sophitia. “What trouble have you gotten yourself into?” “I lost a fight with a one armed samurai from another world,” Mitsurugi replied plainly. “How did you find me?” “I came here looking for you,” Sophitia declared. She turned her attention to Baiken. “Whatever your vendetta is against him, it must wait. The safety of the world depends on it.” “As I told your bleeding friend, the safety of this world means nothing to me,” Baiken sneered. ”All that matters is that I reach Soul Edge.” “I am sure you can sense it, Sophitia,” added Mitsurugi. “This samurai isn’t from around here,” Realization set in for the elder Alexandra. “So it would appear that the fates have brought in this warrior from another place for the battles ahead. But, for which side I wonder.” Baiken sighed. “I grow tired of this back and forth.” Sophitia resolved herself. “Either way I feel I must face you here, samurai from a strange world. If your arrival here is the work of Soul Edge in search of a new body to be its Nightmare knight then it is my duty to put you down. Conversely, as a warrior once chosen to destroy Soul Edge, myself, I must make sure you are worthy of that responsibility if that instead is the reason you have been summoned into this world.” Sophitia lifted her sword and shield. “Prepare yourself.” Baiken readied her blade. “You both talk too much.”

Good matchup. There are sometimes where I think Scorpion gets overrated, but I would still take him in a good, exciting fight against Jago.

Sorry I missed getting to this in time. Would have gone with Chizuru because her illusion casting I think would give her the edge to come out on top.

I agree that all this is true, but I'm still going with Chameleon.

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER PART 168 In front of a raucous Turkish wrestling crowd, King tagged El Blaze with a series of punches that knocked the luchador into the corner. (REF: KING VS. EL BLAZE) Once in the corner, King delivered a big boot to his opponent’s face followed by a drop kick. El Blaze fell flat to the mat. King sprung himself off the ropes for a moonsault and landed stiffly on El Blaze. “1! 2! 3!” King jumped to his feet and roared in exuberance. Then just as suddenly he collapsed into the corner as the effects of having three back (REF: KING VS. KING OF DINOSAURS) to back (REF: KING VS. HAKAN) to back matches caught up with him. His friend, Craig Marduk, rolled into the ring to check on and congratulate the masked grappler. Craig placed his hands on King’s shoulders. “That was incredible, man. I don’t think I have ever seen you go on a run like that. Legendary stuff.” King formed his hand into a thumbs up gesture. El Blaze sat up and rubbed his head. “Not the way I thought that would go. Nice moves, King.” Hakan jumped into the ring and ran over to King. He attempted to hug the man who had previously defeated him but the Turkish oil still lingering on his body made it impossible to get a good grip. “I admit I was a little jealous of the fans adoration for you before, but even I must admit that your three match gauntlet was one of the best wrestling displays I have seen in years,” Hakan said with enthusiasm. Hakan raised King’s arm in the air much to the crowd’s delight. With no further surprise appearances, the wrestlers left the ring and made their way to the backstage area. El Blaze congratulated King on his victory and remarked how much better a wrestler King was than El Blaze had initially thought. Still, El Blaze was disheartened that he was not able to accomplish his original goal of talking to the King of Dinosaurs. El Blaze’s demeanor brightened shortly thereafter when the two masked wrestlers were greeted by Hakan with King of Dinosaurs behind him. “El Blaze, I heard you were looking for KOD so I had the event organizers track him down before he left the venue,” stated Hakan. “That was very gracious of you, thank you.” El Blaze looked over to King of Dinosaurs. “I am hoping to reach one of your teammates, Ramon, to see if he can help my employer with some vital information.” King of Dinosaurs roared that Ramon was suddenly a very popular guy. His former Team Mexico teammate had just called King of Dinosaurs to tell him about being confronted by Zangief, Armor King, and Tina Armstong all at the same time. (REF: ARMOR KING VS. ZANGIEF) El Blaze was taken aback. “Tina and Armor King are with me. I guess they found another way to track him down. I hope his information has proven to be worth all this trouble.” (REF: CHUN-LI VS. RACHEL) Despite his mission feeling like a wash, El Blaze was still fascinated by the fact that so many of his favorite wrestlers from across the globe like Zangief, King, Armor King, King of Dinosaurs, Bass and Tina Armstrong, were all converging together at the same time. He even had a long time, begrudging, respect for the bizarre brilliance of Hakan’s Turkish oil wrestling. It was like a wrestling promoter’s dream card was coming together on its own. El Blaze’s jaw almost hit the floor when King of Dinosaurs informed him that Ramon had coerced Zangief and Armor King into having a match. With Ramon already located, El Blaze gave a call to Zack.to figure out what his next move should be. “Yeah man, we were trying several different ways to contact Ramon. It looks like Tina just had the best angle,” Zack explained. “That doesn’t mean we can’t find a silver lining from your trip. You say the guy with the jaguar mask beat the guy with the dinosaur mask, the oil wrestler, and then you in consecutive matches?” “Yes,” El Blaze confirmed. “Well, that sounds like one of the best wrestlers in the world and somebody who could really help us out right now,” said Zack. “Lord knows we could use the assistance after half of our team was put in the infirmary when that little bastard turned the Freedom Survivor into a warzone. (REF: EL FUERTE VS. EL BLAZE) See if that King fella is up to joining the cause.” “Will do,” replied El Blaze. “He is one of those King of the Iron Fist fighters, right? We might get lucky and he will have some useful information about Yoshimitsu. They both seem like bizarre dudes, I bet they get along,” Zack guessed. —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Mishima Zaibatsu, Asuka Kazama and Crimson Viper fought pretty evenly back and forth, much to the surprise of Jin Kazama’s new right-hand woman. (REF: ASUKA KAZAMA VS. CRIMSON VIPER) After blocking some of Asuka’s advances, Crimson Viper was suddenly struck by a strong right cross that knocked the secret agent to the ground. Viper quickly rolled back to her feet. “I’ll give you this much, you pack some serious power in that little frame of yours,” Viper commented. “You should not have underestimated me,” stated Asuka. “Noted,” replied Viper. Viper then hit back with a punching combo that ended with an electric shock from her power gloves. Asuka winced in pain. Quickly, she went right back on the offensive with a series of leg sweeps followed by a roundhouse kick that again sent Viper sprawling backward. Crimson Viper rubbed her cheek as she recomposed herself. “You’re quite persistent too.” Asuka charged aggressively at the pink haired fighter. Viper countered by clapping her two gloves together, sparking a good electrical discharge and then pounding ground, resulting in an electrical explosion that not only electrocuted Asuka, but also catapulted her into the air. Viper seized on this vulnerable state by unleashing a barrage of flame producing burn kicks on Asuka. Asuka slowly returned to her feet. “This is going to hurt,” Viper warned. She jumped and buried her knee in the side of Asuka’s face. Viper then wrapped her legs around Asuka’s shoulders and grabbed both sides of Asuka’s face with her gloves. She electrocuted the Kazama style martial artist for several seconds until Asuka fell flat on the ground. Crimson Viper gently stepped over the body of her defeated opponent and adjusted her yellow glasses. “You may not be conscious enough to hear this, but know that I hold you and your abilities in the utmost respect.” She then looked at her surroundings. “Now where did Big Blue run off too? He might have reached Jin already by now.” Sogetsu Kazama blasted through the last bit of Tekken Force security with a combination of his sword and his water based powers and then stepped into a large open area. The space was almost completely empty, save for a throne-like chair placed on a few steps at the northern part of the room. Upon that throne sat Jin Kazama, with a mix of boredom and irritation sketched on his face. “Where is Kazuki?” Sogetsu demanded. “What have you done with him? I know he came here. (REF: JIN KAZAMA VS. KAZUKI KAZAMA) Where is my BROTHER?” “Yet another ancestor,” Jin said nonchalantly. “I have always despised family reunions, and given my recent visitors, nothing has changed.” “I don’t want to hear your cynicism. Where is Kazuki?” Sogetsu repeated. “Your hot headed brother is being utilized to save the world,” Jin informed. “It may not be in a way of his choosing, but it is certainly more useful than what he was doing before, which is nothing.” “What?” “Kazuki told me. He told me you have been around for centuries. I didn’t believe it at first, but my scientists have confirmed it. And what have you done all this time with your power while the world burns?” scolded Jin. “Absolutely nothing but living in the shadows.” “Don’t presume to lecture me boy,” Sogetsu shot back. “You have no idea what we have sacrificed in our lives. Including having to put down our own descendant before he destroys the world.” Jin stood up from his throne and walked down the steps. “I am not destroying the world, I am saving it,” he insisted. “Yes, I have seen the global destruction caused by your ‘saving it’ before. I’ll pass. You will no longer sully the Kazama name. Be forewarned I'm much more skilled than Kazuki. The time of your vice grip on the world has come to an end,” Sogetsu proclaimed. “No, ancestor!” snapped Jin. “I have only begun!”

Congratulations to both the winners.

There are many quirky characters getting quite the run as of late on the CBUB, Mandrill certainly tops the list. Like Rakai, I see the Night Shift coming out on top when all is said and done.

I agree. That is a great question they do make for a fascinating odd couple team.

Gah, didn't get to this in time. Hopefully the solo vote doesn't discourage you. Always appreciate your wide array of character choices, broadwaybeyonder.