11-10-2015, 02:22 PM
With the sound of the gong still filling the air, Shang jogged forward and leapt onto the next structure. On the other side of the zone, his adversary started at him as well, and within a few moments, they were standing on opposing sides of a main thoroughfare—their eyes glued on one another.
Rather than a dragon or a superhero, his foe was a man with stern blue eyes and snow-white hair. Skin long-since darkened by years of sunlight was marred with countless scars. The man’s entire outfit matched the color of his hair, and it was only a pair of books and a necklace that added any flair to his attire. As Shang stared, he realized he recognized the insignia that his adversary wore around his neck.
“You are a Defender of Darkshire,” Shang stated as he reached beneath his tunic and pulled out a necklace that bore the same metal emblem.
The man’s stern gaze relaxed just slightly as he nodded his head. “Strazio Rockwell.”
“Shang Tsung. Have you been to Darkshire recently?”
Strazio shook his head, and the sorcerer noticed the man’s fingers were twitching at his sides. Something a little thicker than air seemed to be swirling around the warrior’s arm. “Banter can wait until after the blood has been spilled.”
Before Shang could offer a response, his adversary threw a hand forward. His opponent from the last round—Ms. Marvel, a name that came to him now as if he’d known it all his life—had used energy with a calculated precision and finesse.
Strazio Rockwell was no Carol Danvers.
His attack roared into existence, burning the air around it as it screamed across the street toward its intended target. The distance allowed the sorcerer a moment to stare with wide-eyes at the erratic beam of white energy. The attack spat loose bolts of white light outward, as if at any moment its immense fury might tear it apart. Shang threw himself to the ground and winced as the blast collided with the adjacent structure and started a chain reaction that caused the quaint brick house to implode on itself.
Before the sorcerer could shake the ringing from his ears, Strazio leapt across the street and landed a few feet away with a dull thud of heavy boots on brick. The warrior rushed forward and kicked Shang with enough force to lift the sorcerer up off the ground and slam him into the little two-foot barricade at the edge of the roof. Before Strazio could press his advantage, Shang craned his neck toward his foe and smiled before releasing a stream of Draconian fire.
The blue-eyed Defender roared as the flames crashed against his chest and face. After the initial surprise subsided, Shang swore he saw a glimpse of a smile on Strazio’s face before a shimmering shockwave erupted out from the man’s scarred body.
As he was barely three feet from the blast, Shang could only huddle against the barricade as the concussive wave of heat and force slammed into his back. The brick barricade held for a fleeting moment before crumbling, and before he knew it, Shang was tumbling down the side of a three-story building.
React!
Shang shot out a hand, his fingers groping frantically for a grip on the brick wall. They found a small stone ledge on the second story, and with a grunt, the sorcerer threw himself through the closed window. He hit the ground with a dull, spine-shuddering thud and pulled himself up as quickly as he could. Before he had a chance to gauge his surroundings, the ceiling collapsed in a brilliant eruption of white energy followed by a smoldering shower of brick and wood shards.
Boots thudded on the floor above him a beat later. Like their master, there was no nonsense to the methodical, heavy pace of the footwear.
Shang knew an opportunity when he saw one, and with a smirk, he threw his hands up toward the ceiling and fired a marvelous pair of energy blasts. Before he knew whether he had found his target or not, the sorcerer launched a second and then a third volley up into the now crumbling ceiling. With a groan, part of the building crumbled beneath the abuse. Shang caught a glimpse of white amid the avalanche of wood, brick, and stone.
Rather than remain inside the building as it toppled like a house of cards, the sorcerer turned and hopped back through the shattered window.
Rather than a dragon or a superhero, his foe was a man with stern blue eyes and snow-white hair. Skin long-since darkened by years of sunlight was marred with countless scars. The man’s entire outfit matched the color of his hair, and it was only a pair of books and a necklace that added any flair to his attire. As Shang stared, he realized he recognized the insignia that his adversary wore around his neck.
“You are a Defender of Darkshire,” Shang stated as he reached beneath his tunic and pulled out a necklace that bore the same metal emblem.
The man’s stern gaze relaxed just slightly as he nodded his head. “Strazio Rockwell.”
“Shang Tsung. Have you been to Darkshire recently?”
Strazio shook his head, and the sorcerer noticed the man’s fingers were twitching at his sides. Something a little thicker than air seemed to be swirling around the warrior’s arm. “Banter can wait until after the blood has been spilled.”
Before Shang could offer a response, his adversary threw a hand forward. His opponent from the last round—Ms. Marvel, a name that came to him now as if he’d known it all his life—had used energy with a calculated precision and finesse.
Strazio Rockwell was no Carol Danvers.
His attack roared into existence, burning the air around it as it screamed across the street toward its intended target. The distance allowed the sorcerer a moment to stare with wide-eyes at the erratic beam of white energy. The attack spat loose bolts of white light outward, as if at any moment its immense fury might tear it apart. Shang threw himself to the ground and winced as the blast collided with the adjacent structure and started a chain reaction that caused the quaint brick house to implode on itself.
Before the sorcerer could shake the ringing from his ears, Strazio leapt across the street and landed a few feet away with a dull thud of heavy boots on brick. The warrior rushed forward and kicked Shang with enough force to lift the sorcerer up off the ground and slam him into the little two-foot barricade at the edge of the roof. Before Strazio could press his advantage, Shang craned his neck toward his foe and smiled before releasing a stream of Draconian fire.
The blue-eyed Defender roared as the flames crashed against his chest and face. After the initial surprise subsided, Shang swore he saw a glimpse of a smile on Strazio’s face before a shimmering shockwave erupted out from the man’s scarred body.
As he was barely three feet from the blast, Shang could only huddle against the barricade as the concussive wave of heat and force slammed into his back. The brick barricade held for a fleeting moment before crumbling, and before he knew it, Shang was tumbling down the side of a three-story building.
React!
Shang shot out a hand, his fingers groping frantically for a grip on the brick wall. They found a small stone ledge on the second story, and with a grunt, the sorcerer threw himself through the closed window. He hit the ground with a dull, spine-shuddering thud and pulled himself up as quickly as he could. Before he had a chance to gauge his surroundings, the ceiling collapsed in a brilliant eruption of white energy followed by a smoldering shower of brick and wood shards.
Boots thudded on the floor above him a beat later. Like their master, there was no nonsense to the methodical, heavy pace of the footwear.
Shang knew an opportunity when he saw one, and with a smirk, he threw his hands up toward the ceiling and fired a marvelous pair of energy blasts. Before he knew whether he had found his target or not, the sorcerer launched a second and then a third volley up into the now crumbling ceiling. With a groan, part of the building crumbled beneath the abuse. Shang caught a glimpse of white amid the avalanche of wood, brick, and stone.
Rather than remain inside the building as it toppled like a house of cards, the sorcerer turned and hopped back through the shattered window.
![[Image: Shang.jpg]](http://www.omniverse-rpg.com/images/Shang.jpg)