Smokescreen: A Collection of Vignettes

Chapter 21

Sakura scrambled to get to Madam Bo and just as she was about to get to the stairs, rope wrapped itself around her ankle. She felt it being tugged and looked back to see the warrior in yellow with the rope in hand. She frowned as she tried to resist and pull away. It turned into a brief tug-o-war, before he successfully pulled her down.

"GET OVER HERE!"

She had fallen onto her back and the yellow-clad warrior dragged across the floor rather fast. Using the speed to her advantage, she hauled herself up and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head. She briefly noted that he didn't dodge her attack when he absolutely could have. No time for thinking.

"I don't know who you are, but you need to leave." Sakura warned.

"You should have fled when you could." Her opponent responded. "Prepare to regret ever crossing the Lin Kuei."

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"No regrets here."

Sakura gazed at her fallen opponent. Something about this whole situation felt off. The guy appeared pretty strong, but it felt like he was holding back. Her attention was suddenly diverted from her thoughts as she heard fighting from below. Looking over the railing, she saw Raiden fighting the man in blue. It did tickle her when she saw her friend climb up the post. She had often called him a little monkey in their childhood for that. In this case, it paid off.

The man in blue kicked a table down and used it as a spring. She and Kung Lao hurried to where the two warriors were fighting. It was at this point that Sakura remembered Madam Bo. She left Kung Lao to hurry back downstairs.

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The violet-haired beauty felt her eyebrow twitch. This was all a fucking test? She kept her face neutral, but she really wanted to give the whole lot of these people a dirty look and, especially, at the guy in gray. She harrumphed. It was a good thing Madam Bo was a badass martial artist. If this hadn't been a test, she was sure that she would have cleaned Smoke's clock.

Sakura snuck a quick glance at Smoke as he stood with his warriors on the second floor. Their eyes briefly met, and she felt her heart flutter. Ugh. Her face grew warm and turned her attention back to Lord Liu Kang.