Mortal Kombat: New Defenders Quest #2

Hello and welcome back to Mortal Kombat Konquest. On today's episode, we'll be following Sergeant Cassandra Carlton "Cassie" Cage of the US Special Forces. Cassie has adapted well to living at the newly-constructed New Defenders base on Shang Tsung's island, but not all is well in paradise as we will soon find out...

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Our story continues now!

Cassie lies on the lounge sofa with her head set comfortably on the pillow. Her hands are on her stomach, thumbs idly tapping together as her crossed feet bop and sway from side to side. She is not in uniform at the moment, as this appointment did not dictate wearing it, but whether she was in it or not she would still be chewing gum and just as disinterested. This is her second session with Dr. Broddman, the team's appointed psychologist. His office is located on the other end of the base and is about as interesting as his personality; which is to say dull, grey and humorless. A professional, sure, but a complete stiff. Cassie has a hunch that he was personally appointed by Secretary Blake, a man who she has only met twice as well, because his job as Secretary of Defense keeps him off the island. She has little doubt that he reports to the secretary directly; a cautious individual would be worried about how much he learns about you.

But not Cassie, who couldn't care less about what the uptight shrink thinks of her. Her position on the team is completely certified and safe as can be; her dad co-founded it! And it's no secret how highly of an opinion she has on herself. After all, she's awesome and kicks seven different kinds of ass before breakfast. Why bother with some doctor?

So that's why she makes it a point to chew her gum as loudly as possible. Perhaps not so much 'chew' as 'pop' it, and she does so as often as she likes. Blowing a big bubble and loudly popping it before resuming chewing is one of the few things she does to try and set him off, but to his credit he's very professional and maintains his composure.

"Why do you think you fixate on gum, Cassie?"

>”I like the taste.”
>”Well doc, it all started long, long ago…”
>”What’s that got to do with anything?”
>Shrug and pop your gum again
>Other (write-in)

>Shrug and pop your gum again

She shrugs, then pops again.

Broddman adjusts his glasses. “Answer me this: why not some other snack? Why not chocolate, or something crunchy?"

"Lasts longer, stores easier. Plus I was never super into chocolate.”

"I see." He jots something down. "Do you always use the same flavor? The classic bubblegum?"

Shrug, pop, rinse, repeat. "Some days I'm feelin' minty. Some days I'm grapey." Beneath her sunglasses, her eyes drift off to the side as she thinks, 'I wonder what JB and Cao are up to right now...'

"Do you ever chew cinnamon?"

"Ew, no," Cassie says before blowing another bubble. Broddman watches with a blank face as she blows it up more and more and more until it pops of its own limits, reaching up to her nose. She giggles to herself as she picks it up with her fingers and puts it back inside her mouth, chewing it up.

Broddman taps the end of his pencil on the table. "I think you chew it because it makes you feel rebellious."

'I think you get paid too much,' she thinks to herself, barely suppressing a chuckle at her own inner jab.

"At the same time, I think you also chew it because it takes you back to a simpler time, perhaps when you began chewing it. Do you remember your first piece of gum, Cassie?"

"No." And really, she couldn't---there is no Willy Wonka moment in her head, she's just always chewed it and always enjoyed popping it. She does so again before flattening the piece against the roof of her mouth for fun. Then she moves it to the front of her mouth, rolling it with her tongue to mash against her teeth.

Broddman decides to cut to the root of the issue. "Why are you afraid of disappointing your parents, Cassie?"

>”My parents are proud of me.”
>”The hell kind of question is that?”
>”I’m not afraid of anything.”
>Say nothing (but also pop)
>Other

>”The hell kind of question is that?”

>Laugh it off
>My parents are proud of me.

She stops upon hearing that question. She now looks at the man, seated behind his desk, with narrow eyes before laughing it off. “The hell kind of question is that? My parents are very proud of me."

"Of course they are, but that wasn't my question. I would like you to think about why you are afraid of being in their shadow but are also afraid of disappointing them and then answer me."

Cassie sits back and stops looking at him before popping her gum again. After doing it a second time, he continues, "In my professional opinion, the latter shackles you to the former, and the former feeds the latter." He now waits for another response and doesn't get one beyond popping. "You have both a fixation and a detachment of the legacy of your famous parents. You want to be known as your own person, but want others to acknowledge your origins and make it a point to remind them at every given opportunity. Why do you think you do this?"

"Because I'm awesome," Cassie says, her better judgment letting that one slip. 'Great. I just want this to be over with, now he's probably going to ask a hundred more---'

"Very well. I think we're done for now, Ms. Cage. Think about what we have spoken of today and we'll revisit it later."

She blinks a few times and sits up before checking her watch. It's only been about thirty or so minutes. "That's it?" she asks, trying to hide her elation.

"Yes. Thank you for---"

She pops her gum again and stands up, walking to the door. "Thanks for the chat, doc, really. Let's do it again sometime, and maybe hang up a few paintings or something. Lighten up the place." She slips out of the door and shuts it behind it.

'Thank the all-knowing Buddha that shit's over,' she thinks as she lets out a sigh of relief. ‘Now, onto more important things…’

>Kaito asked you to report to him, find him first
>Grab a bite to eat in the mess hall
>Go see what Jacqui is doing
>See if you can hunt down Cao
>Other (write-in)

>Kaito asked you to report to him, find him first

>Kaito report first
Business is business

Earlier that day, Cassie received a message from Kaito asking her to report to him. He was aware of her appointment and specified that it was not urgent, nor would it get her out of it, which would have been her next question. He knows her a bit too well and had anticipated that. In the message, he said that he would be out on the beach all morning, meaning it shouldn't be too hard to find him.

Walking outside into the bright morning sun, she stretches her arms and legs before taking off in a light jog across the sand. 'Never a bad time to get in some cardio,' she says to herself, something she picked up from her mother, along with more than a few impressive assets, hugged nicely by her casual clothing. Sure enough, Kaito is only a short distance away, doing some kind of dance.

She slows to a stop as she observes him moving his hands, feet and limbs in an intricate routine; a kata. As he does this, she notes that he is directing elemental energy around himself; water flows across the sand from the sea and snakes around him in twirling lines. He incorporates his control over other elements into the routine as well, summoning up the sand, the wind around him, and conjuring flame from his fingertips. The display is almost breathtaking, in a way, but Cassie is hard to impress. She's seen Kaito use his powers in combat, so just using them in practice like this isn't exactly a spectacle.

She folds her arms and waits for him to stop, but his kata stretches on for minutes at a time; she wonders if it even has an end or if he'll just be in this state for hours on end.

>Walk up and get his attention
>Wait for him to finish or notice you
>Throw a rock at him
>Jump up and attack him! Sparring match!
>Other

>Hey!
>You wanted to see me?
>Sparring Time!

Throw a rock at him. Also one liner.

>>Walk up and get his attention

Deciding to interrupt, she walks up to him from behind and gives a sharp whistle. "Hey!" she says to him to get his attention some more.

He drops the elements, the fire and wind dispersing as the sand and water fall back onto the shore, before facing her. "Cassie, good morning."

"I didn't know you took up interpretive dance," she jokes, digging her hands into her pockets.

"Not exactly. The monks at the Lung Hai temple taught me that, and a few other things. I never used to do this kind of thing, but it helps me focus my abilities. You should try it some time."

"Neat. So, you texted. Sup?"

"I wanted to get your opinion on something," he says, turning back to the water and raising his hands. He conjures forth from the sea an orb of shimmering water and holds it in front of him as he speaks, intent on continuing his focusing training while he speaks to her. "We've been on this island for just over two weeks now. The team is settled in, I think. Everyone is starting to make this place their home. That's going to be difficult, living in close quarters with people that some of us are unfamiliar with. When I first brought everyone here, I spoke about how we're going to have to grow as a team; that means growing to learn to live with each other."

"Right, one big happy family," she nods while blowing a bubble.

"I'd like you to help me a bit." He brings the orb of water between his hands, holding it like a bowling ball. He then rolls it like a bowling ball out into the sea.

"Was that part of the training?" she asks with an amused grin.

"No, that was just for fun."

>"So, what do you need help with?"
>"It's not going to be to organize team building events, is it?"
>"Well, I'm kind of busy..."
>"Is there where I begin registering complaints? Because I have a few..."
>Other

> Not going to organize team building events

> Other

> Resist urge to complain about psychologist

>>"It's not going to be to organize team building events, is it?"
Put Sheeva on the top of the human pyramid

>So what do you need help with?
>It's not teambuilding

>"It's not going to be to organize team building events, is it?"

She cocks a brow over the rim of her sunglasses. "It's not going to be to organize team building events, is it? Because I'm not really up for sitting around a fire singing 'kumbaya' if you catch my drift."

He chuckles. "No, I didn't really think so. Actually I just wanted to get your opinion on how other people on the team are doing, and to ask you to watch the others. If a situation arises, like an argument or a non-friendly fight, step in if needed."

"I get you," she replies. "Well, I think people are doing well... for the most part. I haven't seen any big fights. Sam was having trouble early on, but people have kind of backed off of her."

"That's good. I was particularly worried about her."

"Yeah, some of the others were pretty harsh... But at least most of them have owned up to it. Takeda was a total ass but he actually apologized to her later on after thinking she was stupid the whole time."

"What about you? Is there anyone in particular you're having difficulty with?"

Cassie taps her chin with her finger and thinks for a moment. 'Well, Jin is a bit of an arrogant ass himself, a real know-it-all... His cousin Ling isn't much better. She and Frost are the resident bitch crew, getting along with pretty much just each other. But it's not like any of them have really done anything to any of the others. Some of the team, like Fireseed and Fox, are basically anti-social. Neither Fireseed nor Sheeva seem to care too much to talk to me, ever.'

>"Nothing too out there."
>"I don't really get along with Jin, Frost and Ling."
>"I think some of them could use some socializing; Fireseed and Fox come to mind."
>"I don't think Fireseed or Sheeva like me too much."
>"Can we get a new psychologist?"
>Other

> Firessed or Sheeva

BUT

> Nothing too out there

Maybe we should

> socialise firessed and fox

"Well, since you brought it up, I think Fireseed and Sheeva might have a problem with me, just based on how they talk to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I can't describe it, I think I just get a general air of 'don't really give a fuck' from them as far as I'm concerned. I mean, it's nothing too out there and I don't think it would come up during a fight, but I can kind of feel it, you know? I also notice Fireseed and Fox just kind of generally not being very social. Like, I talk or see some other people talking, but usually not to them or with them."

"Hm," he mutters as he scratches his chin. "Alright. I'll take what you've told me into consideration, thank you Cassie."

"Anything else, chief?"

"No, that's all."

She gives a mock-salute and then turns away, but then turns back to say, "Hey, I've been wondering, how come Mileena isn't around?"

"I gave her and the Dragon Wing some time off in Edenia. Mileena's gone through a bit of a... change recently."

"How so?"

"Well, you'll see what I mean when she comes back in about a week or two. Just trust me on that," he says.

Cassie shrugs and turns back towards the base. As she approaches it, she takes out her headphones and puts them in, playing a song to drown out the noise of the construction. They're building something new; some kind of tower and a domed building that's supposed to serve as a training center of sorts; she's sketch on the details. As she jogs back to the structure, she thinks about what to do next.

>Breakfast
>Jacqui's room
>Cao's room
>Find dad
>Other

> Bother Cage Senior

> Try to relieve stress with Jacqui

seconding

>Jacqui's room
If anyone can find out scuttlebutt among the New Defenders, it's Cassie and Jacqui.

Deciding to bother her father, Cassie wanders around the base for a while, but he seems to not be in. His office, for he doesn't really live here so much as work here, is empty, with just a few boxes of furnishings he hasn't taken out yet. Cassie shrugs and walks off towards the barracks, passing by the rec room. He looks inside and sees Sam playing a game of air hockey against Takeda. 'I'm glad those two aren't arguing anymore,' she thinks to herself. 'I wonder what Jacqui is up to... I could go with a little stress relief.'

She walks up to Jacqui's door and knocks. An answer from within calls out, "Come in!" and so Cassie walks in, plops herself on Jacqui's bed and rolls onto her stomach, putting her hands under her chin and kicking her feet up.

"Hey girlfriend," Cassie says with a wink.

Jacqui is sitting at her desk in a dark tank top with a book in front of her. She gives Cassie a smile and then goes back to reading it. The blonde girl chews on her gum for a bit then pops it before deciding to swallow it; the piece was mostly tasteless by this point anyway. She sits and waits for Jacqui to do something, but she doesn't.

"Watcha readin', JB?"

"Some new regs," the girl replies. "Published yesterday, as a matter of fact."

Cassie blows her hair up and off of her forehead. "Sounds boring. Wanna have some fun? Maybe dig up some dirt... or get a little dirty?" she asks in a slightly sexy and playful voice.

Jacqui doesn't immediately reply. "Hm? Sorry, I'm just really trying to read this. Someone around here needs to know this stuff." She cracks her neck then, rubbing her neck a little before resuming.

Cassie pouts. 'Regs are meant to be broken, anyway,' she thinks. 'I'm so booored this morning...'

>Hang out on her bed until she's done
>Go up and rub her shoulders; she seems a bit stressed
>Attack her with a storm of tickling fingers
>Leave her be and go find something else to do
>Other

>Go up and rub her shoulders; she seems a bit stressed
What's the one reg that bothers Jacqui so far?

> Shoulder Rub

Cassie isn't just using you Jacqui, it's mutually assured stress relief...

>Leave her be
Hassle Fox. Drag him out of his shell kicking and screaming if needed

>Hang out on her bed until she's done
>other
>"Want to go throw stuff at Sam and see it bounce off of her?"

Just because Sam is immune to magic and sudden trauma doesn't mean you can bully her.

It's a hilarious suggestion and if we weren't having a heart to heart with black magic I'd be inclined to go with it for shits and giggles.

Frost is probably doing it right now! We can bond with her!

I'm pretty sure Frost backed off on bullying Sam because she couldn't even if she wanted to.

Cassie smirks. 'Like I'm giving up that easily.'

She slinks off the bed and walks up behind her friend, surprising her by placing her hands upon her shoulders. Cassie wastes no time in rubbing her fingers across her skin, working her muscles. Jacqui lets out a soft sigh.

"Ah. Thanks, Cass, this is nice."

Cassie smiles and leans down to her ear. "That's 'Sergeant Cage' to you, specialist..."

"Oh come off it," Jacqui says with a shake of her head. "Can't believe you got promoted before me..."

The blonde begins working her hands a bit harder, really attacking Jacqui's stiff neck and shoulders. "I think you need an NCO to show you how to relax. I'm a bit stressed myself; maybe we could do something about that."

Cassie bites her ear softly then, just a nibble, but Jacqui pulls away. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm not really in the mood, Cass. And please, drop the whole 'sexy sergeant' talk before my brain bleeds."

She giggles. "Aw, come on JB, don't be that way. Let's just chill, you know?"

"I'm fine with chilling, but you want something else entirely," Jacqui replies with a sigh as Cassie continues her shoulder rub. "But... Keep doing that, if you want."

"Oh, definitely," Cassie says with a bit of mischief. She knows how to push Jacqui's buttons, and isn't quite up to stopping just yet. She leans down and plants a kiss on the other girl's neck, just a harmless one, but one that communicates some deeper intentions. Jacqui silently reads the book in front of her, trying to keep her cool. 'Hard to do with someone as hot as me,' Cassie thinks.

>Rub her shoulders in silence
>Deepen the rub; more kissing her neck
>Slide a hand down her shirt
>Slide a hand down her pants
>Break it off
>Other

>Sam is immune to magic and sudden trauma
I just realized that in the Mortal Kombat universe, this is insanely powerful. Sam is the almighty equalizer.

>Rub her shoulders in silence
Cassie may be selfish, but not when Jacqui is involved. Mostly.

> Ask if you pissed her off or something.

> TFW Cassie gets all teary eyed when Jacqui is turning her down.

Jacqui is one of the only people in the world Cassie will actively defer to.

>Rub her shoulders in silence
she is our friend, not our toy

>other
Pull the chair out from under her, spar! Cassie is bored!

I'm agreeing. it's why I'm trying to get Cassie to ask if she's fucked up.

Still, Cassie isn't one to rush things with her oldest friend and recent friend-with-benefits. Jacqui is a particular girl, very special to her, so the last thing she wants to do is push her the wrong way. So she rubs in silence, trying to help her friend relax as she reads. Jacqui does seem to appreciate it, flipping through the pages every now and then.

Though, after a short while, Cassie's mind can't help but wander. She didn't do anything to upset Jacqui recently, did she? She thinks hard, but nothing really comes to mind. Things have been quiet lately, apart from going to the gym, ever since that Omegis incident... Maybe that's it?

"Hey, JB, quick question: I haven't pissed you off, have I?"

She seems a bit surprised. "What? No, no. No. You're fine, Cass, I'm just... I don't know. I kinda just want to hang out... That's all."

"How come?" She hopes she isn't being too intrusive, but she knows her friend isn't really sensitive to such matters. And despite her efforts, she still sounds a bit tense and stressed. Cassie works her fingers a bit more, but Jacqui doesn't relent.

"Nothing, really."

"You sure?"

"Well," she says, her voice trailing off. Jacqui is silent for a minute as Cassie continues to rub. She then closes the book in front of her with a small slam. "You know what? Hell with it."

'Atta girl...' Cassie thinks as Jacqui turns her head and pulls her down into a kiss. Cassie leans down and grows close as Jacqui moves out of her chair, and soon they are both sitting on the floor, making out with a slowly increasing intensity. Cassie's hands run up her arms, feeling her muscles. She loves to feel her arms; she's jealous of how strong her friend is.

'I told the doc I was never into chocolate, but what kind I liked,' she thinks, giggling a bit. 'Jacqui seems to be really loosening up now.'

>Move to the bed
>Stay here on the floor
>Drag her over to the shower
>See if you can go get Cao
>Other

>Stay here on the floor
Hope to God Vapor isn't peeping or Frost suddenly walks in on them.

> Floor fuck is best fuck.

>yurishit

Trust me.

No.

Cassie is one of the most sexually active members of the team, and there's already been a threesome between her, Jacqui and Cao.

and I HATE it

Well she's not trying to corrupt my waifu Sam yet. So I can dig it. Especially as Damashi hinted these two are going to get some super development in this episode.

Cassie drags Jacqui to the floor, now both on their sides. She starts getting more into it, deepening the kiss and getting her hands in the other girl's shirt, but after a little bit Jacqui seems to stop kissing her as much as she is. Cassie doesn't seem to really notice or mind, right up until the moment the other girl brings up her hand and pushes her back, breaking the kiss. Cass gives her a slightly confused look as Jacqui sits up, breathing a bit.

"I, uh... Sorry. I changed my mind again."

Cass blinks a few times. "...What?"

Jacqui scoots backwards, taking Cassie's hands and putting them back in her lap, before standing up and averting her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry Cassie, but... I'm not in the mood today. I thought I was for a second there but I'm not." She runs a hand along her hair and sighs. "Look... I think maybe we should just hang out by ourselves today, okay?"

Cassie sits up now, still confused. She's never really had this happen with JB. "What's up?" she asks, unsure of what else to say.

"Nothing, it's not you it's me, alright?" Jacqui lightly taps her forehead. "Can't believe I honestly just said that..."

Cassie's concern returns and she stands up, moving closer to her friend. "Jacqui, if there's something wrong, you know you can---"

Jacqui holds up a hand. "Look, Cass, I said I'm fine. I'm just not into it now, okay? I've been doing some thinking and---No, nevermind, I didn't say anything."

She then turns and makes a line for the bathroom. Cassie watches her go, still very confused and concerned.

>Stop her
>Let her go
>Let her go; talk to her through the door
>Leave the room
>Other

>Stay here on the floor
What are the chances of the door not being closed?

I don't think she would make a move on Sam. Remember Kotal's advice to Cao? It's like a sport; do it only with those who are willing to participate

> Talk through the door.

> Ask if she wants to build a snowCao

>Let her go

>Let her go; talk to her through the door
Alright, but if you ever feel like telling me something, I'll be around.

Sextuple Get for me BTW

Cassie keeps her eyes trained on her as she walks up to the door and enters it, closing it behind her. She then hears a small click, indicating that it is locked. Her heart beats to an uncertain rhythm; she's never quite felt like she does right now, but something is wrong with her friend. 'Was I wrong to push her today?' she thinks. "Jacqui?"

No response. She walks up to the door and leans on it slightly, listening. She doesn't hear crying or anything, not that she expected it from a tough girl like her. "JB? Can we talk?"

"I'm fine Cass," she repeats herself. After a moment of silence, she adds, "Maybe go find Cao if you're still horny."

Well, that's definitely a shocker. What's up with her? "But we agreed we wouldn't do that to each other unless the other was there."

"Free pass for the day then, I don't care."

"...I think you do," Cassie says, putting a hand gently on the door. "In fact, I know you do. I'm not gonna do that to you."

There's no response. Cage looks around a bit, trying to think of something to say or do to rouse her friend from whatever state she's in. 'What brought this up? Was it me? Cao? Something else?'

Cassie puts her back to the door and slides down, waiting for a while. When she hears no noise, she begins to wonder if Jacqui is just waiting for her to leave before doing anything.

This is frustrating. She's never really been in this position before; she wants to be there for her friend, but what if her friend doesn't want her to be? Usually it's been the other way around, and Jacqui would be the one to help her out of an emotional moment. She's not used to this reversal...

>"Alright, but if you ever feel like telling me something, I'll be around." Leave
>"Was it something I did?"
>"Please, just talk to me, JB. I'm your best friend."
>Continue waiting in silence
>Other

>"Alright, but if you ever feel like telling me something, I'll be around." Leave
Wait for an answer if any

>>"Alright, but if you ever feel like telling me something, I'll be around." Leave

It was the Fucking Shrink

Externally

> Alright but if you feel like telling me something

Internally

> Was it something I did.

DAE Paranoid Cassie?

Good, he probably told Jacqui the truth about how the mental illness in her brain is making her gay

Cassie chews on her lip a bit. "Alright, but if you ever feel like telling me something, I'll be around. I'm, uh... I'm sorry if I did something wrong. But talk to me, okay?"

After getting no reply, she stands up and leaves Jacqui's room, a strange knot in her stomach. She walks down the stairs and towards the rec room, where some of the others are hanging out, but she doesn't quite feel up to it. Cassie moves past the doors and continues on, her mind plagued with doubt.

'Was it really me? I did push her, but she seemed into it and then not. She's never flip-flopped like that on me before.' She stops for a moment in the hall. 'Maybe it's not something I did, but she's got something going on. But why wouldn't she talk about it? Maybe it really was because I was trying to fool around.'

Caught up in thought, she doesn't hear someone approaching. Ling brushes by her and then turns to look back. "Cassie?"

She looks up. "Hm?"

"Someone on the staff was looking for you. Special Forces."

"Did you get a name?"

She shrugs and replies in an aloof manner, "Nope." And then she continues on walking.

Cassie lets out a sigh. 'Maybe it's something to get my mind off of things.'

>Go ask the Special Forces personnel about this
>Wander around a bit and see if the person looking for you finds you
>Check your phone for any new updates
>Send Jacqui a text
>Other

>Go ask the Special Forces personnel about this

>Go ask the Special Forces personnel about this
and
>Check your phone for any new updates
check while in motion

>
>Go see the staff about who's looking for us
>Check phone for updates
If we find evidence of this psychologist fucking up team composition for giggles or whatever I vote for kicking his teeth in regardless.

>>Send Jacqui a text
Let her know we need to go take care of something, ask if she wants to hang out later

Did anyone check on Shang Tsung to make sure he didn't took the form of the shrink, and plays mind games on the entire team?

Adjusting her sunglasses, Cassie walks towards the Special Forces section of the base and takes out her phone, checking it for any updates. There actually is, from her father. Opening it up, she discovers that it reads, "Watch out"

'What could that mean?' she thinks as she puts it away. After entering the reception area she talks to the girl who works the desk.

"Did somebody come through here looking for me?" Cassie asks.

"Yes, one of the privates was sent for you but couldn't find you. It's about---"

Their conversation is interrupted by someone shouting, "COMMANDING GENERAL!"

Everyone in the room snaps to attention as none other than General Sonya Cage enters the room. "Carry on," she orders.

Cassie turns to her, still standing at attention. "General, I wasn't informed you were arriving."

"It wasn't pre-determined. At ease, sergeant."

Cassie relaxes a bit. "What brings you here, general?"

Sonya motions for her to follow. Cassie takes up position behind the general and to her left. 'What's mom doing here? I guess I know what dad's text was about...'

"We're moving some new equipment onto the island. Experimental technology; we're going to use it as a testing ground."

>"What kind of equipment?"
>"Should we expect anything dangerous?"
>Allow her to continue
>"General, what can you tell me about the psychologist that Secretary Blake placed on this island?"
>Other

>Allow her to continue
play the part.

> Continue

> Try not to call her Mom instead of General

> Fail at least once.

>Allow her to continue

Must... not.. disappoint mu... I mean GENERAL

Sonya worst momfu

Don't forget that Johnny Cage of all people was the good parent.

Cassie keeps silent as she walks alongside the general. Sonya continues, "We have a stable portal on the island and at the OWEA, but it has its difficulties in quick deployments to lesser-known realms and locations. We're going to be testing a new transporter device that we believe can instantly several individuals across the realms."

"So, not like a portal? Like a teleporter?"

"Something along those lines, yes."

'Sounds bitching,' Cassie thinks to herself. "When will the test take place?"

"As soon as we set up the equipment and run a few diagnostics. We need to make sure that the island itself and its strange location won't interfere with the technology and the transmission equipment. The island itself seems mostly stable, so I don't think it will, but we want to be as safe as possible."

"Sounds good, mom."

Sonya shoots her a look and Cassie immediately straightens and takes off her shades. "I mean, general."

Sonya resumes looking forward as they reach the end of the hall and exit the doors to behold the outside. The portal is nearby, and more equipment is being brought through.

>Ask Sonya about the tech
>Ask who will be testing it
>Ask if there is anything you can do to help
>Ask if she knows anything about the secretary Blake posted here
>Other

>Ask who will be testing it
>Ask if there is anything you can do to help

>>Ask who will be testing it
Sounds like a mission for the new defenders

>Ask who will be testing it

"Who will be testing it?"

"We'll be conducting a test with drones, initially. But if that goes well, we'll move into attempting a test of a live deployment."

"Sounds good, general," Cassie replies. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Sonya looks back at her. "Just have your team on standby, and be sure to be in uniform soldier."

"Rodger," Cassie says as Sonya moves away back in the direction they came from. Having been dismissed, Cassie heads back towards the barracks and up to her room, pausing only briefly outside Jacqui's room before moving on. Once inside her quarters, she showers and gets suited up. After checking and double-checking her gear and making sure she has everything, Cassie steps outside, intent on alerting the others.

She again stops outside Jacqui's door, wondering if she should knock.

>Knock
>Send her a text instead
>Do nothing and head downstairs
>Open the door and look inside
>Other

>Knock

>Send her a text instead
We're on official business now. She has to come out sooner or later.

>Knock
If she doesn't reply, then send text, but it will be trouble for her if we didn't warn her of the drill in time.

> Knock

If no dice

> Text

SHE's PREGNANT WITH CAO'S BABBY

Cassie clears her throat before knocking a few times. At first she doesn't hear anything and believes that Jacqui is simply not answering her door; she prepares to send a text instead. But it does open, and Jacqui stands on the other side. Their eyes meet as Cassie looks at her, a bit surprised that she actually answered.

"Hey..." Cassie says softly.

"Hey."

She licks her lips in uncertainty, but remains professional. "...The general's here. We might be doing some work later. Testing out some new gear and she asked me to assemble some of the team. Can I count on you to be there?"

Jacqui takes in the info and nods. "Yeah, sure. I'll get ready."

"Okay, I'll text you when it comes down the pipeline."

"Rodger that, sergeant." Jacqui lingers for a moment before shutting the door again. Cassie swallows a small lump in her throat.

'Sergeant...' she thinks. There was something dispassionate about the way she said it. Then, she remembers something Jacqui said earlier---'Can't believe you got promoted before me...'---but that can't be the source of this issue, can it? Jacqui has never been one to get jealous... especially over a promotion.

'That can't be it,' she thinks as she walks away, 'but I just don't know what else it could be. Damnit, JB, what's wrong? Just talk to me... You're driving me nuts, and not in the usual good way.'

>Go find the others in the rec room
>See if you can track down Kaito
>Knock on Cao's door
>Return to General Blade
>Other

>Knock on Cao's door

> Rec Room

>>Go find the others in the rec room

>>Knock on Cao's door

I'll need a tie breaker.

>>Go find the others in the rec room

Rec room

Cassie walks into the rec room where Jin, Takeda, Sam, Tundra and Vapor are hanging out with a few drinks and watching a movie. She looks on the screen and sees that it is Shrek; not exactly what she pictured them to be viewing. She picks up the remote and hits pause. Takeda looks back and gets a little cross. "Hey! We were watching that!"

"Plenty of time for that later," Cassie says, tossing him the remote. "Everyone, get suited up. We're going to be doing stuff later."

Jin is curious. "Oh, stuff? What kind of stuff? Good stuff, bad stuff? Don't keep us in suspense, please, it's killing me."

"We'll see," Cassie smirks. "Mom's on the island. We might be testing some new teleporter out later today."

Takeda springs up. "Oh, I'm there. This I gotta see."

Sam and Tundra stand up as Vapor vanishes into a cloud. As they pass by Cassie, Tundra enthuses about the film, as he hasn't seen many of them, but Sam assures him that there are better movies out there to watch. As they all move out of the room, Jin walks up to Cassie and asks, "So, new tech."

"Yeah, just a test. I don't think we'll need the whole team there for it."

He seems skeptical. "So, how badly is this going to screw up?"

"Here's hoping that when it does, you're the one who ends up in Oz," Cassie replies sarcastically.

"Yeah, funny," Jin replies. "I'll go get my chakram."

"Yes, that's sure to stop the flying monkeys," Cassie says as he walks out. She thinks to herself then, 'So: Jacqui, Takeda, Tundra, Vapor, Sam and Jin. That might be enough. Then again, maybe I should look around for a few more'

>Find Kaito
>Find Cao
>Find Ling and Frost
>Find Fireseed
>Find Sheeva
>Other

> where the fuck is Fox at?

I agree, where is he?

Drinking at Shang Tsung's bar obviously

He's out training in the jungle, but we can find him if you like.

>Find Sheeva
Doubtful that she cares about a teleporter but she's still part of the team

plus we can try and make small talk with her

>Find Sheeva
muscle would be good.

Deciding that some muscle would be good, she searches the base for Sheeva, eventually discovering the shokan in the gym. Sheeva is powerlifting weights that weigh more than Cassie, using all four arms and squatting at the same time. Ever since discovering modern gyms, Sheeva has put Cassie and Jacqui to shame with how much she can lift and work out---but that's to be expected from a half-human-half-dragon. She's a beast, that much can be said for certain.

Cassie approaches Sheeva as she grunts. She gets the shokan's attention, who sets down the weights before stretching out her back. She cracks all four sets of knuckles and then her neck before looking down at Cassie and putting her hands on her hips. Her speech is simple and blunt: "Speak."

"Hello to you too," Cassie says with a face that meets her glare with a not-gonna-back-down attitude. "My mother is here, and she needs some of the team to help test a teleportation device she is building for mass-team-deployments."

"A test?" Sheeva says, her eyes growing thin. "Will there be battle?"

Cassie's face grows softer. "Well, no, but---"

"Then I am disinterested," Sheeva replies, returning to her weights. Cassie scratches the back of her head.

"Right..."

>Attempt to convince her
>Ask her to come along and greet your mother as old friends
>Tell her she'll get a fight, with you if necessary
>Leave
>Other

> Convince her

> We don't know what's going on and we'd like your strength and experience Sheeva.