Match of the Millennium

Description: While ace detective Daniel 'Jack' Little of Interpol can handle anything, he can't handle everything. That's when the Task Force International Team comes in. A specialized task force of international experts, they fight the battles that Daniel Jack cannot handle. Starring Major Nash of the United States Military, The White Angel of Death of Russia, The laidback playboy Agent Bolivar Diez of South America, the prim and priss Lieutenant Lita Luwanda of England, and of course, Agent Little himself. Will they be able to save Daniel Jack.. At The Enemy's Gates? (The cover shows the fi- six members of the Task Force Squad. Agent Little is currently in a cage in some jungle prison camp, alongside Senator John McCain. As he is being poked by ornately-garbed guards with spears and hooks, the rest of the team is rushing in. The White Angel Of Death, garbed in her White Spetznaz Uniform, leads the way with an AK-47 pointed directly at them, with Major Nash alongside her with a Thompson Submachinegun. Agent Diez, the hot-blooded Latino, is busy mixing a drink off to the sides, as he woos a female guard in a strapless red dress, distracting her. Agent Lita, armed with a katana, is busy pointing the sword at both Daniel Jack and the Senator from Arizona) (45 cents)

[DANIEL]
This was the beginning of a very, very bad mission.

Daniel Jack's arrival to Shang Tsung's island was... legendarily unpleasant. People will speak for ages about the sheer callousness and cruelty of how, in spite of an official invitation to The Chief, that Daniel Jack was selected to be clubbed in the back of the head, and kidnapped. An official kidnapping, of all the words. Daniel Jack didn't understand the tournament, didn't understand the incident, didn't understand why he was here. His only understanding of the incident was being dumped out into the courtyard, where there was a buffet going on... and apparently, the beginnings of something called Mortal Kombat.

That implied dying in combat.

Agent Little, having been left to wander the grounds, was trying very quickly to gather who he knew, who he didn't know, who his allies were, who his allies were not. He needed to get a foundation going, needed to understand what was happening. So he sent out the feelers, the word around the ground, the noise on the floor.

Those working with Interpol, meet at the castle gates at 12 AM GMT.

It was... morning. As he leaned against the stone wall at the outside of the gate, Daniel Jack could tell it was morning. That was some cold comfort on where he might be. The detective was dressed in tattered Interpol greys, stinking from the lack of change in so long. The detective didn't even get the dignity of proper clothing. He knew he saw Charlie. He hoped Charlie would turn up. He didn't know... he didn't even know if his Task Force made it to the island. He didn't know what the Chief had. For all he knew? The Chief was happy to send the detective to his death. Daniel Jack shook his head. He needed something to have faith in.

He needed to have some hope on this island.

[BOLIVAR]
Bolivar had different marching orders than Daniel Little, his given to him by a liaison from Nepal, that understood these things better than the United Nations body as a whole. A small group of Far Eastern countries had gone to their hidden temples and deep jungle shrines and high mountain monasteries, and open seals upon scrolls and books and parchments of histories too black and disturbing to remain open for most of history. It was just during times such as these that such profane records were unveiled, and the proper channels were re-opened again by those in Earthrealm with dire duties indeed, acting with training never used but passed down from generation to generation.

Bolivar had arrived on a small junk from Hainan, known as Taiwan to the West, in a temporary act of peace between the nationalist capitalist island and the communist mainland, bound for Shang Tsung's island. He had taken two briefcases with him, one with clothing and his knives plus maintenance equipment for the weapons, the other with portable drycleaning used by assassins of all stripes. After settling into his room, he heard the call for Interpol, and dispatched himself for the rally. He arrived five minutes early but deliberately did not enter into clear view, merely watching. As he saw Daniel Little, sensing his apparent confusion, he made his way over.

Bolivar's stated purpose was to engage in Mortal Kombat for Earthrealm. But the United Nations had given him a clandestine role: take advantage of the lethality of the tournament to dispatch any potentially disturbing profiles.

[SERGEI]
Sergei Dragunov had arrived on the island immediately before Daniel had. He had received a request from Shang Tsung himself. He was instructed to investigate to tournament and gauge the enemy's strength. Agent Little was confirmed to be attending, so he would also have to meet up with him. First opportunity for the agreement to be applied.

Dragunov marched towards the gates, cold and emotionless. He carried a military pack, filled with all he needed. He wore dark combat armor, with a special addition. He had a unique medal given to him by General Zima for his heroism. It was carved of ivory, and held a yellow jewel. When he approached Agent Little, he stood by at attention.

[DANIEL]
There were, at least, somebodies he could count on.

The first one was waiting for him. A stranger. That made things... wary. Even more uncertain. He felt like he was on the bad end of a stakeout now. But the detective, dressed in rags and looking like dirt, approaches the man was he comes forward. "Agent Little, of Interpol. Investigative Division, though I guess right now I'm the head of an International Task Force." Daniel Jack extends his hand to shake Bolivar's. "I don't think I caught your name though. What's your nam-"

And his grip tightens.

"-You-"

Daniel Jack just stares at Sergei as he stands at attention. The detective was trembling with a boiling up fury. Eyes narrowed, he pulls away his hand, to surge at the Russian. "After that crap your General pulled, I'm surprised that you would show your face here. I- wait." Daniel Jack pauses a moment.

"How the hell did you get on this island?"

[BOLIVAR]
"Bolivar Montero Diez," comes a low, Latin roll, as Bolivar shakes Daniel's hand with a soft, firm undulation of knife fighter blood, before the grip tightens and Bolivar's own hand becomes a clenched claw, fingernails digging in. "It appears I am your support from the United Nations," he murmurs in worry as he turns to look at Sergei. As Daniel pulls the hand away, Bolivar does as well, allowing the hand to fade to his side in a spectrally smooth fashion.

Bolivar pauses, reaching into his jacket as if looking for a pack of cigarettes, before he withdraws a pair of slim sunglasses and slides them over his eyes. "Fishing boat out of Taiwan," Bolivar says, eyebrows furrowed. "A delegation from the Far East sent me here." He gives Sergei an expressive look while Daniel is confused, as if urging him to do something, his right hand raised in a 'down' gesture conspiratorily while Daniel is focused on Sergei for an answer, before his body and face immediately afterwards. It's as if he's asking Sergei to move past the awkward introductions.

[SERGEI]
===***===Earlier===***===

Sergei was on the boat over. He was sitting on a crate and watching the ocean. He held a glass of tea when he drank idly. Within the crate was Daniel Jack, knocked out, and being shipped to Shang Tsung's Island.

====***===Now===***===

Sergei stood quietly. He then handed Daniel Jack a letter from Zima. It came with several photographs.

It read "Greetings Agent Little, by now you should be on the island. I wish you luck on your mission and trust you will order Dragunov effectively. I hope your investigation of the power and plans of the host will succeed."

"PS-Make sure to give a full report."

The photos were of Daniel and the nurse he knocked out and stripped, along with ones of him dressed in her clothing.

[DANIEL]
Daniel Jack looks at the letter.

He reads over the letter, his expression suddenly going blank. He looks at the pictures. He looks at Sergei. He looks at the letter. He looks at the pictures. He looks at Sergei. And he frowns as much as he could muster at the Russian. He raises a finger, about to say something to the Russian. And he lowers the finger, deciding against it. He just says this to Sergei.

"Fine."

Turning back to Bolivar, he blinks hard, forcing a smile in this situation. "Well. Thank god the United Nations is taking this seriously." Daniel Jack could only find optimism when he could find it. "Agent Diez, this is Sergei Dragunov. He is a liason from the Russian government cooperating with Interpol on situations like this. He uh, he doesn't talk. Not doesn't talk much. He doesn't talk." Daniel Jack pauses, looking around the gate. "Now I don't know how long you've been on the island, but Agent Diez?"

"what the hell is this island about?"

[BOLIVAR]
Bolivar drops his attempt at dealing with Sergei at the notification that Sergei is not much on manners. That means he'll need the sunglasses, appearing to watch Daniel while his eyes focus on Sergei, taking quiet note of his breathing patterns. "I was not told much, most of the information given this situation is strictly need to know by the United Nations. What we're dealing with here is an event potentially more destructive than Majigen, is what I was told. The difference is here, there are forces at play that cannot be bartered with, or fought with muscle. We must merely do as Shang Tsung says, and fight to the best of our ability."

Bolivar's face becomes stone as he frowns. "Otherwise, the world as we know it may be at risk." Bolivar briefly looks about, regarding the opulent menace. "That is the extent of the briefing I received on these events, through a double glass mirror, at a UN facility in Taiwan. I also received a piece of advice from the man that was with me for the trip here. It is something to ponder." Bolivar looks at Sergei briefly, with a direct look now, before putting his honest attention on Daniel. "'Society prepares the crime. The criminal commits it.'"

[DANIEL]
More destructive than Majigen?

"Ah, shit." Was the detective's blunt response. "Okay, so this -is- some kind of extra-dimensional thing. Alright, so, uh. Fight to the best of our ability. Society prepares the crime. Criminal commits it." Daniel Jack looks at Sergei, before focusing his attention back on Bolivar. The detective was sweating. "Now uh, I remember that... there was an opening fight, a demonstration from this Shang Tsung dude. It looks like they want us to fight in a tournament, and..." He trails off, rubbing his neck.

"Are they seriously looking at making this a lethal tournament?"

[BOLIVAR]
Bolivar nods dourly. "It looks that way. I am unsure as to the nature of this tournament's order system, but it appears we are being given the option of our lethal use of force. Simply put...It may be in our best interests to strike lethally to dispatch an opponent. However, on the other hand..." Bolivar allows himself to show his true face, a look of deep fear. "It appears there are two factions here, and we are not on our own ground."

[SERGEI]
Sergei pulled out his side arm. He looked at Daniel, then to Bolivar. From the sounds of it, things would be dangerous. If the tournament was to the death, he wold have to show no restraint. The two Interpol agents seemed hesitant. Some on the island may not be willing to kill, Sergei would not be one of them. He was a soldier, a cold and efficient soldier. Mercy could not be afforded.

[DANIEL]
Daniel Jack pauses a moment.

"Given the option to use lethal force..." Daniel Jack begins, working through it. "... Does not that mean we need to use lethal force. Oh god, okay Sergei, we don't have to use lethal force." Daniel Jack tries to ease the gun back to the holster, smiling broadly as he does so.

"And we especially don't need to kill each other."

Daniel Jack looks around desperately, trying to find affirmation. "Right? Right? Society makes the crimes, but criminals makes the crimes. We don't have to kill anyone. It's killed or be killed, but it's always been like that. We don't have to kill each other. And there are probably plenty of people in this tournament who think the same way." Daniel Jack looks to his partners in this crime. "I mean, there's a lot of politics at play. But if we're dead, we're dead, and that's it. We need to get people to not shoot at the hip at each other." He looks at Agent Diez, pleadingly.

"You know anybody else on this island personally so far?"

[BOLIVAR]
"I received a minimal briefing, in the event of capture or coercion," Bolivar states quietly, indicating his mission may not entirely fit the scheme of whomever is running this tournament. "I merely believe, if we may encounter a foe that could prove troublesome later, and is also from whatever..." He gestures with his forefinger and thumb, looking around, "Place, this island is from, we should consider eliminating that opponent from the chessboard should one of encounter them later. I will leave it up to both of your discretions." He has his orders, after all.

[SERGEI]
Sergei complies with Daniel's attempt to holster his sidearm. As his first gun is put away, he readjusts. He then pulls out his rifle and loads it. He stares at Daniel, eying his spineless and weak stance. He leans in to Daniel, his scars clear even in the dark. His face had the faint trace of anger. He does something Daniel has never seen before.

"We will need it." Says the Spetsnaz.

[DANIEL]
Orders.

Daniel slowly realizes that he... he hadn't gotten any orders. Agent Diez. Sergei. If Charlie was on the island, he'd have orders too, along with Lita. But Daniel? He had no orders. Nothing. Why not, though? Why didn't he have the orders? It was like a chessboard, as Bolivar said. That enough would have froze Daniel.

But then Sergei says something.

Daniel Jack stares at the Russian. His blood ran cold, at the few words that the Russian had given him. Few words, only words, that Sergei had given him. Daniel Jack began to realize that... maybe his partner might kill him, under orders. "I... I think we need just to make sure we aren't killing good people over this." Daniel Jack says softly, looking around.

"Especially each other."

Daniel Jack nods his heads, walking to the inside of the gate. "I'm gonna scout around, and try and find good people on this island like us. We need to make sure people aren't killing good people out of fear." But orders? Daniel didn't know how to handle under orders. He needed people he can trust.

And Daniel was beginning to realize that there might be no one he could trust.

Log created on 16:02:33 09/11/2016 by Daniel, and last modified on 20:24:14 09/12/2016.