Three days later........

"Just a few more notches!" cried Jax. "Then it will finally be complete."

Jax and the other agents stood in front of an in-ground door a mile away from the main base. Behind the door lead to an underground chamber where the portal was located.

"This is great," General White said. "This portal will take us to every realm that exists!" Then he turned to Jax. "I'll be choosing you to run this agency. The only order I'll be giving you right now is when this is all ready, send someone to Outworld. I want them to see if there are any evil activities going on."

"Yes, sir," Jax replied.

A little while later, Jax returned to the base. Sonya caught up with him.

"So you're running the Outerworld Investigation Agency?" Sonya asked. "Who do you think you'll choose to send to Outworld?"

Jax shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I do know that it's not going to be Alex. She's a good agent so far, but I feel that she needs more experience."

"I see," Sonya replied. She remembered when she first joined Special Forces. She was a woman in her mid-twenties and wasn't assigned to any good missions until she was accidentally lead to the first Mortal Kombat tournament while chasing Kano down.

Then again, Alex isn't that much younger than Sonya. Alex had some investigation experience before, but not as gruesome as this could be.

"I don't think I'll choose Hsu Hao either," Jax continued. "I still have a bad feeling about him."

"You and Cyrax always talk about him. What gives?"

Jax looked out the window. "Well, while we were working on the Black Dragon, Hsu Hao was always demanding. I know soldiers do get like that, but it was the way he was doing it......in a way that makes me suspicious. Cyrax saw it too."

"It could be part of the Chinese Secret Military," Sonya guessed. "They don't call it a secret military for nothing."

"I suppose," Jax sighed. "But I still have a bad feeling about him."

Sonya walked over next to him and stared out the window. "What about Kenshi?"

"Not yet," Jax replied. "Although I could change my mind by the time the portal is ready. Cyrax would be a good choice. We did restore his soul, so he'll probably take the task. He did pledge his loyalty to us."

"So Cyrax it is?" Sonya asked.

Jax nodded.

***

Alex was the only one working out in the weight room. She performed some Kenpo moves Sonya taught her against the punching bag.

Although she was only a beginner with any fighting moves, Alex was very fast with learning them. Jax was teaching her Judo as well.

She punched and kicked at the bags furiously.

Then, when she gave the bag a final kick, Cyrax came into the room. Alex turned to him.

"Hey Cyrax," Alex said. "What brings you here?"

"Bored out of my mind," Cyrax replied. He head towards a treadmill. He turned it on and began running at a high pace.

"I see what you mean," Alex replied heading towards the treadmill next to Cyrax. She turned it on and walked in a fast pace.

"So while you're here," Cyrax said. "What's up with you and Kenshi?"

That caught Alex in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Hey, I may be a cyborg, but I know a good interaction between two people when I see it! You and Kenshi have been around each other a lot the last four days. Something's cooking between you two."

"Oh yeah," Alex replied. "There's something cooking between those cyborg toes of yours."

Cyrax looked down at his feet. Smoke started coming out of his feet. He immediately shut the treadmill off.

"Crap, not again." He walked over to a bench, sat down, and examine his foot. "It happens every time I go at fast speed."

"Maybe you should run at a lower pace for now on," Alex replied.

That's when both of them sensed another person coming in. They turned towards the entrance and saw Kenshi come in.

"Who's in there?" Kenshi asked sensing people around.

"Cyrax," Cyrax replied. "And Alex."

Kenshi could hear Alex walking on the treadmill. He walked over to her and tried not trip over anything at the same time since he didn't have his sword with him.

"What brings you here?" Alex asked. Meanwhile, Cyrax watched the both of them with delight.

"Sonya told me that you would be here," Kenshi replied.

"Really?" Alex asked.

Kenshi nodded. The last few days, Alex has been showing him more kindness. He began to trust her a little more each day.

"So," Kenshi continued. "I, um, wanted to know how you're doing."

Alex became shocked by this. It was Kenshi who was asking her this, not the other way around. Meanwhile, Cyrax is watching all of this and tried not to laugh.

Because of her shock, she ended up tripping over her own feet and fell backwards. Kenshi heard this and quickly thrww his arms under to catch her. He succeeded as he felt her body fall into his arms. His right arm was around her back, and expected his left arm around her knees, but the firm flesh in his left hand indicated to him that they sure hell weren't knees.

"Oh!" Alex cried out feeling his hand on her rear.

Kenshi gasped and slid his arms towards her knees. At this point, Cyrax was down on the ground laughing hysterically.

Kenshi lifted Alex up. "Alex, I......."

"It's okay," Alex said with a smile. "I know you didn't mean it."

Kenshi found himself smirking. Alex took note of this.

'If only he could see my smile.'

"Say," Alex said. "Let's get out of this base. I know of a restaurant we can go to."

"All right," Kenshi replied. He began walking out the door.

"Um, Kenshi, I can walk." It was followed by a little giggle.

"Right," Kenshi answered realizing that he still has Alex in his arms. He gently put her down and she lead him out of the weight room, but not before kicking Cyrax's side.

"Owe!" he gasped.

***

After dinner, Kenshi and Alex returned to base. They go into Alex's room.

"Great restaurant," Kenshi said. "What was it called again?"

"R & J's Steakhouse," Alex replied taking off her jacket. "I love going there. Hmm, so what places do you love to go to?" Alex asked.

Kenshi shrugged. "I've been to so many places, I can't really pick one, but sometimes, I like to mainly go to the House of Pekara.”

"House of Pekara?" Alex asked. She walked over and sat next to him.

"It's above where I found my sword. It's located in Asia and it's where my ancestors are buried. It's where I would go to relax."

Alex leaned over towards him a little. "You really like discovering about the past."

Kenshi could smell the sweet perfume Alex was wearing. It made his head spin a little, but not the way that would him feel sick.

"Um, yes," Kenshi managed to say. "It's just something I've been interested in since I want to become the best swordsman."

"And you are the best swordsman," Alex said.

"I know, but there's one challenge that I need for me to know that. I.........I just need to travel to Outworld."

Alex became shocked by this. 'So this was why he was so eager about traveling to Outworld.'

"Why Outworld?" Alex asked with concern. It was then that she noticed that a strand of his dark hair hung over his forehead. She took her fingers and brushed it back up.

This caused Kenshi to tilt his head up a little in reaction.

Alex giggled a little seeing how cute he was acting. "I was just fixing your hair."

Kenshi smirked with a little embarrassment. "Oh, um, thank you."

"Anytime," Alex replied.

"So about Outworld, let's just say that there's somebody there who I need to have a duel with."

Alex stayed silent. She decided not to ask any more questions about it.

"You think this is boring, is it?" Kenshi asked.

"Oh, no, no!" Alex answered in shock. "I'm actually interested in this."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

It was then that Alex realized how close her face was to his. The desire to kiss him started to consume her.

Kenshi could feel her breath on his cheek. Then, he could sense her coming closer to him. It was then that he realized that Alex was leaning in to kiss him.

'Should I?' he asked himself, but then he found himself parting his lips and getting ready to welcome her kiss.

Just when their lips were just about to touch, they both jumped at the same time as they heard someone bashing on the door. Alex got up and opened the door. On the other side was Jax.

"Agent Jax!" Alex cried.

"Get your gun," Jax said. "There's a robbery at a bank. We think Kano's involved."

"Kano?" Alex asked.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Then Jax noticed Kenshi. "Kenshi, come with us in case we need backup."

"Right," Kenshi said getting up.

They made a run towards the exit, but not before Kenshi made a quick stop to get his sword. The three agents went outside and jumped into a truck where the other agents were in including Sonya.

"What makes them think it's Kano?" asked Alex.

"One of the witnesses described the metallic implant on his face," said Sonya. "It's Kano for sure."

As they drove, Alex let herself think just for a minute about the close kiss she had with Kenshi.

'Damn that Kano!' she thought.

The trucks got to the bank within five minutes. When the Special Forces got out, the local police already there told them that Kano has escaped.

"How could you let him escape?!!" Sonya cried out in anger. "You local police can't do anything right!!"

As Sonya let out her anger, Alex saw a light with the corner of her eye. She turned around. From a distance, she saw a person in the woods watching the scene. Then, she noticed the metal on his face.

Kano.

Alex slowly walked over towards Kano while he wasn't looking. Kenshi sensed her missing presence.

'Where is she?' he thought. He took out his sword and began to follow Alex.

Alex was ten yards away when Kano noticed her. She quickly took out her gun.

"Police!" she cried. Kano ran away. Alex tried to shoot him, but the trees blocked her target.

"Get back here!" Alex began running though the woods. She ran about two hundred yards before finally catching up with Kano. She made a quick leap and managed to knock him down.

"Get off of me!" Kano growled.

"Yeah right," Alex said. "You're under arrest."

As Alex tried to get out her handcuffs, a laser came out of Kano's red eye burning into her skin.

"AAAHHHH!!!!!" Alex cried out. She jumped back and began rolling down a hill. She stopped at the bottom. She tried to get back up, but the intense pain in her shoulder made it hard to do so.

"Damn it!" she cried. She looked at her wound. Blood was gushing out of it. Trying her best to ignore it, she started climbing back up the hill.

A minute later, she could hear someone running through the woods. Then, she heard a familiar voice cry, "Alex!"

Alex looked up. "Kenshi!"

Kenshi sensed her location and ran over to her. "What happened?"

"I saw Kano and......." Alex moved her arm feeling more pain. "Ahh!"

"You're hurt," Kenshi said hearing her cry out in pain.

"He shot a laser at me," Alex replied. She took Kenshi's hand and placed it over her wound.

Kenshi gasped as he felt the blood coming out of Alex.

"I have nothing to clean it with." Kenshi then took off his red blindfold and wrapped it around her wound.

Alex looked up at Kenshi. It was the first time that she was seeing his colorless eyes. Kenshi could sense her looking at his face. He bended his head down a little feeling a bit of shame.

Alex placed a hand on Kenshi's face. "Don't be ashamed. I know that it's still you deep inside."

Kenshi's self-esteem lifted from that comment. For the first time in years, he cracked a little smile.

"Let's get you back," Kenshi said. He took Alex into his arms and carried her back to where everyone else was.

To Chapter Four ------->