Mortal Kombat- The Reboot

Chapter three - Kimberly and the uni brawl

The sounds of a busy hustle and bustle filled the air, as students and workers alike began their mundane Monday morning. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted through the market square near the city of Cambridge university. As people scurried about from place to place hurrying about their morning routine, a short brunette girl went about setting up her fathers news agents. She had done this too many times before and was growing tired of the dull retail scene. Placing fruit outside on a small stall next to the front door, carefully arranging the apples in neat piles to catch the buyer eyes. She stood up straight giving a curt nod of her head in satisfaction of the apples being perfectly placed, and turned to go help her father indoors. She took a step forward only to be knocked aside by a Chinese lad racing along the path. Frantically waving her hands in a useless attempt to regain her balance, she crashed through the table sending apples and oranges alike rolling down the gently sloping street. Now sat on the floor, slightly dazed, she gazed in despair at her hard work being destroyed in a matter of seconds. The man had stopped and offered his hand to help her to her feet only for her to swat it away as if it was an insect flying around a meal. 

"I'm so sorry, I was running to fast and didn't see you" He said in his moderately controlled accent. 

"Oh no it's fine, just ripped my shirt, grazed my elbow, not to mention the table being broke and the fifty pounds of fruit literally going down the drain. But as long as you think that you being sorry will help fix this mess, then everything is okay I guess" She replied sarcastically picking herself up off the floor. Her initially enraged state somewhat calming once she see his beige skin glow ruby red. 

"Um, I really am sorry, here let me help you" his embarrassment slowly fading as he passed her an apple off the ground. The girl stared at the apple for a few seconds before letting out a humourless laugh and pointed down the road at the rest of the fruit. 

"Look, you clearly must have some place to be otherwise you've just knocked me over and ruined my morning on purpose" She said lifting an eyebrow. "So you can either help with the mess and be late or you can run along and leave me to it" She gave him a gentle smile sensing his unease at the situation. While she was speaking he stared blankly at her. Realizing now for the first time just how remarkable she was. She had her long hair tied in pig tails either side of her head. She was wearing no make up and her light skin had a flawless complexion. Wearing denim shorts that came down half her thigh, showing off her legs, which in comparison to her body were surprisingly long. Her shirt, with the newly ripped elbow, depicted 'not to trust atoms as they make up everything'. He looked into her stunning forest green eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. "Hello, are you still with me China?" She clicked her fingers trying to draw him out of his trance.

"Aw, yes, um thank you" He stuttered. The redness of his cheeks returning after he didn't know how long he was staring at her. "My name is Liu Li by the way, not China and yes I am late, sorry, I will repay my debt to you.... um I didn't catch your name?" He looked at her expectantly.

"I didn't throw it" She laughed at the puzzled expression on his face. "Kimberly, now Liu Li you really should get going" She said tapping her watch. He smiled politely and bid her farewell. Kimberly watched as he sprinted across the remaining market and disappeared round a corner. Kimberly's dad came out shortly after looking disapprovingly at her and gestured to fruit littering the floor. 

"What on Earth happened here? He demanded, crossing his arms and lifting a thick eyebrow.

"A Chinese lad knocked me into the stall" she replied

"And didn't help clear it up? I hope you charged him" He barked

"How could I? He gave me these cute puppy dog eyes and said he is 'ever so sowwy' what could i do?" She said putting on a Chinese accent and smiling to herself, although knowing full well what was to come next.

"This isn't a joke Kim, this is coming out of your wages you know. I will not tolerate any loss of profit" He said in a manner of fact tone and stormed back inside of the shop shouting out one last comment. "Clear the street up and throw the fruit away, quality over quantity is what keeps us in business" She sighed grudgingly and scooped down to collect the fruit. 

"One day ill be out of here and you can do this all by yourself, see how you like it you jerk" She muttered under her breath.

                     

                             ******************************************************************

"What took you so long?" Riley asked "Told you you'd never beat me, ha" he celebrated raising his hands in the air.

"Ran into this girl" Liu Li replied 

"Someone you know?" Riley asked 

"No literally ran into a girl, she was not happy" He laughed "Absolutely gorgeous despite her attitude" He smiled and stared into the sky thinking of her in an exaggerated manner.

"Sweet, well not so much, but, did you get her number?" Riley winked. Shaking his head softly at his friend Liu Li replied.

"With how mad she got, she would of tore my balls off just for asking" 

 Later on that day Liu Li was sat behind his desk, half listening to his professor, half still thinking on this mornings events. He vowed to himself that he would stop by on the way home just to hear her sarcastically laced voice again. The bell rang sounding the end of the day, he lifted his bag to the table and neatly placed his books inside. Exiting the classroom he began making his way to the fountain out front, where he had arranged to meet up with Riley. Staring blankly ahead as he walked, still thinking fondly of Kimberly, he tripped over an unseen object. Hurtling to the floor, Liu Li threw his hands out and did a nice roll and jumped up to his feet. 

"Nice recovery, Jet Li" A voice taunted. He turned to look at the source of the comment to find a big hulking figure laughing with a gang of lads. Seeing he was outnumbered four to one, he shook his head and carried on walking. "Hey! Where are you going? You haven't given me a fortune cookie" He taunted as his cronies snickered along with him. Liu Li felt the all to familiar feeling of rage boil through his veins, mixed with a little nerves about what would happen next.

"You racist shit, i suggest if you would like to keep your face the way it is, you should shut that gaping hole you call a mouth and fuck off" He fired back. The smile on the giants face faded, he pointed at Liu Li. 

"You dare to speak to me like that, you've got balls lad" The guys cockiness returning. 

"Judging by the size of your ego I'm guessing your man hood is some what on the small size" Liu Li bit back and braced himself for the inevitable charge.

"you just gonna let him speak to you like that matty?" One of his cronies questioned. Matty's eyes burned with rage as he let out an animal like belting roar and charged forward throwing all of his weight into a huge right cross. Liu Li side stepped stabbing a quick left jab into matty's stomach. The giant doubled over leaving himself open to attack. Liu Li jumped up, smashing his knee into the unprotected face, his nose gave out a splintering crack as his head whipped back and the huge man went crashing to the ground. Sensing movement to his right Liu Li ducked down just in time for a punch to sail over his head. He grabbed the fist using the other mans momentum to neatly flip him over and then gave him a swift kick to the head to render him useless as the fight raged on. Turning around to face his next opponent Liu Li was rocked by a devilish punch to his eye. Taking advantage of the temporarily blinded Asian another of the attackers was able to connect flush with a punishing uppercut to his chin sending Liu Li a few inches into the air and dropping him to the floor along side the dazed matty.

"Hey! What the hell is this" Riley appeared sprinting down the corridor and jumping into a flying kick. He connected fiercely with one mans jaw, seemingly bouncing off it and smashing his foot into the other man. His heel connected brutally, crushing the mans nose, coating the corridor wall in his blood. Matty had regained his composure and spun onto Liu Li, pinning him to the floor and walloping his hammer like fists into his face. Sending shivers down the spectators spines as the never ending, sickening thuds of impact landed. With one last ounce of strength Liu Li lifted his knee into matty's groin causing the attack to cease momentarily. The last thing Liu Li see was a foot bullet into the giants face, then having no energy left, he finally succumb to his ever straining battle to keep his eyes open.