Chapter 47 : A Habit : part 3

The second battle began, and Scorpion once again found himself facing Sub-Zero. This time, Aldric was no longer watching only the two characters. He observed the distance between them, the position of their legs, and the space available behind each of them.

When the signal appeared, Sub-Zero attacked while Scorpion backed away.

“Ah!” Julien exclaimed.

“I learned.”

Sub-Zero continued advancing and threw a punch toward Scorpion’s face. Scorpion raised his guard and absorbed the blow, then blocked the next attack. Julien immediately changed his rhythm, and a third strike slipped beneath his defense and hit his abdomen.

Scorpion staggered backward from the impact as a blade of ice appeared in Sub-Zero’s hand. Aldric tried to move away. Too late. The blade sliced through the air and struck Scorpion in the chest, but this time he remained standing. Aldric responded with a clumsy attack that missed before a second one finally struck Sub-Zero’s shoulder.

“I hit him.”

Aldric was still taking most of the attacks, but he was no longer simply being thrown from one end of the arena to the other. He blocked a first attack, backed away to avoid the next, and even managed to counterattack before making a mistake that Sub-Zero noticed.

The ice warrior ducked beneath one of Scorpion’s attacks and drove his fist into his opponent’s ribs. He followed with a knee strike, pivoted, and threw him to the ground, wiping out the last points of Scorpion’s health bar.

FINISH HIM.

Aldric sighed.

“Again?”

“Obviously.”

“You have already won.”

“I know.”

Julien entered another combination. This time, Sub-Zero grabbed Scorpion as a layer of ice spread across his body. The execution was as brutal as it was unnecessary.

FATALITY.

“Twice.”

“Two victories.”

“Two executions.”

“Are you really counting?”

Emma started laughing.

“I think he’s building a case against you.”

“Very funny…” Julien said.

“Two to zero.”

“Exactly.”

“Why are you nodding?”

“I am improving.”

“You just died again.”

“The first fight lasted twenty-six seconds. This one lasted thirty-nine.”

“Are you really going to turn every one of your defeats into strategic data?”

“Yes.”

“All right.”

The third match began, and when Scorpion once again appeared opposite Sub-Zero, Aldric made no attempt to attack. He kept his distance, waiting for his opponent’s first move.

“What are you doing?”

“Observing.”

“Bad idea.”

“Why?”

Julien smiled.

“Because I’m attacking.”

Sub-Zero rushed toward Scorpion. His first strike met the yellow warrior’s guard, and the second was blocked as well, but Julien changed his rhythm. Sub-Zero ducked and swept Scorpion’s legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.

“You are deliberately changing your pattern.”

“Obviously.”

Scorpion got back to his feet as Sub-Zero was already moving in to attack again, but this time, Aldric carefully observed how the attack began: the front foot moved forward, the body pivoted, and the first strike always came from the same side.

Scorpion blocked the first attack and absorbed the second blow on his guard. When Sub-Zero began his third movement, Aldric moved his character back just enough for the ice warrior’s fist to strike empty air. Scorpion counterattacked with a pivot, his fist striking Sub-Zero’s jaw, then followed with a kick that forced his opponent backward.

Emma raised a hand enthusiastically.

“There!”

Julien turned his head toward her.

“Whose side are you on?”

A mass of ice shot across the arena and forced Scorpion to duck. The blue warrior followed his projectile, closed the distance, and struck before Aldric could raise his guard again. Scorpion staggered backward from the impact, but Sub-Zero gave him no respite and continued his offensive.

The impact of their blows echoed through the arena as ice shattered beneath Scorpion’s feet while he struggled to keep his opponent at a distance. Aldric took advantage of a brief opening to launch his chain, but Julien had anticipated the attack. Sub-Zero dodged the projectile, slipped into the opening it created, and struck Scorpion head-on.

The yellow warrior staggered once again as words appeared on the screen.

FINISH HIM.

“I assume you’re going to do it again.”

“You learn fast.”

Sub-Zero approached Scorpion and placed his hand against his chest. A layer of frost immediately spread across the yellow warrior, climbing over his armor until it completely covered his body. Within seconds, Scorpion was imprisoned inside a statue of ice.

Sub-Zero then took two steps back before rushing forward and kicking his opponent squarely in the chest. The statue shattered, sending fragments of ice and armor flying across the arena. When the last pieces fell to the ground, the words appeared in front of Aldric.

FATALITY.

“Three-zero, hehe.”

“Again,” Aldric said.

“With pleasure.”

The fourth battle began. Scorpion and Sub-Zero did not immediately charge at each other, instead circling at a distance, each waiting for the other to make the first mistake.

Julien eventually attacked first. Sub-Zero advanced and launched a combination he had already used several times, but Scorpion backed away before the first strike even arrived, allowing the icy blade to pass in front of his mask. Julien frowned and tried again with the same opening movement. Once again, Scorpion dodged before the attack could reach him.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Stop.”

Maxime burst out laughing.

“He learned your pattern.”

“Don’t say that word…”

Emma smiled.

“You’ve become a boss.”

“I am not a boss.”

Sub-Zero blocked Scorpion’s first attack before backing away. A few seconds later, the same situation happened again.

“You back away after blocking two consecutive attacks.”

“Stop analyzing me!”

“You asked me to play seriously.”

Sub-Zero launched a mass of ice across the arena, but Scorpion ducked and the projectile passed overhead before exploding against the scenery. The ice warrior rushed forward behind his attack, but Scorpion was waiting for him and blocked his first strike, then the second, before Aldric took advantage of the opening to counterattack. Scorpion’s blade struck Sub-Zero head-on and forced him backward.

Sub-Zero created some distance, launched another icy attack, then waited for Scorpion to come to him. Aldric, however, refused to advance, and the two fighters remained at a distance.

“You know someone has to attack,” Julien said.

“Nothing requires me to be that person.”

Maxime smiled.

“He just discovered camping.”

Sub-Zero crossed the space between them, but Scorpion dodged at the last moment before launching his chain. The projectile passed within a few centimeters of his opponent, but Julien managed to avoid it and counterattack. An ice blade struck Scorpion in the stomach before a second blow knocked him to the ground.

Aldric immediately made his character get back up. His health bar was almost empty, but Julien’s was hardly any better.

Julien tightened his grip slightly on the controller. Sub-Zero advanced while Scorpion backed away, then the blue warrior launched a first attack that Aldric blocked. A second strike followed and was also stopped, but Julien changed his combination. Aldric reacted a fraction of a second too late, and Sub-Zero slipped beneath his guard before striking Scorpion head-on.

The last portion of his health bar disappeared, and Julien exhaled as his shoulders relaxed.

FINISH HIM.

Sub-Zero approached Scorpion and performed another Fatality. When FATALITY appeared, Aldric looked at Julien.

“Four executions of opponents who had already been defeated.”

Julien raised his controller.

“You’re becoming a sore loser.”

For the first time since their matches began, the System estimated that he had a greater chance of winning than losing. He repositioned his fingers on the controller and turned his attention back to the screen.

“One more.”

Julien straightened.

“With pleasure.”

Scorpion stood at one end of the arena while Sub-Zero faced him from the other. An icy mist drifted from the blue warrior’s hands and covered the ground in frost, while Scorpion remained motionless on the opposite side, a faint glow of fire appearing around him.

FIGHT.

Sub-Zero advanced and moved into Scorpion’s range before backing away, but Aldric didn’t react. Julien tried again a few seconds later and got exactly the same result.

“You don’t even fall for feints anymore?”

“You just explained to me that it was a feint.”

“I was talking to myself.”

“You should avoid doing that.”

This time, Sub-Zero actually attacked and crossed the arena. His first strike hit Scorpion’s guard and the second was blocked as well, but Julien changed his rhythm and a third attack broke through Aldric’s defense, knocking Scorpion backward.

“There!”

Sub-Zero raised a hand and launched a mass of ice, but Scorpion dodged it. A second icy attack came almost immediately, and Aldric made his character duck to let it pass overhead. Julien took advantage of the distance to charge again.

Sub-Zero’s first strike was blocked, then the second also met Scorpion’s guard. Julien realized he wasn’t going to get anything out of the exchange and moved his character backward, exactly as Aldric had anticipated.

Scorpion launched his chain. The spear shot across the arena and struck Sub-Zero before the chain went taut, ripping the ice warrior from his position and pulling him straight toward Scorpion. Scorpion greeted him with a punch to the face, pivoted, and continued his combo with his sword, taking a significant portion of Julien’s health bar.

Sarah immediately raised her hands.

“Yes!”

Julien straightened in his seat, his eyes fixed on the screen.

“All right…”

Sub-Zero retaliated, and an explosion of ice erupted around him, sending Scorpion several meters away. The yellow warrior rolled across the ground before getting back to his feet, and the two fighters once again found themselves facing each other.

Julien sent Sub-Zero to the right, but Aldric blocked the attack. The ice warrior switched sides, and this time his strike broke through Scorpion’s guard. Scorpion staggered from the impact, and Sub-Zero took advantage of it to drive a knee into his stomach before creating an ice blade that struck him in the face. Aldric’s health bar dropped dangerously low.

“Come on, Aldric!” Emma shouted.

“I hate this evening…” Julien said.

Sub-Zero launched another ice attack that Scorpion managed to dodge, but the second struck him head-on. Julien tried to continue his offensive, but Aldric anticipated his approach. Scorpion blocked the first strike, dodged the next, and punched Sub-Zero in the face before following with a kick to the stomach.

Julien tried to create some distance, but Aldric didn’t let him escape. Scorpion advanced with him, drew his sword, and delivered two consecutive strikes that took a significant portion of Sub-Zero’s health bar. The ice warrior managed to interrupt the combo and retreated to the other side of the arena.

The two health bars were now almost identical.

Julien attacked again. Scorpion backed away as Sub-Zero closed the distance, but Aldric watched the beginning of his movement. The position was the same, the distance was the same, and so was the attack. Julien was preparing a combination he had already used several times.

Scorpion raised his guard and blocked the first strike, then the second. Julien interrupted his combo, however, and Aldric realized that he had changed his mind. Sub-Zero launched an ice spike attack, but Scorpion stepped back at the last moment and it passed within a few centimeters of his mask.

Aldric immediately counterattacked by launching his chain. Julien’s eyes widened.

“No…”

The spear struck Sub-Zero squarely in the chest, and Scorpion pulled on the chain, dragging the ice warrior straight toward him. He greeted him with a powerful punch, followed with a kick, then drew his blade a fraction of a second later to strike Sub-Zero and knock him to the ground.

Julien’s health bar was now nothing more than a thin sliver. Sub-Zero got back to his feet, and Scorpion waited for him without moving. Julien first attempted a feint, but Aldric didn’t react. He then switched to a real attack, which Scorpion blocked before Sub-Zero retreated.

“Shit.”

Scorpion crossed the distance before Sub-Zero could raise his guard again. His blade struck the ice warrior head-on, and the last portion of his health bar disappeared.

FINISH HIM.

Sub-Zero staggered in the center of the arena, unable to defend himself.

“What’s the combination?”

“No…”

“You did it four times.”

Maxime burst out laughing.

“Give him the combination.”

“Absolutely not…”

“And yet you explained to me that this was the normal conclusion of a fight.”

“I may have exaggerated…”

“Four times?”

“Julien, own it,” Emma said.

“Why is nobody on my side?”

Sarah smiled.

“Because you used four Fatalities on him.”

“It was educational.”

“So you taught me this part of the game.”

Julien realized the trap he had just walked into.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Maxime leaned forward in his armchair.

“Aldric, I’ll give you the combination.”

“Traitor…”

“Dignity doesn’t give you points,” Aldric said.

Emma immediately covered her mouth with one hand, Sarah burst out laughing, and Maxime grinned.

“I wanted to use your phrase.”

“I hate all of you…”

Maxime then moved closer and showed Aldric the required combination.

“You do this, then this.”

Aldric watched his fingers on the controller.

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

Julien shook his head.

“I refuse to watch this…”

“You watched the previous four,” Aldric reminded him.

“That was different.”

Aldric entered the combination. The yellow warrior stepped toward him before removing his mask, revealing his skeletal face, then opened his mouth. A torrent of flames immediately erupted and struck Sub-Zero head-on. Fire engulfed his body as Julien closed his eyes.

“No…”

The flames consumed Sub-Zero until nothing remained but his charred remains, which collapsed in the middle of the arena. When the fire disappeared, two messages appeared on the screen.

FATALITY.

SCORPION WINS.

“I regret teaching you how to play…”