The Untitled Ranma 1/2/Mortal Kombat Crossover

[MovieBrat]

This isn't official yet but I'm toying with the idea of a Ranma/Mortal Kombat crossover. Yeah, while you have your Ranma/Street Fighter crossovers but I always wanted to read a story about the Nerima Wrecking Crew taking on forces from the Outworld. My concept is that Ranma, Akane, and many of the other characters are invited to a tournament, they are warned that their opponents are actually not the kind of guys they usually fight since the Outworld warriors have more abilities and powers than the R 1/2 cast.

So far, the fights include such as Ranma vs. Scorpion, Ryoga vs. Sub-Zero, Akane vs. Cyrax, Ukyo vs. Ermac, Shampoo vs. Kano, Mousse vs. Baraka, Goro vs. Happosai, etc. Still coming up with various other fights but that's the general idea especially since Shao Khan is involved and his plan to you guessed it, take over the world.

If you guys have any suggestions, let me know and if that plot doesn't work, should it be a simple "Akane is kidnapped and leads the heroes into a trap" story?

[Dumbledork]

Are you serious? Akane in the MK tournament?

[MovieBrat]

Yes, she is. Is there a problem? I mean yeah, she has her mallet but what good would that do with the MK warriors? I mean, that MK universe is full of badasses after all.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I think the problem that Dumbledork is referring to is that Akane is, not without due cause, considered the weakest and least skilled of the Nerima martial artists - at the very least, her level is implied to be rather average, considering the number of characters who achieve similar levels (such as the Golden Pair, Picolet Chardin the 3rd, the Kunos, that takoyaki guy who wanted to beat Ukyo so he could take that stupid octopus mask off, etc). I believe that Dumbledork may be saying that Akane does not have the skill to earn the attention of the contest and being called there, or at the very least she would end up suffering a grisly end as one of the more formidable kombatants (Nerimite or mainstream) takes her down with all the brutality required of the tournament.

Just a suggestion, though, I'm not Dumbledork so I can't speak for Dumbledork.

[MovieBrat]

Well, what chance would she have against Cyrax? And if she doesn't, how should she survive then?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

To be honest, my net reaction is that she wouldn't stand any chance against Cyrax at all. Akane is strong enough to dent steel and shatter stone, but she can only exert so much force before she injures herself, making her something of a glass cannon fighter. As Cyrax is composed of cybernetics, making him built of armor plating and pain-free circuitry, Akane would be able to dent his metal skin and possibly cripple him if she goes for the softer joints, but she may not be able to inflict enough damage on him to take him out - at least, not before he takes her out. If she has a weapon with her when she goes into the arena (probably a sword or a bow, as these are the actual weapons she has used most frequently and displayed the most skill with, whereas her fanon hammer almost never appears and is never used as an actual weapon), she would probably stand a better chance.

Akane is strong, but she is not especially agile or fast, has no special techniques, and she is most certainly not the most tactical of the Nerima fighters. To put her into perspective, Shampoo, who is so much slower and clumsier than Ranma that he can treat her like a child play-fighting, was able to effortlessly outmanuever Akane and use the Xi Fang Xiang Gao on her even when waiting until the last moment to move. Unless forced on the defensive by her opponent taking the initiative, Akane's basic plan of combat is a headlong barrage - she barrels into the fray to try and get to grips with her opponent and use her incredible strength. Furthermore, Akane is very emotional in combat; she thinks with her heart, not her head, and can easily be led or emotionally manipulated, to the point where her temper and pride often blinds her to dangers. As Cyrax is a cybernetic (and thus logic-driven) ninjitsu master with built in teleportation, blinding smoke projectors, and an arsenal of explosives, buzzsaws and entangling nets, he would be able to outthink and outmanuever Akane at every turn.

Really, the only way Akane is going to go up against Cyrax and not get killed is if he is considerably damaged (and she is armed) beforehand, or if Cyrax has orders to take her in alive.

[MovieBrat]

Okay. Then should it be the "Akane gets kidnapped" story instead? The idea is that in both plots of the story, Shao Khan is testing them as to which Nerima fighter can lead the invasion to conquer Earth.

And after they fight the MK warriors, they fight each other that is before the NWC find out about Shao Khan's plan.

[MovieBrat]

But say I give Akane a weapon, which weapon would you recommend?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

It's up to you. If you really want to, I'm sure you could probably think of a way to have Akane actually fight a Kombatant and win, though it would probably neccessitate pitting her against somebody who isn't going to use a style that all but specifically counters her abilities and personality.

That said, there is a reason why Akane tends to be the kidnap victim in fanfiction. It's because she's used for that in canon, and the reason it happens is because, while no 90 kilo weakling, Akane just isn't as good a fighter as she thinks she is. She is a headstrong, tempermental glass cannon; only the Kunos are on to under her level, and just about everyone else in the series is above it - Akane injured her hand smashing down a garden wall in the Instant Nanniichuan story, while Shampoo, who a lot of people consider the weakest of the main cast, was introduced to the series walking headfirst through buildings.

If you were to give Akane a weapon, the Japanese longsword would probably be best. I don't think she has a preferred weapon in the manga, but in the anime, she is shown to very much favor the shinai, a practice sword consisting of multiple bamboo rods bound together on a sword grip, and she displays considerable kendo skills (roughly equal to Kuno's level, when Kuno is fighting strictly to the standards of an official kendo match) during the Martial Arts Cheerleading story in either canon. She's not a bad shot with throwing weapons or traditional bows, which I believe is considered a "feminine" weapon style (like the naginata, or Japanese Glaive, is considered a woman's weapon, and kendo is considered a "masculine" style), either.

[MovieBrat]

Well, to be sure, would Kano suffice for Akane to defeat?

And that weapon is good. I'll go for that. Also, to be sure this is what happens in the kidnapping story if you really do strongly recommend it.

Like in the tournament story, Quan Chi is a messenger boy to invite them to the tournament. Ranma and Akane refuse and he basically leaves but warns them in his words, "My employer does not take rejection kindly."

Later that night, a kidnapping commences. Quan Chi takes Akane hostage while some of the Outworld Kombatants barge in with Ranma fighting Scorpion, the rest of them do show up but guys like Cyrax, Mileena, Sub-Zero, etc. wipe the floor with not just the NWC but Ranma himself. But they're spared because well, Shao Khan basically wants them to come and they do, thanks to Raiden. And of course, they do come across each Kombatant. For instance, Genma and Soun face off against Kano, Nodoka face off against Kabal (she needs to do something with that Katana of hers), Mousse faces off against Smoke, Shampoo faces off against Mileena, Ukyo faces off against Cyrax, etc.

Would that do or would you like to read the Tournament version of the story?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Yes, Akane could probably defeat Kano, assuming she doesn't fall for his tricks or allow him to get a good hit in with those butterfly knives he favors or his optic laser.

Firstly, I would most heartly recommend not including Nodoka. She is about as much of a fighter as Kasumi is - despite fanon to the contrary, she does not carry that sword everywhere because she's a swordmaster, she carries it because she is bound by self-imposed iron chains to that seppuku pledge and she never knows if she may encounter Ranma and need to cut his neck. She has no formal training beyond practicing the semi-decapitating strike, and can't even draw the weapon without dropping it or throwing it at somebody. Against a trained Kombatant, Nodoka would die very, very quickly.

Similarly, why would Soun and Genma get involved? They aren't unskilled, but they are lazy, cowardly, shiftless and irresponsible. Whenever something comes up that is causing problems, they will invariably tell Ranma to sort it out himself. Happosai running rampant? Ranma, fix it! Akane got kidnapped by Pantyhose Taro? Ranma, go beat him up and save her! These two never fight unless they are forced to fight. If Ranma has to go and save Akane, the only help he'd get would be the other teens. And if you go with the tournament version, Shao Kahn wouldn't bother contacting these two for the same reasons he wouldn't contact Nabiki, Kasumi, or Principal Kuno: they're too weak and noncombatant in outlook.

[MovieBrat]

Well admittingly, Soun and Genma would be comic relief but you're right. They're out of the picture. And you're right about Nodoka, I should've known. Sorry about that.

Anyway, with the tournament version. These following fights are set to appear (some may change)
Ranma Saotome vs. Scorpion
Ryoga Hibiki vs. Sub-Zero
Akane vs. Kano
Ukyo vs. Cyrax
Shampoo vs. Mileena
Mousse vs. Baraka
Goro vs. Happosai

When the NWC becomes aware of Shao Khan's plan.

Ranma, Akane, Ukyo vs. Kabal, Kira, Kobra
Jade vs. Shampoo
Ryoga, Mousse vs. Chameleon, Reptile
Ranma, Akane vs. Ermac
Ukyo, Shampoo vs. Kintaro

(At this point, Happosai becomes missing)

Final Battles:
Ranma vs. Shao Khan
Akane vs. Scorpion (Newly resurrected thanks to Quan Chi)
Ryoga, Mousse, Ukyo, Shampoo vs. Sindel, Frost, Motaro, Noob Saibot, Khameleon, Sektor, Smoke, Sheeva
Akane vs. Shang Tsung
Ryoga, Mousse, Ukyo, Shampoo vs. Quan Chi

What do you think?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I'm not an expert on Mortal Kombat, so I can't really contribue much of use. That said... Akane, alone, vs. Shang Tsung? The soul-sucking centuries-old right hand of Shao Khan, a martial artist who has literally absorbed hundreds of different styles and techniques and is a master in all of them, perhaps the most skilled fighter in all of Mortal Kombat? You are kidding, aren't you?

[MovieBrat]

He is trying to kill her, it's part of the story. With the final battle, all hell finally breaks loose and thanks to every Ranma characters refusal to join Shao Khan, now he gives the order to kill them all.

I know it's a very unlikely but in this case as I said, it's part of the story. Besides, expect Shang Tsung to actually wipe the floor with her. Unless Ranma should actually save her while he's fighting the emperor?

[MovieBrat]

Besides, there is the question as to how she'll get lucky beating the guy? I don't want to make the fight seem very, very one sided with both characters. Yes, while Shang Tsung is extremely powerful but still, I need a suggetsion as to how to make the fight work. I mean, I really don't want to use a Duex ex Machina element to the story.