REVIVAL OF THE DEMON WARRIORS by John K., johnnycage10@yahoo.com Author's note (that's me:) This story is written in continuation of my past eight Final Confrontation stories. Those stories were based strictly on the first MK movie as well as the MK : The Journey Begins cartoon, so that any characters who were not from either source were taken directly from the video games. So all known characters like Sonya, Liu, Johnny, Kitana, Rayden and Shang Tsung should be seen as the actors who played them in the first movie. To give a summary of the occurrences from those stories, since I wouldn't want someone to read all of them just to understand this, here's what occurred. The first FC story took place before the MK movie as Sonya and Jax met Kano and Sonya hunted him down for killing her partner, whom she had only known for a few hours. The story ended where the MK movie had begun, with Sonya and Jax rushing into the dance studio as Shang Tsung and Kano waited backstage. Near the end of this first story, Sonya had met Scott, a fellow soldier who was under Jax's command who showed interest in her mission, unknown to her because he had personally come into contact with the Black Dragons while a civilian years ago. When Sonya returned from the tournament (without having Johnny Cage dying in the sequel since MKA never happened here), Scott became a close associate, along with Cage, Liu Kang and Jax. Sonya was famous for being the hot-tempered one in the team, while Liu was the strong and objective one, and Johnny was the relatively comical one who hated firearms no matter what. The ironic part was that whenever the villains were armed to the teeth, Johnny would join the heroes from the military as Scott and Sonya were armed also. Johnny ended up taking out as many villains as the others, and he was also the only one to emerge physically unharmed. After several independent adventures, most of which made sense, Scott's past caught up with him when he met a clone of himself who had been created without his knowledge and was now working as an assassin for the Black Dragons. The clone had absconded from the criminal organization and was dying, so he offered Scott his exceptional physical abilities if Scott wished them, pointing out that Scott would also receive the assassin's memories along the way. Scott accepted, and while his strength multiplied beyond his imagination, his temper became an explosive one also. So it was with Rayden's help that Scott traveled to the land of the dead to learn how to control his temper under the guide of the greatest warrior ever, who happened to be Goro's older brother Durak. It was in this time that Sonya, Liu and Johnny had traveled to Outworld because Kitana's people were being brutally killed by mutants who now had the advantage of a new leader called Qarro. No one knew who or what Qarro was, but after Scott joined the four kombatants in Outworld after his training with Durak was over, an extensive battle with 200 mutants followed, which left only Scott and Johnny standing. It was only then that Qarro made his appearance and thus entered the first Centaur. Qarro was actually Motaro's student as Motaro was readying his Centaur army to invade the earth in order to gain a tactical advantage against Shao Kahn. As a test, Motaro wanted his average student, Qarro, to defeat the best human from the earth realm. Scott went against him and, with great difficulty, killed Qarro. So Motaro decided that his troops needed more training. In FC7 Motaro's troops had grown strong enough and 1.5 billion Centaurs overran the earth realm. With Motaro being seen as their god, Rayden was able to mention to the earth warriors that the invasion would be repelled if a human was able to defeat Motaro in single combat. Rayden was forbidden to get involved directly since doing so would mean provoking the deity from the Centaurs' realm to intervene also, and Rayden was afraid that the battle which followed between the deities might've destroyed the earth in the process. The Centaurs' exterior was already known to be so tough that it was impervious to small-hand firearms, so a new 45mm Assault Rocket Launcher, or Arol, was developed in preparation for their imminent invasion. After a six-hour bloodbath, Scott and Sonya finally met Motaro and Scott challenged him, all the while with Shao Kahn wanting the humans to win since Kahn did not want Motaro to be his equal. The ensuing battle cost Scott his life as Motaro finally crushed him against a wall after a long fight. Not wanting the Centaur to win, Kahn desperately teleported Johnny Cage to the scene. Not understanding how he got there and not caring, Johnny challenged Motaro next. Johnny lost also, but escaped with only a broken ankle and several broken ribs. All hope of defeating Motaro in single combat seemed lost until Sonya realized that Motaro was exhausted since he had just beaten two of the best fighters from earth. Attacking his ego in front of his troops, she suckered him into accepting her challenge while she was rested and he wasn't. The mistake cost Motaro the fight and his life, and as a result the Centaurs who followed Motaro were forced to leave. At the end, Scott met Durak and the original Kung Lao in the land of the dead and Motaro was resurrected by Shao Kahn to serve as his second-in-command because Kahn wanted the Centaur army at his command. And so brought FC8, and with it Kahn's attempt at taking the earth realm. Zeus first kept Rayden from interfering with it since he was afraid that Kahn might've become too powerful for even the gods if he conquered the earth, so Zeus didn't want to be on his bad side. Shao Kahn struck hard with a large army of Centaurs, whose head was Motaro, a large army of mutants, of whom Baraka was a member, and a much smaller army of Shokanites, of which Sheeva was a member while Kintaro was its new head after word of Goro's death in the 10th tournament reached them. When the attack started, Sub-zero, the younger brother of the ice ninja in the first MK movie, was caught off-guard, but decided to fight back quickly. He found Jax's army platoon by chance after killing several mutants and Centaurs and together they looked for human survivors. During their patrol, they ran into a mixed army of invaders and Sub-zero killed Kintaro by using the ice shower and shattering the statue. While this occurred, Sheeva was on a killing rampage against the humans while Liu, Johnny and Kitana had traveled into the Living Forest to search for a warrior who they were told could help them. That warrior turned out to be cyber Smoke, who was a metallic warrior built by Kahn as a series of living weapons. A living weapon's mission was to enter a realm after that realm had successfully resisted Kahn's attack for the purpose of annihilating it (i.e. Smoke's MK3 fatality). Smoke had developed a consciousness and had then absconded to the Living Forest to live alone rather than be used like that, so he always carried a hatred for Kahn. After Kintaro's death, Motaro decided he no longer wished to share the spoils of war with the Shokanites, so to keep his second-in-command happy, Shao Kahn decided to try to wipe the Shokanites out. Sheeva escaped the attempted genocide and then switched sides, siding with the humans as a result. As Liu, Johnny and Kitana took Smoke to Kahn's lair to confront him, Sonya killed Baraka on the streets by bludgeoning him with the end of her rifle. In the meantime, Scott returned as a specter by putting his soul on the line (Ala. Scorpion from MK : The Journey Begins) and interrupted the losing fight Sheeva was having against Motaro. Using his new powers as a specter, Scott destroyed Motaro and then asked Sonya to make sure Kahn could not find the Centaur this time. She, in turn, used a chainsaw to cut Motaro's arms, legs and head off, so by the time Kahn's forces found his remains, not enough was left to bring him back to life, so the Centaurs were gone from earth and Durak finally got his chance to hammer Motaro for trying to exterminate the Shokanites. Sonya was then pulled into Kahn's lair also because Shang Tsung had given orders to have her brought to him safely since he still wished to have her as his queen. Once there, Sonya traded places with a prisoner who was destined to die in a fight against Reptile so it would serve as entertainment for Kahn. While Sonya and Reptile killed each other by the spikes over the pit, Liu and friends reached the realm. Johnny, Kitana and Smoke held off Kahn's troops while Liu challenged Kahn himself. Liu proved to be no match for Kahn, so after watching both Johnny and Kitana die, Liu gave the order for Smoke to detonate Kahn's realm, taking with him every person there. This particular story below is a crossover between my stories and Kazuya Mishima, who was Shao Kahn's human partner in Ashes Of The Phoenix. I will not tell you what happened in that story because you _have_ to go read that first. It's for your own good. Kazuya's story was told in Ashes and then his sad fate was recounted in chapter 2 of Phoenix Reborn. This character was by far the deepest, most three-dimensional fictitious character I had ever encountered, so I just felt compelled to give his fate a second chance. His entire personality in Ashes was a mixture of hatred, determination and strength, so much so that he had lost the ability to feel. So being the only character that I haven't created that I still think about, even after all the time since I've read Ashes, Kazuya is included in this last story of the series. His story was a warning of what could easily happen when hatred invades the heart, a danger that everyone needs to be aware of in the real world. More than anything it's a warning to stay away from hatred, and also a reminder of how to love both others and one's self and that self-love is needed no matter how messed up the world is around us. That's what I believe the Mortal Kombat universe stands for, a warrior spirit which does not give in to wrong pressure. So this story is for all MK fans, those who see MK as something more than just a fight, and for any individual who has gotten screwed by life for doing the right thing. So all in all, this story should be read with those infamous words from the MK movie which work for the real world also - face your fear, fear your enemy and face yourself. ****************************** ****************************** The Black Abyss was as cold as he first remembered it when he arrived. How long ago that was he did not know. Sometimes he thought he could still hear his brother crying out after him to come back, though he knew that it was not possible. The inhabitants of the Black Abyss were cut off from all the souls in the other two divisions of the realm of the dead as well as those souls' guardians, so he knew his brother had to have returned to his Gray Kingdom sooner or later once the Guardians had released their grip on him. As much as he tried to bring himself to lock all emotions out, the feat seemed to be an impossible one. Scarcely an hour went by, or at least what felt like an hour in this abyss which was void of time, that he didn't think of his brother or the other countless faces that he had enslaved while plotting his strategies against the Shao Kahn. He thought to himself that it was all the better that his brother had not been allowed to have access to him as he didn't want others to waste their existence by only reflecting on the past. At least his brother had a purpose in this realm, unlike him. Interacting with the Tsathoggua Guardians had been painful, at first. They were everywhere when he had originally entered the Black Abyss of his own free will, tormenting him, restricting his arms and legs with their slimy and cold tentacles, talking all at once. He had been able to take it, though. He had never begged for mercy, he had never asked to be left alone. It had continued to the point where the Guardians almost seemed surprised by his omnipotence over the torture they endlessly subjected him to. When the immeasurable time passed, the Guardians began taking less interest in him, as if they were bored with him. Perhaps he did not amuse them by reacting as expected, he thought to himself, but this was a positive occurrence as well. Now he was left alone periodically because the Guardians wanted to spend more time with the more suitable inhabitants who were pulled into this abyss on an almost regular basis. All of them were forced inside, no one entered of his or her own free will, of course, he had been the first and only soul so far to undertake such an act. By leaving him alone, the Guardians made it possible for him to meditate, to contemplate about his life of 28 years and of his actions during that time. In this emotionless state of mind, the only painful experience was during the many times the faces of one of his many victims would appear in front of his eyes when he opened his eyes after meditating. The face would never utter a word, it would lock eyes with him for a few instants before vanishing. It was as if it knew that he had no company whatsoever in this realm, and it did not want to alleviate his punishment by talking to him. He had his eyes closed at this moment, seated with his back straight on the black and slick substance which passed for a floor, when the subhuman voice of a Guardian interrupted him. %Bored yet?%, one Tsathoggua Guardian hissed from his left. Kazuya Mishima opened his eyes, although he knew from experience that he would not be able to see his addresser. "No", he calmly replied, without shaking his head or taking his eyes off the empty void he saw in front of him. %Maybe we are%, another Guardian from his right entered the conversation, %With _you_% "And that concerns me how?", Kazuya still didn't shift his eyes. %Our concerns are the same concerns of everyone in the Black Abyss%, the original Guardian shot back. %Everyone%, a third Guardian speaking from an area over his own head added, %Even those who _still_ have no business being here but like to pretend they do%. "If you have a problem with my presence, you're welcome to do something about it", Kazuya annoyed them by closing his eyes. %Amusing, very much so%, the second Guardian hissed. %These former mortals are such an act to follow at times%, the first Guardian went on. "This is the first I've ever heard of you using sarcasm", Kazuya reopened his eyes, his head slightly shifting to his left. %Your presence does not amuse us, former mortal%, the third Guardian's voice seemed to rise, though Kazuya wasn't sure, %You have no business being here. The Black Abyss was created during the birth of time so it could house the souls which were evil beyond hope and repentance. It is not our purpose to be sheltering souls who wish to procrastinate taking responsibility for their actions in the realm of the living by not going to the Gray Kingdom as they should. You seek to obliterate your very existence by staying here indefinitely. That cannot be allowed%. "I am procrastinating nothing", Kazuya exhaled as he brought his face back towards its original position straight ahead, "No one who enters the Black Abyss may leave. I am here permanently". %You do not belong here!%, the first Guardian barked back, %This is for souls who committed only evil acts throughout their entire time in the realm of the living for their own sake, for selfish reasons%. "You knew who I was when I was standing at the gate, did you not?" the former mortal asked, wishing he was left alone. No answer. "Did you not?", he repeated, still staring straight ahead. %Perhaps%, the second Guardian finally admitted. "They why did you allow me to enter if you could see my state of mind at that time?", Kazuya asked further, "Unless you do not recognize repentance when you see it". More silence. "I proved to be a disappointing play object, didn't I? That is the reason you granted me passage in the first place, to have fun at my expense. How frustrating for you that this was not the case". %No former mortal may speak to us in such a way!%, hissed the first Guardian. A black, oily tentacle shot out of the shapeless mass to his left and wrapped tightly around Kazuya's throat. Not unexpectedly, his facial expression did not change, he didn't give in to the instinct of clawing at the tentacle. The annoying soul didn't even turn his face towards the Guardian as he was unfazed, and the surrounding Guardians could see it. %You will vacate this abyss at once%, the first Guardian went on, finally withdrawing the tentacle after seeing the lack of effect. The tentacle was pulled back into the shapeless black mass and disappeared inside of it. "Cannot do that", Kazuya flatly stated with a slight shake of the head. %You do not have a choice!%, the third Guardian shot back. "I think I do", he replied in a calmer fashion, "I think you are incapable of getting rid of inhabitants, although I doubt this was ever an inconvenience for you before". %We will make your existence here as miserable as possible if you do not agree to leave%, the second Guardian threatened. "Do as you will", the same calm response that irritated them continued, "I can never risk putting myself in a position where I will be able to call a likeness of the devil which had possessed me. Any discomfort from you is secondary". %A ridiculous reason for wanting to stay in the Black Abyss%, the third Guardian commented. "Perhaps to you", Kazuya answered. %You are half correct%, the first Guardian said in a somewhat calmer voice, %We cannot force you to return to the Gray Kingdom, but if that is your sole reason for staying here, perhaps there is a way we can all get what we want%. "Such as...", he waited for them to finish as he turned his face to the left again. %We _do_ have the power to return you to the realm of the living%, the Guardian told him. "Absolutely not!", Kazuya barked, turning his face back straight ahead, "Stop wasting my time!". %Not to the realm from which you came%, the same Guardian explained, %That is not allowed, but we could send your soul to a parallel dimension, one where the earth realm does not possess its inhabitants with the magic you used in your necromancy. As far as we know you will be unable to repeat your style of actions even if you desire to%. "You heard me", he pressed on, "If you do not have anything else to say, at least anything of importance, leave me be". The Guardians did not like what they heard, but they said nothing else. They were planning a strategy among themselves to rid this abyss of the unamusing inhabitant. ****************************** Quan Chi approached the alter with an ever-speeding pace. He didn't even know why he was in a hurry. His master had waited several millennia, surely he could wait a few minutes more. Still, though, the mere thought of being able to free his messiah so they could both rule this world was one which made even him somewhat impatient. Finally reaching the steps of the modest alter, Quan Chi promptly kneeled in front of it. Looking up, he rested his palms together and placed his hands in a perpendicular fashion to his stomach. It took only an instant before he was able to call his master. A face appeared on the top of the alter over the sorcerer's raised head, one which he recognized happily. "Shinnok, the time is near", Quan Chi's voice carried a hint of the anticipation that had been plaguing him during his entire trip to this destination, "Now that Shao Kahn has been defeated your powers will be unmatched. The whole earth will be yours to consume". "So I have felt his downfall", Shinnok's voice echoed in the sorcerer's mind, "But Kahn has been banished till the end of time. His captive souls were released as he was sent towards his destination. It would be impossible for me to reach him while he is in between universes". "True", the sorcerer replied, "That is why we will not traffic with the Shao Kahn that we knew. I have found another earth realm for you and I have already crossed over into it, it is one whose version of the Kahn has been sent to another resting place after his death. This one's souls were freed while he was in the realm of the living before he was carried to the realm of the dead after being stripped of his powers. I am calling upon you from this new earth presently". "When can you free me from this Black Abyss?", Shinnok's voice sounded more hopeful this time. "As soon as you give your word, master", the alchemist grinned, "With Shao Kahn's power destroyed, nothing is keeping us from using my whole force to free you from that, ahem, eternal prison. One which will be eternal no more after tonight". "And what of Rayden?", Shinnok demanded. "Rayden has no power in the realm of the dead, master", Quan Chi was frustrated that he was forced to go over every detail for what felt like was the hundredth time, "We can use our armies to deal with him once you are here, but he has no say in what happens to you on your way to this world, this I promise you. And once the monster is reawakened, Rayden will be nothing more than an insect to be devoured like everyone else in this world". "And you are sure you will free me and only me?", the master's questions became more annoying. "_Yes_", the sorcerer tried to hide his impatience, and succeeded to only do so partially. "Then do so, I await my freedom", at last Shinnok gave his blessing. ****************************** The Guardians were a persistent bunch, Kazuya knew that much. Which was why he wasn't surprised when they tried to ambush him as soon as he stood up after his meditation was over. A black tentacle wrapped around each of his ankles and each of his wrists, with a fifth tentacle gripping his neck to force his head steady. The former mortal didn't even have to guess where they planned to take him, he already knew. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a grayish portal large enough for a person to slip through opening approximately thirty yards ahead. At the pace that the Guardians were carrying him towards it, they'd reach it in about half a minute, maybe less. %You _will_ leave this abyss, one way or the other%, one of the Guardians who was carrying him hissed. %You have no reason to worry%, a second Guardian added, so as to try to keep their subject from resisting, %It is a portal to another universe, one where no mortals are capable of magic, as far as we know. You will be unable to use your wizardry there%. Just fifteen yard to go before he would find himself being hurled into the portal, into another mortal world, a world which wasn't ready for him. "I don't think so", Kazuya whispered. Before any of his restraining Guardians knew it, he shifted his right wrist at a sharp angle and pulled his right arm towards his chest. The tactic worked, the Guardian who was holding on to that wrist saw that limb being freed from its grasp. As the remaining Guardians tried to compensate, Kazuya sent his right wrist into the black, oily mass which was behind the tentacle which held on to his left wrist. That one released his second limb as a result, although the former mortal thought that it was the shock of having a subject resist which surprised the Guardian enough to have the grip loosen. Kazuya seriously doubted that any blow could've injured these oily Guardians. With both wrists, he gripped the tentacle which grasped his throat and pushed the tentacle away from him while pulling his torso away from it at the same time. As he felt the pressure on his neck weakening, he kicked out with both legs, the impact softening the strength of the two restrainers which had a hold of his ankles. With a final snap from both his arms and legs, the three remaining tentacles saw their respective limbs slipping out of their grasp. Hearing only a hiss from all five Guardians, Kazuya didn't stop to look as his feet landed on the slick ground and he bolted away from the portal as fast as he could under the conditions of this environment. The fact that he still wore his boots was the only thing that kept him from slipping on the ground during his hasty retreat. "You _never_ give up, do you?", he spoke up as he turned his face towards what he believed would be his pursuers. Except that the Guardians were not giving chase. In fact, they didn't even stay together. They dispersed instead, two going towards the left and three heading towards the right, but not a single one came after him. So Kazuya stopped running from the portal and turned around to look at it, as well as to watch the direction that the Guardians were heading. He remembered that these creatures were not the kind to stay in a fight with a subject who put up resistance. Instead, they would wait with inhuman patience until he was more vulnerable and they would try to push him through the portal then. Kazuya told himself that it just meant that he wouldn't be allowed to let his guard down, ever. He just didn't know if that was humanly possible. He walked a good distance away until he came back to rest on his knees and began another meditation state. Looking past his right shoulder, he could see that he was far enough from the grayish portal that it only appeared to be a quarter the size of a human fingernail. The image he saw in his mind was an unexpected one indeed once his eyes were closed. The first indication that something was different was the voice Kazuya heard once he had been meditating for only a short time. A deep voice, almost sounding like a loud whisper, spoke to him in his mind's eye. "Can you hear me?", the distant voice asked. Kazuya did not answer as he would have when addressed by one of the infinite number of Guardians in the Black Abyss. He did, however, manage to communicate with the being in the same fashion by which he was hearing the message. He heard himself answering the question even though he never opened his mouth. "Yes", he flatly stated, "Who are you? And where?". A bolt of lightning appeared just a few yard in front of him in his mind's eye. Kazuya watched it intently as the electricity then expanded and a man was soon standing on that very spot. The visitor who was communicating with him telepathically wore white, the clothes matching the color of his long hair as several strands of snow-white hair emerged from under the straw hat. "I am known by many names", the visitor informed him with a bow, "You may call me Rayden, though". "Rayden", Kazuya saw himself talking to this being by opening his mouth this time, although the whole scene was still only playing in his mind as he was kneeling, "The thunder deity?". "That is correct", Rayden gave a slight smile. "Why are you here?", Kazuya's curiosity overwhelmed all his other questions at the moment as he saw himself standing at his full height. "I need your help in protecting the earth realm", the deity explained without any hesitation, "You are the only one I can turn to". "You must be out of your mind!", Kazuya turned his face away from the thunder god, "I am the _last_ person the earth needs to see". "No", Rayden corrected by shaking his head, "You are needed. A force of almost unimaginable power is about to be unleashed from this Black Abyss in order to attack the realm to strip it of all life and soul". Kazuya did not answer, only stared back at him. "My oldest adversary was sent here after his defeat at my hands", the deity explained, "But one of his student sorcerers is about to help him break free". "I do not believe you have all the facts", it was Kazuya who shook his head, "No one who enters the Black Abyss may leave, unless of course the Guardians try to kick that soul out. Before me, that has never happened, and I doubt it ever will after me". "Shinnok has found a way to break through the barriers", Rayden's voice carried the slightest amount of fear, "His sorcerer, Quan Chi, is still alive in the earth realm and can make his escape a possible one". The last statement got Kazuya's attention. "How?", he asked. "That is not important. What _is_ important is that he _will_ leave this abyss behind unless he is stopped". "How can you turn to me for help after I've brought the apocalypse to your world? Do you not know who I am?", the former mortal's mouth curled as he remembered his actions during the partnership with Shao Kahn. "I know who you are", Rayden nodded, "You should know first off that it was not my world you were dealing with when you became allies with the Shao Kahn". Kazuya's eyebrows lifted as he nonverbally asked Rayden to explain. "I am not the Rayden from your earth, my earth is one from a parallel universe to yours", the god said. "You're not Rayden?", the new details began confusing the young Mishima. "That I am", the deity sighed, "I simply am not the Rayden that _you_ knew. I do have a world to protect, though, a world that came under attack by Shao Kahn, just like yours did. Except in my case you were not the Kahn's ally and his destruction came via another fashion". "If you were trying to baffle me you just succeeded". "I am sorry, that is not my intention", Rayden sounded patient, "There are many different parallels of every realm in existence. Every realm has approximately the same mortals, as well as the same deities. Every one of those parallels also has a different place for the dead. Yours, for example, has three stages, mainly Paradise, the Gray Kingdom and the Black Abyss. Mine, on the other hand, has only one stage where everyone is sent after death. The amount of evil intent in a person's life, however, decides how much power, if any, the person's soul will have, so the more selfless a person was in life, the more power he or she will have over someone who was evil. Do you follow so far?". Kazuya only nodded once. "Good", the deity gave a friendly smile, "My earth came under attack by the Shao Kahn at about the same time that yours did, except that my invader did not have help from a mortal with a misguided view of saving the world". Kazuya did not feel flattered after hearing his own description, he only maintained the steady stare into Rayden's eyes. "Both our Shao Kahns were defeated. Yours was banished till the end of time, mine was sent to the realm of the dead where he is constantly tormented by the souls that he had stolen". "Great", the young Mishima exhaled, "May both realms live in peace now that the monsters are gone from them". "It is not that simple, I'm afraid", the urgency in Rayden's voice returned, "Although defeating Shao Kahn was a tremendous accomplishment for my realm's mortals, it created a second problem. The Shao Kahn's predecessor from your realm in evil was named Shinnok. My realm's history contained him also, but his powers have long been diminished after the millennia that he spent in the realm of the dead. My Shinnok is powerless now, as is my Quan Chi who exists in the realm of the dead with him, but yours is not despite all the time he had spent in the Black Abyss, _that_ is the extent of his evil. The Quan Chi who occupied your earth realm with his master was never killed like my version was, so after my Shao Kahn's defeat, your Quan Chi has crossed through into my universe because your Shinnok saw his chance to come back into the realm of the living, even if it is not the realm from which he was banished". Both individuals locked eyes in silence before Rayden continued. "Your Shinnok will try to return to my earth at the exact moment that Shao Kahn was defeated in my history so he can try to absorb all the souls which will have been released from the Kahn after his death. Attempting to steal the souls from someone who has been banished till the end of time cannot succeed, but stealing those from someone who has been killed can. This will make Shinnok infinitely more powerful than he was back when first defeated. In order to stop him from ever reaching my realm, I need someone who will be able to intercept him here, in the Black Abyss itself". "Which makes no sense", Kazuya pointed out vehemently, "Why will _you_ not stop him, then? If you can come inside the abyss, then you can fight this monster". "Deity or no, I cannot enter the Black Abyss", Rayden looked apologetic, "I am merely communicating with you from the celestial palace, you can only see and hear me, that does not mean I am right there in front of you". Kazuya only sighed, still unsure of what to think about his visitor. "I do know what you did with the Shao Kahn in your realm", the deity pressed, "But I also know _why_". No answer from the person he was addressing, just the same blank stare. If he had not been a deity, Rayden thought to himself that he would've found that stare very annoying at first and downright scary on the long run. "I know that your reasons were pure", the god went on, "Which is why you do not belong here, the Guardians are correct in that respect. But this is not about that. I am here to ask for your help because first, you are the only one who can help me and, second, because I think you want to. Nothing could make your guilty conscience feel better than to save one world after you tried to destroy another". "Nothing can make my conscience feel better", Kazuya repeated almost angrily, "The second half of your statement is meaningless". "Are you sure?", Rayden lifted his right arm and touched Kazuya's forehead with the edge of his fingers. A flood of memories invaded Kazuya's mind. He saw moving images, an advanced civilization with tall buildings, even taller than those he had seen in the metropolitan cities in his life. He viewed flying vehicles sailing through the air between the buildings under a bright blue sky. It was a world full of life. Then Kazuya saw the monster. He had never seen anything like it. The closest he could describe it was a red worm which stood upright with arms and a hideous face, and this worm was almost as tall as the skyscrapers that he remembered from his earth. The monster inhaled and, with that action alone, thousands of souls were stripped from human bodies and pulled into its mouth the same way that an evil soul is pulled into the Black Abyss. The bodies of the soulless humans remained alive, however, despite the fact they looked nothing like their former selves. They turned into thin, grotesque zombie-like creatures which could neither think nor remember. Young Mishima next saw the great buildings crumbling as destruction engulfed the entire realm. As the whole scene faded from his eyes, the last face Kazuya saw was that belonging to the one which Rayden had called Shinnok. The ominous face of the red devil only returned his stare, dangerously waiting for his second chance to inflict the same damage again. Kazuya's eyes snapped open as the vision finally ended. Rayden was standing in front of him like before as the deity waited for his reaction to the things he had just seen. The stern expression on young Mishima's face promised that he had changed his point of view so that it agreed with Rayden's. "The giant you saw is called Chthon", the god explained, "My Shinnok utilized it to separate the human soul from the flesh. It is a weapon of immense capability, as you witnessed. Chthon is asleep now, but your Shinnok can and will reawaken it if he reaches the earth realm once more. Everything that you saw in your hallucination happened in my realm thousands of years ago. Shinnok's actions led to its destruction, and it was a long time afterwards that Homo Sapiens walked the earth again". "He has to be stopped", Kazuya thought out loud, pleasing the thunder god, "How do I do that?". "You will know when Shinnok attempts his escape", Rayden promised with a satisfied smile, "And perhaps afterwards I could convince you to leave this place behind and to take your place in the Gray Kingdom as you deserve". "I will do what I have to", the former mortal declared, "Foiling Shinnok's plan is all that you need to be concerned about. I do not want to see you afterwards, ever". He had indirectly told the thunder god not to bother trying to convince him to leave the Black Abyss after his mission was completed. Understanding the hint, a partially-disappointed Rayden bowed his head and turned into several sparks of electricity before vanishing. Kazuya opened his eyes. He was still on his knees in his meditating state. It wasn't long after the incident that, from inside the Black Abyss, Kazuya heard a roar as one of its occupants screamed out, but for once it wasn't a scream of agony, but one of triumph. The inhabitant roared as red bolts of lightning began to emerge from one direction of the abyss. Kazuya's attention was diverted towards the red lights which appeared in the usually darkened abyss as he made his way in its direction. He saw the demon warrior dressed in red, the one that Rayden had called Shinnok, as red electricity covered that one's entire body. Shinnok began roaring louder as some of the invading electricity left his body and slammed into one of the invisible walls of the Black Abyss. A hole began forming in the invisible wall, much like the grayish portal that had been created earlier by the Guardians in the hope of forcing Kazuya through it. Before the newly-produced portal was large enough for the rebellious inmate to step into, though, the Guardians swarmed around the demon. Tentacles flew from every direction imaginable as they eagerly wrapped around his limbs. Friction created by the red lighting exploded every time a tentacle tried to wrap around a limb, forcing every aggressive tentacle back. Amid the cautiously retreating tentacles, Shinnok quickly moved towards the ever-expanding gateway. Kazuya could see that the inmate desired to leave this place as much as he wanted to stay inside of it. Not wanting to let him re-enter a second earth realm, the young Mishima sprang into action. With the red demon only half a dozen steps away from his salvation, something unexpected happened for both him and his surrounding Guardians. Kazuya slammed into Shinnok from behind, sending the other inhabitant of the abyss against a Guardian. Shinnok crashed face-first into the shapeless Guardian and bounced off, turning around and eager to find out who dared interfere with his plans. As his eyes registered the new opponent in front of him, Kazuya twisted his own upper body to the right. Twisting back to the left, the back of Kazuya's left knuckles crashed into Shinnok's face, sending the demon's upper body back with a yell. Before the rebellious inhabitant was able to strike back, Kazuya's right fist delivered a second blow, this one a swift uppercut to the target's chin. Shinnok's face snapped towards what was the sky in the abyss with a satisfying snapping sound as his head hurt. The tentacles around him took advantage of his debilitated state by swiftly wrapping him in between each other. Because of their second attempt, however, an even more violent reaction took place between their tentacles and the red lightning around Shinnok's body. The explosion sent many of the surrounding Guardians in several directions as some of the resulting electricity struck the expanding portal. That is when all hell broke loose. The only memory that Kazuya could've compared it to was the chaos he had felt aboard the doomed commercial airliner when he had teleported Bruce Irvin out of it after his assassin had accidentally caused it to crash. The Black Abyss felt like the inside of an airplane after someone had shot one of the windows out. Kazuya felt a tremendous pull towards the newly-created grayish portal. He gasped as he realized what was going on and desperately dropped his upper body horizontally against the ground to reduce the pull of the portal. It was to no avail, he kept being helplessly dragged towards the opening. He thought it was ironic that the Guardians had succeeded by accident something that they had attempted on purpose several times before. Turning his head towards the portal as he came ever closer to it, Kazuya saw a glimpse of Shinnok as the demon yelled and was then sucked into it. Young Mishima didn't know what waited for him on the other side of the portal, but if it was anything other than the Black Abyss, then he knew he could be a threat to whoever was there. Kazuya clawed at the ground, still seeing no effect as the portal was now a dozen steps away at most. His screams didn't help either. If he had been any of the other members of the abyss, the Guardians would've most likely fought to keep him there. But he already knew that they were happy to see him being pulled into the accidental portal, so no assistance could've been expected from them. "NO!!", Kazuya screamed as he tried to drive the heels of his feet into the ground also, "I CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE!!". He didn't hear any responses. "RAYDEEEEN!!", he yelled out in desperation, calling out to the god who had been responsible for putting him in this situation in the hopes that the deity might've intervened on his behalf. No one was around to answer him because the last thing he heard was himself screaming some more before he was pulled into the center of the whirlwind. His skin was on fire, or at least that's how it felt. He couldn't stop screaming as he was hurled violently into open air. Although his eyes were open the entire time, he couldn't see anything around him once he was past the portal itself. Kazuya felt his body falling towards some gravitational force as every bone in him felt like it was about to break from the intense pressure on his body. Just when he thought his form would shatter under the strain, he crashed against a ground. The impact did not hurt him as much as it should have, considering that he had been falling for almost a minute. His mind did not ponder about that fact, however, because he was still trying to recover from the dwindling pain which afflicted him from head to toe. "Aaaaaggggh!", Kazuya gasped, trying to inhale as much of the cool breeze into his lungs as possible as he rose on his hands and knees. His head was still facing downwards in the daylight, so he didn't see who was around him, he only heard the first person speaking. "You...", a man's voice sounded terrified, "You... You are evil! _Evil_". Kazuya only gasped further as he began looking up towards the source of the words. He wouldn't have known what to say even if he had instantly regained the ability to speak. "How did you arrive into our world?", the man continued, "We are doomed if you are here! I can feel the evil all around you, as well as inside of you! You are evil! YOU ARE EVIL! YOU CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO...". "Hey, like shut up, will you?", another female voice interrupted the man as he had begun screaming, "Looking out for these mutants is difficult enough". Kazuya tried to turn his head towards the new source, but was unable to find the woman who had spoken up. "YOU HAVE TO BE DESTROYED!", the man continued screaming, "YOU ARE..". "I said _shut up_!", the woman snapped, interrupting him again, "Either you do it voluntarily or I'm gonna show you what a broken jaw feels like!". The threat had done it, the man didn't say anything further. Kazuya finally turned his head around far enough to see who had voiced the promise of bodily harm if the loud man had continued. While still on his hands and knees, he saw an athletic young woman with shiny blond hair and dressed in a neon-green halter and sweatpants of the same color along with white sneakers and a wristwatch wrapped around her left wrist. She had her right fingers wrapped around the handle of a semiautomatic pistol and the middle of both her forearms were wrapped in thick and bloody three-inch wide bandages. She approached him with heavy, painful steps until she was within an arm's length of Kazuya's form. Looking down at him, her eyes locked with his as she extended her left hand down at him. Not knowing who she was, although she looked very familiar, and not caring at the moment, he accepted her offer by gripping her left hand with his right one. She pulled him up to his feet as new pain attacked his ribcage as soon as he stood up straight. "What just happened?", she asked him. "I wish I knew", Kazuya replied as he looked down upon her to maintain their eye contact since she was only slightly shorter than him. The deep scar on her left cheek was one of the first things he noticed. "Were you...", she chose her words carefully, "Where did you just come from? From the sky?". "Yes", he answered, realizing he couldn't have clarified the situation further. "But you're here", she broke eye contact with him as she visually surveyed the area they were standing in, "On earth". She turned back to look up into his eyes again as she holstered her weapon. "And you're alive", she finally said. Kazuya's heard sank with disappointment when he heard her last three words. It was the last thing he wanted. "By the way, I never had the pleasure", she extended her right hand towards him. "My name is Mishima", he told her as he gripped her hand with his own, "Kazuya Mishima". He held his breath to see if any signs of shock or fear were going to appear on her face when he mentioned his name. To his surprise, her facial expression did not change. "Name's Sonya Blade", she promptly replied, gripping his right hand back, "Nice to meet you". "I do not know how I arrived into this realm", Kazuya explained, "But this is not my world". "Well, where are you from?", Sonya asked as she let go of his right hand and walked back to the man who had been complaining about Kazuya's evil state as soon as he had crashed against the ground. "I am from earth as well", Kazuya looked up at the sky and rubbed his forehead, "But it was a different one than this". "How so?", was her next question as she squatted next to the man she had threatened only a short time ago. That man was lying on the ground, perhaps as if he was injured. "Can you stand up?", Sonya asked him in a professional manner, leaving no emotion in her voice. The man nodded in response, so she gripped one of his upper arms with her right hand and wrapped her left arm around his upper back to help him get back up on his feet. "Sorry about before", she explained as the man began rising to his feet, "You were just making too much noise and I was afraid that one of these mutant patrols might've found us". "No hard feelings", the man answered as Sonya released him after he was able to stand under his own power. "Good", she patted him on the back, "I didn't see you coming close to me, guess I was distracted by our flying visitor there". She pointed at Kazuya as she made her last comment. "It shows that I'm not being as careful as I should be", she continued, "But stick with me and all three of us may make it out of here in one piece". "Maybe I'll just do that", the man replied, pressing his left forearm into his stomach. "Name's Sonya, by the way", she finally stated to him. "Reiko", the man nodded once. "Mutant patrols?", Kazuya repeated as he approached the pair, "Might I ask you what exactly is going on here?". "Man, you really _aren't_ from this earth, are you?", she looked at the new visitor. "That _is_ what I said", Kazuya was eager to hear an explanation. "We're under attack, buddy", Sonya's voice almost sank to a whisper, "Shao Kahn's been hammering us with his armies". ****************************** Mark felt uneasy as he and his associates stood around their boss. It wasn't just the occurrences of the past day that had him feeling nervous, although they didn't help. His new boss was now making deals with demons which weren't unlike the ones who led the offensive against the planet. Killing humans came easy enough for Mark and his friends, working for the Black Dragons demanded no less, but for the first time, Mark found himself wondering if his superior had been wise. He looked at Jarek with a concerned look on his face. "We still have time to jet this place and screw this whole deal", Mark advised. "I said be quiet!", Jarek snapped back at him, "If you guys can't shut up for just a few minutes then you should all go outside and wait for the arrival there". The idea didn't sound bad to Mark or any of the other employees. After exchanging looks, they reasoned they'd be happier outside rather than being inside to risk any temper tantrums this new demon could throw. Quan Chi paced the floor of the humble shrine as he watched most of the humans leaving the place and Jarek remained the only other occupant in the room a few steps away. It was perhaps because his visitor did not know the power linked with the devil Shinnok, Quan Chi thought to himself, since it would've been impossible for any mortal not to be anxious once he or she knew of Shinnok's true might. "Stop being so damn paranoid", Jarek scolded, "Your boss will be here". "Do not take that tone with me. You are still a servant to us", the sorcerer shot back. He might have answered at such a tone of voice with physical violence before. No mortal had spoken to him in such a way for a very long time. But the apprehension he felt while waiting for Shinnok's arrival prompted him to be much more tolerant of others, at least for now. So Quan Chi wished that his master would get there already so he could start acting like his old self again. Just as that last thought had entered his mind, a red burst of electricity appeared on top of the shrine. The form turned into the silhouette of an adult man before Shinnok himself was seen standing on his own alter. The first thing the demon from the Black Abyss did was lock eyes with the sorcerer who had freed him from his eternal damnation. Quan Chi smiled back as he bowed his head low, irritated more than ever that Jarek did not copy his reaction. "It is like old times, master", the sorcerer's voice erupted in joy. "Yes", Shinnok smiled back as he descended from the alter and walked towards his rescuer. "Allow me to introduce Jarek", Quan Chi raised his head and pointed behind him, "It is he who will show us to the resources we need while our power is still limited at the present time". The red demon only stared at Jarek and briefly grunted. "Nice to meet you too", Jarek's face registered disgust. "He is the leader of the most feared criminal organization in this realm", the sorcerer continued. "The Black Dragons, at your service", Jarek bowed his upper body down as he smiled and rested his right forearm against his stomach in a sarcastic copy of Quan Chi's earlier action. "Let us get to it then", Shinnok didn't want to waste any time, "Much work needs to get done and Shao Kahn's scheduled destruction is not long from now". "Not until I hear your part of the agreement from your own lips", Jarek stood back up, his face no longer bearing the sneering grin, "After my organization's resources help you and you become king of the world, you'll destroy every one of my competitors". "That _was_ the agreement", the demon assured, "Only after I get what I am after". "No, that's what I heard from snow-white here on your behalf", Jarek pointed at Quan Chi, "I wanna hear you promise me". "I give you my word", Shinnok satisfied him, "Shall we leave already?". "This way", the smile reappeared on Jarek's face as he pointed to the exit, "The cars are outside". "Cars?", Shinnok repeated. "I had tried to explain to him, my lord", the sorcerer pointed out, "He has his syndicate employees waiting to take us anywhere we need to go with land-roving vehicles. Little does he know". "Land-rovers? Your machines can't even fly?", Shinnok seemed insulted. "Please, I could get the cars to take us to our private jet", Jarek countered, "We _do_ have pilots available, despite all the bullshit taking place outside". "We do not need your petty machines, mortal", the demon, "I will take us to Chthon's palace with a mere thought". "_Whose_ palace?", Jarek shivered involuntarily at the name. "My...", Shinnok smiled, "My pet". "Your pet", the Black Dragon leader repeated. "Yes, the one who can steal souls", the demon smiled, "Like this". Without another word, Shinnok pointed his right index finger at Jarek. A flame shot out of the edge of his finger and struck the mortal's torso. The heat from the projected fire alone would've been enough to melt an ordinary human, but Shinnok seemed unaffected despite his closeness to the projectile. Jarek only had enough time to let out one, short yell before his charred body crumbled on the ground. Satisfied, Shinnok raised his left hand with the palm facing the remains and concentrated. Jarek's soul was pulled out of his remains and, instead of rising towards the heavens, it was drawn in the demon's direction. With a second, ear-piercing scream, this time emanating from Jarek's soul, the criminal's spirit was swallowed by Shinnok. The demon felt better already, although the acquisition of one soul was only a small fraction of the power he had felt back when he had lost his battle against Rayden in the previous earth realm. "Never trust a demon", Shinnok grinned as he turned away from Jarek's remains and addressed his sorcerer, who appeared amused. "Come", the demon ordered as he pointed to Quan Chi as he was ready to teleport the sorcerer and himself to his desired destination. Jarek's charred remains stirred. Rather than stay on the floor as a burned mess, the burned parts came together into a solid mass and a body then rose from the floor until it stood. Instead of Jarek, though, the new result was a skeleton-thin zombie which stared at the demon and the sorcerer with a blank look on its face. A red cloud appeared out of both Shinnok's palms. Before it began engulfing both him and Quan Chi, though, as he had expected, a lightning bolt shot through the roof of the alter and submerged the demon and the sorcerer inside of it. Shinnok screamed out in outrage since he already knew who was responsible for such an act. "RAYDEN!", the demon yelled. Mark and other Black Dragon bodyguards ran into the room from outside after hearing the commotion and stood all around the zombie which used to be Jarek. None of them understood the magical net which held the two people, though. The only thing they saw and heard was Shinnok howling in anger as he shot bolts of red electricity into the net in an attempt to break through it. ****************************** Baraka headed towards the long line of humanoid slaves who carried equipment and raw materials towards their destination. The nomad grunted in disgust and anger as he overpassed the first slave. That person paid no attention to the larger mutant as he kept his eyes fixed straight ahead in an effort to stay on his feet while hauling the heavy box on his shoulders. From a few feet ahead of the slave, Baraka heard the captive behind him whispering to himself. Desperate to have some fun at someone else's expense, the mutant stopped and turned around. "Say something?", he grinned, bearing down on the man behind him as he stood over a foot taller. The slave only shook his head as his wide eyes met Baraka's. "Strange", the mutant kept grinning, proudly showing off his teeth, "I thought you had. It wouldn't be an insult towards me, now would it?". The man shook his head stronger. "I think it was", Baraka raised his right arm above the level of his own head in an attempt to strike with the blade which protruded out of his forearm. Before he was able to deliver the blow, a familiar female voice interrupted him by calling his name. The nomad turned around without killing the terrified slave as he watched Mileena approaching. The masked servant of Kahn's in the purple one-piece suit and matching gloves and boots walked haughtily towards him, happy with herself that she was one of the few individuals who could still get his attention by calling upon him only once. "Greetings, fellow servant", Baraka stood in place and bowed his head with his arms rested on either of his sides. He didn't know how, but he was sure she was smiling behind the mask. The slave only stood next to the mutant who had been trying to kill him only a moment ago, not knowing whether to be thankful for the woman's interference because none of Kahn's servants had a reputation for being merciful towards his slaves. "Are you done wasting time?", Mileena scolded in a teasing voice once she stood in front of the nomad. It was then that she finally turned her attention towards the immobile slave next to them. "You may go", she waved with her left hand, trying to get rid of the inconvenience of not being alone. "Nah!", Baraka grinned, "I heard him, he insulted our Kahn". Before the slave had a chance to deny the accusation, the mutant gripped him by the back of the neck and threw him face-first towards the ground. The humanoid let go of his cargo, crashed down flat on his stomach and then felt the nomad's left foot crushing the back of his neck. "What should the penalty be?", Baraka returned his grin towards Mileena, ignoring the struggling man below his foot. "That is up to you to decide", she added from under the mask, "But we have more urgent matters to attend to, so make the penalty a quick one". "Urgent matters indeed", the nomad sounded sarcastic, "They better be after I was dragged away from my fun on the earth realm. Those natives are so much fun to play with". "It is", she told him, disregarding the gasps from the slave on the ground, "Since our prototype has absconded, master wants as many more like him as possible to replace his duties. We need some living weapons against earth especially now". "Why now?", the nomad was genuinely surprised, "We _are_ winning". "Did you not hear?", Mileena informed him, "The Centaurs have abandoned their part in the master's offensive against earth, most likely because of Motaro's death, and master is either unable to locate Motaro's remains or is unable to revive him this time". "Not good", Baraka hissed to himself, pressing his foot further into the slave's neck to stifle the annoying noise that one kept making. "Exactly", Mileena agreed, "Which is why you are needed to oversee the new project of building new living weapons. Master Kahn gave that order just before he left this realm, no one knows where he went, not even Shang Tsung". "I see", the nomad told himself, "So it is a good reason after all". With that, Baraka lifted his left foot off the slave's neck and, even before that one was able to breath easier, sent his left blade into the humanoid's upper back, severing the spine. The slave sputtered blood out of his mouth as his head, arms and legs waved violently on the ground. Baraka then stopped all movement from him by swinging his right blade downward on his neck and severing his head. The nomad raised his bloody left blade in front of his face and began licking the blood off it with a passion although it was known that nomads such as himself did not use blood as a necessary nutrient. Seeing the invitations, Mileena pulled down her facemask and revealed her own mutant teeth from behind it. She jumped up and embraced the much larger mutant and they passionately kissed, some of the blood from Baraka's mouth passing to hers. "I do so love these quality times we share together", Baraka grinned as he momentarily pulled his bloody mouth away from hers. ****************************** "We've been under attack for some time now", Sonya explained to her new comrades, "But I have a feeling that things may just be starting to turn in our favor". "What makes you say that?", Kazuya asked as he watched her comb the surrounding streets and buildings for any signs of movement. "I've just taken out the chief four-legs", she gave a wide grin while her eyes were still canvassing the area, "Well, not me exactly, but a friend did. I just made sure that punk Kahn couldn't revive him". "Really?", Reiko asked in his own turn as he voluntarily stayed close to the two others around him, "Kahn can revive the dead?". "Yep", she went on, "But he won't be with Motaro, I saw to that. And without Motaro, the entire Centaur army leaves Kahn's invasion force. A point for us, to say the least". "Was that the decapitated Centaur who was missing his legs and arms that I passed a few blocks back?", Reiko pointed behind him. "That's him, or at least _was_", Sonya confirmed, "I'd like to see Kahn bring that piece of meat back from the dead, huh?". All three individuals found shelter behind a crumbling wall and temporarily sat down next to it, especially since Reiko seemed to be tiring rather quickly. Kazuya was busy inspecting Sonya as she checked the ammunition in her pistol, for the third time, when he finally remembered the reason she looked so familiar. It wasn't long before she noticed his stare. "You see something you like?", she questioned in a surprisingly friendly tone. "I just recalled where I knew you from", he admitted, "Lieutenant Sonya Blade was busy leading one of the surviving army platoons against my syndicate in my world. I remember seeing you through my enchanted mirrors". "Ah, famous in every place", she smiled. "Well, it was said that this lieutenant had a heart of stone and treated everyone around her as mere objects and tools, nothing more", Kazuya continued. "Well, it's nice to be appreciated", her tone became more sarcastic as she glanced by the side of the wall. "That is only what was said about _her_", the young Mishima corrected, "Not about you". "Why would someone who is defending this world be fighting against you before you came here?", Reiko shot back at him. There was a moment of silence as Sonya realized the question made a lot of sense. "Good point", her eyes turned cold as she gripped the handle of her weapon and looked at Kazuya. Before the young Mishima could even think of what to say, Reiko's scream interrupted them. The dark-haired man let out a yell as he pointed behind them both. Kazuya and Sonya turned around to see a pack of approximately twenty 7-foot tall mutants, most of them with bloodied blades. The invaders growled and inhaled air aggressively as they slowly approached the three humans with their blades raised horizontally in front of their chest. Every mutant wore a broad smile on his face, remembering how easy these earth natives were to cut apart on their razor-sharp blades. Sonya was quick to raise her firearm at arm's length in front of her face. Kazuya lifted both arms in front of his chest and lower face as he stood ready in his fighting stance. Reiko appeared scared as he kept moving restlessly behind the pair. "This should cut down the odds, not to mention their grins", Sonya commented. She pulled back on the trigger with both speed and ferocious accuracy. The pack of mutants began screaming, most of them yelling because they were impaled by 9 millimeter bullets, but some howling as they charged over their wounded comrades to reach the three natives. In the few, brutal seconds that it took Sonya to empty all twenty rounds in the pistol, only six mutants were left standing. She charged ahead with the blank weapon still in her right grip as the closed the distance between her and the six invaders. From ten yards away from the charging mutants, she somersaulted into the air as she curled her body into a ball. While in the air and coming back down on her feet, she first threw the empty handgun towards the first mutant in the pack. The steel and plastic firearm spun through the air and struck that lead mutant on the forehead. The struck mutant shrieked as his head was thrown backwards from the blow and he found himself falling on his back. The large gash on his forehead would not have constituted a mortal wound, but three of the five surviving mutants then stepped on him on their rush to be the first to get the humans. The mutant screamed further as he felt his 300-pound comrades bruising his spinal cord with every step and he didn't get back up once the charge was over. The second mutant in the pack met Sonya as she turned upside-down on her hands. Her ankles wrapped on either side of his chest, just under both his armpits, and she legtossed him over her in a perfect semicircle. The mutant screamed as he found himself being hurled in that semicircle and then crashed back-first against the ground behind his female human opponent. As he gasped and tried diligently to climb back to his feet, the mutant saw the male human running towards him in order to team up with the female fighter. Kazuya rushed past the fallen second mutant on his way to reach Sonya's position, but first turned around long enough to deliver a swift kick to the downed mutant's chin. That one's face snapped towards the blue sky as he saw stars and was knocked unconscious. Sonya shifted the majority of her body weight on her left foot as she turned to her left. Her right leg shot up as the knee was bent and it straightened in the middle of the swing. Her right ankle crashed into the third mutant's jaw as that one staggered towards his own right under the blow. The mutant saw her following him, ready to deliver more punishment, so he spread his arms wide before swinging both blades horizontally. Two 5-foot long slashes covered the area in front of his chest as his arms crisscrossed, but the human had restrained herself from getting too close to him. Both blades met air as Sonya dropped down on her left knee and sent her right leg sweeping the area in front of her just inches higher than the ground. Her right ankle met the ankles of the third mutant and that invader shrieked as he crashed down on his left side. Before he was able to stand back up, Sonya rose on her knees and gripped his throat with her left hand. Pushing forward with a groan, she shoved his neck backwards until the mutant was lying on his back. As she saw him lifting his arms to attempt another strike, she straightened her left arm as she positioned her 140-pound body on top of his to keep him down. Turning her right hand into a fist, Sonya delivered a jab into his eyes. The mutant's attention was obliterated momentarily from that blow, but he kept fighting. A second punch with her right fist in between his eyes stunned him enough so that a third similar swift punch knocked him out of the fight. Kazuya, in the meantime, bent his left knee and crouched on it as he sent his right leg in a thrusting attack against the fourth mutant. The bottom of his right foot slammed into that mutant's left knee and the invader howled as his knee bent in the opposite of its natural direction. The mutant kept yelling as he gripped his broken left knee with his left hand. Taking advantage of that one's distraction, Kazuya delivered a punch with his right fist into the stomach of the fifth mutant. As he did, he caught a glimpse of the sixth mutant running past him, most probably to either attack Sonya or Reiko, but Kazuya could not worry about him. With his attention on the fifth invader, he uppercut that one with his left fist. The mutant's face shot upwards, only to have his body point back downwards towards the ground as Kazuya sent a third right punch into his stomach. As the mutant bent forward under the third blow, the human swung the outer part of his right fist downward into the back of the invader's head, knocking the mutant down on his hands and knees. Kazuya then gripped the back of the invader's neck with his right hand and jumped on top of the mutant's back, pressing his knees into that one's lower back. The human's weight, along with his forward thrust, sent the mutant's face accelerating downwards until his eyes crashed into the ground and he saw stars. Kazuya got off the fifth mutant's back and stood in front of the fourth mutant, who was still grasping a broken knee with his left hand while swinging wildly with his right blade. The mutant swung downward with his right blade, meeting air. The human gripped his right wrist and drove it towards the ground until the tip of the blade entered the ground. The human then dropped on his knees and delivered his left fist into the fourth mutant's already-broken left knee. The mutant's shrieks became even louder as his legs weren't able to support his body any more and he fell down, unable to stand up. Unknown to both human fighters, the sixth mutant rushed past them and overtook Reiko. The invader thought to himself that a scared native would be an easy kill since this one did not appear to be as aggressive as the two humans who kept five of his comrades busy. As the mutant raised his right arm to strike, though, Reiko calmed down and stared up into his eyes. An instant of locking eyes with this human was enough to convince the mutant to lower his right arm by his side. The invader couldn't believe who he was looking down at. Kazuya had finished off his latest opponent as he helped Sonya up to her feet. They both turned around, suddenly remembering that one mutant had gotten past them in an effort to kill Reiko. They also knew that Reiko seemed much less capable in the art of war than the two of them. To their surprise, they both saw Reiko standing over the body of the mutant as the invader was lying on the ground on his stomach, completely immobile and in a small pool of his own blood. "He ended up stabbing himself while trying to do me", Reiko panted, "I couldn't believe it, it was the most incredible thing I ever saw. Is this luck or what?". "It's a good thing that it was these bladed things that attacked and not anyone else, huh?", Reiko still appeared to be feeling uncomfortable around the bodies of the mutants, even after he had calmed down, "I'm just glad it wasn't one of those horsemen or one of those four-armed things. They're probably smart enough not to trip on their own knives, those guys". "We won't be seeing either one of those", Sonya told him as she tightened the bandages around her forearms, "The Centaurs are gone, like I said, and the Shokanites deserted after that dickhead Kahn tried to turn on them". "Really?", Reiko asked, "How do you know this?". "I ran into one of them, a woman", she recalled, "Her name was Sheeva and she said she had survived an assassination attempt since Kahn had used the Centaurs to try to wipe her race out". "Wow", Reiko exclaimed, "Two down, one to go, then. I was really impressed with the way you two fought when those bladed things attacked. No matter what happens, I'm gonna stick by you both". "They're called nomads, and you're welcome to", Sonya smiled as she picked up her empty pistol and fed a fresh clip of bullets into it before holstering the weapon, "I'll just be glad when this whole thing is over, yet again". She turned to Kazuya next as he was seated by himself several yards away without contributing to the conversation. "You OK?", she asked him from a distance. "Just fine", he replied, staring only ahead and not returning her glance. "The two of us _did_ make a good team, Reiko's right", she approached him, "We should...". An outburst of electricity interrupted her. Kazuya spotted it too and recalled seeing such an entrance just a short time before. Rayden stood in front of the three humans and locked eyes with all three, starting with Reiko and ending with Kazuya. "I'm glad you are enjoying his company, Sonya", the thunder god stated while still looking into Kazuya's returning glance, "Kazuya can help you and your friends. Isn't that right?". The young Mishima didn't reply, but his facial expression alone told Rayden he was infuriated for being brought into the realm of the living after he had done what the thunder god had asked for. "It was not my intention to bring you here, Kazuya", Rayden tried to explain, "I needed you to stop Shinnok, but the demon warrior slipped into my realm anyway. I would not have asked you to follow him here, but as long as you did, perhaps you can be of use to my mortals". "Say what you came here to say and leave", Kazuya's voice deepened as his face lowered and he maintained his eye contact with the deity while standing up to his full height. "You have a new threat", Rayden turned to Sonya, reasoning that she had enough of a history with him to listen with more attentiveness. "No kidding, boss", she told him, "Tell me something I don't know. You just figured that out about a day _after_ Shao Kahn started his invasion?". "This is not about the Shao Kahn", the deity pressed, "Someone new has arrived here from the Black Abyss. Shinnok plans to reawaken a monster that can kill someone and take that person's soul with a thought. With this reawakening he plans to destroy the Kahn, take his souls and then rule this earth after annihilating all human life from it". "Gee, you'd think one clown with his army of circus freaks would be enough", Sonya crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I have restrained Shinnok temporarily, but he will break through my barrier in little time", Rayden went on, "We need every moment until then to send reinforcements to Chthon's lair to intercept Shinnok's effort. It won't take him long to destroy my barrier, especially not with his sorcerer I saw at the scene with him helping". "Sorcerer? Not Shang Tsung, is it?", she wanted a clearer statement. "No, his name was Quan Chi, someone who makes Shang Tsung appear young in comparison", the deity clarified. "Really? Start teleporting then", Sonya clapped her hands once. "It's not that simple", Rayden's response surprised her, "I do not want to send you and Kazuya there alone. It is very dangerous for just the two of you". "Uh, _three_ of us", Reiko corrected. The deity looked at Reiko as he finished his statement. There was a strange aroma which surrounded this mortal, not similar to the one surrounding Kazuya, but the thunder god did not know what the scent signified. The dark-haired man gave him a nervous smile when he realized he was being stared at, indicating he was more scared than curious, so Rayden turned his attention back to the other two humans at the scene. "Fine, call my friends then. You _do_ know where Johnny and Liu are, correct?", Sonya thought out loud, "Unless...". "Johnny and Liu are fine", Rayden gave her a sigh of relief by reporting that both kombatants were still alive, "They are in the Outworld with Kitana, and possibly another ally". "Have them meet us there", she suggested rather quickly, she was getting used to the idea of coming under fire with her fellow kombatants. "I am not sure how long I'll be able to assist you", Rayden added, "I am breaking the restraints put upon me by Zeus already. If he was to find out that I'm even talking to you now, he would force me back into the celestial palace until this chapter in earth's history was over". "Jeez!", Sonya raised her arms in frustration, "Fuck him! What does he think this is, a game or something where we have to worry about rules more so than the outcome?". "I am sorry", the deity shook his head once. "It's not your fault", she added while rubbing her forehead, "This whole thing is starting to get to me, that's all. You're not gonna get in trouble if you're caught, are you?". "I won't get caught", Rayden sounded confident, "And even if I do, the consequences will still be nothing when compared to what will happen to you if we do not try to stop Shinnok". "So what happens now?", Kazuya crossed his arms in his own turn. "Yeah, teleport us to this Ch... Whatever's lair", Sonya suggested. "Again, not that simple", Rayden went on, "Any action taken by me other than teleporting myself would be too obvious to escape Zeus' detection. In order to be able to take you there without anyone in the celestial palace knowing, I had to create a teleportation area on this earth from the sky. That invariably makes my aim somewhat inaccurate, as I was only able to make one in the approximate limits of this city. I landed on the earth next to it and saw where the portal had been created from the sky. It is at the intersection of 5th and Bluetane avenues". "That's only a mile or so from here", Sonya remembered, "Hell, we can walk there. What about the guys and Kitana, though?". "They are in the Outworld", the deity went on, "Since only the earth realm is being watched, I will be able to teleport go there and simply teleport them to Chthon's lair right away. But just remember that there will be a great time fluctuation as soon as you enter the lair, as if you were traveling between realms. Even though it's on the earth realm, the unholy power of stolen souls keeps that lair standing over time, and it also muddles the basic concept of time. People who travel into it may require as little as a minute or as long as several hours to enter. I will tell the other half of your team to watch for such an occurrence also". "OK, do that", Sonya said, "Good luck". "To you too", Rayden took one last look at all three humans before turning into an explosion of electricity and vanishing ****************************** Rayden appeared in a much different environment than earth when he arrived in the Outworld. The first thing he remembered about this place was the purple sky. He personally liked blue much better, but this was not the time to be comparing favorite colors. He hadn't been in this realm for a long time, not ever since Shang Tsung had brought Goro to beat the original Kung Lao in mortal kombat five centuries ago. The sorcerer had used the Outworld as his stronghold while preparing for the tournaments against the earth's best warriors, all the time poisoning the air so that Rayden specifically could not enter it. Ever since Tsung's defeat during the tenth tournament at Liu's hands, the atmosphere had begun to convert back to its original environment, thus making it possible for the deity to visit. Although the air was still very uncomfortable for him to breath, Rayden found it better than it had been for the past 500 years. Only wanting to spend as little time in this realm as possible, he set his sights on the four individuals he spotted from the air before materializing in front of them "Lord", Liu was the first to bow as the bolts of electricity expanded to form the shape of an adult man. Kitana did the same afterwards, though Johnny and the gray cyborg who had smoke emerging form his body did not. "Fancy seeing you here", the actor smirked as he took his sunglasses off. "You are needed on earth, my friends", Rayden's words struck a chord in Johnny's mind. The actor thought it was strange that the deity referred to them as friends. He had never thought of the thunder god as a friend. A guide, perhaps, and maybe a protector, but not a friend. Before he was able to think about the matter for long, though, Liu was already in the middle of a conversation with the deity. "Kitana was about to attempt opening a portal into Shao Kahn's realm", the monk indicated he would rather strike into Kahn's domain rather than return home for now. "I realize you do not know of the latest occurrences on your realm", Rayden explained, "There is a new threat in your world, someone who may end up being even a bigger threat than the Kahn. A demon called Shinnok has arrived with his personal sorcerer to reawaken an apocalyptic monster. He is every bit as ferocious as the Shao Kahn, and he is already in your realm. Sonya and a few friends are already on their way to intercept him". "A few friends?", Liu wondered. "Kazuya Mishima for starters", Rayden told him, "You do not know him from your world since this version of him is not from your earth, but of another, parallel earth realm. The important fact now is that he is a fierce warrior and he could prove to be helpful at this time. There is also an inhabitant of earth named Reiko that they have apparently come across". "This is Smoke, by the way, lord Rayden", Kitana finally pointed towards the cyborg. "The gray warrior you were advised to find", Rayden thought out loud as he stared into what would have been the cyborg's eyes. Smoke pressed his right upper arm against his side, raised the forearm and rested it diagonally against his torso. #Any enemy of Kahn is a friend of mine#, he spoke in his robotic voice. "But what if we destroy Kahn first and _then_ return to face this demon?", Liu insisted. "If Chthon is awakened, it may very well swallow the Shao Kahn up as well as every other life in your world within a very short time", the deity explained, "This truly is more important, Liu. I know you are eager to end the Kahn's threat to your home world, but meeting Sonya and Kazuya there would be more beneficial to earth for now". "Allright", the monk agreed, although he didn't like procrastinating his scheduled bout with Shao Kahn since it had been frightening him more and more as time went on. Although Liu wanted to get his bout with the all-powerful opponent over with, he went along with Rayden's idea. "I have warned Sonya's team about this", the deity said as he placed his palms together, "Because of the necromantic environment surrounding the lair, I cannot say for sure how long it will take you to get there. I have a few more items to cover with you, but that can wait until you return to the Outworld for Kahn. For now, we must worry about Shinnok and his sorcerer Quan Chi first". "Understood", Kitana answered for the whole team. Electricity emerged from the thunder god's hands and it engulfed the four fighters. Both it and Rayden soon vanished as the three humans and the cyborg found themselves in a totally new climate. The sky was dark even though they knew it was daytime on earth. They were standing on the edge of a large, rectangular-shaped building with an open ceiling. Just the width of the rectangle must have been half a mile, and the length was even longer. Huge columns emanated from the ground as they supported a second floor which was as large as the ground they were standing on. The most noticeable aspect of this lair was that lava covered the middle of the area. The entire ground was covered by a giant lava pit which was as long and wide as the lair itself. The second floor simply gave a better view of the pit itself, although no one had any idea on how to get there since it was about two hundred yards off the ground. "Great", Johnny put his sunglasses back on since the brightness from the lava easily hurt his sensitive eyes, "Just when I thought I saw every weird place in this universe". All four kombatants sighted movement from their left. They swiftly turned in that direction to spot a bald-headed man with silver-white skin approaching them in a cautious fashion. "So", Quan Chi whispered loud enough to be heard, "Rayden has sent his team of losers to stop me and my master. Too afraid to do the job himself, I see". "We don't need him to finish off the likes of you!", Johnny barked back as he realized he was talking to Shinnok's sorcerer. After all, the actor reasoned, only the demon's sorcerer would've referred to him as a master. Liu and Kitana were quick to restrain him by the arm so he wouldn't go ahead of the team alone. Any effort against the invaders needed to be done together. "Tsk, tsk, tsk", Quan Chi admonished as he was about a dozen steps from the humans, "Such a temper. But tell me, how good is your temper when turned against, say, one of your own?". "Can you make some sense or do you always talk as good as you look?", the actor shot back, waiting for him to make his point as all four fighters kept a careful eye out on the approaching sorcerer and their surroundings. They thought to themselves that Quan Chi appeared too arrogant for someone who was outnumbered by four opponents. So they were careful to comb the area around both him and themselves to make sure that the sorcerer had not arranged for anyone to deliver a sneak attack while he distracted them himself. "My point, pretty boy, is your weakness there", Quan Chi addressed Johnny but pointed at Smoke with his right index finger. The cyborg noticed that he was being discussed. He was waiting patiently for one of the three humans to give the word so he could launch his projectile against the warlock. No matter how powerful Quan Chi believed himself to be, Smoke knew that one harpoon imbedded into his lower throat would have killed him for sure. "Hmm", the sorcerer winked, rubbing his chin with his left fingers, "I can't say I've never seen technology like that before. His type was somewhat ancient, though, the people that my master and I destroyed in the previous earth had technology way more advanced than that, and this was thousands of years before". "I am just about getting fed up with you!", Liu walked ahead of the rest, pointing back at the sorcerer in his own turn, "Our world is under attack and you keep us preoccupied here! Either you will tell us where your master is or you will die where you stand!". Kitana withdrew two paper fans which were surrounded by razor-sharp edges, seemingly out of nowhere. At the same time, Smoke's chest opened until a square hole was made visible. Just an inch under the surface of his chest, a harpoon with the ability to impale a wall eagerly waited to be launched. "I have a better idea", Quan Chi grinned, "Let's even out the odds. Maybe I can use the prehistoric technology in that walking tin can there". With that, the sorcerer held his right arm up, with the palm facing towards the ceiling, and began curling his fingers inward. A red gas began forming in his palm until it condensed enough to be seen from where the kombatants stood. By the time any of the four fighters recognized that the sorcerer held the gas in his hand, Quan Chi threw the contents of his palm towards the cyborg. Smoke let out an electronic gasp and took several steps back as the three humans turned their attention towards him if only for an instant. "Now", Quan Chi placed his palms together, still smiling, "Kill all three of them". The sorcerer then turned and ran away while Smoke only stood silently for a moment as red fumes emerged from his body instead of the regular gray ones. "Smoke, are you all right?", Kitana asked as she took a step towards the cyborg. The mechanical kombatant answered with force. He ignored the princess and turned his attention towards Liu since the monk was clearly the leader of the team. His spear shot out of his chest and headed straight in the monk's direction. From a distance of only ten yards, he could not have missed, and Liu only had enough time to gasp as he saw the accelerating spear sailing through the air towards him. His spear would have struck the leader of the earth warriors exactly where it was intended to if Kitana had not pushed him out of the way. She threw him to the ground and out of harm's way just as the cyborg's projectile reached the spot where Liu stood a fraction of a second ago. The spear tore into her throat and emerged from the back of her neck as Kitana gasped for an instant while blood erupted out of her mouth. She dropped the fans on the ground as Smoke withdrew his bloodied spear out of her neck and Liu heard himself screaming from a far away place. Johnny Cage flew towards the cyborg in a flying shadow kick. The bottom of his foot struck Smoke in the chest and sent the cyborg gliding through the air for ten yards before that one landed on his back without making a sound. With brutal speed and efficiency, the cyborg sprang back to his feet as he viewed Liu down on his knees and holding Kitana's almost-severed head in his hands. Tears were running down the monk's face, so Smoke could've struck him with a second attempt by using the spear with a reasonable chance of success. Before he was able to send his projectile again, however, Johnny rushed in his direction and executed a standing shadow kick against him. The actor seemed to slide on the ground on his left foot as his right leg was held high, pointing at the cyborg's chest again. Smoke saw a flash of colors resembling Johnny's clothing which followed him before the second impact sent the cyborg staggering backwards and crashing back-first into one of the columns which supported the second floor. Seeing the cyborg dazed for only a moment, and not wanting to face him when he was not, Johnny turned around and ran back towards Liu. The monk was still holding Kitana's corpse in his arms when the actor reached him. "Liu, she's gone, there's nothing we can do!", the actor grabbed the monk by the shoulders in an effort to pull him up to his feet, "We have to get out of here". Liu stood up as his eyes were targeting the column against which Smoke had crashed. Not wanting to lose two teammates at once, Johnny pulled the monk away since he believed Liu could not have beaten the cyborg, especially in his currently grieving state of mind. The cyborg lifted his right arm until it pointed towards the two men and a tongue of flame shot out of it, intending to burn them where they stood. Both kombatants turned and ran in the opposite direction, feeling the intense heat from the flame on their backs even though the tongue itself had not touched them. Quan Chi was nowhere to be seen since the sorcerer had already undergone a hasty retreat immediately after issuing the order to the reprogrammed cyborg. Smoke ran after Liu and Johnny, calmly giving chase even though his running speed was at least three times faster than any human's. Despite the head start the humans had by running first and the distance they were away from the android, it would've taken Smoke only a few seconds to catch up to them. This was especially true since the hunted had nowhere to run but in a straight line. To their left was a solid wall while to their right was the pool of lava, so the only place the two kombatants could run was straight ahead. Glancing over his shoulder once, Liu spotted Smoke raising his arm to activate his flame thrower again. This time he was close enough to be able to burn both individuals with ease. Since the rectangular-shaped hallway did not turn to the right for at least hundreds of yards more, Liu had to take the one possible escape route his eyes caught. Seeing an opening in the wall to their left, the monk threw himself against Johnny, forcing the both of them into the opening a fraction of a second before another tongue of flame shot through the air where they had been standing. Johnny crashed into the ground first as Liu landed next to him. Struggling to stand up fast, both men saw that the opening was a dead end. The small room in the wall was covered by three walls in itself and it led nowhere. With Smoke only a few seconds after them, both fighters knew that this was the moment to fight to the death. Once the cyborg appeared at the entrance of this opening, either he would survive the encounter or they would. Before Smoke reached the opening to the room, though, both fighters heard a slight humming sound and then felt the ground underneath their feet moving. Johnny gasped as he saw that they were being pushed upwards towards the second floor. The two had stepped on an elevator which operated by sensing someone's weight on the platform. The rising platform took only a few seconds to take them to the second floor despite the awesome height of the columns which supported that floor. Upon reaching it, both men kept standing on the platform, unsure of what to do next. The second floor looked exactly like the first, except that it was on a higher altitude, so the view of the lava pool was different. Liu stepped off first, and Johnny followed him an instant afterwards. As soon as the actor was off the platform, it rushed back downstairs, leaving a hole in the floor where it was before. The actor realized that they had made it possible for Smoke to follow them, so he swore at himself for not staying on the platform until Liu could have found a heavy object to replace their body weight with. Once the elevator hit the first floor, both kombatants heard it humming again, meaning that another passenger was riding it to the second floor to join them. It took the platform a few seconds to reach the second floor, like it had done with them, and when it stopped at its destination, the cyborg was standing on it, ready to finish his task. But Liu and Johnny were ready as well. The monk tackled Smoke from his left side and the cyborg crashed on his right side off the platform with Liu on top of him. Feeling no one, the platform went back downstairs. Liu jumped back on his feet just in time as Johnny let loose a furious barrage of kicks aimed for the android's head and chest. Smoke was busy just trying to defend himself from the actor's constant kicks as he stood up, so he didn't see Liu as the monk delivered a brutal flying kick aimed as high as possible. Liu's extended right leg struck Smoke in the head and sent the cyborg staggering backwards and towards the hole in the floor that the elevator platform had left by going back downstairs. Smoke stepped into the void in the floor and lost his balance as he disappeared down the chasm. He didn't scream as he fell two hundred yards, but Johnny and Liu next heard his body crashing into the elevator platform below. Once feeling weight on top of itself, the efficient platform then rose towards the second floor again. It neatly covered the void in the floor as Smoke was lying on top of it in a prone position. Sparks flew out of the cyborg as it vehemently tried to stand back up but failed with each effort. "Come on, buddy", the actor tapped Liu's arm, "Now's our time to finish it". The monk placed both his hands on either side of the cyborg's head and, despite that one's heavy weight, lifted him off the platform. Not accepting Johnny's offer for help, Liu dragged Smoke to the edge of the second floor as he heard the elevator going back downstairs behind him. Looking over the edge of the second floor, Liu's stern eyes saw the lava pool starting just after the edge of the first floor, which was exactly under the same spot as the edge for the second floor. So pushing someone off the second floor would mean throwing that person into the lava. Liu considered dropping the cyborg into the lava pool and ending his sudden menace once and for all. The only sight he could see in his mind was Kitana being fatally stabbed for daring to help him. Before grief threatened to be the only factor in his decision, though, Liu also remembered that Smoke had just saved all their lives in the living forest before volunteering to help them fight Kahn. It was Quan Chi's magic which had made Smoke into the killer that he had turned into. The monk slipped one forearm under the back of Smoke's knees and another one below his upper back before holding him over the edge of the second floor. Before Johnny had a chance to ask what he planned to do, Liu then changed his mind. The monk turned around, away from the edge of the second floor, and threw the cyborg back into the empty elevator shaft. Liu didn't look to see the result, but he knew what happened after he heard Smoke hitting the hard ground about two hundred yards below for the second time. He was already walking away when the elevator lifted the cyborg's already-mutilated body towards the second floor yet again. Johnny looked back at the elevator one last time before turning to join the monk. "What are we gonna do now?", the actor asked the obvious. "We need to find that sorcerer!", Liu spat between his pressed teeth, "And his master also. I just realized we failed in an even greater way than I had thought". "How so?", Johnny asked, speeding up his pace to try to keep up with his fellow kombatant. "Shinnok is a soul-stealer", Liu explained without looking at him, "Just like Shao Kahn. When we were busy running for our lives, I'm sure he took Kitana's soul to add to his arsenal. We weren't even able to save the princess' soul". "OK, OK, that's fine", the actor passed his ten fingers through his hair, "We beat this Shinnok and release her then, right?". "Right", the monk agreed, "We just have to find him first". The second floor turned the right corner a fairly long distance ahead of them, so the monk turned to the actor and looked at him. "One of us should go back downstairs, to increase our odds of finding this insect of a sorcerer", Liu suggested, "We will be able to cover more ground that way. And if you find him, do not hesitate to kill him yourself". "Yeah, I guess that makes sense", Johnny told him, although he didn't like the idea of separating in such a hostile environment, "I'll go back down". The actor offered his right hand, palm facing upwards, before the monk slapped down on it with his own left palm. Retaining his adamant facial expression the whole time, the monk turned away from Johnny as the actor carefully ran back towards the waiting elevator. The last thing Liu heard as he himself ran towards the right corner of the second floor was his partner trying to use the elevator to go back downstairs. Liu did not know how one would take the elevator downwards, as it seemed to only climb upwards when it had a weight on it and downwards when it carried nothing. He had faith that the actor would find a way, though. Johnny, in the meantime, removed Smoke's immobile body from the elevator and, as soon as the flat area began its descent towards the first floor, he jumped through the hole in the floor. His feet landed on the elevator as it was only about three yards down from the level of the second floor and he regained his balanced on it as he was carried all the way to the first floor. Liu kept running until he approached the right turn and reached the beginning of the length of the rectangular building he was in. It had taken him at least five minutes of a slow, wary run before he had reached that corner. He saw that the length of the second floor started off as spacious as the first floor ground had been, but the middle of the length of the second floor soon became much more narrow, so it only allowed one person to walk on it at one time. The thick columns from the ground level held the narrow passageway up, but there was empty space of about five yards between the passageway and the wall next to it. Following the trail along the length of the second floor thus meant that Liu could have watched for any signs of movement on the second floor as well as the area below by looking over empty space next to it. In the meantime, Quan Chi was on the ground floor as his servant zombies forced over twenty humans towards the edge of the fiery lake. Those humans had been found relatively far from Chthon's lair as they were trying to hide from Shao Kahn's armies. Needing the extra manual help, as well as the souls for the sorcerer's master, Shinnok had stolen the souls from the Black Dragon bodyguards after those had responded to Jarek's screams immediately following his escape from Rayden's restraints. Taking the soul of a person who had just died was easy, but if the soul was not taken within a few minutes, it would be impossible to steal. Such an act of necromancy was relatively effortless, but it required finding someone who had recently died. A more difficult art was taking the soul of someone who was still alive. This took more energy and it left the soul's former owner as a mindless zombie, not much more than a savage animal. The zombies who were forcing the regular humans towards the edge of the lava had been Jarek, Mark and other members of the Black Dragons a short time ago, but now did their master's bidding only. After Shinnok had stolen their souls, he had brought them with him to Chthon's lair and then ordered them to go out and bring the first humans they spotted back to be sacrificed. Amid the wails and cries of the terrified humans, who had been bitten by the zombies in the effort to force them in from outside the lair, Quan Chi concentrated. "What the hell are you?", one male shrieked, "What are those things?". A zombie clobbered him over the head for daring to address his master in such a tone of voice. "What are you gonna do to us?", an adolescent female gasped in between frightened tears. The sorcerer ignored them both as he continued his prayer. Within two more minutes, a red cloud surrounded those terrified humans. That was the last sensation they felt because their souls were wrenched out of their bodies next. Quan Chi's ears would have hurt from the screaming which surrounded him if he had been an ordinary mortal, but he was not. All the stolen souls came together and sailed through the air until the unholy mass rested in front of the sorcerer. A group of savage zombies stood at the exact spot where the kidnapped humans had been only a short time ago. The new zombies joined the old ones who had brought them into the lair in a random walk around the ground as Quan Chi telepathically called for his master. Shinnok promptly appeared out of the air a few steps in front of his servant since he already knew why he was being summoned. The red demon raised his right arm, with the palm facing the sorcerer, as Quan Chi sent the mass of stolen souls his way. Shinnok inhaled the souls and felt stronger yet. He roared in laughter. It was another ten minutes of brisk walking on the second floor before Liu heard the loud laughter which seemed to follow the terrified screams he detected just a short time ago. He knew that the sound came from closeby and then spotted the person he despised most at this time. From the second floor level and through the space next to the passageway, Liu saw Quan Chi on the ground below. The sorcerer was facing the lava pool as he seemed to be praying towards it. Shinnok, standing behind him, wore a happy expression on his face "What is the status on the rising?", the demon asked. "Very soon", the sorcerer assured. Without another word, Shinnok vanished into thin air. Near Quan Chi and where Shinnok previously stood, Liu spotted several thin zombies wondering away aimlessly. The earth warrior reasoned that the sorcerer had let his guard down since he already assumed, falsely, that Smoke had killed both earth realm kombatants. Liu could've run back to the elevator to go downstairs now that he knew where the sorcerer was located, but he did not wish to lose sight of this one, since doing so would mean giving Quan Chi a chance to escape. Instead, Liu walked towards the open space on the second floor, the whole time keeping his eyes set on the sorcerer below, and then jumped off until he wrapped his arms around one of the columns which held the second floor up. In such a fashion, the monk climbed down towards the ground, hoping that the sorcerer would not hear him approaching. From the first floor, Quan Chi only heard a light noise from high above. He turned his face upwards just in time to see Liu climbing down the column about thirty yards from the ground floor. Knowing that he had been spotted, Liu leapt off the column with his arms spread arms wide. The sorcerer's eyes ballooned wide open as he realized the mortal human was diving straight for him. Quan Chi let out a short yell before Liu reached him. The sorcerer reacted fast. He dropped down on his back and lifted his right leg ahead of the rest of his body. Liu's stomach met the bottom of the sorcerer's foot and Quan Chi continued with the monk's speed by grabbing Liu's shoulders and pushing the earth kombatant off him instantly. Liu flew horizontally along the ground floor as he curled his body into a ball. He gracefully landed on his feet several yards away from Quan Chi's head as the sorcerer stood back up fast. The monk screamed as he rushed back towards the sorcerer, who turned into his fighting stance. Not knowing how the monk had gotten away from the cyborg, the sorcerer ducked as Liu executed a high roundhouse kick aimed for his head. Coming back down on his feet, Liu tried to leg sweep his opponent, only to have Quan Chi jump up to avoid the second strike. The sorcerer tried to counterattack as he came back down on his feet and Liu stood up, but the monk delivered a high front kick with his left leg first. The bottom of Liu's foot slammed into his target's chin before his opponent staggered back and spat out blood. Eagerly following him, Liu delivered a right uppercut into the same chin and sent the sorcerer flying backwards in a semicircle. While still in the air, Quan Chi crashed into the nearest column and painfully bounced off it before coming to rest on his hands and knees. Feeling desperate, the sorcerer concentrated enough power in his right hand in the time it took Liu to run up to him to deliver more punishment. Quan Chi tossed the contents of his hand into Liu's face and the monk's upper body snapped backwards as he covered his eyes because he was blinded for a few seconds. As Liu gasped, frantically trying to regain his eyesight, the sorcerer stood up and ran away from him as fast as possible because he knew the instant magical concoction would not last long. "QUAN CHI!", Liu yelled as he saw the sorcerer's silhouette dashing away, "YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME!". Liu rubbed his eyes one last time as he had gotten enough of his eyesight back. "This world is not big enough to hide you from me, you moving target", the monk whispered under his breath. Liu chased after him. Before he was able to close the distance between the two of them, however, the monk saw Smoke leaping through the air from the sorcerer's direction towards him in a flying kick. The cyborg ignored the fleeing sorcerer as Quan Chi ran past him and kept his attention fixed on the human from earth. Liu's eyes widened when he spotted Smoke's return. The monk sidestepped towards the wall and away from the lava pit in just enough time so that Smoke's extended leg flew past him. The cyborg landed on his legs with the grace of a cat and wasted no time in attempting another offensive. The cyborg headbutted Liu in the nose. The monk saw stars as the back of his head crashed into the wall behind him. Liu screamed and twisted to his left while planting his right foot into the cyborg's stomach. That strike had almost no effect because Smoke next gripped his throat with a gray left grasp. The cyborg strangled Liu with that one hand as he pressed the monk's back against the wall and then lifted him a foot off the ground. Rather than kill him slowly by strangulation, Smoke then bent his right arm at the elbow and pointed his right hand towards Liu's face. It was only a split second before Liu knew that the cyborg planned to let loose a tongue of flame, thus intending to burn the monk instantly where he was held. While Smoke was trying previously to execute the flying kick against Liu, though, Quan Chi's hasty retreat to the elevator had been suddenly cut short when he had run right into Johnny Cage's form. The actor gripped the sorcerer by the collar with his right hand and smiled. "Well, well", the kombatant with the sunglasses grinned, "Look what the cat dragged in". Johnny punched him in the stomach with a left fist. As the sorcerer bent down, gasping for breath, the actor gripped him by the collar with both hands. Without another word, Johnny dragged the sorcerer towards the edge of the first floor where the lava pool began. With the front of Quan Chi's feet being held on the solid ground while the back of his feet were in the open space over the lava, the actor retained his grip on the sorcerer's collar as he stood in front of Quan Chi and slowly moved his arms towards the lava pool. Quan Chi screamed in fear as he found himself being dangled at a sixty degree angle just over the lava. Keeping the sorcerer in the vulnerable position, Johnny looked over his own shoulder to see Smoke gripping Liu in the air by the monk's throat, ready to burn his partner alive. "Release the hold you have on Smoke, or I swear I'll drop you right now!", the actor barked as he shook his arms a bit, indicating to Quan Chi that he was serious. The sorcerer did not answer at first, only looked into the kombatant's mirrored sunglasses with his