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Chapter Text

*Somewhere in Earth Realm!*

A group of humans were meeting together at an unmarked island in the Pacific Ocean. But these humans were no ordinary humans; they were some of the best fighters in the world. Each and every one of them had their own specific reasons for coming to this island, but there was one thing they all had in common. They wanted to be the new Champion of Mortal Kombat, an ancient fighting tournament.

One of those fighters was a Chinese Martial Artist and Monk by the name of Liu Kang. He wore a sleeveless black leather jacket with a white tank top underneath, as well as a pair of red and black sweatpants, and some black sneakers. On top of that, he wore a red head band around his head. He had been training for this tournament his whole life and he was more than ready. "I don't care who or what I may face in this tournament; I'm ready! But I must remember what Lord Raiden taught me. I must fight with honor for all of Earth Realm." Liu Kang told himself as he began walking towards a shabby old ship.

At the same time, another fighter began making his way towards the ship. Unlike Liu Kang, who was humble, he was a loud and obnoxious Hollywood movie star. He wore a light blue collar shirt with black slacks, dress shoes, a silver watch, and a $500 pair of sunglasses. His name was Johnny Cage, and he was entering this tournament for the hopes of fame and fortune. "I don't give a shit who he works for! No, I don't care if he works for the President! Look, Cage-Con would not exist without me! He can pay just like everyone else! Excuse me, will ya? I gotta go; my ride is here!" Cage argued on his fancy cellphone.

Behind him were two other fighters, annoyed be his loudness and rudeness. They were Special Forces agents on a mission to track down and retrieve a notorious cyber terrorist named Kano. The first of the two fighters was a young blonde woman with a muscular but attractive figure. She wore a black tank top, black shorts, black fingerless combat gloves, and black combat boots. Her name was Sonya Blade, and she took no bullshit from anyone. "Ugh...please tell me that we aren't stuck with that guy the whole way?" Sonya grumbled in frustration.

The other fighter was a large and muscular black man, who wore purple sweatpants and black combat boots. But the most peculiar thing about this man was that his arms were completely metal, due to losing them in the line of duty. He too was a no nonsense kind of guy, but was also big in being a team player. "Remember our mission, Sonya! We need to find out of Kano is participating in this tournament." Jax reminded. "I know. I just can't believe that I was stupid enough to trust him, that's all!" Sonya said with a deep bitterness in her voice. "Hey! Don't beat yourself up over it; what's done is done! Remember that this isn't personal!" Jax said. "It is for me!" Sonya muttered.

After they both got onboard the ship, it took off to sea. As they ventured deeper into the horizon, a storm began brewing. "Whoa! Would you look at that?" one of the many fighters pointed out. Lightning crashed and danced around in the air, putting up quite a display. Finally after a few hours, the lightning stopped and a great fog began creeping towards their direction. "We are getting close!" Liu Kang said out loud as he leaned against the stern. His thoughts were interrupted when a hand grabbed his shoulder, alerting him. "Hey, excuse me? You getting any signal on this crate? I think my phone is fried!" Johnny Cage asked as he showed off his dead cellphone. "I don't really use technology. Besides, where we're going, we won't need that. You will need to rely on your skills and wits." Liu Kang answered as he shook his head.

Johnny Cage smirked as he said that. "Skills and wits, eh? Well, not to brag or anything, but I'm damn good at what I do!" Johnny Cage said as he put his cellphone in his pocket. "And what is it that you do?" Liu Kang asked trying his best not to sound annoyed. "I bring the boom, that's what I do. The name's Cage; Johnny Cage! Maybe you've heard of me?" Johnny Cage said as he grabbed Liu Kang's hand and shook it furiously. "Um, I can't say that I have, sorry! My name is Liu Kang!" Liu Kang replied after he gently wrenched his hand away. "Well, I don't know about you kid, but I can already taste that championship belt. Or whatever this prize is, anyway!" Johnny Cage sneered.

Liu Kang chuckled at him, earning a strange look from the Hollywood actor. "What's so funny My fly is not down, is it?" Cage wondered. "You! You honestly think that this tournament is a game, do you? Let me tell you something: This tournament has been fought by many warriors for hundreds of years. Only the best, however, have a chance of winning. No offense to you Johnny Cage, but this is no game. This is Mortal Kombat!" Liu Kang explained gravely. "Say...that sounds like a great title for my next movie! I can see it now; Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat!" Johnny Cage said not even knowing how serious the monk was being. "Wow! This guy is a complete fool. I sure hope he realizes just what he's gotten himself into!" Liu Kang thought as he rolled his eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the ship arrived at another island. It was a large and rather ominous looking island, almost not human in nature. At the center of the island was a large mountain, and on top of that mountain was a temple of unknown origin. As everyone got off the ship, they made their way to the beach where a group of masked warriors with spears awaited them. "Oh thank God! Do any of you guys know where the bathroom is?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. None of the warriors answered him, however, and they simply walked away. "Hey, where are you guys going?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "I think we better follow those guys!" Jax said as he pointed. "What? Oh, right...maybe they'll show me on the way. Thanks! Johnny Cage is the name. Who are you again?" Johnny Cage said. "Sergeant Jackson Briggs, but my friends call me Jax." Jax said as he firmly shook his hand.

Johnny Cage grinned as he heard this. "Oh, great! The military is here; listen, you guys are not going to believe this. But apparently, they're holding some sort of ancient fighting tournament here!" Johnny Cage chattered as they walked. "You don't say?" Jax said as he rolled his eyes. "I know, right? But I just hope for their sake that this tournament isn't as cheap as the ride they gave us. At the very least we could do with a four star hotel!" Johnny Cage went on. "You are a long way from Hollywood, kid!" Jax said as he shook his head. "Hey, so you're a fan?! Have you ever seen UnCaged: The Revenge? Or how about Cage Master?" Johnny Cage continued before he glanced over at Sonya Blade.

Johnny Cage smiled as he approached her, hoping to woo her. "Hey there! The name's Johnny Cage, and you are?" he began as he got a little too close for her comfort. "Not interested!" Sonya said as she brushed him away. "Ah, you gonna play hard to get? That's cool; Johnny Cage doesn't mind a challenge." Johnny Cage said as he chased after her. But as he said that, he realized how many stairs they'd have to climb to get to the top. "Oh, great...I guess the elevator is out of service?" Johnny Cage muttered.

Eventually, everyone reached the top of the mountain and stopped at the main gate entrance. The entrance was huge; the doors had to be over 50 feet tall and were made of ancient wood and enamored with gold. There was a large dragon logo on the door's entrance, as well. "Dragons? How cliche! What, do they have koi ponds and cherry blossom trees, too?" Johnny Cage smartly remarked. "Shh! Look!" Liu Kang shushed as he pointed towards someone standing in front of the gate.

The person in question was a man wearing a black leather jacket with a dragon design on the back, as well as black leather pants and shoes. He even wore metal gauntlets on his hands, some of the finger tips razor sharp like claws. The man himself had long black hair and a sneaky smile on his face. "Welcome to my island, fellow warriors. My name is Shang Tsung, and I am the host of this year's Mortal Kombat Tournament." he announced with a sly tone of voice. "He's our host? I've got several complaints for this guy!" Johnny Cage grumbled. "Be quiet, will you?" Liu Kang hushed. "Before you settle yourselves in, let me give some ground rules. The first rule is that while you are free to explore the island at your leisure, there are certain areas that are off limits. Such as my own private chamber. Rule number two: No one gets off this island until the tournament is over! And lastly, do have fun...but remember that each day could be your last!" Shang Tsung announced.

After he spoke, he motioned his guards to open the doors. As they opened, a pathway was lit up with candles that led up to a large palace. "Oh! Now that's more like it; it certainly stylish!" Johnny Cage said out loud. Shang Tsung noticed this and chuckled sinisterly. "Well, I can see that some of you are easily impressed. But we haven't even started yet! Come, our welcoming feast is about to begin. We will then show you to your rooms afterwords. Follow me!" Shang Tsung said as he led the way. "A feast?! Finally, I'm starving!" Johnny cried excitedly.

A few hours after the feast, everyone was shown to their rooms. Most of the other warriors were too tired to do anything else but sleep. But Johnny Cage was not one of those people. He decided to try and explore around the island. "Oh man, if only my phone was working I could take some pics! Oh well! Let's see what I can find around this joint!" Johnny Cage said to himself. He explored a massive garden for a while until he got bored and entered inside another part of the palace. Inside of this section of the palace were chests, large vases, and old paintings on the walls. "Well, I certainly wouldn't have chosen this interior! Huh? What's this?" Johnny Cage said out loud as he caught sight of something.

He found himself staring at a large statue of a four armed monster. "Whoa! Now what the hell is that?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "That would be Goro!" Liu Kang answered as he walked out of the shadows. "Wait, what? What's a Goro? And how long have you been here?" Johnny Cage replied in confusion. "I grew weary of the crowd and wanted to find a quiet place to meditate." Liu Kang explained. "Let me ask you something. Is it me, or is there something strange about this place?" Johnny Cage wondered. "What do you mean?" Liu Kang asked now obviously annoyed. "I mean, there's no cameras or camera crew anywhere! Did they hide the cameras in the walls or something?" Johnny Cage blabbered on.

Suddenly, two people were seen coming towards their direction. It was Sonya and Jax. "I'm telling you, he's here somewhere! I know it!" Sonya said in disdain. "We've looked everywhere and we haven't found him, Sonya! Maybe that tip we got was false information!" Jax retorted. "No! I'm sure that Kano is here on this island, we're just not looking hard enough!" Sonya objected. "Hey, Sonya!" Johnny Cage announced. "Oh, God...not you again!" Sonya groaned in annoyance. "So...any of you guys seem to notice that this place is a little...off?" Johnny asked casually. "If by off, you mean the whole damn place is empty! Not a single soul anywhere outside of the dining hall or their rooms." Jax replied. "Yeah, and no cameras either! I don't know about you guys, but either this place is haunted or they're ripping us off! Which is it?" Johnny Cage suggested.

Suddenly, a lone figure walked out of the shadows towards them. "Neither, Johnny Cage." an old raspy voice announced. "What?! Who the heck are you?" Johnny Cage exclaimed in surprise from his sudden appearance. The old man wore white robes that completely covered his body and walked with a large white metal rod of some sort. He also wore a large rice paddy hat on his head. His skin was fair and his hair was long and white, and his eyes shined fiercely whenever he spoke. "Lord Raiden? You've come to the tournament?!" Liu Kang said in surprise. "Just to keep my eyes on you, my friend. But the tournament does not start until tomorrow. Why are you not resting?" Raiden wondered. "I was trying to meditate, until I was interrupted by present company!" Liu Kang answered.

Johnny Cage chuckled as he said that. "Oh, ok! I see what's going on here; this is some kind of a role playing game, isn't it? Like, you're supposed to be a wizard of some sort?" Johnny Cage said with a laugh. "That's enough! You will show Lord Raiden the respect he deserves!" Liu Kang cried angrily as he finally lost patience. Raiden held up his hand to calm him down. "Patience, Liu Kang. Everyone must learn in their own way. If you think that this is all a game or an illusion, Johnny Cage, think again. The threat we face here is very real!" Raiden began gravely. "If by danger, you mean death by boredom? Nothing's happened here all day! I was told that there'd be some action here, and so far all I've done either eat until I nearly burst or walk around in circles. Where's the excitement? Where's the adventure?! Come on, I need entertainment!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Raiden laughed at Johnny Cage's overeagerness, making him angry. "So that's what this all is to you, is it? A game? I can assure you that this is no game, Johnny Cage. This is Mortal Kombat, and only the greatest warriors can be chosen to participate. You were all chosen by the Elder Gods to partake in the greatest battle against evil of all time: Shao Kahn!" Raiden explained. "Shao Kahn? Is he the champion that we are to defeat in order to win this tournament?" Liu Kang asked. "No, my son. You must defeat him in order to protect Earth Realm. You see, there are different realms throughout all of the planes of existence, and Earth Realm is just one of many realms that Shao Kahn plans to conquer. He's already conquered Outworld, and if he wins this tournament, then Earth Realm shall certainly perish!" Raiden further explained.

This worried Liu Kang greatly, but the others looked like they weren't having it. "A battle for good and evil? Different dimensions? Why wasn't any of this mentioned in the contract?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Look, Raiden, or whatever your name is! My mission is to find Kano and bring him back to the Special Forces HQ, not participate in some game of life or death!" Sonya snapped. "You heard what Shang Tsung said earlier, did you not? You cannot leave this island until the tournament is over. You have no choice but to fight! Besides, I'm afraid your mission is not your main concern anymore. We are talking about the fate of millions, perhaps even billions of innocent souls at stake here." Raiden replied calmly.

Jax clapped Sonya on the shoulder. "He may have a point, Sonya. I mean, let's be real: Nothing looks right about this place. And if what he says is true, then maybe we oughta reprioritize ourselves." Jax said. "Is your head in the right place, Jax? This is Kano we're talking about here! He's murdered several of our own people, stolen weapons from our armory, and-" Sonya cried angrily. "He has killed someone that you cared about." Raiden finished.

Sonya glared at him as he said that. "How could you possibly know that?!" Sonya demanded. "I know why you all are here; you have your own reasons for participating in this tournament. You, Sonya Blade, are here because you wish to avenge the loss of your loved ones. You Jackson Briggs, are here to protect your loved ones. You, Johnny Cage, are here because you are eager not to win this tournament, but because you want to prove everyone you're not a fake. And you, Liu Kang, you are here because you have trained your whole life to fulfill your destiny!" Raiden explained as he paced around the room.

The others grew silent after he said that. Deep down, they knew that what Raiden was saying was right, even if they didn't want to admit it. But before another word could be said, they caught sight of a bright green light outside. "What's that?" Liu Kang asked. "Are we missing the fireworks or something?" Johnny added. "The tournament can't be starting now!" Raiden said halfway to himself. As such, they all rushed outside to see what was happening.

As they made their way towards the graveyard, they saw a large portal of some sort opening up in the air. It was giving a sickly green glow, but at the same time was hotter than the flames of hell. "What is going on?" Jax exclaimed. "Another dimension appears to be breaking through to the other side!" Raiden said. "Wait, so who's coming to our side?" Liu Kang wondered. Suddenly, just as the portal appeared, it disappeared. "Aw, that was it?" Johnny Cage joked.

But as he said that, the air suddenly grew dark and thick with the feeling of dread. It also grew quite cold like death, as if a massive shadow was cast over them. "What's going on? Who's there?! Come on out and show yourself!" Sonya Blade demanded. At first there was nothing, slightly scaring the others due to the sudden silence. "Out of the shadows! Reveal yourselves at once, and I promise you no harm will come to you!" Raiden announced.

Finally, a faint whoosh was heard from behind them. Raiden and the others turned around to see what had come from the other side. Or rather, who it was. A large, crimson red cape flowed in the air, covering a good bit of the figure standing there, save for some menacing glowing green eyes. A low growl came from the shadowy shroud before he stepped out from the cape that covered him like a pair of curtains.

The monster that stood before the others towered over them, glaring ominously at them with his glowing green eyes. He wore a black, red, and white costume, had spiked gauntlets on his arms and feet, had massive chains wrapped around his waist, and reeked of brimstone and death. It was Spawn and hell was about to break loose on Shang Tsung's island!

Chapter Text

As Spawn stood there ominously staring at the others in silence, the others didn't know what to make of him at first. At first glance, he looked like a threat that you'd only see in nightmares. Raiden could already sense the evil lurking within the shroud of Spawn's being, while Sonya and Jax just stared at him with intense caution. Liu Kang, on the other hand, could sense that there was something a bit more to Spawn than meets the eye. Though, he couldn't quite put his finger on it just yet.

But of course, all the silence was broken thanks to Cage's big mouth. "Ok, wow! I'm just gonna say what's all on our minds: That is the coolest costume I've ever seen in my life!" Cage announced as he began walking towards Spawn. Spawn just growled in annoyance as he slowly backed away, alerting the others from his movement. "Cage, what the hell are you doing?!" Sonya hissed. "Man, you don't even know who or what he is!" Jax added. "It's all right, guys. I've got this!" Cage boasted.

Cage removed his shades before he pulled out a pen and a notebook from his pocket. "Please tell me that no one has signed for you yet! Because I've got the feeling you're going to be box office gold!" Cage said as he began scribbling in his notebook. Spawn just stared at him in sullen silence. "The strong and silent type, huh? All right; I think I can make that work. So what's your back story? Are you a rich guy who lost his parents? You come from another alien planet? Or maybe you're a toxic mutant looking for revenge? That one always sells!" Cage rambled on.

Sonya looked like she wanted to punch his lights out, but Raiden finally stepped forward to try to contain the situation before it got out of hand. "Johnny Cage? Perhaps I should speak to this newcomer." Raiden suggested. "Yeah, good idea Ray-Ray! Maybe you can convince him to introduce the guy who designed that badass costume of his!" Cage said as he put his shades back on after putting his notebook and pen away. Raiden sighed before he introduced himself to the newcomer. "Greetings, stranger. I am Lord Raiden; the God of Thunder and Protector of Earth Realm. What is your business here in Outworld? From which Realm do you hail from?" Raiden questioned.

At first, Spawn didn't respond. He just stood there staring at the others, as if he were studying them. "Maybe he's a mute?" Jax suggested. "Or maybe he's anticipating his next move of attack!" Sonya said with caution. Raiden then decided to try a different approach. "Are you lost? Perhaps I can help you find your way back home. Where is your home?" Raiden asked a bit more calmly. Spawn still said nothing. "This is a waste of time!" Sonya groaned. "Man, I don't like this. This dude don't seem right!" Jax agreed.

Spawn looked like he had enough of these guys, so he turned around and began walking away. "Hey, where are you going? I forgot to introduce myself! I'm-" Cage announced as he ran up to Spawn. "About to take your head off, if you don't walk away from me!" Spawn growled in low, demonic tone as he sharply turned around. The others became wide eyed with shock as he finally spoke. "So, you can speak!" Raiden said coyly after a moment of silence. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in auditioning to be the next Power Rangers villain, are you? Because I-" Cage said as he took one step forward.

This proved to be a bad choice. Spawn suddenly lashed a chain around Cage's neck, lifting him into the air. "Get away from me!" Spawn snarled as he tossed Cage into a patch of prickly bushes. Cage screamed as he was thrown, earning stares of shock/amusement from the others. "Huh...I guess he isn't so bad after all." Sonya muttered half jokingly to herself. "OW! That hurt!" Cage cried out in pain from inside the bushes.

Spawn turned around and kept on walking, when suddenly Raiden teleported in front of him, blocking his way. "We're not finished here, stranger. The least you can do is tell me your name and the nature of your business here in our realm." Raiden said in more stern tone of voice. Spawn clenched his fists in frustration; he didn't know who these people were, and he quite frankly didn't give a damn. He had places to be and people to see. "You know something? I've met more impressive gods!" Spawn sneered.

The others were shocked as he said such a rude statement, especially Liu Kang. But Raiden just narrowed his eyes angrily as he said that. "And I, more courteous devils!" he growled. "Since when does a devil need manners?" Spawn growled back. But before anything else could be said or done between the two, Shang Tsung arrived at the scene. "What in the world is all this commotion?" Shang Tsung demanded. "It seems we have a visitor, sorcerer. A friend of yours perhaps?" Raiden said as he glanced at him. "Ahh, I see...and who are you, stranger? Might I say that costume of yours is simply...invigorating!" Shang Tsung said with a hiss of pleasure.

Spawn glared at Shang Tsung as he said that. He could already tell that there was bad vibes coming from him, judging by the aura of negative energy surrounding him. "Hmph! Enslaving souls is mighty low, Shang Tsung!" Spawn growled. "Wait, how do you know him? Who are you?!" Liu Kang thought to himself. "How dare you! A Hellspawn cannot judge me!" Shang Tsung snapped. "Judge you? Motherfucker, where I come from, the souls I've come across curse your name. And when the time comes, I won't just judge you...I'll be your executioner!" Spawn snapped back.

Everyone grew silent in awe as he said that; nobody dared to speak out against the great and powerful Sorcerer of Outworld like that. After a moment of awkward silence, Raiden spoke up. "Well, Hellspawn. You certainly aren't shy about your nature, I'll give you that. But if you plan to stay here in our realm, you best make your intentions known now!" Raiden said now beginning to lose his patience. "Look! You back off, or I'll permanently introduce your face to your colon! My business here is my own, and nobody else's!" Spawn snarled as he got in his face.

Raiden tightly clenched his fists, causing them to spark with electric energy. This amused Shang Tsung greatly, as he began to smirk and chuckle lightly. "Ah, I see now. You're a wild card! This will be most amusing." Shang Tsung said out loud. Suddenly, Johnny Cage came stumbling towards everyone all bruised and covered in thorns. "Ow! Yeah, I'm fine thanks for asking!" Cage cried out in pain. Spawn sighed as he shook his head and turned his back to the others, walking towards a large and rather dark looking forest. "Look, I don't have time for this. I've got things to take care of here, and I won't let anyone get in my way. So just stay away from me and you'll live longer. It's best that way!" Spawn said before he disappeared into the forest. Raiden chose not to go after him, as he knew that further words of anger or frustration would lead to consequences. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you, Hellspawn!" Raiden growled.

Liu Kang saw Raiden's frustration and decided that he would take matters into his own hands. "Lord Raiden? If I may, let me try to speak to this newcomer. Maybe I can get more out of him." Liu Kang offered. "No. You just stay focused on your training for this tournament. I'll worry about our new guest!" Raiden replied. "With all due respect, you saw how he defied Shang Tsung. Perhaps he could be of help to us!" Liu Kang said quietly so as to not attract attention from the mentioned sorcerer.

Raiden took a moment to consider what he just said; not very many people were brave enough to stand up against Shang Tsung and live. "Perhaps! But for now, it's best we leave him be. Because whatever reason he's here for surely means no good for any of us. He is a Hellspawn, after all!" Raiden said at last. "I'm quite aware of that. But I can sense something else from him. He seems...different from many of the demons I've heard about." Liu Kang said. Raiden looked at him with a surprised expression as he said that. "What? I've been studying in between my training. I'd like to know who and what I might be going up against." Liu Kang said. "Be careful, Liu Kang. Not all knowledge is meant for mortal eyes!" Raiden warned sternly.

Liu Kang bowed his head in response. "I understand! But will you at least keep in mind what I said? He really doesn't seem to be the kind of demon to want to conquer our realm. If anything, it seems like he's looking for someone. Maybe somebody he cares about?" Liu Kang suggested. Raiden sighed heavily as he said that, but he nodded his head. "Very well. I do not think it is wise, but I will keep what you said in mind. But right now, our top priority is preparing for the tournament. Now go get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow!" Raiden said at last. "Thank you, Lord Raiden. I will not let you down!" Liu Kang said as he bowed his head.

Meanwhile; Spawn was wandering through the Forest of Darkness. He sensed another aura of dark energy, but this time it was something he recognized. He knew this energy well, which is why he left so suddenly from the others to go find it. "I know this feeling! I recognize it anywhere!" Spawn muttered to himself. After a few hours of searching through the Forest of Darkness, Spawn finally found the source of the aura of dark energy. It was the form of a woman, one he was very familiar with. She had fair white skin, short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very curvaceous and seductive body. She was also a powerful and deadly witch.

Her name was Reika Kitami and she was from another infamous world known as Bible Black. Spawn had met this woman before a while back. He had saved her life from horrible creatures called Shadow Demons, monstrosities that were hellbent on destroying all form of living things in existence by consuming them and taking their place. Ever since then, the two have formed quite a bond.

As Spawn approached her, Reika looked at him and smiled. She wore a tight black dress that hugged her beautiful body, but that didn't stop her from using her dark magic to combat anyone who got in her way. "Well, you certainly took your time. Where were you?" Reika asked with a flirtatious giggle. "I ran into some trouble. Nothing I couldn't handle. How did you end up here?" Spawn replied. "I think the portal that we both took transported me in the opposite direction. But don't worry, I'm alright. So tell me more about this trouble of yours. You talk to anyone who might be willing to help us?" Reika explained as she sat on a stone.

Spawn groaned as she said that, earning a look from her. "We don't need anyone's help, Kitami! We can do this ourselves!" Spawn insisted. "You're kidding, right?! You know what happened the last time, don't you? That son of a bitch nearly killed us!" Reika snapped. "We nearly had him, and he fled the fight before we could finish it!" Spawn argued. "We got lucky! If it hadn't been for that strange portal, that bastard and his little friends would've killed us! Even with our combined might, we're no match for him!" Reika pointed out.

Spawn sighed heavily as she said that; deep down, he knew that she was right. "I just don't want anyone getting in my way, that's all! I've had enough problems dealing with Skulker for God knows how long and the last thing I need is some high and mighty asshole getting in the way." Spawn said in disdain. "I know, honey. I really do...but we have to face the facts. Skulker has gotten stronger somehow, and if there's any chance of us defeating him for good, we need to take it. Look, why not let me try talking to someone? No offense, but you're not exactly good with your words!" Reika suggested.

Spawn groaned in agitation, but he finally agreed. "All right. We'll try it your way!" Spawn said at last. "All right, then. Well, lead the way studboy! We'll need all the help we can get, especially since Skulker has probably gotten more minions of his own even as we speak." Reika said as she stood up. Spawn growled as she said that; he knew damn well what she said was more than right. In fact, even as they did speak, a new and rather Deadly Alliance was being formed!

Chapter Text

*Somewhere in the Shadow Realm*

The Shadow Realm; a place of complete and total darkness and evil. A place where no light ever shines, lest it be swallowed up by the infinite blackness of the void. Here, only the darkest and most evil spirits and souls linger. Some may call this place hell, but to other evil souls it was the perfect paradise for their wicked existence. Such was the case of the Shadow Realm's residents, the Shadow Demons. These monstrous and horrible creatures were the things of nightmares. To describe it would be suicidal, but let's just say that these things were your worst nightmares come true in the ghastly shapes and forms of shadows. But all of that would change soon enough, for something...or someone, far more sinister would arrive.

Suddenly and without warning, a portal of dark energy opened, causing lightning and other bizarre energies to permeate the air. As a dark figure slowly walked out of the portal and entered the Shadow Realm, many Shadow Demons gathered and arrived to antagonize their visitor. "Who disturbs the shadows?" a Shadow Demon hissed. At first, there was no response from the intruder. "Answer, or forever be silenced!" another Shadow Demon growled. The only response the Shadow Demons got was a swift decapitation from a very sharp and rather demonic looking blade.

Now let it be known that to kill a Shadow Demon is nearly impossible by any means. However, there are only two known ways a Shadow Demon can be destroyed; either with powerful sources of light or with equally powerful sources of demonic dark energy. So whoever killed these Shadow Demons has had experience with them.

Meanwhile in a dark and ominous looking fortress in the heart of the Shadow Realm, two literally shady characters were seen standing in front of a large pit. This pit was home to a large black flame, which served as a source of power for the Shadow Realm. The two characters standing in front of it were notoriously evil souls.

The first character was a vile sorcerer with an albino skin tone, parallel black stripes extending upward from his eyelids and extending over the top of his head. He also had an extensive collection of red tattoo-like markings on his head, back and arms. He also had an elliptical red gem planted in the center of his forehead. He wore demonic ebony armor that covered most of his torso and legs. But the most notable thing of all about this character was that he was a notorious liar, schemer, and a manipulative backstabber. His name was Quan-Chi.

The other character was just as ghastly, if not more intimidating looking. He was a ghastly wraith that wore a completely black hooded ninja outfit adorned with Kilgore armor, a strange and hellish metal that only the best top ranking Shadow Demons wore. He carried a nasty jagged sickle with him at all times, capable of ripping and tearing someone apart in a heartbeat. But this demonic weapon was also capable of ripping the air itself, creating black holes that helped this wraith teleport around. But the most intimidating thing about this wraith was the cold, dead, lifeless eyes that stared at you from his black masked face. And when he spoke, he spoke with a deep, raspy, and chilling tone. His name was Noob Saibot.

Quan-Chi laughed sinisterly as he pulled out a book of demonic spells. "At long last, I have found it! The source of ultimate power is finally mine! With this power, I will rule all of Outworld!" Quan-Chi said to himself. "Death will come to all!" Noob Saibot rasped. "Yes. And they will all serve me as my slaves. And I will rule them all as their new god!" Quan-Chi chuckled with evil delight.

But before the sorcerer could say or do another thing, a Shadow Demon teleported behind them. "My lords! I bring grave news! There is a monster killing us off! He is coming here now even as we speak!" the Shadow Demon frantically cried as he bowed. "What?! Who would dare come here, and why now? Send out the Shadow Guardians immediately and destroy this intruder!" Quan-Chi demanded angrily. "Th-th-that's the thing, my lord! This intruder...he's killed them!" the Shadow Demon whimpered. "What?! That's impossible! Who could possess such power?!" Quan-Chi cried.

Suddenly, a large explosion startled them as a huge hole in the wall was busted wide open from the other side. From the dust and smoke, a dark silhouette of the intruder was seen. The intruder slowly marched his way inside of the fortress, with the smoke concealing him. He then threw something over at Quan-Chi and Noob Saibot. It took them both a brief moment to realize what they were looking at, but the shock soon hit them. It was the severed heads of their Shadow Guardians.

The Shadow Guardians were gigantic demonic golems that came from the deepest, darkest depths of the Shadow Realm, and were only summoned whenever the Shadow Realm was ever threatened. They were borderline impossible to kill by any mere mortal, but this intruder had proved that he was no mere mortal. As the smoke and dust finally cleared, Quan-Chi and Noob Saibot were able to get a better look at their unwanted guest.

He was by far the most evil, vile, and terrifying thing that they had ever laid eyes on, and that was really saying something. He stood over 6 feet tall and wore nothing but black. He wore black metal armor covered in blackened bones and blackened skull fragments, black leather pants with black metal studs and blackened bones, boots and gauntlets adorned with black skulls, a ghastly blackened hood made of black fur (made from who knows what), and a dreadful black metal helmet with curved devilish horns. But by far the most terrifying thing of all was the face of this monster; it was a skull with glowing red eyes.

This monster carried a nasty looking greatsword made of obsidian in one hand, and an MGL grenade launcher in the other. Quan-Chi glared at the intruder as he stepped forward. "Who are you, to dare intrude the Shadow Realm?" he demanded. The intruder laughed sinisterly as his weapons suddenly faded away into ash. "Call me Skulker!" he said in a deep, raspy voice equivalent to Noob Saibot's. "Well, Skulker...I hope you aren't expecting me to be impressed. Because you not only interrupted me from my plans to rule Outworld-" Quan-Chi began.

Skulker laughed at him in response, further angering the sorcerer. "What is it? What's so funny?!" Quan-Chi growled. "You! You and your little talk of plans. What? You think a useless spell-book like that is going to help you? I've got something even better than that!" Skulker sneered. "What could you possibly possess that's greater?" Quan-Chi demanded. "My will to kill and destroy! You see, if I want something done...I make sure that there's nothing left to stand in my way!" Skulker boasted. Quan-Chi stared at him for a moment before he smirked. "Is that right? So tell me something, Skulker? What is it that you want?" Quan-Chi wondered. "I want to burn every realm of existence to the fucking ground!" Skulker simply replied.

It was Quan-Chi's turn to laugh. "Really? That's all you want? Why destroy when you could conquer and rule above as a god?" Quan-Chi suggested. The sorcerer had hoped to turn this around in his favor, and try to manipulate this fool into doing his bidding. But what Skulker said next shocked him. "Who the fuck needs a god? I'm a Hellspawn!" Skulker proclaimed.

Quan-Chi burst into uproarious laughter after a moment of silence. "You're an even bigger fool than I imagined!" the sorcerer laughed. "I could kill you right here, right now...and you'd be powerless to stop me!" Skulker spat defiantly. "Go ahead and try me, fool! You won't be the first to try and kill me!" Quan-Chi challenged.

But before the two could fight, Noob Saibot stopped Quan-Chi and pulled him aside. "A word, my lord?" Noob Saibot began. "What is it?" Quan-Chi snapped. "Perhaps he could be of use to us? You were hoping to find a means to resurrect Shinnok. Perhaps this stranger could help us?" Noob Saibot suggested. Quan-Chi rubbed his chin in deep thought, and then he smiled evilly as he got an idea. "Yes...perhaps he could be of use to me after all. Clever thinking on your part, Bi-Han!" Quan-Chi chuckled evilly.

Quan-Chi slowly walked over towards Skulker with an evil grin on his face, making the Hellspawn cautious. "Perhaps we both got a little carried away, Skulker. If it's destruction and chaos that you want, I would be happy to oblige. What do you know of the Kamidogu?" Quan-Chi began. "What the hell is that? And how is that going to give me what I want?" Skulker demanded. "Patience now! Allow me to explain: The Kamidogu are ancient artifacts that are capable of granting extraordinary powers to whoever possesses them." Quan-Chi explained.

Skulker snickered in evil delight as he heard this. "I like the sound of that! Please, tell me more." Skulker mused. "It is said that if all 6 Kamidogu are brought together, then the ancient god Shinnok will be resurrected. Should that happen, you would be greatly rewarded with anything you desire!" Quan-Chi continued with a devious grin.

Skulker slowly approached Quan-Chi and stared at him for a moment before he spoke. "You had my curiosity. But now...you have my undivided attention! Just tell me, where I can find these Kamidogu?" Skulker said. "It is said that the Kamidogu embody the essence of the realm that it rests in. There are 6 major realms where the Kamidogu reside: Earthrealm, Netherrealm, Chaosrealm, Outworld, Orderrealm, and Edenia." Quan-Chi explained.

Skulker nodded his head. "All right! Where do we begin?" Skulker said. Quan-Chi chuckled sinisterly. "Excellent! With our combined might and wit, we will resurrect Shinnok in no time." Quan-Chi proclaimed. "But where do we start looking?" Skulker demanded growing impatient. "Hmm...I do know that there is a tournament going on in Outworld right now." Quan-Chi began after a moment of thought. "A tournament? What kind of tournament?!" Skulker asked snappishly. "They call it Mortal Kombat! Every 1000 years, every realm sends their best warriors to partake in this tournament. Say...now there's an idea!" Quan-Chi continued as he grinned.

Skulker chuckled as he caught along. "I see...you want me to participate in this little game so I can get closer to our little prize?" Skulker mused. "You catch on quickly, my friend! You and Bi-Han here will fight on my behalf in this tournament. As you two fight in this tournament, you will work together to find the Kamidogu. And then, you will bring it to me!" Quan-Chi instructed.

Skulker laughed evilly as he imagined all the fresh carnage and death he would create in this tournament. "All right. What are we waiting for? If I have the chance to kill someone and get a tool of ultimate power, then who the hell am I to refuse? Let's get going!" Skulker cried excitedly. "Excellent! To Outworld; our prize awaits!" Quan-Chi said with a sneaky grin as he created a portal. Soon, the three villains entered the portal to Outworld. A new and Deadly Alliance was now formed!

Chapter Text

Back on Shang Tsung's Island, the sorcerer had summoned everyone at the main courtyard. He was to host the first series of battles that would take place. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have summoned you all here for the beginning of our great tournament. But I do feel compelled to remind you that this tournament has been won by Outworld for the past 9000 years by it's champion; me! If by some chance you do succeed in defeating me, you will be crowned champion of Mortal Kombat!" Shang Tsung announced boastfully.

Within the crowd of many fighters present, there were murmurs. "He's the champion? This will be easier than I thought!" Johnny Cage said out loud. "Like that will ever happen!" Sonya muttered as she rolled her eyes. Liu Kang did his best to ignore them both, instead focusing on the battles to come. "My mind and body are as one." Liu Kang kept telling himself. 

But little did he or anyone else realize that a newcomer had snuck their way into the crowd. She wore a black hooded robe to conceal herself, doing her best to stay hidden in plain sight. "Look at all these people! They came all the way here in this dump just to fight in some lousy karate tournament?!" the woman thought to herself in disbelief. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her from behind, making her yelp. "Ah! Don't touch me, you-" she began. "You do not belong here! Who are you?" Lord Raiden sternly asked.

The woman slowly lifted her head to show her eyes, though a shadow had concealed the rest of her face. "I'm just a traveller in search of some answers, that's all." the woman answered half truthfully. Raiden smirked as she said that. "Is that right? Well, you've travelled such a long way. What is it that you are looking for?" Raiden asked as he decided to play along with her. "I need to find someone. He's hurt me and my friend in a really bad way, and I seek to punish him for what he did!" the woman replied carefully after a moment of thought.

Raiden nodded his head. "I see. You seek vengeance! There are many others who follow in that path, but it often leads them towards destruction, pain, and suffering." Raiden warned. "Ha! The guy we're after has caused nothing but destruction, pain, and suffering! I think it's safe to say he deserves what's coming to him!" the woman said with a scornful laugh.

Raiden was taken aback by what this woman said, and merely shook his head. "I just hope for your sake and Earth Realm's sake, that your intentions are good." Raiden said at last to himself. "What else do we have to gain from this?" the woman shot back as she heard him. "We?! So you are not alone in this quest of vengeance?" Raiden challenged. "Oh, damn!" the woman cursed as she was caught.

However, they were interrupted when Liu Kang approached them. "The tournament is about to start, Lord Raiden. Shall we?" Liu Kang said before he noticed the woman in black. "Uh, yes. Let us prepare for Kombat!" Raiden replied simply before giving the woman in black one last look. The woman gave him one last look before she walked away towards the crowd, where they surrounded a square stage where the fighting would take place. 

Shang Tsung sat on a throne in a podium that overlooked everything and smirked as he already had an idea who would start the tournament. "Mr. Cage? You will have the honor of putting the tournament in motion!" Shang Tsung announced with a sly grin. "Whoa! Did you hear that?! I'm getting the royal treatment! First prize, here I come!" Johnny Cage announced boastfully. "Great! I can't wait!" Sonya said out loud with pure sarcasm dripping in her voice. "This, I've gotta see!" Jax added with a smirk as he lit up a cigar.

As Johnny Cage got onto the stage, he already started showboating. "All right! Who's first to go up against the Cage-i-nator? Is it you? Or maybe you?" Johnny Cage boasted as he pointed to several people in the audience. "Your first opponent will be Baraka; Scourge of Outworld!" Shang Tsung announced as he pointed towards other side of the stage. As he spoke, a large and fearsome looking creature leapt from the crowd, snarling viciously.

As he marched his way towards the center of the stage, everyone got a better look at him. He was over 6 feet tall, had rough, leathery tan skin, small boney spikes on his head, ugly yellow eyes, and wore strange white and brown leather pants. But the most notable features of this creature were his mouthful of razor sharp teeth and large metallic blades that protruded from his arms at will.

Needless to say, Johnny Cage was impressed...for the wrong reasons. "Whoa! Sick costume dude! Who's your makeup artist?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Do you even know what I am, human?" Baraka snarled. "Uh, no wait! Let me guess: a Cannibal Humanoid Underground Dweller?" Johnny Cage stupidly stated. "I am death, you imp! And I shall wear your skin after I'm through with you!" Baraka roared as he unleashed his metal arm blades. "Dude...please tell me that nobody signed you yet!" Johnny Cage said. "Let the tournament begin!" Shang Tsung announced before a large gong was rung.

Baraka roared as he charged towards Johnny Cage, catching the Hollywood actor off guard from his sudden burst of speed. "Whoa, hey! Are we live already?!" Johnny Cage cried out as he began ducking and dodging Baraka's savage arm blades. "Hold still, human!" Baraka snarled as he kept trying to slash at him. "Whoa! Take it easy, dude! I just got this shirt dry cleaned!" Johnny Cage cried as barely escaped from a savage slash attack.

Baraka finally lost patience with this foolish human; he obviously wasn't taking this seriously. Baraka decided to play dirty and clashed both metal arm blades together, creating a massive spark that came flying towards Johnny Cage. "Augh! What the hell, man?! That freakin' hurt!" Johnny Cage cried out as he was forced on his back. Baraka roared as he pounced on Johnny Cage, pinning him to the ground. He snarled viciously in his face, getting spittle all over him. "Ugh! Two words, Nosferatu: Breath mints!" Johnny Cage groaned as Baraka's putrid breath hit him. "Taste my blades, human!" Baraka growled as he stabbed both metal arm blades into Johnny's chest.

Johnny Cage let out a loud scream of pure anguish and pain, much to the amusement or shock of the audience. "Damn! That's gotta hurt!" Jax winced. "If we're lucky he'll be dead soon!" Sonya said with a smirk. Baraka forced Johnny Cage up before punching him away, sending him flying across the stage with a large stream of blood. "OW! Oh, shit...I'm definitely gonna need some stitches for these!" Johnny Cage groaned as he slowly got up and observed his wounds. "Your death draws near, human!" Baraka growled.

Johnny Cage grew serious as he said that. "Nobody is going to put me through early retirement. Ok, toothache! You wanna play rough, huh?!" Johnny Cage cried angrily. Baraka snarled in response as he drew out his arm blades again. "Let's dance!" Johnny Cage said before he charged towards Baraka. This time, it was Johnny Cage who brought the pain, as he threw several hard hitting punches and kicks at Baraka. "Huh! Not bad! The kid knows how to throw a punch, I'll give him that!" Jax to himself as he observed Johnny Cage. "Oh, please! He'll be lucky if he makes it through to the end of this day!" Sonya grumbled.

As Johnny Cage and Baraka fought, the woman in black also seemed impressed by his fighting skills. "Hmm...for a loudmouth, he's actually pretty good. Maybe he can help us?" the woman said to herself. Back on the stage, Johnny Cage forced Baraka up into the air from a massive flip kick, causing the beastly creature to fall back down on his back with a tremendous force, causing the concrete stage to crack upon impact. Johnny Cage smirked as he did a backflip onto the other side of the stage. "I do my own stunts!" Johnny Cage boasted.

Baraka bolted back up and roared ferociously; he would be damned if this human were to defeat him in Kombat! As Baraka charged towards Johnny Cage for the kill, something happened that neither Johnny Cage or anyone else was expecting. As Johnny Cage charged towards Baraka, he glowed with bright green energy. With this energy, Johnny Cage kicked Baraka away with such a powerful force, that it sent him flying off the stage and crashing into a wall, effectively knocking him out cold! "Whoa! Did you guys see that?! That was awesome!" Johnny Cage excitedly cried out. "Damn! Did you guys see that green energy surrounding him as he did that?!" Jax exclaimed. "Now that is something I wasn't expecting!" Sonya admitted. Raiden only smirked as he watched this. "It looks like he's finally unlocked his true potential, after all!" Raiden thought.

Shang Tsung was taken by surprise of this; he hadn't expected Johnny Cage to win at all, let alone against one of Outworld's most ferocious fighters. "Hmph! It looks like Johnny Cage is the winner of this round!" Shang Tsung announced half-heartedly. The crowd cheered for Johnny Cage, earning a big grin on his face. "Yes, thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience! So who's next?" Johnny Cage proclaimed as he basked in his glory.

Not a moment too soon, a challenger arrived at the stage. He was more human than the last opponent, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. He wore a brown leather rancher style jacket, a bullet bandolier slung over his chest, an unbuttoned tan undershirt, brown khakis with a brown leather belt, brown leather boots and gloves, and a brown cowboy rancher style hat with a brown bandanna that concealed his mouth and nose. On each hip he holstered western style six shooter pistols and his back he holstered a beautiful but deadly Winchester lever action repeater rifle.

He was the notorious outlaw and bounty hunter of Outworld, Erron Black. "I challenge you to a duel, boy. It's high time I knocked you off your high horse!" Erron Black said in a gruff voice. Johnny Cage smirked as he saw him. "A cowboy? Really?! Are you sure that I'm on the right soundstage?" Johnny Cage joked.

Erron Black took no insult lightly, and he wouldn't take any crap from this stranger. "You just shut your mouth and get ready to draw!" Erron Black snapped. "Shouldn't a tumbleweed roll through, first?" Johnny Cage smartly added before the gong was rung again. In what seemed like an instant, Erron Black whipped out his pistols and began shooting a barrage of bullets at Johnny Cage.

Johnny Cage cried out as he barely dodged the bullets before he was able to get close to Erron Black and threw some punches. Erron Black blocked most of his attacks before he grabbed his rifle and swung it at Johnny Cage's face, knocking him back onto his chest. "Ow! that hurt, you-" Johnny Cage began before Erron Black stomped onto his back. "Dang it, get up! And fight like a man, not dance around like a hooligan!" Erron Black taunted as he took a step back while reloading his pistols.

Johnny Cage cursed as he slowly got back up and brushed himself off. "All right, cowboy! You wanna play rough? Let's play rough!" Johnny Cage snapped as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out some brass knuckles. Erron Black fired off a couple of shots, but Johnny Cage was ready this time. He ducked and avoided the bullets before dashed towards his opponent, delivering some hard hitting punches.

Erron Black cried out as he was hit, but he wasn't ready to throw down the towel just yet. He managed to kick Johnny Cage away before he pulled out a glass jar full of acid before throwing on the ground. Johnny Cage made the mistake of stepping in the acid, which ate through his shoes and burned his feet. "AUGH! What the fuck?! I just bought these shoes! You son of a-" Johnny Cage screamed before a rope caught him.

Erron Black smirked before he yanked Johnny Cage towards him before he delivered some nasty punches, pummeling the Hollywood super star he sent him flying away with a roundhouse kick. "Ooh, this hurts just to watch!" Jax said with a wince. "Come on, Johnny! You can beat this asshole; fight back!" Sonya cried out.

Johnny Cage heard this and suddenly gained the will and strength to win this fight. "She called me by my name!" Johnny Cage said in disbelief as he slowly got back up. "It's time, boy!" Erron Black growled as he pulled out his rifle and took aim. But as he fired, Johnny Cage's power kicked in and gave him the upper hand. The bullets did no damage to Johnny Cage and Erron Black was caught off guard as the Hollywood actor dashed towards him and assaulted him with a barrage of quick punches and kicks. "It's showtime!" Johnny Cage proudly proclaimed before he sent Erron Black flying up into the air with a flip kick.

The cowboy hollered as he was sent flying, but Cage wasn't finished yet. He grabbed Erron Black and kneed him several times in the chest before roundhouse kicking him in the face, forcing him away. "Here comes the grand finale!" Johnny Cage cried out as he charged with energy before he kicked towards Erron Black. The force of the kick was so powerful, that it shattered Erron Black's jaw and sent him flying several feet into the air before he landed back onto the ground on his back with a forceful impact, knocking him out cold. "And cut; that's a wrap!" Johnny Cage boasted as he posed in triumph.

Shang Tsung clapped his hands slowly as he smiled evilly. "Yes, well done Mr. Cage. Now then...finish him!" Shang Tsung said slowly. Johnny Cage looked up at him in shock as he said that. "What? What do you mean, finish him? The fight's over!" Johnny Cage said. "The fight is not over until one man is left standing alive. Now kill him!" Shang Tsung snapped.

Johnny Cage looked at him with both anger and confusion; this was not his style. "No! Ok, this is not what I signed up for. This guy might be an asshole, but I'm not gonna kill him. That ain't how Johnny Cage rolls!" Johnny Cage boldly proclaimed. Raiden smiled as he saw and heard this; he knew that deep down, Johnny Cage was a good soul. "How disappointing! But so be it, Mr. Cage." Shang Tsung said with a hiss as he sat back down on his throne.

As Johnny Cage left the stage, he was approached by Raiden. "Well done, Johnny Cage. You truly do have the heart of an honorable warrior!" Raiden praised. "I do? Oh, uh...I mean, of course I do. Johnny Cage is a fighter, but he's no killer! I fight with style!" Johnny Cage replied. "Don't be celebrating too early, Cage. We still have a long way to go before winning this tournament!" Liu Kang warned. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I can handle this!" Johnny Cage proclaimed as he put his arm on Liu Kang's shoulder, much to the Shaolin Warrior's disdain. 

Soon enough, Jax and Sonya approached them. “I gotta hand to you, Cage! You sure know how to handle yourself in a fight. Might make a soldier outta you yet!” Jax complimented. “Really? Huh…I like the sound of that! Commando Cage!” Johnny Cage said with a smirk. “You got lucky, that’s all. Don’t keep pushing your luck; this isn’t one of your movies!” Sonya warned sternly. “That would explain the kickass production values of this place!” Johnny Cage muttered.

Just then, the woman in black approached the group. "Ooh, what's this? Another fan perhaps?" Johnny Cage wondered. "I have to admit; you can hold your own pretty well, mister." the woman in black complimented. "Well, thanks! Anything for the fans. Uh, I didn't catch your name, miss-" Johnny Cage began. The woman in black removed her hood and finally revealed herself. "I am Reika Kitami, and I think I can trust you guys to help me." the witch said calmly and politely. "What kind of trouble are you in?" Jax asked. "Do explain yourself, my dear." Raiden added cautiously.

Reika gave him a look, but she nodded her head. "I won't lie to you, guys. Me and my friend are in desperate need of allies." Reika began. "Why? What's the problem?" Liu Kang wondered. "A demon with unspeakable power wishes to destroy all life as we know it, and no matter how many times we've tried to kill him, he's always managed to gain the upper hand. You all look like you're capable of handling yourselves. Please, you must help us!" Reika explained.

The others looked at her and then at each other, as if deciding whether or not to trust her. "She does seem genuinely concerned, Lord Raiden. Maybe we should help her out." Liu Kang suggested. "We hardly know this woman, and you want to just drop everything and listen to her sob story? She could be lying for all we know!" Sonya objected. "What on earth would I have to gain by lying?! I've spoken the truth, I swear to you! Skulker will not stop until everything and everyone is dead and gone." Reika cried. "Skulker? Hmph...sounds like a real character, all right!" Jax said as he grew grim. "You have no idea!" Reika replied just as grim.

After a moment of thought, Raiden spoke up again. "Very well, Kitami. If you truly are sincere about this, I will do my best to aid you in this quest. But you must also know that there are other forces of darkness at hand here at this tournament. Therefore, we must remain vigilant and on constant guard. If you and your friend truly are who you say you are, then you will help us compete in this tournament. The fate of Earth Realm depends on it!" Raiden explained gravely.

Reika nodded her head. "I understand. You can count on us!" Reika promised. "Great! We're all friends now. So where is this friend of yours, lady?" Sonya said sarcastically and snappishly. "He shouldn't be too far. If anything, he'll come find us as soon as he's able!" Reika replied. "Can't wait to meet him!" Jax said as he cracked his knuckles. "I think you already have! But hopefully he's in a better mood when he shows up." Reika thought to herself with a smirk.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, on the other side of Shang Tsung's Island, Spawn stalked a group of what appeared to be some heavily armed thugs making their way towards a large building. The building was old, but obviously held some kind of importance due to the surprisingly large number of armed goons guarding it. "What is going on here?" Spawn muttered as he stood on the top of a large tree that overlooked everything.

A couple of the thugs just so happened to be having a cigarette break at the bottom of the tree, and Spawn was able to overhear everything that was said. "Hey, man. Remind me; what exactly are we doing here again?" one of the thugs stupidly asked. "This again? Look; we're just supposed to be guarding this treasure horde until Shang Tsung sends someone to pick up and relocate his secret stash." the other snapped. "What exactly are we guarding? I mean, why does there have to be so many freakin' people over here? I mean, it's not like anybody's just gonna wander their way through here, right?" the first thug suggested. "You ask too many stupid questions, you know that? Look, a job's a job. We're paid to do what we're told, and that's what we're gonna do. Got it?!" the other thug said as he clearly lost patience. "All right, all right! I get it, sheesh! I was just asking!" the first thug retorted as he tossed his cigarette aside.

As the thugs left, Spawn narrowed his eyes as he began slithering his way down the tree. He snuck his way through some bushes before he hid himself in the shadows, waiting and watching. "Hey, you! Be careful with that crate! Kano ain't gonna be pleased to hear that his hardware is busted before it's even put to good use!" one of the thugs shouted as he pointed. "I don't see why we don't just storm the palace and just start looting. I mean, we got the numbers and all! Why are we doing this?" another thug grumbled. "Shut up, man! If Kano heard you say that-" one of the thugs hissed. "Oi! What's goin' on here, mate?" a man with a heavy Australian accent said suddenly.

The other thugs stopped what they were doing and turned to see their boss Kano arrive. He was quite the nasty villain; he was a tall, muscular, and shirtless man with short black hair and a thick goatee, nasty looking black flame tattoos on both his arms, wore black leather pants, and some combat boots with some nasty looking butterfly knives strapped to them. But the most peculiar thing about Kano was the laser eye and a round cyber-heart strapped to his chest.

Kano chuckled sinisterly as he grabbed a bottle of beer and chugged it down before he tossed it aside, shattering the bottle against a rock. "Don't tell me you're already planning a mutiny? We haven't even started the job yet! Are you bored, mate? Cuz I can entertain you, if you like!" Kano said with a sneer as he drew out one of his knives.

The thug who spoke out nearly soiled himself as he said that. "I didn't mean it, boss! I'm sorry! I was just-" the thug whimpered. "Shh! It's ok, mate. I understand; you're young, hot-blooded, and want some action. I respect that! But don't be getting too hasty, you hear? Last time somebody tried to cut and run on me, well...let's just say me old mate Kabal caught him before he could regret that decision. We wouldn't want that, now would we?" Kano said as he made a throat slit motion with his hand.

The thug gulped nervously as he nodded his head furiously. "Of course, boss! I understand! It won't happen again, I swear!" he said nervously. "Good! Now if there aren't any more questions-" Kano began. "Yeah, I got a question!" a voice called out suddenly. Everyone turned to see another man approach them with a devilish grin on his face. He was a tough and mean looking bastard; he had thick greasy black hair, wore a ratty old black leather jacket with a filthy white t-shirt underneath, old black leather pants, and some tough black leather boots. But the most peculiar thing about this man was the ghastly looking metal mask he wore on his face, as well as the strange skull shaped gas container on his back. It had long tubes that reached up towards his mask, helping him to breathe.

It was Kano's right hand man, Kabal. "What is it, mate? Something on your mind?" Kano asked. "Yeah, I do. When are we crashing Shang Tsung's little party?" Kabal said with an evil snicker. Kano smirked as he said that. "Soon, mate. Soon! We just gotta few more things to take care of, first. We're supposed to meet up with Cyrax and Sektor, remember?" Kano reminded. "We've waited long enough! Now's the time to strike when they least expect it!" Kabal argued as he grabbed his nasty looking hook blades. "Slow down there, mate! Ordinarily I'd agree with you on that...but we're being paid a lot of money to do this job discreetly. You're just gonna have to be patient like the rest of us!" Kano warned as his laser eye began glowing bright red.

Kabal growled and cursed, but he got the message and settled down. "Fine! But I'm getting sick and tired of waiting around this dump! The sooner we leave, the better!" Kabal grumbled. "The sooner we get paid, the better! Now be a good lad and go check on our supplies, will you?" Kano said. Kabal begrudgingly did as he was told and walked off inside of the large building.

Spawn chuckled sinisterly as he snuck his way up towards the roof. He moved faster than a shadow and twice as silent; this would be too easy for him, or so he thought. Spawn snuck his way towards a hole in the roof, and as he jumped down, he was surprised to find himself inside of a massive treasure horde. Everywhere he looked, gleaming gold coins littered the floor, along with endless jewels and baubles. There were also many boxes and crates full of treasure and who knows what. "Hmph...obviously, that sorcerer is compensating for something!" Spawn said to himself.

As Spawn snuck his way through the dark storage rooms, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was an evil presence about somewhere in this place. "Ugh! I can feel it; a powerful source of dark energy. It's hidden somewhere in this place! It might be Skulker!" Spawn muttered to himself. He finally made his way out of the storage rooms and into a large open dining hall. It was empty, save for some crates full of guns and ammo. Spawn chuckled evilly as he approached a weapons crate and grabbed a pair of assault rifles and some ammo. "Don't mind if I do!" Spawn said out loud.

After he loaded up, Spawn ventured deeper in the building complex. He eventually found himself back at the weapons cache, cursing as he found he that he went around in circles. "Shit! I'm back where I started! But that dark energy...I can still feel it! Where is it coming from?!" Spawn said out loud as he held his head. Suddenly, several thugs were heard approaching his direction. Spawn quickly hoisted himself up to the ceiling with his chains, and leaned over on some support beams overlooking everything. As he listened, he got a better idea of what he was dealing with.

Kabal was among the group of thugs, who also seemed agitated. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of sitting around on my ass!" Kabal began. "Yeah! Kano has been keeping us cooped up in this shithole, while all the action is going on out there!" another thug added. "I heard that some special forces group is out there on this island, participating in some karate tournament. And yet, here we are putzing around waiting around for fuck all! The Black Dragon is all about action, man! Not waiting around!" a third said in disdain.

Kabal nodded his head as he got an idea. "You know what? Kano can take this job and shove it! There's more than enough guns and explosives around here, so what do you say we take them and use them?" Kabal suggested. "Hell yeah!" the thugs cheered. "Good, then it's settled! You grab what you can and then meet me in the courtyard. The Black Dragon is making their move and making it now!" Kabal instructed before he took off.

Spawn waited for Kabal to be gone and out of sight before he made his next move. As the Black Dragon thugs began gearing up, Spawn crept his way through the shadows towards them, readying himself for the attack. "Hey, you know what guys? I just remembered something! There's a freakin' treasure horde in this place; why should we be forced to guard when we can just take it?" one of the thugs said. "Yeah! We oughta remind Kabal about that!" another thug said in agreement. "We'll show Kano what the Black Dragon is really about!" a third chimed in.

It was the last thing he said, because a pair of chains grabbed him from behind and pulled him into the shadows. At first, nobody noticed because they were too busy chattering amongst themselves. But that all changed when the headless corpse of one of their comrades was thrown their way. "Wow! Shit! Where the fuck did that come from?!" one of the thugs cried out. "Hey! Show yourself, you bastard!" another cried out as he aimed his assault rifle.

A chain grabbed him by the neck from the shadows, lifting him up in the air before snapping off his head and spraying blood everywhere. "Shit! Open fire!" one of the thugs screamed as he blasted away at the shadows. The other thugs followed his example, but their attacker was still nowhere to be seen. One by one, the Black Dragon thugs all died horrific and brutal deaths. Their heads were torn off, their limbs ripped fresh off their sockets, and bullets shredded their bodies to pieces.

One of the thugs barely made it out alive and tried to reach a radio to call for help, but it was too late. A red fabric grabbed him from behind and lifted him up in the air, choking the life out of him. A menacing pair of green eyes glared at the thug, scaring the living shit out of him. "What the fuck are you?" the thug whimpered as he was choked. "Your worst fucking nightmare!" Spawn snarled before he lashed out with his chains.

His chains stabbed into the thug's body before Necroplasm surged through the chains and into the body of the thug, effectively blowing him up into smithereens. Spawn chuckled evilly as he stood proud and triumphant over the carnage he caused; he was only getting started. "Let's see how tough you are without your little buddies, Kabal!" Spawn chuckled sinisterly.

And not a moment too soon, Kabal had arrived as he had overheard the chaos. Spawn quickly hid himself back in the shadows, waiting for his next move. "What the fuck is going on out here? I thought I told you assholes to-" Kabal cried out before he saw the bloody carnage that laid before him. Kabal wasn't one to be afraid so easily, but as he stared in disbelief at the remains of his allies, he couldn't help but feel unsafe and disturbed. "What the fuck just happened here?! My men; they're all dead!" Kabal exclaimed in both anger and disbelief.

Spawn slowly snuck up on him before he chuckled evilly. "You're about to join your friends in hell, unless you tell me what I want to know!" Spawn said in a low and creepy tone. Kabal growled angrily as he slowly grabbed his hook blades before twirling around and slashing wildly. But much to his shock, Spawn had teleported away before he could even touch him. "What?! The fuck is going on here?! Who are you, asshole? What the hell do you want from me?!" Kabal cried now obviously freaking out. "Answer me, asshole! Who is the Black Dragon and what are you doing here? Where's Skulker?!" Spawn commanded as he reappeared behind Kabal.

Kabal turned around and got a better look at his surprise attacker. He had faced many strange killers in his time, but never one quite as strange as Spawn. "Any idea who I am?" Spawn taunted. Kabal grew a bit more confident as he let out a light chuckle, swinging his hook blades around. "Some kind of Japanese luchador?" Kabal sneered. "I'm the ghost that goes BANG in the night, punk!" Spawn spat back as he drew out a pair of assault rifles.

Kabal snickered before he rushed towards Spawn at a tremendous speed. Spawn immediately teleported away and fired his assault rifles after reappearing behind Kabal. Kabal cried out and cursed as he was hit by the bullets, severely injuring him. "OW! What the fuck was that?!" Kabal exclaimed in both pain and shock. "You're fast, kid. I'll give you that! But let's see your speed beat the powers of the 8th Sphere of Hell!" Spawn chuckled sinisterly as he kicked Kabal in the chest.

Kabal cried out as he was sent back flying. Enraged, he bolted back up and threw several buzzsaw blades at Spawn, making the Hellspawn phantom cry out as he was hit. "That's it! Now you've really pissed me off, asshole! You think you're hot and fast, huh?! I'll show you fast!" Kabal snarled as dashed towards Spawn. Spawn cried out as he was forced to spin around due to Kabal's super speed, but the Black Dragon thug wasn't done yet.

He snagged onto Spawn with his hook blades and began twirling him around in the air before slamming him back into the ground. "Don't get up, asshole!" Kabal spat. However, Spawn did get back up, and he was pissed. "Let's see what you're made of inside out!" Spawn growled as he drew out a deadly looking hell blade sword. "You'll have to catch me first!" Kabal taunted as he pressed a button on his waist and activated his special gas tank.

As Spawn slashed wildly at Kabal, the speedy thug just dodged his attacks while counterattacking him with his hook blades. Eventually, Spawn got fed up and decided to play dirty. He slammed his fist into the ground, creating a small eruption of hellfire that knocked Kabal up into the air and made him cry out in pain as he fell back down. But Spawn wanted to make sure he stayed down, so grabbed him with his chains and smashed him around a bit before he slammed him against the wall.

The force of the impact was so great, that it sent Kabal crashing through to the other side and into a pile of boxes. Spawn made his way through the hole in the wall before he pounced onto Kabal, punching him in the face so hard that it fractured his mask. "No more fucking around, tough guy! NOW TALK! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHERE IS SKULKER?!" Spawn roared as he lifted Kabal up by the neck. Kabal gasped and wheezed from both Spawn's steel tight grip and his mask being broken. "I...ugh...I told you already! (Ack!) I'm here on Black Dragon business! (coughs) I...(gasp!) got nothing...to say to you!" Kabal struggled to say.

Spawn growled as he used his chains to wrap around Kabal, tightly constricting him. Kabal cried out in pain as he felt his bones beginning to crack. "AUGH! Stop it, you asshole! You're killin' me!" Kabal screamed in pain. "Then tell me what you know, or I'll turn you inside out ass first!" Spawn threatened. "Ok, ok, ok! You win; I'll talk! Just put me down!" Kabal groaned. Spawn grunted as he slammed Kabal back down to the ground. "Go on!" Spawn taunted. "Grr...Kano is the one you'll want to talk to; he's the leader of the Black Dragon. If I know him, he's probably already planning on making his own move against Shang Tsung!" Kabal explained slowly and in pain.

Spawn growled as he recognized the name Shang Tsung. "You mean the sorcerer? I knew he had something to do with this! Where is he?" Spawn demanded. "He's hosting some kind of karate tournament on the other side of the island. We were supposed to help kill off the competition, but thanks to you, I doubt that's happening anytime soon. So are we done, now?" Kabal continued as he tried to control his breathing. Spawn glared at Kabal as he towered menacingly over him. "No. I've got plans for you, punk! You're going to be my message board. A little warning to all other assholes who dare to get in my way or show up uninvited!" Spawn growled.

*A few hours later*

Kano paced around impatiently waiting for Kabal. "Where the fuck is he? Kabal is usually never late!" Kano muttered as he stroked his chin. Just then, one of his Black Dragon thugs approached him with a nervous look on his face. "Ey, boss! This is bad; real bad! Several of our boys are dead!" he cried. "What?! When the fuck did this happen? Tell me!" Kano demanded angrily. "I was just on my way to check up on them and then I...eh, you know what? I think I better show you!" the thug nervously explained. "For your sake, this better be good!" Kano growled as he grabbed a butterfly knife and sharpened it.

In a few minutes, Kano and a few other Black Dragon thugs arrived at the scene. It was a bloody mess to say the least. "Well, bugger me! What happened here?!" Kano exclaimed. "Look at them, man! They're completely ripped apart!" one of the thugs whimpered. "Oh, shit! I think I'm gonna be sick!" another muttered as he dry heaved. Kano knelt down and observed one of the shredded corpses. "Hmm...looks fresh. This attack happened just a few hours ago, and by the looks of it, our unwanted guest attacked from the shadows. All quiet-like, and one by one!" Kano said out loud.

A Black Dragon thug suddenly came running towards Kano. "Hey, boss! You gotta come over here; I've found Kabal! Come on!" the thug exclaimed in shock. "Well, now! This just keeps gettin' better and better!" Kano muttered to himself. As Kano followed the thug into another room, he was shocked to see Kabal hanging up by chains on the ceiling. He was alive, but barely conscious due to the lack of air he was able to breathe from his cracked mask. "Fuckin' hell! Kabal?! Get him down, you drongos!" Kano exclaimed in shock.

The other thugs were able to get Kabal down from the ceiling before they lowered him onto a table, lying him on his back. "Get outta my way! Move it! Kabal?! Answer me, mate! What the fuck happened to ya? Who did this to you? Tell me!" Kano exclaimed as he shook Kabal. "Ugh...look out...for..." Kabal groaned weakly. "What? Speak up, mate! I don't understand-" Kano demanded. "Shadows! Look out for the shadows!" Kabal managed to say before he passed out. 

Kano grew visibly upset as his partner laid before him in such a state. "Put Kabal in the medical tent. I'm going to go have a word with our employer, Shang Tsung!" Kano said as his laser eye flashed bright red. Little did he realize that things were only going to get much more eventful from this point on!

Chapter Text

Reika Kitami sighed as she shook her head; she and her new friends had searched the forest for hours for Spawn. Or at least she knew they were looking for Spawn, for she hadn't told anyone yet. "Damn it, honey. Where did you get off to?" Reika muttered to herself. Reika was interrupted from her thoughts as Johnny Cage tapped her shoulder. "Hey, lady? Not to rain on your parade or anything, but uh-" he began before Sonya Blade pushed him aside. "You're wasting our time! Whoever your little boyfriend is, he obviously isn't here. What is it that you really want?!" Sonya snapped angrily.

Reika was already getting frustrated enough with Spawn's disappearance, but Sonya's attitude was only making things worse. "You have a real attitude problem, you know that?" Reika growled. Sonya glared at her as she said that, but luckily Jax approached them before anymore words could be said. "We've been searching these woods for hours, lady. I don't think your friend is here! You sure this is where you remember seeing him last?" Jax announced.

Reika sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry for all of this trouble, you guys. My, uh...friend, usually isn't gone for this long. Something must have happened to him!" Reika suggested half-truthfully. "Then maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow. We should head back to our chambers and rest for the tournament." Liu Kang said. "Maybe that's for the best! Who knows? Maybe he'll find his way back during the night." Reika said.

But before they could make another move, a loud and deafening scream was heard from the deeper part of the forest. "That doesn't sound too good!" Johnny Cage said dumbly. "Or maybe we've finally found him!" Reika said with a hopeful smile on her face. "Wait, you're actually going towards the screams of death?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "She could be leading us into more trouble!" Sonya said with a grim look.

As Reika and the others made their way deeper into the forest, they were all shocked to find dead mangled bodies strewn all over the place. "Oh, God! I think I'm gonna be sick!" Johnny Cage groaned before he puked into some bushes. "We're definitely not in Hollywood anymore, kid!" Jax chuckled as he clapped his back. "They don't look like the guards back at the palace grounds." Liu Kang said as he observed one of the dead bodies. "Yeah, you're right. In fact; I think I recognize some of these guys." Sonya said as she got a closer look at one of the bodies. "You knew these people personally?" Reika asked in surprise.

Sonya picked up what appeared to be a severed arm, which had a nasty looking tattoo on it. "Ugh! No, but I recognize these tattoos. These tattoos are markings of the Black Dragon Clan!" Sonya said as she tossed the severed arm aside. "So I guess that your little hunch was right after all, Sonya!" Jax said half-jokingly. "If these guys were here, then so is Kano! He's gotta be around here somewhere!" Sonya grumbled. "If he hasn't killed him, that is!" Reika added jokingly.

Sonya gave her dirty look as she said that, to which Reika responded with a smirk. But then, another scream was heard. "There! It's coming from over there; look!" Liu Kang pointed out. Over at a large open area, a group of Black Dragon thugs were being slaughtered by an unseen force. No matter how many bullets they fired, the thugs ended up hitting nothing and wound up getting killed in horrific, gruesome ways. "Holy shit!" Sonya muttered. "Who's responsible for this?" Jax exclaimed. 

They were given their answer when a shadowy phantom teleported behind them, lashing out at the last surviving Black Dragon thug with his chains. The chains lifted up the thug before he snapped his head clean off his shoulders, spraying blood everywhere. As soon as the violence ended, Spawn towered silently over the bewildered onlookers. "What the hell?! It's him; that guy with the bad ass costume!" Johnny Cage cried out excitedly as he got a better look at Spawn. "What? Him?!" Sonya exclaimed in shock.

But what happened next was even more shocking to the others. Reika calmly approached Spawn before she embraced him, completely catching the others off guard. "There you are, honey! I was so worried about you; where have you been?" Reika said as if speaking to a child. "I was looking for Skulker, when I caught wind of these dirtbags!" Spawn answered gruffly. "Well, couldn't you have waited for me? Oh, well. It doesn't matter. Come on, I want to introduce you to my new friends!" Reika said happily as she took Spawn by the hand.

The others were completely baffled by what they were seeing. They clearly were not expecting an attractive woman like Reika to be romantically involved with a Hellspawn of all things. "Wait, hold on a second. You mean to tell me that you and the Phantom of the Opera here have a thing going on?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Ok, seriously! What the fuck?!" Sonya exclaimed. "Well, they do say that love is blind!" Jax muttered. Liu Kang just remained silent, though his mind raced with questions. "Just who are you two?" he wondered.

As Reika brought Spawn into the group, he became visibly annoyed. "What's the matter, honey?" Reika wondered. "These are your friends? When you said you were looking for help, I expected you'd find it! And instead, you found these assholes!" Spawn growled. "Excuse me?" Jax demanded as he overheard him. "What'd you say?!" Sonya snapped. "Hey! That's uncalled for! Besides; I've seen them in action. They're more than capable of handling themselves!" Reika exclaimed. "I'll be the judge of that!" Spawn said.

Jax and Sonya were obviously upset with Spawn's attitude, but Johnny Cage looked excited as ever. "So you and Kitami, huh? How did you guys ever end up getting together, anyway?" Johnny Cage wondered. "Oh! It's funny you mention that-" Reika began before a bright flash of lightning appeared. "Liu Kang! Where have you been?! The tournament has...oh! Well, I see that you have decided not to leave after all!" Raiden said as he caught sight of Spawn.

Spawn just glared at him as he said that. "This is the man I was telling you about, Raiden." Reika explained. "What did you tell him?!" Spawn demanded. "Relax, hon! They're here to help us! They can help us find that scumbag Skulker and kill him once and for all!" Reika said as she tried to calm him down. "Is that right?" Spawn said as he continued to glare at Raiden. "Yes, and we're going to help them too!" Reika stated. "And why the hell would I do that? I've got enough of my own problems!" Spawn snarled. "Damn it, Raizo! You can't expect to stop Skulker alone again; we've talked about this! This is the only way!" Reika shouted as she finally lost her patience with him.

The others stared at her as she said that, while Spawn looked like he was about to hit Reika for revealing his true name. "Uh, who's Raizo?" Johnny Cage asked stupidly after an awkward moment of silence. "It was the name I was given before I became the monster you see now!" Spawn said grimly. "It's who you really are, you just don't want to admit it!" Reika shot back. "Ok, no more bullshit! What the hell is going on here? Who are you people and what the hell do you want with us?!" Sonya snapped as she lost her own patience.

Reika gave Sonya a death stare that would terrify a gargoyle, making her think twice about her attitude. "It's exactly what I said before. Raizo and I really need your help. If we don't find Skulker now and kill him, he'll destroy everything he can until there's nothing left." Reika said gravely. "I'm afraid that it may be a lot more difficult than that, my dear!" Raiden said just as grimly. "What? What do you mean?!" Reika cried out. "We are in the middle of an important tournament that will determine the fate of Earth Realm. And you two just so happened to drop in at the same time this tournament takes place." Raiden began.

Reika groaned as she shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry if I ruined your little game. But this is kind of important!" Reika argued. "The fate of billions are at stake, and you think your little quest of vengeance is more important?" Raiden challenged. "Uh, Lord Raiden? A word with you, please?" Liu Kang said as he approached him. Liu Kang took him aside and spoke his mind. "Lord Raiden? I don't believe they mean any harm to us. If anything, I think that they can help us!" Liu Kang suggested. "Did we not already speak of this?" Raiden replied. "We did, but yet here they are again. Perhaps this is not by mere chance that they came to our realm!" Liu Kang said as he pointed to both Spawn and Reika.

Raiden took a moment to consider this. On the one hand, Liu Kang did have a good point. But on the other hand, Raiden couldn't help but feel suspicious of these newcomers. Finally, after a moment of thought, Raiden spoke as he approached Reika and Spawn. "I have a proposition for you two. If you help us compete in this tournament, I will see what I can do about helping you in your quest of vengeance." Raiden announced.

Reika smiled as he said that, though Spawn still didn't stop glaring at him. "You want me to compete in some karate tournament? Are you crazy?!" Spawn snapped. "Either that, or you can wind up lost forever in a realm that is not your own. Either way, you may never get another chance of finding this Skulker of yours again!" Raiden smartly countered.

Spawn sighed as he knew that Raiden brought up a good point. If there was a chance that Skulker would show up, it would have to be at this tournament. After all, he wouldn't pass by an opportunity to show off and kill more victims like this. "Fine! But let me be perfectly clear; nobody kills that piece of shit but ME! You got that?" Spawn growled. "Then it's, as the Americans would say, a deal is made. Let this be the beginning of a new allegiance!" Raiden said as he held his hand out.

Spawn stared at him, but Reika gave Spawn a look before he finally caught on. Spawn then firmly grabbed hold of Raiden's hand and shook it. "So tell me about this tournament!" Spawn said at last. "I will explain tomorrow. Right now, we must return to our quarters and rest. The tournament starts again tomorrow!" Raiden replied before he teleported himself and everyone else away back to their quarters.

Chapter Text

The next day, Spawn and Reika Kitami listened and learned as much as they could from Raiden about the meaning of Mortal Kombat, as well as the consequences that would fall onto Earth Realm if they lost. Kitami was fascinated by all that she heard so far, but Spawn seemed confused and annoyed...at first. "So let me get this straight, old man. You're telling me that once every 1000 years people fight in this tournament? Just so that they can be named champion of their own realms? What kind of sense does that make?!" Spawn demanded. "The Elder Gods made this tournament as a means to keep other realms from merging into one another. For a long time, peace has reigned throughout all realms since Outworld has always emerged the victor. However, with Shao Kahn as the new ruler of Outworld, I fear that peace may be long gone." Raiden explained.

Spawn was already beginning to dislike the sound of this villain. "Tell me more about this Shao Kahn!" Spawn said grimly. "He is Outworld's self proclaimed conquerer and emperor! He is a ruthless, arrogant, and power-hungry tyrant; he'll stop at nothing to take over Earth Realm! And I fear that with his dark magic and the combined might of his own champions, Earth Realm's chances of winning are quite slim at best!" Raiden continued more grave than ever before. "Hmm...wait until he gets a load of me!" Spawn said to himself. "But that said, I have faith in our new defenders. Liu Kang has been training his whole life for this moment; to become Earth Realm's greatest champion. I can only pray that it's enough!" Raiden said as he looked over at the Shaolin Monk, who was training even as they spoke.

Reika chuckled as she approached Raiden with a smirk on her face. "Relax, hon! You've got us to help you out, now! Everything will be just fine, right Raizo?" Reika said cheerfully. "Look! I don't know if you've forgotten already, but let me remind you the real reason we're here: Skulker! I haven't seen him anywhere on this damn island, but I still feel a demonic presence in this place! If I could just find out where it's coming from, I could-" Spawn snapped before he stopped and cried out loud, holding his head.

This caught the attention of everyone else present, especially Reika. "Oh, God! Not again! Honey, are you all right?!" Reika exclaimed as she ran to her partner. "Man, what's gotten into him?" Jax wondered. "You ok there, champ? Can I interest you in my official Ninja Mime Migraine Pills?" Johnny Cage said as he pulled out a bottle of pills with his face plastered on the front. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Sonya muttered as she rolled her eyes.

After a moment, Spawn finally regained himself. "You ok, hon? What's wrong?" Reika asked kindly. "My Necroplasm powers are acting up again, that's what! I was right...there is a dark, demonic presence here on this island! I've got to find it, and I've got to find it now!" Spawn growled as he held his head in pain. "Try to keep yourself together, Spawn. We need all the help we can get if we are to win this tournament!" Liu Kang said carefully as he approached him. "You don't know me, so why do you care?" Spawn snarled. "Because I can sense the good in you. That, and you are no ally to Shang Tsung." Liu Kang replied patiently. "Yeah, and you obviously ain't friends with the Black Dragon; that's always a plus in my book!" Jax added.

Reika was surprised to hear that from someone other than herself. "Well, what do you know? I guess I'm not the only one who can see that this hardass thing is nothing more than an act!" Reika said half-jokingly. "Don't bet on it, woman. Just so we're still clear; I'm here for Skulker, old man. And if and when I find him, he's mine! Nothing is going to stop me! You got it?!" Spawn growled. "Patience, Hellspawn! Vengeance should not be the only thing on your mind right now. More as at stake here than you realize!" Raiden responded gravely. Spawn growled in irritation, but nodded his head in agreement. "Just you wait, skull-fucker! I'll find you and when I do, I'll make you suffer for everything you've done!" Spawn grumbled angrily.

Meanwhile, in a dark and undisclosed location in Outworld, Quan-Chi had a little meeting of his own. As he teleported himself, Noob Saibot, and Skulker at their shady location, he gave instructions on carrying out the first part of his master plan. "All right, here's what's going to happen. I'm going ahead to pick something up. You two will remain here and make sure nobody comes in this direction. You think you can handle that?" Quan-Chi said with a smirk. "This better be worth my time, old man!" Skulker growled impatiently.

Quan-Chi chuckled sinisterly as he said that. "Patience, my boy! Trust me; with what I'm picking up, we're going to need it. You'll get your time to play soon enough! Now wait here; I'll be back soon!" Quan-Chi sneered before walking towards the shadowy hallways. "It is wise not to challenge Quan-Chi." Noob Saibot said in a dark, raspy voice. Skulker just scoffed in response.

Quan-Chi finally made his way towards his destination; a dark, shadowy black market under the control of a demonic creature by the name of Kollector. He was a 6 armed creature with a large leather satchel strapped to his back, and a dark hood that covered his head. His piercing red eyes danced with delight as he counted a large stack of gold coins and jewels. Perhaps his greatest powers were not his warlock-like powers, but his uncanny ability to find shiny valuables anywhere at anytime, thus earning the name the Kollector. 

Quan-Chi smirked deviously as he approached the Kollector's stall. "Hello, old friend. How is business going for you?" Quan-Chi began with a wicked grin. "Oh, excellent! Shao Kahn's constant raids have been rich with the spoils of war. So, what is it that you want, sorcerer? Because as you know, you won't get these goods anywhere else!" Kollector replied with a demonic cackle. "I need a Nether-Stone, my good fellow. I'm sure that you have one in stock just for me, do you not?" Quan-Chi stated.

Kollector rubbed his chin with two of his hands as he said that. "Hmm...I might have one in stock. But tell me, sorcerer! What would you need a Nether-Stone for?" Kollector wondered. "That's my business, I'm afraid. Besides, anything can be bought for the right price. Even silence!" Quan-Chi retorted as he threw down a sack of gleaming jewels. Kollector grumbled as he took the sack and observed the jewels before he began to grin and laugh wickedly. "Well, well, well! Isn't this a delightful treat? Crystalized chaos; a rare and most valuable treasure indeed. Very well, my dear sorcerer. We have a deal!" Kollector said as he reached into his satchel.

He pulled out a large and demonic looking stone that seemed to glow faintly of embers, and it was quite warm to the touch. "Remember; you get caught with that, you never got it from me! Now off you go; I've got a lot of work to do! Shao Kahn needs all the silver he can get to melt it into weapons for his troops." Kollector said with an evil laugh. "Good doing business with you, as always!" Quan-Chi said with an evil smirk.

As Quan-Chi arrived back to Noob Saibot and Skulker, he snickered wickedly as he showed off the Nether-Stone. "Come my friends; we have to make one last stop before we arrive at the tournament." Quan-Chi announced. "You tellin' me you wasted our time for a fucking rock?! How's that gonna help us?" Skulker demanded. "Patience, Skulker! You'll see!" Quan-Chi said before he teleported them all away.

Just as quickly as they were in Outworld, they now found themselves in a dark dungeon in a hellish landscape called the Nether Realm. "Is this...hell?" Skulker wondered as he looked around him. "Not quite; the Nether Realm is a place of damnation and suffering for many poor, unfortunate souls. But for people like us, it can give us the power we need to triumph over our enemies." Quan-Chi explained. "No kidding? I'll have to remember that!" Skulker said to himself out loud. "I won't be too long; you two can wait here while I finish up. It should not take me too long!" Quan-Chi instructed as he walked away into a dark room.

But as he left, Skulker began to form ideas of his own. "If this place has such power, I can use this for my own benefit! With it, I can finally kill that do-gooder piece of shit thorn on my side, once and for all!" Skulker said to himself as he paced the ground. "If you have plans of your own, it's best to not go through with them. Quan-Chi does not tolerate betrayal!" Noob Saibot warned as he overheard him.

Skulker laughed sinisterly as he said that. "Is that right? Tell me something, Bi-Han! How long do you want to be Quan-Chi's little lackey for, anyway?" Skulker said with an evil smirk. Noob Saibot grew quite alarmed as he said that. "What did you call me?! Nobody calls me that name anymore! How did you even know?" Noob Saibot demanded. "I know all evil, dark souls! And I know that out of all the souls I've met so far, you're one of the most ruthless and cold blooded killers I've ever met. Oh, yes...I'm aware of your past. I'm aware of all the blood you've got on your hands. I respect that! But does that face painted freak care about your talent? No, he doesn't! Instead, he holds you back from using your true talent. But I can change that, if you work with me as my partner." Skulker explained.

Noob Saibot did not know how to react to those words. All this time, he only knew of two people who knew his true identity...and one of them was dead by his own hands. "I cannot betray the trust of my master, Quan-Chi! He is the one who revived me!" Noob Saibot objected. "And yet here you are; forced to wait around while he goes on his little errands. He makes you sit and obey, like a little lap dog!" Skulker sneered. "That's not true! Quan-Chi has sent me on several important missions. I have killed many through the shadows!" Noob Saibot proclaimed. "But in doing so, he's holding you back from your true potential! You shouldn't have to hide in the shadows; you should be proud to show off your powers and destroy those who dare to stand in your way!" Skulker proclaimed.

For the first time in a long time, Noob Saibot felt conflicted. One side of him agreed with what this strange Hellspawn was saying. But another side of him remembered the vow of loyalty he made to Quan-Chi after being revived by him. "I tell you what; I'll give a little time to think about what I've said. But deep down, you and I both know that I'm right. As long as you're Quan-Chi's little lap dog, you'll never be the true killer you were meant to be. You'll never be better than, what's his name? Oh yes...Kuai Liang! Or as people now call him, Sub-Zero!" Skulker taunted.

Noob Saibot began to tremble with rage as he heard that. How dare this stranger compare him to his weak minded, soft-hearted failure of a brother? But before another word could be said, Quan-Chi returned. "Gentlemen? Follow me, if you please! I'd like to introduce you to your new partner!" Quan-Chi announced. "Oh, goodie! Another lap dog, just what we wanted!" Skulker said half-jokingly. "What?!" Quan-Chi demanded angrily. "Nothing! Let's go, Bi-Han! Time's wasting!" Skulker sneered as he rudely brushed past him. "Wait, you know who he really is?! How did you know that? Oh, never mind!" Quan-Chi demanded. Noob Saibot just followed behind in sullen silence.

As all three of them made their way into the room, Skulker and Noob Saibot were stunned to find another hellish figure standing before them. He was a tall, fearsome looking warrior. He wore a black and yellow leather ninja outfit, his wrists, knees, shoulders, and his mouth lightly armored with demonic designed bronze metal, wielded two nasty looking demonic folded katana swords on his back, and a deadly chain with a nasty spear tip. "Meet Scoprion; my greatest creation yet! He was once one of the fiercest fighters of the ninja clan, the Shirai Ryu. But now, he is under my control! With him, Earth Realm's warriors stand no chance...or anyone for that matter!" Quan-Chi proudly announced.

Skulker seemed rather impressed, though Noob Saibot was less than pleased. "What is this?!" he demanded angrily. "Now, now! I am well aware that the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei have a deadly rivalry. But fear not; he is under my control. Watch! Scorpion, awaken!" Quan-Chi commanded. Scorpion opened his dead white eyes, gasping as he stumbled forward. "What? Where am I?! What is this place? Who are you people?!" Scorpion demanded in confusion. "I am your master, Quan-Chi! These are your new allies; Skulker and Noob Saibot! You are going to help me fight in a tournament being held on Shang Tsung's Island." Quan-Chi explained in a hypnotic tone. "What? Why would I do that?! I have to get home to my wife and son!" Scorpion said feeling dazed and confused.

Quan-Chi laughed evilly as he said that. "I'm afraid you can't go home, my dear boy!" Quan-Chi sneered. "What?! Why not?! Tell me!" Scorpion demanded. "Because...this man killed you! I'm sure that you remember him, and I'm sure you remember what he did to your precious wife and son." Quan-Chi said with an evil smile as he showed images of a man in a blue ninja outfit. "What? No...it can't be; Sub-Zero! Did he-" Scorpion began. "Murder your family? Yes, he did. But you'll get your chance of revenge soon enough. All you have to do is find him on this island and kill him!" Quan-Chi explained.

Scorpion growled with anger as he held his head; he slowly began to remember how he and his family died. "I...I remember now! That Lin Kuei scum; he murdered my wife and son, right in front of me! I will find Sub-Zero and I will avenge my family and clan!" Scorpion cried angrily. "Good!" Quan-Chi chuckled. "Wait a second! What about the Kamidogu? Have you already forgotten that?" Skulker said as he stepped forward.

Quan-Chi turned around and smirked deviously as he nodded his head. "You really need to learn the value of patience, my boy. But yes; the Kamidogu that we seek is hidden on Shang Tsung's Island. You will participate in this tournament while representing the Nether Realm, all the while you will find the Kamidogu and you will bring it to me!" Quan-Chi instructed. "So in other words, just more errands to run for you?" Skulker spat. "You have a problem?" Quan-Chi challenged.

Skulker smirked back in response. "Not at all. When do we start?" Skulker said. "Right now; follow me!" Quan-Chi said as he created another portal. "Sure...but this is the last time I follow your fucking orders, old man. After that, I'm calling the shots!" Skulker thought to himself as he stepped inside the portal. But as he said that to himself, Noob Saibot began to have second thoughts himself. "Perhaps this Hellspawn is right, after all. Why should I continue doing Quan-Chi's bidding, especially since he just brought back my nemesis?! Mark my words, Kuai Liang! This Shirai Ryu dog will not get 10 feet of you before I kill you first!" Noob Saibot muttered to himself.Needless to say, things were about to get really bloody for our heroes!

Chapter Text

Back on Shang Tsung's Island, all the fighters were gathered around at the main courtyard where Shang Tsung stood on a podium and spoke. "Today, our little tournament is going to take a slightly different approach. I will have you all scattered throughout my island in various places, where you will find your next challenges. Good luck! You will certainly need it, because now there is no holding back!" Shang Tsung announced with a sly grin. "Oh, great! Why don't we just sign some liability waivers while we're at it?" Johnny Cage groaned. "Quit your whining!" Sonya snapped.

Just as Shang Tsung teleported everyone away, a bright flash of light surprised him from behind. "What? Who goes there?!" Shang Tsung demanded. "No need to fear! I'm just another humble bystander coming to enjoy the show." Quan-Chi announced with a sneaky grin. "You?! What are you doing here, Quan-Chi? I thought you were supposed to be in the Nether Realm!" Shang Tsung exclaimed in surprise. "It's exactly as I said. Besides; I, too, have some warriors of my own fighting on my behalf." Quan-Chi insisted.

Shang Tsung rubbed his chin before he nodded his head. "Very well; I suppose I could use a few more fighters in this tournament. After all, they say that more's the merrier! When do I get to meet them?" Shang Tsung said at last. "Oh, you'll get to see them in action soon enough. I gurantee you that it will be a show to die for!" Quan-Chi said with a wicked grin. "We shall see about that, won't we?" Shang Tsung replied with a smug grin of his own. "Up to no good, I see!" a stern voice called out suddenly. 

Both sorcerers turned to see Raiden facing them with his arms crossed. "Ah, Lord Raiden. Come to see your little champions play?" Shang Tsung taunted. "Oh, they aren't here to play games, sorcerer! They are going to win!" Raiden proclaimed. "You're so certain, aren't you?" Shang Tsung retorted. "They've made it this far, have they not?" Raiden countered. "Please! I was going easy on them yesterday. Today is when the true games begin, and only one will survive!" Shang Tsung boasted. "We shall see about that!" Raiden replied with a smirk. "Oh, yes! We shall indeed!" Quan-Chi smirked.

Somewhere deep in a jungle in the center of the island, Johnny Cage rushed around trying to find his way out to a clearing. "Ack! (spits) Of all the cliches, this one is the worst! Stuck in the middle of a jungle?! I'm so firing my agent when I get back home!" Johnny Cage grumbled as he brushed past some thick foliage. But he wasn't able to see where he was going before he lost his footing and nearly fell off a cliff. "AAHH! If I make it home! Jeez, that was too close!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he grabbed onto a branch and held on for dear life.

Johnny Cage was able to swing around back to solid ground before moving on. "I swear, if this ends up on direct to video, I'm gonna-" Johnny Cage began before a bug flew in his mouth. "ACK! (spits) What the hell? Grr, I hate bugs! I should have brought some bug spray!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in disgust. But as he said that, a massive swarm of bugs became flying towards him at a frightening speed. "Oh, shit! I definitely should have brought some bug spray!" Johnny Cage said with wide eyes.

As Johnny Cage ran through the jungle, he was unaware that someone else was watching him and following him close behind. Eventually, Johnny Cage found himself at a dead end. "Oh, great! Of all the-" Johnny Cage began before he turned to see the swarm of bugs facing him. Suddenly, the bugs hit the ground and appeared to morph into a giant humanoid insect! She was a ghastly looking creature; she wore a black hood, had sickly yellow skin, several large spider-like legs protruding out of her back, massive wings, and a hideous face with razor sharp teeth and beady black eyes. It was the Hive Queen, D'Vorah!

She hissed with delight as she licked her lips, staring at Johnny Cage. "This one will enjoy feeding you to the Hive!" D'Vorah sneered. "The Hive? Is that what the paparazzi is calling themselves, these days?" Johnny Cage joked nervously. "Come closer, so that this one may suck on your succulent flesh!" D'Vorah hissed. "Whoa! Time out, lady! Nobody is sucking nobody, all right?! Besides, we hardly know each other!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in disgust. "Aww, afraid of a little kiss?" D'Vorah sneered as she began drooling green slime. "Afraid that you will eat me alive!" Johnny Cage groaned. "Clever boy!" D'Vorah said before she came charging towards him. 

Johnny Cage cried out in shock as D'Vorah lashed out at him with her spider legs. "Gah! What are you doing?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. D'Vorah hissed as she swiped her claws at him, tearing up his shirt. "This one will rip you apart!" D'Vorah snarled as she kept trying to slash at Johnny Cage. "Hey, I just finished stitching this shirt up! It wasn't cheap, you know!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he kept trying to dodge her attacks. 

Eventually, D'Vorah was able to trap Johnny Cage with a ball of slime she shot out of her abdomen, which splattered onto his feet and kept him stuck on the ground. "Eww! What the hell is this?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in disgust as he tried to break free of the slime. "This one has you now!" D'Vorah sneered before she charged towards him. She stabbed two of her spider-like legs into his chest, making the Hollywood actor scream out in pain.

To make matters worse, D'Vorah began to repeatedly jab and stab at Johnny Cage with her other spider legs, making him cry out from her vicious attacks. D'Vorah cackled as she then spread her wings and lifted Johnny Cage up into the air, flying at a surprisingly quick speed, before she flew back down to the ground and pinned the poor man to the ground with her feet, cracking his ribs.

Johnny Cage cried out as he coughed up blood, but the devilish bug creature just smirked with evil delight as she towered over him. "Ahh, this one cannot wait to feed your flesh to the Hive! Any last words, foolish human?" D'Vorah sneered with a wicked grin. "I do; move away from him!" a stern voice cried out. D'Vorah cried out as she felt something smack her in the head, forcing her away. Johnny Cage groaned as he slowly sat up, holding his bleeding wounds. "What the hell? Who is-" Johnny Cage groaned as he tried to get a better look at whoever saved him.

To his surprise, it was a Native American warrior. He wore a dark blue vest, dark blue jeans with big brown boots, a blue headband, and a wolf's claw necklace. His name was Nightwolf, and he was giving D'Vorah quite a thrashing with his tomahawk and war club. "In the name of the Great Spirit, begone you foul demon!" Nightwolf cried as he fought D'Vorah with such savagery and speed. "GAH! This one will make you pay for interfering with the Hive!" D'Vorah screamed angrily as she tried to grab her sudden attacker.

But Nightwolf was too quick for her, rolling to the side and dodging her attacks before he fired several magic green energy arrows. D'Vorah screamed in pain as she was hit by the magic energy arrows, but she would not give up so easily. She growled as she opened up her abdomen, releasing a nasty swarm of flies at Nightwolf. But Nightwolf stood his ground and began glowing green with magic energy, reflecting the flies away. "Your vile nature is no match for the power of the Great Spirit. Yield now, and I will show mercy!" Nightwolf proclaimed.

D'Vorah snarled viciously at him, but she eventually flew away in retreat. "This one will be back, and you had better be ready to face the wrath of the Hive!" D'Vorah cried out angrily as she flew away. Nightwolf scoffed before he approached Johnny Cage, helping him up. "Are you all right?" Nightwolf asked as he observed his wounds. "Yeah, I'm all right. It's just a scratch; I'll be all right. I should've definitely brought some bug spray...and maybe a bigger boot!" Johnny Cage replied jokingly before he winced in pain.

Nightwolf reached into his jeans and pulled out a small pouch. He poured out some orange dust into his hands before he rubbed them into Johnny Cage's wounds, making him cry out in pain. "OW! What the hell?! That hurt!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in shock. "The powder will heal your wounds; the stinging is only temporary." Nightwolf simply replied. "Oh, uh...thanks, I guess!" Johnny Cage said stupidly.

Nightwolf sighed as he shook his head; he knew he couldn't leave this poor fool alone. "We should stick together from this point on. It's dangerous on this part of the island alone!" Nightwolf suggested. "You know what? I guess I wouldn't mind a travel buddy! Thanks a bunch, pal. The name's Johnny Cage!" Johnny Cage said as he shook Nightwolf's hand. "I am Nightwolf, and the Great Spirit has chosen me to avenge my people, the Matoka Tribe!" Nightwolf said with a stoic tone of voice. "Really? That is...pretty cool, actually. Not gonna lie! You ever consider going into the movie business?" Johnny Cage said with a goofy grin. "Let's go, night is coming." Nightwolf replied not even paying him any mind.

Meanwhile, Sonya Blade was trudging through a swamp. But as she made her way through the swamps, she was unaware that she was being followed by an ominous threat. After a bit of trudging through the muddy swamp, Sonya found a nice dry spot to rest. "Ugh...I feel like I've been going around in circles. I gotta find my way out of this muddy hellhole!" Sonya said out loud. But as she stood back up to move out again, something punched her in the back of the head and knocked her onto the ground. "Ugh! Who's there?!" Sonya cried out as she was hit.

She was hit again, forcing her against a rock. "God damn it! Quit hiding and show yourself; fight me like a man!" Sonya cried out angrily as she wiped blood off her lip. A ball of acid was thrown at her direction, but Sonya was able to get away before it hit her. Sonya took off running into the swamps again, unaware that an unseen threat was following her close behind.

Eventually, Sonya found herself at a dead-end. "Damn! Now it looks like I've got no choice but to fight now. You hear me?! I'm ready for you!" Sonya said out loud as she stood her ground. A moment of silence passed, until Sonya's patience finally paid off. Sonya caught sight of some footprints appearing by themselves in the mud and smirked. She put on an energy ring gauntlet and took aim, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Sonya found her moment, as she caught a brief glimpse of the silhouette a man sized creature in the sunlight of an open spot. "I've got you now, you son of a bitch!" Sonya smirked as she fired a powerful burst of energy from her gauntlet.

The energy blast hit the invisible force, making it scream as it was blasted into a tree and smashed it to splinters. "Wow! This thing packs a punch! Thank you, Special Forces!" Sonya chuckled to herself. The invisible creature leapt towards Sonya's direction, revealing himself to be a large, green, lizard warrior. His name was Reptile and he was very angry. His eyes were bright yellow, had vicious looking claws on his hands and feet, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, and he wore tough black leather armor. "I will pick the flesh clean off your bones, foolish human!" Reptile snarled. "What's that? I couldn't hear you over your bullshit!" Sonya sneered as she put up her fists.

Reptile roared as he charged towards Sonya, but Sonya was well trained and disciplined enough to deflect his attempted blows before delivering powerful punches and kicks. Reptile grunted and growled as he was hit by Sonya, but he would be damned before he would allow a human to kill him. He hissed as he spit nasty balls of acid at Sonya, but Sonya dodged his attacks before she kicked at Reptile from behind. "Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not polite to spit?" Sonya taunted as she tripped Reptile before stomping on him.

Reptile cried out in pain, but he wasn't about to give up yet. He quickly turned himself invisible before he leapt up towards a tree to try and counterattack her from above. But Sonya caught sight of his silhouette and fired her energy ring gauntlet, blowing Reptile off the tree and back into the ground. "You can't hide from me!" Sonya cried as she lunged towards him. Sonya pummeled Reptile with brutal punches, but Reptile was able to kick her away before he jumped back up. Sonya quickly landed back on her feet before she regained herself.

Sonya smirked as she readied herself, while Reptile was foaming at the mouth with rage. "Come on!" Sonya said to herself. Reptile roared with fury before he began charging towards Sonya to try and finish her off. But Sonya leapt up into the air at the last minute before Reptile could touch her. But to further add on to his surprise, Sonya Blade had pulled out a thin steel garrote and quickly wrapped it around Reptile's neck, choking him with a tight grip. "Not so tough now, are you?" Sonya sneered.

Sonya finally finished off Reptile by violently yanking off his head with the garrote, spraying blood all over the place before his headless body fell to the ground with a dull thud. Reptile's head bounced off into the swamp, never to be seen again. "Don't fuck with the Blade, or else you'll get cut!" Sonya taunted before she blew a kiss. And with that, she began to finally make her way out of the swamps.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, in an underground dungeon, Spawn crept his way through the darkness. "Shit! How the hell did I get separated from the Reika?" Spawn muttered to himself. As he continued on, he was unaware that he was being watched...at first. Spawn eventually made his way into a larger open area, where a stone throne sat tall and proud. It was empty, save for some cobwebs and dust. "Hmm...I wonder who would call himself king here in this shithole?" Spawn wondered out loud. As Spawn examined his surroundings, his Necroplasm powers began to alert him of nearby danger. "Grr! My head! Something's wrong here, but I can't tell what!" Spawn growled as he held his head in discomfort.

Suddenly, a three pronged spear was thrust towards him from behind. Had Spawn not darted to the side, he would have been impaled. "Who the hell is there?! Show yourself, and I promise to make your death quick!" Spawn growled as his hands lit up with burning Necroplasm. "I thought I smelled something foul!" a harsh voice cried out from the darkness. "Come on out and let me see your face!" Spawn shouted impatiently. "If I do, it will certainly mean your death!" the voice retorted. "Motherfucker, I'm already dead!" Spawn spat back. "Then that makes two of us!" the voice sneered.

In a sudden burst of flaming hellfire, Scorpion appeared before Spawn, twirling his chained spear around. "You're not one of Quan-Chi's minions! Yet, you seem so familiar." Scorpion stated. "Like looking in a mirror?" Spawn growled. "No." Scorpion simply replied. "Then what level of Hell did you come from, you flaming fledgling?" Spawn demanded now losing his temper. "Ah, I see now; you're yet another one of Hell's generals!" Scorpion said as his hand touched the handle of his one of his swords. "So, you do recognize this uniform, don't you?" Spawn chuckled sinisterly. "I recognize the foul stench of Malebolgia anywhere! Who are you?" Scorpion snapped. "Call me Spawn! And who might you be, toasty?" Spawn taunted. "Call me Scorpion!" Scorpion snapped back as he drew out his sword and slashed it around in an intimidating manner.

Spawn began to laugh evilly, further frustrating Scorpion. "Well, Scorpion...what brings you here? Looking for something, or looking for a way to die, perhaps?" Spawn said in a threatening manner. "My business is none of your concern, Spawn! Now stand aside, or face my wrath!" Scorpion warned. "You forgot to say please!" Spawn growled as his hands began glowing brighter with more Necroplasm. "Do not anger me, Hellspawn!" Scorpion shouted. "If anyone should be worried about angering someone, it should be you! I've killed more devils than all the years you were alive!" Spawn growled as his chains emerged from his body. "Who are you to judge me, fool?!" Scorpion snarled as he began losing his temper. "Judge you? Motherfucker, I'm your goddamn executioner!" Spawn sneered before he threw a massive ball of Necroplasm at Scorpion.

Scorpion cried out as he was hit, forcing him away on his back. "Grr! You will regret that!" Scorpion snarled as he teleported away. But before Spawn could come up with another smartass comment, Scorpion reappeared behind and kicked him into the stone wall. Spawn cried out with anger as he got back up and punched Scorpion in the face. Scorpion would not back down and soon, the two hellish warriors engaged in battle.

Spawn was ruthless and powerful, but Scorpion was much quicker and more agile. For every time Spawn thought he could land a hit with his fists or feet, Scorpion either blocked his attacks or teleported away and counter attacked him with vicious punches, kicks, and slash attacks from his deadly swords. Scorpion then kicked Spawn up into the air before catching him with his chained spear and dragged him down, slamming him into the ground with a forceful impact. "Argh! You've got a lot of bite to match with your bark, I'll give you that! But you're not stopping me!" Spawn growled as he got back up on his feet. Spawn motioned for Scorpion to come forth, this time ready for him.

As Scorpion came charging towards him, Spawn quickly darted away and used his chains to grab hold of Scorpion, lifting him high into the air before slamming him back down to the ground. Spawn picked him back up with his chains before he made one of the chains stab right into his back and pop out through his chest, making the specter scream in pain. Not even finished, Spawn surged Necroplasm through his chains and into Scorpion, burning him with the hellish energy before Scorpion crashed down into the ground with a forceful impact.

Scorpion slowly got back up, giving out a fierce battle cry. "What the hell? How are you still alive?!" Spawn exclaimed in shock. "You're an impressive fighter yourself, Spawn! But like you, I am also incapable of death! Now, taste hellfire!" Scorpion cried as he threw ball of fire at Spawn. Spawn was able to dodge the attack before he threw another ball of Necroplasm at Scorpion.

But this time, the vengeful specter was able to dodge the deadly projectile before he thrust his spear at Spawn. The spear impaled Spawn in the chest, making him cry out in pain. "Get over here!" Scorpion shouted as he violently yanked the chain and brought Spawn towards him. Scorpion then rammed his elbow into Spawn's face just as he approached him, making Spawn cry out as he felt his nose break. To add on more damage, Scorpion slashed his swords at Spawn with such vicious speed and ferocity before he rammed his spear into Spawn's face, causing Necroplasm to spill out everywhere.

Not even done, Scorpion kicked Spawn up high into the air before yanking him back towards him before kicking him in the face, stabbing the spear further into Spawn's skull. As Spawn flailed back down onto the ground, Scorpion stabbed his swords into Spawn's back before summoning a huge burst of hellfire to engulf Spawn.

Spawn screamed in agony as he was burned alive, but all the pain he felt soon fueled his rage. "Feel the burn, Hellspawn! You are no match against the wrath and fury of the Shirai Ryu!" Scorpion boasted as his chain was reeled back to him. But to his shock and awe, Spawn slowly stood back up, growling menacingly as he glared at Scorpion. Anyone else who suffered from Scorpion's assault would have been dead by now, but Spawn's Necroplasm healed him almost instantly and gave him back his strength, as well as a newfound rage. "I underestimated you, Scorpion. But that's a mistake I'll never make again...now it's my turn! Let me show you my power now!" Spawn snarled as he began glowing bright green with Necroplasm.

Spawn threw a massive ball of Necroplasm at Scorpion, stunning him from the forceful impact. Spawn then leapt up into the air and spread out his cape, before summoning a huge arsenal of guns and rained down bullets on Scorpion. Scorpion cried out from the seemingly endless barrage of bullets that pummeled him, but Spawn wasn't done just yet.

He used his chains to completely wrap around Scorpion, constricting him and breaking several of his bones. Scorpion screamed in pain, but screamed even louder as Spawn surged Necroplasm into his body through the chains. Finally, Spawn fired a massive beam of Necroplasm energy at Scorpion, creating a massive explosion that dealt a tremendous amount of damage to Scorpion.

Spawn cried out fiercely as he charged towards Scorpion and rammed his fist into Scorpion's face, creating another explosion of Necroplasm energy. After the dust cleared, Spawn towered over Scorpion in triumph, glaring down at his defeated opponent. "Consider this a friendly little warning: Don't fuck with me!" Spawn snarled before he began walking away. Scorpion groaned in pain as he struggled to get back up.

Spawn turned around and saw this, with a part of him deep inside wondering if he went too far. Scorpion grunted in frustration as he fell back down after struggling to get back up, slamming his fist in the ground. But much to his surprise, Spawn approached him and pulled him back up to his feet. Even more shocking to Scorpion, was that Spawn used his Necroplasm to heal Scorpion of his injuries. "What?! You are not going to kill me?" Scorpion exclaimed in surprise. "I only kill those who deserve it. Besides; you put up a hell of a fight back there. Not many could've lived after that. And that was me going easy on your ass!" Spawn explained with a chuckle.

Scorpion growled in frustration as he glared at him, but he softened up a bit after Spawn just stared back. "I see! I seem to have underestimated you, as well. So be it; I yield!" Scorpion said as he bowed his head in respect. Spawn nodded his head back in respect; this guy clearly had a strong sense of honor, which was better said than most of the other scumbags he fought before. "But know that the next time we meet, it will not end well for you." Scorpion warned as he began to walk away. "That's funny; I was thinking just the same thing!" Spawn retorted before he went on his own way.

Meanwhile; Liu Kang was fighting his own battle in a beautiful garden up on the surface. His opponent was a beautiful but deadly warrior princess named Kitana. She wore a tight blue female ninja outfit that hugged her curves, complete with knee high boots and a blue mask that concealed her face. But the most amazing thing about this woman was her choice of fighting weapons; a pair of blue steel razor fans. Though she looked quite beautiful, she was quite deadly and stern; cold even. But that was to be expected, as she was Shao Kahn's adopted daughter.

As Liu Kang engaged in combat with Kitana, he could not help but admire her. Sure, she was beautiful, but there was something about her fight style that he couldn't help but admire. There was something about it that he could explain, but to him it was just so...graceful. "I consider it a true honor to fight with someone as noble and beautiful as you!" Liu Kang humbly said as he traded blows with her. "Save your pity for the week, fool!" Kitana coldly retorted as she used her fans to create a torrent of wind that forced Liu Kang up into the air.

Liu Kang screamed as he was forced up, but Kitana would not stop there. She kicked at Liu Kang mercilessly before she forced him down into the ground with a forceful impact. But Liu Kang quickly got up to his feet and continued to press on, much to Kitana's annoyance. "Why do you continue to fight? It is hopeless; Shao Kahn will be victorious once more and all of Earth Realm shall be his!" Kitana cried as she kicked at Liu Kang. "I'm sorry; but that is not going to happen. I will not allow it!" Liu Kang proclaimed as he blocked her attacks. "What?! You think you can defeat him? You claim to be Earth Realm's champion?!" Kitana scoffed. "I am Earth Realm's champion!" Liu Kang replied before he pulled out a pair of nun-chucks.

With a quick blur, Liu Kang knocked the fans out of Kitana's hands and began pummeling her. Angered by the thought of losing to this man, Kitana pulled out a pair of razor sharp sais and began to fight even more fiercely. But no matter how many times she tried to stab or slice at Liu Kang, he would always parry her attacks and kick her away. "Come now, Kitana! Surely you can do better than that?" Liu Kang taunted. "Shut up!" Kitana cried angrily as she threw the sais at his direction.

Liu Kang deflected the weapons with his fists before he let out a battle cry, lighting his fists up in flames. "I take no pleasure in this, I hope you know that. I do not wish to hurt such a worthy adversary!" Liu Kang said calmly as he stood his ground. "I told you to save your pity!" Kitana cried angrily as she charged towards him. But Liu Kang fired a large ball of fire at Kitana, forcing her away onto her back.

As Kitana cried out in pain, Liu Kang calmed himself down before he approached her and offered his hand to help her up. As he smiled at her, Kitana could not help but feel confused. "Why? Why do you mock me?" Kitana exclaimed bitterly. "Mock you?! I would never do such a thing; I meant everything I said! You are one of the greatest opponents I've ever met." Liu Kang replied. "You're lying! Besides...how good am I if I lost to you?" Kitana said with such disdain. "You only lost because you let your anger get the better of you. Had you controlled your emotions, you might have even bested me. But that's not important; what's important is that I must fulfill my destiny." Liu Kang proclaimed.

Kitana just stared at him in disbelief. "And what exactly is your destiny?" she wondered. "My destiny is to protect Earth Realm by winning this tournament!" Liu Kang humbly replied. "Then you're an even bigger fool than I thought! You can't win; no one can! Shao Kahn and his forces cannot be defeated!" Kitana said bitterly as she finally got back up to her feet. "But I have something that the others do not." Liu Kang insisted. "And what might that be?" Kitana demanded. "I have hope." Liu Kang humbly replied.

Kitana was shocked to hear this from him. Perhaps there was more to this monk than she thought. "I yield!" Kitana simply replied before she began to walk away. "Kitana? I hope that we meet each other again...under different circumstances, of course!" Liu Kang said with a smile before he too walked away. Kitana looked at him strangely as he said that, but deep down she felt...strangely happy to hear that.

But while all of this was happening, Shang Tsung was watching this in his temple through a magic portal that overlooked everything. "I must say, Lord Raiden. I am very impressed that your little champion made it this far." Shang Tsung sneered. "I told you; Liu Kang will not be defeated!" Raiden said with a satisfied smile of his own. "I'm glad you feel that way, because I've heard that your other little friends may not be so fortunate." Shang Tsung said with a sneaky grin. "What? What are you saying, sorcerer?" Raiden wondered cautiously.

Shang Tsung laughed sinisterly as he poured himself a glass of wine in a golden goblet. "Surely you've heard of the Black Dragon, yes? And I'm sure that you've also heard of the Lin Kuei? Rumor has it that they've made their way onto this very island, with orders to kill your little friends by any means necessary." Shang Tsung said with an evil smile. "How dare you!" Raiden cried angrily as thunder suddenly rumbled. "You have something to say, my ill tempered friend? An accusation, perhaps?" Shang Tsung taunted. "You dare to defile the sacred rules of Mortal Kombat by hiring assassins and thugs to kill off my champions?!" Raiden said as his eyes began glowing bright white.

Shang Tsung laughed as he shook his head. "You disappoint me, Lord Raiden. Even I am not so bold as to break these sacred rules." Shang Tsung lied. "I guess it doesn't really matter in the end, sorcerer. Because we all know that you will not succeed!" Raiden boldly proclaimed. "We shall see soon enough, won't we?" Shang Tsung said with an evil chuckle.

Chapter Text

Back in the jungle, Johnny Cage and Nightwolf made a small camp to rest for a while. As Nightwolf gazed over the horizon, Johnny Cage grumbled and complained to himself as he took off his shoes and massaged his sore feet. "Argh! I'd kill for a frozen margarita right about now." Johnny Cage grumbled. Nightwolf took notice of Johnny Cage's sullen mood and shook his head. "You are a long way from home, my friend." Nightwolf said with a scoff. "Gee, you think?! I don't know about you, but if I ever make it back home in one piece, I swear that I'll never complain about doing another sequel ever again!" Johnny Cage proclaimed.

Suddenly, some bushes started rustling and startled the two. "Aah! What was that?! If it's that bug lady, please don't let her eat me!" Johnny Cage whimpered. "Who goes there? Are you friend or foe?" Nightwolf cried out boldly as he reached for his tomahawk. Their answer was given when Sonya Blade walked out from the bushes. "Really?" Sonya said as she looked at Johnny Cage and rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's just you Sonya! Look, I know it sounds crazy. But it's true; if it hadn't been for my new buddy Nightwolf here, I would've been dead meat!" Johnny Cage replied with a sigh of relief.

Sonya smirked as she glanced over at Nightwolf, who in turn nodded his head. "You know what? I can actually picture that!" Sonya teased. "What, about the bug lady?" Johnny Cage asked stupidly. "Ugh, never mind. So how did you end up here?" Sonya asked Nightwolf. "The Great Spirit guided me here. There is a powerful and evil black magic about to be unleashed from this very island; I must stop it in order to save my people." Nightwolf explained gravely.

Sonya sighed as she sat down by the fire. She didn't understand what he meant by that, and honestly was too tired to even care. "Seems everyone has their own reasons. You didn't happen to find anyone named Kano around this part of the island, did you?" Sonya wondered. Nightwolf suddenly grew very grim as she mentioned Kano. "No, but if I do find him, I will make him pay for what he's done to me and the Matoka!" Nightwolf growled. "Damn! I guess this Kano guy really gets around, huh?" Johnny Cage said as he put his shoes back on. "You have no idea!" Sonya muttered.

A few hours passed, and Liu Kang eventually found himself wandering into their camp. "You all made it. I'm impressed!" Liu Kang announced. "Barely! I swear, this is the last time I ever accept an invitation to a surprise karate tournament! Or any tournament for that matter! I'm an actor, not Tom Cruise!" Johnny Cage complained. "That would explain your lack of skill." Liu Kang muttered to himself as he sat down on a log in front of the fire.

Nightwolf sat beside Liu Kang, handing him a piece of fruit. "Eat this; it will help you regain your strength." Nightwolf said. "Thanks. I am Liu Kang." Liu Kang said before he took a bite of the fruit. "I am Nightwolf." the Matokan warrior replied as he handed everyone else some of the fruit. "So, what do we do now?" Johnny Cage asked with his mouthful. "Now, we plan our next move!" Sonya said sternly. "Shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about, oh I don't know, finding a way out of this death trap?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light caught everyone off guard. "There is no escaping from Shang Tsung's Island; not until the tournament is finished." Raiden announced suddenly. "Oh, look at who it is. If it isn't our own Merlin!" Johnny Cage snapped. "Hey! Show some respect for Lord Raiden!" Liu Kang cried angrily. "Why? He hasn't been thrown out here in the middle of the jungle to be eaten alive by giant bug monsters or sinking in mudholes or-" Johnny Cage began.

Raiden stopped him by firmly placing his hand on his shoulder. "While I am sorry to hear about your misfortunes Johnny Cage, I advise you to hush yourself and listen to my warning. Shang Tsung has hired Black Dragon thugs and Lin Kuei assassins to try and kill you so that you may not complete the tournament!" Raiden warned sternly.

Sonya snorted as she heard this. "No surprise there, honestly." Sonya muttered. "Oh, that's just great! What else could go wrong?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in frustration. "Lord Raiden, if I may, there is something of great urgency I must address." Nightwolf said as he approached Raiden and bowed his head in respect. "Ah, Nightwolf of the Motaka Tribe. What brings you here?" Raiden wondered. "The Great Spirit has guided me here. I have been forewarned of a terrible and dark power that will be unleashed on this very island. We must find a way to stop it, before it is too late!" Nightwolf explained gravely.

Raiden was surprised to hear of this, as was Liu Kang. But Sonya and Johnny Cage didn't pay too much mind to what was being said...at first. "That is very disturbing news, Nightwolf. Strange that I have not sensed such a dark foreboding. Are you quite certain of this?" Raiden questioned. "The Great Spirit does not lie, Lord Raiden. But I must admit, even I am puzzled as to what it all means." Nightwolf replied.

Raiden rubbed his chin in anticipation, deep in thought. "Lord Raiden? What if that Hellspawn knows of this dark forbearance?" Liu Kang suggested after a moment of silence. "A Hellspawn? Here on this island?!" Nightwolf exclaimed. "Yeah, he's not exactly the most friendly guy around, but he's uh...what's the word I'm looking for?" Johnny Cage began. "Probably keeping secrets from us!" Sonya finished with a fierce look in her eye. "Now wait a second, Sonya. Spawn could have attacked us any time he wanted, but he didn't." Liu Kang argued. "Not yet, anyway!" Sonya retorted.

Nightwolf approached Liu Kang with a stern look on his face. "You have met this Hellspawn?" Nightwolf asked seriously. "I have. And while I admit that he has a certain darkness to him, I do not believe he means us any harm. In fact, I believe that he's after this very dark force you speak of! He's even mentioned a name: Skulker!" Liu Kang replied calmly. Nightwolf nodded his head. "Perhaps. Or it could be that he himself is the darkness the Great Spirit warned me of!" Nightwolf suggested. "Wait a minute! That doesn't make any sense. Why would this Spawn dude want revenge against this other guy if he's the bad guy?" Johnny Cage added.

Nightwolf sighed as he shook his head; now things were getting much more complicated than he anticipated. "I guess the only true way for me to find out is to find this Spawn and speak to him myself." Nightwolf said at last. "Yeah, good luck with that! Like I said, Spawn isn't exactly the social type!" Johnny Cage warned. "You've been silent this whole time, Lord Raiden. What are you thoughts of all this?" Liu Kang wondered as he looked to him. "Yeah, what's your take on this?" Sonya added.

Raiden sighed as he shook his head. "I honestly do not know what to make of the Hellspawn. But I do know this; you all must work together to stay alive and win this tournament, otherwise Earth Realm is doomed." Raiden answered at last. "Again, with this freakin' tournament?! Why can't you just zap us outta here? I'm done with walking teeth and giant bugs trying to eat me!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in dismay. "The rules are set in stone, Johnny Cage. I am not allowed to interfere; this is the will of the Elder Gods. It is up to you all if you wish to survive." Raiden responded calmly. "We will not fail you, Lord Raiden!" Liu Kang proclaimed. "I must return to the palace. Good luck, all of you! And may the Elder Gods guide you over your battles!" Raiden said before he teleported away.

And with that, he was gone. "Oh, great! So, uh...we're all screwed now!" Johnny Cage grumbled out loud. Sonya overheard him and had finally had enough. "You know what? Shut up!" Sonya snapped. "I'm just saying, it would've been way better if he teleported us all out of this place!" Johnny Cage complained. Sonya suddenly marched up to him and did something that nobody expected. She kicked Johnny Cage in the balls, earning a loud scream from the Hollywood actor as he keelhauled over in pain. "What the fuck did you that for!? That hurt!" Johnny Cage screamed.

Sonya grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and glared at him. "Listen to me very carefully, you big crybaby! I'm sick and tired of listening to your wise ass comments and your god damn complaining! If you want to get yourself killed, fine. Be my guest! But if you want to make it back home alive in one piece where you can continue living out your pathetic life in peace, you shut up, grow up, and fight like the rest of us! You got that?" Sonya shouted as she shook him.

Even Johnny Cage wasn't stupid enough to argue with Sonya at this point. "Yes, ma'am! Right away ma'am! Please...please don't hurt me!" Johnny Cage whimpered pathetically. "Good! Now get up and let's get moving, soldier!" Sonya snarled as she shoved him away. "Where are we going, if I may ask?" Johnny Cage asked with a flinch. "Away from here! If what Raiden said is true, then Kano can't be too far ahead. In fact, I'm willing to bet he's planning to ambush us." Sonya stated. "And you wish to run blindly into this ambush?" Nightwolf said as he crossed his arms. "Hey, I just killed a fucking acid spitting dinosaur in muddy old swamp! Kano and his Black Dragon thugs do not scare me!" Sonya snapped.

Liu Kang approached her cautiously. "Do not forget that the Lin Kuei are now part of this as well, Sonya." Liu Kang warned. "He's right; from what I hear, the Lin Kuei are a formidable clan of assassins and killers. We must not let our emotions get the better of us." Nightwolf added. "I understand your anger and frustration, but Lord Raiden is right. We must work together if we are to make it to the end of this tournament alive!" Liu Kang said calmly. 

Sonya sighed as she shook her head. She knew that what they were saying was right, even though she wouldn't admit it out loud. "All right, you win. So what do you suggest?" Sonya finally said. "Let us go see if we can find out where these Black Dragon thugs are hiding, and we will try to take them by surprise." Nightwolf suggested. "All right; sounds like a good idea. Let's go!" Sonya agreed as she nodded her head. "Follow me; the Great Spirit shall guide us!" Nightwolf said as he drew out his tomahawk.

But as the others began to leave, Johnny Cage struggled to follow them. "Yeah, I'm fine! Thank you for asking! (damn it!) Let me just piss out some blood first!" Johnny Cage cried out as he held his crotch while limping after them. But unaware to him and the others, they were being followed by something in the shadows. Things were about to get much more bloody and chaotic from this point on!

Chapter Text

Nightwolf had led the others out of the jungle and into a wide open area; specifically a courtyard with an entry towards a narrow stone bridge that led towards a temple. "They are close. Be aware of your surroundings!" Nightwolf said as he knelt down and examined the ground in front of him. "Where did you learn to track like this?" Sonya wondered as she watched Nightwolf at work. "Please, do not insult me. The Matoka are experts at tracking; we were taught by our elders when we were just learning to walk." Nightwolf replied half jokingly.

Sonya smiled as she began to respect this man more and more. "You know, the Special Forces could use more guys like you." Sonya remarked as she crossed her arms. "I appreciate the gesture, but I fight for and only for, the Great Spirit." Nightwolf replied as he rubbed some dirt between his fingers. "Suit yourself." Sonya shrugged.

Nightwolf slowly stood back up and pointed towards the bridge. "Over there; that's where our enemies lie in wait." Nightwolf announced. "Any idea how many are expecting us?" Liu Kang wondered as he approached his side. "I do not know exactly how many, but I assume it is a rather large group. Stick close and be ready for anything!" Nightwolf instructed as he began to lead the way.

Not too far behind them was Johnny Cage, struggling to keep up. "Wait for me, guys! Damn, I've gotta lose some weight!" Johnny Cage said in between heaving breaths. "Come on, soldier! Get moving!" Sonya urged as she glared at him. Johnny Cage squirmed as she glared at him, but he did what he was told. "Anything to avoid getting kicked in the balls again!" Johnny Cage muttered as he followed close behind.

As they made their way across the stone bridge, everyone had to be careful not to lose their footing. "Oh, God! We are so high up!" Johnny Cage groaned. "Just take it easy. One step at a time, and don't look down." Liu Kang said calmly. "Yeah, right! It's just like that time I did a bridge scene in Columbia...or was it Cambodia? I forget!" Johnny Cage said out loud. "Less talking and more walking!" Sonya urged. "Right! Shutting up now." Johnny Cage said as he glanced down. But as he did so, he yelped as he saw how high up they were.

To make matters worse, there were countless sharp spikes at the bottom along with who knows how many dead bodies there were. "Oh, man...I think I'm gonna be sick." Johnny Cage groaned. He took a deep breath before he kept taking baby steps forward. "Anytime you're ready, Cage! Let's go!" Sonya cried out impatiently. "Right, coming! Hey, Sonya? I just noticed something!" Johnny Cage began. "Notice what?" Sonya demanded. "I told you everything about me, but you never really told me much about yourself. So tell me, how long have you been in the Special Forces?" Johnny Cage asked trying to pass time, as well as block his secret fear of heights.

Sonya sighed as she shook her head. "If I tell you, will you shut up and leave me alone afterwords?" Sonya said impatiently. "Probably not!" Johnny Cage remarked honestly. "Fine! Well, I grew up as an army brat. My father was in the marine corps, and he pushed me into going into the marine corps. I went in and trained with Jax, and I kept pushing myself until I became one of the best soldiers. I was then recruited into the Special Forces along with Jax, and we've been together ever since." Sonya explained.

Johnny Cage frowned as she said that. "Oh. So, uh...you and Jax are-" Johnny Cage began. Sonya sighed loudly before she spoke again. "No, we're not a thing, Cage! Sure, we grew up together. But  Jax is like a brother to me, ok?" Sonya said. "So, you're not spoken for?" Johnny Cage asked. "No, and I have no plans to be. So get that idea out of your head, all right?" Sonya snapped. "Oh, ok! I get it. I'll play along...for now!" Johnny Cage said half jokingly. Sonya shook her head as she sighed again; it was going to be a long night.

Everyone finally made it to the entrance of the temple, or rather the ruins of a once great temple. "Ok, we're here. So now what?" Johnny Cage asked out loud. "We've got company. Stand your ground!" Nightwolf warned. "If they want a fight, they'll get it!" Sonya boldly proclaimed. But as she said that, about 20 Black Dragon thugs suddenly surrounded them. They were all armed to the teeth with guns and bombs. But that wasn't the worst of it, not by far.

Many more killers suddenly flew down from the roof of the temple ruins and landed around our heroes. These killers were not human, but to be more specific, they were Lin Kuei Cybernetic Ninjas. And leading them, was a young and ruthless  spiky blue haired Lin Kuei assassin named Frost. She wore black and blue ninja outfit with a blue face mask, but stranger still was the highly advanced cyberized ice core in the center of her chest.

Altogether, there were roughly 50 bad guys surrounding the four heroes. "Oh, nice! This is real fucking fair! It's only like 50 of these assholes against us!" Johnny Cage cried out in dismay. "The rules state that Mortal Kombat is to be one on one!" Liu Kang called out. "You say that like we're supposed to care." Frost mocked coldly. "What'd you just say?" Sonya snarled. "Now, now! Settle down there, Frost. They should know that this ain't part of the tournament! In fact, they ought to know that these chums here are being paid to kill them. Ain't that right, love?" an evil male voice with an Aussie accent announced.

The heroes looked up to see Kano looking down on them from the top balcony of the temple ruins, standing there with an evil smirk on his face. "Kano!" Sonya cried angrily. "Well, hello there baby! Did ya miss me?" Kano taunted as he made a kissy face. "Why don't you come down here so I can break your neck?" Sonya spat back. "Aww, no hugs? Don't worry; you'd do better than old tin arms!" Kano sneered. "Jax? What did you do to him, you bastard?!" Sonya shouted. "His time is coming!" Frost said as she stared at Sonya with cold, soulless eyes.

Sonya glared back at her as she clenched her fists. "You made a big mistake, making me your enemy!" Sonya growled. "That's funny; I was thinking just the same thing!" Frost sneered as she pressed down on her ice core, powering her body up with icy energy. "We are totally going to die!" Johnny Cage muttered out loud. "No! We can make it; we've made it this far!" Liu Kang encouraged. "Yes; just stick together and put your faith in the Great Spirit!" Nightwolf said calmly as he reached for his tomahawks. "Yeah, well we better! I need to get home so I can kill my agent before firing him!" Johnny Cage snapped.

As everyone prepared for Kombat, Liu Kang noticed someone lurking in the dark. But that wasn't all he noticed; he saw the shadowy figure creating an aura of ice energy with his hands, and he was aiming away from our heroes. Liu Kang smirked as he knew that they were soon going to gain an ally in the upcoming battle. "Be ready!" Liu Kang simply said as he firmly stood his ground. "For what?" Johnny Cage wondered. "Go get em' lads! And please; enjoy yourselves! See around, love!" Kano cried as he pulled out a bottle of beer and took a swig before walking away laughing.

But just as a bunch of Black Dragon thugs ran towards our heroes to attack, a stream of icy energy was fired on the ground, freezing the thugs into the ground where they stood! The freezing power of this ice was so great, that it froze the Black Dragon thugs solid, allowing them be easily shattered into bloody icy chunks from their assailant from behind. "What?! No, it can't be!" Frost cried out angrily. "Don't worry! We'll deal with this asshole! Let's get him, boys!" another Black Dragon thug sneered as he fired his assault rifle.

Several other Black Dragon thugs followed suit, firing their guns. But the mysterious ice powered warrior was far craftier than he appeared and created a large wall of ice to block the bullets before he slid away and counter attacked the thugs by hacking and slashing them to pieces with battle axes made entirely out of ice. One of the surviving thugs attempted to stab the warrior from behind, but he soon regretted that decision as he found himself being impaled with a large icicle into his chest and pinned to a tree, killing him.

Frost cried out in anger and frustration as she finally recognized the man who attacked the thugs. "You! You just don't know when to stop, do you?!" Frost shouted angrily. The man in question stepped forward, holding a pair of ice axes in each hand and a stern glare. He was a well built and muscular man with black hair and a beard, wore blue and black leather ninja armor, a blue headband, and was armed with several ice powered ninja weapons. "Who is this guy, boss lady?" a Black Dragon thug whimpered.

The icy ninja warrior replied by throwing both ice axes at the Black Dragon thug, killing him. "I am Subzero, the true grandmaster of the Lin Kuei! And you, Frost, have dishonored the Lin Kuei for the last time!" the man said in a cold, stern tone. "Dishonored them?! I've united them and made them more powerful than ever before! You've been holding me back!" Frost spat. "Had you been more patient, I would've willingly named you my next successor. But I was wrong to have trusted you. You are unworthy of the Lin Kuei, let alone becoming a grandmaster!" Subzero replied calm but with disappointed. "I've had enough of your damn lectures! Cyber Ninjas, kill this old fool!" Frost commanded with cold rage in her voice.

As several cyber ninjas rushed towards Subzero, he created a massive wall of ice before he shattered it with his fist. The sheer force of his punch was enough to create a shockwave of icicles raining down on the cyber ninjas, severely damaging them. Subzero then rushed forward and finished them off by freezing them solid before creating a massive ice hammer and shattered them to bite sized pieces.

Frost grew tired of failure, and decided to finally take matters into her own hands. "Fine! It's my turn to finish this, now!" Frost sneered as she powered herself up before charging towards Subzero. And soon, the grandmaster and former student engaged in a ruthless, nonstop duel.

The other heroes were impressed by this display, but didn't have time to say so due to the other Black Dragon thugs and Cyber Ninjas rushed in to attack. "Ancestors, give me strength!" Nightwolf shouted before he tackled a Black Dragon thug to the ground and hacked him away with his tomahawk. Sonya Blade grappled one of the thugs before using her garrote to strangle him to death. Not even done, she grabbed his assault rifle and fired at several other thugs, killing them.

Liu Kang whipped out a pair of nunchucks and used them to brutally batter and bash the thugs away, but a couple of cyber ninjas flew towards him and proved to be quite a challenge. At first, Liu Kang couldn't seem to lay a hand on them due to their speed. Every time he tried to attack one, they'd dodge his attacks and fly away before counter attacking with powerful punches.

Liu Kang was finally able to gain the upper hand when he held still and took a deep breath, allowing him to focus. As the cyber ninjas approached him, he deflected their punches and pummeled them with a series of quick punches and kicks. Liu Kang finally defeated the cyber ninjas by igniting his nunchucks with fire and brutally battered them apart piece by piece. He finished them off for good by using one of the cyber ninja's heads as a soccer ball and used a powerful flaming kick on it, blowing it up into pieces. "You awoke the dragon!" Liu Kang cried out as he faced more cyber ninjas and Black Dragon thugs.

All while this happened, Johnny Cage struggled to fight against one cyber ninja. He kept dancing around it, taunting it hoping it would leave him open to attack. "Yeah? Is that all you got, tin can? Come one!" Johnny Cage taunted as he pumped his fists. But as he kept throwing punches, the cyber ninja deflected his blows and sent the Hollywood actor flying onto his rear. "Ugh! Damn it; hold still why don't you!" Johnny Cage cried out in frustration.

Suddenly, the cyber ninja was shot to pieces by Sonya Blade, who wielded an assault rifle. "I have a better idea, Cage! How about you quit dicking around and just fight?! If you can't do that, then just stay down and out of the way!" Sonya snapped as she grabbed Johnny Cage and forced him to take cover behind a tree. "Hey, come on! I know how to fight!" Johnny Cage complained. "Sure you do. Just stay down!" Sonya retorted before she resumed opening fire on a group of Black Dragon thugs.

But as she did that, Johnny Cage couldn't help but stare at her in awe. "Wow...that is so freakin' hot!" Johnny Cage said to himself in a dreamy voice.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the other side of Shang Tsung's Island...

As the heroes fought against the horde of thugs and cyber ninjas, Spawn found himself wandering into another dark room in the lower levels of Shang Tsung's Island. But this one was different; there was a much more ominous feeling in the room. "Grr! Something's wrong; I can feel it in the air. There's a great and powerful darkness in this place." Spawn said as he held his head.

As he stepped further into the room, he was greeted with an unholy sight. There was a very large and very powerful torrent of ghostly green energy inside of a large stone cavern of some sort. It's twisted and demonic features were freaky enough, but the horrific sounds of ghostly screaming and wailing from the energy inside of it made it much worse. "What the hell is that? Have I seen something like this before?" Spawn wondered out loud.

As Spawn got closer to the strange energy source, his head began to throb with great pain, causing him to cry out in both anger and agony. "UGH! What is wrong with me?! What sort of twisted, dark, evil magic is this?!?" Spawn cried out as he fell to his knees. Spawn thought he was going crazy, but he could have sworn he heard voices from the strange vortex of energy. "Avenge us! Avenge us!" the voices eerily whispered and wailed. "I...I...I can feel their pain and suffering! I can feel their anger! But how? And why?!" Spawn exclaimed as he slowly got back up.

But as he did that, Spawn caught sight of something at the other side of the room. "What is that?" Spawn said to himself as he slowly moved forward. As he got closer, Spawn found himself looking at what appeared to be a pedestal made entirely out of bone. But what laid on top of the pedestal was even more interesting. It appeared to be a a large golden amulet with a green jewel in the center. But the amulet itself seemed to be surging with immense power unlike anything Spawn ever encountered before. "Hmm...I wonder if this is what Skulker is after." Spawn said to himself as he looked at the amulet.

Spawn would've touched it, had a large gust of wind appeared and diverted his attention. "I would not do that if I were you!" a gentle but stern voice announced. Spawn growled as he turned around, his hands glowing green with Necroplasm. "Who the hell are you? Did you follow me here?!" Spawn growled. "I sensed a great disturbance in this place, but I did not anticipate you being here." the man's voice said. "Get out here so I can see you with my own eyes!" Spawn demanded angrily. "As you wish, but know that I mean you no harm!" the gentle voice said before a whirlwind blew into the room.

As soon as the whirlwind ended, a tall, ageless man with long white hair bound in a ponytail approached Spawn slowly. He wore a beautiful red vest with slightly armored golden shoulder pads, as well as bluish green silk pants and leather boots. On his shoulder was a large glowing tattoo of a Chinese symbol, which translated to air or sky. "Greetings stranger, I am Fujin. I am the God of Wind. What brings you here to our realm?" the air god asked in a calm tone.

At first, Spawn didn't know how to react. How did this guy know he wasn't of their realm? And for that matter, why did he seem to care? "It's none of your concern, windbag! I have my own reasons for being here!" Spawn finally said in a snappy tone. "Is that so? Tell me, what were you planning on doing once you had that amulet in your possession?" Fujin replied a bit more sternly. "Why do you care? What the hell do you want with me?" Spawn snarled.

Fujin paced around the room with his hands behind his back, as if he were studying Spawn. "Let me guess? You're here because you seek your revenge against someone. Someone who hurt you badly...or perhaps, this certain someone hurt somebody else? Somebody you care about?" Fujin said with a slightly sad tone in his voice. Spawn calmed down a bit as he realized that this guy meant no harm. But even still, it wasn't really his business to know. "Like I said, why do you care?" Spawn responded a bit more calmly.

Fujin approached the pedestal, crossing his arms. "You are angry, that much is certain. And you seem so certain that this amulet will be the answer to your problems. Unfortunately, this amulet will not help solve your problems. It may, however, create new ones." Fujin stated in a much more serious tone. "What choice do I have? The madman I'm after will stop at nothing to destroy everything in his way. If I have something to use against him, then maybe I have a chance!" Spawn said with the same amount of seriousness in his voice.

Fujin nodded his head. "I see. So your intentions are good, or so you say. But why do you seek vengeance? It is not the way a man should live; it's too heavy a burden for anyone to carry." Fujin began. "Haven't you been listening to a damn word I said?! I'm not doing this for a simple case of revenge! I'm trying to stop a madman from kick starting the apocalypse!" Spawn snapped impatiently. "Then let me help you. You cannot fight this threat alone, my friend." Fujin replied calmly.

Spawn hung his head low, as if he felt ashamed. "No, it's better if I handle this alone. I've already done enough bad things in my past life; I can't afford to let good people die because of me or that piece of shit, Skulker!" Spawn finally admitted. "So you are willing to sacrifice the lives of Raiden's champions in hopes of redeeming yourself?" Fujin challenged.

Spawn gave him a hard glare as he said that, but Fujin just stared back. "How did you know about that?" Spawn said at last. "Know this, Spawn! I will not try to stop you, if your heart is truly set on this quest of yours. But you must know, my brother Raiden is not nearly as forgiving as I am. Should anything happen to Earth Realm and it's protectors, I may not be able to defend you from my brother's wrath." Fujin warned.

Spawn finally had no point to keep arguing, because deep down he knew that what Fujin was saying was right. Besides, he already made a deal with Raiden. He'd be no better than Skulker if he went back out on his deal now. "Maybe you're right...but I just don't know if they're strong enough." Spawn said at last. "Do not doubt your new allies just yet, Spawn. You'd be surprised just how strong and capable even a mortal can be under the right circumstances. Besides, if Raiden has faith in them, then so do I. Maybe it's time you learned to have faith in others as well!" Fujin wisely countered.

Spawn nodded his head as he said that. "All right. I've gotta go back and find them. Listen, did you really mean that? That you'd help me fight against Skulker?" Spawn said. "I trust in your good intentions, Spawn. And when the time is right, I will gladly fight by your side. But until then, your friends need all the help that they can get." Fujin answered. Spawn slowly bowed his head in response, to which Fujin bowed back before he flew off in a large gust of wind. "I've gotta find Reika and the others!" Spawn said to himself out loud before he teleported away.

Chapter Text

After battling their way through many Cyber Ninjas, the Earth Realm Warriors regrouped at a large empty room in the temple. "Is everyone all right?" Liu Kang asked as he stretched himself and massaged his sore muscles. "Apart from being nearly ripped to shreds by maniacs with machine-guns and cyborg ninjas? Yeah, everything's just fine!" Johnny Cage half joked as he dusted his sunglasses. "Can it, Cage! We need to find Kano and put him down!" Sonya snapped as she reloaded her assault rifle. "Do not forget that there is something far more sinister out there. Be on your guard!" Nightwolf warned as he sharpened his tomahawk.

After recovering themselves, they made their way into large room with several death traps. On one side of the room there were several large swinging blades of doom, and on the other side there was a fire chamber. And in the center of it all was a bed of spikes, complete with the severed heads and other body parts of those who didn't make it. "Ugh! This place is so...cliche, if I do say so myself! I was expecting a bit more." Johnny Cage said with a joking tone.

But as he said that, a door burst open and out came a swarm of Tarkatan barbarians, led by Baraka himself. "It's the Earth Realmers! Don't let them escape; kill them all!" Baraka roared. "Me and my big mouth!" Johnny Cage grumbled. "You can make it up by fighting back against these creeps!" Sonya growled as he opened fire with her assault rifle. "Stand together! Show no fear!" Liu Kang cried as he twirled his nun-chucks around. 

One of the Tarkatans rushed towards Johnny Cage, wildly slashing his arm blades. "Ow! Seriously, what is wrong with you guys?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he barely dodged the metal blade attacks. "We are Tarkatan! We are hungry for blood and flesh!" the Tarkatan warrior snarled. "Cotton? You are NOT soft and fuzzy, pal!" Johnny Cage cried back as he kicked at the Tarkatan's face. 

As Johnny Cage fought for his life, Sonya and Liu Kang fought and killed their attackers with much more ease. Liu Kang was able to bash, batter, and knock out a bunch of Tarkatan warriors with his nun-chucks and kung fu. Sonya held her own by relying on her powerful punches, kicks, and grappling attacks. One Tarkatan warrior almost got the better of Sonya, but she was able to quickly turn the situation around by blinding him with a flash bang before kicking him against a giant swinging club. The poor sap was then smashed against the ceiling before falling to his death on a bed of spikes, killing him as he was pierced all over. "Like I said; fuck with the Blade, you're gonna get cut!" Sonya sneered.

Johnny Cage would've met certain death, but luck seemed to favor him. As the Tarkatan pinned him to the ground, Johnny Cage was able to grab a miniature idol and repeatedly smashed it against the Tarkatan's face before he rammed it deep into his skull, killing him. "Yeah! In your face! Uh, literally!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he stood back up on his feet. "Don't get cocky, botox! We're not out of this shitstorm just yet!" Sonya barked. "Uh, yes ma'am. You did see me just win back there, right?" Johnny Cage replied stupidly. "Ugh! Just stay out of the way, all right?" Sonya snapped.

Baraka was getting impatient and finally decided to try and take matters into his own hands. He leapt towards Liu Kang, roaring ferociously. "Say your prayers, Earth Realmer!" Baraka snarled as he unsheathed his metal arm blades. "Sorry, but I'm more of a fighting monk." Liu Kang said with a sneer. "Then my prayers shall be answered! Tonight, Tarkata will feast on Raiden's precious Chosen One!" Baraka sneered back.

Baraka snarled viciously as he charged towards Liu Kang, but the Chosen One deflected Baraka's blows with his nun-chucks before counter-attacking with several powerful punches and kicks. Baraka grew angry and decided to try and fight dirty. He clashed both his metal arm blades together, creating a massive spark that blinded Liu Kang, allowing the ravenous creature to wildly slash and stab at Liu Kang.

Liu Kang was wounded, but he was not about to give up so easily. He took a deep breath and composed himself, with time seemingly slowing down. But just as Baraka was about to attack again, Liu Kang dodged his attacks at what appeared to be super speed.  He punched and kicked at Baraka with such speed and ferocity, one might think that Liu Kang was possessed by the spirit of a dragon.

Finally, Liu Kang defeated Baraka by brutalizing him with his nun-chucks before charging his fist with a great amount of fiery energy and punching Baraka. The force of the punch was so great, it sent Baraka flying away into a wall, destroying it in the process and knocking the Tarkatan out cold. "Do not underestimate me again, Baraka!" Liu Kang cried triumphantly. The remaining Tarkatan warriors saw this and were terrified, and as such they fled the scene.

Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade saw this, and were quite impressed. "Damn! Nice moves there, Bruce Lee!" Sonya smirked. "Dude...is he, like...dead?" Johnny Cage said with a raised eyebrow. "What? Oh, hardly! I didn't even try to kill him." Liu Kang humbly replied with a laugh. "Well, I'm just glad that you're on our side." Sonya added a bit more seriously. "Yeah. Say...where's Nightwolf? Wasn't he just with us?" Johnny Cage said out loud.

The other two warriors realized that he was right; Nightwolf was nowhere to be seen. "Shit! If he bailed on us-" Sonya began angrily. "Wait...something's not right. The air, it's...foul!" Liu Kang said as he held his finger up. "Eww! What is that smell? Did somebody just rip one?!" Johnny Cage groaned as he held his nose. "It smells like sulfuric acid." Sonya said with a look of disgust. "It's coming from this direction; follow me!" Liu Kang announced as he pointed towards a dimly lit hallway.

Meanwhile, Nightwolf was wandering in a large room called the Dead Pool. Inside of here was, as the name implies, a giant pool of sulfuric acid and the remains of the dead who fell into this horrid place. Nightwolf came here because he sensed a dark, evil force. "This evil darkness is close; I can feel it!" Nightwolf said to himself out loud. He knelt down and began sifting the dirt through his fingers; somebody...or something was here recently. "Where are you? Why are you here?" Nightwolf wondered.

Suddenly, a gun was fired in his direction. The bullet barely grazed past Nightwolf's head, but it certainly got his attention nonetheless. "You ain't supposed to be here!" a stern voice warned. Nightwolf slowly turned around to face his aggressor; it was Erron Black, the Outworld Cowboy. "I have no wish to fight with you. Leave me!" Nightwolf warned. "Well, now...if wishes were only like horses." Erron Black smirked as he twirled his 6 shooters around in a taunting manner. "Do you truly wish to antagonize me? Because I warn you, the Wolf is at your door." Nightwolf warned as he fingered his tomahawk. "Sure glad that I pack silver bullets, then!" Erron Black sneered. "The name is Nightwolf, and though I am no werewolf, my bite is worse than my bark!" Nightwolf snarled as he drew out his tomahawk.

Erron Black chuckled sinisterly as he took a few steps back. "That's good, because silver is expensive!" Nightwolf said before he prepared for Kombat. The two were silent for a long solid minute before they engaged in battle. Erron Black fired a volley of bullets from both his 6 shooters, but Nightwolf's speed and agility helped him to dodge the bullets before he viciously counter attacked with savage hack and slash attacks with his tomahawk.

Erron Black was able to force Nightwolf away with kick to the chest before he reached for his Winchester Repeater Rifle, firing off a few rounds. Nightwolf took a hit to the shoulder, but it was not going to stop him so easily. He tackled Erron Black to the ground before smacking his war club into the cowboy's face. Erron Black screamed in pain and anger as he kicked him off before deciding to fight dirty.

He punched Nightwolf in the face, hard enough to knock him back before he used a lasso to yank him back towards him and threw a flask of acid at Nightwolf's face. Nightwolf screamed as he was burned by the corrosive acid, but Erron Black wasn't even done yet. He pointed his Winchester Repeater Rifle at Nightwolf's chest before firing, forcing the Native American back screaming in pain.

Nightwolf screamed in rage as he charged towards the cowboy to retaliate, which turned out to be a big mistake. Erron Black laughed as he swung the butt of his rifle at Nightwolf's face, forcing him onto his back. Erron Black then brutally kicked and stomped Nightwolf in the back of his head. "Give it up, kid! I've been hunting and killing just about anything that breathes and moves since I was 14. All the while, you were out prancing about with the antelope and buffalo. What makes you think a lousy Redskin like you has a chance against me?" Erron Black taunted.

Nightwolf growled as he slowly got back up, his eyes shining fiercely with great anger. "Do not dare mock the sacred name of the Matoka! I was the fastest and the strongest of my tribe, earning me my mantle of Nightwolf!" Nightwolf snarled before he grabbed hold of Erron Black's right leg and stabbing a hunting knife into it. Erron Black screamed in pain from Nightwolf's sneak attack, but Nightwolf wasn't even done yet.

He forced the cowboy onto his back, allowing him to stab Erron Black repeatedly before rolling away back onto his feet. "You angered me, thus angering the Great Spirit! Now, rise and prepare to face judgement!" Nightwolf cried angrily. Erron Black growled angrily as he slowly stood back up. "Boy, you in a heap of trouble now!" Erron Black snarled as he held his bleeding leg and glared at his enemy. "Then allow me to end your suffering!" Nightwolf retorted.

Nightwolf then used magic to summon an Energy Bow and fired three arrows at Erron Black, stunning him. This allowed Nightwolf to sprint towards him before leaping into the air and slamming his tomahawk deep into Erron Black's shoulder. The Outworld Cowboy screamed as he stumbled back a few feet from the attack, but the worst hadn't even happened yet.

Nightwolf then summoned a large bolt of lightning, which struck the tomahawk and electrocuted Erron Black violently before he fell to the ground on his back. Nightwolf slowly walked towards the knocked out and very fried cowboy before retrieving his tomahawk. "Never insult the Matoka again, Erron Black. Let this be known as an act of mercy!" Nightwolf snarled before he walked away in triumph. But as he walked off, he was unaware that someone, or something was following him through the shadows.

Meanwhile, the other Earth Realm warriors were still searching for Nightwolf around the other side of the Dead Pool, when they made a discovery of their own. "Ugh! I should've brought a gas mask; this place reeks!" Johnny Cage complained as he gagged. "This place...it's evil! What ungodly types of torture goes on in here, I wonder?" Liu Kang said out loud. "I'd rather not wonder at all, actually! Hey...look at this; there's crates full of hardware over here. And not the kind you'd find at the Home Depot, if you get my meaning!" Johnny Cage announced as he stumbled into a large wooden crate.

He was right; these crates were full of guns, knives, and explosives. And on these crates of weapons was a certain symbol that Sonya Blade was all too familiar with. "The Black Dragon have smuggled weapons onto this island; big surprise! But where the hell is Kano? He should be here!" Sonya snapped as she punched the wall in frustration. "He can't be too far off! Have patience!" Liu Kang began.

Suddenly, a loud scream filled the air. "What the hell was that?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "What? No...it can't be! it sounds like-" Sonya began before the screaming started again. "Jax! He's in trouble; we gotta find him, fast!" Sonya cried as she took off running towards the sounds of the screams. "Hey, where are you going? We gotta find-" Johnny Cage began. "I have to save my partner, damn it! I'm not letting Kano win this time! Just stay out of my damn way!" Sonya shouted before she took off.

Johnny Cage stared at her in disbelief. "I don't get it! What am I doing wrong here? Why does she keep rebuffing my affections?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in disdain. Liu Kang sighed as he shook his head. "If you really want her respect, you have to earn it! It's obvious that she cares about her fellow comrades, so why don't you go help her?" Liu Kang suggested. Johnny Cage took a moment to consider what he was saying and finally agreed. "You know what? I guess I don't mind having my balls crushed. Uh, I mean by her!" Johnny Cage said awkwardly. "That doesn't make it any better, Cage." Liu Kang said plainly. "Ok, you know what? Fuck it; I'm gonna be the hero she needs. I'll prove to her that I can fight! I'll prove to her that I have what it takes to be a soldier!" Johnny Cage cried angrily. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go for it!" Liu Kang pressed.

After Johnny Cage shook his hand and left to chase after Sonya Blade, Liu Kang sighed in relief. "Finally; now I can focus on my own destiny!" Liu Kang muttered as he looked out a window and saw Shang Tsung's palace. But as Liu Kang left, he was unaware that he was being watched from the shadows. "Funny you say that, kid. Because I think it's time I focus on my destiny as well!" a dark, evil voice said with an evil laugh.

Chapter Text

*A few hours ago!*

Meanwhile, Jax Briggs woke up inside of a cold, dark dungeon somewhere. He was stripped of his weapons and gear and tied up to a chair. "Ugh...where am I?" Jax groaned. Sinister laughter was heard from the shadows. "Well, well, well! Looks like you're finally awake. I hope you got plenty of rest, because now we can get started!" an evil voice sneered. He stepped out of the shadows and slowly twirled a knife around. Jax growled in anger as he recognized the man in question. "Kano! What the hell are you doing here, asshole Where's Sonya?" Jax demanded. "Aw, your concern for Sonya is touching, old man! But don't worry about her; you should be more worried about yourself right now." Kano sneered as he grabbed a chair and sat across Jax. 

Jax's eyes narrowed as he saw him grab a suitcase and opened it, revealing it to be full of vicious instruments of torture. "You Special Forces blokes have been a thorn on me side for too long!" Kano snarled as he sharpened up a nasty looking knife. Kano approached Jax with the knife in his hands, smiling evilly.  Jax gritted his teeth as he glared at the Black Dragon leader. "What the fuck do you want with me, asshole?!" he seethed. "I want to kill you nice and slow!" Kano said before he slashed his knife on the right side of Jax's chest. 

Jax screamed in howling pain as he was slashed. "GAAHHH! FUCK YOU!" Jax shouted through pain. "Oh, do shut up! You're all talk, old timer! Always have been and always will be...at least until I'm through with you!" Kano cackled as slowly cut his way across Jax's abdomen. Jax screamed in agony as the pain seared deep into his body, but his pain was also met with rage.

Jax would be damned if he let this punk see him give in to weakness. "You think you real hard, don't you? I got news for you: You're going to feel nothing but pain when I break out of this chair, you piece of shit! You hear me?! I'll beat you until the white meat shows!" Jax snarled as he spat at him. "Aha, so you still got some fight in you after all! Too bad dear old Sonya ain't here to see this. Let me see if I have the proper tools for this special occasion, shall we?" Kano said with evil glee.

Kano then took out a hammer and a drill. "Whatcha gonna do, punk?!" Jax cried defiantly. "This!" Kano replied as he took the hammer and smashed Jax's feet. Jax screamed as he felt his feet get smashed, but his screaming only got louder as Kano used the drill to pierce his kneecaps.

Kano snickered with evil delight as he enjoyed torturing Jax; he hadn't been able to enjoy this for a while. And Jax did not fail to disappoint as Kano heard his screams of pain and anguish. Finally, Jax seemed to be losing consciousness after losing so much blood. "Well, would you look at that! It seems I was wrong, after all. You really are tougher than you look." Kano sneered. "Fuck...you!" Jax groaned as he coughed up blood. "You know something? The last person who sat in this chair lasted about 10 minutes before he died. But you, old timer, just survived for about an hour...that's a new record!" Kano said before bursting into evil laughter.

Jax gave him one last glare before he passed out. "Boys?!" Kano called out. Suddenly, two Black Dragon henchmen arrived. "Yes, boss?" they responded. "Keep your eyes on him. Notify me at once when he recovers. I'm going to go play with dear old Sonya!" Kano instructed before he walked away.

*Later, in the present!*

Sonya kept running through the darkened halls of the dungeon, getting closer to the screams of her comrade Jax. "Hold on, Jax! I'm coming for you, I promise!" Sonya said in-between pants as she ran. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sonya finally found herself in a torture chamber. It was a horrible sight to behold; poor Jax was strapped to a chair while several Black Dragon thugs were beating him up. "Hey, man! Hit him over here again!" one of the thugs sneered. "GAAHHH! You gonna be real sorry when I break outta this chair, you punks!" Jax shouted angrily. "Is that right, old man? What are you gonna do about it?" another thug taunted.

He was answered by a boot to the face, forcing him against the wall with his brains being bashed out. "Get away from him, you bastards!" Sonya snarled as she forced the thugs away and brutally beat them to death. "Sonya? You're...alive!" Jax gasped as he looked up and winced in pain. "Hold on, Jax. I'll get you out of there!" Sonya said as she untied his binds. Jax groaned as he fell into Sonya's arms, prompting more concern from her. "What did they do to you, Jax?" Sonya said in dismay. "That piece of shit Kano caught me off guard and drugged me before he tortured me! That explains why I couldn't break free, otherwise my arms would've crushed these fools." Jax explained.

Sonya smirked as he said that. "You sure about that? Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you tried to take on Kano without me and it backfired!" Sonya sneered half-jokingly. Jax laughed at her with wincing pain. "Oh, all right. I guess that had something to do with it too! I'm just glad you're all right." Jax finally admitted. "Thanks. Now come on; let's go find Kano and put an end to this shitstorm!" Sonya said as she helped Jax up to his feet. She did her best to tend to his wounds, but Jax was still hurting badly. "Ugh...whatever Kano drugged me with, it's messed me up good!" Jax groaned. "Come on, soldier! You can make it!" Sonya encouraged as she helped walk him out of the torture chamber.

Meanwhile, Nightwolf ended up back in the Forest of Darkness. Something had brought him here, he just wasn't sure yet. "Great Spirit, why did you guide me here? What am I looking for?" Nightwolf wondered out loud. As he kept wandering through the forest, he was unaware of something following him from the shadows. Or at least, it seemed that way.

A few moments passed before Nightwolf stopped by a large tree and noticed something was off. He couldn't see anything, but he knew that something...or someone was around, watching him from the shadows. "I know you're out there! Step out of the shadows and reveal yourself!" Nightwolf said out loud with a stern tone. "You could be a bit more polite, you know." a feminine voice replied with a taunting giggle.

Suddenly, Reika Kitami stepped out of some bushes and revealed herself to Nightwolf. The Native American warrior stared intently at Reika, though the witch didn't seem to show any signs of fear. "So, it's you. You've finally decided to reveal yourself to me, witch." Nightwolf began. "Wait, how did you know it was me?" Reika asked a bit more surprised. "You've been following me around for over 2 hours. I assume you have a good reason, so explain yourself!" Nightwolf said plainly.

Reika smirked as she put her hands on her hips. "Ok, magic man. You got me; I've been following you around because I need your help. You seem to be capable of handling yourself. There is a very dark and powerful force of evil on this island, and I need your help to either destroy it or contain it." Reika explained. "What do you know of this darkness?" Nightwolf questioned. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt before; it feels ancient, but very powerful. If this were to fall in the wrong hands, it could mean the end of our world as we know it!" Reika continued gravely.

Nightwolf nodded his head in agreement. "I see. But why come from your own dimension to stop this evil?" Nightwolf wondered. "Wait, how did you-" Reika began. "The Great Spirit has guided me throughout this entire realm, but I have never met someone like you. Also, the magic that flows within you is not of this realm, which could only mean you are not from this realm." Nightwolf pointed out. "Ok, so?" Reika retorted as she crossed her arms. "The magic inside of you is a dark magic unlike anything I've ever encountered before. So I will ask you just this once: Can I trust you?" Nightwolf challenged.

Reika frowned as she sighed and shook her head. "Look, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now! But if you really doubt me that much, then why don't you and I just settle it right here and now?" Reika challenged back. Nightwolf glared at her as she said that, but something told him that she meant every word she said. "Very well. You make a fair point. But know this; should you betray the trust of the Great Spirit, there will be consequences! Do we understand each other?" Nightwolf warned. "Fine by me! Now why don't we try introducing ourselves instead of-" Reika began before something stopped her.

A nasty ball of slime hit her from behind and made her cry out in disgust. "Ugh! What the hell?!" Reika exclaimed. She turned around sharply and saw a horrible insectoid creature flying towards her at a frightening speed. It was D'Vorah! "What the hell is that thing?!" Reika exclaimed. "D'Vorah!" Nightwolf growled as he grabbed his war club. "This one is going to make you pay for what you did!" D'Vorah snarled angrily as she threw several balls of slime at her two opponents.

Reika and Nightwolf managed to dodge her projectiles before they stood their ground and prepared for battle. "Introductions will have to wait, witch!" Nightwolf said gravely. "I guess so. But don't worry; I'll leave just enough for you to play with!" Reika smirked as she used her magic to create a bound sword of dark energy. D'Vorah snarled viciously as she charged towards Reika, but the witch teleported away before she could be hit and slashed at the insectoid with her bound sword. D'Vorah cried out as she was attacked, but she would not give up easily.

She unleashed a swarm of flying insects from her chest, making Reika cry out as she was surrounded and stung by the nasty creatures. "GAH! Fight fair, you bitch!" Reika cried out in pain and disgust as she tried to swipe away the insects. D'Vorah snickered as she kicked Reika in the face, forcing her away onto her back. D'Vorah then tackled Reika and attempted to tear her apart with her spider-like legs that protruded from her back.

Had Nightwolf not fired several energy arrows at D'Vorah, Reika would've suffered a horrible fate. "She's right! Come and face the Great Spirit's judgement with some honor and dignity!" Nightwolf boldly proclaimed. "This One cares not for honor; only the survival of the Kytinn! But your body will make excellent sustenance for the Hive!" D'Vorah sneered as she threw more balls of slimy poison at him.

Nightwolf rolled to the side and fired a few more energy arrows, but D'Vorah's own speed and agility protected her from being hit. As Reika got back up, she began chanting a spell in Latin before her hands lit up with dark flames. "Hey, bitch! Over here!" Reika cried as she threw a dark fireball at D'Vorah and made her cry out in pain. The insectoid growled with anger and pain as she was hit, and she retaliated discharging poison from her spider-like legs.

But Reika was able to resist the poison naturally with her dark magic protecting, and chuckled wickedly as she came marching towards the insectoid. "Your nasty little poison is no match for my power, bug bitch! Now taste this!" Reika cried as she used her dark magic to tightly grasp D'Vorah before smashing her against a boulder. The force of the impact was strong enough to destroy the boulder, but D'Vorah only seemed to be getting angry. "Enough! This One ends this now!" D'Vorah shouted as she flew up into the air. As she spread her wings, D'Vorah emitted a horrid cloud of poison and began to rain acid down onto the two fighters below.

Reika created a shield of energy to protect Nightwolf, while the poisonous acid did nothing to harm the witch. "That's the best you've got? I'm gonna enjoy crushing my heel into your face when I'm through with you!" Reika shouted as she lit up her hands with dark energy. Reika cried out as she threw many balls of black fire at D'Vorah, but the insectoid dodged her attacks before she came diving down to attack.

However, Reika anticipated this and was able to teleport away just before D'Vorah reached her. As she teleported behind her, Reika trapped D'Vorah with a dark magic rune, paralyzing the insectoid in place. "Now! Attack her; giver her all you got!" Reika shouted. "Ancestors, give me strength!" Nightwolf cried as he held up his tomahawk. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit the tomahawk and it lit up in blue flames.

Nightwolf then screamed as he charged towards D'Vorah and tackled her to the ground before he hacked away at the insectoid with violent ferocity matching a wolf's. "You will terrorize us no longer!" Nightwolf shouted as he slammed the tomahawk down into D'Vorah's skull, seemingly killing her as her head was sliced in two. To make sure she stayed dead, Reika used her magic to cause the rune to burst into flame, burning D'Vorah's body to a crisp. "Burn, bitch! Burn!" Reika cried.

At last, it seemed that Reika and Nightwolf had triumphed over their enemy. "Not bad! You really do know how to handle yourself, after all." Reika said with a smirk. "I'm impressed with you as well, witch. You have the heart of a warrior." Nightwolf complimented. "Thanks! So now what?" Reika wondered. Nightwolf paused before he looked out on the horizon. "I sense there is trouble over at Shang Tsung's Palace. Come; we must hurry!" Nightwolf said as he holstered his tomahawk. "Well, let's not stand on ceremony. Let's go!" Reika said with determination. And with that said, they were off.

Meanwhile; Sonya and Jax had managed to get out of the dungeons. But unfortunately, they had encountered more Black Dragon thugs and Cyber Ninjas at one of the temples. "Damn it! What I wouldn't give for back up right now!" Sonya cried out as she fired an assault rifle from behind a wall corner. "And maybe a chopper too, while we're at it!" Jax said half-jokingly as he took cover behind a pillar. Sonya cursed as she ran out of ammo, but remembered that she had her energy wrist gauntlets. "Jax, cover your ears. It's about to get loud!" Sonya said before she charged with energy and fired a massive burst of energy.

The energy blast hit the ceiling above, causing it to crash down and crush the enemies. "Ha! Let's see you beat that, Kano!" Sonya said triumphantly. Suddenly, some familiar laughter was heard. "Why sure, love! If you say so!" Kano sneered as he appeared above on a platform with a minigun. "Oh, shit! Jax, get down!" Sonya shouted as she ran towards her partner.

Kano cackled maniacally as he blasted away with the minigun, shredding everything in his sights. Luckily, Sonya and Jax were able to find cover behind a stone wall. But they didn't know how much longer their luck would last. "Jax? Are holding up ok?" Sonya cried over the sound of roaring gunfire. "Damn it! If only I weren't still fucked up, we could flank this asshole!" Jax replied. "You have any smoke grenades? Give me some cover and I'll finish Kano once and for all!" Sonya suggested. "You got it, princess. Just be careful!" Jax replied as he grabbed a couple of said smoke grenades.

After giving a look, Jax threw the smoke grenades into the room, completely engulfing it in a thick grey smoke. This gave Sonya the chance to dart inside of the room, while Kano grew frustrated and stopped firing the minigun. "What the hell? Oh, so you wanna play dirty, eh? Well two can play at this game, love!" Kano growled as he tossed his useless gun aside.

Kano then grabbed a rocket launcher and took aim using a thermal vision scanner. "Now where are you, Sonya dearie?" Kano sneered as he scanned the area. He finally caught sight of Sonya and laughed evilly as he was about to fire, when suddenly a large burst of icy energy stopped him. "Huh?! Hey, what gives, mate?!" Kano shouted as he tossed his frozen rocket launcher aside. He turned to find Subzero standing there, glaring at him as his hands surged with icy energy. "You disgust me! You have no honor!" Subzero growled. "Bugger off, mate! You're disrupting me business, and disrupting me business means I don't get paid!" Kano snarled.

Subzero threw an ice ball at Kano, freezing him solid before he kicked him off the platform. Kano screamed as he fell down and landed on his head, getting knocked out cold in the process. "A fool and his vice are soon parted!" Subzero said before he jumped down and landed on his feet next to Kano. "Hey! Back off, asshole! He's mine!" Sonya cried out angrily.

Subzero turned to face her, his cold stare and emotionless face not changing. "You have a strange way of thanking the one who saved your life, miss." Subzero said sternly. "I almost had him. You're interfering with Special Forces business, so stand aside!" Sonya snapped. Subzero crossed his arms as she said that. "I would ordinarily teach you a lesson in respect for your rudeness, but it would seem that you are in need of my help." Subzero said crossly. "Oh, really? Why would I need your help?" Sonya demanded as she crossed her own arms. "Because your comrade is dying from his wounds. See for yourself!" Subzero pointed out.

Sonya turned and gasped as she saw Jax on the ground, groaning in pain. "Oh my God! Jax!" Sonya cried out as she ran towards her partner. As she tried to help him up, Jax cried out in pain. "Ow! Sonya...I think that drug Kano gave me is fucking me up worse than I thought!" Jax groaned as he held his head. "Oh, Jax! You're burning up. What's happening to you?!" Sonya exclaimed. "He has been poisoned. Add that to the torture he endured, and it's by miraculous strength and sheer will that he's still alive. But his strength won't last forever." Subzero explained as he reached for something in his pocket.

Subzero took out a vial of bright blue liquid and handed it to Sonya. "Have him drink this. It should cure his poisoning and numb his pain, but you must hurry. It is no longer safe here on this island." Subzero instructed. "Wait, why are you doing this? What are you talking about?" Sonya demanded. "I understand your confusion and your desire for revenge against Kano, but there is a far more grave danger against all of Earth Realm at play here." Subzero explained. "What do you mean? How do you know about this?" Sonya asked losing her patience.

Subzero sighed as he shook his head. "Your impatience reminds me of my once trusted apprentice, Frost. I cannot explain it, but I do know this: If we do not work together, all of Earth Realm will fall victim to this dark force." Subzero said calmly. "So, you don't even know, do you? And why should I trust you?" Sonya retorted. "Would I have given you a cure for your comrade's poisoning otherwise?" Subzero challenged.

Sonya sighed as she shook her head in defeat, but she opened the vial and poured the liquid down Jax's throat. Jax gasped out loud before he shivered. "Hoo! Boy, that's cold!" Jax exclaimed. "Jax, you're all right!" Sonya said in surprise. "I feel much better now. Thanks, uh..." Jax began as he looked up at Subzero. "I am Subzero, grandmaster of the Lin Kuei." the cryomancer said as he bowed his head in respect. "Well, thanks for helping me out. What's this about Earth being in danger?" Jax asked as Sonya helped him up on his feet. "I will explain later. But for now, follow me." Subzero instructed.

As Subzero led the way, Sonya did not stop glaring at him. "Hey, he saved our lives you know. You don't trust him?" Jax wondered as he saw Sonya's look. "He obviously wants something from us, Jax. He prevented me from getting my hands on Kano!" Sonya snapped. "Forget about Kano, all right? Maybe this guy is onto something. Let's at least hear him out, all right?" Jax said. "Fine. But mark my words, Kano will not escape from me again!" Sonya said with a pout.

As they all left, Kano finally woke up. "Ugh...me head hurts. What happened?" Kano muttered as he slowly sat up and rubbed his head. As he looked around, everything was destroyed and silent. "Ah, fuck this! He ain't paying me enough for this shit! I'm gonna round up what's left of the boys and get off this crazy island! I've had enough shit for one day!" Kano growled as he slowly got back up on his feet.

But as he stumbled away, he was unaware of someone watching him from the shadows...

Chapter Text

After what seemed like forever, Liu Kang finally arrived at Shang Tsung's Palace. As Liu Kang made his way into the central lobby, the sorcerer grinned wickedly as he sat upon his throne. Standing at each of his side was Raiden and Quan Chi. "Shang Tsung!" Liu Kang called out angrily. "Ah, so you finally made it here in one piece. I'm impressed, Lord Raiden. Your precious champion is much stronger than even I anticipated!" Shang Tsung said with an evil smile. "That is why I have chosen him, sorcerer!" Raiden replied with a nod. "It is over, Shang Tsung!" Liu Kang boldly proclaimed.

Shang Tsung laughed at him as he said that. "My dear boy, we have barely begun!" Shang Tsung sneered before he clapped his hands. As he did so, a gong was rung and a door opened from the other side of the room. "Nobody has ever beaten my champion, fool. Now bear witness a true warrior!" Shang Tsung announced. As he spoke, a monstrous creature wearing a large red cloak slowly marched towards Liu Kang. As he towered over Liu Kang, he removed the cloak and revealed himself.

He stood over 8 feet tall, wore a large pair of reddish brown leather shorts, a belt with a skull buckle, had tough leathery tan skin, 4 arms, white eyes, and a black ponytail. "What in the name of-" Liu Kang muttered. "Bow to me, mortal! For I am Goro, Champion of Mortal Kombat!" the creature bellowed in a deep voice. Shang Tsung laughed evilly as he stood from his throne. "Let me give you a small demonstration of my champion's power. You might want to stand back for this, my dear boy!" Shang Tsung said as he motioned his hands.

As Liu Kang stepped away, a couple of other kombatants arrived. One of them was a young blonde thug in a white gi; he was named Kobra. The other was a black thug wearing orange pants and an afro; his name was Darius. "Yeah, come get some!" Darius boasted as he pumped his fists. "Hey, if anyone's gonna be kicking ass, it's gonna be me!" Kobra sneered.

Goro just laughed as he cracked all four of his knuckles. "Come on, fool! Let me show you what I got!" Darius cried as he lunged towards Goro and began kicking at him. That proved to be a foolish mistake, as the kicks did nothing but make Goro annoyed. He grabbed hold of Darius by one of his legs and threw him across the room, smashing him into a wall.

Kobra cried out as he charged towards Goro and threw a punch, but Goro laughed at him as his punches did nothing to harm him. "What the hell are you, man?!" Kobra exclaimed before Goro grabbed his face. Goro then slammed him to the ground before stomping onto his chest, breaking his ribs. Goro growled as he pummeled Kobra with his fists, breaking more of his bones.

In a desperate attempt, Darius kicked Goro from behind to save his partner. Goro only became angry and grabbed Darius before slamming him against Kobra. Goro roared ferociously as he began to unleash his fury on the two poor unfortunate souls. Liu Kang watched in horror as the monstrous Goro brutalized the two fighters, while Shang Tsung seemed to enjoy the display of carnage.

Meanwhile, Subzero led Sonya and Jax into a cave underground. "Why did you take us here?" Sonya demanded. Subzero pulled out a medallion and showed it to Sonya. "This is the Medallion of the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Frost, my former apprentice, has betrayed the Lin Kuei." Subzero began gravely. "Ok, and how exactly does this affect us?" Sonya retorted. "Sonya!" Jax hissed. "Frost has long sought to become grandmaster herself. But by aligning herself with the Black Dragon and using their technology to create fighters of her own design, she has betrayed the Lin Kuei." Subzero continued. 

Sonya began to understand Subzero a bit more. "I see. So what happened to your Grandmaster?" Sonya asked a bit more respectfully. Subzero soon turned grim as he tightly clenched his fist. "Frost betrayed the Lin Kuei by committing one of the most heinous sins of all: She murdered the Grandmaster in cold blood!" Subzero cried angrily. "And what about this darkness that you spoke of earlier?" Sonya wondered.

Subzero grew grim as she said that. "I have had dreams that this darkness would overtake the Lin Kuei, and then soon it would overtake all of Earth Realm. I hoped that it was nothing more than a dream, but I know better. I can feel it! I fear that Frost may be a part of this darkness." Subzero said with a very grim and somber tone. Sonya grew to respect Subzero more as she saw his pain. "I knew there was a reason why I didn't like that bitch!" Sonya said with disdain. "I was next in line as Grandmaster, so it is my responsibility to avenge him. I know that I have put you at great risk, Sonya Blade. But will you help me?" Subzero asked gravely.

Sonya smirked as she held out her hand to shake his. "You can count on me!" Sonya said with sincerity. "Count me in, too!" Jax said as he clapped his hand on Subzero's shoulder. "Thank you. Now we must go; quickly! I know where Frost is. If we hurry, we can catch her off guard." Subzero explained. And with that, they were off.

On the other side of the island, Nightwolf and Reika Kitami had made their way towards a large stone bridge that led to Shang Tsung's Palace. But before they could cross the bridge, they ran into trouble in the forms of Cyber Ninjas. "You think I'm afraid of you assholes? Bring it on!" Reika cried out triumphantly as she created a bound sword of dark energy.

As Reika and Nightwolf crossed the stone bridge, they hacked and slashed their way through the Cyber Ninjas. "You can't stop me, you worthless pieces of scrap metal!" Reika boldly shouted as he used her dark magic to rip and tear the cyber ninjas apart. As Nightwolf fought alongside her, he was both amazed and concerned by her display of power. "Just who are you, witch?" Nightwolf wondered to himself. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting back to my beloved! You hear me? Nothing!" Reika shouted as she used a burst of dark magic energy to send the last of the cyber ninjas flying.

As they made it across the bridge, Reika and Nightwolf rested by a large tree. As Reika sat down, she sighed as she pulled out a photograph of herself with an attractive young man. "Oh, Raizo! Wherever you are, I hope you are all right." Reika whispered. Nightwolf noticed this and decided to speak up. "You never did tell me your name, witch." Nightwolf said casually as he sat next to her.

Reika put her photograph away in her pocket before she sighed. "Look, I can already tell where this is going." Reika said plainly. "I beg your pardon?" Nightwolf replied in confusion. "Look, it's obvious that you possess great magic. So you must already know of my darkness." Reika said sadly. Nightwolf sighed as he nodded his head. "Yes, the Great Spirit has revealed to me your darkness." he said plainly. "Well, go ahead. Judge me! Judge me just like everyone else has before! Go on; get it over with!" Reika snapped.

However, what Nightwolf said next was something Reika was not expecting. "Your actions speak louder than words, witch. And from the actions I have seen, you are a very capable warrior! You have much darkness in you, yes, but there is much more good in you than you give yourself credit for." Nightwolf said gently. "What?!" Reika exclaimed in shock. Nightwolf smiled as he put his hand on her shoulder. "You think that because of the darkness that has taken you, that you are a lost cause. You think that you must prove yourself. But I tell you this; all is not lost! You are a good person with good intentions. The Great Spirit believes in you. I believe in you!" Nightwolf said kindly.

Reika smiled warmly as he said that. Other than Raizo, it had been a long time since anyone had shown her any kindness. "Thank you! I won't forget this!" Reika said with tears in her eyes. "Come now! We must keep going; our allies need us. The dark forces of this island are growing stronger, but we will fight against it nonetheless!" Nightwolf said as he helped Reika up on her feet.

Meanwhile, Liu Kang watched in horror as Goro finished off Kobra and Darius in a most brutal and terrible manner. He grabbed Kobra with all four arms and began tearing off his limbs, one by one. Kobra screamed in howling agony as he was ripped apart, much to Shang Tsung's delight. "NO! You'll pay for that you mother-" Darius shouted before Goro grabbed his legs and began tearing them off as well. Darius screamed as Goro ripped the rest of his body in half, holding the mutilated remains up in the air like a trophy.

Shang Tsung clapped his hands in delight before he stood up and spoke again. "You see, Liu Kang? There is no hope for you here. However, I am more than willing to make a deal with you...just this once. Yield to me, and I shall grant you mercy. I shall give you everything your heart desires. You will live as a prince in Outworld, or maybe even a king." Shang Tsung said with a sneering hiss.

Liu Kang clenched his fists in anger as he said that. "Do you honestly believe that even for a second that I will surrender to the likes of you, sorcerer? You really think that I will betray Earth Realm out of cowardice?! I am not as weak as you!" Liu Kang boldly proclaimed. Shang Tsung scowled as he heard this. "Then you are an even bigger fool than I imagined! Goro, playtime is over! Show him your true might!" Shang Tsung commanded.

Liu Kang and Goro then faced each other, ready for what may be the most intense battle on this island yet!

Chapter Text

Liu Kang prepared himself, knowing that this battle would be his greatest yet. Goro sensed this and laughed evilly. "I shall enjoy tearing you apart, boy! Prepare yourself for true Kombat!" Goro sneered. "My will is strong! Can you say the same?" Liu Kang replied calmly. Goro snorted as he said that. "Ha! You speak as if you are a warrior. You're nothing but another piece of meat to me!" Goro taunted as he cracked his knuckles. "Quit beating your gong and fight!" Liu Kang said sternly as he stood his ground.

As the gong was sound, Goro rushed towards Liu Kang to attack. However, Liu Kang was quick and agile enough to dodge his attacks before he kicked at Goro with lightning fast speed. Goro did not expect this and grew angry as he attempted to smash his fists into his opponent. "Hold still, human! I must crush you!" Goro snarled as he kept missing his speedy opponent. Liu Kang cried out as he pummeled Goro with some more kicks before did a cartwheel and punched Goro in the chin, sending him flying into the air before crashing into the ground with a tremendous force.

This surprised everyone watching, except for Raiden. "Very good, Liu Kang." Raiden whispered with a smile. "What is this?! Goro, I said to quit playing around! Get back up!" Shang Tsung snapped. Goro snarled angrily as he jolted back up, pounding the ground with his fists. "Perhaps I misjudged you, boy! If you wish to die a warrior's death, then so be it!" Goro growled. "I am not going to die, Goro! Not today!" Liu Kang retorted as he drew out a pair of nunchucks. "We shall see about that!" Goro sneered.

Meanwhile, Subzero led Sonya and Jax back into the Palace of Shang Tsung. But as they arrived, more Cyber Ninjas were waiting for them. "More mechanical abominations! Destroy them all!" Subzero cried out angrily as he created a pair of axes out of solid ice. "With pleasure!" Sonya said as she charged up her energy wrist gauntlets. "Come get some!" Jax cried as he pounded his fists together. Even as the swarm of Cyber Ninjas surrounded and attacked the three heroes, they found themselves being brutally finished off.

Subzero used his ice axes to hack, slash, and decapitate the Cyber Ninjas. These robotic creatures were no match for his frozen fury. "You are no warriors!" Subzero shouted as he froze two of his enemies solid before creating an ice hammer and shattered them to pieces. Sonya and Jax held their own pretty well, as they combined their attacks to overcome their enemies.

As Sonya used her agility and energy ring attacks to confuse the Cyber Ninjas, Jax used his brute strength to finish them off. "Yeah! That all you got, punks? Bring it!" Jax sneered as he pounded the Cyber Ninjas into scrap metal. "If only they were Black Dragon, then we'd have some real fun!" Sonya added as she grappled a Cyber Ninja with some steel wire before popping its head off.

After what seemed like 20 minutes, the three heroes finally killed off the last of the Cyber Ninjas. "Finally! These mechanical monstrosities are finished!" Subzero announced with content. "Not so fast, you old fool!" a harsh feminine voice cried out. Subzero turned to see Frost emerge from the shadows with cold rage in her eyes. "Frost!" Subzero growled with a cold tone. "That's Grandmaster to you, old man! This time, you're mine!" Frost snarled. "Have I been such a poor teacher to you that you would betray me like this?" Subzero sternly questioned.

Frost began surging with icy power as she adjusted the power core on her chest. "No! No more lectures! We end this here and now!" Frost snapped. "So be it! If you will not yield, then I shall do what I must!" Subzero said gravely as he prepared himself for Kombat.

But while that happened, Sonya and Jax found themselves in Kombat against two unlikely enemies. "There's that bitch! Let's go teach her a lesson she won't soon forget!" Sonya said with angry eyes. "Not so fast, sugar. You two ain't goin' nowhere!" a rough masculine voice called out. Sonya and Jax turned to find Erron Black and Baraka approaching them with a horde of Tarkatan savages. "You!" Sonya growled. "Have you been following us this whole time?!" Jax demanded. "Heh! You ain't that hard to track, if that's what you're gettin' at! You've got quite the bounty on your heads; I'm here to collect!" Erron Black sneered.

Baraka unsheathed his arm blades and snarled as he glared at Jax and Sonya. "Nobody can save you this time, Earth Realm scum!" Baraka growled. "Do we look like we need saving? You're going down!" Sonya snapped back. "Well then, let's not stand on ceremony then. Giddiyup, buttercup!" Erron Black snickered before he drew out his six shooters and opened fire.

Sonya was able to evade the volley of bullets before she counter attacked him with a series of punches. Erron Black seemed to enjoy this, as he appeared to be laughing while throwing punches back at Sonya. "Are you enjoying this?!" Sonya exclaimed after being kicked away by the cowboy. "What can I say? I like having a good time. How about I show you my dance moves, Baby Doll?" Erron Black taunted. "Grr! You're gonna wish you hadn't said that, you son of a bitch!" Sonya growled.

While Sonya and Erron Black brawled against each other, Jax went all out against Baraka and his horde. "Yeah! Get some, you ugly bastards!" Jax cried out as he used his metal arms to pound and pummel the Tarkatan warriors like sacks of meat. After Jax finished off a group of the barbaric creatures, Baraka himself challenged Jax. "Enough! I will enjoy tearing the flesh from your bones, human!" Baraka snarled as he clashed his arm blades together. "Ha! Not if I break you first, ugly! See these arms? Unbreakable! You on the other hand, I bet not!" Jax sneered. "My metal blades are also unbreakable, human!" Baraka sneered back.

The two then charged towards each other, punching and slashing in a brutal matter. Baraka's ferocity was the stuff of nightmares, but Jax was more than capable of holding his own and dealt great damage with his massive punches. "I'm the best of the best, punk!" Jax cried as he grappled Baraka and slammed him to the ground. "Maybe for your kind, human! But I am the leader of the Tarkatan Army! Once we take over Outworld, Earth Realm is next!" Baraka growled as he got back up and slashed wildly at Jax.

Jax pounded the ground and sent Baraka flying up in the air, giving Jax the perfect opportunity to leap up and slam him back down. Jax had slammed Baraka onto his back, breaking his. Baraka screamed in howling agony. as he laid on the ground writhing in pain. "Like I said; unbreakable!" Jax sneered as he cracked his knuckles. "Hey, Jax? If you're not too busy showboating, I could use a hand!" Sonya cried as she was now struggling against Erron Black. "Hang on, Sonya! I'm coming to-AAHHH!" Jax screamed as he suddenly felt a sharp piece of metal stab into his leg.

Baraka still had a lot of fight left in him, and had stabbed one of his arm blades into Jax's left leg from behind. "We're not done yet, human!" Baraka snarled as he tore the arm blade out and stood back on his feet. "So you wanna play dirty, huh? Two can play at this game, punk!" Jax groaned in both pain and anger. The fighting between everyone had just began!

Meanwhile, Scorpion was deep in thought in a dark dungeon. He sat down on a stone chair, trying hard to remember about his past life. But all he could seem to remember was the horrible night that his family was murdered. All he could think of was his wife and son. All he could remember was the awful way they died. All he could remember the rage that consumed him. All he could think about was him. "Damn you to hell, Subzero! You will suffer for what you've done to my family and clan!" Scorpion growled as he clenched his fists.

Scorpion grew even angrier as he saw the horrible image of Subzero murdering his wife and son. Scorpion punched a hole in the wall, screaming with anger as he did so. "That's it! I don't care what it takes. I will find Subzero and destroy him if it's the last thing I do! I will have my revenge!" Scorpion shouted. Just as he said that, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching his direction. Scorpion reached for his sword, just in case things escalated. A large, shadowy figure slowly marched towards his direction. It was Skulker. "You? What are you doing here?" Scorpion growled impatiently.

Skulker ignored him at first. "I'm talking to you!" Scorpion snapped as he tried to grab his shoulder. Skulker grabbed Scorpion by the throat and pinned him to the wall, glaring into his eyes. "Mind your own fucking business, old man! And if you ever touch me again, I will tear out your fucking spine!" Skulker snarled. "I'll see you try!" Scorpion snarled back as he kneed Skulker in the stomach and punched him away.

Skulker growled angrily as he cracked his neck before he drew out a nasty looking Daedric blade. "Under ordinary circumstances I would vivisect you where you stand for that. But I've got no time for games; I'm on the hunt!" Skulker growled menacingly. Scorpion glared at him as he fingered the hilt of one of his swords. "Do as you wish, but do it away from me!" Scorpion seethed. "Whatever you say, old man!" Skulker snickered evilly as he walked away into the shadows. Scorpion just shook his head in disgust as he turned around and walked in the other direction. "What a vile creature! What does Quan-Chi see in him?" Scorpion growled.

A few hours passed and Scorpion made his way out of the dungeon and walked his way through a large open area outdoors. But Scorpion did not have time to rest, due to a Cyber Ninja attacking him from behind.

Scorpion was caught off guard by the attack, but was even more surprised to recognize the designs of the Cyber Ninja. "The Lin Kuei? Here on this island?!" Scorpion cried. The Cyber Ninja fought wildly against Scorpion, but the ninja specter speed and agility helped him overcome his foe. He was able to use his spear to impale the Cyber Ninja in the chest and yanked him over towards Scorpion before he wrapped the chain around his neck tightly. "Tell me, Lin Kuei scum, where is Subzero?!" Scorpion growled.

The Cyber Ninja did not respond, much to Scorpion's anger and frustration. "Then know this! You will die knowing that every single Lin Kuei that is on this island will die by my hands. Every...single...last...one!" Scorpion snarled as he pulled the chain hard enough to pop off the Cyber Ninja's head. But as he did that, he found himself being surrounded by more Cyber Ninjas. Scorpion twirled his spear around in an intimidating manner. "Finally, I will have my revenge! The Lin Kuei will feel my wrath!" Scorpion thundered.

Meanwhile; back with Sonya, Jax, and Subzero, they were struggling against their enemies. Frost had trapped Subzero in a large block of ice and was repeatedly punching him in the face like a punching bag. Erron Black had violently subdued Sonya Blade with a flask of acid, and had hogtied her up with some rope to a chair before setting up a time bomb with some dynamite. Jax was surrounded by Baraka and his horde, bloodied up and bruised.

Erron Black laughed evilly as he circled around Sonya with a cigarette lighter in his hand. "You sure put up a good fight, Baby Doll! But unfortunately, that's all the time I've got to tango tonight." Erron Black taunted. "Go fuck yourself! When I get out of this, I swear I'll-" Sonya growled. "Can it, sweetheart! Just do yourself a favor and try to die with a little bit of dignity!" Erron Black sneered as he lit the fuse on the dynamite time bomb. "Shit!" Sonya cursed as she squirmed in her seat.

Jax still had a little bit of fight left in him and punched away a few Tarkatans. But Baraka was finally able to subdue Jax by stabbing his arm blades into his chest, pinning him to the ground. Jax screamed in agony from the painful and dirty attack. "AAHH!! You bastard; I'll kill you!" Jax cried out in agony. "Ha! You really do have a warrior's spirit! But you'll die like a dog nonetheless! Boys? Meat is back on the menu; dig in!" Baraka sneered. "Oh, yeah? Come on; I'll break your fucking teeth before you take a bite out of me!" Jax shouted as he vainly tried to get back up.

Frost created a scythe out of solid ice, holding it above Subzero's head. "You've been holding me back for too long! Now the circle is complete; I'm the master now!" Frost cried angrily. "You may kill me, Frost. But you will never be Grandmaster!" Subzero groaned wearily. "Enough! It's time for you to die!" Frost snarled as she raised her weapon for the kill.

But before she could even touch him, someone kicked her away from him with a great and tremendous force. "Back off, ice queen!" a masculine voice called out. Frost screamed as she crashed through a wall. The sheer force of this sudden attack caused a cave-in and toppled on top of Frost, knocking her out cold.

A man in shades approached Subzero and used a blow torch to thaw him out. It was Johnny Cage. "Are you ok?" Johnny Cage asked as he helped Subzero up on his feet after freeing him from his icy prison. "I am fine, thank you. Don't worry about me; help the others!" Subzero said weakly as he pointed towards Sonya and Jax. "Don't worry, buddy!  Just stay here and rest. I'll deal with those creeps!" Johnny Cage said bravely as he helped Subzero sit against a wall.

Johnny Cage then rushed towards Jax, forcing the Tarkatan savages away with punches and kicks powered by his strange green energy. "Back off you ugly assholes!" Johnny Cage shouted. "Shit! Look who it is; where the hell have you been?" Jax said with wincing grin. "It's a long story. Here, I managed to swipe some medical supplies from one of those Black Dragon weapons caches." Johnny Cage said he helped patch up Jax's wounds.

Jax smiled as Johnny Cage helped him up, that is until he saw Sonya struggling to get out of a chair. "Come on; let's go save Sonya!" Jax said. But before they could reach Sonya, Erron Black blinded them with a sand bomb. "Gah! What the hell?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in between coughs. "You two ain't goin' nowhere! Now reach for the sky!" Erron Black snarled as he aimed his Winchester Repeater Rifle at them. Johnny Cage and Jax looked at him and then at each other before they smirked.

Jax pounded his fist into the ground, forcing the cowboy up into the air. Johnny Cage rushed forward and did a flip kick to force Erron Black away before he even hit the ground. "Now you know what a tumbleweed feels like!" Johnny Cage called out jokingly. The two finally made their way to Sonya, getting her free of her binds. Jax grabbed the dynamite time bomb and chucked it away before a massive explosion occurred.

The explosion was destructive enough to create a hole in the ground, causing Baraka and the remainder of his Tarkatan horde to fall inside and become trapped. Johnny Cage was able to shield Sonya Blade from the explosion, and when everything settled down, he helped Sonya up to her feet. "Johnny Cage? You saved me?!" Sonya exclaimed. "Well, yeah. I guess I did!" Johnny Cage replied nervously. "Um, thanks!" Sonya said softly. "Sure thing. Listen, I know I can be an asshole and I’m sorry. But if you give me a chance, I can change. Will you let me fight alongside you?”Johnny Cage said in a serious tone. “Let's just get out of this death trap! Maybe then we can talk." Sonya replied with a small smile. "Ok, lovebirds! Let's find out where the exit is!" Jax said jokingly.

Subzero approached them, now fully rested though not fully healed. "You have the traits of a warrior." Subzero said as he put his hand on Johnny Cage's shoulder. "Thanks, man. I mean, I couldn't just let my friends get hurt now could I? The name's Johnny Cage, by the way!" Johnny Cage said with grin. "Don't overdo it, Cage! Come on; Jax is right. We've wasted enough time on this damn island as it is!" Sonya said grumpily.

Little did they realize, that their adventure was about to get much darker!

Chapter Text

Scorpion had just finished slaughtering an entire group of Lin Kuei Cyber Ninjas. As he stood over the bloody battlefield with his chained spear in one hand and a deadly sword in the other, he seethed with rage. "Lin Kuei scum! It appears that none of these fools know where Subzero is. But it doesn't matter; I will find him and I will get my revenge!" Scorpion growled to himself.

Scorpion began making his way towards the jungle. But as he made his way deeper into the thick, green maze, he found himself facing several Black Dragon thugs. "Who the hell is that?" one of the thugs exclaimed in shock. "Who cares? Let's take him down!" another snapped. "Out of my way, fools! I am on the hunt for Subzero, and nothing will stop me!" Scorpion roared as thrust his spear forward.

The spear impaled through the skull of one of the thugs, and Scorpion violently yanked his head off before lashing out at the other thugs. Scorpion hacked, slashed, and tore his way through the Black Dragon thugs as if they were nothing but pieces of meat. After what seemed like mere minutes, Scorpion had finally killed them all. "Just you wait, Subzero! Soon, you will be next!" Scorpion growled.

But as he began to walk away, he was unaware that someone was watching him from the shadows. It was Skulker, and he was enjoying Scorpion's bloody carnage. "Well, well, well! You really are as deadly as they come, aren't you old man? I'll be keeping an eye out on you. You just might prove useful to me one day!" Skulker said to himself with sinister laughter.

Skulker crept deeper into the darkness, making his way towards the forbidden part of Shang Tsung's Palace. As he approached one of the treasure rooms, he could sense a very dark presence in the room. "Ahh...I can feel the evil permeating in the air like a chill rising from the soil! How intoxicating!" Skulker growled softly as he took a deep breath. After scrounging around the treasure room for a few minutes, he finally found a hidden door behind a statue.

He held out his hand and chanted something in a dark and evil, causing an aura of black magic to burn the door away into ash. As Skulker stepped through, he found himself going down a series of stone steps. It seemed to go down forever, but Skulker finally managed to reach the bottom. He slowly walked out into the open, observing his surroundings.

There was a dark, evil aura of black magic choking the air. Skulker found the source of this black magic and evil energy; it was a large energy vortex, screaming with angry souls of the damned. "A soulnado? Hmph! I knew that sorcerer was compensating for something...but this does give me an idea!" Skulker said to himself with an evil laugh.

Skulker held out his hands over the soulnado, glowing with black fire. "This power will be mine! With it, I shall finally kill Spawn and his little whore too! Nothing will stop me! I will destroy everything!" Skulker laughed evilly as he began absorbing the soulnado's evil magic.

Meanwhile, Liu Kang's battle against Goro was beginning to take a turn for the worst. As fast and agile as Liu Kang was, he was beginning to tire out. Goro sensed this and decided that it was time to fight dirty. "You have proven to be quite a formidable opponent, boy! But you cannot hope to survive! For I, Goro, am Shang Tsung's champion!" Goro growled as he pounded his fists together. "As I have said before; my will is strong! I cannot be shaken!" Liu Kang boldly proclaimed. "Perhaps not, boy. But I can do...THIS!" Goro thundered as leapt up into the air before stomping back down into the ground, creating a massive shockwave.

Liu Kang cried out as the shockwave sent him flying away, crashing into against a wall. Goro roared as he charged towards Liu Kang, pinning him to the wall with two of his fists, while the other two fists began violently pummeling him. "Yes, that's it! Show no mercy, Goro!" Shang Tsung cried out with evil delight. Raiden said nothing, but he began to fear for Liu Kang's life. "Hold on, Liu Kang. Stay strong!" Raiden thought.

Goro growled furiously as he began thrashing Liu Kang around like a rag doll. Liu Kang cried out in pain as he was slammed around, but he refused to give up. As Goro slammed him against the wall again, Liu Kang managed to grab onto a banner and quickly wrapped it around Goro's neck. Liu Kang used what strength he had left to swing around Goro and began choking him.

Liu Kang cried out fiercely as he yanked and pulled as hard as he could, choking the life out of Goro. But Goro would not allow himself to be defeated by a mere mortal human, and reared back and roared as he sent Liu Kang flying back yet again. Goro grunted and growled as he tossed the banner aside before marching towards Liu Kang. "You put up a good fight, boy! But now it is time for you to die!" Goro snarled. Liu Kang groaned in pain as he struggled to get back up, but Goro pinned him to the ground with one fist before he began pounding him with the others.

Shang Tsung laughed evilly as he enjoyed watching Liu Kang suffer. "How tragic this must be for you, Lord Raiden. To watch your beloved Chosen One die right in front of you, and you being able to do nothing about it." Shang Tsung sneered. Raiden glared at him as he said that, but he knew that he was right. He was strictly forbidden to intervene. "Quan-Chi! Bring out the wine and goblets; I want to propose a toast for our victory!" Shang Tsung proclaimed.

The other sorcerer who stood by Shang Tsung's side the whole time smiled evilly as he walked away to grab the said wine and goblets. "A splendid idea!" he said with a sneaky tone. As he grabbed the goblets and wine, Noob Saibot approached him. "Do you have it?" Quan-Chi asked. The specter nodded silently as he handed the sorcerer a flask of vile poison. "Excellent! This should put that putrid lapdog out of my misery!" Quan-Chi snickered evilly as he poured the poison into one of the cups of wine.

As Quan-Chi walked back over towards Shang Tsung, Noob Saibot began to think about what Skulker had told him earlier. What was the point in all of this? He should be out there striking fear into people's hearts and spreading death, not being a tool to some confounded plot. "Just where are you, Skulker?" Noob Saibot whispered angrily.

Sonya, Jax, Johnny Cage, and Subzero had finally made their way towards the island's docks. "Wait, are you sure this the right way? I thought Raiden said we couldn't leave the island until this tournament was over?" Johnny Cage said in confusion. "We can't, but that is not going to stop Frost and her allies from trying to escape!" Subzero replied. "Other allies? You mean-" Johnny Cage began. "Kano! I see him!" Sonya cried as she pointed towards a boat. "Yeah, there he is. Rotten rat bastard; I'm gonna make him pay for what he did to me!" Jax growled. "Patience! We must be cautious. Even a wounded animal can still be dangerous!" Subzero warned. "Then we'll take him out together!" Sonya said with a sneer.

As the heroes made their way towards the boats, Kano was struggling to start up one of the boats. "Come on, you stupid piece of-just start up already, will ya?!" Kano cursed as he fumbled with the boat's controls. "Kano!" Sonya shouted as she began sprinting towards the boat. "Oh, bugger me!" Kano groaned in annoyance. "We've got you now, asshole! Ain't nowhere else for you to run!" Jax said angrily as he used his strength to grab hold of the boat and prevent Kano from moving anywhere. "It's over; surrender!" Sonya cried fiercely.

Kano cried out and cursed as he was grabbed by Sonya and thrown off the boat. Kano roared with anger as he jolted back up and tried to fight back, but Subzero fired a streak of icy energy at his feet and froze him in place. This gave Sonya and Jax the perfect opportunity to unleash their fury on Kano, as they took turns beating the ever loving shit out of him.

Finally, after they satisfied themselves, Sonya and Jax forced Kano to talk. "All right, asshole! Start talking! Why did Shang Tsung pay you and your thugs to wipe us out?!" Jax demanded as he punched his face. Kano snickered and laughed as he spit blood. "Is that supposed to scare me, you yobbo?" Kano sneered. Sonya growled as she grabbed his throat and began to squeeze very tightly. "Answer the god damn question, you son of a bitch!" Sonya snarled. "Oh! Welly, welly! Ello, Sonya luv! I was wondering when I'd see you again!" Kano groaned. "I'm not playing games, Kano! Tell us what you know!" Sonya threatened as she tightened her grip.

Kano gasped and wheezed as Sonya choked him, but Johnny Cage had to persuade her to back off a bit. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Look, I know you've got a score to settle with this asshole, but think about it. If you kill him now, we may never get a chance to get out of this place alive!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. Sonya glared at him at first, but deep down she knew he was right. Sonya loosened her grip, but did not take her glaring eyes off of Kano. "Look here, Kano. I'm going to give you a choice; you can either tell us what you know and we finish you quickly...or you keep acting up and we finish you slowly. So what's it going to be?" Sonya warned.

Kano sighed heavily as he shook his head. "Look, luv! You and I have been playing this game for a while now. You know that it ain't personal; it's business!" Kano began with a condescending tone. "Get to the point, Kano! Why did Shang Tsung hire you to kill us?" Sonya demanded as she began to lose more patience. "Like I said, Sonya dearie! Good bizzo's where you find it! The old cobber wanted a job done, and he paid me to do it." Kano rambled on. "But why does he want us dead? What is hiding from us?!" Jax cried. "You know something? My memory is getting a little fuzzy at the moment. Maybe you could give me a little memory refresher, if you know what I mean!" Kano sneered.

Suddenly, Johnny Cage did something nobody was expecting. He punched Kano in the balls, earning a loud scream from the Black Dragon leader's mouth. "AAAHHH! Bloody hell, mate! What'd you do that for?!" Kano screamed. "Hey, asshole! Maybe you didn't hear us the first time! Tell us what you know now or we finish you slow! I wonder how many more hits you can take!" Johnny Cage threatened as he held his clenched fist above Kano's face. Sonya couldn't help but smile; she was actually starting to respect Johnny Cage a bit more now. "All right, all right! You win! I'll tell you what I know; Shang Tsung wants you all dead because he doesn't want to lose! He'll do anything to win this tournament, and I mean anything! You see, he's got big plans of invading Earth Realm once he wins this tournament. I even heard rumors he's got some kind of power source So you see, I'm nothing more than a hired gun, eh?" Kano whimpered.

Sonya nodded at Johnny Cage, who backed up before Sonya got in Kano's face again. "Ok, Kano. One more thing: Why did you kill my father?" Sonya seethed. Kano looked at her in confusion before he laughed. "So, that's what this is all about, eh? Dear old daddy? I got a little newsflash for ya, luv! I wish I did...but I didn't!" Kano sneered. Sonya cursed as she punched him in the face. "You lying bastard!" Sonya shouted. "Aw, you should know me by now. Would I lie to you, Sonya luv?" Kano laughed through wincing pain.

Sonya drew out a pistol and was about to blow his brains out, but Johnny Cage and Jax stopped her. "Listen, Sonya! There's nothing we can do about that, now! Let it go; don't let the demons get the better of you." Jax said calmly. "He has to pay, damn it! He has to pay!" Sonya screamed. "Sonya, stop! You don't need to pay with him!" Johnny Cage said seriously as he grabbed hold of Sonya's hand. Sonya glared at him, but she softened up as she finally lowered her gun. "Kano, you are under arrest!" Jax said sternly. Kano scoffed at him and began laughing sinisterly, when suddenly Subzero froze the rest of him solid.

The others turned to face him after he froze Kano. "I grew weary of listening to him. He should be stable enough for you to bring him to the confinement of your prisons." Subzero said plainly. "Um, thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Sonya replied just as plainly. "Hey, you guys! I just realized something; we haven't seen Liu Kang in forever. I think we better go find him and see if he's ok!" Johnny Cage announced. "Good idea. Let's go; he can't be too far!" Sonya agreed. "Wait up; you gonna need some backup!" Jax said as he pumped his fists. "I shall remain here. Frost might return, and I must be ready to deal with her." Subzero stated. "We'll regroup here once we've found Liu Kang. We're getting off this island tonight!" Sonya boldly proclaimed.

Meanwhile, Reika Kitami and Nightwolf made their way through the dark underground dungeons of Shang Tsung's Palace. "Are you getting the feeling that we're walking into something dark and evil? Because I can feel it. Can you?" Reika asked gravely. "Yes. There is a very dark presence close by; it's getting stronger. We must be cautious!" Nightwolf said grimly as he grabbed his war club. "There's something in that room! Over there!" Reika said as she pointed. The two ran towards the room, but as they entered, they were horrified at what they saw. "Oh my God! It can't be!" Reika gasped. "By the Great Spirit!" Nightwolf exclaimed.

Skulker was surrounded by a giant aura of black fiery energy; he had consumed more than enough of the soulnado's power to make himself even more power. "Yes! The darkness; it strengthens me! I can feel it coursing through my veins!" Skulker yelled with evil triumph. "Skulker! I should have known that he'd be down here!" Reika said with anger in her voice. "Skulker? So this is the source of darkness the Great Spirit had warned me about." Nightwolf said grimly. "Now, I shall enact the next step. Time to find that Kamidogu!" Skulker said to himself with a sinister chuckle as he started to walk away.

Reika and Nightwolf were prepared to ambush him from behind, when suddenly Skulker turned sharply around and sent them both flying away with a massive ebony warhammer he summoned with black magic. "Hello, Reika Kitami! I was hoping to see you again!" Skulker sneered. "How...did you...know?" Reika groaned as she struggled to get back up. "Stupid whore; I've always known. You and your precious lover-boy have been under my watchful eyes." Skulker said with evil glee. "But how did you do it? Tell me now!" Reika seethed as she finally stood up on her feet.

Skulker laughed sinisterly as he lit both hands on fire with black flames. "My dear little witch, it's simple. Every time you thought you were being watched, I was there! Every time you believed with the utmost certainty that you were followed, you were! My powers have become far superior to your own. The darkness inside of me has grown stronger since we last met. And thanks to the darkness of this dimension, I've become even more powerful. With this power, I shall destroy everything in my path, even you and your little lover-boy!" Skulker explained with a dark, evil chuckle.

Reika growled in anger as he said that. "You won't get away with this, you son of a bitch! You hear me?! We won't let you win!" Reika cried out defiantly. "You have already lost, pathetic whore! I'd probably kill you right now, but I want you and your lover to live long enough to see me burn this fucking realm to the ground. I'll be seeing you again real soon!" Skulker sneered before he teleported away. "Skulker! Damn you!" Reika cursed.

Nightwolf groaned in pain as he tried to get back up. But Reika knelt down and used her magic to heal him before helping him back up. "Are you ok, honey?" Reika asked with great concern. "Yes. I am all right. But that devil; he has so much power. And he has escaped!" Nightwolf replied with a wince. "I know. But we will see him again. I know it! But right now, we need to find the others and warn them." Reika said gravely. "Yes! We will need all the assistance we can get, especially against a dark spirit like that!" Nightwolf said as he growled the last word. "Come on, let's go!" Reika said as she took him by the hand. And with that, they were off to find the others!

Chapter Text

Liu Kang was not doing well against Goro. He had given Liu Kang quite a thrashing, but if things weren't bad enough, Goro was now beating Liu Kang within an inch of his life. "Yes, yes, yes! Finish him, Goro!" Shang Tsung cried with excitement. Raiden gritted his teeth as he watched his beloved Chosen One get beaten to a pulp. "Liu Kang! Elder Gods, give him strength!" Raiden whispered. Quan-Chi handed Shang Tsung his goblet of wine, smirking devilishly as he did so. "I have the wine you requested, Shang Tsung. Now, let us toast for the glory of Outworld!" Quan-Chi said as he held up his own goblet of wine. Shang Tsung looked at him before he smirked himself. "For the glory of Shao Kahn!" Shang Tsung replied. He held the goblet up high, smiling wickedly. "You see, Lord Raiden? The trick is stay one step ahead of your enemies." Shang Tsung said before he turned to Quan-Chi with a scowl on his face.

He poured out the poisoned wine from his goblet, much to Quan-Chi's shock. "Did you really think I'm that gullible, you fool? You really thought that I would not anticipate your betrayal?" Shang Tsung growled. "I have no idea what you are talking about! I would never-" Quan-Chi exclaimed before Shang Tsung trapped him in a paralysis rune. "All for what? So you could steal this?!" Shang Tsung said angrily as he used his magic to show an illusion of a golden amulet with a green jewel in the center. "There is a reason why Shinnok is called the Mad God, you fool. Your sad devotion to him makes you as pathetic as him! Soon Earth Realm will belong to Shao Kahn and all will bow before him! Goro, FINISH HIM!" Shang Tsung proclaimed.

Goro grunted in satisfaction before he began to pull on Liu Kang's limbs. "Does it hurt, boy? " Goro sneered. Liu Kang yelled out in pain as he felt his arms and legs being pulled. "Soon, your weak species will be no more!" Goro proudly proclaimed. He began pulling harder and harder, ready to snap off his limbs. But just before Liu Kang could be ripped apart, something incredible happened. From the shadows, a pair of chains grabbed Goro from behind. The chains tightly wrapped around Goro's neck. "Let him go, you ugly fucker!" a dark voice snarled from the shadows.

Goro gasped and choked for dear breath before the chains violently twisted his neck, completely paralyzing him and forcing him to drop Liu Kang before he too fell to the ground with a loud thud. “What?” Liu Kang muttered as he slowly got back up on his feet.

Shang Tsung and the others watching this were completely caught off guard from this display. "Who dares?!" Shang Tsung exclaimed. Soon enough, the culprit slithered out from the shadows. It was Spawn!

The others were very surprised to see Spawn suddenly appear after being gone for so long. "You?" Raiden muttered. Shang Tsung scowled angrily as he glared at Spawn...at first. After a moment, the sorcerer smirked and chuckled evilly. "So, you've finally decided to come out to play? Interesting. So tell me, Spawn...why are you here? What is it that you want?" Shang Tsung mused.

Spawn lifted up one of his arms and lit up his hand with Necroplasm. "I want no part of your game, you soul sucking worm! I want information and I suggest you tell me what you know!" Spawn growled menacingly. "Are you threatening me, fool?" Shang Tsung demanded. "I make no threats, old man. I state facts, and the fact is that I'm going to tear off your fingers one by one and shove them down your throat, unless you give me what I want. Now talk!" Spawn growled. Shang Tsung chuckled evilly as he shook his head, but decided to play along. "Very well. What is that you want?" the sorcerer said at last. "I'm looking for someone; another Hellspawn. An ugly skullfucker, he's hard to miss!" Spawn replied.

Quan-Chi began to look real nervous, catching the attention of Spawn. "Hey! You know who I'm talking about, don't you? Tell me what you know!" Spawn demanded as he pointed to Quan-Chi. Shang Tsung noticed this and chuckled evilly. "I see! Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting. Tell you what, Spawn. I'll make a deal with you. You may have Quan-Chi to do with as you wish. But I will need something from you in return. That's more than reasonable, wouldn't you agree?" Shang Tsung began. "Fine! What the hell do you want?" Spawn demanded.

Shang Tsung stood up from his throne before he spoke up. "You have defeated Goro, my champion. But since you have no desire to take his place, I have an alternative." Shang Tsung continued. "Alternative to what? Get to the point!" Spawn snapped. "It's really simple, my dear boy. All you have to do, is kill him!" Shang Tsung said as he pointed to Liu Kang. Liu Kang gasped as he heard that. "What? You don't really mean-" Liu Kang whispered. Spawn stared at Liu Kang, who in turn stared back. "Spawn? Listen to me...you don't have to do this. Vengeance is not the way!" Liu Kang proclaimed. "Quiet, fool! Of course it is...and it's all yours. All you need to do is kill him. Show us your suit's power!" Shang Tsung sneered.

Spawn growled as he said that. "If I do that, then none of you will live long enough to tell about it." Spawn warned. "Are you willing to risk your only chance of gaining information, Spawn?" Shang Tsung challenged. Spawn grew angry, but knew that he was right. So without a word, Spawn slowly approached Liu Kang in an intimidating manner. Liu Kang sighed heavily and shook his head, but he prepared himself for Mortal Kombat. "Good! Now we are getting somewhere. This battle shall be one I won't soon forget!" Shang Tsung said with a sneer.

Spawn and Liu Kang stood apart from each other for a long quiet moment, until one of them finally spoke. "You ready for this, golden boy?" Spawn growled. Liu Kang took a deep breath before he spoke. "If this is how it must be, so be it!" Liu Kang said grimly. "Fight!" Shang Tsung announced. Spawn towered over Liu Kang in an ominous manner, looking as if he were ready to strike him down. But then, Spawn did something that nobody expected.

He teleported away at the last second, only to reappear behind Shang Tsung. "Wait, what are you doing?!" Shang Tsung exclaimed before Spawn wrapped his cape around his body, tightly trapping him. "I already told you that I'm not interested in playing your little game, asshole! Now let go of baldie over there, or I'll rip out your spine and shove it up your ass!" Spawn snarled as he tightened his grip. "You...cannot...do this...you...fool!" Shang Tsung groaned as he felt his bones crack and his lungs being crushed. "Or what? You're gonna kill me? I'm already dead, asshole! Which means that I'm waiting for your sad sorry ass in the afterlife!" Spawn taunted. "No!" Shang Tsung managed to cry out before Spawn held his hand above his face, glowing bright with Necroplasm. 

Shang Tsung finally deactivated the rune that paralyzed Quan-Chi, freeing him. Spawn sneered as he threw Shang Tsung to the side, before he lunged towards Quan-Chi and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him in the air. "You and I are gonna have a little talk, baldie! Let's go!" Spawn sneered before he teleported them both away from Shang Tsung's Palace. Shang Tsung jolted back, yelling with anger as he hit the wall, cracking it. "Damned Hellspawn! I will destroy him for this!" the sorcerer yelled angrily. Raiden couldn't help but smirk as this happened. 

Meanwhile, Sonya and the other Earth Realm warriors ran towards the entrance of Shang Tsung's Palace, when they were suddenly ambushed by Kabal and Erron Black, as well as a whole slew of Black Dragon thugs. "You! You're one of Kano's thugs, aren't you?" Sonya demanded. "Actually, I'm my own man now!" Kabal retorted. "Yeah, well it doesn't matter punk. Kano is busted, and you're next!" Jax said as he shook his fist at him. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me? Because it doesn't; Kano got his own ass caught, so it's his own damn fault! Me? I'm gonna enjoy slicing and dicing you to pieces! Starting with you!" Kabal said as he drew out his hook swords and pointed one of them at Jax. 

As Jax and Kabal fought against each other, Sonya and Johnny Cage worked together to fight against Erron Black and the other Black Dragon thugs. "Jeez, you're still alive?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "You again? This time, you ain't gonna walk away!" Erron Black snarled. "I'll handle these thugs; you deal with long, tall, and ugly over there!" Sonya instructed before she charged towards the group of thugs. "Ma'am yes ma'am! Ok, cowboy! Let's dance!" Johnny Cage said as he put on his brass knuckles. "Boy, so help me, I'm gonna put you in the ground if it kills me!" Erron Black growled as he drew out his six shooters.

He fired a volley of bullets at Johnny Cage, but his energy powers kicked in and protected him from the bullets. As the Hollywood star engaged in a brutal brawl with the cowboy, Sonya killed off the Black Dragon thugs one by one. She broke their necks, snapped their limbs, and even used their own weapons against them. After killing off the thugs, Sonya was about to lend Johnny Cage a hand, when suddenly a beam of icy energy forced her away. "Ow! What the hell? Is that Subzero?! I thought-" Sonya exclaimed. She quickly realized that she was wrong when Frost rushed into the battle with a pair of icy daggers in her hands. "You and your little friends have gotten in my way for the last time! Tell me where Subzero is and I'll finish you quickly!" Frost threatened. "Not gonna happen, you ice bitch!" Sonya snarled. "Wrong answer!" Frost snapped as she charged towards Sonya to attack.

While that occurred, Subzero meditated in silence over at the docks. But as he was meditating, a lone figure was stalking him from behind on the roof of a cabin. The figure drew out a pair of swords slowly before he leapt down towards Subzero to attack. But before he could touch him, Subzero suddenly caught him by the arms and threw him aside. The figure was able to regain himself and landed on his feet, standing a short distance away from Subzero. It was Scorpion, and he was furious. "You! I have finally found you at long last! You will die for what you have done to me and my family!" Scorpion growled.

Despite his confusion, Subzero used his ice powers to create a pair of battle axes. "Who are you? What is it that you want from me?!" Subzero demanded. "Vengeance!" Scorpion snarled in response before he charged towards Subzero. Scorpion used his speed and ferocity to hack and slash at Subzero, but the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was more than able to defend himself against this sudden new foe. "Why are you doing this? I do not know you and have no wish to fight you!" Subzero cried as he found himself in a blade lock with Scorpion. "Do not lie to me, Lin Kuei scum! I know exactly who you are! After I kill you, I will avenge my wife and son!" Scorpion growled as he broke the blade lock and sent Subzero flying away with a vicious uppercut.

Subzero groaned as he got back up. "I don't know what you are talking about. Whoever you think I am, you are mistaken!" Subzero said calmly but sternly. "You cannot fool me, Subzero! This time, you are mine. This time, you will die!" Scorpion snarled as he threw his spear at Subzero. Subzero was able to create a wall of solid ice to shield him from the attack, but Scorpion punched his way through the ice before engaging in another brawl with the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. "How is it that you know me?" Subzero demanded as he forced Scorpion away with a powerful kick. "I watched you murder my wife and son, you treacherous dog! I swore that I would avenge my family and clan, and I intend to fulfill that vow by taking your head!" Scorpion roared as he teleported away before tackling Subzero to the ground.

Scorpion beat Subzero with his fists, but the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was able to force him away with a burst of icy energy before jumping back to his feet. "You move like the Shirai Ryu! But that's impossible; they were wiped out years ago. Who are you?!" Subzero cried in disbelief. Scorpion yelled angrily as he threw a massive fireball at Subzero, but Subzero was able to dodge the attack before throwing a ball of ice at Scorpion.

Scorpion cried out as he was hit and frozen, and Subzero took the chance to try and subdue him. "I am not who you think I am! I have not done you no harm, and there is no honor in murdering innocents. You have the wrong man!" Subzero insisted as he pummeled Scorpion with several punches. "Lies! All lies! I know it was you who killed my wife and son!" Scorpion raged as he forced Subzero back with a burst of flames he summoned from the ground. "I'm telling you, that I do not know you or your family!" Subzero shouted. "Enough! You die now!" Scorpion screamed as he stabbed his spear into Subzero's shoulder, making him scream out in pain.

Scorpion then used his chained spear to toss Subzero around like a rag doll, causing collateral damage to the docks. Subzero cried out as Scorpion tossed Subzero into the air before yanking him back down, smashing him into the ground. "In the name of the Shirai Ryu, you will die!" Scorpion snarled as he came marching towards Subzero. "Wait! You must listen to me. I am not your enemy!" Subzero groaned as he struggled to get back up. "This is for my clan!" Scorpion growled as he forced Subzero up before punching into a shed. The force of the impact was so great, it destroyed the shed completely.

Scorpion grabbed Subzero up again, glaring into his eyes. "This is for my wife!" Scorpion shouted as he smashed his fist into Subzero's face. The punch was so strong that it shattered Subzero's jaw. But Scorpion hadn't even started yet. Subzero cried out in pain as Scorpion began to beat him within an inch of his life. Scorpion finally forced Subzero into the ground by slamming him down and pinning his foot to his chest. Scorpion then drew out one of his swords and held it above his head for the final kill. "And this is for my son!" Scorpion roared as he swung the sword down to inflict the killing blow.

But to the shock of Scorpion and Subzero, something had stopped the sword from touching Subzero. "What?! It can't be! How-" Scorpion exclaimed in shock. "What?" Subzero groaned in both pain and confusion. Scorpion tried to move his arm, but a magical force prevented him from doing so. "No! Let me go!" Scorpion shouted. But the more he struggled, the stronger the magic force became. "That is enough! You will stop this fighting at once!" a harsh feminine voice cried out.

Scorpion and Subzero turned to see a woman in a tight black dress and a Native American warrior facing them both with stern looks on their faces. It was Reika Kitami and Nightwolf. "Calm down and listen to what I have to say; your lives depend on it!" Reika said like a mother scolding her children. "You?! Let me go, or so help me-" Scorpion threatened before Reika tightened her grasp, causing Scorpion to cry out in pain. Reika then lifted Scorpion up into the air with her magic power before slamming him back down. "You gonna listen to me now, hothead?! We've got more important things going on than whatever petty bullshit you've got going on here!" Reika said angrily.

Nightwolf approached Subzero and helped him up before tending to his wounds. Scorpion growled furiously as he slowly stood back up, but Reika showed no fear as she glared right back at him. "Who the hell are you? Another one of Quan-Chi's minions?" Scorpion demanded. "What? Oh, never mind that. Listen up! There is a very powerful demon named Skulker somewhere on this island. He's becoming more powerful even as we speak, and we are going to have to work together if we are to defeat him!" Reika warned.

Scorpion got wide-eyed as she mentioned the name Skulker. "What? That cannot be...how do you know that creature's name? Who are you?" Scorpion demanded. "Wait, you know Skulker?! How do you know him? Tell me what you know!" Reika snapped back. "Why should I tell you anything? You prevented me from getting my revenge! For all I know, you might be working with Subzero to try and kill me!" Scorpion growled. Reika grabbed hold of Scorpion by the neck, staring deep into his eyes. "Whatever problems you've got, we've got even bigger problems. So if I were you, I'd start cooperating. Where is Skulker and how do you know him?" Reika said with a frighteningly angry tone.

Under ordinary circumstances, Scorpion would've shown no fear and would've resisted. But there was something told him that fighting back against this strange witch would be a mistake he wouldn't live long enough to regret. "You will have to speak with Quan-Chi! He's the one who knows more than I do. Now release me; I must kill that Lin Kuei scum and avenge my family." Scorpion said as he glared over at Subzero. Reika shook her head as she drew him closer to his face. "No. We must set aside our differences and work together to defeat Skulker. If we don't do something to stop him, everything and everyone will be destroyed." Reika said sternly.

Scorpion grew angry at the thought of being denied his revenge. "Have you heard nothing I have said, woman?! That dog murdered my family!" Scorpion shouted. "Your revenge will have to wait! You are going to take us to this Quan-Chi and we are going to take down Skulker together. If we survive, then you can do whatever it is you want with him. Until then, you shut up and do as I say!" Reika harshly commanded after she slapped him. "I would rather die than to be forced to work alongside that murderous dog, let alone a filthy demonic witch such as yourself!" Scorpion snarled as he forced himself out of Reika's grasp.

Reika glared at him as he said that. "You really don't understand the severity of this situation, do you?" Reika snarled. "All I know is that I will kill Subzero for what he did to me and my family. And I will kill anyone who gets in my way!" Scorpion snarled back as he reached for his swords. "You can try to kill me, but you're only going to get yourself in a deeper world of shit!" Reika sneered. "Enough! We are wasting time; Skulker has probably already gotten closer to the Kamidogu. We must work together to defeat him, or Earth Realm will not prevail!" Nightwolf warned gravely.

Reika nodded her head as she knew that he was right, but Scorpion was not having any of it. "You wish to find Quan-Chi? Fine! He is over at Shang Tsung's Palace. But you will keep me out of your little game. I will get my revenge and that Lin Kuei scum will die by my hands!" Scorpion growled as he pointed at Subzero. "Now, you listen here you son of a-" Reika began before Subzero stopped her. "Enough! Scorpion, I understand your desire for vengeance. But if what they say is true, we have bigger problems. We must unite against this evil if we are to survive. We should set aside our differences and form a temporary alliance. Should we survive, then we can resume our battle." Subzero said with a serious tone.

Scorpion tightly clenched his fists in anger, but as he looked at Subzero, he could sense that there was something...different than he anticipated. "Very well! But know this...you will not leave my sight. This battle is not over, and you will pay for what you did to me!" Scorpion growled as he pointed at him. Subzero sighed heavily as he shook his head, but he understood the situation. "As you wish. Now come; let us find this Quan-Chi before-" Subzero began before a deep, heavy rumbling took place. "Huh? What the hell is that? What's going on?!" Reika exclaimed. "Wait! Look up there!" Nightwolf cried out as he pointed up at the sky.

At the same time, the other Earth Realm warriors who were fighting Kabal and Erron Black noticed the same strange magical phenomenon. As the earth quaked, a strange aura of black magic rose from the soil like mist. "Umm...is anyone else seeing this?" Johnny Cage announced in shock and confusion. "We ain't blind, kid!" Jax said as he looked up to the sky. Everyone looked up to the sky in awe, seeing the strange black hole opening up in the sky. "What in the god damn?" Erron Black muttered in disbelief. “What is happening here?” Frost exclaimed. "Hey, have we seen this kind of energy before?" Sonya cried out. "Huh? Wait, you're right! It's the same kind of energy we saw before Spawn appeared before us!" Jax pointed out. "So, what does that mean?" Johnny Cage wondered. "Hey, who cares?! We're in the middle of a fight here! Nobody cares about the pretty lights in the sky, so let's get back to killing each other, before I-" Kabal snapped before something else happened.

A horrible noise came from within the black hole. It sounded like the screams and growls of damned souls from another realm. And that's when it hit them. "What the hell was that?!" Johnny Cage cried. "Wait a minute...that's not a black hole, you guys! That's-" Sonya began with wide eyes. "It's a freakin' portal! And by the looks of it, something is coming out!" Jax pointed. "Oh, man! Is it too much to ask for a break? Just this once?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in dismay.

Skulker was on the top of a mountain while all of this happened. He stood in the center of a large pentagram painted from the blood of several temple guards he murdered recently. He held his hands up, chanting a dark demonic spell in a black tongue only the foulest demons understood. This spell, combined with the Kamidogu he stole from Shang Tsung's Palace, was the cause of the large portal in the sky. "Hear my spell of destruction! Damkuna, iftraga Sheb nigurepur, dafast!" Skulker chanted in a slow, ominous, dark tone. As he unleashed this dark spell of destruction, the portal in the sky grew larger and from the inside of the portal bellowed the screams of the souls of the damned from a dark, evil realm. "Yes! It finally begins! Come, my fellow demons of the shadows! Kill them! Kill them! Kill...them...all!" Skulker cried out with dark, evil pleasure. It was finally here; the moment where true darkness would wreak havoc in this realm!

Chapter Text

The beautiful red and orange skies that once surrounded Shang Tsung's Island were now suddenly an ominous pitch black. The black hole in the sky had become much bigger and the horrific sounds of demonic shrieking and howling grew louder by the second. Whatever was on the other side of that black hole, it was coming closer. The Earth Realm heroes and Outworld fighters down below on the island looked up with shock and awe. "Um, ok...I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say that this isn't part of the tournament!" Johnny Cage announced with much worry in his voice. "Listen to me, Cage! Whatever happens, you stay close to me. You got that? We can handle this!" Sonya Blade said trying her best to contain her own worries and doubts. 

As they spoke, several dark orbs of energy were seen falling towards their direction. "Incoming!" Jax cried out as he darted towards Sonya and Johnny Cage in an attempt to shield them if needed. The orbs of energy that fell on the ground created a large shockwave, knocking everyone back off their feet. "Damn! Just what in the hell is that?" Erron Black coughed due to the massive amount of dust from the forceful impact of the strange objects. "My bio-scanners are picking up some life readings!" Frost said as she used her eyes to scan ahead,.

As the dust cleared, there was the sound of loud snarling and growling. "Oh, shit! That...that is not good!" Kabal muttered now realizing the situation he was in. The source of the snarling finally revealed itself in the form of horrible demonic creatures. They were about 8 feet tall, had blood red skin on the top half of their large muscular bodies,  large goat-like legs on the bottom half, glowing green eyes, and large curved horns on their heads. They were Hell Barons! "Ok! Anybody have any idea what those things are?" Johnny Cage asked with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't you go up there and ask them yourself, dumbass!" Jax snapped. "Wait...actually, I think those things are about to introduce themselves. Look!" Sonya pointed out.

She was right; the Hell Barons began to lash out at everything in their sight, tearing apart the temples of the island and killing any living thing that tried to run or hide. They were fast, despite their size. And they could also throw green fireballs from their hands. All of this was known as the Earth Realm heroes watched these monsters rip and tear several Black Dragon thugs and island kombatants. The poor unfortunate souls could do nothing but scream in pain and horror as the Hell Barons tore them apart with ease. "My God!" Sonya gasped as she witnessed the horror of these evil monsters. "What do we do now, Sonya? I'm freaking out here!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

But just as he said that, something else happened. Several more demonic creatures suddenly teleported onto the island in a bright flash of hellish red light. The monsters that teleported onto the island were filled with much anger, hate, and vicious bloodlust. They were roughly 6 feet tall, had tough leathery brown skin, razor sharp claws and teeth, and blood red eyes. They were called imps and they were on the warpath. And they were fast; so very fast!

They surrounded several of Shang Tsung's island guards, overpowering them as they ripped and tore them apart. Their dying screams of agony were enough to give even the toughest soldier nightmares. "We are gonna die. I've gotta get outta here!" Johnny Cage panicked. "Shut up! You listen to me; you are not going to die, because you are going to do exactly what I say. You got that? Now follow me; we need to get to one of those boats and get the hell out of here!" Sonya snapped as she slapped his face.

Johnny Cage collected himself after Sonya slapped him. "Uh, yes ma'am!" Johnny Cage replied shakily. "Wait, what about Liu Kang? We can't just leave him behind!" Jax exclaimed. "We don't have time for that, now! If we stay here any longer, we'll all die! We've got to get out of here! Now if I can get my hands on a working radio, I can call for back up and turn this place into the next cautionary tale!" Sonya cried. "Wait a minute! Wait; give me a chance to find him while you try to get one of those boats working!" Johnny Cage suggested. "Johnny, are you crazy? You can't-" Sonya began. "Sonya! Jax is right, we can't leave our friends behind! Don't worry about me, all right? I've got this! I'll be right back!" Johnny Cage said seriously before he took off running towards Shang Tsung's Palace. "Johnny, get back here! Johnny Cage!" Sonya shouted.

Back with Scorpion, Subzero, Nightwolf, and Reika Kitami, they found themselves surrounded by imps. "Oh, shit! Imps; these little bastards are vicious! Don't let them surround you!" Reika warned as she used her magic to create a bound sword of dark energy. Scorpion grimaced as he drew out his swords, while Subzero used his ice powers to create a battleaxe. "If you really are as innocent as you say you are, then you better prove it! Stand and fight!" Scorpion said with a snarl. "Do not question my honor! If it is a fight these invaders want, I shall grant it to them!" Subzero said with fierce determination. "Ancestors, give me strength!" Nightwolf said to himself as he drew out his war club.

The imps shrieked with rage as they charged towards the group of fighters. A couple of imps slashed wildly at Reika, but she used her speed and agility to her advantage. She dodged their attacks and slashed off their limbs and heads without mercy. Nightwolf was just as vicious against the imps who attacked him. He bashed their skulls with his war club and hacked them to pieces with his tomahawks. "Return to the realm of darkness from where you came, demons!" Nightwolf cried fiercely.

Scorpion decapitated several imps with his swords with ease, thanks to his superior speed, strength, and agility. Subzero held his own well against another group of imps, slicing them in half and chopping off their heads with his battleaxe. "These demons, do they come from the Nether Realm?" Subzero wondered as he finished off his last imp. "Ask questions later, you fool!" Scorpion snapped as he used his chained spear to tear off an imp's head.

The four fighters fought off the horde of imps for about 20 minutes, until the last of them were finally finished off. As they stood in the bloody aftermath, the fighters took a quick breather and tried to understand what it was they were up against. "Was this darkness the same as the Great Spirit forewarned?" Nightwolf asked out loud as he cleaned the blood off his tomahawks. "If I know one thing about these kinds of demons, it's that they'll never stop coming." Reika said gravely. "Well, how do we stop these demonic creatures from coming to our realm?" Subzero demanded. "I don't know, all right? But what I do know is that we've gotta get off this island. If I can find Raizo, then we might have a better chance against surviving this invasion!" Reika answered seriously.

Scorpion flicked blood off his swords before sheathing them. "And just who is your partner?" Scorpion snapped. "He's someone who's good at killing demonic assholes, that's who! You got a problem?!" Reika challenged. Scorpion and Reika glared at each other for a solid minute before Subzero made them stop. "Enough! We must focus on the matter at hand. We must find shelter, and if possible, find others who will fight by our side against these invaders." Subzero said in a stern tone. "He is right; we cannot waste time with pointless arguing. Come! We must find the other Earth Realmers!" Nightwolf said just as sternly. And with that said, they were off.

Liu Kang, Raiden, and Shang Tsung were completely taken off guard with the sudden chaos occurring outside. "What in the name of the Elder Gods?" Raiden wondered as he sensed a great disturbance happening outside. "What's happening out there?!" Liu Kang exclaimed. "Whatever it is, it's probably your fault!" Shang Tsung snapped. The heavy sounds of footsteps broke their concentration, along with the sounds of bloodcurdling screams of anguish and pain. Soon enough, the source of the chaos revealed itself by bursting through the palace's main entrance door. It was a Hell Baron, and he was hungry for flesh and blood! He threw a headless corpse over at the bewildered Liu Kang, roaring ferociously. "Lord Raiden? What is going on here?!" Liu Kang exclaimed in shock as he fell on his back. "What sort of deviltry is this, sorcerer?" Raiden demanded as he grabbed hold of Shang Tsung.

Shang Tsung freed himself of Raiden's grip, glaring at him. "Are you accusing me of this? I told you; even I am not so bold as to anger the Elder Gods by disrupting this tournament!" Shang Tsung snapped. But before another word could be said, the Hell Baron charged towards them both to attack. But Raiden teleported away just before the monster could punch him with his massive fist. Shang Tsung was not as lucky, as the Hell Baron back handed the sorcerer away into the wall, knocking him out cold.

Raiden teleported by Liu Kang's side, helping him up. "I think it's safe to say this tournament is on hold, thanks to this interruption." Raiden said as he used his magic to heal Liu Kang's wounds. "It doesn't matter. I've failed you, Lord Raiden. I am not worthy to serve as your chosen one. Forgive me!" Liu Kang said mournfully. "Nonsense! You never failed me!" Raiden replied with a light chuckle. "What? But I didn't beat Goro!" Liu Kang said in disbelief. But as he said that, the Hell Baron came charging towards him to attack again. But this time, Raiden summoned a lightning bolt and forced the demon back with a great impactful force.

The Hell Baron cried out in anger and pain as he was forced back, but he wouldn't give up so easily. He threw a green fireball at Raiden, but the Thunder God quickly teleported away before reappearing behind the demon and zapped him with lightning. Raiden kept zapping the Hell Baron, making the demon angrier. Liu Kang decided it was now the time to set aside his fears and doubts, and showed it by lunging forward with a kick to the Hell Baron's back. The demon cried out in anger and pain as he felt his spine crack, but he still refused to back down.

Despite its pain, the Hell Baron attempted to slash at Liu Kang with his claws. But the Shaolin warrior was able to dodge his attacks and retaliate with powerful punches and kicks. Raiden saw this and smirked as he began kicking and karate chopping the demon along with Liu Kang. Eventually, Raiden and Liu Kang were able to overpower the Hell Baron in a spectacular manner. Raiden summoned a staff and brutalized the Hell Baron, cracking his skull before he rammed it deep into his throat. Not even finished, Raiden summoned lightning and electrocuted the Hell Baron through the staff, frying him from the inside out. To make sure that the beast would stay down, Liu Kang cried out fiercely as he did a cartwheel kick and uppercutted the beast, before he lit his fists on fire and threw a fireball into the Hell Baron's mouth.

The Hell Baron screamed and howled in agony as the fireball burned his head to a crisp from the inside out. The Hell Baron fell to the ground with a loud thud, dead as he laid there with his innards fried inside and his his body burned up on the outside. "What a monster!" Liu Kang exclaimed. "We must find the others, quickly. It's only a matter of time before this entire island is plagued with these demons." Raiden said with grave worry in his voice. "But what if this island isn't the only place being invaded by these monsters?" Liu Kang wondered. "All the better reason for us to get moving!" Raiden replied with even more concern in his voice.

But just as they were about to leave, they bumped into an old friend. "Liu Kang? Where are you, buddy? We gotta get outta this place before...ok, wow! What just happened here?" Johnny Cage called out before he caught sight of the dead demon in the middle of the room. "You! You're still alive?" Liu Kang exclaimed in surprise. "Ha! Barely! You would not believe what I had to put up with earlier. You see, there was this...wait, never mind! That's not important! We need to get off this island! We're being invaded by monsters from another dimension!" Johnny Cage explained quickly.

The two looked at him with both concern and disbelief as he said that. "What? It's true! Come on, I'll show you!" Johnny Cage said as he led them out of the palace. As they left, Shang Tsung slowly got back up and shook his head in disbelief as he looked at the destruction of his beloved palace, as well as the absence of Liu Kang and Raiden. "Damn it, my plans are ruined! How will I explain myself out of this to Shao Kahn?!" Shang Tsung exclaimed in dismay. A massive explosion that took place outside made him rethink. "I better get out of here!" Shang Tsung muttered as he began to run.

Eventually, Johnny Cage led Liu Kang and Raiden to the other Earth Realm warriors. Liu Kang was relieved to see that the others were still alive, but was also quite shocked to see all the destruction and carnage caused by the invading demons. "What happened here? Where is everyone?!" Liu Kang exclaimed in shock. "They're everywhere. Just not alive!" Sonya said with dread in her voice. "I hope that wasn't meant as a joke!" Jax said grimly. "Of course not!" Sonya snapped. Raiden was just as shocked, if not more so. "By thunder and lightning! It can't be time yet!" Raiden whispered. "Can't be time for what, Lord Raiden?" Liu Kang asked as he overheard him.

But before he could answer, everyone was caught by surprise when Reika Kitami approached them with Nightwolf, Scorpion, and Subzero. "You guys are here? Great! We can certainly use the extra help." Reika announced. "Help? For what?! Where the hell have you been anyway?" Sonya demanded angrily. "Don't get smart with me! Now listen up; this invasion is only getting started. We're going to have to work together if we are to survive!" Reika explained sternly. "Wait, what? What do you mean just getting started? You mean there's more of these monsters out there?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Reika nodded her head, to which Johnny Cage replied by exhaling in disbelief. "Like I said; we can do this if we work together." Reika began. "And just how the hell do you propose we do that?" Jax demanded. "Easy! Once I get my hands on a radio and call for backup from HQ-" Sonya began. "It's not that easy, lady!" Reika said as a matter of factly. "What do you mean it's not that easy? Do you have any idea what a Hellfire missile can do?" Sonya sneered. "I'm sure that it's powerful, but guess what? Wherever these demons are coming from, they're not going to stop unless that portal is closed. And no mortal weapons are capable of destroying that!" Reika said sternly as she pointed up towards the massive hole in the sky.

As she pointed, more demons were seen falling out of the hole in the sky. "Did you know that this would happen?" Raiden asked seriously as he approached Reika. Reika gave him a dark look as he said that. "We need to find Raizo. Once we find him, then I know for certain we have a chance!" Reika said plainly. "Raizo? You surely don't mean-" Raiden began. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. A blood red pentagram appeared on the ground, and it began glowing brightly. "What the hell is going on here?" Johnny Cage cried in shock. "Oh, fuck! Not now...not this! Anything but this!" Reika muttered in shock. "Wait, what's going on?!" Sonya exclaimed. "I suggest you prepare yourselves! We are about to engage in Mortal Kombat...in the demons' realm!" Raiden announced grimly.

After he said that, everyone soon found themselves being teleported away. The Earth Realm Warriors were about to learn about the true powers of Hell firsthand!

Chapter Text

Everyone soon found themselves in a vast, darkened wasteland filled with nothing but fire and death. They had found themselves in the outskirts of Hell itself! "So, this is Hell, huh?" Johnny Cage announced with grave fear in his voice. "Yeah, it is. But this is only the first level of Hell." Reika replied as a matter of factly. "Wait, you mean to tell me that there are other levels of Hell?" Jax exclaimed in surprise. "Yes. There are 10 levels of Hell; be grateful that we're only here on the first level and not at the very bottom!" Reika stated. "So I take it that you've been here before?" Raiden asked carefully. Reika gave him a look, but she nodded her head. "We need to find way out of here. There must be a portal somewhere in one of those temples over there!" Reika announced as she pointed towards a large, demonic stone temple over the horizon.

But as soon as they began venturing deeper into the wastelands of Hell, they immediately felt the evil presence of demons watching them from the shadows. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but shouldn't there be a bunch of demons here? I mean, this is Hell after all!" Johnny Cage wondered out loud. "They are already here!" Nightwolf said cautiously as he reached for his tomahawk. "They watch from the shadows! I feel their presence!" Scorpion added grimly. "Stay together! The last thing you want is to get lost here!" Reika warned as she clenched her fist. "Yeah. Oh! Wait for me!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Eventually, they reached the large stone temple. It was just as empty, but there was still a very dark sense of dread filled the air. "It's far too quiet here! It's perfect for an ambush!" Jax said out loud. "Yeah, no kidding! If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were walking into a trap!" Sonya added as she glanced over at Reika Kitami. "I heard that! Just keep quiet and stick together. I'm sure we'll find a portal around here somewhere!" Reika snapped. "If we're done arguing, we should rest up while we can. But be on guard; there are eyes still watching us!" Raiden suggested. "An excellent idea. I shall meditate!" Subzero announced. "I could use some time alone, as well!" Scorpion said with a growl before he walked away into a shadowy area.

As the others took a rest, Reika searched for at the portal. A few moments later, Sonya approached her. "I take it you've had your fair share of dealing with these kinds of threats before?" Sonya commented. "Is there something you want to say?" Reika said as she noticed Sonya's hostility. "Now that you mention it, there is something I'd like to say! if I find out that you're one of them monsters or if you double cross us, I'll put you down myself. Is that understood?" Sonya warned.

Reika was already tired enough from all the previous shit she dealt with, so the last thing she needed to put up with was someone with an attitude. "Let's make one thing straight, you bitch! You don't like me? Fine! I can take that...but don't you ever mistake me for one of those loathsome beasts ever again! So why don't you cut the bullshit and back off?! Otherwise, you and me will have a real problem! Got it?!" Reika snapped now losing her patience. "Is that a threat, lady? Because I don't take threats lightly!" Sonya growled. "No, I'm just politely telling you to watch your attitude. Because the last time somebody pissed me off, they ended up with my foot stomped into their skull!" Reika sneered.

Sonya suddenly got in her face, intimidating her. "With balls like yours, you belong in the Special Forces. But just watch yourself while you're out there, because the last time somebody pissed me off, they ended up in the ground!" Sonya growled. "That's enough! Both of you, get a grip! We're leaving and we're going to put a stop to these monsters! If you can't get along-" Jax suddenly barked as he pulled them away from each other. "There's no problem, honey. We were just getting to know each other, that's all." Reika replied with a smirk before she walked off with a sassy sway of her hips.

As Reika left, Sonya growled in irritation as she slammed her gear to the ground in frustration. Jax raised an eyebrow as he saw this. "You doing ok there, princess?" Jax said carefully. "No, I'm not! You sure that bringing her along is a good idea, Jax? I don't trust her...she's got evil written all over her! She's a fucking demonic witch, for crying out loud!" Sonya exclaimed angrily while she began cleaning her pistol. "Even if she is a witch, she's our only hope of putting a stop to these invading monsters." Jax pointed out. "Look, I don't know what it is she said to you, but I'd keep my eye on her if I were you. You remember the last time we trusted someone else?" Sonya replied raising her voice. "This again?! We talked about this already, Sonya Blade! If you aren't in the right frame of mind, then maybe you shouldn't be here in the first place! This ain't the time or the place for overemotional girls!" Jax snapped finally losing his patience.

Sonya was shocked from Jax's sudden outburst, but she sighed as she knew he was right. "Sonya! Shit, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" Jax began. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that-" Sonya started. "Look, I don't care what you think of her, all right? I know she doesn't have the cleanest hands, but neither do we! But this isn't about judging others over what they may or may not have done; this is about the safety of the world as we know it. If she isn't getting in our way or taking up arms against us, she's not our enemy! You understand what I'm saying to you, soldier?" Jax scolded.

Sonya sighed in defeat as she nodded his head. "Yes, I understand you perfectly clear." she responded. "Hey, guys! I think you may want to take a look at this!" Johnny Cage shouted suddenly. "Ugh, what did he do this time?" Sonya muttered as she rolled her eyes. "Whatever it is, it better be good!" Jax said half-jokingly.

Everyone rushed over to where Johnny Cage was, over at the other side of the temple. They were surprised to see that there was a tall rock-like pillar with a strange face formed on it. It stuck out from the ground like a stalagmite, but there was something strange about the rock formation itself. There were strange markings all over the body of the pillar, as if they were carved purposely. "That's...weird. To say the least. Wouldn't you agree?" Johnny Cage said with a joking tone. "Wait a minute! I think I recognize those symbols! I think you have found what I was looking for, Johnny Cage. Good job!" Reika said as she approached the stone. "Oh, um...thanks! I'm glad I could help." Johnny Cage said with a grin.  

As Reika observed the stone, Nightwolf approached her side. "Do you know what they say?" Nightwolf asked as he looked at the strange runes and symbols. "I'm not sure...but I could have sworn I saw symbols like these a long time ago. I wonder if-" Reika explained as she observed the stone pillar.

But as she placed her hand on the stone, she gasped as she found herself pressing down on it. The stone lit up with a blood red aura before a bright red light began creating a path that led towards a wall. "What did you just do?!" Sonya exclaimed. "I don't know!" Reika replied shakily. The red light reached the wall and began to crawl up all over the wall, creating strange symbols and runes.

Everyone ran towards the wall and gasped and stared in awe at the strange occurrence. "Oh! That's amazing; it's almost like...I pressed a button and now-" Reika gasped. "It's a map! Look!" Liu Kang exclaimed as he pointed. He was right; it appeared to be a map of the entire first level of Hell.  "And that path through those catacombs...it looks like it leads the way out!" Sonya pointed out. "Finally! Some good news for once! Now let's see if we can find our way out of this damn place!" Johnny Cage cried. "Wait! What's that? That giant symbol in that temple there? What is that?" Nightwolf asked as he pointed it out.

Everyone looked at it and wondered what it was. "I don't know, but it doesn't look good to me!" Reika said. "Wait...there's something awfully familiar about that. I think I've seen it somewhere before." Raiden announced. "What? Where?! Where did you see something like this?" Liu Kang demanded. Liu Kang observed the strange symbol and closed his eyes. He gasped in horror as he finally remembered something. "What? What is it? Lord Raiden?!" Liu Kang exclaimed in shock. "We need to find a way out of this place, now!" Raiden said gravely.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling noise was heard from the distance. "What the hell is that?" Sonya wondered. "They are coming! Be ready!" Subzero said grimly as he approached them with an icy sword in hand. "More demons! Stick together; we'll make it!" Reika cried out. "Yeah, we're fine...it's fine! (We're gonna fucking die!)" Johnny Cage whined to himself. "Shut up! We will be fine!" Sonya snapped as she punched his shoulder. 

As the heroes prepared themselves for Kombat, they were unaware that they were being watched by someone in the shadows. Things were about to go from violent to ultra violent real soon!

Chapter Text

Everyone prepared themselves for kombat as they heard footsteps approaching their direction. "They're coming!" Sonya cried. "Stand your ground! We can take them!" Reika encouraged. But as the footsteps grew louder, Reika realized that there were multiple assailants heading their way. "Shit! It sounds like there's a small group heading our way!" Reika announced.

But when the figures stepped out of the darkness, the Earth Realmers were surprised to find Spawn, Kitana, and Fujin were approaching them. "Guys! Look, it's Raizo! He's alive, and he's brought a few others with him!" Reika cried out with joy. Spawn slowly approached Reika before he gently caressed her face. "Are you ok? I'm sorry I was gone away for so long." Spawn said softly. Reika hugged him tightly in response. "It's ok, honey! I knew that you'd be back!" Reika exclaimed with tears of joy. Nightwolf watched their reunion from a distance, puzzled by what he was seeing. "Another Hellspawn? But this witch is treating him like a lover. Could it be?" Nightwolf wondered out loud.

Liu Kang was honestly shocked to see that Kitana was still alive, if not relieved. "Kitana! You're still alive!" Liu Kang said trying not to sound too excited. "So are you, Liu Kang. I must say, I wasn't expecting to see you again." Kitana said with the same amount of hidden joy in her voice. "I'm glad that you're alive, Kitana. I was worried about you!" Liu Kang said with a nervous smile. Kitana blushed behind her mask as he said that. "Um, thanks...I appreciate that. I'm glad that you're alive, too." Kitana replied nervously.

Fujin approached Raiden with a smile on his face, though Raiden stared at him a serious expression on his face. "Brother, it's good to see you again. I only wish that we met in better circumstances." Fujin said as he bowed his head. "Yes. Better circumstances indeed!" Raiden said with a grim tone. Fujin stopped smiling as he said that. "You haven't changed much, have you?" Fujin said as he crossed his arms. "Now isn't the time for this. We must escape this place; a great and powerful evil is lurking here in the shadows!" Raiden said gravely. "I am aware of that, dear brother. Which is why I've come to help!" Fujin replied. "Help? Since when did you ever want to help me?" Raiden challenged. Fujin sighed as he shook his head. "It's good to see you haven't lost your charm, dear brother!" Fujin said with a grin forming on his face again.

After their short reunion, everyone gathered together by the map of the First Level of Hell. "So, explain how you guys ended up here!" Johnny Cage said. "I was in the middle of interrogating that sorcerer Quan-Chi, when that portal suddenly appeared. Those demons really fucked up the island. During all that chaos, that slimy worm managed to escape from me!" Spawn began with deep bitterness in his voice. "What was it that you asked of him?" Raiden wondered. Spawn gave him a dark look, but Reika's look of reassurance calmed him down. "I was trying to get information about Skulker and his location. He didn't know shit, but he kept bitching about an amulet of some sort." Spawn continued. "An amulet?" Raiden repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah. He said he needed to resurrect some god named Shinnok!" Spawn explained. "By the Elder Gods!" Raiden muttered in disbelief.

Johnny Cage held up his hand. "Um, yeah. That still doesn't tell us how you got here!" the Hollywood actor said. "Cage, shut it!" Sonya hissed. Spawn growled in annoyance, but continued his story. "After I fought my way through an endless horde of imps and revenants, I found windbag...I mean, Fujin and the Outworld princess barely holding their own against some Hell Knights." Spawn went on. "I can attest to that! I was nearly wounded by one of those horrid creatures, until our undead friend here saved our lives." Fujin chimed in. "After I killed them all, another Hell portal appeared. I don't know why I went through there, but I just had this feeling that you were in danger!" Spawn explained as he looked at Reika.

Reika smiled as he said that, as did Fujin. "You see, brother? Love can do many amazing things, even from the most unexpected individuals." Fujin said. "Don't overdo it, windbag!" Spawn growled in annoyance. "It all happened so fast; I thought for certain that it was the end. All those people were just...killed in the most horrific ways imaginable!" Kitana said mournfully. "This darkness that had suddenly swept the island is unlike anything I had ever encountered." Fujin added with disdain. "So what do we do?" Johnny Cage wondered. "What we need to do is assess our situation. We need to know exactly what we're going up against!" Sonya stated. "Always the soldier, aren't you? I respect that, but we're not talking about going against some mindless thugs or one of that sorcerer's cheap tricks! This is Hell we're in; anything and everything that you've always feared is real in this place! Your weapons and even your powers alone won't save you." Reika said sternly.

Everyone grew very grim as she said that. "Well, that's comforting!" Johnny Cage said half-sarcastically. "What we need is to get back to Earth Realm! I fear that this darkness will only grow more powerful the longer we delay!" Nightwolf insisted. "But how do we get out of here?" Johnny Cage asked. "You won't!" a gruff voice growled from the shadows. Everyone turned around to see Scorpion approach their direction. "You!" Spawn snarled as he glared at him. "What makes you so certain that we won't make it back?" Reika snapped.

Scorpion stood there with his arms crossed, his glaring gaze not leaving Spawn or Reika. "This place...it is crawling with demons in every corner. And even if you could make it back, what makes you think you can survive? Surely these demons summoned from that portal would have destroyed Earth Realm by now!" Scorpion said with bitterness in his voice. "I've faced more impressive demons and dark gods before!" Spawn snarled defiantly. "We can't leave these people to suffer in the hands of these demons!" Reika added angrily. "Why do you care? These people are not your concern, let alone Earth Realm!" Scorpion growled. "You're from Earth Realm too, asshole! I can tell; I know all damned souls." Spawn said as he glared harder at Scorpion.

Both Hellspawns glared at each other until someone broke the silence. "Enough! We must not fight against each other! We must put aside our differences if we are to overcome our enemies!" Subzero cried out sternly. "Well spoken, warrior!" Fujin said with a nod. "And just how do you plan to do that, Subzero?" Scorpion sneered. "I do not know, but I will die fighting with honor if that's what it comes to!" Subzero replied seriously. "Yes, we must stay strong." Liu Kang began. "You truly believe that will alone is going to save your precious realm? You are as doomed as you are naive!" Scorpion snarled.

Reika approached him as if to slap his face, but Scorpion glared at her as he reached for his sword. "I've wasted time with you fools long enough! Don't get in my way or I will finish you!" Scorpion threatened as he stormed off. "Fine! Go ahead and leave, asshole! We don't need you!" Reika shouted angrily. "Wait! Let me try to talk to him; I may yet be able to talk sense into him." Subzero suggested. "If you want to try, go ahead. But I doubt anything will go through that specter's thick skull!" Reika retorted. Subzero then took off to try and talk sense into Scorpion.

An hour passed and our heroes we getting restless. "You know what? I'm sick of this! We've gotta do something but just sit here!" Johnny Cage cried out in frustration. "For once, I can agree with you on something!" Sonya said as she reached into her bag and pulled out some plastic explosives. "Damn it, fools! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Spawn growled. "What's it look like? If we can't find a way out of this place, then we're gonna make one!" Sonya retorted. "What? I don't think that's a good idea, hon!" Reika warned. "Well, how else do you propose to get out of this place?" Sonya questioned. "You don't get it, do you? There is no way to destroy this place; it's being shielded by powerful black magic. You could drop a nuke on this temple and it wouldn't so much as leave a scratch. The only way we could possibly escape this place is if a portal opens up." Reika explained. "We can't just sit here and wait for one to show up!" Sonya argued. "Unfortunately, she does have a point!" Nightwolf agreed. "I have an idea! Maybe we could somehow activate this portal?" Johnny Cage suggested.

Everyone looked at him as he said that. "Well, it's not like we have a lot of options left!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Oh, that's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that; let's just magically open up a portal and-" Sonya cried. Reika finally had enough; she punched Sonya in the face and cracked her jaw. "Unless you want me to ram my fist into your throat and rip out your heart, I suggest you shut up with your bitching! You got it?" Reika threatened as she held her by the throat.

Everyone except Spawn was shocked by this sight. "That's my woman!" Spawn sneered. Sonya groaned as she cracked her jaw back into place. As Reika glared at her, Sonya knew better than to pick a gift with her...at least now. "All right, enough! (sighs) Look, Johnny Cage is right. This might be the only way that we can put an end to all this. Kid, I want you to set those explosives around this area as a barricade." Jax instructed. "You got it, brother!" Johnny Cage replied with a salute. "Sonya; you, Nightwolf, Liu Kang, Spawn, and Fujin are with me; we'll provide cover for Reika while she tries to open this portal!" Jax instructed. "I shall try to help Reika activate this portal." Raiden announced. "Ok, fine. Now unless anyone else would like to complain, let's get moving! Things won't stay quiet forever!" Reika said as she glanced over at Sonya.

As Johnny Cage placed the explosives around the entrance of the temple, he couldn't help but get the feeling that he was being watched. "Reika is right; it's far too quiet and if I've learned one thing while on Shang Tsung's death island, that's never a good thing!" Johnny Cage mumbled as he placed the explosives on the ground. Reika Kitami and Raiden didn't seem to have much luck either as she kept trying out different spells and incantations to try and activate the portal. "Damn it! Nothing is working here! Maybe I need to try a different dialect or a completely different language?" Reika cursed. "Perhaps there is another way to activate this portal. Maybe there's a switch that we need to activate?" Raiden suggested. "Good idea! Let's see if there's a hidden switch around here somewhere!" Reika replied.

As they looked around for a switch or button, Spawn felt his Necroplasm senses alert him of nearby danger. "Shit! Something's coming...and it's getting close!" Spawn growled as he was handed an assault rifle by Sonya. "I don't see anything!" Sonya said as she used her binoculars. "Neither do I. I see nothing but dirt and rocks!" Jax added. "Your eyes can deceive you. There are demons out there, and they can surely see us!" Nightwolf said gravely as he drew out his tomahawk and war club. "I'm telling you there's nothing here but-" Sonya began.

Suddenly, a loud snarling noise was heard before the sounds of thundering footsteps filled the air. A large, nasty looking demon that had been hiding in the darkness this whole time had finally decided to come out of hiding. The demon came lumbering out of the darkness from inside of the temple, snarling and growling with primitive fury. It stood over 8 feet tall, was disgustingly obese, and a massive set of jaws with razor sharp teeth. But perhaps the strangest thing of all was that this monster had some kind of device attached to its back, as well as some strange looking metal armor attached to its arms, legs, and chest.

The hideous beast roared with quivering fury, causing the place to shake. "My God! What the hell is that thing!?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Fuck! It's a Mancubus! It was waiting for us here this whole time; we were led into a trap!" Spawn shouted. As he said that, the ground began to glow ominously bright red. "The portal! It's opening...but how?!" Sonya exclaimed. "Does this mean we're finally gonna get out?" Johnny Cage wondered. "No, I think Spawn was right. We walked right into a trap and now something is coming from the other side!" Liu Kang cried out. "Oh, God!" Sonya gasped. To their horror, a small army of imps appeared from the portal. The Mancubus roared at the imps, as if commanding them to attack. "Get ready; it's about to get bloody here!" Spawn shouted as he loaded up his assault rifle.

Spawn fired his assault rifle at a group of imps, blowing their heads clean off. But as he killed them, more appeared by teleporting behind him. They snarled viciously as they clawed at Spawn, but the enraged phantom was able to force them away by kicking them. Nightwolf joined Spawn, hacking and slashing the imps away with his tomahawk. "The Great Spirit will not tolerate you invading Earth Realm, demons!" Nightwolf growled as he hacked an imp's head in half. Another imp tried to attack Nightwolf from behind, but Spawn was able to grab the imp with a chain before tearing off his head. Nightwolf saw this and nodded his head in appreciation, to which Spawn nodded back.

But there was no rest to be had, as more demons teleported at their direction. Surrounding Spawn and Nightwolf were 10 foot tall demons of pure muscle and rage. They had tough brown and leathery skin, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, and fists capable of crushing steel, as well as throwing red fireballs. They were Hell Knights and they were ready for blood. "Hell Knights! Don't show these assholes any mercy, because they'll show none!" Spawn growled as he lit his fists up with Necroplasm. "The Great Spirit shows no mercy to those who threaten Earth Realm!" Nightwolf proclaimed as he twirled his war club around.

As he said that, Fujin flew towards them and fired a crossbow at one of the Hell Knights, severely wounding it. "Was that supposed to kill it?" Spawn snapped. The Hell Knight growled as it charged towards Fujin, but the wise old wind god flew up and leapt behind him before slashing at it's back with a sword. The Hell Knight growled in pain as it fell to it's knees, giving Spawn the chance to finish it. He threw a ball of Necroplasm at the Hell Knight's head, making it explode to a bloody pulp before it fell down dead. "We must work as one to defeat these foul creatures!" Fujin proclaimed as he flew towards Spawn and Nightwolf again. "You got a lot of bite to go with your bark, windbag!" Spawn complimented. Fujin nodded his head in response, appreciating Spawn attempting to be friendly.

While Spawn worked with Nightwolf and Fujin to fight against the horde of Hell Knights, Jax and the others struggled to fight against the Mancubus. Jax pounded furiously against the morbid beast, but it's blubbery fat protected him from his attacks. The Mancubus growled as he swatted his massive arm at Jax, sending him flying away. Sonya attempted to attack the beast from the side, but that didn't go over well either. Johnny Cage rushed towards the beast kicking at him with his green energy powering up his attacks, but even that did nothing but anger the Mancubus. Sonya and Johnny Cage teamed up and combined their attacks against the Mancubus. Their efforts were in vain.

The Mancubus snarled as punched Sonya and Johnny Cage away, roaring as he shook its head in fury. "Damn it! Our tactics aren't working! We need to try a different approach!" Sonya cried as she was helped back up by Johnny Cage. "I have an idea! Let's try attacking it from the back!" Liu Kang cried out as he quickly darted behind the beast.

Liu Kang threw a fireball at the Mancubus, making it cry out as it was struck. But even that didn't seem to be enough to slow it down. The Mancubus twirled around and attempted to ram over him, but Liu Kang was able to jump away before he retaliated with a series of savage kicks. "I won't let you harm Earth Realm!" Liu Kang shouted as he kept kicking at the beast.

The Mancubus roared angrily as it held both arms in front of him. "Wait, what's he doing?" Johnny Cage wondered. Suddenly, the Mancubus fired a large stream of flames from its hands, nearly scorching the Earth Realm warriors. "Shit! That thing's got flamethrowers?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he rolled away to avoid getting burnt. "Fuck! Now what?!" Sonya cried as she hid behind a rock.

Back with Spawn, he had just finished off the last of the Hell Knights when he suddenly found himself facing another horde of imps that teleported at his direction. He ran out of ammo and resorted to transforming his cape into a sword to hack and slash the never-ending horde of imps. But the longer he kept fighting, the more he realized that there would be no end to this battle. As he decapitated another imp, he looked over at the others struggling against the Mancubus. They weren't doing so well on their part, due to the Mancubus continuously spreading flames everywhere.

Suddenly, a high pitched shriek filled the air and caught everyone's attention. "What the hell was that?" Jax cried. "Look! It's another demon; up there!" Liu Kang pointed out. He was right; a ghastly looking creature was seen hovering above the temple pillars with it's arms spread out wide. The creature had grey skin, a strangely hammer shaped head, a large pair of wings on its back, and long slender arms and legs. Spawn looked up at the demon and made a shocking realization; this demon somehow had control over the others that they were fighting. And as long as it still lived, more demons would keep coming.

Spawn kicked an imp against the wall and curb stomped it before rushing towards Kitami. "Reika! We need to kill that demon up there, otherwise those damn imps will keep coming!" Spawn cried. "Ok, but what about lard ass over there?" Reika pointed out. "Damn it! Ok, I'll handle the Mancubus...you take care of that Summoner!" Spawn said before he charged towards the Mancubus. "Wait! Damn it...ok, fine. You go that way, I'll go this way!" Reika muttered before she looked up at the hovering Summoner demon. Reika then teleported up towards the Summoner, the evil demon appeared to cackle as it pointed towards her. It seemed to challenge Reika. "This one is a lot smarter than those other demons. Well if it wants a fight, I'll give it a fight it won't soon forget!" Reika said out loud as she drew out a bound sword.

Back with Spawn, he brawled viciously against the Mancubus. "Hold still, you fat bastard!" Spawn snarled as he kept throwing balls of Necroplasm at the beast. The Mancubus snarled viciously as he fired a huge streak of flames at Spawn, but the experienced phantom teleported away from the flames before kicking the beast from behind.

Spawn climbed up on the Mancubus' back and grabbed hold of its head before he began pummeling the beast with his fists. Though the attacks hurt the monster, it still wasn't enough to slow him down. The goliath grabbed Spawn from his neck and began to smash him around like a rag doll. "Hey! Over here, tubby!" Jax cried as he fired a submachinegun at the beast.

The Mancubus roared as he threw Spawn at Jax. But despite the brutality Spawn endured, he refused to back down. "GRR! That fat piece of shit is really starting to piss me off!" Spawn growled. "Well, then let's do something about it instead of complaining!" Jax sneered as he pumped his fists together. Jax charged towards the Mancubus and rammed his fist into the beast's eye, making it scream out in pain as it reeled back. Jax grunted in satisfaction as he pumped his fists again, ready to finish off his foe. As the enraged Mancubus charged towards Jax, Jax moved aside at the last second before he rammed his fist into the beast's side, tearing out some of it's internal organs.

The Mancubus groaned in pain as it finally slowed down, giving Spawn and his new allies the chance to finish it off. "Now's our chance! Help me finish it off!" Spawn cried. "I thought you'd never ask!" Jax smirked. "Hey, save some for me!" Johnny Cage cried. Spawn grabbed the Mancubus with his chains, choking him with a tight grip. As Spawn surged Necroplasm into the beast, it screamed in howling agony as its body began to burn. "That's right, fool! Feel the burn!" Spawn growled.

Johnny Cage finally finished off the Mancubus by grabbing a grenade from Jax and forcing it down the monster's throat. "Eat it, butterball!" Johnny Cage sneered as he leapt off the monster and stuck up both middle fingers. The Mancubus made terrible choking noises before it finally exploded into a nasty bloody mess, its guts flying everywhere. "UGH! What a nasty smell; what the hell you been eating?" Johnny Cage groaned as an awful smell filled the air.

Spawn approached Jax, getting the soldier suspicious. "Hey! I need to tell you something." Spawn growled. "Yeah, what is it?" Jax replied cautiously. Spawn suddenly held out his arm, as if to shake his hand. "I won't forget what you did for me back there. Thank you!" Spawn said more calmly. Jax looked at him in confusion, but he nonetheless shook his hand. "Yeah, sure...don't mention it. But you do owe me!" Jax said half-jokingly.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. "What the hell is that? An earthquake?!" Johnny Cage cried. "No...it's something else! It must be-" Spawn began. "The portal! There's some kind of energy emitting from it; that's what caused the explosives to go off!" Jax pointed out. He was right; a large pentagram on the ground began to glow ominously red and the energy glowing from it caused the explosives placed around it to go off. "Hey, where's Kitami? Is she all right?!" Sonya exclaimed she kicked an imp away. Suddenly, a loud shriek was heard.

Everyone looked up to see that Kitami had finally defeated the Summoner. Kitami has stabbed her bound sword into its chest before she grabbed it by the head and snapped its neck. "HA! Finally got you, you son of a bitch!" Reika yelled triumphantly as kicked the dead demon off the edge of the temple roof.

As soon as the Summoner was killed, Fujin, Nightwolf, Liu Kang, and Raiden took the initiative to finish off the last of the demons. "Thunder and Lightning take you, vile demons!" Raiden cried out fiercely as he fired a streak of lightning from his hands, frying several imps to a crisp. "Back to the shadows, you devils!" Nightwolf shouted as he fired his Energy Arrows at a few more imps. Liu Kang lit his hands on fire and beat several imps to death, scorching them as he pummeled them with his fists. Fujin summoned a gust of wind and created a tornado, catching several imps and sent them flying around before Raiden fired a bolt of lightning at the tornado, causing it to explode and kill all the imps inside.

Finally, after killing off the last imp, the heroes stood tall and proud as they had won the battle. As Kitami teleported back with the others, she smiled at them. "Well...that takes care of that!" she panted. "It's not over yet, Reika. In fact; that was nothing compared to what lays ahead!" Spawn warned. "Wait...you mean-" Reika began. Spawn nodded his head grimly. "I see! Well, I guess this is it then." Reika said. "Wait, wait, wait! You're not seriously thinking about going in there, are you?" Sonya exclaimed.

Reika sighed as she touched her shoulder. "We're all going in the portal. You wanted to find a way to teleport ourselves back to Earth, well this is it. We'll be ok as long as we stick together, all right?" Reika said kindly. Sonya nodded her head in silence. "Hey, wait a second! Where the hell is Subzero and Scorpion? Weren't they supposed to be back here by now?" Johnny Cage wondered. "They can make their own way back! It's now or never; the portal won't be active forever!" Spawn growled.

Raiden sighed, but he nodded his head in agreement. "He's right; perhaps their destiny lies elsewhere. We must return to Earth Realm!" Raiden announced. "That doesn't seem fair, Lord Raiden." Liu Kang began. "I know, but Earth Realm is our main concern right now. We are it's only hope as of now!" Raiden replied seriously. Liu Kang nodded his head in silence, though the others didn't seem too keen on leaving others behind. "This sucks! We can't leave them behind!" Reika said with dismay. Spawn touched her shoulder to calm her down. "Reika, I'm sure they'll be all right. Besides...they can handle themselves just fine. Trust me, I should know. Scorpion put up a hell of a fight!" Spawn said with a light chuckle. 

As Spawn and Reika finally approached the portal with the others, they both stopped for a brief moment as they looked at each other. "Reika, there's something I need to tell you." Spawn said seriously. "What is it?" Reika wondered. "If I don't make it back, I want you to know that I...I, uh..." Spawn began. "What?" Reika urged. Spawn sighed as he shook his head. "I just wanted to say...thank you. For, uh...staying with me. I'm glad that you're by my side!" Spawn said. Reika smiled warmly as he said that. "I'm glad you're with me too, Raizo." Reika said with a smile.

And with that said, they both stepped onto the portal and returned to Earth Realm...or so they all thought!

Chapter Text

As soon as Spawn, Reika, and the others stepped into the Hell Portal, they almost immediately found themselves standing in another vast, dark, and barren landscape of hellfire and brimstone. "You've gotta be kidding me! You said that this portal was going to take us back to Earth Realm!" Sonya cried angrily. "I never said that! I said that it might take us back." Reika snapped. "Quiet! All of you! We are not safe here." Raiden said sternly. "He is right; this place is much darker than where we were before!" Nightwolf warned.

The others realized that he was right; this place was much darker and malevolent than what they went through before. Even the air that they were breathing reeked of death and evil. "Hmm...I guess we wound up in a deeper level of Hell." Spawn said out loud as he pondered his surroundings. "Which level is that?" Liu Kang wondered. "I'm not sure. But that's not important now. What we need to do is focus on finding a way out!" Spawn pointed out. "That's what you said last time!" Sonya said before Reika gave her another dark look. "We keep finding a way!" Reika stated. And with that said, the Earth Realm heroes were off.

*A few hours later!*

As they ventured deeper into the unknown darkness of this new level of Hell, they approached an enormous demonic skull shaped figure with its jaws wide open, leading down into a deep, dark, and endless abyss. "They are here!" a deep demonic voice announced. The sound of this voice was enough to send shivers down even the toughest warrior's spine. "Ok, anybody else freaking out here? Because I am!" Johnny Cage exclaimed with a nervous gulp. "Calm down, soldier! We'll make it out of here. We have to!" Sonya said with a bit more composure and understanding in her tone. Johnny Cage smiled as she said that.

Reika took a deep breath as she looked down the abyss. "Well, there's no going back now. Let's go!" Reika said after an awkward moment of silence. Spawn only nodded his head before he jumped down the hole, and Reika jumped in after him. Soon, the others followed their example and fell down for what seemed like forever, until they finally landed on their feet with a forceful impact. Though no one was hurt, they were shocked due to the fact that they were knee deep in blood. "Augh! Fuck...so much blood! What is this place?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Sonya silenced him as she grabbed him and had them both hide in a corner with the others as several hideous demons came stomping towards their direction. "What's going on?" Johnny Cage whispered. "Keep quiet and let them pass; we won't be able to take them all out at once!" Sonya whispered as she held Johnny Cage tightly. Johnny Cage couldn't help but blush as he was held by Sonya. "Mmm...she's so warm!" Johnny Cage whispered with a pervy grin on his face.

Suddenly, a loud snarling noise was heard. Reika gasped before Spawn clamped her mouth shut and used his cape to cover them both up. Just as they both turned invisible, a large horned demon that had an enormous set of jaws and a thick muscular body stomped right past them. The demon snarled and snuffled loudly as it reared and rolled its fat ugly head around, when another creature of the same kind bumped into it. Both demons then started to butt heads and snarl at each other, until a larger and more powerful demon made them stop by punching them both.

After the short squabble, all demons seemed to stop as the air suddenly grew thick with an ominous aura of demonic energy of some sort. "Find the intruders! They must not escape!" the same deep demonic voice announced. And with that said, all the demons scrambled off to find the intruders. Spawn turned both him and Reika visible again before they approached a huge set of stairs that led up to a different level of Hell.

The others followed them close behind and they soon gathered round to discuss what to do next. "Shit! That was too close!" Johnny Cage exclaimed out of breath. "Ok, listen to me! We need to get up those steps; I'm sure that there is a way out somewhere up there." Sonya said seriously. "And if there's not?" Jax asked grimly. "Have faith, Earth Realmer. We must trust in each other if we are to escape the confines of this hellish landscape!" Fujin said kindly. "Yes; stick together, stay quiet, and stay alert. Got it?" Nightwolf instructed gravely. "No need to tell us twice. Let's go already!" Spawn said snappishly.

As Spawn and the others climbed the steps, the horrific wails of agony from the souls of the damned filled the air. There were also creepy whispering voices that flittered about like bats, as well as the roar of flames that was seen consuming the landscape they were traveling through. Thousands, if not millions, of rotting corpses littered the ground, as well as gallons of blood, guts, and dusty bones and skulls. Some of the corpses were even stuck to the walls. There were also demonic symbols painted to the walls with the blood of the dead. "Jesus! I guess all those death metal album covers got it right, after all!" Johnny Cage muttered.

Finally, they made their way up to higher ground. The sky they looked up at and saw was blood red, and lit by fires illuminating in the distant mountains. "Ok, I really want to be anywhere but here right now!" Johnny Cage said out loud with nervousness in voice. "Man, quit your whining! We'll be all right. Now come on; let's get going!" Jax said as he clapped Johnny Cage's shoulder. Raiden walked towards a stone bridge and gasped as he saw that far down below them was an endless abyss of flaming brimstone and boiling lava. "Watch your footing around here; it's very steep here!" Raiden warned.

As they all crossed the stone bridge, they looked ahead of them and saw another large gate made from the remains of a gigantic demonic being of some sort. "I do NOT want to know what that used to be!" Johnny Cage said with a raised eyebrow as he pointed towards the skeleton. "Something that was never meant to exist in our world." Reika said gravely. "Be grateful that it's dead!" Spawn grumbled. "But what if it wasn't alone?" Liu Kang said with grave worry in his voice. "Do not worry yourself over these things, Liu Kang. You must stay focused!" Raiden said sternly. "I understand, Lord Raiden. I was just-" Liu Kang began. "Hey, guys! Look up there!" Johnny Cage cried out suddenly.

When they finally arrived at the large demonic gate, Spawn began to feel really uneasy all of a sudden. "Reika...I have a bad feeling about this!" Spawn announced. "Why, what's wrong?" Reika wondered. "I think we're walking into a trap. So get ready for anything!" Spawn instructed as he lit up his hands with Necroplasm and created a sword. Reika nodded her head as she stepped into the mouth of the gate, when suddenly the floor collapsed and created a huge gap. Reika took a step too soon and unfortunately fell down into the hole in the ground, much to her dismay. "AIIIEEEE! RAIZO, HELP!" Reika screamed as she fell. "REIKA!" Spawn shouted.

But as that happened, a menacing growl was heard from behind him. Spawn and the others slowly turned around and saw not one, not two...but three Barons of Hell facing them! "Oh, shit!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Stand together! We will fight these monstrosities together!" Nightwolf cried fiercely as he drew out his energy bow. The Hell Barons snarled viciously at the heroes, challenging them to combat. "Shit! Reika, whatever it is you're gonna do, do it fast!" Spawn growled as he swung his sword, ready to accept the demons' challenge.

Meanwhile; Reika groaned as she woke up in a deep, dark, slimy pit. "Ugh...great fucking job, girl! Falling down a fucking hole like that! Of all the fucking things to do in Hell...Argh!" Reika groaned in both pain and self-disgust. As Reika forced herself back up, she nearly puked at the putrid smell of the place. "AUGH! What's that awful smell?!" Reika exclaimed before she stepped in something squishy. "Eww! What is this? Where am I?!" Reika cried out in disgust. She created an orb of light and was greeted with the pleasant sight of bubbling pools of green acid and ooze. "Shit! What is this stuff?" Reika said as she observed it. She smelled it, but couldn't pick up a scent. "Well, if that's not where the smell is coming from-" Reika began before she heard the sounds of thunderous footsteps.

Reika gasped as she took cover in a small cave as an obese demon of some sort stomped right past her. He was over 12 feet tall, was morbidly obese, and had a strange device strapped to his back that had tubes running into his fat flabby arms. It was a Mancubus, but unlike the other creature Reika and her friends fought back in the surface world, this Mancubus was tougher and smarter due to having more armor and more powerful weapons attached to his arms. Instead of a flamethrower, this disgusting monstrosity had plasma cannons and could also spit corrosive bile from its mouth.

But that wasn't what scared Reika. What scared her, was what she saw this loathsome filthy beast do next. The Cyber-Mancubus approached a cage and opened it up, yanking out what appeared to be a screaming naked young woman. Reika gasped in horror as she saw the poor woman being squeezed by the blubbery behemoth's steel grip. "Oh my God! No...that poor girl!" Reika gasped.

The Cyber-Mancubus opened it's jaws, showing off its teeth despite the screams of the poor woman. "AAAIIEE! NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" the poor young woman screamed in horror. The demon ignored her screams and chomped down on her head, ripping it clean off her body and spilling blood everywhere. As the demon loudly gobbled up the poor woman, Reika choked back her tears of rage. "God damn it...I'm gonna kill you, you fat ugly piece of-" Reika seethed before she threw up at the sight of the demon slurping the blood from the woman's ripped torso.

When the Cyber-Mancubus finished eating the poor woman, he decided to eat another one of his captured victims. As he reached inside and grabbed another woman, Reika got a good look at her. She was a young woman with brown hair in a ponytail, and she wore a light blue tank top and cargo shorts, and brown combat boots. This woman shrieked in horror as she vainly tried to break free of the monster's grip, but it was no use. "ARGH! Let me go! Somebody help me!" the woman screamed in a British accent. The Cyber-Mancubus just licked its lips as its jaws opened wide. Reika couldn't take anymore; she had to act now.

She leapt out of her hiding spot with a bound sword in one hand and crackling lightning in the other. "HEY! GET YOUR FAT, SLIMY FINGERS OFF HER YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIT!" Reika shouted furiously. The monster dropped the woman as he was caught off guard, but the woman was just as surprised as she saw Reika. "What?! You saved me! But who are you?" the woman wondered as she tried to catch her breath.

Back with Spawn and the others, they were able to kill off the Hell Barons by working together. Liu Kang slid underneath of one of them before climbing up it's back and pummeling it with his fists. As the Hell Baron wildly tried to shake him off, Liu Kang held on and continued to punch him before Raiden trapped the beast with a current of lightning. Nightwolf and Fujin then proceeded to unleash a volley of magic arrows on the Hell Baron, making it scream in agony as it was shot up.

Finally, Spawn wrapped his chains around the Hell Baron's head before snapping off it's head. Liu Kang leapt off the monster's headless body before landing back down on his feet. "Good job, Liu Kang!" Raiden complimented. "Thank you, but we still have those two to worry about!" Liu Kang pointed out.  The other two Hell Barons were seen battling against Sonya, Kitana, Johnny Cage, and Jax.

Though the demons were strong and ferocious, the Earth Realm heroes and Outworld princess wasn't about to go down so easily. They began to overpower the Hell Barons with their combined speed, agility, and brute strength. "Come on, you assholes! I ain't got all day!" Jax taunted as he pounded the ground, knocking the demons off balance.

One of the Hell Barons snarled at Jax as he shook his fist before throwing a ball of green hell energy at him. Jax was able to dodge the attack before Sonya retaliated with some attacks with some punches and kicks. But the other Hell Baron grew wise and grabbed Sonya before he began smashing her around like a rag doll. "Argh! Fuck, you assholes are tough! But I'm not going down that easily!" Sonya snarled as she fired her energy gauntlets at the demons.

A Hell Baron charged towards her to try and finish her off, but Sonya rolled away before she could be touched. Kitana quickly teleported behind one of the Hell Barons and began slashing at the demon's back with her steel war fans before Johnny Cage lunged towards the monster with an energy kick, knocking down to the ground. Jax ran towards the downed monster and cried out fiercely as he smashed both fists into it's head, crushing it to a bloody pulp. "Yeah! Get some!" Jax cried out triumphantly.

Enraged, the surviving Hell Baron roared furiously as he tried to kill the heroes with several balls of hell energy thrown wildly from his hands. They dodged all the demon's attacks and eventually killed it  with the help of Spawn and Nightwolf. Spawn snatched the Hell Baron's legs with his chains and tripped him onto his back, allowing the others to finish off the demon.

Nightwolf lunged towards the Hell Baron and hacked off the demon's arms with his tomahawks, preventing it from trying to fight back. The Hell Baron screeched in howling agony as he bled out, but Jax finally finished it off in a spectacularly gruesome manner. He grabbed hold of the Hell Baron's left horn and tore it off his head before he smashed it against his face, killing him. "Damn! He won't be getting up anytime soon!" Johnny Cage remarked with a grin. "Damn right! You don't mess with the best!" Jax sneered as he kissed one of his metal arms where his bicep used to be.

Spawn groaned as he sat down on a large stone, weary from the battle. "Damn! That took a lot out of me...come on, Reika! Hurry up; I can't wait for you here forever! Who knows how many more of these damn things will show up?" Spawn growled to himself. He immediately regretted saying that, as hordes of imps and horned demons teleported towards their location and swarmed him and the others. "FUCK! Me and my big damn mouth!" Spawn cursed as he began surging with Necroplasm.

Back with Reika, the battle between her and the Cyber-Mancubus was growing more intense. "Come on, lardo! Put up a real fight!" Reika shouted furiously as she zapped the beast with lightning. The Cyber-Mancubus bellowed angrily as it swatted its massive fist at Reika, sending her flying away into a wall. "Argh! Is that all you've got, fatass?!" Reika shouted as she broke herself free from the wall.

The monster then fired several shots of plasma at Reika, though the witch was able to avoid getting hit before she retaliated by shooting balls of fire. However, the armor the beast wore protected him from all of Reika's attacks, further angering the witch. "Shit! There has to be a way that I can either remove that armor or find a weak spot!" Reika cursed as she dodged another blast of plasma. "Hey, you! Destroy the monster's power core!" the British woman shouted. "What?" Reika asked before she barely dodged the monster's giant fist. "Destroy that thing that's on his back! That will stop him!" the British woman repeated.

Reika nodded her head before she chanted a spell and paralyzed the Cyber-Mancubus. As the beast was stuck, Reika sprinted towards the back of the monster and rammed her fist into the power core. Reika screamed as she tore it out of the monster's back, causing it to screech in pain. "You still hungry for more?! Well, here you go! Eat this and die, motherfucker!" Reika shouted as she shoved the power core into the beast's mouth.

The Cyber-Mancubus made an awful choking noise before exploded into bite-sized pieces, earning a cheer from the British woman in the cage. "Way to go!" the woman cheered. As Reika approached the cage, the British woman smiled at her savior. "Stand back! I'll get you out of there!" Reika said as she used a burst of magic to break the lock off the cage. "Thank you for saving my life. Who are you?" the woman said as she shook Reika's hand firmly. "My name is Reika Kitami. And who are you? How did you end up in this place?" Reika wondered.

The British woman took a deep breath before she spoke again. "My name is Lara Croft. I'm an adventurer, and I was just returning from an expedition on the Yamatai Islands. I was onboard the Endurance when I suddenly found myself being taken away by a strange source of power. I...I can't really explain it, but I think I may have been transported from my world into this place. Does that make sense?" the woman explained.

Reika seemed very surprised by this, but she also knew that by the tone in her voice that she was being quite sincere. "Yeah! That makes sense to me. Are you alone?" Reika replied after a moment of silence. "Unfortunately, yes. I am alone! Perhaps you can help me find my way back?" Lara said with hope. "Honey...I'm not so sure it's that simple. If you were teleported here from another world, I'm not so sure that you will be able to go back." Reika said sadly.

Lara did not like the sound of that, and as such began to feel great despair. "You mean to tell me that I'm stuck here in this hellish world forever?!" Lara exclaimed bitterly. "No, you won't be stuck here forever. Not if I can help it! Now come on; stick with me and you'll live! We've got to find the others. Maybe they can help us find a way out of this level of Hell." Reika suggested. "Well, I suppose I have no other choice...do I? Very well, Reika Kitami. Lead the way and I will follow!" Lara Croft said with a bit more determination in her voice.

Meanwhile, Spawn and the others finally killed off the last of the demons that had swarmed them. "We made it; thank God!" Johnny Cage gasped as he nearly fainted from exhaustion. "Easy there, soldier! We're not home free just yet!" Sonya said as she caught him. As Sonya helped Johnny Cage sit down, he smiled in relief as Sonya sat next to him. "I think we're finally getting somewhere!" Johnny Cage said with a cheerful tone. "Don't start now, Cage! (sighs) We've been gone for so long, I'm sure that HQ must be really worried about us!" Sonya replied as she pushed Johnny Cage off of her. "Yeah, now that you mention it...my agent is probably worried sick about me too!" Johnny Cage said as he rubbed his temples.

As the heroes rested, Spawn observed their surroundings. "It's far too quiet! Something isn't right here!" Spawn muttered. "I agree! I think we should get moving now!" Nightwolf said seriously. "Why, what's going on?" Jax asked. "Because I think we're being watched. Somebody's been following us for the past 20 minutes!" Nightwolf answered as he looked over at a small cliff above them.

Jax nodded his head as she got the idea. "All right, let's move out! We'll try to find higher ground." Jax announced. "Ok, you got it. Let's go!" Sonya said as she helped Johnny Cage up. "Wait, what about Kitami?" Johnny Cage said. "She'll find her way back to us! I'm sure of it!" Nightwolf replied with sincerity in his voice. "She better! I am worried for her safety!" Spawn growled to himself.

Back with Kitami and Lara Croft, they got lost in a very dark section of Hell. It was a horrific place of death and darkness simply known as the Necropolis. "I knew we should have taken a left back there. Are you sure that this is the right way?" Lara Croft cried. "Wait a minute...I've definitely seen this skull shaped rock before! We've been going around in circles!" Reika exclaimed. "So you're saying we're lost?! Well that's just great!" Lara snapped. "Ok, shut up! I need to think for a second!" Reika shouted.

Suddenly, a noise was heard. "What was that?!" Lara cried. "Shit! We've got company. Get behind me!" Reika ordered. Reika lit up her fists with fire, prepared to take on whatever threat was coming their way. "Listen to me. When I say go, you run. You got that?" Reika instructed firmly. "I'm not going anywhere without you!" Lara objected. "That wasn't a suggestion, girl! You need to do as I say!" Reika snapped. "I know how to handle myself!" Lara retorted.

But before they could continue their argument, a set of heavy footsteps were heard approaching their direction. Reika and Lara braced themselves for whatever it was that was coming towards them. Slowly, out of the shadows marched a tall and intimidating figure. "Stay back! Don't come near us, you hear me?!" Reika called out trying her best not to sound scared.

The figure stopped for a second, as if it had understood what Reika said. But then the footsteps resumed slowly, making Reika and Lara quite nervous. "Steady yourself, girl!" Reika said firmly. "Like I said, I can handle myself." Lara snapped. The figure kept moving forward, one footstep at a time, until finally the figure revealed himself. 

Reika and Lara were very perplexed by what stood before them. The figure that stood before them appeared to be 6 feet tall and wore strange green armor unlike anything they had ever seen. The armored figure wore a strange helmet with a dark visor that hid his face, and also wielded a powerful looking double barrel shotgun in his hands. "Well, he appears to be human. But that armor is unlike anything I've ever seen!" Lara said out loud. "That doesn't mean that he's friendly! Stay cautious and alert." Reika warned.

To Reika's discomfort, the green armored figure just stood there in front of both women. He cocked his head a little, as if he were studying them. "What's he doing? Is he...studying us?" Lara murmured. "Be ready for anything, ok?" Reika whispered. The armored figure remained still, staring at the women in silence. After a long minute of silence, Lara broke the silence and spoke up. "Um, hello there. Are you lost, too?" Lara began. "Wait! What are you doing?!" Reika hissed. "Just trust me, all right?" Lara insisted.

Lara slowly moved forward, earning a hard stare from both Reika and the armored figure. "It's all right! We're not going to hurt you. My name is Lara Croft, and this is Reika Kitami. What is your name?" Lara said carefully. The armored figure just stared silently at both women, not moving a muscle. "I guess he can't speak. He must be a mute!" Lara muttered. "Great, so let's get out of here before-" Reika began. "Hush! Let me handle this, all right? Uh, listen! We need help. We're lost in this place and we need to get out of here. Maybe we can work together to find a way out of here?" Lara suggested.

The figure still said nothing and just stood there staring, making Reika much more anxious. "Ok, this is starting to creep me out. We need to leave right now!" Reika said with a growl. "And go where, exactly?! You don't know where we are and I sure as hell don't know either! He might be our only chance of survival in this horrid wasteland!" Lara exclaimed now losing patience. "After doing a thorough scan of your biometrics, I have determined that you two are not a threat." an automated voice announced suddenly.

Both women looked over at the armored figure in surprise. "Wait, was that you?" Reika exclaimed. "Unfortunately, the Doom Slayer is not able to speak. I am VEGA; an artificial intelligence that acts as a guide and communicator for the Doom Slayer." the voice replied calmly. "But how are you speaking?" Lara wondered. "I was downloaded into the Praetor Suit by the Doom Slayer." VEGA said. "And how did he do that?" Reika pressed. "He downloaded a backup copy of my AI into a data chip before he stored my AI into the Praetor Suit." VEGA explained. "Ok, I guess that makes sense." Reika said with a shrug. "Yeah, no kidding. This is quite a lot to take in!" Lara muttered.

But as she said that, a deep rumbling noise was heard. "What the hell is that?!" Reika exclaimed. "Look! The floor...it's moving!" Lara pointed out. She was right; a pillar was slowly emerging from the ground and forced everyone to find a safer distance. "Shit! That was close; any idea what's going on?" Lara exclaimed. "I don't know, but we're about to find out!" Reika cried. The pillar stopped moving after it reached the ceiling, and then the pillar opened up and revealed a large mechanical creature of some sort. Reika and Lara grew wide eyed as they saw it. "Wait, what is that? Some kind of robot?" Lara asked in amazement. "Oh my God! We're in deep shit now!" Reika muttered. "Wait, why? You know what that thing is?!" Lara exclaimed.

Suddenly, the mechanized creature stepped out of the pillar and showed itself off. It stood over 12 feet tall, had a strange ebony colored metal structure, a demonic mask with blood red eyes and goat-like horns, and had a glowing orb of Hell Energy in the center of it's chest. On one hand, it had a hammer. And on the other, it had a flaming sword. "It's a Hell Guardian! One of the most powerful demonic creatures that dwell down here!" Reika warned. "Great! So what now, Reika?" Lara cried. 

As she said that, the Doom Slayer stepped in front of the women, facing the Hell Guardian. "Wait, what?! What is he doing?" Reika wondered out loud. The Doom Slayer held his arm out, as if to shield Reika and Lara. Both women were puzzled by his actions, when the Doom Slayer suddenly surprised them again by loading up his shotgun and taking aim at the Hell Guardian. "(gasp!) I knew it! He's a human and he's going to help us!" Lara exclaimed with joy. "Maybe. Only one way for us to know for sure!" Reika stated grimly.

The Hell Guardian was the first to strike. He lunged forward and slashed his flaming sword, causing a streak of flames to come flying towards his prey. The Doom Slayer and the others jumped out of the way before the flames hit them. The Doom Slayer then darted towards the mechanized abomination and unleashed his rage, shocking both Reika and Lara by his display of power.

The Doom Slayer hammered the Hell Guardian with his fists before blasting the demon away with a shotgun blast. The attacks did little to damage the beast, and as such sent the Doom Slayer flying away with its massive war hammer. "Ouch! That looked like it hurt!" Reika winced. "Why don't we help him out?" Lara insisted. "How?! My magic wouldn't be able to put a dent in that thing!" Reika exclaimed. "If you were able to kill that monstrosity and save me, you should be able to help him!" Lara shouted back.

The Doom Slayer was seen parrying with the Hell Guardian with his empty shotgun, but with great struggle. The Doom Slayer grunted as he was caught in a blade lock with the monstrous demon. The Hell Guardian hissed menacingly at The Doom Slayer as he continued to push him away. Reika growled as she finally pushed Lara aside and fired a streak of lightning at the Hell Guardian. While Reika caught its attention, the Doom Slayer escaped from the blade lock and slid underneath the monster. "Over here, asshole! Come and get me!" Reika challenged as she powered up her fists with electric energy.

As Reika kept zapping the Hell Guardian with lightning bolts, the Doom Slayer used VEGA to scan the Hell Guardian in order to find a weakness on the monster's body. "That hell energy core on the Hell Guardian's chest is it's weak spot! I suspect an attack there would severely weaken it!" VEGA announced. The Doom Slayer nodded his head before he charged towards the beast. As The Doom Slayer climbed up the Hell Guardian's chest, he rammed his fist into the power core. The Doom Slayer let out a fierce and ruthless cry as used his brute strength to tear out the power core and smashed it to the ground. 

As the Doom Slayer and Reika jumped away to safety, the Hell Guardian came crashing down with a loud thud. It seemed as if the massive monster was finally dead as a loud hiss of steam emerged from its body. "Ha! That's all? I thought you said these things were tough, Reika!" Lara chuckled. "Wait...what's that?!" Reika exclaimed as she pointed.

Suddenly, something burst out of the head of the mechanical corpse of the Hell Guardian. Reika and Lara cried out in shock as a demonic worm screeched angrily as it came slithering towards them at full speed. But before the worm could touch them, the Doom Slayer grabbed hold of it and slammed it to the ground before stomping it to death with his foot.

After the Doom Slayer scraped the bloody remains of the demonic worm off his boot, he looked over at Reika and Lara. Reika finally seemed to soften up as she saw the Doom Slayer wasn't the malevolent force she thought he was. "You saved our lives. Thank you!" Reika said with a smile. The Doom Slayer said nothing, but he did give a thumbs up. "Perhaps it would be best if we stayed together as a team." VEGA suggested. "I think that's a good idea. You wouldn't happen to know the way out of here, would you?" Reika said with a hopeful tone. "Yes, I do believe there is a way out of the Necropolis. Follow us, please!" VEGA announced. The Doom Slayer soon walked away, with Reika and Lara following him close behind. "Hold on Raizo, we're coming!" Reika whispered.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Spawn and the group of Earth Realm fighters were resting in a dimly lit cave. "Man, I'd kill to get a nice thick, juicy sirloin steak!" Johnny Cage complained as his stomach grumbled. "Cage, would you please shut up? I'm trying to concentrate." Sonya Blade snapped. "Actually, I could do with a steak myself." Jax said with a smirk. "I myself could use a meal of venison and fried squash; just like our village cook used to make." Nightwolf said with a content sigh."If we're talking about food, then I must admit that I miss the taste of egg rolls, steamed rice, and mixed vegetables." Liu Kang said with a smile. "I for one miss the taste of porridge with honey." Fujin added. "I miss the taste of sweet potatoes!" Kitana admitted.

Sonya sighed as she shook her head while rummaging through her military pack. "Well, I guess if I had to choose my last meal, it would be grilled salmon and asparagus." Sonya said after a moment of silence. "Ooh, nice. What about you Spawn? What's your favorite food?" Johnny Cage asked as he saw Spawn brooding in a dark corner. Spawn looked up at him and stared blankly into his eyes. "I do not remember the taste of food. As a Hellspawn, I cannot experience the sensation of taste or smell. All I can feel is pain and suffering!" Spawn said gloomily. "Oh, um...that sucks. Sorry to hear that!" Johnny Cage said with a frown.

As Spawn stood up, he groaned as he held his head. "Are you ok?" Liu Kang asked in concern. "This place is pure evil, and the souls of the damned are screaming for vengeance. I can feel their pain and suffering!" Spawn said bitterly as he rubbed his head. "You...feel the dead?" Liu Kang asked with a raised eyebrow. "Unfortunately, yes. It's one of the many perks I have with this suit." Spawn replied grimly. "And how exactly does that work?" Liu Kang pressed.

Spawn sharply turned around and got in Liu Kang's face, glaring at him. "You ask too many stupid questions! I didn't make this damn suit, I just wear it!" Spawn snapped losing his patience. "Liu Kang! Leave him alone; there is no need to pester the Hellspawn with your questions." Raiden chided. "Yes, Lord Raiden." Liu Kang said humbly before walking away from Spawn.

Spawn growled as he clenched his fists. "We've wasted enough time here. We need to move now!" Spawn snarled as he punched the cave wall. "What's the hurry?" Jax asked half-jokingly. "Reika is still trapped out there, and we're sitting around on our asses doing nothing!" Spawn shouted angrily. "Do not worry yourself, my friend. I'm sure that Reika is safe. She seems quite capable of handling herself. The Great Spirit is strong with her!" Nightwolf said calmly as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

Spawn softened up a bit as he said that. "You think so?" Spawn said softly. "I do! She has the spirit and will of a great warrior. I believe that the Great Spirit will lead her here back with us. But until she does, we must be on our guard. We must fight our way out of this hellscape!" Nightwolf said with great determination. Spawn nodded his head as he said that. "You know something? I'm beginning to respect you! Other than Kitami, you seem to be the only one who gets it." Spawn said with a bit more optimism in his tone. "Then let us not waste anymore time. Come! Earth Realm needs us!" Nightwolf said as he began to walk out of the cave. As Spawn followed him from behind, everyone else soon followed. "Here we go again!" Johnny Cage muttered.

*A few hours later!*

Everyone made their way through the dark, bleak landscape of Hell. But as they ventured on, they couldn't help but get the feeling that they were being watched from the shadows. "Ok, why do I get the feeling that we're being watched...again?" Johnny Cage announced as he looked around his surroundings nervously. "Because we are being followed! Something has been following us this whole time." Nightwolf announced gravely. "Oh, man! Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse." Johnny Cage complained. "Shut up, Cage!" Sonya snapped.

Everyone made their way towards a large stone bridge that led through a valley of brimstone and hellfire. "It's very steep here. Be careful!" Liu Kang warned. "Aw, not another bridge!" Johnny Cage mumbled. "Do you want me to throw you over the edge?" Sonya threatened. "Never mind! I can make it!" Johnny Cage said as he quickly changed his mind.

But as everyone made their way across the bridge, a dark figure lurked not too far behind. Spawn could feel the presence of this figure and grew much more alert. "Shit! They're behind us!" Spawn growled as his eyes shined fiercely. "I can feel their presence as well. Be ready for anything!" Nightwolf said as he fingered his war club. Spawn and Nightwolf stopped moving and turned slowly around, preparing themselves for Kombat. "Wait, why are they stopping? The other side of the bridge is this way!" Johnny Cage said stupidly as he noticed the two's behavior. "Never mind them, Johnny Cage. You focus on making it back to Earth Realm!" Raiden said sternly as he decided to remain behind as well. "I shall stay with you, Lord Raiden." Liu Kang proclaimed.

Raiden placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked deep into his his eyes. "No. You must make it back to Earth Realm alive. If something should happen to me, you will be Earth Realm's last hope. After all, this is what you trained for." Raiden explained seriously. "But Lord Raiden! I can't do this without you." Liu Kang objected. "You survived Shang Tsung's Island, have you not? Remember your training. You will know exactly what to fight for when the time is right." Raiden replied. Liu Kang sighed but he nodded his head. "I understand, Lord Raiden. I promise that I will not let you down." Liu Kang said as he bowed his head.

Raiden bowed his head in response before he approached Spawn and Nightwolf. "What are you doing here?" Spawn growled as he glared at the thunder god. "This is not just your fight, Hellspawn." Raiden retorted. "Quiet! They are approaching!" Nightwolf shushed as he drew out his war club. As the three prepared themselves for Kombat, an ominous figure slowly approached them. "I feel nothing from this guy. Nothing but malice and hate!" Spawn said softly as his eyes narrowed. "I feel it too!" Nightwolf said grimly.

The figure finally approached them, and he was quite a sight. He stood about 6 feet tall, wore a filthy shirt covered in a raggedy jacket, tattered jeans complete with muddy old combat boots. But the strangest thing about this figure was the vintage style hockey mask he wore. It completely covered his face, but the eyes of this strange figure stared blankly at the others, as if he were peering deep into their souls. "Wait a minute. Oh, shit!" Spawn muttered as his eyes widened in shock. "Do you know who he is?" Nightwolf asked sternly.

Spawn turned to face Nightwolf and Raiden with a grim expression on his face. "No, not personally. But I've heard stories about him. He died as a child but came back to life and murdered those who wronged him. Unfortunately, his rage and desire for bloodshed became out of control. Ever since, he's been an unstoppable psychopath with an insatiable bloodlust. To make matters worse, they say that he can never die. They call him Jason Voorhees!" Spawn explained gravely.

As Spawn spoke, Jason Voorhees continued to stand in complete silence, staring at them without any emotion. "What do we do, Raiden?" Nightwolf asked quietly. "We do what he does. If he moves, we move. If he attacks, we attack." Raiden whispered. Spawn clenched his fists tightly, knowing that the battle they were about to engage in would be one of their greatest challenges yet. "When I say go, you guys try to flank him. I'll take him head on!" Spawn instructed. "Are you sure that's wise?" Nightwolf objected. "If we work together, we might have a chance against him. Besides, I can't die either. But that said, I can't take him on by myself!" Spawn argued. "Very well, Spawn. We will fight as one!" Raiden said with a nod.

Jason Voorhees cocked his head slightly, making Spawn much more alert. "He's up to something. Get ready!" Spawn warned. Jason Voorhees slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a rusty, blood stained machete. "Ok, ready?" Spawn began as his hands began glowing with Necroplasm. Raiden and Nightwolf nodded their heads as they prepared themselves. Jason Voorhees cracked his neck before he took a step forward. "NOW!" Spawn shouted as he threw a ball of Necroplasm.

Jason was knocked back a bit, but did not make a sound. But before he could get back up, Raiden teleported behind him and began smacking him with his staff. Despite the brutal blows he took, Jason seemed to show no signs of pain. He slashed his machete at the thunder god, but Raiden deflected the attacks with his staff before kicking him away.

Nightwolf fired a few magic energy arrows at Jason, but the undead revenant showed no signs of slowing down. Jason tried to charge towards Nightwolf to attack, but Spawn grabbed him with his chains and lifted him into the air before slamming him back down. Nightwolf took the opportunity to tackle Jason and began hacking away with his tomahawk. Jason punched Nightwolf away before standing back up. Spawn growled as he drew out a pair of submachine guns. "So you are as tough as they say you are!" Spawn said out loud. Now he knew for certain that they were in for one hell of a battle!

Meanwhile, Liu Kang led the others into some stone ruins. "Are you sure that we're going the right way?" Johnny Cage asked. "We last found a portal in a temple, so we might be lucky to find another around here somewhere." Liu Kang replied. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I still don't understand why Raiden stayed behind with Spawn and Nightwolf, though!" Johnny Cage continued. "Neither do I, Johnny Cage. Neither do I!" Liu Kang muttered. "Look, up there!" Kitana cried out as she pointed upwards.

There were several Hell Knights and imps looking down on our heroes from the top of a ruined temple. "I suggest you prepare yourselves, friends. We may find ourselves in yet another battle for survival!" Fujin warned as he drew out his crossbow. "No big deal! We can take them down!" Sonya sneered as she readied her energy gauntlets.

But just as the demons were about to lunge forward to attack, a loud swooshing noise was heard. One of the Hell Knights screeched in agony as it's arm was completely severed off, spraying blood everywhere. "Huh? What was that? Was that one of you guys?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in shock. Another swoosh sound was heard before the wounded Hell Knight had its head chopped off. The headless creature was seen falling down from the temple. The other demons screeched and howled with rage as they began wildly attacking something...or someone from the shadows.

The others were bewildered by this, but their amazement was cut short when several more demons teleported at their direction and swarmed them. "Come on! You think we're afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sonya shouted defiantly. The demons roared as they charged forward, but the heroes were able to hold their own. Sonya used her grappling attacks to snap their necks and break their bones, while Jax and Johnny Cage combined their strength to defeat a giant horned demon. Kitana and Liu Kang worked together and used their speed and agility to overcome their enemies. Fujin used his crossbow and advanced martial arts to overcome his own swarm of enemies.

Eventually, the heroes killed off the last of their enemies. "Ah! That was easy!" Johnny Cage said as he tried to catch his breath. Suddenly, a loud roar was heard that caught everyone's attention. "You just had to say it, didn't you?" Sonya growled. The ground shook as a much larger demon came stomping towards their direction. This demon was far more powerful and frightening than the others the heroes came across before. This demon stood over 20 feet tall, had pale leathery skin, large goat-like legs, massive bull-like horns on his head, and glowing red eyes.

The demon roared ferociously as he towered over the heroes. "That's a big demon!" Johnny Cage whimpered as he pointed up at the monster. "Do not fear my friends. We will prevail!" Fujin said bravely as he stood his ground. "We'll need to give him everything we got!" Jax said as he pounded his fists together. "Well, when in Rome!" Johnny Cage said as he put on his brass knuckles.

Spawn, Raiden, and Nightwolf were barely holding up against Jason Voorhees. The undead killer was much stronger than they realized, and his ferocity only seemed to be growing the longer they fought. Jason Voorhees slashed and hacked away with his machete at Spawn, making him cry out in pain as he was attacked. Spawn cried out fiercely as he retaliated with a war club, sending Jason flying back against a wall. Nightwolf fired several magic arrows at a weakened platform from above, causing several boulders to fall on top of Jason, crushing him. "Damn! You're a tough son of a bitch!" Spawn groaned as he held his bleeding wounds. "I don't believe I've ever fought against a spirit so angry and dark before!" Nightwolf said as he approached Spawn and helped him up.

But just as Spawn was helped back up, Jason Voorhees burst out of the pile of fallen boulders. He appeared to be enraged, due to him shaking his fist at Nightwolf. "I think you just pissed him off even more!" Spawn said as he drew out a sword. "Then let us calm him down for good!" Nightwolf said as he swung his war club around. As Nightwolf charged towards Jason Voorhees to attack, Raiden began to wonder if they would ever defeat their opponent. "We can't seem to stop him. No matter how many times we try, this revenant just keeps fighting with such ferocity!" Raiden said to himself.

Spawn and Nightwolf fiercely hacked and slashed away at Jason Voorhees, but the undead killer just kept going. His attacks became more brutal as he kept fighting against his two opponents, much to their dismay. "What are you?!" Spawn exclaimed after he was forced on his back. "It does not matter! We fight until the end!" Nightwolf cried as he swung his war club at Jason's head. The silent killer replied by grabbing Nightwolf by the throat and lifting him into the air, choking the life out of him.

Jason Voorhees then took his machete and held it above his head, ready to finish off his newest victim. Spawn was able to wrap a chain around Jason's arm before tossing him away from Nightwolf. Spawn darted towards Nightwolf before helping him up to his feet. "You all right?" Spawn asked. "I've fought many angry spirits and devils before, but none as strong as this one!" Nightwolf replied as he applied some healing powder to his wounds. "You know something? I was thinking the same thing!" Spawn replied as his Necroplasm began to heal his own wounds.

Their moment of healing and reprieve was cut short when Jason threw his machete at their direction. The blade barely touched them, but it did catch their attention. Jason Voorhees pointed at Spawn before making a cutthroat motion with his hand; now he really wanted to finish them off. Spawn growled as he surged with Necroplasm, while Nightwolf glared back at Jason Voorhees. "By the Great Spirit, you will not leave this place alive!" Nightwolf snarled as he pointed his tomahawk at the undead killer. Jason Voorhees replied by cracking his neck before stomping towards them.

Suddenly, Raiden teleported in front of them and tackled Jason away from them before both of them were seen falling off a narrow ledge. "Raiden!" Nightwolf exclaimed. "Damn it!" Spawn growled as he punched the wall in frustration. But before they could assume the worst, Raiden teleported in front of them again. "Perhaps killing him is out of the question. But maybe that will hold him back for a while." Raiden announced casually. Spawn chuckled lightly as he shook his head. "Hmph! I forgot that you were a god!" Spawn sneered. "Did you think that I dressed like this just for show? Come! We must find the others." Raiden retorted with a smirk.

Liu Kang and the other heroes were struggling against the behemoth sized demon. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't seem to hurt him with their attacks. "Damn it! Nothing seems to hurt this big bastard!" Sonya exclaimed out of breath. "What do we do now?" Johnny Cage cried out as he shook his sore hands. The demon roared as he threw a massive fireball at them, though luckily the heroes were able to seek shelter in a temple ruin before they got hit. "I don't think we can defeat this monster!" Liu Kang said with disdain. "Then perhaps retreat is our best option?" Fujin suggested.

Everyone groaned as he said that, but they were starting to think they didn't have much of a choice. "You know what? I think that might be the best idea I've heard all day." Jax said as he rubbed his sore back. "But where do we go from here?" Kitana demanded as she flicked blood off her steel war fans. "Anywhere but here!" Liu Kang said as he stretched out his sore muscles.

But as he said that, the massive demon stomped towards their direction. "Oh, shit! He's coming back!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in fear. The demon pounded his fists against the stone temple, causing much debris to tumble down. Had Fujin not used his wind powers to shield everyone from harm, the falling debris would have crushed them to death. "Everyone gather around me!" Fujin instructed as he began surging with power.

Fujin cried out fiercely as he created a massive tornado that surrounded everyone, including himself. He then lifted everyone up from the ground and flew up towards higher ground. The demon snarled as he shook his fists in anger, unable to get his hands on them now. "Whoa! How did you do that?" Johnny Cage exclaimed in amazement. "Never mind that, Cage! We gotta get moving before that thing figures out a way to get up here!" Sonya said seriously.

But as she said that, the demon started to glow bright red. "Wait, what's he doing?!" Jax exclaimed. Suddenly, the demon teleported his way up to the bewildered heroes. The demon appeared to chuckle evilly as he towered over his prey yet again. "Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Sonya cried out in disbelief. Liu Kang stood his ground, preparing himself for Kombat yet again. "If it's a fight to the death this demon wants, then so be it!" Liu Kang said gravely. "Liu Kang, you can't! that monster will kill you!" Kitana exclaimed. "I'm not giving up!" Liu Kang objected.

The demon prepared to strike our heroes, but just as he was about to make his move...something dashed past him and slashed off his right hand. The demon howled in anger and agony as blood sprayed out all over the place. "There it is again! Who is that?!" Johnny Cage cried out as he pointed. "Is it Scorpion or Subzero?" Sonya wondered. "No, it's someone we've never seen before. Look!" Jax pointed out.

Everyone finally got a good look at who it was that had saved their lives. Standing in front of the angry and wounded demon was a ninja in a black leather armor. He wore a black mask that covered most of his face, but his green eyes fiercely shined as he faced the demon with a powerful looking katana sword in his hands. "You will pay for what you have done to my village, you foul demon. The Dragon Ninja will be avenged!" the ninja cried out fiercely.

The demon snarled viciously in response. The ninja dashed towards the demon, dodging his fist that slammed to the ground. The ninja then jumped up onto the arm of the demon and ran up towards the demon's face before stabbing his katana sword into the demon's head. The demon screamed in pain as he felt the blade pierce into his skull. The ninja let out a fierce battle cry as he sliced his sword upwards, before he finally tore the sword out of the demon's head and leapt back. The demon howled and groaned in pain as he felt his head torn wide open, exposing his bloody brains.

As the demon fell to his knees in a stunned state, the ninja landed safely on his feet, right in front of the other heroes. "Incredible!" Liu Kang said out loud. "How the hell did you do that?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "I would stand back if I were you. Ok, Kasumi! NOW! FINISH HIM OFF!" the ninja shouted. "You got it, Ryu. Take this, you monster! TENSHIN...MUGEN!" a female voice shouted before a giant beam of pink energy was fired from behind the demon.

The demon screamed and howled as the energy shot into his exposed brain, destroying it completely with an explosive force. The headless body of the demon fell down with a loud thud before it exploded. After the dust cleared, another ninja warrior was seen approaching them. But this ninja was dressed much differently from the male ninja. She wore a short and very revealing blue ninja dress with a large yellow circle on the back, with Japanese letters in the center. She also wore tall white stockings on her legs, and wore her long red hair in a braid with a yellow bow. She also had a beautiful but deadly katana sword strapped to her waist.

The young female ninja approached the male ninja before she bowed her head. "We did it, Ryu! We finally beat that abomination!" she said with a forlorn tone. "May their spirits rest in peace, now that they have been avenged." the male ninja replied with a somber tone of his own. "Uh, not to ruin your moment and all...but who the heck are you guys?" Johnny Cage wondered as he raised his hand.

Both ninjas turned around and faced the others before they knelt down and bowed their heads. "I am Ryu Hayabusa of the Dragon Ninja Clan. And this is my friend and partner, Kasumi of the Mugen Tenshin Clan." the male ninja politely said as he introduced himself. "I'm afraid I've never heard of your clans before. You must not be from this realm!" Fujin said as he bowed his own head. "Dragon Ninja? You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Black Dragon, would you?" Sonya demanded as she grew cautious. "Sonya, take it easy! I don't think they're in it with Kano!" Jax hissed. "What do you mean by not of this realm?" Kasumi wondered as she stood back up. "What level of Hell are we in, exactly?" Ryu added.

The other heroes looked at each other before they looked to them. "You may want to sit yourselves down; it's a pretty long and complicated story!" Liu Kang began. "I see. But perhaps it would be better if we found a safer place. Come with me; I shall take you to our hideout!" Ryu said as he sheathed his sword. "I hope it's not far!" Johnny Cage grumbled. "Don't worry; it's only a couple of miles away from here." Kasumi said cheerfully as she overheard him. "Oh, great! More walking!" the Hollywood actor complained. "Cage, I will kick you in the nuts again if you don't shut up!" Sonya threatened. "Uh, I mean...sure! I could use the exercise!" Johnny Cage chuckled nervously as he covered his crotch. And with that, everyone followed their new allies!

Chapter Text

After what seemed like forever, Ryu and Kasumi led the others to their hideout. It was an ancient yet surprisingly intact temple of some sort, and it was on the top of a mountain that overlooked the entire valley of Hell. "Whoa! That's something I wasn't expecting to see. I mean, it not being in complete total shambles, that is!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in surprise. "There is something strange about this place. It seems holy!" Fujin added. "That's not the only thing that seems off about this particular temple. Do you feel that?" Liu Kang announced as he took a deep breath.

Everyone took a breath and immediately felt it; the air was much more breathable! "I don't believe this!" Sonya exclaimed in shock. "The air doesn't seem as dark and heavy with death!" Fujin cried out with relief. "It seems impossible, though. The higher up we are, the air should be less breathable. Yet, here we are. On top of a mountain in Hell and it doesn't smell like brimstone and demon ass!" Jax added with excitement of his own.

Ryu nodded his head as he sat down in front of a makeshift campfire. "Yes, that appears to be the case. My only guess is that this temple is somehow unaffected by the evils of the hell below. It's strange and I cannot make sense of it." Ryu explained. "But maybe we aren't meant to understand it. Let's just be grateful that we found ourselves here when we first arrived here." Kasumi interjected. "Yeah, speaking of which...how did you guys end up here?" Johnny Cage wondered as he sat down on a stone chair.

Ryu and Kasumi looked each other before they nodded. "It is complicated, but we will do our best to explain. (sighs) I can't even remember the last time I ever slept. I was just arriving back home at the Hayabusa Village after a secret mission. But something had arrived before I did!" Ryu said with deep bitterness in his voice. Kasumi put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. The others could also see that this was very upsetting for Ryu. "Everyone was either dead or dying. Everything was burned to the ground, and there was so much blood. The blood of my people...my friends...my family!" Ryu said as he tightly clenched his fists. "Jesus! What happened?" Johnny Cage wondered with deep concern in his voice.

Ryu took a deep breath before he spoke up again. "I do not know who he is. But I do know this! This demon was obviously not from my world. Never before have I seen something so evil and foul. The darkness within him was far more powerful than anything I had ever experienced in my life. I tried to stop him...but I couldn't! He was too powerful! He summoned an army of demons to overwhelm me. Even after I had killed most of them, I couldn't stop that damn devil from killing my-" Ryu said bitterly before he fell silent. "Ryu! It wasn't your fault! You must not blame yourself for what happened to your father!" Kasumi said kindly as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

The others were quite upset to hear this, especially Liu Kang. "Perhaps Reika Kitami was correct about Skulker after all! He truly is a threat not to be taken lightly!" Liu Kang said gravely. "So that's his name...Skulker! I swear to you father, I will avenge you!" Ryu growled as he slammed his fist against the stone wall. "Ryu! Don't let your anger get the better of you! Remember you are not the only one who has suffered loss!" Kasumi scolded. "So, how do you factor into all of this?" Sonya questioned.

Kasumi sighed as she stood up and began pacing around. "I was just arriving at my home village of the Mugen Tenshin Clan, when I saw the same horrible carnage. My village had been destroyed as well, most likely by the same demon that attacked Ryu's village. I made my way over towards Ryu's village as fast as I could. When I arrived, I saw Ryu and that awful demon battling each other. I tried to help him, but that monster was so powerful. Ryu is right; this demon possesses a darkness unlike anything we've ever fought against!" Kasumi explained with deep sadness in her voice. "And just as soon as he came, he disappeared! A strange portal appeared and that bastard slithered away before I could even get him!" Ryu added with anger now consuming him. "As we tried to chase him, we wound up here in this horrible place. We've been fighting for our survival ever since!" Kasumi continued with a grave tone of voice.

Everyone grew silent after the two ninja spoke. It was bad enough that they were all trapped in Hell, but now matters were worse. Skulker had somehow managed to travel in-between dimensions and was wreaking havoc. "Spawn and Kitami were right; Skulker must be stopped at all costs!" Liu Kang said grimly after a moment of silence. "You're right! And if anyone is going to stop him, it will be me!" Ryu said as he stood up and drew out his sword. "Wait, you do not understand. You cannot just run off and-" Liu Kang began. "That damn monster massacred my village and slaughtered my people; including my father! He has to pay!" Ryu shouted angrily.

Fujin approached Ryu in a calm manner, despite the ninja tensing up and looking like he was ready to lash out. "I understand your desire for avenging your family, but you must understand the situation we are all in. Skulker possesses a power of darkness neither of us understand. If we are to defeat him, we must work together!" Fujin said calmly. Ryu softened his grip on his sword before he finally sheathed it. "You are right. Forgive me! I was wrong to despair!" Ryu said with shame as he hung his head low. "No! You are not wrong to mourn the loss of your loved ones, my dear friend. But you cannot allow negative emotions to cloud your judgement. We must  remain strong in faith if we are to overcome this darkness!" Fujin said kindly as he placed his hand on Ryu's shoulder.

Ryu took a deep breath before he spoke up again. "I have already given in to my darkness once. I will not make that mistake again! I will honor my family and clan!" Ryu said triumphantly. Kasumi smiled warmly as he said that. "I knew I could count on you, Ryu Hayabusa!" Kasumi whispered to herself. "So, uh...not to ruin anyone's moment or anything, but how in the hell do we get out of this place? I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of being stuck in a dark and creepy place where everything is trying to kill me!" Johnny Cage announced as he stood up from his stone chair.

But as he said that, three figures were seen approaching their direction. "Wait, someone is coming this way!" Sonya said with an alert tone as she readied her energy ring gauntlets. "Who goes there?!" Ryu challenged as he prepared to draw his sword again. But as the three figures got closer, Liu Kang recognized them. "Lord Raiden! You're alive!" Liu Kang exclaimed in joy. It indeed was Raiden, who seemed to be laughing as he approached Liu Kang and embraced him. "Of course I'm alive, dear boy! You think I am incapable of fending for myself?" Raiden joked as he pat Liu Kang on the back. "No, it's not that. I was just worried about you, that's all." Liu Kang replied with a laugh of his own. "Brother, it is good to see you!" Fujin exclaimed as he ran to Raiden and embraced him as well. Raiden shook his head but laughed as he reunited with his brother. "Glad to see you're still alive as well, brother!" Raiden chuckled.

As Raiden reunited with Liu Kang and Fujin, the other two figures revealed themselves. It was Spawn and Nightwolf. "Hey, look at who it is!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in joy. "By the Great Spirit, you are all still alive! You truly do have the hearts of warriors!" Nightwolf said with a smile. "Glad to see you're still in one piece, but you guys look terrible. Who or what did you go up against before you got here?" Jax said as he noticed how banged up and bruised they were. "The less you know, the better!" Spawn growled as he took a seat by the fire.

But as he did, he gained the hard stares of Ryu and Kasumi. Spawn noticed this and began to tense up. "The hell are you looking at?!" Spawn growled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, Spawn. They're our friends! They saved us from...actually, I don't know what it was, but they saved us. It's ok, they're cool!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he tried to defuse the situation. "You are a Hellspawn!" Ryu stated with anger in his voice. "Yeah, no shit Sherlock! Is that going to be a problem?" Spawn challenged as he stood back up. "Maybe, maybe not. What's it to you?" Ryu challenged back as he stood his ground. "Don't say something you'll regret!" Spawn growled.

Everyone soon fell silent as Spawn and Ryu faced each other, not taking their glaring eyes away from the other. "Ryu, don't!" Kasumi hissed. "You got a nice blade there, schoolboy. You know how to use it?" Spawn sneered as he clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles. "My blade has tasted the blood of many demons, Hellspawn! Care for a little demonstration?" Ryu boldly proclaimed. "Do it. You'll pay for it!" Spawn snarled as his eyes glowed bright green with Necroplasm. "That's enough! Both of you just stop it, right now! You're acting like foolish little boys!" Kasumi cried out angrily. "She's right! Now is not the time to be bickering amongst ourselves!" Nightwolf added sternly.

Spawn and Ryu settled down a bit, but did not take their eyes off each other. "I've got my eyes on you, Hellspawn!" Ryu said before he walked away. "Yeah, that's what I thought!" Spawn growled as he sat back down. "You know what? I think Cage is right; we have got to find a way out of here! We've got to get back home to Earth!" Sonya cried out in frustration. "But how the hell do we get back? We can't seem to find a way out of this place!" Jax objected. Spawn looked around the room, noticing that Reika Kitami was nowhere to be found. 

Liu Kang noticed Spawn was upset and approached him. "Are you all right?" Liu Kang asked with concern. "You haven't seen Reika anywhere, have you?" Spawn wondered. "No, we haven't seen her ever since you were gone." Liu Kang answered. "Shit! She better be all right!" Spawn cursed as he punched the floor. "Don't worry, Spawn. I'm sure she's all right. She seems quite capable of handling herself." Liu Kang suggested with a smile. Spawn sighed as he nodded his head. "I hope so!" Spawn muttered sadly.

Meanwhile, The Doom Slayer was leading Reika Kitami and Lara Croft through a volcanic wasteland. "Are you sure that we're going in the right direction? I feel like we've seen those rock formations before." Lara announced nervously. "I don't know, all right? Now stop asking me that; you're starting to stress me out!" Reika snapped. "Well, excuse me for being concerned for our safety! I think it's rather obvious that we're lost!" Lara snapped back. "Is everything all right?" VEGA announced. "Great, thanks for asking. Do me a favor and tell me that we're getting closer to getting out of this hellhole!" Reika replied with bitter sarcasm in her voice. "We are getting closer to our destination." VEGA responded politely. "Grr! You said that hours ago!" Reika growled in frustration.

Suddenly, the Doom Slayer stopped and held his fist up, signaling the others to stop. "What is it?" Lara whispered. "Wait...I feel a very dark presence nearby. It's close. Very close!" Reika said softly with an alert tone. "My bio-sensors are picking up movement in the caverns dead ahead. There appears to be only one lifeform present." VEGA announced calmly. "Still doesn't sound like it's a good thing, does it?" Lara said as she nudged Reika. "In this place? Definitely not!" Reika replied as she shook her head.

The Doom Slayer then drew out an assault rifle, loading it in a quick and aggressive manner. "Threat level: high. Possibility of survival: low. Exercise extreme caution." VEGA announced. "Wait, where did he get that gun from?!" Lara exclaimed. "Quiet!" Reika hissed. The Doom Slayer motioned for the two women to stay back before he began slowly marching his way towards the dark cavern. "Where is he going? Why's he leaving us behind?" Lara asked. "Why do you think? Look, are you sure you've done this before?" Reika asked half-sarcastically. "What do you mean by that?" Lara demanded. "You say you're some kind of explorer, but you don't exactly strike me as the adventurous type." Reika explained seriously.

Lara's faced turned red with anger as she said that. "Are you joking?! I've survived on an island full of psychopathic murderers, cannibals, and crazed cultists! Not to mention the fact that I had to save my best friend’s life from a dark, malevolent goddess capable of controlling the bloody weather! So I think I am capable of handling myself just fine, thank you very much!" Lara exclaimed angrily.

Reika was taken aback by Lara's angry outburst. "Jeez! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just-" Reika began. "Just what?! You think just because I'm not some superpowered badass with magical powers or some one-man army that I can't take care of myself? Well, I've got news for you! I went looking for adventure expecting to find the greatest archeological find in all of human history, and what I got instead was dragged into a nightmare I thought would never end! And now, I find myself trapped in another nightmare and I don't know if I can take it! All right?!" Lara practically screamed.

Reika soon felt real guilty about the way she treated her, and only felt worse as Lara sat down and began to cry. "I just want to go home with Sam! I can't go through that hell again, do you understand? I just can't!" Lara sobbed. Reika sighed as she gently touched Lara's face, earning a soft gasp from the British explorer. "I do, actually. I really do understand your pain and fear. But if you want to get back home to your friend, you're going to have toughen up. But like I said before, you don't have to go through this alone. Just trust me, all right? Everything will be all right!" Reika said kindly.

Lara smiled as Reika said that. "You're right. I'm sorry...I know I can be a bit overemotional sometimes. I guess I just doubt myself, sometimes." Lara said sheepishly. "I know, but you can't really afford to do that anymore. You know that, right?" Reika said seriously. Lara nodded her head before Reika helped her up onto her feet. As they stood back up, they were greeted by the sounds of gunfire and a loud roar. "Ok, now I know that is not a good sign!" Lara exclaimed. "Um, yeah...I can agree with that. Maybe we should-" Reika began before an explosion shook the place.

The Doom Slayer was sent flying back towards Reika and Lara, making both women yelp in surprise. "Oh my God! Are you all right?!" Lara exclaimed. The Doom Slayer got back up and slammed his fist into the ground in frustration. A loud roar filled the air, catching everyone's attention. "Danger! Cyber-Demon approaching our position." VEGA announced while the Doom Slayer drew out a plasma rifle. "Seriously, where do you get those guns?" Lara exclaimed.

The Doom Slayer looked at her before he pulled out another assault rifle and handed it to Lara. "Oh! Um, thank you!" Lara said as she observed the gun handed to her. "Time to prove yourself, honey!" Reika said with a joking tone. Lara smirked in response as she cocked the rifle. "I suggest you two prepare yourselves; this Cyber Demon is particularly aggressive." VEGA warned. The Doom Slayer aimed his plasma rifle at the shadows of the volcanic caverns, where the Cyber Demon was heard snarling.

As the three prepared themselves for Kombat, the snarling and roaring of the Cyber Demon grew louder and closer. Loud and heavy footsteps shook the very earth as the monstrous demon came forth. The Cyber Demon finally revealed himself as he stomped out of the shadows. He was a horrible and ugly beast to say the least; he stood over 20 feet tall, had large bull-like horns on his head, blood red eyes and a razor sharp teeth, and massive goat-like legs. But his most striking features of this monstrosity was that most of his upper body was completely cybernetic, and his left arm was a built-in rocket launcher.

The Cyber-Demon roared with ferocious rage as he stepped forward, shaking his rocket launcher arm at them. "Ugh, my God are you ugly!" Lara exclaimed in disgust. "No kidding! Come on; let's take down this ugly fucker together!" Reika cried out triumphantly. The Doom Slayer grunted loudly as he nodded his head, as if he agreed with what Reika said. This battle was sure to shake the foundations of Hell itself!

Chapter Text

The Cyber-Demon snarled at his prey as he fired his rocket launcher. But the Doom Slayer, Reika, and Lara dodged the explosive projectile before returning fire with a hail of plasma bolts, bullets, and magical fireballs. The attacks from the heroes did nothing but irritate the Cyber-Demon even more, and he intensified his attacks as he swiped his massive fist at them and tried to stomp them flat with his feet. "Damn it! You weren't kidding, were you?! This guy is really pissed!" Reika exclaimed as she rolled to the side avoiding the monster's massive foot.

Lara cried out fiercely as he kept blasting away with her assault rifle, but the Cyber-Demon showed no signs of slowing down. "Damn it! My gun is useless; nothing can hurt this thing!" Lara cried out in frustration. The Doom Slayer threw a smoke grenade to give him and the others some cover, confusing the Cyber-Demon. The Doom Slayer then slid underneath the Cyber-Demon's feet before firing his plasma rifle at the beast's back.

While this did not hurt him, it definitely gained his attention. The Cyber-Demon roared as he fired his rocket launcher in all directions in a fit of rage. "How in the hell are we going to beat him?! This is impossible!" Lara muttered in disbelief as she took cover behind a large rock. "Don't give up already, honey! Think! There must be a way to stop him!" Reika encouraged. "If I may, I might have a solution. The Cyber-Demon has an Argent Accumulator attached to its chest. If we can apply enough damage to that, we should severely weaken the Cyber Demon. But in order to fully destroy him, we must remove its head. It is possible to do that right after we destroy the Argent Accumulator." VEGA suggested in his usual monotonous voice as the Doom Slayer crouched with Reika and Lara.

Reika and Lara looked at the Doom Slayer before they exchanged looks with each other, then they nodded their heads. "We can distract him!" Lara insisted. "We'll buy you enough time to find something bigger to hit him with!" Reika added with a smirk. The Doom Slayer nodded his head before he jumped out from cover and fired away with his plasma rifle, giving Reika and Lara enough time to escape.

As Lara and Reika made their way around the Cyber-Demon, the Doom Slayer kept blasting away with his plasma rifle and angered the massive monster. "You are almost out of ammunition, Doom Slayer. I suggest retreat would be your best option." VEGA announced. The Doom Slayer shook his head slightly as he tossed his now empty plasma rifle aside before resorting to a semi-automatic shotgun.

As the Doom Slayer fired away with the last of his guns, Reika and Lara were able to climb up an abandoned stone temple behind the Cyber-Demon. "Ok, we're here. Now what? How do we get his attention?" Lara wondered out loud. "We'll find something! But let's hurry; our friend down below can't cover us forever!" Reika said in a hurried tone. Lara took a deep breath before she examined her surroundings. At first, nothing seemed out of place. But Lara concentrated harder and was finally able to spot a weakened stone pillar higher above them, hanging just above the Cyber-Demon. "Up there! That pillar looks very weak. If we were to knock that down, we could take out that monster!" Lara quickly explained as she pointed.

Reika nodded her head as she began making her way up a set of stairs as quick as she could, with Lara not too far behind. As the women made their way towards the pillar, Reika began surging with powerful magic. "Stand back, honey. I'll handle this!" Reika said as she sent a burst of magic energy forward from her hands. The force of the energy was so great, it caused the pillar to tumble down. The stone pillar came crashing down on top of the Cyber-Demon, forcing him down on the ground. "Yes! We got him!" Lara cheered to herself.

The Doom Slayer saw this and took the opportunity to retreat. As he ran towards a small cave, he began scrambling around as if he were looking for something. "Why exactly are we here in this cave, Doom Slayer? Did you leave something behind here?" VEGA asked. The Doom Slayer nodded his head silently as he kept looking around the cave.

The Cyber-Demon growled angrily as he slowly began forcing himself up off the ground, much to Reika and Lara's dismay. "Oh, God! He's getting back up!" Lara exclaimed in shock. "Quickly, follow me!" Reika cried out as she began running down the steps. "Wait, we're not actually going back down there? Are we?!" Lara demanded. "Come on!" Reika snapped as she grabbed her arm and practically dragged her down the stairs.

The Cyber-Demon snarled as finally got back up to his feet, roaring ferociously as he did so. "Great! Now we just pissed him off even more! What do we do now?!" Lara snapped. "We keep buying the Doom Slayer some time! Now quit your whining and start showing me that you're the explorer you said you are!" Reika shouted as she created some runes and threw them down in front of them to act as a shield. Lara growled in irritation but found a rusty old bow in the hands of the corpse of a fallen warrior nearby.

Lara took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that this was a sign and decided to take the bow. "Thank you. Excuse me!" Lara said softly as she knelt down and removed the bow from the dead warrior's hands. Lara was able to find a small quiver of rusty arrows nearby before she armed up and aimed the bow at the beast. Reika smiled as she saw that Lara was gaining more confidence, despite their odds. "That a girl!" Reika smirked as she created a bound bow with dark magic energy. "Come on, you big bastard! Show us what you're made of!" Lara shouted defiantly. The Cyber-Demon roared furiously in response, shaking his head with fury.

Reika and Lara fired a volley of arrows at the Cyber-Demon, hitting him in the face multiple times. Lara was even able to fire an arrow into one of the eyes of the Cyber-Demon, making him roar in rage and pain as he was hit. How dare these tiny worthless humans be so bold to dare defy him like this! The Cyber-Demon then emerged a deadly looking blade from his right arm, snarling viciously as he swung the blade around in a menacing manner. The Cyber-Demon then slashed down at Reika and Lara, but the magic runes deflected his attack and knocked him back a bit, earning a loud growl of both anger and confusion from the monster. "Holy shit! What just happened?!" Lara exclaimed in shock.

Reika laughed defiantly as the Cyber-Demon continued to hammer his massive arm blade at the two women, but the runes kept deflecting his blows. "You can hit as hard as you want, motherfucker! But those runes are unbreakable!" Reika taunted. The Cyber-Demon roared with rage as he pounded against the invisible shield, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through. "That barrier can't last forever, can it?" Lara said with widened eyes. "Only long enough for the Doom Slayer to get what he needs!" Reika replied with a confident smirk. "I hope you're right!" Lara muttered.

The Cyber-Demon fired his rocket launcher at the invisible shield, but that did nothing to break the rune's spell. But sooner or later, the rune's spell wore off. Reika and Lara noticed this as the magic energy started waning before the Cyber-Demon finally broke through the barrier. He roared as he did so, shaking his right fist at them before attempting to stab them with his arm blade. Reika and Lara cried out in shock as they managed to dodge the attack, before running for their lives. "Shit! I thought those runes would last a bit longer than that!" Reika shouted as they ran. "There is such a thing as overconfidence, you know!" Lara snapped. "Shut up and head for that cave! He won't be able to reach us in there!" Reika snapped back.

Both women were able to run towards the cave, but a large stone wall suddenly emerged in front of them and blocked their way. "Wait, what the hell? Where did that come from?!" Reika exclaimed in shock. The Cyber-Demon roared ferociously as he swung his arm blade, causing a large flaming arc of hell energy flying towards them. "GET DOWN!" Lara shouted as she threw herself down to the ground. Reika soon followed her example, and the arc of energy hit the stone wall causing it to explode into a million pieces. "This monster is pulling out all the tricks, now!" Reika growled. "I don't suppose you have anymore tricks up your sleeves, do you?" Lara retorted with a smirk. "Nope...not this time, I'm afraid!" Reika smirked back.

The Cyber-Demon snarled as he stomped towards both women, appearing to sneer as he towered over them. But before he could touch them, something...or someone caught his eye. Reika and Lara noticed this and turned their heads to see the Doom Slayer slowly marching forward. In his hands, he held a very large and strange looking weapon. "I suggest you two step aside. You do not want to be caught in the blast radius of the BFG." VEGA's voice announced as the Doom Slayer began to charge the weapon with vast amounts of energy.

Reika and Lara stared up at the Doom Slayer in stunned silence for a full minute before they scampered away to the side, allowing the Doom Slayer to take aim with the BFG. The Cyber-Demon growled viciously as he prepared to fire his rocket launcher at the Doom Slayer. But the Doom Slayer began to laugh like a psycho, completely catching Reika and Lara guard. "What the fuck?" Reika muttered in disbelief. The Doom Slayer finally finished charging his weapon and fired a gigantic orb of green energy.

The Cyber-Demon grunted and growled loudly in pain as the BFG's single shot not only destroyed the Argent Accumulator, but the monster's armor as well. The explosive force of this weapon was so great that it made the Cyber-Demon stumble a bit before falling to his knees, completely stunned. The Doom Slayer then rushed towards the Cyber-Demon with a roar. The Doom Slayer punched the Cyber-Demon in the face as hard as he could, knocking some of the monster's teeth out. The Doom Slayer then grabbed hold of one of the monster's horns and used unimaginable brute strength to tear off the horn. The Cyber-Demon screeched in howling agony as his horn was ripped off his head, but the Doom Slayer silenced him by decapitating him with his own horn.

The headless Cyber-Demon fell down to the ground dead with a loud thud, shaking the ground as he fell. The Doom Slayer threw his fist up in the air, letting out a loud and triumphant battlecry, which echoed throughout the entire valley of Hell. Reika and Lara just stood there completely dumbfounded by what they just witnessed. "What in the hell are you?!" Lara whispered in complete disbelief. "My God! So the stories are true after all...you really are the one that Hell itself fears!" Reika muttered in shock and awe.

The Doom Slayer slowly marched towards the two shocked women in silence before he sat down on a large rock. "You both appear to be in a state of shock. Are you injured in any way, shape, or form?" VEGA asked politely. "What? Oh, uh...no. I'm just a bit surprised by what I just witnessed." Lara responded after trying to get the words out of her mouth. "Yeah, it's not every day that we see a giant demon get its god damn head cut off by his own horns after being blown up by a big fucking gun!" Reika added snappishly. "Actually, the BFG is short Bio Force Gun. It was originally used for-" VEGA began. "Yeah, yeah...whatever! Look, we killed the monster! Now how the hell do we get out of here?! We've been stuck here in Hell for God knows how long!" Reika demanded losing her patience.

The Doom Slayer stood up from his seat and approached Reika before he pulled something out from his pocket before handing it to her. "What's this?" Reika asked. "This stone tablet is crucial to unlocking the hell portal hidden in the Holy Temple of the Fallen." VEGA answered. "What? Wait a second...you mean to tell me that you've had this this whole fucking time?!" Reika angrily demanded. "There is no need to be angry. We were going to give it to you as soon as we could, but unfortunately we were sidetracked due to fighting for our survival against the demon horde." VEGA politely responded.

Lara placed her hand on Reika's shoulder to calm her down, and the witch finally recollected herself after she sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. It's just that...I've been away from Raizo for so long. I really hope that he's ok!" Reika began sadly. "Raizo? Who is that, a friend of yours?" Lara asked in a caring manner. "Yeah, you could say that." Reika said with a smile. After a minute of collecting herself, Reika spoke up again. "We've got to go back to him. If we can get this to him, then we can all leave this place. Where is this temple you spoke of?" Reika said.

The Doom Slayer pointed up towards a mountain, further up into the North. "You will find the Holy Temple of the Fallen inside of a cavern at the top of the mountain. Be wary of the steps; it is quite steep going up." VEGA instructed. "Wait, you're not coming with us?" Lara wondered. "The Doom Slayer wishes to remain here in the valley. There are many more demons remaining here in Hell and it is our duty to eliminate them." VEGA responded. "Your duty? What do you mean by that?" Reika questioned. "Ever since Dr. Samuel Hayden betrayed us and trapped us here in Hell, the Doom Slayer has sworn to kill all demons who attempt to escape and wreak havoc on Earth." VEGA explained.

Reika and Lara looked at the Doom Slayer with shock on their faces. "Let me get this straight: You could have left at any given time and you chose to remain here?" Lara exclaimed. The Doom Slayer nodded his head silently before he reached from behind him and pulled out his double barrel shotgun. "That's...bold of you, Doom Slayer. Really, it is! But how do you plan to kill all these demons by yourself?" Reika questioned.

The Doom Slayer loaded up his shotgun before he stared at Reika in complete silence, making her a bit uneasy. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the Doom Slayer did something that Reika and Lara would never forget. He spoke! "Rip...and...tear!" the Doom Slayer snarled in a heavy, gravelly voice fueled with rage and hate. This hate was not directed towards Reika or Lara, but rather towards the demons he swore to destroy.

Reika nodded her head, finally understanding the Doom Slayer's purpose. "Thank you! I won't forget this. I hope you find victory in your next battle!" Reika said with a warm smile as she bowed her head. "Thank you. I'm sure that I speak for the Doom Slayer when I say that you have proven to be quite useful to us! Perhaps, we may cross paths again. Until then, please look after yourselves. Thank you and good luck to you. Farewell!" VEGA replied. The Doom Slayer nodded his head before he turned around and began marching off into the valley of Hell, ready to take on any demonic threat that dared to stand in his way.

Reika and Lara watched him disappear into the valley before they looked to each other. "Well, I guess that's it then." Lara said simply. "Come on. Let's go; we've got a long hike ahead of us!" Reika said with a sigh as she looked up at the mountain. "Great! Just what I needed...more climbing!" Lara groaned. "Let's just take it one step at a time, ok? We've made it this far!" Reika said calmly. Reika sighed as she looked back up at the mountain. "I hope that you're ok, Raizo. I hope I'll see you again soon!" Reika whispered.

Chapter Text

*Several hours later!*

Spawn and the others were getting quite restless and impatient. "How much longer will this take? Reika should be here by now!" Sonya snapped as she impatiently paced around the room. "She will return to us, I am sure of it!" Nightwolf insisted. "I don't know about that, dude. She's been gone an awful long time!" Johnny Cage said with a serious tone. "Then I guess we gotta assume the worst!" Jax added as he lit up a cigar.

Spawn stood up from his seat and roared with rage as he punched the wall. "NO! It's not true! I came back for you!" Spawn shouted in anger and despair. Ryu noticed his distress and could not help but shake his head and sigh. "Perhaps you are more human than I thought after all, Hellspawn." Ryu whispered softly. He approached Spawn slowly and carefully, as to not startle him. "Listen to me. I know what it is like to lose someone you care about." Ryu began.

Spawn turned sharply around and glared at him as he said that. "Don't you even think about it!" Spawn snarled. "Think of what, Hellspawn?" Ryu demanded. "Don't try to compare your suffering to mine! You're still human, and you still have your soul. I do not! So spare me your pity!" Spawn growled angrily. "Hush you two! I hear something, coming from over there. Look!" Kasumi cried out as she pointed. 

She was right; two figures were seen approaching their direction. "Wait...can it be?!" Spawn wondered out loud. To his and everyone else's delight, Reika Kitami was seen slowly walking towards them. "Ugh...my feet are fucking killing me!" Reika groaned as she practically fell into Spawn's arms. Spawn embraced her before he sat Reika down on a stone chair. "You had me worried sick, woman! Where the hell have you been?!" Spawn scolded as he caressed her face. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, honey. And I don't think I like your tone!" Reika teased as she pecked him on the cheek.

Spawn and Reika laughed as they embraced each other, enjoying their reunion. Lara Croft finally entered inside of the temple after she took her time examining the outside surroundings. "This place is amazing! Not only does this temple date back further than the Roman Empire, it's completely unspoiled. If I didn't know any better, Id say that some sort of magic must be protecting from-" Lara began before she noticed that many eyes were now on her.

There was a long moment of awkward silence before Lara finally spoke. "Oh! I wasn't expecting so many people here. Hello!" Lara said with a nervous chuckle. "Um, hi there. I know this may sound kind of weird, but you aren't exactly from here. Are you?" Johnny Cage said dumbly. "No, I'm not." Lara answered as a matter-of-factly. "So I take it that you are not from this realm?" Nightwolf questioned. "No. I'm from Earth. Well, my Earth anyway! It's complicated, all right?" Lara said trying not to sound annoyed. "It's ok, we understand. I'm not from around here either!" Kasumi said with a cheerful smile.

Sonya suddenly approached Lara, eying her as she circled around her like a shark. "Excuse me! What do you think you're doing?" Lara demanded. "I'm just trying to figure out how the hell you managed to survive all of this. You don't strike me as a soldier. You a mercenary?" Sonya sternly questioned. "What?! No, I'm an adventurer. A, uh...I'm a tomb raider, if you will." Lara retorted. "A tomb raider?! Sounds like a fancy term for a thief if you ask me!" Sonya said with a snarl. "Now wait a minute! There is no need for that, you-" Lara began angrily.

Reika stopped them both by standing in between them. "Enough! Both of you get a grip! You wanted a way out? We've got a way out!" Reika snapped as she held up a stone tablet. "A rock? How is that supposed to help us? Is it magic or something?" Johnny Cage said stupidly. "Well, actually yeah. Look, this tablet is the key to finding the portal that's hidden in this temple." Reika began. "Wait, there was a portal hidden here this whole damn time?! Shit, and we just sat around on our asses this whole damn time!" Jax exclaimed. "Never mind about that, ok?! Let's all just focus on the task at hand right now, ok?" Lara cried out. "Ok, so what is the plan here exactly?" Sonya demanded.

Lara took a deep breath and sighed before she spoke up again. "Ok, we need to find the portal. It's hidden somewhere in this temple. Help me look for it and then we can figure the rest out from there!" Lara instructed. "Ok, sounds good. Come on, let's get busy!" Reika said with a triumphant grin. "Luck may finally be on our side!" Fujin said with a warm heart. "Let's not celebrate yet, windbag! We're not out of this shit yet!" Spawn growled.

About 20 minutes passed until everyone finally found the portal in the basement of the temple. It was a large stone door of some sort, and in the center of the door was a bloody pentagram. "Well, we found it. Now what do we do?" Lara said out loud. Reika stepped up to the door, observing the center. "Hmm...look at this. There's a large dent in the center. I do believe that if we put the tablet inside-" Reika began. "Oh, of course! It's so obvious, I should've known!" Lara exclaimed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Sonya snapped.

Reika took the stone tablet and gently placed it into the center of the stone door. As she did that, the door began to rumble before the pentagram began to glow bright red. As it glowed, a faint humming noise was heard. "Um, what's happening here?" Johnny Cage wondered. "The energy is awakening, Johnny Cage. I suggest we step back." Nightwolf answered gravely. "Of course it won't be easy! Hell won't let us leave without a fight! Get ready; more of those demonic assholes will be here real soon!" Spawn growled as he lit his hands up with Necroplasm. "But this temple is protected by magic, isn't it? They can't get in...can they?" Liu Kang objected. 

The portal began to hum louder, as well glow brighter. "We'll find out soon enough! Prepare yourselves for Kombat!" Raiden announced as he created a staff out of lightning. As he said that, the temple began to shake and rumble. "Hang on! This is it!" Reika shouted. The door began to shine brighter than ever before and a loud shrill noise was heard piercing the air, almost to the point that it hurt the ears of everyone inside the temple. "AAHHH! That hurts! Make it stop!" Lara cried out in pain. "Look! The portal; it's opening!" Reika pointed out.

She was right; the door was now glowing bright white. The portal was finally open! The piercing sound was also gone. Silence filled the air...at least until Johnny Cage spoke up again. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go! Home sweet home!" Johnny Cage cheered. "Wait! Don't just go charging in, you fool! This portal might not lead us back to Earth Realm!" Nightwolf scolded as he grabbed his arm. "He does have a point! It might lead us out of this place, but it might not take us home." Kasumi added. "But we've come so far! We can't give up now!" Kitana exclaimed.

Raiden took a deep breath and sighed before he stepped forwards. "Only one way to know for certain. I will see you on the other side, my friends!" Raiden said as he walked into the portal and disappeared. Liu Kang smiled as he soon followed his mentor. After he stepped in, everyone else soon followed. "Well, here goes nothing!" Reika sighed as she slowly walked into the portal with Spawn close by her side. "Whatever happens next, we'll face it together!" Spawn said softly. And with that said, they stepped into the next part of their journey, for good and bad! 

Chapter Text

Johnny Cage woke up feeling groggy, slowly getting back on his feet. "Ugh...my head hurts. Did I pass out or something?" Johnny Cage mumbled as he dusted the dirt off his shirt. But as he began waking up, he slowly began to realize that something was very wrong. "Huh? Hey, where the hell is everyone?! Did we get separated when we walked through that portal?" Johnny Cage exclaimed out loud.

He took one step forward, when he suddenly fell. "OH SHIT!" Johnny Cage screamed as he fell. Luckily, he was able to grab hold of the ledge and pulled himself back up before he fell down several hundred feet to his death. "Jesus Christ, that was too close! I've got to be more careful! Just where the hell am I?!" Johnny Cage cried out as he observed his surroundings. As far as his eyes could see, he could see nothing but tall mountains, stone pillars, and volcanic valleys filled with razor sharp rocks. The place rumbling with earthquakes, and sulfuric gases poured out of cracks and holes everywhere. "What the hell? What is this place?!" Johnny Cage wondered out loud.

Suddenly, a sinister chuckle was heard behind him. "You're in Outworld, pal! This here is the Falling Cliffs, and there ain't no way outta here!" a large, brutish man sneered as he cracked his knuckles. Johnny Cage turned around to face him, and immediately realized that this guy was not friendly. He wore red chest armor, shoulder pads, wrist guards, and black combat boots. He also had thick bushy black hair and a goatee, and spoke in a heavy Australian accent. "Who are you?" Johnny Cage demanded. "The name's Jarek, and I'm gonna kill you." the man said in a threatening tone as he pulled out a meat cleaver and swung it around.

Johnny Cage scoffed as he shook his head, but he prepared himself for Mortal Kombat. "You wanna dance, tough guy? Well, come on then! Let's dance!" Johnny Cage said as he put on his brass knuckles. And as soon as they met, the two men began a brutal brawl for survival.

Sonya Blade and Lara Croft woke up in a dark, fiery room. On one side of the room was a giant rolling rock crusher on a conveyer belt. On the other side was a large pool of molten metal. Luckily, it was blocked by a large steel fence and both women were on solid ground. "What? Where are we?" Lara wondered as she shook her head awake. "We've been separated from the others. I guess that portal wasn't so stable after all...and I can't believe I said that out loud." Sonya announced half-way to herself.

As Lara and Sonya wandered around, they realized that they were trapped inside of this place. "It looks like an armory of some sort. But I can't seem to find an exit anywhere!" Sonya said as she observed her surroundings. "Um, I'm afraid that's not the worst of it. Look!" Lara pointed out. She was right; two monstrous figures were seen approaching their direction, and they did not look friendly in the slightest.

The first figure was a large, muscular, tan skinned creature with four arms and reptilian eyes. It was female, but still ferocious looking. She wore an iron armored breastplate, a red battle skirt, and spiked gauntlets on all four wrists. She also had an iron shield slung over her back, which was plastered with arrows from previous enemies.

The other figure was just as monstrous, if not slightly larger. He was a minotaur; complete with the horned head, large hoofed legs, and muscular upper torso. But the strangest thing of all was that this creature had a large, metallic rat-like tail. "Who are you to dare invade Outworld's Armory?" the minotaur bellowed in a deep voice. "You are trespassing on Shao Kahn's property!" the four armed creature growled in a deep, yet feminine voice. "And just who...or what are you?" Lara demanded.

The two creatures appeared to smirk before they approached closer, making both women very cautious and much more alert. "I am Sheeva, the Queen of the Shokan!" the four armed creature boasted as she reached back and drew out her shield. "I am Motaro, one of many of Shao Kahn's commanding officers of his army." the minotaur growled as he smashed his fists into the ground.

Sonya and Lara looked at each other and smirked as they prepared themselves for Kombat. "You think we're afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sonya sneered as she stood her ground. "I've survived worse than this, you know! Come on!" Lara said as she drew out her bow and took aim with one of her arrows. Sheeva cried out fiercely as she used one of her hands to chop off the arrows from her shield. "Bold...and none too wise! I can respect that!" Sheeva said with a chuckle.

Liu Kang and Nightwolf woke up in a dark forest full of living trees...as in the trees had distorted, wicked faces. "What in the name of...how did we end up here? Where is everyone?!" Liu Kang exclaimed as he jolted back on his feet. "We have been separated! The portal was not stable enough to transport us all at once." Nightwolf said gravely as he observed his surroundings. "This doesn't look like Earth Realm. Could we have been transported to another dimension?" Liu Kang asked as looked around him cautiously. "You are half correct, handsome. You are in Outworld now, and this is the Living Forest!" a seductive female voice announced suddenly.

Liu Kang and Nightwolf turned to see two figures approaching them. One of them was a woman with dark, tan skin, a revealing yellow and black midriff, a very short golden colored skirt, black leather tights, tall low heeled black boots, and wore her hair in an angled bob with bangs. The other figure also had dark tanned skin, but was wearing a completely different outfit.

He wore a deep purple ninja style outfit complete with a hood, and also a purple ninja mask that covered most of his face. "You fools are a long way from home! I take it that you hail from Earth Realm, yes?" the man in purple said with a sneering hiss. "It is of no concern to you, stranger." Nightwolf growled. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong honey. It does concern us if you aren't invited to our realm!" the woman in yellow said with a flirtatious giggle. "Who are you?" Liu Kang questioned.

The man purple laughed as he drew out a three pronged blade called a katar. "You really aren't from here, are you? I am the magnificent god of water, Rain!" he boasted. "Oh, please! Everyone knows that you're half god, Rain. Don't lie to them! At least be honest before we finish them!" the woman in yellow sneered. "Be quiet, Tanya!" Rain snarled. "Half god, huh? Even if that's true, you will not stop me from fulfilling my destiny." Liu Kang said with a smirk. "Destiny?! Ha! You are nothing to me but a mere insect!" Rain spat as he twirled his katar around. 

Liu Kang shook his head as he clenched his fists and prepared himself for Kombat. "If that is how it must be, then so be it!" Liu Kang replied humbly. "Ooh, a good boy! I like the sensitive type, but unfortunately Rain seems to want you more. I shall settle for the other handsome one!" Tanya giggled as she pointed to Nightwolf. "You cannot fool me, woman. The Great Spirit sees through you, and so can I! There is nothing but darkness inside of you!" Nightwolf growled. "Ooh, tough guy! I like it rough, dear. But let's see how much of me you can handle!" Tanya taunted as she drew out a deadly pair of tonfas.

Back with Johnny Cage, he was struggling against Jarek due to his dirty fighting style. "Ha! You call yourself a fighter? You ain't nothing!" Jarek sneered as he snagged Johnny Cage with a rope and yanked him forward before kicking away. "Ow! That hurt, you asshole!" Johnny Cage cried out angrily as he got back up. "Aw, that hurt? I'm sorry...how about this?!" Jarek cackled as he attempted to hack his cleaver at Johnny Cage's face.

Johnny Cage was able to kick the cleaver out of Jarek's hands before he punched him several times. "I don't know who you think are, punk! But nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with Johnny Cage!" Johnny Cage shouted before roundhouse kicked Jarek in the face. Jarek grunted loudly in pain as he was forced away onto his back. Jarek snarled as he forced himself back up and charged towards Johnny Cage. But that proved to be a big mistake.

Johnny Cage ducked down in a split before he punched Jarek in the balls, crushing them like grapes. Jarek screamed in howling agony as his family jewels were annihilated in a single blow. "AAAUGGHHH! You son of a bitch...you broke my balls!" Jarek screamed as he keelhauled over in pain. "You aren't the only one who can fight dirty, pal!" Johnny Cage sneered.

Suddenly, an earthquake appeared and caused the stone pillar that both men stood on to crack. The ground beneath Jarek gave way and crumbled to pieces, causing him to fall. Jarek cried out in shock as he grabbed onto the ledge, holding on for dear life. But Johnny Cage stood over him with a devious smirk on his face. "Come on, man! Don't just stand there...help me out!" Jarek begged. 

Johnny Cage reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photograph of himself before he pulled out a marker and quickly scribbled his initials on it, throwing it on Jarek's face. "I'd frame that!" Johnny Cage sneered. Jarek cried out as he lost his grip on the ledge and fell down several hundred feet to his death. But to add insult to injury, Jarek had landed on a sharp stalagmite...through his crotch! Jarek screamed and cried out in pain before he finally bled out and died a miserable death. "Oof! That hurt just to watch! Better him than me, though! Now to find a way out of this dump and back to the others!" Johnny Cage muttered out loud.

Meanwhile, Sonya and Lara Croft worked together to fight against Sheeva and Motaro. "Come on, don't let these ugly assholes overwhelm you! Use your speed and agility against them!" Sonya sneered as she slid under Motaro before kicking him in the back. "RAWR! I'll crush you, pathetic human!" Motaro roared as he tried to smash his fists into Sonya's skull. But she was too quick for him, and dodged his attacks before she fired her energy ring gauntlets at him. The monster grunted as he was hit many times, but he seemed to show no signs of slowing down. Sonya smirked as she saw this, knowing that though this fight would be hard, it would be worth it once she won. "Bring it, bitch!" Sonya taunted.

Lara fired her bow at Sheeva several times, but the Shokan Queen blocked her arrows with her shield before she retaliated by stomping the ground, creating shockwaves that shook Lara off balance. "Damn! This is going to be harder than I thought. All right, then...time to improvise!" Lara muttered as she darted towards Sheeva. "So, you think you can take me head on? You're brave, girl...but extremely foolish!" Sheeva sneered as she prepared herself.

Sheeva tried to pound Lara, but Lara rolled away before she was hit. Lara attempted to punch and kick at Sheeva, but the Shokan Queen laughed as she blocked her attacks before she grabbed her with two hands. She punched Lara several times with her other two fists before slamming her to the ground and smashed her shield into Lara's chest, knocking the wind out of her. Sheeva further insulted Lara by kicking her away, knocking her against a stone wall. "Care to try again, little girl?" Sheeva taunted.

Lara growled in anger as she got back up, glaring at her. "I'll show you what this little girl can do!" Lara shouted angrily. She ran towards Sheeva and punched her face before rolling underneath her and darted towards a weapon rack. She saw a pick axe and some rope that was laying there and grabbed it, before dodging Sheeva's furious fists. "Come back here and fight me with honor, little girl!" Sheeva roared. "You'll have to catch me first!" Lara taunted as she climbed up a stone pillar.

Sheeva growled angrily as she began slamming her fists into the pillar, trying to knock it down. Lara quickly used her keen observation skills to try and find a way to take out Sheeva, and finally got an idea. She attached her rope to one of her arrows before firing it up at a weak section of the stone ceiling. Lara then yanked the rope with all her might, causing the ceiling to collapse on top of Sheeva. 

Lara laughed in triumph as she leapt down off the pillar and safely onto her feet. "Ha! How do you like that, you ugly bitch?" Lara taunted. Suddenly, Sheeva burst out of the pile of debris, roaring with rage. "Oh, come on!" Lara exclaimed in dismay. Sheeva charged towards Lara with a furious battlecry, but Lara dodged their attacks before she swung her pick axe. Sheeva cried out as she was struck in the back, but Lara wasn't done yet. She tore the pick axe out of Sheeva's back, spilling blood all over the place.

Sheeva screamed in pain from Lara's dirty attack, but Lara wasn't done yet. Even as Sheeva fell to her knees in agony, Lara unleashed her fury on the Shokan Queen. With a furious cry, Lara swung her pick axe into Sheeva's face. The Shokan Queen's left eye popped out of her skull from the forceful impact, but Lara yanked it out and swung her pick axe into her face again. And again. And again! "DIE YOU BITCH! DIE!!!" Lara screamed furiously as she continued to smash her pick axe into Sheeva's head.

After what seemed like forever, Lara finally killed Sheeva. As she pulled out her pick axe from the Shokan Queen's bloody, lifeless, and headless corpse, Lara saw that Sonya was in trouble. "AAHHH! Let me go, you son of a bitch!" Sonya screamed as Motaro squeezed her body in a bear hug. "Yes, beg for your life! Scream for mercy! No one can save you now!" Motaro laughed evilly.

Suddenly, a pick axe pierced into his skull, forcing him to drop Sonya to the ground. Lara had thrown her pick axe into Motaro's face! "Let her go, you rotten bastard!" Lara shouted furiously as she ran towards him. She grabbed hold of her pick axe and yanked it out of Motaro's skull, causing him to stumble backwards onto the conveyor belt. Motaro was then dragged back into the giant rolling stone crusher before he was crushed to death. "Holy shit! You...you saved my life!" Sonya exclaimed in shock. "Like I said before; I know how to handle myself! Now come on, let's find a way out of here and find the others!" Lara said confidently as she helped Sonya on her feet.

Meanwhile, Liu Kang and Nightwolf were still fighting against Rain and Tanya. Rain's cunning and ferocity was almost too much for Liu Kang, but the Earth Realm hero refused to give up now. "You can't honestly believe that you stand a chance against me, do you fool?" Rain taunted as he kept wildly slashing at Liu Kang with his katar. "I do, actually! I will not fail Earth Realm!" Liu Kang cried out defiantly as he retaliated with powerful punches and kicks. Rain laughed as he teleported away in a splash of water before he reappeared behind Liu Kang. "You dare face against me? I am Edenia's greatest warrior!" Rain cried as he created a massive ball of water.

He threw it at Liu Kang, but he was able to dodge the projectile before leaping forward with a kick. Rain cried out in pain as he was forced away, but he quickly got back up and and created a massive wave. He sent the wave crashing towards Liu Kang, forcing him back. "I am the son of Argus!" Rain boasted. Liu Kang coughed and sputtered as he forced himself back up, shaking the water off of him. Rain cried out fiercely as he began bending water to his will. "I am MAGNIFICENT! You will behold your god!" Rain shouted before he created a bunch of spears out of the water he was bending.

He hurled them towards Liu Kang, but he cried out fiercely as he deflected each of the watery spears with his fists, splashing them into tiny little water droplets. "You're magnificently egotistical, I'll give you that!" Liu Kang sneered. Rain growled in frustration in response. "No! I will not tolerate this! I will have order; I am-" Rain began Liu Kang flew towards him and kicked him in the face, shutting him up. "You talk too much!" Liu Kang snapped.

Nightwolf was dueling with Tanya, who was surprisingly strong and fast despite her seductive figure. "What's the matter? Afraid to fight a woman?" Tanya taunted as she flipped Nightwolf over onto his back. The Native American warrior growled as he got back up before he drew out his war club. "Enough holding back!" Nightwolf snarled as he swung his weapon around. Tanya just laughed at him as she twirled her tonfas around. "Some warrior you are! I almost feel sorry for you, but that's what happens when you Earth Realmers mess with Edenia's best!" Tanya sneered.

Nightwolf and Tanya continued to bash and hack at each other with their weapons for several more minutes, but none of them could seem to best the other. Finally, Nightwolf had enough and decided to show this wicked woman his true power. "I grow weary of this! It is time for you to see the true power of the Great Spirit! Ancestors, give me strength!" Nightwolf cried angrily as he held up one of his tomahawks. He began chanting a spell in an ancient language before a bolt of lightning struck the tomahawk, causing it to light up in blue flames. "Oh, you're a magic man! Is that supposed to impress me?" Tanya scoffed.

Nightwolf swung his fiery weapon around before he slammed it to the ground, creating a massive shockwave that sent Tanya flying back. "Great Spirit, show my enemies your fury!" Nightwolf shouted as he pointed his finger towards Tanya. Suddenly, a blue aura of magical energy came flying over Nightwolf before it took the form of a ferocious wolf. "Kiba, attack!" Nightwolf shouted. The wolf charged towards Tanya and began viciously attacking her, snarling as he bit and slashed at the Edenian woman. "AHH! Get off of me, you-" Tanya screamed before the wolf began shaking her like a rag doll.

As Kiba the Spirit Wolf mauled Tanya, Liu Kang finally gained the upper hand against Rain. Rain had lost his temper and began wildly slashing his katar at Liu Kang, but the humble Shaolin Warrior used this to his advantage. He deflected Rain's blows before counterattacking him with brutal blows with his fists. Rain cried out in both anger and pain as he was struck, but Liu Kang did not stop. In fact, he seemed to intensify his attacks. 

Enraged, Rain created a burst of water energy that sent Liu Kang stumbling back a bit. However, Liu Kang was not going to back down. "I am Earth Realm's Champion, and I will not allow you to stop me!" Liu Kang cried out as he began to surge with fiery energy. "Damn you! You cannot defy me; I am Rain!" Rain practically screamed. "And I am Liu Kang!" the Shaolin Warrior humbly stated before his fists lit up on fire.

Liu Kang then let a fierce battle cry before he created a massive fire ball and threw it at Rain, which sent him flying back great distance before he crashed into a tree and was knocked out cold. After finally defeating Rain, Liu Kang approached his ally Nightwolf, who was standing over Tanya's still body. Though she was not dead, she was out cold due to a loss of blood from her wounds. "We have beaten them, Liu Kang. Should we finish this?" Nightwolf said with a growl. "No. Leave her! Let's just focus on finding a way out of this forest! We must regroup with the others!" Liu Kang said gravely. "Very well! Follow me; the way out is not far." Nightwolf replied. Little did they realize that their battle for escaping Outworld had only begun!

Chapter Text

Jax woke up alone in a dark and hot room somewhere. "What the hell? Where am I? Where is everyone?" Jax muttered groggily as he slowly got up on his feet. As he got a better look at his surroundings, he was noticed that it was a foundry of some sort. Giant metal cauldrons were pouring hot liquid metal into giant square molds before they were slammed by giant iron presses, turning them into solid bricks of gold. "Huh...now there's something you don't see everyday!" Jax muttered to himself.

But before he could take another step, a laser blast knocked back against the wall. "Ow! The hell was that?! Is that Kano?" Jax groaned as he struggled to pull himself out of the wall. Sinister laughter was heard from the shadows, earning more caution from Jax. "Who's there?! Show yourself, you punk!" Jax growled as he finally pulled himself free from the wall.

Another laser blast appeared, but Jax was able to dodge the projectile in time. Jax pounded the ground with his fist, shaking the room. "I know you're here, Kano! Show yourself! We are gonna finish this right now, you and me!" Jax shouted angrily. As he said that, a large muscular Mongolian man approached him with an evil smile on his face. As the man got closer to Jax, he got a better look at him. He wore green cargo pants with black combat boots and a green military cap. But most notable of all, was the cybernetic heart in the center of his chest. "You will not leave this place alive, Jackson Briggs!" the man sneered win a heavy accent.

Jax got wide eyed as he said that. "How the hell do you know who I am? Who are you?!" Jax demanded. The Mongolian laughed sinisterly as he cracked his neck. "I am Hsu Hao of the Red Dragon Clan and I will take pleasure in collecting your head!" the Mongolian snickered evilly. "Red Dragon, huh? Haven't heard from you guys in a while! Guess Kano was too much for you to handle?" Jax taunted. "Do not antagonize me, fool! After I am through killing you, Kano is next!" Hsu Hao snarled.

Jax scoffed as he shook his head, but he pumped his fists together and readied himself for Mortal Kombat. "Man, you gonna get hurt!" Jax teased in a sing-song tone.

Raiden and Fujis found themselves waking up in a dungeon of some sort. "Raiden? Wake up!" Fujin said with alertness in his voice. "Huh? Wait, where are the others?!" Raiden exclaimed. "We've been separated! The portal was not strong enough to take us all through to the other side together at once." Fujin said as he quickly observed his surroundings. "I can only hope that the others made it through alive and in one piece." Raiden said as he was helped up by his brother. As both gods got up on their feet, they made a startling realization. "Raiden? I believe that we are not alone in this place!" Fujin said with a grave tone. "I am well aware of that." Raiden replied snappishly as he summoned his lightning staff.

As soon as he said that, two figures approached them from the darkness. The first figure was a large muscular warrior with brown hair of medium length, carrying a massive sword on his back. He wore iron shoulder guards studded with small spikes, bronze gauntlets on his wrists, and jaguar skin loincloth and boots. But perhaps the most outstanding features of this strange man were his glowing blue eyes and strange glowing green tattoos covering his tanned skin body. 

The other figure was a brown skinned woman cloaked in a green skintight ninja outfit that left little to the imagination and she carried a deadly looking Razor-Rang on her hip and a long metal pole in her hands. "State your business here in Outworld, strangers!" the female ninja warned in a stern tone. Raiden glared at both figures, but Fujin just smiled as he approached them calmly and spoke in his usually calm demeanor. "Greetings, friends. We come in peace." Fujin began. "Do not play me for a fool. Who are you?" the male warrior demanded harshly.

Raiden clenched his fists, but Fujin remained calm. "My name is Fujin and this is my friend and brother, Raiden. We mean you no harm. Do you know the way out of this place? Come, let us leave this dark place together as comrades!" Fujin said kindly. The female ninja in green seemed to settle down as she saw Fujin posed no threat, but the large male warrior didn't seem to buy into it. "Tell the truth. What is it that you really want? Who sent you here? Tell me!" the male warrior demanded.

Raiden finally lost patience and stepped in. "Guard your tone, fool! You speak to a god, the God of Wind to be precise!" Raiden growled. "Is that so? And just who are you, then?" the male warrior sneered. "I am Raiden, God of Thunder! Protector of Earth Realm, and you will show us the respect we deserve!" Raiden commanded. Fujin shook his head and sighed, but the male warrior began to laugh as he paced around the room. "If that is true, then surely you must know that I too am a god! I am Kotal Kahn, leader of the Oshtek Tribe, soon to be emperor of Outworld." the male warrior said proudly.

Raiden narrowed his eyes as he said that. "Kahn?! So, you admit it?" Raiden began. "Admit what?" Kotal demanded. "You admit that you are in league with Earth Realm's greatest enemy, Shao Kahn!" Raiden cried as he pointed his finger at the Oshtek Warrior. Kotal grew angry as he said that and reached for his sword. "You dare question my honor? I am nothing like that tyrant. I seek to unify Outworld for the greater good, not to bring about it's own destruction through constant conquering and warmongering!" Kotal shouted. "You cannot deceive me! I know where you allegiance truly lies! You seek to conquer and destroy Earth Realm! But I will not allow that to happen!" Raiden thundered as he powered his hands with lightning. Kotal drew out his sword and sung it around, letting out a fierce battlecry.

Fujin sighed as he shook his head, knowing that things would escalate due to his brother's temper. "Must you lose your temper every time you meet someone you don't agree with, dear brother?" Fujin groaned in frustration. "If you truly are a god, then why don't you prove it? Show me that you are who you say you are!" the female ninja challenged as she swung her pole around in an intimidating manner. "Please, not you too! I have no wish to fight you!" Fujin said forlornly. "Ha! Afraid to fight a woman?" the female ninja taunted.

Fujin shook his head as he sighed, but he prepared himself for Mortal Kombat. "And what do I call you?" Fujin said with a sigh. "You may call me Jade." the female ninja replied with a smirk. "Jade...I sincerely apologize in advance." Fujin said as he drew out his sword. "Oh, quit your groveling and spare me your pity! Fight me!" Jade cried as she threw her Razor-Rang at him. Fujin deflected it with a burst of wind, much to Jade's surprise. "I do not wish to fight you...but if I must, I will!" Fujin said gravely.

Jax was gaining the upper hand against Hsu Hao, thanks to his cybernetic enhanced arms. "Gotcha!" Jax cried as he grabbed Hsu Hao by the throat and began pummeling him with his fist. He beat him several times before pounding him away, forcing the Mongolian thug onto his back. Hsu Hao growled in anger as he got back up and fired a laser from his chest, but Jax blocked it with his arms before charging towards him.

Jax pounded his fist into Hsu Hao's head several times before he grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Jax beat Hsu Hao with his fists before the Mongolian finally freed himself by head butting the soldier away. "Gah! That the best you got, punk?!" Jax cried out as he wiped blood off his face. Hsu Hao grinned wickedly as he put on some spiky knuckle dusters. "I haven't even started yet, fool!" Hsu Hao sneered. "Good, cuz neither have I!" Jax sneered back as he cracked his knuckles.

Both men charged towards each other, brutally brawling with each other for several more minutes. For each blow Hsu Hao delivered, Jax returned another with much more force. "Give it up, fool! You're no match against the might of the Red Dragon! Once Kano is dead, I will destroy the Black Dragon and rule the world!" Hsu Hao boasted as he grabbed Jax and threw him up into the air before slamming back down into the ground. "Ha! Keep dreaming, punk! You're just another thug to be erased from my shitlist!" Jax retorted as swiped his foot underneath Hsu Hao and tripped him.

Jax then punched the back of Hsu Hao's head, knocking him out cold before he threw him off a balcony that overlooked the foundry. "That's what you get!" Jax spat before he walked off. But before he could find an exit to the foundry, a large laser blast blew a hole from underneath the platform that Jax stood on and Jax fell down below. "Argh! You son of a-" Jax groaned before Hsu Hao kicked him in the face. "Think you can play dirty with me, boy? Think again!" Hsu Hao growled as he grabbed Jax by the scruff of the neck and threw him across the room.

Jax growled with anger as he forced himself back up. "Now you gonna be sorry!" Jax said as he smashed his fist into the ground, creating a shockwave. The shockwave was so powerful, that it sent Hsu Hao flying up into the air. But Jax wasn't finished yet; he leapt up after Hsu Hao and grabbed him before slamming him onto his back, breaking his spine. Hsu Hao screamed loudly in agony as he felt his spine shatter, but Jax would see him suffer. He slammed Hsu Hao to the ground before forcing him back up, only to pound his face again like a punching bag.

Finally, Jax finished Hsu Hao by uppercutting him away into one of the giant square molds. Hsu Hao screamed as he felt the intense heat scorch him while he vainly tried to scurry off the hot press, only to find himself being squashed flat by a giant iron press, splattering bits of gore everywhere. Jax cried out in disgust as some of the Mongolian's blood splattered on his face. "Ugh! Damn it, that's gross!" Jax exclaimed as he wiped the blood off his face.

After cleaning his face, Jax made his way towards a door. "Time to get the hell out of this place!" Jax said out loud as he pushed the doors open. To his surprise, he found himself outside in a rocky, mountainous region. "What in the hell? This doesn't look like Shang Tsung's Island...let alone Earth!" Jax exclaimed as he observed his surroundings. As Jax walked onward, he looked behind him and found out that the foundry he was in was actually a factory of some sort. It looked old and abandoned, despite the fact that the inside was still operational.

As Jax kept walking, he noticed that the land around him was towering with jagged mountains and towering cliffs. As he looked around the strange land, he was unaware that someone was watching him from above one of the cliffs above. After walking for a couple of hours, Jax took a rest underneath a tree on a cliff that overlooked the valley. Jax lit up a cigar and sighed before he smoked.

As he smoked, someone was heard approaching him, thanks to the sound of a branch snapping. "Huh? Who's there?!" Jax cried out as he jolted back up on his feet. "Huh? Jax?! Is that you, brother?" a familiar voice exclaimed from a nearby forest. "Wait, Johnny Cage! Is that you?!" Jax cried. Soon enough, Mr. Hollywood himself showed up as he stepped out of some bushes. "Jax! Dude, you have no idea how happy I am to see you right now!" Johnny Cage said in both exhaustion and excitement as he approached his friend.

As Jax got a better look at Johnny Cage, he was surprised by the state he was in. His clothes were beyond dirty, he was bloodied up and bruised, and he was rank with the smell of death. "Damn, man...you look like shit!" Jax began with a cringe. "You don't have to tell me twice...sarge!" Johnny Cage groaned as he leaned against the tree that Jax sat under. Jax then smirked as clamped his hand on Johnny Cage's shoulder, laughing as he did so. "Now you look like a soldier!" Jax laughed. Johnny Cage chuckled with him before the two shared a brotherly embrace. "Come on, man! Let's go find the others!" Jax said with a bit more optimism. "Ugh, can I at least get a shower first? I smell freakin' awful!" Johnny Cage said almost seriously.

Kotal Kahn roared as he attempted to decapitate Raiden with his sword, but the thunder god teleported away before he was touched. "Face me, coward!" Kotal shouted. Raiden reappeared behind him and sent him flying back with a bolt of lightning. "You will surrender or suffer the consequences!" Raiden threatened. Kotal slung his sword over his shoulders before drawing out a pair of vicious looking hook blades. "You truly do not know who you are dealing with, do you? In my culture, it is better to die with honor than to surrender!" Kotal growled. Raiden sneered as he said that before he twirled his staff around. "Why don't educate me more of your culture, Kotal Kahn?" Raiden challenged. "You will not live to learn a thing!" Kotal growled before he charged forward to attack.

As Raiden and Kotal Kahn continued to battle against each other, Fujin kept dodging and deflecting Jade's attacks much to her frustration. "What is the matter with you? Why do you not fight back?!" Jade cried angrily as she kicked at him. Fujin dodged her kick and flew up before landing back down on his feet, standing behind her. "Please stop this! I meant every word I said before; we mean you no harm!" Fujin pleaded. "Your friend Raiden doesn't seem to agree!" Jade pointed out as Raiden was seen smacking his staff at Kotal Kahn multiple times.

Jade cried out fiercely as she twirled her pole around before swatting at the ground, creating a wave of green magic energy. Fujin jumped up and avoided the attack before he landed back on his feet. "Please stop this, Jade! This is all a misunderstanding! We are not your enemies!" Fujin insisted. "Enough! Your lies are not going to save you! Now stand and fight!" Jade cried angrily as she lunged forward and sent Fujin flying back from a powerful energy charged kick.

Fujin cried out as he was sent flying back against an iron gate. Jade then let out a fierce cry before she ran up towards him and kicked him, hard enough to send him crashing through the gates and into another room. Fujin exclaimed in pain as he smashed into the other room, but Jade planted her foot firmly onto his chest to prevent him from getting back up. "If you won't fight me, then I will finish you!" Jade threatened as she held her pole against Fujin's throat. "No! We mean you no harm! We're simply trying to-" Fujin groaned.

Suddenly, a steel fan was thrown at Jade and forced her off of Fujin. "Enough! Stop this madness at once!" a harsh feminine voice cried out. "What?! Who dares-" Jade began. To her shock, a woman in a revealing blue ninja outfit stepped out of the shadows. It was Kitana! "As Princess of Outworld, I command that you release him!" Kitana said sternly. At first, Jade did not respond. She just stood there in complete and total stunned silence. "Well, are you going to obey my command? Am I not still your princess, Jade? As my bodyguard, you are to do everything that I say!" Kitana said as she folded her arms across her chest.

Finally after another minute of silence, Jade approached Kitana slowly before she did something that neither she or Fujin expected. Jade embraced Kitana, crying out loud tears of joy. "Kitana! You're alive!" Jade sobbed as she tightened her embrace. Kitana raised her eyebrows as she said that. "Um, yes. I am alive, thank you for noticing. Am I missing something here?" Kitana wondered as she hesitantly hugged Jade back. "Oh, Kitana! You have no idea how overjoyed I am to see you! Things have been nothing but chaos and disarray without your presence here in Outworld!" Jade replied as she looked into her eyes.

Kitana became confused, though Fujin was starting become worried. "What do you mean by that? What has happened here in Outworld?" Fujin asked carefully as he stood back up on his feet. "Yes, Jade. What has happened while I was away? I've only been gone for a couple of days. I was over at Shang Tsung's Island to compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Do you not remember?" Kitana said in a worried tone.

Jade stared at her as she said that. "My lady...forgive me for being frank, but you have been gone for 10 years. We assumed that you were dead!" Jade said gravely. Kitana grew wide eyed as she said that, as did Fujin. "What? 10 years?! But that's impossible!" Kitana exclaimed. Suddenly, Raiden and Kotal Kahn were seen crashing into the room the others were in. "YAH! I will show you Oshtek justice yet, Raiden of Earth Realm!" Kotal cried fiercely. "You will do nothing of the sort, Kotal! You will share Shinnok's fate!" Raiden cried back as he surged with electric energy.

Fujin intervened by creating a large gust of wind, separating the two. "Enough! Both of you will listen! There is a matter of grave importance that we must discuss!" Fujin cried sternly. Raiden stared at him in disbelief, while Kotal looked like he was ready to lash out at him. "Why should I listen to anymore of your lies?" Kotal challenged. "Because your Princess commands it, Kotal!" Kitana replied crossly.

Kotal gasped slightly as he stared at Kitana is disbelief. "Princess Kitana?! I don't believe it...this truly is a miracle!" Kotal exclaimed. "Yes, Kotal. I am alive. And I order you to stand down at once!" Kitana sternly said. Kotal nodded his head before he put away his weapons. "As you wish, my lady." Kotal said solemnly. Raiden stared at Kotal and Kitana in confusion, when Fujin approached him with a grave expression on his face. "Brother...there is something you must know." Fujin began. "Lord Raiden! You are all right! Tell me, have you seen Liu Kang?" Kitana said hopefully as she approached Raiden.

Raiden shook his head, much to Kitana's dismay. "We were separated when we entered the portal and crossed here into Outworld. I can only hope that he lives!" Raiden said seriously. "I hope that he is alive as well. I need him!" Kitana said sadly. "Hmm?" Raiden wondered in surprise. "Oh! I, uh...I mean that we need him to help us sort this mess out!" Kitana said as she corrected herself. "Brother? You must know something: We have been gone a lot longer than we thought!" Fujin said seriously.

Raiden got wide eyed as he said that. "What do you mean by that? How is that even possible?" Raiden exclaimed. Jade then approached them alongside Kotal Kahn. "Raiden? If you are who you say you are, then you must know that what I told Princess Kitana is the truth. You have been gone for over 10 years!" Jade said with the utmost seriousness. Raiden was in complete disbelief as he heard this. "This cannot be! How did it come to this? Tell me...what has become of Earth Realm?" Raiden wondered in dismay.

Jade looked at him with a forlorn expression on her face, hanging her head low. "Jade? Please...we must know what has happened." Kitana said with both kindness and firmness. "A lot of things have changed since you were gone, my lady." Jade said sadly. "Jade, please. Tell us everything!" Fujin said. "Perhaps it is best we find safer quarters?" Kotal suggested. "He is right; the shadows have eyes and ears everywhere now!" Jade added. "Very well, then. Lead the way!" Raiden said as he shook his head with a heavy sigh. And with that said, Jade and Kotal began to lead Fujin and Raiden out of the dungeons.

Chapter Text

Spawn woke up in a dark, empty room next to Ryu Hayabusa. Needless to say, he was not happy to find out that Reika Kitami was not present. "Shit! Where are we? Reika! Reika, where are you?!" Spawn exclaimed in shock as he bolted up onto his feet. "What's going on? Where are the others?!" Ryu said as he got up and observed his surroundings. "No! Not again! Reika? REIKA!" Spawn shouted as he frantically searched the room. "We must have been separated when we crossed that portal. I had a feeling it wasn't the most stable portal to begin with-" Ryu began before he saw the dismay on Spawn's face.

Ryu approached him quietly, careful not to further upset him. "Spawn? I know you are worried about Reika Kitami, but we must carry on. I'm sure she will be ok. Come on; let's find a way out of this place together." Ryu said calmly. Spawn sighed heavily but he nodded his head in agreement. "I really do hope she'll be all right." Spawn said softly.

As the two made their way out of the empty room, they found themselves within a vast chamber filled with a strange and evil magic. There were small pillars with large green spheres, pulsing with evil energy. Spawn groaned as he held his head. "What's wrong?" Ryu asked with concern. "This place is evil! But I feel like I've been here before. In fact...I know I've felt this evil energy before. Back on Shang Tsung's Island!" Spawn exclaimed. "Shang Tsung? Something tells me that he doesn't seem like the noble type!" Ryu said gravely. "No, he's more like the soul-sucking worm type. Believe me, he'll get what's coming to him!" Spawn growled.

Suddenly, a strange noise caught the attention of Spawn and Ryu. "What is that?" Ryu wondered as he reached for his katana blade. "I don't know...but we better prepare ourselves." Spawn said as he lit his hands up with Necroplasm. The noise was heard again, this time much louder. It sounded like a thousand angry souls screaming for vengeance.

As Spawn and Ryu braced themselves for battle, they watched a lone figure approach them with what appeared to be a swirling torrent of souls surrounding him. Finally, the figure emerged from the shadows. He appeared to be a humanoid creature wearing an orange and black ninja outfit, but his face was completely wrapped up in black cloth. But that was not the most jarring thing about this figure. His eyes were glowing with bright green magic energy, and glowing green orbs of were flying all around him.

Spawn took a step forward, glaring at the strange figure. "Who are you?" Spawn demanded. As the figure spoke, Spawn and Ryu nearly cried in pain due to the sound of his voice. Or rather, his voices. "We...are...many! You...are...but...one!" the figure bellowed with a thunderous tone. As he spoke, it was like a thousand souls spoke all at once. "My God! Legion?!" Spawn cried out in shock. "We...are...many! We...are...Ermac!" the figure thundered.

Ermac lifted his arms up and let out a tremendous battlecry, summoning an army of undead warriors from the ground. As the undead horde surrounded the two anti-heroes, Spawn growled as he drew out a sword and Ryu silently drew out his katana blade. "Are you ready to show me what you can do with that blade, schoolboy?" Spawn sneered. "Don't worry, Hellspawn. I'll save some for you!" Ryu sneered back.

Meanwhile, Reika Kitami and Kasumi woke up in a beautiful underground grotto of some sort. "Ugh...my head. Wait a minute...Raizo? Honey, where are you?!" Reika exclaimed as she frantically looked around her surroundings. "Huh? Wait, where is everyone? Did we get separated?!" Kasumi cried as she got up on her feet. As Reika and Kasumi got up and searched around the grotto, they came to the realization that they were once again separated  "Damn it! I can't believe we got separated again!" Reika cried out in frustration. "Maybe that portal wasn't as strong as we thought!" Kasumi suggested. "Yeah, no kidding! We gotta find a way out of here and find the others! Poor Raizo must be having a heart attack by now, worrying about me!" Reika replied.

Kasumi smiled sheepishly as she said that. "You're rather fond of this Raizo, aren't you?" Kasumi said with a giggle. Reika smiled as she said that. "You could say that, dear. And I think you seem to be quite fond of that Ryu, huh?" Reika teased as she nudged Kasumi playfully. Kasmui blushed as she said that, earning a laugh from Reika. "Oh, come on honey! Don't be shy; it's rather obvious you have a thing for him. It's adorable!" Reika said with a cheerful smile.

Kasumi stopped smiling, earning a look from Reika. "Honey, what's wrong? Was it something I said?" Reika wondered. "Oh, don't worry! It's not your fault. I know that you didn't mean anything by it." Kasumi said sadly. "Wait...does Ryu know how you feel about him?" Reika asked as she touched Kasumi's shoulder gently. "I, uh...I never really got the chance to tell him. With the way we live and all-" Kasumi began. "Honey! If you don't tell him how you feel now, you may never get the chance." Reika scolded.

Kasumi sighed heavily as she shook her head. "Look, I want to tell him. I really do! But the thing is-" Kasumi began before she stopped herself. "What is it?" Reika pressed. "I don't know if he feels the same. And right now, I think that the only thing Ryu cares about is avenging the death of his family and clan. Besides, how exactly do I tell him about my feelings if he doesn't have any for me?" Kasumi blurted out with bitter tears.

Reika sighed as she shook her head, but she surprised the shinobi by drying her eyes before holding her in a loving embrace. "It's ok, honey. I understand how you feel. More than you know!" Reika whispered compassionately. "You do?" Kasumi asked in surprise. "Yes, I do. Men can be difficult sometimes. Sometimes they try not to show emotion or affection because they're afraid that it makes them look weak or vulnerable. But deep down, I know that Raizo loves me. And you know what? I know that Ryu loves you too. But you won't know for certain unless you tell him how you feel. Do you understand?" Reika said seriously.

Kasumi sniffled as she nodded her head. "Yes, I understand. Thank you!" Kasumi said as she smiled again. "Good. Now come on; let's find a way out of this place!" Reika as she gently broke the embrace. But as they left to find the way out, they were unaware that two figures were watching them from the shadows. "Think we can take them out now?" the first figure sneered. "No...not yet. Let's just keep a low profile and follow them for now." the other figure replied.

Spawn and Ryu Hayabusa had slain countless undead warriors, but there seemed to be no signs of them slowing down or letting up. "Damn it! How many of these fucking things are there?!" Spawn cried out as he blasted a bunch of the undead away with a ball of Necroplasm. "Complaining about it won't make it easier. We need to find a way to get to Ermac. He's the one we need to take out!" Ryu pointed out as he finished slaying another group of undead warriors. Spawn grunted in agreement before he used his cape to clear away another group of the undead, creating an open space for them to break through. "Now! Quickly, follow me!" Spawn called out.

As Spawn and Ryu rushed towards Ermac to attack, they were both given the shock of a lifetime as Ermac lifted them both up into the air before slamming them back down into the ground with his green magic energy. "AUGH! Shit...what the hell was that?!" Spawn exclaimed as he struggled to get back up on his feet. "He's a telepath! I've dealt with this kind of power before. We'll have to work together if we're to take him down. I'll attack him from the rear while you distract him!" Ryu instructed. "All right. Give me a minute!" Spawn groaned as he got up and popped his shoulder back into place.

Spawn growled as he lit up his hands with Necroplasm before he threw several balls of the hellish energy at Ermac. Ermac grunted as he was hit, but he showed no signs of weakness or slowing down. Ermac fired a streak of green energy at Spawn, but he was able to dodge the explosive projectile before he counterattacked him with his chains. "I don't care how many of you are in there! I'll take you all out!" Spawn cried defiantly as he lashed out at the mystic abomination with his chains. "We...have...encountered...your kind...in the past!" Ermac snarled. "I may not be the first Spawn...but I'm the best!" Spawn sneered as he blasted Ermac with another ball of Necroplasm. 

As Spawn battled with Ermac, Ryu snuck around and began sneaking up on Ermac from behind. The ninja finally struck with quick speed and ferocity, catching Ermac completely off guard as he pierced his katana blade into his back. "Return to whatever hell you came from, you damn devil!" Ryu growled as he tore the katana sword out, spilling Ermac's blood everywhere.

But to his horror, Ermac only seemed to get angry from the sneak attack. "We...will...destroy...your...soul!" Ermac roared as he turned around and sent Ryu flying back with a powerful kick. "I don't understand this! That should have killed you! What kind of magic do you possess?" Ryu exclaimed as he got back up. Ermac fired a stream of green magic energy at Ryu, but the ninja was dodge the attack before he threw a bunch of razor sharp shuriken at Ermac. Though the razor sharp weapons hit him, Ermac still showed no signs of slowing down.

Spawn attempted to help out by grabbing Ermac with his chains from behind. "Back off!" Spawn growled as he lifted Ermac up into the air before slamming him into one of the strange pillars. As he did that, the pillar was smashed to pieces and and the green orb was shattered, releasing a strange magic energy that emitted a horrifying scream as it hit Ermac with a great force and flew through him.

Ermac cried out in pain as this happening, catching Spawn and Ryu's attention. "Wait...those pillars seem to possess the same kind of magic energy that Ermac uses. Spawn, destroy those pillars. I'll keep Ermac busy!" Ryu cried out. "You got it, schoolboy!" Spawn said with a smirk. "All right, Ermac. Time to show you the true power of the Dragon Ninja Clan!" Ryu challenged. "We...will...take great...pleasure...in destroying you!" Ermac shouted furiously as he levitated himself up into the air.

Meanwhile, Reika and Kasumi finally found an exit to the underground grotto they were trapped in. "There it is; that looks like the way out." Reika cried as she pointed towards a large stone door. "All right, what are we waiting for?" Kasumi said as she began running towards the door. But before she could take another step, a large ball of fluid forced her back. "AUGH! What in the...it's blood! Something...or someone threw a ball of blood at me!" Kasumi cried out in disgust. "My, aren't you clever?" a harsh feminine voice sneered from the shadows.

The two women turned to see a vampire with large bat-like wings on her back and dressed in skimpy gothic style clothing slowly saunter her way out of the shadows. "Who...or what are you supposed to be?!" Kasumi demanded. "I am Nitara, and I'm going to enjoy draining you of your precious blood, my dear!" the vampire sneered with evil delight. "You're more than welcome to try!" Kasumi cried out defiantly as she drew out her katana sword.

As Kasumi stood her ground and readied herself for Kombat against Nitara, another figure emerged from the shadows and approached Reika in an intimidating manner. He was a fairly tall man in a black leather trench coat with a red interior and silver shoulder pads, as well as black leather pants and spiked metal boots. His hair was black and his eyes were cold and menacing like a snake, but the same could be said of his nature. "You're a long way from home, my dear. You'd best surrender if you value your life!" the man said with an evil smile. Reika snorted as he said that, using her magic to create a bound sword. "You think I'm afraid of you, asshole? Who do you think you are?" Reika snarled.

The man smirked as she said that, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a pair of hook swords. "The name's Mavado, and I'm the leader of the Red Dragon. It's obvious you aren't from around here, but that being said...don't expect me to play nice or fair!" Mavado snickered. "I've dealt with worse than you! Bring it on!" Reika cried angrily. "Oh, I like you already! Hope you like it rough, sweetheart!" Mavado said as he twirled his hook swords around. "Don't worry, I won't rape you!" Reika sneered with a devilish smirk of her own.

Back with Spawn and Ryu, Ermac was proving more than a match against them due to his powers. But that wasn't going to stop either of the anti-heroes from fighting back. "Come on! Is that the best you've got, you devil? I've fought worse than you!" Ryu taunted as he leapt up into the air and slashed down at Ermac. Ermac cried out with both pain and anger as he started showing signs of slowing down, while Ryu intensified his attacks. "You're not going to stop me from avenging my family and clan!" Ryu cried fiercely as he violently slashed his katana at Ermac.

Ermac growled as he forced Ryu away with a burst of magic, but Ryu regained himself before swinging his sword around in an intimidating manner. But this did not faze Ermac in the slightest. "You...fight...well...for a mortal!" he said with a dark laugh. "Like I said, I've dealt with worse than you!" Ryu retorted. "We...shall...give you...a warrior's death!" Ermac said as he held his hand out, surging it with magic energy.

Spawn had nearly destroyed all of the strange pillars with green orbs, but ran into a bit of trouble with another horde of undead warriors as they prevented him from reaching the last pillar. "Damn it! Get the hell out of my way, you fuckers!" Spawn snarled as he started smashing their skulls with a war club. He eventually killed the last undead warrior by stabbing his sword into his head before yanking it out and decapitating him. "Ugh! I fucking hate those things!" Spawn growled before he approached the last pillar.

With a mighty cry, Spawn smashed the last pillar with a kick. As the pillar was smashed, the magic energy that was trapped in the orb was freed and flew towards Ermac, who was choking Ryu with a dark magic grasp. Ermac cried out as he was hit once more, but as the magic left his body again, his reaction was different. This time, Ermac started screaming and howling with great pain and agony as his body started burning up. The magic that was coursing inside of Ermac's body was now leaving him, destroying his body in the process. "Come on, schoolboy! What are you waiting for? Finish him off!" Spawn cried out as he found himself being surrounded by yet another horde of the undead.

Ryu nodded his head before he finished off Ermac in a gruesome manner. He slashed off both of Ermac's arms before ramming his katana sword into his chest, piercing his heart. Ryu then put on a vicious pair of steel clawed gauntlets called Falcon Talons before he stabbed and slashed him wildly. Eventually, Ryu rammed one of them into Ermac's head, ripping it clean off his body. A massive geyser of blood sprayed everywhere, but Ryu did not seem to care one bit. He tossed Ermac's head to the ground before he cleaned the blood off his weapons. He grabbed his sword and flicked the blood off before sheathing it. "I am not going to die today, Ermac!" Ryu whispered defiantly.

While that happened, all the undead warriors that were under Ermac's control disintegrated, and their souls flew up into the air before they disappeared from sight. "Hmm...so that bastard was controlling them after all!" Spawn grumbled. "By destroying Ermac, we have freed the souls of the damned under his control." Ryu said gravely as he approached Spawn. "Yeah, I think I figured that out schoolboy. By the way, nice job finishing off that mummified bastard!" Spawn said. "Thank you for the compliment, Hellspawn. You fought pretty well yourself!" Ryu replied with a bow of his head.

Spawn nodded his head before he caught a glimpse of light up above a set of stone stairs. "Finally! A way out of this fucking dump! Come on; let's get out of here!" Spawn said with relief. "Yes. We must find the others...if they are still alive!" Ryu said grimly. "Cut that shit out, will you?! Of course they're alive! They have to be...I just know it!" Spawn snapped. "I hope you're right!" Ryu said with a sad sigh.

Reika and Kasumi continued their battle against Nitara and Mavado, who were surprisingly smarter and tougher than they appeared. That said, both women would stop at nothing to get back to their friends. Kasumi used her katana sword to parry Nitara's vicious claw attacks and kicked her away with her feet. "Crawl back to whatever cave you came from, you monster!" Kasumi cried out fiercely.

Nitara cackled as she spread her wings and created a ball of blood with her hands. "You seem quite brave for a mere mortal. I promise not to waste a single drop of your precious blood, dearie!" Nitara sneered as she threw the ball of blood at Kasumi. Kasumi dodged the nasty projectile before she threw a couple of razor sharp kunai back at Nitara. The vampire cried out as she was hit, but the pain she felt fueled her rage. "Now I will drain you slowly!" Nitara snarled as she bared her fangs. "Bring it on! I am not afraid of you!" Kasumi cried defiantly. 

As the two charged towards each other and intensified their fighting, Reika and Mavado continued their own battle. The Red Dragon leader used both speed and brute strength to try and overwhelm Reika, but the witch used her own cunning and magic to teleport away and counter attack him with her bound sword. "You're a lot tougher than you look, sweetheart." Mavado smirked as he wiped blood from his lips. "Am I too much for you?" Reika sneered as she slashed her bound sword at his direction.

Though the magic ethereal blade did not touch Mavado, the force of her swing caused a wave of dark magic to come flying towards him and sent him flying back. Mavado cried out as he flew across the grotto and slammed against the wall. "AUGH! Damn you, woman! That hurt!" Mavado cried out in both pain and anger. "I thought you said you liked it rough, big boy! Here, have some more!" Reika taunted as she used dark magic to grasp onto him. As she lifted him up into the air, Reika began to laugh sinisterly as she began to choke him. "I have killed far worse than you, fool! This is nothing to me!" Reika laughed devilishly.

Reika slammed Mavado to the ground, cracking his ribs from the forceful impact. "ARGH! I guess I should be impressed with you, woman. Not many people have ever been able to hurt me!" Mavado growled as he slowly got back up. Reika smirked in defiance as he said that, further angering Mavado. "Alas! I...am...not!" Mavado seethed as he grabbed his hook swords. As he twirled them around, Reika attempted to charge forward and attack. But this time, Mavado was ready. He suddenly pulled out a flash grenade and threw it at the witch, blinding her with a bright flash of light.

Mavado screamed with fury as he then charged towards Reika, slashing at her viciously with his hook swords. "Hmph! I thought you'd be more of a challenge than this! I guess you truly were all talk, after all!" Mavado sneered after he snagged Reika with his hook swords and slammed her to the ground. Reika groaned as she slowly got back up, holding her bloody wounds. "I'm not scared of you, asshole! I've killed many evil men like you! I can tell you enjoy making innocents suffer, and I'm telling you right now that I'm gonna make you suffer for all the evil deeds you've done! Every...single...one!" Reika growled angrily. "Fuck you, whore! They got what they deserved. But I promise that your death will ten times as slow and agonizing as theirs were!" Mavado snarled as he lunged forward.

Reika was able to dodge some of his attacks, but she underestimated his skills and was eventually forced back down on the ground after being slashed and cut up some more. "AUGH! You...fucking...animal! That hurt!" Reika screamed as she laid on her back. "You know nothing of pain, foolish whore! Pain is not a feeling. Pain has a face...allow me to show it to you!" Mavado sneered as he raised his hookswords up for another strike. Reika was able to roll away before the blade hit her, and struggled to get back up as Mavado paced around her like a vulture.

Mavado began to laugh as he continued pacing around his prey. "You should be on your knees thanking me for putting you out of your misery! And if that fine looking redhead ninja manages to survive against Nitara...oh, man! Don't even get me started on what I'll do to her!" Mavado taunted. This made Reika really mad as he said that. "FUCK YOU!" Reika roared as she found herself gaining a burst of magic. She grabbed Mavado with her dark telekinetic power before she threw him up into the air, slamming him into the ceiling. She slammed him back down into the ground before she used her magic to slam him into the wall, shattering it in the process.

Mavado had dropped his weapons from Reika's sudden burst of magical rage, so she was able to pick one of them up and would now use it to finish him off. "You might be able to hurt me, but nobody lays a hand on my friends and gets away with it!" Reika shouted as her eyes glowed bright purple with rage. Reika then stabbed the hook sword into his gut, making Mavado cry out as blood spewed from his mouth. "Look at me!" Reika snarled as she kept tearing across Mavado's gut, tearing him wide open. Mavado screamed loudly in howling agony, but Reika grabbed hold of his face and forced him to stare into her eyes. "You're not so tough, shit head!" Reika seethed as she spilled out the thug's guts and finally killed him.

While Reika Kitami finally finished off Mavado, Kasumi finally overpowered Nitara in a spectacularly bloody manner. "Give it up, she-devil! There's no way out of this!" Kasumi cried as she held her sword in a defensive position. "RAAAHH! I will devour your soul, you wretched little-" Nitara roared before Kasumi roundhouse kicked her in the face. The force of the kick was so great that it sent Nitara crashing into the wall. Kasumi then threw several kunai at Nitara's hands and feet, pinning her to the wall. 

Nitara screamed in pain as the sharp weapons pierced her hands and feet, but Kasumi would see her dead. "Just remember...you brought this upon yourself!" Kasumi said gravely before she rammed her sword into Nitara's chest, piercing her heart. Nitara screamed and howled in pain as blood and foam poured from her mouth, but Kasumi permanently silenced her by tearing out her sword and disemboweled her before cutting off her head.

Kasumi took a deep breath and sighed before she cleaned her sword and sheathed it. "May your spirit find peace!" Kasumi whispered sadly. Kasumi approached a pool of water and washed her face clean of blood, when Reika approached her direction. She, too, was covered in blood. "Reika? Are you ok?" Kasumi asked with great concern. Suddenly, to her shock, Reika stripped naked and jumped into the pool of water! "REIKA! What are you doing?! REIKA!" Kasumi screamed in shock.

After a few minutes of haunting silence, Reika emerged from the water gasping loudly before she shook her head and stepped out of the pool. "Oh! Oh good God that is cold!" Reika cried out loud as she shook dripping water off her arms before grabbing a nearby cloth to dry herself. Kasumi raised her eyebrows and blushed bright red as she tried not to stare at Reika's nudity. Reika noticed her shyness and giggled as she finished drying herself off and grabbed her clothes. "Don't mind me, honey. I'm not shy about my body!" Reika teased with a flirtatious giggle as she playfully fondled her breasts. "I, uh...I can see that!" Kasumi stuttered as she averted her eyes.

After Reika dressed herself, she approached Kasumi and giggled as she playfully nudged her. "Should we get going? Or did you want to go next?" Reika suggested with a naughty smile. "I'm fine, thank you! We should get out of here and find the others!" Kasumi replied snappishly. Reika sighed as she shook her head, but her smile did not leave her face. "I'll help you build your confidence yet, sweetie!" Reika whispered with a sneaky grin. The two women finally made their way towards the stone door and escaped the grotto, hoping that they would find their friends again. Fate dictated that they would, but fate also had other things in store for them, as they would soon find out!

Chapter Text

After a few hours of traveling through dark dungeons and endless caverns, Kotal Kahn and Jade had led Raiden, Fujin, and Kitana towards the surface of Outworld. After a short rest, they traveled towards an abandoned ruins of old stone buildings. "Where are you taking us?" Fujin wondered as they approached a seemingly abandoned stone temple. "Wait, what is this place? Is this...Outworld?" Kitana cried. "What's left of it, I'm afraid!" Kotal said grimly. "What do you mean by that? What has happened here?!" Raiden demanded sternly.

Kotal opened a large stone door and bade everyone to enter the room; it was a vast room full of old ancient Mayan weapons and gear. In the center of the room was a large stone throne, and on each side were large totems of Mayan origin. "This is the my headquarters. I had several other places like this all around Outworld, but they were found and destroyed by the enemy!" Kotal explained as he sat himself on the stone throne. "Who attacked you? Was it Shao Kahn?" Raiden wondered.

Kotal and Jade looked at each other and sighed before they both began to explain themselves. "It happened just as Shang Tsung's Island was attacked by those strange demonic forces. It started out as mere skirmishes between us and these demons. But then...he appeared!" Jade began in a somber tone of voice. "A demon with the face of a skull and armor as black and foul as the pits of hell itself!" Kotal added with seething anger in his voice. "Skulker!" Raiden said with anger of his own. "So that's what this demon calls himself! Nevertheless, he has somehow managed to find his way here in Outworld. And Hell has followed him!" Kotal continued.

Jade then stepped up and put a map on a large stone table. "They attacked Outworld from this point, here starting at the Wastes! This...Skulker and his forces began spreading their terrible destruction through the Falling Cliffs all the way to the Sea of Blood. They eventually broke through Shao Kahn's defenses before surrounding Shao Kahn's Fortress. Shao Kahn and the last of his allies fought as hard as they could to try and keep the invaders back...but they proved too much and eventually overwhelmed them. Had it not been for Kotal, I would have been slain like countless others." Jade explained with sadness in her voice.

Fujin gave a frown of despair, while Kitana looked completely dumbfounded by what she was hearing. "I don't believe this! Shao Kahn was defeated by this monster?! How is this possible?" Kitana exclaimed. "He is not emperor of Outworld. Not anymore!" Kotal began. "Wait, is he...dead?" Kitana began in shock. "No...he has been imprisoned. I do not know where, though!" Kotal answered. "And I suppose you claim to be emperor now, Kotal?" Raiden challenged. Kotal glared at him as he said that, but Jade gave him a look to calm him down. "Once we defeat this new threat, I intend to bring Outworld together to rebuild and renew." Kotal said a bit more collectively. "And then what happens?" Raiden pressed. "Brother, enough! Can't you see that these people have suffered enough?!" Fujin cried out angrier than he had ever been.

Raiden turned around and gave him a surprised look, but Kitana also gave him a dark look. "Jade and I have been through much together, Lord Raiden. I trust her! And I think you should too!" Kitana added with anger of her own. Raiden sighed as he shook his head. "How is it that you managed to escape from Skulker and his forces?" Raiden asked after a moment of silence. "We were able to escape just before Skulker and his forces had broken through into the fortress. We sought refuge in the Living Forest for a time, but Skulker and his forces found us." Kotal began before he became silent.

Jade touched his shoulder to comfort him. "Many of the other survivors from the attack on Shao Kahn's Fortress had been of great help to us trying to get others to fight back. But there have also been many losses along the way." Jade explained as she rubbed Kotal's shoulder. "Some of my best warriors were slaughtered by Skulker and his minions! Now, I am afraid that there are only a few of us left." Kotal said as he shook his head. "All your allies have been wiped out? How could this have happened?" Raiden asked. "I know that we have been betrayed! I just don't know who the culprit is yet. But when I find out who the betrayer is-" Kotal growled as he pounded his fist angrily.

Jade firmly gripped his hand to calm him, and it seemed to work. "Forgive me! But I have suffered much loss in these past 10 years trying to reclaim Outworld. It is almost as if we take one step forward and our enemy seems to be two steps ahead of us. I often wonder if it is at all worth it...all this death and loss!" Kotal said in a much more depressed tone.

Fujin approached him with a grave expression on his face. "You mustn't give up hope, Kotal! If you truly wish to help save Outworld, then you must keep fighting! If you seek new allies, then look no further! We are more than happy to help!" Fujin said as he gently touched Kotal's shoulder. Raiden smiled as he approached Kotal. "If it is a fight that Skulker wants, then by the Elder Gods we shall give him one he won't soon forget!" Raiden said boldly.

Kotal stood up from his stone throne, feeling his confidence coming back. "Then come, let us prepare ourselves for battle!" Kotal triumphantly proclaimed. "Where to, if I may ask?" Kitana asked. "My scouts have located a stronghold of Shao Kahn's that was overwhelmed with Skulker's forces. It overlooks the Outworld Wastelands. If we can retake this stronghold, then we might have a chance to retake Outworld." Kotal explained as he led them out of the temple. "Come brother! It will be just like old times, the two of us fighting for justice!" Fujin said with an excited tone. Raiden only chuckled in response.

Meanwhile at the other side of Outworld, Liu Kang and Nightwolf finally made their way out of the Living Forest and found themselves wandering into some abandoned ruins. "We finally made it out of that wretched place!" Liu Kang said as he brushed some twigs and leaves off himself. "We are in Outworld, of that there is no doubt!" Nightwolf said gravely. Everywhere they looked, there were many stone buildings lying in ruin. "What happened here? Looks as if this place was attacked." Liu Kang said as he observed the destruction all around him. "Not attacked, Liu Kang. Invaded! Look over there!" Nightwolf said grimly as he pointed.

He was right; there was an entire army of Outworld soldiers that had been massacred. Some of the bodies looked like they had been there for years, and others looked fresh. "Who could have done this? It can't have been Skulker...could it?" Liu Kang wondered out loud. "Who else could it have been, Liu Kang?" Nightwolf snapped angrily.

But before Liu Kang could give him an answer, two familiar voices were heard. "Man, I am telling you right now...when I get home, I'm never setting foot outside of my house again!" one of the voices said out of breath. "Man, what are you gonna do? Spend the rest of your life hiding in your fancy little mansion? Grow up!" another snapped. "Wait, is that who I think it is?" Liu Kang said out loud. "Hey, wait! Who is that? Liu Kang, is that you?! Boy am I glad to see you! You have no idea what I had went through these past couple of...wait, how long have we been out here again?" Johnny Cage chattered. "How the hell should I know? It feels like I woke up a couple hours ago! But listening to you complain makes it feel like days!" Jax snapped again as he lit up another cigar.

Nightwolf widened his eyes as he said that. "You said you woke up? I myself feel like I have woken up merely hours ago. But when I look around this forsaken place, it feels like years have passed us by!" Nightwolf said in a serious tone. The others felt really uneasy as he said that. "Damn! When you put it that way-" Jax began before he took a long drag from his cigar. "Wait a minute! If we've been gone for years...does that mean everyone else is-" Johnny Cage began with great concern in his voice. "That is not a pleasant thought at all!" Liu Kang admitted.

But before another word could be said, two women were seen approaching their direction. "Well, at least we finally made it out of that armory." one of the women said. "This place isn't much of an improvement. I mean, I've never seen such a wasteland, and I've been in some shitty places before!" the other woman replied. "Hey, it's Sonya! She made it!" Jax cried out in relief. "And that other girl. What was her name, again? Lana Craft?" Johnny Cage said. "I heard that! It's Lara Croft!" the brunette woman snapped. "Right! I totally knew that!" Johnny Cage said stupidly.

As the two women reunited with the others, they seemed relieved to see that their allies were still alive. "Jax! I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece, soldier!" Sonya said with a smile. "Come on, princess! You know it's gonna take more than some cyber ninjas, demons, or some washed up Red Dragon thug to take me out!" Jax chuckled as he tossed his now useless cigar away. "Wait, what? You fought one of the Red Dragon?! I barely held my own against some freakin' minotaur!" Sonya exclaimed angrily. "Hey, don't forget that I saved your ass!" Lara sneered.

Sonya glared at her as she said that, but Lara just smirked as she leaned her back against a stone wall with her arms crossed. "You fought a minotaur?! Wow, and I thought I had it rough! I was only fighting some asshole on the top of a mountain!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. Sonya sighed heavily as she shook her head. "Cage...shut up, please!" Sonya groaned in annoyance. "Hey! Where are the others? Did they make it?" Lara asked as she noticed they were short on people. "I do not know where they are, but I hope that they are alive!" Liu Kang answered in a saddened tone. "Well, where else could they be? They've got to be here in this place somewhere!" Lara said as she stepped away from the wall.

After a moment of silent observation, Lara found something. "Hey, look! I see smoke coming from that direction! Maybe the others are over there somewhere!" Lara pointed out. She was right; there was a huge column of smoke coming up from what appeared to be a village of some sort. "Do you really believe that?" Sonya questioned. "We won't know for sure just by standing around here! Come on!" Lara said as she drew out her bow. "She's right; we've wasted enough time as it is." Nightwolf agreed.

Sonya sighed, but nodded her head. "All right then. Lead the way!" Sonya said as she cracked her knuckles. "Yeah, off to the next chapter of our little adventure. What will they throw at us next? Hopefully nothing cliche like zombies!" Johnny Cage joked. "Cage, I will beat you if you don't shut up this instant!" Sonya snarled. Johnny Cage took the hint and shut his mouth, but little did he realize that he and the others were in for quite the nasty surprise that would soon follow!

Chapter Text

It took the Earth Realm heroes a while, but they eventually reached the source of the smoke. They had reached a village that had been burned to the ground, but that wasn't what had shocked them into stunned silence. In the center of the village, there was a huge pile of burning bodies. The bodies also looked freshly dead. "Umm...ok. This isn't freakin' scary at all!" Johnny Cage said out loud with a shaky voice. "What the hell happened here, man?" Jax wondered. "It looks like we're witnessing the aftermath of a massacre!" Lara Croft said as she observed her surroundings.

Sonya Blade knelt down by a burnt corpse and examined it, noticing that something was a bit off. "Hmm...I recognize that smell. It smells like...gasoline!" Sonya muttered as she sniffed the air. "I smell it too!" Nightwolf said as he noticed the smell. "So, what? Are the bad guys using flamethrowers now?" Johnny Cage said stupidly. "Cage, would you please...Oh shit!" Sonya began before she caught sight of something in the distance. "What's wrong, Sonya?" Johnny Cage said before he noticed it too. "Oh, no...you've gotta be kidding me!" Johnny Cage groaned.

The others soon noticed it as well; there was a large horde of undead zombies slowly staggering towards them. There must have been at least 40 or 50 of them, and they looked hungry for flesh! "Well, I guess you were right after all. We're up against zombies now!" Sonya said with a sigh. "I immediately regret being right about this!" Johnny Cage replied as he shook his head. "Ah, come on you two! We fought against an army of demons in Hell! This will be easy!" Jax sneered as he pounded his fists together. "He's right! We've made it this far!" Liu Kang said as he drew out his nunchucks. "Ancestors, guide me!" Nightwolf cried as he drew out his war club. "All right, let's make this quick!" Johnny Cage muttered.

But before another word could be said or another step be taken, a large stream of flames were shot at the direction of the zombies. "Whoa! What the fuck?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in shock. "Where did that come from?" Jax cried. "Over there at by that stone temple! Look!" Lara pointed out. She was right; there was a stone temple in ruins close by the zombies, and a large stream of flames was seen shooting from that direction.

As soon as the zombies were burnt to a crisp, a figure was seen approaching the toasted corpses of the zombies and fired short controlled bursts of submachine gun fire at them to make sure that they stayed dead. "Is that the last of them?" a masculine voice cried out from the temple. "It better be; we're running real low on ammo as it is!" the armed figure replied with a feminine voice. As she finished shooting the last zombie, the armed figure darted back into the stone temple.

The Earth Realm Heroes looked at each other, wondering what just happened. "You think they're friendly?" Jax wondered. "Well, they just killed those zombies for us. So, I guess they're good guys...maybe?" Johnny Cage added. "I guess there's only one way to find out." Sonya said seriously. The others nodded their heads, knowing what she meant and followed her towards the stone temple.

As the Earth Realm Heroes approached the stone temple cautiously, not knowing how these strangers would respond. "How do you want to handle this, Sonya?" Jax whispered. "We start off easy. Then if problems arise, we go in hard and take them out!" Sonya replied with a smirk. "I like that; it's short and simple. Easy to remember!" Johnny Cage quipped. Sonya smirked at his response before she approached the steps of the stone temple's entrance. "Hey! We know you're in there! Come on out!" Sonya shouted with a stern tone.

Lara Croft rolled her eyes as she said that. "Oh, that's a great way to introduce yourself!" she muttered. "We mean you no harm! Come out and show yourselves!" Liu Kang called out as he stepped forward. A solid minute passed and there was no answer. "We wanted to thank you for toasting those zombies for us!" Johnny Cage announced with a nervous laugh.

After another moment of silence, there was still no answer. "Ok, we're doing this the hard way! Come on, let's take them down!" Sonya said as she planted an explosive charge to the stone temple's front door. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Lara challenged. "I know what I'm doing!" Sonya snapped as she motioned for everyone to stand back.

After Sonya detonated the explosive, she, Jax, and Johnny Cage quickly made their way inside the stone temple. Lara Croft remained outside with Nightwolf and Liu Kang. "She has no idea what she's doing!" Lara said as she folded her arms across her chest. "I guess we'll go in after them if something happens!" Liu Kang said with a shrug. "I just hope for the others' sake they don't get killed because of her recklessness!" Lara muttered. "Perhaps it's best that she learn this way!" Nightwolf agreed as he crossed his arms.

As Sonya and her group went inside, they were surprised when they couldn't seem to find traces of the two strangers. "Uh, ok...this is weird! There's nobody here but us!" Johnny Cage stated. "It can't be! Where the hell are these guys?" Jax exclaimed. "Huh! Maybe they somehow escaped before we got inside this temple." Sonya began.

Suddenly, a flash grenade was thrown into the room that everyone was in. "Look out!" Jax cried out before he was blinded. Everyone was caught off guard from the bright flash and soon became disoriented. But if that wasn't bad enough, someone grabbed Sonya from behind and held a knife to her throat. "Gah! What the-" Sonya began before she felt the blade tip touch her neck. "Make another move or a sound, and I'll cut your throat!" a feminine voice snarled.

Jax and Johnny Cage were quickly subdued before they were tied up with rope and forced to sit on the ground. "Damn, man! Whoever you are, you hit hard!" Jax groaned. "Shut it! Don't make any sudden moves or I'll fry you to a crisp!" a harsh masculine voice growled. Jax and Johnny Cage were able to get a good look at who it was standing in front of them.

He was a well built muscular white man with short brown hair and wore a green bulletproof vest and military khakis, complete with military boots. He was also armed with a flamethrower, and he was aiming it at both Jax and Johnny Cage. "I've got them taken care of. Go ahead!" the man said in a gruff voice. The other figure nodded her head before she pinned Sonya to the wall, not taking her knife away from Sonya's neck.

As the woman searched Sonya for any hidden weapons, Jax and Johnny Cage got a better look at her. She was a young white woman with short brown cropped hair with a blue military cap. She also wore a black colored light armored vest with a light blue long sleeved shirt underneath, grey cargo pants with black knee pads and a black leather pistol holsters, and black combat boots.

After removing Sonya's weapons and gear, the woman began to examine Sonya's body, much to her anger and shock. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sonya demanded. "Do you have any bites or scratches on you?" the woman replied simply. "Excuse me?" Sonya snapped. "Are you bitten or scratched?!" the woman shouted. "No, I'm not! Now what is the meaning of this?" Sonya snapped again losing her patience.

After another solid tense minute, the woman nodded her head to the man with the flamethrower. "She's clean!" the woman announced before handcuffing Sonya to a stone table. "All right. I'll examine these guys. All right, you two! Let's go, get up!" the man said harshly. "Boy, you really wanna be starting something here?" Jax threatened. "I said get up, asshole! Don't make me kill you!" the man snarled as he hit Jax in the back of the head with the nozzle of his flamethrower. "OW! Man, that hurt!" Jax cried out in pain. "Whoa, go easy there! What do you think is going on here? You think we're one of those zombies?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "That's what we're trying to figure out. Now get up; I won't say it again!" the man with the flamethrower said sternly.

But before he or the woman could make another move, an arrow was shot at their direction. "That's enough! Let them go, now!" Lara Croft shouted. The man with the flamethrower took aim and the woman drew out a pistol and took aim as well. "This doesn't concern you! Get out of here before you regret it!" the woman threatened as she fingered the trigger. "Listen to me! There is a misunderstanding here, all right? Just let them go and we can talk this through." Lara said in a stern but calm tone while aiming her bow at the two strangers.

As she spoke, Liu Kang and Nightwolf stood by her side and prepared for Kombat if needed. "We have no wish to harm you." Nightwolf began. "But you must release our friends!" Liu Kang finished. The man with the flamethrower and armed woman grew tense, but as they looked at each other they began to soften up a bit. Finally, after another tense moment of silence, the two strangers lowered their weapons. "All right, Jill. Let them go!" the man began. "What?! But Chris-" the woman exclaimed. "If they really were infected, they would've attacked us by now. Let them go!" the man sternly insisted.

The woman sighed, but did what she was told and released the other Earth Realm heroes. "Sorry about this, guys. We've been up against the undead for days. Surely, you understand!" the man with the flamethrower said in a more friendly tone. "What's done is done. What did you same your names were?" Lara replied as she slung her bow over her shoulder. "I'm Chris Redfield and this is my partner Jill Valentine." the man said as he removed his flamethrower and put it down on another stone table.

After Sonya, Jax, and Johnny Cage were freed, Jill gave them back their weapons and gear. "Sorry if I was a bit rough. No hard feelings?" Jill said as she reached out her hand to shake hers. At first Sonya glared at her, but a dark look from Lara made her change her attitude. "Sure...if I were in your shoes, I'd probably do the same!" Sonya said as she shook her hand. "So, uh...what's your story? How exactly did you guys get here?" Johnny Cage wondered. "Follow me; we'll take you to our shelter. Then we can get get some proper introductions done!" Chris said after taking a drink from a water canteen.

The others looked at him funny as he said that. "I thought this temple was your shelter!" Jax replied in confusion. "No, but it's a good attack position to use against swarmers!" Chris answered as he grabbed his flamethrower again. "Swarmers?" the others asked in unison. "Let's go! We shouldn't stay here for much longer. The Hunters won't be too far behind!" Jill said as she armed herself with an MP5 submachine gun.

The others grew a bit disturbed as she said that. "Oh, that's great! That’s not creepy at all! Anything else we should know about?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Yeah...the zombies you are referring to are the least of our worries. Like Jill said, the Hunters will be here soon. And God knows what else Wesker brought with him!" Chris said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Um...who?" Johnny Cage asked. "Save the questions for later, Johnny Cage! Come on; take us to your shelter!" Sonya snapped. "All right; let's go!" Chris replied with a nod.

But little did they all realize that just as they left the stone temple, they were being watched by a frightening and ominous force of darkness!

Chapter Text

Eventually, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine led the Earth Realm Heroes into their hideout. It was an abandoned military outpost, and an ancient one at that. It seemed to give an ancient Mongol barbarian vibe, but also more sinister in its devilish designs. "Wait...I recognize these symbols. This was one of Shao Kahn's military outposts!" Liu Kang said with an alert tone. "I wouldn't worry about it, kid. This place has been abandoned for quite some time. Nobody knows about this place but us. We're safe!" Chris replied calmly.

As they stepped inside, Chris and Jill showed them where they stashed their weapons and gear, as well as some empty barracks and bedrooms. "Well, it ain't the Taj Mahal! But it'll do, I guess!" Johnny Cage muttered as he entered one of the bedrooms and plopped down into one of the beds. "I am going to get cleaned up before I go to bed." Lara Croft announced with a weary sigh. Nightwolf went to bed without a word, while Liu Kang sat in the center of his own room and began to meditate.

Chris saw this and chuckled as he nodded his head. "Your friends have the right idea. Get some rest. We're going to leave first thing in the morning." Chris announced as he sat down on a chair and began removing his body armor. "Why the rush?" Sonya wondered. "Because there's still a nest of swarmers we need to clear out. But now that you are here, you will be a big help to us!" Jill replied as she placed her MP5 on a table before grabbing a bottle of water.

Sonya sat down at the table with Jill, who in turn shared a military style ration meal with her. "Thanks. So, uh...what exactly do you and your partner do? How did you guys end up here?" Sonya asked after she finished her meal. Jill looked overt Chris, who in turn nodded his head with a grave expression on his face. "You wouldn't really believe us if we told you. But by the looks of things, you guys look like you've seen your fair share of weirdness!" Jill said with a light laugh.

Sonya smirked as she said that. "Yeah, now that you mention it...you could say that we've had quite a busy few days!" Sonya chuckled. "Busy ain't even the word I'd use, Sonya." Jax grumbled as he lit up a cigar. "I hear you. (sighs) It was supposed to be a simple mission. We infiltrate the mansion, we find Wesker, and we arrest him. But of course, the slippery bastard had more than a few dirty tricks up his sleeves!" Chris said bitterly. "And who exactly is this Wesker guy?" Jax asked as he took a drag of his cigar.

Chris took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Albert Wesker is a megalomaniacal psychopath and a traitor to all mankind!" Chris began angrily. "And here we go!" Jill muttered knowing that they were in for a long night. "He used to be one of us. He was captain of our team in S.T.A.R.S, or Special Tactics and Rescue Service! But he betrayed us! Almost everyone in our team died because of that bastard!" Chris continued with bitterness plaguing his voice. "What did he do?" Sonya wondered seeing that Chris was visibly upset about this. 

Chris slammed his fist on the table, startling the others. "Chris, calm down! None of us knew that Wesker would do what he did! It wasn't your fault!" Jill said in a stern yet calm tone. Chris sighed as he shook his head before taking a drink of water from his canteen. "You're right, I'm sorry. Look, it all started in the outskirts of Raccoon City. There were a series of brutal murders occurring in the countryside, and we got a report from HQ that our Bravo Team had been wiped out near a mansion in the mountains. We were going in to try and investigate, and then...then all hell broke loose!" Chris continued.

Chris then proceeded to go into full, gruesome detail of how he and Jill barely survived a series of horrific nightmare inducing situations in the mansion. Multiple times, both Chris and Jill had close encounters from dangerous creatures that were later discovered to be biological weapons illegally created by a pharmaceutical company called Umbrella Corporation. These monsters were a product of the T-Virus, Umbrella Corp's newest and most powerful biological weapons. To make matters worse, there was a double agent within their group. It was none other than Albert Wesker.

But that wasn't even the worst of it. Albert Wesker initially had plans to use one of Umbrella Corp's super secret weapon, the Tyrant, to destroy S.T.A.R.S completely. However, his plan backfired when the Tyrant turned against him and seemingly killed him. After a nightmarish sequence of cat and mouse, Chris and Jill were finally able to destroy the Tyrant before setting off a bomb to destroy the mansion and escaped by helicopter.

But that sadly wasn't the end of the nightmare. Only a few months passed after the incident at the mansion before another outbreak of the T-Virus occurred. But this time, it happened right in the heart of Raccoon City! Jill Valentine had to fight her way out of the city, barely surviving against more zombies and other biological mutant abominations. But to make a long story short, Jill once again prevailed and escaped with her life. But this time, she swore to make Umbrella Corps pay for what they've done.

All while this happened, Chris Redfield had become an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, or B.S.A.A for short. He wasn't in Raccoon City when the T-Virus outbreak occurred, but once he was aware he was sure that Wesker was responsible. And after several years of searching, Chris finally got an anonymous tip that Albert Wesker was alive in the Arklay Mountains, the same area where the first outbreak occurred. 

Chris and Jill partnered up again to take down Wesker for good, but once they found him...they were horrified to see what had become of him. "The son of a bitch had been experimenting on himself and made himself into some kind of superpower freak! I think he wanted to turn himself into a Tyrant, but he became something much worse." Chris said grimly. "His reflexes have become super enhanced. He's able to move at super speed, super strength, and he even possesses super healing regeneration!" Jill added. "And that is why he needs to be stopped at all costs. He's too dangerous to be left alive!" Chris concluded.

Sonya and Jax were very shocked to hear all of this. "God damn! And I thought Kano was a psycho!" Jax muttered. "All those people died...and for what?!" Sonya exclaimed. "And we would have gotten him too...if it hadn't been for that strange portal that suddenly appeared! It came out of nowhere and Wesker stepped on through, escaping from us again." Chris said as he began to clean his combat knife. "Chris and I followed him into this strange place, but we can't seem to find him anywhere. However, we have noticed that there have been traces of the T-Virus plaguing certain parts of this wasteland." Jill stated. "Wait a minute! Are you trying to tell me that this freakin' psycho created this virus here in Outworld?!" Jax cried. "I'm certain of it!" Chris said gruffly as he sheathed his knife.

Sonya and Jax nodded their heads, knowing that they had yet another thing at stake. "Well, as long as we're still alive, we'll do the best we can to help you out." Jax began. "Great to hear!" Chris began. "But we need to know if we can trust you first." Sonya added. "What? We brought you here to our base of operations safely!" Chris objected. "Yeah, after you tried to kill us!" Sonya snapped. "Enough! Look, we need to work together if we're to make it out of here alive. So whatever grudges we have against each other, let it go!" Jill said sternly.

Sonya sighed as she shook her head, but she reluctantly agreed. "Fine! Just make sure you watch our backs when things get rough." Sonya said with gritted teeth. "You watch our backs, we watch yours. Now enough arguing; let's get some rest. We've got a busy day tomorrow!" Jill replied losing her patience. Chris sighed as he shook his head, with Jax doing the same. "Something tells me those two are gonna get along just fine!" Chris said sarcastically. "Man, you got no idea. But don't blame her, all right? She's got issues with trusting strangers." Jax said with a light chuckle. "Don't we all?" Chris laughed as he stood up from his seat. "Well, time to hit the sack. You coming, Liu Kang?" Jax said with a yawn as he stretched. "In a little while." Liu Kang replied plainly not even opening his eyes.

Meanwhile, Kotal Kahn led his own group towards the Outworld Wasteland. Over on a cliffside, a large and ominous looking fortress stood. To make matters worse, there was a very dark force surrounding it. There were massive winged beasts resembling dragons were circling around the outpost like vultures from up above, while down below there were demonic looking mounts with iron armor. Their riders were cloaked in black robes and wielded nasty looking swords and spears. "Who are they? They do not look like they are of this world!" Kitana said with great suspicion in her voice. "They are not, my lady. They are foul creatures of darkness and evil unlike anything we have seen!" Jade replied gravely.

Raiden noticed that one of the riders was carrying a black flag, and on this flag was a banner of a demonic looking red eye. "Are they servants of Skulker?" Raiden asked. "I do not know where these abominations came from. But I do know that they came soon after Skulker overwhelmed Shao Kahn and his forces. They have maintained a heavy presence here in the Outworld Wastes ever since." Kotal explained. "I see. So taking this fortress won't be easy." Raiden said snidely. "I never said that this would be easy, Raiden. But I believe it can be done!" Kotal retorted. "How do you propose we do this then, Kotal? We simply cannot just march into that fortress!" Raiden exclaimed.

Kotal turned to face him with an outraged expression on his face. "You think that little of me that you doubt my judgement? Of course I have a plan, Raiden! I distract the riders away from the fortress while you and the others sneak inside and take out the remaining forces from within." Kotal said angrily. Raiden smirked as he said that. "That sounds like quite a plan. But are you sure you can handle this distraction alone?" Raiden said in a taunting manner. Kotal caught the hint and smirked back. "Are you offering to help, Raiden?" he retorted. "I do hate to interrupt your little bantering session dear brother, but we have trouble. Look!" Fujin said sternly as he pointed.

He was right. On the horizon of the wastes, there was a massive army of heavily armored figures seen marching towards the fortress. They carried banners bearing a demonic eye, the just like the black robed figures carried. "Just who are you?" Raiden whispered in disbelief as he looked at the banner of the eye. "Wait! Those are not Tarkatans! What are they?" Kitana cried as she examined the army a bit closer. "They are vile creatures. They are actually worse than Tarkatans if you could believe it! I have encountered their kind once before. A long time ago, in a great and terrible battle." Kotal explained with a grave tone of voice. "But what are they?" Kitana pressed. "They are a race of barbaric creatures known as orcs and they have been marauding Outworld for years!" Kotal answered with anger seething in his voice.

The army continued to march forward until one of the flying beasts began approaching their direction. The winged beast landed in front of them, screeching loudly. To the shock of the others watching, the winged beast was actually being controlled by a rider, and he was a ghastly looking one at that. He was over 8 feet tall, wore demonic looking metal armor, and wielded an ugly looking sword in one hand and the banner of the eye in the other. "Who or what is that?" Raiden demanded. "He is one of the 9 black riders that terrorize Outworld from the shadows. They call themselves the Nazgul!" Kotal answered.

The Nazgul rider screeched in a loud, piercing manner that hurt the ears of everyone listening. "Augh! That is awful!" Kitana exclaimed in pain as she covered her ears. "Hear my words, all of you!" the rider spoke in a dark, evil sounding language. "Ugh! What is that?!" Fujin exclaimed in both fear and pain as he covered his ears. "That is the Black Speech, the language of these devils!" Kotal said with much disdain in his voice. The Nazgul lifted his sword in the air, igniting it in flames with dark magic. "The Dark Lord has summoned you for a quest of the utmost importance! Though this realm has provided us the resources we need to grow our armies, there are none left to oppose us!" the Nazgul cried.

The army of orcs shouted in unison, clashing their swords and axes together. "However, our dark lord has foreseen that there are those who would dare oppose us in another realm, the realm of mortal men called Earth Realm! You are to find this resistance and crush them all without pity or remorse! Show our enemies the true power of Mordor! In the name of Sauron, let Earth Realm burn!" the Nazgul rider screeched. The army of orcs roared in response, agreeing to obey their master. 

The Nazgul rider reared his mount before the fell beast took off into the air, leading the army of orcs away into battle. Soon enough, the other flying beasts and armored mounts followed behind the army of orcs. As the army marched off into the distance, the others were horrified by what they witnessed. "By the Elder Gods!" Raiden exclaimed in disbelief. "Things are much worse than I feared!" Kotal muttered. "What do we do now?" Jade asked as she touched Kotal's shoulder. "We stick to the plan. Now that there are less of those vile creatures around, we'll have a better chance of taking back the outpost!" Kotal replied gruffly. "But my lord-" Jade began.

Raiden summoned his staff and approached Kotal. "As much as I appreciate your tenacity, we must reprioritize ourselves!" Raiden said seriously. "What do you mean by that? Now is our best chance to strike! The outpost is now vulnerable to attack!" Kotal cried angrily. "That army is heading for Earth Realm and we must stop them from invading!" Raiden argued. "Earth Realm is already lost, Lord Raiden. There is no sense in trying to stop that army head-on!" Jade insisted. "Brother, please listen to them! I implore you!" Fujin cried.

Raiden growled in anger and clenched his fists, but he knew that they were right. "If we have even a remote chance of surviving, we must take back this fortress. Only then can we bring the fight back to the enemy." Kotal said a bit more calmly. "And how will this help us? How will this help Earth Realm?!" Raiden demanded. "Once word spreads that we retook this outpost, there will be others who will join us in our cause. Trust me, we will need all the help we can get if we are to retake Outworld! Only then, do we have a remote chance of saving Earth Realm." Kotal explained.

Raiden sighed as he shook his head, but he reluctantly agreed. "Earth Realm would have been overtaken by the time we finished with this scheme of yours...but, seeing as we have no choice, I will agree to help you. But I will hold you to your word, Kotal Kahn. You will help save Earth Realm!" Raiden boldly proclaimed. "You have my word as an honorable Osh Tek! Now come, let us hurry!" Kotal replied as he held his fist above his heart as a sign of respect.

But as they made their way towards the outpost, they noticed something else unsettling. The moon in the sky was now blood red, a bad sign of things to come! Kitana looked up at this and sighed sadly as she shook her head. "Oh, Liu Kang. Wherever you are, I hope and pray that you are safe!" Kitana whispered.

Chapter Text

Early the next morning, the Earth Realm Heroes woke up and prepared themselves for their next upcoming battle. "Rise and shine, everyone! We've got a busy day ahead of us!" Chris Redfield announced as he prepared some gear for everyone. "Ugh, I don't wanna go to school Dad. Five more minutes!" Johnny Cage grumbled sleepily. "Wake up, you idiot!" Sonya snapped as she punched him. "Ow! Ok, I'm up! I'm up! Sheesh!" Johnny Cage complained now more awake. "Damn, what time is it?" Jax yawned as he stretched. "It's 5:30 in the morning. The sun hasn't come out yet, which is a good thing!" Chris said as he strapped on some fresh body armor. "Why is that a good thing, if I may ask?" Nightwolf wondered. "Because the swarmers will still be...well, I wouldn't say sleeping since they're zombies, but they're usually more docile in the morning and are swarmed together in the caves." Chris explained. "And what caves exactly are we talking about?" Jax demanded as he gulped down some coffee.

Jill put a map on a table and pointed towards what appeared to be a mining town. "There are many caves throughout this area, but the most heavily infest areas are here and here. We'll split up into two groups, that way we can take them down quicker." Jill explained as she pointed to two specific caves drawn on the map. "What about these hunters you spoke of earlier?" Nightwolf questioned. "The Hunters? If we're lucky, they'll still be out prowling around in the battlefields further away from the mining town and caves. "Buddy, no offense, but after all we've been through, I think we're gonna need a lot more than luck!" Johnny Cage said with his mouthful of breakfast food. "Don't worry, we've got plenty of ammo to spare. Now quiet down and get ready. We leave in 20 minutes!" Jill said half-jokingly.

After a couple of hours of traveling through the wasteland, the Earth Realm Heroes arrived at an abandoned mining town. "This is it! Everybody remember what to do?" Chris announced. "If things go south, we meet back up at the mine's entrance. We got this!" Sonya insisted. "Good, because you, Lara Croft, and Johnny Cage will be joining me!" Jill replied with a smirk. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Sonya muttered as she rolled her eyes. As Jill led Sonya, Lara Croft, and Johnny Cage down a mine shaft, Chris led Jax, Nightwolf, and Liu Kang towards a set of stairs that led to an underground chasm. "I take it you and Jill have done this for a while?" Jax said casually as he examined his sawed off shotgun. "Sure, you could say that." Chris replied plainly. "And how exactly did you manage to take all this gear with you? You never did explain that!" Jax questioned.

Chris gave him a dark look as he said that. "You've got something to say?" Chris challenged. "Yeah, I do. Where the hell did you get all these guns and gear?" Jax demanded. "Hey, there's no need for this. We're all on the same side!" Liu Kang exclaimed. "He's right! Stop fighting with each other and let's focus on finishing this!" Nightwolf scolded. Jax scoffed at him as he said that. "Listen pal, this ain't us fighting. Believe me, you'd know if we was fighting!" Jax sneered. "Don't tell me that you're still mad about me beating you earlier!" Chris joked. "Beat me?! Boy, you didn't beat me! Your ass got lucky!" Jax snapped. "Look here, you-" Chris snapped back. "Enough! We are not alone in this place. Look!" Nightwolf hissed as he pointed.

He was right; there was a nest of swarmers a dozen feet in front of them. The undead monsters groaned and moaned as they stood still in a huge group, as if they were some kind of trance. "What the hell is wrong with them? They're just...standing around there!" Jax exclaimed softly. "I wasn't lying about that! Now are we going to take them down or are we going to go for round 2?" Chris snapped as he prepared his flamethrower. Jax gave him a dark look, but nodded his head. "All right, let's do this!" Jax said as he readied his shotgun. Nightwolf drew out his magic bow and took aim, while Liu Kang stood his ground and prepared himself for Kombat. "My will is strong, and I will not be shaken!" Liu Kang muttered.

Jill and her group eventually found their way into the heart of the mine, where several undead swarmers were staggering about and groaning softly. "This looks like it will be easy!" Johnny Cage said out loud. "Don't get overconfident! If you find yourself cornered, get away as soon was you can. And whatever you do, don't get bitten!" Jill warned. "We've got this, all right? Cut us some slack!" Sonya snapped. "Or you could actually listen for once!" Lara Croft said now losing her patience with Sonya. "Excuse me?!" Sonya demanded. "Look here, lady! I know you think that you're some kind of bad ass super soldier, but your arrogance is going to get us all killed! If we're to survive, we need to work together!" Lara cried angrily. "Uh, Lara?" Jill began nervously.

Sonya got into her face, pissing off the Tomb Raider even more. "I've spent the better part of my life hunting down and apprehending the most vile criminals of all time and now I find myself lost in a whole other realm full of monsters and otherworldly weirdos! Who are you to question me?!" Sonya shouted. "Sonya! Could you keep it down?" Johnny Cage whispered as his eyes got wide. "I know that you need to have a clear head, and that's obviously something you clearly lack! And you know what? I'm not going to get myself killed just because you refuse to admit when you're wrong!" Lara shouted back. "Will you two shut up!? We've got company!" Jill exclaimed.

She was right; several gorilla sized creatures with savage looking claws and mouths full of razor sharp teeth were seen crawling out of the darkness. One of them snarled as they came charging towards the human heroes. "Shit! Hunters! They arrived earlier than we thought!" Jill cried as she fired her MP5 submachine gun at the beast. "If you ladies are done arguing, can you help us not get eaten? Please?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he fired an M16 assault rifle at a Hunter and several swarmers.

Sonya and Lara glared at each other, but eventually began to join the fight against the Hunters and swarmers. Lara shot several of her arrows at the swarmers, killing them with headshots. Sonya blew away several other swarmers with a SPAS 12 shotgun and killed a Hunter by shoving a grenade down its throat. Jill was able to roundhouse kick a Hunter in the face, knocking it back into a cave before she fired her MP5 up at the ceiling above.

The ceiling caved in and trapped the Hunter inside. But even after she killed the Hunter, more swarmers came charging towards their direction. "Oh, fuck! They're wide awake now! Time for Plan B! Come on, let's get outta here! Back to the mine entrance, now!" Jill shouted urgently. "Sonya, let's go!" Johnny Cage cried. "I'm coming!" Sonya snapped as she smashed a swarmer's head to a bloody pulp.

Chris and his group finally finished off the swarmer nest. "Yeah! That's what you get!" Jax taunted. "Come on, we're wasting time! Let's see if we can find the others before-" Chris began before his radio crackled to life. "Chris, this is Jill! Do you copy?" Jill called out from the other end. "Yeah, this is Chris. What's going on? Did you guys finish up already?" Chris replied in a joking tone. "Chris, there were hunters down here! We managed to finish them off, but the rest of the swarmers have awakened! We're switching to Plan B!" Jill said in an alert tone. "What? Already?! Shit! Ok, we're on the way!" Chris replied now more serious. "What's going on, man?" Jax wondered as he noticed the change in Chris's mood.

Chris took a deep breath before he spoke. "We've got a situation. Hunters arrived sooner than we anticipated. Now we gotta blow this dump to prevent the rest of the swarmers escape!" Chris explained. "We better not waste anymore time, then." Liu Kang said simply. "Sounds like we missed the party!" Jax quipped. "Hunters are no joke! Jill and the others were lucky to have even survived. Now come on, let's get moving!" Chris said seriously before he stormed off. "Well, lead the way then...soldier boy!" Jax muttered.

As they made their way up to the mine's entrance, they could hear the deep rumbling sound of the stampeding swarmers coming after them. "Oh, shit! Jill wasn't exaggerating, was she? We really did wake up the rest of those bastards!" Chris muttered. "So what exactly is Plan B?" Jax wondered. “We blow up the mine entrance and trap these undead bastards inside!" Chris replied snappily. "That's Plan B?! Man, you should've done that in the first place!" Jax exclaimed in disbelief. "It's not as simple as you think, ok?!" Chris cried. "Oh, really? You know for a soldier, you sure don't plan like one!" Jax sneered. "You know what? I'm getting sick of you and your-" Chris snarled.

Nightwolf firmly grabbed hold of his shoulder, getting his attention. "Calm yourselves! We have no time for this! We must prevent these undead monstrosities from wreaking havoc in Outworld!" Nightwolf growled through gritted teeth. Chris sighed as he shook his head, but he knew he was right. "You're right. You and me, we will settle this. But right now, we've gotta set up the explosives and stop those swarmers!" Chris said gravely as he shrugged himself away and pointed to Jax. Jax nodded his head in response; he was beginning to respect Chris now. "All right, soldier boy! Let's see where this goes!" Jax muttered with a smile.

As Chris' group planted bombs around the entrance, Sonya's group fought their way to get up towards him. The horde of swarmers were getting closer, but Jill and Sonya were able to keep them back a bit by firing their guns at them. "Let's go! Keep moving; don't stop!" Jill cried as she fired several controlled bursts of gunfire at the incoming horde. "What do you think we're doing, lady?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he ran for dear life. "Oh, I hope your Plan B works!" Lara cried as she nearly tripped and fell on her face. "It fucking better work!" Sonya muttered as she fired the last of her bullets at another couple of swarmers.

Eventually, Jill's group made it to the top and regrouped with the others. "Jill, you guys made it!" Chris cried. "Barely!" Johnny Cage wheezed as he fell to his knees to try and catch his breath. "You got those bombs set up, right?" Sonya panted as she tried to catch her own breath. "Yeah, we planted all we had!" Chris replied. "Ok, wait for my signal, then we blow them all to hell!" Jill said after reloading her MP5. As the swarmers came stampeding up towards the entrance, everyone grew quite tense. "Wait for it...wait for it!" Jill said with caution. "What are we waiting for, dude? Blow them up already!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

The loud roar of the horde of swarmers was getting closer and closer by the minute. "Jill? Anytime now!" Chris exclaimed now getting nervous. "Wait for it...NOW! EVERYONE GET BACK AND GET DOWN!" Jill screamed as she detonated the explosives. As soon as everyone jumped away to safety, a massive explosion took place and killed the rest of the swarmers and closed the entrance up completely. "YES! We got them all!" Chris cried out triumphantly. "HA! take that, you rotten undead bastards!" Jill shouted happily. "So, is that it? Did we win?" Johnny Cage called out wearily. "Yeah, I think we did kid! I think we got them!" Jax chuckled as he helped him up to his feet.

Suddenly, sinister laughter was heard from the unseen, along with light clapping. Everyone stopped and turned around to see a dark figure slowly stepping out of the shadows. He was wearing a black trench coat, black pants, black boots, and black shades. His skin was white, and his hair was blonde and trimmed in a neat manner. "Well done! I'm surprised you managed to survive in this strange new world for this long, and yet here you are! You even cleared out the nest of swarmers and  eliminated the Hunters. Congratulations!" the man in dark clothing sneered.

Chris Redfield grew furious as he recognized the man. "YOU!" he snarled as he pointed to him. "Albert Wesker!" Jill growled with anger. "Yes, yes! I know that you have been looking forward to seeing me again. Especially you, Chris! Well, here I am!" Wesker said with an evil laugh. "Oh, I already don't like this guy!" Jax muttered glared at him. "Me either!" Sonya added. “Ha! He is probably the most cliche looking villain I’ve ever seen! What movie villain is he ripping off?” Johnny Cage snorted to himself. “I wouldn’t underestimate him! If he is as evil as Chris and Jill claim he is, I’d say we’re in for quite a fight!” Liu Kang warned.

How true those words were. Soon enough, they were going to find out exactly what Albert Wesker was truly capable of...that is, if something...or someone else didn't get to them first!

Chapter Text

Albert Wesker continued to laugh sinisterly as he circled around the Earth Realm Heroes, though most of them didn't seem too impressed or intimidated. "You've got some explaining to do Wesker, and fast!" Chris Redfield said angrily. "Ha! What's to explain, my dear boy? I'm just as lost in this strange world as you are. But unlike you, I'm making the best of my situation!" Wesker sneered. "No doubt by creating more of those abominations of yours!" Jill Valentine snapped. "Now that you mention, yes. I do have more time and space to continue my experiments. And I must say, the natives of this land were more than enough for my needs!" Wesker said with an evil laugh. "You heartless bastard!" Jill shouted.

Jax and Sonya stepped forward, glaring at him. "And just who are you supposed to be? New friends of Chris, perhaps?" Wesker mocked. "You are a real grade-A scumbag, you know that?" Jax growled. "I don't care who you are or where you come from, but you're not going to get away with this!" Sonya added angrily. "Oh? And just how do you plan to stop me?" Wesker challenged. "A good old fashioned ass whooping is just what the doctor ordered!" Jax said as he pounded his fists together. "Yeah, there's a bunch of us and only one of you!" Johnny Cage sneered as he stepped forward. "Are you sure that is what you want, my dear boy? Because if you do this...you won't be walking away from this alive!" Wesker replied in much more threatening tone.

Chris Redfield tossed his now useless flamethrower aside and put up his fists, and Jill stood next to him in a similar fighter's pose. Johnny Cage put on his brass knuckles while Sonya prepared her energy wrist gauntlets. Liu Kang and Nightwolf prepared themselves as well, while Lara Croft took aim with her bow. Wesker chuckled evilly as her shook his head. "So be it. You will all die here!" Wesker sneered as he cracked his neck. "Ok, stay close to me and do not attack unless I say so." Chris began. "Aw, screw that! Let's take this cliche baddy out now!" Johnny Cage snorted as he charged forward to attack. "No!" Jill exclaimed.

It was too late. Just as soon as Johnny Cage threw his fist for a punch, Wesker caught it and began bending the Hollywood actor's arm back. Johnny Cage cried out in pain from Wesker's dirty move, but then Wesker gave him and everyone the shock of a lifetime with his next move. Wesker gave a loud shout as he punched Johnny Cage in the chest, sending him flying back with a tremendous force. Johnny Cage screamed as he was sent flying into a wooden mining shack, destroying it in the process. "What the hell was that?" Jax exclaimed in shock. "We tried to warn you. Wesker is not what he seems!" Chris scolded. "Who is next?" Wesker taunted.

Jax grunted as she pounded his fists together before he slammed them to the ground, creating a shockwave. However, Wesker was quick enough to dart away from the shockwave before leaping into the air. Sonya, Nightwolf, and Lara Croft fired arrows and energy blasts up at Wesker, but the villain dodged every single projectile before darting towards them and punching and kicking them away with the utmost speed and ferocity. "Augh! Damn it; how did he do that?!" Sonya exclaimed in both pain and shock as she was forced on her back. "He truly does possess the powers of a devil!" Nightwolf groaned as he struggled to stand back up.

Liu Kang let out a battlecry before he came flying towards Wesker with a kick, but Wesker caught his leg before throwing him into a wooden fence and smashed it to splinters. Chris and Jill fired their pistols at Wesker, but that did nothing to help as he dodged them and laughed before pummeling them both with his fists. "You disappoint me, Chris! You haven't changed at all, have you? Yet you still think that you can defeat me?" Wesker sneered as he cracked his knuckles. "Wesker, if it's the last thing I do, I swear that I will-" Chris began.

Wesker chuckled evilly as he grabbed hold of a large, sharp piece of wood before tearing it out of the ground. "You will die here, Chris. Make no mistake of that!" Wesker sneered as he held the sharp piece of wood over Chris. But just before he could deliver the killing blow, Wesker was forced away from Chris by a large burst of green energy. "Get away from him, you creepy edge-lord!" Johnny Cage cried out angrily as he threw another ball of green energy at him.

Wesker cried out in anger as he charged towards Johnny Cage, but Sonya tackled him and attempted to strangle him with her steel garrote. Wesker growled in anger and annoyance as he forced Sonya off him before shoving her into Johnny Cage, knocking them both into the ground. "I will crush you like the cockroaches you are!" Wesker roared as he prepared to stomp his foot into their skulls.

But Jax grabbed him from behind before slamming his face into his knee. "Stay away from my friends, you son of a bitch!" Jax growled as he kicked Wesker away. Wesker smirked as he casually wiped a small drop of blood from his face. "Not bad! But you cannot hope to defeat me. Nobody can!" Wesker sneered before made his next move. He ran up Jax's chest before roundhouse kicking him in the face, sending the man flying back with a tremendous force. Wesker began to laugh sinisterly before several energy arrows were fired at him from behind, making him cry out.

Wesker growled in irritation as he turned sharply around, facing Nightwolf. Nightwolf glared at him as he drew out his tomahawk and swung it around in an intimidating manner. "The Great Spirit will not allow you to escape judgement!" Nightwolf growled. "Judge me? No mere mortal can dare to stop me! No one will stand in my way!" Wesker cried out defiantly. "None escape from the will of the Great Spirit!" Nightwolf barked back. "You're done wrecking havoc, Albert Wesker!" Liu Kang cried out angrily as he jumped back into the fray. Wesker scoffed at him as he said that. "You have impressive powers, I'll give you fools that. But once I am through with you, I shall use them to strengthen my new breed of Tyrants!" Wesker boasted. "As long as I still have my life, I will not allow that to happen!" Liu Kang proclaimed.

As the three men charged towards each other and fought, Chris and Jill helped the others tend to their wounds. "I can't believe this! No matter what we do, we can't even seem to slow him down!" Jax groaned as Jill applied bandages to his wounds. "How do we beat him?" Johnny Cage winced as Sonya helped him up before stitching up his open wounds. "We can't! Trust me, we've tried every way!" Chris said grimly as he reloaded his pistol. "So what do we do? How can we stop him?" Sonya demanded. "I don't know! But I will not stop fighting until I find a way to stop him once and for all!" Chris replied with anger in his voice.

Wesker continued to brutalize Nightwolf and Liu Kang, though the two fighters did seem to handle their own thanks to their years of Kombat experience. Liu Kang used his speed and agility to his advantage, while Nightwolf relied on his strength and cunning. "Surrender, Wesker! It is over!" Liu Kang cried as he pummeled Wesker with his fists and feet. "Flee while you can!" Nightwolf growled as he hacked and bashed away with his tomahawks and war club. "Over?! Fools, I have yet to begin! Observe!" Wesker sneered.

Wesker suddenly teleported away, only to attack both fighters at several different angles at a frighteningly quick speed. Eventually, Wesker subdued both fighters with his combined super speed and super strength. "I told you. Nobody gets in my way!" Wesker taunted with evil laughter as he circled around Liu Kang and Nightwolf, who were both down on their backs. "I'm not dead yet!" Liu Kang boldly cried as he slowly stood back to his feet. "I will make you beg for death before I am through with you, boy!" Wesker growled as he cracked his knuckles. Liu Kang took a deep breath as he stood his ground. "I will not be shaken." Liu Kang muttered.

But before another step could be taken or another word spoken, a loud snarling noise was heard. Everyone turned to see where the noise came from, with Wesker being the only one who seemed to be amused by the situation. "Ah...it seems that one of my Tyrants has come out to play. I think I shall leave you to the mercy of my pet. But should you survive, I look forward to finishing what we started. Until we meet again!" Wesker sneered with evil laughter before he teleported away.

Chris cursed he saw Wesker disappear once again, ponding his fist into the ground in anger. "WESKER!" Chris screamed furiously. "Chris! We've got a bigger problem now! Look!" Jill exclaimed as she pointed. She was right; a monstrous 12 foot tall creature slowly stomped out of the shadows, snarling viciously as it unleashed a vicious pair of claws. It's skin was very pale and it appeared to have no eyes, but it did have a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. "Oh, shit...we're in big trouble now!" Chris exclaimed in disbelief. "Why? It doesn't look like much!" Johnny Cage said as he helped Sonya and Jax back up on their feet.

Chris and Jill became very worried as they watched the creature stagger towards them. "It's a Tyrant! But not just any kind; it's a Regenerador!" Chris said grimly. "Meaning what, exactly?" Sonya demanded. "That nothing can kill it! Not unless you have a freaking missile launcher with an infrared scope!" Jill shot back. "Damn it! I guess we're screwed then!" Johnny Cage groaned. "I guess it's time for us to go, then." Lara Croft said wearily as she slowly stood back up from her seat. "No! We fight until the end!" Nightwolf cried as he stood his ground.

The Regenerador snarled viciously as it scraped its nasty claws along the ground, shaking its head as it bared its teeth. "Nothing can kill that thing! Get out of there while you still can!" Lara exclaimed. Nightwolf only grunted in disdain, not taking his glaring eyes off the monstrous creature slowly coming towards him. Liu Kang stood by his side, determined to help him defeat his foe. "Liu Kang, don't! Close combat isn't going to help you; that thing will rip you to shreds!" Jill exclaimed. "I won't give up!" Liu Kang replied. The Regenerador hissed as it spread its arms, as if ready to attack.

But before the beast could make another move, an explosion suddenly occurred. The explosion took off the monster's arm in a spectacularly brutal fashion, making the Regenerador scream in pain and agony. "Whoa! Where did that come from?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "One of your friends?" Sonya smirked. "No, that wasn't us!" Jill replied with a surprised tone. "Wait! What's that? Is that...a freakin' muscle car?!" Jax exclaimed in shock.

He was right; the loud roar of the car's V8 engine was heard as a tar black muscle car came rushing into the scene. But that wasn't the only thing that caught everyone's attention. In the back of the car, a strange humpback creature was seen firing a makeshift rocket launcher at the Regenerador. "Yes! By all that is holy, we will vanquish this foul fell beast! Come on; spread your wings, my angel!" the humpback creature shouted with joy as he continued blasting away at the monster.

The Regenerador roared in anger as it was continuously blasted apart by the rocket launcher, but it refused to slow down. As the holes in it's body began to regenerate, the monster roared as it leapt up into the air before jumping onto the hood of the black muscle car. "AUGH! Get your filthy hands off my angel, you foul devil! Saint, help!" the humpback cried. A shotgun blast to the face forced the monster off the car, but the driver wanted to make sure that this monster would stay down.

The car ran over the beast, sending it crashing into one of the mining caves. "Now! Use the harpoon! Pull down that platform and trap that creature inside!" the driver shouted in a thick Australian accent. The humpback then fired a harpoon that penetrated cave's ceiling before the car began pulling with all its might, causing the entire cave to collapse and trapped the monster inside. "Holy shit! Did you see that? They did it; they freaking got him!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "But who are they?" Lara wondered.

The black muscle car quickly approached the group before skidding to a halt. "Hey! Damn, man! You nearly hit us! Are you crazy?!" Jax exclaimed angrily. "You could've killed us, you bastard!" Sonya shouted. As the dust settled, the driver slowly stepped out of the car. He slowly walked towards them, making everyone else very cautious. The rider finally stopped walking and stood in front of the group in sullen silence, giving everyone a chance to get a better look at him. He appeared to be a 6 foot tall man with medium brown hair and a beard, wore brown shank leather armor around his body, and had had sawn off shotgun strapped to waist. "Are you people all right?" the rider asked plainly.

Johnny Cage gave a thumbs up with a nervous smile, while the others just stared at him. "Who are you?" Lara asked. "Call me Max." the rider replied. "Well, Max...thank you for your help. How did you get here?" Lara asked with curiosity and caution in her voice. But before Max could answer, the hunchback left the car and approached Max. "Ah! Saint, I am sorry to disturb you...but we really must go! The Black Riders are heading this way! I caught sight of one of their winged beasts up in the sky. We must leave at once!" the humpback exclaimed nervously.

The others looked at him with great curiosity/disgust, while Max just looked annoyed. "Get back to the car, Chumbucket. I'll only be a minute!" Max said snappishly. "Oh! Of course, Saint. Whatever you say! I'll go see if I can repair the Angel's more...intimate parts!" Chumbucket said with a giggle before hobbling off back to the car. "Don't mind him. Look, if you people are trying to find a safe place to stay, you won't find it here! There's an old fortress just across those plains. A man who calls himself Kotal Kahn can offer you shelter." Max said as he pointed.

The others were a bit caught off guard as he said that. "Kotal Kahn?" Liu Kang wondered. "All the way across those plains? Are you serious?!" Johnny Cage complained. "What did he mean by Black Riders?" Nightwolf demanded. Max turned around and began walking back to his car, much to everyone's dismay. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Sonya shouted angrily. "The night is drawing near, and the Black Riders will be out soon. I can lead you to the fortress, but you are on your own after that. Now come on, let's get moving!" Max instructed before stepping inside of his car.

The others looked at each other with confused looks before they agreed to follow him. "Well, I guess we're following him." Lara said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Trusting the madman? Sure, what can possibly go wrong?" Sonya retorted as she rolled her eyes. "You have any other bloody suggestions?!" Lara shouted losing her patience. "Enough! Look, Lara is right! We cannot stay here!" Nightwolf cried. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Lara here. The last thing we need is to run into anymore of those creepy ass zombie things!" Jax added. "Fine! But if that guy tries to stab us in the back, I'm blaming you!" Sonya snapped as she pointed at Lara. "You know what?!" Lara snapped back as she got in her face.

Johnny Cage and Jax had to pull them away from each other before they could do damage to each other. "Will you two cut that shit out?! We ain't got time for this!" Jax exclaimed. "Yeah, how are we gonna survive if you two keep trying to kill each other?" Johnny Cage added. "Are you all finished? Let's get moving!" Max called out before he started up his car. "Wait, how do we keep up with you?" Jill asked. "Hey, look over there!" Liu Kang said as he pointed at something.

Call it luck or convenience, but there was a heard of Outworld horses grazing outside the boundaries of the mining town. They were bluish green skinned horses that were faster and stronger than normal horses. "What?! Are you kidding me?! They were here this whole freakin' time?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed angrily. "Come; we have just enough time for me to show you how to tame horses, the way my Matokan village elder showed me!" Nightwolf said with a wry grin on his face.

*20 minutes later!*

After taming the horses, with Johnny Cage needing extra help, the Earth Realm Heroes followed Max. Max gave a thumbs up before he took off in his car, leading the way towards the fortress where Kotal Kahn supposedly was. Little did anyone realize that there was a menacing pair of eyes high up above the sky. It was a Nazgul Rider, or a Black Rider as some people called them. "Outsiders...here? I must stop them before they reach the Dark Lord!" the Nazgul said to himself before he flew after them. 

Now, the madness would truly begin!

Chapter Text

Raiden's group had finally approached the fortress where the Nazgul had occupied, that is until they were led away to commence their next invasion. The only presence remaining inside the fortress were a bunch of guarding orcs. "We are here, Kotal Kahn. Now what do we do?" Raiden asked with an impatient. "The same plan as before, Raiden. You and I shall storm inside while the others sneak around the back." Kotal replied. "Please, allow me to join you!" Fujin said as he approached his brother. "Very well, then." Raiden said as he nodded his head. "We'll move on your mark, Lord Raiden!" Kitana said as she readied her steel war fans.

Raiden nodded his head before summoning his staff, while Kotal drew out his sword. Raiden then slammed his staff on the ground, creating a shockwave that reached inside of the fortress and caused some collateral damage. "I summon you, forces of darkness!" Raiden called out with a stern tone. "By divine liquid and fire, you foul creatures will face Osh Tek justice!" Kotal roared as swung his sword around.

This definitely caught the orcs attention, and they came swarming towards Raiden and Kotal. As the two gods fought against the horde of orcs, Kitana and Jade snuck around to the back of the fortress. "Well, it seems Kotal is warming up to Lord Raiden after all." Jade joked as she used her bo staff to pole vault up into a balcony. Kitana chuckled as she used her agility and speed to keep up with her friend. It felt good to be by her side again after all these years.

As Jade and Kitana finally climbed their way up to the top balcony of the fortress, they were able to witness the violent battle between the orcs and the gods of thunder, wind, and divine fire and light. "Those ugly creatures stand no chance!" Kitana said with a smirk. "Well, why should we let the boys have all the fun? Shall we?" Jade said with a smile before leaping down to join the fray.

Kitana leapt down after her and soon enough both women joined the assault against the orcs. Jade used her bo staff and razor bladed boomerang to quickly subdue a bunch of orcs, allowing Kitana to finish them off by slicing and dicing them to pieces with her steel war fans. Kotal stabbed an orc in the chest with his sword before sawing him in half, spraying blackened blood everywhere. Fujin used his own sword combined with the power of wind to slash another group of orcs to bits.

Raiden smacked away several orcs with his staff before slamming it to the ground. He summoned a bolt of lightning and shot it at the staff, causing it to well up with vast amounts of power. Raiden then let out a fierce battlecry, causing the staff to zap all the surrounding orcs, killing them instantly. "Elder Gods be praised!" Raiden cried out triumphantly.

A few surviving orcs attempted to flee, but Fujin fired his crossbow at them and killed them all. "That's the last of them!" Fujin said as he regrouped with his brother and allies. "It is over; the fortress is ours!" Kotal proclaimed proudly. "I never doubted you for a second, Kotal." Jade said as she embraced him. "So now that you have your precious fortress, tell me what happens next." Raiden demanded. "Yes, do tell me what's next in this grand scheme of yours!" a voice called out suddenly from the unseen.

Everyone turned sharply around and became quite cautious as they caught sight of a dark hooded figure in the shadows. "Who goes there?!" Raiden demanded. "Come out of the shadows and reveal yourself!" Kotal added with a growl. The shadowy figure slowly stepped out of the dark, revealing himself. He appeared to be a man in dark leather and metal armor with a deadly sword and dagger strapped to his back. He was a Dark Ranger if anyone had ever seen one. "You know something? I was going to clear out this fortress myself, but you guys did it for me. I suppose that thanks are in order." the Dark Ranger smirked.

Kotal glared daggers at him as he clenched his fists. "Who are you? Are you one of them? Speak quickly!" Kotal demanded. "No need to get you loin cloth in a twist! I'm on your side. I want the same thing that you want." the Dark Ranger said as he removed his hood and revealed more of his face. He appeared to be a man with fair skin with brown hair and light beard. Behind his blue eyes, there was something both fierce and forlorn about him. "Who are you?" Kotal enunciated with a growl. After a tense moment of silence, the Dark Ranger spoke up. "My name is Talion, and I was one of the best Rangers of Gondor." the Dark Ranger said in a grave tone.

Raiden slowly approached him. "What exactly do you want, stranger?" Raiden questioned. "I want Sauron and his forces destroyed!" Talion said in a much more grim tone. "Sauron?" Raiden replied in confusion. "Yes...the Dark Lord of Mordor. I cannot understand it, but he has somehow become more powerful than ever before. I was infiltrating his stronghold, when suddenly a massive portal of some sort appeared. Sauron and his forces marched into the portal and wound up in this strange land. I was able to follow them unnoticed, but by the time I arrived on the other side, I got separated." Talion explained.

The others were astounded to hear this. "You survived all this time by yourself? That is incredible!" Jade exclaimed in shock. "Well, my training did serve me well." Talion replied jokingly. "I must say, that is quite impressive...for a mortal. How did you manage to survive?" Kotal questioned. Talion smirked at him as he said that. "Tell you what; the next time we're facing against Sauron's forces, I'll show you." Talion teased. "It may be sooner than you think! Look; up in the sky!" Fujin pointed out.

He was right; several winged beasts were seen approaching their direction. "The Nazgul!" Talion grumbled. "What do we do now?" Jade cried. "Follow me; I know a secret passageway that leads out of this place." Talion said as he began making his way towards a door. "What?! How did you-" Kotal began. "Kotal! Let us follow him; we haven't much time to argue!" Jade insisted as she tightly grasped his hand. Kotal growled in irritation, but he reluctantly agreed. "Very well! We shall follow him, for now!" Kotal said in slight annoyance.

As Talion led the others down into the basement of the fortress, the others became more curious about Talion. "Tell us more about yourself, ranger." Fujin wondered. "I was a ranger for the kingdom of Gondor. My job was to keep the orc filth from crossing our borders." Talion replied as he lit up a torch before slowly descending into a hole. "What happened to you?" Kitana asked as she was helped down the hole by Raiden.

Talion took a deep breath and sighed as she asked that. "We were overrun one night. These orcs were different from the ones we were used to fighting against. They were faster, stronger, and smarter than regular orcs. And they were better armed too. They wielded broadshields and thick iron armor, as well as deadlier blades and spears. They called themselves Uruk-Hai!" Talion continued.

Kotal nodded his head as he heard this. "I see! So I am correct in guessing that this Uruk-Hai are the ones who have been ravaging Outworld?" Kotal said grimly. "You are correct. But they aren't the ones you should be afraid of! It's the Nazgul and their master you should be concerned about." Talion replied grimly as he began descending down a set of steps. "Sauron!" Raiden said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Now you're getting it!" Talion said with a smirk. "If this Sauron is as powerful and deadly as you claim he is, why are you after him?" Fujin asked carefully.

Talion stopped before turning around, giving around a frightful looking glare. "You need to understand, Sauron and his forces have taken EVERYTHING from me! My home, my honor, and worst of all...my family!" Talion said with great bitterness and anger in his voice. The others began to have a better understanding  and respect for this man. "I'm sorry...I had no idea how much you have suffered!" Kotal said with deep sympathy. "My wife and son were the only thing I truly cared for, and Sauron ripped it away from me. His damned servants of darkness murdered them right in front of me!" Talion said trying his damn best not to shed any tears.

Jade approached him with a forlorn look in her eyes. "We've all lost someone we cared about, Talion. But if we work together, we can drive back these dark forces and save Outworld. Maybe even other realms!" Jade said as she looked at Raiden. Raiden nodded his head before approaching Talion, this time in more comforting manner. "If you help us, I swear to the Elder Gods, I will help you defeat Sauron!" Raiden vowed. "I appreciate that, I really do. But I need to do more than just defeat Sauron...I must destroy him! It's the only way to ensure that his evil never returns." Talion replied in calm but grave tone.

The others were concerned to hear this. "What do you mean by that? Is simply defeating him not enough?" Fujin asked seriously. "No, it is not. You can destroy his body, but his evil spirit will live on. There is only one way to destroy Sauron permanently and that is to destroy his Ring of Power!" Talion explained graver than ever before. "Ring of Power?" the others repeated. "He forged this terrible ring in the fires of Mount Doom. As long as he bears the Ring of Power, Sauron is unstoppable!" Talion explained seriously.

The others were very disturbed to hear this. "By the Elder Gods!" Raiden muttered in shock. "Divine liquid and fire!" Kotal exclaimed. "How can we possibly hope to stop him?!" Kitana cried. "It's like you said before...we'll do it together! Now come on; we've wasted enough time!" Talion said trying not to sound pushy. As he led the way once again, the others followed him close behind. They were going to have to trust each other, especially for what they were about to go up against!

Chapter Text

Talion eventually led the others out of the darkened caves and back into the surface world. It was night, perfect for providing cover. "All right, listen up! We might have gotten away from the Nazgul for now, but we need to stick together and move quickly." Talion announced as he helped everyone out of the cave.

After everyone got out, they followed Talion through some rocky and dusty plains. "Where are we going?" Kitana wondered. "There is a watch tower not too far from here. I have something that I believe will help us on our journey." Talion replied. "Make haste, Talion. We are wasting valuable time!" Kotal Kahn said snappishly. "I'm sorry, do you not want to survive?" Talion retorted. "Quiet! Look up there; more of those Nazgul!" Raiden pointed out.

He was right; there were several Nazgul flying around in a giant circle, like buzzards. "What are they doing?" Fujin wondered out loud. "It seems the Nazgul have found their next prey. Let's hurry before we're next!" Talion insisted as he picked up the pace. "I'm starting to get the idea that he's afraid of these things...and I quite frankly don't blame him!" Jade muttered. "Then perhaps it is best that we continue to trust him." Kitana agreed.

Eventually, Talion and his group had arrived at the watch tower. It was a 20 foot tall stone structure that had seen better days, but it was solid enough to continue standing. "That's your tower?" Kotal asked with a scoff. "I know it doesn't look like much, but it gets the job done. Now wait here; I'll be right back!" Talion said with a smirk as he began climbing up the tower. 

A few minutes later, Talion returned to the group. "You have what you need now?" Raiden asked impatiently. "Yes, I do. Trust me; I think you'll be thanking me later." Talion said with a rakish grin on his face. "It had better be worth it; we've wasted enough time!" Kotal growled. Suddenly, the loud screeching of the Nazgul was heard from the distance. "The Nazgul! They are heading this way!" Fujin exclaimed. "No...they are not. But they are indeed angry!" Talion said in a far more serious tone. "How can you tell?" Kitana asked.

Talion turned to face her with a grim expression on his face. "I fought against the Nazgul before, and I'll be the first to say that it is nearly impossible to kill them. But if one of them should be killed, the others will feel it. And they will become enraged!" Talion said grimly. "Are you saying that you killed one of those things?" Jade said in disbelief. "Yes...it was one of the toughest battles I've ever fought. And I have fought against entire hordes of Uruk-Hai!" Talion replied. "So these Nazgul are nearly impossible to kill, yet you claim that you have slain one? Explain yourself!" Kotal demanded.

But before Talion could answer, an explosion was heard from the distance. "What was that?!" Kitana exclaimed. "Sounds like somebody is giving the Uruk-Hai and the Nazgul a bit of trouble. What do you say that we join the party? Unless you're too afraid, that is!" Talion sneered as he gave Jade a look. "What? I never-" Jade scoffed in annoyance. "I like him; he's got spirit!" Raiden said with a smirk. "And attitude!" Kotal growled as he clenched his fists. "There's only one person I know who could possibly be giving these monsters such trouble, and that's...Liu Kang! He's alive...he has to be! Wait for me, Talion!" Kitana exclaimed as she chased after him. "Well, I guess we better follow them!" Raiden laughed as he went after them.

*An hour ago!*

Meanwhile, Max had led the Earth Realm Heroes into a large stone fortress. "Here we are; Kotal Kahn's Fortress!" Max announced. "This is incredible! This temple looks like ancient Mayan in origin. But that's impossible! How long has this been here?" Lara Croft exclaimed in amazement. "Who cares?! I just wanna get off this thing before it kills me!" Johnny Cage cried out in exasperation as his horse tried to buck him off for the 20th time. "Johnny, cut that out!" Sonya snapped. "I'm not doing anything it's this-AAAUGGHHH!" Johnny Cage screamed as the horse finally sent him flying off.

Johnny Cage was sent crashing through the door of the stone fortress. "Are you ok, man?!" Jax exclaimed as he got off his horse. "Ow! Yeah, I'm ok...I just need a minute to...oh, shit! Guys, we've got a serious problem here!" Johnny Cage cried out as he slowly got up to his feet. "What now?" Jill groaned as she rolled her eyes. But as she and the others got off their horses and walked inside, they immediately saw why Johnny Cage was upset. "Oh my God! You've got to be kidding me!" Sonya exclaimed in dismay. "Man, that ain't right!" Jax cried out angrily. "There's nobody here; this place is completely abandoned!" Liu Kang said with disdain. 

Just then, Max approached them with a blank expression on his face. Everyone else glared at him, though he didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "You bastard!" Sonya growled. "You led us all to a dead end!" Jax added. "I said that I would take you here. I never said that that Kotal Kahn would be here." Max replied as matter of factly. "So you admit that you deceived us!" Nightwolf growled. "I did my part. Now you are on your own!" Max said as he began to turn around and walk away. "Wait a goddamn minute! You can't just leave us like this, you-" Sonya cried furiously.

Max suddenly wheeled around and glared her in the eye, startling her. "Let's make one thing clear, lady! I said that I would bring you here, and I did! I risked my life to give you what you wanted! Now my job is done! I owe you nothing! Now leave me alone!" Max shouted angrily. Under any other circumstance, Sonya and the others would have resisted and fought.

But the fierce look in Max's eyes made them think twice about fighting him, knowing it would be a very costly mistake. "Ok. You're right. You did what you said you would." Sonya finally replied after a moment of tense silence. "Then we are finished here." Max replied as he turned around and walked away slowly. "Wait a second! Where are you going to go?" Lara Croft exclaimed. "I am going to find the Plains of Silence. Even if it kills me, I will get there!" Max replied solemnly. "The Plains of Silence?" Nightwolf repeated to himself.

But just as Max was about to enter his car, a loud and terrifying screech was heard. "AUGH! What is that horrible noise?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in pain as he covered his ears. "Jesus! That hurts!" Chris cried as he winced. "Where is that awful sound coming from?!" Jill shouted in agony. "Saint! Up in the skies! A Black Rider has arrived!" Chumbucket yelled out as he pointed his stubby little finger. He was right; a Nazgul and his flying fell beast was approaching their direction and fast. "Shit! Chumbucket, get out of there now!" Max cried out. The humpback was able to jump out of the car and rolled away to safety. The car was not so lucky.

The Nazgul used his winged fell beast to knock Max's car over, smashing it into the stone fortress. The sheer force of the impact was enough to cause the car to explode into bite sized pieces. "NO! Not the bloody car!" Max shouted furiously. "AUGH! Look at what those foul heathens have done to my Angel! They murdered her, Saint! Murdered, I say!" Chumbucket wailed in despair. Max began to seethe with rage. "It took me 2 whole weeks to fix that car! And they destroyed it! I'm going to make them pay!" Max growled as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Yes! We must avenge the Angel, Saint! Make those defilers pay with their lives for what they've done to our Angel!" Chumbucket said with anger of his own.

The Nazgul then landed his winged fell beast at the top of the stone fortress, lifting a bannered spear in the air. "Rise, soldiers of Mordor! Destroy the invaders!" the Nazgul rider shouted in Black Speech. "What did he say?" Lara wondered in both concern and curiosity. "I do not know. I've never heard such a dark, foul language before." Nightwolf said as he grew grim.

Suddenly, the loud roar of an unseen horde of orcs was heard. "Wait, do you hear that?!" Chris exclaimed. "I do! They are inside of this fortress!" Jill cried in shock. "Oh, shit! That's...not good, is it?" Johnny Cage said dumbly. "I suggest we prepare ourselves for Kombat!" Liu Kang said as he pulled out his nunchucks. "Here we go again!" Lara said as she readied her bow.

Soon enough, several heavily armed Uruk-Hai emerged from the shadows snarling and sneering as they surrounded our heroes. "Oh, great! This again...this isn't getting old at all!" Johnny Cage groaned. "Man, they are some ugly looking assholes! What are they?" Jax said as he got a better look at their attackers. "I don't believe this. They're...they're orcs!' Nightwolf exclaimed in disbelief. "You know what these things are?" Chris demanded. "My people were once attacked by these foul creatures. But until today, I only thought those stories were just legends. Perhaps these monstrosities have come back from their own dimension to invade ours!" Nightwolf explained. "Damn it! Just what we need; more problems!" Sonya growled.

The Uruk-Hai cackled and sneered as they got closer towards the group of heroes. "Well, well, well! Look at what we got here, boys! A group of outsiders that are lost!" an Uruk-Hai sneered. "Trespassing is more like it! We don't take too kindly to outsiders!" another snarled. "Let's gut em' and hang their corpses!" a third cackled. "Get ready! We're in for a real fight; stay focused, keep moving, and don't led your guard down!" Nightwolf instructed firmly as he drew out his tomahawks.

The Uruk-Hai roared as they charged forward to attack. "Get them! Let's show these outsiders what true warriors from Mordor are capable of!" an Uruk snarled. Nightwolf and Lara Croft fired several arrows at some of the charging Uruks, killing them instantly with headshots. Liu Kang cried out fiercely as he used his speed and strength to overwhelm a few other Uruks, breaking their bones with each blow and breaking their necks. "You are the ones who are not welcome here, foul beasts!" Liu Kang shouted angrily. "We ain't scared of you ugly bastards!" Jax added as he slammed his fist into the ground and sent several Uruks flying into the air.

Sonya shot at the Uruks with blasts of her energy wrist gauntlets before they could even hit the ground. Johnny Cage was able to grab hold of one of the iron shields and used it to bash an Uruk around before slamming it down at the orc's head, decapitating him. "Oh, my director would have a run for his money to see this!" Johnny Cage muttered as he tossed his shield at another Uruk, pinning him to the stone wall.

Jax, Sonya, and Johnny Cage worked together to finish off a group of Uruks, while Chris and Jill teamed up with Liu Kang, Nightwolf, and Lara Croft to fend off another group. "That's it! Keep it up; they're getting scared now!" Chris yelled in triumph as he shot down an Uruk with his 12 gauge shotgun before punching another away. Jill fired several bursts of her MP5 at a couple of straggling Uruks before roundhouse kicking one in the face. "Don't get overconfident, Chris! We don't know what they're capable of!" Jill warned.

How right she was, because a group of Uruk archers began firing their crossbows at the heroes from higher ground. "AH! That was too close; he nearly got me!" Lara cried as she barely dodged an arrow before returning fire. "Up there on that platform; take out those archers!" Chris shouted as he fired his shotgun. Nightwolf used his magic energy bow to take out the rest of the Uruk archers, much to everyone's relief. "Thanks! Now let's work together to take out the rest of these scumbags!" Chris said as he gave Nightwolf a thumbs up.

The heroes were able to kill off the last of the Uruk-Hai before the stone temple was finally cleared of the orc filth. "Yeah! We did it!" Johnny Cage cried out triumphantly. "Let us not celebrate too soon. I'm sure that there are more of those foul creatures roaming around Outworld!" Nightwolf said gravely. "But if we keep working together as a team, then nothing will be able to stop us!" Lara insisted with a bit more optimism in her voice ""Yeah! Bring it on!" Jax said as he pounded his fists.

But as he said that, the loud screech of the Nazgul filled the air again. Everyone cried out in pain as they covered their ears. "You just had to say it, didn't you?" Johnny Cage groaned. "Here he comes! Look out!" Chris cried out. The Nazgul and his flying fell beast came rushing towards them, though everyone was able to get out of the way before they were hit. "Shit! That was a close one!" Lara exclaimed as she was helped back up by Nightwolf. "How the hell do we take that thing out? My guns couldn't put a dent on that thing!" Chris said he tossed his useless shotgun aside. "And I don't think that my arrows will do any good!" Lara said in dismay.

The Nazgul and his winged beast kept trying to snatch the Earth Realm Heroes like a hawk chasing after a mouse. "Damn it! I don't know if we can beat this thing!" Jill cried out as she barely escaped the fell beast's jaws. "You foolish mortals shall never leave this land! Your souls will be bound to Mordor for eternity!" the Nazgul rider screeched furiously. "You will not steal my soul, you devil! By the Great Spirit, I will send you back to whatever hell you have come from!" Nightwolf snarled as he lifted his tomahawk into the air.

As he did that, lightning struck his tomahawk and ignited it in blue flames. The Nazgul hissed at Nightwolf, and his winged fell beast growled in both anger and fear at the sight of his blue flames. "Strike me if you dare!" Nightwolf challenged. "You will not escape your fate, foolish mortal! You will die here like a dog!" the Nazgul rider snarled as he readied his spear for the killing blow.

Lara Croft stood by his side, aiming her bow at the fell beast. Liu Kang stood in a defensive position next to them, and soon everyone stood together to take on their foe. "Your bravery is wasted! When I am through with you, I shall feed your corpses to my fell beast!" the Nazgul hissed with an evil laugh. "Hey, is he trash talking us? Because I cannot understand a single word he said!" Johnny Cage whispered as he nudged Sonya. "Ugh...just stop, ok?" Sonya groaned in annoyance.

The Nazgul screeched again as he reared his winged fell beast to attack. But before he could make another move, someone caught his attention from behind. "OY! This is for destroying my car, you bloody buzzard!" Max shouted as he was seen on a stone balcony right behind the Nazgul. He then let out a fierce cry as he threw an explosive tipped spear at the fell beast, severely wounding it as it fell to the ground with a loud thud.

But Max wasn't even finished yet. He leapt off the balcony with another spear, this one having a razor sharp tip, and screamed with rage as he stabbed the spear into the fell beast's head, killing it. "Whoa! Did you guys see that?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Kinda hard not to!" Sonya muttered in disbelief. The Nazgul rider was seen falling off his mount as it was killed. But as the Nazgul slowly got back up to his feet, he hissed with seething anger as it drew out a deadly looking sword. "Who are you to dare stand against the forces of Mordor?!" the Nazgul rasped angrily.

Max responded by drawing out his sawn off shotgun and taking aim. "Nobody destroys my car and gets away with it!" Max growled. The Nazgul screeched as he charged towards Max to attack, but Max rolled to the side before firing his shotgun. The Nazgul howled in agony as he found himself engulfed in flames from the shotgun blast. "What?! How did he-" Johnny Cage exclaimed in shock. "Incendiary rounds? Clever!" Chris said with a grin.

As the Nazgul writhed around screaming in pain, Max was approached by Chumbucket. The humpback handed him a can gasoline, to which Max then threw it up above the Nazgul before firing his shotgun at it, creating a massive explosion. The force of the explosion was so great, it sent the Nazgul flying back into the wall and crashing through.

The Nazgul continued to howl in pain and anger as it laid on the ground, burning up to a crisp. "Yes! YES! Burn I say! BURN! Feel the wrath of our Angel, you foul demon!" Chumbucket cackled with delight. "Ok, seriously! Am I the only one who finds that hunchback disturbing?" Johnny Cage whispered as he nudged Sonya again. "Uh, no. You're right about that; he is pretty creepy!" Sonya agreed with raised eyebrows.

The Nazgul continued to scream as he burned up, much to Max's frustration. "How the bloody hell are you still alive?" Max growled as he began stomping towards him. However, Nightwolf stopped him from moving forward. "Please! Allow me to finish this!" Nightwolf insisted before he slammed flaming tomahawk to the ground. As he did, blue flames came rushing towards the Nazgul and completely engulfed him. The Nazgul let out a loud piercing screech of pain before he finally disintegrated. "This is your end!" Nightwolf boldly proclaimed as he retrieved his tomahawk.

An eerie silence filled the air, like a calm after a dreadful storm. As Max and Nightwolf approached the group, the others just stared at them in bewilderment. "Ok, I've got to admit. That was pretty impressive!" Chris announced. "How did you know that fire was their weakness?" Jill added. Max ignored them at first and just sat on a large hunk of rubble to catch his breath. "Ok, fine...don't tell us!" Chris muttered in annoyance.

Max pulled out a canteen and gulped down some water before sighing loudly. After another moment of silence, Max spoke up. "I suppose I should stick around with you all a bit longer. Just until I can get my car repaired." Max announced. "We're happy to have you on our side!" Lara responded cheerfully. "But make no mistake. Once my car is repaired, I'm out! And there is no use in trying to convince me otherwise." Max continued. "Whatever you say, Mad Max!" Chris retorted. "Chris!" Jill scolded.

Sonya sighed as she shook her head. "Ok, fine. Whatever! We beat these guys, but now we're back to square one!" Sonya said in annoyance. "We need to find Raiden and find a way out of this wasteland!" Liu Kang suggested. "Agreed. But we must leave this place before more of those dark creatures arrive!" Nightwolf said as he cleaned the blood off his tomahawk. "But where do we go from here? We've got nowhere else to go!" Johnny Cage groaned. "Well, there's no use in standing around whining about it! Come on, people! Think! We need a plan!" Jax exclaimed impatiently. "Uh, we better think of a plan quick! We've got company!" Jill alerted as she pointed.

She was right; a group of people were seen approaching their direction. "Oh, come on! That is so unfair! We just-" Johnny Cage complained. "Wait...is that...Lord Raiden?!" Liu Kang cried out. He was right; Raiden was seen approaching them along with Fujin, Kitana, Jade, Kotal Kahn, and Talion. They all looked bewildered at the sight of the carnage and damage they had caused. "Divine liquid and fire! What has happened here?!" Kotal demanded. "Looks like we missed all the fun!" Jade smirked. "Wait...is that...Liu Kang?! You're still alive!" Kitana exclaimed in joy as she ran to him.

Much to Liu Kang's surprise, Kitana embraced him tightly. "I, uh...I'm happy to see you too." he stuttered. "Aw, lucky bastard!" Johnny Cage muttered before a dark look from Sonya shut him up. "Elder Gods be praised! You all are still alive!" Raiden proudly proclaimed. "Where the hell have you guys been?!" Sonya demanded. "It's quite a long story, my dear." Fujin replied patiently.

Talion observed the dead Uruk-Hai littering the place, as well as the slain fell beast. He appeared to be impressed. "You managed to take out these Uruks and a Nazgul? And you survived?! Impressive!" Talion said with a grin. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" Jax questioned sternly as he lit up a cigar. Talion stared at him before he leaned back against the wall. He then took out a wooden pipe and lit it, before blowing out smoke. "Never seen a ranger look you before. What's your rank?" Talion said plainly as he smoked. Jax smirked as he said that. "I'm a commander of the Special Forces." Jax replied after blowing smoke of his own. "Really? I was a captain of the Rangers of Gondor." Talion replied. "I take it that's not from here, is it?" Jax said. "You could say that!" Talion smirked.

As the two men got to know each other, Fujin explained to everyone else their own adventures. "And then, we finally took over the fortress. And that's when we met Talion, the Dark Ranger." Fujin concluded as he pointed to the man in question. "Sounds like you guys have been busy! We haven't exactly had things so easy, either." Lara said with a sigh. "Well now that we're all together again, what do we do now?" Sonya demanded.

Before she could be answered, Max approached the group. "I found something you all might want to see. Follow me!" Max announced. "Oh, great! Another surprise...I can't wait!" Johnny Cage groaned. But the others followed him anyway, winding up in an underground lair of some sort. "Nice place! A little bit of paint and some curtains, and it'd be just perfect!" Chris announced playfully. "This was my first base of operations, before the invasion!" Kotal said gravely. "It's far from perfect, but it will be a good place to lay low for awhile!" Max said as he approached a table and laid down his shotgun to clean it. "For once, I couldn't agree more!" Sonya sighed as she sat in a stone chair.

And with that said, everyone decided to take a rest for the remainder of the evening. And they certainly would need that rest, especially for what they were going to go up against tomorrow!

Chapter Text

*Several hours ago!*

Spawn and Ryu Hayabusa had found themselves lost in the Living Forest, and neither of them seemed to be happy with the other about it. "Grr! Face it, schoolboy! We're lost!" Spawn growled in irritation. "You think I'm unaware of our situation, Hellspawn?!" Ryu snapped. "You tell me! We've past those damn trees about 3 or 4 times already!" Spawn snapped. "This place obviously has some sort of evil magic in it that's interfering with my mind!" Ryu began. "Don't give me that shit! You obviously have no idea where the hell we are or what the hell you're doing!" Spawn snarled

Ryu sighed heavily as he clenched his jaw tightly, doing his best not to try to lash out at him. But deep down, he knew that he was right. "Ok, fine. I admit it; I'm at a complete loss here! I have no idea where we are and I don't know if we will ever find our way out of this place. I'm not even sure if we will find the others, if they're even still alive!" Ryu confessed with a weary tone.

Spawn stared at him as he said that, but nodded his head in understanding. "I get it, all right? You're worried about that girl, Kasumi." Spawn said. "What? No, I-" Ryu began. "Because I'm worried sick about Reika. But sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves isn't going to make things any better. Now come on; you're a ninja, use your skills to get us out of this mess so we can find the others!" Spawn insisted.

Ryu nodded his head in agreement. "All right. Give me a second to-" Ryu started before his senses alerted him of nearby danger. "GET DOWN!" Ryu shouted as he tackled Spawn to the ground. Several icicles that were thrown at their direction and would've pierced them had they been a second later. "Wait! I know those icy powers." Spawn muttered as he slowly stood back up. "Wait, what are you doing?!" Ryu hissed in alarm.

As Spawn stood up, he held his hands up. "Hey, Ice! Take it easy, will you? It's me; Spawn!" Spawn called out. As soon as he said that, a freezing cold breeze appeared out of nowhere before a ninja in black and blue slowly approached his direction. It was Subzero! But as he got closer, Spawn noticed that there was something different about him.

Subzero's appearance was different; he was now wearing a metal trident helmet and a mask that covered his mouth. He also had shiny silver metal armor covering his shoulders, knees, and arms. He even had a silver metal dragon belt buckle and icy weapons strapped to his waist. Needless to say, Subzero had definitely gotten an upgrade!

Subzero stared at Spawn, as if studying him. Finally, after a tense moment of silence, he spoke. "So, you have survived!" Subzero announced plainly in his usually cold and icy demeanor. "Nice to see you too, you cold bastard. Nice outfit, by the way!" Spawn sneered. "This is no mere outfit, Spawn. This is the sacred Dragon Armor of Arctika! I found it in the possession of a creature who called himself the Kollector." Subzero replied. "I guess he didn't live long enough to regret that mistake, did he?" Spawn chuckled.

If Subzero could laugh, he did so quietly behind his mask. "I suppose you can say that. But tell me; where are the others? Have you been separated again?" Subzero pointed out. Spawn sighed heavily as he shook his head. "Yeah, I guess that portal wasn't as stable as we thought! We're trying to find them, but we've had no luck so far. Instead, we've just been dealing with more demonic assholes!" Spawn growled. "Then I assume that this demonic threat has spread out to different realms." Subzero said as he clenched his fists. "You assume correct, friend!" Ryu said as he finally stepped out of the shadows.

Subzero became quite alert and even aggressive as he drew out a deadly looking Kori Blade made out of solid ice. "You! Who are you?!" Subzero demanded. "Ryu Hayabusa! Are you challenging me?" Ryu replied with a growl. Ryu reached for his sword, but Spawn stepped in before a fight could break out between the two ninja. "Knock it off! We're all on the same side here, so put your weapons away before I put you both down!" Spawn shouted.

Both ninja glared at him and at each other before they sheathed their weapons. "All right. We're in shit creek now and we better find a way out! There must be a way out of this damn forest!" Spawn said as he paced around. Ryu knelt to the ground, firmly pressing his hand before closing his eyes. He blocked out everything else and focused solely on the forest itself. With the help of ancient ninja techniques taught by his father, Ryu would hear what the forest would have to say.

After a few minutes, Ryu stood back up and breathed out in content. "I think I know where to go. Follow me!" Ryu announced. "What? How the hell do you know where to-" Spawn began. "Quiet! Lead the way, Ryu." Subzero shushed. But as the three began to wander out of the Living Forest, they were completely unaware that they were being watched by something...or someone from the trees up above!

Meanwhile, Reika Kitami and Kasumi wandered their way into an abandoned village in hopes to find their allies. "Hello! Raizo, are you here? Hello! Anyone?" Reika called out. "Reika, hush! We don't know what's out there!" Kasumi hissed. "Hey, relax! I can handle myself just fine, you know!" Reika insisted with a smirk. "We won't be able to find the others if you get us both killed!" Kasumi snapped.

Reika sighed in annoyance as she shook her head. "The sooner we find the others, the sooner we can get out of this dump!" Reika muttered as she observed her surroundings. Kasumi peeked around several corners to see if any enemies were present, but there seemed to be nothing left in this desolate wasteland. "Ryu, I hope that you're safe." Kasumi whispered.

As the two women ventured deeper into the village, something evil and vicious silently followed them from the shadows. Eventually, Reika and Kasumi arrived at the center of the village. They were horrified by what they ran into; it appeared to be a massive nest filled with ugly, leathery looking eggs. To make matters worse, there were several corpses lying around with massive holes in their chests and horrified expressions frozen on their faces.

Reika looked like she was about to throw up, while Kasumi just stared in complete horror and disbelief. "Ok, then...that's not fucked up at all!" Reika muttered with wide eyes. "We should destroy these eggs to prevent anyone else falling victim to...whatever laid these!" Kasumi said gravely after staring at the carnage caused by this threat. "Agreed! Stand back; I'll fry these things sunny side up!" Reika said as she lit her hands up with fire.

As Reika roasted the nest, the unseen threat seethed and hissed with rage in the shadows. "All right! That'll do it!" Reika cried out triumphantly. "Ok, we've destroyed the nest. Now let's get out of here before whatever made this nest decides to make us its' dinner!" Kasumi said in a worried tone. "Ha! Whatever it is, we can handle it. Bring it on!" Reika boasted.

She did not have to wait long. A loud hissing noise was heard from behind both women, catching their attention as they slowly turned around. A creature slowly emerged from the shadows, snarling as it bared it's teeth. As it crawled towards them, both women got a better look at the monster. It's body was black and bony, had long slender legs and arms with savage claws, and a long whip-like tail with a savage stinger at the end.

But perhaps the most unusual thing about this creature was it's head. It was massive and long, like a canoe and had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Although it had no eyes, it seemed to have an incredible sense of smell and hearing. They were notorious aliens simply known as Xenomorphs! "You were saying?" Kasumi hissed as she glared at the witch. "Shut up, ok?! It's just one monster! We can take him!" Reika snapped.

But just as she said that, 2 more Xenomorphs emerged from the shadows hissing with rage. "Oh, fuck!" Reika groaned as she palmed her face. The Xenomorphs growled and snarled as they began pacing around the women, like lions surrounding their prey. Kasumi slowly reached for her katana while Reika began surging with magic energy. "Looks like we're in for a real fight, now. Get ready!" Reika growled as she drew out her bound sword. "These devils don't look like they'll make it easy for us, Reika. We'll have to move fast and strike hard." Kasumi whispered as she slowly drew out her katana blade.

The Xenomorphs screeched with rage before one of them pounced towards Reika. Reika was able to roll away to safety before slashing at the Xenomorph's side, causing it to squeal in pain. But as Reika slashed at him, a rancid green liquid squirted out and splashed on Reika, making her scream out in pain. "AUGH! It burns!" Reika wailed as she reeled back. "That's not blood; it's acid! These things bleed out acid! But how is that possible?!" Kasumi exclaimed as she barely parried against another Xenomorph's savage claw attacks. 

Reika soon found herself on her back after a Xenomorph tackled her to the ground and tried to maul her. "Fuck! Get off me, you freak!" Reika screamed out in both anger and terror. The Xenomorph opened it's mouth and protruded out another set of jaws, trying to chomp into Reika's skull. Reika yelled out as she grabbed onto a nearby rock and smashed it against the Xenomorph's head, breaking some of it's teeth. Reika then kicked herself free before drawing out her bound sword of dark energy. "Ok, you ugly fucker! Let's see what you've got!" Reika challenged. The Xenomorph hissed angrily in response.

As Reika fought against the one Xenomorph, Kasumi used her cunning and her speed to defeat the other two Xenomorphs. She leapt from one spot to another, dodging the Xenomorph's attacks before counterattacking them with swift and deadly slash attacks with her katana blade. "You monsters remind me of the Fiends from my world!" Kasumi cried out boldly as she leapt up into the air before tossing some exploding kunai at the Xenomorphs.

The explosive force was enough to send the monsters flying back, but it still wasn't enough to kill them. "Shit! That didn't work. I'm going to have to find another way to take out these monsters!" Kasumi muttered as she safely landed on her feet. The Xenomorphs struggled to get back up, snarling furiously as they did so. "You monsters want me? Come and get me!" Kasumi taunted as she stood her ground and swung her katana around.

One of the Xenomorphs screeched angrily as he charged towards Kasumi, but Kasumi was quicker and slid right underneath the monster before slashing off it's feet. The Xenomorph howled in pain as it writhed around in pain, squirting acid from it's missing feet. As the Xenomorph tried to crawl towards Kasumi, the sharp kunoichi threw some kunai at it's hands, pinning it to the ground.

Kasumi smirked at the monster before her kunai exploded, blasting off it's arms and splattering it's head into a mushy pulp. "Don't mess with the Mugen Tenshin Clan!" Kasumi taunted. The other Xenomorph grew enraged seeing this and charged towards her to attack. This proved to be a mistake, as Kasumi teleported away before reappearing above the Xenomorph and stabbing her katana deep into the monster's head, killing it instantly. "Not today, devil! Not today!" Kasumi cried out triumphantly.

Reika finally defeated the last Xenomorph in a spectacularly gruesome fashion. She fired a bright purple orb of energy at the Xenomorph, completely paralyzing him. She then trapped the Xenomorph inside of a rune before holding up her fist and lighting it on fire. The Xenomorph screeched in howling agony as it suddenly burst into flames inside of the rune before exploding into a bloody pulp. "Ha! I finally got you, you son of a bitch!" Reika shouted before she collapsed from exhaustion.

Kasumi approached Reika with a weary smile on her face. "We did it. We beat them! Now let's get out of this place before anymore of them show up!" Kasumi said as she helped up on her feet. "I've got a feeling we will see more of those ugly fuckers! But I've also got a good feeling that we'll see our friends again soon." Reika said with a wincing smile of her own. "You know what, Reika Kitami? All in all, I'm glad to fight by your side!" Kasumi said kindly. "Aww, you don't mean that!" Reika teased with a giggle.

As the two women finally left the village, they approached the entrance to the Living Forest. "Ugh...definitely not creepy at all!" Reika groaned as she shook her head. "Oh, come on! You beat demons and monsters without any problems, how is this any different?" Kasumi playfully jabbed. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard from inside of the forest. "Oh my God! What was that?!" Kasumi exclaimed. "More trouble! Well, I guess we're going in!" Reika said with a look of grim determination on her face. "I'm right behind you!" Kasumi said as she drew out her katana blade.

Little did they realize that the battle they would be running into would be much more difficult and chaotic than their last one!

Chapter Text

Reika and Kasumi ran towards the Living Forest, heading towards the sounds of a chaotic battle. "Quickly, this way!" Kasumi cried out as she picked up the pace. Reika tried to keep up, but Kasumi was much quicker and more agile due to being a ninja. "Damn, girl! Wait for me, will you?!" Reika called out from behind. "No, you keep up! We have to reach the others, now let's go!" Kasumi called back. Reika growled in irritation but she did as she was told.

Kasumi and Reika eventually reached a larger, more open area of the forest. They were astonished to find that much of the forest was in smoldering ruins, as if someone had taken a cannon and blasted away at the place. "What the hell happened here?" Reika wondered in shock. "I don't know, but I do hope that Ryu is ok." Kasumi said with a worried tone. "Let's get moving before we run into...whatever the hell caused this mess!" Reika suggested. "Good idea!" Kasumi agreed. But as they continued their search, they were unaware that they were being watched. From behind the trees, a shadowy figure lurked and observed the unsuspecting women.

After about 10 minutes of searching, Kasumi and Reika found Ryu and Spawn holed up in a smoldering crater. "Guys! You're ok!" Reika exclaimed as she ran towards them. "Reika?! How did you manage to get past all those traps?" Spawn groaned as he was helped up by Reika. "What traps? What on earth are you talking about?" Reika began before she noticed that they were hurt. "Oh, God! Those wounds look awful! What did this to you, honey?!" Reika said with a grave tone. "I...I don't know, Reika. I couldn't see him!" Spawn groaned as Reika healed his wounds. "You couldn't see him? What do you mean by that?" Reika wondered.

As Spawn explained his ordeal to Reika, Kasumi helped Ryu tend to his wounds and even took the chance to express her feelings for him. "Ryu? Are you all right?" Kasumi began as she used her healing techniques on him. "Yes, I am fine. A little banged and bruised, but I am all right." Ryu said wearily. "Are you sure? Because you both look like you were given quite a beating. Do you want to talk about it?" Kasumi said softly.

Ryu at first remained silent, but as he looked into Kasumi's eyes, there seemed to be something different about her. He had known Kasumi for quite some time, but he never saw her like this before. Finally, Ryu sighed as he spoke up again. "Spawn and I were looking to find a way out of this forest, when we ran into an old friend from earlier. Subzero!" Ryu began. 

Kasumi seemed surprised to hear this. "Subzero? Did he do this to you guys?!" Kasumi exclaimed. "What? Oh, no! You misunderstand me. Subzero showed up to help us. He was trying to help us find a way out of this place, when that...that thing attacked us out of nowhere!" Ryu continued with a hint of anger in his voice. "What attacked you?" Kasumi asked. "An invisible devil of some sort, and very crafty one at that!" Ryu answered as he was helped up. "We will find this devil and take him down together, Ryu!" Kasumi proclaimed boldly.

Ryu was a bit surprised by Kasumi's display of boldness. For as long as he knew Kasumi, he never knew her to be so eager to fight. "Kasumi? What has gotten into you? You seem different." Ryu muttered in confusion. "Ok, honey. I think I got your wounds healed up. Come on!" Reika said as she helped Spawn up to his feet. "Ah, much better! Good to know you haven't lost your touch, Reika." Spawn complimented as he stretched out. "Oh, why thank you. I'm glad you feel that way!" Reika beamed.

As Spawn got a better look around his surroundings, he realized something. "Oh, shit! Where the hell is he?" Spawn growled. "Where's who?" Reika wondered. "Subzero! He was just here with us earlier! He must have gotten separated from us when that thing attacked us!" Spawn replied. "You found Subzero? He's still alive?!" Reika said with excitement in her voice. "Actually, Subzero found us. He thought that we were a threat, so he tried to kill us! We were able to come to an understanding eventually." Spawn explained with a chuckle. "Oh, is that so?" Reika joked. "That's right. I promised to let Subzero live if he'd lead us out of this damn forest." Spawn replied half-jokingly.

Reika laughed as he said that before playfully punching his shoulder. "You're so full of it, you know that? I will say this, though. I am glad to see you again!" Reika said more cheerfully. "I know. I never stopped fighting to find you again. I want you to know that!" Spawn said gravely as he gently caressed her face. "Aww, you big softy!" Reika cooed playfully as she embraced him. 

From a distance, Ryu saw the two embrace each other. Ryu sighed as he then glanced over at Kasumi. "Oh, Kasumi!" Ryu muttered as he shook his head sadly. "Hey! I found something over here! Come quickly!" Kasumi called out before she took off. "This better be good!" Spawn grumbled. Spawn, Reika, and Ryu followed Kasumi until they ended up in a large open area of the forest.

But what really caught everyone's attention was the fact that this section of the forest was completely frozen. There were massive icicles everywhere sticking out of the ground, the trees were frozen solid, and there was even snow falling from up above. "Ok, this is weird!" Reika said out loud. "Did Subzero do all of this?" Ryu muttered.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps caught the attention of everyone. They looked around, but couldn't seem to find out where it was coming from. "Do any of you guys have any idea where that came from?" Reika cried out. "No! I can't see anything! There's nothing here!" Spawn groaned. "No...he's here. I just know it!" Ryu said as he reached for his katana sword. "Who, Ryu?" Kasumi asked. "This is all Subzero's doing!" Ryu retorted. "Just how powerful is this Subzero?!" Kasumi wondered. "Hey, come on schoolboy! Now is not the time for this petty bullshit!" Spawn growled.

As he said that, a chilling breeze filled the air, before the slow sound of footsteps were heard again. Everyone turned around slowly and saw Subzero slowly walking towards them with an icy Kori Blade in hand. "Do not move!" Subzero said in a stern yet hushed tone. "You! You set us up! I knew you were not to be trusted!" Ryu cried out angrily as he pointed his katana blade at Subzero. "Don't...move!" Subzero hissed as he enunciated each word. "What's going on, Subzero?" Spawn demanded before he noticed something.

Up above in the trees in an unfrozen section of the forest, there seemed to be...something standing there. Spawn could swear there was something there, but he couldn't be too sure. But then, it happened. The same thing that happened before; a pair of bright yellow eyes flashed and then disappeared. "Fuck! It's him...he's here!" Spawn whispered in disbelief. "Wait, what's going on? Who's here, Raizo?" Reika asked in a hushed tone.

Suddenly, a low growl was heard before a loud whirring noise filled the air. "GET DOWN! NOW!" Spawn shouted as a powerful burst of blue energy was fired at their direction. Everyone cried out as a massive explosion took place, shaking them off their feet. Everyone except for Subzero, who stood his ground. "Get behind me in a single file line!" Subzero commanded as he held his Kori Blade in a defensive position. "What?!" several of the others exclaimed in confusion. "Just do it!" Subzero shouted.

They did as they were told, falling straight behind Subzero one by one. "Everyone keep absolutely still and silent!" Subzero instructed in a hushed tone as he held his ground. A loud thud was heard right in front of Subzero, though nothing could be seen. "Hey, Ice. What is it? Do you see anything?" Spawn whispered. "No, I can't see him...but I know he's there!" Subzero replied. "How? There's nothing here but icicles and frozen rocks!" Spawn hissed. "No, wait! There is something here. Look!" Reika said as she pointed. "Where? I don't see anything either!" Kasumi whispered. "Everyone be quiet! I can hear something...listen!" Ryu shushed.

He was right. There was some very faint growling and clicking noises. But that was not what disturbed everyone. What was even more disturbing was the fact that everyone had the feeling that something was watching them. "Everyone listen very closely. When I make my move, you all run out of this forest and don't look back. Understand?" Subzero instructed. "What? Are you crazy?! We're not leaving you behind!" Reika exclaimed. "I'm not asking you. Do as I say!" Subzero growled.

Subzero then rose his Kori Blade up, ready to stab it into the ground. "Steady...steady...NOW!" Subzero shouted as he stabbed his Kori Blade into the ground, creating massive icicles that shot out of the ground and moved forward at a quick pace. As Spawn and the others ran off, a loud inhuman growl was heard in the air along with the sounds of explosions and shattering ice. "Jeez! I hope old Ice knows what he's doing!" Spawn grumbled. "I hope so too, honey." Reika said sadly.

After about 20 minutes, Spawn and the others finally made their way out of the forest. "We made it!" Reika announced. "Barely!" Spawn growled. "It feels so wrong to leave him behind like that." Kasumi said sadly. "He made his choice, Kasumi. He must have known what he was doing!" Ryu said plainly. "Ryu! How could you say that?!" Kasumi exclaimed angrily. "Wait, that's not what I meant!" Ryu said trying to calm her down. "Then what did you mean?" Kasumi demanded as she put her hands on her hips. "Look, I only meant to say-" Ryu began before he was suddenly sent flying back. "AUGH! What the-" Ryu exclaimed in pain as he observed a spear-like weapon impaled into his chest.

Kasumi cried out in horror at this sight and ran to Ryu, while Spawn and Reika prepared to defend themselves from whatever threat was coming. "You take care of schoolboy! We'll take care of whatever comes out of that forest!" Spawn called out. As Spawn and Reika stood their ground, Kasumi removed the spear from Ryu's chest. It was unlike anything either of them had ever seen before, almost like...it was alien. "Ryu? Are you ok?!" Kasumi cried as she tended to his wound. "I'm all right. It didn't reach my heart, so I guess I'm pretty lucky that it didn't-" Ryu began before the sound of Kasumi crying made him silent.

Kasumi wept as she hung her head low over Ryu, making the ninja feel foolish. "Oh, what am I doing? I'm such a fool!" Ryu muttered as he realized why Kasumi was crying. Ryu reached his hand up to her face, making the kunoichi gasp. Ryu wiped her tears away, earning a smile from Kasumi. Kasumi then gently removed Ryu's mask, exposing his face. "Kasumi? I'm sorry for being such a fool!" Ryu said softly. "I know!" Kasumi simply replied before kissing his lips passionately.

Another explosion was heard, cutting Ryu and Kasumi's romantic moment short. "Pay attention, schoolboy! We're about to have company!" Spawn snapped. "Come on, Ryu! Our friends need help!" Kasumi said as she helped him up. Ryu put his mask back on before drawing out his sword. As the two ninja approached their allies, the sounds of a violent struggle were heard coming their way.

After a few tense minutes, someone was seen flying out of the forest. It was Subzero, and he landed right in front of Spawn and his group. "Argh! That damned devil; he's far craftier than I realized!" Subzero groaned in pain. Spawn and Ryu helped him up to his feet, while Reika helped heal his wounds with her magic. "Damn it, Ice! What were you thinking?! You can't take that thing on by yourself!" Spawn scolded. "I realize that now, Spawn." Subzero snapped. "Knock it off, you two! We need to work together to defeat...whatever that thing is!" Ryu said sternly. "He's right! And I think I see them coming this way!" Kasumi added. "Everyone get ready!" Reika cried out.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, something...or someone stepped out of the forest. At first, it appeared to be an invisible and transparent silhouette of some sort. But then, the figure pressed a button on his wrist and turned itself completely visible to the naked eye.

The creature in question stood over 7 feet tall and wore a strange mask/helmet that completely covered his head, save for his dreadlocked hair. On his shoulder, was an energy cannon. And on each of his arms there were metal gauntlets, each of them armed with deadly blades. Strapped to his waist were multiple weapons and gadgets, and each of them had a different purpose.

The creature roared loudly and defiantly at the others, as if he were challenging them. At long last, the Predator had revealed himself to his prey. And now, he would finish them once and for all!

Chapter Text

Spawn spread out his cape, using his Necroplasm powers to summon an entire arsenal of guns. Ryu, Kasumi, and Subzero readied their ninja weapons. Reika Kitami surged with magic energy.  The Predator snarled as he charged up his shoulder cannon, but the others showed no fear. "Let's show this asshole what happens when he fucks with the best!" Spawn sneered before he unleashed a storm of bullets from his guns. Much to his surprise, the Predator leapt away before returning fire with his shoulder cannon.

Reika was able to use a magical ward to protect everyone from the explosive force before retaliating with a ball of fire. The Predator dodged the attack before firing another couple of rounds at the heroes. The ninjas were able to dodge the explosive projectiles, but Spawn wasn't so lucky. He took a hit to the chest, which sent him back flying a great distance, crashing into a boulder. "AUGH! Damn it; that bastard got me!" Spawn cried out in pain. "Shit! Honey, are you ok?! Oh, fuck! He blew a hole in your chest!"" Reika exclaimed as she ran to him. 

She was right; the was a big gaping hole in his chest. But thanks to Spawn's powers, his powers were able to rapidly heal his wound completely. "Ahh, much better! Good old, reliable Necroplasm!" Spawn sighed in content. "Honey, you should be more careful! If you took a shot like that to the head, you'd be done for! We gotta get rid of that shoulder cannon!" Reika cried. "Yeah, we probably should! Hey, schoolboy! You think you can help take out that thing's shoulder cannon?!" Spawn called out as he was helped back up by Reika.

Ryu nodded his head and made some motions with his hands to Kasumi and Subzero before he darted towards the Predator. He began tossing some shuriken at him, but the Predator was able to dodge the projectiles before he fired away with his shoulder cannon. But being the clever ninja he was, Ryu was able to teleport away before counter attacking the Predator with his katana blade. The Predator cried out in pain as he was struck, but he fiercely retaliated with a brutal punch, sending Ryu flying back.

But before the Predator could do anymore damage, a blast of ice froze the Predator in place. Subzero then grabbed hold of the Predator from behind and held him with a steel grip. "I have him! Take out his shoulder cannon, quickly!" Subzero shouted as he tightened his grip on the Predator. Kasumi then cried out fiercely as she threw a kunai at the Predator's shoulder cannon, destroying it.

Subzero then proceeded to violently shank him with a razor sharp piece of ice, making the Predator scream in pain and anger. But the Predator would not give up so easily, and with a burst of rage and super strength, he forced Subzero off of him with a mighty roar. Subzero cried out as he was sent flying forward, crashing into Kasumi. The Predator then tore himself free of the ice that he was trapped in before he let out a ferocious snarl.

Subzero and Kasumi groaned as they slowly got back up, but they didn't have time to recover due to the Predator's ferocious surprise attack. He delivered brutal punches and kicks to the ninja, making them cry out in pain from his ferocity. The Predator growled as he grabbed Subzero and picked him up and held him up above his head before slamming him back down on his knee. 

Subzero screamed as he felt his spine crack, but the Predator wanted him to suffer. He unleashed a nasty pair of metal blades from his wrist gauntlets and would have stuck him like a pig, but Kasumi was able to send him flying back with a fierce kick to the chest. "HIYA! Nobody hurts my friends, you devil!" Kasumi shouted. As she helped Subzero up, he groaned in pain as he held his back. "Are you ok?" Kasumi asked kindly. "I will recover...but we must defeat that monstrosity, no matter the cost!" Subzero groaned.

Kasumi nodded her head before placed her hand on Subzero's back, chanting something before a strange power made her hand glow. "What are you doing?" Subzero wondered. "Helping you! You'll need all your strength if we are to succeed!" Kasumi replied as she then healed Subzero's back. Subzero then sighed in relief as he felt the pain leave his body. "Thank you! I am in your debt, young warrior." Subzero said as he bowed his head in respect. "Please! No need for that. That's what friends are for!" Kasumi giggled.

The Predator's roar caught their attention; they needed to get back into the fight and soon. "Come! Let us take down this Predator together!" Subzero said as he drew out his Kori Blade. "Right behind you!" Kasumi said with determination as she drew out her own katana blade.

While Subzero and Kasumi were recovering, The Predator had subdued Ryu and Reika, angering Spawn. Spawn then decided to take matters into his own hands, and tried to overwhelm the Predator. But he was much faster and stronger than he looked. Despite his many attempts, Spawn could not seem to land a punch on the Predator, but the deadly hunter sure seemed to deliver deadly damage to Spawn with animalistic fury and barbaric savagery.

The Predator slashed his wrist blades at Spawn multiple times before he grabbed Spawn by the neck before throwing him into the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Spawn groaned as he forced himself back up to his feet. "Grr! That's it, asshole! You're dying here!" Spawn snarled as he used his Necroplasm to create a hellish looking sword.

The Predator appeared to laugh before he charged towards Spawn. Both monsters engaged in a lengthy duel with neither able to best the other, until Spawn finally gained the upper by slashing his sword at the Predator's face, damaging his helmet. The Predator screeched in pain from Spawn's attack, but Spawn wasn't done yet. Spawn stabbed his sword into the Predator's chest before forcing him away with a furious blow to the head with a war club. "Go to hell!" Spawn snarled.

The Predator's mask suffered major damage from Spawn's attack. As he got back up, he slowly tore off his mask and tossed it aside. Spawn finally got a better look at the Predator's true face; it was ugly and frightening beyond description. He had piranha-like teeth hidden behind arthropod-like mandibles, dreadlocks, and horrible yellow eyes. "Ugh! You are one ugly motherfucker!" Spawn groaned in disgust. The Predator merely grabbed the sword that was impaled in his chest and tore it out, spilling bright neon green blood into the ground.

The Predator then reached for what appeared to be a couple of medical syringes from his pouch. He used the first one to glue his wound shut before jamming the other into his leg. The Predator let out a loud and furious roar; now he was pissed and would stop at nothing to kill these strange warriors! "Shit! This bastard is tough! We've hit him with everything, and he's not slowing down!" Spawn cried out in frustration.

The Predator growled as he drew out a deadly looking spear. Spawn growled as he drew out another sword, this time holding his ground. The Predator began pacing around, waiting for Spawn to make his move. "Come on, asshole! Show me what you're really made of!" Spawn taunted before he finally lunged forward to attack. The two monsters engaged in another lengthy duel, again with neither able to best the other.

Finally, the Predator seemed to gain the upper hand when he knocked the sword out of Spawn's hands before stabbing his spear into his chest, pinning him to a tree. Spawn screamed in pain as the Predator began applying more pressure, hoping to finally finish his opponent. The Predator held his wrist blades above Spawn's face, ready for the kill. "Fuck you! I won't beg, asshole!" Spawn snarled through intense pain.

The Predator would have finished Spawn off, had it not been for Ryu's sneak attack from behind. He stabbed his katana blade into the Predator's back, earning a loud screech of pain and anger from the alien monster. "I got you now, you damn devil!" Ryu snarled. The Predator rammed his elbow into Ryu's face, forcing him away. As the Predator struggled to tear the blade out from his back, Spawn was able to pull the spear out of his chest and freed himself. "Ouch! This son of a bitch is really starting to piss me off!" Spawn growled in pain and anger as he tossed the spear aside.

Ryu was able to hop onto the Predator from behind and tore out his katana blade before teleporting away by Spawn's side. "He's getting weaker! If we work together, we can finally put this damn devil down!" Ryu suggested. "All right, schoolboy! Let's finish this!" Spawn said as he lit his hands up with Necroplasm. The Predator growled furiously as he turned around and faced the two anti-heroes before he charged forwards.

While Ryu used his speed and agility to counter attack the Predator, Spawn used his strength and deadly Necroplasm powers to brutalize the space monster. But despite his situation, the Predator refused to back down. He pulled out a pair of smart disks and used them as knuckle dusters against his opponents. Spawn cried out as he was forced away, but Ryu was able to knock the disks out of his hands before stabbing his katana blade into the Predator's stomach.

The Predator screeched in pain, but grabbed hold of Ryu before ramming his wrist blades into the ninja's chest. Ryu cried out in pain from the Predator's dirty move, but he wasn't about to give up. He jerked his blade across the Predator's stomach, spilling out his guts. The Predator roared in howling agony as he was forced away, freeing Ryu from the grip of his wrist blades.

The Predator continue to howl in pain as he fell to his knees, spilling out his neon green blood and guts all over the place. Subzero, Kasumi, and Reika arrived just as this happened. "Holy shit! What just happened here?" Reika exclaimed in shock. "It's not over yet!" Subzero said as he froze the Predator in place. "Yes! We've finally defeated this devil!" Kasumi began before she noticed that Ryu had fallen. "Ryu!? Oh, God! Are you all right?" Kasumi cried as she ran to Ryu and helped him up to his feet. "Yeah! I'm fine...just a scratch!" Ryu joked before he coughed up blood.

Spawn approached him and used his Necroplasm powers to heal Ryu's wounds, much to his surprise. "Thanks! I guess I was wrong to have misjudge you after all!" Ryu said with a weak smile. "Come on, let's get the fuck out of here!" Spawn said as he began to walk away. But he stopped when he suddenly heard evil laughter in the air. "What the-" Spawn muttered as he turned around.

With as much strength as he could possibly, the Predator was laughing evilly while pressing some buttons on his wrist gauntlets. As he pressed the buttons on his wrist gauntlets, a loud yet steady beeping noise was heard. The Predator laughed louder and more sinisterly, making the others very nervous. "What the fuck are you laughing at, asshole?! You lost!" Spawn snarled. "No! Wait...look at that!" Ryu exclaimed as he pointed.

He was right; the computer on his wrist gauntlet appeared to beep faster. Suddenly, the realization of what the Predator just did hit everyone like a ton of bricks to the face. The Predator had activated a self-destruct sequence to his wrist computer and was patiently waiting for the bomb to go off! "Oh, fuck me!" Spawn muttered with widened eyes. "Everyone run! Now!" Subzero said with a grave and alert tone.

The Predator's laughter was now uproarious and downright demonic; if he were to die, he'd damn well take everyone else with him! "Go…to...hell!" the Predator sneered in a guttural tone, appearing to mock Spawn. "FUCK! EVERYONE RUN FOR IT!" Spawn shouted in a panicked tone. As the others ran away, the Predator's demonic laughter echoed in the air, along with the bomb's timer and tone picking up on speed. 

They ran as fast as they possibly could; they had to get away before it was too late!

Meanwhile; Liu Kang and the Earth Realm Heroes were awakened to a deafening and earth shattering explosion. "What on earth was that?!" Liu Kang exclaimed in shock. "Jesus! What the hell is going on?!" Johnny Cage cried out in shock. "Did you all feel that?" Sonya Blade called out with an alert tone of voice. "I sure did! It almost felt like a-" Jax began. "Like what?" Lara Croft demanded in a rattled tone. "Guys! You may want to come see this!" Chris Redfield called out. "What is the meaning of this ruckus?" Kotal Kahn demanded. "Sounds like trouble!" Jade suggested.

Everyone else immediately made their way towards the fortress entrance, and to their horror saw a giant mushroom cloud in the distance. "No...fucking...way!" Johnny Cage muttered in disbelief. "A nuke? They've got fucking nukes now?!" Sonya exclaimed. "Divine liquid and fire! What is going on here?!" Kotal Kahn exclaimed with wide eyes. "By the Elder Gods!" Raiden muttered. "I sincerely hope that none of our friends were caught in that!" Lara said with a grave tone of voice. "Oh, I hope so too!" Kitana said with a forlorn voice.

Talion and Max just stared in grim silence. Both of them knew from their own personal experiences that this was a sign that things were only going to get worse from this point on. "I suggest we pack our things and get moving!" Max said in a monotone voice after another moment of silence. "Agreed!" Talion said as he nodded his head.

Chapter Text

As soon as the smoke and dust cleared, Spawn slowly rose up to his feet. He was covered in dust and debris, but he shook it off before he examined his surroundings. He was shocked to find that everything within a 2 mile radius was completely destroyed. "Shit! What the hell happened? It's like a freakin' nuke went off!" Spawn exclaimed. "Ugh...my head hurts!" Reika Kitami groaned out loud. "Shit! Reika?!" Spawn cried as he saw Reika lying on her back.

He ran to her and helped her up to her feet, wiping the dirt and dust off her face. "Reika? Are you ok?!" Spawn said with grave worry in his voice. "I'm ok, honey. Really! But what the hell happened here Where is everyone?" Reika said as she looked around her destroyed surroundings. "I don't know what happened here, but I do know this! We better find the others and get as far away from this place as possible!" Spawn said grimly. "I agree! Come on; let's find the others. They can't be too far from us...I hope!" Reika said.

For the next hour or so, Spawn and Reika searched the barren wasteland for their allies. Eventually, they found their friends trapped inside of a hole in the ground. "Who's there? Reika...is that you?!" Kasumi called out weakly. "Kasumi? You're alive! Come on, let's get them out of there!" Reika exclaimed happily. Spawn used his chains to grab onto Kasumi, Ryu, and Subzero before yanking them out of the hole. "Glad to see you're still in one piece, schoolboy!" Spawn said with a sneer as he helped Ryu up to his feet. "What took you guys so long?" Ryu joked back.

After a brief reunion, Spawn told the others of their situation. "We have to find a way out of this barren wasteland and regroup with the others." Spawn began. "How do you propose we do that? We don't even know if they are even still alive!" Subzero pointed out. "Don't say that! If we could make it this far, then I'm pretty sure that they've survived too!" Reika snapped. "But even if they are alive, we don't know where they are!" Subzero replied with a cold and stern tone. "Then we find them, Subzero!" Ryu snapped.

Subzero sharply turned around and got into his face, glaring deep into his eyes. "You may have the heart of a warrior, but you have the mind of a child! How do you propose to even save your so called friends if you cannot even find them?! You cannot just act on behalf of your emotions! You must think before you act!" Subzero scolded angrily. Everyone was shocked by Subzero's display of anger, though Ryu’s reaction was more surprising. 

Ryu angrily cried out as he attempted to punch Subzero in the face. But the wise and experienced grandmaster deflected his blows with his icy fists before he sent Ryu flying back with a blast of icy energy. "Enough! Control yourself at once!" Subzero shouted. Ryu growled as he tried to retaliate, but Subzero grabbed hold of him by the neck and tightened his grip. "What are you doing?! Stop it!" Kasumi exclaimed in horror. "Wait second! Let's not do anything we'll regret!" Reika cried out. "Let him go!" Spawn growled angrily.

Subzero created a massive ice shield that surrounded himself and Ryu, acting as a barrier, much to their dismay. "You will listen to me! Perhaps in your realm, you are a great warrior. But you are not in your realm anymore, and your reckless actions will cost you dearly. If you wish to survive, you will do as I say! I am a Grandmaster and I deserve your respect! Test my patience again, and I will have no qualms for putting you down myself! Do we understand each other?" Subzero threatened in a much more sinister and cold tone than before.

Ryu nodded his head weakly, taking the hint. "I understand. I lost my temper and it won't happen again. Now let me go!" Ryu growled. Subzero finally released his grip from Ryu’s neck before shattering the ice that acted as a barrier between him and the others. Their glaring eyes did not stop staring at Subzero as he walked past them. "What the hell did you do that for?! If you hurt him, so help me-“ Kasumi demanded angrily. “Kasumi! It's ok! We just had a conversation, that's all!" Ryu said calmly trying to defuse the situation.

Subzero leaned against a rock, ignoring everyone else's glaring eyes. "If the others are alive, there is only one other place I can think of where they might be." Subzero announced. "And where might that be, Grandmaster?" Ryu asked in a more respectful tone. "Kotal Kahn's Fortress! He may be loyal to Outworld, but he has helped the Lin Kuei out in the past. If we can find him and if I can speak to him, he might be willing to help us find our remaining allies...if they are still alive." Subzero explained.

The others nodded their heads as they heard this. "Well...it's better than nothing." Ryu grumbled. "Yeah, it's at least worth looking into!" Kasumi agreed. "It's actually a pretty solid plan. But do you really think this Kotal Kahn can be trusted? I thought he was a tyrant!" Spawn questioned. "You are referring to Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld. But rest assured, both he and Kotal have been at war with each other for a long time." Subzero began. "That doesn't make things any better! If those two are fighting for a position of power, then neither of them can be trusted! I've seen this vicious cycle happen too many times!" Spawn objected.

Subzero growled softly in irritation, but could see and respect Spawn's cautious attitude. "I have met Kotal before, and believe me when I say that he is no friend to Shao Kahn. He desires only to help Outworld prosper, while Shao Kahn seeks only to exploit Outworld's resources to fuel his conquest of other realms. Kotal would make a better ally than enemy. Despite his good intentions, he is notorious for his temper and distrust of outsiders! So if we find him, you let me speak to him first." Subzero explained. "Fine! But if things go south, I will do whatever it takes to put him down! You can count on that!" Spawn growled as he crossed his arms.

Subzero sighed as he shook his head, but decided not to waste time arguing with him. "Let us get moving. The sooner we find Kotal, the better!" Subzero said as he took the lead. "Well, here we go again!" Reika muttered as she rolled her eyes. "But this time, we're together. We'll be ok!" Kasumi said cheerfully. But as they walked away, they were unaware that something...or someone evil slowly rose out of the ground!

Meanwhile, Kotal Kahn summoned the Earth Realm heroes and otherworldly visitors to his throne room. “What’s this all about?” Johnny Cage wondered. "Guess we'll find out soon enough!" Jax retorted. As they arrived, Kotal Kahn was seen sitting on his stone throne with an angry but also weary expression on his face. "Kotal, what is wrong?" Jade asked as she approached him. Kotal sighed as he shook his head. "Our enemies are wreaking havoc in Outworld, my armies are all but dead or missing, and I have no resources to spare! How am I to bring back order to Outworld if I have nothing left?!" Kotal said as he angrily slammed his fist on his throne chair's arm.

Fujin stepped up to him to comfort him, as did Kitana and Raiden. "I know things seem hopeless now, but we will find a way!" Fujin began. "Have you heard nothing I said?! Outworld is lost, and I can do nothing to save it!" Kotal exclaimed. "That's nonsense! You were the only one who was able to help fight back against these invaders. If anyone can find a way, it's you!" Kitana proclaimed. "If you truly wish to become Outworld's new Kahn, you must be able to overcome all obstacles. Now think! There must be something we can do to turn this around in our favor." Raiden said gravely.

After a long minute of silence and deep thought, Kotal spoke up. "There is one thing I could do. But I swore that I would not resort to this!" Kotal began grimly. "Kotal, wait! You don't mean-" Jade exclaimed. "What other choice do we have, Jade?! We have nothing left!" Kotal cried angrily. "Whoa, wait! What's going on? What's this thing you guys are freaking out about?" Johnny Cage called out. "Johnny, hush!" Sonya Blade hissed.

Kotal sighed as he stood up from his throne. "Are any of you familiar with blood magic?" Kotal began. A few of the others looked confused, while others looked deeply concerned. "You cannot be serious!" Liu Kang cried out. "Kotal! You of all people should know the evils and dangers of blood magic!" Jade scolded. "I am well aware of that, Jade! But our armies are all but dead or missing. If we cannot find an army to fight for our cause, then we must create one!" Kotal shouted angrily.

Raiden shook his head before he approached him. "Perhaps a less drastic measure is called for, Kotal!" Raiden suggested. "And what would you do, Lord Raiden?!" Kotal snapped. Raiden did not appreciate Kotal's attitude, but tried to remain calm due to the situation they were in. "If I can get to a temple, I could communicate with the Elder Gods and see if they can help." Raiden began. "There are no temples left in Outworld, Raiden! This Skulker abomination and his demonic horde burned them all to the ground!" Kotal said with a growl. "Wait! There may be a place that has not yet been spoiled by these invaders!" Jade suggested.

Kotal grew furious as he realized what she meant. "No! That is absolutely out of the question, Jade!" Kotal snarled. "Do you have any better suggestions, Kotal?! People are dead or dying!" Jade shouted as she lost her temper. The room grew silent as the two stared each other down, until finally Jade spoke up again. "Will you please let go of your pride and just this once listen to me?" Jade begged tearfully.

Kotal sighed heavily, but he nodded his head in agreement. "I hope that you know what you are doing, Jade. Because you and I both know what will happen once we set foot into his territory!" Kotal warned. "I know that it is risky, but just think of what could happen if we worked together. Think of what we could accomplish!" Jade insisted. Kotal nodded his head again before he finally consented. "Very well, Jade. I will trust your judgement!" Kotal said more calmly. "Thank you, Kotal. Just know that no matter what happens, I will always be by your side!" Jade replied as she embraced him.

Kotal looked to the others before he spoke up again. "I know that you are all weary and longing to return home, but I ask that you trust me once again!" Kotal announced solemnly. "Whatever it is you are planning to do, I know that you are doing it for the benefit of Outworld!" Kitana proclaimed. "What exactly is this plan of yours?" Chris Redfield asked. Kotal took a deep breath before he spoke up. "We are going to find Baraka and convince him and his horde to join us in our battle to repel these invaders!" Kotal stated.

The Earth Realm Heroes gave shocked expressions, with Liu Kang being the most outraged. "Is that a joke?! Tell me that you are not serious!" Liu Kang exclaimed angrily. "Liu Kang!" Raiden hissed. "Those barbaric monsters have attacked the Shaolin multiple times in the past and you expect us to become their allies now?!" Liu Kang shouted. "Whoa! Never seen him so mad before!" Johnny Cage muttered. "Liu Kang! Restrain your emotions at once!" Raiden scolded. Liu Kang grunted in anger as he stormed off, much to the shock of the others. "Man, where are you going?!" Jax exclaimed. "Leave him be! He needs time to process this!" Raiden said sternly. "Why the sudden outburst?" Sonya wondered.

Raiden sighed as he shook his head. "Liu Kang has a personal grudge against the Tarkatans and for good reason. His family was slain by Baraka's forces when he was yet a boy!" Raiden said with a sad, grave tone. "Oh, damn! I guess that's a good reason he'd be pissed!" Jax said with a dismayed expression. "Yeah, I mean...wow! That is dark!" Johnny Cage agreed. "I know I'd be pissed if I had to work with my family's killer!" Sonya said with a cringe.

Kitana overheard all of this, and immediately felt compelled to try and help. "Lord Raiden? Let me speak to him. He might be willing to listen to me!" Kitana suggested. "Oh, yeah! That's a great idea, considering he's got the hots for you!" Johnny Cage said with a smirk. "Johnny, shut up!" Sonya growled as she punched him behind the head. "OW! What was that for?! Sheesh!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in pain. Kitana chose to ignore Johnny Cage's comment before taking off to find Liu Kang and talk some sense into him.

Eventually, Kitana finally found Liu Kang alone in his room, sitting on his bed. "Liu Kang? Are you ok? What's wrong? You can talk to me!" Kitana asked compassionately. At first, Liu Kang did not respond and just sat in silence with his eyes closed. Kitana sighed as she sat down on the bed, right next to him. "Listen, I understand that you have a personal grudge against Baraka and his people. But I want you to know that I've lost people too." Kitana began.

Liu Kang shifted away from Kitana, earning a slightly startled gasp from her. "This is all so wrong! None of this should be happening right now." Liu Kang muttered with anger dripping in his voice. Kitana frowned as she heard him say that. "My father was murdered and my mother was taken from me when I was a little girl. Baraka and his forces were the invading force, but it was Shao Kahn who led them and ordered them to execute everyone. So believe me when I say that I share your pain!" Kitana said softly as she reached out her hands and touched Liu Kang's.

Liu Kang gasped softly as he felt Kitana's warm hands touch his, making him blush. "I, uh...I don't remember much about my own parents. As long as I've lived, I've only known the Shaolin as my family. And of course, there's Lord Raiden. He was the one who brought me to them when I was a little boy!" Liu Kang began nervously. "So, Lord Raiden is like a father to you in a way?" Kitana wondered. "Actually, yes. I suppose you could say that! In a way, Lord Raiden was my father. But he was also my mentor and my guide. He's a true friend to me!" Liu Kang explained gravely. "If you truly believe that, then you will honor him by joining him and the others with Kotal. You'd honor me as well!" Kitana said as she blushed.

Liu Kang smiled as she said that. "If you truly believe that this the right thing to do, then I will gladly fight by your side. If you will have me!" Liu Kang said. Kitana removed her mask and revealed her smiling face. "Yes. I would like that very much, Liu Kang!" Kitana whispered happily before she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. Liu Kang was quite shocked by this display of affection, but he did not seem to mind it at all. "Ahem! I, uh...I guess we better go join the others." Liu Kang stuttered. "Liu Kang? When this is all over, I would really like for us to get to know each other better." Kitana said as she stood up from the bed and put her mask back on. "How so?" Liu Kang wondered.

Kitana giggled as she pulled out one of her fans and fluttered it, blowing a gentle breeze that cooled the room. "We can start with a rematch!" Kitana teased before she sauntered away. Liu Kang smiled as she said that; now he had something to look forward to. After he stood up from his bed and stretched, he left his room to join the others, when he was stopped by a familiar voice. "You know something, Lu-Lu? If a woman looks at you like that, it means something!" Johnny Cage said. "What the? Were you standing there this whole time?!" Liu Kang snapped. "Come on, man! You gotta let her know how you feel about her, because you might not get another chance!" Johnny Cage urged.

Liu Kang sighed in annoyance as he said that. "Right! And how well has that worked out for you with Sonya?" Liu Kang retorted. "Eh, it's a work in progress. We've developed a serious respect and admiration for one another! I admire her skill." Johnny Cage said as a matter of factly. "Cage, you and I both know that it's not Sonya's skill you admire!" Liu Kang pointed out. Johnny Cage smirked as he said that. "Yeah, that's true!" Johnny Cage snickered. "All right, enough. Come on!" Liu Kang scolded as he led the way.

But unaware to them, someone was spying on them from a distance with a pair of binoculars. He was hiding in some bushes in a nearby forest, about a mile away from Kotal Kahn's fortress. "I've found them!" the figure said on a radio. "Excellent! You know what to do; bring me Chris and Jill alive, but kill the others!" Albert Wesker instructed. "You got it, boss! I'm sending the boys over now!" the figure replied. But just as he put away his radio, a pair of strong hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him away into the darkness of the forest!

Chapter Text

A couple of hours passed before Kotal Kahn led Liu Kang, Kitana, Jade, Nightwolf, Fujin, and Talion out from his fortress and began their journey to Baraka's territory in hopes for his assistance of retaking Outworld. Everyone else stayed behind to look after the fortress. "You know what? I'm kinda glad that Kotal made us stay behind. I was definitely not looking forward to dealing with Baraka again!" Johnny Cage announced as played with a Rubik's cube. "Don't think that you're gonna laze around all day, Johnny Cage. Kotal made it very clear that we're to be on the lookout for trouble. So get off your ass and go join Chris and Jill over at the entrance! And keep your guard up!" Sonya Blade ordered sternly. "Uh, yes ma'am?" Johnny Cage replied nervously as he saluted her.

Johnny Cage got up from his seat and made his way over towards quickly, earning a sigh from Sonya."Come on, Sonya. You gotta admit, the kid is...at least trying. Cut him a little bit of slack, all right?" Jax said as he approached her. "You're kidding, right? He's not a soldier; he's an obnoxious asshole who's way in over his head! He's gonna get himself killed!" Sonya snapped. "Yeah, you're right. He is an asshole! But he's stayed with us this whole time, hasn't he? He could've run off at any time but he didn't. What does that tell you?" Jax pointed out. 

Sonya didn't know how to react, at least out loud. But deep down she knew that what Jax said was right. Johnny Cage could have run off at any given moment, but chose to remain behind. Maybe, just maybe...there was something more to Johnny Cage than she realized. But before Sonya could go any deeper into her thoughts, her radio's loud beeping caught her attention. "Yeah, what is it?" Sonya announced. "It's Lara. I'm down in the basement; I think you better come take a look at this!" Lara Croft replied. "All right, I'm on my way. Sonya, out!" Sonya said before she clipped her radio to her side. "Everything ok, Sonya?" Jax asked. "Lara said she found something in the basement. You wanna join me? I could certainly use the backup!" Sonya replied. "Sure beats sitting on my ass all day!" Jax said with a smirk as he lit up a cigar.

While Sonya and Jax ventured into the basement, Johnny Cage met up with Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine at the fortress entrance. "Hey guys! What's the word? Anything going on up here?" Johnny Cage announced trying to lighten up the mood. "No, there's nothing. And that's what concerns me; it's far too quiet around here!" Chris replied grimly. "It's almost as if something is about to happen; I can feel it! Like the calm before the storm." Jill added just as seriously. "Oh, um...ok. So, is there anything I can do to help you guys or what?" Johnny Cage began. "Look, no offense, but what can you do? I mean, you're not exactly soldier material!" Chris growled. "Chris! There's no need to be rude!" Jill exclaimed. "No, no. It's ok. I get it! Everyone always seems to think that I'm a fake and that I rely on special effects. But here's the thing!" Johnny Cage began before he held his fist in the air.

Johnny Cage then began surging his fist with green energy before he threw a massive ball of said energy at an incredible distance. "I AM the special effects!" Johnny Cage said with a smirk. Chris and Jill were stunned by what they just witnessed. "Uh, well when you put it that way-" Chris began. "We were going to do a walkthrough of the fortress grounds. You're more than welcome to join us!" Jill added. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Johnny Cage encouraged as he took the lead and started walking.

But as they began their walkthrough, they were unaware that someone was watching them from behind the trees.

Back with Sonya and Jax, they arrived at Lara's location in the basement. She was standing by a massive mural, much to the confusion of Sonya and Jax. "Guys, I'm glad that you made it! Take a look at this!" Lara said with a hint of excitement in her voice. "Uh, Lara? When you called me on the radio, I was expecting that there was going to be an emergency." Sonya began. "Just trust me! This is very important. Look at this; this temple has a strange object of some sort. It seems very important. Does it mean anything to you?" Lara explained as she pointed to the mural on the wall.

As she pointed, the two soldiers looked at what seemed to be a strange round, purple jewel of some sort. "Um, it's a jewel?" Jax said dumbly. "What are we even looking at here? Is this even worth our time?!" Sonya exclaimed impatiently. Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared and nearly blinded everyone. "It's the Outworld Kamidogu." Raiden announced. "The what now?" Jax wondered. "The Kamidogu are powerful and sacred objects that contain the essence of the realms. Outworld is one of many realms in existence." Raiden explained. "And what exactly do these Kamidogu do?" Lara asked curiously.

Raiden took a deep breath and sighed. "The Elder Gods crafted these objects to keep the realms in place." Raiden began. "Keep the realms in place? You mean like batteries?" Lara wondered. "In a sense, yes. But I fear that the worst has come to pass." Raiden explained gravely. "What do you mean by that?" Sonya said cautiously. "It is said that the power of the Kamidogu can be absorbed and give immense amounts of power and strength. But in doing so, you not only destroy the Kamidogu, but the realm itself!" Raiden replied.

The others were shocked to hear this. "My God! So whoever stole this Kamidogu not only absorbed it's power, but destroyed this entire realm!" Lara exclaimed in shock. "Who in the hell is crazy enough to do something like that?" Jax cried out. "I think I know!" Sonya muttered angrily as she clenched her fist. "And it's not just Outworld. I fear that all the other realms are next. But in order for me to know for sure, I must get to a temple and consult with the Elder Gods!" Raiden said as he paced around the place. "Well, then. Let's go find you a temple!" Lara began before Raiden stopped her. "It has to be untouched, and unfortunately this Skulker has destroyed all of them!" Raiden reminded with a grim tone.

Suddenly, a giggle was heard from the shadows, catching everyone off guard. "Who's there?!" Sonya called out. "Show yourself at once!" Raiden commanded as he summoned his staff. Much to their surprise, the hunchback Chumbucket came sauntering towards them. "I do not mean to eavesdrop, but I thought I overheard you speaking about a temple? I know where to find one that hasn't been desecrated or touched by the evil demon filth!" Chumbucket exclaimed joyously. "You know where to find a temple?" Raiden asked in surprise.  "Oh, yes! Surely, the Angel will help you consult your gods! Come, good ol' Chumbucket will show you. Follow me!" Chumbucket said with a cackle.

The others looked at Raiden with complete disbelief. "You can't be serious!" Sonya said with a cringe. "I need to consult with the Elder Gods. If he says he knows where to find a temple, then I must believe him!" Raiden began. "Why?! He's a little freak of nature!" Sonya exclaimed. "Sonya, come on! That ain't fair!" Jax objected. "He's right! Besides; we've all dealt with worse!" Lara pointed out. "Ugh...fine! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I guess we'll follow the hunchback." Sonya groaned in annoyance. "Very well then. Lead the way!" Raiden said with a nod. "Yes, yes. Come! Follow Chumbucket to the temple; best not to keep the Angel or the gods waiting!" Chumbucket giggled as he began scampering away. "Man, it's just one of those days!" Jax said as he lit up another cigar. "You're telling me! I hope Cage is having as much fun as we are!" Sonya grumbled.

Meanwhile, Johnny Cage had just finished doing a walkthrough of the fortress grounds. "Well, that was easy!" Johnny Cage began as he smirked. "Too easy! I told you, something is wrong here. It's too quiet!" Chris objected. "I swear I thought I heard something from behind the trees earlier." Jill added. "I don't see or hear anything. I think maybe you guys are just imagining things!" Johnny Cage began before a loud scream filled the air. Everyone was completely caught off guard from the sudden the scream. "What the hell was that?" Chris cried. "It sounds like it came from that part of the woods over there!" Jill pointed out. "Uh, yeah...good idea." Johnny Cage said nervously.

As they made their way into the forest, Johnny and the other two were horrified to find many mutilated bodies lying around with vicious looking wounds. Their throats were cut, their guts slashed out, and multiple stab wounds. "Jesus Christ! Look at these guys; they've been slaughtered like animals!" Chris exclaimed. "Wait a minute! Look at their wounds. It's not random. These cuts were quick, clean, and precise. Whoever did this obviously knew what they were doing!" Jill explained. "That's not all. I recognize these dirtbags; they're Black Dragon. Sonya hates them and for good reason; they're grade A scumbags!" Johnny Cage added.

Another scream filled the air, catching their attention. "Shit! It came from over there!" Jill cried out as she pulled out her pistol. "Be ready for anything!" Chris said as he loaded up his shotgun. "I'm right behind you!" Johnny Cage said as he grabbed an assault rifle from a dead Black Dragon thug. "Do you even know how to use one of those?" Chris snapped. "Of course, you just point and shoot." Johnny Cage smirked. Jill sighed as she turned off the safety to his gun, making Johnny Cage chuckle nervously. "Right! I totally knew that!" he quipped dumbly.

As they moved closer towards the screams, a terrible sense of dread filled the air. When they arrived at the source of the screams, they were greeted by the site of a Black Dragon thug impaled to death with sharpened bamboo punji sticks. "Ugh! That is god damn barbaric!" Jill groaned in disgust. "Whoever did all of this sure is a psycho!" Johnny Cage agreed. "No...he's very clever." Chris stated. "What?!" Jill and Johnny Cage exclaimed. "He set up traps ahead of time and waited to ambush them in all the confusion. And if that's the case, he's either a hardcore survivalist or he's Special Forces." Chris explained gravely.

Jill looked at him with a strange look. "You admiring him, Chris?" Jill asked half-seriously. "If what Johnny Cage says is true, it'd be good to have him on our side." Chris replied with a shrug. "Well, you're not wrong there! I mean, I'd rather have...that, happen to the bad guys than to me!" Johnny Cage said as he pointed to the impaled body. Jill sighed in annoyance before she led them away. "Let's get back to the fortress and warn the others. They need to know about this!" Jill said seriously. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. The sooner we get away from this death trap, the better!" Johnny Cage agreed.

But as they left, they were completely unaware that they were being watched from the shadows the whole time!

Back with Raiden and the others, Chumbucket had led them all to a makeshift altar in a dimly lit room. It was made out of scrap metal and pieces of bone. "Here we are, the holiest of temples! The gateway to the gods!" Chumbucket announced with joy. As he bowed before the altar and began muttering incoherent nonsense, the others looked at him in confusion and frustration. "What the hell is this? Is this some kind of joke?!" Sonya exclaimed angrily. "Man, what a piece of junk!" Jax added. "Be quiet, you two! Show a little bit of respect, will you?" Lara scolded. 

Raiden took a moment to think about the situation he was in. "Hmm...perhaps it is possible. Yes, this should do nicely. I must ask you to leave, my friends. For no mortal may be present during this ritual I am about to perform." Raiden announced after a moment of silent thought. "Fine by me! I've got better things to do anyway!" Sonya retorted as she stormed off. "Yes, like brooding apparently!" Lara muttered. "Uh, you just let us know if anything happens, all right? We'll be upstairs!" Jax said a bit more politely before he went after the other women. "Yes, yes! I shall give you the privacy you need. Speak to your gods, if you will! I will attend to the Saint's needs!" Chumbucket added before he scampered away.

Raiden sighed as he was finally alone, before he approached the altar. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, causing the dimly lit candles to be blown out by a gentle breeze. He began chanting an ancient language known before an electric aura began glowing around him. Finally, Raiden spoke out in a loud but calm tone. "Elder Gods, I beseech you! Hear my prayers and reveal yourselves to me!" Raiden called out.

Suddenly, the candles to the altar lit up in blue flames and a large aura of magic energy appeared before him. Some faces then appeared and stared at Raiden, to which he responded by kneeling and bowing his head. "Elder Gods, praise be to you. It is I, you're humble and faithful servant, Lord Raiden." he began. "Raiden! It is good to see that you still live!" one of the Elder Gods said with joy in her voice. "But you have been gone for over 10 years. Explain yourself at once!" another Elder God barked in a more harsh tone.

Raiden sighed as he shook his head. "I apologize for my absence. There was a great disturbance!" Raiden began. "What kind of disturbance?" another Elder God wondered. "It is quite a story, but I will tell you everything." Raiden explained. Raiden then went on to explain everything that had happened to him and the others on Shang Tsung's Island. He told them of Spawn's appearance, the massive portal of darkness that unleashed a demonic invasion on Shang Tsung's Island, and how they all ended up in Hell. He also told them about the many other colorful characters they met along the way, both good and evil. He explained to them in great detail their many trials and tribulations before they found themselves in Outworld...or whatever was left of it. He even told them of the mural that displayed a Kamidogu.

After Raiden finished telling his story, there was a moment of silence that filled the room. The Elder Gods appeared to have mixed feelings about his exploits and the characters he came across, specifically Spawn. "Do you trust this Hellspawn, Raiden?" one of the female Elder Gods asked finally. "Well, he has shown to be quite a formidable ally." Raiden began again. "But do you trust him? He is a creature of darkness after all!" one of the male Elder Gods pointed out. "True, he is a dark one. At any given time, he could have killed me. But he didn't; he's helped me!" Raiden pointed out. "You would be wise to exercise caution, Lord Raiden. He may be an ally to you now, but there will be a time when he will turn against you. This I have seen!" an Elder God warned.

Raiden would've been shocked by this revelation, but truth be told, he had a feeling that something like this would happen. He bowed his head and sighed as he nodded. "I understand. I will be on my guard from this point on. But there is something else I must know; is Earth Realm...gone?" Raiden asked hopefully. "Time is different for all realms, Lord Raiden. 10 years here in Outworld could only be mere days or weeks in Earth Realm...or it could be decades." an Elder God replied simply. "So you mean to tell me that you do not know?" Raiden said. "You question our judgement, Lord Raiden? You seem to forget your place! Perhaps that Hellspawn has corrupted your mind!" the first male Elder God growled. 

Raiden scowled as he said that. "My mind is clear." Raiden replied back sternly trying not lose his temper. "Then please, you must find your champions and find the other Kamidogu and protect the other realms." the first female Elder God said. "I shall do as you ask. I will not fail you!" Raiden proclaimed. "We will be watching you, Lord Raiden." an Elder God said with a bow. "May your next battle bring you victory!" another cried. Raiden bowed his head before the magic aura disappeared and the Elder Gods vanished.

But just as Raiden finished speaking to the Elder Gods, he sensed a dark and foreboding presence. "I sense an evil presence. It's coming this way!" Raiden said out loud. He summoned his staff and began making his way upstairs. Once he got upstairs, he saw the source of the darkness and evil he felt. Sonya, Jax, and Lara were meeting up with some old friends. It was Spawn, and with him was Reika Kitami, Subzero, Ryu Hayabusa, and Kasumi! "Well I'll be damned! You're still alive!" Spawn said in disbelief as he stared at Raiden. "I was just thinking the same thing, Spawn!" Raiden replied after an awkward minute of silence.

A scream filled the air. "What the hell was that?" Jax exclaimed. "That sounded like Johnny Cage!" Sonya said with actual concern in her voice. "How the hell is that asshole still alive?" Spawn grumbled. "Raizo!" Reika hissed. "Come on; let's go!" Lara cried as she readied her bow. "You guys go! I've dealt with enough shit for today!" Spawn growled as he began walking away to seek some solitude. "But honey-" Reika objected. "It's ok. We can handle it; after what you told us, you've been through enough! Get some rest!" Sonya insisted as she charged up her energy wrist gauntlets.

Reika smiled and nodded her head as the others took off. "I'm going to take a bath. Anybody want to join me?" Reika announced with a flirtatious giggle. "Reika!" Spawn growled. "Actually, I could do with a bath myself." Kasumi said with a sheepish smile and a blush. "Oh! Well come on, girlfriend! You and I can catch up on some girl talk!" Reika said with a giddy grin on her face. "You know, I would like to speak with you as well Spawn. There's much for us to discuss!" Raiden said as he glanced over at Spawn.

Spawn growled in irritation as he said that and continued to walk away. "Do not walk away from me, Spawn!" Raiden cried angrily. As Raiden went after Spawn, Ryu sighed as he shook his head. "I guess I'll just meditate over here, then!" Ryu said out loud casually as he walked towards an empty bedroom. “I shall rest as well.” Subzero agreed as walked towards another bedroom.

Chapter Text

As Sonya, Jax, and Lara Croft rushed their way towards the sounds of Johnny Cage's screams, they braced themselves for whatever threats they were sure to face. "What the hell has that boy gotten himself into this time?!" Jax exclaimed as they ran into the jungle. "I don't know, but we better move fast!" Sonya cried as they picked up the pace. Eventually, they arrived and found out why Johnny Cage was screaming and caterwauling; he was caught up in a snare trap and was hanging upside down 10 feet above ground. "Somebody help me! Get me down from here!" Johnny Cage screamed.

Sonya and Jax groaned out loud in irritation as they saw this. "Oh, I should have guessed!" Sonya muttered in disbelief. "Man, this is a waste of my time!" Jax said out loud as he lit up another cigar. "How in God's name did you did you get stuck up there?!" Lara called out as she stepped out of the heavy jungle brush. "Wait! Lara? Is that you?" Johnny Cage cried. "Yes. Sonya and Jax are here with me! We'll get you down from there, all right? Just stay calm!" Lara called out as she began climbing up the tree that Cage was trapped in.

As Lara tried to help Johnny Cage out of the snare trap,Sonya and Jax ran into Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield. "Chris? Jill?! Man, where have you guys been?!" Jax exclaimed. "You won't believe what we've found!" Chris began. "What is it?" Sonya asked as she saw the grave expression on their faces. "We have every reason to believe that there may be another Special Forces operative out here." Jill explained. "Another one of us? Finally, some good news!" Jax exclaimed happily. "Wait, there's something else you must know. I don't think this guy is of sound mind. We found bodies. They were all ripped apart and torn to pieces!" Jill continued with dread in her voice.

Sonya and Jax did not like the sound of this. "Ok, I guess I spoke too soon!" Jax said dumbly as he took a drag from his cigar. "Are you sure that it's Special Forces? Because if what you are saying is true, then it sounds more like Kano is our culprit!" Sonya said seriously. "Kano?" Jill repeated in confusion. "He's the leader of the Black Dragon; one of the worst terrorist groups in the world!" Sonya answered. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Why in the world would Kano murder his own men with punji sticks and booby traps? I'm telling you that there's a psychopath out there!" Jill exclaimed.

Chris put his hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. "Now we don't know that, Jill! He could be just like us; lost in a completely different world and doing whatever he can to survive!" Chris objected. "Are you crazy?! Did you not see what this guy did to those guys?! He butchered them all like a wild animal!" Jill cried angrily. "But the guys he killed were Black Dragon thugs. If he really were some evil psycho, then he probably would have killed us by now!" Chris exclaimed.

Jill didn't know what to say to that. She knew Chris for a long time and never knew him to be a liar. Finally, after a moment of awkward silence, Jax spoke up. "Um, look. I don't wanna get involved in this little argument of yours right now, especially in this place. Let's just find a way out of this hellhole jungle and get back to Kotal Kahn's fortress, ok?" Jax suggested as he put out his cigar. "Good thinking. Maybe by the time we get back, we can all actually come up with a decent plan of getting the hell out of this damn realm and back to Earth!" Sonya said as she sighed and shook her head.

As soon as she said that, Johnny Cage was heard shouting before a thump filled the air. Lara had finally cut him free from the snare trap. "Ow! My head!" Johnny Cage cried out. "You're alright! Come on, get up." Lara said as she helped him up to his feet. "Ah, thanks. Whoo...all the blood rushing to my head is making a little woozy. Hold on a second!" Johnny Cage groaned as he held his head. "Come on, let's get out of here. The sooner we leave this godforsaken jungle, the better!" Lara said as she helped Johnny Cage walk. "Hey, wait for us, will you!" Jax called out. 

But as soon as they left, they were unaware that they were being followed by someone from the shadows. Soon this shadowy follower would introduce himself to these people, now that he knew that these people were no threat to him.

Meanwhile, Spawn was trying to catch some sleep, but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop the nightmares. It was always the same damn thing; there was always a young boy, always a cold dark night, and always that...that horrible monster. Next came the unbearable pain and suffering, then the rage, and the dead bodies that kept piling up. Then he appeared. After that, there was nothing but fire and darkness.

Spawn growled furiously as he felt someone touch him, and he reacted by grabbing the assailant by the throat and pinned them to the wall. "What do you want with me?!" Spawn roared before he realized who he was about to attack. "As I said before, all I want is to speak with you." Raiden said plainly. Spawn growled in irritation but he let go of Raiden. "Get out of here! I've got nothing to say to you, old man!" Spawn snapped. "Have you no respect for you elders, Hellspawn?! I am not your enemy here!" Raiden cried angrily. "What the hell do you want with me?!" Spawn demanded. "Look, I will not deny that you and I both have our share of differences. But you have helped me and my allies before, and you have my thanks." Raiden began. 

Spawn scoffed as he heard this. "Don't even start! I know you want something else from me, so don't waste my time with your flattery. Now tell me; what do you want?" Spawn growled as he enunciated the last four words. "You are right, Hellspawn. I do need your help again." Raiden said before Spawn stopped him. "You know what? I've been through more than enough bullshit to last me a lifetime! Whatever it is you want, you go find someone else to do it! I've got more than enough problems of my own!" Spawn snapped angrily. 

Raiden grimaced at Spawn's rudeness and hostility, but tried his best to remain calm. "I know that you want to return home to your own realm, but I fear that unless we work together to find the remaining Kamidogu, then all remaining realms in existence will be destroyed." Raiden said gravely. "I already told you that I'm not helping you anymore. I did my part in helping you in that lousy tournament. As far as I'm concerned, my part in this is over!" Spawn growled.

Now Raiden was getting angry. "You gave me your word, Hellspawn! Does your word of honor mean nothing?! What could be so important that you would turn your back on the realms?!" Raiden cried out. "I don't gotta explain shit to you! Now leave me alone!" Spawn shouted as he stormed out of the room. "Spawn! STOP! If you walk away now, Skulker will possess all the power from the remaining Kamidogu and destroy everything!" Raiden cried angrily.

Spawn stopped as walking as he heard Skulker's name. "What? What are you saying, old man?!" Spawn said with a bit more concern in his voice. "The Kamidogu are objects of great power. There are those that desire that power and will do anything to gain that power. I believe that Skulker has been seeking the Kamidogu for their power and is making himself stronger. If he finds all of them, he will be unstoppable! " Raiden explained gravely.

Spawn grew visibly disturbed by this. "Fuck! I cannot allow that to happen! Skulker is already a powerful monster as he is; if what you're saying is true, then I have to stop him!" Spawn said with bitterness in his voice. "Then help me find the Kamidogu before Skulker does. Please, I know that you have risked so much. But you may be the only one who can help me stop this threat. If I cannot rely only my own allies, then you may be my last hope!" Raiden begged.

Spawn sighed heavily as he nodded his head. "Fine! I'll help you find these things. But make no mistake; Skulker is mine! Understood? No one but me kills that skullfucker! He's my responsibility!" Spawn proclaimed. Raiden nodded his head in agreement. "Very well, Hellspawn. But there is something I will need from you in return. Should I not survive, you must promise me that you will protect Liu Kang. He is...like a son to me. If he should die, then I would never forgive myself." Raiden said forlornly. Spawn nodded his head silently. "I give you my word. I'll do my best to keep him safe!" Spawn said quietly.

Suddenly, a loud explosion caught their attention. "Shit! Sounds like trouble!" Spawn said. "Come! Let us assist our allies!" Raiden replied.

While Spawn and Raiden had their conversation, Sonya and her group had just arrived back at the fortress. "Oh thank God, we finally made it." Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Well, don't think you're gonna take it easy just yet mister! We still have to-" Sonya said before she stopped. "We stopped. What is it?" Jill asked. Sonya held her fist up, motioning everyone to stay back. She crouched down and moved forward slowly before taking cover behind a rock.

She motioned Jax and Chris to come forward slowly and quietly, and when they approached she motioned for them to ready their weapons. "What's the situation? How many bad guys are there?" Chris whispered. "An entire fucking platoon has snuck into our base of operations while we were away. Look!" Sonya hissed as she pointed. "Oh, man! you gotta be kiddin' me!" Jax exclaimed.

She was right; there was an entire platoon of Black Dragon commandos that had snuck their way inside the main hall of Kotal's Fortress, and they were armed to the teeth with machineguns and shotguns. "Ok, listen up. Boss wants us to make this quick and clean! As soon as those bastards come back here, we'll be ready for them. Take cover and wait until I give the signal!" one of the Black Dragon commandos barked. "Shit! So much for keeping an eye out for us, huh Sonya?" Jax growled as he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We'll take them out, but we need be quick about this. You have any of those flash grenades?" Sonya whispered.

Chris handed her one and Sonya was ready to toss it...but before she could make another move, an explosion took place inside of the fortress, along with the screams of the Black Dragon commandos. "AAAHHH!! The commander's been blown apart! We gotta-" one of them screamed before something silenced him. He fell down to the ground with an arrow right between the eyes. "Shit! They're here! Take em' out, now!" another thug shouted as he blasted away with his machinegun. 

Sonya and the others were shocked by what they were witnessing. "What the fuck is going on?!" Jax cried. "I think it's our guy!" Chris suggested. "Sonya, what is going on in there?" Jill hissed as she, Lara, and Johnny Cage approached them quietly. Jill and a few others gasped as one of the Black Dragon thugs came staggering towards their direction...only to fall down dead with a throwing knife in his back. "What the fuck?!" Sonya muttered. "We're getting chopped to pieces here! Fuck it, I'm gonna go back and-HEY! There they are now! Go get em!" a Black Dragon commando shouted as he caught sight of them.

But before the heroes could react, the Black Dragon commando was grabbed by someone from behind in the shadows and dragged back before a loud slicing sound was heard. The Black Dragon commando was then seen tumbling forwards with his throat cut, bleeding out all over the place. The other thugs saw this and panicked, running for their lives into the jungle. "Holy shit...maybe you guys weren't kidding after all!" Sonya muttered in disbelief.

Finally, after all this time, the mysterious killer stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself. He appeared to be a fairly muscular white man wearing a white tank top with blue jeans, a black leather belt, black combat boots, and a makeshift brown leather poncho covering his shirt. He had thick brown hair in a mullet with a black headband on and was armed with a makeshift bow, a leather quiver full of arrows, and a deadly combat knife strapped to his side. This man had a cold, almost emotionless gaze on his face. He had obviously seen combat before.

Sonya finally stepped forward to get answers from him. "Who are you?" Sonya asked calmly but sternly so she wouldn't escalate the situation. The man didn't respond and instead just stared at her and the others in silence. "Um, maybe he can't talk?" Johnny Cage suggested with a weak chuckle. "Look man! We don't want any trouble, all right?" Jax began as he held his hands up.

The man smirked as he said that before he finally spoke up. "And you call yourself a soldier?" he said with a wry grin on his face. "Excuse me?!" Jax demanded. "You should've known better than to leave your base of operations wide open like that. It was practically inviting the enemy to just walk right in!" the man said as if he was scolding a child. "And just who the hell are you?" Sonya demanded as she put her hands on her hips. "Captain John Rambo, Special Forces. At your service, ma'am!" the man said as he eased himself and saluted her.

Sonya smiled at this. "Well, Captain. You're an awful long way from home, aren't you? Welcome to the team!" Sonya said as she saluted him back. "Ha, see Jill? I knew it; I knew he was on our side!" Chris said with a grin of his own. “If that’s true, then why were you stalking us?” Jill asked sternly while glaring at Rambo. “I was trying to anticipate whether you were a threat or not.” Rambo replied plainly.

Sonya and the others were a bit concerned as he said that. “So wait, you were studying us?” Jax asked. But before Rambo could answer, he and the others were interrupted. "What the fuck is going on out here?!" Spawn growled suddenly. Everyone turned to find Spawn and Raiden approaching their direction. Rambo drew out his bow and took aim, making Spawn tense up as he lit his fists up with Necroplasm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy, we're on the same side here!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he tried to diffuse the situation.

Spawn and Rambo glared at each other, filling the air with an intense sense of dread. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Rambo growled. "You've got a lot of blood on your hands!" Spawn growled back. "I didn't get sent over to Vietnam to make friends, ok pal? And just what the hell are you supposed to be? Some kind of superhero?" Rambo retorted. Spawn chuckled sinisterly, much to a few of the other guys' discomfort. "Who said I was a hero?" Spawn sneered. "So what the hell are you, then? A monster or some kind of mutant? A Super soldier? Talk!" Rambo demanded. "I guess you could say I'm a soldier. I just wear different colors now!" Spawn replied a bit more honestly.

Rambo tightened his grip on his bow as he said that. "The wrong ones, you mean." Rambo stated grimly. "That's enough! Stop it right now!" Reika Kitami angrily called out as she arrived with Kasumi, Ryu, Max, and Subzero. "Huh? Reika! I wasn't-" Spawn began. "When are you gonna learn to get along with others? And look at this mess! What the hell happened here?" Reika demanded angrily. "Calm down, lady. It wasn't his fault. Actually, Spawn is innocent this time. Rambo here is the one responsible for killing these Black Dragon thugs!" Jax insisted. "What?! Oh, God! How did they get here?" Reika said in as she observed their dead bodies. "They apparently snuck in while we were away!" Jax replied as he glanced over at Rambo.

Raiden took a good look at Rambo before speaking to him. "You are a most formidable warrior, John Rambo." Raiden began. "Wait, how the hell do you know who I am? I don't even know who you are!" Rambo exclaimed. "At ease, soldier. He's our friend, Lord Raiden." Sonya said trying to calm him down. "Yup, and he's the God of Thunder to boot!" Johnny Cage added with a thumbs up. "God of Thunder? Are you serious?!" Rambo exclaimed. "I can see that you are still trying to understand the situation you are in. But you must know that we at war now!" Raiden explained. "What war? Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?!" Rambo demanded.

Lara approached him in a calm manner and took a deep breath before she spoke. "Look, I know that you're confused. And I also know that you are not from this dimension either. It's a lot to take in, but we're in a completely different dimension. If we are to survive, then we will need stick together. Do you understand?" Lara explained carefully. Rambo took a deep breath and lowered his bow before slinging it over his shoulder. "I don't really have a clue what's going on here, but I won't quit until I find my way back home. Till then, I guess we're in this together." Rambo said in a much calmer tone.

Everyone seemed relieved as Rambo seemed to trust them a bit more. "All right then. Well, I guess we better clean this mess up before Kotal Kahn comes back. Wouldn't want him to come back to a messy home, would we?" Johnny Cage said with a nervous chuckle. "Now that you mention it, I wonder how he and there other guys are doing?" Jax wondered out loud as he lit up a cigar. "I hope they're ok!" Lara said sadly. "They'll be fine. Now come on; let's clear these bodies out of here before-" Sonya said snappishly before a loud snarl filled the air. "What the hell was that?!" Jill cried out. "Look, over there! Something moved!" Chris pointed.

Everyone turned to face the jungle; an entire swarm of zombies was seen staggering out of the shadows. There were also several hunters and a couple of Regeneradors were approaching them. "Oh, shit! That's just what we need; more of Wesker's abominations!" Chris exclaimed. "What the hell kind of a place is this?!" Rambo muttered in disbelief as he drew out his bow again. "We let our guard down once; we will not do so again! Stand together and fight as one!" Subzero proclaimed as he used his ice powers to create a pair of battle axes. "It's time for more assholes to die!" Spawn agreed as he grabbed a pair of machineguns.

Chapter Text

As soon as the zombies swarmed our heroes, they retaliated swiftly and fiercely. Spawn, Jill, Chris, Sonya, Jax, Johnny Cage, and Max fired their guns at several swarmers, blasting off their limbs and heads. "Keep firing! Don't stop shooting!" Chris shouted as he blasted away with his shotgun. "Jeez! How many of these damn things are there?!" Johnny Cage cried as he killed another zombie by smashing its head with the butt of his assault rifle. "Stop complaining and keep killing them!" Sonya snapped as she killed a couple with some headshots.

Jax pounded his fist into the ground, sending a few other zombies flying into the air, allowing the others to fire a volley of bullets at them and killed them. One of the zombies was seen crawling away, but Max stomped on it's back before he took a knife and stabbed it into the back of the zombie's head. "Damn! Overkill much?" Johnny Cage exclaimed. A few more zombies tried to escape, but Spawn mowed them down with his machineguns. "Go to hell!" Spawn growled as he emptied his magazine into one of the undead swarmers. "Yup, definitely overkill!" Johnny Cage muttered.

Raiden, Reika, Subzero, Ryu, and Kasumi used their combined might of magic powers and sword fighting abilities to combat against the Hunters. Ryu and Kasumi worked together to hack, slash, and stab at a pair of the Hunters. "These monsters are very similar to the Fiends of our world!" Kasumi commented. "But they're twice as fast and vicious! Keep fighting and don't hold back!" Ryu cried as he finally managed to decapitate one of the Hunters.

Reika threw several balls of fire at one of the Hunters, while Raiden zapped another with his lightning powers. "Just what are these monsters?!" Reika exclaimed. "It doesn't matter. We must not allow these monsters to get inside this fortress!" Raiden proclaimed. Subzero created a massive ball of ice before he threw it at one of the Hunters and froze it solid.

Subzero then grabbed the frozen Hunter and picked it up before smashing it back down, shattering it into bite sized pieces. Another Hunter attempted to attack Subzero from behind, but Subzero caught him by the throat before he tore out its spine. "Abomination!" Subzero growled as he flicked blood off his hand. Subzero then created a massive wall of ice, preventing the rest of the zombies from getting any closer. "That should hold them back for now!" Subzero announced. "Excellent work, Subzero!" Raiden complimented.

Lara and Rambo fired their arrows at the Regeneradors, wounding them but not slowing them down. "Damn! These things are tough! How do we stop them?" Rambo cried out in frustration. "I don't know, but whatever they are, we can't let them get any closer!" Lara replied. "These damn arrows aren't enough! We're just turning these things into walking pincushions!" Rambo objected. "Well, do you have any other ideas?" Lara snapped.

Rambo glared at her as she said that, but he suddenly did get an idea and decided to act quickly. "Quickly, follow me!" Rambo said as he took off. "What are you doing? Where are you going?" Lara exclaimed. Rambo ran to the side, flanking the Regeneradors. He quickly built a punji stick trap before crawling onto the ground and set it up in some thick bushes. But just to be on the safe side, Rambo set up some explosive charges around some rocks and trees. Rambo motioned Lara to stay back, so that she would not accidentally set off the traps.

The two Regeneradors came staggering towards their direction, growling menacingly. Rambo motioned Lara to stay quiet until they got closer. As the two lumbering monsters got closer, Rambo slowly pulled out a detonator and held his thumb over the trigger. He looked over at Lara and nodded his head in silence, who in turn readied an arrow with an explosive tip.

Finally, the Regeneradors got close enough and Rambo finally detonated the hidden explosives. At the same time, Lara fired her explosive arrow at the Regeneradors. The force of the explosion was so great, it sent both monsters flying back and into Rambo's trap. Both of the monsters suffered great visible damage from the explosion, their skin completely burned to the point their bones and insides were showing. They were also impaled through the chest and throat by the razor sharp bamboo sticks.

To Rambo and Lara's delight, the monsters finally seemed to stop moving and laid still. "Holy shit! It worked; we killed them!" Lara exclaimed in disbelief. "Come on; let's regroup with the others back at that old fortress!" Rambo said simply. "Um, right. You lead the way, then!" Lara replied dumbly.

 After what seemed like forever, the battle was finally over and all the zombies were dead. Everyone regrouped at the entrance of Kotal Kahn's Fortress. They were tired and weary from the long battle, and as such, tempers were short. "Well, I guess that's it then. What happens next?" Johnny Cage asked out loud with a sigh of exhaustion. "We resupply ourselves and then get the hell out of this place. If those damned monsters came here, then Wesker must know where we are by now!" Chris replied as he cleaned his combat boots of zombie blood.

A few of the others agreed with Chris, but others had objections. "But what about Liu Kang and the others?" Johnny Cage wondered. "That's right; we can't leave our comrades behind!" Lara agreed. "The longer we stay here, the more exposed we are! More of Wesker's monsters will swarm us and we won't stand a chance!" Chris objected. "Chris! We can't just leave the others behind!" Jill scolded. "They can handle themselves! I won't let Wesker get away again!" Chris snapped. "Hey, man! That ain't right! You don't leave a fellow soldier behind!" Jax argued. "He's right! No matter how dire the situation is, you never leave a man behind!" Rambo added sternly.

Chris sighed heavily in irritation. "I don't know if you people have figured it out by now, but Albert Wesker is the reason behind this surprise attack! If we don't act now, he'll strike again and twice as hard! Now we've wasted enough time as it is; get your gear together and let's move out!" Chris shouted. "Who the hell you think you're talking to, soldier?!" Rambo shouted back as he got in his face. "HEY! Knock it off, you two! This isn't helping!" Sonya cried as she broke them up. "She's right! We shouldn't be fighting each other." Lara agreed.

Even as the two were separated, Rambo and Chris did not take their glaring eyes off of each other. While this happened, Spawn just stood there in silence with his arms folded across his chest.  "What do you think of all this, honey? You're being awfully quiet!" Reika announced as she noticed Spawn's silence. "Hmph! You people clearly have no idea what's really going on here, do you? Some of you would be better off keeping your damn mouth shut about things you know nothing about!" Spawn announced with a growl.

Most of the others did not like the sound of that. "What's that supposed to mean?" Rambo demanded. "It means that there's more going on here than you realize. Wesker isn't our main problem. Skulker is the one we need to be going after! He's the one who's caused this mess in the first damn place!" Spawn retorted. "Skulker? Who the hell is that?" Rambo questioned. "He's a Hellspawn, but unlike my friend here, Skulker wants nothing more than to destroy everything. And that is no exaggeration!" Reika answered as she wrapped her arm around Spawn's shoulder.

Rambo nodded his head, beginning to understand the situation. "Guy sounds like a real piece of work!" Rambo said after a moment of silence. "You have no idea!" Spawn said with a grimace. "You must listen to me. The situation is much worse than even I feared!" Raiden announced. "What? What do you mean by that?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed nervously. "What is it this time?!" Sonya added snappishly. "This ought to be good!" Jax grumbled as he lit up a cigar.

Raiden took a deep breath before he spoke. "You are aware of other realms existing by now, yes?" he began. "Yeah, so?" Johnny Cage asked. "Jeez, at this point we'll be here all day! Look, Skulker wants to destroy everything. But to do that, he needs power. And there are sources of immense power in these objects called...uh, what did you call those things again?" Spawn explained before he looked to Raiden. "The Kamidogu. They are sacred objects that act as conduits for all the realms!" Raiden answered gravely.

Everyone else was shocked to hear this. "Oh, is that all? Why didn't anyone mention that this was in the script?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed angrily. "You knew about this this whole time and you didn't tell us?!" Sonya agreed in outrage. "What the fuck, man? You should've said something!" Jax cried. "Don't get wise with me, you assholes! We only just figured this shit out!" Spawn snapped angrily. "Enough! Look, we must work together if we are to protect what is left of the realms!" Raiden yelled. "And just how do we do that?" Sonya demanded.

Raiden sighed heavily as he shook his head. "The only way to prevent Skulker from gaining more power is to find the remaining Kamidogu. But I do not know how many of them are left, or if the other realms are still in one piece." Raiden explained. "Then the only way we will know for certain is if we find those damn things before Skulker does!" Spawn proclaimed. "We will find them, honey. And we will beat Skulker once and for all!" Reika said with a hopeful smile. "No, you cannot!" Max said with a stoic tone.

Everyone turned to him as he said that. "Well, aren't you a Sally Sunshine?" Johnny Cage said with dripping sarcasm in his voice. "Look, asshole! Now is not the time for doom and gloom, all right? Skulker is going to destroy everything and we may be the only ones who can do a damn thing to stop him!" Spawn growled. "You're wasting your bloody time. This world is as good as dead, and it's better off that way." Max replied in a gruffer tone. "Is that a joke? Because if it is, I don't find it fucking funny! Haven't you been listening to a damn thing we've said?! Skulker will destroy everything!" Reika exclaimed angrily. "That is entirely not my problem, lady. My only concern is getting my car fixed and making my way towards the Plains of Silence." Max said bluntly.

The others were getting fed up with Max's attitude. "You know what? I'm sick of your attitude! Ever since you've been here, you've either been completely anti-social with us or you've been rude and unhelpful!" Lara snapped. "Kid, do yourself a favor and don't waste your time with him. We got no use for guys like him!" Rambo said bitterly. "That much is true. He is no warrior! Someone like him would not know anything of honor or sacrifice." Subzero agreed.

Max stared at him with a blank expression as he said that, but deep down felt furious and outraged. "You people cannot survive. If you truly valued your lives, you'd wise up and hide underground." Max said doing his best to control his temper. "And allow our world to be destroyed? Sorry, but we took an oath to defend it no matter the cost!" Sonya cried. "Then you people are as doomed as you are naive. I've wasted enough time; I'm fixing my car and I'm leaving. But know that if you get in my way again, I will not hesitate to kill you!" Max growled as he turned around and walked away. And with that, Max was gone and out of sight.

As he left, Johnny Cage let out a groan of frustration. "My God, what an asshole! I'm glad he's gone. So...who's hungry?" Johnny Cage announced as he pulled out a handful of granola bars from a nearby backpack. At this point, everyone was too tired to be annoyed with Johnny Cage. "Yes. Eat and rest tonight, for tomorrow we begin our search for the Kamidogu." Raiden said at last after an awkward moment of silence. "And Liu Kang and the others?" Lara wondered. "Their paths shall cross ours again, I just know it." Raiden replied.

Sonya sighed heavily in exhaustion as he said that. "We could certainly use all the help we can get! God knows we'll need it since Liu Kang isn't here with us!" Sonya muttered. Spawn turned to look out at the sunset. "You know what? I actually hope that kid is doing all right. I wonder what the hell he's been going through?" Spawn muttered to himself.

Chapter Text

While Spawn and his group had their own battles going on, Kotal Kahn's group had problems of their own. It all started when they were traveling through the Outworld Wastes. Kotal Kahn was taking the lead, with Jade by his side. There was a deep tensity in the air as they all traveled in silence through the corpse littered wastelands. Kotal had his own reservations about this whole ordeal, having to come to Baraka, one of his sworn rivals for help. But nevertheless, he chose to keep quiet for the sake of his own honor.

He was not the only one who had doubts about this situation, though. Liu Kang was more than a little upset about having to work with Baraka and his horde. But like Kotal, he chose to remain silent about his feelings. After all, this was for the greater good. Or so he kept telling himself. "None of this makes any sense. But if this is the only way to achieve our ultimate goals of bringing peace to the realms, then so be it!" Liu Kang muttered. He was unaware that Kitana overheard him. She glanced over at him, and then turned away when he looked over at her.

The tensity and dread in the air only grew worse as they approached the fresh aftermath of a massacre. "By the Gods! Is there no end to this violence?" Fujin announced with a sad tone. "These look like Baraka's forces. Whoever attacked them caught them off guard!" Kotal said grimly as he recognized their appearance. "Wait a minute! Look at these bodies. Look at the way that they're being displayed!" Talion pointed out.

He was right; some of them had their heads cut off and placed on wooden pikes. Others had their guts hanging around their necks, and a few were even missing their ears and fingers. "How repulsive!" Kitana exclaimed in disgust. "It's rather fitting for them, if you ask me!" Liu Kang grumbled. "That's enough, Liu Kang!" Nightwolf scolded as he overheard him. "He is not wrong, Nightwolf. The Tarkatans thrive on warfare, and are notorious for their barbaric methods!" Kotal retorted in defense of Liu Kang. "But still, who could have done this? There are not many who would oppose Baraka and his horde, let alone slaughter them like this!" Jade pointed out.

Talion knelt to the ground and observed the dead body of a Tarkatan. He noticed that there were several vicious cuts all over his body. They were deliberate and precise cuts; whoever cut this guy up was very skilled with a blade. He also noticed that there was a black liquid all over the Tarkatan's mouth. Talion rubbed his fingers against the dead Tarkatan's mouth, observing the black liquid.

He soon recognized what this liquid was; it was blood. Blood from an enemy he was very familiar with. "Uruk-Hai! They were the ones who did this. And by the looks of it, they were here not too long ago!" Talion said out loud as he stood back up. "How can you be so sure that they were...oh, by the Great Spirit!" Nightwolf began before something caught his attention. "What is it?" Jade asked with concern in her voice. "Look! Over there; those banners! Do you recognize those symbols?" Nightwolf said as he pointed.

Talion grunted in frustration as he recognized the symbols on the banners. It was the mark of Sauron! "Damn it! His forces are getting stronger than I realized. We need to move, now!" Talion cried out as he began marching away. "Be on your guard; I've got the feeling we've got a fight on our hands coming soon!" Nightwolf warned as he reached for his tomahawks. "Good! I've been aching for a fight." Kotal smirked.

10 minutes later, Talion led the others into a makeshift camp that was heavily populated by Uruk-Hai. "I knew it! These particular group of Uruks have been roaming these wastelands for days. And by the looks of it, they've been leaving no survivors." Talion said as he overlooked the camp from atop a rock. "I'd agree with your theory, but there's one thing you've missed. Look!" Nightwolf said as he pointed.

He was right; in the center of the camp, a few Tarkatans were tied to wooden posts. "What? That can't be right! Uruks never leave any survivors, unless...they need slaves!" Talion said to himself. Kotal approached his side and observed the Tarkatan prisoners and grew grim as he recognized one of them. "Baraka! It seems that he's having a taste of his own medicine." Kotal said snidely as he crossed his arms. "Kotal!" Jade scolded. "Be quiet, all of you! Listen; the leader of these Uruks is approaching." Talion shushed.

As he spoke, the leader of the Uruk horde marched towards Baraka and the other prisoners. This Uruk was taller than the others, and wore heavy plated iron armor that covered his chest, arms, and legs completely. He also wore an ugly looking skull as a belt buckle and a necklace made from the bones of his previous victims. But the most unsettling thing about this particular Uruk was the ghastly looking iron mask that was wielded into his scarred face. "Iron Jaw! I should have known!" Talion growled. "Wait, you know that Uruk?" Kotal exclaimed. "I've had a few unpleasant meetings with him before I arrived in your world." Talion replied.

Iron Jaw snickered sinisterly as he paced around Baraka and the other prisoners. "Well, well, well! I gotta say, out of all the other shrakhs we've encountered in this wasteland, you actually put up a decent fight! You've earned my respect, and that ain't an easy thing to do!" Iron Jaw sneered. Baraka growled in irritation as he said that. "Tell you what! I'll give you a choice, just because I like you. If you swear to serve the Dark Lord for the rest of your miserable life, I'll let you live. I might even let you have a taste of grog once in a while!" Iron Jaw continued with mocking laughter.

The other Uruks howled and jeered with in evil delight, much to Baraka's displeasure. "I will never bend a knee to your damn leader, nor will any other of my fellow Tarkatan brothers! So if you are going to kill me, be quick with it!" Baraka snarled. "Kill you?! You insult me! Your fighting spirit is exactly what The Dark Lord's armies need! To serve The Dark Lord is a tremendous honor. So you see, there's no refusing us. Join us and become a fine warrior. Become an enforcer for Mordor!" Iron Jaw proclaimed. 

Baraka replied by spitting at Iron Jaw's feet. "I serve only one force; Tarkata!" Baraka growled. Iron Jaw growled in anger before he savagely punched him in the face. "Treacherous little shrakh! You will show the Dark Lord the respect that he deserves!" Iron Jaw shouted furiously as he got in Baraka's face. "I am showing you fools the respect you deserve. NONE!" Baraka shouted back as he butted Iron Jaw's face away. "ARGH! You will learn your place, you worm! Kill his little friends and then take him to the arena! We'll see just how tough this little shrakh really is!" Iron Jaw commanded sharply as he stormed off into his tent.

As Iron Jaw retired to his tent and his horde tortured Baraka and his comrades, Talion and the others decided to take action. "We've got to move, now! Quickly; follow my lead." Talion announced with a hushed tone as he jumped off the rock. As he crouched down and began moving towards the camp, Talion drew out his dagger. Kotal, Nightwolf, Liu Kang, and Kitana drew out their own weapons and followed close behind. Fujin and Jade remained behind to stand guard in case trouble arrived.

As they snuck closer towards Baraka's direction, the Uruks began to intensify their torture. "Ha-ha-ha! Does that hurt? What about this?!" one of the Uruks sneered smacked Baraka in the face with a club. "Hey, maybe we should cut off his fingers and toes. The boss will want a new addition for his necklace, eh?" another Uruk snickered. 

Talion and his group got ever so closer towards the Uruks before they finally made their move. Talion grabbed one of the Uruks from behind, clamping his mouth tightly before shanking him several times with his dagger before slashing his throat, killing him. Kotal grabbed another Uruk and slashed one of his hook blades across his stomach, spilling his guts out. Kitana slit the throat of another Uruk with one of her steel war fans, while Liu Kang used his nunchucks to choke the other Uruk to death. Nightwolf grabbed an Uruk from behind before pinning him to the ground, slamming one of his tomahawks into his face and killing him.

Baraka groaned in pain as Talion cut him loose and helped him up to his feet. "Ugh...what? A human...what? What are you doing here?" Baraka muttered in confusion. "Saving your life. Here, drink this. It should help ease the pain." Talion said as he pulled out a flask of red liquid and poured it into Baraka's mouth. Baraka sputtered and coughed before he shook his head, beginning to regain some of his lost strength. "I don't know who you are, human. But you have my thanks!" Baraka said with more enthusiasm and pride in his voice. "Don't thank me. Thank them; they're the ones you'll want to talk to." Talion said as he pointed to Kotal and the others.

Baraka grunted in confusion before he glared at Kotal. "You!? What the hell are you doing here?!" Baraka demanded. "You have a strange way of thanking me, Baraka!" Kotal retorted. "Save me?! Since when have you ever cared for any of the Tarkatans? When have you ever shown any compassion for my people!?" Baraka snapped. "That was the past, Baraka. Things have changed!" Kitana said politely. "What? You! Shao Kahn's daughter is in league with Kotal now?" Baraka exclaimed in surprise. "We are going to have to put aside our differences if we are to survive, Baraka!" Liu Kang said sternly as he crossed his arms.

Baraka smirked devilishly as he recognized Liu Kang before he burst into laughter. "Now this is funny! Raiden's chosen one! You are a long way from home, monk!" Baraka sneered. "We are all a long way from home, Baraka. And if you are wise, you will fight with us. Not against us!" Nightwolf scolded. "Wait! I know you; I have fought against your people before!" Baraka said as he pointed to Nightwolf. "Yes; I remember our battle that day. I have not forgotten the carnage you and your horde have caused my people." Nightwolf replied with a frown. "And I remember what you did to my people!" Liu Kang added angrily.

Baraka burst into uproarious laughter as he said that. "Ah, yes! Now I remember! Tarkata feasted well that day!" Baraka boasted. Liu Kang clenched his fists tightly as he said that, but Kitana put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Enough, Baraka! Haven't you been listening to us? We must work together if we are to free Outworld from this scourge that has plagued Outworld!" Kitana chided.

Baraka stopped laughing as she said that. "Again, I ask: Why should I help you? You haven't shown any interest in helping Tarkatan before, other than to catering to your father's will!" Baraka spat. "Shao Kahn is not our problem anymore, Baraka! This Sauron and his forces are destroying Outworld. Haven't we all suffered enough? Let us put aside our petty rivalries and work together to save Outworld from this evil!" Kotal said trying his best not to lose his temper.

Barak growled in irritation as he threw his arms down, muttering Tarkatan curses under his breath. "My people were enslaved by Shao Kahn for years! You have waged war against my people! And now these outsiders come and slaughter us or enslave us! Can Tarkata not choose their own destiny?!" Baraka shouted with dismay. At first, nobody knew how to respond to Baraka's outburst. 

But after a moment of silence, Talion spoke up. "I know exactly what it feels like to lose your honor. Believe me, I've been there. But you want to know something? You can choose your own destiny! You can choose to fight back against Sauron and his forces!" Talion said. "How? I've fought with my best warriors against these monstrosities, and we cannot beat them!" Baraka snapped. "I've been fighting against Sauron's forces for years. I know how the Uruks operate! If you trust me, I can help you bring them down. So what do you say? Will you join me in the fight against Sauron?" Talion insisted as he held his hand out to shake Baraka's.

Baraka stared at him for a moment before he looked at the others. Baraka sighed before he reluctantly nodded his head and shook Talion's hand. "I shall hold you to your word, human. If you promise to help me and my people defeat Sauron and his forces, then my blades are yours!" Baraka proclaimed. "Good. Then let us not waste any time, shall we? Let us free your people." Talion replied simply.

As Talion helped free the other Tarkatans, Kotal and the others were amazed by what they had witnessed. "I don't understand it! How did he do that? How did a human manage to engage in a peaceful conversation with a Tarkatan of all things?!" Kotal exclaimed in disbelief. "I don't know!" Liu Kang muttered. "I think maybe we can all learn a thing or two from this!" Kitana said as a matter of factly before she walked away. Kotal and Liu Kang sighed as they shook their heads before following her. "We should help them free the others." Liu Kang said dumbly. "Yes." Kotal said simply as he rubbed his forehead.

But little did these people realize, that they would need all the help they could get!

Chapter Text

After freeing Baraka's other fellow warriors, Talion and his group met back up with Jade and Fujin at the hilltop that overlooked the Uruk-Hai camp. "Everyone here? All right, listen up. If I know Iron Jaw, he's going to notice that something is wrong with Baraka gone. But if we act now, we can prevent Iron Jaw from escaping!" Talion instructed. "I am hungry for a fight!" Baraka growled as he clenched his fists. "Shouldn't we just leave? We have what we came for, there's no need for any more senseless violence!" Fujin cried. "By nightfall, this entire area will be swarming with more Uruk-Hai! We have the chance to deliver a huge blow to Sauron's forces! If you lack the stomach for this, then by all means just go!" Talion snapped angrily.

The others were a bit taken aback by Talion's sudden hostility. "There's no need for you to get angry. We'll help you!" Kitana said in a calm and reassuring tone. "Good, because I wouldn't have given you much of a choice otherwise. Now let's go! Follow me and keep low and quiet." Talion hissed as he turned sharply around and walked away. Kotal Kahn scowled at Talion's behavior, as did Fujin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd compare that attitude of his to that of the enemy!" Kotal growled. "Now that you mention it, I do sense a certain darkness in him." Fujin added. "If you two are done convalescing, we really should get moving." Liu Kang announced. "Agreed! This conversation will have to wait for another time." Fujin said as he loaded up his crossbow.

After 10 minutes of sneaking around, Talion and his group eventually made it to the center of the camp and entered a battle arena. In the center of the arena, Iron Jaw was angrily ranting towards a group of Uruks. "This is unacceptable! Not only have you failed to secure the prisoners, but you allowed your fellow Uruks to die at the hand of these intruders! You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Iron Jaw shouted angrily.

Talion silently motioned the others to flank the group of Uruks, while he and Baraka snuck around behind Iron Jaw's position. "You lot better be grateful that the Dark Lord doesn't hear of this, because if he did, he'd have you all thrown in the mouth of the Mount Doom!" Iron Jaw continued. As everyone got into position, the tension in the air grew stronger by the minute. Talion pulled out his dagger and readied himself, while Baraka unsheathed his arm blades. "Ok, when I give you the signal, we'll both move in and-" Talion began. "To hell with that! I'll take him out now!" Baraka snarled as he charged forward to attack. "Baraka, no!" Talion shouted.

Baraka roared as he charged towards Iron Jaw, much to his surprise and several other Uruks. "I WILL AVENGE MY PEOPLE, YOU SCUM!" Baraka snarled as he sliced and diced several Uruks to pieces. "What?! How are you still-GET HIM, YOU SHRAKHS!" Iron Jaw shouted. Liu Kang and the others saw this happening, wondering if this was part of the plan. "Uh, is this part of the plan? Should we attack now?" Liu Kang wondered. "I'm not sure, but I won't stand around to find out!" Kitana said as she drew out her war fans.

Kitana rushed into the scene and slashed several Uruks with her war fans, cutting them to pieces. Liu Kang soon joined her, breaking their bones with powerful punches and kicks. Nightwolf and Fujin provided covering fire with their arrows, while Kotal Kahn and Jade used their own weapons to hack, slash, bash, and break their opponents. "Show these vile creatures no mercy! Outworld belongs to us!" Kotal Kahn thundered as he swung his massive sword at a group of Uruks and sent them flying away. "Ha! This really is just like old times, my dear Kotal!" Jade laughed as she used her bo staff to pummel a few orcs before kicking them away.

During the chaotic battle, Iron Jaw began to fear for his life and fled back to his tent. "To hell with this! I've gotta get out of here!" Iron Jaw panicked as he began shoveling gold septims into a leather sack. After filling his sack, he began running away from the camp. But before he could take another step, an arrow was shot into the back of his heel, trapping him in place. "AUGH! I'm stuck! Somebody help me!" Iron Jaw cried out pathetically. "You were always many things, Iron Jaw. But a coward is not one I was expecting!" a voice sneered from the shadows.

Iron Jaw whimpered in fear as he turned around to see someone marching towards him. It was Talion and he drew out his beautiful but deadly sword for the kill. "YOU! Not you! Not the Gravewalker!" Iron Jaw exclaimed in fear. "You know something? I really shouldn't have pitied you and spared your miserable life. Maybe now I can correct that mistake by taking your head!" Talion sneered as he grabbed Iron Jaw by the throat and pointed the blade at his face. "What do you want with me? You already desecrated my beautiful face once before! Please don't do it again, I beg of you!" Iron Jaw whined. 

Talion tightened his grip, making Iron Jaw choke and wheeze. "Tell me, orc scum! Where is your master? Where is Sauron?!" Talion growled. "I really don't know! I'm just a lowly little shrakh! Please let me go!" Iron Jaw whimpered. Talion gritted his teeth as he began choking Iron Jaw even tighter. "Do not lie to me, fool! You know something about what's going on! Now I will only ask one last time: Where...is...Sauron?!" Talion snarled as he pressed the blade tighter against Iron Jaw's neck.

Iron Jaw began crying and whimpering pathetically, further angering Talion. Suddenly, his eyes began glowing bright blue and his body began to surge with a dark power. "You will obey!" Talion thundered in dark, demonic tone. Iron Jaw shrieked in agony as the strange dark power flowing through Talion began to overwhelm the Uruk's mind.

In fact, the power actually allowed Talion to see deep into the Uruk's mind and look through his memories. Inside of Iron Jaw's mind, Talion saw a recent memory of him speaking with a sorcerer. In the memory, the sorcerer promised Sauron much power and wealth in exchange for helping him to overthrow a warlord. Iron Jaw seemed to be one of many Uruk war chiefs that were simply following these orders. That was all Talion could understand, due to how chaotic and fuzzy the Uruk's mind was.

Talion smirked as he finally got the answer he was seeking; Sauron was indeed somewhere here in this wasteland. All he had to do was draw him out. "I want you to die knowing that I will personally hunt down and destroy every single one of the Uruk war chiefs, and then your Dark Lord is next! That is neither threat or promise; it is a fact!" Talion growled. "Please! Have mercy!" Iron Jaw screamed before Talion finished him off in a brutal manner. He surged his dark power into the Uruk's head before he blew it up in a bloody splatter.

As the now headless body of Iron Jaw fell down with a dull thud, Talion flicked the blackened blood off his hand casually. "Filthy, miserable creatures these orcs! I cannot wait to finally eradicate them once and for all!" Talion grumbled. "Talion, what have you done?!" Kitana screamed in shock. Talion slowly turned around and faced the others. They all stared at him with shocked expressions on their faces; they were bewildered by what they had just witnessed. "By the Elder Gods!" Fujin exclaimed. "I knew it! You're one of them, aren't you?!" Kotal Kahn cried out angrily. "You have some explaining to do!" Liu Kang agreed sternly

Talion sighed heavily as he shook his head. "Not now." Talion grumbled. "You will not dismiss us this time, you devil!" Nightwolf growled. "Tell us what you know! Who are you really? Talk!" Kotal Kahn demanded. Talion glared at him as he said that. "I said, not now. Leave me alone." Talion said seriously as he stared intensely at him. "You will answer us or so help me-" Kotal began as he grabbed his arm.

Talion suddenly flipped Kotal onto his back before pinning him to the ground, holding the blade of his sword against Kotal's neck. "I said leave me alone! You stay away from me, or I will rend the flesh from your bones!" Talion thundered in a darker tone than ever before. "Talion, no! Stop it!" Jade exclaimed in horror. "Get away from him, you demon!" Liu Kang cried fiercely as he tried to remove Talion from Kotal Kahn. 

Talion roared as he forced Liu Kang away with a powerful punch boosted with his dark power. "You insufferable maggots have been holding back for far too long! If you value your lives, you will leave now or suffer the dire consequences!" Talion thundered in a dark, booming voice. As he spoke, his body underwent a horrifying transformation. His entire body began glowing bright blue before he transformed into a terrifying wraith! His skin was dead and decaying, his eyes were shining bright blue, and his weapons were now lit up with blue flames.

The others were more than a bit frightened to witness Talion's transformation. "Talion? What have you done?! What...what are you?" Kitana cried out in horror. Talion laughed in a dark and sinister tone, unsettling the others even more. "Talion? No. I am Celebrimbor, the Lord of Light. I am the true Lord of the Rings, and I will have my vengeance!" the wraith boldly proclaimed with a sinister laugh.

As Liu Kang was helped back up by Kotal, the two regrouped with the others and braced themselves for yet another battle. "Divine liquid and fire! I should've known better than to trust that Dark Ranger!" Kotal growled as he drew out his sword. "I want to believe that this is all a misunderstanding. But it appears that the facts state otherwise!" Liu Kang said angrily while pulling out his nunchucks.

Everyone was soon to be in a fight that they wouldn't forget...and it wouldn't only be because of Celebrimbor!

Chapter Text

Celebrimbor snarled as he pointed his sword at the others, causing the others to tense up. After what seemed like the longest minute ever, Celebrimbor came rushing towards them with a roar. He slashed his sword at them with such ferocity and speed unlike anything they had seen before. Kotal vainly tried to parry his attacks, but the wraith was too fast and counter attacked him each and every time. "Divine liquid and fire! He moves so fast!" Kotal groaned before he was helped up by Jade.

Jade then attempted to attack Celebrimbor with her bo staff, but the wraith used his sword to cut her staff in half. Outraged, Jade tried subduing him with her kicks. But Celebrimbor merely punched her in the chest, knocking her out cold. Kotal cried out with anger as he witnessed this and charged forward to attack, but Celebrimbor punched him with a surge of dark magic. The punch was so powerful, that it sent Kotal flying away into a rock and knocked him out cold.

Fujin fired several of his arrows at Celebrimbor, but the wraith dodged all of the projectiles before he sent Fujin flying away with a powerful punch. As Fujin was sent flying back, Nightwolf rushed towards Celebrimbor and tried hacking and slashing at him with his tomahawks. But Celebrimbor parried his attacks before kicking him away. Kitana then threw her steel war fans at him, but Celebrimbor deflected them away with his sword. Kitana then came rushing towards him, kicking at furiously at him.

Celebrimbor growled as he was hit many times, but he eventually forced Kitana away with a magical burst of dark energy from a single punch. Kitana screamed as she was sent flying back, and groaned as she slowly got back up to her feet. "Talion! I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to fight back against this evil spirit!" Kitana cried. "Silence! You know nothing of true power!" Celebrimbor thundered. "Enough! You either surrender now or I will have no choice but to put you down!" Liu Kang shouted as he lit his fists on fire. "Liu Kang, don't!" Kitana objected.

Celebrimbor snarled furiously before he charged towards Liu Kang with his flaming sword in hand. Liu Kang cried out fiercely as he came flying towards Celebrimbor with a flaming kick. Celebrimbor shouted as he was knocked back with a tremendous force, dropping his sword in the process. Celebrimbor growled as he slowly got back up, glaring at Liu Kang with menace and fire in his eyes. "Don't get up! This is your final warning; surrender now!" Liu Kang warned as he stood over him in an aggressive stance.

Celebrimbor laughed sinisterly as he said that. "You pathetic fool! You are no match against my power. I need no weapons to kill you!" Celebrimbor sneered. "Look, I do not want to fight you. But if you keep persisting, I will have no choice but to finish you!" Liu Kang said trying his best not to lose his temper. "Look at you! Pretending to be something you are not. I can see the darkness inside of you. Why hesitate? Kill me now!" Celebrimbor taunted.

Liu Kang bristled as he said that. "You don't know me! I am a member of the White Lotus! My heart is pure! I fight to protect Earth Realm! I-" Liu Kang insisted. "You fight for a lost cause to appease an old man who is too weak and cowardly to take matters into his own hands! I have seen this cycle far too many times! You are not in control of your destiny, boy. You are nothing more than a pathetic lap dog!" Celebrimbor spat.

Liu Kang cried out angrily as he roundhouse kicked the wraith in the face, forcing him onto his back. "How dare you disrespect Lord Raiden! You speak nothing but lies!" Liu Kang screamed with fury. Celebrimbor only laughed in response, further angering the monk. Liu Kang cried out with great anger as he pummeled Celebrimbor with several brutal blows from his fists and feet.

As the others came to, they caught sight of Liu Kang brutalizing Celebrimbor, much to their shock. "By the Elder Gods!" Fujin exclaimed. "What is he doing?!" Jade cried out. Out of all the others witnessing this, Kitana was the most shocked. "Liu Kang! Stop it! You're going to kill him!" Kitana exclaimed in horror. Liu Kang did not hear her and continued to brutalize Celebrimbor. Liu Kang cried out even more fiercely as he began punching and kicking the wraith faster, until at long last he grabbed hold of him by the neck and held his fist right above his face. "Do it. Finish me! Only your hatred and anger can destroy me!" Celebrimbor sneered through bloody, gritted teeth. "I am sorely tempted into giving in to your offer!" Liu Kang growled as he began choking him. 

Kitana couldn't take it anymore; she could not let Liu Kang give in to his demons like this. She ran to him and grabbed him, trying to pull him away from Celebrimbor. "Stop! Don't do this, Liu Kang! You're better than this! You know it's not his fault; Talion is somehow being controlled by this wraith! Let him go and we can find a way to help him. Please!" Kitana begged.

Liu Kang grimaced as she said that, but deep down he knew that she was right. He reluctantly let go of Celebrimbor, allowing him to breathe. That said, Liu Kang did not take his glaring eyes off of him. "Be grateful that I choose to let you live. But if you ever dare question my honor again, I will not hesitate to kill you. So consider this mercy!" Liu Kang warned. Celebrimbor smirked as he said that. "Tell me something, boy. Do you truly believe everything the old man has told you? You will find out a truth that you don't want to know. And when you do, you will turn against the old man. I've seen it!" Celebrimbor sneered. 

Liu Kang scowled at him as he said that. "I don't believe you! Lord Raiden would never lie to me! He is like a a father to me!" Liu Kang objected. "We shall see!" Celebrimbor snickered as he slowly stood back up. But as he stood up, his ghostly appearance started to fade away. Like a cold breeze, Celebrimbor fade away until only Talion remained behind.

Talion took a deep breath before he spoke up. "Liu Kang? What happened?" Talion asked in utter confusion. Liu Kang just stared at him as he said that, while Kitana looked more concerned. Talion looked around his surroundings before he looked over at the others, who all had confused or angry expressions on their faces. Talion sighed sadly as he shook his head. "My God, what have I done?" Talion muttered in shock. "Come on. We better go find the others." Liu Kang said plainly.

Talion only nodded as he followed Liu Kang and Kitana over to the others. Everyone else, especially Kotal were very cautious as Talion approached them. Talion only looked at them with deep sadness and regret in his eyes. Kotal reached for his sword, but Kitana looked over to him and shook her head. Nightwolf looked deep into Talion's eyes, studying him.

Finally, he approached him carefully and spoke up. "Are you still with us, Talion?" Nightwolf asked cautiously. Talion nodded his head. "I am sorry for all of this. I truly am!" Talion began. Kotal suddenly stomped towards him before grabbing him by the scruff of his collar. "Explain yourself at once! Who are you, really? How long has this thing been hiding inside of you?!" Kotal demanded angrily. "Kotal! Calm yourself at once!" Jade scolded as she pulled him away.

Talion brushed himself off before he recomposed himself. "Look, there is something you all must know about me. I was-" Talion began before something stopped him. Baraka suddenly approached the group with a large leg of what appeared to be mutton in his hand. "Hey! What's been taking you humans so long?" Baraka announced with his mouthful. Everyone just stared at him in utter confusion/disgust as he appeared out of the blue. "Baraka? Where the hell have you been?!" Kotal demanded as he crossed his arms.

Baraka took another bite of the mutton leg before he spoke. "I was just collecting the spoils along with my fellow Tarkatans! What have you been up to? You look like you just finished up another battle? What did I miss?" Baraka asked with his mouthful. Everyone just rolled their eyes as Baraka said that with such obliviousness. "Right! Anyway, as I was saying...there is something I have to talk to you all about. About me and Celebrimbor! Ever since I died in Mordor, I've been sharing a body with Celebrimbor." Talion began.

The others were astounded by this revelation. "How is something like that even possible?" Liu Kang wondered. "As I was dying, Celebrimbor approached me and we made a pact. If he would help me get my revenge against those who murdered my family, I would help him get revenge against the one who betrayed him." Talion explained gravely. "You refer to Sauron?" Kitana asked. "Yes. Ever since then, we've been sharing a body. But as you all have seen, we don't always see eye to eye on things." Talion explained gravely.

Everyone was was completely stunned by what they were just told. "So two spirits share the same body? Now I have heard everything!" Kotal grumbled. "That actually doesn't surprise me. I did sense that there was a dark presence within you." Nightwolf stated. "You should have told us from the beginning, Talion." Liu Kang scolded. Talion sighed as he shook his head. "Yes, I know. But I didn't know if I could trust you then. But now I know!" Talion retorted. "Oh, you trust us now? So why should we trust you?!" Kotal demanded. "Enough! Look, what's done is done. There is no use in holding grudges! Now we really do need to go find the others while we still can!" Fujin said sternly.

Kotal rubbed his face in annoyance, but agreed. "Fine! Let us return to the temple...and pray that we don't have anymore troubles along the way!" Kotal said as he fiercely glanced over at Talion. "Yes. I would hate having to embarrass you again!" Talion smirked to himself. But as everyone began to move out, they were completely unaware that someone was watching them from the shadows...

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, back in Kotal Kahn's Fortress, everyone was preparing themselves for the next step of their seemingly endless journey. "Listen up; we don't know what to expect, so be sure to pack extra ammo!" Chris announced as he loaded up an assault rifle. "You don't have to tell me twice!" Spawn said as he grabbed a pair of submachine guns and several packs of ammo. "Hey, save some for the rest of us, will ya?" Sonya snapped. "Come on, honey. Share!" Reika scolded. Spawn groaned before he grabbed a few more clips of ammo before tossing them to Sonya. "Thanks!" Sonya said not taking her eyes off Spawn.

She then looked over at Jax, who was loading up a rocket launcher. "You think you can use that thing without hurting yourself, Jax?" Sonya sneered. "Ha-ha! Very funny, Lieutenant! And as much as I enjoy these babies, I happen to like my toys!" Jax said as he flexed his mechanical arms. Sonya only chuckled in response. 

Lara Croft was busy sharpening her arrows, when she was approached by Rambo. "Miss? I think you might need this." Rambo said as he handed her a powerful and deadly compound bow. "Oh, thank you! My old bow was getting a bit worn out, actually. But what about you? Don't you need this?" Lara said. Rambo smirked as he reached into his military pack and pulled out another compound bow. "I'm always prepared. Here; this is about your size. It'll definitely come in handy." Rambo said as he handed her a combat knife.

Lara smiled at him as she accepted his gifts. Despite his rough appearance, Rambo seemed surprisingly calm and gentle. "I appreciate it. I'm Lara by the way. Nice to meet you!" Lara said as she grabbed his hand. Rambo smiled back as he shook her hand. "John Rambo. You some kind of adventurer?" Rambo replied. "Well, I guess you could say that. Honestly, I was looking for adventure before all of this. But I guess adventure seemed to find me instead, and now here I am!" Lara said with a sheepish laugh.

Rambo touched her shoulder as he looked into deep into her eyes. "You'll be all right, kid. Just stay calm, stay focused, and you'll live." Rambo said seriously. Lara nodded her head in response before she examined her new bow. 

As soon as everyone finished prepping themselves, they all met up outside of the fortress. "Ok, we're all here. So what's the big plan now?" Jax asked half-jokingly. "We will split into different groups, that way we'll each have a better chance of finding the Kamidogu." Raiden began. "Split up again? Hasn't anybody seen any horror movies?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Quiet! Look, if we all bunch up together, we're easier prey for Skulker and his minions. If we split up, we have a better chance of surviving." Spawn snapped.

Raiden nodded his head in agreement. "He's right; we must be smart about this. We will need to rely on each other now more than ever. We will be traveling into different realms in search of the Kamidogu, so you must be diligent!" Raiden said gravely. "Wait, how the hell will we be able to travel to these other dimensions?" Sonya demanded.

Raiden pulled out a map and laid flat on the ground, giving everyone a chance to examine it. "Last night while you all were resting, I stumbled across this map. According to this, there is a portal hidden right here. Right inside of Shao Kahn's Fortress!" Raiden explained as he pointed towards a large structure with a skull on it. "Oh, is that all? That doesn't look too bad!" Johnny Cage began.

But before another word could be said, Kotal Kahn and his group appeared. While some of them appeared to be happy to see the others again, a few of them looked at them with suspicious stares. "What is going on here?" Kotal demanded. "Kotal! How kind of you to join us. We were just discussing our plan of finding the interdimensional portal in Shao Kahn's Fortress." Raiden announced. "What?! Why in Osh-Tek's name would you want to go there? Sauron and his forces have completely overtaken that place!" Kotal exclaimed. "Because we need to find the Kamidogu before Skulker does, asshole!" Spawn growled.

Kotal Kahn glared at Spawn with raging hellfire as he said that. "YOU! You are the one responsible for all of this!" Kotal thundered. "What the hell are you talking about?" Spawn demanded. "You cannot deny the truth, Hellspawn! You caused all of this! All the death and destruction here in Outworld, and for what?!" Kotal shouted as he pointed his finger at Spawn. "Kotal, wait!" Jade began. "Let's not do anything rash, now!" Talion warned. "You be silent!" Kotal snapped.

Spawn growled menacingly as he clenched his fists. "You accusing me of something, you Conan wannabe asshole? Because I don't like your fucking tone!" Spawn snarled as he began stomping towards him with clenched fists. "Raizo, no! Don't you start this now!" Reika scolded. "You brought all this death and destruction to my homeworld! Now, you shall pay with your life!" Kotal growled as he reached for his sword. "I don't have to explain shit to you, motherfucker!" Spawn shouted as he flared his fists up with Necroplasm.

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning and loud crack of thunder filled the air. "ENOUGH! Both of you cease your hostilities at once!" Raiden cried angrily. "We're all on the same side here, ok? Just calm down!" Reika added as she grabbed Spawn. "But that creature is a Hellspawn! How could you all be so naïve? He is-" Kotal began. "Our ally! He's helped save my life many times. He is not our enemy! It's ok; if I trust him, then so can you." Liu Kang said calmly. Kotal looked at him with bewilderment, but Jade grabbed his shoulder to settle him down.

Kotal took a deep breath and rubbed his face before he spoke up. "Mark my words Hellspawn! If you even think of betraying us-" Kotal began. "Look! I'll only say this once, Kotal Kahn: Do not fuck with me! You test my fucking patience and I will tear your fucking head off and hang your skinless, headless corpse out to dry in chains!" Spawn threatened menacingly. "RAIZO!" Reika shouted angrily before she slapped him.

This shocked everyone present, but what happened next was even more surprising. "Stop it! Just stop, ok?! You're not helping anyone with your bad attitude!" Reika cried. "Damn it, woman. I-" Spawn began. "No! Not this time, Raizo. You will listen to me! I know you are tired and angry, but threatening to dismember our allies is unacceptable. I shouldn't have to tell you this!" Reika scolded. "Reika, I-" Spawn began. "Just shut up and listen to me, will you? I know that you want to find and kill Skulker, and I know you want to keep me safe. But you can't keep me safe if you are constantly fighting against everyone that pisses you off!" Reika continued.

Spawn sighed as he shook his head, but then Reika gently touched his face and looked deep into his eyes. "Reika, I love you too much to let anything happen to you! " Spawn began softly. "Raizo, I love you too. But Raiden is right; we won't be able to get anything done if you don't learn to control that temper of yours. Look, you know that I can trust you. But now I'm asking you to trust me! Please?" Reika whispered passionately.

Spawn groaned softly before he nodded his head. Reika smiled as she embraced him. "Thank you. I know this is hard, but we must work together if we're to survive this." Reika said softly. "I know, Kitami. It's just...I'm scared of losing you." Spawn said sadly. Reika chuckled as he said that. "Come on, honey! You and I have been through much worse before. We'll be fine, ok? Trust me!" Reika said with a warm smile.

This scene surprised almost everyone present, but Kotal was the most surprised of all. This Hellspawn was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Instead of the power hungry devil he imagined or heard of in stories, this Hellspawn seemed...almost human. "This is...impossible! Just who are you?" Kotal muttered in disbelief. "If you two are done with your Hallmark moment, we really need to get back to more important matters." Sonya urged. "You know what?" Reika began. "No, she's right. You were saying, old man? Where did you say this Shao Kahn's fortress was?" Spawn said as he let go of Reika. 

But before Raiden could speak, Kotal stopped him. "Wait! I know where Shao Kahn's fortress is. Like I said before, it is more heavily fortified thanks to Sauron's forces. But I know of a secret passageway that can lead us into the fortress. But make no mistake, if it is the portal you seek, then odds are that Sauron will not give it up without a fight!" Kotal explained. "I've dealt petty tyrants before!" Spawn began. "Sauron is no mere tyrant! He is powerful, but he is also very deceptive and crafty. He is nothing short of pure evil!" Talion objected.

Spawn stared at him as he said that, making everyone else a bit uneasy at first. "Honey..." Reika began. "I see you, asshole. Out of the shadows!" Spawn said sternly. "Damn it, Raizo!" Reika snapped. "No, it's all right. But I am curious...How can you see me?" Talion said before he transformed into a wraith. "I know a devil when I see and smell one! Now I'll only ask you just this once: Is there going to be a problem between us?" Spawn questioned seriously. "Perhaps only time shall tell. But in the meantime, we appear to share a common enemy." Celebrimbor responded calmly. "I need to know if I can trust you, so don't bullshit me!" Spawn warned.

Celebrimbor smirked at him as he said that. "If I wanted to kill you, believe me. I would have done so by now! Besides, you will need all the help you can get if you are to defeat Sauron!" Celebrimbor replied. Spawn chuckled as he said that. "Well, I guess I'll have to count this as a win. Welcome to the party, pal!" Spawn smirked. Celebrimbor nodded his head before he faded away, revealing Talion once more. "Well, that went better than I expected. I guess he likes you." Talion said with a shrug. "What's not to like?" Spawn sneered jokingly. Everyone else felt relieved as he said that, especially Reika.

Sonya was getting very impatient and "Can you just tell us more about this secret entrance to Shao Kahn's fortress, please? We're wasting time here!" Sonya snapped. "Ah, yes. As I was saying, the entrance to the secret passageway is...wait! Who are you?!" Kotal began before someone caught his eye.

Everyone turned to face the one who caught Kotal's eye. Spawn and several others felt immediate dread as they recognized the figure. "No! Not you again!" Spawn muttered in disbelief. "By the Great Spirit!" Nightwolf exclaimed. "What's going on? Wait, who's the weirdo with a hockey mask?" Johnny Cage said stupidly. "It's Jason Voorhees, and he looks pissed!" Spawn responded plainly.

How right he was; Jason Voorhees had survived his encounter with Spawn, and had followed him all the way from Hell to seek his vengeance. Jason stood there in ominous silence, staring at them with his rusty blood stained machete in hand. He then pointed his machete at Spawn before making a slicing motion across his neck. He wanted Spawn to pay for his humiliating defeat back in Hell, and this time there would be no escape.

Spawn growled as he clenched his fists, surging them with Necroplasm. "What do we do now?" Lara asked. "You guys get going! I'll deal with this undead asshole; it's me he wants!" Spawn instructed. "What? But Raizo!" Reika objected. "It's ok, Reika. It's like you said before: We've been through worse things than this!" Spawn insisted. "Let me stay here with you, Spawn. The Great Spirit demands justice for all the innocent blood this Revenant has spilled!" Nightwolf proclaimed boldly as he pulled out his tomahawks. "Allow me to join as well! Like I said...You will need all the help you can get!" Talion offered before transforming into Celebrimbor.

Spawn looked over at Kotal Kahn, who nodded his head. "Everyone else follow Jade; she is the only other one who knows where the entrance to the secret passageway is. If we are not back by nightfall, you go on without us! Understand?" Kotal said as he drew out his sword and approached Spawn's side. "Kotal? Please...be careful!" Jade said before she led the others away.  "Good luck, honey!" Reika said as she bowed her head before following the others. "Well, Hellspawn...let us see if we can combine our might against this Revenant scum!" Kotal sneered. "Don't worry; I'm sure there will plenty of this asshole to go around!" Spawn smirked back as he aimed his submachine guns at Jason. "If it is a battle this cretin wants, it is one he shall not forget!" Celebrimbor proclaimed as he drew out his sword.

Jason cracked his neck before he began silently moving forward; blood was going to be shed one way or another!

Chapter Text

Spawn was the first to attack. He fired his submachine guns at Jason, though the bullets did nothing but merely aggravate him as he was hit. Jason began marching forward to retaliate, but Nightwolf and Celebrimbor quickly flanked Jason and fired their arrows at him. Jason ripped the arrows out of his chest and left shoulder before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a hatchet. He threw the hatchet at Spawn, but Celebrimbor tackled him out of the way before he could be hit.

Nightwolf cried out fiercely as he swung his war club at Jason, knocking him back a bit. Jason retaliated by slashing his machete at Nightwolf, making him yell out in pain. The two bitterly hacked and slashed at each other for several minutes, with neither being able to best the other. Eventually, Nightwolf gained the upper hand by swiping his foot underneath Jason and tripping him onto his back before stabbing repeatedly him with a custom made knife made of wolf skin, bone, and steel.

As Nightwolf rolled away to safety, Kotal charged towards him and stabbed his sword deep into Jason's chest, spilling much blood before yanking his sword up and flung Jason into the air. Jason flew up several feet in the air before crashing back down into the ground face first. "Ha! This is the fiend you fear?" Kotal boasted. But as he said that, Jason slowly got back up to his feet before cracking his neck and staring directly at Kotal. "What?! Impossible! Who are you?" Kotal exclaimed in shock.

Back with Spawn and Celebrimbor, they helped each other up before rejoining the battle. "Are you all right?" the wraith asked Spawn. "Don't worry about me. I just tripped!" Spawn joked. "You're welcome!" Celebrimbor retorted. "Come on; let's get back into it. The others need our help!" Spawn pointed out. Celebrimbor nodded his head before he quickly dashed towards the brawling Jason and Kotal. Spawn teleported behind Jason and wrapped his chains around him and constricted him, giving Kotal and the others the perfect chance to attack Jason with all their might.

Kotal punched Jason savagely in the face and chest with his fists, while Nightwolf smacked his war club into Jason's head. Celebrimbor punched Jason in the back of his head, knocking him onto his hands and knees before viciously stabbing his dagger into Jason's back multiple times. "Return to the abyss from which you came, you vile creature!" Celebrimbor thundered as he stabbed his dagger into the back of Jason's head.

Spawn then lifted Jason up into the air with his chains before tossing him away and into a hole in the ground. "Damn! I hope that's enough to slow him down!" Spawn grumbled. "Slow him down? You mean to say that didn't kill him?!" Kotal exclaimed. "The bastard's immortal. Nothing can kill him...at least to my knowledge!" Spawn replied. "I could sense a foul darkness in him as we fought, though I admit I've not sensed something this evil before. If what you say is true, then we must be cautious!" Celebrimbor said gravely. "We should leave now and find the others, before he returns!" Nightwolf suggested. "Yes. Come! We can still catch up with Jade and the others if we hurry!" Kotal announced as he took the lead.

But as they left, they were completely unaware that Jason slowly rose out of the hole in the ground. To say that he was pissed off was a huge understatement!

Meanwhile, Jade and the others had finally arrived at the secret passageway that would lead to Shao Kahn's Fortress. It was a cave in the middle of the Living Forest, hidden underneath a giant tree. "Here it is! The secret entryway to Shao Kahn's Fortress." Jade announced. "Wait, it's been here this whole time?!" Sonya exclaimed angrily. "Yeah! Haven't we been in this place before?" Johnny Cage cried out in agreement. "Do you people ever stop complaining? We're here now and that's all that matters!" Rambo said gruffly.

Lara Croft examined the cave, noticing something. "It's awfully small. I don't think we're all going to fit in there!" Lara announced. "Then we will have to go one at a time." Jade said as she approached the cave. But before she could step inside, a low growl was heard. "Wait...what was that?" Chris whispered. "Over there! Something just moved...past those bushes!" Jill pointed out. "Wait...I smell something! Something...inhuman!" Baraka growled.

A soft rustle was heard from the bushes before a faint creaking was heard from a nearby tree. "There it is again. I think it's climbing up those trees!" Chris said as he aimed his assault rifle up at the treeline. "Chris, wait! Don't shoot! You'll give away our position!" Rambo hissed. Rambo took cover behind a log, slowly drawing out his bow. Lara crouched down and crept towards him, doing the same. "What is it? What do you see?" Lara whispered. "Nothing...yet. But I know that we're being watched!" Rambo replied grimly as he reached for his quiver and slowly took out one of his steel arrows.

Chris, Jill, Sonya, Johnny Cage, and Jax took cover behind a boulder not too far from Rambo and Lara, while Raiden and Fujin took cover by the cave with Liu Kang, Kitana, Baraka, Reika, and Jade. "Nothing is ever easy, is it?" Sonya muttered. "What are we waiting for? Let's just get in that cave and get the hell out of here!" Johnny Cage hissed. "No! Don't you get it?! As soon as we go out there, we're dead! There's someone...or something out there waiting for us!" Jax snapped. "But we can't just stay here forever, can we?!" Johnny Cage countered. "No, we can't. Just be quiet...let me think!" Sonya shushed.

Jax suddenly realized something as he looked all around him. "Wait! Where the hell is Subzero? I haven't heard a peep from him this whole damn time!" Jax said out loud. "Oh, mother-that cold bastard abandoned us!" Sonya cursed. "What?! Why would he do that? That's not like him at all!" Johnny Cage exclaimed in dismay. Reika overheard them and grew grim; this wasn’t like Subzero at all.

Several minutes of dreaded silence went by and nothing happened, much to the frustration of everyone. "This is a waste of time! Tarkatans are are born warriors! We are meant to fight, not sit around and wait!" Baraka snarled impatiently. "If you wish to rush off and get yourself killed, be my guest!" Liu Kang sneered. "Quiet, Earth Realmer!" Baraka snapped. "Will you two stop it?! We've got more important things to worry about right now!" Kitana hissed.

After a few more minutes, Rambo and Lara slowly crept away from the log and moved forward. "All right, listen to me. As soon as I give you the signal, you flank that side. I'll take him from this side; got it?" Rambo whispered. "Got it. Be careful!" Lara whispered back. Rambo leopard crawled his way towards a tree before he slowly crouched up. He motioned Lara to slowly follow him, to which she did. 

But just as Lara approached the tree, she noticed something else was off. She groaned in disgust as she felt a slimy substance on the tree bark. "Ugh...what in God's name is this?" Lara muttered. "Kid, what's wrong? What is it?" Rambo whispered before he froze. "What? What's-" Lara began before she felt the air grow cold and menacing around her. She heard a loud hissing noise right above her, and she felt an intense sensation of fear and dread fill her body. "Oh God!" she whimpered. "Kid, just stay still and don't panic." Rambo whispered as he readied his bow.

But Lara, fearing for her life, slowly turned around to see what was looming over her. She gasped as she saw what it was; a Xenomorph! The creature snarled viciously as it stuck out it's tongue, opening up another set of jaws. "Oh, God! Help me!" Lara exclaimed. "Lara!" Rambo shouted as he shot an arrow into the Xenomorph's head. The alien monster screeched loudly as it reeled back, bleeding acid all over the place. "Get back, you freak! BACK!" Rambo shouted as he kept firing steel arrows into the Xenomorph.

Chris and Jill saw this, and joined in on the carnage by firing their guns at the Xenomorph. The monster screeched as it was shredded apart by bullets and arrows, until it finally fell down dead as a slimy, acidic pile of gore. The others saw this and were quite shocked by what they were seeing. "What the fuck is that?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "Ugh...I don't know, but whatever it is, it's disgusting!" Sonya groaned in repulsion. "I'll tell you this; it doesn't look like any of the monsters I've seen in Outworld before!" Kitana stated. "This thing looks like something Wesker would create!" Chris muttered. "All right, enough! We need to go, right now!" Reika said sternly. "Why, what's wrong?" Jade wondered. "Because I've fought these things before and they always hunt in packs!" Reika warned.

Suddenly, Baraka started screaming as something stabbed him from behind. "ARGH! Let me go, you-" Baraka yelled as a massive black stinger impaled him from behind, bursting out from his chest. Another Xenomorph had snuck up from behind and impaled Baraka with his stinger tipped tail. Baraka groaned loudly in pain before the Xenomorph bit into the back of Baraka's head, killing him as it injected it's second set of jaws into his skull. "NO!" Jade cried out. The others quickly banded together and drew out their weapons to defend themselves.

As the Xenomorph spread out it's arms, deadly looking barbs protruded out. At the same time, a hundred more Xenomorphs emerged from the shadows. "Fuck! What are these things?!" Rambo muttered in disbelief. "I have no idea, but they are downright ugly and terrifying!" Lara cried out in fear. "Hey, come on! If you could fight demons in Hell, then this is nothing! Stick together and don't let them bleed on you!" Reika said sternly as she stood her ground. 

As the heroes found themselves surrounded by the Xenomorphs, they braced themselves for another grueling battle. But before another word could be said, a massive ice storm suddenly appeared and caught everyone off guard. "What the hell? Where'd this storm come from?!" Johnny Cage wondered. Reika smirked as she had a good idea what...or who caused the storm. "Get ready, guys!" Reika said as she used her magic to create a bound sword. "Ready for what?" Sonya demanded. "Time for a grade A ass whopping!" Jax smirked as he caught on.

A Xenomorph growled as it tried to leap towards the heroes to attack, but a massive icicle stabbed it from behind and killed it. "My cryomancy will freeze your acid blood, you abominations!" Subzero cried out fiercely as he slammed his fist into the ground, causing several ice spikes to erupt from the ground. One of the other Xenomorphs was immediately killed as the ice spikes impaled it's head from behind, but the others were able to scurry away. "Ha! I knew he wouldn't leave us!" Johnny Cage exclaimed happily.

Chris and Jill fired their weapons at the Xenomorphs, making them screech in both rage and pain as they were shredded by bullets. Rambo finished another Xenomorph off by firing an exploding arrow into it's head, splattering acidic blood and gore all over the place. Lara plucked up her courage and fired an arrow into another Xenomorph's head, killing it. "Yeah! Take that, you rotten bastard!" Lara cried out triumphantly. "Don't get cocky, kid! Stay focused!" Rambo scolded.

Jax fired his rocket launcher at a Xenomorph, blowing it up to smithereens. "Yeah, get some!" Jax taunted. Johnny and Sonya fired their assault rifles at a couple other Xenomorphs, shredding them apart with bullets. "It's game over, man!" Johnny Cage cried out triumphantly. Sonya was becoming more impressed with Johnny Cage the longer she stayed with him. "What do you know? You really can fight!" Sonya said out loud.

Raiden and Fujin combined their powers to obliterate their enemies with thunderous wind and lightning. "Back to Hell with you, you vile creatures!" Raiden thundered as he summoned a bolt of lightning and struck a group of Xenomorphs, killing them instantly. Fujin created a massive tornado, catching a few other Xenomorphs before he fired his crossbow, killing the monsters.

Reika used her bound sword to hack and slash several other Xenomorphs into pieces before joining with Kitana and Jade in another onslaught against the vicious monsters. Kitana used her war fans to slice and dice several Xenomorphs, while Jade used her bo staff shatter and cripple their limbs before Reika finished them with her bound sword.

Subzero froze a Xenomorph solid as he threw an ice ball at it, and then shattered it to pieces with a mighty kick, effectively killing the creature. Subzero cried out fiercely as he drew out an icy sword and stabbed it into the ground, creating a massive shockwave of icy energy. This sent the Xenomorphs flying back a bit, giving a perfect opportunity for the monsters to be finished off.

A quick shadowy blur suddenly appeared, slicing a couple of Xenomorphs into pieces before a kunai was thrown at another's head, exploding violently. The last remaining Xenomorph grew furious and began swinging it's tail around, spilling acid everywhere from his stinger tip. The Xenomorph howled with anger as it snapped it's jaws, as if it were challenging the one responsible for killing it's comrades. Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi answered the challenge by appearing behind and cut the monster to pieces with their katana swords. "I told you; they're just like the Fiends back in our world!" Kasumi said with a joking tone. "Honestly, this seemed easier!" Ryu sneered.

As soon as the carnage ended, everyone regrouped. "You gave us quite a scare for a second, Subzero! We thought you abandoned us!" Reika said with a light laugh as she approached the cryomancer. "Forgive me if I seemed like I left you. But I have an explanation for all this." Subzero began. "You damn well better, you son of a bitch!" Sonya snarled angrily as she got in his face. "Whoa, easy there Sonya! He's still on our side!" Johnny Cage said as he held her back. "Stand down, Lieutenant!" Jax agreed. "Under the circumstances, I shall forgive your vulgarity." Subzero replied gruffly. "Just as we were entering this forest, Subzero caught sight of something that piqued his interest." Kasumi began. "Or someone! Show them, Grandmaster!" Ryu added with a nod.

Subzero reached into his pocket and tossed something over towards Sonya, who caught it in her hand. She gasped as she recognized it. "My God! It can't be!" Sonya gasped. "What? What's wrong, Sonya?" Lara asked with concern in her voice. "Wait a minute! Is that what I think it is?!" Jax exclaimed as he got a better look at what Sonya was holding. It was a cyberized laser eye, and it was one that Sonya was all too familiar with. "Kano!" Sonya growled. "That's not all. I think it's best you come with me to see for yourself!" Subzero said gravely.

Jade stepped up to object. "We don't have time for this! We need to head towards Shao Kahn's Fortress now!" Jade insisted. "No! Not this time! Kano will not escape from me again!" Sonya snapped. "We're wasting time! We've already lost someone because of our-" Jade began. "Wait! Maybe we should split up again, just in case!" Johnny Cage suggested. "What? Why would you-" Jade said before Kitana calmed her down. "If Kano is involved in this whole thing somehow, then we gotta stop him! Right?" Johnny Cage said as he looked towards Sonya. Sonya smiled at him as she nodded. "Right!" she said simply.

Jade sighed as she shook her head, but she reluctantly agreed. "Very well! I will take Kitana, Liu Kang, Raiden, Fujin, and Reika to the fortress. Subzero, you take the others with you. If what you say is true, then we will have a better chance of finishing our enemies off before they can do any more damage." Jade instructed. "I wish you the best of luck, Jade. To all of you!" Subzero said as he bowed his head in respect. Jade bowed her head in response before taking off with her own group. "They'll be fine. Come on; take us to Kano!" Sonya said. 

Subzero began to lead his group deeper into the forest, but they were unaware that someone was watching them from high up in the trees. In fact, he watched everything...and he was deeply impressed by what he saw. Perhaps these strange warriors would be more of a challenge to him and his fellow hunters than he realized!

Chapter Text

Subzero had finally led his group over toward his desired location; an abandoned fortress on a cliff that overlooked a sea of blood. "Ok, this is ominous, but why bring us here?" Johnny Cage quipped. "Where's Kano?" Sonya demanded. "Patience! Keep quiet and follow me." Subzero hissed as he motioned the others to follow him. As they approached a large boulder, they took cover and were able to observe the fortress unseen. "As I said before, I was on my to find you when I discovered something." Subzero explained. "What did you find?" Chris asked. "Something abominable! You shall see." Subzero said seriously. 

As he said that, several figures were seen coming out of the fortress. They appeared to be large, faceless humanoid creatures. They were Regeneradors, and they were twice as savage looking as before. Their claws were bigger, their teeth were sharper, and their skin looked tougher. Leading them was a man with a black trench coat and dark shades. Chris and Jill immediately grew grim as they recognized the man. "Wesker!" Chris growled. "And those Regeneradors look like they've been given quite an upgrade!" Jill added. "I'm afraid that it gets much worse than that. Look!" Subzero pointed out.

He was right; approaching Wesker's direction was a group of what appeared to be cyber ninjas. With them were two familiar faces. The first was Frost, and she looked as broody as ever. The other was Kano, though his body had undergone major enhancements. With the exception of his head, his entire body was cybernetic and his laser heart was now pulsing with even more power. Even his own cyber eye had been upgraded to the point that it almost covered half of his face. "Kano!" Sonya snarled with bitter hatred. "Um, is it me or did he get uglier?" Johnny Cage said. "Oh, Kano definitely looks like he's juiced up since last time, that's for sure!" Jax pointed out. "Keep watching!" Subzero urged.

Down with Kano and Wesker, the two villains spoke to each other. "So, do you have it?" Wesker began. "Now, now, now! No need to get your leather knickers in a twist; let's talk business first." Kano chuckled sinisterly. "Business? What do you mean by that?" Wesker demanded. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, mate! How much are you willing to pay for this?" Kano sneered as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a large, round, and purple crystalline object. "You think you can barter with me? After everything I've done for you?!" Wesker snarled. "Oy! What you and I had was nothing more than a simple business relationship, so don't get all huffy with me. Now, I'll ask again...how much you want for it?" Kano said in a much more sinister tone.

The heroes saw this from cover and were shocked by what they overheard. "Um, what is that thing he's holding?" Chris asked as he pointed towards Kano. "That is the Kamidogu of Outworld. I do not know how Kano got his hands on it, but I do know this. We must take it back before they do more damage to this realm, or worse!" Subzero said in a grave tone. "Oh, is that all? Sounds easy enough!" Johnny Cage said sarcastically. "Shut up, Johnny! This is nothing. We've beaten Kano before, we can beat him again!" Sonya snapped.

Back down with Kano and Wesker, the two villains had a stare down for another solid moment until Frost broke the silence. "Enough already! Look, the longer we waste time arguing with each other, the less time we'll have finishing what needs to be done!" Frost snapped. "Look, just pay up and we're square. Let's say...a million quids?" Kano said. Wesker sighed heavily in irritation, but he finally agreed. "Fine! You'll get your money. Now hand over the Kamidogu!" Wesker demanded. "Ah! Money first, mate. Then it's yours! Until then, I'll be holding onto this." Kano retorted as he put the sacred object back into his pocket. "Why you-" Wesker began. "I promise! It's in good hands; mine! Just be ready with those quids by this time tomorrow night!" Kano smirked.

Wesker smirked as well, getting an idea in the back of his mind. "Why bother waiting until tomorrow? I will have your money by tonight and then some!" Wesker said with a deceitful tone. "Oh, is that so? It almost feels like you're in a hurry for something. But you know what? You're right; the sooner, the better!" Kano said with a chuckle. "Then it's settled. Meet me on the beach by the Sea of Blood and you will be paid in full!" Wesker said as he extended his hand.

Kano smirked as he extended his and shook hands with Wesker. "See you tonight, mate!" Kano said with a devilish grin. "I look forward to it!" Wesker replied with just as devilish a smirk. As they made their separate ways, the heroes began to devise a plan. "You have heard what they said. They'll be meeting at the Sea of Blood. Now we just need to figure out a way to get that Kamidogu out of Kano's possession." Subzero announced. "That bastard is as good as dead, I swear to God!" Sonya growled with clenched fists. "Focus, Sonya! The fate of Outworld is in our hands, as well as Earth Realm's!" Subzero scolded. "He's right! Let's take it one step at a time, ok?" Jax agreed.

Sonya sighed but nodded her head. "All right. So...what's the plan exactly?" Sonya said as she calmed herself. "You wanna nail these guys? Then we're gonna have to ambush them. And the first rule of setting ambushes is simple." Rambo announced as he plopped his duffel bag on the ground. As he opened it up, everyone was surprised by the amount of claymore explosives he pulled out. "Always have a backup plan!" Rambo said with a smirk. "Huh. I like this plan a lot!" Sonya said with a smirk of her own. "Ok, then. Let's get started!" Rambo said.

Meanwhile, Spawn and his own group arrived at the Living Forest. They were witnessing the bloody aftermath of the battle of the Earth Realm Heroes and the Xenomorphs. "Shit! What the hell happened here?" Spawn muttered. "There was a great battle here. Judging by the bodies of these...creatures, it's safe to assume that they were no match against their opponents." Nightwolf explained as he examined the ground. "Looks like we missed all the fun!" Talion smirked as he kicked over a dead Xenomorph. "Ugh...disgusting parasites! Outworld is better without them!" Kotal Kahn grumbled. "Hmm...any idea where Reika and the others are?" Spawn asked. 

Nightwolf pressed his hand into the ground and closed his eyes. After a minute, Nightwolf stood up and sighed. "They separated into two groups. One group went that way out of the forest, and the other went through that tree right there." Nightwolf explained as he pointed. "Ah, yes. The secret entrance that leads to the path to Shao Kahn's Fortress!" Kotal said with a wry smile. "So what do we do now? Do we split up as well?" Talion asked. "All right, I suppose that makes sense. Tell you what; you and I will go this way. Kotal, you take Nightwolf with you over that way." Spawn instructed.

Talion and Nightwolf thought that was a good idea, Kotal had some reservations...at first. "Are you sure that's wise? We are stronger together." Kotal insisted. "Look, we don't have time for this. Reika is still out there facing who knows what. I have to be there for her! You...you wouldn't understand!" Spawn said solemnly. Kotal stared at him in bewilderment as he said that. This Hellspawn was far more human than he appeared after all!

 Kotal approached Spawn and clamped his shoulder, earning a surprised look from Spawn. "You're wrong, Hellspawn. I do understand, more than you will ever know. Go now; save your woman. May your next battle bring you victory!" Kotal said with pride and joy. Spawn nodded his head in response before he left, with Talion following him close behind.

As the undead fighters left, Kotal and Nightwolf made their way through the secret entrance. "You really believe that he could save us, don't you?" Nightwolf said. Kotal smirked before he gave his response. "If not, then I can always cut him down myself!" he smirked. Nightwolf smirked back in response. "He wouldn't make it easy for you, Kotal." Nightwolf retorted. "I prefer a challenge!" Kotal boasted. Nightwolf laughed as he said that, with Kotal laughing along with him.

But even as they left, they were completely unaware of a furious Jason Voorhees lurking in the shadows after them. But when Jason began to move after Kotal and Nightwolf, even he was unaware that someone was after him. Things were only going to get bloodier from here!

Chapter Text

*A few hours later into nightfall!*

Rambo, Lara Croft, Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine had just finished setting up the last of the explosives and were now hiding in undisclosed locations. Sonya, Johnny Cage, and Jax were waiting behind cover a cliff wall at the beach near the Sea of Blood. Here, Kano and Wesker were meeting to conduct their business, along with Frost and a whole bunch of cyber ninjas and Regeneradors. Kano snickered as he picked his teeth with his new steel knife, with the hilt being molded into a skull. "All right, mate! I'm here as I promised. So where's my money?" Kano announced after he hocked a nasty glob of mucus.

Wesker slowly approached him with a black leather suitcase and placed on the ground. "You want it? Come and take it!" Wesker said with a growl. Kano laughed at him in response. "Aw, now that ain't very nice! What's the matter? You grown attached to that thing already? I haven't even given it to you yet!" Kano taunted. "A simpleton like you wouldn't understand a scientific miracle such as this!" Wesker snapped. "Oh, don't be such a bloody drongo! I've got it right here, see? Now be a good lad and hand over the quids!" Kano growled. "Do you know who you are speaking to, you miserable-" Wesker snarled as he pointed at him.

As the two villains argued, Sonya and the others couldn't help but smirk and scoff as they watched this from behind the cliff wall. "Ha! What a couple of stooges!" Johnny Cage snorted. "It would be so easy to call in an airstrike right now!" Sonya added with a smirk of her own. "You're not kidding. But what we got in store for them should be just as fun!" Jax agreed. "Well, time for me to play my part. Wish me luck, guys! Oh, and uh...don't miss!" Johnny Cage said as pointed at them and clicked his tongue playfully. "Are you kidding me?!" Sonya exclaimed. "Boy, you know who you talking to? We never miss!" Jax sneered.

Kano and Wesker looked like they were ready to rip each other's throats out, until Frost finally intervened. "Enough! You two are pathetic, you know that?! Stop wasting time and just finish this transaction already! Or do I have to kill you both myself?" Frost shouted. Both men glared at her as she said that, until Kano spoke up. "Ha! Told ya she's cold! Ain't she a beaut?" Kano laughed. Frost groaned in disgust as he said that. "Take it easy, all right luv? We was just blowing off some steam, that's all!" Kano continued.

Suddenly, laughter was heard coming from the shadows, catching the villains off guard. "HA! That's rich, Kano! Real rich! But let me tell you something; if there was anymore steam, it'd probably be coming from your ears. And I think we all know that it ain't exactly brains you've got stuffed in your fat head!" Johnny Cage laughed as he slowly sauntered out of the shadows.

Kano's jaw dropped as he saw Johnny Cage approaching them so suddenly. "Fuckin' hell! Are you bloody kidding me?! You're still alive, mate! How the fuck is that even possible?!" Kano exclaimed. "You don't know? I'm Johnny fucking Cage, that's how! But enough about me, let's talk business. Because that's what bad guys like to do now, right? Talking business? Well, have I got a deal for you guys!" Johnny Cage as crossed his arms and leaned against a dead tree.

Frost glared coldly at Johnny Cage, as did Wesker. "What do you want, you fool? Haven't you learned your lesson the first time?" Wesker snarled. "He's obviously sick in the head, coming here alone and thinking he can take us out!" Frost agreed. "What?! Me, taking you out myself? I would never...miss an opportunity! But as tempting as that sounds, I'm simply here to deliver a message." Johnny Cage taunted. "Yeah? And what might that be, Mr. Hollywood?" Kano growled as his laser eye flashed brightly.

Johnny Cage chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "You guys obviously have something that doesn't belong to you, so I'll make it easy for you. You hand over that Kamidogu and you'll get to live another day playing cliche bad guys in your own little private group sessions. But if you don't...well, let's just say, my friends aren't going to nearly as easy on you as I will." Johnny Cage said as he cleaned his shades. "You threatening us, mate? Because mark my words, you ain't gonna feel so cocky when I gut you standing up!" Kano threatened menacingly as he drew out his knife.

Frost motioned her cyber ninjas to move forward to attack, when suddenly a loud gunshot was heard and the head of one of the cyber ninjas was blown clean off. "Ooh, that kinda hurt to watch! Oh, what? You honestly thought I came here in this godforsaken wasteland alone? Like I said...my friends won't go so easy on you!" Johnny Cage said mockingly. As he finished saying that, another gunshot rang out and three cyber ninjas had their heads blown clean off at the same time. "What the hell?! Who is that?" Frost exclaimed angrily before an explosion sent her flying away into the Sea of Blood.

Wesker growled in anger and frustration as he motioned his Regeneradors to attack. One of them swiped his vicious claws at Johnny Cage, but he leapt away in time before he could be hit. He had made his way up a tall boulder and looked down at Kano and Wesker. "So, you guys ready to give up yet? Or are you hungry for more?" Johnny Cage teased. "Kill him!" Wesker shouted as he pointed to Johnny Cage. 

The Regeneradors snarled menacingly as they came rushing towards Johnny Cage to attack him. But several well placed shots were fired, killing the loathsome beasts as their heads were shattered into bite sized pieces. The remaining cyber ninjas attempted to swarm him, but several more explosions tore them to pieces before they could even reach Johnny Cage. Before they knew it, Wesker and Kano had already lost their minions. "What?! That's not possible! How did you even-" Wesker exclaimed in dismay. "Nice shooting there, guys!" Johnny Cage called out with a laugh.

Sonya and Jax leapt from their cover up above the cliffs, landing right beside Johnny Cage. Sonya had a powerful .50 caliber sniper rifle with a thermal vision scope strapped to her back, while Jax had a heat seeking rocket launcher strapped to his back. Kano laughed evilly as he saw that Sonya Blade was still alive and well. "Well, lookie here! Hello, Sonya!" Kano said with his signature evil grin. "Can it, tin head!" Sonya snarled. "How long have you been practicing that one, luv?" Kano smirked.

Jax grumbled as he shook his head in disgust. "Man, you just don't know when to quit, do you?!" Jax said with disgust as he stared at his new cybernetic body. "Ha! What can I say, Briggs? I'm a survivor!" Kano boasted. "You're a parasite, Kano! You always have been and always will be, unless I put you down right here and now!" Sonya threatened as she took aim with her sniper rifle.

Johnny Cage slowly removed his shades, glaring down at Kano. "Ok, now it's time to get serious. This your last chance, scumbag. Give up that Kamidogu and you might live another day. Key word being might!" Johnny Cage warned. "Aww, you saying we ain't going to be mates?" Kano sneered. "That you are 3 seconds away from having your head blown clean off!" Sonya snarled.

Kano laughed as he pulled out the Kamidogu from his pocket, fiddling around with it. "You know something, Wesker? You were right after all, mate! If you want something...you come and take it yourself!" Kano said before putting the Kamidogu on the ground right in front of him. Wesker chuckled sinisterly as he cracked his neck. "Ok, chubby! Just remember...you asked for this!" Johnny Cage said as he put his shades back on. "Oy! That's the last time you'll mock me, Cage!" Kano snapped. "No. This was your last chance!" Sonya said as she fired her rifle.

But much to her shock, Wesker had teleported up towards them and knocked the rifle out of her arms, preventing her from hitting Kano. "What?! You-" Sonya exclaimed before Wesker punched her off of the boulder, forcing her onto her back. "Sonya! You son of a-" Jax began before Wesker hit him with an open palm into his chest, sending him flying off as well. "No you don't!" Johnny Cage cried as he did a split and punched Wesker in the crotch. Wesker screamed in pain from Johnny Cage's dirty attack, but the Hollywood actor kicked the villain in the face and sent him flying away onto his back before jumping off the boulder and landed right in front of him.

Wesker growled furiously as he jolted back up to his feet. "How dare you?! Nobody defies me and lives!" Wesker shouted. "Buddy, newsflash for you: This is my show, and only I get to improvise!" Johnny Cage retorted. "You think this is a game, fool?! Well, you just lost!" Wesker snarled as he thrust himself forward and began to attack with great ferocity and speed.

While Johnny Cage brawled with Wesker, Sonya and Jax teamed up against the new and improved Kano. "Ugh, that bastard hits hard!" Sonya groaned as Jax helped her onto her feet. "Never mind pretty boy! Let's focus on Kano!" Jax said as he glanced over at Kano, who was chuckling in evil glee. "All right, then. Let's see if you still got it!" Kano said before he fired a large laser beam from his eye. Sonya and Jax managed to jump away before they were hit, but were surprised by the massive explosion that tore up the ground behind them. "Jesus! That was way too close!" Jax exclaimed in shock. "Ha-ha-ha! I love my new upgrades, don't you?" Kano cackled as he fired another laser eye beam.

Kano's new and improved laser eye gave him the destructive power to match that of a nuclear bomb. And the fiery destruction left behind only proved it. "Damn it! We're not gonna be able to get near him if he keeps that up! We've got to try and flank him somehow!" Sonya shouted as she dodged another laser blast. "I got you!" Jax cried as he pulled out his rocket launcher. He fired a rocket at Kano's direction, but the cyborg psycho fired a laser blast at the rocket and destroyed it before it could even reach him. "Now, come on! You can do better than that!" Kano taunted.

Kano cried out as he hit from behind by several energy blasts from Sonya's energy wrist blasters. "How's that?!" Sonya cried out. Kano roared as he unleashed a massive burst of laser energy from his chest. Sonya gasped as she barely dodged the massive projectile, and watched in awe as a massive explosion took place behind her and created a huge smoldering crater in the ground.

Kano laughed maniacally as he threw his fists in the air. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to go back in time right now! Can you imagine how much damage I could've done then, Sonya dear? Or better yet...imagine how much damage I can do to you right bloody now!" Kano cried as he charged up a great amount of energy from his cybernetic heart. "It doesn't matter what you do to yourself, Kano. You're still just another scumbag piece of shit! You are going to pay for what you've done, so help me God!" Sonya shouted as she pulled out a grenade.

Kano screamed as he fired another huge laser burst at Sonya's direction. But Sonya was quicker and rolled away to the side, dodging his explosive energy attack before rushing towards Kano and threw her grenade at him. "Ha! You think that little thing will hurt me?" Kano snorted as the grenade appeared to be a dud. Sonya smirked in response before she somersaulted backwards. Suddenly, to Kano's surprise, the grenade created a large EMP blast, completely immobilizing him.

Kano screamed and grunted as he was trapped in place, before Jax charged forward and began brutally beating the ever-loving bejesus out of him with his metal fists. "Get some, get some, get some!" Jax cried out as he grabbed hold of Kano and punched him repeatedly in the face. "Ow! Bugger off, you old sod!" Kano snarled as he butted his head into Jax's face, forcing him away. Jax cried out in pain as he held his bleeding face, but Kano would see him suffer.

He grabbed his knife and pressed a button on the bottom, causing a bright red beam to shoot out and turned his knife into a laser beam sword. "I'm gonna vaporize you from the inside out, mate!" Kano snarled as he began slashing wildly at Jax. Luckily, Jax's arms were indestructible and he was able to block and parry his attacks. "Shit, man! You're crazy!" Jax shouted as he clapped his hands together, sending Kano away with a massive burst of energy.

While Kano intensified his battle with Jax and Sonya, Johnny Cage's battle with Wesker grew more intense by the second. "Hold still so I can kill you!" Wesker shouted as he punched him furiously. But much to his frustration, Johnny Cage was able to block or parry his attacks before counter attacking him with powerful kicks. "You know something? You actually remind me of a villain I once played in one of my earlier films!" Johnny Cage teased. "Shut up!" Wesker snarled. "Yeah, I remember now! It was Caged Before Dishonor! Man, that film was fun to make!" Johnny Cage chuckled as he kicked Wesker away from him. "Silence! I will end you, you miserable little-" Wesker shouted. "Ha! You even talk exactly like my character! Dude, you're like the perfect role for the villain in my next film. Anybody sign off on you yet?" Johnny Cage taunted.

Wesker finally had enough of Johnny Cage's sarcasm and jokes. He already had to deal with one headache by the name of Chris Redfield, and by God he wouldn't deal with another! "ENOUGH!" Wesker roared before he teleported behind Johnny Cage and trapped him in a tight headlock. "I'm going to break your neck, you feckless little man-child! Nobody will beat me, especially not some pathetic little half-witted B-movie actor like you!" Wesker hissed as he tightened his steel grip. "Argh! Is that so? Didn't anybody tell you...I do my own stunts?" Johnny Cage groaned as he tried to elbow himself free.

Wesker growled as he grabbed hold of Johnny Cage's head and slammed him overhead, smashing him into the ground. "You're nothing to me, fool! You hear me? Nothing! You're a fraud! A fake! Allow me to prove my superiority to you!" Wesker sneered as he lifted up his right foot above his head for the killing blow. When Johnny Cage heard those vile words, he grew furious. "You wanna see real, asshole?! I'll show you real!" Johnny Cage shouted before he kicked Wesker in the left leg, breaking it and causing him to stagger away. "GAH! Damn you!" Wesker screamed in pain.

Johnny Cage bolted back up before he put on some brass knuckles. "I'm going uncut on your ass, you Matrix wannabe douchebag!" Johnny Cage threatened. "I'll enjoy breaking your bones, one at a time!" Wesker snarled viciously as he set his leg back in place. "Dude, shut up!" Johnny Cage retorted in annoyance.

Sonya and Jax struggled against Kano, which only meant one thing. "God damn it! We're getting our asses handed to us!" Sonya cried out as she and Jax took cover behind a boulder. "Guess it's time to a hasty retreat, huh?" Jax suggested. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with you! Come on; we'll lead him up towards the stone bridge!" Sonya said as she threw a smoke grenade to give them cover. "Come on, let's go!" Jax cried out. "Not without Johnny!" Sonya replied. "Ha! So, he your boyfriend now?" Jax teased. "Shut up and give me some cover!" Sonya snapped.

Jax smirked as he fired a flare from his rocket launcher into the air, causing Wesker and Johnny Cage to become temporarily blinded. "GAH! What the-" Johnny Cage exclaimed before Sonya grabbed him and took off running with him. "Come on, we're retreating to the stone bridge!" Sonya cried out. "What, already?! But I was winning!" Johnny Cage complained. "I'm sure you'll get another chance, now let's go!" Sonya retorted as she picked up the pace.

As they took off, an enraged Wesker shouted with great fury as he threw a tantrum. "Damn you, Johnny Cage! This is not the last you will hear of me! You hear me?! After I kill you, Chris Redfield is next! Come on, Kano! Let's go after them!" Wesker roared. But to his surprise, Kano refused. "Oh, for fuck's sake! Lighten up, will ya mate?! We can get after them later. Right now, we've got more pressing matters at hand." Kano sneered. "Are you kidding me?! Is that the only damn thing you care about?!? We have to get after those bastards and kill them!" Wesker shouted. "Oy! A deal's a deal; you wanted the Kamidogu and I want my quids! Now...where did I leave that bloody thing?" Kano said as he turned around to look for the Kamidogu.

Wesker grew furious and grabbed his arm, stopping Kano in his tracks. "Don't you walk away from me!" Wesker snarled. "What's eatin' you mate? You get touched in the head or what?!" Kano shouted. "I've been humiliated by a fucking amateur and you're treating this like a joke!" Wesker raged. "I thought you said you liked getting your hands dirty, you drongo! Besides, we've got exactly what we need to take out those blokes. And it's right...here? Oh, bugger!" Kano insisted before he realized something was very wrong.

The Kamidogu was nowhere to be seen; it was gone! Wesker looked like he wanted to rip Kano's head off at this point. "What...the...hell...is wrong...with you?!" Wesker seethed. "Oh, ok! So we hit a bit of a snag...but luckily for you, I always have a plan!" Kano said as he pulled out a radio from his pocket. "Oy, Kabal? You there, mate? We could use your help, if you ain't too busy! Go grab Black and the others and meet me over by the Stone Bridge in, oh...let's say, 30 minutes? Oh! And be sure to bring lots of toys with you! Kano, out!" Kano announced.

Kano then took a bottle of beer out from his back pocket and bit the bottle cap off before gulping it down. "Come on, mate! Let's get cracking!" Kano chuckled. As Kano walked away, Wesker continued to seethe. "As soon as we are done with this...I'm going to tear out your bloody heart!" Wesker snarled as he firmly pressed his shades against his face.

About 30 minutes later, Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Jax arrived at the Stone Bridge. "Ok, we made it...barely!" Johnny Cage said in-between gasps. "Shit, man! That was crazy! Kano definitely got tougher and smarter since we last saw him!" Jax groaned. "No kidding! But that can wait...we gotta get across this bridge and find the others!" Sonya said gravely. "Well, ok then. Let's get going!" Johnny Cage replied. "Wait a minute! Do any of you guys have that Kamidogu by any chance?" Jax said in an alert tone. "Oh shit! I knew I was forgetting something!" Johnny Cage muttered. "Fuck...I was too focused on Kano!" Sonya grumbled. "Well, damn! I guess that makes all three of us then!" Jax said as he shrugged his shoulders. 

Suddenly, a slight breeze filled the air. "You three are very lucky that I mastered the art of stealth!" a voice called out. "Wait a minute, is that... it is! Ryu Hayabusa! Where did you come from?!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. "While you three were busy distracting Kano and Wesker, I was able to sneak in and steal that Kamidogu!" Ryu replied as a matter-of-factly as he showed off the sacred jewel. "Wait a minute...you mean to tell me that you knew that we were fighting and you did nothing to help us?!" Sonya demanded angrily. "I did help you; I took this while you did your part in distracting our enemies! Isn't that how a team works?" Ryu retorted. "Ah...you've got a good point there!" Johnny Cage shrugged.

Sonya sighed in annoyance as she shook her head, while Jax just chuckled and lit up a cigar. "Well, I'm just happy that you're on our team. Now what do you say we get across this bridge and find our friends?" Jax said as he smoked. But as he said that, Kasumi approached their group. "Hey, Ryu? We've got a problem. We need to go now!" Kasumi said with an alert tone of voice. "Come on. We haven't got a moment to lose!" Ryu announced as he began to lead the way. "Can you believe that guy?" Sonya muttered. "I'll tell you what I can't believe...that you risked your life for me back there! Are you saying that you actually care for me?" Johnny Cage joked.

Sonya normally would've knocked his block off, but this time she felt...differently. This time, she came an important realization. One she had been denying for far too long. "You know what, Johnny?" Sonya began sternly as she got in his face. Johnny Cage gulped nervously as he prepared himself for his impending beating. But to his shock, Sonya instead gently touched his face and kissed his cheek. "Yes. I do care about you, a lot. So please be more careful all right?" Sonya said gently. "I, uh...ok, sure." Johnny Cage stuttered. "Are you done? Let's get moving!" Ryu urged.

As Sonya walked away, Johnny Cage stared at Jax in bewilderment at what just happened. "Don't you look at me like that, fool. I ain't kissing you!" Jax said with raised eyebrows. "Whoa, ok! Look, I love you too bro. But not like that! That'd be too weird!" Johnny Cage exclaimed. Jax exhaled in annoyance before puffing the last of his cigar and tossing it away. "Come on, man! Let's just get going!" Jax grumbled. "You don't need to tell me twice, dude!" Johnny Cage muttered awkwardly.

But just as the heroes made it halfway across the Stone Bridge, they ran across unexpected trouble...in the form of Kano, Wesker, Kabal, Erron Black, a very pissed off Frost, and two new combatants they haven't seen before. They were cyber ninjas, but they were different from the others they dealt with. One was yellow and another was red. They were Cyrax, Sektor, and Smoke. They were once powerful assassins for the Lin Kuei, but now were traitorous mercenaries who worked for the highest bidder. Kano and Wesker just so happened to be the highest bidders. "Going somewhere, mates? We ain't done playing yet!" Kano snickered. "You fools pissed me off for the last time!" Frost snarled. "You ain't gettin' past us, amigos!" Erron Black said as he fingered his holstered pistols. 

Everyone grew tense as they prepared for Kombat once more...unaware that something far worse was coming their way!

Chapter Text

After what seemed like forever, the silence was broken by the sound of roaring bullets fired from Error Black's 6 shooters. The heroes dodged his bullets and began rushing towards to attack, but Sektor fired a rocket and blasted them back. "AUGH! Son of a bitch!" Sonya cried out as she was forced onto her back. "Damn it, that hurt!" Johnny Cage groaned as he struggled to get back up. "We ain't done yet!" Jax growled as he forced himself back up.

Jax slammed his fist into the ground, creating a shockwave. Erron Black and Kabal were knocked off their feet from the attack, but the cyber ninjas were able to leap up into the air before flying towards the heroes to attack. Cyrax approached Johnny Cage and began wildly slashing at him with buzzsaw bladed wrist gauntlets. "Surrender or be destroyed!" Cyrax announced in a monotone and robotic tone. "I don't even know the meaning of that word, dipshit!" Johnny Cage retorted as he roundhouse kicked the cyber ninja in the head.

As Johnny Cage fought against Cyrax, Sonya and Jax teamed up against Sektor. Sonya and Jax took turns punching and kicking the cyber ninja, but the robotic monstrosity simply absorbed the blows and retaliated with fierce chops and kicks. "You are no match against the power of advanced nano technology!" Sektor boasted as he sent both Sonya and Jax flying away with a powerful missile blast from his chest.

Sonya growled angrily as she bolted back up and returned fire with her Energy Wrist Gauntlets. "I'm not backing down, asshole!" Sonya cried angrily. Sektor fired another missile at Sonya, but she rolled away before she was hit and retaliated with an uppercut. The cyber ninja was sent flying up into the air, but Sonya and Jax weren't finished yet. Jax leapt up into the air and grabbed hold of Sektor before slamming him back into the ground, head first. Sonya added in on the damage by stomping into Sector's back repeatedly. But Frost was able to free Sektor by firing several shards of ice at them from her hands. "Whoa! Look out, Sonya!" Jax cried as he pushed her away to safety. Luckily, both he and Sonya were able to avoid the ice shards. But this gave Frost the chance to escape with Sektor and regroup with the other villains.

While that was going on, Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi fought against Kano and Kabal. Ryu slashed away with his katana sword, but Kano parried his attacks with his laser swords. "Come on, mate! You'll have to do better than that!" Kano sneered as he caught Ryu in a blade lock. "Oh, don't worry! I'm only getting started!" Ryu smirked as broke free of the lock and slashed at Kano's back, severing one of his wires. "GAH! You wanker!" Kano screamed as reeled back in pain. Ryu teleported away before he began wildly slashing away at Kano at every angle.

Kano finally had enough and managed to force Ryu away with a massive laser blast from his eye. "ENOUGH! No fucking way a bloody gimp is gonna kill me!" Kano roared. Ryu screamed as he was sent flying back, but he was able to grab onto the ledge of the stone bridge before he slowly pulling himself back up. "Damn it! I guess I underestimated him. I won't make that mistake again!" Ryu muttered as he got back up to his feet.

Kasumi had to rely on her quick wits and reflexes to avoid getting sliced up by Kabal, but his super speed did not make things any easier for her. He constantly kept dashing past Kasumi and slashing at her with his hook swords, but she was able to deflect his blows by parrying with her katana sword. "Damn it, you're fast! But so am I!" Kasumi cried out in between panting breaths. Kabal appeared to snicker as she said that. "Gotta admit, sweetheart...you are fast. Not many people are able to keep up with me, and for this long. But sooner or later, you are gonna give out!" Kabal sneered as he clanked both hook swords together.

Kasumi growled as she held out her sword in a defensive position. "I'm not afraid of you, scum!" Kasumi boldly proclaimed. Kabal sinisterly as he swung both hook swords around. "You've got guts, kid. It's too bad that I'm gonna have to cut them out!" Kabal growled. "Come and get them, if you can!" Kasumi cried defiantly. Kabal cried out fiercely as he came rushing towards Kasumi for the kill, but the kuonichi was ready.

Kabal was mere inches away from Kasumi, when she suddenly teleported away and reappeared behind him and slashed at his side, severing one of his breathing tubes. Kabal gasped and wheezed for breath as he fell to his knees. Kasumi cried out as she rose her sword for the killing blow, but as she looked down at Kabal's suffering, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "What...are...you...waiting (coughs) for?! Finish it!" Kabal rasped in-between breaths.

Kasumi grimaced at him before she lowered her sword and kicked him in the chest, planting him into the ground. Kasumi then reached down and reattached his breathing tube, much to Kabal's shock. "Why?" he gasped. "Because I am better than you!" Kasumi retorted before knocking him out with a roundhouse kick to the face.

Johnny Cage had defeated Cyrax, but soon found himself being overwhelmed by Albert Wesker. "You will suffer for what you did to me!" Wesker growled. "Bring it, 90s bad guy!" Johnny Cage snapped. Wesker roared as he charged towards Johnny Cage and brutalized him with powerful punches and kicks. Wesker had gotten stronger and craftier since his last fight, and he was sure to take advantage of this and win by any means. "I am the Ultimate Lifeform and don't you ever forget it!" Wesker snarled as stunned Johnny Cage with a punch to the chest. He then took the opportunity to beat the ever-loving shit out of Johnny Cage before he finally slammed his face into the ground.

Johnny Cage groaned and cried out in pain as he laid on the ground, bleeding profusely. "Ow! Shit...that hurt, you-Oh, man! You broke my sunglasses, you asshole!" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he removed his completely ruined sunglasses. Wesker chuckled sinisterly as he grabbed hold of Johnny Cage by the neck. "I intend to break more than that, you fool!" Wesker sneered.

Wesker then held Johnny Cage by the throat over the edge of the stone bridge. "I will relish in your destruction, Johnny Cage. And I will also take great pleasure in the destruction of your precious realm!" Wesker snarled. "Gah! That is...really cliche, dude!" Johnny Cage groaned as Wesker tightened his grip. "Johnny! Let him go, you bastard!" Sonya shouted angrily as she tried to rush forward and attack. But a laser net was suddenly fired at her from Cyrax, who had come to! "ARGH! Let me out of this, you-" Sonya shouted. "Sonya! It's ok...we did our best!" Johnny Cage said with a pained grin. "That was your best? Hmph! How pathetic! But then again...you are only human!" Wesker taunted as he released his grip. Johnny Cage screamed as he was dropped off the ledge of the bridge, much to the shock and horror of Sonya. "NOO! JOHNNY!!" Sonya shrieked. "Oh, shit!" Jax exclaimed.

Ryu saw this from a distance and gasped slightly before he made his move. He leapt off the bridge, flying towards Johnny Cage before catching him in his arms. "I got you!" Ryu said calmly. "Um, thanks? But we're still falling to our death, so this is kind of pointless!" Johnny Cage replied in both joy and confusion. "Not while I have anything to say about it. Hold on!" Ryu cried as he moved his body towards a cave entrance. "Oh, shit!" Johnny Cage shouted before he and Ryu disappeared into the cave.

Sonya began sobbing as she saw Johnny Cage disappear in the dark abyss below. "No! Johnny...I'm so sorry, Johnny!" Sonya wept as she was freed from the net by Jax. "Sonya, I-" Jax began. "Aww, ain't that sad? Looks like your little boyfriend didn't make it. But good thing you still have yours truly!" Kano announced with an evil laugh. Sonya gave him the death glare as he said that. "I swear to God I will kill you, you vile piece of shit!" Sonya snarled. "That's my baby girl!" Kano snickered. "You going down hard, motherfucker!" Jax growled as he pounded his fists together. "Not unless we kill you first!" Frost sneered.

The cyber ninjas were about to attack, when suddenly a massive burst of ice appeared and trapped the robotic villains. "Huh? What the hell?!" Kano exclaimed in surprise. "ENOUGH! This must end now!" Subzero thundered as he appeared from out of an icy windstorm. "Where have you been, you asshole?!" Sonya shouted angrily. "Be silent! Listen to me, Frost! You must stop this madness while you have a chance! You've abandoned and betrayed the Lin Kuei, only to serve these mercenary dogs? Where have I gone so wrong with you?" Subzero cried out in dismay. "Oh, don't you dare! I won't hear another one of your goddamn pretentious lectures, old man!" Frost shouted back with icy hate in her voice.

Subzero shook his head as she said that. "Then you leave me no other choice. Everyone get behind me!" Subzero cried out as he held his fist in the air. The other heroes did as they were told, huddling behind Subzero as he began surging with vast amounts of icy energy. "I swear that I will kill you, old man! You hear me? I will kill you!" Frost snarled as she began charging up with energy of her own. "Hold on, luv. Let Uncle Kano help you with that!" Kano sneered as he fired a laser beam from his eye.

But to his surprise, Subzero's massive icy aura shielded him and the heroes from his attack. "What?! Impossible!" Kano exclaimed. "Frost? We will meet again, and when we do...we will finish this!" Subzero shouted before he used his cryomantic powers to teleport himself and the other heroes away from the stone bridge. "What in the hell?! They're gone!" Erron Black cried out in confusion. "Where the hell did they go?!" Kabal shouted impatiently. "Who the hell cares?! Let's just-" Kano began before his sensors alerted him of something. "Huh? What is that? Where's that comin' from?" Kano muttered as his laser eye scanned his surroundings on the stone bridge. "What is it, Kano? What do you see?" Frost asked as she freed Sektor, Smoke, and Cyrax from their frozen prison.

Kano kept scanning around until he finally caught sight of something. His thermal vision from his laser eye caught sight of several objects strategically placed on the pillars of the stone bridge. And they were rapidly flashing and beeping. "Oh, bugger!" Kano grumbled. Suddenly, a massive explosion took place. The stone bridge was blown up to smithereens, thanks to the bombs that Rambo had planted earlier!

*20 minutes later!*

Subzero had successfully teleported himself and the others safely into an underground cave somewhere. "We are here." Subzero announced. "Not all of us made it, Subzero!" Sonya said bitterly. "What do you mean? Wait, where is...Johnny Cage?" Subzero wondered out loud before he caught on. Sonya gasped lightly before she cried softly. Kasumi began to cry as well, fearing for Ryu's safety and wellbeing. But their mourning was cut short when Rambo approached them, covered in camo and armed with an M60 machinegun. "You people still breathing? Good! Now come on, let's get going. The exit's this way!" Rambo announced. "HEY! Show some fucking respect, will ya?! We just lost a man!" Jax shouted. "What are you talking about? You mean that Hollywood kid?" Rambo replied plainly. 

Sonya looked at him like she was about to rip his head off. "Don't belittle him like that!" Sonya growled. "Why? You didn't seem too eager to be with him before, so what's changed?" Rambo challenged. "Man, you really wanna be starting something?" Jax growled. "You threatening me, kid? Because you won't like how that goes!" Rambo snarled. "Everyone be quiet! This is hopeless! We shouldn't be fighting each other like this! Let's just take a moment to calm down and then move on, all right?!" Kasumi shouted with angry tears in her eyes.

After a tense moment of silence, Sonya took a deep breath and spoke. "She's right. We need to move on! Where did you say the exit was?" Sonya said as she wiped her tears away. "Um, it's this way!" Rambo began. But before he could finish, Lara Croft arrived. "Hey, Rambo? Chris and Jill are waiting for us over at...oh, am I interrupting something here?" Lara announced. "Um, no. We were just leaving to come find you guys." Rambo insisted. "Oh, ok then. Hey, where's Johnny Cage?" Lara said as she noticed that he was missing.

Sonya gave her a sad look, making Lara feel incredibly stupid as she realized the situation. "Oh, God! I'm so sorry...I didn't mean-" Lara began in embarrassment. "It's ok, I know that you meant nothing by it." Sonya replied with a light nod. "Ok, we done here? Let's get moving!" Rambo urged. "You in a hurry or something?" Jax said half-jokingly. Rambo gave him a dark look before he made his way into another cave.

A few minutes passed until they finally arrived at a set of stone steps that led up towards a light. "Here we are, guys! Here's the way out!" Rambo announced. "Thank God! I was getting sick and tired of this place!" Jill Valentine announced. "The exit is right there! We're this close!" Chris Redfield encouraged. "Ok, let's go!" Sonya said impatiently.

But as they climbed up the steps, they heard something from the shadows down below. "Uh, what the hell was that?" Jax wondered. "Shit! Not again...come on, let's pick up the pace!" Rambo announced. "Wait, hon! Is it...him?" Lara whispered as she noticed how upset he looked. "I think you know the answer to that. Now let's go!" Rambo hissed. Jax overheard them, growing more suspicious. "That fool is definitely hiding something!" Jax mumbled.

After what seemed like forever, they finally got out of the underground caves and reached the surface. They were in what appeared to be a pit, piled high with corpses and butchered bodies. Those that weren't lying on the ground were impaled onto large spikes. "Oh man! That is sick!" Jax grimaced. "Ugh...it stinks so bad here!" Jill groaned in disgust. "Just focus, all right? We can do this. We just need to get to that ladder over there!" Rambo pointed out. "Wait a minute...you saying you've been here before?" Jax demanded.

Rambo turned to him and stared at him before he approached him and spoke softly. "I woke up here, kid. There were others who were trapped down here and they depended on me to help them escape. But a monster found us and killed everyone but one...me. I barely escaped with my life!" Rambo explained gravely. The others were shocked to hear this. "Fuck, man! I'm sorry...I didn't know that." Jax replied grimly. "What did this monster look like?" Sonya asked seriously. "I don't want to talk about it. Now come on!" Rambo replied.

But before he could another step, a gun was fired at his direction. "You aren't going anywhere! You all are dying here and now!" Wesker snarled as he emerged from the shadows with a Desert Eagle pistol in hand. "YOU!" Sonya shouted furiously as she snatched Jill's MP5 submachine-gun and blasted away. "Hey! That was mine!" Jill complained. "Stop talking and start shooting!" Rambo ordered as he blasted away with his machinegun. Wesker dodged all the bullets before charging forward at lightning speed, knocking the guns out of their hands before punching them away. "After I kill you all, I will use your corpses for research for my experiments!" Wesker sneered with evil laughter.

Chris Redfield growled in anger as he drew out a combat knife. "Wesker, you're finished!" Chris cried as he attempted to stab Wesker with his combat knife. But Wesker caught him by the arm and flipped him over onto his back. "You can't win, boy! You hear me?! You will never win!" Wesker shouted. "Gotcha!" Jax shouted as he grabbed hold of Wesker before pounding away with his fist.

But Wesker broke free of his grip and leapt back a great distance before landing on his feet dramatically, smirking as he stood tall and proud. Everyone prepared for yet another round brutal Kombat...unaware that someone was watching them from the shadows.

Chapter Text

The air reeked of death and decay, as well as tension between the heroes and Albert Wesker. Chris Redfield glared icily at Wesker as he gripped his combat knife tightly. "Wesker, so help me God! I will put you down, if it's the last thing I do!" Chris snarled. "Chris! Don't do anything rash, all right? Let's try to take him out together!" Jill whispered as she reached for her pistol. Sonya growled with anger as she tightly clenched her fists. She did not know how, but she was going to make Wesker pay for what he did to Johnny Cage. 

Wesker sneered with delight as he cracked his neck. "And so, it begins!" Wesker muttered before he came rushing forward with a roar. Jill and Sonya blasted their pistols at Wesker, but he dodged them before he rolled to the side and fired his own Desert Eagle pistol. Jax slammed his fists into the ground and created a massive shockwave. Wesker was shaken up, but would not stop coming towards them.

He leapt up into the air and dove towards Chris and Jill, but Rambo shoulder tackled him away into the ground before they could be touched. "You better leave now while you have the chance!" Rambo warned as he drew out his combat knife. Wesker growled as he stood back up. "I will not back down, especially to the likes of you!" Wesker snarled. "It's your call!" Rambo simply replied.

Wesker cried out fiercely as he lashed out at Rambo, but the hardened marine blocked his attacks before he grabbed hold of Wesker and slammed him onto his back. The villain grew angrier by the minute and growled like an animal as he attempted to trip Rambo with his feet, but Rambo caught his leg and stabbed him in the knee. Wesker screamed in pain from Rambo's attack, but the marine wasn't finished yet. He grabbed Wesker and forced him up on his feet before he stabbed the villain repeatedly in the stomach.

Wesker cried out in pain and groaned loudly as stumbled backwards, holding his bleeding stomach. "You...(coughs) bastard! You...you hurt...me! That's not possible!" Wesker sputtered and coughed in both anger and pain. "Hey, you drew first blood! Not me! I warned you not to push me!" Rambo retorted. "Oh, now you've made me angry! For what you've done, I will make you suffer!" Wesker seethed. "Not unless I make you suffer first, asshole!" Sonya suddenly shouted as she knocked Wesker flying back with a kick to the face.

Wesker cried out in shock and pain as he was forced onto his back. "You'll pay for what you've done to Johnny, you son of a bitch!" Sonya cried angrily. Wesker cried out as he jolted back up on his feet. "Who do you think you are to defy me?!" Wesker shouted. "My name is Sonya Blade and your ass is going down!" Sonya shouted back as she fired a massive burst of energy from her energy wrist gauntlets. Wesker grunted as he was hit, but he retaliated by charging forward and brutally punching and kicking her before sending her flying away with a palm attack.

Sonya screamed as she was sent flying back, but Jax helped her back up. "You ok, Sonya?" Jax asked. "No! I'm not ok, Jax! That asshole Wesker is going to pay for what he did to Johnny Cage!" Sonya cried angrily. "Well, then. Let's go kick that guy's ass!" Jax smirked as he pounded his fists together. He charged forward with Sonya and they combined their muscle and agility against Wesker.

Wesker growled as he forced Sonya and Jax away, when Lara suddenly stabbed him in the back with her combat knife, making him gasp in shock and pain. "Get away from my friends, you rotten bastard!" Lara shouted defiantly. "Grr! You fools are really starting to piss me off!" Wesker snarled. "I think it's safe to say that we were thinking the same thing about you!" Lara snapped back.

Wesker drew out a deadly looking samurai blade and growled as he pointed the blade towards her. Lara showed no fear and prepared herself for Kombat. Wesker angrily charged forward and slashed at Lara, but the female adventurer was more agile and dodged his attacks before counter attacking him with punches, kicks, and knife attacks.

They eventually caught each other in a blade lock, grunting and growling as they glared into each other's eyes. "You've got a lot of spirit, for a little girl!" Wesker mocked. "I'm more than just a little girl, you creep! I'll show you exactly what I can do!" Lara cried angrily. She finally overcame Wesker by breaking free of the blade lock and slicing one of Wesker's wrists, making him scream out in pain before she roundhouse kicked him in the face, forcing him away. 

Lara then drew out her compound bow and took aim with an explosive arrow before firing at a large formation of sharp rocks hanging right over Wesker. She took a deep breath before she fired, creating a decent sized explosion and caused the rocks to come crashing down on Wesker. "Yeah! Let's see you come back from that, you bastard!" Lara shouted triumphantly.

But to her shock, Wesker broke free from the massive pile of rocky debris with a roar. "That's it! I've had it up to here with you! Now you shall die!" Wesker screamed furiously. "Oh, come on!" Lara cried out in exasperation. Wesker Snarled viciously as he rushed towards Lara to finish her off, when suddenly an explosive kunai was thrown at him and sent him flying up into the air before an iceball froze him in mid-air.

Wesker came crashing down into the ground, crying out in pain as he was shattered free from the ice and felt some of his bones break from the forceful impact. "GAH! You fools! You cannot hurt me! Nobody can hurt me! I'm invincible! I am-" Wesker screamed before an icy fist punched him in the face and shut him up. "An undisciplined warrior that fights like a child!" Subzero cried out fiercely as he firmly stood his ground. "I, for one, am sick of hearing you talk!" Kasumi added with a smirk.

Wesker groaned in frustration and pain as stumbled back a bit while wiping blood off his face. "How...is...this even...possible?! Who are you...(coughs) to beat me? I am a god, and you are only (coughs) mortal!" Wesker wheezed and coughed. "We may be mortal, but we are stronger than you will ever be. We fight for honor, integrity, and ultimately peace. You only fight for yourself!" Subzero said gravely. "Oh, shut up! Spare me your lectures, you fool!" Wesker groaned as he pulled out his Desert Eagle.

But before he could fire a shot, Kasumi knocked it out of his hands with a thrown kunai, making him cry out. "Haven't you figured it out, you creep? You've already lost!" Kasumi said sternly. "No! I will not lose to you, fools! Not again!" Wesker hissed with rage. As he said that, Rambo arrived with Lara and both of them took aim with explosive arrows. At the same time, Chris, Jill, Sonya, and Jax approached them and readied themselves in Kombat position. "Let it go, Wesker! I won't say it again!" Rambo shouted in warning as his grip on his bow tightened. "Never!" Wesker snapped. "God damn it, Wesker! Don't you understand the situation here?! You're finished! You hear me? It's over!" Chris cried out.

Suddenly, Albert Wesker began to laugh sinisterly. "Over? No, Chris. It's not over! Not now, not ever!" Wesker sneered menacingly as he removed his shades, revealing his cat-like blood red eyes. He stomped on his shades, crushing them to pieces. "I am...eternal! I am the Ultimate Lifeform!" Wesker began as he cackled maniacally. Rambo and Lara tightened their grips on their bows, while the others prepared themselves. "Steady, guys!" Chris whispered. "I am a god! I cannot die! I am-" Wesker rambled on insanely before something completely unexpected occurred.

Something large, sharp, and deadly pierced Wesker in the chest from behind, making him grunt and gasp in pure shock and pain. Everyone saw this and were completely caught off guard when this happened. "What the fuck?!" Sonya cried out. "Oh, fuck!" Rambo whispered with a hint of fear in his voice. Wesker was seen being lifted up into the air by what appeared to be a giant barbed stinger from the shadows. Wesker tried to scream, but could not even utter a sound past a grunt or groan due to being impaled in the chest from behind.

That, and the pain was excruciating and unbearable. Wesker coughed up a large amount of blood before a giant pair of long, slender clawed hands grabbed hold of him from behind the shadows, tightening their grip. "Oh, shit!" Lara exclaimed in shock. "What the hell is going on?!" Jax cried out. "Fuck...it's here!" Rambo muttered in disbelief. "What? What's here?!" Kasumi cried.

A large, hideous head of a Xenomorph slowly emerged from the shadows, letting a very loud and aggressive hiss. The creature tightened it's grip on Wesker, snarling viciously as it lowered it's massive head right next to Wesker's own face. Wesker grunted and groaned in fear and pain as the massive Xenomorph bared it's giant razor sharp teeth. "It's...not...fair!" Wesker finally whimpered pathetically. The Xenomorph then roared loudly as it tore Albert Wesker right in half, spilling his blood and guts all over the place!

Everyone gasped in horror as the monstrous abomination then stepped slowly out of the shadows, towering over them with a snarl. "Is this the monster you saw before, man?" Jax muttered in fear. "Yeah!" Rambo replied simply. "Aw, shit!" Jax grumbled. This Xenomorph was unlike anything the others had seen before, for this particular creature was special to the Xenomorph species. It was a full sized Queen Xenomorph, and she was pissed that she was disturbed by these intruders!

She roared loudly with shaking fury, spreading her large slender arms out wide. But as the Xenomorph Queen made all this noise, what appeared to be over a thousand Xenomorphs began crawling out of the darkness, surrounding our heroes. Needless to say, things were only going to get ugly from this point on!

Chapter Text

The Xenomorphs surrounded our Earth Realm heroes, snarling viciously as they bared their teeth like ravenous wolves. The heroes grew very tense, if not frightened of the situation they found themselves in. "Fuck! Any ideas, guys?" Sonya cried. "Yeah; don't fucking die!" Rambo replied as he readied his knife. "How much ammo do we have left?" Chris asked out loud. "I have two magazines left for my pistol. What do you have?" Jill announced. "I've got about 3...no, 4 explosive arrows left!" Lara cried. "I've got 7 shotgun slugs left, and one grenade." Chris said. "Are you fucking kidding me?! That's not even close enough to what we need to survive this!" Sonya exclaimed in disbelief. "You scared, Sonya?" Jax asked seriously. "Will you shut up, Jax?!” Sonya snapped. 

The Xenomorph Queen suddenly hissed loudly, swishing her tail back and forth violently. The other Xenomorphs growled and snarled in response, but remained where they were. Lara looked around her surroundings and came to a horrifying realization. Not only were they completely outnumbered and almost completely out of ammo, but they were trapped. But that wasn't all she figured out. "My God! She's...commanding them! They're communicating!" Lara whispered. "Yeah, no shit! We need to prepare ourselves for when they attack!" Sonya hissed. "Come on, guys! Save your strength for the fight, all right? Now get ready!" Rambo shushed. "For what?!" Sonya demanded. "This!" Rambo replied as he pulled out a flare slowly.

Rambo then lit up the flare before throwing as far as he could, earning the attention of several of the Xenomorphs. They screeched as they reeled back and scurried away, trying to avoid the bright light of the flare. "That's a brilliant idea! Everyone use your flares to scare them away!" Lara cried out as she took out her flare. Lara, Jill, and Chris ignited and threw their flares over at the Xenomorphs. The bright lights of the flares lit up the dark pit, giving everyone a brief period of relief, thanks to the light in the dark. "Those bastards retreated into the shadows, but they'll be back!" Rambo muttered not taking his eyes off the Queen Xenomorph. Subzero suddenly used his powers to create a wall of solid ice to act as a shield from the monsters. “Perhaps that should help!” Subzero announced. 

The Xenomorph Queen growled menacingly as she bared her teeth. These humans would not be able to escape from her or her horde for long. "Hopefully those flares and that wall of ice will give us enough time for us to make our escape!" Lara said as she took out her pick axe. "And how do we escape?" Sonya demanded. "We climb!" Lara retorted as she jumped up the rocky wall and began to climb.

Lara climbed up the rocky wall until she reached a small cliff edge and made her way up to the top. "Ok, I've reached the top!" Lara announced. "Good job, kid! See if they have a ladder or something!" Rambo called out. "I'm trying, but there's nothing up here. Wait! I see a rope!" Lara called back. "Well, toss it down and help us get out of here already!" Sonya cried.

Lara sighed in annoyance, but grabbed the rope and tossed it down towards the others. "Ok, I'm going to hold this in place. Everyone climb up one at a time." Lara instructed. "Ok, I'll go first! Cover me!" Rambo said as he grabbed the rope. Chris and Jill nodded as they loaded their weapons and took defensive positions. Rambo calmly climbed up the rope, while the others anxiously awaited their turn. Rambo eventually reached the top, with Lara grabbing his hand and pulling him up. "Glad to see you made it!" Lara joked with a smile. "Glad to be here! Ok, who's next?" Rambo called out. "Sonya? You go ahead, all right? I'm right behind you!" Jax said as he gave her a thumbs up.

Sonya smiled as he said that and then began climbing up the rope. "Careful not to fall!" Jill smirked. Sonya rolled her eyes in annoyance and ignored her as she climbed up the rope. But as she climbed up, Jax noticed that the flares were starting to die out. "Oh God! Sonya, dear? Not to sound pushy, but...uh, can you hurry it up just a little?" Jax called out. "Hold your horses, Jax! I'm almost there!" Sonya called back teasingly. Sonya eventually made it to the top, much to the others relief. "Ok, I made it! You can come up now, Jax!" Sonya cried out.

Jax sighed out in relief as he shook his head before he grabbing hold of the rope. But as Jax began climbing the rope, a loud hissing noise was heard from behind. "Oh, shit! They're coming back!" Chris exclaimed. He was right; several Xenomorphs were seen crawling towards their position. The light from the flares had finally died out and now the Xenomorphs were moving in for the kill. And they looked pissed!

To make matters worse, the ice barrier was melting. "Hurry!" Jill urged. Jax picked up the pace, but as he did so, the rope began to slowly break. "Come on Jax, pick up the pace! They're beginning to get aggressive!" Chris cried as he cocked his shotgun. "Shit!" Jill cursed as she aimed her pistol at an incoming Xenomorph. The ice wall finally shattered as a Xenomorph burst through, but Subzero sent him flying back with a powerful kick. “Stand your ground!” Subzero encouraged.

Jax finally made his way up to the top. "Whew! I finally made it!" Jax said as he was helped up by Sonya and Rambo. "Ok Jill and Chris! You guys are up! Come on!" Lara called out. "Finally! Chris, you go ahead. I'll cover you!" Jill said bravely. "No, Jill! You go, all right? Besides, I've got the bigger gun. And this!" Chris replied as he showed off his shotgun and grenade. "Chris, I-" Jill argued. "I'm not asking, Jill. Go on! I've got this!" Chris argued back. Jill sighed heavily before she handed her pistol over to him. "Be careful! And for God's sake, please don't miss!" Jill said seriously. "I don't plan to miss, Jill. Now get going!" Chris replied gruffly.

Jill huffed but did as she was told. But as she climbed up the rope, it began breaking even more. She made it about halfway up the rocky wall when the rope finally snapped, much to everyone else's horror. "AAIIEEE!" Jill screamed as she fell. "JILL! OH GOD!" Lara exclaimed in horror. Chris gasped as he looked up and saw Jill falling down. "Jill!? Oh my God!" Chris cried out. “Oh no!” Kasumi exclaimed. But as they looked away, a couple of Xenomorphs began crawling closer towards him. They hissed menacingly, catching his attention. "What?! Hey! Back off, you freaks!" Chris shouted as he fired his shotgun and killed one of them with a headshot. Kasumi slashed her sword at another, spraying its acid blood everywhere before she kicked it away.

Jill continued to fall, but was lucky enough to grab a hold of a large crack in the stone wall to prevent herself from crashing into the ground. “Oh my God! That was too close!” Jill gasped as she held on for dear life. “Jill? Are you all right?!” Lara called out. “I’m fine! But the damn rope broke and now Chris and I are stuck!” Jill replied with frustration in her voice. “This really isn’t our day!” Kasumi groaned.

Chris fired another shotgun round into a Xenomorph, killing it as it was blown away into a pulpy mess. “Shit! They won’t stop coming, and I don’t think I’ll be able to hold them back for much longer!” Chris cried out as he kicked a Xenomorph away before blasting off its head. Subzero slammed his fist into the ground, creating massive ice spikes that impaled several incoming Xenomorphs. “We cannot give up! Fight them back for as long as you can!” Subzero shouted as he created a pair of axes out of ice.

Rambo saw this from up above and grew grim. “Lara, can you get a shot at those things from here?” He asked. “I don’t think I can. It’s too far down and it’s gotten too dark!” Lara replied shamefully. “Well we can’t just sit here doing nothing!” Jax exclaimed. “I hate to say it, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do for them!” Sonya said sadly.

Everyone glared at Sonya as she said that. “Are you bloody joking right now?!” Lara shouted. “We don’t leave anyone behind!” Rambo added. “Well, we don’t have much of a choice right now! We have no weapons, no ammo, and no way to get back down to them! We have to keep pushing on!” Sonya yelled while choking back tears. "If you aren't going to do anything to help, then just stay out of my way!" Lara shouted as she pushed Sonya aside as she began making her way down to help the others. "Lara, stop! Come back! It's too dangerous!" Sonya exclaimed.

Back with Chris and the others, they were really beginning to struggle against the never ending horde of enemies. Chris fired the last of his shotgun rounds at another couple of Xenomorphs. “Shit! Well, that does it for that!” Chris muttered as he tossed the empty and useless shotgun aside. Subzero hacked and slashed several other Xenomorphs with his axes before slamming them both into one and kicking it away. “These demons are relentless!” Subzero cried out in frustration. “You’re telling me! Even the Fiends back in my world knew when to back off! These things won’t quit!” Kasumi exclaimed as she finished slicing another one to pieces.

Chris pulled out his pistol and readied himself for another round, when he heard a rock fall from above him. Chris gasped as he turned around and looked up. At first he saw nothing but darkness.

But as soon as he turned back around, Jill landed right behind him and caught him off guard. “Ah! Shit, Jill! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Wait, why aren’t you up there with the others?!” Chris exclaimed. Jill sighed in annoyance and frustration as she shook her head. “The damn rope broke! I’m pretty sure we are stuck here, because I don’t see any other way out of this damn place!” Jill explained with slight anger in her voice. "Fuck! What do we do now?!" Chris cursed. "I...I don't know, Chris! I don't know!" Jill replied sadly.

A Xenomorph was heard hissing from the shadows, and Chris took aim with his pistol. "Chris! You don't really think that you can take on these things by yourself, do you?!" Jill exclaimed. "Well, it's not like I have much of a choice!" Chris snapped. Jill turned red with anger as he said that. His attitude was really getting on her nerves. A Xenomorph screeched as it suddenly appeared and tried to rush towards them, but Chris blasted away with his pistol and killed it.

Chris cursed as he realized that he had only one magazine left. "Shit! Hey, Jill? Do you have any weapons on you?" Chris asked bluntly. Jill finally snapped and cried out in anger as she punched him in the face. "Ow! What the hell did you do that for, Jill?!" Chris exclaimed in anger. "God damn it, Chris! I came back for you because I was worried sick about you!" Jill shouted. "What are you talking about? And why are you so mad at me?" Chris demanded. "Are you kidding me?! Ever since you found out Wesker was still alive, you have become obsessed with him! You have let your obsession with Wesker strain our relationship! It's like you don't even care about me anymore!" Jill screamed with angry tears. “Will you two stop it?! We have no time for these childish outbursts right now!” Subzero shouted.

Chris groaned in annoyance and frustration as he rubbed his hands across his face. "Do we really need to have this conversation right now?! We don't have time for this!" Chris argued. "Well you better make time, because this is important!" Jill cried. "Jill! We are in the bottom of a pit full of monsters in another dimension!" Chris yelled. "I don't care about that! I care about you! I've always cared about you!" Jill sobbed before she grabbed hold of Chris and buried her face into his chest.

Chris was completely caught off guard from Jill's meltdown. But as he held her close in his arms, he began to realize that everything she had said was true. Ever since Wesker was discovered to be alive, all Chris could think about was putting him in the grave. Wesker didn't just betray Chris. He didn't just turn his back on S.T.A.R.S. or his country. Albert Wesker wasn't just a traitor to Chris Redfield; he was a traitor to all of mankind. It was bad enough that Wesker had killed everyone Chris' team, but Wesker took it even further by doing the unimaginable.

Wesker had been responsible for creating a virus that spread throughout Chris and Jill's hometown, and was also responsible for infecting everyone with the virus. Among those infected with this virus were the S.T.A.R.S. agents on Chris and Jill's team. And to make matters worse, Wesker showed no remorse or empathy for his actions. If anything, they were nothing more than mere obstacles in his way.

That's why Chris wanted Wesker dead. But his quest for vengeance had blinded him with rage and he had pushed everyone who ever cared about him away, including Jill. "I'm sorry, Jill. For everything!" Chris whispered. Jill sniffled as he said that. "Do you mean that, Chris?" Jill wondered. "Of course I do, Jill!" Chris replied. Jill smiled as he said that. "I love you Chris!" Jill said with deep passion in her voice. "I know!" Chris replied before he kissed her lips.

But as they kissed, dozens of Xenomorphs surrounded them hissing and snarling viciously. Jill gasped in horror as she realized that they were surrounded. Chris pulled out his pistol and took aim. "Once I run out of ammo, you hold onto me and close your eyes, ok? I've got you!" Chris said bravely. "I know!" Jill replied shakily. Chris fired a couple of shots, killing a Xenomorph with a headshot.

Subzero cried out with great exertion as he created a massive burst of icy energy with his fists before slamming them to the ground and sent a dozen Xenomorphs flying away from an icy shockwave. But as he did that, he fell due to using up the last of his energy. Kasumi saw this and immediately rushed to his aid. “It’s ok! I’ve got you!” Kasumi cried as she held the Lin Kuei Grandmaster in her arms. “Ugh! I’ve used up most of my energy and they still won’t stop! I fear that I am not strong enough!” Subzero said wearily. “What are you talking about? You fought magnificently!” Kasumi proclaimed. Subzero looked deep into her eyes and smiled as she said that. “I am proud to have fought alongside you! You are a true warrior!” Subzero said solemnly. Kasumi smiled and nodded as he said that. “Thank you!” she said as she grabbed hold of his hands.

Chris then fired a few more shots, but he missed due to his hands now trembling. "Damn it! I'm sorry, Jill!" Chris cried out in dismay as he ran out of ammo. "It's ok, Chris! You did your best." Jill said shakily. Chris held Jill close and tight, tearing up as he did so. "I'm so sorry! I've failed you! I've failed everyone!" Chris wept. "It's ok, Chris! It's ok! Just hold me and don't let go!" Jill whimpered. 

They both closed their eyes and held each other tightly, ready to accept their fate...

Chapter Text

Just as the never ending horde of Xenomorphs were about to move in for the kill for our exhausted heroes, something miraculous happened. A massive storm of bullets began raining down upon the Xenomorphs, shredding them to pieces. "Holy shit! Where did that come from?!" Chris exclaimed. "Look up there!" Jill cried out as she pointed. Several feet up above them at the entrance of hidden cave was a familiar Hellspawn firing an entire arsenal of guns from his cape. But as Spawn rained down bullets on the Xenomorphs, a wraith teleported towards their direction. "What? Who are you?!!" Subzero growled as he grew tense. "I'm a friend. Quickly; follow me while we still have time!" Talion announced as he helped him up.

Subzero could tell that there was more to this man than he let on, but decided to leave it for now. He would get his answers later. As Spawn continued to give them all covering fire, Talion led everyone up a very steep set of stairs that led up towards the cave entrance where Spawn stood. "How did you even know that was there?" Kasumi questioned as she climbed up. "One of the first things a Ranger learns is how and where to travel. The least traveled path is usually the best." Talion replied as a matter-of-factly. "You sure about that?" Chris muttered as he nearly slipped. Jill caught him and helped him move up.

Eventually, Talion had helped the others reach the top where Spawn stood. "It's about time you got here!" Spawn growled. "I was beginning to wonder if our paths would cross again." Subzero said as he approached him. "Hmm...you're a tough old bastard, I'll give you that! But if it hadn't been for me or the Ranger here, you'd all be snacks for those things about now!" Spawn retorted. Subzero chuckled as he said that, shaking his head slightly. "Make no mistake, Spawn. I am appreciative of your assistance. But I cannot help but wonder where your journey has taken you!" Subzero replied.

Spawn nodded his head before he looked over towards Talion. "I was trying to find Reika, when Talion sensed that there was trouble somewhere. So I followed him and he led me here to this pit!" Spawn explained a bit more politely. "I see. Have you found the others during your search?" Subzero asked. "Kotal Kahn and Nightwolf were with us until we reached the Living Forest, but we made our separate ways. Is this all that's left of you guys?" Spawn asked as he saw how little their numbers were.

Subzero and the others grew grim as he said that. "There were others, but we also got separated." Subzero began. "But I highly doubt that we'll see them again anytime soon!" Jill said bitterly. "Why?" Spawn asked seriously. "They abandoned us!" Jill replied with anger in her voice. "Jill! You don't know that!" Chris exclaimed. "I doubt that they wanted to leave us behind! Maybe we'll meet them again!" Kasumi suggested. "If we do meet them again, I've got some choice words for that bitch Sonya!" Jill growled as she clenched her fists. "Enough! Do you know the way out of this pit?" Subzero said trying to change the subject. "Yes, I do. Follow me and stay close. And whatever you do, don't lose your footing!" Talion said as he led the way into the cave.

Chris and Jill groaned in frustration as they went inside the cave. "Here we go again!" Chris said as he rolled his eyes. "Just put one foot in front of the other, all right? We'll be ok. I hope!" Kasumi said reassuringly.

Meanwhile, Lara Croft finally made her way back down to the pit. But to her shock, none of her friends were present. But what she did find was even more shocking. "What the bloody hell happened here?" Lara muttered to herself as she saw the bloody remains of Xenomorphs littering the place. "It looks like an army shot these things to shit! But who could've done this? We hardly had anything left! Unless-" Lara said to herself.

She was interrupted when Rambo landed right next to her. "You ok, kid?" he asked. "Oh! You came back for me?" Lara asked in surprise. "Like I said before; no soldier gets left behind!" Rambo insisted as he put his hand on her shoulder. Lara smiled as he said that. "That goes for all of us!" Jax announced as he and Sonya climbed down towards them. But as they arrived, they became shocked by the carnage that laid before them. "What the fuck?!" Sonya exclaimed. "What the hell happened here? Looks like we missed all the fun!" Jax added. "I think somebody helped our friends a bit sooner than us!" Lara suggested. "We can only hope that's the case!" Rambo said a bit more cautiously.

Rambo suddenly noticed a set of tracks led away from the bloody carnage. "Hey! Look over here, you guys. See these tracks?" Rambo announced. "I see them! They lead over this way. Let's follow them and see where they go!" Lara said with an optimistic tone.

Talion had led everyone to a cave, lit up by a small fire he made earlier. “Everyone take a rest. We will need it where we are going!” Talion announced. “Great! My feet are killing me!” Chris said as he sat down on a rock.

Jill sat next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. Chris sighed in content as she did that. Kasumi knelt down next to the fire and put her hands above to warm herself up. “It’s getting so cold!” Kasumi shivered. “Perhaps warmer clothing would help?” Subzero suggested in an almost joking tone. “Very funny!” Kasumi retorted as she rolled her eyes.

Spawn stood in the corner, looking grim and worried. “So you haven’t seen Reika?” Spawn finally asked after a moment of silence. “No. We haven’t seen the others since we ended up in this pit.” Subzero replied. “Damn it! I hope she’s ok.” Spawn growled.

Kasumi smiled as she noticed his change in tone. “If I know Kitami, she’s probably making it really hard for her enemies right now. Don’t worry, she can handle herself!” Kasumi said cheerfully.

Spawn nodded silently in response. “What’s the story with you two, anyway?” Chris wondered. “I’ll tell you some other time, kid.” Spawn said as he removed himself from his resting spot. “Suit yourself!” Chris said as he finished sharpening his knife. “All right, enough chatter. Let’s get moving!” Talion announced. “What? We just sat down!” Jill exclaimed. “The longer we stay here, the more likely we are to be ambushed by those things! So unless you want to be a snack to those monsters, we keep moving.” Talion scolded.

Jill huffed in annoyance, but Chris touched her shoulder to calm her down. “Fine. Lead the way!” Jill said as she stood up and stretched.

After collecting themselves, they followed Talion outside of the cave and towards a large makeshift wooden ladder. “Whoa! How long has that been there?” Chris muttered. “Don’t worry, it’s still sturdy. But we should go one at a time, just in case. I’ll go first.” Talion explained before he climbed up.

One by one, everyone climbed their way up the ladder. As they climbed, the darkness started to fade thanks to the sunlight. “I see light! We’re almost there! I knew we would make it!” Kasumi cried out happily.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they made their way out of the flesh pits and up into the surface world. They were at an abandoned temple that overlooked the Sea of Blood. Over at the distance, there stood Shao Kahn’s Fortress…or whatever was left of it.

Spawn looked out over the horizon with a grave expression. “He’s been here! I can feel it!” Spawn growled. “Who?” Subzero wondered. Spawn turned around and faced him with a grim glare. “Skulker!” Spawn simply responded. “The demon responsible for this slaughter? We will find him and we will make him pay!” Subzero insisted. “Then we better hurry!” Spawn said as he began to make his way towards the exit.

Kasumi stopped him with a worried look in her eyes. “Wait! What about the others? We can’t just leave them!” Kasumi proclaimed. “The longer we wait, the greater chance that Skulker will escape!” Spawn growled.  “Not to mention Sauron and his forces!” Talion added. “He is right, young warrior. The others will find us. I’m sure of it. We must continue on!” Subzero said.

Kasumi sighed heavily but nodded her head. “I hope you’re right! Fine, lead the way!” Kasumi said sadly. And with that said, they were off.

Meanwhile, Rambo and his group arrived at the cave where the footprints ended. “Looks like they rested here. Judging by the fresh looks of these prints, I’d say they were just here.” Rambo announced as he examined the ground. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s follow them and get out of here already!” Sonya snapped. “Wait!” Rambo said in an alert tone as he held his fist up.

Everyone tended up as they saw Rambo reach for his bow. “What’s wrong?” Lara whispered. “We’re not alone.” Rambo whispered back as he readied an arrow. Lara soon readied her bow, and the others prepared themselves for Kombat.

Faint footsteps were heard from the shadows and everyone grew tense as the footsteps grew closer. “Get ready!” Rambo whispered as he took aim. “I hear them! They’re getting closer!” Lara hissed.

A figure was seen approaching them slowly, making them even more cautious. “What do we do, man?” Jax asked. “You do what they do; they attack, you attack.” Rambo instructed. “Fuck that! I’m taking them down now!” Sonya growled as she charged forward.

Sonya tackled the figure to the ground and was about to beat them with her fists, but she gasped in shock as she recognized the figure. “What the hell? Johnny?!” Sonya exclaimed. “Jeez! What did I do this time?! Look, if you’re gonna hit me, can you at the least not hit my face?” Johnny Cage whimpered.

Sonya sighed in irritation as she got off of him. “You scared the shit out of me! I thought you were dead!” Sonya said in a grave tone. “I’m sorry. I thought I was dead too! But Ryu saved me. Speaking of which, hey Ryu! You can come out now; it’s our friends!” Johnny Cage called out.

As he said that, the Dragon Ninja emerged from the shadows and approached the group. “Glad to see that you’re still alive. Is Kasumi with you?” Ryu asked. “No, we got separated. We’re trying to find our way out of this bloody pit, but we’re stuck.” Lara explained. 

Johnny Cage grinned as she said that. “Well if it’s a way out you’re looking for, you got! Ryu and I just found a ladder.” He announced proudly. “Thank God! Finally, some good news!” Sonya said with a sigh. “Where is this ladder?” Rambo asked. “It’s this way; follow me!” Ryu replied as he led the way.

But as they arrived at the ladder and began climbing their way out, they were unaware that another shadowy figure was following them from the darkness. And he was filled with seething rage!

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Kitana, Jade, Liu Kang, Raiden, Fujin, and Reika were just finishing their trek through the secret path to Shao Kahn’s Fortress. They had finally entered inside of the massive construct…or whatever was left of it. The main hall was littered with the corpses of Shao Kahn's guards and Sauron's Uruk-Hai. "A great battle took place here. I remember; I was here when the invasion began." Jade announced as she pointed. "I see! I take it that you and Kitana were the only survivors?" Reika asked. "As far as I can recall, yes." Jade replied honestly. "Do you think that there are any other survivors who made it out?" Fujin wondered. "I doubt it. If they had made it out alive, we would have seen them by now!" Kitana answered.

As they continued deeper into Shao Kahn's fortress, they noticed that the environment around them was starting to change. The symbols of Shao Kahn were all gone and were now replaced by the hideous images of Sauron's Eye. Many of the large marble statues that once represented Shao Kahn were now replaced by large black iron statues of Sauron. "Hmph! If it isn't one guy with an inflated ego, it's always another!" Reika sneered out loud. "Reika! Is that really necessary?!" Kitana snapped angrily. Reika just smirked at her, while Kitana gave her a dark look. Though deep down, Kitana thought the same thing.

They finally approached the throne room, where there were signs of yet another battle. There were several massive cracks and holes in the wall and floor, as well as blood splatters. But the most shocking thing about this whole scene, was the fact that Shao Kahn's throne was shattered into pieces! "It looks like Shao Kahn did not want to give up his throne without a fight." Raiden announced. "But it was all in vain!" Liu Kang added with a slight smirk on his face. "Don't get too confident, Liu Kang! One tyrant appears to have been replaced by another!" Raiden warned in a grave tone. "Is that so? Then tell me; where is this new king?" Reika said in a taunting tone. "Reika!" Kitana hissed. "Oh, come on! What's he going to do? He's not even here, so he'll never know!" Reika boasted.

Suddenly, the air grew very dark and cold. "I always know, foolish witch! For I see everything! This is my realm, now! And you are trespassing!" a dark and evil voice called out in malicious hate. Everyone soon felt pure dread and fear as they heard that horrible voice. "You just had to run your mouth, didn't you?!" Kitana snapped. "Wait, what is that?!" Jade exclaimed as she pointed upwards.

Suddenly, a large swirling torrent of black energy was seen up above an opening in the ceiling. Dark fell voices were heard whispering from the black vortex, frightening the others. "My God!" Reika whispered wide-eyed with horror. "What sort of dark magic is this?!" Raiden exclaimed. Suddenly, a figure was seen leaping out of the black vortex and towards our heroes. It was Noob Saibot! "Who disturbs the shadows?" Noob growled. "The light will banish you, demon!" Raiden replied as he summoned his staff. 

Noob chuckled sinisterly as he pulled a scythe out of his chest and twirled it around. "I serve a darkness that is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine, thunder god!" Noob boldly proclaimed. "So you know me? Yet I am not acquainted with you, demon!" Raiden retorted. "I was once the greatest warrior for the Lin Kuei, but I have chosen to embrace true power. The power of darkness!" Noob explained as he cut his hand with his scythe and spilled black blood on the ground.

The black blood began to grow into a much larger puddle, before something horrible happened. There were ugly, ghastly shadow demons crawling out of the black puddle. "Behold! The darkness that you see before shall consume all the realms!" Noob cried as he summoned a horde of shadow demons. "Don't let these ugly sacks of shit scare you! We can take them!" Reika cried out fiercely as she lit both hands up in flames.

Kitana was outraged to hear this. "You have fought these monstrosities before?" Kitana exclaimed as she readied her war fans. "Cut off their heads and you'll be fine. Trust me!" Reika assured. "Trust you?! You got us into this situation in the first place!" Kitana snapped. "Don't argue with me, princess! You want to live, then you'll do as I say!" Reika shouted. "Enough! Save your strength for our enemies!" Fujin cried.

As the shadow demons swarmed our heroes, Raiden fought fiercely against Noob Saibot. "I shall take great pleasure in making you suffer! To kill a god will only prove the extent of my power!" Noob sneered as he caught Raiden in a blade lock. Raiden cried out angrily as he kicked Noob in the chest and sent him flying back. "You are as delusional as you are blasphemous!" Raiden shouted furiously. Noob forced himself up to his feet and grunted as he shook off the pain. "I gladly serve the darkness!" Noob proclaimed. "Then you shall die knowing that the darkness shall be cleansed by the light!" Raiden shot back as he twirled his staff around.

Raiden then slammed the staff into the ground, creating a massive aura of electric energy surrounding both him and Noob. Noob drew out a pair of scythes and prepared to attack, but Raiden smirked as he began glowing brightly with electric energy. As Noob attempted to attack him, Raiden teleported away before reappearing behind him and zapped him with lightning. Noob cried out in pain as he was shocked, but Raiden did not let up.

He continued to zap Noob with lightning attacks before he finally subdued Noob in a spectacular manner. He punched Noob into the air with an uppercut, sending him flying up high before teleporting above him and ramming his staff into Noob's chest. The sheer force of this attack pinned Noob to the ground, and to add insult to injury (literally!), lightning struck the staff and electrocuted Noob!

The shadowy wraith screamed as he was fried by lightning, seemingly killing him. Raiden chuckled as he began walking away, but was stopped short when someone tackled him to the ground. "GAH! What the-" Raiden began before he was kicked in the face. "Fool! You cannot kill the shadows! Kill me and I shall rise again!" Noob sneered as he appeared from a black vortex. Raiden grunted as he lit his hands up with lightning. "I would say the same to you, demon! But it is the light that cannot die!" Raiden snarled as he prepared himself for more kombat.

While Raiden battled against Noob, Reika and the others found themselves battling against another group of powerful enemies. After killing the last shadow demon, Reika regrouped with the others and used her magic to heal their wounds. "You guys did pretty good, for your first fight against shadow demons!" Reika said encouragingly while healing them. "Uh, thanks." Liu Kang said simply. Reika smiled at him, earning a scowl from Kitana. "The sooner we defeat these invaders, the better!" Kitana said out loud. "It is easier said than done! These demons have destroyed Shao Kahn's army, and for all we know Shao Kahn himself is probably dead by now!" Jade pointed out. "There is no need for you to be so-" Reika began.

Reika stopped when Kitana approached her face to face, glaring at her. "Your recklessness nearly cost us our lives, witch! Why must you continue to endanger us?!" Kitana cried angrily. "Don't you yell at me, princess! This isn't my fault!" Reika shouted back. "None of this would have happened to Outworld if you and your damned Hellspawn friend hadn’t showed up! Outworld would still be in one piece!" Kitana screamed. "HEY! Don't you dare blame me or Raizo for any of this! This isn't on me, ok?!" Reika screamed back.

Liu Kang finally stepped in and separated them. "Enough! Stop wasting time fighting each other and focus on the enemy!" Liu Kang cried out. Kitana and Reika glared at each other before they finally nodded and backed off. "We shall talk another time, then." Kitana finally said after a moment of silence. "Yeah..talk. Sure!" Reika retorted with a smirk.

Suddenly, a loud shriek filled the air. "Damn it! What is that?!" Reika cried out. "Nazgul!" Fujin pointed out. He was right; several Nazgul were seen flying towards them with deadly looking blades in hand. "Lord Sauron has lost patience with you fools!" one of the Nazgul screeched. "We will not be shaken!" Liu Kang defiantly cried out as he drew out his nun-chucks. "Ha! Bravery...another foolish word for pride!" another Nazgul sneered. "All fall to Lord Sauron!" a third growled. "You're the ones who will fall, asshole!" Reika snarled as she drew out a bound sword.

The Nazgul shrieked as they ran towards their prey, but Fujin created a massive cyclone that acted as a barrier as it surrounded the heroes. “Liu Kang! Unleash your dragon’s fire!” Fujin cried out. “With pleasure!” the monk replied as he lit up his hands with flames.

Liu Kang cried out fiercely as he threw a massive fireball into the cyclone, turning the already deadly tornado into a fire-nado! Fujin let out a fierce cry before he used his wind powers to push the fire-nado into the Nazgul.

The wraiths howled and screeched as they were burned to a crisp and ripped apart by the fierce winds. “Ha! Is that the best you fools can do?” Reika taunted.

But just as she said that, an Uruk-Hai war chief arrived with a horde of heavily armored orcs. This Uruk war chief was intimidating to say the least; he wore black iron armor that covered his entire body, wielded a massive shield of steel, a flaming spear, and a strange helmet that had a red hot furnace at the top.

This Uruk war chief was named Molog Fire-Heart, and he was heavily feared throughout all of Mordor for his cruelty. “Hey! Who dares to disturb the Dark Lord in his own house?! You’ll burn for this, you trespassers! Get them!” Molog shouted as he pointed his spear at them. 

Kitana glared at Reika before she readied her war fans. Reika just sighed in annoyance as she readied herself for another exhausting battle. “I hope Raizo is having as much fun as we are!” she muttered as she drew out a bound sword.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Spawn and his group began to make their way across the rocky beach of the Sea of Blood towards Shao Kahn’s Fortress. “Keep your eyes peeled. I don’t think we are the only ones out here in this wasteland!” Talion announced as he reached for his sword. “They might even be following us right now!” Ryu Hayabusa suggested with a cautious tone.

Spawn growled as he looked up at the cliffs; he was sure that someone or something was watching them. And he was right; several invisible threats were watching them with malicious intent.

Eventually, Spawn and the others reached a dead end as they approached the end of the beach. “Damn it! A dead end!” Spawn cursed. “Not really. If we are to reach the fortress of this Shao Kahn, we will have to climb up this cliff!” Talion explained as he pointed up at said cliff. “Well, no sense in bitching about it now. Come on, let’s start climbing.” Spawn sighed.

But before he could even touch the cliff, a razor disk was thrown at his direction, barely grazing his face. “Shit! What the fuck was that!?” Spawn exclaimed. Several more razor disks were thrown at their direction, but Ryu was able to use his sword to cut them down before they could hit anyone. “We’ve got company!” Ryu said grimly.

He was right; several Predator hunters revealed themselves with weapons drawn. These vicious monsters had been hunting our heroes for hours and they were not going to let their prey get away again. "You assholes been following us? You want a fight, I'll give you a fight you won't forget!" Spawn growled as he lit his hands up with Necroplasm. Talion drew his sword and pointed it at the Predators with a grimace. Ryu and Kasumi readied their weapons in a defensive position, while Subzero created a battle-axe out of solid ice. Chris and Jill stood their ground, defiantly glaring at their foes.

Finally, the leader of the Predator hunters pointed his spear towards the heroes and let out a loud, bellowing roar. The other Predators charged forward to attack, with the heroes retaliating with great ferocity. Ryu engaged in a one on one sword fight with a Predator, deflecting every blow with his Dragon Katana Sword. "You are a good fighter, I'll give you that. But I am Dragon Ninja!" Ryu said as he was caught in a blade lock.

The Predator snarled as he butted his head against Ryu and attempted to stab him with his own blade. But Ryu was able teleport away and stabbed his katana into the back of the Predator, making him shriek in agony before Ryu pulled the sword out, leapt up into the air, and slashed down into the Predator's neck and decapitated him. "What did I tell you?" Ryu taunted.

Kasumi suddenly was thrown into Ryu, forcing them both down on their backs. The Predator she was engaging in battle with was quite ferocious. "Don't get too cocky, Ryu! We need to work together if we're to survive!" Kasumi scolded as she helped him back up. Ryu nodded his head as he prepared himself.

Subzero was engaging in a brutal duel against a brute of a Predator, who was twice as tall as he was. But Subzero used this to his advantage. Each time the Predator tried to smash him with his war club, Subzero used his icy powers to slide away before counter-attacking him with his icy battle axe. "You might be stronger in regards to physical strength, but I outmatch you in wit and guile!" Subzero growled as he readied his weapon. The Predator growled angrily as he charged towards Subzero to attack, but the ninja slammed his axe into the ground, causing the ground to create a spiked barrier.

The Predator brute snarled as he used his war club to shatter the icy barrier, but by the time he broke through, Subzero had disappeared. The Predator grew visibly frustrated and confused. Where did this warrior go, he wondered. Suddenly, something large and freezing cold hit him from behind. Subzero had reappeared and smacked the Predator with an icy war hammer. "Fear and confusion freezes you!" Subzero taunted as he slammed his hammer into the ground, creating a massive shockwave.

The Predator brute cried out as he was sent flying away, but the Lin Kuei Grandmaster wasn't finished yet. He created an icy spear and threw it into the Predator's chest, pinning him to the ground. The Predator cried out in pain as he was struck, but Subzero would not let up. He used his icy powers to create a pair of axes before he finished off his foe in a gruesome manner. He slammed his axes into the Predator brute's arms, cutting them both off. He screamed as he lost both arms, but was soon silenced as Subzero stomped his foot into his skull, splattering it into a bloody pulp. "This fight was your last!" Subzero said grimly.

Chris and Jill teamed up to take on an especially crafty Predator who kept using his cloaking device. "Damn it! I can't see this bastard! Where is he?!" Chris cursed as he observed his surroundings. Loud clicking noises were heard before Chris found himself kicked away onto his back. "Ouch! Son of a-" Chris cried out in pain. "Chris! Are you-AUGH! Fuck!" Jill exclaimed as she was hit in the stomach before being kicked into a rock. "Show yourself, you coward! Where are you?!" Jill shouted angrily. She was answered with something...or someone punching a huge hole in the rock she was laying back against. "Shit! Come on, you bastard! Face me!" Jill growled as she drew out her combat knife.

The sound a bladed gauntlet being unsheathed alerted Jill. She readied herself as she heard footsteps approaching her direction. "Come on, you bastard! A little closer...a little more!" Jill whispered as she tightly clutched her knife. Finally, the Predator reappeared and shouted with great fury as he raised his blades for the kill. But Jill rolled away to the side before she could be hit and counter attacked him.

As Chris got back up to his feet, he witnessed Jill fighting against the Predator with great speed and tenacity. He was very impressed by what he was seeing and decided to lend a hand. "Hang on Jill! I'm coming!" Chris said as he charged towards the Predator and punched him in the face, knocking him back a bit. The Predator growled angrily as he wiped the green blood off his face before punching back.

Chris cried out as he was forced back into a boulder that seemed rather unstable, but that gave him an idea. He climbed his way up towards the top of the boulder before he began to punch it. He kept punching it as hard as he could, until it finally began to move. With a mighty shout, Chris punched the boulder free and caused it to go tumbling down. "JILL! LOOK OUT! IT'S HEADED YOUR WAY!" Chris shouted. Jill heard him and gasped as she saw the boulder come rushing towards them, and she was able to jump away to safety before she got crushed.

The Predator was not so lucky, as he was crushed and flattened like a bug. The boulder rolled into the Sea of Blood, creating a massive splash of red. To make matters worse, the splash woke up something large and angry. A massive tentacle shot out of the Sea of Blood before grabbing onto the smushed Predator and dragged him into the sea, never to be seen again. "Jeez, Chris! You're damn lucky that wasn't me!" Jill snapped. "You're welcome, Jill!" Chris retorted as he shook his sore hands. Jill just smirked at him in response.

Spawn and Talion teamed up to take on the leader of the Predator hunters. "This bastard looks tough, so let's not waste time fucking around!" Spawn said as he drew out a sword. "Agreed!" Talion said he readied himself. The Predator drew out a pair of deadly looking swords, grimacing and growling as he paced around them. "He's up to something. Be on your guard!" Talion warned. "To hell with this, I'm taking him out now!" Spawn snarled as he charged forward. "Spawn, wait!" Talion objected. But it was too late; Spawn had rushed towards the Predator.

But the Predator completely caught Spawn off guard. He blocked off all his attacks before viciously slashing both blades at Spawn's back before kicking him to the ground. This Predator may have been older, but he was very experienced in battle! He chuckled sinisterly as he twirled his blades around. "Grr! Now you're pissing me off, asshole!" Spawn growled as he got back up to his feet. "Don't get cocky, you fool!" Talion warned. "I can handle myself!" Spawn snapped. The Predator sneered at him as he pointed one of his blades at him, challenging him.

Spawn growled as he swung his sword at him, but the Predator parried his attacks before knocking the sword out of Spawn's hands. Spawn grew frustrated and resorted to using his chains and cape as a weapon. At first it worked, as Spawn was able to knock the Predator back a bit. Talion was even able to land a few hits with his sword. But the Predator grew wise and used his unique combination of strength and wits to overwhelm both Spawn and Talion.

He was able to catch Spawn's chains with one of his swords before yanking Spawn towards him and lifted Spawn into the air. "WHOA! Shit!" Spawn cursed as he was sent flying up into the air. The Predator then sent Spawn flying away into a wall of stone, knocking him out. Talion grew visibly frustrated as he kept trying to stab at the Predator, but he just grabbed the sword before punching or head butting the Dark Ranger away. "Damn! This creature is very crafty! I need to be careful!" Talion said to himself as he readied his sword once more.

The Predator growled as he twirled his blade around, pacing around as he stared at Talion. It was as if he were...studying him. That's when it hit Talion; this Predator was indeed a veteran of combat. One could say that he is a combat master! "You are strong and crafty, creature! You are certainly stronger than any Uruk-Hai I've ever gone up against! But I will not stop until one of us leaves this battlefield alive! And I do not intend to die anytime soon!" Talion boldly stated. The Predator growled as he twirled his blade around aggressively. "You...fight...well! You...die...well!" The Predator said in a low guttural tone.

Spawn eventually came to and groaned as he shook his head. "Ugh! Damn it, that was stupid of me to do! I should've known better than to just go rushing in like that! I better go back there and-" Spawn said before he caught sight of Talion engaging in a brutal duel against the Predator. As he witnessed the battle between the two, Spawn realized that this Predator was far stronger and smarter than he realized. "Shit! We can't seem to beat this guy!" Spawn muttered.

The Predator caught Talion in a blade lock, glaring into his eyes. Talion glared right back before his eyes started to glow. "Do not hesitate, Talion! Finish him off, now!" Celebrimbor snarled from the Void. "I'm trying! But he's...too strong! He's a combat master!" Talion strained. "Then we must find a way to overwhelm by other means!" Celebrimbor growled.

Back with Spawn, he quickly observed his surroundings to try and find a way to help his ally. Finally, he caught sight of something in the Sea of Blood. A large tentacled beast had snatched a large winged beast, dragging it into the dark depths below. This gave Spawn an idea. "If we can't beat you...then maybe we can get someone...or something else to beat you for us!" Spawn said to himself. He leapt up towards a pillar of stone before drawing out a pair of submachine guns, firing at the tentacled beast. "Come and get me, ugly! I'm right here!" Spawn shouted.

The tentacled beast grew furious as he was fired upon and lashed out. But Spawn was crafty enough to move away before he was crushed by the tentacle, and he continued to fire his guns at the beast. Spawn kept aggravating the tentacled beast, escaping before he could be hit. The tentacled beast wreaked havoc and destroyed everything in its path, but Spawn was eventually able to lure the beast towards Talion and the Predator's location. "Hey, Ranger! Get out of the way; you're about to have company!" Spawn shouted as he fired his guns at the Predator.

The Predator growled angrily as he was hit, rushing towards Spawn to attack. "What are you doing?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Talion snapped. "Trust me, I know I am doing! Just stay back awhile, all right? I got this!" Spawn insisted as he lured the Predator towards the edge of the Sea of Blood. The Predator grew furious as he attempted to finish Spawn off by stabbing him in the heart, but Spawn chuckled sinisterly as he teleported away. Just as he disappeared, the Predator had stabbed his blade into the tentacle of the enraged beast.

The tentacled beast roared with furious anger as he grabbed onto the Predator and began slamming him around like a rag doll. The Predator cried out and screamed in pain as he felt his bones shatter from each painful blow, but the tentacled beast would not stop. The tentacled beast eventually had enough of playing with its food and dragged the Predator into the Sea of Blood, where he was devoured.

Spawn teleported back towards Talion, who in turn just shook his head in disbelief. "Well, once again you have surprised me! Well done, Spawn!" Talion said with a smirk. Spawn chuckled in response as he nodded his head. "What can I say? I certainly try! Now come on; let's get the others and get the hell out of this place!" Spawn replied.

Spawn and Talion regrouped with the others, and after a quick reprieve, they began to climb up the cliff to reach Shao Kahn's Fortress. "I hope we can get there in time!" Spawn said out loud. "Why, what's the rush?" Chris asked jokingly. "Because the others need our help, Chris!" Jill pointed out snappishly. "Cut the chatter, all right? We've wasted enough time already!" Talion scolded. "Hang on, Reika! I'm coming!" Spawn whispered. Kasumi overheard him and sighed as she shook her head. "I do hope that they're ok!" she muttered.

Chapter Text

While Spawn and his group began their ascent up the cliffs, Reika and her group struggled against the hordes of Uruk-Hai attacking them.

You see, the Uruk leading these other orcs was different. He was special; he was a powerful pyromancer, meaning he could cast powerful and destructive fire spells. Only a very select few Uruk-Hai were hand picked by Sauron to gifted these terrible magical powers.

Thanks to his cruelty, terrible thirst for destruction, and dedication to Mordor, Molog Fire-Heart was chosen specifically by Sauron himself to become his head pyromancer.

So for these foolish mortals to dare defy Sauron greatly angered Molog Fire-Heart. “You will suffer greatly for your disrespect of the Dark Lord! The flames of Mordor shall cleanse this place of your filth!” Molog Fire-Heart snarled angrily as he twirled his flaming spear around.

However, Reika showed no fear. She stood her ground and readied herself for battle. She drew out a bound sword and lit her free hand up in flames. “I’m not afraid of you, you ugly bastard!” Reika proclaimed. “You should be, witch! For I am a master of the flames! Observe at your own peril!” Molog Fire-Heart shouted as he slashed at the air with his flaming spear.

Aa he did that, a large wave of flames came rushing towards Reika. But being the clever witch she was, Reika threw a fireball towards the wave of flames before it could hit her.

The sheer force of the impact of the colliding flames created a massive shockwave, causing everyone to be shaken off their feet. “Gah! Damn it, that was too close!” Reika cried out. “Be more careful, Kitami! You nearly killed us!” Kitana exclaimed. “Shut up and make yourself useful by helping me beat this asshole!” Reika snapped.

Before Kitana could object, another wave of fire sent her and several of the others flying back, crying out in pain. “HEY!” Reika shouted before Molog Fire-Heart pinned her to the floor with his spear. His spear impaled Reika into the ground, earning a loud shout of anguish from her lips. He chuckled sinisterly as he towered over her in apparent triumph. “Now you see what happens to those who defy the Dark Lord!” Molog Fire-Heart sneered.

Reika cried out fiercely as she used a burst of dark magic to break free, forcing the pyromaniac away. Reika Kitami's wound healed itself as she spat out blood, chuckling and smirking in triumph. “What?! Impossible! How did you-“ Molog Fire-Heart exclaimed in shock before Reika stabbed him with her bound sword. “It will take a hell of lot more than that to finish me off, asshole!” Reika snarled as he kicked him away. “Ooh! You’ve got a real fire in you; I like that!” Molog snickered with evil delight as he stood back up and licked the blood off his lips.

While Reika dueled with Molog Fire-Heart, Kitana, Jade, Liu Kang, Raiden, and Fujin valiantly fought against waves of heavily armored Uruk-Hai. But despite their combined might, the Uruks seemed to keep coming back in larger numbers. “It’s no use! They just keep coming!” Liu Kang cried out as he snapped the neck of an Uruk. “How are these monsters getting stronger?!” Jade exclaimed as she kicked an Uruk away.

Raiden glanced over at Molog Fire-Heart and noticed that he was giving off a particularly ominous aura of dark energy. This energy also seemed to flow within all the other Uruk-Hai. “This particular devil seems to be inspiring these others with his mere presence! But if he were to fall, then perhaps his little minions will scatter.” Raiden said to himself.

Raiden then teleported towards Reika before slamming his staff into the ground in front of them, creating a shield of electric energy. “What?! Hey, that’s no fair! Come on out and fight you cowards!” Molog Fire-Heart shouted. “Hey, what’s the big idea?!” Reika demanded. “Listen to me! I need you to trust me if we are to beat this brute. Can you hold him off for me?” Raiden insisted. “What? Why? What are you planning?” Reika demanded again. “Trust me! If we work together, we can win this.” Raiden said seriously.

Reika sighed but nodded her head in agreement. “I just hope your little plan works, for both our sakes!” Reika replied. Raiden nodded his head before he teleported away from the electric force field and began to pummel Molog Fire-Heart with several kicks. "Your fire is no match against the power of thunder and lightning!" Raiden taunted. "What?! How dare you defy the Dark Lord with your blasphemy!" Molog Fire-Heart cried angrily as he tried to impale Raiden.

But Raiden blocked his attacks with his staff before he kept whacking him in retaliation. Raiden's attacks forced Molog Fire-Heart back towards a narrow ledge of a platform that stood over a pool of red hot lava. Reika saw this and smirked deviously as she knew exactly what to do next. She teleported towards their direction before adding on the damage with her powerful magic attacks. She punched at the Uruk-Hai with her fists powered up with dark magic, making him scream in pain.

Finally, Reika and Raiden both powered up their fists with magic energy before they sent Molog Fire-Heart flying away and into the pool of lava. Molog Fire-Heart screamed in howling agony as he was burned alive, much to Reika's delight. "That's what happens when you play with fire, asshole! You get burned!" Reika taunted. As this happened, the other Uruk-Hai witnessed the brutal death of their leader and panicked. "AUGH! NO!" one of the Uruks screamed in dismay. "Our precious leader! He's dead!" another shouted.

The Uruk-Hai all screamed in terror before they rushed out of the room in a crazed stampede like feral hogs. "Ha! I was right! Look how those vile creatures scatter like roaches!" Raiden proclaimed. "Well done, brother! We once again prevail over the forces of evil!" Fujin beamed. "You see? I told you that we had nothing to worry about!" Reika boasted. "Oh, would you just stop it?! Your loud boasting and arrogance nearly got us all killed!" Kitana snapped as she got in her face. "What are you bitching about now, princess? We're all alive now, aren't we? We won! There's no need to be such a-" Reika snarled.

Kitana suddenly drew out one of her steel war fans and held the blade to Reika''s throat, pinning her to the wall. "I swear that I'll kill you if you ever do something like this again!" Kitana threatened. Reika suddenly knocked the war fan out of Kitana's hand and grabbed her by the throat, pinning her to the wall. "You're pissing off the wrong witch, princess!" Reika growled as she tightened her grip. "Reika, stop it!" Jade cried out as she tried to wrench Reika away. "Let her go!" Liu Kang shouted angrily. Everyone (with the exception of a secretly amused Raiden) then started clamoring about as the others tried to wrench Reika away from Kitana.

Suddenly, the room grew dark as an ominous force entered inside. "Enough! I will end you all myself!" a deep, loud, and demonic voice thundered. As the voice shouted, a very dark smoke crept into the room. Then to everyone's horror, a menacing figure slowly appeared before them from the smoke. Or rather, the smoke itself took the form of a figure. This dark figure towered over everyone at about 10 feet tall, and to say that he was frightening was a massive understatement. He was completely covered up in black iron armor, wore a black iron crowned helmet that completely covered his face, and wielded a dreadful looking sword in one hand and a ghastly looking mace in the other. Sauron had finally revealed himself!

As Sauron stood towering over everyone, absolute dread and despair filled the air with an overwhelming power. Reika finally let go of Kitana, though she did not take her eyes off Sauron. Sauron could sense her fear and dread, chuckling sinisterly as he slowly began marching towards her. "I see you!" Sauron sneered slowly with malice as he slowly raised his sword up and pointed it directly at Reika. Normally, Reika would have shot back with a smart ass comment. But as she found herself staring at Sauron, her entire body felt paralyzed with fear.

In fact, she hadn't felt this level of fear in a long time. But the more she stared at Sauron, the more familiar this level of fear overwhelmed her. "I can feel your fear, you despair, your overbearing guilt and sorrows! Your past sins haunt you!" Sauron said in a dark, low, and terrifying tone. Reika felt her face turned red with guilt and shame, knowing exactly what past sins Sauron was referring to. Raiden, for the first time, felt uneasy in the presence of this darkness. "You are lost! You have doomed yourself! I will bind your souls to a hellish torment for eternity! Your worst fears...they shall become reality! Your darkest secrets...exposed for all to see!" Sauron cruelly taunted as he scraped his sword and mace across the ground, making an uncomfortably loud screeching noise.

Reika's eyes widened with pure horror as he said that. "No!" Reika gasped. "Yes! You shall all know the true meaning of despair! You know what true power is, as I obliterate you with it! All will fall under my power!" Sauron boasted as he circled around everyone like a wolf to its prey. Fujin was finally the first to speak, despite his feelings of fear. "You are wrong, you demon! The light shall always prevail!" Fujin objected boldly. Sauron laughed scornfully as he said that. "You are a fool! There is no light here! All that remains is darkness! I AM that darkness! I am the One!" Sauron shouted as he stabbed the sword into the ground and raised his fist in triumph. "But a single flash of lightning can shine even in the darkest of places! Right brother?" Fujin defiantly cried.

But Raiden did not respond. He just stood there in silence, plagued with doubt and fear. Sauron laughed in mockery before he sat himself upon his black iron throne. "You, like this realm, are now mine!" Sauron said as he snarled the last word. "Never! We'll never serve you! We will free Outworld!" Kitana boldly proclaimed. "Outworld does not need to be freed, my dear! For it's already free!" a sinister yet familiar voice sneered from the darkness.

The others gasped as they saw a familiar looking sorcerer slither out of the shadows with an evil smile on his face. "Shang Tsung!" Liu Kang shouted angrily. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? Good to see that you're still alive and in one piece...for now!" Shang Tsung sneered. "You! I should have known that you'd be a part of this!" Kitana shouted angrily. "Ah, Princess Kitana! You still live as well? Very good! I'm sure your mother and father would be very proud of you...if they are still alive, that is!" Shang Tsung said with a mocking laugh. "You guard your tongue, sorcerer! It's bad enough that you betrayed Outworld, but you'd choose to serve him?! You have seen what this monstrosity has done to Outworld! Why would you choose to serve him?!" Jade shouted furiously.

Shang Tsung just laughed as she said that. "Oh, you poor simple fools. You have no idea of the situation you are in, do you? But since you are still here, I have no choice...but to offer you a reward!" Shang Tsung said with a sly grin on his face. "What?! Is this some kind of a joke?!" Liu Kang exclaimed in anger. "What reward could you possibly offer us, you worm!?" Kitana demanded. "It's really quite simple. Swear your allegiance to the Dark Lord Sauron, the true ruler of Outworld! Serve him and you shall have everything that you desire and more!" Shang Tsung said with an evil smile. "What if we refuse?" Jade retorted. "Then you seal your fate to everlasting doom and torment!" Shang Tsung replied in a much more sinister tone.

Sauron slowly stood up from his throne, not taking his glaring eyes off his prey. "Serve me!" Sauron growled. "It would be most unwise to resist! So, I trust that you will make the right choice?" Shang Tsung sneered. "We will never give in to you or any other force of darkness! Earth Realm will prevail!" Liu Kang boldly proclaimed. Shang Tsung laughed sinisterly as he said that. "Will it now? Tell me something, Hero of Earth Realm. Have you ever wondered what really happened to your precious Earth Realm after you were gone for all those years?" Shang Tsung challenged.

Liu Kang glared at him as he said that. "What are you saying? Are you saying that Earth Realm is being attacked? Or has it already been attacked?! Answer me!" Liu Kang snapped. Shang Tsung's snake-like grin widened as he laughed evilly. "Why don't you ask your dear beloved friend, Lord Raiden? I'm sure that he will be more than happy to answer your question!" Shang Tsung said with evil delight. Liu Kang gasped as he looked to Raiden, who in turn just stared back in guilty silence. "Lord Raiden?! Tell me that he's lying! Please! Earth Realm is safe, isn't it?! Say it!" Liu Kang exclaimed in disbelief.

Finally, Raiden spoke. "My son...you are all that matters to me." he began. "Do not lie to me, Raiden! Tell me right now! Is Earth Realm still safe?!" Liu Kang shouted. Raiden sighed as he shook his head, earning a gasp of horror from the Shaolin Warrior. "When you and the others were asleep, I tried to make contact with the Elder Gods again. I asked them the same thing you asked me. But the answer I was shown was not the answer that I wanted!" Raiden said seriously. Liu Kang could not believe his ears. "No! No, this isn't happening! Tell me that this isn't true!" Liu Kang objected. "Liu Kang, please! Try to understand-" Raiden began. "Understand what?! That you lied to me? That you kept the truth hidden from me this whole time?! How could you do this to me?!" Liu Kang cried angrily with bitter tears in his eyes.

Sauron had lost patience and slammed his fist against his throne chair's arm. "Enough! If you will not serve me, then you will be destroyed! Fire and Darkness take you!" Sauron thundered as he threw a hot ball of burning stone onto the ground. But as he did so, the ground began to shake and burn violently. Suddenly, before the very eyes of the startled heroes, a monstrous demon of fire, smoke, and brimstone appeared. It stood over 20 feet tall, had massive bat-like wings, curved goat horns, and wielded a flaming sword in one hand and a terrible flaming whip in the other. It was a Balrog! "Serve your master and destroy these fools!" Sauron ordered the Balrog.

The demon grunted as it nodded its head before spreading its wings and roared. "Save your emotional conversations for later, you two! We have to work together in order to survive this!" Reika said finally after remaining silent for so long. Raiden and Liu Kang stared at each other before they nodded their heads; their conversation would have to wait. Right now, they had more pressing matters to attend to!

Sauron sat himself back down on his throne and laughed with sinister delight; he would enjoy watching these fools die...one way or another!

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Rambo had finally led his group out of the pits and ended up wandering into what Outworlders would call The Dead Pool. It was a large open dungeon-like area with a massive pool of boiling acid underneath a solid concrete platform. "Ugh! Bloody hell; what is that awful stench?" Lara Croft exclaimed in disgust as she covered her mouth. "Well, whatever it is, I know it ain't me!" Johnny Cage jokingly quipped. "Cage! Not now, ok?" Sonya Blade snapped. "Quiet, all of you! We're not alone!" Rambo hushed as he held his fist up.

He was right; there were several Uruk-Hai standing guard at a massive gate with metal bars. "We've got bogies standing guard at that gate over there! How do you wanna handle this?" Rambo whispered. "It would be safer to handle this quietly, so we don't attract attention!" Lara suggested. "True, but that might take too much time. Maybe we should just smoke them out quickly!" Jax said with a smirk. "That would save a lot of time, but what do we do about the bodies?" Lara countered. "Uh, there's a giant pool of acid right there. So, I think that's a bit of a no-brainer!" Johnny Cage retorted. "Not a bad plan. So who wants to go first?" Rambo said as he reached for his bow.

But before he could fire a shot, a chain suddenly appeared from the shadows and wrapped around the necks of a few Uruks before snapping them. The other Uruks did not get a chance to react before they were killed by shirukens and kunai thrown from the shadows. "Whoa! Damn! It looks like someone beat us to it!" Rambo exclaimed. "Hopefully, they're friendly!" Lara said to herself. She and the others were relieved to find Spawn slowly emerge from the shadows along with Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi. "Hey, it's our old buddies! Excellent timing!" Johnny Cage announced happily.

As Rambo's group met with Spawn, they were unaware that someone else was watching from the shadows. "Where the hell have you guys been? You look like you've been through it!" Spawn said grimly. "Eh, I've been through worse in 'Nam! What about you? You find what you were looking for?" Rambo replied. "Not yet! We just got here in this place. It was a long climb up!" Spawn answered. "We had a bit of a climb ourselves." Rambo smirked. "I hate to break up your banter, but we need to get moving!" Sonya said with an alert tone. "Follow us; the others are waiting!" Ryu said took the lead. But as they left, the unseen force silently followed them with malicious intent.

Spawn and the others eventually met with Talion, Subzero, Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine at what appeared to be an abandoned lair of some sort. It was dark and ominous, save for the torches being held by Chris and Jill. "Hey, you guys made it!" Jill said happily. "Glad to see you guys are in one piece. How are you holding up?" Lara asked as she hugged Jill. "I don't know about you, but I could use a vacation!" Chris said with a sigh. "Yeah, right! Tell me about it!" Johnny Cage snorted. "Um, what exactly kind of a place is this?" Rambo asked as he observed his surroundings. "Nothing pleasant, that's for certain!" Talion responded grimly.

He was right; there was an ominous feeling in the air. This place had seen it's fair share of bloodshed and violence, due to the many bones and skeletal remains littering the area. The rusted chains to the walls and other small cells did not help ease the tension either. "It looks like somebody made themselves at home here, as a king!" Talion said with disdain in his voice. "What?! Who would make themselves a kind in this dump?" Johnny Cage exclaimed as he overheard him. "Someone who revels in the suffering of others!" Subzero said in his usual cold demeanor. "A real brute!" Kasumi added.

Lara sighed as she shook her head. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that we've lingered here for long enough. We should leave now!" Lara suggested in a nervous tone. "Good call. Let's go; I don't like the looks or feels of this place." Rambo agreed. But just as everyone was about to leave, Spawn became alert and growled as he clenched his fists, his eyes glowing brightly with Necroplasm. "What's going on? Why are you-" Rambo began. "Quiet! Get out of here, now! I'll handle this!" Spawn growled.

The others looked at him with great confusion and worry as he said that, but Subzero nodded his head as he approached Spawn's side and created an ice blade with his hands. "You all go! We will buy you time!" Subzero said as he stared straight ahead. "What are you guys-" Sonya began before Jax nudged her arm and pointed his head over at the shadows. Sonya and the others immediately got the hint; trouble had followed them. "All right guys, let's move out!" Sonya said with a stern tone. "Great! Here we go again!" Johnny Cage muttered as he rolled his eyes. "Follow me!" Rambo said as he took the lead.

As the others left, Spawn and Subzero prepared themselves for Kombat. "Out of the shadows where I can see you, asshole!" Spawn growled. Almost immediately, a shadowy figure slowly walked out from the pitch black darkness. It was Noob Saibot, and he was armed with a deadly scythe. "Fellow Hellspawn! Welcome!" Noob Sabot announced in a dark, raspy tone. "Why did you follow me, dirtbag?!" Spawn demanded angrily. "To give you an offer!" Noob replied as he pointed his scythe at Spawn. "Whatever it is you are trying to peddle to me, I ain't buying it!" Spawn snapped back. "Better to serve the shadows than to die in the light like a dog!" Noob growled as he slashed himself in the chest, spilling his blackened blood.

As his blood splattered on the ground, several dark figures emerged and groaned eerily as surrounded Spawn and Subzero. Subzero tightened his grip on his icy blade, not taking his glaring eyes off of Noob. "Why do you stare at me like that?" Noob wondered as he noticed Subzero's demeanor. "I know you! I have...seen you before. Over at the Arctika Temple!" Subzero replied with deep anger in his voice. Noob suddenly chuckled as he slung his scythe over his shoulders. "Ah, yes! Now I remember...you are the thief who stole the mantle of Subzero!" Noob said with morbid amusement in his voice. "The name belonged to grandfather first, and then it was passed down to me!" Subzero shouted.

Noob chuckled sinisterly as he shook his head. "That name was mine first!" Noob snarled as he pointed his finger at him. "A name you forsook long ago by dishonoring our clan! You turned your back on the Lin Kuei the moment you murdered my Grandmaster!" Subzero raged. "The old fool got what he deserved, and you shall fare no better! Goodbye, Kuai Liang!" Noob sneered as he drew out his scythe again. As Noob gave out a fierce battlecry, his newly summoned shadow assassins swarmed Spawn and Subzero to attack. "You two know each other?!" Spawn demanded. "I shall tell you after we deal with this!" Subzero snapped. "We better survive this, for your sake!" Spawn retorted.

Meanwhile, Ryu led the others into an area that appeared to be a beast pen. There were many strange creatures locked up in cages, all of them long dead of course. "Jeez! And I thought the San Diego Zoo was a shithole!" Johnny Cage groaned in disgust. "Why did you lead us here?!" Sonya demanded as she confronted Rambo. "Because we need to get to the surface, which is up there!" Rambo said as he pointed towards a light in the ceiling. "How did you know that?" Jax wondered. "I could smell the fresh air from back there. Believe me; I know a thing or two about being trapped underground. You'll know the way out when you can smell the air above!" Rambo explained. "Man, that's just crazy!" Jax retorted. "But it's true!" Rambo shot back.

Suddenly, sinister cackling was heard in the air. "I can smell fresh meat!" a growling voice sneered. "Well, shit! That's not a good sign!" Chris muttered. "Wait, what's that? What the hell are those things?!" Jill exclaimed as she pointed. She was right; there were several Tarkatans that were facing them, but these particular creatures were a bit...off, to the least. "It's those Baraka things...but they look-" Johnny Cage began. "Ugly looking assholes!" Jax finished with a cringe of disgust. "Uglier than usual, that's for sure!" Sonya added.

She was right; these Tarkatans were green skinned reptilian hybrids! They were twice as strong, twice as bloodthirsty, and wore stolen Uruk-Hai armor. "You humans are trespassing! This is our territory!" one of the Tarkatans growled. "I don't see your name written anywhere, pal! Now let us go or I'll give you a war you won't believe!" Rambo threatened. "That's a good threat, human! But can you back those words up in battle?" another Tarkatan sneered as he unsheathed some arm blades made of bone. "Your call!" Rambo simply replied before he drew out his knife. "You won't leave this place alive, human!" a third Tarkatan snarled. "It's all right, you guys. I got this! Get out of here; I'll handle these assholes!" Rambo said as he motioned his head for the others to leave. "We're not leaving you behind!" Sonya objected. 

Lara then stood next to Rambo, with her bow drawn. "He won't be fighting alone! Go; we'll be all right. We will catch up later!" Lara said bravely as she took aim at one of the Tarkatans. Rambo smirked as she did that, feeling proud of her for finding her courage to stay behind and fight. "Good on you, kid!" Rambo whispered proudly. Lara smiled at him before she fired an arrow at one of the Tarkatans, which hit him in the chest. While it did not hurt, it made him angry. "GRRR! Get those humans!" the Tarkatan shouted.

As Rambo and Lara fight off the Tarkatans, Ryu and Kasumi took the lead with Chris, Jill, Johnny Cage, Jax, and Sonya. "This way! There's light coming from this direction; it might be the way out!" Ryu announced. "But knowing our luck, it's probably not!" Johnny Cage grumbled. "Come on, let's go!" Chris snapped. And with that, our heroes were once again off!