Stained Glass
Summary: When Erron Black is ordered by Kotal Kahn to kill Cage's team of Earthrealm warriors, he is surprised when all but one perishes - the one whom he wanted dead out of all of them. What surprises the mercenary even more, however, is that he decides to let Kung Jin live and takes him back to Outworld to heal him ... Loosely-based on Erron Black's arcade ending. Rated T for now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat X or any of its characters; all of this belongs to Ed Boon, John Tobias and Netherrealm Studios. I only own the plot.
Chapter 1: And Four To Go
One for the money … two for the show … three to get ready … and four to go …
It was a hackneyed mantra that had stuck with him since God alone knows when … possibly when he stopped believing in God.
Who am I to believe in a being who doesn't do anything for us?
If He can't even save someone from the receiving end of a gun barrel, then why should I care enough to have faith in Him?
Faith. A funny word that barely ever entered Erron Black's thoughts. Hardly a word that flitted off his tongue, either. No, the mercenary had other thoughts in mind, far too important to take a backseat to his personal mullings.
I have orders to uphold.
Four little menaces to eliminate …
With a low whistle as he loaded the chambers of his twin metallic-gold guns, Erron mentally repeated the sixteen-word introit, like a church congregation singing its age-old antiphon when the priest approached the altar for the giving of the false Lord's son's body and blood.
There will be bodies and blood for the vultures after I'm done.
One for the money … two for the show … three to get ready … and four to go …
He slithered closer on the tarmac, smirking behind his mask at the sheer luck he was given. The sun bore down from the blue heavens on the former Earthrealmer's back like a hostile eye, concentrating its scathing glare on him, but Erron did not give a damn at that moment.
They're not carrying arms.
Indeed, his azure-blue orbs were not deceiving him as he watched the four figures make their way to the opening of the grounded aircraft. The two girls walked ahead, discussing some trivial matter - the blonde-haired sergeant bore not her guns but expensive black aviators on her pretty face, whilst the other was without her gauntlets, showing off her toned, cocoa-butter forearms.
Next to follow was that whipping boy; though his gait suggested a lax attitude, the mere fact that he was wearing his full-body armour in this infernal heat suggested that he was prepared for anything. Still, wouldn't he be surprised if knew that the specialised bullets in the gun-slinger's possession would be able to penetrate through the covering.
If all else fails, go for the head. Blow off his foolishness in one second.
And finally, not far behind, was the raven-haired Shaolin monk, an unreadable expression gracing his features. Erron found himself gritting his teeth at the mere sight of him, despite the fact that the other did not carry his dragon-headed staff nor his quiver full of arrows, which would have delighted the Outworld cowboy immensely.
Instead, as his eyes honed in on the younger man, taking in every immaculate detail that seemed to mock him from afar, Erron felt overcome by a dark bitterness as a certain memory flooded his mind like water:
Our fight at the Kove …
I was too slow to shoot him. I had him …
… and I let him get away.
Growling under his breath, Erron shook his head of the memory, narrowing his black-shaded eyes in a vexed glare as he watched the Shaolin monk saunter along, the rosy-pink lips clearly curled into a carefree grin as he passed by the gun-slinger's hiding place next to the crates.
The smile had to go.
Everyone has to go … especially you, Junior.
Erron's fingers, grasping the handles of his guns, twitched in anticipation.
"There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others" … let me be the judge, the guns my jury and the bullets my sentence …
Let's go.
"Augh!"
The sergeant's back bent as she flew backwards, a gush of crimson springing forth from her midriff. She had raised her arm as she fell; whether to protect her chest or her dolled-up face, Erron would never know, but the movement was all but futile as the actor's only daughter - Cage's everything - hit the ground, slowly but surely succumbing to her wounds. Her aviators were thrown off to show the life in her eyes slipping away.
One for the money …
Briggs went down hard, the wound in her side throwing her off balance as the bullet exited out the back. She flew face-first onto the lowered platform of the aircraft, a sickly-red puddle forming underneath her body. One gauntlet-free arm was stained red, whilst the other hung limply over the side of the platform. Two fine arms, they were, that had shown strength, yet in that moment they showed that their owner was no longer breathing.
Two for the show …
The whipping boy had whirled around when he first heard the shots fired, raising his arms at his sides to unleash his weaponry. But in all honesty, Erron mused, it provided the gun-slinger with easy spots to shoot. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he unloaded a volley of gun-fire upon the young Shirai Ryu: three bullets managed to penetrate the front of his armour, unleashing gussets of scarlet rain, and one bullet went for the eyes, masking the man's face in a thick red layer. His mouth was contorted into an "o"-shape, as if to convey his total surprise as he, too, went down.
Three to get ready …
As for the Shaolin monk …
… Erron Black had gunned him down last. A simple shot to the center of his exposed chest, the ivory-white teeth and ruby-red bead necklaces providing a perfect target - the perfect bulls-eye.
But not quite perfect enough.
Keeping his guns clasped tightly in his hands, Erron moved forward, the brim of his hat not quite obscuring his vision. He passed an eye over the boy and the Briggs girl's limp bodies, satisfied that they were down for the count. He lifted his head over onto the platform where the unmoving sergeant lay, certainly beyond saving at this point.
And then he stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening before contracting once more out of piqued displeasure.
You're kidding me right now.
The Shaolin monk lay splayed out on his back, his arms and legs bent at several angles. Blood poured out of his chest, seeping into the material of his vest and undergarments, and the surrounding skin was stained a florid colour. His eyes were closed, and gone was the grin from his lips, now tainted with ichor.
Yet his bloody mouth was slightly parted, emitting short, strained bursts of breath, and his chest slowly rose and fell.
Erron tilted his head, regarding the supposedly fallen bowman with a frown behind his mask.
Still alive, Junior? What gives?
Doesn't matter. Let's put you out of your misery …
With that, Erron raised his revolver, aiming for the center of the forehead that was no longer protected by that golden headpiece. Cocking the piece of weaponry, the gun-slinger leaned downwards, applying pressure on the trigger …
What the -?
… though he was stopped short when the kid's eyes flew open and met his.
And, if he was not mistaken, he saw sparks of defiance dancing in those dark-brown orbs. Sparks that had danced there before when the man was last at his mercy …
The Kove. Our fight.
He stared at me the same way …
He had never forgotten that look.
Once again, Erron's head canted to the side, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared back at the raven-haired Shaolin monk who seemed to barely cling to life.
And yet the look he was giving the former Earthrealmer was one that indicated something very clear: I'm damn well alive.
Never forgotten at all.
This time around, however, it did not last long.
Erron watched as the younger man's eyes shut tight, though he was surprised that he was still puffing for air, albeit weakly. His chest was rising up and down at a faster pace now. The blood was streaming at a rapid pace from the wound.
He's starting to succumb.
But something in the mercenary's core stirred when a low, pained whine was heard, passing out of the parted mouth of the bowman. It was almost animalistic in nature, akin to a coyote pup suffering something fierce with a broken limb.
No mercy for the merciless.
Is that your verdict?
That is when Erron Black decided that he had enough.
Damn it! Damn it!
Growling under his breath (damn it being grumbled repeatedly), the mercenary angrily holstered his guns before going down onto his knees, not caring in the slightest if his knee-pads got blood on them. Then, with all the strength he could muster, he placed his tanned arms under the Shaolin monk's form - one under his back, the other under the back of his knees - before, with a grunt, lifting him up.
Erron staggered onto his haunches, balancing himself precariously as his hands dug into the other man's clothing, before slowly beginning to stand up straight. The kid's raven-haired head lolled back, a whimper escaping.
"Shut up, Junior," hissed Erron.
"Bla … ac … ck …" The bowman's voice was a gurgle.
"Don't say a damn word," the gun-slinger barked, feeling the blood staining his front. "Not another word from you."
He's losing too much blood. He's losing consciousness.
Start making tracks, Black.
Turning on his heels with the monk carried in his arms bridal-style, Erron Black began to walk away, not even deigning to look back at the carnage he caused … at the three of the four kombatants he was ordered to kill.
One for the money … two for the show … three to get ready …
Now, he was heading for Outworld with the Earthrealmer he had spared from the receiving end of a gun barrel.
… and four to go.
A/N: A story idea that had been floating for a few weeks, and then I thought to myself last night, "Okey-dokey, let's write this and break some hearts". :) I was going to publish my E/J "Russian Roulette" first, but that'll come soon, I promise!
Hope you enjoyed this first chapter - it was a bit challenging and heart-wrenching to write (I love the Kombat Kids, bless their hearts), but it was still fun. We'll see what happens in the next chapter. Poor Jin (and damn raccoon-face). T_T This story is also cross-posted on Tumblr as well.
Reviews are welcome!
*~AI07~* :)