Disclaimer: Mortal Kombat is not nor has it ever been in my possession.
sure the games have been and even the movies and action figures, but hey,
my childish nature isn't on trial here so please stop staring!
good....um...enjoy?
The air was cold. It was the winter solstice. Winter had come early this year, or so it seemed to the yellow ninja. He was called to his master's quarters and was told to be prepared for battle. The messenger seemed nervous when he saw the man who answered the door. The ninja had a reputation in his village. His name was Hanzo Hasashi. Death, however, would come quickly to whoever so much as muttered that name for him to hear. He HATED his name. The only name he allowed people to call him was that of the year he was born, the year of the Scorpion.
"What does he want now?" Scorpion said to himself.
"Who was that, my love?" said a beautiful woman inside. She was nude save for her wedding ring and a scorpion tattoo on her abdomen.
"Just a messenger, I have to return to the temple. You may want to get dressed; I have to leave immediately."
"Why must you leave? That clan of yours only uses you; they never cared about you. Besides, everytime you leave I fear you won't return," said the woman as she put on her robe.
"I know, Yuriko, I know. I promise you, after this mission, whatever it may be, I will return. Regardless of what the clan says, I won't go back to that life. Now listen to me, I want you and Larago to go to America without me"
The statement shocked Yuriko, "No, we won't leave you!"
"Listen to me, it's for your own good. You must go. I have a brother in America and I have already notified him. You are due there in two days. He will be expecting me there...tell him I will arrive soon, I had some business to take care of. You'll be safe there."
"I don't like this, I have a bad feeling about it."
"I wouldn't send you there if it weren't completely safe. I love you too much to do that."
"I know, but why can't you come with me? I don't want to leave you without knowing if your all right."
"Everything will be fine, I must go now, if I come back here to find you still here..."
"I know, we'll most likely have been killed. We'll leave in the morning."
"Good, I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you" Scorpion held Yuriko for a moment, staying with the moment, he gave her a passionate, lingering, kiss before breaking the embrace. "I should go," said Scorpion, pain in his whispered voice. The truth was he never knew whether or not he'd be returning. He wanted desperately to leave his clan and raise his son. He had to give her something. He took the pendant from around his neck looked at it one last time, then looked to Yuriko.
"When next we see each other we will be in America. Take this with you, and I will be with whenever you wear it," the ninja said as he put the pendant around her neck. It had a Scorpion engraved on top of a heart. The heart was encircled by fire.
"I can't take th..."
"No words, just take it, good-bye, my love, good-bye!" with that Scorpion walked out to take his final job, one he wouldn't return from.
* * *
It had seemed like only yesterday that he had uttered the words. He was to walk into his death that very day. That bastard from the Lin Kuei decapitated him regardless of his pleas.
"I spent ten years in hell, because I wouldn't listen to you. Now I am back, and I find out my own brother betrayed me. He told the Lin Kuei where you were. You were killed because you were my wife. If only I had been there, maybe you'd be alive now," the yellow ninja said, half to himself and half to his wife's grave at the same time.
"If I had known you would be blubbering at a graveyard, I never would have released you from your prison," said a shadowy figure behind him. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"What do you want, Saibot?"
"To remind you you're only here because I let you out! Remember your promise to the Brothers of Shadow? We let you fight in Mortal Kombat so you can get revenge on your brother and the Lin Kuei, and you provide us with the souls of those you kill."
"I remember. I only need a slight bit of time, I am still human, after all."
"Ah, but you're not, remember? You are nothing but a lost soul. Do your job or heaven will be denied."
"Why is my revenge so important to you? There must be millions of souls in the Netherealm that desire revenge more than I."
"Yes, there are. But it was not my choice. My allegiance comes from a vicious fallen god. He chose."
"You're still not answering my question! Why me?"
"I could tell you, and risk both our souls, or I could bring you to the tournament so you can finish the one task you were brought here to complete in the first place. Personally, I value my soul, so step through the portal, it will take you to the slave ship. The sorcerer is already expecting you."
"A slave ship? The most powerful sorcerer in this realm and he rides around in a slave ship?"
"What would you expect from a man who enslaves the souls of those killed in the tournament? If I were you, I wouldn't make any slip-ups. He takes you, he keeps you."
"Thanks for the warning, see ya in Hell!"
That you will, demon, that you will… said the shadow to himself as Scorpion disappeared through the wormhole.
* * *
Scorpion felt like shit. He was back in his prison in the Netherealm. He slowly stood up and looked around, "What the FUCK!" was all the ninja could say, his rage building in side of him.
"Discouraging isn't it, going through a portal one minute, waking up back in your cell the next," said the same, echoing voice from his last conscience memory.
"FUCK YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"
"Now, now. This isn't my fault. As a matter of fact it's not even yours. As soon as you went through the portal Shang Tsung wiped your memory and took over your body. He enslaved you without so much as a flinch. It seems your current state as a lost soul made it far too easy for him to take you."
"So why am I still here?"
"Technically, you didn't complete your mission. Oh, Sub-Zero, your brother, and the other Lin Kuei warriors were killed by your hands, but Tsung was controlling your movements."
Just then boiling water started pouring into the cell. "What is this all about? I demand an explanation!"
"Unfortunately, you killed innocent soldiers while you were on the island. The rules of hell clearly state that the only way to clear your soul is to avenge against the one who sent you here. If you destroy anyone else while on earth your punishment shall be increased ten-fold."
"I WASN"T IN CONTROL! You said so yourself. This is ridiculous!"
"Sorry, rules are rules. Try and rest in peace…" with a flash of black light the shadow ninja disappeared.
The water was excruciatingly hot; it was inching up the cell for seemed like an eternity. In all actuality it was a few moments. In what seemed like a waking nightmare, a wall behind Scorpion seemed as if it had exploded. Water filled the remainder of the cell almost immediately.
The pain Scorpion felt was far past his threshold. It felt like a thousand swords, still red with heat, were piercing through him. He was stuck in a perpetual drowning. Time disappeared. Suddenly, He felt suction in the bottom of the cell. The water vanished and the pain began to subside, slowly at first. His yellow cloak had long since been burned and torn from his scratching at his burns.
"Ugh…" This was all Scorpion could say before he immediately began to vomit the contents of his lungs and stomach.
"Feeling well?" said a somber sounding echo, "You are once again needed."
"Go to hell!" exclaimed the now steaming, literally and figuratively, Scorpion.
"We're already here. I would have thought you knew that having spent six years in a boiling pot."
"Give me just one reason why I shouldn't get up and tear your fucking head off right now!"
"First, you haven't the ability to do that here. Second, Sub-Zero has escaped…We're giving you one last chance to avenge yourself."
"And do your dirty work, never!"
"You have no choice. Besides, we have something else we know you want."
"And that is?"
"Your wife. Shang Tsung brought her here when he arrived. It seems he still had a number of souls under his possession when he was killed, how he came upon this soul I have no Idea, but she's here."
"My wife is here! Let me see her!"
"Of course. Look for yourself," The Shadow Ninja waved his hand and a mirror appeared with his wife's image instead of a reflection. She was tied spread eagle between two structural supports, wearing only the tattoo. A man was whipping her with a bullwhip. Another was using a series of piercing needles. Her entire body had piercings in painful places, including her breasts, face, arms and everywhere else were room could be found. Each piercing had a weight attached to it.
"This is sick, I've heard of sadomasochism before, but this is too far, nothing could enjoy that!"
"They don't call it hell for nothing." Saibot said, flatly.
"Shut the hell up you colorless bastard!"
"No need for flared tempers. Accept our proposal and you AND your wife can go free to live the life you've always wanted to in heaven, deny us, and you're new hell is to watch her torture for the rest of eternity!"
"Anything to get her out of this godforsaken pit."
"Good…Go to the new tournament. This time it is being held in a place called Outworld. You kill the Ice-Warrior, you and your wife go free."
"And if the sorcerer takes me over again?"
"It won't be a factor. He is too busy. Hell can be a bitch"
"You had better be right, if I get sent back here again, your ass will be on the line."
"I would love to see you try something. One little problem, though, touch me and you get no more chances. Look, go through this portal and kill your enemy," he said as the newly created portal appeared, "If you waste any more time you'll be sentenced to the De-Kara, you'd never imagine the range of sensations that hell can give you."
"I'm going." At the moment that Scorpion walked through the portal, another soul quickly followed behind him and jumped through the portal.
"What!" exclaimed the shocked ninja as the portal closed the second soul on the other end. "General, who was that?!"
"It was Shang Tsung, sir. He used a fireball on his torturer and ran for your portal."
"Send a message to Sub-Zero's brother, we'll get him to bring him back. Offer him anything he wants. Make sure he knows of the importance of this."
"Yes, master," replied the general as he disappeared in a ball of flame.
* * *
"So you never found out what happened to your brother?" said a tall man in a black jumpsuit.
"Our grandmaster wouldn't tell me anything except he accomplished his mission just before being murdered," said a slightly smaller man in the same black jumpsuit.
"I'm sorry man, I know how you feel. My parents were killed by the Shirai Ryu clan just a few years ago. They were always honorable. Why would anyone want to kill them?"
"Tell me, was the ninja dressed in a suit just like ours?"
"YES! He called himself Scorpion."
"I knew it, he usually isn't a murderer, just a mercenary. I had the pleasure of meeting that sadist once. He robbed a bar I was in, he didn't kill anyone."
"You're suggesting he only kills when ordered? Like us?"
"I don't know, but my brother suggested that. He's fought him many times. They would usually knock each other cold. They were usually locked in stalemates until he finally killed him. My brother said that his enemy wasn't himself that day; he was distracted, like his thoughts were on something else. I don't know how they came to hate each other but it had something to do with a girl they both loved years ago."
"Sounds like jealousy to me. Now back to the subject, my parents were always noble people! Why would a clan of ninjas call out a hit on them?"
"Maybe it was just the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe they saw something they shouldn't have. What is that?!" Said the smaller warrior, pointing up at a purple mass appearing out of nowhere. It seemed to waver like a whirlpool of water.
" I think that's our transport, Sub…"
"I thought we were going to an island, Smoke,"
"We were wrong, I guess."
The two Lin Kuei Ninjas were heading toward the Portal when a voice suddenly boomed "SUB-ZERO! Don't enter the portal yet."
Sub Zero looked towards the voice, "Why not?"
"I've got a proposition to make to you."
"And that would be?"
"The sorcerer your brother was hired to assassinate in the last tournament has returned. We'd like you to finish the job your brother began."
"What's in it for me?"
"What do you want? Name your price."
"I get my choice in my prize?"
"Anything."
"Smoke," whispered Sub to his ally, "what do you make of this guy?"
"I say take his offer. If he can deliver, you get something out of it; if he doesn't, then you still get to walk in your brother's footsteps. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Sub-Zero thought for a few moments before giving his answer, "Okay, you've got a deal. My price is that you condemn a warrior named Scorpion. He killed my friend's parents."
"It will be done. Now go finish your deed." With that said the specter disappeared.
"That guy is either seriously disturbed, or a man on a mission," said Smoke as he looked back to the portal, "SUB, the hole is closing man, come on!" Smoke said as he ran through the portal.
"Doesn't he ever wait?" said the young Ice Ninja to himself as he jumped through the portal at the last possible moment. The wormhole felt like a microwave, his inside was freezing cold while his skin was nearly burning. What the hell kind of way to travel is this? Thought the Ninja as he was being sucked through the wormhole. Then suddenly everything seemed to disappear into blackness before he abruptly hit a solid stone floor.
"Watch than last step, man, hurts like hell," said Smoke, as he helped up his disoriented partner.
"What is this place?" said Sub-Zero as he brushed off his jumpsuit.
"It's the main hall," replied the gray-eyed ninja.
"How do you know that?"
"That ninja right there told me when I went through portal, her name is Jade," said Smoke, pointing to a voluptuous young woman in a revealing green body suit, boots and gloves. She had a gray retractable staff on her belt. She was talking with another woman in similar clothing. The other's clothing was bluish purple and she had two metallic fans in her belt across her sides.
"Damn, I want a shot at her on a more personal level if you know what I mean, Smoke."
"I know what you mean, but keep your focus in the here and now, remember why we're here."
"I remember, but why not have a little fun while we're here?"
"Because if you screw up because of a distraction you could be dead. Besides, you may have to fight one of them. Trust me it won't be funny if you lose because one of them killed you with a kiss or something out of a bad B-movie."
"True, but what a way to go!"
The two ninjas continued down the hall. They turned where the numerous guards instructed them and soon found their quarters for their visit to Outworld. Inside was a virtual arsenal of weapons for use during the fights. On the beds they found two women. Barely covered, they seemed to scream out in need to the two ninjas as if going through a withdrawal of some kind.
"Whoa, these girls want it bad, don't they Smoke?"
"By no means," said a powerful voice behind them, "what they want is this," The voice said, holding up vile of green fluid. The voice was from a seven-foot tall man. He was dressed in black pants and wore a helmet like that of Gengis Kahn's, he had a skull faceplate over his face. "I am your host, Shao Kahn, and this is a drug called Dragon's Blood. It keeps them in servitude to me. They are my concubines and they are only here because they know I sometimes hide it in the guestrooms. If you would like a more intimate encounter with them it can be arranged."
"Well actually…" Sub-Zero began to say before being cut off by Smoke.
"Actually, thanks but no thanks. He needs to keep focused on the tournament."
"Very well," Said Kahn, amusement in his voice, " Good luck out there, you WILL need it. Girls, here, now!" With Kahn's order the concubines stood up and walked out with Kahn.
"What were you thinking, that was a sure deal!" Said an angry Sub- Zero.
"Now, what would you do with out me. Those girls were nothing but dirty, disgusting, brutal, bottom-feeding, trash bag hookers for a seemingly god-like pimp. There was going to be a catch and you would not have liked it."
"Nevermind, it's just been a while, ever since the Lin Kuei kicked out Nina."
"Try and forget about it for a while, last thing we need is you losing it before your first fight."
"I'm going to sleep, Smoke. I need the rest."
"Yeah, I agree. Go to sleep, frosty, I'll check out the weaponry we have. Good night."
"Good night, man."
Sub-Zero fell asleep quickly. He didn't know what the next few days would bring.
* * *
Scorpion had seen The Lin Kuei fighters step through the portal. He quickly cast himself into invisibility for a moment and hid before reappearing in the shadows. The trick was taught to him while he was still alive. It gave the appearance of a teleportation to those he fought. With his memories of the first tournament returning he found even Reptile, a speedy chameleon like ninja, was shocked at his speed when using the ability. He watched as the ninjas spoke. Scorpion listened in. That's odd, he thought, Sub-Zero didn't act like this when we first fought. But then we were enemies. Still, he sounds younger somewhat, almost teenage. Almost familiar too. No, he thought, this must be him.
He followed the ninjas until he noticed someone familiar in the group. Shang Tsung! He saw him talking to a tall man with two women on his arm. That bastard said he wasn't going to be at this tournament! I'll deal with Noob when I get my wife out of there, for now I'll wait till I can surprise Tsung. If I stay low he won't know where I am. He must have escaped just after I went through the portal. For now I'll find a room. He disappeared again and quickly found a room. It had a couple of barbarians fighting over god knows what. He made quick work of them and burned the bodies on the balcony. He used a chi spell he had learned around the same time as his invisibility to do so.
He saw the amount of weapons in the room and determined that they were all unnecessary. He locked the door and watched the night sky. He thought of what he would do to that Lin Kuei bastard that murdered him. Or even worse, the colorless demon that tortured me for so many years.
His thoughts quickly changed. He thought of his wife. He thought of her perfect hair, her perfect body, and the nights they would spend just looking at the stars, much like he was doing now. The nights of passion that would almost always occur after he returned from a mission. How he missed those days.
I miss you so much, Thought the hell spawn, But all the trouble and death that will occur will be worth it to free you. You should never have been brought there.
The ninja looked out towards the stars. The stars were beginning to fade as the sunlight began to emerge. This was like no sunrise he had ever witnessed however. The sunrise was too bright. That's when he noticed that there were two suns on the horizon! He stood leaning on the scorched balcony for at least an hour watching the suns.
By what would have been noon, he counted what must have been six suns, all in different places in the sky. He had known that Outworld was a compilation of realms but he didn't know the suns were taken as well.
Then suddenly below he saw the fighters begin to gather around the Kombat Dragon insignia on the courtyard floor. Moments later he heard Gongs. Great, it starts now. Maybe I can finish this before it starts, and get out of here by tonight.
Scorpion made himself invisible once again and headed to the courtyard by jumping down the balconies. Once he arrived at the bottom level he took off his mask before re-appearing, he didn't want anyone he may have encountered, especially Sub-Zero, to recognize him before he had a chance to destroy the Ice Ninja again. First he would have to find him in this rather large crowd.
As he was searching through the crowd he came to the front, directly in front of the stage that Khan had set up. That's when he saw the tall man again. This must be Khan, Thought Scorpion, Lets see what he has to say, then I'll continue looking.
Just as he said this he saw Shang Tsung step up to the side of his master. Just like a dog to his owner. Pity, till now I had some respect for the sorcerer.
"Welcome, my guests, to Outworld," said Khan in a commanding tone,"I think you will find its inhabitants…my subjects, to be most accommodating. Anything you wish to take from them, or do to them, is up to you. While you are here there are no rules, other than those of the tournament, of course. Today the Tournament begins…you have three hours to prepare. The first match shall be Exodus versus Cayn. But first, a taste of things to come. SUB-ZERO, SCORPION!! Step forward…"
* * *
Noob Saibot was frightened. It was not something that came naturally to him. He had been serving the netherealm of hell for over two thousand years now. He had never lost a slave… until now. Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn's demon sorcerer had slipped through a portal with Scorpion. He had made it to earth just behind the poor yellow bastard he was extorting. Now it came down to him to deliver the news to his master. He was called to his master's throne room to do so. He new he would not be pleased. And when he wasn't pleased, everyone felt it. Noob Saibot was not looking forward to this by any means.
He finally got to his master's door when it opened on its own. "What news do you have?" asked his master in a silent echo. His master was just out of view, behind the shadows of the vast throne room.
"The news is not good, my lord," replied the shadow, "Shang Tsung, of Outworld, has escaped with our pawn Scorpion."
"I have already sent someone to remedy the situation. You have served me well, and you are a very skilled warrior, but you are not an overseer yet. When you have finished the task, I am prepared to give you your rightful place as my right hand."
"What is your bidding, master? Name the task and it shall be done."
"My bidding is for you to seek out the amulet which was lost to me all those years ago. Rayden has hidden it some place on earth. I want you to find it."
"It will be done, my lord, but if I may ask, why is this so important to you? What power does it hold over you so that you will send me to the ends of earth to find it?"
"Do I sense a shred of disloyalty in you? Do this now or you will be sent to the rea-kawn Tiu. As you know, there is NO escaping that creature. It grows more powerful all the time, I almost regret creating it…Now GO!!"
"Immediately, master, but if I may ask one more question?"
"Yes?"
"Who did you send to deal with Scorpion?"
"I answer this with a riddle. What do you get when many become one? Think about it, now no more delays! GO!!" screamed the shadow. The power that emanated from him was extraordinary. It pushed Saibot hard into the air. He landed with a crack through a table.
"Y ,y, yes, My lord. I'll leave now." Said a surprised Noob. He got up slowly and walked quickly from his master's chamber.
The air was cold. It was the winter solstice. Winter had come early this year, or so it seemed to the yellow ninja. He was called to his master's quarters and was told to be prepared for battle. The messenger seemed nervous when he saw the man who answered the door. The ninja had a reputation in his village. His name was Hanzo Hasashi. Death, however, would come quickly to whoever so much as muttered that name for him to hear. He HATED his name. The only name he allowed people to call him was that of the year he was born, the year of the Scorpion.
"What does he want now?" Scorpion said to himself.
"Who was that, my love?" said a beautiful woman inside. She was nude save for her wedding ring and a scorpion tattoo on her abdomen.
"Just a messenger, I have to return to the temple. You may want to get dressed; I have to leave immediately."
"Why must you leave? That clan of yours only uses you; they never cared about you. Besides, everytime you leave I fear you won't return," said the woman as she put on her robe.
"I know, Yuriko, I know. I promise you, after this mission, whatever it may be, I will return. Regardless of what the clan says, I won't go back to that life. Now listen to me, I want you and Larago to go to America without me"
The statement shocked Yuriko, "No, we won't leave you!"
"Listen to me, it's for your own good. You must go. I have a brother in America and I have already notified him. You are due there in two days. He will be expecting me there...tell him I will arrive soon, I had some business to take care of. You'll be safe there."
"I don't like this, I have a bad feeling about it."
"I wouldn't send you there if it weren't completely safe. I love you too much to do that."
"I know, but why can't you come with me? I don't want to leave you without knowing if your all right."
"Everything will be fine, I must go now, if I come back here to find you still here..."
"I know, we'll most likely have been killed. We'll leave in the morning."
"Good, I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you" Scorpion held Yuriko for a moment, staying with the moment, he gave her a passionate, lingering, kiss before breaking the embrace. "I should go," said Scorpion, pain in his whispered voice. The truth was he never knew whether or not he'd be returning. He wanted desperately to leave his clan and raise his son. He had to give her something. He took the pendant from around his neck looked at it one last time, then looked to Yuriko.
"When next we see each other we will be in America. Take this with you, and I will be with whenever you wear it," the ninja said as he put the pendant around her neck. It had a Scorpion engraved on top of a heart. The heart was encircled by fire.
"I can't take th..."
"No words, just take it, good-bye, my love, good-bye!" with that Scorpion walked out to take his final job, one he wouldn't return from.
* * *
It had seemed like only yesterday that he had uttered the words. He was to walk into his death that very day. That bastard from the Lin Kuei decapitated him regardless of his pleas.
"I spent ten years in hell, because I wouldn't listen to you. Now I am back, and I find out my own brother betrayed me. He told the Lin Kuei where you were. You were killed because you were my wife. If only I had been there, maybe you'd be alive now," the yellow ninja said, half to himself and half to his wife's grave at the same time.
"If I had known you would be blubbering at a graveyard, I never would have released you from your prison," said a shadowy figure behind him. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"What do you want, Saibot?"
"To remind you you're only here because I let you out! Remember your promise to the Brothers of Shadow? We let you fight in Mortal Kombat so you can get revenge on your brother and the Lin Kuei, and you provide us with the souls of those you kill."
"I remember. I only need a slight bit of time, I am still human, after all."
"Ah, but you're not, remember? You are nothing but a lost soul. Do your job or heaven will be denied."
"Why is my revenge so important to you? There must be millions of souls in the Netherealm that desire revenge more than I."
"Yes, there are. But it was not my choice. My allegiance comes from a vicious fallen god. He chose."
"You're still not answering my question! Why me?"
"I could tell you, and risk both our souls, or I could bring you to the tournament so you can finish the one task you were brought here to complete in the first place. Personally, I value my soul, so step through the portal, it will take you to the slave ship. The sorcerer is already expecting you."
"A slave ship? The most powerful sorcerer in this realm and he rides around in a slave ship?"
"What would you expect from a man who enslaves the souls of those killed in the tournament? If I were you, I wouldn't make any slip-ups. He takes you, he keeps you."
"Thanks for the warning, see ya in Hell!"
That you will, demon, that you will… said the shadow to himself as Scorpion disappeared through the wormhole.
* * *
Scorpion felt like shit. He was back in his prison in the Netherealm. He slowly stood up and looked around, "What the FUCK!" was all the ninja could say, his rage building in side of him.
"Discouraging isn't it, going through a portal one minute, waking up back in your cell the next," said the same, echoing voice from his last conscience memory.
"FUCK YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"
"Now, now. This isn't my fault. As a matter of fact it's not even yours. As soon as you went through the portal Shang Tsung wiped your memory and took over your body. He enslaved you without so much as a flinch. It seems your current state as a lost soul made it far too easy for him to take you."
"So why am I still here?"
"Technically, you didn't complete your mission. Oh, Sub-Zero, your brother, and the other Lin Kuei warriors were killed by your hands, but Tsung was controlling your movements."
Just then boiling water started pouring into the cell. "What is this all about? I demand an explanation!"
"Unfortunately, you killed innocent soldiers while you were on the island. The rules of hell clearly state that the only way to clear your soul is to avenge against the one who sent you here. If you destroy anyone else while on earth your punishment shall be increased ten-fold."
"I WASN"T IN CONTROL! You said so yourself. This is ridiculous!"
"Sorry, rules are rules. Try and rest in peace…" with a flash of black light the shadow ninja disappeared.
The water was excruciatingly hot; it was inching up the cell for seemed like an eternity. In all actuality it was a few moments. In what seemed like a waking nightmare, a wall behind Scorpion seemed as if it had exploded. Water filled the remainder of the cell almost immediately.
The pain Scorpion felt was far past his threshold. It felt like a thousand swords, still red with heat, were piercing through him. He was stuck in a perpetual drowning. Time disappeared. Suddenly, He felt suction in the bottom of the cell. The water vanished and the pain began to subside, slowly at first. His yellow cloak had long since been burned and torn from his scratching at his burns.
"Ugh…" This was all Scorpion could say before he immediately began to vomit the contents of his lungs and stomach.
"Feeling well?" said a somber sounding echo, "You are once again needed."
"Go to hell!" exclaimed the now steaming, literally and figuratively, Scorpion.
"We're already here. I would have thought you knew that having spent six years in a boiling pot."
"Give me just one reason why I shouldn't get up and tear your fucking head off right now!"
"First, you haven't the ability to do that here. Second, Sub-Zero has escaped…We're giving you one last chance to avenge yourself."
"And do your dirty work, never!"
"You have no choice. Besides, we have something else we know you want."
"And that is?"
"Your wife. Shang Tsung brought her here when he arrived. It seems he still had a number of souls under his possession when he was killed, how he came upon this soul I have no Idea, but she's here."
"My wife is here! Let me see her!"
"Of course. Look for yourself," The Shadow Ninja waved his hand and a mirror appeared with his wife's image instead of a reflection. She was tied spread eagle between two structural supports, wearing only the tattoo. A man was whipping her with a bullwhip. Another was using a series of piercing needles. Her entire body had piercings in painful places, including her breasts, face, arms and everywhere else were room could be found. Each piercing had a weight attached to it.
"This is sick, I've heard of sadomasochism before, but this is too far, nothing could enjoy that!"
"They don't call it hell for nothing." Saibot said, flatly.
"Shut the hell up you colorless bastard!"
"No need for flared tempers. Accept our proposal and you AND your wife can go free to live the life you've always wanted to in heaven, deny us, and you're new hell is to watch her torture for the rest of eternity!"
"Anything to get her out of this godforsaken pit."
"Good…Go to the new tournament. This time it is being held in a place called Outworld. You kill the Ice-Warrior, you and your wife go free."
"And if the sorcerer takes me over again?"
"It won't be a factor. He is too busy. Hell can be a bitch"
"You had better be right, if I get sent back here again, your ass will be on the line."
"I would love to see you try something. One little problem, though, touch me and you get no more chances. Look, go through this portal and kill your enemy," he said as the newly created portal appeared, "If you waste any more time you'll be sentenced to the De-Kara, you'd never imagine the range of sensations that hell can give you."
"I'm going." At the moment that Scorpion walked through the portal, another soul quickly followed behind him and jumped through the portal.
"What!" exclaimed the shocked ninja as the portal closed the second soul on the other end. "General, who was that?!"
"It was Shang Tsung, sir. He used a fireball on his torturer and ran for your portal."
"Send a message to Sub-Zero's brother, we'll get him to bring him back. Offer him anything he wants. Make sure he knows of the importance of this."
"Yes, master," replied the general as he disappeared in a ball of flame.
* * *
"So you never found out what happened to your brother?" said a tall man in a black jumpsuit.
"Our grandmaster wouldn't tell me anything except he accomplished his mission just before being murdered," said a slightly smaller man in the same black jumpsuit.
"I'm sorry man, I know how you feel. My parents were killed by the Shirai Ryu clan just a few years ago. They were always honorable. Why would anyone want to kill them?"
"Tell me, was the ninja dressed in a suit just like ours?"
"YES! He called himself Scorpion."
"I knew it, he usually isn't a murderer, just a mercenary. I had the pleasure of meeting that sadist once. He robbed a bar I was in, he didn't kill anyone."
"You're suggesting he only kills when ordered? Like us?"
"I don't know, but my brother suggested that. He's fought him many times. They would usually knock each other cold. They were usually locked in stalemates until he finally killed him. My brother said that his enemy wasn't himself that day; he was distracted, like his thoughts were on something else. I don't know how they came to hate each other but it had something to do with a girl they both loved years ago."
"Sounds like jealousy to me. Now back to the subject, my parents were always noble people! Why would a clan of ninjas call out a hit on them?"
"Maybe it was just the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe they saw something they shouldn't have. What is that?!" Said the smaller warrior, pointing up at a purple mass appearing out of nowhere. It seemed to waver like a whirlpool of water.
" I think that's our transport, Sub…"
"I thought we were going to an island, Smoke,"
"We were wrong, I guess."
The two Lin Kuei Ninjas were heading toward the Portal when a voice suddenly boomed "SUB-ZERO! Don't enter the portal yet."
Sub Zero looked towards the voice, "Why not?"
"I've got a proposition to make to you."
"And that would be?"
"The sorcerer your brother was hired to assassinate in the last tournament has returned. We'd like you to finish the job your brother began."
"What's in it for me?"
"What do you want? Name your price."
"I get my choice in my prize?"
"Anything."
"Smoke," whispered Sub to his ally, "what do you make of this guy?"
"I say take his offer. If he can deliver, you get something out of it; if he doesn't, then you still get to walk in your brother's footsteps. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Sub-Zero thought for a few moments before giving his answer, "Okay, you've got a deal. My price is that you condemn a warrior named Scorpion. He killed my friend's parents."
"It will be done. Now go finish your deed." With that said the specter disappeared.
"That guy is either seriously disturbed, or a man on a mission," said Smoke as he looked back to the portal, "SUB, the hole is closing man, come on!" Smoke said as he ran through the portal.
"Doesn't he ever wait?" said the young Ice Ninja to himself as he jumped through the portal at the last possible moment. The wormhole felt like a microwave, his inside was freezing cold while his skin was nearly burning. What the hell kind of way to travel is this? Thought the Ninja as he was being sucked through the wormhole. Then suddenly everything seemed to disappear into blackness before he abruptly hit a solid stone floor.
"Watch than last step, man, hurts like hell," said Smoke, as he helped up his disoriented partner.
"What is this place?" said Sub-Zero as he brushed off his jumpsuit.
"It's the main hall," replied the gray-eyed ninja.
"How do you know that?"
"That ninja right there told me when I went through portal, her name is Jade," said Smoke, pointing to a voluptuous young woman in a revealing green body suit, boots and gloves. She had a gray retractable staff on her belt. She was talking with another woman in similar clothing. The other's clothing was bluish purple and she had two metallic fans in her belt across her sides.
"Damn, I want a shot at her on a more personal level if you know what I mean, Smoke."
"I know what you mean, but keep your focus in the here and now, remember why we're here."
"I remember, but why not have a little fun while we're here?"
"Because if you screw up because of a distraction you could be dead. Besides, you may have to fight one of them. Trust me it won't be funny if you lose because one of them killed you with a kiss or something out of a bad B-movie."
"True, but what a way to go!"
The two ninjas continued down the hall. They turned where the numerous guards instructed them and soon found their quarters for their visit to Outworld. Inside was a virtual arsenal of weapons for use during the fights. On the beds they found two women. Barely covered, they seemed to scream out in need to the two ninjas as if going through a withdrawal of some kind.
"Whoa, these girls want it bad, don't they Smoke?"
"By no means," said a powerful voice behind them, "what they want is this," The voice said, holding up vile of green fluid. The voice was from a seven-foot tall man. He was dressed in black pants and wore a helmet like that of Gengis Kahn's, he had a skull faceplate over his face. "I am your host, Shao Kahn, and this is a drug called Dragon's Blood. It keeps them in servitude to me. They are my concubines and they are only here because they know I sometimes hide it in the guestrooms. If you would like a more intimate encounter with them it can be arranged."
"Well actually…" Sub-Zero began to say before being cut off by Smoke.
"Actually, thanks but no thanks. He needs to keep focused on the tournament."
"Very well," Said Kahn, amusement in his voice, " Good luck out there, you WILL need it. Girls, here, now!" With Kahn's order the concubines stood up and walked out with Kahn.
"What were you thinking, that was a sure deal!" Said an angry Sub- Zero.
"Now, what would you do with out me. Those girls were nothing but dirty, disgusting, brutal, bottom-feeding, trash bag hookers for a seemingly god-like pimp. There was going to be a catch and you would not have liked it."
"Nevermind, it's just been a while, ever since the Lin Kuei kicked out Nina."
"Try and forget about it for a while, last thing we need is you losing it before your first fight."
"I'm going to sleep, Smoke. I need the rest."
"Yeah, I agree. Go to sleep, frosty, I'll check out the weaponry we have. Good night."
"Good night, man."
Sub-Zero fell asleep quickly. He didn't know what the next few days would bring.
* * *
Scorpion had seen The Lin Kuei fighters step through the portal. He quickly cast himself into invisibility for a moment and hid before reappearing in the shadows. The trick was taught to him while he was still alive. It gave the appearance of a teleportation to those he fought. With his memories of the first tournament returning he found even Reptile, a speedy chameleon like ninja, was shocked at his speed when using the ability. He watched as the ninjas spoke. Scorpion listened in. That's odd, he thought, Sub-Zero didn't act like this when we first fought. But then we were enemies. Still, he sounds younger somewhat, almost teenage. Almost familiar too. No, he thought, this must be him.
He followed the ninjas until he noticed someone familiar in the group. Shang Tsung! He saw him talking to a tall man with two women on his arm. That bastard said he wasn't going to be at this tournament! I'll deal with Noob when I get my wife out of there, for now I'll wait till I can surprise Tsung. If I stay low he won't know where I am. He must have escaped just after I went through the portal. For now I'll find a room. He disappeared again and quickly found a room. It had a couple of barbarians fighting over god knows what. He made quick work of them and burned the bodies on the balcony. He used a chi spell he had learned around the same time as his invisibility to do so.
He saw the amount of weapons in the room and determined that they were all unnecessary. He locked the door and watched the night sky. He thought of what he would do to that Lin Kuei bastard that murdered him. Or even worse, the colorless demon that tortured me for so many years.
His thoughts quickly changed. He thought of his wife. He thought of her perfect hair, her perfect body, and the nights they would spend just looking at the stars, much like he was doing now. The nights of passion that would almost always occur after he returned from a mission. How he missed those days.
I miss you so much, Thought the hell spawn, But all the trouble and death that will occur will be worth it to free you. You should never have been brought there.
The ninja looked out towards the stars. The stars were beginning to fade as the sunlight began to emerge. This was like no sunrise he had ever witnessed however. The sunrise was too bright. That's when he noticed that there were two suns on the horizon! He stood leaning on the scorched balcony for at least an hour watching the suns.
By what would have been noon, he counted what must have been six suns, all in different places in the sky. He had known that Outworld was a compilation of realms but he didn't know the suns were taken as well.
Then suddenly below he saw the fighters begin to gather around the Kombat Dragon insignia on the courtyard floor. Moments later he heard Gongs. Great, it starts now. Maybe I can finish this before it starts, and get out of here by tonight.
Scorpion made himself invisible once again and headed to the courtyard by jumping down the balconies. Once he arrived at the bottom level he took off his mask before re-appearing, he didn't want anyone he may have encountered, especially Sub-Zero, to recognize him before he had a chance to destroy the Ice Ninja again. First he would have to find him in this rather large crowd.
As he was searching through the crowd he came to the front, directly in front of the stage that Khan had set up. That's when he saw the tall man again. This must be Khan, Thought Scorpion, Lets see what he has to say, then I'll continue looking.
Just as he said this he saw Shang Tsung step up to the side of his master. Just like a dog to his owner. Pity, till now I had some respect for the sorcerer.
"Welcome, my guests, to Outworld," said Khan in a commanding tone,"I think you will find its inhabitants…my subjects, to be most accommodating. Anything you wish to take from them, or do to them, is up to you. While you are here there are no rules, other than those of the tournament, of course. Today the Tournament begins…you have three hours to prepare. The first match shall be Exodus versus Cayn. But first, a taste of things to come. SUB-ZERO, SCORPION!! Step forward…"
* * *
Noob Saibot was frightened. It was not something that came naturally to him. He had been serving the netherealm of hell for over two thousand years now. He had never lost a slave… until now. Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn's demon sorcerer had slipped through a portal with Scorpion. He had made it to earth just behind the poor yellow bastard he was extorting. Now it came down to him to deliver the news to his master. He was called to his master's throne room to do so. He new he would not be pleased. And when he wasn't pleased, everyone felt it. Noob Saibot was not looking forward to this by any means.
He finally got to his master's door when it opened on its own. "What news do you have?" asked his master in a silent echo. His master was just out of view, behind the shadows of the vast throne room.
"The news is not good, my lord," replied the shadow, "Shang Tsung, of Outworld, has escaped with our pawn Scorpion."
"I have already sent someone to remedy the situation. You have served me well, and you are a very skilled warrior, but you are not an overseer yet. When you have finished the task, I am prepared to give you your rightful place as my right hand."
"What is your bidding, master? Name the task and it shall be done."
"My bidding is for you to seek out the amulet which was lost to me all those years ago. Rayden has hidden it some place on earth. I want you to find it."
"It will be done, my lord, but if I may ask, why is this so important to you? What power does it hold over you so that you will send me to the ends of earth to find it?"
"Do I sense a shred of disloyalty in you? Do this now or you will be sent to the rea-kawn Tiu. As you know, there is NO escaping that creature. It grows more powerful all the time, I almost regret creating it…Now GO!!"
"Immediately, master, but if I may ask one more question?"
"Yes?"
"Who did you send to deal with Scorpion?"
"I answer this with a riddle. What do you get when many become one? Think about it, now no more delays! GO!!" screamed the shadow. The power that emanated from him was extraordinary. It pushed Saibot hard into the air. He landed with a crack through a table.
"Y ,y, yes, My lord. I'll leave now." Said a surprised Noob. He got up slowly and walked quickly from his master's chamber.