Forsaken Realm

'So the time has finally come. After all these centuries spent climbing the food chain of this place, I finally control this realm, and soon I will show those fools how wrong they were to imprison me here.' Thought a lonesome figure as he stared across the vast see of green that made up most of this realm.

The realm itself was just one huge jungle filled with creatures and nightmarish beings that's sole purpose was to rend the flesh of anything that came in their sights. Despite this the realm also possessed special properties and herbs that could make living in this place somewhat tolerable and even worth surviving in. For one the realm allowed those of other realms to be immortal as long as they remained, as well as reviving them should they perish though there were herbs that could give the same effect only they worked everywhere and not just in this realm.

This was known as the Forsaken realm, a place where the most dangerous and powerful criminals were kept, or so that is what everyone else believes or is told. In truth this is a place that the God's send powerful 'troublemakers' whom they don't want to deal with, save for a certain Fallen Elder God. Many who reside in this realm are in fact soldiers, leaders and warriors whose ideas just overall went against what the Elder God's wanted and therefore they were banished here so that they no longer posed a threat to the so-called peace the god's enjoyed.

Such was the case with this figure. He was obviously male and stood an intimidating six foot four with a defined yet not overly muscular stature giving them a perfect balance of speed and strength. Their skin was bronzed due to all the time spent in this tropical land, marred only by the various scars that littered his form while their dark brown hair fell down in a mess of spikes with matching colored eyes. As far as clothes went he had on nothing but a pair of faded red gi-pants with the emblem of a bleeding skull with skeletal wings on the right thigh, and a pair of steel gauntlets that went all the way up to his elbows and were covered in designs that made them look as if they were covered with bone, said gauntlets, though possessing sings of use, looked very well taken care of.

This man was Angelus, a former warrior and champion of Earthrealm. He had been a victor of Mortal Kombat and had even earned the name Angelus Mortis, the Angel of Death for his skill. He had earned so much respect and praise that it was almost impossible to imagine he would wind up in the Forsaken realm. That, of course, was before he had his vision of future events during one of his meditation sessions.

He had seen how the Fallen Elder God Shinnok would rise once more from his prison in the Netherealm to claim Earthrealm's life force and had warned Raiden and the other gods about it, but what did they do instead? They threw his warning aside and did nothing!

Seeing as he would get no aid from his mentor and his masters, Angelus had instead decided to train a new generation of warriors for the sole purpose of defeating Shinnok and his servants. When Raiden and the Elder God's learned of this however, they saw him as a potential villain rising to power by training a personal army. Despite the warrior's protest and that of his student's disputing such claims they went unheard and Angelus was forced to watch, as the one being he saw as a second father killed all of his students, and then that very same man cast him into the portal that sent him here.

He had spent decades taking his hatred for Raiden and the Elder God's out on the other beings who dwelled in this realm. For most of his life, he had believed in them, and in Raiden's cause for defending Earth realm from the forces of Shao Kahn, only for him to be cast out as soon as he revealed an even bigger threat than the Konqueror could ever be!

Overtime however his rage dwindled and he just focused on becoming stronger for the day he would be released from this prison. Angelus knew that sooner or later the God's would see he was right and releases him from his banishment so that he may do battle with this old threat. When that moment came, he would be ready. To do this the former champion trained vigorously day in and day out to take his skills to new heights, not only that but he also experimented with a few of the flora and discovered some interesting effects of the plants, most importantly the plant that increased his lifespan to that of the Edenians.

Now here he was, a former champion of Earthrealm, waiting to be brought back into the fold so that he may protect his home once more. Only this time he would not be the blind fool who would follow the God's without question, oh no. He would fight for his realm yes, but he would do it his way, and if Raiden tried to interfere? Then he would show the pathetic Thunder God why he was called Angelus Mortis.

Hearing the sound of a portal being opened behind him Angelus did not react, but he did sense the power flowing off of his new visitor and could barely restrain himself from lashing out. While most of his rage had subsided, it was far from gone, especially when one of the causes of said rage now stood a mere few feet away.

"Angelus, my former student." announced Raiden as he stared the back of one of his finest champions, and barely suppressing a wince at seeing the various scars that now littered his form.

"Raiden, the so called 'protector' of Earthrealm. To what do I owe the pleasure of such a visit from a God?"Angelus asked with more than a hint of venom lacing his tone upon using the Thunder God's name and title.

"I come here with a proposition."

"Oh, do you now? I wonder what you could possibly want from me after all of this time." Angelus asked sarcastically.

"Another Mortal Kombat tournament has come, the tenth tournament to be exact. Outworld's warriors have won the first nine and this one will decide the fate of Earthrealm. Your home needs your strength once more to defend it." stated Raiden, only to be taken aback as the former champion whipped around to face him with black flames dancing along his eyes.

"Oh, you need my strength now!? Earthrealm would be more then well protected if you hadn't murdered my students in cold blood!" roared Angelus as his black flames danced through his eyes as if they were twin pools to hell itself.

"Your motives were questionable and you were being driven by a false threat! The Elder God's saw what you were doing and thought you would become another Shao Kahn!" threw back the Thunder God.

"And what did you think? Despite all my protest, contrary to their beliefs, you never once stood by our side, and when judgment came you didn't even hesitate when you drove your fist right through Lin's chest as she came to greet you as the friend she saw you as!"

Raiden couldn't hide the wince at Angelus' words at how he had killed the man's adopted sibling as she came to greet him as a friend like so many times before. Of all the lives he had taken that day, hers had continued to haunt him till this day, and it seems it had haunted his former student as well. If any were to learn what had occurred that day he had no doubt that there would be hell to pay for his actions. But discussing his failing's as a protector of Earthrealm was not the reason for this visit.

"Nothing I say can possibly ease the anger you possess, but if you will not fight for me or the Elder God's, then at least fight for your home and its safety." finished Raiden, and after a moment the fire that had consumed Angelus had faded away to reveal those cold brown orbs once more.

"I will always fight for my home Raiden; it was the only reason I ever fought in the tournament to begin with," sighed Angelus before turning back to gazing at the realm that had been his home for so many centuries now, "however, I will not do this for free. If I participate in this tournament, I want my students brought back to the world of the living as if they had never died at all but with all of their memories intact. Wouldn't want my students blindly trusting you to only end up dead again would we? Those are my terms for participating."

Raiden's eyes narrowed at the man's price but knew that to deny him would only invite defeat. Too much was at stake in this tournament and Angelus' power was the only thing that could turn the tide in Earthrealm's favor. While he did have hope for his current fighters to win the visions, he had seen from his future self through his amulet gave him a sense of foreboding. He only hoped that with time that his former student's own disciples would be able to forgive him.

"I agree to your terms Angelus; you have my word as a God of Earthrealm. Now come, the tournament is soon to begin."Acquiesced Raiden as another portal opened up behind him.

"Your word means nothing Thunder God, actions are the only thing I trust." stated the warrior as he walked by Raiden and into the portal that would take him to where the tournament was being held.

Watching him go, Raiden couldn't help but close his eyes as his regret finally caught up with him as he watched the victim of his greatest mistake leave to once again fight a seemingly endless war. He had lived since Earthrealm took its first breath of life and had seen many horrors and beauties. He had seen great creations, and devastating destruction, some caused by his own hand even. Yet in all of those instances he was able to justify himself and his actions so that he possessed no guilt over it.

With Angelus however, he could not justify what he had done to the man he had raised as a boy to the warrior he had become. He had filled him with such hope and strength in defending his home, only for him to crush that very same hope and drive out of needless fear of the Elder Gods. Despite what many may believe, Raiden didn't for one moment think that Angelus' intentions were anything but pure. Even so, he still did what the Elder God's had asked and had caused his pupil untold pain with his betrayal of not just him, but of everyone that had followed him.

"I am truly sorry for failing you Angelus, not just as a mentor, but as a father as well." sighed Raiden as he stepped into the portal as well to begin the tournament that would decide if outworld survived for another century or perished under the might of Shao Kahn and Outworld.

Shang Tsung's Island

When Angelus exited the portal that Raiden had opened he now found himself in a very familiar setting. The stone ring in the center of a large pavilion with a throne on one end was all too familiar to the experienced warrior. He felt a sense of nostalgia as he looked to the side and saw the various warrior's gathered for the tournament and couldn't help but remember his first time in the tournament as well, back when he was still a student under Raiden.

While some wore familiar attire he noticed a few with some unusual clothing, like the man wearing the bright white garb and wearing some type of lenses over his eyes talking to a woman in some combat fatigues if Angelus had to guess. He could sense some hidden power in the arrogant looking man while the blonde haired woman had the air of a soldier about her, interesting.

Angelus didn't even acknowledge the other contestant's sending looks his way or even when Raiden exited the portal that closed after he had passed and just decided to wait for the tournament to begin. He wondered how the old sorcerer would react upon seeing him again after so long?

The ancient warrior didn't have to wait long as Shang Tsung's various servants filed into the courtyard and took up the space between the fighting stage and throne. Not long after the ancient looking man himself walked out while being flanked by the Tarkatan Baraka, the assassin/bodyguard Jade and the princess of Outworld herself Kitana. The latter two was a new sight to Angelus as they had not participated in the tournament when he had and he was curious on how strong they were and what skill's they could possibly possess.

Everyone watched as the ancient magic wielder arrogantly stepped forward before making the same stupid speech he had when Angelus was first here, and the warrior wasn't willing to listen to it again if he could help it.

"Oh get on with it you wrinkled old coot, I want to win this thing already like I did last time." announced Angelus getting the attention of all present, though when Shang's milky white gaze settled on him his eyes widened in fear and anger at whom he saw.

"YOU! What are you doing here?!"declared the sorcerer as beside him Baraka growled while everyone else was confused at who this man was to draw such ire from the old man.

"Hey Shang, looking as old and ugly as ever. Did ya miss me?" mocked Angelus making Baraka unleash his blades as he got ready to attack the man who had killed his ancestor in the previous tournament that Angelus had participated in, but was stopped by a raised arm from Shang Tsung.

Meanwhile, Kitana and Jade were confused on how Shang Tsung knew this mortal and what he could have done to upset the usually composed sorcerer. It was quite out of character for him after all.

"Who is this mortal Shang Tsung, and why does he anger you so?" asked the princess of Outworld as she stared at the man and could tell he was strong, stronger then just about everyone else here if she had to guess.

"I'm not surprised you don't know him Kitana, for this Earthrealmer shouldn't even be alive due to how short they live. This man is Angelus Mortis, the Angel of Death and a previous Mortal Kombat champion." announced Shang and if the other's interest weren't peaked before they certainly were now as they gazed upon the living legend himself.

Kitana and Jade especially were surprised as they stared at this man with renewed curiosity and even a bit of fear. Even the Emperor was weary of facing the man who wielded the black flames that could even burn away the souls of all who come across them. That was what made him truly feared, his black flames were able to not only burn bodies, but could even incinerate the very souls of his enemies, making it so that even is Shang wanted to he couldn't absorb the soul of the fallen warrior and make him weaker by extension. Also, while Kitana's father and Emperor had spoke of the man with great hate and anger, there was a hint of respect for him as well which made her want to meet the legend himself even more, and now here he was in the flesh.

The others, however, looked at him as a challenge to truly prove their strength and wondered what he had done to earn such a fearsome title. They would get their chance soon enough though, they all would.

"No matter, the tournament will commence as planned even with this new... addition," growled Shang Tsung as he sent a small glare towards a smirking Angelus, "let Mortal Kombat begin! The first match is Angelus versus Reptile!"

'And so it begins,' thought Angelus as he stepped onto the platform just as he had done all those centuries ago, only now he had a new drive and a new purpose, but the same ironclad determination, 'time to add another championship under my belt.'

Unknown to the ancient warrior however, he wasn't the only one thinking about the tournament as a certain Thunder God gazed down nervously at his cracked medallion with a sense of foreboding crawling up his spine.

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