Hey Ninjas! It's SKORPIONMKXWARRIOR! This is a Mortal Kombat Fanfic I am making. It's not the revised canon storyline one I initially planned, but it's easier to write this and there are less cause and effect headaches. I hope any fight scenes are good because I finally have a chance to write anything from scratch since CH5 of Clan Wars. I want to see how well this goes. Hope you guys enjoy and please review. Any tips, support, advice, and even criticism is appreciated. Side note: I DO NOT OWN MORTAL KOMBAT! I will be using MK character amongst original character I create.

The New Generation

EARTHREALM

"AGAIN!" yelled Hanzo Hasashi, "You need to try again! I need to see perfection in you Jeff. You need to better you fighting technique! Otherwise, hellfire will never be under your control! AGAIN!" The Shirai Ryu grand master was furious at his student. He had Jeff try three more times before giving up.

"I'm sorry Grandmaster Hanzo. I want to learn hellfire but it's near impossible. I didn't have the tragic history you have unfortunately gone through," said Jeff, despair in his voice. Hanzo then remembered his struggle with his own hellfire, as the wraith Scorpion.

He then sighed and looked at his student, "I know someone who might be of assistance. We leave for Raiden's Skytemple later today. For now, rest and then pack your things."

"Yes, Grandmaster Hanzo," Jeff replied, bowing to his teacher. He was struggling to control hellfire effectively. He already mastered melee combat in the time he spent in the Shirai Ryu. He knew that Grandmaster Hanzo was mad at his constant failure to just channel his energy to his hand to create a fireball and use it to punch through a target. He would always fail with the fire. The fire would either sizzle out if he managed to make one, or he'll only have smoke emanate from it. It would be totally ok, but he was training to be a hellfire user, not an enenra. He rested for five minutes. Afterward, he jogged to his room and packed two days' worth of ninja gear, his mask, which was designed after Scorpion's but with a fire design in the front instead the vertical bridge on Scorpion's, two knife clusters, each with three throwing kunais on them, and two ropes with a kunai on the end of each. He separately packed two ninjatos in their sheaths. He then put the swords over his back, one appearing above each of his shoulders. And, over the swords, he put on his pack. He then met with Scorpion at the gate. They simply nodded at each other and made the trek to Skytemple.

SKYTEMPLE

"Try again Eldrin, lighting is an element not so easily controlled. Focus and feel the electricity surge through your body an-" tried Raiden. He couldn't even finish his sentence before Eldrin blasted the target on his third attempt. Raiden then clapped for his student. "You're learning to control lighting. Soon, you can be able to teleport. Training would go faster if you had someone to spar. Unfortunately, I can only over watch your training and Fujin is much too busy with his duties as the wind god," he sighed.

"Thank you, Lord Raiden. And you know I don't like that name. I go by Francis," corrected Francis.

"I only used your other name to get your attention Francis. You may be getting better but you still need a sparring partner to attain mastery over lightning. And the monks here aren't the best option. They have no powers, you do," explained Raiden. He thought of Kung Lao and Liu Kang, but Kung Lao had his own student to maintain and Liu was busy training the monks. He then sensed Hanzo's presence with another. He teleported to their location while he left Francis to train. There, he saw Scorpion wearing his mask and another Shirai Ryu next to him, also in a mask. He greeted them with a nod as the two bowed to him. He then teleported them back to the Sky temple.

"Scorpion, why are you here. And who is this student of yours?" he asked.

"Lord Raiden, this is my student Jeff. He is member of my Shirai Ryu and he's my champion. I plan to do my part in training future protectors of this realm by teaching him hellfire. The best he managed was either smoke or a fireball that wouldn't go very far. I came seeking your wisdom. Is there any way to help accelerate the time it takes for him to master hellfire?"

Raiden gestured Scorpion to follow him. "Is he a fighter?" asked Raiden.

"Jeff? Well, he can fight, he's the best one in the Shirai Ryu not counting me. He gets his missions done without trouble. But he does avoid conflict. He tries to stealth his way to a complete mission, he never kills more than he has to, and he keeps it as quick as possible. He's more of a person to break up a fight than start one," replied Scorpion.

"I think that's why he can't use hellfire effectively. He doesn't have the history you do. He has never been to the Netherrealm and he was never a wrathful spectre. He didn't get a kickstart yet. He may need an element like that in him. I would suggest taking him to the Netherrealm. Let him use fire there just once. The corruption of the Netherrealm should give him what he needs to use hellfire, but it comes at a cost. Just like you used to, he might have an alternate persona that demands violence and he will have to combat it. And, just like you, he will have to fight it or else hellfire will consume him and the alternate persona will take over. Now you see what to do, is the price worth it?" said Raiden.

They both knew what happens when hellfire consumes someone. This is what cost Bi-Han his life years ago at the tournament that was considered useless at the time for the champion of Earthrealm. Hanzo took a moment to think about his options. He thought about his history as Quan Chi's servant, his fight to suppress Scorpion and his eventual defeat. He thought of the many people he hurt because of his hellfire. He then knew Jeff was strong enough to handle it.

"If this is what it takes, then so be it. I will take him there, and when he is ready, I will take him back here to train alongside your apprentice. I will leave his training the entire time he is here to you," decided Hanzo.

"Excellent, I will have a monk make accommodations for him while you are in Netherrealm. This is greatly appreciated Hanzo. Francis will finally have a worthy opponent to spar with often. Leave your belongings here. Just take Jeff to the Netherrealm and let him use hellfire there. This should not take long. You'll know when to come back. We'll be expecting you," exclaimed Raiden. He took Hanzo's bag and he looked for Jeff and found him talking to Francis. He then saw Jeff put his bags down followed by the two adopting a fighting stance, apparently the two were gonna spar. He smiled and walked by the fighting mat. He took Jeff's bag and teleported to his respective room and left the bags on the floor. He then teleported back to Scorpion and they watched the two standoff.

"Do you want to take Jeff to Netherrealm so he can master hellfire now. Or should we see who wins this match?" asked Raiden.

Hanzo smiled, "It's tempting to just stay here, but if your student is proficient at lighting, it would be a bit more even if Jeff can use hellfire more effectively. I'll go and break it up." He then walked to Jeff. Explained what he would do for his training. When Jeff nodded in confirmation, Scorpion pulled out one of his swords and slashed the ground. Jeff and Scorpion then jumped into the Netherrealm.

"It's been years since I have done that. I thought I would never have to do that again, but then there's you," he said with a smile. "Now, make a fireball."

"Yes, Grandmaster Hanzo," answered Jeff. He repeated what he did at the Shirai Ryu Temple. He balled his right hand into a fist. He then was able to get fire to engulf it. He then felt overwhelming power flow into him, and with it, a foreign voice spoke to him in his head. It told him to burn everything, it said to just let loose, it fought for control over him. Jeff, still with a flaming fist, grimaced as he tried to fight the violent persona that the Netherrealm created in him. His efforts were futile, as he lost the fight.

He then changed his hand posture in one like that of a pitcher. He then recoiled his arm and threw a fireball at a nearby boulder. The boulder erupted in a plume of sulfur, ash, and smoke. He then did a backflip kick with hellfire on his foot to boost damage. He threw punches with his fists engulfed in fire. And finally, he launched one of his kunais into a demon that was walking by in the chest and pulled it to him yelling the phrase he adopted from his teacher "GET OVER HERE!". He punched the innocent demon in the chest and he grabbed its heart. He ripped the still beating heart out of the demon and stared the demon in the eyes. He then used his hellfire to burn the heart. After it was charred into nothing but a blackened mass, he punched the still standing demon in the face and left the heart in its mouth. He pushed the demon's head back with his index finger. The now off-balance demon just fell to the ground. Jeff just looked at it with disgust.

"Pathetic, is that what demons of this realm are like? Hanzo made them sound more fearsome. I think not," said Jeff. The new persona giving him a more intimidating voice.

"Jeff, I am glad to see you can use hellfire, but it is too soon to just go around using fatalities on the demons here. However, I am aware this isn't the same Jeff I taught as a Shirai Ryu. Who are you? And why do you control my student?" questioned Hanzo.

"I am called Inferno. I am hellfire. I am chaos and I'll burn everything that tries to stop me from completing my mission. And you are in my way Hanzo. Or should I say Scorpion!" answered the ninja. "Now fight me in kombat! Or leave now and not be dishonored!"

"Inferno, you're going to come back to your senses as Jeff. Even if it means I have to kick your ass," said Scorpion, adopting a fighting stance. Inferno ran at Scorpion and threw a flame punch. Scorpion teleported behind Inferno and kicked him into the air, holding back on his strength. He then threw a kunai into his airborne student and forced him back down to solid ground. Inferno was dazed but not hurt. He then cracked his neck.

"I can do that too you know," said Inferno, as he teleported behind Scorpion and drop kicked him. He then used hellfire to burn Scorpion. Scorpion, however, was unaffected. He was immune to hellfire, as was Inferno. They continued the teleport and strike routine for a few minutes, a routine getting older and older over time. Scorpion, getting tired of this folly, just walked up to his student and punched him in the face without holding back, breaking his mask into pieces as it fell from his face. He then kneed him in the gut folding the possessed ninja in half. He finished by striking the back of Inferno's neck with the side of his hand. The chop knocking him out. He then picked up his student and teleported them both to Earthrealm. He needed to notify Raiden of the veracity of his prediction. Raiden hit it to the T.

EARTHREALM

"Raiden! Come quick!" yelled Hanzo, still carrying his student. Raiden came to meet Scorpion, along with Francis. Hanzo put down Jeff and told Raiden everything that happened. Raiden frowned at how bad things have turned out. He then took time to think it through. Jeff now has, at least as Inferno, full control of his hellfire. The only downside was the destructive Inferno persona that was created to allow for this. He told the others this insight. At that moment, Jeff started to stir.

"What happened to me? I remember making fire in the Netherrealm, then a voice started to scream at me, it wanted to burn everything, let loose. I tried to suppress the urge to do so. Then, the voice took over. I remember destroying a boulder, throwing flaming punches, and, lastly, I did a fatality to a demon walking nearby. Grandmaster Hanzo then confronted me. I can't remember the conversation, all I remember is that I called myself Inferno. We fought and, before I know it, everything blacks out and I'm here," questioned Jeff, confused at what has transpired.

"You are at the Skytemple. Hanzo has brought you here. The voice was wrathful persona you developed in the Netherrealm. It allows you to use hellfire. There's only one thing we need to figure out. Can you use hellfire like this? Or do you need to let Inferno take over?" explained Raiden.

Jeff answered his question by making a fireball in his hand. To see its extent, he teleported behind Francis and tapped his shoulder. When the apprentice turned around, Jeff teleported again. He reappeared in his former place. He then summoned hellfire under Francis and made him jump. The voice then decided to make another appearance.

"Burn them…. turn them to ashes…. You know you want to... you know what to do…. let….it…. TAKE…...OVER!" it resounded. Hearing this Jeff stopped and extinguished the fire out from under Eldrin.

"Why did you stop? Is there a problem Jeff?" asked Raiden.

"No, I can perfectly use hellfire like this. It's just that the further I go, the more Inferno can control. I will only ignore his voice if the battle demands it. Otherwise, I would have to stop my use of hellfire and cool down. And you can call me Inferno now, if you want. He is a part of me, just as much as I am a part of him, I will have to accept it. Besides, it would be easier to just call me Inferno, so at least if he does take over, I just change my style in battle. Any enemy of ours can't know there is a second persona to me that they can use to their advantage. Going by this name will insure that. And, if I make a rep for myself, "Inferno" is a much more intimidating name then "Jeff", said Inferno.

Raiden nodded, "So be it, er, Inferno. I enlist you to the White Lotus Society as the Shirai Ryu's champion. If that is allowed by your Grandmaster," said Raiden, he glanced at Hanzo. He simply nodded with a smile.

"I did not expect his progress with hellfire to progress so quickly. He can stay if he wants. It'll give your student a worthy sparring partner. Farewell, Inferno. And remember, Shirai Ryu fight, they never run," replied Hanzo. He bowed to his student, who also bowed in reply, and went to gather his belongings. Once they were gathered, he teleported back to the Shirai Ryu temple. Jeff just followed Raiden around until the end of the day. He then left for his quarters at night. He went onto his sleeping mat and fell asleep. Wondering where Inferno and his hellfire will take him.

OUTWORLD

"Not enough poissson, Cyanide. If you want to get anything done, you need to get a strong poisson to finisssss opponentsss off," hissed Reptile. Seeing how little damage the concoction made by Cyanide did to a slave set for execution.

"Call me Jacob, you swine," replied Cyanide. He was a human from Outworld. The Empress of Outworld decided to have Reptile train him with venoms, acids, and poisons so he can infiltrate Earthrealm's populous as a spy. This he didn't know. All he knew was to perfect his skills, which were already bomb, he just purposefully didn't make the right poison to piss off Reptile. He then decided, for the sake of being left alone, to make the right poison. He made it in a matter of seconds and tossed it at the next slave's feet. The vile it was in broke open. The poison vapor rose and was inhaled by the slave. Jacob was already walking away, he had no desire to watch what would happen. He already knew the head of the slave would burst from the aggressive effects of the poison. He may be training as an assassin, but he has no bloodlust. He only does what he has to survive. The rest of the day was uneventful until he went to see the Empress. He decided to show off his assassin skill by creeping into the banisters of the throne room, just to jump down and scare the Empress. When he got there however, he was met by an unexpected meeting. He saw Reptile, Tanya, and Mileena talking to Empress Imperial.

"I want Cyanide sent to Earthrealm. The White Lotus are recruiting and training a new generation of kombatants. I want to know about these few. He will be our spy. Reptile, order him to go tomorrow. If he doesn't come back with at least one of their heads or an entire shipment's worth of intel, kill him yourself," ordered the empress.

Jacob snuck out and went back to his dorm. He was being sent to his "native" realm. Only Earthrealm had spawned humans. He needed to find answers. He planned to defect the empire. He didn't even share the same beliefs. He only survived. Then came a major problem. His teammates; Clarissa, Jailyn, and Grace. He could tell them, but they would probably just report his planned defection as they believed the empress's commands and principles without doubt. Or, he could leave them and join a team in Earthrealm. He decided to take his chances with the unknown over getting killed sooner rather than later.

The next day, Jacob just played the part. They told him how to reach Skytemple. Reptile then sent his student into Earthrealm.

EARTHREALM

Cyanide appeared near what appeared to be warehouse. He approached the doors, thinking it was the Skytemple in disguise. A burst of energy launched him the other way. He got up and saw a woman was approaching him. The woman was more of a teenager, but the woman behind her definitely had an air of authority about her. They were both dressed in dark military attire. He just made a fighting stance and waited for them to attack.

"Sergeant Emily, who the hell is this? Why did you shoot em?" asked the woman.

"I don't know. He was too close for comfort, so I shot him to make it easier to apprehend him. What should we do General Blade?" returned the teen. The general made a gesture with her hand and Emily apprehended Jacob. They took him to a containment cell and we ready to begin an interrogation when Raiden came by on a visit. Just to see how things were going. He saw General Blade and went to say hello.

"General Blade, it has been a while. How's everything going? Is there still conflict between you and Johnny?" he started.

"Well, everything is fine here. I only have one problem. My trainee has found a teen boy dressed like the people in Outworld. I am going to try and get answers out of him. And, you may be a god Raiden, but you're not Cupid, stay out of my life. My relationship with Cage is none of your damn business," responded Blade. Hearing this Raiden smiled to himself, seeing he was able to hit a nerve. He did miss his friends since they dispersed after Shinnok's failed invasion of Earthrealm. He got back to business about this "Outworlder."

"Where is he? I would like to see him. If this is a matter of Interealm matters I need to see this for myself," said Raiden. Wordlessly, Sonya opened the door to let Raiden in. Emily was still interrogating the boy.

"Who are you? Why are you here? Where did you come from?" she ranted.

"I don't answer to you Sergeant. I will not give you answers, but you are cute. How bout a date when this is over? Interested?" answered Jacob. He was being cute and it wasn't working, but Emily decided to use this as an opportunity to get intel. She leaned over close to his face.

"Sure, on one condition. Give me what I want. I get answers, you get a hot date. Sound like fun," she teased. She had no intention of going out with him. She only wanted to get out of there.

"That will not be necessary, Sergeant Emily. I can handle it from here," interrupted Raiden, startling the two. He then looked over the boy. Torn clothes, over-tanned skin, obvious wear and tear from fighting. He recognized those features from battle worn Outworlders. He then noticed numerous clay vials, each likely laden with a poison, acid, or other noxious substance.

"If you have training to fight, and chemicals to aid your fight, why not attack us? If you are from Outworld, wouldn't that be your goal?" asked Raiden. This shocked Jacob. Seeing that this man knew where he was from and even his "goal", he decided to let up and tell them everything.

"I am Jacob, but my skills learned from Reptile earned me the codename Cyanide. I was sent to infiltrate the ranks of the White Lotus, gain intel on the youth members, and before I was to return, I had to kill one of them and bring their head back to the Empress. I will not kill humans, I may have killed tarkatan slaves, but I will not kill another human in cold blood. Not for the Empress. I wish to defect and become a member of the White Lotus. I no longer serve Empress Imperial. I serve Earthrealm," unloaded Jacob, he took his right hand and mas=de it into a fist. He then placed it over his heart as he bowed towards Raiden. Hearing that Cyanide was just a nickname, Raiden started to remember Jeff and his newly acquired name and persona, Inferno. He decided to give the Outworlder a chance. And seeing that he had two trainees at Skytemple, another here across the room, one bowing to him, and maybe even one from Kung Lao he got an idea. He left the room and was followed the sergeant. He went back the General Blade.

"Well, how did it go?" asked the general.

"He claims to be defecting. Apparently his fighting and chemical skills earned him the name Cyanide. I wish to see if he can live up to those claims. I wish for there to be team of these trainees. I want yours to be the leader. I will get Kuai Liang to train the one in the cell. I'll also visit Kung Lao and see if he can lend us his trainee," ordered Raiden, as he teleported away. It left Sonya in place for a while, processing what was to be done. She then nodded her agreement and sent a call to her daughter. She needed to take care of the background issues of creating a new team for Raiden while someone else oversees Emily's training. The team would be ready for green light by the end of the week, three days of all day paperwork and phone calls. This was going to be "fun", but the payoff was worth it.

END OF CHAPTER 1

That was ch1 guys. I know that Kung Lao and Liu Kang would be kinda dead if I used canon timelines from the games. This is a best for best scenario where no Earthrealm warriors died because Sindel's attack or the 2nd tournament. I will also spend much of ch2 introducing Clarissa, Jailyn, and Grace and their plight as Outworld assassins. By the end of ch2 or the start of ch3 Raiden's new team will be formed. What's in store for us? Who knows? Follow and get ready for ch2 coming soon!

I know that Skytemple isn't the name of Raiden's Sky Temple, but Skytemple is shorter, easier to remember, and it makes the place sound like a 4+ star hotel that belongs in Reno, Nevada, LA, and Las Vegas. It works for me at least and I hope you guys will be ok with that revision.

Plz review. Any advice, suggestions, support, and, even, criticism is appreciated.