*I do not own Mortal Kombat, its characters, locations or icons*

The Dead Pool: a malevolent execution room housed in the very foundations of Shang Tsung's palace. That is what Raiden had told him. An acid-filled chamber that stripped away the flesh and bone of its victims; the remains, Tsung consumed for himself. Kung Lao had been training at the Wu Shi Academy all day and had slept in his own private quarters. So, naturally, he could not contain his surprise to find himself chained to the wall of the fabled acidic creation of the demon sorcerer. The room was highly dilapidated, its walls all but ready to crumble. Reptile, Tsung's loyal servant, stood on the walking platform between the pools. His true form was concealed by a rather convincing human camouflage. But the Shaolin monk could sense that this was no human. Ignoring Reptile, he turned his attention to the chains that were presently the only thing preventing his impending death. He pulled sharply on the right. It didn't budge. He tried the left and a searing pain shot down his arm. It was broken; a compound fracture at the elbow. Clean, precise; most likely performed by a skilled professional. What on earth had happened? Kung Lao had no recollection of the past twenty-four hours and now he found himself in this position? Realising that breaking the chain would be a pointless waste of energy he tried to teleport. He focused on the walkway just metres from him, but he was far too drained to use his chi; clearly he had been involved in some sort of struggle.

"It is time."

The voice echoed from nowhere, and yet, everywhere. It was Shang Tsung's cold, sophisticated tones undoubtedly, whether his body was present or not. Reptile gave a nod and walked over to a heavy lever at the end of the platform. Giving it a good pull, the corroded metal gave way and an anchor was released. The metal counter weight was lowered into the acid and immediately the chemical reaction began to take place. Kung knew it was only a matter of time before the anchor was dissolved and his chains were plunged into the depths below. He felt his body begin to lower. Bubbles of sulphurous gas spat up below him, their outburst a warning to stay back. But his body drew lower still. He had to do something. And then he spotted it: his razor-edged hat, resting on a ledge adjacent to the walkway. This was his only chance of survival. Drawing on his last energies, he focused on the hat. His stare permeated the object and it began to glow. The hat disappeared and resurfaced on his head. He had managed to teleport it. Now, spinning furiously, the chains above him began to coil. They met his hat and sparks began to fly as it tore through the weaker metal. At last he was free. He wall-kicked from his position landing acrobatically on the walkway below.

"Fight me, demon!" He roared and took up his lotus stance.

Reptile seemed to smirk underneath his mask and took up a stance of his own. The two stood for what seemed like hours, their eyes locked in confrontation, peering into one another's souls. It was Reptile who attacked first. A jet of saurian acid spat forth from his grotesque mouth hitting the unsuspecting Kung Lao in the face. He cried out in pain as the liquid ravaged his flesh, leaving a blistering scar across his cheeks. Reptile did not give him a chance to recover, rolling forward with a vicious uppercut. His fist crunched underneath Lao's jaw sending his entire body skyward, only to return, crashing to the concrete floor. The monk scrambled to his feet and resumed his stance, determined to show no pain or weakness. The demon lunged forward with a sloppy punch combination but Kung deflected the attack, unbalancing Reptile's centre of gravity. This was the opening he had been waiting for. Knowing full well that his left arm was out of commission, Kung Lao opted to use his feet. A quick roundhouse saw the Saurian rear backwards, and Lao showed no restraint. He finished his assault with a huge tornado kick to Reptile's temple sending him across the walkway in a heap. The demon did not move. Cautiously, Kung advanced on his assailant. Taking his hat off, he raised it above his head, ready to maim the creature as soon as he moved. He was but two steps away, when Reptile sprang to life sweeping Kung Lao's legs away from him. His hat fell out of his hands and began to roll towards the edge. At the same time Reptile leapt on top of him pinning his arms down. The hat fell into the acid bath and it let out a satisfied hiss, as though it were alive. Lao was out of ideas. Reptile was surprisingly heavy for being so agile, which meant using strength to force him out of his advantageous position an unlikely option. He thought back to his training at the Wu Shi academy:

"When an opponent is in a winning position on the battlefield, one must remove him from that position at all costs. Only then can your victory be assured. If your opponent is weak, overwhelm them with your strength. If they are slow, confuse them with your speed. If they are quick to flash, provoke. If their stance is incorrect, compromise. If they have weakness, exploit."

The demon let out a reptilian roar, one that only came before preparing to kill. If he was going to do anything, the time was now. Kung Lao drew his right knee up, its deadly arc connecting with the raptor's spine. Reptile let out a cry of pain and released his grip on Lao's wrist, sitting up. With his position compromised, Kung clasped his hands together and threw them up at Reptile's chest. The power punch was significant enough to knock the creature off of him, despite his incapacitated arm. Lunging up, the shaolin warrior had decided enough was enough. It was time to finish him. Kung Lao picked Reptile up by the throat and stared into his eyes.

"Fatality!"

His grip frequency increased, crushing the saurian's larynx. He was dead. His head flopped to the side, his eyes peering into nothingness. Kung threw the body into the acid bath, a cloud of sulphur releasing in agreement. Finally it was over.