A/N: Last one of these. Thank you for the support. I'd like to think over the six years I have been writing, I have improved somewhat. Mainly learned how to properly edit my work, haha.
Syrup
"Don't," Kara stood in Hanzo's way, blocking, obscuring view she knew he would baulk at, "please," she implored, "trust me."
Moving Goddess blunt, leader stood down, height advantage prompting eyes to peek over shoulder.
"Fine," he sighed, "though, I would like you to explain sudden turn in mood. What happened to cordial, small talk?"
"I thought you hated small talk..." woman teased, vanity enjoying she still knew him like back of her hand, despite three years passing since they indulged in happiness, rather than revulsion, condemnation of the self...
"Its, fucked up. There's two, of me..."
"Oh dear," staunch persona dropping quickly, Kara made face, "however shall we cope?"
"How would you cope, you mean. You used to know..."
Going off specific, erroneous tangent, Kara waffled.
"We'll work something out. I mean, this 'Kronika' must know what she is doing, considering she merged all timelines..."
"She, what?" Realisation pinged, brown eyes sparkling with idea. "Two of you would imply two of all, including me."
Kara moved, sight dropping Hanzo's gut, twinge indication he was about to puke, paling face furrowing Goddess' brow.
"This, that is unholy, ungodly, completely wrong."
He pointed, staring at himself, wraith, spectre, bastard sorcerer Quan Chi's work.
Scorpion held ground, earth cracked around feet, lava plumes rising, heat coming off them intense. Hanzo swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing like buoy, lacking tether, floating carelessly on choppy seas. Goddess wanted nothing more than to whisk man away, knowing his strength would easily break free of her grasp, tug of war rope incinerated by pyromancer.
He was in no mood for joking at the best of times. At the worst? Kara swore she could hear tick, tock, tick, tock...
She'd panic and find wire cutters, were this real. What stood before her wasn't, what was in her mind wasn't.
It was utterly bonkers, and woman was losing it...
"Hey." Kara disrupted solemn solitude, trying to regain ground, composure. "You reclaimed him, the name. He is merely an illusion. He can't harm you, or anyone."
"A terrible, horror show spectre."
"Face him, with all your might. He will fade, I swear."
Hanzo rolled browns, sarcastic jaw movement pissing Kara off.
"Fuck. I am trying, alright? This is me we are talking about. You know damn well I won't just stand here and let you down. I can't..."
Hanzo sighed, pinching bridge of nose.
"Understood. Kara, I...I still feel rage shoot through veins when I think of my former self. Seeing him again brings it rushing to the fore, and I become twisted, hyper-focused on myself. Everything around me phases out. Sound? I require silence. You haven't tarnished, I haven't gotten rid of your glow, your words. I assure you that whatever I say right now is coming from a place of frantic worry, nothing you have done, said."
"I'll take that as an apology. Its alright."
Woman pat man's shoulder, offering supportive smile. Deciding to speak with other Raiden, heartened, seeing him as he used to be, pure, nastiness, evil intent hadn't yet tainted him, shook core values, dipped pristine cream robes in tar, horrid substance sticking fast.
She left leader solemn. He required space solo, loneliness refusing to enter mind...
Everyone who allied themselves with the 'Good' side of the fight was majestic, they held hope, flame bright in their heart, crackling in eyes, determination glittering, beams radiant.
Everyone who allied themselves with the 'Good' or 'Neutral' side of the fight in Goddess realm had been contaminated, malevolence attempted to seep through pores, run through veins, poison any and all it could, drag them to 'Evil,' side of the coin, covered in acid, skin failing to shield from damage...
Maliciousness permeated more than one cared to admit.
Even Earthrealm's guardian began slipping, Kara heartbroken, God dear to her, dear to her friends, her family.
Noting how alone her alternate realm self was saddened Kara. Keeping to rules, fraternisation highly frowned upon, it happened, regardless. It couldn't be helped. Feelings sprung up, seeds, shoots, wishing to grow buds, petals fragile beauty sought after.
All there were either together, had someone they were interested in, or occasionally found themselves with other, lonely souls, passion not really there, but it wasn't expected to be found, scurrying off into shadows.
Whilst, Kara? Other Kara sat, on brick wall, looking at her feet, hands clasped at knee level, making herself as small as possible. If Goddess didn't know any better, she would say 'herself' was scared, traumatised by something.
Scared herself, Kara coughed, steadying herself, deciding on a whim to go over there, talk to her...
Herself...
What did I say about bonkers?
That night found Kara in her Earthrealm home, picking up paper confetti from 'birthday party.' Whilst she loved her friends, she felt she getting on, too old for 'frolicking,' though too young to be 'shutting up shop.' Still competent woman, gaining wisdom with every passing year, Kara wanted to be wanted, someone to wake up too, casual, without needing vows, or declarations of love.
Someone she could have fantastic, safe, whether angry, sweet, just right, quick, slow and sweet, someone to have sex with.
She had that, years back, it was all of those and more.
Mainly, emotional, emotion struck her at that moment.
Her fling, flight of fancy was over, with the illustrious leader of the Shirai Ryu. But, the months they had played over, replay, track stuck, song skipping straight to chorus, and Gods, it was spectacular, body far from 'decrepit,' 'past it.'
She told Sub-Zero it was over, Hanzo firmly agreeing.
She told Hanzo it was over, body firmly disagreeing.
When someone knew how to make her tick, she became capricious, craving feeling.
Rationale went for a stroll, whilst wicked hands made magic...
Lying in bed, Kara felt somewhat guilty, conversation with other self debilitating her, for a time, revelations spilling forth, tears falling like river...
Smoke beat her, to within an inch of her life, calling it 'relationship' when everyone else saw it as travesty, tragedy. He knocked out teeth, painted her purple, carmine spilled from gums, nose, slashes bathed form with sickening, iron scented glow, liquid slipping free covering bed, sheets, carpet, all of which were heavily stained from year of frenzied ardour, sweat glistening, times when they loved one another, holding on for dear life, promise of release devastatingly bittersweet.
But, that changed with flow of time.
His ebbed...
When he released her from grip, he dropped her body, as if lifeless doll, flung to the floor, backhand sudden, young woman unable to get up without being hit, fist lightning quick.
This went on for two months, Raiden coming to her aid, having realised something was terribly wrong, people reporting they hadn't seen her or Smoke in a while.
They grew worried, as did her parents. Kara was old enough to be intimate, though not wise enough in politics of love, especially with one who struggled, badly, Enenra enveloping, devouring, from inside out.
It wasn't him acting, it was the soul thief inside him. Kara knew, finding it unerring, though hard to believe, truly believe.
Her counterpart was left holding herself, the fort, promising she would be okay, her past was just that.
If she wanted to scream, cry, blow fuse, Kara offered use of Divine Temple.
That was her safe space, other self agreeing, acquiescing quickly, much to Goddess' upset.
She was fragile, bone china fractured, trying to rebuild, clay not yet hardened.
Goddess vowed to help.
Not fix, just help.
Woman had to do that herself...
Keeping up appearances was tough, when Kara's shadow wasn't her own, lonely existence seeping into her, other realm self apologising profusely for causing trouble.
Goddess was sorrowful, wanting company of someone she could not have, was not allowed to enjoy.
Kara was sorrowful, wanting company of dead man, despite what he had done. She felt he was, would be single man to give a damn about her.
Though, she mentioned Raiden a lot, her version, blushing when she did.
Goddess's head spun.
Her other self was courting Raiden? Humble, wondrous, fantastic man, also God?
"Why couldn't we have picked mere men? Nah," Kara laughed, other smiling, "too easy..."
One week later
"Forgive sudden visit," Kara bowed, Hanzo returning it, "other realm Raiden raised alarm, over our version of him. As ours is current, his own shift into pernicious behaviour is troubling. I also found out I am, apparently rather amorous with dear old thunderer."
"He is millennia old," Goddess informed him of Kara's story, and this confirmed suspicion she was mere child, whilst Kara before him was woman, audacious gleam in eyes..."Kara is incapable of real intimacy, as what she was told it was is untrue."
"Geez...," Kara frowned, "bit harsh. They are doing great, actually, not that many actually know. She can handle it, Raiden is nurturing, he saved her life, saved her from herself, saved her from Shang. Yeah, he kidnapped me in that realm too. I handled you, didn't I? Reckon God shouldn't be that much of a leap..."
"You handled me, she didn't..."
Sneaky eyebrow raise, Hanzo folded arms, triumphantly, posturing. Kara snorted.
"Fair enough. I handled you, yes, and, truth be told, I miss it."
Falling quiet, Kara left quickly, feet sprinting to portal.
"You shouldn't."
Leader whispered, woman straining ear to listen.
"Use the gem." Fire bloomed from her fists, telekinetic energy from his. "We're still tethered..."
Feeling gem vibrate, Hanzo took it out of robe, familiar pink puffs of smoke made chest tighten.
"Why?"
"Don't, please."
Woman waved him off, sweeping brunette behind ear. She was spun, hand on head pulled, pulled into man's shoulder, smacking it with nose.
Hanzo palmed Amber, passing it to her, keeping hand linked with hers.
"Body language. Speaking is your third favourite thing. I remembered."
They chuckled.
"Are we growing soppy in our older years, your 'twilight' years?'
"I seem to recall you being soft."
"I am, wax works wonders. Little pleasant, I might add."
"Could I redeem myself?"
Kara tilted head, Hanzo deadly serious.
"Why? What did you do? I don't recall anything."
"I gave you the worst of me, torrent of misery."
"You also gave me the best of you, torrent of stumbling, made me grin like a madwoman. Trust me," she tapped nose, "what I saw, what I know is meritable. And..." she giggled, flushing, covering mouth, trembling taking otherwise lax limbs, "you are gorgeous. Very flattered, hugely so. But,"
Reluctantly leaving snug embrace, Goddess swept boot across cobbles.
"You'll regret this. I will. No matter how my mind feels, I quiver in anticipation of warmth, crackling flames, hot fingers. I do react, but I shouldn't. We have hands, other things. I'll use those."
She sighed, cowardice making feet walk faster. Kara backed off, opening door too much, merely pressing heels, hands against it, pretending to locate handle.
"Gods...Its like wading through syrup with you..."
"Sounds unpleasant..."
"If it was, I would have said cement. What am I doing?"
Palming face, Kara sighed, several head shakes, running hand through it, frustrated when hitting tats.
"Kara. Character defining trait I appreciate? Your earnest honesty. I would be fooling myself were I to deny truth that, I too find thoughts travelling back to you, the times we had together. I recall cooling waves, telekinesis raising hairs, backs arching, muscles tensing, jaws working to deny ourselves becoming gaudy."
"If you swore? Gods help me..." Kara bit lip, turning around impossible, feet rooted to spot, brain repeating 'don't you dare.'
If she dared, she'd devour him, free him, herself of rank, stuffy robes, unbearable afternoon heat given cool night breeze...
"If we break silence, fast, no one can know."
"Fast? Odd phrasing. I haven't hungered in years. Seeing pitiful other self was, let herself be, wallowing, excluding herself, avoiding human interaction, that stung. I reeled. Heart in throat, I wanted to be held, hold someone I trusted, with all of me."
Hanzo gained that faraway look in his eyes, little to look at on floor except occasional dust particles, flying up, whizzing around.
"I'll go. We need time, we must think straight," head lowering, south on her own form, Kara held little back, "think with brains. See you?"
She left that question open, lacking intonation, giving him space to formulate answer, heading to portal chamber, all while fighting want to turn on heel, let him know what he needed too, what she assumed he ought to...
Goddess made assumptions.
Hanzo hated assumptions.
He didn't, however hate her.
If she had to wade through syrup, sickly, tempting mess to find him? She'd be lying, denying herself, were she to say no...
