Hello readers! I came up with this short story on a whim when I was having a conversation with someone at work about beauty.
What is beauty?
A hard quested to ask and even harder to define.
So I thought and thought and came up with this story to answer that question.
Please enjoy!
(I am using the Mileena from Mortal Kombat X (which I do not own, nor any of its characters), but not the story of it.)
Chapter 1- Wounded
It was a dark and dreary day in Outworld and Mileena hated every minute of it. She stormed the halls of the castle in a slightly foul mood after having mauled an annoying person who was talking backwards to her. This would normally put her in higher spirits, but today just sucked for some reason. First she fell out of bed, and then she couldn't find one of her Sais as she was getting ready for the day. After that it got worse. She found that she missed breakfast AND lunch due to her sleeping in, THEN she was nagged and nagged by some nuisance of a backwards talking man. She just snapped at that point and killed the man. Then eat some of him.
Mileena was just finishing the last of the man when a scream rang though the halls. It was her name, being called out by her father.
"MILEENA!"
Shao Kahn was furious at Shang Tsung's creation.
"Yes, fath-"
"Do not call me that, you miserable abomination!" Shao Kahn tossed a mangled corpse at her feet. "Care to explain how the ambassador of Chaosrealm became in a state?!"
"I have no idea, father," Mileena said in a playful innocent tone.
"Do not play dumb, you miserable creature! I was in the middle of negations with his world to attack Earthrelm when a guard saw you attacking and mutilated him!"
"He was a horrible playmate."
"SILENCE!" Shao Kahn slowly stood up from his throne as his war hammer appeared in a flash of green.
"Wait, Father! I-"
"You are not my daughter! You are a failed experiment and a blight on this world! NO MORE!"
He swung the hammer with such speed that Mileena didn't even have time to think as is crashed against her head. He swung again and again until she was l finally able to dodge one of his swings. But she still wasn't fast enough. The tip of the spike on the hammer tore her stomach and left her bleeding on the ground. He then summoned a green spear and pinned her to the floor through her stomach.
"F-Father…Please…I-I-"
"Silence, creature," he commanded softly as he lined his hammer with her head. He drew back the great weapon as Mileena cried and begged for her life. But then a swirling purple portal opened up underneath her and sucked her in.
"What is this, Shang Tsung? What happened?"
"I…I don't know, my lord."
"Quan Chi?"
"I know not either, my lord. This portal is new to me."
The portal between them finally closed, leaving an empty space between the three men.
"No matter," Shao Kahn said. "She is now gone and no longer a problem for me. I must repair what little ties we have left with the Chaosrelm if I am to conquer Earthrelm." He walked over and sat in his throne again. "Shang Tsung."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Prepare the flesh pits again and make another clone of Kitana. But this time, make her more…manageable."
"As you command, my emperor."
Somewhere in L.A.
It was not a good day to be Jack right now.
First, he hit his head on the floor as he fell out of bed, then again when he put his pants on wrong. At this point he was running so late he grabbed a frozen burrito and proceeded to eat the cold hard breakfast as he rushed down the stairs and almost missed the bus, which he stilled missed because his father decided that now would be a good time for a speech about integrity and what not.
Because of that, he was 20 minutes late to Mrs. Chan's dry cleaner to repair the belt system again, because she refuses to update the system. AND she gave him a lecture on integrity and responsibility the whole time he was fixing it, which it took an hour to do so. Then at THE SHACK, he spilled a tray of food all over himself, which NEVER HAPPENED. He was scolded for screwing up such a big order and was sent home for the rest of the day. With his clothes soaked and dirty from the food, he rode the bus home to change, but all he found was a locked front door on the Dojo and him with no keys.
He decided to climb the fire escape but slipped and fell into the dumpster below the ladder. He sat there for a bit and wondered why the world hated him so much today. Then a bird pooped on him. After a freak out session of him yelling at the sky for about 12 minutes, he ran up the wall and pushed off and grabbed the ledge of the balcony and expertly pulled himself up.
Hope nobody saw that, he thought to himself. He broke into his own home and took a shower, then a well deserved nap. After around 5ish, he woke up to the sound of his red ferret squeaking noise and jumping on him.
"Ok, ok. I'm up. I'm up. Come on. Let's get dinner."
Jack popped a can of ferret food for Red and made himself a cheese quesadilla. He couldn't finish it though, due to his stomach being upset. Probably the frozen burrito. After eating, he went downstairs and trained in the Dojo for three hours. After that, he took another shower and donned his black costume, metal knuckle gloves, and sword he would wear as he patrolled the night. He wore a simple jackal mask as to hide his identity. The papers would dub him as the Jackal.
And now Jack was getting his body rearranged by a goon with a bat.
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
"Dang it, he still not down?"
"Nope! Now yet!"
WHAM!
"Boy I getting' tired. Hey, switch with me."
"Ok, Ok, don't get so bossy, gosh."
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
CRACK!
"DAMN IT! My bat broke!"
"What do you mean YOUR bat? That's my favorite bat!"
"Don't see why you brought your favorite bat to a shake down, Steve, when it could brake at any minute. Besides, why do you have a favorite bat anyway? You suck at baseball."
"Man, screw you, Mark! You suck at basketball!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Fine! Let's settle it on the court right now and see who's suckin' at what then!"
"I…I think you should…rephrase that… a bit…better…Marky-
The thug named mark kick jack in the face.
"How is he still breathing, let along conscious?"
"I don't know, but I've had it with this guy." The one called Steve pulled a gun out of his pants.
"…You had that this entire time?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Why did you bring a bat?"
"You know, for double security."
"What? You know what, never mind. I don't even care anymore. Just cap him and legs go."
Steve put the gun to Jack's head and asked, "Any last words?"
Jack just stared at him defiantly and took a deep breath.
Steve began to pull the trigger…
When suddenly a swirling purple vortex sprang into existence at the other end of the ally. Due to this, Steve was so surprised that he moved the gun but still fired it, but thankfully, the bullet just grazed Jack's head. Jack grabbed gun out of his hand and dismantled it with lightning sped.
"AHHHHH! MY GU-"
Jack twisted around Steve and threw him against the alley wall. He then drew his sword and held it at the man's throat.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end your life."
"Ah…ah…Cause… c-cause you… don't?"
It was true. The Jackal was known for leaving the bad guys broken and bruised, but never dead.
Jack sighed internally and ran the blade a little bit across the man's neck.
"AHHHH!"
"Consider that your final warning, Stevie. Next time, you won't be so lucky." He swung the sword around to get the blood off of it and sheathed the sword. He then broke Steve's arm for good measure and throw him towards his buddy.
"Come on, Steve! Let's go!"
Mark helped his friend up and dragged him out of the alley.
"What the hell, Mark? Why didn't you cap him?"
"…I don't have my gun."
"WHAT?!"
"I forgot it, OK?! I'm sorry if I was too busy cooking for the gang to remember my gun!"
"Man I could have died!"
The sounds of their bickering were drowned out by the swirling vortex increasing. Jack removed this mask but kept his hood up as he stepped towards it when it flashed again and a body flow out of it. Jack instinctively ran forward and caught it before it hit the ground. He cradled the body and found it to be a woman. A beautiful woman with a purple mask and matching outfit.
A BLEEDING woman.
Jack looked at her wound and was astonished that she was still breathing. The women gasped and removed her mask. Jack gasped when he saw the sharp looking teeth sticking out of her cheeks.
"Hel…he…h…" She could barley say that much.
"It's ok, ma'am. You're going to be ok." Jack removed his coat and put his mask on again. He wadded up his coat and placed over the bleeding wound.
"Hold this tightly, ma'am. I'll get help."
"Mi…Mile…ena."
"Mileena, then. Don't you worry. I'll get help."
Jack stood up but was stopped by Mileena weakly grabbing his arm.
"Do-don't… go…"
Jack knelled down and placed her hand back on the coat.
"Don't worry, Mileena. I'm not going anywhere."
Jack removed his phone from his pocket and hit 9 on speed dial.
"…Derek….I know, I know, it's Sarah's birthday, but…Well, I'm glad she liked my present. Look, I need your help… yes now! I got shot…again. Look, it happens, ok?...No, it's not that bad, but…BUT I've got another problem…Yeah, I'll meet you there. Tell little Sarah happy birthday and don't use the nunchucks in the house. See you there. Come on, Mileena. UUUUUP we go."
Jack scooped up Mileena and cradled her as he hurried out of the ally.
"What the hell, Jack? You said you got shot!"
"She's more important right now."
Jack placed Mileena on the operating table.
"Hey hey hey! Im a vet, not a doctor! This woman needs a hospital! And what's on her face?"
"Her teeth."
"…What is she?"
"Not from around here, Derek."
"I gathered that! Woman with a weird dental situation and a hole in her chest. How is she alive?"
"I don't know, De. Maybe…Maybe she's like me."
"Oh great! Another freak!"
"Derek!"
"What, you are one!"
"I know that! But don't-"
Mileena let out a painful groan.
"Derek, she needs help! NOW!"
"Jack, I…I-"
"Fine! I do it!"
Jack removed the coat from Mileena's grip and started to tend to her wounds. Mileena, in turn, started to scream in pain.
"Jack! JACK! STOP! More gently! What's wrong with you?! Alright, give that to me!"
Derek ripped the gauze from Jack's hand and began to work on the woman. Mileena began to scream again and started to flailed a little.
"JACK! Get the Ketamine in the cabinet there!"
Jack ran over to said cabinet and rummaged through it. He found the vile and read the label.
"…This is horse tranquilizer."
Mileena screamed again.
"Just bring it here! I need to dig a bit in here to see how bad the damage is! The needles are in the drawer there!"
Jack found the needle and plunged one into the vile. He tapped it to bet the air bubbles out. He then went over to Mileena and stuck her with it.
"What…wha…"
"Don't worry, Mileena. Everything's going to be ok. I promise."
"Thank…thank…"
Jack parted her hair and looked into her yellow catlike eyes.
"You're welcome."
The world around Mileena became blurry.
Then the world bent black, and she knew no more.