What's up people? Here is the second chapter of Black Inferno. You noticed I changed the title? "Fire Heart" just wasn't doing it for me for some reason. Neither was the previous summary, so I changed that too lol. Yep… So just a few things I wanted to make you aware of:
1) My OC is not a Mary Sue. I repeat she is NOT a Mary Sue. I know some readers probably worry about that. She is not immortal, well-loved by everyone, or any more powerful than most of the other MK fighters. It's my goal to make her as realistic as I can within this… unrealistic universe; 2) Scorpion will be donning his MK X outfit (you know, the one with the hood?) but will be utilizing his scorpion-styled weapons from MK 9 because I love 'em so much; 3) Some parts of the story might not make sense at first. I'm pretty much coming up with this stuff as I go along, so bear with me okay? And last but not least, since it's myfictional story it won't be totally canonical; the timeline(s) may be messed with a bit to fit the overall plot.
By the way, I don't normally write stories like this, so I really hope you will give it a chance. It takes me hours just to come up with the chapters' concepts alone, and then writing them out tends to take even longer lol. If you decide to leave any reviews, good or bad, please be kind about it. Also, if your interest has been piqued and you would like to read more, then either follow or favorite the story (or do both lol) so I know whether to continue or not. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who already commented, favorited and are following the story! Now sit back and enjoy Part One!
~MK~
Part I: Forest Battle
When I awoke I knew I was no longer at home in Dayton, Ohio.
Trees of various sizes and shapes surrounded me on every side. I rose gradually, careful not to fall back down considering my weak and sluggish condition. I moaned as I gripped my head in pain. This throbbing… it felt like I had a hangover… but I know I wasn't drinking before I ended up here. Wherever here is.
How long had I been unconscious? Hours? Days?
"Does it even matter?" I muttered irritably. "More importantly… where exactly am I?"
I looked skyward at the canopy of branches and leaves. Undoubtedly, I was in a forest… somewhere. The ground on which I now stood was moderately damp with dark soil and foliage. While I made my way through the mysterious forest I took the time to meticulously scan the vicinity for any signs of danger, my cherry All Star sneakers snapping fallen branches underneath my feet. As I walked I nearly stumbled on a tree root, but managed to catch myself before any serious damage could be done.
"Arrgh… damn mosquitoes." I growled while smacking the tiny airborne bloodsuckers that came at me like bees to honey. I was so not an outdoor chick. I merely enjoyed the idea of being outdoors. Trust me, there's a difference.
Despite the obvious discomfort, I suddenly felt a strange wave of peace overcome me.
There was so much diversity within the forest. Colorful birds of various origins shared pleasant melodies of love and life as they soared above me like aerial acrobats. A squirrel with brown fur clutched a nut that seemed too big for its little mouth while it dashed past my shoes. It ceased midway on its path and glanced back at me curiously before skittering up a tree. Reedy beams of golden sunlight made their way through the overhead canopy, and I stole a minute to bask in its soothing warmth. Vibrant flora enticed me from all sides, cajoling me to reach out and touch their silky petals. I plucked a purple flower with a yellow center that had been swaying in the cool breeze alongside its brethren. It seemed harmless enough and I deeply inhaled its sweet perfume. In that undisturbed moment, I then realized I was almost one with nature.
Eventually the forest opened up into a clearing, and I came upon an unobstructed dirt path. Where it led I had absolutely no idea, but I prayed civilization was at the end of it. There was only one way to find out. Although my feet pained me like a son of a bitch, I continued to drag them along the pathway. Nearly the whole environment practically yelled "BE HAPPY!" but I was far from it. Hunger pangs gnawed on my belly, my throat was parched from the low humidity and I was on the verge of tears, which only augmented my anger. I fuckin' hate crying…
"That's it. I need a break," I said irately. On the side of the road was an expediently placed boulder with an amazingly flat surface. I promptly took advantage, huffing as I sauntered over and sat down for a spell.
Dear lord, why was this happening to me? Have I done something wrong? Did I commit an unforgivable sin?
(Sure, you may be thinking, "You were just teleported to a new place! Quit whining like a bitch and go explore!" But just wait until it's your turn. Yeah… it could happen… and you might not be so lucky. What if you're teleported to an active volcano, or you find yourself in the midst of a bloody feud between foreign enemy clans? Let us then see how fast you'd go off to explore.)
Without warning I suddenly heard screaming. It sounded like it was coming from further down the road. I know I should've moved in the opposite direction, but my morbid curiosity took ahold of my better sense and propelled me toward the wretched noises. The closer I got, the more vividly I could see the unidentified entities standing in the middle of the pathway. Having no desire to be noticed, I snuck back into the forest, using the thick trees as cover as I quietly moved to their location. There were two of them, both clearly male based on their physiques.
But it wasn't their genders that shocked me to the core.
The Caucasian man on the left was dressed in an outfit suited for any shinobi. Its color scheme was black and gold. On his back he carried two sheathed swords whose handles resembled scorpion tails. The man on the right, however—if he could even be called that—was something else completely. His face appeared to be hideously deformed. It's either that or he's a demon from the underworld. The most prominent feature was his mouth, which severely lacked the pliable flesh known as lips universally seen on the human race. Instead, it was filled with a full set of razor sharp teeth. Protruding from his arms were two impossible, long metal blades that seemed to extend further beneath his pale tan skin. The creature's apparel consisted of a black, white and red tunic, pants the same shade of a crow's feathers, and black ninja boots with metal skulls embedded at the top.
Scorpion? Baraka?
No…
No way!
There's no way people like them can exist. They're video game characters for Christ sake! Cosplay… Yeah, it definitely had to be cosplay—two dudes dressed up as their favorite Mortal Kombat characters. Right? What other plausible explanation was there? By the way, the guy in the Baraka suit? Superb work on the mask. Possibly the most realistic one I've seen so far (and I've seen a lot of them).
"You cannot escape Quan Chi, Scorpion!" Baraka snarled.
Oh. My. God. Even his voice sounded spot on! Whoever this dude is, he must've had some sort of device under that mask which could alter his natural voice in order to mimic Baraka's. Talk about serious dedication.
"I can and I have."
Honestly I didn't expect much from the man posing as Scorpion, but his voice talent was fifty times better than the grotesque Baraka's. Of course, this could also be because I totally have the hots for Scorpion. Phew, just saying his name enflames my precious lady parts!
"You will regret defying Quan Chi's orders," stated the Tarkatan. "For your insolence Quan Chi has demanded your head… and I shall be the one to present it to him." He sharpened his unnatural blades against one another as he threatened Scorpion.
Hell nah! No one threatens my beloved ninja and gets away unscathed.
"Teach him a lesson, love," I said under my breath.
Thus it began.
Baraka made the first move. What a foolish thing to do. He jabbed one of the metal blades toward Scorpion's chest, swift and sure, but the ninja was quicker. Scorpion had ducked below the deadly blade, only to ascend like an eruption with a tight fist that harshly connected with the underside of Baraka's jaw. The Tarkatan yelped as he went flying and then came crashing down to earth with a hard thud. Emitting a roar that chilled my bones, Baraka jumped up for a dive kick, which Scorpion blocked with little to no effort. But the Tarkatan wasn't done. Just as the ninja went in for a straight punch to Baraka's ugly mug, he suddenly pivoted on one foot and used the other for a low sweep kick that resulted in Scorpion sprawled on the rough dirt. Baraka took advantage of this vulnerability and stomped on the ninja's chest with such force I swear I could have heard the echo of Scorpion's ribcage shattering.
Concern for the ninja's safety engulfed my heart, but I knew none of what I witnessed was for real. These people were nothing more than professional actors. I bet there were hidden cameras set up in different locations within the forest, recording all the brutal action. The blood, which looked pretty damn genuine to me, was most likely animal blood, maybe from a pig or goat.
Well, whatever the case, the battle continued on unabatedly.
The two fierce combatants exchanged marital arts moves like they were going out of style. I won't go into detail of everything they did, but let's just say I was definitely impressed… and horrified. With each bone-breaking attack I cringed a little harder, turning my eyes away while shielding my ears so I couldn't see or hear the worst of the bodily damage. What's wrong with me? I lived for this kind of violence… or at least I thought I did. It's true what they say: "Seeing it on TV isn't the same as seeing it in person."
I'm inclined to agree...
Because what I witnessed next was so… so… gruesome.
Baraka barely stood in front of Scorpion, heavily swaying side to side like a dizzy child who had spun around too fast. He'd been beaten to a bloody pulp, clothes shredded and face swollen beyond recognition. Blood—his blood—covered almost his entire body, and I started to think that perhaps this wasn't the filming of a movie as I initially thought. A small voice inside my brain told me to watch Scorpion intently… so I did. One minute he's glaring at his utterly defeated enemy, the next he's tossing a hidden kunai attached to a chain at Baraka's chest, bellowing "GET OVER HERE!" in a tone that can only be described as demonic. I flinched as the silver blade penetrated Baraka's torso and he was forced to Scorpion's side as the ninja yanked on the chain. Scorpion then proceeded to deftly wrap it around his neck. Personally I had no love for the evil Tarkatan, but a part of me felt sorry for him as I watched him struggle to breathe from the metal chain that sliced into his skin, suffocating him.
Yet… the torture was far from over.
With a shout of "To Hell with you!" a fire portal—an actual portal of hellfire—abruptly appeared from seemingly nowhere. Mercilessly, Scorpion shoved the Tarkatan into the flaming portal with a sturdy kick to the gut. Vaguely I pondered why he would continue to hold on to the chain. Why not let it go? I soon received my answer when another fiery portal opened above near the deadly ninja's head… and the fleshless corpse of Baraka hung from it like a chandelier, his sweltering body no longer recognizable as even being Tarkatan. The heat was so intense I could feel it even behind the wooden barrier of the tree.
I wanted to run away. I wanted to scream.
What did I… I mean… How did he… What. The. ACTUAL. FUCK?
Okay… alright… just… calm the fuck down, Valena. Don't start hyperventilating, not here. You got my attention, whoever you are. I'm a true believer.
Am I really, though?
Ever since I woke up in the forest, I wanted—I needed—to believe that what I had perceived was nothing more than special effects or an illusion. But not anymore. Whether it's a dream or reality, the evidence was displayed before me… and it was quite solid. Determined footfalls were approaching, pausing near the tree that concealed my presence. I can hear heavy breathing on the other side. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know who was there. I feared he had knowledge of my whereabouts, and he wasted no time in confirming them.
"You there. Come out!"
Ah shit…
He had finally taken notice me.
