After Tanya's betrayal:
Miserable and alone; that's all Chris felt the past few hours, his face mixed with disappointment and resentment while sitting inside his tent. There was nothing but complete emptiness in his whole demeanor: and he was mostly responsible.
Six hours ago:
Chris traveled to a seemingly ghost-like town in Outworld, the city of Sun Do devoid of life and far from welcoming to anyone as everything laid ravaged. Old huts cut in half, dead animals everywhere, and scarce remains of magic dispersed throughout the area.
Earthrealm's Hero inspected one of the many destroyed huts when a gust of wind blew behind his back, prompting him to enter his battle stance. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. On high alert, Chris' gaze shifted towards a rice field twenty feet east to see a few crows pecking at a dead goat. Thinking it was just his imagination, Chris assessed the wreckage, stepping inside a house riddled with graffiti. The occupants inside consisted of four members, all of them horrifically murdered as Chris examined the victims; the husband's neck twisted at an unnatural angle while his wife suffered first degree burns across her body and a deep incision at the base of her throat. Chris then nearly threw up after seeing two more adults hung by a noose with their intestines hanging out. Deciding he's seen enough, Chris headed for the exit before spotting something, a particular part of graffiti etched on a cabinet door in the kitchen. Upon closer inspection, he realized what the symbol was, his eyes widening at the realization.
"Black Dragon!" The Earthrealm savior exclaimed. "Shit!"
Immediately, Chris sprinted to the door, only to be ambushed with a solid kick to the spine and sent flying into a metal gate in the front lawn. Groaning from the surprise attack, he prepared himself for an onslaught as six members of the ruthless gang surrounded him.
It was all a setup to lure him here.
They beat Chris within an inch of his life even with his great ability in martial arts as blood ran from a gash above his right eye and on the left side of his forehead. The thugs overwhelmed and incapacitated him before dragging his body to their hideout.
Things were only going to get worse for Earth's hero.
Two hours later:
"Wake up, sleeping beauty," a faint and unknown voice called out.
With much difficulty, Chris winced to adjust his sight as a bright, singular lamp shined directly above him, his anger rising after finally regaining full vision.
"KANO!" he yelled furiously.
The Black Dragon leader grinned evilly as his favorite 'chump' besides Sonya angrily spat out his name. Chris tried to lash out but quickly realized his limbs were immobilized, both hands tied together behind a chair with a thick rope and his ankles bound to the legs. Kano hadn't changed at all in appearance, sporting his trademark cybernetic eye in his MK3 attire, the only difference was the outfit being entirely black to match his organization's namesake.
"Been a long time, mate." Kano smugly cracked.
"Not long enough jackass!" Chris seethed. "What are you and your low life thugs doing here!?"
"Relax, mate. Just handlin' Black Dragon business as usual," the Black Dragon head remarked. "Though I'm surprised to find you snooping around here."
Chris wasn't amused. "Spare me your bullshit! Don't think I forgot about everything you've done to me! Because so help me, I'm taking your head off your fucking shoulders if it's the last thing I do!"
Laughter boomed throughout the entire room as Kano along with his mercenaries mocked their adversary, knowing he was only stalling to avoid the inevitable.
"Mate, ya never cease to amaze me! I always admired that about you," their leader taunted after the laughter subsided. "Anyhow, we have this town under our control, and will be expanding ever so slightly to give the Dragon King his rightful empire." Kano paused and gave Chris another sickening grin. "And it's all thanks to this smokin' hot gal."
The wooden double doors in the room creaked open, and as Kano said, a full-figured female sauntered through. Chris' expression turned into abject horror when he recognized who it was. Dressed in a yellow Edenian outfit showing her powerful legs with fire markings on her torso and revealing a good amount of cleavage, Tanya slowly strutted to Chris, shaking her toned ass which caught every Black Dragon member's hungry stare. She smirked menacingly at her former lover who was in disbelief, not believe the woman he made love to a few weeks ago has now shown her true colors.
Tanya now aligned herself with the Black Dragon.
"You look surprised, Chris." Tanya ridiculed. "I thought you would've seen this coming?"
Chris was at a loss for words. "Tanya...? W- Why? Why would you do this?"
"If you haven't learned already, even from giving me marvelous sex," she began, casually flipping her hair behind her shoulders. "I always get what I want."
"So you decided to just spit on my love!?" Chris yelled.
The pyromancer merely giggled. "Sorry, but I don't believe in that weak emotion." She then sat in Chris' lap, gently grinding her pelvis to rub in her betrayal, much to his displeasure. "Love eventually gets you killed and from how I see it," Tanya dragged her fingernails under his Chris' chin and cupped his left cheek before whispering, "You have become weak."
Having enough of her game, Chris violently shook Tanya off his lap despite his limited mobility. The pyromancer got off the floor and glared at him with disdain as he replied, "You traitor, Jade was right about you."
Not a second after he said that statement, Tanya quickly backhanded Chris with her right hand engulfed in flames, the impact making Kano and his organization wince. Chris ended up on the floor in pain after Tanya's attack, a burn mark imprinted on the right side of his face for good measure.
"Don't EVER say that bitch's name in my presence!" Tanya shrieked before turning sharply to two gang members. "Sit him up!"
Not wanting to anger her further, they hastily sat Chris upright as he tried to regain his senses, not expecting that violent blow. After being brought up, Tanya moved forward and grabbed a handful of his hair, nothing but hate filling her pupil-less eyes. Not just for the man in front of her but also for Edenia's General who's been nothing less than a complete nuisance.
"That pole swinging whore has thwarted me repeatedly, and if it weren't for Kitana, her head would be sitting on a pike in my throne! I'll slaughter Jade without remorse if she gets in my way again!" fumed Tanya.
The pyromancer's malicious words lit a fire inside Chris, unsure what he would do if he witnessed Jade's death and this witch claimed responsibility.
Chris venomously responded despite Tanya's painful grip of his hair. "You won't lay one hand on her! I'll be damned if I let you harm Jade!"
Hearing him say that about her hated enemy made he traitor narrow her eyes dangerously. After a tense moment of silence, Tanya confused Chris with a grin and released his hair to join the rest of the gang before erupting in laughter.
"Well, well. You do feel something for that bitch. Then again, I forgot you gave her and Kitana some good sex from what I've heard." Tanya's words carried a hint of jealously Chris easily detected but to his credit, didn't say anything.
You could hear a pin drop as the Black Dragon gang stood wordlessly at what they just heard. Kano himself was impressed. Chris boned both the Princess of Outworld and her highly respected bodyguard, at the same time no less. Few would be able to fathom sexing two beautiful Edenian women, let alone its royalty.
'That certainly got their attention,' Chris speculated.
Breaking his train of thought, Tanya continued speaking. "No matter. As I said before, that green harpy has been in my way ever since I betrayed Edenia and it's gone on long enough."
A sudden thought popped into her mind, making the pyromancer smile once again as she stared at Chris with evil intentions. He couldn't imagine what was going through her mind but found out after she spoke. "Well, my former lover, you've just given me a brilliant idea."
Tanya went behind him, a seductive look on her face as she laid her hand over his shoulder and slid down his chest which revolted the Earthrealm savior. Tanya then leaned down to bite his ear, a grimace escaping his mouth.
"Since we have you captured, I'm sure there'll be plenty of people who will come looking for you, mainly Sindel and her mangy lapdog. I wonder how much they'll relinquish to make sure you're unharmed," the former ambassador unveiled.
Chris' eyes widened at the mention of being used as a bargaining chip for whatever twisted desires Tanya had in mind. "What makes you think the Queen would agree with whatever deal you have in place!? Better yet, what deal are you trying to swindle!? There's no way Sindel would ever bargain with the likes of you!"
She merely laughed at his outburst. "To answer in order, the Queen herself realizes how valuable you are to the cause of deterring all enemies against Edenia and Earthrealm, that's a given fact. Also, the deal I'll make with her is..." She whispered in his opposite ear, "Your freedom... for Jade's execution by my hand."
The proposed negotiation caused Chris to violently thrash against the chair to beat the living daylights out of Tanya, enraged she would go to any length to exact her revenge on Jade.
"BACKSTABBING WITCH! IF YOU EVEN SO MUCH BREATHE IN JADE'S DIRECTION, I WILL KILL YOU MY DAMN SELF!" Chris exploded.
Once again, Tanya backhanded Earth's warrior with another inflamed right hand and sent him to the floor as she did earlier. Chris coughed up blood mixed with saliva as it spewed out in wads.
"Chris, when will you learn? Jade's fate was already sealed when she decided to deny what's rightfully mine. I'll feel so much satisfaction when I grind my heel into her throat as she begs for mercy." Tanya stated menacingly. "Who knows? Maybe when I eradicate her existence, you can be my play toy for all eternity. Surely Jade doesn't have the sex drive to satisfy you. Am I right?"
After taking his time to recover, Chris spat out another wad of blood and uttered, "You... can go fuck yourself."
Tanya shook her head in disappointment. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Then you leave me no choice but to..."
Before the pyromancer completed her sentence, the double doors exploded and in came thirty-five men along with a slender female dressed in purple boots, top, and bottom with a head wrap. Li Mei caught wind of the Black Dragon securing one of the village homes and gathered her people to kick the unwanted aggressors out.
"Despicable! You come into my village and wipe out everything that was near and dear to my people!" Li Mei addressed the unwelcomed visitors. "We will take you all out by force and reclaim our land!" The Outworld refugee pulled out her sword before commanding, "ATTACK!"
The villagers charged the Black Dragon in a wild battle royal, Li Mei easily taking out a score of thugs before spotting Chris tied down to a chair, lying on the ground in discomfort.
Cautiously, Li Mei approached. "Hey, I know you. You're Chris from Earthrealm." She used her sword to free Chris from his bondage. "Do you remember me?"
"Yes, you're Li Mei," answered Chris while massaging both wrists. "I met you a few years ago..."
"I know. You also had sex with me as well." Li Mei interrupted.
Embarrassed, Chris looked down, angered by the fact Tanya has caused him much heartbreak within the past few hours.
The refugee broke his train of thought. "Don't feel bad. You were good, but I probably shouldn't have asked you to do that. I was very naïve back then." She carefully examined the bruises on his face from Tanya's assault. "Are you ok? You look terrible."
"Don't worry about it," replied Chris. "Let's just say I've had better days."
A Black Dragon member snuck behind Chris, but before he could strike, the Earthrealmer gave him a sharp elbow without looking before landing a roundhouse kick to his temple, knocking the thug unconscious.
"What happened? Was it because of that woman in yellow?" she inquired.
"Regretfully," he replied with disdain.
The Sun Do refugee caught another incoming gang member's fist and flipped him over on his back and incapacitated him by stomping on his sternum. They stood back to back as six more Black Dragon members surrounded them. Knowing they had the advantage despite being outnumbered, they fought the gang while still talking about what happened to the Earthrealm savior in his entrapment.
"She was a person I thought I loved and ended up turning her back on me and our forces over the promise of enormous power and wealth," Chris explained after tossing a male through the front window.
Li Mei dropkicked two members with each foot and gracefully landed back on both feet. "I'm sorry for the grief Tanya put you through."
Sighing, Chris delivered a punishing right knee to another Black Dragon member while holding another in a chokehold before breaking his neck. "I know, and I should've done something, but that's what I get for not listening. Do you know about the Dragon King making a reappearance?"
"Yes, this land is going to be used to build a palace to his liking. Most of the villagers have already fled. Only warriors like myself stayed to fend them off," replied Li Mei.
As the ruckus ceased, all the Black Dragon members laid defeated by Chris, Li Mei, and her fellow warriors except for Kano and Tanya who watched the entire melee from a safe distance. They escaped outside the back door and fled the area not to risk capture, and no doubt face execution.
"Don't think this is over, Chris!" Tanya shouted at the defenders of Sun Do, completely unhappy with the change in advantage.
As he heard Tanya's voice from outside, Chris saw her and Kano atop a hill and charged after them with Li Mei following in hot pursuit.
"This has only been a delay and nothing more! The Dragon King will rise again, and when he does, you will all perish!" The Edenian traitor gave him a mean smile. "But he did promise to save Jade for me! She'll die by my hand one way or another!" Tanya laughed as she and Kano made their retreat via teleportation.
Chris and his new ally barely missed getting there in time to prevent their departure. Despite escaping with the help of Li Mei and her villagers to fend off the Black Dragon Gang, Chris remained upset that the realms are still in peril with the return of the Dragon King. Worst of all, Jade was in grave danger and doesn't even know it. In frustration, Chris threw his head back and bellowed. Li Mei could only bow her head in empathy.
Present:
After staring in space for at least an hour, Chris decided to clear his mind with some fresh air and stepped out of his tent, seeing Li Mei and her Master Bo Rai Cho having dinner by the campfire. The Master learned of the events from his student and wanted to join their quest. Any ally would be of great help to an important cause.
"Master Bo Rai Cho, Li Mei; I'm going for a walk," Chris informed them. "I should be back shortly."
Bo Rai Cho raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Chris? Was the dinner not to your liking?"
"I enjoyed what you made for all of us, Master," the Earthrealm savior honestly replied. "Just need to clear my mind."
The master nodded. "Very well. Just don't wander off too far, evil forces may be lurking in the shadows." Chris bowed in respect and left the campground, his figure slowly disappearing into the darkness.
Bo Rai Cho turned to his student. "I know those thugs took him hostage, but that wasn't all of what happened, was it?"
Li Mei unsurely replied, "It appears the one named Tanya broke his heart and betrayed her homeworld of Edenia as well." A pause occurred. "Before those people escaped, Tanya mentioned she would execute someone who kept getting in her way of power who happens to be very close to Chris."
"Did you catch the name of the person she wants to kill?" asked the Master.
"I believe her name is Jade." Li Mei answered.
Bo Rai Cho gravely nodded. "I see. Jade is the bodyguard to the Edenian throne for Queen Sindel and Princess Kitana. They foster a deep hatred for each other after Tanya became obsessed for power. It doesn't surprise me she wants to get rid of a formidable warrior like Jade."
No other words were said between master and student as Li Mei resumed eating her dinner, unaware of Bo Rai Cho observed the half-crescent moon.
'Poor soul,' his thought concerning Chris. 'No man should ever have to go through what he's endured.'
Forest Clearing:
The solitary trek toward an open space seemed to do nothing for Chris, his once indomitable spirit markedly shaken as he made a seat from a tree log, reflecting on the events of the last few hours.
His capture by the Black Dragon, Tanya aligning herself with them, and her disturbing arrangement regarding his freedom for Jade's head.
All of Chris' anger returned after seeing Kano again, the bastard responsible for murdering his wife and child, a transgression Chris will never forgive. To make matters worse, Tanya, whom he considered a love interest, betrayed him in the worst possible way and vowed to kill her most bitter rival in Jade.
A sense of worry overtook the Earthrealmer if not only the Dragon King returned to power, but if Tanya succeeded in taking Jade's life as Kano did to Jennifer and Kate. Just the thought of her dying by that witch's hand was too much for Chris to bear as he wept silently, afraid to lose Jade as she grew into a woman who could heal his heart after his wife family's demise and more notably, Tanya's betrayal.
Chris continued weeping and failed to hear a portal opening behind him about fifty yards away, revealing two females. One had ghost white eyes and hair, possessing a full-figured body with wide hips and thighs covered in knee-high boots in a purple bodysuit, her appearance betraying her advanced age. The woman beside her was also thousands of years old, but she too was blessed with natural beauty, flaunting a similar full-figured body with even better 'assets,' and jet-black hair twisted into two pigtails (like Chun-Li from Street Fighter) while adorned in a ninja-like outfit scarcely concealing her sun-kissed ebony skin.
Queen Sindel and Jade searched tirelessly for allies to oppose the impending return of the Dragon King and gathered many warriors along with the likes of Sonya and Johnny Cage. (Yes, they're married.) Their quest now focused on finding Chris after hearing he'd been put into a coma and disappearing from the scene shortly after recovering, only to be apprehended by the Black Dragon. The two ladies surveyed the area, mindful it may not be safe due to the growing number of enemies serving Onaga.
"Stay alert, Jade," spoke Sindel. "The entire perimeter could be surrounded."
"Yes, your Highness," Jade replied.
Both women began walking towards the clearing, their respective weapons tightly gripped. Traveling under twilight, Jade led her Queen to a downtrodden pathway when a small noise caught her ear, the sound of weeping. Although mute, Jade recognized it and silently directed Sindel to halt. Edenia's General then allowed her Queen to resume movement, their cautious approach taking them to Chris' current location, their eyes observing his languish in secrecy.
"There he is, but why is he crying?" the Queen whispered to her General.
Jade wondered about this anomaly herself. "I'm uncertain, my Queen."
Inside, the emerald assassin desperately wanted to console Chris about whatever made him feel this way, holding a soft spot for the Earthrealmer ever since their first meeting. Aside from how he fought in the tournament and his somewhat blunt personality, Chris was a gentle soul, not to mention very handsome. Jade's heart fluttered inside her chest, cognizant that Kitana too shared an interest in the Earthrealm male. However, Jade wanted to be the one he would call his, a complete reversal from her original thoughts of men.
Sindel noticed the faraway look her General was giving Chris. "You sense his grief as well, Jade?"
The startled assassin turned to her Queen, dropping her head in shame. "Apologies, my Queen. I can't stand to see him this way."
Sindel nodded. "Understandable as I felt the same way about Jerrod." Another query popped into her mind. "Do you love him, Jade?"
Jade's eyes widened in shock at the Queen's deduction. "Your Highness!" She lowered her voice as not to cause a scene. "H- How did you...?"
The Queen stopped her midsentence. "Don't be ashamed, my dear. You can tell me."
"Something intriguing about him escapes me. It's almost like there's more to Chris than meets the eye." Jade summarized truthfully but didn't expand any further.
"And you feel compelled to learn more," Sindel interjected.
A subtle nod was Jade's response. "Yes. However, the Dragon King's resurrection remains our top priority."
"Indeed," Sindel acknowledged. "Let's make our presence known."
"Yes, Queen Sindel," Jade replied with a bow.
The two Edenian women quietly stepped into the clearing and approached their chosen champion. Chris continued wallowing in misery before hearing footsteps encroaching on his position. He alertly jumped up and into his battle stance, ready to take on whoever decided to ambush him but immediately put his guard down when he recognized Edenia's royalty.
"Queen Sindel!" Chris quickly bowed. "My apologies, your highness. I thought it was the Black Dragon again."
"It's quite all right, my dear. We were quite subtle," replied Sindel. "Please rise. You know you have my highest regard for your hard work."
Chris did so and noticed a familiar face by the Queen's side. "Jade...?"
Jade shyly smiled while trying to control her rapid heartbeat. "Greetings, Chris. Pleasant to see you again."
"Likewise," he returned the pleasantries. "What brings you both here to the forest?"
Sindel and Jade stepped closer. "Soliciting assistance all over Outworld for allies to combat Onaga's forces," the Queen spoke. "They're all residing in Edenia while we searched for you. Thank the Gods you're unharmed."
The painful memory of his seizure caused Chris to sigh. "I'm not hurt, but I'm a long way from being ok."
Apprehension gripped both ladies at his words and the tone they carried, prompting Jade to step forward. "Speculation of your disappearance motivated us to investigate." Her forest eyes glanced over the nasty scar on his right cheek, but she uttered no word on the matter. "What happened?"
Chris and Jade's eyes connected in a game of tag to decipher what their eyes were possibly seeking. The shared gaze between the two didn't intensify at any instance, a momentary break from the outside world to sense what the other disguised behind their focus. In other words, the eyes are the gateway to one's soul.
"This isn't the most appropriate place to explain," Chris replied in a somber tone after sensing Jade's distress. "Master Bo Rai Cho and his student Li Mei have a campground not too far from here. I'll take you both there to discuss what happened."
Sindel nodded. "Very well, Chris. Lead the way."
