Just as a brief note, you may be aware that in Deception and Armageddon Ermac refers to himself in plural, as in saying "we" rather than "I". For this story he will not do so for the first few chapters, there is a reason for that, and in time it will change, but just so you know I haven't simply got it wrong. That said, emjoy the third installment of my story and please RnR.
Commander of Outworld
Ermac, The Emperor Shao Kahn's new Commander, soon became the force to be reckoned with in the realm of Outworld. The new Commanders military peers Reiko and Kano soon envied his close relationship with Shao Kahn.
The Emperor however couldn't be more pleased with his latest officer's work. His first task for Ermac had been to subdue the few rebelling villages spread across Outworld. These villages had assumed they had a chance for freedom after hearing of the fall of the Deadly Alliance, but at Kahn's will and Ermac's ability these peasants (as Kahn saw them) were soon pounded back into place.
Part of Shao Kahn's new master plan was to set off Rain, a former Prince of Edenia, into his home land with Outworld General Kintaro, to break up that realm from within. As this happened however Earthrealm was immediately alerted to The Emperors actions and decided to retaliate before he could strike them too.
Earthrealms warriors would be led by Kung Lao, who wanted to redeem himself after his loss to Quan Chi. With him came Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs with their US Special Forces; Johnny Cage, who had sworn to look after Sonya even without her requesting his aid; and Kenshi, who had been blinded by The Sorcerer Shang Tsung many years ago.
The warriors of course were met by Ermac himself, and with him were over two hundred Tarkatan warriors.
The two forces met at the wasteland about a days march away from Shao Kahn's Palace. Ermac was at the head of his gang of bloodthirsty grunts, Kung Lao and his friends headed the warriors of Earth. Ermac and Lao stepped forward, meeting each other between the two groups.
"He said you'd come," the red and black clad warrior announced to his less than welcome guests. Behind the mask the Earthrealm warriors guessed this new threat to be around his mid-twenties, he also had glowing green eyes which filled him with an essence of mystery. The warrior's attire was similar to that of numerous ninjas they'd met in Outworld before, so they had an idea of what to expect from this one. Soon those ideas would be proven wrong.
"Another fluorescent ninja," Sonya joked,
"When you're all dead we can line you up and make a rainbow," Johnny added.
"Ignorant fools!" Ermac barked, "I am Ermac, Commander of Outworld, and soon to be the maker of each and every one of you Mortal Imbeciles!"
"Commander huh?" Johnny remarked, "Guess Kano wasn't cutting it anymore."
"Maybe Mr. Kahn realized what a joke Aussie boy really was," Sonya added sharply, but grinning.
"Quiet!" the ninja demanded, "I am The Emperor's right hand man. A man made up of the souls of one-hundred brave warriors, the souls of your friends, and with their combined strength I will crush all of you."
"Is he serious?" Johnny asked sternly, and in Kung Lao's direction, although Lao himself had also just met this mysterious warrior for the first time too.
"How should I know," Lao asked. The descendant of the Legendary Kung Lao then shuddered after a moments thought, as if a dark revelation had just come to him.
"Yes," he said, "He is. One hundred fallen warriors of Edenia make up his person." Lao's voice then lowered into a hushed but fearful tone, "What kind of dark wizardry is this I wonder? Could Shang Tsung be behind this?"
"Enough talk," Ermac interrupted, "Which of you will fight me in Mortal Kombat first?" The Earth warriors shifted nervously, with Ermac's revelation none of them knew what to expect, "Fine then," the Commander said, "You will all die."
The red ninja then began to emit an unnatural green glow. He then crossed his arms against his chest and began to levitate majestically into the air. When he was about six-feet above the ground Ermac came to a stop and drew his sword. Holding his weapon high Ermac pointed the swords deadly blade in the direction of the numerous Earthrealm warriors. The demonic ninja then looked down to his men and yelled, "ATTACK!"
What followed was an intense cloud of dust as Ermac's Tarkatan hordes met the forces of Earthrealm head on in battle. It would be the first of a long run of skirmishes between the two realms, this time however the Outworld Commander would not stay to see the outcome as Ermac quickly left the scene.
Unbeknownst to Ermac, Sonya and thirty other Special Forces agents had followed him. He had trekked across the wasteland, further away from Kahn's palace toward the foot of a large range of mountains which acted as a natural form of defense for The Emperor's Kingdom.
Of course Ermac soon noticed his pursuers. He had even allowed them to follow him this far, and at the foot of the mountains he stopped moving and turned on his chasers. He saw the warriors coming over a low ridge not to far away. He had been surprised at their speed, but disappointed that they had sent so few.
When the Special Forces arrived at the mountain base Sonya stopped a few paces ahead of her man but a fair distance away from Ermac.
"OK men," she said," Kill him. I don't know who he is or where he came from, but he means nothing to us, so just destroy him OK." With that the Forces surrounded Ermac, but none of them had anticipated the slaughter that was about to take place.
The first wave of men Ermac knocked down with a barrier of telekinetic energy. He then raised his hand in front of another man who was headed toward him and using telekinesis lifted him in the air before hurling him into two other oncoming soldiers, taking down three men at once.
Now ten men came at Ermac together. Not about to lift them all Ermac again drew his sword, this time intent on using it to shed the blood of the enemies of Outworld. The ten men were less than a match for the amalgam of one hundred men. With frightening ease Ermac cut down Sonya's troops whilst simultaneously dodging their baton attacks and clumsy karate kicks. Heads rolled, limbs dropped and blood sprayed as Sonya watched her thirty Forces agents brutally dwindled down to a mere eight.
"Fuck this shit!" Sonya screamed and her scrambling troops. "Use your fucking guns! We don't have to fuck about like this our friends are dead!"
As commanded all eight of Sonya's remaining men got into position and held their automatic rifles at the blood soaked Outworld warrior, who had now sheathed his sword once more.
"Fire! For fucks sake!" Sonya yelled in frustration and emotion at her hesitant soldiers. They did so immediately and for the few moments that followed there could only be heard the deafening sound of roaring bullets as the entire area filled with smoke from the gunpowder.
When the gun fire had finished the attackers looked ahead expecting to see the once defiant commander lying busted and bloody in a pool of blood and ashes. What they saw instead filled them with disdain and stomach turning dread. For even after all the hundreds of rounds they had fired off the soldiers saw that their best efforts had had little effect on Ermac, who was still just standing there.
As Sonya's men were about to fire off their first rounds Ermac had thrown up his right arm and instantly created an invisible shield of energy. The bullets which came at such furious velocity simply bounced and dropped as they made contact which the intense barrier.
Sure enough, the soldiers looked to the ground before Kahn's powerful new Commander and saw a still smoking litter of all their used ammunition. The gunfire had done nothing, and Ermac didn't even seem phased by all that had gone on.
"That was pathetic," the ninja mocked. Sonya sneered as she was sure she could see a smile beneath that red mask he wore.
Not wanting to waste anymore time away from the main battle Ermac through another pulse of telekinetic energy at the Earth Warriors, knocking their guns from their hands. He then elevated himself above the dazed horde and pulled his sword out for a third and final time. Swiftly Ermac then moved as he cut Sonya's men down with quick swipes and pierces from his deadly blade. He cut all eight men down so that only the feisty leader was left standing.
"You bastard," Sonya growled through gritted teeth, her voice already filling with tears for her fallen comrades. She then pulled out her own handgun and fired three rapid shots at Ermac.
The telekinetic warrior managed to stop three of the shots with his abilities but the third caught him in his gut and instantly drew blood.
"Urgh," Ermac cried, before throwing up another pulse of energy knocking Sonya back off her feet. Ermac then put a hand to his belt whilst clutching his wounded stomach with the other. "My Lord," he whispered, hoping help would come.
The demonic Commander was in luck as a moment later Ermac's saviour came. A portal blasted open in the fabric of space before himself and Sonya. As the Special Forces leader got to her feet she was powerless to stop her enemy make his escape through the portal and the disturbance close behind him.
