When Liu woke up the next morning, the warm weight on top of him instantly caused a panic before he woke up enough to realize that it was his future mentor. Apparently, during the night, Raiden had curled up to him and while Liu knew that thought should worry him, he found it oddly comforting. He glanced over at the window and the few beams of sunlight that began to pour in through it and knew it head to very early. He gently moved Raiden away slipped out of the room.
He quickly returned to the library where he found the others waiting anxiously. "Sorry I'm late."
Kung Lao smirked, "Enjoying your time with our future thunder God I see. Its no problem. We do need him to trust us after all and getting close to him is really the best way to do that."
A deadly glare was payment for that comment. "Now isn't the time. Do not talk about him like that." Liu said angrily. "Maybe for once you could try focusing on the problem at hand."
Before the argument could escalate further Kitana stepped in. "That is enough! Both of you! Now lets get back to our plans." She turned to the Special Forces agent. "What will you be doing while Liu is with Raiden?"
"You guys have the deadly alliance covered, so I'll take care of the emperor. I'll look around the castle and see what I can find out. Maybe I can figure out what those two are up to."'
Sub-Zero nodded. "That is a good idea. We need all sides covered." He nodded to the others. "Let's get out of here before the guards become suspicious." The six kombatants crept silently out of the library, trying not to attract any unwanted attention.
"Liu" Sonya asked as they watched their friends leave. "I'm gonna look around a bit more. There has to be some clues to what Shao Kahn and Shinnok are up to. You should get back to Raiden before he wakes up."
Liu nodded. "Be careful Sonya. We know those two don't trust anyone and they're probably looking for a way to get rid of us...and possibly Raiden right now."
Raiden awoke with a start. He had been having the same dream on and off for years and it was always the same: Him being killed by his older brother. Although, this time it was a bit different. Right as Kahn was about to strike the finishing blow, he was enveloped in this bright light, almost like lightning. Then the dream ended. He'd had visions before but nothing ever quite so vivid.
He felt to his side, expecting to feel a warm body next to him, but his hand only found the cold sheets. The door cracked open then, revealing the person he had been looking for. "Liu...where were you?"
The monk took in his mentor's confused appearance and went to his side. "Raiden is there something wrong?"
Raiden shook his head,"No it's nothing. I'm fine."
"You didn't look it. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Now where were you?"
"My friends left early this morning to look for those two men that attacked you, and I was seeing them off."
Raiden nodded, "So you after them then? Is that why you were in the forest?"
Liu hesitated. He had to watch his words or everything would be ruined. "Yes, that is unfortunately why we were there." He decided to change the subject before Raiden could ask anymore questions. "Now come on. You asked for my help and we should get started.
"Right."
The two then headed down to the courtyard, each of them weary of the guards gaze upon them. Liu Lang and Raiden faced off in the golden sands of the courtyard, sizing up the other and waiting to see who would make the first attack. It was Liu, charging at the other man fist with his raised high. The silver haired man dodged the blow quickly and sent a kick into Liu's ribs. The monk rebounded quickly, landing a kick to the center of Raiden's back, causing the man to stumble forward.
He decided to follow up his attack with another kick, but was stopped short from a roundhouse from Raiden, which knocked him off balance and onto his back. Raiden staggered back and smirked, " I was expecting more from you. Is that really all you have to show me?"
The monk just returned the smirk, wiping the blood from his lip as he stood. " I'm just getting started my friend, just getting started."
The two charged toward each other again, and quickly began exchanging blows. The dark Outworld sun grew brighter overhead as they continued to fight. Even during this time their strength was even as during the hours they fought with neither gaining the upper hand.
"Liu?" Raiden panted, "Would you like to take a break for a few minutes? We've been at this for a while, and I believe both of us could use a break."
The monk nodded. "You read my mind. You're pretty good Raiden. I don't see why you would need my help against your brother."
"Thank you. I appreciate the compliment, but you haven't seen good until you seen my brother and my father." He sighed as he continued, "I honestly just want these trials to be done with. I'll be glad to be free of them."
"I thought that if you win the trials you become father's successor?" Liu asked.
"I would, or when I lose I'll either be killed or exiled from Outworld forever."
"And you're telling me you would be fine with that? Maybe you could do some good with the powers of an elder god and emperor of Outworld." Liu froze as soon as he said this. Damn, This is not good. I hope he didn't realize what I said. I need to be more careful.
Liu's hopes went unanswered as Raiden quirked an eyebrow at him as he said, "You mean fallen Elder God, but how did you know that? I don't remember telling you."
"I had overheard Kahn mention it yesterday. Saying how enjoyable it would be to to crush the other realms with the powers of an Elder God at his disposal." He said quickly.
It didn't seem like Raiden had bought his story, but he decided to let it go for the moment. "I guess I could do some good, for centuries I have done whenever my father told me. Haven't you noticed the way the villagers cower at my feet? We've taken everything from them and the longest time I couldn't find it in myself to feel bad about it."
"And now you can?"
"I have to get rid of this evil feeling inside of me, and I don't believe becoming the ruler of Outworld would help. I fear it would make me just like them. That's why I don't care about these trials. They're pointless to me." Raiden sighed. "Sometimes, I can't believe my father was an Elder God."
Liu had never seen Raiden so depressed, in fact, he had never seen his mentor depressed at all. He was always the one that watched out for them and looked over them, and now Liu decided that it was his turn to be the protector. "Come on you want to beat your brother don't you?" At the hesitant nod he continued, "Then let's keep going. We still have plenty of time and I'll do whatever I can to help you."
Raiden smiled, a look that Liu still had trouble getting used to and said, "Thank you so much. There may not be much I can do to stand up to my father and brother, but at least this is a start. I just want to say that after this is over, I will forever be in your debt."
"Trust me, it is I that will be forever in your debt my friend." Liu fell back into his fighting stance. "Now let's get back to work."
Meanwhile, in the living forest, Kitana, Jade, Kenshi were trekking cautiously through the growling and moaning trees. "My lady," Jade said, "We have yet to find anything here. There's only so many places that Shang Tsung and Quan Chi could be hiding."
"You have a point Jade. Luckily, it is only the two of them that we have to worry about." Kitana said calmly.
Kenshi had remained silent through the exchange, instead focusing his hearing on their surroundings. Halfway through the forest, he had felt another presence following them. "Ladies, I believe we are being followed."
"So you felt it too?" Jade asked.
"Yes, there has been something following us since we entered the forest. I haven't been able to locate it until now. It appears that we might have more to worry about than just the sorcerers."
"Who else would be around during this time that could possibly be of help to them?" Jade said.
"Nobody." Kitana said. "Neither Shang Tsung or Quan Chi would be foolish enough to risk their mission by revealing their identities to someone."
Before they had a chance to contemplate this new threat further, something suddenly sent Jade rushing forward, landing face first against the side of one of the trees. "What was that?!" Jade exclaimed.
Kitana looked around the trees, her fans out and ready. Kenshi had drawn his sword and was intently listening to the sounds of forest, waiting for that one single sound to give their attacker away. "Kitana do you hear anything?" he asked.
"No, nothing at all."
Again the warning was the sound of wind whistling as something hit Kenshi square in the chest, sending him directly into the mouth one of the trees. Kenshi yelled as the wooden mouth closed on his back, ripping his uniform and tearing the skin along with it.
As Jade rushed to Kenshi's side and freed him from the tree's grasp, Kitana stayed on guard. "Show yourself sorcerer! I thought you wanted to fight!" Kitana shouted.
The tattooed sorcerer finally revealed himself, stepping out of a portal and into the clearing where the three other fighters stood. "Finally a little action. I was hoping to kill one if you while I'm here. I was beginning to get bored."
"You'll fail at this Quan Chi! Just like you have failed at everything else!" Jade said.
"Quiet you piece of Edenian trash! You, your princess and this worthless swordsman stand no chance against me. Looks like we're going to get to kill that worthless thunder God and get rid of some trouble as well."
As soon as the sorcerer went to attack, a forceball suddenly appeared and knocked him to the ground. He growled at the interruption and his hands began to glow, "Looks like I get to add one more person to my list of people to die!"
The four warriors watched in amazement as the invisible blur suddenly became visible, and it revealed itself to be none other than a certain green clad ninja.
"REPTILE!" Quan Chi shouted. "What are you doing here?!"
The reptilian ninja ignored the sorcerer and instead focused on the three kombatants. "The emperor will be very pleased at what I've learned and now I can enjoy the part of my mission where I get to kill you all!"
"What?!" Quan Chi was shocked for a moment until he remembered that this wasn't his time. This Reptile had no allegiance to him, so as far as he was concerned Quan Chi was just another target to this Reptile, but maybe he could use this to his advantage. He silently got up and hid behind one of the trees. He didn't mind playing back up for this mission. He could still take out the Earthrealm warriors, he just had to stay under Reptile's radar to do so.
Reptile hissed as he turned to the Earthrealm fighters, before becoming invisible again. He had always had the element of surprise on his side and he wasn't going to waste it. He quickly fired two forceballs at Kitana, the first which she was able to block but the second managed to take her by surprise, launching her into the air and and leaving horrible acid burns on her stomach.
She managed to land on her feet and and quickly threw one of her fans in the direction of the forceballs. She knew all it took was one hit to shake Reptile's illusion, and that was all she'd need. She was lucky. As her fan sailed forward she heard the satisfying slashing sound and the trails of green blood hit the ground as Reptile appeared again.
Before he could move, he was surrounded by a blue light as he was slammed between two of the trees. As the glow dissipated Reptile was suddenly knocked against one of the trees by Jade's staff. As Kitana turned to Jade, her eyes widened "Jade! Look out!", but it was too late.
A skull blast followed by another hit her in the back, sending her down to her knees. Before either of the Earthrealm fighters could make a move, the sorcerer had disappeared again, this time reappearing over Jade before stomping her mercilessly into the ground. With a final stomp, he stepped off of her and kicked her cruelly against one of the trees. He looked up and smirked at Kitana.
"Now it's just you and me princess."
Kenshi continued to hold Reptile against the tree as he charge toward him, but as he grew closer, he could feel instantly that it was a trap, and soon felt the agonizing burn of acid against his chest. Reptile had removed his mask and spewed a long stream of acid at the swordsman, continuing until Kenshi had lost his hold on him completely. He then quickly got up from the tree and grabbed Kenshi's arm as he began landing multiple kicks against the swordsman's bloodied body. He could feel the bones cracking under the force of his legs which only served to excite him further. He landed one last kick to Kenshi's arm before kneeing the other warrior in the head.
Reptile dropped Kenshi to the ground and surveyed his surroundings as he silently left the forest to report back to Kahn. The mysterious sorcerer was still fighting the blue garbed woman from the emperor's castle, and the swordsman would not be moving anytime soon. Reptile had made sure of that. The green garbed woman was struggling to begin to stand and help her companion. He snorted, his job may have been to kill them, but he had learned enough to keep his master on guard against these fighters and it seemed that the sorcerer had this under control.
Kitana had been holding own against the sorcerer, but it seemed like nothing she did was weakening him. As she blocked another skull blast she began to feel strange, it was as if she had been frozen, but when her arms began to move against her will that's when she she realized the skull blast was a distraction. The sorcerer wanted her to let her guard down, so he'd be able to use his spell.
Quan Chi smirked, "Now let's see those fans do some damage to their owner, shall we?" Kitana's hands had spread out her fans and slowly began to move over her torso, the blades digging into skin as they passed. Her arms began to move quicker and the slashes become more numerous, until her torso and legs were nothing but red. Finally, her hands threw down her fans and she was forced to stand stock still, her blood still flowing freely from her wounds.
"Now let's see what these trees can do to that beautiful body of yours." Kitana began to move again, this time toward one of the trees that had its mouth open, as if waiting for her. Kitana struggled against the spell, trying as hard as she could to keep her arm from entering the tree's mouth, but the spell proved to be too strong. Slowly but surely, her arm was in the dark pit of the tree and the mouth instantly shut, not hard enough to chop it off, but with enough force to shatter every bone. Kitana screamed loudly, not even the force of the spell could keep this pain silent.
Slowly the mouth crept open, and Kitana made the move rip her arm out of the tree and nearly fell back in surprise when she found out she was in control of her body again. She turned back to where Quan Chi and noticed the sorcerer moving strangely. He moved as if he was in pain, then there was a sudden movement before he staggered forward again. That's when she looked behind him, kneeling at the tree she had been kicked into, Jade held one of her razorangs in her hand, ready to fire again. Kitana looked back to Quan Chi, was now facing Jade and ready to fire another skull blast and saw three razorangs embedded in his back.
She ran as fast as her wounds would allow and leaped into the air, landing a flying kick to Quan Chi's back and pushing the blades deeper inside. She used her uninjured arm and grabbed one her fans from the ground and impaled it through the back of the sorcerer's leg, sending him to his knees. She opened her fan readying it for the lethal blow before she was suddenly slammed against another tree, unable to move. She quickly saw why. Quan Chi had taken control of Kenshi's weakened and bloody body and forced him to use his telekinetic abilities. Quan smirked and stood, "This isn't over you Earthrealm scum. Neither you or Raiden will make it out of here alive." With that he opened another portal and stepped through, leaving the three warriors alone with the moans and groans of the forest.
Kitana slowly made her way over Jade and helped her stand. "Are you all right?"
Jade nodded. "I'll be fine. Nothing a little time won't fix. We should see to Kenshi."
The two Edenians made their way to the limp form of the Earthrealm swordsman and the heard him groan softly. "What the hell just happened here?" he said.
"I'm not completely sure. I was expecting Quan Chi but what was Reptile doing here?" Jade asked.
Kitana sighed, "I don't know, but we need to get back to the castle. It seems like we have to worry about much more than just the deadly alliance. I really hope the others are all right."
They slowly began their trek out the forest. They knew now with the appearance of another one of their enemies, this mission had just become much more dangerous and none of them had any idea on what to expect next.