Love & War 2
Chapter 3: From Actor to Protector
We are now taken to the courtyard of Raiden's Sky Temple. As a thunderstorm pours down hard, a massive army of Netherrealm demons were completely slaughtering the monks that live there. Only two fighters remain, the thunder god, Raiden and the god of wind, Fujin.
Raiden zapped several demons with electricity, while Fujin traps several more in a gusting cyclone and hurls them in a bottomless cliff. One of the demons grappled Fujin and bit him in the face. He was able to knock the demon off of looks to the heavens to see several more. They land behind him, but was saved byr Raidenby impaling it with his polearm. Both gods return to demon manages to bite Raiden's arm and gets electricuted. Raiden gets tackled across the courtyard by a flying demon. The demon roars in victory before being bisected by Fujin.
"Raiden, we must refortify the portal's defenses below," said Fujin.
"No, Fujin," Raiden replied. "It is too late."
The Netherrealm army is far from done. They walk toward the gods. One in particular gets closer and roars to the skies when a green skull bursts through its chest. The demons made way for the one who sent the skull, the sorcerer Quan Chi.
"The mighty gods of Earthrealm." he said.
."You befoul these hallowed grounds, Quan Chi. Begone!"
"I am surprised they have not granted you death."
"There are things worse than death!"
"One you will soon share, and my lord shall witness your fall."
The demons continue their assault.
Meanwhile in a campfire on the edge of the forest, a few demons are stockpiling the corpses of monks. Johnny, Sonya and Kenshi along with two squads of Special Forces soldiers sneak up to the site. It appears to be devoid of any signs of life, until more demon arrive via portal. Sonya and Kenshi moved first, with Kenshi tossing the demons towards him and slices each of them.
Johnny catches up with them. The two of them enter the cave. Johnny races up to Kenshi, who is following his glowing sword Sento across a wall.
"That the elevator?" Really, Johnny?
"Yes," Kenshi replied with a deadpan tone. "The elevator. Sento contains the souls of my ancestors. They guide me."
Johnny looks back to the cave entrance as a rumbling sound is heard from outside.
"Could they hurry the hell up?"
Johnny runs back outside. Some soldiers were engaging at a unseen force of what could only Netherrealm reinforcements. Kenshi eventually found a sweet spot and begins chanting in Japanese. The wall lights up with kanji lettering in response. As Johnny turns around, he sees the hidden portal open up.
"Goin' up!"
"Fall back. Now!" Sonya commanded.
"Go on."
He says to the soldiers, "Stay here. Close the door"
The soldier passes a block C4 explosive to his comrade as Johnny enters the portal into the unknown.
Raiden and Fujin continue shooting lightning and wind and at Netherrealm demons moving back when they get close. Quan Chi justrides with laughter. Though they were successful in downing the demons, two cloudy shadows shaped like hands begin to glide toward them. Raiden recognized what they are and jumps back with Fujin as the shadows form into hands from where they were standing. The giant hands unfold, revealing the fallen Elder God, Shinnok.
"You see it now, Raiden," says Shinnok. "Your legacy. You poison their hearts with hope."
Raiden replied, "And what do you offer? The same as you did millenia ago, when you betrayed your fellow Elder Gods and attacked Earthrealm! We stopped you then, imprisoned you in the Netherrealm. We will do so again!"
"Remove the shadow from the light, the shadow grows. The legacy of life is death, Raiden."
The demons with Quan Chi charge into battle. The battle was quite intense, but both gods were able to crush the demons. They nod to each other, ready for Shinnok's onslaught.
The fallen Elder God uses his amulet to blast Raiden and Fujin, sending them crashing through the wall behind them. They are now inside the chamber of the Jinsei, Earthrealm's life force .
"You will not touch the Jinsei," Fujin shouted.
"Oh, I will, and all of Earthrealm will know the truth of death."
Shinnok blasts both gods. This blast is pulling them toward Shinnok, hoping to imprison them both. Just before then Shinnok gets kicked from behind by Johnny Cage, with Sonya and Kenshi.
The amulet flies a good distance.
"Miserable wretch, insignificant speck of feculant scum! HOW DARE YOU!"
Shinnok sends a magical blast that knocked Kenshi unconscious. Raiden spots the amulet as he and Fujin recovered.
"That is mine!"
Raiden fires a lightning bolt but Shinnok catches it with a magic blast and shoots out a corrupted red form of lightning that strikes Fujin and knocked him out. Sonya opens fire with a assault rifle but Shinnok creates a shield to deflect the bullets. Sonya throws the gun aside.
"Ready?"
"As always."
They both charge at Shinnok and engage in hand to hand kombat. Shinnok easily blocks and dodges their attacks, kicked them both in the stomach with the same leg in motion impossible for a human. With them doubled over, Shinnok does a split kick to the ir faces. Sonya is knocked out but Johnny recovered and tried some more punches. Shinnok easily blocks all punches effortlessly and without focus. Shinnok goes on the offensive and strikes Johnny with a roundhouse kick. Johnny shook it off with a kick to the side. As he recovered, Shinnok levitates Johnny into the air and tosses him across the chamber. Sonya and Raiden rushed for the amulet, but Shinnok blasts them with energy that sent them flying. Shinnok then blasts Sonya with a red lightning bolt, leaving her writhing on the chamber floor.
"She will be the first to join me."
Johnny recovered and charges in, glowing green with his latent superpowers.
"No!"
In slow motion Shinnok blasts out his magic as Sonya raises one hand in dives in front, absorbing the blast, much to the amazement of Sonya and Shinnok.
"I don't know what just happened to me, but I am sure of this: You don't even THINK of hurting her."
The battle begins. Like Shao Kahn, Shinnok relies on magic than brute strength. Try as he may, Shinnok is finally defeated.
"You really are a fallen Elder God."
The battle is over but Shinnok is not willing to surrender.
"Johnny Cage! The amulet!" Raiden shouted.
It was ar his feet. Johnny flicks the amulet backwards, right into Raiden's hand. Shinnok was unable to conjure up more magic. Raiden activates the amulet. The blast hits Shinnok dead on.
"No!"
With one final cry of anguish, Shinnok is sucked into the amulet. Raiden breaths in exhaustion.
"Enjoy your new digs, gramps."
Johnny rushes to Sonya's side.
"Sonya?"
"Johnny... did we...?"
"Yeah. We got him."
Raiden tells Johnny, "Remain here. The chamber's properties will heal Sonya in short order.
Kenshi and Fujin shows up.
"Quan Chi and the others are gone. A surge of power within the chamber overwhelmed my senses."
"We've netted a bigger prize this day."
"Shinnok's amulet... And with it..."
"Ol' fishface himself," Johnny said.
"Let us take the amulet to the Elder Gods," Fujin suggested.
"They cannot destroy it. No one can," Raiden replied.
"They might offer councel. Shinnok can never escape."
Raiden offers his consent and the two god leave the chamber. Johnny is still holding Sonya, smiling. Kenshi still clearly concerned with the events that occurred. "The war is not over," Kenshi said. "Quan Chi has escaped. Why are you smiling?"
"She called me "Johnny"."