"Don't worry, Sonya, you'll be free from your chains soon. After we kill you, of course."

Kano laughed menacingly, shutting the metal door behind him. Sonya groaned in pain; she and her team had been captured by the Black Dragon, and they were now chained to the walls with no hope of escape. Johnny, Kenshi, and Kung Jin were also in the room with her. Stryker and Kabal were at headquarters on the comms, with Cassie and Takeda looking on nervously. Jacqui was spending the day with her father.

"Hang in there, general," Kabal said calmly. "We're sending in the backup team."

Johnny groaned, attempting to clutch his side. "Tell them to hurry their asses up! My side fucking hurts..."

"WE SURRENDER!" A familiar voice.

The door promptly opened, Kuai and Hanzo standing in the doorway, with their arms bound. The jailer shoved them into the room, chaining them to the walls near their friends. Then, he left the room, shutting the door with a resounding "boom".

There was silence as Sonya and her team stared at the two new additions.

"Please tell me that you two aren't the backup," Kenshi started.

"Yup!" Kuai said cheerfully, seeming ignorant of their situation. "Don't worry; we'll get everyone out of here in no time."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "For once in your life, shut up! I'm trying to think of a way out."

Kuai smirked. "Surrendering was a smart move on my part. Did you all hear me? That was hilarious."

Hanzo growled. "If you weren't such an idiot, then we could have broken in and been gone by now! But no, 'Kuai knows everything! He's the greatest, and nothing else matters except for his opinion!' I should have killed you in the tournament all those years ago, bastard!"

Kano threw the door open. "Alright, shut up, all of ya!" He drew a knife, playing with it. A sadistic grin was on his face. "Who wants to go first?"

Kuai perked up immediately. "Whoa, is that what I think it is?"

Kano frowned. "What?"

"Is that a new version of the butterfly knife? I've heard of them; they're really good! Perfectly balanced, sharp edges, and big enough to filet someone with the versatility to act as a throwing knife. Man, if I'm going to die, that's the way I'd want to go. Honestly, it's just so great of a weapon, you know? I've been trying to duplicate the design with my ice, but it's still a work in process, you know? I can't believe that I'm going to get to die with that as my murder weapon! Please, gut me first?" Kuai rambled.

Meanwhile, while Kano stared at the cryomancer as he ranted, Hanzo had heated his hands and wrists; soon, he had freed himself after the metal had melted. He stood up, leaping at Kano, holding him in a chokehold until the criminal was unconscious.

Immediately, Kuai dropped his friendly face - he froze the chains, breaking through them, and then went to help the others with their restraints while Hanzo walked out of the cell room, taking on the two inexperienced jailers.

"Let's go quickly," Kuai urged, "before they find out that we're gone." He helped Johnny up, cursing as he saw his leg.

"Hanzo!" he called out, "You're going to have to take care of anyone else who tries to stop us. Johnny's leg is broken." Kuai lifted Johnny's arm around his neck, supporting him as they started to walk out.

Hanzo grimaced at the ex-actor's injury. "It's snapped like a twig. Is everyone else able to walk on their own? Let's go."


They had cleared the base, encountering a thug every now and then. Now, they were running through a jungle, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Black Dragon headquarters.

Johnny panted in exhaustion and pain. "Stop... ribs..."

Hanzo scanned the area. "We can stop for now. But we must hurry before the Black Dragon follow us."

Kuai formed a block of ice; it melted quickly in the heat, and Johnny drank it greedily. Hanzo knelt down, padding Johnny's ribs. "He's got two broken ribs," he announced.

Kung Jin panted. "Grandmaster Hasashi, can't you teleport us back?"

Hanzo shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I can only transport one other person with me at a time."

Kuai nodded. "Right. Hanzo, you're going to get Johnny back to base. I'll continue with the others, and we'll rendezvous at the Outworld palace."

Sonya adopted a shocked look. "The Outworld palace?! That's sixteen miles away!"

"It's the only safe place at this point," Kuai snapped. "Kotal Kahn will give us sanctuary, and we'll be safe while his medics attend to your injuries. Hanzo will get Johnny back safely, so we won't be weighed down by him while we run."

Hanzo frowned. "It's the best bet we have. Doesn't mean that I like leaving you by yourself." Kuai huffed. "We'll be fine. Go, now."

The Shirai Ryu went to grab Johnny's arm when Kuai spoke up, "By the way, Hanzo, that act back there in the cell worked brilliantly." Hanzo cracked a smile. "Of course it did. You came up with it, after all." Kuai nodded briefly, and the two disappeared in a torrent of flames. Kuai turned around to look at the others. "Come on, we have to hurry."

They all ran through the jungle.


At the Special Forces base, Johnny was immediately put on a stretcher on its way to the medbay. Cassie and Takeda went to Hanzo, worried for their parents.

"Grandmaster Hasashi," Takeda asked, "is there no way for you to go back to them?"

Hanzo sighed. "Unfortunately, no. I have no idea where they might be right now, and if I risk going back to the place we stopped at, I could fall on the forces of the Black Dragon. I'm going to go to Kotal Kahn to notify him of Kuai's and the others' arrival."

Cassie fidgeted. "I'm worried for Mom."

Takeda nodded. "So am I for Dad and Jin. But we need to be strong for them. Let's go back and see if Stryker and Kabal have managed to locate their positions with our tracking systems."


Kuai had decided to trail the others as they ran through the forest, glancing behind him for any sign of their pursuers. If they were ambushed, he would be the first to know. Kung Jin's strength was failing visibly, as Kuai noticed with increasing concern that the others were being affected as well.

However, they finally broke the tree line of the jungle. Now, all there was in front of them was a flat, bare plain of desert sands. The Outworld city was a few more miles out, visible on the horizon. "Let's put more distance between us and the tree line," Kuai urged the tiring fighters, "so that we can see if someone pursues us from the jungle while we take a momentary break."

Kung Jin snapped. "Why can't we take a break now? What's the difference if we stop now?"

Sonya, panting to recover breath, glared at the archer. "Jin! Listen to him."

Kuai, feeling anxious now as they had paused for an elongated time, scanned behind him nervously. "If we go out to the plains, we will be able to more clearly see if someone is chasing us, and we will have more time to react."

Kenshi's head jerked up, looking at the tree line. "We have to go, now."

Kung Jin didn't listen, however. "We've been running the entire time, and we're tired!" he snapped.

Kuai was about to speak again when he saw movement in his peripheral vision.

Suddenly, he tackled Jin to the ground; something sailed over the tops of their heads. It was a net, aiming at Jin in his state of vulnerability. Kuai cursed as he got up; the Black Dragon had caught up to them, and they would be captured again. They were too close...

But, if they were slowed, the others would have the chance to escape. Kuai shoved Kung Jin to his feet. "We have to go!" Kuai stood, watching as Sonya, Kenshi, and Kung Jin ran off, unaware that they were leaving a man behind.

Kuai stepped back cautiously, eyes narrowing as he evaluated the threat before him. He would have to slow them down to give the others ample time to flee.

He knelt to the ground, the chill of ice from his hands turning to mist in the air. Kuai glared at the small army of men standing before him, as he formed a Kori Blade, sliding into battle.

Meanwhile, Kenshi ran behind the others, pausing in his steps. "Guys, wait!" Sonya and Kung Jin halted, turning around to see where Kenshi was pointing towards.

They had run too far away to be able to make it back in time. The Lin Kuei was clearly being overwhelmed, yet he was not going down easily. He dodged blows, freezing the ground to displace the thugs as well as freezing them solid. However, his strength was waning, and with the immense amount of men, Kuai stumbled, and a net soon bound him, immobilizing him.

Sonya cursed. "He did it so that we could escape. Come on, we have to go back to recover." The three went off, fleeing to Kotal Kahn's kingdom.


Hanzo stood on a balcony of the Outworld palace, giving him a clear view of the streets of the Outworld market and the entrance to the palace.

He had spoken to Kotal Kahn; the emperor also seemed worried about the fates of their friends. The peace between their realms formed stronger bonds between each other. Kotal Kahn had announced to the people to greet them when they saw them, and to help them to the palace.

Still, Hanzo waited. He knew that it would probably take a while, but he had faith that Kuai would deliver them all safely, without harm.

Suddenly, Hanzo saw off in the distance a group of people rushing through the market. The people in the market spread apart, allowing them to hurry through the streets. With a spark of worry, Hanzo counted only three people, not four. He turned, running through the halls to greet them.

When he shoved through the front doors of the palace, Kotal Kahn was there with Erron, Ermac, and Reptile. Jade had left to visit Kitana and Liu Kang. Hanzo stepped forwards, listening to their conversation.

"Where is Grandmaster Sub-Zero?" Kotal Kahn asked.

Kung Jin shook his head. "It was my fault," he got out.

Sonya looked at them. "We stopped to take a break at the tree line of the jungle-"

Hanzo frowned. "Why would you do that? It would have been harder to see your pursuers."

Sonya rolled her eyes. "I know. Kung Jin was arguing that he wanted to take a break there, while Sub-Zero was telling us to go out just a bit further. Black Dragon caught up to us, and he knew that we all wouldn't be able to make it unless they were slowed down. He tricked us into leaving, and he fought them off."

Hanzo felt a sense of dread overcome him. I knew that Kuai would do anything to get them back. I just didn't take this into account...

He looked at Kung Jin. The boy was shaken, and clearly regretful of his actions, but...

Don't punch his face... don't punch his face...

"He was overwhelmed, eventually," Kenshi rasped. "They have him."

Hanzo immediately walked past them all. "I'm going after him."

Erron raised a brow. "By yourself? That's suicide." The Shirai Ryu glared at him. "Not for me."

He disappeared in a gust of fire.


"Wakey, wakey!"

Kuai groaned, wincing as he was blinded by the bright light. His head was pounding, and he slowly sat up, looking around.

He was in the same cell that he had broken Sonya and the others out of, with a twist of irony. Except I'm not laughing. Only now, he was bound in a straightjacket to prevent escaping the same way he had before. He glared up at the one-eyed man who was grinning gleefully at his prisoner.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't Sub-Zero himself. Surprise to see you here again," Kano smirked.

Kuai rolled his eyes. "Just do me a favor and skip the dramatics, will you? I've heard it all before."

Kano laughed humorlessly. "Fine, if that's what you want." He lifted up a foot, stepping down harshly on Kuai's lower leg.

There was a loud crack; Kuai gasped in pain, he knew immediately that the bone was broken. Kano drew his knife, waving it menacingly. "I wonder where I should put this?"

Suddenly, a tornado of flame appeared behind Kano; the criminal whirled around, only to receive a punch to the face.

"Pretty sure it belongs up your ass," Hanzo said, glaring down at the unconscious body.

Kuai chuckled, wincing through the pain. "More like up your ass and to the left."

Hanzo sighed. "Why the hell do I put up with you?" He knelt down to undo the clasps of the jacket.

Kuai snickered. "Because I'm a broken waste of space like you are? And us broken wastes of space have to stick together?"

Hanzo glared at him as he supported him upright. "Say that again, and I'll punch you."

He teleported them both away from the area, back to safety.


The Special Forces kombatants were now all back at their base.

They had all gathered in the medbay where Johnny and Kuai were laying next to each other on separate stretchers. Kuai snorted. "Look, we're the broken-leg buddies."

Hanzo groaned. "Unfortunately, your broken leg didn't change anything about your horrible personality." Kuai and Johnny snickered at Hanzo's internal pain.

Everyone seemed more relaxed now; there were genuine smiles as Cassie and Sonya sat on the edges of Johnny's bed while Takeda leaned in Kenshi's embrace.

"What was your plan anyway, breaking us out?" Kenshi asked.

Hanzo shook his head. "It was all staged. Kuai wanted us to be captured so that we didn't have to fight our way through anything. Then, from the inside, our argument was staged, bringing Kano in. While Kuai distracted him, I freed myself and knocked him out. I had my doubts, but it worked brilliantly."

Kuai nodded. "When you're dealing with people like Kano, it doesn't take much to outthink him."

Cassie snorted. "You thought you were so smart to outthink him?"

Hanzo gave her a blank look. "You try dealing with him for a full day. He may play the dumb person, but he's a secret genius. For the wrong reasons, sometimes..." He turned to look at Kuai.

The cryomancer stuck out his tongue childishly. "Please, keep underestimating me. I'll surprise you when you least expect it!"

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Please, don't. I'd hate for you to ambush me in the shower."