Disclaimer: I don't own Mortal Kombat.
Chapter IV
"Prepare for assimilation," Sektor's voice boomed within the confines of what remained of Sindel's apartment, holding up an arm to deploy the nano-machines. Through the smoke and rubble, the banshee screamed more out of fear than in hopes to destroy the machine's artificial sensory receptors. Although Ketchup had already located the Queen's heat signatures within what looked like the aftermath of an earthquake, he mercifully paused for a moment to confirm his mission objectives.
Oh that's right; he was here to take her back to the palace, not turn her into a pseudo cyborg loyal to the hive. Once the final statistics cleared, he lowered his arm so that it hung by his side. His system began evaluating the heat signatures that took the shape of a cowering woman scrunched up under a broken table.
"Queen Sindel of Edenia. Approximate age: six thousand, five hundred years," he paused the announcement, pondering how Kitana exceeded the age by around 4 millenia if Sindel was never born during that time. He assumed the data to be corrupt and vandalized. Women don't like it when people talk of their real age. Perhaps the only real information Sektor could confirm to be unbiased was the fact she was spouse to the Emperor of Outworld, but like it would do any good. Ketchup decided not to waste any more time.
Never trust Wikipedia.
"You are target for transport to the Outworld Palace," he declared and stomped towards the ruined table, grabbing a hold on the frightened Queen's arm.
"Wh-who are you! Why are you doing this to me!" she whined, trying to wrench away from the machine's iron grip.
"I do not have the authority to answer that question," he stated blankly and turned to scan her, only to have a vase brought down upon his processor. The glass shattered and water poured into his lenses but the beautifully built robot remained unaffected by the attack. Sindel looked back, shocked how he was able to withstand the assault. "Cute," he commented before pulling her arm.
She cried in protest again and reached for another item, ready to toss it upon his cranium once more. As if the puny human with her limited information capacities could ever comprehend that the density of his metallic construct would never allow the feeble item to penetrate into the internal core, thereby damaging his processors, rendering him incapable of collating, storing, assessing and constructing data which would otherwise become corrupt.
Pfft… silly, stupid human…
O WAYT WUTS ZAT?
He deployed his synthetic web, throwing the woman to the far corner of the room and knocking the old radio from her hands. Ketchup caught the antique within his hands, scanning it with careful intent. The radio was still playing a record not nearly as old as the antique itself. He traced a metallic finger against the intricate carvings in the wood, sighing solemnly as his sensors began to leak a trickle of oil. He put an upturned table back on its legs and placed the radio down upon it, marveling how beautiful and solitary it looked.
Sindel had already torn away from the net that wound around her form, using her teeth and large fingernails for the task. She meant to kick the crazy intruder in his face but paused when she saw him grow so subtle and treat the radio with great care. Eyebrow raised, she came to stand beside him, watching him just simply look at the radio, as if he was somehow taking in all the happiness in the world just by staring at it. Maybe this strange, shiny metal-man wasn't anything less than a psycho. If anything, the Queen decided it was best to remain in the man's good books to keep him from going berserk again.
"Its pretty, ain't it," she started after which Ketchup relaxed his posture and stood erect, yet never taking his sensors off the thing. "Kahn said it was junk, but I loved it the moment I saw it through the window."
"She's lovely…" Sektor murmured. "Like an old, forgotten beauty…"
The Queen gave Ketchup a long hard stare, genuinely confused what to do about the situation.
She then straightened two chairs and told Ketchup to take a seat while she made them some tea.
"Nyah!" Noob squeaked in protest, punching Scorpion in the stomach. The Specter spared the child a glance and furrowed his brows at him. He waved a finger at him in warning before picking him up with his free hand. In the other, he cradled little Kung Lao to sleep, the young monk pressing his tiny fists against his mouth. The Shaolin always brought a warm non-existent smile to the Ninja's non-existent face, which would only be temporary once Noob would nudge him for attention.
He released a pent up sigh, getting up from his seat to put Lao in a cradle with Kratos and Stryker.
"What an envious thing you are," he said to Saibot as he sat back down in his chair.
It had taken them – he and Shao Kahn – forever to begin their morning. It was nearly daybreak when Mileena started crying, followed by the rest of the babies disturbed by the shrieks. Kahn was already at one cradle when Scorpion ran in, carrying six children in his massive bulky arms, trying to shush them. The Emperor pleaded to the Specter to manage the kids' feeding for the time.
The gold-clad babysitter was first to visit the servant-quarters and fetch a few maids who hadn't run off in fright, something which kept his face burning red for he was to ask them a little favour he had never dreamed of asking any woman before.
"Breastfeed your kids?" one repeated what was being asked of her while the Ninja, still red as a tomato and still shaky as a wilting leaf in the wind, nodded. She refused as did the others. "I ain't letting Mileena an inch close to my hooters."
"But they-!"
"Hold on, Junii," another one addressed the first woman. "How 'bout we give it to him instead of feeding them ourselves?"
The one called Junii didn't have to think too long about it. Scorpion was glad she complied as did the other ladies. She had pointed towards a cabinet mounted on the wall, telling him the pump was in there. The Ninja promptly fetched the thing, only to find to his endearing horror the women pulling down their dresses from their shoulders, revealing an assortment of luxuriously round melons.
He waited for about half an hour outside their room before a large bucketfull of warm mother's milk was handed to him. He took it without a single word, managing only a small thank you, and made his way towards the main chamber. He fished out his pierced glove and was about to dip it into the fluid before Kahn stopped him.
He ran once again through the confusing hallways, cursing at Sektor for having abandoned them in such a predicament until he finally stumbled into the kitchen. Pans and bowls clanged together as they fell on the counter, on the floor, in the sink, on his head and all over the place as the panicking Shirai Ryu sifted through every cabinet, every drawer in the entire kitchen. He was much too out of his wits to slap himself when he found a few empty baby bottles right on the counter.
Gathering them in his arms, he stumbled all the way back to the throne room a second time. He sat down on the hard marble floor, unscrewing the nipples, dipping the flasks in the milk, screwing the nipples back on and putting each full bottle aside. Through the screams of the children and Shao Kahn's attempts to coo and soothe the agitated babies, Scorpion couldn't even hear himself curse that stupid cyborg as he went about.
The Emperor put the babies back in their cots save for Freddy and Chi, and joined the Specter on the floor. Handing the other Freddy, the two then stuffed the plastic nipples into the infants' mouths and murmured with unease as over twenty babies still kept screeching into their ears.
Feeding them was painful, but at least they got the job done in less than five hours. Although the Dark Emperor had to get up to warm the milk several times during the process, but the task had been fulfilled, and all the content children had mercifully fallen asleep.
Well… all except for one.
"I am still upset with you," he said to Noob, holding him as he placed the Wraith in his lap. "I do not like it when you toss me within the portals you conjure."
The baby only squeaked in response, his scanty brows stitched together.
"It is your fault," Scorpion argued with the child, once glancing towards Kahn. The Emperor had fallen asleep on the marble floor, his three daughters and son Ermac, and Rain about him, also drifting away in their dreams. He looked back at Noob, slightly amused at the child's stubbornness. "You are nothing but a mischief maker."
Scorpion bounced the now smiling baby on his lap.
"You are such a naughty child," he pressed on, rubbing his covered nose gently on the Wraith's stomach, making the baby giggle. "Why are you laughing? Huh? Why are you laughing? Are you a mischief maker? Why are you laughing? Such a naughty boy!"
He twirled his finger so that Noob tried to catch it in his soft palms.
"Are you trying to clap? You are being very naughty!"
The baby clapped.
And sucked Scorpion into a portal.
"Was she beautiful?" Sindel implored, feeling slightly guilty for making him discuss about such a touchy subject. She flinched when the nod became terribly delayed, screaming at herself mentally for hurting the metal man even more than he already had been. This Marina; he talked about her like there was no other woman in the world for him. He would pause and sigh when he would recall a romantic moment, most of which the Queen hardly understood owing to the jargon he used. He would talk of her like she really was a part of his heart, rather than a part of his conquests.
Ugh… Kahn…
That man…
Was she ever anything to him besides a trophy wife? Couldn't he give her the love and respect she always yearned from him? Sector treated his woman like a woman. Like a true lover. Like Marina was a part of his soul. Why couldn't she be the same to Kahn? Why wouldn't he love her the way Sektor loved his woman? The Queen had also poured out her heart to the machine, each individual sharing the story of their shattered love.
It was as if there was a connection.
"You are a good man, Sektor," Sindel had said, stroking his hand to comfort him. "She couldn't deserve better…"
"You… you really think so…?" he sniffed, wiping the oil that smeared his face. His sensors, though muddled with the black oil, glinted with a hope only Sindel could capture. She leaned further on the table, placing a hand on the grease covered face of the machine.
"Trust me. I know what I say…" she gave the silent Ketchup a soothing smile. "Come here."
The Queen dragged her chair next to his and gathered him into a long embrace.
Moments passed until the hug was broken and Sindel never removed her palms from the robot's shoulders. She maintained that smile, only for a brief while until her lips fell into a subtle frown, parting as she leaned in to kiss the cyborg.
"WOAH!" Sektor cried, knocking back his chair and jumping to his feet before Sindel could land the kiss. "Lady, I-I'm not doing this!"
"Oh I know its hard to move on…" she whispered as she got off her chair as well, placing her hands on Ketchup's face once more. He promptly pulled away from her.
"Geez, you're married!"
"What Kahn doesn't know won't hurt us…"
"You-You've lost it!"
"Kiss me… come on…"
Sektor ran out of room to back away and was pinned to the wall as the Queen finally pressed her torso against his.
He blasted off into the air before she could kiss him.
But he could almost feel her skin penetrate his metallic plating.
Silly, stupid humans…
He'd never call humans silly and stupid ever again.
"Where were you?" Kahn asked, his eyes wide with worry as a drenched and dripping Scorpion stormed in.
"Wherever I was, I had to swim all the way!" he cried, pulling off his boot to let a stream of water pour on the floor. He then dropped the boot, making the small puddle splash. "That wretched Wraith!"
"Now, Scorpion-"
"Do not interfere, Kahn! I have had enough of him! If I do not wring his neck now, I will set everyone else ablaze!"
"You're not thinking straight!" the Emperor followed the enraged Specter, spreading his hands out for him, pleading as the undead warrior threw the chamber doors open.
"I still had to exact vengeance upon the bastard!" Scorpion billowed. "WHY NOT NOW?"
Rubble flew in from all directions, miraculously missing the babies as Sektor burst in, and landed directly upon Scorpion. As the dust cleared and Kahn made his way towards the red machine, the Emperor's jaw dangling from its joints, Sektor lifted a foot to assess why the impact for landing was softer than calculated.
"Oops…" was all he could say.
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Raiden interjected, holding up his palms as a gesture for the other god to slow down and squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to recall every bit of detail that had been provided to him. The company in this matter, known simply as the God of Convenient Explanations, pursed his lips as he waited. "Shang Tsung was working on a spell…"
The God of Convenient Explanations, whom the readers will refer to as The Author for their ease, nodded.
"To keep him youthful without the need to consume souls on a daily basis…"
Another nod.
"But the spell backfired, so he transformed into a baby instead…"
"That's pretty much correct."
"And he managed to affect many others with the metamorphosis as well?"
"Yup"
"Why EVERYONE else?" the Thunder god demanded, a streak of lightning racing across his torso in a show of anger.
"The 'wrinkle-away' gig wasn't the only thing he was practicing, you see," The Author explained, stuffing his pinky into his nostril and twirling it about to catch some hardened boogers underneath his nail. "His spell involved trying to suck out the souls of some of the greatest warriors to power the magic. Whosoever had his or her name marked in Tsung's list had been linked to the spell throuhg some sort of DNA signature. Once it took Tsung down, it took everyone else along as well."
"But Shao Khan? And Sindel? The machine Sektor and Scorpion too, how come they weren't affected?"
By now, The Author heaved an irritable sigh.
"Sindel walked out two weeks ago after that big fight and Kahn followed after her, remember? Scorpion was in hell and Sektor ain't dumb like Cyrax to not run an X-Ray scan when Tsung's morphing."
Raiden scratched his head.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
"We? Buddy, I'm here to provide opportune plot devices, not save the world."
"You could at least tell me what I have to do… it's pretty obvious it has to be 'The All Knowing and Mighty Raiden' to fix everyone's shit…" the said All Knowing and Mighty Raiden flailed his hands in the air before letting them droop to his sides. Well you can't exactly blame him, now can you?
"Fine," The Author sighed, plopping into his rotating chair and turning towards his desk, pulling a piece of paper from a very thin file. He handed the god the parchment. "Pay a visit to Tsung's lair and search about; you'll probably find the reversal lying around somewhere where the douchebag couldn't have missed it in case there was an emergency."
"Okay, what's the paper for?"
"See for yourself."
Raiden laid his eyes upon the bold scribble, a name that had been written on the paper: Mai Butreeks.
"Mai Butreeks? Who's Mai Butree – Oh, I see what you did there."
A/N: Thanks to everyone who favourited and SPECIAL thanks to kim/iridianna01734, mcgormanp, sa-sa, izzie01789, Foreteller of Three, unknown, Paritheikae, legendgaming12 and CaTigeReptile for the reviews. 'Till another day.