Blind Kenshi

As Shao Kahn's wrath swept across the realms the Emperor began to realize that a few familiar warriors, along with some new faces, were once again beginning to hinder his attempts at an absolute conquest. One of those warriors was the blind man Kenshi. Kenshi had been blinded by The Sorcerer Shang Tsung many years ago yet Shao Kahn had been disappointed to hear that his loyal servant had not finished the job. Kenshi was now traveling through the many small villages dotted around Outworld trying to persuade the people there to oppose Kahn and start an uprising. Kahn could not and would not let that happen, so he sent his most powerful General- Ermac- to put an end to the blind fools interfering.

Ermac found Kenshi in an abandoned farm yard which was part of an empty village on the outskirts of the Living Forest of Outworld. What Ermac didn't know was that he had been followed by none other than Johnny Cage and Kung Lao. Not wanting to spook Kenshi or unveil themselves to Ermac just yet the two of them held back in the thicket at the edge of the forest. There they waited to see how events unfolded.

Kenshi was standing still in thought when Ermac arrived on the scene. Ermac stepped on a light twig, it snapped beneath his foot.

"What was that?" Kenshi asked turning his head in Ermac's direction. Due to his blindness Kenshi's other senses were far more distinct than that of any other mortal man. The blind warrior put a hand to the blindfold he wore to cover up his broken eyes. "I sense a presence," he said, "One I never felt before."

Ermac did not intend to be discrete, and introduced himself immediately, "I am Ermac," he said, "Commander of Shao Kahn's forces here in Outworld. I have been sent here to destroy you."

In the midst of the thicket which lay near the bordering forest Johnny Cage turned to Kung Lao.

"We should do something," Johnny whispered,

"Not yet," Lao replied.

Kenshi continued to face Ermac, almost as though he actually could see the red and black clad ninja,

"You do not wish to destroy me," he said, "That is just what you have been ordered to do."

"I see no difference. I have been sent to destroy you and you must now face me in Mortal Kombat, until one of us is dead and the other victorious."

Johnny sat back in his hiding place. To challenge someone to Mortal Kombat was to create a sacred match between two opponents; to interfere would be to break rules created by the Elder Gods themselves. All Johnny and Kung Lao could do now was watch and wait for the outcome, they could do nothing.

Continuing where Ermac had left off Kenshi responded, "If that is the case my friend then I shall have to accept, although I do not wish to kill you."

"You have no choice," Ermac answered. Both warriors then got into their preferred attacking stances and prepared to fight to the death. Kenshi knew he could have ended the battle quickly as he had his sword, but Ermac had come unarmed and Kenshi was a man of honour. He would fight this misguided warrior till he had him at his mercy, but swore to himself that he would not kill this man; he had an idea of how Ermac might yet be saved.

Ermac attacked first, throwing his fists out at the blind warrior in rapid succession, but Kenshi sensed each attack and blocked Ermac's blows as quickly as they came. On the last shot Kenshi gripped the ninja's right arm and twisted it tightly up his back. Ermac flinched only slightly before bringing his twisted arm over his own shoulder and tossing Kenshi to the hard damp earth below. The blind fighter was quickly up however and came at Ermac with a high roundhouse kick to the face sending the ninja stumbling back into the farmyard fence.

The red ninja clumsily regained his balance then used his telekinetic grip to lift a barrel which stood a few paces away from where he stood before hurling it through the air towards Kenshi.

Again though Kenshi heard the object coming at him and dived sharply to his right allowing the barrel to crash down on the ground beside him.

When he was back up Kenshi saw Ermac gliding through the air and was about to nail him with a kick to the chest. Kenshi was typically a step ahead of his foe however and grabbed his enemy in mid-air before using the relentless ninjas own momentum to slam him down on the ground.

Ermac was dazed and groggy now as he scrambled to his feet. Kenshi didn't break his offense yet though and came at the winded warrior with a series of boots to the chest before flooring him with a hard right hand to the jaw.

Now Ermac seemed to be beaten, but as the mystic ninja was getting back to his feet he threw his arms forward and used his powers to force Kenshi back against the fence on the other side of the yard. The blind warrior fell forward on his face as his back made impact with the wood paneling. Ermac now strutted over to where Kenshi lay with an air of arrogance.

"You will never win," Ermac laughed down at his opponent,

"That's your Emperor talking," Kenshi growled. Ermac then cruelly put his foot down on Kenshi's left hand,

"He's your Emperor to," the ninja scorned, "Now, you will die."

Before Ermac could finish Kenshi however the blind man pulled free his bruising left and pulled him down by his feet. With Ermac now on his back Kenshi began beating him with repeated boots to the chest and rib areas, no doubt bruising the ninja's torso severely.

Eventually Ermac rolled away from the blind man's onslaught and again clumsily pulled himself back to his feet. Kenshi was the relentless one now however as he flew at Ermac with a devastating flying kick to the chest knocking his ailing foe right back down. Yet Ermac was back up quickly although he was now shaking his head in pain and breathing heavily.

Not finished with his attack Kenshi then pummeled Ermac with a chain of ten consecutive punches to the face leaving his opponent bloody and overwhelmed.

"Now," Kenshi growled, "Lets end this nightmare."

In a split second the blind hero then unveiled his sword and sliced it down across Ermac's front before sheathing it again.

From the thicket Johnny and Kung Lao wondered why Ermac's entire body didn't just split in two, or at least why no blood was spilled.

Their questions was then answered it seemed as the stone disc attached to Ermac's belt split and fell to the ground in two halves. In that moment a green wind seemed to pass through Ermac's body before the beaten ninja collapsed to the ground.

Kenshi breathed a sigh of relief and fell into a sitting position. After a moments calm the blind warrior turned his head toward the shadow of the Living Forest.

"You two may leave now," the blind man spoke out loud, intending Johnny and Kung Lao to hear to hear him. There was no response, so Kenshi spoke again, "I have this situation under control." He then turned to Ermac who was now twitching uncomfortably on the ground before him. Ignoring Ermac's movements for a moment Kenshi turned to the forest once more. "Leave now please," he said, "I do not wish to ask you again."

Kenshi's voice had been deep and commanding, he had work to do,

"Lets go," Kung Lao said to Johnny, "Master Kenshi knows what he's doing." And so the two of them left Kenshi alone with the fallen warrior, for those two it would be a long night.