Shao Kahn's Fortress, Outworld
The sun had just crested the horizon, bathing the jagged mountain peaks in shades of orange and pink. A bird flew past the balcony, and Shang Tsung's eyes followed it until it faded into the distance. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. The Earth warriors would be here soon. True, Shao Kahn had sent assassins to deal with them, but some would survive. If his plan failed, if they somehow defeated the emperor and won the tournament, Shang's life was forfeit, either by the hands of the Earthrealm fighters or by Shao Kahn himself.
"Master."
Shang Tsung turned, annoyed by the sudden interruption of his thoughts. Reptile stood before him, cradling his left arm. His tunic was torn and covered in greenish blood, and one of his gloves was missing. He had been sent out with Baraka to eliminate two of the Earthrealm warriors, Jackson Briggs and the woman called Ashlynn. Baraka, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"You had better be here to tell me that your mission was a success," Shang said.
Reptile lowered his eyes. "It…was not. The red haired woman was not with the man called Jax, as you had told us."
"So she was alone?" Shang asked, his ire rising. "And you couldn't dispose of one woman?"
"No, there was someone else," Reptile replied quickly. "A Lin Kuei warrior, Sub-Zero. He bested Baraka and then stopped me from killing the woman."
Sub-Zero? It could not be, Shang thought. That warrior had been killed during the first tournament.
"Where is Baraka?" Shang asked through clenched teeth. "Was he killed?"
Reptile shook his head, visibly afraid. "No, he fled. I could not find him."
Irate, Shang Tsung took hold of his servant's tunic and threw him toward the edge of the balcony. Before he could climb back to his feet, Shang hurled a flaming ball of energy at him, knocking him over the railing. His scream gradually faded away as he fell, until it was replaced by silence.
The fall would most likely not kill him, but the broken bones would serve as a nice punishment.
Falling Cliffs, Outworld
Another tremor rumbled through the ground, nearly knocking Ashlynn off her feet. Muttering under her breath, she steadied herself and hurried to catch up with Sub-Zero. Scorpion was farther ahead. During the last few days, he had kept his distance from both of them, but remained within sight, silently leading them through the labyrinth of cliffs and valleys.
"How much farther do you think it is?" Ashlynn asked. Recently, she had taken to asking Sub-Zero questions, even if he did not answer. She had been stuck in this horrible place for almost a week, and she was tired of having no one to talk to. She did avoid Scorpion, however, only speaking to him when it was absolutely necessary.
"If I had to guess, I would say only a few more days," Sub-Zero replied. "That is, if we can keep this pace."
Ashlynn sighed. That was easier said than done. Scorpion was nearly impossible to keep up with, and he never seemed to run out of energy.
The ground shook again, and Ashlynn braced herself for another tremor. The earthquake intensified, until she lost her balance and fell, landing on her hands and knees. The ground in front of her split suddenly, releasing a cloud of smoke that shot into the sky, blinding her. She cried out as the ground beneath her began to crumble. Her arms flailed wildly, reaching for something to hold onto, anything to keep her from falling into the smoking pit.
A hand reached through the smoke, seizing her arm and pulling her upward. Ashlynn collapsed, now safely on the other side of the crack. The earth had ceased shaking, but smoke still billowed from the chasm.
Sub-Zero released her arm and stood, dusting himself off. Ashlynn looked at him, still breathing hard, and realized it was the third time he had saved her life. She really was going to have to pay him back at some point. He was already walking away, so she jumped to her feet and jogged to catch up with him.
It must have been just past midnight, Ashlynn thought, and Outworld nights were so much darker than the nights back in Earthrealm. After some arguing, Sub-Zero and herself had finally convinced Scorpion that they needed to rest, so after finding their way through the cliffs, they had found a sheltered alcove and set up camp for the night. Not that it was much of a camp. They had no fire, as the risk of someone spotting them was too high, so Ashlynn had been shivering uncontrollably for the last few hours.
Sub-Zero was sitting to her left, leaning against one of the boulders. His mask had been removed and his eyes were closed, but she could not tell if he was really asleep. It was only the second time she had seen his face, she realized. The first time he had removed his mask to eat, and she was surprised at how young he was. Only a few years older than herself, she guessed.
Ashlynn turned to the right to find a pair of silvery white eyes focused on her. She jumped, startled. Scorpion had not been sitting there a moment ago, and she had not even heard him approach. It was unnerving how silently he could move.
"You…don't sleep?" Ashlynn asked. In the last few days, she had not seen him sleep. She had not seen him eat either, for that matter.
He blinked, and she shifted uncomfortably. "No," he replied, after a long silence. He looked away from her and did not elaborate, so she decided it was best not to question him further. She glanced absently back at Sub-Zero, only to find that his eyes were now open. He was staring into the trees beyond their campsite.
Sub-Zero jumped to his feet, and Ashlynn followed his lead, unsure of what was happening. "What is it?" she asked. Her question was answered a moment later when a figure appeared through the trees, followed by a handful of others.
They all wore similar clothing and each of their faces was concealed by a mask and hood, but their leader was a familiar face, and it was just as shocking to Ashlynn as it had been the first time she had seen it. Baraka, Reptile had called him.
"You again," Sub-Zero sighed.
"I could not return to my master without completing my task," Baraka said. "Your lives are forfeit." Flecks of saliva showered the ground as he spoke, and Ashlynn grimaced. Baraka's strange blades glinted in the moonlight as he signaled to the men behind him.
Ashlynn struck out at the first man who approached her, her fist connecting with his jaw. She could see Sub-Zero and Scorpion in the periphery of her vision, each of them locked in combat with their attackers.
Ashlynn had taken out two of them when something struck her hard from behind. Her face slammed into the ground as she fell forward. The world spun when she tried to stand, forcing her back to her knees. Another blow to the back of the head, and her vision went black.
Muffled noises sounded nearby as Ashlynn became aware again. She was lying on her back, the cold, damp stone chilling her skin. The air smelled of mildew and something putrid, and every few seconds she could faintly hear a moan or whimper.
Ashlynn forced her eyelids open, wincing at the pain in her skull. Her head felt like it had been cleaved in two. After taking a few shallow breaths, she sat up. She was sitting in the middle of a small room, closed on three sides with metal bars lining the other.
The hallway beyond the bars was dim, and there was just enough light for Ashlynn to see another cell across from the one she was in.
"Hello?" she called hoarsely. Her throat felt like she had swallowed sandpaper. "Hello?" she called again, louder this time. "Is anyone there?"
"Don't do that, you'll bring them over here."
Ashlynn stood, peering through the bars toward the cell across from hers. "Bring who?" she asked. "Where are we?"
"You really are clueless," the man replied. If she squinted, Ashlynn could just barely see the outline of a person. He was sitting on the floor of his cell, hunched over with his hands on his knees. "They'll come for you if you make too much noise," the man continued. "Well, they'll come for you anyway, but if you annoy them it'll be sooner. You don't want to annoy them…"
"Who are you talking about?" Ashlynn asked again, frustrated.
"The guards, and the big one they call the Executioner," he replied. "He's a brutal one, he is. He'll lop that pretty head from your shoulders in one blow if you annoy the guards. The emperor doesn't like troublemakers."
Ashlynn's breath caught in her throat. "The emperor? This is Shao Kahn's fortress?" There was no answer, and the man did not answer any of her questions after that.
Ashlynn stood with her forehead pressed against the bars for a while before sitting back down. She was starving, thirsty and she wondered how long it would be before the Executioner came for her.
Not more than ten minutes had passed before a commotion erupted down the hall. Ashlynn pressed her face to the bars again, trying in vain to see what was happening. There was shouting and the sounds of fighting, and then something heavy landed on the stone floor with a thud.
Ashlynn backed up cautiously as footsteps sounded in the hall. After a few moments, a figure appeared in front of her cell. In the dim light, it was difficult to make out any features, but when the figure became clearer she nearly burst into tears.
"We have to move fast," Sub-Zero said. "Someone will have heard that fight, and I'm sure they've sounded the alarm."
Ashlynn had never been so happy to see someone in her life. "You really have to stop saving me," she said. "Or else I'm never going to be able to pay you back."
The Lin Kuei glanced at her for a split second, and then focused his attention on the lock attached to her cell door. He held the lock in one hand, and in his other a shimmering blue orb appeared. Ashlynn watched in amazement as the lock was frozen solid. In one quick movement, Sub-Zero shattered it and pulled the cell door open. Ashlynn had to resist the urge to hug him.
"Thank you," she said.
"Save your thanks for later," he said. "We need to get out of here."
Ashlynn followed him down the dark hallway, stepping around the bodies of the two guards he had dispatched earlier. At the end of the hall was an archway, which opened into a much larger room. Sub-Zero stopped suddenly, eyes darting around the chamber.
"Where are all the guards?" Ashlynn asked. "Shouldn't there be more of-" She gasped in surprise as Sub-Zero tackled her to the ground. Something intensely hot passed over her head, barely missing her.
Sub-Zero jumped back to his feet and Ashlynn followed, dazed. Making his way across the room from them was an enormous man whose muscles seemed to ripple with every step he took. His face was masked, and in his hands he carried a war axe with a blade the size of a child.
He raised one hand, still holding the giant axe with the other, and hurled another fireball at them. Ashlynn and Sub-Zero dove in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the ball of flame. This had to be the Executioner, Ashlynn thought, rolling back to her feet. The colossal man raised the axe above his head, letting out an animalistic snarl as he charged toward them.
Sub-Zero braced himself as the Executioner barreled toward them, his thundering footsteps echoing throughout the room. As Ashlynn moved to the right, Sub-Zero aimed his hands at the ground beneath the Executioner's feet, coating the stone floor in a sheet of ice. The giant man stumbled, dropping his axe in the process.
Sub-Zero aimed a boot at his face, knocking him backward. As the Executioner tried to stand, Ashlynn blasted him with the same shimmering green energy Sub-Zero had seen her use before, sending him back to the ground with a thud where he lay, unmoving.
Sub-Zero hesitated a few moments before approaching the fallen Executioner.
"Sub-Zero, don't!" Ashlynn's warning came too late. The breath was knocked out of him as the Executioner sprang back to his feet, slamming his shoulder into Sub-Zero's chest. The Lin Kuei sailed backward, landing on the other side of the room. By the time his vision cleared, the Executioner had his hand clamped around Ashlynn's throat.
Suddenly, a series of loud popping noises rang through the air. The Executioner stumbled backward, staring in confusion at the wounds in his chest. Ashlynn pulled herself free of his grip, watching as he fell to the ground.
"Jax!" she shouted suddenly.
Standing in the doorway at the other end of the room was the man called Jax, along with Smoke and Scorpion. Jax put his gun back in its holster and ran to Ashlynn, who was still sitting on the ground.
"You okay?" he asked, and she nodded.
Sub-Zero pulled himself to his feet, nodding in Smoke's direction as he approached. "We need to find Shao Kahn," he said.
"We passed Liu Kang and Johnny Cage on the way here," Jax said, looking at Ashlynn. "They're already on their way to Kahn's throne room. We were going to go with them, but then Scorpion told us you were down here."
"Any sign of Sonya?" Ashlynn asked hopefully.
Jax's face fell. "No, I haven't seen her."
"Don't worry, Jax, we'll find her," Ashlynn said.
Sub-Zero let out an impatient sigh. "This is all very interesting but, once again, we need to find Kahn."
"Sub-Zero is right," Scorpion said. "The more time we waste talking, the more prepared the emperor will be."
Ashlynn nodded. "Let's go."
Ashlynn jogged as fast as her legs would go, struggling a bit to keep up with the men. They had run through corridor after corridor, following the distant sounds of battle. Finally, they rounded the corner and came upon a large room with a set of steps, on top of which sat a sinister looking throne.
The room was filled with masked guards identical to the ones Ashlynn had seen in the dungeon, a few of which lay sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Behind the guards, a large man stood with clenched fists, each of his chiseled muscles quivering with rage. The top half of his face was hidden by a helmet that resembled a horned skull, leaving only his mouth visible, and his armor was obviously made to look as intimidating as possible.
Ashlynn pulled her eyes away from him and spotted Liu Kang and Johnny Cage standing over a few of the fallen guards. Johnny glanced in her direction and smiled, which seemed out of place, considering the situation.
"Hey, you're okay," he said. "We were worried."
"I don't think I'm the one you need to be worried about right now," Ashlynn replied, indicating Shao Kahn.
"Enough of this!" Kahn shouted. "Can you fools not dispose of two mortals?"
The remaining guards glanced at one another before charging at Liu and Johnny. Without hesitating, Ashlynn hurried to assist her friends.
They fought off wave after wave of guards, and Ashlynn began to wonder if there was any end to them. Close to her right was Sub-Zero and to her left was Jax. Both of them were completely focused on the task at hand, so they did not notice when Ashlynn was dragged backward by her hair.
She landed on her back near the rear of the throne room, away from the rest of the fighting.
"I believe I owe you, considering what you did the last time we met."
Ashlynn climbed back to her feet and spun around to face her attacker. "Shang Tsung," she said. "The last time I saw you, you were on your knees, defeated."
The sorcerer's eyes narrowed to slits. "You pathetic little creature," he spat. "You have no idea how close you are to the end of your life. Take a good look; I'm the last thing you're going to see before I rip your soul from your body."
He struck faster than Ashlynn could move, and she was sent rolling across the floor. She jumped back to her feet just in time to block his fist, and responded with a hard kick to his abdomen.
As she raised her fist to hit him again, Tsung caught her arm, twisting it sideways. Ashlynn cried out in pain as she was thrown to the ground once more, and again as Tsung slammed his boot into her ribs.
Desperate, she blasted him with a ball of energy. He staggered, caught himself on the wall and charged at her again.
Suddenly, there was a crack from the other side of the room, and Johnny Cage flew past Ashlynn. He hit the wall hard and slid to the floor, holding his chest. Ashlynn looked to the left, where Shao Kahn stood, an enormous hammer in his hands.
Trying to take advantage of the distraction, Shang Tsung aimed his fist at Ashlynn's head. She blocked it and kicked him in the stomach, staggering him.
"Johnny, are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded, pulling himself up along the wall. "Never better," he said through gritted teeth.
Ashlynn prepared herself for another attack by Shang Tsung, but it never came. The sorcerer was staring off to the left.
She turned her head to find Liu Kang standing over the emperor, who had fallen to his knees. Kahn let out an almost inhuman growl, and made a strange gesture with one hand. Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared, bathing the throne room in violet light.
Shao Kahn looked at them all one last time, his eyes filled with a hate so intense that Ashlynn almost had to look away, and then he ran for the portal.
Ashlynn stumbled as Shang Tsung pushed past her, following his master through the portal. And then everything was quiet.
A woman Ashlynn did not recognize walked to the center of the room, stepping over the bodies of Kahn's fallen guards. She wore shades of dark blue and her black hair was pulled back into a long tail. Apparently, she had been involved in the battle, but Ashlynn was too distracted with Shang Tsung to notice her.
"The emperor is defeated…for now," the woman said. "You all were more impressive than I expected."
Ashlynn made her way to the middle of the room to join the others, with Johnny leaning on her for support.
"That's it?" Jax asked. "I kind of expected the guy to put up more of a fight."
"This isn't over," Liu Kang said. "I have a feeling Shao Kahn isn't finished."
As the others began to talk amongst themselves, Jax looked at Ashlynn. "We have to find Sonya," he said.
"Your friend is in the courtyard," said the woman in blue. "She's still alive, but you should hurry."
Both Jax and Ashlynn nodded, and then sprinted for the door.
