New York City, Earthrealm

A warm breeze drifted through the open window of the apartment, making the curtains flutter like ghosts in the darkness. The only light came from the television, and it illuminated the face of the woman who had fallen asleep on the couch.

Ashlynn open her eyes and blinked a few times. Still half asleep, she turned off the television and rose from the couch, heading toward the hallway.

As she passed the window, a scream sounded from outside, and then another and another. Ashlynn rushed to the window, nearly tripping in her drowsy state, and pulled the curtain back. The first thing she noticed was the sky. It had been clear earlier, but now the stars were obscured by a blanket of swirling violet clouds. On the streets below her, a mass of people fled to escape whatever was happening.

Ashlynn jumped when something flew past her window; a writhing blur of color that twisted and coiled around itself as it shot into the sky. Another followed a few seconds later, and then another, until the air was filled with them.

Ashlynn looked down at the throng of people below and gasped. They seemed to be…disappearing. They were becoming the spheres of light, vanishing into the distorted sky.

The sound of screeching tires and vehicles colliding came from below as Ashlynn continued to watch in horror. She stood frozen, staring out her window as the remaining people vanished, and then there was no one left.

The streets were eerily silent. Ashlynn stepped around a car that had flipped onto its side and turned in a circle to survey the devastation. Everything felt like a dream. From the empty streets to the strange structure that had appeared in the distance, towering over the city like a black obelisk against the darkened sky. How was this happening? She could not possibly be the only person left in the city.

A drop of water hit Ashlynn's face, and then another.

"Oh, and it's raining. Wonderful…" she groaned.

Ashlynn turned, and was startled to find herself staring into a pair of gray eyes. She took a few steps backward and prepared herself for an attack, as this man looked far from friendly.

The stranger's lower face was covered by a violet mask, which matched perfectly with his purple, black and gold attire. His long hair was tied back, and draped across his shoulders was a silk cape embroidered with intricate designs. From his appearance, Ashlynn got the feeling that he was some sort of noble, or at least he thought he was.

He took a step forward, and she took another back, noting the blade strapped to his waist.

"You survived the initial attack," he said. His voice was fluid and silky. "Am I correct in assuming you are one of Raiden's warriors?"

Ashlynn hesitated, taken aback by this man's eloquence. "Who are you?" she demanded, instead of answering his question. "What's going on?"

"You poor, confused child," he chuckled. "I see no point in introducing myself, as knowing my name will not change your inevitable fate, but if you insist. I am Rain. Now, in answer to your second question; Shao Kahn has made his move to take Earth. The souls that once inhabited this pathetic realm now belong to the emperor." He paused. "Well, all but yours and a handful of others. This is where I come in."

Ashlynn immediately shifted into a fighting stance. This man was here to eliminate her.

"This won't be as easy as you think," Ashlynn said. "Don't make the mistake of underestimating me."

"I am no fool," said the man who called himself Rain. "If Shao Kahn did not perceive you as a threat, he would not have bothered to send me after you. Now, enough of this. Come here and die, my dear. I have more important things to do."

Rain charged at her so fast that she did not have time to dodge. He seemed to be almost gliding over the ground. His shoulder collided with Ashlynn's chest, and she sailed backward through the air, landing on her back.

As her attacker moved toward her again, she climbed back to her feet, preparing for his next attack. Suddenly, she heard a crackling sound, and the violet clad warrior fell to the ground, twitching as electricity coursed through his body.

"That'll teach you not to hit a woman."

The man standing behind Rain put his stun gun away, but Ashlynn remained in her fighting stance, wary of any newcomers. He wore the uniform of a police officer, but his messy hair was covered by a baseball cap, which he had turned backwards.

Rain had managed to get to his hands and knees. He looked at the police officer, and then at Ashlynn with narrowed eyes. Ashlynn covered her face as he vanished in a shroud of mist.

"You okay, miss?" the officer asked.

"I…yeah, I'm fine," Ashlynn replied. "Thanks."

"The whole city's gone to hell," he said, scanning the deserted street. "What's your name?"

"Ashlynn," she said, a bit annoyed that he was treating her like some victim.

He nodded. "Kurtis Stryker, N.Y.P.D," he said. "But, um, call me Stryker. I've been wandering around ever since everyone disappeared. I didn't think there was anyone left. Who was the guy in the purple getup, by the way?"

Ashlynn shrugged. "He called himself Rain," she replied. "He was working for Shao Kahn."

Stryker raised an eyebrow, adjusting his hat. "What's Shao Kahn?" he asked.

Ashlynn sighed. This man was even more confused than she was.

Meanwhile...

"Her communicator must be out, she's not responding."

Sonya tapped the communicator on her wrist, brow furrowed. She had been trying to contact Ashlynn for the last few hours, but with no luck.

Johnny Cage leaned against the wall of the tiny room where he, Sonya and Jax had barricaded themselves. "Are you sure she survived the attack?" he asked slowly.

Sonya shot him an icy look. "Of course she survived!" she snapped. "Raiden said our souls were protected against Shao Kahn, and she's one of us."

"You don't think Kahn's extermination squads could have gotten to her?" Jax asked, and received the same icy glare.

"I…I don't know," Sonya sighed. "But if she is still out there we need to find her before they do. We can't hide out in here forever."

"What the hell are you doing?" Jax asked, watching in disbelief as Sonya began moving the various objects they had pushed up against the door.

She glanced over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes. "Do you ever listen to me when I talk?" she asked. "I'm going to find Ashlynn."

Muttering under his breath, Jax followed her out the door. Outside, the streets were lined with overturned cars. They had crashed into one another when their drivers vanished, creating a maze of wreckage throughout the city.

"This was your genius idea, Sonya, so where do we start looking?" Jax asked. Faint light glinted off of the metal that covered both of his arms. Bionic implants, he called them, and claimed that they would enhance his strength tenfold. A bit extreme, Sonya thought, but such drastic measures were necessary when the fate of the world was at stake.

"The invasion started, what, three hours ago?" Sonya asked, and Johnny nodded. "Maybe Ashlynn is still near her apartment. Maybe…"

"You really think she'd stay put?" Jax asked, kicking at a large chunk of rubble on the ground.

Sonya sighed. "No, she'd go looking for survivors. Shit…"

"I hate to say it, but maybe we should start worrying about how we're going to deal with Shao Kahn," Johnny said.

Sonya wanted to argue with him, but he was right. Ashlynn would have to wait.

"Shit, we have company," Jax said suddenly.

A figure rounded the corner, followed by a dozen or so others. The man in the lead sauntered forward and a smile crept across his unshaven face. "Hello, love."

Sonya's fists clenched in rage. She could feel herself trembling and her heart began to pound in her chest.

"Kano," she spat. Even saying his name made her want to vomit. She had been so close to capturing him, back in Outworld when they were both taken captive by Shao Kahn's forces. But when Jax and Ashlynn released them from their bonds, Kano had fled, eluding justice once again.

"I should have known you had something to do with this," Sonya said.

"Flattering, to know you've been thinkin' about me," Kano said. His smirk made Sonya's skin crawl. "Do I cross your mind a lot?"

"That's enough," Johnny said. "I'm getting tired of your mouth."

Jax took a step forward. "Let's take out this piece of shit."

Kano gestured with one hand and the men behind him started forward. Sonya made a beeline for Kano, eyes locked on his all too familiar face.

"You don't want to do this," he said, still smiling.

"Oh, believe me, I do," Sonya said.

Before she could attack him, an animalistic roar sounded nearby. The ground began to tremble as an enormous creature made his way toward them. From the waist up, he appeared somewhat human, except for the two curving horns protruding from his head. He had the body of a horse and a tail that was covered in some sort of metal.

Distracted, Sonya did not have time to dodge Kano's fist before it collided with her head. She fell to the ground, her left temple throbbing, only to receive a kick to the ribs, and then another. She managed to avoid the next kick and came back up, driving her shoulder into Kano's midsection.

Her opponent staggered, and suddenly all of her anger was released in a flurry of vicious blows, too fast for Kano to block. He stumbled backward, bleeding from a number of cuts on his face.

Someone screamed, and Sonya looked to her left. Jax was still fighting Kano's unit, but Johnny was on the ground, the monstrous horned creature standing over him. Suddenly, all thought of Kano vanished from her mind, and she sprinted toward her friend, leaping over fallen bodies and rubble.

She was almost there, so close…when the creature drove his front hooves into Johnny's chest. There was a sickening crack, and he let out a gasp before going limp.

"No!" Sonya cried. She started forward, only to be pulled back by Jax.

"We can't fight that thing," he said, struggling to hold her back. "Sonya, let's go! Come on!"

With tears in her eyes, she followed Jax as they fled the horrible monster. He would die, she was going to make sure of it. She would avenge Johnny's death.