Chapter 10: The Fall is Coming
"Yeah, Liu, I'm coming."
Her eyes trekked to the only occupied bed in the room where Johnny Cage was pulling on a short sleeved gray shirt. He ran a hand through his hair and stood, picking up a small object off the bed as he spoke. "Think Nightwolf has a Starbucks in here…"
When he looked up, he stumbled to a halt and his voice died away.
The retort failed her when she got a good look at his face. Like Liu, he had lost some weight and the slight bruising under his eyes left him looking more than a little exhausted. If not for his smartass attitude, Sonya would say he had aged more than a few years in a few weeks.
When she realized they were both staring, she broke the silence with the first thing that came to mind. "You look like shit."
Something passed over his face before he smiled, though it was only a shadow of what it used to be. "Well, a good actor knows how to look the part. You know, beaten warrior, starved prisoner, no sun for days on end..."
Though he tried to make light of a bad situation, Sonya felt a wave of guilt for what they had suffered while she was pampered and well treated under Tsung's possessive care. She couldn't meet his eyes knowing she'd deserved the worse treatment, not them. The thought that she didn't really try to help them, even if she had been controlled by Tsung, made her want to duck out of the room. The shame of such a cowardly response sparked her anger.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
The softness in his voice lit the match. The genuine concern on his face threw fuel on the fire. She reacted before she could stop herself. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped, "I'm fine, and if I wasn't I wouldn't come to you." She winced mentally when she saw his smile change from friendly to frosty.
"Right," he said, his voice flat. "Of course, you are. You always are. My mistake." He continued moving toward the door.
Damn it. "Johnny-"
"No, it's good," he said, pausing to face her. "I'm so glad that with the world shot to hell, some things don't change." He turned.
She grabbed his wrist. He looked at her when she dug her fingers into his skin. She stared at him, and he stared back.
There was a tension in the room that had never been present between them before, not with the undertones of real anger… and hurt. It bothered her that a man she had known in such a short amount of time was under her skin so quickly. Yet, when she struggled, she had found comfort in the hope he and Liu were alive somewhere in Outworld. More than once she had even pictured what she would do when she saw them again… saw him again, and now she couldn't be anything but the only Sonya he knew, the soldier.
That bothered her. Despite their brief time together, they had been through so much that she considered him a friend. No, she knew he was a friend, and like Jax, he would be there for her. So why was it so difficult to be open to him and his companionship?
Because he wasn't Jax. He was Johnny. And while she viewed Jax as an equal to her as a soldier… Johnny was her equal as a man.
She would always be a solider; she would always put the mission first. But here, in the last place on Earth that wasn't a wasteland, away from the judging eyes of enemies, superiors, colleagues, friends or family, she could let herself be human, even if just for a moment, because nothing was ever going to be back to how it was.
Sonya said nothing as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as she could. For a moment he didn't move, apparently too shocked to even take a breath. The thought of him being speechless made her smile.
"I'm okay, Johnny, and I'm glad you're okay, too." When he finally returned the embrace, Sonya closed her eyes, allowing herself the guilty pleasure of enjoying the presence of another who wasn't out to see her enslaved, corrupted, or dead.
"See?"
Sonya pulled away. Johnny's face was lit up with that cocky self-assured smile she once despised.
"I knew you liked me."
She narrowed her eyes at him, confused. Then she remembered their conversation on the beach, so long ago and yet not long at all, and the infuriation she felt at his words that, once again, rang true with their uncanny perceptiveness…
"So you're going to stop Goro, all by yourself? You're going to protect us from the big bad monster, is that it? Just like in your movies?"
"I'm going to challenge Goro, Shang Tsung won't be expecting that. I figure he-"
"You can't do that! It's not how the tournament works!"
"How would you know how the tournament works? Yesterday you knew even less about it than I did! Do you want to die? Do you want everyone to die? Take the whole world with you? I can beat him!"
"You can beat him! You can beat him! You are the most egotistical, the most self-deluded, the stupidest person I've ever met!"
"What? Because I don't want to see anyone else bludgeoned to death for Shang Tsung's entertainment?"
"Don't you dare do this to protect me, Johnny Cage!"
"You! You think I'm talking about you! And you call me egotistical? Wait a minute. Are you worried about me?"
"Oh! Listen to him! You're being absurd."
"You are worried."
"I am not!"
"You are. You like me."
"You wish!"
Sonya had the sudden urge to wipe that smug smile off his face. Then, another impulse came over her. Unconsciously, her eyes dropped to his lips. She blinked and looked up once again.
Without hesitation his head dipped, his lips pressing softly against hers. The touch was gentle, unobtrusive then gone. Through wide eyes she watched him hover, his gaze questioning. She moved to bridge the distance between them. Their lips met, parted, and the kiss deepened.
The world faded around her save for the feel of him under her hands, the taste of him under her lips, the weight of his body as he supported them both. His arms tightened around her waist, one hand trailing up her back to support her neck. She snaked her arm between them, curling her fist into his shirt, her body tilting back slightly to press more fully against his.
Johnny's mouth left hers as he gasped at the new contact between them, his lips quick to reclaim the sweet territory she granted him. Sonya's blood heated when his kisses became more urgent, the stroke of his tongue making her dizzy with desire. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this alive…
She began pressing against him, slowly pushing him back, until his legs bumped up against the bed. She broke the kiss, much to his chagrin, and pushed him down, settling herself across his hips and grabbing his head to possess his mouth once more. Her hands moved to his shirt, quickly lifting the fabric to bear his heated flesh to her touch.
Sonya gasped when her wrists were seized, the passionate kiss abruptly interrupted. "Johnny?"
He stared at her, his face carefully blank but for the tint of red under his skin. "Sonya," he spoke softly, "what are you doing?"
The innocent question left her feeling chastised. Her face flushed, a surge of embarrassment racing through her. He was right. What was she doing? This wasn't like her… and Johnny knew it.
But she wanted it; she wanted this closeness with someone, this companionship and trust to just let go. She realized he was wrong. They were both wrong. "Growing up," she answered.
"Isn't that what you're always telling me to do?"
Sonya shook her head. "I mean I'm accepting responsibility for being human. Humans have weaknesses." She stroked his face. "And needs."
The actor's face was drawn. His eyes told her he didn't quite believe her. He tried to speak and was stopped by her kiss. A moment later he responded, his body losing its tension under her hands. Whatever argument he had was lost between them.
Never breaking contact, he leaned back, pulling her with him as he slowly fell onto the mattress…
/
The compound slept fitfully; some meditated in preparation of Kahn's imminent retaliation, others remembered loved ones lost long ago. Some stared long into the night, wondering what the future would hold, and some dreamed of a future free of a tyrant ruler.
For the first time in weeks, Sonya Blade slept without any dreams. Her body satiated and wrapped protectively in the arms of her friend and lover, Johnny Cage, she finally found sanctuary from the nightmares of Shang Tsung, of the emperor, of the fate that had befallen her world. Briefly, she found peace.
In the darkness of their room, a dark green light burned. Among the sounds of the couple's even breathing, a soft sizzle hissed from the sheets. Unbeknownst to the two Chosen Warriors, Sonya's hand glowed and pulsed with energy. It burst and flared, dying away just as quickly into the scar of her hand.
And the room returned to stillness.
/
He jerked awake, his heart pounding loud in his ears. The rush was familiar to him, an instinct born of survival in a world of crime lords. He was not alone.
Jarek's eyes scanned the small cell. Enough light filtered in through the door for him to make out the four corners of the room. No one was around.
A chill ran down his spine as he heard a noise. The latch came undone and the door opened. Another blast of cold through his body-
-his mind went black as the word 'Come' blazed itself behind his eyes-
-and Jarek was drawn toward the door, and freedom. The hallway was empty at first glance.
Corner.
His head snapped to a bend in the hall and he spotted feet. There, the body already beginning to cool, was the sentry.
Cell.
Jarek placed the body on his bunk, turning the face away from the light. He left, locked it, and walked to Kano's cell. A soft snore echoed from inside. He reached for the latch-
Leave.
-and turned away. He walked down the hall, no stealth in his movements or uncertainty in his step. There was no need for concern. Jarek just knew where to go, where no one would see him. He had to meet with Shang Tsung, the man Kano told him about back when the red eyed Australian's employment was sought.
Kano had messed up, though. Jarek would not. He was sure of that.
When he slipped out into the night, he walked straight for the dark swirling portal, not questioning how he knew where to find it or where it would take him.
He just needed to go.
/
"You have a visitor," Motaro's deep voice interrupted.
Tsung's dark eyes glanced up from the scroll to the doorway, where the Black Dragon member stood looking around, his eyes glittering at the gold and jewels adorned in the furniture and accessories of the room. The sorcerer sat back in his chair and pursed his lips. A fire burned through him and he smiled.
The dark spirits had brought him a gift.
"That will be all," he dismissed Motaro, and the centurian walked out of the room. Tsung did a once over of the rugged looking crime lord. He gestured to a chair when their eyes met. "Please."
Jarek sauntered over and threw himself down into the over sized seat, leaning back on the hind legs and making himself comfortable. "Mr. Shang Tsung. You look a lot less intimidating than Kano said."
"Kano double crossed me. He has a reason to be intimidated."
Jarek nodded, tapping his fingers on the chair arms. "Yes, I find his choices as of late… not promising. Not a good quality in a leader, if you ask me."
"And you can do better?"
"Why do you think I'm here?"
Tsung reached over for a goblet. "What are you asking for?"
"I want to work for you, on the winning side. Earth is pretty much done for, its time to set my sights on new property elsewhere."
"And," Tsung asked after a sip, "what are you offering?"
"Your enemies. All of them. And your woman," he grinned, "all in one little location." He leaned forward, the chair settling back on the floor. "And I know how to get inside."
Tsung regarded him carefully. "Sonya Blade is there?"
Jarek nodded. "Heard it from her partner himself, boasting to Kano that 'the war was on now' or some crap." He rocked back again. "Anyway, heard whisperings of some kind of revolt. But they won't need to worry about that now, not when I can get your men in through the backdoor."
Shang Tsung stood, putting his cup down as he walked around his chair, placing his back to his guest.
"You were a prisoner," he stated. "How did you escape?"
"You should know. You sent for me."
Ah. Tsung smiled as the pieces were starting to come together. The burst of power Sonya exhibited during the fight. The stirring of the spirits when Jarek entered the room. And now the confirmation that Sonya had been in the same place from where he'd escaped.
He smiled darkly. She was more receptive than he imagined. How had he missed it? The emperor would have second thoughts about killing her now. He just needed her back.
"Very well." He turned back to Jarek. "You have your deal. You answer to me, and I will keep you safe. Now, take me to this location."
/
Liu Kang was whispering, loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to be indistinct. Her brow furrowed as she tried to focus on the words. Her brain was not functioning yet. She felt like she was being dragged to the surface of her consciousness when she longed to dive back into the depths of sleep. Instead, she groaned in protest as something against her back vibrated, sending small quakes through her chest and bringing her to full alertness. The words "we'll be right there" made it through the fog in her brain.
Sonya's eyes parted and she observed the pillow under her head, her left hand lax near the edge of the bed, and the retreating back of Liu Kang as he left the room. She lifted herself up on one elbow, pushing her long blonde hair back across her head. On the floor beside the bed, her clothes were crumbled in a pile.
"Morning, beautiful."
Sonya's eyes widened as her body felt the small tremors of his voice, deep and soft next to her. It was then she felt his body, long and lean, lying next to her, his chest pressed firmly against her back. She turned and found her face inches from his, blue eyes peering up at her with the last traces of sleep fading from their depths.
She gasped and recoiled, her hand quickly pulling the sheet tighter around her.
"What? What is it?" Johnny asked, instantly alert and body tense.
Images of the previous night came back to her, and Sonya sighed as she lay back down on the bed. "Oh, God," she whispered. "Sorry… I'm not used to…" she waved her hand across their bodies, "this."
The American actor relaxed with a half-smile on his lips as he cradled his head in his hand. "I can fix that."
Sonya gave a mock glare. "You wish."
"Don't lie," he teased. "Admit it. You were impressed."
"Oh, get over yourself," Sonya huffed with a signature eye roll. She moved to sit up, but Johnny's arm across her waist stopped her. His head leaned up and his lips brushed her ear.
"I was impressed, too," he whispered, his gentle breath making her skin shiver. Sonya's head moved enough for her eyes to meet his and his hand touched her cheek. He smiled at her with that world renowned cocky, confident grin.
Taking a lesson from his book, Sonya smirked at him. "Most men are." She laughed when his face turned to shock.
"I don't know who they are, but I hate them." Johnny's frown was quickly wiped away by her chaste kiss. She turned and reached down to her clothes.
"What did Liu want?"
"He said Rayden is getting everyone together for a me-what, what's wrong now?"
Sonya stared at Johnny, her hand hovering in midair as she gripped her shirt. "Liu was in here." She sat up on the bed and put her head in her hands groaning. "Oh no."
"Sonya, he's a big boy," he explained patiently, smiling. "I'm sure he already knows about these things, but if you want, I'll go explain the birds and the bees to him."
"Shut up, Cage," Sonya scowled at him. "You won't be laughing when Jax finds out."
Johnny paused. "Jax?"
"Yeah," she said as she stood and resumed getting dressed. "He is my friend and partner, and he looks after me like a father."
"Aw, hell." Johnny rolled out of the bed, grabbing his own clothes and making quick work of dressing. "As if I don't have enough to deal with, now I'm going to be hounded by a seven foot tall crazy black man with overprotective tendencies and a punch that can bring down a building." He huffed in annoyance. "I haven't even had my coffee yet." He donned his last shoe and set out the door after the Shaolin Monk.
Sonya rolled her eyes and reached for her shoes. She looked at the bed and her movements slowed. She couldn't believe she had practically thrown herself at him last night. What the hell came over her? She shook her head, trying to wipe clean the doubts… but her heart told her something was wrong.
Her chest tightened as a terrible thought ran through her mind. Was it a mistake, a desperate act in a moment of extreme vulnerability?
She turned at the sound of fast footfalls to see Johnny had returned. Without warning, she was caught up in an embrace, his arms pulling her tightly to him and his lips stealing hers He pulled away, smiling.
Sonya, slightly dazed, asked, "What was that for?"
"Forgot to say goodbye."
Sonya scoffed. "That's not sappy at all."
Johnny just grinned. "You coming?"
"Yeah, be there in a minute. Liu?"
He shrugged. "I've still got time to catch him. He's got little legs, you know?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead and strutted out the door.
Sonya smiled. Definitely not a mistake.
/
The portal opened about 50 feet from the shield. Jarek, Shang Tsung, and five Tarkatan warriors stepped out into the decayed wasteland. Tsung was immediately tuned to the magic at work before him. It was strong and ancient, and would take time for him to break through. The area that was protected was large. There could be thousands of souls inside, ripe for the taking. Of course, at the moment, there was only one soul that mattered.
He turned to Jarek, expectant.
"The only way to get in is to be invited by someone on the inside," the mortal explained. "So I'll get recaptured, and when your soldiers, demons, whatever are ready, I will let them in, and then it's party time."
Tsung made a sound of disapproval. "That was your plan?"
"What's wrong with it?"
"It will take too long."
Jarek scoffed and looked at the ground, kicking away a strange rodent that had settled by his foot. "Well, you're the boss. What would you like me to do?"
Tsung closed his eyes and reached out to feel the souls around him. Deeper inside the sacred grounds, it was unclear how many souls were present. Closer to the edge, however, he could detect the presence of at least one person, a man by the feel of it. "Just bleed," he answered.
Jarek looked up. "What-?" He gasped. "What the hell!" His reflection grinned back at him. There was a sharp glint and he gasped again, the sharp intake of breath soon overcome by the gurgling of his blood as it spilled from his slashed throat, courtesy of his own blade. Blood splattering his own face was the last thing he saw before a red light engulfed his body and he felt like his soul was being ripped away.
/
"Help! Help me! Please!"
Jax turned around at the panicked cries, looking out through the transparent force field to see someone running towards it, bloody and terrified. When he hit the shield, he pounded desperately, frantically trying to get in.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." How the hell did he escape? If he was out, Kano must be, too. Sonya was going to love that. Jax was tempted to leave him outside to the whims of whatever Outworld creature was lucky enough to find him when he spotted the five bladed warriors running across the desert.
"Please, someone, help!" Jarek screamed. "They're gonna kill me!"
Jax reached through the shield, grabbing Jarek's collar and yanking him through with a gruff, "Come on!" He pushed the panicked criminal against a wall. "Now you better start talking or I'm gonna kill you," Jax hissed. "How the hell did you get out of here?"
The creatures ran into the shield, their cries of fury muffled through the barrier but loud enough to distract Jax. It almost masked the sound of the blade as it was unsheathed and plunged deep into his stomach.
A guttural cry left him as Jarek twisted the knife and sliced outward, the blade coming free of his internal organs out the left side of his body. His grip slacked around Jarek's vest, his hand feebly attempting to block the blade as it entered his throat, lodging back between the vertebrae of his spine.
He fell, lifeless, into the sand. Jarek grinned down at the corpse. "Two Chosen Ones down," Tsung remarked in his normal voice. He stepped over to the shield and pressed his face through. "Enter," he commanded, and the warriors crossed the sacred barrier. "Clean this up and wait until I return."
With a simmer of fire and a wisp of smoke, the seven foot tall army major stepped off smartly into the reservation's buildings with a soft chuckle of anticipation.
*Scene on the beach is from the novelization by Martin Delrio.