Born below the ever cloud-capped peaks that gave the Hidden Mountains their name, the hot wind blew east, out across the Great Sand Hills and the vast desert beyond. Down it blew into Z'Unkarah, the capitol of Outworld, into the fortress-like palace reminiscent of an Aztec pyramid, and beat at the company of Earthrealmers who stood in audience before the Emperor, Kotal Kahn. Hot gusts of air plastered Alexander's clothes to his back. He vaguely wished his armor was lighter or that he'd passed on the second shirt; already, his body was slicked with sweat from the scorching heat, and the metal plates stuck to his body with firm suction. Once, he adjusted the bulk of his armor, and a sickening slurp cut through the air as it peeled off his skin. Startled, the company looked at him, but only the Grandmaster angrily scowled at him before returning his attention to the Emperor.

Alex inwardly sighed. Perhaps confessing to Kuai Liang about him and Olivia had been a stupid move. The Grandmaster was just this side of killing him, and he saw it in the way his blue eyes blazed in cold fury. And if he didn't kill him, Olivia was sure to. Alex had promised to keep their secret at all costs, but not only had he revealed that they were a couple, in his nervousness he had accidentally divulged that they'd slept together too. His girlfriend was not gonna be happy when she found out. But dammit, he reasoned, he had to come rescue her. He wasn't about to stay behind and wait at the Temple for her like some helpless nobody. If that meant incurring her wrath, then so be it. If she didn't like it, she shouldn't have gotten herself kidnapped. He sighed again, this time out loud.

I hope she's okay, he wistfully thought. God, he didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't. They'd literally grown up together, knew everything there was to know about each other, shared everything two people could share together. He couldn't bear to think their goodbye in her room was the last time he'd ever talk to her. But no, he stubbornly thought as he crept ever-closer to a breakdown, she's coming back. I'll go get her myself if I have to, but she is coming back.

As a particularly strong blast of wind tugged at his bag of incendiary devices then, Alex glanced at his father over the top of Morgan's head. He felt a little foolish about wanting to reassure himself that Tomas was still there, but it was that kind of day. The wind howled when it rose, but apart from that, an eerie quiet surrounded the Earthrealmers. The soft rustle of feathers in Kotal Kahn's headdress as he paced sounded loud by comparison. It was decidedly uncomfortable, and Alex was glad for his father's company. He silently edged a little closer to the white-haired man.

"This is disturbing news," Kotal finally declared. He stepped to his throne and sank into it with a discontented sigh.

"Yes," the Grandmaster agreed, his voice taking on a dangerous edge as he crossed his arms. "An unprovoked attack on Earthrealm by Outworld is quite disturbing. It's even more disturbing that this attack was a mere distraction so that this General could kidnap our children without opposition."

The teal-painted Emperor raised an eyebrow at him, just as Fujin warningly said, "Cousin." The Wind God glanced at Kuai Liang and shook his head no while Alex exchanged a worried look with Morgan. He wondered how the Emperor would react to the Grandmaster's tone.

But then, as if he'd missed the Cryomancer's rude accusation, Kotal said, "I give you my word, Dragonslayer, that Reiko acted on his own. And I assure you that he will be brought to justice for his transgressions against Earthrealm."

"Yes, he will," the Grandmaster darkly replied. Alex noticed homicidal rage flash through his blue eyes again. He was furious – and understandably so – that someone had kidnapped Olivia. Nobody messed with his children. Nobody. Alex would hate to be Reiko when Kuai Liang got to him.

"Do you have any idea why Reiko would take our children?" Kenshi now asked as he stepped forward, his tone direct and down-to-business.

Kotal Kahn shook his head no, and the feathers in his headdress rustled slightly. "Many months ago, we began to hear whisperings from the west, dark rumors that Reiko had returned from the dead and had begun amassing an army," the Emperor explained. "Soon, the rumors proved true. With his army of Tarkatans and loyal Edenians, he began attacking villages and cities along the western coast, pillaging them, looking for something. We know not what. I sent Erron Black to Reiko's last known battle camp to investigate."

The Emperor paused and shifted in his seat. "I will do all in my power to help you, Dragonslayer," Kotal said. "And you and your company have my leave to freely travel through Outworld to find your children. But I warn you: do not underestimate Reiko. He is as cautious as an old meerkat, as ambitious as a young man, and has the cunning of a fox. My predecessor, Shao Kahn, taught him well."

"What do you mean, Shao Kahn taught him well?" Anya now worriedly asked. She crossed her arms and took a step forward. Alex noted his aunt's red, swollen eyes and painfully tired expression in not just her face, but her entire demeanor. He understood. He felt similarly.

"Reiko did not arbitrarily take your children," he explained. "Like his father before him, he is seldom interested in taking prisoners. There is a greater purpose for their abduction, and whatever that purpose is, it is sure to be diabolical."

"All the more reason to find them and resolve this quickly," Fujin said.

"What is the quickest route to Reiko?" the Grandmaster asked the Emperor.

"He moves around constantly like a soldier ant," Kotal Kahn said. "He never stays in the same place for long. But his last known location was the western border of the desert, due west of here-"

"Fine," Kuai Liang hastily interrupted. "We'll cross the desert and go straight to him."

Kotal Kahn frowned. "That would be unwise, Dragonslayer," he said in his calm, baritone voice. "The desert is grim and foreboding. Light and mirage will trick you and deceive your eyes. The sand does not care if you're made of flesh or stone; it will beat at you on alkali wind and swallow you all the same. And there are deadly creatures out there, and spirits of ancient battles, all of which will drag you under and devour you, leaving nothing of you but bleached bones buried beneath the dunes."

"Then what do you suggest?" he tersely countered as Alex tensed at the description. A thought occurred to him, a terrible thought, and the question hovered on the tip of his tongue.

"Take the Mother Road," he said. "It begins at the southern wall of Z'Unkarah, leads south for several days, veers west for many more, and at last winds north again on the westernmost edge of the desert. It is the safest way to reach Reiko's last known location."

"But what if Reiko's traveled into the desert?" Alex suddenly blurted out, unable to bite his tongue any longer.

"When I want you to speak, Elite, I will ask you to," the Grandmaster snapped at him, casting a furious scowl in his direction.

"It's a valid question," Tomas defended, stepping forward and fearlessly meeting his best friend's gaze. He looked up at Kotal Kahn. "What if he's not on the border? What if he took the children into the desert?"

"Let us pray to the Elder Gods that is not the case," the Emperor asked. "He knows the desert better than even I, and he knows all of its secrets. Finding him will be difficult and dangerous, and defeating him there will be even harder."

"Well, surely there's someone who knows the desert pretty well, someone who can help us," Anya said as she glanced at Kailyn and then Tomas and Hanzo. "A local or something?"

"There is one," Kotal agreed. "He will be your children's best hope if Reiko has ventured into the desert. I will send a message to him at once."

"Who is he?" she wanted to know.

"Erron Black."

Olivia was not quite sure how long she'd been asleep, but a voice inside her shouted at her to wake up, even though it was a profound struggle. Once, she weakly opened her eyes. The world around her was blurry, the edges of objects fading together like watercolor. Even that much had been a difficult accomplishment to achieve, and she soon lost control of her faculties when heaviness like lead settled on her head and she drifted back to sleep.

Again, more time passed – she wasn't certain how much – before she smelled something savory in her nostrils, and it prompted her to blink her eyes and yawn herself awake. Even in her sleep, she was acutely aware of how hungry she felt. As she returned to consciousness, she realized there was a comfortable bed beneath her, and she was covered by a thin blanket for warmth. Not that she needed it; the air was exceptionally warm, just like a kitchen after someone had been using the oven all day. Confused, she pushed herself upright and looked around. She saw a large tent, medieval in structure, propped up by a large pole in the middle, with eight smaller poles holding up the edges, sheltering her from the ferocious winds beating at the heavy fabric. At one end, a small dinner table covered with steaming plates of food had been erected, and at it sat Takeda and the man who'd attacked the Shirai Ryu Temple.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would sleep the whole day away," the man said as he heaped food onto a plate in front of him. "I thought perhaps the cobalt collar I put on you was far too strong."

Olivia immediately felt her throat in alarm at the declaration. Indeed, a smooth metal choker collar encircled her neck. "What is this for?" she demanded to know.

The man scoffed slightly at that. "Your father never told you what it does?"

"No," she said, puzzled.

"In Outworld, cobalt suppresses your powers over cold and snow, and will cause you immense pain if you try to use them," he distractedly explained as he handed the plate of food to Takeda. "It was a necessary precaution, I'm afraid. You seem young and untested, Olivia, but I have never underestimated a Cryomancer in my life."

In a sudden panic at his explanation, she summoned her powers to the surface, commanding the tiny molecules of condensation in the air around her fists to freeze. And instantly, she realized something was wrong. The cold lashed at her like a viper, and jagged shards of ice shredded backwards through her arms, directly into her head. She shrieked when it hit her brain, chilling it, and she collapsed onto her side on the bed, writhing in pain.

"Olivia!" Takeda yelped. He started to reach for her, but their captor grabbed his arm and held him back.

"That seemed like it hurt," he drily remarked a moment later. "Perhaps when I tell you cobalt suppresses your abilities, you'll heed my warning." Now he looked up at her as she panted to catch her breath, the pounding pain between her eyes slowly receding, and half-smiled as he gestured towards a seat at the table. "Join us, child," he said. "I'm sure you must be hungry."

Olivia tearfully looked from him to Takeda and back again, afraid to join the man who'd kidnapped them and took her powers away. She was frightened of him, and now ached as well. But she was alsohungry, and the food he offered smelled good. Whimpering and sniffing away the tears, she reluctantly slid from the bed, now noticing a blocky manacle fastened around her ankle, and from it the heavy chain bracketed to the floor near the pole. She scowled at it, though it didn't particularly surprise her to see, before she hobbled to the table and took a seat beside her classmate.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know. She wiped the last trace of tears from her face.

"My name is Reiko," he said as he began to heap food onto a plate for her. "I am the High General of Outworld, Commander of the First Army, and son of Shao Kahn."

As soon as he mentioned the long-dead Emperor, Olivia gulped and then exchanged a worried glance with Takeda. Both teenagers knew him well from stories of his invasion of Earthrealm. The Cryomancer's father had been on the front lines in that battle, and had even fought the Emperor himself, almost dying in the exchange. His mere name, even after his death, continued to instill fear. And this man was his son?

"What do you want with us?" she bravely asked, swallowing her fear.

"You do get straight to the point, don't you?" Reiko smiled. "I admire that quality in a person. I've never met him myself, but I'm told your father is the same way." He handed the plate to her, and she gingerly began eating the meat. It was heavy on flavors like garlic and rosemary, but it wasn't unlike her Grammy's roast beef. Smiling in approval, the General now began fixing his own plate. "You two are meant to be leverage," he eventually said.

Olivia nervously raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to hurt us?" she wanted to know.

Reiko scoffed. "Do you want me to?" he countered.

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, no," she admitted. "It's just…I always thought a kidnapper would keep me locked in a cage or something with no food or water."

He shook his head in disbelief and began eating his food. "Would you prefer it if I strung you two up naked in the middle of the camp, starving and thirsty, exposed to the elements and the wild birds that would inevitably peck at your skin?"

"No," she said again, now feeling dumb.

"Then don't question my generosity," he reprimanded. "What is that old Earthrealm saying?" he asked a moment later. 'You will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?' In other words, why torture a person when there is no need for it? You don't have the information that I want. There is only one mortal who does: the Earthrealmer called Kenshi."

"Kenshi?" Olivia repeated just as Takeda stiffened beside her. She thought of her father's old friend. She'd only met him once, many years ago when she was a little girl. She barely remembered the blind man, only that he wore a red sash over his eyes and carried a very old katana.

"Yes," he said. "So you see, child, nothing would come from hurting you, and it would almost certainly be counterproductive. You two would be more defiant and desperate to escape, which as futile as it is, would cause me a great many headaches, and Kenshi would probably be less likely to give me what I want."

"So you kidnapped me to use against my father, is that it?" her classmate hissed a moment later. "You're playing it like he's the doting father who doesn't want his son killed? And you kidnapped her to motivate him even more?"

"I believe he will give me the information I seek in order to keep you safe, yes," Reiko answered. He took a drink from his simple gold goblet.

Olivia ignored their exchange, looked at Takeda, and said, "Kenshi's your father?"

"He's no kind of a father to me," he told her, his voice dripping in venom. "I don't even know him. I told you, he's a deadbeat." Now Takeda bitterly scoffed, glaring at Reiko. "You should've done better research, General," he said. "He dumped me off on Grandmaster Hasashi years ago when my mother died. He doesn't care about me. He doesn't even know me. He's not going to tell you anything. Why would he?"

Reiko stared at him impassively. "For your sake, young Takeda, I hope you're wrong," he said. "I would have no further use for you if you're right."

Olivia swallowed hard, not liking the deadly promise lurking beneath his words. "I'm sure he'll tell you whatever you want to know," she hastily said, thinking quickly. "Grandmaster Hasashi was pretty certain that Kenshi cares about Takeda."

"And just when have you two been talking about it?" the boy demanded to know. He glared daggers at her.

"After you decided to rip my picture and he was trying to convince me not to make Takeda-flavored ice cubes," she shot back.

"Oh, not on your best day," he snapped.

"I already almost did," she proudly argued. "If he hadn't stopped me-"

"This is all very enlightening," Reiko interrupted, "but enough." He dangerously scowled at them, and they immediately quit their squabbling. He then looked at the Cryomancer. "And your father, the mighty Dragonslayer himself, left you with Scorpion as well. Interesting."

"Why is that?" she frowned.

"Tell me, how did that make you feel?" he asked, ignoring her question.

Olivia shrugged as her arms crawled with gooseflesh. "I don't know," she reluctantly said.

"You're lying," he told her and then swallowed a sip of wine from his goblet. "It destroyed your faith in him completely. I can see it in your soul."

"Then why'd you bother asking?" she snapped, suddenly angry. It disturbed her, his candor, his ability to look into her soul.

Reiko inhaled deeply and then looked away, into the distance. "It's interesting the things our fathers will do to make us better fit their idea of what we should be," he mused. "My father, for example, was one of those men who could sit in a room and you'd feel it. The simmer, the sense of some unpredictable force that might, at any moment, break loose, and do something terrible. For thousands of years, from the moment he first adopted me, he beat me so that I might become stronger. He taught me magic so that I might become stronger. He imparted his gift of strategy and cunning on me so that I might become stronger. Everything he did, he did so that I would become stronger."

He now looked at the teenagers again. "When he died, I went about like a ragged crow telling strangers, 'my father died, my father died.' My indiscretion embarrassed me, and would have humiliated him, but I couldn't help it. Without Shao Kahn, why was I here? Without him in his palace, why should I go back? Without that pain between us, what was I made of?"

Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her chair, not really knowing what to say to that, and beside her, Takeda simply looked at his hands. But if Reiko was aware of the awkward silence, he didn't show it. Instead, he halfheartedly smiled and said, "I soon found the answers to those questions, and those answers led me to you two, of all people. But Shao Kahn is still with me, in my head, guiding me in all things." He smirked and drank more wine. "It's peculiar. You both still think you can escape from your fathers. But you aren't listening to the voice speaking from your mouth, you don't see how your gestures already mirror his; you don't see him in the way you hold your bodies, or in the way you fight your battles. You don't hear his whisper in your blood. You are your fathers." He drank more wine. "We three are very much alike."

"Hardly," Takeda snapped. "She and I aren't in the business of kidnapping people."

Reiko smirked softly. "What are you in the business of?" he challenged, raising an eyebrow. "A clan such as the Shirai Ryu seems entirely irrelevant to Earthrealm now."

"And what would you know of it?" he demanded to know.

"More than you realize," he said. "I've spent the last several years there, studying your human species."

"Why?" Olivia asked, puzzled.

Reiko smirked. "There is an old dictum: know thine enemy."

"And what did you learn about us?" Takeda hissed.

"Much," he cryptically replied. "I understand now why my father could never overcome you. But I also learned that there is no place for clans such as the Lin Kuei or the Shirai Ryu in your world anymore. Clandestine societies are nothing more than fairy tales told by the old ones to make life seem a little more magical and interesting and dangerous, as if there is a grand purpose to every human's life. Ultimately, though, your world has no use for you." He leaned over the table and looked at Takeda again. "So I ask you again, boy. What are you in the business of? Learning how to play at war you'll never see?"

"Learning how to protect Earthrealm from Outworlders like you," he snapped.

"Edenian, not Outworlder," he corrected. "And you did a brilliant job of that. Tell me, how long did it take Skarlet to defeat you in battle?" he taunted.

Takeda didn't answer. He merely sat in his chair, seething as he looked down at his hands in his lap, prompting Olivia to ask, "What are you going to do with us?"

Reiko leaned back in his chair and took another drink of wine. "You'll stay here as my guests until your parents give me their answer," he answered. "Should they comply, you'll be returned to them without harm. Should they deny me…well, that will be unpleasant."

"And if we escape?" she defiantly asked.

"You're welcome to try," he chuckled. "However, we are surrounded by desert on all sides. The nearest village is several weeks away. You will die in the dunes, and it will be a slow, anguishing demise. At least if I wind up killing you two, I give you my word that it'll be quick and painless." He chuckled as he started eating again. "The desert makes no such promises."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Olivia hissed, masking her very genuine fear.

Reiko shrugged. "It should," he said. "In the desert, the only gods are wells, and those are in short supply."

"My Lord," a new voice interrupted, and the red-clad woman, Skarlet, stepped inside the tent. "I have news," she declared from behind her mask.

Reiko politely nodded to the teenagers. "Please excuse me," he said as he got to his feet and joined her. "I will return to check on you both later." He paused and smirked. "I would tell you not to try to escape, but we both know you will. All I can do is strongly discourage it. Remember what happened with the cobalt collar only minutes ago?" He flashed a knowing grin at Olivia and winked. And then, without another word, he and Skarlet left.

Takeda started eating his food as Olivia flopped back in her chair with her arms crossed. "We have to get out of here," she muttered.

"And go where?" he said around a mouthful of meat. "You heard him. We're surrounded by desert. We'll die out there."

"And if your dad doesn't give him what he wants, we're going to die here," she pointed out.

The Asian teenager flashed a nasty look in her direction. "I thought you said he would," he said. "Sounds like you have just as much faith in him as I do."

"I don't know him," she retorted. "I've only met him once, a very long time ago. I was just bluffing so Reiko wouldn't kill us on the spot, dumbass."

"Yeah, I got that," he drily remarked.

Now Olivia lifted her chained foot onto her lap and examined the lock. Man, if she had her powers, she could easily get out of this. But even the old-fashioned way was a no-go. The manacle was just barely larger than her ankle, and a quick scan of the table and her surroundings revealed nothing she could make a good lock pick from. Still, she grabbed a fork and bent the long prongs into a crude pick. Then she stabbed it into the tumblers. Immediately, she realized the prongs were too fat. This lock required a much more delicate tool to open it.

"Dammit!" she yelled as she threw the fork across the room.

"There's nothing we can do," Takeda passively said. "So you might as well just finish your dinner."

She glared at him. "I don't get you," she snapped. "Where's your fight?"

"I'm smart enough to know when not to," he shot back. "Even if you get free, there is a big-ass desert between here and anyone who can help us. And we have no provisions. We'd die in a day, Olivia."

"You're a coward," she growled and then looked away. "I can't believe I tried to help you."

"Hey, I didn't ask you to help me," he hissed. "I had everything under control."

"Yeah, that's how it looked from my end," she muttered, letting her forehead fall into her palm. The incident with the cobalt collar had set off a migraine, and it was gaining momentum by the second.

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Takeda said, "So why do they call your father 'Dragonslayer'? I've heard them call him that a few times since we've been here."

Olivia sighed and thought about her father. She wondered if he even knew she was missing. And if he did, did he even care? No, she told herself. He'd probably view this as a good learning experience. She'd got herself into this mess when she tried to help Takeda, so she could get herself out. He'd been in plenty of sticky situations before, and he'd gotten through them just fine. The brave warrior, the conquering hero. Sub-Zero.

"Before I was born, my dad killed Onaga, the Dragon King," she bitterly explained, thinking about the stories she'd heard growing up. "He fought alongside your father. He saved your father's life."

"He should have just let him die," the other bitterly remarked.

"Then you wouldn't have been born," she reminded him.

"That wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to me," he cryptically replied.

Olivia bristled at that, and started to say, "Takeda-" but he interrupted her and said, "Just be quiet about him. He's not worth talking about." So she said nothing, and the two ate their dinner in silence after that.

"What is it, Skarlet?" Reiko asked as they walked between the various tents in their camp. The sun beat fire upon his back and the glare of the desert blinded him whenever he cast his gaze to the distance. He squinted, and the beads of sweat forming on his brow trickled around his eyebrows onto his sun-kissed cheeks.

"Word from Z'Unkarah," she said. "The Earthrealm Champions have sought an audience with the Emperor. Both Kenshi and Sub-Zero are among their number."

The General smiled at that. "They responded more quickly than I anticipated. Good."

"Good, my Lord?" she quizzically asked. She lifted her unnaturally red eyebrow.

"The children weren't confident that Kenshi would care enough to come," he said as he glanced away from her at a group of Tarkatans roasting meat on a spit. "Not only has he personally come to rescue him, he has done so swiftly. He will give me the location of Shinnok's amulet. I am certain of it now."

"Fujin is with them," she reported. "He will stop Kenshi."

"He will try," Reiko agreed. "But he will fail. And he will understand. He is also a father." He looked back at her. "Send the Earthrealm Champions my regards," he said and then smiled as she nodded her understanding. "And make preparations to move the camp further into the desert. I want Kenshi to know that for all his supernatural awareness, even he can't save his son from it without my blessing."

Guest, LOL I told you all Alex would be back. I'm so glad you like him. It's always rewarding when people embrace one of my OCs. XD

Dr. MKDemigodZ-Warrior, indeed they have bitten him in the ass. I don't know about an MKX story, though. It'll be a while before I even think about it.

Westcoast Witchdoctor, he may warm up to Alex and Livy, he may not. ;)

Firebending Master, thank you for the multiple reviews. Reiko is like Death in Darksiders 2 because he uses a scythe and is a smartass, but otherwise, I think the similarities end. Maybe. LOL Glad you liked the Street Fighter reference. I thought it was kind of meta :D

ROCuevas, thank you :)

Obelisk of Light, I just imagined how I'd feel if one of my babies were kidnapped, and I pulled the parents' reactions from that. Oh, Fujin's bachelor's pad...That was one where I thought you'd either really really love it, or really really hate it. But I'd hoped you'd find the thought of him playing Street Fighter on his gaming console funny. Glad you enjoyed it. I have some ideas for Fujin and Morgan, but I don't want to spoil the surprise!

iceangelmkx, it's okay. You've got a life. It's no problem. All that matters is that you're here now :) Thank you for the multiple reviews. Anya's reaction is definitely a product of being so damn mad at him. It's one of those things where she said something in anger that she didn't mean. Of course, she believes she means it, so we'll see what comes of that. Kenshi's definitely been in pain since Suchin's death, and he's going to be much darker in this story than he was in The Curse of the Dragon Medallion. I have Kenshi and Takeda's moment already locked inside my head, but that's a ways off and I'm not gonna spoil it for you ;)

tinkknit, glad to have you, and thank you so much for your kind praise. :) I find that even the darkest moments have some humorous ones mixed in, and that's what I try to incorporate into my writing style. Olivia will definitely hit rock bottom before she climbs out of this hole she's in. Erron's gonna help with that, methinks ;)

en-lumine, here's some more tissues! I was worried that Kenshi's scene with Fujin would be lame sauce because I kept envisioning your treatment of the same material in my head and I kept coming up short. But I'm glad you liked it. I'm also glad I caught you off guard by Anya's declaration. Frankly, I was expecting more people to be like, "Noooooo!" LOL