Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.


"The gods wanted war?
They were about to get it."
— Jennifer L. Armentrout (Elixir (Covenant, #3.5))

Chapter 10:Fujin


Horror.

This was the emotion Fujin felt as he gaped at the death and destruction his fellow diety had caused. Raiden and his lackeys fled before another battle could occur, having suffered their own casualties when they fought the Lin Kuei, but not before Raiden warned Fujin not to intervene. The Wind God said nothing, too aghast by his brother's actions to speak. He watched in silence as Jax, Jacqui, Takeda, Kenshi, Kung Jin, and several Special Forces troops tended to the Lin Kuei. Half the clan was dead while the other half suffered from horrendous injuries.

Fujin had hoped that the Elder Gods were wrong, that the rumors he heard of what Raiden had become and what he'd done were false, only to realize it was true, that he was denying what he already knew in his heart to be correct.

What was more tragic and ironic than anything else was the fact that Raiden corrupted himself while purifying the Jinsei. He saved Earthrealm, to what avail? To pose a threat to the very same realm he swore to protect? In Raiden's twisted mind, he was protecting Earthrealm.

He remembered the first time Raiden was corrupted, how he tried to warn him against using Blood Magik. The Thunder God almost killed him, leaving him impaled by a naginata until Takeda arrived and Fujin managed to explain what happened. Raiden had not been in control of his actions then and he was saved along with the other warriors under Havik's control, yet this was not the case here. Now Raiden was in control of his actions. He knew what he was doing and didn't care who was hurt or killed so long as he accomplished his goals.

The Special Forces had set up camp outside the Lin Kuei Temple. He made his way through the camp to the largest tent in the center where Sonya Blade resided. The general was talking on the phone with her back facing him when he entered. He waited patiently in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. He pitied Sonya. The losses she endured and sacrifices she made to help Raiden protect Earthrealm over the years had cost her much. And now the same god she fought beside for decades had taken her daughter hostage. If there was anyone equally horrified as Fujin by Raiden's actions, it was Sonya.

She hung up a few minutes later, having noticed him standing in the doorway. The look on her face was one of anguish hidden behind anger. Fujin avoided her heated gaze. They stayed like that for what felt like forever. Then she spoke, breaking the silence with a tone as cold as ice.

"Took you long enough to get involved," she spat."Where were you when your fellow god was kidnapping my daughter?"

Fujin didn't know Sonya well, but he could tell she was in pain and needed someone to blame that pain on. It was easier to blame him instead of Raiden, though he suspected she was more angry with herself than anyone else.

"I did not know what he had done, what he had become." The Wind God spoke slowly, the words feeling hollow in his throat."The Elder Gods attempted to inform me, but I...I did not allow myself to believe until I saw the truth with my own eyes. I cannot imagine how you feel, Sonya Blade. You have my sympathy."

"I don't need your pity." If looks could kill, her glare would have reduced him to a pile of ashes."I want my daughter back and Kano and Raiden and everyone else responsible for all this chaos dead!" Angry tears poured down her face despite her efforts to prevent him from seeing them.

His gaze was filled with compassion."I am sorry."

"Yeah." Her tone and expression softened as she nodded."Me too." She turned around, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform as he approached. His hand came to rest on her shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze. She shrugged him off and sighed. The bags under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept for awhile and he heard her stomach growling. The last few days had clearly been trying for her, to put it mildly.

They drifted into silence. Fujin contemplated what would happen. With his brother posing a threat to Earthrealm, the Elder Gods would have to find a way to solve that problem. There was only one solution: defeat Raiden. Once that goal was accomplished, Fujin would replace him as Protector of Earthrealm.

To say that the circumstances were horrible would be an understatement. The Shirai Ryu and Black Dragon Clan were working with Raiden with Cassandra Cage as their hostage. Johnny Cage was in the hospital recovering from his injuries during Shinnok's invasion. Sareena was a prisoner of the revenants in the Netherrealm. Sub-Zero was in a coma and those of the Lin Kuei fortunate to survive Raiden's attack were in no better condition than the Grandmaster. Raiden had fought beside them for years. He knew them like the back of his hand and had every possible advantage. Their chances of winning were one in a million.

"How much time do we have before the tournament starts?" Sonya asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Five days." Decades had passed since the last tournament. He remembered how broken Raiden was after the losses suffered during the war with Shao Kahn. The emperor was dead, but at what cost? Many of the heroes died because they trusted in Raiden's visions. Fujin assured him it wasn't his fault, but his friend was too filled with grief and self-loathing to listen. It took years for him to move on and even then he was haunted by the events. Fujin wondered if he would turn out like that, the thought causing a chill to run down his spine.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought his attention to the doorway. Jacqui stood there, her face grim and tired."Frost is awake. Says she wants to talk," she explained.

Sonya nodded."Let's go!" She barked at Fujin, causing him to wince. They followed Jacqui to the tent where the injured were being treated, a comatose Sub-Zero among them. Frost lay on a cot next to his, her face covered in cuts, bruises, and burns. Her left shoulder was bandaged from being impaled by Scorpion's spear while her broken right arm was in a sling. She also had two cracked ribs and a minor concussion. Raiden had almost killed her and would have finished the job if Fujin hadn't arrived when he did.

Kenshi, Takeda, Jax, and Kung Jin were standing by the female cryomancer's cot as Jacqui, Sonya, and Fujin approached. Frost shifted slightly and nodded at the deity in greeting. Fujin tilted his head in response.

"What happened?" Sonya spoke through gritted teeth. There was no patience in her tone, no care for the younger woman's wellbeing. Her eyes glinted with contempt as she glowered at Frost, who was too exhausted to summon the energy to glare back at the blonde.

Frost closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to compose herself as she glanced at Sub-Zero's unconscious body."R-Raiden's gone insane."

"Yeah," Kung Jin said sarcastically."We noticed that."

Frost scowled. While she seemed to lack the will to return Sonya's hostility, she did not hesitate to make an exception for the archer.

"Frost," Fujin said, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it to calm her."Please tell us what happened. What did you see? What did you hear? What did Raiden do?"

Frost nodded."Okay." She sighed deeply."I-I couldn't sleep, so I went outside to get some fresh air and...I heard Sub-Zero scream. I remember running to his quarters with a bunch of other Lin Kuei Warriors. I heard Raiden laughing when we reached the door. It was locked, so I froze the door and shattered it to pieces. We ran inside and saw Raiden standing over the Grandmaster. I didn't think, I just attacked him and we managed to overpower him at first, but he got the upper hand soon enough and let his lackeys join the fight. Kano slashed their throats, Raiden burnt them to a crisp, and Scorpion," she disdainfully spat the former spectre's name,", he was no better. That dog promised there'd be peace between our clans and yet there he was, cutting my clansmen down without a second thought. Raiden even offered me a place among his forces. I told him where he could shove that offer. Then he left. I tried to get Sub-Zero out of there, but Scorpion dragged me back in. Sub-Zero stopped him from killing me. We were winning. We practically had the Black Dragon and Shirai Ryu on their knees, but then Raiden came back..."

Frost's breathing quickened. Her eyes flickered around the room as if she feared the Thunder God would return and try to kill her again. Fujin squeezed her hand once more to encourage her to continue. He needed to hear what else happened.

Calming down, Frost began where she left off."He was pissed off that his lapdogs couldn't handle us, so he decided to deal with us himself. He electrocuted Sub-Zero until he lost consciousness and made quick work of the rest of us. When I close my eyes, I can still see that grin on his face as he threatened to finish me off." She looked at the Wind God."If you hadn't come when you did, Fujin, I'd be dead."

"Did he say anything else?" Sonya questioned.

Frost lowered her eyes."He was talking about the tournament and how Sub-Zero and other people might pose a threat to his goal, so they had to be dealt with."

"How do we know you didn't take his offer?" Jacqui asked. Sonya nodded as if sharing her suspicions.

Frost glared at them both."Look at me! I can't even move without whimpering in pain! Half my clan is dead! The other half is just as beaten and bloody as I am if not worse! Do you honestly think Raiden would try to kill me if I hadn't rejected his offer?"

"She is telling the truth," Kenshi stated. Jacqui glanced at Takeda, who nodded in agreement with his father.

"See?" Frost flicked her head at the blind swordsman and his son."If the telepaths say I'm being honest, then that means what I'm telling you is true and you know it."

Jacqui and Sonya exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison. Frost huffed at their reluctance to believe her, then winced in pain from her wounds.

"Rest," Fujin told her."You will need it if you are to recover."

Frost nodded and lay back, closing her eyes. The group left the medical tent with Sonya leading them outside.

"So what now?" Jacqui asked."We have to enter that tournament if we're gonna stop Raiden."

Takeda frowned."Maybe we can convince him-"

"No," Kenshi interrupted."It has become obvious by now that he will not listen to reason. Raiden believes he is doing the right thing. Nothing we say or do will convince him otherwise."

"Kenshi's right," Jax said."I tried to talk him down and you saw how well that ended." There was sarcasm in his voice when he uttered the word 'well'.

"The Raiden we knew is dead," Sonya said coldly."There's no bringing him back from this. He kidnapped my daughter because he thought Johnny and I would get in his way and he was right. No one messes with my daughter. The fact that he and that bastard Kano took her hostage only guarantees me kicking his ass." She sneered at Takeda and Kenshi."Don't think Hanzo is getting any mercy from me. As far as I'm concerned, he's just as guilty as the rest of Raiden's lackeys."

"She is right," Fujin said."The Shirai Ryu willingly serve Raiden and have aided in the atrocities he has committed."

"Master Hasashi must've felt guilty about killing Quan Chi," Takeda said sadly.

"And Raiden is taking advantage of that guilt," Kenshi added.

"Didn't you hear me?" Sonya growled."I don't care why he chose to help Raiden. He may not have been there when my daughter was kidnapped, but he didn't try to stop it from happening and even broke his truce with the Lin Kuei. There's no way in hell he's getting any sympathy from me."

Fujin stepped forward before a fight could break out. Internal conflict was the last thing they needed. The Wind God raised his hands and waited for everyone to be quiet before speaking.

"Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves." He spoke as calmly as possible despite his own distress."We have mere days until the tournament, days we must use to prepare and gather our allies if we are to win. Everyone, go home and rest. We will meet and discuss our plans tomorrow."

As the mortals went their separate ways, Fujin found himself standing alone outside the medical tent.

All this chaos, death, destruction, betrayal, and bloodshed was Raiden's doing. He was responsible for Cassandra Cage's kidnapping, for Frost's injuries, for Sub-Zero's comatose state, for the murder of half the clan. And he enjoyed doing those horrible things as if he were was a child playing a game. The only way to save Earthrealm...was to destroy him.

A single tear ran down Fujin's cheek.


I know everyone was expecting a big divine showdown between Fujin and Raiden and there will be one, but not yet. Wait until the tournament and that's when all the action will start for real I promise. Until then, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!

Guest - Noob will be mentioned, but I doubt we'll actually see him in the story unless it's through flashbacks or something like that.

fandelivres - Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin's points of view will come up soon.

NeedsANewPenname - Thank you for the constructive criticism. I will try to lessen my use of intros for dialogue or descriptions. I agree with you about Sonya. The poor woman has endured a lot over the years. Just wait until her point of view is shown in this story.

Guest - Bo' Rai Cho will be in this story. I'm not sure about Triborg. I want to include him but I'm trying to figure how to incorporate him into the story.

Next up: Chapter 11:Kano