A/N: Good news and bad news. Good news, I'm not sick anymore. Bad news, this chapter was kind of all over the place. Let me know if it was hard to follow or anything. I'm trying to keep it all together but sometimes I get ahead of myself.

Warning: adult material, if you don't like it, just skip over the beginning part with the italics.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything MK-related, be it settings or themes or characters or otherwise; it belongs to Netherealm Studios.

Chapter Twenty-Five

There was a fire within him and it was consuming him from the inside out. His entire body was scorching hot and drenched in sweat, the muscles in his abdomen were clenched almost as tightly as the slender pair of sleek legs around his waist. There were sheets atop his bare back, clinging to his skin as if it belonged. Below him his full weight rested flush against another, more feminine body. He was caught in a passionate kiss with a softer set of lips and he could taste the blood in her mouth from where he'd bitten down on her bottom lip. He licked roughly at the wound and brushed his nose against hers. Reluctantly he left her mouth and dragged his tongue down her chin, down her neck, all the way to the valley in between her bare breasts. He clutched the malleable creations in both open palms, then closed his fist around them callously. Her hiss was of pleasure, not pain and when he pulled one of her tense nipples between his front teeth she got even wetter beneath him. Writhing and moaning she was, with her hands pressing down on the bottom of his spine to bring him down even closer to her. He moved his hands to the sides of her lean stomach and buried his hot wet oral appendage in the crevice of her navel. As if of their own accord his hips were thrusting into her body in slow, even strokes and it took everything in him not to moan along with her. She was panting and rolling her own hips desperately up to meet his. With every thrust into her slippery hot core he could feel himself come closer and closer to a pleasurable peak. Her back was arching up off of the bed and he knew she was in a similar state as he. Shallowly she breathed through her open mouth.

"Ha-harder," she begged before his mouth ravaged hers again.

He felt a sweep of deja vu wash over him as he dragged her abused bottom lip through his teeth but it was pushed aside as his nails dug bruisingly into her thighs. He ground into her unrelentingly and with all his strength. He wanted to make it hurt. She moaned and hissed his name and damn if it didn't sound good. He pushed into her again and again. He was close and so was she. Faster and harder he worked her body as the space in between them diminished still. He leaned forward and locked gazes with her. And it was over. That familiar, flushed face lit aglow with those expressive eyes had done the worst. He recognized her instantly. Still, though, her eyes told no lies; she wanted him so bad. She didn't have to say anything for him to know it, but her ruby lips gave way to words anyway.

"Rain, I want you," she whispered sexily, bringing him down by the back of his head closer to her waiting mouth.

I didn't know how to process all the things Scorpion just told me but I tried on the walk back to the room Nightwolf was in. I suppose I had a feeling Rain would quit the alliance, but I can't really judge him because in a way, so did I. I was only using Ermac and Noob's faction to reach my own goals faster but now that Rain ditched me I don't need the duo anymore.

Since I knew Rain was after Pasty's amulet, it'll make tracking him down that much easier. Wherever Pasty is, Rain will probably be, too. And as for Pasty's plan to eradicate the person responsible for undoing his work, well I have no doubt that Nightwolf can take care of himself but I'd like to help him out in some way. So I came up with a plan in my head as I walked down the darkened hall.

When I returned to the dimly lit room Nightwolf was leaning on one of the opposite octagonal walls. He had one leg bent at the knee behind him and the other on the damp wood floor below. His head was down, as if in thought, but it rose as soon as I entered. I tried to appear inconspicuous, and started to head over to the stacks of papers. Nightwolf must have been through all of them, because they were all arranged neatly now.

I sighed and cleared the papers out of the way and sat on the long cold table that spanned almost the whole small room. When I folded my arms, Nightwolf was still staring at me. He knew something had gone down.

"Who were you speaking to?" he asked. There was nothing but business in his tone. He had his arms down beside him and he slowly slid his foot off the wall.

Coyly I replied, "How do you know I was talking to anybody?"

Wordlessly he pointed to one of his ears and then crossed his arms again. So he had me there.

"...A friend." I answered evasively. Scorp only asked that I not say anything about him in return for the vital information, so I owed him that much.

Nightwolf didn't press the issue. He just tilted his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Did this friend have any information regarding Quan Chi?" he asked.

I told him, "Um, yeah. Pasty's moved his guards to the main palace, the one Kahn used to live in." I explained.

Nightwolf nodded. "I remember it."

I looked down at my lap and braced myself for the response my next words would have on him. I laid both my hands over my thighs and wet my lips.

"I'm going there as soon as I can. Alone." I told him curtly.

His reaction was immediate. "I don't think so."

He was pushing himself off of the wall and making his way over to me. I could barely see him but I could hear his clothes rustling and could detect the shine of the arrow as it came closer. Nightwolf set the glowing arrow down atop a stack of papers on the other side of me. Astoundingly, the papers didn't burn or catch fire. Nightwolf was in front of me, about a couple feet away. I kept my eyes on the green light instead of looking up at him.

"Why can't we all go?" he suggested.

I scoffed. "Pasty knows you can reverse his technique, he'd kill you in a heartbeat," I said honestly.

"And the others would only get in the way of my plan." I added.

"What plan?" Nightwolf asked above me, "You're not thinking of attacking him on your own, are you?"

I shook my head and traced the inside of my thighs. I could feel my hair swipe against my cheeks as I indicated that no, I was not planning of confronting Pasty. Not yet.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bare skin that Sonya's borrowed shorts exposed on me, and with my hands on my knees I finally glanced up at Nightwolf. He was gazing elsewhere but must've felt my stare because he turned back over to me and sighed.

"What makes you think he won't kill you, too?" he asked gently.

That was a good question. "He made an offer for me to serve under him a few days ago. I'm gonna try and keep him from coming after you, and get some idea of what his plans are."

Nightwolf held that same displeased expression. "Mileena, what if Quan Chi goes back on his word and attacks you instead?"

"That's a risk I have to put up with." I replied easily.

Nightwolf's frown deepened and he pushed his fingers agitatedly through his hair. It looked like it had grown since when I first met him. Past his shoulders and down his back the thick black unrestrained strands fell. His dark hair framed his face without a tribal band or headpiece to hold it back. His face was devoid of paint but in its place worry creased at his brow and contorted his features into that of a stressed old man. I smiled. He wasn't old. I reached up and smoothed my two pointer fingers over his forehead.

"You don't have to get all worried about me, Nightwolf. I'll be okay." I said softly.

Nightwolf took my fingers down and brought them to his lips. He dragged them down his chin and grasped both my hands in his.

"Mileena, I love you. I'll always worry about you. Especially if you're putting yourself in this kind of dangerous situation. At least let me go with you." he entreated.

I didn't want to have to tell him that out of all the people in the 'alliance', he was the one I especially didn't want going with me. Pasty is going to do things to me that I know I'm not going to like or appreciate, and if Nightwolf is there he might do something in retaliation and jeopardize the whole mission and we'll both end up in trouble. That's why I have to do this by myself. Of course I couldn't explain this to him without him worrying even more, so I tried to appeal to the side of him that was weakest; he would do anything for his beloved people.

"Nightwolf, no," I said, "You have to be there to protect the village. You are the chief, it's your duty to be there for them." I sternly told him.

Nightwolf's determined demeanor did not change. He only said, "Tvari has taken my place for now."

I scoffed, "Right. I'm sure he's doing a lovely job now that he's crippled and half-blind."

"And whose fault is that?" Nightwolf asked with a brow raised.

Instantly I cried, "His! He shouldn't have treated me the way that he did all those weeks," I muttered remorselessly.

Nightwolf's countenance darkened and he said, "No. He shouldn't have."

His tone promised retribution and I, for once, kind of felt bad for the Prick. Well not really. He had it coming.

"Pasty's armies are gonna be there, looking for you. It would be best if your men had their chief to back them up," I remarked softly, severely.

That wasn't exactly true or false, it hadn't been confirmed but was kinda implied. I had to tell Nightwolf something to get him off my back. He definitely was off my back, too. The look on his face was one of mild anguish and indecision. I could tell he was fighting my logic but then he seemed to calm down and accept what I'd told him.

"Did you find any information on the demigod?" he asked neutrally. I didn't like how detached he sounded but shrugged mentally.

"No, nothing," I lied.

If there was anything I could not tell him, it was that Rain would most likely be there at the main palace as well, at some point or another, if what Scorp had told me was true. That would just make drive Nightwolf crazy knowing that both Rain and Pasty were in close proximity to me and if they so chose, both had ample opportunity to kill me. I'll definitely just keep that to myself.

Nightwolf seemed to believe me. "When do you want me to heal you?" he asked.

I really don't know how I'm gonna fit that in. "I'll see if I can get away from Pasty and let you do it."

"It's not that simple," Nightwolf warned. "The process takes about a week, more or less. How will you find time for that?"

I shrugged. "Maybe I'll get lucky and Pasty will give me a mission. I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there."

Nightwolf nodded and accepted my answer much more easily than I thought he would. I saw him place both hands down on either side of me, palms flat against the wooden table I was sitting on, and dip his head down. His face was so close to my own.

"Mileena," he breathed, "I know that your mind is made up, so I won't argue with you anymore. But please. At least come back to the village with me before you leave."

Whatever curt, mechanical reply I was about to give him about my revenge and about his village and about duty and about anything else was aborted as my brain took a dive into the lower region of my body, right down in that fiery pit below my abdomen.

All because he kissed me.

He had his hands over my knees and his hair tickled my cheeks as his mouth moved expertly over mine. He pulled back and murmured something to me but it took a few seconds for my brain to catch up to what he was saying.

"I don't want you to think I'm trying to hold you back. I just want to have you with me one last time before you go." He said, "Because what is coming might tear us apart for a very long time."

I understood completely. As it was, I was taking up a suicide mission and he was bracing himself for a vicious attack on himself and his homeland. Nothing was guaranteed to last now that this war was headed into full swing.

He had nothing but love for me in his gaze, and I wondered if it would always be that way with him. I wanted so badly to believe it would but I really wasn't sure. If I were to get my body back, things might not go so well between the two of us, and then that love might go away. I didn't want that to happen, but I need my body, my powers to deal with Paste-Face.

"We need to reconvene with the others and let them know what you've heard." Nightwolf stated.

I pursed my lips and obstinately folded my arms. "Nightwolf, I meant what I said about your little friends. I don't get down with them."

He then said, "Well I'll tell them that you and I are going back to the village because that's where the sorcerer is headed, and we'll let them make their own decision about what to do based on that bit of information." he suggested.

I didn't want to have to tell the other members of the alliance anything at all, but Nightwolf's idea was a good one. They'll be more likely to believe him than me so I'll let him tell them about Pasty's plan to attack the village and then I'll go with him, just for one night though, and then I'll be off to the palace.

"Whatever," I muttered, which was my way of letting him know that I'd relented. He smiled an easy smile and gripped my hips in both hands.

"What are you?" I started to ask but it became obvious that he was lifting me off of the wooden table I'd been perched on. I wrapped my legs around his middle and my arms around his neck smirked.

"I could've gotten down myself," I stated.

He only smiled. When he turned around and loosened his grip I slid down his body. On the way down he kissed the top of my head. I kept my arms around him, and he didn't push me away. He rubbed my back until I was ready to go out and face the others. I didn't pull away until I'd gotten enough of his smoky, musky scent and warm, protective embrace. When I did step back from him I stood on the balls of my feet and pecked at his lips.

"Okay I'm ready," I said, and strode ahead of him with the glowing arrow in my sweaty-palmed grip.

I pretended I didn't care that he was gazing down at me in surprise, in wonderment. What I did was totally impulsive and it made me feel self-conscious and a little silly. He was always so confident and self-assured when he initiated any contact between us but I couldn't muster up that kind of boldness. Were the situation one that involved anything other than personal feelings, I would have no problem being bold and assertive but around Nightwolf I always felt so nervous and unsure.

He kept pace behind me and I dared not look back. I had to shield my eyes when I finally got to the entrance. Nightwolf had done the task of rounding up his comrades while I went ahead and exited the building. I watched the double doors and waited for him to emerge.

What was I gonna tell Pasty when I arrived there? He was probably gonna ask me about what happened since I was supposed to be with Rain, at the prison here at this lair. Maybe I'll just lie and say Rain ran off and I broke free to come and tell him. But if he already knows about Rain and me running off together that could tip him off. So maybe I should just be vague and say some things happened, but that I was on his side now. And what if Rain is already there and he tells Pasty that I'm there to kill him? Well then I'd have to either get rid of Rain, which was easier said than done, or form some kind of agreement with him that kept both of us from being suspected by Pasty. I groaned. I really didn't want to form another bond with that Edenian punk but I had a feeling that might be my only option. Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to play this mission by ear.

Nightwolf and crew were coming out of the building, and Sonya had some kind of device up to her ear. She said in a voice where I could hear some feet away that the pilot would be back soon. I hope 'soon' entailed a matter of minutes because I'm not trying to waste any time. She, Jax, Stryker, and Nightwolf came up to me.

"Alright, somebody tell me this wasn't a complete waste of time and that you guys found something." she mock-pleaded tiredly.

Stryker had switched off his flashlight and was wearing a tight-lipped frown. He wiped sweat off of his brow and scratched at the hair under his black cap. His answer was a definite no. Jax, beside him, was shaking his head, also a no.

She turned to me and Nightwolf. I crossed my arms and gave Nighty a pointed look.

"Quan Chi's armies are headed towards my village. He's searching for me, he knows I can reverse his technique." Nightwolf explained.

Sonya wasn't at all shocked. "I knew it was only a matter of time before he found out," she stated.

"So that's where we're going?" Stryker asked. The cop's question was directed at Sonya but it was Nightwolf who answered.

"It would be best if we plan our next move from there," he proclaimed.

Sonya nodded. "Is there any way you can contact Raiden and let him know where we're headed?"

Nightwolf nodded. "I'll do that now."

While Nightwolf began walking off to the side, Sonya eyed me up and asked, "Can I talk to you, Mileena?"

"I'm right here." I said shortly.

She cut her eyes and added, "In private?"

I shrugged and followed after her. Like Nightwolf, she was walking off in another direction from the group and behind a skeleton of what was once a huge beast with an even huger rib cage she stopped. She glanced over her shoulders at the two men who were fanning themselves and trying to keep cool. Nightwolf had seemingly disappeared. Sonya turned back around and sat cross-legged on the sandy ground. She motioned for me to do the same, and hesitantly I did.

After I'd folded my legs and placed my hands on my thighs she leveled me with a hard stare.

"So what's really going on?" She asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

She said, "Mileena, I can tell when something's up. Call it intuition or whatever, but I know there's something you and Nightwolf aren't saying."

I huffed and looked down. She dropped her head to try and capture my gaze again but I looked away.

"Mileena I know you don't trust me and I'm not sure I trust you either, but I need you to tell me what's going on. This is a global affair, it's not just about you and your revenge." she pressured sternly.

I suppose I did see her point. This is her world that's under attack, I shouldn't withhold information from her, especially information of this caliber. I decided to work with her.

"Pasty's moved his location to the main palace in Outworld." I told her.

She paused, "The one where the tournaments were held around?"

I nodded. "That's where I'm going."

She rose a blonde brow but didn't remark. "When are you leaving?"

"After we get to the village." I answered.

She bit the inside of her cheek and thought. "And Nightwolf knows about this?"

"More or less," I replied.

"So you're gonna infiltrate the palace and spy on Quan Chi?" she asked.

"More or less," I repeated.

She frowned, "I assume you want to do this alone, right?"

"Correct." I smirked.

"Mileena, that might not be wise. You should think about letting the rest of us help you." She advised.

I didn't think so. "I'll be fine, I don't need help. I know what I'm doing."

"That may be true, but you can't trust or predict a sorcerer. They lie and they scheme and they're always a step ahead." she told me. "You need to have somebody on your side out there."

I saw the wisdom in what she was saying. But I don't want to saddle myself down with these people when I knew I could do just fine on my own. Still, it might be good to have backup. I didn't want to admit it, but this human body of mine had its drawbacks and if I got stuck in a tight place it would feel good knowing somebody had my back. But who would? These people didn't trust me, and they had good reason not to. But we're in a war, so maybe they'll put that behind them. I'm taking one risk going in there with Pasty and perhaps Rain, so why not take another?

"Okay. I'll, um, let you help me." I relented. "But only you."

"Alright." Sonya conceded. She said, "I'll need to be able to keep in touch with you while you're at the palace. Here's my communicator."

She handed me some kind of tiny device that I'd seen her talking into previous occasions. I didn't know what to do with it and looked up at her, confused. She took my hand into her lap and strapped the black and gray thing onto my wrist. She showed me which tiny little button to press to be able to speak with her.

"If it starts blinking red that means I'm trying to get a'hold of you." She explained.

I nodded and tapped at the glass surface. It looked shiny and durable and high-techie. I just hope I remember how to operate it. I wouldn't want it malfunctioning with Paste-Face around. I glanced at Sonya and saw her tapping her chin.

"Now I'll need you to keep me updated. Report back to me every single day that you're there, got it?" She ordered.

I mock-saluted, "Ma'am yes ma'am. Anything else?"

"Mileena, this is serious business. Since you insist on going in there alone, I have to know everything that's going on. I wish I had a camera or some kind of tracking device," she murmured to herself.

"Oh, well, that'll come later." she dismissed. "How do you plan on getting to the palace?"

I shrugged. I didn't have a ride, as of yet. Sonya again tapped at her chin. She was thinking hard. Finally she placed both hands on the sand and pushed her body up to a standing position. She reached down and stuck her hand out at me but I ignored it and stood on my own. She shrugged and used her proffered hand to wipe the sand from her shorts and I did the same.

"I can try and get a chopper to take you," she said, "But the soonest that can be is tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"

"It's gonna have to be," I told her, "I've got no other option so I can't be too picky."

She nodded again and let a little ghost of a smile pass over her lightly-tanned features. She was blinking slowly at me and I wondered what was so funny.

"What?" I asked her.

She shook her head and sighed, "Nothing. I'm just glad we finally got a lead, that's all. This plan of yours may not be the best one, but it's not...that bad. And I'm glad you're letting me help you." she admitted.

I refused to tell her that I kinda felt the same, that I was glad that she wanted to help me. I had no problem doing things on my own, but now that I had Nightwolf with me I was slowly realizing I didn't have to. Even Sonya, who I still do not fully trust, might turn out to be someone I can later depend on.

"How do you plan on tracking him down? Don't tell me we'll have to wander around aimlessly across all of Brittany," The wraith jeered.

He knew Ermac better than that, he was just trying to lighten the mood. It tended to get extremely heavy when one was traveling on a manhunt, and even Noob couldn't stand that much gloom in one sitting.

Ermac replied, "We need only pick up on Rain's thoughts to tell where he is; they happen to be the loudest we've ever heard." they sighed. That was a good and bad thing.

Noob was intrigued, "Since when have you been able to detect another's thoughts?"

"Since very recently," They responded ambiguously.

Both host and wraith traveled with their boots thudding down onto the dirt trail below them. The hoods they donned were a bit suspicious, so they had stuck to trekking through the backwoods for now. Unbeknownst to them, a certain demigod was not too far away.

From another 'horrid' dream Rain had awoken later on the same day he had experienced the first. He didn't know if it was still Ermac tormenting him from afar or if it was the chicken and dumplings the mortal woman had served him not too long ago, but something was causing those wretched nightmares and it was knocking him off his game. He couldn't concentrate, so he had decided to take a refreshing walk to clear his mind.

His body had outdone itself; only 30 hours later and he was as good as new. His ribs were completely intact and his muscles free of strain. He had just made it out onto the trail some yards away from the woman's little hovel when he heard voices, and footsteps. No sooner had he detected these things did he come face to masked face with Ermac. And Noob.

The three stood there unblinking and mildly surprised at seeing each other. Noob was the first to speak after he'd cleared his throat.

"Well this is a fortuitous turn of events." he remarked, "...for us."

Rain began to panic. Ermac he was prepared for, but both Ermac and Noob? That was pushing it. He didn't have time to waste fighting such a dangerous battle that he wasn't sure he'd make it out alive from, so his plans were to flee. He'd face his ex-partner another day, when he wasn't so out-matched. But before he did, there was one thing he had to ask.

"Why?" he demanded of Ermac. Mistake number one. He should've just gotten out of there, because now he was hovering upside down a few feet in the air.

If they wanted to, Ermac could rip him apart piece by piece. That was a terrifying thought, even for the cocky demigod. But Rain held his glare and fought against the telepathy, useless as it was to do so.

Ermac was feeling particularly curious this afternoon, though, and decided to humor their former partner. Rain's death was obviously imminent, so what was the harm in doing so? They stepped back but kept the Edenian suspended in mid-air.

"Why what?" They asked.

Rain gnashed his teeth and continued to struggle, "Why have you been plaguing me with those nightmares?"

If Ermac could have shown on their face the utter confusion at what Rain had just asked, they would have.

"What are you blathering about?" they sneered.

Noob picked at his suit, "He's probably stalling. Just kill him already."

The wraith had better things to do. He didn't fully understand why Ermac needed him there, anyway. It looked like the host had it all under control.

Ermac stayed their hand, though; if Rain was accusing them of something, they wanted to know what it was. Silently they probed the Edenian's mind and were startled at what they found at the forefront of the demigod's psyche.

"This? This is what you are accusing us of?" The host nearly sputtered. They couldn't decide if they were more disgusted or amused at what had been 'plaguing' the demigod as of late.

Rain plummeted to the ground as Ermac lost focus for a moment. However, Ermac didn't hoist him back in the air. They advanced upon the fallen Edenian with a disembodied and contemptuous laugh.

Noob's interest was whetted, "What is it?" he wanted to know.

Ermac turned to him and they stared at one another for a moment. Rain's stomach was next to drop as he picked himself up off the ground. If Ermac wasn't verbally explaining what he saw, then they must have been showing Noob his dream.

The gods, Rain thought, must surely despise me.

Noob crossed his arms, "Well that certainly was...vivid."

"Indeed." Ermac remarked.

"I don't blame him, though," Noob elucidated, "Mileena is quite the vixen."

Ermac nodded and spoke to Rain, "It makes us wonder: would she appreciate these little fantasies of yours?"

Rain's face flared in both embarrassment and, for once, shame; shame at having been seen so intimately with Mileena of all creatures.

"They aren't fantasies! They're nightmares! And you're the one who sent them," he accused.

Ermac closed their eyes, "Rain. Don't try to blame your overactive imagination on us; we had nothing to do with your wet dreams."

Noob chuckled dryly, "Perhaps you should let Mileena know how you really feel about her."

Angered beyond belief Rain charged at his opponents and lost sight of his goals in the heat of his fury. He tackled Ermac to the ground but the host forcefully kicked the demigod in the chest, knocking him off of them.

Rain was about to retaliate but thought better of it. He shot his hands downward and sank through the ground, disappearing with nothing but mud to show for his absence. He ended up on the other side of Outworld, in the desert near Quan Chi's lair. He rolled over onto his side and coughed excess dirt and water out of his mouth and tried to catch his breath.

He had to get away, he'd almost forgotten about his plans steal the emperor's amulet. Ermac and Noob had just infuriated him so badly with what they were implying about him and Mileena. It wasn't true at all, it was ridiculous. He harbored nothing but hatred, or if not that than indifference towards the half-breed wench. Nothing remotely close to what he was experiencing in those dreams was true.

But if Ermac hadn't sent those dreams, why was he having them? And why did they feel so real? It wasn't a modest number, the amount of women Rain had shared his bed with, so he could see how his mind could have filled in the details, but why Mileena? He had no answer for himself. And to make matters worse, Ermac and Noob both knew about the dreams. They'd never let him live this down. All the more reason for them to die once I have that amulet in my grasp, the demigod thought heatedly.

Meanwhile in Brittany, Ermac was aggravated to the core. They berated themselves for letting the Edenian get away. If only they had killed the rotten punk when they had the chance. Now they had to track him down all over again, and this time they had no idea where he was going. Oh, they had a few guesses, but nothing definite. Why, why, why didn't they just rip the fucker apart when they had the chance, they thought bitterly.

Noob, however, was highly intrigued by the situation.

It amused the wraith to no end, the thoughts Ermac had bombarded him with a few moments ago. That certainly was an interesting position for the demigod to be in if he claimed he hated his temporary partner so much; maybe the prince had mixed feelings for Mileena and this was his subconscious' way of expression some of those emotions. He wanted to be around for when Mileena found out about this other side of Rain; it would make for some guaranteed entertainment.

3000 Koins; he was roughly 200 Koins shy of being able to afford the LTZ-45 cable bundle. The set included the rest of the advanced wiring he needed to complete his project. Were he to buy each and every one of them separately, the total would cost nearly a quarter of a million Koins. With the exchange rate for Earthrealm currency so high and the amount of retailers who still accepted Koins quickly diminishing by the century, things were getting more and more expensive. Working as a rogue mercenary had its perks, particularly the generous payroll. It was something, among other things, Scorpion missed about being on the job. Not only did it pay a hell of a lot better than the riot control he had to put up with now, his old employers never took him for granted as much as the wraith seemed to.

Scorpion dropped his pencil and calculator and closed his spiral notebook. He was analyzing the figures again and it always ended up with him feeling incredibly frustrated. He never seemed to have enough money. Whenever he got enough for one thing, something on his project would malfunction or break or otherwise screw up and then he'd have to go and buy something else. This was burning a hole in his pockets and ruining his partnership with the wraith; more than once Noob threatened to find less expensive help when Scorpion yet again asked for a raise in payment.

The spectre ran his hand over his masked face and sighed. He would have to see this project through, though. He started it, and he was gonna finish it. It was an operation, of sorts. He'd been wandering Japan near the deserted Shirai Ryu lands when something caught his glowing white eye. It was the automated Lin Kuei assassin, or one of them at least, lying in a charred mess. He wasn't surprised that the robot had met such a fiery end, these lands weren't completely deserted, after all. Scorpion had been responsible for resurrecting members of his fallen brethren and was in the process of garnering all of his fellow Hellspawn together, and forming an army of them. As it was, they were scattered, and he had to collect them. Any one of them may have been responsible for murdering the robot that lay charred at his feet, and Scorpion didn't know what compelled him to do it but he examined the dark-colored cyborg and found that, with a few repairs and tweaks here and there, the machine could be re-wired and ready to go in no time.

But he had been wrong, it was taking plenty of time. And money, too. He was running out of both. It was getting near the hour to exact his revenge on the sorcerer and he wasn't ready yet. Of course he had since then managed to get his undead army under one 'roof' and was training them under his own command, but the robot that he was working on still had some finishing touches to be done on it, namely a new paint job and the last bit of internal hardware. Which brought him to his current problem. The spectre was running out of money and the last component he required was too expensive for him to afford right now.

And the damn store doesn't offer layaway plans, he grumbled to himself. He didn't want to have to resort to stealing, but he had very little options left. He needed those parts and quickly. It was bad enough he was using Mileena to buy him some time. He only gave her the information because he knew if Mileena could stall the sorcerer, he'd have a little more time to finish his project and then use his army to get his revenge. Mileena may crave revenge as well, but she'd never taste it if he could help it.

Scorpion leaned against one of his cave walls. This cave proved to be an efficient lair for him and his army. It was located off the map, in a place no one would suspect him of being. It gave him plenty of time to work alone and unhindered. His project lay lifeless on a large slab of rock that served as his operating table for the time being. Other than that 'table' in one corner of the cave, an unneeded fireplace in the center, and a whole lot of space in between, it was empty. There were plenty of other caves, the side of the mountain was lined with them, and that was where Scorpion was housing his army for the time being.

A spark of electricity twitched through the spectre's creation but it didn't move otherwise. Without that crucial internal wiring, that's just the way the cyborg would stay. Scorpion made up his mind and rolled his neck and pushed himself off the cave wall.

It was time for a heist.

A/N: So Ermac and Noob are after Rain. Mileena and Sonya are going covert-mode to the palace. Nightwolf and Co. are holding down the fort, er, village. And Scorpion is going broke trying to bring a mystery someone back to life who was once an enemy assassin. Sounds about right.

In the next chapter: A little perspective from Raiden and friends, Mileena and Nightwolf spend their last day together, the Shaolin monk gets tongue-tied, and much, much, more! Just stay tuned, kay?

Until next time...

~DymondGold~