Chapter Twenty-Eight

Two weeks after the Earth invasion…

Kerala, India

A smile came over Ruby Heart's face as she gazed over at her beloved flying ship. Nearly two weeks ago, she and Dhalsim had begun the fixing process in hopes to getting it flying again as soon as they could. Even when they began, they both knew that it was going to take possible weeks for it to be ready.

The holes that were on the ship itself along with a few bent parts were all finally fixed and patched up. Even though the ship was not tested out yet, Ruby Heart was confident that it would fly without problems, especially when it came to turbulence in the air.

However, there was still the hardest part of the fixing process… the propeller. It had bent quite a bit when it crashed here two weeks ago. She had been working on that for the most part and, after a while, she knew that she would have to take it apart. Then, with the help of fire and specific equipment used by blacksmiths, she would have to put it back together again.

The small smile that was on her face soon disappeared and she stared down at the large propeller in front of her. Ruby Heart had already began sawing the propeller some time ago, something that was definitely not easy as it required her to put a lot of muscle behind the heated saw. The metal barrel underneath the propeller had a fire going, so the heat helped the process a little.

As of now, she was just over halfway done with the cutting.

As she began sawing again, she noticed Dhalsim approaching her. A bucket filled with water was in one hand, and she realized how thirsty she was suddenly. Placing the saw down on the grass, she briefly wiped the small bead of sweat from her brow as Dhalsim put the bucket down next to the saw.

"Thanks, I needed that," she said as she grabbed the serving spoon inside and took a long sip.

"I had the feeling you were thirsty," said Dhalsim. "However, that's not the only reason I approached."

"Oh?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something important. I had another vision during the night."

Ruby Heart was now staring at him with interest. "About the chosen ones?"

Dhalsim immediately shook his head. "Actually, no. This time, it wasn't about the four chosen ones, as much as I wish it was. I'm just trying to find out who the four are."

"I see," she said, slightly disappointed.

For the past two weeks, the two of them had talked about the four chosen ones, who all held the perfect balance of their inner energies which can be formed into a weapon to stop the 'main source of the conflict' during a universal war… the one they were experiencing now. The main source of the conflict was, of course, Shao Kahn. However, despite Dhalsim's psychic abilities, even he wasn't able to determine who the four are, which was frustrating itself since they were currently the only hope for mankind's survival.

She could only hope that he could figure it out before it was too late…

"What was the vision then?" the pirate asked after a moment of silence.

Dhalsim looked up towards the blue sky. "I was at the sacred ground where the tablet was… the one with Ano Sentaku Bou legend. I noticed a man there. Like me, he had pale eyes, and his hair was long and white. I realized from sensing his aura that he was a God."

Ruby Heart raised an eyebrow. "A God? Why would a God come here?"

"I'm not sure," Dhalsim continued. "But perhaps it's a sign that things are only going to get better for us. What I mean is, since I found him by the tablet, that he may be able to help us somehow. I'm not quite sure exactly how, but anything can help at this point."

"Do you know which God this is?" Ruby Heart asked with more curiosity.

Dhalsim shrugged a little. "I'm not quite sure. However, something tells me that this is the Thunder God, Raiden. Remember how I told you about how he led a group of people in the Blood Tournament to obtain the medallion?"

"You mentioned it a couple of times, but not quite in full details," she reminded the yoga master.

Dhalsim nodded. "He had his reasons for choosing the ones who would join him during the tournament, but even I cannot see exactly why. I hope to get more details upon his arrival."

"If this God is actually him."

"If not, then I hope to find out something either way. But with everything that's happening, I have a feeling that this is Raiden."

"I hope you're right in this case," Ruby Heart said.


Chili-san, Lee Dynasty, Keisei

The sun in Keisei had set only a couple of hours ago. Many of the citizens of the city of Chili-san have already returned to their homes. The streets of the city were now mainly consist of members of either the Coast Guard, the Manji Clan, or a few citizens who highly enjoyed the nightlife despite the current universal crisis.

Sitting on the edge of the dock, Kilik found himself gazing at both the ocean and the night sky which was filled with countless stars. He realized that he hadn't enjoyed such a view in quite a bit and, while everything was quiet tonight, he decided to take that opportunity.

About six days ago, the Coast Guard had sent a handful of their men out to sea. There, they were to find out the location of a possible portal that led to other realms. The fact that many of the fighters who attended the tournament in Outworld went through a portal out at sea was what fueled the idea, and the Coast Guard knew that they had to find a way to secure it, if it still existed.

Since his arrival, Kilik did all he could to assist the Coast Guard in whatever they needed. It really wasn't much at the moment. Mainly, it was keeping an eye out on the citizens for their own safety. At least, however, it was better than not doing anything at all.

Soon, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. Kilik already knew who it was just moments before he felt a pair of hands covering both of his eyes.

"Guess who?" the young female voice said cheerfully.

"Hi Xianghua."

Xianghua sighed a little as she removed her hands from his face. "Hmph, you're no fun." She then sat next to him on the dock, her lower legs dangling over the edge. "Aren't the stars beautiful tonight?" she asked, trying to make conversation with her friend.

Kilik looked up at the sky once more. "Yeah… they are."

"I remember, when I was little, my mother used to take me to a big field that was outside the Imperial castle. We would stare up at the stars for hours and she would tell me stories about the stars. I almost miss those days."

Xianghua turned her head to Kilik, but she frowned a little as she noticed that he was a little distracted. His brown eyes seemed to hint that something was bother him, and she realized that being her cheerful self wasn't exactly the right thing to do at the moment.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Hearing that, Kilik sighed a little. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Why aren't you sure?"

"Well… it's nothing really… just a dream I had last night."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kilik shifted his eyes to Xianghua. "I don't think you want to hear this one."

"I don't mind," she said. "And if it's something that's truly bothering you, just remember… I might now be able to give you any advice, but you know I'm a good listener."

Kilik had to smile a little. "That's very true. You've always been good at that."

"Thanks. So, tell me all about it."

Kilik took a quiet, deep breath before speaking again. "I don't know if you remember, but during the tournament back in Outworld… do you remember the vision Nightwolf had?"

Xianghua's eyebrows knitted a bit as she tried to remember. She remembered Nightwolf all right, but the vision, well… she couldn't quite recall it.

"Remind me again," Xianghua said. "It's been a while."

Kilik nodded, understanding. "Well… the sky is blood red… I can smell death all around, which almost reminds me of…" He stopped himself for a moment, taking another deep breath before proceeding. "The worst of it was that bodies laid everywhere, most of them long dead…"

Xianghua frowned. "Suddenly, I remember it once you mentioned the sky. It was like that right after the tournament, too."

Kilik nodded again. "But Nightwolf had those visions prior to what happened after the final round. But one thing is bothering me… if the visions he had seen have already happened, why am I dreaming about it now?"

Xianghua turned to him. The talk had suddenly made her a bit queasy. "Maybe it was really just a dream. You still remember that day clearly, so you dream of it."

"The thing is, Xianghua, it all felt too real to be just a dream. I felt as though I was really there all over again. That smell… I don't think I'm going to forget it any time soon."

The two had been so focused on their conversation that neither one of them had noticed anyone approaching them from behind. That was until Kilik felt a playful slap on his back.

"What are you two doing?" the familiar voice asked.

The voice had made Xianghua jump a little and she turned to see who it was. "Nice way to give us a scare, Maxi."

Maxi chuckled a little. "Sorry Xianghua. Any way, what are you two doing?" he asked again.

"Nothing much," replied Kilk.

"We were just talking about the stars," Xianghua added.

Maxi eyed the both of them for a moment before grinning. "I see. You know, I seem to recall a story I heard as a child. Something about two souls coming together underneath the stars. I can't quite remember it, but somehow, this reminds me of it."

Xianghua immediately realized what her friend meant, and she felt her cheeks burn red. However, Kilik seemed to look at Maxi with confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked. His hand seemed to reach for the green Dvapara-Yuga piece that was connected to a thin rope which hung around his neck.

The young woman wanted to sigh at this. Oh Kilik, you're hopeless

"Ah, it's nothing," Maxi said. "But, whenever you are ready, I was thinking about going to the pub for a drink or two, if you want to join."

"Well," Kilik began. "I guess I could go for a drink myself."

"Me too!" called out Xianghua as she got herself on her feet.

The two men stared at her, a bit baffled. "Xianghua, you do know that women aren't allowed in these pubs, right?" Maxi mentioned.

Xianghua folded her arms, looking annoyed. "So what? If they're worried about a woman getting herself drunk in a room full of men, they should put signs up at the door. Besides, if I can survive Outworld liquor, I can survive whatever they have."

The two men laughed at this, remembering the infamous drink during the tournament. "Well, at your own risk, you can come with us," said Maxi. "But stay close to us. I don't want you running off in a drunken stupor."

"I only want one shot anyway," Xianghua mentioned.

"That's good to know," Kilik said as the three of them began heading back towards the city.

Meanwhile, about five minutes from where they were, Sophitia also found herself looking out towards the ocean. She had noted the beautiful stars some time ago, but her mind ended up drifting somewhere else.

Ever since she came to Chili-san to help fight back against Outworld's tyranny, Sophitia had kept herself quite busy. She mainly helped with whatever she was asked by the Coast Guard and the Manji Clan. For now, it mainly consisted of keeping watch over the citizens of the city. If anything helped, then she would do it.

Eventually, she heard someone approach her. Turning her head, she spotted her new ally, Hwang approaching her, stopping once he was next to her.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Hwang replied.

"I assume you're off-duty for the night?"

Hwang nodded. "It's pretty quiet tonight, so I'm not needed unless something comes up."

"I see."

Silence fell between the two for another minute as they turned their heads towards the water. As the wind picked up, Hwang turned back towards Sophitia, seeing that she was deep in thought.

"Thinking of your family?" he guessed.

Sophitia had to smile. "Yes. You're right about that. I'm really wondering how my husband and children are holding up back at home. I admit, after I made the decision to help out, I left home quite quickly, not wanting to waste any time."

"I'm sure they understood your reasons," Hwang said.

"My husband's used to it, though he was quite against me leaving. You see, the last time I traveled, I came home very weary and it took me some time to recover. He was worried that it would happened again, but I assured him that it wouldn't. After all, this is about preventing Outworld from invading our home. He finally did let me go, of course. Even though I know I'm doing the right thing, I do miss them."

"Understandable."

Sophitia turned to him. "Do you have family, Hwang?"

Hwang sighed a little before replying. "If you mean biologically, no. I was an only child growing up. My parents had a strong sense of justice and would fight any threat against our country. Unfortunately, their sense of justice would end up killing them. I've been on my own for the most part, and I lived here ever since, mainly between the Dojang and the Coast Guard headquarters. Master Seong Han-myeong has been good to me, and he's almost like a father, but even so, he couldn't ever truly replace my own father."

"I'm sorry about your parents," Sophitia said with a small frown. "But, from what I've seen from you, their sense of justice was passed down to you."

Hwang had to smile a little at that. "That's what many have said. It's one of the reasons I joined the Coast Guard. I love this country and would see to it that it's treated with the honor and respect it deserves."

"You also mentioned that your master has a daughter."

Hwang nodded, his smile fading. "Seong Mi-na. I've known her ever since I came to the Dojang. As a matter of fact, my Master wanted us to marry a few years ago, but Mi-na was against it. I don't blame her to be honest. The thing she truly wanted was to be able to make her own decisions, and I respect her enough for that.

"But then again, just nearly a year ago, my master was going to marry her to a wealthy man. I didn't know anything about this until Mi-na mentioned it during the tournament. The two of us only ended up there because she was trying to run away. When I found out who she was marrying, I couldn't blame her for running away. The bastard turned out to be a murdering scum, and he was actually hanged while we were gone.

"Master always felt sorry about that and he wants Mi-na's forgiveness. He knew he should've listened the first time rather than trying again. He really is a good man, and Mi-na knows that too, but she didn't want to face that even if she wanted to make her father happy. But with Mi-na in another realm now, Master feels as though he may never get the chance to tell her all that."

Sophitia reached her hand out and placed it on Hwang's shoulder. "It must be all hard, especially for your master."

"He's been trying his best to be strong," Hwang mentioned. "And I've told him over and over again, she's a strong girl. She's learned from the best, and I know she'll take care of herself. I must admit though, I can't help but worry for her myself. I just wish there was a way to bring her back home."

"Maybe she'll find a way herself," Sophitia suggested. "I just wish there were other words I can say to help."

"There's nothing to be said. All we can do is hope for the best." Hwang stretched his arms out. "I'm going to head off to bed for the night. Suddenly, I'm tired, and we hadn't really done that much today."

Sophitia chuckled a little. "That tends to happen sometimes. Well, I'll be back at headquarters in a little while myself. Good night."

"Good night."

With that, Hwang began heading back towards the city. When he was far enough, Sophitia turned her head back towards the ocean. The blond-haired woman frowned once more, missing her family more than ever.

She bowed her head down, her hands clasped in front of her. "Cassandra, my dear sister… please watch over our family tonight…"


Rocky Mountains, USA

Carrying a small bag in hand, Juli climbed up the newly-fixed ladder towards the watch tower that was within the fort she was staying at. She had been up there earlier that day, and even she admitted herself that the view was quite beautiful. It was nothing but countless trees and surrounding snow-capped mountains for miles around.

It was the first time in her life that Juli was truly seeing the Rocky Mountains. She only wished that she was seeing them during a vacation rather than hiding out within them during the invasion…

Soon reaching the top of the fort, she noticed a hand reaching out to her. Juli smiled as she noticed Wagner before reaching her hand out as well to grab his.

"What are you doing back up here?" Wagner asked. "Your watch shift ended a half an hour ago."

"I know," Juli replied. She held up the bag. "I wanted to bring up some breakfast for you since you mentioned that you didn't eat yet."

Wagner had to smile. "Thanks. So, what's for breakfast?"

Juli began taking out the content from the bag. "It's nothing special. Just some hard-boiled eggs and some hash browns."

"We have hash browns?" Wagner asked, a bit baffled.

Juli raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean you don't remember looting them back in Utah?"

Wagner laughed. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that."

Juli handed him a small take out box and a plastic fork. "Like I said, it's nothing special."

"I appreciate it either way." He opened up the box, noticing the hot steam emerging from it. "Hmm, looks hot. Smells good too. You know, Juli, you didn't have to do this."

Juli opened up her own box. "Well… I must admit, I was looking for an excuse to come up here."

Wagner laughed again. "Well, I'm glad you came up either way. But don't be too long." He grinned. "You're a bit of a distraction."

Juli giggled at that. "Well that's not my fault."

"Wagner!" a voice called out from below.

He didn't have to look over the tower to see who was calling. "Yeah, Alex?"

"I'm going out the fort to check on the traps," Alex mentioned. "I'll be back in about thirty to forty minutes."

"Carry on, soldier," Wagner replied. "And as I always say each morning, be careful."

"Will do." With that, Alex began leaving the fort.

"I thought Julia checked on the traps," mentioned Juli.

"She does, but in the afternoon. She managed to convince Alex to volunteered to check on them in the morning. The more game, the better I suppose. All I know is that I'm glad I'm not doing the job."

"Me too, actually," Juli said. She decided to change the subject, taking a bite of the egg before proceeding. "I had a dream last night."

Wagner stared at her. "Don't tell me it's the one with the blood red sky and all that…"

She immediately shook her head from side to side. "No no, not that one."

He sighed of relief. "Thank goodness. With Ken having that dream last night and Paul dreaming about it the other night, I'm starting to wig out. Something tells me we'll all have that dream eventually. So… what exactly did you dream about?"

Juli took another bite of her egg before continuing. "Well, it's that same one I've been having ever since I came to California. It's me with a handful of girls in the same room. We're all wearing the same uniform. I can't really describe it, but all I know is that it's a very dark blue color, almost black. And that girl with the strawberry blonde hair was there again. I was just standing next to her, but just like with the other dreams, she stood out amongst the rest of the girls there. That's all that happened."

"Were you able to write them all down?" Wagner asked, knowing that this was something she had to do by doctor's orders.

Juli nodded. "I had to use some cardboard and a sharpie pen, but I did."

The Air Force Sergeant wrapped an arm around the young woman. "Good. Just keep doing that. Someday, you'll read back on those entries and reflect on them. I think they'll somehow connect."

"Maybe, but I'm not holding my breath." Juli sighed a little. "Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm not saying it's something I can't avoid, but this is not how I want to start my morning."

Wagner nodded, understanding. "Hey, there's something you forgot… some drinks. I could go for some water if you don't mind."

Juli raised an eyebrow, giving him a serious look. "Sending me back, huh?"

"I'd get it myself, but I'm on watch duty right now."

Juli smiled as she chuckled. "I'm just teasing you. Actually, I'm thirsty myself." She leaned forward towards him to give him a brief kiss. "I'll be back then."

"All right," Wagner replied. He watched as his girlfriend began making her way back down the ladder.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fort, Julia Chang was walking towards the kitchen area, deciding to get something to eat. She knew that Jane Guile was usually there around this time making breakfast for everyone.

On her way there, she began walking passed a small area that served as a training area, set up by Guile himself for those needing to practice during their stay here. There, the young woman noticed the Muay Thai fighter Sagat training, kicking his feet against the heavy sand sack that was hanging off a chain connected to a metal pole.

For a moment, Julia watched him train, curious about his fighting style. During their stay at the fort, Julia had noticed that he was one of the few who mostly kept to himself. For some reason, that didn't surprise her. She figured that he was the kind of person who preferred it that way.

Julia was just about to leave when Sagat had noticed her. He stopped his training, stretching his muscles out a little before turning to her. He nodded to her, his way of saying hello. Julia nodded as well.

Without thinking about it, the young woman spoke. "It's too bad you couldn't finish your business with the military before the invasion happened."

Sagat nodded in agreement. "Yeah… it is too bad."

Briefly, Sagat thought of the main reason he found himself in the US in the first place… he had recently found additional information about Julia's adopted mother, Michelle. Two years ago, Michelle had been in Japan when she was kidnapped and brainwashed to be an assassin for Shadaloo. When she was taken, her kidnappers had actually mistaken her for Julia, but her skills were realized and they decided to keep her.

Over a year ago, Michelle had been killed during a mission. It was at the tournament in Outworld when Sagat revealed this to Julia. The fact that her mother had died tragically was a devastating blow in itself. But he also had to tell her that a good friend of hers… Ryu… was the one who killed her. He had been the target Michelle was supposed to kill. Out of self defense, he remembered telling her. He doesn't know, nor has he bothered to ask, the status of their relationship after the revelation.

Sagat remembered the disc that contained the evidence of Michelle's death along with the new information he discovered. He had carried it with him the night of the invasion, which was now packed away in a bag in his tent.

Right now, however, now wasn't the time to tell Julia this. There was enough on both of their plates involving the invasion, and he didn't want to add more pain in Julia's life. He already did that back in Outworld. For now, he would have to wait until the right time came… whenever that would be.

"So, Muay Thai," Julia continued. "I've heard of it of course, but I've never seen anyone use it."

"Hmm," Sagat replied. "Well, it's existed for as long as Thailand has been around."

"Of course, back in the day, it was called Siam."

"That's correct," Sagat said with a nod.

At that moment, Julia found herself smelling the food that was cooking in the kitchen nearby. She knew she was hungry a moment ago, but now the smell was making it worse.

"Well, I better grab something to eat. See you around." She waved to Sagat before departing.

Sagat stretched his muscles once again before returning to his training. When the time comes, he thought. You'll know.

Meanwhile, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, and Cody Travers sat around a small campfire in the middle of the fort. Each of them had a bottle of root beer in hand, something Cody looted in Iowa on the way over here.

"So here I was in a random bar in South Dakota," Paul said, telling a story from his road trip around the country. "And I see this mechanical bull. And I realized, 'hey I never actual rode one, I should try it.' I'd prefer to ride a real bull, but I figured that would do."

"How long did you stay on the mechanical bull?" asked Cody.

Paul sighed. "Let's just say I flew clear across the room and crashed into the bar table. I was bruised up for a week. At least the bartender gave me a job there for two weeks until I had enough money for gas and food to last me three weeks."

"Paul, you've got way too many stories about your travels," mentioned Marshall.

"Can't help it," Paul replied. "You know… now that I thought about it, I should've made a blog and wrote everything I did… I could've made money off that… damn!"

"You would need advertisements on your blog if you wanted to make money," said Cody. "But if that happened, I'd hate your blog big time."

"Especially if it was one of those loud ads that creep up on you suddenly in the middle of the night while you were wearing headphones," Marshall mentioned.

"Seriously."

"Well, at least the cash would be rolling in," Paul said.

"Not by much."

"Better than nothing."

That's when the three of them heard the voice of a young girl giggling as though she was having fun. The three of them turned around… and were suddenly surprised to see Amy Guile riding piggy back on the back of the cyborg, Cyrax.

"Hey Cyrax!" called out Amy. "Go around the fort one more time!"

"Again?" Cyrax asked, sounding baffled. "But we already went around the fort six times."

"I know," Amy replied. "But I haven't had a piggy back ride since I was four."

"That's because you're eight," Cyrax reminded her.

Amy seemed to huff at that. "So?"

Cyrax seemed to sigh at that. "All right, but no more after this. I'm going to need some fuel when this is over."

"Hooray!" Amy called out.

"And don't try to cover my eyes again. Last time, I almost tripped over a log."

"I said I was sorry!"

As the two soon disappeared, Paul, Marshall, and Cody turned to each other, all bewildered by what they just had seen. "You know," said Paul. "If someone had told me that I would one day see a cyborg give a piggyback ride to a little girl, I would've told them they were loony."

"Well, lucky for you, no one ever said that to you," said Marshall.

That was when they heard footsteps coming towards them. The three turned around and saw Ken Masters walking over to them.

"Hey Ken," all three said at once.

Ken sat down on one of the logs in front of the fire. "Hey."

"Root beer?" Cody offered, taking out another bottle that was placed next to him.

"Thanks," Ken replied, taking the bottle in hand. He took a moment to open the bottle before taking a long sip from it. It was cool, but not cold enough to make him freeze, which was perfect considering the winter weather.

There was a bit of silence before Cody chose to speak. "So, Ken… how have you been?" he asked, unsure of what else to say. He had heard about Ken's plight just a few hours after his arrival, and he noticed that it was something rarely brought up during their stay.

Ken shrugged a little at the question. "I'm just doing the best I can. I'm mostly trying to keep myself busy, mainly training."

"Training's always good," said Marshall. "Say, if you like to later, I wouldn't minding sparring with you, if you like."

Ken managed to give him a thumbs up, though the three of them noticed the gesture didn't really come with much enthusiasm. "That'd be cool."

"I'd like to see that myself," Paul mentioned. He finished off the rest of his root beer before continuing. "It'll be entertaining none the less."

"You just want to see my ass get kicked," said Marshall, eyeing suspiciously at his friend.

Paul looked at him thoughtfully. "You know… you're right!"

That got a small chuckle out of them. Even Ken smiled a little at that.

"Then maybe after Masters beats you, I'll be the next challenger."

"Battle of the blondes in red gis," Cody joked, remembering how Paul also wore a red gi during the tournament in Outworld.

"That would work out great if I was wearing one," Paul said, looking down at the black jeans, white shirt, zipped-up leather jacket, black boots, and the black finger-cut gloves that he was wearing. "Now if only I could find some hair gel and I'll be all set."

"It is weird not seeing your hair standing," mentioned Marshall.

"And it's weird not seeing you with a mustache."

"I'm sure once we run out of razor blades, it'll grow back."

Then, silence fell between the four of them, unsure of how else to continue the conversation. Eventually though, Ken spoke up. "If you guys don't mind, there's something I want to say… just to get it off my chest, you know?"

"Go ahead," said Paul.

Ken took a deep breath. "I'm still holding on to hope. I mean, even after seeing the rubble, I still hold on to hope that, somehow, Eliza and Mel got out of there safely. I never looked through the whole area. I told her about the hideout in case we got separated and to meet me here. I tried to find her…" He looked down at his bottle. "But it didn't turn out that way."

"If that's the case," said Cody. "Maybe she's being held up. When I left Metro City, my brother had to be held up because of a broken arm. He's said he'll try to find a way to get here when he can. Something similar could have happened. Maybe not a broken arm, but… well… I don't know…"

"Then again," Ken continued, lowering his eyes to the ground. "I did see a hand in the rubble. It could've been anyone's… one of the maids, the butlers… " His voice lowered at the next word. "Hers…"

Ken looked up at them again. "I'm sure you guys have your worries and problems too… I shouldn't burden you with mine…"

"You have every right to," said Marshall.

"Yeah, man," Paul agreed, patting Ken's shoulder.

Ken sighed. "Well, I'll make it fair for you guys… what kind of worries do you have? About the invasion I mean."

"I can't compare my problem with yours but…" Cody sighed. "I'm hoping to somehow free Guy from the brainwash. I made a promise back in Outworld, but sometimes I think I might not be able to keep it…"

Marshall took a sip of his root beer. "I'm hoping my wife and son would get here. I had to leave my son behind during the chaos, and my wife was in Seattle when it all started. I'm just worried that they might not get here…"

As this was all discussed, Paul found himself feeling a bit down. Sure, he had nothing to worry too much about, other than the fact that the universe was most likely going to be sucked into oblivion. But to see his friends suffer, no matter what kind it was, it wasn't easy to watch.

Paul looked down at the now-empty root beer bottle. Suddenly, I wish this was real beer…


Himalayan Mountains

After two weeks of walking through the snow, the extreme cold was finally getting to Sareena. For a while, she had grown used to it, trying her best to stay warm and ignore it. However, after many days of this, she was beginning to grow weary and tired.

It frustrated her that she was lagging behind compared to Sub-Zero, Smoke, and Frost. The three of them had no problem trekking through the snowy terrain. Sareena felt as though she was slowing them down. The thought made her more mad whenever she looked at Frost, who seemed to give her an annoyed look every time she stared at her.

While going up a steep hill, Sareena felt her body starting to give out. Her teeth were chattering, her eyes were watery from the harsh winds, and her body constantly silvered as it fought to keep the chill off. The travel to her now seemed never ending.

Then, to her surprise, her knees seemed to buckle, and Sareena fell forward. Feeling faint suddenly, she tried to call out Sub-Zero's name, but nothing came out. Then, she fell to her side…

A few seconds later, Sub-Zero happened to turn around, mainly to check up on Sareena. At first, he was a bit baffled to not see her anyway. Then, he saw her lying on her side in the snow.

"Hold on," Sub-Zero called out to Smoke and Frost. The two of them turned to Sub-Zero, seeing him running down the hill and towards where Sareena laid. When he reached her, he saw that she was shivering to no end, and he could actually hear her teeth chattering.

Sareena noticed Sub-Zero as he bent down to her. "Sorry," she managed to say. "Guess… the cold… got to me…"

"It's all right," Sub-Zero said as he picked her up into his arms. "Walking in this weather for two weeks can do that. I must admit, you withstood it more than many of the other clan members could under the circumstances."

"That's… comforting," Sareena said as he stood himself back up. As Sub-Zero walked back up the hill, Sareena was able to feel the coolness of his hands, but aside from that, she felt warmer now than she did a moment ago.

"Sub-Zero!" Smoke called out. The Grandmaster had noted the excitement in Smoke's voice despite sounding robotic.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I see a village up ahead! It's about an hour's walk from here."

"Good," Sub-Zero said. "The sooner we get there, the better."

Frost happened to look over at Sareena, raising an eyebrow. Only after the demon decided to faint.

Sub-Zero looked down at Sareena. "Did you hear that? One more hour until we've reached the village."

Sareena smiled at that. "It's… about… damn… time."

The knowledge that the village was nearby seemed to make the last hour of the walk longer. The wind seemed to die down a bit as each minute passed, something that they were grateful for.

As Smoke predicted, they arrived an hour later. Immediately, Sub-Zero noticed the vehicles that were used back at the temple to travel the area, and he knew that his fellow clan members were here.

No soon did the thought leave his mind that he noticed some of the Lin Kuei approaching near the entrance of the small village. They ran to him until they stopped about a yard away.

"Grandmaster!" one of the Lin Kuei members called out. "You're alive!"

Sub-Zero nodded. "I am."

"We thought you died back there," said another member.

"I was just merely knocked out," Sub-Zero mentioned.

"Did you travel all that way by foot?"

"We did," cut in Smoke. "But we managed fine."

"If we had known-"

"What's done is done, and you're all forgiven." Sub-Zero then decided to cut down to business. "What's been going on during my absence?"

"Mainly we've been protecting this village from future attacks," said another Lin Kuei. "But nothing has happened here since our arrival. Other than that, everything is normal."

"Something tells me they'll be back," Sub-Zero said. "After my experiences, I doubt Outworld would leave us survivors lingering."

"We believe that, too."

"We'll talk more in a little bit." Sub-Zero looked down at Sareena. "Right now, I need to get her someplace warm."

"There's a fort within the village we built here. That'll be a good place for her to recuperate."

"Good."

As the group began going in the village, they were unaware of the shadowed figure witnessing all of this from behind a tall, thick tree. It had looked on in delight, specifically during the moment in which Sub-Zero arrived.

Something tells me that the master will be pleased, it thought to itself.

Deciding to leave, the figure sunk into the ground like melted ice…


Outworld

Nearly two weeks have passed since Ermac and Siegfried left the city of Lei Chen. During their travel, they hunted for portals, hoping for them to be open for the Lei Chen citizens to escape through. At this point in the war against the Outworld Forces, they realized that escaping this realm was their only chance for survival.

Unfortunately, the duo weren't having much luck in their search. And at this point, they were more than halfway done…

On this particular day, Ermac and Siegfried mainly walked through a forest area. Luckily, it wasn't the Living Forest that Ermac knew about. He had mentioned it's history to Siegfried before as a place where those consumed by the trees become a part of the forest. Even Shao Kahn himself learned to respect it's nature after losing some of his best troops to the might of the forest.

There, they found another portal, but it was shattered just like many of the others they had found previously.

Ermac realized, from there, that they only had one portal to go…

Throughout the day, it had lightly rained on and off, a very rare occurrence in Outworld. However, by nightfall, the rain came pouring down like a gushing waterfall. Luckily, the two of them were able to find shelter in an abandoned shack just at the edge of the forest near a river.

Ermac stared out the shack's window, a worried look in his eyes. "Perhaps our search for the portals may be in vain," he said, a small sigh escaping his lips. "We've found nothing but portals that were either shut down or destroyed."

After removing a boot from his foot, Siegfried turned his attention to his ally. "Do you just want to go back to Lei Chen in the morning?" he asked.

Ermac immediately shook his head. "We're not ready just yet. There's still one last portal to find. It's our last hope in our search."

Siegfried leaned back into his chair, soon staring at the large berry that he picked earlier in the day to consume for supper. He took the berry in hand. "Well, let's just hope it's still available."

Ermac only nodded in agreement.

Siegfried took a bite of the berry, a small clap of thunder being heard in the distance. After swallowing, he spoke again. "Where exactly is the final portal?"

Ermac turned to face the Keisei native. "If you want to know… it's in one of the most brutal parts of Outworld. And we have to trek a majority of it just to get there. Not even a Dragonfly flies over it."

Siegfried raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

Ermac nodded. "This place was created long ago when the realm of Edenia was merged with Outworld. It was a part of what Edenia once was, but it became nothing but a desert of sorts. Perhaps a ghost town depending on the area. Even when Edenia was finally freed from Outworld, the area still remained. Our guess was that it was so beyond redemption that it remained here in this realm."

"Aside from being deserted, what else makes it bad?" Siegfried asked, curious to know more.

"It's where all the outcasts go," the enigma answered. "And it's where Shao Kahn would send his forces to hunt them down. They would be killed and their souls would be taken either by the Emperor or Shang Tsung himself. Even his Generals are weary to travel through there."

"Sounds comforting," Siegfried mumbled. He wasn't afraid of walking through the land, but the way Ermac described it surely left him uncomfortable. "How long will it take us to walk through?"

"A couple of days depending on whether or not we run into anything out of the ordinary… which is a common occurrence." Ermac folded his arms. "We'll surely be left wide open and vulnerable to our enemies. They don't call it the wastelands for nothing."

Even though he had no fear of walking through the area, Siegfried found that he was not looking forward to it.


Shao Kahn's Fortress, Outworld

Within the confines of the Dungeon, Jade found herself mostly isolated for a week since her capture in Edenia. She knew that the Emperor had specifically requested for her to be confined in her own cell, away from the other prisoners.

She had been told that there would be a trial for her 'crimes' soon. Perhaps a few days from now, she was told. But a week has gone by already. The small window in her cell was her only guide to figure out how much time has passed.

Jade knew what Shao Kahn was doing. He wanted to see whether or not her isolation would make her break down and go insane. She had seen it done to others when she worked for him for so long. She wasn't about to let him do the same to her… not now.

The only 'contact' she's had at this point was from the person providing her daily rations of water and bread. At least they were going to keep the Edenian General alive for the time being.

All this time, Jade was trying to find a way to escape. To her dismay, however, it seemed as though they've made improvements in the dungeons since she chose to leave the Emperor years ago. She knew that, from there, that she was going to have to wait until someone let her out. From there, she would search for Kitana and Sindel. When that was going to be, she wasn't sure.

I'm surprised he hasn't had me executed by now, Jade thought. Looks as though he's going to take his time.

At the end of that thought, the heavy door to her cell was suddenly opened. She looked up as a small ray of light entered her cell. It took the Edenian a moment to adjust her eyes before she got a clear view of the three people who just entered.

Two of them were Shadow Priests, but Jade quickly realized that they were serving as bodyguards to the woman standing in front of them. Jade instantly recognized her; the Empress, Ivy Valentine.

Jade had only encountered Ivy once prior to the invasion of Edenia. She fought her in the Blood Tournament in the later rounds, but lost to the Keisei native. It came as no surprise to Jade that the tournament winner would become the new Outworld Empress. Unlike Sindel, however, it seemed as though Ivy accepted her title willingly.

Ivy smirked at her. "How is our prisoner doing?"

Jade only replied by narrowing her green eyes at her. Ivy had expected this and proceeded. "I figured you were in a bit of suspense over your fate. Well, I came here because I thought it would be nice to tell you that your trial for your crimes against the Emperor will be in two days."

Jade folded her arms. "What's the point of a trial if all you plan to do is execute me anyway?"

"The Emperor only wants to see to it that you are taken care of in a… proper manner."

"Where are Kitana and Sindel?" Jade asked right after.

Ivy smirked more. "You shouldn't be concerned with them. You should only be concerned with yourself right about now. But if you must know, they are still alive."

Knowing that at least brought some relief to Jade. Still, she only wished to know whether or not they were truly okay. Who knows what was happening to them at this minute.

"And if you want to know about your troops," Ivy proceeded. "Most of them were captured and imprisoned just like you are. They'll serve as eternal slaves for the Emperor. However, I should also inform you that some of them didn't make it. But their souls are being… well taken care of by the Emperor."

As Ivy spoke, Jade noticed something interesting about her… she was referring to Shao Kahn as 'Emperor' rather than his actual name. To Jade, she would think that Ivy would refer to him as 'Shao Kahn' since, after all, she was the Empress.

The next thing Jade said was more than daring. "The way you talk about your… Emperor… I can't help but wonder. Do you work with him, or do you work forhim?"

The smirk that Ivy had on her face since she came into the cell quickly slid off her face. Her blue eyes narrowed in anger. If looks could kill…

"...You better watch that pretty mouth of yours," Ivy warned her. "Then again, I doubt you won't live much longer once your trial is done and over with."

The Empress then turned her back to her and began leaving the cell. As she stepped out, the Keisei native spoke one more time. "Enjoy the last couple of days of your life while you have the chance."

Then, the door to the cell closed behind her, leaving Jade alone once more…

Meanwhile, in another part of the fortress, Mavado is having a small meeting with both Hsu Hao and Donna. At one point, Donna made each of them, and herself, some hot tea, something that the two men appreciated.

"Do you think Master Daegon will show up here any time soon?" Donna asked as she sat down at the small table, her cup of tea in hand.

"I sincerely doubt it," replied Hsu Hao. "The way he's mentioned about staying on Earth to… search around… it might be a while before he rejoins us." The Mongolian native turned his attention to his superior. "Anything else on the Black Dragon clan?"

Mavado shook his head. "We're still looking into it. However, I find myself wondering… if Kabal had survived our last encounter, then how many other former members survived? Something tells me we weren't as thorough in our hunt than we should have been."

"For all we know, Kabal truly is the sole survivor," Hsu Hao suggested. "And he's only rebuilding the clan."

As the two talked, Donna found that she was quickly getting a migraine. She tried to drink some of her tea, hoping to soothe it off somehow, but it wasn't working, at least not right away. She began to rub one side of her temple, hoping to ease it.

"Can we talk about our rival clan another time?" Donna asked.

Mavado turned his attention to the young woman. "With the Black Dragon clan re-emerging, they're going to be brought up more often, at least until they are all eliminated once more. It's something you're going to have to get used to until then."

Donna sighed. "I know, but-"

"Am I interrupting anything?" a female voice asked nearby.

Mavado turned his head and immediately noticed Kira coming closer to the table. Immediately, he realized that she was coming here more than likely to give him a message of some sort.

By then, Hsu Hao and Donna noticed Kira as well. To Donna, for some reason, she immediately felt a strange feeling about the red-haired woman… something not good. For some reason, Donna couldn't help but take an immediate dislike towards her, but she decided to keep that to herself.

Mavado looked over at his two clan members. "We'll talk later when the sun sets."

They nodded before Hsu Hao turned to Donna. "Come on, we'll grab something to eat in the meantime."

Donna sighed as she stood herself up. "Sure."

Soon, the two of them left, leaving Mavado and Kira alone. Mavado looked over at her. "What do you want?"

Kira slowly sat herself on top of the table, looking down at Mavado as she crossed one leg over the other. She leaned herself back a little, placing her hands behind her on the table for support.

"I came with a message from Shao Kahn."

"Go on."

"He wants you and the rest of the Red Dragon to start preparing yourselves for the upcoming invasion of Keisei."

Mavado raised an eyebrow at that. He was aware that the Empress of Outworld originally hailed from there and that there was talks of invading Keisei soon enough. However, everyone in the fortress knew that it all came down to Ivy giving the word to begin the invasion.

"I assume the Empress has made the official decision."

Kira immediately shook her head. "No, not yet. Shao Kahn just wants to start preparing so that they can quickly execute their attack once Ivy gives them the signal."

Mavado sighed a little. "That makes me curious as to when exactly that will be."

Kira shrugged. "I'm not sure… but I suspect Ivy is being a little… hesitant. After all, Keisei is her home world."

"I see. Well, until then, we'll have to prepare to attack. I'm sure Shao Kahn is right when he says we'll be more prepared once she's ready."

"I'm sure you're right."

In his mind, however, Mavado made a conclusion in his mind about the Empress. She's weaker than she's letting on.


Himalayan Mountains

In an isolated area, a black puddle appeared near where Noob Saibot stood. Some of the other members of the Brotherhood of Shadow were searching around the area as they had spotted a few corpses lying around half buried in snow. It was another opportunity to reanimate their bodies and have them join the clan.

Noob had noticed the puddle, and he realized that it was the spy that he sent specifically to locate any surviving members of the Lin Kuei clan. You better not disappoint me, the clan leader thought to himself. His grip on his scythe tightened, ready to kill the minion if it was necessary.

Soon, the liquid sprung up almost to Noob's height before forming into a person, all black with glowing gray eyes. Indeed this was the spy he sent out.

"Well?" Noob asked him.

The minion almost grinned underneath his mask. "We found the location of the Lin Kuei."

"Good," Noob replied. "Anything else to report on?"

"Indeed I do. Guess who's also with them." There was a brief pause before the minion answered for him. "The Grandmaster himself."

If he had the ability to grin, that's what Noob would be doing at that very moment. To know that they found the remaining members of the Lin Kuei was rewarding in itself. To know that his brother was also there as well… that was even more satisfying.

"Should we pursue them now?" the minion asked.

Noob had a better idea. "Not now. With the Grandmaster present, I want to take our time getting to them. I want them to believe that no enemy will approach them for a while. This way, when we do make our appearance, we will be able to catch them by surprise. In the meantime, we'll continue to reanimate any corpses we run into on the way there. With the Earth invasion, I doubt they'll be leaving the village any time soon."

"As you wish, my lord."

As the minion joined with the others, Noob narrowed his eyes as he stared up towards the sky. "Soon, Sub-Zero, you will meet your demise."

Unknown to any member of the Brotherhood, the green cyborg Matrik noted their presence about two miles away, hiding herself behind a tree. Her eyes glowing red, she was able to hear the conversation between the members of the Brotherhood using her sound sensors.

Her system had told her to meet with the one name Frost… the one she now considered her 'master.' There, she would eliminate any of her enemies.

Hearing the conversation two miles away, she was able to get an idea of the location of her 'master,' a member of the Lin Kuei. With this in mind, Matrik departed, disappearing within the snowy terrain.