Here's a somewhat quicker update, Enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of the themes/characters/settings belong to me, it's all Netherealm Studios' property.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Upside down and dazed out my mind was how I woke up this morning. My head felt like it was about to explode from where all the blood had rushed to it. The grass and dirt of the earth were in my immediate view; it looked like I was parallel to the ground. I tried to sit up and noticed my hands were bound behind my back. And speaking of backs, my cheek was pressed against the top of someone else's. I began squirming. When I felt the person pinch my thigh with their slender fingers, the nails digging into the flesh of my upper leg painfully, I cried out.

"Be still." they told me.

I recognized the voice and doubled my efforts. I managed to knock the prince in the mouth with my bound hands, and consequently got dropped on my bottom. I glared up at Rain as he rubbed his thumb over his lower lip. He had his hair down for once. At his waist looped onto his belt by its neck was the container of truth serum; it looked like he had made haste in collecting his end of the deal.

With practiced ease I twisted my arms from behind my back out in front of me and saw that it was Rain's own customary silk headband that bound my wrists. I yanked at them and tried to slide it off but the prince had done a damn good job with the knots.

"Rain, what the hell?" I protested, "Untie me!"

"No," he replied, "You're my prisoner. That's what we agreed on."

Oh yeah, I did agree to that, at least to get me through the door. The binds were a little much, though. And did he have to lug me over his shoulder like a sack of rice? Ah well, no use complaining; dicks will be dicks.

"Come on, we're wasting time." Rain said as he stepped forward to pick me back up.

I held my hands out in front of me, up towards where he stood. He put his arms behind his head and looked down at me with a brow raised delicately. I thought it was obvious what I wanted but I supposed to him I'd have to spell it out.

"Untie me." I snapped.

"No." he said flatly.

He bent down and hoisted me back over his shoulder. I tried to situate myself but there was no way I could get comfortable. At least he didn't have his armor on. I ended up resting my chin on my bound hands with my elbows resting on the back of his shoulders.

Rain kept walking and I tried to watch the scenery. It was that or his ass; I didn't have a very varied view at the moment. We were making steady progress to the lair but the quick gait at which he traveled kept jostling me. This whole experience was just inconvenient. I shifted and again he pinched my thigh.

"Stop that!" I cried.

"Then be still," He told me.

"I can't," I said, "Just put me down."

He sighed and drummed his fingers on my legs, "No. Now stop whining. You're lucky I don't gag you."

"Try it and you die," I growled.

I turned my upper body around to see where we were going. There was an old rusty black gate just a few feet ahead. Rain stepped over to it then began walking around to its side. He used his foot to kick open a hatch, then started stepping down a series of stairs. I couldn't see what was beyond the gate before things got dark. That's when I turned back around and watched the light of day slowly fade as we got lower into the place. It looked like this lair was underground as well. What was it with Pasty and subterranean hideouts?

Rain almost tripped.

His feet must've slipped out from under him or that last stair-step may have caught him off guard, either way he lost his balance and we both went down. With him on top. He may have been lean but he was heavy and knocked the wind out of me. Plus something sharp had sliced into my thigh. I shoved the prince off me immediately and sat up in the dark hall.

There was enough dim light from the few torches lining the extremely narrow hall for me to see the basic layout of the place. The floors and ceilings were made of gridlock metal, the walls of plated metal, and a few metal doors were closed shut on both the left and right side of the corridor. It felt very constricting. At the end of the hall was a large door, and I assumed that was where Pasty was.

Attempting to analyze the cut I felt from earlier I took a look at my thigh. It was bleeding, alright, but not all of the sticky liquid was blood. I stared closely at my thigh and then at Rain's hip. The glass container of truth serum had shattered when he fell.

"You clumsy bastard." I berated him. "Look what you did!"

"I'm not a bastard!" Was his immediate retort.

He sat back on his heels and observed the bits of broken glass, then my injured leg. He rolled his eyes and started to crawl towards me, into my lap. Warily I scooted back and soon hit the opposite wall in this narrow hall. I couldn't use my hands to keep him at bay because they were still tied.

"What are you doing? Get back," I warned.

"I had orders from the emperor not to harm you." Rain explained shortly, "If he sees this I'll be penalized."

"I thought you didn't serve the emperor," I remarked.

"Yes, but he doesn't know that," Rain quipped, then looked over his shoulders anxiously.

He then crouched in between my legs and put his hand over the cut one. In slow circles he massaged the artificial wound, rubbing away the blood and serum as well. I think some of that got into my bloodstream but I wasn't sure. At first his ministrations stung badly from how hard he was impressing his fingers into the cut, but then he added a coat of water over his hand and cooled the area. In seconds my thigh was healed.

He looked up at me and I swallowed. Our faces were quite close, and from this perspective I could make out how different the prince looked with his hair down. His long, silky black locks framed his face and brushed his shoulders, curled under his chin. It was the same glossy shade as his thin brows and dark eyes. He and I stared at each other. Then Rain looked down at his thumb, which had also gotten cut. He frowned and stuck it in his mouth.

I gestured to my hands again, "Aren't you gonna untie me now?"

He shook his head and stood. I did as well, and he moved to pick me back up. This time he held me in a more bridal-style position. I brought my hands up to my chest and let him carry me. Still I worked at my binds. I had to admit, I did feel different. Was it the serum that had gotten into me? I tried to remember the side effects that were written on the little slip of paper. No, it wasn't the serum, something else. Something niggling at the back of my mind, at the edge of my memory. Sooner than I could recall it Rain and I had arrived at the last door at the end of the hall. He adjusted me so that he could knock on the door two curt times.

"From here on out, you're on your own." He told me.

"Good," I muttered.

About seven or eight deadbolts were heard sliding on the other side before the heavy metal entrance swung open. At first I couldn't see anything, but in an instant the master of the lair stepped into the doorway. It was old Paste-Face himself. He looked a bit. Shitty.

Pasty surveyed the both of us and looked beyond Rain suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes and kept the doorway blocked.

"Have you come alone?" he asked solemnly.

Rain bowed his head low, next to mine, and stated, "Yes my liege."

The emperor stepped aside and allowed Rain to carry me into the room. It was like the rest of the lair in that it had dark grid-metal floors and ceilings and plated metal walls. All along the room about six feet off the ground were thin shelves that held stacks of papers, tools, weapons, and talismans of every kind. Trinkets and amulets littered each of the metal slats sticking out of the windowless walls. There was a twin-sized bed in the middle of the room with black linen sheets and one long pillow across the top. No other furniture or personal items could be seen. Obviously the sorcerer wasn't one for luxury.

"I am impressed, Rain." Pasty murmured. "For this you'll be rewarded."

He folded his arms and stepped over to the door. "Place her on the bed."

Rain must not have heard the emperor right because he walked over to the bed and dropped me rudely. I had half a mind to kick him since my legs were free but chose not to. Instead I sat with my feet near the floor in case I had to run and worked at my binds. They were really really good knots, damn that prince!

"What is that on your arm?" The emperor asked of Rain.

Now that he wasn't carrying me anymore I could see that over Rain's right arm hanging from his shoulder was my satchel. I mean Nightwolf's satchel that he let me use. I didn't even notice him with it. It made me very nervous to see it in their hands.

"That's mine," I declared.

"I confiscated it from the wench," Rain boasted.

"Search it." Pasty ordered. "You are dismissed."

Rain nodded and started for the door like the little whipped bitch I knew he was. Pasty was right behind him, shutting the heavy metal entrance and locking each of the deadbolts slowly. It felt weird, being alone with the sorcerer, and with each slide of the locks I became more aware and more frightened of the situation at hand. But that fear hardly consumed me.

I sat with my back straight as he strode over towards me. He was still the same bald bastard he was before. He kept his arms folded and stood across from me with his knees nearly touching mine. His roving crimson eyes appraised me and his black lips twisted in a smirk. He didn't say anything, just kept staring at me. It was unnerving.

I shifted and squeezed my legs together with my hands beside them clutching a fistful of the fabric of the sheets. I swallowed and worried my lip. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Pasty reached out with his left hand and I flinched instinctively even before it made contact with my cheek. His fingers were cold and his thumb iced over my bottom lip intimately. I pursed my mouth and turned my head in the other direction, away from his wanting red eyes.

I heard him murmur, "Shang Tsung truly outdid himself with his last creation."

His fingers were against my jaw, he used them to turn my face back towards his. It was an odd, unwelcome sensation to have his nails scraping the underside of my chin when he tilted my head backwards a little. I shivered.

"Don't touch me," I whispered.

"I'll do more than that," was his promise.

How he remained stony-faced in lieu of his dark words was beyond me. I tried not to let its implications settle in just yet.

"Now tell me," he continued lowly, "how did a clever little thing like you get captured by...Rain?"

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was making a jab at the demigod. I decided to put up a front to hide how very disconcerted I was by the entire predicament I was in.

Boldly I replied, "I didn't."

"Explain," he demanded quietly.

"Untie me first." I spoke neutrally.

His tone was inquisitive, "Is that an order?"

"Please?" I added for effect.

The sorcerer reached down and, keeping his gaze locked on mine, slipped his glowing fingers over the main knot and burned it in half. I rubbed at the chaffed skin and then groped myself subtly. To my dismay, my sai's were nowhere on me. Which meant Rain had probably took them, the bastard.

"I'm waiting, Mileena." Pasty stated.

Just hearing my name coming from that low baritone made me shudder, and not in the good way. Usually those deep, sexy voices turn me on but right now it's just making me sick. Everything Paste-Face is doing right now makes me wanna hurl, actually. Like his hands on my kneecaps.

"I let Rain capture me." I somehow managed to say without conveying my disgust.

Pasty rubbed his palms over the bare skin of my legs and inched his head to the left minutely. He narrowed his eyes curiously.

"And why would you do that?" he asked, bending down a bit more.

Okay, I know how to work people. I've been manipulating others for quite some time now, and there are signs that tell me if a person, male or female, is the type to fall prey to my machinations. Everything Pasty's been doing, the closeness and the touching and the expressions of his obvious interest, it all lets me know that maybe he isn't as asexual as I first thought. I decided to do a little test to see if I was onto something, I call it the leg test. I opened my legs in a seemingly subconscious manner. Predictably he stepped in between them.

Well this was shocking. I would never have pegged Paste Face as that type but who knew? My methods just might work. I placed my hands over his on top of my knees and leaned forward.

Slyly I told him, "I knew Rain would take me to you. And that's what I wanted."

"Go on." Pasty said.

"A little while ago you made me an offer, and I refused." I said simply.

Then I tilted my head and blinked prettily, "But I've changed my mind."

With a blank mind I slid my hands seductively over his hands and up his arms, all the way around his neck. He was still bending over so this wasn't hard, at least not physically. Inside I was fighting against this but knew it seemed to be working on him.

"If you'd maybe...reconsider?" I trailed, gazing at him innocuously.

The sorcerer inclined his head and asked, "You wish to serve me?"

I nodded, "Only you," I breathed.

He was silent. In that time he had moved his hands over my hips and back down to my knees very slowly. His touch was like being assaulted by a slimy slug, cold and heavy were his hands and it prickled my skin, even from under my clothes.

"There was a time when that offer may have appealed to me," he said at last, standing. "But that time has passed."

That was so not what I wanted to hear. I deflated and didn't care if it showed. I did all that shit for nothing, Nightwolf was right. Pasty had changed his mind after all.

"You can't be trusted," he explained.

"Yes I can," I lied.

He paused, "Hm. Prove it."

"How?" I questioned.

"Tell me what Ermac and Noob Saibot are planning." he asked bluntly.

I was taken aback. I didn't have the time to figure out if it would be in anyone's best interest, mainly mine, to sell out the duo.

"How would I know what they're planning?" I snapped.

Seduction was pretty much gone out the window by now. I was just aggravated that I had done all that and it still hadn't worked.

"You were among them, were you not?" he inquired.

"Yeah. But I don't know what they're planning." I responded.

It was true enough. Ermac and Noob didn't tell me anything, the little I did know I found out on my own or Rain told me. Just like he probably told Pasty I was with Ermac and Noob.

"How disappointing," he said flatly.

I was losing control over the situation here. I scrambled for an excuse or ploy to win him over and came up with none. I probably sounded a little desperate when I told him to wait.

"I could find out for you," I said coyly, "If you let me."

Pasty sighed, "Why should I risk it when I could just send Rain, who I know is loyal, instead?"

Hm, I didn't know whether to applaud Rain for his great acting since he obviously had the emperor fooled, or to sneer at Paste Face's gullibility. How could he trust Rain, of all people?

"That would be hard," I reasoned, "Considering Ermac and Noob are hunting him. They'd kill him on sight."

He deliberated. The sorcerer sauntered over to me and took me by the hands, lifting me off of the bed. He took me into his arms, very close, and dipped his head.

"Your offer is enticing," He said, "But I can't afford to trust you right now, not when so many have already turned against me."

"I won't," I insisted.

"So you say." he replied.

He had worked his hand up from my waist to the back of my head. There was a stinging heat at the base of my skull and then everything faded to black.

The room was compact. The bed he sat on was not really a bed at all, more of a cot hanging from each end by chains in the wall. Rain sat with his feet swinging over the edge, to enthralled by what he was reading to complain about his meager accommodations. He had the satchel on the metal bed beside him lying open. From the canteen of water he freely drank and even nibbled some of the dried beef he'd turned his nose up at earlier. Again and again he read over the wrinkled parchment, unbelieving of what he was seeing. How could it be that the shaman (since he'd deduced that was the author of the letter) had such feelings for Mileena? She was a born and bred harlot, she was loud and foul-mouthed. And she got on his last nerve. Obviously she must have bewitched the poor sap, Rain presumed. That was the only way the unfathomable letter could have been written.

The emperor's footfalls resounded out in the narrow hall and Rain hastily folded and shoved the paper into his pocket. It was just in his nature to hide things. And to steal; he'd learned it early on in his youth growing up in the Resistance.

The emperor entered the tiny room and Rain stood only to bow before the sorcerer. Rain was getting really sick of all the bowing. He couldn't wait until he had the amulet for himself, then he'd accrue so much power that others would be bowing to him. That was the way it should be. He was a son of Argus after all, albeit an illegitimate one as Mileena inadvertently reminded him. He was a bastard, but that mattered not.

Rain felt the weight and chill of metal fall around his neck and looked down at the chain Chi had just placed on him. He stood to his full height and observed the gold and emerald creation. It couldn't be the real thing, the emperor's amulet...could it? He glanced up at the sorcerer in confusion.

Chi responded, "You have served me well Rain, for that I reward you. What you see around your neck is a replica of my own amulet. As you wear it, it increases your powers nearly five-fold and allows you to travel inter-dimensionally through the use of portals."

Rain let his shoulders fall. He knew it was too good to be true. He didn't want some cheap copy of the amulet, he wanted the real thing!

And I shall have it, he vowed, in time.

"Are you well?"

It was a very relative question. He supposed he was well, as well as he could be given the circumstances. He was in the middle of a war and had to deal with the constant threat on his people. Leaving them had worn on his mind greatly during the night. As did the absence of his love. Mileena was in Outworld as well, he knew, and his heart grieved for her, wherever she was. He knew that she was in danger but wasn't able to do much about that. She insisted on going alone. She was the definite focus of his anxiety last night. He had only slept because of the herbs he packed especially for the purpose of making him do so against his will. After he'd ingested them, sleep had come soon enough and now he was awake mid-morning with the same troubles weighing on his shoulders. So when the Shokan elite had showed up in his personal tent to deliver him food and a warm greeting, these flurrying thoughts came into play.

"Well enough," he told her plainly.

Sheeva set the tray of food down near Nightwolf's feet and stood back a respectful distance.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Nightwolf asked with a quiet smile.

Sheeva nodded. She would be the first to admit the recent shortages of different crops, including the assorted fruit and bread displayed in the lavish breakfast. Quan Chi's wave of dark energy destroyed plenty of farmland and it would take much time for that land to become tillable again, if ever.

"The process was a success," she explained, "Take this sacrifice as a small token of our gratitude."

Nightwolf nodded once and wished he could enjoy the food but he could not. All he thought about was Mileena, and if she was eating this morning or if she had to go without. He tried his best to supply her with something to fill her stomach for a little while and he hoped it would last. His love going hungry? It was almost too much while he feasted on so decadent a meal.

"We can return with our forces to the village whenever you're ready." Sheeva declared.

The chief finished his food morosely only because he knew he'd need the food to keep up his strength. He drank the proffered water from a canteen in one of Sheeva's hands and stood.

"Let us be on our way then." He said.

Sheeva led him to the flap of the tent but suddenly stopped. Nightwolf faced her with vague concern. Most of it was still going towards his love at the moment.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked politely.

Sheeva shook her head, "No it's just. Mileena was here last night."

Nightwolf froze. "Mileena?" he whispered incredulously, "Here?"

"She wanted to speak with you," Sheeva continued, "But naturally I stopped her. I don't know what she wanted."

"Why?" Nightwolf frowned.

"Excuse me?" Sheeva replied, crossing a couple of her arms.

"Why did you stop her?" He asked.

Sheeva furrowed her brow, "Well you were in the middle of your ritual. And I had no idea what her intentions were."

"Of course," was all he said.

Nightwolf's heart sank. He knew that nobody trusted and cared for Mileena the way that he did. Of course Sheeva would be wary of her, he thought. Still, he wished he could have seen her, or had some recollection of doing so last night. It is impossible for any one or thing to get through to him once he's began his Regenesis technique, so even if Mileena had leapt into his lap and kissed him he wouldn't be able to recall it.

"Where is she now?" Nightwolf asked.

Sheeva shrugged, "I don't know. She fainted after being exposed to the mist your ritual created, and I took her to a spare tent for questioning upon her awakening. However, she was collected later in the night by the demigod Rain."

"And you let him take her?" Nightwolf softly accused.

He was trying not to get enraged because he knew nobody cared for his love the way he did. He shouldn't expect them to act in her best interest.

"Rain was swift in taking her." Sheeva explained.

Now that was nothing if not disturbing in the highest sense. Nightwolf had feared the worst when Mileena left, and now to find out she was in the demigod's hands once more. He knew he couldn't protect her from everything, but he hated knowing she was in the company of that prince and the emperor.

Those swine! If they harm her we'll rip their flesh from their bones! Tear out their teeth from their gums and skin them alive!

It would seem Nightwolf's inner companion was also incensed by this latest bit of news. He calmed himself though. He did have to handle business first, as much as it pained him. He wanted so badly to swoop in and rescue Mileena from the demigod's clutches but the problem was she may not have captured. She did tell Sonya that she was traveling with Rain, so that may be a facet of their complex partnership. He shook his head wearily.

Worrying about his little woman was severely depressing him. He really did need to focus on getting back to the village before the emperor made his move.

There was placidity in the village; surprisingly this was a bad thing. A few members of Nightwolf's fledgling alliance felt the unease associated with this suspicious peace. They stood assembled in the evacuated village square, waiting for the three members or the chief to return.

"Mighty quiet round here," Jax remarked, then added, "Got a bad feeling."

Stryker was quick to concur, "Yeah. Like the calm before a storm."

With a bit of hesitance Sonya thought, maybe that's a good thing. Must mean Mileena's stalling him, or at least I hope that's why he hasn't attacked yet.

The chirping of electricity broke the tension somewhat as the belated members appeared. Raiden, Kung Lao, and Kitana walked somberly over to the rest of their team. Jade embraced her friend and noticed how downtrodden the princess and monk looked.

"So I'm guessing no luck?" she said softly.

Kitana shook her head and Kung Lao just looked away. The princess made her way over to Sonya and stepped closer than was necessary for proper conversation. While Jade engaged Kung Lao in civil words of comfort, Kitana leaned in towards the soldier.

"Did you hear from Mileena?" she whispered.

Sonya nodded, "She should be at the new lair by now."

"I'm worried," Kitana admitted.

"About Liu?" Sonya predicted.

"About both of them." Kitana said, "Mostly Mileena. Chi is unsavory and could really hurt her."

Sonya inclined her head and shrugged, "I doubt it. Mileena's pretty tough. She can handle him."

Kitana wasn't convinced. "I hope you're right," she said.

She had grown awfully fond of her 'sister' and would most certainly hate to see her hurt.

A/N: You know what to do, leave a review please! It's short again, I should stop typing around midnight ;3

In the next chapter, you'll get to find out what happens to our dear Liu Kang! Also what happens to Mileena, and Rain, and Nightwolf, and maybe our dynamic duo; Ermac/Noob. So stay tuned! Until next time,

~DymondGold~