Chapter Thirty-Five
Shao Kahn's Fortress, Outworld
For the past couple of days since escaping the grasps of Shao Kahn and his minions, Jade found herself mostly hiding in any dark corner she could find within the fortress. Normally, if this place had been the way it was back when she one of the Emperor's bodyguards, she would have been able to maneuver herself around more easily.
However, because this place was recently rebuilt ever since, Jade had noted the improvements that were made, making it more difficult for someone like her to make her escape. The fact that many of his minions were also hunting for her didn't quite help the matter either.
During the last couple of days, Jade had two goals in mind… one was to find Sindel and Kitana. The other was to make her escape. So far, she wasn't having much luck in finding the Queen and the Princess. Although Ivy had informed her during her own captivity that they were both still alive, the green-clad woman wondered if they were even in the same building as she was.
Or if the Empress was even telling the truth at all.
During her search, Jade kept herself within the darkness, or in high places. Sadly, she also ran into more victims of Shao Kahn's enslavement, begging her for help. However, Jade knew that she couldn't help them, at least not right now. Freeing them now would only complicate their situation and place them in more danger than they already were in.
You will all be free soon, Jade thought to herself nearly every time she heard someone cry for help. Just try to hang on.
At one point, there was a clearing, and she walked around for a bit, making sure to not make a single sound. It only lasted a couple of minutes before she heard a couple of footsteps nearby. Jade quickly scanned her surroundings, noting a beam with a large black shadow above it.
A good hideout for now, she thought before leaping up to the bar.
Jade's attention had been brought to the footsteps that were heading in front of her. However, unknown to her, a guard coming from behind her, also trained in the art of stealth, managed to spot her leaping up towards the beam just before disappearing.
He smirked to himself. 'Bingo.'
The guard thought of going after her himself. However, just earlier today, he had been told to report to the Emperor or Empress if she was spotted. He didn't know why, and he would rather revel in the glory of succeeding in finding her.
He could do that… if he wanted to meet death and have his soul enslaved.
Sighing a little, he backed a little before turning around and headed towards the throne room.
Chili-san, Lee Dynasty, Keisei
In a meeting room, many members of the Coast Guard gathered inside. All had been told by letter sent to each of them to meet here earlier in the morning as they had some announcements to make.
Among them were Kilik, Maxi, Xianghua, and Sophitia, all who sat in the back row behind the all-male Coast Guard members. Also there were a few members representing the Manji Clan, including their second-in-command leading during Yoshimitsu's absence, Akio.
Hwang stood beside Admiral Lee, who gazed at everyone in the room before speaking. "I'm sure many of you have been wondering about what happened with the ship from Ming Dynasty."
The older man paced himself a bit before proceeding. "After many hours of investigating and interviewing those on ships near our ports, we've come to the conclusion that what happened on the Ming Dynasty ship was nothing more than a mere accident. It's highly believed that an explosion occurred as there were many burn marks on what was left of the ship. A couple of bodies were also found, all badly burned. Had the attack actually been from Outworld, I'm quite sure that the other ships would have been attacked as well, including our own.
"Speaking of ships, our own have not seeing anything unusual as of late. However, they are still keeping an eye out on anything unusual and will continue to look for the portal that leads to Outworld."
As the Admiral continued to speak, a thought came to Hwang, one that was bothering him. He found himself thinking about his comrades currently on that ship. Turning to Lee, he waited until he finished his briefings before speaking up.
"Admiral, if I may…" Hwang began.
Lee nodded to him. "Go on."
"About our men on the ship. Even though it was discovered that what happened to the Ming Dynasty vessel was an accident, I still find myself concerned for our comrades at sea. Say that this wasn't an accident, not that I'm saying it wasn't. If something like this happens again, would it be wise to bring them back to shore?"
"If it gets too dangerous out there, that would be the best decision," the Admiral answered.
Another thought came to Hwang. "And the Black Dragon?"
"We'll continue to keep our eye out for them," said Akio. "It's highly important for us to keep tabs on them, especially since they currently have possession of our master's katana, an important relic in our clan which is capable of much damage than many realize."
"Just keep updating us on anything you notice," Lee suggested.
A few minutes later after more minor briefings, the meeting ended. Immediately, Hwang walked over to his friends towards the back. He found himself shrugging a bit to them, realizing that this meeting hadn't brought too much to the table.
"Well, my friend," said Maxi. "I guess according to this meeting, there's nothing much we can do except keep looking out for anything unusual and helping the Manji Clan fight against the Black Dragon."
"That sums it up perfectly," Hwang agreed.
"I'd say let's all go outside and spar for a little while," suggested Xianghua. "We can all try to relax that way."
"That sounds like a good idea," Kilik agreed.
"I agree," said Sophitia.
"I'm afraid I won't be joining," Hwang mentioned. "I have to help out with training a few new recruits who volunteered to join in our cause. I probably won't get done until sunset."
"That's fine," said Maxi. "I'm sure we can spar another time."
Hwang then found himself sighing a little. "I know it doesn't seem like too much is going on right now… but I ask all of you to be careful. My soldier senses are always telling me that anything could happen at any time."
"We will," Xianghua promised.
From there, the five friends left the meeting room with Hwang soon parting ways.
It was now mid-afternoon as Yang headed towards the beach area. He had just finished helping with cleaning the dishes and his hands became dirty in the process. Being that the water at the beach area was the only source of water they had (not counting the hot springs which, obviously, was meant for taking baths), this was where they went to clean their hands.
It was a five minute walk to there and Yang felt like it was taking longer than that. Eventually though, he reached the area, much to his relief. He then saw a figure on their knees right in front of the water.
Yang recognized the thick blonde hair and realized that it was Maki, who was cleaning her own hands as well. The young man felt his heart flutter a bit upon seeing her. His crush on her was still there. They've hung out since arriving here in Outworld, but theynever actual had any alone time since either Maki was with her friends or Yang was with his own friends or brother.
Yang came over to Maki and got on his knees. Maki heard him rustle about and turned her head to him. "Hey Yang," she said with a warm smile.
"Hey Maki," Yang replied. "Some tournament this has been, huh?"
"Yeah," Maki shrugged. "Ever since I lost, the only time I've been going there was when I was cheering on for anyone I knew. Other than that and hanging out with the girls, things have been a bit dull around here." Though she didn't mention it, she had been feeling down ever since Ibuki's death. She didn't want to mention it to Yang because she didn't want to break into tears.
"You're telling me," Yang replied. "Since I lost, aside from the different environment, things seem more like at home. And sometimes, I find myself bickering with Yun over stupid things."
Maki laughed a little. "That's family for you."
"I'll admit… I feel a bit better knowing that Yun and I both lost the tournament. I wouldn't know what to do if Yun was still fighting. It would've made me wonder if I was still any good of a fighter."
Maki wasn't sure how to comment on it. She figured that there seemed to be a bit of competition amongst the Lee brothers, the two of them competing to see who was the better fighter.
"Well," Maki finally said after a brief pause. "Since we both lost the tournament, it looks like we're in for the long haul."
Yang laughed. "That's true. We're still in round three too. If I remember correctly, this thing is going to round eight so it's definitely going to be a while."
"Let's enjoy it while it lasts."
Maki and Yang found themselves looking at each other when Maki spoke. Yang didn't know what made him do it, but before he realized it, he found himself claiming Maki's lips with his own. Though Maki was caught by surprise, Yang was even more surprised that he made this move. Thoughts rushed through his mind. Does she see him the way he does? If not, would this jeopardize their friendship?
Not long after these thoughts, his fears were put aside when Maki leaned herself closer to Yang and wrapped her arms around him, letting herself sink deeper into the kiss. Feeling more relaxed, Yang wrapped his arms around her as well.
They stayed like this for some time before Maki pulled away and a smile spread across her face. Yang opened his eyes to see this and he too smiled.
Maki couldn't help but giggle a little like a child. "If I knew you liked me to begin with, I would've kissed you sooner."
Shaolin Temple, China
Alone in a garden area, Yang found himself practicing some katas. It was something he hadn't done ever since his grandfather, Gen, had trained him when he and Yun were kids. He almost forgot how relaxing the exercise was.
It was Bo' Rai Cho who suggested practicing katas, more or so to relax him than anything else. The older man had shown Yang some maneuvers and even a few breathing techniques.
"Not only will it relax you and cleanse your soul," Bo' Rai Cho mentioned a few days ago to the young man. "But it will also help clear your mind from any problems you might have."
Yang wasn't sure about the cleansing the soul part, but he did feel much more relaxed than he had been in the last few weeks. There was only one problem; his mind was nowhere clear from any thoughts, especially over the things he was worried about.
At the moment, Maki was heavy in his thoughts. Mostly, he was remembering all the times that they spent with each other ever since they got together back in the Blood Tournament in Outworld. Both were participants, of course, and both were chosen to help Raiden and Rose in their cause to retrieve the Chishio No Me medallion.
Heck, if it wasn't for her, I would've never even attended the tournament, Yang thought, chuckling a little at that.
He actually met Maki in a previous tournament. It was the first tournament Yang ever attended as a participant. Maki was a contender as well. Although the two never faced each other at the tournament, they became friends. It was during that time that Yang developed a crush on her, admiring not only her fighting spirit, but also her outgoing personality and her sense of humor, let alone being pretty.
The fact that she was seven years older than him didn't bother the young man one bit. Age was just a number for all he cared.
After the tournament, they parted ways with Maki going back to her home in Japan and Yang returning to Hong Kong. He had forgotten then to get her contact information and, believing that he would never see her again, moved on.
But, nearly a year later, he would see her again… while she was boarding the ship that would take them to Outworld. Originally, Yang wasn't going to attend and just let Yun have all the glory, but the moment he saw Maki, he immediately changed his mind, not wanting to miss the chance to interact with her once again.
Wasn't it lucky that Yun's other suitcase already had Yang's clothes in it?
Yang was able to express to Maki how he felt about her just by a simple kiss during their time in Outworld. And luckily for Yang, Maki liked him as well. And they found themselves even more lucky to find each other during the chaos after the tournament since they were apart when it all began.
After returning to Earth, Yang and Maki visited each other whenever one of them could afford to, which did happen a few times. Yang managed to visit her last two months ago before the Earth invasion. His last contact with her was three days before, when Maki informed him that she was in Osaka, the last place he knew she was at…
Despite trying to think positive, there were times that Yang wondered if Maki was even still alive. A part of Yang wished that he had tried to make it over to Japan to find her after the invasion ended. Instead, he was here hiding out at the Shaolin Temple, more or so waiting of the God of Wind to show up with some sort of news… one that would signal that he would leave this place.
Yang was grateful to have Chun Li and Lei with him during this time and reuniting with Li Mei. He had also had the pleasure in finding friendship with both Kung Lao and Bo' Rai Cho, so at least he had a few people with him helping to keep his sanity intact. Still, he only wished that both Maki and Yun were here with him.
Continuing with his katas, Yang turned himself a little. In this view, he spotted the blue and yellow cap that he carried with him since the end of the invasion… the cap that belonged to his twin brother, Yun.
If only that female Shokan hadn't thrown me to the side during the invasion, Yang thought grimly. Then Yun would be with us right now…
Yang had tried to find Yun after being tossed, but only found his hat and a couple of drops of blood. Thinking back on that, Yang wasn't sure if that was even Yun's blood at all, even though it looked fresh. Still, the fact that Yun went missing didn't help Yang at all.
From the moment the two existed… practically since the day their mother conceived them, they've been almost inseparable. Sure, they had their differences, with Yang being the more quiet and calm one, and Yun being the more outgoing and brash one, and having arguments over petty things and who was the better fighter. Still, neither one of them wouldn't know what to do if something had happened to the other. Even when Yun was doing something Yang didn't like, the latter always found himself tagging along anyway, whether he wanted to or not.
The invasion had changed that, keeping the brothers apart for the longest time. Yang only wished he knew what happened to his brother. Had he been kidnapped and enslaved, or became one of those brainwashed fighters like Guy? Was Yun able to escape during the frenzy, perhaps trying to find Yang as well and getting himself lost in the city?
Was Yun even still alive?
Feeling suddenly tired of the kata training, Yang decided to sit himself down in a lotus position. He found himself staring at the small pond nearby, his mind clear for just a moment. During that moment, all was quiet around him with the exception of the light wind that blew gently against his face.
Thinking of the both of them once more, Yang bowed his head. He found himself praying for the safety of both his brother, Yun, and his love, Maki.
Somewhere in Japan
On a trail, Yoshimitsu continued to ride on horseback with a handful of members of his Manji Clan following close behind on their own horses. The sun above them was high in the sky and clouds were scattered about. Yoshimitsu guessed that it was possible that it could snow or rain later tonight depending on how cold it'll get.
As of now, they were more than halfway through their journey to Yakushima Island, that they were sure of. Still, they had a bit of ways to go before even reaching the closest port that would take them to the island.
There, the Manji Clan leader hoped that somehow, someway, Jin Kazama would be there during this time of crisis. It was currently the only place he could think of to search through, hoping that the young man would help fight against the invasion.
After all, Jin was the one who made it further than anyone else on Earth in The Blood Tournament.
Yoshimitsu remembered the day Jin fought in the final round of the tournament, facing off against Ivy Valentine, who Yoshimitsu knew was working for Shao Kahn. He had watched from afar, keeping himself hidden from those who may find him. He had previously infiltrated Shao Kahn's fortress while looking for the Chishio No Me medallion, but with no success.
The night before, Yoshimitsu approached Jin, more or so to see what the young man wanted to do with the medallion. Jin had told him that he would hand it over to his leaders, Raiden and Rose, immediately after his win so that the artifact would be destroyed.
However, he knew better.
In the past, Yoshmitsu had attended the King of Iron Fist Tournaments, which included the very first one held more than twenty years ago. In the first tournament, he used himself as a distraction so that some of his clan members infiltrated the tournament and steal the funds unobserved. He would use those funds to give to those who truly needed it most.
It was during that time that Yoshimitsu got to know the Mishimas and the Zaibatsu, even learning some of their history. He also knew of the demons within both Kazuya and Jin, seeing them both transform before in the past, though he never let that knowledge be known to anyone.
Yoshimitsu knew, even though he was never told, that Jin wanted the medallion to get rid of his devil gene. So when Jin lost the tournament, he knew that the loss was more of a big deal than the young man let on, knowing that he had lost his one chance to getting rid his curse for good.
Even if I tried to ask him, he would never admit it, he thought.
After a few hours of traveling, Yoshimitsu noted that it was getting dark. He turned to his clan members. "Let's rest for the night."
"Good idea," one of the members said. "Hopefully it doesn't get too cold tonight."
"We'll have to see about that."
Meanwhile, still keeping far away on a tall hill in order to not be detected, Shin Akuma watched the group, his eyes glowing a bit. Next to him, Dark Sakura watched as well with her own emotionless eyes, the light breeze causing her short hair to sway a little and the tail of her white bandana to flap a bit behind her.
Shin Akuma folded his arms as he continued to stare at the clan. He had sensed their strong fighting spirits and noted how much they were traveling towards the south, and the demon wanted to see where they would go before making his appearance.
"We'll soon make our move when the right time comes," he said out loud. He turned to Dark Sakura. "And if you're lucky, we'll run into those friends of you so that you can test yourself. Only then will you be worthy of being a successor of the Satsu No Hadou."
The only reply from Dark Sakura was a blink of her eyes.
Shao Kahn's Fortress, Outworld
A guard quickly enters the throne room, immediately catching Shao Kahn and Ivy's attention. Sitting on their thrones, the two waited, staring at the guard as he approached them.
Soon, he stood a few steps away from their thrones before getting on his knees to bow to them. "My lord, I've located the traitor you've sent us to search for."
"You mean Jade?" Ivy asked, knowing that there were a few traitors besides Jade who had slipped through their fingers as of recently.
"Yes," the guard replied. "I've spotted her at the dungeon halls. I managed to spot her jumping up to hide within the ceiling beams. I'm reported to you just as you requested."
Ivy nodded to him. "Good. You may take your leave. We'll take care of the rest."
The guard nodded as he stood himself up. The Emperor and Empress only watched as the guard turned around and began leaving the throne room.
Once the guard was out of sight, a small smirk came over Ivy's lips as she turned to the Emperor. "Now that we know where Jade is… what do you want to do?"
Shao Kahn's red eyes seemed to glow a little. "I think the time has come. I think that a… reunion is in order."
"The one that we've been talking about for some time?"
"Yes."
Ivy smirked even more. "Do you want me to do the honors of… helping out?"
Shao Kahn turned his head to the Empress. "Yes… I would like that."
Without saying another word, Ivy stood up from her throne. Grabbing the hilt of her beloved sword, she began to take her leave, going forth with their plan.
Eleven Years Ago, Mortal Kombat Tournament
The thunder in the background rumbled in the background as a man dressed in blue and black garb entered a throne room. Upon staring at the man dressed somewhat similarly to him, only in yellow and black, his cold eyes narrowed at him.
Scorpion stared at the man he believed killed his family and clan. "You!" he growled aggressively as he met Sub-Zero half way, not stopping until the two were a foot away from each other.
"The Shirai Ryu are dead," Scorpion reminded him. "And you will suffer as they did."
"To hell with you clan!" Sub-Zero spat.
Scorpion shook his head. "No… TO HELL WITH YOU!"
Quickly, the two were engulfed in flames as Scorpion grabbed his nemesis by his shoulders before pulling him down through the floor. Sub-Zero was unsure what was going on, at least until the fire cleared from his vision. Gazing at his surroundings, he found that he was no longer in the throne room… but he quickly realized where Scorpion had taken him.
"The Netherrealm," he uttered, not the least bit intimidated.
Scorpion raised his hands up a bit. "This was where I was reborn." He narrowed his pale eyes at Sub-Zero. "This is where YOU will PAY!"
Tired of talking, Sub-Zero quickly shot out an ice ball, which Scorpion moved away from immediately. While the ice ninja attempted to recover, Scorpion took the opportunity to deliver an uppercut, catching his foe's chin and sending up flying up. In mid-air, Sub-Zero quickly caught himself before flipping back and landing both feet on the ground.
Scorpion rapidly covered the distance between the two before throwing various punches and kicks at him, forcing Sub-Zero to go on defense. This went on like this for a moment before Scorpion jumped back. His hands surrounded by flames, he raised his hands up. Sub-Zero wondered for a split second what he was doing… before feeling an immense heat below his feet. He jumped out of the way just as a handful of flames shot up from the ground, missing their chance to set the ice warrior on fire.
Annoyed now, Sub-Zero crouched down and slid forward, aiming towards Scorpion's legs. However, the spectre saw this and side-stepped. He waited until Sub-Zero was close enough before lifting a foot and kicking him in the face, knocking him back to the ground. Scorpion lifted his foot again, aiming for his throat, but Sub-Zero rolled out of the way, forcing Scorpion to slam his foot on to the ground instead.
Sub-Zero got himself back on his feet before shooting another ice ball at Scorpion. This time, the spectre disappeared in a burst of flames before reappearing behind Sub-Zero. Sensing his presence behind him suddenly, Sub-Zero quickly turned around, but was soon met with a couple of punches to the face before a kick to the chest sent him stumbling back.
For a moment, Scorpion found himself getting the upper hand as Sub-Zero attempted to block his moves. Then, his feet surrounded by flames, Scorpion flipped himself back , hitting Sub-Zero square in the chest and sending him flying backwards and landing hard on his side.
As Sub-Zero got himself back up, Scorpion slowly approached him once more. "You… you were responsible for not only my death… but also that of my family! And you will suffer for it!"
A confused look suddenly came over Sub-Zero's face, though he tried not to show it. One thing was for sure… he was the one responsible for Scorpion's death.
But what made him think that heanything to do with his family's killing?
"That was notme!" Sub-Zero yelled out. "Yes, I was the one who killed you, but I did NOT kill your family."
Scorpion quickly ripped off his mask, showing his skull which was surrounded by flames. "Quan Chi had shown me the images of the massacre of my people! I had witnessed their deaths at your hands from the Netherrealm! And I had witnessed the death of my wife and son by your own hands!"
"Quan Chi is manipulating you! He-"
The last words never reached Scorpion's ears, and Sub-Zero never had the chance to finish his sentence as the spectre opened his mouth, releasing a line of flames towards him.
Then, everything went black…
Himalayan Mountains, China
His mortal death… it was a memory Noob Saibot had not thought of in what seemed like ages. It became the day Scorpion managed to avenge himself of his own murder.
But as far as Noob was concerned, the spectre was foolish enough to believe, from Quan Chi, that he was also responsible for his family's murder.
It turned out, however, that Quan Chi had sent his own minions to kill the Shirai Ryu, disguising them with his sorcery as Lin Kuei members, more or so done in case there were any witnesses. Noob would learned this after his transformation and joining the Brotherhood of Shadow.
Knowing that Quan Chi pretty much had a hand at his own death, Noob distrusted the sorcerer almost immediately, and he always planned to overthrow him once he gained enough power. At least now, he reached that goal, even though the sorcerer was still running around somewhere in Outworld.
Since his transformation, Noob found that he was now even colder and more malicious than he was back in his mortal days. In a way, he considered it an 'improvement' from his former life.
With that, he became a fearsome ruler of the Brotherhood, he's name well-known around the Netherrealm. For now, he was the leader of the Brotherhood… but someday, he would achieve his ultimate goal to rule the Netherrealm.
All he had to do was bide his time, knowing that only Quan Chi stood in his way.
Noob's thoughts were soon disrupted as a member of his clan approached him. The wraith narrowed his eyes at him. "What is it?"
"I wanted to inform you that we're just a few days away from Sub-Zero's current location."
Noob stared at him for a moment before replying. "I want to bide my time. Meanwhile, continue to search for remaining corpses until we reach the village."
The follower only nodded before departing.
Briefly, Noob thought of his younger brother. He narrowed his eyes as he thought of the fact that he had taken the Sub-Zero name upon the elder's own death.
He should have remained as Tundra, Noob thought to himself. He is undeserving of the Sub-Zero mantle.
Turning his head, Noob looked up at the seven-foot black scythe he held in his hands, a gift from his clan. The six blue jewels on the weapon gleamed in the sunlight, but Noob didn't pay any attention to them as he brushed a finger over the blade.
Aside from holding it, Noob has yet to have the chance to actually use the scythe in battle. But knowing that he was getting closer to Sub-Zero's location, he was highly looking forward to putting it to use.
Shao Kahn's Fortress, Outworld
In her room lying on her bed, Donna snapped her eyes opened, waking up from a dream. For a moment, she thought that she had been fast asleep for hours, she looked over at a nearby window and noted that the sun was just beginning to set for the evening.
"Hmm, I must've napped longer than I realized," Donna muttered to herself as she slowly sat herself up.
As she moved herself and began to place her boots on, she briefly thought about Hsu Hao. A few hours ago, he had mentioned to her that he and Mavado would be discussing certain plans that he wouldn't go into, and suggested that she rested for a little bit while she had the chance. Despite him not mentioning what the discussion was about, Donna had a feeling that it was about their rival clan, the Black Dragon.
The brief thought of the Black Dragon suddenly sent a bit of a headache, and she quickly began massaging her temples with both hands. Taking a few deep breaths, Donna did the best she could to get the thoughts out of her head.
"I have to stop thinking about that clan," she said to herself as she stood up. "I'm just going to end up making these headaches worse."
No longer wanting to be cooped up in her room, Donna decided to take a walk around the fortress for a little while, unsure of what else to do. As she locked her door with a key, she heard a pair of high-heeled footsteps walking towards her direction. Donna turned to see who it was… and found herself frozen in her place upon seeing one of Ivy's bodyguards, Kira.
She had only seen Kira a few times since arriving in Outworld. Even so, Donna found that there was something about her that she didn't like, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Kira had noticed Donna's stare and found that she didn't like the way the young woman looked at her. Either way, the red-haired woman decided to stop walking and place a hand on her hip as she stared back at her.
"What are you up to?" she asked.
Not liking the question, Donna narrowed her eyes at her. "Who wants to know?"
Kira smirked a little. "I should've expected such an answer from a wench like you."
Donna opened her mouth and was about to protest, but a male voice stopped them. "I see you two are getting along quite well," he said almost sarcastically.
The two women turned to see both Mavado and Hsu Hao coming up to them. Donna was almost relieved at the intervention and she smiled at them. "How did the discussion go?"
"Just fine," Mavado replied.
"I think it's best to get something to eat," Hsu Hao suggested to Donna.
Almost immediately, Donna approached Hsu Hao and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Good, I was just about to suggest that myself." With that, Hsu Hao wrapped his own arm around her shoulders before the two departed.
Once the couple was out of earshot, Mavado turned to Kira, who noted the suspicious look written on his face. The smirk on Kira's face faded at that point. "I'm not getting in the way if that's what you think. I just simply asked the girl a question and she got offended for some reason."
"Donna doesn't trust anyone very easily except anyone in the Red Dragon," Mavado mentioned. "Even if you two found yourselves locked in the same room, it's best for you to leave her be."
Kira folded her arms. "I'll keep that in mind, but I won't hold back if she starts anything with me." The red-haired woman decided to change the subject then. "So tell me… what was your discussion all about this afternoon?"
"Just about our plans for the Black Dragon," Mavado replied. "Mainly, we're trying to figure out their location. As far as we know, they're not on Earth, or else we would've detected them some time ago."
"All I know is that they were last here in Outworld, but I assume they've escaped… maybe to that Chaosrealm place. That's where Havik is from."
A smirk came over Mavado's face as a thought came to him. "Maybe if we find them, you can infiltrate them. See if they would accept you back into the clan. This way, we will figure out their own plans."
Kira immediately scowled at that. "I'd rather slit my own throat than go anywhere near them again. The only way you can get me near them these days is if I was going to kill them with my own knives."
Mavado folded his arms. "I admit, I don't blame you. And again… you would make a good Red Dragon yourself. Too bad about your FBI records."
"I'm not worried about it. You shouldn't either."
Mavado stared at her. "Touché."
Deciding to take her leave then, Kira turned her back to him before walking forward. As she did, she spoke one more time. "Just let me know when you've got the Black Dragon in sight. I'll be more than happy to help you eliminate them."
Mavado stood in his place, not saying another word as he watched Kira walk away. Once she had turned a corner and disappeared, Mavado straightened himself up before turning the other direction and walked away.
Meanwhile, in the dungeons, Jade continued to hide out within the darkness. For a while, she hid on top of a beam near a ceiling, the darkness above it keeping her concealed.
There was one thing she noticed as she waited… it had begun to get too quiet around her. Normally, she would hear voices or footsteps in a far distance, or the occasional dripping of water. Now, however, it was too quiet… and the green-clad woman didn't like it one bit.
I'm going to have to use caution for a while, Jade thought to herself as she jumped down.
Once she landed, she ran forward, keeping her heels up so that she didn't make any noise. For a few minutes, she made her way through the halls, making sure to be careful with every corner that she turned, almost expecting a handful of guards to be waiting for her.
Then she turned a corner… and stopped upon seeing two figures suddenly in front of her.
Keeping her grip on her staff, Jade narrowed her eyes in order to get a better view. Upon seeing who was there, her green eyes suddenly widened as she recognized the two women standing before her.
"Kitana! Sindel!" she called out, feeling a heavy weight lifting off her shoulders for the first time in months. Jade began to approach them, letting her guard down. "I'm glad you're-"
Jade suddenly stopped as she noticed something. She didn't noticed right away when looking at Sindel, but upon gazing at Kitana, she noted her white eyes. Jade felt her heart clench in her ribcage, enough for her to lose her breath. Kitana's white eyes told her exactly what was wrong…
Both mother and daughter were under Shao Kahn's brainwashed control!
Jade gripped on her staff tightly in anger. "I should've know Shao Kahn would have done this to you…"
Then, she heard another pair of footsteps behind her.
"What now?" she muttered as she turned her head to see who was coming. Expecting a guard, Jade turned her head, but not too much so that she still kept her eye on Kitana and Sindel just in case they attacked her.
"Is that you, Ivy?" Jade called out. "If so, come out and face me!"
It was a minute later when the person stepped into the light. Upon seeing who it was, Jade's eyes widened more than ever, finding herself in total shock and disgust as she never expecting to ever see them again.
"No… you were killed! I saw them carry you after you died!"
Standing before her, well and alive and under Shao Kahn's control, was Sonya Blade!
A/N: The flashback with Scorpion and (elder) Sub-Zero was written in a way that it would fit with the first story canon (the story before MK 2011) since I began writing the trilogy before the game's release, hence why Quan Chi didn't appear and show the Shirai Ryu massacre to Scorpion in story mode.