I was blurry when I was being dragged from a vehicle and entering a cave. My vision wasn't clear, nor have any idea where I was. I kept blacking out from conscious to unconscious. It wouldn't nearly hours later, I woke up to find myself in a cell that I was chained into a wall. Across from my cell was one of my comrades, who survived the ambush. He was wondering where he was as well. I than peeked over towards a cell next to his, was the younger brother who predicted this ambush. He was shivering to the bone, while wishing that his brother was here to comfort him. Someone was coming towards my cell and someone unlocked the cell. Two men were in my presence: one of course was a Taliban affiliate, while another was a man with a red glow on one of his eyes.
"Is it him?" the affiliate asked.
"Aye, exactly who you wanted, including his unit." the second man spoke.
"You have done a great service to us. Your payment would arrive shortly." the first man than called the guards to wake me up and bring me out of the cell. One of the guards held a bucket of water and splashed all over me.
"Wakey, wakey." the second man greeted.
"Bring him to the room." the affiliate ordered the guards.
I was than being blindfolded and knocked unconscious again. It wouldn't be a few short minutes later that I was woken up again with the cold water, except I opened my eyes to see myself underwater. I was than pulled out by the head. I guess I was in a torture chamber. The affiliate interrogated me for the whereabouts of the base I was from. I refused to answer with silence. I was than dunked into the water again until I wasn't able to breath. They pulled me out again. They continued to interrogate me again. I even at one point spat on the affiliate and refused to answer. He than told one of the guards to grab something nearby. A guard came back with a sledgehammer. He demanded me to answer one more time. I basically give him a "F" you answer. He than grabbed the sledgehammer from the guard and broke my leg. He than approached to my face with a vicious smile. He was aiming his hammer at my head. As he swung for my head... I woke up.
I woke up gasping for air. Liu Kang woke me up and I noticed that it was dark, as the evening already came. "What happened?" he asked.
"It's just a dream. I guess I just slept a bit that's all." I answered, while gasping. I looked over to see Captain Holly was sniffing around, as if he caught a scent. ''What's going on?"
"It appears that Captain Holly woke all of us up, because he caught an 'elil' scent." Liu Kang answered.
"Can you smell a fox?" Bluebell asked.
"I'm not too sure any foxes would be around, after the invasion." I answered Bluebell.
"Well, if they are around or not, I can definitely smell a fox. There's a distinct foxy flavor to the air, right?"
"The fox scent was a couple of days old. However, it stopped here. Like another elil have caught it." Captain Holly spoke.
"What do you mean caught it?" Kung Lao questioned.
"Something else came and apparently bested the fox." Captain Holly answered. "However, we should be fine for the night."
"Should be fine. Should be fine. Should be fine..." Bluebell nervously thinking to himself.
We headed over to the belt that separated the woods and the fields. There wasn't any sound around us, not even a cricket, an owl, nor a crow stalking at night to give us a fright. However, we did managed to hear some footsteps roaming around us that was quicker than a rabbit. Liu Kang and Kung Lao were ready for combat, unlike the rest of us.
"Did you hear something? What was that?" Blackberry asked.
We decided to stay close together, as we huddled side by side. Some of us panted with bits to full horror for the suspense. Neither one of us could rest for the night, nor try to fall asleep from possible evil that could be lurking in the night.
"Bluebell, you don't have to, but... tell us a story." Blackberry asked Bluebell if he could tell us a story to keep us brave.
Bluebell took a deep breath and began his story. Once upon a time in, the darkest cruelest winter the world has ever known, El-Ahrairah's people were starving. So, El-Ahrairah set out to find the only being he thought could save them. The Black Rabbit of Inle'.
"Whose The Black Rabbit of Inle'?" Liu Kang asked.
"The rabbit that comes for a living rabbit that is dead or dying." Bluebell answered before resuming his story.
He struggled on and on until eventually, he arrived at the Caves of Inle, the mouth of which appeared before him, like the maw of a giant monster trying to eat the sky-
And before the prince, the nightmare figured emerged, like a toxic void, and in his heart, El-Ahrairah knew that there were no more tricks to be played. Another rabbit appeared out of nowhere, as he finished his hauntingly narration telling of El-Ahrairah and The Black Rabbit of Inle'. All of us were jumped by his surprise, as more rabbits were surrounding us. Even something became visible to us. It was a reptilian looking ninja, informing the rabbit something.
"Those are the Earthrealm Warriors we seek." the reptilian ninja spoke.
"Reptile!" Kung Lao recognized the ninja.
"I never thought I'll see you loathsome warriors again!" Reptile spoke.
The rabbit chuckled. "The old yarns are the best and you spin them so well, storyteller."
"And what are you doing with that rabbit, Reptile?! Back from Sandleford?!" Kung Lao questioned.
"I don't think he's from Sandleford, Kung Lao." I whispered to him.
"I'm not from a warren called that. My name is Captain Orchis. My friends and I are from a little warren nearby called Efrafa. We'd love you to join us." the rabbit introduced himself.
"I'm afraid you won't be taking us anywhere!" Liu Kang exclaimed.
"Oh really, human?" Captain Orchis questioned. "Not even having some friends behind you?"
"What friends?" I questioned.
Appearing from behind us was Sektor and Cyrax, and their cyborg ninjas. Captain Holly recognized them immediately. "No, no, no, no, no!" he whispered to himself. Even a cowboy aimed a revolver on my back.
"Nice to collect some bounties for Efrafa." the nomad-cowboy spoke.
"Indeed, Erron Black. I guarantee Woundwart would reward you and your soldiers for their capture." Captain Orchis spoke before he started to lead us ahead, as he looked back at the six of us. "Now come along... quickly now."
We were than being pushed and forced to walk/hop with them to their warren called Efrafa. "I never thought we'll be captured, again."
"I never thought I would see their faces again." Captain Holly recalled about Sektor and Cyrax.
"Does anyone have a Plan B?" Kung Lao asked.
"Just wait for an opportunity. That is all." I whispered.
"And I could assure you that none of you would try to escape, or you'll face death for escaping." Captain Orchis overheard us.
"Shit!" I cursed. "This is Afghanistan, all over again."
"As we long we stick together, Thomas." Captain Holly assured me. "We'll be fine."
We both looked at each other, as I decided to trust him. "Yes, sir."