With the information he was now aware of, Kung Jin wasted no time returning to the Special Forces to inform them of what Raiden was attempting to keep secret from all except Fujin and Bo' Rai Cho. He had brought Kai with him, ostensibly to introduce him to his friends and so Kai could aid in passing along the information. Kai suspected other motives in Jin asking him to come along, but decided to leave it be for the moment.
They walked through the base, Kung Jin holding Kai's arm the entire way to lead him through, not wanting to waste time on a tour.
Eventually, they found the room where the others were.
"Hey Jin!" greeted Cassie. "Who's your new boyfriend?"
"Cass, don't torment your friend." Advised Mokap.
Jin let go of Kai's arm, looking down in an attempt to conceal his blushing. "H-He's not my….everyone, this is Kai. He's my friend, no prefix, from the Wu Shi Academy."
"Aww, and here I thought this was our first date." Kai said with a snicker.
"Y-You did…? I mean...if you wanna... hang out some other time we can-" Kung Jin continued to stammer.
"Dude, I was messing with you, relax!" Kai clarified, slapping Jin on the back.
"Oh...right…" Jin responded, still blushing and laughing awkwardly shortly after.
Cassie shook her head and tried to contain her laughter. "That was priceless..."
"Welcome aboard, Kai," greeted Sonya, going over and shaking his hand, deciding not to comment on the disaster that had just unfolded. "You two got here just in time, we're monitoring the situation now."
Mokap gave the pair of Shaolin monks a friendly wave.
Cassie on the other hand, walked over to Kung Jin and whispered into his ear:
"He's perfect for you. Don't screw it up."
She then winked. Kung Jin did his best to try and ignore her, instead focusing on the situation at hand:
"Wait, this isn't a mission for us?" He asked his superiors.
"Nah," Johnny answered. "We sent Kenshi and a few guys over to this Red Dragon base we found. They tried stayin' covert, but..."
"Didn't exactly go well." Jax finished for him, arms crossed and eyes on the nearest monitor.
"Wait...dad's there?"
All present turned to see Takeda and Jacqui entering the room.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Takeda asked. "I could've gone with him!"
"We could've gone with him." Jacqui corrected.
"He could be in trouble!" Takeda continued.
Sonya placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Takeda, your father can take care of himself. It was his choice to go on the mission."
"Yeah, after Raiden brought up avengin' your mom," Johnny recalled. "Seems to me like he was the one who wanted Kenshi to tag along."
"Is Raiden there too?" Takeda asked.
"He said he had business to take care of," Sonya explained. "Not exactly sure where he is."
"Yeah I don't like how cryptic he's been lately," Johnny admitted. "It's nice knowing what the hell is happening, ya know?"
"I'm starting to agree with that, Mr. Cage," said Takeda, clear frustration in his voice. "What's happening now?"
"Kenshi and his squad are engaging the Red Dragons," Jax answered. "Firefight looks rough, but they're holding their own."
"Ohgod ohgod…." Takeda said as he went over to the monitor. Only in recent years had he gotten his father back into his life, and he wasn't about to lose him.
Jacqui understood this, quickly trying to comfort him. "Easy there Taki, I'm sure he'll be ok."
"I...I hope you're right," Takeda responded with a deep breath. "I really do…"
"Umm….on a somewhat related note," chimed in Kung Jin. "There's something we gotta tell you guys."
"Like, real big news," Kai added. "Don't tell Raiden we told you, I'm too good lookin' to get fried."
"I love that that's your top concern." Cassie said sarcastically.
"But seriously, this is some really shady stuff," Kai insisted. "You guys might not even believe it."
"I wouldn't have if I didn't hear them say it firsthand," Kung Jin admitted. "I mean, it's crazy."
"Hear who say what, exactly?" asked Sonya.
"Raiden, Fujin, and Master Bo' Rai Cho," Kung Jin answered. "We-"
"We mighta eavesdropped on them talking about some stuff," Kai interceded. "The main thing was the Kamidogu."
Cassie groaned. "Not those damn magic blood knives."
"Ugh...I get a headache even thinking about that mind control crap," Jacqui recalled. "Come to think of it, that might've been how we first met, babe."
"Oh yeah…" Takeda remembered. "Weird day…."
"Oh this day's probably gonna be weirder than that one." said Kai.
"Yeah, the thing about the Blood Code Daggers is…" Kung Jin started to say, as everyone leaned in to listen, all except for Takeda, who kept his eyes on the monitor.
At the Red Dragon base, chaos had broken out. Red Dragon and SF soldiers were shooting each other back and forth, a lightshow of lasers and bullets flying in almost every direction. Leading the SF side of the assault was Kenshi, slashing through the Red Dragons in front of him and mercilessly and telekinetically pulling any others nearby into the path of his blade.
"Keep fighting!" He commanded the troops. "They only have so many of their blackhearted soldiers, while we have righteousness!"
He raised his sword and the soldiers cheered as they charged forward into the fray. Kenshi had led a few operations with the Special Forces since he had begun aiding them, and had figured out at this point how to inspire troops on the battlefield, even if he would have preferred to enact his vengeance on the Red Dragon himself.
Even in spite of Kenshi's words however, the Red Dragons matched their fervor, devoutly loyal to their cause and to their master, Daegon. A master that Kenshi would cut through as many Red Dragons as needed to find, so that he could interrogate him and learn the identity of his wife Suchin's killer at long last.
Kenshi had learned to mostly temper his rage since he had met Suchin, and since he had found friends among the Special Forces and grown closer with his son. But his hatred of the Red Dragon clan for what they had taken from him still burned brightly, and drove him as he slashed his way through this chaotic battle.
Daegon was naturally aware that the attack was happening, watching from monitors in his own base, located on an entirely different continent from the one that Kenshi and the Special Forces were attacking.
"That man has become rather troublesome…" Daegon said annoyedly. "It is a shame that Hsu Hao was unable to kill him due to the intervention of that blasted Scorpion. Still, no need to speak ill of the dead. He was ambushed after all."
"Sir, what should we do?" asked a Red Dragon seated in front of one of the monitors, breaking Daegon's concentration and musing on his departed agent, completely unaware of his Netherrealm rebirth.
"I may have an answer to that question…" said Doctor Alan Zane as he entered the room, a warped smirk on his face as always.
"Ah, Doctor Zane," Daegon said fondly, turning around to face him. "I assume you would suggest that we let some of your pets play with Mr. Takahashi and the Special Forces fodder he brought with him."
"You assume correctly," Zane confirmed. "I think this would be quite a suitable field test. Perhaps, with the permission of our Black Dragon allies of course, Ms. Virgo could be sent to test out her new abilities as well."
"Not yet," Daegon told him. "The element of surprise is invaluable. We cannot make the Special Forces aware that we have reached an agreement with the Black Dragon until the time is right. If they were to learn of our alliance now, it is likely that they would go to even greater lengths to see both clans wiped out, seeing us as a greater threat to their precious country united than apart."
"Of course," Zane replied understandingly. "Just a few of my pets then. That should certainly keep them busy."
"Indeed," agreed Daegon. "And focus them on Kenshi. I want to put him out of my misery once and for all."
"As you wish, Lord Daegon." Zane acquessed.
The battle raged on, the Special Forces now successfully pushing back the Red Dragons due to their superior numbers as well as Kenshi's leadership and battle prowess. A few Red Dragons even attempted to meet the blind swordsman blade-to-blade, but were quickly cut down when faced with superior skill.
Victory seemed assured, until…
Red portals began opening up on the opposite side of the Special Forces troops.
Out of the portals came about a dozen reptilian humanoids, similar to Saurians, but their scales were red. They also had far more pronounced, crocodilian snouts and large tails, somewhat like Tiamat, albeit smaller. They were wearing black armor on their chests and waists. The creatures roared, and began expelling red fireballs from their mouths, which quickly took out several SF soldiers and started a fire within the base, before the creatures started jumping in and engaging in physical combat, displaying superior strength and even being able to tear off the limbs of soldiers, a few using their mouths and devouring arms, legs, or heads like ravenous monsters.
Kenshi of course wasn't going to stand idly by and allow this to happen, telekinetically grabbing one of the creatures and pulling them right into the path of his blade, stabbing them through and killing the creature.
"What manner of monsters has Daegon created now?" He asked himself.
Kenshi ran into the fray and cut down two more of the creatures. Three others blasted fireballs at him, but Kenshi was able to stop the projectiles in midair with his telekinesis. This required incredible concentration on his part however, allowing another one of the creatures to bite into his shoulder. The fireballs resumed their path, but Kenshi was able to grab the creature that had bitten him and use it as a shield, the projectiles causing the creature to explode, knocking Kenshi back and into a well, Sento falling out of his grasp.
With Kenshi down, a Red Dragon soldier walked up to him. Unlike the others, he didn't wear red-lensed goggles, but rather a monocle of the same design, his other eye covered by an eyepatch with the Red Dragon's insignia on it. He held a pistol in his hand.
"Well well, the elusive Kenshi," the soldier said disdainfully, before kicking him. "Can't believe we lost Hsu Hao because of you. After he beat your sorry ass to a pulp, to. But that's not why I'm putting a bullet in your head."
"D-Do I...know you?" Kenshi asked, before smirking. "You all start to blend together after a while."
The soldier hit Kenshi in the jaw with the handle of his pistol.
"When we came for your family, your wife took my eye," the soldier explained. "I repaid the favor by putting a bullet in her. She actually kept fighting, believe it or not. Cut down about ten more of us before she was finally put down. But you? To be honest, your wife was a much better fighter. Didn't need to hide behind the Special Forces, or some fancy powers, or a dead man with fire powers."
"You….do not get to speak of Suchin…" Kenshi said, before spitting blood at the Red Dragon soldier.
The soldier put his gun right up to Kenshi's head. "I was complimenting her, but whatever."
The soldier was seconds away from pulling the trigger, when Sento suddenly stabbed through his chest. The Red Dragon soldier screamed out in pain, dropping his gun before the sword left his body and returned to Kenshi's hand.
"Never….underestimate….a Takahashi…." he said as the Red Dragon soldier fell over dead.
One of the people responsible for Suchin's fate was gone, but as Kenshi climbed to his feet, stabbing his sword into the ground and using it as a cane, he didn't feel like the job was done.
He also wondered how he'd managed to summon the sword in spite of his dazed state, but assumed his telekinetic abilities were simply growing stronger.
He surveyed the battle around him, lacking sight due to the treachery of Shang Tsung so many years ago, but being able to sense all that was happening with his telepathy.
These….these new monsters that the Red Dragon has created were overwhelming the Special Forces. The tide of battle had shifted. Kenshi needed to get back into the heat of battle, aid the troops against these things. But his train of thought was broken when he heard the shouting of a Red Dragon soldier.
"Activate the base's self-destruct and let's get out of here!"
"No!" Kenshi yelled as he rushed over to stop them. Before he could, the soldiers had entered one of the red portals and a countdown had started.
Kenshi began fumbling with the computer console, trying to figure out how to shut down the self-destruct sequence.
"Everyone get out of here!" He ordered as he worked frantically. "Retreat!"
Even with his telepathy, the lack of sight had always hindered Kenshi when it came to computer operations. But he couldn't risk the life of one of the other soldiers, he considered it wrong.
Kenshi heard a snarling behind him. He turned and cut down one of the reptilian creatures, only for another to shoot a fireball at him. Kenshi flipped out of the way of the projectile, but it ended up hitting the computer console and destroying it.
"NO!" Shouted Kenshi.
The structure began collapsing down on him, the ground shaking and rubble and debris falling every which way. The yells of evacuating soldiers from both sides could be heard as well as the screeching and roars of the Red Dragon's genetically engineered monsters. Though he could not see, he could sense the chaos all around him, hear the rocks crumbling above and below him. And finally, for the first time since before Kenshi discovered his telepathy… everything went black.
That was the last thing Kenshi could remember before he found himself buried in rubble, being dug out by Jax and Jacqui, with Sonya and Takeda behind them.
"Found him!" Called out Jax
"Dad!" Takeda shouted. He tried to go over to his father, but Sonya stopped him.
"Hold on," she advised. "Let Vera look him over."
"Right." Takeda replied.
Vera walked into Kenshi's "view" and knelt down nearby him.
"It's bad," she explained, moving a portable X-ray device the SF had developed over his body. "He's got multiple bone fractures, it'll probably be several days before he recovers."
Takeda held back tears as he went over to his father and helped him up, grabbing onto one of his shoulders as Jacqui took hold of the other.
They moved him over to a paramedic team, which placed him on a stretcher alongside some wounded surviving soldiers.
"You're gonna be ok, dad," Takeda assured. "They'll take good care of you."
Kenshi nodded slowly. "D-Do not worry, my son. I'll…" he groaned in pain. "I'll be alright."
Takeda held onto his father's hand tightly. "Please. I can't lose you too."
Jacqui put her arm around him. "It's gonna be ok, baby."
Takeda nodded and released his father's hand, allowing the paramedics to take him into a nearby helicopter.
Sonya was watching their moment from afar, lamenting putting Kenshi on the mission, when Johnny walked up to her.
"How many did we lose?" she asked.
Johnny sighed. "More than half the squad. All that's left is Kenshi and about twenty other guys and gals."
Sonya sighed deeply. "It feels like every day I have to make more and more calls to more and more families."
"I know," Johnny sympathized. "But things will get better, I'm sure of it."
Sonya shook her head. "How do you do it, Johnny? How do you stay so optimistic?"
"Light at the end of the tunnel," Johnny answered. "I just focus on that."
"Yeah well, I feel like I'm always stuck in the darkness," Sonya replied. "Always losing good people, while the bad ones never seem to get what they deserve. Oh sure, Shao Kahn, Quan Chi, Shang Tsung. They're dead. Kano and Shinnok are locked up.
But Daegon's still out there. We wouldn't have even known he existed if it wasn't for Kenshi infiltrating their ranks. Pay back for what Hsu Hao did, really. Now he's dead. Part of me thinks it serves him right, but the part of me that thought he was my friend all those years says in being too harsh.
And then there's Kotal. That bastard tried to kill our daughter, and the other kids too. Now I wouldn't call Mileena my friend or anything but if half of what made her was Kitana she couldn't have been all bad. And now she's dead, and Kitana's something worse. So are all of our old friends. I just…I feel like we're never winning."
"Hey c'mon, don't talk like that," advised Johnny. "We do win, the wins are few and far between, but they're there. Remember when Cass knocked out Shinnok? Neither of us had ever been so proud of her… and remember when you finally took down Kano? Or when Raiden put down Shao Kah—"
As if summoned by the utterance of his name, Raiden crackled onto the scene.
Kai and Kung Jin, who had been conversing with each other the entire time, immediately looked uneasy when they saw him.
Cassie had been looking over an injured soldier with Vera, but upon seeing Raiden, stopped what she was doing almost immediately.
"Speak of the devil…" Sonya said under her breath.
"YOU!" shouted Takeda, marching over to Raiden with a bravery possessed by few.
"Is there a problem, Takeda Takahashi?" Raiden asked.
"You're the one who talked my dad into coming on this mission, and now look at him!" Takeda yelled, pointing to the bedridden Kenshi. "This whole mess is your fault!"
"It was not my decision to attack this Red Dragon facility," Raiden argued. "I presumed that Kenshi Takahashi would desire some involvement when I gained knowledge of the operation because of his wish to avenge the death of your mother. His injuries are a crime the Red Dragon are accountable for and further reason that they must be eradicated."
"I want the Red Dragon gone more than most," Takeda admitted. "But not if it will cost this much!"
"Then perhaps you should have been present to accompany your father on the mission." Raiden suggested in a noticeably angrier tone.
"I was spending time with the woman I love!" Takeda yelled.
"Time that could have spent helping to defend Earthrealm." Raiden argued.
"Some of us have lives!" Jacqui interjected. "Look, I love this job, I love making a difference in people's lives and fighting for what's right, even if I have to put myself on the line, and both of us fully understand how important it is, but we just can't spend every waking moment fighting and risking our lives. Especially not when we're trying to get married. Everybody has to take a break eventually."
Sonya knew full well that Jacqui's words weren't directed at her. And yet, when hearing them, she couldn't help but reflect on herself. The time she had poured into defending Earthrealm and how much it had cost her. How much of her life she hadn't been able to live because of this job.
Raiden on the other hand, had a markedly different reaction.
"Do not lecture me on the nature of your mortal lives, Jacqueline Briggs," Raiden urged. "I know full well your limitations, they are why I am the protector of this realm and the rest of you are merely additional defense."
"Limitations?" Takeda asked.
"You red-eyed son of a bitch." Jacqui said frustratedly.
"Does protecting us include lying to us?!" Called out Kai.
Raiden glared at both him and Kung Jin. "I sensed your presences when I met with Fujin and Bo' Rai Cho. It amuses me that you believed you would escape my notice."
"He has a point you know," Kung Jin pointed out. "You lied to everyone about the Kamidogu."
"Which made Reiko and Havik want those fucking knives!" Cassie added on. "You'd think after you got mind controlled with the rest of us you'd see how much of a terrible idea that was, but Jin and Kai here needed to spy on you to figure out that the daggers were just your cover story.
Maybe if you told us something, my mom wouldn't haven't gotten brainwashed and killed a guy! No wonder Sheeva wasn't mad at mom about Kintaro. The one she should've been mad at was you!"
"ENOUGH." Raiden boomed.
"Or. What."
Raiden's glare turned over to none other than Johnny Cage.
"No seriously, what're you gonna do if we keep pointing out how you're kinda shit at your job?" Johnny asked. "You gonna fry us, like—"
"Johnny," Sonya interrupted. "Don't."
"But he's being an asshole!" Johnny pointed out.
"We all have to make sacrifices." Sonya argued.
"This entire discussion is pointless," Raiden decided. "I will contact you when necessary."
He then teleported away in another crimson flash of lightning.
"Can't believe you'd stick up for him…" Johnny said, shaking his head.
"Raiden's lost just as much as we have," Jax pointed out. "Maybe more. Kids had a right to speak their minds, but Raiden's gotta do what he thinks is right to."
"Maybe he was worried someone like Reiko might interrogate us," Sonya reasoned. "And find out about these 'real' Kamidogu, whatever they are."
"Look, I'm not saying Raiden doesn't have his reasons," Johnny clarified. "But he could certainly stand to be less of a dick about it."
"I don't think I've ever seen a man that angry." Said Vera, who had watched the whole thing unfold from one of the helicopters.
"Me neither Aunt Vera, me neither," Cassie said as she returned to tending to the wounded soldier. "Not even Shinnok was that pissed."
"I still remember when he stopped by after me and Jax were attacked by Reiko," Vera recalled. "He actually… cared back then. Said he should've come sooner."
Cassie nodded. "Yeah, he used to almost be like an extra grandpa to me. But now he's changed so much…"
"People change, Cass," Vera reminded her, before shaking her head. "For better or for worse…"
"People change…"