Chapter 8 – Round 3 in the Netherrealm Battle Arena
Fortran felt he had been stuck in the Netherrealm Battle Arena for eons. The now pale-skinned hairless and youthful Shinnok with white eyes now sat on the chair which once belonged to the now departed Lucifer. The spectators sat with boredom. He now had a crimson-ruby, ornate, spiky hat, dark green robe with red outline and green belt.
"Ok, this is getting crazy."
The spectators sat. Some expressed their veiled impatience. Shinnok enjoyed the comfort of this chair. Next to him was Baphomet. Fortran pondered.
"First, that Lucifer had a big mouth before being banished by Shinnok. Next thing, I hear Shinnok being the pa of Raiden and this Shao Kahn guy. Who was their ma? Then, sent my the souls of my ma, a goat-headed guy, a big blue beast, my Malaysian Neighbours, Nitara, a black-looking Sub-Zero, a pale-looking man with a bald head, a bunch of three girls and…"
"You had your fun talking. Now, can we get on with it?" Shinnok spoke with something like impatience.
"How is it you ended up banished by your own son?" asked Fortran.
"I think a fitting punishment is arranged for you, mortal." said Shinnok.
"Boiling water, dirty food, going through wave after wave of foes? Haven't I taken enough punishment?"
"This is not Lucifer you're seeing."
"Oh, great. Your tone, your arrangements make things dull. Hey, what am I saying? Netherrealm is always dark. At least Lucifer made this realm more entertaining to suit my wants too. I kind of missed his no refusal nonsense." sighed Fortran.
"Then, there's something you can never refuse."
Shinnok sent the revenants of Liu Kang, Jax, Kung Lao, Sindel, Nightwolf, Kitana, Sub-Zero, Jade, Kabal and Stryker.
"Hey, what the…"
A revenant appeared to be someone Fortran recognised. Every revenant's screen had a very strong hint of grey in it with chunks of flesh that had been burnt and fiery designs all around everyone's upper torso.
"Hornbuckle?"
"You're still someone with a loud mouth. Remember our meeting in Chicago?"
"Wait, Luke? How is this possible?" asked Fortran.
"My name is Liu Kang. Raiden killed us all."
"Raiden is maybe mean to me, but would never do that." said Fortran.
"Are you calling him a liar? Accept the fact Raiden kill us all!" said the undead Kitana.
"Now, look! Who knows? Maybe you were trying to play hero and your recklessness ended up with you here. You are a Shaolin monk. I mean, what happened to your Shaolin song like um… ome omama omonomana masimeme na bo… I forgot how that went."
Fortran mimicked Shaolin monks' prayers. That insult was too much for Liu Kang.
"My fires will burn your mouth for this." Liu Kang was enraged.
Fortran's training from Master Cho and powers granted by the fallen spider deity called Anansi helped him avoid every fiery rapid attacks. As such, Fortran defeated him.
"You should learn to walk on burning logs."
Jade and Kitana approached Fortran.
"Well, well, if it isn't the girl in blue and a girl in green."
"Save it, mortal!" scolded Jade.
"You were there when my beloved Nitara died. Now, Nitara wanted to kill me too."
"That poor mortal should have listened. And it seems you won't listen too."
Kitana alongside Jade teamed up against Fortran. Even in death, Kitana and Jade had lost none of the fighting skill they had while they were alive. But Fortran's spider powers had taken them down before and this time proved no different.
Fortran fired strings of webs upwards to help avoid her fan projectiles and Jade's boomerang. Kitana threw her fan at Fortran who snatched it and thought he could fan himself, but the gust was too strong that it knocked him off his feet.
Kitana blocked his machete expertly and swung her fans in swift reply. Jade closed in from behind, and Fortran was knocked heavy blows between them as he attempted to block. A boot kicked out. He could not afford to be caught close between the two opponents, and fired his web to fling himself aside as the metal pole crashed down. Agility and his spider webs were his surest defence. He fought back as well as he was able. His vaulting attack proved useless. Whichever of the two he attacked, he was battered to the ground every time. Even as he faced one he seemed never to gain advantage before Jade lunged fast to assault him from behind. The ladies seemed inexhaustible; as fast as he struck one the other closed in, and he could not hope to hold both. He fired his webs to disarm them. He took the pole and battered them. The Empress and her friend were soon beaten into the floor by Fortran.
"How many more girls will beat me?" Fortran caressed his spider.
Jax came before his adoptive nephew.
"Uncle Jax."
"I am no one's uncle and certainly not yours."
"Uncle Jax, please, accept me as part of your family. Sonya and Cage adopted me. Uncle Mokap accepted me as his own. Say yes, Uncle Jax."
"You overstepped the line, boy. I gave Cage a huge beating. Now, I'm going to give daddy's little boy a good discipline."
Fortran and Jax fought each other. Tender feelings aside. Fortran showed Jax how much he was capable of fight. Defeated his adoptive uncle, Fortran declared.
"Someday, you got to learn to be more accepting towards me."
Fortran was frozen in a block of ice.
"We're accepting everything." said Sub-Zero.
Thanks to the heat of the Netherrealm, the ice melted.
"That's cool!" Fortran felt refreshed.
"Not quite." said Sub-Zero.
"Eh? I just faced Sub-Zero. No, wait. That was completely black. But, you? You're grey. This cooling agent made me feel refreshed."
"You don't know how to halt. I'll make you."
Fortran and Sub-Zero fought. Sub-Zero froze his opponent. Thankfully the heat of the Netherrealm melted the ice, indirectly giving Fortran the energy to continue his fight. Fortran fired his spider webs and used tactics of a trapdoor spider and a jumping spider. He defeated Sub-Zero.
"You better shove me in a freezer. It's way too hot in here. Brain freeze? And I guess my shout would help defrost brain."
Sindel approached Fortran.
"Your shout?"
"Oh great. I've faced too many girls in a row."
"Your shout is nothing compared to my scream. Mine! The Queen of Edenia."
"You better sort that hair out."
"Not if I sort you out."
Sindel's scream caused Fortran to falter. He spat sturdy cobwebs into her mouth. He at least gained small advantage that he could not hear her scream. Fortran jumped in a manner of a jumping spider onto her and punched her in the face.
"You make a poor excuse of a queen."
Fortran was suddenly caught within the smoke's vicinity, causing him to cough.
"What the… looks like volcanoes erupted."
"No volcanoes. Me."
There came a man with grey hair.
"Ok, what's the big idea? Smoke…"
"I'm not Smoke. I'm Tomas Vrbada."
"Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Yes, I feel that your voice will waver." said Smoke.
Without recourse, Smoke leaped into combat. Fortran must be wary because his smokescreen would cause his spider vision to falter, forcing him to rely on his spider instincts. He defeated the ninja.
"My ma told smoke is bad for my health."
"Will it be bad if I send you spinning?"
Fortran looked at Kabal.
"How many more opponents am I gaining?"
"Many more. I am Kabal. I will make you feel what it is you did to Connor."
Both Kabal and Fortran fought each other. He was caught unaware by his dashing speed. As he was dizzy, Kabal took advantage of his torment. Fortran used his spider webs to spring up over the latter who was beaten to the ground.
"Woah, slow down! You can spin some tales, later. Hey Shinnok, what's this? A game?"
"I thought you can't refuse entertainment." Shinnok sneered.
"Even those who had fun need to retire."
"I was wrong that you'd lighten the Netherrealm. I'm going to find someone suitable that would keep you motivated."
Stryker approached him.
"You? I must be you sure you can't resist arrest or are you planning some combat."
Fortran noticed it was written "Kabal and Stryker in Mortal Kombat" on his bullet proof jacket.
"Uh… isn't there a spelling mistake? Shouldn't cabal and combat start with 'c' instead of 'k'?" Fortran observed.
"Are you trying to act smart?" asked Stryker.
"Even a three year old child would get the spelling right."
"I'm going to place you under arrest for your nonsense." said Stryker.
While Stryker's strength was increased by the Netherrealm and Fortran himself was at a disadvantage, Fortran demonstrated that he didn't train with Master Cho by being a soft touch in combat. He took the fight to Stryker and managed to knock him to the ashen grounds of the Netherrealm.
"You should get an 'F' for your spelling mistakes."
"Not so fast, time to face this. Son, finish him!"
"What? Who?"
He noticed the arrival of a 215 cm tall man with a bald head in cape and harness. Fortran admired his height.
"How could I've been killed by Raiden?"
"Raiden's big brother?"
"Pitiful mortal! Do you know who am I?"
"Um… A big man. Well, even bigger than me."
"YOU MOCK ME, BOY. I AM EMPEROR OF OUTWORLD AND CONQUEROR OF THE REALMS." shouted Shao Kahn.
"Well, excuse me, Emperor Shao Khan, I can't believe…"
"I will smash your head into the fiery depths of the Netherrealm."
"Try me! Go ahead! Please your pa!"
The battle was one of the most intense of Fortran's life. Shao Kahn's strength was unparallel and his endurance legendary. It took all of Fortran's skill and speed to keep in the fight, but amazingly he managed to take it to the Emperor of Outworld. After what being bested by Liu Kang and later Raiden, Shao Kahn went down to the young student of Master Cho who was born in Cambodia's slums.
"You smash spiders. I hate those who kill spiders. Oh no, pa, how could I, Shaooooo…"
"ENOUGH! You had your fun. Now, how about I have mine?"
Fortran noticed a shokan with golden fur and black stripes similar to that of a tiger.
"Ok, a four-armed tiger? My adoptive father defeated a four-armed creature, Gore, Garo or whatever that name is. Now, I'm going to face this one. Pa, ma, I will do my best to please you."
Kintaro noticed Fortran's spider-based powers.
"I, Kintaro, will roast you. I detest spiders."
"You detest spiders? Spiders detest you."
The voice of Cage struck into Fortran's head.
"Those were 500 dollars sunglasses."
Fortran's remembrance of Cage fighting Goro on Shang Tsung's island led to Fortran's first take on a shokan. The tiger Shokan proves to be the most intense fight of Fortran's life. This event flashed continuously from his to Cage vs. Goro and back to Fortran vs. Kintaro. It took everything Cage's adoptive son had left in him to remain in the course of the fight, but he eventually managed to fight his way through Kintaro's defences and took the melee to him. Past and present, the events flashed. Ultimately, the mighty Kintaro fell to Fortran's onslaught and was left unconscious on the floor.
"My adoptive father defeated Goro. Now, I'm the one who defeated Kintaro."
Shinnok looked displeased with this outcome. A sound of a howling wolf was heard. He turned to look at Nightwolf.
"Wolves in the Netherrealm? You?"
"Yes, I heard you faced Ruutuu, a demon of this accursed realm haunted my ancestors. Pilamaya." said Nightwolf.
"Owww, sounds like I did you a service."
"Now, here's my means of expressing my gratitude."
The fight between Fortran and Nightwolf started. Nightwolf's powers proved more of a match for Fortran, but even he could not withstand the fury of the Pakistani teenager with the powers of Anansi. Fortran once again emerged victorious and left Nightwolf unconscious on the ground.
"Your ancestors will be really disappointed with what you've become."
Again the sound of a howling wolf was head.
"If that's one of that Native's an…"
Fortran turned to look at a towering blue beast with yellow eyes and massive spherical rock with a chain tied to his arm approached Fortran.
"Now, that's too grotesque to be an ancestor of Nightwolf. And it's blue."
The nightmare creature sensed the combatant, then swung his rock in anticipation of fresh sacrifice to the mighty weapon. The terrifying figure stamped its foot and roared to the red skies. With the full force of both hands he crashed the rock down, blasting Fortran aside with the shock of the impact. Hideyoshi also joined Moloch.
"HEY! Two massive men? No fair."
Facing Moloch and Hideyoshi at the same time would be impossible odds for any normal human since he recalled a number of combatants before his arrival were killed by the duo, but Fortran was no ordinary human since he was bitten by Anansi, the spider deity. The fight proved taxing. Fortran seeped through the ground similar, leaving the duo confused. He tossed a swarm of sparassidae, redback spiders and Siler semiglaucus at Hideyoshi, biting him. Moloch attempted to kill Fortran who re-emerged from the ground. The venom took its toll on him. The giant Outworld ally of Shao Kahn was killed. Nonetheless, the fight was one of the most difficult of his life, but eventually he prevailed against the oni.
Unexpected and enraged by this loss, Shinnok noticed that Fortran's constant cheering at his victory. The fallen Elder God ordered his reincarnated hell-spawned minions.
"All of you, finish him!"
"What it is this time?"
Fortran felt he was now forced to fight the former defenders of the realms.
"Uncle Jax, snap out of it!"
"Do I need to remind you I am not your uncle?" Jax reminded.
Sindel finally pulled the web from her mouth. Again, she was about to let out her piercing scream. Fortran sensed she was about to bring him to his knees to which he again fired a spider web into her mouth. Annoyed by this, it would take another minutes for her take it out. Jade rushed to attack Fortran with her pole, prompting the latter to use his trapdoor spider tactic and snatched it. He beat Kabal, Stryker, Smoke, Sindel, battered Kung Lao repeatedly on his head and ultimately he cried "Batter up!" before whacking her with her own weapon.
Out of it emerged hundreds of Shinnok's guards, members of Brotherhood of Shadow and deceased Red Dragon soldiers. Out of interest, Fortran began fighting with the guards and jumped into the rampaging army. He fired his spider webs at one guard, punched another and attacked yet another with his right knee, threw him down and finished him with his swarm of spiders. Sub-Zero slid on ice and Smoke rushed in an attempt to corner Fortran who fired strings of webs upwards, launching him above them. "I'm a spider."
Mavado, Hsu Hao, Médeia, Al Tahdeed ibn Moundibit, Houjoum and Guerrino rushed to attack Fortran. Mavado presented a formidable challenge in combat with his elastic ropes and hookswords, but Anansi's powers and Fortran's fighting ability allowed him to get the upper hand eventually. After a furious struggle, the revenant Red Dragon was finally knocked unconscious by Fortran.
Kitana tossed her fans at Fortran whose spider's instincts warned him of the incoming weapons. He felt the fans could at least cool him from the intense heat. Hsu Hao, Médeia and Guerrino ambushed him. The Hungarian female Red Dragon soldier and Italian Red Dragon soldier approached Fortran who avoided and used his machete to sabotage the cybernetic implants and had a fight with Médeia.
Fortran fought Médeia and Guerrino. He should watch out since she was once a member of the Rendőrség who hunted criminal gangs and Guerrino being a treasure hunter for the Red Dragon. With them down, Al Tahdeed ibn Moundibit and Houjoum attempted to chop Fortran's head. He spat a string of webs, disarming the two Arab Red Dragon soldiers. With them down, many more surrounded him.
Facing insurmountable odds, Fortran was soon aided by reinforcements.
With a shout of defiance, Ashrah, Cilene, Terrafaux, Sareena, Vapor, Lori, Blue, Lieutenant Lance, Mabasen and a number of prisoners charged, hurling spears and firing arrows as they ran to join in hand-to-hand combat. Shinnok's guards, the reincarnated minions and the Brotherhood of Shadow members reeled under the force of the charge. A spear was thrust, a creature swept off its feet. A monster's sword came down but was blocked by Ashrah in a valiant clash of steel. One giant brute lumbered through the tide and was clubbed aside in a solid blow, head smashed by Terrafaux. Swords slashed and demons were bludgeoned to the ground. Arrows flashed and stunned first one then another. In the thick of it, Cilene kept up rapid fire. The headless giant fought on, embers glowing from its body. Mabasen shot an arrow that finished it, as simultaneously Sareena and Vapor took out a portion of the enemies.
Ashrah's sword banishes the victims to dust. Cilene's sword did the same thing. The Namibian man recalled his fight with Liu Kang and his defeat in Shang Tsung's tournament. He helped in the fight against Shinnok's horde. Vapor created a vortex of steam, melting the victims which were being caught in the vicinity. Fortran fought against Al Tahdeed ibn Moundibit. Saif and machete clashed.
Shinnok was forced to enter the fight. The fallen Elder God went to face whoever was first. Shinnok confronted Fortran who defeated Al Tahdeed ibn Moundibit.
"Wretched boy, you think you can defy me? Do you hear? ME?!"
"Defiance is something I've always done. I've been heated up long enough."
The combat between Shinnok and Fortran was long and hard one, as both were matched evenly in strength, skill and but magical abilities differ. But in the end, Shinnok's fury could not match Fortran's determination and pursuit of justice, and it was Master Cho's youngest apprentice that defeated rogue Elder God and father of Shao Kahn and Raiden.
"You make such poor examples to your children."
Shao Kahn, who was now in company of N26, again confronted Fortran.
"POOR EXAMPLES? You talked to my father like this. I will make sure you're given a poor example."
"My master, Shao Kahn will not let anything bad to occur." said N26.
"Two big men again? That's getting uglier any minute." Fortran thought grimly.
Shao Kahn shoulder rammed his opponent with green streaks behind him. He fired green explosive blasts, forcing the latter to be wary of that. Fortran sensed N26's presence behind him, prompting him to use his webs to launch himself upwards. N26 brutally beat Fortran.
Shao Kahn engulfed Fortran in a force field and slammed him in the chest and kicked him, sending him sprawling across the ground. The duo rushed towards him, daring Fortran to try to come between them. This presented a difficult obstacle. Even an athlete such as he would find it too demanding a test to run through safely, yet with the powers of Anansi at his command, Fortran was able to judge the moment exactly, dashing forward as one phalanx retreated, then switching aside as they came rapidly towards him again. Not for the first time he considered that he and he alone, armed as he was with the powers of a spider, could find means to divide and attack.
He recovered and moved cautiously out of range, allowing N26 to expend energy on his extravagant assault before leaping to attack as he paused to recover. When he dealt enough damage, N26 attacked Fortran with his triple-bladed chainsaw. He held his machete, locked blades and began a struggle for supremacy. Sparks flashed. Fortran summoned every ounce of strength to throw N26 back, and they resumed their deadly cabaret.
"Pathetic and weak."
"I suppose following your pa's footsteps makes you like him, though you look too big to be his size plus he talks less."
"Did you just talk back at me? I'm the one who does the talking. Take that!"
Shao Kahn took out his wrath hammer and whipped it at Fortran who ducked in reflex. The wrath hammer smashed N26.
Shao Kahn savagely swung his wrath hammer, so Fortran should keep a decent distance from the emperor of Outworld. Shao Kahn swung his wrath hammer at an alarming rate, forcing Fortran to avoid. Fortran pushed N26 in the line of attack as Shao Kahn made nine dancing strikes with his wrath hammer, sending N26 sprawling into the lava and one final strike.
The battle proved to be the most difficult of Fortran's life. Shao Kahn's strength, magic power and fighting experience all greatly surpass his, with only his speed and agility outshining his. But Fortran, without knowledge, refused to let the man who ruled Outworld regain his throne any longer. With all the confidence and childish attitude he bore, Fortran dodges his attacks while landing surgical strikes of his own, and after an epic melee, he stood victorious over Shao Kahn.
"First his pa, now Shinnok Junior is down. I mean Junior number one is down."
Cilene noticed Fortran heading back to the Prison of Souls. Throughout the hallway, he used his spider webs to launch him across the place. He found it quicker than running.
"Be careful, Cilene!" warned Fortran.
Advice he could heed. On the ramparts before him was a portal. As he made his way gladly toward it, the ramparts began to crumble under his feet! He desperately tried to turn back and grab for safety, but it was too late. The stone ran away like sand through the fingers, and he plunged into the depths below, masonry cracking and tumbling all around. He fell heavily, and lay prone. He tried to get up only to be battered by falling rubble. As he recovered, he looked around and beheld a ghastly place of terror: bars, spikes, stone walls and iron cages, bloodstains and flaming brands; and low animal noises from the Shinnok's guards pacing far below.
He was on a stone walkway high above the prison floor. A ladder behind him led down to a metal platform. Taking up his courage, Fortran crawled on the wall made his way downward. The room of the Prison of Souls at this level was wider, and the angle necessitated that as he ran over each wall, Fortran had to leap out across gaps to each metal grill now revealed. Once more without pause - and with this little extra effort - Fortran made his way all around the room to leap, then swing off an alarming caged device (which broke away from the wall even as he leapt off it) to a ladder on the wall. Descending this, Fortran plunged gratefully to the dungeon floor. At once, Shinnok's guards, sharp hooks, spears, poles and swords in hands, menaced him - ready to treat this unwise intruder as they had no doubt treated many poor souls in this place in life. He felt no remorse as he set about each one, consigning them to their own eternal damnation. They were as easy to despatch using his trapdoor spider attacks as the rest.
Twin Sais and a female growl startled Fortran. As he was caught off balance, she kicked him to the ground. The weapons belonged to a young woman in purple outfit.
"Wonderful, as if I'm not getting enough girls who will beat me. I lost count. Girls in black, a screaming girl, Kung Lao's girl, a girl vampire, two girls in blue and a girl in green. Now, I'm facing a girl in pink."
"You wish." Mileena growled.
Fortran and Mileena had a fight with each other. While Mileena was an adversary just as quick and fierce as Kitana and Jade, she lacked the fighting experience of the Edenian combatant. After an intense battle, Fortran managed to beat Mileena unconscious.
"That is the last time I get beaten by a girl."
Although Fortran had complete confidence in fighting ability, he allowed that he was deep inside enemy-held territory, and reckless assault could prove more than costly. He climbed up the wall and towards the ceiling. He crawled in a manner of a spider. A voice of a terrified female voice beckoned Fortran. He used his spider vision to locate the area of where the distress cry was coming from. He crawled quickly towards his intended destination.
From his elevated position, he judged he could crawl across the ceiling, and as he did so he adopted a refinement: he flew through the air towards Shinnok's guards and simultaneously unleashed his lightning stealth kill.
He dropped between them and took both by surprise. He took a quick slash across the back of the first, then hopped to repeat the attack on the other. Then he jumped to finish the first, and as the second staggered to his feet, bounded back and finished him too with his machete. The enemies didn't stand a chance. As he turned to turn look inside the cell similar to where he was, he saw what appeared to be a raven-haired Indigenous Guatemalan beauty who appeared to be shaken and terrified.
"My goodness, what happened?"
"Please, don't hurt me! I've paid the price."
"Calm down!"
"Who? Who are you?" asked the servant girl.
"Fortran, I was killed by a servant of this Shao Kahn. I came to get you out."
"How do I know you won't hurt me?" asked the distressed girl.
"You have my word."
His eyes were lit on the keys, snatched it from one of the dead guards and unlocked the door. He freed the girl from the prison cell.
"I'm grateful that you saved me. Edenia is in your debt."
"Uh… Edenia?" Fortran wondered.
"You're not from Netherrealm or Outworld or Edenia, are you?"
"I am of Earth."
He noticed a ninja, who dressed similar to Ruutuu albeit with white eyes, approaching Fortran. He handed her the keys and signalled her to go back to her cell. With some doubts, she went back. This left Fortran's confrontation with Noob. The Edenian servant girl looked at her saviour.
