At times it feels as though the world marches on slowly, painfully, and nothing changes at a rate you'd desire. Sometimes, however, things move at a pace you feel is too fast. Plot points of your life rush by and it's too fast to catch up and breathe, to understand what happened and to move along.
For what felt like years he travelled through the Netherrealm and in the glimpse he finally received of the one person he wanted to spend that eternity with, it passed away as quickly as the hammer fell upon her skull. When she faded for the last time from his life, Kotal Kahn had a realization of not just his time and what he had done to reach that single moment which passed so quickly, but thought of the time of those around him.
Each person suffers their own reality. Sometimes we suffer another's and it's not always for the best. Some people are truly out there to destroy other lives, whether they know it or not, on purpose or on accident. Everyone is going through something different and you can never tell in the moment that you meet them, even if you've known them for years, or since birth.
With Erron Black at his side, Kotal Kahn passed through the guarded gates to the staircase beneath the palace. It followed several tunnels through the cliff the palace grounds were erected on and there he'd find the many little secret prison cells hidden beneath Edenia's eyes. Some of them opened out to the cliff face if they were low enough to hide. Often there would be no means of stopping these prisoners from escaping when their only escape was to jump to their deaths.
This one was a different story. After a long descent, guided by a single Tarkatan guard that had likely served Kotal Kahn and Kitana in Outworld, Kotal Kahn reached one of the lower cells carved into the stone and earth of the plateau. It had been several days since he, Erron Black, and Mileena had burst in on Skarlet and Rain.
There was so much confusion, and a lot of finger pointing. Rain was near death, but without knowledge of the situation, had been tended to. Things didn't look good for Skarlet, who Kotal Kahn had known and raised almost as if she were his own child. Jade might not have been a fan of the Blood Witch, and certainly couldn't be after her betrayal, but he knew the moment he spotted the scene what had happened.
A fight, argument, or the deepest darkest disgust of humanity bellowed in that room and few could smell or recognize it by sight, or sound, and sense. As a warrior of honor, he knew it before the door even opened.
Raiden had ensured Rain's punishment as the investigation continued between the Earthrealm warriors if Skarlet was even worth caring about considering her past, would be locked away with the prisoners here in the cliffs. Mileena would have slain them both, and Kotal Kahn, well, he had made his decision.
Skarlet's betrayal could never be forgotten, nor should Rain's.
Once at the cell, guarded by another Tarkatan, Kotal Kahn nodded and signaled for the others to look away. They'd've joined him if they could get away with it. Mileena certainly would not have cared.
The metal door creased open and Rain, sunken against the carved earth pulled himself up. Erron closed the door behind Kotal Kahn and guarded with a shotgun locked and loaded.
Rain could certainly escape into the watery realm if it weren't for the magic of the two Gods that trapped him in there. He couldn't even jump to end his own life. Stripped to just black breeches and shirt, he pulled up against the wall and plead his case to Kotal Kahn.
The Kahnum of Outworld only allowed one word out of the Edenia's slithering lips before his fist cracked the man's jaw. Rain collapsed and screamed as the pain coursed through him like a river that pulled him over jagged rocks. His head crashed against the invisible barrier, and slapped like glass to his knees.
Kotal Kahn did not end there.
A fist full of the Edenian's hair allowed him to pull Rain like a rag doll up for a second strike, then a third, and a fourth. For good measure, the Kahnum of Outworld aimed like a great athletic Mayan for the ball of Rain's head and cracked it against the hard earth.
The sun cast its judgement over the body and the blood that pooled against the corner of the cell. Kotal Kahn, his chest bare save for the markings of red in the symbol of his betrayer took a moment to enjoy that heat and harsh light of day. With the energy it stored rapidly through his veins, it granted him the strength to shatter the barrier after several hard, bleeding strikes. Nothing shattered like glass, nothing fell nor seem to cut Rain or Kotal Kahn, but he was not finished.
He pulled Rain up by his ears and slammed him against the wall, pulled up real close so that the boy could taste his hatred with each breath.
"I should have killed you the moment I met you." He slammed Rain again like a punk doll as blood would jut out from a heavy gash slashed from forehead to chin. "Your rain pours acid, and your life is irrelevant."
Nothing from Rain.
"Be there at the pyramid and I will watch her skin you alive." Kotal Kahn tucked his thumb inside Rain's mouth, the jaw dislocated and hung slack like a handle for him to throw the body over the cliff.
He didn't even lean to watch the body fall. Certainly Rain would be conscious enough to fall into the watery realm he commanded. As a half-God he'd have at least that chance of survival, as slim as it was.
A great knock bellowed from the door for Erron Black to throw wide the gate of victory. The rest would be in Skarlet's hands.
Guarded as if nothing had happened, the prison cell locked behind Kotal Kahn and Erron as they ascended the tunnels.