Home away from home, Sonya had managed to carve out a warehouse of two bigger buildings in the Merchant District of the Edenian city. It was cornered to the right, close to the edge of the cliff, if the palace road that crossed the wide gap was center stage.
It was no hangar.
It was no Earth.
On the second story, Kung Jin stayed in the makeshift loft. What would be Sonya's office, was a hollow fifteen by fifteen. Should they deal further with Edenia, and especially the half-tarkatan Mileena, Sonya urged her to agree to an embassy in the city. This would be it.
He walked out onto the walk way above Jacqui and Takeda in training. Just them, no Sonya, Kenshi, Sub-Zero or others. Of all mornings, why would they be here?
Takeda held a punching bag for Jacqui and she struck it with speed, with weight behind each fist, like it would be her last punch. At some point they realized, it could be their last.
"Wouldn't it be funny," Kung Jin broke the silence, "if we showed up and it was already over."
The two stopped and looked up at Kung Jin at the railing leaned down to snicker at them like a Cheshire Cat.
"Yeah, they came, ate all the food and left." Jacqui snipped back, then continued her strikes.
"There's going to be food?" Takeda let go of the bag.
"Just knuckle sandwiches." Kung Jin jested, but quickly as he watched them continue, that existential sense of dread wrapped his stomach around itself like a blanket and squeezed as tightly as it could for some semblance of warmth in this wretched moment.
What chance did he have? He'd be in the back with his archery skills having to pick and choose his targets based on if an arrow could even pierce some great magical barrier some unknown mystical beast of a man or woman would have. This fantasy dungeons and dragons game where rolling a one meant actual death, he wasn't sure if he was up to par with the others. To run into battle as Takeda and Jacqui preferred.
The concussion jarred his world for three days. His altered sense of self like he had tried to pull himself together into one being by a thin thread had faded, but what would another strike do?
"Should we really be doing this?" He pondered.
It took a moment for Takeda and Jacqui to register his words. After a few strikes, Takeda paused her and looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Jacqui added, "I'm here to get my dad. I know this is all life and death, but who am I compared to these freaks and monsters?"
"My father is dead set on seeing it through." Kung Jin spoke, "he's been in this fight since he was born, and now I am too. I have to as well, but it just feels endless."
"Because it is." Takeda rounded from the bag and crossed his arms. "If I've learned anything from Scorpion, or Master Hanzo, it's that war never ends. Life is a struggle and you have to fight to find the person you need to become, or the world that needs to exist, even if it's without you."
"Come the time, Scorpion would have been on the other side of the battlefield." Jacqui noted. "Things can change, Kung Jin. We need to try, even if it's just making sure I can get my dad home safe."
"Go back home and sleep in my own bed." Kung Jin hoped.
"Return to the temple in Japan." Takeda nodded. "However, the big bad is done and we kind of won, sound our victory cheers and drink. Where do we go from there?"
"Home." Jacqui answered.
"We sleep until the next big bad comes out to play." Kung Jin corrected. "There's always another asshole out there waiting their turn."
So long as they talked, Jacqui pulled her gloves off to inspect her hand after the session. Bruised, she felt almost like her skin would crack and peel, yet when she struck the bag she couldn't feel it. Only when she'd already walked through the fire could she turn and let it burn.
The two men stared at her hand with her. Why they froze, not one among them knew, nor could be told.
"Everything is turning out so dark." She remarked. "In a few hours, we may never speak to each other again, you know?"
"That's not going to happen." Takeda assured her. Her hands in his as he tried to mend the pain.
Through the smoke he called to her, to make her way across the flame. To save the day, or maybe melt away.
Where else could she turn?
"Then let's make a pact." Kung Jin drew their attention to him. "No matter what, we stick together, and we make sure we get out together."
"We'll see it through," Takeda nodded, "it's what we're always here to do, right?"
As their endless days finally acted in a blaze, to the point of no return, they agreed, as one.
When Takeda let go, Jacqui cracked her knuckles back to health and urged him to hold the punching back. She wanted the fire back.
Kung Jin watched as they continued to train, no words, as if nothing was spoken. The torch they bared would scorch them no doubt, because no matter how much they desired a better life, each of them were drawn to the fire.
Let it burn.