LEGION

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DISCLAIMER: I own no part of the game or series or anything else associated with Mortal Kombat that belongs to someone else entirely. Whoops. Hopefully corrected those misused words. I actually don't use a thesausrus, but guess I should use a dictionary in future and double check some meanings.

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Shang-tsung was in a fit of rage. The air about him crackling in manifestation of it. Kitana had eloped from Reptile's presence and had engaged with the earthrealmer lui kang. She had parted information to him that Shang -tsung was unable to digress. It irked him considerably but did not worry him quite so much. Whatever Kitana had imparted to Kang was unlikely to cause him any great difficulties, he kept Kitana in the dark as much as possible. No, what brought this insatiable rise of temper was Reptile's incompetence, his inexcusable lapse in concentration. Kitana had a will of her own, her actions he wished to deter but expected but Reptile was supposed to be his loyal servant, to obey with absolute complicity and allegiance. The pitiable creature beneath him in a rising steam of burnt flesh should have served him implicitly but had failed.

The burst of energy Shag-tsung had inflicted on him did not seem quite enough to drag into the ninja the importance of following his orders. Reptile's incompetence required further retribution so he kicked the crouching figure in the ribs, a rewarding sound of a pain filled exhalation of air filled his ears, bringing a modicum of vengeful delight. It also eased the anger Shang-tsung had stoked up from discovering Reptile's failure but he did not consider enough. Shang-Tsung entertained the idea of sending Reptile into the arms of Goro to mete out further punishment but disregarded it almost immediately. He need Reptile alive despite the incident and sending him to Goro was the equivalance to a death sentence or so near to death that Reptile's carcass would be beyond recyclable. No, instead the accursed creature would be sent to Sub-zero and Scorpion to aid in the clean-up. Punishment all around for they did not get along with one another at all and would hopefully dish out the necessary beatings to each other saving Shang-tsung the effort.

"Get your sorry hide up and help clean my throne room then get back to watching Kitana. A second failure will not be tolerated. GO!"

The heaving figure garbed in green arose on unsteady feet, glanced fretfully at his master then fled on tottering legs.

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Shang-tsung's cry faded into the distance and all four ninja's shuddered with a sigh of relief. Clearly aware of any potential retribution in that yell the ninja's went straight into their jobs with renewed vigour. Sub- zero proceeded to sweep and despite the need to pulverise his back Scorpion wisely curbed his natural instinct to follow through and went to collect his mop. Ermac and Jade disappeared into the shadows as if they were never there. Jade with a crease of worry marring her features.

Now only the sounds of sweeping could be heard in the chamber while underneath that was the silence of a hard stare. Scorpion with shrunken eyes stared at Sub-zero plotting a pain-filled existence with the subject of his rage being the sole receiver. His humiliation was demeaning for a ninja usually so graceful and predatory on their feet. Scorpion was sharpening his stinger.

Sub-zero would have been a fool to be oblivious of his nemesis's directed anger. He smiled unperturbed by any repercussions for his trick, it was far worth it for the look of surprise on the other Lin quei's face.

In the shadows not entirely gone from the room the other two ninja's talked in conspiritory whispers.

"Do you think that Kitana has anything to do with Shang-Tsung?"

Jade looked concerned upon her partner in crime. Evidently worried about her friend.

Ermac gave her one of his 'don't be silly ' looks. The eyebrow above his seeing eye raised almost comically.

"She's fine, she's always fine. Kitana has not been around this long just to fall foul of Shang's temper. That little lady's like a damn earthrealm cat. Besides which, what does it matter? Kitana's trouble. Getting rid of her will be good for Shang. Good for the tournament"

Jade replied with a caustic look. Ermac was an awkward person to understand but his evident disregard for Kitana fueled a bitterness toward him that she never have felt at any other time.

Jade, in a sudden change in emotion raised a palm to his face, caressing down his scarred side with a gentleness that defied her profession. Tenderly she traced the scar using her index figure to curve down the puckered white mark. Ermac watched with a wary eye unprepared for the rise of Jade's caring side. Nothing more then the hint of a smile on Jade's face eased his wary nature and he leaned in slightly to her gentle touch. Jade was not oft to show such an expression of sweetness preferring to hide her true self beneath a blank facade. It was what he loved about her that strength of character, the ability to seem the perfect killer. An ever relentless perfection she.................

"Ow!"

Jade smiled a shark's grin as Ermac rubbed the scratch she had left on his cheek. His aggrieved look almost making her laugh outright. The sudden change from pleasantry to viscousness had caught him unaware. His dissention faded to wry amusement, turning his frown into a tentative grin mirroring Jade's own when he felt that a joke had been played upon him. These occasions of changing mood were not often but did occur, a spat they enjoyed, to add a little unpredictability to their platonic relationship. There was no romance involved or at least an honest one, for Jade's heart belonged to another and Ermac was not one for a romantic interlude. He verged on a knife-edge of sanity, predictabably leaving romance way down on his list of priorities, women generally were too afraid of him to even attempt a kiss. He was considered too abnormal even for lust and something to do with his telekinetic and telephatic powers.

A snicker parted his lips in reply to the enigmatic smile on Jade's face only to have it cut off by a slap from his partners open hand. This was beyond joking and he glowered at her instead, reacting immediatley with a deep growling whisper of outrage.

"What in the hell is your problem?"

"Your a fool if you don't know. Perhaps the fool Sub-zero accused you of."

Eye ablaze Ermac was about to respond to her insult when she interrupted him before he began.

"Kitana is my friend. She has always been my friend. I have known her far longer then you and if I had a choice I would choose her every time. Not that your not my buddy but Kitana has been here for me for so long I would be stupid to deny that friendship. Kitana and I may have a difference of opinion when it comes to Mortal Kombat and allegiance to the Emperor but that would never effect our feelings for one another. So don't tell me it would be good for her die, good to remove her, she is not some toy you can throw away when times move on. I may have to fight her to death over our respective allegiance but I would never deny her life so carelesly as you have done. Think before you speak to me about her in such a negative way."

Jade walked off in a flurry of green. Ermac watched her go with an expression well suited to the slap she had given him. In the light of the room the voices of a frustrated pair of grumbling ninja brought him from his pause and with no seeming purpose he laughed. His bellowing catching the ears of the other two present. Bemused they turned to each other while the sound dimmed from their hearing, following it's master into the gloom.

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Reptile stared hesitantly into the vipers nest that was Shang-tsung's throne room. The two predators were grumbling while simultaneously glaring at each other. Each so diverted by the other's attention that only half the blood had been cleared. Not looking at their work also meant the blood they cleaned was merely spread thinly and scaring on the floor. Reptile knew just by the standard before him that the majority of work would be dealt with by himself. To go against Shang-Tsung's wishes now was almost unthinkable so there was no way he could excuse himself from the evident effort required, not if he valued his life. Letting Kitana escape from his vigil was the worst thing he could have done. He sighed theatrically before plodding into the room in expectancy of a long and tedious work-out.

Sub-zero and Scorpion turned to look upon his entrance. Sub-zero with a creased forehead from mild confusion and Scorpion with his opal, devoid of life eyes, staring as always with barely noticeable reaction.

"I am here at Shang-Tsung's request ssssss."

Taking it as fact Scorpion returned to his duties. The blue ninja, less prone to ignorance, stood and stared defiantly at his green garbed cohort.

"It is my punishment for failure to follow orders sss"

Sub-zero raised a quizzical eyebrow, well aware of the green ninja's loyalty he found it peculiar for Reptile to shirk an order from Shang- Tsung. However the look of shame and mild rebuke convinced him that Reptile was not implying a falisy. He shrugged, pointed to an unused mop and too returned to work, keeping his mind open of both ninja's presence. Scorpion made no compunction of his thought of revenge and Reptile despite his timidness was a malicious sprite when the opportunity arose, and after the punishment was likely to bow reverently at Shang-Tsung's feet like a dog, telling of any infraction from the others just to placate his masters fury and misdirect it from his own mistake.

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"What? Who are you?"

The visitors from Earth realm looked about in confusion trying to decypher the location of the voice that had whispered in their ears. #Prepare to begin#

Lui Kang looked to his compatriots. Sonya replied with a couldn't care less look and Johnny with a shrug of his shoulders. No help there then.

"Reveal yourself!"

No answer returned Lui's question. Only the dominant sound of silence with the distant cries of the dying intermittent between.

"Guy loosen up, it's probably nothing."

Lui gave a dispiriting glare to the movie star. He was not about to dismiss anything in this place. Not with Kitana giving him warning of the deceit Shang-Tsung was capable of. Kitana of the beautiful exotic looks, the long flowing ha..........

#Follow where the light fades.#

This time the voice was louder more pronounced, Sonya reacted immediately reaching for the guns she carried, looking into the shadows with barely checked anger.

"Sweets, maybe your the one that needs loosing up."

Sonya transplanted her anger towards Johnny Cage. He rose his hands in supplication but retained a smirk to his lips. Sonya rolled her eyes then proceeded to ignore the idiot. The enemy was what mattered, perhaps it was Kano. The thought brought a smile to her lips, thinking of the criminal's demise, of how she would like to tear him apart for what he did to her partner on the force. As ever the cool customer, Cage let the whole thing slide with barely a concern, turning to look at Lui and seeing the perspiring concentration there. ~Man do these two know when to chill?~ Lui faded out the usual bickering and returned to the disembodied voice at hand.

"What do you mean?"

#Enough of the damn questions and listen. Follow where the light fades, there you will find a solution.#

Suitably berated Lui looked about the corridor they were in, trying to discover anything remotely associated with the clue given. He knew it was probably a bad idea to follow the instructions of someone you couldn't see but his curiosity won out. Danger was everywhere, what did it matter if he went to it or it went to him.

He almost gave up finding the answer when the torches down the left side of the corridor began to flicker.

"Where the light fades............. That way!"

Lui did not wait to see if Sonya and Johhny were behind him and walked into the dimming light. The other two looked to one another, looked to where Lui had gone, returned their gaze and followed after him. What the hell, they thought.

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After an hour the throne room was looking more presentable of course it would gave been completed by now if Scorpion and Reptile had not bumped into each other resulting in a fencing match with their mops. If it had been Sub-zero and Scorpion it would have been all out war rather then a tussle at twenty paces but then Scorpion did not share the same absolute hatred towards Reptile he did his accused murderer. He was frustrated and annoyed by the reptilian but not consumed by rage toward him. In fact Sub- zero thought his nemesis look like he was enjoying the fight with a simple joy rather then the bloodlust he normally felt in battle. Impossible, improbable, unbelievable even for Sub-zero to contemplate but it look so just the same.

As all things seemed to be of late, an unexpected guest entered the throne room. Or more accurately guests in the plural, the Earthrealmers. Shock was plastered onto the visitors faces, obviously not expecting any one else to be within the compounds of the room. While the ninja's looked on with concealed emotion not prepared to acknowledge any weakness despite the surprise they too experienced.

Lui kang, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage facing Sub-zero, Reptile and Scorpion. Above in the rafters two sneaking ninja's laughed inwardly at the ploy they had conceived. A little teaser of the tournament to come.

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AUTHOR NOTES: I have been very busy of late so the updates will take a bit of time between each chapter. Once I'm sorted the story will be added too at least every fortnight.

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