AN: Due to the nature of the first MK games having not many characters and not much story to begin with MK9's storyline will be heavily borrowed for parts of the Main Tournament. Mainly how the tournament operates and the matches in it.
SMOKE
Ever since Tomas's introduction into the Lin Kuei, and being given the knowledge of both other worlds, as well as that Earth itself would likely no longer exist, he had dreaded the possibility. Sektor had explained it to him. Mortal Kombat against Shao Kahn had always been a losing battle, and on the 500th year anniversary of the death of the great Kung Lao, marking the beginning of the long losing streak it was to come soon.
Shao Kahn had offered to many clans of warriors in Earthrealm their territory intact when it would be merged with Outworld, only if they would assist him in the tournament. The Lin Kuei had been one of few to accept the tournament's invitations, and the only to pass Shao Kahn's trials, to kill the representatives from the other clans.
With his father's blessing, Sektor had won, killing the representative of the last other remaining clan in Shao Kahn's effort, and had been granted the favor to serve him in Mortal Kombat. He had the choice of three warriors to accompany him. Bi-Han, Cyrax, and Tomas.
Tomas was disgusted by the arrangement, and had not been pleased in the slightest, even as Shao Kahn had tried to make the Lin Kuei feel welcome.
The Emperor had hosted a special feast for the champions of Outworld in advance for the upcoming tournament. And Tomas could not bring himself to have a single bite.
It was inside of a large, open dining room. One which had been made by back-breaking effort through Shao Kahn's slaves, complete with various frivolities, including a large statue of Shao Kahn's champion, Goro, behind the Emperor's throne.
Outworld's chosen champions had all convened at the two tables closest to the main one, which seated Shao Kahn and his personal warriors. Of whom were Shang Tsung, Goro, Both of the Kahn's daughters Kitana and Mileena, his assassin Jade, and a solitary woman Sektor had not spoke of, locked into place at the end of the table, standing completely still.
Shao Kahn's voice had to be projected towards the fairly distant tables in a needlessly loud tone, and Tomas had felt pity for Shang Tsung and the women around him.
"Champions of Outworld!" He raises a large chalice to the air. "I give this feast to you all, in honor of Outworld's upcoming victory over Earthrealm!"
His arm points directly to the Lin-Kuei's table. "Although some of, -many- of you may be from Earthrealm, I believe it will pay handsomely for you to play the winning side. For Earthrealm has no chance! It is but a simple truth these days would eventually come. And you will be rewarded in turn." The Emperor lowers his chalice to his mouth and takes an unhealthily large gulp of it. "So celebrate these upcoming months, before the tournament shall proceed. And do not fail me."
Shao Kahn sits back down into his throne and swiftly drinks the rest of the chalice, ordering to Shang Tsung to bring him another.
Tomas shakes his head, and pushes away the chalice. "This is no handsome arrangement."
Bi-Han audibly agrees with his sentiment. "We have no choice. It does not matter what we wish now. Blame Raiden for his inability to find a suitable champion.
Cyrax interjects. "He will not, not since that four-armed bastard's been alive. Earthrealm used to have a suitable champion, before he killed him."
"It really is just hopeless." Tomas replies, emitting smoke unconsciously around his tensed arms.
Sektor's expression sours, and he seems more angry with the three at the table by the moment. As his eyebrows narrow, the three other Lin-Kuei avoid his gaze and look elsewhere, to the food and the scenery. Tomas's eyes avert to the other table, which has a group of warriors.
At the table are a Revenant bearing the mark of the Shirai Ryu, whom's gaze is laser focused onto Bi-Han, holding his chains in a tight grip. As well as a strange reptillian warrior, viciously consuming the meat in his vicinity, and a one-eyed man and a Tarkatan, locked in an arm-wrestling match.
As Smoke laments at the scenery and situation around him, an order by Sektor forces him back into his table. "Eat, Tomas. The Emperor may see it as an insult should you not."
"In a few minutes he may be unable to see. He's been drinking profusely." Tomas spits, "And his name is Shao Kahn. Why do you refer to him as Emperor? Your father is our master."
Sektor slams his fist onto the table.
"We have no choice! He will be our master's master in only a few months!"
Tomas looks to Cyrax and Bi-Han, who remain intentionally silent. The two cower to his orders way too often. Only Tomas and Kuai Liang seem to have any sense left in the clan. The Lin-Kuei have been going downhill for a long period of time, starting when Sektor's family had bested the cryomancers, subplanting them as Grandmasters. If fate were fair, Bi-Han would be Grandmaster and would control the Dragon Amulet.
Bored out of his mind, Tomas looks back to Shao Kahn for some momentary entertainment.
And entertaining it is. The Emperor had seemed nervous, and to cope with it he had already managed to consume a large amount of wine. The poor sorcerer Shang Tsung was, to requiring a store of wine next to the table, most of which had been consumed only by Shao Kahn. And as an Immortal, Shao Kahn needed extremely potent substances at large quantities to even become intoxicated in the first place.
Then he sees it. Shang Tsung speaks and the mystery warrior at the end of the table changes her position to the staircase separating the dining floor from Shao Kahn's table. As she moves, her eyes gleam red until she reaches her destination.
She comes into earshot, and she begins mumbling to herself what he presumes to be the order over and over again, yet not in Outworld's standard language, or what speaking people in Earthrealm would call English. Instead it's a language Tomas has heard, can recognize, yet cannot speak or understand, despite his own homeland sharing a border. It's Polish. And the mystery woman (who Tomas discerns is an Earthrealmer), is repeating a phrase in it over and over to herself.
Its only then when he realizes the red-clad warrior is an Earthrealmer slave, kept captive through influence, and Tomas rests his head between his hands. Earthrealm is lost, and despite their territory being safe, everything else will either go, or be free for Shao Kahn's horde of disgusting demons to ruin.
MILEENA
Mileena's father is always strange after meetings like these. And Shao Kahn's been doing so more and more lately. Shao Kahn had always been careful to never show weakness, yet this was one of the only things in which he allowed himself actual happiness. Mileena had never liked the wine. it made her feel strange and she always liked to think, and to move correctly. Why her father would temporarily inhibit himself (although he had taken numerous precautions to avoid harm) like this never made much sense to her.
When her father was last coherent, last night's morning, he had taken her aside to personally watch Kitana closely, to make sure she doesn't find the truth. But Mileena never really understood her father's worry.
Despite possessing more intellectual intelligence than Mileena, Kitana was utterly oblivious, even with Mileena's sudden introduction into her life. Throughout her Ten Thousand year life she had not questioned it more than a few times (which had been dealt with quickly through a visit with Shang Tsung) and never had discovered the full truth.
And what else to do but see if that Edenian (possible) traitor had been feeding Kitana the horrible ideas she did have?
Mileena's quarters in Shang Tsung's island themselves were indicative of her father's favor towards her sister. Despite Mileena's belief Kitana had been deceiving her father into providing her more love, Kitana was just more of an actual daughter in his head. Only Kitana was "Daughter" and Mileena was always Mileena.
Her room may have been royally decorated, and filled with expensive items, compared to Kitana's hers was poor. Kitana's room itself was made of rare minerals mined using all manner of Outworld slaves, carved delicately by hand from the most precise Naknadans, placed along the flooring and walls. Kitana's bed was many times larger, and thousands of times comfier.
Mileena, as she had done many times before, had snuck into Kitana's room.
Like always, she reached for the wardrobe inside, and pulled out the familiar black and blue suit, and the mask.
The clone started with her own mask, taking great effort to pull it off, undoing all of latches around the back of her head it had taken to keep it on, lest they reveal her hideous mouth. Looking around for a good moment, covering her mouth with her eyes, breathing heavily, she ensured no one could see her and secured on Kitana's.
Mileena and Kitana were identical in all but teeth. Both had the same training regiment, ate the same (though not at the same time), and their outfits were the only other way one could tell both apart.
Once Mileena had tied up her hair, finished putting on the rest of Kitana's outfit, and had grabbed one of her many bladed fans she went in front of Kitana's personal mirror, a luxury which had not been afforded to her.
In front of the mirror, Mileena took various positions, a simple standing pose, Kitana's fighting stance, and many others, she laughed. Softening her throat, she lets up her artificial voice she uses to differentiate from her sister, and speaks with her natural voice, Identical to Kitana.
"How can Kitana have so much difficulty wielding these?" She laughs, pointing the open fan to herself and using it like the object. "Oh that's right! I need to "cool down" my enemies. And then I need to continue playing up my victories to father!~"
This game she had played, had reached far beyond it's purpose of disguise. It had soon become roleplay for Mileena's own personal amusement to degrade Kitana, and to also distance herself from her own body. The game had consisted of both pretending to be Kitana outlining her own flaws, and an idealized future Mileena wished for.
"That's right Kitana! I've taken you to my birthplace, the Flesh Pits! And I'm afraid your soul has to stay in my body!" Mileena's laughs get more and more maniacal with each punchline. "I guess I will just have to take your place. And wait, I guess I don't know what happened to Sindel and never will! So father will never have to replace me!"
Mileena raises her head to look down on the Kitana in the mirror. "And make sure to brush wide, Mileena. That huge, ugly deformed mouth of yours is going to be a big problem, you'll never find love!"
After she finishes the sentence, Mileena looks down at her feet, and puts a hand to her mask. Feeling the heat and her large teeth inside, tears begin to rise from the corners of her eyes. She screams loudly, and throws the fan folded into a blade at the mirror at a high speed, shattering it.
She looks to the other fan in her hand, heavily breathing, and begins to analyze it's intricate design, actively attempting to distract herself. It works after a few tense minutes of heavy breathing to try and calm herself, although that never works for her, As the breathing itself makes a different sound, funneled through her Tarkatan mouth.
The tears come quickly and in droves, a mad sobbing of total pain. Every breath she takes that's audible reminds her of who she truly is. A decoy, only meant to replace Kitana in the worst scenario.
AN: Poor Mileena. The insecurity of her own teeth and jealousy of Kitana was an aspect that had to come back from OT. I also wanted to highlight some reasoning why Earthrealmers would dare fight for Outworld in these tournaments, as well as Shao Kahn's personality. Shao Kahn has emotions too, it's just masked with cockiness or rage and I guarantee he was stressed as fuck at the tournament. Even if 500 years isn't much to an Eternal being like him compared to a human it's still a very long time.
Also, Mileena may or may not start to fuck up her own mission out of Shao Kahn's various mistakes. You reap what you sow. I just had so much ideas for the next chapter I had to write the whole thing in 3 hours. Kitana and Skarlet are also going to formally meet for the next chapter.