WHISPERS OF THE UNDERWORLD
CHAPTER I:
ONE DEADLY DEAL
Stone statues of demons and warriors wielding deadly weapons surrounded the large, marble walls of the Throne room. Torches were providing a sense of little light in the dark place. Red fabric carpet led up to stone steps, which led to a large marble platform. A giant throne was placed in the center. A glass yin yang window was behind it, which revealed that a deadly storm was unfolding.
Two stone statues stood at the far corners of the marble platform: one, which was Centaurian and the other, a Shokan. A giant, beautifully etched figure that was carved out of stone was placed in the giant throne. It had a tall crown protruding from its head and was garbed in a stone plated robe, which reached the red silk carpeted steps.
Within the head, there was an old and withered face. Precious red rubies were his eyes. The whole statue itself must have been at least seventy feet in height.
The Throne room was also gigantic and gave out not the sense of precious, but rather, the coldness of fear and evil.
The giant Throne room doors opened with a loud creak, and in walked a figure who was garbed in spikes and a black armored chest plate, which had a yin yang symbol in the center. Blue silk covered his chest underneath the chest plate and his legs. His skin was of pure white.
He picked up his pace as his footsteps echoed in the cold, dark room. He was now at the red carpeted steps of the Throne. He bowed to the enormous stone statue and said in a low tone, "Master." He had a rough and deep voice that would send chills up any normal human's spine.
"Rise, my warrior." The statue spoke, but the mouth did not move, nor did any other part of the statue. The voice seemed to come from all directions of the large Throne room. The warrior rose. "I have unpleasant news, my lord." The white demon figure said.
"My spies have told me that the once sacred amulet has now been placed back in its original holy resting place, the Temple of Elements, of course. Four new guardians have been appointed by the God of Thunder to guard it at any costs." He closed his eyes and clenched his right fist.
"If that is the cost, so be it. I want you to organize a group of your finest assassins to capture my amulet and bring it back to me." The statue echoed again. "Once the amulet is in my possession, I will once again be able to take over the Earth realm. Your reward shall be that of a great one." The white demon in spikes grinned.
"I shall obey your orders, master." He said.
"Go now, Quan Chi. Bring to me what is rightfully mine!" The statue growled as the room seemed to almost shake. "Yes. My lord." Quan said as he bowed. He left the Throne room, leaving his master silent, in the darkness.
The yellow and black garbed ninja sat by a window platform meditating. He was wearing a yellow outfit with a black chest plate, which also had yellow blocks on them. The cold wind sent the yellow silk on his outfit fluttering. "You still perform those useless old methods, friend?" A cloud of green mist slowly formed into a figure with its arms crossed.
A green garb covered his chest and dark green, almost black top and pants covered his chest underneath and his legs. He discarded his dark green mask long ago, exposing his scaly, rough green skin.
Scorpion opened his pure white eyes and sighed through his dark yellow and black mask. "You will never let me have peace will you, Reptile?" He asked and stood up immediately.
He tapped his friend on the shoulder and began to walk out of the room. Reptile soon caught up. "May I ask, why do you perform these meditating sessions?" He asked the fire warrior. "I use those methods to ease my fury, so that one day, I may use all of my strength to rid the universe of Shao Kahn, and escape this hell." Shao Kahn was the being who made a false deal with the specter. He said that if Scorpion fought alongside his armies, he would give him back his soul, and make him human again, along with his loving wife and child.
Now Scorpion lies in a forbidden realm that is ruled by a giant statue that gives orders, never to escape at the hands of Shao Kahn. Reptile smiled. "My friend, the Netherealm is but one realm you cannot escape."
"He is right, Scorpion." Scorpion and Reptile whirled around, only to see a figure garbed in spikes and a black chest plate and blue silk covering his arms and legs. "What is your presence here, Quan Chi?!" Scorpion spat at the sorcerer. Quan smiled. "I could crush your head with a single thought, but, maybe later. A simple proposition, I am here for."
Reptile folded his arms across his scaly green chest. "What do you wish?" He asked with a firm tone.
Quan Chi tapped his chin. "As you both know, the ancient amulet of power has been set within the walls of the Temple of Elements once again. I need that amulet to release a certain power." Quan said, looking them both in the eyes. Now Scorpion crossed his bulging arms.
"Where do we fit in, sorcerer?" Scorpion asked.
Quan Chi continued. "Well, you see, there are now four new guardians appointed to the amulet. What I need is an ensemble of the finest warriors to take out those guardians. I shall then steal the amulet."
"What shall we receive in return? Or, will you betray us like that Demon Shao Kahn?" Reptile asked with a hiss.
"For you Reptile, your home shall be replenished. I know that in your heart, there is nothing you would wish more than that. Aren't I right?" Quan said with a grin. "That is the same promise that Kahn gave me! And look where I am now! You will betray me also!" Reptile said out of anger. He leapt up into the air and prepared for a kick, only to have his scaly foot caught by Quan Chi.
Quan kicked him out of the air and sent a green flaming skull orb composed of energy and power into the chest of Reptile. It began to chew away at his flesh. He staggered back into a wall and fell to his knees grabbing his chest in pain. "If you do not accept my proposal, I will find someone else to do my bidding, and the hopes and dreams of your home world, Zaterra will be but a mere memory!"
Scorpion looked down at his friend, gasping and squirming on the ground like a helpless little bug. "What about me? What is my payoff?"
Quan Chi's expression changed from angry to normal. "You, Scorpion. You will be given your soul back. You will look like your old form, and you will be able to visit your wife and child once again. I promise."
Scorpion frowned. "Kahn also gave me that very promise. You better be telling the truth, Chi. For if you are not, you shall join Kahn after I dismember him!" Scorpion said, his eyes turning from white to red.
Quan smiled. "Do you both accept?" Scorpion looked at Reptile once again. "We accept. Now release him immediately." With a simple gesture, Quan Chi removed the flaming skull orb from Reptile. He stood up, still holding his chest. "When do we leave?"
Liu Kang sat by the fiery pits of the Temple of Elements, meditating. Since he was the new guardian replacing the God of Fire, he had to do something to pass the time. He had not encountered an enemy within these walls for over three years, so he found no need to save his strength.
Suddenly, a ripping in the wind came from the roof and swirled its way around the pits. A figure appeared within the vortex. Liu opened his eyes, but did not move his position.
The tornado subsided and a tall, muscular figure appeared with his arms crossed. He had a long silver ponytail and had eyes of pure white. He wore a dark gray chest plate and blue-green silk pants. A red cape draped along his back and touched the stone floor. Liu smiled.
"Fujin. It is good to see you, friend." Liu spoke. "Yes. It is also good to see you Kang. I have come to warn you of an upcoming event. I am not sure what it is yet, but I sense evil's presence. Be on full alert, Kang. For if you die, there is no one of greater skills that can replace the guardian of fire."
"Thank you, Fujin." Liu thanked him. Fujin rose his arms. The wind started to pick up. "I shall return to my post as the God of Wind." Fujin's voice carried off as he left within the vortex of the tornado from which he entered.
Liu Kang was left there, in the silence, and continued to meditate.
This place, however, was a much quieter place than Kang's. It was a pure black room, with a few strains of very dark blue lighting. There were blue stone plates surrounding the roof and blue water tablets placed on high statues.
Sub Zero sat with his legs crossed and his hands placed on his lap. He was also meditating, but he, unlike Kang, was saving his strength because he had already been warned of the so called 'upcoming danger.' He wore his traditional dark blue Lin Kuei uniform, but did not wear his traditional mask. It was on a hood attached to the back of his garb. He had not placed it over his red scarred face for over seven years now that the clan had disbanded. He wore it only when he needed to, and quite frankly, now was not the time.
A quick gust of wind sent a flicker in the candles surrounding him. Sub Zero opened his eyes. Nothing. Nothing was there but the unholy silence of being alone.
He took a deep sigh. "What were you thinking? Maybe Scorpion himself might appear from the shadows?" He thought to himself as he chuckled.
Sub Zero was now replacing the God of Water, Cheng. After his defeat at the hands of the older, and much wiser Sub Zero, Cheng committed self-genocide. He merely did not see the facts: Just because the ice warrior defeated his physical form did indeed not mean that the Elder Gods themselves would take away his god-hood. But, it was too late.
Sub Zero went back to his peaceful meditating session and continued to conserve his strength.
The fifteen sword and ax armed guards followed Scorpion, Reptile, and Quan Chi down the dark and cold hallways of the Prison of Souls.
Scorpion and his close friend, the Reptile were behind the sorcerer, anxiously waiting to see who Chi would pick to be the new member of the ensemble set out to steal the sacred amulet of power. Who it would be, they hadn't a clue. Quan would not cherry pick these warriors. They would have to be skilled in the deadly arts to defeat the new appointed guardians that lie in the Temple of Elements.
They reached a foul smelling place, which had a long gray bridge leading to a large room with a barred door. "Stay here. This will be quick. Scorpion, Reptile. You two come with me. I guarantee, this will be much to your...delight." Quan Chi grinned, exposing razor like teeth.
Reptile quickly stepped down the stone steps and to where Chi was. Scorpion took a long pause. "Come, Scorpion." Quan said with a not so friendly voice. Scorpion sighed and stepped down the stone steps.
Quan Chi looked back at his warriors. "If she does not join us, I will send her over to the Shokan plains. They may then personally take care of her."
They stepped a little further into the room, which revealed a woman in chains. She wore a crimson skin tight body suit with thigh high boots and long, silk gloves that reached past her elbows. The front of her suit was left open. It was held together only with thin, black leather stitching, revealing half of her breasts. She also wore a crimson mask that covered only her nose and mouth. Her hair was left down, and was more precious than a Goddesses. It was long and soft, with a silky brunette tint to it, and curled down her shoulders and half-way down her back. Her red diamond earrings caught the eye of the orange light beams that reflected through the windows. Her face lit up.
Though her nose and mouth were covered, her eyes glazed with tears. She looked very frightened. She was being tortured simply for the reason that after she was killed at the hands of her twin sister, she tried to then escape the Netherealm.
A guard wearing a skull and armor caught her and brought her to this place. The markings on her wrists gave away that she had been in those chains for over at least three days.
Scorpion looked to the left of the gigantic room. There were swords and knives on a table, each in their own individual pool of blood. He looked to the woman's body. She had cuts and bruises everywhere and there were also white bandages covering most of her arms and a fair bit of her legs.
Scorpion now realized. They were destroying her with these weapons. What he could not understand was why they were tending her wounds with bandages if she was being tortured? Quan Chi smiled. "Mileena, I have something for you my dear." He said with an evil grin. She only moaned.
Reptile saw two giant, black cloaked spirits with black doll masks for faces appear from the shadows. They had giant knives and giant pairs of scissors and were looking at Quan. They were at least nine feet tall, which was hard to tell because they hovered around the room every couple of seconds. Scorpion was thought of to be tall, but compared to these beings, he was nothing.
Quan looked up. "I am sorry, boys. Do not mind me. I will take over from here, now." He told them, not taking his eyes off of the towering spirits.
In an instant, they vanished.
Quan removed a small blade from the bloodied table and studied it. "I am here to offer you a second chance." He told her, not changing the tone of his voice, and not taking his eyes off of the marvelous weapon he was holding.
Mileena looked up at the sorcerer. Pure intimidation filled her eyes as her head fell back down. Quan smiled at her pain. "I need only a few select to retrieve the amulet of power for my master. If you do not aid me, I shall drop you in the Shokan planes and let them deal with you." He said. Mileena did not move her head this time. She had barely enough strength left to fight the impurities of unconsciousness. "Wh...why now, Qua.. Quan Ch...Chi? Why couldn't you have released me from this long ago?" She uttered the words with as much voice as she could render.
Quan Chi's facial expression changed into rage. He looked at the weapon in his hand, then at Mileena.
"Do not question me, child!" And with that, he took the blade and stuck it in Mileena's right leg. She cried with pain. Scorpion bit his lip and looked away.
"Fine! I will join you! Just please, no more torture! Please!" Mileena begged. Quan smiled and pulled the blade out of her right leg with a quick yank. "Excellent! Release her from her chains!" Quan Chi ordered his heavily armed guards who were still on the other side of the bridge.
Three of them rushed across the bridge and cut the chains from her wrists and let her drop violently to the ground. None of them even acknowledged the procedure to catch her.
Scorpion rushed up with his lightening quick speed and caught Mileena by the back of her head with one hand and her waist with the other.
He cushioned her fall and let her drop to the ground with a soft landing. She groaned as she hit. He lay her head down softly and his eyes changed from white to glowing red.
He looked up at Quan with utter most disgust. He was still grinning. His smile faded as he looked into the specter's eyes. Scorpion did not lose his red eyes, nor back down from the powerful sorcerer.
"I think what you did to her is a disgrace Chi!" He spat at the sorcerer. Quan crossed his arms. "She better win, or you will be even more delighted to see what I have in store for her if she does indeed fails." And with that, Chi left with his guards. Reptile took one last look at his friend, and left as well. Scorpion's eyes changed back to normal. He looked down at the helpless Mileena and took an unusually hot watered cloth from a torture table and gently touched Mileena's fresh wound. A single tear slid down her face from the pain.
Scorpion looked down. "How did you put up with this kind of torture?" He questioned her and continued to tend her wounds with the cloth.
She managed to slowly open her eyes. "I...I...ddd...don't kn..know... Sc ...Scorpion...I..." She managed to utter. Scorpion took a finger a stroked a strand of her brunette hair. "Shh, Mileena. You will need your rest." Scorpion told her.
He paused. "May I ask, why did those spirits bandage your wounds?" He asked.
She looked at her legs. "I gu...guess, they heal the woun...wounds, so they can, can dig at them again." She uttered again.
Scorpion clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned from a fleshy pink color to a pale white color. "Someday, when the wars stop, and the dust settles, I will kill that bastard of a sorcerer, even if I have to spend an eternity in hell!"
Mileena lifted her head. "Then someday, I shall join with you, Scorpion, and defeat Ch...Ch...Chi." Scorpion looked at the beauty in his arms. "You need rest, Mileena."
Scorpion lifted her up carefully. She grunted and allowed all of her muscles and body parts loosen and relax. She knew that she was in good hands now. She realized that there wasn't much she could do. Giving in, she slipped into unconsciousness. Scorpion left the dark and cold torture chamber.
Reptile was trailing behind the sorcerer and Scorpion was mere feet away with Mileena. He stopped. "Where are we going now, Chi?" His voice boomed.
Quan and his men stopped. "We must now travel to the most beautiful part of this Netherealm. 'Tis a place where there are no slaves, where there is no fire and no hatred. Repulsive, really. But that is where our fourth ally lies. We must go there." He replied.
"How could he let Mileena fight when she could not even keep her consciousness?" Scorpion wondered to himself.
She was now curled up in his arms and still unconscious. Scorpion kept moving forward. Chi stopped once again. This time, Reptile was angry. "What is it this time, sorcerer?" He spat through his rough, scaly lips.
"Oh nothing much. I was just thinking of how this new ally of mine will kill one of the four guardians with his power." Chi grinned an evil grin.
"What kind of power does he have?" Scorpion asked, changing his tone of voice.
"Scorpion, you will know that soon enough. I think you will still remember him." Chi answered.
One of the skull and armored guards stepped forward out of line. "I am sorry to disturb your conversation, but if you are going to steal that amulet, maybe we should keep moving, sir?" He said timidly.
Quan smiled. He walked up to the guard, grabbed him by the neck and with a twist, he pulled off the warrior's head. A sickening crunch followed as the guard's body began to twitch.
Chi threw the head to the ground. It rolled into a fiery pit. "Yes, we should get moving." He said evilly. "Never did like that one, anyway." He said, looking at the decapitated body lying on the cold floor as a pool of blood took shape underneath it.
He kept moving forward and so did his armed warriors. Reptile looked at the body on the ground and then at the sorcerer. He too followed. Scorpion shook his head in disgust. He continued to follow as well.
This place was heaven in Hell. There were small mountains with cool, clear water streams running down them and palm trees and wildlife surrounding a black stone slab with a yin yang symbol in the middle.
There was a man sitting there, meditating in the center. He was garbed in a traditional blue Lin Kuei uniform, with no mask on. His mask was attached to a black hood. Quan and his ensemble walked around this wonderful place until they were mere feet away from the warrior in the center.
Scorpion walked up to a smooth small mountain side and figured Mileena could rest there for now. He lay her down, then went back to where everybody else seemed to be.
Quan touched his chin. "Sub Zero, I have something to discuss with you." He said.
"I have nothing to say to you, sorcerer." Sub Zero said, not opening his eyes, or moving at all. "Leave me. I would like to continue." He added coldly.
Scorpion was looking at Mileena and did not hear the words, 'Sub Zero.' He remembered back to the time long ago, when he had heard that voice.
"I do not wish to fight you!" Ordered Sub Zero long ago when Scorpion advanced on him. These words seemed to echo through his mind. Yes, he remembered now. He was in the Shaolin Temples. He was ordered to steal a sacred map, and the one who sent him was Quan Chi himself.
He shook at the sound of that damn voice. He closed his eyes, and turned in the direction of Sub Zero. Scorpion opened his eyes. His jaw seemed to drop. It was the legendary ice warrior Sub Zero. The one man who had killed him in cold blood a decade ago in those temples.
Scorpion's eyes were now locked with the ice warrior's. Quan and Sub Zero, who now had his eyes open were now discussing a deal to be made if the 'former' Lin Kuei assassin would aid him.
Scorpion stepped forward and interrupted them. "YOU!" He said in a deep voice. Sub Zero looked away from Chi, and focused his eyes on Scorpion. His eyes widened. He stood up, and took slow steps in the fire warrior's direction. Scorpion walked in his direction as well.
"Sub Zero, how can this be!?" Scorpion questioned him.
"Don't you remember, specter? We were at Shang Tsung's tournament. You killed me in cold blood! I have spent six years in this hell because of you!" Sub Zero said and clenched his fists. Scorpion tilted his head. "Welcome to reality." Sub Zero noticed small little fire spouts emerging from Scorpion's chest and arms. It slowly blanketed his entire body until he was a living inferno.
"This is your end, ice warrior."
Next Chapter: THE RISING STORM