WHISPERS OF THE UNDERWORLD
CHAPTER II:
THE RISING STORM
Scorpion lifted his hands and struck them down hard on the ice warrior. The fire within him was burning Sub Zero.
He closed his hands, ignoring the burning flames that covered him and concentrated. A thin layer of ice formed around the fire, sending it to a halt. Scorpion jumped into the air. The burning flames that once blanketed his dead body were now gone. He kicked the Lin Kuei warrior in the chest, causing him to hit his head on a rocky side.
Sub Zero stood up and reached behind his head, pulling up his blue mask and black hood. He pulled them down over his face. He stretched into a tiger-like fighting stance. "Stay still so I may destroy you!" Scorpion uttered harsh words.
Quan Chi stepped back. "No! You must not fight now! You must conserve your energy for the Temple!" But it was no use. They were paying no attention to the sorcerer. Words would not settle an ancient feud such as this. Quan ordered his men to step back and do nothing.
Reptile stepped forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Scorpion, he is right. Think about your family. If you ever want to see them again, you better do what he says."
Scorpion flexed his arms, creating a fire stream that struck Reptile to the ground and then it disappeared.
Scorpion looked back at Reptile who was putting out the flames on his uniform.
"Stay out of this, my friend. This is between Sub Zero and I." He said, and focused back to Sub Zero.
Sub Zero lunged forward and punched Scorpion in the head, kneed him in the stomach, and uppercutted him in the jaw. Scorpion staggered back in pain. "If that is the way you want it, then so be it!" He whispered under his breath.
He lifted his left hand in the air, and placed his right hand under it. Slowly a small chattering sound could be heard from inside his hand. A small green creature with razor like teeth and long, pale colored spikes descending from its head appeared.
It hissed wildly at Sub Zero. "Get over here!" Scorpion yelled, and the creature from within his hand flew at Sub Zero. It had a black rope attached to the end and it was coming closer to Sub Zero. Sub Zero simply smiled.
He knew this particular move. Scorpion called it the 'harpoon', and he knew how to use it. It was the one move that had killed the ice warrior long ago. Sub Zero looked at the creature drawing nearer to his head.
"Still using old tricks, Scorpion? I am disappointed. Well, it will not work this time!" And with lightening fast speed, he caught the creature mere inches away from his head. He could hear it hissing and crying. "History will not repeat itself." He grabbed the head of it with his other hand and concentrated.
Slow ice particles started to form and slowly they turned into large crystals. They spread all over the green creature's head and stopped half way down the black rope that it was attached to.
The ice crystals began to radiate, forming a light blue mist around the creature. It broke the rope as red blood oozed from it. The head let out one final hiss and it too dissolved.
Sub Zero let his hands down and smiled underneath his dark blue mask. Scorpion gritted his teeth and gave a battle cry as he ran at the ice warrior and threw a hard right hand that connected with Sub Zero's jaw.
Sub Zero staggered back and somehow blocked the next attack from Scorpion, which was a kick that was to hit his chest.
Reptile, who was caught up in watching the two warriors battle, forgot about the wounded Mileena. He ran over to her. She was still unconscious.
He lifted up her head and checked her pulse by placing two fingers on the vein in her neck. Still alive.
He lay her head back down on the smooth surface and started to walk back to the battle sight.
Suddenly, he heard a soft moan emanating from Mileena. He turned around and rushed back over to her. She struggled to get up, but felt a rough, scaly hand push gently on her shoulder.
"Do not get up, Mileena. You need your rest." Reptile told her. "No." She refused. She staggered to get up, and did.
Reptile held her by her arm and helped her get up. She noticed a bunch of armed warriors crowded around a stone slab. "What is going on over there?" She questioned, pointing to the battle.
"Scorpion and Sub Zero are battling." Reptile told her.
She gasped and paused. "Sub Zero is here?" She questioned timidly.
"Yes. And he was asked to aid us in the ensemble." Reptile added, crossing his arms.
Mileena let out a small laugh. "Why would someone of good heart aid us in destroying Gods and stealing evil?" She asked. Reptile stopped. "Knowing Chi, he probably has something planned."
Reptile and Mileena walked over to the battle sight.
She noticed Scorpion holding Sub Zero high in the air and charging his right fist.
Small particles of red and yellow appeared within his hand as it then it expanded into a large orb of fire. He lifted it closer to Sub Zero's face, but paused.
He sensed a familiar presence. He looked behind all of the armed warriors to see Mileena with Reptile. "Mileena!" He whispered with shock. The large fire orb disappeared from his hand. Sub Zero saw this as an opportunity to strike.
He took the hand that was not grasping Scorpion's massive arm (the one that was holding him up by the throat) and punched the right side of the demon's face with tremendous force. Scorpion dropped him and staggered back, holding the right side of his face.
Sub Zero leapt into the air and gave him a kick to the ribs and a knee to the stomach. He then kicked him in the chest and uppercutted him in the jaw once again.
Noticing that Scorpion was knocked to the ground, Sub Zero held up his hands and concentrated. Small ice particles began to form. They slowly expanded into a large crystallized ice ball.
Sub Zero prepared to throw it at Scorpion, but heard a loud voice. "Stop this at once!" Quan Chi boomed. He stepped forward through the guards. "If you do not obey me Scorpion, you will never see your precious wife and child again, and you will forever be a demon specter and rot in the fiery pits of the Netherealm!"
He looked Sub Zero right in the eyes. "And as for you, ninja, I will never release you from this place!" Sub Zero dropped his hands slowly and the ball of ice slowly turned to mist. "Why would you release me from this place?" Sub Zero asked looking at his defeated opponent on the stone floor.
"Like I told you, if you aid me, you will get your freedom." Quan Chi said smiling. Sub Zero shook his head in shame. "I will not commit evil again, sorcerer. I have already retrieved the amulet of power for you once from that Temple. I will not do it again." He said to Chi and turned his back to the sorcerer.
"Oh yes you will, ninja!" Quan spat at him. Sub Zero turned around quickly. "And what is going to make..." Sub Zero started to say, but was hit hard with a flaming green skull in the chest. He flew back and hit the rocky side, then fell to the ground.
Quan Chi pulled out a leather pouch and took something out of it. It was glowing blue and was concealed within a crystal goblet.
He removed the lid, and walked over to Sub Zero. "This is pure evil, Sub Zero. Once it is in your body, there is no turning back!" And with those very words, Quan dumped the black contents of the crystal goblet onto Sub Zero's chest, right near his heart.
It started to radiate red and black energy as it spread slowly throughout Sub Zero's body. He let out a loud scream. He concentrated and created another layer of thin ice to freeze it, but it was no use. The evil had already covered most of his body. He could just lay there and watch Quan Chi smile at his suffering.
The long stone pillars of the Shaolin Temples were outstanding. They were crafted by the monks themselves and were over five hundred years old.
There were many pieces of wonderful scenery and the snowy mountains could be seen in the far distance. Kai sat at the Temple steps and began to meditate. He had a maroon shall thrown over one shoulder. White tiger markings were painted all over his body. His jet-black hair fluttered in the wind. Suddenly, a crackle in the sky caused him to open his eyes. A large, blue bolt of lightening struck three feet away from where Kai was sitting. He stood up.
A tall figure holding a lightening staff high in the air appeared. Kai knew for certain who he was.
This figure suddenly formed into what seemed to be a very large man who was garbed in a dark blue and white uniform, with an ancient Chinese marking on the flap which blanketed a fair portion of his legs. A golden tinted coolie hat covered his head, which shadowed out most of his facial features.
"Greetings, Earth warrior." The loud voice boomed. Kai stood up. "Hello Rayden. How are you?" He asked. Rayden's eyes shone with blue. "I am disturbed at these times. We all sense evil up there." He said. Kai raised a brow. "Who's we, and where is 'up there'?" Rayden smiled.
"The fellow Gods. And 'up there' is the Temple." Kai sighed. "Oh. I have forgotten. Why have you come here?" Kai asked. "I have come to visit you, Kai. I need a break from my position." Rayden put on a sad face. "It is a wondrous honor, but at times, I really wonder if I am needed up there."
"We do not really welcome guests on short notice, but I think you would be considered an exception." Kai said to the thunder God. "Come." Kai offered Rayden inside the Temple doors.
Rayden had forgotten the Temple's beauty and how much of a sight it really was. There were golden pillars surrounding a purple carpeted area and statues as far as the eye could see. "Welcome to my home." Kai said as Rayden looked around.
There were yellow and orange garbed monks walking around, few of them women. Kai looked around. "Kasamia?" He called out. A beautiful woman in her mid twenties came forward slowly. She had long brunette hair, which ended half way down her back and when she smiled, Rayden could tell she was a generally nice person. She had a tremendous looking body, which was hidden under a long brown cloak, but revealed itself every time she took a step as the cloak pressed against her curves.
Kai smiled. "There you are. I want you to take this man to his room. Whatever he needs, you will get for him." Kai gave her her instructions. "Yes, master Kai." She responded. She smiled at Rayden and led him to his room. "This way, sir."
The lightening cracked as the rain picked up again. Each time the thunder hit, it shone an instant ray of light in the complex. The floors were covered with black carpeting and the room was glowing with a ray of dark; almost a black blue color. The Throne Room of Outworld was even more frightening at night time.
In the center of the complex stood a giant rock tablet and beneath it was a giant pool of lava and tortured souls. A creak almost as loud as the storm outside came from the large doors and a lonely figure sauntered inward.
He was cloaked in a long black robe with red plating. His eyes shone of green. His facial features were shadowed due to a hood, which rose up from the long black robe.
He was carrying a rather large item; a book. He reached the area where the tablet was, along with the swirling pool of hell below it. He stopped in his tracks and took off his black robe. He wore a crimson red and black ninja outfit and red and black arm pads. He also had a long red flap leading down to black and red knee high boots.
When he passed his hands over the large book, it shone with green for a brief moment. "You will be awakened soon, master." He said with a cold, harsh voice.
He bent all the way down to his knees and placed the book in front of him and opened it to a page, which contained ancient writing. He began to read the writing in a low and very slow voice. The tablet started to shake as small chunks of it began to break off and roll onto the floor. As the red ninja kept reading from the ancient book, the tablet kept on shaking. It seemed to be emitting some kind of orbmic energy.
As the warrior let out the final words of the spell, the tablet shattered open and a tall figure garbed in a purple fighting attire and a long, purple robe that covered most of his body was revealed. His arms were crossed and his head was bowed downward. On his head, he wore a silver skull mask. His eyes shone a dark red.
The red warrior smiled.
"Master." The skull figure slowly tilted his head up and uncrossed his arms. He now stood at full height. He could not be any shorter than seven feet, which was an easy thing to see. He stepped down from the bottom of the tablet to greet his savior.
The warrior in red bowed down to his master. "Welcome back, Shao Kahn." He then looked back up at his Emperor. "At ease, Ermac."
"All of your plans are about to see fruition, sire." Ermac said. "Quan Chi still lives and your father is a trapped soul in the Netherealm once again." The two evil men began their walk to the front gates. "Truly?" Kahn asked. "Yes sir."
"Everything is going to plan my lord, except for one small thing." Ermac told him. "What?"
"Quan Chi has assembled a group of chosen warriors to steal back the amulet of power. And, if he succeeds, he will be unstoppable."
"This is no cause for concern, Ermac. I have far greater skills than Chi. He will oppose no threat to us." Kahn told his warrior. Ermac opened one of the two giant doors and stepped through, with Kahn near behind. "The one concern I am most worried about is, if my father resurfaces."
The poison had now consumed all of Sub Zero's body. The beautiful mountain ranges turned from snowy white, to gray. The small streams and waterfalls now flowed blood red instead of clear blue. The once orange and purple skies turned purple and charcoal black. Sub Zero was being accepted into to dark side.
Quan Chi smiled. His now fourteen armed warriors stood back. Scorpion and Reptile stared in disbelief as Mileena clutched onto Scorpion.. Sub Zero stood up to his full height slowly. He was changed.
His skin had changed from a fleshy white to charcoal black. His eyes shone bright blue. His Lin Kuei uniform was now a much deeper blue. He had small spikes sprouting out of the back of his neck, arm pads, and kneepads. Whenever he breathed, he exhaled a deep blue color. The rest of his facial features were shadowed by his black hood and dark blue mask. He was now one of Quan's warriors.
"Now my ensemble is complete! We must go forth to the Temple and retrieve that amulet of power for my master! We leave at dark!"
Mileena looked up at Scorpion. "This will be bad."
Rayden looked out of the small gold plated window to the right of his bed. These monks were odd. Everyone knows that gods do not sleep. "Why would they put me in a room with a bed?" He wondered. In the courtyard, orange and yellow robed monks walked around casually and practiced their martial arts.
This place was so peaceful. No tyrants trying to take over worlds. No fallen elder gods seeking domination of all things in existence. Could all the evil in the world be gone? At that very second, the monk standing closest to the window looked at Rayden with evil eyes. The monk morphed into the dark lord Shao Kahn and smashed his fist through the window and grabbed hold of Rayden's throat....
Rayden screamed. He felt something hit his shoulder and saw that someone was standing behind him. He turned around as quickly as his instincts could let him. It was Kasamia. Rayden looked down at the spilt cup of tea on the ground. "Sorry. I thought you might like some tea before bed." She said.
Rayden smiled. "No thank you I do not drink tea. Sorry for spilling it." She smiled back. "That is fine. I will clean it up as soon as possible." Rayden tried to smile again but only displayed a sad face. "Is anything wrong?" Kasamia asked. "No, no. Nothing is wrong. I am just a little jumpy, that's all." "All right. Goodnight, Lord Rayden." Kasamia said. She walked halfway through the door when she heard, "One more thing. Gods do not sleep."
Kung Lao shifted from pillar to pillar in his temple of Earth. With the god of earth dead, he was assigned to the task. He had thought about it for a while, then realized what greater honor could there be than to take a former god's position? It felt good to feel important and appreciated for once in his life. Things had never come easy for him when he was part of the White Lotus Society. This was a far better job for him. Behind him, a gust of wind began to rise and eventually formed into a large cyclone. Fujin came out of it with his red cape rustling and his arms crossed.
Kung Lao smiled. "And why has the new protector of Earth come to visit me, I wonder?" Fujin winced. "I have come because I sense...something. I do not quite know what it is yet." Kung Lao's expression changed. He knew that whenever a God sensed something, especially if he or she did not know what it was, it couldn't be good. He crossed his arms as well. "Who could be threatening Earth this time?" He asked. Fujin shook his head. "I haven't an idea."
Kung Lao thought for a moment. "Shao Kahn is trapped in Outworld in that tablet, and Shinnok's soul was placed inside that statue in the Netherealm...." "And it couldn't be Scorpion or Reptile because they are both in the Netherealm as well."
"Whatever is coming Kung Lao, it is evil. I have alerted the others. Stay on full guard." Fujin put a hand on his shoulder. "I have faith in you."
Sub Zero, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Fujin were all standing in the central palace of the massive Temple that housed the sacred amulet. In the center of it was a stone altar with strange tribal carvings etched into it. Levitating above it was the great amulet itself. It was gold and shiny, with a giant green gem in the center. Fujin concentrated on it for a while. Something was happening that he had know knowledge of and he wanted all of the new gods ready for whatever challenge awaited them.
Fujin looked at his chosen warriors. "I have gathered you all here to inform you of a great power swirling above our heads. I do not know where it is coming from, but, since I cannot sense it, it must be a form of evil."
Kung Lao stepped forward. "It cannot be Shao Kahn or Shinnok. That much we have established. Quan Chi would not dare try to launch another attack on earth. Scorpion and Reptile made peace with us years ago."
"Well then, who can it be?" Sub Zero stepped forward. Fujin crossed his massive arms. "I have already stated that I do not know. I still want all of you to be on full alert. If we have to fight, your minds mustn't be clouded."
Liu Kang smiled. "I hope it is that bastard Kahn. I would love a rematch with that demon tyrant who calls himself an emperor."
Quan Chi and his chosen ones walked at full attention into the great Throne Room. It was time to attack. However, Quan and his warriors couldn't get to the Earth real without a little help from someone. The amulet was the only way into the Earth realm from a different realm. Now that it was hidden on Earth again, how could they get into it? Scorpion looked at the end of the room. There was a massive stone statue sitting on a giant throne. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite tell who or what it was. His mind was so clouded anyway. Quan walked up to the statue and put out a hand indicating to his to warriors to stop.
Reptile was first in line, followed by Mileena, who was ahead of Scorpion. Behind Scorpion was the dark warrior Sub Zero. He had made no sound since he was transformed into...whatever he was. Quan Chi swallowed heavily, then addressed his master. "Sir, I have gathered my chosen warriors. They have all agreed to aid me...us in our goal."
There was a long moment of silence. The room shook and a deep and dark voice seemed to speak from everywhere in the large room. "This is good news. Finally I will have what is rightfully mine." Quan Chi interrupted. "But sir, how are we expected to retrieve the sacred amulet when its power is the only thing that allows us to travel to the Earth realm?"
"SILENCE!" The statue boomed. The warriors all jumped in surprise. Mileena turned to Scorpion. "Is that Shinnok?" She whispered to him. Scorpion just shrugged his shoulders. "IF YOU EVER INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, I WILL CRUSH YOU WITHIN THE PALM OF MY OWN HAND!" Quan chi kneeled down in front of the statue. "Forgive me, great leader."
"I have tapped into Earth's barriers. I have discovered that when it is night, these barriers fade, only to become active again in daylight." Quan looked out of a window along the side of the room. It was pitch black and storming. Through the rain, a single bolt of lightning struck. He smiled. "Perfect!"
The massive statue's ruby red eyes shot in the middle of the room. A giant green and blue portal emerged, booming smaller to bigger. Inside of it, there was a faintly watery image of a temple in the mountains. "Go now, Quan Chi. Retrieve what is mine. Do not disappoint me, for I will destroy you."
Quan and his warriors walked through the portal. On the other side, the great Temple that housed the sacred amulet stood in front of them. The rain began to pour down harder. Fujin's eyes widened. "What is it?" Kang asked. "It is Quan Chi." As the storm outside grew, Fujin knew one thing: they were in trouble.
Next Chapter: BREAKING INTO THE TEMPLE