Chapter12: Where is Kano?

When midday came the warriors were lead again by Reptile to have lunch. Meeting in the courtyard they grouped together: Sonya, Jonny Cage, Subzero and Liu Kang. Shangtsung emerged out of a doorway and came billowing along in his blue robe. He looked pleased with himself over something or other.
"Since the weather is so good today I thought we'd have lunch outside," said the sorcerer with a smile of mixed emotions, "I don't know if any of you have seen it but there is a beautiful statue of the Budha in the garden a prophet of your realm I believe. It was gift a long time ago from an emperor of your realm - why I keep it I do not know. It would take a great effort to move the thing - which I suppose is why I don't. Besides I'm sure you will all agree it looks pleasant enough in its current situation. Come with me" he finished turning swiftly and leading them down the cobbled path that Subzero had walked down the night before. Glancing right Subzero saw a soldier with a sponge and a bucket of water scrubbing at the stones where the fight had taken place. The bloodstains were almost gone now.
"Where's Kano?" whispered Subzero to Liu Kang "I don't know," replied Liu Kang honestly, "I presume he's still recovering from the fight"
"Reptile!" addressed Subzero carefully coming beside the green warrior, "Where is Kano"
"Kano? Hesss's still lickingz his wooounds," he said with a quiet cackle "Are you sure your alright to walk?" asked Liu Kang resting a hand on the movie star's shoulder. He was holding a wet sponge that he dabbed occasional to his bruised face.
"I'll be fine!" he insisted, "I feel a bit dizzy but its nothing I can't shrug off"
He'd changed clothes again. He had a light blue t-shirt on with some expensive looking leaf pattern design and a pair of dark jeans probably some well known brand with a big label.
"I'm surprised you can stand let alone walk," laughed Liu Kang "Yeah? Well Kano won't be able to stand let alone sit after what I did to him. I was worried I'd miss or that there'd be nothing to hit"
"It's a small tournament this isn't it?" said Sonya to Liu Kang, "I expected there to be more people for what its worth - then again maybe there's a good reason why"
"Have you ever had many contesters?" asked Liu Kang to the sorcerer "In the past yes," he replied with a shrug, "The more the merrier is what they say but I feel it just complicates things. Best to get it all over with quickly is what I say"

Even though it was hot the priests still came dressed in their usual red robes. Where they had originally come from Subzero could not be sure. He didn't remember seeing them on the boat or on the long trek through the forest. The food was as good as usual with meat expertly cooked. The meal seemed much more casual than in the throne room. The meat tasted slightly charcoaly and barbequed.
Unlike Breakfast Shangtsung had no announcement to make over this meal and it past with little topic of interest. Subzero carefully steered the conversation onto Kano of which little was said.
"Kano of course is recovering from his wounds," replied Shangtsung when the question had reached him personally, "he can still participate in the tournament - if he wishes to try and gain a lesser place in the winnings but that is up to him"
"When will the next fight be and between who?" asked Liu Kang from across the table. There was a pleasant breeze outside and it seemed much easier to talk than in the stuffy throne room.
"I am not a leisure to disclose that. When I see fit I will tell you the next fight will be between, when and how. Until then you must amuse yourselves around the grounds as you see fit. I will however let you know for the mind's sake that there will not be another fight today"
As soon as the meal was finished there was a general movement amongst the fighters towards the square house. The soldiers scattered across the palace as they always did presumably to guard their posts from whatever needed guarding against. Making sure nobody was following them the fighters walked through the doors of the square house and coming through the confusing corridors and misplaced rooms that they now knew better than they had done the day before, they came to the central room.
The central room or common room was about the same size as one of the sleeping rooms. The room was carpeted with a large red rug decorated with yellow (golden in colour) thread. In the very centre that same dragon symbol was placed that Subzero recognised suddenly from the Lin kuei. Did the Lin kuei's secret headquarters and Shangtsung's palace have something in common?
Various armchairs were placed about the room, which had four doors leading off one at each wall to different staircases, and rooms of the confusing square house. Liu Kang entered the room first followed by Sonya, Jonny Cage and then lastly Subzero.
"Here we are then," said Sonya looking about the room, "Can't say we've all been together much recently"
"That," said Liu Kang resting a hand on an armchair, "Is because we all have different aims that conflict with each other. If we're going to get along we need to express ourselves now and explain to each other why we're really here. At the moment each one of us knows only small pieces of the puzzle. If we can fit them all together maybe we can figure something out"
"Sounds good to me," said Jonny Cage, "So who's going to go first"
"How about you?" grinned Sonya, "Since you're asking"
Jonny Cage sighed and sat down, "Take a seat," he said and so they did. Each one moved up their chair to listen to what he had to say and perhaps find the missing parts from their own stories.
"I'm a movie star as you probably all know," he began quietly, "and quite a famous one at that. Back then when I first started out leaving acting school and of course finishing my martial arts training I got lucky and was given the main part in a third party movie called Fists of Fire. It became famous, not because of its special effects as I can tell you there weren't any in it all, but because of the realism of the fighting. It became my trademark if you like. Everyone knew me as Jonny Cage the guy who really could do martial arts and make it look good. The contracts and money started pouring in. But then all that changed when I got into big business. The critics started to attack me saying that nothing was real - that I had no real talent and that the things I was doing were impossible - impossible that is to manage without special effects. I had a lot of contracts scrapped simply because my popularity went down so much all because of words, words, words and more bad words"
He sighed and rested his head in his hands, "A couple of months back my agent gave me an idea. He told me of this tournament - if I could win it then I could prove to the world that I was all I was cracked up to be. This was supposed to be the first of a few I'd do to prove to the public that I really did know how to fight but I guess things didn't work out that way"
"This agent of yours," enquired Liu Kang slowly, "Are you sure it was him"
"Of course. I've met him dozens of times before"
Liu Kang nodded and there was quiet. Jonny Cage looked up, "Except he did speak unusually. He didn't seem quite sure of himself. I found it quite strange he'd think up such an idea. What are you suggesting"
"You know yourself," replied Liu Kang, "Inevitably somehow or other he was manipulated by Shangtsung. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. It is Shangtsung's job to get us all to enter the tournament. Otherwise Mortal Kombat cannot be conducted. Sonya you go next"
She nodded reluctantly and rested her hands in her lap, "I work for a government agency that investigates criminal groups. Long ago I had a partner who I liked - a lot. We were working undercover in an organization called the Black dragon headed by none other than Kano the guy who Jonny punched in the balls today. We were working undercover in their head quarters, which used to be in London but they moved it after we cracked down on them. We were supposed to retrieve some documents. Together we pulled it off but my partner got killed. As a secret agent I take it my personal duty not to disclose the name of my organization or my partner - or even the way he died. I hope you can understand that"
"Alright," replied Liu Kang, "But how did you get here"
"My investigation continued but this time on a bigger scale. I got a larger team of people. They were interested in the Black dragon - to me it was personal. I wanted Kano dead at my hands. Somehow he found out. I got a message sometime last week telling me that my team was missing and if I wanted to see them again I'd have to come to the So ho docks. I bought my plane ticket and went. Perhaps I wouldn't have if that message hadn't been signed by Kano personally"
"How did your entire team get kidnapped?" asked Subzero with a hint of disbelief and amusement in his voice "I don't know. All I know is that Jax my colleague was working on something strange with portals and now he's missing. The others are all gone as well. When I got to the dock a man from the Black Dragon told me to get on the boat. I did because I wanted to see my friends alive. So that's my story who's next"
"I'm dying to hear Subzero's," said Jonny Cage, "You've always been a mysterious guy. What's your story"
"It's a long one if you're really interested"
"We are," replied Liu Kang, "Please tell us what you know"
Subzero began half-heartedly, "Alright then - but I can't guarantee that you'll like everything you here"
"I work for a secret organization of assassins known as the Lin kuei. Shangtsung came personally to our headquarters and conversed with my Grandmaster. Upon the swearing of the oath he gave me a new mission - to partake in what he called Mortal Kombat. It is tradition in my clan for the most advanced fighter in all the Lin kuei to enter the tournament. It has been so for generations. We didn't know much about So-Ho as we haven't had much to do with the crime world there. The Black Dragon helped us out. I left the head quarters and arrived at the docks where I met with a superior in the Black dragon who gave me a new mission that luckily did not contradict my own primary one. It was to help and protect Kano in anyway he saw possible"
Sonya glared, "You git. You've had this on your chest all this time and you didn't think to tell anyone"
"Everyone to his own business," replied Subzero returning the look, "I can work for who I want to. If its any conciliation I don't particularly like that man and he fights like a drunken ape. But that's not how things work in the Lin kuei. You work for someone regardless of the moral implications. Work must never become personal as it evidently has done with you"
"Perhaps I'm not a cold bastard at heart," replied Sonya with a cold laugh "Sonya that's enough!" insisted Liu Kang, "Everyone must follow their own path. I myself came here through instruction of the Shaolin temple. I am a Shaolin monk. I was told many legends but until yesterday when I saw Lord Raiden myself I did not believe any of them. We all know the truth. Shangtsung is the one to blame for all of this. It is he who plans to open the gates to the Outworld. We must stop him at all costs"
"How exactly do you propose we do that?" asked Jonny Cage "The only way possible," replied Liu kang, "One of us has to win the tournament"
"How do you suppose we arrange that?" asked Subzero, "Beat up each other"
"For Earthrealm to win Mortal Kombat all that has to happen is for the champion of Outworld to be defeated"
"Shangtsung?" questioned Sonya "No. We cannot defeat Shangtsung," replied Liu Kang, "We need to find the one called Goro and one of us must beat him in hand to hand combat"
"Isn't that cheating?" said Subzero raising an eyebrow "In the eyes of Shangtsung and his tournament it is. But in the eyes of the Elder Gods it is not. That is why Shangtsung has hidden Goro from us until now. We must find him"
"But we don't know where he is," sighed Jonny Cage "Actually we do," replied Subzero with a groan, "While you were asking stupid questions - one of which I recall was 'Shangtsung do you sleep in the dungeon or the Throne room' I was actually listening to what the old man had to say. While Shangtsung sleeps in the main building Goro sleeps underground in the dungeon. You must all be warned though. Raiden warned me of Goro. He is a being from a foreign world. He has not been defeated for a very, very long time"
"Then that's gotta change right?" asked Sonya looking from one person to another, "He has to be defeated or we're all toast. So we've gotta do something"
"We need to know more," said Liu Kang rubbing his face in his hands "Then tomorrow we find out," added Subzero, "I don't know about you but I am experienced in Stealth. Tomorrow we will look for these Dungeons. They have to be somewhere in the palace. I personally will take a look around the main building. There were many passages there left unexplored"
"I'll go with you," said Sonya confidently "Me too," said Jonny Cage "No!" said Liu Kang before Subzero had his own chance to object, "That's too many. A group that large will be easily squashed. Only one person should investigate the throne room"
"I could do with an extra hand," said Subzero, "I'll need a look out if I go around that building pushing things. Three of us is too many though, one of us has to go. I suggest we form two groups of two"
There was quiet for awhile among the four of them while they decided quietly.
"Fine, I'll go with Liu Kang," said Jonny Cage, "I ain't looking too good at the moment anyway," he said rubbing his bruised face, "But what should we do"
Liu Kang answered:
"We'll check out firstly the gardens in the morning, then that bridge that we came over to get here. I'm suspicious because the pit and spikes are all subterranean. There could easily be a door down there or some passageway that leads to these dungeons"
"Then it's settled then," said Subzero, "Tomorrow we'll start. We should wait until night. We'll let Shangtsung have tomorrow to do what he will with it, then we act. Remember: If we get caught, nobody's to say what could happen to us"

That evening Subzero walked up the stairs of the Square house unsure and unconfident about what was to happen. The corridors had always remained unfamiliar and foreign to him and still they were. It was very dark and cold as he came into the passageway where Kano slept. Coming to the door he looked both ways before knocking making sure nobody was around. There was silence and darkness was spread throughout all the corridor. There was no sound from inside. The wind whistled sharply like a creature in pain. He rapped his knuckled against the wood and a hollow sound came from inside.
"Him" a whisper Subzero turned a shiver going down his spine to the open window at the end of the corridor but there was nobody there, "You"
"Kano is that you?" he called. He knocked on the door again, "You asked me to come back and report what I had found"
There was no answer. The wind blew outside and howled as it passed in between the buildings. Subzero rapped on the door again this time harder. Again there came no answer. Looking again in either direction Subzero carefully checked the door adjacent to it. It was unlocked and he entered. The door creaked revealing a room cloaked in white sheets. The bed was under a blanket of white sheets covered up and unprepared for guests. Softly he closed the door and walked quietly back to Kano's room.
Carefully he inspected the lock. Taking a finger across his palm there was a brief gentle glow of blue light. What remained was a small needle of ice. Carefully he inserted it into the lock and started to fiddle. The end broke off and taking the pieces out with a curse under his breath he created another but this time froze the ice more solidly. This time after sometime of fiddling the lock clicked and the door handle moved. Again he tried to open the door and it did but only by a few millimetres. He could feel the tug of the chain from inside. Either Kano or someone else had fastened the chain from the inside. With a sigh and giving up he tried to lock the door again. The ice broke off in his hand and giving up he retreated from the corridor worried not only at the strange atmosphere but the idea of someone coming upon his wrong doings in the dark.
"Where are you Kano?" he whispered as he walked away.
Leaving there was only silence in the corridor. The air whistled loudly across the corridor coming in powerful blasts from the far window. Shadows flickered as a dark shape appeared almost out of nowhere. It walked down the corridor and stopped at Kano's room pointing a finger at the lock. Something clicked inside and the door was relocked.
"There's no doubt about it. It's him - and when Shangtsung allows me ... everything ends," whispered the voice Turning the shape disappeared with a burst of flames.

The day inevitably came round and with it the dreadful noise of the gong. Marching downstairs the fighters came one by one to the courtyard where again Shangtsung waited in those same blue robes. His beard looked slightly longer yet again. He smirked for a long time until all of the four fighters stood facing him together. Suddenly as they were used to with Shangtsung something changed in his character unexpectedly. His smirk dropped and he frowned looking from one to the other.
"Does he know?" thought Subzero Everyone stood firm waiting for the sorcerer to speak. Not a single eye moved out of line with the sorcerer's piercing ones, "No," thought Subzero, "He is angry to see us together. He can no longer play upon our weaknesses. He knows little or nothing of what we intend to do"
"You will be eating again in the gardens today. I have business to attend to and I won't be with you today. Reptile will attend to any of your needs," glared Shangtsung. Turning a head at Reptile who gazed back he flicked his head as if to suggest him to move or be punished.
Reptile nodded walking forward he beckoned to the fighters all to follow him. They did and Shangtsung watched as they walked away accompanied as always by the soldiers. He glared for a long while before turning and walking swiftly away into the main building. He closed the door with a slam. The table awaited them in the same place as they came to it. The red robed priests came bearing their exotic food as they had done before and placing them on the table. Turning they left. Reptile at the head of the table nodded.
"You may beginssss," he hissed "Where is Kano?" asked Subzero from across the table "Kano isss still not wells," replied Reptile dryly, "He will be better soons"
Silence continued. The food was good but it was little touched by the four of them. The soldiers ate at their usual pace filling up the spare seats. Reptile watched them suspiciously seemingly aware of the change in mood amongst the four competitors. Hardly anyone spoke and the eating was slow even though the food was delicious. Thoughts were on other things apart from the food.
"Are you alls finished?" asked Reptile at length hissing away in his usual monotone. There was a certain degree of nodding amongst the fighters. And Reptile stood to his feet.
"Shangtsung has informed me thats there will be another tournament fight after lunch. Between whos I cannot say. You will have one hours to prepare and thens you may fight using the weapons' of your choicesss. You can use the time until then as youss sees fits"
Leaving the table as the soldiers scattered the four of them met up together under a particularly large oak tree.
"What do you think?" whispered Jonny Cage "If we fight with weapons," said Liu Kang, "One of us will be killed or mortally wounded for certain. There is no doubt about it"
"I don't want to have to fight any of you!" insisted Sonya, "I thought you were all jerks when I first got on the boat but I was wrong. I like all of you especially you Jonny Cage. The idea of having to fight or even kill any one of you would be awful for me"
"What about me?" asked Subzero cynically "Even you Subzero," admitted Sonya, "You're not a bad person at heart. I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday"
"You're not so bad yourself Miss Blaze," returned Subzero "Hey!" interrupted Jonny Cage, "Get back to complimenting me again"
"If we're going to do this," interrupted Liu Kang suddenly seriously, "Then we've got to act quickly and efficiently. We need to find out where Goro is and fast"
"Lets get going then," said Subzero, "But out of question how are you going to get down into the pit without skewering yourselves"
"Hey I've been rock climbing before," returned Jonny Cage with a grin, "Besides there's some medieval gauntlets up on the walls in Kang's room. They're bloody tough and they won't break because of a couple of spikes"
"And what if one of those spikes," interrupted Subzero, "Happens to be rusty and breaks away in your hand or cannot take your weight"
"We'll pray that that doesn't happen"
Subzero sighed, "Don't be an idiot. Find some rope that's long enough and scale it properly. Trust me I've done plenty of climbing myself and you do not want to go down there in medieval gauntlets unless there is no other way. They'll be some rope somewhere in that square house I can guarantee it"
"Hey!" complained Jonny Cage, "Who's doing what here"
"Leave it," said Liu Kang fiercely to the movie star. With a sigh he turned to Subzero, "We'll find some rope as you suggested. The thought of a spike breaking under foot doesn't fill me with pleasure. As for you two, why don't you take the passage into the Main building that leads out onto the stands in the courtyard? It will bring you out pretty much near the courtyard and the guards don't watch that area"
"Agreed," replied Subzero, "Its time to finish Mortal Kombat"