The Death Eater's body began convulsing and a stream of blue was streaming up from the body and into Shang's hand as colour drained from the man's body till he was nothing but a pasty white colour. Shang removed his foot and left the body alone to rot.
"How would you like to learn how to suck the very soul from your enemy's body and add their power to your own?" Shang held his fist in front of him as he spoke, grinning manically.
While the rest of the Death Eaters looked on in shock and amazement, Voldemort looked very impressed by this display of magic. Without a wand no less, it was amazing.
"I see, and you would be willing to do all this for me, why?" Voldemort was smart enough know that no one did something for nothing.
"In three months time, an ancient Fighting Tournament will be taking place to decide the final fate of this realm. However, we believe we can persuade our master to just claim this place, and let you rule it" Shang Tsung explained.
"So what to I have to do to secure this position of power?" Voldemort's followers were watching the exchange before them.
"Send your followers to kill these people; they are the champions of the Earthrealm in this tournament" Quan Chi handed a piece of parchment to the closest Death Eater; the parchment listed the following names.
Liu Kang
Kitana
Johnny Cage
Sonya Blade
Cyrax
Kung Lao
Sub Zero
Scorpion
Frost
"Kill Earthrealm's Chosen Warriors, and our master can easily take over this realm, and if you kill them, the Elder Gods won't have enough time to choose new ones"
"A very tempting offer. However, these people are all in different parts of the globe, I have but a small but loyal following at this stage" Voldemort was confident, but he wasn't stupid.
"We can take care of that: you will find most of them in China, we can take your men there to dispose of them" Quan Chi explained with a wave of his hand.
"Where are the others?" Bellatrix finally decided to speak.
"America, although we seem to have lost track of Scorpion and Sub Zero. But still, if we manage to whittle the list down to those two, we shouldn't have a problem" Shang dismissed their locations as a small matter.
Voldemort thought the offer over: it was incredibly tempting. They would teach him dark magic beyond his comprehension if he agreed to assist them. Though the thought of treachery was not far from his mind, Voldemort knew to try and double cross or kill them now would be ruinous.
"Very well, I accept your offer. If you teach me the dark magic you did there, then I will assist you in disposing of these, filthy Muggle warriors" Voldemort grinned at them, his eyes glowing.
"Excellent. We shall return in two days with the required items and texts with which to teach you" Quan Chi decided to inflate Voldemort's ego by bowing to him.
The two sorcerers turned and walked out of Voldemort's hall, both smiling a smug and self confident smile. Voldemort too called his closest Death Eaters around him in football huddle. Quan Chi and Shang left the building now through large doors.
"Do you think his 'warriors' will succeed?" Shang asked as he and Quan Chi heard the doors shut behind them.
"Even killing one or two of Earth's champions would be a victory for us. Any less of them is more a chance for us to win Earthrealm" Shang replied.
"Do you really think Shinnok or Shao Kahn will let him rule this realm in their stead?" Quan Chi had a sarcastic drawl in his voice.
"Not a chance, they'd just be a threat to Kahn's dominance, and by connection Shinnok's as well" Shang knew Shao Kahn well enough to know that no one ruled for him.
"My lord, is it wise to trust them?" Severus Snape, in his spy guise was questioning Voldemort's decision.
"Of course not Severus, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and in this case also a reservoir of knowledge, a knowledge I wish to exploit" Voldemort replied, his eyes glinting madly.
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----------Lin Kuei Temple---------
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"Well done, you have all completed your basic training of Lin Kuei martial arts. However, we believe that strength comes from diversity. It is with that creed in mind that I have watched you and decided that you should each learn a different style" Frost was addressing her four guests.
"What was that based on?" Neville asked, still a nervous boy.
"Everything I've observed about you, attitudes, athletic prowess and even your personality quirks, also I've made a call on what kind of weapons to each you all to use" Frost replied.
"Oh, okay" Neville replied.
The week had changed the teenagers from shy to bold and brought out talents they didn't know existed. Neville was finding his self confidence grow with every day, Parvati had learnt to become a little more level headed while conversely Padma learnt to follow her heart a little more than her instincts. Luna however seemed much the same, a quiet, strange yet big hearted young woman with nary a violent bone in her body.
"Luna, come here" Frost addressed her directly.
"Yes?" she asked in her low voice, eyes wide.
"I have observed you all of this week and still you present me with a challenge. With that in mind I have decided that you shall begin training in Aikido" Frost removed an Aikido uniform from a trunk and handed it to her.
"Why this form?" Luna asked.
"Because you are not a violent person, but you are strong. Aikido has no offensive techniques, everything is reactionary, and it's as quirky and unique as you are" Frost answered with a grin.
Luna said nothing and sat down again, studying the uniform and gently rubbing it.
"Parvati, front and centre" Frost let a real shit eating grin cover her face.
"Okay, what do I get?" Parvati was excited to such an extent one might think she was opening a Christmas present.
"I have given you a very unique style. I noticed that you liked to dance" Frost baited her.
"Yeah, I do" the girl admitted with a blush.
"Well be prepared for a dance with a difference. You shall be studying the Brazilian art of Capoeira, a martial art that requires a dancer's agility, natural rhythm and flexibility" Frost handed Parvati the pants and woman's Capoeira top.
"Oh, I think I saw one of your men doing this" she muttered as she sat down.
"Yeah, okay. For you Padma, I thought long and hard on this, in the end the best choice seemed to be Wing Chun. A no nonsense style of Kung Fu" Frost threw Padma some Wing Chun robes.
"And last but not least, young Neville here. A wiry lad with lots of speed on him, and also a fierce spirit. You will be learning Muay Thai" Frost shocked him with that revelation.
"Thai Kickboxing, you want me to learn that?" Neville nearly fainted: he'd heard stories of Thai fighters from his friends at school, mainly from Dean.
He'd heard they were among the most feared martial artists in the world; their techniques for strengthening the body were as brutal as the fighting style itself, comprising of devastating blows administered by the feet, knees, hands, and elbows.
"Yes, for the simple reason I know you wouldn't abuse the style. The only Muay Thai fighters who truly need to be vicious are the ones who live in the backstreets of Bangkok" Frost assured him.
"Oh" Neville had still paled considerably.
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-------------Hogwarts---------------------
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Judgement Day was here. Harry stood in front of a mirror examining his robes for what could only be described as the millionth time that evening, much to Ron's chagrin. Like his friends Dean and Seamus, Ron had elected to help them supervise the junior ball, which was looking more like a costume party by now. Another thought that had been running around like a rat in both Harry and Ron's mind was Hermione and Ginny's dance.
"It should be a non issue, I think Sub Zero freezing a giant ball of ice around Larry's genitals have proved to be an adequate technique to dissuade their stupidity" Harry pointed out to Ron.
"Yeah I know, but she's my little sister Harry, to not worry about her would be tantamount to treason in my family. I only wish Fred and George were still here" Ron sighed.
"Why?" Harry asked, turning from the mirror.
"Come on Harry, no one is scared of me, but plenty of people were scared of Fred and George…and I know there are lots of people who are terrified of you" Ron lamented.
"Well, Ron, I don't like people being scared of me, the very fact that I did what I did to Malfoy scares me a lot. I didn't think I had it in me to cause anyone, even Malfoy that kind of grievous injury" Harry sat down next to Ron, trying to console him.
"It isn't so much the fear Harry, but, the respect. Fred and George were respected because they were funny and good Quidditch players. You are respected, because you are Harry Potter, which isn't fair really, but now most of that respect comes from your skills as Seeker" Ron continued.
"Ah, so it is clear now. You don't want riches, or brains or even fear. You simply want respect" Harry finally managed to work out one of the few things Ron truly wanted.
"Yeah, the riches would be nice too, but lets start with respect and work our way up" Ron managed to get a joke in to lighten the mood.
"Ron, I cannot foresee the future, despite what Trewlawny says or thinks neither does she. However it doesn't take a genius to work out that you will do something incredible one day. And it will be something totally unconnected to me, Voldemort or anything like this" Harry consoled his friend with a reassurance of his future.
"Maybe. Go on, you've a beautiful woman to impress, and I've a beautiful girl to miss" Ron patted Harry on the back and got up to leave the room.
Harry got up again and looked at himself in the mirror. His robes, so bright they could blind a man where offset by their midnight black trimmings. The front had less red since it was covered in a golden Gryphon crest. The sword that came with the robes was just a handle over a very real sheath. He simply removed the sheath and placed his latest, acquisition in its place and examined himself.
"Okay, it's time to dance" Harry said to himself.
Harry left the common room and made his way down to the Great Hall. He passed many couples on his way down and saw robes of varying degrees of splendour. He even passed Professor Flitwick who was dressed in such a way that he looked like a giant tomato with a gold jacket. Harry waved to him as he passed.
"Evening Harry m'boy, I say that is a rather dapper robe" Flitwick commented.
"Thanks, professor" Harry said and continued on his way.
Harry walked into the Great Hall and was basically assaulted with colour and grandeur. Hermione and Ginny had used the primary colour scheme as Red and black, with trimmings in silver, gold and dark purple. Animated models of each Hogwarts house animal floated overhead, snakes slithered between the balloons as giant lions leapt across the roof, as if to pounce on some prey. A flock of eagles soared overhead in a V formation and the small muddle of badgers frolicked in the balloons with the snakes.
Tapestry adorned every square inch of wall, with pictures of comical caricatures of werewolves, vampires and banshees among others. Also, jack o lanterns floated above the students where the candles would be, the night sky on the roof looking like a dark purple sky with silver pin pricks for stars. A look around the room saw that the ball was less formal than the Yule Ball of Forth Year, given the presence of tables of food for the party goers to nibble on.
"Those two are a force of nature" Harry chuckled as he went over to munch on some crackers and dip.
Even walking that short distance Harry was bombarded with masks of all shapes, sizes and colours. He swore he recognised Hannah Abbot in a mask covered in Peacock feathers but wasn't sure, and the young man in the tiger stripe mask looked disturbingly like David, a fifth year Gryffindor.
"Ah, blessed food, better get something in me and then find some Dutch courage" Harry muttered.
The music began to play. A real band had been unreachable this time, so with the help of some of the more Muggle raised students; a large CD player had been acquired and from the students a large collection of CD's had also been procured. So there was a large variety of music to choose from. The current selection sounded like traditional music without words.
"Ah, Harry, good to see you" Dumbledore strode over and gave Harry a pat on the back.
"Hello professor" Harry paused and checked for anyone planning on eavesdropping.
"Is Tonks coming tonight?" he asked.
"I do believe young Tonks is well enough to join us, although do not dance too fast. I believe that Lupin took her home a few minutes ago to get changed" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as Harry blushed.
"She's still a bit hurt then?" Harry looked a little ashamed of himself.
"I dare say if it weren't got Scorpion, she would be in worse shape. Although, I do wish he hadn't…" Dumbledore trailed off when he saw Harry's questioning look.
"Wish he hadn't done what Professor?" Harry looked at Dumbledore curiously; he never found out what had happened at the airport.
"Nothing Harry, just an old man's ramblings. I believe they are about to start the music for a slow dance" Dumbledore hurried away, as if worried about something.
Soon a soft, melodic tune began playing, although Harry paid it nearly no heed as he searched the dance floor for the one he wished to dance with. As he passed the myriad of masks, Harry was hit by the irony of Tonks, a witch capable of masking herself in anyway, still having to dress up here. Seeing he'd get nowhere looking at faces, Harry concentrated on the gloves.
"That shop owner said they'd glow, if they don't I'll put his balls in a garlic crusher" Harry muttered.
"Now Harry, is that anyway to talk in the presence of a lady?" a playful voice made Harry snap around and see a woman only a hair taller than him standing there.
Wearing a grin that was almost as infections as Plague, Harry's eyes travelled to the gloves. Not long after, he smiled back. Tonks held out her hand and Harry took it gingerly and pulled Tonks into an embrace and the two began to dance.
"How you holding up?" Tonks asked.
"Better than Ron, but not by much. How about you, dear Tonks" Harry wasn't very good at sweet talk, content only to be able to bask in Tonks' presence.
"She'll be fine, and so will the others. Speaking of fine, you look brilliant" she whispered to him.
"You look lovely too, I don't think I've ever dreamed a woman as attractive as you would ever go out with me" Harry started putting himself down again.
"Now we've had this dance before, so don't. You and I both know how I feel about you saying things like that" Tonks admonished him.
"Fair enough" Harry replied as he twirled Tonks around.
The dance itself flowed like the intertwining energies of the galaxy, each one intersecting only where it was supposed to. Tonks and Harry danced, both of them finally able to relax a little and act like the couple they had fast become. Harry did keep one eye surreptitiously on Hermione and Ginny, but it became obvious that no one cared anymore.
"They look good don't they?" Harry asked, nodding over to them.
"Yeah they do. Have Ginny and Molly talked yet?" Tonks asked, looking at Harry with her vivid purple eyes.
"Not that I know of. I hope they make up soon, she misses her mother" Harry hoped the two would patch up their relationship.
"I'm sure they will" Tonks patted Harry on the back to console him.
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Outside the Hogwarts grounds, twelve Death Eaters quietly made their way towards the school. Being relatively new the Voldemort's circle of followers, and being out of their Death Eater outfits made them highly inconspicuous. Indeed to passers by, they seemed more like rich young debutants who'd been drinking too much wine.
"Are we there yeeeeet?" one of the wizards drawled.
"Only a little further, then we'll be there" the leader, a man with a snobbish accent replied.
"Oh come on DuPont, my legs are tired. I ain't getting all buggered for some mud bloods, can't we rest?" a whiney witch, Mildred moaned.
"Shut, your bloody gob ya cockney wench and move your arse before I kick it" DuPont's accent totally disappeared when he yelled.
"Grouchy bastard" Mildred hissed and kept walking.
The remaining Death Eaters were just muscle in the group. DuPont, Morrison and Mildred were the 'brains' as it were. They had been provided with information on how to get onto the grounds. They took the long way around to avoid Hagrid's hut and that monster dog, Fang. Soon the reached the gates the children went through to go to Hogsmeade. Opening the gate quietly, the Death Eaters breached Hogwarts.
"The so called safest place in the wizarding world, hmm" DuPont grinned smugly, turning to his fellow Death Eaters.
"Okay, Morrison, Mildred and I will take, you four and head for the Great Hall, the rest of you make your way to the unused classroom where the younger students are, and you know the drill" DuPont said, rubbing his hands together.
"That we do" someone shouted from the back.
"Well, let us go then" DuPont and those he chose followed him towards the Great Hall.
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Ron couldn't help smiling: the younger students weren't so much having a masquerade ball, just a ball. They'd dressed up as all sorts and the music was loud and hardly as refined as the display in the Great Hall. However as they ran around laughing and dancing with no sense of rhythm, it was infectious. He did come to a startling conclusion though.
'Luna would probably have preferred this party to the other one' he realised.
Looking around, he could almost see Luna, in some hilarious costume frolicking around the room with a huge grin on her face and falling among the balloons and laughing. Thinking of that made Ron himself laugh. The more sombre pair of Dean and Seamus were just content to just sort of look as though they were a bit lost, but they held a glass up, like a salute and downed the drink.
"I hope they're okay" Dean muttered.
"Lads, I'm sure they're fine" Ron called out.
Before entering the party, Ron had made a point of checking the students for anything dangerous that older students may have given them as pranks. He also looked surreptitiously for anyone with a 'Watcher's Badge'. He wanted to know how many of his fellows had turned on Hogwarts and Dumbledore. So far none of the students had been wearing one, of course there are a myriad of reasons they could not be seen.
'Probably just being paranoid' Ron thought as he watched them play.
Turning his eyes to the room's biggest curio, he couldn't help but snigger. Madam Hooch dressed in a princess dress, while Sub Zero dressed as a Chinese noble danced among the younger students, the girls making all sorts of funny faces at their love struck teacher.
"Never in a million years…" Ron muttered as Sub Zero twirled Madam Hooch around.
Sub Zero was in hell, but it was all worth it. He'd never had as much fun with a lady as he had with Rolanda. Her quirky and dry wit seemed to fill all the right psychological niches in his brain and he liked to think that some of his almost childlike use of ice made up for her sternness. Suddenly the music stopped.
"Okay, who tripped over the cords?" Sub Zero folded his arms across his chest and looked indignant.
"Sorry, my bad" a young boy called and plugged the stereo back into the, what ever it was that it was plugged into to give it power.
This time the machine began playing an English folk song, perfect for pubs and dances at old country fairs. So, in best possible tradition, Rolanda tried to do a jig, but Sub Zero kept messing up the steps and tripping over. All the children found this utterly hilarious, Ron especially.
"Not so graceful on your feet now are ya?" he called out.
"Silence Mr. Weasley" Madam Hooch glared at Ron, still grinning.
Silence lasted for exactly three seconds before the door exploded in a shower of chips and splinters. The younger students screamed and ran for cover while Ron, Seamus and Dean, accompanied by Madam Hooch drew wands and readied for combat. Suddenly the whole room went dark; they could hear the chants of the Death Eaters as they entered the room.
"We entered in a circle and will keep firing until the darkness lifts, you won't know what hit you" a voice intoned softly.
'Morons, you challenge an assassin in his own domain?' Sub Zero was used to darkness, even darkness as dank as this one.
Using years of honed senses and many a mission in the dark, Sub Zero used the lingering echoes of their voices to trace them. Taking a bold gamble, Sub Zero threw an ice orb at what he hoped was a Death Eater. Since the shape that materialised as being as tall as him, and wearing a stupid pointed cap he was able to say he hit the mark. Launching forward, Sub Zero punched the frozen man, shattering him like a dropped cup.
Sensing a good moment, Madam Hooch threw some brightness powder, blinding the Death Eaters. Sub Zero took less time to recover and immediately leapt at the nearest Death Eater, with the firm intention of tearing their throat out.
Able to see once more, Ron and his fellow Sixth Year students showed the Death Eater's how they'd learnt to fight. Stunners, Expelliarmus and many other spells were launched in quick succession. A single Death Eater managed to fire the Aveda Kedavra curse at a first year.
"No!" Madam Hooch saw the next events happen in slow motion.
Sub Zero dived for the child and then rolled backwards. As he rolled, a solid ice clone of him remained behind, taking the spell instead of him. Ron wasted no time in securing that Death Eater's wand, issuing a quick kick to the ribs for good measure.
"Well, this is certainly an entertaining evening" Sub Zero muttered.
Celebration was too quick: it turned out one of the Death Eater's was an unregistered Animagus. His body morphed slowly at first but soon gained pace and where there was once a man now sat a large and ferocious looking wolf. Grinning, Sub Zero squared off and concentrated: he too began to change form into…
…a fully grown Polar Bear.
"That is brilliant" Ron muttered as Sub Zero swung a powerful paw at the wolf.
The power of Sub Zero's bear form belted the hapless Death Eater across the room and into the wall, loud cracking noises echoing in the room upon impact. When the wolf didn't move again, Sub Zero reverted to his human form.
"Animality" he muttered.