The six realms that make up existence, Earthrealm; home to a sophisticated group of humans, and lovingly guarded by the Thunder God Raiden, the Netherealm; the forsaken land of fire, Outworld; a land finally free of an evil ruler, the Realm of Chaos; inhabited by a race of humans who worship destruction and disorder, Seido; the Realm of Order, where rules preside over all and punishments are harsh, and Edenia; homeland of the Royal Family, ruled over by Queen Sindel. These realms are able to exist because of the One Being. Long ago, the One Being roamed the universe. His body absorbed all power, so there was nothing but a black void. Life could not exist. The only other beings were the Elder Gods. They devised a plan to put the One Being to sleep, so that life could be created. Their plan was successful, the One Being was banished to the depths of the universe, asleep. In his dreams, the One Being created six realms where life existed. The six realms are a part of the consciousness of the One Being, and if he should ever wake up, life will be extinct. The One Being has been under a spell of slumber since the beginning of time, but now there was someone who wanted to change that...

Jay Yung awoke when a sharp elbow poked him in the ribs.

"Ow," he said, rolling over. He looked at his wife, who was tossing and turning beside him. She must be having another nightmare, he thought. He knew better than to wake her up. The last time he'd done that he'd almost received a black eye for his efforts.

"No," she whispered, "I had to..."

Jay sighed, laying his head back down on the pillow, trying to ignore her muttering.

"It wasn't my fault..." she said, "I had to!"

She shot up, staring wildly around the room. Jay put an arm around her.

"It's okay," he said, "It was a dream."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I don't mean to keep waking you up, it's just these damn nightmares..."

"It's okay," he told her, "Go back to sleep."

He glanced at the clock. 5:47 a.m.

"Well," he sighed, "You can go back to sleep. I have to go to work."

Ashlynn watched him as he wandered around the room, looking for his clothes.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

He waved a dismissive hand.

"It's fine Ash."

By the time he had gotten ready, it was 6:32. He hadn't had time to warm up the car, so the leather seats were freezing.

Amilee was sitting at her desk at work, staring at the dress design in front of her. She glanced up at her assistant, who smiled innocently.

"This won't work," Amilee said, "The woman who ordered this dress is a little...plump. The measurements around the waist aren't right, plus the front is too low cut. We don't want her walking down the aisle with her boobs hanging out."

Her assistant looked disappointed, she'd only had the job for a week.

"Oh," she said, "I guess I'll scrap this one then..."

Amilee turned back to her computer just as the phone rang.

"Hello?" she said.

"Help me," said a woman's voice.

"Who is this?"

"It's Maria. Please Emma, you have to help me!"

"Calm down," Amilee said, "Where are you?"

"I'm trapped," Maria said, "In the Netherealm."

"How the hell are you calling me from the Netherealm?"

"I'm not using a phone," Maria replied, "I'm using psychic communication. Raiden taught me."

Amilee was too confused to wonder why Maria had never told her that before, and why Raiden would chose to teach only her, and if there even was such a thing as psychic communication...

"Okay," she said, "Don't worry. I'm coming."

"I don't know exactly where I am," Maria said, "Someone is guarding the door."

"Okay, don't try anything. I'm coming," Amilee said, hanging up the phone. She shot up from the desk, grabbing her coat and running for the door.

Ashlynn was just walking through the doors of the New York School of Martial Arts, when there was a flash of light. She blinked, confused. She was no longer standing in the city, she was standing the middle of the nexus. Raiden was a few feet away.

"What the hell!" she asked.

"Amilee is in danger," the thunder god replied, "She has been lured into a trap."

"What kind of trap?"

"I don't know," he said, "But she believes that Maria is being held in the Netherealm. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to a word I said. Hurry, she may not have much time."

He vanished, leaving her alone. She took off her coat, knowing where she was headed she wouldn't need it.

The Netherealm...

Ashlynn reappeared, shuddering at the sight of the all too familiar demon city. Irritated with having to search for Amilee, she approached the closest demon to her. A small woman with black eyes and skin the color of old bruises.

"What do you want from me human?" she demanded.

"Has anyone come through this portal recently?" Ashlynn asked.

The demon averted her eyes, "No..."

"You're lying. Where is she?"

"She...came through the city a few hours ago. She spoke with one of the guards and then-

Suddenly she stopped, her eyes wide with fear. Ashlynn could feel someone standing behind her. She turned, knowing that every enemy she had ever killed was in this realm somewhere. Standing close behind her, arms crossed, was Noob Saibot.

"You look surprised Ashlynn," he said.

"Why are you here?" she asked, "You're not dead."

"No," Noob said, "I am not. I have been promoted, I am now head of the Brotherhood of Shadow."

"No, the Brotherhood was destroyed when-

Ashlynn stopped, seeing the smile on his face.

"When Quan chi escaped this place," he said, "You are right. We stopped working, because we had no master."

He laughed, enjoying the look of fear on her face.

"He's...here then?" she asked slowly.

"Obviously," Noob said, "Where else would he go, after being killed...for the second time?"

Ashlynn shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she said, "I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen her?"

"Sub-Zero's whore? Yes, she was here."

Ashlynn bit her tongue, trying hard to control her temper.

"Where is she now?" she asked.

"She was headed toward the temple to the north," he replied, then a sick smile came over his face, "But be careful, my master is not far from here."

Amilee blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the fogginess in her head. As her eyes focused, she realized she was in some sort of circular room, lit by torches. She blinked again, confused. The last thing she remembered was heading north from Nekros, one of the demon guards had told her to check the temple. She had only been maybe fifty feet from the strange, glowing building, when something happened. She couldn't recall what.

"Hello?' she called.

She coughed, realizing how thirst she was.

"Hello?" she said again, "Is anyone there?"

No answer. She pulled on the door, but just as she had figured, it was locked.

"Anybody?"

She could hear a faint sound on the other side, like footsteps.

"Who's out there?"

Nothing. Frustrated, she banged loudly on the door until her arms hurt.

"If you value your life," said a voice from the other side, "You will stop that."

The voice was strangely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it before.

"Where am I?" she demanded.

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah it matters!" she screamed, "Tell me where the hell I am!"

"No," was the only response.

She pounded on the door again, but there was no answer. Then suddenly, she remembered Maria.

"Please," she begged, "I have to help my friend!"

"Your friend is not here," said the man, "She is perfectly safe back in Earthrealm."

He laughed, sending a chill down Amilee's spine.

"Who are you?"

No reply.

"WHO ARE YOU!"

"You'll die before you ever know the answer to that."

She hit the door a few more times, then gave up and sat down on the floor, thirsty, sore, and confused.

Ashlynn was speed walking across the Netherealm wastes, toward the glowing temple. When she was close enough, she broke into a run, stopping in front of the steps to catch her breath. She looked up and was surprised to see two guards, spears pointed at her face. They were dressed in black uniforms, with a single red slash across the chest. The Brotherhood of Shadow.

"No one but Brotherhood members are allowed here," said one of them.

"This is an abandoned temple," Ashlynn said, "Why would the brotherhood want it?"

"That is none of your concern," said the other guard.

"Leave now," said the first one, "And we will spare your life."

"At least tell me if there's a woman in there," Ashlynn said. She knew that was a stupid thing to ask, but she had to try.

"There is no woman," the second guard replied, "Only Brotherhood members."

Ashlynn's eyes were blazing green.

"This is the second time I've been lied to today," she hissed, "and I'm getting sick of it."

She knew she probably shouldn't attack two highly trained Brotherhood members, but it was looking more and more likely that she would have to.

"Please," she said, desperate to try one more time.

"Leave," said the first guard, "We would not want to stain this ground with your blood."

Ashlynn had run out of ideas, she didn't have any choice but to fight them. Without warning, she kneed to first in the gut. The other lunged with his spear, but she managed to duck, and give him a roundhouse kick to the jaw. He staggered backward, falling onto the steps. Meanwhile, the other guard aimed a blow at her head. She brought up her arm to block, when something wrapped tightly around her ankle. She fell forward onto the steps, and there was nothing she could do as she was blindfolded and carried inside the temple. She was dumped onto the floor, and she could hear a door slam shut behind her.

"Ashlynn!"

Ashlynn ripped off the blindfold, to find herself face to face with the cause of all this, Amilee.

"This is what I get for trying to help you," Ashlynn mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Amilee said, "I'm sorry. Where are we anyway?"

"The Netherealm," Ashlynn replied, "In a temple that's now apparently being controlled by the Brotherhood of Shadow."

Amilee crossed her arms, "It was stupid to come here..." she mumbled.

"I know," Ashlynn said, "And it's your fault."

Amilee rolled her eyes.

"We have to get out of here before-

The door swung open, slamming loudly against the stone wall. Both women jumped to their feet to face the yellow clad ninja in the doorway.

"I should kill you," Amilee said, although she knew very well that she couldn't.

"Maria," Ashlynn said quietly, remembering the look on her friend's face, "Why would you do that to her?"

Scorpion smiled, "Maria...Maria was just a toy to occupy me while I set my plan in motion."

The ninja had been expecting the women to be surprised that he was the one holding them, but they weren't. Ashlynn especially, she had known it was just a matter of time.

"How did you get in here?" Ashlynn asked, "The Brotherhood is run by Quan Chi, they would never let you pass."

"Wrong," Scorpion replied, "The Brotherhood is not run by the sorcerer, at least not anymore."

"But Noob said-

"Noob lied," Scorpion told her, "He was following my orders. I now control the Brotherhood. Quan Chi was run out by his own men. He is hiding now, somewhere in the wastelands, but his time will come. I will send his soul straight to the Void, and be rid of him for good."

"The Void?" Amilee asked, looking at Ashlynn.

"If you die in the Netherealm," Ashlynn replied, "Your soul is sent to the Void, a place of eternal darkness. There's no escape from that place."

"So what is this plan of yours?" Amilee asked, not expecting Scorpion to tell them. But, foolishly, he was too proud of his plan to keep it to himself.

"First," he said, "I will enjoy watching you die in this room. Then, I will get rid of Quan Chi for good. After that, when the Brotherhood is once again at full power, well...I cannot tell you the rest, your minds could not comprehend it."

He laughed, walking away and slamming the door shut behind him.

"There has got to be a way out of this..." Ashlynn mumbled.

Amilee smiled, "Too bad Jax isn't here, he could break the door down."

Ashlynn sighed. It had been a long time since she'd seen Jax or any of her other friends. Cherin was in L.A., with Stryker, Maria had moved to Miami, Jax, Sonya, and Sarah were in Washington, and Johnny Cage had gone off to whose knows where to do who knows what.