"You wanted to see me, Quan Chi?" Mileena asked as she opened the door to the sorcerer's workshop inside his Netherrealm fortress. Whatever these experiments he was working on were, Mileena couldn't help but be reminded of Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. It was oddly comforting to have someone with such similar interests to her creator's around, in the absence of both the man himself and the man for whom she was created.
"I did," he replied, his fleshy throne turning magically to face her. "Though I did not also call for Tanya."
"Is my presence here a problem, sorcerer?" Tanya's sass was a constant annoyance for Quan Chi, but Shinnok had been adamant that she be tolerated and not experimented on, as her knowledge of modern Edenia would be vital.
"No, no. But it does warm my black heart to see you come to keep an eye on your precious friend."
"Pfft. Please. I came to conduct some arcane research and happened to meet Mileena on the way. I am offended by the insinuation that I would ever be friends with one who resembles Kitana."
"I could say the same of you, Edenian," Mileena spat back.
"Enough! You may stay, Tanya, but you are to keep quiet while I discuss matters with Mileena."
Tanya rolled her eyes and went off to peruse Quan Chi's books of sorcery. Mileena, meanwhile, took a few steps closer to Quan Chi, curious as to why the sorcerer would want to see her here of all places.
"Is this place nostalgic for you?" Quan Chi asked. "While I have never seen it myself, I can only assume my and Shang Tsung's laboratories are at least somewhat similar."
"It is," Mileena admitted. "But, how is that relevant?"
"You see, Mileena," the sorcerer began as he rose from his seat, "much like Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits, this fortress is where I perform my own experiments. Although, mine are less steeped in the creation of life, so much as in its manipulation."
Mileena remained silent, hoping her lack of understanding wouldn't show in her white eyes. Evidently, however, it did.
"Oh, I would not expect one such as you to understand even such a simple explanation. After all, you were completed with the DNA of tarkatans; a race that really are no better than animals. It is only natural that such a slapdash and slipshod filling in of the gaps in your genome would produce a being of only marginally higher intellect than that of an oni or a TaiGore."
"Watch your tongue, sorcerer," Mileena growled, eyes narrowing. Tanya, over in the corner of the chamber, remained frozen in place, beyond looking over her shoulder in worry that the situation would soon escalate. And that she would be caught in the crossfire.
"Or what?" Quan Chi chuckled. "You will lash out in a violent, animalistic rage, as your tarkatan brethren are wont to do? You really are as simplistic and predictable a creature as I suspected."
Mileena drew her twin sai from her belt. "I will not warn you again."
"Indeed. But do keep in mind that as a denizen of the Netherrealm, I have much experience dealing with ill-tempered, unintelligent creatures whose value lies only in their capacity to serve as decent test subjects."
Mileena let out an enraged screech as she tore down her mask and bore her long tarkatan fangs. She advanced on her provoker, her jaw open wide enough that Quan Chi was sure she could easily fit his entire throat between her teeth if he didn't stop her. Of course, he had a technique in mind to do exactly that.
Casually, he held out a hand and green waves of magic energy washed over Mileena, bringing her savage rampage to an abrupt stop. Her body shifted from her low combative stance to a more loose and straight standing stance. Her body swayed unsteadily, as if intoxicated. The muscles in her hands twitched uncomfortably, her grip eventually becoming loose enough for her signature sai to slip between her fingers and clatter onto the hard marble floor. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, revealing between blinks the shift in the colour of her sclerae from milky white to arcane green.
Quan Chi casually stepped closer to Mileena, yanking off her face mask entirely with enough force to almost cause her to topple over. Once her body adjusted back into a more neutral stance, the sorcerer pried open her mouth and placed his right index finger between her jagged tarkatan teeth. All it would take was one quick bite to sever the limb and leave him vulnerable to further attack. But no such bite came. It was quite evident that Mileena was in no state to take advantage of his opportunity, nor even to recognise that such an opportunity existed.
"What did you do, Quan Chi," Tanya demanded, dropping the book she was holding and preparing to draw her own weapons against him.
"Just a simple holding spell," he replied casually as he removed his finger from Mileena's maw. "Nothing at all fancy or impressive."
"You called her here to test your mind control spells?"
"Indeed. But tarkatans are docile and submissive by nature. They really are no better than animals. Controlling her in a neutral state would be child's play. Testing this magic required a more agitated, mentally active state to prove its effectiveness. After all, not every potential puppet has years to be broken. Now, Mileena?"
The entranced half-breed, while still silently swaying, seemed to shift her position subtly to focus her attention on the one addressing her.
"You are a TaiGore cub. You believe this wholeheartedly."
Immediately after the command was given, Mileena dropped onto her hands and knees and began purring. She was quite knowledgeable (and accurate) when it came to the sounds and movements of TaiGores, given that she herself had captured, tamed and presented one to Shao Kahn as a gift. Unlike their vicious adult forms, TaiGore cubs were actually quite affectionate, making this the ideal age to begin training them.
Quan Chi crouched down and gently patted Mileena's head, causing her to mew happily while stretching out with her rear end in the air like a true feline.
"That's a good girl," he said patronisingly.
"This is sick," Tanya growled in disgust.
"If you would prefer, I can always take the time to convince you otherwise," Quan Chi threatened in a casual tone.
Not wanting to test the spell's effectiveness on her own mind, Tanya grumbled, but accepted defeat.
"That is what I thought. You may leave now. These experiments will take quite some time."
Tanya shifted her weight uneasily, but remained rooted in place.
"By all means, stay and observe then. But if you try to interfere, you will be my next test subject. Is that clear?"
Tanya said nothing.
"Now, Mileena..."
Mileena's head turned up at an unnatural angle to listen to her 'owner'.
"You are back to your old half-breed abomination self. Stand up."
She did as she was told.
"Now, take this sai and stab yourself in the thigh with it."
"Just how far do you plan-"
"As you wish," Mileena replied before Tanya could finish her protest. The Edenian didn't even have time to look away before Mileena jammed the metal tool into her flesh without hesitation.
"How does this feel?" Quan Chi asked gleefully.
"Familiar," Mileena replied distantly.
Quan Chi cocked his head for a moment before theorising what this meant. "Shang Tsung performed similar experiments on you."
"Yes."
"In preparation for the Sindel scheme."
"Yes."
"Damn. It is truly a shame to have waste time repeating that man's experiments."
"If she remembers the experiments in this state, she probably remembers the results as well," Tanya noted from across the room. "Why not just ask her about it to save you both time?"
Quan Chi turned to face Tanya, who thought he was going to tell her to keep her mouth shut. Instead, he grinned unnervingly in a way that suggested he realised something that gave him the advantage.
"Indeed, that is a marvellous suggestion, Tanya. So kind of you to spare your friend unnecessary time in this state."
"Again, she and I are not friends. Nor will we ever be."
"Indeed."
Experimenting with dark magic is fun. The story was going to have Tanya and Mileena as friends already, but using this as the starting point for their relationship works better, I think.
