A/N: All right. Bonus Chapter 1 is underway. You're probably thinking, what's the point of these chapters? Why not just begin Arc II after the dialogues? Well, the bonus chapters are made to introduce some of the new cast members as well as explain the potential motivation and plot points that will be present in the coming Arc. There will be two of them each Arc. Without further ado, let's put the pieces in place.

Trainer's Estate, Earthrealm 10:00 A.M: Two years after Earthrealm won her freedom from Outworld

Callie's POV:

Two years flew by. Thanks to Benji's physical therapy on top of the Trainer's Estate's resources provided, the strenuous procedure to fix my spine was finally complete. It was practically torture because Benji decided to err on the side of caution and not do any work until my spine was stable.

It was so boring.

Every day I endured physical therapy then complained about how we can't do anything because of my fractured vertebrae. Then, Benji would run me down by saying Goro could've paralyzed, possibly killed me had he used more force in his throw, which would result in me shutting up about my injury for the rest of my days. I understand my brother's precaution, however. He didn't want to rush the recovery process only for me to fuck up again and end up in a worse situation than my current predicament.

A fractured spine is no joke after all, and after battling Goro, I now know that first hand.

However, my spine feels healed as of yesterday, and I remember back on Shang Tsung's Island Benji told me that he'd teach me some Sambo holds. I set out to find him, eager to test my regained mobility. The Trainer's Estate is massive than my liking, but at this time, Benji always meditates in the Room of Silence. The place kills all sounds before they leave. Admittedly a smart place to meditate, the only way he can hear anything is if someone else enters the room.

I step inside and call him."Benji!"

He opens an eye and happens to see me out of the corner. "G'morning, Cal."

"Y'know what today is?" I asked with mischievous intentions.

Benji, being the sleepy-eyed person he was, stands up and shrugs. "Thursday?"

I huffed. "No. I mean, yeah it's the 10th, but that's not what I meant. It's one day since I finished recovering from my debilitating injury from Goro, and we can finally start doing our job! There's so much to do!"

He nods contently. "It is, huh? Well, congratulations on a successful recovery."

I was so fired up to finally be able to move around without isolated pain here and there that my next sentence didn't come as a surprise while nudging Benji's arm. "Now about some holds? I remember that Arm Lock Swing like it was yesterday." Both hands were on my hips. "And you promised."

My older sibling scratched his head. "I did promise. All right, Step into the dojo, and we'll get started."

A grin sawed my face in half. "Awesome."

We both leave the Room of Silence to proceed into the actual dojo on the other side of the estate. It's quite a trek to get there. As we walked together, I couldn't help but reminisce about what Benji did to Goro. That scene was gruesome and downright scary. How long has he had that ability?

Benji noticed my contemplative look. "What's eating you, Cal?"

I decided to be honest about my thoughts. "Just recollecting how you took Goro's soul. That's Necromancy?"

"Necromancy is a very broad term," he replied. "I can do many things because of what I learned. Soul separation is only the tip of the iceberg. Now that I have a soul stored in my possession, I can do much more. However, I don't need to right now. So it just sits in waiting."

Can he do more than just taking someone's soul?

"How much did you learn in the Netherrealm?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the actual answer.

"Less than I wanted, more than I needed." Benji bluntly answered. "But knowledge is knowledge, so I'm not complaining."

"Well, I'm not. If it weren't for you taking Goro's soul, I wouldn't be able to walk again," I said honestly. "If I ever get a rematch, I won't need your help. Underestimating one opponent almost killed me."

"Cal, everyone loses once in a while," my brother reminded me.

I quickly retorted, "I know, I know. Spare me the poetry, Benji."

He merely rolled his eyes in mock annoyance as we walked the rest of the way in silence. After reaching the dojo, we both stretched our limbs to ensure no discomfort will come about. It was then I realized something.

"Hey, I never got to see you instruct someone," I told Benji.

"I can say the same for you," he said.

"I don't instruct, I drill," I responded. "Two completely different things."

Benji put his hands up. "Fair enough. Now, before we begin, I admittedly don't know much about Close Quarters Kombat. Care to give me a brief description?"

"Sure. To me, CQK revolves around five techniques: Incapacitation, survivalism, weaponry, ground game, and efficiency. It's about knowing when to strike as opposed to trading blows with your opponent. To be a master of CQK, you need to hit hard, smart, remain calm, think of the world as your weapon, be a master of terrain, and do all that in the smartest way possible." I shrug nonchalantly. "CQK in a nutshell."

My sibling had one hand to his chin in thought. "Sounds like Close Quarters Kombat is just a synonym for Pankration," he admitted.

"CQK is simply a striking Martial Art," I continued explaining. "The grappling is basic at best, and one of its weaknesses. That's why I asked for Sambo instruction specifically."

"Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Since CQK is a combination of various striking martial arts, you're just updating your take on it," Benji guessed

I nod. "Yes, exactly."

Benji then took up his stance, my excitement increasing, as evidenced by a racing heart. "Well then, let's begin then."

We ended up working on holds for a couple of hours. Fighting, despite being used for learning purposes, I felt great after not throwing a punch or kick for two whole years, showing that Benji and I never lost a step, which made sense considering we're more than 20,000 years old each. It's like riding a bike with training wheels.

Afterward, we found ourselves briefly resting in the kitchen. Seeing as I didn't get breakfast, I decided to eat something before we ponder ideas on what we should do first with this cornucopia of resources.

"So Benji," I began. "What are we going to do first?"

He took a moment to think about it. "I was thinking about going to Arctica to inquire about Sektor's contract to kill me."

I swallow my food and the loud gulp echoes throughout the empty estate. "I don't think that's a good idea. If Sektor got the okay to take the contract, then I don't think anyone in the Lin Kuei would willingly give you information."

Benji frowns. "You have a point." Another pause ensnares the room. "Well, there's always looking into our parent's sudden death."

That was something we could agree on, our mother and father's murder went unsolved. "We can do that, but as much as I want to, solving that mystery can wait. Our parent's passing has nothing to do with Earthrealm so we should leave that alone for now." I start finishing my plate.

"What do you think we should do, Cal?" my brother inquired. "We're having a repeat of Seido here, and we can't spend a year to come up with a decent plan of action, not after spending the last two years fixing your spine."

I could sense a hint of frustration in Benji's voice. "I know. I know."

Finally, I finished my meal and washed my plate. Benji, as I was doing this, started talking again. "I'm going to the Netherrealm."

"Huh?" I turn around well, as much as I could. "Where did that come from?"

"I need to see my mentor. It's been 10,000 years since I saw the guy. Who knows how he's been doing," he answered. "And since we're not doing anything at the moment, it's a good time to do this before Raiden asks us for anything."

Benji did have a good point as I nod. "I may as well as come too. I always wanted to meet the guy who taught you Necromancy."

"You made the intention as clear as day," Benji added sarcastically. "I have a feeling you want to kill him in secret."

His reply made me show a mean smile. "Kill is such a strong word. Hurt, knock unconscious, put into a coma. All of those are fitting. It's not my fault that I have trust issues, and a guy from the Netherrealm teaching you Necromancy and you left relatively unharmed raises my suspicions way past red."

It was after my smart ass retort that we heard a knocking on our door, raising one of my eyebrows. "You expecting company, Benji?"

He was already walking to the door "No, you?"

"None," I respond as I dry my hands.

I reach for my trusted knife but didn't strap it on when I woke up, and I cracked my knuckles after realizing so. "Let's see who it is."

We both walk up to the door, prepared to either greet a friend or fend off an intruder. I take a look from the peephole and nearly reeled back in shock. The man on the other side was someone I recognized. Without even thinking, I opened the door.

"Kenshi?" I say in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Sure enough, a man wearing a bandana over both his eyes in ninja-like attire was right on our doorstep. On his back was his trusted sword named Sento, but it was no ordinary sword. Kenshi uses the weapon as a guide to compensate for his permanent disfigurement, another victim of Shang Tsung's treachery. Luckily, we don't have to deal with his ass anytime soon, I hope.

"It's nice to see you, General," Kenshi says with a smile. "I didn't think you lived in such a nice place."

I wasn't overly thrilled. "Way to ignore my question."

I let Kenshi inside, his face turning into Benji's direction. "General, who is he? You have put yourself in a relationship?"

My eyes widened immediately. "What!? No, Kenshi! That's my brother, Benjamin, Benji for short. Benji, this is Kenshi, one of my subordinates when I was still with Special Forces. He was a Lieutenant under my command." Quickly, my attention went back to my former soldier. "Kenshi you know I'm not General anymore so just call me Callie."

"I can't just force myself to stop, General. I served under you and Sergeant Blade for years, and when you announced your retirement, it felt empty without you there. Because of that, I requested an honorable discharge."

All the color in my face went away. Why on earth would Kenshi even think about doing something so drastic, just because I wasn't leading him or the others anymore?

"Kenshi! You shouldn't have done that! You have a bright future with Special Forces!" I shouted but remembered we're in a holy place. "Sonya will do a great job as the new General; you shouldn't have left."

"I couldn't care less to be frank with you and asked Raiden to tell me what became of you after your departure. He was gracious enough to direct me here." His facial features turned curious. "What is it you do now?"

"Benji and I are sworn Protectors of Earthrealm. We work freelance to maintain peace in the Realm. Both internal and outward," I elaborated.

My former subordinate chuckled. "Of course someone like you will never truly retire from protecting Earthrealm, huh General?"

"Altruism's in our blood, Kenshi," I said. "Would love to stay and chat as there's no doubt a lot has happened to you the past two years. However, Benji and I are about to head to the Netherrealm."

He nods slowly. "I will wait for you, and it was nice meeting you, Benjamin."

"Same, Kenshi. You can call me Ben if you want," my brother told him. "Come on, Cal. I'm about to open the portal that'll take us to his home."

Benji's statement left me confused. "Home? What are you talking about?"

"I'll have him explain it to you," he parlayed. "We'll talk later, Kenshi."

The blind swordsman quickly made himself comfortable in our home. "I'll be here."

The two talked back and forth as Benji opened a Portal. We both pass through, and from the look of things, we ended up in the basement of an old house. I saw pieces of equipment strewn about the floor before my eyes fall upon a table with an unconscious woman lying on top of it. She had a mark on the left side of her face, and a streak of white hair on top of her otherwise pitch-black locks, her outfit leaving little to the imagination.

"Okada!" My brother called out. "Are you here?"

A momentary silence ensued after his big shout, but we heard a voice respond. "Benjamin?"

Then out of nowhere, a male head popped up, goggles on top of the head while dressed in blood red robes. When he made eye contact with Benji, a pleasant smile appeared on his face. "It is you!" He rose up and shook Benji's hand. "It's good to see you! How long has it been?"

"10,000 years and some change," Benji pointed out before moving aside so he could introduce me. "You never met my sister, Callie Ann. Cal, this is Okada; the man who taught me the ways of the Warlock."

He took his goggles off. It was hard to tell from the natural lighting, but his eyes were a deep red. "Nice to finally meet you, Callie Ann. I'm Okada as your brother just said."

We shook hands before Okada turned back to face his protégé. "So, Benjamin. What brings you here? Besides, paying your mentor a visit for old time's sake?"

Benji shrugs his shoulders. "Nothing particular. It's been ten millennia, so I decided to see you as I finally have free time since we moved to Earthrealm."

Okada nodded then jolted as if suddenly remembering something. "It's fortuitous that you came when you did! I need your assistance with something."

"Does it have anything to do with the woman on the table over there?" Benji deducted, pointing to the woman on the table.

"Yes!" the old man exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"Call it a hunch," my brother said.

Okada couldn't help but chuckle. "Ahh. Lemme explain." We all walk towards the woman's body, and I have to say, it was a marvel to ogle.

Dammit, Callie! Get your mind out of the gutter.

"This is Sareena, a member of the Brotherhood of Shadow," Okada revealed.

We both stare at Okada with worried looks.

"The Assassin's cult?" I asked.

"No," Okada shut down that assumption. "Two guilds go by that name. The one I'm referring to is this city's army. The cult were soldiers from the army who were considered AWOL, and Shinnok, the Fallen Elder God, took them and made his Brotherhood branch."

I stood there in bewilderment as the odd one out. Benji spent a year down here, so I assumed he knew the Netherrealm societal system worked while I was diving in the dark, no pun intended.

"Wait," another thought crossed my mind. "Dial it back, Okada. I presume the Netherrealm was just a grand wasteland filled with the damned, demons, and zombies."

"You're correct in that aspect, Callie Ann. But contrary to popular belief, there is civilization in the Netherrealm. We're currently in the middle of one. See, when a being dies, their soul is judged and depending on what the result is, they either become a demon, zombie or resurrected as a Netherrealm denizen. I'm an example of the latter." Okada went into further detail.

Benji then interjected, "Okada here is an Edenian himself."

That took me off guard. "What? How come we never saw you?"

A look of sadness graced his wrinkled face. "I passed long before you two were born. Jerrod and Sindel were teens then. I'm around 60,000 years old but passed on when I was around your age. However, because my soul was untainted, I was given a spot in the Netherrealm civilization. So here I am."

"How's life in Netherrealm civilization?" I asked.

"A totalitarian democracy. You have free reign to do whatever so long as it doesn't break the laws in place. Otherwise, they punish you. The laws are pretty strict, but they're relatively simple in the scheme of things," Okada said. "Now, bringing it back to Sareena. The actual Brotherhood sent Sareena to infiltrate the cult and see what they were planning. It was a relatively hard thing for her to do, due to her relations with Quan Chi but we learned a lot. However, during her time with the cult, Sareena's soul became corrupted. If I don't purify it, she'll have to face death." He turns to my sibling. "So in hindsight, you showing up here was excellent timing. As you know, performing any soul spell save for soul separation is much more difficult by oneself than with two. Care to help me?"

Benji shrugs again. "Guess I can."

"Amazing," his mentor said. "Speaking of which, do you happen to have a soul stored up?"

"I do." Benji's mouth curled into an evil smirk. "I took Goro, the Shokan Prince's soul two years ago."

Okada gave off a shocked expression. "You took the Outworld Mortal Kombat Champion's Soul? How?"

"Cal and I fought in the Mortal Kombat two years ago and won Earthrealm's freedom in the process," Benji recalled our past exploits which foiled Shao Kahn's plans of taking over our new home.

From posture alone, I could tell Okada was incredibly proud of his student. "I knew you were destined for great things, Benjamin, though I found it odd when you said you wished to be a Doctor, a straight waste of your talents."

Benji didn't take too kindly to that remark, especially from me when talking about his chosen profession. "I didn't come here to be chided."

"Right, right." Okada left the issue alone. "For now, let's focus on purifying Sareena's soul." The old Warlock got to the opposite side of the table with Benji facing him. "You remember how the spell works?"

"Like the back of my hand," Benji exuded his confidence.

My brother's hands started glowing again, but instead of sickly green, they were pure blue. Okada followed suit as they both slowly poured their powers into Sareena before raising their hands. The blue energies moved up with them and in their clutches was a dark green figure; Sareena's soul, I assumed.

"Now, Benjamin; your stored soul," Okada instructed.

Benji extended his left hand, and another blue figure poured out of his palm, and it slithered to Sareena's soul. When it arrived, it climbed inside. Slowly, her green soul became the same shade as their energies. The pair lowered her soul until it reentered her body, their hands reverting to normal.

Okada was delighted with the outcome. "Very good! The purification went without a hitch! Many thanks, Benjamin."

"It was nothing, Okada," my brother accepted the thanks. "But now I'm soulless."

Okada brushed off the thought before going to another part of the basement. From there, he went into a broken down closet and took out a jar filled with green orbs. They look erratic as if trapped for who knows how long.

"Here, take these souls. More than enough to last you for quite some time," the Warlock insisted.

I couldn't help but voice my concern. "Uh, Okada? Don't you think that's a little risky?"

"Why do you think that?" he asked incredulously. "Oh, I forgot you don't practice Necromancy like your brother. Odd, I can sense you have magical powers like Benjamin." He shook his head. "Getting back on topic, souls are vast when in this form. Absorbing a soul won't change how someone acts. When Benjamin took Goro's soul, he didn't start acting like the beast itself, did he?"

My fears were alleviated somewhat. "He didn't."

"Exactly. Doesn't matter who's soul you take, it always will be just that. The only exception to this notion is if you steal a God's soul. However, I've never done that impossible task myself so that I wouldn't know." Okada told us.

He opened the jar, and Benji took the souls that were inside, three of them if I remember correctly. After putting the glass away, Okada attempted to awaken his guest from her slumber.

"Sareena, it's time for you to wake now," he said as he softly shook her shoulder.

The woman woke up in a panic, quite startled by her surroundings but calmed down when she saw a familiar face right by her side. "Okada. If I'm seeing you now, that means you purified my soul."

Okada smiled. "Yes, thanks to some help."

She turned to look at Benji and me. "Who are they, Okada?"

"The man is Benjamin, my student. The woman is his little sister Callie Ann. Benjamin here helped me purify your soul," Okada informed her.

Sareena shakily stood up and bowed. "Thank you for your kindness. The Brotherhood corrupted my soul and was preparing for me to commit friendly fire on the army."

Benji nodded. "It's good that I showed up when I did. A friend of Okada is a friend of mine."

Feeling much better, Sareena went to leave but not without saying her goodbyes. "Well then, I'll report what I've learned to Emperor Duffeck. I will see you later, Okada. Also, many thanks, Benjamin."

The Warlock regards her. "Until then, Sareena."

"Nice meeting you, Sareena," my brother bid farewell. "Safe trip to the Emperor's Palace."

As the Netherrealm demoness left, unexpectedly, the next topic of conversation became about me. "Now back to you, Callie Ann."

"Huh? What about me?" I asked.

"Your magic powers. Are you sure you don't practice magic?" Okada pressed on the issue.

I shake my head. "Not that I know of, no."

"She does have perfect aim, Okada," Benji said. "Whenever she's about to hit a far away target, her eyes glow purple."

Once again, I was in disbelief. How long has this been happening to me? "What? Do they? Since when?"

Benji folded his arms. "From when you threw your first knife."

"And you never told me?" my voice was a bit peeved.

Okada stepped in. "Besides the point. Tell me, Callie Ann. What was your parents' profession?

The question was one I did not expect, but it may lead to a clue as to how I have these strange affinities for magic. "Papa was a Master Hunter and General for the Freedom Fighters. Mommy was a Doctor like Benji. She also knew magic, but I don't think it was Necromancy."

My answer certainly got a reaction from Okada. "Your father was General Joseph Maddox? It all makes sense now." He took a closer look at me, which made me a tad uncomfortable. "You do possess his eyes. Working alongside him, I can safely say Joseph's eyes glowed when he did anything involving throwing or shooting. It's believed that a magical power increased his accuracy twenty-fold, and it appears you have the same power. The reason why you didn't notice was that it's passive! You do not need to activate it; it's always on! Incredible, to think that I trained Joseph's eldest child. Life has a funny of playing itself out."

"You knew Papa, Okada?" Benji was just as curious as I was about this entire ordeal. "How come you never told me?"

"I didn't know you were a Maddox," Okada answered truthfully. "You just told me your first name and requested to have someone who can teach you Necromancy. That's where that story ends." He breathed a sigh of relief. "But now, I feel relieved to extend his legacy."

That's when a potential realization hit me like a ton of bricks. "Wait, Okada. You knew Papa."

He curtly nodded. "Yes."

"You worked alongside Papa," I added.

"And your mother," he followed.

It was time to get some answers. "So do you know of who sold Mommy and Papa out?"

Okada gravely nodded. "Yes, I do. Moreover, I have a hunch you two do as well."

We let what Okada said sink in. As from the sentence in of itself, I figured who sold out and by extension, killed our parents. "Jerrod? Jerrod was the one!?"

The sadness and shame in Okada's eyes told us everything we needed to know. "Yes, Jerrod had his advisor forge false evidence that incriminated Joseph and Mai of treachery. He announced the evidence realm wide and without any reliable alibi or anyone to defend them, they both faced public execution. They executed me alongside them for openly defending your parents' innocence."

"But why did he do such a thing?" Benji asked, the seething rage in his tone evident.

"Paranoia had enslaved Jerrod from the day he took the throne. I can see why in hindsight. He was powerful, had a beautiful wife, and ruled an entire realm. Anyone who held a shred of power to him was a threat. On top of that, his family fostered various problems with the Maddox family for generations. So, he and his family took an opportunity to get rid of any Maddox family member. It was only a matter of time when he became Edenia's ruler."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Jerrod was the one who ruined our lives! "So Benji learning Necromancy wasn't even the real reason why he branded us as outcasts! It was all an excuse, a ruse to hide behind!"

I look at my brother, and I see his hands visibly trembling, almost as if he wanted to take out his rage on something or someone.

Okada regained his poise. "Now that I know you two are Joseph and Mai's children, how did you escape execution?"

Benji went on to say, "We renounced our Edenian citizenship a couple of years before the first Mortal Kombat tournament for Edenia's freedom took place. We fled to Seido, where we stayed for nearly 10,000 years. Then twenty-seven years ago, we left Seido and moved to Earthrealm where' we've resided ever since." His teeth grind with every word. "Now I'm happy we left."

"I still can't believe it. That pompous King had us in the palm of his hand for 1,000 years. We were nothing more than pawns in his game of deception, and we can't exact vengeance because he's already dead," I spat out venomously.

"On the bright side, we met a friend of our parents," my brother tried to stay positive. "No wonder we got along so well, eh, Okada?"

"You're telling me. This has been the highlight of my time here in the Netherrealm, meeting the last of the Maddox family. If only your parents were here to share this tender moment," his voice wavered slightly before breaking down in front of us.

Benji looked at me and motioned for us to comfort him. "It's okay, Uncle Okada."

He sniffed and looked up at me with a hearty laugh. "Uncle? I like the sound of that. I'd hug you, but I'm dusty from cleaning the place. At any rate, it was nice seeing you two here. You're always welcomed here at my home. Where do you two reside in Earthrealm?"

"A place called the Trainer's Estate," I said. "It's in China, near the Wu-Shi Academy."

Okada nodded. "Noted. I'll make sure to come and visit. For now, I think you should go."

Benji knew it was time to head back. "You're right, Okada. We'll see you soon, I hope."

"Of course, Benjamin. I have to come to visit my niece and nephew every once in a while," the Warlock joked.

"Later, Uncle Okada," I said as Benji opened up the portal back to the estate.

"Until next time Okada," Benji said as he walked through with me right behind him.

There was a lot of unearthed information. My brother and I heard all of it with our very own ears, some of which I can't even begin to describe or want to for that matter. That bastard Jerrod was behind the demise of our parents after all this time. It was right in front of us. If that bastard were still alive, not even the Edenian Gods themselves would stop me from tearing him apart. I can't blame Sindel in her husband's callous deeds. She reluctantly had to heed his word, but that didn't make it easier to stomach.

When we returned, Kenshi was still there as promised. "You're back. Everything went well?"

"For the most part," I answered, doing my best to stay calm. "We learned more than both of us had bargained for."

Kenshi nodded contently. "I know you probably don't want me here, but I wish to serve under you once again, General."

An audible sigh left me. "Kenshi, I told you to stop calling me that. It's just Callie now. Second, it's not our say as to whether or not you can join us. Ultimately, it's Raiden and Fujin's decision."

"Which is why I already spoke to Raiden, and he granted me permission to join as long as you two approve," he relayed to us.

Benji was quick to step in. "I don't oppose, Kenshi. It's Cal who may have doubt."

He hit the nail right on the button. "I honestly think you should stick with Special Forces, Kenshi. However, if you insist, and if Raiden and Fujin approve, I'm not in a position to refuse them. Welcome aboard."

Kenshi bows. "Thank you, Gen- Callie Ann. I'll make sure to pull my weight. Let's all work together to make Earthrealm safe."

"Of course. Always ready to serve, eh?"

That same smirk crept across Kenshi's face. "Always, Callie Ann."

A/N: That concludes the first Bonus Chapter.

Before I do my usual stuff, I want to give a quick shout out to alwaysdoubted, who asked to be my Beta Reader for this story. If you haven't heard of him (which you probably have), he's also the one who leaves reviews of every uploaded chapter since I posted the Maddox Siblings' character sheets. Welcome aboard AD, glad to have you here.

Did you guys like it? Did you not? Lemme know with a Review or a PM. And while you're at it, check out my Profile, give my other stories a read, and don't forget to vote on my poll. I think it's time for me to start writing the Robin S Support for my Support Story. Then I should get back to writing the next Chapter of UA. I also had an idea for a SamSho story since as of this point in time, SamSho (2019) is going to drop in a week and a half. Anyway, I'm out.

Peace!