Chapter Twenty: Right and wrong

The remaining Lin Kuei cyborgs lifted the fallen Sektor from the ground. A few started to walk to Cyrax, but someone stood in their way. Smoke blocked the cyber ninjas' path with Sub-zero right behind him.

"Lord Raiden, go on without us. We will catch up to you once we are finished here."

"Are you sure you do not require our help?"

Tomas shook his head. Johnny, however, felt that he should stay with the ninjas.

"They will be fine, Johnny Cage."

Raiden felt the actor's hesitation and wanted to reassure him. Both Cage and the thunder god have seen what Smoke was capable of and with Sub-zero there to help him, there should not be that much of a problem. The two quickly turned around to where Kitana had gone and exited the Coliseum. Tomas looked back at the cyborgs before him.

"Cyrax stays with us."

"Unit LK-4D4 is to return with us to the Lin Kuei temple for repairs. That is an order."

"I do not care about your orders. Leave while you still can."

Before the robots could do anything, a voice rang throughout their heads.

"Leave them be. Return Sektor to the temple immediately. We will deal with Unit LK-4D4 at another time."

Without hesitation, the cyborgs turned around and activated their camoflauge with Sektor in tow. Smoke and Sub-zero were confused at the robot's sudden departure, but they were grateful for it. Tomas was not sure if he had the patience for another fight right now. After they made sure the cyborgs were really gone, the two ninjas knelt beside Cyrax's body. They had no way to check if their friend is okay, so they just had to pray to the Elder Gods that he was.

"An impressive display."

Tomas and Kuai looked up at the emperor, who surprisingly has not said a word since Smoke's battle with Kano.

"But tell me, Smoke: are they really worth fighting for?"

"Why do you care?"

"I asked you a question first and I expect an answer."

Tomas could care less about Shao Kahn being an emperor. The tyrant had no authority over Smoke, so he was not obligated to answer anything. But for some reason, the ninja responded.

"Yes. Unlike you, I actually care about others, not just myself."

"….A pity."

Shao Kahn stood up from his throne and walked to the ninjas. Mist resonated from Sub-zero hands as the emperor came. The warlord stopped in front of Smoke and kept his eyes trained on him.

"I sense great power from you. You are only wasting it on such worthless beings."

"It is my power and I will do with it as I please. Even if that means protecting those you deem irrelevant."

Smoke then reached down for Cyrax's arm with Sub-zero soon following suit. They managed to lift the heavy body from the ground with one arm slung over each of their shoulders. Tomas looked Shao Khan dead in his eyes as he stood.

"Now, are we free to leave this place or are you going to try and stop us?"

Shao Kahn actually laughed at the question. They had won their freedom fairly. The emperor simply stepped aside to let the ninjas pass and they quickly left the Coliseum as well. While they were leaving, Shang Tsung came to the emperor's side.

"If I may ask, my lord, why did you allow them to leave? You could have easily overwhelmed them."

"Yes, I could have. But I have waited a long time for a real challenge. And I believe that ninja will provide me with one in due time."

Away from prying eyes, Smoke and Sub-zero made their way to Raiden and Johnny Cage. Kuai looked down at Cyrax as they dragged him along.

"I had encountered Cyrax before coming here."

"You did? How did that go?"

"I think you already know."

Tomas nodded and they stayed silent for while. Both of them were exhausted and decided to just enjoy each other's company. After some time, Sub-zero spoke up again.

"What happened back there?"

The cyromancer stopped making Smoke look at him. Tomas frowned at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the way you looked at Sektor when your arm was through his chest. It was as though you could not believe you had done such a thing. I could not believe you did that."

Smoke said nothing and looked down at the ground. He did not want Sub-zero to know that he really blacked-out when his arm went through the cyborg's body. Kuai sighed at his friend's silence.

"Tomas… I know you hate Sektor, we all do. But I never thought you would… you wanted to kill him, did you not?"

"I…"

"The truth, Vrbada."

Kuai only said Tomas' last name when he wanted answers from his comrade. And he was not going to stop prying until he had them.

"I… I honestly do not know what was going through my mind at the time. Everything was… kind of a blur. I guess I let my anger get the best of me."

He let out a dry laugh.

"Hydro would give me a lecture for that."

Now it was Sub-zero's turn to look away. He had not thought about his sifu in a while and just bringing up the name caused an overwhelming wave of sadness to wash over the cryomancer.

"Yes. I really wish he was here right now. He always knew what to do in these kind of situations."

"Are you saying I am making bad decisions?"

"I am saying things could have gone better."

He knew Kuai was joking, but Tomas could not help but feel that the statement was true. This all started because a voice in Smoke's head that turned out to be a real person and not someone from his imagination. Maybe he should have let things be instead of sticking his nose where it did not belong. But if he had, then where would he and Sub-zero? Thinking about that made Smoke's head hurt.

After a long and uneventful walk, the ninjas found themselves back in the Wastelands. They were about to stop to take a breath, but then they heard voices from the distant.

"Who is it?"

"I think one of the voices is Johnny, and the other's…"

"What?"

Without answering Kuai's question, Tomas dropped Cyrax's arm and started walking ahead.

"Wait here, Kuai. I will be right back."

"Why? What is wrong?"

"Nothing. I just have a princess I need to talk some sense into."

Turning onto the beach, the ninja saw Johnny Cage laying on his back while Kitana stood over him. The two mist have fought before Smoke arrived.

"Shao Kahn wants death to follow kombat. I will give it to him."

Kitana prepares to finish Cage off when Raiden steps forward to confront her.

"Perhaps Liu Kang was wrong about you."

Hearing the monk's name seemed to calm the princess down. She froze as though she was seriously thinking about Raiden's words. The thunder god continued.

"Or perhaps he sensed, as do I, that there is conflict in you."

Finally, Kitana lowered let her guard down. She lowered her hands and backed away from Johnny. Now Tomas felt it would be okay to come forth without causing another conflict. He walked past the princess, who was surprised that she had not sensed his presence, and the ninja helped Cage up from the ground. As he stood up, Johnny cracked his neck.

"Thanks. Ow."

The actor then turned to Raiden.

"You couldn't've seen that in one o' your hot flashes?"

The thunder god ignored the comment and continued talking to Kitana.

"Something whispers to you that circumstances should be different. That you should be different. You are much more like Sindel than Shao Ka…"

Raiden suddenly has another vision. He sees Sindel, the former queen of Edenia and wife of Shao Kahn. The thunder god immediately questioned if this vision was true.

"But… she is dead…"

"My mother is dead, yes."

For some reason, Kitana felt the need to confirm that her mother was deceased. It was like Raiden was questioning Sindel's death.

"Why do you…"

"You need answers, Kitana."

Raiden interrupted the princess before she could ask anything. He honestly was not sure if he could answer what Kitana wanted to ask.

"I can help you find them, if you will trust in me. Go to Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. Much will be revealed there."

"The Flesh Pits? But I am forbidden to…"

"Yes. You are. And why is that?"

"I… don't know. Tell me…"

"You must discover your true path. Alone."

The thunder god walked and Johnny soon followed. Smoke, however, stayed where he was. He could see how confused and lost Kitana and felt sorry for her. For years, the princess never questioned her father's ways and now, she was having doubts. Her whole world has been flipped upside-down. And Tomas knows exactly how that feels.

"If I may…"

It took Smoke a moment to realize that Kitana was talking to him. He looked at the princess wondering why she wanted to talk to him of all people.

"Yes?"

"… I was wondering why you… spared me."

Oh. Tomas was expecting for Kitana to ask him something like that.

"You were not the one I was looking for. I had no need to kill you once you were unconscious."

"But… you still could have. If you wanted to."

Kitana looked down at her hands.

"I was your enemy. My father taught me that enemies should be disposed of. No matter how little a threat they may seem."

"I was taught differently."

"How so?"

Smoke was hesitant about sharing some personal information with someone who could very well still be his enemy, but if Raiden saw good in her, than he should try to see it too.

"I grew up in a clan of assassins, meaning that I was taught to kill, just like you. Only a child and I was being trained to become a murderer. Fortunately, there was someone who thought differently about the Lin Kuei's ways. He was my master."

"If he did not feel the same way about killing as the others, why did your master join the Lin Kuei?"

"Most of us were taken as children, whether we were orphans or not. My master, however, was saved by Lin Kuei assassins as a young adult and felt that he owed the Grandmaster. So he joined the clan to repay his debt. My master would kill anyone the Grandmaster ordered him to, but with each kill, his guilt grew stronger. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but… he could not just leave the clan."

"With each child that was brought to the Lin Kuei, my master tried his best to keep them on the right path. He told us killing was wrong, but at times, it is necessary to survive. As I said before, there was no need to kill you once you were knocked out. You were no threat to might my survival."

Kitana just nodded, speechless. She did not think the ninja would tell her something like, but she was glad he did. It made her decision to go to the Flesh Pits or not much easier to make.

"Your master seems like an honorable man."

"He was. If he had known about you, I am sure he would have helped you as well."

"I agree. Hopefully…"

Kitana looked in the direction of the Living Forest. She would have to go through there to get to Shang Tsung's lab.

"… I am now walking the right path."

She turned around and started walking to the forest. Kitana looked back at Smoke once more.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome, your highness."