-Chapter 6: A Storm Brews
Ten years ago...
Raiden and a nineteen year old Magnus walked through the debris-strewn streets of a desolated city. Having journeyed from the Sky Temple, the thunder god sought to spend some time with the young man who was his student. Such valuable mentor-mentee time would prove beneficial as Magnus grew and matured into the masterful fighter Raiden knew him to be. Even at fifteen, his elemental skills exceeded many expectations and his mastery of them was growing with each day. Another purpose for this journey was so Raiden could impart some of wisdom regarding Magnus' elemental powers. In truth, the god of thunder was grooming this boy so that he might become a powerful ally should either Outworld or the Netherrealm attempt to wage war on Earthrealm again. The adolescent, clad in the white robes of a warrior, stood side by side with his teacher as they surveyed the devastation before them.
"What brings us here, Lord Raiden?" He wondered.
"An opportunity to test your abilties in solitude." Raiden answered. "But also to give you a glimpse of the devastation the Netherrealm can cause." Magnus looked around at the collapsed buildings and ruined streets littered with the burnt out husks of vehicles.
"Even after all these years... it's like the war just ended." He quietly mused.
"Many innocent lives were lost, Magnus Shadrix. Your parents among them." Raiden stated, knowing the teen could personally understand the tragedy many others suffered. "We cannot allow such evil to be unleashed again. We must be vigilant. Your power is great, growing with each passing day. I train you, Magnus Shadrix, to stand up for your realm and to fight back against the evils other realms present." Magnis nodded, hearing Raiden's words... but they sounded too familiar to him. Time and time again had Raiden reminded him of the importance of his powers and how potent an ally he was. But they were words he'd heard all his life, growing up with the Shaolin and at the Sky Temple. Somewhere, deep within him, a persistent voice urged him to discover his heritage, to learn more about who he was before his life had been drastically changed.
"Lord Raiden, if I may..." He wondered. The thunder god nodded for him to continue. "I've lived my entire life with you and the Shaolin. You have taught me everything I know and raised me from a boy. You have helped me become who I am today." He said, earnestly grateful for Raiden's presence in his life and for the lessons he had imparted. "But the Sky Temple is all I have known. I want to journey out into the world, I... I want to see more." He continued, trying to phrase his request.
"And you will, Magnus Shadrix." Raiden responded, laying a hand on his shoulder. "This is an important time in your life, full of self-discovery. I can sense your desire to learn more about your heritage." Magnus chuckled nervously. Like always, Raiden had hit the nail on the head.
"You know me well, Lord Raiden."
"You deserve to know the truth about your past and then decide what path you will pursue." The thunder god told him. Magnus nodded in understanding but was interrupted by a beastial roar before he could continue. Master and student turned to see several demons scaling the collapsed building portions as they advanced upon the two.
"Hell beasts!" Magnus exclaimed. "What are they doing here?"
"They must've survived the end of the war. Not all of Shinnok's legions were defeated." Raiden realized, steeling himself as the lumbering demons drew closer. "Stay back, Magnus Shadrix! I will deal with these foul creatures!" Raiden commanded, lightning buzzing in his hands as he raised them in a defensive stance.
"No, Lord Raiden. I will not leave your side!" Magnus stated, stepping beside his teacher as electricity crackled and rolled through his own limbs. "You sought to test me... consider this an impromptu opportunity." He added. Raiden turned to him and nodded, agreeing to his terms. Standing side by side, Raiden and Magnus stared down the demons as they quickly made to surround them. Electricity enveloped Magnus' hands as lightning rippled through Raiden's limbs, the two powerful warriors ready for battle. One of the demons let loose a piercing shriek as his comrades charged the Earthrealmers. Raiden struck first by blasting the oncoming demons with bolts of lightning, while Magnus generated little bursts of electricity around the demons advancing upon him, shocking them all into submission. They knew to keep their distance from these beasts, lest they succumb to their teeth and claws. Raiden, being a god, could easily keep this up and shocked demon after demon with raw lightning. Magnus, still mastering his abilities, could not keep up such a defensive ploy for long and was soon forced to attacking with quick, electricity-infused blows. Summoning his manipulative powers, Magnus turned a bolt of lightning into a sword and started hacking through demons left and right. Finally driving his weapon clean through a demon, impaling it, the weapon exploded with a crackle of electricity, the beast disappearing in a shower of blood. It was a useful move, but the amount of power it took to form such a construct winded him.
"Magnus! Behind you!" Raiden shouted. Magnus turned to see the hulking demon looming over him and ducked as he heard the crackle of electricity behind him. Raiden flew overhead with a cry, slamming into the demon and blasting him with raw lightning.
"Much obliged!" Magnus called, turning on heel and blasting a few more demons, slowly gaining his strength back.
"Be careful about your powers! Using them improperly may lead to your downfall!" Raiden cautioned him, elbowing a demon before annihilating it with a blast of lightning.
"I know! But I can't keep up such sustained blasts for long! Not by myself!" Magnus called back as he unleashing two spheres of electricity that trapped a pair of demons where they stood.
"Tap into the ambient electricity in the air around you! Use it as your power source!" Raiden recommended. Magnus took his advice and drew upon the electrons in the air, bright white arcs of electricity enveloping his forearms. Setting his sights on a cluster of demons, Magnus blasted them all with a powerful wave of electricity that dropped them all.
"Well, that worked well!" He commented, charging up again.
"As an electromancer your environment is yours to command, use it as you see fit!" Raiden told him as he punched a demon so hard its head was knocked off. Magnus followed suit, his electrifyed fists bashing the demons nearest him. Teacher and student fought back to back, striking demons with equally powerful electric blows. Suddenly, a flying demon stopped down from above and grabbed Magnus, pinning him to the ground. Riaden quickly flew to his student's aid and blasted the demon with a full electrical charge.
"Back to hell with you!" He shouted, the demon exploding under his full power surge. Magnus shielded himself from the deadly blow, but looked up to see the rest of the demonic horde advancing upon them from all sides.
"They surround us!" He cried.
"But it will not be our end!" Raiden declared raising his hand and summong several mighty thunderbolts from the heavens. They struck the demons with titanic force, disintegrating them where they stood. A rumble of heavy thunder resounded overhead as ashes drifted about.
"Why didn't you do that before they attacked us?" Magnus jokingly wondered from the ground.
"You said it yourself: this was an impromptu opportunity to test your skills." Raiden replied, offering him a hand up. Magnus took it.
"And... did I...?"
"You fought well. You are a very talented young man, Magnus Shadrix. I know few adolescents who can fight back a demon horde as you have, even if they are well-trained." Raiden complimented him. "Your courage is boundless and your skills have come a long way since I first found you."
"Back then, I didn't even know I could do stuff like this." Magnus mused, examining his hands.
"You've entered a much bigger world, Magnus Shadrix. And you have risen to the challenge." Raiden continued. "I am proud to call you my disciple." He said, bowing to him.
"And you my mentor, Lord Raiden." Magnus replied, bowing as well.
Raiden opened his eyes as the memory of the past faded away. He stood in the Sky Temple, looking out over the world below. Having dealt with the two Osh-Tekk scouts, the thunder god's thoughts had turned to that of war.
Kotal Kahn was bringing them dangerously close to that tipping point.
Footsteps behind him announced the arrival of another: the wind god Fujin.
"I understand Sub-Zero captured some Outworld scouts." He said, announcing his presence as he walked up behind Raiden.
"And I have dealt with them." The Elder God answered. "We will see what Ko'atal does next. If he should persist with warlike actions, I will bring the fury of Earthrealm against him."
"The Shirai Ryu stand with you?" Fujin wondered.
"Yes. And I will recall Magnus Shadrix from the Netherrealm." Raiden added. "His power along with mine will virtually guarantee our success."
"You trust his path will align with yours?" The wind god asked.
"I trust him, Fujin." Raiden answered, turning to face his compatriot. "I trust he will do what he must to protect his realm."
Early that morning, in Outworld...
Mileena's rebel forces were on the move.
The battle plan had been solidified and was in the process of being executed. Using his portal stone, Magnus and Mileena would teleport into the palace dungeons, where they would free Tanya before the sun rose. At sunrise, the Tarkatan forces would attack the palace en masse, forcing Kotal Kahn's army and generals out into the open. Mileena, Magnus and Tanya would then drive a wedge between the Osh-Tekk warriors, generals and the palace, effectively boxing in and destroying Kotal's forces, leaving him with no allies and a wide open target for Mileena and her forces.
With any luck, Kotal Kahn would fall and Mileena would be on the throne of Outworld before the day was over.
The first phase of their plan was in motion, Magnus and Mileena creeping through the lower levels of the palace. Not much of the layout had been changed, meaning Mileena was able to direct them with ease. Arriving at the cellblock, the two crouched behind a wall as they spied a single Osh-Tekk warrior guarding the cells.
"Tanya would likely be kept here. We need to get past that guard." She whispered.
"Leave him to me." Magnus whispered back, reaching around the corner and sending a burst of electricity that zapped the guard in the head. Growling in pain, the guard eventually fell over with a groan.
"I take it he's down?" Mileena wondered.
"I overloaded his synapses, he better be down. If he's not, I've severely underestimated Osh-Tekk." Magnus replied. The two of them rose and dashed into the hall, scanning each cell for the Edenian pyromancer. It was Mileena who finally found her, near the end.
"Dearest Tanya." She greeted in a low voice. Tanya looked up, promptly taken aback by the sight of Mileena alive and well.
"Empress? You live?" She wondered in shock.
"Courtesy of my newest advisor." Mileena replied, introducing Magnus. The white-clad electromancer stepped up and used his powers to disintegrate the lock, allowing the door to swing open with ease.
"Tanya." Magnus greeted with a nod. Tanya eyed him curiously.
"You are not of Outworld." She observed.
"I'm an Earthrealmer." Magnus replied. "And an electromancer."
"How curious." Tanya mused, giving him a once over. "Maybe not all Earthrealmers are so terrible." She commented.
"Magnus Shadrix has helped restore me and has reunited my rebellion." Mileena explained. "I owe him much."
"If the Empress trusts you, then perhaps you are a worthwhile ally." Tanya stated.
"Hopefully I'll have your trust by the end of today." Magnus replied. "Are you up for a fight?"
"What's the plan?" She wondered.
"Today is the day I reclaim my throne, Tanya." Mileena informed her. "Magnus and I have concocted a plan. With his help, Ko'atal will fall today!"
"Not on my watch, he won't." A new voice informed them. Whirling about, the trio of rebels came face to face with Kotal Kahn's hired gun: Erron Black. The cowboy-like gunslinger had both of his pistols pointed at them and a repeating rifle strapped across his back.
"Of all the days for there to be extra security." Magnus grumbled. He hadn't been anticipating one of Kotal's trusted hands to be down here, only a few Osh-Tekk.
"The cutthroat gunslinger." Tanya growled as she laid eyes on Erron.
"More loyal than you." Erron shot back. With that, he unloaded several shots with his pistols. But Magnus stepped forward and generated a wall of electromagnetic energy that stopped the bullets dead. They dropped to the ground, harmless.
"Impressive." Tanya noted.
"Revolvers are old and slow. You might want to consider upgrading to automatics. They're all the rage these days." Magnus commented. Erron tilted his head.
"You an Earthrealmer?" He wondered.
"Yeah. You?"
"Same." Black replied. "What's Mileena paying you?" He asked. "Better yet, what's she doing alive?"
"I freed her and I'm not getting paid." Magnus answered.
"Gutsy move. Still not gonna get you anywhere." Erron replied, holstering his pistols and drawing his carbine.
"Buddy, you realize it's not eighteen-eighty, right?" Magnus wondered, eyeing his weaponry.
"Shut up." Black growled as he fired another shot. Magnus deflected it with a well-timed electric blast before firing a burst of lightning that knocked the rifle out of Erron's hands.
"Nice try. Now, I'm guessing money speaks pretty loudly to you." Magnus assumed as he took a few steps forward. "You help us and we'll double whatever Kotal's paying you." He offered.
"Your offer doesn't mean anything to me as long as the Emperor's alive." Erron retorted as he drew his revolvers. "But I'll probably get a bonus for taking you all down."
"Okay... your funeral." Magnus shrugged. Surging forward with a burst of electricity, Magnus' shoulder slammed into Erron with incredible force, the gunslinger's ribs breaking under the blow. Magnus stopped dead and channeled his momentum into an equally-powerful uppercut that shattered Erron's jaw. Sent reeling, the gunslinger feel prey to a palm strike that slammed into his chest, breaking whatever was left of his ribs and also delivering a nasty shock that sent rippling twitches throughout his body. "Feeling amped up yet?" Magnus cheekily wondered, but also curious as to how much this cowboy could handle. Erron was still standing, but he didn't look like he could aim straight. Magnus decided right then that he couldn't afford to waste any more time with Erron. Their plan needed to advance, meaning the gunslinger needed to be out of their way. Now.
Launching a kickflip that caught Erron on the chin and staggered him even further, Magnus landed and threw his hands forward, shooting out a bundle of lightning that shocked Erron where he stood, stunning him and keeping him in place long enough for Magnus to leap up and execute a tornado kick that slammed into Erron's head and knocked him out cold. The cowboy lay flat as Magnus straightened up. "That was easy." He mused, dusting off his hands. "He never even got a shot off."
"Your new advisor appears to be a real keeper." Tanya quietly mused to Mileena.
"His power will guarantee me my throne. I need him." The half-Tarkatan replied. Magnus had picked up Erron by his shoulders and was dragging him over to the women.
"Let's keep him in one of these cells, maybe he'll come around and join us after we're done." He suggested. They did so, removing Erron's weapons and stashing them in Tanya's old cell while Erron himself was dumped in a separate cell.
"Well, that's one problem removed." Tanya commented.
"Now to deal with the others." Magnus added. Above them, the distant sounds of shouting and clamouring drew their attention. "It appears the Tarkatan attack has begun. Shall we join the chaos?" He wondered with a half-grin.
The trio exited the prison and arrived in the courtyard on the surface. A few scattered Osh-Tekk warriors ran past, oblivious to them as they made for the outer palace gates. Other than them, the courtyard was fairly deserted.
"What now Magnus?" Mileena asked.
"We make for the palace. Kotal will likely stay behind and let his generals handle this." The Earthrealmer replied.
"What if we miss his generals?" Tanya wondered. "I thought we wanted to take them out."
"Not likely. If anything the warriors will deal with our small Tarkatan force while his generals hang back to ensure people like us don't slip through." Magnus responded. "I'm pretty sure we have them right where we want them."
"And if we don't?" Tanya asked. Magnus shrugged.
"We're making this up as we go along, we'll deal with them eventually." He replied, lacking a genuine response.
"I say we make for the palace and eliminate everyone who stands in our way." Mileena determined.
"Agreed." Tanya nodded, summoning her kobo jutsu tonfas. The three of them started moving, stepping out into the open as they moved towards the palace. But their movement was halted when a random crate hit Tanya in the head from behind, propelled forward by an unseen force. A startled Magnus and Mileena whirled about to see Ermac levitating in mid-air, his body surrounded by green energy.
"Traitor!" Mileena growled.
"Help her up, I'll run interference!" Magnus commanded, electricity crackling within his hands. Mileena turned and dashed to Tanya's side as Magnus unleashed bursts of electricity towards Ermac. Dodging left and right, Ermac dove low as he made to use his aerial advantage to attack Magnus. But the electromancer propelled himself up into the air, hovering over the diving Ermac only to drop down right on top of him, his boots slamming into his head and a resounding crack echoing from his skull. Bouncing off and somersaulting to a standing position, Magnus struck a ready-position as Ermac returned to his feet. The black and red clad Outworlder shrugged off the pain of Magnus' counterattack and prepared himself for a battle. As he rose, the morning sun cast its rays across his hooded face and it was then that the Earthrealm warrior finally got a good look at Ermac's less-than-pristine appearance, black bandages covering decayed, shriveled skin.
"Did you know you look like a draugr?" Magnus wondered aloud, wincing as he stared at his face for a lot longer than he should've. The soul-warrior summoned a green aura around his fist, his own soul medallion blazing brightly as the souls of thousands of warriors came alive within his being.
"We are many, you are but one. We will crush you!" Ermac declared through narrowed eyes as he clenched his fists.
"Whatever you say, freakshow." Magnus retorted, electricity rippling through his own arms. But before either of them could engage in kombat, the air next to Ermac began to shimmer and change as Reptile made his presence known. Having observed the brief exchanged from his camouflaged vantage, the Zaterran warrior decided to make his presence known.
"You are not welcome here, Earthrealmer!" He hissed through his mask.
"I get the feeling I'm going to hear that a lot today." Magnus muttered as he realized he now had two opponents to fight instead of just one.
"We will bring the Emperor your head." Ermac stated confidently.
"You will do nothing... but die!" Mileena retorted, joining Magnus by his side. Both Reptile and Ermac appeared to be taken aback by Mileena's presence and for good reason.
"What sorcery is this?" Reptile snarled. "Another one of Shang Tsung's creations?"
"False, you vile snake! I am Mileena Kahnum, back from the dead! And I will have your head for betraying me!" Mileena shouted. With a scream, she lunged at Reptile, sai's appearing in her hands. Magnus took this as an opportunity to strike the first blow, executing a heli-kick that caught Ermac off-guard as Mileena and Reptile grappled. Landing on his feet, Magnus sent a burst of lightning towards Ermac that the Outworlder dodged by teleporting. He reappeared behind Magnus in a burst of green energy.
"We will add your soul to our collection. You will fuel our power!" He declared.
"I'm nobody's trophy." Magnus shot back, readying himself. Ermac dove forward and attacked with a burst of telekinetic power from his palms. Magnus was propelled backwards by the blast, but he caught himself in mid-air and counterattacked with two bolts of electricity that struck Ermac in the chest, giving him enough time to dive in and attack him.
Meanwhile Mileena was engaged in heated kombat with Reptile, her sharpened sai's stabbing wildly as she dodged his clawed, outstretched hands. Several wounds had already been opened in his chest, thanks to several precise blows from her sai. Green blood was dripping down his armor, but still Reptile persisted. Mileena herself was covered in splotches of slime spewed from the Zaterran's mouth, none of it acidic, thankfully. Both kombatants were giving it their all; Mileena out of pure anger wrought from Reptile's betrayal and the Zaterran out of pure loyalty to Kotal Kahn.
Magnus, on the other hand, had found an impressive match in Ermac. Not only was the telekinetic enforcer a powerful warrior, but also a very proficient warrior. Magnus recognized his style of Choy Lay Fut and did his best to match it with his training in Wushu. But for every blow he delivered, Ermac had a counter and usually some kind of telekinetic push back. The minds of a thousand warriors lay within Ermac, giving him enough experience to well-outrank Magnus. The Earthrealmer found himself forced to rely on his elemental powers alone and trapped Ermac within a static field before attacking him with a solid beam of electricity. Ermac did his best to defend himself with an aura of green energy, but Magnus continued to apply all the pressure he could, not wanting Ermac to even have a second to think.
If he could wear him out, the fight would be his.
But Mileena was soon having problems of her own. Reptile unleashed his extendable tongue to curl around her neck, effectively putting her in a chokehold. With his hands still free, the Zaterran advanced upon her struggling form threateningly, intent on inflicting some damage. Magnus quickly noted Mileena's predicament out of the corner of his eye and turned a hand towards Reptile, stretching out his arm and firing another beam of electricity to dissuade the Zaterran. The blast hit Reptile right in his chest, throwing him back and freeing Mileena who collapsed as she rubbed her neck and gasped for air, free of Reptile's tongue. But Magnus was now at a disadvantage, Ermac now taking less of his power as he was divided between holding both Outworld warriors at bay. Ermac started to power through his beam, Reptile rising as he shrugged off the attack. Magnus was convinced he was in trouble.
Suddenly, a tonfa flew through the air and speared clear through Ermac's chest while another pierced Reptile's leg, forcing him down. Tanya had sufficiently recovered and joined the fight, quickly helping up Mileena as Magnus charged up and delivered an electrostatic shockwave to put both Outworld warriors flat on their backs. Breathing a sigh of relief at the timely assist, Magnus quickly made his way over to Mileena and Tanya.
"Fight's not over yet. We should switch things up." He stated. "You two take on Ermac while I handle Reptile." The two women nodded and moved to attack, Magnus advancing upon the rising Zaterran as electricity rolled through his arms.
"I will feast on your flesh, Earthrealmer!" Reptile snarled as he removed the tonfa from his leg.
"Now is that any way to treat a guest?" Magnus replied.
"You are no guest, but an invader!" Reptile retorted, striking a battle stance. "I will show you how Outworlders deal with invaders!" With that, Reptile rushed Magnus at top speed, blowing past him and spinning the electromancer around, lashing out with his foot and striking him in the chest before knocking him back with a double flying knee strike. Magnus hit the ground but flipped over and was back on his feet once more, just as Reptile lunged to strike him with his claws from overhead. But Magnus blocked the strike with both arms raised and countered with two quick punches and two palm strikes, all of them to the face. He followed up with a push-kick which granted him enough room to fly forward and grab Reptile, forcibly throwing his foe to the ground. But even though he was one the ground, Reptile retaliated by spitting at Magnus, blinding him with a quick burst of noxious goo. Magnus recoiled with a cry, standing up as he wiped the stuff off his face. It bought Reptile enough time to rise but not nearly enough to go on the offensive as Magnus soon recovered his wits and was ready for whatever the Zaterran threw out next. It came in the form of a sliding kick that Magnus somersaulted over, striking Reptile in the back with a bolt of electricity while in mid-air. Reptile stumbled but managed to recover, whirling about and lashing out with his tongue. However, Magnus caught his fleshy appendage and delivered a nasty shock to his system. Reptile staggered back with a groan of pain, his tongue thoroughly numbed by the shock and hanging limply from his mouth, leaving him open for Magnus to strike with a kick and then a heel-kick before he brought his hands together to generate an orb of lightning which he then shot forward. The electrical burst put Reptile on his back and Magnus jumped on him with a flying punch, his fist connecting solidly with Reptile's chest and fracturing his ribs with an audible crack. Thinking he had Reptile where he wanted him, the Zaterran surprised Magnus by reaching up and grabbing his arm, claws sinking through the material of his attire and cutting deep into his flesh. Magnus cried out in pain, a sound that turned into a scream of agony as Reptile drew him in close and bit his arm. But the pain gave way to an adrenaline rush akin to rage and Magnus retaliated with a growl, punching Reptile repeatedly in the face with his electrified fist before shaking himself loose, grabbing the Zaterran's body and delivering a powerful shocked that ripped right through him, the fierce voltage illuminating his skeleton. It wasn't until Reptile started steaming that magnus stood up and shook out his wounded arm, moving past the pain. Reptile struggled to rise, exercising what little strength he had left. But Magnus put a stop to him by raising his boot and bringing it down hard on the Zaterran's head, his skull crushed by the blow. Reptile lay flat on the ground, groaning in pain as Magnus stood over him, decidedly victorious.
"If that's how you deal with invaders, you need to up your game." He quipped. Determining Reptile to be down for the count, Magnus turned to see how the others were faring. The women clearly had Ermac on the ropes, Tanya's dragon naginata spear passing clean through his chest as she pinned him to the ground whilst Mileena's sai lay buried in his torso. Said woman was kneeling over Ermac, hissing at him through clenched teeth.
"Do you regret your decision to betray me yet?" She wondered as Ermac struggled vainly tonight back. He soon found his attempts impossible and resigned himself to his fate.
"We would serve the new empress of Outworld." Ermac quietly stated, clearly admitting defeat.
"So you could betray me another time? Deluded fool!" Mileena berated him. "You shall pay the price for betrayal: a dishonourable death!" She declared, turning to Tanya. "Deal with him as you see fit." Tanya gave a short bow as she wrenched her spear out of Ermac's chest.
"It would be my pleasure, Empress." The Endenian accepted. Collapsing her spear and stowing it behind her, Tanya raised up a sharpened high-heel and plunged it through Ermac's chest with a hard stomp. The warrior beneath her screamed in pain as his innards were crushed and a hole was torn through him. His agony was far from over, though, as Tanya generated a ball of fire in her hands before turning it into a beam of superheated energy that began to slowly melt away Ermac's head. Crying out in agony, Ermac's head was slowly reduced to nothing more than a charred, bloody skull, one Tanya promptly crushed into pieces with another stomp. Stepping out of the gore, she kicked off the remaining organic debris from her boots, Ermac's corpse left to lie as is. Satisfied with the kill, Mileena turned and walked over to Magnus and the downed Reptile. She eyed the traitorous Zaterran for a moment, approving of his wounded, defeated stated. Then she turned to her Erathrealm comrade.
"Excellent work, Magnus." Mileena congratulated him. "Now... I wonder how Zaterran flesh tastes..." She mused, kneeling next to Reptile. The Zaterran warrior coughed up blood as he turned to face Mileena.
"You will never rule Outworld..." He rasped. "Ko'atal will destroy you as he did once before."
"That foolish oaf will not kill me a second time!" Mileena countered with a growl. "Instead, I will execute him with such grandeur so that all might fear me!" She declared, dreaming of the many ways she wanted to kill Ko'atal. "A pity you won't be there to see it... you repulsive toad!" With that, Mileena sank her sai's deep into either side of Reptile's head before summong enough strength to tear it off entirely. Green blood flowed in rivers from the severed tendons of his neck as Mileena brought his head to her face and sank her Tarkatan teeth into his flesh, tearing off chunks of flesh which she chewed generously. Magnus watched the sight with mixed revulsion and satisfaction, glad to see an old enemy of Outworld dead but also wondering if there had been a much more humane way to do away with him.
Such was kombat, he supposed.
Mileena finished sampling Reptile's face, her tongue coming out to, rather seductively, lick her lips. "Lacklustre." She commented, throwing the remains of his skull down on the ground with a wet thud. Magnus shook his head in mild dismay.
"Nasty." He grimaced. Mileena quickly turned to him.
"Him or me?" She wondered, wiping her lips of Reptile's green blood.
"Him." Magnus quickly replied. "My nose would've committed hara kiri had our fight lasted any longer." Mileena smiled, her teeth stained with Reptile's blood.
"Then it is better for all that this snake is dead." She replied. With both Outworld warriors dealt with, Tanya joined them.
"What now, Empress?" She inquired as Mileena sheathed her sai.
"We make for the palace... and wrest back my throne from that Osh-Tekk fool." She stated, ready to finally take back what belonged to her. Magnus agreed and together they moved out, making their way to the palace and leaving the bodies of Reptile and Ermac behind as a very stern warning to any who might follow.
This was only the beginning of their work...