-Chapter 7: The Death of a Kahn
The trio of rebels made their way to the palace throne room with little interference. After killing Reptile and Ermac, they only encountered a few roaming Osh-Tekk sentries who were quickly disposed of. Soon enough, the three found themselves outside the throne room. Several dead Osh-Tekk lay behind them, taken down by Mileena's sais, Tanya's fireballs and Magnus' lightning. Crouched on either side of the entrance, Magnus peeked around the corner as Mileena and Tanya waited for his report. The room was lavishly decorated with many Aztec-like carvings and symbols, clearly some major renovations had taken place since Kotal had risen to power. But what was more important were how many warriors were still in here.
"There's a lot of Osh-Tekk in there... must be Kotal's personal guard." He quietly surmised.
"Do you see any of his elite?" Tanya wondered.
"One big, hulking dude with a... dwarf on its back?" Magnus reported, slightly bewildered by the sight. He was not overly familiar with Outworldian species but even this one was new to him.
"Ferra/Torr." Tanya determined, the description matching the twosome quite accurately.
"They gonna be a problem?" Magnus wondered.
"Focus on Torr, the big one, and avoid Ferra. You'll be better off if you get rid of her muscle." Tanya explained. Magnus nodded in understanding before peeking back into the throne room.
"Kotal's here." He continued. "We've got him right where we want him."
"Excellent!" Mileena hissed. "I cannot wait to rend his flesh!"
"We gotta get past the rest of these guys, Mileena. None of them are just gonna step back and let us waltz in there, so prepare for kombat." Magnus cautioned.
"Gladly." The half-Tarkatan replied. "I look forward to seeing the look on that fool's face when he sees me."
"Then what's say we introduce ourselves?" Magnus responded, earning him a nod from both women. Standing up, they walked at a determined pace and brazenly entered the throne room, steeling themselves for whatever 'welcome' Kotal Kahn would send their way. The Kahn and his allies looked up to see their arrival, expressions quickly shifting to that of shock and disbelief.
"Akta tok norei!" Kotal exclaimed, slowly rising from his throne as he recognized Mileena. "What sorcery is this?!"
"No sorcery, Osh-Tekk fool!" Mileena replied, walking with confidence knowing her truest and closest allies stood with her. "I, Mileena Kahnum, the true empress of Outworld, have returned to reclaim what is rightfully mine!" She declared.
"D'Vorah... She killed you. I watched your corpse burn myself..." The Kahn stated, still in disbelief.
"A favour I deeply wish to repay her." Mileena growled, recalling how she dearly wished to spill D'Vorah's blood as well. "Tell me, Osh-Tekk, where is your Kytinn lackey?"
"D'Vorah betrayed me to Raiden, stealing Shinnok's amulet-" Kotal started to answer.
"You lie, Ko'atal!" Magnus interrupted, stepping forward and pointing a finger at the emperor. "D'Vorah was a servant of Shinnok the whole time. She was aiding him and Quan Chi not Raiden!" He corrected, revealing the truth. Kotal seemed surprised by this. He knew Shinnok had been freed but not about D'Vorah's involvement. "You are so quick to jump to conclusions, not allowing time for further examination. Such a nature is not very becoming of an emperor." Magnus accused.
"You are no longer fit to rule, Osh-Tekk fool. Outworld demands new leadership!" Mileena added.
"From you? I think not. I will return you to the grave myself!" Kotal retorted. He turned to his elite guards. "Nitah!" The single command had the warriors and Ferra/Torr advancing upon the trio of rebels. Magnus, Mileena and Tanya all took up defensive postures, ready for anything.
"Fight night, ladies. Pick your dance partners." Magnus stated, electricity flowing through his limbs.
"I will handle the twosome." Tanya stated, twirling her spear into a ready position and staring down Ferra/Torr.
"Ko'atal is mine!" Mileena growled.
"Then leave the Osh-Tekk to me." Magnus determined, pounding his charged fists together, lightning rippling through his arms. The trio surged forward, Mileena teleporting past the Osh-Tekk and reappearing to attack Kotal Kahn. The Emperor drew his sickles from behind and raised them in time to counter Mileena's jab with her sais. Tanya, twirling her spear, proceeded to duck and roll past every lumbering blow Torr sent her way. His fists crashed into the ground or passed through air as Ferra spurred him on.
"Let's play Torr! Fire-lady go crunch-crunch!" She cried. Torr responded with a roar and both fists pounded the ground as Tanya sidestepped him. Magnus started blasting Osh-Tekk left and right, trying to draw as much of their attention to himself as he could. Mileena and Tanya could handle themselves, but would fare much better without a bunch of lackeys in their way. Battle erupted across the throne room, kombat raging everywhere as Kotal and his allies battled Mileena and her allies.
It was a battle that would not be soon forgotten.
Magnus used his powers to generate a sword made of electricity, hacking away at the Osh-Tekk around him as he flexed his impressive skills, cutting down warriors left and right. One he stabbed, his blade passing clean through the Osh-Tekk before he snapped his fingers and caused his weapon to explode in a burst of lightning, evaporating the Osh-Tekk in the process. Two more advanced upon him from opposite sides, but magnus repulsed them with beams of electricity. Quickly surrounding his body with a static field, any Osh-Tekk who even tried to strike him received a deadly burst of electric feedback that stunned them long enough for Magnus to turn and obliterate them. Lashing out at one with a back kick, his helmet shattered as he fell to the ground. Three more charged him with tecpatl in hand and Magnus generated a shockwave of electrical energy to throw them all flat on their backs.
"Feel the burn! The electrical burn, that is." He quipped, flashing a toothy grin as he charged up again. His cohorts were faring much differently; Mileena was locked in a sort of stalemate against Kotal Kahn, the Osh-Tekk emperor hefting his mighty macuahuitl in one hand while he blasted Mileena with rays of sunlight. The half-Tarkatan flexed her acrobatic prowess by dodging each one, but had no room to counterattack in any way. Tanya, on the other hand, was able to move much faster than Torr and was far more flexible, able to dodge his blows with ease and retaliate by nicking him with either her spear or tonfas. But Torr was incredibly durable and could take everything she had. Suddenly grabbing his rider, Torr lobbed Ferra towards the Edenian, the dwarf's sickle-blades extending across her arms as she sliced through Tanya's arm and waist, bloody tears left in her wake. Taking advantage, Torr charged forward, bowling over Tanya and knocking her to the ground. Ferra hopped back onto Torr as the brute captured Tanya within his crushing grip, lifting her off the ground.
"Squeeze Torr! Squeeze!" Ferra encouraged, grinning with sadistic glee as Torr started to apply pressure. Tanya could feel his strength beginning to take its toll on her body, any longer and she wouldn't be around to see Mileena crowned Empress. Fighting past the pain, orange markings lit up across her body as Tanya summoned her pyromancing powers to generate a burst of flame around her hands which seared Torr's mighty palms. The brute recoiled with a growl, dropping Tanya as red burns appeared across the underside of his hands. "You hurt Torr! We take your eyes!" Ferra screamed ready to take revenge. Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus saw Tanya's predicament and quickly generated what he liked to call a 'thunder bomb': an orb of electricity crushed between his hands that detonated and sent his opponents flying while shocking them simultaneously. With the majority of the Osh-Tekk down, Magnus surged over to Tanya's side, zapping Torr with a quick barrage of thunderbolts to keep him at bay.
"Care to switch things up?" He asked the Edenian.
"Deal." Tanya replied with a nod, drawing her tonfas and moving to deal with the remaining Osh-Tekk. Magnus ceased his barrage and charged up again as Torr recovered, Ferra spurring him on.
"You make pretty sparkles... Pretty sparkles hurt!" Ferra cried, looking at Magnus.
"They're not exactly supposed to be kid-friendly." He remarked, electricity buzzing.
"We take you arms, see you make sparkles then!" Ferra retorted. Torr agreed with a grunt as he started lumbering towards Magnus. Magnus responded by blasting Ferra off of Torr's back with a bolt of lightning. The hulking brute turned to tend to his fallen rider, completely exposing himself to Magnus. The electromancer rushed ahead and delivered two mighty punches, both fueled by electricity, right to Torr's back. An echoing crack from his spine resounded throughout the air as Torr lurched forward, stumbling and nearly crushing Ferra underfoot. Bellowing pain, Torr gathered his senses and whirled about to face Magnus. Assuming an attack stance with a flash of movement, Magnus beckoned Torr forward. The brute, at a loss without his rider, stood dazed and confused. Should he save his master? Or quell the source of his pain?
Magnus made his decision for him.
The elctromancer surged forward and attacked with a whirlwind of electrostatic punches, each one striking Torr with the force of a thousand shocks. Summoning his power of flight, Magnus launched himself a little higher in order to execute a snap-tornado kick that bashed Torr in the head. Magnus followed up by snapping out his leg in a back kick that crushed Torr's knee, snapping it backwards, before sweeping his broken leg out from underneath him, spinning around and executing a lunge kick that snapped his head back with a resounding crack! Torr collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily and incapable of rising. Magnus made sure to keep him there by blasting him with twin bolts of lightning until the brute started steaming.
"My arms are gonna stay right here, thank you." He stated. At that moment, Ferra crawled to her feet and saw Torr lying on the ground, unconscious. Rushing to her mount, she tried to shake him awake to no avail. She turned to Magnus with a glare.
"You hurt Torr!" She screamed as she lunged at Magnus, scythe-blades extended across her arms. But Magnus quickly summoned the ions in the air to discharge around Ferra, shocking her until she passed out and dropped to the ground.
"Sleep it off. Both of you." He grunted, rolling his shoulders. With Ferra/Torr down, Magnus turned to see Tanya killing off the remaining Osh-Tekk, wrenching her spear out of one's head.
Only Kotal Kahn remained.
Mileena had been dueling with him the entire time, both kombatants showing the wear of battle. Mileena's sai had nicked him several times, trails of blood seeping down his body. Kotal had managed to singe her multiple times, burn marks appearing across her body.
Yet neither of them had reached a point where they could claim victory.
Kotal bashed Mileena across the face with two heavy punches before pushing her back with a push kick. Raising his arm, he channeled the power of the sun into his hand.
"Hoteh mah-YAH shaleh!" He called, a burst of searing sunlight erupting from his hand and knocking Mileena away. The half-Tarkatan landed a good distance from the throne, Magnus and Tanya running to her side to help her up. "Chatel..." Kotal growled, stepping down onto the level ground. "Your Tarkatan hordes have failed you. Your rebellion as failed once again." He stated with assurance. "Your act of desperation has gotten you nowhere." Magnus looked around, noting all the dead Osh-Tekk and wondered for a moment if Kotal was blind.
"I beg to differ, usurper!" Mileena shot back, rising to her feet. "Your generals have been dealt with. Erron Black and Ferra/Torr are down, Ermac and Reptile are dead and your Osh-Tekk have been routed. You have no one to aid you."
"It's just you and us now, Ko'atal." Tanya stated, stepping beside Mileena with tonfas drawn. Magnus did so as well, arcs of electricity sparking along the length of his forearms.
"That may be so... but your rebellion has been routed once before. What makes you think you can succeed again?" Kotal challenged.
"Because we have new aid." Mileena replied, gesturing to Magnus. The electromancer put on his best look of imposition, trying to seem like a threat to the Emperor. Kotal eyed him curiously.
"And what do you seek of this, Earthrealmer?" He inquired. "What has Mileena promised you?"
"I seek a trustworthy emperor. Someone who will actually avoid war for once!" Magnus honestly replied.
"Your very presence risks interrealm war!" The Kahn countered. "Earthrealm will not have peace if you put Mileena on the throne. Have you forgotten how your fellow Earthrealmers helped me put an end to her rebellion?" He wondered.
"And then you promptly backstabbed us, yeah, I know what went down." Magnus bit back. "You've caused more harm than good, causing me to want you gone... a sentiment I share with Mileena and her rebels." He stated.
"I attacked Earthrealm because it was in our best interest." Kotal replied.
"Was it really? What would you have done had Sub-Zero not routed you?" Magnus demanded of him. Ko'atal fell silent, not knowing how to respond to him. His intentions had been to steal back Shinnok's amulet, but that never came to fruition. "You have defied the Reiko Accords for the last time." Magnus growled.
"Your term as emperor is at an end!" Tanya chimed in. Mileena glanced back and forth between her two allies, glad to be in such trustworthy company. She glared at Kotal with her predatory eyes, anxious to seem him fall. Seeing that kombat awaited him, Kotal summoned a ray of sunlight that enveloped him and empowered him, the tattoos across his body glowing yellow as he took on the powers of a sun god.
"Then come and end it!" He challenged. With no further invitation, Tanya sheathed her tonfas and blasted Kotal with a burst of flame as Magnus simultaneously stretched out his arm and loosed a bolt of electricity that slammed into the Kahn. Empowered by the sun, Kotal appeared unfazed by either attack and retaliated with a bolt of superheated sunlight that knocked Tanya away before he summoned a sun disk which he hurled towards Magnus. The disk exploded in a fiery plume and knocked the electromancer down and away, leaving Mileena alone against him. "I grow tired of this..." he growled, charging up a mighty solar blast. "Up the stair path... to the fire's edge!" He chanted. From his downed position, Magnus was quicker to recover and looked up to see Kotal readying to disintegrate Mileena.
"Mileena! No!" He shouted, scrambling to pull her out of the way. He summoned his powers of flight, desperation rife in his eyes.
And then, something remarkable happened.
His powers of flight, combined with his strong desire to reach Mileena, opened a new pathway within his vast array of abilities and his body disappeared in a burst of sparks, only to reappear in front of Mileena a second later with a crackle of static. Now standing between her and Kotal, Magnus took the full force of his sun beam, the burning blast knocking him back into Mileena. The centre of his chest was seared, his robes scorched. And it hurt quite a bit.
"Magnus!" Mileena cried, easing him up. The electromancer sputtered as he shook off the blow. He suddenly realized what had happened and his chuckle turned into a cough.
"Well bite me on the neck and call me Brokkr! I can teleport!" He coughed. Still attempting to recover, Mileena handed Magnus over to the risen Tanya.
"Help him!" She ordered, marching towards Kotal Kahn. "You will pay, you treacherous rat!" She snarled, sais in hand. Kotal eyed her curiously.
"You would avenge the life of an Earthrealmer?" Kotal wondered, somewhat surprised by Mileena's sudden change in tone after wounding Magnus.
"I owe him much. My life, my rebellion, all of it lives because of him!" She declared. "He is the reason you will fall!" She shrieked, lunging at Kotal as the Emperor drew his sickles. As they two duelled again, Tanya helped Magnus to his feet.
"You will be well, I take it?" She wondered.
"Pretty sure, I've had worse. Can't say for certain, though..." Magnus replied, straightening up and wincing as he flexed his wounded chest. He turned to see the fight between Mileena and Kotal in full force as Mileena attacked the Osh-Tekk with a series of high kicks. "We've gotta chip in. Kotal's strong, we can't take him one on one." He stated.
"Perhaps we might wear him down?" Tanya theorized.
"Attacking in waves... maybe so." Magnus replied, slowly nodding. Just then, Kotalgrabbed Mileena by the face and channeled a burst of energy through his hand, searing her with sunlight. "I'll take point!" Magnus told Tanya, teleporting away. He reappeared right behind Kotal and attacked the Emperor with a flying, electrified punch to the back of the head. The blow staggered Kotal, allowing Tanya to pull Mileena away. Magnus continued his barrage with two kicks to the back of the Kahn's knees and followed up with a burst of electricity that knocked Kotal flat on his face. Magnus then teleported in front of the Emperor as he started to rise, willing to give Kotal a moment to get back up. Electricity buzzed through his limbs as he got ready to do battle with the Emperor. Rising to his feet, Kotal drew his tecpatl and slit his palm, summoning a totem via his offering of blood as the tattoos across his body began to glow red.
The power of a blood god now flowed through him.
"You vex me, Earthrealmer." The Kahn growled as his eyes turned from glowing yellow to blazing red.
"Already?" Magnus wondered. "Then you're gonna hate what's coming next..." Dropping to one knee, Magnus allowed Tanya to leap off his back and attack Kotal with her spear. The weapon pierced his shoulder, throwing him back as Tanya pulled her spear free and attacked with a spinning strike, every slash of her spear cutting through Kotal and leaving a bloody gash behind.
But each drop of spilt blood fueled his strength even further.
Before Tanya could lunge forward and spear Kotal again, the blood god summoned a totem beneath the Edenian that launched her into the air. Grabbing her by her ankles, Kotal whipped her over and slammed her into the ground, her ribs cracking on impact. Seeing Tanya go down, both Mileena and Magnus surged ahead to take on Kotal. Sais drawn and electricity flowing, the two attacked the Kahn from behind, Mileena tearing into his back as Magnus trapped his legs within a charged burst of electricity. Kotal cried out in pain but managed to keep his senses long enough to grab Mileena and throw her off of him. Knowing he was next, Magnus teleported right in front of Kotal, striking him across the face with a hard punch. He followed up with a blow to his ribs and a kick to his gut, forcing Kotal to double over. But as the Emperor lashed out with a backhand, Magnus disappeared from view. Standing up and questioning where his opponent went, Kotal was unprepared for Magnus to appear behind him and attack with a hurricane kick to his wounded back. Kotal staggered backwards as Magnus charged up an orb of electricity, throwing it forward. The orb discharged against Kotal's back, throwing him forward and knocking him to the floor of the throne room. Knowing he needed to capitalize on this moment, seeing how strong Kotal really was, Magnus charged up and dashed ahead. But Kotal gripped his tecpatl tightly, turned around and struck with a slash as soon as Magnus drew close enough, his sacrificial dagger passing clean through his arm. Magnus clutched the wound, knowing that a nasty scar would be left behind as Kotal rose to his feet. He quickly delivered a burst of electricity that Kotal warded off with his gauntlets as Magnus backed away.
"Mileena? Tanya? Anyone care to tag in?" He wondered aloud. Mileena was the first to recover and charged Kotal, only for the blood god to grab her and throw her into Magnus. The elctromancer caught her, her body pressed against his as they slid to a halt. Mileena paused to catch her breath safe in Magnus arms. "Are you well?" Magnus wondered, still holding her. Mileena looked up into his eyes as she pulled down the veil over her face.
"I'm better now." She answered. Magnus nodded in understanding, helping her to her feet. By now Kotal had risen and renewed his strength, Tanya seemingly still downed after the battering hit. His eyes seething with frustration and anger, Kotal was clearly ready to end this fight.
"If it's war you want... war you'll get!" He thundered, summoning his macuahuitl as the tattoos across his body turned from red to blue, the spirit of a war god coming upon him. Suddenly jumping to her feet, Tanya turned and rushed at Kotal with her tonfas. Snapping open his eyes, which were now also blue, Kotal swung his war club hard, batting Tanya aside, sending her sprawling. Generating a lightning sword, Magnus chose to fight fire with fire as he engaged in weapon combat with the Emperor. His weapon was smaller, allowing him to be more nimble and effective with his strikes. But Kotal had years of practice with his mighty weapon and knew how to use his macuahuitl to great effect. Raising his weapon high, Kotal brought it down hard as Magnus knelt and held his sword with two hands, blocking the macuahuitl but just barely. The weapon was heavy, Kotal strong and the combined weight and strength was quickly wearing on Magnus. He wouldn't last long. Fortunately, Mileena came to his aid, jumping off the war club and sinking her sais deep into Kotal's chest, raking them down and spilling his blood as she came to Magnus' aid. Kotal cried out in pain, dropping his macuahuitl as Mileena's teeth sank into the flesh of his side, tearing out a chunk with a spurt of blood as she then sank her sai into the wound. Kotal was in agony and he lasted out by viciously grabbing Mileena and hosting her over his head, summoning a beam of sun fire that seared her flesh and scorched her all over. Throwing her down, Kotal summoned his powers to renew his strength and fight back the pain. Mileena struggled to rise and Kotal advanced upon her. Suddenly, Magnus was by her side, helping her up.
"Shield your eyes!" He hissed, raising his arm towards the advancing Kotal. Mileena did so as Magnus snapped his fingers, generating a burst of sparks that blinded Kotal and forced him to back off. As he did, Tanya lept ahead and drove her sharpened tonfas into his gut, tearing deeply into Kotal's body. As he doubled over, clutching his wounds, Tanya executed a frontflip and brought her heel crashing into the back of his head, skull cracking on impact. Kotal was now on his hands and knees, but wouldn't be for long. Magnus recognized this and knew he needed to strike now. He turned to the Edenian. "Tanya! Give me a lightning rod!" He cried, electricity flowing through his arms. Tanya nodded and quickly plunged her spear deep into Kotal's back. The Kahn cried out as he was wounded, the stabbing pain of the spear rocking his systems.
But it was about to get even worse.
Tanya backed away with the spear sticking straight out of his back, allowing Magnus to unleash two beams of lightning that struck the conductive metal grip of the spear. The surge of energy flowed down and into Kotal, shocking him relentlessly as the power of a tempest electrocuted him over and over again. His body steaming, Magnus finally ceased his barrage as Kotal collapsed, breathing heavily and lacking the strength to get back up. Tanya reached over and wrenched free her spear, the grip feeling hot within her hand. Magnus finished helping Mileena up, burnt and wounded, but alive and victorious. Magnus turned to look at the defeated Osh-Tekk, watching as the blue of his war god tattoos faded away. "You've got all these godly powers at your command... too bad a storm god wasn't one of them." He mused. Ever so slowly Kotal crawled to his hands and knees, Tanya keeping her tonfas drawn as Mileena brandished a single sai. On his knees, Kotal looked up with a worn look in his eyes at his three opponents. Tanya's tonfa came to rest under his chin, ensuring he remained in submission to them.
"Say it." Mileena growled. Every fibre in his body wanted to refuse, to maintain his hold on Outworld's throne. But in his mind, he knew he was defeated. There was nothing more he could do, except to play by Mileena's rules and maybe, just maybe, live to fight another day.
"You... have won." He stated, struggling to do so. Such words had never tasted more bitter in his mouth. Mileena bore a triumphant smile as victory settled over her. "Go on... be done with it!" Kotal growled in a last act of defiance. "Kill me."
"You deemed me unworthy to be slain by your hand, handing the responsibility over to your paltry first minister instead." Mileena growled, remembering her execution by D'Vorah's hand with little fondness. "So I will return the favor and do the same." She stated. Kotal refused to meet her gaze, knowing he would die a dishonourable death. Mileena turned to the white clad electromancer by her side. "Magnus," the Earthrealm warrior turned to her, "prove your loyalty to me... finish him!" She commanded. Magnus gave a quick nod. Turning to Kotal, lightning rippled across his arms as he plotted out just how to do away with Kotal to ensure he would not return.
The idea came to him shortly.
Magnus surrounded the Kahn in a ball of pure electricity, frying Kotal's body with continuous blasts of electrical energy until the Kahn was truly being cooked alive by the intense heat. Then, Magnus took control of his sphere and forced the electricity into Kotal's body, making him glow with the sheer amount of power trapped within him. Snapping his arms out with a cry, Magnus commanded the electricity to explode outwards... and evaporate Kotal Kahn's body in the process. Disintegrating in a shower of blood, the former emperor was killed in a single, swift motion, leaving not even a body to bury.
Kotal Kahn was dead.
FATALITY!
Stepping back as the buzzing died down, Magnus let out a long sigh. It was over.
"Well... he won't be bothering us any time soon." Tanya mused, sheathing her tonfas. For the first time in years, this final victory felt so relieving.
"Indeed. At long last... the throne is finally mine again." Mileena softly said, almost in awe of the opportunity before her. Taking a few tentative steps forward, her advance was stopped as a few Tarkatan warriors, survivors of the outside attack, entered the throne room. They stopped upon spying the bodies of the dead Osh-Tekk and the bloody puddle that had once been Kotal Kahn. They watched as Mileena continued to step forward until she had ascended to the throne and sat upon it, crossing one leg over the other. With a victorious shout, the Tarkatan's crossed themselves and knelt before her, Tanya following suit. Only Magnus remained standing. He looked to Mileena, knowing he was now in the presence of the Empress which commanded the respect she was due. A lingering doubt remained in his mind as to whether or not Mileena would actually honor his request to make peace with Earthrealm. He knew she was a woman who sought out what would best benefit her, regardless of who was impacted. What she wanted she got.
Still... he was in the presence of royalty.
Gaze locked with Mileena's and crossing one hand over his chest, Magnus knelt alongside Tanya and the Tarkatan's, officially recognizing her as Empress. A small smile appeared on her face, pleased by Magnus' willing display of reverence. It felt good to be a leader again.
Mileena Kahnum was once again the ruler of Outworld.
"Tonight, we shall feast in honor of my victory." She declared. "This will be a day long remembered, when a true leader reclaimed the throne of Outworld! Come my allies, let us celebrate!"